#but alas he's in his office holding a bag of ice to his stomach

[binbogummy]

I Looove the dynamic of Habit Kamal and FK. Thank you for writing so much for them! I was wondering... What do you think Kamal's first impression of FK was? At the habitat he was so anxious and he seemed to helpless - I can't help but think FK helped him become a better and more confident person after the big event happened... But what about before that

• He'd been fighting with himself about the whole situation ever since it went down. Maybe he was too harsh with Habit, he was a pretty sensitive guy after all. He'd been far to nice with him for far to long and that hadn't gotten him anywhere. The things he was doing weren't right, none of it even made sense for a mental health retreat!

• Why even put an ad out looking for a dental assistant if you weren't going to be doing any dentistry. Kamal swallowed hard at that thought, pushing away the fact that he might already know the answer.

• Bor-Habit was unhinged sure, but he wasn't a bad person, that was something Kamal at least thought he was sure of. In fact, that was the only reason he'd stuck around for as long as he did.

• It was too late to change things now though, right? He could just put all of this behind him and move on with his life. All he had to do was walk out the gate and never come back. Unfortunately, he found himself unable to complete that simple last step. Because if something really was wrong, then he'd have moved on being one of the only people that could have stopped it.

• Kamal's conscience wouldn't let him leave but his anxiety made him too damn scared to actually do anything. So he settled on a substandard inbetween; waiting it out to see what would happen.

• It had been what, a few weeks now since his fight with Habit and things in the Habitat had remained monotonously unchanged.

• The Doc himself had gone eerily silent on top of that. Maybe that was for the best. Knowing Habit; the big guy was probably sulking in his office, too frustrated and uncomposed to actually do anything. Those weird little PSAs even stopped airing and Kamal started to feel hopeful that maybe Habit was actually giving up on this whole silly idea.

• Then you showed up. He didn't even know the Habitat was excepting any new members. Habit had even mentioned cutting off applications to see how this first batch of "patients" worked out. He could only assume this was the doctor’s way of trying to kickstart things again. Smashing all hope that maybe this place was actually going to shut down. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little annoyed by a new arrival considering his current situation.

• After a few days the rumors started to make their way up to his spot on the balcony. Looks like this new member has been making a name for themselves.

• Along with this rise in activity came the return of the PSAs. This time around though, something wasn't right. Boris was getting annoyed, Kamal could tell. Hell, you'd have to be a moron not to be able to.

• Kamal actually figured that would be it for you. You'd see the not so subtle threatening messages and go into hiding just like him and Wallus. However the very next morning Borbra was excitedly showing off her brand new Y'owl to everyone on the terrace. Unfortunately the purveyor themself stayed up all last night trying to catch it and wasn't around to join in on the fun.

• It didn't really seem like much at first but day after day things in the Habitat started to change. He never went down much further than the apartments but Lulia kept him pretty well informed and the PSAs alone gave him enough information to figure out what was going on.

• Soon the Carnival and the Lounge reopened as well and it almost seemed like every day more and more color was returning to the dreary Habitat. People eyes gave way to a kind of spark when they'd talk about you and anyone that crossed you path seemed to have a sort of glow around them.

• You and Habit had this weird little rivalry going on. It was terrifying but hilarious. You'd improve something around the Habitat and Habit would follow your action up by trying to show you up or by denouncing your behavior.

• Apparently you'd been refusing to eat anything from the lounge and your snarky comments about the poor supply management must have been overheard because by the next day the lounge received what, according to Jimothan, was more stock than the lounge had room for.

• That's what was so funny about it! Habit didn't care about making people happy, at least that's what Kamal figured at this point. He was just childish and jealous that you were doing his job better than him!

• It wasn't long after that that he'd finally get the chance to meet you himself. Not to sound rude but you didn't look like much at first. You were surprisingly normal looking compared to the other people around here. You didn't seem to pay him much mind either when you stepped up to the highest part of the balcony, gazing out over the edge through the missing bars.

• He could only assume it was you, the person everyone had been referring to as the flower kid. You didn't look like much of a kid per say but he guessed the term of endearment matched your actions. Maybe you were some kind of beatnik?

• If it wasn't for the way he unconsciously gasped when you leaned precariously over the edge you might not have even noticed him.

• You looked nervous at first but his own anxious prattling seemed to help you loosen up a bit and soon you got to talking. Gosh, you were a weird kid. Definitely not the type of person to find in a self help resort of all places.

• To think...you'd actually find him a tooth brush. To be honest, up until that moment he didn't think he cared what you were getting yourself into. But after helping him fix his teeth you just collected yourself calmly and went to move on like it was no big deal. In that moment he couldn't think of the last time someone had just done something for him. So he spoke quite unceremoniously in what he assumed was his own half assed attempt to talk you down from the mountain you didn't know you were climbing.

"Habit?" You questioned him as if not understanding what he was getting at. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that guy wants to kick in my teeth", you continued half joking."

"You'd be surprised how not far that is from the actual truth." Kamal mumbled quietly. So you weren't oblivious to Habit's annoyance.

"I'll be honest, I don't know what I did to piss him off but if he wants me to leave he can ask me himself." Your tone wasn't challenging, it sounded more confused than anything. "I've been here almost two weeks, I just really want to talk to him at this point."

"Careful what you wish for, kiddo, but.... Kamal paused, "he's really not that bad a guy when you get to know him."

"Hm?"

"Heh, never mind. I do got a question for you though. What's someone like you doing in a place like this in the first place? You've obviously got enough positivity to share." His question seemed to catch you off guard and you looked to be searching for an answer. After a moment however you just shrugged wordlessly. "Fair enough fair enough."

• A while after that you made it a habit to stop by and say hi to him when you were making your rounds around the Habitat. It hadn't occurred to him how much he'd actually began to worry about you until you pulled a particular stunt.

• You came up to say hi like you usually did but instead of heading down to the apartments you stared wistfully over the edge of the balcony. He was about to tell you to be careful but didn't get the chance when you jumped through the missing bars and down into the courtyard.

• Kamal rushed down the ever daunting stairwell at a speed he didn't think was possible only to find you standing unharmed at the bottom. How did you - did he just - why??? 

• After that he regained the courage to start walking around the Habitat again. He didn't have to worry about Boris coming down. The big guy talked a big talk when he was behind that puppet but Kamal new him well enough to guess he wouldn't be coming down from his tower any time soon, at least not while you were still here.

• Apparently at some point amongst your little back and forths with Habit you even staged a little mock election for president of the Habitat. While it started out as a one sided joke on your part, Habit actually went through the trouble of having the fake campaign posters Putunia and Tim Tam had made around the Habitat torn down and replaced them with ones of his own. (All of which were quickly vandalized with marker mustaches and devil horns)

• While the whole thing started as a joke, it was just a testament to the fact that you had the whole freakin’ Habitat on your side, even those stupid Carlas. All you had to do was ask them and they'd let you into restricted areas or even forgo escorting you to your room at "beddy time" when you'd try to stay up. 

• The whole beddy time situation was something even he was too scared to mess with. You on the other hand didn't seem to mind ending every night passed out in the courtyard.

Kamal settled down pretty early one night and was just dosing off when he was startled awake by a distant scream. Had he been more awake, he'd have surprised himself with the guts he showed as he rushed out into the dark without a second thought to find the owner of the voice. He hadn't even made it to the stairs when a body crashed into his own. After stumbling for a moment he finally focusing on the panicked figure in front of him.

"Kid, what's the-"

Before he could finish you lurched away from him. "Kid, kid! It's okay it's me!" He spoke quickly, reaching out to steady your shoulders before you tripped over yourself

"K-kamal?"

"Yeah, it's just me, little buddy..." He gave you a reassuring smile as you finally seemed to be taking in your surroundings "Was that you who screamed? What happened?" Unfortunately this question struck the wrong cords as you quickly seemed to remember why you were running in the first place.

"Th-there was this-this...thing...down in the courtyard!" You backed away from him a few steps, pointing down the stairwell.

"Calm down. What kind of thing?"

"Some kind of, I don't know...some kind of shadow thing!" If you weren't still freaking out you might have noticed the way Kamal's face straightened in realization as soon as those words left you mouth. His attention was soon turned back to you though as he shifted into damage control mode.

"Okay, you're okay though right y-" Just then Kamal noticed the way you had been holding your left shoulder, his eyes trailing up to the small abrasion on your head above your temple. "Wait wait wait, did Ha- did this "shadow thing" do that to you?!"

"N-no, but I-", you were interrupted by a rush of lightheadedness but was steadied by Kamal before you could fall over.

"Lets...get out of the open and get you patched up, this "fresh mountain air" is giving me a headache. You can tell me the whole story once your nerves have settled a bit. " You could only offer a shaky nod, stumbling a few times as he seemed to be leading you in the direction of his room.

After instructing you to sit on his bed, Kamal got to work cleaning up the small wound on your head. It wasn't actually too bad, just a shallow scrape with a lot of bruising.

"You see a few hours ago Tim Tam snatched Millie's golf club and stashed it somewhere in the courtyard. We searched for it all day but we couldn't find it anywhere and Mil was getting really upset so I promised her I'd find it for her by morning..." Kamal listened quietly, putting a bit of pressure on your sore shoulder to see how you'd react. "It was getting dark and I was about to give up, but then I saw it up in that big tree by the corner."

"Don't tell me; you climbed up to get it, didn't you?"

"I...yeah. I'd almost made it the whole way up when I started feeling groggy and after a minute I must have blacked out, cause the next thing I know I'm on the ground looking up at the stars.

"You fell out?! Is that why you screamed?"

"No-no, I couldn't do anything at first, I was so out of it." The color drained from your face as you continued. "My vision was fading in and out but I think the pain in my arm was keeping me awake. It hurt so bad but I still couldn't move....it was terrifying."

"Sounds like it..." Kamal finished his inspection and sat beside you when he noticed your growing discomfort.

"That's when I saw it. It was out of the corner of my eye at first but it kept getting closer. I thought for sure I was hallucinating, because I couldn't hear any footsteps and the next thing I know it's standing over me... It was...some kind of...shadow. Then...it reached down and-and started trying to pick me up! That...that must have been enough to get my adrenaline pumping cause I screamed and kicked it right in the stomach! Then...I pulled myself to my feet and ran..."

"And that's when you ran into me huh?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry I just..."

"Don't apologize, I'm glad ya did actually. Your shoulder should be okay, just a little sore for a while, try not to sleep on it, kay?" You once again responded by nodding quietly.

Shoot, you were really shaken up...not that he could blame you. It was a bit jarring actually; to see the infamous flower kid so scared. Stupid Habit and his stupid laughing gas. Stupid him for helping that maniac load the stuff into that stupid machine!

While he had all night to sit there and curse himself out, he was brought back to reality when you stood up beside him.

"I should probably head back to my room... Whatever it was was probably just another one of Habit's tricks to get me to follow curfew anyways." One thing Kamal was sure of; he was not a fan of the despondence in your voice.

"Actually!" He jumped from his spot to stop you, "Why don't you crash with me for the night? No reason to got trudging around in the dark."

"That's sweet but I'll be fine really."

"Ayy, c'mon it's no trouble. I'll sleep on the futon. 'Sides, won't it be kinda fun throwing the green guy for a loop? You ain't out and about, you ain't in your room; he'll be up all night tryin' ta figure out where ya went!" While Kamal never considered himself good a cheering folks up, the small smile you cracked had to count for something.

"Only if I get to sleep in the futon, I don’t want to impose..."

"You're twistin' my arm here, kid, buuut...I guess I can compromise, for the sake of irking a common enemy." The small laugh he got out of you mad him feel happier than he would have been able to admit with a straight face. You really had a way of making folks care about you, kid, and he was no exception.

• That night shared something in common with the night of the Big Event

Kamal was scared, he was always so scared; until he saw someone that was just as scared if not more than him. It's easy to be scared when the only person you're worried about protecting is yourself. But even after finding out Habit was involved that night, seeing someone like you beat up and frightened because of him made him angry. The same went for seeing you walk out of those gates, mouth bloody with Habit in tow.

• He's always going to be a little angry at himself for it taking seeing your courage the night of the Big Event for him to fully realize it. He never would have thought himself brave enough to almost uppercut Habit, let alone have the patience to invite him to come along back to his place with the two of you afterwards at your request.

[nsheetee]

a night at the library

Pairing: xiaojun x reader Genre: collage au | suggestive (?) and slightly crackish Word Count: 1.5k Details/Warnings: one descriptive and several general mentions of sex, some swearing, slightly suggestive Summary: you and xiaojun meet in the most awkward and unusual circumstances; you’re both trying to study at the library, but there’s two people having sex between the bookshelves a few feet away.

a/n: there’s a weird mix of suggestive + slightly mature content in this, please beware before continuing! 

you have a chemistry final tomorrow

maybe if you hadn’t spent so much time studying for your physiology final that was today— technically yesterday, you would’ve remembered

but you didn’t

and now it’s 12:39am and you’re cramming as much info into your brain as you can in hopes of it sticking and somehow coming out correctly in 7 hours

equations blur together, your neck hurts from looking down, and your cardigan does nothing to keep the chill of the library at night from seeping into you

a boy sits in a similar position on a table to your right, except he’s not studying equations and the periodic table

he’s studying music theory (which you two will later argue about if it’s actually as hard as chemistry)

xiaojun is also cramming for a final in 7 hours, a music theory final that he thought he was ready for, but upon taking a glance at the professor’s study guide, he realized he was definitely not

you both are too consumed in your own little worlds that are only a few feet apart, but are simultaneously so big and vast that you don’t even notice another human’s presence

you’re both so focused on your own work, you don’t even notice the two people who are fucking behind one of the library shelves

it’s when you tilt your head up and blink a bit (for what seems like the first time in hours) do you hear the deep grunts of passion

your eyes open wide, alert and perplexed

taking a moment to look around, you spot a guy sitting a few feet away, his head ducked into his books

are those his noises?

your question is answered when you hear more grunts accompanied by a high-pitched whine coming from the bookshelves that makes the guy perk his head up as well

and you make eye contact for the first time ever

alarm, embarrassment, and awkwardness blankets both of you when you realize what those noises are

no words need to be exchanged, just one look at each other illuminated by the dim glow of your individual lamps at your tables

“oh, god, yes!.... more, please more.”

you and xiaojun simultaneously jump and turn your heads back into your books at the sensual sounds that come from the bookshelf

you’re looking down at your notes, but your nose is almost touching the pages and you’re definitely not reading anything

xiaojun can feel himself heat up, also staring blankly down at his notes, unsure of what steps to take next

he feels something turn in his gut when he takes a sneaky look back at you, only the top of your head visible from where xiaojun sits

he closes his eyes and rubs them to get rid of the lewd thoughts coming into his head 

damn.... it’s been awhile since xiaojun got laid

.... maybe it’s because he’s spending late nights studying music theory in a library rather than spending late nights... wherever it is that those two people in the library shelves met

“yes, baby, you’re taking my cock so well, you’re so good to me.”

the dirty talk makes you let out a sequel of surprise, you cover it up with your hands over your face and stand up from your seat a moment later

you’re definitely not going to get anymore work done here

so there’s no point in staying

you feel as if you have to maintain your quietness as you pack your things, favoring not having to deal with this awkward situation if the people in passionate lovemaking figure out that you’re here

when xiaojun sees you move, standing up and tucking away your calculator and pencil, he also decides to pack up

you don’t make eye contact with each other, too afraid to even crane your heads up for the fear of seeing something you shouldn’t 

in your hurry, your phone drops out of your cardigan pocket and rolls along the floor, the multiple thuds that resonate seem louder than strikes on a gong, practically announcing to the whole library that someone is here

you and xiaojun freeze, making eye contact for the second time tonight and noticing the sudden absence of sound coming from the two people, until a question comes from behind the bookshelf

“is someone there?”

xiaojun is not sure if the question was asked to the partner or out into the general air, but he doesn’t want to stick around to find out

he bends down to pick up your phone that tumbled closer to him in one hand and your wrist in the other, pulling you through the hallway and down the stairs to the first floor of the library

the metal zippers of your bags jingle together and you both can’t help but laugh as you run from the scene

you’re not sure if you’re laughing at the situation, the glee of getting away from the awkwardness, or if xiaojun’s laughter is just that contagious

when both of you reach the first floor of the library, you turn back to find no one following you

you and xiaojun stop, catching your breaths, and finally facing each other 

“that was so awkward.” xiaojun states the obvious, but the words needed to be said to break the ice between you two

“when my phone fell, my soul nearly left my body.” another round of hushed giggles commences, before xiaojun’s eyebrows rise in acknowledgement 

“oh, right,” he holds out your phone, which was safely gripped in his hand during the whole run, “here’s this. sorry I took it from you and pulled you, I panicked.”

“no need to be sorry. knowing me, I would’ve still been standing upstairs, frozen in my shoes.” 

xiaojun admires you as you talk, suddenly noticing how pretty you are in the new lighting of the first floor and another rush of lust floods his stomach and chest

xiaojun really hasn’t gotten laid in a while

you notice his gaze, how it turned from soft to piercing, his sharp almond eyes quickly scanning up and down your body

you’re feeling more and more fuzzy in the head as you look at him, suddenly thinking about several unholy things

“sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m xiaojun.” 

“I'm y/n.” you reply softly, afraid to break the moment between you two

“I know it’s late and there’s no places that are open, so... how about I walk you to your dorm?” he asks with a tilt of his head

you hope he’ll do more than just walk you there

“sure, I'd like tha-”

“hey, you two kids, stop right there!” you and xiaojun jump in fright, not aware that there were other people in the library other than you and the two other people upstairs

a librarian walks over, fixing her crooked glasses in obvious annoyance

she doesn’t scare you, however the campus police officer trailing behind her does alert you

“officer, please escort them out of the building.” xiaojun’s eyes widen at that, exclamations of disagreement coming from your mouth as the officer walks from beside the librarian towards you

“wait, wait, for what? we have a right to know why we’re being escorted out.” xiaojun holds up his hands in front of him as if that would stop the beastly officer from grabbing onto him

“yeah, we were just studying upstairs.” the librarian scoffs at your words of defense

“you two can’t fool me, I have video proof of you engaging in sexual intercourse, and it’s enough to have you banned from the library for the rest of your time at this university.” you can’t help but let your jaw drop slack in disbelief as you and xiaojun are escorted out after the librarian gives a curt nod to the officer

the night air is crisp as it stings your cheeks the moment you walk out of the library— more like thrown out

the door slams shut behind you before you can even catch your footing; you turn around and scoff at the doors, peeved from the rude librarian and this whole misunderstanding

“do you think they’ll actually kick us out of the library for the rest of our time here?” xiaojun asks into the cold air, smoke curling out of his mouth 

you turn to him, suddenly remembering where you two were before you got interrupted

you thought that whole ordeal would squelch the yearning between your thighs, but alas, seeing xiaojun in front of you reminds you of your two choices

you can either ask this stranger to come back to your dorm for the night or leave him as a memory of your time at university

...well, if you’re going to be accused of having sex with him, might as well  make it a fact on your own accord

“if they do, we’ll have one crazy story to tell when people ask about how we met.” 

xiaojun laughs bitterly and nods at your words, then as he digests them he lifts his head sharply to catch you already walking away, throwing a look over your shoulder to catch his dumbfounded expression

“wait... when people ask how we met? you mean we’re gonna—”

“didn’t you say you’ll walk me home? hurry up before I change my mind.”

[colorseeingchick]

Period Pains (Atsumu, Akaashi, Sugawara)

Periods. Suck. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. But maybe they can make it suck less.

A/N: Y’all can probably guess how my week has been :D. So this is mostly self indulgent and has definitely made me fall in love with all these boys much more. I may or may not stan Miya Atsumu now but we don’t talk about it (yet)

Warnings: None really! Fluffy and domestic wholesomeness. Post-timeskip.

Miya Atsumu 

Atsumu starts to stir from his sleep when he hears a loud prolonged groan next to him. 

He presses his eyes closed when the lights suddenly turn on. Ugh.

He opens his eyes to see you waddling away to the bathroom with your hand pressed to your stomach. Hmm?

He looks down and sees a relatively large splotch of red staining the sheet. HAH!

Suddenly, Atsumu is very alert.

“Babe what happened! Did you get hurt?”

Mans throws (I mean THROWS) himself out of bed and pulls a pair of shorts on as he stumbles to the bathroom to check on you.

“Baby are you-” 

He sees you by the sink, washing your shorts, the water discolored as it runs off. 

Ohhhh yeah! You were on your period. 

Headass’s mind blanked while in a sleepy haze.

You sigh. “Yeah I’m… fine-ish. I guess.”

He smirks and comes up behind you, wrapping his hands around your waist, one hand gently rubbing over your long sleep shirt, right over your lower belly. 

He presses a slow kiss into the side of your head and rocks you side to side while you continue to wash. 

“Did ya wake up cuz of the pain, babe?” 

“Mhm. And I saw the stain then too. Ain’t my luck just great?”

He groggily laughs and presses more kisses along the side of your face and holds you tighter. 

“You got this, babe. I’ll bring the sheets here, yeah?” 

“Kay.”

This, in its own way, is enough to make you feel… less bad. 

You were far from feeling okay at this point, but Atsumu knowing the drill and nonchalantly helping out at 2 am made things feel less apocalyptic than they were in your head.. 

Atsumu strips the bed of all its sheets, rubbing his eyes as he tries to keep awake. 

Handing the sheet to you, he leans against the wall as you washed out the immediate blood stains. 

Once you wash it out, he takes it from you.

“Clean yerself up babe.” 

He takes the sheets downstairs and throws them into the washing machine. 

He goes to the kitchen and grabs a banana and some dark chocolate (because we healthy in this household).

And some ibuprofen from the medicine cabinet.

And runs back up to find you coming with new sheets in hand. 

Putting your snacks down on your bedside table, he helps you pull the fresh sheets over your bed. 

Sitting you on the bed, he hands you the food and sits next to you, leaning his head on your shoulder while you munch. 

He gives you the medicine when you’re done. 

“30 minutes- not bad. I think that’s our new record.”

He shuts off the lights and crawls into bed, opening his arms as you slide your legs under the comforter. 

Snuggling into him, he nuzzles your forehead as he holds you close. 

“Feelin better, babe?”

“Yeah… I’ll probably fall asleep in a bit or something.”

“Well, if ya wanna press up against me if that’ll make you feel better, ya can. And wake me up if ya need anything.”

“I will, Atsumu. Thanks.”

“G’nite, sweetheart.” 

BONUS: you wake up late the next morning, Atsumu still holding you flush against his body. 

Now that you slept well (thanks to the meds and Atsumu) and woke up without pain, you’re suddenly in a very affectionate mood. 

Wiggling up, you find your way to Atsumu’s face, giving him a couple of soft pecks to his lips. 

He stirs in his sleep, kissing you back. 

But even after you had pulled away, he kept kissing at the air, trying to find your lips in his sleepy haze.

It was pretty funny. 

He’s a headass, you’re not gonna lie. 

But he’s your headass! And that’s all that matters. 

Akaashi Keiji 

Before even coming home, Akaashi knew you were going to be on your period today. 

Your period tracking app was synced to his phone, so he knew when to prepare for your worst days with snacks, supplies, and lots of affection.

He hated how busy he was, that he couldn’t be home to take care of you. So making sure you had everything you needed was the best he could do. 

But when Akaashi comes home and can’t find you anywhere, he starts to worry. 

Where were you? You would usually always greet him when he came home, even when you were on your period.

He gets his answer when he hears sniffles and hiccups coming underneath the lump of blankets on the couch. 

Akaashi knows that if you were ever fully underneath the blankets, there was something really wrong. 

Taking his jacket off and throwing it over a chair in the kitchen, he rushes to your side and pulls the blankets delicately off your head. 

“What’s wrong, darling.”

“H-hi Keiji. I’m s-sorry I didn’t m-mean to *hic* hide from you I j-just don’t feel too g-good.” 

Your breath was so shaky and Akaashi’s heart shattered watching you. 

“Please, tell me what’s wrong, dear.” Akaashi asks you in a whisper. 

“My tummy just hurts so so much and it won’t go away I-” your sobs begin to rack through your whole body. 

“Did you take medicine? Heating pad?” He asks gently as he runs his hands through your hair and wipes the tears off your face. 

“N-no… I hate taking medicine Keiji you know that. But I took a hot shower and I hoped it would help and it didn’t.” You attempt to stifle your cries to talk coherently, misery wrapping around your soul. 

“Alright then, give me a second, darling, and I’ll do whatever I can.” 

After changing, Akaashi comes back downstairs to the couch and makes his way over to you. 

He pats your head gently, “can you sit up for me?”

He swings his legs up onto the couch and opens his arms and legs so you could place yourself between all his limbs. 

Crawling up to him, he turns you so that your back is pressed to his torso. 

Immediately, Akaashi’s hands snake around your waist and find their way to two sides of your lower stomach.

His fingers gently message you, moving around to try and find which spots need his attention, all while he coaxes you into being relaxed.

“Shhh darling, you’re okay. I’m here and I’m going to shower you with my love. Just relax and let me take care of you, okay dearest?”

You nuzzle back against his chest, letting his words, touch, warmth, and smell fill all your senses. 

“Keiji… how was your day?” You murmur, tilting your head back in an effort to look at him. 

He smiles, warmth spreading through his body as he realizes even while in pain, you still want to carry on your daily check-in on him post work. 

And so Akaashi tells you all the stories from the day- his new assignment, how panicked he got midday when the office went into crisis, a surprise visit from a certain owl during lunch time.

You listen attentively, but your hands subconsciously move his larger hands to the center of your lower abdomen, where he starts to gently rub, leaving your skin tingly and chest lighter. 

“Do you feel better, Y/N?” after sitting in comfortable silence for a little, he decides to ask. 

But when he got no response, he cranes his neck to check on you. 

You had fallen asleep in his embrace, a sweet smile slowly creeping across your face. 

He smiles too, overjoyed to know that he was able to relieve you of some of your pain. 

“Goodnight, my love.” He whispers to you, his eyes slowly shutting, arms still on your stomach. 

BONUS: at around 2 am, Akaashi wakes up, realizing he was still on the couch. 

You, however, were nowhere to be seen. 

Getting up, Akaashi heads to the kitchen to grab water, assuming you were already in bed. 

Instead, he found you in the kitchen too, the smell of pancakes flooding the space. 

“Keiji! We never ate dinner. I’m sorry I made you fall asleep without eating.”

A small smile appears on his face and he rubs his sleepy eyes. 

“It’s okay, dear. I’m just glad you could sleep some.”

“Do you want pancakes?”

“I would love some.”

Sugawara Koushi

Like Akaashi, Suga knew what was about to happen when he got a phone call from you as soon as he was leaving school.

Regardless, hearing you sniffle over the phone activates every protective instinct in his body.

“What’s wrong baby?”

“Koushi, do you love me?” 

A dumb question, obviously. Suga showered you with affection and endless praise on a daily basis for you simply just breathing. The most supportive of boyfriends!

But alas, insecurity still creeps up at times. And Suga gets it. 

“I love you more than anything else, Y/N.”

“Can you come home, Koushi? I miss you.”

“I’m on my way, love. Give me 10 extra minutes, okay?”

Suga hopped into his car to head home, stopping by the store to pick up a few things. 

He grabbed a pint of your favorite ice cream, your favorite chips (because do you want sweet or savory today? Only time will tell), and some flowers before heading home. 

The moment he steps through the door, you throw your hands around him and groan out of frustration, pain, and just general dejectedness (don’t @ me for projecting I swear). 

Suga smiles down at you, knowing that he can bring you some peace, and pulls you against him, flowers and bag still in hand. 

“Let me go change, my love. These are for you.” 

Your generally miserable disposition shifts as your nose is filled with the aroma of fresh flowers. Sweet and gentle scents always managed to lift your spirits, and Suga knew that. 

“Mkay.”

Once Suga came downstairs, he headed to the kitchen to warm up some water to pour into a water bottle. 

“Sweet or salty?”

“Salty.”

He grabs the warm water bottle and the bag of chips and makes his way over the couch where your eyes were begging him to shower you in love (which he was more than happy to do). 

Sitting down and opening his arms, you pull yourself against his side, hugging him tightly and nuzzling against his chest.

He rubs your head before sliding his hand down, soothingly rubbing circles onto your back. 

His other hand goes to place the warm water bottle on your lower abdomen, which you hold in place by pulling your legs up to your torso. 

“Koushi, why do you love me?” You murmur against him. “I’m so whiny and clingy and annoying and insecure and you’re perfect… you deserve the best. You shouldn’t have to put up with someone like me-”

“Hey.” Suga gently but sternly cuts you off. 

“That’s my girlfriend you’re talking about, and I don’t appreciate you talking about her like that.” He looks down at you and melts as he sees your puppy dog eyes staring back up at him.

“Koushi, I’m not wrong though. I am all those things.”

“And? I love you for it. I love that you whine for me and cling to me- it makes me feel wanted. I wouldn’t call you annoying, that's not your call to make. And insecure? That’s natural, my love. Everyone's a little insecure. I’m a little insecure. You’re not perfect and neither am I. And that’s okay. I don’t wanna love perfect. I want to love you and only you, okay?” 

Tears prick your eyes but you feel better with Suga’s words of reaffirmation. He’ll tell you no matter how many times you need to hear it. “Thank you Koushi, I love you so much.”

“Shh, my love. Don’t cry. I love you, too.” 

His grasp on you tightens as you relax against him, your breathing synchronizing. 

“You wanna watch some TV?”

“Yes please.”

“Chips?” 

“Mhm.” 

Single word exchanges and the warmth of Suga’s sweater keep you connected as you allow yourself to forget your physical and mental pains.

Suga always knew exactly what you needed to hear, and never hesitated to tell you. No matter how ‘out of the blue’ or random it may have felt, he was always there for when you needed him. 

BONUS: you guys settle on watching a romance movie, Suga feeding you chips while popping some into his own mouth as well. 

But once the movie got to the really sad part, you started crying (sometimes movies just made you cry, but hormones made it so much worse).

“Baby, don’t cry, it’s just a movie.” 

“But Koushi, you’re crying too!” 

In honesty, Suga’s face was very tear-streaked as well, his sniffles hushed. 

“Okay fine, we can both cry together.”

And so you did! Both of you cried, emotions fully invested in the movie, chips still being munched on while sobs shook your bodies. 

It would have been a goofy sight to any onlookers, but it was the pinnacle of your relationship- emotionally vulnerable, intimate, and domestic. True perfection, if you were to ask me.

[emmaswanchoosesyou]

CSBB: Part of the Narrative (13/17)

Emma Swan just wants to write the follow-up to her bestselling debut novel, that’s all. But when she gets off to a rough start with her new editor, Killian Jones, she knows it’s not going according to plan. Then, an unexpected figure from Emma’s past reappears and life begins to mirror the crime thriller she’s penning. Suspicion and secrets abound–but love might too. A writer/editor AU with a thriller twist.

Rated E. Includes sexual content, kidnapping, some gore, mild violence, and minor character death–not to mention salty language! On Ao3 here.

Chapter warnings: Tempers running high, arrests and interrogations, and...mild attempted assault?

I made it halfway across the country! So thank you to everyone who offered well wishes. And thank you so much to all of you who have been reading and commenting and waiting patiently after last week’s cliffhanger, and to all of you who helped me get here. Thank you to all the wonderful ladies at @captainswanbigbang for all you’ve done to make this possible, and all the support you’ve given. Sophie @shady-swan-jones made the delightful banner and another photoset that I adore. Kayla @bleebug did some incredible art for the first and sixth chapters, which you can check out here and here. And all the love and thanks to Kris @sambethe for beta-ing this and making it a ton better. Like seriously, she’s the best.

[Ch. 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Chapter 13

Stories converge as everyone tries to find out what happened to Henry.

Killian

Killian was sitting with Robin in his living room, watching a film that if asked about it later, he’d never remember. They’d been at it for the better part of the afternoon, though they’d been limiting their drinking. Something about rousing Killian from an alcoholic funk after a week of nonstop drinking had put them off it.

He heard his phone ring with the custom tone he’d set for Emma, and he smiled. She was getting back from Maine, and maybe they could grab dinner…

“Emma, how are y--”

She cut him off abruptly. “Killian, Henry is missing.”

He gasped, “What the hell?”

“Will you meet me at Granny’s? I need to sit and talk with someone. Distract me?”

Frowning at the urgency in her voice, he nodded even though she couldn’t see him. “Of course. I’ll meet you there as soon as I can. Robin is with me--do you want me to bring him along as well?”

“No. I mean, I want to meet him, but not now, I--I just want to see you,” she said.

His chest constricted, knowing he didn't have time to process the warmth coursing through him at her inadvertent admission. But first, they had to focus on Henry's disappearance. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

They hung up, and Killian was giving Robin a quick run-down of the situation, what he knew of it, at least, while he waited for his cab.

As Robin was listening, his phone started buzzing, some kind of notification clearly coming in from his precinct. He made a face, both surprise and speculation visible before he schooled his features. "And I just got a call to go in, about a disappearance and possible kidnapping."

"Do you think..." Killian let his question trail off, unwilling to put words to his thoughts.

Robin shrugged. "I don't know. It's not good, either way."

As soon as Robin was gone, he pulled on his coat and went outside to meet the Uber waiting for him.

&&&

After a short ride filled with terse conversation with his driver, Killian finally pulled up to Granny's. Emma's car was in the lot, and he gave a sigh of relief at seeing her yellow monstrosity.

He made his way inside to find her sitting in a corner booth, Belle and Ruby across from her. She looked up, saw him approaching, and ran to him. She threw herself into his arms, a startled "oomph" escaping him as she barreled into him and he wrapped her in his embrace.

He stroked her hair, meeting Ruby's eyes. She shrugged and took Belle's hand in hers, both women somber and focused on Emma.

She finally extracted herself from his arms, though she let him take her hand. She squeezed it quickly, pulling him over to the booth and dragging him down next to her.

"So, what happened?" he asked.

Emma shook her head. She dropped his hand, rubbing at her red-rimmed eyes with both hands. "I have no idea. I dropped him off at Regina's and drove back. I stopped for a little while to take a nap, and Regina called me when I was near the city again, which is when I called you."

"I'm glad you did, love," he said. "Do you--does anyone know anything further? What steps are being taken to find him? Forgive me for asking, but is it possible he just ran down to the comic book shop or to the ice cream shop?"

Belle looked at him, aghast, and Ruby squawked loudly, but Emma waved aside their protests. "No, he's right. Those are reasonable questions. But yeah, I did ask Regina, and they can't find him anywhere in town. Apparently they had one of the cops comb over the whole place, and no one had seen him since about fifteen minutes after I dropped him off."

"What could possibly have happened in fifteen minutes?" Killian asked incredulously.

She shrugged. "I have no idea. Apparently he and Regina said a quick hello, but she had to finish up some paperwork, so she told him to go ahead on over to the comic book shop. But he never showed up, according to Doc Enano, the owner of the shop."

He didn't know what to say or what he could do, but he wrapped his arm around Emma. She leaned into him, resting a hand on his thigh. He might not be able to do much, but he could be there for his Swan. Even if he wouldn't chance calling her that at this juncture.

Ruby stood and went to the kitchen, informing them she was getting them all some coffee. His stomach rebelled at the idea of adding caffeine to his system when he was already so wired, but he murmured his thanks anyway. He didn't foresee sleep coming to any of them until Henry was found, so it would be fine.

The silence that had settled over their little group was disrupted when the bell over the door rang. When they looked up, they found it wasn’t new customers--it was the police. They didn't acknowledge Ruby's nod as she made her way back to their booth, even as they came closer.

Shock coursed through Killian when he saw that one of the officers was Robin, in plain clothes and with his jaw clenched. They stopped at the table, and Robin stepped forward.

Regret tinging his voice, he asked, "Which one of you is Emma Swan?"

"I am," she said, leaning past Killian. He felt dread settling into his bones, fear twisting at his stomach as he held Emma and looked up at Robin.

"I really didn't want to meet you this way," he said, grimacing. "But alas. Miss Swan, I'm placing you under arrest on suspicion of the kidnapping and disappearance of Henry Mills. You have the right to remain silent, and anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

Killian was halfway up and ready to punch Robin when he felt Emma and Belle pulling him back.

"Don't, Killian. Just call Cleo. She'll get my lawyer," she said, her face having slipped into a blank mask. She squeezed his shoulder as she slid past him, and his heart stuttered.

Robin looked apologetic. "I… we can make this easy. I have to cuff you, but we'll just go back to the precinct and talk. I'll do what I can to make this easier for you."

Emma just nodded, saying nothing.

Killian's jaw clenched, and he glared at Robin. Belle patted his arm and motioned to his phone as he watched his friend walk away with the woman he had just realized he loved in police custody.

&&&

After what felt like an obscene number of hours later, Killian sat in the waiting room at the precinct. Cleo was next to him, her arms folded over her chest as they waited for an update on Emma's status.

He had called Cleo as soon as Robin and his fellow officers had accompanied Emma out of the diner. She'd answered quickly, her horror and disgust evident in every short syllable she'd uttered. She had kept their conversation brief, but told him she'd come by to pick him up as soon as she got Emma's lawyer on the line.

Her lawyer was a statuesque, intimidating woman with an icy demeanor and cutting, dry wit. He was told Kathryn Frederickson had a reputation for getting shit done, and for getting her defendants acquitted. She was a former Assistant DA who had recently struck out on her own, and apparently she had agreed to represent Emma as a favor to Cleo.

Kathryn had gone inside the room where Emma was being questioned, but that had been hours ago. Killian was hungry, grumpy, worried, and angry. As though she'd heard his internal rant, Cleo unfolded her arms and reached inside her bag, grabbing a bag of crisps that she passed over to him.

"Thanks," he said quietly, his foot tapping on the scuffed floor.

She nodded and finally spoke, "No problem. With any luck, it won't be much longer. They can technically hold her for up to twenty-four hours, but I can't imagine they'll find anything to make the charges stick."

"Emma hasn't been charged with anything," said Kathryn, her heels clacking as she made her way toward them. "She'll be out soon."

He could have wept with relief. "So she's off? They know it wasn't her?"

"I might have pointed out Emma's stellar alibi, in the form of all those cameras along the interstate. Fortunately, she's pretty hard to miss in that yellow Bug. It was just a matter of waiting for the footage," Kathryn explained, a slight smile twisting her mouth.

Cleo smiled. "Thanks," she said. Then her smile faded. "Wait, what does this mean for Henry?"

Kathryn grimaced. "Unfortunately, since they thought Emma was behind the kidnapping, they weren't exactly looking for anyone else for the last few hours. So whoever is behind Henry's disappearance has a couple more hours lead."

"Shit," Killian swore.

Then he saw Emma coming from the back, and he leapt up to go to her. He halted as soon as he saw Robin walking beside her, the two of them in close conversation. He tried to push down the rage bubbling inside him, knowing there was nothing to be gained from confronting Robin in his own precinct.

As they got closer, he could finally make out their conversation. "...so sorry. But I had to do due diligence, regardless of my personal feelings," Robin said.

"I get it. It's fine. And maybe we can have a do-over once Killian cools down," Emma said, her eyes drifting over to meet Killian's. She smiled softly, even though it was obvious she was tired and strained.

He smiled back and opened his arms to her. As soon as he felt her arms wrap around his waist, he felt his anger begin to ebb away. His shoulders slumped with relief and in the absence of the rage that had been fueling him, keeping him awake, he felt his own tiredness creep over his limbs.

Robin patted his shoulder. "Killian… I'm sorry."

He took a deep breath, waiting for the negative emotions to return and a sharp retort to rise to his lips. None did. "If Emma's good with you, then so am I."

Robin nodded before also drawing in a breath. "Well, now it's time to get to work."

Emma squeezed his waist, turning in his arms to face Robin. "Let's go find my son."

&&&

They ended up going to Emma’s to grab a few hours of sleep. There was nothing to be gained by staying at the precinct, Robin informed them, other than aching backs that they were too old to deal with. He promised to call as soon as they had any new information or leads.

Emma tried calling Regina, but it went straight to voicemail. That sealed the deal for her--Emma finally agreed to go home for a while, at least until morning. Killian hesitated for a moment, but then Emma dragged him down the steps and into a cab.

Killian was happy to be needed, or even just wanted by her.

So it was without much fanfare that he allowed himself to be pulled into her apartment. They didn't exchange much conversation as they prepared for bed--she found a spare toothbrush for him, and he said he'd make do with sleeping in his boxer briefs. It was less than thirty minutes after they arrived that they were in bed, their limbs tangled together. He brushed a kiss across her lips, and she bid him goodnight.

He awoke with a start about three hours later when he heard a banging on the door. Emma startled awake too, sitting up quickly. She pulled on a robe over her pajamas and rubbed her eyes before heading to the living room to answer the door.

Killian swung his legs over the side of the bed, hoping his jeans and button-up weren't too mussed from the previous day. He joined Emma where she was paused before the door, a panicked but hopeful look on her face.

"It's Regina," she whispered, eyes wide.

He shrugged, not knowing why she might be here.

Emma took a deep breath and opened the door. "Regina? Has there been any word?"

Regina didn't answer. Instead, she burst into the room, tearing toward the back. "Where is he?! Where is my son?! Tell me where you're hiding him."

Killian felt the rage kindle in his chest again. How dare she come into Swan's home and accuse her of--

He let go of his anger as soon as he saw Emma's face. Instead of the anger he had been expecting to see, he saw compassion and sadness (and surprise, but that was understandable).

"Regina, he's not here. I don't have him. I've been waiting to hear more updates, just like you," she said quietly, as soothingly as she could probably manage.

Regina came at Emma, fists flying, clearly not wanting to listen to Emma.

Emma halted her by grabbing her wrists firmly, shaking her lightly. "Regina. I. Do. Not. Have. Him. We're on the same side here."

Regina stopped, her face crumpling. Tears streaked down her face, and she collapsed into Emma's arms. Emma dropped her wrists and pulled her into a hug. "Shhh, shh. Let it out."

She continued to sob, and Killian began to feel superfluous and awkward. He made his way into the kitchen and started to prepare more coffee. It looked like this would be a long day.

Adding some chocolate and cinnamon to Emma's, he topped it with whipped cream. Peeking his head out of the kitchen, he asked, "Regina, how do you take your coffee?"

He heard a sniffle, and then a hoarse response. "Black, but with whipped cream, if you have it?"

"Done," he said, preparing her beverage and then his own. He carried them out to the living room, where Swan had pulled Regina onto the couch next to her. Both women's eyes were rimmed in red, both clearly exhausted. Regina had the remnants of her mascara tracked down her face, and Emma's hair was mussed beyond repair.

After a few more moments of silence, during which they all drank deeply of their coffee, Emma finally spoke. "I tried calling you last night before going to bed, but it went to voicemail. I haven't heard anything since then, have you?"

Regina's hands twitched and she looked down at them. "No. I--I thought it was you. I thought you were lying, and that you had taken him. You two have gotten so much closer..."

"...that you thought I'd taken him somehow when I left," she said, looking thoughtful.

"I--yes. I'm sorry," Regina said quietly.

Emma shook her head. "No, don't worry about that. I--well, it wasn't that long ago that I thought you might be up to something. You know, with Henry talking about feeling like he was being followed--" She stopped mid-sentence, and Regina, Emma, and Killian all stared at each other dumbfounded.

"Did you say anything about that to the detectives?" Emma asked.

Regina licked her lips, her eyes wide with fear and self-recrimination for having forgotten. Killian could recognize the look, having experienced it pretty regularly himself. "No. I didn't even think --did you?"

"No."

"Do you want me to call Robin?" he asked, already reaching for his phone.

"Please," Emma said hurriedly.

As he found Robin in his contacts, he heard Regina ask, "Who's Robin?"

"A friend of Killian's who happens to be the lead detective in Boston for the case. I think he's working with someone in Maine," Emma replied.

"Yes, Sheriff Jameson. He's from Storybrooke, though he works in Augusta now, but he'd be in charge. He's a good man, and a good detective."

Emma smiled. "That's good. Are you…are we going to be okay? For Henry?"

"I think so. Wait, you really thought it was me?" Regina blurted.

She shrugged. "Maybe? It wasn't the most rational time for me. Henry had just come back into my life, and you didn't seem thrilled, and then everything happened with Killian..."

Regina snorted. "I wasn't happy about it because I thought I'd lose Henry, that he wouldn't want me anymore with you in his life. Your life is more glamorous, and you have Jones here--and by the way, I thought you two were done?--and I was jealous. Henry is all I have," she said, her voice breaking.

"I promise it isn't as glamorous as it seems. And Killian and I aren't back together. Not exactly," Emma said.

Killian looked over at her as he waited for Robin to pick up, a small, sad smile on his face.

Emma continued, “Besides, I think Henry would want us to work together. He loves you, and I could never replace you. Nor would I want to. We...we could both be his family.”

Regina sat silently, a thoughtful, contemplative look on her face. She nodded.

Finally, Robin answered his phone.

"Killian? Do you have something?"

"Robin, mate. Aye, we have something. I'm here with Emma and Regina, and they've remembered something."

Robin cursed. "Shit, tell me. And I'll be over as soon as I can, if it's not too much of an imposition."

"Should be fine, especially if you bring pastries. Thank you. I'm putting you on speaker, since Regina and Emma will be able to do a better job with the information than I can," he said.

"Robin? Hey. So Henry has told both me and Regina over the last few months that he’s felt like someone is following him. I looked into it a little when he first mentioned it, but I didn't find much," Emma said.

Regina leaned over. "I looked into it too when it first started, but nothing came up. And occasionally we go see a therapist. Henry does have anxiety, so I thought it might just be that. I didn't know."

"It'll be fine, Ms. Mills, Ms. Swan. We'll do our best to see to it that this gets sorted," Robin's voice crackled through. "Let me pass this onto a couple of the other detectives, and then I'll head on over to you. See you in about 45 minutes?"

They all murmured their assent and bid Robin farewell. They sat quietly, finishing up their coffee. As soon as they were done, Regina went to the restroom to freshen up, and he and Emma went into the bedroom to get dressed.

"You okay, love?" he asked.

Emma sighed. "Henry's gone, and I'm tired and stressed, so..."

"Yeah," he agreed.

He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her neck. She leaned back into him and reached up into squeeze his hand. "Thank you for being here."

He kissed her cheek. "I'll be here for as long as you want me to be."

&&&

By the time Robin showed up, Regina looked as composed as usual, if more tense and on-edge. Emma still looked in need of a good night’s sleep, but was otherwise lovely in a flowery tunic and leggings. Killian knew he was a mess in yesterday’s clothes, but he’d at least been able to wash his face and brush his teeth.

When Robin arrived at the door, Emma let him in. He came bearing a box of pastries, and Killian chuckled at Emma’s jibe about cops and donuts. “It’s actually scones!”

Killian nodded, and then decided to get matters rolling. “Well, you’ve met Emma, but this is Regina Mills, Henry’s other mother. She’s also the founder of Mills & Booth Publishing.”

“And the heir to Regal Hearts Publishing,” chimed in Emma helpfully.

Regina rolled her eyes, looking as imperious as ever. “Robin, was it? Or do you prefer Detective…?”

“Detective Locksley, but Robin is fine,” he said, his eyes riveted on Regina.

She gave him an assessing look, but quickly turned back to the matter at hand. “So, can you help with Henry? Are you working with Sheriff Jameson up in Maine? What kind of news do you have?”

Any admiration Robin may have been feeling was subsumed into the professional mask he donned. “Our office has been working with Sheriff Jameson and other local law enforcement. In fact, while I’ll remain on the case with a few of my people, it will be falling under the jurisdiction of Maine’s police service. With Ms. Swan being cleared, there isn’t much to suggest Henry would be in Boston.”

“What happens if this goes on much longer? I mean, once it’s been 24 hours…” Emma let her words trail off, knowing they all knew the increased risks to Henry at that point.

“That’s true, but we’re hopeful. We found some signs of a struggle near a path in Storybrooke, one Henry would have to pass by to get to the comic book shop, which fairly well eliminates any chance of him having run away. It’s a solid lead that’s being pursued even as we speak.”

Killian fought the urge to curse, as that likely wouldn’t help. Henry running away would be bad, but at some point he’d likely want to come home. Kidnapping, on other hand, offered no such likelihoods.

“So what do we do now, Detective? I don’t think any of us just wants to sit around and wait for word,” Regina said, the urgency in her voice lost on none of them.

Robin nodded, and his face twisted wryly. “I know it’s a difficult situation. My advice is to head back to Storybrooke. I have a feeling Henry’s still there somewhere. I know you just got here, Ms. Mills, but…”

“No, it’s fine. If it’s the best thing to do…”

“...then we’ll do it,” finished Emma.