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liillyliilly · 5 months ago

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I Need A Challenge

ushijima wakatoshi x reader words; 3804 synopsis; she writes a scathing review of ushijima's volleyball skills. how else should he respond if not by inviting her out to dinner?

She was tired of people like him. People who had no reason to be so stereotypically perfect. Everyone knows the type, comically good looking, is a prodigy in their one specific thing, acting so nonchalant that it ends up becoming their token personality trait. It was all so boring to her.

Which is why, as she was taking notes in the most recent Volleyball Nations League game, she wrote down some very harsh words for her analysis of star spiker Ushijima Wakatoshi. It was just the brutally honest truth of the world, she reasoned. Her editor, after reading the article she wrote at the game, almost dropped their jaw in shock at what she had written.

“This is really,” Editor Xhou sucked in some air through his teeth, “This is almost borderline libel material.”

She inspected her nails, shrugging as Xhou kept talking to her.

“I mean, you said that he is, and I quote from your own words, ‘Ushijima is the default setting for a volleyball player, there’s nothing too particularly unique’. You want me to let the paper publish this?” Xhou leans back into his office chair, pushing his glasses up and sighing.

“I write the truth, and the truth is that when Ushijima is on the court, you always know the exact plays he’ll make, the exact moves he’ll execute. The result is consistently the same. The games are too predictable when he plays.” She stands up from the seat opposite to Xhou.

Xhou sets the paper on his desk, checking that she really is okay with the article having her name attached to it.

A thumbs up is the only response she gives to her supervisor.

Xhou stamps the paper with his name, and faxes the documents to the coordinator putting together the sports magazine review for this issue. He wonders if the legal team is going to get involved again, he remembers the last player she reviewed, he was crushed and had to move to Alaska to play in a much smaller league. Xhou fully believes he’s going to get the magazine sued for letting her article fly.

Tendou finishes his squat set, hanging up the weights with a heave. Ushijima finishes his hundredth bicep curl, finally finishing his repetitions of this exercise.

Tendou pokes some fun, “I'm so sad for people without legs, they have to skip leg day.” He muses, trying to see what reaction or comment his best friend will make. Tendou twists and flexes in the full length mirrors lining the gym.

Ushijima only responds with a nod. He checks his phone, only to see that he’s received a little over four hundred notifications and counting. The beeping and noises start to pile up. Tendou peeks over Ushijima’s shoulder and gasps, he steals Ushijima’s phone away and immediately investigates what all the hustle and bustle could be related to.

“You should probably read this article, I think the writer has it out for your throat Wakatoshi.” Tendou grimaces while handing the phone back.

He skims the article, viewing the main talking points and major issues the author brings to light about his play style. His boring, everyday genius playstyle. He’s read criticisms of his volleyball skills before, but this one doesn’t seem too targeted solely about him, just using him as the mechanism to get a broader point across about the lack of challenges in volleyball recently. He chuckles at one of her comments, reading it aloud.

“Monster generation? I need a real challenge from these players, but all they’re giving me is platinum dreams without true passion and anger for the sport. I want them foaming at the mouth with new tricks, but I’m getting the same exact game over and over again.” Tendou cringes as Ushijima reads the words out loud. Ushijima stifles another chuckle.

Ushijima tucks his phone into his pocket, picking up his duffel bag. “I like her. She knows volleyball.”

It wasn’t just her comments, it was also the name of the author that Ushijima liked.

Tendou drops his water bottle in response to Ushijima’s behavior, stunned at the openness of amusement he has for the article and for the investment he has for this particular reporter.

Ushijima’s manager says that she’ll have a cease and desist letter issued to the paper for publishing such a slanderous piece. Ushijima proposes an entirely different solution.

She didn’t expect to be sitting at a restaurant, pencil and paper in hand, waiting for someone she just dragged through the mud to arrive so they could share a meal and an interview.

It was winter, and her reading glasses had fogged up slightly in the difference between the outdoors temperature and the warmth of the restaurant. The main features of the restaurant was the Western Style dining choices and decor, it reminded her almost of a hibachi place, but instead of Japanese food it was just a bunch of American and European dishes.

“It’s nice to see you again.” Ushijima pulls out his chair and settles into it, grabbing his glass of water so he can drink from it.

“High school seemed so long ago, but yes it is nice to see you again Wakatoshi. Sorry for the piece, your name just carries the right amount of importance to get my bigger points across.” She crosses her legs, setting her pencil behind her ear. The waiter comes around and takes their orders. He asks for the salmon, and she gets the house soup.

“No, I totally get it. But the statement about how people just continually eat up the single dish I serve? I thought you would’ve found a better analogy for my consistency on the court.” He just smiles at her, watching her move the pencil from behind her ear to her mouth so she could chew on it a little. One of her tells of when she was deeply thinking about how to respond to something.

Ushijima remembers all the stories she would write back in high school, ranging from sports analysis of Shiratorizawa clubs for her journalism extracurricular to getting paid to write love letters from person to person. She garnered enough money to pay for a new laptop and her entire wishlist of stationery items.

He remembers her lending him a pen once during class, it was a weightier metal pen. The ink was so black he was sure it was made of pure darkness. While he admired the pen she went into a rant talking about the pen itself, the quality of it and how it took forever to be delivered to her. They both got chastised by the teacher for having a side conversation and had to sit outside the classroom. But they ended up talking outside the classroom despite being told not to.

“Like you’d know what a good analogy looks like.” She hides her smirk behind a spoonful of soup. Ushijima appreciates her ability to be unapologetic, her honesty and bluntness matching his own linguistic traits.

They talk for three hours, about volleyball, life after high school, the article she wrote, about friends and the situations they found themselves in. Ushijima talks about Tendou and his chocolatier aspirations, she brings up Semi Eita’s new album that actually sounded truly alternative and unique.

He remembers her having a crush on Semi throughout high school. He didn’t really see why she would sit at their practices sometimes, just sighing wistfully, before freezing and turning flustered when Semi tried to make conversation like a normal person. But when Semi was seen to be a slight habitual complainer, she grew a distaste for him. Ushijima was sure that Semi was her longest crush, clocking in at around two months or so.

Ushijima did enjoy that she came to their practices sometimes, because then he could ask her about her pen collection and she would openly, loudly, and enthusiastically layer on every detail she could fit into her remarks. And she was someone who asked him about his favorite things, primarily volleyball but also about reading the advertisements in the Weekly Shonen Jump Magazine. Or about how good a runner’s high could feel sometimes.

Around her, he could share without fear of being misunderstood. She just accepted what she heard, and then analyzed it, taking her time and asking clarifying questions. He did his best to emulate her mannerisms and tact within their conversations, usually failing, but she didn’t mind.

She did openly declare an aversion for him throughout high school, that genius powerhouses should never be entertained with acknowledgement. What others considered harsh from her was almost like beaming encouragement for him. It was like she was telling him, if he didn’t continually improve and advance then the stagnation would leave him in the dust. A push in the right direction was more accurate of why she would say what she did about him.

He takes the bill from her, puts his gold debit card on the clipboard, and returns it to the waiter before she can even open her purse. Rolling her eyes, she sets some bills on the table and slides it over to him. Glaring at him until he accepts the cash and puts the bills into his wallet.

“Are you dating anyone right now?” Ushijima inquires while they walk down the street to get to the train station. The night air leaves a chill around the two of them. He had his hands tucked into his pockets, and she had her arms folded over her body.

Snow falls from the sky, catching the lights and making streaks of color burst in small flickers like fireflies. The piled up snow in the roads hadn’t yet been plowed thoroughly, and wasn’t sullied with pollution that made it yellow and black. The snow was much more like a blanket.

“Listen, I’m what people consider easy to love but hard to please. Most people say they felt like they were never enough for me when we were dating.” She bites on her bottom lip a little. It’s a confusing feeling to be unnerved by him, and she feels even more uneasy when she realizes that she’s speaking too openly. “I don’t intentionally degrade those I date, I just, I have high expectations. I don’t give many second chances.”

His breath comes out in puffs of white, winter nipping at his nose which makes him feel uncomfortable. He wonders if she’s as cold as him. He knew that she had high expectations, none of the boys at their high school got remotely close to being romantically involved with her. She wanted more than what most people could offer. She wanted someone who was as open as her.

She feels a little guilty about her article now. Maybe she pushed the words a little too much on his bad qualities. Ushijima really wasn’t that bad, he was just dependable and rational, which crafted his playstyle of being an ultimate pillar of strength for a team. Why shouldn’t a team go with the most reliable way of scoring points? Then she shooed the thought. If volleyball wanted to keep being popular, it needed to evolve.

“I liked your article a lot.” He offers, segwaying the conversation, knowing her thoughts better than she knew them. “Power goes far, but even then, there’s ceilings that need to be broken. There’s talents that need to be unearthed, planted, and then allowed to bloom.”

They sit on the bench under the covering for the train station. The screen shows that the train she needs to take will come in around ten minutes.

“Thanks. My editor was worried you were going to sue me for what I wrote.” She laughs a little, rubbing her hands against her thighs to build up some lingering heat in her hands and her body.

He passes her his gloves from his jacket pocket. Making a small hum he waves them in front of her. She accepts and embraces the black fleece covering her fingers.

“Oh, no, there’s no way I’d want you to be sued. But I do want you to add another part to the article.” He blows some air onto his hands, rubbing them together. She raises an eyebrow inquisitively, turning towards him on the bench.

Once he had finished reading her piece on Ushijima’s game, he went through and read all her other articles. He found out her favorite current player was actually Hinata Shouyou, the energetic innovator. She had written about his unique approach, due to natural athleticism. Also about his experience in Brazilian beach volleyball making his defense skills unique in the field of both Japanese volleyball and on a global scale. It was all about Hinata this, Hinata that. But could the ultimate decoy ever compare to the pillar of strength?

“What do you want me to change? I can’t make any promises.”

“Say I’m your number one, because I don’t do last place.” Ushijima lifted her chin up, looking right into her eyes. He inspects her face, the small miniscule motions her features display show that she’s listening, actively listening. “Did I ever mention that you’re the only one that has my attention?”

She really was. The only reporter he cared to give quotes to after big games, the only girl who he ever wondered if there was any possibility to develop a relationship with. He was hooked on every word she wrote, every interview she hosted online. She was in his world, but never overlapped her social circle with his for longer than an hour at best.

She swallows thickly, “I’m sorry to say this, but I really am unimpressed by your playstyle.”

He raises an eyebrow, sliding his hand from her chin to the side of her neck. He can feel the way her pulse is racing under her skin.

“We both know that’s not true.”

Her train arrived. She ducked under his hand and made her way onto the train. Before the sliding door closes, she motions him closer so she doesn't have to yell.

“Then show me your talents. I need a challenger for my first place.”

Tendou lies on his stomach on the floor, Ushijima is reviewing some plays written by his coach. He scans for any play that could show off his left hand spikes, or any play that he could try and improvise a receive if he wasn’t on the front row rotation. The plays are different from what he’s used to. But his coach said that they were all optional, and that Ushijima’s playstyle was perfectly fine as it was. But ‘fine as is’ doesn’t earn him any accolades in her book.

Tendou perks up, “I always felt like fighting had romantic undertones.” He references what Ushijima had told him about how the dinner with his reporter went last week.

“But I don’t want to fight her? I’d hardly call a slight disagreement a fight.” Ushijima sets aside the packet he had been studying.

He opens his phone and refreshes the webpage for the newspaper she worked for. When nothing pops up under her name, he goes to the calendar page to see if she’d be attending an upcoming game he’d be playing in. He sets his phone aside when he realizes she will in fact be in attendance.

“But you do want to fight for her ‘first place’ hottie player ranking.” Tendou kicks his feet in the air, crossing his feet and tapping the top of his head.

Ushijima stands up and goes to check his closet, seeing if he needs to get a tighter jersey for the upcoming game. “She never used the word ‘hottie’ when talking about her favorite player.”

“So you admit that you do want to be her favorite player?”

Ushijima finishes trying on the jersey over his long sleeve compression shirt, the jersey fitted better than he remembered. He tugs on the front of the uniform. Then what Tendou said clicks for him.

Ushijima blinks, “I do want to be her favorite player.” He doesn’t see why he would deny that observation. Being her favorite player would be the ideal situation for him.

Tendou rolls over onto his back and wiggles his pointer fingers in the air, “You want to be more than just her favorite player.” He sings the words in a teasing manner.

“Maybe I do.”

One time, near the end of high school, she was talking during lunch. Her friends were uninterested, wanting to discuss boys or homework instead of her critical worldview analysis. Her table was right next to the table that Ushijima and Tendou were sitting at, their volleyball friends already outside tossing around a ball.

Ushijima listened in, drinking his milk while Tendou ate chicken nuggets. When her voice got quieter, almost to the point of fading out entirely due to her slowly realizing her friends were not as interested in the conversation as she was, Ushijima leaned in subconsciously, trying to catch her words.

Tendou pinched Ushijima, telling him that if he wanted to listen to her, he should ask her to come sit with them. Ushijima froze. So Tendou invited her to come sit with them. Placing her lunch tray down, she ate a carrot, sensing Ushijima’s hesitance and Tendou’s eagerness.

It was Ushijima that spoke first, “Keep going. You remind me of someone. He said almost the same thing, about his worthless pride and not forgetting about it.”

She brightens. Continuing her dissection of the value of pride, she refers to Ushijima as a reference point for pride. Using him in her examples and demonstrations of her illustrative examples. Around the third time she says his family name, he makes another request.

“You can just call me Wakatoshi.”

Tendou drops his chicken nugget, but quickly regains his pace in eating the arms off the dinosaurs.

She says his name, once and then twice. Letting it settle onto her tongue and leave a trace of what a first name basis could mean. Pondering on that instead of her newest philosophy interest is quickly dropped. She only ever calls him by his name from then on.

Needless to say, the next game he plays at, she’s there, with her notepad and pen. Each receive, hit, serve, and toss is carefully recorded on her paper.

He doesn’t do anything too off the typical, but he does try new things his coach had mentioned. Pressuring an opponent’s highest scorer more, trying a few block kills when he’s in the right rotation, scoring some points off the tip of the blockers hands instead of cutting right through their attempts to defend. He’s more tired after this game than his last one. Yet, he had more fun this time around. His teammates seemed thrilled with the results of never having a gap less than five points.

After the game, before he goes to the locker room to debrief with the team and change into regular clothes, he stalks his way over to her. She’s talking to another reporter that had been sitting in the media section, but the other reporter just elbows her lightly when he notices Ushijima making an attempt to approach. The other man slowly walks away, bidding her a farewell.

She’s still sitting on the bench, cheekily covering her notes with her hand, and writing something down. When he takes a place next to her, he spreads his legs a little, expanding his presence and bumping their thighs into each other. She initially retracts from the touch, but relaxes into it.

He’s aware that his body is thinly sheened with sweat. It drips from the hair at his nape down his back and soaks into his player kit. She brings her notepad up to her face, looking at him over the spiral binding of the paper. Trying to hide her comments and analysis of the game, which had been overwhelmingly positive for Ushijima.

“What’s your professional opinion of the game?” He uses a finger to push down her notepad that was covering her nose. A streak of ink and pencil lead was across her cheek and nose. He brought his thumb up and wiped away the markings. At first swipe, nothing moved, so he slid his thumb over again with just a little more pressure.

“It was entertaining in a different sense. Rather than being solely athletic entertainment.” She licks her own thumb and finishes wiping away all the marks that she could feel him trying to get rid of. She misses a sliver on the apple of her cheek but he doesn’t say anything, enjoying the way that it makes her seem less intimidating and more adorable.

“Care to share with the class?”

“Well, when a certain player keeps trying to make eye contact during the game, when he should instead be invested in the game, it does pose some interesting investigative questions.”

At this point, Ushijima slid his hand to her thigh, asking her to explain further, “Such as?”

“When will he get up the nerve to ask her on a date? Will he take her for a ride in that brand new car he got? Does he need glasses from how frequently it seemed he scrutinized the audience in search of her?” She pauses, then continues, “And will he be mad if she writes something about how attentive the setter was during the game?”

“Soon, for the date. Most definitely a long car ride to the mountains. His vision is actually perfectly 20/20, he just wanted to make sure she was having a good time by observing her reactions. No comments for the setter, he’s a rookie, and much less attentive than an older, more experienced player.”

She hums a little in regards to his answers to her inquiries. Soon, she tugs on the back of his hand, the hand that was resting on her thigh. She bites the cap off her pen, waving the pen in the air, close enough to his skin for him to understand the point of what she was communicating.

The pen tickled the skin of his hand, but he liked the way she put one hand under his to make his hand rest flat so she could write her piece on his body. Capping the pen back up, she tucked it behind her ear.

Written on his hand was a series of numbers, along with a small doodle of a volleyball.

Getting up from her spot on the media bench, she leaves him with a short statement.

“I liked your response to my challenge. Keep making the Monster Generation bloom with each game Wakatoshi.” She halts for a moment, then turns back to him, “You can be my number one on those conditions. Blooming the Monsters and responding to my challenges.”

He’d return every challenge she gave him if it meant he could be hers.

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violetthistle1 · 16 days ago

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Excerpt 4 from Singing in the Dead of Night by Violet_Thistle on Ao3.

“Presents?” Sirius had completely forgotten that there would be presents.

“Of course there are presents, it’s your birthday!” Remus passed him a flat rectangular box.

“Ohh, what’s this?” Sirius asked as he shook the box.

“Open it and find out.” Remus smiled.

Sirius tore into the paper and opened the box to reveal an oddly shaped bright yellow raincoat, with a matching hat, far, far too small for him. Sirius gasped aloud. “You didn’t!”

“I did.”

“You said you wouldn’t walk around with a dog in clothes!” Sirius picked up the jacket and turned it over in his hands.

“Yeah, then I realized that I was being an arse.” Remus gave him a rueful grin.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/60195556

#It's Sirius' birthday!#fanfic #wolfstar #remus lupin/sirius black #marauders #dignity be damned #remus lupin #playful banter #sirius black #fluff #harry potter

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blackcherryvelvet0909 · 1 year ago

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Scenic Globes (Jade x GN!Reader)

“And this is for you.”

Placed in your waiting hands was a small glass globe no bigger than a softball. There was an opening at the top, within it a thin layer of sand. You smiled and nodded as you said, “Thank you.”

Jade smiled in return, his own globe held delicately in his palm. His fingers were longer than yours, the tips brushing the opening of the glass. Inside was its own thin layer of sand: the foundation of the beach terrarium you both would soon create. You were honestly surprised Jade wanted you of all people to spend this time with him. However, you doubted Floyd would be interested in such things; Azul might be, but he was currently busy trying to strike up business in town. Trey was another possibility, but you knew that man always had his hands full aiding Riddle with Heartslabyul’s student management. There weren’t many other options for company, you realized.

Even so, you couldn’t help but ask, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but why do you want me to make a terrarium with you? I thought you liked to spend time alone when it comes to nature?”

“I often do, yes,” Jade replied. Those heterochromic orbs eyed you fondly as he added, “However, it has been quite a while since we’ve spent some quality time together. As we are both free this morning, I’d say that opportunity has finally come.”

“Yeah, fair enough,” you said. You gave Jade a nervous smile and pointed out, “I actually have never made a terrarium before - you’ll have to guide me through it.”

“I suspected as much.” He placed his empty hand over his heart, “It would be my pleasure to teach you.”

Usually one would be nervous to go off with Jade alone, but unlike other people you’d come to like Jade’s eccentric attitude. Sure, he could be real ominous at times, with that smile that may or may not intend your doom - and yet, at least when it came to you, you never felt the danger. Floyd did point out to you once that Jade seemed a bit less menacing in your presence…you guessed that was a good sign. So, you threw caution to the wind and let Jade lead you away from the beach and into the lush green brush beyond.

***

The moment you stepped into that greenery, dusted with golden grains of sand, you both set to work. You crouched down on the ground and sifted through the flora to try and find something of interest to put in your globe. When you glanced back to see what Jade was doing, you saw his terrarium was already in progress. You felt a little frustrated at your lack of progress. “What exactly am I looking for?” you asked. “Like, what do I put in here?”

“Anything you want,” Jade answered simply.

Well, that certainly helped you. You watched Jade pluck some rocks from the ground and carefully place them into the glass. Every placement of every object and plant was perfectly calculated; he was constructing a scene before your very eyes. And yet, still, your own globe laid barren. You decided to voice another question, “How do you usually make yours?”

“Mm…” Jade thought it over for a moment, then said, “I often do one of two things: I will either have a mental vision of how I want the terrarium to appear, or I will simply let the inspiration come to me as I work.”

Yeah, that made sense. Unfortunately for you, nothing came to mind. You stared down at the small glass orb; the sand sloshed back and forth as you turned it from side to side, careful not to spill the grains. Your eyes scanned the area around you for a moment, then turned back to your globe. For once, you lacked any sort of creativity. You didn’t even notice Jade had come to kneel at your side until his voice was right next to your ear.

“If I may,” he offered you a pretty flower he held between his fingers, “I think this would be a fine start to your scene.”

So, he did notice your struggle. Ever the observant one, this eel. No wonder Azul chose him to be his vice housewarden…although, it was obvious why his brother was not picked instead. What a chaotic scenario that would have been. Your eyes took in the flower presented to you: it was small, barring four blush pink petals. You smiled as you took the flower delicately by the stem, mumbling a small ‘thank you’ as you placed it in your globe. The flower now lay prettily on the sand in the corner of the glass, almost like an umbrella.

“Is anything coming to mind?” Jade queried.

“I…I think so.” You had a general idea - not a grand one, though. “Do I have to fill the entire thing?”

“Not at all.” Jade held up his own globe for you to see, his index finger pointing at the space two inches from its opening. “It is actually recommended for you to leave some space, so the space does not become too crowded. I would say the limit for the length of any plant or object that be placed within this globe should stretch no further than here.”

You nodded as you took in his words, then asked, “Can I leave a space in the middle? Not an empty one, I mean - just one that doesn’t have much stuff in it?”

He glanced down at you and gave a small shake of his head. “If that is what you wish.”

Now an idea was placed in your head. It wouldn’t be much, but you think it’d look nice. After another uttered ‘thank you’, you set to work once again. You scoured the ground for what you needed for your vision: tiny rocks and pebbles and seashells, flowers, sprigs of green foliage, and one palm leaf. Jade helped you procure that last piece; unfortunately, you are not tall enough to reach such a height. You carefully arranged all of these items into your glass globe piece by piece. While there was a rearrangement or two in the process, your decoration went off without a hitch. When it was complete, you felt practically giddy. It looked so good!

“Jade, look!” You rose up from your spot on the ground and trotted over to where he stood in the shade of a palm tree. He glimpsed your figure as you approached from behind, just as he tucked something into his terrarium. You held up your own glass sphere for him to see. “I’m finished! What do you think?”

The glint of sharp teeth peeked through his smile as he spoke. “It looks wonderful - a very good job for your first terrarium.” He gazed into the globe for a few more seconds before he turned to face you. “Would you like to see mine?”

“Sure!” You leaned in close as he brought the terrarium up to your line of sight. A gasp released from your lips. It was…breathtaking! The way he organized the palm leaves, sprigs of fresh and wilted grass, pebbles and rocks, seashells, flowers, tiny sticks. You even noticed there was the tiniest puddle of water in the center; it looked like a mini oasis! It was…so much better than yours. You suddenly felt self-conscious, ashamed, but you forced a smile as you voiced your own praise.

“It looks amazing!” You lightly pressed the tip of your finger to point out the mini puddle of water. “How did you prevent the water from soaking into the sand?”

“I brought a little tool with me.” Jade lowered the globe so you could peer into it from the top opening. “You see that the sand is pressed down at the bottom of the water? That is because I placed a circular, plastic tray there. I poured a bit of water into the tray; it will prevent the sand from soaking it up.”

“That’s so cool!” Though you genuinely meant the compliment, the shame from your inexperience only grew. “You’re really talented, Jade.”

“Why, thank you, [Y/n].” He looked quite pleased with your statement, eyes closed for a moment in silent joy. When they opened again, his smile drooped into a different one as his eyebrows downturned. “But there is sadness in your eyes. Have I done something to offend you?”

Once again, very observant. You knew better than to lie, or to say it was nothing. Jade would find out one way or another - and he would be hurt that you’d keep something like that from him. So, with a sigh, your own smile faded into a frown, head lowered in a mix of shyness and shame. “N-No, you haven’t offended me. It’s just, well…I guess I wish I could be as good as you are, making terrariums, I mean. I know I just started, but,” you chuckled as you glanced down at the glass in your hand, “mine looks so barren compared to yours.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Those heterochromic eyes filled your vision again as Jade knelt before you. He carefully set his terrarium beside him before he came to clasp yours. “May I?” With a nod of your head, you let Jade take the glass orb and lift it between you two. “Yes, yours is not as detailed as mine,” Jade began, “but there is a beauty to minimalism. This scene you have created…is it perhaps a campsite on the beach?”

“How did you know?” You tilted your head to beside in bewilderment at Jade’s observation.

He let out a soft tiddle before he continued. “I recognize it from the fires we built along the beach the other night, when we were with our classmates. Though we did not sit at the same fire, I do recall there being a large umbrella beside yours. It was Riddle’s, was it not?”

“Yes.”

“Though it is a lighter shade of color, you have tucked the flower I gave you in the corner to represent that umbrella. In the center, where you’ve made a small circle of pebbles, that is to represent the campfire; I like how you placed a stem of red weed in the center.”

“Do you think I shortened it too much?” you asked.

“No.” Jade’s eyes flicked up to meet your gaze - within his were a softness you hadn’t noticed before. “It is the perfect size to mimic a fire.” He glanced back down at the globe, “I see a few shells peeking out of the sand as well.” He paused for a moment, then looked up and asked, “Might I ask what the palm leaf is to represent?”

“The large towel Trey had laid out for us,” you replied. “I tried to cut the leaf just enough to fit in the glass without it overpowering everything else.” Your worried gaze met his once again as you shyly admitted, “I know it doesn’t look too good.”

“On the contrary, I think it is a wonderful edition.” Jade squinted to get a closer look inside, nose almost brushed up against the glass. “You used the materials at your disposal to create a scene from memory. I believe it is a very accurate setting.” He offered the terrarium back to you and you took it. “I also think your decision to keep the backdrop clear allows for even further detail. You can simply hold it up to the sky - anything, really - and let it paint the picture in your mind.”

For the way he described it, you felt a lot better now. Still, compared to Jade’s, it was obvious who was the true professional. Your smile returned brighter than ever as Jade stood. “Thank you, Jade. I feel better about it now - and hey, like you said, I’m a beginner. I’ll be sure to get better with time!”

“Indeed, I believe you will.” Jade picked his terrarium up off the ground as he spoke again. “Does that mean you wish to do this again sometime?”

“I’d love to!” You walked with Jade as he began to lead you two back to the beach. “Next time, I’d like you to show me how you make yours. I want to see all the different things you can do.”

“You flatter me.” You glimpsed the lightest tint of pink creep up on the man’s cheeks. He now grinned from ear to ear, not too worried about showing his teeth to you. “I will be sure to teach you everything I know.” He paused in his speech, then that smile turned a tad mischievous. “Well…perhaps not everything. That sort of knowledge will cost you.”

“Cost me what?” You felt it might be a mistake to ask, but what the hell?

“Hmm, who knows?” Jade cooed with a small shrug of his lean, yet broad shoulders, still cloaked in that bright purple, tropical button-up. Those orbs had a dark look about them now, glinting with devious intent as he leaned down close to your face. “Do you wish to find out?~”

You didn’t know why, but you decided to meet the merman’s challenge with a smirk of your own. “What if I do?”

Jade hummed, “Intriguing. Though we are close, you are often hesitant to accept any plot I might have schemed.”

“Usually,” you raised your eyebrows as you stared back at him, “but I’m feeling lucky today.”

“Are you now?” Jade let out a small laugh, smile a bit gentler now. “Well…do call upon me when you are ready to begin your next lesson.”

You most certainly would.

#Twisted Wonderland: Beach Episode Mini Series #my work #twisted wonderland #gender neutral reader #twst #twst x reader #twst jade #jade leech #twst jade x reader #jade leech x reader #twst floyd #floyd leech #twst azul #azul ashengrotto #terrarium #teasing #playful banter

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byllsbytch · 8 months ago

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Bill Brings Goodies

Loosely based off of Episode 41 "Shopping Madness With Bill" (Tokio Hotel TV)

Overview: While touring, Bill goes to the shops to satisfy his cravings, meanwhile there is playful banter on the bus with the other 3 boys -Tom helps himself to Bills candy.

(Fluff for the Tom girlies)

1092 words

It was only day 5 of touring around Germany with the boys and you sat on the tour bus. You guys were departing Hamburg after having a great night with the concert and afterparty. You guys were off towards Bremen, it was only a 2hr drive - not like the past trips you guys just made. You sat between Georg and Gustav still hungover from last nights shenanigans holding your head in your hands. Gustav sat there drumming into your thigh like a zombie, fixated on the floor.

"Alright Motherfuckers!" Bill sang ripping off his glasses and flinging open the door to his room, Gustav flinched and stopped drumming on you leg - startled at Bill's presence

"There's a supermarket nearby, you guys after anything, I really want an omelette or eggs for breakfast."

You lifted you head and looked at Bill who's eyes were evident of last night. He had quite the bit of energy to say he wasn't a morning person, oh wait, it wasn't morning you realised, it was 6pm!

"I'll come, don't know how you're gonna get an omelette from the supermarket though" you say struggling to lift your body from the chair "Scheisse" you mumble under your breath, a word you'd just learnt from the boys.

Bill rolled his eyes "I'll cook it here, I'm gonna buy eggs."

"Yeah no not happening" said Georg, "Last time you used the stove in here your nearly gassed everyone out and set the bus on fire."

Bill flung his head back sighing loudly. He then stomped over to Gustav and got on his knees begging.

"Can you pretty please make me an omelette Gustav?" He sooked. Gustav looked at him suspiciously.

"Please Gustav, you're the best cook here." Gustav thought for a extra second then shook his head too scared to say the actual word no.

Bill jumped up on his feet and crossed his arms, sucking in his lips and at that blinked a long blink.

Everyone who sat in the same cabin - staff and band members braced themselves for Bill's wraith but instead he simply turned on one foot and helped himself out the door.

He slammed the door behind him and Tom came out of his room

"Why the noise?" He mumbled rubbing his eyes.

"Gustav wouldn't make Bill a omelette." Georg replied.

"Ayi' He said " Where were you Y/N?" He asked focused on you, still half asleep.

"I left so I didn't wake you, once I wake up I can't get back to sleep."

"Ugh nein!" He replied flicking his hand. "You won't wake this beast." He grinned.

"Well she appeared to have done so the other night" Gustav scoffs turning his head between you both. You felt you face grow hot.

"Oh," was all you could say.

"Oh" Gustav and Georg mocked

"Sorry, you know we cant help it." Tom Boasted shrugging his shoulders.

"Anyways, spewing we missed our morning cuddles though" Tom said.

"I'm sorry like I said I didn't want to wake you"

"Well that's fine we'll have to make up for cuddle time later" he winked.

"And don't worry about sitting out here all cold and near these weirdos just because you don't want to wake me up, trust me you won't - you should know this by now"

You sighed shaking your head sarcastically "Awe the shit I do for you."

A little while later, Bill came back in with his shopping basket. "So, I got some strong toilet paper for you Georg, skittles for Tom, smellies for the toilet and oh - look all this American candy just pumped with chemicals oh so colourful."

You smiled at Bill's haul, " Bill is like a mother - he bought something for everyone"

"How are you getting American candy?" Georg questioned " I mean since were obviously in Germany and all."

"Oh there's some international store down the road." Bill replied his focus still fixated on all the goodies in the bag.

"Well thanks Bill, for my strong toilet paper." Georg said holding up the 20 rolls.

"Yeah I got the strong ones instead of the soft toilet paper just for your monster shits." he smiled then dove his face back into the bags.

"Thankyou for being so appreciative unlike these bitches."

Gustav walked out the bathroom and sped past everyone smearing his finger under bills nose as he ran.

"Where's your eggs?" he mocked

"Ahhh fuck you!" he cried reaching for his nose trying to immediately wipe off the smell.

Tom and Georg laughed as Gustav locked himself in the room; Bill unable to get him.

Tom then reached into Bill's goodie bag from the shops and grabbed out his skittles and something else shoving it in his pocket. A packet of "strawberry rings' fell out onto the floor and tom picked up the lollies inspecting them.

He took a seat and opened up the gummy rings staring at them intently. You focused on him and he continued to stare curiously at the gummies bringing one to his mouth, he stuck his tongue into the ring and started going to town on it - not realising your eyes, he sat stuck on the same ring sticking his tongue in and out of the candy.

You found yourself with a confused look on your face and looked around to see if anyone else was watching his behaviour. He eventually shoved the whole thing in his mouth and licked the corners of his mouth, removing all the stickiness from the lolly. He then proceeded to pick another ring out of the bag and put his fingers on the inside of the ring stretching it as far as he could and then placed it over his crotch.

"You are not using that as a cock ring" Bill declared rolling his eyes, at which tom shot his head up and looked Bill straight in the eye, quickly shoving the gummy in his mouth.

"Nein!" He shook his head "nein, nein" he put his head down trying to hide his grin.

He then moved his eyes back at bill's in embarrassment because he knew what he was doing then eventually fully lifted his head and shot his eyes towards me.

He put his hand in his pocket "Do you want a kiss?" he asked

"Not really, not after seeing what you did to that poor strawberry ring" you playfully lied, you were always down for one of Tom's kisses.

"Oh - oh well your loss" he smirks pulling out Hershey kisses.

You raised your eyebrows at him.

"Ugh come here!" you say pulling him by his baggy shirt planting a kiss on the charming boy's lips.

A/N: AHHHH!!! First little story thing idk what to call it on my tumblr page... How'd I go? Feel free to send requests!

#tom kaulitz #tokio hotel #bill kaulitz #georg listing #gustav schäfer #touring #fluff #fanfic #playful banter #joking

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87zoolemons · 1 month ago

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Final Mark is a retelling of game’s main storyline but from ND-5’s perspective, and explores his evolving wants and desires as he becomes more involved with Kay and her heist crew. All in-game moments and dialogue are interwoven with new, original content to give a better idea of what life is like for an indentured enforcer droid developing feelings.

#nd 5 #star wars #star wars outlaws #kay vess #fanfic #playful banter #action #drama #complicated feelings #Mythical tropes #Clone wars ptsd #droid life #nd-5 #kayd5

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hyuge · 11 months ago

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Oddities and Curiosities

“What, pray tell, do you think you’re doing in here?” Kuya clicked his tongue at the uninvited guest in his home.

Blade spun on his heel with one of Kuya’s knickknacks in hand. A bright smile flashed across his face, exposing his pointed teeth, and he held the palm-sized orb up into the light. “Ku-Ku! This is very pretty. I like how it sparkles in the light.”

Kuya snapped his fingers and the glass ball disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke, reappearing in Kuya’s hand. “What are you doing in my home? Touching my things?”

“Ah.” Blade glanced out the window. “I was helping Darling in the forest, and we got separated. I thought maybe he wandered over here since we weren’t too far away.”

Kuya followed his gaze to the window. The flowers were in bloom around his small home and their fragrant aroma wafted in through the opening. “As you can see, he didn’t come here. You should probably go find the young master before he inevitably hurts himself again. He always seems to get into trouble when unsupervised.”

“Ku-Ku cares about Darling~ a lot!” Blade clapped his hands together. “You probably already know where he is too!”

Kuya huffed and folded his arms across his chest. “He’s in the village. No one steps into my territory without my knowledge.”

“I knew it!” Blade’s smile grew impossibly wider, and he crossed the room in two strides. He slipped his arm around Kuya’s, linking them together and gave a gentle tug. “Let’s go find Darlingtogether!”

“Why would I want to do that?” Kuya cocked a brow and moved to pull his arm free, but Blade’s grip was firm.

“Because Ku-Ku always wants to bully Darling, and Darling is cute when he gets embarrassed.”

Kuya tossed the orb onto his bed. The insides shimmered with a glittering cloud of turquoise smoke. Blade eyed it before dragging Kuya out of the cabin.

“Ku-Ku really does have such interesting odds and ends. There was a strange essence coming from that ball.”

“If you care about it that much, maybe I’ll show you what it does next time. Though, you’ll have to earn it.”

“Oh?” Blade’s curiosity was piqued. “Does it hurt?”

“It does indeed.”

“Exciting!”

Kuya shook his head. The android was an anomaly he would never begin to understand. Blade was always eager to please, just like some of the rest of them, but in a more innocent manner. How Eiden managed to turn a certified killing machine into such a gentle creature was beyond him.

Young Master’s sex skills are average at best. That couldn’t have been what did the trick, Kuya thought to himself as they walked. He could have made it to the village faster on his own with his magic, but Blade insisted on hanging on him.

“Ku-Ku’s thinking dirty thoughts~.”

Blade’s sing-song voice pulled him back and Kuya rolled his eyes. “I want to test something later.”

“Sure thing!”

A gift for Lee and @tellmewhatyouc.

You can also read it on AO3.

#fanfiction #fanfic #nu carnival #nucarnival #blade nu carnival #nu carnival kuya #kuya nu carnival #nu carnival blade #fluff #kulade #curious kuya #getting together (sort of)#canon compliant #playful banter #12 Days of Ficmas

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shadowphoenixrider · 5 months ago

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Symbolism

(It starts off casual, as it always does. A little bit of flirting in the rec room, learning a little bit more about one another. However, there's something else going on here, and things might turn serious...one way or another.)

"Oh hey! Fancy meeting a gorgeous man like you here!" I grinned, crossing my arms over the back of the couch as I looked down at Gambit, who had stretched his long, lean body along its length. He quirked an eyebrow up at me, distracted briefly from the deck of cards in his hands.

"An' what brings a beautiful woman like yourself to dese parts, petite?" He drawled, cards fluttering between his nimble fingers and a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Ugh, gross!" Came Jubilee's voice from somewhere else in the room. "I'm leaving if you two are gonna start that!" I rolled my eyes, letting the teen go.

"Charming, isn't she?" I commented, raising my own eyebrow.

Gambit chuckled deeply.

"Ah, she young, chère." He smiled fondly after her. "One of dese days someone'll catch her eye and den we never hear de end of it."

"And you and Logan'll make sure they treat her right?" I grinned.

"Of course." Gambit grinned back. "But Wolverine protective enough for de both of us." A deft flick of his thumb tossed a card up towards me, only narrowly missing my nose. "Enough about her, though." His grin became sly, knowing. "Sounded like you were lookin' for me, mon amie."

"Might have been." I leaned over towards him. "Know any other handsome Cajuns around these parts?"

As I did so, my silver ankh necklace tumbled out of my shirt collar, now hanging free and glinting in the light. His eyes were immediately drawn to it.

"Just Gambit." He replied, before reaching up carefully, delicately balancing the bottom of the symbol on the tip of his finger. "Hmm. Dis be an ankh, right? Ancient Egyptian?"

"Yeah." I nodded, watching him. "Represents 'life', and sometimes 'rebirth'." Gambit's thumb brushed over its horizontal line, the symbol reflecting in his dark eyes. He didn't say anything for a good long moment.

"Life...Perfect symbol for a healer like yaself." Said Gambit softly, letting it swing away. His gaze lifted to me, strangely tender.

"I guess so." I smiled wryly. "Hadn't really thought about it that way." I caught the pendant, looking at it anew. "To be honest, I think I was more drawn to it being a symbol of rebirth."

"Hmm?" He hummed, returning to his card shuffling.

"Yeah. I seem to identify with that motif, with that of the phoenix. It feels like I undergo a rebirth of a sorts through my life. My old life left in ashes as I rise into a new one." I explained, before lifting a shoulder. "The fact the phoenix is a bird made of fire is also an attraction. I kinda like both."

Gambit chuckled.

"Hah, we seen de real Phoenix in action, mon amie. Real powerful, literal force o' nature. Not great when she mad at ya." He tilted his head to the side, looking thoughtful. "You spoke to Jean 'bout it? She could tell ya 'bout her better den anyone, since de Phoenix lived in her body a good while."

"She did tell me the abridged story, yeah." I winced. "I don't envy you guys having to go up against Dark Phoenix."

"No, dat weren't a fun time. 'Specially for Cyclops." Gambit's brows furrowed. "We were lucky it ended like it did. Coulda gone badly wrong."

"Yeah." I nodded. "Definitely..."

A memory rose up in my head; one from when Jean and I had been testing my powers. One disadvantage of my powers was my inability to communicate with the person whose body I entered, since I was effectively shut off from the outside world; that was unless I tapped into the person's senses. I also lacked a way to respond unless I co-opted the person's faculties through sign language or using their own speech - essentially causing a person to talk to themself.

The Professor had hypothesized that telepathy would be the way around it, and Jean had kindly allowed me to test the theory on her.

I remembered the odd feeling of being inside a telepath; the way her powers seemed to flow around me like mist, both tangible and yet not. We found it worked quite well - just by thinking I could easily communicate with her, as simple as normal conversation.

Yet, before I'd left, I remembered feeling something warm on the tip of my...well, they wouldn't have been fingertips, but the edge of my awareness. It had been buried deep, and so different to the way Jean's powers had felt that my curiosity had drawn me to it. I should have learned after the incident that got me into the X-Mansion in the first place, but I guess old habits die hard.

I had reached out to it carefully, not wanting to disturb something important, and it seemed to reach out to me as well, like it too was curious. Next thing I knew was a sharp, static shock, and I immediately pulled back - I'm foolishly curious, but I'm not stupid, and that was definitely a signal to piss off if ever I felt one. Jean asked if I was okay, and I told her I was fine, not wanting to admit I was poking about in places I probably wasn't meant to.

That said, I had felt strangely...warm after that shock, even after I returned to my body. It faded soon after though, so I'd thought nothing of it - maybe it'd just been a mental defence mechanism or something. I didn't mess with a mutant's powers for a reason, so maybe I'd just accidentally crossed a line.

Now though...I wondered if I'd accidentally found something else...

"Shadow?" Gambit's voice broke me from my thoughts, his thick eyebrows furrowed and his head tilted to the side. "Doin' okay?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah." I blinked hard, running a hand through my hair. "Just thinking."

One of his dark eyebrows lifted.

"Anythin' you wanna share with Gambit?" He asked, kindly.

I opened my mouth, before thinking better of it. No use potentially worrying people about something that had happened weeks ago.

"No. Just flights of fancy, nothing interesting." I replied, shaking my head.

"Gambit would be the judge of dat, petite." Was his breezy response. "But if ya don't wanna say, then no worries. Gambit always here if ya change ya mind." He smiled.

"I appreciate it." I smiled back.

In the comfortable silence that settled around us, I let my gaze wander down Gambit's reclined form, admiring him. My eyes were drawn to his muscled stomach, exposed by his hot pink crop top, following the valleys of his hips to his waistband and the dustings of dark hair peeking just above it. Corded muscle rippled and shifted as he moved his leg, a mundane yet elegant motion that briefly entranced me.

"My eyes are up here, chère." He teased, and heat flared intensely into my face.

"Hey, you can't put yourself on display like this, and then get mad when I look!" I cried, trying to shoot a glare at him. Gambit's grin was wide and utterly unrepentant.

"Who said Gambit were mad?" He purred, raising himself upright so we were almost eye-to-eye. "Didn't he tell you that he don't mind you lookin'...?"

My lower back shivered at the dark gleam in his black and red eyes, and the promise in his voice. We were alone right now, and it was very, very tempting to close the gap, to indulge. I still played back our first kisses in the forest, at the lake- we could make this our third.

"You're a tease, Cajun." I replied instead, slowly straightening myself up. A hot pulse went straight to the peak of my thighs when Gambit lifted his chin to follow me, as if his gaze was locked to mine.

"Takes one to know one, chère." Was his response; I swore he sounded breathier than before.

"Oh? And where's your proof of that?" I asked, stepping closer, looming over him - Gambit had to tilt his head back to follow me, exposing his throat. His lips parted in a smile.

"You know what you do to me, Shadow." Nope, that breathy undertone was not my imagination. Excitement tingled through me, stirring hunger and desire within. "Can't keep my eyes off you in de Danger Room when ya wearin' dat suit."

"And how do you think I feel when I see you in your gear, hmm?" I hummed, arching an eyebrow. A smile played on my lips as I saw his pupils dilate. "I can't decide if that coat of yours makes it better or worse. Better in that you're not always on display, or worse in that I can't stop thinking about what's under it..."

"Gambit could always give you a private show, chère." He purred, resting his arm on the back of the couch. "Just you an' Gambit...An' maybe," he grinned, "we could find out what's under your suit too."

That was the moment I felt his hand grab my ass and squeeze. I gasped, igniting fire in my chest and between my thighs. I grasped the back of the couch to keep my balance, Gambit grinning triumphantly up at me.

"Fuck, Gambit!" I breathed. "Anyone could walk in here!"

"But we not doin' anythin', chère." He smirked smugly. "You jus' standin' here talkin' to Gambit, and Gambit just got his arm hangin' over de couch..." Said arm's hand decided to trace teasingly down the curve of my backside and upper thigh, and I couldn't resist the shiver that resulted. "Everythin's all fine here, mon amie..."

I shook my head, unable to stop the smile that stretched across my lips.

"Okay, so you know when I called you a 'tease'? Maybe I should have added 'troublemaker' to that."

"An' yet ya still here, chère..." Gambit crooned, fingers tracing all the way up my leg again. "Gambit thinks ya like a little trouble, non?"

I smirked, lowering my head towards him and revelling in his excited grin.

"Well, there is one certain scoundrel I have a particular liking for..." I purred, sliding a finger under his stubbled chin. My stomach dropped with a shock of white-hot heat when I saw Gambit's eyes lid, a blissful look flickering over his features.

"Who'd dat be?" Gambit asked, his voice sounding a little dazed, even with the grin tugging at the corners of his lips. I couldn't resist a giggle, moving closer, and I swore he shivered.

"Let me give you a hint, Cajun..." I whispered against his parted lips, before I grabbed the back of his head and captured his lips in mine.

Gambit yielded to me, letting me deepen the kiss and take control, and my desire flared hot and hungry. It took me a little by surprise; both his submission and my sudden desire to devour him. But the breathy little gasp he made at the back of his throat sharpened all my thoughts down to him and him alone.

I was rusty at this 'dance', but Gambit didn't seem to mind, picking up my slack eagerly. His hand squeezed my ass again, and I couldn't restrain the moan into his mouth. The switch was immediate - Gambit's tongue and lips getting more pushy, needy, his arm pressing me tightly against the back of the couch. If it wasn't between us, he probably would have pulled me down on top of him. That thought sent sparks flying within me, even if it crystallised my last remaining logical thought of 'we're in the rec room, someone's going to walk in any second!'

We broke for air, breathing hard - Gambit's eyes were almost pure midnight, his irises only a thin ring of red, and a flush had risen in his face. And probably mine too, considering how hot I felt!

Neither of us said anything for a second, both a little breathless and dazed by what had just happened. And then, for once, it was me who spoke first:

"Enough of a hint for you?"

His lips tugged up into an airy smile.

"Gambit got your message, chère," he said breathily. "Loud an' clear. Although," that smile became a mischievous grin, "Gambit wouldn't mind hearin' it again. Jus' to make sure."

I chuckled, shaking my head. This man was incorrigible, and something about it delighted me, deep down.

"You're such a twat." Was my affectionate reply, and my heart skipped a beat at the Cajun's gleeful laugh.

"Come now chère, Gambit jus' wants to make sure!" He crooned, gazing up at me from under his eyelashes. I quickly defused that attempt by ruffling his wild hair. "Hey!"

"I know what you're up to, and no." I raised an eyebrow at him, my grin stretching from ear to ear. "As much as I'd love to continue this with you, not here. Not where anyone could walk in. Unless you want to get interrupted again?"

"Ya have a point." Gambit smoothed back his hair, despite the insistence of a couple of long curls in falling back over his face. "Another time, chère?"

"Sure." I smiled, nodding, before deciding to indulge my curiosity. "Found a new name for me?"

"Hmm?" He lifted his eyebrows.

"You keep calling me 'chère'. That a new nickname?"

Gambit blinked at me, the tops of his cheeks starting to darken. That...wasn't the reaction I expected.

"It...Yeah," he said slowly, like a cat feeling an unstable surface. "New name. Ya like it?"

"Yeah." I smiled, confused as to his sudden caution. "It's nice."

"There ya are, sugah!" Rogue's voice made me look up, seeing her leaning in the doorway with her arms folded. "Been lookin' all over for ya."

"Sorry, I got distracted!" I offered her an apologetic half smile as she chuckled, ignoring the raised eyebrow from the Cajun below me. "What do you need me for?"

"Beast's gotta new theory 'bout your powers an' mine, wants to give 'em another go," she said, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.

"You know I'm always down to try if you are." I said, walking from around the couch to her. "But only if you want to."

Rogue looked unsure for a moment, before she nodded.

"Won't know until we try, sugah." She glanced back into the room, opening her mouth, before frowning. "Dangit, how'd he do that?"

I looked over my shoulder - Gambit had vanished, the slight wrinkled depression in the couch the only sign he'd been there.

"Huh. Guess that's an old thief's trick." I commented. "Reminds me of my brother - his exact power is teleporting like that, and it never stops being spooky to see him just gone."

"Really? Huh. Sounds a little like Nightcrawler." Rogue said, taking about two steps with me before she stopped. "Wait, ya never mentioned a brother before, sugah."

I chuckled weakly.

"Oh, yeah...He's my adopted brother - by choice." I elaborated. "I met him along with a good group of friends not long after I broke up with Tom, and we became close." I scratched the back of my neck. "We tend to have separate lives most of the time, so it must have slipped my mind."

"Does he know you're here with us?" She asked.

"Yeees, sort of. I told him about what happened with the Friends of Humanity thug and that I was under protection, but couldn't exactly tell him where and who, and he was fine with it." I explained. "I've been checking in, though I'm expecting at some point he's gonna turn up here looking for me."

"You're gonna have to tell the Professor before Wolverine finds him and things get ugly." Rogue pointed out, as we started walking again.

"Yeah. He can hold his own better than me, but against Logan he's gonna have a bad time." I winced at the thought. "His teleportation is Quantum Locked - basically means he can't teleport if he's being watched, and although he can teleport to any place he imagines, he can only appear if no-one or nothing is looking at it. So he'd be a bit stuffed."

"A bit?" She raised an eyebrow, smile playing on her lips.

"Okay, a lot stuffed then. Sue me for trying to give him a chance!" I pouted, delighted when she chuckled. "But you're right; please remind me to go have a chat with Xavier after this thing with Hank."

"Sure, sugah."

There was a calm moment between us, nodding to Storm as we passed her in the hall.

"Hey, Rogue?" I asked.

"Yes, sugah?"

"You've known Remy longer than I have - is 'chère' a nickname? He's started calling me that of recent."

"Oh no, sugah. That's not a nickname," she said, shaking her head. "It means Remy's sweet on you."

I blinked.

"Oh." I felt myself flush. "Well, uh, that makes sense, I guess. Does it mean anything in particular?"

"Something like 'dear'." She frowned thoughtfully. "You alright with it?"

"O-Oh yeah, I am, it's very sweet." My face was getting hotter. "I was wondering since he's not really done that with me before..."

Rogue smiled.

"Remy's full of surprises, sugah. Like a greased up racoon, every time you think you got him pinned, he'll find a new way to turn the tables on ya."

I chuckled. My mind reminded me of our indiscretions several minutes ago, and I quickly silenced it.

"That's true! I fear when my weapons training becomes the real deal - he's gonna have me disarmed in about five seconds."

"Aw, don't sell yaself short, sugah, you've been doin' really well." Rogue grinned. "It was a great idea to give you a sword, you seem to take to it!"

"Yeah! I'm really glad he convinced me to try one, really makes me feel like I'm actually doing something than just sitting in the back twiddling my thumbs." I smiled ruefully.

She rested a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, Shadow, you're important to the team. More than just bein' able to heal us."

"I still can't heal you." I said quietly, laying my hand on top of her gloved one. "The one person who probably needs it the most, and I just..." I sighed, shoulders slumping. "I can't help but feel a failure."

"Nope, not havin' this, sugah." Rogue shook her head. "Ah really appreciate ya tryin' so hard to find a way for me, ah really do, but jus' because you can't don't mean everythin' else you do is second best. An' besides, you don't need to be on the field with us to be helpin'. It's always good to have someone back at the mansion checkin' up on things an' makin' sure Jubilee stays outta trouble."

"Oh, I dunno about that last one." I chuckled weakly. "That girl is a force of nature."

"But you get me, right? Sure, bein' able to fight is good, an' havin' someone to heal us in the thick of it would definitely be useful. But ya also good here. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Even myself?"

"Especially yourself." Rogue folded her arms, smiling at me. "Ah can go get the others, if you want them tell you that you're fine."

"No, no...I understand." I smiled bashfully. "Thank you, Rogue. It's just...surrounded by you all, so strong and amazing...It's easy to feel second best, ya know?"

"Sure. We all feel like that sometimes." She nodded. "But what matters is that we're a team. Ah can't do the things Beast does. And Beast can't do what ah do. We're here to cover for each other, not be the best at everythin'."

"Yeah..." I nodded slowly. "Yeah. You're right." I took a deep, calming breath. "One day I'll believe you, I hope."

Rogue just smiled warmly.

"Ya will, sugah. Everythin' comes around eventually. Sometimes it's just a matter of how long it takes."

#sprs writing #x men #gambit #oc/canon #remy lebeau #x men rogue #self insert #self ship #slow burn #comfort #playful banter #flirting #I blame Gambit for how spicy this got #as always Rogue always comes to Gambit's rescue #self insert x canon #self insert/canon #x men gambit #x men oc: shadow #otp: heart of the cards

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thehusbandoden · 2 years ago

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So this is part of a fic that's currently over 10k words.. I have close to no motivation to finish it rn, but thought I'd post a teeny bit of banter just because. This is Hawks btw, and they're just friends here.

"Okay.. just don't get too attached.. I'm unpredictable." I smiled as Hawks made his way onto my bed, making sure to leave a comfortable amount of distance between us. As we kept eye contact for a moment I couldn't help myself.

"H-Hawks..." "Yes.." "I think it's too late for that.." Hawks looked at me strangely before smirking. As I stared at him he gave me his normal, warm smile before patting my head. "I guess I'll have to stick around then."

Grinning widely I nodded enthusiastically, causing Hawks to chuckle. "Do you realize how cute you are?" "C-cute!? I'm not cute!" My burning cheeks just grew hotter at Hawks's laughter, the delightful noise making me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"You know you're pretty cute too.. right?" Hawks looked at me, utterly baffled. "No no no. I am definitely not cute. Hot, breathtaking, drop dead good looking, and sexy I can take. But cute? No!" I couldn't help but burst out into laughter at Hawks's flushed cheeks as he tried -and failed- to hide how flustered he was over my simple yet meaningful comment.

"You may be all that, but before anything else you are utterly adorable. " "H-how!?" "When you stutter when you get flustered, how your eyes grow wide and bright and your wings puff up when you're excited, may I dare say even your little drool is adorable."

"D-drool?! I don't even drool!" "Oh yeah?" "M-mhm!" Grinning, I pulled out my phone to swiftly search KFC.

"Hawks~ I'll take you here one day if you'll admit it~" "I will admit to nothing! There's nothing that you can do to make me-" Hawks was interrupted by me shoving my phone in his face.

As Hawks studied the fried chicken I put my finger to the bottom of his lip. "Hmmm? What's this? Looks like drool to me~" "N-NO!"

Laughing, I patted Hawks's head as he wiped away his drool before hiding his head in my shoulder. "(Y/N)~ not nice!" "Okay Birdy, I'll stop now." I laughed, shoulders shaking as Hawks desperately seeked a hiding place in my shoulder.

As my laugh lowered to a giggle Hawks took the opportunity to peak up at me, cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "Awww cute little Birdy." I cooed, causing Hawks to jump onto me, burying his face into my shoulder.

"H-Hawks.." "NO!" Sighing, I wrapped my arms around my Birdy's neck before closing my eyes. "Well then. I'm taking a nap and you're staying right here." "W-what!" "Shhh" "(Y/n)~!"

Masterlist

Do not copy, repost, nor plagiarize my work. Ask before you translate or use my work in any way, minus reblogging.

#mha #bnha #banter #friends to lovers #mha fluff #fluff #hawks x reader #mha hawks #just friends #playful banter

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poetessmuse · 7 months ago

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I see and understand the appeal of rough banter and mean “flirting”, leading to romantic or sexual relationships but oh how I crave a gentle soul.

A gentle mouth that drips honey with every word. A gentle heart that wants to know me inside and out, never bored. Gentle hands that know the road to my heart, through every curve and every callus, keeping me warm.

#i don’t want to overthink anymore #enemies to lovers #playful banter #banter #romance #romantic #relationship #relatable #genderfluid #pansexual #new to tumblr #hello tumblr #new friends #soft love

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aventurineswife · 8 hours ago

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may i please request sampo (you choose the other characters) with a dog hybrid gender neutral reader? in the sampo one, can the reader fall asleep on top of him in dog fashion?

Lay Your Head, Rest Your Heart

Tags: Sampo x Reader, Aventurine x Reader, Dog Hybrid!Reader, Fluff, Found Family, Light Humor, Comfort, Slow-Burn Romance, Protective (?).

Warnings: Minor gambling references (Aventurine'spart), Slight teasing and playful banter, Fluffy physical affection (ear ruffling, head pats, cuddling)

Sampo strolled through the bustling marketplace, his jacket fluttering with every smooth stride. His eyes gleamed with mischief, darting from stall to stall, calculating potential profits. Business was good, but it got even better when he had an adorable partner in crime—or, rather, a partner in occasional chaos. That partner was you, a loyal, dog hybrid who, despite your wagging tail and puppy-like energy, often brought him a surprising amount of good fortune.

“Sampo! Look at this!” you barked excitedly, holding up a shiny trinket you’d found at a nearby stall.

Sampo chuckled, running a gloved hand through his hair. “Nice find, pup. But remember, the best treasures aren’t the ones you buy—they’re the ones you ‘acquire.’” He winked, leaning down to ruffle your ears.

You scrunched your nose but didn’t argue. He had a point. Sampo always knew how to turn a simple situation into something profitable—or at least amusing.

The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. The marketplace had begun to quiet down, but the day’s adventures left you utterly exhausted. You let out a long yawn, your tail wagging lazily behind you.

Sampo glanced over, smirking. “Tired already? You’re supposed to be the energetic one!”

“Shut up.” you muttered, plopping down on a soft patch of grass.

Sampo joined you, leaning back on his elbows. “I’ve got to admit, you make the day a lot more interesting. Not every merchant can say their partner chased off a Silvermane Guard by barking at them like a mad pup.”

You grinned, your sharp teeth glinting in the fading light. “It worked, didn’t it?”

Before Sampo could reply, you crawled over and flopped onto him, your head resting against his chest. He froze, blinking in surprise.

“Uh…not that I mind, but what’s this about?” he asked, though his voice was softer than usual.

“Comfy...” you murmured, nuzzling into his jacket. Your ears twitched slightly, and your tail wagged a couple of times before going still.

Sampo sighed, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Of course you’d use me as a pillow. What else am I good for, huh?”

Despite his teasing tone, he didn’t move. If anything, he adjusted his position to make sure you were comfortable, even if it meant lying awkwardly on the uneven ground.

As you drifted off, Sampo stared up at the starry sky, the usual glint of mischief in his mint-green eyes replaced with something softer. He reached out with a gloved hand, brushing a stray strand of hair from your face.

“You’re a weird one, you know that?” he whispered, though there was no malice in his tone—just quiet affection. “Not many people trust ol’ Sampo enough to sleep on me. Guess you’re either braver or crazier than the rest.”

The gentle rhythm of your breathing was his only response.

For once, Sampo didn’t think about profits or schemes. He simply lay there, enjoying the warmth of your presence and the rare tranquility that came with it.

“Guess I’ll let you off the hook this time,” he murmured, closing his eyes with a faint smile. “But don’t expect me to make this a habit, pup.”

Yet, even as he said it, he knew he wouldn’t mind if you did.

Aventurine adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, their rose-tinted lenses catching the low light of the casino floor. The clinking of chips and the whirring of roulette wheels filled the air, but none of it distracted him. With a flourish, he placed his final bet on the roulette table, the corner of his mouth lifting in his signature confident smirk.

"Let’s make this one count." he murmured, leaning back as the wheel spun.

Beside him, you—his ever-loyal dog hybrid companion—sat cross-legged on a velvet bench, your tail wagging idly as you observed the chaos of the casino.

“Do you ever get tired of this?” you asked, your ears perking up as someone cheered in the distance.

Aventurine chuckled, turning his gaze towards you. “Tired? Of course not. The thrill of the gamble is what keeps life interesting, darling.”

You rolled your eyes but smiled nonetheless. “You and your dramatic flair.”

“Flair is what makes me charming.” he countered, his voice dripping with amusement.

As the roulette wheel slowed, the ball clicked into place. A chorus of gasps rippled through the table as Aventurine’s number came up. He leaned forward with a mock gasp of his own, gathering the chips with practiced ease.

“Would you look at that? Lady Luck smiles upon me once again.” he said, sending you a wink.

You shook your head, unable to hide your grin. “You’re unbelievable.”

The casino emptied as the night wore on, leaving the two of you to wander back to Aventurine’s suite. It was as extravagant as one would expect from someone like him—gold accents, plush furniture, and a panoramic view of the glittering cityscape below.

You flopped onto the oversized couch, your tail thumping softly against the cushions. “I’m exhausted. How do you have so much energy after all that?”

Aventurine removed his choker, draping his coat over a nearby chair. “It’s all about pacing yourself. Though, if you’re tired, I suppose we could call it an early night.”

“Early? It’s nearly morning!” you teased, stretching out with a yawn.

He chuckled, grabbing a blanket from a nearby cabinet. “Fair enough.”

You watched as he settled into an armchair, his glasses perched on the edge of his nose as he sorted through the chips he’d won earlier. The sound of them clicking together was oddly soothing, lulling you into a sense of calm.

Before long, you found yourself sliding off the couch and padding over to him. Without a word, you curled up on his lap, your head resting against his chest.

Aventurine stiffened for a moment, caught off guard. “Comfortable, are we?” he asked, his tone a mix of amusement and fondness.

“Very...” you murmured, already half-asleep.

He sighed, a soft smile tugging at his lips as he draped the blanket over you both. His fingers absently brushed through your hair, his usual bravado replaced with quiet contentment.

“For someone who claims I’m ‘unbelievable,’ you seem to trust me an awful lot.” he mused, his voice low.

You didn’t respond, your breathing slow and steady as sleep claimed you.

Aventurine leaned back in his chair, his eyes softening as he gazed down at you. In all his years of gambling, scheming, and taking risks, he’d never expected to find someone who made him feel this… grounded.

“Not bad for a gambler’s companion...” he whispered, the usual sharpness in his voice replaced by something gentler.

The roulette of life kept spinning, but for now, he was content to stay right where he was—at least until morning.

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alchemicalwerewolf · 7 months ago

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me: never been in a romantic or s*xual relationship

me: had a total of one (maybe two?) crushes

me: hates people touching me or talking about anything related to my body

me: flirts with everyone

#it’s not even funny #I’m not leading them on #i just like it #I think flirting is funny #I mean #like #i openly say it’s not real #but i like it #playful banter

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liillyliilly · 5 months ago

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In Time You Get Your Rewards

tsukishima kei x reader words; 6507 synopsis; love takes patience. a lot of patience for tsukishima kei. at least they could be friends for now.

Comparing the times on wrists was everyone’s favorite way to pass the time. Seeing if one’s time matched someone else’s before the time ‘officially’ ran out. Sometimes they would be correct and other times it wouldn’t. Tsukishima was obsessed with the time on his wrist. He thought that he spent much more time on the numbers on his wrist more than anybody else.

Because he still had time.

It seemed like everybody else had already found their soulmate. Most met through school, sometimes from when they were toddlers. But for Tsukishima it was an extreme source of embarrassment that he still had time on his left wrist.

He felt like it wasn’t fair that he hadn’t met his yet. The bitterness for the time on his wrist grew immensely when he started his first year in high school. He still had a little over six months before he could meet his soulmate. Yamaguchi found his before him, Hinata found his before him, even Kageyama Tobio found his.

Tsukishima often lay awake at night staring at the time slowly passing by. Second by second and then minute by minute. She did the same, sitting cross legged on her own bed staring at the time. They went to different schools, and had no idea about the other, but all the same they hyperfocused on that timer imprinted on their skin in black markings.

When Tsukishima played volleyball, he wrapped his wrist in bandages because the time ticking by would distract him from the game at hand.

After the game against Johzenji, he packs up. As Karasuno is exiting the gym, celebrating their wins, Tsukishima feels his wrist itch, he looks down to it and shifts the bandages slightly. While doing so, he bumps into someone.

“Hey! Watch where you’re walking!” She pouts as she puts her hands on her hips. She’s wearing the Aoba Johsai uniform. And she looks pissed. Tsukishima puts his hands up. A pang goes through his heart, but he can’t quite place it. He deems it an unfortunate side effect of playing volleyball for a whole day.

“Maybe if you weren’t such a garden gnome, I would have seen you. But hey, blame it all on me.” Tsukishima rolls his eyes, intending to try and walk past her, but he bumps into her shoulder again. That in turn seems to anger her even more.

“A garden gnome?” She purses her lips together and rolls up her sleeves, “You wanna go? I may be shorter than you but I can still pack a solid punch.” Two of the Aoba Johsai volleyball members come rushing up and tug her back by her arms. She’s still trying to swing her arms around, biting at her schoolmates and telling them to let her go. She even throws her leg out to try and get Tsukishima.

He mocks her with a short laugh, just stepping backwards to avoid the kick she was trying to aim at his shins.

“We are so sorry.” The Aoba Johsai teammates both bow profusely, apologizing in unison. When Oikawa Tooru storms up to the scene all hell breaks loose. She starts to tattle on Tsukishima to Oikawa, and Oikawa pouts a little, patting her on the head. Tsukishima is entertained by her, but also desperately wants to call her a range of insults, brat or crybaby being the top two options floating around in his head.

He can’t quite place another feeling deep within his stomach when Oikawa tugs on her arm and brings her into his side. Tsukishima raises an eyebrow when Oikawa holds onto her shoulder and uses his other hand to squish her face.

“Now, now, Kindaichi and Yahaba, let's hear our dear manager’s point of view. I know for a fact that L/N-chan almost never starts a fight without a reason.” Oikawa tries to settle everything, but the younger members of his team keep snapping and complaining about Tsukishima. Tsukishima felt like he did nothing wrong and just wanted to find a moment to escape. She lurches out of Oikawa’s grasp, but he pulls her back to prevent Tsukishima from getting mauled.

Tsukishima’s wrist is burning now. He rubs it against his leg, trying to ignore the pain.

Her wrist feels irritated as well. When she looks down, she gasps. Covering her mouth with her other hand, staring at her timer.

Sugawara finally takes notice of the scene and pulls Tsukishima away before anything can start. Tsukishima can hear Oikawa ask her what’s wrong, as Tsukishima is being dragged away by Suga. Her voice feels distant as she starts to cry a little bit.

Tsukishima feels tired from the long day as he walks home with Yamaguchi. The tingles of his wrist still emanate and he scratches at the bandages intermittently.

“Say, Tsukki, I wonder, it isn’t very smart of you to cover your soulmate timer.” Yamaguchi fiddles with his backpack straps. A volleyball keychain dangles down from the strap, his soulmate had gotten him that. Tsukishima wondered if his soulmate would do cringey things like that.

“What are you talking about?”

“Haven’t you heard some of those urban stories, people hiding their soulmate timer end up meeting them but not realizing it. Then they have to wait longer until they pay attention and notice the timer.” Yamaguchi shrugs before walking off to his street. He turns around to yell a closing statement, cupping his mouth with his hands to amplify his voice, “Just something to think about!”

Leaving Tsukishima to stand at the crossroads.

When Tsukishima gets home, he gets a pair of scissors and cuts up the large bandages he used to cover his wrists, cutting the fabric to use for wrapping his fingers instead. Satisfied, he tucks the strips of fabric into his bag. While Tsukishima busied himself getting ready for bed, he never expected to see what he saw.

A ten-minute timer. He swallowed thickly, his hand went limp and his toothbrush fell onto the floor. He’d have to boil it in hot water to get the germs out, but he was too preoccupied with running down the stairs.

Going into the living room he stares at his mom with such an intensity that it frankly kind of scares her.

“Do you have people coming over?” The words spill out clumsily.

“I don’t think so, why?” She sets down the book she was reading to pay more attention to her son, who was obviously in some state of distress.

Tsukishima only holds his wrist up to show his mom. She gasps and then starts to smile. Loud and abrasive knocking is heard from the front door. Tsukishima looks at his mom, and she just waves him off to go answer the door. Tsukishima takes a deep breath before opening the door.

“Hey asshole.” She has her arms folded and she glares at him.

It was his ‘gnome’ from earlier in the day. She was still in an Aoba Johsai uniform, and while Tsukishima did prefer the black uniforms Karasuno had, he could see why some people liked the girls uniforms at Aoba Johsai better. The lilac skirt did have its positive attributes, mostly the length, or the lack thereof.

“Hey?” Tsukishima is taken aback. “You’re not exactly who I imagined to be my soulmate.”

“I didn’t exactly want an oblivious idiot who bumps into girls to be my soulmate either.”

Tsukishima smirks before pulling her in close. “So how exactly did you figure out where I live?” She pushes away from him using her hands against his chest. He wonders how close he can get, if it’ll trigger her fight response again, if he’ll get to see her threatening to punch him. He figures the closer he gets, the more likely he is to have annoying her down to a science.

Plus, they were soulmates, so she had to feel something for him regardless of if he was bothering her or not.

“You have a very nice manager.” She huffs.

Tsukishima thinks back to how Kiyoko was looking at him weird during the bus ride back to Karasuno. He doesn’t know if he’d call Kiyoko nice, especially since she forgot to tell Tsukishima that she’d run into his soulmate and then just didn’t bring it up at all.

“I’m Kei.” He holds out his hand. Better late than never to get to know her on a slightly more formal playing field.

She shakes his hand and introduces herself in return. The warmth that runs up from their hands into their arms is soothing, like getting to go to bed after a tedious day.

“Nice to finally meet you.” Tsukishima uses her hand to pull her into him. Wrapping his arms around her waist. She tries to pull away again, but gives up once Tsukishima reaches to poke her flat in between her eyebrows.

Tsukishima reasoned she was more bark than actual bite.

“Eh, I don’t know how nice an asshole can be.” She taps her chin with her index finger, still wiggling out of Tsukishima’s grasp.

“I can be nice when I want to.”

He kept trying to be nice to her, when he wanted to, the next year as well.

He responded decently quickly to her text messages at least. He even introduced her to his family. They would eat dinners together at each other’s houses, and she showed him how to bake all kinds of treats. He always pretended to not care for them, but when she let out a hum after eating a fresh cookie out of the oven, he just had to give in and eat one too.

Second year was easier to go through, minus the teasing from his friends about his soulmate. Tsukishima just couldn’t give them enough information for their liking.

“What’s she like?” A classmate had asked once.

Tsukishima leaned back in his seat for a second, thinking about how last week she had refused his offer to carry her bag when they went to get new pencils at the corner shop. He thought of the time she shoved her hand onto his face, covering his lips when he tried to lean in once during a movie at her house.

“She’s like me.”

The response from his seatmate was just a groan in dissatisfaction, “Well, that sure tells me a lot. She’s a sarcastic, son of a bitch weirdo with a music obsession who ends up with a dent in the top of their head from wearing those thick headphones.”

Tsukishima could handle those kinds of comments about himself, but when they were also applied to her, he felt like there was something off kilter in the universe. “She doesn’t use headphones, she prefers earbuds.”

“She prefers earbuds.” The seatmate lifted up his pointer finger and pretended to push up imitation glasses on his nose, mimicking Tsukishima. A few of the other classmates chuckled a little in response.

He just rolled his eyes. Then he pulled out his flip phone, sending her a quick message.

To- (soulmate 😐): i just defended your honor i should be rewarded

From- (soulmate 😐): no

To- (soulmate 😐): i wonder what i’ll be getting as my gift

From- (soulmate 😐): what do you want, i’m in class

To- (soulmate 😐): i want a reward for keeping your name clear from these hooligans i go to school with

From- (soulmate 😐): …

To- (soulmate 😐): wow

To- (soulmate 😐): you must really care about me

From- (soulmate 😐): sure do.

Tsukishima shoved his phone back into his pocket. Tapping his fingers along to the beat of the song playing in his headphones, the wood of his desk numbing his fingers a little bit from the resistance.

They were slowly becoming- something. He couldn’t sense if they were friends, more than friends, less than friends, or even in the realm of being in a relationship.

But she did give him encouraging words from time to time, such as his favorite thing she’s ever told him right before the Inter-High tournament began.

He had almost swooned dramatically when she had come up to him and told him, “I hope you don’t trip on your shoe laces and that you can make one half decent block,” before going back to her own team to hand out water bottles.

After the last day of the tournament, and Karasuno not making it to nationals, but rather Date Tech making it, she had found him sitting on a bench all alone near the laundry room of the gym.

She didn’t say anything. She just sat down next to him, bumping her knee into his.

“I don’t want to joke around right now. We almost had it in that last set.” Tsukishima felt bad for being so prickly with her, but he had completely fumbled some of his blocks and he felt like an embarrassment.

“I’m not making any jokes.”

What she did next did come as a surprise to him, she pulled his hand from how it was clasped with his other one, resting over his legs in front of him. She intertwined their fingers and pressed the back of his hand to her lips.

She mumbles something that he can’t quite distinguish, but then she pressed a kiss to each one of his knuckles. When she finished what seemed like a small ritualistic behavior, she rested their hands on her thigh.

Tsukishima held down a smirk that was attempting to crawl over his face. In an almost craving way, he broke his hand free, and instead gripped the expanse of her bare thigh, going as far as pushing his pinkie and ring finger under her skirt a little.

She makes eye contact with him and gives him a flat look.

“What?” He feigns ignorance so well he might as well be considered an imbecile of the highest regard.

“Yeah, right. I’ll let it slide because you’re being whiney and ornery.”

His smirk really did have a mind of its own. He wondered what else she’d let slide just because he was in a sour mood.

He pushed his hand up just a little more, but she gripped his wrist bringing his hand down to her knee instead of her thigh.

“Okay, that’s enough kindness and affection for one day.” She stood up, ruffling Tsukishima’s hair since she could now reach it while he was sitting down. “We can hang out at mine if you want later. You did great today Kei. Sometimes we just lose. That’s how life is. We lose and we win.”

He grabs her hand as it’s still in his hair.

The air is stagnant.

He looks up to her, brown eyes slightly narrowed but containing more in them than she could distinguish. She felt like he was studying her for an exam of sorts. She returned his glare with ease, looking right into his eyes.

“We’re so much alike it hurts sometimes.” He lets the words out softly, if she hadn’t been paying careful attention to him then the squeaks in the gym would’ve overpowered his voice.

“Well, that’s why we’re soulmates. Built in best buddies.”

She left him alone, to consider her words. Buddies?

What the hell did she mean by buddies?

At her house, Tsukishima felt comfortable. The moment he crossed the threshold, the smell of fresh linen, honey lemon tea and her shampoo overpowered any sort of smell he had carried with him throughout the day. He had gone home and changed into casual clothes, then he made his way to her house. The walk to her house was long enough to let him ponder, keeping his hands warm in the pockets of his zip up hoodie.

He slid the hood of his jacket down when her mom opened the door and greeted him, and he absorbed the feeling of being at her house. He had decided to not text her, assuming that she would know that he wanted to hang out.

“She’s in her room, you should be able to just go in. Does your mom know you’re here?” Her mom took Tsukishima’s jacket from him and hung it up on the coat rack.

“Yes she does. Do you need me to leave at a specific time?” Tsukishima remembered his manners and bowed in gratitude to the older woman.

“Well, if it was up to me, I’d be fine with you sleeping over instead. She’s the one you have to get through to.” When she laughed to herself a little, Tsukishima nodded, deciding to make his way down the stairs to the basement bedroom. He ignored the use of the word ‘instead’.

He never should ignore ‘instead’ because ‘instead’ hurts a lot more than he could realize.

In the moments following him opening her bedroom door, he got a shirt thrown at him and was witnessing something that made his jaw clench tighter than ever before.

“Kei, what-” She pushed the curly brown haired boy off her bed, he was shirtless, and the shirt Tsukishima was holding in his hands likely belong to Mr. Wide-Eyed-Frozen-in-Place.

“What- what-” He fake stuttered, replicating her reactive words, then he spat out, “What the hell more like it.”

The curly haired brunette looked between Tsukishima and her rapidly. He tried to cut the tension with a laugh. “I’m Ito, nice to meet you.”

“Oh, shut up you Dr. Suess-wanna be.” Tsukishima threw the shirt back at him. He scrambled to shrug it over his shoulders, Tsukishima then noticed that his shoulders were much broader than Tsukishima’s own. A self-consciousness that he didn’t know was possible crept up, crawling and leaching itself on each of the prongs on his spine. He shuddered.

“Well, I’m just gonna,” Ito went to hug her goodbye but a scoff from Tsukishima deterred the action.

Tsukishima folded his arms from where he was standing. She bit down on her bottom lip, lips that Tsukishima noticed were particularly swollen and plump.

“This is just great.” Tsukishima sat down next to her on the bed, she curled her feet up, so she could wrap her arms around her legs and rest her head on her knees. “I suppose that you’re one of those people who view the whole soulmate thing as arbitrary.”

“I suppose you’re one of those people who view soulmates as sacred then.” Tsukishima can tell she’s joking around a little. If there was anything to genuinely joke about then he would’ve been the one making the joke.

He shoved her legs a little, so she slipped on the bed and broke out of her fake shell of limbs.

“Ito?” Tsukishima posed.

She filled in the gaps, “Ito Yuuta, second year at Aoba Johsai, swim team captain, biggest dork I’ve ever met.” She did like him though, he was nice, he just didn’t have the same charming wit that Tsukishima had. She felt a little bit like a complete jerk now realizing that Tsukishima had seen her kissing someone who wasn’t him.

“So you’ll let just any loser kiss you then?”

“Just preparing myself for you, cutie pie.” She reaches out and pinches his cheek.

Tsukishima fake vomited, sticking a finger almost into his mouth.

They rubbed off the strangeness, and she mentally took a note to lose Ito Yuuta’s number.

She pursed her lips, “I’m not quite ready to be with you the way I think you want to be with me.”

His mouth goes dry, and he emptily chews, trying to break apart the stale taste in his mouth. He never realized just how serious it all could be. Soulmates at seventeen. The way that he perceives it is that, you’re supposed to be the one who knows you best, and intrinsically, your soulmate was supposed to be that. How are you supposed to be soulmates with someone if you didn’t even know them well enough to order their food at the corner store?

He figures this is the moment he makes a shift. He’d just have to work harder to get to know her. And he’d have to stake a claim. Maybe claim was the wrong word, but clarifying to her that they were something rather than nothing to each other was the highest priority.

“I got myself a stupid soulmate.” He chimed.

Instead of a funny retort from her, she just smiled. He laid back onto her bed, and she copied the motion. He had his hands on his stomach, tapping his abdomen. She rolled onto her side, brushing against his fringe a little.

“Just, uh, don’t go around kissing other dudes.” Tsukishima closed his eyes and brought a hand up to his face. “I sound totally batshit crazy. Do whatever you want, I just don’t want to witness whatever that was ever again.”

She laughed, and it was like they were in another world. They both agreed to just be friends, for now.

He wondered if they’d ever become more than this in-between. Was there an expiration on becoming something with his soulmate? Some people never did much with theirs, choosing to remain as friends. Some people got married as soon as possible. Others bided their time and waited until they were ready to handle the responsibility of someone’s heart.

She agreed to not kiss anyone else for the time being.

They watched Clueless on her TV, and he kept complaining that it was weird that a fifteen year old was in love with a college kid, or that the college kid actually reciprocated. Not to mention the whole step-sibling thing.

“I don’t know, college kids have a sort of je ne sais quoi. Think of Akiteru for example, he’s just like Paul Rudd in this movie- entirely delicious.”

“I might have to actually drown myself in the tears of my ancestors, they'd be ashamed of you, betraying me for my brother.”

“I’d never do such a thing, but if Akiteru wanted a taste test, who am I to deny-”

Tsukishima sat up and covered her mouth with his hand. He slowly shook his head from side to side. It was damning how riled up he could get with just one statement from her. Though, he supposes they match that way, knowing exactly which chord to strike in order to make the other entirely irate.

In third year, it was much more common for them to spend time together, still with an ambiance of annoyance but underneath all the banter, all the forced charm, all the pseudointellectual grown-up talk, they were just them.

There he was, jumping up for another block, shifting his feet from where he had been sitting and lunging upwards, fingers outstretched just barely going over the net. He landed, having successfully blocked Hinata’s spike. In response, Hinata groaned and pulled on his hair, Kageyama shrugged.

Yamaguchi clapped his hands, telling the juniors on the team why Tsukishima’s block was successful and how to replicate his technique.

“Or you know, just grow taller and not have to work on technique.” He laughed in response to Yamaguchi’s glare.

Tsukishima had grabbed a towel from Yachi and was drying the sweat from his hair. His shoulders were sore from the work out he and Kageyama had done the night before. He was aiming to see how much width he could put onto his shoulders before the school year was over. Kageyama was already three centimeters broader than him despite them starting at around the same shoulder width.

Once the gym had been cleaned, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were changing in the locker room. Yamaguchi fidgets with his ponytail hair tie.

“You need to get a haircut, your whole shaggy thing is a major deterrent for any sort of friendship we have going on.”

“Maybe if your hair was longer, she’d actually come to watch us practice. And you could finally put all those lateral raises and shoulder presses to good use. You know, for your aesthetic purposes in trying to get hotter for her.” Yamaguchi finished taking his shirt off and ran hands through his hair, turning around and trying to wave the strands in Tsukishima’s face.

Tsukishima grabbed the top of Yamaguchi’s head and shoved him away. “She can’t come watch us play because she’s busy with her team, my little manager extraordinaire.” He faked jazz hands and put his regular shirt back on, stuffing the volleyball uniform into his black duffel bag.

She had given him a keychain, of herself. Well, it was her photo in a holder that was decorated with dinosaurs and strawberries, there were shaker emblems in the hollow space of the rectangular cube, of stars and volleyballs. It was a visual atrocity, none of it working together cohesively, but he loved the keychain all the same.

It dangled from his duffel bag when he slung it over his shoulder, and Yamaguchi chuckled a little, rushing to put his shirt on so he could walk out of the gym with Tsukishima.

“Wait up!”

It was a shade of light orange fading into purple outside, and Kageyama, Hinata, Yamaguchi, and Tsukishima were making their way down the street to the crossroads where they went their separate paths. She usually met up with Tsukishima there as well, despite his reluctance for her to walk around late at night.

Seeing her with a wad of tissue up her nose and a pack of ice on the side of her face was ultimately the worst way to put an end to the night. The other boys quickly caught on and bid their farewells, sensing an air of undisclosed intimacy.

Tsukishima sucked in a deep breath, setting his duffle bag down on the ground next to her and using his hand to hold the ice pack for her. He used his other hand to lift her chin up so he could see if there was still blood coming out from her nose.

He didn’t even have to say anything for her to start explaining, she kept trying to hold the ice pack herself, but he kept anxiously swatting her hand away so he could hold the pack himself.

“It was a stray ball gone entirely haywire. The first years we have are on crack cocaine I swear.” She winced a little when he applied some pressure from the ice pack to her temple. “Ouch, stop, let me do it instead.”

He let out a clicking sound, being gentler with the ice pack.

“It’s nice that you care, but please I need to get home.”

“Just a little bit longer.” Tsukishima pulled her down to the street curb, so they could sit down. “The best they could do for you was an ice pack and a wad of paper to stick up your nostril?”

“I know, I’m out here working my ass off for the volleyball hooligans and I don’t even get princess treatment when they pop me in the face with their balls.” She sets the ice pack next to her foot, kicking at the plastic a little.

He laughed, his shoulders shaking a little.

She pulled out the tissue, tucking the bloody end into the main body of the tissue and shoving it into her pocket. She covered her nose, knowing there was some dried blood on her upper lip, she turned her head around so he couldn’t see her.

“Hey, c’mon, I know what blood looks like,” He shakes her knee a little, teasing her. “I think I have a wipe in my bag,” Tsukishima pulled the bag into his lap, searching around. He hands her the disposable wipe and she rubs it under her nose.

“How do I look?” She turns back to him, giving him a smile.

“You look great. You always look great.”

She bumps into his shoulder with her own and he winces slightly.

She frowns a little, “You got hurt at practice?”

“Ah, let’s go with that.”

She figures that since he gave her something to clean her face off, she should give him something back.

“Want me to rub your shoulders a little?” She brought a hand to the shoulder closest to her, and started to rub her thumb in a circular motion on the back blade.

He swallows, his fingers twitching from a want to hold her hand that was on his back. She shifts so she’s behind him, sitting on her calves as her knees press against his back a little. Her thumbs are on his shoulder blades and her fingers wrap around the bulk of his shoulder to reach his collarbones. Her ministrations reduce the aching in his muscles but only intensify the buzz he gets when he’s around her.

“If you keep doing this I might fall in love with you.” It’s wistless but carries an appetite that itches to be satiated.

The sun had finally set, streaking the sky with strands of reds and yellows at the cusp of the edge of the earth that was visible to them. The sky directly overhead was deeply purple and dark navy blue. Some white splatters of stars dotted the universe.

“Who’s to say you aren’t already in love with me?” She wraps her arms around his neck, resting her chin on the top of his head.

He moves his head, and hers falls down a little, no longer able to use his head as a support for her chin, he presses a quick kiss to her jaw.

“Now that’s a great question from you, let’s keep those kinds of inquiries coming.”

She liked to pester him with questions well into college, especially as they sat side by side in their anthropology class.

“So how do I tell the difference between the 1400s and 1300s? Professor keeps saying we can clearly see the difference between a vase from the 1350s and a vase from the 1410s but honestly they both look like piles of crust to me.” She was tugging on his hand under the desk they were sitting at. He just kept taking his notes, transcribing what the T.A was talking about for an upcoming exam.

“Okay, Kei. I see how it is. Leaving your lovely girlfriend to struggle in the same class you begged her to take with you.”

He shushes her a little, grabbing her hand with his free one. “I’ll help you after class.”

He got a glance of the zeroes in black on his wrist.

He looks at her wrist, matching zeroes. He was glad that he bumped into her that day.

They were soulmates. It was plain to see, plain to feel, plain to understand.

The T.A closes a notebook and dismisses the class, he announces he’s going to his office to grab something and then he’ll be back to answer some questions.

Tsukishima sets his pen down and grabs her face with both hands, she raises an eyebrow at him and tries to lean back.

“This doesn’t feel very academic in nature, this is definitely not an answer to my question, so what is this?” She gesticulates her hands between the two of them.

“This is me kissing you.”

He rushed to close the distance between them. Their noses bumped into each other before he tilted his head a little bit. When he slid his tongue into her mouth, she whimpered a little and nudged his chest. But he stayed connected to her. Tsukishima could hear the classmates that hadn’t left yet making some barraging comments, he didn’t care.

He tried to pull her into him, lifting her slightly by the back of her knee and trying to bring it around his body with zeal. He licked her bottom lip before nipping at it. She went with it, resting a hand on his chest and leaning into the kiss slightly.

Tsukishima pushed the rolling desk away slightly, and used a hand to bring her chair closer to his. When she placed her other hand behind his neck and toyed with the strands of hair along the back of his head he kissed her with more pressure. He kept trying to coax her into his lap as he kept tugging on the back of her knee.

The T.A got back and dropped a stack of papers, seeing as Tsukishima had just given up on coaxing her and had entirely just pulled her into his lap of his own volition. She was so embarrassed when the teacher’s assistant had, in a voice barely below a scream, chastised them and said they’d need to write a paper on proper classroom conduct.

Tsukishima had zoomed through his essay, spending the rest of the hour in the office drawing shapes on her back with his fingers, lackadaisical with his motions. She had almost, just barely, snapped at him when he pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

“I’m sorry.” He drew a heart on her back in a wide sweep motion, before changing his tactic and using just his finger tips to scratch her back lightly.

“You are not sorry.” She said with teeth clenched, pausing writing her essay.

“Yeah. I’m not. I just really wanted to kiss you.” To Tsukishima’s words, she just clicked her tongue at him.

“There’s nothing hot about anthropology so I don’t know what gave you the animalistic urge to kiss me like that.”

He pouted a little, then picked up the pen from her paper and twirled it between his fingers.

“While anthropology may not be hot, you definitely are.”

She groaned in response, trying to take her pen back. He just shook his head no and gave a traditional Tsukishima ‘tsk, tsk, tsk’. He took the paper from her as well, writing the rest of the outlined points rapidly so they could get out of the office and into their apartment.

“Remember when you kissed me in the middle of class, and then the T.A got so mad at us. I want more memories like that, and I suppose I’ll get them because now we’re legally stuck together.” Her hands were shaking a little, reading the paper in front of everyone.

Tsukishima was easily able to ignore everyone else, focusing on the way she had done her hair. He had heard the vows beforehand. She didn’t trust anyone else but him to be a proofreader for her little speech. She also wanted him to get out all the cringes so he didn’t tease her during the wedding because then her dad would’ve gotten mad at him.

They had gone over their vows together the night before, curled up on their couch, joking and laughing at what the other had written.

“You cannot say that you can’t wait to replicate our college graduation night over again, that’s foul.”

“We have a better car now.” He shrugged. She hit him with her stack of drafts repeatedly.

“And you need to add in how much you love me.”

“I’m marrying you, isn’t that clear enough for a statement of love?” Tsukishima groaned and threw his head back onto the couch.

“Yeah, that’s not gonna cut it, mister. I need you on your hands and knees in gratitude. I need you wallowing in desperation for me. I need you to be obsessed.”

Tsukishima could do that. He quickly wrapped an arm around her waist, tugging her over his lap so she was straddling his thighs. He let his hands rest on the small of her back, before sliding around to rub her thighs languorously. Tsukishima sighed in contentment when she slumped over him a little, tucking her head into the nook of his neck.

“There’s a lot I’m sorry for,” Tsukishima blinked a few times, she hadn’t included a bit like this when he read her draft. “And there’s a lot I wish that I could go back and redo. I’m sorry for you because I know that I’m stubborn, and I’m sorry that I made you wait until college so we could date, despite knowing we were soulmates in high school. You did a great job of sticking it out. And you stuck it out for me, the girl who tried to fight you in the middle of a gymnasium after you accidentally bumped into her.”

Tsukishima didn’t expect to get choked up. When he looked over to his family, Akiteru was sobbing uncontrollably as their mom rubbed Akiteru’s back. Tsukishima glanced over to his friends, and Yamaguchi was forcing a smile despite looking completely overwhelmed with tenderness.

“I’m gonna tease you now so don’t bite my head off when this reception is over okay? I stuck it out too for you, especially when you kept trying to kiss me all throughout high school, or when you would slide your hand over my thigh.”

Tsukishima blushed and he used his hands to cover his face with an incredulous noise erupting from his throat. He hoped that her parents would have selective hearing for that specific part of her vows.

“But, you chipped away at me. Slowly. With a sort of dedication that would impress even the builders of the Pyramids. I wish that everyone got to see that side of you, but I’m glad that I got to experience it first hand. The side of Tsukishima Kei where he knows what he wants and pursues any path to achieve it. My Kei, who when faced with obstacles, decides that the obstacles aren’t a problem for him and that he can keep going.”

He wipes away the tears prickling away at his eyes.

“So, here’s to the future. Here’s to our lives pressing onward. I say that we win some and that we lose some, and you say back to me that you deserve a reward for doing either. Winning or losing, you want a reward for the experience. From this experience, getting to know me, and then dating me, and then being engaged to me, I hope that now that we’re moving onward that I’m enough of a reward.”

He knows he isn’t supposed to interrupt her, but he does, “You’re the only reward I need.”

She turns the paper around. She’s laughing a little, ignoring the tears on her face. Tsukishima looks at where her finger is pointing to. And right below her line of hoping she’s enough of a reward, clear as day is a prediction she had written.

Cue Kei saying something cringey in response, 10 bucks it’s “You’re the only reward I need.”

Tsukishima clicks his tongue and rolls his eyes.

But it was true.

She was all he needed.

He remembers reading something about soulmates during high school. Or maybe it was about relationships in general, but that’s not the point. The article had said something along the lines of, when you date someone you’re competing with that person.

You compete to be worth something to that someone, to be worth the time they would be spending on themself instead.

Tsukishima thought that was all a load of bullshit.

Love isn’t something you compete for, or something you build up virtuous worth for. Love is natural and doesn’t require anything but patience and effort. He didn’t need to compete to be worth anything to her, he just had to be himself.

#haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #hq #hq x reader #tsukishima kei x reader #tsukishima x reader #tsukishima kei #tsukishima #soulmate au #lilly's red string of fate #fluff #haikyuu fluff #slow burn?#slow burn mostly #he just pines a lot #playful banter out the wazoo #playful banter

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