irisintheafterglow

[irisintheafterglow]

send sick fic recs please because i have been sick for several days and at this point it might be better than medicine

[irisintheafterglow]

he's different, in a good way.

you realize this on the drive back from the museum, the gps navigation on his phone steadily guiding him to the restaurant near your apartment. one hand holds the wheel, and the other rests comfortably in your lap; his fingers are entwined with yours and his thumb brushes mindlessly against your skin. long before you had your epiphany, sakusa noticed how you couldn't seem to stop looking at him and had decided not to comment on it. until--

"omi?" you ask at a volume barely perceptible above the already quiet music on the radio. "can i ask for an odd favor?" his eyebrows pinch, puzzled, but he nods. maybe you wanted to change where to eat, though he wasn't sure why you would phrase it as 'odd.' you'd definitely requested weirder things over the course of the 18 months you'd been together.

"of course." he catches the way your throat bobs as you swallow. were you nervous?

"can you...can you tell me this is real?" his heart feels like it's been stuck like a pin cushion. what had he done to make you doubt him? his mind starts racing and you read the minute changes in his expression instantly. "not that i think you're lying to me or anything," you hurriedly amend and part of him relaxes, the other part completely confused. "i just feel like you're too good to be real."

"your ex didn't set a very high bar, to be fair," he mumbles with only the faintest trace of malice. the corner of your mouth tugs upward.

"it was two months, omi."

"two months too long," he deadpans. "you shouldn't have had to date him at all."

"but if i didn't date him," you point out, "i probably wouldn't have taken such a long break from dating before i found you. who knows how different this would be if i didn't have that stupid summer fling?"

"i would have found you, dating break or not," sakusa concludes and you chuckle, more at ease. the car settles into comfortable silence again while he racks his brain for something to say. "i think i'm gonna kill him if i ever cross paths with him." you click your tongue and bite back your grin, failing to appear indifferent over the prospect of your boyfriend beating the shit out of your ex. "i'm serious."

"'olympic volleyball player jailed for random assault' will probably fuck up future brand sponsorships," you joke and he shrugs nonchalantly.

"just saying. i'd never get in a relationship with you just to tell the press that i have a partner like it was a box on my to-do list," he says, "nor would i only call you when it's convenient for me and then be completely distracted while talking to you."

"i'm starting to regret telling you about how terrible of a boyfriend he was," you admit as he makes the turn into the parking lot of the restaurant. he shuts off the car and releases your hand.

"stay there, please," he commands while he climbs out of the car and goes around to open your door. "did he remember to do the simple stuff like this?"

"on occasion," you answer and he takes your hand in his again as you step out of the car. "but i think it's differences like this that make me wonder if i'm truly in the right reality."

"i'm real," sakusa states with a squeeze of your hand. "you're real. we are real. and i'll be damned if it was any other way."

shoutout mysterious sakusa anon i hope you like this one pookie

[irisintheafterglow]

holding hands isn't enough I need yor to have a very mild injury that gets blown out of proportion to the point where twilight beats the shit out of a bunch of people just to get to her (only to find that she is, in fact, just fine) and then realizes that he would do anything for her even without the mission

[irisintheafterglow]

you had a creep-sized problem, and you spot your solution sitting on a bench next to a pretzel cart. he doesn't have time to brush you off before you're hurriedly making your case.

"hi there," you begin with a shaking voice. "i'm so sorry, but would you mind walking me just a little bit that way?" you point past the arena's third-floor gift shop toward a hidden walkway designated for volunteers and staff only. his surgical mask covers half his face, but his abrasive nature is clear in his body language.

"ask someone else," he replies dryly and shifts away from you, but your sound of panic makes him pause, slightly irritated why you continued to bother him. "what?"

"i just need to get over there, past that," you elaborate, pointing in the same direction but lingering your hand over a figure stalking you in the distance. he clocks the guy pacing a few yards away to block your path, a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. the guy is holding his phone in a way that allows him to quickly point it and take a photo before the victim is none the wiser, and you'd caught him following you through the glass reflection of a soda fridge. with only a few minutes left until you had to start your shift, you needed a way to bypass him without drawing too much attention to yourself, so you roped in the nearest strong-looking guy to hopefully escort you to check-in. "please. i work the merch stands, i can get you a free shirt or something."

for a moment, you think he's going to refuse again and you're on the verge of apologizing before he mutters a barely perceptible "fine." he stands to his full height, and it makes your mouth go dry. he could be one of the olympians, all broad-shouldered and strong-calved. his figure was relatively lean, but you couldn't help but notice the way his muscles rippled under the tight fabric of his track jacket. without another word, he positions himself on your left side between you and the creep and begins walking.

"i like your jacket," you offer. if he was going out of his way to help you, the least you could do was make polite conversation. you hurry behind him and miss the way the crowd of game spectators stop in their tracks to look at your escort. "first time at the olympics?"

"been here before," he answers and you're surprised by the way annoyance has disappeared from his voice.

"oh, really? do you have a favorite event?"

"volleyball," the stranger replies without hesitation.

"that's mine too. all the teams are really talented this year, but i think japan is in it to win," you agree and he hums in what you can only consider as amusement. you don't notice the way the crowd pulls out their phones and whispers among each other, pointing at his mask-clad face and the two moles above his eyebrow barely covered by a perfect black curl.

"you think they'll get gold?"

"i'd be shocked if they didn't, what with the new guys they just signed and all. that spiker from the private school in tokyo is supposed to be super good." you accidentally bump his shoulder as a marker and poster are shoved in his direction, but think nothing more of it.

"mmm, the germaphobe with the mask," he deadpans. "people think he's a freak."

"i think the mask makes him cooler, the mystery of it all," you argue obliviously, and he glances at you and your endearingly clueless nature. your eyes sparkle. his cheeks feel warm under the fabric of his mask.

a few minutes later, he deposits you at the staff check-in and nods a curt goodbye.

"i'll be coming to collect that free shirt," he concludes with the barest hint of humor in his voice. at ease, you finally crack a smile and thank him profusely before he turns to leave. you've just finished signing your initials when you finally notice your supervisor staring at you. her eyes dart between you and the receding silhouette of your bodyguard down the hall; specifically, the words printed on the back of his jacket you were so busy admiring earlier.

men's volleyball team - sakusa kiyoomi.

bear with me i haven't written in a long time but i miss my silly little volleyball player grump of a bf so badly

[irisintheafterglow]

mutuals our souls are aligned i mean hi

[irisintheafterglow]

suggestive if you squint. 18+ anyway pls <3

i am struck by the idea of a kid telling summer camp lifeguard!sakusa that his cat must have been mad at him the day prior. you catch the exchange in passing while handing out bags of chips at lunch and think nothing of it, until you catch atsumu looking at you with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"mister sakusa doesn't have a cat, my friend," atsumu calls from the picnic table over with half a turkey sandwich lodged in his mouth. "though if he did, he'd probably train it to vacuum up its own hair, or something." you raise an eyebrow but still think nothing of it.

"really? then what's with all these red scratches down your arm?" the camper asks, and you turn just in time to see bokuto spit out some of his juice box. next to him, hinata's ears go red, and he hides his face in his hands. kuroo's kids think he's crying, but he's really just tearing up from laughter. you hope no one notices how you momentarily go deathly still, sweat suddenly bursting from every duct in your body, and your face burning more than a whole day in the bright august sun.

sakusa forces his face to betray nothing, even as the children continue to bombard him with questions after being puzzled by their counselors' reaction to a seemingly innocent question.

"do you have a dog instead?"

"i don't. they're too much energy and i'm already tired with you guys all day."

"oh! did you fall from a tree?"

"no, i did not. the ability to climb trees weakens as you grow older." his answers are too patient and too bland, so the kids naturally become a little more...imaginative.

"were you scratching mosquito bites?"

"i always wear bug spray."

"did you get a tattoo but, like, not want it?"

"that's not how tattoos work."

"then, did you get rabies because a squirrel attacked you?"

"firstly, no," he says when his patience starts to strain, "and secondly, i would win against a squirrel." you can't help the smile that breaks onto your face at that, and you settle next to him on the bench and ignore the way his muscular thigh automatically seeks out contact with your leg. you shoot him a look from the corner of your eye, one that makes osamu snicker in the seat across from you two. the questions continue and the mystery of sakusa's scratches starts to spread.

"did you get hurt by yourself? or did something hurt you?"

"finish chewing what's in your mouth, please," you say gently while handing the camper a napkin.

"i wouldn't say that it hurt," he states plainly and the heat comes back into your cheeks. "it definitely wasn't a bad experience." you clear your throat and watch osamu stand to throw away a piece of trash just to conceal his chuckling. you swat sakusa's leg under the table and fight to keep your face even as you feel him catch your wrist and lace his fingers in yours.

"but your ouchie is red," points out another kid, "and when my cat scratches, that's what it looks like."

"that's what it looks like when my baby brother scratches me, too," someone chimes in and a few turn to look at her as she shows the aftermath of her long-nailed sibling on her forearm. "but your scratches look bigger, not like a kid doing it."

"huh," he deadpans. "guess it'll just remain a mystery, then." he squeezes your hand and lets go, looking at the angry red lines down his arm with an odd sort of pride.

you're glad the kids don't make the connection between the spaces between the scratches and the distance between your fingers.

[irisintheafterglow]

thoughts are thonkin' about summer camp counselor!gojo

"hmm, let's go with truth."

"do you like any of the other counselors?" ooohhhh. the children in the circle around you lean forward in anticipation. you can practically see the excitement in their eyes and you coyly dodge the question, well aware their reactions would be less than satisfied.

"oh, yeah! i like all the counselors!" you chirp happily and the kids groan, protesting 'not like that!' or 'you know what we mean!' you ignore them and push on, continuing, "shoko's basically my best friend, and i actually met her through this camp a long time ago; geto always lets me borrow his hairties; nanami...i guess i appreciate him for trying his best and coming back year after year." a few of the older campers from the cabin nanami always took charge of (because "they were more mature," in his eyes) snicker at your commentary on their favorite grumpy counselor, but one little girl in a purple tie-dyed shirt persists. you recognize her as one of geto's immediately; he always called dibs on playing 'mother' for the littlest ones in camp.

"what about counselor gojo?" her eyes are big and curious, still intrigued by your answers even when the rest of the group has moved on.

"remember, you can only ask one question per turn," nanami announces blandly from across the circle, though you do notice that the edge to his voice is gentler than usual. as much as he complains about the energy of the younger campers, he always seemed to be softer with them; though, you've never commented on it for fear of him becoming self-aware.

"he's right. that's two questions, my friend," you reply kindly, quickly moving the hot seat to the next camper, one of shoko's wearing a brown camp shirt. "alright, looks like it's your turn. truth or dare?"

"i hope you rascals are behaving. it's laps around the tennis courts if you're not." the front door to the main house opens and shuts, shoko entering with a train of middle schoolers at her heels. they'd embarked into the summer night to retrieve a camper's water bottle that was left at the edge of the lake. now that she's returned, her group eagerly makes room for her and the rest of their cabin until the circle nearly covers the entire living room. "they have behaved, right?"

"of course," you confirm. "they've been nothing but angels since you left." shoko hums and raises her eyebrows once, unamused. "what, you don't believe me?"

"nah, just that gojo's kids must not be here yet." you fight down the smirk that wants to appear on your face when, at the exact moment shoko comments on their absence, the loudest and rowdiest cabin arrives at the house. "speak of the devil-"

"i literally just got relaxed," mumbles suguru while he sits down with a disposable cup of warm tea from the kitchen. his girls lean over to see what he's drinking, asking if they can try some too. "later, later. let's all make room for counselor gojo's cabin, my friends."

"oi, wipe the dirt from your shoes or i throw you in the lake!" his cabin drawls out a half-hearted response, stamping on the welcome mat before filing into the living room. gojo's voice was still outside on the front porch. over the years, you learned he always took up the rear when his cabin was on the move, letting the most energetic of the bunch lead from the front and herding any stragglers at the back. according to your girls, he was the notorious 'hot camp counselor' that all the cabins fawned over. they called him charming, blushing over how carefree he was and how handsome he was when he smiled. you tried not to feed into any rumors about you and gojo having a thing for each other...

but he made it pretty difficult when he shimmied into the seat next to you and stared at you like there weren't several dozen children watching your every move.

"hi. you come here often?" he greets with a blinding smile before turning to the rest of the group. "so, what are we playing?" he sits with his legs crossed and one arm propped up behind you, the arm closest to you so that it occasionally brushes your shoulder. you shoot him a look of warning and he winks at you, going back to camp counselor mode in a split second. "this looks like a great truth or dare circle."

"it was, but there might be too many friends to play that game now. plus, we were only playing it to kill time," suguru says. the current number of campers made it hard to entertain everyone with a simple game like truth or dare, so it was up to the counselors to figure out a different game.

"i think kamo and todo's groups are still at the pool," shoko reminds everyone. "nanami and i can take a group over if you wanna go." a camper from nanami's cabin raises his hand.

"but aren't we still waiting for counselor haibara?" nanami shakes his head, the keys attached to his yellow leopard print lanyard jangling around his neck.

"counselor haibara's cabin is on dishes duty tonight. they're probably gonna go straight to bed when they're done."

"which will be soon for all of you, especially you little ones," you point out, glancing at the girls falling asleep on either side of suguru. all of the conscious campers grumble and you smile. they had so much fun every day of camp that they never wanted to go to sleep. "c'mon, you have to sleep if you still wanna do s'mores at the bonfire tomorrow." this raises their spirits a little bit and they come to the consensus that they need to play one more game before they go to sleep.

"alright kids, whatcha wanna play?" satoru folds his sunglasses and sticks them on the collar of his camp shirt. you ignore the way his bicep flexes under the rainbow tie-dyed fabric, willing the heat in your cheeks to dissipate. "there's heads up seven up, mafia, assassin-"

"can you tell us one of your stories, counselor gojo?"

"yeah, tell us a story from when you guys were campers." you can hear the gears turning in satoru's head and you lay a hand on his shoulder before he can launch into his tale.

"hold on, just so we're clear: you get a story instead of a game, is that okay with everyone? if we're not done by," you glance at the clock, "9:30, we'll save the rest of the story for tomorrow night, good?" the entire group nods their agreement, aside from the littlest ones who were dozing in suguru's arms. the kids get comfortable, leaning on each other and wrapping sweaters around their bodies like blankets. "take it away, then," you say to satoru.

"cool! i think i'm gonna tell you all about how i confessed to my camp crush," he states and you catch every other counselor in the room roll their eyes. somewhere across camp, a shiver probably ran up haibara's spine. evidently, satoru notices too, as he points at the rest of the counselors accusingly and says, "hey, just because you've heard this before doesn't mean i don't get to tell it again!"

"we didn't just hear it before, gojo," shoko says, rolling her eyes. "we were literally there." their beloved counselors becoming like characters in a fairy tale entice the kids even more to listen.

"so, a long, long time ago-"

"like when the dinosaurs were alive?"

"hey, i'm not that old," he frowns and the kids break into giggles. "anyways, a really long time ago, i had the biggest crush on another camper. the first time i saw them was at the lake. i was so shocked by them that i fell off my paddleboard."

"no way!"

"aww, that's so cute!"

"it's true," comments suguru after a sip from his tea. "i was in a kayak right next to him and he was so distracted, he ran into a rock and flew forward." more laughter echoes around the room and you even see nanami trying to hide a small smile.

"so, how'd you start talking to them?" you ask with a sparkle in your eyes.

"that's the thing," satoru continues, waving his arms around in dramatic gestures for emphasis. "for a while, i didn't even talk to them. i was so nervous and they were so pretty, like they were totally out of my league!"

"i don't think anyone's out of your league, counselor gojo," swoons one of the little ones from suguru's cabin. "i bet that person had a crush on you too, but you didn't know it!"

"that's very nice of you to say," satoru replies, briefly meeting suguru's eyes. suguru shrugs over the lid of his cup, his face an expression along the lines of 'i didn't teach them to be that friendly to you.'

"when did you actually start talking to them, counselor gojo?"

"yeah, and what did you talk about?"

"did you kiss them-"

"or did they kiss you first?"

"ew, kissing! gross!" the group teeters on the edge of falling into chaos, but it's exactly where satoru thrives.

"wait, wait, wait. too many questions, friends." all attention in the room snaps back to him. "and for the record, i did not kiss them the first time i talked to them," satoru reiterates with a nervous chuckle.

"then what did you talk about?"

"the easiest thing to talk about when you're here at camp," he replies. "i asked them if they wanted to see the stars with me." the lightbulbs blink to life in each camper's head and they grin in understanding. the area's constellations and views of space were always a fan-favorite, no matter the year. it was the one event every single camper and counselor looked forward to, and each person had a designated 'space buddy' to look at the stars with (and to also ensure no one wandered off in the dark woods alone). "i asked if they wanted to be my space buddy and, thankfully, they said yes."

"who was usually your space buddy, counselor gojo?" suguru wordlessly raises his hand on the other side of the circle. "wait, then who was counselor geto's space buddy?"

"it's how we became friends, actually," answers shoko. "counselor gojo stole my usual space buddy, so i had to partner with someone else."

"aww, that's so cute! wait..." the dots start to connect in the campers' minds and you stiffen, praying they didn't see the connection between the earlier truth-or-dare question and shoko's explanation. one of the older kids narrows his eyes at you, flicking between you and satoru with great suspicion.

"didn't you say earlier that shoko was your-" one of the littles can't hold their question and interjects before the big kid can finish their sudden inquiry.

"counselor shoko, who was your usual space buddy?"

"oh, it was always my best friend," she says without hesitation, looking over at you innocently. "and, if you didn't already know, my best friend is-"

"it's 9:30, big kids pack it up," nanami cuts in and you exhale, wiping your clammy palms on your shorts. a glance at satoru reveals him as suave as ever, but you do notice the single bead of sweat running down the side of his temple. "don't complain. you're already out later than i usually let you."

"that goes for you too, my littles," suguru says, ushering the sleepy children out the door after the bigs. "night, guys," he waves before stepping outside.

"we should probably get going, too. we'll tell the rest of this story tomorrow." as shoko's cabin leaves, satoru catches your eye.

"you wanna head out first or should we?"

"we can head out together, no? our cabins are right next to each other." the tiniest smirk appears on satoru's face.

"sounds good, you lead the way."

as both your group and satoru's walk out of the main house, you linger behind and let your kids navigate back to the cabin. when you're sure none of the kids are watching, you casually brush your hand against satoru's. he reacts immediately, lacing his fingers in yours and giving your hand a squeeze.

"hi, boyfriend," you say low enough that only he can hear.

"two more days," he mutters mostly to himself. "two more days and then i have you back to myself."

"c'mon, shouldn't we give back to the camp that brought us together in the first place?" you keep your voice as quiet as possible to not draw attention from the kids, your conversation blending with the sounds of the swaying forest and calling birds. "it's good karma, don't you think?"

"sure. doesn't mean i don't get mad when i can't love on you." you can hear satoru pouting even when you can't completely see his face. "are we ever gonna tell them about us? it's been a few years; most of the little ones we knew first are with nanami now."

"maybe we can tell them tomorrow. give them a little brain exercise trying to figure out who was your space buddy on that fateful night," you tease. he bumps his shoulder against yours, daring to sneak a kiss on your cheek. "satoru-"

"i know, i know. i just need reassurance that you're still mine, sometimes." the light of the cabins come into view and you reluctantly pull away from satoru. "ouch," he winces like he has a rock in his shoe. "i don't like that at all."

"what, me not holding your hand anymore?"

"mhmm, so don't be surprised if i tell the campers tomorrow," he says with an air of finality. "i'll take the teasing and the pestering as long as you're okay with it. i just can't take not being able to kiss you."

"of course i'm fine with it," you nod, finally catching up to your groups. you give them the signal to go inside and get ready for bed, stalling outside with satoru until you run out of time. "i'll see you in the morning, counselor gojo." he makes a gagging face that forces you to cover up a snort with a fake cough.

"if that sleeping bag isn't warm enough, you know where to find me," he says with a smirk as you begin to walk away. his body moves before his mind knows it, catching you by the wrist before you're too far. "hey. i love you." his gaze flickers between your eyes and your lips. he was so desperately trying not to kiss you.

"i love you too," you murmur, seeing more sparkle in his eyes than in all of the campground. "sweet dreams, my love."

"sweet dreams, space buddy."

if you enjoy my writing and would like to support me, you can buy me a coffee on my ko-fi! you can also check out my full masterlist here :)

[irisintheafterglow]

sakusa big bicep 🤤🤤🤤 i need him so bad

-mysterious sakusa anon

nonononono but like anon anon anon listen to me hear me out

after you start dating, summer becomes the best season because his arms just THERE. like BOOM MUSCLE TANK. BOOM COMPRESSION TEE. BOOM NO SHIRT AT THE POOL. gym photos are just him one arm and holding the camera at the mirror with the other.

wait i'm going feral now lemme cook

msby pool and bbq party and you finally convince him to get in the water with you but after a while he just hangs out with you on the side as the sun dips low. his arm just draped over the side of the pool,,,,, the other one pulling you close,,,,,,i need to be put in a mental hospital over him.

[irisintheafterglow]

"i should've just made this a series," i say to myself as i continue to write multiple parts into a single one-shot

[irisintheafterglow]

HEAR ME OUTT. Asking BLLK boys for gym pics w rin, kaiser, nagi, isagi, bachira & shidou

📸 ₊˚୨୧— Gym Pics.ᐟ

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ: Asking your boyfriend for gym pics .ᐟ —SUGGESTIVE

ꜰᴇᴀᴛᴜʀɪɴɢ: Michael Kaiser, Itoshi Rin, Shidou Ryusei, Nagi Seishiro, Bachira Meguru, Isagi Yoichi .ᐟ

♡ ᴍɪᴄʜᴀᴇʟ ᴋᴀɪꜱᴇʀ .ᐟ

His gym sessions were quite relentless, he worked his ass off in the gym, always came home looking absolutely delectable. Towel over his shoulders, hair scattered across and his gaze half-lidded, exhaustion evident in his gaze as he opens the door with a creak, a heavy sigh slipping out of his lips as he shuts it behind himself, kicking his cleats off, heading for the showers, purposely flipping his hair infront of you once, twice, until you comment on how hot he looks after returning. Same routine.

Which left you wondering, that if he looked like this after the gym sesh, how good would he look during it? And what better than to ask your very helpful jerk of a boyfriend? You'd had suggested the idea to him a few times before, "Micha, Gym pics when?"

He had brushed it off all the time playfully, taking it as a joke, 'cause he's very locked in at the gym; no texts, no calls. It's not like he told you not to, you just knew better than to disturb him while he's working out. But one day, one day you really needed one, for whatever reason, let's just say you were feeling horny lonely and you missed your boyfriend. So you texted him despite your better judgement; "Kaiser, please. One photo isn't too much, ja?"

His phone buzzed, which was surprising. No one ever texted him at this hour. He thought of ignoring it but his curiosity got the better of him. Unlocking his phone, he read the text, a smirk quirking up on his lips. "You're so desperate, engel.", "You're getting blocked for that jargon." and before you expect another cocky or dramatic reply, Ping!, attachment- one image is what you read as you clicked on the picture before ascending, you were swept with what you saw; A gym picture. More specifically, he's in the restroom infront of a mirror, shirt off and hanging from his shoulder, flexing his biceps while his abs are on full display for you, beads of sweat coating his skin like a sheen, hair falling over his eyes, head slightly tilted to the side, letting you see the blue rose tattoo of his neck along with the veins as he's leaning over the sink counter with a smoldering expression. "Forgive me, schatz?" is the caption. How could you not?! This was the best apology in the history of mankind. "Too speechless? I guess we'll 'talk it out' when I get there." is the last text before he turns his phone off and you nearly stop yourself from throwing yours across the room.

♡ ɪᴛᴏꜱʜɪ ʀɪɴ .ᐟ

Rin is hot, extremely. You know that. And he returns from the gym looking neat. He doesn't realise it, (maybe he does, who knows.) but he's a walking national threat when he wears that sleeveless black tee, cuz the weather's too hot. And that too, a compression tee. You can see every inch of his skin through the T-shirt but he's flustered inside unnervingly calm about it.

You had asked him before, just one time, maybe twice..thrice, only for two months. He was always adamantly set on denying. He wouldn't admit but it was goddamn embarrassing for him to even imagine pulling out his phone in the middle of a set, walking up to a mirror, pose, and snap. He is just disgusted by the thought of people glancing his way while he does this. So no matter how much you asked, "No. You know I'm not gonna do that." while mumbling 'lukewarm things', 'half-baked questions' under his breath. But frankly, he had grown used to you asking that question before he left for the gym, and nowadays, you didn't. It didn't feel the same. He had to do something, even at the cost of his pride.

You're watching silly tiktoks on your phone, occasionally sending him a few cause you know his phone stays on silent when he's at the gym. Until..you get a notification back. You were startled to see; "Rinnie 💋: sent an image!" Your fingers practically flew to check the message. There it was, a gym picture! and you were floored at what you saw, jaw hung open at the sight before you. You couldn't believe that this man sent you a gym pic, the one who refused such things even in your dreams, was now standing infront of a full body-mirror, hair covering his eyes, grey sweats and a black tee, with a simple pose. He held the phone infront of his face, in an attempt to hide his blush, but you knew his hands were trembling because the photo was a little blurry—not blurry enough to not show the veins cascading down his toned arms as his hand was shoved into his pockets, neck tense. The arm which propped the phone up, was tense like he was pleading with his body to stay with him, his triceps on a perfect display as he captioned the image, "First and last." but toast to him, because now it's a tradition for him to send you atleast 3 images per week. Gets him hyped up.

♡ ꜱʜɪᴅᴏᴜ ʀʏᴜꜱᴇɪ .ᐟ

He's a well sculpted man, he never fails to show it. Roaming shirtless around the house, purposely forgetting to bring his towel into the shower, (you're cooked). He loves when you look at him, and he goes all out to prove that. You don't need to ask him for any pictures, a hint that you like him working out is enough for him to send you a gym pic everyday—he's just that horny generous.

Like I mentioned, you just need to compliment him after he comes back home from the gym. Sweaty, tired, filthy and clingy. His hair is usually weighed down from his strict workout, "Gotta keep these muscle babies up', what if ya leave me if I don't?" Dumbass. He purposely puts up the most dramatic muscle-man show infront of you all the time for you to give him some attention and praises. "Ryu, baby, looks like you've been hitting the gym a little harder." and he grins wide, nodding eagerly. "Mhm, of course you'd notice." and consider your job here, done, just that, you're set. From the next day onwards, you're getting your daily wages.

Evening, exactly thirty minutes after he's left, a notification sound erupts from your phone, one you specifically set for his chat because opening this man's texts in public is a biohazard-ic crime to society, if that even makes sense. You never know if it's the most heartfelt love confession, an "I burnt the toaster." the most devious memes ever, or you know, just a casual greeting from his mini-shidou. But today, it wasn't any of the aforementioned, it was him, wearing a beige loose tee, it wasn't a mirror picture, he set that phone on a dumbbell with a timer, standing infront of it, lifting his Tee by it's hem, his flexed biceps and abs glistening with sweat as he stuck his tongue out, his other hand shoved into his pocket, letting you see every carved detail of it. The air was knocked out of your lungs as you practically gawked at his picture, unable to reply. "Hey pretty baby, I know you saw that. No words?" and you coughed, brain still malfunctioning, "Just come back, Ryu. Right now." Safe to say, he paid for the gym membership, and you paid for Ryu-membership. He's gonna send you stuff everyday now.

♡ ɴᴀɢɪ ꜱᴇɪꜱʜɪʀᴏ .ᐟ

Now, for the sake of this scenario let us believe this lazy ass dude goes to the gym. (Which I think he maybe does, because bro's panels are always sick), there's no other way he has such immaculate abs. But Seishiro is unbothered, it doesn't really matter to him whether he has abs or not. But he finds your interest in them a hassle bit amusing.

You've asked Nagi to send you some pics, and he just looks at you like "Huh? Gym pics?" and you grin at him, "Yes. You heard me." He thinks about it, one one hand he's confused why you wanna see him sweaty and tired, though he doesn't have any objections, he's too lazy to come up with that. And on the other hand, clicking pictures is so troublesome, it's a hassle. "...fine." He's been saying that since a long time but he forgets everytime. Begrudingly, he gets up in the evening after relentless honking outside from Reo's car (recent chapters 💔) as he comes and picks up Nagi for the gym. Nagi tells Reo about how you've been asking him for gym pics, and he provides him motivation to do so. He's gonna help.

Your phone buzzes, it's a picture from Nagi, You sit up straight on the couch because he finally sent you a picture. You open it and it's the messiest photo, because you can literally see the full length mirror slightly cracked, a set of fingers, most probably Reo's, curled up from behind, holding up the mirror, because Nagi fell ontop of it once. While Seishiro is trying—trying to pose, his posture is still slumped, his fingers pushing back his hair and his head tilted to the side, so you could see his neck, His T-shirt tossed aside, his other arm holding up the phone. You could see everything, his sweats hung low on his waist, revealing that delicious V-line for you while his expression is neutral, not tired, just neutral. Like he's giving this a second thought, waiting for your reaction. "No more, please." He captioned. What you send him next is a flurry of almost unintelligible texts with spam clicked emojis, hyping him up because goddamn, you want more. When he reaches home, he tells you how much of a hassle it was, and that he won't do it again. But the next day, click!, another picture, which is slightly higher in quality, dimmer lights, a better view, no cracked mirrors and no third person.

♡ ʙᴀᴄʜɪʀᴀ ᴍᴇɢᴜʀᴜ .ᐟ

Now, Bachira was anything but shy. He didn't really care, he could roam butt-ass naked around the entire house flashing you whenever you looked at him. But there was something about how he looked when he was exhausted after working out. That half-lidded gaze, yet still a goofy grin on his face? Yes. And he absolutely would comply with your requests, no hesitation.

He's lying on the bed with you, spooning you from behind while you're poking at his arms. They look good. He's been working on them, of course they do. You shift in his grasp, turning to face him as he pops a lazy eye open, waiting for you to speak. "Megs." you look at him with your signature grin, one he's grown used to, he knows you're up to no good, but so is he, anyway. "Yes, sunshine?" you poke at him, "I like your arms." and before he can react, "I like your shoulders. Your chest. Your abs. Everything." and he grins wide, arms tightening around you. One thing you knew for sure, you could get anywhere with this man with praises. "Thanks, sweetheart. Gym is crazy." And then you drop the bomb over him. "Pics or it didn't happen." and he looks at you, blinking, confused as he tilts his head with a low, "Huh?" and you giggle, rephrasing yourself for him once again. "So you want gym pics." And that's about it, he agrees quickly, too quickly, because he will not waste any opportunity to have you look at him and praise him. Babyboy.

Next time he's at the gym, your silly little notification sound goes off, one he set himself, a picture popping over your screen, and god, you are asking the divine itself for patience and sanity, because this boy is just so edible. It's a selfie, except, the hem of his usual jersey, (yes, he wears a jersey to the gym) is tucked between his teeth, holding it up so his abs are served out on full display for you, his honey eyes narrowed at the screen, the lighting is dim, his surroundings aren't visible, but what matters is he's flexing his bicep, rippling with veins. caption? "Here, lovey.😝" And after your garbled rambling, since then, you always get your daily fill of evening snacks.

♡ ɪꜱᴀɢɪ ʏᴏɪᴄʜɪ .ᐟ

Isagi hardly cares about the way he looks, but to say he works hard at the gym would be an understatement. He probably uses those poor equipment to cool off the rage he doesn't even know how or why, exists, and he doesn't get it either why you'd wanna see him all sweaty after gym, sure, he does know why, but he doesn't see the appeal.

He looks scrumptious after gym, hair slightly pushed back, his tee clinging to his body as he walks with that concentrated little frown on his face that he doesn't know he acquires when he's focused. So, naturally, you wanna see more. And also very naturally, you've been asking him for some gym photos for a few weeks now, and he too, brushes it off thinking that you're just teasing him. Until you make it clear that you're not. "Isagi, you MUST send me some pictures." You nudged him while he dried his hair, raising an eyebrow, "It's a must now? Why so?", "You know, boyfriend duties!", and you only get a grin from him as a reply. How rude.

The next day, he leaves at his usual time. And you're not having it anymore, he's 15 minutes in, and his inbox is swarmed—no, bombarded with texts, all from you. He sighs audibly loud, walking over to the restroom, shutting it behind him with a click. Exactly ten minutes later, your phone buzzes with a notification, it was a picture. Finally. You opened the image, and you could feel yourself levitating closer to the divine, because holy—the photo may've took a long time, but was worth every second. It was him, his leg propped up on the countertop, his shorts ridden up, revealing his toned thighs. His hand holding up the phone was flexed, muscles tight, while the other hand was in his hair, dragging it back, giving you a full view of his forearms. His face was covered by the phone, but you knew he was blushing, you could see the flush on his neck. He captioned it; "You can quit whining now, babe." He was trying so hard to be cool, a little too hard. "You took ten minutes for that?" But you knew, a few flirty comments from you, and it's game over for him at the gym, and game over for you when he comes back.

A/N: W request. 😝

Thanks for reading .ᐟ

Likes & Reblogs would be highly appreciated .ᐟ 🎀

[irisintheafterglow]

sakusa anon… please …. more sakusa… me beg 🙏

oh my sweet sweet sakusa anon....i have unearthed an immortals!au drabble that i am fleshing out into a full one-shot so prepare for something slightly deeper than my usual sakusa-big-bicep-thirst-god-i-want-him-so-bad content haha

[irisintheafterglow]

iris!!! hello!! how are you!! it’s been a while since i’ve popped in to send a message but i hope this half of the year has been kind to you 🥺 i am bringing fresh flowers and cookies! 💐🍪 for a sel question, i’m wondering—what are you most grateful for this past half a year? 🥺

HI SEL OMG it's been so long i'm gonna cry lol but it has been pretty okay !!!! i am putting the flowers in a vase and pouring a big glass of milk to go with the cookies hehe

this past half a year, i'm most grateful that i've become pretty damn good at being independent and being okay by myself, which is still surprising to me because i've relied on validation from other people for so long in the past (shoutout gifted kid burnout) on a less serious note i'm also grateful that i've finally raised my standards in what i want in romantic relationships LMAOO like i've matured to the point where i'm not just blindly throwing myself at whatever hot person looks my way

speaking of love !!!! how is your wedding planning going !!!!!!! any other details you would like to share??? perhaps dress shopping adventures or flower arrangements??? thank you for dropping by sel :)))))

[irisintheafterglow]

I may have followed you for your anime fics, but I am absolutely floored by couldn't make it any harder. You have just dragged me back into my Robins obsession.

OMGGG this is the highest form of praise :'))) to be told you followed for one fandom but then i adequately wrote for another ashdfasdgsakljasd thank you so much anon <33

read the dick grayson drabble "couldn't make it any harder" here!

[irisintheafterglow]

Me, selecting filters on Ao3

[irisintheafterglow]

ever since writing mma!sakusa i've been thinking about other hq players as mma fighters,,,,i think i've come up with my new au hyperfixation for the month

like ok hear me out:

sakusa dabbles in a little bit of everything but prefers muay thai because he will always choose striking over grappling.

kuroo, on the other hand, is the most annoying mf in the gym to spar with because his grip strength is out of this world. everyone agrees he's the most irritating judoka to go against simply because he's so lanky and pins you before you can even realize you're on the floor. so many ippons that there's a bingo card in the locker room.

atsumu is a kickboxer, through and through, and is an asshole about it. he has the most dangerous legs in the entire gym.

osamu is a wrestler. i don't make the rules except i do

suna practices brazilian jiu jitsu in such a calm and collected manner it frightens people. kita is the only person in recent memory to make him submit.

iwaizumi mainly sticks around to make sure no one dies but has the meanest right hook.

[irisintheafterglow]

MILV (mutual id like to visit)

[irisintheafterglow]

couldn't make it any harder

summary: being in love with dick grayson sucks. dick grayson being in love with you? possibly worse.

cw/tags: reformed playboy!dick grayson, childhood best friends to lovers, angst/fluff with happy ending, reader fell first but he is down BAD, explicit language, absolutely terrible communication on both sides

note: SHOUTOUT DICK GRAYSON FOR GETTING ME THROUGH MY WRITER'S BLOCK RAHHHH also i forgot how much i like writing angst, like even though it pains me to read it is sooooo fun to write angry characters lol. again this was supposed to be shorter but hey at least it's not big ol' one-shot 1k words it's 100 way from being that though

hope you like it :) hello dc enjoyers :) hello dick grayson enjoyers :)

"people like you don't fall for people like me."

there's a pause and everything is still except for the steady rain coming down in sheets. it's the furthest thing from a romantic moment, yet he still looks just as beautiful all the same. the water makes dick's suit glisten, the lightning blue bird in the middle of his chest catching glimmers of flickering streetlight. he looks like a symbol. he looks like a god. and there you were, without an umbrella, something between frustration and pure grief driving your words.

"you don't know that," he replies roughly. it would sting less if you had cursed his entire bloodline for generations to come. "you can't say that." you scoff.

"oh, can't i?" the muscle in his jaw tightens; you want to punch it. why he was angry, you had no idea, but the red in your vision was practically scarlet. "we've known each other our entire lives, grayson. you tell me how many times i've settled for whatever piece of shit comes my way because i've learned my lesson. i've fallen for people like you, however perfect and charming they are, and i know for a fact that they never fall back."

the bouquet of flowers that he'd kept in his fridge all day to bring you after patrol lies forgotten on the sidewalk. it'd been like this since you'd broken up with your last boyfriend four months ago, and your best friend began filling the void that your ex left behind. you didn't start thinking too much of it until dick started looking at you with too much care, a tenderness in his eyes that was setting off every alarm bell in your mind. suddenly, the constant excuses to see you, buy you dinner, clean up your apartment, and all the other times he simply appeared by your side made sense. you finally realize he was pitying you while you were sitting at your kitchen table, watching black clouds roll over the starless sky, and rushing out the door to get some air. he'd caught you walking aimlessly on an empty street, landing in front of you with a dramatic flourish that quickly deflated when he saw the way you were glowering at him.

"really? who, then?" he doesn't raise his voice but he does step close enough to almost be chest-to-chest, emboldened. he was the greatest detective in the city, for fuck's sake, and he's used his skills for his entire life to remember every little detail about you. dick knows everything, down to your shoe size and favorite pair of sheets, so it'd be a new experience for him to learn about one of your crushes that he hadn't already figured out. "what self-righteous, talk-of-the-town playboy did you fall for that made you think you deserve anything less than everything i want to give--"

oh.

the realization hits him right in the abdomen, sharp and present as a bullet.

it's him. he is the reason you think he'd never love you anymore than as a friend.

he can't tell if the moisture on your face is mostly rain or tears; the look on your face is worse than a punch to the stomach. your bottom lip trembles as you look up, close your eyes, and take a breath. yet, when you finally fill in the empty space in the argument, your voice is still helplessly shaky.

"i've been in love with you for my whole life, dick," you sniffle. "i've seen the way people fall at your feet, how you make them seem special and then move on like they were less than the dirt under your boots. you can't blame me for hitting the panic button when god forbid you start making me feel special." the rain starts to lighten. his fingers twitch at his sides, unsure of whether to wipe your tears or take your hands.

"i'm sorry," he murmurs, slowly raising his hand to cup your cheek, his thumb brushing the fresh wave of emotions falling down your face. the world must be ending, you think to yourself. dick grayson is apologizing to you. "i'm sorry i ever made you think i was pitying you."

"do you actually pity me?"

"of course not," he answers without hesitation, his expression hardening into determination. you can't see his eyes behind the whites of his domino mask, but you can feel the intensity of his stare. "everything that i've done for you--been willing to do for you--has been because you deserve it." something softens in your face, your anger replaced by a sad, resolved smile.

"that doesn't change the fact that i've become another notch in your belt." his eyebrows furrow.

"how so?"

"you can add me to that list in your phone of people who fall for you that you don't love back." he shakes his head.

"i can't."

"why not?"

"because i was under the impression that people like you don't fall for people like me," he breathes, his face dipping closer to yours. you allow both of his hands to gently hold your face. "but for the first time, i'm glad to be wrong." before you could reply, his mouth is on yours, slowly, reverently. he kisses you like a promise, his hands slipping to tighten on your hips as if you'd fall through his hands if he let go. "i love you," he whispers in between breaths, over and over and over again. "i love you, i love you, i love you, i love you, i love you."

above, the stars finally begin to twinkle.

star divider by @enchanthings :)