#kenji barely holding on in here from the way the others keep running around in my mind

[tetzoro]

happy monday and good morning friendz ! ! it’s the start of a new week, so let’s make it a good one ! i hope you all have a great day <3

[kyoxaa]

LuciKy / SinfulTwilight Fanfic

I've never posted a fic on Tumblr before and idk how to format it but uh ig a few mentions first before I toss it here :3

the fic was written for art I made for my birthday, so it's a self insert x Luci fic, it's all sfw, all the bros are mentioned at least once, it's about 2.5k+ words, also I am not much of a writer so this may be the most goofy thing you'll read on here so yea 😭🙏

also this isn't proofread :p

anyway hope you enjoy it :3

The Morningstar's Guiding Light

It was the morning of Ky's birthday, the sun barely lit Lucifer's room from the blockage of the curtains. The large master bedroom, filled with a large king sized bed, one that held the two lovers wrapped up under the nice velvety sheets, keeping them warm in the cold room.

As Lucifer's alarm rang throughout the room, the extremely tired and barely awake demon reached out, shutting the alarm off and wrapping his arms around his equally tired human, neither of them were fans of just waking up in the morning, but today, especially for Lucifer, they weren't mad. Lucifer’s head rested in the crook of Ky's neck, his arms wrapping around his lover's body in a protective and close hold. Once he spoke, his voice sounded groggy and dazed, though the happiness in it was audible.

“.. Happy birthday, my angel…” Lucifer says and sounding somewhat muffled with his mouth covered by Ky's shoulder. Lucifer's ears can almost be seen twitching for a second as he hears the very groggy voice of his human, even if it was his birthday, he's still cranky, he wasn't a morning person, the same way Lucifer wasn't a morning demon.

“mmmm.. Thanks Luci..” Ky says groggily before lifting himself up just barely to give Lucifer a kiss on the cheek, a small, tired smile, playing on his lips. Though, knowing how Lucifer was, Ky almost immediately felt Lucifer's hand under his chin. Luci's fingers gently tilted Ky's head up, their lips connecting into a warm and passionate kiss. Though their fun alone didn't last too long.

The two heard the little taps of feet running down the quiet hallway in the House of Lamentation, along with some long strides behind the littler ones. The first to barge into the room was Kenji, with his elder sister, Katsumi following behind him, looking as tired as her parents, unlike Kenji she definitely took after her parents with not being a fan of waking up so early in the morning, Kenji on the other hand, was as energetic as he could be, being as young as he was it's no wonder. After running in, Kenji hopped up on Lucifer's bed, giving both of his dad's a very excitable and warm hug each, both of them hearing the excitement in his little voice as he spoke. “Happy birthday, papa!”

More close by, Kat walked inside behind Kenji, her tired voice faintly echoing through the otherwise quiet and empty hallways with a soft yawn as she spoke aloud as well. “Hmmm… Happy birthday, papa..” Despite how tired she was, the happiness she had was audible, to which Ky smiled gently at the two, ruffling up Kenji’s hair as he spoke. “Awh, thanks so much you two… I appreciate it”

After a moment Ky, Luci, and Kenji got out of bed and followed along with Katsumi to the kitchen, where to none of their surprise, could all hear the bickering of Lucifer's six other brothers in the dining hall.

“Hey! Beel! I told you not to eat all of the waffles!” That was definitely Satan, which promptly had a follow up from Beel. “I'm sorry… I was hungry..” Asmo chimed in with a reply of his own almost immediately. “Beel, hon… You're always hungry… How about you set the table instead, hm?” He suggested, Beel simply replying with an ‘Okay’ and Belphie tiredly following behind him. Mammon and Levi were just barely walking out of the kitchen with a new serving of waffles, alongside other breakfast dishes, pancakes, French toast, milk, orange juice, fruit, whipped cream. They all had practically made a feast together, though of course with the casual amount of familial fights that they quickly recovered from. “Hey! Beel! Don't eat these either, ya got that? I ain't makin’ more of these get eaten too!” Mammon said with a mock-scowl, placing the food he had on the table, Levi following behind him with his usual snarky replies. “LOL! Come on, Mammon, you'd make it again for his birthday, we all know you would!” Mammon's cheeks flushed red in embarrassment, though he just barely missed dropping the bottle of whipped cream. “H-Hey! Shut up will ya?! I wouldn't! All of ya can make it yourselves if it falls!” Mammon snapped back, taking a seat down at the table.

Mammon soon after however, looks up from his seat, seeing the other four in the distance and about to walk in, he had an almost devilish smile on his face, getting up from his seat to greet the birthday boy himself with a real tight hug, partially to get under the rest of his brother's skins, and they knew it all too well by that point to even care. “Hey there! Happy birthday Ky! How've you been so far, huh? Better be good or else I'll give Lucifer a good talkin’ to for ya!” Mammon caused a few laughs from Ky and especially Katsumi, she had always found her uncle Mammon to be a riot, getting a warm hug returned to him as well from the little human. “Hehe, it's been great, don't worry about it you big goof..” Ky says with a grin as the rest of the brothers approach him, a jokingly loud sigh from Lucifer in the background of his brothers usual morning antics, he had once again, underestimated how willing his brothers were to wake themselves up before even he got out of bed, just to surprise his human, something about it made him feel content within that chaos.

“Mammon move your ahhh- I mean butt out of my way! You're hogging Ky and you know it!” Levi snapped, only causing Mammon to stick his tongue out at his brother, who rightfully gave him a dirty scowl.

“Awh, Hon, how about I get your breakfast for you! Do you want Waffles? Maybe some fruits too? and some sweet whipped cream?” Asmo coo’s, subtly trying to outdo Mammon without being as forward about it, Belphie slipped through the others, his hand grabbed onto Ky's arm, holding his comfortable pillow out to him.

“Mmmm… How about you take a nap with this? It's comfy you know.. and it is my favorite, so you better return it by tomorrow..”

Soon after came Satan, a small pair of what seemed to be handmade cat plushies in his hands, his face looking flushed with embarrassment at the stuff he'd made and handed to Ky. “Look.. I.. I made you these of you and Mr. Pridy McPrideFace. Don't let them get ruined, you hear?” He said as he crossed his arms, Asmo looked like he was about to squeal but kept himself quiet and gave an excited smile to Satan.

After a while, Levi was able to get through the oddly rough crowd of 5 other demons in his way, though after seeing Satan's gift his cheeks got the same level of red to them, maybe even worse knowing how he was. “I- I uh- Listen I know Satan made you those and all but I found this custom acrylic thing on Akuzon and uh… got you a few!” Levi would've practically shoved the gift box of acrylics in Ky's hand if he wasn't aware of how ruined it would make the stands, so he gave it to him gently.

Then Mammon, having almost forgotten, pulled a pair of tickets from his pocket, handing them to Lucifer, knowing My would more than likely lose them in the mess of gifts in his hands, he then looked back at the human before speaking to him, seeing the shocked look on his face, though he couldn't tell if it was from his gift or the mountain from his brothers. “Listen, short stuff. I got ya two tickets to go to Devil's Coast.. I figured tomorrow you and Lucifer can… I don't know.. go or somethin.” Mammon had the most embarrassed look to him yet, though the other 5 behind him looked shocked, then Lucifer chimed in as he stared almost blankly at the pair of tickets in his hands.

“Mammon,” he started, his voice having that same sharp edge to it that would always make his brothers, and sometimes his kids, scared shitless. “Where did you even get the money for these?” Thankfully, for Mammon, he didn't buy them completely recklessly. “Well uh, y’see big bro… I was able to get them from this super nice witch who had two spares, just hadda pay her upfront!-” “And how did you get the money? I thought it was suspicious how often you haven't been home as often, you know.”

Ky, having to listen in on this along with the rest of the brothers, spoke up with his own assumption. “He probably just worked overtime to not have a loan.. If that's all it is, don't worry so much about it, love.” Ky basically gave his demon the look of, ‘don’t ask, just roll with it’ and he reluctantly agreed, Mammon looked as if he'd just been saved.

Then finally amidst the chaos, Beel stepped up, holding a coupon in his hand, also like Mammon, he handed it to Lucifer, though he looked like he was about to start drooling, and once Lucifer saw what the coupon was for he could immediately see why. his hand held a coupon for Ristorante Six, how Beel didn't use this himself? He had no idea, but he didn't bother asking, though he heard Beel whisper in his ear to tell Ky the gift was from him later, to which Lucifer nodded and placed the two tickets and the coupon in his wallet, keeping them safe in his pocket.

“Here, Ky, let me put these in our room.” Luci said, holding his hands out for the oddly large set of gifts, which Ky almost immediately gave him, his arms already getting tired from holding them all, as Lucifer walked away he group hugged the rest of the brothers, a goofy ass smile the brothers knew him for across his face, showing he definitely liked the gifts at least.

The large group soon after took their seats at the large table in the room, eating breakfast together and engaging in their usual familial banter and talking. As each of the brothers and their kids finished their food, they excused themselves, Katsumi and Kenji both grabbed a pair of gifts they'd kept in Kat's purse, since it was oddly a giant purse, Kenji had a small card in his little hands, having a little personally written message from both his kids and even Lucifer as well inside it. Katsumi had her half of the gift, having gotten her artsy hobbies from her dad. She wanted to make him small plushies, so she made a whole little set of plush keychains of each of them.

Ky's face was nothing short of pure shock at everything he saw, and of course, in fashion of his human relatives, he slowly got teary eyed reading the little messages from his kids and Lucifer, and of course Lucifer’s was most of the entire second half of the card, leave it to him to ramble about how he loved his human, even to his face. In writing or verbal speech, he made sure his feelings were always known. The day itself was filled with fun shenanigans, each of the other brothers and the kids distracting Ky until Lucifer was ready with his surprise to finish the night off.

As the day was nearing its end, Lucifer sent Ky a message, a quick one to make him move to him faster, the demon was almost craving to spend time with his human and he planned on making it worth the wait for both of them.. Once Kyro walked into the bedroom, Lucifer stood, all dressed up just for him, the sight could almost make the guy tear up again at the thoughtfulness.

“Are you ready to go, my little love?” Lucifer spoke, his voice filled to the brim with the tender warmth Ky knew all too well. “I've planned something special for you.. I know you won't forget it.”

Ky smiled at Lucifer’s words, nodding his head and holding his hand out for the demon to take, which he promptly did, “Yea, I'm ready. I'm really excited! I've been wanting to spend time with you all day…”

The two of them took hands and made their way to the car, Lucifer had a whole day's worth of activities. They went to many places throughout the day, from cafes, to parks, to stores, pretty much anywhere. They had the day to themselves and they'd take full advantage of that. Though as a final tribute, Lucifer thought of bringing Ky to the Devil's Coast, and go on the Ferris Wheel, the same place he proposed to him, making it a special place for the two of them. After getting to Devils Coast, Ky looked ecstatic, like his suppressed inner child got released. Seeing how expressive Ky can somehow get despite all Lucifer knows about him, it made him smile, all that excitement was because of him, it made his pride swell up when his love enjoyed his surprises.

“I'll get the door for you, love.” Lucifer said as he was getting out of the car, swiftly making his way to the passenger side of the car, opening the door and helping Ky out, his actions causing his humans cheeks to redden, which was his end goal, not like it took much work on Lucifer's end to make his human flustered like that anyway, saves him all the trouble.

The two of them had a fun night out at the Devil's Coast, they got one last meal at one of the local food stands for their dinner, played a bunch of the corny carnival games with Lucifer pretending he was some hot shot and could win each one with no effort, they walked along the beach before the sun started to fully set and then after getting ice cream, they went on the Ferris Wheel.

They engaged in some mindless chatting about Ky's day while the ride started up. Lucifer was just glad he could make his human happy, he adored seeing Ky smile, he'd never admit to it but he'd do anything to see it on him. As the Ferris Wheel started getting up to the top with the sunset looking almost mesmerizing from their view, Lucifer turned Ky to face him by the window, cupping his chin in his hand, slowly pulling him in for a tender kiss. The sun's rays were practically reflecting on the two as they shared their kiss, and once they parted, Lucifer could see the pure shocked and flustered expression on Ky's face. He felt pride swell up at Ky's reaction to him, letting out a soft chuckle.

After the two finished their ride, going inside and getting settled in bed, they continued talking in bed, Ky's eyes slowly getting droopy, being exhausted after such a long day.

“Did you have fun, my love?” Lucifer asked, his own voice having that same tone of exhaustion after a long work day, though the hint of a smile on his face, he had a good time and wasn't afraid to show it.

“Hehe.. of course I did, I loved it.. Thank you, Luci..” Ky said as he snuggled himself close to Luci, wrapping his arms around the demon's body, keeping them close together.

“Good… I'm glad”

After Lucifer spoke, the two were out like a light, snuggled up close, the two celebrating the final hours of Ky's birthday cuddled together, Lucifer holding his human close to him as well, never letting him go.

+ the art of the cards from another art spam post :3

[ch4rryc0smos]

REVERIE | 04

GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU-

synopsis ┊kenji sato returns to japan, leaving behind everything he's ever known. and fate plays a cruel joke on him, when hazel vellichor walks back into his life, albeit not by choice. she makes a trip to japan, for a charity event, for another speech, and somehow; media wrangles her in for more drama. what they don't know is that she's ultrawoman, and kenji's ultraman, and there's more than to the eye here. they're well intertwined and every time they tug away, the knot gets tighter. everything leads them to each other, and now japan is in their hands, and they have to unravel every secret they refused to acknowledge prior to this. and they have to accept every role bestowed upon them, whether they like it or not. somehow, all of this leads to is them learning that there was always more to their friendship, and that they were truly two puzzle pieces, fit right next to each other.

genre ┊ childhood-friends-to-strangers-to-lovers, slight angst, tooth rotting & chaotic fluff, co-parenting (?)

pairing ┊ken sato x fem-self insert/oc, ken sato x public figure!self insert, ken sato x childhood-friend!self insert

warnings ┊ mild cursing, mentions of drinking, trauma, heavy topics (?), events in ultraman: rising take place alongside this story.

word count ┊1.1k

author's note ┊that one scene where he first gets his shoulder injury. can't believe he doesn't get his ass whooped completely /j trying to pull through 08 right now, but a bit slower with keeping up with sports asjdh, but we'll push! <3

prev. | next.

Day one as Ultrawoman, and Hazel thinks she might be failing, already. She just went through a hell of an interview and now she’s running towards the loud growls from the other end of the city. She glances around, there’s no KDF, but the kaiju is still there, and it does not look happy. She has to force herself to not get too caught up in the way the city looks tiny in comparison to her, right now. She may have power, but she hasn’t ever utilised it, and the way the kaiju’s looking to lunge at her, she doesn’t know if it’s going to do fuck all. She braces herself, hands out, and she’s careful to not hurt the city. Her goals right now are to not cause any damage to the city, and the kaiju. A few injuries on her side wouldn’t matter. She could heal. 

When the kaiju lunges at her, she thinks the air is knocked right out of her lungs, but she doesn’t lose her footing… too much. She manages to hold back, and she’s thinking back to all the footage that Mr. Sato has shown her, and everything he’s ever told her about this, and she just can’t seem to wrap her head around hurting these creatures. Which is why she’s feeling scared about steering it away. She doesn’t know how powerful she is, or it is. 

She looks it in the eye, all she really sees is aggression, but surely, there’s more. She glances around, and she hears the screams from behind her, and she can feel the scurrying footsteps, but she only gently pushes the beast back. Trying to move it out of city borders.

“We’re going to get you out of here, okay…?” she’s saying, but she doubts it understands her. She pulls back slightly, and she notices that the kaiju is ready to swing, and she’s about to brace herself—Someone brushes past her, someone that’s just about her size.

Guess whose fucking ass shows up.

Ultraman with all his sass and glamour runs right at the kaiju and lands a blow to its face. If she thinks the beast was angry before, it seems enraged now. Like it’s ready to cause havoc everywhere. And Ultraman now looks mortified.

She barely catches a glance of him, and she hears his low ‘oh no.’ She thinks it suits him right.

She at least has the common sense to try and dodge when the kaiju comes rushing at Ultraman, but he’s standing there like a deer in the headlights and gets bodied, thrown across the city. She flinches at the buildings that he crashes into. But she can’t linger on that, she’s quick to go and place herself between the kaiju that looks like it might be ready to take a bite out of Ultraman. She shoves it back, feeling Ultraman groan. The most she can see is him clutching his left shoulder, but then she feels a rough push, and this time she doubts whether all of her bones are intact. Ultraman’s got her, she hopes he’s not hurt more when she crashes right into his frame, but he holds her steady, and she’s rushing forward.

Enough being nice, she thinks. It’s time to really put in the weight. Do what she’s meant to. She gets ready, but then she hears whirring. She looks up, and she’s so glad that for a moment, the kaiju looks distracted too. Then, her stomach turns.

The KDF is here. And she honestly can’t afford the violence they practise. She didn’t know Mr. Onda personally, but she thinks she’ll always have a grudge against him for the way he treats these creatures. She tries to wave them off, and Ultraman has the nerve to say ‘we’ve got this under control’. If she isn’t meant to be setting an example and being reasonable, she thinks he deserves a punch too.

But she’s more pressed about the KDF, she’s been tracking them, their plans, researching endlessly. Because she knows most of their connections, and she also figured it would help her and Mr. Sato. Right now though, none of this research seems to make a difference because when they start getting violent with the kaiju, it’s like all Ultrawoman can do is stare in horror. And she tries to reach forward, but there’s a hand on her shoulder, and she wants to throw Ultraman himself at the KDF pods hovering above their head. She asks them to stop, again, and they don’t.

“Don’t fuss about it, it’s better for us,” Ultraman dares say, and she spins around to him, and she thinks she’s actually going to punch him this time.

“No, it isn’t!” And with the indignation in her voice, he doesn’t say anything else, he just steps forward, and starts waving at the KDF. He’s an idiot, confirmed. 

And then he gets thrown again. 

The next few minutes are just pure embarrassment for Ultraman, and brute force from the KDF, and Ultrawoman truly doesn’t know what to do anymore. She’s staring, and she’s trying to shove the kaiju out of city boundaries, but the KDF pod’s whirring gets louder around her head and it’s like they’re just looking to kill, they truly don’t care for this poor kaiju. 

That night? An absolute mess. And when Ultraman practically drags Hazel out of the wreck that’s primarily caused by the writhing kaiju, she almost doesn’t want to move. She stares as they drag the beast away. She’s not processing any words being spoken to her, especially not by Ultraman. She spares him one glance.

And then she’s off. She curses herself the whole way back home. And the KDF. She also promises herself that she’s going to research into this package of theirs more thoroughly. She doesn’t want to sabotage anything, but knowing them, would they do it any good? When she’s tracking coordinates, she has questions about origins, but she’s too scared to look more into it. Well, no more of that from her side. She needs to get her head in the game. 

So when that night she walks into her house, her body sore, and head pounding, she doesn’t go to her bedroom. Instead she’s staring at screens, tracking journeys, and looking more into the backgrounds of members and the KDF’s recent endeavours. Being a public figure, and this is what she’s up to? Scandalous. Not like she cares though, for whatever the KDF say, they’re doing more harm than good. 

Hazel wants to stop that, and she will. She promises herself, her gran, and Mr. Sato.

ch4rryc0smos © 2024 … do not repost, alter, translate, or steal my work.

[bumblesimagines]

Headcanon:

Getting with Yaz

Request: Yes or No

Petition to let all the campers say fuck at least once

~

Those who know Yaz know she’s horrible with her emotions and even worse at expressing them properly

Which is why she was terribly awkward and flustered around you, barely getting a sentence out without a stutter and hardly ever spending time near you

For a while, you thought Yaz just didn’t like you

You weren’t sure why but she seemed like she hated being around you

Always made excuses to not be alone with you

In reality, she just didn’t want to embarrass herself if she got stuck with you alone

Sammy caught on quick, nothing love related can slip past that girl

She was immediately delighted and happy for Yaz and no matter how much Yaz tried denying it, Sammy wasn’t taking it

Yaz was able to convince her not to play wingwoman but it didn’t stop Sammy from dropping hints here and there

After encouragements from Sammy, a pep talk, and a few jogs to clear her head, she mustered up the courage to approach you 

“Hey, (Y/N), uhm... IkindofreallylikeyouandIwaswonderingifyoufeelthesame.” “What?” “She likes you!” “Sammy!”

Yaz wanted a dinosaur to gobble her up right then and there

But then you smiled, chuckled, and nodded

Good things, right?

Oh, little Yasmina couldn’t handle the affection at first

Even handholding sent butterflies to her stomach

The other campers, apart from Sammy, didn’t know

It wasn’t as if Yaz wanted to keep it a secret

She just wasn’t big on PDA

And most of the time, everyone was busy either running from a dinosaur or fixing up camp

Brooklyn caught on first

Oh, Yaz will never forget the gasp Brooke let out or the way her jaw dropped

Any beef her and Yaz had disappeared for a moment when Brooke dragged Yaz away to get all the details

After all the gushing from Sammy and Brooke, Yaz held your hand infront of the boys

Kenji had the same reaction as Brooke, just with added stuttering

Ben wasn’t surprised, having caught onto Yazs crush pretty fast

Darius gave a big smile, a hug, and a congrats

After that, Yaz was open to cheek pecks and hand holding

It became instinct to grab your hand whenever a predator was around

Because of this, you were forced to run alongside the literal athlete 

Rip your legs

While on the topic of running, Yazs idea of dates was going on jogs

Great for your health! Not that great for romantic moments

Luckily, Brooke and Sammy lived off romcoms and romance movies before getting stuck on the island so they gave Yaz some ideas

You had ideas of your own and you opened Yaz to a world of new hobbies and activities to do for fun instead of pushups

Of course, the topic of going home eventually made its way into one of your conversations

It was no secret the campers knew deep down the chances of them staying in touch after going home was slim to none

It scared Yaz

As much as she missed home and her mom, she didn’t want to lose you

You kept her sane and grounded

She wasn’t sure how she’d balance her track stuff and a relationship

She hadn’t had time for friends, how’d she have time for a partner?

Of course, you calmed her down and reassured her

Yaz was so glad she had you by her side

[kythed]

“you can hear it in the silence” - a collection of conversations between you and futakuchi kenji. 

1. april 14th, 7:56pm.

“it’s terribly boring, isn’t it?” the voice comes from right near your ear. you start, turning to see a young guy dressed in jeans, a tee, and a baseball cap, slouchy and messy in the most attractive and purposeful way. “the movie, I mean.”

you turn your eyes back towards the screen — some spanish neo-noir retelling of the same old “sexpot femme fatale turned domestic by a dashing hero with a horse” plotline. “yeah, it is. I only came so my film major friends would finally respect me.”

“that’s valid,” he whispers with a snort. an older man sitting beside him shushes him. “I only came so I could make fun of the people who only came to impress their film major friends.”

“oh, ouch,” you say, grinning. “way to attack like 90% of the foreign film audience.” 

“I’d say it’s something more like 97%, actually,” he says, briefly glancing at the movie. the dark haired, sultry love interest is batting her lashes at the brooding protagonist, nightgown slipping off her shoulder. “the remaining 3% is horny teenagers who can’t yet figure out how to erase their search history.” 

despite being in the middle of a crowded theater, you laugh, giggle echoing off the walls. several people turn around to shoot you dirty looks, and you immediately clap an apologetic over your mouth. oops.

“I’m kenji futakuchi,” your seat-neighbor whispers, extending a hand. “unprofessional film critic, engineering major, and thai tea hater. I’m willing to take you out for boba on our first date, but if you order thai tea it will also be our last.” 

“bold of you to assume we’ll even have a first date,” you say, shaking his hand with another quiet laugh. 

“oh, we will,” he says with what can only be described as a bona fide smirk. “I saw the way you were looking at me earlier.” 

before you can respond, the curmudgeonly old man beside kenji leans over and scowls. “if you kids want to keep flirting, do so outside. some of us are here for cultural enrichment.” 

kenji glances at you, face spelling out mischief. “you heard the man. shall we?” 

for a moment, you consider saying no. but then reason kicks into gear and you stand up, dusting popcorn off your lap. “we shall.” 

(discovery number one: your hand fits perfectly in his.)

2. may 2nd, 11:17am. 

“you know, this actually isn’t so bad.” kenji takes another cautious sip. “still can’t hold a candle to jasmine.”

“I respect that,” you say, offering him a taste of your drink. “I feel like everyone who hates thai tea is just jumping on the bandwagon. it’s pretty decent.”

“you’re pretty decent,” he says petulantly, snatching your tea and replacing it with his own. 

you roll your eyes. “your comebacks suck. still can’t believe I agreed to go out with you.” 

kenji feigns a look of surprise. “oh, are we going out? I thought this was a platonic thing.” 

you send a pointed look at his hand resting on your thigh, his thumb rubbing light circles in your skin. 

kenji follows your gaze and suppresses a smile, shrugging. “friends do that.” 

it’s a cool spring day, the air smelling of his cologne — vanilla, coffee, and burnt orange — and the eucalyptus growing in front of the cafe. the sunshine is fresh and pale, casting a glowy halo over kenji’s brunette mess of hair. he smiles rather angelically, as if he knows exactly what you’re thinking. 

“and do friends do this?” you say softly, leaning forward so your nose is just centimeters from his. 

kenji gulps, adam’s apple bobbing painfully in his throat. his voice cracks with his next words. “y-yeah. I do this with my buddies all the time. no homo.” 

you slowly bring your hand up to cup his jaw, letting your eyes linger on his lips before glancing back up and smiling. “oh, good. ‘cause I do this with my girls all the time, too. full homo.” 

“yeah?”

“mhm,” you purr, trying to channel some of that femme fatale energy, leaning even closer so you can feel his warm breath on your mouth — and then you pull away with a cackle, leaving kenji blinking down at you with reproach.

“women are so cruel,” he sighs wistfully, fanning his shirt and running a hand through his hair. 

“sorry,” you chirp, not sorry at all. “I don’t kiss on the first date.” 

“you don’t kiss on the first date?” kenji repeats. “so what’s the timeline — we hold hands today, and then you let me hug you next week, and then we kiss in a month, and then in like fifty years we finally fu—” 

“kenji!” you say, whipping around. you’re scandalized. there’s a family with primary school aged kids sitting at the other table, shrieking with laughter and bouncing around like pinballs on a boba-fueled sugar high. “keep it PG.” 

“I wasn’t gonna say anything bad,” kenji complains. “I was just gonna say that in fifty years we finally, uh… furbish the condo we purchase together.” 

“sure you were,” you say, and kenji just laughs. there’s something in the way he looks at you… something soft and affectionate that makes you think he might actually intend to stick around for fifty years. it scares you a little — but in a good way. 

later that day, when kenji drops you off at your front porch, you lean forward again. usually you keep your word, but today’s an exception. 

(discovery number two: he tastes like colgate and thai tea.)

3. august 21st, 8:02am. 

“what the hell,” you cough, squinting through the smoke. you can barely hear yourself over the shrill beeping of the fire alarm resounding around your apartment. “kenji?”

kenji emerges from behind the fridge, nonchalantly leaning on the wall with a nervous smile. “hey, baby. sleep well?”

“don’t you ‘hey, baby’ me, mister,” you say, marching forward, fanning the smoke away with your oversized sleep shirt. (well, technically it’s his shirt, and that’s why it’s oversized. it fits perfectly fine on him.) “what in the world did you do?” 

“why is it that when something goes wrong you always automatically blame me?” he complains, coughing. 

“because it’s always your fault,” you say, gently but firmly pushing him aside to reveal, sitting innocently on the counter… a smoking toaster with two pieces of bread (burnt nearly completely black) resting in the slots. oh lord. “kenji. babe. darling.”

“ooh, keep going, please,” kenji coos, yelping when you lightly pinch his elbow. “hey!” 

he’s about to retaliate before you double over in laughter, holding onto the edge of the kitchen counter for support. you choke out giggles between breaths, hardly able to keep balance. “you — (wheeze) — you nearly burnt down the kitchen — (wheeze) — trying to make toast?” 

“it’s not as easy as it looks,” kenji insists, gingerly picking the slices of bread (although they’re more like crackers now) out from the toaster. “I’m sorry that I wanted to do something nice for my beautiful girlfriend. and I’m sorry that the only thing I could handle was toast and coffee. well, technically just coffee, I guess.” 

he picks up a mug from the counter and offers it to you. “it might be kinda cold now. sorry. I tried.”

he’s so earnest and adorable and lovely in that moment — standing in the middle of the clouded kitchen in just mismatched socks and an old pair of boxers, holding the coffee out for you to see — that you can hardly contain yourself. 

“god, I love you,” you say without thinking, the last word catching in your throat as you look up. oh. oops. kenji’s staring at you, unblinking, big brown eyes filled with… surprise? “I mean, I meant —”

“you love me?” 

“I, uh,” you falter. this isn’t you; you’re supposed to be the calm and collected one. “this isn’t how I wanted to say it, but—”

“but you do, right? you love me?” kenji sets the mug back down and pulls you in by the waist, grinning broadly and resting his forehead against yours. your heart is pulsing erratically, but a smile big enough to match his somehow finds its way onto your face. you nod, and kenji immediately kisses you hard, tangling his fingers in the back of your hair. 

“I love you,” he says breathlessly after finally parting. you feel the uncomfortable warmth of your face and the swollenness of your lips... but you can’t quite bring yourself to care. “I love you a lot.” 

“you love me so much that you even tried to make me toast,” you laugh. “and you brought me cold coffee in my second favorite mug.” 

“no, wait,” says kenji, glancing back towards said mug. “that’s your favorite mug.”

“no, my favorite is the green one with the—”

“—with the orange flowers,” kenji groans in realization, slapping a limp, penitent hand to his cheek. “I’m a failure of a boyfriend. I deserve to go to boyfriend jail.” 

“you do,” you agree, nodding solemnly. “but lucky for you, I have a get-out-of-jail-free card right here.”

“oh?” says kenji, a devilish smile quirking up the corners of his lips. 

you hum and offer him your clenched fist, like you’re about to place something in his palm. but when he extends his own outstretched hand, you interlace your fingers with his instead. “yep. right here.” 

“you think you’re so clever,” kenji sighs, nonetheless bringing your hand up to press a brief kiss to your knuckles. 

“I do.” you shuffle towards the counter to take a sip of the coffee — sure enough, it’s cold. (but he still made it exactly the way you like it.) “c’mon. breakfast.” 

(discovery number three: burnt toast doesn’t taste so bad when you eat it with someone you love.)

4. november 1st, 10:38pm.

the commute across town from your university to your apartment is on the longer side, around forty minutes. it feels even longer late at night, though, on your way home from your part time job. 

the subway rattles on its tracks as it slows to rest at a stop (but not yours) and a handful of sleepy passengers stumble out, swinging briefcases and pulling their scarves a little tighter. you stifle a yawn, slumping back into your seat. 

“you okay?” 

you smile. ever since you got hired a couple months ago, kenji’s insisted on coming to “pick you up” from work to take the train back with you, even though he works all the way across town. (he’ll probably stay the night — he has a drawer full of his things at your place these days, complete with a dozen wrinkled t-shirts, old soccer shorts, and a bundle of irreparably tangled chargers. he hasn’t bothered to bring his own shampoo over yet, though, claiming that “yours smells so nice and fruity” and “men’s shampoo just smells like nondescript testosterone and insecurity.” he’s right of course, but all the same, you’d rather he not use up all of yours.) 

“yeah, I’m okay,” you sigh, taking his hand and feeling him begin to rub circles on your palm. you close your eyes. “just tired.” 

“hi ‘okay-just-tired,’ I’m dad,” kenji says slyly, and you open one incredulous eye. 

“did you really…?”

“I really did,” kenji says, puffing up his chest. “you walked right into it.” 

you groan and fall on top of him dramatically, burying your face in his thick fleece jacket. “I’m too dead for this. I’m like frankenstein before he was reanimated — just a bunch of limbs and organs in a useless, fleshy pile.”

“technically, he’s frankenstein’s monster,” says kenji, petting your hair absentmindedly. “frankenstein’s the name of the doctor. cute literary allusion, though.” 

“do you ever shut up?” your voice comes out muffled by kenji’s coat, but not at all devoid of its intended irritation. 

“occasionally,” he says as you lift your head. he pulls you closer with one arm until you’re practically sharing a seat, legs interlocked, your temple resting on his shoulder and his chin nestled in your hair. “when I’m sleeping. when I’m eating — well, sometimes. sometimes I talk with my mouth full.”

“yeah, I’ve borne witness to that,” you say, wrinkling your nose. you’ve tried to improve kenji’s table manners countless times (especially in light of your family’s thanksgiving dinner soon approaching), but it’s all been in vain. most likely because he enjoys seeing you get worked up about his not using a coaster, etc. “disgusting.”  

“when I’m concentrating on physics,” he continues, as if he hadn’t heard you. “when I’m in the library. when I’m kissing pretty girls.” 

he bends down and tries to give you a peck, but you gasp and dodge it. “girls? plural? you’re out here kissing pretty girls other than me?”

“when I’m kissing one specific pretty girl,” kenji corrects himself, grinning. 

you feel your own grin stretch across your face. “and which pretty girl is that?”

“my pretty girl,” he says smugly, looking incredibly pleased with himself. 

you scoff. “corny.” 

“you like it.” 

you chew on your inner cheek, trying and failing to suppress your smile. “you know I do.” 

the train’s speakers crackle alive, a cool automated voice emanating from their unseen perches: “approaching hiwamari station. projected arrival in: 1 minute.” 

“alright, time to wake up, sleeping beauty,” kenji huffs, lugging you onto your feet. you hang limp in his arms like a rag doll, unwilling to bear your own weight. “you are perfectly capable of standing. shape up before I alert the authorities, you hooligan.” 

“hmm,” you groan, finally arighting yourself with some difficulty. you want to ask where in the world he learned the word ‘hooligan,’ but your brain can hardly afford you even the most basic cognition right now. “it’s too late, and my knees hurt, and I’m tired, and I saw an ad for that new vietnamese place at the last station, and now I want banh mi. but I can’t have banh mi because there’s none on this side of town, and that irritates me.” you take a deep breath. “also, I’m cold.” 

kenji laughs and slips a loose arm around your waist as the doors slide open, gently guiding you down onto the platform. the night air bites at your skin, painting goosebumps in its wake. you’re about ready to just sit down on the ground and curl into a frustrated, exhausted ball when he crouches down, fingers straightening and smoothing the lapels of your coat. “well, I can’t really help with the sore knees and the hankering for banh mi part, but I’m pretty sure you’re cold because you’ve had your buttons undone this entire time. dummy.” 

he buttons your jacket quickly and deftly, careful to avoid pinching you in the process. a particular kind of warmth bubbles up in your chest at his concentrated expression — kenji likes to maintain his effortless, reckless reputation, but when it comes down to the bare bones of it all, he’s still the type of guy who’ll button his girlfriend’s coat for her. on the walk from the subway to your apartment, his arm doesn’t leave your body once, keeping you close to his side and shielded from the wind. 

“I’m not a dummy.”

“sure, dummy.”

(discovery number four: body heat — specifically, kenji futakuchi’s body heat — is by far the most effective way to stay warm.)

5. december 23rd, 12:01pm. 

“who’s your best friend?” the question pops into your mind and out of your mouth almost instantaneously. kenji, who’s lounging on the sofa next to you, turns, eyebrows furrowed. there’s a small douglas fir in the corner of the room, minimally decked with what ornaments you could “diy” from around the house: snowflakes made of sticky notes, bedazzled plastic utensils, etc. several small packages have been haphazardly tossed around the tree’s base, yours neatly wrapped in red tissue paper and string, kenji’s covered in newspaper and excessive scotch tape. (he tried. maybe not his best, but he tried.) 

“depends,” he says, turning off his phone and tossing it onto the carpet. “what’s your definition of best friend?” 

“you know,” you say, helplessly splaying your fingers. “monica and rachel. frodo and sam. taylor swift and karlie kloss.” 

“hold on,” kenji says, holding up a hand. “didn’t taylor swift and karlie kloss have a falling out?” 

“yeah, but for the sake of the argument,” you insist. you narrow your eyes. “wait. how do you know about that?” 

“you talk about it every time you listen to that one album, which is at least once a month,” kenji says with a grin. “probably more like twice, actually.”

“oh.” you flush, making a mental note to use earbuds more often. “anyways. answer the question.”

“wait, but you just gave me a bunch of examples,” kenji complains. he glances briefly out the window, which is iced over like a sugar cookie, obscuring the snowscape outside. mariah plays faintly in the background, jingling and whistle tones echoing through the halls. “you didn’t define anything.” 

“a best friend,” you begin, faltering and taking a moment to think. a best friend… what is a best friend, really? you frown for a moment before smiling brightly. “a best friend is a commitment. it’s when you commit to being there for somebody when they need you. and it’s when you commit to finding that person when you need them, too.” 

kenji lets out a low whistle. “okay then, socrates.”

“it wasn’t that deep,” you say with a laugh. “so. who’s yours?”

kenji grins boyishly, face lighting up like a christmas tree topper. “easy. you’re my best friend.” 

oh. you weren’t expecting that. your chest gives an involuntary little thump of pleasure. “me? what about kamasaki?”

“mmm,” kenji muses, counting on his fingers. “he’s, like, my fourth best friend. maybe third on a good day. but you’re the one I go to first.” 

you have the sudden urge to wrap your limbs around him like a koala and never let go; only your dignity keeps you from tackling him right then and there. you clear your throat, praying he can’t hear your thoughts — he’d never let you live it down. “you’re mine, too.” 

kenji doesn’t respond, just smiles and rolls off the couch onto the floor with a thud, spreading out on the carpet like a seastar. the silence doesn’t bother you, though — silence (what little you can get of it) is comfortable with you two. plus, it’s never really silent. there’s always something there, something very undefinable but very real. 

(discovery number five: you are in love.)

[katsukikitten]

Warnings: 18+ NSFW, mentions of animal harm, sexual themes, god/fantasy au for BNHAREM this badboi is 8k so enjoy~

The sound of a wind chime echoes across the small field just outside your home. The breeze carries the smell of summer bloomed blossoms and with it the threat of rain as it comes from down the mountain. 

A soft brown creature catches your eye as your mother picks flowers and berries for the festival. 

“Bunbun!” You exclaim, pointing as you tug on your mother’s tattered kimono, she responds with a soft hmm. Her eyes still focused on the wide range of flowers although her vision blurs. 

But at least you weren’t picked for this festival, no it would be many years before you would be in the running. Your mother’s only wish was for you to be unfavorable. Mother is so engrossed that she does not see you slip away, slowly following the bunny into the forest. 

Soon the soft brown creature begins to hop, faster and faster as you giggle running full speed ahead. Not noticing how the trees thicken or how dark eyes seem to peer through the trees, their mawls salivating with unsated hunger. With gnashing teeth they stalk ever closer all the while you rush to catch the creature just for it to jump high into the air. Nose diving straight for the ground, you copy its actions but the bunny is faster than you. Slipping into the burrow with ease as you fall face first into dirt and rocks. 

“O..ow. Momma!” You sniffle, turning around for some much needed motherly love, but instead of your mother hunched over collecting boring things in her basket you are met with a dense forest. The setting sun washes over the trees giving the thick pines and maples a ghoulish red hue.  Suddenly you are hyper aware of the sounds around you, a stick snaps in the brush. Your head turns as if you were a startled deer, eyes wide, heart racing as you strain to hear over the rushing blood in your ears. Dark figures move in the long shadows and haunting laughs echo around you. Beady eyes shine in the darkness causing a small whimper to leave your lips. Acting on instinct you rush to your feet, running through the woods. Briers snatch at your small ankles, leaving angry red lines in their wake, wanting nothing more than to make you a child of the forest.

“MOOOM!” You shout, panting as they force you further into the mountain, you take a quick left when one jumps from the right causing you to trip over a branch falling into a small clearing, faintly you hear the rush of a spring.

Scuffling rouses a sleepy garnet haired man who lounges in a steaming hot spring, that’s sprinkled with fallen petals of mountain flowers. He thinks to dismiss it until a scream cuts through the serenity of the pines. Whatever animal it is, it sounds small and this stirs something in the mountainous man. Sadly this was the circle of life, he reminds himself as he sinks deeper into the burning hot spring. 

“MOMMA HELP PWEESE!!” You scream, trying to get up but this time you are entangled in a briar patch, thorn and vine twisting around your tender skin. It seems the wicked green plant will have its wish. 

All the while the shadows stalk closer, their bright beady eyes blown wide as their jaws unhinge for their meal. They get on their haunches to launch themselves at you until something causes them to freeze. The trees shake around you while the Earth rumbles as if there were a thunder storm beneath the rich dirt. 

“Hello little flower. Are you lost?” You whip your head towards the sound. Lip quivering as you stare up at a tall, built man. But it was his eyes that stood out the most. 

His glistening rubies glow as fading sunlight catches his hair, emphasizing that the strands are a red so deep one could mistake it as black. Your eyes play tricks on you as the air seems charged and yet calm, giving him a surreal aura. He stands tall, half relaxed as one arm is lazily hanging from his dark rose kimono while the rest of his sculpted body is exposed to the slowly cooling air. You weigh your options as best you can before you scramble to your savior. Clinging to his leg as your tears begin to stain his kimono. 

He breathes in deeply and before he can speak the dark figures vanish, melting into the shadows that stretch in the last winking light of the Sun. He crouches down to you, pushing hair past your face. 

“Don’t cry little flower. Here.” A beautiful flower crown appears in his hands. The  white petals with contrasting amethyst stripes down the center seem to have their own shimmering bio-luminescence making it feel other worldly as he places it atop your head. He chooses the dietes flower for its symbolism and rarity, unknowingly sealing your fate. 

“Is that better, little one?” You nod in response, sniffling softly as he scoops you up walking you until he can just see what must be your home through the thick trees. He watches what he assumes your mother to panic, as the village shouts what must be your name. 

“You’ll have to walk the rest of the way okay little flower?” He sets you down gently before you give a big nod. Cold bare feet crunching the leaves against the forest floor. 

You come into the clearing of your home, the sea of yellows, pinks and reds winking in the stark light of the moon. 

“Momma…” You call softly, the world stops turning on its axis before she rushes to you, pulling you into her arms before her eyes are filled with overflowing fear. Fat droplets leave her long lashes as she snatches the crown away, but it is too late. It has been seen by all. 

“Oh she is favored by the Gods.” Someone comments. 

“If she grows into anything like her mother she will be the best choice to appease the Mountain God!" 

"Let us mark this day and the family name so we may remember 16 years from now." 

They continue to gossip as your mother squeezes you tight enough that it hurts. Her mind racing as she carries you inside, she tucks you in without a word of a scolding. Coaxing you to drink some lavender tea that pulls you into a deep sleep beneath the symphony of crickets and the like.

You do not hear your mother return and if you do, you guess she is doing her nightly routine. Fluffing your blankets and making sure your futon is warm enough but what you weren’t expecting was the cold bite of a blade pressing into the flesh above your left eyebrow.  

"Mom…Momma’s sorry baby.” She chokes on her sobs as she pulls the cool metal hard and deep, crying so loud she can barely hear your scream.  

But that was how long ago? Almost two decades? You toss a rock into your reflection, distorting your marred face as your childhood flashes before your eyes. 

You remember there was shouting, lots of shouting of how you are now “unfavorable” “dishonorable” “an abomination” the next day and from then it’s a blur of insults and isolation. Nothing but the wind in your hair, the creaking of the trees and a dream of glistening rubies kept you alive, desperate to return to the last time you were happy. Although you were unsure of who you saw in the mountain that fated night, a part of you could guess. It had to be the Spirit of the Mountain, Kirishima. Because who else actually looked like the painted scrolls that littered the village and shrines? In your opinion they had his image all wrong. 

He does not scowl or wear a grimace, no his smile is sharp toothed and bright. You sigh, wondering if you will ever bump into him again. 

An inhuman scream tears through the serenity of the babbling brook causing a chill to run through your spine. If you had to guess it was most likely a fox or wolf finally catching up to its meal. 

“They must eat too…” You murmur to yourself, drawing your knees to your chest. The wind rustles the leaves overhead giving you sharp visions of beady black eyes from the past. 

“Don’t let it get away!” A shout from your left before the animal comes scurrying through the brush, running smack into your lap. It is a small fox, its tail missing and in its wake a crude weeping cut. Your vision blurs red as you take off your top layer of kimono, wrapping the poor thing in the brown fabric. 

The culprits come into view, the village elder’s son holds the tail while his favorite goon holds the knife. Red falls to the Earth in nauseating droplets. 

“Well well well, looks like we found something else we can carve up huh?” The goon asks with a smile, “Just keep quiet freak." 

The elder’s son is hesitant, something odd grows in his eyes and chest. Suddenly the tail feels a lot heavier than what it was moments ago, especially so under the weight of your single gaze. Your left eye although clouded over seems to stare straight into his soul. Can you see the desperation he has? Worst yet can you see how tainted he is? 

"Oi Kenji” The goon nudges him, clearly only hanging around the future heir for his influence and with it a hope of immunity to terrorize as he pleases. 

The motion brings him back to the present while a plan begins to form in his head. Would anyone believe the dishonorable, disowned freak over him? Could he do things to you that no matter how loud you screamed the truth it would fall on deaf ears? 

His cruel smile is an answer in of itself as he takes a step towards you, it wouldn’t be hard to make you his. You take a step back, mindful of the sun’s position and your surroundings. They both creep nearer as you hold the shaking animal to you, you turn on your heel rushing through the woods. They were fast and well trained however no one knew these woods like you did. 

It was as if you knew of every fallen leaf or broken branch as you rushed through the deep green leaves. Dodging low branches that they hit face first, holes they tripped in and even a dead deer carcass that you bound in a single leap. You hear a crash and one of them gag as your feet urge you forward, looking over your shoulder. 

That is until your run into something so solid you fall right onto your ass, the small animal gives a whimper on your lap. 

“I could have sworn…” The sound of rushing water swallows up the rest of your thought as you look up to what you’ve run into. Wholly expecting a tree stood a man, with deep garnet hair and a sharp toothed smile. Immediately your blood turns cold, the air about him seeming other worldly as the forest quiets and slows in his presence. 

“Ah, are you alright?” He asks, extending his hand to you, gingerly you take it. His calloused hand is warm and strong as he lifts you to your feet, ruby eyes staring at the bundle in your hand.

“May I?” Hesitantly you pass the bundle, he frowns at its contents before setting the small fox on the ground, waving his fingers to heal its wound. The fox looks at the healer, seemingly giving him a small bow before rushing back into the safety of the brush. 

“The fox told me what you did. Thank you.” His smile is blinding and dazzling. He offers you a single white flower, the amethyst stripe up the middle causes your stomach to tighten.

“Do you always give out good fortune?” You ask quietly, turning the wild iris over in your hand. He laughs, if he recognizes you he does not show it but you are sure this is the man who gave you an abundance of “good fortune” years ago. Your scar burns from the thought. Your mother did tell you stories of the Gods playing cruel jokes. 

But was Kirishima truly a maleficent God? 

You bit your lower lip. A warm hand cups your chin, a soft smile on his face as he turns your left side to you. 

“Do I know you dear heart?” His voice is soft, eyes half mast almost lazily gazing upon your features. You tuck the iris in your ear and it seems to jog his memory. 

“Little flower!” His voice becomes larger, sharper, as his thumb swipes over the deep fissure on your cheek “What happened?!" 

His touch is comforting but not enough you wish to relive the trauma again. 

"I wish not to speak about it.” Your eyes catch the position of the sun. Gently you step from his soft grip.

“I must return home for dinner before I cause my mother to worry.” You bow formally, presenting the flower “Thank you Kamisama but I cannot accept your blessing." 

You stand like that long enough your back begins to hurt causing a deep fear to flow through your veins.

Was he angry that you dared to reject him? 

Your feet burn with the urge to run but you dismiss it, finally his large fingers grasps at the small stem holding the rarity in his hands. Eyes roving over you, you peek up to check his gaze and while he looks level headed to you, you decide to leave before you find out if he isn’t. 

He stares after you, eyes curious and yet not surprised as to how he could have forgotten about someone as remarkable as you. 

But how could he remember? 

You are nothing more than a mere mortal and you were a child at that. A blip, a hazy day dream even, in his infinite lifetime. 

So what interest would he have in a life so fleeting that should he rouse from a nap he would be meeting your great grandchildren who could remember nothing more about you than your name? 

And yet when he looked at you now, as a full grown woman, something bloomed in his chest. Your scar adding to your mystic beauty, especially after what the fox had told him.  

His ruby eyes return to the flower as he ponders over your question in his head. 

A week or so passes, as you’re sure to avoid the Mountain God. Still fearing he may be angered by your rejection. 

But you cannot stay from the depths of the forest long. Staring down at your reflection in the water you sigh, running your hand through the cool water debating if you will bathe in one of the many hot springs tonight. A scurrying in the bush pulls your attention to the here and now. Muscles rigid as you worry it will be an encounter with the heir and his goon, shimmering orange rushes from the brush easing your mind. 

"Ah hello friend!” You call and the fox stops in its tracks, task or hunt at hand long forgotten, “Did His healing power work?" 

You cannot help the glee in your voice as you see your friendly fox sit near your feet, it swishes its tail and just like that another seems to appear. Wagging like an opposing pendulum beside the other. 

"You have two tails now, oh” You give a sly smile, “Are you here to steal my liver?" 

The kitsune chuckles at your joke, his little laugh echoing in the clearing. The haunting sound brings an odd comfort to you as he tilts his head as if someone is whispering to him. He gives a small nod before approaching, setting something in your lap that his black lips were not holding before. 

A note of sorts and the flower he attempted to offer you earlier. The note reads in glowing golden red hue,

"Let’s start over again. Tea by the blue moon wild flowers at midnight.”

You sigh deeply, placing the card and flower deep in your tattered kimono with the thought of not showing up.  Why would a God want tea with you? You who wears a scarred face and milky white eye. You give the kitsune a soft pat before standing, brushing the dirt from your deep brown kimono. 

You spend the rest of the day as you told your mother you would, picking flowers to both practice arranging and drying for the upcoming festival. There were only a few weeks left and you had done zero practicing as you has promised. Your mother claimed this would help earn your keep with the village but you were sure that was more for her peace of mind than the truth. 

With your basket heavy with the finest of flowers you head towards home, careful to avoid the path you last saw the God on.

And anytime you had thought you caught wind of his intoxicating smell of soft musk, pine and the biting threat of snow you turned on your heel as quickly and quietly as humanly possible, ignoring the gemstone gaze that bore into your back. 

After a small dinner with your mother and hours of twisting flower streams to make crowns of, you finally get the chance to lie down to sleep. 

But sleep doesn’t come, instead you’re wide awake as the moon leaks in the through the small cracks in the walls. Dust dancing on the low light as you sigh as if you were in love. 

Deep, unsatisfied and often. 

The invitation burns in the folds of your kimono and suddenly you are filled with action. Gently you rise, fumbling with your hair as best you can before you mumble curses to yourself. Placing a practice crown on your head and rouging your lips with the remnants of berries before you set out into the darkness. 

Your feet seem to guide you on your own as you weave through the trees. Fireflies lazily floating in the air as crickets scream their symphonies at your feet. Finally you come across the mostly hidden spot.

Hesitantly you step into the clearing, blue moon flowers glitter in the light of the quarter moon as if sprinkled with stardust. Their silver sheen invites you in further as a wind sweeps through the patch. Your eyes rove over as you look for the Mountain God. When your search comes up empty you feel your heart free fall into your stomach. Heated foolishness creeps into your throat and cheeks. 

Why would a God invite a mortal? 

Blinking away hurt tears you turn briskly, stopping yourself from running from the clearing incase he is watching for the sake of his cruel joke. 

That is until a deep voice rings out, vibrating the very bones in your body with a comforting hum.

“Little flower, Are we not having tea?” His tone is innocent and when you turn around with half a mind to fuss you see it. A beautiful hand woven rug that holds a low tea table, atop the dark wood sits finary. Foods, desserts and tea ware that would make the emperor jade green with envy. 

“This is…” You whisper but he reaches his hand towards you, gently guiding you to a plush cushion, his strong hand wrapped steadfast around yours. He waits until you are seated comfortably before he sits close to you. 

Almost too close, his shoulder could easily brush against yours in movement and it does as it takes you an eon to realize what exactly he is doing. 

Preparing the tea. Immediately your stomach flips as shaking hands fumble to stop him, grabbing onto his large hands with a fervor unmatched. A quizzical look before a sly smirk paints his handsome features. 

“A..a..a God should not be serving a m..mortal tea.” You trip over your words feeling self conscious as your palms feel is if they are sweating. Shame radiates through your chest as if a hot rod were shoved through your heart. 

“Then let us not be a God and a mortal.” He smiles, lips curving upward gently as his shining teeth glint in the low light. You should be scared, frightened that you may have insulted him or worse yet earned the infamous Wrath of the Mountain God. 

But you aren’t, if anything you’re on the complete opposite of the spectrum as the breeze shifts his scent closer to you. The forest alive at night, the sharp smell of snow mingling with the gentle fragrance of bloomed flowers. 

Suddenly you feel dizzy and his next words do not help. 

“Let us be more.” Again you feel the comforting hum in your chest, you decide now is a good time to let go of his hands. 

He sets the tea before you, again you are faced with a pitiful reflection. You blow on the green liquid disrupting the steam and with it your image. It is quiet save the sounds of late night summer although it is not uncomfortable silence that passes over the hours between the two of you. It is easy as the two of you sip your tea and for a moment you think you’ve forgotten the sin you’re committing by forgetting who he really is. Occasionally the two of you would share a laugh, his shoulder brushing against yours before he comes closer, close enough your forearms touch as they rest against the table. His skin feels warm and smooth like a rock baking in the sun, his smile dazzling as his face seems to get closer. His finger hooks into your palm, lazily tracing the lines as if they were an old and familiar map. 

“Why do you love the mountain forest so much?” His voice is so close you feel breath fan your cheek. Butterflies take rapid flight in your stomach. 

Was it that obvious? I guess it would be with how much of your life you spent within these thick trees. 

“There is so much to love in this place of solace. Every new clearing brings something of wonder. A waterfall, a field of flowers, a hot spring to soak your aching bones. Even just a small fawn grazing on the seeds the trees and flowers offer is more beauty than I can imagine." 

His fingers stop, leaving an odd tingling sensation causing your nerves to stand on edge. Attempting to reach towards the soft touch once more. Kirishima looks to the moon and how it begins to set. 

"Another day little flower.” He whispers, voice honeyed yet sharp as you find yourself standing on the edge of the woods, staring at your small home. You turn in a full circle and see no sign of the God causing your heart to grow heavy. Gripping at your chest as you make your way back towards your home, you thought maybe he didn’t like your answer. Maybe he read your honesty as a poor attempt of flattery. 

What you don’t know is that he liked your answer a little too much.  

It isn’t long before you find yourself in the same patch of flowers at a questionable hour sitting beside Kamisama himself. You swallow thickly, nails biting into your palm as again he pours your tea. 

Is this right? Would your mother approve?

You were sure she wouldn’t, and not from your lack of manners but seeing the very man she so feared and having tea with him nonetheless.

“Something troubling you my blossom?” Flustered over his familiarity you stammer out a response.

“Just…just thinking.” You offer a shy smile as he returns a wolfish grin, you do not know that he can hear just how fast your heart is beating. 

“Hmmm.” The hum rumbles in your own chest and large bottle flies take flight in your stomach. He brushes some hair out of your face so he can better see it. He smiles softly. 

“I’ve been curious about why you are collecting so many flowers lately.” Rigid beneath his touch you fear you have angered him but it won’t be long before you realize just how infatuated he is with you. 

“A festival for you Kirishima, Kamisama of the Mountain.” He lets his fingers play and twist in your hair. You try not to look away. 

“You’ll be the guest of honor then?” His fingers brush down your heated cheeks. 

Despite the intimacy of both his touch and proximity you give a loud laugh. Eyes looking at a blurred green version of yourself in your cup. 

“No, I’m sure I could never be favored.” At least not by the villagers. 

But you seemed to be favored by the Gods. You swallow thickly, of all the talk and importance of the festivals your mother never let you attend, so you are unsure what happens. 

While you’re left home alone you could hear the loud beats of the drum, their feet hitting against the stone of the square and their joyous singing. 

Sometimes you think you hear a scream. 

But you cannot reflect on it long as a pair of soft lips press against your cheek. Then when you do not move they graze along your jawline before finding their way to your pulse. You give a small gasp and when he gives a small suck you a raspy moan.  He growls against your throat, a sudden heat grows between your legs and you swallow desire whole. 

He feels how tense you have become and eases up from your throat. Guiding you by your chin so you may face him before he steals away your first kiss. 

Not that you would have given it to anyone else. 

The next month is a game of cat and mouse. Both of you eagerly seeking the other out, yet making it seem as if it were a mere accidently. All the while a now three tailed fox smiles knowingly.  It’s a blur of tea, mountain top views over valleys, and deep passionate kissing. 

But this last encounter truly was by pure chance for both parties. 

The pungent smell of sulfur tickles your nose, although this is the least offending spring. Its water a lovely milky blue that you’ve decorated with a few left over flowers heads. You sigh as you sink deeper into the borderline scalding water being sure to soak your aching hands and feet. 

You’re thankful that the rushing water settles here in this cluster of rocks despite the small current that carries it away just a few feet down. A sigh leaves your body, eyes lingering to the light of the full moon before they flutter close. Your guard completely down as you know no one is going to be wandering around these woods. 

It is the night of the festival after all. 

And no one was sure as hell gonna be out looking for you.  

Not even Kamisama as you were sure he would oversee the festival, it was held in his name was it not? 

Sleep threatens to pull you beneath its veil so much so you do not hear the footsteps that approach.  

He steps closer to the spot of his favorite spring and when he sees your head titling back onto the rocks, a fine blush blooms on his cheeks. 

“My little hana?” His voice is soft yet concerned, startling you. The water splashes around as you turn to face him. 

If you were flustered before you’re beyond that now. He has his back to you as he gives your privacy, face slightly turned but his eyes are not overlooking his shoulder. Your eyes widen as they take in His beauty. His hair tied up in a messy bun, winking blacks and deep reds beneath the moonlight. His broad shoulders exposed, eyes trailing down his sculpted back to see his bare buttocks. Strong, thick legs holding up this God of a man.  

Well he was a God wasn’t he? 

“Are you alright, lovely blossom? I didn’t know you’d be here I can come ba…" 

"No. No no!” You interrupt, “I…" 

It’s silent for a moment, lust moves your lips. 

"I wouldn’t mind the company.” Your voice is barely heard over the swirling, rushing water. 

But the smirk on his soft lips tells you that he had heard you.  And he will never forget the invitation. 

He turns to join you, your eyes following down the trail of his abs to his pointed V, you do not allow your eyes to travel further south and force them to his face. His glowing eyes bright, two shining rubies lighting up the night. He sinks into the water across from you, letting his arms spread and rest on the rocks. 

You release the breath you hadn’t realized you were holding. Sinking into the water as you realize just how exposed you are.  The weight of his gaze is doing something to you. 

He keeps his eyes locked on yours, the heat of the spring makes you a bit dizzy and you’re beginning to wonder if it is his merlot eyes that have you on cloud nine. 

That have you so bold. Bold enough you float yourself beside him, right into the crook of his arm. He gently slides it around your shoulders, pulling you closer to his chest. 

“How was your day my sweet?” His voice is soothing but you’d rather not recount your day or the number of flowers you set just right. 

“Boring. Yours Kirishima?” He smiles as you use his name.

“Same.” He places a chaste kiss to your damp hair line. It leaves you wanting more. 

“A..again please?” He goes to kiss your forehead again but you tilt your face upward. He smiles, putting his hand at the nape of your neck. Leaning in impossibly slow holding your gaze. His look makes you impossibly higher and then his kisses your lips.

It is soft, it is slow, but each movement of his lips become more feverish, more bold. Like a cracked dam after a rain far too heavy, it is going to burst. 

And it does. 

Your mouth openes to him and he slides his tongue between your teeth, swirling and tasting your earthly, mortal form. You moan into the kiss, giving him more entrance, your hands clawing at his hair, his back while his hands follow your curves. Running up and down your sides, pinching at your nipples turning you into putty in his hands.  You do not resist, you would never deny him and you’re sure he would never take. 

He does nothing more than light exploring, commiting your skin to memory. You let out another moan, this one louder than before enticing his primal needs. As his tongue slides over yours his hand snakes to your lower back, pulling you into his lap.  

You feel his harden asset resting close to your throbbing sex. 

Would…would it be okay to bed a God? For a mortal to be touched by hands that can create and destroy in a matter of nanoseconds? 

Suddenly you feel too hot, too flustered, too high as the world spins rapidly on its axis. You push back, gasping for air and immediately his lust is replaced with concern. He sees tears forming in your eyes, signs of some internal battle. 

It reminds him of when he pours you a cup of tea but tenfold. He looks up at you, one hand traces down your spine before his other wipes away your tears. 

“Blossom for me when you’re ready not when I want you, my little flower.” His voice is soft, reassuring, causing you to cry more. His fingers gently trace your scar, follow your spine, and continue to wipe away your tears when needed. 

You nod helplessly, removing yourself from his irresistible lap, he pulls you to cuddle. A soft kiss to your hairline. The moon begins to climb higher in the sky and although your mother will not be home for some time, you still need to beat her home. Maybe he can read minds as he says. 

“Let’s meet later tonight? Our usual time after your mother has returned home?” You nod against his chest, slowly stand. He supports your weight as he holds onto your hand as you ease out of the comforting water. 

You look for your brown kimono but with every second you cannot find it panic seizes your bones. 

“M…my kimono. I…I can’t find it!” You realize you may have misplaced it or worse yet placed it too close to the water. 

Oh Kami did it get washed away? 

“Flower, love. It is fine. I can help.” He snaps his fingers and you’re adorning the most stunning kimono you’ve ever seen. More so than what any painting of any God and Goddess meeting you’ve ever seen.  You twirl in the ombre kimono. It starts out black, like a moonless night at the top before lightening until it is put glowing starlight at your ankles. 

“Its gorgeous. But it is too much." 

"Nothing is too much for you.” He stands, a kimono appears on his body as well, ombre again, black at his shoulders until it is blood red at his ankles. The bottom reminds you of the first time you had seen him when you were little. When he saved your life, a halo of setting sun emphasizing his status. 

“We will meet again?"  You nod and he cannot bring himself to say he is going to the annual meeting of the Gods because if he did, with you wearing this star woven kimono, he would whisk you away with him. 

"Until we meet again." 

With the sound of the window fluttering through the trees you find yourself on the fringes of the woods, just outside your home. 

Gingerly you step into the field of flowers, slowly walking towards your house as you relive the time you most felt alive. 

His lips, his hands, his body pressed against yours.

So caught up in your daydream, in your promise of later tonight, you do not see the eyes lying in wait. 

Those prying eyes take note of your kimono and how it shimmers and shines with an otherworldly glow as you slip into your home. 

It isn’t long before you hear a string of screaming and see a set of lights coming your way, close enough you can make out silhouettes and what the woman is screaming.

"SHE IS UNFAVORED! LOOK AT HER SCAR SHE IS TAINTED BEAUTY!” You realize quickly that is the wails of your mother. 

Frantically you try to strip yourself of your kimono but a large hand strips away the door. Your faces are illuminated from the soft glow by your ankles making it clear to see a set of hard steely eyes with hurt but never regret as they should. 

“Just like I said. A blessed kimono.” Kenji’s voice is as hard as his eyes as his father peers in, he smiles with delight.

“We are surely saved from the drought now. Kenji bring her to the festival." 

"No.” Your voice is small, a foreboding dread feeds your panic as your mother cries, restrained by Kenji’s goons. You step back but he lunges for you, squeezing you so tightly you cannot breath. 

The walk to the center seems like ages as you kick and scream, crying out for Kirishima. 

“Yes call for our God. He will be happy to receive his gift, time is running out.” The elder speaks. You elbow Kenji square in the face, everyone panics as you begin to run. Kenji catches you again.  The moon hands high over head, perfectly in the middle of the sky. 

“There is no time left. Let’s do it now!” Kenji’s goon from before shouts, sending the crowd into a boisterous agreement. 

Kenji withdraws his knife, both of your struggling for power. He leans in close, nose touching yours as the smell of copper and ash cling to his skin. 

“You should have just stayed in your place ugly. Should’ve let me have my way.” He slices at you and for a second time a blade marrs your skin. 

He is supposed to make this quick for you, one quick motion against your throat. Instead he lets the blade sink deeper, carve harder until his is splatter in your life’s nectar. Only you and your mother cry out. The rest of them pray and sing. 

Kenji picks you up and tosses you into the brush of the woods. 

“Have her now Kamisama and bless us with rain!” He speaks as if he is the current elder. Grey eyes cold as they look down at you.  They retreat to their usual planned activities, dragging your lost mother with them to drink to their heart’s content. To make her watch what an honor it was for her child to have been chosen. 

It hurts, Kami it hurts as you drag yourself through the woods. Briars tangle around your quickly growing limp limbs as you pull yourself deeper. 

“Kiri…Kirishima!” Your once loud screams turn into hardly more than whispers. But that shouldn’t matter. He should still hear you shouldn’t he? 

Was this not his domain? He can hear every rustling leaf, every snap of a twig, surely he could hear the pained cries of his lover.

No, no you shouldn’t call yourself that, you were not his lover, you were just favored by him. 

And isn’t that always what you wanted? To be desired? Loved? 

This was a festival for Kirishima himself so why did you think any different? 

And why do you still call out his name? 

Your vision blurs in purplish blues and blacks as you fade in and out, a soft sweet scent is tainted with stinging copper. You cough and more dark liquid sputters from your lips. 

It reminds you of his eyes. 

Kitsune comes into the clearing helping frantically. But you smile as you notice his fourth tail. 

“At least I will not die alone…” You breathe as the fox attempts to lick at your wounds, “Why, why is he so cruel?" 

Fat tears fall down your cheeks and the fox panics further. He opens his mouth, his voice comes out gravely and close to a growl without the animosity.

"Master does not know of this, master would never allow this!” He laps at your blood in a desperate attempt to heal you with what little grace he has been bestowed. 

But it doesn’t matter as your world fades to black. 

Kirishima steps through the portal near the top of the mountain to be met with a horrid sight, not realizing it could be worse than that. Kitsune’s normal Auburn fur is tainted a sticky black substance, Kirishima gets a closer look causing his blood to run cold. 

He appears in the field of flowers, following the trail you left as a wispy form of you stands through your drained body. 

“No.” Quiet before deafening loud, birds and animals flee away from him, “NO!" 

The shades circle the clearing, too afraid to enter but too hungry to leave. 

Kirishima shakily grabs onto your glowing hands, tears fall down your cheeks. 

"I…I…” Tears prick his eyes, rage washes over his features, “Who?" 

Your spirit cannot speak as you are still tethered to your fast cooling body. He follows the direction of your eyes, music and laughing become louder further angering him. A thought occurs to him, he reaches for the small golden chain that is at your spiritual ankle connecting you to your real body, he could keep you here, he could….but before he can break your life’s chain a mist of black appears. 

"You know you cannot do that.” From within the mist comes a man with the head of a raven or a tengu, Kirishima is not sure. All he knows is that he loathes to see Death come too close to the things he loves. 

“But.." 

"Look around you Kirishima-kun. You’ve tried countless times to keep mortals before and what becomes of them? Shades, unwavering, thoughtless hungry shades as I’ve told you. Their spirits are so far corrupted they could never return to the cycle.” Death speaks the truth but it does not stop the anguish that sweeps through his body. 

He cannot allow it just yet. He watches as your golden chain is unhooked, you walk backwards, keeping your eyes on your God as Death guides you. 

“Until we meet again.” It is a whisper on the wind, a rustle in the leaves, a huff of a nearby fawn and babbling of the hot spring. He nods, eyes glued to you as you fade away into the black mist. 

He breathes deeply as he picks you up, cradling your cold body to his hard chest. He walks gingerly with you as if he feared he would wake you, he only had on destination in mind. It does not take long before he is walking towards the center of the small town, houses darkened as the square is full of life. The smell of wine and food waft the cool air. 

This only fuels his intentions. 

He stands on the fringe of the crowd and it only takes a blink or two before the roaring party dies to deafening silence. People falling to their knees, their foreheads pressed into the bloodied bricks. 

“K..Kamisama Kirishima, had we known you would grace…" 

"SILENCE!” His voice shakes the very foundations of the homes, the shingles clinking in the wind. The trees quiver in his presence as the Earth seems to roar beneath his feet. His eyes are hard and dark like raw diamonds as he looks over their merriment shredding them with his gaze alone. The moon above suddenly glows red as if washed over with your blood, illuminating him in an ominous tone. The hue paints the village in eerie light as it fully bares witness to the wrath of the mountain God.  

“Is this how you honor me?” A rhetorical question as he wonders how long this had been going on, the shades most likely and happily, eating the remains before Kirishima could have ever found out. He shakes, unable to reign in his rage. 

“Look at her.” Three words, three words has well over fifty people shivering. Eyes barely coming up to look at the limp woman in his hands, skin already graying. Both eyes now clouded over and lips stained a peculiar red. Their eyes shift to the God they worship, the one they had been giving their most beautiful women too. 

He holds eye contact with each and every one of them for a moment, staring into their black souls with a malice that could maim. He spies your mother, his lip snarls as he thinks of your scar. 

He begins to wonder if this is why she had done it. He finds the elder, the one who wears the fine kimono. One of the few garments that is not tattered, dirtied or sullied red. He grinds his teeth. 

“May you never forget this moment in all of your reincarnations. May you never forget her face and may you always feel an inkling of what I’ve felt.” The people weep, not for their own lives but from the feeling of the God’s heart overflowing in them despite him never shedding a tear. They do not ask forgiveness. 

They cannot ask for forgiveness. Just as he sealed your fate all those years ago, he is sealing theirs now. With a stomp of his foot the Earth rumbles, slowly opening up into a jagged mawl. People scream as they reach for one another, grasping onto nothing. Only your mother waits for death silently. Her own tears streaming down her face as she etches into her last moments the sight of her failure. Of you taken from the world too soon. 

The village is swallowed whole and now that it is over, he is still unhappy. The void in his cheat is far deeper than the Earthy chasm before him. He cries out in anguish pulling you impossibly closer. A fissure runs through the ground, deep and fast through the next village and the one after that.

In a loud puff of smoke a man appears beside the mountain God, he pulls down his black hood and his hair shines gold in the moonlight. His eyes like molten lava gleam with destructive glee. The Earth threatens to crumble beneath the new God’s feet, the dark chasm glows a bright hot red in his presence. 

“No one ever strikes your ire.” His voice is dark yet excited, “And never enough to summon me. Need some pointers from the God of Destruction himself shitty hair?”

“Bakugou, I…” The mountainous man’s voice cracks, causing his friend’s brow to furrow. Bakugou takes in the sight of you withered in hands through ghastly means. Of the decimation and the level of it. Reaching over to another village and possibly the next two. This level of destruction would get the Mountain God into a lot of trouble but it was evident he did not care. Bakugou gives his back to the sight and finally speaks, lying a warm hand on his friend’s broad shoulder.

“If anyone asks, I destroyed the villages.” Molten eyes watch tears fall onto you and the ground beneath his friend’s feet. The golden haired man sighs, gently taking you from the arms of his friend who tries to desperately hold on to what is left of you. 

“It’s alright, it’s okay.” A rare comfort from his companion, he takes your small frame and turns. He is going to gently lie you in the cooling Earth. A destruction God destroys in order for something new to be created. He plans to give his only friend a blessed grave for you so he can visit until, what Bakugou hopes but heavily doubts, Kirishima forgets. 

“W..wait. wait. She needs…” His voice shatters as with shaking fingers he creates the very thing he had intended for you to have. Good fortune in the shape of deities or wild irises, circling one another to be a stunning crown. Instead of white they glow gold as he sets it atop your crown. Kirishima squeezes your limp hand a final time before letting you go. Bakugou breathes deeply as he works, pulling the ground back together with sheer force as the lava recedes. He does so until the two shelves barely meet, a rich bed of soil lies before his feet. Gently he lies you in the bed of dirt. 

“Ashes to ashes.” Your body ignites from within, glowing in a golden flame until there is nothing left but dust on the wind and the golden flower crown. Bakugou pulls the dirt over your remains.

Kirishima falls to his knees, pressing his hand into the Earth, fearful he will forget a mortal like you, a mere blip in his infinite lifetime. The ground beneath him bursts and blooms in great color. All deep reds, golden yellows and blinding whites for miles. 

“I will always love you my little flower." 

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The summer breeze feels warm as it rouses the scent of rain and the sound of chimes. You close your eyes and day dream of something long forgotten, of stories retold from an old book of legend you never read. Nervousness thrums through your veins as you stand beside your ash blonde friend, patiently waiting for the third party to arrive. The impatient man growls beside you as he spots someone he recognizes behind you. 

"Oi shitty hair hurry up! Iris and I have been waiting here all damn morning!” Bakugou shouts, using your hero name. You turn to see your new patrol partner for future missions. The sun illuminates behind him, almost giving him a heavenly glow and you realize that there is something odd about the man who approaches you. His long flowing garnet hair is unruly in the wind, shining a red so deep in hue you first mistake it for black. His smile is sharp toothed and easy, causing a swarm of butterflies to take flight in your stomach. With your heart hammering out of your chest you cannot shake the feeling that something seems off about him. It is both other worldly and familiar, you feel as if his name sits on the tip of your tongue. A shiver runs down your spine as his glowing ruby eyes drink you in.  He sees a faint mark traveling through your left eye as if it were a fading scar, maybe it was something you could not shake from a past long forgotten. His heart hammers in his chest as he speaks, your reaction to his next words will tell him what he needs to know. 

“Hello my little flower, it seems we meet again.”

[millenialfanfictionaddiction]

Go Go Let's Go! Let's Go! Dateko! (Pt 2. Smut)

⚠️THIS FIC IS 18+ NSFW, MINORS DNI ⚠️

Warnings: swearing, gross amount of fluff, oral sex (female and male receiving), vaginal sex, unprotected sex, cum play, cum eating, implied shower sex

Word Count: 7,000 +

Kenji refused to tell you where the tournament was in hopes that you would just not show. But you knew better. Not only would you get to see your son play but lord that coach!

You wandered into the Date Tech section as you lean over the railings. The team is gathered around the bench ad the coach is giving them a pep talk before the game

"Futakuchi you're mom came" Obara laughs as he nudges Kenji.

"Please don't make eye contact with her it will only encourage her" he says as he places his hands on his face.

Coach Oiwake turns to see you beaming as you wave to the team. He gives you a small nod and a smile as you blush and take your seat.

"Miss Futakuchi?" A voice from besides you says.

"Oh Moniwa! It's so good to see you!" You smile as you wave to the other boys.

The boys look at you as Moniwa introduces you "this is Futakuchi's mom! Miss Futakuchi, this is Kamasaki and Sasaya both former third years on the team."

"It's so nice to meet you boys! I'd like to apologize for my idiot son's ignorance as an underclassmen. He deserves to feel the pain of being team captain" you say as you smile to the boys.

The game progresses quickly as you catch glimpse of the coach looking up at you when he is able to spare a second. You catch his eyes smiling at him.

Kamasaki whispers to Moniwa and Sasaya "damn coach has got it out for Futakuchi's mom. You see those looks." 

 Moniwa rolls his eyes "come on man knock it off"

He looks to you ad he sees his former coach staring right at you

"Ok you right" Moniwa says as Kamasaki crosses his arms laughing.

After the game you proceed the hallway to wait for the boys with the third years. Kenji and the team walk up to you as Kenji rolls his eyes and buries his face.

"Oh knock it off Kenji. You act like I'm the most embarrassing thing in your life" you say as the third years and the team laugh.

"Mom notice how no other parents are here? That's because they care about their kids reputations" he says as he glares at you.

"Awe baby I care. Just not enough" you say as you laugh walking past the boys.

"Good game guys" you say waving as you round the corner.

You walk straight into coach Oiwake as he's reviewing his notes.

"Oh Y/N. I'm so sorry I didn't see you there" he says flustered

"Oh gosh it was all me! I'm such a klutz" you says laughing awkwardly.

"Say thanks for coming out to support the team. I know the boys appreciated it" he smiles.

"Everyone but Kenji" you chuckle as he laughs.

"I'm sure Futakuchi enjoyed it too. He's just into his roll as captain" coach says as he looks down.

"Say Y/N I was wondering" he says as he scratches the back of his head "would you like to have coffee sometime?"

You smile softly "of course Takuro! Only if we don't tell Kenji."

"Deal" he says as he smiles at you.

You started seeing Takuro as often as you could. You could talk nightly on the phone and see each other when you could. It helped that Kenji was the team captain and had his own active social life. Still it was hard to sneak away without him noticing.

You had been secretly seeing Takuro for a few weeks. Things were getting pretty steamy between the two of you. You had several heated makeout sessions with Takuro but nothing even went further. You always had to leave because Kenji expected you home and you already hated lying to your son about your relationship with his coach.

Takuro had asked you to spend the night with him the week prior and you had agreed. All you needed was a plan to convince Kenji of your absence. You start pondering as you begin preparing lunch. You had to tell him something as go why you wouldn't be home. He knew you didn't work this weekend so that wasn't good enough.

"Hey mom I won't be home this weekend" Kenji said as he rushed into the kitchen

well shit that was easy

"Oh where are you going" you question.

"Obara invited me to a party tonight and them tomorrow we are having a game with the third years. Those losers keep hanging around so we might as well put them to use" Kenji says as he chuckles.

You laugh "ok well don't do anything I wouldn't do"

"Geez mom don't set the bar too high. You literally use to sneak out of grandma and grandpa's house all the time" he laughed

"Hey HEY" you say trying to stay serious "ok yeah I was an awful kid. Go be free my child". You wave Kenji off as he bids you goodbye.

You smile as you text Takuro that you will be over tonight. You tell him your going to run to the store to grab ingredients to prepare dinner for the two of you.

As the night approaches you leave for Takuro’s house. You arrive at the store as you begin to shop. Suddenly a hand snakes around your waist as a face presses to your neck.

"I SWEAR TO GOD I HAVE A TASER" you scream as the voice laughs.

"I can't ever be cute can I?" Takuro laughs as you calm down from your near heart attack.

"Well not if you're going to stalk me! Jesus Takuro" you huff.

"I couldn't wait to see you sweetheart" he says as he kisses your neck. You giggle as he focuses on your sweet spot. 

 Unbeknownst to you, 2 pairs of eyes watch from outside the store window.

"Futakuchi isn't that your mom?" Obara says as he stops walking outside the store.

Kenji looks up and sees you hugging Coach Oiwake as he kisses your neck.

"What the fuck?" Kenji says angerly.

"Dude let's go before they see us" Obara pushes Kenji past the store window as Kenji feels his face heat with anger.

How could you lie to him?

You grab your groceries as Takuro carries them to your car.

You arrive at Takuro's house as you prepare to exit your car. He runs up to your car door, swinging it open as he grabs you from the seat.

"JESUS CHRIST TAKURO YOUR'RE GOING TO GIVE ME WHIPLASH" you scream as he tosses you over his shoulder, spanking your ass as he carries you inside.

He sets you down as he starts to kiss you deeply, pulling his track jacket off as he pulls your cardigan from your shoulders.

You giggle as he releases you lips and travels to your neck "impatient much? I just got here what's the rush big shoots?"

"Can't wait any longer" he says as he pulls away from you looking at you "you just drive me nuts Y/N. I just need you so bad."

He kisses you neck violently as he grasps you ass pulling you up to him. He signals for you to jump as he carries you to his room.

"Wait the groceries" you say in-between his kisses as his hands start to travel up your tank top.

"It's fine baby" he says as he lightly tickles your skin as he kisses you. He licks your lower lip asking for access as you pull away. You get up on your knees and crawl away from him towards the top of the bed. You sit on your knees and you cross your arms over your chest.

The man is flustered. His head hangs low as his arms rest on the bed, his muscles stretching his white t-shirt.

"No more sir until you get my groceries in" you pout as you look away from him trying to keep a straight face.

"Fuck-ok" he says waving his hand as he walks to your car to retrieve the groceries. You take the opportunity to strip your clothes, revealing your matching lace bra and panties set.

You kneel at the edge I the bed, waiting for Takuro to come back. Your hands resting on your lush thighs.

"Ok baby no-" Takuro begins to say as he walks into his room.

He stops as his eyes literally bulge from his head.

"Fuck" he whispers as he falls falls to his knees at the sight of your gorgeous body clad only in a small amount of fabric.

"D-Do you like it?" You say shyly. It wasn't like you to be self conscious but then again you haven't had sex in years.

Takuro can't speak.

you literally broke the man Y/N. RIP Coach Oiwake Takuro 2021

He just stares as you start to feel self conscious.

He gets up and walks over to you as he leans in front of you face. He smiles at you as he grabs the back of your head pulling you into a heated kiss.

He guides you back on the bed as you toy with the hem of his shirt. He straddles you as he sits up removing his shirt.

Fuck the man is built. For being in his late 40s he's sculpted like a Greek statue. You feel up his chest as he kisses you deeply exploring your mouth with his tongue. He releases you from the kiss as he stares down at you.

"Y/N I'm going fucking worship you baby" he says as he kisses down your neck.

You feel your core heat up as your panties begin to get wetter and wetter with every kiss. You can't help but moan as he reaches your sensitive spots.

He works his way down your chest. He kisses your nipples over your lingerie as he moves the straps down to kiss your shoulders.

"We are going to leave this on because it's driving me insane" he says as he tugs at your bra. The straps down on your lower arms as the cups barely hold your full breasts.

He moves to your stomach as he kisses every square inch. The man is romantic as hell!

"You ready sweetheart" he says as he moves his fingers into your panties.

You nod as you pull your lip between your teeth. You can't believe how wet you are.

Takuro slowly pulls down your panties as a string of your essence glides with the panties.

"Fuck" he says as he rests his head in your thigh "whatever God decided to bless me fucking THANK YOU"

You giggle as he kisses your inner thighs. You moan at the feeling and growing sensation. He looks up at you as he spreads your pussy lips with his fingers and takes a long lick of your wet slit.

You shiver as your back arches. Takuro takes no time diving into his new home.

Fuck you were so wet and you tasted so good.

"Holy shit Takurō. Fuck right there" you screams as your back begins to arch high and higher. You've never had oral like this before.

"Fuck yes yes yes right there keep going. Omg fuck I'm going to cum" you say as you grab his head and push it further into your cunt. You rub your cunt on his face as the rope inside you snaps.

You screams as you cum hard on your lovers face.

Takuro backs up as he kisses your thighs. He slowly inserts two fingers into your already sensitive pussy as he begins to move them.

"Cum again sweetheart. I need more" he says as he pushes two fingers into your sopping wet cunt. You're still riding out the high from your previous orgasm as he leans over, pulling you up to meet him in a deep kiss.

He grabs your hair as he pulls it back exposing the column of your neck to his lips. He probes your cunt faster as you feel yourself building up.

"Ahhh ahh fuck Taku, ah" you cry as he kisses your neck quickening the speed of his fingers.

"Come on baby give me one more and then I'll fuck this tight little pussy. Please give me one more" he says as you feel your core snap as your cunt spasm around his fingers.

You fall back to the bed as he stands up removing his pants. You stare at his long cock with wide eyes.

"I'll be gentle angel" he says as he reaches for a condom.

You shake your head "I want you to cum in my mouth. Fuck me raw and cum in my mouth Takuro" you say seductively as you pull your lower lip into between your teeth.

"Baby you- you can't say shit like that. Fuck" he says as he flips you around to all fours as he lines up his cock.

"Let me suck you please" you say looking over your shoulder with doe eyes.

"Later baby later I-I'm not waiting any longer to fuck you" he says as he slowly starts to push is cock into your wet entrance.

"Holy- Y/N baby you need to relax" he says as he grabs your hips stopping himself from moving further.

"Relax? I haven't been fucked in years and you want me to relax?" You say as you trust yourself backwards impaling yourself on his hard cock.

"Fucking shit Y/N! God dammit I want to last longer than a minute" he shouts as he spanks your ass. You refuse to listen as you propel yourself back to his cock as he tries to hold you off.

"I swear to God if you don't fuck me-" you say as he flips you around standing up and yanking you down to the edge of the bed as you lay on your elbows.

"You'll do what Y/N?" He says in a sadistic voice as he pushes his cock all the way into your cunt in one swift movement.

"Shit" he chokes "God baby this is the tightest cunt" he says as he pulls back, setting a brutal pace as his balls slap your ass.

Your eyes roll to the back of your head as you feel every single centimeter of his cock on your inside walls.

"Fuck Y/N baby are you close" he says as he looks down to you.

You're gone. Where even are you Y/N? Come back to earth Y/N!

"Shit baby I'm going to cum soon you feel so fucking amazing. Fuck I'm going to worship this pussy everyday until I die" he chokes

"Oh Takuro, fuck-fuck I'm going to cum please keep going" you manage to say as he pushes forward trying to bring you to orgasm.

You feel your core snap again as the quick rise and fall of your orgasms over sweeps your body.

"Fuck baby are you ready" he says giving you a moment to recover.

He pulls out as you sink to the floor between his legs opening your mouth to receive his juices.

He jerks his cock as you sit with your mouth wide open "Oh fuck Y/N- baby UGH" he says as he shouts rope after rope of cum into your mouth.

You happily accept his gift as he groans and pants, his abs retracting from the intense orgasm. He throws his head back as he finishes and you wipe up the little cum that managed to fall to the side your lips.

He pulls back ad he sees his fluids in your mouth and on your tongue. You close your mouth, reopening to show him that you had swallowed what he had offered to you.

He kneels down to your face as he pulls you into a deep kiss.

"That was the best sex I've ever had" he chuckles as you smile.

"Yeah it was at least a solid 8" you tease as his eyes widen.

"An 8? Well we can't have that now can we. Date Tech strives to be the best so I only accept 10 and above" he says grabbing you as he carries you to the shower.

He fucks you in the shower until your brain is numb. He suck is cock as you make him finish for a second time during your hour long shower. You both emerge completely blissed out and exhausted.

"I’m hungry" you say as you cuddle into his stomach and he pulls up close.

"Well it's a good thing I brought it those groceries" he says.

"You mean the groceries I MADE you bring in" you say looking up at him.

"Well the trip was worth it because look what I came back too" he says as he hoisting you above him to straddle his waist.

[shakey-hands]

Hi hi!! I LOVED your fic about Ranpo and Fukuzawa, it was wonderful❤️ And I adored your writing style as well, I really hope you’ll continue writing~

I’d love to see a Kunikida x Fem!Reader where the reader is dating Kunikida for a few years and one day, a client comes and starts flirting heavily with the reader and Kunikida decides to make him understand that she has a boyfriend. (I’m so sorry I just love these healthy jealousy dynamics hehe)

sooo i’m ngl, i love kunikida :) i haven’t finished season 3, i’m waiting for my semester to end before i do. i did take some artistic liberties with this so i hope you like it :)

tw: dazai osamu and men (and slight cursing).

---

It was annoying how sunny the day was. Kunikida’s eyes squinted as he added no sunglasses to his ongoing list of why the day was not ideal. First, he woke up late. His eyes had opened to his very loving girlfriend promising to see him at lunch and giving him a kiss on the head before heading to her job. Then, his coffee was cold, making him reheat it in the microwave that then caused the coffee to get everywhere inside. There was no time to clean it up, meaning he would have to figure out how to get the stains out before his girlfriend came home to the mess. It was not like she wouldn’t mind helping him, but Kunikida was in one of his stages where he had to be perfect for her.

Kunikida had showed up to work five minutes late due to some idiot (see: Dazai) holding up traffic to dramatically propose to some random girl in the middle of the street so they could commit suicide together. The crowd had loved it, but the girl had not. Then, Kunikida was slammed with a lot of paperwork all the way until thirty minutes before his lunch. Of course most of the paperwork was just Kunikida fixing other people’s paper work. That one hour of seeing Y/N had the potential to flip his entire day. The bespectacled man looked forward to awkwardly holding Y/N’s hand while they ate the bento boxes she made the night before on a random bench at a park. And yes it was awkward, he never could get the right pressure down, making him either barely hold her hand or squeezing it. It had been years since he started holding her hand, but he never got it down.

That finally leads to one of the worst surprises. Dazai had forgotten to tell Kunikida about an appointment with a client that was fifteen minute before lunch. While this wouldn’t be a big deal, the client needed to meet at the park for lunch and Kunikida did not know how long the meeting would be. Since moving in together in their second year, Y/N and Kunikida had agreed to keep their work lives separate from their home life. That meant that Kunikida could not bring a client to their lunch date. While Y/N was the epitome of kindness and being homey, once she set a boundary she had set it. This was part of why Kunikida loved her so much. However, he was now checking his phone every couple minutes to see if she had responded to his text about lunch.

‘Meeting came up, might be late.’

Vague? Yes. But Kunikida knew she would understand. Hopefully, Y/N would take her time and arrive later than planned. She had a habit of literally stopping to smell the flowers in the park.

The client had been speaking for a long duration, talking about how some thugs were ruining the park's atmosphere and how his grandchildren frequented this place all the time. He was small and had comically large glasses. His hands were folded over one another on top of his cane as he rested on a park bench across the park from Kunikida’s spot with Y/N. Kunikida did not see why the agency was taking this case on. He had gotten a message from Fukuzawa that it was important, but no details as to why. This was a police matter, not something the agency needed to add to its plate. Especially when more pressing jobs needed their attention. The old man spoke slowly, not paying much mind to anything else.

Kunikida’s phone dinged and he couldn’t help looking at it right away.

‘Is this your way of telling me you need to cancel?’

Y/N was just giving him a hard time. She took joy in messing with him, knowing that Kunikida was up tight and would probably freak out. He could vividly see her lips stretch into a teasing smile. All he was missing was the soft kiss on the cheek Y/N always gave him to make up for being mean. She would always pull him down by his tie, gripping it tightly. Dazai had gripped his tie the same way once, and ended up with an earful of colorful words and an official complaint against him. Kunikida let Y/N get away with so much, and he would continue to. He was so in love with his girlfriend of three years.

“Sir, is there an emergency?”

Kunikida snapped out of his daydreams of how Y/N cradled his face whenever they kissed. The client was staring up at him, an eyebrow slightly raised. At the other end of the bench, Dazai snapped his head towards them. He stopped singing the annoying song that had played on the radio that had gotten stuck in both his and Kunikida’s heads. A sly smirk took over his head and slid down the bench towards the client.

“Kunikida,” Dazai said with a wagging finger. “You’re blushing. Were you thinking of a certain little lady in a compromising position?”

Kunikida felt his face heat up. He definitely had not even thought of his girlfriend in that way where other people could perceive him. Especially not during work hours. Kunikida was very private about things like that and so was Y/N. Kunikida started to sputter about, completely appalled by Dazai bringing that up in front of a client. The client looked confused, not knowing what was going on. Dazai let out a loud laugh and began to tease Kunikida more.

* * *

Across the park, Y/N walked up to their spot. She was dressed in her uniform, tired of having to deal with picky clients of her own. Two bento boxes were balanced in her hands, both very similar in food, but different in preferences. Kunikida’s was healthier, with a small salad with various vegetables. Y/N’s had a small slice of the cake she had baked them that week and more fruit. She always woke up early to make them lunch. It was one of the few ways she took care of her loving boyfriend that he found to be quite endearing. Well, he found anything she did endearing, but there were some things that especially made his heart race.

Another example was that she wore the stupid little children’s bracelet he had won her from their first date every day. Due to his nervousness, Kunikida had been convinced by Atsushi and Kenji that he should bring her to the fair the agency was going to. Of course it was for a client, but it had slipped Kunikida’s mind when he first saw Y/N’s smile as he offered (awkwardly and properly of course) to hold her hand so they wouldn’t get lost. While at first it was very practical to not get lost in the crowd, Kunikida did not have to convince himself that the warmth of her hand was something he wanted more of. He was smitten from the beginning, and now he couldn’t imagine a life without her.

Their bench was unoccupied, like always. She sat down, crossing her ankles and casually looking around. It was a nice day, with clouds covering the sun and a soft breeze. A large tree provided extra shade, and if you looked closely, there was a small heart with both Kunikida and her initials carved into one of the large roots. It had happened one night where both had a little too much to drink, but the next morning Kunikida was freaking out over it. Y/N loved their spot.

As her eyes casually drifted over the park, a familiar trench coat caught her eyes. Dazai was draped over a bench, paying no mind to the old man sitting beside him. Standing with his back facing towards her, Kunikida had his weight shifted to one leg and his arms crossed. Y/N smiled at the sight of her boyfriend. His whole body was tense and she knew Dazai was probably giving Kunikida a hard time by the smirk on Dazai’s face. It had taken Y/N a while to get used to Dazai, but now she could smile with appreciation. The two balanced one another, and Y/N was completely aware that if it weren’t for Dazai’s softening of her boyfriend, they would have never gotten together.

Y/N was too much in her head to see the handsome man coming towards her. He had his eyes set on her silky hair and sparkling eyes. The man had been out for his daily run before he met his grandfather and just happened to see the pretty girl on the bench from across the way. Although it was not his usual running path, the man couldn’t help but switch it up. The closer he got, the more he realized how easily he could fall in love with her. As he slowed down, he noticed how she was lost in the scenery of the park.

“So, you come here often?”

Her head turned, unsure about what she was about to look at. Y/N was not impressed by the man in front of her. Though every man seemed to be paled in comparison to her boyfriend. The man in front of her was buff and looked like he was on a run. He was attractive, with high cheekbones and plump lips, but Y/N was not interested. One of her eyebrows quirked up.

“I suppose.” There was an uncertain edge to her voice, hoping he would get the hint.

Instead, the man hiked his foot up on the opposite corner of the bench, flexing in a very obvious way that he was trying to be subtle. “Yeah, I was just on my daily run. I work out a lot, mainly in nature, but don’t turn down any gym days when they come up. Those are rare though. I have a job that keeps me busy. You know, you don’t earn 200 million yen in a year by just sitting on your ass. I mean, sure I take nice vacations to my beach house every once in a while-”

His boasting could be heard from across the park. Which of course caught Dazai’s attention when he saw who the guy was talking to. It was as if God had set up a perfect day for Dazai to have. He hoped Kunikida would explode. The client was very boring and Dazai was pretty sure the supposed thugs happened to be the Port Mafia. He was just waiting for Kunikida to get through all the questions from his notebook so they could go on lunch already. But now? Now a show of entertainment was in sight as Dazai zeroed in on Y/N and how uncomfortable she looked. That would certainly set Kunikida off.

Dazai knew how whipped Kunikida was for Y/N. The tall man almost never liked to talk about things outside of work, unless it came to his girlfriend. Everyone in the office knew to steer clear of the topic of Y/N unless they wanted to be trapped in a conversation about how amazing her cooking was or how well her job was going. It was cute at first, but it had been a couple years and Kunikida was still in his honeymoon phase of worshipping her. But this? This would make him go wild.

Dazai let out a huge sigh as the client kept talking. He noticed how Y/N kept looking over, hoping someone would notice and get her out of whatever hell she was going through. So Dazai waved slightly, making Kunikida look over at him and frown. The client was still talking, going into some story that looked like it would drag on and on. And then, the situation got worse.

Just as Kunikida was looking to see whatever had Dazai’s attention instead of the case, the strange man began to twirl Y/N’s hair around his finger, getting horribly close. His face got too close to hers, noses about to brush. Y/N held her breath, praying that the moment would be over soon. And it was.

Nobody had expected Kunikida to be that fast, but soon he was up the hill to the bench and holding the man who was shorter than him by the collar. There was a rage in his eye that centered around the man’s wandering hands. Y/N stood up quickly, ready to pull Kunikida away from the man if he tried to be too violent. Of course she would pretend to be slow, but she still felt morally obligated to pull them away from one another. Dazai casually walked up the grassy hill, hands in his pocket and smirk on his face.

Kunikida was breathing heavy, mind racing on what he was going to do. He wasn’t naturally a violent person, but he did not like how the man was making Y/N uncomfortable. His sudden rush had caught the attention of those who were close by. There was a silence enveloping the group as they all waited to see what Kunikida would do.

“Unhand my grandson,” The old man yelled as he waddled up the hill at an extremely slow pace.

Dazai raised an eyebrow and looked behind him. For a split second, he was very aware of how easily he could push the old man back down the hill and turn back to the source of the growing tension in the park. But Dazai didn’t want to be the source of any drama in that moment so he just turned back around to see the conflict in Kunikida’s eyes.

“It’s okay, honey,” Y/N said as she slowly put a hand on Kunikida’s shoulder.

Kunikida let down the man, he dropped to his knees from the sudden let go. He faltered as he stood up, readjusting his clothes.

“What the hell is your-”

Before he could even finish his sentence, he was getting socked in the face. Everyone stood in shock as Y/N’s hit sent him straight to the ground. She stood over him with a frown on her face.

“Learn to respect women, asshole.”

And if it were possible, Kunikida fell in love with her more.

[redrosesartcabin]

Kenji x third perspective female reader

Memories

—————

(Hi peeps! This is, yet again, a request by @xxno-0xx ! Thanks so much for that x3. This plays shortly after season 3, so this moment might not make sense in the future anymore. I also added a little bit of my speculations about Kenji’s anger towards Darius. It’s something that is close to my heart after season 3 and that I just had to process in this fanfic as well, I hope that’s ok xP. And I also hope you’ll like it! It’s a bit of a shorter and more poetic text this time. Tell me if you like it and without further ado, enjoy <3)

Kenji awoke with a scream. Memories of the past days had flashed before his eyes like lightning from a thunderstorm and struck fear in his heart that had ripped him from his state of rest.

It was a short scream, that he had bellowed, and not even that loud, but it was filled with so much fear and with so little breath, as though it had been taken away from his lungs, that it struck y/n to the core of her bones and drew a chill along her spine.

Her lids flew open as she turned to where Kenji was laying, or well… sitting up at the moment.

He was breathing loudly, yet trying to be quiet as he looked around in panic in the darkness. He whispered something, he whispered it so quietly, that y/n barely understood it, but then could make out the cusps of her name being murmured. Concerned, she stretched out her hand and lay it on his shoulder. She could feel him shudder under her touch, a little surprised by her conscious presence, turning his glassy gaze towards her. She could barely see his eyes, but she could make out tears, as the moon reflected in them. They were both laying in the cockpit of the yacht, where the dim light of night shone through the huge glass surrounding it.

“Are you ok?”, she asked after a couple of moments in which Kenji calmed his breath, not knowing what else to do or say.

“I was afraid I lost you. Instead of Brooklyn, you were kidnapped, and Darius almost let you die. It tore me apart”, he explained.

Y/n sighed. Not this again.

She wanted to say that it wasn’t entirely Darius' fault. Wanted to suggest again, that he should talk to him, forgive. But it was a difficult thing. And she understood what was going on with Kenji right now.

He was still, in a way, the same silly boy. Playing pranks, being a little arrogant… but in another way, he was more mature. He was changing his perspective on how to be a leader and how to view the world in relation to his friends. In his entire life, he never had true friends, friends like they all were. Their bond was very deep, raw and unique, a bond, similar to what you have with your family. Almost unconditional, as in, that you help another no matter what, because they are human.

Kenji never had a bond that raw and deep with his family. As a matter of fact, his relationships had been very wrong and flawed. So Darius doing what he did, deciding what he did, sort of made Kenji realize how much his friends meant to him. It wasn’t only Darius' fault, but Darius had been a close friend to Kenji. They had their moments together. Darius had been someone, that despite Kenji being a jerk to him in the beginning, found something to admire in him. And Darius was sort of a little brother to Kenji, who he could show the world to and teach him.

And so it had been a betrayal to him, at least in Kenji’s view, that Darius would go so much against Kenjis suggestions. Kenji never said this directly, but in the many conversations they’ve had since then, she could almost confidently say that that was the reason.

But she wouldn’t say that now. She knew he knew. It was his own inner struggle that he had to get over, and it was both Darius and Kenji’s thing to figure out to get an understanding. That wasn’t her decision to make.

So she just smiled a small and sad smile, taking him in her arms and whispered, “it’s alright. I’m here, you don’t have to be afraid anymore. We all stuck together, and so we are all here… we’ve all made mistakes, but non of us would ever let the other down or leave them behind.”

He sighed, he knew what she was suggesting, but he wasn’t quite ready yet to forgive. He however understood, and deep down knew, that she was right, and let it go with an exhale of release.

He first learned deeper in, before he slowly left her embrace.

Kenji looked into her y/e.c eyes, that seemed to glow in love and sympathy. She was beautiful, as she caressed his cheek and ruffled hair, imperfect, yet perfect in a strange way.

It was alright to him, that she didn’t quite understand his inner turmoil towards what had happened with the kidnapping, the laptop and all of that. But she was a survivor, like him, like all of them. And not only that: She loved him, despite his sometimes twisted logic, his strange temper and everything else he still couldn’t explain about himself.

They both leaned forward, sealing the moment with a soft kiss, which sort of felt so light, as though two rose petals touched.

It was quiet and short, yet it was one of the most romantic moments they had ever shared. Maybe it was because of the rarity of privacy between them, maybe it was the almost wordless conversation and moment of even more understanding between them.

Everything was crap.

They were running and not arriving anywhere.

There were still dinosaurs on their tails.

But at least they were together. At least they had each other.

They were laying down, arm in arm, looking at the full moon shining on the glass.

“It’ll be ok”, she whispered, “I love you”

“I love you too”, he answered, feeling her words could hold truth.

He hoped they would. Though he definitely knew, she loved him, and she would keep loving him until the moment the world would break apart.

And they feel asleep again, arm in arm, hopeful, that it would get better again...

[volleychumps]

How the Karasuno Boys react to fem! S/O being hit on by someone from another Team

Daichi Sawamura

-Oh it’s fine, he’s happy to know that other people recognize your beauty

-hold the fuCK up why is Kuroo touching you?

-only he can touch you, why aren’t you pushing him away?

-would literally death glare Kuroo,who was complimenting your body all the way from across the gym until he feel chills running down his back

-wraps arms around you from behind, smiling way too nicely at Kuroo, staking his claim as you giggle at your boyfriend’s jealousy

-”I know she looks goregous, but she hears it enough from me already. Oh, and she’s mine. Did I fail to mention that?”

-tucks face into side of neck whenever he finally leaves, grumbling as you poke fun at the fact he got jealous

-”I just want to hide you away, dammit.”

Sugawara Koshi

-He claims he’s not the type to get jealous 

-Until he sees you basically pushed up the wall by a forward Bokuto, who had his hand resting on the space next to your head, basically prohibiting you from going anywhere 

-Bites his lip, but you seem okay, right? You’d tell him you have a boyfriend, right?

-Unfortunately for you, Bokuto just laughs, claiming that you were just saying that to play hard to get

-Leans even closer before you get pulled away into Suga’s chest, feeling him at his peak anger level as he glowers at Bokuto, who smirks, shoving his hands in his pockets 

-”Eh, I knew you two were together. I just wanted to ensure you were manly enough to protect her when the time comes.”

- Waves happily before leaving, wishing you two the best.

-Say whAT

-Suga cups your face in his hands lovingly before wrapping one around your waist.

-You can’t help youself. “So...you say you don’t get jealous.” 

-To your surprise, he breathes out a sigh of relief before clicking his tongue, bringing his face closer to yours, his voice quieting to one that gives you chills

-”Don’t stray too far away from me...okay?” 

Asahi Azumane

-Sees that you were wearing a cami that accentuated your breasts that he loved,but realizes everyone would get to see you in it

-Hardly surprised when boys left and right come up to talk to you, leaving you to hide behind the clipboard you were holdingI

-Says nothing and tries to focus on practice

-Until one of them rests their hand on your bare shoulder

-Oh it’s fucking on

-Looms over the group of boys crowding you with a dark aura (which is natural for him, but he doesn’t know that)

-Slips his own jacket over you so that you aren’t visible, lifting his naturally deadly eyes to the boys, smiling his usually friendly smile

-”Hm? Did you guys need something?” 

-They all back away slowly before breaking into a run

-You can’t help pecking the cheek of your usual soft boi as the rest of the Karasuno team gapes at what Asahi had just done 

-Tilts your face upwards towards him as he lovingly strokes your cheek 

-”I know I can’t give you much, but I know for a fact I can give you protection.”

Nishinoya Yū

-Gets to practice late because he overslept, only to see you laughing your ass off with some guy from Fukurodani, who was a little too close for comfort

-Immediately begins to roll his sleeves up because someone’s about to get bEAt

-Decides against it, you can handle your own. You were just that strong-

-Did this fucker just adjust your bra strap for you? 

-You automatically become uncomfortable, prompting your sporadic boyfriend into action

-Throws the fucking volleyball at that bastard’s head, who turns to glare at him pointedly as Nishinoya promptly marches up to the two of you. He cups your chin and makes out with you heatedly, turning your mind to mush as he grabs your waist, pulling you even closer

-He’s long gone when Nishinoya finally pulls away, smirking at your blushing face as everyone in the gym’s jaw slacks with shock 

-He laughs loudly when you bury your face in his shirt out of sheer embarrassment, kissing the top of your head before smirking widely down at you

-”Come on, he touched your bra. We should go take it off.”

-”We?!”

-”Did I stutter?”

Tanaka Ryunosuke

-”Uh...Tanaka, is this really okay?”

-Deflates volleyball in his hands at the amount of pressure he was squeezing it, smiling scarily at a sweatdropping Suga

-”Hm? Why wouldn’t I be okay? I’m fucking dandy.”

-The scary aura he was giving off didn’t reach you on the other side of the gym as you scoot another inch away from Takahiro, who didn’t seem to know how to back off 

-”Come on, you’re boyfriend doesn’t let you have friends?” Wraps his arm around you as you blanch, suddenly seeing you’re boyfriend walking over

-Sits down in the fucking middle of you two, making you hold back your laughter at how scared Takahio suddenly becomes as Tanaka slings an arm around your shoulder

-”SO. What are we talking about, hm?”

-The silence that follows is enough to get him to stand to walk away, but Tanaka isn’t done yet.

“Hey, (y/n), remember that night we-”

-Your mouth hangs agape at the absolutely vulgar words that followed, the heat rushing to your cheeks immediately as Takahiro darts away, his ears pinkened and eyes full of fear as Tanaka cackles in laughter

-You punch his arm when you realize what had just happened, Tanaka guarding himself with a playful smile on his face before he leans forward and grabs your wrist, stopping your punches as he leans in closer to you, your noses brushing

-”You gotta do what you gotta do sometimes, and I’ll be damned if anyone tries to take you away from me.”

Tsukishima Kei

-Would shrug at the group of players from Nekoma trailing behind you like lost puppies

-”Shouldn’t you help (y/n)-san? Aren’t you two dating?” A worried Yamaguchi asks your boyfriend who seemed like he couldn’t care less

-”What she does is none of my business.”

-You happen to hear that little comment, making you feed into the attention that the Nekoma boys were giving you, seeing how far you could test him 

-Let’s be honest though, aside from Kuroo, most of the players from Nekoma were harmless

-”Wow Lev, you’re really tall.” You compliment the gray-haired boy, smiling brightly at him.

-Yamaguchi watches as Tsukishima suddenly pauses what he’s doing, sweatdropping at how still he became

-”E-eh? You think?” Lev blushes as you flirt harmlessly,you picking up his hand and examining his fingers.

-”You’re fingers are massive!”

-Yamaguchi begins to panic when Tsukishima’s glasses flash over

-”You see, I think tall guys are the best.”

-That does it

-Your chin is suddenly jutted towards the side as the Nekoma boys watch with wide eyes as Tsukishima presses his lips to yours harshly, entangling a large hand in your hair before pulling back only to look at the group of boys like they were a nuiscance

-”Nothing to see here. Move along now.”

-You smile cutely up at your boyfriend, who scoffs before thumping your forehead with his thumb

-”You think this is some kind of game, huh? I’d like to see you try to win it.”

-Yamaguchi hides his gushing nosebleed. 

Yamaguchi Tadashi

-”You’re seriously dating that freckled kid? I can put five bucks up right now that I can give you a much better time than he can.”

-You glare at the boy who was attempting to flirt with you by bashing your boyfriend as Yamaguchi frowns down at the volleyball he was holding as the Karasuno team pat him on his back

-”(y/n)’s strong, and she loves you! Don’t worry about it!” Hinata tries to alleviate the tension obvious in Yamaguchi’s face to no avail as he focuses in on the words you were hearing

-”I mean look at him, his girl might just be taken from him right here right now, and you want to stay with a weakling like that?”

-Before you can return a sharp retort, another voice enters the scene, warming your heart at what was playing out

-”L-look, I know I might not be the strongest, but...” You watch with a small smile as Yamaguchi clenches his fists, trying to keep his composure. “But if someone tries to take (y/n) away, I won’t just sit back and watch!”

-You stand, initating a kiss with your boyfriend, smiling into the kiss as the douche from earlier stomps away, only to be met with Tanaka and Nishinoya, who promptly crack their knuckles (that’s what you get when you talk shit)

-”I know there are better guys.” Yamaguchi says softly, looking at you lovingly and shyly, cutting you off before you can disagree. “But if you’ll have me, then...please let me continue to cherish you.”

Hinata Shōyō

-Dense boy doesn’t even realize you’re being hit on until Kageyama whispers it to him, making him gulp at the unfamiliar feeling bubbling in his chest as he sees Kenji Futauichi asking for your number

-It’s okay, because you’re his right? You said you were his...so he shouldn’t worry!

-right?

-Feels automatic bubbling anger at the fact that he kept pressing on, despite the fact that you said no 

-Mumbles something to Kageyama, who blinks in surprise, but nods anyway

- Throws the fucking ball at you 

-Kenji dodges quickly in fear of the velocity it was coming to you, leaving you in line of fire before you shut your eyes, waiting for the impact

-but it never came

-you smile widely at the orange haired boy who had exhbited his phenomenal athletic ability, running at the speed of light and catching the ball before it can hit you 

-"Do you understand now?” Hinata meets the eyes of Kenji with the scary, hawk-like look that paints his irises. “I can protect her, and you can’t.” 

-With that, he pulls you away and you giggle at the jealous expression on his face before you realize what had just happened

-”You got Kageyama to throw a fast ball at me to prove your point?”

-Kisses your nose, grinning at you with his childish smile. “It worked, didn’t it?”

-”He understood that you’re mine, and mine to protect,”

Kageyama Tobio

-Come on, he of all people knew you were absolutely goregous, but out of all guys:

-Why Oikawa? 

-Glowers at the friendly atmosphere the flirty guy was creating, beating himself up for forgetting to tell you to avoid him

-Anger level reaches 100% when you spill water on yourself, the water making your bra underneath slightly visible, prompting the raven-haired boy to be in front of you within the next second

-Whips jacket off himself to wrap around you, turning to glare at the staring Oikawa 

-”I’d appreciate it if you tore your eyes away from my girlfriend.”

-Oikawa smirks, raising his hands in surrender before releasing a breathy laugh. 

-”I never expected Tobio-chan to get such a cute girlfriend! A girlfriend who certainly has good...taste in clothing.” 

-Doesn’t even hesitate to take Oikawa by the collar, meeting his playful gaze with an even stare 

-”Yeah, but I get to see it up close and personal while you get jackshit.”

-You’veneverseenthissideofTobiowhatwasgoingON

-”Hm. See you around cutie-chan!” Oikawa flirts around the seething Kageyama, who pulls you close to him when he finally prances off

-”Up close and personal, hm?” You tease, watching his cheeks flush as he slowly reverts back to his awkward self. 

-”Shut up. It’s the truth.” He zips his jacket up for you, hiding the water stain that revealed your bra. “You’re mine to look at, and mine alone.” 

=

[jinkicake]

You Call Him Daddy?!

You accidently call them ‘daddy’ in front of the team.

Futakuchi Kenji x Reader

Hanamaki Takahiro x Reader

Matsukawa Issei x Reader

Listen... I am back. Thank you anon for requesting these boys. I love them. I don’t think you all understand how much I adore Matsukawa and the rest of the third years from Seijoh. They’re literally on Ushijima level for me...  heheh (/ε＼*) I am still working on the other Karasuno boys for this prompt~~

S M U T 

WC- 2,175

~~~

Futakuchi Kenji

Futakuchi’s loud mouth had exposed it all

You two weren’t even official yet

It was a slip of the tongue, literally

You and Futakuchi along with Moniwa and Kamasaki were among the last people still awake in the gym, the team was holding their ‘bonding sleepover’

Late at night the four of you were bored out of your minds and decided to play random games to pass the time

One of them being someone says a word and the other announces the first thing that comes to mind

Moniwa and Kamasaki bounced words back and forth to Futakuchi who simply said the first thing he thought of

"Stupid" "Kamasaki"

"Pointless" "math"

"Idiot" "Sakunami"

"Delicious" "pussy" that got him a swift smack to the head, but that didn’t stop him from sending you a cheeky grin

"Candy" "sour gummies"

"Okay i’m bored, (y/n) it’s your turn" Futakuchi pushes and you scoff before shaking your head

"No way in hell" you whisper-yell at him and Mai stirs in her sleep beside you

You and the other manager agreed to take turns sleeping and making sure no one acts up amongst the gym of boys 

Kamasaki still pushes and starts giving you words, and through your eye rolls and stubborn head shakes you end up giving in

"Food" "tonkatsu"

"Cool" "Aone"

"Hot" "summer"

"Cheese" "mouse?"

The words started coming at you faster and faster and you didn’t even have enough time to think before you said anything

"Daddy" "… Futakuchi"

You slap a hand to your mouth immediately, you felt sick with apprehension

"T-that's not what I was trying to say, I didn’t mean that-" you try to defend yourself and silence falls around the gym once more

"Damn" Mai finally wakes up, pinching your arm before she loudly laughs at the situation

"Wow" even Aone had woken up and was looking quite amused

Before you can say anything else Futakuchi gets up and wraps his hand around your wrist, he drags you out of the gym but not before sending one last wink to everyone in the gym

“Wasn’t it funny when I said that pussy was delicious?” Futakuchi grins down at you from where he rests between your legs, he continues to drag his clothed cock against your panties. You want to roll your eyes, you really do, but you can’t help but laugh.

“Yeah, it was,” You sigh in content at the feeling of the hard, velvety, tip rubbing against your clit. “I can’t believe you said daddy, what did you think I was going to say?” You stare at him angrily but the look fades just as quickly as he grinds into you once more.

“I wanted to see how much I was on your mind.” He chuckles and leans down to kiss your neck, moving his way to the valley between your breast.

“Fuck you.” You try to push his head away, but Futakuchi wraps one of his hands around your wrist and brings it back down next to your head.

“Damn what a filthy attitude you have, let daddy fuck it out of you.” Futakuchi pulls your legs over his thighs, before pulling your panties to the side and pulling himself out of his shorts, he buries himself to the hilt inside of you in one stroke. “Shit, baby.”

You can only gasp for air at the sensation, his slender cock pressed so deeply inside of you that you nearly come undone at the feeling of it. You almost close your eyes until you feel him slap your breast.

“Come on baby, don’t fall apart yet.” He sneers condescendingly, lightly hitting the mound just to watch it move underneath him. Each hit makes you cry out and your back arches off the ground when he tightly pinches your nipple between his fingers. “Awe where did my attitude-filled baby go? Hmm?”

“Daddy, daddy-“ Your mouth fills with appreciative moans while his tongue soothes over any of the red marks littering your chest.

“That’s it, scream for daddy."

Hanamaki Takahiro

It was during their summer training camp

You couldn’t keep your hands off Makki, he couldn’t keep his hands off you

It’s not your fault, really, not when he practices with his shirt off and his gym shorts hanging low on his hips

You think you may have dripped onto the floor as you stared at him all day long

The gym was too hot, you were waiting for him for too long

One thing led to another…

And it was super late at night and you were going to suck him off in the storage closet

Listen, Makki loves your daddy kink almost as much as you do

He calls himself daddy just to get a reaction from you

But you know he also loves it himself

“Makki come on,” you whine and scratch at his chest, making sure to leave a mark “please let me take care of you”

“Babe, you’re that fucking horny?” Makki laughs as your hands dip into his shorts, directly fondling the budge with your hand “you want daddy’s cock?”

You freeze at this, staring at your boyfriend wide-eyed as your hand ghosts over his cock

“Makki what the fuck, you’re so loud, you want your dumbass friends to hear?!” You screech lowly and reach out to pinch his hip

“Aren’t you into that shit?” He asks cockily and you purse your lips as you glare up at him

“No idiot, if they find out, they won’t let me live it down!” You screech and Makki smooths your hair with his hand

“Alright baby, I’m sorry.” He apologizes before kissing your temple, “you're just so fucking sexy, forgive me for wanting to brag about you”

You feel your anger simmering away and you reach back to into his shorts, gently pumping his length and using his precum as a lubricant, the only sound in the small room are Makki’s low pants

“Honestly Makki, sometimes I want to suck you off in front of everyone” You confess and your boyfriend’s eyes widen at your words “I want them to see how weak you get for me, how special I can treat you, daddy”

Your voice goes low when you whisper the pet nickname and start to you kiss up to his neck, biting down on his sensitive areas

And as quiet as the two of you thought you were, it did not prevent Oikawa and Iwaizumi from banging on the storage doors and telling you perverts to ‘wrap it before you tap it’ and warnings of ‘no condom, no entry’

You nearly cry as you hear Matsukawa faking moans and Oikawa crying out for ‘daddy’

Makki simply holds you in his arms and kicks at the door, telling the fuckers to go back to sleep

You lean your head against your boyfriend's chest, his cock throbs inside of you as you spew moans left and right.

“Oh daddy, please move please.” You beg desperately and Makki only pulls your legs farther apart, watching you mewl at the stretch.

“My little cock slut wants me to move? Now you want daddy’s cock?” One of his hands on your hip moves down to fondle your inner thigh and his breath hitches when you squeeze around him. You cry out when his hand slaps against your thigh, moving into a pattern of massaging the stinging area before leaving another harsh slap. “Now why would I do that, when I’m having so much fun right here?”

You whine at his teasing movements, reaching up to grab your breasts with your hands and pinch your nipples between your fingers.

“Fuck, you’re so hot you know that?” Makki reminds you, slowly thrusting up into you before pulling out halfway just to do it again. “Keep playing with yourself pretty girl, show daddy how desperate you are.” He grins against your neck, biting down on your skin before running his tongue over to smooth the area. “God, I just want to cum inside of you, want daddy’s cum to drip out your precious little cunt?”

His words make your eyes squeeze shut and your hands falter, but another one of his slaps to your inner thigh makes you open them up right away.

“Don’t you know better baby? Maybe I’ll have to remind you.”

Matsukawa Issei

It really was your own fault for calling Matsukawa ‘daddy’ in front of a majority of the team

In your defense, it was hot and sticky and you were unbelievably horny and he was too good looking and too much for you to handle-

It was after a game and he wanted to hang out with his friends, but you wanted different

You turned into a brat who only wanted one thing : attention

And that was the one thing Matsukawa wasn’t giving you

He knew how worked up you were, he loved to see you so spun up just so he can unwind you for hours later

You can’t wait for later and start to eagerly run your hands under his jersey and caress the smooth skin

You change from simply running your fingers along his back to dragging your nails all the way down to the waistband of his shorts

That sparked a reaction, a subtle one, unnoticeable to anyone else

Or at least that’s what you thought

“Just grab his dick would you (Y/N)?” Hanamaki laughs and his eyes pinch together as he notices your hands

You let out an audible ‘okay’ before moving your hand to the front of your boyfriend’s shorts but Matsukawa grabs your wrist before you can get any further

All you wanted was to push him so the two of you could leave, so you could feel his bare chest pressed against yours

Seriously, it wasn’t your fault that your boyfriend is hot as shit and his uniform clings to all the right places during a match

“Please Issei, I need you” You quietly moan, resting your forehead against his back

Matsukawa only continues to drown out your cries with Oikawa’s persistent bashing of the other team

You bite the inside of your cheek, currently flustered over your thighs clenching together and the feeling of being so empty

“(Y/N) you good?” Hanamaki glances at you, curiosity pulling his eyebrows together

“Fine” you push back through grit teeth, your hand fisting your boyfriend’s jersey, but then you realized an instant way to turn him on “actually, no, daddy lets go I want to go”

You stubbornly tug on his jersey and you can’t hide from the disgust on Oikawa’s face and the shock on Iwaizumi’s

“(Y/N) did not just call you daddy, Mattsun, no” Oikawa refuses and puts his hand up to shield his innocent eyes “please take care of your horny deviant”

“Iwaizumi take care of yours” Matsukawa sends his friend a pointed look and Oikawa tries to splutter an insult

You nearly moan in relief when your boyfriend apologizes to his friends and then drags you to the locker room, you cannot keep the happiness off your face

“They’re going to fuck in the locker room” Hanamaki confirms and can’t stop the laughter that spills from his lips “at least its the girl's locker room” and when he turns to his other two friends he finds them gone “oh, fuck”

And at that moment, with a heavy heart, Hanamaki realizes just how single he is

“I-Issei.” You moan loudly as your boyfriend’s hips continue to meet your ass, smacking against the other roughly as the sound echoes throughout the room. His hand fists your hair around his wrist and he pulls harshly, causing your back to arch as you hold onto the locker desperately. “Fuck, daddy.”

You can feel your eyes roll to the back of your head as he continues to pound into you, hitting that sweet spot over and over again. The moment you feel his hand smack your ass, you almost eat dirt. Had his arm not been wrapped around your waist, you would have been too far gone to notice your grip lessening on the locker.

“Babygirl, be careful.” He warns, smacking your ass once more. His breath is hot against your ear and you clench around him tightly at the feeling of your skin on fire. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”

“Harder daddy, harder.” You beg and you nearly cum when you feel his thick fingers start to rub your clit.

“Harder? Is this not rough enough for my little slut?” He taunts, smacking your ass once more, pinching your clit between his fingertips. You lose yourself before you even notice, you clench so tightly around him as liquid pools between your inner thighs.

“Daddy~” You moan softly as you fall from your high and Matsukawa continues to rub your clit, thrusting slowly inside of you. His grunts make you feel as if you’re are on fire and you grind back against him despite the sensitivity you’re facing.

“So you want to cum without me? Fine baby, let’s see how many times you can cum, I’m going to fucking break you.”

[islander-talks]

Camp Cretaceous Oneshot(s)? Pt 2

The campers sat in front of the crackling fire, laughing and chatting over a meal of canned fruit and berries they had managed to scrounge up, with Ben and Bumpy’s help.

“Okay, first thing you are gonna do when we get back, go!” said Darius, pointing at Kenji across the way from him.

“Okay, obviously, take the world’s longest shower, with actual hot water.” Kenji sighed dreamily, prompting the rest of the campers to break out in giggles. “What about you, Yaz?”

“Run a 5k.” Yaz said, keeping eye contact with Kenji.

Kenji raised an eyebrow.

Yaz grinned. “No, first thing I’m doing is resting. No more running unless it is for fun and not from ravenous, bloodthirsty dinosaurs, thank you very much.”

Everyone snorted, remembering all the times they had run for their lives since they came to this island.

Yaz elbowed Sammy, who was sitting next to her. “How about you, Sammy?”

“The first thing I’m going to do is give my family a big ol’ hug!” she said, hugging Yaz with all her might.

“Oh yeah, it’ll be great to see my parents again, after they finish smothering me.” said Yaz, smiling wryly.

“I’m going to yell at my mom for making me come here, and then I’m going to hug her for like, a week.” said Ben, grinning at the thought.

“My mom and brother must be worried sick.” Said Darius, putting his head in his hands.

“Relax Darius,” Said Brooklyn, bumping him with her shoulder. “I’m sure they know that you are the best person to get stuck on an island full of dinosaurs.”

Darius pouted as the rest of the group laughed, before furrowing his eyebrows.

“Brooklyn?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, it’s just,” he said, wringing his hands, “we know about everyone else’s parents, but, what about yours?”

Brooklyn stared at him for a moment before smiling. 

“Oh, sorry, it’s just, uh, they’re away on business a lot, and, uh, it’s kinda hard to know whether they actually know that I’m gone?” she said, her voice squeaking at the end.

Everyone stared at her in silence.

Kenji barked out a laugh. “Great to know I’m not the only one with screwed up parents.” He said, grinning from ear to ear.

Yaz smacked him. “Kenji!” She hissed, motioning to Brooklyn, who was staring at the fire with an empty look on her face.

Kenji’s face softened in understanding. He bent over the fire to look Brooklyn in the eyes.

“Hey. I get it. It really sucks to have absent parents, and it sucks even more when you want their approval” 

Brooklyn let out a wet laugh, wiping her nose. “Why did you think I made a channel?”

The rest of the group exchanged looks. Now Brooklyn’s follower obsession made sense. She wanted parental attention, and falling short of getting that, having lots of people see you seems like a good substitute.

Kenji laughed gently. “Yeah, that does make sense.”

Brooklyn started sniffling. “I just thought-” She sucked in a shuddering breath. “I just thought that maybe if all of these other people were seeing me and were happy seeing what I was doing, maybe they would be too.” She quieted down to a whisper, staring into the fire.

“Well,” Kenji said, putting on his trademark smirk “I’m going to teach you the patented Kenji System To Ignore The Hurt From Your Parents.”

Everybody groaned together, even Bumpy made a small noise.

“Step one.” said Kenji, pointedly ignoring them. “Ask yourself this: What have they done for you?”

“Kenji, they made me.”

“Well, yes, but have they spent any time with you? Or gotten to know you?” 

Brooklyn frowned, furrowing her brow. “Well, they are busy...”

“That brings us to step two: Asking yourself how important spending time with their kid seems to be to them, or asking youself: when was the last time you saw them?”

Brooklyn’s brow furrowed further. “Uhh... Their trip to Portugal was about... three months before this so, around four months, now?

Everyone sucked in a breath. Sammy was barely holding back tears. For someone as family oriented as her, this was devastating.

“Final step.” Kenji said, smiling softly. “Are they really your family?”

Brooklyn started crying silently. “No,” she said. “I guess not.”

Kenji smiled sadly at her. “Yeah, it hurts at first. But you know what’s great about this?”

“I see nothing that could be great about this, but please, continue.”

Kenji snorted. “What’s great about this, is the fact that you finally get to choose who your family is going to be.” He looked at the rest of the campers, happy in his choice.

Sammy finally burst. “Camp fam hug!” she cried launching herself at Brooklyn. Everyone else piled on top, laughing. Squished in the bottom of the pile, Brooklyn thought Yeah.

I could get used to this.

[seijch]

futakuchi kenji + gender neutral!reader (no pronouns mentioned)

superhero au, action/fluff with a bit of angst

content warning !! (nongraphic) descriptions of violence, mention of alcohol

14.2k

recommended listening

BY DAY, you attend classes and sling drinks at the campus cafe. By night, you’re known as the Harbinger, an individual with the Gift of shadow and darkness. Your two jobs have never had any reason to collide...not until the appearance of a fellow Gifted by the name of Ace, anyway.

"Your next job is an assassination," says the informant. He's tall, with blond hair going a little unruly in the wind. The real attention grabber, though, is the unblinking third eye that rests on his forehead. You feel his fingers probing at your brain, prying it open to tell you everything you need to know about your next target. This was a commonplace interaction between you; there were eyes and ears everywhere. The landscape of your mind was the safest place for secrets and information.

This time, it's some bigshot CEO allied with the Seijoh Conglomerate. He's trying to curry favor with the much smaller Johzenji Incorporated.

Negotiations are on Saturday, Three-Eyes (you'd never learned his name, not even his alias, and he'd never provided one) tells you. I've given you the location. You should know how to get there.

"Got it," you reply as his grip on your brain recedes. "Anything else?" The young man shrugs.

"The usual. Fly high. Don't fuck up. It'll look bad on all of Karasuno if you did." With that, his figure goes blurry and blips out of sight. Left standing alone at the rendezvous point, you sigh and slip into the darkness, riding the shadows all the way home.

 "Let me guess," Futakuchi says, shifting his gaze from his notepad to you, "a carbonara, extra cheese?"

"You know it." Say what you will about the simple dish, but it's been your favorite ever since the restaurant opened down the street before your first semester of university two years ago. Your eyes trace the brick walls of the small establishment, flit over Futakuchi's back as he enters the kitchen.

Due to its proximity to campus (and more recently, your apartment), you've been a regular patron since its opening. Despite this, though, it was your friendship with Futakuchi (and his employee discount) that kept a broke college student like you coming back for more.

(It started with an economics class you'd both taken in your first semester to raise your respective GPAs. You knew vaguely of each other, never having any reason to interact.

It continued the next semester with a group project for your communications class, once again shared with one Futakuchi Kenji. "Do you want to work together?" had spilled from your lips before you could think it through. You weren't friends. You were barely acquaintances. He was just the only one in the class you felt familiar enough with to ask.

"Sure," he responded. "Let's meet at the cafe close to the quad.")

"Here you go," Futakuchi says, taking you back to the present. "Without you, I'm sure this old place would've gone under months ago," he chuckles, throwing a dish towel over his shoulder. He's thanking you, in his own roundabout way.

As always, you play along. "Aw, you'd miss me if I stopped showing up, wouldn't you?" He narrows his eyes at the grin you throw his way. You're sure he's about to hurl some sort of curse your way when an elderly couple walks past.

Schooling his features into something more refined, he gives you (and them) the smile of a saint. "Oh, please," he grits under his breath, "I give you three days tops before you come running back." You're left gaping at him like a fish, scrambling for a response, but nothing comes. His grin widens: he's won this one.

(After weeks' worth of research and countless cups of coffee consumed between you, the project was complete. You'd learned a lot about him — he was an electrical engineering major, played volleyball in high school, thought that Disney's Tangled was nothing short of a cinematic masterpiece — and the easy camaraderie you two had fallen into made your heart skip a beat.

Not that you'd ever admit it to him. He didn't need his ego to grow even bigger, lest his head get too swollen to keep upright. Whenever he walked into the cafe, the very same one you had your first meeting as partners at, to order his stupid chai tea latte, you would be forced to give it to him with a bright smile and held tongue.

You might've swallowed your feelings, but they've always been there, like a flower that had not yet met the right conditions to bloom.)

Saturday comes quickly. The venue is the most opulent hotel in the city, the crown jewel of the entertainment district. The whole place reeks of cigarette smoke, a result of the casino located on the first floor. You wrinkle your nose at the smell, darting between shadows to reach the room you're looking for.

Three-Eyes needs to work on his navigational skills, you think. The penthouse suite could've been better reached by taking to the skies and landing on the roof. (Plus, you've always liked the feeling of twisting the thin, watery darkness into wings with which to take flight.) You chalk it up to needing to exercise the utmost caution, and for good reason: there are two armed guards stationed at the door. No way around it.

From around the corner, you send your shadow to strangle one of the guards, sinking incorporeal fingers into his throat. He gargles as his body falls, and you curse as it thuds on the marble floor. The other guard's on full alert now, his gun locked and loaded. He tries to move, to look for the assailant, but he can't: you've pinned his shadow where it stands.

Inky black tendrils make their way to the guard, his eyes widening. You wonder, dimly, what he must think. The thoughts people have before their lives end at your hands has always been a point of speculation for you.

Not that you ever give them much time to think; it's a small mercy, to kill someone swiftly. You may be a criminal, but you’re far from a sadist.

You crack the door open, catch a glimpse of the scene inside.

The target's running his mouth, his glass of red wine coming close to spilling with each flourish of his hands. They're decorated with gaudy rings, each outfitted with a flashy gem. A small staffing of guards watches the scene, all stone-faced and no doubt better trained than the goons you took out less than two minutes ago.

The room's nice, furnishing sleek and minimalist. It's also well-lit, bringing a frown to your face. You were at your most effective when it was dark as pitch, but the cogs turn in your head as you formulate a plan.

What intrigues you the most, however, is the young man standing behind your target. His mask covers his eyes, as though he were attending a masquerade ball and not overseeing a critical business deal. It's outfitted with...card suits. One side the spade, the other the heart, with the club and diamond in the middle. His stance is relaxed, bored, even. You're not sure who he is; Three-Eyes didn't tell you about this. He must be a new addition, you think. He's not armed. Is he Gifted, like you?

Doesn't matter. The modern chandelier above does well to light the room, but you find purchase in the shadow of a stool on the kitchen island. You leap into it, molding yourself to the darkness as you lie in wait.

"Those are the terms and conditions of our deal," the CEO from Seijoh finishes, lacing his fingers together as he leans back in his chair. "Do you have any questions?" The Johzenji representative opens his mouth, but you're only half aware of his response.

Fact: When you're assuming the form of another shadow, you can't send your own to do your bidding.

Fact: Making this quick and easy isn't possible.

Fact: Confrontation is inevitable.

Fact: You have a bad feeling about the man in the mask.

That being said, you wouldn't have gotten this far in Karasuno if you were afraid to get your hands dirty, whether you liked it or not.

In a single instant, you emerge from hiding and trap the masked man's shadow before he can spring into action. All eyes are on you, but before the CEO can sputter commands, you send an appendage of darkness to pierce his chest. He gurgles, blood spilling from his mouth, before he slumps into the chair. The red wine spills all over the plush carpet, seeping in to stain.

The guards launch into action, forming a protective circle around the Johzenji representative. They're all aiming for you.

Perfect.

Before they open fire, you lock yourself in a barrier. The shots, as you predicted, ricochet and knock out some of the lights from the chandelier. Once the roar of gunfire ceases, you force the barrier outward to skewer your attackers.

They choke, last cries strained as their bodies fall to the ground. You scan the room, all shattered glass and bleeding bodies. Well. I should clean this up a little before I leave. You don’t dwell on the thought for too long, though; there’s still one person left on the floor.

The masked man's stayed perfectly still and silent throughout this whole encounter. (Of course he would; he wouldn't be able to move, even if he tried.) "You're good," he remarks as you close in on him. "It's just a shame," he tuts, sidestepping—sidestepping?—your attack, "that I'm better." He's broken from your hold, somehow, and is out the window (when did it open?) before you can get a hold of him.

"Don't take it personally," he calls after you. "You were just unlucky." You curse under your breath; Three-Eyes is not gonna like this. You shackle the Johzenji representative to the ground, looking down at him as he quivers in fear.

"Well then," you sigh, cutting your losses, "why don't you tell me all about this deal Johzenji is making with Seijoh, hm?"

There was a young man with the Seijoh CEO, you tell Three-Eyes, though you know he's long since sifted through your memories of last night to know. I don't know if he was Gifted or not.

We have no record of him. When we meet tomorrow, I'll give you a supplement that will let you temporarily see who around you is Gifted. Take it before your next mission.

You make the mistake of letting your mind wander, and curse his stupid psychic Gift when he adds, tone bone-dry, No, not a suppository. Supplements are taken orally. He releases his hold on you and you swear you see him shake his head at your train of thought.

(Really, it's not your fault the two words were so closely related; as much as you've given to this second job of yours, you weren't ready to insert anything odd into your most personal crevices.)

"Meet in the usual place tomorrow. I'll also be giving you the details of your next mission." That's all he says before teleporting away. You glance at your phone, color rushing out of your face in record time.

"Fuck!" You fling open the service door of the campus cafe, retying your apron as you rush in. Cramming the cash from Three-Eyes into your bag, you rejoin your boss on the floor. He's chewing you out, and just as well: you've extended your fifteen-minute break to something akin to a twenty-five.

You're only half listening. Instead, you're replaying the events of last night, the man in the mask the only thing on your mind.

No one’s ever broken free before. You’re staring at your hands, clenching and unclenching them in the motion to trap a shadow. How did he do it?

"You in for a long night?" you ask Futakuchi, setting his chai latte on the table. He's come during dinner hours, rendering the cafe mostly empty.

"Yeah. The professors in my department have been working us to the bone." He stops to take a sip, nodding in appreciation. "I mean, I get it. Top five engineering school and all. But shit," he huffs as you wipe down a nearby table, "I feel like I can't catch my breath." You clean the store as he rolls his shoulders, a brief break before his fingers fly over the keys of his laptop. It's companionable, the lo-fi tunes from the speakers the only real sound.

(You were no stranger to all-nighters with Futakuchi by your side. In fact, that was the only way your project could have ever reached completion.

"College is not what I expected it to be," he'd groaned one night, the two of you holed up in a corner of the library. It was getting late: you're sure the staff was going to kick you out any second now. You looked up from your laptop to see him with his head in his hands, tablet pen still between his fingers.

In truth, you'd also been hoping for more of an opportunity to let loose. This was supposed to be the time of your life, the transitory period between what remained of your youth and true adulthood. Instead, you'd spent all your time at work, in lecture, or working with Futakuchi on this damn presentation.

None of those things were inherently bad, but they certainly weren't in line with the more...entertaining college lifestyle you'd envisioned yourself leading. To sympathize, you'd told him as much, garnering a laugh as he agreed with you.

"Well,“ he’d looked at you then, eyes hooded with drowsiness, “at least we're in it together."

Your heart leaped to your throat, and you fumbled over your reply. "Who said I was going to stick around?" It sounded less like a verbal jab and more of a stab in the dark.

"And here I thought you enjoyed the mutually beneficial relationship we had," he lamented, a hand on his chest in mock hurt. "Never again will I let you use my employee discount." You'd kicked his shin under the table and told him to get back to work.

When you'd gotten home that night, those seven words had kept you awake, tossing and turning. You were brought together out of necessity, after all; who's to say that he'd stick around once the shackles of obligation were broken?)

The amount of light pollution in the city has never done your powers good, rendering the sky almost starless, but you'll be damned if it doesn't look amazing from above. You land at the top of the old clock tower, the building standing only because of its history. It's a relic in a city bustling with modernity, and you find solace in the low ticks and tocks as the seconds pass into minutes. 

You watch cars race by, blips of color moving in the cityscape. You'd met with Three-Eyes earlier to receive the supplement (he'd reminded you once more to take it orally) and the location of your next mission. Your head still buzzes when you shake it, his influence not so easily forgotten.

Your wings drip with liquid shadow; when you'd first come into your Gift, you had been surprised at the almost milky texture of the dark. You're stretching them out, practicing your control, when you're interrupted.

"Huh," he says. "I wasn't expecting to see you here." Before he finishes his sentence, you've bound him from the neck down in an uncomfortable sort of straitjacket. You tighten your hold; he's not getting away this time.

"Good evening to you too," he grins. "How rude of myself to not even properly introduce myself," he barrels on before you can get a word in edgewise. "They call me Ace." His voice is casual, like he's meeting with a friend and not tied up in front of someone who wants to kill him.

You've turned the wings at your back into razor-sharp edges that itch to skewer his poor body. One of them grazes his Adam's apple, and he tilts his head up in defiance, looking down on you. "So you're Gifted?" It's barely a question, but one you figure you should ask regardless. As much as you’d love to skip to the part where he lies motionless on the floor, the idea of never scratching that itch, never getting the answers you’ve been wanting since you first met leaves a sour taste in your mouth.

"What do you think?" he asks, placid smile pasted on his lips. In the blink of an eye, he's wriggled out of your binding—how? "Pretty good, if I do say so myself," he preens at his accomplishment. You make to end him once and for all, answers be damned, but he dodges every spike that comes his way. He clicks his tongue to the roof of his mouth in disapproval, leaping out of the way of a particularly nasty advance that pierces the floor. "I introduce myself, act nothing but cordial, and this is the thanks I get?" He lets loose a long-suffering sigh that only pisses you off.

"Not like it matters. I already know who you are." You try to close the distance, but he's quick to widen the gap. "The Harbinger...did you come up with that one yourself? It's a nice name, for sure. A bit vague, if anything, but oh so frightening." He's overcome with fake emotion, the end of his sentence condescending. He has the nerve to talk down to you, and you return it by pinning his shadow before he can run away again.

You're almost there. He's within reach, but your foot gets stuck in the hole you'd made trying to get to him. You curse, the sound guttural as it comes from the back of your throat. "Darn," he simpers, throwing in a pitying snap as you yank your foot out. "You almost got me there too. Unfortunately for you," he shrugs, once again free from your grip on his shadow, "I'm getting bored. Do better.” If being such an insufferable asshole was a real Gift, you’re sure Ace would be among the first to manifest it.

"Well,” he says, voice closing the door on the interaction, “'til next time, Harbinger." Before you can even try to get to him again, he's gotten a running start. Your eyes widen as he jumps from what must be a terminal height to the nearest building—and lands it.

Ace? Three-Eyes asks, once again in your head. Do you know what his Gift is? He's rewatching your encounter with him, and you ignore his snide comments about how easily he managed to wipe the floor with you.

No clue. He didn't attack me. The admission causes Three-Eyes' eyebrows to raise as he plays the encounter over again, looking at it through a new lens. Frankly, you're getting tired of seeing your ass get kicked. Definitely a slippery bastard. He's probably working for Seijoh.

We'll send an agent to do recon on their Gifted. This could just be an independent. Seijoh was fond of attracting Gifted to their cause, promising wealth in exchange for power. Three-Eyes seems satisfied with what he's seen, and you shiver as he returns your mind to you. No matter how many times he does it, you don't think you'll ever get used to the feeling.

"At any rate," he throws over his shoulder, "don't fuck up tonight."

Seijoh is awfully fond of glitz and glamor, and it shows: the charity banquet is decorated to the nines. A part of you longs to participate, but you're here to gather information, to play the part of the fly on the wall. The waitstaff glides across the floor in a dance of service, offering champagne and hors d'oeurves alike to the chattering elite.

Take the tablet thirty minutes before you enter, Three-Eyes had told you. Once it kicks in, any Gifted should glow orange at the edges. A memory through the eyes of a stranger had entered your mind then, and in it you saw Three-Eyes outlined in neon orange, the edges softly blurred.

Sneaking in is much easier this time, a shadow creeping far enough past the door that you can slip in without a hitch. You're prepared to assess whatever shady deals Seijoh is setting up this time, but you see a man near the door stiffen. He's glowing orange at the edges, and you swallow. The man is big, with a shock of white hair. Leaning against the wall next to him is Ace, the orange outline bleeding in the space between the two Gifted.

"Harbinger," the unfamiliar face says, voice deep. You blanch, holding your breath as he turns to face you. He's fast for his size, head whipping in the direction you move to, taking the form of a different shadow. The guard detail tonight, armed to the teeth, focuses their aim where you hide.

This is bad. Gunfire claws against your ears, and you leap out of the shadow to put up a barrier before they tear you apart. Glass shatters. A lightbulb goes off in your head, feeling deja vu tug at the corners of your brain. You break into a sprint.

The security detail picks up on your plan, aiming one step ahead of you as you run to the now broken window. From the corner of your eye, you see one such bullet speeding towards you.

It feels like the world around you slows down, like you can see each detail of the dusky yellow metal as it hurtles to the point of impact. 

This is it, isn’t it?

The bullet will lodge itself (or worse, pass through) your midsection. This opulent room will be where you meet your end. They’ll clean up your body, mop up the blood. The cleaning staff is going to have their work cut out for them, you think.

You wonder if time slows for each of your victims before you take them out. You regret not being quicker about it; you thought you were doing them a service, but this? This is nothing but agony.

All you can do is keep moving. Your feet are heavy as one moves in front of the other.

The world returns to its normal pace.

Your momentum carries you forward. The bullet is off by what must be millimetres, grazing your back. You leap out of the window.

The last thing you see as you fly away is Ace's eyes on yours, heart hammering against your ribcage.

Three-Eyes has never been the most expressive nor the most emotional, so to feel the fury rolling off him in waves stuns you silent. "You failed the mission?" he asks. It's a rhetorical question, of course; he's seen your memories. Multiple times. "You had a job to do, and you...what?" His voice stays even, but the eye that rests at the center of his forehead trembles slightly.

He exhales. His third eye stills once again.

"Look," he reasons. "I know you're pretty new around here, but the higher-ups demand results. You cannot fail. Keep that in mind next time we meet."

Your informant leaves after that, phasing out of your sight. Your failure probably reflects poorly on him, too; you've never met the higher-ups, the head honchos of Karasuno, but you figure they must be forces of nature. Shame washes over you as you return home.

For the first time since you joined Karasuno, you don't return home with an envelope of cash.

“I feel like I’m seeing more of you these days.” Futakuchi sighs when you call him out, raising his hands in surrender.

“There’s a paper due at the end of the month. My GPA can’t take it if I fall behind, so I asked them to cut my hours at the restaurant.” He’s had impeccable grades since the day you met, but you figure they weren’t entirely borne of natural aptitude. You, on the other hand, have been taking on more shifts in an attempt to offset the cost of failing your last mission.

One paycheck from Karasuno was almost twice as much as you made at your day job. You close your eyes, see rent’s due date glaring at you. Three-Eyes was right. There can’t be any more fuck ups; you literally cannot afford it.

“Well,” you hand him his latte (he’d only admitted it once, but you were the one who made his order the best), “you’ve come to the right place.”

It's been getting colder recently. The chilly night air nips at your skin, sends goosebumps up your arms.

"I get it, this is a nice lookout spot," Ace says, jolting you out of your reverie. "But really? Once was bad enough. Imagine if I found you here while I was on the clock." You don't immediately move to kill him, so he stands a respectable distance away.

"On the clock? For Seijoh?"

"Who's to say?" he deflects.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It can mean whatever you want it to. Just because I'm seen with Seijoh doesn't have to mean I'm working with them." He says that, but his presence alongside some of Seijoh's bigwigs begs to differ. "At the end of the day, I'm just some guy with a mask on, right?"

"No."

He laughs, incredulous. "No? Are you denying it?" He taps his mask, the ornamentation of the spade shifting beneath his touch. "The evidence is right there, isn't it?"

"I meant that you're not just some guy." When you swallow, it's heavy. You've started having nightmares about that day, ones where you don't make it out alive. You were so sure the bullet would connect...until it didn't hit at all.

More than anything, you remember the look he gave you as you ran away. It's that gaze that makes an appearance behind your eyelids every night. You've given up on trying to piece it together by now.

"Aww." Ace tilts his head, pursing his lips in sarcastic affection. "You sure know how to make a guy feel special, don't you?" You (once again) start to wish you'd killed him where he stood.

Instead, you say, "What did you do?" He gives you yet another look you can't decipher, another thing to mull over alone in your room under cover of darkness.

"Who knows?" he shrugs, avoiding a straight answer once again. "Maybe you just got lucky. Why do you assume I had something to do with it?"

(He has a point; all you have to go off of is a look and a feeling. You hate that he's right.)

The only noise at this point is the steady tick-tock of the clock tower and the breeze passing by, a gentle tap on your shoulder, a kiss on your cheek. You don't respond, soaking in his words. He could be lying. He could also be telling the truth.

You're not sure which you'd like to hear more.

"You said you were off the clock," you say after the silence has set in long enough to change the topic. He nods, gaze focused on the few cars on the road below. "I take it whatever...arrangement you have with Seijoh isn't permanent."

"Is work all you talk about? Man, I hope you're not this much of a stick in the mud behind the mask."

That hits a nerve. "I'll have you know I am very pleasant beneath the mask," you defend. He smirks, casting a sideways glance in your direction.

"I'll believe it when I see it, Harbinger."

“Okay, be honest,” you begin, shutting the menu with a snap (as if you even read it). “Am I...uptight?”

Kenji inhales sharply, taking your menu with careful fingers. You’re well aware you’ve just dropped him in a minefield, but you watch him squirm with serious eyes. Ace’s words from the night before ring in your ears, and you’re itching to prove him wrong.

Poorly equipped to answer the question at hand, Kenji instead asks, “...You sure you want me to be honest?” He yelps when you aim to whack him with a roll of complimentary bread. “You were the one who asked!”

“You’re supposed to be a good friend!” you hiss between bites of another dinner roll.

“You asked me to be honest! What was I supposed to do?” he sputters. “Lie?” Kenji confiscates the roll of bread, uttering a mocking hum when you whine.

“Yes!” He doesn’t bother replying, muttering under his breath as he takes your order—and your makeshift weapon—to the kitchen.

You'd think that a business conglomerate with its fingers deep in the city's underbelly would do a better job at hiding confidential files. You guess Seijoh's got bigger fish to fry. Not that you're complaining, of course; this only makes your job easier.

(We've done extensive recon on this location, Three-Eyes had informed you. He was still tense with the knowledge of your last fuck-up, but you were given a mission regardless. It's where they keep their records of the Gifted in their system, hired or not.)

The job, for once, is simple. Get in. Collect the files Three-Eyes had drilled into your brain. Get the fuck out.

(Just watch out. They have this guy running point on their security. In your memory was the image of a man, hair dyed blond save for the twin black stripes running parallel lines around his head.

He...kinda looks like a bumblebee, you'd thought, hoping to draw a laugh from your informant. It didn't work. His jaw had hardened, and his eyes—unfortunately, not the third one—had rolled.

They call him the Mad Dog. If you see him, do not engage. His Gift—if you can call it that—is the ability to break bones and pop blood vessels with a single touch. Okay, yikes. You'd breathed a sigh of relief at the lack of examples Three-Eyes had given; he was often very thorough, but you were grateful he'd refrained from providing a visual this time.)

To his credit, Three-Eyes' navigation skills are getting better. Getting to the archives poses no problem, the office completely dark. If you got into a fight, you were almost certain you’d come out on top.

The only catch is the dozens of the drawers you'll have to open to find the files you're looking for. With a sigh, you fish out the small flashlight given to you by Three-Eyes the last time you were tasked with recon.

(I should also warn you, Three-Eyes said, that you might be terminated if you fail this mission. We won't kill you or anything like that, he'd assured you when you'd flinched. At least, I don't think so. But your memories of this time will be erased entirely from your mind.

His gaze was devoid of any levity, any mercy. I can put things in your head no problem, but I make no promises to be gentle if I have to take them away.)

You're thumbing through the files of the independents Seijoh has hired when you see not one, but two faces you recognize.

The first is the large man with the white hair that had managed to sniff you out from the shadows. His real name is redacted, the same as every other report, but you catch a glimpse of his designation. Bloodhound Unit 1-A. Fitting. You'd already collected the files of other members of Seijoh's bloodhounds; this was the last one on your list.

They all possessed similar enough Gifts, in the end: the ability to locate Gifted whenever they used their powers.

The second file you recognize is Ace, pictured in all his masked glory with a shit-eating grin. You stop to read this one; it’s not every day you learn the ins and outs of the biggest pain in your ass to date.

Gifted #1110 has the ability to manipulate the probability of events (moderate effect), the classification reads. This makes him uniquely suited to an escort position for negotiations with other companies.

That explains why you've only seen him around officials. You trace your encounters back to the beginning, to all his comments about luck. He'd escaped you because he'd willed it, forced the hands of fate in his favor.

This casts the events of your last mission under a different light: he let you live.

Why?

You take both reports, the last two files needed, and make your escape.

It’s midnight. The clock tower rings out behind you to welcome the new hour, but you’re not paying much attention. Bouncing around in your mind like an old computer’s screensaver is the project due at the end of the month and the need to confront Ace about what exactly happened the night of your last mission.

You're about to call it a night and leave the clock tower when he appears. "Why is it that every time I come here to think, you show up?"

"I wasn't aware you were capable of cognizant thought," you fire back.

"Wow. Okay. Low blow." You manage an indignant laugh from him. "And especially rich, might I add, considering I'm the one who's come out on top every time we've crossed paths."

You don’t bother beating around the bush; you’ve waited too long to engage in his verbal sparring matches. "You really are a lucky bastard, aren't you?" It's not a question. He grins in response, as if you’ve passed a test.

"Took you long enough to notice. I was beginning to worry I'd have to spell it out for you."

Your meetings at the clock tower become routine. Ace shows up at midnight, you notice, fond of startling you as the tower rings.

("Are you stalking me or something?" you'd asked at the start. "Is your friend with the white hair sniffing me out so you can work up the courage to ask me out on a proper date?"

He laughed at that longer than was really appropriate, long enough for you to wonder what could possibly be so bad about posing yourself as a dating prospect. Second occupation aside, you were a catch and a half, and you were about to let him know when he caught his breath enough to reply. "Don't flatter yourself, Harbinger," he wheezed. "If anything," he'd sniffed, now nonchalant, "I should be asking you that question."

"What was it you just said?" You tapped your chin, coming to a realization, "Oh. Don't flatter yourself," you replied flatly. At this point, he was standing next to you. You'd turned to look at him, then. Not to look in the way you'd done several times before, but to really look at your...enemy?

You didn't know what to call him. Live saver might have been accurate, but you would rather have taken the bullet than call him that to his face. You weren't friends, nor were you enemies—not right now, anyway.

You didn't know what to make of this in-between you've found yourselves in, this space between hate and friendship.)

To throw a wrench into things even further, you find that he looks...handsome in the low light. You add the thought to the growing list of things you'd be quicker to take to your grave than admit to him.

(There was truth to the statement, though. You couldn't make out all of his face, of course, but the slicked back hair paired with a strong jaw looked promising enough. It's not like he was spindly either, body all lean muscle. You'd been staring for much longer than was considered socially acceptable, and he'd noticed. "Like what you see?"

"Not at all," you'd lied.

The worst part had been the fact that checking Ace out—sizing him up—wasn't on your list of regrets. What it was on was your laundry list of things regarding Ace that you couldn't wrap your head around.)

You learn things about him, things you'd sooner learn about a normal person instead of someone you seek to kill half the time.

He likes dogs.

(“I had one back in junior high. When I move out of the city and into a real house, I think I’ll adopt one of the same breed.” He’d shuddered before continuing. “I could never get one of those small dogs, though. All bark and no bite.”

“I think they’re a perfect fit for you,” you told him.

“Oh, ha ha. Last time I checked, I wasn’t the one on a losing streak.”)

He spends an inordinate amount of money on candy.

("You should see my pantry," he laughed. "I used to really like those like…” he was talking with his hands, gesturing in the air, “sour gummy worms back in high school. I guess the habit of buying them never wore off."

"I’m surprised you don’t have cavities."

"Please. My dentist loves me.")

He refuses to admit to crying when Mufasa died in The Lion King.

("So what if I was five?" he'd huffed, crossing his arms. "That's no excuse.")

It's humanizing.

It's concerning.

Now, when you look at Ace, you no longer see an unexpected roadblock, the joker being put into play. You begin to agree with what he told you weeks ago: he really was just some guy in a mask.

You begin to wonder when you became so quick to agree with him.

Your fork twirls around the pasta, you and Kenji sitting cross-legged on your carpet as a Marvel movie plays.

You'd been the one to suggest a celebration, having made it out of midterms alive. He'd agreed, bringing over some of your favorites from the restaurant after his shift.

The movie is good (though Kenji's uncanny ability to chime in during emotional scenes makes your eye twitch, just a little), the food even better. Before you know it, both of you are blinking bleary eyes awake in the morning light.

"What time is it?" you mutter, hand slapping the surface of the coffee table you'd fallen asleep on in an attempt to find your phone. Kenji rolls his head around in a circle, trying to ease the crick in his neck.

"Too early. Maybe around eight," he yawns, trying to once again make himself comfortable on the couch and go back to sleep.

You, on the other hand, have never been more awake in your life. When you find your phone, you find that he's right—it's almost eight. Your shift starts at nine. At this time of day, it takes half an hour to get to work.

"Shit," you curse, forcing your half-asleep body to move and do as much damage control as you can manage. "I have work in an hour. You can leave now if you want, but you gotta be out when I am."

"Nah, I'll give you a ride. My place is in that direction anyway." There's something about the way he says it, his voice a touch deeper with the morning and the way it rolls off his tongue like he's said it a million times, that makes your heart clench. There's not enough time to dwell on it, so you let him stay while you get ready for the day.

(Somewhere, deep in the pit of your stomach, that same seed of infatuation you'd swallowed months ago threatens to sprout.)

The name Ace, as it turns out, is one he came up with himself.

"You really couldn't have come up with anything better?" you ask. "It's a nice name. A bit vague, sure," you parrot the words from your first meeting as Ace narrows his eyes at you, unimpressed, "but oh so frightening." Emboldened by his confession and greedy in the light of your victory, you tilt his chin to meet your gaze head on.

The touch is electrifying, like a spark igniting for the first time in a brilliant flame. You force it to fizzle out as quick as it came, hand drawing back in shock.

These midnight meetings have changed your dynamic with Ace. It's delicate, like a house of cards that stacks higher and higher with each encounter. You worry that the slightest deviation from what's been established might send the whole thing crashing down.

"The people at Karasuno were the ones who named me," you fumble, trying to defuse the tension. "They saw me flying when I was still learning what I was and offered to take me in."

Almost a year ago, you'd been discovered by two boys. It was embarrassing, in hindsight: you crashed into the taller one, leading to the other doubled over in laughter.

You learned that their names were Kageyama and Hinata, and they were pretty new to this whole Gifted thing, too. You haven’t seen much of them recently; once you three “graduated,” for lack of a better term, into full-time operatives, you often found yourself flying solo.

"So what?" Ace asks. "You just joined a criminal organization?"

"I didn't know it was Karasuno at first," you snap. "Not until it was too late. But I'm here now. Money is money."

"You could've just..." he lets the words hang in the air, trying to find the best response. "I don't know." Instead, he asks a different question: "Would you have joined Seijoh or done something else if not for Karasuno?"

"What difference does it make?" you ask. "When you break it down, we're the same. Our Gift manifested, so we joined the first organization willing to pay us enough in exchange for being the ones to do their dirty work. Besides," you huff, head tilted to try and find any hint of starlight in the night sky, "I'd be doing exactly what I do now if I was with Seijoh."

"...You don't sound very pleased about that."

"Yeah?" Your laugh is humorless as you chew on your bottom lip. "I wouldn't be doing this at all if I could afford it. This all started because I wanted to get in touch with my Gift and learn more about it." You bring up a web of darkness, warping it into different shapes in a show of control. "Just so happens they help me with my rent enough that I don't have to live paycheck to paycheck."

He's pensive, nodding along with your words. "You know, we should bring drinks up here sometime. I think we both need a break. You from your rent, me from my tuition deadlines. How 'bout it?"

Despite yourself, you reply, "Yeah. I'd like that." 

(Even worse is the fact that you don't think you want this to be an empty promise.)

You're at the clock tower again. The routine's stabilized into a weekly affair; it's unspoken between you two to meet on Friday nights, right as the day rolls over into Saturday morning. "Do you remember our last conversation?" Ace asks.

"About how you still owe me drinks?" Your legs are dangling over the edge of the tower, knocking against Ace's feet as the world whizzes below you.

"I thought it would be a potluck-style affair. We did establish that we're both broke, right? Why are you making me buy everything?"

"Wasn't my idea to get drunk with someone I've tried to kill," you offer. "Multiple times. I figured Seijoh's dirty money would be more than enough to afford a pack of shitty beer."

"If I'm going to drink with someone that's tried to kill me," for your benefit, he tacks on, "multiple times, I'm going to make it good. But that wasn't the part of the conversation I was talking about."

"Then what was?"

His shoulders tense, almost imperceptibly. You wouldn't catch it if you weren't sitting next to him. "Do you ever wonder..." He's reticent with his next words, as though they're better unspoken, "what would've happened if we worked together?"

"If this is some ploy to get me to join your so-called good side," you drawl, throwing up some jazz hands, "I'm afraid it won't work. We've been over this: it wouldn't make any difference."

"No," he says. He's not looking at you, but rather at the full moon that smiles at you from above. "I mean like...a world where it's always like this." He bumps his shoulder against yours, and you become hyperaware of the lack of space between you.

(When did it lessen? You could layer your hand over his, if you so pleased. Are his fingers calloused, are they warm?)

You force the thoughts back into the dark corner of your mind from which they came. "Don't go falling for me," you warn. (You're not sure who you're warning, exactly, but it's a warning nonetheless.) "You should know by now I won't be around to catch you."

His gaze is somewhere far away when he says, "I know."

There's a warm mug in your hands and a show you're barely watching on TV. You're alone, bundled in your comfiest blankets. You and Kenji had scheduled a movie night, but you had cancelled on him, citing your neverending pile of assignments as an excuse.

Somehow, seeing him hours after being with Ace feels wrong.

You take the day to unpack everything about Ace you normally save for the wee hours of the night, when your heart still races as you return home from the clock tower. Your eyes are glazed over as you analyze his every word, every action, try your best to read between the lines.

Then it hits you.

Why bother reading so much into it? Why expend so much energy into trying to figure him out?

It's not like—

Oh.

The realization of your feelings for your sort-of enemy isn't a loud affair, not at all like glass shattering or the freefall felt after leaping out of broken windows. It's quiet, almost unnervingly so.

Taking a sip of your drink, you step into this newfound truth as though it were your favorite pair of pants.

Here's the problem with this new truth: you're pretty sure that being in love with a member of Seijoh is off-limits.

"You'd think that in a city this big, we wouldn't be seeing so much of each other," he quips. Why is he always where you want to be? It had been annoying (until it wasn't), but on this fine Wednesday night, you’d wanted anything but to see him. 

"And here I was, trying to find someplace new." Instead of the clock tower you'd both made your unspoken rendezvous point, you've come across Ace atop a skyscraper.

"Aww, I thought we were friends." Is that what he thinks? You're not sure if that's a testament to the change in your relationship or a confession just shy of what you really want.

(But is this what you want? A life of secrecy and hidden eyes?)

Ace pats the space next to him, motioning for you to come sit. You don't move. You worry that if you do, all the things you’re keeping hidden will come tumbling out unbidden.

(Would it be so bad if it did?)

"I'm fine here," you squeak. Your voice is meek, only serving to raise suspicion.

"...Are you okay?"

(What are you supposed to say to that? That you think you're in love with him when you barely know him, don't even know what he looks like? Are you supposed to tell him that even though you're on opposing sides, his eyes are the ones that haunt your dreams? How do you convey that all you could ever want is for things to stay like this, the city cloaked in perpetual night with Ace at your side and in your heart?)

There aren't any words in the English language that could get the point across.

He draws closer, as if magnetized to you. If words can't do it, maybe actions can.

You don’t think. You don’t speak.

All you do is yank the collar of his shirt towards you, crashing your lips against his. The house of cards you two had so delicately put together is lit aflame, but in this single selfish moment, you have no regrets.

You pour gasoline all over everything you know, tilting your head to take as much of Ace as he's willing to give.

(He pulls you flush against him, and later on you'll try to puzzle out how much of his reaction was instinct and how much of him was wanting for this, for you. For now, you're more than content to burn against him, with him. You take his bottom lip between your teeth and pull.)

“I think I did something stupid,” you groan, head in your hands as Kenji scrawls your order onto his notepad. You’re his last customer, but he doesn’t bother pulling out his finest Food Service Voice for you, not when you’re like this.

“What happened this time?” His question only elicits another drawn-out groan as you drag your hands down the sides of your face. “Yikes. That bad?” Returning to his notepad, he mumbles, “Extra cheese,” adding it to your order.

“I don’t wanna talk about it.” Kenji, to his credit, doesn’t push the issue.

The food is good, as always. It distracts you a bit from the crippling weight of what you’d done not even twenty-four hours ago. You even find it in yourself to give a heftier tip than usual.

And somehow, that’s enough.

For now.

Your next meeting with Ace is awkward, to say the least. 

The haze of desire that plagued your mind that night has cleared, and you're left to face the consequences of your actions. The stars above twinkle and titter in equal parts at your embarrassment.

He's waiting for you at the clock tower. A change of pace, considering midnight is a ways off.

"Fancy seeing you here." You're trying for normalcy, but it comes out forced.

"What can I say?" There's no wind tonight, and that only serves to charge the energy between you further. "I guess we're just drawn to each other." The accuracy of that statement sinks in, and you gnaw at the inside of your cheek as you roll it around in your head.

"About last night—" comes out of your mouth at the same time as "Listen, what happened—" comes out of his.

Nobody speaks. You're reminded of one of the first nights you spent with him here, the silence almost companionable. Tonight, it's oppressive, suffocating you with its iron grip.

"So...are you okay?"

"Am I?"

"I mean, I guess not. You didn't answer the question last time."

"I did answer it," you defend hotly, stiffening as the words spill from your mouth. Way to go, you grimace. You've done a bang-up job bringing up the one thing you were trying to avoid. Ace shifts his weight from one foot to the other.

"Do we...wanna talk about it?" he asks, giving a tentative poke at the elephant in the room.

"Good question." You're looking at the ground, eyes catching against the hole from your very first meeting here. "You seem to be full of those lately."

"Thank you," he replies, on autopilot. For a moment, it's like nothing's changed, the house of cards still standing. "I try my best." There’s another lull in the conversation. You’re not even looking at him anymore, instead finding much to observe about the hole you’d made a month ago.

Fuck it. You've already dug yourself six feet under—you might as well force yourself all the way to rock bottom. "You know that this," you gesture between you, "can't happen, right? You don't even know who I am."

"You seem to neglect the fact that I might want to." Not for the first time, you curse his ability to parry even your worst remarks. Right. Your heart flutters, a betrayal of the highest order.

"You seem to neglect the fact that when you're on the clock, we're at each other's throats."

He grins. "Maybe."

"Are you always this irritating underneath the mask?"

At some point in the conversation, he's come to stand one breath away. "Why don't you find out?" he whispers against your lips as he closes the distance once more.

You're seething, knuckles gone white as you clench your fists at your sides. You're not the only one pissed: Three-Eyes is about to pop a blood vessel, a vein bulging on his forehead. Whatever you think you're doing needs to stop. He plays your exchanges with Ace over, sneers when he sees you kiss like it were gum caught beneath his shoe. There are more important things than...this. 

You might have the worst informant in all of Karasuno, forced to watch as he skims through the month of private memories you'd tried to keep under lock and key. This was supposed to be a quick meeting to receive the details of your next job, but it seems he had caught wind of what you had been so eager to hide.

What you're doing endangers not only Karasuno, but you especially. There are fates worse than termination and much worse than death, he reminds you. There’s an undercurrent to his words, both a warning and a threat. See to it that you change your behavior before your next job.

"For the record," he says, quick to leave your mind, disgusted by what he's seen, "I kinda liked you. Shame you won't remember that if I have to wipe your memory clean."

He's gone before you can respond.

"You look like you just got broken up with," Kenji remarks as you shovel pasta in your mouth. When your only response is a withering glare, his voice softens. "Alright, what's going on? 

"It's nothing," you lie. You're at the restaurant to eat your sorrows away, but the reason why is a can of worms you can't exactly afford to be forthcoming about. Explaining exactly what mess landed you halfway to sobbing with each bite you take to Kenji of all people would only end with you behind bars for all you've done. "I'll be okay, I just...really needed some pasta."

He doesn't look like he buys it, but he backs off. It's a half victory you're more than willing to take. "If you do need help, you know who to call." You nod, unable to respond with your mouth full.

When it's time for you to pay, Kenji emerges from the kitchen to tell you that just this once, your meal is on him.

Kenji's taking his break, sitting right across from you as if he hadn't been waiting your table less than five minutes ago. (His manager had shouted for him to take his break in the back, but Kenji, it seems, has long since mastered the art of selective hearing.) He doesn't say much, scrolling through his Instagram feed while you eat. You continue in relative silence, the only real noise being the sound of your fork against your plate. 

You're more than halfway done with your meal when he pipes up. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

He rolls his eyes at you, locking his phone and putting it down. "Ha ha. Very funny. I'll be in the front row of all your stand-up comedy shows," he says, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Thank you," you reply with a smile. "Anything for my number one fan." He pulls a face. "What did you want to talk about?"

Despite being the one to start the conversation, he's clamming up. "Forget it," he says, eyes focused on the people passing by outside rather than on you. "It's not important, anyway. Just some relationship troubles," he lets slip.

"Oh?" you ask. You're in much of the same boat, though you suspect that Kenji, at least, has met someone that he can reasonably be with. "What's wrong?"

"I'm with someone right now," he blurts before he can think it through. "Or I mean...sorta with someone."

"What does 'sorta with someone' mean?"

"I mean...we see each other every now and again, but our relationship's never been clearly defined. I know the feeling is mutual, but there are some," he gestures with his hands, "obstacles stopping us from being together."

"Like?" Kenji's never come to you with anything like this before, but he's being rather secretive about this whole affair.

"We're not...meant to be together?" He doesn't sound sure of that answer himself, considering his wince. "That's not right. There are just...a lot of factors stopping us from being together, that's all."

You twist your straw between your fingers before you take a sip. "Sometimes, timing is a big factor," you tell him. "Maybe you're not meant to be together right now? In that case, it might be better to end things before they go too far." Kenji nods, soaking your words in. 

"At the end of the day, Romeo,” you remind, "the only person you have to please is yourself. What do you want?"

"The only person you have to please is yourself," he repeats. Louder, he says, "I know what I want. Don’t really know what I’m gonna do about it, but..." he rises, his break over, "you know. Thanks, I guess.”

You do, in fact, know. "Anytime."

Pocketing his phone, Kenji whisks away your empty dishes and returns to the kitchen.

Solving his relationship problems had been so easy. You only wish untangling the mess that was your own was that simple.

>> (11:08 AM) kenji: are you free after your shift today

>> (11:13 AM) you: yeah

>> (11:13 AM) you: why?

>> (11:14 AM) kenji: no reason 

Sure enough, when the bell fixed to the door signals a customer's entrance towards the end of your shift, it's Kenji you come face to face with. "The usual."

"No please?" you ask, typing in his final total.

"Sorry, we haven't reached that level of friendship yet.” He pays with his phone, the screen displaying a blue check before he pockets it. "Ask me again in a few months."

"My bad. I seem to have mistaken our months of companionship and movie nights for something other than close friendship," you say, scribbling the name Coochie-kins on the side of his cup. "How will I ever make it up to you?" Your voice is monotone as you pass his order to your coworker. A quick glance to your watch tells you that Kenji is your last customer. Untying your apron with practiced ease, you clock out.

When you emerge from the back, now dressed in casual clothes, you approach Kenji. "Well? Not studying today?"

"Nah. I needed a break. Mind joining me?"

Before you know it, you're at an arcade. It's one of those modern ones, revamped for all ages and teeming with all sorts of bells and whistles. You stop at the entrance, peering into the glass where a large stuffed turtle calls to you. "You want it?" Kenji asks.

Right now, you're not sure if you've ever wanted anything more. After a quick stop to load up a card with enough credits to make your wallet ache, you return to the crane game. "Hit me," you tell him, and he swipes the card for you, looking amused.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

You're a fucking supervilain working for one of the most prolific criminal organizations in the city. This stupid crane game doesn't stand a chance.

...is what you told yourself three attempts ago. The turtle slides out of the crane's grip once more, taunting you. You resist the primal urge to bash your head against the glass, instead opting for a drawn-out groan. "Is it even worth it?" you mumble.

"Let me try," Kenji says, hip bumping against yours as he nudges you to the side. "Watch and learn." He cracks his knuckles as he grips the joystick, fingers feather-light as they rest on the buttons to engage the crane. The setup looks exactly the same as your previous tries, and you scoff as he presses the button.

The turtle goes up. Big deal, you think. It'll come down before it goes through the chute. The game is rigged, anyway.

Or not.

The turtle lands neatly in the pickup zone.

"What'd I tell you?" he asks, like it was nothing. "Sometimes it just needs that magic touch." He wiggles his fingers for good measure.

"Wh-" you sputter. "How?"

"It's like that episode of Spongebob," he explains, handing you the turtle. "Be the crane."

You resolve to beat him at something, the competitive side of you flaring up.

(It's the start of a losing battle. Kenji hands your ass to you in every game, be it skeeball or basketball or even those awful ones that demand a button pressed at just the right time. The arcade staff double, triple check the amount of points your card's accumulated.

It's kind of ridiculous, really, but you leave with a Nintendo Switch you claim joint custody over, so it's not like you're complaining.)

"Why did you call me out, anyway?" you ask, the turtle you've named Chichi (after the Dragon Ball character and not Kenji, thank you very much) in your lap. He glances at you before returning his eyes to the road, fingers drumming on the steering wheel.

"I said it earlier, didn’t I? We needed a break. I also wanted to thank you for last time." It’s been a couple of weeks since that day; you don’t think you would’ve remembered if not for how out of the blue it’d been. You’re kind of surprised he’d been thinking about it, really.

"What did you do about it?"

"Turns out, I didn't have to do anything," he exhales. His voice is bitter when he says, "I got ghosted."

You wince, sucking in a sharp breath through your mouth. "Ouch. Sorry to hear that.”

"Don't worry," he says. "Not like you had anything to do with it."

Your next job goes off without issue 

You don't see Ace at all.

It's been almost a month since that night. Does he still shows up at the old clock tower at midnight in search of your silhouette? You would’ve done more, would’ve said a proper goodbye, but you’ve got bills to pay. Drawing Three-Eyes’ ire is the last thing on your to-do list.

You count the cash given to you by Three-Eyes, toss it onto your nightstand. Unfortunately, this isn’t some fairy tale where you can have your cake and eat it too.

(But was it so bad to long for that bit of fantasy?)

You trade your view of the city at the dead of night for pasta and movie nights on Mondays.

Weeks bleed into months, and you draw closer and closer to Kenji. When he asks if he can kiss you, fumbles with the words a bit before you leave his car, you let him.

He leans over the center console, one breath away, giving you one last out if you need it. You let him close the gap.

You like Kenji, you do. 

But when your lips meet his for the first time, it's not the same. Ace might not be dead, but you're chasing after his ghost all the same, seeking him out in everything and everyone. What was once explosive, electrifying, even, barely manages to simmer in the pit of your stomach. It's not enough to boil over.

You'll take it.

(With your eyes closed and fingers tangled in his hair, you can almost taste the night winds on your tongue, hear the clock tower tick with each passing second. You tell yourself that maybe this is good for you, that the day will come where you see Kenji instead of longing for Ace.)

In the end, being with Kenji isn't at all what you expected. It's not at all what you wanted, either.

It's like coming home and finding out the hard way that all the furniture's moved three inches to the left: not immediately apparent...until you stop to wonder why you keep stubbing your toe on the coffee table.

"Kenji," you pant, pulling away. This is how your movie nights tend to end as of late, your hands in his hair and you situated on his lap. "What-" He's not in the mood to talk tonight, it seems, instead peppering kisses along the junction between your shoulder and collarbone. "What are we doing?”

For a minute, you think he hasn't heard you. "What do you want it to be?" He's leaning back on your shitty couch, eyes hooded and hazy. His face is framed by the low light of the action movie behind you, his chest rising and falling. You know that if you pull him back in now, you can safely bury the topic, cover it completely with your lips on his. 

They say ignorance is bliss, after all.

But your toe's been stubbed to the point of bleeding; there's no ignoring that.

You've spent countless nights examining your feelings. You've held them up to the light, ghosted your fingers along the hairline cracks that run down the sides. And despite all your introspection, the best you can come up with is "I don't know." Even as the words come out of your mouth, they feel like the wrong answer.

The three words hang in the air between you, cruel fingers of guilt and indecision digging into your skin, kissing invisible bruises that bloom purple. For once, Kenji is at a loss for words. The clarity's returning to him, you think, bloodflow returning to his brain. He goes through several emotions you can't place nor process in a matter of seconds.

It's then that you ask yourself the question: What is this to him? Some part, selfish as selfish can be, hopes that you're just as much of a distraction to him as he is to you. It's much better than the alternative; better to set each other alight instead of stoking a fire for someone else.

"Right." The word comes out in a single, stunned breath. "Well," he says, moving enough to force you onto the couch, "call me when you think you've figured it out."

You don't get a chance to reply before he's out the door. The movie you hadn't been watching seems louder now, brought to the foreground of your misery.

You tune it out.

If Three-Eyes is put off by the look in your eyes, the anger that's taken root, he doesn't show it. A tactful move on his part, really; you're just about ready to tear someone's head off if they so much as breathe the wrong way 

He has no reason to stick around. "You know what to do. Good luck." he says, waving a hand around in noncommittance before vanishing.

He's here. Of course he'd be; Three-Eyes had told you as much. Under the darkness of the new moon, you set out to strike a decisive blow to Seijoh's throat.

Tonight, you're aiming for Seijoh's headquarters, where their current leader—a man known only as the Grand King—happens to be holding a very important meeting.

Security here is no joke, and you find yourself creeping around above the shadows rather than within them. The Grand King's spared no expense, his bloodhounds roaming the halls. If you slip up, even a little, you're sure to meet your untimely demise.

The Grand King himself is younger than you expected. He's maybe a year or two older than you; much too young to be running a business conglomerate rife with seedy dealings and the law enforcement on its payroll. (He's also kind of cute, but this is neither the time nor place to dwell on that thought. You shiver when you remember Three-Eyes will no doubt catch this remark when he reviews your performance.)

Standing to his right is another man you've only heard about: the Grand King's most faithful Knight, at his side at all times. Nobody that's ever learned his power has come out alive. Not even Three-Eyes had any clue. His file wasn't with the others when you'd been sent to their archives, leaving you completely in the dark.

To the Grand King's left is Ace; you guess even the mightiest king needs a trick or two up his sleeve. You’re slinking at the doorway, body pressed against the wall, when a voice calls out.

"Welcome, Harbinger," the Grand King greets, a cheerful smile on his face. "We've been expecting you."

Shit. How did he know? You're about to make a break for it, to cut your losses, when strong arms hold yours in place. When you wriggle around enough to see who's got you pinned, you see the same bloodhound from last time, white hair and all.

"You're here to kill me, aren't you?" the Grand King asks, though there's no question about it. You grit your teeth, reach out for his shadow with your own. Your shadow wraps its fingers around his throat without remorse.

Then the Grand King snaps his fingers, and you're forced to squeeze your eyes shut.

It's bright, like he's turned the intensity of the sun itself on you and then some. You barely have anything to work with, light at all angles doing well to chase away the darkness. The Grand King walks toward you, and your mouth curls in a snarl.

He takes two fingers and tips your chin up to meet his gaze. "You're all they sent?" His brow furrows. "I was expecting more of a fight." Whatever he sees in your eyes causes him to lose interest rather quickly, his fingers dropping. He wipes them on the fabric of his pants as though you were a speck of dirt. "You're just a rookie. I was hoping Karasuno would send their biggest and baddest after me," he sighs, palm pressed to his forehead in woe. 

The Grand King has mastered the art of dramatic timing, whether he knows it or not.

There's a deafening boom that rattles your being at an atomic level. It's from the ground floor, but you can feel it shake the furniture at the penthouse all the same. You exhale, shaky and suppressing a grin.

The plan is going off without a hitch.

You've never worked with the other Gifted in Karasuno, so when Three-Eyes told you you'd be joined by two familiar faces, you knew you couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Hinata bounds in, a smile on his face. Between the taller, more intimidating men in the room, he doesn't look like much—until he bends the white-haired bloodhound to his will. The larger man's grip loosens until he lets you go, eyes unable to leave Hinata's.

The temperature drops, goosebumps snaking up your skin. Not far behind Hinata is Kageyama, eyes dark with purpose as he walks towards the Grand King. A swirling storm of snow and hail orbits him, and you feel your fingers go numb when he passes you by.

"Oikawa," he says. The Grand King's Knight moves to stop the Karasuno operative, but Oikawa holds up a hand, orders him to stand down. Despite the fact that the Grand King isn't much taller than Kageyama, he manages to look down on him nonetheless.

"Tobio." Wait, what? 

You don't get to see what happens next, your attention stolen away by Ace right as Kageyama attacks. His hailstorm takes out much of the lights with it, giving you the opening you need.

"Remember me?" he asks, smile mirthless. "I was wondering where you went. So much for getting drinks together, huh?" His jaw is clenched as he dodges the spears of shadow you fling his way. You try to catch him, to lock him in place, but he evades you every time.

"Bastard," you spit, growing more frenzied with each second that passes.

“Oh, I just got lucky," he says with a thin smile, taking off. You know he's trying to distract you, to stop you from joining the fray. You know that he knows you're drawn to him, even now.

He's running out onto the roof of the building, but you finally get a hold of his shadow. Yanking it harshly in your direction, you force him to the ground.

Your feet hit the concrete, each step inching closer and closer to the decisive ending. Ace has done nothing but hopelessly entangle you in an impossible knot; the only way out, you think, elongating your fingers into sharp points, is to cut through.

Fact: When Ace makes contact with the ground, his mask clatters, having fallen from his face.

Fact: Your eyes are wide, so wide they feel like they might fall out of their sockets.

"Well?" Ace asks, only it's not Ace.

Fact: Ace is Kenji.

It's Kenji, and he's spitting blood, rubbing the spot where his jaw connected with the floor.

It's Kenji, with nothing but malice in his glare.

"What are you waiting for, Harbinger?"

It would be so easy. One move, performed with surgical precision. You've done it countless times before. You know how to make it quick. You know how to make it painless.

But Kenji is the one behind the mask. And slowly, all the pieces begin to fall into place.

("Read it and weep," he teased, showing off his grades. "How does it feel, knowing that you're talking to the future Albert Einstein?" You knew he was baiting you into either a battle you wouldn’t win or compliments he’d refuse to let you live down. You played into it all the same.

"What the fuck," you exhaled. "Have you ever gotten a borderline grade?"

"Nope." He pops the p sound, grin on his face growing wider. "Guess I'm just that lucky.")

("Tell me about yourself," you told him, yawning with the late hour. Classes had been taking their toll on you, so you’d flown up to the clock tower to take a break. What you hadn’t expected was to see Ace there, wind displacing his hair ever so slightly. 

"What, so you can rat me out to your murder of crows? No, thank you."

"What's your favorite color?" you asked, as though he hadn't spoken at all.

He’d given you a look, but responded anyway, seeing no harm in such an innocent question. At the time, you hadn’t, either. "...Believe it or not, it's actually pine green.”

"Really?" You turned your head to look at him. You were expecting maybe black or navy blue, but green? "Why?"

"I don't know. They were my high school's colors. I guess I saw enough of it around and on me all the time that I ended up liking it.")

(Sometimes, in the right light, you always thought Kenji looked like Ace. You dismissed it whenever it came up. You thought you just had a type. In a way, you suppose you do.)

You swallow in a poor attempt to rid yourself of the lump in your throat. Your mouth opens to respond, but no words come out. What is there to say? There's no way you can unmask yourself right now, reveal to him that his enemy and almost-lover (two different times, to boot) are one and the same.

So you don't.

Your mouth closes, sets itself into a hard line.

And you run.

Your hold on his shadow fades before vanishing entirely once you get far enough, but you don't care. You take a leap of faith off the roof, relying on your wings to come together before you hit the ground.

You're at the clock tower for the first time in what feels like forever. It hasn't changed. You’d flown here on instinct after fleeing Seijoh’s HQ. That’s not surprising, of course; you’ve been longing to feel the wind from up here for almost two months now.

"Why did you let me go?" Ace—Kenji—asks. You don't turn around, and you don't run away. In retrospect, you're not surprised to see him here, either. He must have known that this would be the first place you'd go. "You've never been the type to hold back. Why now?" You turn your head just enough to see his folded arms, his sharp glare.

"I'm just returning the favor from last time. We're even now."

"Last time, I wasn't the one trying to kill you."

"Does it matter?" You can't do this right now. Knowing who's behind the mask is too much for you to take, and you haven't even thought about the implications yet. "Leave me alone."

"Leave you alone?" Kenji's raising his voice, but you can't look at him. You watch the hands of the clock above move instead, counting the seconds in your head. "Like you left me alone the second things got too real for you? Was this all just some twisted game you tried to play to get in my head?" He's accusatory, poison dripping from each word. Beneath it, the question he's too scared to ask: You threw me away so easily. Did I mean nothing to you?

"I did what I had to do." He's about to lash out with some scathing retort, but you cut him off. "It wasn't my choice.

"Oh, like Karasuno wasn't your choice? It's always about what you have to do," he growls, coming so close that you berate yourself for never knowing that Kenji and Ace were one and the same. "Maybe you should start living based on what you want instead." It’s a cruel echo of the advice you’d given to Kenji, your own words twisted and thrown back into your face.

But that's the thing, isn't it? "I don't know what I want." You’re lying.

You’re lying, and he knows it.

He's reaching out for you, meaning to come closer as you aim to pull away, his hand colliding with the edge of your mask. The momentum of two opposing forces end with your mask caught between his fingers as it lifts off your face.

(You know what they say: an eye for an eye makes the world go blind.)

Kenji—Ace—goes still. His shoulders slump, anger leaving him instantly. Behind you, the clock ticks and tocks, steady despite the metaphorical rug being pulled from underneath you both. He's incredulous, whispering your name as he struggles to process the same realization you'd only come to hours before.

The fire in his eyes has gone ice cold. You barely catch your mask when he tosses it to you.

And then he's gone.

>> (12:08 AM) you: kenji i'm sorry

>> (12:08 AM) you: ididn't know i swear

>> (12:11 AM) you: can we please talk about this

>> (12:12 AM) you: please say something

>> (1:29 AM) you: i'll be here

>> (2:17 AM) you: good night

The next few nights are sleepless. You've (once again) done a bang-up job cutting both (can you call it that?) Ace and Kenji from your life. The first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is roll over, unlock your phone in the hopes that the ache that's settled in your chest can find relief.

It never does. What greets you each morning, after each good night sent, is a one-sided conversation with two little words tucked at the bottom: Read yesterday.

After almost a full week of this, of mornings on your phone and midnights hanging around the tower, your phone vibrates.

>> (2:32 PM) kenji: meet me at the clock tower tonight

He's already there when you touch down, wings disappearing as soon as your feet kiss solid ground. He's staring up at the clock: ten minutes til midnight. "How long did you know? 

"I didn't. Not until your mask came off."

"I see." Then: "Did you like Ace more?"

"No." He scoffs, but you barrel on. You might as well show your hand, lay the cards on the table. "You remember back in our second semester, when we had that project? Believe it or not, I..." It’s hard to admit, even if it had been years ago. “I liked you, back then. Kenji you, not-” you’re fumbling with your words, but he gets the hint. The truth of it is enough to bring him to face you.

This isn’t a conversation between Ace and the Harbinger, this is a conversation between you and Kenji, masks nowhere in sight. The sight of Kenji set against the clock tower makes your stomach flip, his eyes boring into your own.

"Did you?"

"Yeah. Took me a while to get over it. But then Ace came, and I liked him too. I guess I have a type." You're trying for humor, a shot in the dark. To your surprise, it works, drawing a chuckle from him. "And uh," you add, "sorry for...ghosting you." Kenji quirks an eyebrow. "They threatened to wipe my memories if I didn't stop. Maybe worse. I didn't wanna find out. Sorry," you tack on.

"Yeah. I get it. You did what you have to do," he says, and this time, there is no malice to be found.

There's one thing left to apologize for, but your attempts at it layer over each other.

"What are you apologizing for?" you ask.

"What are you apologizing for?" he fires back.

"I, uh." You're at your most eloquent tonight, it seems. "About the past couple of months..."

"Yeah. I have to ask...were you using me to get over," he pauses, realizes how absurd the question sounds, "me?"

"Will you be mad if I say yes?"

"No. I was," he gestures with both palms, "doing the same thing. Trying to get over getting ghosted...with the person who dropped me in the first place. Just my luck, huh?" You snort. 

"Sounds like the plot of a bad romcom."

It all connects then, ridiculousness and all. When two sets of unhidden eyes meet, they crinkle into crescents, you and Kenji breaking into laughter. When your stomach hurts and you wipe tears from your eyes, you ask, "Do you...want to start over?" It's hesitant. You two aren't perfect. There's a good chance you're going to fuck up somehow.

But you know what you want, and it's Kenji—with the mask and without.

Kenji holds out his hand. "Hi. I'm Kenji. When I need to pay for tuition, I'm Ace. What's your name?"

The clock chimes then, twelve times with the coming of midnight. You take his hand.

The nights are better with Kenji at your side, leaned against his shoulder. The clock tower's pleasant as always, city alight below. It's been a long time since you've felt the need to wear a mask up here. You find that you see more of the view nowadays, anyway. "Whatever happened to getting drinks and coming up here?"

"We're both still broke," Kenji replies. "We could go and get some, but..." he wraps an arm around your shoulder, bringing you closer, "I'm not in the mood to move."

"You and me both."

"Next time?"

"Next time."

("I hate to say it," you mused, "but I guess you can be kinda charming when you want to be." Before his ego got too swollen, you added, "Sometimes."

"You're not so bad yourself," he murmured. There was a smile playing at your lips as you drew closer and closer to him, now a breath away. "Tell me, Harbinger," and this time, when your name came from his lips, there was no trace of anger or pain underneath, "am I going to get lucky tonight?"

"Why don't we find out?")

Three-Eyes stops your memory of that night rather early, and you're not sure if you're imagining it, but the tips of his ears are distinctly red. "All's well that ends well, right?" you ask with a cheerful clap of your hands. The corners of your mouth are curved in a smirk that your informant only responds to with a stern glare.

"I'll let it slide, but in the future, I'd recommend not...fraternizing with the enemy." His tone is clipped, which only serves to widen your grin.

"Oh, but he's not the enemy anymore, is he?"

Your informant—you've since learned that his name is Tsukishima, but you’ve grown fond of the moniker—can only sigh. "I guess not."

(After you'd left to pursue Ace, you'd only narrowly managed to avoid the wrath of Tsukishima and Karasuno's admins. Kageyama and Hinata had done such a good job without you that it didn't even matter, and for that you were grateful, even if it had meant acting as a decoy. With Oikawa under Karasuno's thumb, Kenji had come to work under Karasuno, drawn to the money—and you.

And so, you'd gained a partner—in both senses of the word—in Kenji. The once treacherous seed of infatuation had been nurtured with the soil of communication, watered with care until it blossomed into what you might even be ready to call love.)

Kenji’s waiting for you, hands in his pockets and a look that mirrors your own in his eyes. “Did he get mad again?”

“No,” you reply, holding your hand out until he interlaces his fingers with yours, “just embarrassed. It’s kinda cute.”

“First, you try to kill me, and now you’re calling other guys cute?” he asks, shaking his head. “I think it’s high time I get back on Tinder.” Your shadow, lingering behind you both, yanks at the collar of Kenji’s button-up. He chokes, a strangled noise as you grip his hand a bit tighter in response. “And you’re trying to kill me again.”

“What are you gonna do about it?” Your question is answered as you trip over your own feet, almost landing face first on the pavement. When you right your balance, Kenji is laughing openly. It’s contagious, pure joy blooming in your chest.

(Out of a million outcomes, you've found yourself in one of the best ones; maybe, you think, this is what they call the luck of the draw.)

dedicated, ultimately, to @wackatoshi​: winter, i know at the time this goes up, you’re currently ia but it was your kenji fics that really kickstarted the love i have for him........

[crow-writes-stuff]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Nakahara Chuuya & Nakajima Atsushi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Ryuunosuke & Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Ryuunosuke/Nakajima Atsushi (Bungou Stray Dogs), possible Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs) Characters: Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs), Dazai Osamu (Bungou Stray Dogs), Edogawa Ranpo (Bungou Stray Dogs), Nakajima Atsushi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Ryuunosuke (Bungou Stray Dogs) Additional Tags: Edogawa Ranpo is a Little Shit (Bungou Stray Dogs), Armed Detective Agency Member Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs), Nakahara Chuuya Is So Done (Bungou Stray Dogs), atsushi has a crush on akutagawa, Chuuya accidentally makes Atsushi realise his feelings, neither of them is happy about this, Nakahara Chuuya Swears (Bungou Stray Dogs), Protective Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs), Fluff Series: Part 4 of Affirmation Summary:

Chuuya and Atsushi are supposed to buy snacks for Ranpo. On this very important mission they run into Akutagawa.

There is a loud, pitiful sigh. Chuuya grits his teeth and forces himself to keep working on the report he's supposed to write. Another sigh. "Ranpo-san, are you alright?" Atsushi is the first one to break. Chuuya can see Dazai hide a triumphant smirk. The bastard shouldn't be so smug about it, even Chuuya could have guessed this outcome.

"No! I'm dying," comes the overdramatic response almost immediately. Chuuya keeps writing.

"What's wrong, Ranpo-san?" Kenji is now also thoroughly distracted by the detective's antics.

"I'm out of snacks!" Chuuya fucking knew it. He's been here for barely two weeks, and he fucking knew it. "Again? Didn't we stock up just a while ago?" "They're all gone," the detective whines. "I'm gonna die." If only it was that easy.

Chuuya can feel the detective's eyes on him. He's not doing him the favour of looking up. "Hey, Mr Fancy Hat."

Chuuya is going to kill him. "What," he says, eyes still focusing on his report.

"Buy me more snacks."

What Chuuya wants to say is: "Can't you do it yourself?" or simply "Fuck off." Instead, he takes a deep breath and says: "Fine." Because they've already been through this song and dance. Twice. In two weeks. Chuuya is going to kill someone.

He can't refuse, because he's supposed to 'follow any order by the Agency members' as Edogawa and Dazai like to remind him. And the detective is completely fucking incapable of being a normal functioning person, so he can't do this shit himself.

At least he can annoy Dazai in the same vein. Chuuya stands up and lightly kicks against Dazai's leg. "Get up." Dazai stares up at him as if he has no clue why he would be dragged into this. "You're supposed to keep an eye on me, remember?" Dazai pouts at him. As if that would help either of them right now.

Suddenly his eyes light up, and Chuuya does not like that.

"Atsushi-kun," Dazai says in a cheerful voice. "No," says Chuuya. "What is it, Dazai-san?" asks Atsushi. Chuuya groans.

"I think it's safe if you go with Chuuya in my stead." At the unsure look Atsushi gives him, Dazai adds: "Don't worry, he's been very well behaved these last weeks. He won't cause any trouble." Speaking about Chuuya as if he's a dog. Once again. Chuuya is going to kill Dazai instead of Edogawa. Maybe both of them.

Atsushi is still not convinced. "Is that really okay? The president said-" Dazai interrupts: "I'm sure the president won't mind. But you see, I'm very busy at the moment, and we would all save valuable time if you would do this for me." Chuuya, who has seen how busy Dazai is, rolls his eyes. But he's tired of arguing. "One of you is going to move your ass, or there will be no snacks for anyone." At the horrified gasp of the detective, Atsushi finally gets up.

"Thank you, Atsushi-kun!" Dazai calls with a self-satisfied grin. "Oh, and Chuuya, if you're already going to the store, could you buy groceries for us?" Chuuya glares at him. "I was already planning to do that. It's not like you can be trusted with it anyway." Dazai pouts, as Chuuya heads out the door, Atsushi behind him.

"Dazai-san can't be trusted to go grocery shopping?" Chuuya shrugs. He's more relaxed now that they're no longer surrounded by people that still regard his every move with suspicion. "He always just buys what he fancies at the moment, usually canned crab or something like it. Not that I expect anything different at this point." Atsushi fidgets with his belt as they head down the street, clearly wanting to say more. "Just ask," Chuuya sighs.

"Uh, well, did you and Dazai-san live together before he... You know, left?" "Not officially," Chuuya says as they cross the street. "I mean when we were on missions obviously, but otherwise we each had our own place. But Dazai mooched off of me so much that I just started cooking for us both." "I see," Atsushi says, and that's the end of the conversation for now as they reach the store.

Chuuya grabs a shopping basket for himself and hands one to Atsushi. "Do you need to get anything besides- Atsushi?" The boy has completely frozen up, staring at something behind Chuuya. Alarmed, Chuuya spins around. It's easy to spot the reason for Atsushi's reaction. Akutagawa Ryuunosuke is standing at the end of the aisle, similarly frozen. At least he looks better than the last time Chuuya saw him. Chuuya relaxes, just before the other two get over their shock, both taking on fighting stances.

Nope. This is not happening. Chuuya takes a step forward, positioning himself between the two. "No," he says. The boys blink at him. "No fighting. I'm not putting up with that right now." "Chuuya-san-" "No arguing either." Chuuya turns towards Akutagawa. "Did Gin ask you to buy some groceries?" The boy nods, dumbfounded. "Do you need help?" After a moment of hesitation, a shrug. That's as much of a yes, as Chuuya's going to get. He nods, making a decision.

"Atsushi, you're going to pick out the snacks Edogawa likes. Ryuu and I are going to get our groceries and join back up with you at the end." He turns to see Atsushi mouth a silent "Ryuu?" before nodding, dazed.

Chuuya heads towards Akutagawa who's still staring daggers at Atsushi but follows without protest. "Do you have a list?" He gets handed one silently, quickly looking it over. "Okay, this shouldn't take too long. Come on."

Chuuya leads them through the aisles, picking out both his and the Akutagawas' groceries on the way. Ryuu stays quiet, except for the occasional answer when asked something. Chuuya doesn't mind. From time to time, he adds something to the other's basket, like Gin's favourite tea, which she doesn't deem a necessity and therefore never buys herself. Or in this case, asks her brother to buy.

Soon enough, everything on the list is in Ryuu's basket, and Chuuya has enough groceries for Dazai and him to last the week. Maybe longer, depending on how much Dazai actually is willing to eat. Chuuya really wonders sometimes how his partner managed to survive the past four years.

They pick up Atsushi who has filled his own basket to the brim with snacks and sweets, and head to the register. Atsushi keeps glancing at Akutagawa and Chuuya can almost physically feel the other's patience thinning. "Stop provoking him," he finally says, shooting Atsushi a look.

The kid looks honestly surprised. "I'm not! I'm not doing anything!" Chuuya sighs. Dazai really wants these two to work together. "Stop staring at him like that." Earning another confused look, he adds: "Actually, just stop looking at him altogether. We only need to pay, and you can go your separate ways again."

They manage to pay without causing an incident. Chuuya is silently glad when they finally leave the store. As expected, Ryuu doesn't linger long. He nods at them, "Chuuya-san, Weretiger," and is off. Chuuya almost laughs. "Does he always call you that?" Atsushi makes a face. "Yes, I can't get him to stop." "Cute." "It's not!" The bright red cheeks do nothing to make Chuuya rescind his statement. He takes the grocery bags, ignoring Atsushi's protests, and heads towards the Agency.

When they're finally back, Chuuya unceremoniously drops the bags filled with snacks on Edogawa's desk, who doesn't even say thank you. He takes the other two bags and puts them down next to Dazai who immediately starts pulling things out to inspect. "Aw, Chuuya even bought crab for me!" Chuuya rolls his eyes.

"Hey, kid, you alright?" Kunikida asks, voice already suspicious again. Chuuya turns around to see Atsushi sitting on a couch with his head in his hands. He frowns, not sure what this is about.

Atsushi nods but doesn't look up. Which is only causing more suspicion. Kunikida moves closer, very obviously keeping an eye on Chuuya. "Seriously, if something happened, you need to tell us."

Chuuya crosses his arms. "He was fine just moments ago."

Atsushi finally looks up. His cheeks are red again, and oh no. Chuuya has a horrible suspicion. "Is this because of my comment?" "What comment?" Kunikida asks, but Atsushi already, hesitantly, nods.

Oh no.

Chuuya takes a deep breath before stepping forward. "Atsushi," he starts, voice level, ignoring the people around him. Especially Dazai. "Do you have a crush on Akutagawa?" The room goes dead silent. Everyone is either staring at Chuuya or at Atsushi. Atsushi who flushes even more and avoids his eyes. Atsushi who very clearly would rather be anywhere else right now. "Maybe?"

Fuck. Fucking hell. Chuuya is actually going to kill someone today, and it is neither of the ones he expected.

Familiar arms sneak around his waist, holding him in place. Of course, it's fucking Dazai. Chuuya glares up at him. "This is your fault." Dazai doesn't even act surprised, he just smiles. "I wouldn't know how." "You set this whole thing up in the first fucking place." Dazai shrugs, still holding onto Chuuya. "I don't see the problem. It's kinda cute, isn't it?" And, oh, Chuuya knows that smile. Dazai is going to take full advantage of this situation. Something Atsushi seems to realises as well, judging by his suddenly horrified expression.

Chuuya turns back towards the boy. "Don't hurt him." Atsushi nods, face pale. Chuuya doesn't have to threaten him to get the message across. The implications are enough.

Finally, Chuuya sighs. This day took a turn he doesn't exactly appreciate. He taps on Dazai's arm. "You can let go of me. I'm not going to kill him." Dazai smirks. "What if I don't want to let go?" Chuuya rolls his eyes. "Then, no work gets done, and Kunikida will yell at us." Dazai pouts but does finally let go of him.

They return to their desks, with Dazai definitely sitting closer than necessary. Perhaps he wants to make sure Chuuya doesn't change his mind and goes after Atsushi. Perhaps he's just being annoying.

Chuuya glares at him. "Don't you fucking dare." With innocent eyes, Dazai pulls back the paperwork he just tried to sneak onto Chuuya's pile.

Chuuya suppresses a sigh. This day is already too much, and it's not even noon yet. He's not sure he's looking forward to the rest of it. He feels a tap on his arm and looks up to see Dazai smiling at him. Alright. Perhaps it's not all bad. And he's reasonably sure Atsushi isn't going to hurt Akutagawa on purpose. He's still going to keep an eye on the situation, but he can live with it. It's all going to be fine. Probably. Chuuya returns to his report, Dazai next to him. Yeah, it'll be okay.

[we-are-the-rebellion]

Everything Is Gonna Be Fine - File 006

Date: 3/5/215

Incoming signal: Hello? Hello? Can anyone hear me? Is there anyone in the wasteland listening to me? Fuck, this is hopeless…  We don’t even know if people are alive out there, we’ve never left the region because of the horror stories we’ve heard. CeeCee are you sure? …Yeah, right. Ahem! I’m Nate, I’m from the Eastern OQ region, and for the last ten years I’ve been fighting in, well to put it lightly, a pretty nasty civil war. The group I was with has been mostly killed or captured and our leader is missing, presumed dead. Please, if someone is out there and can hear this, we need supplies. Wait what’s- Shit! CeeCee get down they found-

Outgoing message: Nous vous entendons. Sur routre chemin.

__________________________

Date: 8/10/214

Location: Rebel base, Toronto, Ontario-Quebec Region

   Nate wanted a nap. More specifically, he wanted to nap with Kenji. He yawned and shuffled into his room, feeling drained. He noticed a small piece of paper on his pillow. It was a note.

To Nate.

I’m busy today.

Happy anniversary.

Nate smiled. He had forgotten, today was his tenth anniversary with Kenji. How had he forgotten but Kenji had remembered? Nothing made sense. Well now he had to go and find Kenji and force him to come nap with him. Yes, his main goal was still to have a nap.

   Kenji got back to his quarters about half an hour after Nate found the note. He looked completely beaten down. 

   “Hey Ken.” he greeted, wrapping his arms around the other man’s waist. He didn’t reply.  “You tired?”  Kenji put his left hand over Nate’s arm.

   “Tired doesn’t begin to describe it.” he muttered. 

   “Want to go to bed early today?” Nate asked, softly kissing Kenji’s cheek. Kenji sighed and nodded slowly. Nate guided his boyfriend to the bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed with him.  “Thanks for the note this morning.” he chuckled, leaning his head against Kenji’s shoulder. Kenji didn’t say anything, and it was starting to concern him. He put his hand on his cheek and tilted his head to look at him.  “Hey, what happened? Are you alright?”  Kenji put his hand over Nate’s and closed his eyes. 

   “The last mission... It was a shitshow.” he mumbled. Nate frowned.

   “I know... You told me.” 

   “A lot of people got killed.”  

   Nate sat up, cupping Kenji’s face and kissing his lips softly. He pulled away, leaning their foreheads together. 

   “It isn’t your fault, Ken.” he whispered, stroking his thumb over his face, his beard lightly scratching his hand. 

   “Maybe not, but I fucked up.”  Nate leaned both of them back onto the bed, cuddling him, rubbing his shoulders, trying to get him to relax. Kenji felt tense, and Nate couldn’t help but feel his heart break a little. The last mission hadn’t just been a shitshow, it was the worst mistake they had ever made. Support for the rebels was crushed, morale was non existent, and Lewis... He was still technically just missing, but nobody expected him to come back. Nate had needed a week to be alone and mourn the boy who he considered to be his son. He had barely seen Kenji in that time, not because he blamed him for what happened, but because they had both agreed that Kenji’s abrasive and unempathetic response to loss wasn’t what Nate needed. Now he was back, and Kenji clearly wasn’t dealing with things well. 

   “I know you fucked up, but other people fucked up too.” Nate said gently. He sighed, trying to put words to what he was feeling.  “Since even before I met you, you’ve been doing this. Fighting. Risking your life, risking my life, risking... risking everyone’s lives. I was shocked when I found out you and Zander were the rebel leaders everyone was talking about, and for a moment I thought you two must have been completely fucked up.”  He paused, licking his lips and brushing a loose strand of hair out of his eyes.  “But good things happened because of the things you guys did. Things are changing, getting better.”  Kenji pulled away, sitting up and putting his face in his hand.

   “Nothing is going to get better because of this. People are dead, my people are dead. The elites have a perfect reason to demonize us now, nobody wants to believe in us. We proved to them that we’re the evil, violent monsters they said we were.” he growled. He sighed and stood up.  “You should have stayed away. This is just going to get worse.”

__________________________

Date: 13/6/215

Location: Prison Complex, Ottowa, Ontario-Quebec Region

   Zander hit the floor and for a split second everything seemed to go still. Quiet, even. Nate could only see him lying there, only hear the quiet, understated "thud" that he made as his broken body hit the cold steel. Nate could only focus on the emptiness inside him. What was this feeling and why did it keep coming back? It could barely be called a feeling, it was more a lack of feeling. He was too tired to feeling sad, or angry, or hurt, or hopeless. There was just... nothing. Nothing inside him, nothing to make him feel anything. Just empty. That's all Nate could focus on as he saw his best friend collapse. The little spark of hope he had felt earlier, hope to get out of here, was gone. It went out at the same that Zander had stopped running. Now he was just stuck feeling apathetic and confused, staring and not being able to process the real world around him. Gunshots were quiet, footsteps were deafening, the space around him felt so big it was crushing. He could've stayed in that haze forever if he was allowed. He almost wanted it. Nothing was better than hurting.

__________________________

Date: 9/10/214

Location: Rebel base, Toronto, Ontario-Quebec Region

Nate stormed into Kenji's room. He didn't consider it "his" room, or "their" room anymore. It was only Kenji's. Kenji had dragged him into this life, Kenji had brought him out into this fucking field, Kenji had killed his son. There was no sympathy for him anymore.

"You bastard." he hissed, yanking Kenji out of his desk chair and to his feet. "You lied to me." Kenji scowled, shoving him back.

"I never lied to you." he snapped. Nate felt his rage burning behind his eyes, stinging out hot tears.

"You fucking knew that Lewis was in danger! You knew that he was going to die!" he screamed, grabbing Kenji's collar and forcing him to look him in the eye. "You... You hid that message from me... He was telling you how to fix it! He was telling you that you didn't have to fucking kill anyone, and you just ignored him!" Kenji wrenched his hands off his shirt and pushed him away.

"When he signed up to be one of us, he knew he might have to die one of us." he growled, stalking off towards the door. Nate gritted his teeth and stood in his way.

"Fuck off, you can't just say that kind of shit when I have proof that he didn't have to die!" Kenji rolled his eyes and Nate felt so angry that he couldn't just hold it back anymore. He slapped Kenji across his mouth. He choked out a sob and turned away, not wanting any more excuses or buts. He didn't want to deal with this, with him, anymore. "We're done, Kenji. Don't ever get me involved in your bullshit again."

He left the base and got into his car, intended to drive back to his real home, but as soon as he closed the side door he broke. He started crying, hard and ugly. He sunk down in the driver's seat and covered his face. His parents, Mary, Lewis, and now Kenji. He was tired of losing people. He was tired of being unable to sleep at night because he kept thinking about them. Why was he still here if all he had to do was feel this pain? This hurt, this grief. Every day was just more fear. "Who's going to die today? What do I have to sacrifice to make it to tomorrow?" Was "tomorrow" even fucking worth it? The more he kept going, the less he felt like it was. Tomorrow was just a vague concept, a carrot dangling on a stick to keep him moving. He didn't want to move. He wanted to stay, just for a little bit, in the same place with the same people.

As he stopped crying, nearly an hour later, he didn't have the energy to drive. His head was pounding, his eyes were puffy and strained and he was exhausted. With life, just in general... who knew? He pulled out his phone and stared at the screen for a few moments. He didn't know what to do, he was stuck there... just gazing down at the soft blue light emanating from the screen. He sighed, closing his eyes and tossing his phone onto the back seat. He had to go home.

__________________________

Date: 13/6/215

Location: Prison Complex, Ottowa, Ontario-Quebec Region

The man crouched in the roof, aiming his rifle down at the ground below him. He had been waiting for hours, it was what a sniper did. No movement below, although he could hear alarms. They would be out soon.

He had temporarily cut the alarms, trying to give them as much time to get away. He knew that it wouldn't make their escape easy, just easier. Without his help they would have been gunned down in seconds.

His radio buzzed softly to his left. He had it intercepting the transmissions of the prison guards.

"Shit, shit..."

"How the fuck did nobody catch them earlier?"

"Just shoot them."

"They're headed for the entrance!"

He adjusted himself slightly, getting ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"We got one down, repeat one of them is down. The others have stopped."

"Rail on 'em, fill them with holes."

"Wait, wh-"

That was new. Someone else was down there. He could hear the fighting on the other end of the line, scuffling and muffled shouts. Gunshots, then yelling in... Life, were they speaking French? Fucking course they were. He couldn't understand a word of it.

__________________________

"Tara, where the fuck did you go?" Lewis shouted. Tara growled and stuck their hunting knife under the visor of one the guards. They hated the "squish" the guard's head made, but it had to be done.

"I was looking for you, numbnuts!" they snapped, pulling their knife out.

"Yeah, sorry. Too busy trying not to get shot!" He rushed over to Zander's side and, with Milo and CeeCee's help, lifted him up. "Shit, what are we going to do with him?" he muttered in English, grimacing when he saw that Zander had ripped out the stitches in his side and was losing blood much faster than a person should lose it.

"Do you think your friend can get us past the guards?" CeeCee asked, fear plastered on her features. Lewis swallowed, looking as Tara dodged and took out as many soldiers as they could. They were a survivor, agile and strong as a tank. But they were human.

"Not without help. Fuck, uh..." He looked around frantically. "Milo, help carry Zander. Just get him out as fast as you can and get to our ride. I'll help Tara." he ordered quickly, grabbing a gun from the guard Tara had killed. The rest were injured but still alive, and he didn't doubt they wouldn't be too happy if he tried to take their weapons. He pointed it at a guard's legs and shot, taking them out. Tara nodded at him appreciatively, grabbing the guard's gun and using it instead of the knife.

__________________________

The sniper listened to the shots. They were still outnumbered, but this gave them a few precious moments to run. After a minute or two, the group ran out. Lewis had his arm hanging limp at his side. Of course, it wasn't realistic to think that they could get out unscathed. But the little brat kept firing his gun. It was admirable. CeeCee and the other boy carried Zander, trying their best to be fast and careful. Needless to say, but the man needed blood or else he wouldn't make it an hour. The sniper had given them medical supplies, slipped them into Lewis' garish tank. It would only help what was left of Zander Ashworth's vital organs stay inside him, but that was all they needed.

He focused his crosshairs on one of the soldiers that was in pursuit of the rebels and shot. In a moment, everyone had taken notice. They knew he was there, but it didn't matter. What sparse cover there was out in front of the complex wasn't enough to save them. Nate looked up at him as he took out the soldiers, one by one. He couldn't tell if he could see his face, but it didn't matter. He wouldn't see him again.

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//authors note, fuck tumblr for mobile it absolutely bent me over the counter and fucked me

//the formatting on this is terrible it's ruined

tag: @thereasontherumisgone

[yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere]

THIS KENJI & JAMES & WARNER scene in IMAGINE ME- pure gold.

“I stop short at the door. 

Warner is here. 

Warner and James, together. (..)

He and James appear to be deep in conversation. I remain at the door, eavesdropping. It only belatedly occurs to me that I should give them privacy, but by then I’m too invested to walk away. I’m almost positive Anderson told James the truth about Warner. Or, I don’t know, exactly. I can’t actually imagine a scenario in which Anderson would gleefully reveal to James that Warner is his brother, or that Anderson is his dad. But somehow I can just tell that James knows. Someone told him. I can tell by the look on his face. This is the come-to-Jesus moment. This is the moment where Warner and James finally come face-to-face not as strangers, but as brothers. Surreal. But they’re speaking quietly, and I can only catch bits and pieces of their conversation, so I decide to do something truly reprehensible: I go invisible, and step farther into the room. The moment I do, Warner stiffens.

Shit.

I see him glance around, his eyes alert. His senses are too sharp. Quietly, I back up a few steps. 

“You’re not answering my question,” James says, poking Warner in the arm. Warner shakes him off, his eyes narrowed at a spot a mere foot from where I’m standing. “Warner?”

 Reluctantly, Warner turns to face the ten-year-old. “Yes,” he says, distracted. “I mean— What were you saying?”

 “Why didn’t you ever tell me?” James says, sitting up straighter. The bedsheets fall down, puddle in his lap. “Why didn’t you say anything to me before? That whole time we lived together—”

 “I didn’t want to scare you.”

 “Why would I be scared?”

Warner sighs, stares out the window when he says, quietly, “Because I’m not known for my charm.”

 “That’s not fair,” James says. He looks genuinely upset, but his visible exhaustion is keeping him from reacting too strongly. “I’ve seen a lot worse than you.”

 “Yes. I realize that now.”

 “And no one told me. I can’t believe no one told me. Not even Adam. I’ve been so mad at him.” James hesitates. “Did everyone know? Did Kenji know?”

I stiffen.

Warner turns again, this time staring precisely in my direction when he says, “Why don’t you ask him yourself ?”

“Son of a bitch,” I mutter, my invisibility melting away. Warner almost smiles. James’s eyes go wide. This was not the reunion I was hoping for. Still, James’s face breaks into the biggest smile, which— I’m not going to lie—does wonders for my self-esteem. He throws off the covers and tries to jump out of bed, barefoot and oblivious to the needle stuck in his arm, and in those two and a half seconds I manage to experience both joy and terror. I shout a warning, rushing forward to stop him from ripping open the flesh of his forearm, but Warner beats me to it. He’s already on his feet, not so gently pushing the kid back down.

 “Oh.” James blushes. “Sorry.”

I tackle him anyway, pulling him in for a long, excessive hug, and the way he clings to me makes me think I’m the first to do it. I try to fight back a rush of anger, but I’m unsuccessful. He’s a ten-year-old kid, for God’s sake. He’s been through hell. How has no one given him the physical reassurance he almost certainly needs right now? When we finally break apart, James has tears in his eyes. He wipes at his face and I turn away, trying to give him privacy, but when I take a seat at the foot of James’s bed I catch a flash of pain steal in and out of Warner’s eyes. It lasts for only half a second, but it’s enough to make me feel bad for the guy. And it’s enough to make me think he might be human again. 

“Hey,” I say, speaking to Warner directly for the first time. “So what, uh — What are you doing here?”

 Warner looks at me like I’m an insect. His signature look. “What do you think I’m doing here?”

 “Really?” I say, unable to hide my surprise. “That’s so decent of you. I didn’t think you’d be so . . . emotionally . . . responsible.” I clear my throat. Smile at James. He’s studying us curiously. “But I’m happy to be wrong, bro. And I’m sorry I misjudged you.”

 “I’m here to gather information,” Warner says coldly. “James is one of the only people who might be able to tell us where my father is located.”

 My compassion quickly turns to dust. Catches fire. Turns to rage. “You’re here to interrogate him?” I say, nearly shouting. “Are you insane? The kid has only barely recovered from unbelievable trauma, and you’re here trying to mine him for information? He was probably tortured. He’s a freaking child. What the hell is wrong with you?”

 Warner is unmoved by my theatrics. “He was not tortured.”

 That stops me cold.

I turn to James. “You weren’t?”

 James shakes his head. “Not exactly.”

 “Huh.” I frown. “I mean, don’t get me wrong—I’m thrilled—but if he didn’t torture you, what did Anderson do with you?”

 James shrugs. “He mostly left me in solitary confinement. They didn’t beat me,” he says, rubbing absently at his ribs, “but the guards were pretty rough. And they didn’t feed me much.” He shrugs again. “But honestly, the worst part was not seeing Adam.”

 I pull James into my arms again, hold him tight. “I’m so sorry,” I say gently. “That sounds horrible. And they wouldn’t let you see Adam at all? Not even once?” I pull back. Look him in the eye. “I’m so, so sorry. I’m sure he’s okay, little man. We’ll find him. Don’t worry.” Warner makes a sound. A sound that seems almost like a laugh. I spin around angrily. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I say. “This isn’t funny.”

 “Isn’t it? I find the situation hilarious.” 

I’m about to say something to Warner I really shouldn’t say in front of a ten-year-old, but when I glance back at James, I pull up short. James is rapidly shaking his head at me, his bottom lip trembling. He looks like he’s about to cry again. I turn back to Warner- “Okay, what is going on?”

 Warner almost smiles when he says, “They weren’t kidnapped.”

My eyebrows fly up my forehead. “Say what now?”

 “They weren’t kidnapped.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Of course you don’t.”

 “This is not the time, bro. Tell me what’s going on.”

 “Kent tracked down Anderson on his own,” Warner says, his gaze shifting to James. “He offered his allegiance in exchange for protection.” My entire body goes slack. I nearly fall off the bed. Warner goes on: “Kent wasn’t lying when he said he would try for amnesty. But he left out the part about being a traitor.”

 “No. No way. No fucking way.”

 “There was never an abduction,” Warner says. “No kidnapping. Kent bartered himself in exchange for James’s protection.”

 This time, I actually fall off the bed. “Barter himself— how?” I manage to drag myself up off the floor, stumbling to my feet. “What does Adam even have to barter with? Anderson already knows all our secrets.”

 It’s James who says quietly, “He gave them his power.” I stare at the kid, blinking like an idiot.

 “I don’t understand,” I say. “How can you give someone your power? You can’t just give someone your power. Right? It’s not like a pair of pants you can just take off and hand over.”

 “No,” Warner says. “But it’s something The Reestablishment knows how to harvest. How else do you think my father took Sonya’s and Sara’s healing powers?”

 “Adam told them what he can d-do,” James says, his voice breaking. “He told them that he can use his power to turn other people’s powers off. He thought it m-might be useful to them.”

 “Imagine the possibilities,” Warner says, affecting awe. “Imagine how they might weaponize a power like that for global use—how they could make such a thing so powerful they could effectively shut down every single rebel group in the world. Reduce their Unnatural opposition to zero.”

“Jesus fucking Christ.” I think I’m going to pass out. I actually feel faint. Dizzy. Like I can’t breathe. Like this is impossible. “No way,” I’m saying. I’m practically breathing the words. “No way. Not possible.”

 “I once said that Kent’s ability was useless,” Warner says quietly. “But I see now that I was a fool.”

 “He didn’t want to do it,” James says. He’s actively crying now, the silent tears moving down his face. “I swear he only did it to save me. He offered the only thing he had—the only thing he thought they’d want—to keep me safe. I know he didn’t want to do it. He was just desperate. He thought he was doing the right thing. He kept telling me he was going to keep me safe.”

“By running into the arms of the man who abused him his whole life?” I’m clutching my hair in my hands. “This doesn’t make any sense. How does this— How—? How?” I look up suddenly, realizing. “And then look what he did,” I say, stunned. “After everything, Anderson still used you as bait. He brought you here as leverage. He would’ve killed you, even after everything Adam gave up.”

 “Kent was a desperate idiot,” Warner says. “That he was ever willing to trust my father with James’s well-being tells you exactly how far gone he was.”

 “He was desperate, but he’s not an idiot,” James says angrily, his eyes refilling with tears. “He loves me and he was just trying to keep me safe. I’m so worried about him. I’m so scared something happened to him. And I’m so scared Anderson did something awful to him.” James swallows, hard. “What are we going to do now? How are we going to get Adam and Juliette back?”

 I squeeze my eyes shut, try to take deep breaths. “Listen, don’t stress about this, okay? We’re going to get them back. And when we do, I’m going to murder Adam myself.”

James gasps.

“Ignore him,” Warner says. “He doesn’t mean it.”

“Yes, I damn well do mean it.”

 Warner pretends not to hear me. “According to the information I gathered just moments before you barged in here,” he says calmly, “it sounds like my father was holding court back in Sector 45, just as Sam predicated. But he won’t be there now, of that I’m certain.”

 “How can you be certain of anything right now?”

“Because I know my father,” he says. “I know what matters most to him. And I know that when he left here, he was severely, gruesomely injured. There’s only one place he’d go in a state like that.”

 I blink at him. “Where?”

“Oceania. Back to Maximillian Sommers, the only person capable of piecing him back together.”

 That stops me dead. “Oceania? Please tell me you’re joking. We have to go back to Oceania?” I groan. “Dammit. That means we have to steal another plane.”

“We,” he says, irritated, “aren’t doing anything.”

 “Of course we—”- Just then, the girls walk in. They come up short at the sight of me and Warner. Two sets of eyes blink at us. 

“What are you doing here?” they ask at the same time.

 Warner is on his feet in an instant. “I was just leaving.”

 “I think you mean we were just leaving,” I say sharply. Warner ignores me, nods at James, and heads for the door. I’m following him out of the room before I remember, suddenly— “James,” I say, spinning around. “You’re going to be okay, you know that, right? We’re going to find Adam and bring him home and make all of this okay. Your job from here on out is to relax and eat chocolate and sleep. All right? Don’t worry about anything. Do you understand?” James blinks at me. He nods. “Good.” I step forward to plant a kiss on the top of his head. “Good,” I say again. “You’re going to be just fine. Everything is going to be fine. I’m going to make sure everything is fine, okay?”

 James stares up at me. “Okay,” he says, wiping away the last of his tears.

 “Good,” I say for the third time, and nod, still staring at his small, innocent face. “Okay, I’m going to go make that happen now. Cool?”

 Finally, James smiles. “Cool.”

 I smile back, giving him everything I’ve got, and then dart out the door, hoping to catch Warner before he tries to rescue J without me.