#Toya i still love you even though you are dumb

[h0estar]

catching up to bnha (spoilers for chapters 349-352)

okay i watched the episodes first before reading the chapters and wow. the anime did a great job.

as someone who absolutely adores and feels for toya's lore, this battle was particularly gut wrenching. i was literally sat on my couch, bawling over the fact that the todoroki kids had to clean up and confront their parents' messes.

i am aware that most of the fans dislike dabi/toya due to the fact that his story was dumbed down to "a kid who lacked attention." but i am fully convinced his character solely exists for the eldest child in every family.

toya lost 3 years of his life and the fact the first thing he thought of when he woke up was his dad :( that he was probably worried and that he should go to apologize to his family for the things he did. :( when he mentioned that he wanted to be a hero, i absolutely lost it. this guy wanted to be like his dad more than anyone else. he had the weight of expectations on his shoulder from when his dad acknowledged his potential. yet of course, his dreams were crushed by his very own parents and he was left alone to deal with that loss.

well there you go, another eldest child = guinea pig proof for every family. do you have any idea what it's like to strive to become the person your parents acknowledged you to be but only to have it visibly replaced by someone younger than you? a literal child, your own flesh and blood, who's naturally talented and never had to worry about a thing in their life? well, that feeling sucks ass.

but shoto has grown so much in the story. he's genuinely a really nice guy who's willing to move forward and face his past for the future. and i love how in his life, he has never interacted with toya once but he still calls him his brother and talks to him like it's so natural. this moment in the manga made me shed a tear ಥ⁠_⁠ಥ:

got me all up in my feels man. toya is just so full of rage and resentment and shoto acknowledged that. ultimately though, he was right. it was toya's choice to attack innocent civilians and i love how shoto told him to take it out on their family instead of others ಥ⁠_⁠ಥ (i mean yeah technically he did with all the nomu he sent but whatever)

the tears i've cried because of this panel. this battle must've been really hard for both of them. ughhh my heart is shattered over the fact that shoto still wants to spend time with toya and toya is absolutely repulsed by his existence. (this finishing blow must've been a pain in the gut for him because once again, the prodigy has defeated the failure disjisksdhjs) i can't do this yall. they deserved better. so much better.

anw, this moment reminds us once again that a hero's true purpose is to reach a helping hand. izuku with shigaraki, shoto with toya, ochaco with toga, class 1-A with aoyama, and many more. granted, some of their actions are unforgivable but since this is fiction, i'm going to continue being a sucker for stories that give even irredeemable characters a second chance--dead or alive, it doesn't matter.

well, here's hoping i get to see the todoroki siblings in therapy. actually, the todoroki family in general. and then someday, a moment of toya and shoto going out to have a nice meal of udon together ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ

[practickles]

Rough (Day) - Featherary Day 7

Fandom: Project Sekai

Lees: Akito Shinonome, Toya Aoyagi

Lers: Toya Aoyagi, Akito Shinonome

Romantic AkiToya

Word Ct: 1.7k

Warnings: Tickles

Summary: After the day Akito has had, all he wants is some playful affection from his boyfriend. Luckily, Toya is more than happy to both give and receive.

Yet another draft I dusted off and finished (read: finished, not polished/fixed/edited) for a birthday. Happy birthday Akito. Enjoy. You all can have some AkiToya as a treat.

----

Akito stormed into the living room, tossed his bag on the ground, kicked off his shoes, and flopped onto the couch with a loud sigh.

"Hey." Toya greeted softly from his spot on the other end of the couch. He placed a bookmark to save where he was reading and set the book on the coffee table, giving his boyfriend his completely undivided attention. Toya knew he could be oblivious when it came to social situations but he prided himself in his astute ability to tell when Akito was upset. "Rough day?" 

Akito sighed again. "You wouldn't fucking believe it." He, with little grace, clambered across the couch to sit against Toya’s side, earning a slight, closed lip smile of both endearment and sympathy from the other. 

Toya was never certain how to comfort his partner in times like this but was glad to know Akito felt comfortable enough to initiate even a small action like that. Following his lead, Toya hesitantly guided his boyfriend's head onto his shoulder and ran a hand through his soft orange hair in a gentle, repetitive motion. "You want to talk about it?" 

Akito leaned into the touch and shut his eyes with a contented hum. "It's just dumbasses at work. Not much to talk about." 

"Ah, okay. If you're sure." Toya was concerned and couldn't help but feel a bit helpless. He couldn't stand to see the man he loved so stressed out. "Anything I can do?"

After a beat, Akito went slightly pink, burying his face into Toya's neck. Something clearly came to mind at the question and he seemed hesitant to share it. "No. No, just this is fine." He mumbled. He sounded as if he were trying to convince not only Toya, but also himself. It's a given that he utterly failed at both. 

Toya frowned. He knew when it came to affection, Akito had trouble asking for comfort. Still though, he couldn't help but hate it when his boyfriend was dishonest with him, especially about this. He only wanted to help however he could. "Hey." He turned his head to look at the man on his shoulder and squeezed his hand. "Kito? You know you can tell me anything? You don't need to be so embarrassed. It's just me."

The redhead flushed at how he was addressed. Toya wasn't typically one for nicknames, only resorting to them in moments of vulnerability. That genius idiot probably didn't even notice how the pet name made him want to spill his guts. He was far too weak to him. He took a deep breath, Toya would back off if he asked but that felt wrong. He wanted to be open. Unfortunately, open is hard to achieve when the subject is so... embarrassing. He opened his mouth, and closed it. "Yeah, I know. It's just that- well... Ugh." 

"Take your time. It's okay."

"I just... could you.. help me take my mind off it? With that dumb thing where we both... you know.... with the laughing?" Akito, the color of a tomato at this point, turned his face deeper into his partner to hide it.

Toya looked confused only for a moment before smiling fondly. "Oh. You mean you want to have a tickle fight?" 

The way he said it so casually rendered Akito speechless. He could only nod shyly. 

"Of course," Toya placed a gentle kiss on Akito's temple. "See? Nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm going to tickle you now. You can get me back if you'd like. Is that okay?" 

Akito, again, only gave a nod. 

Toya, not wanting to overwhelm him, wrapped an arm around the ginger and started to slowly trail his fingers over his sides. He was rewarded with little happy snickers slowly trickling into the room.

Akito felt a sudden burst of confidence overtake him through his laughter, energy flooding his chest like wildfire. His giggles seemed to melt away the tired frustration plaguing his heart and its place, an intense desire to get back at his boyfriend. He couldn't just sit here and take it. He wasn't going to let himself lose. He was going to turn that smug, stupid, beautiful smile into a panicked grin and make him scream in laughter. He did have permission after all. 

With no effort at all, Akito easily jerked himself from his boyfriend's clutches, flipped him onto his back, straddled his hips and began to claw wildly on his sides. 

"HAHAHA! AKIHITO!" Toya protested, immediately going limp at the surprise attack. "I- NAHAHAT- FAHAHAH!" He could barely even speak through his own wild peals of laughter.

"Not what? Not fair?" Akito grinned with a sense of satisfaction. "Hate to break it to you, hon, but life isn't fair." He leaned down close to Toya's neck, his breath making the pale skin tingle.

Time moved in slow motion for Toya as he felt his nerves light up in the brightest little firework explosions. If Akito managed to get his sides and neck at the same time, they both knew he was absolutely done for. He initially was unsure of how Akito was going to react to the tickles and, consequently, wanted to take it gently, at least to start. However, it seemed like his boyfriend had other plans, in a cruel betrayal leading him to his current predicament. He didn't have much time. All he knew was that he had to think of a way to get his boyfriend off of him and fast. He used the last of his strength to force himself forward enough to make a desperate grab at Akito's calves, dragging his short, blunt nails across them, just controlled enough not to scratch. 

The effect was immediate. Akito jerked back in surprise with a squeal, halting his attack on the soft sides in front of him just long enough for Toya to squirm out from under him, red faced and panting, and scramble a few feet away. He looked Akito in the eyes from their positions across from each other, eyes shining with pure mirth and adoration. "For someone who plahays so dirty, you're a bit ticklish yourself." He giggled out. 

"Oh you are so gonna get it now!" Akito yelled with a playful grin as he made a dive for Toya. "Come back her-HEHHE!"

He was cut off by ten fingers wiggling quickly into his tummy with the precision of a well practiced musician, targeting the carefully studied spots Toya knew would get him flailing and squealing like there's no tomorrow. Still tickling, Toya carefully pushed Akito onto his back, laying his own body on top of him. He was so weak from his still ongoing laughter and thrashing, Akito had no choice but to let him. 

Before he even had the chance to fight back, Toya readjusted himself and burrowed his head under his shirt, punctuating the movement with a large raspberry directly onto the unprotected belly. If Akito was going to go for his worst, he didn't see why he couldn't do the same in return.

“NOHOHOT THEHRE! SHIHIT TOYA!” His pleas fell on deaf ears as he felt Toya take in another breath of air to torment him with. “NAHAHAT AGAHAIHN! PLEHEHASE!” 

The next raspberry from hell was accompanied by Toya shaking his head back and forth like a wet dog trying to dry itself off. Akito had no time to dwell on the absurd juxtaposition that was his loving boyfriend acting even remotely similar to such a filthy creature; The soft blue locks of hair now adding to the sensation on his most ticklish spot served as quite the distraction. Akito threw his head back in shrieks of laughter and kicked with every scrap of remaining movement in his legs. He begged and shouted profanities that lost more and more clarity by the second. Damn Toya and his damn breath support. 

By the time Toya finished his raspberry, his partner had long since been reduced to no more than a babbling mess of insults and giggles. He panted desperately, thanking whatever was out there that had granted him freedom from his merciless boyfriend. The boyfriend so horrid and unjust that his gaze upon emerging from under his shirt was nothing but… soft. Toya looked at the other with nothing but love and maybe a hint of concern in his gray irises. He sat back on Akito’s legs, giving him room to sit up and breathe against the arm of the couch. 

“My apologies Akito. I didn’t mean for that to be so.. Intense. I hope I didn’t go too far.” He seemed shy. Embarrassed. He avoided direct eye contact. Good thing there was an easy fix for that. 

“Oh-” Akito gasped, still exhausted and taking in all the fresh air he could. “That was too far alright-” 

Toya’s face hardened with guilt. 

“-because you are so dead now. I hope that little stunt was worth it.” He smirked. 

Guilt turned to confusion. Confusion turned to realization. Realization turned to panic. Panic turned to whatever happens when embarrassment, dread, and unadulterated love for another mixed together in one large cocktail of red faced emotion. 

Akito,still laying down, pulled him close into what those unacquainted to Akito-typical ticklish revenge may have mistaken for just an innocent hug. Toya, however, knew better. That particular strain of naivete thinking had been ruined a long, long time ago. He giggled nervously, knowing full well what was about to come. 

“Any last words?” Akito teased directly into his ear, “Wanna apologize yet?” 

The defiant proclamation in return was said through a growing fit of anticipatory giggles. “I refuse to apologize for anything that makes you smile.” 

“Oi. Shut up, you.” Those were the last coherent words Toya would process for a while as his partner’s hands retreated from their gentle grasp on his waist to drilling deep into his hips. Though it was impossible to say Toya was wrong. This did make Akito happy. He loved the laughing and how distracting everything was and how he could make his stoic boyfriend squeal like a little kid. 

Toya thrashed and laughed his hardest at the tickling but none of it even came close to the warmth he felt looking at Akito’s mouth curled into a smile. Smug and determined of course, but happy nonetheless. 

Bad moods and worse days were always going to be inevitable, but with just as much certainty to the young couple, there was always the other waiting at home to make it all go away. 

----

We're going to collectively pretend that 9 months after a prompt list is an acceptable time frame to continue to work on said prompt list. Okay? Okay.

[akiitos]

heeellooo!! I adore your writing very much! May I request prosekai boys with a pretty tall fem or gn reader (perhaps around 5'5, 5'6, 5'7 or the same height as them!) If it's too much you can do akito and toya! Thank you and have a nice day!

a/n: awwweee thank you so much! im glad you do<3 i hope you have a nice day aswell!! please enjoy, anon!

pjsk boys x fem!reader

@ akito shinonome

- akito doesn't mind height at all, so when he first met you he didn't care about your height. but when you started dating, he felt guilty that he didn't really know what to do when it came to physical contact and stuff like that

- so slowly but surely he was making some steps. surely hoping you didn't mind how uncharacter like it is of him to be this awkward with such a small thing

- he still loves you though, very much! he likes resting his head on your shoulder sometimes, but will NEVER admit that. never

@ toya aoyagi

- he noticed that you're the same height as him, which he didn't care at all. but when you two started dating he had a habit of wanting to kiss your fingertips

- ^ like, kissing your fingertips and then holding your hands tightly (NOT TOO TIGHT...)

- like akito, there was this one time where he was very tired but was hanging over at your house. he sorta just fell asleep on your shoulder. he felt bliss

@ tsukasa tenma

- like everyone else here, he isn't one to judge about height whatsoever. he loves sneaking up from behind and scaring you whenever you have your back turned lmao

- there was this one time where he's asked you, "have you ever hit your head on a door frame or something?" what a very strange moment. he doesn't even recall asking you that lol

- he likes running up to you and giving you a huge bear hug while giving a little hop to kiss your cheek lovekasa omg.

@ rui kamishiro

- ohoho this tall fella. he likes sneaking up from behind you and picking you up from behind while spinning you like a little dog/cat

- when cuddling, he likes having his arm placed under your neck for some reason. he just seems to like it ig lol

- he's also probably made some dumb excuse for you to try on one of his costumes. he's defo asked you "hey, [name], can you try this on?" whilst handing you an outfit of his. man he's just eager to see if his clothes will fit you

[nieru07]

Starry Palette 4 coma part 10

T/N

The game Haine and Toya playing is something like a trick questions in English ((CMIIW)). For example, when someone told you to say “silk” a few times then asks you “what do cows drink?”. If you fell to the trick, you will say “milk” meanwhile the right answer is “water”.

It’s seems like Haine wanted to trick Toya into saying “Mt. Himalaya” (or “Himaraya San” in Japanese) but Toya is just too dumb for it //SHOTS 

part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

[thotsforvillainrights]

Could I request some soft Setsuno smut? I really need something comforting to distract my grieving..

(I’m so sorry to hear you’re going through something right now. I sure hope this can help cheer you up even if just a little bit. Much love!!!)

~Days Too Long~

headcanon|scenario|imagine|match-up  

-”Are you busy right now?” Oh how he came to dread these words for the past week. It seemed like he would be cursed, stuck here at the Hassaikai forever. It didn’t help that you were going through your own battles at the moment. All he could offer you was a few phone calls and some text messages. He would much rather be by your side, holding you and consoling you right now. Instead he was busy picking up the slack from his fellow yakuza member. “Damn you Nemoto for getting the flu.” Toya has said this sentence at least twice a day for the entire week’s time. Why did it have to be him of all people to fill in for Shin? Why can’t it just be Mimic or Tengai or even Hojo for crying out loud?! He didn’t even bother bringing it up to Overhaul since it’s not likely the boss would even understand. He’d probably say something along the lines of ‘just get the work done’ rather than allowing for Toya to take the day off to console you.

-When he’d returned home later that evening he frowned at seeing you bundled underneath the blankets. How long had you waited for him to get off today? He didn’t wake you up since he knew you likely needed the rest, but it was hard on him not even being able to speak to you. Imagine the surprise when you rolled over and stared at him. He dropped to his knees beside the bed and began stroking along your cheek. “Your eyes are all puffy baby. Have you been crying again?” A dumb question sure, but he asked it just to hear your voice more than likely. “yea...” you croaked out. He grimaced before standing up and slipping off his shoes, sliding into bed with you and taking the opportunity to hold his love tightly to his chest. You rolled once more to look up and face him. “Ew, you didn’t even take off your clothes and shower?” You joked weakly. He smiled and shook his head. “I forgot I guess.” A lie, a joke he returned back at you. It was nice to see you smile and hear your laugh again, even if it was a bit feeble.

-”I’m sorry I haven’t really been here for you this week Y/N. Nemoto got really sick so I’ve been covering all his shifts for him.” Setsuno apologized before placing a soft kiss on your forehead. “Oh no, poor Shin. I sure hope he’s okay? Is it Covid maybe?” Setsuno chuckled quietly. “You’re going through some shit and still worried about the wellbeing of someone else? God, you’re an angel you know that? Anyway, no it’s nothing like that. It’s the flu apparently. From what I hear, he’s doing okay. I figure he’s just resting up or something. I feel bad for saying this but I wish he’s hurry up and come back to work so I can get a break. I miss you yknow?” Setsuno grumbled a little bit. “You’re not selfish for wanting a break. I can totally understand. I’m okay here without you though. You don’t need to apologize so much for not being here. I get it. I mean, shit yeah I’m sad or whatever...but I know you didn’t abandon me. I can see it in your eyes, cut it out right now.” You scolded him and he sniffled. “Yeah...sorry haha.” 

-For a while the room was silent save for the sounds of your lips meeting with one another. It’s hard to say just how you’d both ended up in this position. A simple kiss between lovers turned into a full make-out session fairly quick. It was nice considering it was a distraction for the both of you from the outside world. A self-set pace where you two could do as you pleased as you ignored everything else. In the back of his mind, Setsuno strengthened his resolve to make sure he got your mind off things for a while...and to make it up to you for being absent for the past week. So he kicked it up into high gear and shifted the atmosphere to something a bit steamier. You caught on almost immediately when his lips left yours and began to focus on your neck and surrounding areas instead. His hands wrapped themselves in yours, holding firmly yet not too tight. He soon found himself towering over you, blond hair tucked behind his ears as he trained his eyes on your body beneath him. You hadn’t found a single word to complain...it’s not as if you wanted to anyway.

-You’d watched as he eased his way out of his clothing. You decided to keep your outfit on considering it was just a big shirt and your underwear (which you’d slipped to the side and let fall from the bed. When he caught a glimpse of them hitting the floor, his cheeks turned a brilliant red. Even after all this time it was the most simple things that you did that made him go absolutely crazy just for you. “Can I?” He asked quietly after he made his way back into the bed. You nodded once and watched him slowly lower his face right where you wanted him the most. He let his tongue do all the work, taking care of you as if his life depended on it. His hands gently trailed up and down your sides while he tasted you, listening to the syrupy sweet moans just for him. Finally his hands settled on your hips, gripping them slightly and holding them in place as he tried to pathetically cease your writhing. You were getting close and he knew it. He was not one to hold you back from getting off. (Edging was usually done on him instead of the opposite) He watched and listened closely as you came for him. That usually swell in his heart welcomed its way right back in when he thought of the way he and ONLY he could make you feel. His eyes were so full of love for you that you can barely catch the lust seeping through. He wanted to get off too...he deserved it after the week he’d been through. 

-You reached a shaky hand upward and gently cupped his cheek to the underneath of his chin. “Your turn.” 

[myherowritings]

Maybe It’s Fate

— After discovering the mememate you fell in love with was your ex-boyfriend who broke your heart, you find yourself alone in a bar with a dead phone in a poor attempt to cope. The person who helps you at 3 a.m. is the last person you want to see.

pairing: shinsou hitoshi x f!reader word count: 10,531 genre: modern au, social media au

a/n: hihi welcome to part 25 of toya ! ;) the smau is rated 17+ so keep that in mind because it applies to this part too. it’s a bit thicc so i hope it’s able to keep your attention! skksffsd plspls chat with me and let me know what u think once u read! i’m looking forward to the convos ^-^ [edit: THIS IS NOT THE FINAL PART LOLOL]

Of all the dumb decisions you’ve made in your life, this by far had to be the dumbest of them all.

You were angry and hurt and wanted nothing more than to drown your feelings with overplayed EDM music and cheap booze that reminded you too much of the trash college parties you used to frequent. And while going out to get drunk was no where near your stupidest decision, going out alone with the full intention of returning home with someone else was. 

“Is everything okay?” you heard an unfamiliar voice beside you call.

Wishing you had brought more than an empty can of pepper spray, you cautiously turned to face him. You wanted to call a cab or take the train home, but you knew walking alone in the streets in your current condition might just be more stupid than staying at the club. Besides, your phone died right after you sent Kaminari your location. 

In other words-- You were truly fucked.

Not that you would let anyone know that, of course.

“Everything’s just fine,” you replied, trying to sound polite but disinterested. “Thanks.” 

He kept his distance but sat down at the barstool next to you. “Are you sure? You’re a pretty lady alone at the bar and you’re staring at your drink like it just insulted your favorite grandmother.” 

Immediately, the tears of stress and frustration flooded your eyes but you kept them from falling. Your bottom lip quivered and you blamed all the alcohol in your system for your seemingly uncontrollable emotions.

 “Am I that transparent?” You sniffled, downing the rest of your drink as you turned towards him.

“Ah-- Wait!” he cried with wide eyes, waving his hands in front of him as you chugged what was in your glass. “Are you sure you should keep drinking? Where are your friends?”

You studied him curiously. He seemed nice and trustworthy, but you couldn’t help but be skeptical of his intentions.

“They’re...around,” you answered, unwilling to admit you were here alone to a random stranger. “And I’m okay! Just here hating men, but what’s new?” 

He nodded solemnly. “Understandable. Men suck. Carry on.”

That earned a grin from you.

As the last gulp of vodka settled in your stomach and made its way to your head, you instinctively checked your phone in your pocket only to find it still dead. 

Damn. And here you were hoping it would’ve miraculously charged through sheer willpower. 

Drumming your fingertips against the empty glass, you let your gaze roam around the perimeter of the nightclub, blinking furiously in confusion when you thought you had spotted a head of all-too-familiar purple hair near the entrance.

“What the…” you trailed off. You could have sworn you just saw Shinsou, but the next second you opened your eyes, he was gone.

Great, you thought to yourself miserably. First he snuck his way into your heart and now you were imagining his presence too? 

“You’re really had too much to drink, haven’t you, Y/N?” you chided yourself, head spinning as you instantly regretted the last few gulps.

The guy next to you glanced over in concern, drinking a glass of what you assumed to be respect women juice. 

“Can I order you some water?” he fretted. “Or maybe a cab?” 

You shook your head to decline but stopped abruptly when your temples started to throb at the sudden motion. 

“S’okay,” you slurred. “I just thought I saw--” 

“Y/N!” 

You froze in your seat.

That voice… It was faint and almost like it wasn’t real, but you knew that voice. 

There was no way. 

“Good grief, I’m losing it now, huh?” you asked your bar acquaintance with furrowed brows. 

He shrugged, not knowing how to reply.

“Y/N, thank god,” the voice said frantically, sounding closer this time. “You’re safe!”

Ever so slowly, you turned around in your seat, eyes squeezed shut.

Even hearing his voice amidst the blaring of music was enough to make your heart twist in pain. It was the same deep timbre you remembered from high school and you haven’t heard it since then. You hated just how much you had missed the familiar sound. It was like a hug of comfort telling you everything was okay and a stab in the gut all at once.

“Y/N,” he said again, almost a whisper this time.

You finally found the courage to open your eyes, but refused to meet his gaze. Instead, you developed a deep interest in the laces of his shoes, reluctant to look up. 

“Shinsou…” The name left a bitter taste on your tongue and you wished you had another drink to wash it down with. Your voice hardened. “What are you doing here?” 

He winced at your harsh tone but stood unrelenting. “Your friends are worried sick about you. Kaminari was so concerned he even messaged me-- Something I imagine he never wanted to do.”

Your lower lip jutted out in guilt as your stare stayed set on the intricacies of the tiled flooring. 

“Why have you not checked your phone?” asked Shinsou in exasperation. “Kaminari was trying to tell you I was going to pick you up.” 

“I’m sorry,” you said softly. “My phone died after I sent Denki my location.”

“Died? Did you not charge it before you left? Y/N how could you be so irresponsible--!” 

“Is everything okay here?” your unnamed acquaintance said from his seat on the bar. He glanced carefully between you and Hitoshi. 

You nodded, sparing him a wry smile. “I’m fine. Thank you, though.” 

Shinsou bit the inside of his cheek as he eyed the stranger who sat next to you. “Who’s this?” 

“None of your damn business.” 

Annoyed by Shinsou’s chiding, you bristled when he frowned at you. He had no right to sound concerned or jealous-- No right to pretend he cared!

Not when he did what he did.

“I know I was being stupid and I’ll call my friends when I get home,” you said, not bothering to hide your irritation. “But you can’t just come here and talk to me like everything is normal! Why are you even here?” 

Pushing yourself out of your chair, you stood up and finally looked Hitoshi in the eye, glaring at him. You wobbled on your own two feet and felt the goosebumps on your bare thighs and arms, briefly wishing you had brought a coat with you.

Great, another thing Toshi can call you irresponsible for, you thought crossly, a mixture of hurt and anger in your face as you stared up at him. 

“Why are you here?” you repeated as you paced away from the bar--turning back only to give your bar friend a wave goodbye that he returned with a confused look. You headed for the exist of the nightclub as briskly as your legs could carry you in your uncomfortable heels. “How did you know where to find me?” 

Shinsou trailed not too far behind you and you begrudgingly admitted to yourself that you felt a warmth near your back from his presence. “Kaminari told me you were alone at a nightclub and this one happened to be only ten minutes from my house.”

You pouted. Small fucking world. Fate must’ve been getting a kick out of this.

“Your friends were worried-- So was I.” You rolled your eyes, but he continued. “And since I was the closest to this place I offered to pick you up.”

Reaching the side doors, you stopped by the stone wall of the building and squinted at him. “You offered and they just let you?”

That did not sound like the friends you knew. You were expecting a full Shinsou beat down from Bakugou alone. 

Hitoshi scratched the back of his neck and, in your tipsy stupor, you felt comforted by the familiar habit of his. You swallowed, balling your hands into fists to snap your mind out of it.

It shouldn’t matter how many memories of the past were flooding you-- You were mad at him for lying and you had every right to be.

“Maybe offered is too loose of a word,” he admitted after a moment’s silence, having the decency to appear sheepish. “But we were worried and I knew I could get to you in half the time any of your friends could.”

Sure, it was a logical reason. But that didn’t mean you had to like it. “I would rather have waited double the time if that meant I didn’t have to see you again.” 

You stared Hitoshi straight in the eyes as you said that as you tried to ignore the trembling of your lower lip. He flinched at the words, looking hurt. But another part of him looked like he accepted it. 

“I know I’m the last person you want to see right now--”

“Mhmm,” you hummed just to be petty.

“--but we had no way of knowing if you were safe. Especially when you stopped replying to anyone! This was the quickest way.” 

Folding your arms across your chest you stubbornly held his gaze. “Well, I’m safe. So you can leave now.” 

Shinsou pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Please. I know you hate me and you have every right to--”

“I don’t hate you,” you muttered under your breath. As much as you wish you did, you don’t think you could ever really hate him.

He blinked slowly and you could have sworn you saw a shimmer of hope in his expression. You tore your gaze away, studying the small fissures and cracks on the otherwise smooth pavement. 

“Oh,” he breathed almost imperceptibly. “Thank you.” 

You pretended not to hear him.

“Regardless of whether you hate me or not, I know you don’t want to see me--and I apologize for showing up so suddenly--but will you please let me bring you home safely?” Hitoshi pleaded. “Or to your friend’s house if you don’t want to be alone.”

With your lips squeezed shut, you rubbed the goosebumps off your upper arm. It was cold and your head was spinning and you had no clue what to say to him. 

Silently, Shinsou took off his outer coat and gently draped it over your shoulders, fastening the top button near the collar so it wouldn’t fall off your frame. You looked at him in surprise, unshed tears stinging the back of your eyes as you recalled all the times he’d given you his jacket while you were dating.

There were more times that you cared to admit where you conveniently “forgot” your jacket or wore too little layers on a cold day just so Hitoshi could give you his and you’d be enveloped in his scent.

And that’s exactly what was happening now. Shinsou’s coat surrounded your body like a warm hug and your nose was filled with a scent exactly like the one you remembered from when you were dating. He smelled like a sweet sandalwood with a mixture of fresh jasmine. He smelled like a field of flowers you’d find after a long trek through a woodsy forest. He smelled like home.

But he wasn’t.

In actuality, you haven’t been this close to Shinsou since your break up.

It had been years since you had seen him or talked to him or even been close enough to catch a trace of his scent. And now he was flooding every one of your senses with no care of the repercussions.

Your head was light.

You missed him. You cared for him. You never stopped loving him.

And now old wounds that never fully healed had been ripped open all at once.

“You were shivering,” Hitoshi stated quietly. “So I gave you my--”

He stopped short when he heard a sniffle coming from your direction, eyes growing wide as your buried your face in the palms of your shaking hands.

Through the cracks between your fingers, you saw Shinsou reach out to cup your face, stopping himself before he could touch you and withdrawing as if he had been burned. As stupid as it was, you wanted nothing more than to feel his touch against your skin and you found yourself involuntarily taking a half-step closer to him.

Your silent tears feel even faster. 

“Are you crying?”

Despite the droplets of water blurring your eyes, you managed to glare up at him for his dumb question. 

He grimaced. “Sorry. I’m...sorry.” 

Although you were the one crying, you still noticed the pained look on Shinsou’s face. He seemed just as conflicted as you were, his fingernails digging into the palms of his hands so hard his knuckles appeared white. 

When he opened his mouth to speak his voice sounded choked, but still gentle. “Are you okay, Y/N?” 

“Just peachy,” you murmured, barely moving your lips. The two of you stood there in awkward silence, nothing but the sounds of your labored breaths filling the air until you blurted, “Actually, you know what--? No. I’m not!”

Shinsou opened his mouth to speak but no noise came out. That was just fine by you, though. You had plenty of things you wanted to say, regardless of his response.

“I’m angry at you! And confused. And sad. And hurt! I don’t know if I want to yell at you or ignore you or run right back into your arms--” Your voice cracked and you squeezed your eyes shut, trying to slow your sharp breathing. 

You hugged yourself around your waist, painfully aware of how comforting his jacket felt around your body. A part of you wished you could just tear the coat off your shoulders, throw it onto a puddle on the floor, give Shinsou the middle finger, and turn away without looking back.

But you couldn’t. 

Instead, you let your tears continue to fall as you glowered at Hitoshi’s shoes. 

“I am so mad at you,” you managed, hands clutching the fabric at your sides. “You lied to me, Hitoshi. You lied to me and you didn’t trust me and you left!” 

The hurt from your past which you never wanted to accept mixed with anger from the present, both fueling your surge in emotions.

“And now you’re here--in front of me--acting like everything is okay?!” you shouted in exasperation. Your face was burning despite the chilling breeze outside. “Do you even care about me? Have you ever even cared about me?” 

He gritted his teeth, hurt that you would even ask that. “Of course. Of course I care about you, Y/N! Even through all these years I’ve never stopped caring about you.”

“Funny way of showing it.” 

His laugh was humorless. “I’m a fuck up. I know.” 

Your gaze softened just the slightest bit. “Hey-- I didn’t say that.” 

Shinsou shrugged. “Regardless, I did fuck up with you. And I’m so sorry for that.” 

“For which time?” By now, the tears flowing out of your eyes slowed, the remnants dried by the biting wind. You gave him a wry smile, unamused. 

“Both times,” he answered without hesitation. “I hurt you when I broke up with you for no damn reason and I lied when I told you I didn’t love you. That was the biggest lie of my life-- I still loved you. So much. But I jumped to conclusions and didn’t give you the change to explain. I owe you so much more than an apology but it’s the least I can give you right now.” 

You rolled your lower lip between your teeth, hating yourself for wanting to accept his apology and jump into his arms. He gave no excuses for what he did and his words were genuine. That much you knew for certain.

Slowly, he inched towards you. 

“I really am sorry, Y/N.” He paused. “You didn’t deserve any of that.”

You stayed silent, holding your breath as the pad of his thumb brushed against your damp cheek. Shinsou wiped away your flood of tears with a touch so gentle, it felt like a feather on your face.

His thumb lingered on your cheekbone, his fingertips lightly grazing your jaw, and you found yourself ever so slightly leaning into his palm. The tension in your muscles loosened and if you closed your eyes, you could almost pretend you were back with the Shinsou you loved in high school-- As if he never left and nothing had ever changed. 

Just for a moment, you tricked yourself into being truly happy. You tricked yourself into thinking that maybe you and Hitoshi could still be in love. 

You wanted to capture this second and replay it on an infinite loop, but just like all moments, this too had to come to an end. 

As you opened your eyes, Hitoshi reluctantly brought his hand back to his side.

“Sorry,” he said, voice hoarse. “You were crying and I just wanted to--” He shook his head, cutting himself off before his voice cracked. “I’m sorry.” 

It sounded like his apology was meant for more than just wiping some tears off your face. 

You nodded almost imperceptibly, the anger in your gaze diffused by hurt and longing. “I know.”

As the minutes passed, neither one of you made a move to step away from the other-- Your bodies mere inches apart and so close, yet never quite touching.

Suddenly, Hitoshi cleared his throat.

“Er-- If you’ll let me, I think I should bring you home now,” he said, forcibly shaking himself out of his daze and pulling his phone out. “It’s almost four in the morning.” 

Blinking, you rubbed your eyes. Not that he mentioned the time, you realized just how tired you were. You wanted to take a bubble bath, change into fluffy pajamas, and sleep until the following night. 

“Do you have to go to your flower shop tomorrow?”  

“Hmm?” You were startled. You had almost forgotten that the man in front of you was the same person you considered your “mememate.” As much as you hated to admit it, he probably knew more about you than some of your closest friends. 

Biting your lip, you snapped yourself out of it.

“Oh-- Right. My flower shop.” 

He nodded.

“No, I don’t have work tomorrow,” you answered finally. “I may not have made the smartest decisions tonight, but I’m not that irresponsible.” 

A shadow of a smile graced his face. “Of course not.” 

Fishing his keys from his pocket, Shinsou walked to the parking lot of the nightclub, looking over his shoulder to check if you were following.

When his gaze met yours you immediately stuck your tongue out at him haughtily so he knew you were only following him as a last resort and you needed to get home-- Not because you wanted to. 

You caught a glimpse of his grin before he turned around, and you managed to stop yourself before one spread to your lips as well. 

Stopping at a black car with tinted windows, Hitoshi unlocked it with his keys, opening the door of the passenger seat and waiting for you to safely enter. 

“I can open a door myself,” you murmured, sliding into the seat securely before he gently shut it close. 

“I know,” you heard his amused voice call through the window.

It felt like there was one, singular butterfly fluttering around in your stomach and causing mayhem, and you batted it away before Hitoshi could come in and see the grin on your face. 

“Did I just see you just hit yourself in the gut?” he asked when he entered through the driver’s side. 

“No.” 

“Okay.”

Subtly, you rubbed your tummy in a soft, circular motion. You hadn’t meant to punch the butterfly that hard. 

“Didn’t hit yourself, huh?” 

You flushed. “Oh, hush.” 

With a snort, Hitoshi turned the engine of his car on and you let your eyes explore the interior. It was sleek and clean, smelling like a mixture of sandalwood and new car. 

Reaching behind the gear level, he pulled out a white cord and handed it to you. You stared at the object in his hands.

“For you,” he said, with a raised brow. “You should charge your phone and let your friends know you’re on your way home.” 

Wordlessly, you accepted it from him. Careful not to let your fingers brush against his in fear of the spark it might cause.

“I messaged Kaminari earlier to let him know you were safe. But he probably wants to hear it from you.”

You nodded as you plugged your dead phone in. “Thanks.” 

He hummed, putting the car on drive and backing out of the parking spot, stopping before he reached the main street. 

“Do you know how to get home from here?” he asked. As you shook your head, Hitoshi handed you his fully charged phone that was opened on the navigation app. “You can search for your address.”

“Got it.” The air between you was almost suffocatingly awkward as you typed in where you lived, each click of the keyboard ringing into the stillness of the night. After finding turning the directions on, you handed the phone back to him. “Thanks.”

Shaking his head, he waved you off. “You don’t need to keep thanking me, Y/N. This is the least I could do.”

Averting your gaze, you twiddled your thumbs in your lap, unsure what to say. You had so much you wanted to tell him--so much you wanted to ask--but when it came to it, you froze. 

Just then, your phone made a sound from its spot near the gear shift, buzzing and lighting up as it finally turned on. A plethora of notifications filled your screen and you found yourself feeling guilty for making your friends worry like that.

Five missed calls for Kaminari, three missed calls from Todoroki, and nine missed calls from Bakugou. You gulped. You were definitely going to get your ears talked off by those three once they got a hold of you. 

But amidst the calls and texts of worry from your friends, you also noticed a handful of messages from Hitoshi. He sent you texts asking if you were okay and telling you not to worry because he was on his way to get you. There was a lump in your throat when he saw the messages were still from your mememate-- You never did get around to changing his contact name.

From the corner of your eye you saw Hitoshi glancing down at your phone screen, a look of regret apparent on his face. When he caught you staring, he directed his attention back on the road, clearing his throat as he followed the directions on the navigation system.

To think only a week ago, things were so different between the two of you. 

You thought he was a random stranger you connected with through the power of memes, never having a clue that he was your ex this whole time. You found yourself opening up and sharing your private feelings with him despite the promise you made yourself to always guard your heart. 

Even anonymously, Hitoshi climbed over your walls and found his way to the inner workings of your life. Even anonymously, he made everything feel like it was okay. 

But a part of you was scared--so scared--that it was all in your head and he was only playing you this whole time. And at this point, you were just too afraid to ask.

“Are you crying again?”

“What?!” you yelped in alarm, wiping at your slightly damp face with the sleeves of his coat. “No, you asshole!” You glared at him, a few loose tears still gathered by the corners of your eyes. You refused to let them fall through the use of sheer willpower. “The air conditioning is just blasting into my eyes.”

“The air conditioner is off.”

You blinked. “Well that makes sense. It’s so hot in here I’m just sweating through my eyes.” 

He pressed his lips together to keep from smiling. “Right.”

The lighthearted mood didn’t last very long, however, when your phone buzzed once more and the notifications from earlier tonight appeared on your lockscreen. 

“I really made everyone worry, huh?” You sighed, leaning back against the headrest and shutting your eyes, the effects of the alcohol long since worn off. “I can’t believe I did something like this.” 

He signaled a left turn and waited until he was at the red light before continuing. “I’m sorry for causing this.” 

You stared at him in confusion. “What do you mean? Causing this?”

“Yeah. If I had just told you who I was the moment I found out, this wouldn’t have happened. You wouldn’t have been scared and alone at a random nightclub and your friends wouldn’t have been in near panic for hours. Hell-- If I hadn’t run away like that all those years ago none of this would have happened.” His fingers tightened around the steering wheel so hard it left indents on the leather. “You wouldn’t have felt all the pain and heartbreak and--”

His voice grew hoarse as it broke off, as if something was tightening around his throat. Holding your breath, you gazed at him in concern.

You were angry at Hitoshi and thought he had a lot of explaining to do-- Sure. But...for him to blame himself for everything that happened? That was more weight than anyone should bear on their own. 

Surprising both him and yourself, you firmly placed your hand on top of his as he gripped the steering wheel. His hands were cold and rough from the wind, and you were certain yours weren’t much better. But still, you held him. And still, it felt right. 

“Not everything is your fault, Toshi,” you said quietly, his old nickname slipping out of your mouth before you could stop it, like it was natural for you to call him that.

His eyes widened and a flush filled your cheeks. 

You coughed to relieve the tension in your neck. “I just mean… You don’t need to blame yourself for everything. You messed up and there’s no denying that, but this isn’t all your fault. I mean it.” 

Your eyes met before he tore his gaze away to focus on driving. Quickly, you retracted your hand from on top of Shinsou’s, cradling it against your stomach as you felt the burn from his skin linger on yours.

“Thank you.” His voice was solemn and grateful, as if he needed to hear those words at least once in his life. “You’re too caring, you know? Your heart is too good.” 

You let out a breath of laughter, brushing his compliment off. “Yours is too. It’s just been through some shit. And maybe didn’t make the best decisions.”

“It most definitely didn’t.”

Though neither of you were looking at each other, there was a shared sense of happiness between the two of you--regardless of how brief it may have been. There was a small smile playing on your face as you bit your lip to keep it from growing wider. 

You hadn’t fully forgiven Hitoshi, he still had some explaining to do, but you felt a sense of calmness when you realized that maybe forgiveness would be possible.

Before you knew it, you heard the navigator say, “Your destination is on the right,” as Hitoshi pulled up at the curb in front of your building.

“We’re here,” he announced slowly, one hand on the gear level as if he wasn’t sure what to do next. 

There was an awkward silence as you unplugged your phone from his car charger. It wasn’t that you wanted to spend more time with him exactly (that was definitely not the case), but rather you had more questions to ask. And what better time to figure out those questions than at four in the morning? 

“You’ve been driving for a while…” you trailed off, hoping he caught the hint without too much embarrassment on your part. “Do you want to use the restroom before you drive back home?”

Hitoshi scratched the back of his neck. “No, I’m good. I wasn’t out for that long.”

“O-Oh,” you stuttered, a sudden feeling of nerves settling in your stomach. Not those damned butterflies again. “Well, how about… Maybe you want a glass of water or a cup of tea?” 

He gave you a curious look but set his car to park and turned off the engine nonetheless. “Sure…? Some water would be nice.”

You let out a sigh of relief you didn’t know you were holding, pulling your keys out of your pocket and unbuckling your seatbelt. Before you could open the car door for yourself, Hitoshi was already on the passenger’s side ready to open it for you. 

“I know how to open a door,” you muttered with a roll of your eye, but felt a faint flush litter your cheeks nonetheless. You hopped out of your seat, accepting the hand he offered to stead you. “But...thank you.” 

“No worries.” 

For someone you were still mad at, he was making it damn hard for you to stay petty. 

Despite the light throbbing in your head, both from drinking too much alcohol and from staying up too late, you were able to lead him inside your living room with no complications--only struggling with unlocking the door just a little. 

“Welcome to my house,” you said, flapping your arms around and fidgeting in place. You slid off your shoes and placed them at the doorway and Hitoshi followed suit. “You can, uh, sit on the couch while I get you water. Or you can follow me into the kitchen…?”

Your eyes scanned the floors and furniture of your apartment. You liked maintaining your living space clean and clutter-free, so it wasn’t too much of a mess. Still, you weren’t expecting any guests and it wasn’t as nice as it could have been…

You shook your head, giving your face a light slap when you thought no one was looking. You shouldn’t be bothered. It was just Hitoshi here. Someone you most definitely no longer cared about. 

Or so you kept telling yourself.

He followed behind you, grabbing at his neck and glancing between your walls and you, unsure what to look at in this new environment. After all, it wasn’t everyday you picked up your ex that you haven’t seen for four years at a bar only to be invited into their house.

“I can go with you to the kitchen,” he answered with uncertainty.

“G-Great!” 

You grimaced. When did you become Tony the Tiger all of a sudden? 

As you grabbed two glasses from the cupboard, you filled them up with ice and water, setting one next to Shinsou on the countertop. 

He accepted it. “Thank you.” 

You nodded and there was an awkward silence, both of you taking long sips from your glass, not knowing where to go from here. You knew you wanted to talk to him, but what were you going to ask exactly? What was the right way to go about this situation?

Next to you, Hitoshi looked like he was having some inner struggles of his own. His fingers flexed and unflexed around the cool glass, both avoiding your gaze and looking at you at the same time.

Biting your lip, you turned to look at him. As uncomfortable as it was, there was no better time to ask than now.

“Can we talk--?”

“We should talk--”

You both started and stopped at the same time.

There was a beat of elongated silence before the two of you laughed. Shaking your head, you buried your face in your hands, peering at him between your fingers. 

“This is silly,” you cried in embarrassment. “Why are we so awkward?” 

Hitoshi shrugged as a flustered laugh escaped his own lips. “Because this is weird. This is a strange situation we’re in and no one would ever expect something like this to happen.”

“Exactly!” 

“But,” he continued, almost hesitantly, “I’m kind of glad it did, though.” 

Your own laughter quieted down as the mood became more serious. You drank another gulp of water to quench your suddenly parched throat. 

“Can we talk in the living room?” you asked, heading towards the hallway when Hitoshi nodded. You figured if you were going to have an uncomfortable conversation, you may as well try to find some comfort in your warm and plush sofa.

You sat down at the edge near the armrest and he took a seat not too far from you. There was less than a cushion space separating the two of you and if you were to move a few inches, your thighs would be touching. 

Tearing your gaze away from your legs, you looked up to face Hitoshi. “You don’t have to answer, but… There have been some questions on my mind lately.” 

He nodded, as if expecting you to say that. “Ask away. It’s the least I could do.”

You curled your legs and hugged your knees to your chest, peering at him through your lashes. 

“Okay,” you said somewhat unsurely. Confrontation was never easy. “Why didn’t you tell me you knew who I was? How long were you planning on keeping it from me?”

Hitoshi ran a hand through his hair, tufts of purple sticking out in random patterns. Somehow, it suited him.

“I found out a day or so before you confessed to liking...your mememate,” he admitted. He had told you this through text when you asked, but hearing it a second time didn’t make it hurt any less. “I was going to tell you that day, too. But then you told me you liked me and I didn’t know how to break it to you then.”

You looked away, embarrassed at the reminder of the night you poured your heart out to him. He knew you were his ex the whole time and still didn’t stop you? You scoffed, “Well, you could’ve stopped me before I humiliated myself like that.”

“Humiliate-- How?”

“What do you mean how?” You glared. “I totally embarrassed myself that night by saying how much I liked you--my ex!--only to have you basically reject me on the spot!” 

“I didn’t reject you.”

“I told you that you were the first person I liked since...well you,” you said, rubbing your temples to ease your own confusion. “And you never said it back. Not that you needed to. It’s totally fine that you don’t. It’s just that… I don’t even know. I just wish I never said anything.”

He placed the glass he was holding onto a coaster on your coffee table, shaking his head.

“I’m sorry,” said Hitoshi. “But that’s not it at all. I wasn’t trying to reject you. I would’ve told you I liked you back-- I wanted to, I swear.” 

Your head snapped to his. He wanted to tell you? As in he started liking you too? Even when he didn’t know who you were?

With a wistful smile, he continued, “But it wasn’t fair to you. Not when I knew who you were and you didn’t know who I was. You didn’t deserve that bullshit.” 

You stretched your legs out so they were dangling off the couch, folding one carefully over the other as you crossed your arms. “Then you should’ve just told me the truth about who you were.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” He hung his head. “And if I did, you never would’ve told me your feelings.”

“Exactly,” you huffed. “They’d be safe and locked away in my heart until they disappeared.” 

He was silent as you turned his body towards yours, resting his arm on the back cushions of the sofa.

“Is that really what you want, though?” he asked. “You’re so kind and beautiful and you deserve to open your heart to someone and be happy with them.” A flush rose to your cheeks at his sudden words of kindness but you shook it away. “I never knew I hurt you so badly that you were scared to love again-- And I’ll hate myself everyday for that.” 

“Hitoshi…” Your gaze softened. You wanted to reach out and smooth down his hair but you couldn’t. 

He hurt you, yes. But to hate himself and never forgive himself for it? You thought that was far too extreme. 

“When you broke up with me,” you started slowly, unsure how to go about this, “you said that our relationship was nothing more than some cheap dates and sex.” He winced, holding his stomach as if he felt nauseous. “If you’re so regretful now, why did you ever say something like that? Did I really mean nothing to you?” 

“No-- Of course you meant something to me. Y/N, you were everything to me. And it’s ridiculous of me to say this now but I never wanted to hurt you like that,” Hitoshi said, his eyes squeezed shut. “But I did and I’m so sorry. I thought if I told you those mean things you would find it easier to just hate me and move on. Be with Kaminari or someone who could make you happy.” 

You glared at him with both sadness and anger, nails digging into your palms. “I was happy. With you. Is that so hard to believe?”

“A little.”

Taken aback, you stared at him. You weren’t sure what response you were expecting, but it certainly wasn’t that. 

“But not because of anything you did,” he rushed before you could get the wrong idea. “I just thought you were a good person who truly deserved something better than what I could give. You should be with someone who wasn’t anxious and insecure and messed up.” 

You were unsure if you wanted to smack Hitoshi or give him a hug, so you sat there stock-still.

“Even when I saw you with Kaminari, a part of me thought it would be better off that way,” he admitted, a scornful look on his face as he scoffed at himself. “But that wasn’t my call to make, was it? And how I went about it was wrong and dishonest. I’m really sorry.” 

He tugged at a loose thread on the sofa while staring at you in earnest. There were so many things to say and not enough time in the night to say it. 

“You’re right. It wasn’t your call,” you said, furrowing your brows. “I wish you would’ve told me you were feeling this way all those years ago. I loved you--regardless of what you may have thought. And what you said really hurt me.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I fucked up and hurt you more deeply than I could’ve ever imagined. You felt like you couldn’t have feelings for anyone for all those years because of what I did, and if I could take it all back, I would.” 

His hand trembled slightly as he reached out to cup your face, pulling away harshly before he could touch you. 

“You deserve to find love, Y/N. Even if it’s not with me because I know I have no right to anyone’s heart after what I did--”

“Hey, don’t say that!” you interrupted, a wrinkle forming as you scrunched up your nose. You frowned at him. “You deserve to find love again, too. You may have messed up a few times, and I’m not going to pretend like I wasn’t hurt, but I still care about you. A lot. And just because you made some really bad decisions doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to ever be happy.” 

He looked down at his lap, hands curled into fists by his side. You had the sinking suspicion he didn’t believe you.

Swallowing your pride, you inched closer to him, lightly lifting his chin so he stared at you face-to-face. The dark purple of his eyes stormed as a conflicted expression overcame him and you wanted to run a finger over his brow and brush the insecurities away.

Quietly, you whispered, “You’re so worthy of love, Hitoshi. And it makes me so sad that you still haven’t realized it.” 

You felt a piece of your heart chip as he pulled away from you, gritting his teeth as he hung his head. When he spoke, his voice sounded choked, as if he was holding back tears.

“You’ve shown me too much kindness,” he said, words shakey. “Even after I assumed you cheated and broke up with you in the cruelest way possible--” 

His voice cracked and he couldn’t speak. With his gaze avoiding yours he pushed himself off the couch.

“God, I’m sorry,” Hitoshi muttered, his face a look of self-disdain. “I shouldn’t even be here in your life right now. I should just--”

Your hand grabbed the one he used to shove himself off your sofa, holding his fingers tight in between yours. With your head bowed, you called, “Don’t leave again. Not yet.”

He froze in his spot, one leg immobile in front of the other in the direction of the door. Desperately, you tugged at his arm so he looked back at you. Your eyes pleaded with him. This wasn’t the end. It couldn’t be the end until you received your closure and Hitoshi received his. 

“You know that night we played Truth or Drink?” you asked, breaking the silence. 

He stared back at you curiously, slowly sitting down as you patted the seat next to you. Cautiously, he nodded in response.

That night was a pivotal time in bonding with your mememate and it was the closest you had felt with anyone besides your best friends.

Continuing, you said, “You told me about your dad cheating on your mom. And then seeing me and Denki the next day after I lied about who I was with.” 

There was no accusatory tone in your voice, and you stated it as if you were recalling the facts. But still, Hitoshi winced. 

“Yeah, shit.” He placed his palm over his forehead, rubbing at his temple as he grimaced. “I really just jumped to conclusions like that and it was unfair to you. I’m so sorry.”

You didn’t reply to his apology, but gave him a small smile. “That night, I told you I thought your response was understandable. It made sense that you were mistrustful at the time. Especially after just finding out about your parents-- People I know you looked up to. Even in regards to love.” 

Hitoshi wore a guarded expression, but still listened keenly to what you had to say. 

“Toshi… My opinion on that doesn’t change just because I now know it was me you were talking about.” 

“Y/N--”

“Don’t get me wrong,” you clarified, not wanting to sound too lenient. “I’m still hurt that you couldn’t trust me. I wish you confronted me so we could’ve cleared up the misunderstanding. I wish you hadn’t stood me up on our anniversary date. But most importantly… I wish I could have been there for you when you found out about your parents.” 

Hitoshi sat there in silence, mouth opening but unable to form the sentences he wanted. 

You gave him a look of regret, one hand still not letting go of his even as he stayed seated beside you. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you.”

“It’s not your fault. At all.”

As you shook your head, he faltered. “Still, you went to America, alone, and never told anyone what was wrong. You kept all these feelings to yourself this whole time and I hate that so much.” 

“I didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. I don’t deserve to--”

Your fingers twitched. How many times was he going to beat himself while he was already down? 

“Stop saying that!” you snapped, unable to contain your emotions. “You are not a burden. And you deserve so much more than you think you do.” 

His eyes widened at your outburst and his lips parted slightly. 

“It’s good you know what you did was wrong-- You can’t pretend lying and making assumptions was okay because it’s not. But you know it’s not! And you acknowledge that and it seems like you regret it.” Your voice took on a desperate tone as you tried to get Hitoshi to see his mistakes as something separate from his worth as a whole. “You’ve made mistakes, but you can grow from them. Fucking up doesn’t mean you’re undeserving of love and happiness. You don’t have to take all the blame onto yourself.” 

“How can I not take the blame?” he asked, his frustration at himself matching yours. “If I had been a better boyfriend, I would have trusted you more. If I had been a better person, I wouldn’t have lied to you. And maybe if I had been a better son, my parents--”

As if your body had a mind of its own, you threw your arms around him in a hug before he could finish his sentence. You heard a sharp inhale come from him as he sat, rigid.

“Don’t,” you whispered, breathing harshly as you held him tight. “Please, Toshi. Don’t say that. If no one ever told you this, please listen to me then. It’s not your fault. Your parents divorcing has nothing to do with your worth. Don’t blame yourself for the issues they had.” 

His shoulders were still tense despite the shudder of tears you felt.

“You don’t need to blame yourself for everything. Hold yourself accountable, yes. Always strive to be a better person, yes. But don’t think it’s all your fault,” you pleaded. “You don’t have to handle everything on your own. You can lean on someone, Toshi.” You gently stroked the hair on the back of his head. “You can lean on me.” 

At your words, you felt him visibly relax, his body free of the tension as you held him close. 

Suddenly, his arms wrapped around you as he returned your embrace, his strong hands firmly gripping your waist as if he never wanted to let you go. You found yourself loosening up at his touch and you placed your head in his chest. 

Peering up at him through your lashes, you said, “I don’t know if you need to hear this, but I need to say it.” 

His thumb stroked the length of your spine as you continued. 

“I forgive you, Hitoshi. For everything.” He stopped moving as he looked at you in surprise. You simply smiled at him. “Your apologies were genuine and so is your regret. I know you’re a good person and I forgive you, so please stop blaming yourself now.” 

“Thank you, Y/N. So much.” He pulled away ever so slightly, feelings of guilt still flooding him. “But I feel like I still don’t deserve it though--”

A noise of protest bubbled up at your throat. “I swear to god, if I hear the d-word come out of your mouth again, I’ll make you shut up.” After a moment’s pause, you tried to hide your laughter. “Heh. D-word.”

“Oh my god,” he said, his amusement escaping him. With his arms still around your waist, he challenged, “How would you make me shut up?”

You wiggled your eyebrows. “Wouldn’t you like to know.” 

Hitoshi laughed a genuine laugh that you haven’t heard in years. The deep rumble had a smile of your own forming on your lips. 

But the mood turned serious when you gazed into his eyes again.

“Really, though…” you said, squeezing the fabric at his sides. “I’m sorry you’ve been feeling this way for so long without telling anyone. I hope you know you can always talk to me.” 

He tilted his head back, staring at your ceiling as you caught sight of his Adam’s apple. “Why are you being so nice to me after how much I hurt you?”

“Because I care about you,” you answered simply. “And I know you still care about me. You wouldn’t be this hung up over everything if you didn’t.” 

There was a sort of smugness in you as you teased him and he let out a breath of laughter. 

“Hah. I do. I care about you. And I’ve missed you so much.” 

You didn’t think it was possible, but he hugged you even closer to him. Your arms released their embrace on Hitoshi as you brought them to your sides. He looked down at you with a strange expression.

“I’ve missed you, too,” you admitted, squeezing your eyes shut as if it pained you. “You’re the first and only person I’ve ever loved and I miss you more than you could ever know.” 

Your head was bowed at his chest as you tried to steady your trembling hands by grasping the fabric at the front of his shirt.

“Why did you never call me? Why didn’t you tell me you were moving to another continent? Toshi, I loved you so much--” Your voice broke off as the tears you were holding in escaped you. “Why did you leave me?” 

His fingers were laced in your hair, holding you tight. He wanted nothing more than to soothe your tears and hated himself for being the cause of them. “I’m an insecure idiot who fucked up the best thing that ever happened to him.” 

Through the blur of tears, you saw the wistful look on his face. The best thing? you thought to yourself, touched. 

“No amount of apologizing is going to fix anything,” he said, accepting it as a fact, “but I am so sorry. And I want you to know I’m grateful the person who AirDropped me that day was you.”

He lifted your chin and wiped your tears away with the pad of his thumb. Your knees were touching his thighs as you sat down with your legs folded under you, facing him. Letting go of the grip you had on his shirt, you unballed your fists and instead rested your palms on his chest.

You grinned at the audacity of it all. “I still can’t believe that happened. But I’m glad it did, too.”

“Must be a small world.”

“Or maybe it’s fate.” Your hand found his as you interlocked pinkies with him bashfully. 

Hitoshi looked down at your interlaced fingers and a light dusting of pink colored his cheeks. A sense of enjoyment filled you as he continued to blush, a teasing grin playing on your face. 

Before you lost any courage you had, you pressed your lips against the corner of his mouth-- Not quite a kiss but most definitely an invitation for one.

The red on his cheeks died down as his eyes darkened in color, removing his hand from your waist to cup your jaw. Hitoshi’s palm was warm and soft against you and you leaned into his caress.

“Do you feel like you got the closure you needed?” he asked, his voice a whisper as he leaned close to you. 

“Yes.” You nodded, painfully aware of your close proximity. If you were to lift your head up any more, your lips would brush against his. “Do you?”

“Yes.” 

His forehead was pressed against yours and your heart was being so hard, you were certain Hitoshi could hear it from his spot in front of you.

After a moment’s silence, you said, “Now what?” 

He shrugged, eyes shut. “That’s up to you to decide. I’m happy with doing whatever will make you happiest. And if that means leaving you alone and letting you close this chapter, then I--”

You yelped, silencing him with a gentle shove on the chest.

“Are you crazy?” you asked incredulously. “You think I would ever let you go again?” There was frustration in your voice as you resisted the temptation to kiss the stupidity out of him. “I… I mean, unless that’s what you want?” 

“Y/N…” Now he was the one with the tone of disbelief, like he couldn’t wrap his mind around what you had just said. “I’d want to stay with you. For as long as you’d let me.”

“O-Oh?” Your eyes widened in shock, but soon settled into an ecstatic smile. “Fate must have done us a favor with all this AirDrop stuff, huh? I fell for you all those years ago as Shinsou, and I fell for you again without even knowing who you were. There’s no way I’d throw that chance away.” 

Tired of waiting for him to make the first move, you brought your hands to the back of his neck, and lifted your head up to meet his. You spotted an amused look on his face, but it didn’t last very long when your lips finally pressed against his with a contented sigh.

His movements were gentle and slow, like he was afraid if he kissed you any harder he would find this was only an illusion that would shatter. But it wasn’t. It was real and it was genuine and you wanted to prove it to him. 

You broke away from his touch to pepper chaste kisses on his jawline, starting at the lobe of his ear and making your way down to the sensitive part of his throat you knew would drive him crazy, your hot breath blowing against his neck as a guttural sound escaped him.

“Eager, are we?” he asked hoarsely, his chin lifted. 

You grinned mischievously against him.

“As much as I appreciate the gesture,” said Hitoshi, gently pushing you away with a roguish glint in his eyes, “you don’t always have to keep giving. You should be spoiled for a change.”

You squealed when his hands trailed down your sides to cup the undersides of your thighs, lifting you up as you sat down on his lap. His hands unclasped the button that fastened his coat on you and brushed the collar aside, exposing the supple skin on your upper chest.

“You should be spoiled,” he breathed in between each kiss he planted on your decolletage, “every day of your life.”

Your face burned at the implication of his words, the skin his mouth had touched feeling like they were searing hot. Though his jacket had fallen off your shoulders, you were still overwhelmed by his scent, the woodsy citrus filling your senses as you sighed his name and you still couldn’t get enough. He was more intoxicating than any vodka you had consumed earlier that night. 

Growing impatient at his teasing, you squirmed on his lap, causing him to hiss in response. 

You giggled at his expression and stuck your tongue out at him. “Just kiss me already.”

Tossing his inhibitions to the side, he obliged. 

When your lips met again, this time it wasn’t uncertain and gentle. Each move Hitoshi made was firm and deliberate and if you weren’t already sitting down, your knees would have gone weak and given in.

His teeth grazed your lower lip and he kissed you harder, and your hands found themselves tangled underneath the hem of his shirt. The skin on your arms filled with goosebumps as he mimicked your motions, his fingers toying with the clasp of your bra as his name escaped your lips once more in a strangled moan.

Before it could go any further, however, Hitoshi removed his hands from the band of your undergarments and slowly pulled away from your kiss. 

His face was flushed with beads of sweat falling down the side and his breathing was labored. You were certain you weren’t any better as you rested your forehead against his to steady yourself. 

“Why’d you stop?” you asked with a strained voice, giving him your best pleading eyes.

“It’s late and you need some rest, baby.” He pressed a soft kiss to your nose with a smile. “I don’t want to stop--believe me,” he promised, his hands squeezing your thighs that still straddled his lap, “but I also don’t want you to rush into anything you might regret.” 

You pouted, not wanting him to stop, but also feeling grateful he wanted to make sure you weren’t going to do anything you would regret the next day.

“Damn you for being such a gentleman,” you grumbled. 

He ran the tip of his tongue against his lower lip. It was plump and red and it took all your willpower not to kiss it again.

“Only sometimes, princess,” he said when he noticed how your gaze zeroed in on his mouth. “But for now, you should get ready for bed. The sun is almost rising already.” 

Hitoshi made a move to get up and you slowly unwrapped your legs from his hips, standing up shakily. He placed his hands on your hips to help you steady yourself, but that just made the weakness worse. 

Still holding you, he stood up from the couch and looked down at you, resting his chin on the top of your head as you hugged him. 

“You’re leaving?” you whimpered, a pout on your face. 

“Sadly,” he sighed. “I have work tomorrow. Well, in a few hours I suppose. But if you need me to stay I--”

“Oh, my god!” you cried, jumping away from him. “You have work? And yet you still came for me and let me keep you this whole time?! Toshi!” 

You folded your arms across your chest as you scolded him, but he just ruffled your hair playfully. 

“It was the least I could do,” said Hitoshi. “And I’m used to running on little to no sleep. It’s fine, don’t worry about me.” 

“It’s not fine! If you don’t get enough sleep this week I will smother you until you pass out.” You glared at him, holding his face between your hands and examining his tired eyes. Your gaze softened when you saw how sleepy he looked and thought about how well he hid it from everyone. You sighed. “And I think you’re a lot more selfless and caring than you give yourself credit for.” 

You kissed the apples of his cheeks and smoothed his brows. 

“Thank you for tonight,” you said. “You should get going.”

“No, you’re the one I should be thanking,” he replied, giving you one last embrace before getting ready to head towards the door. 

Both of your legs felt like lead, neither of you wanting to leave the other after years of being apart. With a smile, he moved towards the door. 

In silence, you examined him for the first time in four years. He was taller than before-- Bulkier, too. It looked like he worked out since he was in college, his plain shirt stretching against his pectoral muscles. 

But still, he was the same Shinsou Hitoshi you had always loved. 

You glanced at his bared arms and your eyes widened. “Oh, wait--! Your coat!” 

It had fallen off your shoulders and onto the floor during the heat of the moment, and you picked it up and brought it to him. As you held it out, his hands wrapped your outstretched ones around the fabric of his sweater. 

“No, it’s okay,” he said with a shake of his head and a small grin on his lips. “You should keep it. It suits you.”

You raised an eyebrow at him in warning, but hugged the coat to your body nonetheless. “I hope you know this means I’m never giving it back to you now.” 

Hitoshi laughed. “I figured.”

He was about to grab the door knob when you blurted, “O-Or maybe I could give it back to you! If we were to, I don’t know, meet up for some food this week?” 

Turning back in surprise, he was met with a look of utter embarrassment on your face. Your cheeks felt like they were on fire. 

You bit your lip, unsure what had just come over you when you asked him on a date but also not regretting it for a moment. 

“Only if you want,” you murmured, suddenly feeling more bashful. 

Taking the hint, Hitoshi looked at you with a mix of wonder and amusement. “Sure. I’ll get some food with you just to have my coat back.” 

You gasped, cheeks burning. “You know what? Never mind, I’m keeping this--!”

“I’m kidding,” he laughed, tone still teasing. “The jacket is just a bonus. What I’d really be there for is...the food.”

You buried your head in your hands and sighed. “I-- Why do I have to like you?” 

He shrugged, feeling just as lost as you were. “Because feelings are strange.” 

“They are,” you agreed. “But they’re worth it. And so are you.”

Hitoshi smiled as you gave him a gentle kiss goodnight. 

“Have a safe drive home, Toshi.”

“Thank you. Go get some sleep now, kitten. We can talk when you wake up.” 

You nodded feverishly, almost bouncing in anticipation at the thought of talking to him again. “I’m going to sleep right now so I wake up faster and get to talk to you sooner.”

A chuckle of surprise left his lips before he could stop himself. “You’re such a dork, you know? But I love that about you.”

Your face heated at the sound of the l-word as the two of you stared at each other, both in shock that the night happened and even happier that it did. 

“I… I should go now,” he said in a daze. He didn’t want to leave and you didn’t want him to, but you knew he had work soon. 

You nodded, waving at him as he left your house. “See you soon, Hitoshi.”

When the door closed shut behind him, you slumped a little. Tired and exhausted yet wishing you could see him soon. Though it might have been foolish, you couldn’t help but wish he was feeling the same.

Grabbing your phone on the coffee table, you unlocked it to check the time. You were about to shut it off and put it in your pocket when a notification bubble popped up on your screen.

“AirDrop: mememate would like to share a note,” it read, and a grin spread across your lips as you eagerly pressed accept. 

The notepad application immediately opened up on your phone and you read the small message on the off-white display.

mememate: can’t wait for our date, y/n. p.s. i really really like you.

Letting out a surprised cry of joy, you held your phone to your chest, hugging it along with Hitoshi’s jacket he had left you. 

From the other side of the door, Hitoshi had heard your scream and responded with a laugh of his own. A feeling of warmth in his heart as he placed his phone in his pocket and headed for his car. Thank goodness for AirDrop. 

Your heart was pounding and your lips were still pulsing from the way he kissed you. Even as you got ready for bed and drifted off into a restful sleep, the silly smile never fell from your face. 

You were grateful he came to get you at the nightclub, and you were grateful he was the recipient of your memes that day at the amusement park. 

He made mistakes in the past and you were no saint either, but you had an opportunity to heal those wounds and be with Hitoshi again. 

And you just couldn’t wait for your next date together. 

a/n: AHHH THAT WAS A LOT,, pls let me know what you think! i know some readers never want to forgive shinsou at all and that’s okay, but i do think y/n forgives him and still really cares about him [and maybe l-words him? o.o] so i hope u support it 🥺 ilysm and thank you for reading! lmk ur thoughts !! xx 

[shigarak1slut]

Dating Dabi Hcs SFW

• Dabi is cocky af, he knows that you will always go back to him and that's why he wont get jealous when people hit on you . That doesn't mean that he wont fight them for fun -and then fuck u to mark territory-

•We all know that Dabi prefers getting run over by a bus than confessing his feelings BUT later in the relationship when he is sure about his feelings expect little notes ex. Your favorite snack with a post it on it with just a drawn heart . Of course if you confront him he ll deny it ("the fuck are you on about ?") but it still feels nice yk?

• Dabi would burn down the whole world just so you can light your cigarette

• lazy mornings where he would hold you in bed and just say "No" everytime you said you had to leave

• He would never say that he wants to move on with you , instead he would buy you a toothbrush so u would spent the night and then find excuses as to why you should not leave ("What do you mean you need clothes you look so hot with my t-shirts on")

•He wanted to tell you about his past but again he would rather die than be vulnerable so one day you were watching TV and the news come up "First ranked hero Endeavour saves 2 children from drowning" he would just casually (not even look at you) go "That's my father"

•Of course you didnt believe him at first ( I mean who would ?) but then he would go on as casually explain some of what happened ( trying not to show emotions even though he wanted to burst into tears) . You shocked hugged him and said how sorry you are and he just laid there trying to de escalate the situation

•" Huh is no big deal "

• After that you relationship was NEXT LEVEL

NSFW

• Do I need to say how big he is ?

•He also has a shit ton of stamina . That boy could go for hours

•He would praise you in after fighting sex in a way to apologize (" you are taking me so well babe" " fuck I just want to cum by looking at your tits")

•But other than that degrading was what got him going

•The first time you called him Toya during sex he just stood there still inside you with a face like he was the one fucked dumb

•"Say that again"

• He let you dom for ur birthday once and you guys loved it

•He is a huge brat tho

[costellos]

❥ ┋ ❝ nanami & where he’d take you on your first date together!

@densecloud​​ said: aaaa new ask game!!! can i request for 'court' & nanami? thank you so much toya!! ٩(♡ε♡ )۶

a/n: YES U CAN LESLIE!!! I had so much fun thinking of all the dates Nanamin would take you that I had a hard time narrowing down one... so I wrote for all of them! I think it gives a neat, interactive twist to your original request. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it. <33

tw: none.

ask game: 💌 15 valentine’s day questions (closed!)

disclaimer: I’m anime-only outside of the prequel, so apologies if my character interpretations aren’t accurate.

Nanami is a planner. he doesn’t like going about things on a whim. that applies for work, his days off, and most notably, his first date with you. 

that isn’t to say he wouldn’t let you plan the date. no, Nanami just gets a certain pride taking you out. after all, he wouldn’t be courting you unless he had some sort of background with you. in this case, being jujutsu sorcerers has made you uncomfortably close. that just comes with working in a profession with so few colleagues. and with it being a horribly draining job, you’ve seen each other at your best and worse.

hence, Nanami lets you pick what kind of vibe you’d like for the date. he’d like to think he knows you well enough to plan something himself. but letting you have some agency allows him to gauge what to do. plus, the fact you’re not a Tokyo native lets him narrow down where in the city would be the best place to take you.

if you tell him you want something laidback, Nanami interprets that as a typical, casual date. nothing too strenuous. that doesn’t mean they have to be boring, though. he takes you to a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop in Musashino. it’s tucked away in some alley, and despite its sketchy location, the interior is surprisingly cozy. locals chat quietly while university students scribble notes in tattered workbooks. it isn’t much, you’ll admit. it’s not much different from any other coffee shop. but the moment your mocha hits your tongue, you immediately understand why Nanami likes this place so much. it’s sweet without being overly sweet, chocolately and warm. like a hug from your best friend: familiar and comforting. Nanami tells you how he met Gojo while you’re here. it’s casual conversation. you learn that despite their contrasting personalities, there are few people that Nanami trusts more. maybe one day he’ll trust you as much as he does your shared colleague. it’s a thought that makes your heart as warm as your mocha does for your hands. (and while you may not know it now, Nanami already trusts you with everything.) you find yourselves at Inokashira Park shortly afterwards. it’s a surprisingly warm day in March -- why not enjoy the weather while you can? he comments on the history about the park. something about how it was privately owned by the emperor until the twentieth century. when you ask when the cherry blossoms will bloom, he tells you not until the end of March. you click your tongue. “hm. guess we’ll have to plan another date for then, huh?” “...I suppose we do.” he wouldn’t admit how warm his ears felt in that moment.

if you tell him you want something fun, Nanami will take you to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. he honestly doesn’t know how you’ve lived in the city for this long without visiting it yet. there’s something exciting about it, though; to be the person you share this experience with. he’s thankful for that much. to say the museum is huge would be an understatement. the building is massive. there are tons of exhibits to explore and even more sections to learn from. it’s... well... it’s a little overwhelming. yet Nanami is patient with exploring the whole thing. he doesn’t yank you from display to display. he lets you take it at your own pace, following you wherever you want to go, adding his own quips of information he’d learned from the several field trips he’s taken here as a child. after all, the museum is a staple. it’s one of his favorite places in the city. that’s half of the reason why he brought you here. the other half is because he loves that look of bewilderment you get on your face. the museum features an interactive exhibit of Old Tokyo, with employees strolling the streets in traditional garb. they chat with visitors and offer small gifts, and boy. your face just lights up every time they give you some dumb knick knack. when you smile at him, showing him the pencil you got labeled EDO-TOKYO MUSEUM in red lettering, he can’t help but feel the corners of his mouth twitch just the slightest bit upwards, too. such a small thing to be excited about. that’s why he’s so enamored by you, though. he feels a sense of pride when you ask if he can bring you back to the museum sometime soon. he just guides you by the small of your back as you exit the front doors, his lips with another hint of a smile, before saying, “there are plenty of other places we can visit together. let’s plan for it.”

if you tell him you want something different, Nanami finds himself stumped. there are lots of “different” places in Tokyo. Asakusa has the traditional temples, Harajuku has the wild street fashion, and Roppongi has the wilder night life. “something different” doesn’t give Nanami a lot to go off of. but he’ll digress. none of those places would be appropriate for a first date. so he opts for a great hot pot restaurant in Shibuya. Shibuya itself is a great date location. it’s what most foreigners think when they hear “Tokyo.” bright lights, edgy streetwear, huge crowds of people -- all mushed together in one district. it makes your head spin as he guides you through the streets. but where he takes you takes the best parts of Shibuya and puts it in one, little eatery. string lights dangle across the ceiling, twinkling as if it it was the night sky. it’s such a nice contrast from the neon lights outside. teenagers in streetwear morph into dapper, young professionals laughing amongst themselves. and while it’s still a little cramped, it’s not the kind that makes you overwhelmed. it’s cozy. people maintain their space. the hot pot itself is delicious. Nanami orders a little of everything -- some seafood, some fancy meats, a variety of vegetables, and two noodle options -- and God. the moment you take your food from that broth and put it in your damn mouth? ugh. heaven. it’s so savory, perfectly seasoned and just the right texture. the saltiness from the broth brings all the right flavors out of your food. you might have burned your tongue but it’s so good you don’t even care. Nanami laughs when he sees your eyes widen. he carries the conversation while you stuff yourself with noodles and other foods. just some stories about his life before sorcery, about his time as a stockbroker and how much he hated it. although sorcerery isn’t much better, he can at least help the people around him. it’s not much, but it’s better than helping some rich asshole get richer. “you know,” you tell him in between bites, “you’re a better person than you give yourself credit for.” “maybe,” he responds. “or maybe it’s just basic human decency.” he didn’t mean it to come out that harsh. and judging by your expression, you don’t take offense to it. or maybe you just didn’t notice. either way, he hopes you also don’t notice how quickly he turns away. there are much less obvious ways to hide his blush, he can acknowledge that. yet in this moment, all he can think of is all the goddamn hoops you put his mind through.

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: Best Friend (18)**

Jason Momoa x Reader

Warning: Slow Burn, Plot, Cursing, Angst, The Burn Ends, NSFW, SMUT

Word Count: 6.3k

Summary: Inspired by “Best Friend” by Tweet & Bilal. Jason is your best friend, and you are his. End of summary. 😊 ❤❤️

Note: Italic text is a flashback memory. So we’ve come to the end of this road. Look at me finishing shit and not leaving them open. Ayyyye! 💃🏾💃🏾 At least, I think this is the end. We’ll see.

**Loosely Proofread/Edited**

**Interactive**

Thank you guys for reading, I appreciate it. If you enjoyed this please LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG. ❤❤️

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How long will you make him suffer?”

 Spinning around you saw Jordan leaning on the wall of your office with his arms crossed. You knew that he and Dre had bitten their tongue this entire time. They were close to Jason and you were sure he told them what was going on and what happened. They hadn’t cornered you or treated you differently. They kept silent and let you do you. You wondered when they would approach you, when your time would run out. Guess it was today, six weeks since all the drama went down.

 “Make who suffer?”

 “Don’t play dumb, Y/N. We all know you’re smart as hell, so dumb doesn’t look cute on you.” You snorted and laughed to yourself. You didn’t stop moving though. You kept doing what you were doing. You had an hour to finish up your paperwork for the day. You were in need of some alcohol therapy.

 “Ignoring me now?”

 “Jordan, my god. What do you want?”

 “The question is what do you want?” Jordan walked in and sat at the edge of your desk. You didn’t respond.

 “I’ll wait. You can only ignore things for so long, right?”

Sighing you put down the papers and leaned back in your chair and looked at him. “I want to finish this so I can get a drink.”

 “Look he’s been my friend since we were like eighteen. He’s my boy, I’d do anything for him. I know he’s difficult, and he comes with a lot. I know it’s hard to get close to him, but you know better than anyone how to handle him. I’ve wondered for years how long it would take for the two of you to get together. Y’all never made it easy, but y’all never were like this. I know how you feel about him, and I know how he feels about you. I get he was an asshole and he fucked up, but from where I’m sitting you did too.” You looked down at the desk and thought about his words. He was right you both fucked up.

 “Is it really worth letting everything go, friendship and everything? Can you live letting everything go and walking away?”

 “Jordan--,” you began before he interrupted you.

 “Answer the question. Are you okay just moving on and the two of you going your separate ways?”

 “It’s not that easy.”

 “Of course it is. If the answer is no, then make it right give in. if the answer is yes, then dead it and move on. Simple,” Jordan explained. You rolled your eyes. He made it seem like breathing.

 “I need time.” Again, Jordan interrupted you.

 “You’ve had six weeks. Forty-two days.”

 “So there should be a time limit on the amount of time I need?”

 “No, definitely not Y/N. At some point the question becomes not if you need time, but if you are using needing time as a crutch for your fears? A crutch that will keep everything and everyone paused causing more harm than good.”

 Your jaw dropped for many reasons. One, because Jordan had just dropped the mother of all philosophical proverbs. Two, in dropping that mother of all philosophical proverbs he rendered you speechless without a single word to speak in defense or defiance. Three, he made sense. The look of shock must have been a severe one. Jordan’s laugh filled the room.

 “You don’t gotta look so surprised. I can be deep.”

 You smiled and nodded in agreement. He could be deep. Neither of you spoke for a few moments. You still didn’t know what to say. Thankfully, he took initiative with continuing the conversation.

 “I’m not on anyone’s side except the side of love. You love him, he loves you. The rest��can be worked out. Love, Y/N. It matters.” With those last words, he turned and walked right back out of the office, leaving you to sit behind the desk replaying his words.

 He was right. You were using time as a crutch. You were allowing the chasm of time to do whatever it chose to your relationship—friendship or otherwise. You were doing this because you were terrified. Unlike your other boyfriends, with Jason, you were in real danger of falling so completely and fully that where you ended, and another began would cease to be determinable. You knew without a doubt that Jason was the other side of your coin, your yin to your yang, your twin flame. With something that was meant to be so intense, so encompassing something that flamed so hot and so bright it was destined not to last. Everything in history proved it to be true. You were afraid to begin because you were afraid of the end. You knew you wouldn’t survive it—survive him.

 It wasn’t fair. You’d come to see it a few nights after the gala. You saw it the first night you dared to join your friends Jason included for drinks. You felt his eyes on you ninety-eight percent of the time and the remaining two percent he spent shooting down every advance the women around made. He also made sure to stay clear of you while somehow letting you know what his intentions were, where his heart was. You felt it, it was impossible to ignore. It wasn’t fair.

 When you made it home that evening, you were already late to join everyone at Ziao. Despite your best efforts to hurry in getting ready you kept getting distracted by memories, by his scent. It had been weeks since he was here, but his scent still lingered. You could still feel him everywhere. You missed him more today than you had when you first walked away from him on that cliff. The weight of that made your movements sluggish.

An hour late was when you made it to Ziao. When you got there, it was close to eight and the night crowd was now filling up the area. you tried to ignore the overlapping conversation and search around for your friends. You unintentionally locked eyes with a tall man with short curly hair and a strong jaw. He was attractive. Though it was just a momentary pause he had enough time to wink at you and smile. As you looked away barely registering him he gave you a once over just before you found your friends.

 As you approached them, Jason was the first to see you. He paused his movement as his hand rose to his lips for a sip from his glass and locked eyes with you. God, you thought. Every time your eyes met it felt like the most intense electric surge. As quickly as you could, you looked away. You knew if you held his gaze for too long you may say or do something provocative.

 “Finally, my god. We said seven,” Cassie said as she briefly hugged you.

 “Hi. I know. I’m sorry.” You hugged everyone else but Jason. The disappointment on his face was evident and nearly broke your heart.

“I’m here now. What did I miss?”

 “Four drinks,” Toya blurted out as she waved a waiter over.

 “We’ll have another round, but this one will have five of what we all just had.”

 “Five? Toya, maybe ease me into it,” you rose.

 “Nope. Tardy for the party you gotta catch up.”

 You could see what kind of night this was going to be. The five of them talked and laughed as they always did. Everyone always got along so well. You sat back and listened to the conversation but had no input. You were working too hard to keep your eyes off of Jason and to suppress the rising urge to throw yourself onto him.

 When the waiter returned with a platter full of drinks your eyes widened. She put five shot glasses before you which had Toya and Cassie clapping their hands in excitement. You were not excited.

 “Bottoms up, titties down!” You snorted hearing Toya’s pre-drink cry.

 Wasting no time with protest you downed the first two glasses within seconds of the other. You took a breath to cool your taste buds and jumped into the next two. After four drinks your belly was on fire, it was a fire that was slowly coursing through your veins.

 “Come on, one more,” Dre encouraged. Rolling your eyes, you took the last glass which was bigger than the four before it and knocked it back. Instantly you knew this was a Jason drink. It was strong, intense and rapidly killing all your brain cells.

 “Fuck! That was strong!” The four of them cheered out loud leaving Jason quiet with a placated smirk across his face.

 “I love Fridays!”

 What happened after that was inevitable. The six of you danced up a storm in the sea of bodies that had come out for the same reasons, to get drunk, cut loose and maybe leave with someone who wanted to continue the party elsewhere. As you danced with Cassie and Toya using their bodies as women usually did when dancing together you felt the worries you’d had hours before melting away. You didn’t care right now. All you cared about was the steady flow of drinks and the music booming around you.

 You didn’t care that for that you could feel Jason in the same room, no matter how full it was and no matter how many guys approached trying to distract you from that matter. You didn’t care that half the time you caught a glimpse of Jason he was sitting at your booth nursing a drink with his shoulders slumped as if he’d lost his best friend. Maybe he had. It didn’t matter right now, you intentionally pressed ignore on your mental capabilities surrounding that. You even tried to press ignore whenever you saw him on the dancefloor around Dre and Jordan and a pretty young thing approached trying to secure a partner to have some fun with. Each of these women he shot down. It was like when he said no to one, they tagged in someone else to then be rejected. It was amusing but it made you feel good.

 By the time midnight rolled around, you’d had too much to drink, your feet hurt, and exhaustion was claiming you. Breaking away from your friends you made your way through the crowd to the bar and ordered two drinks. As you waited you closed your eyes and tried to push off the effects of the alcohol and music. You weren’t drunk, but you’d drank way more than you intended.

 “Who does he think he is?”

 Your head spun to the burnett beside you who was leaning against the bar looking out over the crowd.

 “Uh—excuse me?”

 “That guy. Who does he think he is?”

You looked to where she was looking but you couldn’t tell who she was talking about. There were a lot of guys in the building tonight.

 “Um, I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

 “That one, long hair, hot as an asteroid from outer space, with intense eyes right in the middle,” she explained. You looked around and zeroed in on who she was talking about—Jason. You almost snorted.

 “What about him?”

 “He refuses to dance with anyone. Every girl that tries he rejects. It’s like he thinks he’s some hot piece of ass. I mean I agree he is a hot piece of ass. God, he looks like he could break me in half. Is it strange to be attracted to that? To want to be broken in half?”

 You couldn’t stop your laughter this time. It escaped you before you could clamp your hand over your mouth.

 “I just said that out loud. I’m sorry,” the brunette admitted.

 “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have laughed. It just popped out.”

 “It’s fine. I regret nothing. It was all true,” she added. You looked to Jason and slowly looked over him. She was right, he was hot.

 “You’re right though, he is hot.”

 “I know, but he doesn’t want any of us. I’ve watched all night, and no one has gotten any play.”

 Again, you smiled. “Maybe he’s in a relationship.”

 “Maybe. If so, whoever she is, is one lucky woman. He probably breaks her in half every night.”

 Again, you laughed but this time it was very loud. When you looked back to the crows Jason was looking at you with concern on his face. He was probably wondering if you’d hit your alcohol limit. Always the protector, you thought before you downed both of your drinks.

 “He definitely looks like he has it in him.” You walked past her and back into the crowd toward your friends. As you walked to them, you saw Jason walk away toward an exit and disappear within the crowd. Once you joined them again Cassie threw her arm around you.

 “These drinks are so good.”

 “They’re strong too,” you added.

 “Are you drunk?”

 “No, but in order to not get drunk I’m calling it,” you shouted competing with the music. Toya and Cassie both whined in protest.

 “Nooo, come on. It’s Friday we have five more hours until the sun comes up. Let’s enjoy them.”

 “Oh my god, that sounds exhausting. All I want is to take these shoes off, strip and get into bed. I’m done.” You hugged them together and patted their backs. You knew they wouldn’t be getting in until the sun was coming up.

 “All right be careful.”

 “We got em’ Y/N,” Dre assured. You nodded knowing it as a fact, they would protect them no matter what. You sometimes wondered if Dre and Jordan had underlining feelings for Cassie and Toya, feelings they had yet to admit to. It was possible you missed it being so wrapped up in your drama. You made a note to bring it up over the weekend. Maybe your friend group could turn into something more.

 You kissed each of their cheeks before you pushed through the crowd to the exit. Once outside you took several deep breaths of the cool night air. Inside was stuffy, almost suffocating but out here gave you the freedom to breathe. Leaning on the wall you took out your phone and opened the Lyft app. It was probably a fifteen-minute walk back to your place, but your feet were killing you too badly to walk there. The other option was to cut through the beach using the sand as a cushion for your aching feet.

 It took seconds for you to make the choice. After rushing across the busy street, you leaned against a palm tree and caught your breath. When you opened your eyes there was Jason across the street in front of the club with his eyes glued to you. You didn’t move instead you stood there as he slowly walked across the street to you. With each of his steps, you found your heart beating faster and faster. When Jason was before you he raked his fingers through his hair showing off every angle of his gorgeousness.

“Going home?”

 All you could muster was a nod.

 “Can I walk you home?” Again, you nodded. He looked surprised but all he did was nod in return.

 The two of you took a few steps before you stopped again and bent down to unbuckle your heels. Once free from them you dug your toes into the sand, sighed then groaned. The coolness of the sand was helping with the pain. You were in no rush to move.

 “Piggyback ride?”

 Looking at him, it sounded tempting. It was something that was normal for the two of you. He’d often give you piggyback rides and never broke a sweat while doing it.

 “Sounds so tempting but, I’m okay for now.”

 You fell into step beside him again. For several long minutes neither of you spoke, you just walked with the sound of the waves and the beats from passing cars or clubs mingling in the air. Normally silence between the two of you never gave you anxiety. The two of you had the ability to be around each other and not feel the need to fill each passing moment with words and it would remain as comfortable as a Sherpa blanket. Now, you could feel the uneasiness between you.

 Every so often you snuck peeks at him. Every time you did he always looked to be so far away, as if he were not actually there with you. You wondered what he was thinking, wondered if he missed you as much as you missed him, you wondered how he was doing. Slowly you roamed his body for any signs he may not be taking care of himself. Every time you saw him his exhausted demeanor was always on your mind. From the look of him, he wasn’t sleeping. You wanted to say something, but you didn’t know where to even begin.

 Before you knew it you’d made it to the complex. All you had to do was cross the street and go inside. Looking back at him you felt your nerves overtake you which stopped any of the words you wanted to say.

 “Thanks.”

 “Anytime,” Jason replied. You nodded then walked across the street still holding your heels in one hand and your clutch in the other. As you were about to go inside you hesitated. Everything inside of you was reaching out for him, all you had to do was give him one sign. When you turned back he was still there.

 “Wanna come up?”

 “Do you want me to come up?” You took a few moments to think about it then nodded. Jason walked across the street to you. Once he was in front of you he closed the gap leaving a few inches between you all the while never looking from your eyes. The urge to just grab him and stick your tongue down his throat was overwhelming, but you resisted.

 “To talk.” The look in his eyes changed from hopeful and flirtatious to fearful. Slowly he nodded as if he’d just been given a death sentence.

 You turned and walked inside leading him to the elevator bank. Once Jason pressed the call button the two of you stepped inside and took a silent ride up to your floor. He kept his hands stuffed in his jeans and his eyes glued to the dial as the numbers increased. The ride up gave you some time to formulate the words you wanted to say in some order. You’d never been in this situation and you didn’t want to ever be in this situation ever again.

 As the doors opened both of you remained where you were for a few moments. Only when the doors began to close did Jason reach his hand out to stop them and give you the opportunity to go out first. Once you unlocked the door you held it open for him. Jason took one step in and paused. You could see him take a deep breath in. When he opened his eyes you recognized the look all too well. You were going to need alcohol.

 By the time Jason walked inside the apartment you already had two bottles and two glasses down and were setting up in the living room. He didn’t sit, he stood by the wall closest to his bedroom. Part of you was glad he didn’t go in. If he did he would see his sheets a mess because you slept in his bed from time to time all to be closer to him. You would have to explain it and you weren’t sure how.

 “Rum still your drink of choice?”

 “I think you know that’ll never change about me,” he responded. You poured a half glass, held it out to him and waited for him to come and get it. Jason didn’t move right away, instead, he looked at the glass then to your face and back again.

 “I think one of us should keep a clear head right now.”

 You studied him and knew what he meant. Shrugging you drank down the Rum yourself then sat on the couch. You sat there and allowed the burn of the Rum to flow through you. You loved that intense burn in your gut, the burn that spread like a fanned flame and gave you a hum as well as a glow of warmth. You’d drank enough to know it was the beginning of a buzz. You poured another half glass and guzzled it closing your eyes for a few moments to allow it to take over. Liquid courage. You knew now why it was called that.

 “How’ve you been?” Your voice was quiet and small, almost like a whisper.

 “Good.” You spun around to look at him.

 “Really?” Jason clenched his jaw, took a deep breath and looked down at the floor. Shaking his head, he rubbed his bearded jaw then scoffed.

 “No. I’ve been terrible.”

 “You don’t look like you’ve slept.”

 “I barely do. Some nights it’s okay, I’m okay, but others—I just can’t. so, I keep busy, work, working out, therapy, working out and do it again.”

 “Is—is therapy helping?”

 He studied you before he spoke. “Yeah, it helps a lot actually. I’ve been able to pinpoint patterns and work through a lot of things, things I didn’t even realize I’d been carrying,” Jason explained.

 “Good. I’m glad that it’s helping. I’m glad that you’re still going.”

 “Yeah, I meant what I said Y/N. I want to do better; I want to be a better man.” The two of you stared at each other and spoke sonnets with just your eyes. Words didn’t seem necessary, but you knew they had to be said.

 “Come sit with me?

 Again, Jason looked terrified. He remained where he was for almost a full minute before he slowly moved to the couch where you were. He sat next to you with enough space for someone else to sit between you. You didn’t know if it was an intentional move or subconscious. You wanted him to be closer, so you made the move. Tucking your legs underneath you on the couch you crawled the distance to him and only left a few inches.

 “You are—my best friend in the whole world, Jason.” Without even knowing it tears rolled down your cheeks. Jason sighed out as if he held the weight of the world on his chest.

 “You’re mine,” he confirmed. Dabbing at your eyes you looked up to meet his eyes only he wasn’t looking at you, his eyes were glued to the floor.

 “You mean everything to me. I’ve had time to think about so many things. I’ve gone over and over our entire story. Do you remember the day we met? I remember watching you on the waves, the way you easily glided through the water and commanded it like you owned it spoke volumes to me. It spoke about not only your convergence with the water but your spirit. You are strength. Everything you do showcases that strength.” Jason met your eyes for a few moments then dipped back down.

 “From day one, you’ve been my knight in shining armor. From day one, you’ve been my protector, my friend, the one person I trusted with everything. I don’t know if I ever thanked you for what you did on the beach that first night. Without you—thank you.”

 “You never have to thank me for anything Y/N. I would do anything for you—anything.”

 You felt it to be true. You reached out, took his hand and held on for dear life.

 “I love you; God knows I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone, more than I ever thought I could. Please tell me you know that.”

 Jason nodded, you could see the emotion behind his eyes, the emotion he was desperately trying to hold on to. You didn’t know if he really wanted to unbind himself or if he wanted to continue being restrained. You took a deep breath and fiddled with his fingers sliding yours along each of his before swirling a lazy pattern on the back of his hand.

 “I miss you.” It was another whisper, but he heard it. In seconds Jason faced you completely and cupped your cheeks in his massive hands.

 “I miss you too so fucking much. I go to call you at least thirty times a day. I still expect to see you around the corner wherever I am. I dream of you. I’m going insane. I miss my best friend.”

 You nodded because you knew just what he meant. You felt the same. The two of you just sat there filled with so many emotions but not speaking on any of them. You just gazed into each other’s eyes.

 “I’m scared.”

 “Of me?”

 “No. Never of you. I’m scared of this—of us.” Jason looked confused and you knew you had to explain it for him.

 “I’ve never loved like this before. there have been boyfriends before you, and situations but none of them are like you—are like us. I love you completely, I love you fully, I love you in a way that scares me, a way that says--.”

 “Soul mate,” Jason filled in while grazing his thumb across your cheekbone in a loving way. “Ulana,” Jason finished. You understood that word, the Hawaiian word for soulmate.

 “I feel it too, Y/N.”

 “I’m scared to lose you, to lose us, I know if that happens I won’t survive it. I won’t be able to just shake it off and move on—not from you Jason. We are such a hot and intense burn that it’s inevitable that we’ll burn out.”

 “I feel it too. I’ve never loved anyone; I can honestly say that to you right now. You are my first and I don’t ever want to lose you. Yes, we burn hot, yes we burn intense, yes we’re intense and it’s insane a little sometimes, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. You don’t have to survive me Y/N. I won’t ever hurt you again, I won’t ever be anything less than you deserve.”

 His words were pretty, you believed them. You believed them because you chose to, you believed them because the love you felt for him was stronger than your fear. You raised your hand to his cheek and softly caressed his bearded jaw.

 “I’m sorry I took so long. I thought it if I don’t make a choice in anything then it wouldn’t impact anything, that we could just go back.”

 “Is that what you want—to go back?” His eyes again filled with fear.

 “No. we couldn’t go back even if we tried. There would always be this pull between us. That won’t ever go away.”

 “I want to be with you Y/N. You and me.”

 More tears rolled down your cheek, “I want that too.” Jason released a relieved sigh then he pulled you into his arms into a strong but loving embrace, one that had you feeling every ounce of his love. The two of you just held each other and relished this moment, this first moment of togetherness.

 After several long minutes, the two of you pulled apart and rested your foreheads together.

 “I swear to you I will never—” You crushed your lips to his and allowed all your pent-up desires and feelings to come to the surface. The kiss was not a brief one, nor was it a chaste one. Your lips moved of their own accord with their own motive and right now it was to feel.

 Long minutes passed with the two of you wrestling for control, nibbling each other lips, rolling your tongues together and inching each of you closer and closer to the edge, closer to the point of no return. Your moans melded and competed, but it wasn’t a vicious competition it was a sensual one. Before long you’d reached your limit. You swung your leg over him and sat on his lap. Jason’s moan was the only welcome you needed.

 “Wait, wait,” Jason muttered as he pulled his lips from yours.

 “Why am I waiting? We’ve waited long enough—forty-two days.” You didn’t let the interruption stop you from kissing him or on him. Your lips connected with his neck and he groaned out his appreciation for the attention.

 “Are you sure? I don’t want you to rush this. Maybe we should--.”

 You were getting tired of his words. You wanted his mouth to be doing much better things. Pushing him back against the couch you took control once again expertly kissing him hoping to show him just how sure you were. When you kissed him, you tasted so much hope, so much love. You tasted everything you’d wanted for so long. It was all yours for the taking and you intended to take it all.

 You pulled his shirt higher than finally over his head to reveal his beautiful skin. After biting his bottom lip more forcefully than you intended you brought your lips lower to his neck and then across his collarbone. When you made it to his nipple you decided to tease him mercilessly. Slowly you swirled your tongue around it then nibbled. Like a moth to a flame, the reaction was instantaneous.

 “Jesus.” You forced back a smile and moved to his other nipple and mirrored the same actions. His hiss was more encouragement you were on the right path.

 As you continued your path down his body you slid to your knees before him. The look on his face screamed vulnerability.

 “I love you.” You smiled then quickly began undressing him, trying to free him. It had been way too long. Your hands moved quickly pulling at buttons and yanking down his stuck zipper. Your struggle had him joining in, in a collective effort to get him naked.

 The air around you immediately changed to a playfulness that you missed between you. When he’d gotten the zipper down and his jeans half off his hips he pulled you back to him and kissed you. Your lips danced and your tongues teased all the while he stood taking you with him. Jason’s big hands fell to your ass and cupped it fully filling them with the part of the female anatomy you knew he loved. Your moans melted into his mouth as he lifted you to wrap your legs around him. When your ankles locked you felt the sand that still clung to you.

 “Wait, wait.”

 “What? Do you want me to stop?”

 “Never. Just maybe we should take this somewhere else—somewhere a lot wetter.” At your suggestion, Jason’s eyebrows rose to give you a sultry look. Your smile widened and you nudged your head toward the bathroom.

 The two of you kissed your way to the bathroom all the while stripping off each piece of your clothes. What should have been a quick thirty-second trip went on much longer. Every time Jason squeezed your ass it triggered a moan and a reaction. A reaction that had you gripping him tighter with your legs and biting onto his lip. Every time you did that, he’d slam you into a wall pressing his growing hardness onto you. It was a repetitive cycle that only heightened the passion and arousal between the two of you.

 Jason was the first to get into the shower. You got lost just watching the water pour down onto him and over every slope of hardened muscle. He was built like a water God and you couldn’t wait to worship him.

 “Don’t just stand there, come here.”

 You didn’t need another invitation. Foreplay was Jason’s specialty. It was obvious. He was exceptionally good at it. If it wasn’t the way he touched you, it was the way he spoke to you. Words weren’t just words with him, it was poetry—love haikus. Every pet name, every whisper of love, every promise of devotion and faithfulness it all worked with how his body connected with yours. None of it was linear, he wasn’t linear. The duration of the fifteen-minute shower he’d barely done anything to your body that warned climax, but he’d still ripped four from you.

By the time Jason gently laid you onto his already tangled sheets both of you were more than ready for a reunion of epic proportions. You saw the question in his eyes as to why his room was in such a state of disarray. You’d give him the answer one day, you’d give him the answer to everything he wanted to know. You couldn’t run from what you felt for him any longer. It was pointless. You couldn’t suppress it or wish it away. It was here to stay, and you wanted to embrace it, wrap yourself in it completely and see where it led.

 “Make love to me Jason.”

 As soon as the words came out you felt the intrusion of his length slowly glide through you, connecting your bodies not for the first time but for the best time. The times before now didn’t matter because you were in unchartered territory. Everything from this coupling felt like the first time. As Jason rocked his hips to and fro you felt the steady tremors of an oncoming earthquake, an earthquake only he could unleash, an earthquake you both had denied yourselves for months.

 “I love you so fucking much, Y/N.” Your name was grunted out gruffly. His tightening clench on your hip signaled how close to losing control he was. You didn’t mind. You were his and he was yours.

 “Show me,” was your only response. It was all Jason needed. His hips snapped forward delivering a brutal thrust that had you shrieking out and digging your nails into his back. He didn’t wait for you to catch your breath, instead, he repeated the action over and over. Each thrust was more bruising than the last. Each thrust threatened to disrupt any balance within you. A disruption you welcomed.

 “Fuck me!” Jason pinned your hands to the bed and went to work. The words of the woman from the club earlier echoed back to you.

 “Whoever she is, is one lucky woman. He probably breaks her in half every night.”

 Unable to laugh through your moans of pleasure you squeezed his hand as your eyes rolled to the back of your head.

 “Mmm, yes Jason.”

 Jason’s lips met yours and there is where they remained. It felt like he was sucking the life from you while breathing a new one into you with one intent—to break you in two and weld you back together any way he deemed fit. You felt the earthquake break free and just like that your orgasm was the most powerful thing you;’d felt in months. Your body quivered as you came down but he was not finished with you.

 Jason splayed your legs apart and pressed them back to the mattress revealing you to his eyes and pinning you to perfect submission. It was a power move to show he was in control of not only your body but your pleasure and pain.

 “Do you love me?”

 “Yes,” you replied without hesitation. As a reward, Jason sunk his entire length into your heat. A loud gasp escaped you tempting you to break eye contact. When you did he withdrew from your body. Confusion riddled your features.

 “Keep those beautiful eyes on me.” As a tiny reward, he circled his hips allowing the tip of his need to circle your opening. He was teasing you.

 “Do you want me?”

 “Always.” He sank a few inches deeper then stopped.

 “Do you trust me?”

 “Without question.” An enamored look washed over him before he snapped his hips forward again filling you completely.

 “Oh my god.”

 The pressure was sublime, so sublime you came again. As you rode that wave Jason alternated the pace and depth of which he penetrated you. You were a whimpering, moaning mess. Everything he did felt incredible and everything you did only set him off more. When you gripped his beard and pulled him to you to bit onto his lips he ground his hips into you doing complete circles inside of you nudging every wall. That was when you came again. His grunts and groans became louder and more uncontrolled—he was close. You gripped him tightly and like clockwork, he collapsed over your body while trying to bury himself deeper and deeper.

 Jason’s movements became erratic as did his thrusts. His climax was steadily approaching, and he was bringing you with him. After a few thrusts, you both came together in a fury of shouts. You knew any neighbors you had probably hated you right now. You didn’t care.

 Slowly the two of you came down from your postcoital cocoon and everything felt new and different. Everything felt like a new beginning was right there for the taking, all the two of you had to do was reach out, pluck it and claim it for yourselves.

 “Y/N--,” Jason began.

 “Mmm.” The patterns he was tracing into your skin was working magic and quickly lulling you to sleep.

 “I promise you I will never hurt you again. I will love you as long as you let me, just be prepared it’s forever. There is no one else for me.” You rose your head to look at him. Everything in his eyes that spoke to you said he meant it with everything in him.

 “My love is forever, it is unconditional, I will never hurt you, or abandon you, you are my home and if you want I can be yours,” you whispered while never breaking eye contact. The emotion in him was clear.

 “You give me reason--,” Jason began.

 “For another day,” you finished.

 You felt it and you knew he felt it too. These words were as binding to the two of you as vows before a priest. They meant everything. They were promises to each other, for each other, with only each other as witnesses. They were meant only for your love.

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[theteapotofdoom]

I don’t know why I feel like thrusting this idea at you, but in a swapped au (where the hero’s are villains and vice versa) what if Todoroki never told the villains he had two quirks? What if, just to spite his father, he never told them how he could control and regulate his heat and body temperature so well, and then maybe he gets in a fight with his father (or Toya) and uses it and everybody in the league is like “He can do that now-? did you know he could do that?” Idk I’m just tired

I love this idea! I feel like Shouto can have a big Salty and Petty Energy when he wants to, so maybe it would be amplified as a villain, and this is definitely something he would do!

I’m not super clear on how this AU would work though ... if the heroes and villains are reversed, wouldn’t Shouto and Endeavor both be villains and on the same side? Why would they fight? And if Shouto is now a villain, why wouldn’t he reveal his power to the other villains since there are his allies? Also when you talk about the League, do you mean our current League as heroes or the other villain students replacing the League?

I’m sorry, I guess I’m a little tired too! I feel so dumb! But even though I don’t really understand the concept and the context, I still think it’s a very cool idea! It would be such a good reveal! Love it!

[sockablock]

• (start) (prev) (next) •

Chapter 8: The Long, Looping Scrawl

TUSK LOVE 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO Today 9:08AM

Lavender Thunder: soooooooo good news and bad news Lavender Thunder: the GOOD news is that gustav isn’t arrested and the cops have cooled off and nobody else is dead Seaman: that is pretty good news Lavender Thunder: yeah well Lavender Thunder: the bad news is that kylre isn’t going to be around anymore Lavender Thunder: and that I think we might need to find some new jobs Lavender Thunder: the Moondrop is gonna be out of commission for like Lavender Thunder: kind of a while

•

Jester, from where she stood next to the couch with her hands over Fjord’s ribs, watched Molly make his way through the front door and into the living room. “What does ‘a while’ mean?” she asked as he approached. “Like…how long is that, exactly?”

Molly collapsed onto the sofa opposite them and shrugged. “My best guess? Probably over half a year,” he said glumly. “It’s mostly to raise funding. Gustav says that he’s got to pay off a heavy fine to the city for all the endangerment his ‘employee’ caused before he’s even allowed to start rebuilding, and then there’s the cost of repairs and the cost of new furniture and the cost of new equipment. Not to mention how long it’ll take to actually fix everything. You should keep an eye out too, Fjord,” he added with a nod to the half-orc, “word on the street is that Fletch will also be closed in the meantime. Gustav or Desmond will probably send out some kind of notice later on today.”

Fjord sighed. “Yeah, I figured something like that might happen.”

“What are you going to do in the meantime, then?” Jester asked. “And what’s everybody else doing?”

“I’m not sure about myself yet,” Molly shrugged. “I know Gustav and Desmond are going to stick around and oversee reconstruction. Everyone else is taking time off to travel and visit family. The Sisters are going back to Felderwin for a bit, and Bosun says he’s going to go backpacking through the countryside. Yasha also took off to do…whatever it is she always does. And Ornna’s taking care of Toya now, though I’m not entirely sure what that entails.”

“I take it that Kylre’s out of the picture, then?” Fjord asked.

“Yeah, what exactly happened to him, anyways?” Jester asked. “You need should be less vague over text.”

Molly’s expression immediately went dark. “It’s…not great, dear. Kylre…well, after the authorities determined that he was a fiend, they elected to…to…”

Fjord sat up as best as he could. “What, Molly? What did they do?”

Molly’s shoulders sagged. “They took him to the Zauber Spire,” he said. “They’re banishing him to the Nine Hells.”

“What?!” Jester shouted. “What do you mean, banishing?”

“I mean that they’re going to send him there for good,” Molly mumbled. “According to what Gustav told us, the police decided that because he’s a fiend, he should be sent back to where ‘his kind’ reside. Whatever the fuck that means.”

Fjord reached out a hand as if to comfort him, and then thought better of it.

“Fuck, Mol,” he said instead. “I’m…I’m sorry."

Mollymauk shrugged listlessly. “It’s no fault of yours,” he said. “It was just…shitty. Complete horseshite.”

They sat there in silence for a few more moments. The distant sound of cars honking drifted up from the streets and through the window.

“Well…” Jester tried eventually, “…at least everybody else is okay?”

Molly snorted. “Yeah,” he said, “yeah, at least there’s that. I guess…I don’t know, I guess in a weird way, life will go on. Just without one of the troupe now, and with a lot of dumb financial problems.”

“Fuck…yeah,” Fjord sighed. “This means I gotta find a new place to work. For the time being, anyhow.”

Jester’s eyes went wide. “Oh, shit!” she said. “Does that…does that still mean we can move in? Or are we going to have to wait a bit, now? I mean,” she added hastily, “it’s okay if we do, totally cool—”

Fjord reached for her hand, and she relaxed.

“It’ll be fine,” he said gently. “As soon as my damn ribs get better, I’ll ask around and see what’s available. Maybe there’ll be something I can pick up at the Leaky Tap, or somethin’, and we can go from there. But…Molly, will you be alright?”

Molly hesitated. He thought for a moment about his bank account, and then considered how tired he was.

“I don’t know,” he sighed. “Maybe?”

Jester, despite the mood, giggled. “That doesn’t sound very responsible of you,” she said.

He gave her a half-smile. “We managed to negotiate the rent down for this year, and I’ve got plenty saved up. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t actually spend that much money.”

“It’s true,” Fjord agreed. “He eats at the Moondrop all the time and gets people to buy him stuff that he sells.”

Molly grinned. “I’m a financial wizard,” he nodded. Then he paused, and added, “but maybe I should look into finding a roommate. If you two decide to go ahead with the apartment plan, that is.”

“We’ll see,” they both said at the same time.

“Alright, you two, alright,” Molly laughed. “Keep me posted. I’m gonna need time if I’m gonna scout someone out that snores less than Fjord. Honestly, I don’t envy you, Jester.”

She started giggling again. “It’s okay,” she said. “I’ll make Caleb find me a silence spell that I can cast on him every night.”

“Hey!” Fjord protested, and then winced. He settled for sinking back down onto the cushions and pouting. “It’s not that bad, is it?”

“It’s really bad,” said Molly. “It’s literally the loudest sound in the entire world.”

•

“That can’t be enough,” Nott commented as she peered over Caleb’s shoulder. “Look at how much water there is! That little cup is nothing.”

“It’s the right amount,” Caleb sighed and turned around to face her. “Believe me, I have done this hundreds of times before.”

“How come?” she asked. “Did you go camping a lot as a kid?”

They were both kneeling in the bathroom, positioned on the tiled floor next to the edge of a very full bathtub. Caleb had begrudgingly dipped into the month’s budgeted water usage, telling himself that he’d take less showers, and after heating the bath with a few magic spells, they were both currently blanketed by a thick layer of steam.

That smelled, rather strongly, of vinegar.

“Not exactly campfires,” Caleb said lightly, “but I suppose that works. Anyways, this is the best way to remove ashy smells from our clothing. I feel terrible, ruining them like this in battle. Especially since your dress was brand new, Nott.”

The little goblin shrugged. “It’s fine,” she said, “I don’t really think they’re ruined.”

“I am sure that you do not, though others may have differing opinions.”

“They always do,” she said solemnly. “I always ignore them.”

They finished hanging up their fancy attire on the neck of the showerhead, then left the bathroom and shut the door tightly behind them. Caleb moved towards his bed, flopped down and buried his face into the pillow. He felt a light weight sink into the mattress near the space by his foot, and he shifted slightly to give Nott more room.

“Thanks,” she said.

“Bitte. Gods, I am exhausted.”

“Me too,” she said. “I don’t even feel like doing anything today.”

“What a night that was, eh?” he asked, muffled but with a mild chuckle. “Certainly more than what I was expecting.”

“I don’t think anyone could have predicted a giant toad monster would turn a guy into a zombie and then fight us in an abandoned warehouse,” said Nott.

There was a beat of silence.

“Ja okay,” he said. “Point taken.”

There was a longer silence after that, in which Nott sprawled upside-down off the edge of the bed and closed her eyes. Caleb shoved his face further into the pillow, and tried to think of a happy place. Or at least, a sleep-inducing one.

Then:

“Those were some pretty good pancakes, though.”

Caleb turned his head. “What?” he asked.

“Those pancakes,” Nott repeated. “That Molly made us. Those were really good.”

He blinked. “Er…yes,” he agreed hesitantly. “They were rather nice, yes.”

“And it was really nice of him to let us use his bathroom,” she said. “And it was nice that he gave us clothes, and blankets, and made us tea. Even if it was creepy tea.”

Caleb nodded slowly. “Yes?” he said. “That is…true. Er…is there something you have to say about all that?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said. “There is. Last night was just…really nice. I liked it.”

“Despite the death and monster and fighting?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

She nodded. “Yeah. To be honest, I don’t think that stuff really matter too much.”

“Was? Why is that?”

Nott smiled. “Because we have friends now,” she said. “A lot of them.”

Caleb rolled over onto his back and stared up at the chipped ceiling. He considered this.

“Ja…I suppose we do.”

Nott’s smile widened. “I like them,” she said. “It was fun before, with just the girls, but after everything we all went through together, it sort of feels like…I guess it sort of feels like this whole group is a family.”

Caleb felt something flicker in his chest. He tamped it down immediately.

“I see,” he said eventually.

Nott giggled. “It’s okay if you don’t want to agree with me. I know the truth, anyhow.”

“Do you? What is that?” he asked, almost dreading the answer.

Nott closed her eyes again. “You like them too,” she said.

For a long, long while, Caleb thought of something to say.

And then, when nothing came, he closed his eyes as well and eventually fell back asleep.

•

“Beauregard!” Jester shouted, bursting into their apartment, “are you awake?! I am home! And ready to…”

She trailed off and looked around the empty kitchen. The lights were off, and the windows drawn shut, leaving only thin trails of light creeping in around the curtains. She dropped her purse, and the plastic bag that held her dress onto the floor, and took a few steps forward.

“Beau?” she called, quieter this time. “…Beau…? Are you there?”

Almost immediately, something began to stir at the back of her mind. Something heavy, and unbidden, and unnerving, and old. She felt her hand unconsciously reach into her pocket, and clutch a small metal object on a thick leather cord. She traced her fingers along its smooth surface, and relaxed slightly as a familiar warmth washed over her.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to relax further, and had just recovered her signature cheery smile when her eyes caught a single piece of paper lying on the kitchen table.

She ran towards it quicker than she probably would have liked. She immediately began to read the long, looping scrawl across its surface.

Jes—

I went to take care of some shit. I’ll be back tonight, but I’m not sure if I’ll be ready to talk to you about it ‘til later. I trust you more than any of these other assholes we call friends, so please don’t be upset if I don’t say shit when I return, alright? And please, please don’t ask any questions. I promise that the second I’m ready, I’ll tell you everything.

See you later,

Drunkmonk

She stared at the frustratingly short letter for a few more seconds. She flipped it around, saw nothing, then flipped it back over.

“Beau will be back tonight,” she whispered. She took another deep breath, and nodded. She carefully folded the page and slid it into her pocket.

“Did you hear that, Traveler?” she asked the air in front of her. “Beau is fine! She’s just running errands. And, and she said that she trusts me! Isn’t that cool?”

Jester was still, and silent for a moment. Her ears twitched as if listening to a far-off song.

“I agree,” she said eventually. “Also, thanks for helping out earlier with Fjord! I’m really glad he’s okay. And I’m really glad you were there for us.”

Another pause. Another strange, silent hum.

And then she laughed and nodded brightly. “That’s a great idea! Come on, I think I remember where I put it. We were on chapter nine, right?”

And then she skipped into her bedroom, leaving the door wide open behind her.

•

TUSK LOVE 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO Today 6:19PM

Seaman: good news yall! Seaman: Wessick says that the Tap’s looking for an evening bartender, and he says ive got the job! Seaman: which ALSO means yall get a friends and family discount for karaoke Seaman: probably Lavender Thunder: HECK YEAH Lavender Thunder: THAT’S AWESOME FJORD Lavender Thunder: why didnt you tell me that to my face though we live in the same house Seaman: i wanted to spread the happy news all at once Molly Seaman: also I still cant move and you went into your bedroom Seaman: sue me (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*: that’s AWESOME (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*: FJORD IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU Seaman: thank you Jester NottSoBrave: fjord you need to respond more energetically than that NottSoBrave: you shouldnt leave a lady wanting NottSoBrave: otherwise someone could snatch her up Lavender Thunder: oh and what do you know about women? NottSoBrave: i happen to BE a WOMEN NottSoBrave: woman NottSoBrave: whatever NottSoBrave: oh also Caleb says congratulations Seaman: thank you Caleb Seaman: and thanks for the relationship advice, i think? Seaman: don’t mention it Seaman: hey beau and yasha, what’re you going to do? (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*: beaus busy right now (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*: but im sure she’ll answer later! Lavender Thunder: ditto for yasha Lavender Thunder: that’s just how she do NottSoBrave: how mysterious NottSoBrave: why are they gone? NottSoBrave: is yasha a spy? is Beau a spy Lavender Thunder: yes Lavender Thunder: theyre spies

Nott looked up from her phone screen, stared at Frumpkin dead in his clear blue eyes.

“Hear that?” she said. “I knew it.”

“Spatz!” Caleb called from the kitchen. “Come on, your noodles are getting cold!”

“Coming!” she yelled back. She gave Frumpkin one last solemn nod, then tossed her cell onto the covers and scuttled out of the bedroom.

•

Beau arrived home that night well after sunset. She shut the front door behind her as quietly as she could, but frowned and looked around suspiciously when she noticed that all the lights were still on. Then she saw the living room couch, and her gaze softened.

Jester was laid out on the cushions, fully dressed and fast asleep. There was a tray on the coffee table in front of her, piled high with pastries and sporting a now-chilly cup of hot chocolate. A note next to the tray read:

For Beau!

She sighed. “You little weirdo,” she said, “you didn’t have to wait for me.”

She slid her backpack onto the carpet and carefully lifted Jester into her arms, bridal-style. She made it all the way to Jester’s extravagant canopy bed, and was almost done tucking her in, when she stirred awake.

Jester’s eyes slowly peeked open. Her irises glowed in the darkness.

“Beau?” she mumbled. “Is that you?”

“Yeah, Jes,” she said. “I’m back.”

Jester’s brow furrowed slightly. “You…your face is messed up.”

Beau reached up, felt the tender skin around her bruised eye and split lip. She shrugged and gave Jester a faint smile. “It’s nothing,” she said. “I fell.”

“That’s a lie,” Jester murmured, and closed her eyes. “But it’s okay. You said you trust me, and I trust you too. You can tell me whenever you’re ready.”

Beau was silent for a moment. Then she sighed. “…thanks, Jes,” she said eventually.

“I’m glad you’re home,” came the sleepy response. “I’m glad you came back to me.”

Beau scoffed. “Of course I did,” she said. “Why the fuck wouldn’t I?”

There was no answer. After a moment, Beau pulled the blankets up to Jester’s shoulder, turned around, and went back to her room.

•

And then, after that, life more-or-less returned to whatever semblance of normalcy it had once held, for most of them.

For most of them.

•

TUSK LOVE 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO Today 10:22AM

Lavender Thunder: guysssss Lavender Thunder: whos around??!!?? Lavender Thunder: im bored out of my goddamn mind Lavender Thunder: and yashas still gone (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*: ughhhh sorry mollyyyy I have class now (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*: and Fjord too right now Lavender Thunder: ah its arlight dear Lavender Thunder: anybody else? Drunkmonk: i hate you, so no Drunkmonk: but actually im also doing stuff right now Lavender Thunder: fuck off Lavender Thunder: nott and Caleb? NottSoBrave: calebs working at the library toady NottSoBrave: and I don’t want to hang out with you Lavender Thunder: wow alright then (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*: Nott!! Apologize to Molly!! NottSoBrave: sorry Lavender Thunder: gee thanks Lavender Thunder: anyways have fun doing your stuff yall Lavender Thunder: i guess ill ,, read a book or something

Molly lowered his phone.

He was seated on his bed, wrapped up in his silk pajamas, staring out the window at the bright and bustling city landscape beyond.

This was a strange feeling. Here he was warm, and comfortable, and the sunlight gently caressed his skin with its soothing morning rays.

But today he should have been at the Moondrop. Today he should have been in the dark backstage performer’s lounge, helping the sisters with their makeup, or watching Desmond tune his instruments, or failing to stack crates as high as Yasha could, or riffing with Bo or giving Toya piggy-back-rides or pestering Ornna or chatting lazily with Kylre or learning about sound equipment from Gustav or even bemoaning the lack of proper lighting above his dresser mirror as he tried to apply his favorite glittering eyeshadow before the afternoon shows began.

Instead, he was here.

For the first time in his entire, extraordinarily short life, Mollymauk Tealeaf felt alone.

And he realized now, with rising dread, that he had absolutely no idea what to do about it.

• • •

hey guys! Just letting you know, I’m going on a short hiatus now that Arc 1 is complete! Updates will definitely be coming, as I take time to sort out my other WIPs and adjust to college and the UK. Thank you so much for reading!!!

💚 ☕ ☕ 💚

[animebw]

Binge-Watching: Cardcaptor Sakura, Day 5, Episodes 26-28

In which there really is no going back, as the character relationships and greater plot both develop in some interesting ways. Also, I don’t care what anyone says, Meiling is still adorable.

The Mysterious Ms. Mizuki

Friend or foe? That is the question posed before Ms. Mizuki, the mysterious substitute teacher who was watching outside Sakura’s house at the end of last session. And as of this moment, the answer is unclear. She has a habit of suddenly showing up behind people who are talking about her, which is pretty much the prime symptom of Not Good Things to Come. Still, though, she saved Meiling when she was trapped by that nasty Maze card, and even gave the card to Sakura after she defeated it. Yet she also was eagerly watching as the Return card fell from the sky, not doing anything to stop it from dragging Sakura into the past.

All I’m sure about is that she probably has some kind of future vision. She starts to tell Sakura something, then cuts herself off, saying that she’ll realize it for herself in time. And she was even in a relationship with Toya back in the day (who’d have freaking guessed?), yet she broke it off when she went to study abroad, seeming to know exactly how the two of them were going to chance as people. And considering how... nervous both Toya and his dad still seem to be about her return, I’m wondering if there’s still something we don’t know about their interactions in the past. It’s clear she knows both about Toya’s sixth sense and Sakura’s role as Cardcaptor, yet she also seems content to just watch from the sidelines and see how things play out. She’s a mystery wrapped inside an enigma wrapped inside a conundrum. What does she want? Whose side is she on? What does she know about the coming catastrophe? Why does she refer to the moon as Yue, like it’s a living presence (maybe she just really likes Avatar? I mean, I know this show came out before Avatar, but Mizuki can see into the future... just saying)?

What started out as a simple show about a girl battling a series of merchandisable monsters is turning into a dark, sinister epic with a massive mythos just beyond our comprehension. I cannot wait to see how it unspools.

Two Ships Cross in the Harbor

And in the meantime, the show has time to casually throw out one of my favorite Cardcaptor scenes so far; Li and Sakura discussing their mutual attraction to Yukito. Seriously, in a medium where romance so often just hovers in the background without ever being addressed until the final few episodes, the mere fact that these nine-year-olds are able to actually talk about their romantic rivalry makes them more mature than, like, half of all anime protagonists. And it’s just really freaking sweet, both of them respecting each other’s feelings but not sure how to square that very significant hurdle. Heck, Sakura even acknowledges how dumb it is to be in love with a guy who’s almost double their age, even if she still feels attracted to him! How’s that for thoughtful character writing?

And this moment of connection leads to Li pulling out all the stops to save Sakura from Return, pulling out the freaking Time card as a hail-mary pass to get her back. Something has clearly changed between them; they’re not just wary rivals or occasional allies anymore. They’re genuinely starting to care about each other. And if Li’s furious blush following Sakura hugging him is any indication, we might have a new ship blooming from the fallout. Color me excited AF to watch it unfold.

Odds and Ends

-Yeah, Toya definitely knows more than he’s letting on.

-Woah, that warped perspective was creepy.

-Look I get how some people could find Meiling annoying but watching her actually try to make this obviously doomed ship happen is really freaking adorable okay

-Oh god we’re back to the non-euclidean bullshit

-”Then, I’ll just turn around.” pfft

-”I’ll happily eat them for you!” Meiling is me

-It always comes back to the Tokyo Tower dream, doesn’t it?

-Sakura is me around hot oil. That shit hurts if it spatters on you.

-”Dad made them.” “Then I’m sure they’re safe.” TOYA YOU BUTT

-”Studying hard, I see.” Hey now, Dad, living stuffed animals are the best study pals and you know it.

Man, how does this show just keep getting better? Not that I’m complaining, of course. See you all next time!

[costellos]

Helloooo Toya!! I have a question: how would each Duwang Gang member react to be given their favorite flower (and what's their favorite flower)? Thank you for reading my ask!!

a/n: YELLS!!! anon this is SUCH a cute question! you’re the first to request anything with the Duwang Gang so bless u. thank u. there isn’t enough content for them. also I know you probably just wanted a concept but bc I love this idea I’m writing full headcanons.

tw: mentions of death in Okuyasu’s part

❥ ┋ ❝ duwang gang, what their favorite flowers are, & how they react when given it!

jotaro kujo.

Jotaro’s favorite flowers are wisteria (though holly is a close second).

he’s not much of a flower guy. he typically finds them to be too much, with cherry blossoms getting everywhere and the memory of Suzie Q’s gardenia perfume being  unbearable. if you asked him for his favorite, he’d say wisteria.

he wouldn’t elaborate if you asked why. truthfully, he doesn’t know. but between you and me, it’s because he saw a wisteria tree in full bloom before he, Joseph, Kakyoin, and Avdol left for Egypt. it’s the last thing he saw as his house faded over the horizon, with the cab Joseph ordered pulling the group away from the lives they knew.

the idea strikes you while looking through travel guides. being a Morioh native, why not make the most of Jotaro’s visit? there’s a wisteria tree at the Morioh Botanic Garden; being a sucker for botanics yourself, it’d be nice to do a little two-in-one. you get to enjoy the view while bringing Jotaro to his favorite flower.

but when you lead him to the tree, the reaction he gives you isn’t what you expected. he’s quiet. not a mad or sad kind of quiet, just... silent. even after months of dating, you can’t tell what he’s thinking. but judging by his face, whatever is running through his head is something he’s made peace with. he only puts his hand on the top of your arm, pulling your figure close to him. ↳ “I’m surprised you remembered.” a beat, and then a sigh. “thank you, [Name]. but let’s keep moving, I don’t want to linger here.”

rohan kishibe.

Rohan’s favorite flowers are moonflowers.

he dislikes any flower that’s associated with manga. red spider lilies, roses, cherry blossoms (which is heightened thanks to Josuke), you name it. he thinks it’s a lazy way to draw symbolism.

it’s why he finds moonflowers so fascinating. there’s no grandiose meaning to them, they’re just a peculiar flower. they only bloom at night and when they do bloom, they die shortly thereafter. it’s a fleeting moment of beauty. lovely and slightly tragic.

he’d never expect you to get it for him. moonflowers aren’t native to Japan and the Japanese climate makes it difficult for them to grow here. that’s why he finds it odd that you’ve been spending an unusual amount of time outside. toiling away, saying it’s nothing more than a little gardening project to pass the time. he’d ask more, but he’s busy himself. it’s not until you drag him outside at night under a full moon that it hits him.

it takes him a moment to process it. there’s a trellis with moonflowers carefully laced between. emerald green leaves tell him that you’ve taken impeccable care of the plant. his first thought is “how?”; there’s no way you could house a tropical flower in this climate. but he brushes the thought away ― he’d rather not waste time on dumb questions like that ― and sighs, donning his signature smirk. ↳ “pfft, you’re that desperate to impress me? ...I’m teasing, obviously. I’m... honestly speechless, [Name]. you really are something else.”

josuke higashikata.

Josuke’s favorite flowers are cherry blossoms.

to be honest, if you asked Josuke what his favorite flower was, he wouldn’t know what to say. he’s not a big flower person. hence, cherry blossoms would be the first thing that come to mind. and while it sounds like a half-assed answer, it is true. sort of.

cherry blossoms remind those early spring days when his mother would take him to the park as a child. to Josuke, cherry blossoms are warmth and laughter. they’re the pink petals his mother would collect and drop on his hair. they’re the milk pudding his grandfather would bring him when he’d come home early from the station.

that said, he wouldn’t react much if you gave him a bouquet of cherry blossoms. he’d be flattered ― a gift is a gift ― but it wouldn’t go much further than that. you quickly realized that when you took a cutting and placed it behind his ear. (he was really confused; maybe best to save the theatrics to him.)

it’s not until you gave Josuke cherry blossom-flavored pudding that he melted. it’s favorite flavor! how did you know? all those memories would come flooding back to him, all teasings from his mother and evenings spent with his grandfather. and now, a new memory: sharing his favorite dessert with you. ↳ “whaaat, you got this for me?! gah, you’re too sweet... here, let’s share it. I can’t eat this alone.” 

okuyasu nijimura.

Okuyasu’s favorite flowers are forget-me-nots.

like the other boys, Okuyasu never really had a favorite flower. he could acknowledge that some were prettier than others, but his botanical knowledge didn’t extend farther than identifying roses. that is, until you pointed out forget-me-nots to him while walking to school.

something about the name just... stuck. it really resonated with him. sure, the flower is pretty and all, but now he feels a pang in his heart whenever he passes by them. forget-me-not. he thinks of Keicho and his father every time he sees those baby blue petals.

it wasn’t hard to pick up on his silence. every day, there and back from school, his mouth would shut as you walked past the raised bed overflowing with tiny, blue flowers. and with his visiting Keicho’s grave more often, you could easily put two and two together.

needless to say, he cried when you placed a bouquet of forget-me-nots near his brother’s headstone. “so he’s never really gone,” you murmured, taking his hand in yours. you didn’t look at Okuyasu’s face. you didn’t have to. his squeezing your hand and his quivering breaths were enough. ↳ “th-thanks, [Name]... he... he would’ve really liked you, yanno.”

koichi hirose.

Koichi’s favorite flowers are camellias.

he’s the only boy who can name his favorite flowers off the bat. he can still remember seeing red camellia petals dance across the panels of his favorite shonen manga. a female samurai was confronting her evil brother, and despite all stakes being against her, she defeated him once and for all. it’s for that reason he thinks camellias are so. cool.

needless to say, Koichi associates camellias with being cool. sometimes he wishes he had a flashier stand to recreate the drama he’s read in manga, but he’d never admit it out loud. still, it’s not hard to tell. Koichi is used to being unnoticed. he still doesn’t understand why you’d pick him over guys like Josuke and Jotaro.

you try to show him your appreciation by slipping him small letters in his desk before class. some are notes of encouragement, some are long compositions of why you love him. this one is a drawing of him looking extra cool, with exaggerated bishonen features and a red camellia you clipped from Mrs. Tamura’s garden taped on. “to my favorite hero” is scrawled across the bottom.

Koichi is floored. you did this? for him? he can’t even comprehend that you were paying that much attention to his rambling. yet here he is, minutes before class, staring at a ridiculous picture of himself and his favorite flower taped on. ↳ “pfft, that [Name]... they really know how to get to me, huh?”

like this piece? here are similar works! 🌑 🌒 🌓

[thotsforvillainrights]

Headcanons for Chisaki/Chrono/Setsuno/Mimic and Nemoto ? ♥ Like his S/O is from another state, let's say Russia and he is about meet his s/o 's family. When, he comes there, he realizes that his s/o's parents are well-known assassins for the yakuza and other mafias. And he tries to stay calm, but when they are having the family dinner, he says " well, tell me about your assasianations. ". And so, they explained situation, about them. But, even the S/O didn't know.

(Public Service Announcement: Not only am I baby, but I’m also a dumb bish! This ask was clearly explained to me but I still don’t fully get it. Out of fear of messing it up, I shifted it around. My apologies!)

~Russian Assassin S/O family~

headcanon|scenario|imagine|match-up

~Overhaul~

-Honestly he couldn’t even tell you were from Russia to begin with. He couldn’t base it off your (s/c) skin alone because sometimes there more to it than that. He can’t deny it once your parents call one day and you begin speaking full Russian, flawlessly. He begins to think ‘What the Hell?! Am I dreaming???’ until you explain to him that they’ve requested to meet him. For a little bit, he doesn’t want to go because it’s a new place and that meant new germs to possibly take on. However, he knew this day would come eventually so he went ahead and agreed to making the trip with you.

-You two made it safely, and that wasn’t the issue. The issue came when you entered the home and Kai saw your parents. He was luckily wearing a mask to hide the way his mouth popped open. However, he can’t really hide the surprise in his eyes. Your parents kept the same happy demeanor despite recognizing his face and association to the Hassaikai through files. “Please come! We’re having a lovely dinner complete with Borscht!” Your mom ushered for you two to follow her into the kitchen. Your dad closed the front door and trailed behind you two, keeping a close eye on Chisaki’s back.

-Halfway through dinner, Kai decided to make a bold move to show he had the upper hand on them. “I felt as though I recognized you two. I’m sure you know who I am and what I’m affiliated with.” You tilted your head in confusion as Kai spoke. Your parents happy demeanor never left there face. Suddenly your mom nodded and replied with a smile. “Of course we do...Kai Chisaki. Young ward of the Shie Hassaikai in Japan.” Your jaw dropped and you shot a look of worry to Kai. He simply lifted his gloved hand and gently rubbed your head. “Perhaps you won’t mind some dinner story time. Tell me about your assassinations.” 

~Chronostasis~

-Hari always felt like you were from somewhere else. It wasn’t the broken Japanese (unless you’re fluent..then just ignore that part), but it was your mannerisms that made you seem so foreign to him. He finally nailed it when he looked through some of your old photos. “Russia eh? Pretty damn cool if you ask me. Hey, what about you take me to meet your family? Please???” He convinced you to go...plus you missed home so of course you agreed!

-From the moment you made it to Russia, Kurono has been staring very intently on your parents as if there was a threat present. Meanwhile your mom showed you old baby stuff she had collected from your past, and your father chopped wood in the backyard until dinner was done. Kurono kept his serious and speculative demeanor as you traveled to the kitchen together and took you seats at the dinner table. 

- It hadn’t even been a full 5 minutes at the dinner table when he suddenly spoke up. “With all due respect, let’s cut the shit here. I know you guys and I know what you do. Let’s hear about that instead of the boring crap.” While your parents started spouting off mission experiences, you were the only one that felt left in the dark. You had no idea!!!

~Setsuno~

-Toya was nervous from the moment he woke, to the moment he got out of the shower and got dressed, to the moment you boarded your flight. “Toya baby, please calm down.” You gently placed your hand on his shaking arm. “Calm down? What makes you think I’m not calm heh heh.” He tried to nervously laugh it off. “Oh I don’t know. Maybe the way you’re shaking right now, or maybe the way you downed 7 packs of peanuts since we’ve been on the flight.”

-Toya could feel his blood run cold for a second when he saw your parent’s. Part of this was because he was nervous about meeting them for the first time, and the other part was because they were well known professional assassins throughout the crime world. Why would you have kept this from him?! He looked at you expectantly and realization set in when he noticed the way you carelessly played cards with your dad. You must not have known this??? “Dinner's ready!” Your mother called out from the kitchen.

-”Uhm...Are you guys...I mean, you guys are definitely assassins. I apologize, but I would like to tell y/n about this too since they seemed to not know it.” Setsuno spoke up. You dropped your fork and did a double take. “I’m sorry...WHAT?!?!” You freaked out while your parents laughed carelessly. “I guess if we told you the Easter bunny wasn’t real, it was about time to tell you thr truth about us too!” You mom spoke cheerfully. 

~Mimic~

-”Irinaka what are you wearing?” You tried to hold back a laugh from him. Mimic was currently in his full form wearing a tacky orange and green suit while nervously combing his hair in the hotel mirror. “Irinaka, just be comfortable. That’s the 5th suit I saw you pull out and try on. My parents aren’t going to care how you look. They care about what type of person you are.” You reassured him. “Yeah babe, I know. I just tryin to make a good impression on em.” Irinaka shifted himself to look at you over his shoulder. He noticed you were wearing a plain T-Shirt from your favorite show/movie, a pair of comfy pants, and you favorite old shoes. You were simple and comfy, so maybe he could be too?

-Mimic tapped his feet nervously while you chatted with your parent about Japan life. They were assassins...they were famous assassins. They could probably kill him 40 different ways with one blade of grass. They were either against the yakuza or with them depending on whatever side payed the most for their services...and now he was literally face to face with them. Normally he was braver but there was something terribly chilling the way they pretended as if nothing was wrong.

-Mimic seemed to become more like his normal annoyed self while your dad prattled on at the table about the winter this year. Your mom smiled and worked on a crossword puzzle, dipping her spoon into her bowl to eat every once in the while. You joked along with them until Mimic slammed his fork onto the table and glared in annoyance. “Cut it out with all the small talk and let’s hear about those assassinations instead.” You stared at him in confusion. Had he gone crazy? “Oh alright! I suppose it was getting a little boring here.” Your mom giggled. You then looked at her in confusion instead. Had SHE gone crazy!?!? Seems like you learned a new thing today.

~Shin Nemouto~

-Nemouto knew you were from Russia from the start. You two had really no secrets between each other. It was a comforting thing too! Therefore, he had plenty of time to prepare himself before the day came that you asked him to come meet your parents. Shin jumped on the offer and you two were off to Russia in a heartbeat (or as fast as the plane could carry).

-After being in the house with your parents for a while, your parents went into the kitchen to set the table and finish dinner preparations. Meanwhile, Nemouto excused himself to speak privately with you. He asked you multiple weird questions but you managed to answer them to best of your knowledge. Shin knew you were telling the truth but one last time he chose to use his quirk for a single question. “Y/N, have you been hiding your parents work from me?” He asked. Without hesitation you answered him. “No, I wouldn’t hide anything. My mom designs blankets and quilts downtown, and my father works at a local mine.” Perhaps, you didn’t know? “Time for dinner you two!” Your father called out. Nemouto kept his guard up as he entered the kitchen with you.

-Nemouto hadn’t hesitated to straight up use his quirk (as he usually did when he wasn’t sure about something). He really didn’t have to! Turns out your parents are open books when it comes to this stuff involving you and him now. Besides, they had dirt on him being a part of a criminal organization, and could get rid of him any time they pleased. Aside from that, they spent at least 30 minutes apologizing to you about never telling you this stuff. 

»—————————–———————————————————–✄

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