#just a silly bit of tooth-rotting fluff because I have puppy fever

[whatsabriard]

Another flufftober prompt. 5 double drabbles about freeway.

~ animal shelter ~

It all began with a box. 

Damp and dented, left on the shoulder of the southbound 101. They were on their way to a double header at Dodger Stadium and in a brief but grueling bottleneck, Jennifer spotted the abandoned cardboard that kept swaying.

“Hey!” Max’s gravelly shout followed as she bent down and retrieved the contents, returning to the backseat of the silver Bentley with something cradled in her arms. “Jeez, Mrs H!”

Jonathan hadn’t even had much of a chance to move, too startled by her quick flight and equally quick return. He might have been stunned into silence, but the angry drivers in front of them weren’t as they laid on their horns. 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Max wagged his cigar out the window, a gesture of appeasement, and rolled the car forward. The jam, it seemed, had cleared.

“Darling?” Jonathan tapped at his wife’s shoulder, which was hunched over the bundle in her arms. She was cooing sweetly to what looked like a damp wad of dirty hair.

When she finally looked up at him, her amber eyes were dazzling. The lump of hair moved and turned wide, dark eyes on Jonathan.

“Oh, darling, it’s a puppy!”

~*~

“Homer.” 

“Like the philosopher?” Jennifer held the puppy up, still damp from the marginally successful bath they’d given him in the sink. “Seems a bit much for such a little guy.”

“No. Like in baseball…a homer. Home run.” 

“Oh, that’s clever.” Jennifer considered. “Dodger?”

“What about Buckner? Oh! Or Asta!”

“Whatever you do, don’t name him Max.” A gravelly voice piped up behind them. 

“Spot?” Jennifer’s wrinkled nose and quick headshake was echoed by Max’s harumph behind them.

Jonathan carefully took the puppy, still watching them with a docile gaze, from Jennifer and curled the little body against his chest. A wet nose pressed into Jonathan’s throat and he felt his eyes sting just a bit. 

“Who would do such a thing?” Jennifer reached out to pat the little head, which was snuggled against Jonathan’s polo. “Just abandon such a small baby on the freeway.”

The tiny little tail, which had been hanging limply, began to sway tentatively.

“Oh! Freeway?” Jonathan hefted the small body up so they could look eye to eye.

“Freeway? Is that your name baby? Freeway?”  The wag grew in intensity and Freeway’s tiny pink tongue appeared to lap enthusiastically at Jonathan’s cheek.

“Welcome home, Freeway.”

~*~

“But Darling, these are my favorite socks.” Jonathan sat on the bed, the aforementioned dress sock held in his hands. A newly developed hole had appeared right over the big toe, something that had not been there when he’d taken it off the night before. 

Jennifer appeared back in the room, wrapping her hair in a towel, the offending criminal hot on her heels. 

“Freeway…” Jonathan warned and Jennifer balked. 

“He’s just a baby, darling. Don’t be angry with him.”

“I loved these socks.” He shook the sock in Freeway’s direction, and the little scamp bounced and caught it in his razor sharp teeth. “Should have named him Jaws.”

“Next time you’ll need to remember that when you leave your clothes on the floor.”

He caught her as she moved past, his nimble fingers snagging at the terry cloth wrapped around her and dropping it.

“And who’s fault is that?” He asked, pulling her laughing, naked form into his lap. He didn’t wait for an answer, instead allowing his lips to chase their favorite trail from her cheek, to her clavicle and beyond. 

Neither noticed Freeway pushing his way through the slightly ajar down, two socks trailing from his mouth. 

~*~

They bartered with the tiny, talented burglar, exchanging toys for shoes, ties and other items that were stolen and held for ransom around the house.

About once a week, Max would find a cache of stolen goods that Freeway had secreted away to what became a series of hideout locations. 

A Gucci loafer. An Italian silk tie. The racing form. And, an embarrassing number of times, a random pair of underwear. Jonathan and Max had snickered like children at the lacy pair under the couch… until Jennifer reminded them both that it hadn’t actually been Freeway (for once), giving her husband an arch look.  

Nonetheless, the thief was unrepentant and would strike again at his earliest convenience. After the sock incident, he never destroyed anything, just hoarded it all like treasures. 

To the one, Jonathan, Jennifer and Max tried to discipline him. But he would look up at them through the furrow of his eyebrows, his meltingly warm eyes, blink lovingly and bring them a ratty old toy as a peace offering. The the one, they all gave in like marshmallows.

It was his gift, the little grifter, and at the end of the day they loved him for it.

~*~

They hadn’t gone looking for a dog, but Freeway found them anyhow. 

It seemed to happen that way for them. 

The way a grumpy, gravelly man found a scruffy, diamond-in-the-rough boy and helped him grow into a man. The way that same successful man stumbled head over heels for a driven, feisty reporter who’d fallen just as hard, just as fast.

Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was kismet.

They sat in the living room, the fire crackling merrily, the little dog tucked between them. Max puttered behind them, fussing and cleaning before agreeing to sit, too, and taking a sip of the toddies he’d made up for all of them.

Jennifer’s head was nestled against Jonathan’s shoulder and their hands brushed occasionally as they patted the puppy between them, content to have the ones they loved nearby.

“We really are lucky,” Jennifer spoke into the quiet of the evening, her voice languid. ‘To have found each other. You know that?”

“Yeah, Mrs H. We really are.”

“Yes, darling.”

And a happy little wuff from the warm bundle between them.

It was unanimous. 

Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was kismet.

But for Freeway, it all began with a box.

~fin~

[amjustagirl]

Hogwarts AU (Haikyuu!)

feat. Tsukkishima Kei 

requested for by @animestheticz (hope you enjoy it bb!) 

Previously:

Miya Atsumu. Miya Osamu. Kita Shinsuke. Kuroo Tetsuro.

Masterlist link here

Warnings: Tooth-rotting fluff

Wordcount: 2k

Genre / Pairings: Fluff, Hogwarts AU, Tsukkishima / Reader

A/N: Any other characters you’d like to see? Send me an ask! 

(happy to do any characters other than Kenma / Hinata / Tendo - I don’t trust myself to do them justice!)

Oh and this is just shameless advertisement for my other fic - but I’m also writing a multi chapter fic based off Your Name / Kimi No Nawa featuring Akaashi Keiji (i.e. a bodyswap AU featuring our favourite Tokyo pretty boy). Check it out here!

——————————————————————

“P-please? Just this once?’ Yachi begs, fingers gripping your sleeve like a vice. 

You’re sorely tempted to refuse her ridiculous request, but you can’t bring yourself to. This is Yachi Hitoka, your best friend, though currently she’s a nervous wreck fretting over her first date with Yamaguchi Tadashi. The sweet, freckled Hufflepuff chaser has finally worked up the courage to act on his painfully obvious crush on Yachi - both veritable balls of sunshine, so sweet and anxious and caring that you can’t imagine a better match. 

So you don’t understand why on earth you’re being asked to tag along on a double date with one Tsukkishima Kei. 

It’s not that you dislike the guy – far from it. You’ve had a crush on him yourself ever since Yachi started hanging around Yamaguchi in your third year, sucking you and Tsukkishima have been sucked into their orbit, reluctant moons revolving around twin suns. But you’ve tucked it away since Tsukkishima doesn’t seem to have an interest in anyone at all – in fact, half the time his snarky replies and cold silences make you think he barely tolerates Yamaguchi as a friend, let alone yourself. 

Still, refusing Yachi is tantamount to kicking an injured puppy, so you swallow your reservations and agree. 

‘Thank you!’ Yachi cheers. ‘We’ll have fun, I promise!’ 

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

It’s summer, and your blouse is sticking to your back as you dash through Diagon Alley. Tsukkishima and Yamaguchi are already waiting in front of Flourish & Botts, the former barely even granting you a nod, though he does give you the courtesy of removing his headphones, while Yamaguchi bounces on the balls of his feet to greet you cheerfully. 

‘Woah there Yamaguchi – keep your enthusiasm for your date’, you joke, and he grins back at you.  And he does – stuttering and blushing as Yachi arrives. Yachi herself is no better – you swear you can hear her teeth chatter as she greets all of you, though she beams when Yamaguchi presents her with a small posy of flowers with clammy hands. 

‘They’re cute’, you remark to Tsukkishima as you walk beside him on the way to the first stop -  Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. 

‘Mm’, he responds, his face blank. 

You know he doesn’t suffer fools – worse still, talkative ones, so you fall silent until you reach the ice cream store. To your surprise, he pulls the chair out for you, and accepts your offer to share a cup of ice cream with you, a tilt to his lips when you automatically order a strawberry shortcake sundae – it’s his favourite after all. 

Yachi and Yamaguchi seem to have gotten over their initial shyness, chatting up a storm in their own little world. You’re excluded, as you expected, but you’re glad for their sakes. 

‘Excited about the last year of school?’ 

You glance up from your melting sundae, surprised that Tsukkishima is the first to break and initiate a conversation. From your interactions with him, he’s deliberate and methodical in his thoughts and words, so you take a few beats to formulate a response. 

‘Yes and no, really’, you answer honestly. 

He raises a thin blonde eyebrow, wordlessly beckoning you to elaborate. 

‘I’m excited for our classes, the syllabus seems really interesting this year’, you say, wincing at how desperately nerdy you sound – but you’re a hopeless Ravenclaw, and advanced Arithmancy and Astronomy excites you. ‘But it’s scary isn’t it – knowing that it’s our last year, and having to make all those important decisions that are going to affect us, years down the road?’ 

He hums thoughtfully. ‘I get that’, he responds, hands steepled under his chin. ‘I’m deciding between doing further studies in magical history and going pro – just for a few more years. But I know no matter what decision I end up making, I’ll probably end up second guessing myself’. 

‘Why can’t you do both?’ you find yourself saying before you can stop yourself. His brow furrows a notch. ‘You’re great at both, and I can’t see why you can’t as long as you put your mind to it’. 

You cringe at your cheesiness, expecting him to snark at you for your Hufflepuff-like optimism the way he does with Yamaguchi, but you’re surprised once again when he mutters a quiet ‘thanks’, a flush high in his cheeks, and then asks -  ‘And what about you?’ 

You wonder if he’s merely being polite, but his tone is serious, and his eyes are intently focused on you, so you tell him about your plans of taking on further studies in Arithmancy, perhaps even enroll in a Muggle university to study Mathematics for a semester or two, before working in Gringotts. The goblins may be archaic in their beliefs about the magical world, but their application of mathematics is extremely advanced. 

‘It suits you’, he comments. You want to ask him what he means by that, but Yachi pipes up from across the table.  

‘If you’re done with your ice cream, do you guys want to check out the magical menagerie? Yamaguchi’s going to get a cat!’ 

Before you can agree, Tsukkishima tells Yachi and Yamaguchi to go on ahead, drolly reminding them that they’re on a date, and they should go spend some quality time together. So they head off with wide smiles, shoulders bumping. They’re so sweet together it almost makes your teeth ache. Well, at least you’ve been dismissed as their reluctant chaperone, and you’re about to wish Tsukkishima a polite farewell when he taps your shoulder. 

‘Let’s go check out Flourish & Botts. I’m sure you have books you want to check out’. 

You blink – because you do, but you don’t expect Tsukkishima to accompany you, let alone be the one seeking out your company. He doesn’t even wait for your assent before he sets off, and you have to jog to keep up with the pace his long legs set. Thankfully, he notices you’re still lagging behind and slows down, though he teases dryly – ‘you know, at the rate you’re walking, I’m not sure we’ll get there before sundown’. 

You pointedly look up at the sun, still high in the sky, before levelling an unimpressed glare at him. He only smirks in response – and you’re so flustered by how attractive his expression is that you nearly trip over the threshold to Flourish & Botts. He catches you with a steady hand to your elbow – and now your heart is fluttering – is this how Yachi is like all the time? If so, you should really cut her some slack – the thoughts crowding your mind so distracting that you hardly hear Tsukkishima call your name in concern until he shakes your shoulder gently. 

‘Are you alright?’ Tsukkishima repeats, with a frown. 

‘Y-yes’, you reply, cursing your traitorous heart again. He doesn’t look like he believes you, insistently pushing you towards an empty couch. 

He clicks his tongue. ‘Don’t move’ he orders, before he disappears, probably to get the books he has his eyes on.  

You sink into the cushions, resisting the urge to bury your face in your hands in embarrassment. An hour spent in his presence and you’ve already turned back into a lovesick fool. You’ve told yourself countless times to just get over your silly crush on him already because it’s not going to do you any good. 

Yamaguchi’s complained to you and Yachi countless times about girls asking him if Tsukkishima is single, but you don’t see him taking an interest in anyone at all – spending all his time instead in the library and on the Quidditch pitch. 

He’s the stone faced beater from Ravenclaw. People wonder sometimes if ice flows in his veins – but they don’t see the determined set of his jaw when he’s ploughing through homework and assignments because he knows he’s going to have to spend the whole day in training the next day, the glint of satisfaction in his eyes whenever he wins a match or scores a good grade, the patience he expends tutoring Yamaguchi (along with Hinata and Kageyama) in Ancient Runes – 

Oh Merlin. You’re a hopeless case. 

 You jump when he returns and drops into a seat beside you. 

‘Oi, what’s wrong with you’, he mutters a tad scornfully, though he drops the book you were eyeing onto your lap. 

‘N-nothing. T-thanks!’ you answer, internally cursing yourself for even picking up Yachi’s speech patterns. 

Get it together. You’re not a fool. 

He hums, browsing his own book. 

It’s pleasant spending an afternoon in a nook reading books. It’s not so pleasant when your heart palpitates every single time his knee grazes yours - and if you shift just a tiny bit to the left you’re pressing against his side and - oh 

‘Are you sure you’re ok?’ he asks, frowning again, when he notices you’ve been reading the same page for the past fifteen minutes. 

‘F-fine’, you stammer, warmth flooding your cheeks when he leans his face dangerously close to yours, bringing his palm to brush against your forehead. 

‘Your temperature’s fine’, he mutters, but he doesn’t pull away – and oh gosh, you’re so close you can count every single lash on his eyes, your traitorous heart causing you to drown in the quiet concern in his eyes – and oh - 

You’re not quite sure who makes the first move because your eyes flutter close, your nose bumps against his and you feel his chapped lips against yours for a split second before he pulls away. 

You open your eyes. 

Did that truly happen? 

Judging from the blank expression on his face, the past few seconds were probably just a fever dream. But there are signs that cool, quiet Tsukkishima isn’t his usual self - a flush creeping up the back of his neck, his fingers gripping the pages of the book so tightly it starts to crinkle.  

‘What was that?’ you blurt out, confused. 

‘What was what?’ Though his voice remains calm and collected, his flush has traveled all the way to the very tips of his ears. 

‘Nothing’, you answer, dropping your eyes back to the open book on your lap, your mind in a whirl. Surely you didn’t imagine that, right? Did you just - did he just - wait, you’re confused again, what’s going on? 

Your thoughts are interrupted by elegant, long fingers slotting between your own. ‘Silly’ he mutters, but there’s a fond twist to his lips and a softness in his eyes that you’ve never seen before. 

‘I’m pretty sure I’m not the only silly one here’, you respond, in a sudden swell of confidence, though your pulse is sending tremors down your spine, your breath catching in your throat. ‘I’m pretty sure you’re the silly one too’. You curl your fingers over his and lean into his side. 

He hums diffidently. ‘I guess it might seem that way’. 

You both share a shy smile. 

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

Yachi is smug when you confess to her later that Tsukkishima - no - Kei asked you out as he walked you home that evening. 

‘I told you that we’d have fun!’, she says, grinning cheek to cheek. Then she starts rambling on and on about future double dates with her and Yamaguchi in Madame Puddifoots, where you can share couple sundaes and steaming mugs of hot chocolate - wouldn’t that be wonderful? 

You resist the urge to tell her that Kei has sworn off any future double dates - let alone at the white and pink lace bedazzled monstrosity of a cafe, and his suggestion of a quiet afternoon spent at his favourite bookshop cafe sounds far more inviting to you. 

You’ll let Yamaguchi break the news to her later, on a more appropriate date.  

Instead you just smile to yourself, thinking of the quiet affection in his voice as he wished you farewell, and the suppressed delight in his eyes when you called his name just as he was about to turn away and surprised him by pulling him down to you and pressing your lips to his cheek. 

Yachi’s right. You did have fun after all.