peculiarinsomniac

[peculiarinsomniac]

childhood friends, feat. shoto todoroki

"Your hair looks cool," was the first thing the student sitting beside him said.

Shoto turned slightly to look at you, squinting as you only smiled wider. Even at the tender age of five years old, Shoto had learned to be wary of others after a lot of long and painful learning experiences. His face burned with the phantom pain of boiling water.

His mother used to home-school him but after.. the incident, he'd been sent to the best private school near his home like the rest of his siblings. His father had hated the decision, but with his work as a pro-hero, there was no possible way for him to teach Shoto (and a tutor would ask far too many questions).

But as wary as Shoto was, he was still a polite child, so he nodded at you and said a soft, "Thank you." No mumbling. Father hates mumbling.

He thought that would be the end of it, but you seemed persistent to say the least. Kicking your small feet and not at all put off by his lackluster response, you continue talking. "It's like - candy canes. Or toothpaste. Why is it like that?"

"I don't know." Shoto responds, going back to tracing the kanji of his name into the paper over and over, pressing the pencil down gently. Your page is filled with more doodles than actual kanji. How do you expect to keep up if you slack off? This one of the top-rated schools in Japan for a reason. "You should do your work. You'll fall behind." He advises, looking back at the your face after the cursory glance at your paper.

You droop, slouching over your page like Shoto is ordering you to go to war for Japan, not finish your worksheet. "I guess you're right," you sigh, picking up your pencil again to actually do some work. Shoto feels a hint of satisfaction, glad to be rid of the distraction from his own work.

But of course, it doesn't last long. Most six year olds are known for being stubborn, and as soon as the teacher lets the class go on for break, you have latched on to his side like a leech. You stand when he stands and follow him outside to the play area, filled with swings, slides and sandboxes galore. The school doesn't let its standards fall in any way shape or form after all and the place looks like it's been plucked straight from a child's fantasies.

"What's your name?" You ask, long after the other children have split into their usual groups, tilting your head, the spring breeze ruffling your hair this way and that. "Why did you come here in the middle of the year? The teacher said you were home-schooled, what's that mean, was it fun?"

"Todoroki Shoto." He only bothers answering the first question, the endless barrage of others could be answered later if you kept repeating them. "What's yours?"

You tell him proudly, grinning brighter than the sun that's shining down on the two of you. Like it's something exciting, an accomplishment to do something as simple as say your name. Your enthusiasm is simultaneously exhausting and intriguing. None of his siblings have the same sparkle, the same boundless cheer, the lack of paranoia. You stand, proud and bold with a hand to your chest as you proclaim your name not just to Shoto, but to the world.

It reminds him absurdly of All Might. And that's when he decides he likes you.

Throughout the day, you yammer on to him about your lunch, about school, your friends, cartoons, your favourite colour. Anything you think of, you say. You don't think as much he does, but he finds himself admiring it. At least you seem content with his hums and nods of acknowledgement even if he sometimes can't keep up with the sheer amount of conversation.

When his siblings come over to the pick-up area since Endeavour demanded that they all walk home with Shoto, they seem a little.. shocked to see you. You're rocking back and forth on the heels of your little shoes, talking animatedly to their aloof little brother.

Fuyumi smiles gently and crouches down in front of the two of you, Natsuo and Touya peering over her shoulder. Natsuo looks intrigued, but Touya just looks bored.

"Hi there," Fuyumi says sweetly, gray eyes sparkling at the sight of her little Shoto with a friend. You introduce yourself just as excitedly as you had done earlier with Shoto, even as Touya taps his foot rapidly on the ground with a scoff, anxious to just get home. Shoto doesn't seem to share the same sentiment and as the group of siblings leave, he's trudging behind them while Touya and Natsuo push each other with giggles and Fuyumi snaps at them to, "cut it out!"

He looks back at you.

You smile.

He turns away.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°••°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

The seasons go by far too slow and far too fast at the same time. As the sweltering summer heat beats down, Shoto seems to melt at your persistence to be his friend. No one has ever tried so hard for him before. He was starting to think no one ever would.

Every summer, he melts more and more, but even so he never invites you to come over and he rejects all your offers to invite him. At most, he'll hang around the pick-up area with you, lingering until Touya yells over his shoulder for Shoto to hurry up, and he'll dart away again. Like water, the product of the combination of his quirks, he slips between your fingers, seeping out every time you think you finally have a good grasp on him. Or maybe you're foolish to think that you could contain him, hold him in your hands at all.

Despite this, he's your best friend, and you're his only friend (that isn't his siblings).

At ten years old, you wander through the neighbourhood park, bored of the never-ending game of tag that the other kids were playing. You were more content to look up at the way the sunlight fell through the tree leaves, making their veins stand out and the green seem just that little bit brighter. You're examining the daisies when you hear, the distinct flat, unexpressive tone of Shoto's voice, the slow pronounciation of every syllable.

Your head snaps up towards the sound. What would Shoto be doing here? He never really goes anywhere except his house or school, so it doesn't make sense to you. Pushing yourself off the ground and not bothering to brush the grass off your knees, you go to investigate, marching off with righteous annoyance. Seriously, if Shoto can go to park, surely he can hang out with you, at least once!

Pushing past branches and delving deeper into the trees, you nearly stumble when you finally make it through to a clearing, the ground suddenly evening out under your now-dirty shoes. In fact, you do stumble, twisting so that you fall on your back instead of your face. It doesn't really hurt, you're just.. covered in twigs and dirt now. Great. Your mom's going to be so mad.

You open your eyes to see Shoto's upside-down face staring at you, hair falling into his eyes and he's sillhouetted by the sun. His expression is blank as ever, but you swear you see a flicker of amusement dancing in his eyes and the corners of his mouth twitch up.

"Are you alright?" He asks, moving so that he can help you up. His siblings are there too and already looking at you, and you feel a blotchy flush rise and spread throughout your face at the intense scrutinization. "Fine," you try to sound unaffacted, but the effect is ruined by Shoto casually picking a twig out of your hair that you didn't know was there. "Just fine."

All of them look away from you then except Shoto, the older ones huddling in a circle to whisper frantically. Touya throws you a glare that's more worried than angry, Natsuo is hunched like he's trying to make himself smaller, and Fuyumi is glancing around like she's expecting the shadows to come to life. Or maybe she's expecting a person to stomp through the trees, leaving them blazing in his wake.

You won't understand what that frantic whispering was about, why they all looked so stressed at having you there. You won't understand why they all looked so fearful until it's far too late to do anything about it. But years later, this memory will make you feel sick with guilt, even if right now all you feel is upset about the big kids excluding you and Shoto.

You turn to your best friend expectantly, crossing your arms with the most authoritative glare you can muster, as if telling to him to explain himself. He does, even if you weren't really all that intimidating with dirt on your clothes and leaves in your hair.

"Father's on a business trip." He starts, staring at his siblings who are still in their huddle and throwing suspicious glances back at you, as if they're expecting you to sell them out to Endeavour. "Natsu-nii wanted to play catch with all of us together, for once."

You frown, confusion etched into your features, but before you can ask anything Shoto's oldest brother comes over. "Hey kid," he leans down, glancing around surreptitiously. "Listen, if you promise not to tell anyone we're here, you can play catch with us. You just have to not tell anyone. Got it?"

You look up at him and solemnly nod, even if you're buzzing with excitement about hanging out with Shoto outside of school. "Pinky promise!" You vow, holding up your pinky. Touya blinks unsurely, but Fuyumi laughs, her shoulders loosening as the stress melts away. She links your pinkies together, giving you a secretive smile, and you can't help but beam.

"Think fast!" You whirl around to see Natsuo throwing the ball at you with vigor, eyes shining in the summer sun. You immediately turn and pass to Shoto after fumbling the catch, and he looks at you with confusion, like he was expecting to just watch.

"I won't let you sit on the sidelines and watch us play!" You scoff, like it's obvious, motioning for him to pass the ball to someone else.

His face is blank for a moment, then it splits into something different entirely. An actual, real, wobbly smile goes across his face, two-toned eyes lighting up, his hair more messy than usual. He grips the ball with childish determination, still looking straight at you, and you feel your heart flutter strangely.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°°•°•°•°•°

The autumn of the year you and Shoto turn thirteen sweeps in rapidly.

Suddenly, trees stand bare and naked in the evening chill, orange leaves in piles at their cold roots, branches arching for the sky like they're reaching for solace that they won't find, not until spring arrives again. The warm, sticky days of childhood are gone, and it'll only get more bitter and colder as you grow. The sting of ice and snow will bite at your skin soon, but for now you can relish in the rare warm nights that are scattered throughout the autumn season.

You're both old enough to be trusted to walk home yourselves, old enough to have phones, old enough to have knowledge and awareness, old enough for change. And with that new-found independence comes sickening realisations about the scar on Shoto's eye, the bruises that appear on his pale skin. An ugly purple fading to a twisted green and then finally healing, just for another to end up on his face a week later.

You don't want it to be what it is so you don't ask and he doesn't tell you.

"Sho?" You ask, breath almost fogging in the afternoon air, though it's so dark that it looks more like evening.

He hums in his usual way, his gaze turning to your face as you hesitate before you ask.

"Would you.. want to hang out tonight?"

You feel the rope around your heart grow tighter as he looks away, but not quick enough to hide the guilt that paints his face. You two text, you see each other in school everyday, but things are going to change soon. Middle school is nearly over, and everyone knows Todoroki Shoto is going to UA. You've been thinking about it too, quite a lot in fact, but you just can't see a world where you're a hero. Your quirk isn't all that useful and definitely not as outrageously powerful as Shoto's is. Sure, you're smart. You could make it into the General Education Course, the Management Course, maybe even the Support Course. But you know you won't make the cut for the Hero Course.

And you're not sure that's what you want to do with your life. Just follow Shoto wherever he goes, do what he does. And even if you do get into UA, you'll see him at lunch at the most. Are you really willing to give up another pathway where you could thrive just to see Shoto for thirty minutes a day?

("Yes," a traitorous, small part of you whispers, "yes you are.")

"I'm sorry," he starts, snapping you out of your thoughts. "I have.. training."

You both know what training means.

But it's starting to hit you now. In a year, he'll be gone. There'll be no more walks home after school, speedy runs to the gas station shop, kicking pebbles in comfortable silence. You won't see his eyes light up when you pass him a candy you know he's not allowed, when you pick him as your partner in dumb school projects. He won't be there to smile that private smile that's just for you. He'll smile it at someone else, a new best friend, and they'll be heroes together and you'll be left behind -

"Then I'll wait." You don't realise the words are coming out of your mouth until you've said them, but you're not backing down now. Your mouth is set into a harsh, stubborn line, even as Shoto looks at you like you're crazy.

"You'll.. wait." He repeats slowly. "You do know how long my training sessions are-"

"I know." Your jaw clenches and you swallow loudly. "I don't care."

He looks.. flabbergasted is the only word for it. He opens his mouth like he wants to convince you not to, but all he says is. "There's no guarantee I'll be allowed out afterwards."

You flounder for a moment before straightening again, looking him dead in the eyes before telling him. "Then I'll wait by your window. You must have a ladder. I'll climb up, and I'll wait for you."

It seems you've shocked him again, but this time a pink tint rises to his pale cheeks as he looks at the ground, contemplating. Or maybe it's a trick of the light.

"That's the second time you've said that. That you'll wait for me." He says, tone forcibly casual.

"Because I would. Why wouldn't I? You're my best friend."

He nods then, slowly at first, but then more assuredly. It's not a full 'yes', but it's not a no either, and that's good enough for you.

(You freeze your ass off on that ladder, shivering as the cold wind blows around you. But it's worth it when Shoto cracks open the window and looks down at you, face blank, but eyes shining in the low light, sparkling with some unreadable emotion. Happiness maybe. Even after all these years, it's difficult to decipher every one of his expressions, but you know that you like this one.)

Your parents yell at you when you come home late, but it's worth it.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Your sixteenth winter arrives, and with it comes separation. Texting really isn't the same. Trudging home with wet snow soaking through your shoes, you can't help but miss the warmth Shoto had brought to your life. He doesn't even come home anymore with the new dorms system. You know he visits his mother now, uses his fire now, smiles and talks more now, has friends other than you now and the thing is, he deserves it. After so many years of isolation and loneliness and grief and pain, he's changing for the better and you're happy for him.

But.

He used to grow with you, by your side as much as he could be. Your best friend and you were his in turn, and he changed and you adjusted and it wasn't perfect of course, people fight and argue, but you'd always drift back to him and he'd come back to you. The leaves of a tree change each season, green, then orange, then no leaves at all - but the roots remain intertwined with the soil, far too twisted and tangled up to even think of uprooting.

You and Shoto were growing up. And you might even be growing apart.

You don't say any of that on the voicemail you're currently recording though. It's become your routine now, sending a voicemail to Shoto that's at least an hour long, updating him on people he used to know, you, Fuyumi and Natsuo and Touya-

Sometimes you forget that Touya's gone. It's just so habitual to list him when you list the Todoroki siblings.

Your breath fogs up, voice echoing off the empty, icy streets. "You'll never believe it Sho," you start, as you keep walking home. "You remember Hayato from middle school, right? He got expelled. Yeah, you heard me, expelled. I mean, he wasn't that terrible that he needed to be expelled, at least that's what I think-"

You end the voicemail when you reach home, the beep sounding uncomfortably final in the silent house.

(Shoto lies back on the tatami mats. Today was long. Bakugo was particularly loud and angry, he couldn't seem to focus in class, his lunch order was messed up, and he was distracted all day.

But none of it seems so bad when he hits play on the most recent voicemail and your voice fills his ears. He relaxes almost instinctually at this point, your voice having become a staple in his night time routine. He usually falls asleep halfway through the messages, but in the morning he picks up where he left off while he gets ready. He enjoys it. It's like he's still right there, close to you, by your side. It's proof that you aren't forgetting him.

"I've been trying to convince Fuyumi to move out. Honestly, I'm not sure why she even stays, you aren't there and neither is Natsuo and she definitely has enough money to get her own apartment. You should tell her too, she's more likely to listen to you than me-"

He doesn't want you to forget.)

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

At the end of winter comes the thaw. Ice melts, flowers bloom, birds sing and the Earth returns to being the lively, loving thing it was always meant to be, no longer hidden away under layers of compact snow and slippery ice.

You and Shoto have thawed too. Twelve years is a long time to be someone's best friend, their person, and maybe you two drifted closer then further away again, but your roots are still intertwined. Nothing can change that.

The UA graduation ceremony was beautiful. The pink leaves of sakura trees were just starting to fall on to the trimmed grass, Class 1A is lined up with smiling faces and loud laughter echoes across the school grounds. You stand in the crowd, grinning like you're the one who's graduating, clapping far too loud and enthusiastically, enough that a few people turn around to give you strange looks. You don't really care and Shoto doesn't seem to mind. It's the two of you after all, and it always has been.

The walk through the park where you and Shoto played catch together for the first time is calm. The weather is warm with a faint breeze that rustles his hair, messing up the usually perfect part and you can't help but chuckle.

"What?" He asks, turning to you with a smile that comes far more easily these days, his hair mussed up even more due to the action.

"Nothing!" You raise your hands placatingly, "Just.." You reach up in lieu of an answer, leaning forward to try and fix the mess that his hair has become, red and white strands mixed haphazardly. He stills under your gentle hands, those grey and blue eyes looking down at you like he can see straight into your soul. Now it's your turn to ask, "What?"

He doesn't respond, not for a long moment, but when you try and step away after giving up on his hair, his hands closes around your wrist. It's not a harsh grip, it's loose in fact, barely there. He's not holding you in place, not forcing you to stay close. It's a silent request more than it is a demand, calloused finger running gently over the inside of your wrist until he finds your steady pulse. He's still staring at you, like you put the stars in the sky, like you placed the water on the Earth, like you're some kind of deity.

You swallow, harsh enough that you're sure he can hear it.

"You were my first friend." He starts, still standing too close to you, like this is all normal. "I've always been.. grateful, for that."

"You don't have to be grateful," you reply automatically, unable to stop yourself from swaying closer as the breeze grows sharper, cooler. His hand is warm, sweaty even, shaking a little. "I'm glad I was. You're my best friend."

"You're mine too," he says softly, like it's a secret, the words almost carried away by the wind.

You're not sure who moves first. But then, lips are on yours, his hand is gripping your wrist a little tighter, the other is sliding into your hair and clinging, like he can't let go - no, like he's not willing to let go.

It's everything you've ever wanted. It's just so Shoto, awkward, sweet and slow and gentle, like you and him have got all the time in the world. Who knows. Maybe you do.

His face is flushed when he pulls away, looking down at you with that same terribly loving and awestruck expression that makes your heart twist and makes you want to hide away.

"I don't want to be your friend." He blurts out, words coming out in a rush, his hands still in your hair and around your wrist. You feel your stomach sink before he continues. "I want to - I want to be more than that to you. I've wanted to be more for, for a long time now." And then your stomach is swoopong back up again and your heart is beating in your throat and your face is burning red.

".. a long time?" You breathe out, repeating his words in a whisper, like if you don't they'll disappear.

"Yes." And he sounds so sure now, so devoted to this, that you can't help but kiss him again as the answer to his unsaid question.

Intertwined. Together. Like you were always meant to be.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

inspired by @kitkat13001's post abt todoroki, it was so cute I literally had to write this. this is probably so out of character LOL i haven't watched mha since 2020 but i just got so invested in this that i wrote it in one sitting. well done for making it this far, this is long as heck, im sorry!! pls lmk if u liked it haha, i live for constructive criticism and praise. hope i did this justice and go check out kitkats stuff, its really good!!

[peculiarinsomniac]

My deepest apologies if a) your requests aren't open and b) you don't write for Alhaitham (replace him with Kaveh if this is the case).

Imagine the crew-meru hanging out and this beautiful woman approaches them and starts acting affectionate towards Alhaitham. They ask who she is and she reveals that she's his lover and has brought him gifts; both homemade and from her travels.

Everyone is shocked to learn that Alhaitham is in a relationship and with such a sweet beauty to boot!

“You had a girlfriend?!”

Summary: In a lively tavern in Sumeru, the crew enjoys a game of cards filled with laughter and playful banter, during all of this Alhaitham's unexpected girlfriend arrives, surprising everyone.

Tags: Alhaitham x Female!Reader, Homemade Gifts, Humor, Slice of Life, Surprises, Lighthearted, Emotional Connection(?), Friendship, Tavern Gathering.

Warnings: Cyno's horrible dad jokes… and I totally didn't forget the name of the card game that the crew from Sumeru played, written in the third person (I tried-), Possibly ooc.

A/N: MY REQUESTS ARE OPEN!! DON'T WORRY, ANON! I can (try) write for any character from the fandom listed in my masterlist!

The sun was setting over Sumeru, casting a warm glow over the lively gathering of friends. The crew had settled at a cozy tavern, laughter and chatter filling the air as they played a game of cards. Cyno, with his typical serious demeanor, was trying his best to lighten the mood with his infamous dad jokes, which elicited mixed reactions.

“Why did the electro user break up with the dendro user?” Cyno began, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Because they couldn’t find common ground.”

Tighnari rolled his eyes, unable to hide the smirk creeping onto his lips. “Cyno, if you’re trying to be funny, it’s not working. Save us the pain, please.”

Just as Cyno was about to respond with another groan-worthy pun, the tavern door swung open, drawing everyone’s attention. A beautiful woman stepped inside, her presence radiating warmth. She had an air of grace about her, and her smile lit up the room. The crew paused their game, curiosity piqued.

“Alhaitham!” she called, her voice melodic as she made her way toward their table. The way she approached him with an eager bounce caught everyone off guard, and Alhaitham, who was typically calm and composed, looked up in surprise.

“Ah, there you are.” he replied, a hint of warmth creeping into his otherwise reserved tone. The sight of her seemed to melt away his usual stoicism.

The crew exchanged glances, confusion painting their faces. Cyno leaned forward, a teasing glimmer in his eyes. “So, who’s this? Your assistant, Alhaitham?”

“No, I’m not his assistant,” she laughed lightly, brushing back a strand of hair. “I’m his girlfriend.”

A stunned silence enveloped the table as the revelation settled in. Kaveh dropped his cards, his eyes wide. “Wait, what? Alhaitham has a girlfriend?!”

The woman smiled brightly, producing a small bag from her side. “I brought gifts for him! Some homemade treats and a few souvenirs from my travels.”

“Homemade treats?” Kaveh’s eyes sparkled with interest as he leaned closer, momentarily forgetting about his surprise. “What did you make?”

“Just a few sweets—my family recipe,” she replied, beaming with pride. “And I also found this beautiful trinket while traveling through Fontaine.” She held out a delicate pendant, glimmering with an array of colors. “I thought it would suit you.”

Alhaitham took the pendant gently, a soft smile gracing his lips as he inspected it. The sight of the usually stoic Acting Grand Sage displaying such warmth left the crew in awe.

“Alhaitham, how did you keep this from us?” Cyno said, crossing his arms. “I thought we were friends...”

“I didn’t think it was necessary to announce every detail of my personal life.” Alhaitham replied, his tone measured but laced with amusement.

Tighnari chuckled, shaking his head. “Well, you certainly surprised us. I didn’t expect you to be the type to keep a relationship under wraps.”

The woman, noticing the camaraderie and playful teasing, felt her cheeks flush slightly. “I guess I’m just lucky to have him. He’s more than just a scholar; he has a kind heart, too.”

Cyno raised an eyebrow. “And you must be quite the diplomat to have won over the infamous Alhaitham. We all thought he was married to his books.”

Kaveh snickered, finally recovering from the shock. “Clearly, you’ve enchanted him with your charm.”

Alhaitham cleared his throat, looking slightly embarrassed at the attention. “I appreciate your compliments, but she’s not just a charm; she’s someone who understands the value of knowledge and compassion.”

The woman’s smile widened at his words, her eyes sparkling with affection. “And I admire his dedication to his work, even if he can be a bit stubborn at times.”

“Stubborn? Never.” Cyno quipped, feigning innocence as he shot a glance at Tighnari, who rolled his eyes again, this time more dramatically.

“Okay, okay,” Tighnari interjected, trying to steer the conversation back to lighter topics. “So, who’s ready to play cards again? Maybe we can see if your girlfriend can beat Alhaitham in strategy?”

The laughter that followed filled the tavern, and as they resumed their game, Alhaitham’s girlfriend settled comfortably beside him. Her presence seemed to bring a new lightness to their gathering, and it was clear that the evening would be one to remember, filled with stories, laughter, and the warmth of friendship.

As the cards were dealt once more and Cyno continued his onslaught of dad jokes, Alhaitham felt a sense of contentment wash over him. With her by his side, he realized that life was not just about knowledge and duty but also about the connections that made every moment richer.

[peculiarinsomniac]

I need more! Mooooooore! It's just too cute, so heartwarming, and so beautifully written. I love it so much! I want mooooore :'D

Unseen, Yet Unforgotten

Summary: As an adeptus unseen by those who do not know you, your existence has always been one of quiet solitude—except for Zhongli and Xiao, the only ones who remember you. For centuries, your bond with Xiao has been unwavering, a constant in an ever-changing world. But when Xiao begins to act differently around you—lingering gazes, unspoken hesitations—you both realize that something is shifting. As feelings neither of you fully understand begin to surface, you and Xiao must navigate the unfamiliar territory of love, learning together what it means to truly be seen.

Tags: Xiao x Female!Reader, Adeptus!Reader, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Emotional Tension, Soft Moments, Fluff with a Touch of Angst.

Warnings: Mild emotional tension, Mentions of war and past battles, Xiao struggling with emotions and self-worth.

The world had long forgotten you.

Mortal eyes had never seen your form, nor would they ever recall you in dreams. To those who did not know you, you simply did not exist. Even adepti, kindred in divinity, found their memories of you slipping if distance grew too great. It was a strange existence—one of solitude and quiet, yet never loneliness. Not when Xiao was there.

You were a whisper in the wind, a shadow in the mountains, a guardian unseen. Liyue flourished under the protection of its adepti, and though your name was not sung in prayers or carved into stone, you remained—a hidden thread in the tapestry of eternity.

Only Zhongli and Xiao knew you without faltering. Zhongli, with his ageless wisdom, had known you since the earliest days, when the mountains still bled from war and the skies were thick with the scent of battle. And Xiao… Xiao had been your closest companion, even before he bore the name 'Conqueror of Demons.'

It had always been this way, an unshaken, unchanging truth.

And yet, something had begun to shift.

Xiao had been acting differently. It was not sudden, nor was it loud—it was quiet, like the way water carves stone over time. A lingering gaze when he thought you weren’t looking, a subtle tension when your hands brushed in passing. The way he would always find his way back to your side, as if drawn by an unseen force.

At first, you dismissed it. Xiao was careful with emotions, unfamiliar with the weight of affection beyond loyalty and duty. Yet… it was undeniable. The flickers of hesitance, the way his golden eyes darkened with something unspoken. Something more.

You found yourself growing attuned to him in ways you never had before. The quiet moments stretched longer, filled with a warmth neither of you had the words for. And it terrified you.

One evening, atop the Wangshu Inn, where the wind carried the scent of qingxin flowers, you sat beside him in silence. The night was still, save for the distant hum of the world below. Xiao was tense—he always was, but this was different.

“Xiao,” you murmured, breaking the silence, “what troubles you?”

His grip tightened around his polearm, though there was no battle to be fought. “Nothing,” he said, too quickly. A lie, though not malicious. He was simply… uncertain.

You turned to him, your eyes tracing the sharp lines of his face. “You forget,” you said gently, “I know you too well.”

For a moment, he did not speak. Then, almost imperceptibly, he exhaled.

“…It is you,” he admitted at last, voice barely above a whisper. “I do not understand what is happening to me.”

Your breath caught. You had suspected, of course, but to hear it aloud—

He looked at you then, truly looked at you. Golden eyes, raw and exposed in a way you had never seen before. “You are the only one who has ever remained,” he continued, “and yet, when I look at you now… I feel as if I am losing something. Or perhaps… gaining something I do not know how to hold.”

A soft breeze curled around you, carrying the scent of the earth, the mountains, the home you had always known. Something in your chest ached.

You reached out, hesitant, before resting your hand over his. His skin was warm beneath your touch, a contrast to the cold steel of his weapon. Xiao flinched, not from fear, but from something else—something deeper. He did not pull away.

“Then we will learn,” you said, voice steady despite the whirlwind inside you. “Together.”

Xiao did not respond, but his fingers curled ever so slightly, as if testing the feeling of your presence—of the tether between you that had always been there, unseen yet unbroken.

Perhaps, after all this time, the world had not forgotten you.

Perhaps, in Xiao’s eyes, you had always been seen.

[peculiarinsomniac]

a sitting platypus

[peculiarinsomniac]

Haven’t drawn in awhile, but wanted to doodle this Junimo with a Stardrop

[peculiarinsomniac]

junimo breakdancing

animated on stream !!

[peculiarinsomniac]

will you love him?? 🥺 will you buy. hats.

[peculiarinsomniac]

The Jojamart Junimo

[peculiarinsomniac]

He is so important to me.

[peculiarinsomniac]

Gosh, this prompt idea is so freaking cute and you did such a great job at writing it, it's so well written and so wholesome. This onshot is melting my heart, thank you so much for writing it.

Dabi x fem reader but this is the readers second pregnancy so they are getting sick a lot but they already have a 1 year old who is such a mamas boy. So the reader is getting sick and throwing up and of course Dabis there holding back her hair and their son comes in and sees what’s happening, at first I feel like he would maybe think Dabi was hurting his mom so he kinda freaks out before Dabi explains you just get sick sometimes

“Just Sick, Baby”

The morning started like most of them had lately—painfully.

You were hunched over the toilet, knees on the cold tile floor, one arm bracing you while the other clutched your stomach. The second pregnancy was so much rougher than the first—your body didn’t bounce back as quickly, and the nausea came in relentless waves.

Behind you, Dabi crouched low, one hand gently keeping your hair out of your face, the other resting on your back. He didn’t say much—he wasn’t the type to flood you with reassurances—but his presence was steady, grounding.

You gagged again, and he winced for you. “Jesus, doll... you sure there’s only one in there this time?”

You groaned weakly. “Don’t even joke—”

Just then, you heard the soft padding of little feet.

Dabi glanced up.

Standing at the doorway, in his too-big onesie with his sleep-mussed hair and clutching his stuffed animal by the leg, was your 1-year-old son. His big eyes widened when he saw you on the floor, heaving, with Dabi looming behind you.

“Mama?” he said, voice tiny and wobbly.

Then—his face crumbled.

Before Dabi could react, the boy let out a tiny, heartbroken cry and waddled over with his arms raised. “Nooo! Dada stop! No hurt Mama!”

You choked on a breath—half from the vomiting, half from sheer heartbreak.

Dabi’s eyes went wide, and he immediately scooped the toddler up with one arm, shifting him to his hip. “Whoa, hey, buddy—nah, nah, I ain’t hurtin’ her.”

The little boy squirmed, still sniffling. “Mama sad…”

“She’s just sick,” Dabi said calmly, brushing a thumb across his son’s cheek. “You remember last time when Mama had a tummy ache? It’s like that. She’s okay.”

You wiped your mouth and looked over at them, still breathless but smiling weakly. “Mama’s okay, baby. Just a little icky.”

Your son sniffled and held his arms out to you. Dabi knelt so he could gently set the boy beside you, and your son immediately wrapped himself around your arm, little head pressed against your shoulder. “Mama no sick.”

“I wish,” you whispered, kissing the top of his head.

Dabi sighed and ruffled his son’s hair. “See? She’s tough. Nothin’s gonna get her. Now c’mon, let’s let her lay down.”

“But I help,” your boy insisted.

Dabi raised an eyebrow and glanced at you.

“Let him,” you murmured. “He’s got good bedside manner.”

So Dabi helped you up with one arm while the other kept a hand on your son’s head, steering the both of you to the couch. You collapsed back with your boy curled against you like a little heat-seeking missile.

Dabi tossed a blanket over you both and handed you a glass of water.

“Try not to puke on him,” he muttered, but there was the faintest smirk tugging at his lips.

You stuck your tongue out. “I make no promises.”

And as your baby boy clutched your hand, eyes watching you closely like he was ready to fight the next wave of nausea himself, you knew—whatever hell this pregnancy brought—you weren’t going through it alone.

[peculiarinsomniac]

in between us ; xiao

oneshot & fluff ↪ in which after some heavy encouragement from paimon, lumine goes to confess her feelings to xiao—only to find out he’s already married and has a child. ↷ xiao ; genshin impact

↳ an order of iced water from @sailorstar9 in the comeback cafe event !

THE WARM LIGHT of sunset draped over Wangshu Inn like a silken robe. Lanterns swayed gently in the breeze, and the air smelled faintly of grilled fish and mountain wind.

Lumine took the steps slowly, heart thudding behind her ribs like a trapped bird. Paimon floated ahead, humming with nervous excitement.

“Lumine! You’ve got this! Just say how you feel! Xiao’s always so stoic—you’re probably the first person to ever make him feel something like this!”

The Traveler gave a weak smile in return. She wasn’t sure what she expected from this visit. A soft rejection? A chance? Hope?

Anything but the scene that greeted her at the top.

There, standing with one arm wrapped securely around a small child, was Xiao. The aloof, distant adeptus, looking... peaceful. Tender. Soft in a way she'd never seen before.

The child, no older than two, giggled as she reached for a glowing butterfly hovering near her father's shoulder. Her dark hair was tied into tiny pigtails with green ribbons.

A woman—leaning gently against the wooden railing—smiled down at her, adjusting the clip in the girl’s hair with practiced care.

That woman was Y/n.

Lumine stopped dead in her tracks. The surprise hit her like a wave.

“Xiao?”

He turned at the sound of her voice, blinked once, and tilted his head slightly.

“Lumine.”

Y/n looked over as well, her expression calm and knowing. She offered a smile, small and genuine. The little girl in Xiao’s arms cooed and tugged at his hair.

The silence stretched.

Lumine suddenly felt like an intruder. She took a slow step back.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to... interrupt anything.”

Y/n bent slightly to her daughter’s level. “Time for dinner, little cloud.”

The child giggled and reached toward Xiao. “Butterfly, Baba!”

He handed her the glowing insect without hesitation. Then he gently set her on her feet.

“Go on with Mama. I’ll be there shortly.”

Y/n gave Lumine a small nod before disappearing inside with the child in her arms, the inn's door creaking softly shut behind them.

Now only the breeze and the fading light remained between them.

Xiao looked at Lumine, golden eyes unreadable.

“You came to see me.”

There was no accusation in his voice. Just quiet certainty.

She swallowed. There was no point in lying.

“I came to confess something.” Her voice cracked. She steadied it. “But it seems I’m too late.”

Xiao didn’t flinch. “Yes. I’m married.” A pause. “To Y/n.”

He said it with a kind of reverence, as though her name itself held weight. Maybe it did.

“She gave me something I never thought I’d deserve,” he continued. “A life. A home. A daughter.”

Lumine stared down at the wooden floorboards beneath her boots, forcing a smile.

“She seems lovely.”

Xiao nodded. “She is.”

“And the little one?”

His voice softened further. “Sora. She’s... more than I ever imagined. Sometimes she calls me ‘yaksha’ when she’s angry. I don’t know where she learned that.”

Lumine laughed before she could stop herself. Then sighed.

“You look happy. I’m glad.”

“You care.”

“I did.” She looked up, meeting his eyes. “Maybe I still do. But not like that. Not anymore.”

He inclined his head gently.

“Thank you. For your honesty. And for caring.”

Lumine nodded, turned, and started down the stairs.

When she reached the halfway point, Paimon hovered closer. “Well... that could’ve gone worse?”

Lumine smiled sadly. “He found someone who gives him peace. That’s enough for me.”

Back in the inn, Xiao slipped inside quietly. The lanternlight glowed softly against the walls. Sora was curled up in your lap, babbling sleepily. You looked up at him and tilted your head.

“You okay?”

Xiao nodded and sat beside you, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear.

“I told her the truth.”

“And she took it well?”

“Better than I expected.” He looked down at Sora, now snoring against your chest. “She’s stronger than most. But she’ll find someone else.”

You smiled, leaning against his shoulder.

“And you already have.”

He wrapped an arm around your waist and exhaled, letting the warmth of the moment soak in.

“Yes. I already have everything I need.”

© eriace ;; don’t repost my works.

[peculiarinsomniac]

𝑰𝑰: 𝑳-𝑶-𝑽-𝑬𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑵𝑨𝑳𝑳𝒀

xiao follows through with baizhu's advice and realises a lot more about his own feelings for you

⟡ part I: doctor, doctor!

⟡ content — xiao x gn!reader ; first love/confession ; perhaps a tad bit sad at the start but it gets better i swear!! ; zhongli and hu tao appearance ; xiao was oblivious in the first part, but he definitely isn't in this one hehe ; both of you are yearners for each other ; 4.3k words

⟡ a/n — finally finished!! i posted doctor, doctor in february and it's now may... omg i'm so sorry my lovelies for the wait 💔 i was a little sleepy when editing but anyway i really hope it's a good continuation :')

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In the past, Xiao would have never thought being bad at talking to be a disadvantage. He was once taught that it was a slower way of resolving things compared to the pointy end of his spear. Now, he silently wished he could speak with ease. Like the honeyed tales Zhongli could weave, or the precise lectures of Cloud Retainer. Xiao’s words were always blunt and rather clunky. And it didn’t help his speech if you were in his presence too.

Speak to Y/N about how they’ve been feeling, Baizhu had recommended. He had agreed so quickly in the moment because it sounded easy. Of course he could ask you, he had spoken to you dozens of times before. This time was no different, in fact, this was right in his repertoire: making sure you were in good health. Yet, with you standing beside him by the balcony at Wangshu Inn, his tongue became all tied up. Maybe it was the way the breeze toyed with your hair, your eyes glittered, or skin glowed in the morning light. The sight of you made all his words fizzle out.  

Archons, what has come over me? he wondered.

You turned to face him. He quickly tore his gaze away.

“What did you want to talk about, Xiao?”

Your question was to be expected. He was the one who had mentioned he needed to speak to you about something (which was the exact reason the two of you were standing out here). Yet, it still left him somewhat flustered.  

He kept his gaze on the vast landscape of Liyue—a brilliant canvas of yellows and greens.  “I wanted to tell you that you needn’t hide secrets from me,” he said.

You cocked your head to the side. “Secrets?” he was met with the sound of your light chuckle. “Do you think I’m living a double life or something?”

Xiao glanced to his side at you. It was enough to see you wiggling your fingers at him as you continued to tease, “Maybe I’ve secretly been a Fatui agent this whole time.”

He shook his head. “What I mean to say is… you can speak to me about anything. I know well that emotions can be confusing, but I will always try to understand them.”

Though Xiao seldom followed along with your joking remarks, he always replied to them in his own dry manner that you enjoyed. However, this time there was a seriousness to his words that caught your attention. Emotions? Confusing? Your chest grew tight as you straightened your back.

“Xiao, I wouldn’t hide anything from you,” you answered, genuinely.

Sensing your own concern, he faced you fully. “I know, but something has been different recently.”

Shouldn’t such trust and closeness between people mean being able to talk to them about anything? Both the good and the bad? Xiao was prepared to shoulder any of that weight for you. He reached for your hand that wrapped the railing of the balcony, encasing your fingers beneath his.

“Tell me what has been troubling you, please.”

It came out as a plea. Small and anguished. You had never heard Xiao sound like this before. And it was because of you.

There was only one thing you had been keeping from him. Something (or someone) that had been on your mind for a longer time that you cared to admit.

“Nothing’s been wrong,” you still denied, ignoring the open warmth that radiated from his hand into yours. A silent invitation from him to you. 

“I won’t accept that,” he responded gruffly. “It is bad to keep your emotions… bottled up.”

Xiao echoed the metaphor Baizhu used when they met. The mortal expression had sounded unusual when he first heard it, but now he understood—corking up emotions for too long can lead to spoiling.

“When you’re with me, you appear tense. If I am the one causing your trouble—”

“No!” you exclaimed, leaning in towards him. “W-well, yes, maybe. I-it’s complicated.”

What am I doing!? you thought. His touch was too hot. You pulled your hand back, fidgeting with your fingers, not knowing what else to do in your embarrassment. If Xiao had been offended, there was no hint of it on his face, only worry as he let his empty hand fall to his side.  

“Complicated? If there is a reason why, I will listen.”

You tilted your head upwards, staring off into the endless blue above, as if calling upon the Heavenly Principles themselves to give you strength and confidence.

You exhaled a breath.

This was it. The time to confess and be done with it.

“Xiao, I like you.”

The words you spoke felt foreign on your tongue. To be fair, you never thought they would ever come to light.

Every miniscule sound became too loud in the silence between you two. Your thrumming heart in your ears. The chatter of people echoing from below. The wind rustling through the golden leaves above.

Anticipating a greater reaction, you were surprised to see Xiao’s face remained neutral. Only a slight frow in his brows.

“I like you as well...” he said, carefully though obviously confused.

“No, no,” you shook your head, sighing deeply, “for me, it’s in a different way. I like you as more than just friends.”  

At your clarification of the distinction, Xiao’s eyes widened.

He had spent enough time observing people to know of romantic affiliations. Though, he never realised it could be directed at himself. Strangely, something within him stirred hearing you. A tether. A want. However, it seemed locked away in an unfamiliar space of his heart, collecting dust. Whether he intentionally cast such desires aside himself long ago, he could not say. Reciprocate, whatever inside him seemed to call out. But his old habits stifled such new feelings, knowing the hardship of entwining yourself too closely with others. His own karmic debt tainting all those who came near.

You saw the change in his reaction—knowing that he understood what you meant now—and hurried before he could say anything else.

“I can’t pinpoint when it started, but I know I’ve liked you for a long time, and that’s the reason I’ve been so jittery lately.”

You recalled his strong grip when he caught you from falling and his words of concern in your home accompanied by his gentle touch. You decided not to divulge too much of the private thoughts you had in those moments.

For all your previous hesitations, the words now seemed to uncork and flow freely out of you. “And I know people may see you as abrasive or unfriendly, but you have shown me just how caring you are so, so many times and every time I can’t help but like you more and more.”

Xiao remained motionless, processing everything. He was locked with parted lips and wide eyes staring into your avoidant gaze. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to reply to you. He just didn’t know how. The tether in his heart begged him to speak, but his lips might as well have been glued together.

“Please don’t answer me yet,” you spluttered. “I know what you’re going to respond with…”

There was a sad finality in your tone that struck him. You knew Xiao did not like you in the same way. He had expressed before his affections towards you as only friends. All the little gestures he did, no matter how fluttering, could not be interpreted as anything else, you believed.

You looked at him properly for the first time since your confession. “I want some time to prepare myself before I hear from you. Is that okay?”

Xiao nodded, finding the strength to move his body when his mouth failed him. “I-I would like some time to think, as well,” was all he could reply, his voice ragged.

He also needed to sort through his own tangled mess of thoughts. Figure out whatever in Celestia he was feeling inside. Emotions truly were confusing.

You gave a small smile. Meant to be a sign of reassurance for him that you were not so troubled anymore, but the wobbled corners of your lips perhaps betrayed that. “Alright, we’ll speak soon.”

You turned away from the balcony’s edge. Xiao watched as your figure disappeared down the steps and out of his sight.

One question had been answered, but it had left many, many more for him to understand.

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The consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour had experienced much of life (and had an eclectic set of memories to show for it). He did not shy away from unknowns as they would eventually become facts to him through reading a scroll passed down through a family’s generations, listening to the slightly drunken tales of a wizened sailor, or any other method of storytelling that he had the honour of encountering. And because of his wealth of knowledge, Xiao decided to meet with him.

Zhongli was inside Funeral Parlour. Not at the front desk, which the Ferrylady was currently standing behind, sorting through a ledger, but to the side in a waiting area. There were shelves filled with all manner of books and oddities, and comfortable seats for clients who generally needed to seek relief. Zhongli was drawing a finger against the spines of each book, wondering whether the collection needed updating, when the door to the Parlour creaked opened.

“Xiao! It’s lovely to see you,” Zhongli welcomed, surprise filling his face.

Xiao closed the door behind him gently, his eyes landing on Zhongli by the shelves. Recognising who the adeptus was, the Ferrylady simply nodded in acknowledgement, leaving the pair to catch up.

“Had I expected you, I would have provided more fitting refreshments,” Zhongli commented. “Here. Have some tea, if you wish.”

Xiao nodded in thanks as he was poured a cup of jasmine tea. He waited for Zhongli to be seated down first before he followed.

It had never been difficult for Zhongli to read Xiao. The distracted gaze, shoulders somewhat bowed, hands clasped in his lap. It was like Xiao was just another book on the Funeral Parlour’s shelves. Zhongli raised the cup of tea to his mouth, peering at the young adeptus from the rim before taking a sip.

“You seem... troubled. Is something the matter?”

Xiao watched the steam rise lazily from his teacup. Of course, Zhongli could easily pinpoint what was happening with him. Lingering emotions from the conversation Xiao had with you three days before bubbled up. It still felt surreal to him that it all happened.

“Yes, there has been something troublesome,” he admitted. “Y/N... told me that they liked me.”

Zhongli stilled his movements. You were no stranger to him. Naturally, he knew of many residents in Liyue, and he had also assisted you with his expertise in the past for commissions with the Guild. Now, he would never go so far as to say spying, but he also wouldn’t deny that he kept a special eye on you. Your close relationship with the young adeptus was something he was pleased to see blossom. Which was why it was confusing to see Xiao so unsettled in telling him the news of your confession.

Zhongli gave a comforting smile, placing his cup back on the table. “Y/N has confessed to you? I scarcely believe that that would be troublesome, but rather exciting.”

Xiao could only give a grunt in response.

Detecting this internal conflict, Zhongli lowered his voice, “Well, how do you feel about them?”

“I-I don’t know, which is the root of my problem.” A frustrated sigh escaped the yaksha. His mind was in all manner of disarray. “How do you know if your feelings for someone are different?”

Your words echoed in his head—as more than just friends.

“By different, are you perhaps referring to love?”

Zhongli’s pointed emphasis on the final word made Xiao redden. Again, he was not unfamiliar with the idea of romance. He had seen it in the streets of Liyue Harbour, from the young, sheepish sweethearts to the old, contented couples. Xiao had believed himself unworthy of it. But now, hearing the word spoken aloud, that wanting tether within him pulled again.

At Xiao’s sudden shyness at love being brought up, Zhongli had to stifle a chuckle. Still so new to the world, he thought.

“You know I cannot speak for your feelings, Xiao, but judging from how you came to me, it does seem there is more to your affections than what you first believed,” he observed.

Xiao ruffled his hair with his gloved hand. Zhongli was right. There was something more with you. There always had been.

“At rest, I have always sensed my karmic debt,” Xiao said. “But, since meeting them, the pain has lessened. I feel peaceful.”

The endurer of eons knowing peace. It felt foolish for Xiao to say, but it was the truth. He had never known safety and warmth to be with another person until you. His past had locked away these comforts from him, but the dust collected from forgotten emotions now seemed to blow away.

“Is this truly...” the word choked up in his throat. Zhongli had said it so easily before (even with the tiniest hint of amusement), but the word had not yet found its rightful place in his vocabulary yet.

“Why must this be so difficult...” Xiao instead groaned.

Zhongli gazed fondly at the young adeptus. “It is your first time. Do not be so harsh on yourself.”

He began to muse aloud. Xiao watched on, letting the sentences Zhongli weaved take hold. “Love enters each of our lives in many ways. Someone’s presence can come swinging like a sledgehammer, unexpectedly knocking us off our feet.”

With a knowing smile, Zhongli continued, “Or... it can be more subtle, like a pebble dropped into a still pool of water, rippling the surface from the centre outward.”

Xiao looked down at his filled cup of tea. Ripples. That was exactly it. Unassuming how you entered his life, and how impactful your stay had been. Finally, he took a sip of his tea, finding it less bitter than he would usually taste.

“Thank you for your guidance, as always.”

Zhongli laughed, “You needn’t be so formal, Xiao. I’m pleased you sought me out. Though, I do hope you come visit me again with some good news.”

Xiao nodded, albeit bashfully.

The old companions continued with the conversation. Largely, Zhongli tried to get Xiao to speak more about you. He knew full well that chance to be young and hopeless in love had been robbed from Xiao for centuries. So, with each short response Xiao gave about you between stutters, the redness never leaving his face, Zhongli was left more than satisfied.

After a short while, Xiao said goodbye, going back out to fulfil his duties with a newfound lightness. As he closed the door behind him, a shrill voice exclaimed from the stairs leading to the second floor of the Funeral Parlor.

“Was that the Conqueror of Demons?!”

Hu Tao had her hands on her hips, looking expectantly at her consultant.

“It was. You’ve just missed him, unfortunately,” Zhongli replied, leaning back in his chair.

The funeral director hurried down the steps, standing directly in front of his seat. “Oh, come on, you could have totally interrupted my meeting to have me say a quick hello!”

Zhongli gave a disagreeing hum. “We both know that you don’t enjoy funeral business being interrupted.”

Hu Tao puckered her lips and blew air out, creating a trill sound. Of course, Mr Zhongli was correct in saying that, but she was just making a joke! She slipped in the chair Xiao was just in, crossing her legs.

“So, why did Xiao swing by anyway?” she then gasped, “Is there new clientele?”

Zhongli shook his head, a smile playing at his lips.

“I’m not sure you would believe me if I told you.”

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You had always left the invitation open for Xiao to visit your home if he wished for a change of scenery. Though Wangshu Inn was gorgeous (and you would do anything to wake up to a view like that every day) there was still some charm to the quaint housing on the outskirts of the Harbour that you knew he would enjoy. All you asked for is that he did not teleport directly into your house unless you were in some peril, which he would know when his named was called. For every other time, however, he would have to knock before he could come in.

There was no peril here, but you did need to see him. Desperately. It had been three days, and your insides had stopped roiling since confessing. You were only left with preparedness now at hearing his answer. No matter how hard you tried to suppress it, there was a small part of you that hoped. Hoped Xiao might have a sudden change in his affections and realise he saw you as more than his friend.

You closed your eyes and steadied yourself.

You opened your mouth, beginning to say his name—

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The sudden noise pulled your focus away.

You weren’t expecting anyone at this time. Perhaps it was your elderly neighbour passing over some food she made, or a salesman looking to find customers for his wares. Frowning in the direction of your front door, you walked over and opened it ajar, just enough so you could see who was standing there.

You hadn’t even said his name, yet he knew he needed to come.

Familiar dark-greenish hair framing the amber eyes of a once harsh gaze, now softened since the day he met you. His chest puffed up and down, as if he had just run from somewhere. He looked at you like your parting had been years and not just a handful of days.

Your hand slipped from the handle, letting the door swing open fully.

“Xiao?” his name fell from your lips.

This was a very rare occasion where Xiao hadn’t thought things out fully before executing a plan. All he knew was that he needed to see you as soon as his meeting with Zhongli concluded.

“Hello,” he swallowed, composing himself. “I would have come sooner, but you instructed that I do not use my powers—”

“I know, unless I’m in grave danger,” you finished. “Thank you for knocking.”  

His politeness despite everything brought a small laugh from you as you spoke. It was a moment of your liveliness that Xiao took to like a moth to a flame, fluttering with desire.

You stood aside, allowing him to enter. The last time he was here he was convinced that you were ill and, quite innocently, wanted to nurse you to good health. Now, he knew the true reason for those symptoms and had come to an understanding of his own.

His boots tapped against the wooden floorboards of your home, and he came to a stop in front of you. Neither of you wanted to sit down, too filled with mirrored jumble of anxiety and hope.

“I have my answer,” he said.

He had never known his nerves to be this weak until now. His palms were sweaty beneath the fabric of his gloves, and his breath constricted. He can’t have imagined the amount of courage it took for you to have done the same thing.  

“Alright,” you folded your arms across your chest to bury your sinking heart. Even in matters like this, Xiao still got straight to the point. “I’m ready to hear it.”

Xiao flexed his hands at his side, trying to ground himself.

Although he could never paint flowery words with his speech, there was one thing he could always rely on—his bluntness.

“I-I love you.”

...

Oh.

This certainly had to be a dream.

A dream where the man you like just said that he loves you.

“I love you,” he repeated, his voice raw and gravelly.

Did he say it in a strange way? Xiao silently cursed himself looking at how motionless you were, hands falling to your side. He knew he should have practiced it aloud beforehand.

“Was that... wrong of me to say?”

Your head spun. Delirious laughter almost spilled from you.

What he had just said was the furthest from wrong. Any small hope that remained in you unfurled and bloomed brilliantly.

"This... isn’t a dream, right?” you whispered.

Xiao moved closer.

“No, it isn’t.”

This had to be real, otherwise, why did his hand feel so warm as it brushed against yours? His fingers gently took your hand. It was the only proof he could offer that this wasn’t a dream. That he was here, and his words were true.

“You love me? Really?” you had to confirm again.

“I do.” He did not waver in his answer, “I do love you. I should have realised it sooner.”

Your breath caught in your throat. The urge to cry became more tempting each time Xiao repeated that he was in love with you.

“I-I was sure you weren’t going to feel the same way,” you sniffed.

His chest seized up hearing your voice shake.

He recalled a fleeting memory. Resting beneath a shaded tree, dappled light cast across his face as conversation drifted through the air. The commotion from four others whose voices he could never forget for as long as he lived. They were speaking about falling in love once the war was over, how it would feel like when love found them. Peace in these lands must be achieved first, one had said. To which one commented what a buzzkill that was, which was followed by laughter from the others. Perhaps Xiao should have listened more closely to learn something then, rather than closing his eyes, letting the sound lull him.

“I... have little experience or knowledge of these things. These distinctions are quite new to me.” Xiao held your hand tighter. His pale cheeks dusted with pink. “Speaking with someone else helped me understand what my feelings for you meant.”

He was so close once again. Yet, you didn’t freeze up like before, afraid of revealing your hidden affections. Instead, you melted into his touch, adjusting your grip to feel more of him. There was nothing to hide between the two of you anymore.

“I’m sorry for making you uneasy for so long,” he quietly added.

“You don’t have to apologise, I’m not angry at all.”

Relief washed over him. There was even a smile on your face. Bright and warm and enveloping him like the morning sun. Playfully, you swung his arms back and forth.

“In fact, I’m really, really happy right now,” a chuckle accompanied your words.

Xiao’s lips curved into a smile too seeing you in higher spirits. “I am glad. To be honest, I feel much... lighter.”

Weightless, even. The taut desire he felt three days ago when you confessed had eased. He had gotten the courage to tug and pull on that tether until he was standing here with you in his arms.

“I think I have loved you for a long time but never believed myself to be worthy of it. You are too good natured and kind, and if something happened to you because of me,” he closed his eyes, unable to even stand the very idea, “I wouldn’t forgive myself.”

You had never once thought Xiao could hurt you. Even in the beginning when you met, though he was coarse as gravel, he always remained attentive. There was much of his past that left painful memories and only fed him sorrow and doubt. Despite it all, however, he still had a soft heart.

You reached out a hand, grazing your fingertips against his cheek.

“Xiao…”

His eyes fluttered open hearing his name being called so sweetly under your hushed breath.

“Can I hug you?” you asked. “Usually this is the part where people would hug each other.”

He nodded, burning to hold you as well. You encircled your arms around his chest, entwining your fingers behind his back. He wrapped his own hands at your waist and pulled you in, your body flush with his, fitting together like pieces of a puzzle. Your breath tickled Xiao’s ear as you tucked your chin by his shoulder. Both of your heartbeats drummed with ineffable tenderness. It almost dazed him how much content swelled inside. He knew now why so many couples liked to hug.

Xiao was the first to lean back to look at you again. You were struck by this intensity of his eyes, seemingly lost with desire. Before you could think of anything else, your chin was tilted upwards.

Then, his lips were on yours.

You didn’t think Xiao could surprise you twice in such a short time.

The kiss was soft, like a falling petal brushing against skin. How much time had passed? Seconds, minutes, hours? You couldn’t tell. All you could focus on was the warmth from his lips and the shiver that it caused up your spine. This time, you were the first to pull away. Your cheeks were hotter than probably any of the springs in Natlan.

“How did you—” you stuttered.

Xiao cleared his throat. The spell he was just under seeming to disappear as he blinked away from your gaze, his blush intensifying. “I’ve seen many couples in the city do it. I-It just felt right to do.”

Shyly, he added, “Was that alright?”

He had a habit of second guessing himself when it came to his affections. Luckily, you were someone who was more than happy to give reassurance.

“It was more than okay,” you beamed. “It was perfect.”

You both stayed like this a moment longer, your hands around his back and his on your waist. Xiao spoke of meeting with Baizhu and Zhongli, which displayed a commitment to you that was far too endearing for your heart to handle.

There would be good news indeed when the time came to tell your companions what happened.

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⟡ taglist (hello lovelies!! thank you again for your patience 🥹🫶 i've never tagged people before so i hope this works) — @sizzles-z-4002 @redninjakitty14rp @butterescapism @fuyustuffs @unstablemiss @evilenbypotato

[peculiarinsomniac]

𝑰: 𝑫𝑶𝑪𝑻𝑶𝑹, 𝑫𝑶𝑪𝑻𝑶𝑹.ᐟ

xiao has been noticing some symptoms in you lately and decides to go to baizhu for some advice…

⟡ part II: l-o-v-eternally!

⟡ content — xiao x gn!reader ; absolute fluff, i'm talking very silly and cute ; baizhu and qiqi appearance ; reader has a massive crush on xiao and it goes utterly over his head ; but xiao is just trying his best to be caring ; 3.2k words

⟡ a/n — xiao lovers please rise 🙂‍↕️ banner art by dsmile9 on twitter!

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In his time as a doctor, Baizhu had seen it all. Every weird and wonderful thing about the human body. Every high and low of the human experience. He thought there was little that could shock him now. However, he was disproven at this very moment when the Conqueror of Demons showed up at Bubu Pharmacy.

There actually didn’t seem to be wrong with the yaksha in terms of ailments. No gaping wounds or visible signs of karmic corruption. Baizhu did observe that he appeared more bashful that usual with how tight his arms were folded across his chest, but he did well to hide it under his stone-faced expression.

What was wrong was that he was standing here.

Willingly standing here.

Not being dragged in a half-conscious state by little Qiqi or another one of his companions who certainly cared about his health more than himself.

If Xiao was at his doorstep, the situation must be rather serious.

“Conqueror of Demons,” he greeted, resting his chin on his hand. “Now, isn’t this a welcome surprise?”

Qiqi hopped down from her stool behind the counter, shuffling towards Xiao with unbelieving eyes. She poked at his leg, checking that it was really the yaksha in the flesh. Xiao let the young girl prod as he unfolded his arms and spoke.

“Baizhu, I need your assistance.”

A request for aid? From the Conqueror of Demons himself? Baizhu stood up straighter, his curiosity changing from amused to serious.

“I-it’s about Y/N.”

Ah, I should have known. Yes, he was familiar with you. The person who had brought Xiao to the pharmacy in the aftermath of a particularly dangerous patrol. He could never forget the worry carved into your face and the tenderness in how you brushed his hair away from his sweat slicked skin. As to your relationship together, he had his internal speculations, but never heard anything official as of yet.

Baizhu nodded. “Qiqi, would you mind closing up the pharmacy early today?”

He looked over at Xiao with a soft smile, “Come with me to the back. We can have a discussion there.”

The room Baizhu led Xiao into was reserved for consultations with patients who had more complicated presentations. The furniture inside were all crafted from the same dark wood with gold embellishments. It contained a bed with white linens, a chest of multiple drawers containing all sorts of herbalist components, a low table for working with accompanying stools and chairs, and a bamboo screen for privacy where a wash bucket and cloth were set up behind.

Rather than sit on the bed or in any available chair, Xiao chose to stand. Baizhu sat in his chair by the table, legs crossed. Qiqi joined them soon after, plopping herself onto a stool.

“What seems to be the problem?” Baizhu asked.

Xiao sighed, brow twisted with concern. It was probably the most emotion he had seen in the yaksha. “Y/N hasn’t been themself lately… I believe they might be ill, but I can’t conclude what the ailment is.”

“And may I ask why you came to me? Wouldn’t it make greater sense to have them see me directly than through a middle man?”

Xiao shook his head. “Each time I’ve asked about the state of their health, they dismiss me.”

“I see…” Baizhu hummed with understanding.

It wasn’t uncommon for people to ask about the condition of their loved ones. But to see the Conqueror of Demons show such care for someone despite his reclusive nature. Curious indeed.

“Well then,” he continued, taking his pen and flicking open a notebook in front of him to a fresh page, “what symptoms have you’ve observed so far?”

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patient has been showing signs of increased clumsiness…

Xiao wasn’t a master at interpreting emotion, but he was adept at observing them. Any flicker of change in someone or something’s manner could be the difference between blocking a strike or being fatally injured. Not that being in mortal danger applied to this situation right now, but the skill was transferrable. Right now, Xiao was observing you from the balcony of his room at Wangshu Inn. You were assisting Verr Goldet with hanging some new decorations far below. The boss, however, had currently been pulled aside to help an elderly couple with directions.

He watched as you stood on a step ladder, hanging up a red colored ornament to one of the lantern poles that lined the deck of the inn. His keen senses spiked. The combination of you on your tippy toes, the unstable structure supporting you, and your focus being entirely on hanging the decoration instead of yourself did not have many positive outcomes. Instantly, Xiao went from being on the topmost floor to behind you. Traces of his teleportation manifested as green wisps of energy in the air.

You felt the ladder stabilize beneath your. Your heels fell back down as you stood properly.

“Thanks Goldet!” you called over your shoulder before turning around fully to ask, “Tell me, would the flower or butterfly one look better—”

The rest of your question caught in your throat. Verr Goldet was not there behind you. Rather, a certain teal haired protector who you had grown close to.

You were introduced to Xiao by Verr Goldet herself. She believed it would be good for you and him to meet. Being apart of the adventurer’s guild meant that you had interacted with many different individuals, and could share your knowledge of the mortal world.

As time passed, strangers would turn to acquaintances, then acquaintances would turn into friends. The label of which Xiao himself bestowed upon you on an ordinary afternoon. It made your heart both soar at the heartfelt admission and sink to hear such a definitive term. You always hoped there would be room for something more.

Xiao blinked up at you on the ladder. In a matter of seconds, he saw your eyes go wide with recognition, then your feet slipping against the ladder’s surface. Thankfully, he had reflexes as quick as an electro thunderstorm. You tumbled forward, straight into his arms.

“X-Xiao?!” you squeaked.

He didn’t let you go just yet. Instead, he tightened his hold on you, trying to let the shock of the fall pass over you.

“This ladder is too unbalanced,” he said. “You should be more careful.”

You could only nod. Your brain was more occupied with your proximity to Xiao. How you could see the different shades of amber in the irises of his eyes, and the shape of his lips.

Some part of your consciousness pinched itself, and you whipped your head away.

“I-I didn’t realize. That’s my mistake,” you answered with a sheepish chuckle.

He gave a short sigh before gently letting you stand. The places where his strong grip held you still tingled against your skin.

“Also… the flower one,” Xiao mumbled.

You cocked your head, thinking you had misheard him. “I’m sorry?”

Xiao folded his arms, nodding towards the lantern pole.

“You asked about the decorations. The flower one would… look nice.”

Never had such simple words caused a flutter in your stomach.

If that wasn’t enough, Xiao remained with you, lending a hand where he could. He didn’t want there to be an accident if he had left you alone. What he didn’t expect was that you seemed to be more clumsier as time continued. Unable to step on the ladder without your knees wobbling, tripping over the boxes of decorations, dropping the tools every time you went to hang a decoration up. Considerate as he was, Xiao climbed ladders, moved boxes, and hammered things in place for you without protest. Though, in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but be concerned.

Verr Goldet returned to find the pair hard at work. She observed, amusingly, how obvious you were being about your feelings and how oblivious the other was in seeing them.

Ah, youth, she mused to herself.

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patient has been experiencing raised bodily temperature…

Telling Xiao not to worry was like telling the waters in Chenyu Vale not to flow. It was a simple law of nature; a force unable to be stopped.

“I’m feeling perfectly fine,” you emphasized for a second time.

You were seated on the small sofa in your living room. Beside you, Xiao also sat, straight-backed and gloved hands in his lap.

Xiao had come to your home to visit. Both out of curiosity as to how mortals lived in their own dwellings and curiosity about you. More specifically, why you had been so flushed recently. Whenever he saw you, he noticed the pink that spread from tips of your ears to apples of your cheeks.

“There are signs that show otherwise,” he stated, bluntly.

Ever since that time he helped you decorate the inn, Xiao had been much, much more attentive towards you. Eyes examining you up and down with little subtlety. Under such a gaze, how could you not become hot and bothered?

“I am not familiar with mortal health, but I have noticed you’ve grown more…” Xiao searched for the right descriptor in his head, “…redder, recently.”

Archons, does he know about it?! you thought to yourself with alarm. He turned towards you, and you stifled a yelp. There was no way in Celestia this was how he would find out.

“It may be due to some kind of illness.”

It took a moment for his words to register in your head. An… illness?

Sensing the confusion on your face, Xiao moved nearer until he was right by your side. He lifted a hand up to your forehead, an action he had observed many adults perform on children to assess their temperature. If he was correct in its function, then this should allow him to draw an appropriate conclusion.

Your body locked up.

He was so, so close once again.

“Even now,” the slight gravel of his tone reverberated in your ears, “your face is heating up. It is likely a fever.”

He pulled away. You exhaled a breath that you subconsciously held.

“I can take you to see Baizhu. He will know what to do.”

Xiao stood up, implying that he would take you there right now.

“No, no! There’s absolutely no need!” you protested.

The emphatic rejection made Xiao frown.

“I-it’s nothing that bedrest can’t fix.” you said, attempting to provide a convincing cover. “There’s no need to waste your teleportation powers to transport me.”

“It is no waste if it concerns your health,” he answered.

“You know what,” you shot up from the sofa, “I’ll go to my room right now to get some sleep!”

Xiao opened his mouth, prepared with his own protest. However, you were faster than him in continuing your sentence.

“You should go now, Xiao. I wouldn’t want you to catch whatever sickness I have.”

Though he appreciated your consideration, as an adeptus with a completely different constitution, he was certain mortal ailments would hardly affect him. However, he couldn't explain all that to you with how fast you marched away to your room, leaving him behind.

He saw your head poke out from behind the door of your bedroom.

“Thank you for visiting me!” you called out before shutting the door.

If Xiao knew this word, he would have used it to describe the exact emotion he was feeling at this moment: Flabbergasted.

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patient’s heartrate is frequently elevated…

Even after the fever incident, Xiao, to your relief, still wished to see you. You half expected him to be so bewildered by your actions that he would no longer want to be associated with you. So, you two returned to your ordinary routines of meeting with each other.

Xiao liked having your company in the evenings before he went out on patrol. As you sat on the edge of his bed, you would tell him about your week’s completed commissions. For Xiao, it served many purposes. Tactically, he could get insight any threats to Liyue that he couldn’t detect if you were involved in or overheard any significant commissions. In those first instances of meeting with you, Xiao would have said that that was the only purpose your stories held for him. But, with each passing night, Xiao realized he rather enjoyed hearing your voice. The cadence of your tone soothed him the same way notes played by a skilled musician captured an audience. He then found his lips curving into a hidden smile whenever you described a particularly frustrating encounter. Cheeks puffed in annoyance that drew a word from his vocabulary that he seldom used: cute.

Tonight, however, you appeared to be in no such mood for stories.

You were quiet, slowly flipping through pages of a novel as you read. It wasn’t strange for you to complete your own activity during this time, but Xiao had come to anticipate your conversation. His concerns about your health bubbled to the surface once again.

If he had focused more closely on you, he would have seen that your attention was far from the words on the page. Not looking at Xiao meant your heart could be less out on your sleeve and instead encased within muscle and bone where its supposed to be.

Xiao glanced back at you, eyes glued to the novel. He wouldn’t push it. Maybe this was the rest you were speaking about previously to help you recover.

He grabbed his shoulder armor from the bedside table, preparing to put it on himself using one hand as he had done hundreds of times before.

Two hands grasped the armor, lifting it from his own grasp.

“Let me help you.”

Your voice was delicate, almost hesitant as you reached out.

Xiao wordlessly accepted, sitting down on the bed to grant you easier access. You adjusted the spiked armor piece, making sure it laid flat and the black material beneath was secure around his shoulder.

Whilst you didn’t look up at him, he freely observed you. There was something beneath your avoidant gaze and bitten lower lip he couldn’t quite decipher. At the same time, there was something in his chest that stirred.

So unfamiliar with these new emotions you seemed to bring for him, Xiao could only think in somethings.

“Thank you,” he said. “You are very kind.”

A small smile tugged at your lips. “It’s always easier to have someone else helping you out.”

Fitting the amour in place, you went to pull away. Suddenly, Xiao caught your wrist with his hand.

The breath escaped your lungs. You blinked rapidly, wondering if you were imagining all this in your head. Xiao brought two fingers to your wrist, applying light pressure onto your skin.

“Your pulse...” concern laced his voice as he spoke. “It is quite fast.”

How could he even sense such a thing!? You cleared your throat, trying to temper your shock.

“It’s always naturally this high,” you answered as light-hearted as possible.

“Mhm,” Xiao could only hum with mild suspicion.

Willing his jade spear to materialize, Xiao weighed it in his hand, readying for the night’s patrol.

“Look after yourself,” he said gently. “I’ll return tomorrow.”

With a nod and a lilt in your voice you replied, “I know. You always do.”

Xiao headed to the balcony. He did not turn around to face you, and therefore missed your tender gaze and your fingers brushing over your wrist where his gloved touch still lingered on your skin.

Disappearing into the night, Xiao made up his mind. He would go consult Baizhu about your condition and see what the course of action he should take. Surely the well practiced doctor could provide some necessary answers.

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During the first part of Xiao’s recounts, Baizhu had a pretty good guess about what was happening with you. By the halfway point, he wondered if he should even continue feigning writing patient notes.

Xiao finished relaying his information, hands now on his hips—expectantly. “What do you think is happening?”

Baizhu tapped his pen against the page of the notebook. It certainly is a very special type of sickness… he thought to himself. How would Xiao react if he told him he diagnosed you with 'lovesickness'?

“Will Y/N be okay?” Qiqi asked, tugging on Baizhu’s white coat. “I like Y/N. They always give warm hugs.”

The doctor gave a reassuring smile and patted Qiqi’s head. “Yes, they’ll be alright. I’ve made my assessment.”

Xiao prepared himself. If it was serious, he needed to know how to best help you. Comparatively, Baizhu appeared not the least bit troubled. Turning to the adeptus, he drummed his fingers against the table.

“Did you notice a particular trend in the occurrence of these symptoms?”

“A trend?” Xiao repeated, resting his chin on his hand.

Maybe it had to do with the weather? Or something you had eaten on those days?

“Yes, they all seem to happen when you’re there,” Baizhu answered seeing Xiao unable to come to a conclusion. “Being more clumsy, feeling hot, a fast beating heart, but only around a certain someone…”

Xiao’s brows raised. “Am I the cause of Y/N’s illness? Is my karmic debt responsible for this?”

Baizhu shook his head immediately. “No, no, Archons no! I can assure you that these symptoms have nothing to do with your karma.”

He sighed, trying to switch his words. “Rather, it’s more to do with your… character.”

“My character?” Exasperated confusion was permanently affixed to Xiao’s face. “This ambiguity you speak with is unhelpful.”

Baizhu had done some tough things as a doctor. But trying to subtly hint to a somewhat emotionally unaware individual that someone had a crush on him was certainly one of the hardest.

He paused a moment. Was it really his place to reveal this? Wouldn’t it be far better, and more meaningful, for you to tell him on your own?

“Some symptoms that people report are actually very normal parts of everyday living,” he said, adopting his most professional tone. "My recommendation is for you to ask Y/N how they’ve been feeling recently, and to tell them that it’s never healthy to keep things bottled up inside.”

Finally, some advice for Xiao to action.

“You think I should be more direct in my confrontation?” he asked.

“Yes, but not too much to arouse anxiety.”

Xiao nodded thoughtfully. He should have known that it didn’t have to be a physical illness—maybe your symptoms were a manifestation of stress or worry you were experiencing. Talking it out would be a good step. Even if he was not the most skilled at it, he would try anything to help you feel better.

“I will take your advice. Thank you, Baizhu.”

He bowed his head in thanks. Baizhu gave a hum of what sounded like satisfaction.

“Tell me how it all goes, Conqueror of Demons.”

Baizhu’s voice as he spoke was a little too singsong for Xiao’s taste. But, he was one of the best doctors in Liyue, so who was he to second guess his words?

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[peculiarinsomniac]

Title: It's You 

Pairing: Manjiro x Reader

Summary: You're saved from bullying by Mikey one day, and you can't shake the feeling as if you know him from another life (timeline) | Genre: Angst with a happy ending = hurt/comfort | Warning: Bullying, uncomfortable situations | Words: 4.6K

It was happening again. 

Your stomach twisted in the worst way imaginable, and you felt like throwing up a bit in your mouth. It was so cruel and so confusing. 

They’re talking about me. They’re laughing at me.

You weren’t certain what brought it, but over the course of the last couple of weeks, you could hear your classmates whispering among themselves and snickering all the while looking at your back. 

You didn’t turn around to face them, but you could still picture them and their cruel smiles. You didn’t understand. Did you do something wrong? Why, would they act this way all of the sudden? 

You came to live in Tokyo a couple of months ago, and at first, the kids in your class seemed nice enough. Some asked you to eat lunch with them and even spoke about walking home together or plans for the weekends, so what caused the shift? 

The only thing, you could think of was that boy, the one who seemed to laugh the most at you. He seemed the nicest of them at the beginning, he waited for you in front of the school to walk to class with you and then even walked home with you. He asked you about your life before you moved, your interests, pets, family, and friends. He seemed to genuinely want to get to know you, but then, one day while walking to school, he asked if you would kiss him. You were confused. You didn’t really think about kissing him since you were certain, you only viewed him as a friend for now. Maybe after a while, you would genuinely like to go on a few dates with him and even kiss him afterward if the dates would turn out well, and you would feel like doing so, but you were definitely not ready to do so that day and not so out of the blue. 

Did he like you? Was he just embarrassed and messed up asking you out?

Also, you couldn’t help but think, It’s not him.

‘I’m sorry,’ you said and bowed a bit, ‘You’re a dear friend to me, but I don’t feel that way yet,’ you said feeling guilty about it before you tried to put on a smile, ‘Maybe when we know each other for a little long-’

‘You might as well do it, though,’ he suddenly said, and the smile, you thought was so sincere and friendly a while ago seemed twisted and wrong now, ‘I will tell everyone you did it anyway.’

Your own smile immediately fell as his words sunk in. Did he really just say what you thought you heard, and did he really mean it? 

He remained to wait for your answer, but you were too startled to give one, and you simply ran away without a single word. You never felt so scared and uncomfortable in your life. 

At home, you spent hours before finally falling asleep dreading the next morning which mercilessly came all too quickly. You thought about telling your family, but you didn’t really know what to say or how to explain it. You felt like your stomach was carrying rocks that were so heavy they were pushing all the food and water back into your throat as if you were supposed to throw up. 

You felt sick.

Your classmate didn’t wait for you that morning, and throughout most of the day, nothing much happened as you both seemed to be ignoring one another almost making you believe it could have been forgotten altogether. 

Then the next day came, and slowly you noticed your classmates and kids outside of your class whispering and looking at you. It was nerve-wracking. You tried to ask what was going on, but they seemed to put on smiles and act all confused like they didn’t know what you mean. Could it be all in your head? But why did they stop calling you out to eat lunch with them? Why did they stop talking to you during breaks? Why did it seem that the only time someone looked at you was at your back right before they would snicker or snort at something that was said among themselves? 

You thought about going to your classmate and demanding what he said about you, but you felt even more like throwing up at the thought of ever talking to him again. What did he say? Was it bad? 

Worse than their laughter and secret gossiping were those looks. 

Not those mocking cruel ones, even if those were bad in their own way, but those that seemed to sometimes follow you on your way home. You didn’t know why, but at times you would notice a boy or a group of them looking at you or following you leaving you to feel incredibly uneasy. Like they wanted to approach you. Like they wanted something from you causing panic and alarm to kick in and force you to speed up or look for an area with more people around.

It was hard to sleep when you noticed those looks. You felt like crying or running every time you caught their uncomfortable almost sickly gazes.

From an early age, you found groups of men to be scary for some reason even those you knew well always trying to be with someone and not alone around them.

You found out the next day, that knowing was worse than anything your innocent mind could imagine.

‘Everyone knows she does lewd stuff with older guys.’

‘I heard she tried to sell herself for seven-thousand yen.’

‘She even kissed a bunch of girls in her old school.’

Your stomach sank and tears rushed into your eyes as you felt a tremble take hold of your body. You wanted to believe they weren’t talking about you. How could they be talking about you when none of those disgusting things were true? But they said your name, and they seemed to be so sure about their words. So cruel with their laughter spreading those rumors as if they were facts as if they were true. 

You wouldn’t have heard it, but you forgot your pencil case in your shoe locker and had to return to it.

You were crying before you even knew what was happening, and your shaky legs still dressed in your school shoes let you out of the school before you could even focus on what you were doing. 

You just walked away from the building. Away from those nasty words. Away from those horrible gazes and mockery. 

How…? How could someone be so cruel and make up such lies? 

Your legs gave up somewhere outside the school, and out of the view of anyone else, you simply sank into the sidewalk and started to cry as hard as you could regardless of if someone heard you or not. You felt horribly dirty by their lies. It didn’t matter if they were just their malice and hurtful words, they left you to feel unclean, and you wished for nothing else than just to go home and tell your parents what happened, but how could you? What if they believed those words? If all your classmates and others were saying them, what if everyone else believed them too? 

It felt like ages had passed, and you cried so hard you didn’t even notice someone stopped in front of you until you felt someone touch the top of your head, ‘Oi, what happened to you?’

You blinked your eyes open, but the tears made it impossible to see clearly who was talking to you. All you could make out were two blond figures in black.

‘Isn’t that the new girl?’ asked one of the voices to which the first one replied with a little uh-huh sound, ‘It is? I thought she was cute.’

You started to cry harder for some reason. 

‘Always the charmer,’ commented the second one who sounded grumpier while the first one let out something like an offended puff of air before you felt the same hand from before gently pat the top of your head again. 

Huh?

‘Come on, stop that wailing, when my sister wails like this it’s because of another one of her K-pop idols is leaving the band for a solo career,’ said the first voice still patting you, ‘Maybe you should get Emma, Kenchin. This is more her territory.’

‘Emma isn’t going to skip school,’ replied the second voice, and you recognized the name Emma since it was such an unusual one for a Japanese girl as the name of a girl from another class.

‘She would if you asked her,’ said the voice of the person who was patting her before letting out a small chuckle, ‘Now, now, no more of that. Women are weak and all but crying in front of the school never solved anything, right Kenchin?’

‘I’m sure she would have stopped sooner if you didn’t talk nonsense to her.’

‘Don’t be mean. You don’t have a cute little sister, but this is what good brothers do.’

It still took you a while, but strangely, hearing those two talk to each other all the while feeling someone pat your head like you were a puppy did help your sobs and tears ease enough to brush them with your sleeves and look at the two boys properly. 

It was actually nice to be caressed like that. 

‘Oh, she stopped,’ commented the tall blond one, you knew only as Ryuguji Ken before your eyes shifted to the other blond who turned out to be Sano Manjiro who continued to pat you a bit longer. 

‘H-hello,’ you said weakly brushing your eyes some more trying to appear more presentable for some reason. 

All the while watching as Sano offered you a calm lazy smile just as he did the one and only time, you actually came face to face with him while running to class. 

‘Good morning,’ you found yourself saying for some reason when you were faced with the handsome blond boy with the darkest eyes as you almost crashed into him. 

The moment he looked at you, something shifted across his face if only for a moment making him look very serious before he regained his bored persona again and offered you a lazy grin, ‘You still have plenty of time before class. Don’t stress about it too much, yeah?’ 

Without waiting for a reply, he simply left causing you to momentarily forget about class altogether and simply watch him walk away with this unshakable feeling of a deja vu.

Right now, you could feel this sensation right under your skin, but it was very weak as you were still too caught up on what happened to you in school.

You didn’t know the boys all that well since from the two months you were in school, they spend maybe half or less in classes. You knew there were rumors they were a part of some gang, Sano was the leader of, but for all, you knew it might have been just something people said like those things they said about you. 

You hiccupped as you felt like crying again only to be harshly snapped at, ‘No! Stop that! You just finished doing that, if you cry more everyone is going to think you’re a pathetic crybaby!’ It might have been scary to be told such things if Sano didn’t appear looking more like a little child than a powerful gang leader when he said it. 

You swallowed down the bump once again forming inside your throat and nodded knowing he meant well even if his attitude wasn’t the best, ‘S-sorry.’ 

He did approach you and made you feel better even if he didn’t have to.

He seemed satisfied with this result as he grinned at you and then his friend, ‘See, Kenchin. I told you I knew what I was doing. Well, that’s that. Later.’

‘W-wait a moment please,’ you said immediately shocked that you had, but it seemed it was too late because both of the boys turned and looked back at you. It was bizarre, but since the last couple of weeks, they seemed to be the first ones who spoke to you somewhat ordinarily and not like they were hiding nasty rumors from you or like they were faking niceness. Not to mention, you couldn’t shake the feeling around Sano for some reason wishing to see him for just a bit longer.

‘Yes?’ asked the taller one since the shorter one already looked like he was a bit bored with you, ‘People sometimes said mean things about you behind your backs.’

You looked away wondering if that meant you too since you heard those things and never stood up for them. It suddenly made you feel bad, ‘H-how do you deal with it?’

‘We kick their ass,’ said Sano causing your head to drop and shoulders to slump. Given what you heard you shouldn’t be so surprised, ‘Right, never mind. Thank you and sorry for keeping you.’

You remained sitting on the sidewalk. You already missed the first period and had no idea what you would tell your parents or homeroom teacher. You also couldn’t imagine yourself entering the school again knowing all those horrible things they said about you.

What am I going to do now?

‘Hey, Mikey, you’re coming or what?’ you heard Ryuguji asked realized they didn’t leave, and Sano was still looking down at you.

You couldn’t really describe this look, but it was different, not just from those you had gotten since the rumors must have started, but also different from any other look you ever received from anyone. You wondered what was going through his mind, and if he also felt a bit strange around you which was the reason why he stopped and went to comfort you in the first place. 

‘Sure,’ said Sano suddenly breaking your train of thought, and then suddenly pulled down his black jacket the one he seemed to also wear in class regardless of what was the assigned uniform. 

You blinked confused, and you could see his friend didn’t understand what he was doing either before you felt the heavy material of the jacket fall over your shoulders.

It was quite heavier than the material of your school uniform even if it didn’t properly fit your body type, but it was surprisingly warm and-

This smells so familiar. What is that?

It was hardly cold outside, but for some reason, the moment to fabric touched your body, you felt infinite times warmer not even realizing you were cold in the first place all the while wondering what was the wonderful smell that entered your senses. 

‘No one will dare say anything to you if you wear this. I will come to find you at the end of the day to get it back,’ said Sano and offered you another lazy-looking grin, ‘Don’t lose it, or I will kick your ass, girl or not, got it?’

You could only nod feeling almost intoxicated by the scent, gesture, and the feeling of déjà vu it all seemed to cause you.

You barely got out a thank you before the short blond started to run leaving you behind. 

You shared a bit look with Ryuguji who waved and nodded at you before he followed his friend leaving you sitting on the sidewalk with a heavy jacket on top of your shoulders. 

You returned to the school for the second class, and as Sano predicted no one dared to say anything to you. You could see they were still staring probably more than ever but instead of nasty or mocking looks they now seemed properly scared shutting up the moment you met their eyes and swiftly looking away. 

It might as well be a magical jacket because at least for today it gave you the power to be left alone in peace. It seemed priceless. 

Every once in a while, you found yourself pushing a hand into a pocket or brushing the material as if to chase some sort of memory you didn’t have. 

Could it be Sano and I met before? You wondered curiously. You weren’t in Tokyo that long and saw him in passing just two times actually exchanging some words, but it almost felt like you knew him longer.  

It got a bit into your head and made you busy and distracted enough to forget about your previous worried. Not to mention feel properly safe for the first time in what felt like forever.

When Sano and Ryuguji showed up at the end of the class, you couldn’t help but bow to them in gratitude, ‘Thank you so much. You really helped me out more than you know.’

Just as you were planning to straighten up, you felt Sano snatch the side of your uniform and pull you up to look at him. You would have been afraid given his reputation and everything that happened to you so far, but surprisingly such a feeling never came as you met his face taking it in.

His face carried a lazy-looking smile, and although his eyes were the darkest you ever saw they carried a strange light or hope inside them that stole your breath away for some reason and left this strange feeling in the back of your mind. 

This was the first time you properly saw him up close without tears, and you couldn’t help but think he wasn’t just kind in his own harsh way, but also very handsome. 

‘So pretty,’ he said soundly very pleased, and grinned, ‘No more crying, alright?’

You felt your face grow hot over him smiling at you like and calling you pretty all the while your heart pounded all too loud and fast, ‘I’ll try.’ 

He laughed upon hearing that seemingly delighted which caused you to feel a wave of fondness for this strange boy wash over you, ‘Okay, do your best. I really rather see you smiling and happy. It feels better when I see you like that instead of sad and crying,’ he confessed, and your mouth opened and closed as your mind tried to come up with something to say because the way he spoke it sounded just all too real, and you couldn’t help but wonder why and what it all meant, and if he felt it too.

 But before you could embarrass yourself or get some answers, you heard a commotion coming from behind and found Ryuguji kicking your classmate who ended up on the ground bowing in front of you with his whole body, ‘I asked around,’ said the tall blond, ‘Everyone said this guy started the rumors.’

It wasn’t a surprise. You figured as much as he was the boy who asked you to kiss him not so long ago. 

‘Please, I’m sorry. I didn’t know she was with Toman. I swear!’ begged the boy still not the ground not daring to stand up. 

Ryuguji stepped on his back while Sano went to squat down in front of him, ‘So if she was any other girl, it would have been alright? I have a little sister, you know? If someone was to say shit about her like that, I would personally kill every and each one of them.’

‘Please,’ begged the boy now crying still not daring to raise his head.

You noticed a lot of people from your school gathered around now watching the scene with worry and fascination while the boy carried on his pleas and wailing, ‘I’m sorry. I swear I’ll never do this again! I swear! I’m sorry I started the rumors. I’m sorry I tried to force her to kiss me!’

Silence fell over the scene as no one said anything for a while after those words.

‘You tried to force her to kiss you?’ asked Sano finally, but you almost wished he didn’t because he sounded incredibly cold right before he reached out and snatched the guy’s hair pulling his head up.

That was when it happens. 

Somewhere in the back of your mind, you couldn’t help but hear Sano’s voice as if he spoke right now. 

Nothing scares me more than when the impulse takes over. Especially when you’re around, y/n-chan, his voice as clear as day asked, and your heart skipped a beat at how familiar and intimate it sounded as if he knew you. As if you were friends. As if you were close. 

A cold chill ran down your body and before you could stop yourself and rethink your palms reached out and found a place on Sano’s shoulders, ‘He’s not worth it, Mikey-kun.’

You didn’t know why you called him that. You heard his friend call him that, but it wasn’t like you were friends despite his kindness. You also didn’t know why it felt so natural to call him that.

The death grip on your classmate’s hair loses, but you barely noticed as the moment the blond, you were holding onto, slightly turn his head to you, you saw the light return into his dark eyes. 

You held your breath as a small smile appeared once again across his handsome face extinguishing the feeling of darkness and cold that came over you, ‘I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.’

‘You’re still too forgiving and sweet for your own good, huh?’ he asked his dark eyes sparkling with a sudden fondness that felt like you didn’t deserve it for some reason, ‘I’m glad.’

Mikey let go of the boy who started to cry harder on the ground and stood up as you let go of his body so he could properly face you, ‘Let’s get you home. I don’t think anyone will give you a hard time anymore, but if they do, tell me, alright?’

Once again, you felt as if this wasn’t the first time, he said this to you, and you couldn’t help but ask, ‘Have we met before?’

He looked at you again as the taller blond pulled your classmate from the ground, but you were still too focused on the blond boy in front of you to pay attention to all that. It was as if nothing else matter than to look at his face and see him so calm and content.

‘So you noticed too, huh?’ he asked something flashing behind his dark eyes, ‘It’s just this feeling like you’re someone important to me even if I don’t really know you. Maybe it’s love,’ he chuckled looking really happy as your heart continued to beat faster and louder again. 

Love, you thought wondering how bizarre to hear someone so young as him speak so lightly about it.

‘ Or maybe it’s fate,’ he shrugged his shoulders easing up the tension, but only slightly, ‘It doesn’t really matter though. Let’s just take you home and see what happens, yeah?’

You blinked at his nonchalant behavior, but you couldn’t really argue with him. You couldn’t explain the familiarity between you too, and it didn’t seem like that was much to do about it anyway.

For now, you accepted his offer to take you home with Draken, and Mikey’s younger sister, Emma trying to convince yourself that it was not a big deal. 

But when your hands slipped around his middle to hold onto him during the ride, you couldn’t help but smile as a wave of joy filled your insides. Something which Mikey had to share with you because you noticed he was smiling with a certain sweetness; you didn’t before. 

I wonder if we did this before. In a past life or something.

Whether you believed in such things or not, you couldn’t help but admit you felt very much connected to the blond boy as he took you home and promised to come to get you tomorrow morning as well. 

‘You don’t have to,’ you tried to argue since you were certain, he didn’t often come to school, and even if you didn’t approve, you felt you might have already bothered him enough for today, but he just offered you a lazy shrugged and told you to be ready at a certain time, ‘I promise to come for you. Do you believe me?’ the way he asked, you couldn’t shake a feeling he already asked this of you once. You couldn’t tell what happened with that promise back then, but at least for now you felt you could offer him another smile and nod, ‘I believe you, Mikey-kun.’

The light inside his dark eyes made them exceptionally warm as he reached for your hand, and you without a single doubt met him halfway so he could take it all the while oblivious that Draken and Emma were watching you from his bike not too far away while sharing confused looks. 

His hand was rough and strong, but all you felt was warmth and safety as his thumb brushed against your knuckles, ‘Promise me, I’ll see you tomorrow,’ he said looking into your eyes and even if he didn’t say anything else, you could feel it was important so once again you nodded, ‘I promise you’ll see me tomorrow, Mikey-kun. I’ll be waiting right here.’

You squeezed his hand before he finally let you go and left, and just like last time, you watched him go, but instead of sadness or longing, you only felt anticipation and excitement that you would see him tomorrow again. 

You went into your home and about your day, and the next day, you dutifully took your place right where you parted with the blond boy, whose connection to you still couldn’t figure out, but at the same time didn’t mind all that much. 

When Mikey parked by, both of you greeted each other with overly happy smiles before you took your place behind him once again feeling like it was the place you should have been all along, ‘Let’s do this ever day,’ he said as he put his hands over yours that were around him, ‘Let me pick you from and to school every day. Promise me?’

‘I promise,’ you breathed against his cheek all too eagerly as you couldn’t even imagine ever refusing this to him when it made you feel so good inside.

You could see he was grinning the whole ride looking just as happy as you felt.

Mikey and Draken didn’t go to school that day either. They just dropped you and Emma off watching you get inside while you couldn’t shake the warm and content feeling of knowing he would come to pick you up after school too. 

It feels right. It feels like it’s him, you thought fondly knowing it was true deep in your gut, heart and mind. You just knew. It was him. Whoever, he was and expected him to be it was him, Sano ‘Mikey’ Manjiro.

In school, you avoided the people who made fun of you and they did the same for you fearful of retaliation from the Toman as Emma, who you decided to befriend and spend more time with, explained to you.

‘Hey, did you fall in love with my brother? You two act like you’re dating and look so happy all the time,’ said the blond girl, and even if you shouldn’t have you couldn’t help but smile a bit before admitting without much embarrassment or doubt, ‘You know, I don’t think so. I think I’ve already loved him before,’ you giggled at how silly it sounded still feeling the comforting warm inside, ‘I just hadn’t met him until now.’

Emma gave you an odd look, and for a moment you simply thought you were weird before she grimaced and chuckled, ‘Mikey told me the exact same thing. I guess that means you’re meant to be, huh?’

Yeah, I guess it does.

Koniec 

A.N: Thank you for taking the time to read this. It was a bit of a self-request that I was working on for a while. English is not my first language, so I apologize if this was confusing or there were many errors and mistakes. I hope you liked it. Have a nice day and stay safe 😊

[peculiarinsomniac]

You should totally make a 2nd part for 'Taiyaki for the Soul' it was so good

Hi there 💙💛

 Thank you for your request.

Due to the popular demand, I decided to give it a go.

Again, I would like to stress out. I’m not good with 2nd parts. If I write something as a one-shot it usually does not turn out good when I add a 2nd part, but I’m a people pleaser, so here it is. 😊 I hope you will enjoy it. 

@ninabellaka, @ajmiila02, @royalmuffinsworld

Attention: Please read PART 1 first!

Title: Taiyaki for the Soul PART 2

Pairing: Manjiro x Reader 

Genre: Fluff |Warning: some angst since I chose Bonten Mikey | Words: 4.8K 

‘Not again,’ you heard your cashier groan loudly all the way from the register into the small back kitchen where you were finishing your daily cleanup.

Drying your hand in the towel, you peeked out from your spot making sure you wouldn’t be seen by the customers who were picking something at the counter nearby. 

Your cashier, a middle-aged woman, you grew to find essential in your line of work since she dealt with your customers so swiftly and well, noticed you and came closer, ‘It happened again. I pick up, and I know they’re there, but once I speak they end the call.’

You offered her a small smile and shrugged your shoulders, ‘Maybe, they wrote the number wrong and didn’t want to waste your time.’

She shook her head not impressed by the idea at all before she returned to the register as the customers already made their choice and wanted to buy some of your snacks. 

You returned to the small kitchen putting the towel away thinking. 

Mikey-kun, was that you?

It had been over a month since the man with short silver hair and empty eyes came into your back kitchen and baked taiyaki with you. And despite trying not to bring your hopes up because he didn’t promise you anything, you couldn’t stop thinking about him. Being a shy baker in Tokyo, there weren’t many if any interesting things happening in your life and although you tried to look at the bright side of this as it was a good thing, you couldn’t seem to settle your mind or your heart. 

Every time, you heard the small shop phone ring, you paused your movements on the dough and held your breath. 

Mikey-kun, is that you?

You couldn’t keep the phone with you as your hands were always covered in flour or some other ingredients, and you wouldn’t want to get it dirty. All you could do was hold your breath and eavesdrop on your cashier as she either spoke with a customer or once again groaned when the call was cut short. 

Of course, your heartbeat speeded up every time, she did groan and you quickly tried to get to the phone yourself just in case, but every time you did you were both left confused as the number was hidden and impossible to dial back. 

‘That’s very bizarre,’ said your cashier, and you agreed with her quietly.

At night, alone inside your bed upstairs, you wondered, if it truly was your mystery tattooed taiyaki-lover. Your fantasy took you to all kinds of scenarios, but again, you were a rather ordinary baker, so everything too out of the ordinary seem like you were trying to be more interesting than you truly were. It should frighten you, and it did because he was still a stranger, but at the same time you could still picture how happy he looked talking to you. And that small fact, that it was you who made him look that way overshadowed any doubts you might have had before.

Sighing, in the present time, you put the towel on the pile for you to carry them upstairs to wash later tonight.

The idea made you scold a bit as it truly underlined just how much of an ordinary person you were. It had to be why you were clinging so much to the idea of Mikey ever coming back. Those few hours with him were the most you felt like you did something outside your comfort zone in… well… ever. Even if it was just doing your favorite activity and talking. He was a stranger, who appeared outside your shop and as bizarre as it was, who you dragged inside and taught how to bake taiyaki all the while talking as if you were on a date close friends.

You swallowed feeling a bit embarrassed and mentally scolding yourself for even thinking that. He was a stranger. An interesting stranger with haunting dark eyes, who would have kissed you if you didn’t stop him. 

A stranger with a story that keeps me up at night.

You waited for your cashier to finish as you always did and then proceed to clean up the front shop and prepare it for another day. It was a routine now. One which you were so used to, you would probably get insomnia if you didn’t end up doing it every day. 

You cleaned up, check all the doors and windows if they were locked, and started to go upstairs when it happened. 

The sound of the phone ringing coming from downstairs was almost as loud as thunder in the silence of your building, and you moved before you could stop yourself, rushing back toward the counter and hitting your ankle against its side in the process. 

You hissed but managed to snatch the phone before it finished and called out breathlessly partly still in shock and partly with hope, ‘M-mikey-kun?!’

You caught your breath feeling like a fool for doing so. The eagerness felt almost pathetic, and still, it could not be helped. Even the off chance, that it might be him was enough to keep you going.

You don’t know if it’s even him. 

He’s a stranger. 

Please, let it be him. 

There was a soft almost breathless chuckle, and your heart skipped a bit, ‘Sounds like you missed me.’

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath a smile pushing against your lips before you could even stop it.

You lied so poorly, ‘Just a little bit.’

He hummed, and you wondered if he could tell, and if he was smiling just a little bit too, and if he was the person who constantly called hoping you would pick up, and if he wanted to come again, and if…

You sighed and covered your closed eyes with your palm feeling your heart speed up as you giggled.

There was a sound, something like a gasp or a deep hoarse inhale, you couldn’t be sure, but in the next moment he spoke, ‘Are you busy today?’

‘No,’ you answered all too quickly and honestly. 

‘Oh, that’s not a very cool response,’ he teased you a bit, but before you could answer, he spoke again almost like he didn’t want you to overthink it or grow upset about it, ‘Can I come over? I…I have a few hours to spare, and I…,’ his voice grew softer and quieter, but still loud enough for you to hear, ‘I want to make taiyaki with you again. Can I?’

You smiled to yourself at how tender the question sounded almost like he was a child asking if he could have another sweet, ‘Yes, Mikey-kun. When will you come?’

‘Thirty minutes,’ he said, and you quickly started to walk to the front, ‘Alright, I will keep the door unlocked for you and turn on the oven again-’

‘DON’T!’ he said all too quickly and sharply almost making you think he was talking to someone else and panic before he spoke again, this time much quieter than before, ‘Don’t unlock it until I’m there.’

You paused waiting if he would continue, and to your surprise, he did only sounding, even more, quieter than before now, ‘It’s dark, and anyone could be on the streets now.’

Your chest expanded with the warmth from feeling touched by his concerns at the same time as it ached because it sounded like he knew what could happen in the dark when anyone could be walking the streets. 

Still, you nodded even if he couldn’t see you and returned to the small kitchen where you wouldn’t be seen to prepare the over and ingredients, ‘It’s alright. Call me when you’re outside, I will go and unlock the door for you then.’

He seemed to relax at your words, ‘I will hold you up to that.’

You did just that. You prepared the red beans pasta as well as other flavors to spice it up and the dough before you took a seat on a stool waiting for Mikey to call your business number again. 

Only once the phone rang, did you rush to the front door. 

Your eyes caught his shadowy figure because of a nearby streetlight, and even before you opened the door, you could tell, he was looking at you through the glass window. 

‘Hi,’ you said as you stepped aside to let him in. 

Only when he stepped inside, and you properly saw him from the light coming from your back kitchen, did you finally realize a part of you almost believed he wasn’t really in the first place? It was easy to understand why. It seemed too bizarre to have happened in the first place. For shy hard to communicate with others, you, to bring someone into your shop and spend hours with them talking like you were good old friends? It was almost unimaginable, but here he was. 

He looked the same as last time. Exactly the same. His clothes were dark, and a bit depressing, and if you didn’t know better, you would assume they were the same ones. Everything from the dark loose pants and black thin sweater to the flip-flops that made him look like he stepped out from his apartment nearby for a smoke.

His face looked the same too. You almost forgot, how he looked. How hauntingly handsome he looked even if there were dark circles under his eyes and this aura around him like he needed to be held or stayed the far away from. People often forgot new faces, but even so, you were certain until the day, you would die, you would forever remember his dark empty eyes that threatened to suck you in and drown you if weren’t too careful. 

Your throat felt dry, and you looked away from his lazy yet intense gaze noticing there was something different about him. 

‘What’s that?’ you asked motioning to the simple white plastic bag that so leisurely hung from his wrist.

It seemed he needed to blink at you before he glanced down as well as if he forgot he had the bag with him and shrugged his shoulders, ‘I figured if you wouldn’t let me pay, the least I could do was bring some goods to cover those we will use.’

Your lips curled into a smile, ‘That’s a very sweet thought,’ you said honestly feeling touched that he would think up something like this, ‘Thank you, Mikey-kun. It was really thoughtful of you.’

He looked at your face again and seemed almost less exhausted now with something close to life radiating from his dark eyes as they kept looking at your face, ‘It’s nothing. You make big deals out of small things, you know?’

‘Not true,’ you said a bit stubbornly and far too quickly, but it seemed to have lightened up his mood some more because he chuckled, ‘Yes, yes, my sister would have the same face you do whenever I teased her of such things.’

You thought someone else might have felt self-aware that he saw something from his sister in you, but the idea made you smile because the way he spoke about her before and now showed that he truly cared for her, ‘It’s only normal to be upset when you’re being teased, Mikey-kun. Let’s get started, alright?’

He followed you to the back already familiar with the surroundings immediately changing into the spare slippers you laid out before and reaching for the spare pink apron, ‘Can you tie it for me?’

You chuckled a bit since he once again looked a bit like a child when he asked it like that, but you still quickly went behind him and tied the apron with a single bow behind him momentarily taking a moment to steal another look at his tattoo.

He glanced at the piece of fabric with a fond face before you brought him to the sink and helped him properly wash his hands noticing how he let you do almost everything for him making it impossible to feel like you were being too pushy. 

‘I like when you do that,’ he said suddenly as if he could read your mind.

Your eyes blinked and looked over at his, ‘What?’

His smile was small and soft, the kind he had before when he was reminiscing about his past, ‘Kenchin always took care of me like this. He would tie my shoes and feed me if I asked him to.’

You rose your eyebrows upon hearing, ‘He sounds like a really good friend and person.’

‘The best,’ he agreed, but then something about his softness stopped, and he looked at you turning that softness into something even sweeter but more intense, ‘Don’t worry, you’re pretty great too. But you need to try harder if you want to be my number one caretaker. You should feed me taiyaki right into my mouth this time,’ he said and opened his mouth pointing a finger inside. 

The teasing got to you, and you laughed embarrassed shoving him weakly, ‘No, thanks, I rather stay second best.’

The amusement behind his dark eyes was evident enough, but it helped when he let out a small chuckle and got to the counter, ‘So, can you remind me a bit? I didn’t really repeat what you taught me at home.’

You giggled but nodded and pointed to what he needed to do next. He caught on easily, but it seemed he really liked when others helped him out because he often asked you to direct his hands and check things for him all the while talking about his childhood, friends, and family again. 

‘Say,’ you said at one point while you were finishing another batch waiting for the first one to finish in the oven, ‘Was it you who kept on calling and hanging up?’

Your heart was in your throat as you asked. You didn’t want to upset the young man who seemed to be even in a better mood than he was last time. Even if your previous encounter was brief in the grand scheme of things, it seemed like he wasn’t like this as often as he should be as he could be, and something about that made you try harder to keep the mood light and casual than you ever did for anyone else. Yet, it shocked you after a while how easy it seemed to have happened. Even if you were essentially still strangers, with the baked goods smell and warmth around you, it was impossible to be anything but in a good and light mood.

And with such a good mood, you probably felt like you could keep it going no matter what you would say or do so you asked. 

You knew it was partly a mistake even before Mikey’s hands visibly paused and a look of absolute emptiness passed his face, but once it did you felt so much worse.

Your hand instinctively reached out and touched his cover by the apron chest so you wouldn’t dirty his dark clothes, ‘I’m sorry.’

His eyes blinked, and it was as if whatever he was thinking a moment was forgotten and his mind cleared up before he looked over at you and then your hand on him. 

Self-aware and embarrassed you pulled it away and started to work again, ‘I just wanted to say. I’m happy, you called,’ you admitted feeling even more embarrassed, but at the same time feeling you wanted to take his mind off whatever crossed it before, ‘I did miss baking taiyaki with you.’

His entire face softened and a small smirk pulled against his lips, ‘Ah, careful, I will think you’re only using me as free help.’

You grinned hoping to chase your humiliation away, ‘Don’t say that, Mikey-kun. I pay you well with delicious taiyaki after all.’

‘Half of which I make,’ he pointed out and stepped closer to your side before you felt his lips whisper far too close to your ear, ‘You should give me something sweeter to keep me working hard for you, you know?’

You covered your ear on instinct as you felt his breath against it feeling your whole face warm up. 

He seemed to take great pleasure from this as he was smiling rather pleased with himself when you glanced at him again as he returned to finish his share of the workload. 

It’s like he’s a different person.

You shook your head trying to calm down before the timer went off again, and you pulled the first batch out of the oven. 

You had to chase Mikey’s hand away so he wouldn’t get burned as he tried to snatch the treat before the two of you then finished the next batch.

‘How come this was the first time you picked up the phone?’

The question caused you to stop working for a second since a moment ago it seemed he didn’t wish to return to the topic. 

‘I work back here, so this lady who works as my cashier usually picks up the phone. My hands are always covered in something,’ you explained finishing the final fish treat and watching the young man’s next to you reactions, waiting.

‘Would you answer if you knew it was me?’ he asked sounding almost shy and his refusal to meet your gaze even if he finished his own last taiyaki assured you that he did in fact feel shy when he asked that.

You smiled a bit to yourself and put the treats on the pan before you went to put it into the oven. Knowing that your face was protected by having his back to him, you could blush freely as you admitted, ‘Maybe if you waited longer in the line, you would have found out.’

You felt your heartbeat was too fast as you were never good with this sort of flirtingif it could even be called that.

You put the batch into the oven and closed it with your back still turned to Mikey waiting until you would feel confident enough to turn around again. You wished you were brave enough to sneak a look and see if you made him flustered as much as he made you. 

But before you could find your inner peace, and not feel so hot and embarrassed, you felt a pair of strong arms move around you. 

You let out a small gasp as you found yourself pressed against a firm body and a pair of arms were hugging you around your neck keeping you close all the while you heard a soft yet needyvoice say, ‘I wanted to hear your voice. I kept on telling myself that I would just hear it, and…be done with this. But when you finally picked up…,’ he sighed and you felt his forehead rest against the back of your head all the while feeling your body was warming up not just from working in your hot back kitchen, ‘I felt so happy when I heard your voice, I wanted to see you. Warm,’ he laughed a bit and you heard his smile even if you couldn’t see it, ‘When I think of you, I feel warm and cozy. You’re like a nice fluffy dream.’

Your eyes closed as you allowed the feeling of being held like this to take over every corner of your body and change it in a way you didn’t think you cared for, but now felt you needed more than anything. It was so long since someone held you and made you feel like this. You felt like you couldn’t breathe in the best way, ‘I was happy to hear your voice too, Mikey.’

All too fast, the arms let you go, and the sudden lack of his touch was almost painful. You understood what he meant about warmth because now despite the hot working oven in your kitchen, you felt chilly out of Mikey’s hold.

When you turned around Mikey was already with his back to you standing in front of the counter and chewing on one of the already cooled-off fish-shaped goods, ‘So good.’

The mood changed, and you felt like you did something wrong, but you didn’t know what. You felt like something shifted between you now, that would cause your sweet and casual mood to be ruined with tension now.

He didn’t say anything else, just kept on eating without looking at you. Not one glance or word, and you couldn’tstand it.

It was too much. You felt like you would start to cry at any moment simply just by looking at his back turn to you. 

I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.

‘I-I’m sorry,’ you whispered, and your voice broke a bit at the end, ‘Whatever it is I’m sorry.’

His hand paused from taking another treat, ‘Don’t…say it like that.’

‘Like what?’

‘Like you’re hurt…because of me,’ he said quickly into the silent back kitchen, and your eyes fell to his hand again noticing how it shook mid-air, ‘I shouldn’t have come.’

Your eyes widened, and your feet moved before you could stop them. 

Fingers dug into his forearm at the same time as he made a step perhaps to simply look at you or to leave, you didn’t know, but your body felt like it couldn’t take the chance. 

Please, don’t leave just yet.

‘Why?’

His face was different than before. Different than that empty, exhausted, and lazy look he usually had. Different than those rare rays of pure joy he showed at times talking about good times from his past. Different than the amusement whenever he teased you. Different than the intensity right before he was about to lean down to your face. Different one than you ever saw.

Broken

His tongue darted out and licked his lip that moved despite no words coming out for a moment, ‘I’ll stain you.’

The only sounds in the kitchen after that were those made by the turned-on oven. 

You blinked your eyes adjusting to their normal size as you stepped closer pressing your side against his. Your body immediately started to warm up, ‘What?’

‘I’ll stain you,’ he said again as if it would explain everything, and somehow it did without revealing anything at all. 

‘You won’t,’ you said strangely calmer than you felt with your heart beating so fast. 

He shook his head and shut his lifeless eyes so tight it must have hurt before he let out a small and weak, ‘Stop.’

‘You won’t.’

‘Stop saying that!’ he snapped now rather harshly and looked at you making you see just how upset he was. Angry. You didn’t know if it was at you or himself, and strangely, you found yourself wishing it was you because you hated the idea, that he would be at himself. 

You held his arm tighter, ‘You won’t.’

‘You don’t know me,’ he broke free with ease and his dark eyes turned into daggers as they cut into your face, ‘You don’t know me! I’m a stranger! I’m…I’m a monster.’

You remained silent, but your face didn’t change. His words were desperate more than angry. He wanted to convince you. He wanted you to understand, you could tell, but it seemed he didn’t understand at all. 

‘You’re not,’ you said and saw how his lips twisted into a nasty-looking grimace before he spoke again, ‘I’m the leader of Bonten.’ 

That for once made you pause at least for a moment.

Your lips parted and a simple ‘Oh,’ fell out.

‘The hell?’ he asked looking at you in disbelief now just as the timer went off again, and you went to pick up the fresh batch from the oven and turn it off.

You gathered your thoughts as you did since this always helped you out before you set the treats aside, ‘I didn’t know you were the leader. But I figured you were a part of it.’

You looked over at Mikey. 

He remained frozen in place with his dark lifeless eyes on you and the rest of his face unreadable, ‘You knew?’ he asked or breathed out quietly, and you nodded curtly, ‘I saw your tattoo the first time we met. It’s all over the news. You should hide it better if you want to stay anonymous,’ your poor attempt at a joke didn’t land on fertile grounds, and you mentally cringed turning partly away to compose yourself. 

Mikey took a step closer to you, and you looked right at him again unafraid only embarrassed a bit by how much you wanted to look at him, ‘Then you know what I do,’ he rose his hands, ‘You know I’ll stain you. I won’t mean to,’ absolute pain shifted across his face before he shook it away with a shake of his head, ‘But I will. My family, my friends …everyone. I’m covered in it, and if I stay too close, you will get dirty too. You…you’re the first person who got me to smile and laugh in forever. You talk to me, and I feel like I’m really here with you. You’re so warm, good…,’ he kept on shaking his head, but his eyes were still on you, ‘clean, I can’t…I won’t have your blood on my hands too.’

You didn’t answer. You couldn’t. So rather hesitantly because you weren’t confident when it came to these things, but you knew right now, Mikey needed you to be, you took hold of his hand. All the while your heart was beating loud enough that in the silence of your back kitchen and empty bakery. He had to be able to hear it as well. His hand was rougher than yours, but not by much. You were a baker after all. You worked with dough all your life. It didn’t feel bad to hold it or that it held you when his fingers interlocked with your own.

‘But I’ll stain you,’ he said so weakly almost like he didn’t believe it anymore. Almost like he just said it because he had to not because he wanted to. Almost as if he wanted you to tell him that he was right and let him go.

I won’t.

You swallowed your saliva and along with it your insecurities for a moment reaching your free hand over to the cooled-down and almost forgotten at this moment batch of taiyaki before picking one up. 

You felt his eyes on you the whole time as you carefully brought it in front of his mouth and with a smile, no matter, how awkward because of what you were doing you said, ‘Open up, Mikey-kun.’

His eyes were desperate, almost pleading as if asking you to reconsider, but you knew you couldn’t, not after he first appeared in your life and baked with you. Not after he took that card and called you.

You looked away for a moment, ‘I think about you at night before I fall asleep. I can’t stop,’ you licked your lips letting out all you felt inside. You were just an ordinary you, a little baker in a small shop on some random street. It wasn’t bad. You preferred it. But maybe every once in a while, you could be someone else, ‘and I don’t want to.’

There was silence for a moment before you felt Mikey’s free hand snatch your wrist. 

Your eyes shifted to his face again only to see him take a large bite out of the fish-shaped treat all the while gazing into your eyes almost like he was accepting your agreement even though you didn’t say anything out loud. 

He kept on holding your wrist all the while eating the taiyaki from your palm until all you had left were crumbs of the sweet fish. 

‘Can I kiss you now?’

‘No,’ you said immediately feeling your face growing hot and almost tearing your arms from Mikey’s hold, but he didn’t let you.

Instead, he blinked confused, ‘Why not?’

You shrugged your shoulders looking away knowing you were acting silly after all of that, but you couldn’t seem to help yourself, ‘I still don’t know you that well.’

‘You know more about me than anyone who does work with me,’ he deadpanned, but you didn’t budge, ‘I don’t even know your full name.’

He watched you for a moment almost making you look at him to see his expression, but before you would you felt him leaning toward you. 

Your heartbeat spiked, and your throat felt dry.

Even if you tried to keep your gaze off his, you could still see the lazy smirk playing across his face when he got too close to yours, ‘Sano Manjiro.’

You wished it didn’t if only to hold your ground a bit longer but hearing him say it brought a smile to your own lips. 

You rose your gaze to his excited and full-of-life eyes, ‘Okay.’

He let go of your hands in favor of taking a hold of your waist right before his face finally reached yours. 

The next day, your cashier asked for the shop phone, but you told her it was fine and kept it by your side. When it rang, even if your fingers were covered in flour or chocolate, you picked it up anyway. Careless, if you left stains on it or not.

Koniec

A.N: Thank you for taking the time to read this. I apologize for the mistakes. I hope you and your loved ones are alright. Have a lovely day. 💙💛

[peculiarinsomniac]

hi hehe can I request a shy reader that owns a bakery and mikey walks in one day soaking wet from the rain, so the reader fussed over him before offering sweets :0? - 🔆

A.N: Hi there!

Thank you for the request.💙💛

I hope this was something that you had in mind, and that you will like this. Enjoy 💙💛

Update: Now PART 2

Title: Taiyaki for the Soul

Pairing: Manjiro x Reader 

Genre: Fluff |Warning: some angst since I chose Bonten Mikey | Words: 4.5K

The weather wasn’t getting better, so your decision, to let your cashier home early seemed like the right call. You would hate it if the poor older woman had to walk to her bus in such horrific conditions. It was the type of weather no one should be left outside and given the lack of customers inside your small bakery and on the street behind the large windows, it seemed most of the people really took that advice. 

You played with the business card near the register for the last half hour arranging them across the small plate they were usually placed for customers to see and pick them up if they felt like it.

It was overall a boring day due to the rain, and it seemed like you even might end up closing early and going home yourself when your eyes caught some sort of movement outside in the darkness and nonstop downpour.

A person outside in this weather?

You walked from the other side of the counter closer to the large windows and peeked outside. It was still hard to see a lot, but even so, after a while, your eyes could make out the shadowy figure standing outside your bakery. 

This caused you to gasp a bit alarmed. It was raining and the wind was horrific, and yet this person was just standing there without an umbrella or raincoat or anything really. 

They could be homeless.

The idea that anyone would be forced to spend their evening outside in such conditions didn’t sit right with you, but what could you do about it? In general, you were not good at interacting with people. You preferred to bake alone in the comfort of your kitchen and have your cashier deal with customers. You were better with people you knew for a longer time, but even so, it often felt like too much to even speak out loud when asked let alone when you needed to ask something.

But the weather is really bad, and they’re just standing there.

You tried to rationalize that they had to see the lights coming from your bakery so if they felt like coming in they would have, but…

Don’t we all sometimes want things, but are too afraid to reach for them ourselves? 

With that in mind and before your doubts could get the best of you, you opened the door and called out through the sounds of the wind, ‘Excuse me!’

The person stood not far from you and the door to the bakery with their back turned to you, so you tried again, this time a bit louder, ‘Excuse me! Would you like to come inside, please?!’ 

You couldn’t help, but feel silly that you were yelling on the street like this. You weren’t used to yelling at all. You tried to avoid it as much as you could, but given the loud sounds of the wind and rain, it couldn’t be helped. 

The person didn’t turn around, but they might have just not heard you. 

You rushed back inside and snatched something to throw across your head and shoulders and put on outside shoes before you opened the door again partly shocked that the person was still there. 

You stepped outside and touched that person’s arm not wanting to startle them in case they didn’t hear you.

They flinched anyway, and when they turned around, you were shocked to find such empty eyes looking back at you. You couldn’t explain how they looked if you tried, but there was something profoundly empty almost dead about them that caused an instant chill to rush toward your heart making you feel sad just by looking at them. 

How can anyone still alive have such dead eyes?

You feared to think about what had to happen to them.

The person, who you now could see was a young man with white hair, was staring at you blinked releasing you from the intense lifeless imprisonment of his gaze and caused you to stutter, ‘Uh-you-if…w-w-would you…,’ the rest came out too rushed, ‘like-to-come-inside?’ 

You felt cringed over how pathetic you sounded cursing yourself for it a bit.

The man didn’t say anything. He just carried on staring at you with his dark empty eyes causing you to feel even more nervous and like an idiot, since it must have looked odd that out of the blue someone asked him to come inside, ‘It’s really…cold and uh, this weather will make you sick. So if you want you could come inside with me.’

The dark eyes blinked again, and the man looked up behind you at your bakery probably trying to piece together what was it that you wanted from him.

You bit your lip imagining this going better inside your mind and cursing yourself for making this so hard and weird, ‘Please?’

The dark eyes snapped back at you, and even if they stayed lifeless the rest of his face appeared confused more than anything, but to your absolute surprise and delight, the man gave out a single and curt nod which got you to immediately let out a sigh of relief and quickly turn around motioning for him to follow. 

Once inside you quickly put down your coat and changed your shoes into a pair of slippers for when you were behind the counter and kitchen, ‘Wait here, please. I’ll find you some towel.’

You snatched a couple of dry and warm from the oven towels and rushed back to the man who now seemed to have taken a seat at one of the stools meant for customers who were waiting for their orders.

‘Here,’ you managed to get out a bit too squeakily since now all too aware this man was in your bakery, your shyness started to kick in all over, ‘Uh, you need to dry yourself…so you don’t get cold, you know?’ You asked at the same time shaking your head and avoiding their gaze a bit.

‘Thanks,’ he said shortly and simply back. 

He took the towel from your hands almost lazily or less than lazily like it was almost pointless and started to dry his hair which now you could see wasn’t blond or white, but silver. 

You didn’t question the odd choice. You saw many customers from tourists to regulars, so you were not unfamiliar with varieties of hairstyles and clothing. Despite the exhaustion or even more depression and complete dejection of life that was coming off of him in waves now, you couldn’t help but notice he was rather attractive. The hair color suited him just fine.

Apart from his hair, he seemed to be dressed in simple black pants and a shirt with long sleeves. The most bizarre thing about him was the flip-flops attached to his feet. If you didn’t think it was unimaginable, you would think, this man simply put on something for a nice evening stroll. But how could that be when the weather was so profoundly terrible? 

But his eyes look so…dead…

‘Is there a problem?’ asked the man suddenly breaking your train of thoughts as you realized that you had spaced out with your own eyes at him, and he must have realized it. 

Almost immediately, the cold was the last thing on your mind as your whole face felt warm from the shame and embarrassment, and you bowed a bit, ‘No, sorry!’

You quickly turned around, ‘It’s really cold outside. You shouldn’t just go out dressed like that or at all in such weather, you know? I…I’ll turn on the heat and make you some tea. Herbal?’

You didn’t really give him time to finish and rushed behind the counter busing yourself there for a bit all the while stealing glances at the man as he finished drying himself and set the towels over the chairs. 

He wasn’t all that tall, and although he was built a bit better, you could see he looked like he hadn’t had a decent sleep and meal in a while which made your heart clench again for some reason, ‘Here’s your tea.’

He came closer to the counter and reached for the cup at the same time as you were about to give it to him causing your fingers to brush and some static to pass over your skin, ‘SORRY!’

You quickly let go and turned around to cover your face with your palm feeling more than a bit self-aware. You weren’t used to people. It was always a bit of a challenge to connect with them, which was why the form of your cashier, a middle-aged woman, who seemed could talk with anyone was a gift from heaven. You preferred to bake in the back kitchen and prepare the treats rather than serve them. Hearing her repeat the praises from the customer or describe the looks of gratitude on their faces was enough to fill your aching-to-please-others heart with content. 

But you couldn’t really stay quiet and mind your own business when you were the one who invited this man to come over.

Not to mention, he looks so broken.

Luckily, by the time, you got the hold of yourself, the man was slowly drinking the tea and warming his hands against the cup all the while looking at you, but you tried to accept small victories for now. 

You shifted your gaze and tried to ask politely to ease the mood. You were alone and strangers, so you weren’t at your best, but you still felt like you should try because of how sad this man looked.

He looked young…no young person should look so sad…

 ‘W-Would you like something? Anything, you like…uh. It’s on the house,’ you finally got out looking at him hopefully with a smile polite smile playing across your face hoping it was friendly enough to make him feel more comfortable. 

The man looked like he might have stepped outside for a smoke, so you figured he wouldn’t have any money, phone, or even his house key on him. He almost seemed like he appeared in front of your bakery out of the thin air. 

His dark eyes finally shifted from your face and glanced over the glass to see the treats and baked goods which you had prepared for today. 

His lips stayed pressed into a thin line for a while before finally, he asked his voice a bit hoarse, but something close to hope flashed behind his dark eyes, ‘Say, do you have any taiyaki?’

Your heart sank a bit as you heard him ask that of all things, ‘No, it’s not very popular among the customers, so I don’t make that.’

He nodded as if he almost expected such an answer, and you felt something inside you riot a bit against the idea that out of all the deserts and snacks you had around, he wanted one which was so laughably easy to make and simple, and yet you did not currently have. One, that might potentially bring him something close to joy or a spark of happiness behind his eyes. Such an idea, for someone who wanted to please people, like you, left you feeling absolutely disgusting on the inside with yourself.

‘But,’ you spoke and looked at your hands as it was a bit hard to have his absolute attention on you, ‘if you’re not in a hurry. I can make you some,’ you said with a low voice hoping it didn’t come off as too pushy because you would hate if he assumed you were trying anything on him.

‘You don’t have to-’

‘But I want to!’ you said and looked away feeling a bit embarrassed at how eager you sounded. You didn’t know this man, and you didn’t owe him anything, but he looked so sad and empty, you couldn’t help yourself but want to give him something.

You forced your eyes back at him, ‘So what do you say?’

His dark eyes remained the same, but there was clear curiosity coming from the rest of him as he put his elbow at the counter and pressed his cheek against his knuckles to look at you, ‘Why?’

What a horribly loaded question…

You looked down again and ironed your clothes with your palms a bit in a nervous way, ‘I like making snacks and baked goods for others,’ you admitted, ‘It makes me feel good to know they enjoyed them, and I fed them well? So…if you want taiyaki, I don’t mind making you some. I…I would really like to make you some.’

When you looked back up, he was still looking at you, but even if his gaze was intense and his dark eyes seemed so empty, you couldn’t help but think there was something alluring about someone like him looking at someone like you like this. You didn’t think anyone ever looked at you with such interest.

‘Alright, make me some then. Feed me,’ he said and opened his mouth for good measures causing your heartbeat to speed up and your face to grow warm again before you turned your back and quickly.

‘Right…so, uh…I’ll go and make you some now,’ you started to make your way to the back, where your small kitchen was, only to catch movement behind you and find the man now standing behind the counter with you.

Did he really just jump over it like that?

He paused and blinked at you probably noticing your shocked face, ‘Am I not going with you?’

You weren’t planning on asking him to join you in the kitchen, ‘It’s not in order with the health department rules,’ you admitted, but once you saw his face almost drop into more despair than it was already in, you quickly made up your mind, ‘Uh, but, please, join me.’

You found him a pair of slippers and an apron, ‘So you don’t drag mud or dirty your clothes.’

He put the shoes on himself, but then he waited while holding onto the apron which made you blink and walk closer to him, ‘Here, let me.’

He let you walk around him and tie a small bow in the back. Your eyes briefly catching the tattoo on the back of his neck as you did.

That symbol...

‘Do I look like a baker now?’ he asked, and there was almost a hint of amusement in his voice, which made you smile even if just a bit, ‘Not yet.’

You helped him wash his hands properly and prepared the ingredients, ‘Can I ask for your name? It feels strange, to bake with you and not know.’

‘Mikey.’

He didn’t offer you more, so you accepted it and offered him a smile as you introduced yourself. It could have been awkward, you were still strangers, but oddly, it didn’t feel so after you started directing Mikey on what to do or moving your hands over his to help him. 

At first you hesitated to touch him, but he seemed so casual about it, you managed to find your footing.

You told him a bit about yourself mostly to try and fill the silence while you work. You tended to hum when you baked, so this wasn’t all that different. It surprised you, how easy it seemed to talk to him, and even more so when he admitted, ‘I used to eat taiyaki all the time when I was younger. My buddy Kenchin was always out of money because of me.’

‘That’s not very nice,’ you teased, but he was quick to pout, ‘Don’t say it like that. If he really minded, he wouldn’t have left me. Kenchin is no pushover.’ 

You chuckled, and you took it with great relief when you found him easing up a bit. He seemed casual before too, but there was tension in his whole body that couldn’t be explained and contradicted by the laziness of his persona. However, now he seemed to properly let his hair down so to speak, and before you knew it he told you about why he loved taiyaki so much, ‘It’s like a distant memory. My brother’s warm hand holding mine as we walk through the festival stopping at booths and eating taiyaki.’

Mikey looked most alive you saw him since you met him when he spoke about his childhood, siblings, and friends. You watched him closely, and whenever you saw a shadow of something haunting appear behind his eyes, you purposely asked another question or shared something from your own childhood to bring him back to the light.

You managed to prepare the fish-shaped goods in an hour and a half. Maybe you would manage faster on your own, but it was nice to have company, and even if for a bit, you would have sworn that Mikey’s eyes lightened up when you praised his work and called his taiyaki better because he put more love and effort into them. 

The more time you spend together in the small kitchen in the back, the more the depressed-looking man seemed to almost relax and radiate with life.

‘Delicious,’ moaned Mikey and closed his eyes and looking properly blissful making you wonder how long it had been since he felt this content about something in his life.

‘See, you can make yourself some at home too,’ you assured him taking a taste of one yourself. They turned out really well.

He shook his head almost instantly, ‘It wouldn’t be as good,’ his dark eyes looked you over, ‘It wouldn’t be as fun as it was with you.’

He smiled so openly and almost happily, you thought there never was a more beautiful person in the world. It made your chest feel warm, and a smile settle against your lips to be in his presence and to see him like this and know some of it was your doing. 

You settled for just one chuckling as Mikey ate one after another clearly enjoying the snack and looking almost like a child.

After a while, you heard some buzzing, and you were surprised when Mikey pulled out a phone from his pants as you assumed, he didn’t have anything on him.

His alive and content face darkened as his eyes scanned through the phone screen, and you wondered if it was the work, he mentioned that he didn’t like so much at one point. 

‘I need to leave soon,’ he said and put the phone away looking upset rather than empty. 

You nodded and tried to ease his mood, ‘That’s alright, I can pack the rest of the taiyki for you.’

‘How much?’

‘I told you it’s on the house,’ you argued feeling awkward that you had to say it again, but Mikey shook his head, ‘No, it’s too much. How much is it?’

‘No,’ you argued back although it was weak since you were never good or comfortable with arguing with people, ‘I…can’t take your money. You helped me make them, and you looked…happy. I don’t want to ruin it,’ you smiled at him honestly feeling the warmth inside your chest over the experience and his presence, ‘It was nice baking with you and seeing you enjoy it too.’

You watched the hard look on his face soften so profoundly, it was almost like they were two different people altogether.

‘I liked baking with you,’ he admitted and looked away almost unsure of himself or self-aware, ‘and talking. Today was the first time, I didn’t think about my past in a bad way. I missed thinking about my childhood bathed in sunshine colors instead of the grey ones.’

Your heart ached at his words, and you almost felt tears rushing toward your eyes before you chased them away by turning your back to him, ‘I’m happy to hear that. I feel like I want…I want to make you talk about your childhoods, and be happy…glad that you got to experience those good parts, and not feel guilty about them.’

There was silence after you said those words that made you almost regret them until you heard his soft and broken, ‘You don’t know me. How could you…want good things for me when you don’t know…’

He didn’t finish, so you decided to speak again, ‘Sometimes…you don’t need to know everything about a person. Sometimes it’s enough to know they’re sad and hurting. It’s enough to want to make them feel better.’

There was once again silence after that making you question whether you made things awkward or if he was simply going over your words. You were honest. You didn’t know Mikey and everything who he was, but when he spoke about his childhood, siblings, and friends, you felt like he came alive. As if it was so long since he talked to anyone about these things, he might have forgotten there were good things about his past too.

When you turned around, you found him unexpectable close forcing you to move back until your back hit the counter behind you. 

He caged you by stepping even closer to you almost touching all the while looking at your face before his dark eyes moved to your lips. 

It was a feeling more than a comprehensive thought about what was about to happen, but it was enough to jump-start your heart to the extreme.

Panic kicked in before you could stop it from taking over, and before you could stop yourself, you loudly gasped, ‘Don’t,’ right before Mikey moved his face closer to yours. 

He paused and leaned away looking genuinely shocked before his eyes darted away from your face, and it seemed he wanted to move away too, ‘I’m sorry. I thought…I must have misjudged this.’

It was the closest to shame, you saw the young man get through the whole evening. 

You looked away as well and gathering all the courage, you could find, you reached out and took hold of his arm chasing the feeling of connection and happiness from before to settle your thoughts and feelings that blossomed inside. 

Your voice was soft again as you barely managed to get those words out of your mouth with how embarrassed you felt, ‘Uh, you didn’t misjudge anything.’

The moment, Mikey moved closer, your palms shot up and covered his mouth before he would be able to reach your face.

He looked confused, and you didn’t blame him. It would have sounded confusing to you as well if someone else was retelling this story to you, but it couldn’t be helped. 

You shut your eyes closed trying to gather your thoughts and push them above your feelings, ‘I-I don’t allow people to kiss me…unless I know them well.’

You didn’t open your eyes fearing, he might find your reasoning silly, but your mouth seemed to get the best of your and carried on, ‘I…I don’t know you very well yet…so please don’t…don’t take advantage of the fact that I…that…I like you so far.’

You felt hot breath against your palms which caused your eyes to open and then to freeze in place.

Mikey’s dark eyes were on you, but for the first time their emptiness didn’t bother you as you grew familiar with it, and in contrast with his surprised face, it seemed almost bearable. Familiar. Welcoming even.

‘Don’t…do that,’ you whispered feeling your cheeks were on fire again referring to what you assumed he was planning to do each time he leaned closer to your face, ‘Unless you plan to come back here again, and…and tell me more about yourself. Alright?’

It sounded ridiculous in your own ears to demand something like that. It felt like you had no right, but at the same time, it felt like you owe it to yourself, to demand at least that much for yourself.

‘You’re a bit strange,’ said Mikey shocking you and forcing your palms to fall to your sides as you felt embarrassed now. But just as quickly as he caused you to feel such a way, you watched and heard as he chuckled out loud almost joyfully, ‘But very kind and sweet.’

He reached behind you and took another fish-shaped treat before he took a bite with a small smile pressed across his face as he chewed, ‘Just like your goods.’

His free hand reached out and patted your head a bit, ‘Don’t change, no matter what, okay? It feels too good to know that people like you exist in the same world as someone like me.’

You didn’t hear such things often, so it brought a smile to your own face. Most people suggested you try and be less shy, or less naïve and trusting often viewing all that as a flaw. You didn’t blame them for their views, but it felt good to for once hear it wasn’t a bad thing to be the way you were. 

He stepped away from you and allowed you to pack the rest of the taiyaki in peace which helped to calm your rapidly beating heart and mind that only now seemed to properly realize, you almost let him kiss you.

He already stepped out of the kitchen by the time, you were finished, and you couldn’t help but wonder if your choice really was a good one. You stood by it. You didn’t know Mikey well enough yet to be that intimate with you no matter how attracted you felt toward him. You were just too you to allow yourself to be that carefree about such things. But at the same time, you felt a stab of worry that this might be the last time, you would see the young man with silver hair and if that was the case, shouldn’t you want to have something to remember him by? 

You handed the plastic container over to him, and he easily placed it under his elbow as he switched from your slippers to his flip flops, ‘Thanks for today.’

You smiled at him wishing you knew something better to say if this really was the final time you would see him. 

‘M-Mikey-kun,’ you started when he opened the door into the darkness outside. It seemed it stopped the rain if nothing else.

Your voice broke a bit at the end, ‘Come again.’

He paused and offered you a final smile that almost reached his eyes before he stepped out into the dark as if he was never inside your shop to begin with. 

Almost immediately, you felt a sense of coldness enter your body, but you couldn’t bring yourself to follow him outside sensing that if he wanted to come to see you again, he would. 

There was no promise, but there also was no final goodbye.

You spent the rest of your opening hours cleaning up erasing almost all the evidence that Mikey was there at all. 

Once you returned to the register you noticed something was off. It was almost unnoticeable at all, but you did notice that from the small plate near the register where you kept your business cards, the same card, you were playing with earlier, there was one missing.

This brought the familiar tender warmth to return to your chest as you silently let out a small prayer into the universe. 

Mikey-kun, call me, the next time, you’re alone and feel like baking taiyaki together.

Koniec

A.N: thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you and your loved ones are well. English is not my first language, so I apologize if things were unclear, or if there were unnecessary mistakes. Have a lovely day :)

[peculiarinsomniac]

todoroki shouto and his 8-month-old son having identical pouty faces.

It becomes trouble when your husband and 8-month-old son are quiet as you’re about to finish preparing dinner. You could sense it, like a superpower you could only unlock when you reached a certain milestone in life.

“It’s just a piece of soft biscuit. Maybe we can give him only a little—“

“No, Shou.”

You had only denied your son a snack once, and yet, the betrayal in his big, watery eyes made it seem like you had committed an unforgivable crime.

Your eight-month-old son, snug in Todoroki’s arms, was pouting hard—his chubby cheeks puffed out, lips trembling, and his tiny hands curled into fists against his father’s chest. Tears clung to his thick lashes, threatening to spill at any moment. He was the very image of pitiful distress.

And Todoroki?

He wasn’t much better.

He’s holding your son with an almost identical expression—unmistakably sulking, his lips pressed together in silent protest (but he knew he could never win this war against you). It didn’t help that your son was his near-perfect replica, down to the way his tiny eyebrows furrowed in quiet displeasure. The only major difference was this little boy inherited your eyes.

Thank the heavens, because you almost came to the conclusion that Todoroki reproduced by himself via asexual reproduction.

Because it was dangerous how alike they looked.

You crossed your arms, unimpressed. “Oh, come on. It was just one snack.”

Todoroki’s grip on your son shifted slightly as he responded, voice flat but clearly displeased. “It was just a small piece.”

The baby, as if understanding that his father was taking his side, whimpered softly and nuzzled closer to his father’s chest, letting out a tiny, heart-wrenching sniffle.

“Dinner is literally a minute away. He’ll survive.”

“He might starve and lose his healthy body,” Todoroki tells you warily.

“Shou, take one good look at our son. He’s chubbier than any of his older cousins, plus, we feed him formula 5 times a day, he eats solid food twice, and even gets a snack when he wakes up from his naps—so don’t tell me he’ll starve when he eats more than we do combined.”

Your husband didn’t argue further, but his silence spoke volumes. He gently rubbed your son’s back, sighing as the little boy let out another sniffle. You knew this game—Todoroki might not be saying anything, but his entire posture screamed, “I think you’re being unfair, but I won’t push it… even though I’m clearly upset.”

“The pouting isn’t going to work on me.”

Todoroki blinked, expression unchanged. “I’m not pouting.”

“You are,” you told him. “And he’s just copying you.”

At that, he finally glanced down at the baby in his arms. Your son blinked up at him, sniffling again before sticking his bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout.

They stared at each other for a long moment.

“…I think this is just his natural expression,” Todoroki finally said, deadpan.

“Uh-huh. I don’t think we’ll ever need a DNA test to prove that he’s yours.”

“Why would we need a DNA test when I’m the only man you’ve ever been with? And our son also looks like me—“

“Oh, Shou. It was a joke,” you sigh lovingly.

“Oh.”

Todoroki hummed, shifting your son slightly so he could wipe away a stray tear from the baby’s cheek. “Your mother is strict,” he murmured, speaking softly to him as if he wasn’t right in front of you. “Very heartless.”

“Excuse me?”

The baby hiccupped, seemingly agreeing.

Todoroki glanced up at you, the slightest hint of amusement evident in his eyes. “It’s true.”

You let out a disbelieving laugh. “Unbelievable. If I left meals to you, he’d be living off of cold soba and whatever random snacks you keep in the fridge.”

Todoroki didn’t deny it (for the most part).

“But I do take cooking classes now...”

“Mhm.”

He gently bounced your son in his arms, his gaze softening as your baby yawned, snuggling closer to his chest now that the dramatics had settled.

You sighed, stepping forward and pressing a kiss to the top of your son’s head. “You’ll thank me later, little pouty boy,” you murmured before glancing up at your husband. “And you—stop ganging up on me with him.”

“I didn’t do anything,” he replied, completely straight-faced.

You gave him a knowing look. “Uh-huh.”

A comfortable silence settled between you before you turned back to the stove, giving the curry one last stir. “Dinner’s ready.”

He smiled. “Finally.”

You shot him a playful glare, though there was no real heat behind it. You took your son from his arms, adjusting him on your hip before pressing a small kiss to his chubby cheek.

“Alright, come on, little pouty boy.”

Todoroki followed closely behind. “Which one?”

You laughed at that.

“Both of you.”

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