#see you next time for kuro's art corner

[brutal-nemesis]

Goretober III: Hematemesis (Written By Nemesis)

This one funny to me haha Castys so miserable he super loves the @coyotehusk goretober

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Ingredients: chocolate, emeto (blood!), poison, gore, noncon touching that is a little bit more intimate than normal but still unsexy

Today’s restraint of choice was a metal collar around his neck that was chained to the floor, and Castys wasn’t really a fan. Sure, it gave him more freedom of movement than the table or dangling on a hook, but it didn’t really matter when Kuro could pin all of his limbs down and still have her hands free, which was super unfair. And the chain attached to his collar was long enough to allow him to sit up, but he couldn’t stand at all, which he supposed was better than being forced to stand and not able to sit, but still. 

Right now, though, Kuro was sitting across from him, holding out what appeared to be a piece of chocolate. “Here, Castys. You deserve a little treat for being a good boy so far.”

“You know I’m, like, way older than you, right?”

“You’d be surprised,” she laughed. And hey, maybe she was pretty old, too, considering that he didn’t even know what exactly she even was.

He kind of wanted to refuse the chocolate on principle, but he was also not one to turn down a little treat, especially if it was candy. Warily, he took it, watching Kuro as he put it in his mouth, but she just watched him right back, unreadable as ever. The chocolate was good, and it’d been a long time since he’d had something sweet, or any food at all, really, so he tried to savor it, but the longer he kept it in his mouth, the more he started to taste something…odd.

He was a fucking idiot this wasn’t just chocolate of course it was laced with something-But as soon as he tried to spit it out, Kuro pounced on him, pinning his wrists next to his head, her hand covering his mouth. “Swallow, Castys. You deserve it, remember?” Castys tried to squirm free and spit what was left of the chocolate in her face, but Kuro didn’t budge, so he was forced to chew the rest of the chocolate and swallow, since it would just melt in his mouth if he kept it there. “There you go,” Kuro said, stroking his face and causing him to flinch, which of course just made her laugh. It was always so funny to everyone how much Castys hated being touched!

Finally, she got off of him, allowing Castys to sit up and scoot as far away from her as his short chain would allow. “What the fuck was in that?”

“We’ll see, won’t we?” Castys sighed in annoyance and crossed his arms, waiting for whatever stupid drug or poison she’d fed him to take effect. He felt fine at the moment, maybe a little chest pain, but…okay, it was starting to get worse. As time went on, the pain only got sharper, and he started to get nauseous, which wasn’t really unexpected but still not fun. 

Soon enough he really, really had to puke, but Kuro was still sitting there, just staring at him, and he didn’t want to give her the satisfaction. However, his stomach didn’t give a shit about Kuro, forcing him to lurch forward on his hands and knees and vomit. It sounded more…solid than he was expecting, like there were little bits of something in it, but it was hard to tell by looking at the dark puddle between his hands.

Having a Suspicion, he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, and…yep, that was blood. “What’d you do to me?” he groaned, feeling even worse now that he’d thrown up, like the worst heartburn ever combined with an awful stomachache.

“It’s a special poison that sort of…destroys your stomach lining,” Kuro said lightly. “So your stomach acid is digesting you from the inside right now. I want to see if it’ll get fixed when you die.”

“It won’t.” Castys gave up and laid down on the cold stone floor, already feeling nauseous again. Well, this sucked ass. The acid was gonna eat through him no matter how many times he died until it…ran out? Did acid run out? Probably. Didn’t matter right now, he was gonna puke again, and he was barely able to get upright before even more blood spewed out of his mouth, splattering all over his arms and hands. 

Kuro laughed and picked up a little red chunk of something. “Ooh, I think this is part of your stomach. Looks like little pieces of you are coming up now instead of just blood clots.” Castys didn’t have the energy to reply, just lying curled up on his side as he coughed blood out of his nose and mouth, waiting for the next delivery of corroded bits from inside himself as the world spun out of focus.

He could hardly tell when he’d died or come back to life, the pain never really went away despite him having a stomach lining again since the rogue acid was no longer in his stomach. At some point Kuro tackled him so she could wrench his shirt up and look at the fun shade of purple his stomach area had turned, poking at it with interest. He’d stopped puking now and was just stuck lying there and groaning as his insides turned into soup.

It would stop eventually.

Right?

Next→

Castys Cult: @as-a-matter-of-whump​ @blackrosesandwhump​ @fanmanga1357-blog​​ @thehopelessopus​ @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi​ @hearse-song​ @muddy-swamp-bitch @whumpasaurus101 @yet-another-heathen​​ @galaxywhump​ @starnight-whump​ @his-unspoken-words​ @misspelledwitch​ @suspicious-whumping-egg​ @pumpkin-spice-whump​ @painsandconfusion​ @i-can-even-burn-salad​​ @befuddled-calico-whump​ @whumpinggrounds​ @whump-queen​ @whumpedydump​

[pocket-luv101]

Summary: Kuro and Mahiru are ghosts without memories of their past or their connection to the house they now haunt. They decide to investigate their human life. Their only hint is a portrait of Mahiru and roses. (KuroMahi, Ghosts AU)

“I was planning to de-thorn these roses but it’s hard with your head on my lap. What if one of the thorns falls into your eye? Wouldn’t you be more comfortable sleeping inside the cabin rather than in the garden outside too? It’s already difficult enough to make a flower crown of roses.” Kuro opened his eyes but he couldn’t see the person above him. The person held a handful of roses and it blocked the person’s face. He reached up so he could hold his hand.

“Kuro, I think I found a clue of who we are!” Mahiru’s voice travelled down the stairs and it woke Kuro from his nap. The sound of rushed footsteps followed. He walked to the foot of the staircase to speak with him and he saw the way he descended the steps. He almost appeared to be flying as he leapt down two steps at a time. Kuro worried that Mahiru would trip and fall down the stairs. He reached out his arms to catch him in case he tripped.

In the back of his mind, he knew that it was a pointless fear when they were both ghosts and cannot be hurt.

Mahiru thought that his open arms were an invitation and he happily jumped over the last few steps to his embrace. Kuro caught him against his chest and his momentum threw him off balance a little. They spun in a circle before he regained his balance. Throughout, he kept Mahiru safe in his arms so he wouldn’t fall. Mahiru grinned up at him and said, “There’s a portrait in the attic. Come and look at it.”

They were ghosts and neither of them could remember their past. The only thing they knew was their name and that they had a connection to the cabin. Though, they only guessed the latter was true because their souls lingered in the house. While Kuro was content with being a ghost and living without his memories, he knew that it was important to Mahiru. He helped him as much as he could.

He took Kuro’s hand and he pulled him up the steps. They entered the attic and Mahiru led him to the far corner of the room. Kuro was surprised that he found a portrait when they already searched the cabin thoroughly for anything that could tell them about their lives as humans. However, the home was completely barren. If they once lived in the cabin, their photos and furniture had been removed.

The attic was empty and he couldn’t see the portrait Mahiru mentioned. Mahiru motioned for him to stand next to him. He pressed on the wall and a board fell open to reveal a storage closet. Since the cabin was old and the wood was worn, it was difficult to see the door among the wood panel. They glanced into the closest and it was filled with art supplies.

Kuro’s eyes were immediately drawn to the portrait resting on the easel. An emotion swelled within him but he couldn’t describe his own reaction to the portrait. The painting portrayed Mahiru in a garden of roses. He sat on a chair with a black cat on his lap and a stunning smile on his face. The portrait was stunning but he couldn’t help but feel that it was unfinished. He asked, “What do you think this means?”

“I found the door by accident when I heard birds in the wall. The moment I saw the painting, I ran downstairs to tell you. This is the first time I’m looking at it closely.” Mahiru stared at the portrait of himself and he struggled to remember when it was created. He was clearly posing for the picture and he wondered if there was a reason that he had a traditional painting made of himself. A photograph would’ve been simpler and easier.

“The paint hasn’t aged much so this must’ve been made recently. There isn’t a date or signature in the corner like most artists would have. That would’ve helped tell us when you might’ve died. Then again, that might be pointless when we don’t have a calendar to tell us when today is. Can’t deal.” Kuro said. In the corner of his eyes, he saw Mahiru’s face fall. He quickly added: “But this tells us a lot. This house must belong to you because this shows you in the rose garden outside.”

“This house is…” Mahiru mumbled. To call the house his own felt true but there was a lingering doubt in his heart. There must’ve been more that connected both of them to the cabin beyond it being his home. Thinking simply, Kuro wouldn’t be haunting the cabin if it only belonged to only Mahiru. “This cabin could also belong to whoever painted this. You would assume that the artist would keep their unfinished paintings in their own home or studio rather than the client’s place. This is a beautiful portrait.”

“You are.” Kuro whispered. The words left his lips without thinking and he hoped that Mahiru hadn’t overheard him. Since Kuro met Mahiru, he felt drawn to him. He fell in love with him the more time they spent together. He hesitated to confess to him because neither of them remembered their past. A relationship would become complicated if Mahiru was in love with someone else. Due to that, he decided to wait until it was the right time.

“The birds made a nest in this closet so it’s lucky that they didn’t damage the painting. We should move this to the living room where it’ll be safe. It’ll be a shame for something so nice to be left in the attic and collecting dust. Does that sound conceited? I know that my appearance is plain compared to a supermodel’s.” Mahiru jokingly said. His voice became a stutter when he felt Kuro’s fingers brush over his bangs. There was a warmth in his red eyes that made him feel lighter.

“I’ll carry the painting down for you.” Kuro said. It was clear that Mahiru hadn’t heard his earlier words and he didn’t know whether he should be disappointed or not. He wished that he could tell him how beautiful he was to him. His large, inviting eyes reflected how kind and compassionate he was. He couldn’t understand why anyone would find him unattractive.

He slowly dropped his hand and Mahiru almost reached out to take his hand again. Mahiru bit his lip and he watched Kuro walk around him to pick up the portrait. He carried it out of the small closet and Mahiru fell in step next to him. The stairs were narrow and they needed to walk close together. Their arms brushed together occasionally. Even though they were ghosts, Mahiru was certain that he could feel the warmth of his body. Perhaps, the warmth was a lingering memory.

They stepped into the living room and Kuro asked, “Where should we put your picture? The room is pretty empty and we don’t have any nails to hang it on the wall.”

“We can put it on the fireplace’s mantel.” Mahiru suggested. The living room was empty and having something to decorate the wall was refreshing. He didn’t know their connection to the cabin but he was surprised another family hadn’t moved into the cabin. The house was simple but it had a comforting nature like a fairy tale.

He carefully leaned the portrait against the wall and he didn’t let it go until he was certain it wouldn’t fall. He took a step back to study the painting and Mahiru stood next to him. They stood close together and Mahiru rested his head against his shoulder. In return, Kuro wrapped his arm around his waist. He fit perfectly in his arms and he was able to tuck his head beneath his chin.

Kuro closed his eyes and he was able to imagine the room fully furnished and blurry picture frames on the mantel. A distant voice echoed against the wall. “We should move the couch over there and turn this space into a dining area. We can enjoy the television and fireplace while we eat. This way, we can get a bigger table for when we have guests over too. What do you think, Kuro?”

“Kuro?” Mahiru’s voice pulled him out of his daze. “Are you okay? You look distracted.”

“I’m fine.” Kuro playfully twirled a few strands of his brown hair around his finger. “I was thinking that you’re probably from five hundred years in the past since it’s rare to have a traditional painting made of you. It’s a shame since we wouldn’t have known each other as humans.”

“I’m not an ancient ghost, Kuro. That makes me sound old.” Mahiru pouted. “Anyways, I can still remember things from the city so I’m not from 500 years in the past. We’re close to finding our past now that we’ve found this painting.”

“I know you’re a painter but you cannot come to bed covered in paint, Sweetie.” Mahiru sighed. He cradled a person’s hand in his palm and then he wiped away the paint with a damp towel. They sat on a bed and he discarded the towel into a laundry basket nearby. He gasped when arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him back onto the mattress. Before he could see the person clearly, he buried his face into his neck. He lovingly stroked his light hair. “You’ve been working late. Maybe you can take a break tomorrow.”

“My current project is something I’m making as a gift so there isn’t a deadline. I can take a break tomorrow but I want to finish it as soon as I can.” The person mumbled against Mahiru’s neck and his warm breath made him shiver. He circled his arm around him and he hoped it was enough to comfort him. He wished he could make him feel less tired. “I know the perfect way to spend my break tomorrow.”

“If you suggest we stay in bed all day, the answer is no. I love you but that would be irresponsible. I have to tend to my rose garden and then drive to the city to deliver them to the flower shops. You’re welcome to join me. It’s always nice to have someone to talk to during such a long drive.”

“I’ll probably have to wait in the car while you’re doing your deliveries. It’ll be troublesome if someone recognizes and they cause a scene. I never expected being a famous painter would get me the same attention as a celebrity.” His sigh was heavy with frustration. “At least, we get to have a little privacy after moving here.

Mahiru leaned down and he kissed the top of his head. “It’s great that people recognize your talent. However, you’ll always be the man I love before a famous artist.”

They heard a loud thud downstairs and Mahiru sat up. They lived alone in the forest so it was rare for them to hear such a loud noise. He stepped off the bed and he started to go towards the door. A hand around his wrist stopped him and pulled him back. “I’ll check it out. It’s probably just a raccoon falling through the chimney. Stay here and call the police if I don’t come back right away.”

“I can’t let you go alone when you clearly suspect that someone broke in like I do.” Mahiru argued. Once again, he tried to stand but he stopped him with a kiss. He kissed him for only a brief moment before he broke away to leave. Mahiru felt a little breathless after the kiss but he forced his legs to move. He called the police as he chased after him.

Mahiru rushed to tell the phone operator their situation. He was careful to keep his voice low so the intruder wouldn’t be able to hear them and know that they were awake. He reached the bottom of the staircase and his heart dropped. A man wearing black stood in the living room and he had a gun pointed at his lover. The moment he noticed Mahiru enter the room, he aimed at him.

“Tell me where the paintings are.” He ordered.

“We’ll tell you so no one needs to be hurt.” He said and he subtly moved in front of Mahiru to protect him. He desperately tried to keep his voice calm even though his heart was racing with fear. The man obviously wanted to take his paintings and sell them. Guilt fell onto his shoulders that his work had endangered his lover. He couldn’t concentrate on those feelings when he needed to focus on protecting Mahiru. “My paintings are in the attic.”

“Kuro!” Mahiru screamed and he woke up with a start. He looked at Kuro sleeping next to him as he was when he first came into consciousness as a ghost. He touched his racing heart and he felt the fabric of Kuro’s jacket over his chest. Since the cabin no longer had furniture, they slept on the floor together and Kuro would place his large jacket over both of them.

“Is it morning already?” Kuro’s mind was still a little hazy from sleep. He was taken aback when Mahiru threw himself on top of him and clung to him. He was confused but he hugged Mahiru and stroked his hair lovingly. Suddenly, his vision blurred and he thought he saw blood coating his hand. A memory of the last time he held Mahiru bleeding in his arms returned. “Dear Lord, are you okay, Mahiru? You’re bleeding!”

“I’m not hurt. That was just a memory.” Mahiru reassured him. He didn’t want to let him go after he remembered how they died that night. He lifted his face from his chest only enough for him to look into his red eyes. “I remember everything, Kuro! I was a florist and you were an artist. We moved into this cabin to start a life together. I love you.”

The words made Kuro’s heart swell after longing to hear them for years. Yet, something held him back. Kuro took his hand and he kissed Mahiru’s fingertips. “The reason that man targeted you was because of me and my art. I’m so sorry. I should’ve protected you.”

“You did protect me and what happened wasn’t your fault.” Mahiru said and he laced their fingers together. “I’m glad that we’re together in the end.”

[king-bito]

Vanta Black is a butt

I’m sorry, this is my first Drabble or whatever this is, I didn’t proof read it, I don’t really know what my intention was here.. I’m not a writer, I do digital art, but there’s so little Shihai smut out there I thought I would add my bad writing to the small pile xD

I’m SO SORRY.

Pairing: Shihai Kuroiro x Reader

Characters are in their mid twenties.

Rating: Explicit

MINORS DO NOT INTERRACT

Warnings: Dub-Con, Predator/Prey Dynamic, Quirk use, Smut

It’s been a long day, it’s 10pm and you just exited the cinema alone, your friend, who decided to make the whole movie about kissing, making out, and blowing their newly acquired boyfriend, ditched you early in favour of going home with him.

Oh how wonderful it felt to be a third wheel. You’d resigned and accepted your fate, opting to take your time, grabbing a coffee at concession before leaving.

It’s Friday night and there’s still a buzz of nightlife, just barely starting to pick up. Luckily you lived nearby so you wouldn’t have to suffer atrocious cab fares, and the awkward conversations that you always felt cornered into.

You take a deep breath, finishing off the last of your beverage and tossing it into the trash and beginning your walk home, pulling together your jacket to ward off the cold bite of the night air.

————

It’s only 2 blocks from your apartment when you hear what sounds like distressed meows coming from a dark alley. Was it a cat? Fuck, it’s too cold on a night like this to just ignore it. You aren’t the bravest person, and dimly lit alleyways threw up about a dozen warning signals, but these small, infantile kitten meows had you falter and pause.

Biting your lip, you decide to suck it up. You can’t abandon a little kitty out here..

Oh how wonderfully gullible you are.

As you near a filthy dumpster with so many tags on it you can’t even make out a single letter, a cold breeze makes you shiver, it travels up your spine making you feel unsettled. For some reason the meows stopped when you began to enter the alley, and as you pull your arms around yourself for comfort to try and quell the fear, you peer around some stray boxes and trash bags, hoping to locate the abandoned animal.

You let out a gasp as something moves, you suppress a scream and tumble back against the brick wall, panting, heart beating rapidly.

There is nothing.

You swallow, you must have imagined it right?

Suddenly you feel something warm grab your wrists from behind, instinctively you try to pull forward but whatever is holding you is like a vice. Looking down you see pitch black hands wrapped firmly around your dainty wrists and then a low, whispering voice hits your ear.

“Hello little mousy~” Out from the dark brick behind you, a mans face with charcoal pigmented skin is pushing out from the darkness, his deep, dangerous tone terrifying and a little too provocative. Your first reaction is to bolt, and as you yank yourself away (purely at the mercy of this strange man in a wall letting your wrists go), you fall to the ground, turning to back yourself up against the opposite wall, resting on your now scraped palms. “W-what the hell?!” You stammer, taking in the sight before you.

Oh how cute.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” You yell, hoping to draw the attention of someone, anyone, nearby.

...

A deep chuckle cuts through the cold silence between you, and you watch as the head moves forward, more of his body emerging from the wall, and now, you get the chance to fully drink in his features. He’s handsome, well, what little you can make out in the low light against impossibly dark skin. His eyes are hooded and seductive, they study you with each breath you take. His lips are lightly pursed into a small smirk, they look perfect on his sharp jawline. His face is framed by a mop of thick silver hair that flicks out in an unruly manner over his cheeks and the back of his neck. The man is clad in a black coat, grey denim jeans, and a low cut v-neck tee, where you can make out his defined collarbones disappearing beneath the lapels of his long coat.

“Aww.. did I scare the poor little thing?” The man coos out gently, and the twisted smile he wears tells you very clearly this was all just fun cruelty to him.

“O-Of course you did! Who the fuck does tha-“

“Shihai” he interrupts you.

“What?”

“My name is Shihai Kuroiro, but you may call me Kuro.”

“I don’t give a damn what your name is.” You blurt out, getting yourself back to your feet and pressing yourself against the cold brick as if it would get you any further away from this..thing.

“You should. You will. Pretty thing like you couldn’t help but come to the pitiful little meows of a kitten, you didn’t even think, did you?”

“I-I…”

“I’m not even very good at making those sounds.. and yet you wandered all the way down an unlit alley, where oh, I don’t know…” Shihai steps forward and places his palms either side of your shoulders. He’s taller than you, lean, but sturdy in build, and his every languid movement was filled with its own strength and purpose. “...anyone could take advantage of you."

"I saw you in the cinema," He continued."you and your so called friend, she certainly had a good time, didn’t she?” He muses, leaning down so his wild grey-ish locks tickle your temple, his breath fanning over your neck as he spoke.

You can’t help but go red at the closeness, there was no doubt he was hot, he was very much your type and when was the last time you had a good fuck? Too long, that was for sure. But this guy was being a real creep! Not to mention scaring you half to death like some sort of twisted predator…

“Such a shame they didn’t invite you along with them.. then again, if they had, I wouldn’t have been able to get you alone like this… so cute, so flushed.. and my.. so easy.” He growls darkly, carding his fingers through your hair, and slowly curling his hand into a fist to grab a handful and yank gently. “Have some fun with me…” You knew this wasn’t an offer, but an inevitable demand, and against your quickly disappearing better judgement, you nodded meekly. Fuck it.

———————

The next few minutes are a blur, as you find yourself naked beneath Shihai, panting and mewling as his mouth works your nipple, sucking and nibbling while his hand massages and kneads your other breast. “K-...Kuro…” You gasp, arching your back and grabbing a fistful of his hair. You throw your head back and pant to the pulsing in your core, deft fingers of Shihai’s free hand thrusting in and out of you while curling them expertly.

The man is ravenous as he attacks that spongey spot inside you, his mouth hotly working up your neck and leaving an all manner of marks in his wake. You let out a guttural moan, writhing underneath his frame, pressing your chest to his and rocking your hips against his fingers, chasing your orgasm like a woman starved.

So Shameless

You weren’t quite sure how he got you to this room so quickly from the city street, no doubt it had to be some weird quirk that came with his abnormal allearance but you were hardly complaining once he stripped you, and himself down and practically threw you onto the bed to jump you.

“So beautiful.. so good for me, little mouse…” he coos, growling shortly after as he notices your body giving him telltale signs of your impending release. “Kuro.. please.. I-I’m..” You whine loudly as he pulls his fingers out of you abruptly, ceasing his administrations in full and repositioning himself above you. “Uh-uh-uh..~” Shihai keens, tutting before capturing your mouth in a lust filled kiss and pressing his tongue to your lips, demanding access. Your pitiful whine of protest offers him the perfect opening as he slides his tongue into your mouth and dominates you entirely, a free hand pushing your hips down to stop your pitiful bucking. “Mmmphhh~” You moan into his mouth, running your hands up and down his chest and ribs, feeling the muscles move and tense and admiring each contraction as he moves to line himself up.

“You only get to cum on my dick, understand~?” His voice is smooth like butter when he breaks the kiss, bringing his hand up to lick your ample juices from his fingers in a lewd display. He nearly moans when he tastes you, eyes fluttering closed as he savours your taste, slowly and teasingly sucking every digit clean. “Oh.. so delicious, little one. I’ll be sure to clean you up properly when we’re done…” He grins, sliding his tongue out of his mouth provocatively, causing you to whimper.

It’s only when you feel his hips move do you realise he had slowly been lining himself up with your dripping entrance, rolling them to push the tip of his leaking cock into your stretched hole, the movement drawing a long, loud moan from you. Fuck, you didn’t even get a good look at it in the heat of things, but fuck if it didn’t feel massive as it slowly stretches you out around the sheer girth.

Shihai hums contently, clearly holding back his sounds in favour of composure and control as he slowly, smoothly, sheaths himself into your heat. The stretch hurts, and is taking a little too long to grow accustomed to as you look up at the stunningly biz are creature above you. You raise a hand to his cheek, admiring his smooth warm skin and slight changes in shade as he grows hotter and hotter from the workout, and you offer the first gentle touch of the night to him, as re-assurance he can move, yes, but also an attempt to connect, and as his eyes dart to you’s, you swear you could see his cheeks reddening a little.

Shihai shakes his head and lowers himself down to bite and nibble at your neck, slowly beginning to rock his hips back and forth. “So.. so tight, you really are a sweet little thing aren’t you” he manages between thrusts that grow in intensity. “Fuck, you’re practically sucking me in, beautiful.” he grunts, a shudder racking his spine as you continue to touch him tenderly.

“A-ahmmm… Kuro!” You groan, breaths becoming an uneven pant, you lean back to give him better access to your neck and guide his hand up to your breast again as you start to move your hips in time with his, lifting your knees to let him hit deeper and deeper inside of you. “I wanna… mmmmphhhh! Shit.. I need to…” you feel the tightness building in your stomach.

The pace quickens and the new angle has him hitting that perfect spot inside of you. He’s bracing himself on one hand, and with his other, he’s squeezing and gently teasing your pebbled nipple beneath his fingertips.

“Hahn… gonna cum? Go on… you can do it. Cum all over my cock.”

You throw your head back again and wrap your legs around his waist, pulling him deeper into you with each thrust until your walls clench and contract around his dick, making it twitch and pulse as you both reach your high, coming undone at once.

—————————-

Kuroiro takes surprisingly good care of you after multiple rounds of intense orgasms, he cleans you up with a warm damp cloth, feeds you, and gives you water before you damn near pass out in his bed. As he settles in beside you, scooting up to try and make you roll over so he can spoon you, you reach up to cup his cheek in your hand, your sleepy expression sweet and lazy. “...You’re still a creep..” You murmur gently, causing him to look at you with a little shock. He opens his mouth to retaliate, but you cut him off before he can get a stupid cocky remark in. “...but this was amazing. Do you think next time we could start…. with an actual date?”

His mouth opens again, this time he’s speechless. “Wait.. r-really? You’d.. you’d like to…?”

“Shhhh…” you nod, smiling gently as you roll over and shuffle back into him.

What you’re too tired to notice, is the heat coming from his cheeks, ears, and neck. Shit, he thought if he could just remain in control he wouldn’t become a stammering blushing mess. You weren’t supposed to like him! Nor ask him out!

But you had to be a cute little sweetheart and flip the tables on his plan.

[mae-gi-writes]

Pretty Smitten | Kuroo Tetsurou

Harry Potter x Haikyuu!!

Summary ◇ it's like second nature for Slytherin's beater Kuroo to always find something to tease you about, until his best friends Bokuto and Tsukishima make him realize it might hide something more.

Genre ◇ hogwarts au! Slytherin! Cocky Kuroo x Hufflepuff f!reader, mentions of Bokuto,  Tsukishima, Hinata, Oikawa, Daichi etc...

◇ ◇ ◇

Thwap!

You duck out of the way just in time to evade the bludger that zips across your head, so close you feel it brush against your ear as your broom zooms you out of the way. The wind isn't making it easier as it tugs at your clothes, weighing you down while you keep on flying around the court with eyes as alert as a Hawk's for the disappearing snitch.

In truth, you don't really enjoy Quidditch all that much. It was merely due to the captain of the Hufflepuff Team, Daichi, who cornered you upon having accidentally caught sight of your flying skills one winter afternoon. He'd grown to be one of your close friends though, which always makea it hard to pull out and whenever you do mention that maybe it is time for the team to take in a new Seeker, he'd instantly change the subject.

And you wouldn't have been so adamant on trying to force your way out of the team. If not for a particular raven-haired Slytherin Beater.

Speaking of the devil. There he is, that familiar crooked smirk dangling upon his lips as he lazily flies over to you.

"Y/N, aren't you a little laid back!?" He calls out and you roll your eyes, pushing yourself forward to fly as past away as possible.

Too late. He catches up quickly enough, grin widening as he continues, "I know we said it's a practice match but come on, could've put some more heart into it."

Throwing him a scowl that would've scalded anyone but himself, you accelerate your speed. As expected, he follows, "so I heard from Kenma that you failed your Potions midterm. Not that I'm surprised really, you never really had a talent for--"

"How is that any of your business?" You mutter, adamantly fixing your gaze on Daichi so as not to accidentally push Kuroo off his broom.

What a nice thought indeed.

"Aha, that's where I come in. Fortunately for you, I am quite adept at Potions see. I could teach you," from your peripheral you notice him wriggle his brows and you roll your eyes, "for free."

Your knuckles turn white as they tighten around your broom handle.

"No thanks."

"You sure wanna pass this up?" He suddenly leans a little closer, smirk widening, "you could totally exploit this sexy brain of mine."

"What do you want from me, Kuroo?"

"Nothing much, just your dear old grumpy self," he replies cheerfully.

Your scowl deepens. But the offer is tempting. Potions is the only subject that you cannot get your head around and while you are aware of Kuro’s ginormous, self-inflated ego, you also know from a few of his classmates -- Daichi and Suga-- that he is quite the prodigy at Potions. 

But you don’t want to give him that satisfaction. You don’t want to give him more reason to get cocky and start another round of endless teasing where you’ll never hear the end of it. 

So you just press your lips together and mumble out a, "we'll see."

"Atta girl," and he waves a goodbye, but not before reaching over to ruffle your hair until your ponytail is barely hanging together, and you yelp in anger, having half a mind to really push him from his broom this time only to see him fly away just in time, that crooked chesire cat smile on his face. 

Idiot. 

◇ ◇ ◇

"Hey hey hey,” Kuroo knows without looking that this voice belongs to none other than one of his two best friends, Bokuto Koutarou. It was a surprise really, that him and Bokuto had stuck together throughout all these years, considering that Bokuto was a Gryffindor, and him a Slytherin.

An arm drops onto his shoulder, his best friend’s grey strands tickling Kuroo’s cheek, “I saw Y/N today. She looked cute.” 

The Slytherin Beater snorted, “Cute is an overstatement.” 

“Ah Kuroo, seems you’re as oblivious as always,” Bokuto let out a heavy sigh as he plopped himself onto the library bench next to him, “do you realize that you spend more time in the library just so that you can see her?” 

“Bullshit. I come to the library to study,” the raven-haired man gestures towards his Defence of Dark Arts book currently sprawled out before him, which causes Bokuto’s eyebrow to raise in curiosity, “like hell you’re actually studying. Now tell me,” he leans closer, voice dropping to a murmur, “do you like her?” 

Kuroo’s brain actually backfires. He bursts out laughing, “what?!” he exclaims so loudly that it earns the pair a few glares thrown their way, to which they silently bow their heads in apology. 

Bokuto turns back to him, “Wow, Tsukki was right. You are thicker than you seem to be, despite that brain of yours.” 

"What?” Kuro frowns as he protests, “I’m not thick. And--you guys talk about me behind my back?!” 

“Of course we do,” Bokuto rolls his eyes as if it’s obvious before settling his chin into his palm, “especially since we’re curious as to why you enjoy spending your time with that little Hufflepuff mouse of yours--” 

“She’s not mine, and I definitely don’t enjoy spending time with her,” Kuroo can feel the heat travel all the way to his face, blossoming through his cheeks as embarrassment curls in his stomach, “I just--”

“You just like seeing her face.”

Both men turn towards the new alto to see the Ravenclaw prefect, Tsukishima, pull out a chair to sit himself opposite Kuroo before taking out his piece of parchment and ink. 

“Not you too?” Kuroo groans, head dropping to his book.

“Also, you might want to stop flirting with her while we’re on the Quidditch pitch,” Tsukishima continues nonchalantly without looking at him, long fingers turning through the pages to find the section he’s looking for, “I almost got my arm torn off by that Bludger, no thanks to you.”

"I wasn’t flirting with her.” 

“I don’t care. Just don’t do it during practice. It’s annoying,” the blonde smirked at Kuroo’s frustrated expression. 

“I was only asking whether she’d like some help with potions. Kenma told me she failed her last midterm. I was trying to be nice.” 

“Oh? Not because you actually wanted to spend more time alone with her?” Bokuto wriggled his brows suggestively, cackling like a crow when Kuroo responded by shoving his shoulder, “no! I don’t even see her that way. She’s not my type--”

“Oya oya oya, speaking of the devil,” Bokuto’s hand plonks onto Kuroo’s hair before twisting it in the direction of the library entrance. A second later, you appear looking a little disgruntled, if not mad.

Realizing that Bokuto’s hand is still weaved into his hair, Kuroo bats it away with more violence than necessary, which gets him a pointed look from Tsukishima’s golden orbs that he responds with a scowl of his own. But before he can voice out how annoyingly invested the pair seemed to be in his love life, he feels a hand tapping him on his shoulder.

Surprise causes him to frown at the sight of you. 

“If it isn’t my dear little Hufflepuff,” Kuroo’s mouth widens in that signature smirk while crossing his arms over his chest, “what can I help you with?” 

“Kenma told me that you’d be here,” you say.

“Mhm?” 

“And I--” you bite your lip before averting your eyes and something in Kuroo stirs because goddamn he’s quite excited about what will fall from your mouth next. But he keeps his silence, waiting for you to battle it out with your pride, “I was wondering whether the offer still stands. For--tu--tutoring.” 

Your cheeks are blazing red at this point but Kuroo finds it somewhat adorable, what with the fact that you are dressed in an oversized Hufflepuff sweater that basically swallowa you whole. 

He forces his expression into a somewhat amused smirk, a little coy, just enough for you to get flustered, “what made you change your mind?” 

“My grades.” 

In the background, Tsukishima snorts. You flush a deeper red if that’s even possible.

“Alright, sure,” Kuroo grins up at you, mischief swimming in those golden feline orbs, “but on one condition.” 

“I thought you said it was free.” 

“I decided it’d be more fun to have you indebted to me.” 

Letting out a heavy sigh, you press your lips together, “what then? What do you want?” 

“I’ll let you know the details later,” he grins at you, “still haven’t figured it out yet.”

A few beats of silence pass between the two of you as you consider his offer, and he can certainly see the way your own pride measures up against your desperation, the way your orbs display your uneasiness as clearly as crystal water. It’s impossible for you to lie, but Kuroo hasn’t noticed how endearing it is, up until now.

And then, he hears Bokuto’s voice in the back of his mind: 

Do you like her? 

Kuroo blinks. Of course he doesn’t. Of course he doesn’t. 

He doesn’t. He does not.

Right? 

“Fine,” your voice brings him out of his inner turmoil, ��we have a deal.” 

◇ ◇ ◇

If someone had ever told you that one day you’d be sitting by Kuroo’s side to spend more than three hours sticking your noses into your Potion’s back, and actually enjoying it, you would’ve burst out laughing in their faces.

But that is exactly what you are doing right now. And no one is laughing. Definitely not you.

To be fair, Kuroo is not that bad of a tutor. He actually gets pretty into it once he calms down from his teasing high, which is quite a surprising feat considering that you have never seen him serious whenever you were around. It’s always about pricking you with his comments, saying stuff that will get under your skin just enough to get a reaction out of you. 

The first time you met up in the library, you had mentally prepared yourself so that you wouldn’t murder him halfway into the lesson. Your Hufflepuff counterparts had definitely been surprised, not just because your personalities and houses couldn’t have been more different if they tried, but because Kuroo had a reputation of a playful troublemaker, the kind that you usually stayed away from at all costs. 

“Are you sure this isn’t a trap, Y/N?” Your other close friend and classmate, Nishinoya Yu, had lifted his knife into the air with an aggressive swipe, “I can come with you and stab him if ever he does something--”

“Noya-kun I think I can stab him myself,” you reassured him through a mouthful of cereal. 

“Kuroo’s not all that bad,” Daichi had suggested tentatively, though you’d snorted in response. Yeah right, not all that bad? That was a word you could not associate with Kuroo Tetsurou. 

“If he pisses you off too much just ignore him,” Kenma had simply stated when you sought out his point of view on the matter, which seemed quite logical, a suggestion that you definitely took into consideration as you’d marched towards the library doors.

But all your efforts had been in vain. Sure, Kuroo had been his usual teasing self, ruffling your hair too many times that you could count and constantly snickering into his palm whenever you got your potions and terms all mixed up. But to your ultimate surprise, he’d been quite attentive to your needs and constantly fact-checked whether you’d understood the concept before continuing his explanation. More often times than none, you had found yourself gazing at his features as a realization settled deep into your mind; that Kuroo wasn’t all that bad looking after all, and that there was some kind of charm to his messy bed of raven hair and that smirk that seemed to infuriate you to no end. 

He’d even accompany you back to your dorm whenever you ended late albeit the fact that Slytherin and Hufflepuff weren’t that far apart. The chivalry touched you, despite it coming from the Slytherin Beater.

“Who would’ve thought the almighty Kuroo would be walking me to my door,” you comment on the first night it happens as you reach the said portrait leading to the Hufflepuff dormitory, “how surprisingly romantic of you.” 

You look up at him and your eyes can’t help but trace the span of his shoulders, taking note of his height and-- has he always been this tall? He’s a giant in comparison to your tiny figure of one hundred and sixty-three centimetres.

He merely chortles at your statement, “please, romance comes naturally to me,” he gestures his hands with extravagance to prove his point.

"Sure, big guy. If reciting off science puns at me counts as being romantic.” 

“Oi! They’re funny okay!? You laughed.” 

“Yeah, ‘cause you’re pitiful.” 

He shoves your head to the side playfully in response and you yelp, hands flying up to fix your ponytail for the nth time that night, “stop touching my head or I might think it’s your fetish or something.” 

“Even if it was, yours would be the last I’d be attracted to.” 

You chuckle, “try harder Kuroo. Your comebacks suck.” 

“Oh shut up midget.”

“Who’re you calling a midget?!”

Maybe it’s the fact that you’ve been spending a lot of time in Kuroo’s presence that he grows on you, or maybe it’s the fact that he might not be as bad as you thought he was. But it turns out to be more comfortable to spend time hanging out with him, familiar in ways and yet exciting, thrilling. He’s a jungle of adrenaline and filled to the brim with jokes that are more lame than funny, and yet there’s some kind of comfort to know that he isn’t as unapproachable as you first thought him out to be. 

True to his word, Kuroo is quite brilliant at potions, and quite brilliant at sharing his knowledge in a way that actually makes sense. His natural flair of leadership and sympathetic understanding -- minus the jokes and the incessant teasing -- makes you wonder why he hasn’t been chosen as Quidditch Captain. 

When you ask your question out loud during one of your study sessions, Kuroo only smirks, “are you complimenting me?” 

“Just answer the damn question, Kuroo.”

"Jeez, aren’t you a little aggressive for a Hufflepuff?” he peeks at you from behind his raven bangs, “or should I call you..huffie puffie?” 

You flick his forehead and he yelps, “lame,” you deadpan, “answer me.” 

"They did ask me,” he says, leaning back to stretch out his long arms while you try not to focus on the sinewy veins of his forearms, “I refused.” 

His answer surprises you, “Why?” 

“Because Oikawa wanted it. You know him right?” 

Who didn’t know of Oikawa? He’s a walking prince, struts around Hogwarts like its’ his private garden with his endless servants in tow. 

"That’s it? That’s your reason?” 

“He’s my friend. Wouldn’t be fair to him if I stole the limelight.” 

“...are you sure you’re not secretly a Hufflepuff?”

“You mean a huffie puffie?” 

He ducks just in time to avoid your slap, cackling like crazy until one of the prefects swat you with one of their books upon passing by.

“No, I assure you I’m not a huffie puffie,” his smirk mellows out into a grin before his chin comes to a rest upon his palm, “and plus, I’m not cute enough to be in that house.” 

Heat springs through your cheeks. Is that a compliment or an insult? You’re not quite sure. 

You decide to play along anyway, “yeah you’re right. You’re not cute enough.” 

That does nothing to deter him however, as he keeps gazing down at you with those molten gold pupils half-closed with tenderness, almost lazy, which makes you feel like squirming in your seat. 

“What?” you bark out as you look away, “stop staring. You’re acting like a creep.” 

Chuckling and clearly not flustered by the fact that you’ve just caught him red-handed, the raven-haired Slytherin leans even closer, relishing in the way your face turns a bright scarlet. You lean away, slightly panicked, "wh--what do you think you’re doing?!”

“Oh nothing, just...” and with movements too quick to comprehend, you feel his fingers gently brushing against a stray strand of hair previously stuck to your lip. 

“So, as I was saying before you interrupted me,” and Kuroo proceeds to drone on about the equal amount of hair needed for the polyjuice potion, not minding the fact that you are practically burning as red as a fire engine while your heart seems to be racing like you’ve just an entire lap around the Quidditch field. 

I’m tired, you chant inwardly, I’m just tired. 

There’s no way your heart can be beating for someone like Kuroo Tetsurou.

◇ ◇ ◇

Kuroo is in deep shit and he knows it.

To be fair, he wouldn’t have been if not for an annoyingly stubborn Gryffindor paired with the dry sarcasm of a particular Ravenclaw that would constantly pass him subtle remarks about the indefinite amount of time he seems to be spending with a certain Hufflepuff Seeker.

“Did you tell her yet? When are you gonna tell her?! Can we be there?! Can we--” Kuroo groans and hides his face a little deeper in his arms at the breakfast table, knowing full well that reprimanding his friend will only cause the latter to double his volume. And granted, Kuroo does not want an audience, not this morning. Especially not when he is minutes away from facing you in the Quidditch field.

And as if that’s not bad enough, Tsukishima has this obnoxious smirk on his face ever since he’s joined them at the table, eating his cereal with unreasonable gusto for someone who finds eating troublesome.

"I’m surprised you figured it out this fast,” the said blonde had stated last evening as the trio sat, huddled around a makeshift magic fire in the Boy’s Prefect Bathroom. It had become their usual hiding spot over the years. 

Kuroo had opted for sipping onto his beer as he recalled the particular moment where he’d felt like he was floating on cloud nine. It had been that very morning itself where you had just gotten back your Potions test and without an ounce of hesitation, had bounded up to the Slytherin table during lunchtime, for once not minding the fact that there were a troop of Slytherins engulfing the raven-haired man on each side.

“Kuroo!” You’d shouted with such enthusiasm that your voice was almost unrecognizable, “Kuroo!” 

But Kuroo had recognized it, turning just in time to catch your excited figure in his arms. Surprise flitted over his face at your bold move but it didn’t seem like you cared at that particular moment, practically squealing while shoving your test in his face. 

“I did it! I got a B minus! That’s the best I’ve ever done in Potions so far!” you babbled in excitement, “you should’ve seen Snape’s face!” 

“Uh--that’s great, Y/N--” good lord, his hands had slipped onto your waist, right along your hip bone and his breathing stuttered at how close you were, “g--good job.”

At this point you had probably realized your compromising position but before you could scramble out, a teasing alto rung through the air:

"Got yourself a girlfriend, Tetsurou?"

Both your heads snapped at none other than Oikawa, whose eyebrows were raised in amusement, a smirk painted over his lips. You pinked as Kuroo barked out, "shut it, Oikawa."

"S--Sorry," you moved away so quickly that coldness swooped in through Kuroo's fingers, though he wished he could pull you right back.

And that, that had been like a slap in the face. Cold reality rushing through him as his heart throbbed.

Uh oh.

"Don't be such a wimp Kuroo," Bokuto'a alto brings him back to reality and Kuroo blinks, faced with none other than his best friend's grin, "where'd your confidence go now that you actually have a chance?!"

Kuroo doesn't bother replying. It's hard enough to face you without melting in a puddle of heat, how is he supposed to confess at this rate?

As the trio make their way to the Quidditch pitch, the Slytherin Beater’s eyes easily found you amidst the swarm of Green and Mustard yellow and he raised his hand up in mock salute, heart melting slightly at the shy nod you replied him with before looking away, cheeks flushed.

So cute.

“Now now, Tetsu-chan, not the time to be flirting with your girlfriend,” he feels a hand slap him on his back a little too harshly, causing him to throw a scowl at his Captain. Oikawa merely pulls out his tongue in response, before motioning him to take his place.

He forces your face out of his mind while climbing onto his broom, momentarily closing his eyes to focus on the cheerful chants coming from the bleachers. The Quaffle is thrown into the air, followed by the whistle. 

He kicks off so quickly from the ground that he’s a mere blur of silver and emerald zipping through the air, bat at the ready while his eyes dart back and forth. Kuroo spots a Bludger heading straight for one of his chasers and quickly veering off in the same direction, he swings his bat back, lunges forward--

Thwap!

The distant ache reveberates through Kuroo’s arm, but the smirk of satisfaction is obvious on his face. He proceeds onwards, forcing himself to keep his concentration on the balls so that his thoughts aren’t invaded by your presence, by the way you smile, or the blush on your cheeks--

Focus! He shakes his head. He swears he could use a good bashing on the head. He’ll never hear the end of it with Oikawa if he doesn’t do his job right.

A yell tears through the pitch.

“Watch out!” 

Kuroo’s head whips around on instinct. He doesn’t even have time to react as he spots the Bludger flying from the other end of the pitch and heading straight towards--

You. 

No. Blood drains from Kuroo’s face. He doesn’t think, doesn’t even second-guess his movements. He pushes forward onto his broom against his protesting muscles, against the voices that shout out his name in protest as the entire pitch turns into a cacophony of horrified yells and cries to get out of the way, get out of the way before--

A sickening crunch is heard and horror strikes him straight in the chest the moment he sees your body crumble, lips parting in a silent scream. 

Kuroo’s heart shatters into a million pieces.

◇ ◇ ◇

Warm.

It’s so warm. You don’t feel like waking up. But instinct kicks in and you groan, an echo of pain jogging through every muscle in your body. It feels like you’ve just been run over by a truck and forcing your eyelids to peel open against the drowsiness, it takes a few seconds for you to register that this isn’t your room. 

Fresh laundry sheets, the sound of disinfectant in the air...This is no doubt the Hospital Wing.

You try to sit up but a muffled groan echoes through your throat when pain flares up on your right side. Jesus christ, you did really get run over by a truck. 

That’s when your gaze suddenly falls upon a mop of dark raven hair, feel the warmth of a calloused palm holding onto your free hand. 

And suddenly, you’re wide awake.

With the dark emerald cape hanging off his back and with his tousled bird’s nest of hair, it’s almost shockingly obvious that this is Kuroo. His face is currently buried in his other arm, which gives you the courage to reach out to gently rest your hand upon his head.

As if sensing your movements, the said raven-haired Slytherin lets out a soft groan of his own. Your hand instantly whips away and you watch, with a mixture of confusion and surprise, as his golden orbs blink away the sleep before they slowly come to focus. 

His breath hitches as you murmur out, “hey?” 

"Y--You’re awake?” He murmurs so low you barely make sense of his words, and before you can respond, the man has grabbed hold of your hands before bringing them to his lips, “Jesus christ, Y/N, I--I seriously thought--”

Your pulse only quickens, heart tugging with emotion when you catch sight of the wetness in Kuroo’s golden orbs. What? 

What is going on?

This Kuroo is not the one you are used to, looking like he’s unraveling at your very feet. In any normal circumstances, you would’ve definitely taken this advantage to tease him mercilessly, but that’s clearly impossible. You can’t do that to him, not when he’s gazing down at you like you’re worth a thousand paintings.

The thought makes your heart quiver in your chest. Warmth curls through your stomach.

“What...” you rasp out, “happened?”

“A bludger. Came out of nowhere. Headmaster thinks it got tweaked somehow, some stupid prank,” he is searching your eyes, reading your facial expressions like he’s worried you might drop dead any second. 

“Kuroo," you call him gently, “I’m fine.” 

And to your utmost surprise, the raven-haired Slytherin’s eyes flutter towards your hands, lips peppering a rain of kisses along your knuckles. They leave a trail of heat that causes your breath to hitch in the back of your throat, “Wha--”

“I thought I'd lost you, Y/N. Don't--" his voice chokes up, gaze running up to lock with yours, "don't ever scare me lile that. Fuck, kitten, what would I have done--"

Your own breath hitches. Your eyes grow wide.

Kuroo seems to realize the same thing, hand slapping over his mouth in shock.

"What--" you splutter out. Suddenly, all your pain is forgotten, "did you call me?"

Kuroo swallows thickly as the silence settles between you two.

Then, he breaths in slow and squeezes his eyes shut for a moment, before opening them back to lock eyes with yours.

What swims in his golden feline pupils makes your breath catch.

"I like you," he murmurs, "I've liked you for a while but was too much of a coward to say it. And I guess-- seeing you so hurt scared me. I don't think I've ever been so scared before."

Your skin is basically burning at this point, a volcano of feelings bursting inside you that makes you want to crawl into a hole and hide there forever. But Kuroo's eyes, despite having the slightest tinge of blush littering his cheeks, is still latched onto your features. Unwavering, probing. Questioning.

He likes you.

He likes you.

"You mean--like? As a--"

"More than a friend," he simply says.

Your mouth opens into a small silent Oh.

You don't know what to say. What to do.

Because in truth, if you really have to be honest with yourself, your heart definitely beats for this particular Slytherin. For god knows whatever reason, he’s been on your mind and in your heart for a few weeks now. 

You wish to say something. Anything. But your throat is dry. You cough it out, swallow and slowly let out a soft breath before your orbs slowly flutter to your lap, to your hands that Kuroo has grasped so tenderly in his hold.

“The feeling--” you gulp back your pride, “the feeling is mutual, I guess.” 

You don’t have to look at Kuroo to know that there’s a huge grin that blossoms across his face and not even a second later you’re rewarded another rain of kisses upon your knuckles. Gasping slightly at his boldness, his grin mellows out into that teasing smirk you know so well, though it does bring about a few butterflies roaming through your stomach.

“Ooh, mutual now is it?” Kuroo’s smirk broadens like a cat about to go for a chase and you squirm in your bed, hating how quickly the tables have turned, “weren’t you the one blushing like an idiot just a few seconds ago?!” you splutter out as a miserable defence.

He merely cackles though, leaning in so close that you yelp, “remember about my condition for tutoring you?” 

He’s so close that your noses bump into each other. It doesn’t help your heart from running an erratic race inside your chest.

You scramble for coherence, “w--what about it?”

“I figured out what it is.” 

"What?” 

You try -- and fail -- to lean away when Kuroo’s hand slips up to cradle the side of your cheek, and your body reacts like wildfire, troops of butterflies erupting in your stomach at his tender caress.

“Let me kiss you?” Kuroo mumbles out with a hoarse alto, so hoarse it makes you shiver and your toes to curl in delight, spurred on by the words that have just left his mouth.

Gold pupils meet yours. Then, your head dips into a shy nod.

Kuroo’s mouth is warm, and soft, and pleasant. He kisses you slowly, gently, like he’s afraid you’d run away if he pressed on too quickly. You’re not used to it, but you feel like it can grow on you. The way your body relaxes into the kiss has the raven-haired man more confident. His thumb traces your cheek while he slants his head a little more to capture your bottom lips with his own, sucking slightly. 

You gasp at the sensation and he smirks -- just barely -- and proceeds to kiss you a little deeper. Deep enough, firmly enough that you can’t help the whimper that escapes you.

“Cute,” Kuroo mumbles against your lips, retracting so that you can breathe. You haven’t realised up until now, that your hands have made their way to the back of Kuroo’s cloak to tug him closer, or how the said man is literally half-sprawled across your hospital bed. 

That is, until you hear a certain voice shout out:

“Oya Oya! What do I see here?!” 

[kuma829]

Kuro 2022 Birthday Event

Kuro: “Gettin celebrated like this is pretty flatterin, ain’t it? Either way, I’m happy, thank ya.”

Opening Segment 

Kuro: Yo, I kept ya waitin didn’t I? It’s Kiryuu Kuro!

—Ahaha! Thank ya for all the applause. I’m happy yer all so pumped up already.

I gotta admit I didn’t think so many of you guys would show up. Actually,  I’m pretty speechless right now.

As today’s protagonist, I hope I can deliver my role right, but… Cut me some slack if things get awkward, alright?

Aah, clappin yer hands like that makes talkin a bit easier. Be like that for the whole event for me, ya hear?

Right, let’s get started. I’m gonna have some fun, so I hope all of ya will have some fun too.

Question Corner

Kuro: So first up’s the “question corner.” Thank ya all for all yer questions! Let’s get started right away, yeah?

Question one, “is there any outfit you consider your favourite that you’ve made?”

Answerin this made me think about all the outfits I’ve made before… It’s like I’d sewn them just the other day.

Of course there’s the AKATSUKI outfits, but there’s also the RYUSEITAI and Knight Killer outfits. I can’t decide which I like most, my bad.

Next we’ve got, “have you already celebrated your birthday with everyone in AKATSUKI?”

Aha, the both of them have been all fidgety for the past day. It’s like every year they’re more and more excited to celebrate me.

Request Corner

Kuro: Now’s the “request corner.” You’ve all sent a lotta requests, and I wanna get through as much as I can, so let’s keep this momentum goin.

Ah, yeah, I should tell ya about this guy’s request first. They came to me sayin, “I want to see the embroidery work you’ve done,” so I put some of it up in the lobby.

When I was lookin for stuff to display, I found some of the first stuff I embroidered. It made me feel nostalgic.

Second we’ve got, “I want to see Kiryuu-san’s karate kick!” This one’s been requested quite a lot, it’s suprisin.

The most important thing about karate’s the fundamentals . So this time, I’ll show ya all some of the basic routines.

There’s a whole lotta forms of karate, plus ya gotta be mindful of where you place your power when pulling those moves. Hey, I guess it’s easier to show it to ya than explain it. Let’s go!

Surprise Corner

Kuro: Looks like I gotta move on to the next corner… Huh? Ya’ve gotta present for me now?

A martial arts uniform, there’s a letter attached. The senders name is… Tetora? Let’s have a read.

“Taishou! Happy birthday! For taishou’s birthday I consulted with my senpai in AKATSUKI to choose this martial arts uniform as a gift!

I’m sure you’ll like it taishou! I’d be happy if ya’d wear it and practice with me again some timessu!” -Nagumo Tetora

Did you all hear that? Tetora said there’s a special part about this uniform, didn’t he? Hey… ?

Ahaha! It’s my name embroidered on. I’m pretty sure only Itsuki can do somethin like this, I wonder how he convinced him to do this for me.

Ending Segment

Kuro: Hm, seems like the end of the event is approachin. Did ya guys enjoy it?

…Ah, I’m glad. I also had a fun time with all of yer guys today! 

Again, I gotta tell you how happy I am that ya all gathered here today.

I’ve still gotta a ton of growin up to do as an idol, but I’ll continue to give it all that I got.

As ya all know, an idol’s only as good as the people backin them, so I hope that ya all will continue to support me, that’d make me a happy guy!

Yer support’s not gonna go to waste, I’ll be sure to play a live that’ll live up to everyone’s expectations!

[watchingcutscene]

Hands of an Artist

Pairing: Kuroo Tetsurou x Reader

Fandom: Haikyuu!!

Word Count: 5000+

---

The art room was located enroute to the gym. Kuroo had a habit of walking at the side of the hallway against the wall, and she had a habit of abruptly opening and exiting the classroom door. For this reason, they had ran into each other (quite literally) countless times, before and after practice, in early mornings and in late afternoons, yet all they had ever exchanged was a quick glance and an apology muttered under the breath, at most a brief smile. What grade was she in? What class? He didn’t even know there was a girl this pretty in his school. Kuro found himself looking forward to passing the art room. Running into her would become the highlight of his day, and on days when luck wasn’t on his side, it felt as if something was missing, like skipping breakfast, or forgetting your pencil case at home. Their first conversation started on an occasion like any other. He ran into her exiting the art room after school while he was going to practice, this time she was struggling to carry an easel and a canvas at the same time. He grabbed the wooden easel for her without saying a word, noticing the colourful marks of paint and ink staining her hands. “Oh,” she was startled by his sudden approach, “thanks.” Her hair was pulled into a pony tail today. “No problem,” he replied with his usual smirk, “where are you heading to? I’ll help you carry this.” “You really don’t have to,” she replied politely, “don’t you have somewhere to be?” Kuroo was not about to let this chance go, “it’s fine. I have all the time in the world. Where to?” She hesitated, but gave in to his offer, “the gym.” “The gym?” replied he, surprised by the coincidence, “why the gym?” “The art club is hosting an exhibition soon,” she explained, “we’re setting up in the left half of the gym.” Kuroo nodded in acknowledgment. They walked along the hall, illuminated yellow and orange by the afternoon sun, its light sectioned into rectangular forms by the window frames. He snuck an occasional glance at the girl beside him when he was sure she wasn’t looking. The tip of her nose, flare of her skirt, and the paint on her fingers. So that was what the hands of an artist looked like. Slender, long, and full of expression. “What’s your name?” he suddenly thought to ask, abruptly breaking the silence. “(y/n),” she replied unpretentiously. Kuroo nodded, replying with his own. When they arrived at the gym, he helped her set up the easel, attracting curious looks from his teammates. She thanked him again and gave a modest smile, beglamouring the dark-haired boy with its radiance. His teammates took the chance to tease him as he jogged to the other end of the gym, accusing him of being late because he was busy picking up girls, leaving Kuroo unable to protest. For the next couple weeks, (y/n) became a regular at the gym, her voice of discussion regarding the selection and placement of artworks was echoed by the sound of squeaking shoes on the volleyball team’s behalf. On multiple occasions did she and Kuroo show up together, usually because of his insistence on carrying something for her. Her modest smile gave way to jokes and laughter as the two grew closer. Turned out, she was the president of the art club, and was a cheerful and funny girl. Her initial modesty, as she admitted, was caused by Kuroo’s intimidating exterior. He couldn’t blame her. Rather than hoping to run into her every day he passed the art club, Kuroo began knocking on the classroom door. She would greet him cheerfully and they would walk down to the gym side by side. Most of the art club had grown accustomed to the volleyball captain openly flirting with their own club president, the only one who didn’t seem to notice was said president herself. Apparently, the giggling and wolf whistles whenever Kuroo was at the door were not enough for her to get the hint. The day before the exhibition, Kuroo walked with (y/n) down the corridors, like all the days passed. “How can you have bed head every day?” she teased, letting out a crescendo of laughter. “My hair is a dick like that,” Kuroo responded, turning to look at her, and noticing their height difference “it just does whatever it wants to. I can’t help it,” what a cute couple they would make. She continued to giggle. “It’s like you,” he continued, “how can you have paint on your hands every day?” he pointed at her hands, “I’m pretty sure that’s not good for you.” She pouted, holding up her hands and waving them in his face, “Shut up! These are the hands of an artist, take it in Kuroo. You better ask for my autograph now before I get famous. Only masterpieces come from hands like these.” He laughed, succumbing to her adorable sense of humour. “Let me see,” he held out his own hand, “let me see those ‘hands of an artist’”. She gave a triumphant grin and placed her hand on his. The tall boy examined it, turning her hand this way and that. When he was done, he let his arm drop back by his side, her hand still in his, and continued to walk, looking straight ahead, not saying a word, his signature smirk never leaving his visage. She looked at him, eyes wide, then down at their intertwined hands, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. Kuroo’s grin widened, “I was pretty confident about my flirting skills. I mean, I thought I made it pretty obvious,” he glanced at her from the corner of his eye, “but you didn’t seem to get the hint. So I have to step up my game.” Her heart had obviously abandoned its usual calm tempo. Her cheeks flushed a brilliant shade of crimson. “How was I supposed to know…” she muttered under her breath, looking down at her feet. “Well you do now,” Kuroo replied smugly. Before they arrived at the gym, Kuroo turned to look at her, still holding her hand, “you better still walk with me after your exhibition is over,” he said, “I’ll be knocking on your door.” Hesitantly, she looked up to meet his eye, still blushing, her initial shyness seemed to have returned. She nodded. Pleased, Kuroo planted a quick kiss on her forehead, and before she could react, ran off toward the gym, a grin stretched out from ear to ear. Behind him, he heard her panic, and her voice, angry but content, rang out. “Kurooooo!’

[2pcontinued]

If Kuro and Luciano fell in love with the same person

First of all, in general, this would be a wild ride for their object of affection, since lord, these two are a tad possessive and competitive in general. However, they would never do anything to put the person in harms way, to hurt their feelings, hurt their loved ones, and hurt each other seriously. They’re just competitive, not major assholes. Anyway, as I was saying, it would always be who you would choose to go with. They both know that your happiness is their number one concern, so if you choose one over the other because you’re happy with them, they would completely understand and let you two be together. They both believe in the saying that goes “If you love them, let them go.”, they’re very earnest and meaningful in their emotions and actions if they really like the person. Nonetheless, in the beginning of recognizing their feelings, they would both understand that the other likes you. Both Kuro and Luciano are very observant people naturally, so they would both notice the first signs of love in each other, mostly for you. Rather, they would confront each other once they had a solid idea that they both were in love with you. Of course, throughout the conversation there would come various taunts and such, and it would probably end with them both saying, simultaneously, “may the better man win”. You would have to remind them that you are not a prize to be won, but after that, all’s fair game to them. They would offer you to go with them to go to various occasions, such as Luciano asking for you to go to a ball with him, or to go eat at his restaurant free of charge, while Kuro would ask for you to go to his art studio for him to draw you, and for you to come walk with him through his private garden, complete with sakura trees, a butterfly sanctuary, and a koi pond. In the end of all the petty competition, they would confront you after a few weeks, and ask for you to choose one. At this point, the situation could go four ways, which I will list below.

Possible endings

Ending 1: Take Luciano’s hand

If you would choose Luciano, Kuro’s usually cold brown eyes would warm and water up a bit before he would blink them away, and he would sigh and say “Very well, just know that you will always be a part in my heart. If you ever need me, you can call for me, and I will always be there. I wish you a happy relationship, and Luciano, I guess you may be the better man. Congratulations.” Kuro would feel a bit dejected for a few days, but would get over it sooner or later. He knows to never dwell in the past, it distracts from the present. However, any time that Luciano may treat you the way that he feels you shouldn’t be treated, Kuro will always remind you of his open invitation. Luciano would spoil you to his heart’s content, anything you want, he’ll get it for you, that includes him taking you for midnight drives when you can’t sleep, picking you up no matter where you are, eating at the fanciest restaurants, and going on at least one shopping spree a week. Luciano would treat you like royalty, you better believe it

Ending 2: Take Kuro’s hand

If you were to choose Kuro, Luciano would lose his face for a moment. Instead of a usual smirk, you would see a frown set upon his tan features. He would run a hand through his hair and say “It seems as though you have chosen, my treasure. When you realize that you made the wrong choice, you can always run back into my arms. Other than that, at least you’re happy, I suppose. And Kuro, treat them right, okay? If I see anything that will put them in harms way, I have every right to steal them away. Arrivederci, mio amore.” Luciano would feel pissed for the next few hours since he loves winning in general, but he’ll get over it within a matter of hours and go back to his smooth, flirtatious self. On the other hand, you may find him being very open with you still, since he still loves you of course, and anytime he feels as though you could do better, he’ll be waiting oh so conveniently at the nearest street corner, with your favorite snack in his hand, and his Ferrari ready to go to your favorite location, or his mansion for you two to have a meaningful and private talk. Kuro would feel honored for you to have chose him over Luciano, so of course, he would spoil you rotten. Well, as much as he could afford and all within reason. Unlike Luciano, he isn’t rich, but more well-off, so you could expect a gift at least once a week, and really adorable personalized thing. A marathon of your favorite anime/tv show complete with snacks and cuddling, private drawing sessions of his muse (you), and those cute classes like pottery and salsa dancing (even though he can’t dance for his life). Kuro loves you and he would definitely show it every single day.

Ending 3: You choose both

Lol what? For these two it’s difficult to get them to share, but they know that they both care about you too much to let you go that easily, so they will reluctantly agree. They kinda got along for work’s sake, but now that you would force them to get along, they would start liking each other. It’s more like the “You drive me crazy, in a bad way, but also a good way? What?” So after a while, they would eventually learn to like each other, possibly love, but lets not get a little too crazy tonight guys. Expect a lot of gifts from both ends, and a little bit of playful competition in the relationship between either the three of you or the two of them, depending on you personality.

Ending 4: You choose neither of them

Kuro and Luciano, at a complete loss for words, would agree to your wishes to choose neither of them. Whether it’s because you do not want a relationship, you fell in love with someone else other than them, or you just aren’t ready yet, they’ll understand and accept that you aren’t interested in them. They both wouldn’t take it personally since you didn’t choose either of them, so they would shake hands and call a truce. They would let you know that you would always be friends with them, and if you were every ready to date either of them, to let them know, and they’ll be standing on your doorstep with a bouquet of you favorite flowers asking you out on a date, and calling you their partner.

(Thank you anon for requesting this! I had a great time writing it, and thank you for allowing me to fulfill your request! I do hope you enjoy what I wrote, have a lovely day!❤️)

[recentanimenews]

Manga the Week of 11/1/17

SEAN: (stares brokenly)

We’ll start off with the titles that are already out but were announced too late to be in last week’s column, which is unfortunately becoming a weekly occurrence. First off, Bookwalker debuts a new digital light novel, The Ryuo’s Work Is Never Done! This is a very popular series in Japan about a teenage shogi master who takes an elementary school girl as his apprentice. The prologue is jaw-droppingly appalling, but I am hoping for the best? Maybe?

MICHELLE: I thought I might check this out for a moment before I read some of the preview.

SEAN: Kodansha also has its digital horror debut, I Want to Hold Aono-kun So Badly I Could Die. Despite the title, not based on a light novel. It runs in Afternoon.

MICHELLE: I find this kind of intriguing, actually. It doesn’t appear gory, at least.

SEAN: Now on to next week, and it’s a killer week even based on the experience of previous killer weeks. Dark Horse gives us yet another Hatsune Miku manga spinoff with Future Delivery.

Drawn & Quarterly delights us with another Kitaro volume, Kitaro’s Strange Adventures.

ASH: Yes! I’m always looking forward to more Kitaro.

SEAN: J-Novel Club has *five* novels debuting next week, which I think may be a record for them. We have Clockwork Planet 2, Demon King Daimaou 3, Infinite Dendrogram 3, Invaders of the Rokujouma!? 7.5 (no, you’re reading that right, there’s a reason for the .5), and Paying to Win in a VRMMO 5. Phew!

Kodansha also has a GIANT PILE of digital coming out. In addition to whatever new horror title they debut next week, we have All Out!! 2 (more rugby!), Beauty Bunny 2, Black Panther and Sweet 16 3, DAYS 6, DEATHTOPIA 5, Drowning Love 3, Love’s Reach 4, and Peach Heaven 8. More titles to get behind on!

MICHELLE: Dang! I’m definitely keen on several of those.

ASH: It’s great that so much digital is being released these days, but it’s so easy to loose track of what is being released (and when, apparently).

SEAN: In print, the big release next week is the Akira 35th Anniversary Box Set. If you want a new, huge, handsome version of Akira, this is the title for you. Do Millennials remember Akira?

MICHELLE: Random note: years before it became a fandom word, there was a panel of a rat in Akira who had the dialogue, “Squee.”

MELINDA: That rat was ahead of its time.

SEAN: Animal Land has its 2nd to last volume (13)! The last one is not yet scheduled because, well, y’know, Animal Land. But yay anyway!

ASH: I will be glad if we can actually make it to the end! The series ended up really growing on me.

SEAN: Fairy Tail has a 5th volume of its Master’s Edition, which tries to impress next to Akira’s box set but sadly comes in second. Which, well, Fairy Tail should be used to.

ASH: Ha! This probably is the edition to get for anyone starting to collect the series, though.

SEAN: Kigurumi Guardians gets a 2nd volume. The first was very… strange. I wonder what direction it will go.

MICHELLE: I need to read these!

SEAN: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime also has a 2nd manga volume, as we wait for December to see the light novel.

ASH: I found the first volume surprisingly entertaining.

SEAN: The big debut from Kodansha is To Your Eternity, the new series from the author of A Silent Voice. I’m hoping for big things! It runs in Weekly Shonen Magazine, and is far more supernatural than her prior series.

MICHELLE: Ooh.

ASH: I am definitely looking forward to this one. The artwork is beautiful and the story devastating, from what I’ve heard.

MELINDA: Well, that sounds pretty interesting.

SEAN: Seven Seas has the first of its releases in the Devilman franchise with Devilman Grimoire. This remake of Devilman ran in Champion Red Ichigo, and all I can tell you is try not to get too attached to the characters.

ASH: That seems to be fair advice.

SEAN: There’s another omnibus of Freezing, containing Vols. 17-18..

The Girl from the Other Side: Siuil A Run has a 3rd volume of vaguely heartwarming, vaguely disquieting beauty.

MICHELLE: I am looking forward to this very, very much.

ASH: Same. The Girl from the Other Side is a tremendous series.

SEAN: Seven Seas’ big release next week (sorry, Devilman) is In This Corner of the World which is coming out as one big omnibus. Old-timers may recall that J-Manga released some of this series digitally, but here it is in print. It ran in Futabasha’s Manga Action, and is from the creator of Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms.

ASH: I’m planning on picking this one up. I actually still need to see the anime adaptation, too.

SEAN: Speaking of omnibuses, Vertical Comics has the first in their omnibus re-release of The Flowers of Evil.

And now it’s time for Yen. Amusingly, this list was originally larger – some titles are delayed due to shipping issues with the recent storms, and so be prepared for a pile of Yen every week for the next few weeks. This is a REALLY big pile even so, though.

Digital? We have you covered. There’s Corpse Princess 13 and Saki 12. There are also digital editions of Accel World and The Irregular at Magic High School’s light novels, being released in chunks to catch up ASAP. We get Accel World 1-4 and Mahouka 1-2.

On the light novel front, Yen On debuts a new series, The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria. This is somewhat unique as, like Psycome, it does not seem to have a manga or anime attached to it but was licensed anyway. It seems to involve time loops – which we know Western fans LOVE after Endless Eight.

ASH: Say that again?

SEAN: On the light novel front, Yen On debuts a new series, The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria. This is somewhat unique as, like Psycome, it does not seem to have a manga or anime attached to it but was licensed anyway. It seems to involve time loops – which we know Western fans LOVE after Endless Eight.

There’s also a 4th DanMachi: Sword Oratoria, 9th Log Horizon, 5th (and penultimate) Psycome, and 5th Re: Zero.

Debuts from Yen Press next week are Gabriel Dropout, a Dengeki Daioh comedy about Angels down on Earth, Hybrid x Heart Magias Academy Ataraxia (Masou Gakuen HxH), which is another very ecchi title set at a magical school, based on a light novel (which Yen doesn’t have). There’s also a new spinoff debuting with Danmachi: Sword Oratoria’s manga debuting.

Ending next week is The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan with its 10th volume. You can see what I said about this in my review here.

The rest we’ll divide into two: manga based on light novels and manga that is not. For the former, we have the 11th A Certain Magical Index; 2nd Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash; 4th Overlord; two Re: Zero volumes with the 3rd volume of the 2nd arc and the first volume of the 3rd arc; and the 4th in the Sword Art Online spinoff Girls’ Ops.

We also have a 12th Akame Ga KILL!, a 24th Black Butler, the 9th Horimiya, the 2nd Sekirei omnibus (in print), and the 14th Triage X.

MICHELLE: I’ll always appreciate more Horimiya!

ASH: It’s such a great series.

SEAN: And there is the 6th Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro, which I love so much it gets kudos away from the group.

Lastly, there’s another Soul Eater artbook, imaginatively called Soul Eater: Soul Art 2.

I compressed this list a lot, and it still looks long. And remember, Yen delayed 9 titles to the week after! What are you getting next week?

By: Sean Gaffney

[pocket-luv101]

Summary: Kuro finds Mahiru asleep in his pub. (KuroMahi, Modern AU)

“It was busy tonight. I’ll close up the kitchen so you can go to study for your exam, JeJe.” Kuro told his brother. The family owned a small pub and they would often work late. He was tired himself but he thought it was important for his siblings to focus on school. “Wrath will get angry at both of us if she thinks that I made you work late instead of doing your school work.”

Their conversation was interrupted when Hyde entered the kitchen and said: “We have a problem with a customer. He’s your regular and he’s asking for you, Kuro.”

“Me?” Kuro wondered what the customer could want with him. He didn’t have anyone he would consider a regular customer either. He rarely worked as a bartender since he preferred to cook in the kitchen. His siblings were better at small talk so he would leave the job to them. The pub was quiet so the customer wasn’t violent or angry. He wiped his hands and said, “Can you tell me what to expect?”

“You’ll call it ‘troublesome’.” Hyde told him and took the hand towel he had been using to wipe the counter. He started to clean the kitchen for him while Kuro stepped out of the room. His brother’s description of the customer was vague and he didn’t know what to expect. At first, he didn’t see who the person was and he thought the bar was empty.

He scanned the room and he noticed someone sitting at the bar with their head resting on the table. It was clear that the person had fallen asleep and Kuro sighed. He didn’t know why Hyde asked him to deal with the customer when he could’ve simply woken the man and called a cab for him. Kuro was glad that the problem wasn’t an angry drunk at least.

He stood next to the sleeping man and lightly shook his shoulder. As the man shook his head, Kuro was able to see his face and he gasped softly. He never expected to see Mahiru again, yet here he was. He could only stare at him while the memories of their relationship came back to him.

They had broken up the month before they graduated high school. The tears that Mahiru had that day still stabbed at his heart and Kuro traced his fingers over his cheek. Mahiru had the opportunity to go to a prestigious college and it would allow him to pursue his dream of becoming a photographer. But the school was in another city. Kuro didn’t want their relationship to hold Mahiru back from accomplishing his dreams. He made the difficult decision to break up.

“Kuro…” Mahiru mumbled his name in his sleep and his voice pulled him out of his memories.

“What am I going to do?” Kuro whispered and ran his hand through his hair. He was still in love with Mahiru so he didn’t know how he could face him after their break up. He didn’t know if he came to the bar to see him again but a small part of him hoped that he had. With a shake of his head, he reminded himself, “Don’t be selfish. Mahiru is better off without you.”

Despite those words, Kuro found himself gravitating to Mahiru. They hadn’t seen each other for a year but he hadn’t changed in that time. His face still had the soft and vulnerable expression whenever he slept and the sight made Kuro feel protective of him. Mahiru moved in his sleep and he almost fell off the stool but then Kuro caught him. “You could’ve chosen a better place to sleep.”

He slipped an arm under Mahiru’s knees and supported his back with his other hand. Slowly, he lifted Mahiru off the chair and took him to a lounge chair in the corner of the bar. When he held him close to his chest, he could smell alcohol on his breath. Had he been drinking before he fell asleep at the bar? He would have to lecture his brother about letting him drink too much.

Kuro was careful to not wake him as he lowered him onto the lounge couch. Then, he took off his jacket and draped it over Mahiru so he would be warm. He sat next to him and considered what he should do. Should he wake him and talk? Would it be best to have one of his siblings wake him and send him home?

They hadn’t spoken since the break up and Kuro wondered if college had been stressful on Mahiru. There were dark circles under his eyes so he was likely tired and needed sleep. He decided that it was best to let him sleep on the couch and watch over him. A part of him knew that he chose to let him sleep so he could avoid facing him again.

Unconsciously, he started to stroke his brown hair like he would in the past. Mahiru’s face relaxed under his touch and the small change squeezed Kuro’s heart. One of the things he loved about Mahiru was how honest his expressions were. Seeing him again brought back the regret he thought he had let go. They would call each other a few times after he moved to his new school but Kuro eventually stopped picking up his phone. It was painful to hear his voice when he couldn’t hold him.

“Kuro…” He spoke again. Mahiru turned on his side and hugged the jacket around him. The subtle scent of spices and seasoning that clung to the jacket reminded him of Kuro. In high school, he would visit him after the bar closed and his clothes would smell like spices from working in the kitchen. He realized that the cushions beneath him felt much stiffer than his bed and he sat up in confusion.

His eyes fell onto Kuro next to him. Mahiru opened his mouth to say his name yet he couldn’t form words. He had imagined a thousand different things he would say to Kuro if he ever met him again. They were a happy couple and he didn’t understand why Kuro suddenly broke up with him. He was upset and angry at first but now he only wanted an explanation.

Kuro was the first to speak. “You fell asleep on the counter and I was worried you would fall off the chair. I moved you onto the couch. Do you have a headache or feel sick? I can call a cab to take you home if you can’t drive. Your eyes look alert but your face is a little flushed.”

“I only had two drinks. That’s not enough to make me drunk even if I’m a lightweight.” Mahiru didn’t tell him that his blush was caused by how close Kuro was. He tried to stand but his legs were a little unsteady beneath him. His gaze fell to the ground in embarrassment and sank back onto the chair. A hand fell over his shoulder and he looked back to Kuro.

There was only kindness in his red eyes and Mahiru bit his lip. “Don’t look at me like that, Kuro. You’re going to give me the wrong idea of how you feel.”

“I’m sorry.” He took his hand back and sat next to him on the couch. Kuro didn’t want to see the pain in his else because he knew he would try to comfort him if he did. He broke his heart and he thought he didn’t deserve to hold him. An awkward silence surrounded them and he searched for something to change the subject. “Are you here on break?”

“The first semester ended and I decided to come home to visit my uncle. I’ve been busy with classes and I haven’t been able to stay in touch with everyone. I should go home before my uncle starts to worry. He isn’t as paranoid as Misono’s dad but I don’t want to make him worry.” Mahiru stood and slipped on the jacket. He didn’t notice that the jacket belonged to Kuro. “The cold air will help me become sober again.”

“I’ll walk you home.” He offered. “It’s dangerous to walk alone in the dark, especially when you’re tipsy. We already closed the bar so my siblings don’t need me here anymore.”

“Thank you.” Mahiru accepted but there was a brief moment of hesitation in his voice. He didn’t say anything further as he stepped out of the bar with Kuro by his side. The cold air made him shiver and he pulled the jacket’s zipper higher. He realized that he had put on Kuro’s jacket unintentionally yet he hadn’t commented on it. He reasoned that he could return the jacket once they reached his home.

He lived only a few blocks from the pub and Mahiru found himself dragging his feet to spend more time with Kuro. When he visited the bar, he hoped he could see Kuro again and speak with him. He ordered a few drinks for courage but he ended up falling asleep on the counter. Mahiru watched Kuro in the corner of his eyes. “How has business been?”

“We’ve gotten more customers. Since I graduated, I’ve been putting more hours into the pub and that helped keep down costs. Hopefully, the pub will bring in enough money to put Hugh and the others through school.” Their father had abandoned their family and Kuro did his best to support his younger siblings. Mahiru knew how important his family was so he couldn’t leave them. “What about you, Mahiru? I heard that your photos were featured in your college’s showcase.”

“Yes. I must’ve taken a thousand photos for the showcase. Art school is more work than people like to joke about.” Mahiru smiled wearily. “I threw myself into my work because I wanted to distract myself from our breakup. I couldn’t fully forget you though. The day I had to choose a photo to submit to the showcase, I came across this old picture. It was the reason I wanted to be a professional photographer.”

Mahiru took out a picture from when they were younger. The edges of the paper were worn from age. In the photograph, Kuro was asleep with a cat resting on his chest. “I wanted to take pictures of experiences and landscapes to share with others. While I was in class, each time I took a photo, I thought ‘I can’t wait to show this to Kuro’. Then I had to remind myself we broke up.”

“You deserve someone better than me, Mahiru.” Kuro stopped walking. “I’m sorry.”

“When you broke up with me, you said that it was because you cheated on me. I didn’t believe it then and I don’t believe it now. We’ve known each other for years and you’re not the type to cheat. It’ll be too troublesome.” Mahiru stood in front of Kuro and faced him. He cupped his cheeks and moved his gaze down to him. “Can you lie to my face and say you cheated on me?”

“I…” He started but then he looked into Mahiru’s large eyes. Kuro didn’t know how he was able to lie to him before. He had lied to him when they broke up because he knew Mahiru wouldn’t accept his true reason. He would’ve insisted that they try to have a long distance relationship but Kuro was worried it would hold Mahiru back. “I’m sorry, Mahiru.”

“For cheating or lying to me? Please, Kuro, I need to know why you broke up with me.” His voice started to break in time with his heart. “I loved you and I thought you felt the same way.”

Suddenly, Kuro gathered him into his arms and buried his face into his neck. He held him tight but Mahiru didn’t mind and hugged him in return. He slowly ran his hand down his back to feel his warmth after being apart for so long. Mahiru whispered, “Why did you lie to me?”

“I thought if I hurt you by lying, you wouldn’t have any regrets going to college. That school has been your dream for years. I need to be here to support my siblings and I don’t have a lot to give you. If anything, I’ll hold you back from your dreams.” Kuro didn’t lift his face from his neck and Mahiru could feel his warm breath against his skin.

“I understand, Kuro, I really do. Your family is important to you and I could never ask you to move to Tokyo where my school is. But couldn’t you have talked to me instead of breaking up with me the way you did? It hurt.” Kuro leaned back and tenderly ran his hand over his cheek to comfort him. Mahiru touched his hand and looked up at him.

Mahiru lifted himself onto his toes and kissed Kuro softly. “I could’ve gone to school in Tokyo and still date you. It would’ve been a lot of work but I’m willing to do it if it meant I can be with you. Aren’t we worth the effort?”

“You’re one of the most important things to me.” Kuro brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed his fingertips softly. “I thought I was doing what was best for your future by leaving but I only hurt you. I’m sorry, Mahiru. Will you take me back?”

“That’s the reason I came to your bar.” Mahiru smiled up at him. “Will you stay the night at my apartment? We have a lot to catch up on.”

[pocket-luv101]

Summary: Kuro takes Mahiru sailing (KuroMahi, Photographer AU)

“Kuro, is that you?” At the sound of his name, Kuro looked up from his netting. A brunette was waving to him on the dock. He looked a little familiar but he couldn’t place where he seen him before. Kuro grabbed the rope tethering him to the dock and pulled his small sailboat closer to the edge. The man had a camera around his neck and Kuro hoped he wasn’t a reporter.

Kuro spoke in English and prayed that the reporter would leave. After he won an award, reporters would bother him for an interview. He enjoyed his privacy and avoided reporters. Kuro was surprised and confused by the man’s response. He laughed. “C’mon, Kuro, you know English is my worst subject. We haven’t seen each other since high school but my English hasn’t improved much since then.”

Once he heard his warm laugh, Kuro recognized him. “Mahiru?”

“It’s been a long time. How have you been?” Mahiru asked. It felt awkward to stand over him so he knelt on the dock. In high school, Kuro was an exchange student and Mahiru volunteered to show him around. They had been friends ever since but Kuro returned to America once they graduated. He didn’t expect to see him again so he was beyond happy.

“I moved back to Japan a month ago and I’ve been super busy. I built this sailboat but I barely had time to go fishing. Can’t deal.” Kuro held up his half-finished net to show him. As they talked, he made another loop in his fishing net. Mahiru watched his deft fingers and smiled to himself. There were scars on his fingers but he knew that they could be very gentle.

“I can help you finish that net if you want. Thinking simply, we’ll finish it quicker if we do it together. But I have to work first. I booked a boat ride so I could take photos of the sea.” Mahiru held up his camera with a wide smile. He glanced around the dock and said, “The fisherman I hired was supposed to be here but I don’t see him. I wonder if he’s late.”

“Was his name Enra?” He asked. Kuro swore beneath his breath when Mahiru nodded. The fisherman was a drifter who would offer rides on his boat to tourists for money. Unfortunately, he would merely take their money and leave. He knew how trusting Mahiru was and guessed he easily fell for the scam. “I know the guy and…”

“He’s not coming, is he?” He finished for him. He had to question if Mahiru had the amazing ability to read his mind. A sad smile appeared on his face as he looked down at his camera. “At least I only paid him twenty dollars so it’s not much. I was hoping to take some nice pictures though. There’s an art contest I wanted to join and the theme is nature.”

The disappointment on his face tugged at Kuro’s heart. He held out his hand to Mahiru and said, “Jump in and I’ll give you a boat ride for free.”

“Thank you, Kuro! Meeting you again already made my day but this is even better.” Mahiru placed his hand in Kuro’s. He stepped into the boat and his hand helped him stay balanced. He was happy to have the opportunity to spend more time with Kuro and catch up. It seemed like he hadn’t changed much because he was as kind as he remembered.

Kuro looked over the rigging on his sail before he positioned his boat in the direction of the wind. He hoisted the sail into position and secured the line with a tight knot. He kept Mahiru in the corner of his eyes so he wouldn’t accidentally knock him off the small boat. The boat moved forward with the wind and they sailed into the open sea.

The water was calm but Kuro knew how the tides could change suddenly. He had to be cautious of the sea. In contrast, Mahiru walked to the bow of the ship to enjoy the cool breeze. The fresh air and the light spray of water was refreshing. He admired the beautiful landscapes they passed and then stared at the blue horizon. He could only imagine how beautiful the sunset would be in a few hours.

“If you find your picture perfect moment, just tell me. I’ll drop down the anchor so you can take a photograph.” Kuro said behind him and slowed the boat. He watched the wind play through Mahiru’s hair and he wondered if it was as soft as it looked. He didn’t want to be caught staring so he pulled his gaze away. “You loved to take pictures in high school too. It’s nice to see you make a career out of something you love.”

“A picture can capture a million emotions. Can you stop the boat so I can take a picture?” He let go of the safety bar to walk back to Kuro. He wasn’t accustomed to the constant rocking of the ocean and he stumbled over his own feet. Luckily, Kuro was able to grab his hands and he helped him regain his balance. Mahiru smiled up at him and thanked him. Then, he laughed softly, “Great catch, Kuro.”

“When I said I wanted to go fishing, I didn’t expect to catch a person.” Kuro only let go of him once he was certain that Mahiru wouldn’t trip again. He adjusted the sail so it wouldn’t catch the wind. Then he went to lower the anchor into the water. Mahiru stood next to him and leaned over the edge so he could look into the water. The clear water reflected Mahiru’s smile similar to how it would with the sun.

Mahiru viewed the world through his camera and captured the beauty he saw. The soft colours of the sea complimented the vivid green islands lining the horizon. He leaned closer to Kuro so he could show him the picture he took. “What do you think?”

“It’s nice and simple.” Other artists would think Kuro was insulting their work but Mahiru considered it a compliment. His words brought a proud smile to his lips and he continued to take more pictures from different angles. With every new picture he took, Mahiru would have a thoughtful expression.

Kuro didn’t want to bother him while he worked so he busied himself with the net he was making earlier. He would glance back to Mahiru occasionally. He had to admit that Mahiru had become more attractive and his eyes were very expressive. His laughter hadn’t changed though. Mahiru’s sincere personality was what drew Kuro to him when they first met as teenagers.

“Are you daydreaming, Kuro? Your fingers are getting tangled up in the string.” Mahiru sat across from him and helped him untie the string from his fingers. He threaded the string through the net like he saw Kuro do earlier. “Is this how you braid the net? I promised to help you finish this. This is my way to thank you for taking me out here.”

“You still like to volunteer to help everyone, no matter how tedious the job.” Kuro could already predict his response. He showed him how to make the net with slow motions. They talked idly and Kuro’s dry jokes made Mahiru giggle. It was surprisingly easy to talk with him even though they’ve been apart for years now. Most would say that Kuro was a distant person but Mahiru enjoyed his company.

Mahiru asked, “Did you move to Japan permanently?”

“I live just down the street.” He pointed towards the city. “Lily helped me find a job designing boats for rich people. It pays well. I like to come down here and fish as a hobby. I mostly let the ocean rock me to sleep though.”

“Wait, I think I read an article about you!” Mahiru pulled out a newspaper he was reading earlier. He flipped through the pages until he found a photo of a sailboat. “Your design won an award earlier this month. Congratulations! You used Sleepy Ash as your pseudonym. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize it sooner since I was the one who gave you the nickname.”

“You called me Sleepy Ash whenever you caught me napping in class.” The memory made Kuro chuckle. “The name just stuck.”

“That’s because you slept through so many classes. How does this look?” Mahiru completed another row of the fishing net and he held it up to show Kuro. When he did, he noticed the long shadow the net cast. He turned around and saw the sun setting. The water appeared to be gold but night was starting to settle over the sky as well. He immediately stood to take a picture of the sunset.

Kuro had lost track of time while they talked. He put away the net and went to stand next to Mahiru. He looked over his shoulder to look at the picture he took. While he wasn’t a photographer, he was a designer and noticed the subtly in the photo. “You have an eye for balance.”

“Thank you but I only take pictures of things I find beautiful. Sunset has the most stunning shadows.” He hugged the camera to his chest. Kuro knew how much he loved photography and his passion shined in his eyes. “You’re lucky to have this boat. You can sail anywhere you want and see beautiful scenes like this.”

“Anytime you want to sail out to sea, just call me.” Kuro took out his phone and Mahiru rushed to do the same. They exchanged numbers and Mahiru immediately sent him a text. “Can we go sailing tomorrow at noon? Yeah, I’m free. But we need to head back to shore right now before it gets dark. Sailing at night is troublesome since the wind is hard to read.”

He started to pull up the anchor so they could sail back to the dock. He dropped the chain when water was splashed in his face. Kuro looked up and saw Mahiru chuckling not too far from him. He could easily guess that it was Mahiru who splashed him. “If you weren’t wearing an expensive camera around your neck, I would splash you back.”

“I won’t bring my camera tomorrow so you can get your revenge then.” He winked at Kuro. He pushed away from the boat and sat in a chair. Mahiru scrolled through his camera roll and tried to pick which he should submit to the art contest. “Since we’re meeting at noon tomorrow, I can pack us a lunch. Do you still like—”

He became flustered when Kuro slipped off his shirt and used it dry his wet hair. He had become more handsome and toned since high school. Mahiru’s cheeks became a deep shade of red and he hoped Kuro wouldn’t notice his blush. Kuro was distracted with the sail though. As a photographer, Mahiru’s first instinct was to take a picture of him.

But Kuro held him mesmerized as they sailed back to the dock.

[pocket-luv101]

I’m surprised that it took me this long to make a coffee shop AU XD But here’s one with KuroMahi!

“I said it’s okay, Lily. Just stay home and take care of Misono. I hope his cold isn’t too bad. Call me if you need my help after my shift end.” Mahiru held his phone between his shoulder and his ear as he searched through his bag for the café’s key. Usually, Lily would be the one to open up the café in the morning but Mahiru volunteered to take over his shift when Misono became sick.

After Mahiru found his keys, he ended the call with Lily. He was surprised when he found that the front door was unlocked. His brows furrowed and he cautiously opened the door. He wanted to be careful if someone had broken into the café and they were still inside. Mahiru peered inside and saw that it was dark and quiet. Everything seemed to be undisturbed so Mahiru walked inside.

He quickly discovered why the café was unlocked. In the lounge area, he found Kuro sleeping on the couch. They were co-workers but he only had a few shifts with Kuro. He guessed that Kuro didn’t lock up the previous night and slept in the café. He had to be the laziest person he knew and Mahiru didn’t know how he wasn’t fired yet. The Servamps owned the café so he assumed that was the reason.

He was sleeping so deeply that he didn’t stir when Mahiru adjusted the blanket over him. The expression he had while he slept was tranquil and Mahiru wondered what he was dreaming about. He would often have a bored expression whenever they worked together. Mahiru decided not to wake Kuro and prepare everything by himself. He didn’t turn on the lights because he didn’t want to disturb Kuro.

There was still an hour until they opened but it would be difficult to do everything alone. Mahiru went into the tiny kitchen to make fresh pastries for the day. He loved baking and hummed as he worked. The café already prepared the batter and dough for the pastries so he only needed to put them in the oven. He set the timer and went to count the money in the register.

“I wanna wrap you up; wanna kiss your lips.” Mahiru sang softly to himself because the café felt too quiet. He lived alone most of his life but he never liked the sound of silence. He was careful not to be too loud and wake Kuro though. “I wanna call you mine; wanna hold your hand forever.”

“Forever is a long time. Shouldn’t you buy me coffee before you start planning our future?” Mahiru was taken aback by the voice and realized that he suddenly had an audience. He looked towards the lounge area and there was Kuro. He sat up and stretched his stiff limbs. His shirt rose slightly and Mahiru could see his toned stomach. He quickly turned away so he wouldn’t see the blush on his face.

“I see that you’re finally up, Kuro. Do you have a habit out of sleeping here overnight? If you’re going to crash here, at least lock the door. Someone could’ve come in and attacked you or worse.” Mahiru hid his flustered feelings beneath anger. He began to wipe the counter. “I’m covering Lily’s shift today because he has to take care of Misono.”

“Can’t deal.” He groaned. Mahiru was a double-edged sword to him. He was a responsible and diligent person so he didn’t need to worry much whenever they worked together. On the other hand, Mahiru never hesitated to lecture him for being lazy. “I had a late shift last night and I didn’t want to drive home when I had a morning shift the next day. Don’t worry, I brought a change of clothes.”

“A couch is no place to sleep, Kuro. There was a simple solution. If you were too lazy to drive, you could’ve asked someone to drop you off at your house.” Mahiru pointed out but Kuro shrugged in answer. “I don’t live too far from the café so just call me next time you need a ride. Do you have my number? I can give it to after our shift is over.”

“You’re kind to a fault, aren’t you? I can’t remember a single time you said ‘no’ to a person. If you keep overworking yourself, it’ll be troublesome for both of us. I’ll get the coffee started for you.” He said and turned on the coffee machine. Mahiru smiled softly to himself. He was being considerate and his kindness touched him.

Together, they prepared for the morning rush. Kuro wasn’t a morning person but he found that they were more fun with Mahiru. The smell of coffee and sweets filled the café. Mahiru pulled the tray of cookies out of the oven and smiled proudly. He placed the tray next to the muffins on the counter. “Kuro, can you put the muffins in the display case while I cool these cookies?”

“Only if I get a cookie as payment.” Kuro reached around him and tried to steal one. He winced when he found that they were hotter than he thought they would be. He pulled his hand back and he was glad that he didn’t burn himself. Mahiru caught his hand and pulled him to the sink. He continued to hold his hand as he rinsed it under cold water.

“I told you that I needed to cool those cookies but you grabbed one anyways! You’re not a kid so you should know better than that.” He lightly chastised him. Kuro knew that he was more worried than angry from his expression. His hands were gentle as he gently dried his hand with a towel and inspected the burn. He brought his fingers closer to him and lightly blew on them.

Mahiru smiled and patted his hand. “It doesn’t look like you have a burn but don’t try something like that again. You scared me, Kuro. Next time— Your face is bright red. Does it hurt?”

“You don’t need to fret over me.” Kuro knew that he was only being kind but standing so close to Mahiru made him shy. He thought Mahiru was cute and sweet but he didn’t think he had a chance with him. He tried to ignore his growing crush and said, “It would’ve been cool if I got a battle scar or something.”

“No, that would be far from cool. We should get back to work.” Mahiru let go of his hand and grabbed the tray again. He placed the muffins carefully in the display case. In the corner of his eyes, he noticed the time. They were able to finish early and they had ten minutes to spare. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to prepare everything so quickly without him. He decided that Kuro deserved a little reward.

Mahiru walked to Kuro and tapped his shoulder. “How about we sit down and have breakfast before we open the café? You deserve a treat. I just need to cool those cookies so sit down and eat first.”

He disappeared into the kitchen after Kuro nodded. The morning rush could be stressful so he wanted to relax and have a nice talk with Kuro before the customers came. Mahiru filled two plates with cookies. He placed one on display and then he took the other one to Kuro. With a bright smile, Mahiru sat across the table from Kuro. “Here you go. I made a lot so Lily won’t know that we sneaked some treats.”

“Employees are allowed to help themselves to drinks and food. This is my family’s café so I don’t worry about getting in trouble. I made you a latte. I didn’t know what you prefer so I kept it simple.” Kuro handed a cup to Mahiru. His brown eyes widened when he saw the latte art. He didn’t think a cup of coffee would make Mahiru so happy but the smile on his face was stunning.

“This cat is adorable, Kuro! I never knew that you can make latte art like this.” Mahiru beamed. He took out his phone to snap a picture of the cat. It was almost a shame to disturb the fragile image. He went through the trouble to make him coffee so he took a sip. The taste was simple and comforting, just like the man that made it. “Simple is best. Thank you, Kuro.”

“These cookies are pretty good too. Lily said that you were the one that suggested we change the recipe.” Kuro already ate half the cookies on the plate and he reached for another one. His compliment made warmth spread through his chest. Mahiru took another sip of his coffee to hide his love-struck smile.

“I’ll make you more cookies if you teach me how to make latte art. I only want to know how to make simple things like hearts and stars so it won’t be too much trouble.” He reached across the table and took Kuro’s hand. “Please?”

How could anyone say no to his large, fawn eyes? Kuro sighed and nodded. “I guess I can teach you the next time we have a morning shift together. Do you want to make a heart for your girlfriend?”

“I’m not in a relationship.” He shook his head. Kuro tried to hide how relieved he was to hear that. “I would like to make coffee for my partner when I get into a long-term relationship. Even as a morning person, I know getting up early can be challenging. A sweet surprise like a heart in a cup of coffee would be nice. This cat sure made my morning!”

I don’t think either Kuro or Mahiru is a coffee person but I wanted to make this short AU

[pocket-luv101]

I love World End and because I love him so much that I made a fanfic where he has to take care of his sick Eve and nine kids all by himself.

“Hey, Hiro, your girlfriend is here!” World End’s co-worker teased.

"I told you she's not my girlfriend!" He blushed as he rushed to put away his tools. He worked on a construction site and Eva would visit him after her shift ended. She worked in a restaurant nearby so they didn’t have to worry about their distance limitation. He would always try to find part time jobs near her work.

World End ran to where Eva was waiting at the entrance. She smiled when she saw him but he instinctively felt as if something was wrong. Her face was a little flush and her breathing was slightly laboured. He thought she looked a little tired that morning but she insisted that she felt fine. “How was work today? You looked like you were working hard when I dropped off your lunch.”

“We’re finishing the flooring now. It’s going to turn out great when we’re done. Thanks for dropping off my lunch today. Your bentos always gives me a lot of energy. You could’ve stayed and ate with me, you know?” World End told her and she shook her head as he expected. As much as she would love to eat with him, she had her own job and responsibilities.

“How was the rice? I’m trying out a new custom blend. The seasoning of the fish wasn’t as strong as the spices I usually use and I wanted the rice to complement it.” Eva told him with a wide smile.

It was easy to see the amount of effort she put into her cooking. He remembered waking up early that morning to find her already cooking in the kitchen. She had to cook each rice brand in a different rice cooker since they needed to be cooked with different amounts of water and different duration of time. She always payed attention to those small details and he knew the respect she had for the art of cooking.

“It was great as always.” World End told her. He knelt in front of her and patted his shoulders. “You must be tired from work. I’ll carry you home, if you want.”

“Thanks,” World End was slightly surprised at Eva’s answer. She was stubbornly independent and wouldn’t allow herself to accept help sometimes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head against his back. He could feel her forehead burning against his back as he stood and he became more worried. “Are you sure you’re okay, Eva?”

“I just need to sleep.” Eva told him. She tried to make her voice appear strong but she failed pitifully. Honestly, she hadn’t felt well since that morning but forced herself to go to work. With World End’s holding her, she could feel his strength and she allowed herself to relax. “Wake me up when we get home so I can-”

“Eva?” World End panicked when he felt her become limp against his back.

“Do you think she’s okay?” Eva heard voices above her and she groaned. She felt extremely hot so the cool hand on her forehead comforted her immensely. She opened her eyes and saw her sisters and World End standing above her. They all looked relieved when they noticed that she was awake. “You’re awake! You had a temperature of a hundred and twenty so we were worried!”

“Is that all?” Eva tried to sit up but her body refused to move. Sitting up only became more impossible when her sisters tackled her and pinned her to the bed. They were all speaking at the same time. Usually she would be able to keep track of their conversation but now she found herself becoming dizzy.

“You can’t! We called Dr. Smith and he says you have a fever. You need to rest.” Imor told her. She was the second oldest and always had a stern expression. But Eva had taken care of her family for so long that she never felt comfortable relinquishing that responsibility. “You just need to rest and eat well.”

“Listen to your sisters.” World End put a hand on her forehead and she found herself sighing since it was so cool and comforting. She wanted to argue more but found herself drifting off instead. She tethered between consciousness and sleep. Even though she was strong, he knew that she was only human. She needed to rest and he tried to think of how to convince her.

“I know! I’ll watch over your sisters while you rest tomorrow. I can cook for them and walk them to school and everything else.” World End insisted and her sisters excitedly agree with him. Eva, on the other hand, was doubtful. She trusted him but he never had to take care of all her sisters without help before. But then he placed a comforting hand on her cheek. “Trust me, Eva.”

“Okay,” Eva gave in. She pressed her face against his hand since it was so cold. From the corner of her eyes, she could see some of her sister sly grins and could guess what they were planning. World End was loud and rough but he was truly kind. Her sisters knew that and would most likely try to take advantage of him. “Girls, go to bed. I want to talk to Hiro alone.”

“What did you want to talk to me about?” World End waited until they all left before he asked her. She placed a finger to her lips, signalling him to wait. She took one of her pillows and threw it at the door. Like she expected, they were outside her door eavesdropping. Her sisters’ yelp on the other side of the door confirmed it. She waited until she heard her sisters scurry away before she turned to him.

“I wanted to talk about that. They might try to take advantage of you but you need to stay prudent, okay?” Eva began to list orders that made his head spin. “Make sure Eistla gets up in time for school. She might try to hide from you to avoid waking up. Tomorrow’s movie night but don’t let them stay up too late. They still have school the next day. And don’t let Atla choose the movie! No matter what she says, don’t.”

“Don’t worry, I got this.” World End assured her. He had been with her for so long and watched her take care of her sisters that he was sure that he could do the same. Eva smiled up at him with trust before she closed her eyes and let herself sleep.

World End woke early the next morning, eager to prove to Eva that she could depend on him. He peered into her room and saw that she was still asleep. He made sure to turn off her alarm and changed the towel on her head before he moved onto her sister’s room. They each had their own rooms and he had to wake them each individually.

Eistla’s room was last and he knew that she would be the most difficult to wake. If anyone could challenge Kuro for the title of Sloth, it would be her. He walked into her room and went to her bedside. The five alarms she had were already ringing but she barely moved. So, he turned off the alarms and tried to shake her gently. “C’mon Eistla. You’re going to be late for school.”

Still, she didn’t react and he decided to pull off the covers. To his surprise, beneath the covers was a pile of pillows instead of Eistla. World End began to panic, worried that she was missing. He would’ve heard someone come into the house or left so she must still be in her room.

“Eistla, where are you?” World End called and search her room. Where could she be? Eva was always the one to wake Eistla while he woke the rest of her sisters. He began to search her room for her but tripped over something. He swore and looked back to see what tripped him. A blanket was peeking out from beneath the bed. “What the hell?”

World End pulled the blanket out as gently as he could. He didn’t know if he should be surprised or not to see Eistla beneath her bed, still sleeping soundly. She was in a sleeping bag and was wearing earplugs. He remembered Eva telling him that she might hide from him to get extra sleep and he laughed to himself. If she put as much effort into sleeping as she did other things, she would be a very diligent person.

“Time to wake up, Eistla.” He pulled out her earplug and she grumbled, trying to scurry deeper under her bed. He roughly pulled out the sleeping bag with her in it. The moment the sun hit her, she groaned and tried to escape under her blanket. World End was quicker and pulled the blanket away from her. “Wake up! Get ready for school and come downstairs for breakfast!”

“You’re so troublesome, Hiro. How about you just let me sleep for a few more minutes? I’ll have the energy to get ready then.” Eistla told him.

“Nope!” World End pulled off her blanket and threw it across the room. He opened her closet and pulled out a random outfit. She was still laying on the ground and he dropped it onto her stomach. “I know all the tricks a sloth uses. Change and come down. I’ll make something special for your breakfast.”

“You think that bribe will work?” Eistla sat up and rubbed her sleep clouded eyes. She dragged herself to the bathroom and grumbled. “That’s more of a threat than anything. You can’t cook.”

“I totally can! I’m making everyone cereal.” World End defended himself and went downstairs. The other sisters were already sitting at the dining table, eating the simple bowl of cereal. Atla saw him come in and smiled. She held out a brush and hair ties to her. Even without exchanging words, he knew that she wanted him to do her hair.

“I want two braid.” She told him when he stood behind her and began to brush her hair. Honestly, he never did anyone’s hair but he still tried. It was difficult because she wouldn’t sit still as she ate. The braids came out loose and uneven but they were the best he could do. Atla didn’t seem to mind when she looked in the mirror and thanked him.

“Do you want a braid too, Gjalp?” He asked her but she shook her head. She had always been quiet and shy. Her messy bangs fell over her face and hid her eyes. He always thought it was a shame because she had large, expressive eyes. Eva could coax her to talk more and he wondered how she was able to.

“What are we having for lunch?” Greip asked as she doubtfully looked at their empty lunch bags.

“I thought we could go to the bakery and buy your lunches.” World End told her. His cooking skills started and ended with cereal. The few times Eva tried to teach him how to cook taught them both that it was better that he never used the stove. “You guys can choose whatever bread you want. I’ll also call us a pizza for dinner. What toppings do you want?”

They all called out a topping and World End made a mental note to remember all of them.

Another alarm rang, signalling that it was time for them to head to school. He stood and realized something. “Eistla didn’t come down yet.”

“She probably fell asleep in the bathroom again.” Imor predicted and he knew that she was most likely right. He rushed back upstairs to wake her so she wouldn’t be late to school. He thought he was on a good start but it seemed he would have more trouble than he thought.

“You sure brought a lot of bread, Imor.” World End had to comment as he walked her to her high school. Because of the sunlight, he was walking beside her in his animal form. She was in her first year and old enough to walk by herself but she said she wanted to ask him something. So, he walked with her to school after dropping off her younger sisters.

“How do I stop scaring people?” Imor asked him and looked up at him with her usual expression. He knew that her serious expression could intimidate people who didn’t know her gentle nature underneath. “Eva said I should be just be myself but that’s not working. So, I’m going to give them food. What else should I do? I want him to like me.”

Most people would tell her to smile more but he didn’t. “Anyone who’s scared of you is a coward and you don’t want to be around people like that. If you get into a fight, you can’t depend on them to back you up. I think you’re plenty cool and everyone wants to be friend with the cool girl. Just wait for them to realize that. I’m sure you’ll make a lot of friends.”

“You’re right.” Imor gave him a rare smile. They reached her school and she waved to him before she went off. He watched her but noticed that she didn’t enter the school immediately. She waited in front of the school and he wondered if she was waiting for someone. He dived into the bushes and watched her, intending to give her silent encouragement.

Imor expression only changed slightly but World End could see the determination in it. She saw a boy approach and she went to greet him. She held out the bag of extra bread and said. “This is for you! I heard you talking about how you didn’t like the food the school sold so I got you this. Please eat lunch with me.”

“What do you want?” The boy shirked away from her and he looked slightly afraid. World End didn’t understand why the boy could be afraid of her. Even though she was taller than most, she was still a kid. “Please don’t beat me up.”

“Beat you up?” Imor tilted her head to the side.

“I heard you were in a gang. I don’t know what I did to you but please don’t hurt me!” The boy bowed his head. Imor stepped forward to reassure him that she wouldn’t hurt him but he reacted poorly to her gesture. He hit her hand and it caused her to drop the bag. Imor looked at the ground but not before World End saw the sadness in her eyes.

“Hey, you punk, get over here so I can beat the crap out of you!” World End marched out of the bushes in his human form. Sunlight would usually force a Servamp into their animal form but they could fight it slightly. He grabbed the kid’s shoulder and ordered. “Apologize to Imor!”

“What? Who are you?” The boy was confused and slightly scared of World End.

“I’m Imor's big brother. The question is who the hell you think you are? When a girl gives you something, you say thank you! You don’t make her cry. You can apologize now or I’m gonna beat that lesson into you.” World End pushed the boy in front of Imor and he stumbled with an apology. Afterward, he asked. “What do you want me to do with him now?”

“You don’t need to beat him up!” Imor panicked when she saw that he still had a dangerous glint in his eyes. He was always so kind to them that she never saw him angry before.

“Fine,” World End clicked his tongue. He lowered his eyes to the boy. “You do anything to make her sad again and I’ll find you. Now go away.”

The boy didn’t wait for him to finish before he ran away. World End picked up the paper bag and handed it back to her. “You okay, kid?”

“Yeah.” Imor smiled up at him. “Thank you for standing up for me.”

World End stared at the textbook as if the words were hieroglyphics. He always had more brawn than brains so he couldn’t make any sense of Gjalp’s homework. She had to make a timeline of events in WWI and asked him to help her. The others were busy with their own homework so it fell on him to help her.

“It’s just a line! What’s the point of learning how to make a line?” Was the only thing he could say and Gjalp tilted her head at him. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking but hoped she didn’t think he was dumb. “We make a line and label it like in your book. Simple, right? I’ll get you a ruler so you can draw a perfectly straight line! These timelines are easy.”

“I don’t think the teacher wants me to just copy the book.” She stopped him and he tried to think of another idea. “What did you do when you were in school?”

“I didn’t really go to school.” World End shrugged. He looked at her textbook again and touched the neatly printed words on the page. “I didn’t learn all the fancy things you guys are learning. Back then, you didn’t need to. We got by with what we had up here.”

World End tapped her head and she pushed up her bangs to see him better. Atla, who was sitting beside them, sighed. “You’re so lucky Hiro! I hate school. I wish I could just do what you did.”

“I think you girls are the lucky one. I was just some dumb kid and the only job I could get was fighting someone else’s fight. I’m sure the kids fighting in this picture would tell you to stay in school. You can choose to be whatever you want when you grow up.” World End looked at the war pictures in Gjalp’s textbook. He couldn’t tell them that he was one of those soilders.

“Pizza’s here!” World End screamed and walked into the living room with a mountain of pizza in his arms. The living room was set up for their movie night with snacks and drinks. He set the boxes down on the low table and they rushed to take a slice. “So, what movie should we put on tonight?”

“Can I choose?” Atla raised her hand and World End hesitated, remembering Eva’s warning. She must’ve known that he was going to say no because she began to pout. Her eyes become large with tears and she said in a small voice. “I never get to choose. It’s no fair! Why does everyone get a turn but I can’t? I thought you liked me, Hiro.”

“Wait, we’ll watch what you want!” World End quickly gave in.

“Perfect.” Just as quickly as he accepted did her tears stop. He had to wonder if she had been acting. She skipped to her bag and pulled out a DVD for him. “I want to watch this one, please!”

“Kay, I’ll put it in.” World End took the DVD from her. He didn’t recognize the title of the movie, The Brave Little Toaster, but the picture on the DVD looked innocent enough. He didn’t think a kid would be given a movie that was too intense or scary. How bad could it be? “Here we go.”

World End settled into his seat and almost immediately regretted his decision within the first few acts. He was certain that Lawless would call the movie a Shakespeare play for kids with all the tragedy and human misery in it. Everyone was silent as they watched the movie and World End was tempted to turn off the television. He vowed never to let Alta choose the movie again.

Eva quietly climbed down the stairs. She was feeling better and didn’t want to stay in bed for another moment. The sound of the television buzzing woke her so she went downstairs to turn it off. Pizza boxes and dirty plates were still on the table but she couldn’t bring herself to be mad. World End and her sisters were asleep in front of the television.

“What am I going to do with all of you?” Eva smiled to herself as she turned off the television. She cleared the table as quietly as she could to not wake them. After washing her hands, she took several blankets and cover them so they wouldn’t catch a cold. She knelt next to World End and whispered. “Thank you, Hiro.”

“Eva?” World End woke and rubbed his eyes. “Wait, what are you doing down here? You’re sick and you need to be sleeping.”

“It’s fine.” Eva laughed when he tried to sit up but couldn’t because her sisters were using him as a pillow. She knew how uncomfortable could be since she had been in his position many times. “I’ll carry them to their rooms so you can sleep.”

“It’s okay.” He stopped her. “Atla got a little scared and said she wanted to have a slumber party to feel better. She might get a nightmare and I promised to be there if that clown comes out of the television.”

“You let her pick the movie, didn’t you?” World End’s guilty expression was the only answer she needed. Atla always had the worst luck when it came to choosing movies. She would choose a movie based only on the cover and, without fail, she would choose a scary kid’s movie. “Well aside from that, it looked like you did a good job taking care of them for the day.”

“I’m the second youngest in my family so I never knew how hard it was to be the older brother. I don’t know how you do it. I have no idea what to do when they ask me for help. What if what the thing I tell them to do totally backfires? I guess that was how Sleepy Ash felt that day…”

“It was hard at first but I find that you don’t need to be the perfect sibling. You just have to be the sibling they need.” Eva sat next to him. “I think you’re a great brother to them. Not just today but everyday. I’m sure you siblings feel the same. Do you ever miss them?”

“All the time.” World End sighed.

“How about we go and visit them in Japan then?” She asked and he looked shock. “I’ve been saving money for a special occasion. I wanted to surprise you for your birthday but now seems like a good time to give you a present. Just tell me when you want to go and I’ll book us a flight. We can leave my sisters with my grandma while we’re gone.”

“Really?” He asked her again and she nodded. “I should text them and see what day we can all meet up. Its been so long since we’ve seen each other, I wonder how much stronger they become. Thank you so much, Eva. If I could, I would hug you.”

I’m sure all the kidos who grew up in this advance age of technology is asking: “What is a DVD?” Man it makes me feel old when i think about how I had to rent a DVD or VCR to watch a movie.