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okkotsuus · 4 months ago

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"YOU'RE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE DAY I LOST YOU" (katsuki b.) !

features: katsuki bakugo

contents: fantasy au. angst. hurt/comfort/more hurt. mutual pining. barabrian!katsuki. fem!reader. childhood friends to lovers to strangers to lovers again. kidnapping. grief. crying. implied panic attack. major character death. no beta we die like men. 3.9k

notes: i've been yearning desperately to make bakugo say stoick's famous line from httyd2 (my second favorite movie)... if there's interest i'm considering continuing this into the canon verse with it being these two 'reincarnated'.

tagging: @saexy (for enabling and encouraging me in killing off characters) & @meristryker (for enabling me in the gc like a real one)

never in all his life did the great katsuki bakugo think that he would ever love someone enough that he could die. watching the loving smiles of his parents, the gentle caress of his father's hand to soothe his mother's unbridled anger: it made his stomach churn.

yet, at the tender age of seven, while on a trip to a nearby village to discuss the war shifting on the horizon, he finds himself absolutely smitten by their chieftain's daughter. wide e/c eyes peeking out from behind her mother's leg, hands clutching onto the hem of the long skirt.

katsuki finds himself enamoured in that instance, seeing sweet you, looking at the boy with such curious eyes. he stomps over to you: temper even fiery in his youth. his hand grabs onto yours as he hauls you out from behind the safety of your mother.

under the dim candlelight of the meeting room, flickering flames cast dancing rays across your skin. his chubby little face is scrunched into a scowl, tugging you out of the room and into the courtyard with a tenderness that betrayed his expression.

"i'm katsuki and you better not forget it!" his pitchy voice calls, still dragging you behind him. he looks over his shoulder, soft red eyes narrowed in what was an attempt to be intimidating.

but when he sees the relaxing of your eyelids, falling slightly in contentment, with a warm smile that rivals any feeling of victory: the mask of indifference slips in a blink of an eye. red dusts over the slops of his face, baby-fat painted the same carnelian as his eyes. his small hand grips tighter onto yours, as if he never would let you go.

your chubby little face stretches as your smile widens into a toothy grin, eyes crinkling at the corners. "got it, katsuki, i'm y/n!" he swears your voice is just like the lullaby his mother would hum while rocking him to sleep, bringing a rush of warmth through his chest.

that day, katsuki bakugou falls terribly in love with y/n l/n.

the two of you are deemed inseparable, hands always connecting like opposing poles of a magnet. pinkies intertwined stronger than any woven cloth. it's as pure and innocent as it can be.

if one were to see y/n, then it was irrevocably certain that katsuki was a few steps away. it sends rumors spiralling through the lands that there will be a union between the bakugo barbaricum and l/n dynasty. you're only eight when there's an attempt made for your hand.

the thought of two families as powerful as you and katsuki's joining was a fearful thing to many. it spelled doom for many weaker civilizations, those who had dug their own graves with their actions.

your family, blessed be you to have been born to loving parents in a world such as this, easily rejects the many proposals. the l/n dynasty is in a state of power where they are not forced to fend for their village: allowing you this freedom.

running through the streets of his stronghold, chasing each other for the sake of some game that was the farthest thing from either of your minds. katsuki feels whole when you are at his side. the world doesn't seem so ugly, he doesn't feel so angry, everything sings the hymns of the heavens.

he can't pull his ruby eyes off of your form by the age of fifteen. the katsuki you had known, baby-faced with a slight stutter, has began to fill out into a man. his shoulders broaden and begin to carry thick cords of muscle. the chubbiness of his cheeks begins to give rise to sharper angles. his whiny voice is pushed aside by a more gravelly tone. he shoots up like a sprout, hunching over slightly in faces that used to fit him so easily.

but he isn't the only one who is growing into his frame. your shoulders soften at the corners, collarbones visible with every slight movement. your baby fat begins to settle and collect on your hips, rounding them. those toothy grins of yours become framed by pretty lips, always looking soft as a pillow. clothes that used to drape over your like a sheet now feel tighter in certain places, stretching over curves that popped up overnight.

the two of you don't know what to do with yourselves, stolen looks when the other isn't looking. you still hook pinkies, but the touch sends flares of heat running up the back of your neck. it's like you were just meeting each other for the first time all over again.

katsuki feels like a damn sap with the way his heart thunders under his skin: threatening to burst out. he's too taken to notice the heat that was rising to your face whenever he was around, the way your hands nervously would grip onto the swaying fabric of your skirt. too blind to see that you were just as infatuated with him as he was with you.

hurried words, lingering touches, sneaking glances, the two of you had every hint of love right in front of your faces. yet, there's a hesitance that lingers in the back of young minds: afraid that falling in love would end up with no one catching them.

unsurprisingly, katsuki is the one who jumps first. it's a quiet night, the moon is high in the sky. his breath puffs out in front of him like smoke, winter beginning to show herself once more.

you looked too beautiful under the soft azure glow that the celestial sky casts upon you, he simply couldn't bear another moment without you known how much his very soul ached for you.

on the eve of his sixteenth birthday he whispers the words like a prayer, voice softened and gentle for once in his life. "y/n... you plague my every waking thought, i cannot let my heart beat any longer without it being yours."

e/c eyes widen as your head snaps to him, lips parting in shock. katsuki beats you to it, rough palms (once baby-soft) cupping your cheek with a tenderness he was unaware he possessed.

the stars illuminate the sunkissed slopes of his cheekbones, showing the fine lashes that fan out over his eyes. katsuki was ethereal, in every sense of the word, it catches your breath in a hitch. your mind stumbles through everything you could say right now, desperately trying to find the perfect response.

but when the pads of his thumbs drag over the apples of your cheeks, leaving a buzz in the wake of his touch, all rational thought leaves as you allow words to flow like a stream. "i have loved you longer than i have known you, katsuki." your voice is hushed, only filling the small space between the two of you: like a secret that only he and you would ever know.

it sends a trill up your spine when his eyes visibly soften, his face had been growing more and more sharp by the day but only when he was with you did the curve of his cheeks soften. he turns back into a boy around you, as you turn back into a girl when held so gently between his hands.

katsuki surges forwards, nose clumsily knocking against yours, teeth colliding with your own. he's inexperienced, never having kissed a girl, much less even though of kissing anyone but you. you both are a mess, giggling softly through messy pecks smearing over each other's faces. it feels like you're both those giddy kids once more, chasing the other through the cobbled streets of your village. he makes your heart sing.

it was even harder to be apart from him now, hands fully clasped together as you walk through the streets of either of your hometowns. yet, no one is surprised. neither of your parents nor his even bat an eye when you announce the courtship at a family dinner.

love is as natural as breathing for you and katsuki. inherently you have always known exactly what the other needs. he knows just how much you like the wildflowers that grow en-route between your homes. you know just how much he likes when you rise on your tiptoes and press a kiss against the corner of his lips.

it's young and dumb, a rush of big emotions and smiles that stretch your cheeks so far they ache. once you both are eighteen, katsuki turns the courtship into a betrothal. an elegant gold ring, with a garnet slotted right in the center, it sits pretty on your ring finger. his band is thicker, small e/c gemstones scattered along the surface. when in battle he loops it through a chain around his neck: pressing a kiss to the ring before charging forwards.

the world has known y/n l/n and katsuki bakugo have been in love for nearly twelve years, official for three, and betrothed for one. the bakugo barbaricum and the l/n dynasty have began making their plans to unify upon the wedding. it sparks a wave of unease in the badlands.

all it takes is an emissary sent from the dark forest for your world to crumble into shambles. a demon who seems to be the land's scourge reincarnated, hand that turn all to ash, pillages your beloved village. he comes in tow with a mimic and a fire mage. destruction rains as you are brought to the center as their singular demand is you.

your eyes lock with the demon's red eyes, a color that had made you feel so safe until now. the hair on the nape of your neck stands pin-straight as his hand extended towards you: palm up.

a flurry of emotions rush through you like a burst dam, memories of katsuki at the forefront. you want to be selfish, to damn him and his band of criminals to hell, to fight back despite the gravity of the situation. but he is bringing terror upon the people you swore to protect with your life.

so, you step forwards, soft hand sliding into his own. never had a rough palm felt like daggers against your skin, never had you so violently despised the way carmine shines in the light of blue flames.

to save your people, your family, the home you have known your entire life: you go. swept away in black mist. the last thing you see of that place is the bakugo horde rushing towards the gates, your eyes lock with katsuki's before the void claims you.

katsuki lets out a guttural scream as her charges head first into the miasma, falling onto the ground as the last wisp flows just through his fingers. his fist slams against the ground, hands gasping at the dirt you had just been on. he allows himself to cry in front of someone other than you, a wail echoing through the ruins of your village.

that day, you disappear off the face of the realm. no matter how many search parties are sent into the dark forests in the badlands, they all return empty-handed (if they return at all). katsuki keep his ring around his neck, so it beats against his bare chest with every movement: like a reminder of how it felt when his heart actually beat .

scars wind around his arms, around his biceps, over his forearms, across his shoulders. his face is hardened, permanent frown on the lips you used to kiss so tenderly. he's angrier than ever, fuse short as his attention span.

he is a shell of the man he had been, going through the motions of survival but never truly being alive.

this persists for a grueling two years. for seven-hundred and thirty days. for seventeen-thousand five-hundred twenty hours. he is separated from the only person that has ever felt like home, the woman he has loved longer than he knew how to read.

he masks it behind his ego, boisterous laugh to hide the ringing in is ears that hadn't been able to stop. he's more violent the field, less forgiving when in training with kirishima. the explosions that thunder from his palms produce a blackened smoke that lingers and settles in his lungs like a fog.

yearning hits him late at night when he lays alone in bed, a bed that you had once shared with him. silent tears pour, running down the sides of katsuki's face as he stares blankly up at the ceiling. his breath feels short as his chest heaves to get air in. the man's mind is clouded with the look on your face as those bastards took you. he can still remember every single little twitch of your expression when you finally saw him. he remembers the way your breath hitched. he remembers the tears that began to pool at the corners of your eyes.

but, most of all, he remembers not seeing you: for what feels like the first time in his life.

katsuki cannot recall when he finally fell asleep, or if he ever even truly did. his dreams are plagued with you anyways, so the line between memory and dream is thin as a tightrope.

he has a dream that he makes it in time to save you and wakes up alone. that one sticks with him for months, hanging over him like a shadow. if he was only a minute sooner, a stride faster, reacted quicker. maybe you would be in his arms right now instead of gods know where.

relief comes in a rumor that circles in a tavern that a woman with h/c hair and e/c eyes was spotted wondering through the dark forest. katsuki doesn't hesitate, he makes no effort to send out a scout party. he rides at dawn, horse hooves beating against the grass in a frenzied gallop as he makes his way into the badlands.

none of the rouges or thieves hope to stand a chance with him, the smart ones don't even try. he vanquishes the less fortunate with a single swing of his cutlass. the man doesn't stop to rest, only to water his horse and allow it to graze while he catches a brief nap.

his horse comes to a stop right outside the dark forests, whinnying in rejection to enter. katsuki doesn't blame the poor thing, this was the kind of place people went with no intention to come back from. he dismounts, not tying his horse off: it would return with a whistle.

the forest is eerie, yawning opening that is reminiscent of a gaping mouth. but he didn't fear. because at this point, he'd rather not come back if it meant he wasn't coming back with you.

footfalls crunching against leaves and sticks echo through the dim lit treeline. the canopy is so thick that it completely obscures the bright sunlight katsuki has just been under: the perfect place for criminals to hide. the trees creak and groan, as if the land itself was breathing and living.

only when he hears the snap of a twig does he stop, his head snaps around, a flash of h/c darting just out of the corner of his visions. the man's heart stops as he stumbles to pursue, not minding the whipping of low handing branches against his face. not when he could see you darting through the underbrush.

he finally sees you in the full when you run into a path dead-ended by brambles. it's really you. y/n, his y/n.

but you look over your shoulder with such a forlorn look it makes his heart ache in his chest. you don't believe that it's really him. "toga, this isn't funny, it's cruel to keep making me see him." your voice is rougher than he remembered, as if your throat had been worn. it makes his fists clench at his sides.

the mimic had been wearing his face, just to torment you?

just the thought of it sends a rage burning deep in his chest. he has no way of knowing what you have been through. katsuki couldn't protect you: like he always feared he would fail to do.

his steps toward you are hesitant, ruby red eyes softening the second he sees your face. his heart is pounding out of his ribs, it makes him wonder if you can hear it.

a rough hand reaches up to roughly tug the chain that held his engagement band around his neck, the links snapping and clattering to the ground. he doesn't even look at it. with a gentleness, he holds out the ring to you.

your eyes dart back between the metal and him, hands tentatively reaching for it. the thundering race of your heartbeat is all you can hear. your hands, once soft, now rough as his bush against his own as you roll the ring between your fingers.

katsuki's heart breaks when he feels the callouses on your fingertips. he lowers slowly to his knees in front of you, tears fighting their way to prick at the corners of his eyes. he looks up at you like you are the light in the world, a goddess before him. in a way, you are, because he had prayed to every deity to hold you again, even if it was only once more.

"you're as beautiful as the day i lost you." his words come out in a rasp. thick emotion coursing through his chest; nearly choking him.

he watched your eyes widen, tears pooling as you too crash onto the ground. your arms wrap tight around his neck, face pressed side-by-side with his own. strong arms encircle your waist in an instant, pressing you closer with an urgency.

"katsuki... oh gods, katsuki..." you don't even know what to say, just repeating his name like a desperate prayer. your cheeks are wet and your chest aches but you don't care, because he's finally here.

lips clash desperately, just as messy as the kiss the two of you first shared five years ago. it's a mess of teeth and tongue as your fingers tangle into ash-blonde hair, his hands finding the back of your head and your hip. he sucks the breath out of you, as if wanting to absorb you into his being.

and you'd let him if he asked.

carmine eyes search for e/c, his hands cupping your cheeks as he pulls back to study your face. it's like you never left. your eyes are tired, there's some grime on your cheeks, a soft scar above your eyebrow that you've had since you were thirteen.

the softest smile spreads on his face, forehead pressing against yours as his lashes flutter shut. katsuki lets out a deep sigh, one he had been holding for nearly two years now.

warmth blooms in your chest as everything finally settles back into place like puzzle pieces. your hearts beat in sync, you draw breath when he exhales, everything is right in the world once more.

but your heart skips a beat as your eyes open to see that cursed white hair with horns peeking out from below it. tomura shigaraki. a wicked smirk on his lips as he's leaned back against a tree, simply watching.

your hands grip tighter onto the back of the shawl draping over katsuki's shoulders, breathing turning shaky and ragged.

no. no. no. they couldn't take this from you. not again. not after how hard you fought to escape the league just at the fleeting chance of being able to see the man you love. this had to be some cruel joke, right? a trick of the light, maybe...

even you aren't naive enough to believe that, your eyes close as you lean against katsuki, head burying into the crook of his neck. your fiddle with his hands to slip the ring back onto it's rightful place on his third finger. a part of you had already resigned to being ripped away again.

after two years with the demon, you learned firsthand what shigaraki was capable of. and you were not going to allow katsuki to find it out as well.

your legs shook as you stood, a weak smile given at your lover's confused look. "i'll always love you, 'suki, you know that." his eyes widen as his head nods, brows furrowing.

"then let me keep you safe."

carnelian irises widen in realization as his head turns to look back, growl ripping from his chest at the sight of the scourge of the realm's protege. his hands immediately reach for the hilt of his sword, explosions popping in his palms.

but you're already beginning to approach. katsuki seizes you in one arm, hauling you away like the day you first met. he runs through the forest with you: knowing that shigaraki would not allow the both of you to leave.

he bounds over winding tree roots, holding you steady and tight against his chest. the impending sense of doom begins to crawl up the back of his neck, but he needs you to be safe.

with you in his arm, he stumbles out of the forest, shrill whistle leaving his lips as the sound of hooves grows closer. with ease he sets you up on the saddle, but he does not join. you realize immediately what is about to happen. "katsuki-"

"no. it's my turn to keep you safe, y/n. i've always loved you, and i always will. in every life i will find you, and in every life, i will protect you." his words bring tears to your eyes as you desperately stake your head, sobs bubbling past your lips.

shigaraki creeps out of the forest and he delivers a harsh smack to the horse's haunches, sending it galloping away. within a second later a hand is reaching through katsuki's chest, mocking laugh against his ear.

"how heroic. i'll make sure you die slow, barbarian."

never in all his life did the great katsuki bakugo think that he would ever love someone enough that he could die.

that was until he lay on the edge of the forest floor, lifeblood leaking from the gaping hole in the center of the chest. but he wasn't anguished: because he died for you, the only person who he would ever love.

okkotsuus 24

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just-jordie-things · 9 months ago

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cinnamon girl - kamo choso

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ 10k follower event special! ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ word count: 17.3k warnings: i think none? summary: the brothers who are your neighbors across the hall settle inside of your heart as if there had been a space inside of it left just for them. more info: neighbors to friends to lovers. super cute big brother/little brother choso and yuji dynamic <3

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

[ there’s things i wanna say to you, but i’ll just let you live // like if you hold me without hurting me, you’ll be the first who ever did // there’s things i wanna talk about, but better not to give // but if you hold me without hurting me, you’ll be the first who ever did ]

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

When she’d first met her neighbors across the hall, (y/n) hadn’t known they were her neighbors. At the time she’d still been new to the building, having only lived there for under a month, and she hadn’t quite found the time (or courage) to introduce herself to the other residents on her floor. Going door to door seemed corny, and she figured over time they’d see each other in passing, but it appeared her floor was rather quiet. Maybe they all worked at odd hours, or from home and never left their apartment, but either way, she’d barely met anyone in the building.

Save for the uppity property manager and a few of the maintenance crew. Neither of which she took much pleasure in interacting with. Neither of which provided much room for forming friendships.

Although one of the maintenance guys who fixed her broken dishwasher would have been more than happy to accept her number, as he’d tried multiple times to leave his personal number in the case of any other ‘emergencies’ as he called them. Now she tried to DIY her way out of any issue the small apartment gave her, just so she could avoid having him sent to her again.

But a month into her lease, she’s still a stranger to what feels like the entire complex, and she’d gone to the mail room to check her mailbox. As usual it was empty, and despite having hoped to make friends when she’d moved to the area, it was a bit of a relief to not have to talk to anyone right now.

That is, until a small person came running into the room. Or, half running half waddling on his chubby legs. When the child wasn’t immediately followed by an adult, (y/n) found herself panicking.

“Uh, hello,” She greeted, with painful awkwardness.

So she wasn’t that great with kids, sue her. She’d never had to interact with small children before, with no kids in her extended family, she didn’t exactly have the experience. Nonetheless, the little boy in the footie pajama tiger costume looked up at her with wide eyes and a wider smile.

There still didn’t seem to be an adult in the area, and her panic kicked up a few notches.

“Is your mommy or daddy around?” She asked, wondering if she needed to put the mail away and notify the proper authorities of this missing child.

Surely someone was missing him- he was downright adorable. With the brightest brown eyes she’s ever seen, a toothy smile that displayed his missing front tooth, and the striped tail of his tiger onesie being wrung around in his little hands- (y/n) had never felt baby fever before, but she imagined it had to be akin to the tightening heartstrings in her chest.

“No,” The boy shakes his head, most of his body following the movement in a small sway. “I don’t have them”

Okay, now she was going to have to do a breathing exercise before she called the police, so that she could remain calm until this missing child was returned home safely.

With a slow exhale, she tucks her mail into her purse before kneeling down before him. It takes her a few moments to try and find the right thing to say, this kid looked no older than five and she just wasn’t equipped to strike up a conversation with a child so young about where their home was. She tries to speak calmly and slowly.

“Are you lost, little tiger?”

Mentally, she cringes at how awkward her voice sounds when she’s trying to be approachable. Does it come across as creepy? Fuck, she hopes not.

But the kid giggles, and shakes his head.

“No, I’m not lost!” He squeals it out with that adorable little kid delight, as if he’s trying to fight a fit of giggles. “I live here! With Choso-nii!”

So he lived with his brother. That explained the no parents thing… sort of. At least enough to calm her racing heart down a bit.

“And where is Choso-nii?” She asks next, praying that at any moment this mystery brother would appear and scoop up this kid before she had to strain through much more interaction. Then again, she hoped no other adults would have to witness the embarrassing way she spoke to kids.

“I don’t know,” The boy shrugs his shoulders. “We were playing hide and seek. He hasn’t found me yet!”

(y/n’s) eyes widen with alarm before she realizes that she should probably keep her expression as neutral as possible, so as not to worry the child. It settles back into a nervous smile before she nods in slow understanding.

“You play hide and seek… out here…?” She asks slowly.

The boy holds both of his hands up to his mouth as he giggles. If she wasn’t so anxious about him being all alone, she would’ve melted at the adorable and squeaky sound.

“Nooo,” He whines out playfully. “I was trying to find a really good hiding spot!” He declares.

Again, (y/n) nods, and gives him a small laugh.

“Well buddy, the mail room isn’t a great spot. It’s all open, see?” SHe gestures around her to the space they’re standing in. “He’s sure to find you right away. Did you leave your apartment?”

The boy nods back at her, but his attention starts to stray as he begins to look around, probably for a better hiding spot.

“Does your brother know you left?”

This time he shakes his head.

(y/n) huffs, and places her hands on her knees.

“What’s your name, kiddo?”

“Itadori Yuji!” The boy declares, his attention back on her as a proud grin covers his face. “I’m five!” He adds, holding out his hand with all five fingers stretched out on display. This time when (y/n) giggles, it’s genuine.

“Itadori Yuji, I’m (y/n),” She introduces softly before tilting her head at him. “I live in the building too. Do you think I could take you back to your brother?”

Yuji frowns.

“But then my turn will be over”

She’s quick on her feet to come up with an excuse to take him back home where he belongs.

“Well… I’m sure I could convince your brother to give you a re-do. Since I messed up your game and all,” She suggests. “Do you think then it would be okay?”

Yuji thinks about it for a minute, humming and looking around the mailroom some more. Once he realizes there’s not a good hiding spot anyways, he gives in, and nods his head.

“Okay!” He agrees, and (y/n) smiles back at him as she stands up again.

“Do you know which apartment is yours, Itadori Yuji?”

“I know which button to push in the elevator!” He tells her, and she figures that’s a good start for now. If knocking on every door is what it took to get him back to his brother, she’d have to accept that.

“Alright then, let’s get to it”

As the pair make their way to the elevator, Yuji pulls the hood of his pajamas over his head. It’s got fluffy little ears to complete the whole costume, and (y/n) can’t help the smile that takes over at the adorable sight.

Yuji’s excited about pushing the buttons in the elevator. He expertly pushes the one with the number for his floor- or at least she hopes it’s the right one- before he pushes the one to close the doors.

“Choso-nii always lets me push the buttons” He tells her matter of factly.

“I can see why. You’ve practically mastered it,” She teases in response, and he seems to take it as the highest form of compliment. It’s then that she takes notice of the floor he’d chosen. “I think you and I live on the same floor, Itadori Yuji”

“Really?” The boy’s eyes light up as if he’d just learned his best friend lived so close- despite them still being strangers in her book. It makes her chuckle as she nods her head at him.

“Really” She affirms.

The first neighbor she meets, and it’s a rowdy five year old boy. Oh well, it could’ve been worse, right?

“That’s so cool! I can’t wait to tell Choso-nii!” Yuji bounces with his giddiness, and it has (y/n) chuckling again.

Even if his brother had lost track of the kid, it was clear that Yuji adored him with how much he brought up his name. (y/n) only hoped that when she returned him, Choso-nii lived up to the first impression his little brother was creating.

“He doesn’t really have any friends,”

Yuji immediately begins to overshare, and now (y/n’s) trying to stifle her laughter as he babbles on about his older brother. He’s chatty for a five year old sharing an elevator ride with a stranger, but (y/n) didn’t mind. The less she had to make awkward small talk, the better.

“But that’s just ce-bause he works a lot. He works really late too. Sometimes past my bedtime. But he doesn’t get in trouble ce-bause he’s a grown up and I’m just a kid. But when I’m a grown up I’m gonna stay up past my bedtime, too!”

A little chuckle slips past her lips just as the elevator dings, and the doors slide open again. Yuji steps out and happily leads the way down the hall. (y/n) hopes his confidence is based in his memory on where he lives.

“He’s really nice though. He should have more friends. But he has me!”

“Is that so?” (y/n) giggles softly as Yuji begins to skip down the hall.

They’ve almost approached her apartment, and her panic begins to crawl back in. Does he really live up here? Does he really live in this building? When he finally plants himself in front of a door, she prays to whoever’s up there that his brother is on the other side.

Glancing behind her to see her own door there, she swallows the lump in her throat. This kid lived right across the hall from her? Her brows are pulled into a pinch, and she’s debating on scooping Yuji up and calling the police to find his proper address, because what are the odds of that?

Maybe she was just paranoid, but she’s on the brink of reaching out to the boy when the door in front of them swings open.

Oh wow, is the first thought on her mind, and she’s lucky her throat went too dry for her to accidentally let them slip off her tongue, too.

The man that stood in the doorway couldn’t have been more than a couple years older than her- which she wasn’t expecting- but more surprisingly, he’s the most handsome man she’s ever laid her eyes on.

With a tall stature and broad shoulders, he nearly took up the entire doorway with his body. He was wearing a hoodie and sweats, but she could tell that he was well built under his clothes. From his size alone, she could conclude that, but there was also a certain aura about him that told her he was strong. Not to mention, with fair skin and dark hair swept into two messy buns, he was just so pretty she couldn’t tear her eyes off of him. There was a thin black line tattooed over the bridge of his nose and across his cheekbones that stood out on his pale skin, and she stared at it too long to be deemed appropriate, but she just couldn’t help herself. He was the most mesmerizing person she’s ever seen.

She’s stunned so thoroughly that she just stands there with her lips sealed and her eyes blinking wide.

Yuji, on the other hand, is overwhelmingly delighted.

“Choso-nii!” He cheers, leaping towards his brother and clinging onto the hem of his sweatshirt.

“I was just going to come look for you, booger,” Choso finally speaks and (y/n’s) struck with a mixture of relief from the confirmation that this was Yuji’s proper home, and a sudden heat in her chest from hearing his deep voice.

The man places a hand on top of Yuji’s head, smushing down the ears on his hood as he tilts his head back so he could stare down at him sternly.

“You don’t leave the house like that,” He scolds in a gentle voice, clearly more concerned than anything. “You know that”

“I was still in the building,” Yuji pouts. “And (y/n)-san found me,”

Before Choso can ask who he means, it strikes him that the woman who’d been at the door with his little brother was still standing there. She throws her hand up in an awkward wave, still too starstruk to speak. Also perhaps a bit intimidated from having to explain herself to the handsome stranger- who happened to be her neighbor.

Before she could properly introduce herself, or find her voice, Yuji’s pulling away from his brother and reaching for (y/n’s) hand. He tugs on it as he stares up at her with pleading eyes.

“C’mon (y/n)-san, tell him, tell him!”

Choso eyes his brother with a peculiar narrow to his eyes, before shifting his gaze upwards, towards the girl who’s quietly laughing and pulling Yuji’s hand off of her own gently.

“Right…” She murmurs down at him, before turning towards his older brother. “Well, I must request that you give Yuji a re-do on his round of hide and seek,”

Choso blinks, his eyes widening in just the slightest. Enough for (y/n) to realize there was a slight violet hue in the darkness of them. Her heart skips a beat- has she ever seen violet in a person’s eyes before? Certainly not. She has to clear her throat before continuing.

“You see, I made him end his round early,” She continues, trying to bite back the grin that threatens to take over her features as she takes responsibility for the game being ended so abruptly. “Completely my fault”

A breath of a laugh escapes him, before his lips part and he smiles between her and his brother and fully laughs.

“I see,” He hums. “You can have a redo on one condition”

“Anything!” Yuji wailed out dramatically

“The game stays inside the apartment. Got it?”

“Okay!” Yuji agrees to the rule right away, throwing himself at his brother again to wrap his arms around him in a display of his gratitude. He giggles as he looks up at his beloved big brother. “I’m gonna go scout hiding spots while you talk to (y/n)-san!”

Before anything more could be said, Yuji’s darting back inside the apartment. Even with the footie pajamas, his stomps as he roams around looking for small places he could fit could be heard by the pair at the door.

“Scouting is cheating!” Choso hollers behind him, but when he’s met only with Yuji’s giggling, he figures it’s probably a lost cause already, and turns back to where his little brother’s not-as-little friend is still hovering in the hall. His adam’s apple bobs as he swallowed thickly, trying to cure the dry spell on his throat before he speaks again. “Thank you for helping him get back. I’m, uh, sorry if he was trouble”

“Oh, he was no trouble at all,” She says easily, because it’s the truth. She tries not to focus on the purple in his eyes as she jerks her thumb over her shoulder. “I actually live across the hall, so if anything he walked me home like a tiny gentleman”

She laughs off her nerves as she pulls on the strap of her bag, clutching it close to her chest. It’s a relief when he quietly chuckles too.

“I’m Kamo Choso, by the way” He says, stepping out of the doorway just enough to extend his hand to her. She hesitates before taking it, and he wonders if he’s imagining things or if she really was blushing from the simple handshake.

“(y/l/n) (y/n),” She replies softly. “Nice to meet you”

She hadn’t thought Choso would take Yuji seriously when he was instructed to talk to her, but to her surprise he leans back against his door frame and takes it upon himself to strike up a conversation. It’s nothing too exciting, but it was more than she was expecting, and it still has butterflies tickling in her stomach.

“How long have you been in the building?”

“About a month,” She answers. “Pretty sure you’re the first person I’ve met that actually counts, though”

“That actually counts?” His brow raises.

“Would you count the landlord and the maintenance crew?” She asks, a slight smirk tugging on the corner of her lips. It draws another chuckle out of him, and he has to nod his head in agreement. “Well, I should let you get back to your game,” She shuffles backward, her hands relaxing on the strap of her bag as she reaches her side of the hall. “I’m glad I met you both, though” She adds in a moment of bravery before she’s fishing for her key.

“Me too-”

“Choso-nii! Time to cooount!” A little voice hollers from inside his apartment, sending him whirling around to scold Yuji for being too loud when the door is open and all of their neighbors could surely hear his screeching.

(y/n’s) already slipped inside her door and shut it again when he turns back again. He’s disappointed, even if he didn’t know what else to say, he would’ve liked to talk to her a little bit longer. With a huff, he hopes they’ll cross paths in the hall sometime soon, before he heads after his brother.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

After a few more rounds of hide and seek where Choso had to pretend he hadn’t seen Yuji’s tail poking out from under the couch, or his padded clawed feet from beneath the swaying curtains, he decides it’s time to make them both lunch.

And in the midst of perfecting his craft at grilled cheeses, he thinks he might as well press his kid brother for some more information about their supposed new neighbor.

“Your new friend seemed pretty nice” He tested the waters, keeping his focus on the stove while Yuji did a coloring page at the counter across from him.

“(y/n)-san?” He asks, grinning right away. Out of the corner of his eye, Choso can see that he began to kick his feet back and forth. “She’s really nice! I like her a lot”

“Mhm” Choso hums back, poking the sandwich around with a spatula to test if it was ready to flip yet. Yuji watches his big brother curiously.

“Did you like her too, Choso-nii?”

“I said she seemed nice” Choso chuckles, glancing over at Yuji for just a moment before focusing on the stove again.

“Well, good. Ce-bause I told her you didn’t have friends, so maybe she could be your friend”

Choso nearly chokes on air as he turns to Yuji again, a wince of a smile on his face. Yuji’s grinning, of course, because he’s five and had all the best intentions in making sure his big brother had companionship, but Choso can’t help but worry that he’d killed his chances of getting to know her better. She probably thought he was a creepy loner now.

“You… told her I didn’t have friends?” He repeats, hoping maybe the context will make things better. Maybe Yuji hadn’t said exactly that.

“Yep!” The boy responds, popping his lips with certainty before tucking away the green crayon he was using.

Choso tries to hide the curl in his lip as he turns off the stove and plates the grilled cheese. Relying on a five year old to be a decent wingman was too tall of an ask, he realizes. Yuji’s cuteness could only carry him so far… if only he wasn’t such a blabbermouth.

“Well, hopefully she’ll still like me then” He mutters as he sets the plate in front of his brother. Yuji beams as he thanks him, taking a large bite before going back to his coloring sheet.

Unbeknownst to Choso, Yuji held onto that little comment in his memory.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

To his luck, he happens to run into (y/n) just a week later.

He and Yuji were waiting at the elevator, with Yuji being a little more whiny than usual. Choso had actually been praying for the doors to open faster so that he could get the two of them out of this building before his younger brother had a meltdown.

It wasn’t often that Yuji misbehaved. He was a really good kid, who responded well to rules and structure, and was always polite where he needed to be. He could get rowdy, and maybe he was more chatty with strangers (especially cute ones that live across the hall) than Choso would have liked, but he was a respectful little five year old with a good heart, and he wouldn’t ask anything more.

Except for today.

“But I don’t like her house. It stinks. And there’s too much cat hair!” Yuji whines. He’s not being loud, but he’d had the whiny voice for the better part of an hour now, and Choso was starting to go a little crazy.

“I thought you loved Adelaine-san’s cats” He reminds him gently.

Truthfully, Choso wasn’t a fan of Yuji’s current babysitter either. She was nice enough, but she overcharged, and she never seemed to feed Yuji food he actually liked- resulting in Choso having to pick up fast food on the way home every time he picked him up from babysitting. However, she was the closest sitter to them, and she didn’t mind keeping Yuji late when Choso worked nights- which was often.

“I do, but there’s so many Choso-nii,” Yuji pouts up at his big brother. “Gets stuck on my clothes”

Despite being irritated with the whiny attitude, Choso can’t help but give his kid brother a small smile. What five year old cared about fur sticking to clothes? Yuji was something special.

“Well, you can’t come with me to work-”

Finally, the doors opened, but before the brothers could step in, (y/n) was stepping out. With arms full of bags of groceries- almost a comical amount of bags.

“(y/n)-san!” Yuji cheered after seeing his long lost friend. (It had been a week)

Despite her obvious struggling with her things, Yuji threw himself at her, eager for a hug. Choso was quick to grab him by the hood of his truck-themed sweatshirt, reeling him back before he could make the poor girl drop her things.

“Let me help you” He offered, already reaching for the handles of the bags lower on her wrists.

“Oh, you don’t have to, I made it this far-” She starts to deny the offer, but Yuji’s piping up before she could finish.

“I’ll help too!” Yuuji declared, following his big brother’s example and taking two bags, one in each hand.

“Be careful with those, Yuji,” Choso says quietly. “That’s food, you need to be gentle, like how we carry bread, remember?”

Yuji nods affirmatively, already marching back down the hallway towards their doors. Choso hopes he doesn’t think he can sneak back home with this little act of service.

“Thank you,” (y/n) chuckles as Choso loads his arms up with her bags. “I don’t believe in making multiple trips”

“Yeah, I gathered that,” He replies, smirking to himself as he did a quick count of all the bags between them. What the hell did she need all these groceries for? Does she let her pantry run out before she makes a trip? “Caught you at the right time though, huh?”

“You did,” She muses, digging a free hand into her pocket for her key. Yuji was patiently waiting at her door, and she made sure to greet him with a big smile. “And how have you been, Itadori Yuji?” She asks, unlocking the door and pushing it open with her hip. To her amusement, Yuji strolled right into her apartment.

“Terrible, (y/n)-san!” He cries out.

“Yuji, you can’t just walk into people’s-”

“It’s alright,” (y/n) giggles before Choso could scold his brother for inviting himself into her home. “Please, come in. He’s just trying to help, can I get you boys something to drink?”

“No, that’s alright, thank you, I actually-”

Choso’s interrupted again, but this time by his nosy brother, who’s set the grocery bags down on the kitchen floor before marching back over to them and putting his hands on his hips.

“He’s making me go to the babysitter,” He whines to (y/n), who raises her brows as she nods back at him, taking him quite seriously- much to Choso’s dismay. “I hate the babysitter!”

Choso rolls his eyes as he’s setting his armful of bags on the counter.

“We don’t hate,” He says softly, but Yuji’s pout only worsens, before he gives (y/n) his best puppy dog eyes. Choso sighs as he turns to (y/n). “On Thursdays and Fridays I work at a bar, so he can’t come,” He explains quietly. She nods at him too, giving him the same level of her understanding and attention. If he wasn’t starting to run late, he would have reveled in it a little longer, just because it was cute. “He thinks it’s the end of the world, but it’s not. It’s only for a few hours-”

“It’s torture, (y/n)-san!” Yuji reaches out to her, and on instinct she finds herself crouching down, returning his dramatic pout.

“Oh it sounds like torture!” She cries back. For a moment, Yuji seems taken aback by the behavior, but he just as quickly lights up, and reaches towards her again.

“Can I stay here with you instead!?” He asks, already grinning ear to ear from the idea, before she’d even given him her approval.

“Yuji,” Choso sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. What was it with his little brother and overstepping when it came to her? “I’ve already called Adelaine-san, she’s expecting us” He says pointedly.

Yuji frowns, and this time it’s not like the baby faced pout he made before. It’s a genuine disappointment in being told he had to go.

“I don’t mind,” (y/n) says softly, tilting her head to look up at Choso, waiting for him to decide whether or not he was alright with that. “I can look after him for a while. Then you don’t have to make an extra stop on your way home, we’ll be right here” She suggests.

Yuji’s grinning again in no time, bouncing on his feet before rushing over to his brother and clinging onto his pant leg.

“Please Choso-nii! Pleeaaase?” He whines, and somehow it’s more irritating than before.

(y/n) chuckles as she stands, stepping a little closer to speak under her breath, while Yuji was still whining and bouncing and not paying attention.

“Only if you’re okay with it, of course,” She says. “I understand if you’re more comfortable with-”

“You’d really be alright to take him for tonight?” He asks her, eyes flickering between hers.

She presses her lips together as she nods, trying to will herself not to get lost in his pretty dark eyes.

“Just for a few hours,” He repeats his earlier mention, and she nods again. “You’re sure?”

“She’s sure! She’s sure!” Yuji screeches, still pulling on Choso’s leg and waiting for the confirmation that he didn’t have to go to the smelly cat house.

“Alright… fine,” Choso agrees, and Yuji’s full on jumping now. Choso only hoped he wasted off this excess energy so he was calm and good for (y/n) the rest of the night. “But you have to be good. If (y/l/n) has any problems she’ll tell me, and then it’s cat hair for the rest of your life, got it booger?”

Yuji nods his head up and down repeatedly, so much so they’re surprised it doesn’t give him a head rush.

“I’ll be good! I’ll be so good!” He promises. Choso smiles, reaching a hand down to mess up his hair affectionately.

“I’ll give you my number, in case you change your mind, or if he… breaks something, or something” Choso mutters, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

(y/n) does the same, they swap, each plug in their contact, then swap back with shy smiles.

“I’m sure he’ll be lovely,” She tells him. “Don’t worry about us, I have a lot of movies. Maybe I’ll make him a big dinner and put him to sleep”

The corner of his mouth tilts into a smirk.

“Works like a charm every time,” He murmurs. “But I gotta get going, I don’t want to be too late”

“Of course” She nods, headed towards the pile of grocery bags on her kitchen counter.

“I’m usually out around one, but if it’s any later I’ll text you, alright? Or- should I call?” He’s walking back towards the door, but he hesitates as he waits on her answer.

“Either works,” (y/n) shrugs with a small smile. “Have a good night!”

It’s stupid, but his face feels warm as he lingers at the door just a few seconds longer, before he nods back at her.

“You too, (y/l/n). And thank you”

Once he leaves and the door is shut behind him, (y/n) has to shake her head to rid the silly fluttery feeling in her chest.

“Well,” She flattens her hands over the front of her pants, smoothing down the nonexistent wrinkles, before she turns to Yuji with a smile. “How about while I put these groceries away, you let me know if you see anything you like and I’ll get started on that for dinner, hm?”

“Did you get the dinosaur shaped macaroni?” Yuji asked hopefully.

(y/n) winces as she glances over her bags of produce, bread, and regular-shaped pastas.

“I… did not” She admits, and she actually feels a bit bad about being underprepared. Even though she’d only taken on this babysitting gig five minutes ago.

“That’s okay,” Yuji shrugs. “I like all sorts of things!”

And he’s not wrong. As she puts away the boundless groceries, Yuji points out all sorts of things he likes. Fruits, veggies, he didn’t seem like a picky kid at all. (y/n) actually found herself impressed by his wide palette.

“Choso-nii makes all sorts of stuff” Is what Yuji says when she compliments him on his taste.

“He’s a good cook, huh?”

“Very good!” Yuji tells her. “Maybe next time he’s not working you can eat with us, instead!”

The insinuation has her cheeks flaring up with color and heat, but she politely agrees and tells him she would like that.

The rest of the night goes without a hitch. Yuji teaches her how to play crazy 8s- even though the rules were simple and she’d memorized them when she was his age- and they play that while chatting over everything and nothing for a long while. Yuji tells her all about his best friend Megumi. Then when he runs out of things to say about him he talks about his favorite subjects, his favorite color, and that starts a long conversation about his favorite everything.

It’s obvious he tires himself out with all his chatting, so it’s not long after that when (y/n) shows him her movie collection and lets him pick one out. It takes him some time, as he treats this task with the utmost importance. He couldn’t make a bad choice, of course. (y/n) doesn’t mind. She’s come to shed the awkward layers and has learned exactly how to talk to Yuji.

She’s learned that taking everything he says to be completely serious and dive into a conversation about it as if he were anyone else seemed to do the trick. Yuji liked to talk, and he had plenty to say. Like how squeaky the swing sets were at school, and how he disliked when people used them because of it. He was kind, and he was entertaining. He was certainly the best company she’d taken up in a while.

When he picks the movie he settles in on her couch, cozying up in the fluffy blanket she’d grabbed for him, and he tells her that he picked one of his favorites.

The entire first half, Yuji is on the edge of his seat. Both from watching his favorite animated movie, and also from watching (y/n’s) every reaction to it. It started to grow on her, so eventually she really started to do up her reactions to every little scene.

At the halfway point she made him a big bowl of popcorn and only stole a handful of it when he wasn’t looking just to get a giggly reaction out of him.

Before she knew it, with a full belly, a cozy blanket, and his favorite movie, Yuji was dozing off on the couch.

As quietly as she could, (y/n) got to work cleaning up the kitchen. Although with how much energy Yuji had spent earlier in the night, he was sleeping as hard as a rock.

With nothing but time to spare, she decided now was as good a time as any to catch up on some reading. So once everything was clean again, she settled in on the couch, tucked the blanket around Yuji, and got to reading.

She lost hours until her phone buzzed with a notification.

[ kamo choso ] : just got out, will be by in twenty minutes or so

She liked the message so he knew she was still up and saw it. She kept the chat open for a few more minutes, contemplating sending a message back. sounds good! or he was great, out like a light! But the longer she hesitated the more she felt like too much time had passed, and it would be embarrassing to send a text. So she didn’t.

She wasn’t able to focus much on reading after that.

Choso knocked on the door not too much later, twenty minutes to be exact, just like he said. She tiptoes her way to the door, and smiles upon finding a very tired looking Choso on the other side. The circles under his eyes look a little bit darker, his hair is starting to fall from his already messy buns, and he looks like he’s struggling to keep his eyes open. Regardless, he lifts his head and gives her a small smile when she opens the door.

“Hey,” He hums. “How was it?”

“It was fun, actually,” She whispers back, checking over her shoulder to make sure Yuji was still sound asleep. “He’s a really great kid. You must be doing all sorts of things right”

Her eyes crinkle when she smiles up at him, and for a moment- and maybe for the first time- Choso nearly forgot about Yuji. He’s not sure anyone’s ever looked at him with the soft, sweet look that she’s looking at him with now. He gets lost for a moment, practically drifting off right before her.

“Oh- you’re exhausted, come in,” (y/n) mistakes his look for tiredness, and steps out of the way to let him in. “Yuji’s still sleeping on the couch. He’s a hard sleeper, huh?”

“Very, yeah. Building had a fire drill a few months back while he was having a nap. Slept through the whole thing”

(y/n) giggles to herself as Choso approaches the sofa, smiling at how content his kid brother seemed to be while curled up in the blanket, sound asleep. He was careful as he stooped over to scoop him up. It took some help from (y/n’s) part seeing as one of his hands had an iron grip on the blanket, but eventually he was free of the fluffy restraint, and Choso had him settled against his shoulder with ease. As expected, Yuji remained asleep.

“Oh, I can’t believe I almost forgot,” Choso shifts Yuji to be held up by one arm so he had a free hand to reach into his pocket. “I definitely owe you for this, what do you think is fair?”

“Oh, no,” (y/n) shakes her head back at him. “You don’t have to pay me, it was no trouble at all”

“You don’t have to say that, really, how much-?”

“I don’t have to say it, I mean it,” (y/n) assures him. “Really, he was a perfect kid. I’d… I’d happily do it again, if you ever need” She offers, a nervous smile playing on her lips.

“Okay,” He returns the smile, but he still hesitates with his wallet in his hand. “You’re sure I can’t give you something though? At least pay you back for the food?”

“I’m sure” She has to bite down on her cheek to keep her laughter from ringing out too loudly.

Slowly, she follows him back to the door. It’s later than she’s usually up, and she’s so tired that she’s sure she’ll pass out as soon as her head hits her pillow, but still she lingers at the door with him, waiting for him to say anything else.

“Well, then I can’t thank you enough. I really appreciate it, (y/l/n). Yuji did as well, I’m sure”

“I think he did. I hope, at least,” She murmurs, smiling fondly at how cozy Yuji seemed to be sleeping on his brother. “And you can call me (y/n), by the way” She adds, almost as an afterthought.

Choso swallows the lump in his throat, nodding back at her as he waits for his voice to return to him.

“Alright,” He murmurs, finally crossing the threshold of her doorway. “Good night then, (y/n)”

Her heart is racing at a million miles an hour. She fears it might shoot straight out of her chest like a bullet.

“Good night” She manages to murmur back as he crosses the hall, and she shuts the door behind him.

A sigh escapes her, and she realizes that she’d been holding her breath until she’s alone in her apartment again.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Things take off after that first time she babysat Yuji.

Occasional drop offs turned into frequent visits. Yuji often wanted to stop by (y/n’s) apartment after Choso picked him up from school, eager to tell her about his day. Whether Megumi brought snacks for lunch again because his caretaker had a sweet tooth, or if he wanted to show her that he learned how to do a cartwheel, there was always something. Yuji was bountiful in excuses to go across the hall.

And to his delight, (y/n) ate it up. She watched him more and more while Choso was at work, or running an errand that Yuji didn’t feel like tagging along to because suddenly he wanted to do his homework at (y/n’s) instead. Choso had a habit of always double checking with her beforehand, sending her a quick text to see if she was even free. And it seemed that every time, her door was open. There was never a time where she turned them down.

She became Yuji’s regular babysitter, and after a while it barely even felt like babysitting. His drawings and coloring pages decorated her fridge, he’d often leave a few toys behind, figuring he’d play with them the next time he was over, and he always used the same fluffy blanket when he’d be over late while Choso worked.

It was safe to say Yuji had grown attached to her, and fast. Even when he wasn’t at her place, he wouldn’t shut up about it at home. Not that Choso minded, he liked hearing about (y/n’s) day through Yuji’s eyes. He got to learn all sorts of cute little things about her that way.

While Yuji had been spending more and more time with their neighbor, Choso couldn’t exactly say the same. He chatted with her in passing, usually at dropoff and pickup, and he tried to text her more- funny Yuji-isms he heard throughout the day, memes, offers to leave money for dinner for the two of them- and even though she was always receptive over text, reacting to every image and responding to every message, it just didn’t feel like enough.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

“Choso-nii, do you have a crush on (y/n)-san?” Yuji asked him one day, seemingly out of the blue.

They’re in the grocery store, where Yuji’s filling up the cart with junk, even from his booster seat in the cart. Choso does a double take at his younger brother, as if the question registered a second late.

“What?” Is all he can muster.

Yuji blinks back at him.

“Do you have a crush on her?” He repeated himself, tilting his head and widening his eyes as he studied his big brother.

“Wh-why do you ask that?” He stammers over his words, although he wishes he would have reacted a little more coolly. Did she say something? Did he give something away? Where in the world would Yuji pick up on that?

“I dunno,” Yuji shrugs. “Ce-bause you should”

Choso forgets the cereal boxes he was looking at, turning all of his attention to his little brother, since now he deemed this conversation required all of it.

“I should, huh?” He repeats curiously. “What’s that mean, booger?”

“She’s nice,” Yuji says bluntly, and Choso laughs softly at the reasoning. “And funny. And a good cook,”

He continues to list all of his own favorite qualities of (y/n), sure that most of these reasons are perfect enough for his big brother to have romantic feelings for her. At five years old, the most Yuji knew about romance was that the prince kissed the princess and everyone was happy, but it was a decent start. He only wanted that same happiness for his big brother- and (y/n)-san- after all.

“She has a lot of movies. And she’s really pretty”

Choso smiles at his brother, finally settling on a brand of cereal and tossing it into the cart behind him.

“That so?” He asks teasingly. “You sure you don’t have a little crush, booger?”

“No!” Yuji squeals and begins to giggle. His cheeks are red just from the accusation, and Choso can’t help but laugh at the display. “She’s too old, Choso-nii!”

“Right answer,” Choso remarked, pushing the cart out of the aisle and weaving into the next one. “But why the sudden interest, hm?”

“Well…” Yuji drawled, glancing around the aisles to avoid his brother’s eyes. “If you had a crush on her, and she had a crush on you, then you could live together, and we could get an even bigger house, with more toys, and we could eat all our breakfasts and dinners together, and watch movies together, and get a dog-”

“Woah, woah, woah, you’re laying way too much on me, bud,” Choso chuckles, but he can’t deny that his face was starting to feel warm from all the conclusions Yuji was jumping to. They were too wholesome for him to take. “A dog?”

“A puppy!” Yuji declares.

To Choso’s luck, conversation steers in the direction of pets, and he spends the rest of their errand explaining why they weren’t getting a dog- or any animal for that matter. Even if Yuji makes a convincing argument about how cute it’d be.

It’s better, though, because Choso needed some time to recover, and figure out exactly how he’d move out of this crushing stage. If Yuji had taken notice of it- in his own odd way- then surely (y/n) had to feel it to some degree too, right?

He just needed to find a good window to ask her out, and take her out properly. Not just a quick coffee in the morning when Yuji wanted to come over for a bit. A real date, outside of the building.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Choso finds that chance one afternoon after swinging by her apartment so Yuji could tell (y/n) all about his day at school. She’s prepared him a snack today, celery sticks with peanut butter smeared down the middle. She offered him the raisins to make the ants, but Yuji politely declined, seeing as he doesn’t eat bugs. She doesn’t argue, simply pops the raisins into her own mouth as she listens to him ramble on and on.

As Yuji drags on his storytelling as long as he can, Choso’s sat at the counter, stealing a celery stick or two that Yuji wasn’t eating while he rambled away. He’d grown used to his brother’s chatty nature, but he was always surprised how (y/n) was able to sit through it with her full attention. She never zoned out, and never missed a detail. In fact, she would ask him more questions to prompt him into talking more. It was so endearing that Choso can’t help but smile as he watches her interact with Yuji so wholeheartedly.

It takes a grand total of twenty five minutes before Yuji’s done with all his stories for the day. Choso sends him off to their apartment with his backpack, telling him to get started on his homework, and he’d be over in a few minutes. Yuji doesn’t find the instruction odd at all, happy to get started on his worksheet for the night.

(y/n), however, gives Choso a puzzled look as he stays behind in her apartment.

“Is everything alright?” She asks on impulse.

While they had talked many times before, and she wouldn’t call him a stranger, this was the first time they were left completely alone, and she was all too aware of that fact.

“Yeah, yeah of course,” He chuckles at her knee jerk reaction to worry. “I just… wanted to thank you. Again”

She still has a puzzled look on her face as she leans against the counter, waiting for a better explanation.

“Thank me?” She repeats softly. “For what?”

“For all your help, with Yuji,” Choso explains. “For the babysitting, and dinners, and… and ants on a log,” He chuckles as his gaze drifts off to the leftover snacks on the counter. “Our mom passed before Yuji could even get to know her, and I’ve… been doing this for so long it just sort of feels like it’s always just been the two of us, you know?”

(y/n) hums quietly, keeping her response to a small nod. Choso’s never opened up about their family history before, and Yuji was only five and never seemed to question his brother’s custody over him, so it wasn’t like (y/n) had ever heard anything like this before.

She wants him to know that she’s listening, that she’d always be here to help the both of them, because she’d grown to care for them both so much.

“But it’s been nice… your help, I mean,” Choso goes on. “Yuji likes you a lot, a really lot, he never shuts up about you”

She chuckles at that, the mood lightening again.

“Really?” She asks quietly, as if the boy could hear from across the hall.

“Yeah,” Choso’s eyes widen with the flair. “But I’m glad, you know, that he has you. Someone that’s not me for him to hang out with and talk to”

“I am too,” She replies sweetly, a smile stretching across her face. “He’s a really special kid, you’re quite lucky”

His heart warms up so much he doesn’t think he could take it.

“I know not everyone sees it that way,” He thinks aloud. “Most people tend to look at us and… want to leave,”

The smile on her face begins to falter, but (y/n) tries to keep her expression neutral. She’d never thought much about what other people thought about Choso and Yuji. Why should she care? She knew them both well enough to know that they were happy, and that Choso was more than capable as his brother’s guardian.

Then his wording dawns a new thought on her. Did people walk out of his life because of Yuji? The idea makes her sick. It makes her stomach twist and her heartstrings pull tight. Friends? Partners? Was Yuji such a dealbreaker that he couldn’t even have companionship?

She feels awful now, crushing on him so immaturely, not taking into account all the possible pasts he’d had with other people that had gone poorly because he had a kid to put to bed at a certain time.

Tears prick the corners of her eyes, but she’s determined not to let a single one fall.

“Anyways,” Choso clears his throat, laughing nervously as he looks back up at her again. “I just think it’s important that you know how glad I am- that- that we both are- to have you around” He finishes with a small smile, his nerves eating away at his insides.

“Of course,” She mumbles back, her throat tightening up too much for her to speak any louder. “Like I said, Yuji’s a special kid. I want to be good to him,” She says, a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth as she tries to feign joy, even with a heavy heart. Then, she says, “And I want to be a good friend to you, too”

His nerves come crashing down on him in an instant. It piles up and morphs into something else entirely- something worse. Dread.

He hopes that his expression remains neutral as he holds eye contact with her. His mind battles itself as he tries to come up with what to say next. They both sit there for a few painfully silent seconds as Choso weighs his options.

If he were a smoother man, one who was better with his words, he would’ve taken his chance. He would’ve articulated all of his thoughts in just the right way and let her know that he was starting to harbor a crush on her that was reaching embarrassing levels. He’d crack a joke to lighten the mood after the confession, and then invite her out for a drink, or dinner- hell, maybe even both.

Those few seconds seemed to last too long but went by quick all at once. The fact of the matter was that she was good for them. She was good for Yuji, attentive and loving and so, so patient. It was clear that she cared for him, and Yuji never hesitated to voice how much he enjoyed (y/n’s) companionship.

Choso was sure if he were to cross the wrong line now, he’d not only create an awkward tension with his neighbor, but also ruin the good thing that Yuji had going as well. She was some idealized morph of a babysitter and a friend for him, someone he could go to when he needed help with homework, or to show her the toy he picked out with his allowance. And at the end of the day, Choso wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he did something to take that away.

So he swallowed whatever he was going to say, gave (y/n) a small smile, and nodded his head back at her.

“You are a good friend” He finally answers her with quiet agreement.

She assumes he’s a bit embarrassed to say something so corny, so she lets out a little laugh and begins to clean up the snack dishes off the counter. Choso lingers around her place a little longer until he can’t take it anymore, bidding her goodbye with the request that she makes more snacks for their visits.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Despite Choso’s adamant attempts at convincing his little brother that he didn’t see (y/n) as anything other than a friend, Yuji was never fully convinced. Choso wasn’t sure what it was that made Yuji so sure that there was something between them- one sided or otherwise- but he was relentless about it. Any time they saw her in passing, as soon as he was alone with his big brother, Yuji would make some comment or another about it.

In the boy’s defense, the two were spending a lot more time around each other these days. (y/n) had taken Choso’s words to heart and began preparing an after school snack every day, so when Yuji popped by for his usual visit, Choso was always in tow. No matter what she’d prepared he was all over it. A package of fruit snacks or homemade banana muffins, Choso was accepting the snack as if it were a bountiful harvest.

The brothers seemed to stay longer and longer in the passing weeks, and soon these visits became routine. It didn’t take long, just under a month before Yuji was committed to making it an everyday occurrence. But what began as a quick visit for a snack and then to jabber on to (y/n) about his day at school soon turned into something else, too.

Yuji would move on, often sitting on the floor at (y/n’s) little coffee table to do his homework, and Choso would hang out in her kitchen for a bit longer so they could catch up on the events Yuji was less than interested in. Her work, his work, and anything that came to mind at all to keep the conversation from ceasing. There were some days Choso overstayed his welcome so much that Yuji would want to go back to their apartment, and Choso would still stay longer at (y/n’s), drinking two more cups of tea than he would’ve liked, but any excuse to sit with her at the counter a little bit longer.

And then one day, he’d struck gold.

“I’m sorry it’s so hot in here, I’ve got the windows cracked but without a breeze it doesn’t really do much,” (y/n) had apologized in passing as she pulled out a few small plates for the snacks she’d made that afternoon.

Truthfully, Choso hadn’t noticed the heat until she brought his attention to it. He was far too enamored with the cute pink apron she’d tied around herself. She always wore it when she’d baked something- so he knew that when she opened the door to let him and Yuji in today that they were in for a very good afternoon snack.

“The AC’s been broken so long I forget I’m used to it, so it’s alright if you boys want to take your cookies to go”

“Cookies!?” Yuji had squealed and raced into the kitchen, savoring the lingering scent of fresh baked cookies before it could evaporate.

Again, Choso almost missed his queue. (y/n) had taken to referring to them as you boys a couple of weeks ago, something he’d picked up on the very first time she’d said it. It was nothing special, really, it was a casual form of referring to them both, but god the sweet way her voice formed those words he could almost be deluded into believing it was because they were her boys, and the domesticity of it all had him reeling.

Luckily, he came back down to earth soon enough.

“Your AC’s broken?” He furrowed his brow and tilted his head curiously. “Have you told maintenance about it?”

(y/n) makes a face that’s somewhere between amusement and a wince, before plating up two cookies for Yuji. He thanked her four or five times before he took the plate to the table and began to gobble them away.

“I… try not to call them if I don’t have to,” She explains to him, side eyeing Yuji at the table to be sure he was too focused on his cookies to eavesdrop. “It’s just the AC anyways, I have a fan in my room and during the day the open windows are no problem”

Choso’s expression doesn’t let up, his confusion getting ahead of him.

“And why don’t you call maintenance..?” He pushes, knowing that the nervous smile on her face wasn’t for nothing.

“Eh, well, um, when I first moved in and had some issues I called for them, but one of the guys really wanted my number… and then when that didn’t work he tried leaving me his, and it was just this… whole weird thing”

She shakes her head and keeps her focus on packaging up the leftover cookies in a little tupperware container. Unfortunately, she misses the amused little smirk on his face as he leans into the counter.

“So you’d rather sweat through the summer than tell a guy you’re not interested?” He asks, and that finally earns her attention. Her eyes narrow at him slightly before she crosses her arms defensively.

“Oh, I made it clear that I wasn’t interested,” She mutters. “How does turning down a phone number five times not scream uninterested?”

Choso chuckles at that.

“Want me to take a look at it?”

She looks surprised at first, and he’s not sure if it’s because of the offer itself or if she was genuinely shocked he had a clue what he was doing, but the look wears off into a soft smile.

“Really?” It comes out in an astonished murmur, before her eyes go wide and then she’s coming around the counter to stand closer to him, apparently still in disbelief that he’d do such a thing. “You’d do that?”

He laughs again, this time with a creeping smile trying to turn into a full blown grin.

“Yeah, of course,” He says, and she only brightens further at the promise. “Least I can do to repay you for watching Yuji, for free” He reminds her, and she gives him a look that tells him what she always swears by- she’d do it for free as many times as they need- before brightening again.

To her surprise, again, Choso’s incredibly handy. He told her he didn’t mind if she had something else to do, or hang out with Yuji while he was keeping busy in his coloring book, but she couldn’t help but watch while he tinkered around with the air conditioning unit. It didn’t take him long to solve the issue at all, and when he had it all set up and it kicked into life she was cheering so excitedly Yuji even came over to enjoy the fresh gust of sweet cool air.

He ended up staying the rest of the night, fixing the squeaky vent, and the delayed garbage disposal, until he and Yuji couldn’t turn down her offer of dinner. Well, Yuji vehemently agreed, Choso took a little bit of convincing. He was eventually swayed by the gentle “Least I can do to repay you for fixing up my place, for free” that (y/n) uttered.

And just like the afternoon had gotten away from them, the evening soon did too. Once dinner was finished the remainder sat on the table for a good hour as conversation poured out. Yuji was enthusiastic in complimenting her food, only kissing up just a little in order to get an extra cookie with his dessert.

Choso was adamant in helping her clean up, despite her many assurances that she could handle it herself.

“C’mon, help me show Yuji how to be a proper guest,” He’d muttered, plucking the freshly washed dish out of her hand to dry off. (y/n) made a face, knowing he’d offered just the right excuse to get her to give in. Choso grinned back at her. “That’s more like it”

It was embarrassing how his smile had her heart racing, but she couldn’t deny it, and she certainly couldn’t help it. All she could do was keep her head down and her focus on washing the dishes.

“Thanks again for dinner,” Choso murmured after a few minutes of diligent dish washing and drying. He peeked a glance over at her, but it was clear that she was avoiding his gaze. “It’s nice to have a home cooked meal. Not that I can’t cook! I’m a great cook actually- I should really repay the favor- I just mean it’s nice to… be treated to one”

No matter how hard she bites down on her lip, (y/n) can’t keep herself from giggling at his rambling. While he’s been talking to her a lot more this past month or so, it’s often when prompted, and when he’s the first to speak, she could tell that he kept himself reserved.

It was refreshingly heartwarming to watch him stammer over his words now.

“Well… I wouldn’t turn that down,” She admits quietly, and it takes all the courage she can muster to glance at him out of the corner of her eye. “But Yuji told me his favorite meal was chicken nuggets, so I’m not sure how convinced I am of your cooking ability”

Choso turns towards her, catching her off guard by their close proximity, but she doesn’t shy away under his gaze.

“He’s five,” He argues with a playful roll of his eyes. (y/n) snickers, hesitating as she turns back to washing up the last plate in the sink. “But fine. I’ll make him his own dinner, so you and I can enjoy something more refined, if that’s what you so please”

The idea of just the two of them, eating a dinner he’s cooked, alone, has her cheeks burning up so quickly she can’t stand to look at him again. So instead she murmurs out a weak agreement, and quickly excuses herself to check in on Yuji.

Yuji had sort of been playing with his action figures, but he’d mostly watched his brother and (y/n) whisper and laugh between themselves as they did the dishes at an excruciatingly slow pace. He knew he wasn’t just seeing things, he knew what the giggling meant. At least, in his own warped and childlike way. He didn’t care to think about it too deeply, not because he was five, but because he wanted to accept what he was being shown at it’s face value- his big brother finally making a true friend.

So when it was time for the brothers to go home, Yuji made sure to hug (y/n) extra long. Even when she’d tried to pull away and stand up, he squeezed his arms tight around her. If he held on long enough, maybe it would be enough for her to understand just how important she was to the both of them. So (y/n) chuckled, returning the favor with an affectionate squeeze and a pat on his back before he finally let her go with the brightest smile on his gap-toothed face.

And then he’s tugging on his brother’s pant leg gently, before pushing his hand against the back of his knee and sending him stumbling towards (y/n). Yuji’s not a toddler, he very well could have used his words to tell his big brother what he wanted him to do.

Choso catches his footing with ease but it’s his expression he can’t cover up. A nervous smile and widened eyes as he silently scolds his little brother for the childish action. He’s only met with that giant grin before he turns to (y/n).

She has the warmest smile on her face, as if she holds nothing but endearment for the embarrassing display. He’s lucky at this moment, because she’s the first to step forward and raise her arms. If it weren’t for her, Choso’s sure he would’ve fumbled this chance.

Her touch is delicate, as if the frame of his shoulders doesn’t double hers, as if she’s not reaching on the tips of her toes to fully wrap her arms around his neck before squeezing on. Even her embrace is so thoughtfully gentle. He can’t help but think it’s all for Yuji’s sake- he’s the one that prompted this little goodbye display, not that Choso is complaining- but he supposes she’s trying to appease the five year old while not crossing an unspoken boundary with him as well.

Choso overthinks this quick hug down every avenue he can, before realizing that he has to make sure she knows there’s no boundary in sight, so he circles his arms around her waist, returning the same soft squeeze as best he could. He hoped there was still enough distance between them that she couldn’t feel just how seriously his heart took the casual affection, because it was pounding in his ears like it was trying to alert him.

It’s over in a matter of seconds, but he relishes in the way her hands slide across his shoulder blades before she steps away and drops them to her sides. If he wasn’t dead sober and anchored in this moment, he might’ve purred.

It dawns on Choso that he might be the slightest bit touch starved.

There’s a pink to her cheeks now paired with her doughy smile, and he could almost stand here and admire how pretty she looks when she’s being bashful, no matter how embarrassing it would be to let time lapse as he did so.

“Well,” The word comes out of her in a wispy breath, and she smooths her hands over the nonexistent wrinkles in her shirt before continuing, brightening her smile as she glances between her visitors. “I’ll see you boys after school tomorrow, yeah?”

Their responses overlap, but couldn’t have been more further apart

“Okay!” Yuji says with nothing short of glee.

“Of course”

Choso’s voice is quieter than his brother’s, but it’s filled with such earnestness that it has (y/n) blinking back at him as if he’s just sworn a blood oath to her. Her lips part as her eyes grow round and she’s at a loss of what’s normal in saying goodbye to your neighbor who you’re sort of friends with and you sort of have a crush on.

All she can manage is a twitchy smile as she leads them to the door. Yuji skips across the hall with delight. Choso lingers for an extra moment and when his eyes meet hers, she finds herself gripping onto the edge of her door with a little more force. Her eyes wander over the length of the black ink adorning his face before meeting his gaze.

“Thanks again for dinner,” He’s still speaking with that same low and steady tone. (y/n) tried to gulp down the lump in her throat as she held his eye contact. “I’ll text you about when I owe you one?”

Unable to clear the block in her voice, she gives him a smile and a nod. She hopes he doesn’t react awkwardly to her lack of verbal response, and he doesn’t. In fact his timid smile turns into a beam. It somehow makes his lips look even more plush and kissable-

Her eyes shoot back up to his as she returns the grin and mumbles a pathetic sort of goodbye. When she finally is able to shut the door behind him she heaves out a breath she hadn’t known was the source of the lump in her throat.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Choso started to reach out more, by whatever means necessary. Anything to spend a little more time talking to her.

He texted first more, found excuses to stop by her apartment, and always lingered for too long when dropping off and picking up Yuji. He even started playing the daily Wordle just to have something more to talk to her about.

There were moments that he swore she felt what he did. Little things, perhaps in the way she looked at him, or the sweet way she spoke quietly when it was just the two of them. Choso was sure he wasn’t imagining things, because why else would she look at him like that? Why else would she always call his name when saying hello or goodbye?

[y/n]: u up? 12:47 a.m.

Even with the progress Choso felt he’d made in getting closer to her, this was completely new territory.

As late as it was, he’d been aimlessly scrolling through his phone, so when that little notification popped up he’d clicked on it right away. He didn’t dare start typing- it would be humiliating if he created a bubble in the chat in the same second her message had sent- but he was upright and staring at the screen in disbelief.

Soon enough a typing bubble appeared, and he gnawed on the inside of his cheek as he awaited further context.

Would it be ‘sorry, wrong person!’ or was she genuinely reaching out to him at this hour? It had been some time since he’d received one of these tell-tale messages, but his heart still raced with the anticipation.

Finally, her text appeared on his screen.

[y/n]: took a guy home after a date and he’s not taking the hint to leave. mind popping over with an excuse so he’ll go? 12:49 a.m.

Choso’s out of his bed and sliding his feet into his slippers before he even starts typing up his response.

But with how quickly he’s out the door he figures there’s no point in texting back a confirmation, seeing as he’s crossed the hall between their apartments and knocking on her door before the clock ticks to 12:50.

There’s the faintest sound of shuffling from inside, and he thinks he can make out that (y/n) is saying something, but he’s not sure what. She opens the door and greets him with a brief second of pure relief and joy upon seeing him.

Only a brief second, however, as her expression morphs as soon as her eyes wander away from his face and nearly bulge out of her head. In his rush to get out the door he’d forgotten to pull on a shirt- or maybe he’d decided it just wasn’t a necessity, he wasn’t sure himself.

Her mouth moves, but when no words come out, Choso takes it upon himself to deliver his golden, life saving excuse.

“Hey, (y/n/n), got any tea?”

Honestly, it’s the first thing he comes up with. It’s not the greatest lie of all time, but as soon as he asks for it he realizes his throat is a little parched and a warm cup of tea would be perfect for getting him to relax back in bed after this. (y/n) let out the smallest of scoffs, the corner of her mouth tilting upward as she stares back at him as if to ask ‘a nickname and tea? is that the best you can do?’

He fully grins back at her, and as soon as she’s stepping out of the doorway he’s inviting himself in and making his way to the kitchen. He doesn’t even spare a glance towards the man sitting on the couch, even though he’s blatantly watching Choso like a hawk as he casually rummages through (y/n’s) cabinets. He’d been over often enough now that he knew where she kept everything he’d need, and he figured the more he made himself at home, the more this loser would feel threatened and leave.

“Uh- who’s this?” The man asked, still gawking at Choso and his naked torso, but the question is clearly directed at (y/n).

“Oh, this is Choso,” (y/n) replies sweetly. She’s still standing at the door, a bit unsure of what to do with herself. As much as she was hoping he would get her text and come to her rescue, she doesn’t know what she’s supposed to do now. “He’s my… neighbor”

Choso smirks to himself as he sets the kettle on the stove, and then finally turns to give her late night visitor a once over.

He’s not typically a jealous man, it just wasn’t in his nature. However, the feeling he’s flooded with now as he stares down the wincing man who appeared to be half-hiding himself on the couch while Choso stared him down was something akin to jealousy. It was pride. All it took was one look for Choso to know that when this guy left her place, he would never return. He would never see her again. Even if he didn’t choose this for the sake of his own good, Choso would make sure of it.

What was she doing with this coward to begin with? He wonders as he watches the man stand from his seat. Piercing violet eyes track his every movement, from the way he stuffs his hands into his pockets, to the bob in his throat when he swallows.

Choso’s smirk widens, and his gaze softens when it’s casted towards (y/n).

She looks unsure of what to do with herself, but as soon as she meets his eyes she shuffles towards the kitchen, putting more distance between herself and her unnamed visitor.

“You always have your neighbors over for tea in the middle of the night?” The man asks, perplexed by the entire situation. He already has his doubts that this isn’t staged, but his obvious nerves make him lose all credibility.

Choso only chuckles to himself, casually leaning into her kitchen counter, closing some of the distance between himself and (y/n). She casts him a look, and he can’t be too sure, but he assumes it means she doesn’t know what to say, so he takes over.

“I’m certainly the only one she opens the door for,” Choso responds with a smoothness that surprises even him. He watches the realization sink in on the stranger’s face, before he moves closer to (y/n), poking her in the hip to gain her attention once more. “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”

Her eyes are wide, and set on his in a deadlock. Choso doesn’t think she even manages a blink. She’s already rendered speechless by the unexpected comment.

But she closes her mouth and nods her head. Not at her date for the evening- no, she doesn’t turn to look at him or even peek at him from the corner of her eye. Her gaze is still locked on Choso’s as she nods back at him in a weak motion. In that moment it’s not even an act for him when he chuckles back at her, his smile growing softer.

“Fucking fantastic” The man mutters, but he’s already grabbing his jacket off it’s hook and was making for the door without further explanation.

Choso’s quite happy with himself, knowing that he made a complete stranger walk out of (y/n’s) apartment without having to be told to. He didn’t have to do anything at all, really, all he did was show up and let himself in for a cup of tea. It was only convenience that he’d opted out of a shirt for the whole ordeal.

The door opens and shuts and it takes that entire time for (y/n) to find her voice.

She smacks him on the arm first, though.

“What?” Choso chuckles as he rubs the spot in mock pain.

“You know what,” She hisses back at him, but the undeniable smile on her face makes her sound more playful than threatening. “What the hell was that?” She even giggles through the question. If she’s even trying to come across as scolding, Choso wouldn’t be able to take her seriously for even a second.

“It worked, didn’t it?” He asks.

(y/n) makes a face at him. A face that says enough. She knows he’s full of shit.

The kettle begins to whistle just in time, and without giving her an answer, Choso turns around to put together his cup of tea. (y/n) has to bring her hand to her mouth, afraid that just one heavier breath and he’d realize that her eyes had been straining to hold eye contact with him.

Of course this was ridiculous, because she knew Choso was a well built man. But having him shirtless and in her kitchen as if he belonged there was making her face heat up faster than she could control it. She pressed the pads of her fingers into her cheek in an attempt to cool down the skin.

“What was up with him anyways?” Choso asked, his back still turned to her as he focused on his drink.

(y/n) dodges the question.

“Are you really staying over for tea right now?”

When he turns back to her, mug in hand and the slightest of furrows in his brow, she worries that she just might not be strong enough to handle this one. Dropping her hand from her face, she straightens up her posture.

His hair is down, the thought is like poison, shooting through her train of thought and completely dissolving it. It looks soft.

“It was a nice enough evening…” She explains slowly, despite telling herself that she didn’t owe him any sort of explanation, there was a compulsion to tell him all about it. Choso merely raises a brow before he sips his chamomile. “I thought a few drinks back here would be nice, too. Turns out he’s only got one good story and the rest is… boring”

He laughs at that, lips curling into a grin and shoulders shaking just a little bit. (y/n) links her fingers together as she leans into her counter with a sigh.

“Think I could’ve told you that. I’d have to give the guy credit for one good story. Just running of first impressions, that is”

(y/n) huffs again, this time a pout gracing her lips.

“Yeah, well, next time I’ll run it by you then” She mutters, and she doesn’t really mean it, but Choso takes an interest in the comment anyways.

“You’ll run it by me?” He smirks to himself. “And what makes you think I’m gonna green light any more of these ‘nice enough evenings’, hm?”

“You’ve got a point. What do you know about dating?”

“What do you?” He throws the question back at her, and that pout is returning in an instant.

And then she’s dropping her head in her hands and groaning aloud.

“It’s stupid that you’re right,” She admits, dragging her hands down her face before setting her jaw in her palms. “I don’t know what I’m doing at all. What the hell is wrong with me? The last three dates I tried to go on have been like this. Not terrible. Not great. Certainly not special or memorable- besides the sting of failure”

Choso’s quiet for a moment, letting it all sink in before he spoke his piece. His lips purse before he sets his mug down and takes a few steps closer. (y/n) watches, but she doesn’t lift her head from her defeated position.

“It’s not you,” He says, and she’s surprised by the serious tone in his voice. “Besides, you managed three dates, yeah? That’s something”

“That’s just this week” (y/n) mutters.

Choso can’t hide the change in expression, and she must notice his shock, because her lips tilt into an amused little smile.

“Did you think I just sat around and waited to play babysitter?” She teased quietly. “Not that I don’t love it, but I do have a life, y’know”

He should say something, backtrack and explain himself before she assumes that he’s never given her free time a second thought. He thought about it too much, really. And had he known she’d been spending it on useless dates, he would’ve involved himself sooner.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. Dating just… sucks”

It’s lame advice, Choso knows that as soon as it comes out, but (y/n) nods her head in agreement before leaning off the counter and wrapping her arms around herself.

“It does suck,” She murmurs back. “But… I’m scared that if I don’t put myself out there now then I won’t have…” She trails off, and a look of realization flashes over her features before she shakes her head. “It’s late,” She says then. “You should probably g-”

“What were you going to say?”

She blinks back at him, pausing as if to take a second to make sure he really meant it. She chews on the inside of her cheek for an anxious beat before she opens her mouth again.

“What if I waste my time and never meet anyone that wants the things that I want and then I’ll be alone and it will all have been for… nothing…?”

He smiles, but there’s a bittersweetness to it. (y/n) seals her lips shut as she waits for his response. She fears she’s embarrassed herself enough for one night, now it was his turn.

“You’re not wasting your time,” Choso starts slowly. “You’re just… figuring out what you don’t want. That’s just as important, don’t you think?”

A smile begins to crack in her features, and he feels relief to know that he’s at least sort of helping.

“Well, then so far we’ve crossed boring, creep, and loser off the list” She grumbles, and Choso chuckles to himself.

“Where does a girl like you find these losers?”

He’d gotten too comfortable too fast and he realizes it as soon as her eyes widen up at him, not too much, but enough that he notices, and he knows that she’s caught the choice words of his loose lips. A slight smile pulls on her parted lips as she thinks through just how she wants to call him out on it, but for right now, she relishes in the way his cheeks flush and his own eyes widen in panic.

“A girl like me, huh?” She teases, her soft smile turning into a full blown grin. “And what do you mean by that, Choso?”

Again, he thinks she must know what she’s doing when his name drips from her voice like sweet honey. Nothing else has ever weakened his insides quite like it.

“You know what I mean,” He tries to play it off casually, but her eyes narrow on him in disbelief. “You’re super nice, and… easy to talk to”

“Oh, right, I forget that super nice gets you everywhere” She exaggerates.

“You don’t need me to stand here and tell you you’re a catch, (y/n),” Choso sighs, and the playful crinkle in her nose dissipates, the rest of her features softening along with it. “You have to know that”

It’s quiet for a moment, and she’s staring at him with what he worries is disbelief. Was she not taking him seriously? Did she think he was only joking? Well that simply wouldn’t do, he couldn’t possibly leave her apartment now until he was sure she knew just how wrong she was.

So he ignores the nerves prickling his skin warning him not to cross too many lines at once and he speaks up again.

“C’mon, I mean, obvious stuff aside, anyone would be lucky to score a date with you. You’re excellent company, I mean, you don’t know how often I lose time when I’m talking with you. It’s never a dull moment, even when it’s quiet, and I think that’s just about the most important quality in a person, don’t you?” It’s a rhetorical question, but even if she wanted to answer, Choso gives her no time to do so. “You’re funny, in the witty way that I can’t keep up with and in the silly way that Yuji’s so taken with. You’re patient, and generous, and kind,”

Her lips part, but there’s nothing she could possibly say to him right now. Her mind has been wiped blank. All that she can hear now are the words he’s saying, and she’s not even sure that this isn’t all a dream at this moment and she’s not about to wake up in her bed with a funny feeling. Her heart was beating so hard she feared it would leap right out of her chest and she’s helpless to stop it. Nonetheless, she wants nothing more than for him to keep going.

“You’re smart, and capable of anything, and you’re not afraid of chasing the things you want,” Choso goes on, and he doesn’t stutter once. Every word is spoken with precision, as though rehearsed. Or maybe it just came to him that naturally. “Yuji loves you and that’s all the more I could ever want. You’re the first person he’s really attached himself to, you know. He never… he never really cared for anyone the way he cares about you,”

Tears have started to well up in her eyes, but it’s still not enough to stop the seamless train of thought he’s spewing out. If he notices this, he doesn’t comment on it. He just keeps going.

“But it’s clear that he loves you and it’s clear as day why. Anyone with eyes and an ounce of a brain would feel the same. And they should. And it’s really a pity that so far no one’s managed to behave the way you deserve, and treat you the way you deserve”

She thinks he’s finished, only because he’s paused long enough and he’s staring at her now as if everything he’d just said was now being displayed on a teleprompter before him. At first, all she can manage is a small gasp to clear the lump in her throat.

“You-” She starts, but her voice fails her and she has to shake her head to convince herself to ignore her nerves. “You really mean all of that?”

It’s a whisper so soft that even a creak in the floorboards would have overpowered her voice. But the apartment is dead silent. All she can do is stand frozen in place as she watches him and waits for his answer, for the confirmation that he really had just said the kindest, most beautiful things anyone has ever said to her, seemingly out of nowhere.

During his pause, she steps closer, glossy eyes remaining focused on him, as if a single blink could cause her to miss his next words. There had been few moments in her life that she’d felt worried over missing- but right now if you’d asked her to name them she would probably come up short.

“I… don’t say things I don’t mean,” He tells her in a moment of unfiltered honesty- which he was on a streak with tonight.

(y/n) gives him a faint nod in return as she tries to blink away the wetness in her eyes. There wasn’t a chance she’d let herself cry in front of him right now- not at one in the morning after he already had to rescue her from a dead end date.

For all of his forwardness, Choso’s throat has gone so dry he knows that his next words will come out in a strained out scratch. He feels like there’s a spotlight on him, even though the lighting in her apartment is so dim there’s shadows casted over the expanse of her left cheek. It paints her into a silhouette that he believes could be hung in every museum. When he tries to take a gulp to ease the dryness of his throat, it’s faintly audible.

A quiet sound of amusement breezes past her lips before they quirk up into a smile so gentle Choso swears only a soft stroke of a paintbrush could capture it in it’s full essence. He might just have to pick up the hobby of painting if he wishes to fully preserve this image. Honesty strikes him again in his moment of inspiration.

“(y/n) you should know that I’m starting to have feelings for you,”

It’s a murmured confession, spoken so genuinely from the bottom of his heart that (y/n) can feel them filling her own heart with a gooey warmth.

“Well, not starting, I- I’ve known about it for a while, actually,”

He seems to stammer and partially mumble over his words as soon as he’d started to speak with certainty, but it doesn’t make them any less true. (y/n) knows this, and he can tell in the way her eyes seem to hold stars as she stares at him with pure marvel. It makes him concerned that she’s never heard these things before.

“But, y’know, I didn’t want to say anything because of how much Yuuji adored you and I didn’t want to do anything to disrupt that,”

Before he knows it, Choso’s rambling, but (y/n’s) patient and takes in everything he has to say. She’s never seen him unload so many thoughts like this, and even with her heart on the brink of beating out of her chest, she takes in everything he has to say.

“In the past he’s sort of just shut down around anyone I’ve gone out with, or tried to, at least. It’s just not like him, to be quiet, or shy. I hated seeing him like that. I don’t know what it was, why he never got comfortable around anyone, and I didn’t know if it would always be like that…”

Choso trails off for a moment, starting to realize just how much oversharing he was doing tonight. Maybe it was the late hour, or maybe it was that look she’d held in her eyes all night, like she was holding something back as well, but whatever finally pushed him over the edge to spill his every hidden thought was a driving force so strong nothing could have prevented it now.

“But then he found you and he was just… taken,” A quiet laugh falls from his lips as he thinks fondly about the adoration his little brother holds for her. Sheepishly, he finishes his train of thought. “And I guess that rubbed off on me, too”

Her lips are wobbly at first as they form a wider smile, and then she’s making a short shuffle forward, putting them both toe to toe.

“You didn’t want to tell me you had feelings for me because you thought Yuuji would be upset?” She asks him, like maybe she’s not sure she understood him right. Choso seals his lips together as he gives a faint nod in return. Her head tilts to the side, her round eyes narrowing as an aura of curiosity settling over her as she gazes up at him. “And you think I’m a catch?” She repeats his earlier statement, and lets out a breathless and short laugh when she watches color flush his face. “So… what’s so different now that you decided to tell me?”

Her fingers latch around the hem of the shirt she’s wearing, twisting at the material in short nervous movements. However the clear sign of nervousness is easy to overlook when she’s staring at him so intensely. His sincerity tonight had been a blessing that she was going to milk for all it’s worth. Once she got a taste for how deeply Choso felt his feelings, she just had to know more, even if it meant pushing him to share more. Although she hoped her eagerness wouldn’t drive him out of her home, she hoped he’d stay until she got her fill of all of his thoughts.

“I don’t know,” He sighs, and his shoulders fall slightly as he visibly relaxes. It makes her wonder if he’d been tense this whole time, if she’d put him on edge by standing there while he made confession after confession. The thought makes her swoon just a little bit harder- if possible. “I guess… I just couldn’t hold it in anymore,”

Her brows cinch together as her expression morphs, into something he worries is pity, so he frowns.

“I did try, just for the record” He tells her suddenly. The change in tone makes her chuckle in her confusion.

“Tried what?”

“Tried telling you,” Choso clarifies, “Months ago”

“What?” She shakes her head in disbelief, a slight frown tugging on her lips as she tries to recall when he was referring to. Surely she’d remember an attempt of him asking her out, or telling her about his feelings. Yet nothing comes to mind. “You did no such thing”

“I did,” He insists, laughing humorlessly, but the sound lightens the mood between them and (y/n) finds herself laughing along with him. Although hers holds more amusement than his had. “And then you put me in the friend-zone. Or neighbor-zone. Or Yuji’s brother-zone”

“I absolutely did not!” Her voice cracks as it raises to it’s usual volume, the soft whispers of earlier long gone as another laugh rips out of her chest at his insinuation. “Don’t tell me you actually thought that”

The seriousness in her voice has his heart strings tightening to their fullest extent, straining and quivering on the brink of snapping completely. At this point, Choso thinks that she’s well aware of the emotional warfare she’s using against him, but then he catches that glossy look she still held in her eyes and he thinks she’s just as weakened by her own ardency as he was by his.

“Trust me, had I known different, things would be different” He says, raising a hand to drag a finger in the space between them to make the context clear.

Soft surprise adorns her face as he’s the first to surrender in their game of dancing around it, and it’s quiet for a few beats as she waits for her heart to calm down enough where she can speak without a tremble in her words.

“I’m telling you different right now, aren’t I?”

The silence of her apartment is deafening. Seconds pass like years as he stares back at her, his eyes shifting between hers as quickly as they possibly could, a sudden desperation in being able to read her expression clear on him. Patience was just a part of Choso’s nature- it had to be when he alone was raising a five year old like Yuji- but any thought of moving slowly was thrown out the window as soon as he was finally sure of that look in her eyes.

“I want to kiss you,”

He moves forward then, his hands moving as fast as his words as they land on her jaw, and despite their swiftness his touch is gentle. They cup under her face with thoughtful softness, and as soon as he’s touching her, his patience is restored. Suddenly he has all the time in the world, and he lets his gaze slowly trace over every little feature of her face until he’s sure he’s memorized every last inch. (y/n’s) expectant before him, her lashes fluttering as her eyes shift repeatedly between his lips and his own gaze. He wasn’t taking the hint, and unfortunately, her voice was caught in her throat. She’d seemed to have lost it as soon as the rough pad of his thumb began to trace the length of her jaw to her chin.

After taking his sweet time, he pushes closer, tilting her chin upwards so that his nose could just barely graze past hers.

“Can I kiss you?”

The murmured request is so close to her own lips she can practically feel them moving against her own. Her nod of approval isn’t complete before the minimal space left between them is finally closed, and warm lips press against her own with the same gentleness of his hands.

She returns the softness at first, moving her lips against his with an experimental curiosity, but it’s not long before she can stop herself from reaching out to him. His bare chest is warm under her palms, and at first contact all she does is press her hands against it, fingers splayed out to feel every warm inch of skin that she can. Choso’s fingers flex and tense against her jaw upon the sensation that he hadn’t felt in so long it was almost unfamiliar.

But her touch was unlike anything he’d ever felt before. The pads of her fingers were soft as they moved across his skin, slow but sure as they mapped over his chest and around his shoulders, yet the light graze of her nails was just enough sharpness to leave goosebumps in the wake of her path. Even when a sigh is shuddered out of him, she doesn’t part from their kiss.

Choso can’t help but slide a large hand around the back of her neck, keeping her close to him even as they both begin to gasp for air between kisses. The soft newness of it all is quickly replaced by a hot need to not stop. It’s evident in the way their touches begin to lose shyness, and soon their grabbing and pulling at one another as their kisses grow messy and uncoordinated.

She presses as close to him as she can get, even with her own body heat reaching uncomfortable peaks, she still desired to feel his warmth. More than that, though, she wanted to card her hands through his hair- and she did just that. She’s rewarded with a soft whimper against her lips when her fingers dive into the roots and tug just a little bit before combing through the rest of it.

When she moves to do it again, a pair of hands seize her hips, and their lips are properly parted for the first time since he’d first kissed her as he lifts her up with ease, turning to drop her onto her kitchen counter before pressing close to catch her lips with his again. She’s rendered breathless from the movement- after already trying to catch up in her breathing during their sudden makeout session- but there’s not an ounce of protest in her when Choso pulls her knees apart in order to slot himself between her legs and continue where they left off.

Her arms wind around his neck as she pulls him down the short distance to kiss him properly. The height difference between them now isn’t nearly as drastic as when she was standing, but it’s still noticeable even as she’s perched on the counter.

Her heaving chest only becomes noticeable to Choso once his hands are making their way from her thighs towards her ribs, where he feels them expanding and contracting at an alarming rate. He lets out a chuckle and breaks apart from her, his amusement only furthered when her lips chase after his, despite her panting for air.

“(y/n), sweetheart,” He murmurs affectionately as he catches her chin between his thumb and forefinger to halt her from kissing him again. When her eyes open to meet his, her eyelids hang heavy over her dilated pupils, and Choso’s so struck with awe at her beauty in this moment he’d nearly forgotten why he’d stopped kissing her in the first place. “Want you to catch your breath” He mumbles, the pad of his thumb reaching up to drag over the swollen plushness of her bottom lip.

Somehow, they look even more kissable than before. Especially paired with her flushed cheeks and the dreamy look in her eyes as she peers up at him through her heavy and fluttering eyelashes.

She leans forward, but she doesn’t try to kiss him again. She’s just filled with such a strong desire to stay close to him that she couldn’t bear to be the few inches apart that he’d distanced them with. He smiles softly at her as her hand begins to sweetly comb through his hair. It’s not the same motion as before, it holds a different feeling in the way she moves slowly, and with no grip at all, and yet his chest is filled with the same overwhelming adoration as when she’d had her hands fisted in it. He decides to let his hair hang loose more often from here on out.

“I can’t stay,” He murmurs after a long but comfortable silence between them. “Yuji…” He trails off, but she gets the idea, and nods back at him.

“I understand,” She whispers back, followed by a bittersweet smile. “It’s alright…”

“He’s staying at Megumi’s this weekend, though,” He mentions, his eyes following the movement of his thumb as it grazes over her lip, enamored with the way the plushness of it gave in even under his gentle touch. “We’ll go on a proper date then, hm?” He offers with a hopeful look.

“Sure,” (y/n) smiles, and then playfully purses her lips to peck a light kiss against his thumb. “Or you could just come over for tea again,” She suggests instead, followed by a short giggle.

His cheeks and neck flush with a rosy hue, but he nods back at her in agreement.

It was a date.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

“So, does this mean you’ll get married?”

Yuji’s blunt question has Choso choking on his drink. Burying her face in his shoulder, (y/n) tries to suppress her laughter, but it’s obvious in the way she snorts and her shoulders shake. Meanwhile, Yuji’s still sat on the floor in front of them, half watching the movie that’s playing and half checking on the two of them as he awaits an answer.

After a few weeks of going out and ensuring one another that their change in relationship was working, more than working, Choso and (y/n) thought it was the proper time to break the news to the little boy. It wasn’t much of a surprise when he was excited to hear it, but the first question that came to his mind wasn’t as expected.

“Well, maybe, buddy, let’s just cross that bridge when we get there, yeah?” (y/n) answers him with a kind smile, even though the idea of marriage so early in their relationship as her face burning and her heart beating wildly in her chest.

“Okay” Yuji accepts the answer and goes back to watching the movie for a bit.

Choso finally clears his throat and settles back into his comfortable position on the couch, (y/n) still tucked under his arm and pressed into his side in just the way he liked, and after a few minutes of mentally calming himself down he really did relax again.

“We’ll still live together and get a dog though, right, Choso-nii?”

(y/n) could feel every muscle in his body tense, but she still can’t help but look over at him with a questioning raise in her brow and a purse in her lips as she smiled.

“You told him we were getting a dog?” She hums curiously, waiting for his explanation of his little brother’s question.

A nervous, breathless laugh falls from his lips.

“You’re only focused on the dog part?” He asks, wondering what her thoughts were on the living together part. (y/n) hums, and shrugs a shoulder before she leans into him again, her focus on the movie as she settles against his shoulder comfortably.

“Well, I’m more of a cat person,” She replies, knowing fully well that wasn’t what he was implying. “Then again, a house vote would be fair”

Yuji seems enthusiastic about this compromise, and doesn’t seem to have any more questions for his big brother and his new girlfriend as he completely immersed himself in the movie once more.

With the arm he had wrapped around her, Choso tugs (y/n) a little bit closer, until he’s able to drop a kiss on the top of her head, before he leans into her as well and a comfortable silence settles over the room as they all grow sleepy watching a film together.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

[ hold me, love me, touch me, honey // be the first who ever did ]

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

xoxo ~ jordie

#kamo choso #kamo choso x reader #choso x reader #kamo choso imagine #choso kamo imagine #choso kamo x reader #jjk choso #jjk choso x reader #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen choso #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk imagine #jujustu kaisen imagine #jjk self insert

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corroded-hellfire · 2 years ago

Text

As You Wish - Eddie Munson x Reader, Part 5

A collaboration with my dearest @munson-blurbs 🧡

Summary: A fun day out with Eddie and the boys has you running into some familiar faces, who may or may not be aware of your current situation.

Note: About time this gang had a little fluff in their lives, huh? Well, let's see if that's what their day brings!

Warnings: Suggestive conversations, should Brittany herself be a warning? i think so

Words: 7.2k

[As You Wish masterlist]

“Okay, you know the rules,” Eddie says to Ryan and Luke as he pulls into the Chuck E. Cheese parking lot. “Stay together, don’t talk to strangers, and try not to spend all of your tokens on one game.” He throws the car in park and turns around to face them. “Got it?”

“Got it!” The boys echo in unison, practically buzzing with excitement. Luke’s been kicking his feet into the back of Eddie’s seat on the entire ride over, much to the man’s chagrin. Eventually, he just reached around and grabbed Luke’s little ankles, jokingly threatening to cut off his feet if he didn’t stop.

You get out of the car, silently reminding yourself that you’re the babysitter today. The kids still don’t know about you and Eddie, and you’re determined to break the news in a way that doesn’t traumatize them. Or make them hate you, for that matter.

Eddie holds out his hand for Luke to take while you all walk across the lot, but the little boy shakes his head.

“C’mon, bud,” Eddie says, a warning tone in his voice. “You know you gotta hold my hand in the parking lot.”

Luke’s gaze drifts towards you. “Can I hold her hand?” He asks softly, and Eddie’s heart just about melts at the way his boys adore you.

“Gotta ask her first,” Eddie reminds him, watching as his younger son carefully walks to the other side of the car, where you’re standing.

“What’s up, Luke?” You say, smiling at him. “Y’ready to go have some fun?”

“Yeah!” Luke exclaims, jumping up and down. He nearly forgets the reason why he came over, until he goes to start towards the building. “Oh! Um, can I hold your hand?”

You beam at him, taking his tiny right hand in your left. “Of course!” At that, he smiles back at you. There’s a hint of mischief in his eyes, but you chalk it up to the anticipation of going to Chuck E. Cheese.

Eddie’s a few paces ahead, but he stops in his tracks when Ryan calls out, “Daddy, wait!” The older boy looks at Luke—and did he just wink?—as their dad turns to them.

Luke reaches out to Eddie with his left hand. “Now you hold this one!” he urges.

“What do you think we are, your personal bodyguards?” Eddie teases, but he clasps Luke’s hand in his own ringed one.

You expect Luke to let go and fly into the building as soon as you reach the sidewalk; instead, you feel his chubby fingers maneuvering against yours. You look down just in time to see him placing your hand in Eddie’s.

You can see that Eddie’s eyes are also drawn to your joined hands, and the both of you lift your heads at the same time and meet one another’s gaze. The heat you feel lets you know you have to be blushing just as much as Eddie is. He gives you a sheepish smile and you can tell it’s a mixture of this is absolutely the cutest thing they have ever done, and should I be letting go? Deciding to take an excuse without making it look too intentional, you step away from Eddie and open the front door for the three of them. Luke’s face has a smug smile on it as he passes you, and the proud glint in Ryan’s eyes lets you know he was the mastermind behind the plan.

“Clever little matchmakers, aren’t they?” Eddie mumbles as he comes up beside you. He takes the door and gives you a characteristically over-dramatic bow. “After you, m’lady.”

“Why, thank you,” you say, following in behind the boys. It seems now that the games and prizes are in their view, and the loud shouts of other children and the chiming of games ringing in their ears, the brothers have forgotten about the two adults behind them.

Luke is about to take Ryan’s hand and make off for some of the machines, when he realizes they don’t have any tokens yet. Suddenly, he remembers his father is there and turns around to give him pleading eyes. Eddie’s already pulling out his wallet by the time the five-year-old turns around, and you take care of watching the kids while Eddie goes to get the bronze coins with a giant mouse head on them.

“Do you like these games?” Ryan asks.

“Some of them,” you say. “I’m really good at skee ball and whack-a-mole.”

“Oh, I’m so good at whack-a-mole!” Luke says, not surprising you in the least. “If you and I play together we can win all the tickets!”

“I’ll do my best,” you promise him.

Eddie returns with a cup full of tokens. He raises an eyebrow as he looks down at his sons. Pursing his lips together, he goes to hand the cup to Luke before pulling it back to his chest. Luke whines and Eddie goes to hand it to Ryan before snatching it back.

“Daaaaddy!” Luke whines.

“Luuuuke,” Eddie mimics. “What are you going to play first?”

“I dunno,” Luke says with a shrug.

“Well, both of you tell me what you want to play first, then I’ll decide which is my favorite.”

Luke groans, but Ryan is still eyeing the cup eagerly. He also knows his dad’s tricks and knows what his favorite game is.

“Air hockey,” Ryan says.

“And he wins right there!” Eddie says, handing the cup to his oldest. “You’re going to share those, though. I hear one little squabble over the coins and I’m taking them away and the grownups will play.”

You choke over a laugh at his choice of words, that being the same term Eddie chose to describe what the two of you did before you got out of bed this morning. Obviously, Eddie did it on purpose as a smirk dances across his lips.

“Yes, Daddy,” Ryan says at the same time that Luke says, “Fine.”

You watch as they scamper off to the air hockey table. Ryan has an advantage over Luke to begin with, but it certainly doesn’t help that the youngest Munson can barely see over the top.

“Think Ryan’ll go easy on him?” Eddie murmurs in your ear, and you shiver at his closeness.

“Not a chance,” you reply. You want to wrap your arms around his waist and kiss him, but you know you can’t.

It’s like he can read your mind, because he says, “I know, babe. I hate having to hide us, too.” There’s some guilt behind his eyes, and you let your arm graze his to tell him that it’s okay.

“Even if we were ready to tell the boys—and they clearly wouldn’t have a problem with it,” you tease, alluding to their earlier hand-holding scheme, “I’m definitely not ready for their mom to know. And asking them to keep a secret from her wouldn’t be right.”

Eddie nods in agreement, scratching at the light stubble on his cheeks. “Have you thought about how we’ll tell them?”

Thought about it? God, you worried about it constantly. What if they blamed you for the divorce? What if they didn’t like you living with their dad? Were you even ready to be a stepmom?

“Uh, a little,” you lie, hoping he’s too focused on making sure the boys follow the rules to notice. “You?”

A blush creeps into his cheeks. “Oh, yeah,” he chuckles nervously. “Which reminds me—I still owe you that official first date.”

You’re about to ask him how the two relate when a familiar voice bellows, “Munson! Fancy meeting you here!” Steve Harrington strides across the thin carpet; baby Amelia is strapped to his chest and his son, Theo, is holding his hand. Nancy and their older daughter, Natalie, follow right behind him.

Eddie grins, jogging over to his friend and his family. “How’s it going, Harringtons?” He presses a kiss to Nancy’s cheek and ruffles Theo’s hair before Amelia begins to coo, taking complete control over Eddie’s attention. Your boyfriend turns to the baby, staring up at him with big blue eyes that look just like her mother’s. She babbles in her baby language and Eddie nods along, as if she’s telling him about what a rough day she’s had strapped to her father.

“Well, hello, Miss Mia,” Eddie says. Her round little fist darts out and Eddie happily offers her his finger, which she takes in her vice grip. The baby giggles, making Eddie’s whole face light up.

You stand watching them from a few feet away. It’s not the first time you’ve seen Eddie interact with a baby, but it hits you just as hard. It’s so obvious how much he wants a daughter, and seeing him play with his best friend’s baby, a genuine smile on his face has you ready to vow right then and there that you’ll give him one. Shaking yourself, you tell yourself to be realistic. You were just worrying about telling Ryan and Luke you were dating. Never mind dropping the news of, “oh yeah, I think I’ll have another kid with your dad, what do you think?”

Eddie’s voice breaks you from your thoughts. You look over to see him waving you over, calling your name. Glancing at Steve, it’s obvious he knows the nature of the relationship between you and Eddie. As you walk over to the family, you look to Nancy, trying to gauge if she knows anything by the look on her face. But there’s nothing there except for a kind smile before her daughter tugs her down to whisper something in her ear.

“You remember Steve, the one who burned the burgers at Ryan’s birthday party,” Eddie says, making Steve scoff.

“They were five seconds away from burning when you shoved the spatula in my hand and said, ‘Steve, take over for me.’” Steve rolls his eyes at Eddie before turning to face you. “Hi, it’s great to see you again.”

“You too,” you say, suddenly remembering the joke Eddie made about you fucking Steve. Something must flash across your face because Eddie’s moving on to introduce you to Amelia—or Mia, as apparently “only her favorite uncle can call her that”—and small Theo with the tousled curls. Next is Natalie, the very polite eight-year-old who is the spitting image of her mother. Then there’s Nancy, who intimidates you the most out of the Harrington clan.

“Where’s Dan the Man?” Eddie asks when he only counts three Harrington offspring.

“Playdate,” Steve says of his three-year-old son. “But he sends his warmest regards to his favorite Uncle Eddie.”

There’s a beat of awkward silence before Nancy makes the first move to break it.

“Hi, it’s nice to see you,” she says, extending her hand. “The babysitter, right?”

It shouldn’t feel like a blow to the chest. That’s what you are. What you’ve been. But it feels like with all that’s gone on the past few weeks with you, Eddie, Brittany, the boys…you deserve some other title; you just don’t know what.

“Yep, that’s me,” you say, and out of the corner of your eye you can see Eddie’s body get tense. “It’s great to see you again, too.” There’s an awkward silence before you crouch down to Natalie and Theo’s height. “Ryan and Luke are playing air hockey, if you two want to join them!” You try to pepper some excitement into your voice, and the two small Harringtons scamper off towards their friends.

Eddie clears his throat. “Come sit with us,” he says before lifting Mia from the carrier and placing her on his lap. “I think Mia wants to hang out with her Uncle Eddie, yes she does!” He lets the baby wrap her tiny hand around his forefinger, and she tries to put it in her mouth. “Um, little miss!” Eddie exclaims with feigned offense, “You can’t eat me!”

“Seriously,” Steve wrinkles his nose. “God only knows where those hands have been.” His face blanches when he realizes what he’s just implied. “I-I mean—”

“So, Steve,” you interrupt him, for your sake more than his, “Eddie told me that you’re heading back to work soon.”

“Yup,” he nods. “Figured I’d go back part-time, y’know, three days a week. Now that Amelia’s old enough to go to daycare, and we’re not having anymore kids, unless…” He glances over at his wife hopefully.

“You pushed your luck with four,” Nancy jokes, rolling her eyes. “We are closed for business.”

“If you, um, need a babysitter or something—it’ll be cheaper than daycare, and that way she’s not around all those germs while she’s so little—um, I could do it.” God, why are you such a blabbering idiot? Why can’t you just have a conversation like a normal human being?

Nancy gives you a confused look. “Don’t you watch Eddie’s kids?” The expression on her face tells you everything you need to know—she doesn’t have a clue about you and Eddie.

You press your lips together, unsure of what to say next. Why didn’t Eddie tell his friends? Is he embarrassed? Ashamed? Is he lying about this being long-term? You understood him not wanting to say anything to Luke and Ryan, but why wouldn’t he want to tell his closest friends?

“I-I do watch them, yes. But, uh, Natalie and Theo go to the same school as Ryan and Luke, right? So, I have no trouble picking all of them up from school. A-And, it kind of would work out well because I only have classes on two days this semester. So, I’d be free for Amelia and Danny on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.”

“Huh,” Steve muses, rubbing his hand along his stubbled jaw. “That is perfect, actually. Those are the three days I’ll be going into work. Would you be able to watch them at our house?”

“Of course,” you say. “As long as it’s okay that Ryan and Luke are there too.”

“They’re always welcome at our house,” Nancy says, and you can’t gauge how she feels about this particular situation. It’s not helping the little voice in the back of your head that’s been telling you that Nancy isn’t going to like you.

“Honestly,” Eddie chimes in from where he’s letting Amelia chomp on his knuckle. “It’d probably be better for Luke and Ryan this way, too. Easier to know they’ll be spending the afternoon at Uncle Steve and Aunt Nancy’s rather than wonder if they’re going to their mother or father’s place.”

“Yeah, and after Nancy comes home—or Steve, whoever would be first, I can bring Luke and Ryan wherever they’re staying. The house or the apartment.”

“You got the apartment?” Steve asks, grinning at his friend.

“I did!” he says, bouncing a fussy Amelia in his lap. “Right there on Crane Street. Three bedroom, nice sized living area and kitchen. Moving in a little under three weeks.”

“Wait,” Nancy says, brow pinching in confusion. “So, where are you staying now?”

An awkward silence settles around the table, everyone but Nancy and Amelia knowing the answer to that question. The tension keeps climbing until Eddie finally decides to speak.

“Well,” he says, taking the hand that Amelia is not currently trying to nibble on, and sliding it over the table towards you. His hand slides over yours and you don’t hesitate to link your fingers with his. “With my girlfriend.”

“Your—oh.” Nancy’s eyes widen as they land on your hands. She looks genuinely surprised, but you don’t see any anger there, which is a relief. “I didn’t know you guys were…involved.”

Eddie nods. “This probably makes me sound like a sap, but she’s…she’s been my rock throughout all of this. And she’s been there for my kids, too. They love her almost as much as I do.” He blushes, making you giggle softly.

“Do the boys know about…this?” Nancy asks, and Eddie shakes his head.

“We’re still waiting for the right time. Don’t wanna rush them or make them feel uncomfortable,” he explains. “Although from today’s antics, I don’t think they’d have much of a problem with it.” He launches into their plot to get you two to hold hands, making everyone at the table laugh. Even Amelia lets out an amused coo, though she has no idea what’s going on.

Nancy looks like she’s about to ask another question when you feel a tug on your sleeve. You look over to see Ryan, with Natalie standing next to him.

“What’s up, bud?” You smile, shifting your hand from Eddie’s as discreetly as possible.

Ryan’s suddenly shy, and you suspect it has something to do with the pretty girl he’s with. “Natalie and I were wondering if you would play whack-a-mole with us.”

“Of course!” You jump up, eager to avoid any further interrogation. “Be right back,” you say to the rest of the adults, although you’d gladly spend the rest of the afternoon hammering away at plastic rodents if it meant escaping judgment.

Eddie watches as you walk away, the gentle sway of your hips as you follow the kids to their game. He’s only drawn from his trance at the sound of Nancy’s voice.

“Eddie, what are you doing?”

“Um, checking out my girlfriend’s ass?” He shrugs, giving a sheepish grin.

Nancy shakes her head. “No, I mean, why are you dating someone so much younger than you? And while you’re getting divorced?” She looks at her husband for backup.

“I think what Nance means is, we’re happy that you’re happy, but…we just wanna make sure you’re thinking this through.”

A glare settles on Eddie’s face. “Sounds like you wanna make sure I’m not shacking up with someone younger than me because of a post-divorce crisis or some bullshit.” He hands Mia back to Steve and stands up. “You guys didn’t see what Brittany and I went through. You weren’t the one watching her traipse through the door, acting like she was going out to dinner with friends when she was actually sleeping around. All the family dinners she ditched, just to be with her boyfriends. One time, she got so caught up in one of her little ‘meetings’ that she completely missed the boys’ school holiday concert. I almost ended up going alone, but you know who went with me?”

Nancy and Steve are silent; there’s no need for them to answer.

“And this was before anything happened between us. Before she even knew that Brittany was cheating on me. She did it because she loves my boys. So fuckin’ sue me for wanting to be with someone who makes me feel…” He searches for the right word, “…who makes me feel complete.” He walks off, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket as he pushes the door open.

Amelia starts to fuss in Steve’s lap, partly because she can sense the tension around her, and partly because her favorite uncle just walked away. Steve tries to bounce her gently, pressing a kiss into her dark red hair.

“It’s okay, angel. Uncle Eddie will be right back,” he says.

“Should…should you go after him?” Nancy asks, craning her neck to try and glimpse Eddie out the front doors. All she’s able to see from her vantage point is his elbow, looking like his hand is planted on his hip.

“Nah,” Steve says with a sigh. “Known the guy long enough to know he just needs some time to cool off.”

Nancy doesn’t have time to acknowledge her husband’s statement before they hear two familiar voices shouting.

“I won it!”

“Yeah, with MY token!”

“So? You kept losing! If you played, you would’ve lost again!”

“Oh, boy,” Steve mutters under his breath, ready to hand Amelia to Nancy and intervene in the brewing conflict between Theo and Luke, but he stops when he sees you crouching down to their level.

He and Nancy watch as you hold out your hand expectantly, and Luke drops a king-size candy bar into your palm. You’re saying something that Steve can’t quite make out, but you’re not speaking from anger; in fact, both boys seem to untense as you talk to them. There’s a pause as you look at the two of them before breaking out into a grin and heading over to the table.

“Everything okay?” Nancy asks, holding her breath for an onslaught of he-did-this and he-said-that.

“Yes, Mommy!” Theo says with a smile. “Me an’ Luke were fighting because he won the candy but I gave him the token. And we didn’t know who should get it. So she,” he points to you, “said to think about a way that we could both have the candy!”

“And then I said that we can split it down the middle,” Luke proudly announces, “so now I get half an’ Theo gets half!”

“And we don’t have to fight!” Theo adds, watching as you take a plastic knife and cut into the chocolate bar. Gooey caramel oozes out of each side, and you hand each boy their piece.

As they inhale their candy and head back to the arcade, Nancy looks at you gratefully. “I can’t remember the last time that an argument between Luke and Theo didn’t end in a WWE smackdown,” she muses, giving a small laugh. “Are you some kind of miracle worker?”

Your heart sings at her approval as you return the smile. “Nah, just years of babysitting experience.”

“Well, you’re hired,” Steve blurts out. “I mean, Nancy and I will have to discuss it, like a team or whatever.”

“No, but seriously, you’re hired,” Nancy says. She looks like she has more to add, but her gaze snaps up, focusing on something right behind you.

“Welcome back,” you say, pulling him in for a quick kiss. His lips brush against yours, soft and tobacco-stained as usual, but he’s stone-faced when you gently break the embrace. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he grumbles, scratching the back of his head as he sits back down in the hard plastic chair. “Everything good here?”

“Just your girlfriend winning Babysitter of the Year,” Steve says, handing Amelia back to Eddie before she starts to whine for him. “Luke and Theo got into it over some candy, and she resolved it before anyone had time to draw blood.”

Eddie’s toughened exterior melts a bit at his friend’s praising words, and he puts his arm around the back of your seat. “Told ya she’s the best.”

“You also think that metal is the best music genre, so excuse us for having some doubts,” Steve jokes, and Eddie flips him off.

“Do you also listen to metal, or do you actually have decent taste in music?” Nancy asks you, giggling as Eddie adds a second middle finger to his response.

“I listen to a lot of different things,” you say, “but my favorite artist has to be Billy Joel.”

Nancy’s eyes widen. “I saw him in concert!” she exclaims. “Junior year of high school, my best friend Barb and I went to Indianapolis for his Innocent Man tour.” She wrinkles her nose. “What year was that? Like, 1984? Way before your time,” she adds with a laugh. It’s a joke; she’s poking fun at her own age and not yours, but it still stings.

“An Innocent Man is his best album,” you say, trying to let the nagging insecurities roll off your back.

“You think it’s better than The Stranger?” Nancy asks. There’s no judgment in her tone, it’s purely curious. But it still makes you feel like you’re being inspected under a microscope.

“The Stranger has some of his best songs on it, for sure. But Uptown Girl is my ultimate favorite, so I’m partial to the Innocent Man album,” you explain.

“Huh, Uptown Girl is your favorite?” Steve asks.

“It is,” you tell him with a smile.

Steve smirks and slides his gaze over towards Eddie, who just raises his eyebrows at him in return.

“What?” Eddie finally asks, Mia playing with a few of his rings.

“Uptown Girl,” Steve repeats, looking at Eddie with eyes that say you really have no idea what I’m getting at? “That’s the one with the music video with the mechanics, right?” Steve says, eyes sliding back over to you. “Where the mechanic falls for the girl who is so clearly out of his league?”

Now Eddie gets it and rolls his eyes. You, on the other hand, start to giggle. A flush of heat warms your face as you realize Steve’s right, that is what happens in the music video. But Steve’s also joking around by saying you’re out of Eddie’s league—which you find preposterous.

“That’s the one,” you affirm. “But I’m no Christie Brinkley.”

“Eddie’s no Billy Joel,” Steve says with a shrug.

“No, Eddie is much better at the guitar. And singing,” you say, glancing behind you to make no kids are around before you lean in towards him. As you do, Amelia picks her head up and eyes you curiously. You give her a wave and a smile before a smile breaks out on her face in reply.

Amelia starts to wiggle in Eddie’s lap, which has him frowning. She’s always so good for him, rarely causing a fuss. But now, her small chubby arms reach out towards you. As her eyes look at you imploringly, you feel your heart melt against your ribs.

“May I?” you ask, looking over at Steve and Nancy. Their youngest clearly wants to be in your lap.

“Of course,” Nancy says. Turning back to Amelia, you take her from a pouting Eddie.

“Traitor,” Eddie huffs under his breath.

“What can I say?” you ask as you settle the baby in your lap. She happily leans against your body, her head resting against your breasts as she picks up one of your hands to inspect it all over. “I’m just so loveable.”

“Amen to that,” Eddie says with a wink.

“So, where was your first date?” Nancy asks with a bright smile. She rests her elbow on the table and her arm props up her chin. There’s a sparkle in her eye, like she’s waiting for a romantic tale.

“Uhhh,” Eddie says, not meeting her eyes, instead watching Mia in your lap. “We haven’t exactly had that yet.”

“What?” Nancy’s dreamy look is quickly replaced by a confused pout. “A few minutes ago you called her your girlfriend but you haven’t even been out on a date yet?”

You’re unable to keep the smile off your face at the fact that Eddie referred to you as his girlfriend in front of his best friends.

“Life’s been getting in the way,” you say, stepping in to defend the lack of an official date. “School, work, kids, and uh, other people.” The look you give Nancy lets her know you’re referring to Brittany without having to mention that bitch’s name. Part of you hopes that you and Nancy become good friends just so you can hear how Eddie’s friends have really felt about the narcissistic woman all along.

The conversation flows smoothly for the next thirty minutes, until Mia starts to wail, signaling that it is way past her naptime. “Looks like that’s our cue to go,” Steve says apologetically, waving his kids over from the prize area. Theo is proudly holding a Mr. Potato Head, and Natalie has enough tickets to trade in for a fuzzy purple journal and a matching pen.

“Yeah, my boys are probably ready to crash, too,” Eddie agrees. As if on cue, Luke comes bounding over with a shiny red Hot Wheels car. “Daddy, look!” He exclaims. “I can’t wait to show all my friends at school, an’ my teacher, an’ the lunch lady, an’ the—”

“I bet they’ll love that,” Eddie replies with a chuckle. “Where’s your brother?”

Luke pinches his eyebrows together at the question, as though he was unaware that he had a brother. “Oh, I think he’s still pickin’ out a prize. But nothing is cooler than my HOT WHEELS!” He yells the last part as loudly as his little lungs allow and sticks the car out in front of him.

“Jesus H, how much sugar did you have?” Eddie mumbles, rubbing his eyes. He glances over towards the prize area again and calls for his older son.

“Be right there!” Ryan calls back, and as he makes his way back to you, you see a matching journal and pen set in his hand, nearly identical to Natalie’s, except this one is yellow.

“I didn’t know you liked to write!” You motion towards the prize.

Ryan flashes a sweet smile. “Actually, this is for you,” he says shyly. “I figured you could use it to take notes at school.”

Your heart melts at the gesture. “Ry, I love it! But you didn’t have to spend your tickets on me!”

“You showed me and Natalie how to win at whack-a-mole, so I wanted to get you a prize.”

“I can’t wait to bring this to class,” you tell him. “And I love the color, too. Very sunny and warm.”

“My Hot Wheels is red!” Luke yells, shoving the car in your face. “See? It goes vroooom!”

Eddie picks up his younger son and flings him over his shoulder. “Munsons, let’s ship out!” His eye catches yours as he says it, but he doesn’t correct himself. “Onwards!”

Once you’ve all bid your goodbyes to the Harrington’s, the four of you pile back into the truck. Luke drives his Hot Wheels over his legs, across the seat, and over as far on Ryan’s legs as he can reach. The little motor noises he makes with his mouth have Eddie raising his volume a little just to get their attention.

“Hey, guys?”

“Yeah, Daddy?” Ryan asks, swatting Luke’s car away from him.

“I’ve got some news for you,” Eddie says. Though he’s driving and focusing on the road, you can see both boys in the mirror of your sun visor. At Eddie’s declaration, they lean in towards one another and Luke points from you to their dad, and Ryan murmurs something too low for you to hear. They both catch you looking at them in the mirror and snap back to how they were originally sitting, Luke giving you an over-the-top cheesy grin, and Ryan’s face turns pink from having been caught conspiring with his little brother.

“What is it?” Luke asks.

“I got an apartment. Which means that you guys can come stay with me half of the time!”

Both boys cheer, forgetting in their glee how they both thought the announcement would have something to do with you.

“Where is it?” Ryan asks.

“Do I get my own room?” Luke questions.

“It’s by the mall. And yes, both of you get your own rooms. I move in soon and then we can decorate your rooms however you want,” Eddie says.

“I want a Hot Wheels room!” Luke says, making his new car do trick flips in the air.

“When do you move in?” Ryan asks.

“A little over two weeks. Maybe before then though, you guys can help me shop. I’m gonna need a lot of stuff.”

“Like what?” Luke asks, his eyes still focusing on his new toy.

“Well, plates and towels and all kinds of stuff,” Eddie says as he turns down the street his old house is on—Brittany’s house now.

“And a dog?” Luke presses his luck.

“Keep dreaming, buddy,” Eddie says.

Luke huffs out a groan, but Ryan speaks up.

“When are we gonna see you next, Daddy?”

The question breaks Eddie’s heart. What’s worse, is that he doesn’t know the answer. Next weekend seems like such a long time away. But if he tells them he’ll see them before then and Brittany doesn’t let him? Then he looks like a liar.

“Not sure, pal,” Eddie says as he parks the truck in front of the house. “Hopefully during the week, but if not, next weekend for sure.”

The lawn is overgrown now that Eddie isn’t there to mow it every other week. The weeds are popping up in the once pristine garden, and Eddie swells with pride at knowing he was the one that kept this place looking as good as it did.

“Should I stay here?” you ask Eddie softly. You briefly have to encounter Brittany every day since she comes home just to tell you to leave—but not in the presence of Eddie. If the kids are in the room when you’re leaving, Brittany’s pretty decent about it. If they’re out of earshot, it’s not uncommon for her to gripe, “You’re free to go. Back to your apartment where you’re fucking my husband while I’m here taking care of our kids.” Before, it might have bothered you. Now it’s all you can do not to laugh in her face before you’re out the door. She never pays you, either, and you know it’s intentional. Brittany must figure that if Eddie has to pay you, you’ll feel like a prostitute or something. Nothing could be farther from the truth though, when the first and last thing Eddie does every day is tell you how much he loves you. That, plus the fact that you know you take care of her children way more—and way better—than she does, has her attempted insults rolling right off your back.

“You can come in if you want to,” Eddie says as he unbuckles his seatbelt. “Don’t let…her keep you out.” Eddie was going to use a far less friendly term, but he remembered the boys are in the backseat.

You get out of the truck along with everyone else, and Ryan takes your hand as you make your way up to the front door. Did you trust Eddie being alone in the house with his soon-to-be ex-wife? Absolutely. Did you trust Brittany to be alone with him? Not on her life.

Eddie doesn’t bother knocking, and why should he? It’s still legally his house as well, after all. The four of you step inside and Luke is instantly running to his collection of Hot Wheels in his room, eager to add his new one to the mix.

“My kids are home—oh. You’re here.” Brittany’s words do nothing but have you resisting the urge to roll your eyes. “You know you’re not getting paid for this, right? Unless you’ve struck a bargain about how much you charge for sucking—”

“Okay,” Eddie says, clapping his hands loudly a few times. He looks down at Ryan and ruffles his hair. “Why don’t you get your backpack organized for school tomorrow?”

“Sure.” Ryan gives his dad a tight hug before moving onto you. “Glad you came with us,” he tells you. “Thanks for helping with the game.”

“And thank you for my new favorite journal,” you say, squeezing him in your arms. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay!” He heads down the hallway towards his room, and once he’s out of sight, Eddie is rounding on Brittany.

“Seriously?” he demands in a low tone. “You were about to say that in front of our seven-year-old? Jesus, Britt. That’s great for me in the custody case, you know, so thanks.”

Brittany rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest. “I don’t need parenting advice from the orphan.”

You don’t realize your fists are clenched and you’ve taken a step in Brittany’s direction until Eddie’s hand is on your shoulder, pulling you back. An amused smile curls on Brittany’s lips as she looks you up and down.

“Look,” Brittany says, turning her gaze back to Eddie. “I’m going out of town so you’re taking the boys. But not to the harlot’s place. So work something else out.”

“And what days will you be gone?” Eddie asks, avoiding the bait she laid before him. “You know, so I can let the neighbors know that if they see any strange men entering the house, it’s not one of your tools this time, and that you’re probably being robbed.”

“I’m leaving Thursday morning,” Brittany tells him with a glare. “Come back Sunday night. Late.”

“Feel free not to come back,” Eddie says, turning around and heading for the door.

“So, you’re watching ‘em, right?” Brittany sneers.

“Of course,” Eddie says, turning back around to face her. “I’m not just going to let my kids sit here all alone. Who am I? You?” With that, Eddie swings his arm over your shoulders and heads out the front door, leaving a steaming Brittany behind you.

Once the door clicks closed behind you, you turn your head to look at Eddie as you walk back to the truck. “Do you want me to pick the boys up from school on Thursday and take them somewhere else?”

“Fuck, no,” Eddie says with a laugh. “I’m staying here with them. You’re more than welcome to join as well.”

“Hmm,” you muse as Eddie opens the passenger’s side door for you. “Fucking in the bed and knowing Brittany will be sleeping on it does sound pretty amazing.”

Eddie presses a kiss to your forehead once you’re in your seat. “I love the way your mind works, beautiful girl.”

Back at your apartment, Eddie flops down onto the couch and heaves his legs over the arms with an exaggerated groan. “Remind me why I continue to chase the boys around Chuck E. Cheese?” He laments dramatically. “I think my arthritis is flaring.”

“First of all, you don’t even have arthritis, you drama queen,” you tease him, gently sitting on his outstretched legs. “And second, you do it because you love them.”

He smirks before pulling you down on top of him, making you yelp out in surprise. “I do love those little menaces,” he agrees, pressing a kiss to your temple. “Hate saying goodbye to them.”

“I know, babe,” you say, nuzzling into his chest. The sound of his heartbeat relaxes your muscles and helps you steady your breath. “Hopefully you won’t have to do that much longer.”

“Yeah, okay,” Eddie laughs bitterly. “I don’t know what judge is gonna agree to give a parentless orphan full custody. How the hell do I even know what to—”

You silence him with a kiss, slow and passionate, while caressing his cheek with your thumb. His echo of Brittany’s orphan comment isn’t lost on you. When you finally break the kiss, you can see his misty brown eyes. “Eddie Munson, do not let her in your head. Ryan and Luke adore you. If you had a fan club, they’d be co-presidents.”

“But—”

“No ‘buts,’” you shake your head.

Eddie pouts. “Not even your butt?” You giggle, and the corners of his mouth tug up in the beginning of a smile. “I just worry that if I do get custody, I’m not gonna be enough for them, y’know? What if I’m not a good enough dad without their mom?”

You brush a lock of hair from his face and tuck it behind his ear. “You are the best dad, and that has nothing to do with her,” you insist. “Everything you’ve done for your kids has been because of the love you have for them. That won’t ever change.”

“That’s true,” he muses, lacing his fingers with yours.

“And,” you add, wriggling in closer to him, “when Brittany’s away, you’ll get to spend every waking moment that they’re not in school with them. And probably some non-waking moments, too, since they love to wake you up in the middle of the night.”

“Also true,” Eddie laughs. “Well, mostly. I’ll have to leave them with Wayne while we go on our date. Unless you found today’s outing to be the pinnacle of romance.”

“Tempting,” you giggle along with him. “Really, though; you’ve already asked me to be your girlfriend, you’re staying with me, and we’ve said ‘I love you,’ like, a million times. You don’t have to take me on a—”

Eddie holds you even tighter, effectively silencing you. “LET ME WOO MY LADY!” he all but shouts, wrapping his legs around yours.

“Okay, okay, I’ve been wooed,” you relent, wiping tears from your eyes after laughing so hard. “So, where are you taking me, my knight in shining armor?”

“That is a surprise,” Eddie says mischievously, wiggling his eyebrows.

“But I have to know what to wear,” you say with a pout, hoping it will work on him as well as his pouts work on you. But no dice.

“I can pick out your outfit, baby.” The gleam in his eye has you immediately shaking your head, though.

“I’ll end up wearing one of the pieces of lingerie you bought for me last week,” you say.

“Would that really be so bad?” Eddie teases, running his fingers up and down your spine.

“You’d want other people to see me in that? You’d take me out in public wearing that?” You raise an eyebrow at him, already knowing what the answer is.

“Fuck no, I’m the only one who gets to see you like that,” Eddie says as he buries his head in your neck. He places soft kisses against the skin there as you giggle.

“Okay, then I need to know what kind of date I’m getting ready for,” you say.

Eddie pulls back and looks at you. He’s clearly deliberating, and you can almost hear the gears in his mind clanking. Eventually, he shakes his head. “I’ll tell Jess where I’m taking you. She can help you pick out your evening attire.”

“Can I at least know when?” you ask.

“Friday night,” Eddie tells you. “I’ll even take off work early and pick the gremlins up from school. That way you can get ready at home, and I can pick you up like a proper date.”

Grinning, you lean in and press your lips against his. “S’gonna be the best date ever.”

A few days later, Eddie’s finishing up his lunch break from work and heading back out to finish installing some new brake pads when he hears the familiar voice.

“Munson!” Steve calls out from the reception area, jogging over to his friend. “How’s it going?”

“Can’t complain,” Eddie replies with a grin. “Got my boys again this weekend, since Brittany’s gonna be out of town.” He leans on the hood of the car. “What can I do ya for?”

“One oil change and one playdate,” Steve laughs. “Nancy really loved getting to meet your girl, and the kids love her, too. Natalie keeps asking if she can take them to Chuck E. Cheese.”

A blush creeps into Eddie’s cheeks when he hears his friend praising you. “Yeah, she’s kinda the best. You want synthetic?”

“Huh?”

“The oil,” Eddie clarifies. “You want synthetic, right?”

Steve shrugs. “Whatever you usually do. You’re the car guy.”

Eddie gives a small salute as Steve tosses him his keys. “I’m gonna take her out on Friday, so maybe we can do Saturday?”

“What?” Even after years of friendship, Steve still has trouble adjusting to the way Eddie’s thoughts bounce all over the place. “Oh, the playdate? Yeah, Saturday works for us.”

“Sounds good,” Eddie says. He goes to head towards the car before stopping and turning back to his friend. “Do me a favor before Saturday?”

“What’s that?” Steve asks.

“Hide all the Billy Joel music in your house.”

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x you #older!eddie #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fic #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fan fiction #ayw #AYWs

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wh0lemilk0vich · 2 years ago

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🍄 Shroomie your response is coming, your ask is *chef's kiss* I'm just a little too brain dead tonight. This can also serve as a reminder

Chubby fandom babygirl head canons welcome! Responses typically roll out Thursday evenings and Fridays (EST)

Some fandoms and universes listed in my pinned post. Feel free to ask about others, ships, kinks, whatever 🥰

#misha speaks #🍄 anon #chubby kink #steddie #steddilly #aegond #chubby stranger things boys #chubby kink gallavich #chubby hotd headcanons

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kana-daydreams · 5 months ago

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𝐦𝐫𝐬. 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧

summary: a day in which you get mistaken for the general's wife.

𝐏𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

Omg!! What a cute couple?!

I’ll tap that.

Is that their kid?

Goals.

Your left eye twitches and your face contorts into an embarrassed scowl as your ears are subjected to listen to the irking, hushed comments of strangers being hurled—left, right and centre— in your direction.

Were those people visually impaired?

Why in the world did they think you and this...this abomination were a coup—

“Ooo, ice cream! Can we, can we?!” A bubbly voice chirps from beside you and you glance down at the young child, a boy no older than seven, whose hands grip both yours and Warumono's in a tight grasp as the three of you amble along a sidewalk, like a cute happy family — a reality very, very far from the truth.

The only reason you were a part of this 'family' was due to the boy. And only the boy. A poor soul you'd happened to chance upon during your usual patrol, cuddled in the arms of the abomination, lost, and refusing to part ways with him. And his stubbornness, in turn, leading you to tag along, concerned about leaving his welfare in the hands of evil.

Your gaze follows the boy's across at the ice cream truck stationed to your right.

“Don’t you think you've had enough sugar for the day, sweetie?” You plaster on a soft smile, referring to all the treats both you and Warumono indulged him in on your way to the police station, as a way to cheer him up for getting separated from his parents.

“Yeah, but I want ice cream." His chubby cheeks puff from a pout.

You give him a look of uncertainty. “I don’t know…we really should be getting you back to your parents. They must be very worried about you.”

The boy looks at you, a sheepish look shadowing his features, before casting a longing look in the direction of the truck and at the faces of other children lighting up in excitement when they each receive an ice cream cone. And his own face takes on a crestfallen look. “I know…”

His disappointed tone and sad pout ache your heart. It reminds you of your Mugi and Sora back at home any time they didn't get their way. Instantly withdrawing your word, helpless against their puppy-dog eyes.

And therefore with your weak resolve against pouting, adorable baby faces, you begin to have second thoughts about your suggestion. But before you can make an offer, another voice annoyingly beats you to it.

“If we get you ice cream, will you quietly let us take you to the police station?”

The boy perks up at Warumono’s question, brown eyes seeming to sparkle in his direction. “Mhm!” And with his newfound glee, the boy tugs both you and Warumono by the hand in the direction of the ice cream truck’s concession.

Momentarily, you find yourself giving a waffle cone that towers three scoops of ice cream tall to the boy. “Be careful, now.” You say as he retrieves the cone from your hands. Advice immediately gone down the drain when the cone miraculously slips from his grasp, after he manages to take a single lick, and plops to the ground.

The boy's face scrunches. His brows pull into a sad frown and his lips quiver before he releases a surge of sobs, snot and tears.

His crying draws the attention of the others around you along with Warumono's, still in line waiting to retrieve his own order. He watches as you crouch down to the boy’s level, wiping a handkerchief at his tears and snotty nose, frantically attempting to calm him down.

“Poor thing.” Warumono directs his attention at the middle-aged man behind the open window of the ice-cream truck. And watches as he then disappears further into the truck, reappearing after a few minutes with two cones of ice cream similar to the one he'd ordered earlier for the little boy, together with his own.

“Here, take this. On the house.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course, son. Y'er a loyal customer." He smiles a toothy smile. "I don’t mind givin’ freebies to ya, and y'er pretty wife and kid you've gotcha over there."

A beat of quiet settles between Warumono and the older man.

Wife? He arches a brow and spares a glance to his left in your direction.

He wasn't sure how to perceive the man's words. As a compliment or an insult?

Warumono returns his attention to the man, retrieving the ice creams from his hands.

"She's not my—"

"Next!"

Interrupted from clearing up the man's misunderstanding of the relationship between you and him along with the child, Warumono makes his way over to you and the boy you'd escorted over to a nearby bench, still sniffling and hiccuping from his misfortune.

“Here.”

You peer up at the ice creams in his hands and arch a brow in question, considering you didn’t order any.

"It's for you and the kid." Warumono supplies. “The old man gave it to me for free.”

“Really?” You take an ice cream from him, giving it to the child, his crying instantly subsiding, before taking the other for yourself.

“Yeah."

"Wait, did you threaten him?" Your eyes narrow in suspicion.

Warumono looks both unsurprised and unbothered by your bold assumption.

"No." He wipes away a dot of ice cream on the child's nose who giggles in response. "It's because I've got a pretty wife and kid."

“Well, that’s nice of him." You smile. "I love free...wait, w-wife?” Heat courses up your neck, and flares on your face when your brain registers his words. “What do you mean wife?!”

#𓇻 kana's misc ddrms #warumono san x reader #warumono x reader #kyuujitsu no warumono san #mr villain x reader #mr villain's day off

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frenchkisstheabyss · 10 months ago

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ⱧɆ₳Ɽ₮ ₴Ⱨ₳₱ɆĐ ฿ØӾ

☽ Pairing ☾ warlock!christian yu x witch!chubby!fem!reader

☽ Genre ☾ supernatural au , fluff, smut

☽ Summary ☾ When his first attempt at a spell ends in him being chased out of town, Christian stumbles through the woods and stumbles upon your cottage. Unwelcoming to visitors, you attempt to chase him off but there's just something about this stranger that makes it impossible to turn him away.

☽ Word Count ☾ 2.7k-ish

☽ Warnings ☾ mentions of death/funerals (it's handled comedically so nothing gruesome), witchcraft obviously, unprotected sex, nibbling, a lil bit of rough sex, soft dom christian vibes, overstimulation, creampie, pet names (darling, love), & that's all babes.

☽ A/N ☾ I wrote this as a request for @magoapple who loves Christian Yu as much as I do. Thank you for trusting me to write up your idea and I hope that it came out the way you wanted. Love you 💜

It was supposed to be a simple sleep spell. A few sprigs of dried mugwort, ground lepidolite, the toe of a dead man, a splash of moon water, two creams, three sugars. Or was it three creams, two sugars? Racing through the trees, bare branches grasping at his limbs like the claws of the damned, Christian knows he made a mistake somewhere.

His grandmother’s spells, written on tea stained scraps of paper, provided clear instructions. Naturally a few words here and there had faded over time but how important could they have truly been?Important enough that they might've kept him from cooking up the nauseating potion that made him pass for a corpse.

The days of grieving that preceded his funeral service were hell for everyone but him. While dozens wept he snoozed peacefully. Arrangements were made. His pinstripe white suit was tailored. An oak wood casket was measured to suit his height. The only thing missing, the very thing that saved him, was that the mortician skipped the embalming process.

In a small middle of nowhere town like this, people are prone to superstition. When the mortician placed his scalpel to Christian’s throat, prepared to make his first incision, he could’ve sworn he heard a low humming noise. A death rattle is what they call it. Unremarkable when heard coming from the dying but when it’s coming from the dead? Cut into them and the sound will haunt you for the rest of your days.

And so he quietly left him intact. Something he’d come to regret when his wife rushed into the funeral home screaming in terror that the boy had risen from the dead at his own funeral. The townspeople were unhappy to say the least. Glancing over his shoulder, Christian can still see raging globes of orange looming between the trees. The flames of torches meant to burn him to ash.

There’s chatter amongst the small group of men tasked with capturing him. Their voices aren't distinctive in the slightest but their anger—their fear—seeps into their surroundings. One of the men managed to cut his arm before he escaped. His hand clings to the wound, gathering the fabric of his tattered suit to soak up the blood that drips from it.

He’s out of breath, lungs burning with every step he takes. He doesn’t know how much longer he can run or even where he’s running to. Only that he has to keep going or he’ll be burned at the stake. He knows he’s been running in a straight line but suddenly the trees seem to bend as if he’s made a right turn. The change is dizzying, causing him to stumble but he has to keep running. Straight? No, left. No, right. No.

Thud! His body collides with something unseen, knocking him to the ground. “What the hell!” you shout, bracing yourself for the fall. You land hard on your bottom, the basket of herbs on your arm spilling out into the grass. Scrambling to your feet, you spot the beast that slammed into you though he’s no beast at all. Despite his disheveled appearance, the dark haired man has a gentleness to him that makes you want to rush to his aid.

Watching him dust himself off, you see that he’s injured...and handsome. Incredibly handsome. But how did he get here? How? “Oh my goodness, I’m so happy I found you. You have to help me!” he pleads, grasping at your arm to pull himself up. You back away, sensing the impending presence of even more unwanted company. “You led them here? To my home! Who sent you?” Eyeing the cozy cottage behind you, Christian questions if he’s alive after all.

Everything from the chestnut shingles on the roof to the cobblestone path with flowers springing out from between the cracks reminds him of the story books he read as a child. Vines of wisteria climb the walls, bundles of lavender adorning the arches of the windows and doors. A place like this—it shouldn’t be here.

“You shouldn’t be here! Whoever sent you—” you say, lowering your voice to a hush. “No one sent me. I’ve just, I’ve had a day, alright? If you don’t help me they’ll kill me so please, please help me.” You want to turn him away, send him right back in whatever direction he came from, but you can’t. The sincerity of his pleas tug at your heartstrings, playing them like a violin.

Behind him you spot the lights of the torches, bringing back dark memories of what lead to your life of solitude to begin with. Shaking away the ghosts of your past, you rush to pull his jacket off. “Take your clothes off!” “Hey!” he squeals, twisting free, “What are you doing?” “You stink of graveyard dirt. It’s interfering with my spell. Take your clothes off, anything the dirt touched, and dispose of them!”

Christian hesitates, unsure he wants to trust a strange woman’s demands to strip down, no matter how beautiful she is. “Just do it before you get us both killed!” “So feisty! Fine, I’ll do it!” Finally getting his jacket off, you toss it into the trees. Christian follows your lead, hurriedly stripping down to his underwear and disposing of the clothes in a small scattered area just beyond your grass.

You’re ashamed of yourself. Staying focused has always been your strength and men, unfortunately, have always been your weakness. His muscled body is covered in inked markings, mesmerizing you to the point of total distraction. Christian catches you staring and winks, “Like something you see, darling?” “Ugh, you’re already unbearable!” you huff, marching towards your home. “Come inside, we need to handle that wound.” “What about them?”

Pushing your front door open, you turn around and begin counting backwards from 10. Gradually, the torches snuff out and the voices fade into the night. “We’re invisible to them now. They won’t find us. They won’t find anything. The trees will twist until they can’t even find each other.” You say this with a coldness that betrays your sweet exterior and fuels his curiosity.

“You’re magnificent” he muses, making you crack something too fleeting to register as a smile though it’s something resembling one. Lowering your head to hide your amusement, you step inside and he trails behind you, a lost puppy in search of a home. “Whoa” he gasps, marveling at the decor. It’s rustic and simple yet everything in it seems priceless. Even the picture frames appear ornate, the paintings within their boundaries thriving with life.

If he stands still long enough he could swear the paintings move. “Do you plan to bleed out on my carpet?” you tease, standing in the doorway to the kitchen with a blanket and a small basket holding your own special first aid supplies.

“When did you get those?”

“Get what?”

“The blanket and the…they just…”

“Appeared?” you laugh, handing him the blanket, “Things tend to do that around here. Come sit.”

Wrapping himself in the blanket, Christian makes his way into the kitchen. “Might you have a name, stranger?” you ask, setting up your own makeshift medical station at the table. “Christian. And yours?” Unraveling a roll of gauze, you glance up to find him staring at you with a longing in his eyes that even he may not be aware of. It makes your heart skip a beat, your pulse racing as you catch yourself slipping under his spell once more.

The sound of a pot boiling over on the stove reels you back in. You clear your throat, hurrying to tend to the dinner you’d so quickly forgotten about. Jumping into action, Christian grabs an oven mitt and is right at your side helping to put out a small fire before it catches. “Goodness, look at me. I’m such a mess. Forgive me, I just—this is a lot and I—” you ramble, flustered by the culmination of events.

You stop to catch your breath, a hand clutched to your chest. This is far more excitement than you were prepared for. “Would you like something to eat, Christian?” Your question makes him suddenly aware of how long it’s been since he last had a bite to eat or even a sip of water. The aroma rising from the pots is mouthwatering, only making matters worse. If he had enough moisture in his body to drool he would.

“I would love that, thank you.” You take him by the hand, leading him back to his chair to properly examine his wound. “I’ll feed you and fix you up then off you go. Understood?” He nods obediently, praying that mind reading isn’t among your abilities. As annoyed as you may be at his arrival, there’s still something so inviting about you. You handle him with such warmth. The very warmth that was so cruelly stripped from his life without warning. What intention could he possibly have of letting you rush him off?

But he lies anyway, settling into the comfort of your touch. “Understood.”

Chirp! Chirp! The baby bird cupped in Christian’s hands flutters its wings. A thorn peeks from between its feathers, preventing it from taking flight. “Poor thing” you pout, pinching the thron and plucking it free, “There you go. All better, aren’t we?” Christian looks to you with the same admiration that he has everyday since he stumbled upon your cottage, injured and alone like this sweet little bird.

Weeks have passed since then, both of you finding excuses for him to stay before ultimately doing away with the notion altogether. Before his arrival you’d never spent mornings like this sitting barefoot in the grass enjoying the utopia your magic had created. Now every morning begins this way with him, hours spent opening up to him in ways you never thought you would with anyone.

You shudder to think of how long you spent locked up in that house, hidden from everything bad in the world and consequently everything, at least one thing, good. Christian sets the bird down in the grass, watching it hop off into the distance and disappear beyond the invisible veil that surrounds your home. “Darling,” he says, a sweet nickname he’s come to call you, “Have you ever thought about leaving?” You laugh at the obscenity of such a question, “Leaving? Wh-why would I do that?”

Sensing the anxiousness in your voice, he intertwines his fingers with yours, brushing his thumb along the back of your trembling hand. “There’s a big, wide world out there, darling. You can’t hide here forever.” It’s a knife through your heart to hear him say that word. Hide. “I’m not hiding here. This place keeps me safe. It keeps us safe.” You move to snatch your hand away but he only holds it tighter, bringing you closer to him.

“But it keeps us still. Something as beautiful as you are shouldn’t be kept. Beautiful things should be free, shouldn’t they?” “And who’ll protect me?” Christian smiles, deep brown eyes refelcting the morning sun, “I will.” Instinctively you want to make a mad dash for the front door, slam it behind you and shut everything out. But with it would go your new companion, the light at the end of a tunnel of seemingly eternal loneliness.

His other hand finds your waist, bringing you onto his lap. “I owe you everything” he whispers against your lips, “Won’t you let me give it to you?” He wraps his arms around you, kissing you with all the passion his words can’t communicate. It steals your breath away, killing that urge to run away. Your fingertips trace his jawline as you tilt forward to deepen the kiss. His tongue ventures further into your mouth, his hands finding their way under your flowy black dress.

Your skin’s softer than the most expensive silk. He can’t get enough of touching you, caressing you. Light sparks of what feels like electricity give you goosebumps as he trails up your spine. “Come with me” he begs, kissing his way down your collarbone. His tongue teases your cleavage, rounding what lush flesh of you breasts overflows from your lowcut neckline.

Christian tugs the front of your dress down, groaning in pleasure as your breasts fall free of the material. Taking your nipple between his lips, he eagerly buries his face into your chest, suckling at the bud. You throw your head back, eyes falling closed, and profess to the skies that you’ll do it. “Yes” you moan, grinding down to feel him hard against your core, “I’ll do it.”

Christian hums happily, nibbling at your stiffened bud as he reaches between your legs to stroke your slit through your panties. Only there are none. They’ve disappeared. He looks up at you, perplexed. He knows you were wearing them. “Where—” “Did you forget?” you giggle, watching the awe on his face as he feels his cock spring from his pants, “I’m magic.” “Yes, you are.”

Magic in every sense of the word. Not only in the intoxicating kiss you pull him into. Not only in the way that you sink down onto him, swallowing every throbbing inch of him into you. You’re magic in the strands of hair that fall between his fingers and in the voice that cries out his name. “Christian!” you moan, tearing his shirt away to reveal the tattooed form you’ve lusted for from the start. He bounces you in his lap, bottoming out with each thrust of his hips. It sends shockwaves through you, your juices pooling at the base of his cock.

Your toes curl, back arching as the blood rushing up his shaft has his veins pulsing while you clench around him. “I’ve wanted you for so long” he confesses, gripping the plush of your ass. “Oh god, me too. So badly.” As if you needed to say it. You’re so wet that he can feel you juices splashing on his fingers each time your bodies meet. That says everything. But he loves to hear your voice. Hear you say that you’ve wanted him as much as he wants you. “Darling” he coos, his face in your neck, inhaling your scent, “You’re shaking.”

You are. It started when he first took your hand and it hasn’t stopped since. One especially rough thrust makes you cry out, your pussy beyond overstimulated by the return of sensations you haven’t felt in years. Your eyes sparkle with tears, a tightness gripping your chest, “Too much! Ah, can’t…” In one graceful motion he has you on your back, your trembling knees pressed back to spread you wider. “Ssh, you can. You can take it for me. My brave girl, hmm?”

You squirm beneath him, this new angle perfect for slamming into your sweet spot. “You...are...the...devil” you gasp, legs wrapping around his waist. “Not the first time I’ve heard that, love” he chuckles, taking that as a challenge. Pinning your hands above your head, he picks up speed, claiming every part of you in every way he can until you’re—

“Christian—I—I’m—oh my goddesses.”

“That’s it my lovely. Wanna feel you—”

Your orgasm washes over you, the waves powerful enough to pull you under. You’re drowning and you bring him right along with you. You're overcome with every emotion all at once as you hold each other tight, flowing into each other, sticky and sweet.

The sky darkens. The air is still. For a moment you hear nothing and then your body relaxes. The sun returns, the sky somehow prettier than it was before. Christian collapses on top of you, his face disappearing beneath a mess of dark hair as he lays his head on your chest. He squints his eyes, noticing that, beyond his curtain of hair, he can spot parts of the forest he hadn’t seen before.

In the distance, the little wounded bird hops around with his friends. Not too far away he spots remnants of the clothing he tossed away when he found you. He can see everything now and that means everything can see him. It can see you. “So, where to first?” you beam, admiring the view with him.

“Anywhere you want, darling, as long as I’m with you.”

#christian yu x reader #christian yu fluff #christian yu smut #dpr ian x reader #dpr ian smut #dpr ian fluff #chubby reader #plus size reader

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simping-for-joe · 8 months ago

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Head Over Heels

Leon Kennedy X Chubby! Single-mom! Reader

Part 2

Leon’s new neighbor has definitely caught his interest

Y/N: So this is going to be multi-part since I think that'll work best for me. I just wanted to write about a chubby single mom with Leon. I also don't know how many parts

(The title is from "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fear)

Leon huffed a sigh as he reached his apartment building. He threw his bag onto his shoulder as he exited his car. He notices a large moving truck in a parking spot not too far from his.

“Great…” He sighs, hoping that his new neighbors are at least quiet. He walks up the stairs of his apartment building and spots a collection of boxes across the hallway from his door. As he pulls out his keys and turns to his door, he hears a female voice.

“Come on…” He turns to see a woman struggling with a key and her door. Leon tries to turn back to his own business and to ignore you, but sighs as he heads over.

“Need some help?” He asks softly, looking at you.

“Oh! Thank you!” You say shocked by the turn of events. He grabs the box from you as you unlock and open the apartment door. As you open the door for him, you place a small box in the way to prop it open. “Thank you so much.” You repeat yourself looking to him.

“It’s no problem…” He replies and finally gets a full look at you. You looked very soft, and you had a thankful smile on your lips. Your features are round and have some extra weight on your body. You introduce yourself telling him your name. “Nice to meet you, I’m Leon. Your neighbor.” He explains stiffly and a little awkwardly.

"Oh! That makes some sense, sorry. My brain is all over the place." You explain looking around your new empty apartment.

"It's alright, moving will definitely do that." Leon chuckles awkwardly.

"Mom! Did you see-" A young boy runs it, freezing when he notices the stranger with his mother.

"Hey Finn, this is our neighbor, Mr. Kennedy." You gesture to the man beside you. "This is my son." You turn to

"Oh um, please call me Leon." He insists, his body still tense.

"Um... hi..." The boy says shyly. His features looked close to yours, the only thing that didn't look like it was directly from you was his eyes. Leon gives a soft smile to him.

"It's good to meet you." He says kindly to the boy, who is moving closer to your leg. You chuckle softly at Finn's reaction.

"It's alright sweetheart." You assure him, your hand gently going through his hair. Still, he seemed less tense after Leon's introduction.

"It was really nice to meet you," Leon says softly and starts to head back to his apartment with an awkward wave.

It’d be interesting with both you and Finn now living across from him. It didn’t help that he found himself taking second glances at you specifically. He feels his cheeks heat up at the thought but tries to push those feelings away.

It had been a week and Leon kept running into you and your son. You always looked a little tired, but you somehow managed to greet him with a smile every time.

He'd never admit it but he loved when you crossed paths with him. Finn also greeted him with a smile, but he swears that kid smiled like that was his natural state.

You stand in front of your neighbor's apartment anxiously before you knock gently. It takes a moment, but he reveals himself. His blue eyes staring at you.

"Yes?" He asks with a raised blonde eyebrow.

"I... I really hate to ask this." You start out. "Finn's teacher wants a parent-teacher conference with me, but that means no one can watch him and I was wondering if you could..?" You ask him anxiously and nervously.

You watch as Leon's eyes widen, he seemingly needing a moment to fully process completely what you had asked him.

"I..."

"You don't have to say yes, to be completely clear!" You add on anxiously and worried.

"I can do it." He confirms afterward, which shocks you but also a relief fills you. Your shoulders fall after being so tense.

"Thank you so much! I really do appreciate it, like more than you know." You say before hugging him tightly, he freezes for a moment before you feel his arms around you.

"I-It's no problem." He replies softly afterward. He felt a slight blush on his cheeks form, you felt so soft. Your hug was so tight and firm.

"Thanks again!" You head off with a wave and a smile. As Leon stands there in disbelief, what did he just agree to? And why didn't he mind? He shuts his apartment door with a soft smile.

#resident evil #leon kennedy #leon kennedy x reader #leon s kennedy #x reader #no use of y/n #x chubby reader #fanfic #fluff #angst #angst with a happy ending #x female reader

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whalesforhands · 7 months ago

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what’s yours is mine (2/?)

previous masterlist next

pairing: geto suguru x reader x gojo satoru

You don’t know a lot of things, and you readily admit that. What you do know, is that the friends you’ve made aren’t something you will ever regret. Until your physical body weakens and becomes nothing, you’re more than happy to give your all until you wither away.

What’s yours can be theirs, too. They’re your friends, after-all. (Omegaverse AU)

You don’t think your eyes are even able to leave, don’t think that they’re capable of ripping away from the sway of smooth silk-like noir. You notice the sharp up-curve of the nose, the flair of poise in his gaze. His features are tender, yet so sharp… It was like looking at some sort of doll.

You can see his lips part, mouthing words that you can’t seem to make out as he picks up a much smaller box, smile on his face soft with excitement, slowly curling into a laugh that you can’t hear…

And you just can’t help but think how pretty he looks.

There’s curiosity glimmering in your eyes, the uncertainty in the neutral, almost blank look on your face as you’re practically mesmerized by the sight. What sort of feeling is this? Is it normal? Are you meant to feel—

“Pah, it’s just some kid and his parents.” He practically has poison on his tongue, spitting them out with restrained irritation as he sticks his tongue out at the boy. “Bleghhhh, who even needs to look at ‘em, right?” He’s huffing a bit once he sees him disappear into the home, glad that was over and done with, hopping off the stool and chubby hand reaching for your curtain tie to draw them close.

Your eyes don’t need to see him. You have him, right? He looks to you for affirmation, for your compliance—

Only to be met with your silence, body still and eyes stuck onto the drawn curtains— The baby blue of the fabric starting to swirl your mind with perplexing images as your stare turns blank and your eyes go out of focus.

You’re not paying attention to him anymore… And that doesn’t sit quite right with your one and only friend.

He slaps a hand over your eyes, turning your sight dark and obscured and distracted. “Don’t look at him.” You can feel a slight sting from the impact, can feel how warm his hand is against your skin as you reach up to pat at him— To let you see again, please.

“Strangers are dangerous!” You know that. “Has your Mama never taught you that you shouldn’t approach kids you don’t know?!” You can hear the pouting grumbles, can hear how mad he is at the appearance of this supposedly ‘new kid’.

“Satoru…” You’re kind of confused about his behaviour, your words starting to trail off into a tone of uncertainty and slight fear. Does he not realize it?

“I’m a new kid too—“

“Y’er different!” He lets out a huff as he grabs onto your hand, tugging you towards him lightly, telling you to get off. “Don’t ask me to explain, okay!”

And you just blink at him, unintentionally hitting a nerve.

“What, ya wanna be friends with him or something?” He looks offended, a curve of his eyebrows downwards and crossed arms, feet planted themselves firmly into the tatami mats of your floor as you catch what looks suspiciously like the bristling of his hair. “Y’er not allowed to be friends with anyone from this neighbou—“

Your eyebrows furrow. “But he’s not from this neighbourhood— He just moved in, remember?”

“That’s not my point! The idea is that—“

“He’s pretty, though.” An interruption to his little spiel, eyes glancing back at the drawn curtains of your window. Does Satoru not think so too? You didn’t know people could look like that.

“Wha— Well, so am I!” Oh, so Satoru does agree. That’s enough to have you humming slightly, eyes turning into an up-curve and smiling at your friend. You’re glad he agrees. Now you both have one more similarity added to the list.

What was, unbeknownst to you, not similar right now, was his seething irritation as he watches you think about his claim.

“Mm…” Your face grows oddly serious as you slowly step off the stool, your small feet shuffling forwards to better stare at your blue-eyed friend. Your face is close, your toes on the edge as you really lean in to get a closer look, to really look him in the eye now that it’s too dark without the sunlight shining in.

You’ve never given much thought to Satoru’s looks beyond the surface level of ‘cute’.

Your scrutinization of his face leaves him quiet, leaves him to glare and pout back at you despite the close proximity. Like he was imploring you to look all you want, didn’t mind that you were coming this close to inspect the features of his face.

So you take your time to think, to ponder… To really have time to learn about his every characteristic.

You like the way his cheeks always looked full and red, always soft looking and squishy under your touch, liked the way his nose curved upwards at just that certain point and the cute scrunches he always does.

You liked his eyes, the sparkling blue akin to the shimmering ponds reflected by a sunny day, always glittering and shiny when they smiled at you. You liked how his hair, despite the sharp tips and messy styling— Looked purposeful and proper in a cute, rugged way. It suits him.

Every trait, suits him perfectly. You don’t know anybody else who would be able to pull off his looks the way he does, pull off that funny, stuck-up attitude he has… Because it wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t him.

Maybe you just have an odd sense for beauty, or have an eye set on looking for something else. You think that maybe some people might find him to be, while some not at all. But— That’s not the point now, is it? What’s important now is what you think. You could compare him to many pretty things in the world, the skies for his eyes, the clouds for his hair— It’s not as simple as you think it is.

(And… Which word is better anyway? You can’t exactly ask Mama right now.)

So you close your eyes. What would he be to you if you can’t see him anymore? If you one day lose your sight, lose your only way of seeing the world, how would you remember him?

You think you would remember the way he smells like fabric cleaner, his soft clothing always having the same scent of refreshing chill, of vibrant sun and summer breezes.

You think you would remember how much you like him, how much you love him for being your first friend. A memory that you vow to hold clear in your head no matter how much time passes. You want to keep being his friend, until you’re clapping at his wedding, until you grow old and wrinkly and ugly, until you’re sleeping away in one of those boxes—

You have your answer.

You smile, leaning back so that the balls of your feet are back on solid ground, away from the airiness and lightheaded feel. The best compliment you can give him, the one you think suits him best.

“No.” Your eyes reflect too much light, happy joy and too much satisfaction for him to truly believe you, anticipation drying his lips as he awaits your continuation.

“You’re cute, Satoru. Not pretty.” And he believes you now, as much of the moment you had ruined for him as his pout and staunch attitude grow ever bigger.

“What?!”

Oh. You blink at him, expression taking on another look of blank neutrality and confusion. You thought you had said it pretty loudly. “I said,” You need to take another breath in, trying to project your voice ever louder than before. “You’re cute, Satoru. Not pretty—“

“I heard you the first time!” He’s still in disbelief, pushing up against your face with his own pouting one, getting all up in your face to glare at you.

Was he not satisfied with that answer? You say he’s cute, because he is. The cutest in the— You should apologise if he’s this upset.

“Sorr—“

“Don’t apologise!” He’s grabbing you by the shoulders, shaking you back and forth as you just… Let him do it.

“Sorry—“ A glare. You’ll be quiet now… Or do you?

“I would still like you best no matter what, Satoru.”

(“Is that a promise?”)

——

“That sign,” A chubby, almost dainty looking finger points at it. “Ya see? It says it’s Gojo property. Means it’s mine.” His feet are kicking up sand, the creaks of the metal filling your ears as you let yourself tune into his words.

You’d have to remember how to recognize them later.

“Some letters and stuff were also sent out to the neighbourhood to let ‘em know their snotty kids aren’t allowed here.” He looks proud, smug. Bragging away at the fact that this was his playground as he continues to swing himself back and forth, with you sat right next to him on the other seat.

You stare off into the sky, noticing that the clouds looked fluffier, whiter today. More reminiscent of Satoru’s hair, more alike the puff up of his head when he wakes up from a nap beside you.

“And ‘cause ya can’t read yet, you ended up trespassing.”

Signs can’t exactly stop anyone if they can’t read, can they? Or is it your fault you didn’t learn more words?

“Sor— I’ll ask Mama to make more cookies.” You’re trying to apologize less. It’s tough, but you’re making an effort.

“Ya better!” And it goes silent after. It’s not uncomfortable, not one bit. You’ve never really been the type to enjoy talking too much, anyway. You like the silence, like it when it’s just you both, the swings, and the setting sun in the sky. You notice how you can see how the orange starts to glow against your skin, how the pinks in the sky look much lovelier than usual.

You like days like these.

“Oh right.” The creaks still all too suddenly. “I got something for you.” You can see him jump off the swing, letting out a hoot as he kicks sand up and around where he landed, running over to his Digimon backpack to pull out something.

(You think you remember the name of the animal on his bag that he taught you. Agu…Mon? Or something like that.)

You blink maybe 3 times before you’re unceremoniously fed something.

“Now eat!” A plastic spoon is shoved into your mouth before you can even say anything in response— Sweet, creamy and all too soft— Refreshingly cold and melt in your mouth. You can feel your heart turn fuzzy and melty on immediate contact, feel the sugary caramel swoon you into quiet bliss.

“Fufu,” You can practically smell the smirk in his words. “You only ever eat those cheap 3-pack puddings, right?” His smile… Looks too tight. Too forced, even. You’ve never seen him smile like this before.

“Nobody else in this place would ever be able to buy stuff like this regularly.” And he’s harrumphing, stuffing a scoop of the pudding into his own mouth in triumph and pride, a testament to the riches he can access.

You think he’s right. These cream-filled pudding cups are definitely the first you’ve seen of them—

“So you should only be my friend.” He stops chewing, stops shovelling pudding into both of yours and his mouths the moment he says that, eyes determinedly flicking from the ground up to meet yours. “You don’t need anyone else, okay?”

You think you can feel something bitter in his tone, something clinging on hyperventilating anxiousness and all-too practiced poise. It feels like he’s trying to say something he’s too embarrassed to admit, too scared to say.

If I keep buying you delicious things you’ll stay, right?

You have to remember to blink to bring yourself back into reality, your cheeks still stuffed to its capacity with caramel pudding, have to pinch your skin to really realize what he just said to you. What? Just what kinda relationship depends only on giving things to keep people as friends?

You think that’s dumb.

“But, Swatoru… Iw’m not being your friwend jwust cause—“ You’re hurrying to swallow your food, covering your mouth just to be polite like Mama taught you as your eyes catch the way his hands were starting to stiffen. “Just because you give me stuff.”

He waits for you to finish for once, all narrowed eyes, furrowed eyebrows and inquiring gaze.

“I’m your friend ‘cause I like you.” And you’re smiling, tapping at your mouth to feel the sweet stickiness left behind, humming slightly as your head tilts downwards when you feel up your pockets— To realize it’s not there.

(You forgot to bring the handkerchief Mama always makes you tout around. You now realize… How right she really is about its usefulness. You won’t doubt her ever again.)

“Satoru? Do ya have a hanky I can have?”

What you haven’t noticed was that your words have him freezing up, his face turning into an absolute mess of embarrassed cherry red, his body reeling away from you.

“Y-you’re stupid.” It’s all he can muster as his lips start to tremble, his words sounding like he was shivering. “And dumb!”

And all you remember is how hurriedly he had poured every last bit of remaining pudding into his mouth in retaliation.

(“Ah… I wanted more, Satoru.” You have a frown on your face, eyes showing a blank, slightly disappointed show. He uses your hanky to wipe his mouth, rubbing the cloth against his lips as he listens to you. “It was really good…”

He does feel kind of bad now.

“…sorry.” And it’s cute, the way his eyes have shifted to the side and the tips of his ears burning red, whispered apology under his breath that the wind whistled into your ears.

He won’t admit it.)

——

“Young Master Gojo, you will have the opportunity to talk to (name)-sama again soon. Master expects you to be home for the gathering as soon as possible.”

“You can’t approach him! Remember that!” The door of the sleek, black limousine shuts; fully obscuring your view of your friend as the servant lady— Kimiko-san, as you’ve learned her name to be, bows before you in a curt goodbye.

“Thank you for keeping the young master company today as well, (name)-sama.”

They dropped you off home.

The vroom of the engine picks up as you keep waving at the vehicle, your goodbye not being unseen as a certain milk-haired individual rushed towards the window.

You see his face pressed up against the glass, squishing his full cheeks to the surface as he points at you— And waves his pinky about.

A reminder, if you will. And you do the same in response.

“Sweetie,” Mama pats your head from behind, a sign to usher you inside now that the sun was on the verge of disappearing, the sky blanketed in dark blues and the street lamps flickering to life.

“The new neighbours moved in today.” There’s the clatter of some of the groceries she had just bought onto the table, a carton of milk, half a head of lettuce, carrots, potatoes— Tonight’s dinner is curry.

“I saw them.” You’re crawling up onto the wooden dining chair, unloading the reusable grocery bag as you hear her bring out the pot. “They have a pretty kid.”

“Do they?” You can hear the smile, the chuckle in her tone as she acknowledges you, the shuffle and crinkle of plastic in her hands as she starts to prepare dinner. “Then I hope they’re nice people.”

“Me too.” Even if you’re not allowed to approach them, you carefully descend from the chair that was just too tall for you to easily get off of, the considerably lighter items; a chocolate bar and a sponge huddled in your hands, your feet on the way to the fridge before—

You notice a sweet tartness in the air— Wafting to your nose as you take an inhale in. Oh, Mama smells nice today. Not— Artificial nice, but normal, nice. She smells like honey and vanilla, light and easy on your nose.

“You smell nice, Mama.” You’ve never been one to voice this out but… It seems that you’re just in a talkative mood today. In a mood to share your happiness. Just because.

The decisive chopping of potatoes and carrots stiffen, yet the boiling of water continues. “…is that so, sweetheart?” Her hands tensing just that little bit more as she continues on. The clacks against the wooden chopping board grow less erratic… Slow, uncertain.

Worried.

“Mhm. Didya stop by the bakery just now?” She really, really smells good. And you can see her visibly relax at that, her shoulders slumping as she lets out… A quiet sigh of relief?

(Did you say something bad?)

“I figured you would like some bread for tomorrow.” She’s back to normal. “Eating cereal all the time is bad for you, so I bought you some bread and cheese.”

“Yay! Thank you, Mama!”

Dinner passed by too quickly, too much so that you find yourself laying upon the tatami mats of your bedroom in a blink of an eye, futon yet to be rolled out, the sound of Mama preparing the bath downstairs and your tummy full of warm curry as you sigh— Life is good.

Too good, in fact. You’re starting to get suspicious— Starting with those new neighbours you just got today. You’re curious, you really are.

The window opposite to yours— That would be the rooms of one of them right? You remember a gait of confidence from his Mama, his own Papa not lagging in that aspect either. So… Which one would have that room? Does he sleep by himself? That would be so brave of him.

(Even you struggle to sleep alone… By yourself… In a dark room… You feel a shiver down your spine just thinking about it.)

Your curtains are still drawn, the room that you shared with Mama lit only by your dim ceiling light. She says she’s gonna replace the bulb soon, if you remember correctly.

So… It— Would be fine, right? You’re not approaching or interacting with him. If they were to spot you they won’t have a clear view due to the light. So technically, this counts as safe, no? Innocuous, even. You just want to see who occupies that vey room— That was directly opposite of your own.

Curiosity kills cats, or something like that. But you aren’t a cat, so it obviously doesn’t apply to you. You won’t die.

So you take the chance, grabbing hold of the fabric… Should you really be doing this? You’re unsure, uncertain. And it makes you really, really nervous. It feels like the scratchy material of your curtains were pricking into your skin as you ball up the fabric, taking a gulp… Just one peek. One is enough.

So you steel yourself, swallowing your fear and powering through your nerves. It’s just a quick peek, one glance— Get it over and done with already!

Your eyes catch bright light, the colour temperature warm and inviting. Cozy. You see curtains that were drawn open, but not just any fabric— The fancy type, with pretty lace and a neat ribbon. Pretty…

But that wasn’t the main focus.

What was, was the little boy that had already been staring at your curious little self, purple eyes widened in surprise and mouth already turning into a smile when he catches sight of you.

“Ah! You really did peek out!”

You’ve been noticed.

You squeak, ducking down and away from the window immediately. Oh no. Oh no no no no. This was not the plan at all. Not how you thought this would go! You’re panicking, using the curtains to hide your face away. Just pretend you’re not here, that you were just a figment of his imaginati—

“Oh—“ You can hear him slap a hand over his mouth. “Sorry for yelling.” His words come out hushed, quietened now.

“Did I scare you?”

You have a promise to keep. You’re not about to break it to have a conversation with a window stranger, no matter how pretty he is. At least now, you know your windows are close enough to be able to communicate. If that were any useful information at all.

“That was rude of me, wasn’t it? My Mama would scold me for that.” You think he just attempted to make a joke. A lighthearted attempt.

But… No, he’s not rude at all. You’re the one who should be apologizing for hiding away from him like this, basically ignoring him on purpose. You’re not a rude kid, you swear you’re not. Mama raised you to be better than this— But a promise is a promise.

“My name is Geto Suguru, I just moved in today!” Something about that cheery tone in his voice, the mirth in his words has you feeling guilty, sad.

Yet you don’t reply. You can’t hear him anymore— Why’s it so quiet? Is he waiting for a reply, a sign that you were still listening?

You can’t exactly tell him you made a promise against him—!

So you choose to continue the silence, letting it stretch over the growing awkwardness as you huddle in on yourself.

“It would be nice to meet you.”

Would be. Is he trying to bait you out?

“Suguru! The bath is free!” A distant call from within his home, the feel of a night breeze starting to flutter your curtains as you grip onto them for dear life.

“Oh, coming! Well… I hope we get to talk properly soon. Sorry for scaring you, by the way.” Taps of feet against the carpets of his floors as he patters away— He should be gone now, right?

But… You learned something about the neighbour today. That he was… Unexpectedly really nice. Too nice, even. You feel your conscience gnawing at you, feel guilt grip at your heart.

Mama would not be proud of you for this. Not that you’re gonna tell her, anyway.

(Geto… Suguru, huh?)

——

You don’t meet them again— Until the next afternoon, that is.

You usually check the area for anyone outside the door before you go up open it, you swear that you really do. To go pick up mail from the mailbox, receiving Mama’s delivery items… The area has to be clear before you even dare to step a foot outside.

But not today. You weren’t careful enough to cover your tracks at all.

“Well, hello there!” A lady with black hair tied into a bun and the prettiest purple eyes you’ve ever seen. She’s bright, energetic… And really tall. Taller than Mama. “I’ve only met your mother just this morning, you know? She told me about you!”

She’s really chatty.

“I’m Geto Akari, sweetheart. It’s nice to meet you!”

Introduce yourself introduce yourself introduce yourself—

“…(last name) (name)…” You hope you’re loud enough. You shift your weight from one foot to the other, adjusting the mail that you were holding to be more in line with each other— Less messy. You don’t want to leave the impression of being so, after all.

She spots the white of the papers that you were clutching to your chest, hugging the envelopes near as you blink up at her. “Running some errands for your mother, sweetheart?”

“Mm.” It’s all you can do, really. Just nod and agree as you stare up at her with a stiff expression.

Smile, you should smile. You need to remember to smile.

“Well, aren’t you quite responsible for someone so young! How old are you, darling?” It’s in a coo, a sweetened tone to her voice when she’s bending down slightly to look— Less imposing to you.

“I’m 4.”

“Why, that’s the same age as my son, haha!” She sounds excited— Sounds like she was happy to know about this information as she claps her hands together. “How coincidental!”

She’s so nice.

“Morning, (last name)-san!” You see a face pop out from directly behind her, nearly jumping out of your skin as you feel your heart miss a beat, finding his eyes that were glittering with excitement.

Geto Suguru.

He must’ve heard you just now—

“Suguru, that was rude! You have to introduce yourself before calling for others!” Her hand goes down to ruffle his shoulder-length hair as he laughs.

It makes you almost want to reply—

You slap a hand over your mouth before you even begin to say anything back. Eyes darting back and forth between your home, the front door, them— You think you remember Mama mumbling about gifts last night. You should give them something— Anything. Mama would want you to be polite.

An idea.

Your gaze flickers to her eyes as she tilts her head to the side in confusion, to her son that was still awaiting… So you just nod.

Before turning on your heel to run into the kitchen, climbing onto the stool to grab the last few cookies Mama had made yesterday— Which you were saving for both yourself and Satoru, by the way.

It’s for the best, you decide. TV people did always say that sacrifices are to be made for the grater good. Whatever a grater is, anyway.

(And while you may not have the best penmanship of… Anything yet— Considering you’re only 4. But you’re gonna try, at the very least.

WeL-chum n i hoPe we get aLonG! (Welcome and I hope we get along!) )

“Oh. Welcome back, sweetie!” She smiles at you once more. “I thought you got scared of us and ran away, haha.”

You don’t reply— Only holding up the note and individually wrapped cookies up towards her, doing your best not to look at the excited little boy next to her.

“Woah! Cookies!”

“Well… Aren’t you just so precious!” She’s practically swooning at this point, patting your head gently as you blink. “Looking at you already made me contemplate wanting a daughter, now you’re really pushing me to try for one!”

Please don’t. It would be harder to avoid 2 kids instead of 1.

“Thank you so much— Ah, don’t leave yet!” She’s already making you stop as she herself starts to rush back in her home, ushering her son along with her as you hear the commotion from inside.

“Mom, let’s give her this one!”

“I think those aren’t fresh, Suguru— Oh, how about these?”

“Wouldn’t it just be better to just—“

You tune them out, standing at the front of your house and swaying back and forth on the balls of your feet as you twiddle your fingers and look up towards the afternoon sun.

It would’ve been a good day to air out the futons, Mama would say.

“Ah—! Sorry for the wait, darling! Here you go!” It’s a plastic bag— A size that would be comfortable for your toddler self to drag in without much trouble… If it didn’t look like the items inside were gonna burst out of it.

“It’s for the both of you! I hope you’ll enjoy it!”

You only nod in thanks, smiling up at her slightly as you see her practically bite back a squeal, rubbing your head with held-back enthusiasm as her son… Smiles back at you.

And when you finally close the door behind you and take your shoes off at the genkan—

You think you feel some variation of guilt course through you as you look down at the strawberries you just received— Big, fresh… And really tasty looking.

They are too kind to someone like you. You drag it in, placing the plastic packaging carefully upon the lowest tier of the fridge that you can reach— Before bolting towards the phone.

Climbing up the stool to reach the phone, you grab hold of it as you start to dial the numbers you had memorized— Only just recently.

You hear the telltale ringing, awaiting his voice. It’s urgent, it really is. Your heart is starting to beat too fast, tummy feeling like it was churning the bread and milk from this morning too quickly… You’ve never even called anyone that wasn’t your Mama before.

Were you being too hasty with this?

“You have reached the Gojo estate. How may I assist with your enquiries?” You practically freeze where you stood, a socked foot nearly making you slip against the plastic stool as your breath hitches. You don’t recognise this voice. You don’t know who the man answering this phone was. He’s too old, much too fancy sounding compared to your Satoru.

He said Gojo estate… So you didn’t call the wrong number, right?

You think you’re starting to breathe heavily into the phone to calm your nerves— Making them the only sound before you even make a move to greet the person on the other end.

“…sorry, but the colour of my—“

“Can I… Talk to Satoru please?” You practically blurt it out with unpracticed anxiety, twirling the phone cord tight between your fingers as you try to calm yourself.

“Ah.” It seems that they understood. Thank goodness. “Please excuse my rudeness, but is that you, (name)-sama?”

“Yes…” No matter how pretentious that title sounds to you.

“Please wait just a moment.”

“(name)! Do ya wanna play today?! I bought a new puddi—“

“Satoru,” You practically sound breathless with relief when you hear his voice, but you have to tell him, you just have to. “I met the new kid just now.”

And that silences him in an instant.

“I didn’t say anything to him.” As rude as you may be. “His Mama saw me outside and talked to me first, though.”

Silence that makes your heart skip a beat.

“Please don’t be mad at me.”

(“Haha!” You hear him laugh, it’s bellowing, taunting and all too amused. “Why would I be mad? Ya ignored the kid right?!”

“Good job!”

And you feel satisfied.)

——

“(last name)-san.” His smile is ever courteous, ever polite and soft. It makes your heart melt, if you were to be honest. “Wanna play together?”

“I brought my crayons and some paper, since I thought you would like it.” Was it because of your note? Regardless, this was— A really bad time. A really, really bad time.

“(nameeeeee)! Why’d ya ignore me for the door—!” Oh no.

You didn’t predict that today would be the very day that they met— Swear you didn’t plan or foresee this. It was only this morning that you had heard your zodiac sign might be unlucky today, how troubles and tribulations may come swimming your way to stir the path of your future, only just this morning that you decided that that kind of thing was just another folly…!

You didn’t know it was going to be right?!

“Your hair��s ugly.”

“I don’t like your eyes.”

“Yea?! Ya wanna go, Weird Bangs?!”

“Not with the likes of you, Bug Eyes.”

“Haah?!”

With you cramped in between them, no less. You call it sheer, dumb luck that you were able to invite your neighbour inside without too much of a fuss. Get them to sit around you in your living room as you all… Draw.

Geto’s crayons are scattered about, the drawing block papers starting to fill with a myriad of colourful shapes as you hum and try to keep the peace between the two of them.

“Mama says that fighting is bad.” You think so too, honestly. What’s the point to them? It’s easier to keep the peace and be friends with each other.

“Sorry, (last name)-san.”

“Hmph!”

At least they’re settled down now.

“What are you drawing?” It’s Geto that was sitting cross-legged next to you as you’re lying on your front, legs kicked up and elbows propped against the ground to support your head as he watches your hands move.

And that has Satoru peeking over as well, much to his dismay.

“Don’t draw him—“ And he’s already huffing, puffing his cheeks and pouting when he sees you colour in black and dot in purple. He notices the telltale signs of the kimono he wore when he first met you, able to make out the figures you’re drawing in record time. Good. It’s good that you’re drawing him and you together, but he doesn’t want that thing with you both.

And that has him picking up a red crayon, catching your attention when you see him readying himself to scribble all over your hard work.

“W-wait, Satoru—“ You try to push him back, hold him away from the colourful drawing of yours. You don’t want it ruined, don’t want him to do something to it yet. I-it’s important to you, something you spent your time on, he can’t—

“She said she didn’t want you drawing on the paper.” Suguru’s grip on his wrist is tight, squeezing with a strength that was unprecedented for someone his size.

And you think you can feel something change in the air, the tension building, it’s bitter, unpleasant— Has you feeling like you want to curl into a ball and cry. A churn in your gut that you’re all too familiar with when you were living together with your Papa.

A warning. One that even children like them, like you; can interpret loud and clear even without having known the existence of pheromones and warning growls.

They say natures are inherent, after all.

“She’s my friend. I don’t get why you’re interfering, dummy.” He snarls back with just as much underlying aggression, stirring something in you to want to lie low— Disappear, even.

And you think that maybe you should listen to those zodiac sign forecasts a lot more.

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