#where'd all the time go? this wasn't how he saw his future going.

[introspectivememories]

whenever i read a fic and shanks doesn't mention buggy even once it always feels soo ooc bc like what do you mean shanks isn't vibrating with the need to see buggy at all times??? at the very least, shanks should be thinking about buggy passively, if not actively. like buggy lives that man's mind rent fucking free. buggy should be charging appearance fees for how often shanks thinks of him. like all it would take is one (1) denden call, where buggy shaky voiced goes "shanks... please... i need you" and shanks would be hauling ass across the grand line to get to buggy

[empressgetou]

A LIFETIME

shinichiro x girlfriend reader

at the age of 25, shinichiro still feels like a highschooler whenever he's around y/n. he gets shy by the thought of her and sweats like buckets when she's near him. can y/n really blame him though, she is his greatest love or what he says.

today, however is just a bit extra for shin, he had thought about it for days. he thinks it's finally time for him to man up finally and propose to his one true love after all these years of being a wimp.

he couldn't even understand himself why he still feels this way towards her, they have known each other when they were still little kids and yet his feelings is just as the way it was since then. he was just too whipped.

it was any normal day in highschool, shin with his 3 trusted friends and y/n currently having their lunch at the rooftop.

"i'm definitely gonna ask that girl on a date in the other class." shin decided to break the glass earning snickers from his friends while y/n just listened to their conversation.

"that's literally the 20th girl you've tried to date over our highschool years. there's no way she's even going to talk to you." waka jumps into conclusion.

"one more strike and you're out man." takeomi added.

"graduation is just around the corner shin, who knows maybe after this, that girl s'gonna go somewhere far away or something, you never know." benkei reasoned.

"somewhere far away from him that's for sure." again, waka teased his friend and they all laughed again earning a pout from their leader.

"yeah, you laugh your hearts out idiots. i'm gonna be laughing at your face once she says yes. and besides i'm pretty confident about this one. just the other day, i saw a letter at my locker and i tell you man, she was their looking at me holding the letter. i'm sure it was her." that made y/n stiffened but pretended to be normal still eating her lunch.

"just because you saw her doesn't mean it was actually her who wrote you the letter."

"besides since when did you get letters anyway???"

"you guys are too much for me. leave a man and his future love blossom be alright? and duh it's not only you who receives letter waka!"

"so, where'd ya wanna go after shin?"

"ahh... sorry y/n i thought well maybe you should go home first?"

"hmm, why– oh you guys having a meeting? i could wait for you."

"uhmm actually i was going to meet maya, you're classmate, who sent me letters, you remember?"

yeah, no that wasn't maya who sent the letters. she thought.

little to shinichiro's knowing, those letters were actually from y/n. well y/n isn't going to tell him that sooner, she just recently realized that she have feelings for his best friend. for years of being in denial, she finally accepted how she truly feels. but like an idiot he is, he thought it was someone else's letter of confession for him.

"uhuh yeah that girl hehe. okay, i'll see you later?"

"uhmm then after that i'm also having a meeting with the guys, sooo tomorrow?" he sheepishly said rubbing the back of his neck.

"oh yeah it's cool. it's the weekend anyway, i'll bring dorayaki for manjirou." she says sweetly and bid her goodbyes.

"you can take care of yourself on the way home right?" he asked worriedly and catches up to her holding her elbows that sparked her heart with the sudden touch.

"mmm yeah, i'll be fine. s'not like i'm gonna get in trouble while walking or anything." they both laughed.

"sure. i'll see you tomorrow. text me when you got home, sweet!"

"i will! and tell me all about your date after!"

y/n went to get ice cream before she sulked into her bedroom at home and when she's about to turn into their street she heard some thugs calling out to her.

"hey you!" she whipped her head to where the noises of bikes came from.

"you're with that black dragons leader?" asked the man who seems to be annoyed and is with a few bunch of men behind him giving lustful looks that made y/n cringe at that sight.

is he tryin to insult me? if i were shin's girlfriend, i wouldve cried myself out every time. she thought pasting an annoyed look to the guy.

"yeah no, if i were, i would've told everybody i met on the streets"

"fiesty one eh, boys? that's what we like, a little challenge." they all snickered.

she was about to go on her way when she was pulled back suddenly by the man making her look up to him.

"it's best if you release me before i do something unbearable to you." making her glare at him and made the men bursted into laughter as if they were being threatened by a kitten.

he was about tighten his grip onto her when a loud roar of engine was heard and stopped right in front of them.

she saw a familiarity of the wheels and a figure of a man, who looks exactly like her in male version, got out of it making her sigh thinking it'll be a full of scolding later back at their home.

"why don't you scumbags scram before i crack your heads?"

the man holding the woman seemed to saw the tattoo by the neck of the man who just parked.

"it's a red spider lily gang." whispered the other men at the back.

"let's go." he unhanded his grip onto the woman and ran to his bike and drove away without looking back.

when they were out of sight y/n look back at him again only to see meet his glare towards her.

"get in the car." said the man, his brother called out and without any other word she went inside and went home.

the next day, y/n found herself walking up to her neighbors house. holding a few snacks which is mostly dorayaki and few strawberry flavored juices for the kids, specially mikey since he's a hungry kid.

stepping up inside their gates she heard a few voices by the dojo hall, she then went straight ahead and jirou, keisuke, and emma already seeing her figure making them shout.

"y/n you're here!"

"hiii y/n!"

"y/n did you bring dorayaki?"

she smiled and greeted the kids back as well as grampa who is busy teaching the other kids.

"is shin here?" she asked curiously not seeing the teen inside the dojo.

"he's probably in the garage again ditching my class." grampa grumbled.

she bid them goodbye as soon as possible since she doesn't want to bother their class and went to the garage. nearing the location she can already hear a frustrated clanking of the tools.

"keep that up and you're gonna ruin it." her sudden voice was heard making shin jump to surprise and whipping his head at the back making y/n giggle.

ah that laugh. he thought.

"watcha doing?" leaning to his side a little too close making shinichiro a but weird to his feeling.

"a-ah. you know just tampering here and there hehe." rubbing his nape

"or maybe sulking?" she teases.

"hey! yesterday was actually embarrassing you know! she told me it wasn't even her who sent me those letters."

"maybe because it was actually another person and you just assumed it was her." she suggested.

silence.

"are you suggesting that you knew who sent me those?"

"well i kinda have an idea who might be."

he stopped working and raises his head towards her urging her to continue.

"it was. it was me." she whispered so quietly just enough for the both of them could hear.

and now 7 years have gone by and shinichiro and y/n's relationship had never been better. emma, baji, and manjirou are already in highschool and has formed a gang, and their friends come by at their house every time.

he also met izana along the way and convinced him to stay and is now living with them for almost 3 years now. shin already retired from being a black dragon's leader but is still famous and well respected around. he already put up his motorcycle shop just around the block and is doing pretty good.

shinichiro would initiate to have a day out or a trip to the beach once every month and ends up everyone going with them. the girls are pretty close with y/n considering the girls either don't have an older sister, is the only girl or the youngest in their families. the boys too are head over heels for her making shin envy most of the time since she give attention more to the high school kids rather than him.

it's true that it was stressing managing to have a day out since y/n has to take care of some babies with him (mainly shinichiro ft. manjirou and izana bantering every now and then) but at the end of the day she would be looking at them happily and delightedly since they get to bond with everyone.

now back to their house, everyone is excited. emma and hinata are in charge of the food in the kitchen. yuzuha, senju, luna, and mana on the decorations.

mitsuya and draken on the grill outside and the others are just being a nuisance honestly. rindou on the other side of the house preparing for the music to be played later while his brother and their friends tryna distract him.

takeomi, waka, and benkei already started their drinking session but not too much for them to get drunk for later's main event.

shinichiro already instructed baji and was on his was to fetch y/n from the mall around 10 minutes ago. baji was told to act as if izana and mikey fighting again and ruined their beloved kitchen that made y/n worry.

shin looking at his surrounding seeing everyone having fun and getting ready for everything they needed swells his heart. he had been preparing for her birthday, he wouldn't let anything ruin this perfect day now. all he has to do now is actually prepare himself.

hearing a loud roar of engine signals baji and y/n's arrival making everyone stop what they were doing and going into their places switching off all the lights.

manjirou and izana can be seen outside because of the moon's shining, holding each others neck as if they were to kill each other at any point.

"guys seriously, i don't wanna deal with this right now. why don't we head inside and sort this out." y/n already annoyed and separated the two and proceeds inside the house.

darkness was the first thing she sees and nagged the three boys again.

"if the kitchen were burning why did you actually even bother to switch the light off and where's grampa?" already smelling the burnt food that emma had to prepare to make it believable.

she was about to flip the switch on when they all shouted.

"happy birthday y/n!!!"

"surprise!!!"

shock was all over her face and before she could utter a word, luna and mana already walking towards her with a cake in their hands that says, "happy birthday and congratulations y/n and shin!" that made her confused.

"huh?" looking around for her lover who was already kneeling behind her. surprised and her eyes are on the verge of tears at this point.

"make sure you make it short! we're already starving here!" manjirou butted in that made everyone laughing while shinichiro just ignored not letting him ruin his mood and proceeded his speech.

"to be honest, i'm really nervous that i already forgot what was i supposed to say here." staring into her eyes that earned a few chuckle from her and the others.

"y/n i never would've thought that my best friend since i was a kid would end up being my girlfriend as of today. i was always looking for a missing piece not knowing it was you all along that completes me. i'm thankful for you, for being there for me, by my side, supporting me, and helping me whenever i need. for always patching me up whenever i'm covered in bruises, but you scolding me is much more painful than those bruises i earned. y/n you are the love of my life, and because of you, you made my life a living fairy tale in this world full of nightmares and i'm talking about those two boys." he stopped for a moment and looked at his two brothers and they all snickered.

"y/n i promise to love you a bit more every single day of my life and take care of you and our family. it sounds cliché, but i want to spend the rest of my sunrise and sunsets with you, if you'd let me... y/n, sweetheart, the love of my life. will you mar-"

"yess!!! oh my god yesss!!" she hugged him while he was still kneeling making them plop down.

"you didn't even let me finished" they both laughed.

"i couldn't wait any longer. i will marry you shin." she smiled so sweetly and shinichiro insert the ring that fitted perfectly into her finger.

everyone clapped, shouted congratulations to the couple and confetti's popped all over the places. she look all over the place and saw grandpa sano and y/n's family in the back also mingling and clapping for both of them.

the three teenage sano's went forward and hugged them both tight congratulating and teasing their older brother making y/n laughed.

they both sure do have a lifetime to spend this fairy tale of a life with their little nightmares.

masterlist

[dzamie-oc]

Voretober 09 - Wheel

what the hell am I supposed to do with "wheel"

Length: 1600 words Vore type: Oral vore, unwilling prey, F/M Fandom: None Other info: snake/anthro, digestion as threat Summary: A fox on the run finds a fortuitous hiding spot, and the snake in it is very friendly! Surely nothing will go wrong.

David vaulted over a fallen log, then took a tight left around a boulder, using his fluffy to counterbalance, before using it to leap across a stream. His pursuer may have been faster than him, but he knew these woods like the back of his hand. Unfortunately, that didn't mean the fox could keep it up forever, or even lose his tracker; he'd have to settle on a hiding place, but all the trees took too long to climb, the bushes were too thin, and the stream was simply too slow. Running mostly on autopilot, his limbs carried him over and around what David hoped would be a tough route to follow, while he searched his memory and sight for a big enough tree or log hollow, a cave, anything.

A looming, black shape grabbed his attention; without a better plan, David swung his arm around a thin tree and beelined for… a huge tire, laying across one of the forest's tourism nature trails. The fox inwardly grimaced at the sign of heavy industrial equipment, but decided it was ultimately a boon: worrying about future development would have to wait for him to know that his future would even exist. After one last peek over his shoulder, checking if his pursuer, and thus he, could be easily seen, David dove into the middle of the tire and shimmied into its cavity. Opaque, relatively small, and granting him shadow to hide in, a fantastic stroke of luck.

"Gah! Woah, where'd you come from?" At the new voice, David's heart thundered. Luckily, he didn't recognize it, so he at least knew who it wasn't.

Still, the fox looked around for the source, hesitant to speak up, just in case. On the slightly sunnier side of the tire, he caught the shimmer of mottled, brown scales, and as his eyes adjusted to the shade, he saw more and more of the stranger. A long snake coiled over and around herself, only barely encircled by the massive tire, with her head resting about a third of the way around from him. Scales slid against scales as she drew closer, keen curiosity in her bright yellow eyes.

This time, it was intimidation, not fear of discovery, that stayed David's tongue, so the snake flickered hers and tried again. "Not that I mind company, but I was in the middle of a nap…" she said, then turned her head to yawn; Her lower jaw wiggled back and forth before returning to normal at the end. "…hello? Foxy?"

Realizing that she expected him to speak, David finally found his voice. "I… I'm hiding from someone. I don't know for certain what will happen, but I really, really don't want to be caught." A thought struck him, and he consulted his mental map of the forest. "Has this tire been here long? I don't remember it when I passed by a few days ago."

"Oh, it's mine. A portable hide, and one not out of place nearly anywhere!" The snake tapped her head affectionately against the inner rubber. "It took a bit to learn how to roll in it, but well worth it!"

The fox sighed, relieved. "So there aren't plans to destroy this forest. Good."

"Nope, just a wandering snake. Fiona, by the way, amateur story collector."

"Huh?"

"My name. Since I figure we'll be close for a bit," Fiona replied.

"Right, sorry. I'm David… just a fox." Something piqued his curiosity. "What do you mean, story collector?"

Fiona's eyes gleamed. "I'm glad you asked! After all, it's the reason I'm even in this thing! Lay back, let me elucidate." David did so, shimmying back against several lengths of her scaly body. His paws found a convenient gap to tuck into, and then the snake continued:

"Nearly since I hatched, I loved hearing about stuff other people did - incredible sights my siblings saw, improbable battles, tales of creatures I never even thought could exist! I did what I could to remember them and retell them for my younger siblings, or those who simply weren't there to hear at the time."

A comforting pressure crept up David's ankles. "That… if you don't mind me saying, that sounds pretty normal so far."

"It was! But eventually, I realized that different creatures and people have different life stories to tell, and I'd get comparatively nowhere just by staying around where I grew up." Fiona's head drifted from one side of the tire to the other, and David's gaze followed.

"So you decided to travel and found the tire?"

The snake laughed. "Oh, no, this was only a few months ago. I started by just slithering around." As though demonstrating, her entire body shifted and undulated against itself, covering more of David's body; he thought perhaps he ought to be concerned, but he wanted to hear Fiona tell her story. "But I did decide to travel! Forests, villages, a couple streams, so many different people with so many life stories to tell. A recent favorite of mine is a bunny girl whose life story was the time she scammed a human out of two entire caskets of wi- oop, shush!"

With a blur of movement, Fiona's coils covered David completely; he was about to shout and try to free himself when, instead, he heard very familiar footsteps. Hidden so completely by the snake's body, it was only his ears that truly picked up the person he was trying so hard to avoid. Raggedy breathing, the slam of paws on rubber, and a low growl; the fox could only pray that Fiona was the only one visible. After far too much time to be comfortable, the breathing grew quieter, as did angry, heavy footsteps.

Finally, a few lengths of her scaly body parted, letting him see again. In front of him was a smiling snake, yellow eyes bright and mirthful, clearly trying her best not to laugh. Looking at her, he found it tempting to join in - but wouldn't dare having just escaped disaster. Once again, Fiona was the first to speak, in a hissing whisper, "his entire head was bright pink!"

David grinned back and nodded. "Yeah, we're not exactly friends. Now, I wouldn't kill him, but I don't know if he'd extend the same courtesy."

"Clearly. Oh, speaking of which, would you like to know why I said the bunny thing was her life story, even though it was just a day? I've got two reasons."

The fox hummed. "Is one of them philosophical, like it's a representation of their personality in just one story?"

Fiona giggled, bringing a smile to David's muzzle. "Kind of! It's more that they're all unique, at least in how they're told if not what actually happens in there. Like lives! I like your idea, though."

In spite of himself, David felt himself blush at the compliment; he told himself it was just because he was laying down that his face grew so easily hot. "Thanks, Fiona. You said two, though? What's the second?"

"I'm glad you asked!"

The serpentine smile before him vanished, instead transforming into a wide, fleshy maw, glistening with drool. David tried to pull back, but of course, her body was all around him, and there was nothing he could do as pink filled his vision, then black, as she swallowed his muzzle and head in just a few gulps. The fox tried his best to push her off, but not only did her scaly body keep his from moving too much, it even tightened when he struggled! With her throat holding his mouth closed, the closest he could manage to a cry for help was a frantic moan, one muffled by her jaws and the tire. Of course, even without it, the two of them had put so much effort into being unheard that David was certain nobody around would have been able to hear him, anyway.

Around his shoulders, the heat and wetness of Fiona's mouth replaced her cooler, dry scales. When David focused - and he tried not to - he felt her throat expand and contract, allowing her to work her way down his body. His chest and midsection were next to go, leaving his arms pinned only by her gullet, rather than her coils, not that that was any help, as a few futile struggles soon proved. As she approached his waist, part of the fox was still in denial: surely she was far too thin a snake to fit him? Clearly, Fiona would have to give up eventually. But as a discomforting dampness and pressure slipped over his hips and down his thighs, that fantasy grew weaker and weaker.

With her maw at his knees, David found the pressure around his head lessen. The air grew more acrid, but her body wasn't as tight so deep. He tried shouting for help, just in case, right before her mouth closed after his paws, sealing his doom. From there, he could do little more than wait while her body squeezed the rest of his into her stomach. The fox's eyes stung, but no tears came. And then, with her throat clear once more, the snake addressed him once more.

"You're handling this well. Anyway, more practically, I call them life stories because they're given in exchange for life!" The pep in Fiona's voice carried a far more menacing quality from the inside of her stomach, David found. "So, mister "just a fox," unless you want to take care of my lunches for the next couple weeks, I can't wait to hear yours!"

[toasty-death]

Do you recognize this?

Original Fiction.

Summary: Three vagrants prepare to jump onto a train to their next destination, what they find there may change their future.

Word Count: 504

Category: Short story fiction

 I could hear the sound of the train over the hills in the distance, it was probably close to noon at this point. In another 20 minutes it would be around the bend, and that would be our time to jump on. We've always lived this way, travelling from one place to the next. Doesn't matter if it was by train, boat, hitch hiking, or just walking. We've always been on our own since we were little; me, Tinker, and Ghost. We get by, and travel on our own terms. 

We were posted up in the woods with a clearing where the railroad tracks ran through it. We got here not too long ago, and we were in a hurry because Ghost had gotten caught stealing again, so we had to move. "I'm telling you it wasn't my fault, how was I supposed to know that the guy with sunglasses was a cop?" Ghost was complaining to Tinker, he just stood there with his arms crossed and the same look on his face that said "Really?" "Hey, trains coming, be ready." I wanted to make sure they weren't going to miss the chance to jump. "No shit Diver, we hear it." Tinker was a man of few words.

The train moved on by, we waited until we saw the empty cars and jumped on together. Before we knew it, we were leaving this shit hole town. A few hours passed by so we made ourselves at home in the car. Tinker was messing around with some stuff he found in a box, he always enjoyed seeing what he could make with the shit he found, hence his name. Ghost was asleep against a crate, and I was just sitting by the car door watching the scenery pass us by. 

Another couple of minutes passed by and Tinker walks up to me. "Do you recognize this?" He held out an odd blue sphere that looked like it was made of glass. "Can't say that I do, where'd you find it?" It was roughly about the size of a ping pong ball, it's probably an ornament of some sort. "I found it over in this sealed box, had to smash the lock to get it open. This was the only thing inside." He pointed over to the aforementioned box, he did more than just smash the lock open. He destroyed the thing. 

Suddenly, the glass ball begins to glow a bright blue color. "Shit!" Tinker drops the ball immediately; it makes a loud noise as it hits the floor, waking Ghost up. All three of us were caught in the glimpse of the light, transfixed on its glow. We edged in closer until we formed a small circle around it. "Is... it getting brighter?" Ghosts face was fixed to the light, her mouth agape. The light was definitely getting brighter, but I couldn't find it in myself to look away. 

The next thing we know, there's a flash of light. Everything goes white, and then darkness. 

[writtenjewels]

Hot Coffee

Day One of Hope-Tober (Yes I know it's for October but I'd rather not be constrained by the month)

Conrad did not want to open his eyes, but his pounding headache wouldn't let him continue sleeping. Why was the sun always so bright in the mornings? He groaned and lifted a hand to shield himself from the light. There was some movement outside his room. It confused him: he was pretty sure he lived alone. But no, that was definitely someone messing around in his kitchen.

He forced himself to his feet and opened the door to investigate. He was greeted by the scent of coffee. A few more steps into the room showed him Alex pulling out mugs from a cabinet. Conrad stood frozen, waiting for his brain to work around the headache so he could remember why his future brother-in-law was here. Alex turned and noticed him.

“Hey, I was just about to check on you.”

“Uhh.” Conrad massaged his forehead and shut his eyes tight to block out the light while he worked it out. He had invited Alex out on a night of drinks. He wasn't sure how they got from the bar to his apartment, though.

“Hope it's okay that I helped myself,” Alex went on, indicating the coffee currently brewing.

“Nah, of course not,” Conrad assured him with an easy smile. The response was automatic after so many years of practice. “You're practically family, after all. And I could use some of that coffee right about now.”

“Actually, you're drinking this.” Alex held out a bottle of Gatorade. “You need to get your electrolytes back.” Conrad stared at the Gatorade skeptically. He never heard of a sports drink being used as a cure for hangovers before. But then he breathed in some of the coffee scent and his stomach churned in protest. Fine, he'd take the sports drink.

“Thanks, doc,” he quipped. “What else is on the menu?”

“Chicken soup.”

“Where'd you get your degree again?” Conrad teased. “I'm hungover, not sick. How about frying up some bacon?”

“Greasy food's not really good for you in this state,” Alex lectured. “What you need are carbs, and the chicken broth will be bland enough for your stomach to tolerate.”

“Come on, are you serious?” Conrad cracked a little smile. “What am I, a little kid staying home from school with a cold?” Alex did not look amused. Conrad made his smile wider and cranked things up. “I'm all for mixing things up a little-- sure, Gatorade for breakfast, why not-- but bacon and eggs are a classic.”

Usually by this point most people would roll their eyes and go along with him, an indulgent smile on their faces. Alex was as stern as ever and only broke eye contact to pour himself a cup of coffee.

“You might not remember this,” he began gently, “but I drove you to your apartment. I felt really guilty about letting you drink so much and I was worried about you, so I stayed to make sure you were okay.”

“As you can see, I'm fine.” Conrad found the sofa and leaned against it, keeping that smile on his face. The one that projected a sense of ease and relaxation. He let it slip when he saw it wasn't working on Alex. It was a little unsettling; Conrad couldn't remember the last time this tactic failed him. “You're not my nurse so it's not like you can tell me what to do anyway,” Conrad snapped, pushing his way into the kitchen and grabbing a mug.

“Who can tell you what to do, then? Jenny May?” Conrad's hand knocked against the coffee kettle, spilling the hot drink everywhere. He barely managed not to scald himself. “You're a very chatty drunk,” Alex told him, offering a cloth to clean up the spill.

“Well, sure, I'm a chatty guy. I love talking to people. But you should know not to take anything a drunk person says seriously, Alex.” Conrad started mopping up the coffee, avoiding looking Alex in the eye. “They just make up all sorts of nonsense. And obviously if I'm the drunk person, you take whatever it is even less seriously. You should actually think about taking things less seriously in general. Being a nurse is a stressful job; you gotta relax when you can.”

“It's okay,” Alex soothed him. He knelt down and helped finish cleaning up. “I have nightmares about it all the time. So does Brad, and Julia. It's okay to not be over it.”

Conrad squeezed the cloth so tight the coffee he just mopped up ran between his fingers. It wasn't okay. He was the guy who put everyone in a good mood, who told the jokes, who made the party plans. From the moment they got off that ship he tried desperately to keep smiling, to make it all slide off his back and have another beer with his friends. Good old Conrad: you could always count on him to lighten things up. And if he couldn't, what was left?

“It's okay,” Alex soothed him. Conrad was shaking and his face was wet. Shit, was he crying? “I'll make more coffee,” Alex offered. Somehow his tone made it sound normal, like he didn't just make some and Conrad didn't spill it everywhere.

Conrad took a moment to compose himself. He wiped his face and tossed the coffee-soaked cloth into the kitchen sink.

“You know something, Alex?” This time his voice didn't carry the usual joking tone. “You're going to be a great nurse.”

[nuoyipeach]

Her

Nine; Déjà Vu

Nakamoto Yuta X Park Sooyoung

tags: @yutahoes

"Never thought I'd see the day Nakamoto Yuta wanted to go out in the forest. Let alone for camping." Seulgi chuckled watching the two men pack things into Taeyong's car. Yuta simply smiled continuing his task, his eyes watching the way Sooyoung stood anxiously next to her friend.

"Is it safe?" she mumbled to Seulgi, who only took her hand and replied with a smile.

"We've been there before, few weeks before your accident actually. You loved it. Maybe it'll help you catch up on something."

Yuta only prayed Seulgi's words would come true.

The four drove off in one car, four sleeping bags, two tents, and a box of food supplies. They played music, but mostly remained quiet.

Without the life of the party, there wasn't much to talk about.

They soon arrived and decided to set up their sitting area first, Taeyong even bringing a small mock fireplace (which they all wondered where'd he got from). The women helped set up the picnic while the men set up the tents, laughing every time one of them keep hitting themselves with the extensions.

Throughout the whole time, they all took notice of Sooyoung's behaviour. She seemed to have been enjoying herself, but they could tell nothing was hinting any memory in her.

"Let's eat. Then we can go for a forest walk." Taeyong suggested as he took out ramen. They cooked and ate, talking and laughing as well.

But again, Sooyoung felt out of place.

Unlike planned, Taeyong fell asleep right after eating much to his girlfriend's dismay. "Sooyoung let's go walk, can't get anything done with this potato." Seulgi said rolling her eyes at her boyfriend's body. The two went ahead, leaving Yuta to walk on his own.

Hoping Seulgi remembered his plan.

"So you want me to walk her, then send her in your direction? How's that gonna help?"

"I can't say for sure it'll work, but... Something happened between us during the picnic, and-"

"Is that why you became awkward? What happened?"

"None of your concern, I'll tell you later, but I want to try recreating that moment and see if it'll click anything in her."

Just like last time, Yuta laid down in the grass in the same place as before, even in the same posture. And soon smiled hearing footsteps nearing.

"Uhm, Yuta..." he opened his eyes and turned his head towards the person. "Seulgi went back for something, can I sit with you?"

Gulping, he laid his arm out motioning her to come, hoping she wouldn't get creeped out. When she simply stared, he sat up and patted the spot next to him. Sooyoung sat, hugging her knees to herself and stared into space.

"You know, we sat here last time too." Yuta spoke, and she turned to see him smile staring at the sky. "Technically laying down, I was here taking a nap, and you came because you for sick of the two's cuddling session. You laid down next to me, on my arm, and asked me something."

He now looked down at his feet stretched out, a sullen look this time. Curiosity got the best of her and Sooyoung finally responded.

"What did I ask?"

Yuta turned to her with a smile again, thankful she's catching up, and brushed some hair back behind her ear.

"You asked if I feared the near future, if I was scared I would die without accomplishing anything."

Finally, she smiled. "You must've been living a reckless life for me to question it." she joked, much to Yuta's relief.

He looked back in front at the trees. "That might be true, but it wasn't why you asked. You were scared of something, you wanted to talk it out with someone so I listened."

"What was I scared of?"

He looked back at her, smile gone again. "You were scared if you'd die unloved. That anything could happen any second, and you'd die without having a man truly love you. I remember pointing out how many guys at university were at your feet, but you hated them because they only saw you for being... sexy."

Gasping, Sooyoung hit his arm. "Hey! Your words, not mine!" Yuta responded rubbing the spot she hit.

She sulked and looked away, when her face suddenly changed into a more sullen expression. Yuta noticed, and hoped she was remembering something. Which she did, not exactly what he hoped, but something that could help.

"Junseo... I don't understand why he's my boyfriend sometimes. Hearing myself from you guys and him, I feel like it's two completely different stories, and I don't know who to believe. But, whenever we go out, it feels like he's only taking me to show off... He makes me wear uncomfortable outfits to places they don't even suite, and I get those are my own clothes, but I don't think I'd wear a low neck top to the grocery store, would I?" she turned to him, and he shook his head.

She sighed looking down, tears welling up in her eyes. "Why did that happen to me? I wish I didn't lose my memory..."

She felt his hand hold hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "It's not your fault that happened. I just wish we didn't have to fall through the window like that, I should've held us better."

Her eyes widened, and she looked at him, both shock and confusion all over her face. "What do you mean?"

Yuta was confused by her reaction, but explained. "Well, we could've avoided falling out of the window if I had held onto the wall instead of losing balance. The explosion just shocked me and I fell out, and you were holding me so you came down with me. Thankfully Taeyong used himself to break our fall, and you were on top so you didn't get too hurt."

He watched her, and she suddenly shook her head. "That's... that's not what Junseo said... He said I fell down the stairs, and he carried me out..."

Yuta scoffed, "Why am I not surprised..."

"What..."

This time he held both her hands. "You're smart and an incredible friend, a great listener. You're fun, but you know boundaries most people disregard. You're logical, philosophical, clever, straight about your feelings, you speak out when you're uncomfortable, and that takes strength. You're strong. You hate to hear being called sexy, before and even now, but they don't see you the way I do. In my eyes, you're the most beautiful woman."

Sooyoung sat still, confused by his sudden speech. His hands then held her shoulder and brought her closer.

"I promised not to tell you, because you're still recovering and it might affect you since this is how you moved on. But Junseo was never your boyfriend. And I'm sorry for what I'm about to do, but I'm only hoping it brings you back."

[join-the-joywrite]

Take my hand (take my whole life too)

"We played the Oprheum!"

The bouncing hug only lasted a second or two. While the boys regained a significant amount of lost strength, Julie's was slowly dwindling. She was, after all, only human and was out of home way later than usual. Her own internal clock seemed to be screaming at her to at least sit down.

Instead, she went down with the boys as her foot caught on a cable and she stumbled to the floor.

Alex made for a soft landing, one for which her apology was littered with giggles. Alex didn't mind. The slight pain was welcome in comparison to Caleb's jolts. Not to mention, he'd wanted to hug Julie ever since she cried during her not-so-private performance of her mother's song weeks ago. So he lay on the floor and squished Julie tight, only bringing forth more giggles.

"Hey, my turn!" Reggie yelled, rolling over and dropping himself half on Julie, fully on Alex.

"Oof," Luke commented, "that looks like it hurt."

"It did," Alex wheezed, adjusting himself to get used to the additional weight.

As one, all three of them held out an arm to Luke, who didn't hesitate to scoot closer and join the cuddle pile. Head on Alex's shoulder, he was right in front of Julie. He gave her a smile that, had she been standing, would've probably made her lose her balance. She gave him one back.

"I like this," Reggie murmured contentedly, closing his eyes.

"Yeah," Julie agreed, relishing in the fact that she could finally hug her boys, "me too."

They stayed like that for a moment before Alex sat up with great difficulty, sending them all tumbling. "You're all very heavy," he stated by way of explaining.

Julie chuckled and moved to stand up. Luke and Reggie grabbed one of her arms each.

"Stay," both whined. Reggie continued with a grin. "I promise I can be a soft pillow for you."

"I'd love to, honestly, but Carlos is waiting for me. He wanted to talk to me and. . ."

"Fine," Reggie huffed, "but just know that I'm feeling incredibly hurt right now."

Julie ruffled his hair, grinning when he closed his eyes and smiled under her touch. "There's always tomorrow."

Still, all three of them pouted when Julie stood up and righted her clothes.

"I'll see you guys in the morning," she said before walking to the doors. She paused just before closing it. "Thank you, guys."

Alex gave her a wave. Luke smiled at her with a dopey expression. Reggie continued to pout.

Julie bounded up the pathway, gait as giddy as her smile. Carlos was waiting for her in the living room.

"Hey," she said, joining him on the couch.

"Hey."

"Whatcha got there?" she asked, nodding to the paper Carlos' hands were clamped around. "Another French dip recipe?"

Carlos shook his head. "You know what this is."

"I . . . really don't."

"Your band! They're--!" Carlos stopped and glanced around looking for their father. He leaned across the vouch and whispered to Julie with wide eyes, "ghosts."

Julie forced a laugh. "What? No, don't be silly, there's no such thing as ghosts."

Carlos lifted his eyebrows. "Okay, then explain this."

Julie picked up the little black and blue page Carlos tossed to the middle of the couch, recognising it as a CD insert. For Sunset Curve. Julie's own eyebrows lifted slightly, but she continued to pretend like she hadn't a clue what was happening. Then she turned it over and knew the jig was up. Staring up at her was all four members of Sunset Curve. Trevor, or Bobby, sure looked different when he was younger.

"They're just lookalikes--"

"I'd believe you if they were here and we could touch them."

The idea of being able to hold and hug her bandmates brought a warm smile back to Julie's face. She quickly wiped it off and shook her head. "Where'd you even find this?"

"In the box with the French dip recipe."

"Ah."

Carlos suddenly looked around wildly. Julie looked around too.

"What? What happened? What are we looking for?"

"Are they here?"

"What? No, they're in the garage--"

"Aha!" Carlos grinned and folded his arms. "You're a terrible liar, Jules."

"Wh-- I am not!"

"You are, though."

Julie jumped slightly and moved away from Reggie. Carlos noticed and immediately turned his gaze where Julie looked. "Are they here now? Tell them I say hello!"

Julie rolled her eyes. "They can hear you, dork -- and it's just Reggie."

"Tell him that I say hello."

"Reggie says hello," Julie said, heaving a resigned sigh. "What are you doing here? I told you I'd see you in the morning."

"I knew it," Carlos whispered to himself as he watched his sister talk to thin air. She looked, in all honesty, a bit insane, but at least he knew he was right about the ghosts. "So how does the ghost thing even work? How come I can't see him now, but we can all see them when you play?"

Julie whipped her head from Reggie to Carlos. "It -- I'll explain it all tomorrow, okay? It's been a long day. Reggie, go back to the studio. Carlos, to bed. It's late."

"All right," Carlos grumbled, sliding off the couch. He paused at the stairs and glanced back to see Julie scolding nothing. He hoped he'd get to officially met the guys. Julie made them seem fun.

"All right, little man, what do you wanna hear?"

Julie repeated the question to Carlos, letting him know that it was Reggie who asked.

Carlos thought for a moment. "I like the song you were singing before you got back into the music program."

"Oh, that's not our song, that -- that--"

"No, it's okay," Luke said, "I'm sure we can work something out."

"I -- okay."

Carlos sat down on the couch, almost bouncing with excitement as Julie took a seat behind the piano. The melody she played wasn't loud and energetic like their usual songs. It was quiet and gentle. Even when the band kicked in, they were much softer than usual. Julie hummed along where the words should be so that Carlos could easily speak to the boys.

"I'm--"

"Wait!" Carlos said, jumping off the couch, cutting Luke off. "I'm gonna guess based on what Julie says about you."

"You talk about us?" Luke asked with a teasing grin.

Julie hit a particularly furious note. "Shut up."

"Luke, Reggie and Alex," Carlos said, pointing to the correct band member as he went.

"Nice, little man!"

"This is so cool," Carlos whispered, eyes widening when Reggie paused playing and knelt down for Carlos to stick his hand through Reggie's arm. "Woah."

The band noticed that they were very intangible to Carlos.

Luke was only slightly disappointed when Carlos chose to focus his attention on Alex next.

"I like your hoodie."

"Thanks," Alex said, beaming. "Here, you wanna try?"

"Nah, I don't play music . . . okay, maybe a little."

Julie laughed softly as she watched Alex stand and then point where Carlos should hit. To keep them from disappearing, she continued the piano. Luke kept up with his guitar, grinning at her all the while. Their little musical conversation didn't go unnoticed by Reggie and Alex, who shared a knowing glance before Carlos grabbed Alex's attention.

"Have you ever accidentally stabbed your drums through with the sticks?"

"No, and please do not do that. We have no idea what it costs to repair dead instruments."

Carlos handed the drumsticks back to Alex and hopped off the chair. He stood in front of Luke, who knelt down as Reggie had done.

"So. You're the one my sister has a crush on."

"Carlos!" Jullie yelled, standing up and slamming down about five wrong keys.

"It was nice meeting you," Carlos yelled as he fled the garage.

With her face burning, Julie chased him down.

Alex and Reggie did their best not to laugh. They really did. But the shell-shocked look on Luke's face was hilarious. Even the withering glare Luke sent them didn't help quieten their laughter.

Up in the house, Ray Molina thought he was about to witness a wrestling match. "Julie! What are you doing?"

Julie, who suddenly realised there was no way to explain why she was attacking Carlos without either sounding like a lunatic or exposing the phantoms to her father, slowly slid down to the ground.

Carlos sat up on the couch. "Julie has a crush on Luke! Julie has a crush on Luke! Julie has a--"

"Oh, that is it!"

Perplexed, Ray watched Julie spring back on the couch with a war cry, followed by a pained, "How could you say that in front of him?!"

"Who's Luke?"

Carlos, seemingly determined to ruin Julie's life, broke out from her seeking arms and grinned at Ray. "The beanie boy in her little boyband--"

"CARLOS!"

"Julie," Ray said, a playful warning edge creeping into his voice as he folded his arms, "is there something you want to talk about?"

"No! Not at all! Excuse me, I have to go, um, rehearse!"

"Rehearse?" Ray exchanged an amused grin with Carlos. "What for?"

"Uh, future gigs? You know, since we played the Orpheum, we might get like a ton of calls and -- oh, like this, see?" As Julie held up her phone, both Ray and Carlos saw Flynn's name, but both decided to give Julie a small reprieve. In the meantime, Carlos could fill Ray in about this little crush business.

"You are not going to believe what just happened," Julie said, taking the stairs two at a time. "I took Carlos down to the garage to meet the guys, you know, 'cause he figured them out and he wanted to meet them, but then he told Luke I have a crush on him and I ended up chasing Carlos back to the house 'cause I didn't want to stay in the garage with Luke -- and Alex and Reggie -- and then my dad caught us fighting on the couch and then Carlos told my dad that I have a crush on Luke and my life is over!"

Flynn took a moment to respond. "Well . . . it's not like he's wrong, is he?"

"Flynn!" The wail that Julie threw into her pillow as she face planted her bed was equal parts betrayed and mortified. "How am I supposed to show my face at practice now? Can I come and bury my head in the sand at your place?"

Flynn laughed over the phone. "Grow up, Jules. You turned Nick down for this air cutie. Nick. You made your choice, now live with it."

"Flynn," Julie growled.

"Okay, okay. Look, you have to talk about it at some point. There's no way you can have that kind of fire on stage without some mutual attraction, and that's just Luke and Reggie. Then there's Luke and you. Jules, that's not even a fire anymore. There is something serious between you two and even though I still think it's a bad idea because he's, you know, air, I still think you need to talk about it before the wrong thing blows up."

"I know," Julie sighed. "I can handle Luke -- I think. It's my dad I'm worried about. How do I explain it all without him wanting to take me to a shrink?"

"Don't tell him anything. Show him. Maybe with a little less flair than you did with me. Play him something soft. Like . . . wasn't your mom in a couple of bands when she was our age? Maybe he'd know one of her songs. Maybe if you guys played something of hers, he'll have enough of his head around him to know it's all real, but enough of it will be in the clouds that it'll be easy to explain."

Julie stared at her phone, at the contact photo she had of Flynn. "You are a genius."

"I know. So, I was just calling to ask how you're holding up, but I'm going to assume everything is fine and the guys didn't cross over?"

"Yeah, no, it was really weird. Caleb's curse just sort of . . . broke, I guess, after I hugged them."

"Wait, hold up. You hugged them? What was that like, arms hanging in the air and hoping you were touching?"

Julie sighed a happy sigh. "We have a lot to talk about."

"I'll be there for dinner, no excuses -- and I expect your dad to know what's going on by then."

Julie rolled over and muffled a groan of despair into her pillow.

"Rough day?"

"It's only ten," Julie whined, lifting her head to give Alex her sad eyes.

Alex smiled. "You'll be fine -- I mean with your dad thing. With Luke on the other hand. . ."

Julie faux sobbed into her pillow, eliciting a soft chuckle from Alex, who sat down on her bed. He reached out for her shoulder then quickly drew back. Ever since Julie left the garage last night, it had been on his mind -- on all their minds -- that the hug was a one-time thing. He didn't want to confirm their fears if they were right.

"Hey, it's okay, Jules."

Julie let out a strangled wail that took Alex a few seconds of clamping his mouth shut to avoid laughing at the poor girl.

"I'm serious. You know, Luke, he . . . he's not great with feelings. He talks with music, with songs, with lyrics. He says the most important things when he looks at you on stage or at a rehearsal or when you're writing music together. He's just scared. I mean, we all are, but him most."

Julie sat up, hugging her wail-pillow to her chest. "You sound like you're speaking from experience."

Alex shrugged. "All I'm saying is, give him a chance -- and give Carlos a break. Honestly, he might have just done you a favour."

"I cannot believe you're taking Carlos' side."

"I'm not! I'm not, I'm just -- things are already complicated. How much worse can they get?"

Julie sighed. "I don't know. . ."

"Well, it's not like Luke does either. He's locked himself in the bathroom and Reg and I think he's been crying in the bathtub this whole time. We'd phase through the door but Luke can actually hit us if he wants to so. . ."

"Oh, and you think I can't?" Julie teased.

The two shared an amused grin, but beneath it, both were thinking the same thing. What if she couldn't?

"All right, I'll tall to him. But you and Reggie have to leave."

Julie ventured into the empty garage. She looked around for Reggie and Alex, unsure if she was relieved or not when she didn't find them. Up in the loft, they watched Julie disappear as she headed further in towards the bathroom door.

She knocked gently. "Luke?"

Silence.

"Come on, I know you're in there. Alex says you've locked yourself in and won't come out."

"I'm not Luke."

"Okay, but I need to talk to Luke so can you pass on the message for me?"

"I'll let him know."

Julie smiled, finding Luke's behaviour somewhat amusing. She leaned against the door. "I'm sorry about Carlos, he . . . he just really enjoys embarrassing me in front of people. I guess he figured since you guys can't really speak to other people, you'll have to talk to me and we'll all have to confront whatever he said so that's why he picked you to tease and --" Julie broke off with a sigh.

The bathroom stayed silent.

"And I'm sorry for running out after him. I was just . . . I was afraid of what you'd say."

When Luke spoke again, though his voice was much softer, it was also much clearer. As if he were closer to the door. "Why? Was he . . . telling the truth? Did you say something?"

Julie fidgeted with the sleeves on her yellow jersey. "No, but I'm not exactly the most subtle person and if you haven't noticed, I suck at lying."

Luke laughed softly. "Oh, we noticed. Everyone knows you're a horrible liar."

"Thanks," Julie said with a grin, "I mean, I really just came here to affirm what a bad liar I am."

"Ooh, sarcastic too."

"Shut up."

"Well?" Luke said after a moment of silence. "Was he?"

Julie leaned against the door and sighed. "What does it matter? It's not like anything would come of it."

"It does matter, Jules. It -- it matters because -- well, I mean, you matter. To me."

"I know," Julie said softly, turning so that her back was against the door. "It sucks, doesn't it?"

"Not all of it sucks," Luke murmured from the other side of the door. "We could find a way. You've already done so much that no other lifer ever has, as far as anyone knows. Why stop there?"

Julie laughed. "Your ambition is very inspiring, Luke, but everything has a limit."

"So find that limit, then. You'll never know how high it is if you stop now."

Julie felt something brush her hand and glanced down to see Luke's arm phasing through the door. She wanted to reach for his hand but she was afraid she'd just pass through him. So she made a joke instead.

"You do realise that a floating arm is way more unsettling than anything else ghosts have ever done, right?"

"How's a floating head?" Luke asked, pulling his hand back and leaning forward. He gave Julie a grin. "That's always scary, right?"

"Stop it, that's weird."

Neither noticed that Julie had managed to make physical contact with Luke until after she'd shoved him back into the bathroom.

"If I come out there, are you going to poke me in the eyes again?"

"First of all, I didn't," Julie said, appreciating that Luke wasn't reacting with the panicked excitement she felt. "Second of all, I'll try not to."

"Okay, but if you do, I'm really going back into the bathtub."

Julie twisted her fingers and wrung her wrists and bounced nervously as she waited for Luke to step through the door.

"Can we try that again?" Luke asked, holding out both hands to her.

The scene felt vaguely familiar to Julie, and everything came crashing down when her hands passed through Luke's once and then twice.

"You're nervous," Luke said softly, "there's no need to be. You didn't think last time. You weren't nervous."

"I can't. I don't know what it is--"

"Yes, you do. You know it's not us doing anything. You're the one with all the magic, Jules."

Nervous but now confident, Julie tried once again. She thought she'd be able to walk on water whe she felt Luke's hands close around her own. The smile he gave her was the usual dopey look she always noticed him wearing around her.

"See? It's all you."

Julie squeezed his hands, almost like she was afraid she wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. "I like this," she murmured.

"Hey, Jules?"

"Yeah?"

Luke watched her eyes widen the tiniest bit as she gave him a questioning look. "Uh, do you -- about what Carlos said . . . We will talk about that, right?"

"Yes. I promise. Just . . . later?"

"Okay." Just the promise was enough for Luke. Besides, he could hold her, now. He could hold her hand, brush her hair out of her face, hug her. He could even flick her nose or tug her curls to annoy her, nudge her around when she didn't laugh at his jokes. And if -- he hoped she did -- but if she didn't feel the same way he did, then being able to be her best friend and just high five her now and then would still be enough. She wasn't just out of reach anymore.

Ayeeeee this just be sitting in my notes??? I found it like this??? All it needed was a title??? Speaking of, I might change that title and steal it for a sad fic oop

[sckyie]

word count: 2.5k

genre + warnings: enemies to lovers; coworkers, office love, alcohol mentioned, swearing

pronouns used: she/her

a/n: hi hi here’s my exchange gift for @coophi! happy holidays and stay safe, i hope you like what i wrote for you! [ this was apart of @/haikyuucreations secret santa ]

You put your forehead on the table groaning at the recent news. "You'll get'em next time, Y/n," your coworker rubbed your back. You sighed louder as you heard something being placed on your desk. You shift your face towards the corner of the surface to see a coffee cup with your name scribbled on the side.

You rolled your eyes and looked up to see the new lead, Kuroo, being congratulated by everyone. "That was supposed to be my promotion," You grumbled. You stared at the coffee up and walked over to Kuroo's desk. Leaving the filled cup, you excused yourself to the bathroom.

Kuroo watched as you rejected his peace offering before leaving the office. He understood how you felt once you heard that you didn't get the promotion. Your papers were perfect, clients loved you both, but the one thing keeping you from getting the promotion was simple. Kuroo's numbers were much higher than yours and it crushed yours.

The thought of endless nights staying late to catch up became pointless. The effort in surpassing him wasn't necessary anymore. All your work, all your stressful nights, everything didn't matter to the manager and execs.

"Hmph," Kuroo seated himself and stared at your drink on his desk.

"Something wrong, Kuroo?" Your coworker peeked beside him.

"Oh nothing," He responds.

You return to your desk, side-eyeing your now superior. You took a deep breath before returning to your paperwork.

Numbers, numbers, numbers. You spent your shift calculating, writing, and fixing errors. The jumble of text on your screen began to hurt your brain for working so hard.

The day dreaded on as the anger in you fumed. It wasn't that you were mad for not getting the promotion. You were furious that out of all people it'd be Kuroo who got it. You despised his snarky, overly confident facade and his petty ways of trying to show you how great he was.

Finally, your shift comes to an end but so does Kuroo's. You two walk together to the elevators though you tried your hardest avoiding him. "Did I get your order wrong?" Kuroo smirked as he pressed the lobby button.

"I don't want your pity coffee," You muttered.

"It's not a pity coffee," He rebutted. "It was a hot chai latte."

"Haha," You mocked. "I don't even like chai."

"Then what do you like?" Kuroo smiled.

"Not you," You immediately walked out of the elevator, making your way to the parking lot.

"Tsk," He was the tiniest bit irritated by your tone but decided to try again tomorrow.

Papers, papers, papers. Endless papers for you to edit and write at home. It was torture but how else could you succeed in your career. Things were already shit with Kuroo trying to be friends with you. Nevertheless, you finished at least ten pages of reports for tomorrow's agenda.

Early morning, you arrived at the office before everyone like normal. Kuroo arrives with two coffees and a small brown bag. He walked over, placing the snack and cup on your desk without a word. He walks to his desk and begins his work without interacting.

You turn the cup to check what it was. "Café latte," You mouthed. You peeked in the small bag to see a blueberry muffin. Before you could return the drink, people began to file into the room. You rolled your eyes and sipped on the drink.

"Success," Kuroo thought to himself as he watched you snack and sip the offerings.

It became a daily thing for Kuroo to bring you drinks. Never the same one twice, but always a blueberry muffin. You gave in to his gesture and thanked him silently whenever he passed by.

Your favorite interaction however was his failed attempt in talking to you. "You come here often?" He asked as he placed your coffee on your desk.

"Considering I work here, yes," You say sarcastically.

"Wow I'm literally so stupid," Kuroo thought. Kuroo saw many opportunities to talk to you more but fell nervous every time. It was always hard for him to get close to someone new. His past relationships had left him hopeless for his own future. The toxicity from the past girls left him thinking he'd never be happy with someone. These past few years, he'd been focusing on himself.

Then you walked into his life. After being transferred to a new branch, you seemed different than any other girl he's met. Kuroo saw hope in you and believed that you could be the light of his love life. He admired your attention to detail, your determination, and well, your beauty. Kuroo saw all your greatest features yet he could never bring himself to tell you his admiration.

One day, you had already a shitty morning and didn't want to deal with anything at work. From annoying traffic to angry clients to the blisters from your heels, you wanted more than anything for the day to end.

A few upset clients later, your head began to pound and you excused yourself for an early break. Kuroo turned to see you sulk away, causing him to furrow his eyebrows.

"What's with Y/n?" He asks his desk neighbor.

"Oh, two of her clients weren't co-operating and it's getting her frustrated," She responded. "She's been having a bad day."

Kuroo looks at your desk curiously and noticed how you had removed your heels under your desk. "Be right back," Kuroo gets up from his desk and walked over to the shared kitchen area to grab some things.

You returned from your short break to be greeted with a small pile of things. Bandages for your blisters, medicine for your headache, water, and a cut-up apple. "Take it easy," You found a post-it on the water bottle. You looked at your screen to see your client queue cleared with everyone on the list as approved. Confused as ever, you make use of the mystery goods to tend to your needs.

"Attention everyone, tonight Ryu here is throwing a little work party at his apartment," Your manager announced. "It is a small goodbye party for him and congratulations to our new lead, Kuroo." You rolled your eyes at Kuroo's name and continued to snack on the apples.

Later that night, you arrived at Ryu's house, catching Kuroo's attention. "Woah," Your male coworker gasped at the sight of you. "Damn, how is she single."

"Hey calm down, Kuroo-san has a crush on her," Other teased.

"Fuck off and keep my love life out your mouth," Kuroo nudges his shoulder. Though they weren't wrong, you were stunning. Dressed to impress and you even put your hair down from your usual updo. Kuroo was left speechless, thus leaving him too anxious to tell you anything.

After one cheesy speech and a big congratulations, the drinking began. Kuroo began to get too into the moment, having one too many drinks. You, however, stayed sober the whole party. You snickered at the sight of your drunk colleagues.

Kuroo's cheeks were bright red and he walked funny. He made his way towards you and you couldn't help but laugh. This was his chance to confess. "I- I- want-" He hiccuped between words. Kuroo began to get lost in thought, forgetting he was drunk confessing. "I- want my- keys- I- need- need  to go- home."

"I don't think so," You snatch his keys from the key holder before he could. "Do you want me to take you home?" He nodded excessively as you rolled your eyes. You chat with Ryu shortly before taking Kuroo to your car.

"Kamikita Apartments," You say. You had asked Ryu as you saw no hope in getting anything out of Kuroo. He slowly fell asleep in your car as you drove through the lit city. "I hope you know, I'm only doing this because you're drunk. I still don't like you."

"Mhm," Kuroo says in his sleep. You giggled at his expression all the way to his apartment.

Kuroo rests his arm around your shoulder as you two made your way to the apartment. You unlock the door and Kuroo immediately walks to the bedroom. Once he realized you weren't behind him, he turns back. "Where'd you go?" He pouted.

"Nowhere," You followed into his room. "Where are your pajamas- Oh, here. Change while I get you water."

Kuroo obeys your order and seats himself as he waited for his water. To him, he had already confidently talked to you about how he felt. Yet in reality, he was too drunk to even comprehend the front of his shirt.

"Here," You notice the tag in the front of his shirt as he chugged the water. "Your shirt is backward."

"Help me?" He begged. You facepalm at his tone but agreed. It felt like you were taking care of a baby. Your cheeks flushed pink once you helped him take off his shirt. You stopped to admire his face as you adjusted the middle of his sleep shirt. His hands move to rest on your hips. "It's so cold. Thank you for helping me change. Oh, and Y/n?"

"Y-yes?" You stuttered at his large hands.

"I have something to tell you," His voice started to sound sleepy. "I love you." Your eyes widen and you couldn't show him your shy expression.

"Tell me that again when you're sober," You move his hands away from you. Making your way to the light switch, you looked at the sad Kuroo. "I'll sleep in the living room. Just- go to bed."

Thankfully you had a change of clothes in your trunk that you used to sleep in. You got ready for bed, chuckling at the sounds of Kuroo snoring next door to the bathroom.

You laid silently on the couch staring at the ceiling. Those three words, you never thought you'd hear them from him of all people. It'd been years since your last break up, so you'd always been so closed off when it came to men. After getting heartbroken, you didn't think another man could love you. Kuroo was no exception. Sure he was handsome but you were adamant about staying single for the longest.

The thought of Kuroo in your life lingered up until the morning. He had woken up before you and found himself with a pounding headache. He made his way to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. As he drank his water, he spit-sprayed the water out of his mouth when he spots you sleeping. He began to cough aggressively before collecting himself. "Wha- what is she doing here?!" He whispered.

You woke up to the sound of your dying colleague, rubbing your eyes to the bright room. Kuroo walked over to you as you sat up, pulling the blanket to your lap. "Good morning," You yawned. "How's the hangover?"

"What are you doing here?" Kuroo panicked.

"You were shit-faced. This was the one thing I could do for repaying you for the coffees," You say.

"Did I do- did I say anything stupid?" He hides his face in his hands.

"You told me something," You began to fiddle with your thumbs. "I don't know if you meant it or not, but you told me you loved me."

"I...did?" Kuroo slowly moves his hands to look at you. Your face was red and you were playing with your sleeves now.

"Well, did you mean it?" You ask. "If you didn't..."

Kuroo reached over and pulled your chin up with his index knuckle and thumb. "I meant it," He says. "I really did."

Your face grew warmer at his words. "Why?" You sighed. "I'm so mean to you."

"Because," Kuroo moves his hand away to stare at his lap. "I love your smile. I love the way you work. I love how determined you are. The way you sign your papers with a tiny heart. The way you laugh at the smallest things. And...I know you might hate my guts but ever since I saw you, I admired you. You make so many people smile and bring happiness to the room. I thought I'd been on your shit list but I'm glad you took care of me- See that's another thing, you put yourself after everyone else. That's why I gave you bandaids, buy you coffee, finished your quotas for you. I just think you deserve better than what you have right now. And I'm so impressed by you-"

You got annoyed by his rambling and decided to grab his cheeks. You interrupted his words by crashing your lips into his. "You literally talk so much," You pulled away. "Can I talk now?"

Kuroo was stunned at the fact that you just kissed him to shut him up. "You just- kissed-" You pressed your lips on his again to keep him quiet. He deepened the kiss before you could pull away. "You can talk." He smiled as he pulled away.

"Okay," You move from his face. "I wanted to say, you weren't on my shit list or whatever. I was upset I didn't get the promotion and I didn't like your attitude. But, getting to know you I learnt how different you really are. Especially when you’re drunk, it's funny. Besides that, I didn't know how you felt, I didn't notice all the things you've done for me."

Kuroo placed his palm on yours, carefully comparing the size of it to yours. "I didn't think I could fall in love with someone who didn't give me the time of day," He says. You moved your fingers to trace his.

"How are you so sure that you love me?" You laced your fingers with Kuroo's.

"That's the thing, I'm not sure," Kuroo looked down at his lap. "I did all those things just to make your days easier. I thought all the small gestures I did, wouldn't matter to you. That they were just tedious things that bothered you. To be honest, I'm afraid of letting someone into my heart. I was drunk when I told you and I meant it but I want to know for sure that I'm in love with you before anything."

"Do you want to find out?" You say softly.

"Only if you'd let me," Kuroo looked up to see you smiling at him. You nodded and leaned in for another kiss. "Man if only your kisses made this hangover go away."

You rolled your eyes and pressed your lips against his once more. The feeling of his hands move to your waist caused the heat in your face to return. Kuroo pulls you to straddle his lap as he deepened the kiss. Your hands rest on his shoulders while he rubbed your sides.

"I promise to make you the happiest woman in the world," He whispered as he pulled away.

"Do I still get morning coffee?" You giggled.

"And your blueberry muffin," Kuroo chuckled. You smiled before pecking his lips. You rest your head on the crook of his neck as he rubbed your back. "I won't disappoint you."

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