#herb I do love your idea of worn wooden beads

[autumnblooms]

It’s finally done!

Dew’s rosary, done in black agate and larvikite (and I still need to pick some yarn for Rain’s wool ring)

@herbal-quintessence @crimsonclergy @high-imperatrix

[brainrotbabe24]

Ways Thorin’s company will remember you while they are on an adventure!

Balin: In the art books, it said Balin has a lectern he would write on while traveling. So in keeping with that idea, I would say his quill pens would remind him of you. I imagine he has a busy life and tends to forget about the little things. So when he is on a journey, he will curse himself for forgetting quill pens. But lo and behold in his bag would be a new set. He would chuckle to himself knowing that you always looked out for him. 

Dwalin: Dwalin seems like the type of guy who would get a tattoo for you. Not your face or a heart saying “I love y/n” but something small and sentimental. For example, if you were into gardening or the outdoors, he would have a tree sapling on his leg. If you were into baking, he would have a bread knife on his forearm. If you were a singer, he would get lyrics across his chest. Each night he would take some time to look at the tattoo, and images of you would flutter in his mind. 

Óin: You know his skills of healing are important on any adventure. So in the months leading up to it, you see him gathering herbs and other medicinal supplies to bring. To help him out, you would’ve bought a pouch to hold his supplies in. Oin loves it and regularly puts his most precious herbs in there. He doesn’t let anyone touch it and makes sure it’s secure to his body at all times. Oin loves feeling the material and will unconsciously run his fingers over it when thinking about you. 

Glóin: Isn’t it obvious he will have a picture of you in his pocket lol. He can’t stand not seeing your lovely face while on the road and basically demanded a portrait of you made. He made sure on the day of the portrait he adorned you with the most beautiful jewelry, beads, and braids. You loved it! So when he looks at the picture, he sees all his work/love was being worn proudly by you. He likes having your face be the last thing he sees at night and the first thing he sees in the morning. 

Bifur: Such a sweetie! He would’ve kept a wooden toy you tried to carve… and failed at. Back before he left, you would’ve tried making a toy. You had seen him do it a hundred times, so you didn’t think it would be that hard. A little surprise for him would be perfect. Welp, you messed it up and got so frustrated you threw it out. He found it of course and kept it. He carries it everywhere and takes it out when there is free time. He would never tell you he kept it, knowing you would be embarrassed but loves you for trying his craft. He is beyond proud! 

Bofur: Bofur knows you long for adventure and would feel bad when he couldn’t take you on trips. So to help you “see” the world, he makes sure to learn a song from the area. You guys have a tradition: he leaves, learns a song, comes home, and sings to you. I imagine when he is out in the wild he will keep the song stuck in his head thinking of your reaction to it. 

Bombur: Oh, you spoil him!!! Once you heard he was going on a journey, you would instantly go out and buy him new cooking utensils. He would cherish it, though. He would delicately bring them out every evening and refuse to let anyone else touch them. He would clean the utensils until he could see his reflection thinking of you all the while!

Ori: Before he leaves on a journey, He will set up a knitting date with you. You will both make each other socks, a hat, a scarf—whatever comes to mind! Before you give each other the gift, you make sure that your initials are sewn into them. In times when he is uncertain of his journey, he will look to your initials and think of you. 

Dori: I would imagine since he prides himself on appearance he would have jewelry, and one ring (lol) would stick out to him. You can find him fidgeting with it and even staring at it for long times. It was your present to him, and even if he is covered in mud and his appearance is less than perfect, he will make sure to clean his hand/that finger with the ring first.

Nori: He stole something of yours, but you have to guess. It’s less about the object and more of the joke/tradition that reminds him of you. He will look at whatever trinket he stole and think about you looking all over the house for it. He will chuckle at the thought and will smile, knowing that once he returns and shows you the missing object, you both will giggle. 

Thorin: In the book, Thorin had a harp. I feel the rough and tumble adventure would occasionally get the strings to snap. So when he sees a neat bundle of wire in his bag, he would be thinking of you. His face would get red and a small smile would appear on his face. He loves knowing you think of him! I guarantee when he gets home he will play the harp for you, as a thank you.

Fíli: While I want to say a knife... because it fits him perfectly. I would have to say pipe weed. Fili would be the type to enjoy a smoke while by the fire, and since his trips are always long and filled with danger, he savors the nights he can relax. He would sit back, relax, watch the fire, and “inhale you." The pipe weed would remind him of you, the smell bringing back memories of your hands, hair—anything really. And if he was able to share this precious weed with everyone, he would thank you secretly for helping everyone relax. 

Kíli: Kili seems like the type of dwarf that brushes his hair. It’s less in braids, so it probably gets knotted up more. So having a small comb/brush gifted by you to help detangle after a long day is exactly what he needs. Kili uses it so much and will ask Fili to help brush his hair. He will then close his eyes and imagine you are brushing his hair…His dream would be interrupted, of course, by Fili saying, “Brother, please tell me why you have mud in your hair…”lol

Bilbo: He will keep a book! Maybe one of your favorites that you wrote your notes in. He loves looking over your scribbles, ideas, and thoughts you wrote in the margins! His favorite lines are ones he isn’t supposed to know. For example, he once found a note saying, "Bilbo’s birthday surprise will be on Tuesday. Get Cake!” He would blush and think about how much he loves you. 

Gandalf: He was a tough one to think about....Out of everyone, I feel like he will be gone the most. So, he would love it if you helped him sew up any holes in his outfit. When he is out in the world the stitching will remind him of you and how much you care for him.

[satendou]

⟼ song of the sewer

⍣ stardew: tilted | previous: manhunt: redux | next: to be decided | 3/?

・‥…━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━…‥・

⇢ pairing: tendou/reader

⇢ au: stardew!au

⇢ summary: you can find some pretty strange things in a sewer

⇥ masterlist

⇢ warnings: drug usage, dubcon ;; sex under the influence, unprotected sex with a stranger,

⇢ word count: 4473

・‥…━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━…‥・

⇢ a/n: look, i can explain okay--

“Do you actually, you know, know what it goes to…?” you asked Akaashi, looking at the rusty key he had just handed you. You loved Akaashi to pieces, but this seemed a poor way to repay you for filling up the museum for him. 

As you expected, the answer was a resounding--

“No, I’m afraid not. The key is so old though that I figured, if you find what it goes to, you were the perfect person to have it,” Akaashi said, sounding as if it was perfectly logical.

“Right. Thanks, then,” you said, and hoped that your exasperation wasn’t as obvious as it sounded to you. “I have to get going. I’ll see you later.”

Weighing the key in your hand, you pondered all the possible things it could go to. It was too large to be a regular house key-- which would be weird-- and there was nothing in the mines that required a key.

Wait.

Groaning, you glared up at the sky, begging it not to be true.

“I swear to god if this goes to the fuckin’ sewer--”

Marching straight there, you jammed the key forcefully into the lock, shoving through whatever gunk had built up over time, partially hoping it would break off and you wouldn’t be tempted to go down.

Unfortunately, the key turned with a horrendous grinding noise, the lid coming away with an awful, sticky one. The light from your phone did little to dispel the darkness coming up the ladder so, holding your breath and praying, you stepped onto the first rung and began your descent.

Something about the darkness made it feel like you were taking hours to get down to the bottom. At some point, you realized that you could make out your fingers on the sticky metal rungs cemented into the wall. The light was sickly green, filtered thin and barely bright enough to really be called light, but at least you could see.

Hitting the cement floor with a damp slap, you took in your surroundings. You had no idea what to expect from a sewer but, as far as you could tell, it was pretty normal.

Cement walls with strange stains and moss growing on it, thick fog turned green by the strange light, the eerie sounds of water sloshing, a tall shadowy figure slowly stalking towards you, buzzing--

Wait.

“Who the--” you yelped, hopping backwards away from the bipedal figure obscured by the fog. “Who-- What--?”

“Oh, you’re actually...a person.” The voice that met your ears was surprisingly...normal, if a bit teasing for someone-- thing?-- lurking in a sewer.

You paused, looking warily around you for anything not human. “Well, I’m not sure what that means but it doesn’t sound promising.”

“Oh yeah, there’s all sorts of weird stuff down here. Mutant bugs, monsters, whatever,” the voice said, waving a hand around almost happily.

“And which category do you fall into then, sewer voice?” you asked sarcastically, resting your hands on your hips. You didn’t feel particularly threatened, but you had been tricked before. All you carried was a small dagger on you, and this particular being stood a good few inches taller than you.

“Good question. You can call me Tendou, though,” he said, and finally appeared properly in your vision. He wasn’t exactly skeletal, but he was certainly lanky, and very pale-- which was what happened when one dwelled in a sewer, you supposed. “Who are you and what are you doing down here?”

“Well, my name is _____ and I could ask you the same question,” you said, taking a few steps forward. 

Tendou seemed content to let you examine him, making a small circle around him as he said, “You’re the farmer! You grow great pumpkins.”

You peered around his arm to stare up into his face, realizing his eyes were a vibrant red as you asked, “Are you the one that’s been stealing my pumpkins every year?”

Tendou giggled, a high-pitched sound that echoed off the walls before tapering off. “Maybe. Anyway, to answer your other question, I live here. Now, what’re--”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,” you said, holding a finger up to him. You took a moment to gather your surroundings, taking in the eerie green light and almost stifling fog around you, before you continued. “You live here? What in the world for?”

Tendou peered down at you, leaning in close and widening one eye as if sizing you up before he said, “I’ll show you.”

He disappeared, giving you the moment you had been waiting for to escape, and yet your curiosity got the better of you. It wasn’t one of your better traits, you admitted, having gotten you into more trouble than you cared to recall. 

Sighing, you followed him through an archway and down a short hallway to a wooden door, through which lay...a surprisingly normal looking living area-- for being in a sewer, that is.

There were a few lamps emitting a normal, warm glow, fans twirling steadily to dispel the humidity, a small cooking area, and a bed. Through another door, you heard the familiar sounds of a generator, and wondered how in the world he’d gotten that thing down here.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Tendou said, spreading his arms wide. You had to admit, it was pretty cozy, though you were comparing it to the, you know, rest of the sewer. “It’s not much, but it’s home. Now, here’s why.”

Opening yet another door, you were hit with the oh so familiar humidity, sweat immediately beading on your brow as you stepped through.

“Huh,” you said, looking around, before it hit you. “Oh, you’re the one leaving-- Oh, okay. I never would’ve guessed that-- Oh my god, this stuff is grown in the sewer.”

Sitting in multiple rows on small wooden benches were dozens of familiar looking plants, basking under ultraviolet lights hung from the ceiling.

“Yup,” Tendou said as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “I grow pot down here. It’s the easiest place to keep it hidden and it’s easier to control the humidity.” He pointed at the flaps in the technical roof of the room.

“Well it’s certainly been nice,” you said, tapping your lip as you looked around. “Were you paying for those pumpkins with weed?”

“I figured you wouldn’t mind,” Tendou said with a shrug. “It’s a fair trade, I think.”

“More than,” you agreed, turning to face him. “Never expected to meet my secret weed dealer down here. Kinda neat, I guess.”

“There are certainly worse things you could meet down here,” he said, nodding as if meeting a drug dealer living in the sewers completely normal. “Anyway, it’s been a while since I’ve had the pleasure of smoking with anyone. You interested?”

Thinking about it for a moment, you shrugged. “Sure. You got munchies?”

//

You weren’t sure how much time had passed after that, only that you were floating nicely in the clouds and laughing at just about everything. At some point you had kicked off your shoes and flopped down beside Tendou on his bed, talking about how you had come into possession of the key that had allowed you entrance into his domain.

“So that’s where that thing got off to. I’ve been looking for it for ages,” Tendou said, snatching the key you offered. “I mean, I have other ways to get out but it’s inconvenient, you know. Moving product through the sewers is such a hassle.” Rolling onto your side to face him, you said, “Well, there you go. You can keep it because I don’t need it.”

“Aw, you don’t wanna come visit me again?” he teased, shuffling a little closer. His eyes were half-lidded and he wore a dopey smile, clearly as stoned as you were and just as giggly. “That hurts my feelings. I thought we were friends.”

Bursting out into laughter, you covered your face with your hands, tears immediately welling in your eyes. “S-Sorry, sorry, I just-- I’m-- F-Friends with-- my w-weed dealer-- who lives-- who lives in the sewer--”

Your stomach hurt from trying to talk and laugh at the same time, breath coming in shallow gasps and wheezes, making your head spin. Tendou snorted before breaking down into high pitched giggles, kicking his legs up with his arms wrapped around his stomach.

“W-Well, when you put it like that--” he said, head tipping back as he continued to laugh.

It took you far too long to calm down, breathless with tears streaming down both your cheeks, breaking into more short fits before you finally slumped back on the bed again. The mattress shifted beside you, the worn frame creaking as he rifled around the drawer in his nightstand.

There was the flick of a lighter, and then the crackling of dried herb and paper, before another joint was shoved into your face.

“If I didn’t know any better,” you drawled around a lungful of smoke, relishing in the burn that spread through your chest, “I’d say you were planning to take advantage of me.”

“A weed dealer living in the sewer? Taking advantage of someone?” Tendou mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Sounds fake.”

You snorted, coughing out the smoke and then coughing some more, pounding on your chest. “A-Asshole.””

Tendou cackled, taking the joint from you between two slender fingers. The smell of burning pot filled the room, pushed around by the spinning fans. It took you a moment to realize that you were essentially hotboxing his place, and snorted again.

“Is this what you do all day?” you asked as he passed it back to you. Your chest was still burning but you took a deep hit anyway, resisting the urge to immediately cough it back out. “Smoke weed and lay in bed?”

“Nah, sometimes I spy on the townspeople. You know the mayor and the general store dude are sleeping together?” he asked, watching your face closely for a reaction.

You blinked owlishly, releasing the smoke slowly and relishing in the disappointment on his face as you said, “Everyone knows that, though they like to pretend it’s still a secret. Blissful ignorance or something, I guess. What else ya got?”

Tendou hummed, an almost lecherous smile crossing his face as he plucked the joint from your fingers. “Well...I also know that you like to go skinny dipping in the secret pond.”

It took you several moments longer than necessary to process his words, staring up at him braced on his elbow.

After another few seconds you finally said, “If I were less high, that might bother me.”

Tendou quirked a brow, resting his cheek in his palm. “But since you are so high…?”

You knew what he was leading towards, and let your eyes skim down over him. For someone who dwelled in a sewer, he was remarkably clean, dressed in what looked like a new t-shirt and jeans with holes in the knees. He wasn’t unattractive, but you were also not sober, and who knew what sober you would think later.

Sober you wasn’t here right now, though, so you said, “What did you think?”

Humming thoughtfully again, he let his hand come down to rest on the strip of skin that was exposed from where your shirt had ridden up, the lit joint dangerously close to the fabric. “Can’t really recall right now. Might need to refresh my memory.”

There was a giddy sense of excitement as you pulled your shirt up and over your head, watching his eyes rake over your now exposed skin. The sheer idea that you were getting naked, even as you unclipped your bra and threw it over your shoulder, in a sewer with a total stranger made you burst out into laughter again.

“What?” Tendou asked, struggling to pull his shirt off with the joint still in his hand. His head was tangled, and you could see where he had turned his head towards you inside it.

“We’re about to fuck in a sewer,” you cackled, ignorant to the way your breasts bounced or the way his eyes took you in greedily when he had extricated himself from his shirt. 

He smirked as he came to hover over you, shoving your legs apart so he could kneel between them before taking another inhale off the joint. “There’s a first time for everything,” he drawled, beckoning you to sit up. “Besides, imagine the stories you’ll be able to tell your friends.”

“If I ever told my friends about this, they wouldn’t believe me,” you said, bracing yourself up on your hands in such a way that your tits were pushed up and out.

Cupping your chin, Tendou tilted your head up before covering your lips with his, parting them and breathing out. You greedily sucked down the smoke filling your mouth before realizing his tongue had delved past your parted lips and was lapping at your own. He tasted surprisingly sweet, like he’d just eaten chocolate, and you raised a hand mindlessly to rest on his shoulder.

“No,” he said cheerfully once he pulled back, watching you expel the smoke from your lungs in a burst. “They probably wouldn’t, but I’ll make sure you have something to tell them.”

With a squeal, you landed on your back, Tendou having grabbed beneath your knees and flipped you backwards. Carefully putting out the half-smoked joint, he returned his hazy attention back to you.

You laughed as he fought with the button of your shorts, too impatient to really focus on the task. He let out a cry of triumph when he finally got it undone, tugging them and your panties down your legs victoriously, only to go through the same problem with his own pants.

“It’s not nice to laugh at people,” he said, though he was giggling as well while he fumbled with the button. “Especially not when you’re lying naked in their bed.”

“It wouldn’t be a problem,” you said, flicking it open for him before undoing the zipper, “if you would stop making me laugh. Woah.”

You had tugged his jeans and boxers down just far enough to free his cock, and your jaw dropped when it slapped against his stomach. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

Above you, his brow quirked, confusion written across his face. “What?”

Glistening with precum were a row of five metal bars on the underside of his lengthy cock, a prince albert pierced through the tip. Precum beaded on the ball before rolling down, and your mouth almost watered at the sight, the urge to lick it up too tempting to resist.

Heedless of the awkward position, you leaned forwards and let your tongue glide up to the tip before taking it in, suckling lightly as you toyed with the piercing.

“Oh fuck,” he hissed, fingers immediately tangling in your hair. He barely resisted the urge to push you down further, but his hips snapped forward of their own volition. You moaned around him, gazing up at him through your lashes with your lips wrapped around part of his cock and he snapped, tugging you roughly off by your hair. “Fuckin’ hell, warn a guy next time. Move up some.”

Doing as told, you crawled further up the bed, bracing yourself on your elbows to watch his fingers dance down your thighs before locking beneath your knees.

“Didn’t expect you to be this wet,” he muttered, mostly to himself, but you flushed anyway.

“And I didn’t expect those piercings but here we are,” you responded, thighs tensing when he lifted your legs, pressing your knees towards your chest. “What’re you--”

Your head fell back, a startled yelp escaping you when Tendou flattened his tongue up your folds, parting your lips before wrapping his around your clit. Thighs tensing under his hands, you dug your fingers into his sheets when he flicked the nub with his tongue in mockery of a vibrator, making your cunt clench around nothing.

He hummed against you, watching your body convulse and toes curl through hooded eyes, unable to keep from smirking. You were already dripping down his chin, and he moved down to lap at your clenching hole before slipping his tongue in as far as it would go to feel you clench around him.

“Oh, fuck, don’t stop,” you begged, finally regaining the ability to lift your head. You locked eyes with him between your legs, sleepy red unfocused and filled with lust as he wiggled his tongue inside you. His nose was pressed against your clit, normally not enough to make you come but with your thoughts clouded, it made you squirm. Bucking your hips up, you cried out for him, wanting more.

One hand disappeared off your thigh and you quickly hooked your arm under it, pulling it even further back and spreading yourself wider for him. One slender finger slipped in and immediately crooked up, padding at the front of your wall in search of something while his lips returned to suck at your clit.

He knew he found it by the way your hips wiggled and jerked up, back locking and feet pointing towards the ceiling. 

“Fuck, fuck, wait,” you wailed, walls clamping down just as a second finger joined the first, coming so hard you saw white. Your nails bit into your skin, your moans bouncing off the walls for several seconds before you finally came down, legs quivering as you set your feet back down on the bed. Panting, you looped your arms around Tendou’s shoulders when he came to hover over you, trying to get your eyes to focus on his blurry face. “That was-- holy shit.”

“Yeah? You good for one more?” he asked, laughing at the way your face lit up.

Locking your legs around his slim hips, you laughed breathlessly. “Alright, but another one might make me pass out.”

“I can work with that,” he said, lining the head of his cock up with your still twitching hole. The first thrust was slow and easy, savoring the way you clenched around him every time another piercing slipped inside you, letting you feel each one scrape against your sensitive walls. 

He groaned as he finally hilted inside you, the ball at the tip of his cock nestled perfectly against your tender cervix, slick dripping down his balls onto his bedsheets. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been balls deep in anyone as responsive as you, so needy as you clung to him, begging for more even though you had just come.

“Impatient much?” he teased breathlessly, pulling back and slamming forward again before you could answer. It knocked a whiny squeal from your parted lips instead, and he grinned before his eyes alighted on the joint sitting on the nightstand. “Mind if I light up again?”

Reaching out, he plucked it from its place in the ashtray before coming up with yet another wonderful idea.

“Up you get,” he said, wrapping long fingers around your arms and pulling you up so that you were straddling his hips, cock nudging even deeper inside of you. “Now that is a gorgeous view.”

“Do you ever shut up?” you asked, trying and failing to sound aggravated as you started rolling your hips against his. 

The lighter flared to life and the smell of the joint soon met your nose, Tendou taking a long drag off of it before beckoning to you. You went willingly enough, pressing your lips against his and allowing his tongue to slip into your mouth, breathing the smoke down into your lungs before sitting back up. Brushing your hair off your face, you lifted up off his cock and sank back down, breathing out slowly as he watched, almost mesmerized.

“Fuck, you really are so pretty,” he sighed, one hand resting on your thigh, kneading the flesh. “Wish you’d found that key ages ago.”

You laughed at that, the fresh buzz intensifying the feeling of pleasure coursing through you. You leaned back, bracing yourself on his knees and letting your mind blank. Tendou’s hand was warm when it came up to cup one of your bouncing tits, thumb rubbing over your hardened nipple.

“Gonna come again for me, baby?” he drawled, sounding nasally around a lungful of smoke. He switched to your other breast, pinching and pulling your nipple up and watching it jiggle when he let go. “You look so good, bouncing on my cock.”

The smoke was cool against your skin when he breathed out, causing you to shiver as you circled your hips around. His hand smoothed higher up your thigh, thumb grazing your slippery clit, petting it in lazy circles to feel you spasm around him.

Looking back down at him, you plucked the joint from where it was resting lazily between his fingers, taking a short drag off of it before handing it back to him. Breathing it out slowly, you moaned, grinding down to feel the ball piercing the tip of his cock nudge the sweet spot inside you. “God, your cock feels so good, Tendou,” you breathed, letting yourself fall forward against his chest.

Wrapping your hands around his headboard, you bounced as fast as your muscles would let you, thighs burning as your eyes closed to focus on nothing but the slide and stretch of his cock inside you. His free hand cupped your ass, squeezing and kneading the flesh as his head thumped against the headboard.

“Fuck, don’t stop, sweetheart,” he moaned, jerking his hips up to meet yours, filling the small room with the wet slap of skin on skin. “Come for me, come for me, come on.”

He haphazardly took a hit off the joint before meeting your lips in a sloppy, open mouth kiss, swallowing your moans as you neared your high.

“I can’t,” you whined, your legs finally giving out. You collapsed against him, the euphoric feeling fading away so fast it made you want to cry before you found your world spinning.

Your back hit the bed with a thump, one of your knees pinned against Tendou’s shoulder by the hand with the joint in it, the other spread wide with a hand under your knee. His cock slammed into you, hips pistoning as fast as he could manage, eyes closed and head tipped back. 

You chanted his name like a prayer, tangling your fingers in your hair and cupping your tit, plucking your swollen nipple as he drove you right back up to the edge. His thrusts were sloppy, the wet sounds of your pussy sucking him back in mixing with his grunts, piercing nudging against the swollen nerves inside you without really aiming.

You wiggled beneath him, circling your hips up to meet his and grinding your clit against the curls at his base until the coil snapped, your vision washing in white.

Your breath caught in your throat before spilling out in a litany of moans, his thrusts slowing down until he was slowly pounding into your twitching walls.

“God dammit,” he snarled, pulling out of you and wrapping his hand around his cock, working it up and down in quick, jerky strokes until he spilled all over your twitching stomach. He flopped down onto the bed beside you, chest heaving with laughter. “God, that was so good. I’ll get you a cloth in a minute.”

You laughed breathlessly beside him, legs still trembling slightly, your eyes closed. “Take your time. Definitely not goin’ anywhere for a while.”

“My plan worked then,” he teased, frowning when he tried to take a hit off the joint only to find it had gone out. “Hand me the lighter, would you?”

Reaching out blindly, you felt around until your fingers landed on it. 

“Y’know,” you drawled, opening your eyes when he nudged you, taking the offered joint, “I wouldn’t say no to this again.”

He barked out a laugh, the sound thick around the lungful of smoke he was holding. “Yeah, me either. Maybe I should make a copy of that key.”

Chuckling, you said, “I think it’s a bit early in the relationship for that. Also, we’re doing this at my place next time.”

He feigned hurt, placing his clean hand over his heart. “I didn’t hear you complaining just a few minutes ago.”

The bed creaked as he then sat up, and you turned your head to watch him stand. The well defined muscles in his back rippled as he stretched before moving across the room to pull something out of a drawer. 

He tossed a cloth onto your stomach before moving around to gather up your clothes, setting them in a pile on the bed beside you.

“Not that the sewer isn’t a lovely place, but I’m not sure how I would explain why I’m crawling in and out of it all the time,” you said, giving him a pointed look as you cleaned up the mess on your stomach. “Though I guess that would be one way to prove I really am fucking the drug dealer that lives down here.”

“Now, I don’t want them to think you’re a liar,” Tendou said, not quite joking now, “but it would probably be better if they didn’t know what was down here.”

“Just another reason for you to come to my place,” you said cheerfully, and Tendou realized he’d been had.

“Crafty little-- Alright, you win. We’ll fuck at your place next time,” he said, and watched your face turn red with a laugh.

Checking your phone, you dressed quickly, realizing it was much later than expected and you had yet to put up and feed the animals, or yourself. “Sorry to rush, but I have chores to finish.”

He nodded, standing up to follow you towards the door. 

Not realizing he was behind you, you turned, ready to say goodbye only to slam into his chest. His arms came up around you, smiling lazily at your startled face before leaning down to cover your lips with his. They parted instantly, tongue grazing across his top lip before meeting his.

Your lungs burned with a need for oxygen, but you were hesitant to pull away, clinging to him needily until he laughed. 

“I’ll come around tomorrow, maybe? Can see what farm life is really like. You have a hayloft?” he asked, and your eyes narrowed as you nodded.

“Why?”

“Well isn’t it like, tradition to have sex at least once--”

You smacked him on the arm, head tipping back so you could laugh in exasperation. “Stop thinking with your dick. I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

“Right,” he said, watching you go with a half-smile. He waited until you had disappeared in the dark before bursting out into laughter.

What a strange, wonderful day it had turned out to be.

⇥ masterlist

⍣ stardew: tilted | previous: manhunt: redux | next: to be decided

[kondo-hijikata]

Pairings: Established Kondo/Hijikata Rating: T Summary: Ibuki brings a robe to Okita. Okita brings it to Hijikata. No one knows the color, but it’s definitely not white. Major angst, sorry. [AO3]

.*The Robe*.

The robe was once white. But it wasn't white any longer.

Feet planted themselves before a battered wooden gate leading to the house he’d barely managed to find with such ambiguous instructions. And now more than ever, he wondered... Why? Why had this task fallen to his hands, when they weren’t even strong enough to hold a sword? It was unfitting at best and pathetic at worst. Surely, there was someone better, someone more worthy of seeing something of such importance through.

The answer, however, was as clear as the tapestry of stars above Ibuki’s head, shining unobscured and bright through the darkness. He’d been entrusted with this because he’d personally been there, beyond the latticing of fence and reaching out with desperate cries that left his throat sore even now.

Still, the responsibility befalling to him proved the taste of irony was more bitter than any medicinal herb, and his shoulders far too weak for such a burden.

Ibuki's face had been angled downward for so long that his neck ached, his expression contorted from attempting to repress the despair which encumbered his chest with such force that it was difficult to even breathe. His will had never been strong enough and as if to mock the characteristic softness of his spine, the tears defied such wishes easily now—hot and unending, pushing through tightly clenched eyes to bleed out oceans of sorrow.

It was intolerable and unyielding…a pain that cut so deeply that Ibuki felt his knees threatening to give way.

…Control. He needed to find control—or something to carry him onward so he could make it through this.

He held the garment closer to his heaving chest, clung to it as if this were his heartbreak to bear. And perhaps, in a way, it was; the owner was a friend, a true ally in troubled times—someone who believed in him and pushed him to do better. Yet, the depths of grief battering him raw also felt like an intrusion, for he’d only walked so far in the footprints of wolves. Ibuki’s love and loyalty had only reached a certain extent, and in turn, he’d never known what it felt like to be revered in the way a partner or son was.

So, certainly…

He straightened his back, squared his shoulders...

Certainly…his role in all of this was the easiest.

Despite mentally and physically building himself up to finish what he’d begun, Ibuki’s lashes refused to part. Therefore, he relented and simply took a moment to breathe deeply and focus—to listen to the sounds around him of vitality. Of birds chirping and insects singing. Of a gentle breeze, of a cat's cry in the distance. Of a world still so full of life, even when it could just...stop for someone on an individual scale.

And just when Ibuki had begun to find the makings of a path to calm within his surroundings, there was another noise: the creak of a door opening, followed by a soft cough and cracking utterance.

"I—Ibuki-kun?"

Ibuki’s eyes snapped open the moment when Okita's voice feathered into his ears, his stomach dropping as dread flooded through him; thrust into this situation without being ready, his mouth gaped, just to find the words failing him. Ibuki’s face felt wet and tense, hot from crying and yet cold against the night. With a shake of the head, he watched as his company’s gaze dropped to the robe he cradled.

When Okita’s attention landed on it, he froze. He didn't blink. Didn't breathe. His lower lip fell for several seconds before one question was spoken—smooth and yet laced with trepidation. "…Whose...?"

Fireflies drifted about lazily as Ibuki staggered forward to close the space between Okita and himself, his legs like rubber and feet nearly becoming entangled from ineptitude. "O—Okita-san." Shoulders rose and fell with heavy breaths, his tone veiled by tidal waves of emotion beating ugly gashes into the fabric of his soul. “It’s—It’s—” Ibuki’s teeth gritted again while pearled beads pushed forth to escape his clenched eyes.

"It's Kondo-san's," Okita finished, barely loud enough to be heard.

Ibuki dropped his face and he choked out, "It isn't his anymore."

~

The horse galloped by starlight, sparkling droplets from its rider’s eyes carried off by the whisper of the wind. One hand gripped the reins, the other held the robe securely to an aching chest.

It used to be white.

It wasn’t white any longer.

And it was getting harder, so much harder…to breathe, to walk, to even think.

Still, the horse ran on, until a village came into sight and Okita dismounted and stumbled forward. And—there, on the steps, with his head bowed…

 “Hi—” Okita panted, feeling his lashes opening wide and the fury inundating him until whatever was left of his lungs began closing in. “Hijikata-san.”

Hijikata’s chin lifted quickly, giving show to black shadows beneath exhausted, heavy eyes and much thinner cheeks than memory served. “Souj—”

Silver flashed beneath the moon, one arm whipping the blade through the air until the tip pointed directly toward Hijikata’s nose.

With a gasp, Hijikata leapt to his feet, his shoulder slamming against the nearest structural beam as he grabbed the hilt of his own weapon. “What the fuck are you—?!”

“He loved you.” Okita’s teeth were gritted, his sword trembling with the tension in his muscles despite their depletion from illness.

The immediate confusion in Hijikata’s gaze morphed into dawning realization. And when it became clear that he was slowly piecing it all together, his mouth began to open.

Okita inhaled sharply through his nose, his voice shaking as he repeated, “He loved you so much. Why.” His chin raised and with a brief shake of the head, his shoulders raised in a half shrug. “I’ll never know.”

“...Souji.” The name fell in a hoarse whisper and then Hijikata looked past the steel...toward the garment Okita kept tightly clutched to the breast of his new uniform. Terror had never been openly present in the gaze of his commanding officer—until now. And seeing it only fueled Okita’s ire and anguish.

“But there is something that you can tell me, Hijikata-san.”

“Okita-san?!” Chizuru’s voice pierced the air from somewhere in the distance.

“Souji,” Hijikata tried again breathlessly. “Souji, is that—?”

Clenching his teeth tighter, Okita pulled the folded robe from where he embraced it and rifled it toward Hijikata as hard as he could. “Why the fuck didn’t you love him like that?! He would have done anything for you!”

The article slammed against Hijikata’s chest before he caught it, his fingers seizing the material. He stared at it blankly for several moments and then, it began to tremble within his grasp. Clamoring backward until his heel collided against the step, Hijikata crashed down to it again, his eyes closing and chest beginning to rise and fall with deep breaths.

“Okita-san!” Chizuru cried, much closer now. Two small hands grasped to his forearm and yanked with inconsequential strength. “Okita—”

“How could you fucking let him die?!” Okita shouted as he lunged forward, the pain in his tone so sharp it could have cut flesh from the way those around him winced. “It was your job to protect him when I couldn’t!”

“Souji!” Saito was on his left now, taking to a bicep and pulling him back.

“Okita-san, please!!” Chizuru pleaded. “Hijikata-san is injured!! He’s—”

Okita gave in, at last allowing himself to be drawn away for several paces while he took a good, long look at the situation before him. His brows narrowed as he observed just how worn and broken Hijikata’s appearance was—not just on the outside, but the way in which it seemed to radiate from the in. And worse yet, he still hadn’t opened his eyes. His arms had only tightened around the robe and—

“You…” Okita stammered in a whisper. “You didn’t even know…”

“Know what?” Saito asked pointedly.

Licking his lips, Okita’s shoulders slumped and he pulled himself free to sheath his sword. It was a hard swallow as he stared toward the ground, beginning to speak with strength, “Kondo-san…” But his voice faltered. “Kondo-san is dead.”

Silence.

“And. It’s his fault.” Okita lifted his chin, taking in the sight of Hijikata for the final time. “I will never forgive you.”

He pivoted on the soles of his boots and strode off, with Chizuru running after him in his wake.

~

The robe was white.

And now it wasn’t.

Now it was…filled with color. Blue. But not like the moonlight Kondo used to kiss him under at the Shieikan. It was blue, like the ocean of tears that stained it. Red from the bloodied hands that had carried it. Black like the void this whole world had become.

Hijikata lay on his side in a single futon, staring at the attire folded neatly before him. His eyes were wide open, his lips parted. Sometimes, he would become aware that he’d stopped breathing, so he would make sure he did that…until he realized he’d stopped again soon after.

His palm rested on the tatami, just beneath the material—until it suddenly lifted. Fingertips trailed up to the fabric. It was firm. They caressed the blue, ran over the red, swept across the black, and then closed in.

He thought of Tama, and the things said with hope.

“What do I want to do? I don’t know. Do you have any idea for yourself?”

“Me? I wanna be like Kanko, a real warrior…Ah…that sounds, uh. Sounds funny, right, coming from a farmer?”

“…No. Actually, that’s what I want too.”

Hijikata drew the robe to him and held tight.

Of Kyoto, and the things said with determination.

“Well, all we gotta worry about now is making a name for ourselves here.”

“Mm. You’re right, Toshi.”

“I swear I won’t stop until you’re the most exalted samurai in this whole country.”

He held tighter.

Of Katsunuma, and the things said with desperation before the battle of Koufu.

“I’m not leaving you!”

“Toshi, I need you to go get reinforcements.”

“And I need you to not die here!”

And tighter yet...

Of Nagareyama, and the things said with love.

“Toshi, go. My hatamoto status will—”

“Your hatamoto status doesn’t mean shit to Satcho!”

“Then these are your orders! Hijikata-fukucho!”

He held so tightly that his arms trembled.

Of Wakamatsu...

“He loved you. He loved you so much. Why the fuck didn’t you love him like that?!”

“How could you fucking let him die?!”

“It’s his fault.”

And here Hijikata was now, with a million more things he wanted to say--of hope, of determination...of desperation and love and sorrow.

But it was useless to talk to a ghost, especially while sobbing into the robe he wore to his execution. Therefore, through his heaves, Hijikata made several promises.

He promised to build a fitting grave in a location Kondo would like.

He promised to not lay down his sword until Kondo’s name was cleared, until his robe was white.

He promised to train and develop the remaining Shinsengumi as best he could, so that their truth would live on.

But most importantly, Hijikata promised Kondo he would meet him again…somewhere out there, among the stars, some time soon. And at that time, he would throw his arms around him and never, never let go.

The sun rose the next morning. It had no right to. Still, its rays hit the window and crept across the floor, slowly, until it reached Hijikata and woke him with a gentle kiss.

His eyes fluttered...and then he turned away.

~

Hakodate 1869

There weren’t many things that Hijikata owned, but Chizuru still found it difficult to go through what was left of his belongings. Her hands drifted over books, over small containers. She lifted the lid of one and her breath caught.

This was... It was Kondo’s robe.

Squinting, she reached for the material--pristine and white, just as it had been all along.