#A few more hours on Momo would have maybe taken him further out of the nightmare monkey puppet category | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

jasmine-iroh · 4 years

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Sparring Partners

Pairing: Zuko x f!reader

WC: 2.5K

A/N: howdyyyy I’ll be honest idk what this is besides self satisfactory fluff oops. send in some requests pls, I’m bored as heck!

Never let (Y/N) and Zuko spar.

That was an unspoken rule on Team Avatar after Zuko joined the group. The group had witnessed the aftermath of their practicing one too many times; angry gatherings of flames licking at the bark of uprooted trees scattered around piles of rubble and burnt grass.

Simply put, the pair were a force of nature. That wasn’t the reason they weren’t allowed to fight, though. No, nobody really paid much mind to their destructive tendencies, as long as they weren’t too close to camp.

It was their moods after the fight was done that brought about the rule.

Zuko would slink away to his tent and brood, grumbling at anyone who ventured too close to him. (Y/N) would stay with the group, a grin stuck to her face the whole time. It wasn’t a smile that put anyone at ease, though. It was feral, the snapping teeth and predatory curl of her lips more suited to a big cat than a young girl. Even Katara, who was usually found near (Y/N)’s side, avoided sitting too close.

(Y/N) was never mean to the others, but she had a razor sharp edge to her for hours after the duel that made Aang shift nervously in his seat and Sokka focus more on being the meat guy than the sarcasm guy. Suki would stay on edge until it was finally time to split up into their individual tents. Her fighting instincts would be on alert at the scent of scorched earth coming from (Y/N), a completely different smell from the smoke from the campfire.

Zuko, of course, would be the one to start said campfire. There was a tense, almost shy set to his shoulders as the weight of wild eyes bore down on him from near Toph. Toph, incidentally, never seemed to mind the rumbling of thunder in (Y/N)’s voice after a fight with Zuko, or the way Zuko’s heart beat staggered whenever (Y/N) so much as walked past him.

Toph didn’t care if the pair sparred, as long as it would get them over their timid dance around camp. She thought it was an entertaining break in the monotony of training and hiding, and the feeling of (Y/N) earthbending with such raw emotion was as sappy as any romance story there was. It was truly hilarious to her that nobody else could connect the dots between the unbridled chaos of their fighting and their quiet moments together around a campfire.

It had been a few days since the last incident when Toph finally decided to ask (Y/N) what their deal was during a training session.

“So, what’s up with you and Sifu Hotman?” She asked, a slightly maniacal laugh falling past her lips when she managed to catch (Y/N) off guard and nail her in the side with a boulder. Toph had taken to using Aang’s ridiculous nickname after she realized how quickly she could get under Zuko’s skin with it. Payback for Zuko burning her feet, she had justified.

Coughing and sputtering from the blow, (Y/N) tried to deflect the question with a volley of rocks she’d been keeping suspended in the air long enough for Toph to half lose track of.

“Hey, that’s cheating!” Toph huffed indignantly, dodging the attack before shifting her feet and sending the slab of earth below (Y/N) tilting sideways.

“No, I just saw a weakness and used it,” (Y/N) laughed and leapt from her crumbling perch to position herself in the middle of the sparring area, knowing that Aang, Zuko, Suki, and Sokka were somewhere behind her. Toph wasn’t stupid, she knew (Y/N) was trying to get into a position that would make Toph go easier on her with their friends in the line of fire.

Oh (Y/N), you really think you’re clever, don’t you? Toph thought with a smirk as a plan formed in her mind, pressing her knuckles into the dirt and twisting them sharply. She felt (Y/N)’s growl before she heard it, knowing that the other girl hated when Toph locked her feet into the earth. This time, though, she kept her hold on the rock, sitting down and waiting for (Y/N) to answer her original question.

“Toph, c’mon!” (Y/N) whined, trying to free herself as Toph sat a few meters away laughing.

“Just tell me and I’ll let you go!” Toph called back, bending herself a chair from the earth with one hand while the other kept it’s grip on the rocks around (Y/N)’s ankles.

“You’re such a little jerk,” (Y/N) answered instead, looking around for something to help her. She was weak without being able to use her feet as her center, something Toph had been hounding her about forever.

“I thought best friends told each other everything,” Toph mocked as she felt the others stop fighting to watch the scene in front of them.

“Yeah, but you also told me you’d throw me off Appa because I took Momo’s seat last week,” (Y/N) replied, crossing her arms stubbornly. Toph was a stronger bender, but (Y/N) had more patience, knowing Toph could get bored or frustrated pretty quickly. That’s how they’d always been, ever since (Y/N) had been sent to live with her helpless, blind little cousin all those years ago.

“What’s going on?” Aang asked the pair, scootering over on a ball of air with a peeved looking Zuko trailing behind him.

“(Y/N)’s keeping secrets from me and acting like I won’t find out,” Toph accused, watching as Suki and Sokka joined the group. Katara, who had been assigned camp duties for the day, drew closer at the lack of fighting sounds.

“Toph,” (Y/N) warned, a sharp threat in her voice as the sound of a tree being pulled up at the roots echoed around the clearing as (Y/N) clenched her fists.

“Yes?” A challenge in her voice, her fist twisting further into the earth and sinking (Y/N) up to her waist in tightly compressed rocks.

“Enough.” Zuko stepped in between the pair, and Toph couldn’t help but notice the spike in his heart rate when (Y/N) dropped up to her shoulders in rock.

“Zuko, stay out of this. Toph’s just being a pain,” (Y/N) huffed, having a hard time breathing with the merciless press of dirt and rock around her chest.

He didn’t stay out of it of course, his heart beating faster than a bird's wings as he watched (Y/N) struggle in the ground. Toph thought the duo were nauseatingly oblivious.

She let out a frustrated growl and slammed her foot on the ground, sending Zuko sprawling flat out next to (Y/N) and encasing his hands and feet in earth.

“Fine. You can both stay here until one of you tells me, then.” Toph declared before standing and walking away from the pair. The rest of the group looked from Toph back down to their friends buried in the ground, and decided that maybe they didn’t want to end up stuck next to the pair. They walked off, promising to talk to Toph and have her fix this.

“Spirits, she’s such a little bastard,” (Y/N) mumbled, turning her head to look at Zuko. She blinked in shock, not expecting his face to be quite so close to hers. A tricky little bastard, the girl amended in her head.

“What were you two fighting about?” Zuko asked quietly, not having to speak much above a whisper with their proximity. Had his eyes always been so golden?

“She asked about what was going on between us,” (Y/N) answered, closing her eyes and turning her head away from him towards the sky. The sun pressed red kisses against her closed eyelids while the breeze played with her hair, making her feel for a moment that she was laid out next to Zuko in a spring meadow by choice instead of locked into the dirt by Toph.

“What did you tell her?” He kept his voice low, tone conspiratorial. He stared at (Y/N), the sun loving her throat and pressing kisses to her cheekbones. He thought, just for a moment, that Toph had done him a favor by locking him into this view.

A laugh, and then, “I didn’t tell her anything.”

“Why not?” He prodded, wishing (Y/N) would turn her head so he could… could what? He thought to himself, images of him wiggling closer and closing the distance between them flickering in his mind without warning. A warm blush crept up his neck at the thoughts, wishing he wasn’t so affected by their proximity.

“Because sometimes you need to let Toph think she holds all the cards so she’s a little less of a pain in the ass. And so she wouldn’t question what we really do when we spar,” (Y/N) whispered, opening her eyes and turning to face Zuko. She met his amber gaze immediately, a grin pulling at her mouth as she leaned closer to him, feeling the heat radiating off his body.

“Oh, you mean that thing where you torment me with your comments all day around camp and then try to play innocent when we’re alone?” Zuko huffed with a smile as he wormed his way closer.

“Hey, don’t get mad. I just saw a weakness and used it,” (Y/N) giggled as she leaned in towards him. Her gaze flickered briefly from Zuko’s eyes, to his lips, and then back to his eyes in a way that made him feel like the ground was falling out from under him. He leaned up to meet her halfway, falling just short of being able to seal their lips together. A soft groan from (Y/N) pulled a chuckle from Zuko’s throat, before his head flopped back down onto the packed earth.

“Such a little bastard,” he heard (Y/N) mutter a moment before her face contorted and rumbling from around them was heard.

Zuko’s hands and legs were freed from their earthen prison, letting him roll away only a second before (Y/N) rose up from her hole on a pillar of earth. She hopped down gracefully and brushed her clothes off before helping Zuko to his feet, that wild look back in her eyes.

“You couldn’t have done that earlier?” Zuko asked, brushing the dirt out of his hair.

“I can put you back, if you’d like,” (Y/N) hummed, stepping closer to him and giving him that sharp grin that sent his stomach fluttering.

“I’m fine right here, thank you,” he replied, a deep blush staining his cheeks as (Y/N) pulled him close and finally, finally, pressed her lips to his own in a slow kiss. He returned the kiss eagerly, loving the warmth of her hand cupping his jaw with gritty fingers as the other tangled in Zuko’s mop of hair.

The pillar she’d used to free herself moments before was now scraping against his back as (Y/N) traced a lazy trail of kisses along Zuko’s jaw. He let out a sound that was suspiciously close to a whimper and felt a thrill go up his spine at the glint of absolute trouble reflected in (Y/N)’s eyes when she pulled away.

“How long do you think we have until they realize we’re not stuck anymore?” She pondered, pressing delicate kisses up the side of Zuko’s throat and along the edges of his scar.

“Enough time to get a head start and cover our tracks.” His eyes moved deliberately to the forest away from camp, before flicking back to hers with a bashful quirk of his eyebrow. His breaths trembling, he tried to ignore how his nerve endings were alight with the feeling of (Y/N)’s lips on his skin.

“Very tempting, but I don’t feel like listening to Mother Katara yell at us for ‘running off and worrying the group,’” (Y/N) whispered back, pressing a kiss to Zuko’s chin before moving to pull away. His arms snaked around her waist quickly, locking her against him.

(Y/N)’s brows shot up in pleasant surprise at his actions. She had been the one to make moves from the start, more accustomed to touch that wasn’t soured by pain or anger. Zuko figured she’d like to have more physical affection from him, but the long nights spent untangling his emotions in return for a kiss were enough to keep her happy and moving at his pace. Zuko had been without a loving hand to hold for so long that he forgot how simple and sweet an embrace could be, how the pad of a thumb rubbing across bruised knuckles could soothe his aches better than any balm.

Feeling bold between the column of earth and (Y/N), Zuko leaned down to her height and pressed a gentle kiss against her lips, retreating before she could respond. The girl only grinned widely, wrapping her arms around his muscular torso. A puff of air left Zuko’s lungs as he was pulled into her strong arms, before tightening his own arms around her waist and pressing his face into the crook of her neck.

“We have to at least make Toph think nothing’s changed, or we’ll never hear the end of how she’s so right and it's everyone else who is really blind,” (Y/N) told him, pitching her voice in Toph’s bratty little sister voice she used when she won arguments.

“Let her. I’m tired of not being able to be like this whenever we want,” Zuko replied, his warm breath against the side of her neck sending a wave of goosebumps over (Y/N)’s skin. It shocked her in the most pleasant way possible to hear him say that to her, since they’d agreed to keep things quiet until he could figure out his emotions.

“Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when she makes you wish you were hard of hearing,” (Y/N) laughed, nudging his head back up to face her. Her senses were filled with Zuko, the smell of smoke filling her nose as the heat from his body scorched a pattern into her heart. Their noses brushed once, twice; their lips a breath apart.

Before either could close the distance, Toph marched around their column of rock, almost slamming straight into them. In a breath, she was gone again, back the way she’d come.

“I knew it, I was so right! You losers are so blind!” She shouted to the others.

Her sudden appearance had shocked the pair apart, making (Y/N) quirk an eyebrow and pulling a rare grin from Zuko at the astounding accuracy of (Y/N)’s impression of Toph.

“Just remember, you brought this upon yourself,” (Y/N) laughed, turning to walk back to camp. Zuko’s hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, reeling her back in towards him so he could seal a lingering kiss against her mouth.

“I know, but that was worth it,” he hummed, walking alongside her back to camp, their fingers tangling together without a second thought.

#zuko x reader #zuko x you #prince zuko #zuko #aang #toph #toph beifong #sokka #katara #suki #beifong!reader #earthbender!reader #atla imagine #atla fanfic #avatar #avatar the last airbender #atla #avatar imagine #avatar fic

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svtkillua · 3 years

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milk and tea > 5

rating: [pg-13 / angst] genre: soulmate au pairing: todoroki shouto x reader warnings: cursing, heartbreak, angst! word count: 6k

listen while you read here! join the discord!

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - chap 5 - 6 [final]

“This is too much for one person to handle.” Your voice sounded heavy, eyes glued out the window as a few buildings zoomed past your line of sight, the seatbelt across your chest digging uncomfortably into the crook of your neck. Your hand felt like it was burning, the line of gold seeming different now, making your heart thud and anxiety sour through your veins, your blood boiling with anger and confusion. None of it made sense and the longer you digested the information the more it seemed to make your nausea grow, stomach churning when your eyes stayed glued to your palm as you spoke softly into the confining space of Awase’s car. “I feel like I’m going to explode.”

“I know.” Awase’s voice was deep, the kind of sound you could fall asleep too easily at night, laced with the same worry and confusion that was brewing violently in your heart. His hands were clutching the steering wheel when you glanced at him, the white hue from his knuckles giving away his emotions more than the absent look on his face was, his lips parted slightly as he sighed. “You’re positive mine’s the same as hers? As theirs?”

Your head bobbed before you muttered a quiet yes, remembering the way his face had twisted when you explained everything to him, there in that café patio an hour ago, coffees long forgotten between you. You hadn’t stopped to think if you should figure things out first, didn’t question the words as they tumbled past your lips, speaking truths that were hard for either of you to understand just yet. Awase had been rightfully baffled, shocked and unsure of your confidence in their matches all marking, after all it had never been heard of.

Part of you suspected he didn’t want to get his hopes up, that he didn’t even want to allow a daydream where maybe he did have a soulmate. If he was anything like you, he knew how disappointing things were when you came down from the high inside your head, when reality smacked you back into place with a reminder of how alone you were.

“I’m sorry if I shouldn’t have told you.” Your voice lifted slightly at the end, like you were unsure yourself if your actions had been right, Awase’s eyes landing on you for a second at a stop sign, his lips pulling into a faint smile as he loosened his grip on the wheel enough to return his knuckles to their usual hue.

“I’m glad you told me, it’s just a lot to take in.” He swallowed harshly, tongue poking out to wet his flushed lips as his head shook slightly from side to side. You shifted in your seat, eyes flickering once to his palm as his hand left the steering wheel to instead scratch at the back of his neck, something you figured was an anxious habit. “I thought I didn’t have a soulmate and now I apparently match two other people’s marks. I’m just confused as to what’s happening, and thrown off, I guess. I’ve never heard of this happening.”

“Neither have I.” Your gaze shifted back out the window as his GPS quietly rattled off which street he needed to go down, the ticking of his blinker sounding loud as you both fell into silence. You weren’t sure what to say to calm the screaming voices in your head, weren’t sure how to make yourself less confused when you had no idea where to start looking for answers. Awase hadn’t been sure either, which had led the both of you into his car, where you typed in Todoroki and Momo’s address into his phone.

You kept picturing the look on Todoroki’s face when he’d interrupted the two of you barely an hour and a half ago, kept swallowing harshly when you remembered the way his voice shook with strain. He didn’t look angry at you for ignoring him, but hurt, like you’d ripped away the last piece of himself he felt like he had ahold of, like you’d left him all alone in the ocean with no life raft to help him stay afloat. You’d been trying to save yourself from the pain in your chest, but in the process had left Todoroki stranded all alone, where nothing could help him from crumbling apart.

You knew the pressure he was under, knew from that night you had together that he’d never been quite this vulnerable before. He was lost and you were supposed to be his constant, his guide through things even when seeing each other was becoming painful. He’d wanted you to be there, wanted you to know he loved you even if he couldn’t do it publically, and you’d left him. In a way you were selfish, because your form of comfort was ignoring him, when his only form of comfort had been you.

He didn’t have anyone to turn to with his problems, didn’t have a Midoriya to listen when he cried about the girl he loved, who most definitely wasn’t his soulmate. He didn’t have a family that would support him and love him regardless of his choices, didn’t have a group to back him up when he needed it. All he had had was you, and you’d all but abandoned him for a week, only for him to finally see you again when you were with another guy.

You partially knew what it could have looked like to him, like you’d been avoiding him because you were trying to move on with someone else, like you’d given up on the love you felt because it could never blossom. You wondered if he thought that of you, if he imagined you seeking out other men as much as you pictured him falling into Momo’s arms when you felt at your lowest.

“We’re here.”

Your head lifted from it’s direction towards your lap, eyes dancing once from Awase to the building waiting just through his window, the huge cherry blossom tree outside too brightly colored for the way your mind was swimming. Every emotion imaginable felt like it was bubbling just beneath the surface, your hands shaking as Awase unlocked the doors and climbed out without an ounce of hesitation. You were envious of how outwardly calm he looked, even if he was probably as anxious as you were.

The short walk across the street and up the front stairs felt like a thousand miles for the way your knees were trying to buckle, your fingers scrunching into your palms as Awase knocked on the painted red, wooden surface. His hands shoved into his jeans then, you noted, his blue flannel shirt blowing out behind his back as a breeze carried the smell of his cologne past your nose, his eyes flickering once over to yours as a quiet ‘just a moment’ came from inside.

Your heart leapt to your throat when the door opened, Momo standing there with her hair pulled into a low ponytail, an apron half tied around her hips and a dot of flour dusted onto her cheek. Her eyes didn’t even glance to you when Awase sucked in a sharp breath of air, like for a moment she didn’t realize he wasn’t alone, her hands wiping delicately onto the front of her apron as a breeze blew a strand of her hair across the front of her neck. Awase fidgeted on the spot, clearing his throat and turning his head slightly to look at you, like he was asking you what to say.

As if you had any clue yourself.

“Momo.” Her head turned towards you quickly but her eyes dragged behind, lingering on Awase’s face until he glanced down at his shoes, hands shuffling, still in the confines of his pockets. Your teeth dug into your bottom lip when your gaze locked with hers, hating the way insecurities started to fester in the back of your mind, wash of guilt nearly knocking you over when you remembered the way Todoroki’s lips had felt on your lips. That guilt only grew when you felt the ring he’d left with you twisting on your twiddling finger, throat clearing once even though your volume didn’t grow. “Can we come inside, please?”

It took her a moment to nod, her eyes blinking a few times as she pulled the door further open and stepped back enough to let you both past. You vaguely heard her introduce herself to Awase as you slipped your shoes off, catching the way he smiled when she stumbled over a stray pair of slippers left by the door. His name rolled off his tongue easily as she shook her head at her own clumsiness, a blush on her cheeks just barely visible from the dim light in the hall.

The place looked the same as when you’d been in it, but also somehow different, now holding furniture and pictures and life. It was a home instead of a house now, the place Todoroki and Momo’s love was supposed to grow into its destiny, even if to yourself it felt like a prison, a manifestation of the things you lacked. The walls were painted a pale grey, the furniture the same navy blue as the lines on their palms, a set of stairs directly down the hall lined with photos from trips they’d taken, scattered with nicnacs and memories you didn’t care to know the stories of.

You loathed how it made you want to vomit, the jealousy creeping through your bones, rattling any of the confidence you had left.

“Where’s Todoroki?”

“He’s upstairs, we were about to make dinner.” Momo stepped past you after a moment, leading the pair of you towards the open concept kitchen, her voice unwavering but her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides as she stepped towards a ball of dough she’d left on the counter. “Why?”

“We need to talk to the both of you.” Awase’s voice rang beside your ear as his palm landed on your lower back, as if he could tell how anxious being there was making you, let alone how confused and frustrated you still felt. Everything felt too big, too surreal to actually be happening, Awase’s free hand still shoved in his pocket like a bomb he was scared to set off.

“About what?” Momo’s nose scrunched slightly as she glanced at the pair of you from where she was lazily forming small dumplings on the counter, tossing them one by one into a pot of boiling water. She licked her lips once as she let her eyes flicker towards your neck, reminding you of the necklace hanging there, the one Todoroki had given you, the one that made her suspicious enough to confront you before.

You pretended not to notice the way it made her nostrils flare as she sucked in a delicate breathe.

“It’s complicated.” You sighed, switching your weight from foot to foot, hand raising to rub at your shoulder aimlessly when you heard the stairs start to creek faintly. It immediately made your heart thud in your chest, body turning on instinct enough to see Todoroki as he came into view, his white socks clashing with the dark floor as he focused on the phone clasped between his fingers.

His hair was wet, a towel draped around his neck as his lips parted, a breathe falling from them, not loud enough for you to hear but it felt like it had knocked the wind out of you. His skin looked incredible, your pulse quickening the closer he got, nerves firing all at once when his head finally lifted and he spotted the three of you. His gaze moved from Momo to Awase before it landed on you, his tired eyes blinking a few times as he abandoned his phone on the breakfast bar.

“Todoroki.” You exhaled his name like his hands were squeezing your lungs, draining every drop of oxygen from your system. You swallowed, feeling a wash of calm for the moment his eyes lingered on your own, hating the feeling that grew in your chest when his eyes fell to Awase, who was still stood beside you with his hand on your lower back. For a moment his eyes flashed with an emotion you didn’t know, his bottom lip tucking beneath his front teeth.

“What are you two doing here?” His voice was vaguely hoarse, the way it sounded when he’d been crying or yelling, and it made your bones ache. It made you want to run over an wrap your arms around him, the pull in your heart like a magnet more powerful than the moon to the shores.

“They need to talk to us.” Momo cleared her throat after she spoke, trying to cover up the small waver in her voice. She tossed the last of the dumplings into the large pot of water before she turned around, hands wiping once again on her apron as her back leaned into the countertop.

“About what?” Todoroki’s eyebrows rose as he pulled the towel from around his neck, figure turning away from you in a way that felt like a subtle pinch to your heart, a bit of guilt for ignoring him spreading up your spine. Maybe it had hurt him like you suspected, maybe it had felt like you were shoving him away when he so desperately had wanted to hold onto you.

“About your soulmarks.” You pressed your lips into a thin line, Awase sucking in a sharp breathe beside you as his head bobbed in a nod, neither of you exactly sure how to bring the subject up subtly. His hand fell away from its place on your back, your teeth grinding together as you watched Momo’s brows furrowed together slightly in confusion, Todoroki’s back still towards you.

It was silent enough for a pin drop to be heard, neither Momo or Todoroki saying anything, as if they were waiting for yourself or Awase to further explain, though neither of you knew how. You looked over at Awase as he shifted his weight, his eyes catching onto yours as you nodded once towards his hand, resting your own flat against the marble island in front of you. There was a rustle from his hand being pulled out if his jean pocket, before he was holding it up like he was waving without any movement, the bold blue lines vibrant with the overhead light beaming down on him.

Momo audibly gasped, her hands raising subconsciously to cover her mouth as she stared, feet quickly padding across the wood floors so she could get a better look. The sound caught Todoroki’s attention as he finally turned, his thin white t-shirt collecting small dark circles from the drips of water coming from his hair, eyes flickering from your face to Awase’s hand twice before staying settled there on his palm. You swallowed hard, ignoring the boulder in your esophagus as your eyes danced between the three of them, wondering what they were all thinking, what they were all feeling.

You’d never seen anyone with your mark before, let alone been in the same room as two people who matched you.

“What’s going on?” Momo sounded out of breath as she hesitantly reached her hand forward to grab ahold of Awase’s as it lowered, his eyes glued to her face as she squinted down at his palm. You watched as she slid a finger over the main line of his mark, noting how she skipped over the small cut he still had healing across the center of the flesh.

“We don’t know.” Awase’s voice was hushed, like if he spoke too loud he’d scare her away, his lips pursing, puckered momentarily outward as he took a peek at you in his peripheral vision. You didn’t notice Todoroki had moved until you felt the warmth of his body closer to your own, his footsteps quiet until he came to rest between you and Momo’s sides. “After you two left the café she saw my hand, and said she’d seen it before.”

“I knew it was yours.” Your eyes shifted up to Todoroki, his own gaze focused on Awase’s palm as Momo held it, her own dark lines brushing against his fingertip before she placed her hands on the counter. You swallowed when Todoroki’s focus shifted over to you, eyes unreadable as his tongue poked out to wet his lips, and you swore for a second he was trying to tell you something with the look on his face, but you didn’t know what, voice shrinking with his proximity. “Both of yours, I mean.”

You’d missed his warmth, missed the heat that radiated from him so naturally when you were next to him, your arm feeling like it was being baked by the sun when his body weight shifted so he was closer to you. His fingers subtly nudged your own where your hands both hung by your thighs, the island blocking them from view, your body temperature spiking when you looked away from his face to instead focus back on Awase and Momo. You tried to keep your reaction neutral as Todoroki’s pinky finger slowly hooked with yours, fingers one by one all clasping into your own until your palms were flush together, heart thumping steadily like he was an anchor keeping you from drifting too far from his shore.

It was amazing how a simple touch from him was enough to have you near bursting at the seems, things seeming to blur in your mind for a moment as all you could focus on was how good it felt to be touching him. When your grip on him tightened he squeezed right back, your cheek burning where he was staring at you until Awase spoke up.

“I don’t understand how this can be happening.” He scratched at the back of his neck for a moment, bodyweight leaning into the counter before him as his teeth dug into his plump bottom lip. “It’s impossible for three people to be soulmates, right?”

“Right.” Todoroki’s head bobbed once slightly, his voice soft as he brushed his thumb along your own, chest rising and falling steadily as he glanced between Awase and Momo. Momo was staring at Awase for a beat, her eyebrows bunched together as she absentmindedly picked at the nail polish half chipped off her fingers. “None of this makes any sense.”

There was a lull in the conversation as the three of them all glanced between each other like one of them would suddenly have an answer, your face turning back up to look at Todoroki while he thought, admiring the way his skin looked when the light caught onto it. He looked incredibly tired, stressed, like the shower he’d taken had done little to relax the voices screaming in his eardrums, like he was desperate to shut the world away for a while and just breathe on his own. You moved closer to him without thinking, feeling Momo glancing at you but swallowing down the small amount of guilt it caused, resting your freehand on the countertop.

“Let me see your hands.”

For a moment, you’d thought Momo was talking to you and Todoroki, your eyes flickering down to your connected palms before Awase held out his own. Todorokis grip on you vanished as he lifted his hand up, both of the boys palms facing the ceiling as Momo placed her own between them, your chest aching in a way that made it hard to ignore. Your eyes burned but you blinked away the stinging in them, leaning forward slightly as Momo had to look over the blue lines that stained their skin.

“I read about something, a couple months ago.” Momo sounded half focused on what she was saying, her finger skimming along Awase’s hand before it moved to brush along Todoroki’s, a small pang of jealousy itching at the back of your throat. You ignored it best you could when she looked quickly over at you with a bob of her head. “It was right after Todoroki’s birthday, when he decided to stay at your place rather than go to dinner with me and his parents.”

She paused for a moment as you folded your arms across your stomach, her voice not full of malice or anger but rather a hint of sadness, of a pain you didn’t think you could really grasp. Because while you were longing after Todoroki for months, she had been watching him crave someone else for the entirety of time she knew him. Even if he’d never said it to her, and even if he tried his hardest to never let it show, she knew that while he cared about her, it wasn’t the way it was supposed to be.

Maybe Todoroki loved her, yes, but not in the way she wanted.

Not in the way soulmates were supposed to love each other.

“I was up one night, reading these articles online, in this poor state of mind, and I came across this article. These parents illegally had their child’s mark covered at some underground tattoo place, having it match another family’s child so they’d think they were soulmates. It was almost like some awful form of an arranged marriage. The kids only figured it out when they were older and one of them found a baby picture from before they covered his mark.” She trailed off, her eyes flickering between Todoroki’s palm and Awase’s, your mind reeling as the pieces in your mind seemed to slowly be clicking into place.

“I didn’t think it could have happened, because neither of us had ever met someone else with our marks before.” Momo looked over at Todoroki as his focus turned towards her, her eyes a bit red as she blinked a few times and smiled faintly at him. She looked as tired as Todoroki did, like she’d been fighting a losing battle for a long time and was finally ready to give up. “I knew neither of us felt right, that neither of us thought things were how they were supposed to be. You’d felt something for someone else, and I…”

Her voice trailed off as she took a glance at Awase, who was staring at her with such a strong gaze it made her cheeks flush with pink.

“I saw you once,” She said to him, his teeth digging into his bottom lip as his head bobbed in a nod, like he remembered it too. Your eyebrows bunched together as another punch of confusion ghosted over your features. Todoroki’s hand left the counter to once again clasp down into your own, grip tighter than before. “at a train station. It was crowded and we bumped into each other, you had on gloves and I didn’t see your hands but I felt…something when I saw your face.”

“I felt it too.” Awase interjected, his eyes flickering down to the counter as his fingers bent to form a loose fist, his lids dropping shut as he sighed heavily. “I tried to look for you but when I did you were with a guy and too far gone. I figured it was just my imagination and I let it go.”

“It’s why I asked our parents for baby pictures a few months ago, I was thinking maybe I could find some proof that we weren’t supposed to be together.” Momo said, forcing herself to look away from him and instead focusing back on Todoroki, who you were sure also noticed the way both Awase and Momo’s cheeks were flushed with pink hues of warmth. “I didn’t find anything in mine, though.”

The silence that fell was heavy as Todoroki and Momo shared a look that felt too intimate for yourself and Awase to be watching, like you were witnessing a couple splitting apart, and perhaps you were. Maybe the both of them had felt it for a long time, that something was wrong with their supposedly destined relationship. Neither of them had brought it up, but both could tell that the other wasn’t happy, that they were forcing things when they shouldn’t have to. Momo shouldn’t have had to fight to have time with Todoroki when he was supposed to always want to be with her. Todoroki shouldn’t have felt so alone when Momo was right there, shouldn’t have never felt understood when she’d brush off his complaints like mere feathers on her shoulders.

Neither of them was right for the other, but they both cared enough to keep quiet, because they thought it was what they were supposed to do.

“Did you check mine too?” Todoroki spoke up, his head shaking slightly as a drip of water from his hair skimmed his cheekbone when it fell.

“Every single one.” Momo sighed as she pushed her hand through her hair, slipping her elastic onto her wrist as the strands hung loosely behind her neck, framing her cheeks like she was a beautiful painting. “I found nothing. I’m not really sure where to look for answers. It could have been either of our families, hell it might not have even been them. This could all be something else.”

“It’s not something else.” Todoroki’s voice grew harder, eyes floating shut as his jaw clenched down tight, all the air leaving his lungs as he shook his head. His grip on you grew more firm as his nostrils flared, your free hand raising to gingerly brush his shoulder when his eyes snapped back open. “It was my parents. I know it was, I’m positive.”

“Todoroki.” Your tone was timid compared to his own, body moving closer to his when his face turned towards you, his eyes burning red and full of irritation, tears starting to build in his waterline. You’d never seen him look more furious, more heartbroken, his hand leaving yours as he scrubbed at his eyes and immediately turned to go outside, the door slamming behind him and a silence enveloping the three of you still standing around the marble island.

You swallowed, staring at the door where his figure had just been, body aching to be following his, that pull in your chest stronger than ever knowing how upset he was. You couldn’t blame him for feeling so angry, for being so broken that he just wanted to fall apart where no one could see him. You knew pain, you knew the hurt that spread through your bones when you realized you didn’t have a soulmate. You were familiar with the hollow that made a home in you with the thoughts and voices constantly in your head, the never-ending reminders of your loneliness and heartache.

But you didn’t know how Todoroki felt.

His own parents had betrayed him, had set him up for a life where he’d never really get to be happy, not how he was supposed to. They lied to their son for their entire lives thus far, all so he’d marry someone he was never really supposed to love in the first place, and in the fallout from their actions they had crushed him. They had made Todoroki so full of guilt and longing that the weight of the world was piled up onto his shoulders. They made him loathe himself for not loving Momo the way he was supposed to, made him long after someone that maybe he could have had all along had they not sabotaged him out of selfishness.

Your body carried you out the door before you over thought things, not bothering to put your shoes back on as your feet made contact with the cold concrete of the front steps. You paused there while the door shut, watching Todoroki’s back as it rose and fell slowly from where he was sat on the curb, a car passing by making some of the fallen flower petals bustle past his figure. His shirt looked brighter from the way the streetlamps were hitting him, the sky turned a dark blue as night began to take over.

He was mute when you sank down into the spot beside him, your thighs pressed against each others as you rested your hands on your knees, staring up at the sky as he sniffled beside you. He didn’t move for a minute or so until he shifted enough to lift his head, eyes falling onto you when you turned enough to stare back at him. You were itching to touch him when you noticed the wet trail down his cheek, heart feeling like it was being hammered into bits and pieces as he leaned in and rested his forehead against your shoulder, his lips parted as he sucked in a shaky breath.

“I’m sorry, Todoroki.” Your voice was a whisper as he slid his arms slowly around your middle, pulling your body closer to his own as his head fell to instead press into the crook of your neck, his nose nudging the side of your throat while his fingers dug into your back. Your cheek pressed into the top of his head as your fluttered your lids closed, letting him melt his body weight into you, savoring the warmth of his chest as the wind blew. “I’m so sorry.”

“I just can’t believe they’d do this to me. I know that we don’t always agree on things, but how could they just let me be so fucking miserable and pretend that it was all in my head.” His voice shook as it muffled against your collarbone, the reverberations making subtle goosebumps raise on the back of your neck. “What kind of person does that to someone they’re supposed to love?”

“Maybe it wasn’t them, Todoroki. We don’t know if that’s what really ha-”

“It was them.” He cut you off with a slight shake from his head, his shoulders raising as he pulled back enough to stare at you. His hair was a mess, now half air dried and sticking at odd angles, lips puffy from how much he kept licking and biting at them, eyes still stained with redness. “I know it was them. They always wanted a certain life for me, and they decided that was most important. They decided money and power and image were more important than their son’s fucking happiness.”

Your hand reached back behind you so you could grab onto his own, pulling it forward and clasping your palm so it was flush against his, hiding his blue lines from his view. He pressed his lips into a line as you lifted your other hand to brush the hairs away from his eyes. He leaned into your touch, eyes falling shut as his cheek pressed against the warmth of your fingers, like he was making sure you weren’t a daydream. It was hard for you to believe yourself that he was real, with the streetlamp casting a halo silhouette around his mess of white and red hair, eyes shining even in the dark, swimming with all the emotions that had started to pour from his soul.

“You should talk to them, confront them about it.”

“I will, but not tonight. I can’t tonight.” Todoroki blinked twice before letting his hand slip away from your own, reaching up to scrub at his exhausted eyes as you let your palm slip to rest against his chest, feeling his heartbeat as it hammered away. He leaned forward enough to press his lips to your forehead, muttering against the skin as your touch drifted from his cheek to instead plant on the crook of his neck. “I just need some time to process everything.”

You nodded as he languidly untangled himself from you completely, hands grabbing onto your own as he helped you stand, immediately slipping his arms back around your middle to hug you to his chest as he took a deep breathe, the smell of his cologne like you were being welcomed home after too much time away. Your arms looped easily around his hips, pressing your bodies so they were cemented together as he pressed a chaste kiss to your shoulder, savoring in the feeling of having you so close for a moment.

He felt like he was broken.

But you were broken too.

“It’s almost ironic. This is like some awful version of what I always wanted.”

You leaned back to look at him when he spoke, his tongue poking out to wet his lips as his fingers started to toy with the ends of your hair, careful not to tug too hard. Your eyebrows rose slightly, as if you were asking him to go on, lips parted as you took a gentle breathe when the wind blew chills onto your bare legs.

“I used to always hope that somehow I wouldn’t be her soulmate, that I’d have at least a shot at being with you, properly.” He mumbled, your heart thudding at the quiet confession as his lips spread into a half smile, one laced with heartache and framed with disappointment for the way the world had granted his wish. “I always pictured myself just waking up with your mark, not something like this. I guess I just never imagined it would be because of my parents being more selfish than loving.”

“It might not have been them, Todoroki.”

He shook his head at your optimism, his lips pressing once more into your forehead as he let his touch leave your body, except for his hand that tangled back into yours. He picked up your free one, kissing the middle of your palm and moving you slightly so your soulmark was in the light, his adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed, like he was trying to force a lump down his esophagus, one that was making it hard for him to breathe. He was silent for a moment as he held you there and stared, taking in the gold as your fingers flexed slightly in an attempt to free your hand, not liking to look at it for so long. Even with things unraveling around you, you didn’t like to look your mark, like it was a reminder of all the torment soulmates had caused you, all the longing that left scars on your heart.

“I wonder if mine looks like this, underneath the tattoo.” He muttered, mostly to himself, his eyes dancing over to you once before he was focusing back on your palm, finger tracing a line right down the strip of pigment on your skin. The image made your lungs shrink as you tried not to get your hopes up too high, the grip you had on his hand tightening when your eyes burned at the thoughts that started to rush to your head, dark ones that were used to broken hopes.

“What if it doesn’t?”

His eyes turned back towards you, lips parting, like he was surprised by your question. You couldn’t help it, couldn’t stop yourself from wondering what would happen now. Sure, in your heart you wanted it to be Todoroki, you wanted the person you matched to be him more than anything you’d ever longed for in your entire life. You wanted that tattoo on his palm to get removed and you wanted to find a strip of gold waiting there for you all along. But you had gotten used to the disappointment, familiar with the let downs when your dreams came crashing back to earth, leaving you broken and unable to really fit the pieces back together.

“It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t.”

He sounded firm, confident as he let your palm go and opted to cup your cheek instead, a car driving by that casted bright lights on him for a moment. He took a deep breath, leaning forward and letting his eyes drop shut as his lips ghosted over your own before he kissed you fully. It wasn’t full of dramatic passion, wasn’t laced with the longing you’d both felt for so long, wasn’t desperate and needy like you were scared you’d never get to taste him again. It was gentle, soft, quiet like the world around you had melted away and all that was left was the simultaneous beatings of your hearts when he pulled back so your noses were brushing, voice barely audible as he whispered.

“I’m yours, no matter what.”

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#todoroki #todoroki shouto #shouto #shouto todoroki #todoroki x reader #todoroki angst #todoroki smut #todoroki fluff #bnha #mha #bnha x reader #mha x reader #milk and tea fic

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crimsonxblaze · 3 years

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snooze in

hitsuhina week 2021: @hitsuhina-week (belated) gift exchange

rating: k for: @canariie author’s note: hello! i’m so sorry this is so late, but i hope you enjoy this domestic fluff piece! i haven’t written hitsuhina in years but i still adore them as much as ever, so i hope this is as in character as possible.

The rays of the bright morning sun kiss his sleeping figure, urging him to return to consciousness. A soft groan escapes his lips as he forces his eyes to open, slightly disoriented by the sudden waking. He blinks a few times, his vision soon clearing as he stares up at the ceiling. It doesn’t take long for him to finally comprehend his surroundings.

He can hear the soft snores of her next to him, alongside the incredible warmth snuggled against his side. His arm feels a little sore after supporting most of her weight, but he doesn’t dare move. Instead, he twists his head only slightly to look down at her, coming face to face with a mop of dark brown tresses.

It appears she’s only shifted closer to him during the night, remaining glued to his side as he feels one of her legs stretched on top of him. He doesn’t really mind though; having Momo wrapped up in his arms is his favourite place to be.

But as he glances at the clock hanging on the wall facing their bed, he knows he cannot stay here much longer. There is far too much paperwork he still has to complete thanks to Matsumoto’s regular indolence, and Ise has sent each division notices about overdue documents needing to be completed.

Toshiro lets out a soft grumble in irritation at the thought.

He really doesn’t want to leave Momo here alone in bed when it’s supposed to be their day off. He knows she’ll understand his reasons for departing so soon, she always does. But for once, he’d like to neglect his duties if it meant he could have a few more minutes with her.

A quick glance at the clock again tells him that his time is up, and there’s no room for further delay. Perhaps if he finished this fast enough, he could return to Momo’s warm arms.

With that thought in mind, Toshiro gathers up the resolve to leave the cocoon of warmth he’d been engulfed in. He glances around for a way to move without waking her, only to find that she’s snuggled even closer into his side.

Toshiro smiles to himself a bit.

Five years ago, he wouldn’t have imagined she’d be such a clingy sleeper. They may have slept in the same room as children while living with their grandma, but that was different. Obaa-san had always opted to sleep in the middle as she let them cuddle against her.

Since then, they’d never shared the same sleeping quarters until Momo had asked to move in with him. That first night had been admittedly quite awkward. Toshiro hadn’t wanted to overstep boundaries by accidentally taking over her side of the bed (he’d been told by obaa-san before that he was a bit of a blanket hog), so he had placed a pillow in between them while Momo was getting ready.

He could remember her reaction to it very clearly, her expression shifting from shock to disappointment, to slight hurt, and he hadn’t known how to remedy it.

“Toshiro-kun?” she’d asked, unmoving from the door as she stared at the set up of their bed.

“Yeah? What’s wrong, Momo?” he asked, a bit hesitant.

She turned to look at him, biting her lip.

“Are we sleeping with that pillow in the middle tonight?”

He scratched the back of his neck, taken aback by her disappointed reaction. He’d thought that she was aware of his blanket problem, or maybe a bit uncomfortable with sharing the bed so soon since they hadn’t for a long while now. But apparently not.

“I thought it would be more convenient for you, but I can remove it.”

She frowned, “Convenient? Why?”

“Are you not uncomfortable with sharing the bed already?”

“I was the one who asked to move in with you, Toshiro-kun. I wouldn’t have asked if I were uncomfortable with sleeping with you,” she explained, the hurt dissipating into understanding.

“Both ways,” she muttered under her breath, so softly that anyone else with untrained hearing wouldn’t have heard. But he had, and the tips of his ears turned red at the thought. They hadn’t reached that stage yet, but he could foresee it happening in the near future.

“I’m sorry for misunderstanding, Momo,” he apologised sincerely, “I should have asked you first.”

She smiled at him, shaking her head as she moved over to the bed. Momo lifted the pillow dividing the bed and placed it above hers, climbing into the bed.

“It’s alright, Toshiro-kun. But now that’s out of the way, I can do this.”

He didn’t know what he’d been expecting but certainly not Momo boldly wrapping her arms around him to cuddle as she tangled their legs together. Toshiro had noticed that since the beginning of their relationship, maybe a little while before that, she’d grown somewhat bolder. It was a refreshing development, seeing the usually so polite and shy Momo grow more confident in herself again.

This confidence included taking a lot of initiative in their relationship, much to his surprise. He was usually the more direct one of the two, but Momo had switched their positions and swept him off his feet. He wasn’t complaining though.

Toshiro would never admit it out loud, but Matsumoto had been right. If Momo hadn’t made the first move, he wouldn’t have made one to begin with. He hadn’t wanted to burden her with his feelings, not since she was still recovering from Aizen’s betrayal. All he’d wanted was to ensure she was safe and happy, even if it wasn’t with him.

Yet as luck would have it, she’d found both with him.

And he would spend his long years of living ensuring that she always would.

When he woke up the next morning, he’d found Momo still snuggled in his arms, as though she hadn’t moved the entire night. It was then that he began to realise that he’d been an idiot for thinking she would be uncomfortable. All this time, she’d wanted the same thing as he: to fall asleep and wake up in each other’s arms.

It’s unfortunate that this morning however, Momo would be subjected to an empty bed as he’s forced to attend to work duties early on. That is, if he’s even able to wriggle out of her hold.

One of her arms spread across his chest has tightened around him, leaving him unable to slide out without prying her hands off him. Instead, he decides to work on freeing his legs first. Perhaps that will cause her to roll over just a little.

With much effort, Toshiro begins his escape. Fortunately for him, Momo isn’t applying as much pressure with her leg as she had been, allowing him to slide one of his legs away. He awkwardly tries to slide his other leg away, his right foot already brushing the edges of the wooden floor.

He’s only managed to free both his legs from under her when the hand across his chest grips onto his shirt, giving him pause. Toshiro looks down to see her tugging him back, the leg sprawled over him moving beneath the sheets to find his freed legs. Her eyes are still closed but she seems intent on keeping him in bed.

“Where are you going, Shiro-chan?” he hears her sleepily ask, her voice croaky from hours of misuse. She grips tighter on his shirt, trying to pull him closer to her.

“I have to finish off some paperwork, Momo,” he tells her gently, although without resisting her effort to pull him back. After all, how can he resist her?

Momo still doesn’t open her eyes, instead shaking her head. She shifts closer to him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. The scent of peaches wafts strongly against his nose, a scent he’s strongly acquainted with home.

The more she acts like this, the more his resolve to step out of bed dwindles.

“Rangiku-san can do it,” she mumbles, her warm breath fanning against his neck.

He hums softly, bending his head down to press a soft kiss against the top of her head.

“It’s because of her that I have to do it myself.”

Momo buries her face against him even more, shaking her head. She swiftly locks her legs around him, catching him off guard with her iron grip. It’s not often that he experiences her being so possessive, but he quite enjoys the experience.

“Stay with me, Shiro-chan,” she says, squeezing his side.

“Momo, I-”

“Please?”

He can just imagine the pout she’s sporting without even seeing her face, and immediately his resolve disappears. It’s not as though he’d been putting up much of a fight anyway. Ise and the paperwork can wait, there are more important matters for him to attend to.

With that in mind, he surrenders completely to Momo’s warmth.

Toshiro pushes himself back into the bed, shifting to get comfortable again. He turns a little on his side, allowing himself to scoop her into his arms as he holds her tight against him. Now that he’s much taller, Momo feels so petite in his arms.

Momo squeezes him as he rests his chin on top of her, sighing. He closes his eyes.

Matsumoto can take care of the work just as she should’ve. This is where he’s supposed to be.

His whole body relaxes. Toshiro’s breath simultaneously evens out with Momo’s and the pair soon surrender to the welcome embrace of a morning slumber.

As though it’s déjà vu, the sun's rays shine brightly against her eyelids. It pulls her from the depths of her peaceful sleep, forcing her back into reality. With great effort, she flicks an eye open, wincing at the bright light before she opens the other. She blinks furiously, trying to readjust to her surroundings.

Her body feels awfully heavy, both from hours of oversleeping and the strong arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Momo looks down to see Toshiro’s arm clutching her waist, and she smiles to herself.

Normally neither are too touchy in public, but once they’re alone and away from prying eyes, she can become particularly clingy. But she’s not the only one. Over the years they’ve spent together as lovers, she’s come to learn that her Toshiro really enjoys placing her arm around her waist.

He’s also especially fond of spooning her in bed, with him as the big spoon as he keeps her enveloped in his arms. They hadn’t exactly spooned last night, but she can just tell that neither had separated from each other’s side despite the sheer size of their bed.

Momo’s gaze shifts from his arm to look right at his face, her smile growing fonder. His peaceful look is something she’s only privy to, especially when he’s known to always glare or look somewhat grumpy to his subordinates. But during sleep is when he finds true peace, allowing himself to be fully vulnerable under her watchful eye.

She knows that she could probably stare at his face all day if she could, but he’s particularly sensitive to her gazes. Sometimes she’ll just be staring at him from afar, and suddenly his eyes will snap to hers with a brow raised.

Though interestingly enough, he hasn’t seemed to notice her staring yet. Surely he should be awake by now?

“Are you enjoying yourself, Momo?”

His husky voice, ridden with hours of sleep, startles her that she almost jumps in surprise. He hasn’t opened his eyes yet, but she can see the faintest curl of the sides of his lips.

She pouts, lightly pushing his shoulder. “How long have you been awake?”

He opens a turquoise eye to look at her.

“Long enough.”

Momo reaches forward to gently caress the side of his face, watching as he nuzzles his cheek against her palm.

“I did though.”

“Hmm?”

“I enjoyed looking at your sleeping face, Shiro-chan,” she admits, her gaze never leaving him.

He raises a brow, cheeks beginning to flush a little pink.

“You did?”

Momo nods, smiling at him. “You’re very relaxed and peaceful when you sleep.” She lightly traces the dip between his eyebrows. “There are also no wrinkles,” she teases.

“I don’t have wrinkles.”

She raises a brow, her eyes twinkling in mischief. “Are you sure you don’t? You do tend to frown a lot.”

“You can blame Matsumoto for that.”

At the mention of Rangiku’s name, Momo’s eyes widen. She can vaguely recall having woken up earlier this morning actually, but she remembers Rangiku’s name being spoken clearly.

She tears her gaze away to look at their wall clock, a soft gasp escaping her lips.

Toshiro moves slightly to sit up, looking at her. “What’s wrong, Momo?”

She looks at him, her eyes still wide. Oh no. It’s already two o’clock, far later than either of them have ever slept before. Not to mention that she’d seen the notice Ise had given his division on Friday about the overdue paperwork that needed to be completed and submitted by three o’clock on Sunday.

It was highly unlikely that Rangiku had done it herself, leaving Toshiro in charge of the matter. But he had been here with her this whole time, sleeping.

Momo bites her lower lip in guilt.

“It’s already two…”

He raises a brow, nodding slowly. “It is.”

“Toshiro-kun, don’t you remember? You had those stacks of paperwork you needed to submit by three today. I’m not too sure Nanao-san will be too happy about the delay.”

Toshiro doesn’t reply immediately, opting to gaze at her silently for a few moments. It slightly bothers her, the way his expression doesn’t change as he stares, and how he hasn’t said anything yet. Is she the only one who sees the issue here?

Then suddenly, he shakes his head as he lets out a soft chuckle.

Momo blinks, confused.

“Toshiro-kun?”

“Did you really think I didn’t remember?”

She frowns. “I know you wouldn’t, but I don’t understand why you’re still here then if that’s the case.”

He reaches out to lightly ruffle her already messy morning hair, catching her off guard. Why is he acting so nonchalant about this?

“That’s because of you.”

“Me?”

He nods. “Yes, you.”

Momo scrunches her nose, pointing to herself. “I don’t understand how I could be the reason when I’ve been asleep this whole time.”

“No, you woke up earlier when I did.”

“I did?”

Toshiro nods, “I tried to get up to do that paperwork but then someone refused to let me go.”

She blinks at the revelation, frowning.

“I don’t remember that.”

“I don’t expect you to.”

He shrugs, sitting up more to rest his back against the headrest.

“But you did pull me back to bed and told me to stay with you. You also said that Matsumoto would do the paperwork.”

Ah, that must be why she remembers Rangiku’s name. She’d uttered it out loud earlier this morning, as a protest against Toshiro leaving her side according to him.

The truth makes her blush in slight embarrassment. She knows she can be clingy, but never to this extent. Momo only hopes that he hadn’t minded it. It’s her fault now that Toshiro couldn’t do his work.

But before she can look down and allow herself to take all the blame, Toshiro’s hand comes to gently tilt her chin up to look at him. She blinks, staring into his eyes in confusion, but his eyes are warm.

He rubs her cheek with his thumb. “Don’t blame yourself, Momo.”

“But I-”

He shakes his head before she can fully protest.

“I wasn’t putting up much of a fight either. I didn’t exactly want to spend my Sunday morning doing paperwork Matsumoto should’ve done when I could be staying in bed with you, so I’m glad you asked me to stay.”

Toshiro leans forward to press a soft kiss against her forehead, Momo closing her eyes at the contact. His lips are warm to the touch, far less chapped than anyone would initially expect. They’re soft and supple and feel especially good against her own.

“I don’t think Rangiku-san’s finished it. She probably forgot.”

He cracks a smile as he pulls away, nodding in agreement. “I don’t expect her to have remembered it either. But it doesn’t matter. The paperwork is Matsumoto’s responsibility first and foremost, not mine.”

She scrunches her nose when she realises his train of thought, lightly swatting his shoulder.

“Shiro-chan, that’s rude.”

“But it’s true, isn’t it? It’s been decades but she still hasn’t changed.”

Momo can’t find room to argue when it’s true. As a lieutenant, completion of a majority of the division’s paperwork fell under their job description, not the captain’s. While lots of captains and lieutenants tried to divide the work between them, oftentimes the captain became too distracted with other responsibilities that the burden fell on their vice’s shoulders instead.

Luckily for her, Shinji was pretty good at multitasking. He often tried to lessen the load on Momo by doing as much as he could, which she was grateful for. On the other hand, Rangiku had never been known to enjoy paperwork or administrational duties like she had. Rather, she had a particular tendency to drink large amounts of sake when she could, leaving her unable to complete her duties.

As a result, Toshiro had often been burdened by doing everything himself. Momo tried to pop by and help him a couple of times, but he was stubbornly against her help. He’d argued that she did enough paperwork on her own already, he wasn’t about to let her do some more.

Even still, she could see how much it drained him sometimes. Rangiku had been getting better at doing it over the years, but she still had her habits.

“Mm, I suppose so,” she admits quietly, sitting up next to him to rest her head on his shoulder.

“So a day for sleeping in with you shouldn’t be a problem. Kyoraku won’t mind.”

She nods in agreement. Kyoraku was a lot less strict than Yamamoto had been, while Nanao had become his stricter right hand.

“I think we should do this again.”

“Do what again?”

Momo smiles at him, “Sleep in again. We’ve never woken up this late before.”

Toshiro muses to himself quietly, before letting out a soft hum. They are both quite early birds, though Momo liked to sleep in a little more whenever she had her days off.

“Alright then.”

She grins, wrapping her arms around one of his. “How about we also stay in bed the whole day today?”

“The whole day?”

“You don’t have anything planned today do you?” She raises a brow at him, only to be met by a shake of the head.

“Not that I recall, no.”

“Good,” Momo smiles. “Then yes, we can stay in bed the whole day today. It’s called a Lazy Sunday, Shiro-chan.”

“What about food? Don’t we need to eat?”

“I can ask someone to get us food. Are you hungry right now?”

Toshiro shakes his head, “Not at the moment. But I think you are.”

At that, her stomach begins to let out a low growl, yearning for food to quench its hunger. Momo’s hands immediately fly to cover her stomach in embarrassment, her cheeks burning up.

He only looks at her with a slight smirk, to which she pouts as she swats him away.

“I may be a little hungry.”

“That doesn’t sound like a little.”

She huffs, “Okay maybe not. But I’ll go ask someone to get us food first.”

Before Momo can call out however, he places a hand over hers. She looks at him with a brow raised.

“How about we go get something to eat together, and go back to bed when we’re done?”

Truthfully she doesn’t want to leave the bed at all, but the longer she sits here, the louder her stomach cries. It continues to prod her for food and she doesn’t want to reach the point where her stomach starts to ache from hunger.

Momo sighs in reluctance. “I guess we’ll have to.”

Toshiro eyes her in amusement. “We’ll come straight back here after, Momo. Don’t worry.”

He begins to open the covers, slipping out of the bed in one fluid movement. Toshiro extends a hand out to help her get up, grasping her hand tightly to keep her steady.

“And then we can have our Lazy Sunday?”

He nods, kissing her temple. “And then we can have our Lazy Sunday.”

Momo grins to herself, squeezing his hand tight. Today is looking to be a really good day.

#hitsuhina #hitsuhina week #bleach #toshiro hitsugaya #momo hinamori #hitsugaya x hinamori #hitsuhinaweek2021 #otp: watermelons and peaches #fandom: bleach #my writing #ahhh so sorry for the lateness #but hope you enjoy it!

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petri808 · 4 years

Text

A Sun-Kissed Getaway

My artist partner @reishichi beautiful companion piece to my story. Rei was awesome to work with, sweet, go check out her art!!! 💜💜 This was for the @todomomo-mini-bang-2020

The scent of the salty ocean air held hints of life and notes of esoteric mysteries swirling through the breezes that wrapped along the sun-kissed beach they stood on. He couldn’t have picked a more perfect spot to bring his wife Momo to. Secluded and peaceful compared to the hectic city world they lived in. The skies were radiant with different shades of blue as far as the eye could see and embraced at the horizon into the covetous waters like a lover returning home.

But as beautiful as this landscape was, it didn’t hold a flame in his heart like the gorgeous woman before him. Her dark raven tresses float behind her in gentle wisps and flurries, only tamed in part by the loose clip that binds it up. He watches her pause and bend down to pick up a shell, turning it in her hand before placing it back where she’d found it. Always the curious bookworm, cultured and mindful of her surroundings. She turns her attention to the ocean and closes her eyes.

He smiles at her upturned expression as she soaks in this entrancing milieu. It was one he could understand and appreciate too.

Their work as heroes was a daunting task at times. Not just physically taxing but emotionally draining when you’re dealing with the dregs of society. Villains and the victims left in their wake. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if these degenerates could just stick to battling with the law rather than dragging innocents into the mix. But he digresses. This was not the time to brood upon the negatives of their chosen professions.

“Shouto,” a soft melody crosses his hearing, and he shifts his focus to its source. He sees her outstretched hand, beckoning him to her.

He smiles once more and closes the gap between them, taking hold and entwining his fingers with hers. She squeezes and runs her thumb soothingly over the skin, wiping away the dissolution as if it’d never taken place. This is why he loved her so much. With just a tender touch, she could send away the weary and brighten his world anew. He lifts her hand and places a chaste kiss to its back. “Shall we,” he questions, gesturing to the stretch of coastline. She smiles with a light blush filtering onto her cheeks and nods in agreement.

They walk along the beach hand in hand in mellow conversation. The warm white sand speckled with various shades from corals of long ago cushion each step they take. It was nice, like a massage for their bare feet, and he appreciated that nature was kind enough not to burn today. No other souls were around to disturb them, except for the occasional call of a seabird or the skittering of a hermit crab. Just the tranquil roil of the waves ebbing and flowing against the sand or the shifting leaves of the trees that dot the edge of the shoreline.

It takes about an hour for them to make it to the end of the beach where a sheer cliff face rises up an unknown amount of stories and blocks their way. This beach was carved from a valley and only accessible with four-wheel drive. Of course, for those with a quirk like he had, travel to a remote location wasn’t so much of an issue. But to make it a day when they could forget about their quirks and just be normal for once, he’d borrowed a friend’s truck to get through the forest trail.

With no reason to hurry, they simply turn around and enjoy the stretch of paradise, making their way back to their little camp for the day. It was almost lunchtime and his wife had prepared bento meals for them to fuel their day off. Along with an oversized blanket and small cooler with drinks, it was the perfect set up for a relaxing picnic by the sea.

How unexpected, he mused as she produced a kitchen knife and began cutting into a small watermelon. It was the perfect refreshing treat for this warm summer day. He makes her a small table of ice to cut the fruit on and lay the pieces out to chill. “Lunch was delicious Momo, thank you,” he kisses her cheek as she finishes chopping.

She blushes lightly in a smile, “you’re welcome Shouto.”

He was a lucky man that his wife was such an amazing cook. Cooking was one skill that he could never master no matter how many times his sister Fuyumi tried to teach him. But he’s always been just a simple man, nothing fancy required, and content with a cold plate of soba. His wife was a different story. Raised to be the perfect balance of elegance and sophistication, used to the finer things in life, yet never pretentious or snobby.

Though they’d come from the upper echelon of society, their families couldn’t have been more different from one another. It was strange to him at first. She was so settled and worldly compared to him, a top-ranked student and yet adorably self-conscious. While he came from a broken home life, an overbearing father, while still managing to develop his own identity. But he digresses. They did have one thing in common. He leans back on the blanket and closes his eyes to the memory.

All through high school they’d been completely clueless, and it wasn’t until after graduation, with the help of their friends pointing out the blaring reality of their feelings for one another.

“What are you smiling about?”

Her voice pulls him back. “Just you,” he takes the piece of watermelon she holds out to him, “and how happy you make me.”

“Aww,” she giggles and hides her smile behind her hand, “you make me happy too.”

Even after all these years he could make her blush with the simplest of compliments. Her bright smile and the twinkle in her eye whenever she laughed or giggled always made his heart flutter wildly despite the stoic expression on his face. She’s the only woman who could pull these emotions from him. Others had tried and failed in the past, and maybe it was with that realization that he was finally able to process their friend’s words all those ages ago. ‘You love her…’

‘Yes, I do…’ It was because of her kind encouragement that he was truly able to forgive his father for all the man had done to their family. Her support gave him strength and her love gave him fuel to be the best hero he could be.

He feels a weight on his shoulder. It was Momo resting her head against it while she nibbles on a piece of watermelon and stares out over the ocean. He kisses her temple and wraps his arm around her, leaning his head against hers. This would make a for a perfect picture, but he couldn’t bring himself to spoil the moment by pulling out his phone. That was okay, such memories will always live on within them.

A light sigh and a shift by his wife to further wrap her arms around his mid-section. She was so content it was a shame that they would have to leave this beach soon. One didn’t need a watch to know the time, as the sun slowly made its trek across the sky towards the horizon, and the shadows from the tree line washed over their picnic spot. He of all people understood the power of the elements, yet in that moment, even the roar of the waves was but a peaceful undertone to relax away all the painful toils of their lives and send them away to the depths of the sea.

“So beautiful,” the words wisp out from Momo’s lips as she stared at the sunset.

How often do they ever get to enjoy this natural phenomenon, and today seemed even more spectacular than he remembered? The reddish orange ball of fire sent colored heat waves stretching out along the horizon, like a distorted image on a television screen, and darkening the further it settled below the sea blue threshold. But above it, the colors blended wildly with the sky to produce brilliant purple and blue hues broken up between the spattering of pink orange clouds travelling across the heavens.

“It’s time to go,” he kisses his wife and gives her arm a gentle squeeze.

“I know,” she sighs.

“We’ll come back again. I promise.”

She smiles, “thank you for today Shouto, I really needed this.”

He leans his forehead to hers and closes his eyes, cradling the back of her head. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. She was everything to him. “No. I’m the one who’s thankful,” he leans in and places a lingering kiss on her lips. “You make me the happiest man in the world.”

“I love you Shouto.”

“I love you too Momo.”

And as they make their way over to the car, he wraps his arm around her shoulder to guide her, taking one last look at the expanse of sand and sea. Growing up, he’d never expected to be as happy as he was with moments like this one. Nevertheless, just like that setting sun, old childhood wounds dissolve away into the abyss, leaving just the starry skies that blink of possibilities. There may not be any photographic chronicles of their adventure today, but the memories will forever be ingrained in their hearts and the love of a woman who helped him get here.

❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍🥳🥳 Bonus Birthday add on: @reishichi Happy Birthday!

As he lay there in the early morning hours, the sun’s rays were just barely peeking through the sheer curtains. Shouto smiles as he gazes lovingly over his wife’s face imagining how lucky he was to have her in his life. It had been a few weeks since their little beach outing, and oh how he wished they’d had more time for such moments. To relax and pretend all the cares of the world had disappeared. If he could spin their world into a perfect utopia for her, he would do it in a heartbeat.

He gently brushes away the stray ebony hairs that have drifted over her face, careful not to wake her. Momo’s shift the evening prior had been a long one, and he wanted to let her sleep in as long as possible. She looked so peaceful lightly curled against his side, trusting of his protection. Her porcelain skin coming alive with the light of the sun.

There was only one thing he could think of to make their lives better than it already was, but it was something that brought trepidation and fears along with the excitement and bliss. He was afraid to bring up the topic of starting a family. Was he ready, were they ready? Oh, who was he kidding, Momo would be an excellent mother. It was he and his poor childhood that caused him the greater pause.

She would probably tell him the opposite, Shouto you’ll be an amazing father… he chuckles in his head as he remembers the long-ago recertification exam. As the baby of the family, he had no experience dealing with children. They were like strange creatures to him that he couldn’t understand. Some people take to parenting naturally, but he just knew that wouldn’t be him. And yet despite those concerns, the desire to have a child with Momo outweighed those fears.

Imagine it… going back to that beach with a little one in tow. Watching him or her scurry after crabs or chasing the waves as they ebb and flow along the sand. Building sandcastles and napping under the sun after a yummy lunch prepared by his wife. A picture of pure bliss that he would love and cherish and give the child all the love he never received growing up with his own father. Bet his siblings would be thrilled to be an aunt and uncle.

When the time feels right, he’ll broach the question. He kisses Momo’s forehead and rests his chin amongst her tresses, closing his eyes with a smile. Sleep my love, as we dream of a sun-kissed future.

#todomomo #todomomo fan fiction #todomomo fan art #bnha #todomomo mini bang 2020 #todoroki shouto #yaoyorozu momo #shouto todoroki #momo yaoyorozu #todomomo fan fic #aged up #married #beach #picnic #landscape scene #petri808 #petris chronicles

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subtlereferencetomyinterests · 4 years

Text

Complexities Unknowable Chapter 3

Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23274334/chapters/57175900

Chapter Two link: https://tha-best-url-evar.tumblr.com/post/614327945408987136/complexities-unknowable-chapter-two

MasterPost

Relationships: Established Relationship Dukeceit, eventual intrualiceit, background analogince.

Warnings: Remus says some things (mentions of biblically accurate angels, gore art description), food mention, mild sleep deprivation, cursing. As always everyone is sympathetic. Roast me if I forgot something.

Word Count: 1,851

Remus was, once again, sitting on the counter in the light side kitchen. It was an ungodly early hour of morning, so the Commons were deserted. He was supposed to be waiting for Morality, according to the spiteful little plot Dee had offered him that he hadn’t listened to all that well, but he surmised it meant he was supposed to fuck with a light side, so… Duh. Of course he was in.

Truth be told, three out of four of the self-proclaimed ‘light sides’ hardly bothered him! They were stuffy prudes, sure, but their insults slid off his back like blood off of steel. As long as he was doing his own thing with Deceit alongside him, everything was fine (he was still pointedly ignoring the existence of another Creativity). But looks like what Deceit wanted to do was torment Patton into, like, repenting? Or something? Like he said, he wasn’t listening.

Anyway! Waiting and watching was what he was doing! And doodling, because sitting still was literally impossible in Remus’ experience. Thankfully, he soon saw the paternal trait springing down the stairs. Straightening his back, The Duke put on his best intimidating face (which he thought looked rather silly, but Deceit assured him was very unsettling). He set down his sketchbook and blurred his edges. It didn’t work very well up here, but it was a little trick that they’d all- Virgil included- learned years ago. Honestly, he just used it to get cheap scares every now and then.

Patton strolled into the kitchen, whistling some jaunty tune and holy shit , Remus had figured it was some shtick, but was he just a cartoon character all of the time ? That was- sure, very adorable- but mostly all the more entertaining to scare!

“What’s up, Dilf!?”

Patton shrieked, nearly dropping a mug. With wide, startled eyes, he found the source of the noise. Said source watched the emotional trait force his expression into something amicable, laughing loudly.

“Um- good morning, Remus! I, uh, didn’t see you there.”

“That was the point, MoMo,” Remus replied, dragging his claws screechingly down the side of a cabinet; Patton winced at the sound.

“Can I help you with anything?” Read: Why are you still here? Sometimes Remus wondered if he was too good at his job!

“Nope! Just enjoying the atmosphere, sketching, terrorizing…” He flipped onto his back, throwing his arm out and presenting his open notebook.

“You draw?” Patton seemed weirdly happy about that fact, managing a more natural smile. Seemed he thought he’d found something to work with, but that was likely to change.

“Of course I do, I am Creativity, after all! Here .” He handed over the sketchbook with a Cheshire smile. The creative trait had ensured it was flipped open to a detailed depiction of a being composed of several flaming rings, all of which absolutely covered with bloodshot eyes. It had an indiscernible amount of wings that could only be counted as ‘too many’. In the center of the rings was a swirling black void (a type of ink that took Remus weeks to conjure properly, thank you very much).

He watched carefully as Patton studied the image, looking bemused.

“It’s an angel!”

That seemed to only confuse the moral side more, making him tilt his head to a few different angles to look at the drawing. But he still didn’t seem upset by it, oddly enough.

“It certainly is an interesting interpretation,” He responded at last, “and all of these little lines must have taken you forever, that’s so impressive!”

Truth be told, they had taken a while, and Remus was very happy that the effort had been noticed- but that wasn’t the point!

“That’s nothing,” he took the sketchbook back from Patton and flipped through more pages. Aha! This would fuck him up, for sure! A full-color illustration of someone hung up on a meat hook, rib cage pried open like a spike trap to reveal very painstakingly rendered organs. He was actually quite proud of this one.

The only response that Patton gave, however, was a slight wrinkling of his nose when he first saw it, followed by more quiet observation.

“What do you think?” Remus prompted, watching as Patton set the drawing back down on the counter and began to assemble things for breakfast, seemingly unaffected.

“I wish I could draw that well, but I’m still not super good at it,” he said admiringly.

“I had to crack open my own ribs to make sure it was accurate, you know!”

Morality yelped at that one- score one for Remus! Finally!

“You wanna see my re-imaginings of my favorite Final Destination deaths? I’ve painted some with real- well, conjured- but real enough blood!”

But Patton didn’t even flinch this time; he looked more determined even!

“Art is a healthy outlet for expressing yourself,” he was almost certainly parroting Logan there, and he even seemed to believe the statement. Perhaps Remus would have to be a little more creative to get more reactions.

. “I agree! I didn’t expect you to have such an open-minded point of view. I’ll be sure you’re the first side to know when I make my next amateur taxidermy sculpture! Emphasis on the amateur!”

“Great!” Patton practically shouted, very stubbornly staring at the stove.

Before Remus had the chance to continue, the distinct sounds of Logan and Roman arguing their way downstairs met his ears, and he cut himself off. That was enough for one day, he decided. And anyhow, he looked forward to trying new ways to bother Patton next morning.

Deceit rose into the shadows of the Light Side commons with a smirk. It was an awful hour of the night, which was part of the plan. Not only was Patton the first awake in the morning, he was also often the last to sleep. Deceit supposed that Logan was looking after Roman and Virgil’s sleep schedules nowadays, which made it much easier to catch the artificial patriarch alone. That isn’t to imply that Dee had been tracking their schedules or anything, but the overwhelming lie that Morality surrounded himself with made him easy to track- especially in the night, when he had to pretend even harder that he was fine without the presence of his little family. Deceit entertained the idea that he should feel bad for the side, and maybe he did somewhere deep down. Deep, deep down. No, further than that.

Regardless of any such feelings, he was here to mess with Patton. Still unnoticed, he watched quietly as his target scrolled through Netflix, illuminated only by the dim glow of the television. The side looked so tired that he could’ve passed as a corpse, but gave a tiny smile after finally selecting whatever it was he was going to watch.

Wait. Wait. He was watching that ?

Deceit stared at the unmistakable green text that was the intro to The Good Place playing across the screen. If there was one thing he was expecting Patton to watch (Cartoons? Friends reruns? Slime videos?), it wasn't his own favorite show.

“Hm.” Deceit hummed.

In response, Patton shrieked and fell halfway off the couch. His head darted around until he finally spotted Deceit, who had slid down to sit on the sofa as well.

“Oh- um- good evening, Deceit! Wow, today is just full of surprises!”

“ Surely you won’t mind if I join you? This is one of my favorite shows, after all.”

Patton fixed his position so that he was no longer partially on the floor and looked the snake up and down. He paused the episode.

“ Really ?”

“Really,” and then, after some trepidation, “Honestly.”

Suddenly, Patton lit up dramatically, a happy smile stretching across his face. Fuck, wrong direction, Deceit wasn’t supposed to be cheering him up!

“I’m surprised that someone like you would like it,” Deceit continued hastily. Patton’s smile fell a little and he tipped his head in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean ,” He lounged back against the couch, “I didn’t think you’d approve of a show where all of the characters are such bad people .”

“What?! The whole point is that they aren’t bad!” Good, Back on track .

“Oh? Then what are they? Last I checked, the main character was very selfish .”

“I- okay, I see what you’re trying to do,” Patton turned to face Deceit entirely, “But they’re- they also-”

“Also what ?” Deceit was also sitting sideways on the couch now, his eyes glinting. He was certain that he’d talked the trait into a corner, which was why he was so utterly unprepared for Patton’s response.

“It’s, like, they all start off not great, but that’s because they were all set up for failure before the afterlife! They had it hard before dying, but when they were finally given the chance to actually get better, then they got better! They aren’t perfect , but they care about each other! And I think it really shows that sometimes, somebody can be wrong over and over and over again, but that doesn’t mean that they’re hopeless, or that they’re a bad friend, or…” He trailed off, looking down at his lap and blinking very quickly. “Or that they’re a bad person.”

Suddenly, Deceit wasn’t that sure that he wanted to see Patton upset anymore.

After a very uncomfortable silence that lasted far too long for his liking, the scaled side realized that he should probably be the one to say something.

“That’s… a very in depth analysis, Morality. I’m inclined to agree with you.”

“Thanks,” Patton replied. When he looked up, his eyes held an odd recognition. It was a look that no Light Side had ever given Deceit, but they gave it to each other plenty of times. The side in question wasn’t sure if he liked it, but he sure knew that he was uncomfortable.

“So… The show…” He prompted.

“Oh, right!”

Patton pressed play.

Deceit had planned on doing some more provoking of Patton as they watched, but he found himself rather caught up in the program. The conversation he did end up making with the other incidentally slipped into chatting about their shared views on the show. It was almost nice. Maybe. Whatever.

After a few episodes, Deceit elected to return home for the night. As he was sinking out, he heard a sleepy voice bidding him farewell.

“G’night, Kiddo.”

He popped up in his bedroom after that, eyes quickly landing on a half-asleep Remus half-watching Saw 4 . The lights were dimmed to a glow, and the TV’s volume was so low that it might have been inaudible to anyone other than the more animalistic sides.

“You didn’t have to wait up for me,” Deceit murmured warmly, sitting beside his fellow Dark side. The trait yawned and rubbed his eyes, instinctively leaning into him.

“Wanted to,” he responded, voice groggy, “How’d it go?”

Deceit snapped his fingers to change into sleep clothes, reaching across Remus to flick off the lamp. As he settled in to semi-watch the movie, fingers automatically moving to card through his partner’s hair, he carefully considered the question.

“Fucking. Weird.”

Chapter 4

Tags: @deceits-left-glove @princemesscharming

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namelessthirst · 5 years

Text

Surprise

[ A gift fic for @lady-bakuhoe ! I intended this to end a certain way but I hit a good line to end this so I guess this is a part one and expect the rest soon??? I’ll tag @ikinabi too since they mentioned liking pegging >:3c

As always lemme know if you spot any errors I missed! <33

Ao3

Reader/Kirishima/Bakugo

2k and some change

Pegging, Anal, AttemptingToDom!Reader, No pronouns are used but Reader usually has a cooche, But Not This Time ;) ShapshifterQuirk!Reader]

Momo blessedly did not ask details when you asked her to make several floor mats like the ones in gyms, nor when you asked her, as a follow-up, to make a king-sized bedding.

You knew you had a couple hours to prepare before the boys came back from their evening training, though you didn't expect to take that long.

The setup was mostly simple, your dorm furniture pressed away from the middle of the room, giving as much space as you could to the affair you had planned. Placing the gym mats was a bit of a squeeze anyway, but with some effort they pressed down well enough between your bed and the desk. Getting the bedding on was a different ordeal, trying to pin the corners of the sheet on by yourself was far from an easy task even when the object being dressed was all in one piece, let alone multiple slats of mats. You could have asked your boys to help, but that would have given away the surprise unveiling for the evening. But, eventually, you did get it all on; with the help of a desk chair, a beanbag, and some textbooks, holding down the other corners.

Next was decorating the room in candles, more for mood lighting than scent; you didn't expect to mind the smell of the aftermath at all. Besides, the boys had insisted on showering before coming over anyway, even though you said it'd be kinda silly to get all cleaned up just to get dirty again.

Lastly was organizing your inventory for the night- lube, the warming pad for the lube (which you intended to go and warm up a bit later, so it'd be sure to keep until the boys came), water bottles, some light snacks, some small towels that you'd bought specifically for times like these, and a pack of sanitary wipes. Oh! And lastly, a pair of lovely metal butt-plugs, adorned with red and gold sequins on the backs. These, you were sure to hide separately from the main stash.

With everything prepped and cleaned, all you needed to do now was wait.

It was unexpectedly calm, the time spent idly studying or lounging. When it came closer to their arrival, you meandered into the communal kitchen to warm the heating pad in the microwave. Sure, you got a couple odd looks from your peers, but nothing about it was too unusual.

Your relationship with Eijiro and Katsuki wasn't a secret, sure, but you didn't exactly call out your sexual escapades to the sky either. Not that you would have minded bragging some, with welcoming company, but you're fairly certain the noisiest of your trio would have a right fit about it if you did.

After tucking the lube together with the pad in with a normal towel, you heard your phone go off lightly, your set alert tone specifically for Eiji's texts.

You couldn't help the little gleeful wiggle that was elicited at the ETA you were given. Almost there!

Just before you expected them, you dashed around to dim the lights, leaving only a lamp in the back to offer just enough light to see by, and of course, the candles.

There was a soft knock at your door and a jingle of keys (you'd given them copies to your room a while ago), and you took a moment to take a breath before the door opened. Composure was certainly something you could bring to this, for the moment.

Eijiro was first in, squinting into the darkened room as his eyes adjusted from the lighting outside. Katsuki followed in in a similar fashion, shutting the door behind himself gently, for once.

"You have enough fire in here to put icy-hot to shame."

Not exactly the most romantic greeting, but you couldn't exactly deny Katsuki's claim either.

"Maybe- Doesn't it look pretty though?"

Eijiro set his workout bag aside, having brought himself and Katsuki straight over after their shower, "I think so! Romantic lighting is always a classic move, isn't it?"

You hummed in consideration, making grabby hands at the two, "Maybe. I just thought it'd be...relaxing."

Katsuki joined you and Eijiro on the makeshift king-bed after dumping his own bag in the designated spot, "Nothing like a little fire hazard to set the mood."

You snorted, breaking the light kiss with Eiji to give Katsuki a look, "Says the guy who lights off his hands at any given opportunity, in any indoor space."

You knew his remarks right now were mostly due to nerves, but that didn't mean you'd let him get away without a good sassing.

All the same, you pulled him in next to press a more tender kiss than he'd usually prefer to his lips, "Mm, so. Do we wanna kick things off?"

You shifted back a bit toward the mound of pillows you'd placed at the top of the 'bed', having snatched your own and theirs, and perhaps a few from the storage closet; if the night went as you'd hoped, you'd be keeping them, for your sake and everyone else's. "Or we could just...warm up for a bit? Talk?"

You wanted to take things slow, or at least slow enough that Katsuki wouldn't lose his shit so soon. You tried to work this want into him with your hands, rubbing firmly up and down his biceps, which did happen to feel awfully nice after a workout.

Eijiro shuffled up behind you, caging you in against the bedroom nervous-nancy, "Why don't we play it by ear?" He perhaps didn't mean it so literally, but the temptation was too prominent as he leaned in and nipped at the shell of your ear. You offered him a sweet shiver and a tilt of your head in agreement, slipping your hands up Katsuki's shoulders and into the edge of his hair to play and comb through it while Eijiro danced his teeth over your pulse.

With a soft huff, Katsuki shifted himself, gripping your thighs to lift you a bit till he had you seated neatly on his thighs, Eijiro's pelvis providing a nice back to brace on. The pretty pearly whites you so loved to see Katsuki flash in pride and excitement found their way to the open side your neck, wasting no time in catching up to his sharper counterpart.

You let them mark you up for a bit, praising them with slow grinds against their laps. You knew what they expected this to be, that you wouldn't exactly be participating through the main event, so surely this was not just warming for them, but reassurance to their pride that you were having pleasure too.

Still though, their focus was meant to be on each other, at least at the start.

So with a small whine and a wiggle for their attention, you took their chins to aim for each other. With your insistence they pressed heated kisses together, nipping and pulling at each other’s lips, putting a show on for you.

It wasn't as though they didn't care for each other as they did you, they just weren't as quite quick off mark with each other as they were with you. They seemed to carry their feelings more like a teammate, the fight addressed usually being just how well they could ruin you by the end of the night.

You kept them close for a bit, pressing encouraging kisses to their bared cheeks and shoulders, feeling their mutual arousal being ground against you. With a squeeze to Eiji's shaft and quick work of his fly, he sucked in a breath against plump, pouty lips, and ground all the more readily against your touch.

Katsuki was a different beast to tame, a wanting palm run over his length, surely, but more so as you pressed your fingers into the back of his pants to tease a grip at his ass cheek. His grip on your hips gave you all you needed to know before you slipped from between them to fetch the warmed lube from its nest.

"Strip?"

They obeyed, gladly ditching their already dampening tops- the candles really did make the room warmer. You were glad to look back as they did, catching the candle-light shimmer of saliva strung between their lips before it was taken with their shirts.

It didn't take long for Katsuki to beckon you back over to him once he'd bared himself, laid out against the pillow-mound while Eijiro sat between his spread legs, slowly pumping his length and smearing the pre over his tip.

You dribbled lube onto your fingers while you let Katsuki hold you in for a deep kiss, waving your free hand over for Eiji's to apply the same to his.

'Suki's soft gasp into your mouth as you spread the lube over his puckered hole made you wobble in your desire to see your plan through, loving the idea of just seating yourself on his twitching dick already. But, no, you planned too much for this to fall through.

On you pressed, both figuratively, and literally, as you slid the first finger into him. You couldn't help the grin that spread on your lips as you felt his asshole flutter around you. But you'd have your fun soon enough, so you cooed for him to relax, dancing pecks over his lips and cheek as your finger worked in and out.

With a glance at Eiji in signal, he brought his slicked fingers beside yours, pressing the longer digit in with a swallowed groan from 'Suki.

"Baby, take his leg up?" Eijiro complied, your hand replacing his on his wanting cock as he took Katsuki's knee up higher.

It didn't take long before Eijiro's touch found your love's prostate, he'd know where it was best, of course. Still you kept yourself in, pressing the opposite way to stretch and tease him inside.

Your touch on Eijiro's need was not quite feathery, you didn't want him too close before he made it in. Before Katsuki's clenched moans turned sweet and as pliant as his slippery asshole, before yours and Eiji's fingers gained in number for him.

"Is it time baby?" You asked, tone full of sugar as you kissed at his flushed cheeks. "Can he go in?"

With his untouched leg spreading further without input, you gave Eiji's cock a firm squeeze, and he wasted no time in shuffling closer as your fingers slipped free.

Your clean hand brushed into Katsuki's hair as you watched Eijiro's arousal slowly disappear into the love under him, using his fingers as a guide until he was seated sturdily in.

After wiping your used hand off on the bedsheets, you wrapped it around Katsuki's cock, his own hands busied in gripping Eiji's arm and the pillow under him.

"Is it good sweetie? Do you wonder, now, if this is what I feel like when you two go to town on me?" You were almost laid out beside him now, watching his lips part in caught moans, his chest rise with every inch Eiji pushed in, not quite fucking him yet, just adjusting. Your hand stroking him languidly, thumb pressing his pretty, glistening slit as you spoke.

With the first roll of Katsuki's hips up to his partner's touch, Eiji met him fully and thrusted, though it ended up being more of a grind when he was already so deeply within him. Still, they'd found their comfort and the sound of strong hips meeting a heavy ass had you dripping in want. You couldn't wait much longer.

They didn't ask when you disappeared behind Eijiro, the grip of each other keeping them preoccupied while you coated your hand in lube once more.

"Eiji, honey, hold in for a bit?"

He grunted in question, but still pressing his hips flush to Katsuki's squirming ass all the same.

When Eiji's hips lurched forward even more, 'Suki swore into a groan, "W-Why're we stopping?"

He couldn't see, how your fingers danced into Eijiro's untouched asshole, repeating the treatment given to the bottom-for-the-night earlier.

"Mmh, I know I said I just wanted to watch, but...then I got an idea!"

Eijiro was caught, stuck between wanting to press his ass onto the fingers teasing so close to his favorite spot and keeping his cock buried in the hot hole it'd been warmed up in. He nearly whined when your fingers left and you climbed back into view of both, your clean hand buried almost out of sight into your own sopping hole.

"I mean, you two always have so much fun plowing into me, I thought- maybe I'd like to give it a try too?"

Their eyes trailed the slick strings carried from yourself to your soaked hand, almost not catching how your soft mound disappeared, something far more prominent taking its place.

"S-so, what do you think? Can I try too?" Your voice wasn't quite as domineering as you'd have liked, too used to your spot between and under them. Still the sight of you using your own arousal to lube up your freshly formed cock had Katsuki clamping down on what was already inside him, giving Eijiro a run for his money to not rut into the tight heat and cum right there.

It was Eijiro's affirmation you were mostly waiting for, as he'd be the one taking you. At least at first.

When you didn't move, he nodded, swallowing thickly between his words, "Y-yeah, babe, god."

With a grin you came around behind, running your hands over his back, "Press 'Suki's legs all the way up, baby? So I can get to you too."

He did as told, caging over Katsuki that much more, hands pressing his knees practically up to his ears, his own ass lifting to give you a pretty view, and a prettier angle to take him in.

You bit your lip in glee as you pressed your slicked cock against the sweetly presented hole, pushing in inch by inch with gentle thrusts until your purposefully over-sized length was buried in to the hilt. You hadn't gone too overboard, but the idea of taking them with something even they couldn't give was just too tempting of a chance.

Eiji was practically drooling when he felt your hips flush to his ass, cock throbbing inside Katsuki who watched his partner's mouth hang open with tongue and drool, and he could only imagine how it must feel.

You moaned soft, rubbing Eijiro's sides as the new sensations took over your sense and you gave a sharp snap back into him, having only pulled back half way- but it was enough. Shoving his hips back into Katsuki as they'd followed your cock back out.

You leaned over his strong back, and Katsuki could just barely catch the filthiest grin he'd ever seen you make as you almost whispered to them.

"I'm going to make you both my bitches tonight."

#eijiro kirishima #katsuki bakugo #eijiro kirishima x reader #bakugo katsuki x reader #lemon #fluff #BNHA #MHA #Boku no Hero Academia #my hero academia #BNHA x Reader #MHA x reader

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daily-dose-of-imagines · 4 years

Text

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝔻𝕒𝕪

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Heyo this is my first time writing on the blog so be kind. I just got obsessed with the idea of Aizawa being an elementary school teacher

>> Admin B̷r̷a̷n̷d̷o̷

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Ok, maybe this won’t be so bad?

He put on a fake smile and looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. The bags under his eyes were somehow more apparent then usual. His face quickly faded into his trademark apathetic scowl.

Who am I kidding? This is the worst possible situation.

Aizawa sneered at the thought of his current situation. Of how his pristine English classroom was being taken from him because they needed “fresh blood”. Of how he was not only being forced into a new school, but also a new grade. He sighed (heavier than usual), leaving his dim apartment early, to beat traffic and give him time to dwell further on his current situation.

As he drove, his brain on went on auto pilot and all his worries and thoughts crossed his mind once again. Aizawa had never taught anything lower than 6th grade, and he never wanted to. It’s not that he didn’t like kids, it’s that he didn’t love kids. High schoolers were almost adults, so he didn’t have to sugar coat anything. No snack time, no name calling, no bullshit. The sudden unemployment was truly a wake-up call (not just because he would fall asleep in class), telling him that he needed to get his shit together. He was thankful that his good friend Nezu happened to have a job opening, he just wished it were at any other school.

Arriving at the school made him sick. The bright colors. The intricately hand painted signs reading “Welcome To The New Year!” and “Start the school year with a smile.” The line of staff waiting outside the school to welcome him. The line of staff? Jesus.

His wish to quietly slip into his new classroom vanished before his eyes. There was no way he could avoid meeting his new colleagues now. Hopefully, he thought, I can get through this without too much headache.

“SHOUTAAAAAAAAA!!!!”

And the headache began.

“Oh my god, Shouta! It’s been so long! And you never returned my texts?? I can’t believe we’re working together again! I thought you didn’t like elementary school?? Anyway, c’mon we need to get you all settled!! I heard you got fired?? What’s up with that? Did you- “

Before he could even fully get out of his car, Hizashi was pulling him toward the crowd of faculty almost against his will. The crowd was full of smiling faces, kind waves, and judging glances.

Ugh

“Welcome Mr. Aizawa! I am glad that Mr. Yamada was telling the truth that he was a close friend. Well I know that our little pocket of perfect isn’t quite the high school setting you’re used to but believe me that you’ll love it soon enough.” Principal Nezu smiled happily and gestured to the quaint little school.

“Starting in the middle of the school year isn’t easy, but I’m sure you’ll be able to handle it,” he added with a wink.

Aizawa glanced briefly at the bright marquee reading “U. A. Elementary School”, then back to the group of hopeful faces. He put on his best “I’m totally not wishing I was somewhere else right now” face, and /reluctantly/ expressed his joy to be there.

With his seemingly pleasant response, the evaluative air cleared somewhat, and the gossipier teachers left the gathering, no longer interested.

Taking Aizawa’s arm, Nemuri pressed her chest against him, “Hate to interrupt but Shouta- Mr. Aizawa, really needs to get to his classroom.” With that, the tall woman, along with Hizashi, practically dragged the poor man away, though he was internally grateful to be away from the crowd.

They arrived at Aizawa’s new classroom, still full of the previous teachers’ belongings. He pulled himself away from the others, brushing himself off.

“Thanks Midnight.”

“Oh, stop with that,” Nemuri responded, fixing her immaculate hair in the reflection from the window, “I haven’t gone by that since college. No one here needs to know the escapades of Ms. Midnight.”

Aizawa chuckled lightly, “At least I have some familiar faces here, aside from Nezu.” He peered over to the other two, seeing their “trying to be respectful but insanely curious” faces. “Fine, I’ll address the elephant in the room. Yes, I was fired. No, it was not for selling drugs to the kids, Hizashi. I just… had trouble staying awake, apparently a few times too many.”

Hizashi sighed in defeat and pulled a twenty out of his pocket, handing it sadly to Nemuri.

“Good thing there was an opening here for you,” Hizashi replied, almost like a whine as he mourned his loss, “Too bad it came at the loss of Yagi. Poor guy having to be stuck at home after that dumb injury.”

Nemuri chuckled, “It’s his own fault for jumping out of the second story window to give one of his students the lunchbox they forgot.”

“He’ll be back next year, and I’ll be long gone. hopefully.” Aizawa interrupted, tying his long hair back. “Now can you two leave? I have kids coming in less than an hour to a teacher that could care less about them right now.”

Nemuri exhaled sharply through her nose, a smirk crossing her face, “You need a better attitude, my friend, or they will eat you alive.” She pushed herself off the desk, pulling Hizashi along.

“Good luck!” He called out, “let me know if I can help! The music room is always open for you!”

As the door slowly closed, Aizawa turned back to his new classroom. The desks were arranged in neat rows and columns, small pieces of tape on the carpeted floor to ensure that they remained in their neat arrangement. He was appalled by the disorganized mess that was Yagi’s previous desk arrangement.

Aizawa sat at his new desk, dropping his head into his hands. He had never taught 2nd grade before. Sure, he was certified to teach it, but that was more of a trophy to him than an actual career choice. Like when someone minors in art history. What made it especially difficult was that he was taking over a class run by the one and only Yagi Toshinori, legendary his teaching. He was the “symbol of peace” for teachers, doing interviews for local news stations and giving presentations for the school district.

The four of them (Yagi, Hizashi, Nemuri, and himself) had gone through college together, but lost touch as they all chose their path. Yagi with younger kids, Aizawa with teens, Hizashi with music, and Nemuri with administration. Aizawa knew that Yagi was a better teacher than him, and that he had big shoes to fill, literally.

Aizawa broke from his lamentation as the morning bell rang. He opened his door to be greeted with the cacophonous sound of 20 children itching the get into their classroom. He was nearly knocked over by the force of almost two dozen children running into inspect what the new teacher had done. Surprisingly, the new layout did not stop the wave of children, they all quickly found their name tags and sat down, most of them loudly complaining.

Aizawa moved to the front of the room and cleared his throat. Twenty small faces focused on him. “Good morning students. As you may know, Mr. Toshinori is injured and will not be able to continue teaching this year. My name is Mr. Aizawa and I’m going to be your teacher for the remainder of the school year-” A series of small hands shot up in front of him. He sighed, “Yes, you,” pointing to the small girl sitting politely in the front row.

“Excuse me, but why can’t Mr. Toshinori come back?” she asked, cocking her head.

Before he could answer, another young girl, this one with pink hair, jumped up, “Momo, he broke his butt, that’s why he can’t come back!”

“He didn’t break his butt! He broke his feet, stupid.” A blonde boy in the back stood up and pointed at her.

“Who are you calling stupid? I saw it, you buttface.” She stuck her tongue out at him. Seeing her mocking face, the boy began throwing his pencils at her, to which she started throwing her pencils. Momo began crying at the violence, while the other students began cheering for one of the other two students.

This was going to be a long day.

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰

As Nemuri entered the teacher’s lounge, she was greeted with the sight of Aizawa looking… well, dead. “Well, I was expecting this.” She commented, setting her stack of papers down and sitting on the table in front of him. “Rough day?” Aizawa merely groaned in response. She patted his head lightly, “You know what they say about kids, it’s like wrangling kittens.”

“I’ve never heard that.” He replied, lifting his head up to a more alive position. “I don’t know how he did it. Those kids just don’t listen.”

“How did you deal with your high schoolers?”

“None of us wanted to be there so we respected each other’s time and got shit done.”

Nemuri clicked her tongue, “It’s a wonder why you’re a teacher at all. You used to have passion for teaching, Shouta. Try to tap into some of that.” With that, Nemuri hopped off the desk, scooping up her papers, “If you need advice on how to deal with them, we’re here for you, all three of us.”

The door to the lounge closed softly behind, and he was once again alone. Aizawa hesitated at the thought of asking any of them for help. He had not spoken to any of them for years. While he enjoyed their company, Aizawa knew he did not belong. Nemuri, Hizashi, and of course Yagi, all had this passion and fire for education that Aizawa himself had lost years ago. It felt wrong to him to be there.

The soft chime of the lunch bell reminded Aizawa that he had to return to his classroom. Which he really did not want to do. The kids barely got along with each other, who they have known for months, how were they supposed to cooperate with him, a total stranger? He trudged back to his classroom, just as the students began pouring in. As they took their seats, he stood, and began writing their next lesson on the board. Once all were seated, he turned around to address them.

“I am very disappointed with how the morning went.” At this remark, half the students rolled their eyes, while the other half looked like they were going to burst into tears. Aizawa stopped and began thinking. What would Yagi do in this situation? He would be cheery and upbeat and overly personal with the students. Well, he thought, nothing would hurt to try at this point.

He sighed, sitting down on his desk, “Listen guys, I know this is hard for you, its hard for me two. The only way we can make this work is if we give each other a chance and get to know each other. So..” he looked at the confused faces of the kids, “Let’s go outside.”

The students all filed outside behind Aizawa, confused yet intrigued. He turned to face them, “Now I have a task for you, we’re going to go on a hike around the school, and you’re going to tell me about everything interesting you see.” The students collectively gasped and nodded excitedly.

As the class walked around the school, Aizawa learned many things about the kids. Like how Tenya liked to walk this path with his brother, or how Shoto would take trips through the woods when he wanted to get away from his family, or how Yuga collect only “the prettiest and shiniest” rocks. Although this was far more effort than he usually put into teaching, Aizawa was having fun.

The week from that point on went… surprisingly well. The students slowly warmed up to Aizawa, and even began enjoying his teaching. They continued setting time aside for a class hike and decided that they would start a nature journal to write about what they saw on their hikes. Aizawa, even though he would never admit it, even started smiling more in class. Before he knew it, the end of the week had already come.

As the students filed out of the room, several waved goodbyes to Aizawa. He smiled and waved back, eyes wandering to the small boy standing shyly next to him. “Hey Midoriya, do you need something? You should be heading home.”

“I am going home! But I made you something to celebrate how much fun we are having! I still like Mr. Toshinori more, but you’re really fun!” The boy shoved a piece of paper into Aizawa’s hands. “Ok my mom is waiting, bye Mr. Aizawa! See you next week!” Before Aizawa could respond, the boy ran out of the room. He looked at the paper. On it was a crudely drawn picture of him and the class on one of their hikes. He chuckled lightly, pinning the picture to the wall.

He was pulled away from his thoughts by the sudden vibrations of his phone. Without checking, he answered, “Aizawa speaking.”

“Um, hey! It’s been a while.”

“…Yagi?”

“Yeah! Hizashi told me you were taking over for me, and I, uh, wanted to say thanks!”

“I should be thanking you,” Aizawa commented, amusement crossing his face upon hearing the familiar voice again, “I needed a job and you had some broken bones.” They both chuckled awkwardly.

After a moment of thick silence, Aizawa sighed, “Its good time hear from you, Yagi. I’m sorry it’s been so long.”

Yagi chuckled, “We should catch up soon. You know, when I can walk again that is.” he paused, “So I, uh actually called to... uh, How are the kids?”

Aizawa laughed at how the blonde could barely hide his intentions. “They’re doing fine, no need to worry.”

“Are you handling them alright? I know they can be a handful.”

Aizawa looked fondly at the drawing Midoriya had handed him, “It’s an adjustment, but I think we’ll be able to get through the year.

#mha #mha au #my hero academia #my hero academia au #nonpowered au #school au #bnha #bnha au #boku no hero academia au #boku no hero academia

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youcancallmecirce · 4 years

Text

The Lost Firebender, Ch. 7: The Southern Air Temple

Aang is not so easily dissuaded from his goal to teach the Avatar.

Ch 1 * Ch 2 * Ch 3 * Ch 4 * Ch 5 * Ch 6 * Ch 7 on AO3

“Good morning, Prince Zuko.” Aang said pleasantly.

Zuko sat bolt upright, startled into wakefulness, and stared at the monk, flabbergasted.

He was Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, second son of Fire Lord Sozin, and had enjoyed all of the privileges that came with such a lofty position. His meals had been served to him without prompting. Servants jumped at his command. No one had dared address him by anything save his title, and always with the utmost respect. And, for the last two years of his life in the palace, he had enjoyed quite a bit of power in his father’s court.

It didn’t matter that a hundred years had passed for everyone else. Time had stopped for him while he was in that bubble. For him, it had been only a few days since that spirits-cursed meeting with his father. For him, only a few blurred days with Fang had occurred between leaving Roku in his quarters and waking to find himself in a frozen wasteland with a pair of blue-clad bumpkins.

Considering all of that, Zuko thought that he had been doing rather well in dealing with his changed circumstances. Now, though, faced with an eccentric old monk sitting near his bedroll and juggling nonchalantly, Zuko was at a loss.

“Breakfast?” Aang asked, still juggling.

“What is wrong with you?” Zuko demanded. “I tell you that I’m not interested, I tell you to leave us alone, and you come back to bring us breakfast?”

“Why not?” Aang shrugged without taking his eyes off of the fruits he was juggling. There were five of them. “You wouldn’t listen last night, so I’m giving you another chance.”

Zuko threw his hands in the air. “Of course I wouldn’t listen! I don’t trust you!”

“And I don’t blame you for your reticence, given your personal history,” Aang said reasonably. “But the fact remains that you need to learn airbending--all the bending forms, really-- before the end of next summer, and I am the last airbending master in the world.”

“You know his personal history?” Katara asked, stretching.

“You’re the last airbender?” Sokka asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

“Why by the end of next summer?” Zuko asked, his eyes narrowing.

They all spoke at once.

“One at a time, please. My old ears aren’t what they used to be.” Aang suddenly tossed one of the fruits to Zuko rather than back into the air, and Zuko caught it reflexively.

“You couldn’t just hand it to me?” Zuko snapped, irritated.

Aang tossed the next to Sokka, the third to Katara, and gave the fourth to the big-eyed, huge-eared little creature sitting on his shoulder. “Here you are Momo,” he said affectionately, scratching the creature's enormous ears. “Enjoy your breakfast.” Aang smiled as the animal did just that, then bit into the fifth fruit himself. He closed his eyes and hummed with pleasure.

“What is this anyway?” Katara asked, turning the fruit in her hands.

“A plum,” Zuko said absently. He was still glaring at Aang. “We’re leaving as soon as we can pack up,” he announced. “You’ll have to find someone else to bother.”

“Zuko!” Katara frowned at him. “Stop being so rude!”

Aang waved her concerns away, and his eyes twinkled suspiciously. “I guess I will,” he said.

“I mean it!”

“Don’t worry,” Aang said with an innocent smile. “I won’t try to hitchhike on your dragon.”

Zuko narrowed his eyes further, not at all trusting the man. He was up to something. Then another thought occurred to him, and he glared at Fang in betrayal. “Hey, how do you keep getting past my dragon anyway?”

“Relax, Zuko!” Sokka said. “He’s just a harmless old man.” He paused, and shot a sheepish look at Aang. “No offense.”

“None taken.” He smiled affably as he tossed the pit of his plum behind him and rose to his feet on a gust of air. “Come on, Momo. We should leave the Avatar and his friends to their packing.”

“Aang, wait,” Katara said, and stood to follow him.

“Don’t worry my dear,” Aang reassured her. “I suspect that our paths will cross again.”

“You’re planning something,” Zuko accused.

“Of course not. I simply go where the wind takes me.” Aang waved and disappeared into the trees once more.

Zuko was not reassured, and hustled his companions out of their bedrolls. “Don’t forget,” he said when they started to complain, “that those pirates will still be looking for us as well.”

That reminder sobered them, and they worked quickly to repack their things and resaddle Fang. They were in the air in less than half an hour.

“Do you think the pirates will try to follow us?” Katara asked, staring at the port town disappearing to their left..

“I’m not sure,” Zuko answered, with a glance in the same direction. “I don’t think they’ll actively try to hunt us, but they won’t hesitate to retaliate if they ever get the chance.”

“Hmm. Good riddance, then.”

“Umm, guys?” Sokka said, with a curious note in his voice. “You’re not going to believe this, but there is a giant fuzzy thing with six legs following us.”

“What?” Zuko looked below them, but could see nothing trailing them on the ground. “I don’t see anything!”

“Nope, not down there.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing directly behind himself. “It’s a flying giant fuzzy thing with six legs.”

Zuko’s head whipped around, and he cursed. “A flying bison,” he muttered. “Of course the crazy old man has a flying bison. Anything else would have been too easy.”

“What do you want to do?” Katara asked.

“Keep going,” Zuko replied grimly. He’ll have to give up eventually, right?”

He didn’t. Three days later, staring at Aang across a campfire as he ate his dinner of nuts, jerky and fruit, Zuko was beginning to realize that he wasn’t going to be able to shake the old airbender, and considering the possibility that maybe he should just give in. Aang hadn’t done anything to them, only followed them and joined them in their camp in the evenings.

Well, that wasn’t quite true. Aang had somehow managed to put frogs in Katara’s bedroll, much to Sokka’s amusement. Katara had been less pleased, and Zuko thought it was dumb. If he was to be believed, the man was 112 years old, but was behaving like a 12 year old.

“What, exactly, do you want?” Zuko asked him.

“I want to teach you airbending!” Aang answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Katara thought it was pretty obvious--he had already said as much, more than once--but Katara held her tongue. If she’d learned anything about Zuko in the last several days, it was that irritating him was akin to poking a tiger seal.

Sokka, apparently, hadn’t learned yet. “Duh,” he said, even though his mouth was full of lychee nuts.

Zuko glanced repressively at him, then returned his attention to Aang. “And if I agreed, then what?”

“Then we will go to the Southern Air Temple to begin your training.”

“The Southern--!” Zuko said, his eyes widening. “But that’s days’ travel in the other direction!”

“Well, I tried to tell you days ago,” Aang said, blithely ignoring Zuko’s darkening expression. “But you wouldn't listen. What was I supposed to do, toss a weighted net over your head and drag you against your will?”

“Of course not!” Zuko snapped.

“Ah, then I should have insisted more firmly, perhaps? Followed more closely? Convinced Fang to follow me even without your agreement?”

“You’re trying my patience, old man!” Zuko snarled.

Aang sighed, deflating a bit. “Roku told me about your temper,” he said. “I’m glad he’s not here to tell me ‘I told you so’.”

The color drained from the prince’s face, and Katara put a hand on his arm in concern. “Zuko?” she asked.

“You know Roku?” Zuko whispered. “He’s still alive?”

Katara and Sokka exchanged a confused glance. Aang obviously knew more about Zuko than any of them had realized.

Aang smiled sadly. “No, he died when I was still a young man. But he told me about you, about the Avatar who had been lost.”

Zuko lowered his eyes, stricken by the news. He had expected it--after all, Roku had been an old man when Zuko left and he’d fully expected his father to end the man’s life. Hearing it confirmed, though...it was a blow.

“Roku never gave up on you, you know,” Aang said quietly, his usual levity dampened. “He never stopped believing that you would return. He made me promise to help you, if I could.”

Zuko stared sightlessly at the fire, unconsciously manipulating it with small movements of his hands. Roku. The sense of loss crashed over him, suddenly. He had lost everything. Everyone he had known, everything he had known, was gone. Even the world he’d been familiar with had ceased to exist.

“Zuko, are you okay?” Katara asked, looking worriedly between the two men. “What is it? Who is Roku?”

Fang nudged Zuko’s side with his snout, reminding him that at least he hadn’t lost the dragon, and Zuko was both startled and mortified to realize that he was crying. He stiffened his spine. A Prince of the Fire Nation did not weep like a child. He did not wipe his eyes; the tears hissed as they evaporated into the air, burned away by the heat of his bending. “Fine,” he said after taking a moment to ensure that he’d regained control over himself. His voice still sounded thick.

“Does this mean that you agree to let me teach you?” Aang asked hopefully, brightening once more..

Zuko scowled. “You’re sure there’s not another Air Master, somewhere?” he asked for form’s sake, but the heat had gone out of his voice.

“Nope!” Aang said pleasantly. “Just me.”

“I’m in,” Sokka said between bits of jerky.

“Me too,” Katara agreed. “You’re supposed to learn Air first anyway, right?”

Zuko sighed. “Does it have to be the Southern Air Temple, though? We have to be getting close to the Western Temple.”

“Not really.” Aang said. “And it does have to be the Southern Temple. That’s my home, and happens to be perfectly set up for training airbenders.”

For the first time since waking from the ice, Zuko was finally able to ride Fang on his own. Aang had offered to let Katara and Sokka, and even Zuko if he chose, to ride in the large saddle strapped to the air bison’s back. It had been designed for him, and for accommodating long journeys.

“Appa would be happy to carry you,” Aang said, hugging the beast’s wide nose. “Just come and say hello.”

Both Water Tribe siblings leapt at the opportunity, and Zuko scowled. He should have been happy; riding sandwiched together for days on end had not been terribly pleasant, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit abandoned. He shoved the feeling down and told himself sternly that he was glad to have his space.

And he was. The next few days were far more comfortable than the previous days had been, and passed more quickly. He hadn’t realized how tense he’d been, until the stress of their pursuer was resolved and a plan had been established. Still, he found himself missing the company and was glad each evening when they stopped to make camp.

At least, he was glad until he asked Aang to begin his training while they were still enroute. It had seemed like a good idea; after all, he needed to learn as quickly as possible, right? But Aang’s idea of training differed greatly from his own.

“You want me to what?” Zuko shouted, staring incredulously.

“Brush Appa,” the monk repeated serenely. He was once more floating above the ground on his spinning ball of air, his legs crossed, tattooed hands fisted and pressed together, and his eyes closed.

“Absolutely not,” Zuko snarled. “That is servants’ work. Make one of them do it.”

His gesture took in both Sokka and Katara. “Hey!” Sokka said, indignant.

“We are not servants!” Katara snapped at the same time, her cheeks flushing with anger.

“They are not my students,” Aang replied. “You are.”

“Listen, old man, I am--”

“A prince of the Fire Nation, I know.” Aang waved vaguely towards where Appa’s saddle already sat on the ground nearby. “His brush is in with my things.”

Zuko’s clenched fists began to smoke as he stared at Aang. “Brushing that hairy monster has nothing to do with airbending.” He said, his tone almost civil.

“Are you the Air Master now, Sifu Hotman?” Aang asked, cracking open one eye. Zuko glared murderously, but said nothing. “No?” Aang went on. “Then go and brush Appa.” His eye closed, and that one small movement was clearly a dismissal.

“AArrgghhhh!” Zuko yelled, spouting flame. He kicked the dirt, furious with Aang for assigning him the ridiculous task and with himself for asking to begin in the first place. “I can’t believe I’m doing servants’ work,” he muttered angrily, hunting for the brush.

“And do be gentle,” Aang added. “His skin is delicate.”

Zuko’s arms were sore by the time he finished brushing the giant bison, and worse, the wretched thing had licked him from bottom to top as he walked away. Zuko cursed and leapt away, but the damage was done. His clothing was damp with foul-smelling saliva, and it was cooling unpleasantly on his skin.

“Aww,” Aang said delightedly, clapping. “He likes you!”

Sokka and Katara took one look at the disheveled prince and the way half of his hair stood up at an odd angle, then looked back at each other and dissolved into gales of laughter.

Zuko’s temper had been hanging only by the barest thread, and their laughter was all it took to snap it. He gave vent to it with his fire. “Shut up!” he yelled, bending a flaming arc into the air between himself and the others in his group.

Katara and Sokka shrank back with a gasp; Aang only tsked at his show of temper.

Zuko looked away from the wounded expressions on the siblings’ faces and muttered something about a bath. When he returned, clean and dry and no longer smelling like bison spit, he found that the others had already gone to sleep. It was probably for the best. He was fairly certain that he owed them an apology but had no idea how to give it.

Zuko was taciturn the following morning, which suited Katara just fine. He’d frightened her with his firebending, and she was still angry with him for suggesting that she and her brother act as servants.

Servants indeed, she thought to herself. The man was infuriating. Everytime she thought she might be starting to like Zuko, he said or did something that reminded her in no uncertain terms that he was a temperamental, spoiled, arrogant jerk.

The next evening, Zuko did not suggest more training. He made it a point to be cooly polite any time he had to interact with any of them, but otherwise kept to himself. It felt to him like he’d lost something the night before, but he didn’t know how to recover it. On top of that, he wanted very much to avoid repeating his chore from the night before.

They’d finished eating and Zuko was just starting to relax when Katara offered to “take a turn” brushing Appa. She’d seen the brush while packing away the rest of their food, and held it up.

“How kind of you to offer!” Aang said, beaming. “You are a lovely young woman, did you know that? But no, my dear. Brushing Appa each evening is a part of Zuko’s training.”

“Yes!” Sokka thrust a fist into the air with a whoop. “No Appa-brushing for this guy,” he said.

Zuko ground his teeth and glared at Katara; she glared right back. “Why did you remind him?”

“What makes you think I needed a reminder?” Aang asked, assuming his floating meditation pose. “I was waiting to see how long you would try to put it off.”

Zuko snarled again and snatched the brush from Katara’s hand.

“Just don’t lick me this time, okay?” he said as he got to work. His stiff muscles protested at first, but as they loosened the discomfort faded to a dull ache.

Appa whuffled in answer, and settled in for a nice long brush.

“We should be there by this evening,” Aang announced the next morning.

“What is it like?” Katara asked, tying her bedroll. “The Air Temple I mean.”

“Are there many people there?” Sokka asked.

“No, not many,” Aang answered, looking a little sad. We abandoned our temples many years ago, and have only recently begun to return. But there are a few, and more come to join us every now and then.”

Aang didn’t mention the Fire Nation, but he didn’t have to. They all understood the subtext.

“Are there any more sky bison?” Katara asked, her voice hesitant as if she weren’t really sure she wanted to know the answer.

“Appa’s mate is there,” Aang said, and the sadness faded. “And their calf.”

Katara squealed happily at that, but Sokka scoffed.

“What is it with girls and babies?” he asked no one in particular.

Once, Zuko might have agreed with Sokka, but now he found himself agreeing with Katara instead. Knowing that there was new life among the Nomads helped to assuage a bit of his guilt.

They didn’t stop in the late afternoon as they’d done the two previous days. They were close, Aang had assured them, and if they pressed on they’d reach their destination that night. Zuko had been doubtful, but they went on and the city in the sky came into view just as the sun was setting.

From a distance, the Southern Air Temple looked untouched. The golden light of the setting sun set fire to the white marble, making it look to Zuko like one of the paintings he’d seen in the Firesages’ library. As they got closer, though, Zuko’s heart sank into a ball of lead in his stomach.

The Southern Air Temple was in ruins.

“It isn’t what it used to be,” Aang said lightly when they landed, “but it’s home.”

Most of the main buildings still stood, at least, but the smaller buildings had not fared so well. Black soot along the tops of the walls showed where thatch and timber had been burned away, and the remnants of large scorch marks could be seen on almost every surface. Strange, irregular little hills dotted the complex. It took him a moment to identify them as the rubble of collapsed walls, grown over with weeds and grass.

Zuko, afraid that he might vomit, turned his back on all of it and looked out over the cloud shrouded mountains below them. The irony that he was once again turning away rather than dealing with what was in front of him was not lost on him.

“It is not your fault, Zuko.” Aang had somehow appeared at his side, and stood somberly looking out over the mountains as well.

“I could have stopped this,” Zuko whispered brokenly. “I’m the Avatar. I should have stopped this!”

Aang shook his head and turned to face him. “No, Zuko. You could not have done anything to stop this.”

“But--”

“No!” Aang said firmly, and for the first time Zuko was reminded of Roku. “You had only just learned the truth, Zuko, and had not even mastered your firebending!” Zuko’s eyes flared at the perceived insult, but Aang went on inexorably. “Your pride has no place here, in all of this. The truth is that if you had tried to stand and fight all those years ago, you would have been imprisoned or killed. This is how it is meant to be, Avatar Zuko.”

Avatar Zuko. The words fell into the space between them like stones. Aang held his eyes, and Zuko felt the weight of the man’s many years in that gaze. He thought he might suffocate beneath it. “This is your destiny,” Aang said quietly, and Zuko closed his eyes, unable to bear the weight any longer.

The quiet intensity of the moment was shattered by the gleeful cry of a child. “Grandfather!”

Aang turned to his grandson with a smile, leaving the Avatar to work through their short conversation on his own. “Bumi!” Aang cried as the boy wrapped him in a hug. “Have you been good for your mother?”

Aang left Zuko to his own devices for the rest of the night, and must have insisted that the others do so as well. Even Fang kept his distance. Zuko wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not; in his current mood, he probably would have blown up at anyone who tried to approach him. Then again, the solitude left him with far too much time to think. He paced restlessly, all but pulling at his hair as he stalked back and forth.

Breathe.

He could suddenly remember it with perfect clarity, as if Roku stood with him in the empty courtyard, and he stopped pacing to draw in a shuddering breath.

You must breathe, Prince Zuko, said his memory of Roku. Breathe, and find your center.

Zuko breathed.

#a:tla #au #avatar!zuko #aang #katara #sokka #the southern air temple #circe writes #quarantine day 7

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conciteque · 5 years

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Kiribaku Month - Day 31: Anniversary

Wodcount: 1523 words

@kiribakumonth2019

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can’t believe I’m done! I am DONE! Whew, that was a ride!

So, get ready for the happy ending I needed, despite the horribly angsty things the Spirit of Yoko Taro was suggesting. Apparently it’s not super fluffy sweet, but I don’t think I could have done better.

I hope you’ll enjoy it, and if you’ve followed my advice and waited, you can read Smiles now!

Day 31: Anniversary

It had started with their promise: Eijirou had to survive so Kacchan wouldn’t destroy the world. Eijirou had never agreed to it, but Kacchan had promised, and he seemed dead serious about it. Then came their first real argument, the one about storing Eijirou’s memories so he’d be like a YuUEi unit. Finally, there was the ring Kacchan gave him, and that was how he got the idea.

To be fair, Eijirou had stopped caring about his own mortality a long time ago. After the loss of his first team, to be precise; once it was just Mina and him. Kacchan, though, still cared like only an android who didn’t have to worry about his own death could, so a month after Eijirou got the ring, the proof that Kacchan was serious about this whole relationship, he decided that he should do something for him too and stored all of his memories and important program bits in an external chip.

Eijirou’s plan was simple: if he was to die before Kacchan was ready, he would give him the chip. Knowing the YuUEi unit, he’d hold on to it, and it would give him hope. Maybe he’d try to bring him back, or he’d just keep the chip preciously. Eijirou found the first option more likely, and he’d even planned to keep some data accessible, as a way to send him on a trail that would probably lead nowhere. Hopefully, by the time Kacchan realized that there was nothing he could do to bring Eijirou back, he’d have moved on already and would have no interest in keeping his promise anymore. Maybe the accessible memories would even teach him a lesson or two, and make him understand that Eijirou just wanted him to be happy.

But of course, it was Kacchan. You could always count on him to do the impossible and succeed where everyone else would give up.

Today marked the fifth year since Kacchan gave him the ring. Eijirou liked to think of it as a wedding anniversary. A lot had changed, since then. So much that even now, he felt lost sometimes.

According to Eijirou’s memories, things went like this: he was dying in Kacchan’s arms, his body destroyed and torn apart by machines. Most of his torso was gone, he only had one arm left, and he was getting so many warning signals and alarms that he had to turn them off. Kacchan was holding his hand, and Eijirou was laughing because of his stupid, crooked smile that looked so stiff and out of place. It was nothing like the soft one that Eijirou caught glimpses of sometimes, but it didn’t matter. Kacchan had just said that he loved him and he was smiling for him, even though he couldn’t do it well. It was the perfect way to die, in Eijirou’s opinion.

“You really suck at that, huh…” he managed to say before his body gave up for good.

Then, he woke up in Kacchan’s arms. His torso was complete, he had two arms and two legs, and there was nothing wrong with his body. A strand of soft, black hair was falling in front of his face. Kacchan was smiling, but it looked natural, this time. It was soft and loving, the kind he could never do on demand, and everything about him was different from before. Instead of being covered in grime and oil, his body was clean. An old cloak had replaced his perfect YuUEi uniform, and his skin was more roughed up than Eijirou had ever seen it, covered with scratches and marks that shouldn’t be there. There were a thousand things Eijirou wanted to ask, but before he could say anything, Kacchan’s smile fell.

“Ei, can you hear me?” he asked, his uncovered eyes filled with worry.

Eijirou raised his arm slowly to touch Kacchan’s cheek, feeling the abused skin under his fingers.

“Of course I can hear you, Kacchan,” he smiled.

Kacchan’s face twitched for a few seconds before he spoke.

“Then fucking say so, you damn idiot!” he growled. “Fuck, you had me worried here!”

His frown didn’t match his smile, and Eijirou couldn’t believe that he’d talk about his feelings so openly. He’d never planned to have a second chance, but if this was what being brought back to life meant, he wasn’t going to complain.

“Shit, I guess I’m really back, huh,” he muttered to himself.

“Of course you’re fucking back, you moron. As if you could get rid of me so easily.”

“Yeah, I guess I should have tried harder,” he joked. “I’ll do better next time.”

Eijirou never got to see Kacchan’s reaction, because he was immediately pulled into a tight hug.

“Don’t you fucking do that again, Ei. I’m so fucking serious. I’ll destroy the whole damn world for real if you even try to-”

“Sike,” Eijirou whispered in his ear, returning the hug.

“Shut the fuck up,” Kacchan muttered, making him chuckle.

When it became clear that Kacchan had no intention to ever release him, Eijirou opened his eyes and peeked above his shoulder. Next to him, directly on his left, he recognized Kyoka and Momo. The former was looking at him with crossed arms, a tiny smile on her lips, while the latter seemed so overcome with emotions she could cry. A bit further, Mina, Denki, and Hanta were standing together, looking strangely awkward despite their smiles. They were surrounded with a handful of other Resistance members, which was surprising since it didn’t look like they were anywhere near the camp. Finally, on his right, was a very emotional Deku, face uncovered, wearing a typical Resistance cloak just like Kacchan. Next to him stood Shouto, a hand on his shoulder, and that’s when Eijirou realized how much things must have changed, because there was no way Deku and Kacchan would have let a traitor come so close to them back when he died.

The thousand questions from earlier came back with a vengeance, but before they could force themselves out, Eijirou realized that the tickles against his neck weren’t just from Kacchan’s breathing.

“I missed you. Fuck, I missed you so much,” Kacchan was repeating against him like a mantra.

Eijirou hugged him tighter.

“It’s okay now,” he whispered. “I’m here. You did it.”

It took hours for Kacchan to release him. It took days for Eijirou to find out everything that had happened between his last memory in his old body and his first in the new one.

Kacchan told him that finding a suitable body and repair it had taken him years, and that he had to cut ties with YuUEi for it.

Deku told him that he’d tried to stop Kacchan at first, but a meeting with Shouto had made him change his mind. They’d been on the run since then.

Shouto hadn’t been helpful, but he rarely was. He was an old Scanner unit that had left YuUEi long ago and was coming to the Resistance from time to time, mostly looking for spare parts for his constantly failing heating system. His intel was reliable, but otherwise, he was very hard to talk to. He couldn’t afford to meet current YuUEi units, for fear of being taken down, and Eijirou had no idea how he’d become friends with Deku.

Mina explained that soon after Eijirou was gone, the Resistance slowly fell apart and was taken over by YuUEi. When Kacchan secretly came back to tell them that he’d found a suitable body for their old leader’s memories and only needed spare parts to repair it, she left with him, along with a few other members. She said that they felt guilty for giving up on him so easily, and her ashamed look remained even after Eijirou told her that he was never planning to survive.

With three androids running away from YuUEi, their ragtag group couldn’t exactly come back to the Resistance camp and start over as if nothing had happened. And now that Eijirou was back, they didn’t really have a goal anymore. Eijirou wasn’t worried, though.

A few months after he woke up, he’d managed to get his red hair back, and he was starting to feel more at ease in his new body. He’d finally gotten used to how rough Kacchan’s skin felt, now that his body wasn’t constantly changed and rebuilt. He liked it, actually.

Five years after Kacchan gave him the ring, everything was different. Kacchan had stopped wearing his blindfold and he was more open about his feelings. He was clingy too, like most of his old friends, but Eijirou figured that it would get better after a while. Until then, he was happy to indulge him.

They’d lost their home, many of their friends, their purpose… It wasn’t how Eijirou had planned to start travelling again, but he couldn’t be too picky. As long as he had Kacchan and his friends by his side, he knew that things would be fine. They’d find a new purpose, sooner or later. They’d figure out a way to make themselves useful, because it was what androids did.

#kiribaku #bakushima #kiribakumonth #Kiribaku Month 2019 #bakugou katsuki #kirishima eijirou #boku no hero academia #bnha #nier automata #nier automata au #conci writes stuff #CONCI IS FREE!!!!!!

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neverwatchedonepiece · 5 years

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629: "Violent Shock! Incredible News that Shakes the New World!"

A rocky old place, ain’t it? No white sand beach resorts here. Lots of sunflowers, though. And a Colosseum. Even trattorias and quaint cobbled streets, according to the preview.

This is Italy, isn’t it?

Only had time for one episode but that wasn’t a problem at all. Thankfully, there was a lot to unpack in 629, plus more highlights than

There was the return of Thriller Bark. Updates on the whereabouts of key OP figures. Luffy yelling down the line at Doflamingo. The reveal of why Law is set on sailing to Dressrosa. Why Kinemon is also keen to go. The arrival of new villains. The reveal of Doflamingo’s cunning plan to snare Luffy. And the reshuffling of the Shichibukai and the appointment of a VERY FAMILIAR CLOWN.

I’m still laughing, btw.

Also have to say I liked the new opening. Seemed spoiler free and it was interesting that they have pitted Luffy so openly against Blackbeard (and Akainu, I suppose. Now there are two Big Bads. Actually beginning to wonder if there ever will be a Final Villain in One Piece).

They Call Him Scoop McGee Absalom

The action picked up with the immediate aftermath of Doflamingo’s resignation from his throne and the post of Shichibukai, which sent ripples through the OPverse. Now the protection conferred by Doflamingo’s Shichibukai status had vanished, his subjects lamented, “Dressrosa is done for!”

Elsewhere, an unwinnable war raged. Unwinnable because the side in question had struck a deal with the Donquixote family. Now Doflamingo is no longer king, the supply chain has dried up.

Various famous faces who had grabbed newspapers were next. Jewelry Bonney was a nice surprise! I thought she’d been arrested by the Marines after that whole thing on the burning island with Teach. She’s obviously in hiding (standard hooded cloak) but still in action. That’s good. There was also a brief shot of Jimbei and Crocodile’s hook.

But who was the mysterious journalist behind the leaking of the Strawhearts alliance? The Kidd/Hawkins/Apoo Alliance? The fact Doflamingo had resigned both throne and warlord role?

He is known only by the name Absa.

I would have struggled to predict who Absa might have been, had they not shown a tiny Thriller Bark satellite ship.

It’s obviously Absalom. Invisibility is his thing. He’s obviously been sneaking about. For what purpose, I have no clue. Maybe Moria is out for revenge? I’m pretty certain he’s still alive as Doflamingo said he disappeared in front of his eyes. I like the thought of Moria getting angry enough to come back into the limelight. (I’m still crossing my fingers he’ll help Luffy and Law with Kaidou. Moria definitely has enough of a grudge to do it.)

We also got hard confirmation that Kidd and co. are after a Yonko. Their target is as much of a mystery to me as Luffy and Law’s is to them. (I still think it might be Shanks.)

I love it when Oda takes time to set his arcs within a wider context. Even more so now. It’s especially relevant here, given the recent emphasis on the interconnected nature of the New World.

And speaking of connections...

Hello. Is it Caesar You’re Lookin For?

Once the contextualisation was out of the way, the action cut back to Sunny. At the end of 628, Doflamingo had finally picked up (after deliberately making Law wait to ramp up the tension. The theme of control is strong with this one).

Of course, Luffy had to formally introduce himself.

“HELLO. I AM LUFFY. I WILL BECOME PIRATE KING. OI, MINGO!” I love Luffy has already given him a nickname. “So you’re that idiot Caesar’s boss? That bastard hurt Brownbeard and the kids! We’ll give Caesar back since we promised but if he ever does anything like that again--” at this point Caesar himself was cringing hard in a corner “-- I’ll beat the crap out of you too!”

To his credit, Doflamingo did not rise to the bait. Sure, a few veins pop and he does questionable things when angered, but in negotiations, he remains cool as a cucumber.

“Strawhat... two years have passed since your brother died and you disappeared from the New World. Where were you and what were you doing?”

At that point, I never realised the significance of Doflamingo’s reference to Ace, so I just thought he was getting a, “Lol, ur brother is ded” dig in.

Of course, Luffy wouldn’t tell.

“I was hoping to run into you,” Doflamingo continued. “I’ve got something here that would make you drool.”

Since Luffy doesn’t do metaphors, he thought Doflamingo was talking about high-quality meats. To be fair, I had no idea what Doflamingo had up his sleeve at that point, so it could have been high-quality meats for all I knew.

Law was annoyed that Luffy had given Doflamingo the chance to control the conversation and snatched the DDM.

“Joker, we will hand over Caesar as promised.”

Doflamingo is not dumb, though. “That’s wise. You know well what would happen to you if you backed out now. First thing’s first, though. I want to confirm that my vital business partner is safe.”

Law held up the receiver. Caesar scooted over.

“JOOOOOOOKEEEEEERRR, I’M SORRYYYYYYYYYYY! YOU LOST EVERYTHING BECAUSE OF ME, BAWWWWWWW--”

And Doflamingo was like, “Yup. Sounds like he’s fine.”

I lol’d at that. (Was that a lowkey burn from Doflamingo?)

Law continued to keep matters strictly business. “In eight hours we will be on Green Bit. We’ll drop off Caesar there. Pick him up yourself. We will make no further contact.”

“Awwww...” Doflamingo retorted. “And I wanted to have a drink with you now you’re all grown up--”

At that moment, Luffy decided the conversation was at an end.“JUST HANG UP ALREADY!”

He cut the connection. The Strawhearts were left alone on deck to process what had just happened. Sanji was smart about a loophole Law had left in negotiations. Law had never specified how many people could accompany Doflamingo to pick up Caesar. Theoretically, Doflamingo could arrive with an army at his back.

Law wasn’t worried. The Caesar handover was just a distraction. (Rather bold of him to discuss this in front of Caesar himself, by the way.) Destroying the Smile factory was the real mission. The only issue? Law has no info on the factory. I’m assuming they’ll have to infiltrate Dressrosa and locate the place.

Luffy was like, “You ever been to Dress Roba?” (Lmao, I’m sure he’ll get the name right eventually.)

Interestingly, Law said he had never been! There go my theories of Law growing up in Dressrosa and working for Doflamingo. :(

He definitely hates Doflamingo, though. His reasons for not stepping foot on Dressrosa? “He is king of that land.” Something has gone on between them in the past. Doflamingo has known Law since he was a kid. So did Vergo. What is the connection here??

At any rate, Luffy was blase about the whole affair. Infiltrating hostile territory to find and destroy a factory that will cause shit to hit the fan and draw the ire of the entire New World? Yeah, let’s just make up a plan as we go!

For Law, who is a clever, patient and careful man, this was just too much.

As the Strawhats filed past him into the kitchen for sandwiches, he stared with the vacant expression of a man who has stared into the depths of the abyss and found Luffy’s grinning face staring back.

He snapped.

“I HATE BREAD!!”

Then you have have a gluten free wrap, Law. Chill. Everything’s going to be fine.

At least, I think.

In the kitchen, away from Caesar’s sensitive ears, they discussed where they would dock and other important initial steps of their master plan. Kinemon also revealed why he wanted to travel to Dressrosa.

Apparently, they had set out for a place called Zou but were shipwrecked. Only one of the other samurai reached the shore with Kinemon and Momo. Doflamingo’s people pursued them. Momo tried to slip unnoticed onto a ship but it unfortunately sailed straight for Punk Hazard. Their other companion, Kanjuuro, was taken prisoner.

Law was interested in the whole Zou thing, as he had planned to travel straight there to reunite with his crew (Yay! They’re okay!) after taking care of business in Dressrosa.

Luffy was like, “EXCELLENT! WE’LL GO TO ZOU, THEN TO WANO KINGDOM. I WILL SAVE YOUR COMPANION TOO!”

And Brook randomly farted right in the middle of it, lmao.

There’s a Starman, Waiting in the Sky

And while Luffy and Law were busy making plans for Nigel, an Important Meeting was taking place at Marineford.

A grave Marine called Brannew took the podium in front of a room full of serious-looking, high-rankers (Brannew, get it? He’s a Brannew Marine to the story, ahahaha.)

“As you all know,” he announced, “there are only seven Shichibukai. They are pirates who have been given permission to plunder by the World Government. In return, they grant us overwhelming power and prestige. Their allegiance to the World Government instills fear in pirates around the world.”

A line up of the more recent Famous Faces flashed across the screen.

Mihawk, Kuma, Hancock, Law, Donquixote Doflamingo, “The Celestial Yaksha” (I have yet to google that to find out what it means) and a newcomer.

Who was this newcomer?

He is the man who rapidly grew strength over the past two years. Commander of the Pirate Dispatchment Org and Living Legend: THE STAR CLOWN BUGGY!!

I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!!

Of course it could be no one else that Buggy! Who else would have such INCREDIBLE, BEWILDERING LUCK!

Even Buggy admitted he was totally winging it. “It’s not like I asked for this. The World Government kept bugging me so I had no choice. That said, this is only a rung on the ladder. I’m moving up in the world now. In a few years, I’ll be a Yonko.”

And you know what?

I believe it.

Only Buggy would be able to become a Shichibukai by accident. Why not a Yonko too? The World Government must be pretty desperate to fill spare seats if they asked Buggy.

The serious Marine also spoke of the grave situation surrounding Doflamingo’s sudden resignation. Law’s activity and alliance with Luffy is under suspicion. Depending on what he does next, Law may be stripped of his title too.

Akainu agreed. “We cannot allow Law and Strawhat to do as they please. Smoker from G5 sent me a rather annoying message yesterday. We should observe the situation for another day. I have dispatched Fujitora.”

A couple of things.

Did Smoker send Akainu a message from Kuzan? Is that why the message was “annoying”? Maybe it’s both inconvenient (bad news) and annoying (it came from his old rival).

Who is Fujitora? A new Marine villain, high on Justice? I can but hope.

At any rate, the Marines are also on the move and are watching events in Dressrosa closely. This is good. The more conflict, the better!

You Magnificent Bastard

Meanwhile, in sunny Dressrosa, Doflamingo was also cooking up plans and future conflicts of his own.

In his palace, Doflamingo sauntered down a long corridor and entered a room with four high-backed chairs carved into card suits. As he is the Joker, I’m guessing Doflamingo has a theme going.

He apologised for keeping the others waiting. We only met two of the suit card squad. Diamante and Trebol. Trebol occupies the Clubs suite chair and is creepy. He does not understand personal space bubbles (even with Doflamingo) and he keeps insisting Baby 5 wants to marry him (creepy). His Devil Fruit power is also slightly gross (he blorts everywhere) and he has a perpetual hang snot. Not my kind of villain.

Diamante is at least funny. Example:

Doffy: “The colosseum is as popular as ever. That is thanks to you, Diamante.” Diamante: “Not at all, Doffy.” (I love that they call him Doffy.) “This is due to your charisma as king.” Doffy: “No, it’s because of your talent.” Diamante: “Oh, stop talking like I’m some hero of the colosseum.” Doffy: “But you are.” Diamante: “You exaggerate!” Doffy: “Fine, you’re not.” Diamante: “OKAY. IF YOU INSIST. I AM INDEED THE HERO RAAAARRR!”

Lmao.

That was weirdly humanizing. I get that Doflamingo is the villain here and he has no qualms over sacrificing his people if it needs to happen, but he knows these guys pretty well and gets on with them. Maybe it’s successfully manipulating them, sure, but the man still has social skillz.

Once the comedy moment with Diamante was over, Doflamingo asked Trebol to bring forth the Important Thing.

Trebol handed Doflamingo a mysterious box. “This is sure to pique Strawhat’s interest,” he said. “Their alliance can very easily become a disadvantage to them. I will entrust this super important box to you, Diamante.”

After some funny reverse psychology back and forth, Diamante agreed.

Then Doflamingo made the Big Reveal. The Big, Glowing, Shiny Reveal.

When he said he had something that interested Luffy, he wasn’t lying.

But it wasn’t high-quality meat.

He has Ace’s fruit.

And he is going to use it as leverage to break up Luffy and Law’s alliance.

What a magnificent bastard.

Law was attacked by a pack of wild loaves in his youth. He’s never been the same since.

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ua-momo-archive · 5 years

Text

the parent-teacher conference | pt. 5

There’s only one thing Mayumi hates more than her mother—and that’s change.

She hates not having Momo around the house anymore. Hates that she doesn’t get to see her daughter every morning and every night and a part of her can’t help but wonder if it’s because her daughter has gotten out of her sight that all the awful things have happened to her. She hates that now, when she talks to Momo, she keeps seeing traces of… things that weren’t there before: there’s a new step in her usual gait, a new wisdom in her young eyes, a constellation of bruises and small scars that mar the fairness of her skin.

She hates that Ichirou has started acting so strange around her. Hates that for years they had the workings of a perfectly functional relationship, that she had gotten accustomed to and had even begun to rely on. She hates that now he’s so obviously keeping secrets from her because it makes her wonder if perhaps he’s always been keeping secrets from her; if, maybe, she was wrong to have started to trust him, if, maybe, she really is just another tool in his arsenal and that he’s simply been playing the game this whole time. She hates how much she had allowed herself to get attached to a person who, from the beginning, was introduced as someone who would use her for her body and her family’s money and nothing more.

She hates that some stupid parent-teacher conference is churning up so much doubt within her: about Momo, about Ichirou, about herself. Hates the anxiety it causes to swirl up within her, hates how self-conscious and exposed it’s left her feeling, how unsure of herself. She hates the idea that, despite everything she’s done, everything she’s tried to do, she might still be considered a bad mother—even though it’s the only role she’s actively tried to assume for herself. She hates that it just seems to prove her own mother right; that, at the end of the day, no matter how hard Mayumi tries, everything will always result in failure. And that… That changes a lot of things.

When she re-enters the lobby, she quietly takes the open seat next to her husband, who seems so lost in his own thoughts that he likely hadn’t even noticed her absence. She waits for a moment or so, half-expecting him to say something first before finally asking, “Have you already checked on Momo…?”

Ichirou doesn’t even turn to look at her. “Yes. She’s still in the bathroom but there’s a classmate taking care of her.”

Mayumi feels the frustration tugging at her once more at the nonchalance of his response and the silence that resumes its place between them. Usually she didn’t mind the silence but now…

“Well. That meeting couldn’t have gone much worse…” She murmurs, forcing a short chuckle. The truth of her statement is obvious enough, but that’s exactly why she thinks it’s the perfect statement to fill the silence.

She couldn’t be more wrong.

She feels Ichirou freeze up beside her rather than sees it, feels his body turn rigid and his aura turn icy. “... I hope you’re not implying what I think you are.”

Mayumi’s genuinely taken aback—not just because of his change in tone but also due to genuine confusion. The pitch of her voice rises a little in self-defense as she replies, “Excuse me? I wasn’t implying anything—”

“Do not speak at me with that tone right now, Mayumi,” Ichirou bites back, eyes finally meeting hers with something that looks like a challenge shining in them.

Mayumi feels her cheeks flush in anger, all logic fleeing her mind as her emotions begin to consume her very train of thought. “For god’s sake,” she hisses. “What on earth has gotten into you? I wasn’t going to push it until after Momo’s conferences were finished but—”

“But here you are anyway,” Ichirou interrupts, turning his attention away from her to gaze forward once more. “Pushing it before her set of conferences are over.”

Her lips part in shock, and it takes her a few moments to remember that they’re in public and so people can freely see the stupidity of her expression. With that in mind, she takes Ichirou by the hand rather roughly and drags him down a hallway, narrowed eyes scanning for a secluded enough place for them to have what is—evidently—going to be their first argument after over fifteen years of marriage.

Wonderful.

Ichirou, for his part, doesn’t even fight against it. In fact, a part of him isn’t even surprised that this is happening at all; a part of him actually thinks that perhaps this had all been inevitable. It doesn’t mean that he’s glad that it’s happening, but it does mean that when Mayumi finally throws open the door to an abandoned classroom, slams it shut behind them, and then promptly raises her hand to smack Ichirou in the face, he’s prepared enough to catch her forearm before she’s able to make contact.

The worn leather of his gloves only accentuates the roughness of the action, and Mayumi actually flinches at the coarseness of the garment against her bare skin. A part of her knows that, logically, the gloves aren’t all that old—she had watched as Ichirou had created them just hours ago this morning. And yet, the unfamiliar texture feels all at once sobering and discomforting. Something flashes in Ichirou’s eyes—anger, astonishment, frustration, hurt—as he leans into Mayumi’s space, backing her up into a wall as he just stares down at her.

They’re in the back corner of one of the U.A. classrooms, sandwiched between the door itself and the supply cupboard—the only space in the room where the sunlight doesn’t touch. It’s almost eerie, in a sense: a place that is usually so full of life and energy and vibrance shouldn’t feel this desolate and cold.

But it does.

And Mayumi hates that it does.

She hates feeling so little and small and fucking helpless as she squirms against Ichirou’s grip. Her lips part to demand that he let her go, but he cuts her off.

“Why didn’t you tell me about Momo’s weight loss?”

Mayumi stops for a moment, the tension in her body dissipating at the familiar concern in the undertones of his voice. She has to look away for a moment so that she can finish collecting her thoughts before she finally releases a soft little sigh. “... Do you really think I didn’t try?”

(Do you really think that’s something I’d keep from you?)

The question weighs itself for a moment between them before she quietly adds, “You’re the one who suddenly cut off all contact with me… How else was I supposed to let you know?”

(She doesn’t mention anything about how his sudden change in behavior had freaked her out; how it had made her feel cut off and closed off and fucking vulnerable—)

Ichirou’s jaw clenches a little at that and he has to avert his gaze.

He had somehow managed to avoid giving Mayumi a proper explanation the night before, but he doesn’t think it’s a feat that he can accomplish once more without further repercussions. All he’s trying to do is hide the proof of his guilt: that he had been plotting something with his father behind Mayumi’s back, and that… That brat had done something to him that had left him like this. But he couldn’t just come out and tell her that… Because then he’d have to try and explain that he had only agreed to his father’s plan because he wanted to assure that Momo would have a proper future—he had gone behind her back, sure, but only to further secure the goal they both shared…!

(Perhaps one of the few things they still share.)

But he can’t say any of that. So instead, he releases her arm to run a nervous hand through his hair. “I didn’t… I didn’t want to bother you with something as… Ridiculous as this.” He throws his hands up in the air lamely. “I know that you have things on your plate as well, and I… I didn’t want to keep burdening you and I thought I could handle this by myself so I—”

It’s not convincing in the slightest.

“You’re lying to me,” Mayumi cuts in, quietly and matter-of-factly. “You’re lying to me, Ichirou.”

The accusation—despite its truth—makes Ichirou’s insides drop, heart pounding mercilessly in his chest. “I’m not,” he insists, desperation dripping from his voice. “I-I would never!”

It hits too close to home.

“Bullshit,” Mayumi fires back, eyes eyes blazing.

No. No, no, no, it wasn’t supposed to be like this, it wasn’t supposed to—

“Put yourself in my shoes for once,” he tries, the gears in his mind whirring as fast as they possibly can to try and build some sort of argument for him. “Imagine that I had come forward with this stupid problem of mine—tell me that you wouldn’t have made me feel like an absolute idiot even though I have absolutely no idea what’s going on and what could have caused this.”

(He has a hunch. But she doesn’t have to know that.)

The shock makes Mayumi try to take a step back, but the wall prevents her from moving any further. It’s so, so easy for her to see the truth in his words, and when he puts it that way… She sounds almost like a monster. And she’s not, she just—

“I don’t… I don’t mean to make you feel that way… But I have to push you because without any push from me, you never take any initiative whatsoever!” The frantic need to defend herself is evident in the high-pitched panic of her voice—despite the accusatory nature of her words. “And when you don’t do anything it just pisses me off even more, so—!”

Ichirou can’t help but scoff. In all actuality, her matter-of-fact behavior has never been all that off-putting to him. In fact, he quite liked that she took charge off things so often—with all that was going on with the company, it was nice to know that all his other bases would be covered thanks to Mayumi’s constant vigilance. But to hear her justify it that way? It leaves a sour taste in his mouth. “Well. I’m glad to know that your view of me is so low then."

“What, as though your view of me isn’t?”

As soon as that question releases itself out into the open, it’s as though the whole world stops spinning.

A sharp, bitter bark of laughter escapes Ichirou’s throat as he shakes his head in incredulity. “Are you serious, Mayumi?”

She feels like crying. No, of course she’s not serious, she’s not dumb, she’s not stupid. She knows exactly how Ichirou feels about her; knows it from the way he looks at her and the way he says her name and the way he always knows things without her having to say anything—that sense of understanding that can never be replicated, that she knows she’ll never be able to find anywhere else—

But Mayumi has her pride.

And so she puffs her chest out a little in defiance before glaring up at him and saying, “Of course I am.”

For all his life, up until the very moment that Ichirou met Mayumi, he hadn’t really believed in happiness; sure, there was momentary joy at making his family proud, and there were times when he felt truly content with the cards that life had dealt out to him, but long-term happiness? No. It wasn’t something that he saw in his future—and he was okay with that. He had a company to run, a family to succeed, a life to live that was destined to play out regardless of whether or not he was enjoying himself with all the world had to offer.

But then they were introduced to each other as soon-to-be betrothed, and he felt his heart stop at the warm smell of jasmine and vanilla, at the sound of bitter, spiteful laughter, at the sight of mischievous eyes and a haughty smirk and something deep, deep, deep hidden away in the layers of velvet and satin that she had draped over herself. And Ichirou just knew, from that very moment onwards, that he was desperately, desperately in love with the woman before him.

And it didn’t take him long to figure out that it was a love she’d never return.

That didn’t mean he’d stop trying though—she didn’t need to love him for Ichirou to be happy. No, just being allowed in her presence would be enough for him; just being able to see her smile and laugh and be the person that she would sometimes—sometimes—reach for in comfort, during her times of need, would be enough for him. Mayumi, herself, would always, always be enough for him.

And so for Mayumi to doubt him… After everything they’ve been through, after everything he’s done for her…

For once, when he looks into her eyes, he’s filled with something akin to disgust.

“You do know that absolutely everything I’ve ever done has been for you, right? That literally the only reason why I’m able to wake up every day and face every challenge and consequence without complaint is because I just tell myself that I’m doing it for you, right? That, for the past fifteen years, I’ve done absolutely everything within the parameters of my being to try and secure your happiness, to try and make you love me, right?” It hurts him to admit it all out loud like this. Tears prick his eyes as he forces another incredulous laugh, stepping even closer into her space to fire his words down at her. “I honestly can’t believe that after everything we’ve been through together, after everything… You can still act as though I don’t love you. I’ve never loved anyone more in my entire life and I’m okay if I never do because—”

Mayumi slaps him, frustrated tears streaming down her face in fervent rivulets.

The shock is obvious on Ichirou’s features, and when Mayumi begins to speak, there’s a certain edge to her voice that he’s never heard before. “God, you’re so stupid. You don’t actually love me, you’re just… You’re just so good at doing what you’re told. And so when your parents ordered you to marry me, of course you tricked yourself into thinking that you loved me.” She lets out a sad, broken, little laugh. “God, Ichirou, how would you even know what love is? You’ve been sheltered your whole life—even more so than me—and… And you’d have to be an even bigger idiot than I already thought you were if you seriously think that anyone could genuinely fall in love in a situation like ours…”

(She doesn’t mean it. Or does she? She doesn’t know, it’s all so much, it’s all too much, and no matter how hard she tries to process the rush of emotions that surge through her small frame, it’s not enough. It’s never enough. She’ll never be enough for anything, for anyone, because there’s really no hope for her. Maybe her mother was right, and that’s the part that hurts the most because it means that maybe it’s time for Mayumi to stop trying, but if she stops trying then…)

“God, I… I hate you.”

(She doesn’t mean it.)

“I hate you.”

(She knows that she doesn’t.)

“I hate you.”

(She knows that she doesn’t mean the words as they’re spit from her lips but she can’t stop herself from repeating them, as though the mantra is the only thing grounding her to her senses.)

“I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.”

With each repetition of the phrase, she gets a little louder. And when the height of her voice is about to reach its crescendo, Ichirou crashes his lips onto hers.

For a moment, it’s like even time stands still: the warmth of another’s lips against her own is something she hasn’t felt in the longest of times, and to have her thoughts cut off by something so sudden and sincere and just… all-encompassing is enough to make Mayumi’s entire mind go blank.

And then the seconds begin to tick—slowly but surely—and the world begins to spin once more—or perhaps it had never stopped to begin with—and then Ichirou’s tongue gently swipes at the parting of her lips and Mayumi can’t help but gasp a little and—

Where… Where is this even coming from…?

Before she knows it, she’s kissing him back— fingers entangling themselves in his hair as she pulls him even closer towards her, gripping at him desperately as though she’s afraid that once this moment is over, he’ll never be hers again.

And then they hear it from outside.

“Mother? Father? Where did you go…? It’s time for our meeting with Aizawa Sensei now…”

Ichirou and Mayumi release each other immediately, each of them hurrying to fix themselves into a presentable state and not meeting the other’s eyes.

It’s Ichirou that exits the room first, staging his entrance into the hallway as well as he can. “My apologies, darling! I couldn’t seem to find the bathroom.” He follows up the pathetic excuse with a laugh that sounds painfully fake, but judging by the way Momo’s laughing along, it seems that it had been convincing enough.

Mayumi lingers back a few moments longer though, face flushed, tears threatening to prick at her eyes, and fingers thoughtfully set upon her lips as she stares at her husband’s back.

For the first time in fifteen years, she had actually felt something.

#parent teacher conference #yaoyorozu mayumi #yaoyorozu ichirou #legacy.arc #momo.txt #((GOD THERE IS SO MUCH GOING ON FOR EACH OF THEM DURING THIS SCENE AND I TRIED REALLY HARD BUT I DON'T THINK I WAS ABLE TO CAPTURE ALL OF IT #WELL ENOUGH 😩😩😩))#((it was still... SO MUCH fun to write though... so much... sobs..))

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kitanoko · 6 years

Note

Can I request a fanfic involving Todoroki listening to Momo's heartbeat and/or performing CPR on her?

Note: thanks for the prompt, I finally had inspiration ‘cas of a comment on reddit this week and yesssssss this is just part one! Leave me a comment, I love reading those and thanks for everyone’s support as always! :D

In which the doctor meets his match Part 1/3

Yaoyorozuwoke up to the sound of ocean waves that reverberated from her phone. With alimp touch of a finger, she slid the ‘turn off’ indication that popped out onthe alarm screen and wiped a bead of sweat off her heated forehead. Herhalf-lidded eyes fixed on the notifications that revealed itself one by one onher phone and she could only swallow the knot that seemed to have lodged in herthroat.

23 emailssince last night at 11pm.

Seriously?

Thedark-haired girl pressed a palm against her aching chest. She was having that feelingagain. That hallow yet painful rhythm of her heart that wasn’t like usual.Since a week ago her stomach had been twisting and her heart had been hammeringat every turn of her boss’ demands; sometimes her legs would feel weak withprickly skin like needles to flesh.

Maybe Jirou was right—she was having a nervous breakdownfrom work.

Without skimming through those blasted emailsthat surely came from her secretary and bosses, Yaoyorozu made up her mind witha sigh. One day of missed work is nothing, she tried to convince herself.

She tapped aquick email of her own addressed to Mr.Aizawa, who’d been her favourite, andbriefly mentioned that she needed a day off to get a checkup. Her best friendsadvised her before to see her family doctor in case something was really wrongbut Yaoyorozu kept brushing it off.

“Oh its nothing!”Yaoyorozu would say to Mina and Jirou, “I probably just need more sleep. Youknow those houses won’t design themselves!”

But surelyenough, the girl would get home and lift open her laptop with a warm mug ofassam tea next to her, letting her fingers work away at the blueprints. Her ‘babies’she started calling it (clearly picking that up from Hatsume who had been hergreatest partner) were Yaoyorozu’s greatest passion and she had never taken aday off since last year.

Everything had tohave a ‘first’ though, and Yaoyorozu figured if she wanted to get back to herlatest project, she’s going to have to fix herself up before anything else. Shehad no one to blame but herself for overworking her gears and wearing themaway.

The girl threw onthe brick-coloured fleece sweater hanging on her chair, slipped into hermust-have Levi’s and hurried out the door, her purse dangling on her elbow.

~~~~

“Closed on Fridays?!”Yaoyorozu gasped, mouth agape in frustration. The working hours of the usualclinic that she visited had flew off her mind and she had completely forgottenthat her doctor wouldn’t be here today.

She pressedlittle half-moons against her palm with her nails—a habit she had when she wasin need of comfort, and fished out her phone to make a few searches. Seemedlike the closest clinic that was open with the highest rating on Google was ‘Dr.TodorokiShouto’, just a street away.

Curiosity gotthe better of her and she flicked down the screen to see the reviews. Yaoyorozuscowled.

“He is sodreamy!!!!” a user named pokemon3094 stated.

“not onlyclever but also pretty” another comment read.

Seemed like theonly comment that didn’t leave a five star review was someone named nejideservedbetter239who said “I swear my girlfrd broke up with me ‘caz of this doctor.”

Her eyebrowsscrunched together and was unconvinced these superficial feedbacks were a goodsign but there must be a reason why this ‘Dr.Todoroki’ had such a following. Shegiggled slightly at the thought if it was her friend Mina who had been calledto go to this doctor since Mina would definitely be shrieking with enthusiasmwith eyes sparkling at the opportunity. She remembered last time when she wascaught going through some of her latest designs with a well-suited young man namedShinsou who came to poach talent from every interior design company over tohis. Mina was freaking out about how handsome he was and Yaoyorozu could onlyroll her eyes in disbelief. She respected Shinsou’s company but she had strictloyalty at hers and if he thought that a mere 5-figure deal could entice then hewas wrong. But she digressed.

If it wasn’t for Yaoyorozu’s love of interior design (andwork), she would’ve stayed at home and waited till her doctor was back; Aizawawould’ve let her go without a doctor’s note anyway since she was his self-proclaimedfavourite mentee but the girl was one to follow company policy and so she hadto head over there despite her worries over this ‘other doctor’.

~~~~

The black-haired girl arrived at thedoorsteps after a quick 5 minute trek. Shoulders slumping, a contrast to herusual confident poise, Yaoyorozu walked into the tidy, pristinely white-walledclinic. Even the marble tiles under her navy blue Repetto flats screamedelegance, and she internally complimented whoever decided to place two pots ofpurple orchids at the diagonal corners of the room. Very eye-catching indeedand well-placed. She also noticed a few people, young and old, flipping throughcooking magazines, most likely awaiting their turn.

“Miss could Ihelp you?” A sweet orange-haired girl spoke nudging Yaoyorozu to come forward.Her name tag said ‘Kendou Itsuka’ and Yaoyorozu greeted her with a small grin.

“I’m here as awalk-in,” the girl answered, digging through her purse for her ID cards, “wouldthere be space?”

“Ah yes, ofcourse,” Kendou nodded, eyes scanning the monitor in front of her, “Perhapsabout a 20 minute wait? What are you here for?”

Yaoyorozu thoughtfor a moment, sliding her medical card across the grey counter, “I think I’mhaving some issues dealing with stress, I’m not sure. But 20 minutes is goodwith me.”

Kendou eyed hermedical card for a brief second and clicked a few times on the mouse. Yaoyorozucouldn’t help but notice how her eyes had that modelesque iridescent sparkle. “Perfect,thank you and please take a seat.”

“Okay,” the latteranswered and popped over on an empty soft-cushioned bench. She thumbed a fewissues of Vogue, crossed her legs and found herself looking up at the girl thatjust sat directly across from her. Was it just Yaoyorozu or was the girl infront of her fiddling a little bit too much with makeup for a doctor’s visit?She watched her retie and untie her hair, load on mascara and now pushing lipstickshard on her plump lips. Yaoyorozu decided whatever, it wasn’t her position tojudge; perhaps that girl had a really important date after, who knows.

The girl feltherself sinking further into her seat, comfortable at the zen environment andcontemplated when was the last time she was actually relaxed at a clinic. After a few more recipesthat Yaoyorozu took note of, it was already her turn.

“Yaoyorozu Momo,” Kendoustood up and called. The girl closed the magazine in her hand and pushed herselfup noticing yet again Kendou’s lovely and welcoming smile. Yaoyorozu strolledpast the reception and into the corridor, thinking what she should say to thedoctor if he were to ask what was wrong with her, and found herself knocking afew times before twisting the knob and pushing through the door.

The first thingshe saw when she came in was a man, probably around her age, with distinct redand white hair almost split perfectly in the middle. His chiseled jaw andserious eyes didn’t go unnoticed and Yaoyorozu swallowed hard at the way helooked at her.

Charming was anunderstatement.

“Hello,” she said,gulping right after, and the doctor gestured for her to sit down on the leatherchair. Yaoyorozu felt herself clam up, heart beating harder as if she was goingto have an anxiety attack, and practically stumbled into her seat.

She wanted to openher mouth and ask what happened to his DNA, what kind of scientific marvel washe, but figured there was no answer to such meaningless questions anyway. Shewas here for her heart problems, nothing else.

Though it wouldn’thurt to recommend him for Mina’s next doctor checkup.

“So what can I dofor you today?” Dr.Todoroki spoke. His voice was deep, almost too sensual forher conscience, and wondered how many hearts had been stolen from his gazealone.

“My heart.”Yaoyorozu answered immediately, straightening herself. She saw the doctor slide hischair over closer, arms reaching to his stethoscope.

“Your heart. Okaywhat’s wrong with your heart. Can you be more specific?”

Yaoyorozu’s lipspursed at his blasé nature and reckoned not all doctors could be like herformer one, cheery and positive.

“I’ve beenoverworking myself I think, that’s why sometimes I’d feel an ache in my chest.My heart’s been beating really fast and I have a hard time sleeping.”

“Mmm,” he only saidand motioned for her to turn around, “I’ll check your breathing first.”

The girl leaned abit to the side and faced the ‘Know your STDs’ poster right behind her and feltthe end of the stethoscope rest on several parts on her back. Her eyes skimmedthe grotesque cartoon pictures of viruses and bacteria on the seeminglycolourful poster and heard the doctor move back. The otherwise quiet roomfilled with a bit of his monotonous humming.

“Can you turn back around, I need to hear your heartbeat,”his indifferent voice came. Yaoyorozu did as she was told and tensed at what was tocome. She knew she was a very well-endowed woman, growing up she had problemswith sneers and leers of those who either envied or wanted her for her assets.Yaoyorozu tried to steer her thoughts elsewhere when Dr.Todoroki leaned forwardto press the end of his instrument on the top of her left breast.

She felt her heartbeat suddenly accelerating, fistsclenching as her cheeks turned apple-red. She noticed his eyes trying to fix onsomething else also, perhaps slightly embarrassed at how his fingers had justbrushed against her breast as indicated by the reddened tips of his ears.

Get it together, Yaoyorozu!! She told herself, It’s not like you haven’t a good-looking guy get close to you before!

Sheswore he froze for a second like deer in headlights as well, and quickly retracted.

He was a doctor though, he must have experienced thousandsof such situations. Why was he embarrassed?

The girl bit inside her cheek and watched as the doctor rana hand through his hair, revealing more of the dark scar around his left eyethat she had noticed earlier.

“Palpitations,” he said, sounding confident in hisdiagnosis, and cleared his throat. He grabbed the pen lying on top of his keyboardand let it dance in scribbles on the memo pad in front of him. “Most likelyfrom stress, I’d advise you stay at home for two days for some rest.”

“Two days?!” She uttered in disbelief and quickly coveredher mouth at the sudden outburst. Hopefully no one outside heard.

“Yes, two whole days.” He said sternly and gave hissignature at the bottom before pushing it towards her, “Here’s your doctor’snote.”

Yaoyorozu scowled. “Are there any pills I could take thatcould maybe allow me to head back to work after a day?” She knew her questionwas in vain but she had to ask anyway.

Dr.Todoroki spun the pen on his fingers playfully. “No.There’s no medication I could prescribe for now. If it gets worse then comeback and I’ll send you over to a specialist.” He gave her one last look ofconcern while she pouted with a grimace like a child denied of candy.

“Your health should be your priority, like how it is mine.”

Yaoyorozu was taken aback by the sudden thoughtful messagefrom the otherwise apathetic doctor in front of her and she could only nod inresponse. Uncrossing her legs, she stashed the note in her pocket after foldingit in half and grinned.

“Thank you, I’ll make sure to come back if it worsens.”

“Sure.”

~~~~

“You went to who again?!”

Mina’s voice was thunderous, as if she was directly insidethe phone. Yaoyorozu had to pull back at how much it hurt her ear as she stoodin line for her daily latte, fresh roast waking her senses.

“Dr.Todoroki.”

“OH MY GOD, he was on TV last week! The total hottie whograduated from Tokyo Med. UGH I’ve been hoping I’d be sick so I could go to hisclinic. I bet there were so many people waiting!”

Yaoyorozu sighed. “You’re ridiculous Mina. You want to besick just to see a doctor? Yes, I agree, he’s quite easy on the eyes butseriously, he’s not going to be what you expect.”

She could hear Mina making tsk noises on the other side. “Yaomomo,you just have too high of a standard.”

“No I do not—“

“Remember when the son of Hitoshi Architect Ltd. came andyou said he was ‘normal looking’.”

“That was totally different Mina, I swear, Dr.Todoroki hasthe voice of morse code.”

“What’s that mean? Like he’s cryptic?”

“No, it means he sounds boring.”

“Psh, you’re just saying that. So many girls squealed onlineabout him. I don’t believe you one bit Yaomomo. I bet you had palpitations not ‘causeof work but ‘cause you saw his handsome face.”

Yaoyorozu rolled her eyes before mouthing ‘one latte’ to thecashier who already knew her usual order since she came here every day beforework.

“Mina, I gotta go,” Yaoyorozu uttered, slipping her slimfingers in her wallet to fish out a five-dollar bill, “Don’t worry about me eventhough I bet you aren’t really and tell Jirou I’ll be seeing you guys still tomorrownight.”

“Okay Yaomomo, take care and don’t you dare see this doctorwithout me next time!” With that Mina clicked to hang up and the black-hairedgirl could only smirk at how silly her friend is. There were times when she wasfrustrated at them but also mainly because they were such foils to herpersonality. Mina was able to brighten up her day, Jirou grounded her, andUraraka and Hagakure knows how to put anyone at ease with their bubbliness.

She slipped a sleeve onto the latte that had just been made,paying attention still on the messages she had been receiving through the groupchat and sucked in a bit of the delicious milk foam that hadspilled over on her finger. Yaoyorozu had been grinning ear to ear when she hadturned around unsuspecting, bumping straight onto someone who had stood behindher causing her freshly made drink to pour horrendously on his white Henley.

“Oh my gosh I’m so sorry!” Yaoyorozu said, astonished at thedisaster and she grabbed a handful of tissues to wipe the drink off his shirt,perhaps further pushing the stain into the fabric. She tilted her head up tosee her victim and fell silent.

There stood Todoroki, the doctor that she had just discussedabout with Mina, looking quite peeved, and she still had her palm up againsthis thinly draped chest.

Talk about heartwarming.

#todomomo #todoroki x yaoyorozu #bnha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #my fanfic #fanfic request

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imaginebnhas · 7 years

Text

Seven Minutes (Bakugou)

Silly little thing I wrote for my friend @ayyzor ‘s birthday!!! Ily and I hope you enjoy this <3

P.S. I head canon that Bakugou is a complete lovesick dork when he has a crush. Don’t even fight me on this one.

~ B

Bakugou was not one for parties, and the fact that he was currently cooped up in the corner in the midst of one baffled everyone, even himself. He hated himself for coming, but he knew deep down he would’ve hated himself more if he didn’t. In the middle of the room stood __, holding a wild conversation with Kirishima about something that was most likely not. He showed up to this party for her, just to see her smile. Her smile was what was keeping him going tonight, and the realization of that disgusted him. He was absolutely smitten, and utterly in denial.

Bakugou wondered how long this conversation was going to hold up for. It wasn’t as if he had been talking to her in the first place. He just hated the way Kirishima was. He could feel Midoriya looking at him from the opposite side of the room, probably pondering as to why he even showed up if he was just going to sit in the corner, scowl, and play with the small flames on his fingertips. He figured if he wanted her attention, he could just plop himself in the middle of the conversation any time he wanted to. Although, Kirishima could read him like an open book, and no matter how in denial Bakugou was of his evident liking to __, Kirishima knew otherwise. He would be outed, so it was safer in the corner. Although, despite his attempts at staying passive, Kirishima shot him glances every so often, smirked, then turned right back to __. It made Bakugou itch. After a while their boisterous conversation conjured into bubbly whispering; Kirishima leaning in and saying things that made the lingering smile on her face linger longer. He knew that Kirishima wouldn’t flirt with her, he wasn’t being very coquettish in the first place, and hitting on a girl his friend fancied would go against his so called “bro-code.” All arrows lead to them gossiping about him, and that was the little motivation he needed to explode. He pushed himself up off the wall and brushed off his jeans, grabbing the attention of Ashido and Kaminari. Kirishima saw him coming, there’s no way he could not have, he had been staring at him almost the entire time he was at the party. Bakugou caught Kirishima’s eye, and the latter all but smirked. “Bakugou! Issa ‘bout time!” The latter shuffled towards him, gleefully and almost fictitiously slapping him on the back.

“Whatever.” Bakugou muttered in reply. He pondered asking what all the staring was about, but he figured Kirishima was ready with an answer. A few feet away __ stood awkwardly fiddling with her red solo cup, eying its contents as if it were the most interesting thing occurring at a party. Although the whole celebration was devised for her sake, she still looked as if she was a fish out of water. Bakugou thought about ditching Kirishima over here, who would not stop slapping his back and asking about how fun his corner had been. He could go ask __ what was in her cup, wish her a happy birthday without being aggressive, he could compliment her, even. He couldn’t bring himself to do it, though. Although, she must’ve been thinking the same thing, because suddenly she crushed the cup in her hand and looked up towards him. She winked, then waved him over. He felt his heart skip a beat and he scowled, but willingly stumbled over anyways. Kirishima had started to follow him, much to his demise, and Ashido was making her way up behind __. He knew all the odds of this situation were going to be against his favor.

When Ashido slinked her arms around __’s shoulders, she made an evident noise of displeasure. She looked up at him quick, her brows furrowed in disappointment, and was suddenly tugged away by Ashido. Bakugou huffed, oblivious to the way Ashido and Kirishima were mouthing things to each other across the room.

Minutes later, the bass from the speakers that made plastic cups rumble came to a sudden halt, knocking a few off of tables and making people whine in protest. Kaminari hopped up onto the stage, taking two steps at a time, and snatched the mic from the DJ’s hands, almost dropping it to the floor in the process. Baugou knew whatever the purpose of this was, it was not smart, especially if Kaminari was involved.

“Who wants to play a game!” He shouted suddenly, the feedback through the speakers almost making it impossible to hear what he said in the first place. A few people groaned, like Iida and Tokoyami, who immediately turned away from the DJ table without hearing the end of it. Bakugou would have, too, if he knew __ wasn’t involved. He knew she was, though. She had to be, since all his friends had been chatting her up all night.

“We’re gonna be playing seven minutes in heaven in the den in, like, ten minutes! Come if you’re not a pussy!” With that, Kaminari hopped off the stage, dropped the mic and himself on the floor which caused a loud, static noise of pressure and Kaminari’s faint “I’m okay!”

Bakugou was not going to play a game meant for twelve year olds. He would die before he gave into a cliche party game like this. Although, Kirishima had found him in the crowd somehow, devious smile on his face. He knew he was in for a long night, now.

“You gonna play?” Kirishima asked, only for Bakugou to scowl in reply.

“The fuck am I, twelve?”

“Just because you play doesn’t mean you have to kiss anyone! You could be shoved in there with Sero or something and just dick around for seven minutes.” Kirishima shrugged. “I dunno. I’m playing. I think you should. It’s not like anyone wants to kiss you anyways.”

“Excuse me?” Bakugou huffed, which made Kirishima smirk again. “I know what you’re trying to do, Shark Week. It’s not working.”

“Fi-ine. Whatever. Still think you should play, though. __ is.”

“Who cares if __’s playing?”

“What if she picks you?”

Bakugou knew for a fact that his face was flushed up, he didn’t need to see himself to prove it. He merely frowned and shook his head. If this conversation lasted any longer, Bakugou swore he would kill himself.

“If you really want me to play that bad, fine, I will. It’s only ‘cause I don’t care enough to fight you right now. I’m saving my energy for better things.”

“Yeah. Like kissing __.”

“Die.”

Bakugou only started regretting joining the game when Sero, Kirishima and Kaminari were all forcing his back inside the closet. He thought maybe, just maybe he wouldn’t be cursed more than he already was when he sat down into that cussed circle. If he wasn’t paired up with __, he might just be paired up with one of his friends, maybe even someone he tolerated; Tokoyami, Koda and Shouji were forced to play, somehow, and being thrown in there with one of them meant seven minutes of silence and small talk, something he could bare. What he was not prepared for was being thrown in with Midoriya, who was sitting in the closet and laughing. Eventually, Kirishima had booted him inside, slamming the door and locking it without a word.

“I know you hate this, but please don’t kill me.” Midoriya chuckled, placing his hands out infront of him.

“Not planning on it. Leave me alone.”

Nobody spoke another word for about five minutes, Bakugou keeping the dimly lit room brighter with the spark on his palm.

“Hey, Katsuki.”

“What?”

“You like __, don’t you?”

“Didn’t I tell you to leave me alone?” He barked, and the spark in his hand grew to be a flame, which he put out in an instant after he realized what he had done.

“I know but…” Midoriya paused for a moment, contemplating what to say next. “I think you should tell her how you feel.”

“Since when were you a shrink, Deku?” He hissed, but not as violently as he would on most days. Midoriya shrugged.

“Just a suggestion.”

As if the Gods had been watching over him, Kirishima opened the door, bracing himself as if he had expected the closet to be in ruins. Bakugou merely peered up at him from his ball on the floor, as did Midoriya, until Bakugou stood up and stretched his back.

“That was fucking terrible…” He muttered under his breath, shuffling over to his spot in the circle and taking an overly melodramatic plop back down on the dirty carpeted floor. The basket with everyone’s items was continuously passed around the circle, Mineta being placed with Momo, who inevitably quit before Mineta could even get word in. Tokoyami got thrown in somehow, complaining how he ‘couldn’t even kiss in the first place, so the whole ordeal was pointless.’ It had taken an hour before the circle had come around to him again, and he was almost petrified to stick his hand in. He did, nonetheless, his stomach in knots because he knew this was the last time he would go, and another awkward situation with Midoriya was not something he needed right now. He fumbled around for a moment, Kirishima nudging him in the knee and begging him to “please, pick one already, dude.” His hand came across something solid, cold, and without thinking further, he tugged it out of the bag. It was a geode. Bakugou was a bit shocked, especially since everyone else’s items seemed to be hair clips or cell phone charms.

“Who the hell carries fancy ass rocks in their pockets to parties?” He inquired, eyebrows furrowed as he ran his thumb across the jagged purple edges. He figured it was pretty, though. If the person he got paired with was nice enough, he figured he might ask to keep it.

“Aye, that would be me!”

Bakugou looked up from the geode to see __ rising to her feet, stumbling a bit awkwardly and trying to hide her embarrassment. “They’re called geodes, by the way, not fancy ass rocks.”

“Oh.” That was all Bakugou was able to say before pocketing the thing and rising to his feet as well. All his friends were staring at him maliciously and in that moment, Bakugou knew this had all been one horrific set up.

“You suck.” He had managed to mouth to Kirishima before scooting into the closet, ignoring the way Ashido and Sero were making kissy faces behind him. __ was next to come in, pressing her back up against the wall and nodding towards Kirishima. He smirked at the both of them, made a kissy face himself, then slammed the door.

The two stood there in silence, Bakugou afraid to even set off a light again. __ shuffled every so often, and when her legs brushed up against his, she’d peep a quiet, “sorry!” before pressing herself against the wall again.

“I like your rock.” Bakugou said, suddenly through the silence. Internally, he cursed himself for how stupid he must’ve sounded. He was locked in a closet with who had to be the prettiest girl he had ever seen in his life, and all he could do was compliment her stupid rock?

“Thanks! I have a ton. You can keep it, if you want.”

“Oh, thanks. And uh, happy birthday.” He muttered, patting his pocket to make sure it was still in there.

“No prob, and thank you!”

A silence fell across them again, and Bakugou could feel the minutes ticking by. There was nothing more he wanted to do than kiss her, but he feared that was something he could not do.

“Hey, __”

“Hmm?”

“Can I kiss you?”

__ fell silent. Bakugou sighed, knowing he had screwed up. He was in too deep to realize his feelings could never be mutual. He was embarrassed and enraged all at once, and he was praying Kirishima would just open the damn door already.

“Sorry. That was fucking stupid of me. You don’t have to do anything.”

“I never said I didn’t wanna kiss you, Katsuki” She muttered, grabbing his hand out of his pocket. “I’m down if you’re down.”

Bakugou didn’t miss the way she stumbled over her words, or the way her hand shook around his. All he could do was smile. He let his hand fall from hers and let a spark arise, the shadow flickering across her face and revealing a startled blush.

“Cute…” He muttered, before taking her cheek in his other hand and tentatively pressing his lips against hers. She was frozen, so he backed off for a moment, watching to see of she was okay, before dipping back in. She kissed back this time, awkward at first to see where her hands would go, before warming up to it all. It wasn’t a long kiss, definitely not a perfect one, but Bakugou couldn’t deny the butterflies in his stomach.

“I’m surprised you’re not a rougher kisser.” She had muttered, suddenly, her hands still around Bakugou waist as he pressed soft kisses to her neck.

“S’ cause I fucking like you.” He muttered, shamelessly, too caught up in the moment to think about his words.

“I…” She paused for a moment, waiting for Bakugou to stop kissing that certain place on her neck until she tugged him back by his collar. He looked at her, confused. He figured maybe she didn’t reciprocate his feelings, but that thought had been thrown out the window the moment she kissed him back.

“I like you too. Like, a lot.” She nodded, only for Bakugou to furrow his eyebrows.

“Why’d you pull me away, then?”

“Cause I wanted to say that to your face.”

“That’s sappy as hell, __.”

“We’re playing seven minutes in heaven, dude. It doesn’t get sappier than that.”

There was a sudden knock on the door before it swung open, Kirishima peeking inside to see the two of them pressed up against their separate walls once more, although both red in the face.

“I see you two had fun.”

“Shut it.” Bakugou had shot __ one last look before pushing passed the door, and breaking away from the circle. __ had done the same, following right behind him. It made him a bit happy that she had chosen to do so.

“Hey, Katsuki?”

“Hm?”

“I dunno if it was made clear already or anything, but uh, do you wanna go out with me?”

“Do I wanna go out with you?” Bakugou shook his head, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her down a vacant hall. He smiled, and without even thinking, kissed her cheek. “More than anything.”

“Good. ‘Cause soft Katsuki is the best Katsuki, in my opinion. I can get used to this.”

“Oh, shut it.”

“Make me.”

With that, Bakugou looked around him, making sure everyone was still occupied in their stupid little party game, and kissed her again. He figured that maybe, just maybe, parties weren’t so bad, after all.

#admin b #bnha #boku no hero academia #boku no hero academia fanfic #boku no hero academia fanfiction #boku no hero academia headcanons #boku no hero academia scenarios #boku no hero academia imagine #bakugou katsuki #katsuki bakugou

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