nikkento-writes

[nikkento-writes]

It’s nearing ten when Nanami finally comes out of his home office, eyes droopy with tiredness, shoulders stiff from hunching over his laptop for the past ten hours. He sees you sitting on the couch in your pajamas, watching TV on a low volume as not to disturb him. You glance up at him, giving him a sympathetic smile. “Are you done?”

He sighs, flopping down beside you, resting his head on your lap. “Not yet. Maybe just another hour or so.”

You ruffle his hair affectionately, running your hand gently along his scalp. He relaxes under your touch, some much needed momentary relief during a stressful night of work. 

The bane of Nanami’s existence is overtime. He’d much rather be forced fed ribbon pasta than work a minute past business hours. Yet here he is, wasting away his precious hours to finish some report that’s deemed urgent but actually isn’t. Upper management unfairly assigned it to Yuji, who was excited to take on the challenge. As his mentor, Nanami didn’t feel right to leave such a daunting task to his underling, especially on a night the young man had already planned to spend with friends. So, out of the goodness of his heart, Nanami is taking care of it instead. For some reason, he always manages to get himself into situations like this.

You move your fingers to his temple, carefully massaging a pressure point that pulses with tension. He hums, closing his eyes; he could easily fall asleep like this, and if he didn’t have just one more section to finish in this goddamn report, he would. One eye open, he peeks up at you, immediately noticing the mischievous smile on your face. He raises a brow at you, curious. “What are you up to?”

It’s only now that he realizes your other hand has traveled past his head, grazing the buttons on his dress shirt, half of them undone like magic. You shrug, playing coy. “Nothing.” Your knuckles brush against his abdomen, fingers reaching for his belt. 

“Sweetheart…” he warns you, not doing much to resist. 

You undo his pants, slipping beneath fabric to rest your palm on his throbbing cock. “I just want to help you relax for a little bit. Is that so wrong?” 

He sits up, observing the compromising position. “I have to…” he swallows thickly, voice trembling. “I have to get back to work.”

You press a soft kiss to his forehead, sliding your hand across his shaft. “Just a few minutes. Fifteen minutes tops. You deserve a break.” 

He nods, giving in way too easily. You meet his lips with yours, his tongue out and kisses languid, as if in a trance. “I do. I really do.”

You start to pump his cock in small strokes, licking into his mouth. He lifts his hips up to pull down his pants enough to free himself. His dick is hard and already weeps with precum, all the pent-up stress slowly leaking out of him. He begs, even whines a little bit. “Sweetie, please.

You’re wet between your legs, but you can deal with this later. Right now, you want to give your husband a well-deserved treat. Sliding out from beneath him, you position yourself on the edge of the couch, kneeling in front of him. He sits up, back against the cushions, eyes glazed over in a daze, watching. You pull his trousers and boxers all the way to his ankles, giving you full access. Wetting your lips, you sink down on him, hollowing your cheeks as you surround him with your mouth. 

“Fuck,” he moans laying his head back, eyes fluttering in ecstasy.

With each stroke, you swirl your tongue over his swollen tip, getting a taste of him. When he bottoms out, you gag on his cock, swallowing him down your throat until you need to catch a breath. He grips your head cautiously with both hands and when you nod at him, giving him the best smile you can with his cock still in you, he goes for it. He fucks your mouth faster, harder, desperate for release. He scoots to the very edge of the couch, thrusting against you, relishing the way you choke on his cock like the good little slut you are. 

When you reach for your clothed pussy, arousal soaking through the thin cotton of your pjs, his voice is husky, wrecked with carnal desire. “Do it. Touch yourself while I fuck this pretty mouth.”

Without hesitation, you slip your fingers between your legs, rubbing your aching clit. It doesn’t take much longer for him to come, seeing you get off from blowing him. “I’m coming,” he groans, shooting his load into the back of your throat. You guzzle it down easily, coming on your wet fingers as you suck every drop of him until he pulls out, oversensitive now. He takes a moment to recover, breathing deeply as he watches you remove yourself from your panties, a blissful expression on your face. Just as you’re about to stand up and wash your hands, he stops you, bringing your filthy fingers to his mouth and sucking them clean. 

You tempt him to clock out for the night, to take you straight to the bedroom for a full-on fucking. But he resists, promising to continue the fun after his work is done. So, with one last peck on the lips, which he’s hesitant to end, he retreats back into his office, feeling extra motivated to finally finish this cursed report.  

[nikkento-writes]

Guess

Summary: You’ve got the most horrible roommate imaginable. The worst part of it all: he’s incredibly fucking hot. When you find out he’s stealing your dirty underwear, you decide to get back at him the best way you know how.  

Word Count: ~2.6k

cw: explicit language, explicit sexual content, smut, mutual masturbation, underwear stealing, panty kink

Author's Note: In honor of brat summer approaching, I’ve written a little piece inspired by the song Guess by Charli xcx (ft. Billie Eilish of course). This song has always seemed so Toji-coded to me. I hope you enjoy! Divider credit to @/cafekitsune.

To say that you’re not the biggest fan of your roommate is the understatement of the century. The disdain and contempt you have for Toji Fushiguro isn’t without reason, though. Since you moved in about two months ago, he’s been nothing but the epitome of a bad roommate. He’s messy, never cleans up after himself, eats your food without asking, disrespects your boundaries. Dirty dishes piled up in the sink, used take-out containers on the counter until you can’t take it anymore and have to throw it out yourself. Groceries you’ve allocated for yourself always mysteriously disappear into his protein smoothie or post-workout meal. You’ve lost count of how many times he’s “accidentally” walked in on you naked in the bathroom after a shower. His apology is always a lazy, “Oops, sorry”, his gaze lingering way longer than it should. He was a walking red flag since the beginning. If the rent wasn’t so cheap and the location so close to your work, you’d have been out of there after the first week. 

It also doesn’t help that you’re stupidly attracted to him.   

Call it carnal attraction or whatever, but no matter how fucking irate he makes you, you can’t help fantasizing being trapped beneath his massive pecs, bulging biceps surrounding you, kissing and licking him all over that delicious scar across the right corner of his lips. You know he has a big dick; you haven’t seen it for yourself, but you’ve peeked at the outline of it through those grey sweats he always wears, parading it around for everybody to admire. He’s brought women home before, railing them in his bedroom across the hall, their moans always so excessive and wanton that even the max volume on your noise-cancelling headphones isn’t enough to drown them out. Another goddamn reason he annoys you beyond wit’s end, even if you do imagine yourself being on the receiving end, getting pounded by that huge cock of his. Screaming  “Fuck me Toji!” over and over again into his pillow until it’s wet with your spit. 

Ugh, what a fucking prick. 

It finally crosses the line though. You start noticing it two weeks ago when you were folding laundry. A few pairs of missing underwear. At the time, you chalked it up to the washing machine eating them to never be found again. It happens, nothing too concerning to worry about. But when you clock that it’s always a certain pair, something skimpy, something silky, something tiny, like the thongs you typically wear on a date, then you start to suspect something more nefarious. In this case, someone.

You decide to test it out by laying out a trap, a small piece of cheese to lure the rat. In this case, it’s panties, the lacey black pair with the little bows. You suspect the worst, that your disgraceful and frustratingly hot roommate is totally sneaking into your room to steal your worn garments. Part of you still gives him the benefit of the doubt, a very tiny, miniscule part of you. But of course, it’s just as bad as you think. Because when you come home, it’s completely gone from the top of your hamper. Despite the evidence being clear as day, you can’t fully believe it. This sick fuck is actually taking your dirty underwear! 

When he leaves for the gym, your body reacts before your brain can tell you to stop. If this motherfucker is sneaking into your room to take your things, then you have every right to sneak into his room to take it right back. You march straight for his bedroom and search the first place you think he’d be hiding this filthy secret of his: the bedside drawer. And lo and behold, it’s there in all its perverted glory. Five pairs all bunched up next to a half-empty bottle of lube and an obscene sex toy. Real classy. 

In theory, you should be disgusted, absolutely appalled by this abhorrent discovery. And you are, you absolutely are. It’s right there, your dirty underwear further defiled by whatever vile acts he’s committed with it. It’s awful, totally repugnant and revolting and sleazy. Straight up nasty. You imagine him laid out on this bed, your hot pink thongs between his fingers as he strokes his throbbing cock in his fist, precum dribbling out of the tip. Or your silk piece stuffed inside his mouth as he fucks his fleshlight so hard that its fake pussy lips rip at the seams. Perhaps all he does with it is sniff it, inhale your womanhood through his nostrils so deeply that he can almost taste your pussy. And maybe he does just that, running your lacey panties across his tongue, salivating at how delicious you are in his mouth. 

Oh no, oh god no. This is bad, this is so so bad. You’re not disgusted by this at all. In fact, you’re aroused. You’re wet just thinking about him getting off to your panties, his brows furrowed tight, sweat beading off his forehead as he jerks himself into oblivion. And if he’s allowed to have this much fun with it, why can’t you?

By the time he returns from the gym, you’ve already washed the evidence and have it back in your possession. You confront him after his shower, knocking lightly on his door dressed in a nightgown that’s a little too short on you. He opens it, sporting a tight white tee and an even tighter pair of briefs, scrubbing a towel over his damp hair as if he isn’t casually looking like a Calvin Klein model. “What do you want?” His tone is blunt as usual, expression indifferent, though his eyes take a quick scan of you up and down in the attire you’re wearing.

You swallow your nerves, smiling politely at him. “I just wanted to ask you something. Can you come to my room?”

There’s a tinge of confusion when his brow raises ever-so-slightly at you. This never happens; the two of you tend to avoid each other at all costs. He’s never been invited to your room before. Still, he follows you down the hall, not questioning it. You lead him inside, not bothering to shut the door closed. Pointing at the floor, you tell him, “Please sit.”

He glares at you. “Excuse me?” 

“I think you’ll want to be seated for this,” you respond, unbothered. 

“What the fuck are you – ”

“I found my underwear in your room.”

He gawks at you, then quickly gathers himself to deny it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

You narrow your eyes. “Really? Seems like you know exactly what I’m talking about. It was all there, right next to your lube and fleshlight.”

This shuts him up. Taking a deep breath, he steps towards you, pointing an accusing finger. “You had no right to sneak into my room.”

You do the same, shortening the distance between you. “You had no right to sneak into my room and steal my dirty underwear, you fucking freak.”

“You have no proof,” he challenges you.

“The proof is right here, asshole.” You point to your bedside drawer, where the evidence lies hidden from view. “I have reason to report you to the police.”

He crosses his arms over his big chest, his nipples peaked through the fabric. “Then fucking do it. See if I care.”

The tension is so heavy between you, it’s taking everything to resist yourself from pouncing on him. You give him a smirk, feeling confidence you’ve never felt before. “Not yet. Doesn’t seem fair that you got to have all this fun in my expense. I want to play a little game with you first.”

He snarls at you. “What the fuck are you on about?”

You sit down at the edge of your bed, the hem of your nightgown riding up your thighs as you cross one leg over the other. “Out of all the ones you’ve taken from me, I want you to guess which pair of underwear I’m wearing right now.” You fold your hands over your lap. “And no cheating.”

At first, he’s perplexed by this proposition, unsure if this is real or if it’s just some trap he’s destined to fall for again. Then, he gulps loudly, asking, “What happens if I guess right?”

You grin at him. “I’ll let you fuck me.”

He licks his lip, erection growing in his briefs. “And if I’m wrong?”

“You’ll have to watch me play with myself. And get these panties dirty all over again.”

He can’t help himself from swearing under his breath. “Sounds like a win-win situation.”

You chuckle. “Trust me, I think you’re a loser either way.”  Scooting farther back onto the bed, making sure to pull down the hem of your gown to hide yourself, you ask, “So…what’s your guess?”

You’re fully aware of how ridiculous this “game” is. Toji is completely right; it’s a win-win situation. If he’s right, he’ll fuck your brains out. If he’s wrong, you get to torment him by spreading your legs while he watches, wishing he could fuck you. And to be quite honest, you’re hoping he’s wrong. To see him on his knees, groveling, begging for a touch, a taste. It’s a sight you want to engrave in your memory. You realize in this moment that you’re just as much of a freak as he is, finding pleasure out of this fucked up situation.

Toji studies you carefully, trying to see if he can get a glimpse of an outline, shape, or color. He’s not ashamed to admit he’s familiar with the panties he stole from you. You haven’t accused him yet of specifics, but he can guarantee that whatever your suspicions are, they’re absolutely right. He’s sullied them in all the ways he can think of. But this is something he never dreamed could actually come true. First and foremost, you absolutely despise him, for good reason. Even he can admit to himself that he’s a terrible roommate. He knew he’d eventually get caught, he wasn’t exactly being discrete about it. It was always there, your bedroom door wide open, waiting to be snatched up. In his fucked-up mind, he saw it as an invitation. You were too dumb to notice it before, but he always figured you’d catch on. His secret would be exposed, get the cops called on him, maybe get a smack in the face or restraining order, no big deal. But this right here is an outcome straight from his wet dreams. You in front of him, on the verge of spreading yourself open upon finding out the truth, wantingto be fucked. Being a complete degenerate has finally paid off for Toji. 

After what seems like hours of him contemplating, you clear your throat to regain his attention. “Final answer?”

He’s got a one and five shot of getting it. There’s no way he can tell what you’re actually wearing, no matter how hard he tries to manifest x-ray vision. So, he makes an educated guess based on his own personal favorite of the bunch. It’s a tough choice to make, considering he likes them all. The silk ones were the first he stole from you. It feels so good on his cock, smooth and luscious on his skin. The cheeky pair is fun because he imagines you parading around in it, your ass bubbly and bouncy as he pictures himself admiring each cheek with a hard slap. Despite all the options, there’s still one that reigns supreme in his head. “The pink thongs,” he finally answers. 

The pervert likes the ones with the least fabric, big shocker. You mimic a wrong buzzer sound, shaking your head at him. “Nope, you lose.” Lifting the hem of your dress up, you reveal the lacey black underwear, the one you caught him with. “Guess you’ll just have to watch.”

He sucks air through his teeth, breathing out, “Fuck.” His hand hovers over his briefs, palming his boner. “You’re a fucking slut, aren’t you?”

You slip your hand beneath the fabric, middle finger circling your already aching clit. “Takes one to know one.”

It surprises you when he actually does get down on his knees, getting as close to you as possible without making contact, rubbing himself faster. “You gonna make a mess for me?”

“Only if you do it first.” You gaze at his hand, obscuring the cock you’ve been dying to see for yourself. “Show me how big you are.”

“Fuck,” he swears again, shrugging his briefs down his thighs. His cock is sprung against his abdomen, bigger than you imagined. The tip leaks with precum, veins prominent on the shaft, his balls hung heavy. Your brain turns to mush as touch yourself, thinking about how good he’d feel completely unsheathed inside you. 

“Am I big enough for you?” he grunts, stroking himself with a tight fist, his forearm flexed.

You nod, spreading yourself wider, your wetness starting to seep through the lace. “Even bigger.”

“You think about this cock?” He massages his balls in his other hand, saliva practically drooling out the corners of his lips. “Fuck yourself to it?”

“All the time,” you tell him, dipping your finger in your wet cunt, smearing arousal on your clit. 

He laughs, his voice getting huskier the closer he gets to his limit. “I bet you do. Smelled it all over your panties. Tasted it.”

Asshole. An absolute deviant. Depraved and disgusting human being. It’s all so fucking filthy and you like it. You’re getting off to it. It drives you crazy when he admits it, the mere thought of your dirty underwear in his mouth. His debaucherous nature has clearly rubbed off on you, and at this point, you’re too far gone to ever go back to normal. Hell, the two of you aren’t even touching each other and this is still some of the hottest sex you’ve ever had. Some of your guilt for being equally as weird as him is absolved by the fact that you’re not crossing that line of actually fucking one another. Not yet at least. For now, you can live with that. 

You jerk against your hand, needing to feel more. Toji groans, “Are you close?” 

Unable to verbalize your response, you nod, bucking your hips faster. 

“Show me,” he demands. “Show me how wet that pussy is.”

You hook your finger on the crotch of the panty, revealing yourself to him, cunt shiny and glistening. All of it for Toji. 

This does it. He curses, lifting his shirt up, wrist working overtime as he orgasms on himself, cum shooting out onto his chiseled six-pack. It’s enough to push you over the edge; you rub yourself through it until your panties are soaked.

He relaxes, pulling his briefs back on slowly, using the hem of his shirt to wipe himself off. You watch him as he stands up, staring at you still on display for him. You smile, removing your hand from the mess you made, fiddling with the waistband. “Want a consolation prize?”

He scoffs, trying to contain his excitement at this unexpected offer. “Are you serious?”

You shrug as you slide the panties off, tossing it over to him to catch. “Yeah. It’s pretty hot knowing you get off to this kind of shit.”

Toji plays it cool, walking away with them in his hands and leaving with a quiet, “Goodnight.” An hour later, he’s sucking on the fabric saturated with his saliva and your cum as he fucks his fleshlight, desperately wishing it was you.

[nikkento-writes]

You always love watching Nanami test out his new gadgets in the kitchen. He’s a different type of sorcerer when he’s in here. A dish towel draped over his shoulder, an apron tied securely around his waist, his brows relaxed, a soft smile on his face. His mission finished early tonight, so he finally has a chance to put his new pasta maker to use to prepare dinner for the two of you. As he carefully feeds his first sheet of freshly rolled dough through the cutter, his tongue sticking out ever-so-slightly in concentration, you can’t help but giggle at him as you watch from the kitchen sink, removing the gloves from your hands. His gaze meets yours briefly, his smile growing when he catches you. “What’s so funny?”

You turn to face him, crossing your arms over your chest. “Nothing. You’re just so focused.”

“I don’t want to mess this up,” he states, the pasta coming out in beautiful strands draped over his palm. 

You step closer to him, marveling at his work. “Looks perfect.”

“Well, we have to see how it tastes. I think I kneaded it too much,” he huffs, carefully twisting the noodles into a pile, setting it aside to make more. He’s always his own worst critic.

“Can I help with anything else?” you offer, looking around for something to do.

“Could you please add a bit more salt to the water? And please check that the sauce is at a low simmer.”

Understanding your duties, you turn to the stove. You open your salt cellar and pinch a generous amount to sprinkle into the already boiling water. Beside it, you inspect the homemade tomato sauce which he’s perfected, the scent of garlic strong, just the way the both of you like it. 

“Okay,” he announces, standing stiffly with two heaps of pasta in both his hands, as if carrying precious treasure. “We’re ready.”

You make room for him, not wanting to disturb the master at work. Finding something else to do, you leave him to sneak off to the balcony, where you quickly snip a few leaves of basil from your mini herb garden, expecting him to be looking for it shortly after he’s finished cooking. You take a short moment to admire it, remembering fondly the times the two of you spent out here together, making this place home. 

When you return to the kitchen, Nanami has already cooked the noodles and is now expertly swirling it in the pan with the sauce. The smell is incredible, and so is the sight of your husband with a pleased look on his face, satisfied with his creation. You retrieve two plates, placing them beside him on the counter. He serves a portion on each plate, then conjures a pair of long metal chopsticks to twirl it into a lovely shape. With the corner of a paper towel, he wipes any excess splatter around the edges. He searches frantically, until he sees you presenting him with the basil. He instantly relaxes, smiling at you. “Thank you, sweetheart.” This time, he uses a pair of cooking tweezers to meticulously place the garnish atop, completing his masterpiece.

He stands there proudly as you admire his work, already snapping too many pictures of it to show off to your peers. “It’s gorgeous, honey!” you rave at him, giving him the biggest grin. 

This time, he accepts the compliment, blushing slightly. “Thank you, my love,” he says, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. “Shall we?”

He takes the plates to the dinner table while you retrieve two wine glasses and a bottle of Chianti you’ve been saving for special occasions like this. You sit across from each other, give thanks for the meal, and dig in, Nanami waiting for you to take the first bite to see your reaction. The second it’s in your mouth, you can’t help but close your eyes and let out a soft moan, in utter bliss. It’s luscious and rich, the sauce coating your tongue in an explosion of flavor. How he manages to create such depth with just a few simple ingredients continues to blow your mind. You savor it, chewing slowly, appreciating the perfect tenderness of the noodles that he made all by hand. The love and care he put into it is evident in the texture, the taste, the presentation, every single little detail. 

You pamper him with compliments, which he unabashedly welcomes, sipping his wine between bites with a small grin on his face. And when you’ve just about licked your plate clean, you give him a big smile, holding your hand out to touch his. “Thank you for all the hard work you put into making this wonderful meal.”

He brushes his thumb over your knuckles, gazing at you. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” 

You scoff, knowing that’s untrue. “I didn’t do anything.”

Memories of Nanami’s life before you flash through his head. Half empty take-out containers in his refrigerator, a variety of instant ramen wrappers discarded in the trash can, the loneliness of eating alone on the kitchen counter. It was mundane, all of it just enough to sustain himself another day. It was never worth it to explore a new recipe, for him to buy groceries he would have to eventually throw out because it would go bad before he could use all of it. With you, however, he feels motivated. Inspired.

He smiles at you, leaning in closer, his hold on you tightening. “You’re the reason I enjoy doing this. You make it worth doing.”

[nikkento-writes]

Ever since you introduced your sweet, innocent boyfriend to your sex toys, he's been absolutely fascinated ever since. It took a while for Choso to be brave enough to actually start using them on you, though. He was always afraid of user error, breaking it, or ruining the vibe with his clumsiness. Part of him was also a little jealous that these gadgets could get you off as hard as he does. But over time, he realized that the sex toys and him could work together as one giant fucking machine to pleasure you.

It starts with the humble vibrator. Based on trial and error, he has come to the conclusion that if he fucks you silly while he presses it max speed on your clit, you will squirt for him without fail. There are far too many ruined bedsheets to support this theory. He loves how loud you get when you're moaning his name, covering him in your wetness. It's one of his favorite toys to use on you, not too complicated, and gets the job done.

The other one he's really into lately is the classic dildo. He's way too jealous to share you in a threesome, but he's obsessed with the idea of filling up all your holes. Like really obsessed. Gets him off harder than most other things. He likes to start with your mouth first, his cock shoved to the back of your throat while you pump the lubed-up dildo in and out of your cunt. You've got a butt plug in, prepping your hole for later. Once you swallow his first load, he spreads you out on top of his face, eating you out while he watches you lick your own cum off that dildo. The two of you do this until he's hard again. You straddle him and sink down, his dick sliding easily inside you, pussy drenched from your multiple orgasms, hole still puckered around that plug. His tongue fills your mouth this time, drinking you up while you ride him. And, of course, he has to fill your womb up with his cum.

Finally, with one orgasm left in him, he gets behind you, carefully pulls the plug out, sucks on it a little bit, then starts eating your ass. At this point, you're jelly, complying to every deranged thing he wants to do to you. He licks at your rim until he's hard again, using his spit to lubricate it. Then, he fucks you in the ass, pumping his fingers in and out of your mouth while you fuck your pussy with the dildo. It's quite the process, but by the end of it, you're completely filled to the brim with him and the both of you are in an otherworldly state of bliss.

You always knew your precious Choso had a freaky side to him. And all it took was a couple of toys to bring it out of him.

[nikkento-writes]

Rivals - Part 1

cw: smut - masturbation, cunnilingus, mutual masturbation, cum play

Author’s Note: Wow, this is yet another fic that’s been sitting in my drafts unfinished! I hope you enjoy this! It’s been a minute since I last caught up with Haikyuu, but yes, I am still very much smitten with Coach Ukai lol. Enjoy! Divider credit to @/cafekitsune.

This year, you started your new role as faculty advisor to Nekoma High’s boys’ volleyball club. Ittetsu Takeda, a colleague from the rival school Karasuno, recently convinced you to take on the job, claiming it’s one of the most rewarding experiences he’s had the pleasure of partaking in. You’ve finally gotten the hang of being a teacher and you were looking for something new to do, something to put spark back into your mundane life. You figured why not? 

What you didn’t expect was to adopt this unofficial rivalry with Karasuno’s assistant coach, Keishin Ukai. Takeda briefed you on it, something about being “destined rivals” and “crows vs. cats”. Blonde streaks in his hair, empty piercings in his ears, that terrible smoking habit of his. Yeah, you knew he was trouble from the start.

So why the hell are you so drawn to him?

You haven’t spent much time with Coach Ukai alone, casually passing each other in tournaments, exchanging quick glances and small head nods. He’ll greet you formally, then smirk at you to say something clever about beating your team in that competitive nature of his. His passion in coaching is evident on the court, so naturally, you’re curious what he’s like off it.

Your first summer training camp is finally here. You’ve heard all about this from Takeda, who was excited to set it up in the first place. For the first few days, it’ll be just Karasuno and Nekoma. This whole setup in Tokyo has become a tradition that the players look forward to, so of course, you do all you can to make sure it runs smoothly. Being the only female adult on this trip, you luckily manage to score a room all to yourself. And while you enjoy the private space, it’s a bit too lonely in here that you find yourself spending your free time in the club managers’ room with the girls, discussing strategy and their studies. 

When it’s bedtime for the teens, you take a quick bath before sneaking off to join Takeda at a small bar down the street. He had texted you earlier that evening, asking if you wanted to grab a drink to celebrate the success of day 1. Wanting to debrief with your only confidant on this trip, you agree, excited to see him. But when you spot Coach Ukai sitting across from your friend, piercings in, hair down from his shower, donning a set of black sweats, you can’t help but suddenly feel cautious about the outfit you decided to throw on: a ratty old Nekoma t-shirt and leggings. Still, you sit next to Takeda, greeting the both of them with a wave and a smile, trying to make any lewd thoughts coming into your mind disappear.

Takeda orders a round for the table along with some appetizers to share. He shares his words of wisdom with you, which you take in like an eager student. All the while, Ukai sips his beer silently, popping pieces of chicken karaage in his mouth in between.

When Takeda excuses himself to use the bathroom, there’s a second of awkward silence before Ukai jokes, “Are you tired of him yet?”

You shake your head. “Not at all. He’s teaching me a lot.”

“Yeah, he’s good at that.” He finishes the last of his alcohol, setting the empty glass down on the table. 

You clear your throat, unsure what else to say. “So…do you like doing these summer training camps?”

He shrugs, leaning back against his hands. Your eyes flit to the silver metal of his piercing, the image of your tongue swirling around it briefly flashing across your dirty mind. “They’re okay. The kids like it, so that’s good. But it gets a little boring sometimes.”

“What would make it more exciting for you?” Your beer is only half finished, though you feel heat surrounding your face as if you’re tipsy, the words tumbling out of your mouth almost too quickly. 

He looks directly at you, something gleaming in his gaze, and smirks, sending an odd sensation down towards your navel. “I don’t know yet. Maybe you can help me figure that out.”

You’re this close to pouncing on him when Takeda returns, clapping his hands to snap you out of it. “Alright! Let’s head back!”

~~~

Back in your room, tucked in and ready for bed, Ukai’s words keep replaying over and over in your head. Maybe you can help me figure that out. What did he mean by that? Was that a simple answer to your simple question? Or was he trying to imply something? Based on the way he was looking at you, all sexy and mysterious like, you want to think he was definitely hinting at something. Whatever he meant by that, it doesn’t stop your fantasies from playing out in your head. Soon, your fingers are in your panties, rubbing small circles on your clit, imagining Coach Ukai’s tongue down there instead. The way he’d smirk at you as his lips surround you, slurping and sucking. He looks so sexy with his hair down, the blonde strands scattered messily across his forehead. You bet he’s huge based on the way he wears those sweats, heavy and thick, the perfect size to fill you up…

You come fast, stripping the blanket off to find much needed relief in the sweltering heat. Sweat covers you almost completely and you lay there in postcoital bliss, staring up at the ceiling, immediately guilty for being a pervert that touches themselves to their work colleague. 

After you change into a clean pair of underwear, shoving your wet panties barely aside, you leave your room one last time for some fresh air, hoping that will bring you back to your senses. You rush out the door, breathing in the breeze through your nostrils.

“Hey.”

You whip around to find Ukai standing outside, a burning cigarette between his fingers. He tosses it to the ground, stomping it out with his slides. He’s wearing the same black sweats as earlier, though this time, he’s in just a white tank top, showing off his surprisingly chiseled biceps. 

You stop in your tracks, staring at him, responding with a quiet, “Hey.”

He grins, taking a few steps towards you. “Can’t sleep either?”

You swallow hard. “Yeah. I guess you could say that.”

Ukai stuffs his hand in his pockets, staring up at the moon, the bright glow of it illuminating on his irises. “So damn hot in my room. Too many people in there.”

Without really thinking about it, you blurt out, “Well, I’ve got a whole room to myself, if you need some more space.”  

He smirks at you, raising a curious brow. “Are you sure that’s appropriate, Senpai?”

Heat pools in your belly, spurred by his words and that naughty, gorgeous smile of his. “We have a long day tomorrow. It’s important we get proper rest, right?” You cross your arms over your chest, avoiding his gaze by looking straight ahead. “And maybe it’ll make this trip more exciting for you.”

He’s really close now, behind you, his breath tickling the back of your neck. “Yeah, I think it will.”  

You grab his hand, leading him back inside. He follows you down the corridor, pressing a finger to his lips as you pass the men’s sleeping quarters, rumbling with a symphony of snores and heavy breathing. You understand now why Ukai can’t fall asleep and you’re wondering how Takeda manages. 

Once you’re both in your room, he removes his shoes, laying them neatly to the side. You look at him, not sure what to do next, who should make the next move, if this is really going to happen. And before you know it, he’s on you, both his hands cupping your face in an intense kiss. You stumble backwards, leading him to your bed, moaning into his mouth as his licks inside you, hungry and aggressive just as you imagined he’d be.

“You sure you about this, Senpai?” he asks, kissing along your neck. 

You rub the piercings in his ears, hissing out, “Yes. Fuck yes.”

He chuckles, hands drifting down to the waistband of your bottoms, tugging at them slightly. “Did you think about me tonight?”

“Yes.” You give him a wicked smirk, reaching over to show him your panties from earlier, the wet spot of cum still visible. “I even touched myself thinking of you. Coach.”

His eyes widen, staring at the evidence of your dirty deed. “Fuck, you’re such a bad girl.” He surrounds you, kissing your fiercely, rubbing the hard-on strained in his pants against you. “I want to fuck you so bad, been wanting to for a while now.”

 “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He shrugs his sweats and boxers off at the same time, revealing his hard cock. “Think about you all the time while I jerk myself off.”

His admission sends you into a frenzy. You wrap your legs around him, trying to touch as much of him as possible. “Fuck me, Keishin. Please fuck me.”

He groans, his hands gripped tightly around your waist. “I know baby, but I don’t have any condoms.”

Somehow, this sense of reason gets through to you, so you relent a bit, unable to contain your disappointment. “Yeah, you’re right.”

He nuzzles your neck, trailing kisses down your body as he slides your bottoms off your legs slowly. “But I can still make you come.”

You watch him with glossy eyes as he spreads your legs open, lapping up your arousal. He stretches one hand up, reaching for the soiled panties in your grasp. You hand it to him, moaning when he wraps it around the base of his cock, stroking himself with it. 

After three orgasms from him just eating you out like a man starved, he finally reaches his limit. He surfaces, sitting on his knees over you, fucking his fist until he comes all over your swollen clit. 

“Show me how you touch yourself,” he rasps, shaking out the last spurts of his climax.

Lost in a daze, you swirl his cum around your clit, making yourself come one more time while he watches you. 

Safe to say, this has been a very exciting first day of summer training camp. You’re looking forward to what tomorrow brings. 

[nikkento-writes]

cw: mentions of pregnancy, cunnilingus, vaginal fingering, PIV sex (missionary), breeding, creampie

Author’s Note: Okay, so I started this three months ago and just remembered it sitting in my drafts waiting to be finished, so this is appropriately titled "No Rush", haha. Enjoy :) divider credit to @/cafekitsune.

“3…2…1…HAPPY NEW YEAR!” You hear the muffled cheers of your friends downstairs, clinking their champagne flutes to celebrate the start of 2025. Someone is blowing enthusiastically into a noisemaker, most likely Satoru, while someone else pops another bottle of champagne, most likely Shoko. Soon, the music gets turned up louder and the party below you resumes. Meanwhile, you and your husband have excused yourselves to commemorate this special moment a little bit differently. 

“Fuck, Kento,” you moan, an iron grip on his blonde hair as he eats you out sloppily into your second orgasm of the night. 

His tongue swirls around you, two fingers expertly pumping in and out of your wet cunt. He moans against you, the vibrations reverberating on your already throbbing clit. “That’s it, sweetheart. Again. Give it to me again.” He bucks his hips slowly, hand wrapped around his hard cock, fucking his fist. Precum leaks from the tip, shiny and glossy, your mouth salivating for a taste. 

You weren’t planning to abandon your own party, but after what Nanami admitted to you in the kitchen just fifteen minutes before midnight, you couldn’t help yourself. 

“Want to know my new year’s resolution?” he asked, a sly grin on his face. 

You give him an angelic smile, expecting a normal, totally innocent answer. “What?” 

He leaned in close, pressed himself to you, voice low and quiet for only you to hear. “Get you pregnant.”

It surprised you. While you’ve been ready for a while now, Nanami has always been hesitant about the idea of children. He didn’t want to raise a family while he was still a sorcerer. Even with his recent retirement, you chose not to mention anything about it, not wanting to put any pressure on him. So, when he admitted that to you so casually surrounded by all your friends, you became overwhelmed with emotion, enough to pull him up the stairs to talk about it in the privacy of your bedroom. Talking led to happy tears, happy tears led to affectionate touching, and well…here you are now, getting your pussy devoured by your very eager and horny husband. 

You come for him, melting into the sheets, dazed from the pleasure. You can feel him smile as he gives you a few more licks, pulling his fingers out from you, coated in your cum, licking them clean. “You taste so good,” he purrs, stroking his cock faster. He slaps it against your sensitive clit, smearing spit and slick all over you, teasing the tip into your needy cunt. “Tell me what you want, sweetheart.” 

Every inch of you buzzes with excitement, yearning for him to be inside you, to be filled up by him. “Your cock,” you answer, voice trembling. 

He bites his lip, pushing himself a little deeper, a wild, hungry gleam in his eyes. “And what do you want me to do with this cock?” 

You swallow hard. “Fuck me. Get me pregnant.”

He growls, unable to resist himself, plunging deep inside you. You wrap your legs tightly around him, latching yourself as close as possible to him. He kisses you deeply, his tongue sloppy against yours, his thrusts becoming more and more erratic. The bed creaks noisily below you, both your moans growing louder and uncontrollable while the party downstairs continues to distract your guests. It’s you and Nanami, joined as one, the commitment of starting a family together fueling the both of you into this lustful frenzy.

His orgasm is one of the most intense he’s ever had, cock pulsating like crazy as he releases every drop inside you. He stays in you, kissing you softly now, coming down from his high slowly. “Not yet,” he says, even though you make no efforts to separate from his embrace. He says it with such gentleness, wanting to relish this moment a while longer before returning to your friends. 

You kiss him on the forehead, smiling while you nuzzle your nose to him. “Yeah. No rush.”

[nikkento-writes]

Seashell

Author's Note: I know it’s been way too long since I’ve posted or written anything, but I do have a small life update: I’m engaged! And I’m happy to say that this little piece is inspired by true events. 💗 Enjoy! Divider credits to the lovely @/cafekitsune.

“Let’s watch the sunrise when we’re in Hawaii.”

It’s an unexpected suggestion coming from your boyfriend, who values sleep more than anyone else you know and is rarely ever willing to get up earlier than he really needs to. But Nanami insists, even when you raise a brow at him with a smirk, doubting him with an unconvinced, “Are you serious?”

The two of you are tucked under the covers in bed, about ready to sleep. He turns on his side to face you, a small smile on his face. “I’ve been wanting to do that ever since our trip last year. I hear the sunrises in Hawaii are beautiful.” 

You study his expression carefully. For some reason, you’re suspicious. You’re not sure of what exactly, but there’s a small part of you that thinks he’s up to something. Though, you don’t want to get your hopes up in case that small part of you is wrong.

You’ve been together for over a decade now. While some may see that as way too long without marriage, the both of you have been happy and unbothered to go at your own pace. Nanami’s career as a sorcerer was always unpredictable, making it complicated to plan for the future. Now that he’s retired, it seems you’re both finally ready to take the next step. Right before the new year started, the two of you casually went ring shopping together, trying on different stones and settings until you found one that you fell in love with. Nanami made sure to take various pictures from all angles, memorizing the exact style that made your eyes sparkle. Even after that, you haven’t been convinced that it will happen anytime soon. The last thing you want to do is to put pressure on him. And the last thing you want to feel after a nice vacation in Hawaii is disppointed if it doesn’t happen. 

So, you keep your expectations non-existent, excited to just spend a few days in paradise with the love of your life. Without pressing further, you agree to his idea, snuggling up against his chest. “Okay, sweetie. That sounds good.”

You continue not to speculate his newfound motivation for the next week, even when he shows the location of a random beach fifteen minutes from where you’re staying, telling you that’s where he wants to watch the sunrise and asking if you could find a good restaurant to eat nearby afterwards. Or when he comes home from work with a bag of new clothes and shoes, claiming he wants to look especially nice on this trip. Or when he keeps on mentioning how everyone from Gojo to his mother keep on pestering him about proposing, to which he rolls his eyes and vehemently maintains that it’s not going to happen yet. Sure, maybe there’s an inkling of hope deep down, but again, you remind yourself not to expect anything. It’ll be another lovely vacation, that is all. 

It's only when you’re literally walking on the beach in the golden glow of the Hawaiian sunrise, Nanami leading you along the shore, that your little hunch becomes palpable. 

“What’s that?” he asks, pointing at a pristine seashell laid purposely on the rocks. 

“A seashell!” you respond, giving him the obvious answer, smiling at him. 

He grins, guiding you towards it. “Flip it over.”

Once again, you don’t question him, heart beating rapidly in your chest, bending down to reach for the shell. Tiny waves splash over your sandals, the bottom of your skirt getting soaked with ocean water. When you turn it over, your breath catches as you read the short message written in bold ink, unmistakable. Marry me?

You stare at it, blinking to make sure it isn’t in your imagination. This time, you do question him. “Are you serious? Are you serious?!”

And when you turn to look at him, he’s on one knee, sinking into the wet sand beneath him, holding the ring out to you. “Well, will you?”

It takes you a moment to process it all, but eventually, through tears, you nod emphatically at him, watching him slide the band onto your finger. “Yes!” you say, as he stands up, wrapping his arms tightly around you. You sob into his chest, repeating your answer over and over. 

“I love you so much, so so much,” he whispers, kissing you on the forehead, holding your face in his hands to wipe away the tears streaming down your cheeks.

Your fiancé was totally right; sunrises in Hawaii are truly the most beautiful. 

[nikkento-writes]

POST DIVIDERS | the sea.

( requested by -> Anon )

not gonna lie, I’m actually really quite happy with how this turned out HAHAHAH. i added versions where it’s sand and sea or just the sea (my fave is the turquoise version). as always, they all work on light and dark mode ! i hope you guys like it !

feel free to use; please like, reblog, and credit〜

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[nikkento-writes]

A little sequel to Part 1 of living with your brother’s best friend Ino. minors do not interact. divider credit to the lovely @/cafekitsune.

To say that the current situation isn’t ideal is a bit of an understatement. You sit next to Ino on the couch, holding hands discreetly beneath the shared blanket, his cream pie inside you, slowly leaking into your panties. All the while, your poor older brother sits just on the other side, blissfully unaware that his sweet, innocent little sister is getting fucked by his best friend. The total chaos that would ensue if he were to ever find out about this would be one of epic proportions.

You pretend to watch the movie playing on the television, mind racing and body so tense, you’re beginning to sweat. Your brother stopped by to surprise you and Ino, not knowing that you were in the middle of fucking each other’s brains out. There was no other choice but to throw your clothes back on and pretend like nothing nefarious is going on with the two of you. Though you learn halfway through the movie that acting innocent with Ino’s cream pie inside you is easier said than done.

Guilt consumes you. You adore your brother, absolutely adore him. You’re proud of the healthy relationship you have with him; you’re comfortable with telling him anything. But not this. No, you’re absolutely terrified of telling him that Ino, the boy you’ve crushed on for years and years, the boy who protected you alongside your brother, is doing very, very dirty things to you. You try to rationalize this. You’re roommates, you’re both adults. Libido is high, tensions are strong, the forbidden fruit dangling in front of you is oh-so-delicious you can’t resist it. You even have the audacity to blame your brother for putting you in this predicament to begin with, since it was his suggestion to room together in the first place. To be fair, though, he never knew you’ve been harboring this secret crush on his best friend since forever. Okay, so maybe you haven’t been completely honest with him.

Your brother grabs the remote, putting the film on pause. “Hold on, gotta pee. Be right back!” He hops up onto his feet and scurries into the bathroom, closing the door shut.

Ino takes this opportunity to pull you into his arms and kiss you sloppily. “Fuck, I miss being inside you already.”

You make a feeble attempt to push him away, letting him trail kisses along your neck as his hands roam down your sides. “Taku, we can’t.”

He groans, sucking on a sensitive spot near your collar bone, making your pussy quiver. “That only turns me on more, you know.” His fingers slip past the waist band of your pajama pants, reaching for your pussy, still dripping with his cum. “Holy shit, I want you so bad right now. I want to fuck another load inside you,” he huffs, cock bulging in his sweats as you spread your legs for him, ready to take him right here on the couch.

The flush of the toilet snaps you back into your senses and you quickly shove him away, putting a safe distance between you two. Ino runs his fingers through his hair, frustrated. He grabs one of the cushions and places it on his lap, covering the throbbing erection in his pants before your brother returns, looking at the new seating arrangement, confused. “Are we switching seats?”

Ino clears his throat nervously. “Yeah. I, uh, just thought you should be in the middle so that you could be next to your sister.”

It makes no sense, really. But your brother buys it and plops down, nudging him in the ribs. “Tired of her already, huh? She’s a handful, isn’t she?!” he jokes, grinning at the both of you.

“Oh, you have no idea,” Ino responds, eyes averting to yours for a split second, a clever smirk on his face.

Miraculously, the night goes on without another hitch. Ino’s raging boner has calmed down and during the climax of the movie, you managed to excuse yourself to finally clean yourself up. Your brother decides that he’s too lazy to drive all the way back to his own place. “I’ll just crash on the couch, no biggie! Then we can all get breakfast together tomorrow, my treat!”

There’s no way you can refuse him, so you gather whatever spare pillow and blanket you have lying around to hand to him. The three of you squeeze into the tiny bathroom, brushing your teeth together, reminiscent of when you were young. When he’s done, Ino passes behind you, brushing his hand across your ass on the way out. Thankfully, your brother doesn’t notice.

You’re beginning to think that Ino enjoys teetering on the edge of getting caught. It’s fun for him, seeing how much he can get away with, testing how far you’re willing to go before your brother inevitably discovers the truth. And you’re just as bad for wanting to go along with it, for being more than willing to be a participant in this game of chance.

Your brother settles into the couch, turned to his side as he browses his phone. “Goodnight!” he says, thumb swiping up and down on the screen. You and Ino take that as your cue to leave, the two of you walking to your separate bedrooms in silence.

“Goodnight, Ino,” you whisper, avoiding his gaze as you close the door behind you.

Several minutes pass when you hear the breathy snores of your brother, indicating that he’s asleep. You check your phone and to your surprise, there’s no messages from Ino. Maybe he’s learned his lesson not to cross the line tonight, especially with your brother right outside. Though, you can’t help being just a little bit disappointed.

Still, you breathe a sigh of relief, knowing you’ve dodged a massive bullet, considering the compromising position the two of you were in when big brother arrived. The memory of it replays in your head over and over again. You on top of Ino, rocking your hips back and forth on his lap. His cock buried deep inside you, thumb working magic on your clit, your pussy filled to the brim with his creamy cum…

Fuck it. Who are you kidding? You want him so bad it hurts. You’re desperate to have him inside you again, to feel every inch of him, to be so close it feels like you’re connected as one. You’re not too proud to beg for it, you’ve thrown all your pride out the window as soon as you decided to turn this childhood dream into a reality.

You tip-toe out of your room, checking that your brother is still fast asleep. Ino’s door is ajar, inviting you to enter. He’s sitting up in bed, the glow of his phone screen screen illuminating his face in the darkness. When he notices you, he smiles, setting his phone aside on his nightstand, watching as you take quiet steps towards him. He scoots over to make room for you in the small bed, but instead, you straddle his lap, wrapping your arms around his neck. “Hi, Taku.”

He grins, nuzzling his nose to yours, his hands sliding to your waist. “Oh, so I’m Taku again? I thought you said we can’t do this.”

You grind yourself on his cock, hardening beneath you. “Well, if you’re a good boy and keep quiet, maybe we can.”

He bites his lip, suppressing a moan. “Fuck, you are really something else. You want it, baby? Want me to fill you up again?”

You nod in response, kissing him softly while you both strip off your clothes.

Ino fucks you slowly in missionary, making sure the bed isn’t squeaking too much while he thrusts into you, his head buried in your neck, peppering kisses along your skin. He calls you baby and sweetheart, whispers, “That’s my girl,” every time you come for him. And when he finishes inside you, he holds you tightly, chanting your name over and over until he’s given you every last drop.

~~~

The next thing you know, you’re both startled awake by pounding on the door. Ino turns to you, eyes wide in horror. “Good morning!” your brother’s cheery voice rings out from the other side. “Who’s ready for breakfast?!”

[nikkento-writes]

Overtime in the Office

Rating: explicit - MINORS DO NOT INTERACT PLEASE

Word Count: ~1.6k

cw: office au, explicit language, smut - mutual masturbation, cunnilingus, vaginal fingering, vaginal sex (doggy), cream pie, voyeurism (sorta in the end)

Author’s Note: This started off as a drabble, then I got horny so it became a one-shot LOL. Hope you enjoy some office sex with our hubby (plus a little naughty cameo from our boyfriend Ino) :3 animated banner credits to @/cafekitsune.

It’s another late night in the office. Normally, Nanami would not waste a second of his precious life on overtime, but the both of you decided to put in a little extra work the past month to splurge on business class for your upcoming anniversary trip. Just one more week of this and the two of you will be flying off to paradise for ten days of total bliss.

“Sir?” Ino pops his head into Nanami’s office. “I’m taking off now.”

Nanami stands up to meet him at the doorway, nodding. “Thank you for all your hard work. You know you didn’t have to stay late for me, right?”

Ino grins, running his fingers through his brown hair. “I know. I just wanted to take care of a few things before you leave for vacation with your wife.” He swings his backpack over his shoulder, giving Nanami a wink before turning to leave. “Have a good rest of your night!”

Nanami finds the wink slightly odd but quickly dismisses it. Back in his office, he checks his phone briefly to check a message from you fifteen minutes ago, mentioning that you’re finally finished with work. Determined to meet you at home soon, he hunkers down once more in front of his computer, ready to finish this last report before heading out for the weekend.

Too soon after Ino’s departure, Nanami hears footsteps approaching and he’s certain it’s him, back to retrieve something he forgot in his cubicle. To his delightful surprise, it’s you, carrying a plastic bag of take-out in one hand and your regular work purse in the other.

“Honey,” he greets you, hopping up onto his feet to wrap you in a warm hug. “What are you doing here?”

You snuggle into his neck. “I wanted to surprise you! I asked Ino to stay a bit longer so he could let me in.”

He chuckles, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. “So that’s why.”

You lean into him, smiling against his lips. “I brought you a bento.”

“Yeah? So sweet of you.” He grabs the bag from your hand, dropping it to the floor, interlacing his fingers with yours. “How’d you know I was hungry?” His voice is soft as velvet, his breath hot on your mouth with every word he speaks, the last coming out in a growl.

You toss your purse behind you, pulling him into a feverish kiss, the both of you starving for something not in either of the bags you brought in with you. It isn’t the first time you’ve been intimate in his office; unbeknownst to all his colleagues at work, your husband is quite the fan of office sex. After all, you helped him christen this very space just several months ago when he first got promoted. While he normally likes to follow order and stick by the rules, crossing the line and taking risks with you excites him. Nobody else knows about his dirty little secret, so no harm, no foul.

The two of you make your way towards his desk, your ass pressed to the very edge of it as he scatters kisses down your neck, his fingers expertly working on unbuttoning your blouse. His mouth moves to your collarbone, across the sternum, to the cups of your bra. His gaze lands on yours, a naughty smirk on his lips. “Feed them to me.”

You moan, ecstatic from the mere thought of him ravishing you. Hasty now, you unlatch your bra, baring your breasts to him. He licks his lips before flicking his tongue on your nipple, enjoying the way it peaks against him. He surrounds you with his mouth, sucking hard while you moan his name, already wet in your panties.

“Touch yourself,” he huffs, pushing both your breasts together to lick as he pleases. “Get yourself wet for me.”

You suppress a giggle, knowing damn well how soaked you are already. There’s arousal leaking through the crotch of your panties when you slip out of your slacks, kicking them away to the side. Your heart races with anticipation, yearning and aching to feel him even deeper against you, inside you. Obeying his demand, you reach your hand underneath the waistband, middle finger tapping wildly at your throbbing clit while he suckles at your swollen teats.

He releases you from his mouth, the resounding pop loud in the empty office. “Fuck,” he curses, nose trailing down your stomach, past your navel, his unsteady breath tickling your bare skin until he’s facing your clothed pussy. “Don’t stop,” he says, his gaze unwavering as he tugs your panties down your legs, watching you pleasure yourself. “I want it really creamy.”

You let out a whine, impatient and needy for his cock. Though you can’t deny how much this sight turns you on, him on his knees for you, his erection strained in his pants, bulging against the fabric, ready to burst. Savoring the moment because he knows that the second he’s inside you, he will lose all composure and go insane.

Swallowing the saliva pooling in your mouth, you spread your legs wider, one hand gripped tightly to the edge of the desk for stability, the other massaging circles around your clit, trying to put on a show for him. It’s not enough; you need more. Nanami tilts his chin up to smirk at you, his brow quirked. “Need some help, sweetheart?” he teases, as if reading your mind.

You avert your eyes, refusing to look at him, embarrassed. “Maybe.”

Laughing, he unbuckles his belt, zipping down the fly of his slacks to pull out his hard cock. You can’t help but look at him now, watching his fist coiled tightly around the shaft, precum leaking at the tip. “This is what you do to me,” he whispers, stroking himself fast. “You like seeing me like this, don’t you?”

“Kento,” you whimper again, fingers working faster, close from just at the sight of him jerking off.

His jaw clenches, his patience wearing thin. Suddenly, he grunts, “Fuck, I need you. Need you now,” tearing your hand away to get his own taste. He pins both your wrists against the edge of the table as he eats you out from below, all tongue, lips, and spit, making you weak in the knees as you succumb to your first orgasm of the night. The next one comes when he starts to moan with his mouth surrounding your clit, two fingers pumping in and out of your cunt, coaxing the second orgasm out of you quickly. You can feel his wicked grin against you as you struggle to stay standing.

He rises onto his feet, turning you around so that his chest is to your back, his cock hard against your ass. “Can you give me one more sweetie? One more so I can fill you up?” He nuzzles his nose to your ear, so sweet and affectionate, yet so naughty.

Fucked out of your mind, you nod, complying easily by bending over the desk. His grip is firm on your waist as he slides himself up and down between your folds, teasing you until he can’t resist any longer. He slides in smoothly, your pussy so wet from the previous orgasms. You stay still for him, taking him all in. “That’s it, sweetheart. Just like that,” he says, voice like honey as he encourages you. “Just feel me.” There’s the most subtle crack that only you recognize as his sanity starts to waver. “And when you’re ready, use me. Fuck me how you like.”

That’s something else Nanami likes to do with you; give you control, let you set the pace, put your pleasure first. And when you absolutely lose it, so much that you’re babbling nonsense and seeing stars, he takes matters into his own hands. As you thrust yourself onto his cock back and forth, your fingers practically digging into wooden surface you’re gripping so tightly, moaning so loudly that you’re sure somebody will hear you, euphoria consumes you, turning you into putty right before him.

“Good girl,” he purrs, holding you from behind, nuzzling his nose to the nape of your neck. “That’s my girl.” Soft kisses along your shoulder, a sweet peck on your cheek. And then, the switch. An obvious growl now when he says, “It’s my turn.”

He fucks you until he fills you up with his cream pie, which doesn’t take long considering he’s managed to keep himself on the very edge since the moment you arrived. When the both of you have caught your breaths, he guides you back upright, spinning you around to face him. “It’s been a long couple of weeks,” he admits, cheeks flushed, sweat beading on his forehead, his composure returning to normal.

You wrap your arms around his neck, nuzzling your nose to his. “I know.”

He embraces you lovingly. “One more week.”

“One more week,” you repeat, kissing him.

You both hear it; a sneeze of a young man who accidentally left behind something in his cubicle, right outside of Nanami’s office, the door wide open. Your husband sprints out into the hallway in an attempt to catch him, but he eases up when he notices the blur of a brunette wearing the black beanie he forgot in his cubicle, struggling to pull his pants back up as he hightails it out the exit.

Okay, so maybe one other person now knows about his dirty little secret.

[nikkento-writes]

ANIMATED LINES | blend 002.

──────── ⵌ PINK BLUE ...

──────── ⵌ MORNING ...

──────── ⵌ NIGHT ...

──────── ⵌ NEO ...

me, an idiot, when I realize that I should have released the morning and night colourways along with the sunset and dawn set🧍‍♀️

again, it’s better to save these via desktop because they’re suuuuper smol and thin and really hard to save on mobile 🫠😫

blends : 001 / 002 / 003

please like, reblog, and credit if you use :)

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[nikkento-writes]

You flop down onto the couch still in your apron, stained with splotches of dried up cookie dough and the occasional dusting of flour. Your face is sticky with sweat from stirring, scooping, and standing in the kitchen under the residual heat of the oven, which has been cranking out cookies every fifteen minutes for the past three hours. When you volunteered to bring dessert for your company’s annual holiday potluck, you couldn’t help yourself from being ambitious about it, especially after so many of your coworkers raved on and on about how excited they were to pack extra cookies to take home to their families. Being the people pleaser you are, you just couldn’t help yourself. Hell, you even decided to bake a couple dozen for your husband to bring to work. Now, feet throbbing, head aching, and almost sick of the smell of sugar, you regret being so cocky. You only have yourself to blame, really.

With the last batch finally out and cooling on a wire rack, all that’s left for you to do is pack ten dozen cookies into boxes, clean the mountain of dirty dishes piling in the sink, wipe down the countertop, and…

God, just thinking about it is making your headache worse.

You check the time on your phone: fifteen minutes until midnight. Kento should be arriving soon; he texted you half an hour ago to let you know he’s on his way home from an emergency mission. It’ll be quick, you tell yourself. Just a five minute power nap before you head back into the chaos you created, that’s all you need. The last thing you want to do is leave a mess for your poor, sweet husband to graciously clean up for you, that’s just not right.

~~~

When Nanami arrives home, he’s greeted warmly by the sensational aroma of freshly baked cookies. He’s familiar with this smell, but it hits him with a wave of nostalgia every time. It takes him back to the first year you started dating, on a night when it was raining. The two of you decided to stay in, made pasta for dinner, baked cookies for dessert. He even indulged in the leftover cookie dough, which he normally never does. It probably helped that you fed it to him with your finger, which he gladly licked clean off. Totally worth the risk of salmonella, and it still is.

Sure, it wasn’t anything extravagant, nothing fancy. But it was then that he knew that he could get used to a life like this, especially with you. Simple, comfortable, peaceful.  Everything he’s always wanted.

He spots you snoring on the couch, the aftermath from a night of intense baking evident all over your body. There’s flour on your cheek that you surely haven’t noticed and when you shift against the cushion into a deeper sleep, Nanami can’t help but smile at you. He gently wipes away the residue, caressing your cheek softly, his thumb pressed to it just barely, relishing in the warmth of your soft skin. It’s past midnight, and he knows you’ve been at this for hours, knows you’ve bitten off more than you can chew. He’s told you plenty of times since you made the commitment that it’s too much, hoping you’d rethink and settle for a more realistic number. And of course he’s not surprised when you up the ante and offer to bake for his colleagues as well, despite his pleas not to.

All he can do is chuckle to himself as he walks into the kitchen, popping a cookie into his mouth before sliding on rubber gloves and working on the dangerously teetering stack of dishes in the sink.

He wouldn’t trade this life for anything else.

[nikkento-writes]

Thinking about Ino as one of those scare actors at an amusement park during halloween season, walking around with his mask on. He sees you from a distance, easy prey flinching and screaming at every little thing that jumps out at you. He finds it cute, wants to watch you even closer.

Your friends force you to do one of those haunted houses, walking through each room in the dark, that creepy feeling of someone watching you lingering with each step you take. In a state of panic at one particular scare, you're separated from the group. You're left alone, in near tears, until Ino pulls you by the wrist through a dark hallway. You follow, both scared and intrigued where this mystery man is taking you.

He leads you into a bedroom, shutting the door closed behind you. You can barely make out his face since it's covered up in that black fabric, but you recognize his frame, the hot touch of his skin on yours. "Taku?"

"Hi baby," he says, lifting up his mask to show you his smirk. "Are you okay?"

You grin at him, pulling him closer to wrap your arms around his neck. "Now I am, thanks to you." You knew your boyfriend would be working tonight, though you didn't expect him to have time to find you, especially like this. Thankfully, he did.

He removes his mask entirely, stuffing it in the back pocket of his black pants. "Do you want to go find your friends now?"

You nuzzle your nose to his. "Not yet."

"No?" You can feel him smiling as he kisses you, his grip on your waist tightening. "What do you want then? Want me to scare you?" His voice is husky now, kisses hasty.

"Yeah," you moan, body buzzing with excitement. "Make me scream."

The shrieks from the other guests are loud enough to hide the loud moans pouring out of your mouth as Ino fucks you from behind against the creaky door of this dilapidated bedroom, his fingers slippery on your swollen clit. He knew he could have his way with you if he caught you in a moment of weakness like this, terrified and vulnerable. But it's not like you made it hard for him. You wanted to get lost, to be rescued by Ino, who you caught in your peripheral just outside the entrance, following you from a small distance away. Deep down, you had a feeling that he wanted this just as much as you did, and now, you've been proven absolutely right.

Eventually, you do make it out of that house and reunite with your friends the same way you came in, except with your boyfriend's hot creampie stuffed inside you. And Ino miraculously manages to slip out of there undetected, returning to his post with his dazed expression hidden behind his mask, already eager to see you again after his shift ends.

[nikkento-writes]

"Look!" 

Nanami glances up from his newspaper, brow raised as he watches you stick your ass out, showing off your new pair of underwear. He squints, reading the words printed in glittery font. "Sweet, sweet, sweet...?" 

You beam at him, nodding. “Aren't these cute? They had a sale online so I got a bunch with different patterns and sayings.”

Surely you know that parading around in your panties, regardless of how innocuous or risqué they are, stirs something in your husband. He folds the newspaper, setting it down on the nightstand. “Come here,” he beckons you, patting your side of the bed. 

You reach for your pajama bottoms in the drawer, but then he says, “No pants. I want to take a closer look at them.”

There’s a flutter in your belly at the way his voice sounds, stern and domineering. You don’t question him, making your way to the bed and kneeling next to him, waiting for his next command. 

“Turn around,” he tells you, and you obey, facing away from him. His hand hovers your ass, finger barely tracing the letters etched on the fabric, making your skin buzz. “Sweet, sweet, sweet,” he repeats, breath hot on your ear, a slight tremble in his voice. “How about the other side?” He pulls you towards him, his legs spread out so you can sit with your back pressed to his chest, his erection throbbing against your tailbone. He rests his head on your shoulder, looking down between your legs, thoroughly inspecting the bow stitched on the front. “Is that it?” He slides his hand around your waist, thumb grazing the waistband.

“Yeah,” you answer him, swallowing the saliva collecting on your tongue. You’re certain there’s a wet spot forming at the crotch of your panties now, your arousal growing each passing second. 

He tuts disapprovingly, nipping at your ear lobe. “We can’t have that, can we?”

You moan loudly as soon as he presses his fingers to your aching clit, massaging deep circles through the thin layer of cotton. A growl escapes him. “These will be much prettier with your cum, don’t you agree?”   

“Kento,” you whimper, turning to kiss him sloppily on the lips. 

With his free hand, he grabs hold of your chin, keeping you in place as he ravishes your mouth with an eager tongue. His fingers continue to work magic on your swelling bud, the fabric darkening with your arousal leaking through. He smirks, whispering, “Good girl. My sweet, sweet girl.”

It’s not enough for him. He won’t stop until your panties have been properly ruined. He reaches for the top drawer of the nightstand to retrieve your vibrator, pushing it thrice to the highest setting, his entire grasp buzzing from the vibrations. "Right here, huh?" he purrs, pushing the fluttering tip to your clothed clit. Pleasure courses through your body, limbs shaky and twitchy from the sensation, toes curled against the sheets. “That’s the spot.”

Your mouth hangs wide open, eyes glazed over, face tacky from sweat. He chuckles as you clench up, climaxing into your underwear, the material sticky on your wet cunt.  “Look how pretty it is now with all your cum.” He gently pats your pussy, smearing your arousal deeper into the fabric. “Such a good girl, making a fucking mess for me.” He hooks his finger on the waistband, tugging it down to see it for himself, the cloth glistening with your orgasm. “Fuck,” he curses, his breathing labored, unable to contain himself any longer. “Take them off, sweetheart. Let me taste you.”

Soon, you’re straddling his face, fucking his mouth, his tongue and lips relentless on your clit. All the while, he has your wrecked panties wrapped tightly around his cock as he strokes himself fast, ruining them even more with his own cum. 

[nikkento-writes]

Nanami likes to go with the flow when he's on vacation. He's not huge on planning out every single hour of his day with some activity or event. Sure, he'll book something here or there, mark certain places to eat, major landmarks he should probably visit. But he's isn't always go go go. Some days, most days really, he just wants to relax on the beach, feel the breeze on his face, listen to the soothing sound of waves crashing on the shore. He wants to dig his feet into the sand, feel the coarseness of it between his toes, bask in the heat of the sun until vitamin D is surging through his veins.

Most of all, he wants to enjoy all of this with you right beside him. You'd smear sunscreen on his back, a spot he always used to neglect until he met you. He'd hold your hand gently during a little stroll on the beach, waiting for the sun to seep into the distant horizon. The two of you would cheers each other at a cute little cabana bar, cocktails with tiny umbrellas in hand, sharing a tasty appetizer together.

He always loved to travel, but getting to do it with you has made it all the more special. To be able to share his bliss with somebody else, someone who understands him down to his very core...well, nothing can be better than that.

[nikkento-writes]

Hi everyone! In celebration of the end of summer, I'm challenging myself to write a few different one-shots inspired by songs that I've personally had on repeat all summer. All of these works will contain smut, so please note the content warnings prior to reading and minors do not interact. Hope you enjoy!

Toro! Toro! by Remi Wolf [Aoi Todo x f!reader] Breaking news! International up-and-coming pop princess Luna Lux is causing quite the stir with her alleged boyfriend! Witnesses say the two were having loud sex well into the night until hotel staff had to take matters into their own hands. But who is this mystery fellow? Despite multiple accounts of being heard doing the deed behind closed doors, the pop star’s supposed boy toy continues to elude being seen by both the media and even her own manager! With his knack for disappearing into thin air, it sounds like this stud is a real sorcerer!

Too Sweet by Hozier [Kishibe x f!reader] (coming soon) When Kishibe's apartment gets flooded by a burst pipe, his underling from work, always eager to curry favor with the senior Devil Hunter, suggests he stays with you, the older sister, completely free of charge and without warning. Now, you're forced to temporarily live with the curmudgeon Devil Hunter who always comes home late, reeking of booze and women's perfume. Kishibe also has a hard time adjusting to living with a roommate, especially one as virtuous and wholesome as you. He soon finds out firsthand just how sweet you can be.

guess by charli xcx [Toji Fushiguro x f!reader] (coming soon) Your next-door neighbor is a pervert. You had your suspicions already with so many of your panties mysteriously missing every time you hang them on the clothesline of your balcony. Now you're absolutely certain since you caught him red-handed, literally, with your favorite red lacey lingerie bunched in his fist. Sure, maybe you kinda sorta wanted him to steal them, but still. He needs to be punished.

Diet Pepsi by Addison Rae [Takuma Ino x f!reader] (coming soon) Ever since you were kids, your older brother's best friend has always been dependable; that's just one of the many reasons why you have the fattest crush on him. You'll never confess to him though, convinced that your love is unrequited. When he offers to give you a ride home from university, the car breaks down halfway into the trip, leaving the two of you stuck until the tow truck arrives in over an hour. In the backseat of his car, Ino surprises you by showing that your unrequited love isn't that at all.

Check by Flo [Nanami Kento x f!reader] (coming soon) After nearly six months of dating, you finally feel confident enough to tell your friends about the new guy you're seeing. Of course, given your track record, they're skeptical. They have no problem listing the number of duds you've unfortunately fallen for in the past and you try to dispel their worries to no avail. Now, with doubts planted in your head, convinced this is all too good to be true, you go home to your boyfriend, distraught. However, like the amazing man you know he is, Nanami reassures you that there's absolutely nothing you need to worry about.

[nikkento-writes]

Chapter 2 - Someone New

I can be a little much, I overthink, I scared you off, my spiral begins right on cue. I wonder if I’ll ever find someone new.

Previous Chapter | Masterlist | Next Chapter (coming soon)

Pairing: Nanami x f!reader

Word Count: ~8.3k

cw: switching POVs (2nd person for reader, third person for Nanami), angst, fluff, alcohol consumption, explicit language

Summary: Nanami normally likes to keep to himself during vacation, preferring not to forge any needless bonds with people he’ll never meet again. But a silly encounter at a bar leads him to find an unlikely vacation buddy at Crystal Shores.

Author's Note: Thank you so much for the love and support on this so far! I also appreciate your patience with this. I’ve been very busy with work and my personal life, so I haven’t had much time to write. I’m slowly but surely making my way through! This story is very dear to my heart, so I appreciate you taking the time to read it. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Divider credit to @/cafekitsune.

Nanami arrives to his destination after sunset, when the last boat of the day finally docks. He’s in his typical work attire, having completed an early morning mission right before his departure. Tan blazer with matching slacks, a spotted tie akin to leopard print, mahogany brown dress shoes. He’s aware how severely overdressed he is for this type of environment, more apparent now as he traverses through the delicate sand, collecting more and more of the beach with each step of his oxfords. Despite his serious demeanor, Nanami couldn’t be more ecstatic to finally be here. As his feet grow heavy with the diamond dust leading to Crystal Shores, the burden of reality that weighs hefty on his shoulders is gradually lifted. Finally, he gets to indulge in this temporary escape for the next few days. 

Since the devastating attack on Christmas Eve six months ago, an event they’re now referring to as The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, tensions within the Jujutsu community have been high. Nanami’s former upperclassman, Suguru Geto, launched this attack in an attempt to carry out his diabolical plan of eradicating humans and non-curse users from the earth. That night, Nanami performed four consecutive black flashes, a record that’s impressive on paper, though in all honestly, Nanami is tired. He usually plans a summer trip annually, ever since he returned to Jujutsu Sorcery. With all the activity happening recently, he’s in dire need for a vacation now more than ever. Satoru Gojo, a teacher at Jujutsu High and Nanami’s senior (though he doesn’t act it) has already begun his recruitment to build a strong class of first years. He suspects the white-haired idiot is going to enlist him to help these kids at some point, so he’s mentally preparing himself for that. And while Nanami has already gotten accustomed to taking the youthful Takuma Ino under his wing, he’s not sure how well he’ll fair with sorcerers that are even younger. 

Sorcerers, especially those associated with both Tokyo and Kyoto Jujutsu High, remain vigilant in order to protect the students, who were targeted for recruitment to carry out Geto’s plan. While dealing with the aftermath, they continue to actively scout young sorcerers, though Nanami is against it, believing children shouldn’t be subjected to this tragic world. He can’t help thinking about his old classmate Yu Haibara, whose life was taken from him too suddenly and too quickly. It wasn’t fair then, and it isn’t fair now, expecting children to take on the considerable responsibility of saving the world from the hidden evil that plagues it. Training them to kill and preparing them to be killed for the sake of humanity. All of it is cruel and unfair, for adults and especially for these kids. However, Nanami doesn’t have much of a say in the matters of Jujutsu High, so he makes a personal vow to himself to do what he can: protect and help others who need it. This power is a blessing and a curse; he might as well use it for good. 

Crystal Shores is surrounded by a vast garden of native plants and trees, creating the ideal canopy of green above him. The path leading to the lobby is lit up with torches, the flames waving in the gentle breeze. Every staff member on his way to the check-in desk greets him, their smiles welcoming and genuine. He’s read plenty about this world-class resort, about its breathtaking beaches, five-star service, and their highly-rated amenities. As a self-proclaimed foodie, the part he’s particularly excited for is the local cuisine the island is famous for. Somehow, he managed to secure a reservation at their only Michelin-rated restaurant, having gotten lucky at the time he booked his hotel. Aside from that, Nanami is most looking forward to some much-needed rest and relaxation, whether it be by the pool or by the sea. He’s certain he’ll be in perfect harmony wherever he is here at this resort. 

When he approaches the front desk, he realizes his tan blazer is damp from the choppy waters on the way here, so he removes it, folding neatly over his arm. His skin is tacky with perspiration from the day’s travel, the styling gel in his hair worn off, stray strands sticking to his forehead. He’s left his own trail of sand behind him, some of it still mingled with the fabric of his socks. Despite his unusually disheveled state, Nanami couldn’t be more thrilled to be here. He nods at the woman behind the counter, greeting her. “Hello. I’m here to check in.”

Jasmine, according to her nametag, responds cheerfully. “Welcome to the Crystal Shores, sir! We are so excited to have you! Your name please?”

He gives it, trying to inconspicuously tap the rest of the debris from his shoes to no avail. As Jasmine types on her keyboard, a different staff member, a young man with a genial face, approaches him to offer a crisp glass of fruit-infused water. Another soon arrives to drape a floral necklace around his collar. Nanami already feels at peace and he hasn’t even been officially checked in yet. 

“Alright Mr. Nanami!” Jasmine claps her hands once, beaming at him. “We’ve got you on the seventh floor, room 727, all the way down the hall, farthest from the elevator per your request. And, of course, with the beachside view. How many keys will you be needing?”

“It’s just me,” he answers, downing the rest of his drink. “So one is fine.”

Jasmine tips her head a bit, seemingly intrigued by this information. “Will your partner be joining us later on during your stay or…?”

Nanami narrows his eyes at her, though she can’t tell through his tinted glasses. What an odd question, he thinks to himself. Still, he answers it, his hackles raised slightly. “I don’t have a partner.”

“Oh! My apologies, I didn’t mean to assume. I was only thinking that if you did have a partner, there’s a couples mixer we like to host on Friday nights down in Event Hall D.” She rummages through a stack of papers, eventually pulling out a flyer with a schedule of events taking place throughout the week. “Our singles mixers are on Monday nights, so you won’t be able to make that. However, if you do happen to meet someone during your stay here, it’s a wonderful little party with all-you-can-eat hors d’oeuvres and unlimited wine, free of charge for our guests.” 

He takes the paper, looking at it skeptically. Even he can admit that the words “all-you-can-eat” and “unlimited” are enticing enough to have his curiosity piqued. “Will they let me in if I’m alone?”

“Unfortunately, it is a couples mixers, so the minimum requirement is that you are part of a couple. But who knows? Maybe you’ll meet someone while you’re here. They don’t call this the ‘Island of Passion’ for nothing.” Jasmine’s professional smile doesn’t waver, though Nanami can tell the cogs are turning in her brain. For what, he’s not sure, and quite frankly, he doesn’t want to know given the direction this conversation is going. 

Nanami doesn’t do relationships. He doesn’t do dating. It’s a vow he made to himself ever since he returned to Jujutsu Sorcery. Involving another person in his already risky world is complicated, adding love into the mix makes it all the more dangerous. It wouldn’t be fair to himself or to his potential partner to invest in a life together that can be so quickly destroyed every time he fights a new demon or curse. He constantly puts his life on the line without question, and when he has nobody but himself to think about, it makes this job that much easier. A partner would only distract him, force him to think twice before running into battle, make him weak. It’s better this way. 

This mindset, however, doesn’t stop him from the occasional fling, especially during his temporary escapes from reality. In this particular case, the alluring promise of endless appetizers is also an added bonus. 

He stuffs the flyer in his pocket, not saying anything more about it. “Thank you,” he mutters, no longer suspicious of Jasmine, who only seems to want to push this agenda of finding romance on this so-called “Island of Passion”. Nanami uses all the willpower he has to resist gagging from the ridiculous nickname.

Upstairs on the seventh floor, Nanami rolls his luggage all the way down to Room 727, relieved to finally be settled in. His stomach gurgles, hungry after not having a proper meal all day. He does a quick refresh in the bathroom, not bothering to change out of his dress shirt and slacks. Though, he does remove his spotted tie, not trying to look too much like a man on business rather than a man on vacation.

Just as he’s about to leave his room, his phone buzzes in his pocket. As soon as he sees who’s calling, he immediately rejects it. When it vibrates a second time as he halfway down the corridor, he groans, answering it reluctantly. “I told you to call twice for emergencies.”

“This is an emergency!” Gojo yells into the phone. There’s the distinct sound of background chatter on the other line, as if he’s at a bar, which he most likely is on a Wednesday night in Tokyo. “I thought you were dead!”

Nanami clenches his jaw, restraining from unleashing his wrath on this idiot he unfortunately considers a friend. “Why would you think that?”

“You never responded to my texts!”

A vein throbs in his forehead. “When do I ever respond to your texts?”

Gojo ignores that. “Shoko was worried about you too, Nanamin. Right? Right?!”

Ieiri’s languid voice comes in quietly amidst the chaos. “We wanted to make sure you got there safely.”

The tension in his shoulders ease, knowing this is coming from a good place, at least on Ieiri’s end. He’s convinced Gojo called just to annoy him. Sighing, he responds, “I’m fine.” 

“Good. Go and enjoy yourself. We’ve got everything handled here.” For someone as laid-back and seemingly uninterested as Ieiri, she is surprisingly perceptive. Her tone is gentle, reassuring. “Not that you need reminding.” She adds the last part in, her smirk audible through the phone, trying not to give away Nanami’s secret concerns.

He’d be lying to himself if he said a small part of him isn’t worried. As much as he’s trying to remove himself from work while on vacation, there’s always going to be that fear lingering in the back of his mind. What if there’s another attack in Tokyo while he’s not there? What if something happens to his peers? Ieiri, Ino, Ijichi, and yes, even that blubbering idiot Gojo, who he usually doesn’t worry about because he’s that confident in his power. Still, what if?

“Thank you, Ieiri,” he says, genuinely meaning it. Her words don’t completely eliminate his apprehension, though for the time-being, he’s alleviated. 

“What about me, Nanamin?! I’m the one who called you first! Shoko didn’t even want to bother you!” He can tell by the whining that Gojo is at that point of the night where he’s on a sugar rush from popping unlimited candied cherries and chugging mocktails courtesy of flirtatious bartenders. And the sooner Nanami placates this nuisance, the sooner he can get off the line to eat dinner. 

Through gritted teeth, Nanami murmurs, “Thank you for checking in, Gojo.”

Gojo laughs, appeased. “You’re welcome buddy!”

“And don’t call me again.”

“But – ”

Before he gets another word out, Nanami hangs up the call with a pleased grin on his face, continuing his path to dinner in peace. 

~~~

It’s been almost an hour now since you watched the beautiful sunset from the balcony of your hotel room. You’ve been going back and forth with yourself about what you should do for dinner, ultimately deciding to venture out to explore the hotel’s top-notch restaurants. Staying in and ordering room service was the second option, though the thought of eating alone in a room that already feels too big for one makes you depressed. On the other hand, the idea of dining solo gives you a sense of dread that you aren’t proud of. 

There’s nothing wrong with having a dinner date all by yourself. People do it all the time. However, you’re ashamed to admit that when you see that, you make up sad stories in your head about why they’re alone. An elderly man slowly eating his split pea soup, who recently lost his wife after fifty lovely years together. A middle-aged salaryman scarfing down a bowl of ramen because he’s on a business trip. A young women all alone, cutting her steak into smaller pieces, wishing she had a partner to share it with. 

For goodness sake, why do you do this? It’s unfair to make these assumptions about strangers, who are perfectly content having a meal without a companion. It’s never crossed your mind that people rather be alone than not, only because you could never imagine choosing that for yourself. You’re so used to clinging to someone to prevent the loneliness you’ve always feared throughout life. Your parents, your childhood best friend Kim, and worst of all, Jun. Because of this, you were willing to ignore the warning signs of your failing relationship with your ex. As long as you had somebody, anybody, things would we okay, right?

Nope. Wrong. Very wrong.

You’ve changed outfits four times since you decided to dine at one of the restaurants on the first level. Anything you can do to keep avoiding the most mundane activity of eating dinner alone. You glare at yourself in the bathroom mirror, giving yourself a pathetic little peptalk. Come on. Just go down there and eat something. It’s not a big deal!

Before you can psyche yourself out any further, you leave the room in a sundress, one of many that you packed for this trip, and make your way down the hall towards the elevators. 

Nighttime at the Crystal Shores has the lobby buzzing with activity. Some vacationers are dressed to the nines, ready to go out and party at the local hot spots. Others are in comfortable clothes, lounging on couches with colorful drinks in their hands. You’re aware that the resort is home to at least ten different restaurants, so you scope out the front desk, hoping to ask somebody what they suggest for a casual meal, nothing too fancy but satisfying.

Jasmine, the poor woman you unloaded your relationship woes to just hours ago, catches your eye. She greets you like an old friend, beckoning you over and calling out your name. “I was hoping to see you again!” 

You approach her hesitantly like a dog with their tail between their legs, still embarrassed about before. “I’m so sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to trauma dump on you like that.”

She waves it off. “No need to apologize! I’m sorry about all the lovey-dovey décor in there.”

“No, please don’t be,” you insist. “It was…it was actually really nice. Please tell the staff thank you.” 

She smiles brightly at you, nodding. “I will. Anyways, I forgot to mention to you about our weekly mixers here at the resort.” She slides a piece of paper out from one of the piles on her desk, handing it to you. “Mondays are our singles mixers, so you won’t be able to make that. Fridays, we host a couples mixer. All-you-can-eat appetizers and wine, free of charge for our lovely guests.” 

You open your mouth to protest, but she doesn’t let you, holding up her hand and continuing. “And yes, I know I said couples. But if you just so happen to meet someone until then, you should definitely go!”

Huffing out a laugh, you say, “Jasmine, you know better than I do that your guests here are already couples. I’m not going to be meeting anyone.” 

She shakes her head adamantly. “That’s not true! Between you and me, I have checked-in several eligible bachelors today. You’re on the ‘Island of Passion’! You never know, your new love could be waiting for you down the hall.” Her eyes twinkle, as if she’s using you as reference to write a cliché romance novel in her head. 

Aside from how bizarre this all is, especially coming from a staff member you only just met, you find her eagerness to mend your broken heart endearing. You know it’s not going to happen the way she wishes it would, though. Tapping your finger to your chin, you pretend to show consideration for whatever story she’s trying to manifest. “The free wine does sound enticing. That doesn’t really matter though, since my ex is paying for everything while I’m here.”

Her jaw drops, enthralled by this new information. “Really?! Everything?”

You nod, a satisfied grin on your face. “Everything.”

Excited, Jasmine flexes her fingers, directing her attention back to the computer screen, typing away vigorously on her keyboard. “In that case, let me see what activities I can squeeze you into. We’ve got cooking classes, paddleboard yoga, spa treatments…I see you’ve already got a few things scheduled. Great! Oh! How about wine-tasting at a private estate? Hiking on a mountain with a waterfall? You’re sure to meet sexy singles there!” 

Before she gets even more carried away than she already is, you hold up a hand, politely stopping her. “Jasmine, while I really appreciate your,” you stall, trying to find the correct word for it, “involvement in this, I don’t think I’m ready to mingle with people yet.”

“But – ”

“Actually, I know I’m not ready,” you reiterate, making your point final. 

After some obvious disappointment, she resigns from her little fantasy. “I understand. I’m sorry for meddling so much. When you told me your situation, I really wanted to help. And if helping you meet someone is all I can do from behind this desk, then I figured I should just go for it.”

You smile warmly at her. “Thank you for the concern, but I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me.” 

Jasmine’s meddling, while well-intentioned, is indeed unwarranted. Maybe if this were in reality and not on this stunning island vacation, you’d be annoyed, even offended by her intervention. But this is paradise, where nothing goes wrong, and you’re just another guest passing through. In a few days, you’ll check-out and Jasmine will forget all about you and your sorry situation. No harm in finding comfort over this tiny morsel of camaraderie with a staff member who’s already invested in your love life, or the lack thereof. 

Not wanting to continue the topic any further, you change the subject. “Anyways, I’m starving. Is there a place for me to grab a bite to eat? Something comforting, nothing too fancy.”

“Yes!” Back to professional mode, Jasmine points you in the right direction. “Bruno’s Bistro has excellent food and tonight, they have one of the island’s beloved local bands performing. I highly recommend.”

“Bruno’s. Got it. Thank you!”

You follow her instructions, taking the short walk to Bruno’s, where you can already hear the live music playing as you approach the entrance. A hostess wearing a polo button-up with a palm tree pattern greets you. “Welcome to Bruno’s! How can we help you?”

“I’d like a table for one, please.” Saying it out loud brings back the dread in your chest about dining alone, but you stand your ground, determined to conquer this ridiculous fear once and for all.

“Unfortunately, all our tables are occupied at the moment,” she regretfully informs you. “The Bario Brothers are performing tonight, so we don’t expect any availability until an hour from now, when they’re done. I’m so sorry.”

You start to think to yourself that maybe it would have been better to order room-service. Before you can turn around to leave disappointed, the hostess adds, “We have plenty of seating at the bar! You won’t be able to see the Bario Brothers from there, but you can certainly still hear them. And you can order the full menu there. Would you like to do that?”

Relieved, you agree and follow her inside towards the bar, where there is ample seating for you to choose from. You opt for the bar stool in the middle, four seats to the right of an older couple finishing up their meal. 

“Enjoy!” the hostess says, leaving you with the young bartender who’s currently pouring a guava-pink cocktail into two highball glasses. Jin, according to his nametag, acknowledges you with a nod and a smile, carefully garnishing his concoctions with mint leaves. “Good evening. I’ll be with you in just a second.”

You think to yourself at how fitting his name for his profession and how ironically similar it is to your ex, Jun. As usual, he comes creeping back into your mind like a never-ending itch lodged in the tiniest, unreachable corner of your brain. Maybe you’re the one keeping him in there, finding parts of him in every single thing you do, every different place you go, always feeling sorry for yourself. Lost in this reverie, you watch Jin place the drink onto a tray on the other end of the bar, where he signals for a waiter in the same palm tree patterned polo to pick it up. He lifts it up gracefully in one hand, heading into the dining area, ready to serve a beautiful couple who’s enjoying the soothing tunes of the Bario Brothers. Fingers entwined beneath the table, taking subtle glances at one another until they both meet each other’s gaze. They hold it there for a second, smiling like they’re sharing a private joke without having to verbally communicate it. It’s moments like this, where nothing spectacular is really happening, surrounded by noise and strangers. And yet, they feel like the only two people in the world because they’re so in love.

“Hello? Miss?”

You snap out of it, Jin waving a hand in front of you to bring you back from your trance. It seems he’s been in front of you long enough to have a concerned look on his face. 

Embarrassed, you apologize, giving him your full attention. “I’m sorry. I spaced out for a second. It’s been a long day.”

His expression relaxes, relieved to finally hear a response from you. “I’m sure. Are you visiting from far away?”

You tell him where you’re from, to which he responds, “Oh lovely! I’m visiting family there next year. Have you lived there your whole life?” He pours you a glass of ice-cold water, sliding it towards you.

Taking a sip, you answer, “I have. But I actually just moved.”

“Where to?”

Something about his pleasant and genial demeanor puts you at ease, so you’re honest with him, telling him where you’re now residing as of a week ago, right before you left for this trip. 

“How fun! I’ve always wanted to visit there. The food, the fashion, the culture.”

“Yeah,” you agree with him. “I’m excited.”

The couple to the left leaves, bidding farewell to Jin, who waves goodbye to them as he grabs the generous tip they left for him and puts it in the tip jar beside the register. Focusing back on you, he asks, “So what made you leave? School? Work?”

You could easily lie. Not even that, you could withhold the entire truth, keep your answers simple and uncomplicated. However, at this point, you decide to be an open book. Similar to with Jasmine, you feed off this feeling of telling your story to a kind soul who’s willing to listen. “Yeah, it’s for work. That and a breakup.”

You hold back a laugh at the way his eyes widen at this, yearning to know more. But he keeps his reaction tame. “Well, good riddance. Everyone deserves a fresh start, right?”

Thankful he doesn’t push it, you smile at him, nodding. “You’re right.”

He holds your gaze for a split-second longer, showing his solidary to you, before he points you to the menu. “Anyways, can I get you started with any drinks? We’ve got a wide variety of signature cocktails to choose from.”

Remembering the pretty drink from earlier, you ask, “What’s the one you just made? The pink one?”

“Ah! That’s the Guava Goddess. It’s guava nectar we make fresh each morning mixed with the island’s signature rum and a squeeze of citrus. It’s our most popular drink here.”

Sold by his mouthwatering description, you say, “That sounds perfect. I’ll take one of those.”

“Sounds good. How about some food?”

Too hungry and impatient to look through the options, you ask, “What do you recommend?”

“Well, if you’re looking to a try a few different things off our menu, I’d recommend Polly’s Paradise Platter. It’s basically a sampler of our three most popular dishes.” He taps on his fingers, listing each item’s description from memory. “The juiciest sliders made with grass-fed beef, topped with grilled pineapple, all in a freshly baked mini taro bun. Deep fried spring rolls perfectly crispy on the outside and super flavorful and meaty on the inside. And our special veggie fritters made of several types of root vegetables we grow right here at the resort, in the Cornucopia Garden. It’s paired beautifully with our sweet chili sauce, which is also made in-house. It’ll leave you happy and full, I can assure you that.”

You swallow the drool pooling on your tongue, more ravenous now that he’s described the food so vividly. “I’ll take that too!”

“Excellent! Charging to the room or would you like me to open a tab?”

“Room charge is fine. Room 703,” you tell him, pleased that this is actually going on your ex’s bill instead of yours. With that in mind, you add, “Also, make that two Guava Goddesses. I’m feeling extra thirsty tonight.”

Jin gives you a sly wink. “Coming right up.”

It’s empty at the bar now, though you can tell from the ambient noise behind you how packed it is in the dining area. People let out cheers for the Bario Brothers, who strum their guitars expertly while they croon into the microphone, harmonizing with one another in perfect pitch. Jin begins making your cocktails, his hands fluid and graceful as he works his magic. 

“So, who’s Polly?” you ask, thinking about the name of the appetizer platter you ordered. 

He grins, generously measuring three shots of rum into a cocktail shaker. “Well, as you know, this restaurant is called Bruno’s Bistro. Polly is Bruno’s beloved wife, who inspired all of his recipes. They grew up together right here on the island and got separated when he went overseas to work as a chef. They wrote love letters to each other every day until they were finally reunited back home, where he opened his own restaurant. Now, they live in a private estate up in the mountains. They visit sometimes to see how things are going, but their son is the one who’s taken over almost everything, and he’s great. Next year, they’ll be celebrating fifty wonderful years together, so we’re going to have a big party for both the staff and the guests.” He pours in the nectar next, eye-balling it, before covering it with the lid, ready to mix. “Pretty sweet, huh?”

“Very sweet,” you mimic him, watching him shake the bottle, not knowing what else to say. You think of Jasmine calling this place the “Island of Passion”, which you scoff at. If it is, with love hiding in every little nook and cranny this place has to offer, who’s to say that you’re even capable of receiving it? Maybe you’re not meant to be in love. Maybe it’s not in the cards for you to grow old with somebody, to spend the rest of your life by someone’s side. Why bother looking for love when there’s no guarantee that you’ll attain it, sustain it? You were with Jun for five years only for him to fall in love with somebody else. And while your track record isn’t very long, it basically yields a 100% fail rate. Might as well quit now.

You’re too busy sulking to notice Jin has pushed two attractive cocktails into your line of vision. “Your Guava Goddesses.” He holds up his own glass filled with water towards you. “To fresh starts.”  

His tiny toast gives you a small glimmer of hope. You grab one of your cocktails to cheers him. “To fresh starts.”

You take a big swig of your drink, enjoying the bitter taste of liquor balanced by the sweet tartness of the guava and citrus. Another couple arrives, sitting three stools away from you, canoodling each other shamelessly. And that little ray of hope suddenly fades away, once again convinced that you’ll never love again.

Jin is busy with the canoodling customers, so you spare him from listening to your tiresome misery the deeper you get into your cocktails. You should have known that alcohol, a depressant, would sour your mood further, especially as a light-weight. Thankfully, your food arrives when you’re halfway through your second Guava Goddess, so you stuff your mouth with delicious sliders and fritters to stop yourself from using another unsuspecting staff member as your temporary therapist.  

Polly’s Paradise Platter lives up to Jin’s high praise of it. Each item satisfies your hunger and leaves you craving more of it until you’re happily stuffed, about a third of the platter left for you to take back to room. You’re feeling better now that you have food in you to soak up the liquor that was sending you into a spiral. Now, you’re enjoying yourself, listening to the live music, which is wrapping up soon, and chatting to Jin about other restaurants to check out at the resort. 

Suddenly, a young woman plops into the seat beside you, dressed stylishly in a white jumpsuit with a bejeweled plastic tiara on her head that displays the word Bride. She crosses her arms, grunting loudly, clearly upset. 

Not wanting to pry, you avoid her, picking at the last melting ice cube in your drink. She lets out another groan, swiveling in her chair to face you entirely. “Do I look like an idiot right now?”

Startled, you immediately respond, “No, of course not.”

She bites her lip, eyes watering, holding back tears. “Then why is everyone treating me like I’m a fucking idiot?!”

Jin tries to step in to intervene, though you shoot him glance, telepathically telling him that you’ve got this handled. Leaning in closer, you talk to her calmly. “What happened?” 

She takes a deep breath, smelling faintly of liquor. “I’m so sick and tired of everything. I’m ready for this whole wedding to be over with. I just want to marry Kai so we can start our lives together already. Everything else is stupid.”

A tear streams down one of her eyes and you hand her a napkin to wipe it. She does carefully, making sure not to mess up her makeup. “I’m pretty sure Lin and Jen hate each other and I know they’re not trying to show it for my sake, but they don’t even talk. This romper is so fucking annoying because I have to strip completely naked just to take a fucking piss. And dinner was four hours ago and nobody brought any snacks, so I’m going to be fucking starving while we’re dancing at the club! This sucks!” 

You look at your plate of leftovers, then back at her, presenting her the only solace you can offer her at this time. “Do you want the rest of my food?

She stares at you, contemplating your bizarre suggestion. “Are you serious?”

“I promise it’s clean,” you mention, worried she’ll start yelling at you at how gross this is. “I did double-dip in the sauce, so maybe don’t use that.”

She cracks a smile, some of the stress on her face easing as she pulls the platter towards her, grabbing the last slider. “Thank you. You’re a real life-saver.”

You relax now that her wrath has subsided. “I was already finished anyways, so it’s really no big deal.”

Through a mouthful of food, she muffles, “You’re being a better friend to me than my bridesmaids right now."

“That’s not true,” you say, attempting to mend whatever drama is brewing between strangers. “They took you here, right? That seems really nice to me.”

She nods, biting into a spring roll, bits of the wrapper flying off. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

A blonde-haired man in a blue dress shirt and tinted spectacles takes the empty seat on the other side of the bar. You notice him from your peripheral as you chat with the crying bride-to-be. Still, you continue your pep talk. “Sure, Jen and Lin might hate each other, but they’re not trying to ruin your party. Maybe them not talking is better than them fighting.” It’s weird talking about these people like you know them, but you continue to roll with it, hoping to console her. 

She nods, listening to you intently, stuffing the rest of the burger in her mouth. “Yeah, I can tell they’re doing their best.”

“Rompers are super annoying, but you know what? You look incredible. You’re going to be the star at the club tonight.”

She sniffles, giggling at the compliment. “I’d like that.”

“And you know what the best part is? Sure, all of this is overwhelming right now, but you get to spend the rest of your life with Kai. That’s all the matters, right?” You smile at her, hoping whatever you’re saying is resonating. In the background, Jin greets the handsome man with the glasses, offering him a menu.

The entire platter finished now, she smiles back at you. “Yeah. I love him so much.”

You ignore the pang of jealously in your chest as you hand her one more napkin to wipe her mouth, covered in crumbs.

Crisis averted, she lets out a sigh of relief. “I feel so much better. Thank you. I’m Kali by the way,” she introduces herself, offering her hand, oily from your leftovers. You do the same, grinning at her. As if just realizing something, she smacks her forehead with her palm. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” She glances down at the empty plate, giving you a guilty look. “You were probably saving all this food for someone else, weren’t you? I’m the worst!”

You laugh, waving your hands at her in reassurance. “Don’t be sorry! I wasn’t saving that for anyone. I was only going to bring it back to the room with me.”

She props her elbow up on the counter, resting her chin on her palm. “Are you here on vacation? Or business?”

“Vacation.”

“Are you here with your boyfriend? Girlfriend? Husband? Wife?”

You shake your head. “Nope. I’m here alone.” 

A brow quirks as she studies you intently. “By choice?”

“Well…no,” you admit nervously. “But there’s nothing wrong with vacationing solo!” 

“I’m not saying there is!” Kali explains. “I figured an angel like you would definitely be with someone.”

The truth is on the tip of your tongue. You managed the whole dinner without mentioning it to anyone else, and you’re proud of yourself for that. Now you’ve made another new friend and think that maybe she’d be willing to offer you some comfort too. You swallow thickly, admitting, “I was supposed to be here with my boyfriend, but then he broke up with me. Now he’s paying for this vacation we had already planned as a way to make up for it.” You let out a chuckle, knowing it sounds ridiculous. 

Kali stares at you, dumbfounded and unsure how to respond. Jin, who’s been in-and-out of earshot this whole time, happens to catch this and joins in. “Are you serious? Your ex is paying for your entire vacation?” By the looks of it, he’s making an old-fashioned for the attractive fellow, who thankfully doesn’t seem to be aware of your conversation. 

You nod, confirming it. “Yup. Pretty pathetic, huh?”

Jin shrugs, pouring the amber liquid into a rocks glass, topping it off with a candied cherry. “Definitely not. You get a paid vacation and you don’t have to deal with a loser boyfriend? Good riddance.” His words he said to you earlier are said with more conviction this time.

“Jun isn’t a loser,” you argue, coming to his defense on instinct. “He…he fell out of love with me and fell in love with someone else. It happens.”

“Jun?! His name is Jun?! I’m even more ashamed to have a name so similar to his!” He groans in exaggerated outrage, leaving to serve his drink to the customer. 

Kali comes out of her shock to hold your hand in both of hers, a soft expression on her face. “The bartender is right. Good riddance. I don’t know you and I obviously don’t know this ex of yours. If it was so easy for him to fall out of love, maybe it isn’t meant to be. And if it is, he’ll find his way back to you. But at the end of the day, you should be with someone who can’t even stand the thought of ever being without you.” She squeezes you gently, her gaze filled with earnest. 

“What if I never meet anyone who feels that way about me?” You swallow thickly, blinking away the tears starting to well in your eyes. “What if I’m meant to be alone?”

Her look of earnest turns into determination. “If you want to be alone, then there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. People live their lives happy being single, and that’s great! But if you want love, you will find it. It may not be now, it may not even be soon. But it’ll happen, I promise you.”

You want to deny her, tell her that she can’t make promises like this because she doesn’t know what the future holds for you. Nobody does, not even yourself. But there’s so much tenacity in her voice that makes you actually believe it. You keep teetering on gaining hope and losing it all at the sight of a happy couple fondling each other in one corner of the bar. Maybe this time, with this new support from Kali, Jin, and Jasmine, you’ll make the effort to keep it. “Okay,” you answer, squeezing her back. “If you say so.”

Kali grins. “That’s the spirit! Now, let’s find you another man!” She glances around, searching until her eyes land on the gentleman minding his own business, the stout glass of whiskey tipped to his lips. Spotting him, she leans in close, barely whispering. “This guy’s a little grumpy looking, but we’re going to change that.”

It takes you a split-second too late to catch her drift. Horrified, you try to stop her. “Kali, wait, don’t – ”

“You there!” She points directly at him. “Blond man in glasses!”

You hide your face behind your hands, cheeks scorching hot, mortified. Peeking through your fingers, you watch his head turn towards you, confused by this stranger addressing him so blatantly. 

“What’s your name?” 

Hesitant, he responds, “Nanami,” taking a sip of his whiskey.

“Nanami. Are you single?”

He chokes on his alcohol, quickly retrieving a napkin to wipe his mouth dry from the sputtering. 

Kali claps her hands once. “I’ll take that as a yes! Well, you’re in luck good sir! My dear friend here is also single and is very ready to mingle. Are you interested? I bet she’s a real firecracker in bed – ”

Using physical force now, you grab onto Kali’s shoulders and turn her to face you, interrupting whatever nonsense she’s going to spew out next. “Okay Kali, that’s enough!” You mouth a guilty I’m sorry to him before returning your attention to your friend. “Please stop.”

“But why? He’s hot!” she whines, not bothering to lower the volume of her voice. You’re too embarrassed to look at Nanami again, certain you hear him choke on his whiskey once more at her bold proclamation.

You tighten your grip on her, desperate to make her shut up. “Kali, I appreciate the help, but I’m not here to look for another man. I’m here to relax, okay? I’m fine. I’m totally fine.” 

“What about love – ”

You stop her. “If it happens, it happens. You said it yourself: It may not be now, it may not even be soon. But it’ll happen. So let’s just let it happen. Naturally,” you emphasize.

She opens and closes her mouth, trying to find a way to argue with you, though she can’t, especially now that you’ve recited a line from her very own peptalk. Eventually, she relents, nodding with you in agreement. “Naturally. Got it.” Picking aimlessly at the crumbs on the plate, she adds, “But you think he’s hot right?”

In perfect timing, a woman in a black cocktail dress comes stomping towards you, shouting, “Oh my god, Kali! We’ve been looking everywhere for you!” She hauls Kali up to her feet, giving you an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry, I hope she wasn’t bothering you.”

“Hey!” Kali protests, nudging her bridesmaid with her elbow. “We’re practically besties now!”

You smile at them, relieved and a little sad to see your new bestie go. “Not at all. It was nice meeting you Kali, and congratulations. I hope you and Kai live happily ever after.”

She beams at you, waving goodbye enthusiastically as her friend drags her away out the restaurant with surprising strength. 

The Bario Brothers have since left and more people seem to congregate at the bar, so it seems like the perfect time for you to leave. Exhausted from all of tonight’s drama, you reach into your purse for cash, leaving a sizeable tip for Jin, who’s busy tending to the other customers now. You glance over to Nanami, who’s currently immersed in a basket of freshly baked focaccia bread. Hopefully he’s already forgotten, or at least disregarded, the little exchange from earlier.  

Back inside your room, you change into pajamas and get ready for bed. When you’re tucked comfortably in the covers, you close your eyes, letting yourself sink into the mattress that seems to mold around your body. It’s the most comfortable bed you’ve ever been on, and yet, you find it difficult to fall asleep. Insomnia is another condition you’ve been plagued with post-breakup. The empty space surrounding you is unnerving. You’re so used to having another person beside you, a small sense of security that provided you significant comfort. You never realized how much you needed that until now. 

Twenty minutes pass, tossing and turning, switching out pillows, changing positions. Desperate, you get up to walk over to the balcony, opening the sliding door. The natural symphony of paradise outside fills you with ease. You listen to the soothing sound of waves crashing on the shore, the gentle breeze ruffling through the fronds of palm trees. Thankfully, it’s enough to lull you to sleep and by the time the sun rises, you’re relieved to make it to a new day in one piece.

~~~

When Jasmine at the front desk suggested Bruno’s Bistro to Nanami last night, he wasn’t expecting his dinner to be so lively. He’s been so used to keeping to himself during these little trips of his. That’s why it was especially alarming when a random bride-to-be at the bar called out to him, propositioning him to date the woman beside her, who looked absolutely mortified. It shocked him at first, sure. He was eavesdropping on their conversation as soon as he took his seat. While he’s vacationing solo, he likes to people watch as his own form of entertainment, make-up stories in his head or indulge the ones that strangers tell each other out loud. And luckily for him, there was plenty of that just a couple seats away from him. 

He found the bachelorette’s insistent interrogation of that poor woman amusing at first, thankful that he wasn’t in the hot seat himself. Then, she revealed her story about her breakup, how her ex is paying for her to be on this vacation as some sort of consolation for breaking her heart. At that, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Nanami is used to being alone, prefers it. For others, it may not be so easy. Although her smile was warm, there was pain behind it, an aura of hopelessness that he’s used to sensing after so many years of dealing with curses who are drawn to energy like that. If they were anywhere else, he’d worry that she’d be an easy target to feed on. 

It's because he was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t realize he was being called out to until the bride-to-be accurately described him as the “blond man in glasses”. From there, it was all downhill. 

Luckily, the heartbroken woman with the pretty smile found a way to stop the madness, even finding the time to mouth a quick apology to him while she subdued the culprit. Normally, Nanami would be annoyed being bothered by strangers; this, however, he didn’t mind. 

He smiles to himself as he takes another sip of his coffee, his eyes glued to the same words on the newspaper for the past ten minutes. His mind is replaying last night’s events, wondering if that woman is okay. He’s sure she’s embarrassed, though she seemed to take it in stride. Will he ever run into her again during his stay here? Part of him hopes to, just to make sure she’s enjoying this vacation to the fullest. After all, her shitty ex is the one paying for it all.

“Nanami?”

For the second time on this trip, his name is called out. He folds the newspaper down to see who it is and he’s shocked to find the very woman he had in mind standing in front of him. 

“I’m not sure if you remember me from last night,” she starts, hands behind her back, chuckling nervously. “I’m actually hoping you don’t.”

“I do,” he admits, setting aside the paper, giving his full attention. 

Her smile slackens a bit, disappointed that he actually does remember. “Okay, well then, I’m here with a peace offering.” She reveals a small bag, holding it out to him.  “Consider this my formal apology for last night.”

He takes it, skeptical about what this could possibly be. It seems that she’s waiting for him to open it, so without further ado, he does. The aroma immediately piques his interest, and when he peeks inside, he can’t contain his excitement. “Is this…”

“Yeah, it is,” she answers before he can finish. It’s the famous almond croissant that sells out within minutes of the café opening. There’s countless of articles about this elusive treat, made specially by the resort’s most well-regarded pastry chef, who studied for years in France before returning back to their home island. Nanami had attempted a shot at it first thing this morning, but was met with disappointment when he was told it was all sold out.  

Amazed, he asks, “How did you get this? Did you wake up early to stand in line?”

She huffs a laugh. “No. I sort of have this friend at the front desk now, Jasmine. She told me that the pastry chef bakes a special batch just for the staff. When I passed by her this morning, she gave me hers.”

He takes a big whiff of it, inhaling the intoxicating aroma into his bloodstream. “Really? That’s nice of her.”

“Yeah it is.” 

There’s that sad smile again, hiding the pain within. He wants to ask her what’s wrong, wants to console her in any way he can. But he knows that would be crossing a line. Besides, why should he care so much for a stranger? Normally, he wouldn’t, so why now? What makes her so special? 

He hands her back the bag, shaking his head. “I can’t accept his.”

“What?”

“This croissant is very sought after. I don’t know if you know that,” he explains, holding it even farther from him, refusing to be seduced by the scent. “It wouldn’t be right if I just took it from you.”

She waves him off, taking a step back as if touching it will make it hers again. “Seriously, it’s not that big of a deal. Please just take it.”

“No. I can’t deprive you of this special moment. It might be life-changing.” As much as it pains him, he’s absolutely determined to deny this croissant. He’s that serious about it.

They stare at each other for a split second, not knowing what else to do. Then, she laughs. A real one, genuine and hearty, warm and full. Her smile is even more pure, cheeks rounded, eyes crinkled at the corners. “Okay. If it means that much to you, then why don’t we share it?"

His chest does a strange thing, something he’s not familiar with. He ignores it to respond with a simple, “Fine,” pointing to the seat across from him at this small table. A compromise. Something the both of them can benefit from. 

She sits down, taking a few napkins to surround the croissant as she splits it down the middle, giving him the slightly bigger half. “Bon appétit,” she grins, digging in. 

Well, Nanami thinks to himself, taking his own bite into his share. It’s even better than he imagined, the dough perfectly flakey, the center sweet and nutty from the marzipan. It fills him with warmth and comfort as he chews it slowly, watching the women across from him do the same. Maybe this isn’t so bad.