#takeru is a mood

[starmahgalaxies]

That's completely fair. You have the ability to ask now without being interrupted. Plus, it has been a long day.

I hope you realize that your mileage may vary. (Including this more on the pretty scenery than Gennai's words)

Agreed. Their expressions are also adorable.

Kids recognizing they grew up in the same area. It's fine though, they'll put that on hold for now.

Everyone looks so adorable relaxed and sleeping. KOUSHIRO STOP TALKING TO GENNAI AND JOIN THEM /lighthearted.

❤️👏->➕

I'm curious why you were on occult websites. I'm concerned that they were late 90s occult websites lol. Early public internet was certainly a place. One that I miss sometimes.

Taichi, acting as the informal de facto leader since he got here:

Being actually addressed as such: ?!??

I adore this idiot so much.

It is the right decision to have Koushiro do it, all for delegating properly around here, but it is funny that the second the amount of pressure/responsibility is presented to pass it immediately to someone else. Poor Koushiro is like, uh, sure, I can do it.

Placing a few cool Digimon shots.

Yay!

I like everyone checking in with each other in this. It feels very balanced. And sweet. They're good kids.

The thought is right, but you guys have no idea what is and is not edible here. That is my semi-serious comment. My nonserious comment... OMG KOROMON AND TSUNOMON ARE COMPLETELY COVERED BY THEIR BUSHELS awwwww. Mochimon is the same stage as them but he has some height advantage XD.

I find it endearing that Taichi's answer is 'I wanted to keep it.' To me, it looked like he heart of the cards it and picked at random. I'm not convinced he did not pick randomly and that is an excuse he gave.

Nice group shot to finish this one.

[movielosophy]

Hataraku Saibou | Blood cells help seal the hole in the body caused by a wound.

[monstrsball]

i love to think about suga with oikawa's sister.... like she loves him i know she does. she tells him he's like the little brother she never had and oikawa and iwaizumi are both like HEY?? and they're besties basically. she's his big sister now.

[kr-han]

HiGH&LOW Random Fun Facts That You May Not Know

Disclaimer: SWORD only and the list is so random, so bear with me.

Cobra loves cupcakes, he probably has sweet tooth.

Cobra styles his hair according to his mood (not like bad or good but more like he's fired up enough or not).

Cobra has A LOT of red clothing. His real name is Hino Junpei (緋野盾兵) and the first character which is 緋 can also be read as aka which means red or scarlet.

He loves Antonio Inoki (a pro-wrestler) so much and make it his whole personality (including his red scarf).

When Cobra is drunk, he would shout, "Inoki-san, genki desuka!?". In MUGEN era, he would do it with Kohaku for the rest of the night.

Cobra admires Kohaku so much because he thinks Kohaku resembles Antonio Inoki.

Cobra has small appetite not even 1/10 of Yamato's. But he eats cupcakes.

Cobra can't draw.

Cobra didn't use sticker on LINE (the messanger).

Cobra and Yamato can't speak English. They're probably the type who'd say, "We're Japanese we don't need English!"

Yamato is afraid of cats. The reason is cat can get long.

Yamato's insult never sounds like one.

Noboru favorite food is sea cucumber. He's sea cucumber maniac.

According to Cobra Noboru type is a girl with glasses.

Dan on the other hand, can draw well. But he can't draw woman.

Rocky is a little clumsy, he forgot small things like key.

Hyuga always sleeps whenever there's no fighting nor something exciting to do.

Murayama loves corndog.

Murayama dislikes sharing his food.

G-SWORD's leaders alcohol tolerance: Cobra is rather low, Rocky is rather high, Murayama prefer to eat than drink (but according to Nakazono, Murayama didn't make any different when he's drinking or not), Hyuga prefer to sleep than anything else, and Smoky can't.

According to Kizzy, Rocky becomes a foolish/idiotic old man when he's drunk. Kizzy also said, "When he's drunk, he got no dignity whatsoever."

Murayama's favorite alcohol beverage is ryokucha-hai (which a combination of green tea and shochu. Might be wrong though, you can search: 緑茶ハイ).

Hyuga's favorite alcohol beverage is shochu.

When Oya part timer go to karaoke, they sing girl idols' songs.

Masaki do all the house chores in Amamiya's households from cleaning up to cooking.

Hiroto's favorite food is curry.

When Hiroto cooks, he only cooks curry.

Takeru is forgetful. Masaki has to remind him all the time. Hiroto? He waits to be petted by his aniki.

Kaito and Kizzy have a couple ring and they use it as necklace.

In HiGH&LOW The Movie, Kaito and Kizzy joined the fight but there's no single footage of them fighting. But they appeared before the fight and after the fight with some bruises.

From End of Sky to Final Mission, Cobra didn't wear his red scarf anymore.

Despite using his red scarf as a personality, Cobra didn't use it to fight beside for his character introduction scene in episode 1.

Ichigo Milk has been inviting Naomi to join them, but Naomi refuses due to Itokan. She wants to take care what's left by her brother.

Naomi can actually beat dudes.

Murayama keeps the strawberry bag from Oshiage and he uses it as a pillow.

Ice gave Sarah a teddy bear (and a necklace).

Ice can cook and according to Mighty Warriors' member, Ice's curry tasted like seafood when he uses zero seafood ingredients. Apparently, it matched the actor's fun fact: Elly's curry always tasted like he put seafood in it even when he's not.

There was once, Seki dressed up in sailor uniform for karaoke. Of course, they sing girl idols' songs.

Toutetsu brothers cook for Hyuga, but he sleeps almost all day long, so Katou needs to wake him up just to eat.

Ukyou cooks better than Sakyou.

Ukyou needs to separate Daruma's income into envelopes and hide them because if not, Hyuga would splurge the income into zero. Hyuga can't manage money.

Lala reads books for the kids in Mumeigai, and they literally have reading time with Lala.

Furuya has truck driver's license.

Murayama durability is top notch and it resemble his given name which is Yoshiki. His full name written like this 村山良樹 and Yoshiki (良樹) is consist of characters that mean good or skilled, and trees or wood. He's a skilled trees or wood, or whatever but that clearly means that his durability is on another level. That's why he could bear the 100 punches challenge and still fight back after that.

Hiroto and Smoky loves cat.

Murayama talked to a cat. (He's cat, but also puppy; whatever he's cute).

Murayama introduced Todoroki to Cobra in person.

Murayama has 4 vans' shoes and a pair of converse. (Haven't count how many jackets he has though, might count it when I rewatch).

At least, Tsukumo has been hit by the car twice. He should avoid getting near cars. No cars near him, please.

White Rascals' outfit are all white and it's hard to keep it clean. The visual line (Shimura, Bito, Aizawa, and Enari) has a hard time because they spend so much money for laundry and cleaning. Little did they know, Rocky actually could paid 80% of their cleaning cost. But Rocky didn't say it to them because he knows that they would be worried about how to pay Rocky back. (Rocky is so sweet). Probably the only guys that use this privilege only Koo and Kaito.

Rocky paid 100% of the girls' laundry and cleaning cost (including Kizzy).

Rocky's surname, Mutsugi, is actually a word play. It's written as 六ツ木 in Japanese. Which the character 六 can be read as mutsu (mu for short) or roku (ro for short) and it means six; ツ is a katakana for tsu and in hiragana it's written like this つ. When tsu is written small in between characters (it's called sokuon) like っ/ッ it purposes is to geminate the next character; and 木 is ki and it means tree. If we put them together and make the tsu as sokuon, we'll get 六ッ木 which read as ろっき in hiragana and ロッキ in katakana (both are rokki) we got his name, Rocky (ロッキー).

Source: rewatching the series and the movies over and over again so I can get into the useful but also useless facts, and the g-sword manga by CLAMP. If you want to read HiGH&LOW g-sword manga by CLAMP you can read HERE for English translation or DI SINI untuk translasi Bahasa Indonesia. Note: Might add more if I find or remember more. Also, I'm sorry there's too much Cobra, can't help though, I love him a little bit too much.

MORE OF IT

[sumluckr]

A bond like no other

Pairing: female reader x Aguni Morizono x Takeru Danma

Summary: Your parents don’t understand—won’t even try. Their doubts press in, questioning everything you’ve built with Aguni and Takeru. But love like yours doesn’t waver. When the night ends, it’s not their approval you need—it’s the warmth of their hands, the press of their lips, and the quiet certainty that this, this, is real.

……………………………………………………………………….

Takeru buttons the cuffs of his shirt, checking himself out in the mirror with a satisfied smirk. “I think your parents are gonna love me.”

You shoot him a look from where you’re adjusting your own outfit in the bedroom mirror. “What makes you so sure?”

He turns to face you, hands spreading wide like the answer is obvious. “Come on, I’m charming, good-looking, and I have a way with people. Besides, parents eat that whole ‘charismatic rebel’ thing up. I’ll win them over in the first five minutes.”

Aguni exhales from his spot near the door, arms crossed over his chest. He hasn’t moved much in the last twenty minutes, and it’s not hard to tell he’s tense. His jaw is tight, his shoulders squared like he’s preparing for a fight instead of dinner.

“This isn’t some game, you idiot,” he mutters. “Their opinion actually matters.”

Takeru rolls his eyes but grins. “Oh, relax. It’s gonna be fine.”

“You don’t know that,” Aguni snaps back, sharper than he probably intended. His gaze flicks to you, the edge in his voice softening just slightly. “What if they don’t approve?”

You sigh, stepping closer to him, placing a hand on his arm. “Then that’s their problem.”

Aguni doesn’t look convinced. He shifts on his feet, eyes dropping to the floor. “It’s different for me.”

Takeru raises a brow, expression turning serious for once. “How so?”

Aguni clenches his jaw. He doesn’t answer right away, like he’s weighing whether or not to even say it aloud. Finally, he mutters, “I’m not the kind of guy parents want their kid dating. And definitely not in a relationship like this.”

The words settle heavy in the air. You tighten your grip on his arm, your heart squeezing at the way he says it—like it’s a fact, something undeniable. Like he’s already expecting them to reject him.

Takeru, surprisingly, doesn’t brush it off. Instead, he steps up beside you, his usual easygoing nature shifting into something quieter. “Hey,” he nudges Aguni’s shoulder, forcing him to look up. “You’re overthinking this. Yeah, maybe they’ll be a little surprised, but you’re a good guy. They’ll see that.”

Aguni doesn’t answer, but his shoulders lose a fraction of their tension.

You glance between them before offering, “If it goes bad, we’ll leave. No staying to ‘be polite,’ no suffering through it. If they make either of you uncomfortable, we walk out. Okay?”

Aguni studies you for a long moment before finally nodding.

Takeru grins, throwing an arm around both of you. “See? We’ve got a plan. Now let’s go make some parents very, very confused.”

The car ride is mostly quiet.

You’re sandwiched between Aguni, who’s staring out the window with his arms crossed, and Takeru, who’s been humming to himself while drumming his fingers against his knee. He’s been in a suspiciously good mood the entire trip—his usual confidence dialed up, even as you approach what could very well be a disaster waiting to happen.

“So,” Takeru finally breaks the silence, turning to you with a grin. “Do we have a strategy? Like, am I playing the golden boy and Aguni’s the silent-but-loyal protector? Or do we just wing it?”

You sigh, adjusting your seatbelt as the familiar neighborhood streets come into view. “I was thinking more along the lines of honesty. You know, being ourselves.”

Takeru lets out a low whistle. “Bold move.”

Aguni shakes his head. “It’s not a strategy. It’s just… normal.” His voice is even, but his grip on his knee is a little too tight.

Takeru, undeterred, nudges him. “Right, but normal for us is kind of… unconventional, don’t you think?”

You resist the urge to groan. “Just… be nice. And don’t flirt with my mom.”

Takeru gasps, a hand to his chest. “Excuse you, what kind of person do you take me for?”

Aguni scoffs. “Do you want the list alphabetically or ranked by severity?”

Takeru shoots him an exaggeratedly offended look, but before he can fire back, the car pulls up in front of your parents’ house.

You exhale slowly, feeling the weight of the moment settle in. Your hands grip the seatbelt, hesitating for just a second before Aguni’s voice cuts through the tension.

“We’ve got this.”

It’s soft, but firm. A reassurance—not just for you, but probably for himself, too.

Takeru grins, clapping a hand on your thigh. “Hell yeah, we do.”

—

The house looks exactly the same as it always has—warm porch lights, neatly trimmed hedges, and the familiar scent of home cooking wafting through the air. It should be comforting, but with the two men standing behind you, the atmosphere feels thick with anticipation.

You barely have time to knock before the door swings open.

“Sweetheart!” Your mother pulls you into a tight hug, her familiar perfume surrounding you before you can even get a word out. “We’ve been waiting! Come in, come in!”

You barely manage a breath before she steps back, eyes landing on the two men behind you. The warmth in her expression falters—not gone, but definitely caught off guard.

Your father steps into the doorway, his gaze sharper, more scrutinizing. “You must be…” His words trail off, clearly expecting you to do the introductions.

Takeru, of course, takes the lead before you can.

“Takeru,” he says smoothly, stepping forward with an easy smile, holding his hand out. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you both.”

Your father shakes his hand, though there’s a flicker of hesitation. “Right.” He turns to Aguni, waiting.

Aguni, who has been unusually quiet, steps forward stiffly. “Aguni.” His handshake is firm, but his shoulders are rigid, his posture just a little too straight. He’s trying too hard to make a good impression, and you can tell.

Your mother’s polite smile twitches as she glances between the two men. “And… you’re both…”

“Dating me,” you say quickly, bracing yourself.

Silence.

Your father blinks. “Both?”

Your mother tilts her head. “Like… at the same time?”

Takeru grins, rocking back on his heels. “That’s usually how it works.”

Aguni closes his eyes for a brief second, already regretting this entire night.

After everyone is seated at the table the clink of utensils against plates fills the silence.

At first, it’s fine. A little awkward, sure, but fine. Your mother has gone into full host mode, serving up generous portions while your father mostly watches, his expression unreadable. Takeru, of course, has been doing most of the talking—charming, easygoing, filling in every awkward gap in conversation with stories that make your mother smile despite herself.

“So, there we were,” he says, gesturing dramatically with his fork. “Completely stranded in the middle of nowhere, no reception, and the only food we had was Aguni’s protein bars, which, let me tell you, taste like compressed sawdust.”

Aguni huffs. “They’re fine.”

“You say that because you have no taste buds left,” Takeru counters smoothly before turning back to your mother. “Anyway, this one”—he nudges Aguni’s arm—“was all serious about rationing, like we were in some kind of survival movie, while I was trying to find literally anything edible that wasn’t made of pure suffering.”

Your mother chuckles lightly, shaking her head. “Oh dear. That sounds like quite an adventure.”

“Oh, it was,” Takeru grins. He turns to your father, clearly trying to win him over. “You ever have a camping trip go completely sideways like that?”

Your father takes a slow sip of his drink before setting it down carefully. “I can’t say I have.” His eyes flick between Takeru and Aguni. “Then again, I suppose I’ve always preferred… more traditional experiences.”

Something shifts in the air. The subtext is clear.

You feel Aguni tense beside you, though he says nothing, staring at his plate as if willing himself to stay out of it.

Takeru, however, raises a brow, still wearing that easy smirk. “Traditional, huh? You mean like…?”

Your father doesn’t even hesitate. “Like dating one person at a time.”

A cold weight settles in your stomach. Your mother presses her lips together, as if trying to stay neutral, but the look she gives your father suggests she isn’t entirely on board with how blunt he’s being.

Takeru hums, leaning back in his chair. “Ah. Got it. So this is the part where you let us know you don’t approve, right?”

Your mother clears her throat. “It’s not about approval, exactly, it’s just…” She hesitates, her eyes flicking to you before returning to your plate. “It’s just not what we expected for you.”

“And you think it’s a bad thing,” Aguni finally speaks, his voice quiet but firm.

Your father doesn’t flinch. “I think it’s… unusual. Difficult. Relationships are hard enough between two people. Adding a third?” He shakes his head. “I don’t see how it could ever work in the long run.”

You inhale sharply, opening your mouth to argue, but Takeru beats you to it.

“Well, good news,” he says, tone just a little too light. “You don’t have to see how it works. We do.”

Your mother sighs. “It’s not that simple. We just worry about you.” Her gaze turns to you. “Are you sure this is what you want? Really want?”

It’s not the words themselves, but the way she says them—gentle, like she thinks you’ve been led into this, like you’re not capable of making your own choices. It stings more than if she had just outright said she didn’t approve.

Aguni shifts beside you, his jaw locked. He hasn’t eaten much, and you can tell—he’s barely breathing, his whole body wound so tight it looks like he might snap.

Takeru, meanwhile, is gripping his fork too hard, his knuckles white.

“Yes,” you say, forcing your voice to stay even. “This is what I want.”

Your father exhales through his nose. “I just don’t understand why you’d settle for something so… unstable.”

There it is.

Aguni’s chair scrapes against the floor as he abruptly pushes back from the table. He doesn’t leave, but his whole body is radiating tension, hands clenched into fists on his lap. Takeru, for once, isn’t smiling. His face is unreadable, but you know him too well—you can see the restrained anger just below the surface.

And you? You feel your hands shaking beneath the table.This is going worse than you could’ve ever expected.

Your mother sighs, setting down her fork carefully, as if preparing herself for what she’s about to say. “I just—there are things you haven’t thought through.”

You press your lips together. “Like what?”

Your father gestures vaguely between the three of you. “Like the future. A relationship like this… it’s not sustainable. What happens when you want to settle down? Have a family? What happens when you decide you want children?”

You stiffen, feeling Aguni tense beside you. Across the table, Takeru snorts, clearly unimpressed. “I don’t see how that’s a problem,” he says, propping his chin on his hand. “Plenty of families look different from the traditional setup.”

“It’s not just about looks,” your mother interjects gently. “It’s about what’s practical. What’s realistic.”

Your father nods. “A child needs stability. Consistency. And with two fathers… How would that even work?”

Aguni’s voice is low, his patience fraying. “The same way it works in any other family. We raise them. We love them. We protect them.”

“And who’s the father?” your father presses. “Do you decide? Do you both just… pretend?”

Takeru lets out a slow breath, like he’s counting down from ten to stop himself from saying something reckless. “You’re acting like it’s some big scandal,” he says, his voice unusually measured. “Plenty of people co-parent. Why does it have to be this rigid thing?”

“Because it’s messy,” your father replies, his voice firm. “Because you can’t expect a child to grow up in a situation like this without confusion.”

You can feel the conversation slipping further into dangerous territory. You grip Aguni’s hand beneath the table—he’s tense, like a rubber band pulled too tight, one second away from snapping.

Your mother hesitates, watching you carefully before asking, “And what about marriage?”

You swallow, not sure where this is going. “What about it?”

“You can’t marry both of them,” she says gently, as if breaking the news to you for the first time. “Legally, you’ll have to choose. And then what? What happens to the one left out?”

Aguni’s grip on your hand tightens, but he doesn’t say a word. He’s staring at the table, the muscle in his jaw twitching. Takeru, on the other hand, lets out a soft, bitter chuckle, shaking his head.

“Ah, I get it,” he says, his usual teasing tone nowhere to be found. “That’s what this is about. You think one of us is just… temporary.”

Your father doesn’t confirm or deny it, but the implication is clear.

The silence that follows is heavy.

You inhale slowly, trying to steady your voice. “I love them. Both of them. I’m not choosing one over the other because I don’t have to. We’ve made it work, and we will keep making it work.”

Your father shakes his head, his disappointment plain. “You think that now, but—”

Aguni suddenly stands up. “I need some air.” His voice is low, controlled, but you know him—you can see the cracks forming, the way he’s barely holding himself together.

Takeru watches him stand, his eyes dark, but he doesn’t stop him. Instead, he turns back to your parents, his expression unreadable.

You’re not sure if you’ve ever seen him look this angry.And at this point, you’re not sure there’s anything left to salvage.

_

The front door clicks shut behind Takeru as he steps onto the porch. The night air is crisp, quiet except for the faint rustling of leaves in the trees. Aguni stands near the railing, his back to the house, shoulders tense, hands gripping the edge like he’s trying to ground himself.

Takeru doesn’t say anything at first. He just watches, giving Aguni a moment to breathe. The air between them is thick—not with anger, but something heavier, something that’s been simmering beneath the surface all night.

Finally, Takeru steps forward, leaning against the railing beside him. “You know, I was expecting them to be a little stiff, but…” He exhales, shaking his head. “Damn.”

Aguni doesn’t answer. His jaw is clenched, eyes fixed on some point in the distance.

Takeru studies him for a second before nudging his arm, gentle, not pushing. “You okay?”

Aguni exhales through his nose, slow and measured, like he’s trying to hold something in. “I don’t know why I thought this would go any differently.”

Takeru frowns. “Hey.” He reaches out, fingers brushing against Aguni’s wrist before sliding down to lace their fingers together. He doesn’t force it, doesn’t hold too tight—just enough to let him know he’s there.

Aguni’s grip tightens almost instinctively.

Takeru watches him for a moment before speaking, his voice softer than usual. “You know this isn’t about you, right? It’s about them. Their expectations, their idea of what’s ‘normal.’ It doesn’t mean shit about us.”

Aguni lets out a bitter chuckle, but he doesn’t pull away. “Easy for you to say. You don’t care what people think.”

Takeru tilts his head, squeezing his hand. “That’s not true. I care what you think.”

Aguni finally turns his head, meeting his gaze. Something in his expression cracks just a little, the weight of the night catching up with him.

Takeru sighs, stepping in closer. “I see you, you know. How hard you try. How much you love her. How much you love me.” He lifts a hand, cupping Aguni’s jaw, his thumb brushing over the rough stubble there. “I need you to believe it’s enough. That we’re enough.”

Aguni closes his eyes briefly, leaning into the touch like he’s letting himself have this moment, even if it’s just for a second.

Takeru smiles softly, tilting his head until their foreheads touch. “We’ve built something real, Aguni. You, me, and her. No one else has to understand it, as long as we do.”

Aguni exhales, his free hand coming up to rest on Takeru’s waist, grounding himself. “I know.” It’s quiet, barely above a whisper, but real.

Takeru lets out a small hum of approval before leaning in, pressing a lingering kiss to the corner of Aguni’s mouth—not rushed, not teasing, just there, warm and steady.

And just as Aguni lets himself sink into it, the door creaks open behind them.

You step forward, your heart aching at the sight of them—Aguni tense and weighed down by the night, Takeru trying to pull him back with quiet touches and gentle words. The love between them is there, unspoken but undeniable. You can feel it in the way Aguni leans into Takeru’s touch, in the way Takeru stays close without crowding him.

You don’t say anything right away. Instead, you step into the space between them, wrapping your arms around Aguni first. He’s warm, solid, but still so tense, his body like a coiled spring. He doesn’t react immediately, but you hold him tighter, pressing your forehead against his shoulder.

“I love you,” you whisper against him, your hands sliding up his back. “So much. You don’t have to prove anything to them. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”

His breath stutters for just a second, and then his arms come around you, holding you like he needs you to ground him.

Takeru doesn’t hesitate—he steps in, wrapping around both of you, resting his chin on your shoulder, his hand threading through your hair. “Yeah, and if they don’t get it, screw them,” he murmurs. “They don’t get to decide what’s real. We do.”

You shift slightly, pressing a kiss to Aguni’s shoulder before turning toward Takeru, cupping his face. He leans into your touch, letting his bravado slip for just a second, his eyes softer than usual. “And I love you, too. You always know what to say, but I don’t ever want you to feel like you have to carry everything alone.”

His lips part slightly, surprise flickering over his face before it melts into something tender. He leans in, pressing a soft kiss to your palm before huffing a small laugh. “Well, damn. You’re gonna make me emotional.”

Aguni finally exhales, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “We should go home.”

Takeru grins. “Best idea you’ve had all night.”

—

The moment you step inside, something shifts. There’s no hesitation, no second-guessing—just the quiet understanding that after tonight, after all the judgment and the weight of expectations, you need each other.

It starts slow, the way it always does when it means something deeper.

Aguni pulls you close first, his hands firm but careful, like he’s holding something fragile. He kisses you like he’s making sure you’re still here, still his, still theirs. You melt into it, his lips are warm and deliberate.

Takeru steps in behind you, his hands sliding over your waist before ghosting over Aguni’s back, bringing all of you together, chests pressed close, warmth sinking in.

“You’re both so perfect,” you murmur between kisses, your lips trailing from Aguni’s mouth to Takeru’s jaw, then back again. “I don’t care what anyone says. You’re everything to me.”

Aguni’s breath stutters, his forehead pressing against yours. Takeru exhales, his arms wrapping around both of you, nuzzling into your neck.

And then it deepens.

Clothes slip away slowly, reverently. There’s no rush—just hands mapping familiar territory, lips pressing against every inch of skin like a promise.

Aguni lays you down first, his weight pressing into you just enough, his hands steady, unshaking. Takeru follows, his touch featherlight at first before growing more insistent, tracing over your stomach, your thighs, his lips leaving warm kisses wherever he can reach.

They worship you, together.

Aguni’s mouth moves against your skin, murmuring your name like a prayer, his hands sliding down your sides as if memorizing the shape of you. Takeru kisses his way up your ribs, pressing against you like he never wants to let go.

You reach for both of them, guiding them to you, to each other, threading your fingers through Takeru’s hair, tilting your head to catch Aguni’s lips in a slow, lingering kiss.

It’s all heat and love, warmth and devotion, bodies moving in sync, lips murmuring quiet confessions against skin.

“Love you,” Takeru breathes against your collarbone, his hand tightening around Aguni’s.

Aguni presses a kiss to your wrist, then to Takeru’s shoulder, his voice rough but full of something tender. “I love you both.”

And in that moment, nothing else matters.

[ayukaze]

MY DEPRESSION HAS BEEN CURED MY SKIN IS CLEAR MY CROPS ARE FLOURISHING ALL BECAUSE OF THIS ONE IMAGE THIS IS THE YEAR OF ADVENTURE PANDERING LETS FUCKIN GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Let's break this down one by one ~

This is such a good Sora fit I don't even know how to explain how very much OG Sora this is, the pink tones of the overall sporty outfit perfectly capture all levels of her personality. To top it off she's sharing flower themed cream sandwiches with Piyomon AAAHHH the subtle reference okay merch team you can take a w. Not to mention Sora is perfectly matching with Taichi and the fruit in her sandwich is orange stoooopppp itttt!!!!!

TAICHI OMG who is dressing this boy because that's the most he's ever jocked as a 11 year old. The sweatshirt, cargo pants, matching wristband and the sense to put his goggles down, he is winning the sporty casual fashion show for sure. And of course him and Agumon are enjoying some chicken popcorn, love how they weren't even subtle with the packaging art we all know Japan's favourite fried chicken brand anyway 🤣

Yamato. YAMATO. Y A M A T O. You're 11 can you tone down the cool guy heartthrob behaviour for a minute because I am losing my mind THE DOGTAG CHAIN IM GONNA SCREEAAAMMM ACTUALLY I AM SCREAAAMING AAAAHHHHHHH. He looks so good, there is absolutely no wrong element in his entire outfit, everything is perfectly paired up, a fashionista is among us. The little thumbs up over the onigiri that Gabumon is offering him?? Is he telling Gabumon that he's okay with having one and Gabumon can have the rest because that's the sweet, protective, kind, caring baby he is at heart???🥹🥹🥹The blue and green gradient in the background tho?? Mimato math is mathing bestiesss 🤣

Takeru is just a lil guy, but such a perfect lil guy!!! I like how his outfit has the similar green shade as his anime outfit but they still chose to gave him a new beanie instead which doesn't really match the colour tone of the rest of the fit but it's Takeru so we know that he can pull any hat off and that's what he does!!! Him and Patamon sharing burgers, okay mood, but why is he looking so surprised? I need to know what happened, did he spill some sauce on his overalls? Was the burger too hot to bite? WHAT HAPPENED TAKERU????? 😢

Jou, I see you paired up the plaid pants with a nice long, muted, warm toned jacket BUT I SEE THAT PURPLE SHIRT POKING IN FROM INSIDE and excuse me sir but why that purple with the plaid 😭 I need to see a version where Jou isn't wearing the jacket so I can make an informed rating on this outfit but may I add that in the full merch pic he has paired this look with green and white sneakers...I cannot defend you I am sorry Jou, please try brown loafers next time 😭 But outfit aside, Jou eating a taiyaki with Gomamon is lowkey funny I just know that Gomamon cracked a Marching Fishes joke at least once.

Koushiro...I will not go into detail but I will say it's cute that you have a sweater with a little K on it, it's also very cute that there is a splash of orange in your outfit, who's attention are you vying for it isn't subtle at all bby boy and I am grateful you matched your shoes to your sweater even if the socks are definitely a choice and that blue with orange is also definitely another choice. Good to see your are making choices. I like that him and Tentomon are sharing dango, it's always nice to see Koushiro's fondness towards Japanese traditional snacks hinted at in some way.

MIMI. QUEEN. SLAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!! YOU NEVER EVER MISS MY SWEET BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL. The pastel tones matched with the grey stockings for contrast, that beret and the fuzzy hem boots, you just know she shops at Takashimaya and Isetan and anything below it will just not do 👏🏻 Plus Sora and Mimi are wearing the same tones, which probably means that they pre-planned the outfits together, cuties!!! Also Crepe is such a Mimi™️ choice of dessert but I always get teary eyes when I see Palmon mimic Mimi's gestures, there is just so much love and admiration between them for each other, pure childish wonder 💚 And the crepe even has a cutesy character face on it, which kinda looks like Monzaemon, though I can't be sure but if it is then another win for a subtle reference. Not to mention both Yamato and Mimi look like they've dressed in a more cool and elegant style than the rest like they might be on their way to a date THE MIMAT MATH IS MATHING YALLL!!!

Hikari looks super cute, I think there isn't much official art of her in casual clothing for OG stuff so it's nice to see her in a more cutesy fit suited to her age. The hairband matching the cardigan is such a nice touch!! I can't recall any other casual outfit for OG design Hikari except the War Game and Memorial Party dress, so I think this would be the first time we see Hikari with a hairband and it just looks adorable. Of course she is sharing an ice cream with Tailmon, it's kinda their brand now but like Takeru she's making a surprised expression, perhaps she wasn't expecting Tailmon to offer her a bite of her ice cream?

To conclude, this is probably the best OG artwork we've gotten since Idk maybe the Rainy Day stationery series. This will be sold in advance at the Kamio Store booth at Anime Japan 2024. No other details were mentioned, but the event booth sale feels like a pre-sale before the goods become available more widely at other outlets, hopefully, at some stores that international fans have access too as well.

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.

Ayushi out.

[lunchboxe]

Headcanon that TDBK MC can talk to cats.

That's not all, there's a ripple I swear-

(before I get too deep into this- besides it being a headcanon my reasons include: tutorial cat wondering how we understand it, the cats are probably an anomaly as with the campus, the ring can already do some crazy shit, EP 3 and 6 imply anomalies can be more than smart enough for communication)

So, we know from EP 3 at the latest that Darkwick knows pretty much anything that happens regarding Missions or the Ghouls. And what do we find in almost if not all backgrounds? A cat. They also deliver messages, and work, and whatever else. (i have a show going on in the background that I'm paying attention to and it makes it hard to think)

Point is, they probably know everything regarding everything. If MC could talk to the cats, it would make things so funny.

(Let's assume she only learns about this ability after the first 7 chapters, bc that's what I feel like writing. Also campus interactions happen after the first 7 chapters. Probably.)

Imagine MC is playing chess with Tohma (see: cheating at chess by making up rules and defending them with nonsense bc it's the only way she can win) and a cat meows from the other side of the room. A few minutes later Tohma says he's gonna check on Jin and MC says "don't. He's in a terrible mood." Tohma raises an eyebrow but checks on Jin anyway. MC was right. Jin's mood was actually worse than usual.

Leo tells her to hurry to Vagastrom again and, again, doesn't explain why. When she gets there, and Leo tells her to sit down, she huffs and says " I'll only help you spy on Alan and Tohma if you apologize for trying to make me seem useless on the Takeru mission." Sho can be heard choking from by the kitchen. She added those details on purpose. If there's anyone she wants to feel uncomfortable, unsafe, and disturbed, it's Leo. She feels like he deserves it.

Towa is hanging out out a tree, looking around Jabberwock from said tree. MC walks by, hears a meow from a few feet away as a cat walks past, and looks up to see Towa hanging out up there. "Hey there buddy. Whatcha up to?" She asks, and Towa hums, holding a hand flat above his eyes like a salute, and looking around with a squint. "Looking for Haru?" Towa nods. "He's breaking into Rens room right now. We'll probably hear Ren scream in the next few seconds." He does.

It takes make five minutes for MC to get to Sinostra after Romeo gets a hold on Kaito again. She barges into Taiga's room, grabs Ritsu by the wrist (who was lecturing Taiga again) and books it Romeos VIP room thing. When confronted with harassment laws or whatever, she reaches into his breast pocket and turns off his recorder before saying "help me with this as my business partner or I'll tell the authorities about you downing a martini in the Barong Mask mission. And or how Taiga ate it, and we didn't lose it. Or your harassing Jin." She said, before tossing the recorder back to Ritsu, flipping the lever (or however you turned that waterfall off) and tugging him into Romeo's basement.

Romeo gets defensive, Kaito is grateful, and, being Kaito, immediately looks directly past the red flags and starts crying tears of happiness at MC saving him.

There's a point where MC is in line for Sho's food truck, and she sees Subaru and Lyca in line, and moreover she feels a cat rubbing against her ankle, before it goes "mrowp" She knows what "mrowp" means. It's different than "Mrowp."

She pets it, takes out a boiled egg from a Tupperware box in her bag (this cats favorite) and hands it to the cat, who happily munches as MC walks over Subaru and Lyca. She makes a little small talk, and asks if they'd rather sit down at the benches and have her take their spot in line and get their food for them. When Subaru gets confused and insists that he's really fine, and she does not need to do that, she just puts on a strained smile and says "Leo is about to make his way to the food truck. I insist that you let me wait in the line while you hang out with the much more friendly Lyca instead of getting harassed by Leo."

Subaru has no clue how she knew Leo was coming, but she was right. Leo soon made his way over, talked to Sho for a good minute, and left. A minute later, MC was at the start of the line, placing the order. Soon, she was sitting at the table with Subaru and Lyca, when she got a text from Sho saying the food was ready, and she went over to get it. Subaru didn't notice until lunch was over that he never actually told her his order. Or Lycas. She had never even seen him and Leo interact at this point, how did she know Leo was going to harass him specifically?

Then there was that time she had to deliver papers to Rui when he was manning the bar. Haru and Romeo were there, both giving her their greetings before she started chatting with Rui about the papers. There was a pause in her and Rui's small talk as he signed them, where she heard Haru and Romeo talking about something she still didn't understand, despite how much the cats had to say about it. It never clarified anything. "Elias'll have it handled." She whispered with furrowed brows in tandem with Haru, who spoke much louder in his drunken stare. Neither Haru nor Romeo heard her. Rui, however, was insanely taken aback by... Everything about what she just said. By then, however, he was done with his signature, so she just gingerly grabbed the papers from his hand, and ran off with them again.

Oh, and one time Jiro's stitches had torn on his stomach while he was only a few feet away from the lab. He, like everyone else in Darkwick, failed to notice the tail dip just out of sight behind the railing, or the paws going down with it.

Again, it took less than five minutes for MC to burst into the lab unannounced. At which point, Yuri was still downstairs performing an autopsy, and Jiro was sitting patiently on the hospital bed in the corner of the room. Like usual for her when it came to any injury on the ghouls, she was extremely distressed. Jiro had explained before that this happened often and it was not a big deal for him, but she just grabbed a first aid kit off the counter as a familiar cat, one that Jiro sometimes saw peeking in while Yuri did check-ups, autopsies, or surgeries, strutted in from the window.

With a cat laying around her shoulders, MC grabbed the first aid kit, some disinfectant and numbing agent from the cupboards, and suturing supplies. With the occasional meow, mrrp, mro, and other cat noises, MC was able to suture Jiro's wound shockingly well, especially with how she had literally never done so before. He had a suspicion for the reason, but when he asked if she could understand the car, she said no, and he figured whether it was a lie or not he didn't feel the need to pry.

It was when Yuri asked him why there was a neat little bow at the top of the suturing that he recalled the situation, and realized that MC had literally no other reason to be in the lab, evidenced by the fact that she left immediately after, and that it was actually insanely suspicious that she somehow knew within only a few minutes that his wound had reopened. Especially without him mentioning it to anyone.

....

Um. So this was a small idea, and somehow my brain escalated one paragraph for the Frostheim example to four for Mortkranken.

Anyway, this was my self-imposed writing quota for the day. I started it in Tumblr for some reason so I guess I'm posting this now. I like cats and the idea of MC knowing way more than she should for no discernable reason makes me happy. Like yeah, you go girl, make those guys with several advantages over you in a fight insanely uncomfortable! Give them a reason to fear you! Be omnipresent through way of cat spies! Incite anxiety and concern within your social circle even when ur not there! If you can't make sure ppl talk about you positively when ur not present, make sure they do so out of fear. >:3

There's probably plenty of typos and spelling mistakes, but I don't feel like looking through for corrections so UP IT GOES

[seventeenlovesthree]

Hikari's stance on the other Chosen Children

... is, in most cases, even more difficult to tell than it's the case with her brother, but since she's won the poll alongside Koushirou, let's try this!

Taichi

It shouldn't come as a surprise that we get most insight into how she feels about her brother throughout the entirety of the series. Similarly to how he idealized her, she was also very prone to putting him on a pedestal (and probably still does to a degree). And it's understandable, since he used to take care of her when they were toddlers, (over)protected and shielded her from harm while she had developed a complex of not wanting to burden anyone with her own troubles (and weaker constitution). Especially not Taichi, whom she relied and hyperfocused on (to the point of almost destroying the Digital World) a lot. As she grows older, however, it becomes apparent that she tries to distinguish herself from outside influences - such as getting possessed by Homeostasis and thinking that she has to depend on Taichi for support. Of course she will always love and adore him most out of (literally) everyone, but it's good to see her developing more casual behaviours with him. Plus, since she deduces his moods so often, she also seems to have developed a habit of wanting to protect, guide and nudge him as his own issues seem to bubble to the surface more with age. [How I see their general dynamic]

Yamato

This is a tough one, as these two rarely interact and we don't really hear how she feels or thinks about Yamato. Judging by their interaction patterns, I would assume this to be a projective relationship - she may be able to see his similarities to Taichi more than their differences and is thus likely to perceive him as a brotherly figure as well.

Sora

Considering that Sora is one of Taichi's oldest friends, at least the novel and PSP game heavily imply that Hikari had known her prior to becoming Chosen Children. However, similarly to Yamato, due to their lack of interactions, we don't really know how deep their bond goes; Sora (alongside Takeru) was the one who took Hikari under her wing while she was sick in the Digital World and it may be assumed that Hikari looks up to her at least a little bit - but aside from them comfortably joking in 02, there isn't much in the text. [How I see their ship compatibility]

Koushirou

Just like with Sora, we'd have to look at the PSP game to get a glimpse of how Hikari may feel about Koushirou - because even though, once again, we have a situation where she should be somewhat familiar with one of Taichi's closest friends, the series doesn't dwell on it. 02 provides several instances where she smiles at his antics - or, like in the case above, is somewhat embarrassed by them. Which is actually a positive thing, seeing how she's able to express her true emotions towards him. The PSP game implies that she may relate to him in a few aspects despite their contrasts - and that she seems very giddy to talk to him about it. [How I see their ship compatibility]

Mimi

Similar to her interactions with Yamato, Hikari doesn't get many opportunities to talk to Mimi; in Tri, she mainly tags along while Mimi focuses on (teasing) Sora. However, considering that they seem to stay in touch in 02, are familiar with each other's career paths and team up to get Sora to come out of her shell in the stageplay - it is very likely that they're closer than the first glance suggests. (Plus, their quarrels in the audio drama revolving around Mimi being jealous of Hikari can be considered non-canon anyway!)

Jyou

The pattern continues, as Adventure onwards doesn't give Hikari many chances to talk to or interact with Jyou. 02 suggests that she thinks of him as "conscientious and sincere" (we will get to that later!). However, one of their most notable interactions in Tri has her acting exactly like that towards him, reminding him that it didn't matter why they were chosen - thus basically mirroring the things that she assumably learned from him once. In general, it can be assumed that she absolutely considers him to be reliable and helpful - as they are seen plotting to get Taichi to join them for their camp adventure together in the stageplay. (Even if she may find his methods questionable...)

Takeru

Aside from Taichi, Takeru is definitely the person Hikari becomes emotionally the closest with - and, again, it makes sense, seeing how they're not only the same age, both younger siblings of older brothers and both fated to be partners of angelic Digimon, who have seen death and destruction. At the start, seeing as Takeru is tasked to take care of her, Hikari easily looks to him for support. And even though she still has troubles opening up and be honest with him about all her worries and complexes, there is a strong sense of familiarity between them (and even though she does rely on him, he obviously wishes she'd depend on him more; it can be assumed that she doesn't aim to get overprotected again and would rather learn to see herself as equal to Takeru). As they grow older, they're often seen glued to each other - and she also becomes more and more comfortable teasing and joking around with him. There is a certain theme of her realizing that he's "grown up", noticing him as such in Tri - one could say, there are very complicated emotions of adolescents at play that are not easily put into words for either of them. And so, the nature of their relationship doesn't really fit a clear category, which continues to be the case as they become - comfortably close - adults as well. [How I see their ship compatibility]

Daisuke

At the beginning of 02, there is somewhat of a discrepancy between these two; it's quite obvious to everyone with eyes that Daisuke has a crush on Hikari and thus also acts very antagonistically towards Takeru - and while she nonchalantly and gracefully ignores the former with a smile, trying to stay polite without hurting his feelings, she absolutely cannot stand it when he does the latter, so she calls him out on it. Which, again, shows that she becomes more of her own person to stand her ground - but it also means that, again, their relationship starts off as rather rocky. Hikari is able to see the good in everyone - and thus, once Daisuke stops trying to impress her and focuses on more important things, letting his own kindness shine through, she immediately becomes softer towards him. Their conversations become more meaningful, she becomes more comfortable praising and gently encouraging him, showing that she does, indeed, value his good heart and his general attitude of never giving up. [How I see their general dynamic]

Ken

Hikari has very strong opinions on injustice and the power of darkness - so her being very strict about defeating the Digimon Kaiser and reluctant about forgiving Ken afterwards makes perfect sense. But, just like it's the case with Daisuke, she is capable of seeing the good in every person's heart - and once she notices his will to repent, once she realizes they have a similar connection to the Dark Ocean, her empathizing nature comes through. She begins acting softer and encouraging towards him, wanting him to thrive and become his own person eventually as well. [How I see their ship compatibility]

Miyako

Hikari and Miyako do not start off as particularly close at the beginning of 02 - which may make sense due to their contrasting personalities. However, as time goes on and they end up stuck in the world of darkness together, Hikari confesses that she felt envious of Miyako for being able to openly admit when she's scared or in pain. Through her interactions with Taichi and Takeru, we know that Hikari struggles with being honest about her own needs - and thanks to her being honest with Miyako, thanks to Miyako believing in her in return, their growing familiarity helps Hikari to slowly and steadily grow more comfortable with herself, keeping the Dark Ocean at bay. Despite Miyako being older than herself, it also seems like she's naturally acting as a guiding figure towards her, helping her to get through the more traumatizing aspects of being a Chosen Child. [How I see their ship compatibility]

Iori

Hikari and Iori don't get to interact with each other a lot, so estimating their stance on one another is difficult. However, she does confirm that she sees some of Jyou's best qualities in him, such as being conscientious and sincere - which, considering how he's now the youngest of the team like she used to be, is definitely worth praising.

[bluelocksource]

Kira Ryōsuke’s trivia (src: EGOIST BIBLE)

"I joined this for the purpose of denying Ego."

☆ Character's color: Cream.

☆ Birthday: 23rd May.

☆ Current age: 17 (2nd year of high school).

☆ Zodiac: Gemini.

☆ Nickname: "Jewel of Japanese Soccer"

☆ Birthplace: Tokyo.

☆ Family: Father. Mother. Himself.

☆ Current height: 181 cm.

☆ Foot size: 27 cm.

☆ Dominant foot: Right.

☆ Blood type: O.

☆ Motto: "I am here because everyone else is here!"

☆ Team before joining BLUE LOCK: Matsukaze Kokuō High School football club.

☆ Starts playing football: At age 5.

☆ Hobby: Soccer. "I'm always thinking about soccer."

☆ Favorite food: Sushi. "Not the the conveyor belt sushi."

☆ Dislike/hated food: Conveyor belt sushi. "I hope I won't have to eat it again."

☆ What goes best with rice: Scallops with grilled seaweed "The aroma alone makes me want to eat white rice!"

☆ Favorite animal: Hawk. "They have a cool hunter vibe."

☆ Favorite season: Spring. "Because it refreshes my mood!"

☆ Favorite manga: DEATH NOTE. "The interesting parts where people's dark sides come out."

☆ Favorite movie: Live action 'Rurouni Kenshin' series. "Takeru is cool."

Satō Takeru, the actor who plays the role of Kenshin.

☆ Favorite music: THE FOX. "The one with the Fox Dance."

The Fox Dance (きつねダンス) is a cheer dance performed by Fighters Girls (cheerleading group) who support the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters during innings at home games.

☆ Favorite football player: Patrick Schick.

☆ Favorite subject: Other than Japanese.

☆ Weak subject: Japanese. "I find reading stories in text difficult. I prefer manga."

☆ Mushroom shoots vs Bamboo shoots: Bamboo shoots. "Huh, are there really people who like mushrooms? The world is full of mysteries."

☆ Ideal type: "A wonderful woman who gives her all for me and does anything for my sake."

☆ Fixation: Ring finger. "I think it's the most beautiful part of a woman."

☆ What would make him happy: Being praised in any case "I just want fair recognition for my capabilities."

☆ What would make him upset: Being underrated. "I just want fair recognition for my capabilities"

☆ What he thinks his strength is: “I can uplift others like the sun, giving them energy.”

☆ What he thinks his weakness is: “Sometimes I struggle to understand others' darker sides.”

☆ What made him cry recently: “Come to think of it, have I cried recently? I don't think so.”

☆ Usual sleeping hour: 6.5 hours.

☆ Number of chocolates received from previous Valentine: 1,842. "I read all the letters! Thanks everyone as always!"

☆ Place he washes first when taking a bath: Chest. "I like my chest muscles."

☆ What will he do if received 100 million yen: "I'd like to live in a luxury apartment. Somewhere with a concierge on the first floor*."

* ground floor if you use British English.

☆ How he spent his holiday:  "Just hanging out with friends playing games, singing karaoke, going on dates, and do what everyone else does!"

☆ What will he do during his last day on Earth: "Soccer, of course. I want to gather friends and play soccer. I'm sure everyone would want that too."

note: i want to apologize in advance for any mistake made in the translation!

[count-alucard-tepes]

Headcanons for my Kengan Ashura hotties😍 - What they’re doing on their off days😎

Raian Kure👹: he’s usually sleeping or watching trash tv, he doesn’t like going out much or partying. That’s not his vibe.

Kanoh Agito😁: he’s usually out to the grocery store so he can make a nice home cooked meal and maybe go shopping for a new suit if he’s in the mood. He might even go out for some ice cream.

Kaolan Wongsawat🥊: he likes surfing at the beach or just relaxing at the pool.

Kiryu Setsuna🥰: he spends his day with Shion and Tomoko, going to the movies and shopping with the girls. He absolutely adores them.

Adam Dudley😬: he’s either getting a new tattoo or hanging out with his friends, playing video games.

Hatsumi Sen😍: he’s either sleeping or out scouting for his next victim girlfriend.

Sekibayashi Jun🤼‍♂️: he’s spending the day chilling at home, cooking and what not.

Hassad❤️‍🩹: he’s spending time in nature, just taking it easy.

Himuro Ryo🤍: he’s out at the mall, picking up his dry cleaning and treating himself to a nice meal.

Inaba Ryo🖤: he’s tending to his hair and reading his favorite book.

Kiozan Takeru🤼‍♂️: he’s out to some markets where he do some shopping and then hangs out with his brothers.

Muteba Gizenga🪖: he has a lady-free day! He takes his self care seriously.

Nikaido Ren🤩: he’s going for a spa day.

Sawada Keizaburo💅: spa day all day!

Yoroizuka Saw Paing😜: he’s at the beach with Kaolan, trying to get him to bury Saw Paing in the sand😂

[riken-leather-co]

Jealousy (Hatter/Aguni) Chapter 1

Summary: From being top of the beach in real life, to leading the beach in the borderlands - Hatter's womanizing ways never changed. Aguni knew this and expected no different. Following Takeru was his own choice and yet, still, he struggles with a position not meant for him and trying to differentiate between Hatter and Takeru. If there even was a difference. --------

The lobby of the beach was alight with life, as always. Music pulsed through the space, the bass so deep you could feel it reverberate in your bones. It blasted from all corners, ensuring that even if someone sought refuge in one of the many rooms, they’d still hear its muffled echo. The air was thick with the scent of liquor—spilling from the Beach’s endless stash and carried by its inhabitants. Everywhere you turned, there was at least a seventy percent chance of stumbling upon some form of sexual activity. Step onto the dance floor? That percentage skyrocketed to a hundred. A never-ending party, fueled by alcohol and desperation—a futile attempt to escape their situation.

Aguni didn’t drink. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn’t allow himself that luxury. Alcohol dulled the senses, and that loss of control was something he could never stomach. The smell alone dragged him back to childhood—to the looming shadow of his father, to memories he preferred buried. But it was nothing he couldn’t endure.

“Hatter!”

A chorus of high-pitched voices, shrill and grating for reasons Aguni would rather not dwell on. His gaze flicked over the crowd until it settled on the source.

Takeru.

He was in an indulging mood, as he often was. A small crowd of women clung to him, their presence orbiting him like moths drawn to a flame. Out of the corner of his eye, Aguni caught sight of Niragi stirring up trouble—nothing new. Yet, for some reason, his focus refused to shift away from Takeru. His eyes traced the lines of his face, followed the sharp contours of his chest before flicking back up. And then, as if sensing his gaze, Takeru looked up—

"Mori-chan!"

Not Takeru. The voice was feminine, familiar. Aguni tore his eyes away from the lobby and glanced over his shoulder. Akane was a usual sight to him, her smile bright and mischievous as usual. It had been a little over a week since he’d inadvertently saved her and brought her to the Beach. In her mind, that apparently made him her personal guardian. She had a habit of following him around, and Aguni, for the most part, didn’t mind. She was sharper than most of the other militants—level-headed, quick-witted. In a way, she reminded him of Takeru when they were younger.

“I can call you that, right?” she asked when he didn’t respond.

Aguni sighed and shifted over on the railing; She quickly took up residence in the empty location. When he returned to looking over the crowd, Takeru was no where to be seen.

“Even if I said you couldn’t, would you listen?”

“Hmmm.” Akane leaned against the railing, propping her chin up on her arm. “Probably not?”

AAguni figured as much. Akane listened well enough, but if she didn’t want to do something, she wouldn’t. And he didn’t feel like pushing the matter. She’d probably ask why it was such a big deal—he didn’t want to risk slipping, saying too much. Like how he considered Takeru the only one who could call him that. Even though he didn’t. Not anymore.

“Just don’t let anyone else hear it.” Takeru. Or, the militants. The militants would take it as a sign of weakness. As for Takeru, well..

“A secret between us two? Aw-”

“What secret?”

Aguni bit the inside of his cheek and turned around, straightening his back. Like the devil himself, Takeru—Hatter—stood just a few paces away. His posture was loose, easy, inviting. A natural stance he had perfected to instill a false sense of security. His head tilted slightly downward, eyes peering over the rims of his shades at both Aguni and Akane. Two guards flanked him, standing just behind his shoulders. Even though it disgusted him, Aguni found himself wishing Hatter had just stayed with the women downstairs.

“I won’t repeat myself,” Hatter said, before promptly doing just that. “What secret?”

“Nothing.” Aguni gritted out. Unwilling to spill just yet, aware it wasn’t wise to antagonize him.

Hatter’s eyes locked onto him. Then, slowly, he tilted his head up, letting the shades slide back into place. It made it impossible to tell what he was thinking. But even if Aguni could see his eyes, would it make a difference? Maybe once, before the games, he could’ve read him. Now, Takeru was an enigma. A wild card. Hatter took a step forward. Then another. Closing the space between them until he was barely a hair’s breadth away. The scent of cologne and the sharp sting of chlorine from the Beach’s pools lingered on him. He didn’t like the look of his own face staring resigned back at him. In the end, Hatter would get his way.

“Since when are there secrets between us, Aguni?”

‘You tell me,’ Aguni wanted to say. ‘You started this.’

For a moment, he saw Takeru as he once was—standing in his dad’s hat shop, a serene but resolute smile on his face as he dusted off a cap. That image didn’t match the Takeru before him now. But the boy he’d met first—the scrawny kid with scrapes on his hands, bruises on his face, and a chip on his shoulder? That image still fit. Perhaps he’d never changed - either Aguni’s perception of him changed, or Takeru’s projection of himself did. Either way, it was all the same.

“Does it even matt-”

Aguni held his hand up, silencing Akane. “She wanted to call me Mori-chan.”

A twitch of the lips. That was the only reaction Hatter gave. The steady pulse of music filled the silence between them. Then, without a word, Hatter took a step back. Aguni watched him carefully. Aside from that initial flicker of expression, the man gave no outward sign that he cared. Still, he held his breath and waited.

“I see.” Hatter moved back to his place between his guards, hands resting on his hips. His foot tapped idly against the floor as he glanced between Akane and Aguni, as if weighing something in his mind. Then— “Not allowed.”

“Not allowed?” AShe frowned, looking between them. She wouldn’t understand. Few did. Only the first executives truly knew the nature of his and Hatter’s friendship. Past. Present. Aguni wasn’t sure himself.

“Not allowed.” Hatter repeated, this time locking eyes with Aguni. Then, with a sharp click of his tongue, he pointed at Akane before jerking a thumb over his shoulder. “Aguni and I have business to talk about, Executive business.“

“Go, Akane.” Aguni crossed his arms and leaned his back against the railing. “Keep an eye on Niragi. I saw him starting some trouble by the pool.”

“Only if I can bury an arrow in him,” she muttered, pushing herself away from the railing. She barely concealed her irritation as she shot Hatter a look before brushing past him and his guards, descending the staircase without another word.

Aguni waited until she was gone before speaking.

“If it’s executive business, then guards aren’t needed.”

“If I wanted them to stay, they’ll stay,” HNonetheless, he waved his hand. The guards exchanged a look before slipping away. Aguni knew they wouldn’t be far. They were likely standing just out of sight on the staircase, watching. Listening. The guards didn’t trust him and he didn’t trust them in turn.

“What is it, Hatter?”

“It’s odd, hearing you call me that,” Hatter murmured. And, though he still held his head high like he ruled everything, Aguni thought he saw the edges soften ever so slightly. Then, where Akane had been standing just moments before, Hatter took her place. One hand rested on the railing as he gazed down at his subjects. “How is the militia, Aguni?”

“Shitty.” AAguni shifted, leaning his hip against the railing. Together, they looked out over the crowd below. He could feel Takeru’s eyes on him, but he refused to look back. “Impulsive. Untrained. They get more difficult to control by the day.”

“You need to keep a tighter reign on them. They’re causing trouble.”

There it was. The edge of displeasure in Hatter’s tone. Aguni dug his nails deeper into his arms and scowled. As if he didn’t know the milita was still causing trouble. But he wasn’t like Hatter—wasn’t a people person, wasn’t charismatic. A position of leadership wasn’t where he was meant to be. Aguni shut his eyes and took a deep breath to quell the rising irritation within him.

“Understood,” he gritted out.

A silence descended over them. Aguni opened his eyes and found Akane in the crowd, seemingly arguing with Last Boss. The beginnings of a headache started to make itself known behind his eyes. For once, Hatter had drifted away from his thoughts. So, when a hand clasped his shoulder he jolted just slightly. His gaze snapped to Takeru’s. Then to the hand on his shoulder. Then back to Takeru’s eyes. A pat on the shoulder here, a jostle of the arm there—it had been his signature move. Casual touches. Familiarity. But ever since the Borderlands, that habit had all but disappeared.

“Your visa expires tomorrow,” Takeru murmured, oddly serious. “Stay safe.”

With that, Hatter walked away before Aguni could even begin to think up a response. Aguni could only stare after him, the warmth of his touch lingering long after he left. It was confusing. Was it concern? No. Takeru knew better than to think Aguni couldn’t handle himself in a game. An insult, then? A warning? A way to undermine him because of the mess with the militia? Aguni exhaled sharply, running a hand over his head. Trying to make sense of Hatter’s reasoning was pointless.

Pushing himself off the railing, he sought Akane out.

They had a game to prepare for.

[starmahgalaxies]

If he wants to show up, he will find a way to show up. I would not stress too much about it.

That is most certainly pleasant, yeeepp. I'm more busy chuckling at how quickly PicoDevimon managed to fix that sign.

Not at all! You have to be able to okay with the fact that you'll always need to keep answering questions. Knowing literally everything would no longer be fun without them. Plus your head will explode.

You do look dead inside child. Real talk, I have always loved what presents as a challenge for the Crest of Knowledge is not around being unintelligent. Koushiro is unresponsive and hyperfocuses on literally doing nothing trying to clear his mind (mood), but he's not suddenly lost everything he knows. It's the loss of curiosity and inquisitiveness that does it. Because willfully ignorant people lack the desire to change and be smarter, even if they are on all accounts "intelligent." (not meant to be an attack toward anyone... unless you're an American politician. yes, I'm bitter at my country right now)

Mysteries are fun because you want to solve them! Some are best just wondering briefly about, but I think you are missing the point of mysteries. That said, these are two very big statements. Are you sure the branding might be too broad? XD

My favorite thing about Koushiro being able to reach Taichi is that he's not completely void of emotions or thought that his first instinct is to still ask a question and that question is asking about whereabouts and wellbeing. My heart that the signal cut before Taichi could hear the please stay in touch, noooo.

My question is what established the connection because neither of them were trying to reach out. My main question though is how long was Koushiro stuck in the "Universe of Mystery." My first thought was that it couldn't be too long, but Taichi was still back home for several minutes after he lost connection until he came back. And when Koushiro breaks out, he immediately is met with Takeru and Yamato after they split off from Taichi and Jou. My gut then is to say a few weeks, which backs up with Tentomon losing so much spirit and power from Koushiro's lack of care or curiosity to devolve to Babumon; the same with that gives PicoDevimon more room to be juggling all these kid's falls at once. Time could also be more distorted where they are at compared to the Digital World proper.

How do you end up getting yourself in the creepiest situations being the most logical? (That is fun I admit. The same for Velma. I made a Scooby Doo reference in the last one, so I am allowed to do so again here lol)

Noo, baby, it's okay, I promise 😢

💔❤️

The best way to get information? Spying. Espionage. Same difference, right?

Babu no think. Only do. The goal is getting that crest back then will get it back.

I want to make sure to include at least a shot of the partner's perfect forms for their premiere episode. This is what I landed on. A few frames before the data slide came up, I'm guessing. I had to turn off subtitles to get a clean shot.

Knowledge is power. And power wants to punch you in the face!

The world is healing, and these two are adorable.

Tsunomon, meet kettle.

See? If he wants to show up he will show up.

[beermanoftana]

endgame

header by @/earlgreymon

for @ashxketchum!! requested some time ago and finally got to finish it (there's a part that just won't write itself!). i know you asked for takari but your takari for me, my mimato for you (even though it's a little unfair since i love mimato, too). i still do hope you like it! i had a lot of fun writing this and it kinda went on and on as i typed once the part finally wrote itself. anyways! enjoy (i hope)!!

endgame | main characters ; yamato ishida, mimi tachikawa, some taichi yagami and sora takenouchi, can't forget gabumon, palmon, agumon, and piyomon | universe ; au / can be placed anywhere after 02 | ships ; yamato x mimi, taichi x sora, takeru x hikari | genre ; fluff, humor | word count ; 2,235 | rating ; 13+ | edited ; three times - forgive me for any mistakes

Yamato was never in the mood for flirting. He knew people fawned over him, he knew his band was worshiped by those his age, and sure, he did “have a feeling” that flirting was going to be part of his life. But he never even tried to flirt back. Well, maybe he did, but it was usually against his will.

The band was not together anymore, having to go their separate ways, but he still loved them. The flirting, however, did not stop. He knew he was a good-looking guy but now that he was living a life that did not involve anything that required him to “go out there and fly”, maybe a life without people flirting with him 24/7 would be nice.

He and Taichi were having a meal in a small diner with Gabumon and Agumon hidden beside them. The digimons were enjoying their food while their partners talked about school.

Although they took up different courses, they still had some minor classes together, which, despite Yamato not admitting it, was a relief from all the other students they swarmed with. He had made some friends, but no one at the same level he had with Taichi. Everyone came from different backgrounds, and if they were to be honest, it was a little overwhelming, especially since it was their first year in university.

“Are you going to Shinichi’s party on Friday?” Taichi asked.

“Who’s Shinichi?” Yamato questioned, not bothering to look up from his food.

“He’s in one of our minor classes,” Taichi responded, “cool guy. But this party is a little too early, don’t you think? It could be a way to make some friends, I guess. Wanna go together?”

“Can we go?” Agumon asked.

“A party’s always fun,” Gabumon said.

Taichi smiled at them and then looked at Yamato. “What do you say?”

Yamato looked over at the smiling Gabumon and Agumon and sighed. “Okay, let’s go.”

“Great!” Taichi exclaimed.

“But you’re driving,” Yamato said.

“Sora will.”

“Sora?”

“Yeah. She wants to go. But she wants to bring her car so that she can leave anytime she wants.” Taichi shrugged. “Her mom’s car. And she said walking would be a pain, Shinichi’s venue is a little far.”

“We can always ask Birdramon to fly us away,” Agumon jested.

Taichi chuckled, Gabumon laughed, and even Yamato gave a smile.

“So what time do we meet her?” Yamato asked.

“Not sure yet. But we’ll ask her, or message if we don’t see each other anytime soon.”

Yamato smirked. “Right. Anytime soon.”

When Friday arrived, Sora, Taichi, and Yamato, along with their digimon partners, were packed inside Sora’s mom’s car. It was just a four-seater after all, it would only be Mrs. Takenouchi, Sora, whenever Mr. Takenouchi would come home, and Piyomon. And of course, Piyomon rode shotgun, while the men were cramped at the back.

“I think we’re here,” Sora said, looking out the window.

“Finally,” Yamato sighed in relief.

“The place is packed and in full swing!” Taichi said.

“Let’s just find a place to park. Doesn’t look like there’s a lot of cars.”

As they drove around, Gabumon pointed at a spot and Sora immediately swirled to get to it. Both Taichi and Yamato looked at each other, surprised by the speed and sudden jerk of the ride.

They got out of the car and Taichi whispered how his soul nearly left his body after that short ride. Yamato rolled his eyes and stated that he was overreacting.

“His place isn’t that big up-close,” Taichi observed. “It’s just the garden.”

“You think there’ll be beer?” Yamato wondered.

“You three find a spot,” Sora ordered. “Somewhere we can see each other.”

“I don’t think there is a place where we can see each other,” Yamato said.

That could be true. The house was packed. So far, the three have not found anyone they knew. But they were just outside and there were not many people around, perhaps they would find more people inside.

“Think you three can go around without being seen?” Taichi asked.

“Of course!” All three digimons grinned.

The group dispersed, the digimons to the right and the Chosen Children straight ahead.

When they reached inside, they looked around for anyone familiar. After a minute of standing by the door, Sora was called by another young lady and she excused herself from the boys.

“We’ll leave at midnight on the dot,” she told them as she walked away.

“Yes, ma’am,” they both murmured.

After some time of just being together, people-watching, someone came up to them. Taichi straightened up while Yamato raised an eyebrow.

“Hey, glad you two can make it!”

“Thanks for the invite, Shinichi,” Taichi said, smiling.

“Yeah, the party’s great,” Yamato said, although he actually did not find the party that great.

“I’m glad you think so, Yamato. I really wanted your approval.” Shinichi grinned. “I heard you were pretty popular back then, I know you are right now. I wanted the approval of someone who knows how to party.”

“I don’t know how to party,” he replied. “I was in a band, but that didn’t mean we were always partying.”

“I see.” Shinichi pursed his lips. “I’m sorry for assuming. But anyway, enjoy the party.” And he waved goodbye as he disappeared into the crowd.

“I think he likes you,” Taichi joked.

Yamato sighed. “I don’t regret the band.”

“I know you don’t, we all do.” Taichi placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “But come on, enough of this. Time to have fun before the old lady tells us to go home.” He snickered.

Yamato scoffed. “I’m going to tell her you said that, I’m sure she won’t like it. At all.”

They both laughed.

The two did enjoy the party. They made new acquaintances and even stuck with a group. They invited Sora in and the three were glad they had new people by their side.

At some point, as the group was talking, Sora paused mid-sentence and everyone waited for her to continue.

“So—?”

“Mimi!”

Both Taichi and Yamato immediately looked to where Sora saw Mimi, followed by the rest of the group.

“What’s she doing here?” Sora wondered, her voice filled with worry.

“Why?” One of the members asked. “What’s wrong?”

Sora shook her head and headed straight for the young girl. Taichi and Yamato followed suit.

“Mimi,” Sora called her.

Mimi looked back and grinned. “Sora!” She stepped forward and gave her a hug, which Sora returned. When they let go, Mimi hugged both Taichi and Yamato as well. “I’m sure Palmon has found the others already.”

“Mimi,” Sora said softly. “What are you doing here?”

“I was invited,” she smiled. “They said there was going to be a party here and I thought it might be fun, you know. And Palmon’s with me.”

“Mimi,” Taichi started. “Who invited you?”

“Shinichi Ozawa did,” she replied. “Why? Is something wrong?”

“Well, no…” Sora said, tilting her head a little. “But, this is a college party. Does Shinichi know that you’re not a college student yet?”

Mimi began to think. “I went to your campus one time, and that’s when he invited me.”

“What were you doing on our campus?” Yamato asked.

“I wanted to surprise you all,” she answered, grinning at him. “But then I asked if you three were coming to the party. He said he wasn’t sure but I wanted to take my chances and surprise you here instead! Isn’t this fun?” Though she sounded unsure when she said the last part.

Yamato sighed. “I don’t think asking you to leave is an option, especially since you’ll be alone—even with Palmon.”

“So what do we do?” Taichi asked.

Sora licked her upper lip. “Babysit.”

Mimi’s eyes widened. “No!”

“Mimi, we don’t know these people. We don’t know these people. Please, stick with at least one of us. We’ll make it up to you, we promise. Just please, Mimi?” Sora pouted.

Mimi looked at all three of them but focused on Sora last. After a few seconds, Mimi sighed. “Okay. I don’t want to admit it but I am a little nervous about this.” She frowned. “Especially since I wasn’t even sure if you guys would be here.”

The three older Chosen Children sighed in relief.

Just then, the group that group the three were talking to appeared and asked what was happening.

“This is Mimi,” Sora introduced. “She’s one of our closest friends.”

“Really?” One of the guys asked. “I’ve never seen you around campus. What course are you in?”

“She’s from another university,” Yamato said quickly.

“May I visit you there?” the same guy asked, his voice a little flirty.

Yamato was suddenly feeling very protective of the younger girl. He did not like the thought of an older stranger visiting her. “Not at the moment,” he said.

“Why don’t you let her answer for herself?” the guy snapped.

Mimi smiled. “Yamato’s just always been protective of us. I don’t mind him answering for me…sometimes.” She giggled.

Yamato knew she was lying so he wondered why she was playing along.

The party was in even fuller swing about forty-five minutes later. Although the three knew Mimi was not too happy with the situation, they also saw that she was having a good time.

At the stroke of twelve, Sora ordered everyone out of the house after thanking Shinichi for the invite. As they headed for the car, the four digimons arrived by their side.

“Yamato, would you take the car and bring Mimi home?” Sora asked.

“Sure,” Yamato answered. “But what about you guys?”

Taichi intertwined his and Sora’s fingers and smiled.

“Got it.”

Mimi squealed. “You two have fun!”

“Agumon, Piyomon?” Palmon looked at them.

“We’ll protect them,” Piyomon said. “But we won’t ruin their moment.”

When everything was set, Yamato, Mimi, Gabumon, and Palmon entered the car. They were quiet for a while until Palmon asked Gabumon how Takeru and Hikari were.

“They’re still very shy,” Gabumon replied. “But that’s expected, right, Yamato?”

“Either very shy or very guarded,” he said with a laugh. “Taichi is still all over them.”

“And you’re not?” Mimi asked, smiling.

Yamato smirked. “Takeru can handle himself. Even if this is his first relationship.”

“Everyone knows Takeru and Hikari would be endgame,” Mimi said with a giggle.

“And Taichi and Sora, too,” Gabumon added.

“Yamato, didn’t Sora have a crush on you before? Mimi said that she gave you something special for Christmas one time. What happened?”

“Palmon!” Mimi chided.

Yamato sighed. “I’ve only told Taichi what happened.”

“I’m sorry,” Palmon said, bowing her head. “I was just very curious now that the topic came up.”

“I knew that Taichi had feelings for her, and I couldn’t do that to him, especially since I only ever felt feelings of friendship for Sora.”

“And Sora gradually had feelings for Taichi, too. And he didn’t even have to try too hard despite having strong feelings, correct?” Mimi grinned as Yamato nodded. “It just means they’re meant to be!”

The four talked more about their friend’s love lives. Mimi’s home was a little on the farther side so they had a lot of time to gossip.

Finally, Mimi had a mischievous look on her face. “What about you, Yamato?”

Yamato smirked. “What about you, Mimi?”

“Don’t turn this in my direction. I asked first.”

“If there’s nothing to say then it only makes sense the question goes back to you.”

“Oh please, someone like you is bound to have someone in mind.”

“There’s no one, Mimi. And again, what about you? If I remember correctly, you’ve always been a hopeless romantic.”

“I still am,” she admitted. “But my goal is different now. I want to play Cupid.”

“Don’t force it though.”

“I know the limits. Now c’mon, Yamato. Answer me.”

“There’s no one, Mimi.”

“Do I have to play Cupid?”

“If it’s with you then I don’t mind.” A smirk on his face.

“I’m serious!”

“Oh look, we’re here.”

Mimi looked up and sighed when she saw the building she lived in. “Okay, fine. But you owe me an answer, Ishida.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He rolled his eyes, but a smirk appeared on his face. “It’s time to go, Tachikawa. It’s getting late. Too late.”

“Will you bring the car back to Sora’s?”

“Yes. And then Gabumon and I will walk home.”

Mimi smiled. “Okay. Thanks for the ride.” She turned to the back seat as Palmon went down. “Goodnight, Gabumon.”

Yamato raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll say goodnight to you if you give me an answer.”

“The gas is running,” Yamato said, looking at the meter. “Goodnight, Mimi. Goodnight, Palmon.”

“Goodnight, Yamato,” Palmon said with a wave.

Mimi chuckled. “Okay. Goodnight, Yamato. Goodnight again, Gabumon.”

“Goodnight, Mimi. Goodnight, Palmon,” Gabumon said.

Yamato looked at her and smiled. “G’night.”

Mimi smiled once again and closed the door.

Once Yamato saw that the two had gone inside the building safely, he drove away.

“Yamato,” Gabumon said.

“Yeah?”

“You were flirting with Mimi, weren’t you?”

Yamato choked. “Flirting? Me? I wouldn’t say so.”

“You were.”

“I was not.”

“You even said—.”

“Gabumon,” Yamato said in a warning tone. This only made his digimon laugh. “Gabumon!”

“You won’t admit it, but you were!”

Yamato sighed. “You’re not letting this go, are you?” Gabumon shook his head. “Just don’t mention it to anyone. And no, I was not flirting.”

[polite-pandemonium]

(preview) coincidences and cosmic signs

OK, so here's the thing, the other day I was going through my WIP files (of which there are SO MANY) and I noticed that I never, not once, have ever written anything happy about this pair ever, even though they are probably my favourite OTP of all time. While chatting with @piedrpiper, I noticed that I often don't even view them as a happy couple, despite wanting Toei desperately to let them canonically smoosh their faces together and kiss in some media where I can see it.

So I'm challenging myself to write a happy, comedic Takeru/Hikari fic. I haven't written anything happy in years and I haven't written anything comedic in even longer, so a challenge this is. So I'm posting a little preview cause I unabashedly need a little encouragement. Pls. :(

IDK how long this will be or even what it really WILL be, but here it is so far. Title is from 'Serendipity' by Laufey, which is a gorgeous, gorgeous song I encourage you all to listen to.

x x x

coincidences and cosmic signs takeru/hikari, ken/miyako, background yamato/sora

There's no rulebook for falling in love with your best friend. Takeru and Hikari are learning this the hard way.

x x x

There’s no rulebook for falling in love with your best friend. No guidelines, no best-seller, no simple Google search that can explain how to navigate it in three easy steps.  There’s only works of fiction that make it look all too easy, with everything uncomplicated and clean, tied up in a neat bow by the end of the story. Happy endings, one after another, the friends to lovers trope never sees a broken heart. 

But in reality, there’s reams of Reddit threads and personal blogs showing the mixed results that only trying to turn a friendship into something more can wield. There’s plenty of broken hearts there; in the short, preliminary research that he has done, Takeru has found there are more unhappy endings than there are happy endings in this regard. Someone always doesn’t feel the same way and then the friendship? Ruined. 

It was anxiety inducing to read about, which was what had brought him to his current state of inaction. 

Though, he was finding this to also be miserable. 

Takeru groaned, leaning against the checkout counter at Ai-Mart, fixing his gaze sadly on the handful of nikuman still sitting in the glass display. 

From behind the counter, Miyako looked up from her text book and raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with you?” 

It was a Wednesday evening and like many evenings, instead of going home to the apartment he shared with his mother, Takeru decided to go pay Miyako a visit at her family’s Ai-Mart. She often loudly complained about how boring evening shifts were - how busy was a conbini in Odaiba really going to get on a weekday? So Takeru, who would talk to a wall if it could talk back, would frequently visit her while she worked (work was a loose term - she mostly just studied and rang through the odd customer), using Miyako as a sounding board for whatever was on his mind. 

Given that Miyako considered Takeru her third least annoying male friend, she didn’t mind the visits, though she tuned him out at least some of the time. It beat being alone and bored. 

Tonight was one such evening, but unlike their usual discussion topics, (pros and cons about whether or not Miyako should go back to Spain, a detailed plot summary of whatever book Takeru was reading, and often a heated debate around whether or not Takeru could give Miyako a ride to Ken’s place after this and if he did, what food would she give him for free?) Takeru found himself in a rather melancholy mood. 

Sighing heavily, Takeru placed a finger on the glass, tracing the shape of one especially lonely looking nikuman. “Miyako-san, I’m going to confess something to you, but you can’t make a big deal out of it, okay? I just really need someone to talk to.”

Miyako stood a little straighter, though her hand still remained clutching her book, poised to turn the page. “Um, okay. Again, what’s up?” 

“I’m in love with Hikari-chan,” he said, drawing a sad face over the nikuman. He wondered if it was as sad as he was - it must be, knowing that it was going to come to an untimely end, first getting ripped to shreds by someone’s teeth and then getting boiled alive in stomach acid. 

Being in love, Takeru was finding, was awful. Sure, he had probably been some type of in love with Hikari for almost ten years, but he kind of thought he would get over it. Yet here he was at 23, decidedly not over it and definitely not with Hikari and all of that was making him very miserable. 

He had to let it out. He wasn’t going to tell Yamato (what did Mr. Wife’d Up Since He Was 14 know about unrequited love?) and he certainly wasn’t going to talk to Daisuke, Ken, or Iori, all of whom were equal shades of busy or would mock him relentlessly. 

Which left Miyako, who, trapped behind the counter of Ai-Mart, really had no choice but to listen to his sob story. 

“Oh,” Miyako responded, blinking. “That’s all?”

Takeru stiffened, eyes darting away from the bread. “What do you mean that’s all?”

Rolling her eyes, Miyako folded her arms. “I mean that’s all as in obviously you’re in love with Hikari. Everyone knows that.”

“Everyone?!” Takeru yelped. “What do you mean everyone?!”

“I mean everyone,” Miyako said matter of factly. “Our entire friend group. Hey, are you drawing faces on the nikuman again?”

“No,” Takeru dropped his hand. “And what do you mean everyone?” 

Circling around the counter, Miyako sighed. “Takeru-kun, I mean that everyone in our friend group knows you’re in love with her cause it’s obvious. It’s been obvious since you were like, seventeen. You just have to watch you two interact for more than five minutes and see how you look at her to notice it.” Coming to a stop beside him, she bent over and peered at the glass. “You liar, you were drawing faces on the nikuman! Stop doing that! Someone complained last time and said this store was creeping him out.” 

“Sorry,” Takeru said, distracted. “How do I look at her?”

Miyako turned to him, her face suddenly serious. She smiled softly. 

“You look at her like she’s special. Like you could be in a room with every single person you’ve ever met in your life and you would look for her first.”

Instantly, Takeru felt his face flush. “Um, I think, well, that’s quite the description Miyako-san, I don’t know if it is that deep, I—”

“Oh, stop, seriously,” Miyako waved her hand, turning to head back to the other side of the counter. “It’s so obnoxious to hear men try to downplay their feelings. Just own it. You’re head over heels for her. You’d rip worlds apart for her.”

Takeru swallowed, flushing deeper. “I mean, technically I kind of have.” 

“I know,” Miyako stationed herself beside the register and flipped her book closed. “I heard all about it. That’s why I said it. Now. What do you want to do about it?” 

A beat passed between them before Takeru slumped back against the counter. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?!”

“I mean I don’t know!” Takeru snapped. “I have no idea how to navigate this. I’ve tried Googling. I’ve tried reading. I even considered talking to my brother, but that would be no help at all cause he and Sora got together so young and have stayed together for so long, so what does he really know about dating? And all of the advice online is so mixed and I just truly have no idea where to even start.”

Miyako pursed her lips. “You want to know what I think you should do?” 

Takeru nodded, eagerly. “Yes, please.”

“I think you should tell her.”

Takeru groaned. “Miyako-san, I can’t just tell her. Are you crazy?”

“No!” She narrowed her eyes. “And I resent the question. Just tell her how you feel, you idiot!”

“I can’t just tell her how I feel,” Takeru said slowly, pointedly. “What if she doesn’t feel the same? I could ruin our friendship.”

Miyako shook her head. “You’re not going to ruin your friendship. Hikari is very understanding, very forgiving.”

Takeru nodded. “She is - wait. Are you saying that she’s going to reject me?”

[akehoshimystar]

Mao SR

Beautiful Tea Master

Part 1

Mao: Do I look weird?

Mao-san, dressed for the event and with makeup for the day, turned around to face me.

Ito: Not at all. You look great.

(...Ah, that color… Could it be….)

Mao: Is there something strange about it?

Ito: Oh, that's not it.

My eyes were drawn to the lipstick on Mao-san's lips.

During a day off a while ago I was invited by Mika-san, who wanted to discuss cosmetics for an upcoming event. And later on, the two of us got together with Mao-san.

Takeru: I heard this restaurant's lunch is really good value and delicious! But that’s quite a queue we have here, what should we do?

Mao: Well, that also means we have lots of time to discuss things.

Ito: That's true.

Takeru: Fufu, thanks. Let's do it here then.

Mao: By the way. This might come out of nowhere, but Mika-nee, do you know the blush that's trending on social media right now?

Ito: Oh, this one?

I had bookmarked it on social media, so I opened the post and showed it to both of them.

Takeru: Oh, this one. I have already seen it and it did pique my interest a bit. I heard it has a good coloring.

Mao: I just thought the color would look good on Mika-nee.

Takeru: When you say that, my heart is already at the cashier counter.

Mao: Why not? We’re on the way there anyway.…. Oh, I think they'll be showing us to the table soon.

Ito: That was quicker than I thought.

Takeru: Well, I guess I'll reapply it now.

Mika-san said as he took out a lipstick from his bag.

Ito: (Aren’t we about to eat?)

Takeru: Curious? This is what they call "drinking-party lipstick."

I just want to try if it can handle greasy Chinese food.

Ito: I see.

Mao: You also told me you were curious about that when I called you the other day. Mika-nee likes to try different things after all.

Takeru: Fufu, I'll make sure to share the results of my testing.

Ito: (Come to think of it, Mao-san and Mika-san said that they would talk on the phone while doing their skincare at night.)

(Chatting even after getting home like that….. They must be really close.)

After enjoying lunch in Chinatown, we’re looking around and checking out tons of cosmetics before taking a short break on a bench.  

Takeru: Today was so much fun. Thank you for coming.

I wanted to talk about makeup for the event today, so I invited you two for lunch, but... It's actually the opposite.

Seeing that our break schedule aligned, I wanted us to eat together.

Mao: Figured as much. Meeting in Chinatown to look at cosmetics isn't very logical.

Ito: (I have to agree.)

Mao: You thought that if it wasn't work-related, we wouldn't come even if you invited us?

Takeru: Oh, of course not.

There's no deeper meaning to it. You see, casual conversations between casual meetings are quite fun, don’t you think so?

I thought that sort of mood would be entertaining.

Mao: So you’re building this moment up and label it a work meet-up?

As for me, I feel like I was just having fun all day normally and didn't even realize that we were meeting for a discussion.

What about Mika-nee and Ito?

When I replied that I was the same as Mika-san…. Mao-san's face looked very gentle as if he already knew what I would answer.

Part 2

The drink I bought before sitting down on the bench had already gone down by about half.

Mao: Anyway. Thank you for inviting me today.

Ito: Thank you.

Takeru: You're welcome.

Mao: ……….

Once you become a working adult, you have fewer opportunities to meet people you can casually call on your days off and share your hobbies with.

Takeru: Yeah, you mostly get to know people through work.

Mao: Well…. I didn’t think my relationship with Mika-nee is something like that, though.

Takeru: Oh my, past tense?

Mao: Don't mess with me now. You know that, don’t you?

Takeru: Sorry. Regardless, it's nice to have more friends.

Mao: That’s what I mean. I'm glad the three of us came today.

Ito: …..!

Mao-san and Mika-san smiled at me kindly. It was a slightly different kind of warmth, unlike the one I felt at work… It’s a more sincere atmosphere.

Mao: Could it be this?

Mao-san noticed my gaze and pointed to his lips.

Ito: Yes. It's the lipstick you bought the day the three of us went out, right?

Mao: Yup. The "drinking-party lipstick," I bought a different color, though.

That being said, the staff don't eat or drink during the event, so it doesn't really matter.

Mao-san smiled softly as he said this. The atmosphere from that day was still wrapped in his lips.

Ito: …..Mao-san. That day, I really……

Takeru: Ah. There you are, Ito. Check this out.

The blush I bought that day, isn't it perfect for today's makeup?

Ito: Yes, it looks good on you.

Takeru: Fufu, I know right? Same goes to Mao's lipstick.

Mao: We were just talking about that actually.

Takeru: I see.

Even so, the conversation was fun and the shopping was a great success. Once again, let me say it was another wonderful day off.

Mao: Ito, didn't he just beat you to it?

Ito: (!)

Takeru: Oh? Sorry, did I do something bad?

Ito: No, it's fine.

And yes, it really was a good day off.

Mao: Let's all go again.

Ito: Yes.

Seeing Mao-san and me letting out small laughs, after a slight puzzled expression, he laughed along as well.

[sumluckr]

Just the three of us

pairings: Aguni Morizono x Danma Takeru x female reader

summary: Aguni’s been coming home late, avoiding touch, and shutting you both out. You and Takeru try to stay patient, but the silence grows heavier—until you can’t ignore the fear that settles in , maybe he doesn’t love you anymore. Maybe he’s already halfway gone.

It doesn’t bother you that much at first.

A missed dinner here, a late night there. You and Takeru don’t think much of it. Aguni’s work schedule is unpredictable—sometimes it just runs late. You know this. You’ve lived it.

But something’s different lately.

He used to come home and drop his keys with that heavy, relieved sound, kiss you both in passing as he unzipped his jacket. He used to make eye contact, even when he was tired. Used to mutter something soft—I missed you. Long day. Come here. He used to grab Takeru’s wrist and pull him close for a kiss that made you blush even from the other room.

Now?

He enters the apartment like a ghost. Quiet. Detached. Jacket off. Shoes away. Straight to the shower.

Takeru notices it first. Of course he does—he notices everything Aguni does, always has. The way his mouth tightens when he’s lying. The way his shoulders curve inward when he’s trying to hide stress. The way he stares at the floor lately instead of you.

“He didn’t even come to bed last night,” Takeru says one morning, blinking sleep from his lashes. “He just slept on the couch. Didn’t even wake me when he came in.”

You chew the inside of your cheek. “He was late. Maybe he didn’t want to disturb us.”

Takeru shrugs, but it’s not casual. It’s resigned.

“He always wakes me. Even if it’s just to hold me.”

You don’t have an answer for that.

The first time he refuses sex, it’s almost nothing.

Almost.

You’re curled up against him on the couch. It’s late, and the apartment is quiet except for the low hum of music from your phone. Takeru is already half-asleep on Aguni’s lap, his head resting on his thigh, bare chest rising and falling slowly. You’re in nothing but an oversized T-shirt and your underwear. It’s one of Aguni’s old shirts—soft with wear, the collar stretched from too many sleepy hands tugging you closer in the dark.

You shift, sliding your hand under his shirt, fingers brushing the hard lines of his stomach. It’s not even particularly bold—just soft, familiar affection. The kind that usually makes him groan and tug you into his lap.

But this time, he stiffens.

“Don’t,” he says quietly.

You freeze. “Sorry. I just—”

“I’m tired.”

He doesn’t say it cruelly. Just flat. Final.

Takeru stirs against his leg but doesn’t wake. You swallow the sharp little sting that creeps up your throat and nod, trying not to look as embarrassed as you feel.

You don’t try again that night.

A few days later, Takeru tries.

It’s late again—Aguni got home after eleven, a short grunt of greeting and not much else. He barely eats dinner. Just downs a glass of water and starts folding his work laundry with clinical precision, like he needs something to do with his hands.

Takeru watches him for a while before slipping up behind him in the bedroom. He wraps his arms around Aguni’s waist, presses a kiss to the back of his neck. It’s slow, sweet. Comforting. The kind of touch that usually makes Aguni melt, makes him turn and lift Takeru onto the dresser like he’s nothing, mouth already halfway down his neck.

Tonight, Aguni doesn’t even turn.

“I’m not in the mood,” he mutters.

Takeru steps back like he’s been burned.

“Okay,” he says softly. “I just thought…”

Aguni exhales through his nose. “Can we not do this now?”

Takeru says nothing. Just nods and walks out.

You find him in the bathroom a few minutes later, brushing his teeth too hard, his mouth a tight line. You don’t say anything, just pull him into a hug. He leans into you, forehead resting on your shoulder, toothbrush clattering into the sink.

“I don’t get it,” he mumbles.

You don’t either.

It’s not just sex. It’s everything.

He stops joining you for movie nights. Sits at the table with his laptop instead of on the couch. The rare days off he used to treasure—lazy mornings in bed, shared showers, breakfast made shirtless with bedhead and low teasing kisses—they disappear. You wake up and he’s already gone, or he stays in bed long after you’ve left it, eyes closed, back turned.

Takeru makes a joke about it one night—some biting little comment about being replaced by Aguni’s work laptop—and Aguni barely reacts.

That’s when Takeru stops joking.

You start keeping score, quietly. You don’t mean to. But you can’t help it.

Days since he last kissed you on the mouth: 11

Days since you’ve had sex: 18

Nights he’s come to bed after you’ve fallen asleep: 6

Nights he’s stayed on the couch entirely: 3

You don’t know what you’re counting toward. Just that it’s starting to feel like a deadline.

The last time you try is a week before your anniversary.

Takeru’s hand is laced with yours, warm and quiet where he sits beside you on the bed. You both hear the front door. The soft clatter of keys. The telltale weight of Aguni’s steps.

You wait.

He comes in eventually, looking tired but not wrecked. Just worn. Distant.

“We missed you,” you say softly, watching him strip off his jacket.

He pauses. “I told you I’d be late.”

“That’s not the point,” Takeru says. His voice is neutral, but there’s something brittle under the surface. “You’re always late.”

Aguni doesn’t answer. Just rubs a hand over his face and sits at the edge of the bed, facing away.

You move first—slowly, carefully. Your hand on his shoulder, then his back. You press a kiss between his shoulder blades, another to the nape of his neck. You reach for the hem of his shirt, fingers sliding up against warm skin.

“Please,” you whisper, and it sounds more like a question than an invitation. “I miss you. We both do.”

Takeru moves behind him, his mouth brushing Aguni’s jaw. He wraps his arms around his middle, palms flat against his stomach.

It could’ve been perfect. The three of you, quiet and tangled and finally together again.

But Aguni stands.

Stands.

“I said no,” he says, not cruelly—but with a finality that feels like a slammed door. “Just stop.”

You don’t say anything. Can’t. Takeru’s arms drop back to his sides. Aguni walks into the bathroom and closes the door.

You sit there, heart beating too loudly, and try not to cry.

Takeru reaches for you, and you fall into him, limbs heavy and aching. You press your face into his chest and whisper, “Do you think he’s done with us?”

Takeru doesn’t answer right away.

But you feel it in the way he holds you.

Like maybe he thinks so too.

***

The wine has made everything hazy. Softer at the edges. A little warmer, a little looser, like your heart can finally breathe even if it hurts when it does.

You’re sitting on the kitchen floor now, legs stretched out in front of you, backs resting against the lower cupboards. Takeru is tucked into your side, his head on your shoulder, your arms around him like a blanket. Both your glasses are nearly empty. The second bottle sits uncorked on the counter, forgotten.

No one’s spoken in a while. Just the quiet hum of the refrigerator and the occasional clink of ice settling in the sink.

“He was supposed to be home hours ago,” you say softly, your voice more tired than angry.

Takeru hums without lifting his head. “He always says it’s work.”

You stroke your fingers through Takeru’s hair, slow and absentminded. He sighs, leaning more into you.

“Do you think he’s cheating?” you ask it softly. Barely a whisper.

Takeru stiffens for half a second, then sinks back against you. “I don’t know.”

You hate that he doesn’t say no.

“I don’t think he’s sleeping with anyone else,” he adds. “But I… I think he might want to.”

You press your face into his hair. “That might be worse.”

“I keep thinking,” he says, voice slow and fogged with wine, “that maybe he’s just trying to find a way out.”

The words hit like a drop of cold water in the warm haze.

You tighten your arms around him, suddenly cold. “Don’t say that.”

“He’s pulling away. We feel it. We keep trying, and he keeps turning his back to us. If he didn’t want to be somewhere else—if he didn’t want to be with someone else—why would he keep acting like this?”

You shake your head, but it’s not a protest. Just a quiet ache.

“I don’t get it,” you whisper. “We didn’t change. Nothing happened. We didn’t break anything.”

Takeru pulls back a little to look at you, his eyes shiny and pink around the edges. “But maybe he did.”

The thought makes your chest squeeze. You reach for his hand, threading your fingers together.

“I thought we were good,” you say. “Not perfect, but… solid. Safe.”

Takeru laughs, but it’s dry. “We used to be.”

You let your head fall back against the cabinet. “Do you think he’s just… over it? Over us?”

“I don’t want to believe that,” he says. “But it’s hard not to.”

Your thumb strokes over the back of his hand. “You don’t think he’s falling out of love, do you?”

He hesitates.

You both already know the answer, even if neither of you say it.

“I think,” Takeru says slowly, “if he is… he’s trying to make it easier. Like if he pulls away first, maybe we won’t hurt as much when he finally goes.”

You look at him, something raw curling up in your throat. “But that just makes it worse.”

He nods. “Yeah.”

You fall into a quiet again, leaning your heads together, two tired hearts pressed close in the soft, sad dark.

After a while, Takeru murmurs, “Do you think he regrets it?”

“Regrets what?”

“This,” he says, gesturing lazily to the space around you, to the floor, the wine glasses, the invisible absence curled into every corner of the apartment. “Us. Choosing us. Letting himself fall in love with two people.”

You close your eyes. “Maybe...”

Takeru doesn’t respond right away. Just leans into you again, this time with his face buried against your shoulder. You feel the slow exhale against your collarbone.

“I hate how much I miss him,” he whispers.

You nod. “Me too.”

You don’t cry. You’re past that tonight. Just hollow. Soft. Floating in it.

“I still sleep on his side of the bed when he’s not home,” you admit. “Just so it doesn’t feel so empty.”

“I spray his cologne on my jacket sometimes,” he mumbles. “Just so I can smell him.”

You smile faintly. “God, we’re pathetic.”

He laughs into your shirt. “The worst.”

You rest your cheek on top of his head and close your eyes.

“Do we confront him?” you ask eventually. “Or wait and hope it gets better?”

Takeru sighs. “I think if we wait any longer, there won’t be anything left to fix.”

You both sit there for a long time, holding onto each other, hearts fragile and wine-slow, knowing something has to change soon—before the silence swallows all of it.

Before he comes home one more time too late, and the three of you are done for good.

***

Aguni gets home even later than you thought.

You hear the door close softly—too softly. Like he’s trying not to wake you. Like he expects you both to be asleep again. Like he wants to slip in and vanish before he has to face this mess.

But you’re not asleep.

You’re in the living room. Still in the same clothes from earlier. So is Takeru, sitting cross-legged on the couch beside you, feet bare, hair mussed, face tired and still pink from the wine. There’s a low, tight silence hanging between the two of you—the kind that’s grown louder every day Aguni hasn’t looked you in the eyes.

He pauses when he sees you both.

Keys still in his hand. Eyes dull from exhaustion. Shoulders tight, like he’s already bracing for impact.

Takeru’s the first to speak. His voice is low. Quiet. “We need to talk.”

Aguni doesn’t move.

You sit forward, elbows on your knees, hands clasped. You keep your tone as steady as you can manage. “Please. Just be honest with us. Whatever it is. If you’re… if you want out, we’d rather hear it than feel it.”

Aguni’s brow furrows. “What?”

“If it’s someone else,” Takeru adds, a little too fast, “just tell us. You don’t have to lie.”

Aguni’s mouth opens. Closes. There’s a long, breathless pause.

“You think I’m cheating on you?” His voice breaks in the middle of the sentence.

“We don’t know what to think,” you whisper. “You don’t talk to us. You don’t touch us. We’re just—here. Sitting around, waiting for you to come home, and you barely even see us anymore.”

You feel it in your throat again. That sick, tired burn of held-back tears.

Takeru shifts beside you, jaw clenched. “We thought maybe… maybe you fell out of love.”

Aguni flinches like you struck him.

“Don’t say that.”

“Why not?” you ask, voice rising. “You’ve been pushing us away for weeks, Aguni. You won’t even let us hold you anymore. We’ve been trying so hard and it’s like you already left—”

“I didn’t,” he says quickly. He runs a hand down his face, jaw tight. “I didn’t leave. I never fucking left.”

“Then why does it feel like you did?” Takeru’s voice is sharp and shaky all at once. “Do you know how it feels to go to sleep without you for days on end? To have you walk past us like we’re strangers in this goddamn house?”

Aguni looks like he wants to say something. Then doesn’t. Instead, he reaches into the inner pocket of his jacket.

He pulls out a box.

Small. Black. Velvet.

The kind of box that’s fancy enough to take your breath away for a moment.

You stare at it.

So does Takeru.

Aguni doesn’t speak right away. He looks like he’s holding himself together with sheer force of will, hands trembling slightly as he sets it down on the coffee table between you.

“I was going to wait until the anniversary,” he says quietly. “But I fucked that up too.”

You blink. “What is this?”

Aguni presses a hand over his mouth for a second. When he lowers it, his voice is softer. Raw. “I saw a guy propose in a park a couple months ago. I was just walking through, heading to work, and I saw this man get down on one knee. His girlfriend lost it. Crying, laughing—it was… it was beautiful.”

He looks at you, then at Takeru. Something desperate in his eyes.

“And all I could think about was the two of you. About how we can’t ever really do that. Not officially. Not legally. No vows. No papers. No ceremony. And it fucking gutted me.”

Your heart twists, throat tight.

“So I wanted to give you something,” Aguni continues. “Something special. Something that says I’m not going anywhere. That you’re mine. That I’m yours.”

He opens the box.

Inside are three rings.

They catch the light—matte black with brushed finishes, minimalist, heavy. Elegant. But it’s the engraving on the inside that makes your chest clench.

You can’t read it from here, but you know there’s more. You feel it.

“I designed them,” Aguni says, eyes down. “With a friend of mine from my old unit. He does metalwork now. They’re expensive. I’ve been taking extra hours for weeks. That’s why I’ve been late. That’s why I’ve been tired.”

He pauses. “And yeah… that’s why I’ve been distant.”

You stare at him, everything inside you crashing in slow motion.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he says, voice shaking. “But I was terrified I’d fuck it up. That I’d come home and say too much and ruin the surprise. And the longer it went on, the more I just… panicked. So I pulled back. I kept thinking, just a little longer. Just until the rings are done. Just until I can do it right.”

Takeru makes a soft sound and covers his mouth, his eyes wet.

“I know I made you think I didn’t want you,” Aguni says. “And that’s the part I’ll never forgive myself for.”

You reach for the box with trembling fingers.

The ring that’s meant for you is cool and smooth, heavier than you expected. On the inside, you catch the tiny, subtle Morse code dots and dashes engraved along the inner band—your initials. Takeru’s. His.

“This is…” you breathe, unable to finish the sentence.

Aguni looks at you, finally meeting your eyes.

“I don’t need a courthouse to know I belong to you. I don’t need some stupid law to know I’ll love you both until I die.”

Your vision blurs.

Takeru takes his ring next, holding it in shaking fingers. He stares at it like it might vanish if he blinks too hard.

“You idiot,” he whispers. “You beautiful, dumb idiot.”

Aguni huffs a soft laugh, and it breaks halfway through like a sob.

“Why didn’t you just tell us?” you whisper.

“I didn’t want to ruin it,” he says, brokenly. “You’re both so good. You deserve better than some half-baked mess of a man who’s tired all the time and fucks up the one thing he’s good at.”

“You’re the only thing we want,” you say fiercely. “You… Just you.”

Takeru joins you, dropping to the floor and wrapping an arm around both of you.

“You didn’t ruin anything,” he says. “We just… missed you.”

Aguni leans into you both then, hard. His hands come up, gripping the backs of your shirts like a drowning man clutching driftwood. You press your face to his neck, Takeru’s forehead resting against his jaw, and the pieces start to feel like they fit again.

No ceremony. No altar. No marriage license.

Just three rings. Three hearts. Three people who chose each other again—even after the silence, the doubt, the distance.

You stay there a long time, wrapped around each other on the floor, breathing in sync like a single living thing. When you finally pull back, your hands are still laced together.

Aguni looks at you both, eyes glassy. “Happy anniversary.”

Takeru laughs through a sob. “Yeah. Happy anniversary, asshole.”

You smile wetly, sliding the ring onto your finger.

It fits perfectly.

Aguni watches you do it like he’s seeing it happen in a dream he doesn’t quite believe he deserves. His mouth parts slightly, but he doesn’t say anything—doesn’t need to. The look on his face says everything: you’re mine, and I’m yours, and I never want to forget this again.

Takeru’s hand finds yours as he slips on his ring too. You look at each other, misty-eyed, matching. Matching in ways that go deeper than jewellery. You feel it in your bones—the way you fit. The way all three of you were always meant to.

Aguni pulls you both in again, and this time, there’s no hesitation. No pulling away. No coldness.

Just warmth. Safety. That quiet, unshakeable sense of home.

He presses his forehead to yours, then Takeru’s, and closes his eyes.

“I love you,” he murmurs. “Both of you. So much it makes me stupid.”

“You’re already stupid,” Takeru says, voice thick. “But now at least you’re honest.”

You laugh, leaning your head against Aguni’s shoulder. He wraps an arm around you without thinking, the other sliding around Takeru’s waist.

It feels right again. Like you’re finally allowed to breathe in the same rhythm.

For a while, none of you move.

You’re content to stay tangled up on the floor, surrounded by the soft remnants of panic and relief, love and exhaustion, your legs cramping a little and none of it mattering because he came back. He never left—but now he’s back.

And then, Takeru ruins it in the most Takeru way possible.

“So,” he says, lifting his head, brows arched dramatically. “Now that the emotional trauma’s been addressed and we’ve exchanged overpriced symbols of our eternal devotion…”

You both turn to look at him.

Takeru grins.

“Can we all fuck now?”

You let out a startled laugh that turns into a snort, hiding your face in Aguni’s shirt. He groans into your hair, long-suffering but clearly amused.

Takeru presses a kiss to your cheek, then to Aguni’s jaw. “What? Don’t look at me like that. It’s been weeks. We’re in love and I’m still insanely horny.”

You peek up at Aguni, who’s shaking his head, trying not to smile. “You always know how to kill the moment.”

“I prefer revive,” Takeru says, climbing onto Aguni’s lap like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “Besides, isn’t this the part where we show our deep, heartfelt gratitude through some hot and nasty

group sex?”

Aguni sighs. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

“And wearing your ring,” Takeru adds, flashing it at him. “So technically, you’re stuck with me.”

You reach out, fingers brushing Aguni’s cheek, drawing his gaze back to you. “He’s not wrong, though.”

Aguni exhales slowly, his hand cupping the back of your head. His thumb strokes your jaw, slow and reverent.

“I missed you,” he says. “Every night. Even when I acted like I didn’t.”

You kiss him before he can say anything else. Soft, slow, full of everything that went unsaid for too long. And when you pull back, Takeru kisses him next—grinning as he does, but the smile fades into something sweeter as his fingers tangle in Aguni’s shirt.

“We’re still mad,” Takeru whispers against his lips. “But we’re willing to be convinced.”

Aguni finally laughs, quiet and rough. “Guess I better make it up to you.”

You smile, pressing your body against his other side. “We’ll give you a chance.”

Takeru tugs at your shirt. “Starting now, preferably.”

And just like that, the space between you closes.