#hinata’s in her rather prominently too but still

[tired-biscuit]

Twenty-three Minutes

𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: hinata hyūga/kiba inuzuka

𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: slightly suggestive content, but nothing too explicit. mutual pining, friends to lovers.

𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: 6.8k+

𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: During a prolonged game of seven minutes in heaven, previously sheltered feelings come to light between two friends.

FOR a woman so passionate about clothes and all things fashionable, it comes to no surprise that Ino Yamanaka’s closet ends up being pretty cramped.

Filled with towers upon towers of shoeboxes and a seemingly never-ending row of hangers that all contain pricey jackets, thick sweaters and colourful skirts most of Konoha has yet to see her wear, the already tight space feels even more excruciatingly small when accommodated by a single person, much less two. 

Especially if one of those people is a rather tall and burly man, who cannot for the life of him keep still, and the other one is a woman whose anxiety – invoked by that very same man, albeit unintentionally – makes her fidget all over the place, no matter that she so desperately attempts to make herself seem smaller than she actually is.

To be fair, Hinata has good reason to be nervous. During a round of seven minutes of heaven she had never actually agreed to playing with her very, very intoxicated group of friends, the poor – and completely sober – Hyūga had somehow ended up shoved inside a closet with no one other than Kiba; her former teammate and friend. 

And much to her astonished surprise, he’s felt more than just that as of late. 

Hence the anxiety. And speaking of the dreadful thing, Hinata’s breathing is ragged now as she assesses the current situation she’s wound up in. 

Let’s see. She’s all alone in the dark with him – the man she has a mellow, albeit steadily growing crush on. His arm is touching her own with the close proximity. He’s been giving her fleeting glances the entire night. Smiling even more sweetly at her than usual, too; the signature feral grin growing larger and larger with every downed drink.

I mean, who wouldn’t be nervous?

Staring at the sheer, sparkly fabric, which she assumes belongs to a dress of some wicked style she’d never dare wear herself, Hinata attempts to calm down her wild heartbeat by channeling her focus on wondering how such an outrageous number of outfits can possibly belong to one single person.

All right, the person in question is Ino Yamanaka… but still. Surely even a woman like her would have some sort of limit? Right?

Judging by the slight crinkle of his nose when she reaches out to touch the shimmering dress as a failed attempt to seem busy, Kiba seems to be thinking the exact same thing.

“Damn, this place is fuckin’ drenched in perfume, huh,” his gruff voice reaches her ears all of a sudden, the familiar drawl to lace it even more prominent because of the fact that he’s ever so slightly tipsy. 

Hinata merely blinks at the curse, seemingly unfazed by it. Over time, she’s learned that all Inuzuka talk in the same crude way; sharp and straight to the point, despite the tendency of swallowing down most of the words as if they can’t be bothered to say them in their entirety. 

And yet, they still put in the extra effort to keep them as blunt as possible every chance they get. 

Back in the day when they had been mere Genin, Hinata had been shocked to hear what filthy vocabulary Kiba opted to use on the norm right there – amongst elders and other children alike. 

She remembers it quite clearly, actually. Being so, so worried about what his mother might think of it if she were to catch him using that kind of coarse language. However after meeting Tsume and spending a single afternoon inside her home with Shino, her worries proved to be entirely unnecessary. After all, the moment the clan leader had opened her mouth, it made sense where Kiba had picked up the habit from.

But now, after spending so many years in his company and going on missions, running errands with him and reporting to the Hokage, she’s grown used to it – somewhat. 

If she looks past the rudeness, the way he speaks is almost one of his more likeable features. Right next to his messy brown hair, of course. And his wide smile that he only brings forth whenever he feels like it, as well as the dimples in his cheeks, and the red fang markings that accompany the grin.

Looking at it now, his grin still remains boyish even if he’s no longer the ditzy boy she’s always known him as. After all, standing in that boy’s place is a grown man, now. A fully capable man; a Jōnin with experience underneath his belt – no, not in that way!

Christ. Where had all the years gone? Hadn’t she been participating in low-ranked missions with him and Shino just yesterday?

Speaking of years, it had taken Hinata plenty to acknowledge the change, to force herself to admit that he’s grown into a person she could admire in more ways than one. Especially now, as she turns to look at her former teammate from underneath her lashes, and realizes that the childish roundness of his face and the insolent upturn of his nose have long since disappeared. 

Because as far as appearance goes: Kiba has become all sharp and precise lines; all high cheekbones and an equally defined jaw. He’s got these piercing eyes that have the power to pin her down with just one look alone, and full lips that hide a rather dangerous set of teeth she’s never been afraid of – never. 

Where her body gently curves, his own cuts. His skin is also darker than hers; tan and sun-kissed, like the sun itself appreciates the fact that he’s willing to walk under it, while it turns her red in return, mocking her by making her look like a damned sea crab. 

But it’s not just his looks that have changed. He’s also become more attentive towards others, more easy-going with the passing years, too. The war had changed him, had turned him calmer and gotten rid of most of his immature foolishness, whilst it stirred and riled her up in return. 

It’s nothing to fret about, though – his sudden calmness. He’s still got that snarky attitude that always made the hair on the nape of her neck stand to attention, sometimes in a bad way, other times not as much – he’s got plenty of it, actually. However, the only difference is that he’s also got the whip to tame it into submission whenever the need calls for it, now.

Submission. 

The word lingers in her head for a tiny bit. Unlike her, Kiba had always been the exact opposite of it. More of the domineering sort. But now, standing in this tight space with him; sharing every single one of her breaths with him and feeling the warmth that just won’t stop radiating from his body, she can’t help but wonder if he’s also like that during… during…

Hinata’s pulse turns erratic once more as treacherous heat creeps up her pale neck and stains her equally as white cheeks with the sudden rush of blood to pool everywhere inside her body. Her thoughts run haywire for a second, and as if on cue, she feels Kiba move again. 

The sleeve of his forest green sweater brushes against her cream-coloured one with the movement. She swears that she can feel that wretched heat of him right through the thick layers of cotton they’ve both donned on to fight the unsuspecting cold autumn had brought upon the village. Swears that she can feel it scorch her skin.

“Hina?” As if he can sense the change within her, Kiba also turns to look at her, now. Unlike her, he moves with his entire body; all until the middle of his chest – his heart – is pointing right towards her. As if the call for help she’s silently emitting is too strong for him to ignore, he unknowingly offers her his undivided attention just from the way he stands now.

He has always been like that, ever since they were kids. Always so open and transparent with his thoughts and emotions, he had always been there – right by her side. Soap-sliver thin, translucent. Relentlessly urging her to grow stronger and strive for something big, something special; not once had Kiba turned his back on her, whilst so many others did. 

Like her father, for example. And Neji, back when the anger he’d felt for their entire clan had been unfortunately misplaced and aimed towards her instead. 

Neji. The bridge between her and her cousin had been repaired at some point, a kernel of hope starting to take root somewhere deep within her as they at long last met at the middle of it. She grew; prospered. But then the war had happened, and its cruel wrath had taken Neji from her for a second time – this time with no chances of ever binding back the ropes that held that bridge together. 

She’d cried a fucking river because of the loss; that already delicate bud of nearly blossoming hope withering right back to dust as if it had never even existed before. It had taken both Kiba and Shino literal years to piece her back together. To mend her back into what she once had been, what she has now become again – but this time stronger, and at long last willing to pick up the reins that held the power to control her life.

Hinata still remembers them both sleeping on the floor of her apartment that she’d moved into after the war as a means to isolate herself from her clan. Every single night they were there: Shino asleep on his back, those quirky sunglasses still sitting atop the bridge of his nose, while Kiba and Akamaru lay curled together into a mess of thrashing limbs, blankets and hefty paws.

She had never told Kiba that she heard him mumbling her name in his sleep on some nights, the furrow of his brow tight and his fingers twitching as if he was trying to reach out for the phantom version of her he’d conjured up in his dreams. Had never mentioned the look she’d exchanged with Shino when he caught her reaching over to run her hand through the Inuzuka’s hair in an attempt to calm him down on night number six.

It was easier to pretend, to feign blissful ignorance. After all, Kiba did just the same as he rose with the sun each morning and whisked those pesky late-night thoughts away for the day ahead. Shino did, too.

“Hina? Hey.” Kiba repeats the silly nickname the elders of her clan would never allow him to use, yanking her back from her thoughts with a snap of his fingers in front of her nose; pushing her back to this moment, to him. 

The inside of the closet is dark, but she knows that his peculiar eyes allow him to see just fine in it – much like she’s able to use her own to discern any movement hiding in the shadows. And because of them, she now sees him as clear and bright as day as he tilts his head, studying her intently before he asks, “You all right?”

“Yes,” Hinata croaks in answer almost immediately. Her rosy lips form a thin line as she presses them together before she swallows the saliva that’s gathered inside her mouth. The sound is loud in the small space, too loud. So she clears her throat, her tone slightly more even as she says, “I’m fine.”

“Mm. You don’t seem fine to me,” he retaliates immediately, tapping his nose with the tip of his index finger with a small, albeit signaturely arrogant grin. Hinata tries not to look at the glint of his fangs too much when he drawls, “I can smell how nervous you are, you know.”

Unbeknownst to her, Kiba doesn’t mention the fleeting whiff of sweetness he’s caught emitting from her amongst the bitter tang of nervosity. Doesn’t allow himself to get his hopes up, even if he’ll trust his keen sense of smell right to the day he dies and gets lowered into his grave.

So instead, he watches as her pretty eyes dart onto his hand that he still keeps lifted to his face. Her gaze slides across the scars that litter almost every one of his knuckles; rises upwards to acknowledge how blunt and short he prefers to keep his nails, even if he possesses the ability to form claws. 

Speaking of them, they’re all fully healed – the scars. Some are fading, others are thinning out, but Hinata still doubts they’ll ever completely go away. After all, the one that runs along the edge of his thumb in one clean, straight line, reaching down right to the upper side of his wrist, is still there even if it’s ages old. 

It had been a not-so-kind courtesy from her kunai during one especially intense sparring session when she’d still fought like a goddamn lioness to try and impress her father – her clan. Back when she thought that she actually stood a chance.

Even to this day, Hinata still thinks of Kiba as an idiot for never getting back at her for it. She had been seething with blind rage, not caring if she actually caused him any sort of hurt or injury whilst chasing her father’s approval during what was supposed to be just a simple day of training. 

The action had been so unlike her, had been a nearly polar opposite of her normally demure nature, and he had just… endured it. Had encouraged it even, and smiled that wide grin as she stepped back and dropped the kunai at the first sight of a droplet of blood dripping down her teammate’s hand.

He had never once winced as she cleaned up the rather deep gash only minutes later, her emergency medkit splayed wide open in the grass next to her. Had never once complained about it. Just told her that he was proud of her for sticking up for herself. That if she kept it up, she would be able to kick just about anybody’s ass real soon.

Hinata blinks. This closet – this closeness – is going to give her fucking whiplash. She doesn’t sound fully like herself as she says, “I-I’m not nervous.” Yeah, that oughta convince him.

“Aha, sure ya ain’t,” Kiba says, all sarcasm and blatant disbelief as if he can read her thoughts.

He ignores her characteristic stutter that she’s only now slowly ridding herself off - at the ripe age of twenty-five. Pauses to look at the faint tinge of pink on her round cheeks; at the thinnest layer of sweat that gathers on the column of her neck. Christ, she smells so sweet, so sugary. All he wants to do is bury his nose into the crook of her neck; inhale her fucking essence until–

“What?” she asks now, catching the way his pupils expand when he flicks his gaze up to look her in the eyes again. Her voice sounds so small, she hates it. He thinks it’s the cutest thing ever. Especially when she tries to give him a defiant glare.

Long seconds pass. Her heart is pounding like crazy inside her chest. Ouch, ouch, ouch.

“Nothin’,” Kiba finally mumbles, still staring at her. But instead of adding anything more to his answer, he rather sucks in a deep breath through his nose. As if trying to read her more thoroughly. Trying to pinpoint the exact emotions, the exact hormones that are altering her scent.

As if coming up with a plan.

Hinata swears that her nerves twitch with anticipation at how he quietly grunts after the inhale – twitch with whatever the hell it is that makes her feel like her pulse is thundering inside her ears. It just makes her sweat all the more. Makes her scent turn all the more prominent.

The tension in the small closet rises with inhumane speed when he tilts his head to the side and looks at her with a glint inside his eyes that she could only describe as purely predatory. He’s different now; his jaw clenched tight and his gaze so intense that it pins her down to the spot, making her breathing hitch in the back of her throat. 

Flames are beginning to lick up her legs at the heat of his stare that burns like a forge, now. She can feel its warmth nipping at the tips of her toes, her calves, her thighs as they continue to run their ember tongues along her now-flushed skin.

“I’m not nervous,” she repeats meekly, as if the denial can serve as a shield of some sort. Her upper lip quivers in the same way her whisper does. She says the words but doesn’t even believe them herself, how silly.

Kiba seems to notice it, too, because a dumb smirk is plastering itself onto his even dumber face as he takes a step towards her and taunts, “Not nervous ‘bout what? Being stuck in here with me? All alone, jus’ you and me?”

And despite her instincts telling her not to, Hinata pushes back when he leans in, towards one wall of Ino’s stupidly cramped closet. She guesses that he’s just toying with her like he always does; but fuck, he’s so close to her now that she can smell the cool scent of his nettle shampoo and the spearmint chewing gum that sits on top of his tongue.

For how long have they been stuck inside this closet? Surely longer than seven minutes? He wouldn’t just pounce at her this fast. This quickly. 

Right?

“C’mon, Hina,” he mutters, his voice deeper than usual; so raspy and warm that it reminds her of crackling wood in a fireplace she never got the chance to lounge in front of. “Just admit it. I can smell how you feel, you know damn well that you can’t hide that kind of stuff from me.”

“I-I–” she starts, heart suddenly hammering; jumping inside her ribcage from the surge of adrenaline to shoot throughout her. “I’m not... not–”

“Not nervous?” Kiba finishes for her, still advancing closer. “Yeah, you’ve already told me that. Now do me a favour and tell me what I wanna hear instead.” Dear god, has he always been this big? This demanding?

His intimidating presence fills the small space so rapidly that she feels like fainting. Even the previously pink blush that had lingered on her cheeks deepens into a furious shade of scarlet. It tingles across her entire face, the blush. Makes it prickle with heat.

Hinata blinks, her long eyelashes rapidly fluttering. It’s a struggle to form sentences from how fast her brain deteriorates to pathetic mush from being this flustered. “N-No, I–”

“You what, mm? Know that scent doesn’t lie?” He’s so close to her now that he’s towering over her in the dark, cornering her and caging her right between himself and the wall. 

His scent envelops her, overrides Ino’s perfume that surrounds them and makes her toes curl in her knee-high socks. He smells heavy; like the rain and the rich soil it hits, nothing like her dainty notes of lavender and vanilla. A forest, something ancient and powerful. It’s enough to turn her slightly dazed, if the nearly non-existent proximity hadn’t done that to her already.

She’s frozen to the spot as he twirls a strand of her silky midnight hair around his finger before tucking it behind her ear. And whilst doing so, he accidentally – or not – brushes the sensitive spot right where her jaw meets her neck. 

The immediate zing of electricity to surge through her makes Hinata’s knees wobble. Makes her thighs clench together and her vision spin. She sags against the wall, nearly going limp from how soft her legs turn.

But when he reaches out to catch her, her hand shakes as she suddenly slams it flat against his chest. Right where his heart is. Her fingers clutch his forest green sweater, pretty nails, clear of any sort of polish, digging into the cotton; desperately clawing.

“Stop it,” she blabbers, evident panic clear in her voice. “You can’t– No, no, n-no... Enough!”

Kiba stops at the jumble of words she throws at him. Looks at her. Really looks at her. At her wide eyes, at the blush that still sears her entire face, making her look like a ripe tomato. At the quick rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathes, and breathes, and breathes, as well as at the sweat that gleams on not just her neck now, but also her brow.

And then, he chuckles. This deep sort of rumble that’s pleasant to echo within his chest. That outright confuses her. Especially when that same chuckle turns into a snicker, that finally turns into full-blown laughter.

“Wh–...” Hinata starts, heart still thumping, thrill still coursing her veins. She still feels light-headed. “What’s so funny?”

“Ah, I’m so sorry, Hina,” Kiba manages to let out between boyish snickers, his eyes crinkling with guilty delight. He wipes at the corners of them, now, upper lip quivering, showing off one pointy fang. “I couldn’t resist, hah…! You should have seen the look on your face, ahah!”

The raven-haired Hyūga blinks, feeling the colour draw away from her face, tinting her cheeks back into a faint rosy shade of blush instead of the previously intense red. “What are you going on about?”

“I was just messing with ya,” he explains through a wheeze, nose scrunching when he grins again – all broad and wild. He takes a shuddering breath, tries to quiet down the little giggles that just won’t stop erupting from him before he scratches the back of his neck and looks at her again.

Her brows lift, hiding beneath her bangs as she waits for further explanation.

One corner of Kiba’s mouth kicks upward at how sternly she looks up at him this time. “Did you really think I’d believe you’d be nervous ‘cause of me? C’mon.” He pauses, and looks her directly in the eye as if to challenge her before flicking his wrist, dismissing her. “I know I’m dumb, but I’m not that dumb. Have some faith in me, please.”

Hinata’s stare continues to remain unmoving, even if her legs still feel like jelly. Christ, who knew he had such an impact on her? The entire thing lasted what, a mere minute? And here she is – mere putty in his hands already. 

She doesn’t comment on his level of intelligence, just asks, “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

His smile falters slightly at the question, at the tone. Even his eyes seem to lose just a smidge of that mischievous glint as he simply shrugs and says, “Well, you’re still pining after Naruto, are you not?”

Silence stretches between the two friends despite the small space. The heavy, slightly uncomfortable kind.

“Everyone makes me nervous,” Hinata says finally. “Not just Naruto.”

Saying his name doesn’t bring the thrill it used to. Doesn’t make her heart clench, nor her tongue taste any sweeter. She cares about the future Hokage, of course she does, but not in that kind of way anymore. Not in that desperately, hopelessly infatuated kind of way that he never seemed to return.

He didn’t even see her, after all. At least not in any way Kiba did. Like he still does, actually, even to this day.

“Yeah, but he’s the only one that could… ya know,” Kiba finds himself running his mouth when she turns quiet again, attempting to fill the silence with words, words, words, “provoke you in that kind of way. ‘Cause of how madly in love with him you are, and all that lovey-dovey crap, hah.”

“Being in love is not ‘crap’,” she mumbles at his fake laugh, the curse tasting foreign on her modest tongue. Even he blinks in surprise at the fact that she used it.

But then he shakes his head. Loses the smile. 

“Yeah, it is,” he says.

“No, it isn’t,” she counters right back. “Why would it be?”

“‘Cause all it does is bring you pain,” he retaliates finally. He pauses, that short beat of silence skipping as his eyes suddenly start to avoid her. “I mean, I don’t know ‘bout you, but that seems like a pretty crappy thing to me.”

Hinata gets the feeling that he isn’t talking about her struggles concerning love when he says the words.

But instead of saying anything, she just watches as he pulls back from her then, giving her space to breathe; to calm down. His touch to her neck had left the skin there burning in its wake, but that’s not why she frowns now. No, the reason as to why she pouts, bottom lip just barely jutting out, is rather because of the lack of that exact physical connection.

Kiba looses a sigh at the sight of that freaking pout. Runs a frustrated hand through his chestnut hair. “Look, I’m sorry, okay?”

“Mhm.”

“C’mon… Don’t be upset with me, it was just a joke.”

“Well, I am.”

“Ugh.”

She sits down next to him, still wearing that adorable pout on her face, when he motions her to join him by patting the warm floorboards right after he slides down the wall and plops down onto them himself. The closet is so small that their thighs are touching. His joggers rub against her bare skin, making her pleated skirt rustle.

Neither of them moves their leg away.

They stare at the dark for a moment, not focusing on anything in particular. The slits that are his pupils grow wider when she sighs herself and rests her head on his shoulder, they eat up the white space where his irises should have been. Meanwhile, Hinata’s own eyes serve as polar opposites to his own; the milky circles dilating with no visible pupils in sight.

Briefly, she wonders what the eyes of their children would look like. What abilities they’d possess. What kind of life that would be for her. If he’d be as much of a good husband to her as he is a friend.

“Hina?” His tone is careful when it reaches her again.

“Mm?” she mumbles, her soft cheek nudging his shoulder as she readjusts herself. She brings her knees closer to her chest, but makes sure her skirt stays in place.

“I’m sorry.” Genuine this time. Torn.

“Did you really mean what you said,” she utters after a brief pause of thought. “About love?”

He’s silent for a moment, too. As if contemplating. She’s just about to switch the subject to something a bit more ordinary, something a bit more safe, when he finally says, “No.”

Silence lingers once more. And then she says, “I’m not in love with Naruto anymore.”

She can feel him stiffen beside her. Can hear his breath ever so slightly shudder as he whispers, “Yeah?”

“Yes.”

“How so?”

“I’ve found someone new.”

“Oh.”

He rests his head atop her own. Inhales the fruity scent of her shampoo and cherishes the sugar in it whilst he still can. “Not to overstep, but… You don’t need to love someone just to feel fulfilled, ya know.”

“I know,” she replies, his words making a rather delicate part of her heart glow, glow, glow. “But trust me when I say that even I was surprised by it… It happened so unexpectedly, even though it had kind of… Always been there. In a way.”

“Mm,” Kiba hums, deep in thought. “So, wanna tell me what the lucky bastard is like?”

Hinata chuckles at the question. At the fact he’s unknowingly called himself a bastard just now. She rests her hands atop her lap, fingers intertwining together. 

“Well… He’s rather annoying and stubborn. Loud… Like, so, so loud; you wouldn’t believe how loud he is.” Her insides warm up when he snickers at the attention she gives to the word. “But… He’s also genuine. Incredibly passionate and determined. Open, and supportive, and loving... Gosh, he’s so loving.”

“Okay, damn, don’t start drooling all over my shoulder ‘cause of this dude, now.” Kiba chuckles again as he mulls her descriptions over. Looks up at the ceiling. His toes wiggle as he thinks. “He sounds a lot like Naruto.”

“No, he’s different.” Firm, her answer. He’s his own person. Special in his own peculiar way.

“Is he nicer or somethin’?”

“Well…” The corners of her lips twitch. “Only when he wants to be, I suppose.”

“Towards you, I mean. Does he, like,” he mumbles, trying to find the right words, “see you? Treat you well?”

He’s the one. He really is. Maybe it’s time to admit it not just to herself, but to him as well.

Maybe.

Hinata stills at that; heart beginning to thunder again. Her fingers fidget, palms starting to feel clammy as she fiddles with the hem of her skirt. “I don’t know, Kiba,” she says, her voice so, so quiet that he can barely hear her despite the closeness and his sharp hearing. “You tell me?”

Kiba goes silent for a long moment, as if he’s attempting to paint the bigger picture inside his head. And then, at long fucking last, his breath hitches. His heart begins to race. Realization begins to dawn upon him and settles in, in, in.

“What?” He turns completely rigid, spine straightening, causing Hinata to lift her head from his shoulder. His face goes blank, eyes widening in the dark again. He swallows, not caring how stupid he may look as he repeats a meek, “What?”

“What?” she echoes innocently, the expression that lingers on her face completely coy. “What is it?”

“Are you saying– No,” he starts, cutting himself off with a wild shake of his head. As if he doesn’t dare believe the mere thought of her returning his feelings. As if he doesn’t dare say it. “You better not be fuckin’ with me right now as some sort of sick revenge… ‘Cause if you are, I swear to god I’ll–”

“I’m not messing with you, Kiba.”

His face flushes red now. This deep, crimson shade that almost matches the colour of the fang markings on his cheeks that tell everyone what clan he belongs to. “Stop messing with me. It’s not funny.”

“I’m not messing with you,” Hinata repeats sadly. She frowns at how lowly he actually thinks of himself. At how stubbornly he’s beaten it into his head that he doesn’t deserve to be admired by her, much less loved. For so long that he’s actually started to believe the denial.

He sucks in a deep breath. Through his mouth this time, to fill his lungs quicker with air because his chest feels way too tight all of a sudden. “But I’m not–” 

I’m not Naruto.

“I know that you aren’t,” she interrupts him gently, taking his bigger hand and clasping it with both of her smaller ones. His callouses scrape against her own, thick fingers curling around her daintier ones by pure instinct. She can’t help but smile at the affectionate touch he seems to execute without even thinking about it. He’s always known how to make her feel seen. “I never asked of you to be him.”

“But I’m not… special, like he is,” Kiba continues, his voice so low as if he’s ashamed to admit it. “I didn’t– I can’t do the stuff he does. I’ve tried, but I just… can’t.”

“So? You’re special to me,” she says and it’s true. She blinks. Runs her tongue along her front teeth. “Do you really think I’m that shallow to only fall in love with a man because he’s the strongest of them all?”

“No, but I do think that you need somebody like him,” he retaliates stubbornly. “You’re, like… royalty, or whatever. And he’s a war hero, a-a…”

“I don’t need anyone,” she cuts in again, looking up at him underneath her lashes with fire burning behind her pale eyes. “You’ve said it yourself; that I don’t need anyone to feel fulfilled… And yet, I want you.”

“Why?” He can’t understand it. How? Why? Why him?

“Because I see you,” she answers, frowning at the evident doubt that’s still present in his own eyes. “It took me a while, and I am sorry for that, but it’s true when I say that I finally see you; see the things you did and continue to do for me.”

Kiba’s teeth sink into his bottom lip. The prickle of one fang that the action invokes helps when it comes to grounding him, because if it didn’t, he’s sure as hell that he’d be floating up towards the clouds right now. Like a balloon – right through the ceiling of Ino Yamanaka’s closet. 

She wants him. Sees him. Him, him, him; nobody else. At long last, he can stop pretending. Can slowly rid himself of all the doubts and the insecurity he’s managed to hide deep underneath his thick skin. Can stop wondering if he’ll ever be good enough; ever be enough.

“Kiba?” Hinata whispers, and goddamn had his name always sounded so good, coming from her mouth like that? Always so pleasant?

“Yeah?” he whispers back. Her face is so close to his own now that he can smell her strawberry chapstick and see the subtle dip of her Cupid's bow. At how faintly it trembles as she reaches out to run her hand through his unruly hair before resting it atop his heaving chest.

She’s the one to take a deep breath this time around as she tries to calm down; to mentally prepare herself before she asks, “Do you want me, too?”

Does he want her? Does he fucking want her? What a stupid question. What a silly, foolish question.

“Yeah,” Kiba croaks out, heart pounding – hurting in the best way possible. His voice cracks; he hates it. “‘Course I want you, Hina. I-I’ve always wanted you. Ever since we were kids.” She’s so close. Goddammit, she’s so, so close. If he pushed forward by a mere inch, he could probably kiss her, oh, Christ.

Just the mere thought of her soft lips touching his own makes him feel dizzy. Makes his head spin; brain doing the same cartwheels his own heart executes in his ribcage. Thump, thump, fucking thump.

“Can I kiss you?” she asks. He can’t fathom the fact that she’s actually bolder than him for once.

“Yeah,” he repeats like a parrot, like a lovesick moron because he is one. “Mhm, yeah, yeah. Of course.”

Honestly, he’ll consider himself the luckiest man alive if he actually  manages to live for long enough to experience a kiss from her. This beautiful, kind-hearted, nurturing deity of a woman. Because judging by all the thrill that’s pumping through him right now, he doubts that he will.

And yet, he’s still around as Hinata leans in; cautiously, warily. Not because she’s scared of him and his brash nature, more so because she’s enticed by it – enticed by him. Her cheeks are so rosy, he wants to kiss them and touch them to feel their warmth. To squeeze them until her lips purse, and–

His jumbled train of thoughts diminishes and turns into pure silence when her mouth presses against his own gently and she at long last, after so many years of confusion, and lingering glances, and yearning touches and sleepless nights spent tossing and turning in separate beds, kisses him.

And fuck, the kiss is so soft. So sweet. His hand lifts to touch her cheek, feeling its warmth, her own two back to holding onto his other one that had never left her lap. Stroking his knuckles in a way that she can feel the scar she’d given him all those years ago and that he, unbeknownst to her, wears proudly today.

He melts completely into her. Melds himself with her very soul through every panting brush of lip. He calls himself an arrogant bastard, but he’s become as soft as a teddy bear that she gets to squeeze and play with to her heart's content. 

Every kiss they exchange continues to grow in intensity. Turns to subtle click of teeth and swipe of tongue. Their lips don’t touch in the usual needy, feral tempo he opts for, but it’s still one that he can appreciate just as deeply – even more so, now that he thinks about it. Like he’s wound up in an alley he’s not at all familiar with, but surprisingly enjoys the stay in nonetheless.

Kiba pushes into her more deeply, makes her release this shuddering gasp that lights his body on fire as he takes over. He wants to pull her into his lap – to ravage her, taste her all over because he’s been waiting for this day, for this moment, for so long. To cherish her, adore her in more sinful ways. Make her feel special with his hands, mouth, tongue.

And how couldn’t he wish for that? After all, Hinata, his Hinata, tastes like sugar and everything nice, countering the bitter taste of beer he possesses on his own tongue because of the little party they’ve still got going on.

Shit, the party–

The closet door slides open a mere moment after Hinata senses movement and Kiba catches another scent. They part swiftly; with a quiet, albeit slightly lewd pop! Thank god for being ninjas.

The two rapidly blink at the sliver of light to seep into the closet as the third member of the former Team 8, Shino Aburame, gives both Kiba and Hinata a pointed look through his tinted spectacles, now. Their respective heartbeats are still all over the place by the time he peers inside the darkness himself. 

They watch as he looks down, looks at their entwined fingers; at Kiba’s hand that still rests on Hinata’s cheek. At their panting chests. At how closely they sit together, how fucking red they’ve become.

“Hmm,” is everything Shino contributes to the conversation that’s yet to begin. Their friend merely quirks a dark brow as if he knows exactly what they’ve been up to. 

And perhaps he does, Kiba thinks. Hiding a tiny bug amongst so many clothes the wretched Yamanaka owns, would be a piece of cake for the nosy insect user. But alas, who on earth would believe him if he exposed Shino as the true gossiper he actually was?

Luckily for him, however, Hinata is the first one to stumble into movement out of the trio. Her eyelashes can’t stop fluttering as she stutters a tiny, “H-Hi, Shino.” 

Goodness, she’s so pink in the face; the blush blooming as furiously as ever now that they’ve been caught. So cute. Especially as she releases Kiba’s hand to run her fingers through her hair frantically, trying to smooth down the strands he’d managed to ruffle whilst kissing her like a madman.

“Hey, man,” Kiba plays along, seemingly unable to wipe off the dopey grin that remains plastered on his face, now. Still wearing the wild grin, he pushes from the floor and offers Hinata his hand to help her back up to her feet as soon as he stands up to his full height. 

Swiftly standing right next to him a moment later, Hinata never lets go of Kiba’s hand. Neither does he let go of hers. Of course he’ll hold her hand if she wishes for him to hold it. At this point, he’ll do just about anything for her.

His eyes are on Shino as he clears his throat, trying so hard to be casual when he says, “What’s up?”

Shino’s gaze dips to their entwined fingers once more. He stares at how Kiba strokes Hinata’s knuckles so tenderly that the action almost seems alien for a brute like him, and how she shyly lowers her head until that curtain of midnight hair almost entirely obscures her from the view of the two men. 

It doesn’t last long, however. After all, Kiba feels the need to tuck it behind her ear rather quickly. Feels the need to make her feel seen even quicker.

So after a silent couple of seconds, the poor Aburame finally looses an exasperated sigh at the new item to stand before him; at how their entire dynamic is surely bound to change, now. Gesturing them to follow, he merely utters, “Time’s up.”

“Is it, now?” Kiba drawls in answer. The Inuzuka swears that he can still feel the tingle of Hinata’s lips on his own. When he pokes the tip of his tongue out, he tastes strawberries – sweet!

“Yes,” Shino replies, stepping out of the closet so the pair can do the same. With his back turned towards them, he adds somehow amusedly, “It’s been up sixteen minutes ago, actually.”

Hinata and Kiba exchange a look as they head back for the living room where loud chatter suddenly erupts; all of their friends most surely anticipating their return and the juicy story to follow. 

His grin grows, stretching even wider than usual when she gives him a single nod of her head. A silent approval.

Who knew that all it took was a cramped closet and twenty-three minutes to spare in the dark?

[absolutely-nothing-to-see-here]

Okay I figured I should post this now and it’s nearing midnight for me, and I feel compelled to get out some content for my boy’s birthday even though he’s only mentioned via Tenten gushing about him

Enjoy!

[write-haikyuu]

Karasuno as element benders

This is inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender since I’ve been binge watching all the seasons.... hehe

Daichi would be an earthbender hands down. The way he grounds himself and the strength he has to pull together to ensure the team is positioned to win, on top of always sticking his stance, Daichi would make an excellent earthbender. In fact, he could probably be apart of an earthbending army and rank quite high in his position if he wanted to.  He strikes as someone who is talented in earth shielding and rock bullets.

Sugawara would be a waterbender. In some ways, his nuturing and caring prescence gives me the impression that he and Katara would get along well. Though he might not posess any healing abilities, he has an artistic sense to create beautiful ice scuptures with his skills and tends to make quite the water bending instructor. However, he would specialize in healing, making sure that the resources of the tribe are fully equipped and physically healed for a battle or just day to day life.

Asahi would be a firebender as suprising as that may sound. He would be a late bloomer however, as some firebenders tend to bend with anger and fear, Asahi learned to bend by being provoked with protection. With a gentle, free flowing background, his flames spread in both warmth and burning sensations. With that, he’s able to redirect lightning, but not so much control it as others can. However, he has great skill in fire vortex attacks and combustion bending. Even he is sometimes shocked at how strong he actually is.

Nishinoya would be an earthbender. Like Daichi, his stands his ground and rooted to both himself and his surroundings. As the libero has to stay close to the ground and be ready to take up the most outragous saves, Nishinoya would make such a strong and sharp earthbender. He would probably learn his bending from the swamp and master it in the city (both ways would work). He’s also best friends with the cabbage man. Like for SURE.

Kinoshita would be an firebender. Specifically, he would have a knack for lighting strikes and have the ability to control the movements of electricity at the tips of his fingers. Though this does not occur often, when he does gain control, I think Kinoshita brings a lot of surprises in the battlefield. Like fire, he fumes bursts of energy where he can, but also remains his composure by heat control.

Narita would be a airbender. His movements are evasive yet free-flowing like air. I think he carries a particular sense calmness in his movements and poses a very meditative state when he is not attacking. He waits for the right moment, and builds up heaps of air to turn into energy and momentum before releasing. His intention is never quite to kill or harm, but rather create counter attacks that make the opponent imbalanced or miss their shots. He also has the ability to reach the spirit world, and occasionally goes back there to visit his spirit friends.

Ennoshita would be an earthbender. Although he has very air-like tendencies, he actually is able to navigate the air well through his earth levitation. Intuitive to the frequencies of the earth, he is able to curate mini earthquakes around the area, throwing the opponents off balance but also manipulate the status of the ground to be earth sinking as well. This way, enemies never get ear Ennoshita. The way he talks and carries himself is very much straight-forward and loyal, much like earth signs in general.

Kiyoko would be a waterbender. Kiyoko shows great versatility and flexibility in the way she carries herself. Just as much as she is steadfast and sharp minded, I think she would have great skill in deflecting in her attacks and maneuver focus on controls. She could ice creep a lot of people into freezing themselves into ice sculptures and create water brackets that could slice through. However, she doesn’t fight unless she has to. She much prefers to help Sugawara with healing. She may not realize it yet, but she also has a special skill in blood bending. Although, I can’t think of a case where she would need to use that as well.

Tanaka would be a lavabender. Unlike Asahi and Nishinoya, Takana’s quickwitted and explosive personality would lead him into both a grounding and heated bending technique. Tremendously strong--yes, but also just as firm in his attacks and thinking. His strength is rooted deep into the magmas of the earth but striking is haste and urgent like a wildfire.

Hinata would be a firebender. He’s a spitfire waiting to burst, and you even see it from his name, which means “sunny place”. Though he is quick to burst, that doesn’t mean his attacks strike as weak. He is certainly a fireball with lots of energy and has no problem creating large fumes of fire to defend from the enemy. He is youthful and young, much like the fire he creates. That also includes the occasional burns he gets from messing around as well. Hehe

Kageyama would be a waterbender. Much like water, his water flows controlled, stilled, yet thick. He is very conscious of how he formulates water in its three different bases (gas, solid, and liquids), therefore you might find him constantly practicing those techniques and perfecting it. You might find him often water whipping Hinata in the butt too~. However, I think his most prominent attacks are with ice, as it comes off to be physically striking and sharp, much like his mind. He is constantly analyzing how to manipulate water into multiple forms during battles.

Tsukishima would also be a waterbender. Like the series, I think Tsukishima would have ancestry with the Moon spirit in some form, and therefore, root from the Northern Water Tribe. Though he would be skilled in water attacks, I don’t think that would be where his greatest strength lies. I actually see him on the defensive lines if creating tidal waves, ice prisons, and steam to distract intruders. I certainly see him as a scholar, so I think occasionally he would practice healing on the low.

Yamaguchi would be an earthbender/metal bender. I definitely got it from his name, Yama meaning Mountain. But also, much like his personality to remain strong willed and become a pillar to his team, he is capable of so much strength. He has a natural talent with seismic sense, meaning he is able to sense the smallest vibrations of earth/metal and intuitively guess the surroundings. That’s why he’s able to create defenses that are critical. He would also eventually build the skill to metal bend.

Yachi would be an airbender. I would imagine that she would rarely have to go out to fight as most airbenders are quite peaceful and prefer to stay on high grounds and live a less violent life. She capable of making air funnels and wipes, while occasionally teaching kids how to make air balls to roam around the air temples. I think she strikes as someone who has a skill in flying! You often can find her gliding in the air next to a bison with a bunch of kids (she teaches the children how to fly).

[beccascribbles]

omg I LOVEDDD your manager omegaverse fic, 100000/10 (also an atsumu simp so loved that for me) I was wondering if you could maybe do a similar one with Semi (he does not get enough love) whose mate goes into heat but goes to a different school and he goes to pick her up to take care of her with maybe a dash of harassment from a stranger and he goes sicko mode >< although I understand if this is too similar to the last prompt! anyways, love your writing sm

a/n - ahrgjfofh i’m glad you liked it!! honestly had so much fun writing it mainly because of how much i like the omegaverse dynamic (kind of one of my favourite things to read) and inarizaki. not too similar at all! hope you enjoy (and that you don’t mind i made her a manager for karasuno!)

warnings - harassment (unwanted touching)

Sometimes you were jealous of the couples you would see on your walk to school. While you acknowledged that your situation wasn't the worst (you still lived in the same prefecture), most of the time you felt your relationship was long-distance. It was rare to see Semi during the week, both of your after school times being taken up by volleyball, him as a player and you as a manager. There was the occasional late night meet up, though these were rare (and had not happened recently) as you often fell into a deep sleep as soon as your head touched the pillows on your bed. You looked down at your lock screen, a grin pulling at your lips as Semi's face stared back at you. He was leant against the foot of your bed, his guitar resting in his lap, a notebook open in front of him. The love in his eyes was clear, and it made your heart clench. You missed him, craved his scent, the feel of his arms wrapped around you, more desperately than you ever had before.

"y/n!" yelled a voice, snapping you from your thoughts. You turned to see Sugawara barrelling towards you, his bag hanging loosely from one shoulder. "Wait up. We can walk in together."

You stopped, allowing your friend to catch up. Sugawara grinned over at you, taking note of the distinct purple jacket you were wearing over your uniform. He gave you a playful nudge. “I’d take that off before Kageyama or Hinata see you. They’ll throw a fit, call you a traitor.”

In response, you simply shrugged, wrapping your arms around yourself and inhaling deeply. Semi’s scent was faint, almost non-existent. Sugawara’s scent was more prominent, making a small frown form on your face. It wasn’t that Sugawara didn’t smell nice. In fact, his scent was one of your favourites, calming you when Semi wasn’t present to do so. But Sugawara wasn’t Semi. He wasn’t your mate.

“Hey, earth to y/n!” yelled Sugawara, waving his hand in front of your face. This effectively snapped you from your thoughts, and you shot him a glare.

“What was that for?” you hissed, a low growl escaping from your lips. Looking rather sheepish at your sudden anger, Sugawara avoided your gaze, preferring to gaze at the approaching school gates. Briefly, he considered using his pheromones to soothe you, but something about your glare told him it wouldn’t be appreciated, that the only scent that could do anything was your mate’s.

“You were ignoring me,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his head, eyes frantically searching for a familiar face that might help diffuse the situation. He perked up, waving his arm in the air and calling out, “Daichi! Asahi! Shimizu!”

The group near the front of the school building stopped, turning around and raising their hands to acknowledge his greeting. Sugawara jogged forward, slinging his arm over Asahi’s shoulder. He murmured something to the group, likely a warning, and jerked his head in your direction. Kiyoko seemed to understand the fastest, being an omega herself, and headed towards you, her approach calm.

“Are you feeling okay, y/n?” she greeted, voice gentle and soothing. Her scent was also soft, washing over you pleasantly, easing your tension. You felt yourself relax, and a soft whimper escaped you.

“No,” you breathed, stepping forward and resting your head against her shoulder. Tears pooled in the corners of your eyes, threatening to spill as the longing for Semi hit you again. “I hate it. I just want to be near him. It’s so unfair.”

She reached up, giving your back a reassuring rub as she felt tears dampen her shirt. You let out a sob, your scent souring. A small hiccup escaped your lips and you sniffled, pulling away. Kiyoko held out a tissue for you, her next words a comfort. “Skip practice tonight. Go and see Semi. We can manage without you and I’ll tell you anything important that you miss. The coaches will understand.”

You nodded, a smile brightening your features as you wrapped your arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug. “Thank you, Kiyoko.”

Despite knowing you were going to see Semi later, the longing you felt, the desire for him, didn’t decrease. As the day dragged on, it got worse, your pheromones spiking at random intervals as if trying to call him to you. Your attempts to dampen your scent were increasingly weakening, to the point where a teacher asked you to meet them outside.

You rose from your desk shakily, legs wobbling. Beads of sweat formed at your forehead, and you swiped it away dismissively. You tugged at your collar, feeling suffocated. The teacher held the door open for you, giving you a concerned look before following you out into the hallway.

“l/n,” she began calmly, “when is your next heat cycle?”

Your eyebrows furrowed as you tried to recall the information. It had been a long time since the date had any significant meaning to you. You glanced at the teacher, quietly asking for permission to check your phone. She nodded in response, watching as your eyes widened and you breathed out a quiet, “Shit.”

The teacher’s assumption had been correct, and she could hardly berate you for swearing when the most important thing was to remove you to a safe place. She instructed, “I’ll go into the classroom and collect your things. Do you need my help to go to the medical room or will you be able to go there yourself?”

“It’s only down the hall so I should be fine,” you replied. Your heat had not fully started yet, your head still clear enough to enable you to make decisions, though you were slowly losing the ability to reign your scent in. It filled the hallway, causing the teacher’s nose to wrinkle. She quickly disappeared into the classroom, returning with your things.

“Call someone who can help you on your way there,” she commanded before stepping back into the classroom.

Hands shaking, you clicked on Semi’s contact, immediately pressing down on the call button. He was the only one you wanted to see now. Even if he was in class, you knew he would answer. He would understand it was an emergency. It was an unspoken rule to never call during the school day unless that was the case. The phone rang.

“y/n?” came Semi’s voice through the phone, rich and deep, “are you okay?”

“Eita...” you whimpered, leaning back against the wall, fingers convulsing around the phone. “Eita, I need you.”

“What happened?” he demanded. You sounded desperate, like the only thing you truly desired was him.

“I’m going into heat.”

He froze then, letting out a breath. It had slipped his mind that it was time for your next heat, evidently having slipped from yours too. Dread filled him at the thought of you, alone and defenceless. Anything could happen. His voice was tight when he spoke again. “Where are you? Please tell me you’re going somewhere safe.”

“I’m in the hallway,” you sighed. He let out a low growl at your words, not directed towards you but whoever might come across you. “I’m going to the medical room now.”

“Good,” he said. Through the phone, you could hear him running down the corridor. “I’ll see you there.”

The phone went silent, and you slumped against the wall, a pout on your face. He could have at least said goodbye. Hanging up so abruptly, though the meaning behind it was clear, still made you feel unwanted. The irrational part of your mind insisted that he didn’t want you, and you let out a pitiful whine, beginning to shuffle down the corridor. A tear dribbled down your cheek and you wiped it away angrily. The rational part of your brain knew you were being ridiculous, that Semi had hung up so abruptly to get to you quicker. You reached for the jacket you had folded up and placed in your bag, burying your face in the material and sucking in a deep breath. His scent was faint, but in your heightened state, it smelt more prominent than it had in weeks.

After a few more deep lungfuls of air, you began to shuffle down the corridor towards the medical room. A sudden pungent scent caused you to snap to attention, head jerking to the side as your eyes fell on a young alpha hovering in a doorway. Their body was tense, their gaze fixed on you. You froze under the attention, attempting fruitlessly to reign your scent back in. The alpha’s nostrils flared and they took a step forward, eyes shining with desire. Your whole body went tense, dread creeping up your spine. As you took a hurried step back, you felt your legs buckle, barely managing to catch yourself on the wall.

The alpha lunged forward, hands hitting the wall either side of your head as they leaned in, taking in a deep breath. They leaned forward, letting out a low growl as their nose traced the scent gland at your neck. You stayed still, breathing shallow, as their face buried into your neck, hoping that if you remained still they would lose interest. It was foolish of you to entertain this idea, knowing that the scent of an omega in heat was intoxicating, made weak and young alpha’s lose all sense of reason.

“Please,” you whimpered, hands going up to press against their chest, attempting to push them away from you. They simply growled, pushing closer to you, one hand bracing the wall while the other wrapped around your waist, fingers digging into skin. “Please let me go.”

It was pathetic, the way your heat made you weak. What was more pathetic was the way something as simple as an omega’s scent could make an alpha lose all sense of reason. As the alpha released their pheromones, the scent weakening you, making you dizzy, all you could do was whimper.

“Eita,” you whined, voice high-pitched and breathy. The desperation was clear in your voice, clearer by the way you weakly struggled against them. Your leg kicked out, landing a feeble strike to their shin. Still, they didn’t pull away. “Help me.”

It was those two words that filled Semi’s ears as he rounded the corner, slightly out of breath and panting from his run to Karasuno. The first thing that hit him was your scent, the second that of the alpha who had found you. He scanned the corridor for you, eyes immediately falling on your cowering figure. You pleaded helplessly with the alpha in front of you. The alpha wasn’t listening, ignoring the slight sourness to your scent, the wretched edge to your voice.

Semi’s lips curled upward, baring his teeth as a growl ripped from deep within him, the sound loud and threatening. His pheromones exploded outward, launching through the air and assaulting the younger alpha’s senses, causing them to release a choked groan. The other alpha’s head turned towards him, fighting against the more powerful alpha’s scent and growling in return.

“I found her first,” they declared. To punctuate their point, they placed a kiss to the scent gland in your neck, their teeth grazing the sensitive sink. You flinched away, fixing Semi with a helpless look, your whole body shaking with despair and disgust. Another alpha had dared to touch you in such an intimate way. The act was audacious, ignorant to the way you’d called for another alpha and the intimidating presence of that other alpha at the end of the hallway. It was this act that caused Semi to snap, his whole world focusing in on one point. It was the alpha in front of him.

He lunged forward, tackling them to the floor as his hands wrapped around the other alpha’s neck and his legs pinned the other alpha to the floor, keeping their arms trapped. He pressed his weight down on their wrists, a satisfied smirk overtaking his face at the slight cracking sound. As his hands tightened around their neck, the smirk widened, finding a sadistic delight in the choked grunt that escaped the young alpha’s mouth.

“Stay the fuck away from my mate,” he growled, shaking their limp body slightly. “You fucking piece of shit.”

Their mouth opened uselessly, attempting to speak even as they struggled to draw breath. Semi lifted their head up, slamming it back down on the floor with a loud thump. His voice was sharp as he spat, “Keep your fucking mouth shut. I don’t want to hear a word from your filthy mouth, you pathetic excuse for an alpha.”

He finally released the alpha, his hands imprinted on their neck in a ring of red. He stood up, leering over the alpha. “Get the fuck out of my sight.”

They scrambled upwards, taking off down the corridor, their scent reeking of the bitter tang of fear. Semi didn’t spare them another glance, immediately crossing the distance between you and pulling you into his arms, pressing your head to the scent gland in his neck as he brushed his wrist up and down your body. You pressed yourself firmer against him, arms wrapping around his slender waist to hold him tighter. He felt tears dampen his skin, letting out another low growl.

"Fucking piece of shit," he grumbled, holding you closer. His hands slid down to rest at the top of your thighs and the slight squeeze he gave them communicated what he intended. Semi lifted you up, your legs locking around his waist and arms around his neck. A distressed whine escaped your lips as you nuzzled in closer, taking comfort in his scent. "It's okay, y/n. I've got you."

He wanted to berate you, anything to ease the tension that still locked his muscles together. He couldn't do that to you though. While you should have been aware of your heat, it was also his responsibility as your alpha to be aware of this information. He could hardly scold you for what had happened in the corridor. That was the fault of that other alpha. The very thought of it made his blood boil, and he pressed his nose into your hair, drawing in another deep breath of your scent. It reassured him that you were there, that you were safe.

"Want to go home with you," you mumbled, hot breath tickling the sensitive skin of his neck. He knelt awkwardly, keeping his balance as he picked up your bag from the floor, slinging the strap over his shoulder.

"Okay," he soothed, voice gentle as he strengthened his own scent to stiffle your own, hoping to avoid attracting any other foolish alphas. "I'll take you home."

"Don't leave me, Eita," you whimpered. "Need you."

"I would never leave you," he said, brushing a gentle kiss to the top of your head, thumb rubbing calming circles into your thigh. A pleased purr rumbled through your body at his words, and a satsified smile took over Semi's expression. "We'll be home soon, okay?"

"Okay."

[1plus1kiyoomi]

Chapter 14: Little Us

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[masterlist] [kia’s slambook]

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“I’ll cook dinner,” Kiyoomi offers and you nod. The three of you have come back to your house after your trip in the theme park. You go straight to your room and changed. You wash Kia and when you return to the kitchen, Kiyoomi has changed into house clothes and finished cooking.

You three eat, and it isn’t as silent as usual. Kia babbles about how cool the wizard train was and how she wants to return to the theme park. You glimpse at Kiyoomi and a look of disgust is prominent on his face. You giggle at his cuteness and the two of them stare at you weirdly.

“It’s nothing,” you reason and continue to eat. “How’d you know Kia was lost?”

“She called me with the phone I gave her. I think she forgot about how to call you,” he explains to you. Kia puts her spoon and gives him a look of disagreement.

“I didn’t. I press number 1 to call mama,” Kia says and you look at her in disbelief. Why did she not call you if she knows how to? “I just miss Kyo.”

You want to scold her right then and there, but Sakusa beats you to it. “Next time you shouldn’t worry us like that. Call whoever was with you, okay? What if I didn’t come to you? You would have never seen mama or me again.”

“Okay, I’m sorry, mama and Kyo,” Kia apologizes. Kiyoomi smiles to her and gently and you plant a kiss on her cheek.

After dinner, you wash the dishes while Kia and Kiyoomi watch the Transformers movie. He isn’t even sure if she’s allowed to watch it but she found a way to make him say yes. They sit comfortably on the couch, Kia under Kiyoomi’s arm. Her eyes are fixated at the screen. ‘She loves cars, huh?’

You finish doing the dishes and call your daughter to sleep. She kisses Sakusa’s forehead then runs to your room. "Can I talk you after I put Kia to sleep? If you don’t mind.” He stares at you with his usual cold face before nodding at you. ‘He looks really tired. Did he cry, too?’

You shake the thoughts off your head and tuck Kia to bed. You close your eyes, praying to all the gods and wishing to all the stars that she’ll go to sleep. She must be tired, right? You did spend the whole day at the theme park and she wasn’t able to talk a nap. She’ll sleep well tonight.

You open your eyes after a few minutes, and find Kia wide awake. She is raising the plushie Kiyoomi bought for her at the theme park.

“Go to sleep, baby,” you tell her, caressing the top of her head.

“Can I play with Kyo?” She asks and your eyes widen in shock. You are about to say no but she gets out of bed and runs out of the room. You groan in frustration before walking after her. You stop on the hallway as you hear Kiyoomi and Kia whisper rather loudly to each other.

“I wanna play with you but mama wants me to sleep already.”

“What are we gonna do about it?”

“We will pretend to sleep so mama will go to sleep, then we can play.”

Kiyoomi chuckles at her suggestion. For her age, she sure has a lot of tricks on her sleeves. He sees you glaring at Kia. Your hands are on your hips, a disappointed look plastered on your face. “Kia!” You call out and she snuggles on Sakusa’s chest shutting her eyes tightly. You glance at Kiyoomi and he is also pretending to be asleep. You stop yourself from smiling then sit beside them, waiting for them to crack.

“I know you’re awake,” you tell them.

“I’m asleep,” Kiyoomi says.

“Me too,” Kia follows and you laugh. Kiyoomi stifles a giggle at Kia’s response.

You shake your head and then lean on the couch. “I guess I’m sleeping too.”

You actually fall asleep. Kiyoomi and Kia finish the movie they were watching before you called her to sleep. He leans your head shoulder while Kia leans on his chest. Weirdly enough, he feels comfortable having the two of you close to him.

The movie ends and Kiyoomi has convinced Kia to go to sleep. He takes a look at you and you’re sleeping soundly. “(Y/n)...” He calls, gently shaking your shoulder to wake you up. Your eyes flutter open, confused. “Transfer in your room, your back will ache if you sleep on the couch.”

You nod sleepily, following what he says. You stand on your feet but lose balance due to sleepiness. Luckily, Kiyoomi catches you before you land on the ground. He sighs in relief before helping you walk to your shared room with Kia. He puts you on the bed beside Kia. He is about to leave the room but Kia pulls his hand. “You’re still awake?”

“Wanna sleep with you.” She looks up to him with puppy eyes and he gives in. He picks Kia up but puts her back down when he sees your figure.

“Your mama will be worried if she doesn’t wake up beside you tomorrow,” he tells Kia, caressing the top of her head. Kia pouts and almost cries.

The image of you crying because of losing Kia at the theme park flashes in his mind again. He knows how much you value Kia and couldn’t bare to live without her. He doesn’t want to see you hurt. He hates seeing you cry.

“Sleep beside us then,” she suggests and Kiyoomi smiles gently. He nods at her and she makes space for him. Kia moves closer to your side as Kiyoomi awkwardly lies beside her. His feet are hanging off the bed so turns his body to the side slightly bending his legs, making it touch yours. “Use my blankie. It’s cold.” Kia says and he does so. The blanket only covers his upper body but he uses it for since Kia asked him to.

Kia buries her face on his chest, his breathing pattern a comforting sound to her. He massages her temples, soothing her. Not long after, Kia is finally asleep, for real this time. His hand transfers to you, removing strands of hair that is covering your face. He places his hand on your cheek, softly caressing it.

Kiyoomi didn’t understand why you chose Kia even before she was born. He hated her for that reason. But now he understands why you love her so much. He understand why you left.

Her cute eyes when she looks up. Her waddles when she walks. Her sweet voice when she speaks. Her laugh when he does something out of normal. Her smile when she hugs him.

She’s undeniably adorable.

She’s weirdly smart.

She’s impossible not to love.

‘Kia is so much like you.’

How can he not love Kia when she resembles the person he loves the most?

He attempts to leave the bed but your hand lands on his . He stares at your half visible figure confusingly, but doesn’t pull his hand away. Instead, he intertwines his fingers with yours. He thinks you’re just doing random actions because of your sleep. Due to the the dim lighting, he isn’t able to see the smile on your face. You’re wide awake.

“You and Kia are so much alike,” you speak with a smirk, not able to keep your squealing emotions and thoughts inside you. Sakusa internally face palms, tightening his hold on your hand in embarrassment.

You move your lips closer to your intertwined hands and plant a soft kiss on the back of his. He lets go of you and pinches your cheek. “Go to sleep.”

“Stay here, Omi,” you say. He places his hand on the small of your back, your legs tangled with each other’s. The familiar nickname putting a smile on his face. ‘I love Kia so much because she’s a little you.’

“Okay, I’ll stay.” He plants a kiss on Kia’s forehead then to yours before drifting to sleep. ’I love Kia because she’s our little us.’

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You prepare for the impromptu outing with the MSBY boys while Kia and Kiyoomi washes. As you are measuring Kia’s formula, Kiyoomi’s phone on the counter dings rapidly. ‘It must be important.’ You think as the multiple notifications seem urgent. You lift his phone up to give it to him but the screen lights up so you see the screen.

“Mama! I’m ready!” Kia runs out the room, making you put Kiyoomi’s phone back on the counter. You act as if you’ve just finished preparing the formula, seeing Kiyoomi follow her.

“Let’s go?” You ask Kia. She nods excitedly and runs to the front door. You take the baby bag go after, your pace quicker than normal. Noticing your uneasiness, Kiyoomi eyes you suspiciously.

“What’s up with her?” He mutters, taking his phone from the counter. He sees the notifications and just ignores it. “Annoying.”

Kiyoomi goes to the car where you and Kia wait for him. He starts the engine, Kia cheering in excitement. On the other hand, you’re restless. You don’t know when and how to talk to him. Why does he say he loves you and wants you back if he has a significant other? You know Kiyoomi. He wouldn’t just sleep with anyone.

You feel his hand on your thigh, but you immediately brush it off. He glances at you in confusion before focusing his sight back on the road. He wants to ask what’s wrong and why you are suddenly angry, but not when Kia is around. He’s aware that you acting like this would end up in a fight.

He doesn’t want you to fight in front of Kia.

You arrive in front of a small traditional Japanese house and see Atsumu’s red car. Bokuto’s car is also parked at the rocky empty lot. Kiyoomi parks beside the blonde’s car. You get out of the car and is immediately greeted by Hinata and Bokuto. You wave at them. Kiyoomi takes Kia out of the back seat and sets her on the ground.

“Koko! Yoyo!” Kia runs to them, her arms open wide, ready for a hug. Bokuto lifts her up then starts tossing her to the sky as if she’s some volleyball. Kia is enjoying it but Kiyoomi isn’t.

“She might fall. Stop that,” Sakusa scolds and Bokuto pouts, putting Kia down. She runs to Hinata and do the hand shake they made before giving him a hug.

“Kia, you’re here!” A familiar deep voice speaks as the door of the house slides open. Her eyes lighten up in excitement.

“Mu-chan!” Kia waddles her way to Atsumu, jumping on him to give him a hug. Atsumu picks up her up, spinning her around. “I missed you!”

“I missed you, too!” Atsumu bops her nose, skillfully carrying her with one arm. He sees you and Kiyoomi so he invites you in. Kita arrives and greets the six of you. Right then and there, Kia feels shy. She squirms her way out of Atsumu’s hold and hides behind you. Kia takes a peek at Kita and he smiles at her. She hides even more.

“The farm is this way. We have gloves and tools prepared for you,” Kita tells them, showing the way to the small vegetable farm.

Kia’s eyes widen in awe as she sees the vast strawberry field. Her heart pounds faster in excitement. She runs to one row and point at it. “Do you wanna pick it?” Kita squats down to level with her face and she shyly nods. He helps her pick the strawberries and she’s getting as red as the fruit.

Seeing Kia is preoccupied by strawberry picking and her potential new boyfriend, he takes this as an opportunity to talk to you. “Can you watch over Kia for a while? We’re just gonna talk about something,” he requests to Atsumu through his mask. The blonde nods as he noticed the tension between the two of you since you arrived.

“Let’s talk,” he whispers to you, placing his hands on your shoulder. You shrug them off but his hold just tightens.

“Later,” you reply, obviously still mad.

“We have to talk now. I don’t want Kia to see us silently arguing with each other the whole day,” he reasons. You sigh and give in. The two of you head back to his car.

And you just sit there. You’re scrolling through your phone, leaning on the window. He stares out of the window, looking for a way to start a conversation that would not end up with the two of you shouting. His mask have already been discarded, he’s that ready for a fight. An idea enters his mind but he cringes at the thought. But it’s that or screaming.

You feel Kiyoomi poke your cheek so you turn to face him in irritation. To your surprise, he’s acting weird. He’s pouting, his cheeks puffed, eyes furrowed, eyes glaring at you softly, and arms crossed. “What are you doing?”

Do you not understand what he’s doing? He cries inside his mind. Embarrassment is taking over his body, but the damage has already done, so he decides to stick to his plan. “Do you not love me anymore?” You laugh out loud, tears appearing on the corners of your eyes, making him shy even more, but he doesn’t drop his act.  You secretly start recording him, knowing you’ll need it in the future.

“Are you supposed to be Kia?” You ask him but he continues glaring at you.

“Hmpf,” he sticks his nose out to the air and you can’t help but forget about your anger. How can you be mad at him if he’s acting all cute? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You cup his cheeks like how you would cup Kia’s when she’s upset, bringing his face closer to yours.

You know what he wants so you’re gonna give it to him: a good fight.

“Who’s Furuta Saki?”

While the two of you are busy fixing your problems in the car, the 4 boys and Kia are having the time of their lives in the farm. Bokuto’s and Hinata’s baskets are empty since they eat whatever they harvest as soon as they pick it. Kia’s and Atsumu’s basket is full of fruits that Kia likes.

“What’s that?” Kia points to a shrub. Kita takes a look at it.

“That’s pepper,” he answers. She runs to it and picks a red and big one. Kia hands it to Atsumu. He shakes his hand but he hears a familiar clicking of tongue.

“You shouldn’t reject food from a cute girl like that,” Osamu speaks, walking towards the group. He just arrived since he had to open his store.

“Myaa-sam!” Bokuto greets him with a wave. The black haired twin tips his chin as greeting.

“If you’re so concerned about rejecting a cute girl’s offer, why don’t you eat it?” Atsumu barks back to his twin. Kia’s eyes quiver, her hand with the pepper still raised.

“But I picked this for Mu-chan.” Atsumu tries to look away because he knows she’s staring at him with those puppy eyes. And he’s weak for those. As if his eyes have a brain on their own, he’s already looking straight at her eyes. His hand is reaching out for the pepper Kia is offering. “I’m gonna die.”

Osamu takes his phone out, recording the whole thing. Atsumu bravely takes a bite, smiling at Kia the whole time. As he continues to chew the pepper, his face gets hotter and redder. He starts sweating from the spice. He can’t handle eating spicy food, but doesn’t want to disappoint Kia.

“I can’t take it anymore,” he pants from the spice, his tongue out. He’s already crying. Osamu laughs loudly, catching Hinata’s and Bokuto’s attentions. They run to the setter, wondering why he’s panting and crying.

“Is this some sort of challenge?” Bokuto says in excitement, Kia handing him a piece of pepper. He eats all of it in one bite, surprising Osamu and Kita. Hinata is also given one, which he eats in three bites.

“I don’t like this challenge,” Bokuto pouts.

“Is this supposed to taste like something else?” Hinata wonders out loud.

“How are you not affected?” Atsumu screams in frustration, his tongue still hanging out of his mouth.

“You’re just a brat,” Osamu snaps. Kita tells Kia to give Atsumu a tomato, so she takes a tomato from the basket and give it to the blonde twin. He thanks her and eats the fruit. Kia gets some more and gives it to Hinata and Bokuto who have gone to pick some fruits again.

Kita checks the watch on his wrist. “I think it’s time to eat lunch. How about her parents?”

“They’re eating each other out already in his car,” Osamu says nonchalantly. Atsumu whips his head to look at his twin, hoping that he’s joking.

He isn’t.

One second, Sakusa is acting cute. The next second, you two are shouting at each other. The third second your’e making out. Who would’ve thought that talking included Sakusa’s tongue exploring your mouth?

Sakusa’s hand is on the small of your back, while yours is on the back of his neck, both on those positions to help you pull each other closer. Kiyoomi pulls away from your lips, attaching his lips to your neck, his hand that is on your back also traveling down. Your hands move up to his hair, letting out a sigh in pleasure as you feel his tongue on your skin.

Before you two can sin, his phone starts ringing.

Kiyoomi groans, pulling away from you. He answers the call, only to be teased by his team’s setter. “It’s time to eat actual food.”

You fix yourselves, not talking. It all happened in a flash that you don’t remember what you two were fighting about. Did you even actually talk? All you can remember is the taste of his mouth.

“Let’s go?” Sakusa breaks the ice, the strings of his mask already hooped to the back of his ears. He hasn’t fully put it on so your eyes land his lips. He notices and leans in, giving you a kiss. He ruffles your hair before stepping out of the car. As he closes the door, you groan before following him out.

You and Kiyoomi step into the dining area and hear Kia crying. Kiyoomi gets nervous, afraid that something might have happened to his daughter. He sits next to her, asking what’s wrong.

“Koko said I can’t have more than one boyfriend!” Kia cries.

“What?” Kiyoomi deadpans, disappointingly staring at Kia.

“I want Mu-chan, Myaa-chan, and Ki-chan to be my boyfriends!” She reasons. You and the rest of the boys laugh at her cuteness. Kiyoomi, on the other hand, is stuck on comforting his little girl who wants three boyfriends.

“It’s not good to have three boyfriends,” Kiyoomi scolds her and she starts crying even harder. Kiyoomi sighs and just decides to go along her wishes so she can stop crying and start eating. “Fine. You can have three boyfriends.”

The group starts eating after resolving Kia’s problem. Kita’s grandmother arrives so you greet her. “She’s such a cute child. I wonder when my Shinsuke is getting married and also have a child of his own.”

“I think he’ll be married soon,” Osamu jokes. Kita kicks his leg under the table. “I’m just kidding.”

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After your trip to Kita’s farm, you go home. You do your usual routines, then meet at the dining table to eat the dinner you prepared.

You are avoiding Kiyoomi and he can tell. You’re not so subtle about it. The whole afternoon you were making jams, and you made sure you were preoccupied all the time. Slice the strawberries? You’ll do it. Mush the peaches? You’re on it. Wash the mangoes? Say no more.

He just doesn’t understand why you’re doing it. Why are you distancing yourself from him? Didn’t you already talk?

“I wanna sleep already,” Kia yawns after eating. You lift her up her chair and Kiyoomi offers to do the dishes. You ignore him and go to your room to put Kia to bed. She sleeps immediately, probably tired from the never-ending activities from today.

But you can’t. You can’t sleep because of that one certain activity with Sakusa in the car. You can still feel the weight of his hand on your back and it’s driving you crazy. And as if the world is playing with you, you receive a message from him.

You fall right into his trap.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Facts:

Legends say that Atsumu still feels his tongue burning from the pepper

Kia has asked a very important question to Atsumu and Osamu

The jam Bokuto and Hinata made has been shipped to Tokyo

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Taglist:  @elianetsantana aoi-turtle ptv-hades  aquzairus a-applepi  justoneofthefangirlsarianna-r13 morenabambinii chaelysian loser-keiji mxngy ne-kuroon1fangirlsblog d-efend missalicebaskervillemarvelousbakugou @agaashesmilktea bonkyandloki kimi09 ntimacy @mkazuyuh  ushi-please minty-mangos-world @dearest-kiyoomi mi​ kellesvt amarillyis

[i-am-totally-a-human-being]

With 4th of July finally coming to an end.... it’s time! Time for the story we’ve been planning! That being said:

Danganronpa V4: A New Ending

(Title pending?)

Pairing: Hajime x female reader

Summary: a whole new killing game, with a different group of participants, and a whole new character

The first chapter will come out soon, and when it does, you’ll find the link here!

Here is all our people starring in this story!

Y/N L/N, The Ultimate Forensic Scientist

A spunky young girl with a spunky young attitude. She tends to keep to herself, but isn’t necessarily shy. From her school file, it’s highly assumed that she somehow stumbled across a crime scene as a child, how she actually got there is unknown. Although no older than 13, she was easily able to point out evidence that the forensic specialists already in scene missed before she was quickly escorted away.

Seemingly unbothered by the corpses she witnessed, she then pursued her newly found interest in crime scenes and how to process them, along with collecting evidence.

Her quick learning caught the attention of many, including Hope’s Peak. They offered to pay for her entire schooling if she attended, and she agreed. As Y/N got dressed and ready for her first day at Hope’s Peak, she could have never guessed she would be forced to fight for her life along with 15 others, and put her talent to use.

Hajime Hinata, The Ultimate???

A hotheaded teen who seems to have amnesia, being unable to remember his talent. His uptight nature puts off some of the others, but a few seem interested in him, some even offering to help him discover his talent.

Although he’d never say it, he feels self conscious due to not knowing what his job is supposed to be.

Admires most, if not all, talents, especially the ones that directly make society run better.

Not much can be said about him, he’s still trying to figure out who he is.

He remembers getting ready for the start of the school year, walking out of his home, and then everything going black. Then he woke up on this island, and now has to keep himself and those he cares for alive.

Kokichi Ouma, The Ultimate Supreme Leader

A spry young boy who refuses to really speak of his past. It’s unclear what in his school file is even the truth. He claims to be the supreme leader of an evil organization called DICE, an organization with elegidly 10,000+ members. Hence his talent title. Almost everything that comes out of his mouth he claims to be a lie, so it’s hard to tell what he is actually like.

While he doesn’t ever go into detail of his organization, it seems to be one of the only things he actually cares about and wants to get back to.

He seems hardly bothered by the idea of a killing game, even saying, hopefully joking, that he’d make the first kill. Most are unnerved by his presence and stay away.

Mukuro Ikusaba, The Ultimate Soldier

A quiet, stern girl who does not speak unless absolutely necessary. The older fraternal twin sister of Junko Enoshima, a fashionista famous in Japanese magazine’s. Mukuro seems completely indifferent to anything unless it’s about her sister, to which she grows immediately passionate, almost like a different person. Doesn’t speak about why she and her sister have different last names, claiming it shouldn’t matter.

While not thrilled at the thought of a killing game, she shows extreme faith that her sister will find and rescue her. Most people avoid her, she is the ultimate soldier, after all. Out of everyone, she’d be able to kill the most efficiently.

Doesn’t mind that people avoid her, she likes the quiet anyway.

Makoto Naegi, The Ultimate Lucky Student

A simple, average teenager who lives a simple and average life. He was randomly selected to go to Hope's peak, so he doesn’t really possess any actual talent.

Although talentless, he does seem to possess a decent level of smarts and gets along with everyone easily. No one really fears him, he’s too small and sweet to be capable of murder.

While he doesn’t pose a threat to others, he poses a threat to the mastermind, or anyone who lays their hands on his sister.

Komaru Naegi, a normal student

Komaru possesses no actual talent, much like her brother. However, she is different in the sense that she wasn’t even accepted into Hope’s Peak since she wasn’t quite of age to even be considered as a possibility.

She remembers being taken hostage after she and her parents sent off her older brother, only to awaken on an island, her brother right beside her.

She wants to trust everyone, and takes relief in having her brother by her side.

Shuichi Saihara, The Ultimate Detective

A shy boy who hides his eyes behind a black cap. He seems rather insecure, despite having the talent that poses as the most useful in the current situation. He is quiet and doesn’t like interacting with others, but seems to get more comfortable as time goes on.

He doesn’t like the idea of the killing game, obviously, but he’s mostly worried that some of his classmates will take it seriously.

K1-B0, The Ultimate Robot

Created by a man called Professor Idabashi, a prominent figure in robotics engineering. He created K1-B0(has told others they can call him Keebo) as a culmination of his work.

Keebo doesn’t quite understand human emotions perfectly, but he has a decent idea which is impressive in of itself.

Much like Mukuro, he has faith that he will be saved by a family member. Seeing as he refers to Professor Idabashi as his father. He says he has a tracker, and that when the professor realizes he is missing, a search team will be sent.

Toko Fukawa, The Ultimate Writing Prodigy

An extremely shy and timid girl who does speak to many people. Those she does speak to tend to be weirded out by her... odd and even perverted nature.

She had written multiple books and does seem to be extremely smart, her only issue being her timid nature.

Accused most (if not all) the boys in her class of being perverts.

Angie Yonaga, The Ultimate Artist

Angie loves art in any form, obviously because of her ultimate.

However, she also stands out due to her belief that she is the Devine interpreter for the god Atua, a god she says her people worship.

Angie believes Atua will have his way, and that the killing game is part of something bigger.

Rantaro Amami, The Ultimate Adventurer

A chill, laid back boy who believes in keeping the peace. His calm and collected personality is soothing, leading most, if not all, of the other students to trust him and listen to what he suggests.

Some seem off put by how calm he acts, but most understand that he’s just really good at staying calm and knows that panicking won’t always help.

Often tells tales of his travels to distract those who are afraid.

Nagito Komaeda, The Ultimate Lucky Student

Yet another lucky student, chosen to attend Hope’s Peak at random like Makoto. However, he seems to also have an.... interesting relationship with luck.

His luck has caused death and destruction around him, but he still manages to stay calm and even cheerful in the face of a literal killing game.

Nagito believes hope will prevail no matter what, so he chooses to pretty much just “go with the flow.”

Byakuya Togami, The Ultimate Affluent Progeny

A stuck up and condescending teen who makes it very clear that he does not approve of being trapped on an island like this. This isn’t a funny prank or initiation.

He is rather rich and will inherit the Togami company, after competing against 14 other siblings to “take the crown” and earn the inheritance. He was the youngest of the sibling, or candidates, and is the first youngest to ever come out on top.

Gonta Gokuhara, The Ultimate Entomologist

A.... sweet young man who loves anything and everything bugs. He isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but he has a good heart.

(Jsvshsv I don’t know what to write for Gonta I’ll finish his later)

Mikan Tsumiki, The Ultimate Nurse

A clumsy and frightened girl who somehow manages to find herself in compromising positions constantly. On accident.

With her and Y/N present, people are at ease, seeing they have practically a full medical team in case something were to happen.

While she often does more worse than good due to her clumsy nature, she has a good heart, and people know that.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru, The Ultimate Moral Compass

A stern and strict boy who believes in respect and following rules contstantly. He is probably one of the only students who respects the killing games headmaster, Monokuma.

While not thrilled about the idea of a murder game, he sticks to the idea that it is a prank from upperclassmen.

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

And that’s our introductions! Sorry some were shorter than others!

Stay tuned!

-🐝

[hinabae]

maybe just. sits in here.

his presence doesn’t go unnoticed. in truth, it’s one that hinata hasn’t felt for quite some time. unfortunately for her, she can’t help but contemplate how to perceive this moment, as sudden as it is to feel him beside her. she tries not to take note of adam immediately. not purposefully to the point of ignoring, but rather fights herself to not turn around until she knows what to say. what to feel. however, to not face him ( to see him. ) brings her to tumble back &forth.

apprehensively toying with the ends of her hair, she knows he’s watching— waiting mostly for her to say something. to walk away or to turn around. 

is the silence too deafening? the prominent twisting in her stomach says so. her questions demand answers—is he willing to answer them? taking in a deep, silent breath, hinata comes to slowly peek over her shoulder, eye contact is immediately, frighteningly made. 

( oh. ) 

“ ah—  ” without meaning to, a nervous laugh slips past her lips. it feels inappropriate, but given the situation, the ice has to break. “ s-sorry, ” quick to apologize, an attempt to compose her flustered state is not far behind. can he sense her awkwardness? can he see the hints of ache settle in between hinata’s brows, tension holding in the crook of her smile? 

hinata then tilts her head, still offering warmth in her eyes. “ hello, stranger. ” a gentle, but well-meaning tease, she briefly averts adam’s gaze, scanning him carefully. how does he appear so familiar ( &yet so ghost like. ) as if time hasn’t shifted. but it has.  &it bothers her a little.  “ .. you look well. ” / @antiprotag

[darth-salem-emperor-of-earth]

Not to my surprise, I’m on the late side with my first entry for @naruto-fantasy-week​ but better late than never, as they say (let’s see if I can actually produce my six other planned fanfics for this event. XD). But I was dying to write a soulmate/soul bond AU and this prompt offered the chance to me on a silver platter. I had a lot of fun with this story and had to find a decent place to stop because my brain kept churning with ideas to make this oneshot even longer to the point I should save this concept for later and either explain on it with a sequel or a multi fic. I did a little editing but it was mainly looking out for typos, misspellings, or missing words. Hopefully, I got them all or most of the mistakes. Happy reading! <3

If anyone is curious, the title for this fanfic “Our Two Souls Destined to Be” are lyrics from the song “Until Eternity” by Blackbriar.

Summary: Soulmates, soul bonds, whatever you call them, they were deemed special. But not to Neji. It didn’t matter who he was bonded to, for the main family would never allow him to find his true soulmate. Naruto Fantasy Week, Day 1. Prompt: Soul Bonds. [Neji x Sakura]

Flashback

Thoughts

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

“He is half of my soul, as the poets say.”

― The Song of Achilles,  Madeline Miller

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

Every shinobi village treated soul bonds with care but they all had their own ways to manage how these destined people found each other. In Konoha, soul bonds were celebrated and considered a thing of beauty but the village leaders, even the Hokage himself, left the clans alone in their decision regarding the treatment of soulmates, even if it meant the clan heads would tear the soulmates apart for their own agenda. The Uchiha and Hyuga clans were particularly known for this, especially in the branch Hyuga family.

Neji was no stranger to how little of a chance the branch family would have in being allowed to meet and marry their soulmate. Unless their bond directed them to a civilian or another branch member, they were demanded to ignore such signs and tether themselves to the person of the main family’s choosing. His father had no such choice in the matter and neither would Neji. And he already knew what color eyes his soulmate would have.

Neji's father, Hyuga Hizashi, regarded him curiously when the four-year-old asked him what color the grass and leaves on the tree was. He glanced at the twisted tree decorated with bright green leaves and budding, light pink blossoms. He knew what that meant if his son couldn't see the color green and there was no Hyuga in the entire clan that possessed such an eye color. Neji was bonded to an outsider, as the main family would see it.

"How long haven't you been able to behold the color green?" Hizashi queried gently, sitting down beside him as Neji stared at the blades of grass strewn across his palms.

"Since I turned four and before oji put the Caged Bird Seal on me." Neji tilted his hands to the side, watching several bits of grass immediately fall back down to the ground while a few still stuck to his warm palms. "I don't want anyone but you know about my soul bond. I don't want Hiashi-oji finding out and deciding he needs to uncover and lock up my soulmate."

His father remained silent at this admission, not even wasting his breath to assure Neji, his uncle–Hizashi's older twin brother–would never do something so horrendous to prevent Neji from being happy with someone destined for him. Hiashi rarely permitted the branch Hyugas be with their soulmates, especially when the union threatened the main family. That was one reason why he kept Hizashi's soulmate hidden and out of sight–that and the fact she was in love with Hizashi, even though Hisana was Hiashi's intended when the bond was initially revealed. The two of them tried to elope together but were eventually caught by a squad main Hyuga jonins and then were subsequently dragged back to the main family's manor. Hiashi never forgave his brother for ‘stealing’ his bride and her love, and punished them both by making sure they never saw each other ever again. Hisana's new home became her prison, living in exile in her own estates while Hizashi had to sneak around to smuggle in her gifts and letters to keep their spirits and hope alive.

As if remembering the painful memory, Neji's father gazed forlornly back at the tall, imposing stone walls that barred Hisana from her true freedom. His jaw locked in a tight grimace. "Not this time, Neji."

Neji jerked his head up in surprise. "Chichi?"

His father looked back at him, a grim yet resolute gleam in his light eyes. "You will find your soulmate, Neji. You deserve happiness with your soul bond and I'll fight with every fiber in my being to grant you that opportunity, even if it kills me."

Not too long after that private conversation between, his father was gone. Murdered by the main family, even though the official claim was he died at the hands of an assassin trying to kill Hiashi and abduct Hinata. Neji doubted the genuineness of that story, for that tale was a mere cover-up to shield their sordid crimes from the village. They didn't even announce which enemy village attempted to kidnap their precious clan heir, claiming they didn't want to start a political quagmire.

The main family were always crafty, elegant liars.

Neji's pale lavender eyes blankly stared at the trees of the village, their leaves vibrant to everyone else but him. To him, they were a lightly toned grey hue. And if his uncle had anything to say about it, the color green would remain elusive to him forever.

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

When Sakura received her soul bond mark, she didn’t tell her parents.

The symbol was a family crest, no doubt, one she was not familiar with but it burned itself along her neck, right above her collarbone. She stuffed her mouth with a pillow to muffle her screaming, utterly relieved that her parents were outside, enjoying the warm weather, and couldn’t hear her agonized noises. Then the scalding throbbing stopped and she frantically looked in the mirror to see an upside triangle with a curve up top, encompassing a small, thick swirling cloud. Transfixed, Sakura hesitantly reached out to trace the emblem, the marking smooth like ink instead of an iron hot brand. She had never seen this sigil before but then again, she came from a civilian upbringing and was unaware of the many important shinobi clans Konoha boasted to have among their ranks. She needed to learn more about the other important, non-civilian families in her village, especially since she already joined the Academy to become a kunoichi.

Checking out a record scroll listing all the known shinobi clans, both existing and defunct, was an easy task at the local library. Sakura spent her afternoon reading every name and analyzing their emblems to see if they matched the sketched replica she made earlier of her soul bond mark. The clan names were listed alphabetically and she was rather shocked to see how many ninja houses, both great and lesser, there were in the world. By the time she reached the ‘F’ section, her stomach grumbled and she had to take a break for lunch, the scroll tucked securely underneath her armpit.

About an hour and a half later, Sakura stared in shock at the perfectly inked Hyuga family crest in the scroll’s documentation, the elaborate sigil identical to the soul bond mark on her neck. Instinctively, she reached out to touch the spot, wondering what this could mean for her. There were stories and known instances of people from differing clans, both ninja and civilian, being tethered together through the soul but this was the Hyuga clan, one of Konoha’s greatest and prominent shinobi family since the founding years. How could her, a budding kunoichi-in-training (and a civilian as well), be bonded to a Hyuga?

Setting the scroll aside, Sakura finished the remnants of her lunch in a melancholic mood, frantically debating if she should finally tell her parents about her finally being bonded to another soul or remain mum on the matter. Memories of her parents’ reluctance, almost near protest, to her decision to become a shinobi of the Leaf, crept back in her mind and she cringed. If her parents still hadn’t warmed up to the idea of her being kunoichi one day and kept waiting for her to quit, then how would they come to terms that her soul mate came from one of the most prodigious clans known to shinobi?

No, she was better off not telling them the truth about her soul bond. The less her parents knew, the better.

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

Due to the shifting, tense conflicts with the other villages, the Hokage decided to pass a mandate that allowed certain classes of genin to graduate a year early. Neji and his fellow classmates were already on their way to gradate but the genin who were all year younger had the chance to pass the Academy and be allotted their own genin team and teacher.

Neji barely cared who they assigned as his teammates when he graduated.

All it mattered he was in the top of his class, his success and herald as a prodigy flying straight in the face of his uncle and the claim that branch members could never rise higher than the main family. He wished he was there to witness the look on Hiashi’s visage when he realized his nephew showed far more promise as a ninja than his precious heir.

Pale lavender eyes surveyed his classmates, observing their reactions rather than their eyes. He once searched for the color in their eyes, hoping to find that missing hue. There was one classmate who supposedly possessed such an eye color but nothing happened between them and the hue remained elusive to him. Of course finding his soul bond wouldn’t be so easy.

“Hello, Neji-san!” greeted one of his teammates, Lee, in a far too cheery tone. “I look forward to working with you on the many missions to come!” Neji’s other teammate, Tenten, sighed, shaking her head.

“Lee, don’t bother Neji-san.”

The said man blinked. “I wasn’t! I was simply introducing myself to him! We’re teammates, after all, so shouldn’t we get to know one another?”

I could care less.

Without saying anything, Neji stood from his desk and removed himself from the room, leaving behind a bewildered Lee and Tenten exclaiming, ‘See? I told you so!’

He didn’t know why the sight of Lee or his over-enthusism grated him so. Maybe he didn’t like overly friendly or cheerful people or maybe it was because it was well known his two teammates already found their soulmates and their bonds lead to each other. Regardless, he had to get out of this damned academy.

“Forehead Girl, I can’t believe you ended up on the same team as Sasuke-kun! I don’t know why you aren’t as excited as me about this!”

“Ino, please! Keep your voice down! I don’t think the entire village learned about who my new teammate is.” scolded a second voice. Soon enough, two girls rounded around the corner, one blonde, the other sporting brilliant pink hair. The second voice belonged to the pinkette.

Neji stopped, his eyebrows furrowing. He had heard about some other shinobi-in-trainees from other classes (like Uchiha Sasuke and other clan members) before but nothing as odd as a kunoichi with pink hair. She must be decent enough to be paired with Sasuke in their three man squad.

The blonde–Ino–shook her head, throwing her arms up in exasperation. “Well, Sakura, if you’re not going to take advantage of being teammates with Sasuke and cozying up to him, then maybe I should come around and visit you guys while you train.”

Sakura snickered. “Sure, but I can’t guarantee he’ll notice you, Ino Pig.” She looked away from her friend and in that instant, her gaze crossed with Neji’s.

And the color green, so brilliant and lustrous, exploded in his vision.

He gasped unwontedly, reeling from the shock of such a vivid arrival, and couldn’t take his eyes off the girl who the universe bonded himself too. She was staring at him too, one hand clutching her neck and shoulder. Their eye contact never broke, even if her face was locked in pain, like she was burning upside. Their bodies remained frozen, partially out of fear that this was all just a dream and the other would disappear the moment they moved. The other reason, Neji, suspected, as he adjusted to seeing green for the first time while his soulmate controlled her ragged breathing, was they didn’t know how to proceed next. Despite the common occurrences of soul bonds, there really wasn’t a textbook example in how to meet your intended soulmate. At least, one that wasn’t a mere marketing ploy to garner a quick yen or two.

Neji opened his mouth, but the girl–Sakura was her name, he recalled–beat him to it.

“It’s you,” she breathed out in wonder. She took a small step forward, those beautiful, dazzling jade eyes wide and curious. He couldn’t recall the last time someone looked at him that way–or at least, not with utter loathing or total indifference.

“I am Hyuga Neji,” he found himself replying, unsure what else to say to her. There was no need to confirm they were each other’s soulmates, the intense exchange between them upon their first encounter was enough proof.

He was still processing how he should now approach this matter when Sakura let out a victorious squeal and launched herself at him, catching him off guard long enough to trap him in a tight but warm, welcoming hug. He stiffened. Soulmate or no, she was a kunoichi and shouldn't resort to such childish behaviors—

“I found you. I finally found you.” Her face was pressed up against his chest, almost nuzzling his neck so he felt her breath tickle his skin. The sensation felt pleasing, much to his surprise. “After all these years of searching and waiting...you’re here. Just like that.” And then Sakura just had to tilt her head up and peer up at him with those beguiling eyes, their green depths pulling him in. Bonded adults who found their other soul always talked about the strength of that instant connection you experienced when you first meet your soulmate yet Neji never esteemed the soul bond would be this powerful, this intoxicating. Maybe that was why Sakura felt compelled to run up and embrace him full-heartedly.

Into those green irises he gazed on, finding his voice at last when she released him from the enfoldment. “Here I am. We are soulmates, Sakura.” He tested the words out. New as they were on his tongue they still seemed right. “And as my soulmate, I will protect you.”

His father once stormed and braved all the shinobi of the main family to set his soulmate, his beloved Hisana, free from her gilded cage and allow her to seize her own life by the reins. Even though their love story turned into a tragedy, Neji wanted to honor them and at least take the chance at life with his soulmate. It was what his father would have wanted.

Sakura blushed, no doubt thinking he was referring to enemy villages but in truth, his uncle was the main foe on his mind. Neji would have said more if it wasn’t for Sakura’s friend, the one nicknamed ‘Ino Pig’, had to barge and interrupt their precious moment quite boisterously to remind them of her presence.

“SAKURA, WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME YOUR SOULMATE WAS A HYUGA?!”  

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

The minute people started poking their heads outside of classrooms or followed the sound of her friend’s voice, Sakura seized the opportunity to grab Neji by the hand and get them both out of the Academy and to one of the training grounds for more privacy. She felt bad for not giving him any warning as she tugged him along, her feet picking up a quick sprint to avoid their classmates’ prying eyes and nosy attention. For the first day with her soulmate, Sakura didn’t want anyone else butting in and spoiling their moment. Judging how willingly Neji allowed her to drag him away from the building without warning, he harbored similar sentiments. He didn’t complain once about her sudden actions and kept up with her pace with ease. Sakura had a sneaky suspicion Neji was faster than she was and like most Hyugas, excelled in taijutsu.

Maybe we could train together some time and he could teach me how to improve my taijutsu? Iruka-sensei keeps saying I’m doing fine but never tells me exactly which areas I can improve in.

“Finally, some peace and quiet, and more importantly, privacy!” she declared out loud, even though she glanced around them one more time to make sure Ino didn’t try to follow them. Then again, she probably was telling anyone who’d listened about the soulmate meeting she just witnessed between her best friend and Hyuga Neji. And knowing Ino, she’d probably over embellish certain parts for dramatic or romantic value. Sakura’s cheeks flushed at the mere thought of how...descriptive her childhood companion could be.

“For how long? Sooner or later, our teammates are going to catch wind of our disappearance and scour the Academy in search of us.” Neji pointed out, crossing his arms, his back against a tree trunk.

Sakura resisted the urge to chew her bottom lip, knowing while Sasuke wouldn’t care where she had gone but Naruto would heatedly clamor for her whereabouts and butt into her and Neji’s personal conversation, demanding to know what was going on. While Naruto wasn’t nosy like Ino, he definitely lacked tact and perception, especially in the more delicate or sensitive matters.

“Maybe ten minutes or so, if we’re lucky,” she estimated, silently praying to Kami that her teammates were far away and wouldn’t come along to muck up her very first meeting with her soulmate. “Not a lot of time to talk but we can still try to get to know each other a little bit before we have to go back to our teams.”

Neji nodded. That seemed reasonable enough. “What do you want to know? My skills as a shinobi?”

Heat flared up on Sakura’s cheeks and she wished that practical matter was her first thought. “Well, that too. I was thinking about asking questions more on the line on what we like or dislike, favorite foods, what’s your favorite color--you know, fun little facts to learn about each other.”

Neji couldn’t remember someone asking him such mundane queries or expressing an interest in him outside of the Academy or shinobi lifestyle. He wasn’t sure if he should find the whole point such discussions pointless or refreshing. Albeit he had to admit, he was curious to learn more about Sakura. Despite his grim resignation of the main family preventing him from ever discovering the end of his soul bond, he had often wondered late in the night before going to sleep what his soulmate would be like. Would they be a shinobi like him or a civilian? Were they from a clan or have no distinct, esteemed connections of their own? And would his soulmate even be a denizen of Konoha? At least now he will finally have some answers to the questions his younger self frequently contemplated about.

“Why do you go first, Sakura?” he offered politely. She seemed to know what questions she wanted to ask him anyway.

She nearly bounced in her feet. “Okay! Let’s start with your favorite food and color. Oh, and your least favorite food!”

That was straightforward enough. “Herring soba. I hate the flavor of pumpkin and any spicy foods. As for my favorite color…” He paused, realizing he never truly thought about it until now. Sakura’s brilliant verdant eyes snare his focus again, subtly offering him an option. Her eyes were a pretty shade after all. Perhaps fate had an answer for him after all. “Let’s go with green. Now that I can see it, I don’t think I can get enough of it.”

Sakura’s jaw dropped open. “You couldn’t see the color green for years?!” She had heard that each soul bond was different, that soulmates weren’t necessarily marked the same way but to never behold the color belonging to your soulmate’s eyes until you two finally met (if the union ever betided) seemed like such a huge sacrifice to endure and wait for its end.

Neji shrugged with indifference, knowing Sakura meant well but until today, he was used to not gleaning the color green and all its various shades. Now, he couldn’t unsee the hue and that was perfectly fine with him. “It doesn’t matter now. I fathomed if I had the chance to meet my soulmate, they’d be worth the wait.” His lavender pearl eyes leveled with her jade ones. “And I was right.”

Sakura sucked her breath in, trying her utmost best to remain calm and collected while inside, she was squealing with glee. While she had always been excited at the prospect of one day finding the match to her soul bond, deep down she was nervous, frightened even, that she would be rejected because she  wasn’t good enough, that she didn’t come from a noble or prestigious ninja clan or carried a formidable bloodline in her veins. She was a simple civilian girl who aspired to be a strong kuniochi one day, regardless of all the taunts and abuse the younger girls heaped on her in the early days of the Academy. And Hyuga Neji, her soul bond, seemed to have no issue with her civilian-like background. It was enough to have her heart fluttering all over again.

“T-Thank you,” she managed to say without blushing as crimson as her cheongsam but was unable to stop a grin from overtaking her lips. Neji’s smirk at her reaction was hardly inscrutable now, even as she quickly changed the subject back to her earlier inquiries. “My favorite color is red, as you might have guessed, and I have several favorite foods: anko dumplings, umeboshi, and, oh, anmitsu! But I can’t stand spicy food either. I just don’t understand how people can enjoy burning their tastes buds.” Sakura made a contemptuous face, remembering the last time she tried an overly spicy and seasoned dish. She had to gulp down an entire glass of milk to stop the fire from spreading along her tongue. That was when she learned water didn’t alleviate the fiery discomfort at all. 

“I don’t understand it either,” Neji agreed, granting her a sympathetic look. He had to admit, learning such trivial pieces of information about his soulmate was rather fun. These small talks helped him understand Sakura a little bit better, especially if they seemed to be so unalike in various ways. He was about to propose a question of his own when he sensed very faint but approaching chakra signatures heading towards his and Sakura’s covert location. Instinctively, he activated his Byakugan. He did not fail to notice the way Sakura’s eyes widened with surprise or the expression of awe and wonder flashing across her features as she witnessed his kekkei genkai in action for the very first time.

“What is it? Who’s trying to locate us?” She kept her tone hushed, preventing her voice from echoing over the tall, shrouded trees they used as refuge from curious onlookers.

“Two senseis,” Neji groused, thoroughly displeased with this interruption. If the intruders were fellow classmates, they could have easily been shooed away. “Looks like we’re found out.” His gaze returned to normal.

Sakura sighed exasperatedly, dejected by these turn of events and crossed her arms irately. She had hoped her and Neji would have more time together and no one would notice their absence until much later. “We already have graduated and yet, they still want to lecture us on something we won’t remember or care about now that we’re genin and can finally go on missions.”

“Just ignored them,” Neji advised, a shadow of a smirk gracing his lips. “It’s only for today. And after that, the Academy will be a thing of the past.”

Sakura brightened at his words, standing up tall. “That’s right! And we can have more time to see each other! Do you think you’ll be free tomorrow?”

“I should be, if my new sensei doesn’t keep us training for the whole day. I’ll come find you after practice. What’s the number they assigned your team?”

“Seven. What about you?”

“Thirteen.”

“There you two are!”

In a sudden swirl of smoke, stood two Academy teachers, both eyeing their respective student from their classroom. One of them was Neji’s teacher, who merely cut him a disapproved frown while the other teacher, who was tan and supported a long scar across his nose, smiled worriedly at Sakura.

“Iruka-sensei, you shouldn’t pop in on us like that! Neji and I were having a private conversation!” Sakura protested indignantly.

Iruka almost appeared apologetic the way he shot her an empathetic glance, his smile unwavering, before addressing them both. “I’m sorry to cut this moment short, but you two need to go with your genin team and meet your new sensei. I’m sure the two of you have plenty of time later talk to each other.” He then winked knowingly, now wearing an absurdly goofy grin while ushering both a stoic Neji and an irked Sakura out of the canopy of trees and back to the Academy. Before they parted to be formally introduced to their shinobi squad, Sakura gave him an eager wave, her eyes alight with the promise of them meeting up tomorrow. Even though he only knew her company for such a brief time, he did enjoy the way she beamed at him like that, rife with hope and supreme joy, as if they were the only two people in the world and nothing else mattered. Neji was beginning to understand the inexplicable bliss of having a soul bond much better now. And he had Sakura to thank for that.  

Feeling lighthearted for the first time in years, Neji glanced hopefully at the doors to the Academy and the cherry blossoms trees that framed the grounds around the building. He wondered if Sakura liked cherry blossoms or she preferred other flora in Konoha.

Next time they talked, he’ll have to ask her what her favorite flowers were.

[oneyanderegirl]

Desire

Genre: One-shot, Hurt/Comfort, Angst Rating: T Sasuhina Month 2020 Theme Day 7 (Desire) 

A/N: I decided to skipped over Day 6. I swear I feel like every time I write, it gets longer and longer lol. Part of my one-shot series for Sasuhina Month 2020. You can read the other parts by going on my profile and clicking the fanfiction tab. They’re not written in a particular order since they are one-shots that are supposed to work as stand-alones, but there are hints here and there about when and where things take place. Anyways, hope you enjoy! Warnings: Mentions of death.  

@sasuhinamonth (in case this doesn’t show up in the tags)

It began on a whim.

Sasuke did not anticipate becoming this involved in her life.  

The woman named Hinata Hyuga was an odd mystery in his eyes.

They had known each other since childhood due to being born from the two biggest clans in Konoha. The Uchihas and Hyugas were famous for their rivalry as well as their prowess. He remembered attending several meetings with his family to socialize and discuss clan issues with the other prominent ones, including their rivals of course.

The adults had called it parties.

He called it boring.

But those days had long been over. The Uchihas had eventually died in cold blood because of the man known as Itachi Uchiha. He was one of the strongest shinobi to have ever lived in this world.

He was also Sasuke’s older brother.

Even that seemed like a far away memory now. Itachi was already dead. Sasuke had finally avenged his clan. Or that was what he had thought before he had found out the real reasoning behind his brother’s actions. The demise of the Uchiha clan was due to Konoha itself; they had been afraid of the Uchiha’s growing influence within the village and afraid of an uprising to overthrow the system in place. They had ordered Itachi to nip it before anything could take place. They had forced Itachi to kill his friends, lover, and even his own flesh and blood.  

Yet despite the horror that his brother was forced to go through, Itachi’s last wish was for Sasuke to continue to protect the very village that had essentially killed the Uchiha.

He never understood why his brother would still want to protect the village after what they had done to their clan. It had left Sasuke with more questions than answers. He could never tell what his brother was thinking. It was something that Sasuke was still trying to figure out. It was why he had decided to leave Konoha to travel in the first place.

He needed time to think.

He needed time to ponder. There were too many things to do, too many things to figure out. He couldn’t stay in the village. He had to leave. He had to in order to find the answers he needed.

So Sasuke travelled.

He travelled wherever the wind blew. Whether it was far or near, he would go. He would explore and learn about the different cultures that existed. He had developed a habit of recording what he saw and what he learned. It had almost become a ritual at this point. Sasuke didn’t mind though, rather he found it calming and fulfilling to do so. It gave him a purpose.

A hawk landed on a rock where Sasuke was currently sitting. The bird ruffled its brown feathers before dropping an envelope in front of him. He reached into his brown bag to grab a piece of dried fish and tossed it to the bird as a reward for a successful delivery. Sasuke watched the hawk squawk in joy as he eagerly devoured the food before looking at the letter he had just delivered to him.

The letter was wrapped neatly in a lavender colored envelope with his name written nicely in the front. There was also a blue paper charm that contained pressed petals from a sunflower taped next on top of the envelope. Sasuke was quite perplexed by the gift as he was not expecting anything from her.  

“ Sora, she’s quite persistent isn’t she?” He asked the hawk.

Of course, the hawk was much too busy enjoying his snack to respond.  

Hinata Hyuga.

She was the heiress to the Hyuga clan, famous for her highly developed Byakugan. Although they had attended the same academy and became shinobi around the same time, the two of them were mostly strangers towards one another. His most prominent memory of her was her famously large crush on his best friend during their genin days. Other than that, Sasuke could not really recall much about the woman other than her heritage.  

Yet for some reason, ever since the War had ended, she had constantly and desperately tried to seek him out.

He remembered that night when he had decided to visit Naruto to catch up about life and his travels, he had spotted her quietly watching them. At first, Sasuke had thought that it was his best friend who she had wanted to see, but then he noticed that she had kept staring at him instead. When he had finally finished talking with Naruto and started to leave, she had tried to follow him.

“ I...know this is a selfish request of mine, but...i-if it’s okay with you...I would like to see you again,” She asked between each breath.

Hinata slowly looked at the man towering before her. His cool expression gave away no emotion. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking. She wondered if it was a mistake to ask him.

“ What good will that do? We aren’t friends, Hyuga. I have no interest in doing so either. I have my own things that I have to do. If you want to grieve then do so at your own expense. Don’t come to me to do it,”

“ Please...Please, Sasuke-kun,” She whispered.

She begged him.

She begged as tears started falling from her tired eyes.

But Sasuke was already gone.

He quickly buried away the letter and the paper charm into his bag before starting to eat.

Sasuke was not stupid. He knew why she had seeked him out. It was like that when he had been hospitalized as well. She had seeked him over there too.  

“ If you’re going to come in, then just do it already, it’s already late.”  

Sasuke had felt a presence in front of his door. Surprised at who the person was behind the door, he made it known that he could tell she was there. He watched as Hinata slowly came into the room. He could make out the scrapes and bruises that had formed on her body from the War. What stood out the most though were her silvery eyes.  

They held no light within them.

“ I never expected you, of all people, would come and visit.” He said.

His words held no malice nor its usual coldness. Sasuke felt tired after all. The War had just ended only a few days prior, yet his mind was still not at peace. He watched the woman sit on the floor and bury herself into her hands and knees. Perhaps she too was tired.

Tired of war.

Tired of death.

Tired of the corrupt world that existed.  

Tired of living.

It didn’t matter though because in his eyes, Sasuke felt exhausted. He questioned the wish that his brother had left behind. Itachi had suffered due to Konoha, yet it was his dying wish for Sasuke to continue to protect it. Why? He couldn’t understand.

“D-do you think I’m being s-silly right now?” She suddenly asked.

Sasuke didn’t know what to say, so he decided to stare out the window to look at the moon. The moon was shining brightly in the sky, brighter than any of the stars. Yet despite the beauty it held, he could only think of how dull and lifeless the moon looked as it stood alone by itself in the vast darkness.

“ A-ah...Sorry. I know I sound a little strange right now. I apologize for disturbing you. I just had a lot on my mind lately. I’m sure you’ve heard that my...cousin had died.” Hinata tried to explain.

“ I know. I heard.”  

Neji Hyuga.

A Branch member of the Hyuga clan. He was regarded as a prodigy, much like himself, during their academy days. Although he never did get to properly fight him, Sasuke respected the man. Even though he was of a lower class, Neji had worked hard to make himself strong. He was probably the strongest Hyuga of their generation. When Sasuke learned of his death, he felt that it was a shame the Hyuga never received the proper chance to prove himself. “ How do you deal with the pain of losing a loved one?” She finally asked.

Sasuke kept staring out the window for what felt like an eternity before turning to face her. Neji had died protecting the woman he considered a sister in a way similar to how Itachi had tried to protect Sasuke. Though the methods they had taken in doing so were different, ultimately, they both had ended up dying in order to protect their most precious person. Though he could not understand why either of them had decided to make such a sacrifice, Sasuke knew one thing.

“ We move forward. We have to live. We have to strive to protect them. If we can’t protect their physical bodies, then the least we can do is protect their ideals. It doesn’t matter how much you cry or suffer, you have to live anyways. If you don’t, then it just means their deaths were in vain. Don’t waste the life they gave you.”

The words that he had spoken were more for himself than it was for her, but Hinata still looked surprised at his words.  They weren’t words of sympathy or pity. There were no apologies nor were there empty condolences within the words he had spoken. They were truly his own thoughts.

Words that he held in his heart because Sasuke knew that no one else would ever understand him. They would never understand the pain that he had to go through, the pain that he was still going through. The pain of not just losing a loved one, but of losing someone that had loved you more than anyone else in the world. More than their friends, more than their lovers, they had sacrificed their own lives due to the love that the two had held for them. That was how important Sasuke and Hinata were to their older brothers.

Perhaps that was why she had started crying when he had said those words to her.

She had cried and cried until there were no tears left. When the last of her tears were wiped, she had started to leave. She bowed to him before turning towards the door.

Sasuke didn’t know why she had decided to come to him for advice, but he knew that she was going through the same emotions that he had gone through. The grief that Hinata was experiencing was something that he was all too familiar with. For the first time, he felt something other than grief and rage bubble up inside of him. Perhaps the War had worn his heart out, but watching her cry had, in some ways, reminded Sasuke of himself.  

It had reminded him of the loneliness he had felt as he watched his clan members die.

It had reminded him of the helplessness he had felt as he watched his parents be murdered in cold blood. It had reminded him of the pain he had felt as he watched his brother, the last remaining family member, perish into the heavens.

An experience that no one should have to endure alone.  

“ Hyuga,” He finally called out, surprising both Hinata and himself.

The moment her pale grey eyes met his dark ones, Sasuke felt a sense of mutual understanding between them. An unspoken connection that had formed from their shared pain. Sasuke didn’t know why, but he felt the desire to comfort her in that moment. It was irrational of him to do so, it just wasn’t in his nature, yet that was the only conclusion he could come to as he tried to make sense of this unfamiliar feeling forming in his heart.

“ You’re not silly for feeling what you feel. Remember that.”

The only response she gave was a small smile before leaving his room.

Yet it was a smile he would never forget.

It had all begun at that point.  

The night after he had rejected Hinata’s desire to see him again, Sasuke kept thinking back to the hospital. He kept thinking back to the moment they had shared together. Her smile, her tears, her expressions, they kept preoccupying his mind. The emotions he had felt watching her as she reminded Sasuke of himself in his own grief was a strange experience. The desire to comfort her was odd. So out of this desire that he couldn’t get rid of, Sasuke had decided to allow her to write letters to him.

To his surprise, Hinata had graciously accepted.

She would write about once a week to him. Sometimes the envelopes felt very bulky. Other times, it would feel like there was no paper at all. Although Sasuke never wrote back, she still continued to write to him.

He never bothered to read them. When his hawk would fly by to drop the letters, Sasuke would just bury it in his backpack and forget about them. He was much too occupied with his own things to worry about hers. Still, she never stopped writing to him. It soon became a routine for them, she would write to him, he would shove it in his bag and continue on the day. He didn’t mind, she didn’t seem to mind either. So Sasuke left it at that.

But you could only travel alone for so long before the sensation of loneliness sinks in.

-----

One day, after almost a year of travelling alone, almost six months since Hinata had started writing to him, Sasuke suddenly felt a wave of loneliness hit him. It was a starless night with the moon hidden away, Sora had already flown into the forest to rest for the night while Sasuke laid in his sleeping bag trying to sleep. He was only halfway through slumber when he had woken up from a nightmare.

Nightmares were common for the Uchiha. He first started having them after watching his parents die. It was something that Sasuke had learned to get used to over the years.

But it was especially bad tonight.

Knowing he couldn’t sleep any more, Sasuke stared at the vast sky. The forest was eerily silent tonight. Not a sound could be heard. Even the wind itself was still. The darkness felt like a black void waiting to ensnare him. All he could see was a vast abyss of nothingness.

There were no stars.

The moon had disappeared.

There was no light.

It was then that the thought finally hit him.

Sasuke was truly alone.

When was the last time he had talked to Naruto? When was the last time he had a decent conversation with his friend? When was the last time he had seen him in person?

When was the last time Sasuke interacted with someone?

He felt the palms of his hands become sticky with sweat. His heart rate had jumped up significantly from his own panicked thoughts. His throat felt dry. His breathing became shallow as if there was no air left to breathe. He felt his body tremble with fear as if there was a monster hidden somewhere in the forest.

But there was no monster.

There was no one.

He was alone.

Sasuke couldn’t stand it anymore. He felt the need to leave. He had to leave. He had to do something, anything, to get this chilling feeling out of his mind. Grabbing his bag, he quickly opened it to get a drink of water to quench his thirst.

However, when he looked inside, he stopped.

Letters.

He had forgotten about the letters.

All his previous thoughts had vanished when he saw the piles of letters inside his bag. All of his attention had shifted to the letters Hinata had written to him. He had never bothered to read a single one. He was not interested.

But now, perhaps due to the discomfort and panic that he was feeling, Sasuke slowly reached into his bag for one. He chose one of the lavender envelopes with his name neatly on it. His fingers gently brushed against the surface, feeling each delicate stroke she had written so elegantly to ensure that he knew it was addressed for him.

Then he slowly opened it, careful not to rip off a part of the letter.

And he began reading.

He never realized how much she had written to him.

Some of the letters were as long as five pages, others were as short as one paragraph, but within each letter, Sasuke could tell that everything Hinata had written came genuinely from her heart. She wrote to him about various things. From trivial things, such as what she had for lunch that day, to much deeper topics such as the regrets she had felt after her cousin had died, she wrote about them all.

Sasuke faithfully read through each one, making sure not a word was missed. He wasn’t sure why Hinata had written so much, but he found her words comforting in a way. It felt as if he was getting to know her little by little through each letter. Before he knew it, the panic he had experienced earlier had already dissipated along with the isolation that he had felt. The only thing left over was a sense of tranquility. A new profound peace that he hadn’t experienced in a long time.  

Perhaps the reason why he had helped her that night in the hospital and why he had decided to let her write to him wasn’t because he had wanted to comfort her. Rather, it may have been because deep within his heart, he knew that the one who had wanted to be comforted was himself.

After reading about half the letters, Sasuke finally felt exhaustion hit him. He decided he would finish reading them in the morning, so he neatly placed each one back into his bag before laying back down in his sleeping bag. The moment he laid down, he felt sleepy. A tiredness that felt relaxing rather than full of distress. And as Sasuke finally fell asleep, a new unfamiliar emotion started to grow in his heart.  

It was desire.

A desire to see Hinata again.

[viktory-arts]

A Bittersweet World- Chapter One

Read on Ao3 here

Check out more of my works here

Ghouls were slowly and painfully integrating with the rest of human society. No one thought it was actually going to come into fruition. There had been many official meetings (never, of course, with ghouls because what if they hurt someone?) in governmental settings about the topic. Usually the talks boiled down to “they look and act human, is that enough for them to be treated as humans?” to which the officials would then share personal accounts of their interactions with ghouls; from the pleasant to the life-altering horrific ones.

The CCG (Commission of Counter Ghoul) was obviously against all of the talks of allowing ghouls to integrate.

“What about our jobs? More than two-thirds of the workers will have to be cut!” 

“They’re man-eating monsters that can only sustain themselves on human meat!” 

“All ghouls are much stronger than us, and if we allow them societal power, where will ours go?” Were a few of the many, many arguments the CCG had against ghoul integration. Ghoul sympathizers, as they were called, argued as best they could. Telling the government officials that they looked and acted human, and therefore they were humans, that there were scientists out there looking for a substitute for human meat for the ghouls to eat. 

Germany had the first breakthrough regarding the diets for ghouls. They found that adding artificially made RC cells to cow meat was a nearly perfect substitute for human meat for ghouls. It tasted horrendous, most ghouls claimed, but they could digest it and it gave them nearly as much nutrients as the proper source. Soon, the United States, Canada, and England pushed for more research to be done about the meat substitute. Japan was reluctant about the whole ordeal, as they had the worst number of ghoul-related incidents from the Asia continent, even beating out places with a surplus amount of population like India and China, but eventually conceded and put forth money toward the experiment. South America and Africa were soon to follow suit, having their best and brightest on the project.

After about two years of testing, the meat substitute was given the all-clear and was on the market that the government controlled. They didn’t want to put the meat in stores as it could lead to human-ghoul violence. The CCG was slowly rebranding themselves as an institute. They were actually the ones to deliver the meat packages. They did this so that “untrained civilians” wouldn’t have to be put in the danger of going into a ghoul’s home. Very few ghouls actually did this, however. It meant that they had to give up their guise of being human and give their names and faces to the government. 

Then came the official greenlight for the Ghoul Integration Movement in the United States. Rallies and riots started to happen all around the world after this, demanding that now that ghouls were given an alternative from their original diets, that they should be seen as people in the eyes of the law. That they looked human because they were human. 

Then the Manchester March happened. In the early hours of the morning, starting from five in the morning till the same time the next day, ghouls marched silently all around Manchester. Many held signs and as far as the local police could tell, they brought no weapons. The march contained ten-thousand ghouls and three-thousand humans, all marching in solidarity with no violence. The orchestrator of the march was stopped by human news-casting stations and he said the same thing over and over.

“We die the same as you.”

That phrase became something of a mantra for the ghoul movement. It was written on signs and the sides of buildings and was often said at the end of interviews with ghouls. It was the final spark needed for ghoul society to unite to obtain human rights for themselves and not have to hide what they were anymore. 

With the unrest happening all around the world, surprisingly, Japan was the first country to allow ghouls rights. They extended some of the human’s lawful rights to them. They made it so that ghouls could not be hunted without reason-- although the human-ghoul violence was still very prominent in the beginning. 

But in contrast to all the good that Japan did for their ghoul population, they also made it nigh impossible for them to get jobs or go to school normally. If someone thought that you were a ghoul in hiding, you had to go in for testing to see if you actually were a ghoul. Ghouls who were in hiding were punished. Eventually, the Japanese government made ghouls wear a pin on all of their clothes; a singular sewn kakugan eye that made sure the humans around them knew that they were interacting with a ghoul for safety precautions. The ghouls were outraged and fought back, but were put in their place when police officers and CCG members started to enforce the Ghoul Recognition Act. Any ghoul found not wearing the badge would be seen as a threat and it would be determined by the courts if the ghoul was committing an act worthy of severe punishment.

Japan’s system soon became the norm for most countries. Ghoul sympathizers were quick to point out how the Ghoul Recognition Act was not dissimilar at all to how Nazi Germany ostrasized Jewish people. These claims fell on deaf ears and were shut down.

“It would be different if they were human.”

Many ghouls were more scared of the authorities finding out that they were ghouls and being caught rather than trying to blend in with human society and live life as normally and as unproblematically as possible. 

Ghouls were allowed to play sports, attend normal schools, get married (to other ghouls), and were allowed to get jobs (so long as the employers were willing and consenting to it, of course), which were laws allowed by the world powers as a peace offering for the Ghoul Recognition Act. Most peaceful ghouls settled with this, hoping that things would change with time and that someone stronger than them would fight against the oppression the government was causing for ghouls. Many were content with not being actively hunted by the CCG. 

Hinata Shouyou was one of those ghouls; born into a world where human-ghoul relations were shaky and unstable at best and downright violent at worst. Humans feared ghouls, so Shouyou pretended to be human to negate this. His mother always told him to hide his nature or he would be killed for not coming out sooner to the government.

And so he did.

***

Shouyou often found himself wishing he was just a human. Sure, his ghoulish nature made it so he had naturally better athletic abilities when it came to volleyball, such as speed and stamina (sadly not much in strength, something Shouyou totally wasn’t bitter about). But the pros of being human often weighed out the cons. He had an ongoing list in his head about the whole ordeal. He’d had his whole life to compile the list so it was extensive, but it could usually be narrowed down to three main points:

1.) He couldn’t eat human food.

Kind of a small and insignificant reason but Shouyou has had time to realize that he didn’t much care how petty the reason was. He always imagined what it’d be like to eat birthday cake or ice-cream without it tasting like boiled garbage and fish oil. His friends at his birthday parties were always so excited for cake and Shouyou was always so excited for them to leave so that they could give away the rest of the cake. It smelled good and the frosting always felt sticky but pleasant on his fingers, but he couldn’t enjoy it. He had to choke it down every year at his or his friend’s birthday parties-- otherwise he might be caught being suspicious. As Shouyou said, his friends were always ecstatic to eat cake, and a young energetic boy like Shouyou should be as well.

2.) His friends were never around for long.

Shouyou had to move a lot as a kid. His mother worked very hard as a nurse (how she kept her nature a secret was beyond Shouyou, but he was kind of an idiot like Kageyama likes to remind him, so maybe it wasn’t as hard as he thought it was). She worked so hard so that she could have the funds to move from place to place, never to settle otherwise the neighborhood could catch onto their secret. It made it hard for both Shouyou and his little sister Natsu to make and keep friends. Even with Shouyou’s cell phone that he got in his third year of middle school, it was still difficult to remain friendly with the people so far away. Izumi and Kouji were his closest friends in middle school, but now they barely interacted besides a few and far off texts trying to catch up with one another. 

3.) He could die at any moment.

If someone finds him suspicious of being a ghoul, it was certain death for him and his family. It had been eight years since the Ghoul Integration Act. Natsu had just been born after the start of it. Shouyou didn’t understand a lot, but he knew how important it was to stay hidden. To not have the kakugan eye pin on his chest as an alarm to the general public that he wasn’t human. That he was a danger to society for existing.

So, yeah. Those three points on his list (amongst numerous others) were why Shouyou wished he was human. It just would make life a thousand times easier and much more enjoyable.

‘Or an ghoul uprising could happen and all these stupid anti-ghoul laws could be lifted,’ Shouyou thought to himself as he flicked an eraser shaving off of his desk, boredom making his body feel heavy like lead. He was in English class, something that he sucked spectacularly at. But Kageyama sucked at it too, so it was okay. Yachi could help him study later, he surmised after he came to the conclusion that he wasn’t going to pay attention for the rest of the class.

He looked out the window to see a CCG-qualified police officer carrying a gun and a quinque with him. The quinque was a severed part of a dead ghoul’s kagune, which was disturbing on so many levels. Shouyou tried not to think about it too much as it made him feel sad whenever he did.

The police officer was there to protect the students from ghoul attacks. So if any of the student body or the one ghoul teacher went off the deep end, he could save the humans from harm. None of the ghouls around here would ever do that as they were far too afraid of death to do something like that. The ghoul student body was always under heavy scrutiny. Any step out of line and there would be repercussions. It was bittersweet, but Shouyou was thankful that he was hiding to an extent. He never had to deal with the scathing looks the other students would give the ghouls. He never had to feel in danger for the reason that people knew what he was. Shouyou felt sorry for the ghouls that were out.

There were a couple of ghouls on his volleyball team; all of them were much quieter and scarcely touched the human members of the team, even for a high-five after a good play. Coach Ukai was thankfully not a bigot in the sense that he hated the ghoul members of his team, but he certainly was wary of them and they all knew it. Sugawara, Nishinoya, Ennoshita, Yamaguchi, and Kiyoko were all the ghouls that were out on the team. Shouyou tried to be as nice as possible and give them high-fives and slap their backs when they did something good and give tips when they didn’t do so great. 

He hoped that his efforts were appreciated.

The bell rang, breaking Shouyou from his thoughts and signaling that the day was over. The redhead shot up from his seat and rushed out of the classroom like he did every day, his brown leather knapsack flapping wildly at his sides. He sped through the halls, knocking into more than a few of the other students in his endeavor to get outside the school so he could race Kageyama to the clubroom. 

He turned around to look behind him to make sure that Kageyama wasn’t on his tail when he suddenly ran into somebody.

“Ow, ow, ow…” Shouyou groaned, rubbing his head where it had collided with the person’s backpack full of hard-cover books. When he looked up, he was mortified to see it was Sugawara who he had ran into at full force. The other’s face was filled with concern and looking wildly around with his eyes to see if anyone had noticed their little run-in.

‘Probably checking to make sure everyone saw that it was my fault,’ thought Shouyou as he adjusted the strap on his knapsack. One could never be too careful as a ghoul supposedly “hurting” a human student.

They had been killed for less, after all.

“Are you okay, Hinata-san?” Sugawara asked quietly. Shouyou nodded and grinned from ear to ear to show that he was alright, ignoring the throbbing of his forehead. He didn’t want to worry Sugawara.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I didn’t hurt you when I ran into you, did I?” Shouyou asked worriedly. Sugawara shook his head and smiled warmly, now used to Shouyou’s antics. The short teen glanced at the clock behind Sugawara’s head and saw the time, eyes widening.

“Ah crap, Kageyama’s totally gonna beat me! Sorry, Sugawara-san. I’ll see you in a little bit!” As he said this, he started to backpedal. The ash-gray haired teen simply shook his head and gave a little wave. Shouyou didn’t hear if the other had said anything in response as he ran full-tilt to the back entrance of the school, which was three minutes faster than using the front of the building. His legs were burning because he hadn’t stretched before his sprint, but he ignored it in favor of bounding towards the doors that led outdoors.

Breaking free of the confines of the building, Shouyou smelled the spring air and grinned as he breathed heavily and continued his sprint. The sky was a bright blue with a few clouds and the sun was warm on his black-uniformed clothed skin. He broke out into a sweat as he rounded the corner of the building to see the clubroom and was disappointed to see Kageyama already standing there. 

“What took you so long, dumbass?” The angsty teen asked when Shouyou stopped at the entrance of the clubroom to stand beside the other. He was trying to catch his breath as he replied.

“I bumped into Sugawara-san on my way here.” Kageyama raised a single dark brow and reached into his pocket to get the key that Daichi had entrusted them with. He unlocked the door, opening it with a gentle click. 

“What’d he have to say?” Kageyama asked and Shouyou shrugged, shouldering past the other to make his way towards his sports bag. He unzipped it and pulled out his clothes before he responded.

“I just ran into him and knocked my head into his backpack. I was too busy trying to get here to beat you to the clubroom to stay and chat.” Shouyou responded and Kageyama did some sort of grunt. The redhead pulled his white practice t-shirt over his head and then his practice jersey. He was in the middle of pulling up his shorts when Kageyama spoke again.

“We should invite Sugawara-san to join us in our early practices,” he said carefully as he sprayed an aerosol can of pain reliever on his ankle. Shouyou stopped for a second, surprised. Kageyama was never outright mean to their ghoulish teammates, but he was never nice to them either. But of course, he wasn’t anything but cool and calculating when it came to volleyball (unless he was yelling at Shouyou). 

“Yeah, we should. I’ll ask him when he shows up today.” Shouyou replied with warmth filling his response. He was a little sad to think that their early practices that were just the two of them would expand to Sugawara-san, but he found that he didn’t mind quite so much when it was Kageyama who asked about adding him. They changed in silence after that, but it was a  comfortable one.

Once they were ready, they raced towards the gym. Shouyou thought that their little races were both the most frustrating and the highlights of his day. They were in their own little world when Shouyou suddenly stopped, sniffing the air. 

It smelled like copper.

Kageyama paused as well, shooting the other a dirty look, then a confused one when he saw the expression on the redhead’s face. He turned to see…

“Kageyama, go get someone.” Shouyou said slowly. Kageyama stood there, frozen with shock. Shouyou understood, but he knew that he would be more useful here rather than the angry teen behind him.

“Kageyama!” Shouyou barked and the other sprinted in the direction of the school. The redhead leaned down, placing a hand onto the dirt ground.

There, lying passed out, was Yachi. With a chunk of her shoulder bitten out.

[komahinasecretexchange]

Title: Setsunai

Author: @sonivegas

For: @entraptantrum

Rating/Warnings: G - T

Prompt: Awkward first kisses

Author’s notes: WAAAAAAAAAAAAA i am so sorry in advance for this. absolute Mess. i wanted to make the prompt part itself better/more prominent though i think i was trying to juggle the ‘plot’ (introspection and two lads chatting) and two of the prompts? words hard……. either way, i hope this is alrighty!!(??) i hope you like it (even a tiny bit) + happy new year!!! :]

Hajime Hinata thought, on that fall day, that some things never really changed.

All the while knowing, as he remembered his classmates, who were not unlike broken live wires dangling helplessly over open water, that everything was anything but the same. And yet… Every time he’d close his eyes, he could just faintly see the silhouetted figures of his classmates, his classmates, every motion and every day blending together like time never existed for them; acting as if they were nothing but average teenagers. Hell, by now Hinata knew that they weren’t even teenagers anymore. He’d always see the fall colours behind their silhouettes, dead leaves dancing around their figures though they looked like nothing more than a backdrop in a school play. Or maybe that was wishful thinking on his end. After all, it was their choice, their fault, for losing sight of themselves and giving into despair, wasn’t it? That’s what he’d always tell himself to soften the blow of reality. ‘Close off your heart.’ ‘Don’t think about the past.’ ‘Just keep moving forward.’ That’s all he was ever good for anyways. Or at least now he knows that he is.

A cool hand gently taps his shoulder twice. Komaeda, he figured from the touch alone. No one else had hands as cold as his. “Hinata-san, I don’t mean to be rude by that gesture, but I really need you to pay attention for just a moment.” Sonia’s face was leaned in a mere few inches from Hinata’s face when he turned around and, undoubtedly, scaring the life out of the boy. It was about then that it clicked in his mind that, yes, it was a colder season now— the winter attire hadn’t come in their newest shipment, so everyone had icicles for hands, and not just the guy who seemed to occupy his headspace more than he liked. Craning his neck back slightly (though not enough to be insulting), he could only try his best to compose his voice. “Sorry, yeah,” He cleared his throat and plastered a polite smile, “What— what’s the matter, then?” Sonia looked away and pressed her lips shut, hesitating on something, before she finally looked back at Hinata with concern laced in her eyes. “I think… he might in the warehouse again.” Ah. A cold sinking feeling dropped like lead in Hinata’s stomach. Hinata knew exactly who “he” was; he didn’t need to ask again, he didn’t even need to ask what the situation was, he simply went as fast his legs could carry him towards the fifth island, only nodding to Sonia before he pushed off the concrete. When it came to the general recovery of the islands, they were doing rather well. The trees were healing from rot and decay, and new branches were sprouting out from the body. Somewhere in the heart Hinata tried to close up, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of hope. He found it strange that he would even pay attention to something like that, but he’d be lying if he said his outlook on life as a whole didn’t change after everything that happened. Whereas in contrast to his highschool days, he wouldn’t give a damn whether one man or twenty got killed in a shooting on the news; nowadays he finds himself tiptoeing with caution even with the smallest of ant hills. It wasn’t something he talked about, there was no need to open up about something as trivial or stupid as that. Yet, no matter what he convinced himself of, being aware of the life around him, his friends, flora, fauna, whatever else is there in between… that was truly something he couldn’t deny caring about. So what was it like for everyone else, with autumn’s undeniable melancholy, to see everything dying and fading away to dust and dirt in the cold?

Or was he the only one feeling this childish? It was only a few moments after stepping off the bridge that he noticed a familiar green hoodie haphazardly pulled over a mop of white hair, feeling the icy weight in his stomach evaporating into thin air. But it wasn’t the warehouse, like he expected it to be, but rather—

“Ah, Hinata-kun!” A distant but cheery voice called out to him, and this time, it wasn’t a sickeningly sweet façade; it wasn’t even the condescending tone dripping with the venom he’d once heard in the past. Hinata padded towards the ruined administration building, faintly remembering Jabberwock Park being exactly where Komaeda now stood admiring the maple trees. Hinata could only try to smile back despite himself.

“It’s strange, isn’t it?” Komaeda spoke barely above a whisper as Hinata came to a stop beside him, both of them never breaking eye contact with the scene surrounding the them. “It feels like time has gone by so much slower, even though this is already our second autumn together.” Somehow it felt like there was a reason why Komaeda wouldn’t look back at him.

“Sonia told me that you would be at the warehouse.”

“Oh… was there an obligation to be at the warehouse?” He finally broke his gaze to look back with stormy eyes, “Or are you still wary of me?”

“I’m not—!” Hinata bit his tongue down. He didn’t want to say anything unnecessary; not now, not when he felt like… this. There was no reason to fight. “What are you doing here anyway? It’s far too cold out here.” “It’s fine, I think I’ve gotten used to the cold bit by bit.” Komaeda replied, “I just like spending time like this.” Hinata sighed, running a hand through his messy hair, “It’s not fine if you get a fever tomorrow. Tsumiki has medicine stored in the kitchen cabinet, but it’s not worth risking it.” The other boy did nothing but nonchalantly shrug, “I’d hate to be a burden on anyone, but you’re saying that as if I’m as reckless as you are.” He spoke with a slight grin that was enough to adorn his face. Or maybe it was just that seeing Komaeda happy in any sense was enough for him. A cool breeze swept through the island, silencing the two, while making a shiver run up Hinata’s spine and goosebumps line his arms; he could tell Komaeda was cold too, but somehow, more than anything, he wanted to be out here at this very moment with the one person who might understand him.

“Hinata-kun…” The other was the first to break the silence, “What would you say the feeling of setsunai is?”

An abrupt question, one that Hinata had no clue how to answer as they both fell into thoughtful silence; yet, it was exactly what he needed to hear. Komaeda hesitated, opening and closing his mouth before he finally took a deep breath and spoke, “If you don’t mind me answering my own question… I think, it feels like autumn itself.” Gently holding onto the leaves that were burnt orange and red, Hinata noted, was how he grounded himself as he talked – even if his already pale fingers grew deathly pale in the freezing wind. There was something that resonated in Komaeda’s words. Setsunai, at least… was a rather peculiar feeling. Something akin to nostalgia, pain, like a bittersweet note plucked in one’s heart. Watching time flow like a never-ending sandglass was all Hinata could do while the days passed, seeing the sun dipping into the horizon night after night, as the world revolved around the sun like it was a promise; though some things never changed. He never changed. He could never change, but only could watch as the world around him continued to evolve. Or rather, the world around them continued to evolve. Winter lead to spring, spring lead to summer, and summer died and bled into autumn. Just like the orbiting earth, it was a promise to nature itself, that it would always come around. But it would always beg the question…

“Do you miss it? Our youth… being free from this pressure?”

Feeling his chest tighten up, Hinata gazed at Komaeda, hoping, pleading for him to understand. However ironic, considering this was the boy he distrusted the most in the past, but deep down he knew where his real feelings lay. He didn’t know why he was so desperate, but he wanted to know, just for once, if his heart resonated the same tone. Komaeda turned towards Hinata, shoving his hands in his pocket at long last. “I can’t say that I miss it, because we never lead the same lives.” Hinata held his breath and braced himself, he could never tell when the coin was flipped when it came to Komaeda; whether it was holding his hand without question or bashing him for his lack of talent, he was worryingly unpredictable. Though he continued, “I never once felt that I’d be deserving of being free but… in another life, I would long to be as ordinary as I could. I would long to be like you.” His words caught Hinata off guard, making him feel as if his lungs were being squeezed though he tried his damndest to shrug it off, “Ordinary isn’t as great as you make it out to be. Sometimes, it feels like you’re stuck. Like nothing is moving except the people around you, and sometimes…” He trailed off, hesitant. Komaeda’s fingertips gently touched his wrist, eliciting something like a static shock in Hinata’s chest, while the other only beamed at him, “I’m listening, but only if you want me to.” Hinata pushed back the urge to roll his eyes at that response and instead took a deep breath. “Sometimes it feels like, now those feelings I carried with me back then are affecting my friends. All of you. When I look at everyone, it feels like something’s missing. Something’s missing from our lives and I can’t even pretend that I don’t know what it is.” Hinata felt like the lead was back in his stomach, “Sometimes I just wish we could all be stupid, innocent teenagers, unafraid of losing time. I wish… I wish I didn’t have to feel afraid of change anymore.” ‘Sometimes, I feel like I’m nothing but cursed.’

‘I don’t want to lose anyone else.’

‘I’m afraid of caring too much again.’ A low hum came from Komaeda’s chest, as he lifted a finger to the bridge of his nose, when he suddenly made a distressed expression, “Ah…” He mumbled, “I forgot my glasses in the warehouse” Sighing, he shoved his hands back into his coat pockets with a little more force than needed. Whiplash aside, Hinata on the other hand, did nothing but gawk with wide eyes at the other, “I’m sorry, since when did you wear glasses? And why are they in the warehouse?” “Well… long story short,— because I would rather die than bore you with my antics— I realized my vision was going bad because I was reading at night, or maybe it was just bad luck— anyway, I didn’t want to bother anyone, so I’ve been trying to craft a pair of glasses with the materials in the warehouse.” Komaeda smiled warmly at Hinata, “I’ve been keeping people out so they wouldn’t see how atrocious my handiwork was!” Hinata scoffed, turning his head away so he wouldn’t think about the warmth he felt from Komaeda despite the biting cold. Feeling his lips go dry from the wind, he touched the tip of his tongue on his lips before speaking, “…So, all those times in the warehouse then, they weren’t—?” Komaeda shook his head, knowing what would come next. “It wasn’t that I was feeling suicidal…” He paused, braving a glance in Hinata’s direction only to find that he held his solemn gaze to the dying trees once more, “In fact, I owe that peace of mind to you… still, those lingering feelings of throwing my life away still hold me down, so, I take solace in this withering season. It reminds me that, despite everything… I’m still alive.” Hinata holds his breath, listening to Komaeda as he smiles to himself, just barely brushing Hinata’s arm with his own, “I don’t know what comes after this, or if I’ll even want to be around for that but… I’ll take that I have in this moment. This peace is what I long for even if it’s temporary. This is what I want to call hope.”

Silence wrapped the two of them like a blanket, where not even the wind could over power the white noise; but, like always, this kind of silence with Komaeda was never an uncomfortable one. Even if his very existence was unpredictable, even when they were trying to numb their feelings for the other, there was always a sense of mutual understanding amidst the silences.  

“So, don’t you think we both understand what setsunai is in our own ways?” Komaeda smiled, a genuine one that even in the context of melancholy and hope overlapping each other like ocean waves, felt like a breath of fresh air. Both the sadness and joy intertwined of time flowing created this feeling— a chord of emotions twisting their strings into one, but it was one strong enough to create a bond between those he cared for and loved and that maybe, just maybe, that was alright for now.

“I don’t know. It’s still so strange… I always thought I’d be the one supporting the others in their time of need. But now that I myself feel lost in my own ways, it’s you who’s helping me.” And now Hinata was sure of it; the brushing of each others’ arms wasn’t accidental, when Komaeda leaned into him just a little more. “Hinata-kun, more than anything, I hope we both can remember that there is both good and bad in time passing, and that if you ever feel like you can’t keep up then… I hope I can be there for you too.” The swelling feeling in his chest was unbearable at those words. “Yeah, well—” “I’m glad I met you, Hinata-kun. I’m glad I’m still here with you.” He couldn’t pry away Hinata couldn’t stop staring into Komaeda’s eyes. “I-I’m so sorry interrupted, you aren’t mad, are you?” Komaeda panicked slightly, taking the situation otherwise.

But now Komaeda could be sure of it too; that when Hinata grabbed the edges of his hood and pulled him closer, that the way their chapped lips clumsily brushed together, that they felt the exact same way. About their common ground when it came to change, and even their feelings. Even as the leaves continued falling to the ground below them.  

[yamayamawrites]

Overworked

Kageyama has been going above and beyond even what he and Hinata count as training lately. Hinata gets worried that he'll overwork himself to the point of permanent damage. In which Kageyama and Hinata are second years, and also complete idiots.

Hi everyone! I’ve recently been re-watching Haikyuu! (because what else would you do during quarantine) and I really wanted to write something for my all time favorite pairing. This started off as a one-shot, but I can really see it turning into a full fic. Is anyone curious to read that?

Either way, you can find this on my AO3 page here or you can read below! Thanks for reading!

Before Kageyama, Hinata had nothing, and he always had a hard time admitting that. Before him, his gymnasium was the soccer field, the corner of the gym, hell, the street outside his house; and after, though Hinata knew Kageyama didn’t build the Karasuno High gym with his own two hands, it still felt as though Kageyama had gifted him with it. As if Kageyama handed him the intangible concept of a safe space to practice volleyball, and to play side by side with a man who would gradually become his best friend.

Hinata had made speeches to the team before regarding their team status and how he’d never felt that same closeness. He felt like Kageyama was similar in that sense, too. Considering where they came from, in a way neither of them really had a team to rely on; Hinata’s was a conglomeration of friends he’d simply worn down, Kageyama’s a team that revolted against the tyrannical king he’d been trained to be. Together they discovered what a team actually meant, from the actual game to the activities away from the court.

It was at one of these events that Hinata began to fear Kageyama’s tendency to push himself to the absolute brink. They were nearing the end of their second year, and tournaments were rolling around once more. Nishinoya and Tanaka put together a team dinner several nights before their first tournament game to calm the nerves of the especially jittery new first years, as well as the always-jittery Hinata. Hinata wasn’t worried about the upcoming tournament, however; he was worried about the physical and mental capacity of his partner and – dare he say – his friend.

When Kageyama arrived, he looked exhausted. His face was slicked with sweat and he was wearing workout clothes, and Hinata immediately had the nerve to punch him. “Oi!” he shouted as Kageyama came into the room, bowing his head and thanking Noya and Tanaka for hosting. Kageyama flinched, knowing full well what he was in for; Hinata just wouldn’t lay off him these days. “What’s with the getup?”

“I decided to take a jog,” Kageyama replied simply. That wasn’t entirely false; however, the jog that Kageyama had taken was a nearly five-mile loop, most of which he’d been sprinting rather than jogging.

“Kageyama, we already practiced twice today. You’re going to overwork yourself.” Hinata was surprised to hear those words coming from Tanaka and not himself.

“Sorry, Tanaka senpai,” Kageyama bowed deeply. His use of ‘senpai’ pleased Tanaka so much that he completely forgot what he’d been saying. Hinata didn’t forget, however, as Kageyama huffed and threw himself onto the couch next to Hinata.

They’d never not been close to each other, which was partly what made this so infuriating to Hinata. Kageyama wouldn’t explain why he was working so hard, or what he was working towards. Hinata had been right beside him in the beginning – working harder and harder at perfecting their quicks, running extra miles after practice for endurance – but before he knew it, meeting Kageyama at the gym for their morning workout meant walking in on Kageyama practicing his jump serve without him or practicing setting without him.

The worst part was that Kageyama acted like nothing was wrong with this. That infuriated Hinata the most.

Just as Hinata was about to broach the topic, Nishinoya proudly announced to the group that dinner would be ready soon, and that afterwards they would watch a movie. The rest of the team cheered aside from those two. Hinata watched Kageyama’s expression carefully; just like learning to watch for signals on the court, he’d learned a few signals for Kageyama’s mood outside of volleyball. For instance, the corners of Kageyama’s mouth turned up if he was happy. And…his brows furrowed if he was concentrating, or upset, or pretty much anything else.

It was a process, and Hinata was still learning.

They thanked Noya and Tanaka for the meal, which hadn’t really been cooked by neither Noya nor Tanaka. Yachi poked her head out of the kitchen area and waved timidly to the group. Since she’d joined the team as manager, she’d become greatly involved in everything that she could. She even took the time to learn everyone’s favorite side dish, which she happily presented to the team now as she laid the food out on the coffee table in the crammed living space.

Kageyama and Hinata reached at the same time to grab their food, and Kageyama pulled back. Did he flinch? Hinata watched his face, trying to tell what expression that was; he’d never seen Kageyama blush like that. Was he sick? Did he overwork himself so hard that he ended up getting sick? That idiot!

“Oi, Bakageyama,” Hinata muttered as the rest of the team chatted idly over supper. “We need to talk.”

“About?” Kageyama responded in his typical cold voice. At least that hadn’t changed. When his voice didn’t change, he usually wasn’t upset. Or he was very upset. Hinata had a hard time telling between the two.

“Your training.”

Kageyama audibly gulped. “What about it?”

“You look like you’re working yourself to death. I mean, look at you,” he gestured to Kageyama’s face.

“That’s my face, moron!” Kageyama shouted now, getting the attention of the group. Seeing Kageyama yelling at Hinata, though, their attention returned to their meals; this wasn’t out of the ordinary for them.

Hinata had learned over the years to not shy away from Kageyama when he shouted. During their first year of high school, Kageyama had seemed much more intimidating than he did now. He scooted a bit closer to Kageyama, until their thighs touched; it wasn’t out of the ordinary for them, but for some reason Kageyama moved away from him and his cheeks turned red again. Hinata raised an eyebrow. What was wrong with him?

“Let’s talk later,” Kageyama replied as he stood from the couch. “I should head home and get some rest, anyway.”

Before Hinata could stop him, Kageyama grabbed his things and left, thanking Noya and Tanaka one last time for hosting. Hinata scowled, a face that he had become more used to making as he watched Kageyama overwork himself, and leaned back into the couch. Nothing to be done about it tonight, he told himself, but that didn’t stop him from visiting Kageyama after the movie.

*** 

Kageyama hadn’t gone straight home from there. He’d decided to take yet another run, despite his calves burning with his other workouts that day. Whenever he crawled into bed at night, he passed out nearly the second his head touched the pillow. That was how he liked it. Just recently, he’d begun daydreaming about his orange-haired partner, and it drove him crazy. He imagined things one shouldn’t imagine about their spiker.

It started innocently enough. Kageyama wondered how soft Hinata’s hair was. That’s normal, right? He decided to ruffle Hinata’s hair after a particularly good play during a practice match. He remembered the way Hinata smiled up at him, bright as the sun itself, and a certain heat radiated off him and settled in Kageyama’s chest. He felt…warm. Something he wasn’t used to feeling, despite the heat of the gymnasium they had their practice game in. He felt warmed from the inside, like having hot cocoa during the winter. But the feeling was stronger, and more prominent. It lasted through the rest of the match, and it confused Kageyama. He nearly did it again, but the feeling he got the first time made him wonder if he’d explode the next time.

Hinata never mentioned it, but his demeanor towards Kageyama changed after that. Hinata seemed to want to be close to him more often, subconsciously or not. And honestly, Kageyama wanted that, too. That evening he went home, content and somehow still craving more. He’d just wanted to know what Hinata’s hair felt like, and he’d gotten that. What else could he need?

His thoughts escalated. He wanted to feel Hinata’s calloused palm in his own. It freaked him out, the way his mind wandered when it wasn’t occupied. During class, when he took water breaks at practice, on his walk home. He was scared of himself; when he’d wanted to know what Hinata’s hair felt like, he just reached out and felt without thinking. Would the same happen now? Would he reach out and grab for Hinata’s hand the same way he’d done for his hair? He couldn’t let that happen – what would Hinata think of him?

He started using excessive workouts as a distraction. Even when he stopped to catch his breath, he thought about Hinata – what he would look like doubled over, covered in sweat. He already knew. He’d been playing volleyball with Hinata long enough that he knew. So why did he want to see Hinata, slicked with sweat, underneath him?

And how come, after his sprints, after two volleyball practices, after practicing serves for over two hours by himself – how come he laid in bed, unable to sleep? How come he imagined Hinata cradled against his side, his breathing slowing as he fell asleep with him?

He was startled out of those thoughts by the sound of his phone ringing. Jesus, who’s calling me this late? Kageyama thought stubbornly. He debated not answering – until he saw the name on the screen. Fucking Hinata. Doesn’t he know I’m trying to sleep?

Of course Hinata knew. That’s why Hinata called. He wouldn’t let Kageyama go to bed until he got an answer he was pleased with. It infuriated him, but it also somehow calmed him. Hinata cared about him, and though Kageyama was scared to show it as of late, he cared just as much about his orange-haired teammate.

“Hello?” Kageyama attempted to make his voice sound slurred from sleep.

“Oi, come let me in.”

“What?!” Kageyama sat straight up. He flinched; his abs were sore from yesterday’s workout still.

“I’m outside. Come let me in. I know your mom’s working tonight.”

God, he hated how much Hinata knew about his home life. But, then again, did he?

Kageyama fought an internal battle of whether or not he appreciated Hinata’s concern as he padded to the front door. He wore nothing more than slippers and a pair of boxers, which he became painfully aware of when the cool night air settled on his chest and legs. He blushed again and was ready to slam the door when Hinata let himself in, seemingly uncaring that Kageyama was practically naked.

“Go put a shirt on, ‘Yama,” Hinata said seriously. Kageyama didn’t know if Hinata had ever been so serious off the court. It made him nervous. Still, he rushed to his bedroom, thankful for the excuse to step away from the boy in question. His heart was racing and he still couldn’t believe that Hinata had just shown up on his doorstep – and yet yes, he could believe that, because it was a very Hinata thing to do.

Hinata had made himself comfortable in the living space by the time Kageyama returned. Also a very Hinata thing to do. With the amount of times Hinata had invited himself over or invited Kageyama over to practice quicks or to study or even just to hang out, like friends do, Kageyama learned quickly that Hinata made himself comfortable wherever he could. Hinata had dropped his bag off by the door, along with his shoes, and he sat on the couch with his legs crossed. He watched Kageyama carefully as he came back, observing the way his legs strained to move him, and it was proof enough that Kageyama had once again done something stupid.

“Oi, quit staring at me like that!” Kageyama yelled, but it had no bite. After all, his body had begun to shut down for the day. His limbs had fallen asleep earlier, it was his mind that kept him up. Kept him waiting for a phone call from Hinata.

“Sit down.”

Hinata’s serious tone really did something to Kageyama, and he didn’t quite understand it. Some sort of desire for something settled within him every time the boy spoke in such a deep, calm tone. He was used to the bubbly Hinata that shrieked on the court with a kind of voice that lit up a room, that you could hear from miles away. This voice, it sounded like it was only meant for his ears, and it crawled up his spine, leaving shivers. Still, he feared it somewhere within himself. Hinata sounded upset.

“What’s wrong?” Kageyama asked, lowering himself into a chair opposite his partner. He really didn’t want to end up reaching for his partner right now. He had no idea what a physically and mentally exhausted Kageyama might try if not protected by distancing himself.

Hinata watched him wince as he sat. “Damn it,” he grumbled. “Damn it!”

“Hey, Hina—”

“You dumbass!” Hinata stood now, his voice slowly creeping up the octaves until it was that voice that always called for Kageyama to “bring it to me”. But Kageyama didn’t like it, now; he didn’t sound excited, he sounded angry. Because he was angry. That scowl wasn’t from concentration, it was Hinata being angry, hurt, and frustrated all at once.

“Hey, knock it off—”

“No, stupid! You went for another run, didn’t you?”

Kageyama hung his head shamefully. Sure, pushing himself to undesirable limits distracted him, but at what cost? His body constantly ached, and his legs felt as though if he tried to jump to block, he would melt the second he touched back down to the ground.

Hinata didn’t wait for a response to continue talking. “You can’t keep doing this. You can’t keep avoiding me, you can’t keep working out until you nearly die. What is it? Do you feel like you’re not good enough? Because that sure as hell isn’t the problem here, Tobio!”

Kageyama knew it was serious, now. Hinata had only used Kageyama’s name one other time, and it was after a rather brutal loss; after Kageyama had hesitated on tossing to Hinata because he’d just come back into the game after a minor injury during the first set. It had cost them the game – and Hinata wasn’t angry because the toss didn’t go to him, he was angry because Kageyama sent their miracle toss to Tanaka.

The setter opened his mouth to speak. Hinata watched him with a patience that he didn’t understand. He tried to imagine what he’d do if Hinata were in his shoes, and in every scenario he imagined screaming at the boy the day he found out Hinata was pushing himself hard enough to be so drained that he couldn’t even bring a fork to his mouth. “Hinata…I’m sorry.”

Hinata’s expression softened. More than that, his entire demeanor changed. He hadn’t expected an apology; rather, he expected a weak rebuttal of how Kageyama needed to stay fit to remain the genius setter he was, yadda yadda. Kageyama wasn’t one to cry, but in this moment he looked like he might, and suddenly Hinata feared he didn’t have the experience to help calm him. So he crossed the room and placed a hand on Kageyama’s cheek. “Hey,” he murmured. He’d seen his mother do this with Natsu when she had a bad dream or stubbed her toe.

Kageyama looked away from him, cheeks burning, but he didn’t have the energy to push himself away. What was Hinata doing? As he contemplated this, Hinata bent down to be eye level with him, and he found himself unable to keep from looking his partner in the eyes. “Kageyama, I’m just worried,” Hinata mumbled. His voice had dropped again, not to the serious tone just yet, but to the point that once again Kageyama felt some sort of desire clawing at him. His eyes settled on Hinata’s lips and he briefly thought about how dangerous of a situation this was, particularly for Hinata, because he was unsure the amount of control he could display.

“I told Tanaka san before I left that you and I would be doing a special training tomorrow,” Hinata said, removing his hand from Kageyama’s cheek. Suddenly Kageyama felt cold, and that desire grew; when Hinata had touched him, it seemed satisfied, if only a little. Hinata padded back across the room and settled again on the couch. “You’re so overworked, and I’m so worried about you.” Hinata’s voice cracked. He choked back tears, and Kageyama suddenly felt an immense pressure of guilt sitting on his shoulders. He made Hinata cry; he made him so nervous, so worried, that he cried.

“Hey,” Kageyama tried to get up, to comfort his friend, but his legs seized up and he fell to the ground in a pitiful heap. Hinata was at his side in a moment, not attempting to help him up, but instead letting his fingers flutter across his back.

“How much tension is in your back?”

“Eh?”

Hinata threw one leg over Kageyama’s waist and promptly sat on his partner’s butt. “I’m going to give you a massage, idiot. This wouldn’t be necessary if you hadn’t worked yourself to death.”

Before Kageyama could call Hinata a name, or tell him please for the love of everything get off of me, I’m in some sort of mood that just makes me want to touch you, Hinata began kneading his palms into Kageyama’s back.

The sensation brought a new type of pain – one that felt like, the second it passed, everything would feel immensely better. And Kageyama was right. Once Hinata kneaded out one knot in his back, he moved to another, and Kageyama really couldn’t ask for a better teammate at this point. Though, the groans he made were less than desirable; it really sounded like he was getting jerked off by his teammate.

Why did that sound appealing?

Kageyama was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t understand what the noises were doing to Hinata. By the time they finished their first year, Hinata had just an inkling of suspicion that maybe he felt some degree of attraction towards Kageyama. That suspicion was quickly buried under mountains of abandoned emotions, and Hinata almost thought he’d gotten over it, until now. His body filled with a certain heat, anticipation maybe, of something that most certainly couldn’t happen – wouldn’t happen.

And the way Hinata’s body reacted really, truly upset him.

Hinata quickly stood up, leaving Kageyama to glance up at him with a confused expression as he yelled “Bathroom!” and ran down the hall. Kageyama found the strength to roll over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. Was Hinata taking a long time in there, or was he really, really tired?

By the time Hinata returned, Kageyama had fallen asleep. Hinata groaned. Couldn’t it at least have been on the couch? If Kageyama really slept on the floor, it would ruin all the progress he’d made. Honestly, that wouldn’t be so bad, it would give him another chance to feel Kageyama’s back muscles and –

God, he was disgusting.

Hinata leaned down. “Oi, Kageyama,” he murmured, gently shaking his partner’s shoulder. Kageyama didn’t move. “Kageyama!” Hinata said louder, shaking harder. Still, he slept on. “Tobio!” he shouted finally, and whether it was the volume or the way Hinata said his name that woke Kageyama, he didn’t know – nor did he care. Kageyama was awake, and that was enough.

“Hey, sleepy, let’s get you to bed,” Hinata said, helping Kageyama up. The pained noise that escaped his partner’s lips didn’t go unnoticed, and Hinata was glad he’d had the foresight to tell Tanaka he and Kageyama wouldn’t be practicing the next day.

Kageyama didn’t protest as Hinata supported him all the way to the bedroom. He acted as a cane; Kageyama relied on him after his leg seized up again, causing him to make a noise of pain. It hurt Hinata, too; not just because Kageyama was heavy but because Kageyama was hurt and Hinata should have acted sooner.

Hinata was careful when he guided Kageyama to the bed. Still, Kageyama flopped down onto it like a fish, and Hinata probably would have laughed if he wasn’t so worried about the current condition of his setter. My setter, he thought, blushing. He’s not just my setter, but god do I wish he was.

Kageyama fell asleep again quickly, and Hinata knew that if he didn’t stay here Kageyama would probably wake up and try to go for a run. He wasn’t a fan of sleeping on Kageyama’s couch – he’d done it once after working on their quick for hours in Kageyama’s backyard, and even though he was only asleep for a couple hours his back had been sore for days. Still, he tried to get as comfortable as possible sprawled out on the couch, curled up with a blanket draped over the side, and went to sleep.

***

The next morning, Kageyama did exactly what Hinata thought he might. He heard the sound of Kageyama trying to creep quietly across the room, not because he could hear his footsteps, but he could hear the occasional “ouch!” and the grunts of pain. Hinata sat upright and locked eyes with Kageyama, who stopped in his tracks with a look of embarrassment.

“Where ya goin’?” Hinata asked in a mock-sweet tone.

“Um…practice?”

“I told Tanaka san we were taking the day off.”

Kageyama huffed and something of a pout settled onto his face. Hinata would have laughed if the situation hadn’t been so serious. “Kageyama – “

“Shou, please, stop it,” Kageyama had resorted to begging. And using first names, apparently. Though occasionally Hinata called Kageyama ‘Tobio’, this was the first time Kageyama had referred to him as ‘Shouyo’, and that alone was enough to make Hinata’s cheeks redden and his face burn with embarrassment and delight.

“Stop what, stupid?”

“Protecting me. I’m fine.”

“Look at yourself!” Hinata cried finally. Kageyama was bracing against a table for fear that he might fall at any second. “Do you really think you should be working out right now? Tell me honestly, Tobio, is this even what you want?”

Kageyama was taken aback by the accusation. And yet, somehow, he saw right through him. The setter scoffed and looked away, towards his arm straining to support his weight while he leaned up against the table. “No,” he replied finally, in a soft voice that felt so far away from Hinata. “No, I don’t want this.”

Hinata actually felt surprised. Kageyama sounded defeated by his question. “Oi—”

“I don’t want,” Kageyama cut him off, speaking louder now, “to think about you the way I do. Shouyo, I can’t stop thinking about you. It’s driving me insane. The only thing that helps me keep my mind off you is working so goddamn hard that the second I come home I fall asleep. And then, it’s not even a guarantee that I won’t dream about you.”

Neither of them had expected that to be what Kageyama said, but somehow when he laid it out in front of them, Kageyama felt much calmer. He felt like he was soaring…or was he falling? No, he was definitely falling.

“Kage—” Hinata squeaked out, trying to stand as he saw Kageyama’s arm wobble and, finally, collapse under the rest of his weight. He helped his partner off the floor, contemplating what he’d said. “You – think about me? A lot?”

“Too much,” Kageyama realized what he was saying now, but he wouldn’t turn back. Maybe this was the only way to get it to stop. “You’re the only friend I’ve ever had and it’s weird and I don’t think I should think about you this much – that’s not normal, is it?” Kageyama genuinely didn’t know, and for some reason that made Hinata pity him.

“Um, not usually,” Hinata responded sheepishly. He would be lying if he said he never thought about Kageyama, though. Sometimes after a long day of practice or a good practice match, Hinata would come home and relay the events, wondering how he and his partner would celebrate such a good win if they would just go home together. It wasn’t sexual at first, and Hinata cringed at that, at first, because he never expected it to get sexual. But on that abandoned hill of emotions were so many thoughts about Kageyama that Hinata had just shoved away as far as possible to continue to operate as a human being that most certainly wasn’t into his setter.

My setter.

Kageyama groaned underneath him, and whether it be from pain or embarrassment, Hinata didn’t have time to decipher. Kageyama fought to stand up again, and Hinata helped him to the couch. “Your calves?” Hinata asked softly, sitting on the floor in front of the calves, his eyes level with Kageyama’s knees.

“I can barely walk,” Kageyama mumbled sheepishly. He didn’t understand how Hinata was acting so calm after he’d basically just confessed to him. Was that a confession? Was it just a “hey dumbass, I think about you and it’s bugging me”? Did he need to reiterate how he thought about Hinata? Because it was embarrassing the extent to which he imagined Hinata, but at this point he was frustrated that Hinata might not be understanding properly.

Hinata began working his palms in Kageyama’s sensitive muscles, surprised at how tight and muscular the skin there was. This was more than going for jogs – this was jumping practice, uphill running, it was an entire slue of exercises dedicated just to these poor calves. Kageyama made similar noises this time as to when Hinata rubbed his back the night before, and the noises possibly had even more of an effect on him, because now Hinata could see his face.

Kageyama’s cheeks flushed and he grabbed the couch cushions in his fists, his eyes squeezing shut. If anyone walked in and just saw Kageyama’s face, they’d likely think he was getting sucked off by the redhead – which honestly, he’d had so many dreams about doing just that that the face almost seemed familiar. And yet, seeing it actually in front of him drove Hinata mad; he watched Kageyama’s eyes to make sure they stayed closed while he kneaded knots out of his calves. It would only take one look to Hinata’s burning cheeks to realize exactly how much Kageyama’s lewd noises affected him.

“Fuck,” Kageyama breathed as Hinata switched calves. “God, that felt so good…”

Apparently Kageyama didn’t entirely register what he’d said until his eyes shot open and a dark blush spread from his cheeks to his neck. Below him, he saw Hinata staring up at him, mouth slightly agape and the same dark blush spreading across his face. Hinata immediately closed his mouth and looked away. “U-um, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea…” he murmured, despite being so anxious to elicit those noises from Kageyama again. Was he gross for wanting that, wanting Kageyama to unravel in his hands while he watched?

Hinata quickly rose to his feet and took off towards the door. “Hina, wait—” Kageyama tried to stand and follow but his leg collapsed and he fell back into the couch.

“Get some rest!” Hinata squeaked, and he scooped up his bag and left.

***

That evening, Hinata stared up at his ceiling on his bed. He felt like he’d been there for hours, unmoving, imagining the faces and noises Kageyama made while he massaged his calves. Did actual friends do that? He swore he recalled Noya giving Asahi a back massage during his first year, but for some reason that felt different. Those two felt entirely calm with each other, and the noises Asahi made were nowhere near as blatantly sexual as Kageyama’s.

There was still the question of Hinata’s feelings towards Kageyama to worry about, too. Hinata groaned and threw a pillow into his face just as the door of his bedroom opened. “Shou,” his mother said to him, “your friend Kageyama is here.”

“What?!” Hinata jumped to his feet. Kageyama was certainly the last person Hinata wanted to see right now. Kageyama walked around the doorway, a nervous almost-smile on his face. (At least he’d gotten better at smiling since they met, Hinata thought bitterly.)

“Sorry to interrupt…whatever you’re doing,” Kageyama murmured. Hinata’s mother turned with a small wave and left the two staring at each other, Kageyama in the doorway, Hinata sitting up with his back pressed against his bed’s headboard. Finally, after staring in silence at each other which felt like a goddamn eternity, Kageyama cleared his throat. “Can I come in?”

“Uh, yeah,” Hinata waved his hand dismissively. Kageyama came in, nonchalantly closed the door behind him, and sat on the bed next to Hinata. He sat at the opposite end, much to Hinata’s relief; he was worried that Kageyama would feel the heat of embarrassment radiating off his body if he sat any closer. “Why are you here?” he blurted finally, following another minute or so of silence from his setter.

I need to stop thinking of him as “my setter”. He’s not “my setter”.

“I guess I just…” Kageyama sighed. “I don’t know, you ran out so quickly earlier that I felt like we needed to…talk?”

“You haven’t actually talked to me in weeks,” Hinata spat bitterly. He felt a little bit bad for saying it when he saw Kageyama’s face contort in pain, but it was true; for weeks now Kageyama had been working himself too hard and not filling Hinata in on what was happening. For god’s sake, Hinata was supposed to be his partner!

“I’m sorry,” Kageyama replied softly. “I didn’t know what to say.”

Another silence fell over them, and Hinata began to wonder when it became so awkward to talk to Kageyama like this. Why had he reacted like he did when Kageyama showed up? Sure, Hinata showed up unannounced quite often (like last night), but that didn’t mean it was unheard of that Kageyama turn up without a reason. Kageyama sighed, breaking the silence and easing the tension, if only a little. “I took a hot bath earlier.”

“Glad to hear it?” Hinata didn’t really understand what Kageyama was trying to get at.

“That coupled with your…you know, um,” Kageyama blushed and rubbed his neck. “Just, I needed to thank you. I feel a lot better now.”

“You didn’t sprint here, did you?”

“I jogged.”

“How long did it take you?”

“…Shut up.”

Hinata laughed a bit behind his hand. He knew Kageyama would eventually get antsy doing nothing for the day; Hinata himself had been antsy enough to go for a bike ride around the mountain path, which had left his calves aching just a bit.

“Listen, um, Hinata,” Kageyama suddenly sounded serious. “I don’t want things to be weird between us.”

“Why would they be?” Hinata asked, genuinely clueless. Sure, Kageyama had admitted that he thought about him all the time, and Hinata had been extremely bothered by that (but in the good way), but did that mean things couldn’t go back to normal?

“I just, um…” Kageyama usually had trouble speaking his mind, but Hinata thought he’d gotten over that fear, at least when talking to him. Even then, usually Hinata could tell what Kageyama was thinking about. Now he had no clue. Kageyama wrung his hands together nervously in a way that Hinata had never seen; Kageyama wasn’t the type to fidget, unless he had a volleyball to set to himself.

“Spit it out,” Hinata finally said, getting impatient. Kageyama jumped slightly, which was even further from the norm for him; Hinata never intimidated Kageyama to the point of fear.

What happened next happened all at once, and yet it felt like slow motion.

Kageyama crossed the bed on his knees just as Hinata turned, prepared to lecture his partner further. Kageyama grabbed his jaw, gently – in a way Hinata didn’t know Kageyama could muster – and their lips connected, sloppy and nervous and gently enough that Hinata could feel Kageyama’s breath tickling him. Hinata’s hand nervously met Kageyama’s shoulder, and at once Kageyama’s lips were gone and he was pushing himself up from the bed, heading for the door.

“Tobio,” Hinata called, as it was the only thing he could force from his lips. Kageyama stopped, turning slowly towards his partner; Hinata’s fingers touched his lips lightly in one hand, and the other was weakly extended towards him. His cheeks were touched with pink, his eyes half-lidded, his expression slightly confused but desiring more.

This is a bad idea, Kageyama thought as he crossed the room back towards Hinata. Hinata’s hand, shaky with nerves from what just happened, grabbed the collar of Kageyama’s t-shirt and pulled Kageyama in towards him with surprising force. The mountain of emotions Hinata had been burying collapsed as their lips crashed together again, much fiercer than before. Kageyama ended up pressing Hinata against the headboard, his body between Hinata’s legs, his fingers knotting in that soft hair he’d needed to touch so badly.

This is bad this is bad this is bad, Kageyama thought as Hinata moaned, Kageyama swallowing the sound as he parted his lips, his kisses becoming more sloppy and less precise. He couldn’t help it; Hinata called him Tobio. God, did that turn him on even more than he already had been, seeing Hinata in his short shorts, his hair messy.

They parted again, each heaving for air, and Kageyama rested his forehead on Hinata’s. He kept his eyes closed solely so he didn’t have to look at the dazed, wonderfully cute expression he was sure Hinata wore, because he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop himself from kissing the boy until his lips fell off. His senses caught up to him and his eyes shot open, falling backwards on the bed, away from Hinata, until he fell off the bed entirely. He scrambled to his feet as Hinata watched, blankly staring, as if his single brain cell had exploded. Kageyama grabbed his bag, and this time Hinata didn’t call out to him as he left; he could barely think straight.

When it finally dawned on him exactly what had happened, Hinata sat up with a start and immediately called Kageyama. Had they just screwed everything up? Kageyama had kissed him, and he had kissed back – what even happened? Were they dumb? So many questions rolled through Hinata’s mind as the phone rang, and rang, and rang…and he was sent to voicemail. Hinata threw his phone across the room angrily. “Damn it, Bakageyama,” he muttered under his breath, cheeks still hot as he recalled the way Kageyama had looked, crossing the room to come back to him, to kiss him.

Hinata couldn’t deny it any longer – he really had to go and fall in love with his setter. He didn’t even have the voice nagging in the back of his head, telling himself Kageyama wasn’t his but the team’s, as he fell asleep into a series of dreams about what would have happened if Kageyama hadn’t left.

[creepercraftguy]

If Danganronpa: Another Despair Academy had an English cast

So I recently made a post very similar to this where I talked about who a hypothetical English voice cast for Our World Is Ended would be. I kind of enjoyed making that post, so I decided to do something similar with the cast of a Danganronpa fan game that has been featured prominently on my chanel and that’s the Danganronpa: Another series. Being a Korean fan game, the original dub of Danganronpa Another has barely any dialogue to speak of. In fact, the only two characters in the series who speak often are Yuki and Sora, the protagonists of the two games, but that’s when they’re in trials. As of right now, a group of people is working on an English dub for the second game. This is why I’m specifically going to talk about the first game in the series, and bare in mind 2 things.

1) There will be some pretty heavy spoilers that I talk about in this post, so if you’re going to read it, please play the game, watch a playthrough or read up on it first.

2) If by any chance the first game gets a dub and the following people I do mention end up voicing the characters, I assure you it is purely coincidental. I wouldn’t even call this a hypothetical scenario so much as I’d call it a basic thought process of my weird weird mind.

Without further ado, let’s begin.

Yuki Maeda: Yuri Lowenthal

In the current dub for the second game, Yuki is being voiced by a user by the name of Soluri, who is pretty talented in their right, but my thought process for an alternative voice actor would be this. Yuki as a protagonist takes a very similar standing as Makoto Naegi and Hajime Hinata, whom are voiced by Bryce Papenbrook and Johnny Yong Bosch respectively, so if I was given a choice to choose who could voice act him, then I think Yuri Lowenthal would be a fitting choice, since he’s also often voiced protagonists. Being someone who often does work in famous franchises, his voice work includes Marth from Fire Emblem, Yosuke Hanamura in Persona, Ben Tennyson in many Ben 10 works, Klavier Gavin in Ace Attorney, Simon in Gurren Lagann and Suzaku from Code Geass. However, he’d also be a fitting choice since I believe he’d be able to do a good job as both the somwhat cowardly and submissive Yuki as well as the mysterious and somewhat stoically dangerous Utsuro, as he is also the main VA for Sasuke in Naruto and Alucard in Castlevania. 

Akane Taira: Monica Rial

Akane’s basic character throughout the majority of the game is that she’s lighthearted and even though the killing game is getting to her just as much as everyone else, she still finds a way to lighten the atmosphere, and is a usually cheery and kind person, if a little scary when angry. However, her true nature is something much more freakish, being, in actuality, the mastermind behind the aforementioned killing game that she spends a lot of the game seemingly fighting against. For an English VA, I think the best bet is Monica Rial, who has previously voiced in Danganronpa as Sayaka Maizono in the Danganronpa anime. The reason for my choice is she has previously voiced usually nice, if a little stern, characters like Bulma from Dragon Ball, Tsuyu Asui from My Hero Academia, May Chang from Full Metal Alchemist, Tsubaki from Soul Eater, Kayano from Assassination Classroom, Mirajane Strauss from Fairy Tale and Sakura from CardCaptor Sakura. However, she’s not one to shy away from maniacal villains, or generally creepy characters either, also voicing Tanya from Saga of Tanya the Evil, Krul Tepes from Seraph of the End or Stocking from Panty and Stocking. Also doing the voice of Misaki Ayuzawa from Maid Sama and Mey-rin in Black Butler, she’s not new to voicing maid characters.

Tsurugi Kinjo: Crispin Freeman

Having already done voice work in a main Danganronpa game, albeit for a very unlikable character, I ruled out Matthew Mercer for this one. I can only really describe Tsurugi as the Nagito Komaeda of this series. He has good intentions, but a really messed up way of thinking, even at times quite self-deprecating and reflecting on his own incapabilities to stop the killing game and catch the mastermind. Like I already said, he seems like he’d be voiced by a deep voiced character like Matt Mercer, but when it comes to characters like that, Crispin Freeman is a safe bet. Some of the rightous and/or badass characters that he’s lent his voice to include Winston from Overwatch, Kyon in the Haruhi Suzumiya series, Tsume in Wolf’s Rain and more, but can also do a pretty good crazy character every once in a while, like Alucard from Hellsing, Itachi Uchiha from Naruto and Firefly in the Batman Arkham Series.

Rei Mekaru: Laura Post

Admittedly, I was considering Monica Rial for this crude and shrewd character too. Mature and professional to a fault, barely showing any sort of real emotion and often insulting the other killing game participants for seemingly no reason, Rei is basically Another 2′s Byakuya Togami, intelligent, but rude. Having previously voiced condescending characters, Laura Post is a pretty good choice. I’m referring mostly to characters like Kill La Kill’s Ragyo Kiryuin and Fubuki/Blizzard from Hell from One Punch Man, as well as Diana Cavendish from Little Witch Academia and one of her first ever performances, Queen Nehelenia from Sailor Moon. However, Laura Post has also voiced rather gentle and friendly characters before, which would be a good way to highlight Rei’s secret soft side. Characters like Nozomi Tojo from Love Live and her most recent role, Kasumi Yoshizawa from Persona 5 Royal.

Haruhiko “Haru”  Kobashikawa: Sam Riegal

The minute I was introduced to him, I immediately thought, “Ok, he’s going to be the Kazuichi of this game isn’t he?” And to be honest, I don’t think I was that far off. However, even so, he seems more like Kaito if Kaito wasn’t necessarily a central character. Haru’s important, but he’s on the same level of importance as a character like say...Game 1 Toko. A sociable person who’s only goal is to get along well with everyone, he’s cheerful, laid back and more often than not pretty amusing to watch. Someone I believe to be fit for the role, having previously voiced a repertoire of pretty dorky and likeable characters, is Sam Riegal. By that, I mean he’s done the voice work of Teddy from Persona, Phoenix Wright in Ace Attorney, Emperor Awesome in Wander of Yonder,  Kanata from Trinity Universe, Shirou Emiya from Fate/Stay Night and Donatello in a large number of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles works.

Teruya Otori: Kyle McCarly

Teruya is a character that returns for the second game, and his voice actor in that is NuzikVA. I was really stuck on this one, since Yuri Lowenthal, whom I picked for Yuki, was my main option for Teruya too, but my second option for him would be just as viable. One of Teruya’s most important aspects to his character is that he has a pretty unique western accent despite being Japanese, since his Ultimate Merchant talent means he’s travelled the world and picked up on a few things. On top of that, he’s pretty adorkable and a little childish. I’ve heard Yuri Lowenthal do accents before, which is why I considered it, but I figured anything Yuri Lowenthal can do, Kyle McCarly can do just as well, if not better. He’s a voice actor who’s lines are packed full of expression and some of his previous work includes 9S from Neir: Automata, Hyde in Cross Tag Battle, Hal in Astral Chain, Gatekeeper in Fire Emblem Three Houses and Narancia in JoJo Part 5.

Satsuki Iranami: Deva Marie Gregory

While she was a character that I found initially very irritating and she was definitely the one I had to warm to the most, I won’t deny that Satsuki Iranami is like 70% of the humour and happiness in this game. Similarly to Ibuki, she tends to act childish and make jokes in very tense situations and as described by Yuki as “a person that makes you tired just by talking with her” or something along those lines. Now, this might seem like a pretty obscure and strange choice for a VA, but my choice for a voice is Deva Marie Gregory. It’s obscure, since she is relatively new to the voice acting industry, only voicing one character in one franchise so far. However, that character is Flayn from Fire Emblem Three Houses, arguably one of the characters with the more comedic dialogue. I can totally picture her playing an “In-your-face” practical joker character like Satsuki, making common wisecracks, and it’s something I’d really like to bear witness to.

Mitsuhiro “Mitch” Higa: Joe Brogie

Possibly my least favourite character in this game, he’s essentially a worse version of Leon Kuwata from the first game. He’s genuinely kind of a chill guy, but his status as the Ultimate Soccer Player and his world fame makes him more than a little arrogant and cocky and often ignores people who he doesn’t care for. Joe Brogie is my choice for him, despite being a relatively new voice actor. His previous work includes the player character from God Eater 3, Linus from Fire Emblem Heroes, Donatello from Injustice 2 and Sylvain Jose Gautier from Fire Emblem Three Houses. However, despite his few roles and lacking history of voices, he’s talented and capable nonetheless. 

Kizuna Tomori: Tia Ballard

Kizuna can be described in the following words: Cutesy, flirtatious and distrustful. I know those phrases sound mutually exclusive to each other, but trust me, it’s true. Obviously, her nature just changes depending on the situation, since she’s lighthearted and merry more often than not, but in a tense situation becomes suspicious, snappy and even physically violent. I picture her having a high voice, and when taking her character into account, I think the best bet is Tia Ballard. The main reason for my choice is that Tia’s most common voices belong to generally “moe” anime girls, but she voices them in a way that doesn’t sound annoyingly high pitched like how Stephanie Sheh does with Mikan in Danganronpa 2. If Ballard voiced Kizuna, she could pretty much perfectly land the “cutesy at first, but angry when provoked” attitude that Kizuna has. Some of her previous work includes Marron from Dragon Ball, Happy from Fairy Tail, Chiho Sasaki from The Devil is a Part Timer, Takao from D-Frag, Zero Two from Darling in the Franxx and has actually voiced in Danganronpa previously as Daisaku Bandai in Danganronpa 3.

Mikako Kurokawa: Brittany Cox

Extremely similarly to my choice for Satsuki, my choice for Mikako has also only ever been in one game, and it’s the same game as my choice for Satsuki actually. Mikako is a quiet person and she isn’t much of a talker, and when she does she sticks to short replies after long periods of silence, often causing people to forget she's around or becoming surprised when she eventually speaks up. She is unresponsive in a conversation and avoids making eye contact with anyone she talks to which seems rude, but her past explains why. The character Brittany Cox plays in Three Houses is Ingrid Galatea, who is generally a pretty merry, if a little serious and motherly, character, who’s personality isn’t a quiet one. However, while her voice acting is really good, Brittany Cox has a bit of a stoic, monotone and quiet voice, that I believe would fit Mikako perfectly.

Kinji Uehara: Robbie Daymond

There were a few reasons why I chose this person for this characters voice, but I’ll talk about those in a moment. Kinji is the good type of priest, one who is serious and quiet, but is a good listener, and respectful of people to a point where he doesn’t force his religious ideals onto others. However, when put under immense amounts of pressure, he can break down and turn somewhat psychotic. Hence my choice for his voice actor. Robbie Daymond is a personal favourite of mine, since he has a special talent of playing characters such as Goro Akechi and Hubert Vestra, from Persona and Three Houses respectively; characters who for the most part are calm, reserved, quiet and in Akechi’s case, somewhat kind. However, after certain points in the games stories, the two characters turn inexplicably evil and crazy, and the voice work and the shift in tone has such an amazing range that it’s hard to believe it’s the same guy. Seriously, look up Daymond’s work as Akechi, it’s honestly amazing and is the type of voice I’d honestly expect for Kinji when he breaks down. Alongside those two roles, Daymond also voices Prompto in Final Fantasy 15, Reinhard in RE:Zero, Professor Willow in Pokemon, Gilthunder in Nanatsu No Taizai and Mumen Rider in One Punch Man.

Kiyoka Maki: Colleen Clinkenbeard

A girl with a personality that doesn’t match her talent, Kiyoka Maki is outgoing and carefree and doesn’t have an awful lot of care for her talent, being way more interested in more effeminate things than guns. When I first saw Kiyoka and was introduced to her character, for some reason I thought “This is the type of character Colleen Clinkenbeard would voice.” Originally I was going to cast Clinkenbeard as Teruya before I realised Teruya wouldn’t necessarily have a child-like voice. Clinkenbeard however, does have experience of voicing male anime characters, and a lot of characters that scream a lot, Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece and Young Gohan being the prime examples. Alongside that, she’s also voiced another gunslinger in Full Metal Alchemist as Riza Hawkeye, as well as Momo Yaoyorozu in My Hero Academia, Rachel Moore in Case Closed, Erza Scarlet in Fairy Tail and previously in Danganronpa 3 as the loveable Chisa Yukizome.

Ayame Hatano: Karen Strassman

Ayame is a stoic and strong-willed person. Although she appears to be perfectly calm in most situations, she admits that she can be awkward especially during conversations, and as a result, she has a tendency to ramble and wander off in her own, or not talk much at all. To me, she seems like a character that someone like Karen Strassman would lend her voice to, since she’s played several characters with those personality traits before. To name a few, there’s Aigis and Nanako from Persona and she’s also voiced Anna in several Fire Emblem games. She’s also played Kallen Stadtfeld in Code Geass, Miyuki Takara in Lucky Star and Rouge the Bat in several Sonic the Hedghog games.

Kanata Inori: Felicia Angelle

I was also considering casting Tia Ballard for this character too, but unlike Kizuna, Kanata genuinely seems like a moe character that would have a high voice. Kanata is a sweet girl who wishes nothing more than the comfort of her patients and everyone else around her. Exceedingly formal and polite, she addresses her classmates as Mr or Ms, like how Hifumi Yamada does in the first game. My choice for her is Felicia Angelle, who’s repertoire consists of both cute and geeky anime girls, as well a little bit of the scary stuff too. This includes Tohru Hagakure from My Hero Academia, Perona from One Piece, The Supreme Kai of Time from Dragon Ball Xenoverse, Shinoa Hiragi from Seraph of the end, Shaltear from Overlord, Georgie from Maid Dragon and has previously been in the Danganronpa anime, playing Aoi Asahina.

Kakeru Yamaguchi: J Michael Tatum

I have a pretty good reason for this cast. Becoming a legal prodigy when he was quite young, Kakeru is a character who seems to have a split personality, but on a level way less extreme than that of Toko Fukawa. Essentially, he’s usually quite a timid and shy person, that finds it hard to hold a conversation, but when he’s in the courtroom or a class trial, he becomes quite loud and brash in a way similar to that of Nekomaru in the second game. His personality reminds me that of characters like Tenya Iida from My Hero Academia and Rei Ryugazaki from Free! both of whom are voiced by J Michal Tatum, whom is my choice for Kakeru. Tatum has also voiced Zarbon from Dragon Ball, Commander Erwin from Attack on Titan, Rintaro Okabe from Steins:Gate, Scar from Full Metal Alchemist, France from Hetalia and Sebastian from Black Butler.

Yamato Kisaragi: Max Mittleman

Yamato is almost as crazy an inventor as Miu, sans the whole sexual and perverted invention parts. Being a character who’s introduced a little later into the story, Yamato is pretty quirky, energetic and honestly friendly, but that leads people to be a little doubtful of him, Tsurugi in particular. His energetic character and his genuine feel make me think that someone who could voice him is Max Mittleman. Mittleman’s previous voices include Plag from Miraculous Ladybug, Ryuji Sakamoto from Persona, Saitama from One Punch Man, King from Natatsu No Taizai, Meruem in HunterXHunter and more

So that’s what I got. If you liked this, then leave me a heart and repost if you want. If you have any other recommendations for Japanese exclusive projects I should assign voice actors to, then let me know.

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Two Hundred Eighty-Five: Scissors ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: A Light Amongst Shadows ] [ AO3 Link ]

For most of her life, Hinata had no sway over her appearance. Hiashi kept her attire neat, always sporting their clan crest as not to let her forget who her actions represented. And even her hair was never allowed to grow, restricted to a traditional hime cut through all of her schooling, and even upon becoming a genin.

For the most part, Hinata didn’t really mind. Her clothes suited her well enough, especially with how baggy they were. Her lack of confidence coupled with her early blooming meant she was more than fine with being hidden under fabric. And in all honesty, her short hair was useful, keeping it out of her face when training or doing missions.

But after graduating from the Academy...things began to change for Hinata. Her teammates, a far cry from her own timid nature, helped bring out a subtle shift in her mindset. Watching her inspiration, Uzumaki Naruto, continue to defy odds made her believe that maybe there was still hope for her. 

The greatest change, however...came from her first attempt at the chūnin exams.

With mounting tensions behind the scenes, it was already slated to be an interesting year. Konoha’s junchūriki, as well as Suna’s, were going to be participating. Otogakure, a new village, was submitting entrants. And both Hinata and her cousin Neji would be thrown in together for the exams. At first, she’d simply hoped that they would skate past one another, never truly interacting.

But due to the high rate of completion in the Forest of Death, the proctors declared a preliminary round before arranging for the final task. And that was when random chance intersected with fate.

Hinata was to face Neji.

On one side, a girl attempting to change and defy the expectations and opinions of her clan. On the other, a boy born into servitude and mistreatment by that same clan, his genius overshadowed by his birthright. Hinata had long questioned the seal, knowing it was the reason behind her cousin’s anger and hate...and she knew it was justified.

If she were to be the outlet for that hate...then so be it.

But nor would she just give up…!

No matter her pain or stumbling, she refused to stay down, even as those around her cried for the match to end. It wasn’t until her heart was struck and Neji restrained that she was removed from the arena, rushed to the hospital and barely saved from an early death.

And still she wondered...had she changed? Even a sliver?

Would everyone be...proud of her?

Neji’s match against Naruto was quite the upset, Hinata torn between her cousin defying his fate, and her idol continuing on. In the end...Naruto was victorious, and Neji left to think. And his considerations were only deepened when Hiashi finally told him the truth of his father’s death.

From there...Neji too began to change. And Hinata was eager to see it, forgiving him his aggression and wanting only to rebuild what should have been a friendship from the start. Together, they began to train and strive to improve, gauging their progress against one another.

Hinata, finally, was flourishing. No longer did she have Naruto to worry about, the Uzumaki set to leave Konoha for three years. In those same years, she was determined to become someone worthy to walk beside a student of a sannin...and everyone else in their year. No longer would she be the timid, hesitating little genin. Hyūga Hinata was going to blossom at last.

And with her confidence...her hair began to grow. With Hiashi’s acceptance of her and Neji’s growth and independence, she was left to craft her own image. Foggy memories of her mother always included long, dark hair. So Hinata decided to emulate.

The next four years were filled with constant effort. Even upon Naruto’s return, she refused to waver. Though still soft compared to others she knew - Sakura’s take-no-shit attitude, Ino’s unshakable confidence, Tenten’s self-assured will to reach her goals - Hinata nonetheless kept training.

So when she stood before her village’s greatest enemy in the pits of its ruination, she did not tremble or flee. She stood her ground...even if, in the end, she knew it would be useless.

No more running away. No more second guessing. No more doubt. Even if she would face death...she’d do so with her head held high.

But Pein did not kill her, despite his best intentions. Hinata scraped through, her second near-death experience only serving to harden her resolve. Come wartime, she was ready, giving her all for her village, her country, her world. All of her hard work, all of her effort...it couldn’t be for nothing.

...and then the mokuton speared through her most beloved cousin’s chest.

Neji...unshakable pillar of strength and inspiration. Her cousin, her mentor, her friend...choosing his ultimate destiny. For her sake.

It shattered her, it boiled her...but only for an instant, heart pushed back to let her mind do what had to be done in the aftermath.

In the end...they were victorious. The cost was high, but that of losing would have been the ultimate price. Priorities, perspective...everything was changed.

A long-standing friendship would see her cousin brought back to her, and Hinata vowed then and there that she would never again let a brother die for a brother unless it was his own will. The Hyūga seal would die with him...but this time, stay dead.

Looking in the mirror of her rebuilt room, still novel after the leveling of Konoha, Hinata tries to recognize her reflection. The past several months after the war have been...difficult. Rewarding, but a test of her resolve and spirit. Hanabi has been working with her, alongside Neji, to end the Hyūga seal. Their Uchiha allies stand with them. But there’s still something missing...and she can’t quite place it.

She looks into the mirror...and in some ways, she doesn’t recognize who she sees. Hinata of the past is only caught in glimpses, pieces of the face that stares back. Her face isn’t as round as it once was, stripped of the stubborn baby fat that always made her look so childish. Still heart shaped, it’s more mature than it used to be. Her eyes are the most distinct difference. Hardened with all they’ve seen, shadowed with a lingering exhaustion she can’t seem to shake. So many time she closes her eyes and sees the war...sees Pein...sees the Tsukuyomi dream that now feels more like a nightmare.

...she really has changed. But has it been in all the way she’s wanted?

Studying her own face, she grips a pair of scissors in her hand. The tradition of long hair in the Hyūga is a prominent one. Her father, her cousin...Hanabi is the only exception, but she’s still young despite her heiress position. Soon, Hiashi will let her grow it out as a symbol of recognition.

Hinata, however...knows of another rite of passage. That of severing the past, giving oneself a clean slate. For four years now, she’s let her locks grow unfettered. These strands know of her failures, her victories, her joys and her sorrows. If she cuts them off - if she severs them now - will she get the rebirth she wants?

...for now, she sets the blades aside.

A bit more time to think.

“...you want to what?”

“It just feels like...maybe I should.” Hinata brings her hair around her shoulder, stroking at it slowly as Sasuke watches. He’s become a close companion during his stay in Konoha after his brother’s return. There’s only a handful of people she would consider breaching this topic with, and he was the first to come to mind that would give an honest answer. “...while I’ve grown a lot from all I’ve faced these past few years...it also feels like it’s all weighing on me. Part of me...wants to be rid of that weight.”

Sasuke knows the tradition well - Sakura did it during the chūnin exams, and another dear friend did the same for a fresh start so many years ago. “...I suppose that decision lies most with you.”

“...you really don’t have any o-opinion?”

“If you want to cut it, cut it. If you have any doubts, don’t. While it will, in time, grow back...it’s a lesson in consequences. This decision will have lasting ones. But…”

She glances up as he fades to silence, and then stiffens as he takes a section of strands. For a moment, Sasuke’s gaze is miles away...and she has to wonder what he’s seeing.

“...the rumors were true back then. I’ve always been fond of long hair. But no one ever really knew why.”

“...what was the reason?”

“...on most people, it’s never really mattered to me. Sakura’s didn’t, Ino’s didn’t...because it wasn’t quite right. But in your case...it fits rather well.” Slowly, he lets the hair slip from his grip. “...I like long hair because it reminds me of my mother. It’s not quite the same shade, but...yours reminds me of hers the most.”

In spite of herself, Hinata feels her heart quicken in her chest. She...she reminds Sasuke of his mother…?

“...but it’s still your choice. I can see the reasoning from both sides. Don’t make a call on my account, or anyone else’s. Like I said, your choice will have consequences, but...yours, at least, won’t be forever. It can grow back again. Not everything - or everyone - has that luxury.”

Hearing the weight in his words, Hinata swallows dryly. “I...I understand.”

“...good. Did you need anything else?”

“No, um...that was - that was all I wanted to ask you. Thank you...for being honest with me.”

“It’s one of my few virtues,” he replies, giving a hint of a smile. “Hope you find some peace, whatever you decide, Hyūga.”

Nodding, she watches him go, her heart finally calming as she finds herself alone. Pale eyes flicker back and forth as she thinks.

...maybe...the scissors can wait.

                                                            .oOo.

     I am...v tired, so I dunno if I'll have much to say this time around xD      Hinata's hair, as small of a detail as it might seem, is interesting to me. Kishi obviously kept it short to signify her lack of care about Sasuke's supposed preference, but...well, it obviously is a little different in a universe where they get together. The verse I write really only changes post 699, so maybe her motivations ARE still the same when she's little. But I also like the idea of the Hyūga influence, too. Neji is a bit of an outlier there, but that COULD be explained by his genius, even if he's not Main House.      ...I dunno, I'm too tired to elaborate as thoughtfully on this as I want to, but hopefully you get my meaning xD      With that tho, I'm gonna wrap up. Thanks for reading!

[faintblueivy]

Is She Beautiful? - Chapter 10

Hey my lovelies! So, this is it. The last chapter of this story. This is the longest chapter that I've ever written and finished it a while ago, so yeah, I'm definitely looking forward to your feedback! Please enjoy the chapter ahead.

A big thank you to @roopshasil​ to beta read this story for me!

...

Chapter 10

She is Beautiful

When Sasuke and Sakura entered the house, they didn't expect to see two pairs of sandals at the doorstep. Their daughter's was obvious and the other one was Boruto's. But it was quite unsettling to have the two of them together in the same house with so much silence. They exchanged a look of concern before heading to the living room where they could sense the younger duo were.

And the sight they come to...was not what they were expecting at all. Sarada was kneeling in front of Boruto, who was on the couch, their hands intertwined together. As curious as they were of the scene, their apprehension grew when they realised that both of the kids have been crying. They both had slightly swollen eyes, and prominent tear tracks on their cheeks. They were also...beat up. And then their eyes fall on the large fresh bandage on Boruto's arm and a bloodied handkerchief nearby.

“Sarada? ...Boruto?”

Sakura whispered, prompting both the kids to whip their heads in their direction. Sakura immediately took a few quick steps towards them.

“What happened?”

Boruto immediately stood up, mindful of Sarada's position and bowed down to Sakura in a swift move.

“I'm sorry Aunt Sakura! I'll just leave. I was leaving anyway…”

He tried to scramble away but before Sakura could stop him from doing so, Sasuke was already blocking the exit. He placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.

“Boruto. What happened?”

Maybe it was the strength in Sasuke's voice or perhaps it was the respect that Boruto held for the man but he couldn't move from there. He spoke up.

…

“Boruto's not home yet?”

Naruto asked, surprised, wondering why his son was away at this time of the night. Sure, Boruto did stay out longer at times but it was primarily because he was either training with Konohamaru or Sasuke. And the last time Naruto had found his son away from home so late night, he was at the Uchiha residence. 

At Hinata's distressed nod, Naruto yelled, “Wait. I'll make some shadow clones and search for him.”

But before he could create the seal, Himawari came running down the hallway.

“Mom! Dad! Aunt Sakura called!” The young girl screamed.

“She said that Onii-chan was at their home and that they would send him home after dinner!”

Both him and Hinata took a simultaneous sigh of relief but Naruto did wonder.

How do you always end up there, Boruto?

…

“They did what?!”

Sarada and Boruto had been trying to answer the barrage of questions that Sakura and Sasuke threw at them and would have to do their best to calm the two adults down when the things went too far.

“...Do you remember what they looked like?”

Sasuke was the first one of break the silence after the kids told them of how the guy had almost killed Sarada. Sensing the growing rage in her parents, Sarada spoke up immediately to diffuse the situation.

“Papa, calm down please! I'm okay. Boruto saved me.”

“Yes, sweetie. You're safe but Boruto's hurt, isn't he? And they deserve punishment. Just...not what Sasuke-kun is planning.”

Sarada giggled at the sour face her father made at her mother's remark. And Boruto smirked too. Sakura was healing the gash as much as she could combined with the burn that had still not properly healed yet. She rebandaged Boruto's arm before smiling at him with melancholy.

“Boruto, I know you think that things you've done are wrong, and yes, they were but that doesn't give the right to others to put you down. Especially when you're doing your best to make things right! Do you understand kid?”

Satisfied with Boruto's firm nod as an answer, Sakura felt relieved. She grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes.

“Listen Boruto, even though I can officially put it down in your medical report that the drug they injected in you was not toxic and only temporarily paralyzing, but I will not! No godson of mine will have some weird drug flowing in his body. That is why you'll accompany me to the hospital tomorrow. I have to make a through check up.”

Boruto gulped audibly but Sakura continued, “I'll also go and talk to Naruto about these new stupid inventions and them getting in wrong hands. One of these days, those scientific weapons he and the council has been funding on might end up hurting his own kid.”

Sakura fumed in herself as the other three watched her with various degrees of terror and awe.

You're incredible Mama!

Sarada looked up at the woman who gave her a grin in return.

“Come on Sarada! Help me cook dinner.”

Sarada gave her an enthusiastic nod and ran towards the kitchen but halted in midway when Boruto's voice reached her ears.

“I think I should leave now, Aunt Sakura.”

Sarada stopped in her tracks. To be honest, she didn't want him to leave yet but was not sure if he wanted to stay more here. They both needed a little loosening up after today's events. The day's events were too much for both of them.

“Nonsense! You will stay here and have dinner with us Boruto!”

“But Mom would worry-”

“I'll call Hinata. Don't worry about such trivial things.” Sakura emphasized with a convincing smile and Boruto resigned to the older woman.

As she grabbed the phone to dial Hinata, Boruto and Sasuke were already helping Sarada gather up the ingredients. A while later, Sakura returned, telling them that information has been relayed to Himawari. The ladies flitted around the kitchen cooking stuff and men helped them by bringing necessities and arranging the table.

Later, the four of them occupied the table. Miso soup, rice and several other side dishes were served. It was funny how Boruto squirmed in his seat. He wasn't used to having dinner with anyone else other than his family.

“Rice?”

Sarada's voice broke him out of his musings. He realised that she was gesturing at his empty bowl, so Boruto stretched it towards her for a second helping.

“And Boruto, do not worry” Sakura declared, “we'll be dropping you home after dinner.

“W-What?!”

Boruto gawked, slightly grateful that the chopsticks hadn't slipped off his fingers. He stared at Sakura, gaping.

“But Aunt! I can go home myself-”

“No way!”

This time it was Sarada who objected, elbowing him on the arm and narrowing her eyes.

“Last time you tried going home alone you were ambushed, drugged and almost killed! Not taking chances again! Right Mama?”

She nodded in the direction of her mother for agreement.

“Right!”

Boruto heaved out a large sigh and smiled in defeat.

“Fine, fine.”

His antics made both Sarada and Sakura giggle. He launched into another tirade of recent events, exclaiming how Sarada punched the hell out of those criminals and how he was cheering for her all the way.

Sasuke smiled.

He had seen enough of both of his daughter and student to notice that Boruto was much more livelier than he had been for days and Sarada was much more relaxed.

So you two made up, hn.

He closed his eyes for a second, relishing bliss of home, of the ambience and presence of his loved ones.

“Sasuke-kun? Are you tired?”

Sakura's sudden question snapped him out of the trance as he blinked at her.

“What? No-”

“Papa. Are you sleepy?”

He shook his head when Boruto exclaimed.

“He totally is! See, that's what I was saying! You guys shouldn't worry about me -ttebasa! I can go home on my own!”

“Boruto...don't even go there.” Sasuke warned.

“Alright, alright! I give up!”

He raised his both hands in surrender and then attacked the food, stuffing it into his mouth in embarrassment. Sarada rolled her eyes at him but allowed a fond exasperated smile to grace her lips.

…

After dinner and doing dishes, which Boruto had volunteered to help with, the group of four of them left for the Uzumaki residence. They were halfway down the busy road when Sasuke suddenly requested for a private audience with Boruto, prompting Sakura and Sarada to move ahead.

“After your fight with Momoshiki? Did something weird happen?”

Sasuke was direct to the point. His brows raised when the boy flinched and looked at him with wide eyes.

“You saw him?! Really? Does that mean I wasn't hallucinating? It was real?”

Sasuke gave him a cautious nod and asked something that had bothered him for a while.

“...He talked to you? Didn't he? Personally.”

Boruto tilted his head in agreement and Sasuke could detect turmoil in his clear blue eyes as the boy described the moment.

“It was... something, like a vision. I don't know what it was and he was definitely saying some creepy stuff along with that.”

“Creepy stuff?”

“Yeah. He talked about how people who defeat gods are not ordinary people anymore and some stuff about destiny and things like that. I thought...it was all in my head but you saw it. So it's gotta be true!”

Boruto looked disturbed now and Sasuke couldn't blame him at all. At the end of the day, he was just a kid. He watched monsters who claimed to be gods attack his village, capture his father and almost kill him. And then after defeating the monster, he's left with that creepy indecipherable message about his destiny, his future being cursed. Sasuke eyed the way his fists clenched and eyes clouded with apprehension.

“You know, I should have told you this sooner.”

His grave voice immediately attracted Boruto's attention. At the boy's curious stare, Sasuke looked forward, speaking from his heart.

“No one knows what the future holds. Remember that. If you live in fear of the future, you'll never be able to live the present. And I'm telling you this because you have a long way to go before you reach the desired future.”

Sasuke looked down back again, peering into his blue eyes, he spoke as honestly as he could.

“So don't think about what is to come, rather prepare yourself to battle everything and anything that destiny throws on your face.”

Sasuke genuinely smiled at the awed grin that Boruto offered him, a nostalgic scene from some corner of his conscience resurfaced.

…

“Do you think he caused some trouble again?”

Hinata's question made Naruto look up at her, she was sitting right across him on the chair, with a tense frown marring her beautiful features.

“Why would you think that? Hinata?”

He asked, lightly stroking Himawari's hair who had fallen asleep on the sofa waiting for her big brother. Hinata fiddled her fingers together, a nervous habit that she had grown out of a long time ago, but an anomaly that would occasionally reappear when she is extremely anxious about something.

“I-I don't know? He's been causing a lot of problems lately. Doing things that he shouldn't be doing. Sometimes... I feel like...it's my fault. Like if I have failed him as his mother-”

“Stop right there!”

Naruto's strong voice made Hinata flinch. But Naruto was having none of it. He stood up from his seat and approached his wife in a few strong strides. He crouched down to her level and gripped her shoulders firmly.

“Listen to me, Hinata. And listen to me good. You have never failed Boruto or anyone for any matter! Do you understand? You're an amazing mother, an awesome daughter and an incredible friend. And also the best love I could have ever wished for. So I will not accept you putting yourself down!”

Hinata opened her mouth to say anything but the words felt clogged in her throat. So rather than trying to bring forth what her feelings enclosed, she decided to act on them and buried her face in his chest. He circled his arms around her shoulders, holding her in his protective embrace.

Although the trance was broken when Himawari let out a tiny whine. Both parents breathed out a sigh of relief realising that she was still sleeping.

“I'm surprised that she's still asleep after all the yelling you did.” Hinata teased.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and laughed nervously before running to tuck their daughter away in the bed.

…

Naruto was climbing down the stairs when the front door slipped open and Boruto appeared, followed by the Uchiha family.

Naruto's surprised yell of ‘Boruto’ caused Hinata to rush out of the door to greet their son. The marks on his face and the fresh bandage on his arm alarmed them almost immediately.

“What happened?” They exclaimed in unison. 

All the four of the newcomers shared a look before letting out a collective sigh.

“It's a long story.”

…

“I'll dispatch a squad of Anbu to track down those criminals immediately!” Naruto stood up from his place, his anger flaring up, “And we also need to keep an close eye on the manufacture of those ninja tools.”

The people in the room had watched Naruto pacing the room repeatedly in agitation for ten minutes before Sasuke spoke up.

“You don't even need Anbu. I can do all that work myself. I just need permission.”

He side eyed Sakura who immediately retorted with a firm 'No’.

“Dad. Not today please.” Boruto's tired voice interrupted in between, “If I've to end up telling that incident one more time, I swear I'll go and ask hell if they're having an exchange program.”

All the adults gave him a 'what?’ look but Sarada just exhaled, having gotten used to his weird antics.

“Sarada. Boruto. We need you to leave this room.” Sasuke's sudden request made everyone look up at him “-uh, adult talk, you see?” He offered a lame explanation making the three adults in the room stare at him in incredulity while the younglings simply rolled their eyes, already used Sasuke's poor attempts when dealing with kids.

“I and Sarada are by the swings then.” Boruto supplied before exiting the room with Sarada beside him.

…

“What do you think they could be talking about?” Boruto asked, leaning against the pole of the swing which Sarada occupied at the current moment.

When Himawari was quite young, Uzumakis had a small swing set installed at their backyard. Boruto and Sarada have a lot of childhood memories related to this swing so it felt oddly nostalgic for both of them to be here at the moment. But neither mentioned anything.

“I don't know? Maybe how to deal with our attackers or maybe about the take of action against SNWT?”

“Yup, probably.”

A light breeze blew, tossing Sarada's dark locks in rhythm. She closed her eyes to feel it, cherish it and letting that calm wash over her nerves. Suddenly, a gentle push on her back made the swing move forward. She swiveled her head around to find Boruto behind her, smiling gently. As the swing returned, he caught her and pushed her again. Sarada giggled, relishing the momentum and the feeling of wind whipping her face.

As the comfortable silence continued, Sarada felt her heart ease up and shed some light on the questions she had been scared to ask herself. The swinging motion was so incredibly soothing that her lips turned upwards into a smile. Back and forth. It was astonishing how a childhood fun activity defined their bond so well. How they would push one another towards their goals but would also be there to catch when the other stumbles behind.

And suddenly everything became so crystal clear.

“Do you want to swing too?” She asked turning to look at him as she was softly pushed away again.

“Nahhh.” He grinned.

“You know? I want you to remember what Mama said. Just because you made a mistake that you're repenting for, gives nobody else the right to insult you. Don't let people do that again Boruto.”

It took him a moment to reply.

“I know. I understand it now. Better late than never, right?”

“Right!” she laughed happily, relieved on inside to see the light shining in his eyes once again.

“But yeah, thank you Sarada.”

His gratitude out of nowhere made her whip her head in his direction.

“What? What are you thanking me for? You're the one who...saved me?”

Boruto shook his head at her confusion.

“I wanted to thank you for everything. For being so understanding after the mess I created with the others. Then coming to save my loser self from those attackers. Then taking care of my wounds before your own. And also for... making me see things that I was deliberately ignoring. I just don't know what I'd do without you.”

His voice was so thick with emotions that Sarada half suspected that he might be crying again, so she tightly refrained from the urge to look back at him. Because she knew it better than anyone else about how much he hated showing tears. She had seen him crying today already. He wouldn't like it if it happens a second time. After a while, she whispered.

“Welcome. You know, you can count on me. Always.”

“You can count on me too! Always!” He replied without missing a beat. They both were secretly elated, happy and appeased. The tensions that have been taking hold of their relationship slowly seemed to fade away.

“Sarada!”

Sakura's voice floated over to the two of them as they saw their parents standing on the porch.

“Come on! Let's go home!”

“Yes. Coming!” Sarada replied, jumping off the swing after Boruto slowed it down. As Sarada was about to follow her parents out of the Uzumaki residence, she stopped all of sudden. She slowly turned to him and Boruto was not sure if it was an illusion of anything, but her cheeks appeared a little pinker than usual.

“Um,” her eyes darted all over the place, “-you see, I, care about you a lot.”

Instantly, that nervous fiddling around vanished, replaced by a surge of confidence that astounded him.

“And you're my friend! That is why!”

What about you? 

He had asked, and this was her answer. 

The bright grin she offered him was so overwhelming, so bright and blinding that Boruto failed to utter out a single word as she raced back to her parents.  He stood there, still staring at her back, enchanted, as he added one more fact in the list of those he was exclusively sure about her.

Yes .

With that smile etching itself deep in his memories, he knew, that there wasn't any sense in denying anymore.

Yes .

He now knew.

Yes.

She is Beautiful. ...

Aaaaaahhhhh! I know it's an open ended story but since Boruto and Sarada are still quite young here, I felt that the most important factor in this story would be their relationship development based on their friendship. And also has a lot of character development here as well.

And at the last, the story ended where it started, so yes, a full circle? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I had so much fun WRITING it, and had so many up and downs irl during the span. It was amazing journey shared with you all. And honestly thanks a lot for supporting me and also for your patience.

If you want to talk more about this story, you can send me messages on my Tumblr ask box! I'll be happy to indulge you!

And of course, fear not, no matter what, I'll still be updating my other stories so this is not the end!

With the above message, I conclude my first multichapter story ever!

Thank you everyone for reading this story and supporting it!

See you again.

[dayseternal-blog]

Catskin | Chapter 2: Family/Forgotten

For @nhweek, Day 5 Family, Day 6 Forgotten

She's a nameless girl. Strange in dress, appearance, and accent in a foreign kingdom. She stowed away on a merchant ship, running from a certain future much worse than just losing her name.

An NH retelling of the fairytale Catskin.

Read it at NarutoDays (DAYS8) on AO3

Chapter 2: Family/Forgotten

“Hey, who’s that?!”  A voice shouts at her in the dark of the night.  “Stop!”

She runs faster.  Harder.

She managed to get off the ship when the clouds covered the moon, but this town has a heavily secured port.  

Voices of a different inflection, accents and strange phrases of this new region’s dialect, yell out at her only some paces behind.

She twists around a corner.  Harsh breaths saw out of her burning lungs.  She considers dropping her bag.  She holds it tighter.  

She runs around another corner, her eyes squeezing shut as she presses forward.  Her heart thunders a desperate prayer for escape.  Please, please, no, no, no.  She turns another building.  

She slams into a body, sending both of them crashing to the ground.  She frantically gets off of the person.  “Oh, oh, I’m so sorry, oh no,” she breathes out, hearing shouts behind her.  She attempts to grab her bag, intent to keep running.

The person grabs her wrist.

“P-please, I’m s-sorry,” she gasps out, fear running through her at her impending capture.  She looks down, finally looking face-to-face with the person she so rudely crashed into.

Startlingly red eyes.  A beautiful woman. The woman gets up and dusts herself off, her red eyes glancing toward the sounds.  She looks directly at her.  “Don’t worry,” she whispers.

“H-huh?” Hinata asks in confusion.  She’s breathing hard.  Her legs feel like jelly.  And she realizes that she probably can’t run anymore now that she stopped for too long.

The woman takes her bag.  She quickly runs her hands through Hinata’s hair, brushing the strands behind her ears.

Hinata’s gasping for breath.  “W-what…”

“Calm down, deep breaths, pretend with me,” the woman whispers.

“W-wha-”

The woman presses her forehead to hers, taking deep breaths.

A couple of seconds in, Hinata begins to catch onto her rhythm, and as soon as she starts to keep pace, the woman pulls away.

“Walk with me.”  She links her arm around Hinata’s and they walk straight back around the corner from where Hinata came from.

The guards are running directly at them, and the woman pulls Hinata to the side.

The guards run around the building, ignoring them.

The woman pulls her along.  “Don’t look back, don’t stop,” she whispers.  

Hinata registers the sound of running coming back toward them.  

“Honestly, you would think we would have found a place to stay by now.  How can all of these rooms be so expensive?” the woman suddenly starts talking.  

Hinata glances at her, realization slowly coming through her adrenaline-rushed mind.  She nods carefully.

“Let’s try here.”  

“O-okay,” Hinata responds as the woman pulls her into an inn.  

They head straight for the stairs, and the woman rushes her up, pulling out keys in the process.  The woman pushes her into the third floor, and they walk quickly to a door, which the woman unlocks.

She shuts it behind them, locks it, and then turns to face Hinata.

Hinata stands there in the entrance of the room, staring at the door, half-expecting someone to come pounding on it.

“You’re safe,” the woman says quietly.

She lets out a gasp of relief she didn’t realize she was holding.  She leans against the wall, and blinks rapidly.  She’s shaking.  “Th-thank you.  Thank you so much,” she gasps out.

The woman shakes her head in a gesture of modesty.  “You don’t sound like you’re from around here,” she wonders aloud.

Where is here?  She doesn’t voice her question.  She doesn’t want to give too much about herself away.  The less conversation, the better.  She shakes her head, “I’m not…”

The woman raises a brow, waiting for her to elaborate.

Hinata makes a show of catching her breath.  She tries to change the subject.  “I don’t know how to repay you for your help.”

The woman doesn’t reply to that, knowing that the foreigner is avoiding her question.  She instead guides the girl further into the room, offering her a seat.  “I was once like you.  Landing where ever I happened to fall.”

Hinata looks up sincerely at her.  “I’m so sorry about that, running into you like that.  I’ve caused you so much trouble.  Thank you for rescuing me.”

She smiles kindly.  “Tell me, what’s your name.”

“Hina-”  She stops herself in shock.  She shuts her mouth and averts her gaze to the floor.  With the way things are going, she’ll be shipped back to Konoha in no time at all.

“...Well, Hina, you’re not any trouble to me.  I was in the right place at the right time.”

Hinata looks up at the woman in awe.  She seems so genuinely kind.

“You can call me Kurenai.”

“Kurenai…”  Hinata is still amazed by the beautiful woman before her.  “Thank you.”

“Did you come in with the ships?”

Hinata nods silently.

“Do you know where you are?”

She shakes her head.

“You’re in Uzushio.”

Her eyes widen.  Uzushio.  A neighboring kingdom to Hinokuni, famous for its whirlpools, summer monsoons, exotic pearls, and blood-red hair.  She remembers her geography studies. Stretches of the world’s tallest and coldest mountains on one side. Mysterious oceans on the other.  Although the kingdom is relatively small, the land is prosperous and safe. No invasion has yet been successful and the Uzumaki clan has reigned peacefully since time unknown.  Close familial ties with the ruling Senju clan of Hinokuni solidified secret ocean trade routes navigated only by Uzushio’s experienced seamen.

She never dreamed she’d come to this closed-off nation.  

Maybe she’d be safe here.  No one would ever think to find her here.

“If you want, you can come with me.  I can give you work.  And a place to stay.”

Hinata stares at Kurenai suspiciously.  It’s much too fortuitous to be true.  “W-why would you do that for me?”

Kurenai looks at her with a smile.  “Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”

“W-well...you don’t know me at all…and I...I can’t...”

“I understand that there are things you cannot share with me now.  But I was once like you.  Scared and alone in a new place, and my employers took me in.  I feel like I’m being given the chance to pay it forward now.”

Hinata bites her lips and nods.  “Thank you,” she whispers.  She doesn’t know what the work is, but she’ll take anything.  

Kurenai gives her another warm smile.  “For now, get some rest.  We’ll be heading out in the morning.”

Hinata nods, realizing only now that she’s so tired, she feels she could sleep for days.

When they go down from Kurenai’s room in the morning, a carriage is already waiting for them.

The coachman and Kurenai greet each other cheerily.  “I thought it would be just you this morning.  Who’s this you have with you?”  

“A new-hire,” Kurenai answers easily.

“I-it’s nice to meet you,” Hinata greets quietly.

The coachman nods in greeting, and Hinata is struck by the seeming rudeness, only to realize that she’s a nobody here.  No one knows her father.  No one knows her Hyuuga eyes.  She’s lower than a servant.  She’s currently a jobless, nameless nobody.

And just like that, as they ride through the awakening, busying town, she realizes, she’s free.  She doesn’t know what she’s gotten herself into, but she’s free of her father.  Free of his expectations.  Free of Toneri.

Toneri.  She should have been married to him yesterday.  She should have shared vows with him.  She should have worn a white gown more expensive than herself.  She should have shared his bed last night.  She should have felt his unwanted hands on her body and lost her innocence.  She should have cried by herself in the dark of the night.

But she didn’t.  

She is still herself.  She is still her own self.  No one’s belonging to put away, no one’s doll to dress up, and no one’s puppet without a voice.  

And yet, she feels like she’s missing something.  Or rather, someone.  Hanabi.  Her fingers clench at the ugly coat.  Her only possession to remind her of her sister.

And her strange sense of humor.  That somehow inspired all of this to happen.

She looks out at the town.  People of brown, black, green, and blonde hair hurry along the streets.  There are a few redheads here and there, too, but not the sea of red she had always imagined from the texts she read.  She can fit in here.  No one would ever find her.

In the long carriage ride that eventually takes them through fields and forests, she worries about her sister, whether she’s okay, whether everything is alright at home.  Whether her father is worried about her, whether he’s searching for her, whether she’s brought shame on her family nameagain.  

She smiles a bit in a warped sense of amusement.  It would be for the last time.  She’d never bring shame on the Hyuuga again.  Her father would never have to worry about her staining his honor and pride ever again.

She’s disappeared.

She’s starting over.  

They pull into a magnificent estate, the walls of the castle a gorgeous white stone.  

She quickly realizes what she hadn’t thought about earlier.  She’s to be a servant.  For a lord’s family.  She almost wants to laugh at the irony.  Everything she had thrown away for a life of freedom, she would now have to see from the other side.

Yet, she feels like this is perfect.  She knows to a great extent the responsibilities of ruling a province and the workings of daily life in prominent clans.  She even knows how to behave as a servant.  The tone she will have to use, the postures she will need to assume when in the same room as the family members.  Everything else, the cleaning, the cooking, the manual labor...hopefully Kurenai or whoever her head maid is, will give her time to learn and adjust.

She looks out at the grounds.  Exquisitely manicured gardens.  Towering hedges that hint at hidden, private gardens that would be perfect for reading in the late mornings.  “Wow,” she breathes.  They appear almost as rich as the Otsutsukis.  For all she knows, maybe even more.  The Otsutsukis had a penchant for boasting.

“This is the Namikaze estate.  You will be serving Lady Kushina Uzumaki and Lord Minato Namikaze.  They have one son, Master Naruto.”

She nods, memorizing their names.  It strikes her again, the strangeness of her new status.  She’ll have to address their son as “Master” or “Sir,” even if he’s years younger than her.  She’s never had to do that.  She can’t imagine ever calling someone like Konohamaru “Master.”  

Or worse.  Serving someone like Toneri and calling him “Master.”  She mentally shudders.  She was almost sentenced to a life of serving him, albeit in a different capacity.

She hopes the Namikaze family isn’t anything like the Otsutsukis.  She even hopes they aren’t like her own family.

They exit the carriage, and Kurenai takes her to the servants’ quarters for her to leave her bag.  She only saw the servants’ quarters at her own home once when she accidentally wandered about the estate as a young girl.  She was then harshly reprimanded.

She’s pleasantly surprised to find that she’ll have her own room.  Even if it is small, it’s all that she needs.  She probably won’t be staying in her room too often anyway.  She deposits her bag in her tiny closet, hoping that no one goes through her belongings.  None of the rooms have locks.

Kurenai shows her around the laundry, the kitchens, the dining room, the unobtrusive servants’ halls and stairs that she must use when the family hosts parties.  

She takes it all in with a bit of guilty fascination.  It’s like she gets to explore all the “secret” places she wanted to sneak into when she was a child.  She knows the novelty of it will wear off eventually when this truly becomes her way of life, when her previous high status is nothing but a distant memory.

Kurenai introduces her to many people along the way, and the names begin to blur together.  What she doesn’t forget is the startled look they try to hide upon meeting her eyes. Then the slight twitch of the brows when they see her coat.  

She shadows another maid for the rest of the day and generally tries to stay out of the way.

When she finally lies down for bed, she has trouble falling asleep.  

A new country.  A new home.  A new bed.  A new role.

Despite everything, things turned out far better than she could have ever imagined.  She can only hope her positive anticipation isn’t wrong.

The first weeks in the castle pass uneventfully.  She wakes at 5:00 and reports for duty at 5:30. As a newbie, she stays out of sight of the Namikazes until she’s proved to the head maids that she won’t make a scene of herself.  She does the laundry, washes the dishes, and helps with the shopping and meal-prep.  She settles into a comfortable routine and camaraderie with the other maids as they discuss remedies for their water-chafed skin.  Negative comments on her foreign speech patterns, her eyes, her clothes (they don’t know it would be strange anywhere), are few and far between.  She sticks to her timid and humble behaviors, finding that the veteran maids treat her more nicely that way.

At some point, she gains the nickname Bucchi*.  It’s an ugly-cute name, and she finds that she doesn’t mind it as much as she probably thinks she should.  The new name makes her feel like she can forget her past.  No longer Hinata, no longer following the tradition of the Hyuuga naming customs.  The nickname instead recalls the cat skin coat she dons over her uniform.  The castle is always drafty, and all the maids wear some sort of coat or shawl.

Bucchi.  It sounds like a name Hanabi would love.  So in a way, the nickname charms her, too.  She starts introducing herself this way when she meets someone she’s never worked with before.  She’s not the only one with a peculiar nickname and a hidden past.

One early afternoon, she lines up with the rest of the maids to report for their duties for the remainder of the day.  That morning, she was assigned to the scullery.  According to the cycle of schedules, it’s likely she’ll be folding the linens.  

“Hina, you will be dusting and shelving in the Eastern Wing’s library.”  Kurenai is the only one who calls her by her “real” name.

“The library?” she repeats, just to make sure.  She’s only been out in the open once before when the Namikazes took a trip down South.  Right now they are all at home in preparation for a visit from cousins.  The possibility is much higher that she might finally see her employers, and after working there for six weeks, she is truly curious.  She has heard of Lord Minato’s wisdom.  She has heard of Lady Kushina’s excitable temper.  She even actually heard the lady’s shrill voice through the halls once.  And though she doesn’t really care to admit it, she’s most curious about the young lord Naruto.  Supposedly he is around her age from what she could gather of the gossip surrounding his daily life.

“Yes, in the Eastern Wing.”

She follows three other more veteran maids, and she feels herself oddly shrinking inward when they step out into the open halls.  It doesn’t feel as bad as the first time, but she has this strange sense of dissonance, like she doesn’t belong, or like she’s fooling everyone.  Taking the servants’ passageways and staying in the background lets her feel like she’s living a different life, and most of the time, she truly forgets her past life.  Walking through the serene open corridors and the grand staircases just makes her feel…

Do I miss it?, she wonders.  Does she miss the luxury?  Does she miss the comforts of the upper social class?...

Entering the library makes her realize that she does.  Shelves and shelves of books stretch from the floor to the ceiling.  A staircase leads to an upper landing of even more books.  Tables and comfortable armchairs are spaced here and there, and natural light streams in through a tall window.  She has the sudden urge to explore all the books, to tuck herself into a corner, and read for the rest of the afternoon.

Of course she doesn’t.  

She sets to work with the other women, dusting covers and replacing books where they belong.  Many of the titles interest her, and she wonders if she might ever be allowed to peruse them on a day off.  She would have to be sneaky about it.  She realized on a day out shopping with the girls that many of the maids do not have her level of literacy.

She goes up to the second floor, rounds a shelf, only to stop in surprise.

A young man with bright blonde hair sits passed out on a chair, a thick book open in his lap.  Other books are haphazardly spread out on the table before him.  A notebook holds the topics of his studies, in decidedly not the best penmanship she’s ever seen.  

He appears peaceful.  Completely asleep.

Naruto.  She knows it must be him.  She looks at him in curiosity.

He definitely looks her age.  Maybe even a little older.  Tan skin balances masculine features, completely unlike the lords of Konoha with their fair skin and aristocratic cheekbones.  He’s not at all what she imagined he would look like, considering the sighs the maids her age give when he’s mentioned.

His head suddenly drops forward, the strain on his neck snapping his eyes open.

She startles, slipping between the shelves.  She rushes back toward one of the other maids she’s gone out with on previous occasions.  “Shizuka?” she whispers.  “I-I believe I just saw Master Naruto in the corner.”

The maid’s eyes widen.  “Really?”

“Yes, do you think we should stop-”

Before she could even ask if they should stop dusting, Shizuka rushes away toward where Hinata came from.

Hinata stands there for a second in confusion before following reluctantly.  Their voices reach her ears as she peeks around the shelf.

“Master Naruto, good afternoon,” the dark-haired girl greets politely with a bow.

“Oh, hi, Shizuka,” he replies.  He gives a large yawn, stretching his arms and adjusting his position.  

He knows her name, she marvels.  Even she didn’t know all the names of the servants in her household.  And like her, Shizuka isn’t a personal maid, but rather is in charge of more menial tasks.  She only knew the names of her personal maids and the top officers.  She’s amazed at Shizuka, too.  The staff never just came up to her.  They waited to be summoned, bowed silently, stood still before her family in strict obedience.

“Are you in need of anything?” Shizuka asks.

The young lord grins cheekily.  “You think you can help me with my work?” he asks jokingly.

“Oh Master Naruto,” Shizuka giggles back, shaking her head.  

Hinata is absolutely astounded by the exchange.  She never joked with the servants.  She was forced to be separate from them.  

The young man suddenly stands up, stretching once more.  He walks out into the main floor of the library, and Shizuka follows behind him.  The two other maids turn from their work and go up to him, greeting him and asking him about his day so far.

Hinata watches them talk and joke from a distance, more and more shocked to find that he knows their names, too.  Eventually he steps back, saying (more like complaining) how he needs to get back to reading, and the maids bow, wishing him good luck and complimenting him on his work ethic.

Hinata comes out from the shelves when it finally seems safe to show herself, and just as she thought they would, they all leave the library so as not to bother him.  

She doesn’t realize that the man of her silent observation saw her through the books, surprised that there was a fourth girl there.

The maids gush, even the two middle-aged ones, about his charm.

“Bucchi, why didn’t you come out to introduce yourself?” Shizuka asks.

“...oh, um, I thought I would be disturbing him,” she quietly replies.

“The young master isn’t like that!” another maid says to the other two’s agreements.

And as she is given more responsibilities that take her around the castle, especially with the extended family visiting that weekend, she finds out that he really isn’t.  He talks with anyone who happens to be around, seemingly uncaring about social status, even in front of his family members.  She comes to understand the doting nature all of the staff have on the only Namikaze son.  His blatant disregard for rules was at first shocking to her.  And then she could only describe it as charming.  He has a way with words and spinning stories that enthralls.

But she doesn’t speak to him.  She shies away from his line of view or hides until he is gone, afraid.  She’s not exactly sure of what it is about him that scares her.  She thinks that it might be that despite his differences, he still symbolizes her past.  A past that she’s desperately trying to forget.  When she spots him wearing his riding clothes, or his sword-sparring uniform, or even his casual clothes, it reminds her of two of her closest male cousins Neji and Ko.  

She wonders if in the years and decades to follow, her memories of her family will eventually lay forgotten.  It’s bittersweet.  As much as she hated being Hyuuga, why now does she miss it so?...

Her determination to stay away from him backfires.  

On one morning, when a blonde, personal maid of Naruto’s by the name of Shion reports in sick, Hinata learns that Shion specifically requested that she take her place for the day.

Shizuka shakes her head, murmuring to Hinata that Shion is a jealous girl.  “Try not to act too uncomfortable around Master Naruto.”  Everyone seems to notice Bucchi’s reluctance to get close to the aristocratic family.  Shizuka doesn’t mention to her that she was also likely requested due to her somewhat strange and ragged appearance.

“I’ll try,” she responds quietly.

“He could take offense to it.  He prides himself on social skills.”

She nods seriously.  The last thing she wants to do is upset her employers.  She just wants the day to pass quickly.

“All a personal maid has to do is assist with his dressing and toiletries, so stay near his bedchambers.”

She nods.  “Okay.”  She knew this already, but everyone just thinks she’s a fast learner in the ways of the household.  “Thank you, Shizuka.”

She goes with his other personal maid, a much older woman, Kimiko, who instructs her to help prepare his bath.  She carefully fills a container of water and carries it to the baths. It’s hard work, being careful not to spill any water in the trips back-and-forth, and Hinata realizes she never truly appreciated her servants at home.  She thanked them politely, but she never really, really understood the work.  If she ever returns to Konoha, she would thank them properly…

She sighs.  

“Hey, let me help you with that.”

She abruptly turns to see the young master dressed in a robe, standing at the side, looking ready to rush to her aid.

Her eyes widen, and she immediately ducks her head, embarrassed.  “M-Master Naruto!”  She hurries to the tub.  “I-I’m fine, thank you.  Please don’t bother yourself with me.”  She pours the water in, glad that it was the last one, and that she won’t tarnish her reputation by having him help her.  She gets the feeling he’s someone who follows through on his offers.

“Thank you.  I know that’s a lot of work.  I usually help Shion, but it looks like you finished already.  Sorry about that.”  He brushes the back of his neck, looking like the embarrassed one.  

“O-oh no, sir!  It was no problem at all.  I-I was thinking about something else…Please don’t bother yourself with me.”  She steps slowly to exit the room and allow Kimiko to help with his bathing.

“Oh yeah?  About what?” he asks easily, knowingly stopping her escape.  The maids weren’t the only one who noticed the bluenette slipping away in his presence.

She freezes.  “N-nothing, sir.”  She stands still, awkwardly waiting for him to dismiss her.  She’s only ever seen her father in his bathing robe. She’s never seen another man like this.  As a maid, who should have come from a way of life less sheltered, she shouldn’t be conscious about this, but...unfortunately...

He smiles.  “You’re new, right?  What’s your name?”

She keeps her head bowed, partially in a gesture of respect, partially to hide her discomfort.  “...They call me Bucchi, sir.”

He quirks a brow at the strange name, understanding that it’s in reference to her equally strange coat, but he knows she’s not the only one in the staff who goes by an alias.  “Bucchi, huh?”  He chuckles as he sees her skin color pink.  “Well, Bucchi, thank you for filling in for Shion.  I know she was sick yesterday.  How is she doing?”

Hinata raises her eyes slightly, amazed that he’s so concerned with them.  “S-she is getting better, Master Naruto.  I know she is intent on returning to work as soon as she is able.  I will do my best in her place today, sir.”

His eyes widen at seeing her eyes.  He had never gotten a good look at her face, with her long dark hair like a curtain, and even now she was hiding her face from him.  Her seemingly pupil-less eyes immediately turned down again, and he finds himself curious for another look, unsure of what he saw.  She isn’t blind, is she?  “You don’t have to bother yourself with formalities around me, Bucchi.  I consider everyone in this household a part of my family, even if you all insist on the titles.”

She stares at the floor in surprise.  What a strange way of thinking!  “...I-I don’t mind at all, Master Naruto,” she manages to reply, not knowing what else to say at his declaration.

To his disappointment, she doesn’t look at him again.  He frowns slightly, wondering why she acts this way with him, but he decides not to push it, realizing that he really does make her uncomfortable.  

Kimiko enters the room.  “Is everything alright, Master Naruto?”

“Oh, yes.  Thank you, Bucchi.”

“It was my pleasure, sir.”  The young maid bows and exits.

He watches her leave.

“Please excuse, Bucchi, Master Naruto.  She is a very timid girl.  I hope she did not do anything to displease you?”

“No, not at all.  She filled the tub by herself so quickly.”

“She is a hard worker and takes her job seriously,” Kimiko responds as she helps him prepare for his bath.

“...I can tell.  You all work so hard for my family.  Thank you.”

“We are proud to be a part of the Namikazes' continued success.”

Hinata takes a deep breath once she exits the room.  No lord has ever given her so much attention or actually talked to her, not at her.  And he was in his bathrobes.  The entire exchange was much too intense and unexpected for her.  She wasn’t at all prepared for it.  She was hoping to fill his bath before he entered, but she had no such luck.  

Thankfully, it turns out he has a busy day.  He dresses quickly with Kimiko’s aid, politely thanks them, and rushes out without engaging her in another intense conversation.

That night, Kimiko does most of the talking, and the young lord doesn’t force her to join the conversation.  Whenever she notices his gaze turning toward her, she bows her head, an excuse to avoid eye contact with his unwavering blue.  

Thankfully, Shion is fully recovered the next day, and eagerly resumes her duties.  

But that night, she returns to the servant’s quarters, looking dramatically heartbroken.  She announces to the maids, that includes Hinata, “Guess what Master Naruto told us tonight?”

The women gather around, always eager to hear a story about the young lord.  

“They’re going to host a ball!  To find him a bride!”

“A bride?!” the women echo, in alternating voices of excitement or dismay.

“He says he wants to enjoy his youth longer, but Lord Minato and Lady Kushina are forcing him to settle down,” she adds.

The women titter and comment fondly on the young master’s playfulness.

“Well, it is about time he starts courting someone.  He hasn’t paid attention to any young women as far as I know.  I think a ball is certainly necessary,” Kimiko informs, and they all nod, respecting the personal maid’s long years of experience with him.

“When is the ball?” one asks.

“In three weeks!” Shion answers.

“It’s going to get really busy around here,” Shizuka whispers to Hinata.

“T-there will probably be many guests, won’t there?” Hinata asks.

Shizuka nods.  “The Namikazes like to host lavish parties.”

Hinata nods seriously, as if she has never been to a lavish party.  

But she has.  

And quite contrary to her shy personality, she enjoys them.  Once she grew a little out of her shell, she found she enjoyed dancing, which gave her something to do in the presence of others.  Young lords curious about her never knew what to say to her, but they enjoyed dancing with her.  Her father wasn’t as worried about her when they went to dances.  His lectures were less stern.  Dinner parties were just another story.

Saying goodnight to Shizuka, she heads to her room.  She wants to forget her past.  She doesn’t want to remember what she liked about it.  She’ll never have it back after all.

“Hina.”

She blinks to her side, seeing Kurenai walking in pace with her.  “Yes, Kurenai?”

The woman’s gaze is analytical, and Hinata tilts her head in confusion.

They stop in front of her room.

“I-is something the matter?”

Kurenai enters her room, pulls open her closet completely, and gestures at the dresses she hung up and promptly ignored, the glittering fabric shining even in the dark.  “...Do you care to explain these?”

*Note: Bucchi means "tabby" in Japanese.

In the original fairy tale, the heroine is given the nickname Catskin, but I think it's weird to have both English and Japanese names in a story for consistency's sake. Cat skin or cat fur in Japanese is "Neko no kawa," which is just too long and literal to rationalize as a nickname.

Anyway, that's enough about my translation issues!