#bunny's fav!

[sassyglassesbunny]

tsumiki asks the question on a rare, relaxed saturday afternoon. with both the kid’s baseball games canceled due to some heavy morning rain, the four of you were taking the time to do some much needed relaxation. 

“how did you guys end up together?” 

satoru lifts his head from your lap, where you’d been plucking his brows. “isn’t it obvious? it was due to my roguishly handsome good looks and sharp comedic wit.” 

megumi scoffs from his spot on the armchair. “i doubt that.”

you press your cheek against your boyfriend’s shoulder, laughing. “that’s cute, babe, but do you want to tell them how it really happened? or should i?”

“i’ll tell them,” he volunteers. “because i have been in love with you a lot longer than you might think.”

_____

satoru meets you when he’s seventeen years old. (it’s a stupid age. ‘cause when you’re seventeen, you’re all hormones and ego and think the world revolves around you.) 

so he doesn’t pay you much mind when yaga first introduces you to his little class, because honestly? he’d taken one look at you, fresh out of the countryside with your perfectly pressed uniform, not a hair out of place or a battle scar on your body and was extremely underwhelmed. so he’d brushed you off like lint on his sleeve, because he doubted you’d even survive the year. no point in getting to try and know you. 

that same afternoon, you’d unleashed hell on him with your shikigami and almost broken his nose. 

“i’m sorry,” you’d muttered when you’d forcibly accompanied him to the infirmary. 

“you don’t sound sorry,” he’d huffed. his nose (and his ego) were definitely bruised. 

you rolled your eyes and muttered something that was probably really mean under your breath. he’s about to tell you off when he feels blood start to drip again, cursing and pinching the bridge of his nose as he tilts his head back.

“you’re supposed to tilt your head forward,” you sigh, handing him another folded up piece of paper towel. 

he doesn’t take it, glaring down at you. “why would i do that?”

shoko and geto walk behind you both, highly amused by your bickering. “they’d be good together, don’t you think?”

“if they don’t kill each other first.” the latter chuckles, shoving his hands in his pockets as he eyes you both. 

“if you tilt your head forward, then the blood drips out and not in–”

“why? that’s where the blood is supposed to be.”

“no, it’s not, and if you’d just let me finish what i was saying instead of interrupting me–”

it’s not the last time he interrupts you. it’s not the last time the two of you bicker or the last time he walks with you through the courtyard. days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months, and even though you’d almost broken his nose that first day, he quickly realizes that he couldn’t imagine you anywhere but with him. 

_____

it’s late when he sneaks out of your room, sunset streaming through the courtyard as he peeks around the corner, on the lookout for any faculty before he dashes back to the boy’s dorm…

…only to run into geto, who’s standing outside. he feels bad for a second, because they haven’t really talked since…well, everything.

but he just flicks his cigarette, grinning in that all too knowing way of his. “what were you doing in the girl’s wing, creeper?”

“nothing,” he lies, but his cheeks are warm, there are butterflies in his stomach, and he can’t seem to stop smiling.

his best friend looks at him. really looks at him. “oh, man. you’re so obvious.”

“i’m not obvious, you’re obvious,” he retorts.

geto takes another drag before holding it out to him. gojo shakes his head. “you’re one of the smartest, yet dumbest people i know. so i’m going to help you now, because i think without guidance, you are capable of making extremely rash romantic decisions.”

“that’s not true–”

“it’s very true. like that fact that you’re in love with…” geto nods his head towards the girl’s dorm, grinning. 

he tucks his chin under the collar of his jacket when he feels heat crawl up his neck, looking away. “that’s ridiculous. i’m not…it’s not like that. we’re just…hanging out.”

“really?” his friend checks. “because the way that you look at her, i mean…wow. we’ve all seen it. you look at her like you hear tiny forest animals singing whenever she walks into a room.” 

satoru bristles slightly, because he’s not entirely off the mark. 

(but seventeen is a stupid age, and at the time he knew he cared for you deeply, but he didn’t know he loved you yet.)

geto knows though, and just shrugs. “i know you’ll see it someday too.”

_____

“do these shoes go with my outfit?” you ask, looking over your shoulder.

gojo shrugs, hardly even glancing up from his phone. “sure.” 

“you didn’t even look!” 

he exhales a harsh breath, tossing his phone onto your bed as he looks up at you. “why are you trying so hard for some guy you don’t even like? i mean– have you even met him?”

“no,” you sigh, smoothing your hands over your dress. “but me meeting him is really important to my father.” 

he leans back against your headboard, folding his hands behind his head. “why?”

“because a proposal from the kamo clan is a really big deal.” you startle when he sits up so fast that his glasses fall from their perch atop his head. “oh my– what’s wrong?!”

“everything about that sentence. a proposal? as in to be wed?”

“yes, gojo,” you confirm, turning back to adjust your earrings in the mirror. “i was born outside of the zen’in clan, but i have their inherited technique. my dad…all these years he’s worked hard to keep me off their radar so i wouldn’t be stuck there. so i wouldn’t be unhappy like he was. if i accept this proposal and join the kamo clan…all his hard work wouldn’t be for nothing.” 

“the kamo clan,” he repeats, shaking his head. he’s not sure why he’s so annoyed. it’s hard to pinpoint the exact reason. “they’re based in kyoto. you’d– you’d have to leave.”

he doesn’t say anything for a long moment, but all the unsaid things that he’s been too scared to admit to himself (and especially to you) must be written all over his face, because you hesitate before you step out the door, looking back at him hopefully. 

“have fun,” is all he says instead, pretending not to notice when your expression falls. “i’ll probably be out when you get back, but just text so i know you’re alright and haven’t already been whisked off to kyoto.”

_____

“but you never joined the kamo clan,” tsumiki notes, sending you a questioning look. “why did your dad to change his mind?”

“i…actually still don’t know,” you admit, smiling softly. “he’s never told me.” 

“well, whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter now. ‘cause you’re right where you’re supposed to be,” satoru grins. he presses a soft kiss to your lips, but pulls back with a laugh when the kids groan loudly. “on that note, i’m going to start cleaning up.” 

megumi, who’d been silent the entire story, gets up to help, trailing after him into the kitchen.

“it was you,” he says once you and tsumiki are out of earshot.

satoru sets the stack of plates on the counter, glancing over his shoulder at him. “hm?”

“you made some kind of deal with her family, didn’t you? like you did for me.” 

he doesn’t answer right away, moving leftover vegetables into a container. “i don’t know what you’re talking about.”

besides, that was then and this was now. he’s older and wiser and he knows that he’s loved you since he was seventeen years old.

_____

your father seems taken aback, and not just because satoru gojo was standing in his study, but because of what he was proposing. “excuse me?”

blue eyes land on a photo of you on your father’s desk. you’re cherished here. loved. letting you go must be hard, even if it’s for your own good. “you want to keep her away from the zen’in’s right? if she joins the gojo clan, we’ll make the idea of even coming near her radioactive.” 

“but the only way to do that is–”

“marriage. to me, specifically,” he finishes with an easy shrug, as if he’s merely speaking about the weather. “quick, easy, simple. now you can reject the kamo clan’s proposal.”

your father is a smart man, that much is obvious. he’s kept you out of the zen’in’s grasp for years, even after news of your inherited technique had spread. there’s no way he’d turn down a deal as good as this.

“i have nothing to offer you,” he says now, expression pinched. “no dowry, or things of the like.”

“i don’t need your money,” he dismisses with a wave of his hand. “in fact, i only have three conditions.”

gojo’s three conditions

[daftpatience]

Lapin the thuuurddd boom boom lapin the thiiiirrrdddd

[happymiffy]

[anzuhan]

[sassyglassesbunny]

WHST WOULD I GIVE

chigiri who genuinely thinks the best method to apply chapsticks is by applying some on you before taking some of it through kissing. even in public because 'bf privilege' he says.

isagi who changes his phone case into a clear one just to put your photo with him in it. sometimes look at it with a lovesick smile then get embarrassed when someone points it out.

nagi who tries his best to take care of you when you are sick. yes, with the power of 'group call' and 'asking maid king and reo', but he turns out to be a good sick people caretaker too.

sae who gets jealous at the pettiest thing, if that's even the appropriate word. what do you mean your shoes are matching with that stranger you never know instead of him???

rin who actually calls for your first name for the first time by shouting it out of panic. he doesn't mean for it to come out, it is supposed to be "moron!" and such, but it certainly just slips out from his mouth.

kaiser who never says it but loves it when you bite the cap of eyeliner while trying to do his eyeliner while straddling his lap. never been so glad he makes sure you will do his every morning.

[bughugz]

thinking about corruption today but bunny x puppy like yea big scary dog turns the innocent little bunny into a perverted little slut who only wants to bounce on their puppies cock all day and breed like a dumb little rabbit so cute classic i love this so so much

BUT

imagine a shy little bunny who appears really innocent but is actually a pervert whose been slowly corrupting the innocent dumb puppy till the only thing they can think about is their pretty bunny cunt whining and begging for the chance to use them needing so badly to mount them and rut into them whining and drooling like a pathetic mutt desperate to fill them with load after load of their cum and hear their bunny scream and beg for their knot

[nerdy-novelist017]

I just want to say I love Benny and Bunny, I love for these stories. They’re so good. I’m over here like what would he do if she was sick or how would he be visiting her at work bringing her lunch. Keep up the amazing work!!

Thank you for the support, lovie! I saw your other request and i loved that one too, so I'll be getting to that one soon (fingers crossed) This one goes out to all the overworked and tired girlies! 😘

Benny x Bunny Masterlist

Word Count- 1.5k+

You noted the bright orange and purple of the sunset streaking across the sky outside your kitchen window as you stood by the sink. You stifled a sigh as you realized you weren’t feeling up to your typical sunset stroll. You were otherwise tangled in a flurry of activity – you were behind on starting dinner because you had fallen asleep earlier when you got home from work and ever since you woke up, you felt a heaviness in your limbs and because of that, you still needed to tidy up and start a load of laundry. An unsettling chill broke out against your skin like a shroud, whispering secrets of a blatant illness you refused to acknowledge. 

Your steps grew increasingly sluggish, each step harder than the last as you tried to power through to finish pulling together dinner. You weren’t sick, you told yourself over and over again. It was just a bug going around at your work – nothing more than the sniffles. You could get through this, no problem. It didn’t matter that the world around you started to blur at the edges, colors blending into a dull haze. No, you were fine.

You tried to brush off the creeping discomfort as nothing more than just a nuisance, an inconvenience at most. The discomfort was nothing compared to the evening of tasks you had before you. You forced a smile and pushed through, even though the dull ache in your head intensified into a persistent throb.

Benny, who had arrived earlier than usual, leaned against the doorframe, watching with a concerned frown. You looked tired, your movements slow but deliberate, each step marked by a trace of hesitance. The sight tugged at him, a thread of concern weaving into his thoughts. 

“Hey, Bunny,” he called out, his voice softer than usual. He could see it in your posture, the way you leaned against the counter, the slight tremble of your fingers. You were trying too hard to keep up appearances, to brush off whatever was weighing on you. The facade was barely holding, and he could see it. “You okay?”

You turned and flashed him one of your beautiful smiles, but Benny couldn’t miss how it didn’t quite reach your eyes. “Oh, I’m fine. Just a little tired.”

Benny wasn’t convinced. He took a few steps closer, his pace slow so as not to upset you further. The kitchen, usually a place filled with warmth and laughter, now felt heavy with an undercurrent of distress. 

“You don’t look fine,” he said, his voice carrying a gentle edge. “You look like you’re about to fall over. Maybe you should sit down for a minute.”

You shook your head, face falling into a slightly annoyed expression. “No, I’ve got to finish dinner. I’ve got it, really.”

But he could see the strain etched into your features, the way you clutched the counter to stop from swaying. His heart clenched with a bitter mix of concern and frustration. He recalled all the previous times he had seen you push yourself to the limits, and he clenched his jaw. And of course, here you were, struggling against the exhaustion that gripped you tightly.

Then suddenly, in a fleeting moment as you moved to grab something off the other countertop, you swayed roughly, the color draining from your face and it jolted him into action. The world seemed to collapse around him as he reached out to firmly grip you by your arms, steadying you. 

“Woah, woah,” he breathed out, his eyes frantically searching yours as he pulled you closer. “That’s it. You need to lay down.”

Concern roiled within him because you didn’t even protest as he scooped you up into his arms and carried you to the bedroom. He handled you as one would a glass object – gentle and carefully–attentive of your fragility as he lowered you into the bed. 

“I’m fine,” you said, your voice held a certain weakness to it that caused Benny’s heart to squeeze almost painfully in his chest. 

“You’re sick, Bunny,” he pointed out, his tone holding a firmness that he knew you would respond the best to. This wasn’t a time for you to be argumentative (as you so often were). This was serious. “You need to rest. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately.”

“But what about dinner? I wasn’t finished–”

“I’ll finish it,” he cut off your desperate negotiation attempt. 

Despite the obvious discomfort, you shot him an incredulous look. “But you always burn everything. I’ve been working on that meal since I got home.”

You were right, but he couldn’t admit it. “That was one time, and it was the oven that got too hot.”

“Sure it was,” you playfully rolled your eyes at his poor excuse and you started to sit up, moving to get out of bed. 

“Woah, woah,” he interrupted, his brow raising. “Where do you think you’re goin’?”

“I have to start a load of laundry,” you explained as if it were obvious.

“No, that can wait until tomorrow,” he argued, a gentle but firm tone in his voice. “Or better yet, I’ll do it. You need to rest, Bunny.”

“It’s probably just a cold. I can still go do that. Plus I need to–”

“I know you’re tough, but you don’t have to power through this,” he shut down your protests with a shake of his head as he approached the bedside, pulling the blankets up to cover your lying form better as he went. “Nothing’s amiss down there. Don’t worry about anything. Let me take care of you, okay?”

“I don’t want to worry you,” you professed quietly, a hint of guilt shadowing your expression.

He lifted his left hand, wiggling his ring finger, the gold band glinting in the soft lamplight. He thought the gesture would make you smile, but instead, your frown deepened and you looked away, finding more interest in the fraying thread of the blanket over you. 

“You’re always there for me, always taking care of me,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper. “I just don’t want to be a burden.” 

“A burden?” Bewildered, he repeated the word, his voice firm, almost a little harsh, but softened as he continued, “Bunny, you could never be a burden to me. You’re everything to me. If you’re not okay, then nothing’s okay. Don’t you get that?”

Your gaze found his again, a glimmer of unshed tears in your eyes. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to take care of me.”

Benny shook his head, his frustration melting to something softer, something gentler. It was impossible to harbor any negative feelings when you were like this, vulnerable and delicate, curled up beneath the blankets. He lowered himself to sit on the side of the bed, his hand enveloping yours tightly. “I don’t feel like I have to, (Y/N). I want to. You’re my girl, and when you’re hurting, I want to be the one to make it better, even if the only thing I can do is to be by your side. In sickness and in health, kid. Those vows are important to me.”

“Oh, Benny,” you breathed out, your bottom lip pouting in the way that Benny came to find indicative of when you were experiencing emotions that you couldn’t bottle up. 

He couldn’t stand it anymore – the distance between you, the space where the air felt too thick with worry. Wordlessly, he laid down in front of you, pulling you into his chest protectively and you responded immediately, burying your face into his shirt. You fit perfectly against him, like you always did, but tonight there was a fragility that made him hold you just a little closer, a little tighter. 

You let out a soft sigh, your body relaxing into his warmth, but Benny could still feel the underlying tension in you, the worry that somehow you were being too much for him. Benny hated that you felt that way, hated that you couldn’t see that your well-being was his top priority. 

“Bunny,” he whispered, his lips brushing against your soft hair, “you don’t ever have to hide how you’re feeling from me. I want to know. I want to help.”

You nodded against his chest. “I know, sometimes I just . . .” 

You trailed off, but he knew. He knew what you were going to say. He brought a hand up to cup the back of your head, his fingers tangling into your hair. “I’m here. I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

You nodded again, your arms slipping around his waist, holding onto him like a lifeline. And maybe, in a way, he was. But you were his lifeline too. That without you, the ground beneath him would crumble. 

He held you tighter, his heartbeat a steady rhythm for you to hear. And he hoped you could feel it – the quiet truth that was so much bigger than his words could say. That you were never, and could never, be a burden. Not to him. Not ever. 

Tag List

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[mimogutz]

Somebunny loves you...

[orengejoshi]

some simple bunny Flug pinups

[bunnygirllover45]

Playdate.

[fievell]

wrapping Amanda for the silk study 💜

[sassyglassesbunny]

PULLING THEM CLOSER BY THEIR COLLARS. feat ⨾ blue lock!

𓈒࣪ 𐐪𐑂 ─ contents ⨾ fem! reader, i was trying to write fluff yes, but it ended up a lil more suggestive than intended... :') not proofread !!

𓈒࣪ 𐐪𐑂 ─ characters ⨾ rin, sae, nagi, reo, isagi, chigiri!

ITOSHI RIN. . .

is all too familiar with that self-assured smirk playing at your lips— and his alarms are going off. before he can say anything though, as he watches make your way to him, you do something he could've never seen coming.

your hands rest on his collar, and before he can grasp what it is that you're trying to do— you pull him closer, making him stumble forward purely out of surprise, his much larger hand instinctively falling to the wall behind you, “w-what are you trying to do?” he hates that he stutters.

“trying to get a better look,” and he hates that you're smirking.

“... at what?” he swallows the lump in his throat, hoping it comes off as casual as he intended it to be.

“you've got an eyelash right here,” you smile, brushing his cheek lightly and reeling back. this is wrong— there was something you were supposed to do, something he wanted you to do— though he'd rather die than admit it.

“oh,” he says, a little dejected, “you could've just said that.”

“but then i wouldn't be able to do this,” you catch him by surprise the second time in two minutes when your lips meet his, quick but indulging and when you pull back, he chases after your lips.

and he hates that you're smiling and he loves it because it makes him want to smile too.

ITOSHI SAE. . .

resists the amused smile tugging at his lips when your arms rest on his shoulders. its 2 am on a wednesday and he has early practice tomorrow morning, so how you managed to convince him for a slow dance in the kitchen is beyond him. for what it's worth, he'll let it be because he doesn't mind this too much, not when your hands travel to the collars of his navy blue shirt.

then he feels a tug, and you pull him closer. it catches him off guard for sure, the spontaneity of your gesture making him stumble forward, hands coming to rest on your waist, “hey, watch it,”

you do nothing but grin, lips meeting his for a kiss as slow as the dance you initiated, he kisses you back without hesitation.

when you pull back, a little breathless with swollen lips, he asks again, “what was that for?”

he huffs when you mutter something like i just wanted to try it, but what he wont tell you is that he might look forward to you doing it again in the future.

NAGI SEISHIRO. . .

blinks at you, you're standing on your tiptoes— hands on his shoulders for support but he's still much too tall for you. he wants to ask you what it is that you want, but he'll take a guess— it must be a kiss. being the good boyfriend he is, he decides to save you the moment of asking him to bend down, initiating it himself as he does.

he takes a moment to appreciate how your eyes light up, and it's all it takes for you to grasp the collar of his hoodie, and pull him down in one swift moment.

your lips brush just barely — a tease — hovering just breaths away, nagi eyes the way they move to form words when you speak, “you're too tall, sei,”

nagi takes matter in his own hands, closing the aching distance between your lips, his next words muffled inbetween, “ ’s okay, you can do this more often.”

MIKAGE REO. . .

smiles at your reflection, eyes and hands alike tracing the fabric of the silken red dress roping the curves and slopes of your frame, “do i look okay?” you ask, and reo wants to laugh at the absurdity of the question.

“you look absolutely stunning.” he says, smiling into the crook of your neck.

you turn around at his words, a pretty smile adorning your lips. if he's being honest, reo expects a kiss— when you lean in just a little closer, he expects a quick but sweet brush of your lips on his.

instead he feels your hands grasping his collar, a surprised gasp leaves his lips when you pull him closer, “wait, what—”

“you look quite handsome yourself,” you whisper, the familiar smile from before still fresh on your lips, and reo feels his heart ricochet like bullets in his ribcage.

it takes him a few moments to come back to earth, resting his head on your shoulders when he does, “okay, but that was kinda hot.”

ISAGI YOICHI. . .

finds himself at a loss for words, somehow they're running in his mind at a million miles per second and yet when he tries to speak, all that comes out is a, “h-hey, wait—”

he thinks he could've guessed it, when you had that mischievous smile on your face. but he still couldn't prepared for when you grab the collar of his shirt and pull him closer, with a force not as harsh but enough that he barely catches himself.

“hi,” you laugh, watching heat settling in his cheeks at the awareness of such close proximity.

your smile, which would've usually calmed him, only makes him vaguely conscious of how your lips are barely a hair's breadth away. he snakes his arm around your waist to support himself anyway, unable to resist mirroring your laugh, “uhm, hi...? god, you caught me off guard.”

CHIGIRI HYOMA. . .

tilts his head in confusion, eyeing the seriousness of your expression, “what's wrong?” he asks.

he prepares himself for anything, maybe to whisper a few words of comfort if you need. he can handle it, he thinks.

and he realises he was utterly wrong when all you do is grasp the collar of his shirt, and before he can ask you what you're doing, he feels you tug and pull him forward.

“mhm, you look pretty even up close.” if the sudden boldness of your action didn't catch him off guard, then your compliment sure did, even though he's heard it countless times before.

but he laughs nonetheless, quickly gaining back his composure, “thanks, i could say the same for you.”

© yuquinzel2023 [ plagiarism is a violation of moral rights ! ]

the favouritism showing on rin and reo's part :')

[eternal--returned]

Bunny Yeager ֍ Bettie Page (c. 1955)

[crunchchute]

an assortment

[junotter]

I think...I think they should've had more outfits (and dated)

[sassyglassesbunny]

─── 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄

+ sae x f!reader | wc 5.3k

notes: i’m in love with this man, and wrote this on a whim :’) hope y’all like it !! feedback & reblogs are greatly appreciated !! <3

summary: you’ve known sae since you were both sixteen. he’s always dreamed of going overseas and facing the world, will he ever be ready to come home?

𝐒𝐈𝐗𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

sae can read almost everyone flawlessly, you included.

he’s not close to you, not at all. physically? yes, because you’re his seat partner. but in all other aspects? no, definitely not.

you’re scared of him, he can tell. whenever he moves, you get self-conscious, immediately pulling your own chair in, giving him way. then you check on him as he moves away, because you’re scared that somehow you’ve managed to offend him.

you never did. because to offend sae, you’d need to be someone who can even bother him in the first place.

sae doesn’t care about what you do though, he just happens to notice you. out of convenience, because he sees you every monday to friday and sits next to you for every class.

it’s the same routine thing every week—you sit next to each other, barely say a word all day and then before he knows it, it’s the end of school day.

it doesn’t even matter. you don’t matter.

nobody really does.

he peeks at you out of the corner of his eyes, your eyes peering down at your paper with the utmost concentration. he quickly looks away though, because the last thing he wants is to get caught and be labeled as a cheater on a history quiz. especially when he’s not cheating.

yeah, you really don’t matter.

𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

soccer, soccer, soccer.

that’s all sae can think of nowadays. just do whatever he can to improve his skills, everything else is up for debate.

you’re still his seatmate, still ever so distant. he gives you credit though, for greeting him every morning now even though you look terrified and nervous all the time.

“good morning.”

today is no exception. sae’s eyes flick up to you and then back down to his desk, and that’s all of the acknowledgement you get, as usual. it’s nothing personal, he just doesn’t want to get into small talk at all.

but he’ll give you points for trying, even if he doesn’t exactly know what’s going through your head right now. somehow, he can’t read you as well anymore.

that’s how you usually are now, the newer version of you. a little more upbeat, a little friendlier, less awkward but still as shy as he first pegged you to be.

well, now you’re just slightly more amusing. somehow, sae starts to find himself wondering how you’d react to different situations.

it’s almost the middle of the school year and you’d kept up with your usual greetings everyday. sae keeps up with his usual stoic demeanour on his part.

until today.

“good morning!” you’re extra chirpy today, he notices.

sae blinks at you once, twice, and you’re still smiling at him, and he’d like to know whether you’re still that same nervous mess inside, so he opens his mouth this time.

“morning, y/n.”

simple, easy, basic courtesy.

but somehow you’re looking at him as though he’s a fucking freak.

to be fair, that’s exactly what he expected. but it’s now been a whole minute and you’re still staring dumbly at him.

“what?”

you shake your head, laughing sheepishly as you take your seat beside him, “nothing, it’s just… you never bothered talking to me before.”

sae shrugs, because it’s not like he bothers now, per se. he’s just—what’s the word—bored? “i can shut up too if you prefer that.”

“no!”

you look so embarrassed by your quick outburst that sae almost snickers. that’s the most reaction you’ve nearly managed to get out of him yet.

“i mean,” you stutter, looking for the right words to say, and maybe sae is getting a little bit of an ego boost right now because he can tell you’re flustered. “you’re pretty terrifying most of the time so…”

he knows what you mean, but he acts like he doesn’t. “oh, so you like terrifying? okay, i can do that.”

the way your face instantly switches to a straight expression is fucking amusing, and for a split second his guard falls and you get to hear him snicker.

luckily, the bell rings right after and mr hayato is never late. sae never got to hear what you thought of that.

every single day after that passes by a little bit easier, your non-friendship inching a little closer together, sae might even consider you an acquaintance now.

he converses with you a lot more fluidly (as much as he allows himself to—he doesn’t like you being too comfortable, likes to keep you on your toes), and he finds himself teaching you things he notices you’re absolutely horrible at.

like logarithms, because no matter how much you try to wrap your head around it, you refuse to ask anyone for help. you’re a little stubborn, but sae can live with that, just has to speak to you in a way that doesn’t seem like you look like you need help.

“no, you’re forgetting that the log of e is always one, there, see?” sae sighs as he explains, because you’re quite muddle-headed. “it’ll be much easier once you get all the definitions in your head.”

“were you born a genius or something?” you ask innocently upon catching his test scores. a 94 out of 100, compared to your 63.

that day, neither of you notice the fact that other people are beginning to notice your growing friendship.

sae starts tutoring you whenever he can, because apparently you’re hopeless without his help. (he says this to your face. he’s always straight with you.) and then he finds himself noticing you in ways he never did before.

how you look absolutely angelic when the sun hits your face. he notices the way you puff out your cheeks when you’re thinking hard. even the perfume that wafts through the air. you smell good.

this is ridiculous.

“hun, do you want any—”

fuck. sae’s head whips around to see an older woman at your door, almost a carbon copy of you, eyes wide as her gaze falls onto him.

no, he’s not particularly nervous or feels like he should be, but something tells you if your mother is anything like you, she’d misunderstand. this is just a lot more trouble than it’s worth. you’re a lot more trouble than it’s worth. what’s he even getting out of tutoring you?

“oh hi there! and who might you be?”

he can see stars in her eyes, all hopeful and excited as she shifts her gaze between you and sae and back to you again.

“mom! he’s no one—” ouch, he’s tutoring you and you introduce him as no one? “a friend and he’s tutoring me for some math stuff so could you…?”

it’s like the gears are turning in your mother’s head when she eyes sae knowingly. god, he has to do some damage control. don’t want either of you expecting anything much out of him.

“i’m itoshi sae,” he introduces himself, shaking her hand. “i just make time to tutor some of my classmates to earn extra credit.”

not even close to true, but neither of you need to know that. he’d much rather spend his free time getting in some training or going to the gym but he decided maybe he could spend a few hours out of today to help your dumbass with numbers.

he’s an expert at sidestepping small talk and in no time at all, your mother’s out of the room. you still seem embarrassed, he can feel the heat emanating from your cheeks.

“concentrate,” sae sighs, and he wonders why he’s even doing this for you. he’d rather go home right now, he thinks, maybe kick the ball around with rin, or just lie down in bed because waking up at 4am to train every morning is taking its toll.

you mumble a hushed apology and rub the sleepiness from your eyes. the both of you had been at this for a couple of hours now, maybe looking at numbers too much is making you tired too.

sae acknowledges you’re a fast learner though, if you have a proper teacher. he’s not surprised that ms kina’s teachings are lost on you—she’s not that good at explaining concepts. sae is, though. he usually doesn’t bother sharing but hey, maybe now is just a glitch in the matrix, maybe now he’s just trying to do good samaritan things and help you out so you don’t fail the damn midterm test.

“okay then, see you,” he says, picking up his bag and slinging it around his shoulders, only to have you grab his wrist. “what?”

you look a little bashful once you realise what you did, and then you let go of him immediately. you look like you really want to say something, but you don’t, you just shake your head.

don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t do it.

sae’s putting his bag back down before he knows it, and he groans internally. “say it.”

“if-if you don’t mind, maybe we could schedule a tutoring session every week?” you’re so, so timid and so, so soft.

he blinks once, twice, realising what you actually mean to say. you don’t want the tutoring session, apart from logarithms you’re fine with pure numbers, but you want time. with him.

it boosts his ego a little, if he’s being honest.

“i’m too busy with my soccer trainings,” he tells you, nonchalant until he sees how quick your expression falls and then he has to hate himself for continuing, “i have some time on friday evenings though.”

like a puppy, you’re instantly chirpy again, saying how maybe he could tutor you after he’s done with whatever stuff, and how you’d get a head start and grab some seats at a cafe or something.

you’re both seventeen when your weekly tutoring sessions start. it’s beyond himself why he agreed. all he knows is that he doesn’t particularly like being the reason your expression goes sad.

first week in, you’re still too nervous, too jumpy.

the second week, you’re a little too full of nonsense, daring to laugh at him, or with him, depending.

by the fifth week, your bare arm is already brushing his and you’re not even flinching.

you’re both seventeen when sae realises that maybe he cares for you. in the way lovers do. in the way he gets you to walk on the safer side of the sidewalk. in the way he sends you home every friday. in the way he actually responds to your goodnight texts and wakes up waiting for your good morning.

in the way he listens when you tell him that your mother is actually sick, that you want to take care of her. that your dream is simple—to find your passion one day, and to be able to earn enough to let your mother live peacefully, to help her fight whatever she has to because you don’t want her to be alone.

in the way, for the first time in his life, he reaches out to you, putting his hand on top of yours as he lets you cry on his shoulder.

your birthday falls on a friday this year, and he tells you not to bring your books that day in class. you look at him with pure shock, but then quickly adjust yourself and bring up a grateful smile.

“yes, sir.”

that night he meets you up on the rooftop of your complex, in the middle of the carpark, and you’ve never looked any happier than you did when you saw him holding that petite round galaxy cake in his hands, the sparkler candles so pretty in the night.

“happy birthday.”

𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

the next school year starts and sae enters into it still close to you as ever. you haven’t met in just over a month, what with sae’s intense training camps and your family holiday. but the both of you still talk to each other daily, and he finds himself waiting for your response every night.

it’s like the both of you are in a relationship, but neither of you are saying anything about it. whatever this relationship-non-relationship is, sae thinks he likes it.

but it’s barely three months into the school year and sae has to break your heart.

“it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, i’m sure you understand right?” his coach rambles on, disgusting with how he’s talking with his mouth full and chips keep falling out of it.

sae nods, because he does. he’s almost sure he’ll go for it. it’s not everyday kids from japan get offered a spot to play for a european club.

“great! so let’s get your parents involved and get you to spain.”

“yeah, sure.”

it’s frustrating how he’s not more excited. it’s there, but it’s faint, because it’s lingering on the traces of his feelings for you. he’s never really thought this far, and maybe that was his fault. he’ll keep that in mind; he can’t risk this situation again. he can’t risk getting your hopes up and being the reason that they’ll never recover.

minimise damage, yeah, that’s what he has to do.

you go from talking endlessly in class to being quiet because sae is trying to concentrate. you go from meeting every friday outside of school to every other friday, to once every month, to none at all. you go from texting a good morning and a goodnight every day to barely getting responses from sae, barely ever even get your messages read.

then one day sae just doesn’t show up to school at all. and you finally hear that he’s been scouted for a club in spain, that he’s going to be away for god knows how long. and then you realise that maybe that’s why he’s been distant lately, because you refuse to believe that the sae who took so much time out of his busy schedule for you, the sae who made the effort to buy you a birthday cake and spend all night on the carpark just listening to you talk on and on about insignificant things because you were nervous, the sae who you fell in love with—you refuse to believe it wasn’t real.

that’s why you hold your hopes up and ride your bicycle to his house, which you’ve been to once before, just outside though, because you’d asked him where he lived and he finally obliged. it’s still beautiful as ever, neat garden lined with flowers and a soccer field in the back.

when you knock on the gate, you see a familiar face come out; it’s itoshi rin, his younger brother. you only know that because sae’s spoken about him a few times, and you saw a picture of the both of them together on his phone.

“oh, um, hi, who are you?” rin asks, cautiously, because evidently, he’s never seen you.

“uh, i’m one of sae’s… classmates,” you decide, and it stings that you realise you can’t even say that anymore. how did it all spiral from cloud nine? “is he home?”

rin blinks a few times. his lower lashes are slightly longer than sae’s, he’s carrying a soccer ball, and you just know he’s been training all day because he’s sweating from head to toe. sae has said rin wanted to be a striker just like him.

“oh, didn’t you hear? my big bro got scouted, he left for spain last night.”

it shouldn’t be this upsetting—he isn’t even your boyfriend. no matter how much you wanted him to be. he was just… someone you studied with, spent time with, made efforts for.

but something forms in the pit of your stomach when you hear that sae’s already gone, that he’s already halfway to spain without even saying goodbye, without giving you any warning.

you’d thought whatever friendship you had with him was worth more than a silent goodbye, than a one-sided decision.

“o-oh, okay, thanks!”

you bolt off before rin can say anything else, it’s better that no one can see you crying anyway.

that night once you’ve sort of calmed down, you open up sae’s message thread, which as of late is mostly a string of messages from you and sae only replying with oh or i see or i’m busy.

the last time he even bothered replying to you was last week when you asked if he wanted to watch a movie together and he said a simple no.

“you’re an ass, itoshi sae,” you cry to yourself as you bring up the keyboard on your phone, your tears falling onto the screen.

i hate you, itoshi sae.

𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

soccer is the same; thrilling, tiring, demanding.

it’s been a year since he left japan and he’s still surviving, still thriving, still being revered as a genius midfielder. sae knows he has what it takes to bring victory to a good enough team, that’s what he came here for anyway—to be the best in the world.

“good job out there, sae,” the captain claps him on the back, but sae’s mind isn’t there.

it’s been a year since he left japan and he still pulls up the last message you ever sent him.

i hate you, itoshi sae.

perhaps it’s good that you do. there’s no place for your dreams in spain, or anywhere else in the world except for japan. you need to move on from him. maybe you already did, from what he hears from his classmates who still check in on him from time to time.

the first time sae hears about how some other guy asked you out, he can’t say he doesn’t care. but he’s relinquished his right to be jealous, so he barely responds to the news.

but maybe he’s beginning to see where he fucked up, because he shouldn’t have gotten close to you in the first place, should’ve just left you alone.

instead now he’s left with this sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. is this how it feels like to really miss someone?

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘

you’re now in college and you’re past whatever happened in high school. itoshi sae still lingers in the crevices of your mind, with his teal eyes and his pretty lashes and the way his hand felt when they were on top of yours.

some part of you thinks you’d never get over him, but you have to make peace with that. just because he never bothered to give you closure doesn’t mean he should be allowed to ruin your life.

besides, you’re pretty sure he read what you last sent him. there’s really nothing else for you to do if he doesn’t even bother talking to you.

you’d been trying to properly move on anyway, and that’s exactly what you try to do later that night, after accepting ryusei shido’s invitation to dinner.

he’s like the opposite of sae, though. he’s all expressive and goofy and wild because he’s got you trespassing on private property just to borrow their garden and he likes to drive fast, really fast, because he loves the wind in his hair.

if you had met him first, you’d probably be in love with the rush he gives you, the adrenaline pumping through your veins. when he kissed you, if only you didn’t have itoshi sae in your head, then maybe you’d have kissed him back.

when you’re twenty, you find out that maybe you can’t move on without giving itoshi sae a piece of your mind.

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐎𝐍𝐄

sae’s career has been rapidly progressing, he’s part of the starting team and is hailed as one of the world’s up-and-coming top soccer stars.

the earlier game cemented it.

his team won, with the commentators naming him as the most valuable player, assisting in all the goals scored by his team.

when he’s pulled aside for an interview, he can’t help but wonder whether you’d be watching through the television, hanging on his every word. or maybe you’d already moved on with this shido guy he hears about.

fuck that shido guy.

and when an interviewer asks whether there’s anyone special in his life that motivates him, he finds himself wishing he could say your name.

“nothing of that sort.”

interviews pass by quickly, as they always do for him because he’s not much of an interview guy, with his stoic expressions and lacklustre responses. he’s on the way back to the locker room when he hears a familiar voice calling out to him.

“sae!”

he spins around to find his mother and father there, surprising him. they must’ve heard he was playing and booked a flight out. rin’s not here though.

“rin’s busy with some soccer matches of his own back at home,” his father explains, as if he read his mind. “he couldn’t make it, but he’s surely watching the match from home.”

how silly of sae to have wished that it was you calling out to him, for that split second. you’re still in his head, and that’s annoying.

“oh! sweetheart,” his mother coos after she’s done gushing over his game, “we ran into one of your friends earlier! what’s her name—ah wait there she is!”

sae furrows his brows, following his mother’s gaze and finds you there, hugging the walls, sheepishly waving your hand at him. he’s starting to doubt his vision, maybe you’re just his imagination, maybe his mother’s looking at someone else.

“hey, sae,” you greet him, mellow and polite.

he’s still standing there like he’s the one who’s starstruck, like you’re the famous one. are you really here?

“what are you doing here?”

not the best greeting, but that’s the most he can muster when he hasn’t seen or heard from you in over three years.

you smile, and he thinks he might melt, but he doesn’t because he’s just told—lied to—the world that there’s no one special to him.

“what’s wrong with supporting one of my friends?” you say, as though this is a neighbourhood soccer match and you didn’t have to fly halfway across the world for it.

“itoshi! get in here!” by the sound of his voice, it’s the captain talking. sae doesn’t even want to take his eyes off of you, but he has to.

“go,” you tell him, “i’m staying near the airport, if, uh, you wanted to do anything afterwards.”

does he?

sae swallows the lump in his throat and nods. “yeah, okay.”

that night, he figures out which hotel you’re staying at and pays you a visit—it annoys him how fast his heart is beating and how your sudden presence threatens to mess up his life.

he knocks on your door, and you open it, beaming at him when you see him. “i thought we were meeting at the restaurant,” you say as you let him in, closing the door behind him.

“i was just passing by, sent my parents to the airport and thought i would just drop by,” he answers, lying through his teeth. his parents are still somewhere in spain and he just wanted to see you sooner, that’s all.

“well, i’m still getting ready,” you tell him, straightening your dress and looking at yourself in the mirror.

how is it possible you keep getting prettier everyday? your hair’s a little longer now, and you look more mature, you’ve learned to do makeup, and your dress hugs your body in just the right places. he’s cursing himself for staring at you.

“i thought you’d be too busy to come out with me tonight, honestly,” you confess, putting on some lipstick.

sae has to look away, “and i thought you hated me.”

that has you stopping in your tracks; this conversation happened earlier than you expected, but you’d been gunning for this all the same.

“yeah, well you left japan without saying a word to me, like i was just anyone else.”

he understands why you’d think that. that was what he was going for anyway, and it reminds him what he should be doing instead of entertaining you right now. sae should be rejecting you, you and your efforts, should turn away from you like you’re another one of his fangirls.

“why?”

but the shakiness in your voice takes him off guard.

“why what?”

“why didn’t you say anything?”

“i didn’t have to,” sae responds, simply, like he doesn’t owe you a damn thing.

“was i imagining it?” you ask, finally turning around and looking him in his eyes.

no, no you weren’t.

“i don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“then why are you here, sae?” you burst out, and he stills in his position, feet glued to the floor. “you wouldn’t give a second thought to people you don’t care about, so what now?”

“i was just taking an old friend out to dinner, that’s all.”

he’s stubborn, so so stubborn. he’s hoping he’ll hold out.

“i don’t get you,” you mutter softly, to yourself or to him, he doesn’t even fucking know.

sae really shouldn’t, but he thinks about how he might never see you again and tries, “what do you want?”

“what are you talking about?”

“do you know what you want?” sae turns it around on you. “you flew halfway across the world to get here, for what? for me?”

he’s intimidating when he speaks a little louder than usual, and you shrink back just slightly.

“i-i wanted to talk to you,” you try your hardest to form an excuse but it’s not working.

“and what did you want out of that?”

you fall flat, and you feel like giving up. you know the answer, but you don’t want to admit it. you don’t want to tell him that you wanted him to want you too, you don’t want to admit that you’ve been thinking about him nearly all the time and what could’ve been.

“just forget it,” you relent, averting your gaze, but the next moment you feel an unfamiliar sensation on your lips, the taste of his on yours.

sae doesn’t know why he’s doing it, but his body moves on its own; something he got from playing that manages to bleed into his daily life, apparently.

you taste so much better than he expected, and you feel like you belong in his arms, like you’re made for him because there’s absolutely no one else in the whole fucking world who could ever bring itoshi sae to his knees.

he’s been in denial all this time, yes, and he’s tired of it. if you came all the way here, he’s not wasting it. he pulls away from you, absolutely dazed by the wanting look in your eyes.

you’re twenty one years old when you first hear itoshi sae telling you he loves you.

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐖𝐎

“someone’s chirpy,” your mother says from the couch, looking up from her ipad. “i sense… a date with sae.”

you roll your eyes, throwing one of the cushions at her. “mom, shut up,” you groan, still embarrassed whenever she calls you out for it.

sae’s still in spain most of the time, but the both of you make it work. you make a point to video call at least twice a week, and he responds to you like a normal boyfriend does. it’s back to that good morning, goodnight love you shared back in high school. he makes as much time as he can, and you appreciate him for it.

“i’m glad you’re happy, sweetie,” she tells you, and you smile gratefully.

you’re more than relieved now that she’s managed to fight the cancer off. it’s the only reason she pushed you to go see sae last year. you technically wouldn’t have done it without her.

a knock on your door signals that he’s here, and your mom gives you a knowing look before she excuses herself to her room.

when you open the front door, you feel a burst of excitement when you see sae there holding a bouquet of flowers.

“happy birthday, pretty.”

even when he’s busy, even when he’s swamped, he’ll never stop making you feel like you’re on top of the world.

both of you are twenty-two when sae decides that you’re his world.

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

this is the year you find out long distance is actually really really hard.

sometimes sae loses the match, and sometimes he can’t separate friend from foe from you. he gets frustrated, and so you do too. he has less than kind words when he’s venting, and you happen to be on the receiving end.

sometimes you get stressed from your finals projects, and you push him away, and sae leaves you to it. sae doesn’t check up on you as much as you’d like to, and you’re a little too stubborn to tell him that you mind.

sometimes sae would get interviewed and would have to address dating rumours, whether it’s the upcoming supermodel from america or that renowned sexy sports photographer from brazil—it’s hard not to get jealous, especially when you’re kept private.

you can’t blame him for that, not when everyone likes to send hate to the pretty girl he’s supposedly dating.

this is also where you find out that itoshi sae knows you better than anyone. it’s where he always leaves you a reminder he loves you, even when you’re fighting. it’s where he sends you a goodnight text even when you’ve hung up the phone hours ago in anger. it’s where he keeps japan in his weather app just so he can tell you not to be a klutz and fall down when it’s raining. it’s where he declares on international television that no, he’s not available but that’s none of their business.

even if you yearn for him to be next to you at times, sae’s off doing what he’s always wanted to do, and you’re not going to let yourself be a burden—so you do what you want to do, because the last thing you want the headlines to blast is the fact that itoshi sae’s girlfriend is a good-for-nothing.

twenty-three is the age where you start writing articles for a local magazine company, where you take lead on fashion articles while occasionally helping with the sports section.

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑

both of your careers are in full flight.

so is your relationship.

sae’s always proud of you, of your achievements, of your efforts even if they didn’t bear fruit. you’re doing so well, making yourself a name in Japan with your articles, with your wonderful insights and funny wit.

he always reads your articles, tells his assistant to get a subscription on the magazine and send it to sae’s hotel, always reads the articles you write. he doesn’t tell you about that though. doesn’t want you getting a big head.

and every time you talk on the phone about your articles and how hard it was to write or how you’re afraid people will take it the wrong way, he acts like he doesn’t even know which article you’re talking about. (he absolutely does.)

“hey, when’s my contract ending again?”

sae’s assistant looks up from his ipad from his seat across him on the private jet. he blinks twice before rifling through his different folders.

“oh, next year.”

a ghost of a smile appears on sae’s face and his assistant thinks he’s hallucinating.

“good.”

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄

sae is twenty-five years old when he finally decides he’s ready to come home.

it makes the headlines—how he quit the club and refused to play for them anymore, the reason being that he wants to go back to his roots.

back to you.

because now, at your front door, after he knocks once, twice, and you open it, surprised, sae’s never been more sure that he’s making the right decision.

after all, you’re the only one in the world capable of bringing itoshi sae to his knee.

“will you marry me?”