0798f

[0798f]

hi i hope ur having a nice day/night :3

im not rlly sure how to word this but may i request a yusuke kitagawa x reader scenario where they both are like questioning/oblivious about their feelings for each other and it leads to a lot of confusion between them but it eventually leads to a confession pls? it doesn’t have to be super concrete and it could be like those oneshots w/ numbered scenarios or something if that works better

lmk if im asking for too much tho :’) i just rlly adore how u write yusuke and i wish more ppl write for him

Hello! Thank you so much, I just posted your request. I apologize that it took me some time to finish, but it's a decently long fic (3k) and I really hope it's what you were looking for! I thought the best way to do this concept was through some mild jealousy.

Also, thank you for being my first request! I know I don't advertise my requests, but they are open. So long as you read my carrd and follow the guidelines, you can request writing from me at any time!

[0798f]

💞 — Moon Shadow.

RELATIONSHIP: Kitagawa Yusuke x Reader

SUMMARY: Yusuke was the most reliable and wonderful best friend you could ever ask for. You couldn't ask for more. Until there was suddenly something else you wanted.

A/N: My first request! I really hope the requester and everyone enjoys this, it was really fun to write.

“Did you need new paint brushes?”

“I felt as though a new set would bring me new ideas.”

“You have a pretty expensive way of thinking for a guy with no money.”

The crafts store wasn’t cheap, either. But, Yusuke wanted to go and (Name) hated to deny him. They watched him travel up and down the aisles with sparkles in his eyes while also dreading the unreasonably expensive basket of goods he would end up with.

He came back with only a small pack of brushes, though, and (Name) raised a brow. “That’s all you’re getting?”

Yusuke nodded, “I have to save money so we can eat dinner.”

That raised even more questions. Yusuke was a terrible mooch— though it definitely wasn’t on purpose and was enabled by his dear friends —and he was always content to let others foot the bill. (Name) had done so plenty of times whenever Yusuke reached into his wallet only to find a few hundred yen. But (Name) did that because they wanted to, and partially because they were worried he wouldn’t eat otherwise. He had a lofty promise of paying everyone back someday, but unless someone were to start keeping track of his ledger, it was generally accepted that paying for Yusuke’s meals were akin to a charity donation.

“... You’re paying for dinner?” The idea was so absurd that (Name) was worried they misheard him.

He was unphased by the suspicion. “I promised I’d start paying you back, didn’t I?” Yusuke said it like it wasn’t a miracle. Someone else (likely Akira, who was responsible for paying for most of Yusuke’s meals) would have said something by now if Yusuke had finally turned over this new leaf.

Meaning (Name) was the first person he was doing this for. They weren’t sure how to feel about that. Probably grateful.

Crocodile tears pricked at the corner of (Name)’s eyes as they pat Yusuke on the back. “You’ve finally learned the value of money… I’m so proud.”

It was Yusuke’s turn to stare at (Name) with a puzzled expression. “I can’t help but feel like you’re patronizing me.”

“Maybe a little,” (Name) laughed. “But, I think I’ve earned it.”

Yusuke’s favorite ramen place was just down the street from his favorite craft store, which was maybe one of the contributing factors to why he rarely ever had money in his wallet. He wasn’t exactly one for holding back on his inhibitions, after all. That kind of easygoing nature was something (Name) greatly admired about Yusuke.

(Name) didn’t even have both feet over the threshold by the time Yusuke finished ordering both of their meals. He spouted the order to the employee behind the counter with deadly accuracy, having (Name)’s favorite and least favorite toppings memorized like the back of his hand. With everything taken care of by Yusuke, (Name) wandered to Yusuke’s favorite seat in the back corner of the restaurant. Its window faced a busy intersection that Yusuke said he drew a lot of inspiration from. Something about the amount of different people who walked through, all with different destinations and goals. 

It was a bit too crowded for (Name)’s taste, but the art inspired from it all was beautiful.

Yusuke took his usual spot next to (Name) with two drinks. (Name) wondered when he committed that to memory, too. “There’s not a lot of people here today.”

Aside from a salaryman at the other end of the restaurant, he and (Name) were the only people there. Muted sounds from the kitchen and the intersection were the only noises heard outside of their own voices, and it was a peaceful atmosphere to enjoy dinner in. “Maybe the weather? It was pretty warm today. Not really ramen-eating weather.”

“I think ramen transcends weather.”

“I know you think that,” (Name) laughed. “Other people don’t.”

The thought really seemed to bother him with the way he ranted about how there’s plenty of different types of ramen that complimented all types of weather, and (Name) couldn’t deny the good points he was making. They weren’t the biggest fan of eating ramen in terribly hot weather, but the meal always tasted better when Yusuke was next to them.

Their conversation meandered from ramen to Yusuke’s artwork to (Name)’s latest homework assignment to their last venture into Mementos to (Name)’s opinion on a passerby’s strange outfit to Yusuke’s sketch of the strange passerby before their ramen finally reached them.

The waiter placed the tray between them but didn’t move when (Name) thanked her. She shifted her weight from her left to her right leg, crumpling the piece of paper she was holding between her fingers. 

Her eyes were focused on the back of Yusuke’s head— and he was seconds away from enjoying his first bite of ramen. “Um—!” It was nearly a shout, and louder than expected, judging by the way the waiter seemed startled by her own voice. Yusuke glanced over his shoulder, and his gaze turned the girl’s face an even brighter shade of red. “Here is the receipt for your meal… Please read it closely!”

The waiter placed the receipt in the middle of the tray, then made a dash back towards the counter and practically threw herself over the register. Yusuke stared, but turned back to his bowl faster than (Name) did. “What a strange way to give the receipt,” he said, before finally taking his first bite of the ramen he had been craving all day.

It was strange, but not strange in a way that didn’t raise any flags with (Name). They picked up the piece of paper and noticed nothing was out of the ordinary— except for the bright red, shaky handwriting in the negative space at the bottom.

Consider calling me, please? 

(Name) froze. It was something innocent and cute that should have made their heart skip a beat to witness, but their reaction was something more akin to a flatline. The girl’s number seared into their irises like forbidden knowledge. Something (Name) shouldn’t see.

A gentle tug at their sleeve grounded them. “Is something wrong?”

They pushed the receipt into his palm. (Name) didn’t want to look at it, but there was a similar unknown anguish in passing it off to Yusuke. “Read the receipt closely,” (Name) said, mimicking the waiter’s tone.

Yusuke raised a brow but obliged. (Name) watched closely as he scanned the receipt until noticing the waiter’s number at the bottom. His response was something (Name) had, honestly, expected: “Why does she want me to call her?”

The noise that escaped (Name)’s throat could only be described as a guffaw. “She wants to—” Go on a date with you, but the words never quite made it outside of their mind. (Name) coughed and switched gears. “She’s flirting.”

“Oh,” Yusuke said. He offered very little in the way of helping (Name) deduce however he felt about this. “She wants to go on a date with me? But, I’m a stranger.”

“So what? You’re a… objectively attractive guy.” Their words were sterile and almost didn’t sound like a compliment. But it was easier to say than (Name)’s own personal opinion on Yusuke’s looks, for some reason. “And you were nice to her. That’s all it takes. She seemed sweet!”

They both glanced toward the counter again, but the girl had ducked out of the sight the second she saw them turning.

“I see… should I go on a date with her, then?” Yusuke placed the choice in (Name)’s lap like it wasn’t anything to worry about. And, it wasn’t. Whoever wanted to go out with Yusuke was none of (Name)’s business and they should be happy for him. They should encourage him to go out and experience new things. Yet their words keep dying in their throat.

“Do you want to?” It was the easiest way out. It forced the decision back onto Yusuke.

He shrugged, “I’m not sure. I suppose I’ll have to think about it.”

Yusuke returned to eating his ramen, the thought likely pushed to the back of his mind in an instant. (Name), though, chewed on the thought like they didn’t have a warm meal in front of them.

“They asked him out on a date?! In front of you?!”

The only reason (Name) explained the story was because Leblanc was empty, but Futaba was shouting loud enough that a passerby could hear.

“Yeah,” (Name) sighed. “I didn’t expect it, is all. And, I don’t know why you’re putting so much emphasis on me being there. What does that have to do with anything?”

Futaba looked offended. She kicked the edge of (Name)’s barstool and scoffed, “Um, it has to do with everything! I don’t know how that girl had the bravery to do that when you look like Inari’s partner!”

In the top five most insane things (Name) had ever heard, this had to be the new winner (dethroning Morgana’s explanation of the Metaverse). It took a moment for (Name) to even process those words, having to repeat them in their head before crossing their arms in judgmental dismissal. “Did you play one too many otomes, or something? What are you even saying?”

“Are you playing dumb? Don’t you have a crush on him?” The word ‘crush’ exploded (Name)’s brain into a million tiny pieces, but Futaba cared little for (Name)’s reaction. She turned to the unbiased third party, Akira, who was peacefully drying mugs before being pulled into the argument. “Back me up here!”

“There’s nothing to back up!”

Akira begged to differ. “I dunno. Futaba might have a point. You two are attached at the hip.”

(Name) slumped into their seat. “That’s because we’re best friends! That’s normal!”

It wasn’t like anyone gave Akira this level of grief for playing darts with Akechi every night. (Name) and Yusuke had been friends since they were kids and before the Phantom Thieves came along, Yusuke didn’t exactly have many other people to talk to. 

So it was only natural that they were so close. Yusuke was a better friend than anyone gave him credit for and (Name) couldn’t imagine their life without him. For all his eccentricies, which made him such a wonderful person to be around, no one was as reliable as Yusuke. He was the type of guy to drop everything bring (Name) soup when they were sick and stay there the whole day to keep them company. The type of guy who walked through pouring rain to deliver (Name) an umbrella so they didn’t have to get drenched. He was the perfect guy— in a completely friendly and platonic way.

“Alright,” Akira said. (Name) didn’t like the tone of his voice. “In that case, tell me how you feel about Yusuke-san going on that date.”

In the moment it happened, (Name)’s mouth dried up to the point they couldn’t answer Yusuke’s questions. Now, though, everything unspoken spewed out in word vomit. “Well, he can do whatever he wants to. I think it’s good that he could broaden his horizons!”

But, (Name) continued, which was a mistake. “She seemed nice. But, I don’t know. Yusuke takes time to warm up to people, so I’m not sure how well they would work together on a first date like that.”

Akira leaned on the counter, propping his chin on his palm. “Who would he work well with, then?”

They should have realized the most cunning Phantom Thief was leading them into a trap, but (Name)’s mind was running too fast to notice. “I just feel like he has to know someone really well to date. That’s just what I think, though! I don’t wanna speak for him, and maybe I’m wrong! I’ve just known him for so long that I don’t think dating a stranger would end well.”

“So, under those conditions,” Akira started. He had a smirk that indicated (Name)’s impending doom. “You would be the perfect candidate for him.”

(Name) had thrown the thought out immediately when Futaba it, but Akira’s pointed statement forced them to ruminate on it. Yusuke and themself as a couple. It was like there was a blindspot in their view of their friendship with Yusuke that prevented them from ever considering what it would be like to be dating. They expected to be met with an instant visceral reaction— something that inherently told (Name) that they were destined to be best friends forever. What happened instead, though, was (Name)’s heart starting to race the more complex their imagination got.

Going on dates. Holding hands. Kissing? (Name) could have thrown up. In disgust or delight— it wasn’t clear yet.

Futaba poked (Name)’s shoulder with no response. “They turned into stone!”

“I thought maybe you were in denial, but I guess you never thought about it at all. Sorry for forcing you into this revelation.” Akira turned back to the kitchen to make (Name) an apology coffee, but he seemed more smug than remorseful.

Enough of Futaba jostling their stool freed (Name) from their frozen state and stopped their daydream from going through every possible hypothetical romantic situation. They let out a loud sigh before dropping their head onto the countertop. 

“So what? This revelation doesn’t do me any good,” they groaned, muffled against the grain.

“What are you talking about? Now you can be proactive! Chase after that Inari!” Futaba’s well-meaning but overconfident encouragement made (Name) melt into the countertop even more.

“I can’t,” (Name) sighed. “Yusuke went on the date.”

Clattering in the kitchen. Gasps of horror at the bar. Children crying in the streets. Futaba pushed up (Name)’s dead body by the shoulders until she could effectively yell into their face again. “You didn’t mention that!”

“We didn’t get to that part of the story before you started grilling me!”

For once, Futaba conceded, and gently placed (Name) back into an upright position. They continued, “he said I always encouraged him to try new things, so he decided to go on the date. He’s on it right now, actually.”

Futaba winced at the explanation. “Critical damage…”

She was right that the date went from not very effective to super effective damage after (Name) came to this unfortunate realization. But, if they were going to be honest with themself, the sulking started before the full understanding. It was why (Name) found themself restless in their home, worrying about Yusuke on his date, before deciding to drown their sorrows in coffee and good company.

 Akira slid a mug over and (Name) wasted no time in taking a sip. The apology coffee had extra sugar.

(Name) had a restless night, and they would have liked to blame it on the evening coffee excursion rather than the horror that was realizing feelings for a dear friend. Morning light blinded their bleary eyes as they awoke much earlier than they normally did.

It was a Saturday and (Name) really wanted to sleep in and laze in bed. Anything to ignore the new elephant in the room. So they shut their eyes only to head what had apparently woken them up in the first place: knocking at the door.

They didn’t want to get up at all, but there was really only one person who would be at their door this early in the morning— and it was the person behind their current struggle. (Name) moved on auto pilot, not bothering to change out of pajamas or fix their bed head to answer the door.

Yusuke looked radiant with the sun shining behind him. (Name) wondered if he had always been this bright. “Good morning. Did I wake you?”

(Name) yawned, “good morning. You did, but it’s no big deal. What’s up?”

“I wanted to go get a blessing at the shrine. Will you come with me?”

Maybe their brain was slow from lack of sleep. Or, maybe going to the shrine for an urgent early morning blessing and bringing along your best friend was an extremely Yusuke thing to do. And, no matter what strange things (Name) was feeling about their relationship, one fact remained true: every weird thing Yusuke wanted to do was a wonderful adventure that (Name) could never pass on.

“Count me in. Let me get dressed, though.”

(Name) grabbed a clean set of clothes and splashed cold water on their face to both wake them up and wash away any funny ideas that could get in the way of completely friendly and platonic bonding between two best friends. It did little other than add some frostbite to their morning, because (Name) couldn’t focus at all as they walked to the shrine.

They should have asked about his date, how it went, and if there was a second date upcoming. However, the word date was suddenly taboo and their body rejected the idea of saying it. 

That topic was off the table, but (Name) couldn’t find anything else to say, either. Their regular small talk felt like a hefty task with a whole new weight of unspoken feelings on them. Did you have a good night? On your date. Fuck, don’t talk about that.

The shrine was a short walk, and with it being so early in the morning and not any sort of important holiday, no one was around. (Name) followed Yusuke to the front of the shrine and took a curious note of how focused he looked; Yusuke was always someone who became fully engrossed in whatever he was doing, but there was a certain level of intensity to his stride that made this trip feel more like a mission than a casual event.

They had always visited the shrine together during New Years, so (Name) followed the usual routine. They rang the bell and Yusuke threw two coins into the offering box. It took (Name) bowing for them to realize they had no idea what kind of blessing they needed today. Success? Luck? They needed both of those things desperately. Love? That made (Name) want to puke.

Clapping their hands, (Name) decided to ask the gods for, simply, an okay day today. In other words, as long as (Name) was still alive by the end of it, they wouldn’t have to feel abandoned by the gods.

(Name) glanced at Yusuke again after their last bow. His gaze still held the same fervor that they noticed on their walk there, and when Yusuke turned to look at them after all was said and done, (Name) shied away. 

“Thank you for coming with me. I needed a blessing of luck today.” Yusuke was absolutely superstitious, but not usually in the way where he needed support from a blessing.

(Name) raised a brow. “Why’s that?”

“I went on the date with Nijika-san last night.” Yusuke was still looking at (Name)— they could feel his stare burning into their skin.

But that was a dull pain in comparison to the way their heart just dropped into their stomach. With a clenched jaw, (Name) nodded. “Ah, it went well? So you want good luck for your relationship?”

Through their peripheral vision, they saw Yusuke shrug. “It didn’t go bad. She was very nice.” There was a pause. Yusuke didn’t often think too hard before speaking, but something was slowing him down. “She asked if we could go on a second date, but I declined.”

That got (Name) to turn back toward him. They studied his face— Yusuke had his usual, neutral expression. No sign of sadness or anger. It was just an objective statement to him. 

“Why’s that?”

It turned out the blind spot (Name) had for their relationship was still there in spite of it all. Because Yusuke’s next move was extremely unexpected; he reached out to grab (Name)’s hands, tugging them closer. His palms were warm and he held onto (Name) like they were something precious. Something short-circuited in their brain and (Name) was, once again, frozen.

“I’ve never thought about being in a relationship before. Not until I went on that date.” Yusuke lifted their hands up, holding them closer to his chest. “And, when I did, all I could think about was you.”

(Name) squeezed Yusuke’s hands to confirm they were still in reality. Not in a dream conjured up by the (Name) who slept in today. And his hands were real, which meant Yusuke’s words were really what (Name) was hearing, and that expectant gaze of his was really awaiting their response.

The only words (Name) mustered were not much substance. “You thought of me?”

Yusuke nodded, “I thought that, if there was anyone I would like to go on a date with, it was you.”

With his words echoing (Name)’s own lamentations, they let out a deep breath. “It’s funny. Last night, I was mourning our relationship because you went on that date.”

“I’m sorry,” Yusuke frowned. He rubbed his thumbs against the back of (Name)’s hands. “I was very slow to realize my feelings for you…”

(Name) laughed, which alleviated pressure for both of them. “Don’t apologize. I’m glad you went on the date. Especially if it led to this!”

With new courage, (Name) stepped forward and pulled Yusuke into a hug. It wasn’t the first time they had hugged, but it was now— the first hug of a new era. 

“I like you a lot,” (Name) said. They had all but danced around the direct wording.

Yusuke smiled. “I like you as well.”

It was terrifying, but the unknown never felt more familiar. And there was no one better to navigate it with than each other.

masterlists

[0798f]

💞 — Mornings.

RELATIONSHIP: Kyo Sohma x Reader

SUMMARY: Kyo never thought he’d experience this kind of coziness.

A/N: Much shorter than I usually write, but I thought it was good and fluffy!

Kyo had always been accustomed to being distant his whole life. Though there were always other people in his life, from the Sohma family to Tohru, Kyo still stepped back from being too vulnerable with others. His cousins and Tohru knew Kyo well, able to tell when something was on his mind, but getting Kyo to admit to anything was like pulling teeth. He thought to himself, that was just life. He could lower his walls somewhat around his friends, but there’d never be anyone who would make him feel completely safe by themselves.

But if that was truly the case, he wouldn’t be here right now, holding the love of his life in his arms as they slept peacefully, their body flush against Kyo’s. The mistake Kyo had made was believing there wouldn’t be anyone out there who’d want to stay by his side through thick and thin. (Name) was an oddity to him; despite the distance he put between them, (Name) was stayed with him and never stepped back. Years of constant reassurance and companionship finally convinced Kyo that he was wrong. Someone could fall in love with him. And, he could fall in love with someone, too.

The rays of the rising sun created a warm glow in the bedroom they shared. it was very early in the morning, and while Kyo was typically an early riser who liked to go for a run first thing in the morning, having a partner helped him learn about the joys of sleeping in.

He ran a hand through (Name)’s hair, pulling on it slightly as the ends of their hair wrapped around his finger. They stirred, which was odd, considering how heavy of a sleeper they were, even staying asleep through the loudest of noises or the chaos and commotion that came as part of the Sohma family inviting themselves into their home (Momiji was the worst offender, but sometimes Kyo woke up to Haru raiding their fridge). Kyo watched as they stirred, their face scrunching up when their eyes realized the sun’s rays were shining through the window. A few blinks and (Name) lazily opened their eyes, still hazy as they tried to figure out their surroundings.

Kyo pressed a kiss to the top of their head, rubbing circles onto their lower back as they tried to wake up. Kyo would never call himself an affectionate man, but it was just so much easier to do these gestures behind closed doors, where there were no eyes on him and he could freely indulge in affection for his partner. “Good morning,” he mumbled against their hair, his voice still husky since he had only waken up a few moments prior.

Still having trouble keeping their eyes open with the sunlight bothering them, (Name) let their eyelids shut again, curling closer to Kyo and lazily burying their face in the crook of his neck where they could place gentle kisses against his skin. (Name) knew, in any other circumstance, and perhaps even in this one, Kyo’s face would be red with embarrassment at such a gesture, but that thought only made them giggle against his neck, their warm breath tickling Kyo’s skin. “Good morning.”

masterlists.

[0798f]

🎇 — Hanabi.

RELATIONSHIP: Nijima Makoto x Reader

SUMMARY: Makoto agreed to go to the fireworks show with a good friend. Ann says "friend" might be an understatement.

A/N: The final day of the Natsumeku event! I thought a fireworks show was the most apt way to end it, even if this fic is barely about actual fireworks. Hope you enjoyed the event!

“Mako-chan! I heard you’re going on a date tomorrow!”

“... What?”

Makoto looked up from her notebook with a furrowed brow, meeting a similarly confused gaze from Ann. “The date? That you’re going on? With (Name)-senpai?”

“I did make plans with (Name)-san, but I don’t believe it was a… date?” The word itself was enough to make Makoto’s face turn pink. Surely she would have picked up on such a proposal?

But Ann wasn’t so convinced. “I dunno, the student council girl in my class was pretty certain (Name)-san had asked you on a date in front of everyone. What did they say to you when they asked?”

Makoto’s mind retraced her steps to the morning student council meeting. After she had finished briefing her colleagues on their upcoming responsibilities, (Name) pulled Makoto aside before they headed off to class.

“Makoto-san! Will you be busy tomorrow night? There’s gonna be a fireworks show in Ikebukuro. Go with me?” Their smile brightened the otherwise cloudy morning, and Makoto couldn’t help but smile in return. 

A fun night with a good friend sounded wonderful. Makoto didn’t give it much further thought. “I’d love to.”

Their eyes sparkled with joy and (Name) gently nudged Makoto’s shoulder, beaming, “great! I’ll text you more details after school. Later!”

Hearing the full story, Ann looked stumped. “Hmm. My classmate was sure it was a date. (Name)-senpai sounded really excited too! And, fireworks are romantic!”

Fireworks were romantic. Romantic enough to turn Makoto’s face fully red. She grabbed Ann’s forearm in a vain attempt to ground her from her wild imagination. “H- Hold on! Don’t convince me it’s a date when we can’t know for sure! It could just be a friendly hangout!”

Ann pouted, “isn’t a date more fun? Besides, you don’t know that it isn’t a date! You can’t prove it either way!”

“Of course I can prove it!” Because Makoto was a logical thinker. The solution was clear in her mind. “I just have to ask them!”

The other girl’s face contorted somewhere between laughter and bewilderment. “You’re going to ask them?”

Silence fell between them as Makoto considered the idea. She pondered the consequences of texting (Name) to clarify their intentions and she froze— how does someone even ask that? “Sorry to bother you, but are we going on a date?” That sounded ridiculous.

Plus, if Makoto was right about it just being a fireworks show between friends, wouldn’t (Name) be uncomfortable to receive a message like that? Makoto couldn’t push an assumption of that magnitude onto them (even if Ann had pushed it on to her in the first place). 

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go on a date with (Name). She would like to know if she was, but it didn’t seem like there was any reasonable way to broach the question. No reasonable way that Makoto had the confidence for, at least.

A deep sigh left Makoto’s throat. “What do I wear..?”

She should have known what she was getting into when she asked Ann that question. But she didn’t expect Haru to get involved, either. Makoto felt out of her depth the few hours before (Name) had asked to meet up, as Ann picked out the perfect yukata for her to wear while Haru worked on her hair and makeup. At least they were kind enough to take Makoto’s tastes into account.

Still, even though she was far from the only person dressed up to watch the fireworks, Makoto felt awkward. Her friends did an amazing job and she quite liked the navy blue yukata they had picked out, but something so soft wasn’t her usual style.

Ann Takamaki: good luck mako~chan!!!!!!!!!! Haru Okumura: I hope you have a great time! You look wonderful! 💗 Makoto Nijima: Thank you… Futaba Sakura: idk why ur so against me looking into their phone. couldve gotten answers ez. oh well have fun lol Goro Akechi: How many times do I have to tell you to remove me from the “GIRL’S ONLY” group chat?

“Makoto-san!”

Startled, Makoto shoved her phone into her bag and turned around. (Name) had found her in the crowd and greeted her with a warm smile like always. They dressed up for the fireworks, too, easing some of Makoto’s initial discomfort. If they put in this much effort, was it a date?

“I didn’t think I’d be so lucky to see you in a yukata! You look so pretty.” The words awoke the butterflies in Makoto’s stomach. Had (Name) always said things like that, and she never noticed? Were things romantic all along?

She tried to remain composed, but the makeup Haru applied did little to hide her blush. “Ah, thank you… You look wonderful as well! As always!” Makoto cringed instantly. She didn’t have to say that. Why did that come out of her mouth?

(Name)s’ eyes widened, and Makoto wasn’t good enough at social interactions to know if that was a good or bad thing. “T- Thanks! Do you want to grab some food before the show starts?”

That was an opportunity for them to stop staring at each other, so Makoto nodded quickly. “Absolutely.”

Ikebukuro’s streets were crowded as they traveled between the many food stalls that had set up for the festival. At one point, a group of rowdy kids had rushed past Makoto and knocked her off balance (geta were harder to walk in than she expected), and (Name) slid an arm around her waist to keep her from crashing to the ground.

“Are you okay?” (Name)’s arm was only around Makoto long enough for her to regain her balance. They turned their attention to kids who were still parting the crowds. “You brats! Watch where you’re running!”

The kids either didn’t hear (Name) or, more likely, didn’t care. But Makoto’s mind still lingered on the feeling of (Name)’s embrace. “It’s okay. I should’ve paid more attention.”

“There’s only so much attention you can pay to people running around like that! Oh— that stall has takoyaki! Let’s go!” The second Makoto recovered from the incident, (Name) clasped her hand and pulled her down the sidewalk. The simple touch left Makoto sputtering for breath and the probability of this being a platonic event decreased.

(Name) had removed themself quickly the first time, but this time they kept a grasp on Makoto’s hand the entire time they were in line. Like it wasn’t even a big deal; (Name) asked floated some ideas for the upcoming cultural festival at their school without even so much as acknowledging the fact that they were holding hands. Makoto was a good listener, but she couldn’t help that her mind (and eyes) kept drifting to their entwined fingers.

They only let go out of necessity to pay for their food and check their phone. “The fireworks are gonna start soon! Are you excited?”

Makoto finally had a mental reprieve, away from (Name)’s direct gaze and touch as they focused on eating. She nodded, “I am. My sister and I used to go to a lot of firework shows when we were younger, but not so much recently.”

(Name)’s lips pressed into a firm line. “That’s too bad, but I guess your sister is pretty busy. You’re pretty busy, too! I’m glad you had the time to come with me tonight.”

“Of course. I enjoy spending time with you.” Makoto wished someone would hit her with makajama with how many unnecessary words spilled out of her mouth this night. But, every time she looked towards (Name) in all her embarrassment, they never seemed to mind.

There were few people in Makoto’s life who seemed to genuinely like her, faults and all. She had gotten lucky to befriend the Phantom Thieves, but not even her sister was as unabashedly kind to her as (Name) was. 

So, if this was a date, Makoto would really love to know. Just in case she should really stop feeling that way about them.

Somehow all the complicated feelings she had formed a spark of confidence. A spark strong enough to get her to do something she labeled as crazy. “Um, (Name)-san?”

“Hmm?”

Makoto was Queen. A fearsome Phantom Thief who beat shadows down with her own hands and stole the hearts of many a criminal. Yet, somehow, this simple question required more courage than anything else she had experienced.

“I apologize if I misunderstood, but… this is a date, correct?” 

A pause occurred. Makoto thought that was probably bad, but (Name) spoke up before Makoto could spiral into embarrassment. “Eh!? Did I not make that clear enough?” They retraced their steps from yesterday, replaying the conversation in their mind. “Oh my god, I didn’t even say the word ‘date!’ I’m so sorry! If you don’t want this to be a date, I—”

It was Makoto’s turn to stop (Name) from a downward spiral. “No! I mean— I’m happy this is a date!”

If (Name) thought this was date the whole time, then Makoto’s statement was hardly a confession. But with the way the fireworks show started upon her last word and filled the night sky with color, reflecting in their eyes as the pair stared at each other flustered— it quite felt like one.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed (Makoto would guess somewhere between 1 second and 5 minutes) until (Name) reached for Makoto’s hand again. She met them halfway, managing a smile even though her face felt like it was on fire.

(Name) squeezed her hand as fireworks continued to bloom overhead. “I’m happy this is a date, too.”

natsumeku event masterlist | masterlists

[0798f]

🎇 — Thawing.

RELATIONSHIP: Yoo Chunyoung x Reader

SUMMARY: People are only nice to Yoo Chunyoung when they wanted something from him, and he was well aware of that. So, it was strange to find someone who was genuinely interested in talking to him.

A/N: Day 6 of the Natsumeku event! This fic is essentially a character study on a character no one but me cares about. If you're interested in these characters, please look into "The Law of Webnovels" AKA "Inso's Law." It's a KR novel that also has a manhwa adaptation!

“Yoo Chunyoung?”

He turned around out of instinct. He was used to people recognizing him and had a well rehearsed statement prepared to turn them away and leave him alone. Because strangers always lingered longer than he’d like so he needed a polite warning at the ready.

The person who called his name was another student at his school. Chunyoung vaguely recognized them as maybe one of the students in Dan-I’s class, but not anyone she regularly talked to. Again, not uncommon. He let out a small sigh, tucking the game he was picking up under his arm, and bowed to them.

“Yes, that’s me,” he started. “Unfortunately, I am forbidden from taking pictures or signing things per my agency’s rules. Please excuse me.”

Chunyoung was already walking away when the other person stumbled after him. “W- wait! I didn’t want a picture or an autograph! I was hoping you could hand me one of those games! The same one you picked up!”

He paused, turning around with wide eyes. “Oh.” Actually paying attention now, Chunyoung realized he grabbed his game from the top shelf that his fellow student couldn’t reach. He handed the first copy to them and went to grab another one for himself. “My bad, sorry.”

The other student took the game case from his hands with a relieved smile. “Thank you, and it’s alright! I know a lot of people bother you at school. You didn’t strike me as someone into video games.”

He wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not, but he would have shrugged regardless. “You’re in Ham Dan-I’s class?”

“Oh!” They seemed startled to be recognized. “Yes. (Name). I don’t really know her, but she’s a very friendly person in class!”

Even with the name, Chunyoung couldn’t recall anything interesting about them. They must not sit near Dan-I, because he would’ve recognized their face in that case. They seemed charming enough and didn’t talk shit about Yeoryeong and Dan-I to his face— which honestly meant Chunyoung’s standards might have been on the ground.

(Name) did a deep bow, clutching the game case to their chest. “Thank you for grabbing the game for me, Yoo Chunyoung! I’ll stop bothering you now.”

They darted off towards the checkout counter before Chunyoung could get another word in. If he had the chance, he would’ve said they weren’t bothering him at all.

“Hm? Chunyoung?”

He liked going to Dan-I’s classroom because it meant he got to see her. He also hated going to Dan-I’s classroom because Lee Ruda glared daggers at him and Dan-I’s other friends weren’t too fond of him either. 

But this time he wasn’t even there for Dan-I. He still approached her desk on habit, silently thanking whatever god was responsible for Ruda being absent at the time, and remained silent as Dan-I finished chewing her food. “What brings you here?”

Chunyoung blinked like someone remembering the task they forgot upon entering another room and pulled a scuffed student ID from his pockets. “(Name) is in your class, right?”

“Ah! You found my ID?!” Both he and Dan-I turned their heads at the sound of (Name) returning to the classroom after buying a drink from the vending machine. They rushed up to Chunyoung and did another deep bow, which made him wonder if they did that often enough to make their back hurt. “Thank you so much for coming to my rescue again! I was going crazy over the weekend looking for it!”

He placed the ID in their hands. “It was outside the games store,” Chunyoung replied to a question they never asked, ignoring their sincere thank you.

(Name) stood straight again and scratched the back of their head. “That makes sense since I left in such a rush… Oh, that reminds me! Did you start playing the game? Are you enjoying it?”

Dan-I watched with bated breath, chopsticks holding rice frozen centimeters away from her mouth, as Chunyoung replied to (Name). “I like the combat. I’m not great with puzzles.”

“Wow, we’re opposite! I’m way better at the puzzles than the combat! If you ever need help, you can ask me!” Chunyoung felt himself recoil at (Name)’s kindness. Maybe they weren’t pushy like most of the people that liked to bother him, but another type of dangerous person to him were those that offered him something. Because there was always, always an ulterior motive. People always want something from him.

“No thanks,” Chunyoung said. His expression never changed, but his words were backed by an icy tone that sucked the energy from the room. (Name) stiffened, their smile remaining but the sparkle in their eyes instantly disappeared at Chunyoung’s change in demeanor. Dan-I was shocked, too, her chopsticks clattering to the top of her desk as she looked at Chunyoung in horror.

He left the classroom without another word, and while a shell-shocked (Name) trudged to their seat, Dan-I chased Chunyoung’s trail. She cursed his long legs and her own short stature because he was already halfway down the hallway by the time Dan-I caught up. “Yoo Chunyoung!”

Chunyoung turned around because it was Dan-I and it was always a delight to talk to her. Even if she currently looked quite pissed off.

“Hm?” He tilted his head, completely unaware of any reason Dan-I might be upset with him. 

“What was that?! (Name) was having a friendly conversation with you and you totally blew them off!” It was one of the first times Dan-I had witnessed a positive interaction between Chunyoung and someone outside their friend group. (Name) had no obvious tells or red flags that came with a run-of-the-mill webnovel antagonist, so she felt pretty safe in thinking (Name) was just someone friendly.

But while Chunyoung might have been blissfully unaware of the nature of this webnovel, he was intimately familiar with how people acted around him. “People always have bad intentions when they ask things from me.”

Dan-I sighed. Their friend group was so insular for a reason; a group of people held to the highest standards that no one really saw them as human. Maybe it was the benefit of some level of clairvoyance, or the nature of a webnovel, but it always hurt Dan-I that she was the only one in the world who knew they were characters in a webnovel, yet was the person who treated her dear friends with the most love and respect. If there was another person capable of doing the same for them in this world, Dan-I wanted her friends to have that.

She put a hand on his shoulder and looked up at him. “I know you have plenty of bad experiences to feel that way,” Dan-I started. “But, it’s also unfair to assume everyone is going to treat you that way. It sounds like (Name) was trying to be nice after you connected over something. Besides, what do they gain from you being bad at puzzles?”

Chunyoung took a few moments to chew on Dan-I’s words. He could count on his fingers how many times people talked to him without wanting something from his status— those were the people he was still friends with, and maybe like two people he knew online from playing an FPS if he was being generous. His fellow students always acted the same; Heavenly King this, Ban Yeoryeong that. Chunyoung was either a prize or a means to an end to them. 

(Name), on the other hand, just liked the same video game as him.

Dan-I was more than just the voice of reason keeping Yeoryeong from murdering Eun Jiho, so Chunyoung can’t help but feel sobered at her words of wisdom. Because now he had to deal with the reality that he acted poorly to someone who didn’t deserve it.

Feeling his posture slacken at the realization, Dan-I patted his back. “Hey, it’s okay. Just apologize next time you see (Name)!”

While dragging Dan-I to his own classroom so Yeoryeong could see her precious life partner, despite Dan-I’s protests about her lunch still being on her desk, Chunyoung thought of ways to apologize.

Their uniforms were quite light all things considered, but in the sweltering summer heat that came much earlier than normal, (Name) was going to melt.

The heat seeped into their skin the moment they stepped outside of the school building for the day. Their notebook served poorly as a fan as they sought shade under the school’s roof. Kim Hye Hil said something about getting ice cream after school with Ham Dan-I, and while that sounded delightful, (Name) barely had any time to indulge themself before cram school would start.

The next best thing would be a drink from the vending machine, so (Name) trudged their way over there while staying in the shade as much as possible. They already bought a drink for lunch earlier— they shuddered remembering what happened —but the heavy air absolutely warranted another. Hopefully their pocket change could last the whole week.

“(Name).” Their coins fell onto the pavement as they were startled by Chunyoung’s unmistakable voice behind them. Looking over their shoulder as they crouched to pick up the lost change, (Name) was completely shadowed by Chunyoung standing over them with the same stoic expression he always carried. 

“Yoo Chunyoung!” (Name) jumped to their feet and braced for impact. What more did Chunyoung have to say after acting so coldly earlier!? “Is there something you need?”

Though his expression never changed, the subtle shifting of his weight from one foot to another expressed that Chunyoung felt awkward. And it was incredible to learn that Chunyoung had feelings at all.

“… Sorry for blowing you off earlier.” That phrase wasn’t in his vocabulary until Dan-I said it to him earlier, and since she was clearly wiser than him when it came to stuff like this, Chunyoung could only go with what he knew. “It was rude of me.”

And it was his turn to bow, and (Name) was lucky they were the only two around because if anyone saw Heavenly King Yoo Chunyoung bowing to someone who wasn’t Yeoryeong or Dan-I, (Name) would never hear the end of it. 

After taking a moment to stand in awe of the sight, (Name) frantically waved their hands. “It’s no big deal, no need to bow!” It did hurt earlier, but it also wasn’t something unexpected from the king of ice himself (rumor has it that Dan-I called him a human aircon once). The most unexpected thing was the apology. “Like I said the other day, I know people like to bother you at school. So, if you don’t really want to talk to me, there’s no hard feelings!”

That’s where (Name) expected the conversation to end, but to their continued surprise, Chunyoung held out a water bottle for them. (Name) looked up at him with wide eyes, waiting for an explanation.

“Actually…” His words trailed off because the apology was the only thing he truly prepared for. Chunyoung looked away, frosty eyes thawing in the  summer heat. “I wouldn’t mind talking. You could tell me how to beat the puzzles…”

(Name) had a feeling that this softer side of Chunyoung existed— he was human, after all. But it must’ve been private to strangers. So, how lucky could (Name) be to make his acquaintance? 

“I would love that.”

natsumeku event masterlist | masterlists

[0798f]

🎇 — Rainy Season.

RELATIONSHIP: Kozume Kenma x Reader

SUMMARY: Rainy summer days are the worst. Hot, humid, and gross. Kenma loves them, though, because he gets to spend the day inside gaming. You enjoy them a little less than he does.

A/N: Day 5 of the Natsumeku event! My fics are usually chaste, so I hope this fic is a welcome surprise. Slightly suggestive, I guess? This fic is a makeout session.

(Username): wahhh this heat is killing me  (Username): can i come over?? ur house has aircon (Username): kenchan pleeeease put the controller down and answer me 😭😭 KOZUKEN: oh mb KOZUKEN: sure (Username): so romantic 🥰‼️ thank god cuz i was already on my way

Kenma hadn’t been outside that day, so his only other signs that the weather was unbearable was the sun beating through his windows when he woke up. That light was snuffed out in an instant, though, when Kenma pulled his curtains to block it when he sat in front of his TV in the hopes of spending the day grinding levels. He might have just gotten the game yesterday, but he’d like to 100% it before the month ended.

(Name) was only a 15 minute walk from Kenna’s place, and if they were already on their way when they sent the message, Kenna guessed it was down to 5 minutes. He moved the curtains aside and was surprised that the glaring sunlight from the morning had been hidden under a thick layer of clouds. Even without the sun, the heat combined with the humidity that had been lingering the past week must have meant (Name) was experiencing a terrible walk.

He stretched and went downstairs to open his fridge, which was emptier than it should have been even for someone living alone. Kenma wanted to be a perfect boyfriend and have a snack ready for his partner, but all he pulled from the fridge was two cans of coke and one slice of a watermelon that (Name) brought over in the first place. Maybe they'll go grocery shopping later— but in this weather, Kenma didn’t want to do much of anything.

Just as he turned the lock so (Name) could get in easily, he heard a quiet tapping noise outside the front door. It stayed faint for a few seconds until Kenma opened the door to investigate, just as the grey clouds erupted in heavy rainfall in the blink of an eye. On top of the heat and humidity, it was positively disgusting outside.

Kenma lived on a relatively quiet street, so when he saw someone turn the corner in a rush, he already knew it was (Name). Nearly sprinting to his house, (Name) held their bag over their head in a vain attempt to protect themself from the rain, which had already drenched them thoroughly.

If he had more time to react, maybe Kenma would have met them halfway with an umbrella. Instead, he could only stare as (Name) flew across the street and into his house.

“Kenma…” (Name) miserably splashed water onto his floor, tears indescribable from the rain still sliding across their face. “This is the worst thing that could have ever happened!“

One look at their wet socks, and Kenma was inclined to agree. He wiped their face with the back of his sleeve, a sweet but ultimately unhelpful gesture. (Name) leaned into his touch, practically squishing their cheek against his hand.

“Yeah,” Kenma nodded. “This is pretty bad. Stay here while I grab a towel. Do you wanna take a shower?”

He assumed the pitiful whine (Name) let out was a yes and ran upstairs for the nearest clean towel. (Name) had pulled off their shoes in the meantime and were peeling off their socks when Kenma returned to wrap the towel around them.

“I want you to know that I love you with all my heart” (Name) started, eyes intense as they met Kenma’s. “So I won’t hug you and mess up your clothes too.”

Kenma cracked a smile at that comment, using the ends of the towel to pull (Name) closer for a more-damp-than-normal kiss. “I’ll pay you back tenfold. Let’s get you in the shower.”

(Name) knew for a fact that they had clothes in Kenma’s closet for when they slept over. But they can’t say they were surprised to find that the clothes Kenma left out for them after their shower were his own; oversized hoodie and baggy sweatpants— the outfit of a successful CEO.

With the torrential rain and humidity behind them and the immaculate air conditioning of Kenma’s home in their present, (Name) flopped onto Kenma’s bed. They closed their eyes and began mentally blocking the feeling of wet clothes on their skin.

“I threw your clothes into the dryer,” Kenma said. (Name) didn’t stir at the sound of his voice nor the bed dipping as he sat next to them. He pinched their cheek gently for a reaction. “Did you die from recoil damage?”

A loud, exaggerated sigh escaped their lips as they cracked open one eye to look up at their boyfriend. “I’m waiting for that tenfold repayment!”

He laughed, scooping (Name) up into his arms and repositioning them so (Name) could lay comfortably in his lap. “You’re acting like you almost died.”

(Name) curled their body inwards, pulling their knees towards their chest and trapping Kenma’s arm in their grasp. “I did! If I was out there for two more seconds, I literally would have melted! Have some sympathy!”

He leaned down and kissed the shell of (Name)’s ear in lieu of an apology. “I’m sure you would’ve.”

Kenma’s lips stayed on (Name)’s skin as he mumbled the words out, taking another kiss at the end before tilting their head towards him. He moved to their lips, lingering on the scent of apple body wash with a sanguine kiss. (Name) grabbed a fistful of his sweatshirt and kept him close, stealing his breath with another kiss, and another, and enough to have them both gasping for air at the end.

(Name) finally smiled, nuzzling further into Kenma’s arm. Rain pounded against the window, an unrelenting summer downpour muffled by the glass and atmosphere of the moment. Kenma pressed another kiss onto the top of (Name)‘s head and murmured, “how are we doing on the repayment?”

“Hmm,” (Name) furrowed their brow. “I’d say it’s eightfold right now.”

He didn’t have to see their face to hear the shit-eating grin. Kenma slid out of their grasp and (Name) fell to the mattress on their stomach, a shocked and offended gasp erupting from their throat.

This time, Kenma climbed over them, letting just enough of his body rest on their back for (Name) to feel his weight. “No way that’s accurate,” Kenma argued. His lips ghosted over the nape of (Name)’s neck, breath tickling the skin. “It’s at least ninefold.”

Only one kiss landed on (Name)’s neck before they flipped over to their back, face to face with Kenma so he could finally see their giddy smirk. “Well, it sounds like we both agree that your work is unfinished.”

As long as they were together, Kenma would never finish this specific job. And he was eager to keep working. He returned their grin and dove back in for their lips, moving one hand to grab (Name)‘s hip while the other stayed by next to their head to keep balance. Kenma squeezed, smothering the soft gasp that followed with his own lips.

(Name) was no slouch and they took everything they wanted Kenma to give with eager movements. Their arms encircled his shoulders, never giving him the chance to move away. Their fingers toyed with the ends of his hair, twirling it and even gently pulling when they felt the urge to tease.

The TV had dimmed from inactivity, Kenma’s game forgotten in the heat of the moment to provide a soft glow to the room. He had one leg between (Name)’s and slowly rested more of his body on top of (Name)’s the more time passed. With half of his weight against them, Kenma suddenly thought back to when he was so shy to this type of contact. (Name) was always the one to initiate and gave him all the time in the world to acclimate, and now that he had, Kenma liked to think he was quite skilled by now. In a rush of confidence, Kenma slid the hand on (Name)’s hip beneath the borrowed hoodie to rest on their stomach.

(Name) jolted at his cold fingers on sensitive skin, breaking the last kiss with a laugh. “Someone’s hands are wandering.”

Feigning innocence, Kenma moved to the side of their neck for the softest of contact. “Yeah. It’s your hand sliding up my back.”

He felt tapping from (Name)’s hand that had just pushed beneath the hem of his sweatshirt. “We’re both caught red-handed.”

A beat of silence passed, where Kenma took the chance to take the gentlest of bites of (Name)’s neck. Not at all strong enough to leave any lasting mark, but it sent chills up (Name)’s spine nonetheless. And maybe activated an unintended thought in the back of their mind.

“… I want chicken katsu curry.” Another pause. “And brownies.”

Kenma hadn’t eaten much all day, but (Name) would lovingly scold him if he admitted that, so it stayed a secret. “We can order takeout. I hope your drink of choice is coke.”

(Name) blinked. “Are you saying that because that’s the only thing in your fridge right now?”

Guilty silence followed.

natsumeku event masterlist | masterlists

[0798f]

🎇 — Last Summer Whisper.

RELATIONSHIP: Utahime Iori x Reader

SUMMARY: Summer always feels warm and nostalgic. Unfortunately, not all memories are good. You and Utahime work through that.

A/N: Day 4 of the Natsumeku event! Don't you wish we got more canon details about Utahime? Best I can do is make up headcanons and write this fic.

(Name) woke up to the sound of crickets chirping and the feeling of an empty bed.

They weren’t quite sure what woke them up. Their blinding phone screen said the time was 3:06 AM, and as odd as it was to be awake at the time, it was even more odd for Utahime to be out of bed. So, (Name) sat up and stretched, and went in search for their missing partner.

The rest of the house was just as quiet and dark, but (Name) spotted a dim light on their backyard porch. They opened the sliding door to see Utahime sitting with her legs dangling over the edge. She stared out into the night, into the nature casted in shade, with a blank expression, only looking away when (Name) sat down next to her.

“A little late to be up. You have students to teach later.” (Name) quietly joked, but there wasn’t any bite to their words. They threw their blanket over Utahime’s shoulder— the warm summer air during the day had been replaced with a cool breeze after the sun dipped below the horizon.

Utahime held the edge of the blanket and leaned into (Name)’s side. “I’ll be alright. I’ll just make them run laps.”

A joke was a good sign, but something was clearly on Utahime’s mind. (Name) would be remiss to let it go. “So, what woke you?”

She wasn’t one to keep secrets, especially not from (Name), but silence wasn’t the same as a secret. It was a different confession from the back of Utahime’s mind and one that lingered across the scar on her face.

Sorcerers who lived as long as she did were had marred bodies that showed their years of experience (except for that jerk, Gojo). Utahime was no different, and for someone who didn’t even have an offensive cursed technique, she was lucky that the worst she had experienced was her scar.

But, (Name) knew it was a little more complicated than that. A scar was both a testament to survival as well as a memory of something awful. Utahime was adept at pushing that memory away— it had happened so many years ago, after all —but random things could bring it back to the surface. (Name) knew them well.

“... It’s that time of year again, huh?” (Name) reached over to Utahime, their palm sliding from the base of her neck to the edge of her jaw, fingers lightly brushing against her scar. 

She sighed, not moving but some tension released from her shoulders at (Name)’s touch. “Isn’t it stupid? I should just be happy I’m still alive.”

“If it were that simple, most sorcerers wouldn’t leave their jobs.” (Name) leaned closer to Utahime and kissed her temple, thumb tracing the outline of Utahime’s scar. Utahime was often composed and elegant, especially in front of her colleagues and students, but in the early summer morning, melancholy overtook her stoicism. 

She welcomed (Name)’s touch that time, turning her head to press a kiss into their hand. Utahime never acted like her scar bothered her— because, for the most part, it didn’t —but there were memories she didn’t like to dwell on. Memories that reared their ugly head right when the weather got warm enough.

Finally, (Name)’s hand fully caressed Utahime’s cheek. Their palm was warm against Utahime’s scar, soothing phantom pain from the ghost of a memory long past. Resting their forehead against Utahime’s, they offered her a smile.

The pair gazed into each other’s eyes; despite all the struggles Utahime had been through in her life, (Name) was glad that her eyes still sparkled in the moonlight. 

“No matter how you’re feeling,” (Name) whispered. “I’m here for you.”

To be a sorcerer was to carry heavy burdens— the world’s burdens but also your own. And, in (Name)’s embrace, Utahime was reminded how much lighter those burdens could be when there was someone to share them with.

No matter how many times she returned home sore and sorry, (Name) would help her pick up the pieces. Even if her scar could still cause her pain, Utahime knew (Name) could wash the hurt away with her loving presence alone.

Utahime didn’t say anything because (Name) already knew what was in her heart. Instead, Utahime tilted her head and kissed (Name), pouring all her love and affection into her universe. 

(Name) held her close until the sun peeked over the horizon again, and Utahime knew there was no safer place than their embrace.

natsumeku event masterlist | masterlists

[0798f]

🎇 — Vacation.

RELATIONSHIP: Levi Ackerman x Reader (Modern AU)

SUMMARY: You are committed to giving Levi a stress-free vacation. Even if it puts all the stress on you, instead!

A/N: Day 3 of the Natsumeku event! Of all the fics for this event, I think I am the most proud of this one. I hope it's enjoyable!

Levi didn’t know the meaning of the word vacation.

The confusing part was that it wasn’t solely because he was too integral of an employee, nor was it because he was too dedicated to his work. Erwin and Hange had offered (the latter on their knees begging) to take on some of his responsibilities so he could take a few days off, but Levi always refused. Then he would bitch about work to their faces the next day as if he didn’t create a problem for himself.

Levi just never saw a point before. He did his job best and didn’t really have anything else he would want to do with his free time. 

“Sleeping? Eating? Enjoying a nice walk in nature?” Hange had pointed these out the last time they tried begging Levi to take a break.

Levi rolled his eyes back then. “Don’t be stupid,” was all he said.

But things changed when he entered a relationship with someone who lived life a bit more normally than him. Someone who maintained their human needs a bit better than Levi.

“Four hours of sleep at most?! That’s insane! You can’t live like that!” (Name) was horrified to learn the information Levi so casually dropped in conversation as they ate a dinner together. 

He didn’t think it was such a big deal. But he had to start considering that when (Name) started sleeping in his bed. Levi finally had a reason to be in bed by a reasonable time, and an even more reliable sleep aid than the melatonin gummies that he had grown immune to a thousand years ago. It was easier to fall asleep with (Name) in his bed and he didn’t know why— they didn’t even cuddle most of the time. Their simple presence next to him was more than enough, apparently.

So Levi started reeling in his more inhumane habits so (Name) could comfortably fit into his life. Hange immediately pointed out how much brighter (whatever that meant) he looked once he started getting more sleep and eating more regular meals, all at the behest of (Name) keeping him in check. Meanwhile, (Name)’s own work started to be completed with a new level of organization and efficiency with Levi’s help.

In the spirit of bettering each other’s lives, (Name) had one goal in mind as the weather warmed with the arrival of summer: get Levi to go on a vacation where he could relax to the fullest.

It wasn’t enough to just go on a vacation. It had to be a trip free of any worry or hassle, (Name) decided— and that meant keeping Levi out of the planning as much as possible.

Not entirely, of course; (Name) wanted to make a vacation he would enjoy first and foremost, and that required his opinions and choices.

“… What do you think about visiting Marley or Hizuru for a vacation?” (Name) shyly put the idea out there as Levi finished brushing his teeth. They sat against the headboard of Levi’s bed, their legs under the blanket only as far as their knees. He wiped his face off and looked at (Name) with a raised brow.

After dating for over two years, (Name) would like to think that they knew Levi as well as anyone could. But his initial silence permeated the room as they awaited an answer, and (Name) found themself growing nervous.

Levi shrugged, “sounds nice.”

Their barely concealed excitement at the positive response did not go unnoticed by Levi. (Name) grinned, “do you have a preference? I’ve heard they’re both beautiful in summer.”

They had actually been to Marley a few times on business, but those business trips always went to shit because The Warriors inc. had an irrational hatred for The Scouts. Any sightseeing was interrupted by the reveal that a few of their underlings had been feeding The Warriors insider secrets for the last few years.

For some reason, Levi had to be part of the excruciating conversations and meetings that happened afterwards. He sneered at the memory. “Hizuru.”

(Name)’s eyes sparkled. “Good choice. It just so happens that Erwin is giving us a week of PTO after we complete this project! And, Petra just expedited some of the progress, so we should definitely be done by the weekend.”

Levi had the feeling something was up when (Name) had left Erwin’s office in the morning with a smile they refused to explain to Levi. “Don’t worry about it,” (Name) said.

He had never taken a vacation (willingly) in his life, and if he was going to do it for the first time, Levi was glad that it would be with (Name). He climbed into bed next to them, leaning forwards to bump foreheads.

“‘It just so happens,’ huh?” Levi repeated, breath warm and minty against (Name)’s lips. “You’re claiming no influence?”

“I’m hardly the only person in the office who wants to see you take a break. I’m just the only person who can get you to do it!”

When (Name) started at the company, they were a shy intern who couldn’t look anyone in the eye. Now, they were smirking in Levi’s face over a silly trick made possible by all their connections. Levi was happy to see them come so far.

“When did you get so smug?” Levi guided them to lay down so that he could hover over them.

(Name) reached up to hold Levi’s face with both hands. “When I realized how much it made you smile.”

Levi smiled into the kiss.

(Name) took over the rest of the planning by that point— with some input from Hange (professional tourist) and underling Mikasa (Hizuran person who knows the local spots). As the planning progressed, it became quite an elaborate itinerary that covered all the vacation staples of sightseeing, activities, and relaxation. 

Their plans were down to the minute, which, in the moment, felt like a proud success of all their hard work spent researching so Levi could relax. It also proved to be their downfall.

The first of many tragedies in their comedy of errors was their flight being delayed for two hours due to poor weather. The second was their luggage getting lost and having to spend over an hour arguing with unhelpful airport staff to get it found. The third was their taxi driver borderline kidnapping them by taking the longest possible route to their hotel to rack up the meter. At least that one was partially solved by Levi threatening to gut the driver like a fish if he took one more wrong turn.

Their hotel room had a beautiful view of the ocean, but instead of admiring it, (Name) was glued to their laminated (courtesy of improper use of company tools) itinerary, trying to make sense of it.

“Ok, we missed lunch reservations at the sushi place Hange recommended… and they’re fully booked. Fuck!” The paper trembled in (Name)’s frustrated hands as they lamented their loss. There had been more openings just a week ago— how could they all disappear?!

Levi put a hand on their back. “It’s not the end of the world.”

“I know…” But it really felt like it. Especially with how much Hange hyped it up. “It’s fine! We can go to a more local place that Mikasa recommended! … Shit, but we’re gonna miss the fireworks show if we eat now! Maybe we can do it tomorrow night instead… but, we run into the same issue with dinner reservations! If I keep pushing things back, they’ll keep causing problems!”

(Name) felt their brain fill with fog as they tried to fix the perfectly manicured plan that was quickly falling apart at the seams. It was supposed to be the perfect plan to let Levi relax, but now (Name) couldn’t even figure out what they were supposed to do next!

A firm hand grasped their chin and forced them to look up. (Name) startled at the sudden contact, meeting Levi’s resting serious expression. “Oi.”

He must have been annoyed that (Name) ruined everything by not preparing a plan B. Apologies left their lips in an instant, but Levi lifted their head higher to interrupt them. “This is a vacation and you’re losing your damn mind right now.“

“Because my plans are falling apart… I had everything figured out, but now I don’t even know what to do right now—“ 

Again, Levi interrupted them before they could spiral further. “Hotel’s on the beach. Let’s go.”

(Name) blinked. “Huh..?”

“Change your clothes since it’s hot out. Let’s go.”

They sniffled, reluctantly letting the itinerary fall to the wayside so they could change into a more an outfit more suited to Hizuru’s summer weather. Levi did the same, and even while (Name) was still mourning the loss of a meticulously planned vacation, they were amused to see Levi in shorts and a T-shirt. If they took a picture, the office would never let him live it down.

By the time they made it down to the beach in front of their hotel, it was late into a sunset and well after most of the crowds left. The beach was quiet outside of the crashing waves and ambient noise from the nearby bar. Levi had guided (Name) all the way to the white sands with his hand on their lower back, occasionally pulling them closer to his side when strangers passed by.

(Name) looked at the last glimmer of the sunset for the first time that day as it disappeared behind the horizon, leaving an dark orange to fade into purples and blues. They let out a deep sigh, closing their eyes and focusing on the sounds of the beach.

“First time today you don’t look so tense. The flight delay sent you on a downward spiral.” Levi’s words sounded a bit harsh, but that was just how he talked. His hand rubbing (Name)’s back let them know he was saying it out of care and affection.

Their shoulders slumped. “Can you blame me? I was trying to make a worry free vacation for you.”

“Worry free,” Levi scoffed. “You think I’m worry free when you’re on the brink of an anxiety attack every two seconds?”

(Name) whined, “see, I really messed things up! If I had just been more prepared…”

They weren’t getting his point. Levi grabbed their shoulders, forcing them to focus on him rather than their worries. “My idea of a worry free vacation, or whatever, is spending time with you, idiot. So, if you stop fixating on your itinerary for right now, then we can both relax.”

It was like a light switched on in (Name)’s head, finally understanding that they missed the forest for the trees. They cracked a weary smile. “… Are you sure? That’s really sweet…”

“It’s not sweet, it’s just the truth.”

Contrary to his word, the kiss they shared in that moment was sweet, saccharine, and full of a love and affection between them that only they understood. While (Name) occasionally referred back to the dreaded itinerary for ideas, the vacation became a lot more relaxing once they slowed down and started playing it by ear.

A relaxed Levi was much more affectionate. (Name) would have to ask for more frequent breaks.

natsumeku event masterlist | masterlists

[0798f]

🎇 — Festival.

RELATIONSHIP: Alhaitham x Reader x Kaveh

SUMMARY: You successfully convinced your partners to go to Inazuma's Summer Festival, but the three of you are more focused on each other rather than the sights.

A/N: Day 2 of the Natsumeku Event! This is the fic idea I was most excited about!

In a relationship full of big personalities, (Name) stood out as being on more of the demanding side of the spectrum.

Alhaitham had just brought home some dinner when (Name) slammed a flyer into his (formerly) clean plate. He raised a brow at them, and Kaveh did the same while leaning over their shoulder.

“Inazuma’s Summer Festival!” They proclaimed, which was also written in big letters on the flyer.

Kaveh wrapped his arms around them and placed his chin on their shoulder. “What about it?”

“We should go!”

Reading the rest of the flyer for himself, it was not only an advertisement for the festival that would have fireworks by the famed Naganohara family, but also for a new selection of romance novels by the Yae Publishing House that would be releasing on the eve of the festival. Alhaitham could see (Name) and Kaveh picking up a copy, which he would read over their shoulders only to be unimpressed with the quality of the writing and story.

Alhaitham handed the flyer back to (Name). “Why the sudden interest?”

They pointed at the top of the paper, which had colorful illustrations of fireworks bursting off the page. “The traveler said the festival is fun and that he knows the girl who sets up the fireworks. The fireworks are supposed to be the very best there is! Isn’t there academic value in seeing them?”

“Please elaborate on this supposed academic value.”

That was the last question they hoped he’d ask. (Name) took a step forward, dragging Kaveh with them, and gave their best puppy-dog eyes. “The academic value of taking a well-earned break with your two most favorite people in the world!”

Kaveh nuzzled his nose into (Name)’s hair, bringing one hand up to squish their face. “Aw, they look so sad!” Ever the empath. “We don’t have any choice but to say yes, right?”

“I’m sure you’d be singing a different tune if you fronted most of the expenses.” That comment made Kaveh join in on (Name)’s watery eyed expression, much to Alhaitham’s amusement. “Oh no, now both of my partners are pouting. How shall I rectify this?“

“Inazuma Summer Festival,” (Name) and Kaveh said in unison.

Alhaitham sighed, but had a smile on his face. “I suppose I’m left with no other choice to make some time for it. Now, sit down already. The food is getting cold.”

Getting to Inazuma, though the travel was sort of long and tedious, wasn’t as difficult as (Name) thought it would be. They thought there would be a lot more convincing involved, because they didn’t realize just how wrapped around their finger Alhaitham and Kaveh were.

(Name) had never been to Inazuma— it was quite far off the beaten path, so to speak, even though several years had passed since they opened their borders again. So excitement for fun festival activities also doubled as excitement to try new things in a new place, and (Name) could hardly hold still on the way there.

Alhaitham and Kaveh were also excited, though you would have to read deeply into the former’s expression to get that. But the festival itself was not their highest priority; they had something else on their mind.

“Ta~da!” (Name) leaped out from behind their inn room’s shoji screen. They had shoved parcels of clothing into their partners’ arms the second they had arrived in Inazuma. They were sets of Inazuman summer wear that Kaveh was quite sure he saw them buy from Dori shortly before they left— though (Name) refused to explain what they were at the time. “Apparently they’re called jinbei and they’re popular in the summer. How do I look?”

They struck a pose and Kaveh gasped like he just fell in love all over again. He and Alhaitham had also swapped outfits for the jinbei and were taking photos with Kaveh’s kamera while waiting for (Name). He turned the lens toward them, grinning ear to ear. “Hold the pose! You look adorable!”

The praise made them shine even more and they blew a kiss to Kaveh for the picture. Only for that kiss to be intercepted by Alhaitham when he caught it in his palm and brought it to his lips.

“Hey! That was meant for me, jerk!” Kaveh didn’t get far in complaining; he was silenced by Alhaitham pressing a kiss to his lips. It didn’t matter how many times Kaveh was kissed by Alhaitham or (Name)— each time made his heart flutter with joy and temporarily ceased brain functions.

There was the tiniest hint of a smirk on Alhaitham’s face when he pulled away. “It’s equal,” was all he said. He reached his arm out toward (Name), beckoning them to take his hand. “The sun is starting to set, let’s start looking around the festival.”

That was an offer (Name) couldn’t refuse. They grabbed Alhaitham’s hand and locked arms with Kaveh. “Time to sightsee!”

It was hard to keep up with (Name) at the speed they were rushing around the festival stalls. They had no knack for goldfish scooping (Kaveh triumphed with the highest score in the end, saying something about his delicate handiwork) but a voracious appetite that had them trying everything from takoyaki to candy apples.

Trying the food finally forced (Name) to stay in one place, much to Kaveh’s relief. They managed to find an unoccupied bench to rest their legs and devour all the treats they were picking up. Alhaitham returned from a different food vendor with freshly cooked karaage, holding a piece on the toothpick for (Name) to try. “It’s fried chicken, you’ll like it.”

(Name) didn’t hesitate to eat the entire large piece, even though they really should have. It was still freshly fried enough to instantly burn the roof of their mouth. They recoiled, but it was still delicious, so they kept eating. “It’s hot!”

“I said it was fried,” Alhaitham sighed.

Kaveh pat (Name) on the back with his free hand as they continued to struggle chewing. “How are you not tired of trying more savory food? I have some shaved ice you can use to soothe the burn.”

“Eating when you’re traveling places is the best part! Can’t risk missing out on good food.” (Name) talked with their mouth still half full. They eyed the colorful cup of ice Kaveh had picked up with great interest. “So, I’ll gladly take some!”

Again, Alhaitham intercepted; he snatched Kaveh’s cup before he could hand it to (Name). “Ice is not a good treatment for burns.”

It was (Name)’s turn to feel betrayed. They looked up at him with wide eyes and a probably-too-harsh-for-the-circumstances grimace. “What!? It’s not like I got set on fire! Some shaved ice wouldn’t hurt!”

In the back of their mind, (Name) knew they were arguing with a brick wall. Alhaitham enjoyed his own scoop of shaved ice while all (Name) could do was stare in contempt. “Your health isn’t worth the risk. Besides, I’m already eating this.”

“It’s Kaveh’s!”

“I don’t know, he might have a point,” Kaveh disagreed. (Name) whipped their head back towards him, utter heartbreak in their expression as Kaveh abandoned them in the crusade against the tyrant Alhaitham. He laughed and wrapped his arms around their shoulders, kissing their cheek. Kaveh could never keep up an act like that for long. “You’re so cute when you’re pouting!”

(Name) remained unmoved. They crossed their arms and sulked. “I thought two partners meant I was going to get double the love and affection! I think you like to see me suffer sometimes.”

Kaveh left another wet kiss on their cheek and squeezed them tighter. “I could say the same thing,” he laughed.

There was a pause as Alhaitham considered the possibility. Rather than deny it, he finally gave (Name) a spoonful of the shaved ice.

By the time the fireworks show had started, the trio found a less crowded spot overlooked by the other festival goers. The trees parted to give a wide view of the night sky as colors exploded in the air and fell back down to Earth.

Fireworks had become commonplace around Teyvat, but Inazuma wasn’t exaggerating when they bragged about their fireworks shows; the sky was illuminated in vibrant arrays of colors that reflected in (Name)’s equally as shiny eyes as they stared up in awe at the display.

Next to them, Kaveh watched the fireworks with a warm smile on his face. But his eyes truly lit up every time he glanced towards Alhaitham and (Name).

Alhaitham nudged (Name)’s arm, teasing, “so, what was the academic value of fireworks again?”

“Surely a feeble scholar like yourself would be able to figure it out!” Their retort came through a smug grin as they took the opportunity to grab his arm and pull him closer. “I think it’s obvious!”

He couldn’t believe how distracted he was by the fireworks reflecting in their eyes. “Enlighten me.”

(Name) was more than ready to. They pulled Kaveh closer as well, until the trio were practically huddled in their own little world. Other festival goers faded into the background until there was nothing left but the three of them under a sky lit by fireworks.

“The academic value,” they started. “Is how clear your mind feels when you’re in a beautiful place with your favorite people in the world!”

Kaveh looked about ready to tear up, but (Name) gave him a chaste kiss before he could, then another to Alhaitham, who could hardly suppress the smile on his lips. Nothing could break his stoicism like his two favorite people in the world.

natsumeku event masterlist | masterlists

[0798f]

🎇 — Beginning of Summer.

RELATIONSHIP: Sumeragi Tenma x Reader

SUMMARY: Tenma's summer goal is to have his first kiss with you. It's easier said than done.

A/N: Day 1 of the Natsumeku event! I hope everyone is having a good start to summer!

Tenma had one goal in mind for summer break. And he shouldn’t have shared the details with his roommate.

“That’s pathetic.”

“Can you try saying something nice to me for once?!”

The “pathetic” thing in question was the fact that Tenma’s summer goal was to have his first kiss with his partner. Because, despite being together for over a month at that point, Tenma had chickened out of the first kiss at every opportunity.

That was reasonable. This was his first relationship after all! It shouldn’t be weird to be nervous for a first kiss. The problem was that Tenma really, really wanted it to happen, but he had an insane instinct to flee the scene every time the mood was right. The most egregious example was a few days before this, when he walked (Name) to their house after a date, leaned in for a kiss, only to start running down the street. He was the one who imitated! 

“What scares you so much about a first kiss?” Yuki asked, as if he had any more experience than Tenma did.

“I don’t know,” Tenma whined. “You can only have one first kiss! That’s a lot of pressure! I don’t want it to be bad for (Name)!”

Yuki raised a brow. “So your solution is to never kiss them?”

“Were you not listening?! I’m gonna do it! I’m determined!” For all he complained, there was a tiny part of Tenma’s psyche that saw the benefit of venting to Yuki. It was better to get this energy out then instead of using it to run away from (Name).

When it came to Tenma, Yuki’s face was always deadpanned and unimpressed. And while Yuki was definitely unimpressed about this, he let out a sigh before returning back to his latest sewing project. “Good luck.”

He was going to need it.

Three more dates had passed without Tenma finding the courage.

He and (Name) went to the aquarium. A giant ray passing over the tank above them felt like the perfect moment, but Tenma pretended to be excited by the sight of a seahorse instead.

He and (Name) enjoyed ice cream on one of the hottest days of the summer. Despite sharing a cone, Tenma kept his lips as far away from (Name)’s as possible.

He and (Name) attempted to be the ultimate winners of Mankai game night, only to get destroyed by the board game squad (who really shouldn’t be allowed to play on the same team anymore). When (Name) was leaving for the night, Tenma gave them a hug. Then froze when (Name) moved 1 centimeter toward his face. It was an awkward farewell.

Third time was supposed to be the charm, so Tenma reaching his fourth attempt was not a good sign.

“Just checking in— do you still like me?”

It was a disgustingly hot and humid summer day, so rather than going out and doing something, Tenma and (Name) laid on the floor below (Name)’s air conditioner. With (Name)’s phone playing music and the buzz of the AC, the pair were simply enjoying each other’s presence.

Until (Name) said that, and Tenma shot up from the floor. “Of course I do! Why would you ask something like that?!”

(Name), on the other hand, remained motionless on the floor, not even opening their eyes. “Maybe because you’re avoiding kissing me like the plague?”

Tenma’s shoulders fell. He had naively hoped that maybe his hesitance wasn’t too noticeable, but when his instinct was to literally run away, it would be hard not to pay any mind to it. 

Of course he was nervous, but the whole reason why was because they didn’t want to ruin something important to (Name). Tenma didn’t even consider the possibility that refusing to kiss them was equally as upsetting as having a bad kiss.

He sighed, looking down towards his lap. “It’s not that I don’t want to…”

(Name) peeked at him with one eye open. “It’s because you hate me?”

Tenma nudged their arm with his knee. “Stop putting words in my mouth!”

“I’m joking!”

Even if they were bothered by it, Tenma was lucky to have an understanding partner in (Name). Someone who deflected his emotional outbursts with playful banter.

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” Tenma repeated. He fidgeted with the hem of his pants. “I’m just nervous. I want our first kiss to be good.”

(Name) turned on their side, head propped against their hand, and looked up at Tenma. “Avoiding it altogether is a funny solution to that problem.”

“Yuki said the same thing,” Tenma grimaced. “Every time you and I lean in, I run away! I don’t know why! I—“

He was interrupted as (Name) sat up. “Close your eyes.”

“Huh?”

“Trust me?”

Tenma did trust (Name), so even though he was confused, he obliged their request. Maybe if he thought about it for a second longer he would’ve realized what was coming, but (Name) moved fast enough that their soft lips meeting his were an absolute shock. A short gasp was muffled by the kiss and Tenma opened his eyes in surprise. Does he kiss back? How does he kiss back? What does that even mean? Should his eyes be open? They probably shouldn’t. He closed his eyes again and tried his best to return the kiss, even with a complete lack of experience.

When (Name) pulled away, they giggled at the sight of Tenma’s eyes still being closed and his face being bright red. “It’s over. You can open your eyes now.”

There was another pause before Tenma actually opened his eyes, and he looked positively rattled by the experience. “Was it bad? You look like you’re about to cry.”

“I’m not! And, it wasn’t bad!” It was suddenly hard to keep looking at (Name) in the eye, so he shifted his gaze to the wall. “It was… really nice.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Tenma saw (Name) grin. In spite of the summer heat, (Name) rested their chin on Tenma’s shoulder, the side of their head brushing against his cheek.

“I thought the same thing,” (Name) smiled. “Now that’s a weight off both of our shoulders.”

Tenma wanted to believe the way his body was burning was a result of the weather, and he turned his head even further away. “… The first kiss was my whole goal for summer break.”

(Name) laughed, wrapping their arms around their easily flustered boyfriend. “Now the new goal can be as many kisses as possible.”

He might combust if that was the case.

natsumeku event masterlist | masterlists

[0798f]

🎇 — 夏めく祭 NATSUMEKU FESTIVAL!

At the beginning of summer each year, our little town celebrates the changing of seasons with the Natsumeku festival! For the week of the festival, our menu will be updated to include many delicious summer treats to help prepare for the festivities. On the day of, you can even find our booth at the festival! We hope you stop by for a snack before you set your lanterns afloat!

ON THE MENU...

06/01 — Sumeragi Tenma

06/02 — Haikaveh

06/03 — Levi Ackerman

06/04 — Utahime Iori

06/05 — Kozume Kenma

06/06 — Yoo Chunyoung

06/07 — Nijima Makoto

MASTERLIST...

Beginning of Summer — Sumeragi Tenma x Reader

Festival — Alhaitham x Reader x Kaveh

Vacation — Levi Ackerman x Reader

Last Summer Whisper — Utahime Iori x Reader

Rainy Season — Kozume Kenma x Reader

Thawing — Yoo Chunyoung x Reader

Hanabi — Nijima Makoto x Reader

[0798f]

💞 — Contrasts.

RELATIONSHIP: Oikawa Toru x Reader x Iwaizumi Hajime

SUMMARY: The ways Oikawa and Iwaizumi treat you are completely different,  but lovely all the same.

A/N: This originally started as just an Oikawa fic but I started thinking too much about Iwaizumi while writing.

Iwaizumi was subtle about comfort. So subtle that it probably wasn’t even visible to the average person.

The way (Name) clutched onto the back of Iwaizumi’s jacket as they walked might’ve looked cruel on an initial glance; the obvious thing for him to do would be to hold their hand, but (Name) often preferred this arrangement. Standing behind iwaizumi, their gaze on the ground and body nearly curling in on themselves, it was like (Name) was invisible. Iwaizumi’s large form blocked them from sight.

it was comforting, even if it was strange. (Name) hated having eyes on them. Sure, holding hands is perfect, but it was nice to let Iwaizumi take the lead and follow in his footsteps.

For Iwaizumi, he liked having someone depend on him. He was the ace, his team depended on him— and, so did (Name). Not for spiking the ball past blockers, but to be a pillar of support for his anxious partner (and for his other partner, but he would give Oikawa a much harder time).

An approaching car down the road stopped Iwaizumi from crossing the street, causing (Name) to bump their head against his shoulder. He turned his head and found (Name) looking up at him, still clutching on to the edge of his jacket. Iwaizumi brushed a few stray strands of hair from their forehead to clear a spot to press a chaste kiss.

Their face burned against his lips and they couldn’t help but smile. (Name) leaned forward to hide their face against the fabric of his jacket. Those small reactions were to everything to Iwaizumi, who never considered himself gentle until he met (Name). Being gentle meant that (Name) could be comfortable and be themself; indulging in this softer side of himself meant indulging in (Name).

“So, you’re sure he’s watching the match?” (Name) took a few steps forward and locked an arm with Iwaizumi. It was a cautious touch at first, until Iwaizumi pulled them closer so that they were flush against side. The shared warmth is cozy against the late winter air.

“I know he is,” he replied. “He said he was busy today. What the hell else would he be busy with today?”

Oikawa only ever had volleyball on his mind, so it wasn’t like he would suddenly be overwhelmed with school work the day Karasuno and Shiratorizawa were fighting for nationals. (Name) guessed so when he responded to their text, but they weren’t going to do anything about it until Iwaizumi showed up at their door and asked them to go watch the match with him.

He was proactive about that. If Oikawa was going to sulk, he wasn’t going to let him do it alone.

And sure enough, Oikawa was there, in his glasses sitting in the far back of the stands in an attempt to make sure neither team noticed him. The way he sat crouched in his seat, hugging his knees to his chest, told the pair everything they needed to know about his mood.

Iwaizumi wasn’t gentle when it came to Oikawa. Someone needed to remind him how much of a piece of shit he could be sometimes. But Oikawa knew it was out of love. That was why he did it on purpose sometimes, and then shed crocodile tears to get comfort from (Name).

“Didn’t you say you weren’t gonna watch, ‘cuz watching one of them win would piss you off?” Iwaizumi climbed over the first row of seats to sit down next to Oikawa, turning around to help (Name) over as well. They took the seat on the other side of Oikawa, surrounding him on both sides.

Oikawa flinched at the sound of his voice, but doubled down. “One of them has to win, yeah, but I get to watch one of them lose, too!”

Not taking his eyes off the court, Iwaizumi shrugged, “aha, I see. So you’re a jerk.”

Oikawa only pouted after hearing (Name) giggle. He leaned over and locked arms with (Name), resting his head on their shoulder. “Hey! (Name)-chan! Don’t laugh at that!”

He smothered himself against (Name) because they let him, unlike Iwaizumi. Where Iwaizumi was gentle and casual with (Name), Oikawa was almost suffocating— in the best way possible, of course. He was ridiculously affectionate with both of them, but (Name) was the only one who let him coddle them. Iwaizumi sometimes teased them by calling them an enabler, but who could say no to Oikawa?

(Iwaizumi, easily).

But (Name) didn’t, and so Oikawa pressed himself into their side and pretended that Iwaizumi didn’t exist. “You don’t think I’m a jerk, right, (Name)-chan?”

His eyes were glimmering with so much hope that (Name) wanted to lie to him to keep him happy, but one quick glance at Iwaizumi made them laugh again, much to Oikawa’s annoyance. “Well… I wouldn’t say it like that. Sometimes you’re…”

“An ass.”

“A prick,” (Name) countered, as if that sounded any better than Iwaizumi’s words. “But that’s okay. We like that about you.”

On one hand, his two partners just called him annoying. On the other hand, he was plenty annoying, and they both stuck with him despite that. Maybe even because of that, if (Name) was implying that they found it charming.

He was too proud to admit it right then, but he was beyond grateful that they didn’t let him watch the match alone. Oikawa had the feeling they would see right through him, and he was glad he was right.

Oikawa kissed (Name) on the jaw, then on their cheek, then leaned forward far enough to kiss them on the lips. “You’re lucky you’re so cute!” He turned around to glare at Iwaizumi, pointing at him accusingly. “You’re cute, too, Iwa-chan, but you’re hurting my feelings!”

Those hurt feelings were placated when Iwaizumi simply grabbed his outstretched hand and smirked at him. He rarely felt outmatched on affection, but (Name) and Iwaizumi were more than capable of surprising him when they worked together.

He felt (Name) squeeze his arm, and he leaned back in his seat. Their loss to Karasuno was still making him feel like shit, but at least his partners were there to keep him from despairing.

masterlists.

[0798f]

💞 — The Court of Public Opinion.

RELATIONSHIP: Navia x Reader

SUMMARY: The people of Fontaine are a little too nosy about you and Navia, and it’s making you a little too insecure.

A/N: Can I get a Navia in my life...

Word spread fast in the Court of Fontaine. It was great for those who enjoyed gossip— and (Name) fancied themself as one until the gossip was about them.

Everyone was treating this information as though it was some sort of scandalous secret they happened upon when it was truly mundane. So, someone saw Navia and (Name) on a dinner date, which was not out of the ordinary until Navia left (Name) with a goodbye kiss, which was more out of the ordinary. But it was just two people on a date! Why must anyone care?

That was being obtuse. People cared because (Name) was a common folk courting the likes of Navia. It made for an interesting story to whisper about as (Name) tried to take a leisurely stroll through the city. Everyone stared and under those intense gazes, (Name) couldn’t help but wonder what everyone was thinking. Were they happy that Navia found a partner after all the hardships in her life, or were they thinking that a gorgeous woman like her could do better?

If (Name) was forced to think about that any longer, they would’ve curled up in the middle of the street in despair, so they were lucky that Navia spotted them from down the road and ran to close the distance. She grabbed (Name)’s hands and pulled them forward for a delicate kiss on the cheek, unable to stop smiling into the kiss. Navia radiated warmth and cheer like the sun and it did wonders to soothe (Name)’s worries. But doubts like that are not easily quelled.

“(Name)!” Navia beamed and swung her partner’s arms side to side. “I’m glad I could catch you this early in the day!”

They swallowed their insecurities and hoped they would stay buried forever. “Ah, were you looking for me? My apologies…”

The noise Navia let out was somewhere between a laugh and a scoff, “no need to apologize, my dear (Name)! I simply had an idea for how we could spend time together tonight and I wanted to know if you were up for it!”

The idea that anyone, partner or not, would say no to such a cheerful offer was preposterous. (Name) squeezed her hands. “Navia, I would never turn down the chance to spend more time with you. What did you have in mind?”

The date Navia began to describe was quite extravagant and detailed in the way she knew best, and (Name) listened intently at the start but was sidetracked by some passerbys who should learn to regulate the volume of their whispers. “That’s Navia’s partner?” One asked, and the other nodded. “Strange,” they continued, “I always thought Navia would end up with someone more… important?”

The comment was a dagger to (Name)’s heart that they didn’t have the courage to ignore. They watched Navia’s animated explanation of a wonderful date filled with sightseeing and good food and saw the most beautiful woman in the entire world. How could (Name) compare? The people of Fontaine cared deeply about Navia and everything she did, so it wasn’t like they could just brush off their opinion. The court of public opinion was intimidating and (Name) didn’t enjoy being stared at and judged by everyone. Would they continue to make comments like that? Was (Name) supposed to simply endure?

Navia’s hands were a warm and welcome surprise as they cupped around (Name)’s face. The concern in her expression made (Name) realize that they must have gotten lost in their own thoughts while Navia was talking. “Are you alright? It seems like there’s something on your mind.”

She didn’t hear the comments of the passerbys but Navia was more than capable of reading her partner’s expressions. It was comforting yet frustrating— the last thing (Name) wanted Navia to worry about was their own insecurities. If Navia could relate to such thoughts, she didn’t make it obvious. Her optimism could turn even the greatest of pessimists to seeing the glass half full and she definitely seemed secure when confessing their feelings to (Name) a short while ago.

“Oh, please don’t worry about me. I got lost in my thoughts while you were talking, forgive me…”

“Again with the apologies,” Navia pouted, brushing her thumb over (Name)’s lips. “Something is definitely bothering you! Let me help.”

Deflection was never going to work, but (Name) couldn’t help but try. They drew the line there, though, because lying to Navia was a sin that could never be forgiven. Besides, who better to decide if (Name) was worthy of her love than Navia herself? There was no greater expert, so (Name) sighed and closed their eyes.

“Well…” they began. “It’s just… I feel a little… insecure, I believe? People have been making comments about us and… You’re the most beautiful, sweet, elegant lady I’ve ever met and I can’t help but wonder if I truly deserve to be at your side like this…”

With their eyes closed tight, (Name) had no idea what Navia’s reaction was. The silence that followed their confession was quite scary and their mind spiraled into a series of worst-case scenarios. What if Navia realized she deserved better? What if Navia realized how much brighter she burned than (Name)?

Instead, Navia whined and completely engulfed (Name) in her embrace, her arms holding them tightly against her chest. She pressed kisses to the top of their head over and over again, and even when (Name) tried to escape her grasp for air, she continued. (Name) thought that this was probably the best way to be suffocated.

“My one and only (Name),” Navia chimed between kisses. “Don’t let comments from strangers mean more than what we say to each other! You’re wondering if you deserve to be my partner? Without a doubt. You are worth the world and more, and don’t, even for a second, think otherwise. I want to stand side by side forever, alright? We are equals, no more of this ‘deserving’ nonsense.”

At such kind and earnest words, (Name)’s face burned against Navia’s chest. The sweetness of her response almost made (Name) forget they were standing in the middle of a busy Fontaine street. Almost. They seized the chance to straighten their posture so the scene was less Navia smothers (Name) to death with affection and more Navia and (Name) share a loving embrace. And with their head raised, they saw how many passerbys were looking at the pair with curiosity and mild disdain for taking up part of the pathway.

And, honestly? After what Navia said? (Name) couldn’t be too bothered about the stares.

“Thank you for reassuring me,” (Name) smiled. “You’re amazing, Navia, truly.”

“I am at my best with you by my side!”

All their negative thoughts were washed away as Navia took the opportunity to place a gentle kiss on (Name)’s lips, her hands resting on their waist as they savored the feeling of her unabashed love. A moment passed before she pulled away with a smile brighter than the sun.

“Now, back to that date…”

masterlists.

[0798f]

💞 — The Moon Hidden Behind Midnight Clouds.

RELATIONSHIP: Settsu Banri x Reader

SUMMARY: The flirting is meaningless and cruel, and you don’t believe Banri when he tells you otherwise.

WARNINGS: Self deprecation, self-loathing, implied depression, hurt no comfort.

A/N: A fic for all my fellow self-sabotagers out there.

Relatively speaking, Banri doesn’t spend a lot of time alone with (Name). They don’t go to school together, and their gaming sessions have a 90% chance of being hijacked by Itaru when he gets pissed off at randoms.

At the dorms, (Name) sits next to Banri. They pretend like they don’t, but (Name) hides behind him when they’re nervous. Banri can spend an entire day with (Name) at Mankai, but unless no one else was in the room with them, (Name) never really let their guard down.

So when he gets the chance to be alone with them, he savors it. Banri happens to run into them on Veludo way as he was taking a walk, when they were emptying their wallet for a street vendor’s taiyaki. He grins as he greets them, “yo, (Name)-chan.”

(Name) drops all their change on the ground (it was only 5 coins). “Banri-san!”

He can’t help but laugh, even though he can tell (Name) is mortified. Banri kneels down next to them to help them pick up the change, and their fingers brushing for not more than a second was enough to make (Name) flinch and apologize. Banri drops the coins into their palm, gently holding their wrist to make sure they stayed still.

“Thank you…” (Name) bows their head and finishes paying the vendor for their taiyaki. They take a large bite in an instant— the perfect image of a stress eater. “You scared me!”

Everything scares (Name). All he did was greet them. For some reason, he finds that charming. “Didn’t think I’d see ya today. The weather’s nice, wanna take a walk?”

He has half the mind to hold out his hand for them, but he stops himself. Banri’s tries to initiate contact with (Name) don’t usually end the way he wants them to; they run away from that sort of thing. They’re not completely averse, but they’re chaste. They tap him on the shoulder to grab his attention and place a hand on his upper back when their conversations delve into more serious topics. The most intimate they’ve gotten was when (Name) gave him a hug on his birthday, and Banri is embarrassed about how much he thinks about that.

“Oh, sure!” (Name) waits for Banri to take the lead. “Were you walking back to the dorms?”

Banri was, but that would make for a short walk. “Nah. Let’s walk along the river.”

(Name) nods, and they walk in the opposite direction of the dorms. The walk is silent at first, with (Name) scarfing down the rest of their taiyaki.

Banri desperately wants to hold their hand. He’s going a little crazy at the thought. It’s frustrating; it feels like they’re on the cusp of a relationship, but (Name) keeps running away. They’re receptive until Banri tries to get closer to them, whether it be through trying to know them better or even just complimenting them. (Name) runs, and Banri doesn’t understand why.

Maybe Banri’s jumping to conclusions, but he’s confident that he isn’t. He really likes (Name), and he’s pretty damn sure that they like him back. (Name) just won’t act on it. Is he not obvious enough with his feelings? Do they think he doesn’t like them back? Banri has been flirting with them for the better part of the year, but they’re hardly receptive. Sometimes they are, and Banri can enjoy the way their eyes light up for a brief moment, and then it’s as if they catch themselves and cut themselves off from listening to any more.

But the rare times (Name) does let their guard down stay fixated in Banri’s mind forever. He daydreams about (Name)’s face burning up and the smile that seems impossible for them to hold back on initially. Their eyes sparkle like it’s always the first time they’ve ever heard something kind, and Banri’s absolutely enamored with the way they hide behind their hands when they get too overwhelmed.

Each time, it makes Banri consider confessing, but (Name) curls in on themselves and their eyes glaze over with an emotion he can never pinpoint, and he knows the moment has passed. Next time, he tells himself, and then it never happens.

He’s not known for patience, so someone should be proud of him for how long he’s waited for an opportunity that (Name) seems to keep just out of reach.

Banri wonders what goes on inside their head, and there were many times he came close to just asking them directly, but he chickens out of it. He’s no coward, or anything, but (Name) is so quick to shy away from him that he doesn’t feel like he can risk it. After all the time it’s taken to get this close to them, to break down the walls that they confine themselves with, Banri never wanted to do anything that would scare them away.

Still— he longs for their affection. He wants to hold (Name)’s hand and kiss them. He wants to be their boyfriend, and he wants them to trust him wholeheartedly.

“Banri-san?” He blinks. They’ve stopped walking and (Name) is tilting their head up at him. “Are you okay?”

He wonders how long they’ve walked in silence. “Ya, I’m good. Just thinking.”

“About college and stuff, since we graduate soon? ‘Cuz that’s been stressing me out,” (Name) sighs. They lean against the railing that guards the edges of the path and stare out at the river.

The early spring breeze blows some hair away from their face, and Banri watches as the setting sun against the water reflects in their eyes. It’s like orange fireworks, and something about it steels his resolve.

Banri joins (Name) on the railing. “Not that. I was thinking about you.”

He keeps his gaze on the water, but out of the corner of his eye he can see (Name)’s head turn upwards to look at him. “Huh…?”

To be honest, despite how much Banri has thought about this moment, he never really prepared what he was going to say. He’s never confessed to someone before; he’s had girls confess to him before, and he’s had one previous girlfriend, but Banri has never been in this position before. And he knows he’s far from eloquent and he almost wishes he had a script to read off of.

Except he doesn’t. It’s just him and (Name) and he’s flying blind. “(Name), I like you.”

Banri finally looks at (Name), who seems frozen in shock. There are a lot of ways to interpret that, and he prefers to be optimistic about his chances, but things were never that easy with (Name).

They made things like this difficult. on Banri, and on themselves. Because on one hand, (Name)’s literally dreamed of this moment. A dream they found so embarrassing that they hard a time talking to Banri the next day after they had it. They’ve had a crush on Banri since they first met, which was months ago at this point.

On the other hand…

“Stop,” (Name) frowns, their gaze falling to their shoes. “Joking about that is mean.”

Banri furrows his brow. “Who said I was joking?”

“You have to be. You’re always joking when you say things like that.” (Name)’s gripping the railing so hard it’s starting to be painful.

He doesn’t want to get mad. But Banri raises his voice, scoffing, “the hell are you talking about? I was never joking. I’m serious. I’ve been flirting with you for ages, (Name).”

That’s not right. It can’t be. (Name) knows that can’t be true. They’re not any of the nice things Banri has said— not even close. The opposite, actually.

They’re nothing but a burden. They can’t do anything right and they drag down everyone around them. Mankai has provided (Name) with more positive interaction than they’ve ever had in their entire life, and sometimes they delude themselves enough to enjoy it without a care in the world. They love gaming with Banri and Itaru. They love sharing dessert with Juza. They love eating lunch with Tenma and Taichi.

But (Name) doesn’t deserve it; they never have, and they never will, because that’s just who they were. When Banri compliments them, they’re charmed for a moment before their brain reminds them that no one would ever seriously say those things to them. It’s impossible.

Or maybe (Name)’s managed to fool everyone into thinking they were someone they weren’t. Maybe the only reason anyone talks to them is that they’ve convinced everyone that there’s something good inside of them, when the reality is that they’ve been rotting away for years.

That’s not fair to anyone. Especially to someone who thinks he has feelings for them. (Name) was being cruel.

“I’m not someone who’s worth your time.” (Name)’s voice is so quiet and shaky, it almost fades away on the wind. They wish it would, and that they could follow suit.

So that was the mystery emotion Banri always saw in their eyes when he complimented them— self-loathing. Banri hates that his first reaction to everything is anger, but it’s also too late for him to calm down. He’s beyond frustrated— at (Name), at himself, at whoever made (Name) think this way.

He leans over (Name). He’s not trying to be intimidating, but it’s difficult for him not to be— not that (Name) is even looking at him, anyway. “Who’s tellin’ you that?”

(Name) could give him a name but it wouldn’t even matter, because the best answer will always be themself. They’re their own worst enemy. “I am. I’m telling you.”

Their knuckles are white at this point and their wrist is shaking from how hard they’re gripping the railing. Banri makes a move to hold their hand, and as much as it startles them he provides them with some relief from their own tight grasp. “Well, I think you’re full of shit. I think you’re worth my time— worth my time and more. I think you deserve the world and you can’t change my mind about that.”

Only Banri could say something like that in such in an aggressive tone. But his tone would never matter in the end, because all (Name) hears is static. They don’t believe they deserve to hear any of those kind words. Their hand is limp in his, but their whole body is shaking.

“I like you, (Name). I like everything about you. I’ll say it a million times until you believe me.” The worst part is that they both know he’s serious. Banri pulls (Name)’s hand up towards his chest, trying to get them to finally look up again. “Tell me you don’t like me if you really just want me to leave you alone.”

That’s all (Name) has to do for this to end. If they say they don’t like him, this pain would end for the both of them.

But when (Name) finally musters some courage to look up, the adrenaline leaves their body when they meet Banri’s eyes. He’s sincere, but most of all, he’s hurt, and it’s all (Name)’s fault.

The sun had just dipped below the horizon, and the orange sky was fading into shades of purple and blue. The faint orange glow of the sun hiding out of sight illuminates Banri from behind, and everything starts to get blurry in (Name)’s eyes— they’re crying.

It’s their fault any of this happened. They shouldn’t have pretended like they were normal— maybe Banri wouldn’t have liked them, then.

(Name) pulls their hand out of Banri’s and uses it to wipe their tears, but it’s in vain because more keep falling. “I’m sorry,” (Name) croaks, and starts walking away.

Banri wants to chase after them; he takes a few steps in their direction out of instinct, but stops himself. Even in his blinding frustration, he knows that there’s nothing he could say right now that would fix this. Nothing he could say that would magically make (Name) stop hating themself.

He can understand the self-loathing that (Name) feels. Because, right now, there was nothing Banri wanted more than to be able to help them— but he couldn’t.

masterlists.

[0798f]

💞 — Clocking Out.

RELATIONSHIP: Nanami Kento x Reader

SUMMARY: Nanami Kento is a workaholic, and that’s detrimental to your own sleep schedule.

A/N: It's in the background but this is some office AU, so unfortunately Nanamin is back to being a salaryman!

The sound of the front door opening alerted (Name) to someone entering the house. They sat up to stretch, their back hurting from the uncomfortable position they fell asleep in on the couch, and turned to look at the clock on the side table.

Well past 3 AM.

(Name) frowned, rubbing their bleary eyes. It was only about 8 PM when they began reading on the couch while they waited for their boyfriend to return home from work; the book that they were once reading was on their lap, open to the last page they were reading which was admittedly a little boring. Crashing on the couch certainly was not part of (Name)’s plan, but, then again, Nanami was supposed to be home around 8:30, so his day wasn’t going according to plan either, it seems.

Having taken off his coat and his shoes, Nanami walked into the foyer, footsteps quiet in a deliberate effort to avoid waking (Name), so his eyes widened upon seeing them sitting at the couch, looking up at him with a sleepy smile.

“(Name)?” Nanami meandered his way towards (Name) in the dim light. “What are you still doing awake?”

He reached his arms out to them, and (Name) met him halfway, bringing his hands to cup their face with a gentle touch. Even in their sleepy state, they leaned into his touch, an action that was instinctual by this point in their relationship.

“I feel like I should ask you the same question, especially since you told me you’d be home around 8.”

Nanami sighed, brushing his thumb against (Name)’s cheek. Even in the dark, (Name) could see how tired Nanami was. He was still as handsome as ever, but his hair was disheveled, and there were bags beneath his eyes. It wasn’t the first time he’d been home late (and probably would not be the last), but 3 AM was certainly pushing the line over what (Name) would reasonably accept.

“I would’ve been home on time, but Satoru didn’t have his paperwork done. I foolishly offered to help him before knowing just how much work he had.” The annoyance in his voice wasn’t hard to miss. To say that he didn’t have some sort of soft spot for the nepo-baby that was Satoru Gojo would have been a lie; had anyone else asked him for help, he would have most certainly declined.

It was cute. (Name) leaned forward, pressing their forehead against Nanami’s, just mere centimeters from their lips meeting. “Helping your friend is far from foolish,” they said, their lips ghosting against Nanami’s. They pulled back before he had a chance to close the distance, much to Nanami’s chagrin. “That being said, I wish you at least called me about being late. I fell asleep on the couch, waiting for you!”

There was a small part of Nanami that longed to pull (Name) back towards him, to find comfort in the soft feeling of their lips against his after a stressful day of near endless work, but wondering if that was a proper, gentlemanly action to take made him reluctant. His heart, however, had the reigns with his mind being tired, and he leaned in himself to steal that kiss anyway. “I’m sorry, love. Time got away from me.”

“No, no,” (Name) chided, turning their head slightly so that Nanami’s kiss landed on the corner of their mouth instead. Nanami furrowed his brows, giving (Name) a look that just screamed let me have this, but his pouting was only met with a cheeky grin. “As responsible and wonderful as I think you are, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit upset with you! You’ve been coming home late all week, but this finally pushes the line. I think you need a day off.”

(Name) could tell their words came as a surprise to Nanami in the way his eyes widened at the thought. He pursed his lips, evidently not fond of the idea. “While a break from certain slackers might be something I appreciate, I have too much to do to just miss work for a day.”

“It’ll only be for one day, Kento! You really deserve a break, y’know. You’ve done nothing but work hard since I met you, and I can’t recall a time between then and now where you set aside a day to relax. It’s not healthy, and I’m worried for you.” (Name)’s stubbornness and determination was something that Nanami fell in love with, but he absolutely hated how these traits of their’s were now being used against him. Of course a day off would be nice, but Nanami wasn’t exactly in a position to take many breaks.

On the other hand, his thoughts came to focus on (Name), as always, and he thought about how often he had left them alone in recent weeks. It seemed as though the paperwork never ended, and Nanami would remain glued to his desk until the pile was no more. He felt accomplished every time he managed to finish before leaving work, but the day had ended long before then, and by the time he’d get home, (Name) had already spent the majority of their night alone. Eating dinner by themself, settling down by themself; there were many times they were already asleep by the time Nanami got home.

And, looking at (Name) now, with their eyes bleary and filled with concern for him, well, Nanami felt his heart swell.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, I’m sure my boss would give me a hard time over it, but--” (Name)’s eyes it up as Nanami began to concede. “A day off, spent with you, would be wonderful.”

His charming smile and sweet words were almost too much to handle. (Name) pulled Nanami towards them excitedly to press a kiss to his lips. Nanami, caught off guard by the quick action, regrettably did not have enough time to savor the moment before (Name) pulled away to bury their face in the crook of Nanami’s neck. Their words tickled Nanami’s skin as they spoke with such relief in their voice, “thank goodness. I was worried that getting you to take a day off would have involved more convincing than that!”

Nanami let out a laugh, carding his hand into (Name)’s hair and pressing a kiss to the top of their head. “For you, love, I don’t need much convincing.”

masterlists.

[0798f]

💞 — Sonnet 18.

RELATIONSHIP: Dr. Ratio x Reader

SUMMARY: There is little time to spend together and there was little to be hidden.

A/N: I just like the secret relationship trope.

The Intelligentsia Guild worked alongside the IPC very closely. Most IPC agents were familiar with a few Guild members and it was common for both factions to work closely together on projects. Typically, though, those at the top of the corporate ladders only dealt with those of similar status to them. They had little care for what the average office grunt was doing.

Today, Veritas Ratio found himself at Pier Point for a routine visit to the IPC headquarters. He was perhaps the highest of the corporate ladder when it came to the relationship between the IPC and Intelligentsia Guild. Most scholars have never met a Stoneheart, yet Ratio worked with multiple members side by side to accomplish important tasks. In fact, his visit here was solely to meet with Aventurine about an upcoming excursion, in the gambler’s words, they would have to take to make a deal. 

So it was strange that, instead of going straight to the ornate IPC conference room to be fashionably thirty minutes early for a meeting Aventurine would be late for anyways, Ratio made his way to the IPC archives. It was a cavernous room filled with any data log relevant to the IPC; everything from future business prospects to client information that the IPC promised they didn’t keep. Ratio much preferred the leatherbound paper of a physical book, so these archives weren’t of much use to him.

A lone archivist was responsible for organizing and sending information across the IPC’s channels. It was not an enviable job; it meant spending hours and hours alone in a windowless, sterile room doing thankless tasks. But that archivist did not seem to mind too much. They sat at a large desk with a comfortable looking chair and extra comfortable looking blanket. With nothing in their queue right now, they used their computer to listen to music and scroll through social media. In Ratio’s opinion, it was quite unprofessional for his taste, but for this thankless job that no one else was willing to do, he understood why they would allow such a relaxed environment.

Ratio approached the archivist’s desk and addressed them, “(Name).”

(Name) looked up from their screen and smiled. It was a reserved smile betrayed by the sparkling in their eyes. They stood up, carefully putting their blanket behind them on their seat, and walked around their desk to properly greet the Doctor. “Ah! Dr. Ratio. It’s good to see you. Is there something you need from the archives?”

Now, the Doctor was more reserved than most. Most of the time he wore a bust because he couldn’t bear to look at the faces of the uneducated and rarely smiled even without it. No one could read his expression and whatever he was thinking was beyond the understanding of any normal person. Certainly beyond the scope of a common IPC grunt.

“Yes,” he began. “I was looking for you.”

In the empty archives, there was no facade necessary for them to keep up. And Ratio is reserved and patient at all times so he allowed himself to lower his guard in this moment. Ratio moved forwards and placed his hands on (Name)’s waist, pressing his fingers against their side. He pressed a kiss to (Name)’s neck, then another, and another, moving upwards until he reached their jaw. The premise of status disappeared and (Name) savored his embrace, giggling with each kiss and turning to face him once he reached their jaw. Their arms found their way around Ratio’s neck and (Name) leaned forward to steal a rare kiss from the Doctor. It had been several months since the pair had seen each other in person, and while messages were a decent form of communication, it could never replace the pure euphoria of being in each other’s embrace.

Those moments, though, are often too short. The couple separated, only for (Name) to pull Ratio in for a hug. There would be no greater scandal than such a low level IPC agent fraternizing with Veritas Ratio of all people, but amongst the shelves of data they were just two regular people. (Name) clutched wordlessly onto Ratio, savoring the feeling of his body against theirs. Ratio pressed a kiss to the shell of their ear then their cheek, his lips never leaving their skin. 

Their time together was always too short, but that just meant each opportunity was special.

masterlists.

[0798f]

💞 — I'm In Love.

RELATIONSHIP: Yu Narukami x Reader

SUMMARY: Over the course of a year, and then a little longer, you discover that Yu Narukami is easy to talk to.

WARNINGS: Spoilers for the entirety of p4g. Very long (5.5k).

A/N: A longer one-shot with a lot of ideas. Reader is the older sibling of p5 protag, because you can pry the headcanon that he's from Inaba from my cold, dead hands. You'll also have to forgive me for name inconsistency; I like 'Yu' better than 'Souji' but i also like 'Akira' better than 'Ren.'

APRIL 23RD 【CENTRAL SHOPPING DISTRICT, NORTH】

“Sorry, am i in your way?”

“Not at all.”

There was a person in front of the bulletin board. They were another student at Yasogami, judging by their uniform, but it wasn’t the same student who had told him about the upcoming job openings a week prior. 

Yu recognized this student as (Name), the person seated in the back corner of his class, closest to the window. Half asleep during class and out the door the instant the bell rang, Yu never had the opportunity to meet them. From Yosuke he learned that they were a fellow Junes employee, worked to the bone as much as he was, and from Yukiko he learned that they were practically the sole caretaker for their younger brother.

He was an only child, but Yu knew a thing or two about neglectful parents. Even if this was their first time speaking, there was a lot Yu could confirm from the way (Name) carried themself. When (Name) turned around to apologize, Yu noticed the bags under their eyes and the disheveled appearance of their school uniform. Then the hunched over posture of someone with the weight of the world on their shoulders, but wanted to take up as little space as possible.

There was no time before this to talk to (Name), and there would definitely be no time afterwards if they were going to pick up another job— and Yu was curious.

“Are you looking for a part-time job, too?” Yu stepped up to the bulletin board, but left enough room for (Name) to stand next to him. They took a step back, expecting Yu to block their way, but paused at the wordless gesture. (Name)’s hands fidgeted with the collar of their uniform, and with the passing of a few more seconds, stood next to Yu and nodded. “You already work at Junes, don’t you?”

They couldn’t possibly get any smaller in their posture, but they certainly tried. (Name)’s eyes were glued to the ground and their arms clutched tightly to their chest. “I do,” they mumbled. In his periphery, Yu watched as (name) shifted their weight back and forth. “Pay sucks. I need a second income.”

That was another thing Yosuke mentioned about working at Junes; they paid the most minimum of minimum wage. Yet it was still one of the more lucrative jobs in Inaba, where working in the shopping district may save you from the wrath of the town, but will leave your wallet rather empty after a full day of work. Yu squinted at one of the job listings— it wasn’t even paid. 

“That really sucks. Customer service is already bad enough, but here, your customers hate you for doing the work they’re asking you to do.”

A strained noise escaped (Name)’s lips. It was somewhere between a laugh and a scoff. “Exactly. It’s lame. Maybe getting a job at the shopping district will get them off my case.”

Whatever tension that may have been present at the beginning of the conversation slowly melted away. Yu smiled, “they should have some respect for Inaba’s hardest worker.”

Maybe it was his voice, or the fact that he was the charming new city boy and talk of the town, but his words struck a chord deep in (Name)’s heart. It was warm and inviting and it almost felt like being thawed from the inside out. “If only.”

The conversation was over with that, but it was a natural end. (Name) pulled a tab from the job listing for a daycare attendant, and waved goodbye to Yu. Yu grabbed a tab from every single job listing— yet was most excited for the volunteer paper crane folding position.

JUNE 20TH 【JUNES DEPARTMENT STORE】

“Oh, Narukami-san!”

“You’re supposed to be resting.”

The last thing Yu expected to see on a routine trip to Junes was (Name), who was rescued from the TV world, faced and accepted their own shadow to receive a persona, and was explicitly told to rest, just two days ago. Yukiko and Kanji were plenty evidence that, the longer the shadow was present, the more exhausted the user would be after defeating it. 

(Name) collapsed onto the ground the instant they accepted their persona. With this being the fifth time Yu had seen this happen, he was prepared; in one swift movement, Yu was able to catch (Name) before their head hit the ground. They reached up and clutched his wrist, squeezing gently as a quiet thank you.

“Yosuke-san said the same thing when I clocked in for work today.” The words were accompanied by an eyeroll. They continued to stock the shelves in spite of Yu’s judgmental but harmless stare. “I rested, I’m fine.”

At that same moment, (Name) knocked over a box of oranges. One poignant motherfucker escaped their lips, but any other curses they wanted to say were suppressed by their impressive customer service experience. They crouched down to start cleaning up the mess, with Yu following suit.

“Yeah, definitely rested,” he said. His tone was sarcastic but the slight upturn of his mouth let (Name) know it was nothing malicious. While picking up the oranges, Yu leaned in closer. “Dealing with your shadow and getting a persona is really draining. You should really rest as much as you can.”

Either the headache they had since being rescued from the TV world got much worse all of a sudden, or their close proximity was another issue for their brain entirely. (Name) had no prior experience with either, so both seemed like reasonable possibilities.

(Name) didn’t respond until all the oranges were back in the box. “Thank you,” they started. It was like their first meeting again— tense and awkward. There was a certain bite to (Name)’s tone that, while Yu didn’t think was directed at him specifically, made him hesitate. “I did rest as much as I could. I’m tight on cash. My mom hasn’t sent any money for the bills.”

It wasn’t that Yu forgot about (Name)’s situation— everyone in Inaba was acutely aware of everyone’s business, and (Name)’s poor circumstances served as nothing but gossip for the housewives in the shopping district. But he frowned because it slipped his mind long enough to say something touchy.

So he apologized, “sorry, I know you don’t have it easy.” 

Yu narukami’s ineffable sincerity humbled most people in its wake. He was supposed to be the trendy and electric city boy— and maybe he would’ve been the spitting image of one if Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko weren’t the first people to befriend him. Or if he had been disgusted and bored by the sheer nothingness to do in Inaba. Or, and most likely, if he didn’t become the leader of the Investigation Team and have the pressure of protecting his friends and the town at large.

But even if all that did happen, Yu would still probably be the same guy at heart. The guy who fed the stray cats in the rain and risked his life in the TV world to keep strangers safe. He was an honest guy through and through.

It hurt more to be mad at him. “No, sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped. It’s just… tough. I don’t know. I hate acting like this. At work, customers get pissed, and at home, my brother gets worried.”

“No worries.” Yu smiled, and it was like the sun breaking through on a cloudy day. “I understand how you feel.”

It was funny, because when they first met a few months ago, Yu couldn’t empathize with anything about (Name)’s situation, apart from the casual parental neglect. He didn’t have a younger sibling to take care of, he didn’t have a dire need for cash, and he didn’t have anyone’s expectations. But Nanako called him big bro’ and he suddenly became the lead investigator of a supernatural murder mystery. Igor told him he was on an important journey and he had to pretend like that didn’t keep him up at night.

Funnier that (Name) usually hated when people tried to say they understood how they felt. The housewives that didn’t hate them for working at Junes said that to them sometimes, as if their failing marriage or the affair they’re having with a handsome man from Okina was anywhere remotely relatable to being a family’s sole breadwinner at 16 years old. But, when Yu said it, there was an air of remorse and solidarity; he stood up straighter and didn’t say it like he knew better— he just knew.

“Your little bro’ is Akira-kun, right? I think he and Nanako are friends.” The change in subject reminded the both of them that the world was still spinning, and (Name) returned to stocking the shelves with the slightly bruised oranges that they hoped no one would give them shit for. 

Yu only meant to lighten the mood and could not have predicted the way (Name)’s eyes lit up and entire demeanor changed at the mention of their younger brother. They nodded, “that’s him.” For the very first time, months after meeting them, Yu saw (Name) smile. It was small and only noticeable because Yu found himself studying (Name)’s face closely, but it was there, and it made him smile in return.

“You’re right. He was telling me about Nanako-chan the other day when he got back from school. Said they feed stray cats on their walk home.” They were a few years apart, but the elementary school and middle school were right next to each other, so it wasn’t surprising that the two knew each other. (Name) nudged Yu, the small smile turning somewhat mischievous. “You must be rubbing off on everybody. The cats in Inaba are gonna become spoiled.” 

Yu laughed. Even with as little rest as they got, (Name) seemed brighter. It made him feel brighter, too.

“Good. Cats deserve nothing but the best.”

AUGUST 21ST 【TATSUHIME SHRINE】

Yu didn’t realize this would feel like a date until he realized he was struggling to have a conversation with (Name). It had become so easy in the last few months that it felt so foreign and wrong to be lost again.

“... I’m the only one you invited?”

The hustle and bustle of the summer festival felt so distant, even if it was only a few feet away from where they stood at the shrine’s entrance. He looked (Name) in the eyes once when they arrived, then lost the courage to do so again. His eyes darted everywhere from the ground to the night sky— everywhere but (Name).

Yu scratched the back of his head. “Yeah… I felt bad that you didn’t join us yesterday because you were too tired from work. I didn’t think you would go alone, so I wanted to invite you.”

The poignant silence afterwards made Yu want to crawl into a hole. He might’ve actually done so if he made eye contact with them in that moment, so he stuck to the concrete. A meiou cricket hopped over his foot.

“Well.” He had no idea how much time passed before (Name) finally spoke up again. It could have been any time between 5 seconds and 3 hours. “You’re right, I wouldn’t have gone alone… so, thanks. I’m glad you invited me.”

Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but the tension didn’t fully disappear. At the very least, He gained the confidence to look at (Name)— who seemed equally as awkward as him, if not worse. Their hands covered their face and they were practically squirming in their personal bubble, as if they were contemplating fight, flight, or freeze.

Maybe it was a little cruel, but knowing that he wasn’t the only one with their heart beating out of their chest made him feel a lot better. It didn’t make him feel less awkward, but it made him crack a smile. “Great, let’s go.”

Walking around made them feel better. The warm lights, happy voices, and smell of food reminded the pair just how lovely Inaba could be. The summer festivals in Tokyo were big, loud, and fun, but for a popular yet isolated guy like Yu, they were exceptionally lonely. A spectacular fireworks show didn’t have the same impact when he had to enjoy it alone.

But he was not alone this time, and it was as nerve-wracking as it was thrilling. They made conversation about school, their friends, their hobbies— anything, really. Yu never had a difficult time talking to them once they joined the Investigation Team. Sometimes (Name) was still timid, but from the depths of their psyche, buried by immaculate and demoralizing customer service, Yu slowly discovered a side of (Name) that was blunt and sarcastic.

“What the hell.” (Name) leaned over Yu’s shoulder to count the number of goldfish in his bowl. “24!? Geez, how are you so good at everything?”

Yu laughed and emptied the bowl of goldfish back into the pool. His high score secured him a large Jack Frost plushie that he tucked under his arm (the existence of persona merch always freaked Yu out. Are his frost family personas based off his memory of seeing this merch, or does this company know about personas? The latter option ate away at him sometimes). “It’s probably because I spend so much time fishing.”

“Please explain to me how your fishing skills translate to goldfish scooping,” they scoffed. “You have to be strong to reel in a fish. You have to be delicate to keep your poi from breaking. I don’t see a connection.”

“Technique.”

“Technique,” (Name) repeated, but with a serious furrowed brow that made Yu chuckle again. Their head tilted to the side when Yu held out the plushie to them. “... For me?”

It could have been the ego boost from crushing at goldfish scooping, or the atmosphere of the festival making his heart feel lighter and less embarrassed— either way, Yu felt a surge of confidence that was painfully absent when he was fumbling around with (Name) at the gate.

He nodded and placed the plushie in (Name)’s arms before they had the chance to refuse. “You can tell Akira-kun that you won the best prize for goldfish scooping.”

(Name) opened their mouth to speak, but no sound was heard. Instead, they shook their head with a smile and clutched the plushie close to their chest. Yu Narukami really was too much sometimes. An impossibly straightforward and kind guy that was easy to fawn over. 

Not that (Name) was fawning. They didn’t think they were, anyway; anyone would feel like that around Yu. ‘That’ being their heart skipping a beat and butterflies threatening to burst from the pit of their stomach. That was normal. Right?

The more (Name) considered it, the more embarrassing the answer became. And that was something they weren’t prepared to confront right now— not with a murder case, the Midnight Channel, and the fog looming over their heads. (Name) swallowed the thought down before it could consume them whole.

Yet they still let their shoulder brush against Yu’s as they walked. Yu didn’t know what to make of it. Neither did (Name). But it was startlingly natural, and they both liked it. A lot.

As the night winded down, the pair found themselves on the front steps of the shrine. Much of the crowd, especially the children, had already gone home for the night, leaving a more quiet atmosphere in their wake.

“It’s getting late,” (Name) pointed out. “Let’s pray for a blessing then leave, yeah?”

Yu nodded, but it wasn’t like either of them really wanted to leave. But they both had family to return back to— younger siblings who would be upset if they were out later than their bedtime. He turned towards the shrine and paused to think. He spent time at the shrine nearly every night to catch bugs and beg the offertory box for a good blessing, so it’s very familiar to him. At the same time, though, it felt different. Probably because (Name) was leaning against his side and his heart was beating like crazy, but who’s to say?

He pressed his palms together and closed his eyes. There was really only one thing to pray for. “I hope we get closer,” he whispered just loud enough for (Name) to hear. Yu chewed the inside of his cheek and tried to pretend like he wasn’t completely red in the face.

Yu didn’t have to look at (Name) to know their reaction. From the way their body tensed after he spoke and the silence that followed, he imagined they looked pretty similar as they did when they were standing outside of the shrine gate. 

“Geez,” (Name) huffed. The ambient noise of the festival and Inaba at night was drowned out by their intense heartbeat. With their eyes closed and shoulders touching, it was like they were the only two people in the world at that moment. It took a moment for (Name) to collect themself, and when they did, they elbowed Yu’s side. “You’re too much.”

It wasn’t a rejection. Yu grinned from ear to ear. “Sorry,” he mused, but he wasn’t really. “What did you pray for?”

when he looked at (Name), they made eye contact, then (Name) turned away in an instant. They kicked the ground and fidgeted with their sleeve, while their free hand shakily grabbed Yu’s. He blinked, looked down at their hands and back up at (Name), and slowly intertwined their fingers.

“The same thing.”

DECEMBER 3RD 【DOJIMA RESIDENCE】

“You didn’t have to walk me back home.”

“Oh, don’t even start with me, Yu-san.”

It was hard to see at this time of night. The fog obscured the moonlight and made it near impossible to see the empty, dark Dojima residence.

To say it was a long day would be the understatement of the century. Everything that happened was simultaneously a blur yet clearly and vividly in the forefront of Yu’s mind. He couldn’t believe the day started out normal.

Yu stood up straight with hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket. He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Because how could it? He had to smile because (Name) was standing next to him. He was the leader of the Investigation Team. He kept everyone calm, collected, and from committing manslaughter by throwing Namatame into the TV. Yu had to be stability, their voice of reason.

“I’m alright, really,” Yu insisted, even though (Name) didn’t say anything to prompt him. “Don’t worry about me.”

(Name) sighed, “Yu-san…”

He didn’t look at (Name) because he didn’t think he could take it. They were probably staring at him with a furrowed brow and a frown that would make Yu feel guiltier than he already felt— if that was even possible. It’s his fault any of this happened.

The key in his pocket was cold against his skin, and he clutched it so tight that it left a mark on his hand. There was nothing Yu wanted more in that moment than to crawl into bed and sleep, but his hands were shaking so bad that he couldn’t fit the key into the lock.

He only fumbled with the key twice before (Name) intervened. They grabbed his wrist and pulled him to face them. Yu’s eyes remained fixated on the door. “You don’t have to pretend like you’re fine. Today was— it was insane. You had to watch Nanako…”

(Name)’s voice cracked. Even just the memory was enough to make them choke up again, and, next to them, Yu struggled not to break down. His sweet little sister deserved nothing but happiness, but it was his fault that she got trapped in the TV world. His fault that she was in there long enough to get sick from the fog. If he had gotten through the dungeon faster, if he had grabbed her from Namatame right away instead of trying to reason with him, She would have been alright.

He couldn’t protect Nanako. How could he protect his team? The town? Yu couldn’t even figure out who the murderer was, and they were chasing them for months.

So if he can’t do anything right, the least he can do for everyone is remain calm. 

“Nanako pulled through.” That was the truth. The doctor said she pulled through because she heard everyone’s voices calling to her, and while Yu wasn’t sure how scientifically accurate that sounded, it made him feel like he did something right. 

(Name) pushed their way in between Yu and the door, forcing him to look at them. “I know she did. But she…” Again, their voice escaped them. The memory was too horrible, too wrong, and too close to home; Nanako was like the little sister to everyone on the Investigation Team, but (Name) also had a younger sibling of their own, and if anything were to happen to him, (Name) would never recover.

To be honest, (Name) was fine with throwing Namatame into the TV world. There was nothing in their heart in that moment other than pure contempt and hate for the man they believed killed Nanako. If Yu hadn’t reminded them things weren’t adding up, the Investigation Team would have had blood on their hands.

That’s why he was their fearless leader. A leader so fearless he couldn’t even cry when Nanako died and had enough mental fortitude to calm them down right afterwards. There was a lot to admire about someone so strong, but he was still human. And humans have limits.

“No one should have to go through what you went though,” (Name) started. They brought Yu’s hand close to their chest to try and comfort the both of them. “Listen, I get it. You feel like you have to be unbreakable because you’re our leader. But… we care about you. We dont want you to hide your pain just to make us feel better. That doesn’t make me feel better.”

A burning sensation behind his eyes made him freeze. Yu can’t. He can’t cry in front of the investigation team. They’ll figure out he was really a coward— the guy truly worthy of the fool arcana.

(Name)’s body was warm against his hand, and their heartbeat steadied his own back into a comfortable rhythm. They took one step closer, breaking into his personal space so he couldn’t keep ignoring them. “I get how you feel, but… we’re here for you. I’m here.”

Yu didn’t realize he started crying until the tears landed on his arm. A flood of tears that Yu had held back for who knows how long rushed out with an ugly sounding sob, but for that moment, Yu didn’t care. he let himself crumble in (Name)’s arms, burying his face in their neck as he grasped the back of their jacket. This time, (Name) was the strong and resolute pillar of support, tightly hugging him so he could feel grounded.

For once, Yu let himself share the weight of the world.

MARCH 20TH 【YOMOTSU HIRASAKA】

Hands of of pure darkness pulled Yu down into an endless void. It was pitch black night initially, until there a flash of light as his body hit the ground. Fog surrounded him, and his memory suddenly flashed back to his first night in Inaba, where his dream was filled with fog and he summoned Izanagi for the first time without understanding anything. When the true culprit was just a silhouette, an idea, and not the goddess Izanami herself.

Yu deserved to die like this, he thought. Drowning in the fog he tried so hard to overcome. It was a fitting and cruel end for the so-called leader who couldn’t even protect his own teammates.

Yu didn’t know exactly what happened. The shadow approached him, hands manifesting from the darkness and reaching out for him, Izanami laughing in the distance. Yu readied his sword, hoping he could at least parry some damage away, but he heard Yukiko’s voice call his name, and he was suddenly pushed aside. Yosuke and (Name) screamed, Rise shreiked something in his ear, but when he regained his bearings and looked back to where Yukiko pushed him, she was gone. Nothing but the shadow hands receding back into the darkness.

He waited for Yukiko to appear again. She couldn’t just be… gone. That wasn’t right. But they faced another brutal attack and Yukiko was still gone. The realization washed over him that she wouldn’t be coming back, but he couldn’t even let that sink in; if he had that realization, then Yosuke and (Name) did, too. 

And they did exactly as he feared. First was Yosuke, who tackled him out of the way of the shadow before he could stop him. Yu couldn’t do anything but watch as the shadow consumed Yosuke, his best friend disappearing into the darkness. He thought he would have been prepared to stop (Name) from doing the same, but Izanami sent the shadow for him again he saw (Name) running for him out of the corner of his eye. Even as he grabbed onto their arms, begging them not to do it, (Name) was able to push him out of harm’s way just enough for the dark shadow to latch onto them instead of him.

The shadow ripped (Name) out of Yu’s grip, leaving him to scramble to try and grab them again, to stop them from disappearing like Yukiko and Yosuke, but he couldn’t reach. His fingers ghosted against (Name)’s hair as they sank into the darkness. Despite Yu’s failure, despite everything, (Name) managed a smile.

“Sorry.”

They were gone, Yosuke was gone, Yukiko was gone, and there was no one left to face Izanami but Yu. But who was he alone? nothing. Izanami sent the shadow after him again, and there was no one left to sacrifice themselves for his sake. This is how it should have been, Yu thought as the hands grabbed him. It should have been me.

He didn’t know if he was alive or dead, nor did he really care. There was no point after letting his friends die. Yu laid motionless in the middle of the fog, waiting to fade away and pay for his failures. Yet Yu remained— there was a reason he was still here. 

A voice called out to him. It started out as a whisper in the back of mind, then surged to the forefront to be so clearly Margaret’s voice. Yu forced his eyes open to see the velvet room attendant standing before him.

“Get up,” she commanded. “You are not someone allowed to fall here.”

Yu didn’t get a chance to respond before she disappeared into the fog as quickly as she arrived. Loneliness and hopelessness began to creep in on him as soon as she left, but in her place, a visage of his uncle appeared to give him encouragement as well. Then Nanako, then his classmates, all the people he met while working— even Adachi appeared to give him a bittersweet backhanded compliment.

Then the Investigation Team. They begged him to get up again, for him to keep going, as if they weren’t the ones who laid down their lives before him. It would have been enough for Yu just to see them again, but their pleas pulled his heart from the fog to remind him why they wanted him to live in the first place.

His eyes widened and his whole body tensed when (Name) appeared before him. The mysterious light in the fog behind them made them look ethereal— even more so when they smiled at him again. “I know we ask so much of you,” they started, and Yu already wanted to cry. “But, please get up. We need you. we’ll be by your side when you do. We’ll do this together.”

The weight of the world was on his shoulders, and he had been acutely aware of that for almost the entire year. It was a burden to him, a source of his anxiety and nightmares. But if it was the burden he had to take for all the precious people in his life, he would do it a thousand times over. With their help.

Yu Narukami had the strength to stand again.

JUNE 15TH 【SAMEGAWA FLOODPLAIN】

“You look exactly the same.”

“No I don’t!”

“What changed?”

“I’m taller.”

He wasn’t incorrect— he had grown about 5 centimeters since he left Inaba last year, but (Name) rolled their eyes and nudged Yu with their elbow. They laughed in spite of their feigned annoyance, harmonized with the sound of the flowing river and cicadas. 

“Okay, you’re taller,” (Name) conceded. “That’s still the only change. At least change up your haircut like the rest of us.”

It was fitting, though, that Yu had barely changed since he left. He spent everyday wishing he could be back in Inaba with the rest of his friends, who still had each other for support and could move forwards in their life. So they got new clothes and new haircuts and tried to make physical progress that Yu could see when he came back to visit. Yu, on the other hand, ate beef bowls to reminisce about Inaba at a hole-in-the-wall Chinese place that didn’t hold a candle to Aiya.

He was terrified that things would be awkward when he came back. That he would have been gone so long that they would have all moved on without him. It was a silly fear in hindsight; they loved Yu more than anything else in the world and welcomed him back with all the excitement, extravagance, and chaos one would expect from Inaba’s one and only Investigation Team. It was like Yu never even left.

There was a still a change. His fingers intertwined with (Name)’s without apprehension. (Name) leaned into his side and rested their head on his shoulder without hesitation. The year apart replaced their timidity with an unrelenting desire to be close to each other at all times. Rise called it sweet, Teddie told him it was unfair.

When the Investigation Team finally gave him some free time, Yu dragged (Name) to the floodplain so they could sit at the edge of the river together. His thumb traced circles on the back of their hand, trying to engrave the feeling in his memory. He would be back in Tokyo at the end of the summer, after all.

(Name) thought about the same thing. “You just got here, yet I’m already worried about when you’re gonna leave again. I don’t think I could take it again.”

They curled in closer to Yu, burying their face against his neck. To be honest, Yu didn’t know if he could take leaving again, too. It was hard enough the first time.

So Yu thought of other options. “I start university in the Spring. I’m gonna be moving out from my parents’ place, so I’ve been looking at apartments.”

A dry laugh from (Name) tickled his skin. “What a coincidence, I was also looking at apartments near Tokyo University. It’ll be hard to pay for a two-bedroom apartment on my own, even with how much I saved up. I need… a roommate.”

Yu pulled (Name)’s hand to his lips and kissed their knuckles. “A roommate? Is that the only thing you’re looking for?” (Name) turned their head to look up at Yu, who smiled. “How about a partner?”

“Yosuke is your partner.” It was hidden against his shoulder, but Yu felt the way (Name)’s mouth curled up into a smirk against his shirt.

His hands moved, his left on (Name)’s cheek to tilt their head up and his right gently touching the back of their neck. “Semantics,” Yu replied with a smirk of his own. “He’s my partner. I’m your boyfriend.”

It was said with a confidence Yu never could have managed just a year again, even though it was the first time he said it aloud to (Name). Because he was their boyfriend, and he was the leader of the Investigation Team, and he helped save Inaba and his precious friends. Yu decided that maybe he had finally done enough to be proud of himself, and he could revel in it just a tiny bit.

With that confidence, Yu leaned forward before (Name) had a chance to respond. It was a little clumsy, with neither of them knowing what to expect— It was a first kiss for both of them, after all. He felt (Name)’s hands fumble against his chest before grasping his shoulders to steady themself.

The kiss was the aftermath of a year of longing. A year of lingering gazes and timid touches, a desire to be close outweighed by a heavier responsibility to save the entire world. Now that responsibility was behind them, leaving no obstacles in between them.

They only broke from the kiss when they needed air. Yu didn’t move far; he leaned back in and bumped foreheads with (Name), gazing into their eyes with all the affection he could muster.

(Name) laughed, “you’re too much.”

masterlists.