#turns out the summer one isn't as fancy as the winter one i suppose

[elibeeline]

okay i double checked the photos from last year and the dress would've 100% been Too Much

[levbug]

𝐂𝐀𝐍'𝐓 𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐏 — 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐚 𝐫.

#pairing ー suna rintaro x gn! reader

#warnings ー nothing i think? best friends older brother! suna, which is a warning in of itself also, he knows.

#wc ー 1.3k

happy holidays everyone !!!

wandering the empty hallway of your best friend's insanely large house in the middle of the night was not a good idea. it didn't matter that you used to spend your free time as a child running down these halls, finding every nook and cranny, and squeezing yourself in it just to win another round of hide and seek; the house felt completely different at night. doors creaked as if they hadn't been oiled in centuries, floorboards squeaked beneath your feet, and strange shadows kept creeping up in the corner of your eye.

shuddering, you pull your cardigan tighter around you. despite being dressed in your warmest pajamas and thickest wool socks, the cold winter air still breezed past your garments and settled as an unshakeable chill deep in your bones. you'd think a house as fancy as this would at least have proper heating.

you squint as you navigate your way to the kitchen, your path is illuminated only by the twinkling christmas lights and dull streetlamps outside. one thing you had never gotten used to, even as a kid, was that the lights in the house were to be turned off by 9 o'clock, the only exception being if you were using the room. it was always a little silly in your opinion, but you respected the rule nonetheless. still, that didn't mean you hated it any less.

relief floods your being when you round the corner and see that the kitchen lights are on. good, someone else is awake too. you hurriedly scuttle towards the room, gasping when your sock-clad feet glide against the polished hardwood floors and you slide.

before you can fall, a hand shoots out and catches your wrist. "woah!" a familiar voice exclaims. "you okay there?"

embarrassment crawls through your being. "yes, thank you." you reply timidly, avoiding eye contact with the other person. slowly, you steady yourself with their assistance, shooting them a small, grimace-like smile when they ask you if you're sure you're okay. "i am, really. thank you."

"alright, just checking," he says, letting your wrist go. it isn't until he turns around that you allow yourself to look at him.

suna looks awfully different from the last time you saw him. maybe it was the fact that he recently just came back from college to visit home for the holidays, and he now he exudes an air of maturity that was foreign, yet befitting of him. or maybe it was because his hair is longer now, messy and disheveled and sticking up in different directions like arrowheads that can't decide where they wanna point. or maybe, you realize as suna now turns to face you, he just grew up.

long gone is the suna with cheeks filled with baby fat, the suna with a gummy smile and wobbly teeth. the boy who used to chase you and his sister around with snails and worms in hand and laughed when you would squeal in disgust. the boy who would talk endlessly about dinosaurs and robots, and how he wanted to be an astronaut so that he could take an alien from mars and keep him as a best friend. the boy who cried a river when he skinned his knee during a game of tag, and whose cries would only quieten if his mother bought him a character popsicle from the passing ice cream truck.

long gone is the boy.

instead, a man stood in front of you. a man who looked so familiar yet foreign at the same time. he was taller than you now, tall enough that you'd have to tilt your head up if you wanted to look him in the eye. his smile was more reserved, devoid of that childish glee it used to hold. he seemed to have gained confidence too: he no longer stood slouched, unsure of how to adjust to his sudden growth in height. suna was handsome now, and maybe he always had been, but you had never noticed because he was your best friend's brother.

maybe this change in him was the reason your heart was beating rapidly against your chest.when suna notices you staring, he smirks, the corners of his lips tugging upwards as dimples dig into the soft flesh of his cheeks. fortunately, he says nothing about it. "so," he says instead. "why are you up so late?"

"c-could ask you the same thing." your throat feels unnaturally dry, so you grab a clean glass from the counter and fill it with water. suna chuckles at your reply.

"never lost your wit, have you?" he asks, shooting you an amused smile from over his shoulder. it's then that you notice the twinkle in his eye. it's the same twinkle you used to see every time suna would receive a gift, like candy or toys. it comforts you to see that it hasn't diminished, that not everything about him has changed.

"suppose not," you respond dryly. inwardly cringing, you distract yourself by pouring yourself a cup of ice-cold water, the exact opposite of what you wanted. (you'd go heat some water, but the kettle is beside suna, and you're afraid to get too close to him.) swallowing thickly, you manage to ask, "uh, what about you? why are you awake?"

"me?" he hums, almost as if he wasn't expecting you to ask him. "ah well," he breathes out. "can't sleep. also, i remembered we still had cereal, and well, you know i could never resist." he adds, chuckling softly as he runs a hand through his hair.

you stifle a snort at his response by bringing the glass up to your lips. he seems tired, you realize. his movements are more sluggish and there's a slight drawl to his words. it's attractive on him. silence fills the air as you take a long gulp of water. you wince when the cold surface of the glass comes in contact with your lips, goosebumps rising on your arm when you swallow the cold liquid. from the corner of your eye, you can see suna staring at you with a thoughtful expression.

"you know," he says when you place your cup on the counter. "you haven't answered my question. why are you still awake?"

"uhm," you swallow thickly. "same reason as you, i guess. i couldn't sleep either."

"how come?" suna asks, stepping closer to you. the kitchen feels like it's getting smaller with each step he takes.

suna has never been shy, at least towards you. that fact is made apparent with how he keeps eye contact with you. it's the kind of eye contact that's uncomfortable, but you can't look away either.

"i-i've just had a lot on my mind," comes your breathless reply. he's closer to you now, close enough that if you wanted to, you could lean up and kiss his insanely soft-looking lips. but you don't.

the older boy hums, lips quirking up into a small smirk. "like what?"

warmth spreads across your cheeks. "things. l-like school, and stuff." you mentally curse yourself for your lame reply.

"really?" he leans down slightly, his face hovering just above yours. the warmth that radiates from him is comforting and intoxicating, and you want nothing more than to slam your lips against his.

"are you sure you haven't been thinking about someone?" his smirk widens into a knowing grin. it seems that your misfortune was the cause of his amusement.

before you can reply, suna pulls on the drawer just next to your thigh and pulls out a piece of silverware.

"heh," suna chuckles when he sees your mortified expression. "just needed a spoon." he smiles innocently as if he didn't just try to make your heart combust.

you watch, stunned to silence, as suna navigates his way through the kitchen and picks up his bowl of cereal.

"i'll see you around, (name). goodnight!" the boy waves his spoon at you. he doesn't even wait for you to register his words before he skips away gleefully.

when you come back to your senses, you slap your hand against your forehead. crap, you think to yourself, feeling the erratic beating of your heart against your rib cage.

suna rintaro left you feeling warmer than you've felt since summer that evening.