#bars

[fullcravings]

The Best Cheesecake Brownies

[sweetoothgirl]

Salted Caramel Brown Sugar Cinnamon Sourdough Pop Tart Bars

[10-31-pm]

Anthony Bourdain at Park Hyatt Tokyo, c. 2008

[stimpry]

[slack-wise]

Gomi Pit

[airybcby]

જ⁀♡⊹｡° i knew it, i know you, i called it

( barou shoei x fem! reader )

♡ a/n — for my childhood friends to lovers series!

♡ word count — 1.4k

♡ content — shoei barou x fem! reader, childhood friends to lovers, mention of "the king" once or twice, nickname 'princess' used but like not when they're together, wrote this very late at night, not proofread

♡ synopsis — You and Barou Shoei were eternally blessed in the way that you were born with a connection...a deep rooted love for each other. But to be the best, barou may just have to rip those roots from the ground.

Some people are born lucky.

They come into the world with an immediate connection, a bond predestined by the universe itself. There is no awkward first meeting, no uncertainty in whether they belong together—because from the very beginning, they do.

You and Barou Shoei were eternally blessed in that way.

Your families were intertwined long before you could form memories. Your mothers were best friends, and so were your fathers, which meant the moment you and Barou were born, you were inseparable. You were together before you could walk, before you could talk—before you even knew what it meant to have a friend.

And at first, that was all you were. Two newborns who cried in sync, two toddlers who played together without a care in the world. Your parents would joke that you were a little prince and princess, fated to rule the world side by side. And maybe, in some small way, that was true.

But you didn’t truly become best friends until the age of five.

It started with glue.

Glitter glue, to be specific.

The class had been given an assignment to make an animal on a sheet of paper using only glue, and you had your heart set on a bright red glitter glue to bring your masterpiece to life. But as you reached for it, another boy shoved you aside, grabbing it from your grasp.

You fell to the floor with a startled gasp, wide-eyed and confused as the boy smirked down at you. But before you could even process what had happened, a shadow loomed over you.

Barou.

Even at five years old, he had a presence about him—intimidating, unshakable. He had gone for a simple white glue, uninterested in the colorful options, but the second he saw you fall, his priorities changed.

His small fingers snatched the glitter glue right out of the boy’s hands, dark eyes narrowing. “You must not know who she is,” he said, voice filled with all the authority a child could muster. “You just hurt a princess.”

The boy’s lip quivered before he burst into tears, running away as fast as his little legs could carry him.

Barou didn’t even watch him go. Instead, he turned to you, his tiny hand reaching out. “Get up,” he said simply.

You took his hand, gripping it tightly as he pulled you up.

“Thank you,” you murmured, but you didn’t let go of his hand—not even after you were steady on your feet again.

Barou didn’t pull away either.

“I’ll always protect you,” he told you with such certainty it made your chest feel warm. “Mom said to.”

And from that moment on, the two of you were inseparable.

Barou’s love for soccer started in junior high.

Even in the little league, he dominated the field, his aggressive playstyle making him a force to be reckoned with. He was ruthless, tearing through the opposition with raw power and unwavering determination. His parents cheered him on, and so did you—his biggest supporter, always standing at the sidelines, watching as he built his kingdom.

You were there the day he became a big brother.

Sitting on the floor of his room, the two of you were finishing up homework when his parents walked in, holding up two tiny baby onesies.

“What are those for?” Barou asked, brow furrowing.

“Oh, don’t be silly! You know they’re not for you,” his father laughed. “You’re gonna be a big brother, Shoei! To two sisters!”

Barou wrinkled his nose. “Ew.”

You, however, saw through him. You saw the way his ears turned pink, how his lips twitched like he wanted to smile but wouldn’t allow himself to. He was happy.

And as his sisters grew up, Barou's overprotectiveness expanded. You had always been the recipient of it, but now his sisters were, too. You watched him gently hold their tiny hands, watched him glare at anyone who so much as breathed near them wrong, watched him be perfect—because that’s what he was to you.

That’s when you realized it.

You liked your best friend. No. You loved Barou Shoei.

It took him two years to realize he liked you back.

By then, his parents were both working, and his soccer training was more intense than ever. With him being busy, you became the babysitter for his twin sisters—now two years old.

One day, you brought them to one of his games. They sat in the stands, cookies in hand—cookies you had baked for them. For him.

Barou didn’t mean to get distracted.

But when he glanced over and saw you standing there, smiling, holding onto his little sisters like you belonged with them—something in him faltered.

And in that moment, he ran straight into another player.

He hit the ground hard, grass scraping against his skin, pain flaring in his palms and the back of his legs.

But he didn’t care.

Embarrassment burned hotter than the sting of his wounds. He refused to sit out, refused to even acknowledge the pain. He wouldn’t humiliate himself in front of you again.

After the game, you sat with him in his room, dabbing at his cuts with a damp rag, concern written all over your face.

“What happened?” you asked. “You never fall like that.”

Barou kept his eyes on the floor. “Got distracted.”

“Huh? By what?”

You looked up at him, so effortlessly beautiful, so close. And Barou—thirteen years old, arrogant but utterly helpless in the moment—leaned forward and kissed you.

It was barely a second, barely anything at all. But it was enough.

"You," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

One word.

One word and everything in your life was changed.

And that was it. That was the moment. You loved him. He liked you. And from then on, you were something more.

High school came faster than you wanted it to.

You were still together, still best friends, but you saw less of each other. You joined the baking club. He devoted himself to soccer. But no matter what, every sweet thing you made somehow ended up in his hands.

"But I made them with love," you’d argue, pushing a cookie into his palm. "So you have to eat them, Sho!"

He never had the heart to tell you he never ate a single one.

He wanted to be the best. He had to be.

You still attended every one of his matches, cheering for him as he became The King on the field. After one particular victory, you ran up to him, all smiles and sunshine, throwing your arms around him.

"I'm so proud of you!"

Barou barely reacted, still thinking about how the opposing team had managed to score twice.

"You're too serious," you laughed, pressing a kiss to his temple. "Come on, let's celebrate."

"Yeah…where do you wanna go?"

"You always let me pick," you teased. "This is why I love you."

The words lingered. Barou stared at you, then at the scoreboard. Could’ve scored more. Could’ve been better.

He exhaled. "I love you too."

The letter from Blue Lock changed everything.

Barou had no doubts. No hesitations. He was going.

Becoming the best striker—nothing mattered more.

He told his parents. They celebrated. He told his sisters. They cried.

Only one person was left out of the conversation.

You.

When you came over a few weeks later, dropping off another cake, you spotted the half-packed suitcase on his bed.

"Sho? Where are you going?"

Barou froze. Oh.

He had forgotten to tell you.

That’s when he explained. And that’s when he saw the look on your face—tears, heartbreak, anger.

“You’re leaving,” you whispered.

“Yeah, but—”

“You didn’t tell me.”

Barou clenched his jaw. “It’s not a big deal.”

But to you, it was everything.

“You can’t just leave me.”

"You can’t," you whispered. "I love you."

Barou felt something twist inside him. He ignored it.

"Do you actually think we'd last out of high school?" he scoffed. "You’re a distraction."

The words were cruel. A lie. But necessary.

Your voice broke. "Sho—"

"Get out."

He saw the moment your heart shattered.

And when you left, the door slamming behind you, it felt like the air had been sucked out of the room.

But if crushing you meant becoming the best, so be it.

Months later, you sat alone, hugging a stuffed bear he won for you at a fair.

You told yourself you wouldn’t watch the U-20 match.

And yet, here you were, staring at him through a screen.

Tears blurred your vision.

You would never get over him.

Because Barou Shoei had wrapped chains around your heart.

He had taken the key with him.

And you would love him forever, even when he left you behind.

where are my barou girlies RISE!!!

likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated!

⋆.˚✮ 2025 ©airybcby ✮˚.⋆

[r-country-farms]

[sturnioloho]

this comment is so fuckin funny lmfao

[toyastales]

Butterfinger Caramel Crunch Bars

[fullcravings]

Brown Butter Triple Berry Crumb Bars

[fattributes]

Caramilk Slice

[evan-collins90]

Hotel lobbies, restaurants, & discos from the book, 'International Hotel and Resort Design' by PBC Intl. (1988)

1-2. Durham Hilton designed by One Design Center

3. Cincinnatian Hotel - designed by Edwards Design Group

4. Kinshasa Intl. - designed by Wilson Gregory Aeberhard

5. Hyatt on Collins - designed by Hirsch/Bedner Associates

6. Hyatt Regency Tech Center - designed by Wilson & Associates

7. Grand Bay Hotel - designed by Jeffrey Howard Associates, Diana S. Sepler Interiors, Regine's Interiors

8. International Crossroads Sheraton - designed by Interior Design Force, Inc.

9. Radisson Plaza VII - designed by CSA, Inc.

10. Castle Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City - designed by Kovacs and Associates

[sweetoothgirl]

Raspberry Ripple White Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

[msterpicasso]

@baezillla

[madcat-world]

Mist: Never Die 01 (1 of 3) - mist XG