#need-to-see-him-in-yukata-again-aah

[helgaw321]

Birthday present from Takeru

Let’s fast-forward to the present time. 

Have you guys survived from the latest Men’s Non-no impact? 😹

For me, the latest issue of Men’s Non-no became much more special than before, because not only Takeru is in the cover issue, but also it was released exactly on my birthday! Can you imagine how happy I was when they announced it? 

Furthermore, I figured out that Men’s Non-no has the digital version, sold through Kinokuniya JP webstore. I quickly set up my account and everything, preordered it as soon it was available on the store, and downloaded it as soon it became available. It was the first time I get to access a Takeru-related goods on the release date, because as you know, being an international fans means you have to wait for a while until your goods are delivered, right? :”)

So here is the interview, with some gorgeous photos from the magazine itself, enjoy!

(Disclaimer: All photos are from my digital version of the magz, all translations are done by myself, pls don’t repost without permission, thank you!)

========

How to Relax and Stay Positive - Special Interview with Takeru Satoh

Definition of my comfortable fashion

Q: For Men's Non-no, today is the day we're back on doing photoshoots after 2 months. We welcomed Takeru-san, and you livened up the set too. A: I'm also back at the set after a long time, especially for work related to fashion photoshoots like this. It was really fun. Q: For the outfits you would like to wear for this project, we received your requests beforehand. We felt your extra care about fashion, but do you normally like to explore various clothes? A: I think, yes. But rather than that, I have this mindset which is "I just want to wear this kind of clothes". Between my 10s and around early 20s, I loved to look at various clothes, and thinking about I want to wear various things. But recently, I strongly think that I only want to choose clothes that fits me nicely and comfortable to wear. It doesn't matter whether it's for costume or my own clothes, I only wear what I want to wear, and I feel it's connected to my current stance which is doing only what I want to do, and gradually I begin to put extra attention to that. By having the thoughts of "I don't want to wear this kind of clothes", it has become "Then I just need to suggest things I want to wear". Q: When we talked with Men's Non-no readers, we often hear questions like "how to figure out a style that suits me". A: I also often change my style, so it's not something exaggerated like "I've settled with this style!". However, depending on your mood, it's important to have the ability to identify "what fits me at that time". That's why I don't really follow trends (laughs). Q: Is there any particular clothes that you want to wear especially in this summer? A: White T-shirt! That Off-White T-shirt that I wore today felt really good, so I said that during fitting time, "This one, I want to wear something like this!". It has this relaxing feel, and I also like the smooth texture feel.

How to enjoy this summer

Q: For this year, maybe we cannot enjoy our summer as usual, but at least we hope that our readers can relax and enjoy fashion while reading Men's Non-no, so we arranged this photoshoot with the image of Takeru-san having a solo trip in your summer holiday. A: Actually, I often spend my holidays by myself. However I prefer to stay at home. When I have a long holiday and decide to go on a trip, usually I go with my friends, but in the usual holidays, I often spend my time in my room, just doing nothing. It's not like I want a special time to think about something, because we can always do something like that in our bath time or before we sleep. Sometimes it depends at the moment, but usually I spend my time by relaxing.

Sato Takeru and Relax

Q: At this moment where the quarantine period has ended and the world has begun to move again, do you feel any change within yourself? A: Umm, because I'm not the type of a workaholic person, so to be honest, during this quarantine period, there was nothing out or ordinary for me. In my early or mid 20s, I've already experienced something like this. Of course, it's still different because you can't go outside at all. That's why I don't feel any specific changes in me, just spending my daily life as usual. Q: So you don't have any specific things that you want to do the moment when the quarantine is over? A: That's right. Looking at people around me, there are people who wants to go out ASAP, but there are also people who thinks that it's unexpectedly good to have our worklife changed because of the situation. I think they have various reasons on why they think about their decisions, and as for me, I don't feel like it was a few months of not being able to do things I want to do. I find things I can enjoy, and just spend my days without any specific preparation. However if I think about summer holiday, I do want to explore countryside and eat delicious food! Also I've been saying this each year, but I want to go to a summer festival. I think I haven't been to a festival since I enter this entertainment world. Maybe it's cliché, I just want to wear yukata with uchiwa in my hand, and looking at fireworks while eating yakisoba. It's still my unfulfilled wish until now... when I think about that day, it doesn't sound bad. Q: We feel that you value your own pace at all times, so in what moment do you feel you can relax and be free? A: Actually, it's hard for me to sleep early at night, because there are so many things to do. But sometimes when you have to start early at the next day, you have to sleep early, right? So for me, I think it's the moment where I don't have any work to do at the next day, and you can just enjoy your night without worrying about the time. When you can just go to sleep if you're sleepy, and you can just wake up anytime you like, that will be the best, such as just doing all the things you like all night. But I'm not the type of person who feels that my afternoon and night are reversed. It's more like I have a different rhythm compared to the others. For normal people, 1 day is 24 hours, but I feel like mine is only 19 hours. That's why sometimes our lifecycle will overlap. Like for the preparation for photoshoot today, I forced myself to sleep! (laughs).

I don't want to lose the feeling to enjoy

Q: The movie "Rurouni Kenshin" becomes something to look forward in the next year, so what will be your activities in this year? A: Well~ Many things have been postponed this year, so I don't really have something that viewers can enjoy... Right, for this year, I'll just appear only in Youtube! (laughs). Well, that sounds good too actually. Q: The photoshoot for this issue will be uploaded, so let's look forward to that one too. A: That's right. And I think I'm quite satisfied with today's photoshoot, I have a feeling that I won't do anything related to summer other than this one~ So with this, my summer for this year has ended. Q: But it's still June (photoshoot day) though (laughs). Finally, please give some message to Men's Non-no readers so that they can enjoy this summer at least with a better and positive feeling. A: I think your feelings of wanting to be stylish at this time is a very nice one. Your outfit can directly affect your mood, right? In the end, when you wear something that fits you nicely, it will directly make your mood better, but if at that day you don't feel confident with what you wear, I'm sure it will somehow worsen your mood too. What I'm trying to say is fashion is indeed important. During the hard times like this, if you feel depressed, how can I say it, don't you think just because of Covid [you can't enjoy things], it's such a waste. There are still lots of ways to enjoy life. By wearing outfits you like, I think it will be good if it can be a starting point to lighten up your feeling and thus increase your motivation.

[dr-imagines-modfuyuhiko]

Helloo, can you make some scenarios or imagines where some characters (up to you) find about their S/O having fear of loud noises? Ii would mean the world for me, thanks for everything <3

Hajime, Gundham, Chiaki x Reader

who is scared of loud noises

Hi!!! Mod Fuyu handed this ask over to me and I’m really happy to answer it!! I really hope my writing suits your taste and you’re satisfied!

For this ask, my mind immediately went to the fireworks scene in SDR2 so enjoy!

Category: Fluff/light angst headcannons and imagines

Specifics: Gender not mentioned, Ultimate not mentioned, takes place in the fireworks scene in SDR2

Warnings: Reader panics over loud noises, fireworks... I think that’s it

Pops of color burst across the night sky as everyone cheered below. Sparks drifted from the sky and loud applause as well as the traditional oohs and aahs followed right after. You sat on the sand, knuckles clenched tightly around your yukata, so tightly the bone was just about ready to burst from the skin. You flashed a weak smile at anyone who paid attention to you, yet you fixed your eyes to the ground, clenching your jaw tightly. You sorely regret allowing your friends to drag you out for Ibuki’s special surprise. Why, why did it have to be fireworks?! Why couldn’t you all have sat in a circle and...spun a bottle around, you didn’t know!!

Sighing, you flinched as another one was shot into the sky. Just a little bit more, then you could say you didn’t feel good and could head back to your room and shove your face into a pillow, allowing yourself to cool down from all the excitement and loud booms that resonated within your eardrums-

“Y/N?”

You knew that voice. You looked up to see them looking at you, concern written on their face.

“Are you ok?”

—————

Hajime Hinata

We all know this man has attitude and more anger issues than the other protagonists

He’s got some walls built up due to not knowing his talent and feeling insecure about it, but you were one of the few people like Chiaki who he found himself relaxing around

You both had recently started dating so he didn’t know whole lot about you

When Ibuki had dragged Hajime to the supermarket, he had no clue what she was planning

And he had no idea how you would react

Hajime had been the one who helped Ibuki set up this event, despite not knowing at all what she was scheming when he went to the supermarket with her. He had thought this would be a good couples thing you two could do together! After all, what’s more romantic than sitting together, hand in hand, under the starry sky watching the fireworks?

Apparently, you didn’t feel the same way.

He looked up from where he was crouching down, setting off the explosions, expecting to see you cheering along with the gang with a bright smile on your face. What he didn’t expect was to see you practically curled up in a fetal position, clearly not having fun.

“Hey Ibuki, can you trade off with me for a little?”

“No prob, Hajime!!”

He made his way over to you, noticing the way you flinched as the next firework was launched.

“Y/N? Are you ok?”

“Ha-hajime!! Y-yeah I’m fine! Nothing to worry about!”

“...You don’t look fine. Are you not enjoying this?”

“What are you talking about?? I’m having loads of fu-”

You yelped as another firework was set off, not prepared for the sudden noise.

“Y/N, do you...not like fireworks?”

You didn’t answer but you didn’t have to. Hajime gave you a sympathetic look and took you by the hand, lifting you off your feet.

“Hajime? What are you doing?”

“Just trust me on this. Ibuki! Me and Y/N are going for a little walk!”

“Wowie! Are Hajime and Y/N going to get up to some naughty business??”

“Wh- NO!!!”

You held back a laugh as Hajime shook his head and led you away from the commotion. Side by side, you walked along the shore, the echoes of the celebration fading in the distance.

“Hajime?”

Once he felt satisfied you both were far enough, he stopped and knelt onto the ground. He looked to you expectantly and you sat beside him.

“Ok...what now?”

“Now, we use these.”

Reaching into the back pocket of his pants, he pulled out a pack of what looked like...sparklers?

“I got these at the supermarket when I was with Ibuki. I didn’t actually think anyone would use them, but I thought they’d be fun you know?”

He handed one to you, with a small smile. “We can have our own fireworks right here.”

You nearly burst into tears. “Awwwwww, Hajime~~.”

“Wh-why are you acting all weird about this?!”

You laughed and gratefully took a sparkler. Using the lighter Hajime brought with him, the two of them lit up the metal sticks and watched the sparks fizzle and glitter in the dark. It was peaceful, quiet. You stole a glance at your boyfriend.

“Hajime?”

“Yeah, Y/N?”

“Thank you. I’ve...never been comfortable with really loud noises and I was about to leave, honestly. I didn’t want any of you guys to think less of me, especially you, Hajime. I couldn’t ruin everyone’s fun because of me. But this...this is nice. So thank you.”

“D-don’t mention it.”

You turned to see Hajime averting his eyes, face and the tips of his ear practically on fire, as he muttered under his breath, “A-anytime you need to get away...j-just come to me..I mean, couples are supposed to depend on each other right?”

“Right! Thanks again, Hajime.”

The two of you used up nearly all of the sparklers yet you were grateful you had come out that night. Turns out Ibuki’s special surprise was pretty special after all.

—————

Gundham Tanaka

Funny how you don’t like loud noises, yet your boyfriend has no clue what an inside voice is

It startled you at first, but you quickly grew accustomed to the sound of his voice and you started looking forward to talking to him

One of the things that immediately drew you to him was how much the Dark Devas liked you, therefore you must have had the great power of the dark forces just like him!

You never gave him weird looks and allowed him to talk to you about breeding and the occult

Initially, he was going to stay in his cabin that night, but you insisted on going to Ibuki’s special surprise together so he relented

He cheered and whooped along with the others as the next firework shot into the sky. This was truly spectacular!! The bursts of color across the darkness of the night was a remarkable sight to behold.

Yet he heard the meek whimpers of his beloved as though you had been injured. He looked down to see you were curled in on yourself on the ground beside him, evidently not having a good time like the others.

“Y/N? Whatever is the matter?”

“H-huh? Oh, Gundham it’s nothing, I’m fine rea-”

“Of course not! Have you seen the state you are in? What is bothering you, dark one?”

You didn’t answer, but as another firework exploded and cheers rippled through the air, he saw the way you flinched and how white your knuckles were. He recalled the uneasiness you had first displayed when he first met you and how he had to coax you to tell him you were fearful of loud noises.

He immediately took action. What kind of partner would he be if he allowed his beloved to continue to suffer like this?

“Beloved,” Gundham called out to you as you met his heterochromatic eyes. He crouched down beside you and allowed the four Dark Devas to scurry towards you. Grateful for the distraction, you smiled as they practically ran on top of each other, climbing up on your arms, Sun-D placing himself on your shoulder and rubbing against your neck happily. As you played and cooed at the adorable hamsters, Gundham took his scarf and carefully wrapped it around your head, taking great care to secure it around your ears.

Turning to him with a surprised look, he leans close to your face for you to hear him clearly.

“I apologize that this is the best I can do for you currently. I wish...I wish for you to be able to enjoy the earthly festivities as well, Y/N. The fireworks are quite beautiful to behold. Allow the Dark Devas to keep you company...and I as well.”

You blinked, speechless, but smiled and quietly leaned forward to give him a light peck on the cheek.

Without his scarf, Gundham couldn’t effectively hide the blush enveloping his face.

“Thank you, Gundham. Really.”

“Do not mention it!! It is merely a sworn duty of someone of my caliber to care for my partner!!”

You laughed and snuggled into his side, eyes drifting to the sky. He cautiously put an arm around you and squeezed your shoulder in a reassuring manner as the two of you watched the fireworks inside your own little bubble.

Gundham was right. They really were quite beautiful.

—————

Chiaki Nanami

Sweet and sleepy, she keeps to herself a lot and really only talks when she has something to say

The two of you most likely hit it off talking about video games

You always answered her questions about the world with great patience and zero judgement, and she’s probably fallen asleep on you more than once leading to you two cuddling whether in your respective cabins or the hotel lounge she frequents often

She considered you trustworthy like Hajime

Y’all were practically inseparable, someone has asked you more than once if you two were dating before you had even started

The two of you were curious about what Ibuki was planning so you went together

Chiaki stared wide eyed at the sky, in awe of the pops of color sparkling in the dark. She’d never seen anything like it before…

Oddly enough however, you didn’t seem to be enjoying the fireworks like everyone else was. You looked uncomfortable and she took in the way your body slightly jumped as the fireworks exploded one by one.

“Y/N?”

You looked up to see Chiaki face level with you, her bubble gum pink yukata loosely wrapped around her frame. She tilted her head as her eyes scanned your face.

“Are you not having fun, Y/N?”

“Chi...Chiaki, I-I’m fine, don’t worry about-”

“Are...are the fireworks bothering you?”

“J-just a little, but I’ll be ok, promise! Just enjoy this, ok?”

She didn’t respond, her brows knitting together on her forehead. She seemed to be in thought, but then rising to her feet and holding a hand towards you.

“Let’s get away a little ok?”

“But Chiaki-”

“Come on,” she gave you that beautiful smile, the smile that you had fallen hard for. How could you say no?

“...ok, let’s go.”

The two of you quietly left the others, letting the sound of the waves breaking on the sand and the fading pops of the explosives fill the silence between you.

Once Chiaki was satisfied with the distance, she sat down on the shore, feet brushing against the damp sand the waves had touched. She patted the spot next to her and you flopped down beside your girlfriend. She pulled out a gaming console, the one Chiaki constantly carried on her person.

“Here. You can play this if you want.”

“But...won’t I ruin your score?”

“I’ve already beaten the game twice.”

“Of course you did…” You sighed and shook your head good humoredly, while you watched the screen light up and the soft background music began to play. Your girlfriend nestled her head on your shoulder, her body resting against yours as her eyes drifted shut.

“...Chiaki? Are you sure this is ok? You can go back if you want to, you’re missing the fireworks-”

“I’d rather be with you than some explosives, Y/N. I really care about you...there’s nowhere I’d rather be right now than here.”

You could have cried. How did a girl like her end up with you? Despite the bleakness of your situation on the island, you counted your lucky stars that you were able to meet Chiaki.

[eirist]

Hello there! How are you? Love your page and fics! 💚 So, here's a prompt: Zoro and Nami end up drinking alone (During Wano), and realising how much they've missed these moments alone, and maybe show a little how they care about each other? ;)

LITTLE BITS AND PIECES OF HEAVEN

CALM BEFORE THE STORM

One-shot #: 14

Disclaimer: One Piece (and its characters) belongs to Eiichiro Oda-sensei.

Reminder: I have no beta-reader. Any grammatical and spelling errors are solely mine.

Warning: OOC possible. One shot.

Rating: T (Light fluff)

Note: To be honest, this one-shot just won’t cooperate. I have drafts after drafts. I’ve re-written multiple times and finally, it let itself be written. To anon who requested this, I'm really glad you love my page and fics! And sorry for the long wait! Enjoy.

Summary: The swordsman and the navigator share a calm-before-the-storm moment.  

“Please don’t tell me that you are actually drunk?”  

Zoro reluctantly opened his eye and wasn’t at all surprised to see Nami looming over him as he leaned against a random tree trunk, about to lose himself into his much needed nap. With a hand on her waist and hips cocked to the side, she stared at him with one eyebrow raised.

“And what if I am?”

She pursed her lips at his answer. “Tch. That’s just disappointing Zoro.”

The swordsman snorted. “You’d like that wouldn’t you?” He drawled sarcastically, cocking his own eyebrow at her. Like he would get drunk with the measly amount of sake they all had during dinner.

A cheeky grin appeared on Nami’s face. “Well if that finally settles who’s the real heavy drinker between us… then yeah.”

Zoro huffed before closing his eye again; intent on ignoring Nami and just sleeping off his discontentment with the inadequate drink earlier.

He felt her settle beside him before a hard object was suddenly rammed into his abdomen, momentarily cutting of his air and prompting him to let out an undignified ‘ooofh’. 

“What the hell Nami!?” He shouted, gritting his teeth and glaring daggers at her. 

The navigator’s eyes crinkled with mirth at his reaction. He drew back a little, a bit surprised to find himself almost face to face with her.

“Provisions,” she answered nonchalantly, prodding his middle with the object she was holding in a rather forceful manner.

Zoro looked down, surprised that the thing she was shoving at him was a sake gourd.

“Sanji-kun made sure you have enough sake to keep you in tip-top fighting condition.”

“Ero-cook?”

“Ain’t that sweet of him?”

The green-haired man scoffed. “You think I’d believe that swirly cares about my needs?”

Nami rolled her eyes at his response. “Whether you believe it or not, the important thing is you have enough alcohol to stuff down that throat of yours and knock yourself out cold.”

“Oh really? And to what do I owe this honor?”

“Who to be more specific,” she corrected. “Well aside from Sanji-kun… me of course! That’s roughly a hundred thousand belis on your tab.”

“…”

“Come on, who do you think convinced him to get all that meat and alcohol huh?“ 

Zoro smirked at her. "Knew that aho cook doesn’t give a damn about what I want.”

The navigator narrowed her eyes at him. “Hmmm? And you are saying that I do?”

“You got me the alcohol witch.”

“Touché.”

“You shouldn’t have bothered." 

The mapmaker regarded him disbelievingly for a moment. "Oh you don’t want it?” She moved to withdraw her hand but Zoro was faster. He closed his own around her wrist, stopping her.  

“I never said I didn’t want it.”

They stared at each other for a few seconds before Nami let out a ‘hmph’ and pulled her hand away from his grip.

Well… tried to pull away to be exact.

She frowned at him. “Zoro!”

His other hand moved to snatch the sake away from her. 

Her lips curled into a smile. “And here you got me thinking that you don’t want it. Too bad… I would drink it myself.”

The swordsman huffed. “You don’t even like sake.”

“Hmm… not quite true,” Nami tapped a finger on her cheek. “I have preferences. But beggars can’t be choosers right? Alcohol is still alcohol.” She swiftly filched the sake gourd from his grip and winked at him while uncorking it.

His lone eye widened as she brought it to her lips and drank the potent liquid as if it was just water.

“Oi!” 

“Aah! That was nice!” She remarked, licking her lips and grinning mischievously as she handed the sake back to him.

Zoro was looking sullen as he shook the container, trying to gauge the amount the cat thief had drank, knowing she can guzzle it all until the last drop without keeling over.

That’s actually one of the reasons why the navigator is secretly his favorite drinking buddy.

“What’s with that expression Zoro?” Nami pouted at him. “I saved some for you.”

The former pirate hunter just shrugged as he flicked a glance at her before returning his attention back to the gourd.

“Problem?” Nami shifted closer to him, peering at his face. “I don’t have cooties Zoro!” She growled at him when she realized his hesitation. “The nerve! I didn’t know you are this finicky!”

“I am not!” Zoro snarled at her.

“Could it be…” Nami drew back a little with a gasp. “You’re thinking that it’s kinda like an indirect kiss?”

“The hell Nami!!!”

“Oh Zoro, you’re making me blush,” she cupped both of her cheeks with her hands in an attempt to look like an embarrassed, bashful maiden.

“Teme…”

“Why… you’re blushing as well Zoro!” She teasingly pointed out.

“Shut up Nami! Don’t you go pulling that crap on me now,” Zoro groused. “How many times have we drunk in the same bottle huh?”

Nami suddenly dropped her teasing facade. “Too few since we arrived here in the New World,” she replied with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

It made him pause when she unexpectedly turned a bit serious at his question. “You’re counting.”

The mapmaker shrugged her shoulders. “Not hard to remember since we haven’t been drinking together a lot.”

Silence enveloped them at her answer. True it had been a long time since they have sat down together to drink. It’s not like they have a choice. From the moment they sailed into the New World seas, the crew had spent more time separated than together.

“When was the last time we did this Nami?” Zoro inquired after finally taking a drink of the sake he was holding.

“Fishman Island,” Nami responded, the wistful smile never leaving her face. “Before Usopp crashed our two-man party from too much eating.”

“Heh,” the memory made him grin. “Before Chopper appeared dragging that ero-kappa who nearly fainted from ogling at the mermaids too much.“

"Yes. Before you decide to just sleep on me since we’ve got company.” Nami added, taking the sake gourd from him as he wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his white yukata.

“That seems long ago, huh?" 

Nami nodded. “Yup. We weren’t able drink together when we were in Zou.”

“That’s because you were too busy worrying about that stupid cook.” The swordsman grumbled.

“Be nice Zoro. He’s your crew mate too.” Nami drank, letting the sake’s taste fill her mouth.

“Pffft.”

She threw the gourd lightly towards Zoro who caught in effortlessly. He scrutinized the sake container in his hand, coming to a conclusion that it wouldn’t last long. Not when he and Nami are the ones drinking it. 

"So, are you ready for the upcoming battle?” Nami asked out of the blue. “It’s just in a few days…”

Zoro paused midway to bringing the container to his lips. "I’m always ready for battle Nami. I’m a swordsman.”

“Aren’t you nervous?”

An arrogant smirk appeared on his face. “As if.”

She laughed despite herself. “What a stupid thing to ask…”

“Yeah.”

“Hmmm… This is a disaster. Yonko after yonko.”

“Can’t help it. We will eventually face them one way or another.”

“But not like one after the other.” Nami complained with a pout. She grabbed the sake from Zoro again after he finished drinking. “We just faced off with Big Mom now here we are about to face Kaido.”

The green-haired man just grunted something inaudible as she gulped down a mouthful of sake. He watched her in the corner of his eye with concealed admiration. A flush had found its way to her cheeks but he knows that she was still far from inebriation.

She made a smacking sound with her lips after drinking and he motioned to her to hand him the sake gourd.

Nami shifted closer to him as she complied. “Are you really ready?” She queried again, looking at him curiously. “You just got this new sword and you only have a few days to get used to it.”

She knows how Zoro takes pride in mastering his katanas.  But with only a short time left until the battle…. 

The former pirate hunter tilted his head towards her, meeting her gaze at her with one serious gray eye.

“It’s more powerful than your last one,” Nami continued. “And kinda frightening.” She glanced at the black sword he just recently acquired and recalled how he managed to cut off a rather large part of the land with just one swing as it sucked the haki from him. 

“Why? Worried?”

Nami’s head snapped up towards him at that. She felt her face turned a deeper shade of red as he voiced out what she was hoping wouldn’t be obvious.

“Like hell am!” She scowled at him, trying to cover up her embarrassment.

Zoro was looking amusedly at her as she folded her arms across her chest and looked away.

“You don’t believe in me Nami?”

That made her stop. She worried her lower lip and forced herself to look at him straight in the eye. “Of course I do,” she admitted albeit glumly.

“Then there’s nothing to worry about, right?”

Nami studied his face as he held her gaze. Zoro is so strong—a fact that she should not forget. It was just probably the pre-battle jitters getting to her. 

She glanced at his swords again. Three katanas that helped made him formidable. Her eyes lingered at the black one, Enma, the replacement of the one he got from Thriller Bark. 

Hitetsu had said something about how a normal swordsman would’ve turned into a dry husk from using it. Zoro merely got his arm sucked dry before reclaiming his haki back from the sword. A feat that left most of their allies impressed.

“I keep forgetting how much of a monster you are and it would take a lot to defeat you.” Nami said with a sigh, leaning back against the tree.

“You sound disappointed,” Zoro said with a laugh. He scrutinized her for a moment before nudging her with his shoulder as he handed her the sake back. “Thanks I guess.” He spoke softly, clearly understanding what was going on inside her head.

Nami puffed her cheeks at him. “I’m not really worried about you!” She retorted, taking a hefty swig of the sake, to cover up her mortification. Zoro had just read right through her.

Zoro raised an eyebrow at her and chuckled. “Don’t choke on it witch.”

She glowered at the Supernova after she finished drinking. “I’m actually more worried about me!” The navigator declared in a feisty manner.

“That’s so typically you.”

“Of course! I’m not made for battle! Not everyone in the crew’s formidable you know.”

“But eventually you’ll see it through if need be.”

“How sure are you?”

Zoro shrugged. “You wouldn’t be here with us if that’s not the case.”

Nami stared at him. Stared for a long time that Zoro began to feel uneasy under her gaze and felt a warm sensation creeping from his neck to his face. 

“Sometimes you are not so bad Zoro,” she whispered with a genial smile.

He scoffed, trying to hide his now blushing face by grabbing the sake from her and chugging down the liquid. 

This time they silently drank; passing the container back and forth as the wind blew and rocked the bamboo trees around them. The soft rustling of its leaves and the rattling sound emanating from the stalks was amazingly soothing as they both enjoyed this rare and—unknown to each other—much-anticipated time together.  

Nami noticed his relaxed expression and the way the corner of his lips were quirked up. 

“You are smiling,” she observed when she passed him the sake again.

“Can i not?”

“Means you’re enjoying this.”

Zoro just chuckled at her. But did not elaborate.

Of course he enjoys drinking with her. She’s the only one in their crew who can keep up with him after all.

But what he likes most about drinking with her is when they get to share some quiet instances when they are just alone with each other without fighting, without getting in each other’s nerves. 

They are just together to simply enjoy each other’s presence.

And truth be told… it just sink into him tonight just how much he actually missed these kind of moments with her.

“Are you not enjoying it too?” He casually asked, but realized from the smile adorning her pretty face that she was thinking and feeling the same thing as him.

“I honestly like drinking with you,” Nami admitted, even though she did not answer his question. “We almost never do it anymore.”

“You missed it?”

She grinned. “Didn’t realize how much until now. How about you? You didn’t?”

Zoro smiled. Not his typical downright irritating smirk. But a genuine, happy smile. 

“What?”

“Wouldn’t have shared this sake with you if not.”

This time her smile reached her eyes, as her warm, brown orbs gleamed enchantingly with delight.

He shook the sake container, showing her that the drink they were sharing was nearly gone. 

Nami laughed softly. “What do you say to catching up?”

The smile on Zoro’s face widened. “I say yes.”

They looked at each other.

“I just hope shitty cook’s provisions can last long.” Zoro said as he drank the remaining contents of the alcohol, shaking it a bit to make sure not a single drop was left.

“Of course,” Nami said confidently. “I made sure of that.” She threw a mischievous smile at him. “Are you up for pilfering the stocks?”

“Right under aho cook’s nose?" Zoro’s grin was shark-like. "Definitely." 

She laughed as Zoro stood up. And he surprised her by offering his hand to help her to stand. 

"Come on. Let’s get our drinks and continue this Nami.”

“Better do something fun first… in case we die on the raid or something.” Nami said cheekily as she took his hand and let him pull her up.

“I’m not planning on dying in the upcoming battle witch!”

“Good.”

“Besides I want to look for that Touji’s sake, said to be the finest here in Wano,” Zoro grinned at her. “I’ll find it then we can drink it ‘til one of us keels over.”

“And see who can really outlast each other!” Nami agreed. She squeezed his hand. “I’ll take you up on that.”

“It’s a promise.”

Nami smiled radiantly at that. He never breaks his promises.

She was about to take a step away from him when he stopped her.

“’Til then don’t you go dying evil witch,” Zoro murmured, shifting closer to kiss her forehead.

Nami closed her eyes, reveling at the sensation as he let his lips linger longer against her.

“Right back at you,” she whispered when he pulled away. “You still owe me that sake.”

He laughed. It was something to look forward to once everything is over. 

“Yakosoku.”

[lavendersmiles]

A Celebration of Our Own

SasuSaku Month 2018

Day 7: Tanabata

***

Author’s Note: So I originally planned a hurt/comfort plot for this prompt after squeezing my brain but I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life 😂 Then this idea appeared and... yeah... I crave fluff.

FFnet link

***

Sakura felt torn, but her responsibilities as a medic nin came before her own selfish desires.

Sasuke just came back from his self-imposed road to redemption yesterday, just in time for the tanabata festival Konoha is known for, and Naruto already arranged that Team 7 will go together. Though he insisted that he was just passing by and wanted to deliver a message to Kakashi, his presence in the village was enough to make the kunoichi smile throughout the day. She knew that the streets would be filled to the brim with decorations and food, and most of all she looked forward to spend some time with her silent dark-haired teammate.

It’s been so long since he came home. He wasn’t able to go to Konoha personally during the attack of the human time bombs when they asked for his help, but he played a crucial part in solving it. She was a bit heartbroken that he couldn’t come back, but she understood his reasons. Sakura knew from the bottom of her heart that the village was Sasuke’s home, and he would always find his way to return to it – in his time, when he’s ready.

That’s why she hugged him a little too tightly when they greeted him at the gates yesterday. After a hearty dinner at Ichiraku’s, Sakura dashed her way to her favourite store to buy a new yukata to celebrate the occasion. It was the perfect shade of green that matched her eyes, with her namesake decorating the obi and sleeves.

Sakura started to fix her things in her office, excitement coursing through her veins. Despite the busy day at the hospital, the thought of being with her beloved team energized her more than her seal. But then, just as she was about to end her shift, she heard a nurse running towards her direction, and the door was slammed open.

“Sakura-sama! I’m sorry for intruding but Tsunade-sama needs you at the emergency room quickly!”

Not needing another word, the medic ran off and arrived in record time. What she saw stunned her momentarily. Four shinobi – ANBU, the masks and their outfit were a dead giveaway – were fighting for their lives on the hospital beds. One suddenly started vomiting a bloody mess, and Sakura sprung into action.

“It’s a bad case of poisoning, Sakura. I already had Shizune look at their blood samples to identify the culprit,” the former hokage briefed her on what was happening. “It’s making them bleed profusely, slowly turning their organs to goo, and shutting down the immune system. We need to act fast.”

“Hai, shishou.”

Immediately her healing chakra glowed.

Sakura forgot about the seconds, minutes, and hours that passed. All her focus was on her patients and the determination to save them urged her tired body to heal them more. And when she thought that ordeal was over, her pediatric patient with a broken pelvis started deteriorating, leaving her no choice but to perform another surgery stat.

.

.

Sakura removed the OR cap and went back to her office to take a warm shower. It was already ten in the evening, and she already sent word to Naruto that she couldn’t come to the festival with them, as she was stuck in surgery. She passed by a nurse’s station and saw a bamboo plant decorated with all things that showcased tanabata and filled with tanzaku. She saw he own piece of paper, wincing inside.

I hope Team 7 will have a great time at the festival today!

‘There’s always next year, right?’ Sakura thought to herself, smiling sadly. ‘There’s always next time.’

The kunoichi sighed and proceeded to take the aforementioned shower to wash away the stress and frustration of the day. After changing into a new set of clothes, she grabbed her swivelling chair and took it to the balcony. Her stomach protested that it was empty, but she paid it no mind. She just wants to see the fireworks. She looked up the sky, waiting for it to shine with a thousand colors.

Just then she felt her heart stop when she recognized an all too familiar chakra signature. She could sense him anywhere.

“Sa-Sasuke-kun?!”

Indeed, mismatched orbs that could only belong to the sole Uchiha greeted her. “Aa.”

Sakura stood up, a blush forming on her cheeks. “What are you doing here? I thought you were going with Naruto and the rest.”

He shrugged. “I escaped. Too many people. You know I don’t like the crowds.”

She couldn’t help but laugh good naturedly. “Still the same old Sasuke-kun. Let me get a chair for you,” she offered, dashing inside and appearing with the furniture a second later.

“Arigatou,” his deep voice could still make her heart melt. Both sat side by side in silence for a few moments, until Sasuke handed out a bento box to her hidden by his cloak.

“I had a feeling that you still haven’t eaten anything since you were in surgery, so I brought you something.”

Tears of joy started to form on her eyes and now she was certain that her heart’s gonna burst. “You didn’t have to do this, Sasuke-kun. But thank you so much,” she beamed at him. The former avenger looked away hide his emotions, but his orbs focused on her again when he heard her delighted gasp.

Sakura recognized the street food served at the stalls during tanabata. The first layer contained okonomiyaki, takoyaki, yakisoba and ikayaki. When she lifted it to see the next layer, it was filled with dango, daifuku, and ringo ame.

“I know that you liked festivals and the food so much, so I thought that since you’re busy saving lives, I’ll bring a bit of the festival to you,” he admitted, eyes earnest.

She didn’t know if someone already died due to too much giddiness and overwhelming happiness, but Sakura though she might be the first one. She stood up, placed the food carefully on the chair, and tackled Sasuke into a hug that caused the two of them to fall on the floor.

“Thank you thank you thank you, Sasuke-kun! I’m so happy right now!” Indeed, the night took a 360 degrees turn, and she couldn’t be happier. Here she thought she would be spending the seventh day of the seventh month alone, but now she’s with the man she loves with her whole heart, and he brought her favourite festival foods to her.

‘You’re just making me fall in love with you even more, Sasuke-kun.’

All of a sudden she felt him stiffen. It was then that it registered upon her brain that she said her feelings out loud.

Just as she was about to pull away and apologize again and again, Sasuke hugged her back. Now it was her turn to be shocked.

“Anything for you, Sakura.” He pressed his cheek at the side of her head, and the kunoichi wondered if it was her heart that was beating so hard or his. She loosened her hug on him to look at his profile. Unconsciously, almost like instinct, their faces came closer to one another. It felt like the pull of gravity, sparks tingling the air.

When their noses touched, a screeching sound was heard following a loud explosion. The fireworks finally started. Noticing their position, they both turned away to hide their blushing faces, deciding that the display of colors signalling the end of tanabata was a good thing to turn their attention to. Throughout the time that the night sky was illuminated with sparks of light, Sasuke didn’t release his hold on her waist, and Sakura could hardly pay attention to the beautiful display.

The heard the cheers of the crowd when the last and biggest firework shone its glory. After a few minutes, neither of them spoke a word, too content in each other’s presence.

Then Sakura’s stomach grumbled again.

She felt the blush heating her face up, and the amused smirk Sasuke gave her did nothing to calm her down.

“You should eat,” the Uchiha announced with almost a teasing tone. After saying her thanks, she digged in, closing her eyes in pure happiness when she tasted the takoyaki. Munching on it, she took another ball of the food using her chopsticks.

“Say aah, Sasuke-kun.”

He looked away and she pouted at that, but her heart soared again when she saw his mouth partly open, his silent affirmation to allow her to do what she wanted.

And so that was how the two spent their first tanabata together in a while… eating, her talking, him listening… both knowing that there was no other place they’d rather be.

.

.

[imagineyourstars]

Hey! I just found this blog, and it's super cute! All your writing is so great! I hope you don't mind me requesting? Sorry if I'm bothering you, but could I ask for scenarios/headcanons with Leo, Hinata, Natsume, and Chiaki taking their childish s/o to a Matsuri? Or if you don't know enough about Matsuris then just something cute like watching fireworks or lighting sparklers will do! Thank you! And you don't need to rush on this, since it seems you have alot :v

watch me rush on this anyway lmao i’d better post that while it’s stillsummer !!! aaah a matsuri request !!!! fortunately I knew enough about it towrite these  ! I hope you’ll enjoy them ♥ natsume ended up a tiny bit longer than the others bc he a thot  - mod mademoiselle

Leo :

The summer festival was packed fullwith people, tonight ! You were hesitantly walking amongst the crowd, reachingon your tiptoes to try and see if your boyfriend was here. Unfortunately, he’snot exactly the tallest, so he doesn’t stand out in crowds… that is, unless hestarts shouting.

“Heeeeeyyy ! Over heeeere !” Ah, that was definitely Leo’s voice ! You turned around, and here hewas, grinning widely at you. Not paying mind to the people still going about,you rushed in your boyfriend’s arms, giggling happily. He was laughing too,even carrying you to the best of his ability. You were surprised to see he waswearing a yukata, and it suited him really well ! The garment reallycomplimented his skinny frame. He took in your own figure with a wide smile.

“Whoooaa, you’re wearing a yukata too ! It’s so cute !” he exclaimed, and yousmiled, a bit relieved to hear he liked it.

“Thanks, yours looks really good too !” He grinned at the compliment, his hand naturally finding yours andsqueezing it tight. That’s what you loved about your boyfriend : he tended toact on impulse ! That just made his every action so much more genuine.

“Ruka-tan helped me put it on, since I’m so bad at it!” Leo laughed loudly, prompting a few people to turnand watch him in amusement. He seemed to be in an even better mood than usual !The colorful and enthusiastic atmosphere of the festival probably had a part inthis… but before you had the time to ponder about that, he was already pullingyour hand and pointing at a stall in the distance.

“Whoa, not so fast, Leo !” Youwere struggling to match his pace, but this just made it so much funnier. Leodidn’t slow down anyway, just drawing his tongue at you before going evenfaster. Your wooden sandals were making it pretty hard to run, at least withoutstumbling. Leo was excitedly blabbering, visibly not noticing your struggles.

“Hurry hurry, there’s a game I wanna play ! I betyou’ve never tried it, too !” He stopped in front of a stallwhere children were lining up, eyes twinkling with impatience. To be honest,his enthusiasm was extremely contagious and you found yourself smiling widelytoo.

When it was finally your turn, Leorushed to the stand owner to pay for the game. It seemed to be about catchingfish with a scoop… Goldfish were swimming calmly in the water, their long finsundulating in the ripples. Leo was focusing already, squatting down to observethe fish at eye-level. His tongue was slightly drawing from his mouth in hisconcentration, and that sight made you giggle.

“Whaaat ? You making fun of me ? I bet you suck atthis though, even more than me !” He tried to scoop one of thegoldfish out of the water, but it swam away immediately. With an impatient little groan, hetried again, and once more the fish went to hide at his brusque movements.

“Hey, you’re doing it too fast ! Look, the fish areafraid. Let me try !” You tried to take the scoop out ofyour boyfriend’s hand, but he wouldn’t let you, eyebrows furrowed.

“Aah, don’t steal my scoop ! It’s mine, I paid for it!” You huffed your cheeks in protest, but he wouldn’tbudge and you eventually gave up, groaning. Leo’s triumphant smile was soonwashed away by concentration again as he tried scooping out one of the fish, onlyto fail again.

“I told you, you’re too fast, but you wouldn’tlisten.” You were pouting, much to Leo’s dismay.

“Hey, don’t be angry at me ! You’re not angry, right?” You didn’t answer, looking away. The stand ownerlaughed, shaking his head, and Leo tried to meet your gaze, to no avail.

“Of course I’m not angry.” Youturned a bit towards your boyfriend’s worried face, but your lips were stillcontorted in a small pout.

“Thank god ! Here, I’ll let you try. I bet you can’tdo it anyway !” Leo handed you the scoop, and you grinned at him,kissing his cheek before looking the fish over.

“I think you have to go for it more slowly”, you whispered, gently approaching one of the fish with the scoop. Assoon as you were getting close to it, you scooped it out of the water, andLeo’s eyes widened… only for it to fall in the water. The scoop was made ofpaper, and it softly tore right under the fish you’d managed to catch.

“Ah, that’s not fair ! You were so close !” Leo was pouting, and you smiled, taking your wallet. Once you’d given afew more coins to the stand owner, you had a brand-new scoop and were trying tocatch the fish again. That is, until Leo suddenly started flailing about.

“Not that one, not that one !” He’d suddenly screamed way too close to your ear, and you jumped a bitin surprise, causing the fish to swim away quickly.

“Hey, don’t scare me like that, Leo ! See, the fishare afraid again now.” Leo quickly pecked your cheek inapology, then pointed to a bright orange fish with a white tail.

“Try to catch this one ! I want it.”

“Why ? I think the white one is cuter”, you retorted, watching your favorite fish leisurely swim with theothers. Leo grinned at you, leaning his head on your shoulder.

“Because it has cute eyes. They remind me of yours !” You just stared blankly at the huge, empty eyes of the fish. Was thatsupposed to be a compliment… ?

“Uh, thanks, I guess ? But I don’t know, it reminds meof you, actually. It’s the same color as your hair !” Leo gasped at your comment, nodding furiously.

“Ah, you’re right ! Then I’m going to call him Leo theSecond !” Well, at least he has an interesting naming sense.

“Wait until I catch him first”, you laughed. You tried to focus on the one fish Leo wanted, when hesuddenly grabbed your face with two hands and loudly smooched you. You wereleft blinking in surprise, cheeks slightly pink.

“It’s a good luck charm ! Now scoop Leo the Secondout, I really wanna bring him home !” Leo wassmiling widely, the colorful lights from the paper lanterns reflecting in hiseyes. He looked absolutely gorgeous, and you suddenly realized you’d beenstaring at him in awe for a moment. With a sheepish little nod, you got readyto try scooping the fish again. You approached it as slowly as you could,hoping the paper wouldn’t break this time… and you successfully scooped it outof the water, proudly showing it to the owner. Leo laughed brightly, clappingas the owner gently put the fish in a small plastic bag filled with water.

“Be careful, alright ? Treat him well.” You took the bag from the stand owner with a smile, then handed itover to your boyfriend, whose eyes widened slightly in surprise.

“Eh, why are you giving it to me… ? You won it, soit’s yours !” he chirped, giving you the bag again. You shook yourhead, teasingly pecking Leo’s lips.

“You’re the one who really wanted it. It’s all yours !Let’s say it’s a gift from me.” Leo stared at you incredulously, notsure if he should believe you. He then shyly took the bag, cheeks tinted pink.

“Thank you… It’s the first time someone ever—” He suddenly stopped, mouth hanging open. You briefly wondered why, butthen you heard them. The fireworks. Leo gasped, and you could swear his facehad literally lightened up in just a second.

“Aah, it’s the fireworks show ! We can’t miss it !!Come on, hurry up, I wanna get a nice spot !” And heleft running, tugging on your hand to get you to move. You laughed, trying yourbest to match his pace without stumbling.

“Don’t run so fast ! What if you harm the fish ?” He just sent a boyish grin your way as a response, but actually sloweddown a bit.

“I won’t, promise ! You gave it to me, after all. It’skinda like we’re its parents !” You stopped in your tracks,blushing a bit. Parents, huh… ? You couldn’t help but imagine, maybe… you andLeo, older but even happier, with kids of your own…

“Come on, you’re soooo slow ! Hurry or we’re gonnamiss it all !!” You hadno time to dawdle on these thoughts any longer : as usual, Leo was pulling onyour hand and laughing brightly. But there was no way you’d ever get tired ofit.

Hinata :

You were nervously fiddling withyour yukata’s sash, sitting on a bench. You weren’t usually so nervous, buttonight, the festival was crowded. People were looking at you, and youself-consciously fixed your hair. You just hoped you didn’t look too weird…

Your boyfriend was just a little bitlate, but as you suddenly spotted him amongst the crowd you understood why. Hewas with his twin brother and some of his classmates, joking around. As soon ashis eyes met yours, he waved at them and happily trotted to you.

“Sorry I’m late ! Yuta-kun had some trouble with hisyukata, and I couldn’t leave him looking ridiculous, you know ?” He winked at you, then gently helped you get up. Only then did he fullytake in the view, and he grinned, blushing a bit.

“Ah, you’re wearing a yukata too !It looks really nice on you~” He regretfully took his eyes awayfrom you, but took your hand with a mischievous grin. You looked around a bitand saw some other couples holding hands, so you decided to throw yourembarrassment by the window and intertwine your fingers together.

“Is it fine that you’re with me rather than with yourfriends ?” you asked, and he fervently nodded, squeezing yourfingers briefly.

“It’s a date, so of course yes ! I don’t wanna be withanyone else tonight, you know~” He wiggled his eyebrowssuggestively, making you giggle. Hinata looked positively delighted at thesound.

“Well that’s good, because I didn’t plan to give youaway to anyone else”, you airily answered, prompting yourboyfriend to smile. That was obviously the answer he’d been expecting.

You looked around a bit, unfamiliarwith the stalls and games of the festival. Hinata was quick to catch on,smirking teasingly.

“You’ve never come here before, right ?” he asked, and you nodded. “Then,does it make tonight your ‘first time’ ?” He sent a pointed look your way,eyes twinkling with amusement. You drew your tongue at him, making him chuckle.

“It’s just a joke, a joke~ Well anyway, hope you’rehungry, because tonight’s schedule revolves around sweets !” He looked so happy at that prospect, and you found his excited smile tobe contagious.

“Sounds good ! What’s first ?” He just pointed at an endless line of food stalls with a huge grin.Before you knew it, you were queueing alongside him, while he happily ordered abit of everything, from most of the stalls. Did he… intend to eat all of that ?

Soon enough, you were seated at atable near the main street, lit up by paper lanterns. Hinata went to get papernapkins and gave half of them to you with a little smile. “Believe me, you’re gonna get cream or chocolate all over your chin atsome point.” You could only stare at the impressive number of plates andcups filled with various desserts, your stomach grumbling in hunger.

“Yeah, looks that way… Ah, can I try that ?” you asked, pointing towards what looked like a fish-shaped waffle.Taiyaki, right ? Hinata nodded happily, handing you the treat.

“Just eat whatever you want ! There’s more than enoughfor two~” And he was right : even after sampling a bit ofeverything, there was still a lot more. But Hinata was certainly not planningto stop there.

“Come on, aaah~” Youhappily opened your mouth when he prompted you to, letting him spoon-feed you icecream. It was delicious, too ! Hinata looked pleased you liked it, taking aspoonful of it to try it too.

“Ah, wait”, youinterrupted, “I have to spoon-feed youtoo, right~ ?” He grinned, handing you the spoon and exaggeratedly openinghis mouth, prompting you to giggle. He didn’t look like he liked the icream though, andyou curiously titled your head sideways.

“I thought it was amazing, but you don’t seem to… ?” He shook your head at your question, even grimacing a bit.

“Nah, actually I think it’s not sweet enough.” But it was just perfect to you ? He grinned devilishly as he added : “But I know something that will make itmuch, much sweeter.” Before you had the time to answer anything, he leaneda bit and gently kissed your still-parted lips. You could only close your eyesand melt into the kiss as he deepened it, his hands finding your own. His lipswere warm and tasted of strawberry ice cream… You were surprised when hesuddenly pulled back, cheeks pink but smiling.

“There, much better, right ?” You just blinked, still dazed from the kiss, and he laughed, adding : “Man, I’ve always wanted to do that ! Sorryif it was cheesy.” He winked, prompting you to smile.

“I wouldn’t mind if you did stuff like that moreoften, though !” You stood up, throwing away the napkins and emptycontainers with your boyfriend’s help, before he gently guided you amongst thecrowd again. His hand was softly squeezing yours again, and it felt so nice tobe connected to him…

“I have something else in store for you~ I hope you’renot afraid of fire ?” You answered his question with asmall frown. You hoped he wasn’t planning anything dangerous…

“It depends, I guess ? Why ? Don’t tell me—” He cut you off with a laugh, gently stroking the back of your hand withhis thumb in a soothing motion.

“Hey, do you really think of me as someone sodangerous ? Naah, it’s nothing like that !” Hestopped in front of a stall, which seemed to sell…

“Sparklers ?” youasked, and he nodded happily. He definitely seemed to know a lot about them,asking for specific ones and happily going through the bag once he was donewith his purchase.

“Yep ! I’ve been playing with them a lot~ I remember,when I was little, Yuta-kun was really afraid of them for some reason ! I’dchase after him with sparklers and say ‘Yuta-kun, I’m going to burn you alive’…! Ah, fun times.” Well, at least hewas having fun…

“You know, Hinata, I think I’m starting to grasp whyYuta always runs away from you.” You smiled at your boyfriend, wholaughed loudly before playfully elbowing you.

“Don’t say that ! It’s just that he’s shy aboutshowing his love for me~ Anyway, help me find a nice, secluded little cornerplease ! Wouldn’t want to accidentally burn anyone alive, for real this time~” You giggled and started looking for a quiet place where you could gowith him, and eventually you found a perfect spot.

As you were holding the bag open andexamining its contents carefully, Hinata took one of the sparklers and expertlylit it up. You reflexively took a few steps back, but he was laughing, waving thecolored light around.

“Don’t be afraid, it’s not dangerous or anything !Look, it’s so pretty.” He lit up another one and wasforming intricate shapes and patterns by moving them fast. You couldn’t tearyour eyes away from him.

“You’re right ! It’s really beautiful”, you whispered. He grinned before gently handing you one of hissparklers. You hesitantly took it, but soon got used to it and started to playaround with it just like Hinata did. Whenever one of the sparklers would gooff, Hinata would light up a new one. Some of them sent bright sparkles flyingabout, while some were best to move around fast, and your boyfriend knew whatevery single one of them was just perfect for !

“Hey, hey, look !” Hinatacalled out, and you turned your head his way. He was forming a heart out ofbright light, grinning happily. You smiled, trying it out too to see if youcould do it.

“I can do it too ! I really wish I could take somepictures though…” Hinata shook his head at your comment, whichsurprised you for a moment.

“No need for pictures ! Just carve tonight into yourmemories~ Y’know, I’m going to remember you for my entire life !” Maybe he was just joking around, as he usually was, but for some reasonyou profusely blushed at that thought. If he was serious… then it would be oneof the prettiest things you were ever told. Not noticing your sudden shyness,Hinata was still playing around with the sparklers.

“Look, look, I’m writing your name ! And mine too !H…. I…. N… Oh wait, we should totally carve them in a tree somewhere !” He suddenly stopped moving his sparklers around, looking for a suitabletree nearby.

“I don’t have anything you could use for that though”,you answered. Hinata nodded dejectedly, visiblydisappointed at the thought he wouldn’t get to carve your initials here foreveryone to see.

“Maybe that’s better for the trees anyway… Well,sometimes I want everyone to know about us, but I probably don’t need to~” You thought his face looked just a bit more serious for a moment, butmaybe it was just the weak lighting of the sparklers…

He lit up another sparkler, and youcould briefly distinguish his face in more detail. He was looking at you, asmall smile on his lips, so uncharacteristically different of his usual grin.

“I mean”, he added, “why should I need everyone knowing ? As long as you do, I’m happy.”

You smiled bashfully at his words,watching your last sparkler go off. Hinata’s went off too, and suddenly it wasjust the two of you, holding hands and kissing, with just the stars knowing.But it was more than enough.

Chiaki :

Everyone was so fired up tonight !It made you smile, your heart thumping loudly in your chest. You lovedfestivals, and you were so happy your boyfriend invited you to a datethere ! Besides, it seemed like he’d love the festival too.

… Right. It seemed. You couldn’tfind him anywhere, and even though you tried to call him, he never picked uphis phone. Well, knowing him, he must have gotten pulled into something andyou’d run into him soon enough. You took your time strolling peacefully in thefestival, stopping by at stalls for a moment, buying delicious-looking food andenjoying it quietly. While it wasn’t bad to relax once in a while, you kind ofmissed the boisterous excitement your boyfriend would bring anywhere just by beingthere.

As you thought, it’s a lot lessfunny without Chiaki, right… ?

You were contemplating buying someapple candy when something else that was bright red suddenly caught yourattention. On the next stall were displayed a variety of masks to be worn witha yukata. You smiled as you looked one of them over. It was a tokusatsu hero’smask, red and all ! Once more, you were reminded of your boyfriend. You didn’thesitate one second and bought it, thinking you’d give it to Chiaki once you’dfind him.

As you were strolling down theendless line of stalls, you suddenly heard the distant sound of singing anddrums. The people who were walking about as you were had stopped, lining upalong the stalls. Was there a procession of some sort over there ? You tried tostand on tip-toe, but you couldn’t see much. The crowd seemed enthusiasticthough, whispering happily as the sound drew closer and closer.

Eventually, the procession came by.It was preceded by singing women in traditional attire, and you watched thempass by with wide eyes. The sight was so impressive ! Then came men carrying amikoshi, those portable shrines. They were chanting proudly, even though theylooked exhausted. That shrine certainly looked heavy… And then came the taikodrummers, led by… none other than Chiaki ?

Wait, was that Chiaki ? Yeah,actually, no doubt about that ! He was leading up the drummers proudly, joiningin the chants once in a while. When his eyes met yours, he gave you a brightsmile, full of enthusiasm and energy, before he went away with the rest of theprocession.

As soon as the procession had ended,he immediately rushed to you. Before you could say anything, he swooped you ina rib-crushing bear hug, even spinning you around.

“Chiaki ! I’m so happy you’re here !” You hugged him tight too, secretly relieved he didn’t just forget yourdate.

“About that… I’m awfully sorry ! I’m so late, this isunforgivable… ! I was held back by the procession, as you can see… They weremissing a drummer, and I couldn’t just leave them be !” He gave you an apologetic smile, to which you answered with one of yourown.

“It’s fine ! I’m just really, really glad you’rehere…” He gently stroked your hair, a small frown on hislips, seemingly not reassured by your comment.

“But still, I made you wait… I shall be all yours fromnow on ! You can make me do whatever you please— what is that ?” You were handing him a paper bag, inside of which was the mask you’dbought for him earlier. Your mischievous smile made him grin happily in histurn, and before you knew it, he’d opened it.

“It’s a gift I bought for you ! Do you like it ?” He was admiring the mask reverently, touching it with the utmost care,as if he were afraid to break it.

“It’s… absolutely perfect ! Well, anything from you isperfect anyway, but ! This is… !” He stopped a moment, clearly at aloss for words, then he put it on the side of his head with a smile. He wastrying his best to look composed, but his fingers were slightly trembling. Youeven had to help him, your fingers brushing against him and making him smileeven more. Once it was on, he leaned down to gently peck at your lips. Itlasted only a few seconds, but his cheeks were already red.

“T-The fireworks should start shortly, so I suggest wego and try to find a nice spot to watch them !” Younodded, and he looked a bit relieved. He didn’t even tense up too much when youtook his hand, instead stealing a glance at you and starting to smileuncontrollably when he noticed how happy you looked.

The locals seemed to know Chiaki, asa lot of people would smile to him or wave as he passed them by, and it madeyou acutely aware of how much people were looking at you too. They were mostlysmiling, their eyes falling on your jointed hands. Chiaki was still blushing,but bravely smiled back, even squeezing your fingers tighter. How cute…

You stopped on the way to buy somesweets, and as you were done, a sound suddenly caught your attention. Was that…crying ? More accurately, a child was crying. He looked like he was about threeor four years old, sobbing uncontrollably between two stalls. Chiakiimmediately spotted him and rushed to him, kneeling in front of him.

“Are you okay ? Did you get lost… ?” The child nodded, sniffing loudly. You quickly looked for a tissue, andhelped the poor little boy wipe away his tears. Chiaki sent you a worried gaze,then looked back to the child. He was visibly conflicted. Finally, he took ashaky breath.

“Do you mind if…” Youinterrupted him, smiling gently.

“Of course not ! Let’s help him find his parents.” Chiaki looked immensely relieved, and smiled shakily at you before hegently swooped up the boy in his arms. He seemed like he was used to it !

“Don’t cry, young boy ! We will help you find yourparents again ! I’m a hero, you know, so it’s nothing unusual for me !” The boy had calmed down a bit, and was staring at your boyfriend withwide eyes.

“You’re a… real hero ?” Chiakinodded fervently, before shooting you a meaningful look and adding in a boomingvoice :

“We’re both heroes, actually !”

“That’s true !” youchirped, nodding proudly. The child looked half-impressed, half-overjoyed atthe thought of meeting heroes, and Chiaki skillfully kept going, captivatinghis single-member audience fully.

“So you shouldn’t worry, alright ? We will definitelyfind your parents !” He kept reassuring the boy, addingin funny stories of his past hardships as a hero and soon enough, the child waslaughing in his arms, having completely forgotten about his parents. You justlooked at him with a happy smile. Chiaki seemed to be having a lot of fun too…

A sudden noise made you jump insurprise. That’s right, the fireworks… ! Chiaki immediately turned your way,panicked.

“I forgot, but we were supposed to go see the fire—”

“Hey, it’s alright ! I really don’t mind. Shouldn’t wemove away from them actually ? Isn’t the boy afraid of them ?” You and Chiaki looked over to the child, still cozily snug in Chiaki’sarms… and he was peacefully asleep against his chest, even drooling a bit overhim. You smiled at the sight, and Chiaki got a bit closer to your ear towhisper :

“Then let’s just stay here and watch ! We can stillsee them from here, look !” He was right : it was pretty crowdedhere, but at least you had a nice view of the night sky. The fireworks weregorgeous… You were so absorbed in your contemplation that you were surprisedwhen Chiaki shyly put his free arm around your waist, and you leaned your headagainst his shoulder. The night was so calm and peaceful…

“Oh my, isn’t your little boy a darling ?” A kind-looking old lady standing near you smiled at you, and Chiakisent you an embarrassed little smile. You felt your cheeks heat up a bit andshakily raised your voice.

“Oh, actually, this is—”

“He is, isn’t he ?” Chiakihad suddenly cut you off, and for a moment, you completely lost track of yourthoughts. Did he just… agree with her ? His cheeks were getting increasinglyredder, but he was smiling happily at the child snuggled up in his arms, like afather would.

“How nice, to be young and in love !” The old lady laughed and raised her head to admire the night sky again.You sneaked a glance at your boyfriend, who did exactly the same thing, and thetwo of you just exchanged a happy, if flustered smile.

Sure, you’d find the boy’s parentssoon enough but… maybe you could enjoy your evening for just a little bitlonger, beforehand. It’s okay to be a little bit selfish sometimes, right… ?

Natsume :

You were absorbed in yourcontemplation of the colorful paper lanterns lighting up the streets, notreally paying attention to the people going about. It was a warm and pleasantsummer evening, buzzing with excitement. Children were running about andlaughing, people were chatting… but Natsume looked strangely serene, when youran up to him.

“Natsume !” You jumped in his arms,hugging him tight. He chuckled and held you briefly, eyes twinkling withamusement.

“Did you really miss me that much ?I’m touched, little kitten.” You couldn’t help but smile when you noticed hereally had a dissonant air of calm about him, almost as if the overexcitedatmosphere wasn’t contagious to him. He casually slipped an arm around yourwaist, strolling lazily between the stalls and examining your every reaction.If you knew him any less than you did, you’d think he was used to festivals orjust very casual about them…

… but Natsume’s probably the one personyou know best. His eyes were constantly darting all over the place, and hiseyebrows were just a tiny bit furrowed. He never came here. It’s his first time,and as much as he was trying to guide you in the stall-lined streets, he justended up following the other people strolling about. You couldn’t help but feellike teasing him…

“Feels weird to finally get out ofyour room, huh ? How’s the outside world ?” He smirked in response, bringingyou a bit closer to him.

“I can still go back home, you know.”He said that in a light, teasing tone, but you wondered if he wasn’thalf-serious… You couldn’t help but sneak a glance at him, when he was notlooking. He did wear a yukata and was carrying a folding fan in his free hand,but he looked over-cautious. To you, it was painfully obvious he wasn’t feelingat ease here. Maybe he’s really the indoor-type…

His eyes widened subtly for just asecond when you gently took his hand, softly removing it from your waist tohold it in yours instead. The pressure of your fingers against his was warm andgentle, just enough to remind him you were there, with him.

“It’s all good, Natsume, I’m here”,you smiled to him. He immediately answered back with a smirk of his own, butyou did sense his confusion just moments ago.

“I do hope it is. I came here foryou, you know.” His golden eyes reflected the colorful lights from the paperlanterns, and for a moment you were lost deep inside them. They didn’t look nearly asteasing as they usually did and were instead much softer… Was that gratitude ?

Too soon, the usual Natsume was backthough, whispering snarky comments to make you laugh. You didn’t exactlydislike this Natsume, but… you also were curious about the one you caughtglimpses of, sometimes. The quieter, more emotional Natsume that hid behind hisusual witty façade. Today, you faintly felt his presence, as your boyfriendgently squeezed your fingers in his from time to time. A particularly insistentsqueeze brought you back to the real world, as he nodded towards a stall.

“If it isn’t thatone plushie you really wanted last time…” You gasped, suddenlyremembering it. This small cat plushie ! You’d seen it in a crane game lastweek ! Neither you nor Natsume could win it though, so you had to give it up…

“Ah, you’re right ! I still want itthough ! Come on, Natsume, win it for me… !” You were practically bouncing inexcitement, gripping your boyfriend’s hand tighter, and he chuckled. He didlove your childish side…

“Aren’t you a lucky one, kitten.Shooting games are one of my specialties.” You laughed at his comment, as he wasgetting his wallet and paying the stand owner.

“What isn’t ? You’re always so good ateverything you try”, you retorted teasingly. He smiled in response, but itlacked the usual slyness he had most of the time.

“I wish, kitten.” Another glimpse ofhis hidden self, but it disappeared with just a blink. The usual, smirkingNatsume was back, studying attentively the display with his air gun in hand.

“You’d better focus real hard,Natsume ! I really want this plushie, you know ?” He chuckled in response,already aiming. His eyes were calmly roaming about, catching every detail, and he looked sofocused already…

“You can count on me. I’m not goingto let it slip me right by another time.” And with that, he shot. You gaspedloudly : he really was good ! The targets fell one after the other, and he onlymissed one, although you could tell he was pretty annoyed at it. Once he wasdone, he gave the gun back to the owner with a smirk while you rushed to hughim tight.

“Hey, you’re so good ! I thought itwas just a bluff !” He shook his head at your comment, amused.

“I don’t make it a habit to backdown when it’s for you, you know.” Your attention was quickly caught by thestand owner, who was smiling at you.

“You definitely earned one of theprizes from here ! Which one do you want ?” Ah, he was showing the display inwhich the plushie you wanted was ! You pointed at it immediately.

“This kitty here, please !” Theowner took it from the display and handed it to you, and you couldn’t refrain ahappy little laugh. Natsume chuckled when you jumped in his arms, hugginghim so tight you might leave bruises.

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou ! Youreally did it ! Aaah, I’m so happy !” Natsume was about to tease you for beingso childish, but you kissed him right then and there, effectively making himshut up for the first time since you started dating him. He quickly got a hangof himself though, and broke the kiss soon enough.

“People are waiting, kitten. If youwant to do that sort of things, you’d better find a quiet place before.” Youcould tell he was serious though, so you quickly gripped his hand with a blush.Right now, there was nothing you wanted more than being alone with yourboyfriend…

Soon enough, you and Natsume hadfound a quiet little corner, not far from the nearby river. You were out ofbreath from all the kissing, but he wouldn’t stop, gently pushing you against atree and nibbling at your neck. He looked unusually serious today… There was noteasing, no smirks and no chuckles. He was just quietly longing for your warmth,eyes half-lidded as he kissed you over and over again. That is, until henoticed you were looking pointedly away.

“Could it be that you’re notsatisfied yet, kitten ? You’re distracted.” You blushed a bit but drew yourtongue at him in response, prompting him to kiss you a bit more roughly thistime.

“No, actually, I was looking at theriver… It’s really pretty, with all those lanterns.” Intrigued, he shot a lookat the river and his eyes widened a bit at the sight. Square lanterns weredrifting on the water, lit up by candles. It seemed like people were lightingthem up further away before putting them on the water… Your boyfriend’s lipsparted for a moment, but quickly closed.

“It is.” It was all he couldeventually say, surprising you a little. Was he moved by the beauty of thesight ? That thought made you smile lovingly, and suddenly, you had an idea.

“Do you want to go and light up alantern too ? These people must be getting them from somewhere”, you remarked,and he looked a bit surprised but nodded slowly.

“If you wouldn’t mind, then… By allmeans.” When you took his hand to guide him to the riverbank, it was grippingyours almost shyly, prompting you to giggle. It’s like you caught anotherglimpse of the quieter and shier Natsume…

You and your boyfriend got each alantern, and you were kneeling on the grass bed before the river, a sharpie inhand. “Looks like we have to write a wish inside before we light them up”, youcommented, lost in your thoughts.

What could you write… ? It’s prettyhard to come with a wish on the spot. Natsume looked just as deep in thoughtsas you were, then slowly started to write. You tried to sneak a glance, but heprotectively hid his lantern under his arms. When he realized it, he smirkedlightly, leaving you to chuckle. Secretive, isn’t he ?

Once you were done with your ownlantern, you lit up the candle inside. Natsume soon did the same, and the twoof you gently placed the lanterns on the rippling water. You were worried itwould just sink, but it floated instead, softly illuminating the river as itwent further away. You just sat there, watching as the lanterns drifted away,carried by the water. Your boyfriend looked so absorbed in his thoughts thatyou had to gently squeeze his hand for him to get back on earth.

“Come on, Natsume, our clothes aregoing to get dirty. Let’s move !” He nodded, helping you up. He did try to makea few sarcastic comments, as you were going back to the colorful andenthusiastic atmosphere of the festival, but you faintly felt he was feelingcontemplative tonight. He looked a bit more withdrawn than usual, too… Which is whyyou were surprised when he suddenly hugged you from behind, just before you gotback to the main area of the festival.

“Can I ask what you wished for ?” Hewhispered near your ear, making you shiver. You tried looking at him, but hehid his face in your neck, gently biting it as an excuse. Oh, but he wouldn’tfool you…

“It’s a secret ! If I tell you, itwon’t get true, you know~” You felt his lips curl into a small smile againstyour skin, but he didn’t insist. He seemed to be taking this whole wish thingvery seriously, which was uncharacteristic of him… “Well, I can tell youit’s something related to you though”, you added as an afterthought. You didn’treally say what exactly you wished for, so it shouldn’t count, right ?

Natsume just stayed silent a moment,arms unmoving around your shoulders. You closed your eyes, lettingyourself be swept by the moment. When your boyfriend finally answered, hisvoice was quieter than usual.

“I’m glad.” He kissed your neck onelast time, then your cheek, and finally the corners of your mouth. You turnedyour head sideway, trying to kiss him too, but he denied you with a littlechuckle. Now that you could see his face, his eyes were brighter than usual andlooked so much softer…

Before you could look at him formuch longer, he suddenly kissed you. Usually, he’s all teeth and tongue, buttoday he was oh so gentle. His hand even slowly cupped your cheek, stroking itsoftly with his thumb. You closed your eyes and melted into the kiss, losingtrack of time. It felt just right… Warm, safe and right.

When Natsume softly broke the kiss,you hugged him tight. You could faintly hear his heartbeat under his skin… andin the absolute silence surrounding you, the words he whispered in your earsounded so much louder.

“I don’t really believe in wishes, but Ithink mine just came true.”

[amigoingbananas]

Uhm.. i just wanna say that i love your fanfics and drabbles, plus i dont know if you open a request or not... *raise hand* c-can i request a nsfw scenario for Yasu? The plot is what if she asking him out to fireworks festival for unwind him but she got away witg Inuchiyo and Hideyoshi, so he need showing them the mark heheheh thank you and hope you dont mind senpai /running away/

Ahhh thank you, I really appreciate it! ❤️ And thank you for sending a request! (｡・//ε//・｡)

Word count: 1,243 words wow I have never written anything this long ha haA/N: This is slightly different from your request omg I am sorry OTL but I hope this is still okay for you. And I apologize if Ieyasu is OOC, it is my first time writing him (and with smut X’DD) @akutagawahakuryuunosuke

“A fireworks display, milord?” Senri asked, eyes widewith curiosity.

“The Lord of Fools and his circus are coming over in afew days, so I need to put on a show,” Ieyasu said, frowning.

“Oh… Do you think that maybe, we could watch thefireworks together? It might help you unwind a little, since you’ve been quitebusy lately.”

“What makes you think I’ll be interested in that?” Ieyasureplied, clearly disinterested.

“Right,” she said, trying to hide her disappointment.“Would it be all right if I watched with Inuchiyo, then? That is, if you don’tmind…”

“Do whatever you want. I don’t care.” Ieyasu said,stuffing strawberry daifuku in his mouth without as much as a glance at Senri.

“Thank you, Lord Ieyasu.”

For the rest of the evening, Senri watched him finishhis dinner in complete silence.

–

“Look at that one! It’s so colorful!” Senri gleefullyexclaimed, pointing at the fireworks in the sky.

“Beautiful, aren’t they? I expected nothing less fromthe great Tokugawa Ieyasu!” said Hideyoshi.

“Speaking of Lord Ieyasu, it’s a good thing he let youwatch with us,” said Inuchiyo, giving her a genuine smile.

“Well, he said he wasn’t interested… I suppose he’sbusy talking to Lord Nobunaga, too.”

“Hey!” a voice called out from behind them.

Recognizing who it was, Senri turned around. “LordIeyasu! What are you doing here?”

“So, it looks like you ended up watching the fireworkswith your little puppy friend and his monkey,” Ieyasu scowled.

“I did.”

“Oh Ieyasu, do you want to watch with us?” Hideyoshioffered, noticing Ieyasu’s foul mood. Ieyasu paid him no mind and looked atSenri.

“Just because I told you to do whatever you want, you actuallylet yourself stand so close to these two? And who said you could wear that?” Ieyasu said, eyeing her from headto toe. She was wearing a light-yellow yukata with a pink floral motif. Shewasn’t sure if he was complimenting her. “But I wasn’t even…” she was about toexplain herself but Inuchiyo suddenly snapped at Ieyasu.

“The hell is your problem?”

“Calm down,” Hideyoshi said, trying to restrainInuchiyo. “Ieyasu, there’s no need to be angry. We could leave you two alo—” Ieyasucut him off.  “Listen. Go find yourselfanother dung-beetle to fawn over.”

Ieyasu grabbed Senri’s arm and pulled her towards him.“Wait, why is this even happening?! Lord Ieyas—” she tried to protest but foundherself face-to-face with him. She could feel his breath on her lips.

“She is mine. Got it?” Ieyasu said, inching closer to herface. She closed her eyes, anticipating a kiss.

Hideyoshi’s eyes widened. “Heyyyyy, look over there,Inuchiyo! Isn’t that Katsuie with a drink in his hand? Come on, let’s joinhim!” he said, making a run for it.

“What the hell?” Inuchiyo said, watching Hideyoshi’s outlinedisappear into the distance. “Psh, fine.” He quickly glanced at Ieyasu andSenri before storming off.

When the two had left, Ieyasu let go of Senri and startedwalking towards the castle. She called after him. “Lord Ieyasu, wait a minute!We could still watch the fireworks together!”

“Not interested.”

“Oh, okay… Uhm, I’m sorry I made you mad. Let me makeyou your favorite dessert when we get back.”

He stopped in his tracks, and looked over at her. “Iknow something else that would make me feel better.” He lifted her into hisarms and carried her back to his room.

–

Once they arrived, Ieyasu slid the doors shut. “Takethat off,” he demanded.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Take your yukata off. It looks too goodon you. You don’t know how much it irritates me knowing that the dog and hismonkey saw you in that.” He was in one of his moods again.

“Oh.” Senri didn’t know how to respond. She was stilltrying to process what Ieyasu had said. But he said she looked good, and thatalone was enough to make her blush.

“Not going to take it off, are you?” He moved closerto her, pinning her against the wall. She didn’t have time to react before he kissedher. Although she was surprised by his sudden actions, she felt herself relaxwhen his lips were on hers. She placed her hand on his nape, giving him abetter angle.

“Mmm,” she let a sigh escape when Ieyasu thrust histongue in her mouth. Her breathing became more rapid, and she could feel herheart pounding.

Without breaking the kiss, Ieyasu brought his hand toher groin and made circling movements with his fingers. He could feel her heatdespite being fully clothed. Her body reacted immediately, sending a pulse ofpleasure throughout her. “Mngh, Lord Ieyasu…”

BOOM! Through the window, the light from the fireworksilluminated Senri’s face, making her glow more splendidly than she already did.Hmm, Ieyasu thought to himself. The fireworks aren’t half bad, after all.

As Ieyasu continued, Senri felt her legsstarting to give out. She grabbed onto him for support. He moved his mouth toher neck, leaving wet kisses along the way. He sucked hungrily at her skin.“Lord Ieyasu… someone might notice if you leave any marks,” she whimpered. “Letthem see for all I care,” he said.

“Ahh, I need you… please,” she begged. She feltdizzy from all his kisses, but wanted more. She started unfastening her obiwhile he slowly eased her onto his bedding. He watched her undress, admiringhow beautiful she looked with her flushed face.

Once she was naked, he looked straight into her eyes.“Hey… Didn’t you say you loved me?” he tried to sound angry, but all she heardwas pain in his voice. “I did! I do. Lord Ieyasu, I love you!” she said,stroking his cheek. He looked away, in an attempt to hide his blush.

“Then don’t ever make me feel like you don’t…” hewhispered as he explored the rest of her body with his mouth. “I won’t!” shesqueaked, unable to help herself while he left a trail of soft kisses all theway down to her stomach.

“I’ll make sure you won’t,” he said, looking up ather.

“What do you mean, Lord Ieya—” before she couldfinish, Ieyasu had thrust himself inside her. “Aah,” she said, closing her eyeswhile he kept a steady pace. He grabbed her legs and put them over hisshoulders, letting himself deeper inside.

Senri bit her lip, feeling him slide easily in and outof her. “Mhhm,” she covered her mouth, embarrassed at how much noise she wasmaking.

“No,” he said, pinning her hands to the floor. “I wantto hear your voice.”

“But, milord… I don’t hear the fireworks anymore. Itmust be over… people might be back in the castle,” she said between raggedbreaths. “Oh, embarrassed, are we? This should help you learn your place… hng!”he moaned, feeling her tighten around him.

“No, I’m not embarrassed,” she said, looking straight intohis eyes to let him know that she was telling the truth. He smiled at herhonesty, and allowed himself to indulge in her, even just for tonight.

“I love you, Senri,” he whispered, letting his warmth fillher.

Although Senri never got to watch the fireworks withIeyasu, she can’t help but admit that she preferred the fireworks in their roomthat night. ▪