#reader's job is unspecified but they fight and shit idk

[sloth-babied]

Just for a Few Minutes

Shuri x POC reader

Summary: In the midst of a mission, you and Shuri get stranded in space. Months later of failing to get back home, you catch her crying and try to make her feel better.

or

Reader is a touch-starved pathetic loser who Shuri takes an interest in.

Contains: Angst, hurt/comfort, shy reader, smut (18+), and a sprinkle of fluff.

Word count: 2.7k

Shuri’s been stuck at the wheel, stressing on getting back home. She hates this ship, if you can even call it that. It’s old and rusty. You’re surprised the ship hasn’t blown up yet.

You got used to the grumbling and shouting. It’s the same pattern over and over again, and it always ends with a dent in the metal wall or absolute silence: Shuri cheers, believing she’s tracked Earth’s location, then shouts profanities that you don’t understand when the janky ship randomly reroutes the coordinates.

All day Shuri sits in the cockpit, determined she’ll beat the ship at its ridiculous game, and you watch with crossed fingers each time. You often try to lend a hand, although she’s not very fun to work with when she’s angry.

And when she’s not angry, she cries. But only when she thinks you’re asleep. You’ll lay on your bed, back facing the rest of the ship, and glue your eyes on the wall, unable to sleep while she stifles her sobs either in the bathroom or her bed. 

Unlike Shuri, you didn’t have anyone to lose. Your teammates would tease you—call you a lone wolf. Unfortunately, they’re not wrong. 

Today, you hear the same quiet sniffling. 

You lay there, hesitant to move so she doesn’t know you’re listening. Or trying not to listen. But it’s hard not to when you’re a light sleeper. 

The benefit of being a light sleeper? No one can sneak up on you. 

The setback? Waking up to the only person you see every day cry almost every night.

However this night—or day, who knows really—is different. She doesn’t lay in the bed across from yours. Instead she sits in the cockpit, elbows on her lap and face buried in her hands.

Shuri’s body jumps when she hears the soft pads of your feet make their way over to her, but she doesn’t look at you. Maybe that’s for the best considering you have no idea what draws you to take the co-pilot’s seat. 

You’re unsure what to do. You rarely find yourself in a situation where you have to comfort someone, much less yourself. 

Looking straight ahead at the stars and distant galaxies, you speak. 

“I don’t miss anyone.” Wow. You’re already terrible at this.

Nonetheless, Shuri’s faintly head lifts, curious to hear where you’re going next.

You gulp, hoping you only say the right words.

“I mean, like, I don’t have anyone to, like, you know, miss. And there’s no one on Earth who’s, you know, missing me right now. Or looking for me for that matter. But I know that there are people searching for you.”

Shuri also looks ahead. “We’re galaxies away,” she states hopelessly.

“Which is probably why they’re taking so long,” you jokingly reply in an attempt to seem sensible.

You turn to Shuri, and the glint of hope that used to live in her eyes has gone, replaced with exhaustion.

“They’ll travel through those galaxies,” you hope to reassure her. “They will.”

You don’t even know if you believe that, though it doesn’t matter if you do or not as long as she believes it. 

For a minute, no one makes a sound before Shuri starts to whimper again.

An inaudible “woah” comes out of your mouth when you watch her conceal her face back in her hands. Mentally, you’re unsure how to react, which is ironic because your body somehow does: your bottom lifts off the seat and your arms make their way around the princess.

That’s what you do to make people feel better, right?

Her body stiffens and you scold yourself for being so hasty. You attempt to pull away and apologize before she snakes her arms around you, burying her head between your shoulder and neck. You stay there for a while, your knees on the hard floor as she soaks your shirt. 

You don’t say anything and she doesn’t need anything to be said. Silence is just fine.

You’re not used to offering affection, not even a simple hug. Its unfamiliarity makes you a little uncomfortable but you stay. She's the one who pulls away eventually. 

“Tired,” she says plainly.

You get on your feet and back up while she stands. The space between you and Shuri returns, mostly because of you. For you, really.

You attempt to shake off the odd feeling on your skin and in your chest as Shuri sits on her bed. She doesn’t tuck herself in though. She just looks at you.

You hate to say that the face she’s wearing seems familiar. It’s a face you’ve ignored on Earth. A face that wants something from you, but you don’t know what. Or you pretend you don’t know.

This time it’s different. You can sense what she wants, and like all the times before, you choose to ignore it, muttering a “goodnight” as you hurriedly walk to your bed.

“Wait.”

There’s no thought to it when your body halts. However, the anticipation flusters you.

It takes a second after you point your ear to her. You hear a heavy exhale leave her nose. 

“Can you…lie down with me?”

If you heard this on Earth, you’d simply tell her to go to sleep. At the moment you consider not even facing her again, but you regrettably turn your shoulder. And damn. There’s that face again–the inner corners of her eyebrows softly angled upward.

“Just for a few minutes,” she adds. 

Her eyes slowly glide away as she recognizes what she just requested. She wonders why she even asked you such a thing. She starts to shake her head, nearly retracting what she said.

“Sure,” you say. This is probably a mistake.

Your answer obviously surprises her. You don’t have that type of relationship to even lay together, let alone make any physical contact that wasn’t a pat on the shoulder.

You take up the little space left after Shuri scooches. She faces the wall and you lay on your back, unable to move freely. Even your leg hangs off the edge.

But you still can’t seem to shake off that feeling. 

It feels strange. Sort of awkward. But something about it also feels…nice, you think. You’ve never done this with someone. The thought of it was too foreign to even consider.

The version of you before would have cringed at the possibility of this happening. But this version of you–the one who has spent months stranded in space, building whatever connection you have with Shuri���doesn’t mind her back pressed against your arm. This version of you doesn’t mind how warm she feels next to you despite the spacecraft’s low temperatures.

You stare at the back of her head contemplating whether or not you should throw your arm over her waist. To comfort her, of course. 

No, probably not. 

Facing the ceiling again, you wait for Shuri to fall asleep until you hear sniffling again. You can’t solve sorrow with one conversation, can you?

“Shuri?” You whisper. She doesn’t respond. You turn over and place your hand on her bicep. “Shuri,” you try again.

You pull at her with no force and she rolls on her back, wiping her cheek. 

“Sorry,” she murmurs sheepishly.

“No, no,” you reach for her face. “It’s alright.”

She gives you full access, staring at you when you begin rubbing away as many tears as you can. You hit a point where her face is mostly dried up, but you don’t remove your hand. You both lay on your sides and you just keep cleaning.

Shuri reaches for your cheek, dragging the back of her hand up and down, mimicking your touch. Your eyes flutter shut, welcoming the new sensation.

She whispers your name.

You open your eyes. “What?”

God, that face.

“I’m gonna kiss you.”

Your hand pauses on her cheek. “Okay.”

She grabs your neck, pressing her lips to yours. And it feels…really good. Her lips are soft, but dry. She observes the same for your lips, but none of you actually mind.  

Oh man, is this what you’ve deprived yourself of all this time? You can’t get enough of this. You can’t get enough of her, especially when she tilts her head, kissing you deeper. She eagerly pushes you on your back and gets on top of you, hungrily molding herself against you. 

A moan escapes the back of your throat when her lips move to your jaw, trailing down. Her lips tingle down your neck, particularly when she rests there to mark your skin. 

You enjoy this feeling. The overwhelming state you’ve never allowed yourself to enter before.

Shuri lifts the hem of your shirt, snaking her hand under your pants. Your thighs instinctively open as she cups your pussy and your breath hitches when her thumb begins circling your clit.

Jesus, you’re sensitive. You’ve touched yourself here and there, but it never felt like this. 

You choose to look down and your arousal grows just by the disappearance of her hand beneath your clothing. She slides her middle finger between your folds and you dismiss her chuckles when she recognizes how incredibly wet you are. You’re too horny and touch-starved to even worry about it. 

She sits up, one hand at your pussy and the other next to your head. She inserts a finger and drags it out, continuing this motion as her thumb messily rubs your bud.

“You like it when I do this?” Oh, she knows you do.

“Yeah,” you mutter after she inserts her ring finger, staring at you writhe below her.

You turn away, squeezing your eyes shut. Your arm sits on your forehead, covering your eyes, but Shuri pulls the arm away from your face.

“Keep looking at me,” she commands softly.

As piercing as her eyes are, you do as she says and she rewards you by pumping faster. Your mouth opens, your breath quickens, and your hand grips her pillow and the other flies to her bicep, seeking to hold something. 

She hums, responding to your desperate whines; your wetness coating her fingers. She takes advantage of your parted mouth and consumes your lips, slipping in her tongue.

You can’t tell if it’s her fingers or her tongue that make you cum, but holy shit, who fucking cares at this point? Your body shakes and your hips lift involuntarily. And even better, Shuri continues to thrust in and out of you, gradually slowing her pace as your orgasm sends you into a disorientated state of ecstasy.

You pull away from her lips, catching your breath.

Shuri smirks. “You look pretty when you cum.” 

And you’re brought back down to…well, not Earth. With a groan, you cover your face, but only for a second, too keen to see an expression that wasn’t a frown on her face.

“I bet you’d look even better,” you sit up to kiss her. “Can you lay back?” 

She obeys, switching positions with you. You hope to appease her even though you don’t fully know what you’re doing. 

“Tell me what to do,” you rub her knee. “I wanna make you feel good, but I don’t know where to start.”

An inquisitive look appears on her face, processing what you’ve just told her. She leans up using her elbows to support her.

“Was that your first time?” 

You tilt your head side to side. “Sorta, yeah. I mean, there was this one girl a while ago, but she didn’t get…as far as you did.” 

You didn’t let her get as far as Shuri did, to be specific.

“Bast,” she gapes at you. “I suppose that makes sense.”

“Please don’t make it awkward.”

She shakes her head. “I…Okay, yeah–no. I won’t.” The gears keep turning in her head to the point where she smiles to herself. “I’m your first?”

“Okay,” you murmur, shifting away from her before Shuri draws you back with your wrist.

“Don’t go,” she giggles. “That’s okay. I’ll guide you.” She pecks your lips. “I’m sorry.” She pecks your lips again. “We’ll go slow.”

You nod nervously.

“What do you wanna do, hm?” She caresses your cheek, seeing how tense you’ve become. 

You peer down at her pants, shrugging. “Wanna touch you…however you want me to.”

“However?” She gives you one last kiss below your jaw before laying on her back. “Okay. Help me take this off.”

The heat kicks back in. You start removing her pants until she impatiently kicks the rest off the bed, leading you both to laugh. 

“Just start by kissing me first,” Shuri reaches for your arm.

You happily oblige, enveloping her lips with yours, your body between her legs. You breathe her in—promptly addicted, that’s for sure. Your chests press together and you can feel her breasts beneath you, nipples as firm as yours. 

Your hand hesitantly slides under her shirt. You stop before you reach her breast. “Is it okay if-”

“It’s okay,” she drags your hand to her breast and you gently squeeze before flicking her nipple. You successfully earn a moan from her. Fuck, you only wanna do things that’ll get a noise out of her. 

You kiss her chin, her jaw, dip to her neck, then down to her clavicle, hoping to descend further. Shuri reads your mind, removing her shirt and throwing it aside. You fervently reconnect your mouth to her skin, stopping at her sternum. Her hand shoots to the back of your head when your lips slide to her breast and your tongue circles around her areola, flicking on her nipple before engulfing it. Another moan leaves her, encouraging you to suck. Your free hand plays with her other breast, flicking and tugging before gliding down to her pussy. You find her clitoris beneath her underwear, circling it between your index and middle finger.

Shuri mumbles in Xhosa as you slip off her underwear.

Your mouth releases her breast and you get up. You gaze at her body, licking your lips. You stay there, naively contemplating what you hope to do to her. She notices. 

Her half-lidded eyes inspect your expression. “What do you wanna do?” 

Your fingers keep playing with her as you think. You look down at them, enthralled by her body’s response to your touch. You land on something. “Wanna eat you out.”

Shuri lets out a breathy laugh. “I’m surprised you know what cunnilingus is,” she jokes.

You chuckle. “Shut up.”

You aim for her stomach, kissing your way down to her pussy. You remove your fingers from her clit, pausing once you’ve positioned your head between her legs. Your eyes lock on hers when you flatten your tongue and lick.

“Yeah,” her hand lands on the side of head, watching you intently. “Just keep doing that.”

And you do. You lick and suck her, allowing the volume of her voice to guide you. You wrap your arms around each of her thighs, getting comfortable the more she coats your mouth and chin.

“Does that feel good?” You muffle against her pussy.

“Yeah,” she grinds on your face. “Feels…feels really good.”

Shuri gasps your name and throws her head back when you sneak a finger inside her cunt, thrusting in and out. She whimpers when you add another digit, curling the pads of your fingers. She curses in her native language, sighing, “right there,” when you hit her spot and you stare, admiring her whine and whimper because of you.

You continue to suck her clit until her body shudders intensely as she approaches her climax. She wonders if you’ve switched off the ship’s gravity because her mind spaces off blissfully.

You want to see that again.

She releases a heavy sigh and lifts herself to look at you while you sit up.

“Did I do okay?” You ask.

She yanks you by your shirt and smashes her lips on yours, tasting herself. 

You laugh against her mouth. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

She pulls away, but lingers with her forehead against yours. She drags her fingernails up and down your neck. “Thank you.”

And she means it. You’re both lonely already. She needed the distraction and you’re apparently much more desperate for affection than you thought you were.

Jokingly you furrow your brows anyway. 

“Do people normally thank each other after sex?”

She clicks her tongue and flicks your forehead, saying your name in a scolding manner.

“Ow!” You yelp, laughing as you palm the spot she flicked. 

Shuri smiles humorously, rubbing your forehead despite the lack of pain.

[exhausted-enby]

Moving On and Out

Bokuto Koutarou x GN!Reader (not the main focus!)

hurt and comfort? angst? idk man.

past kuroo tetsurou x reader, past kuroo tetsurou x unspecified character, bokuto koutarou x reader, kenma x hinata.

word count: exactly 3333!!!

Content Warning(s): swearing, past cheating, angst, recreational alcohol consumption, recreational drug use (weed) mentioned, y/n ready to square up, shit grammar as usual.

part one: Letting Go (Kuroo x GN!reader angst)

you don't have to read the first part but it might make a bit more sense :)

the week following is tense, to say the least.

Kuroo makes himself scarce. locking himself in his room, leaving only to grab quick, minimal prep food, to use the bathroom and to go to and from work. you've crossed paths a grand total of four times in the past several days: twice in the kitchen, once in the hallway and once in the apartment building's lobby.

today is sunday, and his only day off. you're determined to speak with him, whether he wants to or not.

juggling a takeout bag in one hand and your everyday bag in the other, you riffle through your things looking for your apartment keys. it takes a few tries and some words of vex muttered under your breath but you finally pull your keys free, then hastily jam them into the lock.

“Kuroo! I see your shoes out here, i know you're home!” you shout into your shared space, fighting to pull your own shoes off your feet. when you don't receive a response you tack on, “seriously, get your ass out here! we've ought to talk and i've got take-out from the thai place downtown. i'll bust down your door if i have to!” humour colours your ending statement, but it's far from a joke.

your apartment is small, with an open concept lay out. the dining area-slash-kitchen to the left and living room to the right in one elongated room. dead center, directly across from the front door is, technically, what divides the space into separate sections, a single hallway. the first room on the right is Kuroo's, slightly further down the hall on the left is your own. the bathroom is placed directly at the end of the walkway.

overall, it's a little shabby; always a bit too cold in the winters and a smidge too hot in the summers. the bathroom faucet leaks year round despite the multitude of times you've tried to fix it and the power will randomly flicker out for half an hour or so then spark back to life monthly. it's not ideal but it's enough for two struggling college students. beggars can't be choosers and all that jazz. it's close to your campus and not much farther from your jobs, which sealed the deal for you when you had decided to get an apartment together halfway through your first year.

tossing your bag on the coach, you start to question whether or not he is actually present as the silence stretches on. but just as you're unpacking the to-go containers, setting them out on the small kitchen table, you hear the lock on his door turn then see his head peep around the hall corner. “oh, good! you are home, for a second i thought i bought all this food for nothing. i got the noodles you like. get the plates, will you?” he doesn't answer but he does as told, scurrying around you to the cupboards.

placing down two ceramic, cat-head shaped plates, he makes way for the utensils drawer behind you. you press closer to the table to give him the needed access.

after dishing out food onto your plate, you plop into a chair. Kuroo hesitates slightly before plating himself and taking the seat directly across from you. you rarely eat at the dining table, normally on the coach or in one of your beds instead. unless you a) had guests over or b) you needed to have a serious conversation.

you eat in silence for a majority of the meal, the only sound is the clacking of utensils and the consistent hum of the fridge in the background. it's odd, uncomfortable, and you want it to be done with.

taking a few more bites of your food you place your utensils down then clear your throat.

"so," you pause, you're not sure how to go about this, "i'm moving out." well. i guess that's definitely one way. not exactly how you wanted, but at least it's direct.

he just stares. eyebrows drawn and jaw slack. he looks like he's trying to solve a chemistry problem that just doesn't make sense. his bite of his food hovers midair, just before his still open mouth.

he doesn't say anything. absolutely nothing at all.

and all of this damned silence is really starting to piss you off.

"fucking say something goddammit! or actually, close your damn mouth first i can see your half-chewed food." your patience is running thin. and like the flick of a switch your whole demeanour changes, everything about you— your tone, stance, aura— is saturated in annoyance.

his jaw clamps shut so fast you can hear his teeth clank together. he chews his food a few more times then swallows, washing it down with some water afterwards. he's stalling, never this careful with his food. you've watched him and Bokuto almost kill each other over hotpot then choke it back up. but here he is, slowly and meticulously chewing a single bite.

he clears his throat uncomfortably, "wh.. what?" definitely not his most eloquent response. his voice is small and confused, a little hurt.

you repeat yourself. you know that isn't what he meant but you need to make him understand this is absolute.

"i knew this was gonna be bad when you said you bought thai." he lets out an empty chuckle, "i guess i just wasn't expecting it to be this bad..." voice softer than a whisper, something indescribable tinges the edge of his words.

fear, maybe?

you let out a hum of acknowledgment to signal you're still present in the conversation. sitting with your thoughts for a moment, you ponder your options on how you can continue.

"i have to. it's for my own well-being. this whole situation is..." you trail off, shaking your head free of any straying thoughts. you need to stay on track, "besides it's late august and our lease is up at the end of december. you can either find a new roommate and renew the lease or start looking for somewhere else now because i can not continue to live here." you pat yourself on the back mentally for your strong and sturdy tone; no hesitation. 100% fact.

he opens his mouth to protest but you hold up your hand to signal, stop, you are not finished.

"if you decide on staying, I'll be out of your hair by the end of september, latest. Kenma and Shoyo said i can crash in their guest room for the time being. if you decide to move i'll stay and pay my portion of the rent for the remaining time but don't think that i'll change my mind if you do want to stay." your throat is dry but you feel like a weight has been lifted off your chest so that's all that matters.

"can i have some time to think about it?" his voice is hollow and eyes empty.

"sure. doesn't make much of a difference to me." you shrug, giving off an air of indifference. inside, however, you're crumbling.

this was the hardest decision of your life. you'd been attached at the hip since elementary school, moving into the same apartment complex shortly after Kenma had. you thought you'd be together forever but you know your worth and whatever this half assed lie was.. is definitely not it. you're not going to let him treat you like a cheap whore you stuff in the closet when your spouse comes home earlier than expected.

and speaking of spouses..

"oh. one more thing," his eyes flicker up to your face but immediately drop back down to his plate when he catches sight of your E/C eyes. they lack the regular sparkle, it makes his heart squeeze uncomfortably. he nods his head slightly to show he's listening.

folding your hands over your plate you rest your chin atop them, "you have until the end of the week to tell them. Or i will." you keep your voice level, flat even. as if you're discussing a business deal. his chopsticks slip out of his hand. one hits the edge of his plate then tumbles off the table the other falls directly into his food.

"i— excuse me? are you serious?? no. absolutely not. you don't have the fucking right to make that decision, Y/N!" his voice is raising in intensity, anger bleeding into his words and painting his face red.

and that makes you see a just as blinding scarlet, vision blurring as rage sets in your veins. your chair crashes to the ground you stand up so fast. in less than a blink of an eye you're leaning across the table, close enough that you're almost nose to nose with him.

a smaller, less rational and much weaker part of yourself is telling you to lean in the last few centimetres. kiss him, forget it all. but all the feelings that have been accumulating over the last week, simmering under your skin, finally start to bubble over.

good thing the urge to punch his teeth down his throat is so much stronger.

"but you had the right to lie to the both of us? you're a selfish cunt, Kuroo. real. fucking. selfish." you're seething. if this was one of those old american cartoons you're positive you'd have smoke coming out of your ears.

he reels back, almost falling out of his chair in the process. jumping up and out of his seat, he steps around you silently.

you wish he'd yell, stand up and let out all that he's been bottling up. explain himself. but that's a real silly thought. he pauses momentarily then heads for the hall.

"thanks for the food." he tensely calls over his shoulder. then slams his door shut, rattling the walls of this shitty apartment.

puffing out your cheeks you clean up the leftovers, stuffing them in the fridge then turn in for the night as well.

———

the next morning you receive a single text.

Tetsurou🐈‍⬛: I'm going to find my own place as well.

well, then that settles it.

———

a week passes and when his partner still doesn't know you decide to call them up yourself. you invite them out to breakfast, your treat, the next morning. nothing unusual, you've had one-on-ones a handful of times.

over greasy diner food and your usual drink of choice you explain the whole situation, start to finish. from the first time you met, your first kiss and then everything leading up to this very moment. it's a lengthy ordeal but they don't interrupt, not even once. listening intently, stirring their coffee now and again.

they thank you for your honesty but excuse themselves after asking for some time to process what you just dumped over their head like a bucket of ice cold water.

you understand. bidding them goodbye, you stay seated. watching their figure disappear into the throngs of people flooding the streets from the window.

when you go home later that evening after your afternoon class and work you know they've broken up with Kuroo. his eyes are rimmed red and he shoulder checks you as you pass him by in the hallway.

whatever.

karma's a bitch, ain't it?

———

holidays come and go.

halloween you go out with some friends and get so wasted you wake up in a stranger's bed, not a single memory of anything following the third —no, fourth?— bar you hopped, costume literally torn up and thrown across their bedroom floor.

november is spent haphazardly packing up the entire apartment and looking at overpriced flats.

it doesn't go nearly as smoothly as it could with how little the two of you are communicating.

it's odd diving up your belongings: the kitchenware, your combined movie collection, pictures and trinkets, etc. etc.

you agreed to sell most of the furniture then split the money.

it's depressing, truly.

winter break is spent bouncing between family and friends homes for a variety of celebrations.

you haven't told very many people about the situation, some don't even know you're moving yet... like your parents, for example.

Kuroo's mother doesn't say anything but you know she knows something is up when you go over for your annual holiday dinner. she kept squinting at you, cat-like eyes trained on you and him all night.

you really hope she doesn't gossip to your and Kenma's mothers.

just before new year's eve you are stuffing a majority of your things into a storage unit. Bokuto, Hinata and Atsumu— their teammate— help.

you had hoped to find an apartment before now but found nothing. the couple assures you, you're still more than welcome in their home for as long as you need.

Kenma and Akaashi are back at the apartment helping Kuroo pack a few remaining items. the three professional volleyball players agreed to help move him tomorrow.

someone in one of his media classes mentioned that his roommate was moving in with her girlfriend and Kuroo jumped at the opportunity.

not that you care... much.

———

a month in and you still feel guilty that you, not Kuroo, end up getting the spare room to his childhood best friend's home. picking the skin around your nails, you anxiously share your worries to Bokuto over the phone.

"Y/N, you're just as much Kenma's childhood best friend as Kuroo is," his voice is slightly distorted but even over the crackling of the call, it's clear in his voice that he's confused. not in a, 'how do i do taxes?' confused, but as in, 'isn't that obvious?’.

"Kenma wouldn't just let anyone crash in his home, Y/N. he's a pretty private person— hell, took him forever to ask Sho-kun over when they first started dating! if he wanted you out, you and i both know that you'd know it."

Bokuto Koutarou isn't a stupid person, far from it, actually. although, at first glance many assume as much. they see the loud, bubbly athlete and automatically write him off as just another dumb jock. but he's perceptive and emotionally intelligent, fiercely loyal and always so honest there's no room left for doubt.

"you're right," voice wobbly, you whisper into the receiver, "thanks Kou."

———

graduation rolls around and Kenma and Hinata (mostly Hinata) throw a party for you and your friends as congratulations. you mentally prepared to socialize by doing shots with Shoyo and then lighting up with kenma. your skin pleasantly tingles and your belly is warm.

when you bump into Kuroo, it still stings a tad more than you'd like to admit. but you bid him congratulations and make small talk anyways; how's your new roommate? exams sure were brutal this year. did you hear the bakery on campus is closing? and so on.

when Kuroo spots his ex making a beeline for you, his shoulders square and his back straightens uncomfortably.

"i'm uh, i'm gonna go— fill my drink! yeah, my cup's lookin’ a lil low." stumbling over his words and feet, he disappears. you decide to ignore that horrible attempt at a subtle exit and greet his ex with a hug and a smile; you chat briefly then part ways shortly after.

slipping outside, you slide the glass door that leads into the backyard closed. although the late night air still has the same harsh bite as the year before, a hefty amount of rowdy partygoers have gathered in the enclosed area. the chill is welcomed, refreshing.

you stumble through people playing drinking games, bumping into a person or two, as you make your way to a group of your dancing friends.

Hinata's time in brazil served him well. he swings and rolls his hips with practiced ease, never missing a beat. taking the hand he extends to you, he quickly pulls you into his chest with a tinkling laugh when you trip over your feet. you can't help but laugh a little too loud yourself, his own being contagious and the liquor clouding your mind makes everything just seem a smidge funnier than it really is.

"no no no— like this, you roll your hips like swoosh not whoosh!" he tries to demonstrate some simple moves to you and Hitoka but your alcohol-addled brains just can't seem to wrap around his instructions. it's okay, though. no one is bothered by it, if anything it fuels the giggle fest that makes up your current trio. typically you'd be embarrassed over the whole ordeal but with high spirits and liquid courage coursing through your veins you just giggle and try anyway.

this continues on for a few more songs before shoyo all but demands, "we need to do shots together!" and so off he goes. even drunk he's a fast little fucker, weaving through people with a refinement that someone as wasted as him shouldn't have.

ninja Shoyo or whatever, i guess.

stumbling after him, just as you're passing the patio table set up for cup pong, you quite literally fall into bokuto's lap with a hard oomph. he's sitting on one of the expensive steel lawn chairs, red solo in hand, its content sloshing over the rim, narrowly missing your top.

Atsumu squawks out apologies and Osamu chirps him on, "how the fuck are ya a professional volleyball player 'n yer dumbass still ain't aware of yer surroundings", but you're more focused on more important things; like the arm that wraps around your waist and the thick muscle that makes up his thighs...

his booming laugh bounces you on his lap and if you were a little more clear headed, a dab less trashed, you'd be mortified. instead, a laugh bubbles up out of your chest as well, waving Atsumu off you assure him it's fine. "as long as Koutarou is okay with it, so am i" the grin on your face puts the player at ease.

"why wouldn't i be fine with someone as cute as you takin’ a seat on me?" his speech is slurred but understandable. he rewards you with a tight squeeze around your middle and a blinding smile.

Atsumu throws his hands up in surrender and a wolfish grin overtakes his features, "whatever ya say Y/N and Bokkun," he sends a wink your way and then goes back to trash talking his twin despite getting his ass slammed at the game.

and that's where you spend the next hour, relaxed into the ace's chest observing the twins. he whispers into your ears commentary on each shot, making you giggle.

Hinata did come to find you about ten minutes after taking off with Yachi in tow but retreated back into the house once seeing where you'd ended up. only returning to hand you two drinks, giving you a pointed look and Bo one of his signature smiles then goes to find his boyfriend holed up somewhere inside.

half a year ago you felt like your life was falling apart. your carefully crafted home collapsing, swept away by a hurricane of problems.

but right here, right now, surrounded by friends and those you'd even consider family, you feel the most unwound you have in a while. like nothing could ruin everything you've started to rebuild.

so when you lean into kiss koutarou and he doesn't pull away, but kisses you back softly yet intensely— not at all how you'd expect him to— you know you're right. nothing could ruin this.

not even if you could see the array of emotions— shock, hurt, regret, jealousy— crossing kuroos features at supersonic speeds. throwing back both his and the drink he poured for the fukurodani alumni, he turns on his heels and leaves without a word to anyone.

not even that knowledge on top of the icky feeling that comes with drinking in excess could squash the warmth and excitement filling up your chest when you awake to your frame swallowed whole by Bokuto's and the memory of his lips pressed against your own.

everything’s going to be okay.

[gottagobuycheese]

Tag Thingy

Thanks @silent--sonata for indulging my terrible sleeping habits XD

(fyi this will probably be unnecessarily long and rambly, so it’s going under a cut (EDIT: whelp the song list got a little out of hand, I’d apologize if I were even remotely sorry)) 

Rules: Answer 17 questions & tag 17 people you want to get to know better  

Nickname: Cheese (or Lactose Wedge, or Dairy Product of Unspecified Origin and Purpose)

Zodiac Sign: Gemini! 

Height: 160.5 cm/5′3″ (Bubbles I refuse to believe you’re actually that much taller than me) 

Hogwarts house: Somewhere between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff allegedly, both of which I’d be honored to get sorted into, but honestly I’d just be stoked to get sorted at all 

Last thing I googled: I think it was something along the lines of “how to speed up audio playback in GarageBand,” but but my train of thought was derailed before I actually looked at any of the results so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (and on a related note, thanks again for the magical audio editing @imperiousheiress!)

Song stuck in my head: The end credits to Legacy of the Wizard (which is SUCH a jam, thank you for enlightening me @jessicafish) Following and followers: 227 (goodness just looking at that number is stress-inducing) and...104?! When the HECK did you all get here??? I think just last summer I was happily floating about in the 50��s. Anyways, to anyone I have not said hello, hello! Hope you enjoy your stay, and I am sincerely sorry if you expected Quality Original Content, or even just regularly scheduled other people’s content. Sadly, neither of these things tend to happen here. 

Amount I sleep: During the school year it’s usually anywhere between 30 minutes and 6 hours (DON’T EVEN START BUBBLES YOU HAVE NO RIGHT), usually landing in the 3/4 hour ranges if I’m smart about it, but now that I am on Unofficial Break, it’s usually at least around 6 hours (except today was 3 because Avatar is an excellent show and the weirdos in this house have regularly scheduled breakfast at 9-something every morning). Sadly my sleep schedule can only be forced to tolerate normalcy for so long before careening back in the other direction, so we’ll see if this is just a blip or if we’re back to normal mid-Atlantic Ocean hours!

Lucky number(s): I wouldn’t say these are necessarily favorite numbers, but I do like 2 and 9. But come to think of it, second attempts at Official Things do tend to go better for me than first attempts, so maybe there’s some merit there after all! Dream Job: Don’t think I’m really cut out for dreaming anymore, haha (unless you are a theoretical future employer in which case I am Extremely Full of Ambition and Passion). The bed-adjacent metaphor has been made, and not to brag, but I can sleep on pretty much any surface. Currently studying my Not Favorite aspect of STEM (was there ever a favorite or did I just like being good at things sometimes) and learning how to People™ properly (and also learning a gazillion convoluted drug names like what the heck dude, did you just fall asleep on your typewriter coming up with these), so I’ll take whatever place hires me and pays me enough not to depend on my parents for everything, I suppose. In an ideal world, that would entail a job where I could make friends, and even more importantly, a job where my shortcomings would not cause Massive and Irreparable Harm, but I don’t think this line of work really meshes with that last one, so I guess I’ll either have to get my shit together™ extremely soon or fake my death, adopt an alias, and flee to a completely new place with no ties whatsoever before trying to get another, less high stakes job. 

(Though I guess, less cynically, I like helping people well enough? And stories are fun! Maybe there could’ve been something with that. Not that there still can’t be, mind, but there’s still a long way to go between Here and There)

Wearing: Black shorts. Navy t-shirt. Brown some-specific-kind-of-jacket-I-forgot-the-name-of jacket. Is it summer? Is it fall? Am I in middle school? Who can say, but they are COMFY so sadly I have no cares to give

Favourite song(s): way way WAY too many to list here, and I do not have them all organized in a handy playlist separately, but to name a few (and these are not necessarily the MOST favorite okay, it doesn’t mean I don’t love stuff not on this list, it means you can’t force me to pick between my children and I am going to find at least one quick thing from a few things I like before I need to hit post and go back to looking like I’m being studious, and also things I think you should listen to right now, but for everything I’ve linked assuming I mean the whole OST), here’s a spam of links in no particular order: 

LoZ Wind Waker - The Great Sea (aka the epitome of optimism) 

Undertale - NGAHHH!! (I was about to link more but then I realized it’d be the whole soundtrack lol) 

LoZ Breath of the Wild - Hateno Village (Night) 

A:tLA - Peace (bad call BAD CALL NOW I HAVE EMOTIONS) 

Legend of Korra - Final Scene/Ending Theme (MISTAKES WERE MADE MISTAKES WERE MADE) 

Kung Fu Panda - Oogway Ascends (I feel like I’m taking you on a whole little album journey now XD) 

PMD: Explorers of Sky - Dialga’s Fight to the Finish (aka the Gotta Shower Fast song) 

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Pursuit ~ Cornered (aka the HURRY UP AND PACK UR SHIT YOUR FLIGHT LEAVES IN THREE HOURS song) 

Apollo Justice: A New Trial Is In Session (very underrated soundtrack imo) and also Apollo Justice: Telling the Truth (because these two are very closely associated in my head and it’s getting harder and harder to narrow things down so maybe I should stop lol) 

Your Name: Katawaredoki (in which I am forcibly thrown heart first into the bedroom of my second apartment at approximately 12-something A.M.) 

Digimon Adventure 01: Butterfly (MASSIVE 90′s childhood anime feels, and also Last Summer Before Everything Went to Shit feels (on a general scale I mean, not personal)) 

Pokémon: Lugia’s Song multitrack cover by Jordan Moore (would that I could have a talent of that musical talent) 

Pokémon the First Movie: Tears of Life (great now I’m on a Pokémon music spiral GUESS IT’S CHILDHOOD NOSTALGIA HOURS NOW) 

PMD: Blue Rescue Team - Farewell and Run Away/Fugitives (you CANNOT make me choose between these guys okay, my brain WILL explode, and whoops now I want to link the whole ost) 

Palette by A Dear Friend (wink wonk) 

Pokémon: Alpha Sapphire - Fortree City (wow talk about mood whiplash)

Detective Conan: Main Theme (I can’t find the specific version since there are so many, but it’s a Good Theme) 

Super Smash Bros.: Brawl - Opening Theme 

Pokémon Colosseum - Relic Forest 

Song for Lindsay by Andrew Boysen Jr. (oh great now it’s time for marching band feelings I guess)

Mt. Everest by Rossano Galante 

Deltarune - Field of Hopes and Dreams and A Town Called Hometown (orchestrated) (aka the Lots of Work To Do song) and You Can Always Come Home and Don’t Forget (hey guess what I wrote a bunch of fake extra verses for) (also it looks my pathetic attempts at narrowing things down are getting even more pathetic so I’ll wrap up soon XD) 

 Guild Wars 2 - Fear Not This Night (never actually played this myself but my friend got me addicted to the music) 

Lord of the Rings - May It Be (Enya) (aaaand now I miss choir, THANKS BUBBLES) 

Lion King - Can You Feel the Love Tonight (Multilingual) by Travys Kim (aka how I remembered how fun these things are) 

Original Song by Anonymous  

(The urge to add all the other songs I’m not adding is so strong but I’ve got so much work to do so just assume I mean all Nintendo music from any game I’ve played, all Ghibli movie music, every musical I’ve ever heard, and even more) 

Random fact:

Apparently as early as the 17th century, you could guess that a child would have a shortened life span if their foreheads tasted salty. Yes, there is a specific reason, and yes, you may already know what it is, and thankfully no, that life span projection no longer holds true, assuming access to Modern Medicine! 

Favourite Authors: Okay I have not read enough various books of enough various authors to be able to answer this, so I’m just gonna go with a few books instead. They are not necessarily all-time favorites, but I enjoyed reading them very much at the time and more often than not go back to them for comfort reads: The Martian, any of first three Harry Potter books, and The Rise of Kiyoshi. (That last one’s not really a comfort read but I am drowning in Loving Kiyoshi juice so here we are)

Favourite Animal Noises: Certain kinds of birds (UNLESS it’s some ungodly hour of the morning and you’re trying to sleep)? Ooh, and crickets! 

Aesthetic: A slob, but like...a comfy slob. An incredibly disorganized hermit who is happy to mill about in the uncontrolled entropy. (Are we talking about what aesthetic I give off, or what I like to look at, visually? Because I like space, and water, and mountains, and forests, and forests ON mountains, OOH and forests on mountains at night where you can see space, perhaps reflected in a body of water. Or just water, idk. Different things are pretty to look at at different times)

WELL THAT ONLY TOOK FOREVER SORRY FOR THE OBSCENE LENGTH 

@pachelbelsheadcanon @averybritishbumblebee @shingeki-no-korra @sailorlock @yeswevegotavideo @soultheta @queenerdloser @ifeelbetterer @rogueofdragons @peppervl @amadness2method @mutalune and anybody else who wants to do this! This isn’t seventeen, and I don’t know if any of you have already done it/been tagged, but I hear people moving around upstairs so that means this break is over XD. And ABSOLUTELY no pressure to actually do this, this is pretty much just me wishing you well! (and YOU of course, my dear reader! I hope everything’s going all right, or if it’s not, that it does soon)