#hold my bentou

[chaoflaka]

[hana-the-ghostieee]

a lot of ideas infest my brain but this one is pretty new! partially because recently i've been getting into more popular vocaloid songs (mou ikkai! mou ikkai! "watashi wa kyou mo korogarimasu." to shoujo wa iu, shoujo wa iu) and po pi po. has taken me in (mwehehe!!!)

so imma just write yet another 2dmv (this is more of a draft than anything tho soooo. no cool sections with specific vocal lines)

so mhm! for april fools this year how about we torture rui >:333

(except it isn't we cuz i'm sure "we" aren't like. sega or colorful palette's project sekai team)

as always because this thing is going to be long, you're welcome mobile users blah blooh bleh, i puteth the stuff under the cut so go check it out if you want

hold on imma title it and everything though i haven't fleshed out really specific parts

Po Pi Po - LamazeP (ft. Miku Hatsune, Emu Otori, Nene Kusanagi)

anyways! we torture rui >:DDD

so! for the 2dmv! it's in the style of a 3dmv with like a general stage-y dancey area and blah

yes. we torture rui. that. that's like all there is.

emu, nene and miku are all in slightly altered green workout project diva (?) outfits with different details and stuff i guess (but they all have to match cuz cohesive set thingy.)

so from the beginning of the song to around the end of the first chorus we're in the wondershow sekai, with rui sat at a table, refusing to eat his vegetable filled bentou. nuh-uh. no way in bahooey. and emu, miku and nene are just walking around him as. the po pi po cult, tryna get him to eat his food. oh also meiko rin len and luka have rui at tazer-point so if he ever tries to run off he'd probably go bbbrzrzZRRZRZRZBZRZBZRZBRZRZRZBZBRZRBZRBZRZZZZZZ (yes, in bold)

and then around after the first chorus, kaito leads tsukasa to the main area and he's like. what's going on. and then he sees the table, rui and the vegetable-filled bentou. ohhhhhhhhhhhh. but instead of joining the po pi po cult he goes sits at the table with rui and tries to coax him into actually eating his vegetables.

(for the whole thing the camera focuses on the po pi po cult, but from here rui and tsukasa argue in the back. like look. "but they taste disgusting!" "but they're good for you!" "have you even felt the texture of those disgusting things?" "just eat it TwT" "let's kiss" "sur... sTOP DISTRACTING ME")

and yeah after that exchange of dialogue we focus on more po pi po cult!! in the choruses there's going to be. flying vegetables and like vegetable juice carton box thingy cutouts cuz we have to push the theme or something

and po pi po cult is surrounding the oddballs (mainly 2) and yk. pushing him to eat the vegetables.

and then around the second chorus in the back tsukasa goes "*sigh* okay fine. if i kiss you will you eat your vegetables?" but rui only heard kiss so they go at it (woo.)

but then but then!! (for some reason i feel like he sounds like nene here if she wasn't part of the po pi po cult) near the end, (a very flustered, tomato-red) tsukasa's like "okay. now eat your vegetables." "eh?!" "what eh. that was the deal." "there was a deal?!?" "stop playing dumb =w= eat your vegetables before i take these chopsticks and feed you myself." "waa~, you're going to feed me? kasa, you're such a romantic~" "...mhm... *looks at vegetable-filled bentou*"

"YOU'RE GOING TO FEED ME THESE VEGETABLES?!?!?"

"if i must."

"BETRAYAAAL."

and then at the very end we see a (chibi?) rui with tears streaming down his face, mouth full of lettuce.

(for him this is torture of the highest degree.)

yeah i sent this to a friend on discord they were mainly focusing on the gay scrunkles

no literally they just went. "*le gasp* GAYS AWWWW GAYS I LOVE GAYS <3333 THEY'RE SUPER SILLY I LOVE THEM :DDD" dude i also made an entire cult of three people to feed vegetables to one person with purple hair and a soda candy addiction so. please focus on that too

[demonslayedher]

Deep-fried pork cutlet, aka tonkatsu, was one of the food trends that took hold in Meiji and Taisho times. Fanbook #1 tells us Mitsuri was a big fan, so I knew I had to try making it at some point. With cherry blossoms being so brief, the time was now.

Unlike my last Kimetsu Kitchen experiment with fried food, this one turned out to be a huge success✨🌸💕😻😍💓💖✴️💐

First off, I rarely eat katsu.

Ever since I was little, I have never been able to stand big chunks, or even tiny chunks of fat on my meat, and katsu is usually made with cuts that have huge chunks of fat all down at least one side and all around the edges. Rather than trying to explain to people that I enjoy meat but only the very lean parts of meat and this cut's okay but that one's not, I usually just ask for something else entirely so as not to cause a fuss. But, if I'm the one cooking, I trim off as much fat as I want! Bwahaha! However, for the usual approach to tonkatsu, it's recommended that you just cut some slits in the meet when you tenderize it.

I wound up being very pressed for time on this bentou, so I did my prep on the meat the day before and used the excess meat in an earlier meal so as not to be too wasteful. I also tenderized my meat in advance. If you do not have a meat tenderizer (a mallet with this specific purpose to pound raw meat and terrorize its tough proteins into tender submission), you can also use a rolling pin.

A rolling pin? I don’t cook, what makes you think I bake? I don’t have a rolling pin.

Well then.

Meat, meet Mitsuri.

...Meat-suri.

I found it pretty easy to flatten them and make them easy to cut as I pleased. They were very cooperative. ^_^

The following morning, I knew I was likely to get stressed trying out a new recipe, especially one with deep frying a raw meat, so I prepped most of the rest of my bentou first, cleaned up my work station, got my self organized, had my instructions written on paper and a clear image in my mind of what steps I would take, and then went for it.

The steps:

1. With the non-dominant hand, coat the cutlet in flour, tap off the excess.

2. With the same hand, dip in beaten egg.

3. With the same hand, transfer it to the panko (breadcrumbs). Use the clean handy to bury it in panko.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 to give it a second coat.

5. Let rest for 10 minutes (while you clean up and prep the oil).

"Senpai!" you might be shouting, "What is wrong with your egg??"

Let's pause here to talk a bit about the ingredients. I decided to go with the fancy brand name eggs because I was like, sure, why not keep the Haikara theme. Specifically, "Akadama Bijin, Haikara-san," the name of a small local Kyoto brand, but there are other brands producing the same type of fancy Noko (or Noukou, if you prefer) egg, with reddish-orange yolks. To display the difference, here's my breakfast yesterday:

Noko eggs are talked up for how they have deeper flavor and are more nutritious, and try as I might to see if they actually have Taisho ties (given the Haikara reference), I could find no history of when these eggs started being produced (but I found out that eggs were only used as offerings for centuries but Japanese commoners only started eating them in the Edo period, so that's interesting). The true is, there's not actually much nutritional difference. It's simply that instead of a diet based on yellow food like corn, the chickens eat redder foods like carrots and paprika.

So, "Akadama" is like red yolk/gem/soul/whatever-pun-it-lends-itself-to-for-being-written-in-hiragana, and "bijin" is "a beauty" so they might be using marketing tactics to imply that supposedly extra nutritious Noko eggs will make you beauty. It just so happens my panko brand is called Karatto Bijin, so like... I can't help but think, "Don't buy into all this marketing, Mitsuri-chan! You're beautiful just the way you are!!"

So anyway, I followed the above steps, but forgot a secret ingredient I meant to add to the panko. I still had dried plum (ume) chips from the Daki onigiri in this Upper Moon Six bentou!! Since I don’t care for super heavy oily flavors, I thought the tartness might be nice. I added them during the resting phase to one of the cutlets. I turned out to be right that a slight bit of tartness was a very nice touch, but they burned easily.

Hmm, I guess that's in-character.

So anyway. I took a Total Concentration Breath and began the frying process.

Once again, I found it very difficult to maintain the oil temperature, especially on my not-very-good gas stove. Partway through my food thermometer began untrustworthy, so I had to go by color advice on the recipe I was following.

First dip:

160-170 C oil, until it becomes light "kitsune-iro" (fox color... but, uh, which foxes are we using as a base for this? And how long will this take? Come back here, recipe, help me! Since I'm a coward, I probably gave it longer than it needed, 1-3 minutes, didn't time it, I was watching the color and yelling at my food thermometer to work)

After the first dip, let it rest and drain. (Me, being a coward, made a tiny cut to check that it was cooked through, which it was.)

Second dip:

180 C oil. Only needs 20 to 40 seconds (thanks, recipe) to reach a "nice foxy color." O... kayyyy...

Anyway.

THEY CAME OUT AMAZING. These things tasted like good chicken nuggets. Phenomenal. Absolutely recommend.

And more than that, I was so happy they retained such a nice heart shape, because they went into the cutest, prettiest bentou I ever made!! I was fangirling so hard for it all morning!!! I am so proud of myself!!!!!

Oh? You want to see the bentou? Fu fu fu, that shall come in a different post.

To conclude the recipe story, after completing the bentou prep I freaked out about how I left very, very little time to make myself into any sort of bijin and I continued to run around like someone in the last 30 seconds of a televised cooking competition.

[yinza]

The annual KHR ladies for my friend @trilies!

[Image Description: Digital fanart of Oregano and Nana Sawada from Katekyo Hitman Reborn! They are seated outdoors on a wooden bench. Nana wears a short-sleeved yellow shirt tucked into a pink skirt and a small choker necklace, while Oregano wears her black suit and tie. Nana holds a blue bentou box in her left hand which includes some rice shaped into a rabbit’s head and carrots cut into star shapes. She is smiling as she holds a cherry tomato up to Oregano’s mouth with chopsticks. Oregano sits with her hands clasped in her lap and blushes as she opens her mouth. /end ID]

[mikauzoran]

Lila Fake-Dating/Emotional Blackmail Adrienette: Betting Against the House: Chapter Four

Read it on AO3: Betting Against the House: Chapter Four: The Worst Date Ever

“…So…” Lila finally spoke up on their short stroll to Assa Café just down the street from the school. “Nino’s going to fail Physics?” she carefully sounded him out, trying to determine if Nino’s excuse to pull Adrien aside held water.

Adrien made a thoughtful noise. “Maybe not fail outright, but he’s certainly not going to do well.” He cast her a sidelong glance and then pretended to come clean. “The Physics project isn’t actually what Nino and I talked about.”

Her grip on his arm tightened until it was almost painful. “Oh? Then what did you two talk about? Surely you’re not spreading slander about me.”

Adrien scoffed. “Lila, do you think I’d risk Marinette’s safety like that?”

It wasn’t a lie. He was simply leaving it up to her to decide what the truth was.

She seemed to come to the conclusion that he wouldn’t play around when it came to protecting Marinette because her hold on his arm started to loosen.

“Besides,” he sighed, “what would be the point of telling anyone? It’s not like they’d believe me. You’ve got the wool pulled too far down over their eyes.”

Lila hummed softly as she contemplated the merits of his statements.

“Nino’s planning a surprise for Alya,” Adrien volunteered to throw her off the scent. “He’s been consulting me because I’m a hopeless romantic and good at giving gifts and orchestrating surprises.”

“Is that so?” Lila chuckled, a sly grin beginning to form at the corners of her lips. “Prove it. I expect a romantic gift from you promptly.”

Adrien shrugged, pretending that it was of no consequence.

On the inside, he heaved an enormous sigh of relief because it appeared that he had outfoxed her and that she believed he hadn’t said anything to Nino about the blackmail.

“Anything for you, Ma Fleur,” he replied obediently.

 They arrived at the café—small and intimate with counter service and only a few seats—a couple minutes later.

Lila did not look impressed as she glanced over the menu. “I guess I could get one of their detox juices. What do you usually get here?”

“Typically, I order the salmon or tofu bentou,” he informed, getting out his wallet. “Their ingredients are really fresh, and the chef is fantastic, so you can’t actually go wrong.”

“The lunchboxes do look good,” she granted reservedly, not wanting to appear too excited. “But rice has so many carbs.”

“So just eat the meat and the vegetables,” Adrien suggested with a shrug. “It’s not like you have to eat everything.”

She pursed her lips, debating. “Which is better: the miso pork or the teriyaki chicken?”

“I don’t know, actually,” he sheepishly admitted. “I’ve never had them. I’m a pescatarian.”

She stood there for almost twenty full seconds gawking at him. “No, you’re not.”

“I’m pretty sure I am,” he snorted lightly, not appreciating her dictating tone. “And I think I would be the best person to ask about my eating habits.”

“I’ve seen you eat chicken before,” she accused, acting like this was some kind of personal betrayal. “I saw you when your father invited me over to dine with you.”

“I’ll eat it if it’s put in front of me,” he confessed, “but, when I have any say about what I eat, I’m pescatarian, so I’ve never ordered the miso pork or the teriyaki chicken here.”

She blew out an indignant little huff, crossing her arms over her chest. “You don’t have to be such a jerk about it.”

Adrien physically bit his tongue to hold in a snarky response.

“…I guess I’ll get the miso pork,” she eventually decided. “Evian to drink and a matcha tiramisu. It really did sound good when I heard you talking to Elise about it the other day.”

“Perfect. Sounds good.” He gave a nod of approval as he moved down the counter to the register to pay.

“I’m going to take a seat,” she apprised, turning in a way so that her hair whipped around behind her sharply.

Seating was extremely limited—a bench seat along the wall opposite the counter and a handful of tables with individual chairs on the other side—and the restaurant was very small, so Lila didn’t have far to go. She could hear Adrien exchanging pleasantries with the cashier, but she couldn’t understand what they were saying because they were holding their conversation in Japanese.

This irritated her for a reason she couldn’t quite pinpoint, and it only got more intense as the cashier laughed and smiled at something Adrien had said.

Lila took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm as she watched Adrien finish at the counter and bring over their trays.

She hated his charm, his irresistibility, his boyish handsomeness, and the way he was so nice to everyone who wasn’t her.

 Conversation was sparse as they consumed their food.

They’d never really talked in the years that they’d known one another. Adrien was civil and polite but didn’t make an effort to initiate chitchat, and Lila hadn’t bothered to get to know him either.

He was just a pretty face and a bleeding heart whom she was more than willing to use and step on in order to climb her way up. Besides, she was more than half certain that he hated her, despite his “moral high ground”, “patience of a saint” act. She had never seen the point in truly getting to know him. It wasn’t like he really cared about getting to know her, despite his pretended amicability.

“You’re acting awfully sullen,” she observed when five minutes passed without either saying anything to the other.

He shrugged.

He did that a lot, and it annoyed her. It was like he couldn’t be bothered to give her a proper answer. She didn’t like him dismissing her like that.

“You should smile,” she advised. “The point of this date is for you to make a show of how in love you are with me and how happy we are together. I’m dating you for the media exposure, so stop sulking and look like you’re excited to be with me or something.”

“Sorry,” he chuckled darkly. “It’s a little difficult to act cheerful when you’re upset.”

“What do you have to be upset about?” she challenged.

He eyed her with a dangerously bland look, cocking an eyebrow as if daring her to say it again. “You took something important from me, Lila,” he explained flatly. “My father is a little stingy with my schedule, so I had to plan tonight’s game night with my friends almost a month in advance, but, now, here I am wasting an evening with you. I was looking forward to game night, but you ruined that for me, so, yeah. I think most people would say I had something to be upset about.”

She gave a little snort and tossed her head. “Well, be upset later. Right now, you’re on the clock, so make a good show of being in love with me.”

He sighed, closing his eyes and taking a couple deep breaths to defuse his temper. When he opened them, he smiled brightly, looking for all the world like he was enjoying their outing. “Is this better?”

“Perfect.” She decreed, satisfied…until he reached across the table and stole a bite of her matcha tiramisu. “Hey! Thief! I didn’t say you could have any!” she squawked in protest.

He smirked at her around his spoon. “Sorry, Ma Fleur. I didn’t think you’d mind. I mean…don’t you love me enough to share?”

Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Come on,” he teasingly whispered. “If I have to put on an act, so do you. No one’s going to believe I love someone who bosses me around and treats me like garbage. You have to at least pretend to be worthy of love; otherwise, everyone’s going to see through this sham.”

Her lip curled back into a scowl as she hissed, “I don’t know, Adrien. You seem to love your father, even though he treats you like dirt. Maybe people will just assume you’re a masochist.”

Adrien recoiled, the fake smile dropping clear off his face. He gazed at Lila with contempt but didn’t voice a response.

Her sneer phased into a discontented frown. “You’re going to have to do better at this fake dating thing in the future when we’re in public; otherwise, Marinette might find that there are some unfortunate rumors circulating about her.”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “There are literally two or three other people in this restaurant right now, and they’re all around back. No one’s watching our shameful little display, and I did just fine all day at school. Back off, Lila.”

It was a gamble confronting her like that, but, for once, it payed off.

Lila shrugged and sat back in her seat, returning to her dessert disinterestedly. “You did do well at school today. …Make sure you keep up the good work, and maybe we won’t have a problem.”

Adrien nodded, scooping up some rice with his chopsticks and bringing it up to his mouth to keep himself busy so that he wouldn’t press her any further and accidentally push her over the edge.

Things were quiet again for a stretch, each of them lost in their own reverie.

Several minutes later, Lila spoke in a soft, defensive voice, asking out of seemingly nowhere, “What do you like about Marinette so much, anyway?”

Adrien looked up and blinked at her in surprise, unsure if she had actually said anything and whether he had heard her right.

She arched an eyebrow at him challengingly. “Well? What do you like about her?”

Normally, this would be the point where Adrien went off on a bullet-pointed lecture about how amazing and wonderful Marinette was, but, always wary of Lila, he reined in his kneejerk response and formulated a more reserved reply.

“Her selflessness, mostly,” he confessed, cautiously elaborating. “She’s kind, even when she doesn’t have to be, and she’s always willing to take on more work on top of her already overwhelming load in order to help a friend. She’s just a good person like that. She doesn’t do it to get anything out of it…she’s just good,” he finished with a shrug.

Lila snorted, casting her eyes back down at her tiramisu. “Figures you’d go for that goody-goody martyr act. You’re so gullible.”

“…May I ask what you hate about her so much?” Adrien inquired, attempting to foster a genuine conversation.

If he could figure out what made Lila tick, maybe he could come up with a way to gain the upper hand and declaw her. He knew from studying history that some people really were just evil, but he couldn’t help but think that there was some reason why Lila acted the way she did. If he could figure her out, maybe she wouldn’t turn out to be such a lost cause after all.

Lila tossed her head, heat rising on the back of her neck and staining the tips of her ears crimson. “What I hate most is that everyone loves her so much,” she spat with venom. “She doesn’t even have to try, and everybody loves her. She’s so obnoxious with her ‘holier than thou’ attitude. She acts like she’s better than me, but she’s not, and she doesn’t deserve everybody fawning over her all the time.”

Adrien nodded, taking a long sip of his houjicha.

She was jealous, no different than Chloé. The only difference was how Lila went about expressing her jealousy.

Chloé was just a brat and a bully. (He meant that in the nicest, most loving way possible because Chloé was like a sister to him, but that didn’t stop him from seeing her less attractive sides.)

Lila was insidious. She wasn’t outwardly vicious or vindictive like Chloé. Instead, she spun intricate plans like a spider lying in wait to capture unsuspecting victims in her web of silver-tongued lies.

“Have you ever considered that it’s okay for Marinette to get attention?” he tentatively suggested. “It’s not a zero-sum game. Just because people are paying attention to her, that doesn’t take anything away from you, does it?”

“Any time people are fussing over her, they’re not lavishing me with attention; therefore, I do lose out if people pay attention to her,” Lila argued hotly. “You can forget about any delusions you have of making us get along and be friends. She has things that I want, and I’m prepared and willing to take them from her. There are some things that aren’t shareable.”

Adrien’s brow slid into a soft frown. “Like what?”

“Like you,” she replied airily, not letting him see the weight she placed on or the importance of this acquisition. “For starters, anyway.”

“I see,” he replied neutrally, taking another sip of his tea.

What he wanted to say was, “You’ll never have me”.

“Well…have you ever considered that maybe people would like you, even if you were just yourself around them?” he tried from a different angle.

She rolled her eyes. “You’re gullible and naïve. I’m my true self around you, and you despise me, don’t you?”

He bit the inside of his cheek. “Despise is a little strong,” he hedged.

She laughed mockingly at that. “Please. I’m the bane of your existence.”

“That would be Papillon,” he corrected. “I don’t necessarily hate you, Lila. You make me really angry sometimes, and I want to wring your neck when you hurt my friends, but, most of the time, I don’t hate you,” he explained, trying to convince her.

She cocked an eyebrow at him in suspicion, not taking his word for it.

“Most of the time, you’re an annoyance, and I resent you for being a crappy person,” he summarized. “But I don’t hate you.”

She nodded slowly, analyzing his words. “…I see…. So…how do your personal experiences with me lead you to believe that others would still fawn over me if I dropped the act and stopped telling them what they wanted to hear?”

Adrien pursed his lips as he came up with nothing.

“Mmhm.” She kept nodding. “Yeah. That’s what I thought. Well. Thanks for the suggestion, but I think I like things the way they are at present, so I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing. Seriously, thanks, though,” she replied, voice dripping with irony.

“Doesn’t it ever get to you, though?” he pressed, showing his hand a little. “Not being able to be authentically yourself and accepted as you are by anyone?”

She tipped her head to the side, taking a slow sip of her Evian water as she pondered the earnestness of his tone. “Not really. Why? Is this a personal problem you’re having?”

He pulled the shutters down over his emotions, carefully composing his face into a neutral expression.

Like hell he was going to get into the complexities of the lies he had to tell the people he loved in order to protect them and his secret identity with Lila. She didn’t get to know how it tore him apart sometimes not being able to share aspects of his life as Adrien with Ladybug and how he longed to confide in Nino or Marinette about life as Chat Noir.

“If it were, I wouldn’t be talking about it with you,” he informed levelly keeping the ire out of his voice.

A quirky smile slowly turned up the corners of her lips as she chuckled, “Then why did you think I’d open up and be all vulnerable with you when you asked me?”

He blinked, surprised by the question.

He found himself hard pressed to answer her.

“Because you’re such a nice, sweet guy that everyone spills their guts to you?” she snickered. “Don’t try to psychoanalyze me, Adrien. I’m not a problem for you to fix, and I don’t need you to save me. I’m perfectly happy the way that I am.”

“Are you actually?” He really had to wonder. “How can you be? You don’t have any real friends…I mean…unless you count my father, and I don’t think he actually counts.”

She shrugged, unconcerned. “I don’t need friends. Friends are for mushy, weak people like you. You band together to protect yourselves because you’re stronger that way, but I don’t need other people like that. I’m tough enough to make it on my own.”

Adrien thought she was way off the mark, but it was obvious that he wouldn’t be convincing her about the benefits of friends at this time, let alone anytime soon.

“…Have you ever had friends?” he asked while she was in a divulging mood.

Even though she’d said not to analyze her, he couldn’t help but be curious. He had to believe that if he could just figure her out, he could help her stop hurting others and herself.

She paused to think for a moment, little trenches burrowing their way across her forehead as she did so. “…Maybe when I was little,” she finally answered. “I remember there were some kids around my age where we were living at the time, and we played together. I don’t remember their names. My family never stayed in one place long enough for me to really get to know anyone, so there was never any point in making friends in the way that you mean. These past three years is the longest I’ve ever been in one country, let alone one city. It’s kind of weird being stuck with the same people for so long.”

“That must have been hard, not feeling like there was any point in getting attached to anyone because you knew it wouldn’t be permanent,” he responded thoughtfully.

She rolled her eyes, balled up her napkin, and tossed it at him. “Oh, stop. I don’t need or want your pity. Stop trying to find explanations for why I am the way I am,” she commanded wearily. “I’m not some tragic romance novel antihero with deep reasons for acting the way I do. There’s no trauma for you to uncover and heal in order to make me a ‘good’ person. You don’t get to play hero this time.”

He held up his hands in surrender, backing down.

He didn’t think she was telling the truth exactly, but she was very clear about her wishes for him to drop it.

“Okay. Sorry,” he bowed out demurely, scooping the napkin she had thrown up off the floor and depositing it onto his tray with his own rubbish.

She snorted softly, crossing her arms. “Real people aren’t so black and white,” she grumbled. “We’re all grey on the inside.”

“Yeah. Maybe,” he agreed halfheartedly, still thinking that maybe there was something he could do to get through to her and make her want to change for the better.

“Give up,” she groaned, seeing the gears in his head moving. “You’re such a goody-goody. Just like Marinette. I’d say you two deserved each other if I didn’t want you for myself.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he chuckled, a faint smile coming back to his lips.

“This date is over,” she announced abruptly, sounding tired as she rose to her feet. “I didn’t come here for you to turn me into your next do-gooder project. I came here so that people would see me acting all lovey-dovey with Adrien Agreste. Since that’s not happening, you might as well take me home and go hang out with your loser friends like you wanted.”

Adrien hurriedly drained the rest of his tea and got together the rubbish to take over to the waste disposal bin.

“Sorry I’m such poor company,” he apologized, not bothering to put any feeling behind the words as he picked up her school bag to carry for her and held out his arm for her to take hold of.

“You’d better be,” she huffed, taking his arm and letting him escort her out of the restaurant to where his driver was waiting for them, parked on the street outside. “This is the worst date I’ve ever been on.”

“Have you been on many dates?” he wondered aloud without thinking.

“Plenty,” she retorted defensively. “Usually, the boys I date shower me with compliments and can’t take their eyes off of me the whole evening.”

“I must be defective,” he snickered, opening the car door for her. “Sorry. I promise I’ll do better at school tomorrow in front of our audience.”

“You’d better,” she grumbled, climbing in and crossing her arms sulkily.

 Adrien made a show of walking Lila to her door and giving her a parting kiss on the cheek in case any paparazzi were watching. “See you tomorrow, Ma Fleur.”

“I’ll miss you, My Prince,” she giggled, delighting in his compliance.

He slumped in the seat as soon as he got back into the car, feeling like all of the energy had been sucked out of him. He looked up to find Victor, his bodyguard, sneaking glances at him in the rearview mirror, trying to assess whether he was okay.

“Rough day,” he sighed, summoning up a tired smile. “I’m actually supposed to be over at Marinette’s playing video games right now, though, so…you don’t think you could drive me over there, do you?”

Victor gave a grunt and turned the car in the direction of Tom and Sabine’s.

[ri-translates]

Translation: Itaru Chigasaki SSR [MANKAI Encore] - Encore: Lancelot Part 1

Things fall deeper down the KniRound rabbit hole as the Spring Troupe prepare for another set of KniRoun performances. Itaru receives a request...?

Part 2 || Part 3

Staff: Thank you for your hard work on the dress rehearsal. With that, we’ll be in your care for the main performance as well.

Izumi: Yes, thank you very much.

Sakuya: …..The KniRound performances and staff always have a different kind of air about them so I end up feeling nervous.

Izumi: Yeah. But this is also a good experience.

Now then, since we’ll get in the way of the staff, everyone move to the dressing rooms immediately-

Itaru: Dammit, another dupe.

Tsuzuru: He games right after it’s over, huh……

Masumi: Seriously, he rolls for gacha everywhere he goes.

Itaru: No matter what you say, I’m only pulling from this gacha banner until I get something. It’s been….10 pulls since the payment was charged.

Chikage: ...Well, it seems like he’s hiding his nervousness because it’s been a while since he acted as Lancelot.

Citron: That’s right. Itaru’s oblivious. [1]

Itaru: “Obvious,” I think. I don’t really think so, though. Rather than that, won’t you have a gacha contest with me, Senpai?

Chikage: I’ll refrain.

Itaru: An immediate reply. Even if I said the focus this time is Lancelot and Gawain?

Citron: Ohh, so that’s why. The KniRoun mobile game is doing a limited gacha for the IV version right now!

Itaru: That’s right. That’s why I wanted to see who’d win in pulling SSR Lancelot or SSR Gawain first.

Tsuzuru: I don’t think Itaru-san, who gets plenty of garbage pulls [2], is going to win against Chikage-san, though…..

Sakuya: But if it’s the KniRoun IV characters, it’d make you want them for sure! I want to pull for Morded too!

Masumi: Director getting Gareth...Aim to pull for me.

Izumi: I can only start if I install it in the first place.

Citron: What will you do, Chikage? Itaru’s always unlucky with gacha, you’d probably win!

Chikage: *sighs* ….It’ll be more of a pain to keep refusing, huh. I’ll go along with it until you give up.

Tsuzuru: I can only see the future with Itaru-san losing….

Itaru: Heh heh heh….It’ll be fine this time around. Right now, I am not the usual Itaru Chigasaki you know. “Why,” you ask? It’s because I am Lancelot.

Tonooka: Good work.

Itaru: Ugh.

Tonooka: Don’t make that blatantly disgusted face.

Izumi: I heard that you weren’t able to come to the local performance….

Tonooka: The truth is, I have a little something I’d like to discuss. Well, you must be hungry, so in the meantime let’s talk while eating the bentou.

Sakuya: This bentou has Yoichi Hoshii [3] written on it!

Citron: Ohh, a gift from God!

Itaru: For real?

Masumi: I’ve seen the name of this store before.

Chikage: A super famous shop known for its top quality yakiniku bentou, huh. Impressive.

Izumi: Thank you very much!

Tonooka: I’m glad you like it. …That’s right, the very Hoshii plans on seeing this theatre’s performance this time.

Itaru: …..

Citron: Itaru-san froze.

Sakuya: If Hoshii-san’s coming, then it’ll be nerve-wracking for sure….

Izumi: Itaru-san, are you all right?

Itaru: Oh, yeah, totally fine. Ahh, this meat is so chewy and delicious.

Chikage: That’s not meat, but a cucumber.

Tsuzuru: He’s not fine at all, is he.

Izumi: Speaking of which, earlier you mentioned there was something you’d like to discuss. Is it about Hoshii-san?

Tonooka: No...Actually, I’ve been tasked with PR activities for the stage play.

Itaru: Don’t tell me….

Tonooka: This time as well, I’d like to ask for “taruchi”’s cooperation in promoting-

Izumi: We decline.

Masumi: We said before that we won’t do it. Don’t make things difficult for the director.

Tonooka: Is that so?

Chikage: To begin with, I believe the clause in the contract was that we would not cooperate with promotional activities?

Tonooka: …..It was a joke. ーーKniRoun will be holding an official event nearby. Would everyone please be willing to show up for a little while?

Sakuya: Nearby?

Tonooka: It’s at a theme park modeled after a foreign castle, and the place was used for location hunting during KniRoun IV’s production. It’s a place Hoshii himself has an emotional attachment to, and because this event is a source of strength to our company, for these reasons I am asking you about it directly.

Tsuzuru: By “showing up,” more specifically, what should we do?

Tonooka: Wearing the costumes and walking around the premises should be plenty.

Izumi: …..What do you all think we should do?

Itaru: Well, it might be a good idea since it’ll also be a role study.

Chikage: So he says, but it’s just his otaku heart aching.

Masumi: He’s just an otaku.

Citron: But that’s why he’s Itaru.

Sakuya: If Itaru, the play’s leader, is fine with it, then I’m all for it!

Izumi: I understand. Then we’ll accept.

Tonooka: Thank you very much. Hoshii will also be thrilled.

Itaru: ….

Tsuzuru: I thought Itaru-san would be happier about it, but he’s surprisingly normal…..

Citron: He’s not really excited about it, huh.

Chikage: …..

TL notes and comments:

[1] Citron says バラバラ, which means loose or scattered. I used “oblivious” because with a little stretch, something loose or scattered -> head empty. It also flows into what Itaru says バレバレ meaning obvious or transparent.

[2] Tsuzuru says 物欲センサー出まくりの至さん, which can be translated literally to, “Itaru-san who gets lots of things from the greed sensor.” In other words, the gacha can sense what he wants and cuck him LOL I feel that

[3]星井陽一, the director of the KniRoun series.

slaps Itaru’s butt

Hi, nice to meet you! I’m Ri and I translate sporadically (mostly for I-chu). I pulled SSR B-day Itaru and figured I might as well translate the story as I read it.

Disclaimer: I am not an official translator. Please take my translations with a grain of salt.

Eng A3! will eventually catch up with something nicely localized, but until then, please enjoy! Parts 2 and 3 will be uploaded soon! EDIT: All parts are now up!

Part 2 || Part 3

[pandoraimperatrix]

Ocean Heart

Hinata centric | NaruHina and SasuNaruSasu implied | Triple drabble | Angst | Read on AO3 

He sends word he’s near and your happiness shines, expanding like the sun, its rays piercing me.

I swallow my contempt dry as you leave so fast, not bothering even to say goodbye or to look at me a last time before you leave me wondering if you’ll ever come back.

And my feelings cover me like tides. A wave of fear for you never returning, another wave of wonder if what we have – our family, our marriage, our love – is so fragile that disappear from your mind so easily, forgotten. This wave isn’t as frightening as the fed by fear first one, but it drowns me nonetheless; as I stand there, alone, griping tightly the knot of the carefully wrapped bentou you will never eat.

But you do come back, at least you have always until now, the ocean in my heart calms down until the next storm, of those I’m always certain.

I know I’m selfish, I know I should trust you more, I know there’s other woman getting so much worse. But I can’t help myself as anger burns my stomach as I see you leave over and over, never staying, never choosing me, because when you said you loved me, when you gave me your name I thought that, for the first time, I had something only for myself, and I don’t.

I feel betrayed because I never thought it would be like this, our marriage is crowded but I’m still the one being left alone. I thought you gave me your heart like I gave you mine, but when I looked at yours, half of it was already taken, and as much as I try to hold it firmly, I’m afraid it will escape like water between my fingers and return to its rightfully owner.

[tiredpidgeon]

Kagehina Week - Kisses

This is my fic for the prompt Kisses from Kagehina Week 2017. Hope you like it!!!

Hinata had always loved kisses. One of his favorite childhood memories was of his mom tucking him in. He would lie in his bed and she would come to his room and gently pull the covers over him. She would then sing him a lullaby and he would close his eyes and let her sweet voice guide him to sleep. Right before he slipped away to dreamland he would feel the gentle press of her lips against his forehead. Hinata would relax completely at that and his breath would even out.

** When Natsu was born he was delighted to find out she was a touchy-feely child, much like himself. They would often cuddle when watching movies and whenever he played dolls with her she would hug him tight and kiss his cheek. He absolutely loved the open-mouthed kisses she pressed against his cheek while she was still trying to learn how to do it. Hinata was always gentle with her, even as the hyperactive child he was. He would help his mom tucking her in and follow her gesture of leaning down and ever so gently pressing his lips to her forehead. ** When Hinata went to school he was seen as quite the odd kid. He kissed his friends hello and goodbye because that was what they did at home. One day his mother was called to the school and Hinata was puzzled because he hadn't done anything wrong. He stayed alone in the hallway as the teacher talked to his mom. When she came out her face was red, her eyes were glassed over and her mouth was pressed into a thin line. She managed to give him a smile and offered him her hand. He clung to it like it was his lifeline and asked his mom what was wrong. She told him not to worry, that they would talk at home.  

When they got home she made them both some tea and sat with him in the living room. She told Natsu to go play so it was just the two of them. "Shouyou, you can't kiss your friends," she said, sipping on her tea. Hinata frowned and tilted his head to the side. "Why?" "Kisses are only for people you are close to," she smiled fondly at her beautiful boy. "But I'm close to my friends..." Hinata whispered. "Closer than that, Shou," she chuckled and placed a hand on his cheek. "Kisses are only for people you love very much," she caressed his cheek. Hinata's frown eased at her touch and he leaned into it. "Okay, okaa-san," he said and closed his eyes. After that day the only people Hinata kissed for a long time were his mother and sister. ** Hinata was in middle school when he learned what mouth to mouth kisses were. He was having lunch with Izumi and Kouji when the subject of girls was brought up. "You got another confession?" Izumi asked Kouji in disbelief. "What? You're always in such a bad mood!" Hinata pointed out, shoving more food into his mouth. Kouji clicked his tongue and looked away, a light blush rising to his cheeks. "You're just jealous you don't get any confessions." "What? No way!" Hinata squealed, his mouth full of food. Izumi shrugged and ate some more. "Yes, way! You both want a girlfriend so you're jealous I'll get one soon!" Kouji smirked. Hinata shook his head and swallowed his food. "That's not true. The girls are nice, they even help me practice volleyball, but I don't wanna date them." Hinata scrunched up his face at the thought.   Izumi laughed at that and shook his head. "You'll date someone eventually, Shou-can!" "What do you even do when you're dating, anyway?" Hinata asked and stuffed his mouth with more food. Izumi and Kouji looked at each other before bursting into laughter. Hinata choked and spluttered indignantly. "What?" he demanded, several grains of rice flying from his mouth. "You're so naive, Shou-can," Izumi said with a grin. "If you're so mature then tell me! What do people do when they date?" Hinata raised an eyebrow and put his bentou down to cross his arms over his chest. "You talk," Kouji started. "Hold hands," Izumi followed. "Kiss," Kouji added. "Wait," Hinata raised his hand. "Kiss? I already do that," he said and tilted his head to the side. "Not like your mom, idiot," Kouji said and shook his head. "You kiss their mouth," Izumi explained. Hinata's eyes widened and his hand shot up to his mouth, his fingertips very carefully touching his lips. He dropped his hands and looked at them, frowning. "Their mouth?" he asked. They nodded and watched him. "Is it... does it feel nice?" "I wouldn't know. I haven't kissed anyone yet," Kouji shrugged and took another bit of his food. "I think it looks a bit gross," Izumi said. Hinata hummed in thought and let the subject die. He really wanted to kiss someone on the mouth. ** Hinata's first kiss didn't happen until his third year in Middle School. It was a month before their graduation and Izumi was over at his house. They were watching a random movie with lots of fighting and superpowers but neither was paying much attention. "Kouji sucks," Hinata mumbled, pouting from his side of the couch. Izumi frowned and turned around to look at him. "Why?" "Because he ditched us to stay with his girlfriend." Hinata grabbed a pillow and hugged it to his chest. Izumi's expression softened and he chuckled. "Can you really blame him?" "Is she really that good of a kisser?" he asked. "I wouldn't know but she must be if Kouji would rather snog her than watch a movie with us," he laughed and Hinata threw the pillow at him. "Stop joking. This is serious," Hinata sat up on his knees, facing Izumi. "What is?" he asked. "Kisses. It's a serious thing," Hinata crossed his arms over his chest. "You think so?" Izumi tilted his head to the side and watched Hinata. "Yes! I mean, maybe not to you and Kouji because you've had your first kiss. But to me it is! I haven't kissed anyone yet," he mumbled and pouted again. Izumi shook his head. "You're wrong," he said and Hinata's pout faded. "About what?" "I haven't had my first kiss," Izumi said, looking away. Hinata's mouth fell open. "UWAAA?! But you said you had kissed Kadowaki-san from 2-B!" He yelled. "Hush! My parents will hear it, idiot!" Izumi hissed and threw the pillow back at Hinata, hitting him square in the face. "I lied so Kouji would stop pestering me about it!" "So you haven't kissed yet! I'm not the last!" Hinata squealed and started jumping up and down on the couch. "Shouyou... Shou-chan, get down!" Izumi grabbed his arm and pulled him down so they were sitting next to each other. Hinata turned to him and laughed. "I'm glad you haven't had your first kiss either," he said. "Means we are like the same!" Hinata beamed. Izumi shook his head and smiled. "Whatever," he shook his head and turned back to the movie. Hinata did the same and leaned his head against Izumi's shoulder. A few minutes passed when Hinata asked. "Do you think it feels good?" Izumi looked down at him. "They say the more you like the person the better it is," he said. Hinata was quiet for a little longer before he pulled away with a gasp. "I have an idea!" He announced and Izumi eyed him suspiciously. "What?" "You haven't had your first kiss. I haven't had mine. Maybe we could have ours together! Just to get it out of the way and know what it's like. I mean, you're my best friend and I like you so it will probably be good, right?" Hinata rambled. Izumi was about to laugh it off but saw that Hinata was serious. "Really?" he asked. Hinata nodded eagerly. "I guess... I don't see why not." "How do we do it then?" Hinata asked, calming himself down and crawling closer to Izumi. "I don't know. I've never done it before," Izumi whispered and Hinata felt his breath against his lips. "Okay... Let's just..." he closed his eyes and leaned in. Izumi did the same and their lips pressed together. There was no spark, no great revelation, no flood of heat burning every inch of his body. It was a kiss. It was just a kiss. They pulled away and opened their eyes, looking at each other for a brief moment before turning away and sitting down side by side. "That was..." Izumi started. "Okay?" Hinata offered and looked at him. Izumi smiled and nodded. "Yeah. It was okay," he said. Hinata smiled at him and leaned his head on his shoulder. "Finally we got that out of the way! Maturity, here we go!" He squealed before bursting into laughter along with his best friend. ** Hinata's second kiss was a total accident. He hadn't thought about girls or kissing since that night with Izumi. He sometimes thought something was wrong with him but when he met Kenma his worries were assuaged. If Kenma didn't need a girlfriend neither did Hinata. He never thought about anything except for volleyball, so it came as a shock to him when it happened in an afternoon during his first year of high school. He was running with Kageyama as per usual. Both were running full speed, trying to beat their rival. They had the habit of stopping at intersections and waiting for cars to pass before taking off again. It had been a long day and Hinata was tired and all he wanted was to beat Kageyama and go home. As they reached an intersection Hinata forgot to stop and continued on full speed. Kageyama was about to complain when he saw a car coming. Without even thinking he grabbed a pole with his right hand and Hinata's wrist with his left. He pulled Hinata back and swung him forward so that they rotated around the pole. The harsh movement causes them to fall just as the car drove full speed past the spit Hinata had been a second before. Hinata's eyes opened and then widened as he saw Kageyama's eyes directly before his. More than that he felt a soft press against his lips. He blinked rapidly and pulled away immediately when he realized him and Kageyama were kissing. What had just happened? One moment he was running and the next he was on the ground, lips pressed to Kageyama's. He was still trying to process everything that had happened when Kageyama started shouting at him. Hinata his face in his hands, blushing in embarrassment. He thought Kageyama was yelling in disgust but then he realized what he was truly saying. "YOU COULD HAVE DIED, YOU DUMBASS! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT CAR WOULD HAVE DONE TO YOU?! ARE YOU STUPID ENOUGH TO THINK THAT A DUMB COMPETITION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WATCHING OUT FOR YOURSELF? IF YOU DIE YOU CAN'T BEAT ME, YOU IDIOT! WE AGREED TO STOP AT INTERSECTIONS FOR A REASON!" Kageyama continued yelling. Hinata dropped his hands and looked up at Kageyama only to be greeted with pain on the left side of his face. He groaned and cupped his left cheek with both hands, blinking away the black spots clouding his vision. Once he regained focus he looked at Kageyama.  The boy was shaking, his face was red and his fists were balled up at his sides. "D-Did you... Did you just... punch me?" Hinata asked, letting one of his hands drop. "You. Almost. Died," Kageyama growled, pronouncing each word with unsettling clarity. "What are you talking about?" Hinata asked, still unsure of what had happened. "The car, Hinata!" Kageyama yelled. "You were running and a car was coming your way. You didn't even fucking see it! If I hadn't pulled you back you'd be dead right now! DEAD!" Kageyama pulled his arm back and Hinata braced himself for another punch but it never came. Kageyama had buried his face into his hands and was breathing heavily. Hinata reached for him very slowly and placed a hand on his shoulder. "K-Ka-Kageyama?" He asked. Kageyama's head snapped up and Hinata leaned back, eyes wide. Kageyama's face was still red and he was glaring at Hinata but there were tear stains on his cheek. "A-Are you... Are you crying?" He croaked out. "You scared me, idiot! What would I do without you? What would we do without you?" Kageyama glared at him. Hinata didn't know what pushed him to do it, but he threw his arms around Kageyama's shoulders and hugged him tightly, burying his face in the crook of his neck. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Thank you for saving my life," he whispered. Kageyama's shaking subsided bit by bit and he wrapped his arms around Hinata, hugging him close as if he might disappear. "Never pull this shit on me again," he growled and Hinata chuckled, nodding against his neck. They stayed for a while, embracing in the middle of the sidewalk. The sun was setting when they pulled away. Hinata gave Kageyama a smile and stood up, offering him his hand. Kageyama grabbed it and stood up. "Maybe we should walk the rest of the way home?" Hinata chuckled and Kageyama punched his side, way lighter than the face punch. "Dumbass," he mumbled as they grabbed their bags from the ground before walking home in a comfortable silence. ** Hinata's first real kiss - with tongue and everything - was at the end of his first year. The path to the Nationals had been long and arduous. Hinata gave all he had in their last game, the finals of the Nationals. When it was match-point and Kageyama sent him the last toss he slammed it down, past the blockers and straight to the end of the court. When the whistle sounded and their point was confirmed he froze. It was quiet for a few moments before the stadium erupted into noise. Hinata turned it out and turned to Kageyama, who was already facing him. Without saying a word Hinata ran towards him and threw himself into his arms. Kageyama was already expecting him and caught him with ease, hand under Hinata's thighs. No words were needed as Hinata leaned in and pressed their lips together in a demanding kiss. Kageyama opened his mouth almost as if on cue and slid his tongue into Hinata's mouth. The older boy made a sound of approval and rubbed his tongue against Kageyama's. He had never French kissed before but with Kageyama it was natural. His body craved him more than anything. A slap on his back awakened him to the time and place. He pushed himself away from Kageyama and fell to the ground with no grace. He looked up at his teammates, eyes wide.

“I’m sorry!” he yelled and though he was surely going to be scolded later the team broke into laughter and pulling him up.

They all crushed each other in an incredibly tight bear hug. As they all laughed and cried with happiness Hinata’s eyes caught Kageyama’s. And in that moment he was sure his heart was going to explode.

**

After the Nationals Finals Hinata and Kageyama became official. It wasn’t like it came without consequences, after all, they outed themselves on live television to the entirety of their country. Sure, there was a lot of hate directed towards them, but they were too busy with volleyball to notice. Besides, the people who mattered, such as their friends and family, were all supportive of them. They were also punished by the school - with one detention - and coach Ukai made sure they knew how disappointed he was with their behavior.

When the heat of the Nationals passed, however, the trophy won by the Volleyball Team was still the talk of the school, while Hinata and Kageyama were not. This was great for the couple who now got a little bit more privacy. The best part about finally dating Kageyama was that now they could do Hinata's favorite thing: kiss.

At first, the kisses were awkward, a lot of teeth clanking and noisy lip smacks (not to mention that time Hinata burped in Kageyama’s mouth and was banned from kisses for a weekday). Through practice, however, they slowly got the hang of it, progressing to more passionate kisses with more tongue and more touching. Hinata’s favorite kisses were body ones. He loved the gentleness of Kageyama’s lips, trailing open-mouthed kisses down his jaw, neck, collarbone, chest, stomach, reaching his navel before making his way back up. Those kisses left him a moaning mess. Hinata also loved kissing Kageyama, trailing his jaw up to the sweet spot right below his earlobe where he would suck a mark before leaving more kisses, and then down to his chest, paying special attention to his incredibly sensitive nipples. They explored every corner of each other’s bodies with their mouths, mapping it in their heads to keep it forever.

**

Hinata learned eventually that kisses could be sad. He first discovered it the year after he and Kageyama graduated from the same college. They joined different teams and Kageyama’s team was traveling abroad for a training camp. Hinata had been preparing himself for months for the day Kageyama left for the camp, but he was nowhere near ready when it came.

The whole team was at the airport and Hinata was accompanying them. He was in his usual bright mood, talking to everyone and joking around. He helped Kageyama check in his bags and they all went to have lunch. He was having a great time until the time came for Kageyama to walk into the terminal. The team walked in first and gave the two privacy to say their goodbyes.

Kageyama looked down at his boyfriend and gave him a sad smile. “I’m sorry I have to leave,” he whispered.

“Don’t apologize, it’s not your fault.,” Hinata assured him, reaching up and cupping his cheek.

“I’ll be back before you know it.” Kageyama took a shaky breath and wrapped his arms tightly around Hinata, pulling him close.

Hinata chuckled and hugged him back for a bit. When he tried to pull away Kageyama only held him closer. Hinata could feel the dread start to set in. He didn’t Kageyama to see him crying. It was stronger than him, though, and he lost it. At first, it was a couple of tears but then he was bawling into Kageyama’s chest, tiny body rocking with sobs. Kageyama held him tighter, running his fingers through his hair. Hinata leaned into the touch but it didn't soothe his tears.

They had never been apart for so long. Those two months away from Kageyama were surely going to kill him. Ever since they got together they became one, intertwined so perfectly together that being apart was painful. Hinata knew, however, this training camp would be a turning point in Kageyama’s career. He also knew if he asked Kageyama to stay he would.

Hinata used all the strength he had and pushed away from Kageyama, smiling through his tears. “Have the time of your life,” he choked out.

“That’s not possible without you,” Kageyama said, not one hint of a joke on his face. Hinata blushed and shook his head, letting out a weak laugh. "When did you become such a sap?" He asked, reaching up and cupping Kageyama's cheek. "When I fell in love with you," he said, leaning down and pressing their lips together. Hinata wrapped his arms around Kageyama's neck, pulling him closer. He licked into Kageyama's open mouth, rubbing their tongues together. It was a slow dance, and the music was the beach of their aching hearts. The kiss turned salty when Hinata's tears slid into his mouth. Kageyama didn't mind, he wanted Hinata close regardless. They pulled away when the boarding for Kageyama's plane was announced.  Hinata wiped his tears on his sleeve and smiled up at Kageyama. "Go, or you'll miss your flight, Bakageyama," Hinata chuckled. "I love you, dumbass," Kageyama said and took a step back. "I love you, too," Hinata said. Kageyama took a couple more steps back. He wrenched his eyes from Hinata and turned around fully, walking to the entrance of customs. He gave Hinata one last look before disappearing behind the doors. Hinata waited at the airport until the plane had departed and then went home. He didn't cry on the drive home, he didn't cry in the shower. As soon as he laid his head down on his pillow Kageyama's scent overwhelmed him and he broke down. These two months were going to be hell. ** It was hard to decide which kisses had been his favorite. On the list was the kiss they shared after their ‘I do.’ It was the kiss that officially bound them for eternity. He loved the kiss they shared when their first adoption permission came in the mail. Another one was the kiss they shared on their 50th anniversary. The kiss itself was not special, but the occasion made it exceptional. Hinata’s last kiss with the love of his life was the saddest though still comforting. Kageyama leaned down and pressed their lips together as Hinata closed his eyes and slept.

[lisatelramor]

Not Left To Stand Alone Ch8

“Aaah!” Takata Kate stretched at her desk near Saguru’s, tilting back her chair to maximize her stretch. “Breaks are wonderful, but Golden Week is always so busy!” she said settling back into her chair. She swiveled to smile at Saguru. “So, how was your Golden Week?”

Of all his coworkers, Takata had been more persistent in her attempts at friendship. It was appreciated even if Saguru hadn’t shown the same interest in friendship in return. “It was pleasant,” Saguru said, straightening folders and notes. Completed reports from his home visits were to one side and graded papers were neatly stacked next to them, far more orderly than most of the desks in the room. “I visited my parents for part of it, and caught up on sleep for the rest.”

Takata laughed. “I feel that. Your parents live close?”

“Not far,” Saguru agreed. “Although it is simpler to take a car than to attempt to walk these days.”

He could see Takata’s eyes flick to his cane, but she was too polite to comment on it. Instead she draped an arm over the back of her chair and leaned comfortably against it. “I wish it was easier to visit my parents,” she said. “It’s a lot harder to go halfway around the world though.”

Saguru nodded, knowing that feeling well. “And jet lag is terrible. You visit them often?”

“I try to visit them once a year,” she said, “but that’s not always possible, and they can’t always visit me.”

“Thank goodness for technology to keep in touch.”

She laughed agreeably and glanced over her shoulder to where her husband was talking to a few other teachers. “That definitely helps. Thankfully Katsuya’s family is nearby. They’ve been wonderful in-laws.”

“That’s fortunate,” Saguru said, thinking of the challenges his parents had faced initially with their families, though both sets of grandparents had mellowed by the time Saguru was born. His own experience with in-laws had not been favorable either, he supposed.

“It is.” She smiled. “Well, back to work. Congratulations on living through your first year of home visits. You should come out sometime for drinks after midterms.”

“I don’t drink,” Saguru said, but he smiled all the same. “But perhaps I will join you after midterms all the same.”

Takata didn’t say anything about him not drinking, which considering how alcohol was used as a social bonding tool in Japan even more than it was in England, was a relief. Instead she grinned at the first concession Saguru had given to her friendly overtures. “Great! It’ll be good to have you along.”

Privately, Saguru thought that the experience would only reveal how his coworkers acted while drunk—and potentially give him far more intimate knowledge and hypothetical blackmail material than most of his coworkers would be comfortable with someone having, but he supposed there was nothing wrong with making efforts to become closer to them. He might not have decided if he would keep this job beyond the year, but there was nothing wrong with making connections while he was here.

Takata glanced over his shoulder out the window. “And there come the students,” she said. She swiveled back to her desk to grab one of her haphazard piles. “Back to work.” She paused as she started to stand up. “Are things going better with your students?”

Saguru reflected on how the three strike system had in fact reduced some of the issues he had been dealing with and how Takumi hadn’t pulled anything big or even mildly disruptive since home visits had started. “I suppose they have been,” he said. “Hopefully it continues.”

“Yeah.” She smiled. “Glad to hear it.” She stood up, walking to join her husband for a few minutes before they had to be at their assigned classrooms.

Saguru looked after her before turning back to his notes. He also hoped things with Takumi would go more smoothly. He wouldn’t bet on it of course—the practice Takumi had gotten over Golden Week and his interest in Saguru’s life certainly didn’t indicate that a lack of pranks in his future. Still, Saguru would be prepared either way. His briefcase held a change of clothing, wipes, and a few other small things in case he was targeted specifically. If not, he could always have Takumi clean any mess he made. It was forever a relief that Takumi didn’t share Kuroba’s grand scale of dramatics.

***

As Saguru took role call at the start of the day, he felt Takumi’s eyes on him. Something had changed over Golden Week. Saguru wasn’t sure what, but there was something considering in Takumi’s eyes rather than challenging. He braced for a prank regardless as homeroom slid seamlessly into his first English class of the day.

None came, not when he returned tests, nor when he moved into his review lesson with sentence diagrams to cement the concepts that had proven to be poorly retained. It didn’t come when Saguru had various class members—Takumi included—come up with sentences using the proper subject and object placement. It didn’t come when he assigned that day’s homework, and Saguru wondered if he had guessed wrong, that Takumi hadn’t practiced over the break with the intention of using those skills in Saguru’s class at all.

Throughout the class, Takumi had never stopped watching Saguru, though, and as Saguru walked to his next class, he had to wonder what sort of change this meant, for better or worse. It didn’t seem to be hostile, though.

Saguru would have to hope it would work out.

***

Saguru was packing away his bentou, idly planning out his weekend, when he felt eyes on him. He looked up to find Takumi at the edge of his desk, frown cemented on his face. Saguru wasn’t sure how long he had been standing there.  

Takumi hadn’t said anything in class that morning, or during the morning homeroom. In fact, it was the first day since Golden Week that Takumi hadn’t stared Saguru down, instead spending the time before homeroom talking to friends and surreptitiously passing a few notes once the school day had started. A glance showed the other teachers in the room either engaged in their own work, conversing, or talking to students who had sought them out. Saguru set aside his lunch and the half-graded pile of papers to give him his full attention.

“Kuroba-kun. How can I help you?”

Takumi’s frown smoothed into a blank mask that Saguru associated with Kuroba and avoidance. “You knew my parents,” Takumi said. It wasn’t a question. It was a blunt statement of fact that had some underlying tension Saguru was missing. Takumi’s body language gave nothing away. He’d learned an impressive poker face from Kuroba, but he hadn’t mastered the relaxed confidence Kuroba had had yet. He had mastered blank, but he hadn’t mastered nonchalant.

Saguru shifted into a better position for his bad leg, leaning forward. Takumi’s eyes flicked to it then back to Saguru’s face. Saguru met his eyes. In the West it would have been respectful. In Japan it was more of a challenge. Takumi didn’t look away, rudely staring right back. “We went to high school together for a few years,” Saguru said. “I would not have called us friends exactly, but we were close acquaintances, or perhaps rivals of a sort in your father’s case.” It hadn’t been a proper rivalry even.

“You hit on my mom.”

Saguru raised an eyebrow. Had Aoko told him about that or Kuroba? That was an accusatory tone slipping past the impassive mask. “To be fair, I was much younger and attempting to get a rise out of your father.”

Takumi’s face twitched. He opened his mouth and seemed to think better of whatever he was going to say, glancing around and taking note of the other teachers in the room. He squared his shoulders. “What were they like? In high school?”

Ah. The pieces clicked together. He probably only had memories of his parents fighting. He probably grew up wondering if his parents ever got along, a bit like how as a child Saguru wondered what his parents would have been like if they lived on the same side of the globe. How much would Kuroba or Aoko ever talk about their shared past if they were always avoiding or arguing with each other? “Lively,” Saguru said, his first impressions of the Ekoda High class coming to mind. “Loud. They were always bickering and chasing each other around like mop fighting and skirt flipping was a bizarre courtship ritual.”

Takumi’s eyebrows scrunched together. He looked more like Aoko than Kuroba then. It was an Aoko-expression on his face, the one she had had when she was confused about Kuroba’s actions or a particularly hard homework problem.

“If you would like to talk in the future about your parents, I am willing to share my memories,” Saguru said, holding out the promise as a peace offering. They had gotten off to a bad start. He had no desire to continue any tension between them. “However, now would not be the best time. The lunch period is almost over.” He could see on Takumi’s face the thought that he knew where Saguru lived. No, it wouldn’t be hard to track Saguru down.

“My mom said you were a world famous detective once,” Takumi said looking pensive, the same faraway, inward focused expression as earlier in the week. “That you challenged Kaitou Kid.”

“I was,” Saguru said, “but that isn’t really important anymore.” He didn’t want to go into it, especially not if it led to personal questions about why he wasn’t one now. If Takumi wanted to know about his life as a high school detective and how it fit in with his parents, Saguru could talk about it some other time. “Now,” he said changing the topic, “is this what all the pranking has been about?”

Takumi went pink with embarrassment. His fingers picked at the cuffs on his uniform as he suddenly was looking anywhere but at Saguru. “I... It’s not fair. That... They never talk about it. Before.” Saguru raised an eyebrow as Takumi stutteringly pieced words together. “Kaa-san and Tou-san.” He met Saguru’s eyes briefly. “They don’t talk about the past or what they were like or how they fell in love, none of that. They just argue and pretend they don’t care on the good days and fight on the bad ones, and I don’t even know what they ever saw in each other! You knew them though. You know what they were like and it’s...it’s not fair.”

Saguru was sympathetic, but that didn’t make Takumi’s lashing out at him any less a problem. He sighed. “You realize that it’s not my fault your parents don’t talk about it.” Takumi’s shoulders twitched up, chastised. Saguru took pity. “Look, I’m willing to share what I know about them if that helps. But in exchange I would appreciate keeping pranks to a minimum, and not having them targeting me.”

“I...can do that,” Takumi mumbled. “Um. You’re not asking me to stop completely?”

Saguru shrugged. “I can overlook some antics provided it doesn’t disrupt class or harm anything. Don’t make it a habit though.”

“Oh.” Takumi smiled, a little surprised like he couldn’t believe he wasn’t getting yelled at about it. “It’s actually been kind of...fun? Uh, don’t tell my parents that though.”

“Because your mother would be angry.”

“Er...”

“And Kuroba would encourage you.” Saguru shook his head. “If you disrupt anything, you’ll have a mark in the book.”

“Right, of course.” Takumi straightened up.

Saguru offered him a smile. “You know, you’re quite skilled at sleight of hand.”

“I’m not...I’m not that good. Compared to Tou-san...”

“Is on a different level than most people,” Saguru agreed.

“You’re not angry about the pranks?”

Saguru snorted. “Honestly, when I found out I had a Kuroba in my class, I was expecting a good deal worse than some glue, confetti, and removing a bit of makeup.”

“But...” He fidgeted as the first bell rang in the hall. “I humiliated you.”

Saguru snorted again. “If you think that is humiliating, you should try attending your average Kid heist. In the ones I attended, I ended up unconscious and stripped multiple times, tied up in compromising positions, and once, memorably, forced into a rather skimpy dress.” It was a hard task to keep a straight face with how Takumi’s eyes got larger and larger. “I imagine you’re sick of hearing about Kid from your mother though.” Saguru levered himself to his feet, snagging his cane from beside his desk. Saguru nodded toward the hall where teachers and students alike were hurrying back to their rooms for class. “Let’s not be late, yes?”

There was still a bit of wariness in Takumi, but Saguru thought they might have a chance of getting along now. And if his instincts were right... Saguru bumped Takumi as they turned to go separate ways, the perfect opportunity to slip a trick pen into Takumi’s pocket. (Let it be known that Saguru had learned some tricks over the years). He watched from the corner of his eye as Takumi found the pen a few steps later, pulling it free with a puzzled expression. He went to click it and jumped, the light shock no doubt surprising him.

“Sensei...?” he called after Saguru. Saguru glanced back and gave Takumi a smile and a slow, conspiratorial wink. Before continuing on. Behind him, he heard Takumi burst into surprised laughter.

Yes, they were probably going to get along fine.

He walked to his next class with a lighter step and the thought that Mel would have approved.

***

That weekend, a few dozen photos from the shoebox were placed in a cheap album. Not quite the album Mel and Saguru always planned to put together, but as a remembrance... It was a year since Mel died and it still hurt. But the photos Saguru chose were all ones with his happiest memories caught in them. They were what they’d had, and losing Mel didn’t mean those things hadn’t happened. There was a peace in accepting that. At the end of the album, Saguru wrote a letter of what he’d say if he had the chance to say all the things he’d felt in the last year. By the end of it, he thought he might just be okay.

Omake

In the two months that Saguru had been teaching, he still wasn’t sure what to make of the literature club. They met weekly, and as the club advisor, he found himself meeting with them although he had been told by Momoi that he needn’t bother to meet unless they were discussing an English novel that week. Call it curiosity or lingering remnants of his detective’s desire to understand what confused him, but whatever the cause, Saguru continued to attend the meetings after the first one, if in part only to see Momoi and Takumi interact. Whether or not he read all the books was a different matter, in part due to how much free time he had (which truly could only have been an excuse during the home visits) and his interest in whatever was being read (a much more accurate measure for why he did or did not read one of the chosen novels in its entirety).

Saguru tapped the spine of the Mishima Yukio novel that one of the members had insisted on at the last meeting. Confessions of a Mask was one that he had not finished due to the themes leaving him unsettled. While Saguru had read some of Mishima’s short stories in high school, he hadn’t quite been prepared for the intermingling themes of double-lives, death, violence, and homosexuality.

The club members each had their own copy of the novel, though only Honda Jirou, who had requested the book, and one other member looked particularly enthusiastic to be discussing it. There was a conspicuous absence among the members as well.

“Takumi’s late,” Momoi grumbled. She glanced at Saguru as if he might know the reason, or perhaps wondering if he was the cause of it. Saguru kept his expression politely neutral.

“He had to talk to the lacrosse coach,” another member offered.

Momoi rolled her eyes. “The whole point of moving these meeting to Thursdays was so he could attend them,” she said. With another sigh, she waved her hand, calling the meeting to order more effectively than some police officers Saguru knew could do without a single word. “So. This week we have Confessions of a Mask by Mishima Yukio. Opinions?”

“I thought that the conflict of internal desires in contrast to the outward actions in the book—”

“Anyone besides Jirou?” Momoi cut in, leaving Honda with his mouth open and a disgruntled expression. “Relax, Jirou, you can talk all you want about it in a minute.” She glanced around and no one seemed to want to go first. “Okay, so how many of you opened the book?” All but one hand went up, Saguru’s included. “And how many of you finished it?” Only four hands remained. Across the table, Jirou looked disappointed. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. No offense Jirou, but I don’t think most of the club shares your enthusiasm for Mishima’s works.”

Jirou sighed. “I’ll convert one of you eventually.”

“Mm hmm.” Momoi rounded on Saguru. “Have to say I’m surprised you didn’t finish it. I half expected you to come in with an in depth analysis like you did with The Picture of Dorian Gray.” She said it like a challenge and Saguru was still trying to figure out if she genuinely disliked him or if it was some sort of test of boundaries. Granted it could just be her personality to meet everyone and anyone head on directly regardless of their position of authority. Dorian Gray had been her idea for the last English novel, not Saguru’s regardless. “There’s some thematic overlaps.”

Beyond the shared theme of duplicity and the homosexual undertones in Dorian Gray set alongside the much more overt themes in Confessions, Saguru didn’t really see it. Unless she was trying to imply something by specifically connecting him to both books. He narrowed his eyes, but Momoi didn’t look like she was going for an accusation. “I suppose there are some similarities,” Saguru allowed, “but there is a very big gap between Dorian’s embracing hedonism and Kochan’s continual self-deception and rejection of his preferences. To be honest, I preferred the tone of Dorian Gray despite his unapologetic darkness.”

“Hmm,” Momoi hummed. “Well, your pick is next, and we all know you’re going with Hound of the Baskervilles.”

The game of poker the first club meeting had been to decide who got to choose what first based around winning hands. Every losing hand had required one of the books on their list crossed off. It had taken quite a few turns for Saguru to win a hand. Momoi had won the majority of them, though eventually every member had one at least one hand. It had worked out a bit too well and the only conclusion Saguru could draw was that Momoi was one hell of a card sharp.

“Oh, right, Sensei is a Holmes fan,” Watanabe Emi chirped. “Ne, Sensei, what’s your opinion on the recent films and TV programs?”

��A lot of them fail to capture Holmes’ character, and do even worse for Watson,” Saguru said drily. “Although I believe Irene Adler has gotten the brunt of misinterpretations, chiefly in how she interacts with Holmes.”

“So you’re not for a dominatrix Irene Adler?” Momoi asked, derailed from the meeting’s point with curiosity.

“That isn’t my direct issue with her character interpretation. The issue is that Irene is not and never was interested in Holmes, nor he interested in her. Adler’s actions were motivated by a desire to be with her fiancé and to keep her past lover from ruining her life.”

“We’re not here to talk about whether Irene Adler should be a dominatrix,” Honda cut in, “we’re here to talk about how Kochan’s repressed homosexual desire drives the conflict in Confessions!”

The door to the classroom they used for club meetings slid open. Takumi observed them with a pinched expression. “Do I want to know?” he asked, glancing at Momoi.

Momoi grinned. “Just in time to listen to Jirou deconstruct Mishima’s Confessions of a Mask. Take a seat.”

Takumi glanced at the rest of the club members, some of whom were laughing quietly, Honda Jirou, who looked irritated, and lastly at Saguru. Saguru lifted an eyebrow. Takumi raised one back. “Okay. Sorry for being late. Book on double lives and a guy trying to feel something he can’t?”

“Thank you,” Honda muttered. “As I was saying…”

Saguru found himself tuning out Honda’s impassioned analysis of his favorite author’s debut novel. It wasn’t that he was uninterested in what Honda had drawn from it, or what logic he’d used in making his connections; Saguru would have liked to have seen the essay Honda could no doubt write on the subject. The issue was, at one point he had been someone who felt out of place and had tried to be someone he wasn’t to fit in, and while that had been a very brief period of his life and nothing like the main character’s emotional reactions to these problems, the topic still struck a bit too closely for Saguru’s comfort.

The literature club was an interesting mix of people though, Saguru thought as bit by bit, other members started to add opinions and thoughts to build off Honda’s words. They had a range of interests and motivations for joining the club. Takumi was the only one in another after school activity as well, though he seemed to have joined the literature club for Momoi than anything else.

And Momoi… She kept glancing at Saguru and he wasn’t sure what was on her mind. She was in the club because she truly enjoyed a range of literature from what he could tell. Perhaps also because it gave her a space she could control as its de facto leader.

They were an interesting bunch and it was a way to pass one afternoon a week in some sort of human interaction, so Saguru couldn’t complain.

And next week he could discuss his favorite novel after introducing it to another generation of readers. What was there to dislike about that?

[chierafied]

SessKag Week Day 5 - At the Beach

The Bikini Experiment

Modern Day AU / Romance /  1,291 words

Kagome fussed in front of the mirror, turning this way and that. She adjusted the bikini top, feeling self-conscious. 

She had been perfectly happy with her old one-piece swimsuit, but when she’d told Sango that Sesshoumaru had agreed to go to the beach with her, she had all but dragged her into a store and made her buy the bikini.

Though Kagome had wanted a day at the beach – like one you always saw in shoujo manga – she’d been surprised that Sesshoumaru had agreed to it. He was some years older than her and from a very well-off family...  Thus he was more the ‘wine and dine in a fancy setting’ type than ‘let’s go to the beach’ type.

 But that he was willing to step out of his comfort zone even though their relationship was still fresh and budding gave Kagome hope that despite their differences they might manage to build something together. Eventually.

Kagome pursed her lips.

Well, she would just have to trust Sango’s judgement and fashion sense.

She turned away from the mirror and shimmied into a sundress.

She was at the door, clutching her bag and toeing on her sandals, when her phone buzzed to alert her of a text message. She grabbed the phone.

The message was from Sesshoumaru, written in his typical succinct fashion.

Kagome stuffed the phone into her bag and rushed out the door.

  Kagome was a babbling nervous wreck for the entire car ride. She kept sneaking furtive glances at Sesshoumaru and wondering if she’d got more than she bargained for.

This was the first time she’d seen Sesshoumaru so dressed down and it was all she could do not to drool. Sesshoumaru was dashing in a suit – but sitting there next to her in a short-sleeved shirt that was only buttoned half-way up and linen trousers with the legs rolled up to show a glimpse of well-defined shins had her thoughts going to dark and delicious places.

Casual looks suited him, made him seem more approachable.

Kagome looked down at her own sundress and made a face. Next to him, she was going to look downright shabby.

The moment she saw the glimmering blue ocean for the first time, however, Kagome’s mood brightened. She leaned towards the window, bursting with excitement.

Several minutes later, Sesshoumaru finally pulled up at a parking lot and they got out of the car.

Kagome couldn’t help the skip in her step as she hurried towards the beach. Sesshoumaru trailed behind her, following at a more sedate pace.

Finally there, Kagome kicked off her sandals. She sank her toes in the sand, revelling in the warmth and slight roughness of its texture. She breathed in deep, filling her lungs with the fresh air carrying the unmistakable salty tang of the sea.

She opened her eyes, not sure when she had closed them, and found Sesshoumaru standing beside her, holding her sandals in his hand.

“We used to go to the beach when I was younger,” Kagome spoke, replying to the silent question in his amused eyes. “Back when dad was still alive. I’ve missed it.”

“You haven’t been here since?”

“Once. With my friends when I was in high school.”

He studied her for a moment. “Then I’m glad you decided to bring me here.”

She flushed in delight and grabbed his free hand.

“Come on.”

He let her pull him along.

It wasn’t too hard to find a good spot. Since they’d come on a weekday, the beach wasn’t too crowded even though the day was sunny and warm and perfectly summery.

Kagome pulled a blanket from her bag and set it down.

A brief smile touched Sesshoumaru’s lips.

“I wondered why you had such a big bag. You come prepared.”

“I do,” Kagome said, giving the old yellow backpack an affectionate pat. “I’ve got towels and three bottles of water. I made bentou for later and there’s watermelon for a snack.”

“I’m impressed.”

Kagome smiled brightly at the compliment.

Then, hoping to look cool and collected instead of a ball of jitters, Kagome closed her fingers around the hem of her sundress.

She pulled the dress over her head and snuck a glance at Sesshoumaru from under her lashes. She thought she saw his eyes widen but couldn’t be sure.

She folded her dress and put it in her backpack, feeling the weight of Sesshoumaru’s gaze on her back. She fought hard not to fidget or adjust her bikini as she straightened and faced him.

Sesshoumaru looked at her and offered no comment.

Kagome’s shoulders slumped a little as disappointment welled in the pit of her stomach.

Unable to stomach the tense silence, she plastered a smile onto her lips.

“I think I’ll go for a swim, wanna come?”

He shook his head. “I’d better stay here and look after your things.”

“Thanks,” Kagome said, swallowing another wave of disappointment.

Why had she even bothered, Kagome thought bitterly as she stomped towards the water. Why had she let Sango talk her into buying this stupid bikini?

Sango had been so sure. So smug. “He won’t know where to put his eyes.” 

Yeah right!

Sango was an idiot, and Kagome was an even bigger one for believing in her. Sesshoumaru'd had no trouble at all keeping his eyes politely above her shoulders.

Maybe he wasn’t attracted to her, the way she was to him. Kagome was pretty, but she didn’t turn heads the way Sesshoumaru did.

Kagome sighed and stopped when she felt cool water lapping at her feet. She cast one last glance at Sesshoumaru over her shoulder, then waded into the water.

  The seawater had managed to cool Kagome’s head and she felt much better when she was walking towards the shore, her steps heavy with the water pushing against her knees.

Her good mood disappeared as quickly as it had been restored, however. Up on the beach, on their spot, Sesshoumaru was sitting on the blanket – surrounded by three women.

Kagome’s temper sparked.

She hadn’t even been gone long and already he had an admiring audience?!

She probably should have seen it coming, he always did attract attention – but his non-reaction to her bikini aside, he was her boyfriend, damn it!

Kagome picked up her pace, all but stomped as she reached the shore.

She was about half-way towards the three poachers when she found her path blocked.

“Hey there.”

She blinked at the grinning guy standing in her way, then stepped around him.

A hand caught her wrist.

“What’s the rush, babe?”

Kagome turned around to glare at him.

Her fraying temper snapped, and she was about to give him a piece of her mind – when a warm hand slid to the small of her back where it splayed in a possessive manner.

Kagome’s mouth snapped shut.

“Did you have something you wished to discuss with my girlfriend?” Sesshoumaru’s words might have been polite, but his tone of voice was freezing.

“Nah man, sorry.” The guy let go of Kagome and raised his hands in a surrender.

Kagome’s hip bumped against Sesshoumaru as he tugged her against his side.

“I knew that bikini of yours was going to be trouble,” he muttered under his breath, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

Kagome’s breath caught in her throat.

“What?”

He silenced her with a kiss so hard it left Kagome’s knees wobbly.

When he pulled back, there was heat in his eyes she’d never seen there before and Kagome’s hands curled to clutch at the lapels of his half-buttoned shirt.

There was only one fleeting though on her mind before she leaned into him to claim another kiss: she needed to send Sango a thank you card.

[chilly-territory]

K ~ Four Seasons of K: Sweet x Sweet White Day

The second story from the 4 seasons of K series, which also serves as a continuation of the much earlier short story Sweet Valentine. The original Japanese text is kindly provided by blueseraphima. 

Sweet x Sweet White Day by Furuhashi Hideyuki

"Is this for me...?"

On the 14th of March, in a hallway of Scepter 4's HQ after the all troops general practice, Awashima Seri unwrapped the cloth of a multi-tiered bentou box she had just received, opened the lid and cocked her head to the side.

The inside of the lacquered multi-tiered box the size of a standard bentou container was tightly lined with white dumplings resembling dango that were covered with some kind of milky white paste.

"It's some sort of wagashi with shiroan, I take it... but what exactly are these while dumplings?" "They are marshmallows, ma'am!"

To be exact, it was marshmallow kinton[*] decorated with handmade shiroan, as Hidaka, back ramrod straight, explained to Awashima whose head tilted to the side again.

"On behalf of all the fencing troops... ah, no, i-if you take it as a present from me personally, I won't mind in the slightest."

There was a good reason why Hidaka changed his wording half-way, blushing furiously all the while.

*

"I won't stop you, but do it under your own name," was what Fuse Daiki, Hidaka's coworker, said when Hidaka was making preparations for White Day. "If you give it to her on behalf of all of us fencing troops, she'll feel obliged to return the favor, hitting us all with some potent anko stray bullets in return yet again."

A month ago, on Valentine's day, Awashima shocked all the troops with her obligatory and heart-felt chocolate alike, which turned out to be big and small botamochi cakes, with anko filling and chocolate frosting. Even with no pretext in the form of a marked day, Awashima Seri never passed up the chance to offer people around her anko in huge amounts. While that habit could be chalked up to her being the daughter of a long-standing wagashi confectionery shop owners, everyone within Scepter 4 shared an unspoken understanding that giving her an excuse to bust out her anko was a big no.

The basic policy was to ignore the existence of anko altogether. Hidaka, however, wanted to break away from that guiding principle and, using Awashima's Valentine Day's anko as the pretext, tried to sell the idea of giving her White Day's anko next. That plan was motivated by his personal desire to make up for what he had missed out on, having very little experience with the so called springtime of youth in his high school days, and he was perfectly aware of his selfishness. Still, lacking in experience as he was, he was very serious about dragging those around him in it in the form of holding a 'discussion'.

"Hmmm... if the present was personal... wouldn't she find it hard to accept because of... implications?" Hidaka asked restlessly, giving his colleagues an opportunity to speak up. "Well, 'hard to accept' is, uh..." Enomoto started. "It's plenty hard to accept as it is already~" Gotou remarked. "Yeah, starting with how that kind of a return gift is totally over the top," Fuse cut in again. "Mm... is that so. I don't really get why though," Hidaka pondered, arms crossed. "Just to make sure of something..." Enomoto chimed in. "You don't mean it in the romantic way, by any chance, right?"

Hidaka shook his head. "No, I don't plan to take things that far so all of a sudden. Rather, I mean it in a way that would make you question if there is a name for this aching feeling that's flickering somewhere in-between Love and Like." "Ah... Okay." "Nfufu, here it strikes again, that pure heart of his." "Upon an objective look, you're a pretty disgusting dude, you know."

In the end, the conclusion the majority had agreed upon was "You should present your handmade sweets as only a humble sign of gratitude for Valentine’s Day's botamochi - and keep your weird implications to yourself!"

"Nfufu, a sweets man... that's sure to grab a lot of points in girls' book." "Oh, really, Gotty?!" "Gotou, quit saying useless stuff, he'll take it seriously."

...And so, on White day Hidaka presented Awashima a multi-tiered bentou box with marshmallow kinton and the words along the lines of the above-mentioned, closing this case smoothly... or so he thought.

"Private Hidaka, could I have a minute of your time?" Awashima called out to him the very next day, stopping him dead in his tracks.

*

An hour later, the four members of the squad Hidaka belonged to met in a room in the troops dorm to hold a council.

"Nfu... So, what did Awashima-san say?" Gotou broke the ice. "She thanked me for the present and gave me back the washed bentou box." "...How normal," Fuse commented. "She also gave me beans." "Beans...?" "The brand they use at her family's confectionery shop."

Hidaka produced largish white beans. The amount of about 2 handfuls was packed into a transparent vinyl bag.

"Oh, they're pretty huge." "They're Shirahana beans, I think. Used as cooked, and for making things like white nattou... and also shiroan." "Huh?" Fuse cocked his head to the side. "It's not rare to thank for ingredients you receive with ready made food... but giving raw ingredients as a thanks for cooked food? How are you even supposed to interpret something like that?" "Did the Lieutenant say anything else?" "A lot, actually. Like, how long you're supposed to soak the beans in water, how long you should boil them, how to choose those with thin skin, with what utensils you are to strain them, and more..." "Wait, isn't that..." "Yup, fault-finding, totally!" "Uugh, I see now...!" Hidaka dropped his head into his hands, while his esteemed squadmates didn't pass up the opportunity to kick him when he was already down.

"Nfufu, that is to say~" "That the task of giving anko as a present to the utmost anko authority around was too hopelessly tall from the start." "Still... all things considered, I have to say, I don't quite understand why she gave Hidaka raw beans," Enomoto wondered.

Gotou was the one to answer, "Mnn... Normally, you'd interpret it as a redo order, no?" "Seri-chan sure pulls no punches." "...No, wait, I..." Hidaka lifted his head. "...I interpret it as encouragement." "Huh?" "I don't believe that Awashima Seri that we know would waste anko beans for the purpose of simply being sarcastic or reprimanding. So I'm sure this is her message for me to encourage me to study the subject more diligently." "Study more, huh? You just mixed some random marshmallow with some random boiled beans you bought, no?" "Yes, and I admit that I was too naive. This is something that I should have taken seriously. Alright, I'll start right away!" Hidaka declared, pumping his fist in the air.

The other three exchanged looks.

"Haah." "You sure are pumped up, sweets-man." "This rouses his sportsman's instincts, I bet."

"...So, how did it go?" was a question thrown at Hidaka 2 days later.

Enomoto found a recipe for him that Hidaka used as the base for his shiroan that he made to the best on his amateurish ability. He presented it to Awashima the day before, and today Awashima was to give him her assessment...

"She said 'Still too weak, so you should take time letting the beans absorb more water'." "Whoa, more technical guidance, huh." "She also gave me advice on things like recommended sugar quantity, acceptable moisture levels and such... I took notes. Time to go improve immediately." "You're not losing heart yet?" "What are you going to do about the ingredients?" "No worries. I received 5 kg of beans from her." Hidaka, on his way to the kitchen, suddenly stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Ah right, I almost forgot. Eno, do you happen to know, by any chance, how to make marshmallow?"

...For the next 3 days, barely with any rest, Hidaka kept trial making marshmallow kinton and delivering the result to Awashima. On her part, Awashima kept accepting it with a straight face and giving him useful advice on how to improve.

Broadening the horizons where ingredients were concerned, learning a multitude of cooking methods and acquiring a mindset open to new recipes - Hidaka's knowledge and skill when it came to making wagashi, both of which at the beginning were on a grade schooler's level, were now improving by leaps and bounds thanks to Awashima's uncompromising sharp tongue and Hidaka's own burning reckless enthusiasm.

*

And so, a month later, the masterpiece was complete.

On the plate in Awashima's hand, shiroan formed large exquisite waves carefully shaped with a small crimper. Their shape, lively in its presentation, reminded one of Hokusai's ukiyo-e[**], accented with small beads of marshmallow gleaming like true pearls in all their splendor. The creation was named 'Wave flower'.

Awashima stuck a toothpick into it with a solemn look on her face, tearing off the crest of a shiroan wave, and carried it into her mouth.

Shiroan, sprinkled with a faint cinnamon scent, had just the right hardness, allowing for just an edge of softness. It was the optimum firmness that enhanced the flavor of shiroan and brought out the texture of the marshmallow that was mixed in with it. The marshmallow beads burst open in the mouth just as the teeth felt their pleasant elasticity, adding a slightly salty tang to the mix as the fresh mint fragrance filled one's mouth.

"...Splendid." Awashima put away the toothpick. "It is simple yet deep, traditional yet novel... I have nothing more left to say." "...Thank you," Hidaka bowed his head deeply. But he didn't grin a big silly smile of a happy man at the compliment. No, he had been past that stage already. He only nodded with quiet confidence.

Seeing that, Awashima spoke up. "There is something I have been considering for a while..." she started with hesitation, which was unusual for her. After a small prudent pause, she found her words again, "Hidaka-kun, if you so desire... I would like to offer you to come to my family's house some day and help us with the store."

*

"---You don't have to rush with your decision, but give it some thought as one of your life plan options."

When Hidaka brought Awashima's words to his squadmates, they got thoroughly excited.

"Eh?! Isn't that... basically a proposal?" "Awashima-san doesn't waste time, charging in with no holds barred~" "There's no half-tones or nuances with her, really."

After a while, their shock abated.

"...'Come to my family's house', huh... Oh well, maybe it's worth considering as a possible future course." "A long-standing shop with a reputation to uphold... talk about heavy." "Yeah, actually, you can't help getting cold feet, right?"

"No, I..." Hidaka faced his squadmates and began to speak, completely serious. "At first, I started this wagashi-making project to win the Lieutenant's favor, but now that I've had the chance to see for myself how profound it is... I probably have feelings for the Lieutenant and anko equally."

"Ooh, it's that bad, huh..." "Nfu, in that case, there's no problem, is there~" "Right...!" Hidaka exclaimed with energy. "No," Fuse butted in. "You're the type to fall under others' influence way too easily, so I advice you to exercise caution in this matter."

*

"---About what we discussed yesterday... I'd like to accept your offer!" with soulful spirit like never before in his life, Hidaka gave his answer. "Oh, you have come to a decision already?" "Yes! Since I thought that keeping you waiting would be rude of me!" "You should take your time thinking over my offer thoroughly. It is a life affecting decision for you, after all." "...I see." Hidaka's shoulders slumped, energy leaving him. "...Still, thank you. My brother will be happy to hear the good news." "Eh... brother? What does your brother have to do with it, if I may be so rude as to ask?" Hidaka was a loss at the turn the conversation had taken, and Awashima sensed the need to explain. "Well, you see, my older brother succeeded our family's shop, but we could find no one who could take over the job of the workers of my father's generation... Descriptors like 'long-standing' and 'with long traditions' may have a nice ring to them, but the downside is that there is a severe shortage of suitable workers for a shop that uses the old-fashioned way of doing things like ours." The expression on Awashima's face suddenly changed from pensive to smiling. "On that account you leave nothing to be desired. I will vouch for your talent and your enthusiasm for wagashi-making with no hesitation. ...When you first asked me to sample your creation, I couldn't have thought that you would improve so much." "I see." Hidaka felt the conversation was going off on a tangent. "Umm, so I'll be helping your family as an assistant... and what will you do, Lieutenant?" "Let's see... I'd like to keep working for Scepter 4 for as long as the circumstances allow, but you never know what the future has in store. I'm envious of you since you have already decided what you want to do."

*

...In the end, Awashima seemed to have interpreted the present she had received on White Day as nothing more than a request to taste-test the anko, no mind paid to the meaning of the event or to the implication of the love affair possibility.

"Oh well, my rashness is to blame for this whole fiasco... so wagashi shop worker plans are on hold now," dejected Hidaka confessed. "Idiot, why did you backpedal? It wasn't like there was no chance in hell for you with her," Fuse reprimanded. "True," Enomoto agreed, "getting an acknowledgement of your anko-making skills is the highest rating you could have received from the Lieutenant...." "'Lieutenant, I want to start a branch store with you! Let us hoist the sign curtain of our life together!' is the card you could've played." "Ah, that sounded kind of promising~," Gotou interjected. "I've no regrets. It's not about that anyway." "Then why are you boiling anko beans as we speak, pray tell?"

Hidaka who stood in the kitchen, turned his head. "I'm experimenting with a new brand of beans. The Lieutenant is in charge of coarse anko, and I'm in charge of smooth anko. When she says 'you're the only one in whose hands I can leave this task without any worries', you just can't refuse, you see." "How did it even come to that?" "Leave me alone. This is my own problem." "No, it's no longer only your problem. Now that the Lieutenant has you as her henchman, she's more fired up than ever about that anko obsession of hers," Fuse declared loudly. "---Anko production volumes will skyrocket because of you!"

*

And so, 'Wave flower' had gone on to become a very popular product at Awashima Traditional Confections as the 'New Excellent Confection of Choice'.

T/N: [*] Kinton is wagashi cakes, which are made of white beans, sweet bean paste (shiroan) and sugar [**] Ukiyo-e is prints and paintings done on woodblocks that were popular in 17-19th centuries, and Hokusai was a famous ukiyo-e painter, most known for his series of 36 Views of Mount Fuji, that includes his most famous print, the Great Wave off Kanagawa.

[thekuroiookami]

can i get an akashi scenario where he's been busy (practice, student council, daddy issues) and hasn't been with his s/o in like forever??? but the thing is, he's been spending a whole lotta time with another girl (vice prez or secretary of stud. council) who's basically perfect and akashi's fem version. and his s/o starts to distance herself cuz she's insecure, but akashi notices and confronts? some angst but happy ending with fluffs :3 (sorry this was extra specific... lol)

I may have derailed this a bit, anon…but I hope you still like it.

“Sei, are you ready togo home?” Akashi looked up from his desk with a frown as you stuck your headaround the door.

“____.” His expressionrelaxed a fraction when you smiled at him. “Come in, I’m almost done.”

You walked over to windyour arms around his neck, settling your chin on his head. His familiar citrusand pine scent was calming. You looked down from your vantage point behind thechair at the sheaf of paper he was sorting through. “Is that more student councilpaperwork? It’s been difficult since the secretary fell ill, huh.”

He exhaled, tired beyondmeasure. “Yes, not to mention that sports day is coming up…but we should begetting someone to replace the secretary soon. I believe she starts tomorrow.”

You rubbed his tenseshoulders soothingly. “I know you’re busy and everyone needs you, but you needto take a break sometimes.”  

He unwound under yourtouch, a low hum of pleasure in his throat. “I suppose, but-“

“No buts,” you saidfirmly. “Come on, we’re going home. The world will just have to deal withoutyou.”

He let out a huff oflaughter and let you drag him out of the room, smiling at your bubbliness allthe way.

“Oh, I forgot to giveSei his bento,” you realized as you set down your bag. “I’ll go find him beforethe next class.”

Your friend tapped yourshoulder and pointed to the hallway. “He’s over there.”

Stepping out into thecorridor, you saw Akashi heading your way. You lifted a hand to wave at him.“Sei, over-“

Your words died in your throatas you saw the girl next to him. Fashioned like a porcelain doll, her gracefulperfection left glazed expressions in her wake. Her head was bent close toAkashi’s, deep in discussion. He looked up as they neared your classroom door.

“___, I apologize, Ididn’t hear you. I was speaking to our new secretary, Shimizu-san.”

The girl tilted her headpolitely, glossy black hair swishing. “How do you do, ____-san?”

Filled with a suddenapprehension you couldn’t name, you hid the bento behind your back and smiledat her. You didn’t notice Akashi narrow his eyes at the subtle movement. “Shimizu-san.It’s nice to meet you. I’ve seen you around in P.E. You run for the track team,right?”

Her answering smileknocked the wind out of everyone’s lungs. “Yes, that’s right. I’m surprised youremember me.”

It would be impossiblenot to. She was one of the legendary accomplished beauties of the school, asclose to perfection in her grades, looks, abilities and manners as it waspossible to get without bringing Akashi into the equation. Takane no hana, they called her. The unreachable flower.

Your unease bloomed, butyou stifled it. “You’re pretty well-known in school, Shimizu-san.”

Akashi smoothly slidinto the conversation. “Were you about to tell me something earlier, ___?”

“Yes. I wanted to ask-“You looked away as a student council rep jogged up.

“Hey, prez,” he said. “Sorryto interrupt, but something’s come up and we can’t do it without you. I’mafraid the student council is going to have to discuss it over lunch.”

Crimson eyes brieflyflickered with frustration. Akashi breathed out. “Very well. I didn’t plan toeat anyway. Shimizu-san, you will have to join us. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” Your heartclenched as she spoke. “I made too much food today. I would be happy to sharemy lunch with you, president.”

“Whoa, Kiyoko’s bentou,I’m jealous of you, prez. Not that yours is bad, ___-chan,” he added hastily.

You rolled your eyes, asif your fingers weren’t clutched around a box so tightly you thought they wouldsnap. “I don’t need you to tell me my cooking is good, Noya.”

Akashi regarded you fora moment longer and turned to leave. “I’ll see you later, ___.”

You smiled brightly andnodded. “Take care, Sei.”

Neither of you commentedon how much it sounded like a good-bye.

After a few weeks, evenyour friend began to take notice. “Hey, you haven’t been spending a lot of timewith Akashi-kun lately.” Yachi looked concerned. “Is everything okay?”

You tried to force areassuring smile, but it fell flat. “I guess. He’s just really busy. What withschool, basketball, extra tutoring and student council duties…he doesn’t gettime for anything.” The words ‘not even me’ hung in the air, waiting to shatterand cut into whoever examined it too deeply.

Yachi took your hand.“I’m worried about you. You don’t look so good.”

That was probably anunderstatement. The dark circles under your eyes almost looked tattooed in, andyou were noticeably thinner. “I’ve been pretty stressed lately. That must bewhy.”

Akashi wasn’t the onlyone with expectations on his shoulders. Your parents would never force it onyou, but it made them immeasurably proud to see your skill at archeryacknowledged. The pressure to achieve a medal was high, and it didn’t help thatan important scholarship exam was coming up.

You dropped your pencilon the desk with a sigh. It would have helped to talk to Akashi, even a littlebit, but you couldn’t possibly add to his already burdensome pile of concerns.And there was the fact that every time you walked past the student councilroom, Shimizu Kiyoko’s overwhelming perfection was there. She spent more timewith Akashi in one day than you had in the past two weeks, and your stomachlurched a bit every you saw how well she worked with him. Maybe it wasirrational, but fear gnawed at the corners of your mind, whispering about howmuch better off he’d be with her.

Your friend seemed tosense your anxiety. “You should talk to him,” she said softly. “Just walk intotheir office and demand five minutes. If anyone judges you, I’ll pound somesense into ‘em!”

You couldn’t help asmile at the thought of sweet, fluffy Yachi pounding anyone. “Yeah, I will.”

The gym was empty whenyou went by after practice. You blew out a frustrated breath. Maybe the basketballteam had gone off to change. You decided to wait in front of the locker room,leaning against the wall. Hopefully Akashi was doing better than you were atpractice. The bowstring was going leave bruises all over your arm tomorrow.

You looked up from yourcellphone when Hayama’s voice trailed from the locker room. “Say, Akashi,aren’t you going to tell ____-san about it?”

Your heart stilled. Itcouldn’t be. Could it?

Akashi sounded cold whenhe replied. “Why would I?”

“It isn’t fair to her,Sei-chan,” scolded Mibuchi. “She deserves to know why you’ve been so distant.”

“It doesn’t involveher.” You flinched from the sharp edge of his words. “She would only be aliability.”

Hayama sounded hurt.“You don’t mean it that way.”

The world became blurrywhen Akashi replied. “I do. She cannot be of any help in this matter.” Yourealized with some surprise that the tears were flowing fast now. You struggledto hold your sobs in, not wanting to be found. You didn’t even really want toexist at that moment.

He nailed the coffinshut. “I don’t want to see ___ right now.”

You left, barely holdingthe pieces of your shattered self together.

The week after that wasfilled with silence. It was as if you lived in a glass cage of loneliness, theworld moving by around you. Yachi’s attempts at drawing you out of your shelldidn’t work. You didn’t make any attempts to look for Akashi any more, since itwas clearly pointless. Instead you threw yourself into work and practice,giving it everything you could wring out of your exhausted body.

You were about to nockthe next arrow, aim it at the already perfectly centred cluster and shoot, whenthe coach growled at you. “____, stop. Enough already. Your fingers arebleeding.”

You looked down to findyour calloused pads had been rubbed raw. “Ah.”

“I told you not to pushit. Go see the nurse. And no practice for a while. You’ll be lucky if you canparticipate now.”

That broke through theiced lake of your mind and stirred panic in the depths. “But sensei, I reallyneed-“

“GO. That’s an order.”

You walked listlessly tothe infirmary, barely aware of your surroundings. The coach’s words played inan endless, heartbreaking loop. If you couldn’t compete-

You braced a handagainst the wall, suddenly dizzy. The hallway seemed to go sideways. Youdistantly heard someone ask if you were alright, just before you fell into thedarkness.

You woke up to find yourselfon a metal-hinged bed, pillow propped up behind your neck. You shook your headblearily. “What-“

“It’s ironic that afterall the time you spent worrying about my health, I would find you here in theinfirmary instead.” Akashi’s tone was light, but his eyes looked haunted, hisshoulders tense.

You sat up and inspectedyour fingers, breath hitching. They were heavily wrapped in bandages. “No, itcan’t be- I need to get back to practice.”

“____.” The commandfroze you in your tracks, as did his grip on your wrist. “Why didn’t you tellme? I would have helped.”

Your hands fisted in thesheets. This conversation wasn’t one you wanted to have. “You were busy. Iunderstand that. There was no need for me to put this on you.”

Akashi’s eyes flaredwith ruby lightning. “That’s not an answer. Tell me the truth.” His fingersgripped your chin, forcing your head in his direction. “Look at me, ___.”

You lifted your eyes tohis. He leaned back, shocked. Tears sparkled on your lashes, but even worse,you looked like your soul had been hollowed out with a blunt spoon. You smiledbitterly.

“You want the truth? Thetruth is that I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I knew from the moment westarted dating that I would never truly be good enough for you. There wouldalways be some girl prettier, smarter, better than me out there. Someone likeShimizu-san. Someone to match your perfection. But I thought I could live withit, knowing there would be an expiry date on this relationship. But,” yourubbed your hand over your chest, “I never thought you’d just toss me away. Ithought Akashi Seijuro would at least have the grace to tell me when he’d lostinterest.”

He stood up, furyradiating off him in waves. He grabbed your shoulders with painful force. “Idon’t know what gave you this idea. I admit I haven’t been around as much I’dlike, but-“

You finally snapped, thewords ripped from you in an involuntary shout. “You said I was a liability!”

He froze, face pale. Youcurled in on yourself, voice breaking on the words. “You said that-that youdidn’t want to see me. I heard you.”

Akashi reached a gentlehand out to your face. “Love, you misunderstood.” He stroked away a tear with afingertip. “Reo was right, I should have told you.”

You watched warily as hesat down on the bed. He was still somehow beautiful enough to hurt, but youcould see Akashi was less composed than usual. He took a deep breath. “We – theold members of Teiko -  are preparing fora basketball match. An important one.”

Whatever you wereexpecting, it wasn’t this. You blinked at him. “What?”

For the next fiveminutes, you sat in astonished silence as Akashi told you about someone namedGold, an American team, and how the former high school players had beenhumiliated. How a team had been formed to make a point. How the Generation ofMiracles were finding their way to each other again, little by little.

When he finished youwere nearly on the verge of exploding again, this time from sheer disbelief. “Andwhy was telling me about this such a problem?”

He looked away, facegrave. “Gold is not like the players I have faced before. He’s dangerous, bothon and off the court. One reason I didn’t tell you was that you would haveinsisted on coming with me, and I didn’t want him to catch sight of you.”

You pursed your lips. Itwas true that you would have found a way to be there somehow. “And the otherreason?”

His gaze came back up,and the stark loneliness in his eyes made you want to weep. “I can tell thismatch will not be easy. It will take more than just skilled passing. I willprobably need to go back…to my other self. He is very close to the surface.That side of me is different. Harsher. I’m not sure you would look at me thesame way if you knew what it was like.”

You stayed silent for amoment. Then: “He’s not a bad person you know. The other Akashi.”

The person in front ofyou went completely still. You continued, wanting to banish the darkness in hiseyes, even just a little. “You both want the same things, don’t you? To be withyour friends. He just tried to do it differently, but he made a few mistakes.That doesn’t make him worse, just human.”

You reached out to feelhis heart thump steadily under your palm. “After all, he’s you. Just anotherpart of you. You’re him. And you’re both the best person I know.”

He closed his eyes as ifhe couldn’t bear the weight of your words. His hand slid up to cover yours.When Akashi opened his eyes again, he seemed to have settled into his soul. Hislips quirked up slightly. “He says I don’t deserve you. For once, we agree on something.”

Akashi’s gaze fell tothe white gauze over your fingers. He cradled your hand in his, sadnesspainting his features. “I did that to you.” His voice was so quiet you couldbarely hear it. “I cannot tell you how sorry I am for hurting you. I have beengiven more chances than any one person deserves, yet…”

You tapped his foreheadwith your other hand, making him blink. “Men. They think the world revolvesaround them. This is my fault, for misunderstanding. You don’t get to take thecredit for what I do to myself.”

He rubbed you wrist,shaking his head. “I haven’t forgotten, you know.”

You slid a hand into hishair, relishing the feeling of being able to touch him again. He shifted intoyour hold, seeking comfort. “Forgotten what?”

“That you think you aren’tenough, or that we wouldn’t last together.” His expression sharpened intosomething like annoyance. “Apparently I have failed in convincing you of thatas well.”

You made a tacticalretreat. “Erm, I don’t think we need to go into that-“

He overruled you with adecisive statement. “Come. You’re staying over at my house today. We both needa day off.”

The dice fell fromAkashi’s fingers, rolling over to reveal two sixes. He pushed the counter uptwelve places. He caught you trying to hide a smile behind your sleeve. “What isit?”

“Well,” you replied,still trying hard to suppress laughter, “you’re winning at snakes and ladders.Again. For the third time in a row.”

He raised an eyebrow,though he was secretly amused by your reaction. “And?”

“It’s supposed to be agame of chance. It shouldn’t be possible, but then, that’s you in everything.Making the impossible happen.”

He considered youthoughtfully before responding. The both of you were curled up on his bed, yousipping hot chocolate. He wondered if you would believe him if he said that hehadn’t been this happy in weeks. The warmth of your presence was something evenhe hadn’t gotten used to. It had been a long time since someone accepted him socompletely. “There are some things I cannot do.”

You threw the dice andfrowned at the board. “Like what?”

He felt his chest achewith something like longing. “Like show you how exquisite you are. How everysecond I spend with you is precious. How the only thing I can think of is thefact that you’re mine. All mine.”

Your face turned pink. “Sei,you don’t have to-“

He gave in to desire andstretched his hand out to your face. You stayed still as he tucked a lock ofhair behind your ear, then traced a cheekbone with a  feather-light caress. He could feel your skinwarm under his touch. “You think you’re not perfect, but you are. Perfection isnot the absence of flaws. It’s when you’re so much more, that your faults don’tmatter.”

Your eyes shone as histhumb brushed over your lower lip. He leaned in, drawn forward by the velvet ofyour skin. “And if you can accept me both sides of me without fear, then why isit so hard to believe I might do the same?”

Your breath came out ofyou in a soft shudder. Akashi was hovering over you on the bed now, eyesdrinking in every detail of your features. He dipped his head to press his lipsto the pulse beating in your neck. “So warm,” he murmured. Something in hisblood spiked when you sighed in response.

Sometimes it scared him,the darker impulses you roused. He wanted to lock you up somewhere until youwere drunk off of his love and couldn’t remember your own name. “Mine,” hewhispered. “So beautiful, and so unaware of it. Such an intoxicatingcombination.”

Your hand tightened onhis shoulder. “Sei, stop teasing me.” The words came out husky.

He smiled, but it didn’tquite match the intensity of his gaze. “Maybe if you promise never to putyourself down again. Give me your word you will have faith in me. In us.”

You said nothing for amoment, just tracing his neckline in silence. He waited, willing calm into his veins.Finally, you nodded. “I trust you, Seijuro.”

“Good.” He rolled yourover so you lay on his chest. Akashi smoothed a hand down your back, enjoyingthe closeness, that sense of indescribable rightness. “Never forget: I loveyou, ___.”

You pressed a kiss tohis cheek. “I love you too. You know I’m coming to watch your game, right?”

He smirked wickedly. “Iwould expect nothing less from my fierce princess.”

You laughed. “Good,because I can’t wait for you to give that Nash guy a beat-down.”

Akashi’s answering smilewas golden with confidence. “If you’re with me, that will be a certainty.”

[hardasstaichou]

"Kensei~ Happy birthday~" Holds up a lunch box. Did she make a bentou? YES.

“No thank you.” He responds flatly. His intention not in refusing the meal but more that cheery birthday wish which he really would much rather do without. “I don’t give a rat’s ass about my birthday either. 

Don’t make a fuss over it.”