#cherry and joe acting like a married couple

[neonscandal]

This week is Sk8 3rd anniversary.... So for celebrating, can I ask a few things :

-Who are your fav character from this series? Why?

-What are your fav moments from this series? -What are your opinions on this fandom's famous ships : Reki/ Langa, Cherry/ Joe, Adam/ Tadashi?

Season 2 and an OVA are coming (eventually)! Which is more than we can say for other series' so I'm going to remain delusionally hopeful. I think it'd be nice if, instead of announcing long awaited continuations, new seasons dropped like Beyonce albums. Without warning and like an unexpected blessing. Just like this ask so thank you for reaching out!

FAVORITE CHARACTER

Sk8 has a wonderful band of idiots who I adore but Cherry is, by far, my favorite. Most specifically through the interactions he has with Joe because they are just so catty and mean to one another but you just know it belies an affection from their entrenched history together whether you consider them a ship them or not.

I love that Cherry had this rebellious era and continues to do so as a respectable adult while juggling such a disciplined craft and career. Like, that dichotomy is just 😘👌🏾. Goals, honestly. He maintains this split by ensuring that his S persona and his everyday persona remain mutually exclusive similar to how Adam conducts himself. Which, now that I'm thinking about it, might be kind of sad but he is, somewhat, of a man of contrasts.

Like, the way his talents splinter is so interesting. He is a founding member of S wherein he remains a threat, an established and respected calligrapher... plus, I feel like he customized Carla himself. What a nerd! Plus, Cherry is so gender. ✨

THOUGHTS ON SHIPS

Reki & Langa - idiot x idiot, I love it? But also, how silly to show someone something you love so intensely only for that love to envelope them so completely. Both in how they receive your hobby but also in how they just become a part of your life. Plus, Langa sees Reki's strengths that he takes for granted and its so necessary because they both think the sun shines out of each others' ass. Also, I see them as a reincarnation of AshEiji from Banana Fish.

Cherry & Joe - Yes. Was that not evident from above? Yes. They fight like an old (and sassy) married couple and then will have a moment of saccharine sweetness that's just... too much. There's also a hilarious sense of patience Joe must have to adapt to Cherry vs. Kaoru and its more evident because there's who the pair are when they are around others, regardless of who the others are, and then who they are when they're alone. Like, why put on the act, guys? Just kiss already.

Adam & Tadashi - As long as it's consensual, I guess, but I'm sure Tadashi could do better.

Oka & Shadow - Okay, but go with me here. Please thank the chokehold umikochannart had on keeping this ship sailing before they wiped their IG of all evidence.

Adding a few other artists guaranteed to give you the brainrot because I fell down a rabbit hole while looking for umikochann and fan artists deserve so much appreciation for covering the spread when we are awaiting new content so go follow them and join their patreons, buy them a kofi and bark on all their posts because we are not deserving of their labor: angrymorilas, bunbun.ji, @pochiikou and @ratcarney IG.

These artists are my gift to you. As a gift, that means that we should love and appreciate the people whose talents enable us to experience the characters we love even more and be thankful for, however long the stretch, the time that our favorite characters and ships were their muses. And to subsequently not be a prick when their muse changes.

⚠️ Spoiler warning for S1 of SK8 the Infinity anime.

FAVORITE MOMENTS

"Push me, Reki." - needs no explanation.

Reki defending Miya's honor - When you see Miya's backstory, his isolation is really sad and makes him vulnerable to Adam's predation but Reki punched well above his weight to defend Miya and it effectively brought the kid into the fold and I loved that. And that's on the power of friendship. ✨ Reki really subjugated everyone in that friend group and is not appreciated enough for it.

When everyone cockblocked Joe - Not every show needs a beach episode. This one does.

Sia La Luce after hours - the fact that Kaoru, after being bride carried by Joe, broke out of the hospital just to go running back to Joe is just so... beautifully chaotic and unexpected. Add a zest of Jonah Scott murmuring "We're not alone, right, Kaoru?" and I am undone.

When the might of Reki's rain wheels kicked in - Overcame insecurity by utilizing the gift he'd had all along? AGH. So perfect, so proud.

When Reki's laughter melts into that of young Adam's - only because that was really sweet

Not in the show but: sharing this series with my niece and nephew and them loving it just as much as I do. They're pretty young so the Venn Diagram of "Shows I Love" vs "Shows I Can Share With Them As A Discerning Adult" has a pretty narrow overlap. So imagine my surprise when my nephew randomly makes a SK8 joke or observation or when my niece drew fan art of Carla? We also sing and dance and laugh during the intro and outtro so I hope they remember the series affectionately when they're older.

[starlostlix]

GUYS I KIND OF LOVE SK8 THE INFINITY

[This ended up being kind of a review/discussion about the show so enjoy whatever the hell I'm talking about here.]

I binged the show this afternoon and.... wow.

I love the skateboarding sequences. The animation is so fluid and the skateboarding tricks they do are wild. I do not know the details of how animation works but I think it must have taken a lot of effort to make it look so good.

The plot is relatively simple in terms of the main skateboarding beefs/tournament (it even has a beach episode!) but it's effective because it feels more grounded. An underground skateboarding group with competitions could probably exist which is quite interesting.

It's the characters that really make this show. Reki and Langa and their dynamic, with its ups and downs, are so compelling, and Reki's issues with his own self-worth and skill are so human. Langa's growth in skill in skateboarding is so interesting to follow and his joy at the sport after his dad's death (and his previous passion for snowboarding) is reallly nicely done. Them becoming distanced and coming back together again because they realise that skateboarding is enjoyable due to each other is so sad but also beautiful when resolved. "Reki my love... of skateboarding" is maybe my second favourite dub line of the series.

Joe and Cherry (aka Matchablossom) have a great dynamic together, with their history with Adam is really interesting (speaking of that I'm convinced young Cherry had a crush on Adam, oh and Cherry should have kept that lip ring). I love a married-couple-style bickering duo with their endearing nature shining through in small moments and that's really sweet. Plus they act as mentors to the younger characters and that's really fun. Cherry relying on the calculations of his AI assistant vs Joe being more brute and somewhat reckless in his technique is quite an interesting comparison between the two and I appreciate their childhood best friends backstory.

Miya is also really great, and his struggles with balancing competitiveness and fun are compelling. The small parts we see of his backstory of him losing friends because he got successful is really interesting. Shadow is also really fun, at first a minor antagonist and eventually an ally. Him becoming a chaperone to these kids is really funny and his different presentations in and out of the skateboarding world is really cool.

Adam... where to start really. Well I was quite uncomfortable at some points with the way he acts towards Langa (a minor) and he's a bit... intense at points which I feel mixed on. That being said, his character is really really interesting - a politician with an outlet in an intense skateboarding persona and an abusive family makes for a very interesting antagonist and his ambitiousness and need to win as a driving force explains how he really pushes himself and the limits of skateboarding. His desire to find his 'eve' - someone that can truly match his skating - is really intriguing (I only wish he wasn't pursuing a 17-yr-old Langa for that considering it's romantic connotations). His dynamic with 'Snake' - his childhood friend turned secretary - is really interesting too (as is Snake's actions and motivations in general).

To me so many people in this show feel queer-coded. Joe Cherry and Adam are such a messy trio and it's kind of comical that Cherry could be seen to have had feelings for both of them. Reki and Langa are so awkward and they clearly like each other a lot in a way that feels romantic ("show her she's a lucky girl" kind of speaks for itself). Adam is Adam, I don't really have to say much else there tbh.

Also THE THEMES!!!! THE THEMES!!!! Loss, friendship, passion in your interests, the desire to have FUN rather than be competitive all the time, what an interest can mean to a person (which as an AuDHD individual is something I feel attached to in this show in particular), etc. It's really well done in this show and there is loads to talk about but they honestly deserve their own in depth posts (which I may do eventually you never know).

STUDIO BONES!!!! DROP SEASON 2 AND THE MATCHABLOSSOM OVA AND MY LIFE IS YOURSSS!!!!

I enjoyed the show a lot and it's a very fun and well made series despite its short runtime.

There's a lot that can be talked about but to put it simply, I am now a SK8 fan.

[starglossie]

nothing gives me more joy than thinking about joe and cherry taking yearly trips to the onsen on their honeymoon and joe using cherry’s credit card to buy the most expensive dinner platter and cherry acting like he’s all mad about it but he’s chowing down on the lobster tail. and they know the little village where the onsen’s at by heart because they go there so frequently and the village folk know them by name and they go to the ramen shop and check out the festival. and they have MATCHING YUKATAS!!! and the village where the onsen is at is so special because they went there as adults and then as adults in a RELATIONSHIP and then as a MARRIED COUPLE so they have so many memories and then joe’s like “oh we’re gonna have the hottest onsen sex both literally and figuratively” and cherry’s like “i literally keep telling you we’re NOT fucking in the onsen.” but they do.

[thewomanwhowatchedchristmas]

12 Dates of Christmas (2011) 

We have a Groundhog Day situation, but with yuletide fun!

Kate Stanton (Amy Smart) is a woman with a plan this Christmas Eve. She is going to get her ex boyfriend Jack (Benjamin Ayres) back, get married, and live happily ever after. She explains all this to her best friend Miyoko (Laura Miyata) after she calls Jack asking when she can see Max, his dog that she sometimes watches still I guess? I know that I'm an intense pet parent, but I wouldn't trust any exes with my dogs. Anyway, so Kate is shopping for a Christmas gift for Jack when she gets spritzed in the face with perfume and passes out. She comes to pretty quickly, and rushes off. On her way back to her apartment, she runs into her neighbor Margine (Jayne Eastwood) who has baked her a cherry chip loaf. Which honestly sounds great. Cherry chip is my dad's favorite, so I might have to look up a recipe for it.

Once Kate gets home and changed, she heads to a blind date set up by her dad Mike (Peter MacNeill) and his significant other Sally (Mary Long). When she arrives at the bar, the first person she meets is a nerdy looking man named Toby (Joe MacLeod), but he's waiting for Phyllis. Then she meets her actual date, Miles Dufine (Mark-Paul Gosselaar). However, Kate is so sure that it won't work out that it's a terrible date. She is rude to Miles and leaves early to go meet Jack. However, Jack brings his new girlfriend Nancy (Jennifer Kydd). Kate is upset, but still takes Max and heads to her dad's house for dinner, and then goes to bed like normal.

When she wakes up, it's still Christmas Eve and she's on the floor of the department store again where she woke up after getting spritzed. She doesn't do the same thing every time she wakes up there, but that's almost all the people she interacts with every time (there's also a neighbor couple and a teenager, but they aren't every day).

For me, Kate was a frustrating protagonist because she was very high strung. It's also a little frustrating that every time she is rude to Miles, he's never willing to hear her out. She doesn't always try to explain or apologize, but when she does, he still walks away. Which, like, good for you for knowing your worth, but also, miscommunication happens. Especially with people who don't know each other very well.

Overall, I think the acting and production quality is here, but the story falls a little flat. It's fine, but nothing special. I probably won't watch it again. 2.5 stars.

[mrspasser]

Why did you have to call mom?

Sk8 the Infinity fanfiction

Miya gets in trouble at school and he calls Joe to come get him. But instead of Joe, it's Cherry who walks into the principal's office.

Miya stared at the scuffed up linoleum floor in front of him, his legs swinging idly in an alternating pattern. The edge of the seat pressed into the inside of his knee every time he brought his leg back, the plastic rim not entirely sanded smooth. His hands were trapped underneath his legs, stuck between the sweaty plastic of the seat and the cotton of his uniform shorts. The pressure on his fingers helped to soften the ache of his bloody cuticles. He’d been sitting there for what felt like ages when the door at the end of the hall finally opened and his principal strode through. The clicks of her sensible heels echoed through the empty space.

“Chinen-kun, follow me,” the woman said with a sharp nod of her head.

Miya reluctantly got up from the chair, ignoring the pins and needles in his legs as he followed her into her office.

“I understand your mother wasn’t available?” Sugimoto-sensei lowered herself behind her desk and brought the computer monitor to life with a small push against the wireless mouse next to the keyboard. On her screen she undoubtedly had the report of his teacher - multiple reports probably, the whole reason why he was sitting in her office instead of being on his way home after school like his classmates.

“That’s right, sensei,” Miya replied dutifully. The chair he was in had padded seating and was much more comfortable than the one he was sitting on out in the hall. He took care to sit up properly and to appear contrite while still looking as innocent as possible. He wanted to get out of here in short order and for that he had to play up the part of an innocent schoolboy. “But Nanjo-san will be here soon.”

The principal clicked through a few tabs on her computer, frowning at the unfamiliar name. “I don’t see a person named Nanjo-san listed in your file.”

“Ah, no, he’s uh…” Miya rushed to come up with a reasonable explanation for why he had administration call his adult friend from the illegal skating circuit, a friend his mother barely knew anything about. All his mom knew was that Joe sometimes gave him a lift home after skate practice. “He’s my caretaker for when okaasan is out of town. She’s on a business trip right now.” She wasn’t. She was probably at the office, like any other ordinary day. But it was not like his principal needed to know that. If he wanted to walk out of here with minimal punishment, he needed Joe, not his…

“Okan?” Miya stared wide-eyed at the tall, pink-haired and formally dressed figure that appeared in the door opening.

Cherry ignored his rather embarrassing exclamation and bowed politely. “Sugimoto-sensei? I’m here for Chinen-kun.”

The principal shot up from her desk chair to return the greeting and invite the newcomer into her office. It was clear that she was confused by Cherry’s presence, as was Miya, but not for the same reasons. Miya doubted that Sugimoto-sensei would recognise his mother when she met her on the street, so technically any woman could be his mother as far as she was concerned. Yet there was clearly no family resemblance between the distinguished visitor in his fancy kimono and her student, even though Miya just called Cherry ‘mom’ out loud. And then there was the fact that while the stark lines of the kimono hid most of the curves Cherry might possibly have, his deep voice immediately gave him away as a man. However, just last month the school had celebrated the Week of Respect rather extensively and Sugimoto-sensei was nothing if not respectful.

“Please take a seat, ah…”

“Sakurayashiki-sensei,” Cherry answered formally, glancing shortly at Miya as he took the offered seat. He folded his hands neatly in his lap, his back ramrod straight in the chair. Apparently Cherry was going with the ‘respectable calligraphy master’ approach, which Miya could appreciate. Or rather, he was certain his principal would appreciate it. He was getting rather worried himself, because there was a reason he gave the school Joe’s number and not Cherry’s.

That reason soon became apparent, when his principal explained why Miya was sent to her office that afternoon. She gestured to his Switch repeatedly while she talked, the confiscated gaming device laying just out of his reach on her desk. “I see,” Cherry responded, giving Miya a very disapproving look. “I expect Chinen-kun to take his studies seriously and he knows that. Gaming in class is something that I do not condone and I will see to it that he will be disciplined accordingly.” Miya almost wished he’d let them call his real mother. As it was, Cherry was even more terrifying. No matter that he wasn’t his real mom, Miya had no doubt that the man would implement punishment. Cherry Blossom did not make empty promises. Principal Sugimoto must have had the same impression, because their talk was quickly wrapped up after that. The adults got up from their chairs and bowed to each other before Cherry turned to Miya. “Get your things, Miya.”

Miya grabbed his Switch and swung his backpack onto his shoulder, backing up out of the office with a polite goodbye to his principal. Out in the hall he fell into step with Cherry, who guided him towards the parking lot to the side of the school with small touches to his shoulder. The lot was mostly empty, with most of the teachers having already left. He really spent a long time waiting in that uncomfortable plastic chair. “What took you so long?” he demanded from the pink-haired man. “And where is Joe?”

Cherry levelled him with a withering stare. “You should be happy I’m here at all. What were you thinking, calling Joe instead of your mother?” The man held up a warning finger when Miya opened his mouth to answer. “No, I don’t want to hear it. You probably thought you could get away with it if you called him.” They reached the small Toyota and Cherry pressed his key fob to open the doors. “Get in.”

Miya wisely kept silent as he got in the backseat, putting his backpack next to him. The voice of Carla greeted them with a demure “Hello master” when Cherry’s phone connected with the car. The pink-haired man backed out of the parking space expertly and Miya wondered shortly where he would take him. His question was answered soon enough, when Cherry ordered Carla to calculate the fastest route to Sia La Luce.

Miya’s school was on the other side of town, so it would take them a bit to reach the restaurant. He thought it best to keep silent, to avoid provoking Cherry’s ire, so he turned on his Switch for some on the road entertainment. He’d just loaded his game when Cherry’s icy voice sounded from the front of the car. “What do you think you’re doing?” Figuring it was a rhetorical question, Miya kept silent. Soon enough, Cherry’s hand was held up between the two front seats. “Hand it over.”

“It’s mine.” Miya’s hands clenched around the sides of the device. He internally cursed his own stupidity. He should’ve waited until Cherry had dropped him off at Joe’s to play his game, especially after getting reprimanded for gaming during class.

“Don’t make me ask again.” Cherry’s eyes found his in the rearview mirror.

“Fine,” Miya grumbled, placing the Switch in Cherry’s hand. The device was placed on the passenger’s seat, tucked in safely against the back of the chair. With Cherry’s neat driving style there was not much chance of the thing sliding around in the seat anyway. He fell back against his seat with a pout and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I wish Joe came to get me,” he said under his breath, yet Cherry heard him anyway.

“It’s the end of the afternoon on a Friday. He’s elbows deep in mise-en-place for dinner service tonight, what makes you think he’d be able to come to your school?” Cherry signalled to take a corner. “He’s a busy man, Miya, you can’t expect him to drop everything to save your ass every time you get in trouble.”

“You did, okan,” Miya wheedled.

“Against my better judgement, yes,” Cherry said after a short pause. He looked in the rearview mirror again, an unreadable look in his eyes. Miya chose to interpret it as begrudgingly fond.

“We have almost reached our destination, master,” Carla interrupted them politely. “You have twenty minutes before you have to leave for your appointment.”

“Do you have a hot date? Is that why you are all dressed up?” Miya asked sourly. It had not escaped his attention that Cherry was wearing one of his fancier kimonos.

“It’s not a date. I’m having dinner with an important client,” Cherry corrected him curtly.

“Right,” Miya nodded. “No cheating on dad, of course.” He was saved from Cherry retaliating for that comment by Carla announcing they’d reached their destination. Cherry parked the car half on the sidewalk, leaving the emergency lights on. It really must be an important client if he was willing to bend the rules like this.

Cherry ushered him inside the restaurant, calling out for Joe. There were two servers setting the tables, but they didn’t react besides a friendly greeting. Their boss appeared a moment later, pushing open the door to his kitchen. He took one look at Miya and then settled on Cherry with a disgruntled look on his face. “Why’d you bring the kid here?”

Cherry made an annoyed noise and pushed Miya - gently - towards the bar to take a seat. “What else am I supposed to do with him? I’m meeting my client in fifteen minutes!”

“And I have a restaurant to run!”

“I can just sit here,” Miya suggested. He didn’t want to go home yet. “You will hardly know I’m here.”

“You’re just pissed because I’m not taking my client here for dinner.” Cherry ignored Miya for his squabble with Joe.

Joe snorted. “Why would I be mad about that? At least now you won’t be mooching all my expensive wine.”

“It’s not my fault the only decent wine you have here is imported.”

“It’s an Italian restaurant, what do you expect, cheapskate?”

Miya rolled his eyes at their antics. He placed his backpack underneath his chair and surreptitiously reached out to his Switch that Cherry had placed on the corner of the bar. If they weren’t paying attention, he could grab his game and entertain himself until they even forgot he was here. He was sure he could get Joe to feed him later anyway.

The moment his fingers touched his Switch, Cherry snapped his fan down on his hand. “Don’t even think about it! You’re not getting that thing back any time soon!”

Miya had to watch helplessly how Cherry placed the game device behind the register. There was no way he could get the thing back without being seen now. Besides, Joe had strict rules about them being in his restaurant. They were under no circumstances allowed in the kitchen or behind the bar. “You can’t do that! You’re not my mom!”

Cherry shot him an unimpressed glare over his glasses. “You should’ve thought of that before I had to come get you.”

“I didn’t call you anyway, I called Joe!”

“And he called me.” Miya looked over to Joe for help, but this was one of those rare cases in which the two adults presented an united front. The pink bracelet on Cherry’s wrist lit up pink with a soft chime. “Right, I have to go,” Cherry said, turning back to Joe. “I trust that you will have some chore for the kid to do as punishment.”

Joe nodded in agreement, watching how Cherry smoothed out his kimono and made himself ready to get out of the door. “I’ll think of something. You look nice, by the way.”

Miya thought he spotted a slight blush on Cherry’s cheeks, but he was more surprised by the compliment and the way the pink-haired man accepted it with a soft “Thanks”.

Joe and Miya both watched how Cherry made his way out, his long pink hair swishing down his back. “Right.” Joe clapped his hands once, startling Miya. “You can polish the spare silverware.”

“What? Are you really going to punish me?”

“You bet I am. Or else I’m the one who is in trouble when Kao - when Cherry finds out I didn’t discipline you.” Joe raised one eyebrow. “What did you do anyway?”

Miya sighed. “Gaming in class.”

Joe snorted a laugh and ruffled his hair. “Lesson number one, kid: never get caught!”

Authors note: Okaasan is the most common way to say ‘mother’ in Japanese. Okan is more of a pet name for mother (like ‘mom’ or ‘mommy’). Adults wouldn’t use okan in public settings, but it is pretty common among middle and high school students.

You can also find this fic on Wattpad and Ao3.

[what-is-merlin-so-gay-for]

They’re married, your honor

[xsugarysweetsx]

Congrats on 2k mama sweet,,,!! :))

Since there is no sk8 requests yet how about option 2 - Kaoru x reader <3 Had this thought after reading ur arranged marriage fic... how about at the start of the marriage reader thinks that Kaoru is cheating on her when he sneaks out at night but after he tells her about S, reader feels kinda silly for thinking so.. next thing you know Kaoru is taking reader to all the beefs as his lucky charm. Reader even has a matching costume and the others start calling her "Lady Cherry" or smth,, teaches reader to skate (she's lowkey jealous of carla >.<) + some domestic fluff (what if reader finds out she's pregnant....) This doesn't have to be connected to the other fic & you can ignore the cheating part if u like... :-*

A/N: :0 Lady Cherry is a super smart name!

other fic here

Please enjoy~🍰

*******************************************************

There he went again...

The sliding door of your shared room altered you from your sleep. This was the 6th night in a row that he left without a word in the middle of the night. The first 2 nights you thought he was simply tending to business and was just busy. After the 4th day, you were suspicious and a bit hurt. He did tell you he didn’t want to hurt you and treat you right....so where was he going?

This was another night he had gotten up, so instead of staying in bed you followed him. 

“Carla, make sure to lock the doors when I leave“ he said to his AI

“Yes, master“ you scoffed. You had to admit the stupid computer got on your nerves. He practically loved talking to her and every time she answered him, he gets all giddy. You were really jealous but you wish he’d get that way with you.  

Just as he was going to leave you called for him

“Kaoru?“ he froze and turned around “It’s late...“ you said coming closer to him. That’s when you noticed what he was wearing, he was in a sleeveless yukata with a black mask over his face, and a...skateboard?

“Y/N I...um...“ being that he can’t speak about S he was contemplating whether to tell you or not. But you were his wife and he wanted to be open with you on everything. However what you said next caught him off guard

“...if there’s someone else please just tell me...“ and the way you looked when you said it just broke his heart. Did you really think he was cheating? Even though this was arranged, he couldn’t ask for someone better to be his wife. You were smart, shy but bright, not to mention beautiful.

“Y/N“ he walked to you and rests his hand on your shoulder “I would never cheat on you and I assure you there is no one else.”

“Then why do you leave at night?“ you ask

“*Sigh*....I go skating.“ he said bluntly. There was nothing to hide from you and it was all true

“...huh“ he lifted his board for you to see

“Some friends and I go skateboarding in a secret location for races and such. We only go at night so we go unnoticed.“ he held up a small pin “It’s called S..now that you know you can’t tell anyone. Now go throw something on, we’re heading out.“

Just as he said you were heading out in the dead of night. And of course you had to ride on Carla, every time he spoke to her it was like he was talking to his crush. As you approach a gate with two guards he gives you a larger sticker of the letter ‘S’. You show them to security and make it inside where people had started screaming. You knew he was popular among women but this was more than you thought

“Lord Cherry!!” one screamed 

“Kao-”

“Cherry” he interrupted 

“What?”

Getting his bike to a stop he helps you off and says “we don’t use our real names here for security reasons. Here I’m Cherry blossom.” 

So what he was telling you was true. You honestly felt a bit silly for jumping to conclusions so quickly. Before he was off to what he called a ‘beef’ he introduced you to JOE. You were surprised to see the popular chef here as well, although you knew they had been friends for years. The large screen in the area showed you just how goof he was at this. 

He was fast but graceful, sharp an precise on corners. The crowd only cheered louder than before. 

“So, you’re the one he’s been talking about huh?“ Joe asked 

“He’s been...talking about me?“ you asked

He nodded “He was gone for like 3 days in a row not to mention he was brushing off more women now. That’s when he told us there was someone he wanted to be loyal to.” okay, now you felt really silly. After the race was done and over with Cherry had made his way back to you. He comes and embarrass you and whispers in your ear

“You brought me good luck.“ you felt your heart skip a beat from the feeling of being close to him

“oooo, look at Lord Cherry with his lady~“

“Shut up you big oaf!!“

<>

During the next few months you had gone with him to almost every beef. You had even gained a name for yourself, ‘Lady Cherry’. You had become quite popular among some men there and even cherry’s female fans. He would usually bring you as his ‘lucky charm’, it was cheesy but sweet at the same time. They also had a habit of saying 

“The Cherries have arrived“ 

On his free time he would actually taught you how to skate, well he tried anyway. Balance wasn’t exactly easy and being from a traditional family, this was unusual for you. You’d be holding on to his shoulders while his hands held your waist

“Don’t let me fall“

“You’re doing just fine dear. Why don’t we try some tricks“ he offered  

“Are you sure you’re the man I married?“ you ask with a smirk

“The one and only dear“ he kissed your cheek 

It was honestly so cute to him. You’d have a scared but excited look on your face. Your cheeks would turn pink and it just made his heart fluttered. On top of all that you were willing to indulge in something he has loved from a young age. He always took you with him to each beef he attended. Both for showing you off an he is in love with the idea of winning every race for not just himself but for you as well.  

Although tonight you wouldn’t make it to the beef. He was going to race Joe but that was put on hold. You had been feeling sick all day and you just finished emptying your stomach. As much as you told him to go, he refused to leave.

“You’re my wife and you’re clearly not okay“ he said helping you up off the floor “you come before any beef or competition. Now come on, let’s get you to the hospital and get you checked out.“

A short drive to the general hospital was taken that night. No, he would not wait until tomorrow morning. He wanted to know that you were okay and didn’t have anything terminal. After speaking with the nurse and giving some blood and urine samples you both patiently waited. You leaned against him playing with the digits of his fingers. 

*Knock knock* “Ma’am we have your results” the doctor says holding up a couple of papers and even some medicine. “well, you’re clear for any terminal conditions or diseases. although you have some hormonal imbalances and some new ones kicking in.”

“Meaning?“ Kaoru urged him on

“Congratulations, you’re 4 weeks pregnant.“

“....“ you both sat in shock at the news. You were pregnant? Well, you two were active, and maybe Kaoru has his own little rituals. Either after or before a beef he’d get frisky and was set on pleasing you both. It shouldn’t have been a surprise that this would have happened, still it was shocking news

“These are some prenatal vitamins you’ll need to take for the month. Make sure to make an appointment to check on the baby alright?” giving you the vile of pills he takes his leave leaving you both in silence. What were you supposed to say? How were you going to deal with this? Were you even ready?

“-together.“ you didn’t catch his whole sentence 

“I’m sorry what was that?” you ask him

“We’ll this together alright?“ he took your hand in his “believe me I’m as shocked as you are but, we’ll figure this out together okay?“

“Alright“ you smile back 

“We should probably start with a bigger house for the three of us“

<>

“Kaoru, come on it’s just paint I can-“

“You are not moving a muscle“ he cut you off “I want you to rest all you can. You’re making a baby and that’s enough.“

To say he was strict during your pregnancy was an understatement. As soon as your belly started showing you were no longer going to beefs with him. You were currently 6 months along, and expecting a girl! Kaoru was over the moon to know it was a girl. he would have been happy with a boy too, but a little copy of you was like a dream. He couldn't wait to see the little girl that would look like you and act like him.

Today was nursery day, which meant painting, building and organizing. Kaoru had you only fold and organizing the clothes and things while he painted. Of course being your idea you had called the boys over to help. Joe was building some stuff along with Shadow. Langa and Reki were actually helping to paint the walls. 

“I appreciate you guys coming to help“ you smile 

“Hey it’s no problem, at least you told us about it“ Joe commented. Oh yeah, he also wanted to keep it a secret so that 

‘the idiot wouldn’t ruin your pregnancy‘ which made you laugh for a good 5 minutes. But they were very good help and made the process easier 

“Hey so what are you naming the baby?“ Reki asked 

“Well, Kaoru kind of wanted to associate it with his skate name so we agreed on Sakura.“

“AAWWHH“ everyone said out load slightly teasing him. Without turning from the wall he said

“....I just wanted a beautiful name for her was all.“ although he was cold at times they knew he meant well especially for his family.  A while late Joe made a small dinner for you all to enjoy. You thanked them for coming over and you were done for the night. You were putting on some lotion over your rounded middle when Kaoru came behind you. He wrapped his arms around and over your own hands and rested there for a moment

“Who would have thought we’d be here huh?” You whisper

“In all honesty I was hoping for it” he admired “before we married you were described as a caring and sweet woman. But you were so much more once we were married. You’re compassionate, intelligent, stubborn, beautiful, and absolutely perfect” he said kissing the side of your head “and now, you’ve given me the gift of being a father. Thank you”

Turning in his hold you wipe away small tears “oh Kaoru , thank you too. You’ve treated me like I’m the only person you need. On top of that you take care of me but still give me my freedom. I love you..”

“And I love you” he rests his forehead against yours as his fingers trace over your baby bump.

*******************************************************

I hope this was okay!❤️

[getosboobies]

joe and cherry were that duo who acted like a married couple in high school

[dadodoizded]

Joe and Cherry acted like a married couple in highschool, they got married in Vegas on an impulse, got divorced two weeks later, and have been that way ever since

[kit-the-gaygent]

Joe and Cherry act like an old married couple, and Miya is their child.

[peregrin-tookish]

I’ve already said this to @katenart at least five times, but there is zero canon proof that Joe and Cherry aren’t married. 

The idea that they’re still pining or that they’re dating is cute and all.  But, when two people spend an entire season acting like an old married couple, I start to suspect that they are in fact an old married couple.

[bunny-bluue]

Sk8 The Infinity (Female OC): Aurelia Kanaka

Aurelia Kanaka is a female OC for Sk8 The Infinity anime! Her daily life as a person consists of her being a CEO of a gold jewelry business: Pristine Gold, not to mention the fiancée of Ainosuke Shindo! But in secret, she is known as one of S’s best female skateboarders, called the Golden Duchess! She calls herself that because she wears a lot of gold colored outfits including makeup. Her skills consists of skating with a touch of ballet and graceful dance moves in order to maneuver herself around, in a way, it’s much similar to Adam’s skill. Her skateboard has gold lining as well as the wheels and on the bottom, GOLD is encrypted on there.

Regardless of their engagement, both Ainosuke and Aurelia know very little of each other, only the basics. The pair never cared for marriage and because of their differences, the two never got along causing them to have a cold and distant relationship. The only time they ever got together is when they meet with their families and they put on the happy couple act. In a way, their relationship is much similar to the married couple in the Mr. and Mrs. Smith movie. I mean the two never suspected each other to both be contract killers and it’s the same with my OC and Adam! They both are skilled S skaters and they never knew until they connected the dots somehow! And when they did figure each other out, their relationship significantly improved as well as their affections!

For life at the S, Adam may have chosen Langa to be his Eve for a skating partner, but for Aurelia, she is considered to be his golden apple, the forbidden fruit that is not to be touched nor eaten. And with time, Aurelia may come to cherish Adam but not when it comes to her good friends that she made at the S, such as Joe, Cherry, Reki, Langa, Miya, and Shadow. In fact she gets rather defensive when Adam ridicules them, especially when it comes to hurting them during a beef. That’s when she’s most likely to challenge him to a beef or just give him a plain old slap to the face in front of everyone scene.

[bisluthq]

"Right that’s why I think that’s another breakup she was affected by. Like if you have three close couples who were together for ages breaking up in your life you’re going to think about it/them a lot. "

I wonder if it made taylor think about her own relationship with joe, they are the last couple standing.

maybe it even triggered taylors old insecurities in dbatc/ lover era style.

They’re not the last couple standing, Hot Friend got engaged, Martha got married, Suki and Rob are very happily together, a bunch of her friends had babies, Ed and Cherry are happy, Lena’s finally found someone great, like… yes a few of her friends broke up and I’m sure she worried about them and it sucked a bit because it sucks when your friends are unhappy but acting like their whole friend group is now single doesn’t make sense to me.

[desiraypark]

Clyde x Sherri Master Post

Clyde x Sherri is an ongoing non-linear series about (now) married couple, Clyde and Sherri (Simmons) Logan. Clyde and Sherri are currently living it up in “real-time”, but entries could be set in the past or future. Sometimes major events are sped up (ex: in real-time, they moved to Norfolk, VA in September 2020, but I’ve been writing them in their new city since July 2020).  This post (which is long, I must add) contains a breakdown of the series entries and some story development details (the Capricorn jumps out, y’all).  Full Series in Posting Order (Entry Breakdown below) LONG POST WARNING

ENTRY INDEX ( *- means they’re being sexy and/or they’re gonna bang) Before They Met July 1992 (Young Clyde x Sherri cross paths) Dating Era The First Date “Familiar” (How They Met) Untitled Prompt Request (Clyde asking Sherri to quit one of her jobs) “Was it for a good reason?” (Sherri learns about the robbery)  Shattered (continuation of the previous) Locked Away (cont. of the prev.) No More Secrets (cont. of the prev.) - Sherri x Jimmy Like Magnets (cont. of the prev.) Meet the Parents (Clyde meets Terry & Ramona Simmons) “Where’s Sherri?” (Request/Clyde x Sherri at a family cookout) Honeybunch (Why Sherri calls Clyde “Honeybunch”) Movin’ In (Prompt request)

Married (Before the child/children) Dearly Beloved (Part of their Wedding) Shut Up, Clyde* (Their Honeymoon) Summer Madness (Summer fluff) Bare Feet (Prompt Request - Clyde and Sherri enjoy a kiddie pool) Lil’ House Guest (Critter alert) Have Clyde’s Cake and Eat It, Too (Sherri can’t resist sweets) Sherri Logan, P.I.* (A lil’ roleplay)  Bad* (A hint of dominatin’ Clyde) Are We Ready? (Discussing children) “Where is my tongue?!” (Sherri gets her wisdom teeth pulled) A Birthday First* (Sherri puts on a show) Lunch Time* (Clyde his hungry) “Love Won’t Let Me Wait”* (Baby Fever in a thunderstorm) Yoink! (Sherri is not to be trifled with) Headed West (Clyde and Sherri move) Every Room* (You see what it says) Something in Common (Clyde and Sherri meet their neighbors) A Mean Old Fashioned (Clyde gets a new job) “Her Name is Sherri.” (Clyde finds the perfect job for Sherri) A Long Night* (If you give a Clyde a remote...) Negative to a Positive (Sherri suspects pregnancy) Deserving (Sherri helps Clyde through anxiety) Bad Mood* (Clyde fixes that lil’ attitude) Babies with Dimples (Clyde and Sherri have too much to drink) Sherri and the Giant Peach (Sherri tries on business clothing) Apple Pie (Sherri freestyles a popular dessert) Chef Sadie (Sadie goes on a cooking competition reality show) Too Much* (Clyde lets out some frustration) No Solids / No Sweets (Sherri’s sick and refuses to do the right thing) Cherries & Honey (Sherri gets a tattoo) The Near Future The Big People (From Clyde and Sherri’s child’s POV) Shush. (Pregnant Sherri wants Clyde to be comfortable) Peanut Butter Jelly Time! (Pregnant Sherri is hungry and horny) The Family Man (Clyde’s dad returns) Catwoman (The Logans go trick-or-treating) The Distant Future Ruby (Clyde and Sherri’s 40th Anniversary) The Weight (Part I - Part II) (Sherri deals with impostor’s syndrome) With Others No More Secrets (Sherri x Jimmy) The Little Things (Clyde x James Cooke) Extra Stuff The World of Clyde x Sherri - “behind-the-scenes” type stuff (includes their birth charts, text conversations, descriptions of their homes, etc.) Sim Clyde x Sherri (I made them in The Sims 4) _______________________ MAJOR TIMELINE The events of Logan Lucky are pushed back to 2015 solely because I wanted Clyde and Sherri to have known each other for a long-time (again, relative to “real-time”).  2015 Early May - Clyde got locked up Late August - Clyde got out December - Clyde moved into his own two-bedroom home // Clyde and Sherri “formally” met.  2017 January - Clyde and Sherri started dating Early April - Clyde and Sherri broke up Early May - Clyde and Sherri got back together Late May - Sherri formally met Jimmy and Mellie  June - Clyde met Sherri’s separated parents (Terry and Ramona Simmons) 2018 March - Clyde and Sherri got engaged September - Clyde and Sherri got married “2020″ September - Clyde and Sherri moved to Norfolk, VA. ______________________ BACKGROUND STORIES Some Clyde Logan headcanons; Sherri Logan development Content/Trigger Warnings: Depression; impostor syndrome; self-doubt; death; parent death; war mention; war injury mention; abandonment (by a parent); cancer mention. Sherri (Simmons) Logan was born on January 25, 1988, in Charleston, West Virginia. Her family moved to Boone when she was a toddler. She has an older sister named Robyn and a little brother named Terry Jr (aka TJ). Sherri graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA and attended North Carolina Central University where she studied Early Childhood Education for two years. Her life’s dream was to become an elementary school librarian. While in college, Sherri’s parents separated. As a result, she became depressed, and eventually so overwhelmed with school work that she dropped out.  Despite her inner desire, Sherri avoided any work in the education field and took on jobs in retail and customer service. When she and Clyde started dating, she worked two jobs--cashier at a dollar store and cashier at a local supermarket. She was also living with her best friend, Tasha. Sherri still feels the “sting” of (self-imposed) embarrassment that has come with being “the one who was supposed to “make it” but didn’t”, but occasionally considers returning to school. Sherri’s sister, Robyn, moved back to Charleston when she married Devon. They have a son, Devon Jr (aka DJ), and a baby girl named Princess. Her brother, TJ, lives in Atlanta, GA. Sherry currently works as the morning/afternoon receptionist at Busy Bees Daycare. Entries to Reference: “July 1992″, “Her name is Sherri.”, “Untitled Prompt Request”, “Familiar”. Clyde Logan was born on November 25, 1983, in Boone, West Virginia to Donna Logan and Timothy Green. He has an older brother named James (aka Jimmy) and a little sister named Melody (aka Mellie). When Clyde was about eight years old, Timothy (never having married Donna), abandoned his family--only sending the occasional postcard to his parents and for the first couple of years, birthday cards to his kids (through his parents). When Donna died of cancer in 1996, the Logan children moved in with their maternal grandparents, Aaron and Sylvia. 

Around this time, Clyde noticeably became more introverted, but often got in trouble for little mischievous acts (ex: setting off the school fire alarm to get out of a test; the occasional schoolyard fight). He joined the Army after high school and just as he was returning home after a second tour in Iraq, Clyde lost the lower part of his left arm in a roadside accident. Inspired by his newfound love for cooking shows, Clyde began taking bartending classes, and late in 2004, started working at Duck Tape. He worked there for sixteen years. 

Aaron and Sylvia Logan have since passed away (Aaron in 1999, Sylvia in 2008), as has Clyde’s paternal grandmother, Betty (d. 2013). His brother Jimmy currently lives in Greenbrier County, WV has a daughter named Sadie and a fiancée named (ironically), Sylvia. Mellie is recently married to Joe Bang. Clyde currently works as day bartender at a posh restaurant called Strafford’s Kitchen.  Entries to Reference: “July 1992″, “Familiar”, “A Mean Old Fashioned”, “Headed West”.  _____________________ I even have a work schedule for these two but I’m gonna to sit down somewhere and finish this. Bye. Lol.

[mrspasser]

Don’t tell mom

Matchablossom fanfiction

Kojiro planned to feed Kaoru, close up the restaurant, change his clothes and then head to S. He should've known that the kids don't care for his plans...

In which Reki calls for help, Kaoru has secret pockets in the sleeves of his kimono and there's improper use of a trash can.

"You want coffee before we go?" Kojiro asks as he takes the empty plate and wineglass away from where his last customer of the day sits at the bar.

Kaoru dabs at his lips with his napkin and hums thoughtfully. He crumples the cloth up and tosses it on the plate before Kojiro turns away. "Might as well."

"Thought you could use the caffeine," Kojiro offers. "You've had a long day. If you want to win any races tonight you're gonna need a double espresso." It's said with as much faux innocence as he can muster and it immediately makes the flint appear in Kaoru's eyes, just like he intended.

"I can win with my eyes closed when I'm racing you!" Kaoru is already up from his chair, leaning his hands on the bar.

"Because you cheat, letting your robot girlfriend take the wheel!" Kojiro calls back through the open kitchen hatch. He quickly cleans the plate and the glass in the sink, doing the last bit of clean up before he can close up for tonight. He already did the rest while Kaoru was eating, grumbling about his day. The master calligrapher had two workshops today and those always tire him out, mostly from having to socialise with lots of different people. If Kojiro wanted to tease him, he'd say he's tired from having to smile all day; straining muscles he never uses. That's not it, though, Kaoru smiles often enough. It's usually hidden behind a black mask, or only visible to those who have the privilege. Kojiro loves having that privilege.

Their bickering back and forth is enough to rile Kaoru up, make him forget about his earlier lethargy. Having a full stomach helps too. The man always forgets to eat when he's busy at his studio, so Kojiro was happy to feed him today when he showed up towards the end of dinner service. He's always happy to feed his friend; he likes having some company while he putters around the bar to clean up. His servers straighten out the front room and the kitchen staff does most of the cleaning in the back, leaving only the loose ends for their chef. They have a system and it works. Sometimes even Kaoru helps: lining up the centrepieces at the tables with the artworks on the wall, or something equally perfectionistic. He doesn't need to help to earn his meal, Kojiro mainly likes the comfort of having his best and oldest friend around.

When his phone buzzes in his pocket, Kojiro lifts a finger to stop Kaoru's angry rant. His friend glares at him, but obediently shuts his mouth. He checks to see who it is and then hits the speaker button. "Hey Reki, what's up?"

"Joe! I'm so happy you picked up! We uh... We kinda need your help."

"What did you do?" Kaoru arches an inquisitive eyebrow at his words, inching closer to where Kojiro rounds the bar so he can hear the conversation better.

Reki immediately gets defensive. "Who says I did something?" Kojiro and Kaoru exchange a meaningful glance at his tone. To be fair, it's a one in three chance that Reki was the one that caused the trouble. Langa and Miya should never be ruled out. "And why do you immediately assume something bad happened?"

Kojiro sighs and rolls his eyes. "Why else would you need help?"

"I could be needing help with my maths homework!"

"You would've called Cherry." Kojiro ignores the smug look from his pink haired friend. He did fine in school, but he likes working with his hands more. Besides, he's kinda lost touch with the non-practical side of the things they learned in school. Kaoru is better at it anyway. 'Nerd' he mouths at his friend, who elbows him in the side in retaliation.

"Fine," Reki relents. "But we could really use a hand. Can you come to the park?"

"Did one of you bail and need a ride to the hospital?" Kojiro's mind is suddenly filled with the images of blood and broken bones. There's a rail slide in the park that the kids like to practice on, but it's pretty challenging. He immediately feels around his pockets for his car keys, yet he's still in his work clothes and his car keys are in the apartment upstairs. Kaoru slides a hand up the sleeve of his kimono and shows him his own car keys instead, moving with him towards the door.

"No, no! No hospital needed." Reki hesitates for a second. "Just get here, alright? We'll explain it then. Or, I guess you can see for yourself."

"That doesn't bode well," Kaoru says when Kojiro disconnects the call after Reki oddly suggests he should bring some tools. "Come on, I've got tools in the back of my car."

"Maybe his board broke down?" Kojiro gets in on the passenger side of the small Toyota Kaoru drives.

"Reki could fix that himself."

The drive to the park isn't very far. It certainly doesn't give Kojiro enough time to think of valid reasons for why Reki needs his help. He's just thinking that maybe one of the kids climbed to the top of the jungle gym in the park and can't get down, when Kaoru stops the car by the entrance to the park. They immediately spot Reki and Langa, standing beneath a lamp post just inside the wrought iron gates that decorate the main entrance. The kids seem surprised that Kaoru gets out of the car too, eyeing his formal wear curiously.

"You brought Cherry?" Reki almost whines, self consciously rubbing a hand through his hair.

"Technically I brought Joe, seeing as I drove us here," Kaoru answers haughtily, folding his hands into the sleeves of his kimono and drawing up to his full height. He looks intimidating like that.

Reki makes a face and looks at Kojiro. "We were kinda hoping it would just be you."

"Why did you call me anyway?" Kojiro is puzzled: both Reki and Langa look no worse for wear and they both have their skateboards with them, still fully intact. "You both look fine, I don't see any problems. And why would you not want me to bring Cherry?"

Kaoru huffs. "Because they did something stupid and they thought a gorilla would understand."

"Hey!" Kojiro exclaims.

"See! You don't even know what we did and you're already mad!" Reki fidgets with the skateboard in his hands, looking far too guilty. Langa, next to him, has a blank look on his face, but that's kind of his default expression. His face doesn't emulate much in general, except when you put free food in front of him.

Kaoru assesses them with sharp eyes and then pans his gaze over their surroundings. Every few metres a lamppost lights up the darkness. He stops at the sight of a lonely skateboard, a little ways over. "Where is Miya?" The words are sharp, with a hint of worry.

"Yeah..." Reki draws out. "That's kinda the thing."

"He's in there," Langa interrupts, pointing in the direction of the skateboard with the purple x on it.

"In where?" Kojiro sees nothing but nicely trimmed rose bushes and yellow pavement. There's some benches at the edge of the square where they're standing, but that's about it. Last summer Kaoru did a calligraphy demonstration on this square. Kojiro remembers, because he got roped in to carry all his equipment.

The calligrapher in question, who made his way in the direction Langa pointed at, suddenly stops beside a large trash can. It's one of those models that always remind Kojiro somewhat of a robot: the large bucket sits up on two legs that run up the whole length of the trash can, holding up a raised lid that covers the top opening like an awning. The front of the bucket has a door so the city workers can empty the thing easily. Kaoru bends over slightly to peer into the top opening. When he turns back to the others his eyes are comically large. "What is Miya doing in a trash can?"

"What?" Kojiro makes it over in a few large strides. There appears to be a faint light coming from inside the trash can. The source reveals itself as Miya's Switch. The kid is sitting on the floor of the otherwise empty trash can with his knees folded up against his chest and his nose almost touching the screen of his game. Kojiro is dumbfounded. "What??"

"You see, we made a bet," Reki starts.

"We thought Miya wouldn't fit inside the trash can," Langa adds.

"The slimes dared me," finishes Miya from inside the trash can. His voice echoes slightly against the metal of his current housing.

"So you climbed inside a municipal trash can," Kaoru deadpans, disapproval clear in his tone.

"He went in willingly!" Reki hurries to say. "And the thing was empty anyway. It's not like we dared him to go sit in a bunch of trash."

Kojiro touches the raised lid, which doesn't budge. There's an opening on two sides, but they're too small for even Miya to fit through. The whole thing isn't even big enough for Miya to stand up in. "How the hell did you get in?"

"The door was open," Langa explains, gesturing towards the front of the bucket.

"With the emphasis on was," Kojiro quickly understands, as he tries but fails to pull the door open. There's a lock on the front, requiring a key that no one of them currently possesses. A quick check with Miya confirms that he indeed can't open the mechanism from inside, which explains why the kids had called for help. "I'll have to break it open."

"Are you crazy?" Kaoru interjects testily. "We have a slight inconvenience on our hands and your immediate reaction is to resort to vandalism?"

"Do you call this a slight inconvenience?"

"It kinda is," Langa shrugs. "At least until the battery of Miya's game runs out."

"How long has he been in there already?!" Kaoru demands before declaring he doesn't even want to know. He whips out his phone - again from a hidden pocket in his kimono sleeve - and points the torch light on the lock. "We could pick the lock," he offers after a short inspection.

"Already tried that," Reki says, brandishing a T-shaped tool from the pocket of his hoodie.

"You can't pick a lock with a skate tool." Kojiro fears Kaoru's eyes will get stuck in the back of his head if he rolls them any harder. "I'll go see what I can do."

A few minutes later Kaoru sits crouched in front of the trash can, trying to pry the look open with a screwdriver he had in his car. Kojiro and the others watch over his shoulder eagerly. "How did the door get locked anyway?" Kojiro asks, side eyeing the two teens.

"It just happened."

"It was an accident."

"Reki pushed the door closed behind me and the lock clicked into place," echoes Miya from inside. There's faint noises coming from his game. At least the kid is entertained.

Kaoru gets to his feet with an angry huff. "How could you kids be so stupid?" he bites out, which Kojiro knows to translate as "I can't get the lock to open." Kaoru will never admit he can't do something, he's too proud for that.

"It didn't work?" Reki asks, sounding disappointed.

"It's still locked, isn't it?" The kids flinch back at Kaoru's angry hiss. A lot of his friend's emotions come out as anger, Kojiro has learned over the years. Sadness, worry, frustration, disappointment. Reki and Langa will learn that too, if they stick around long enough.

Reki turns to Kojiro, sidling a bit further away from the angry Cherry Blossom. "Didn't you bring an angle grinder?"

"I'm a chef," Kojiro replies incredulously, "do I look like I use power tools in my kitchen?"

"We are not destroying municipal property." The kids protest, hell, even Kojiro argues, but Kaoru can't be swayed. "We're not vandals, nor are we delinquents."

"We skate at an abandoned mine every week," Reki counters. "That's pretty illegal. And you and Joe even founded the whole skating scene there!" He yelps in pain when he gets wacked on the head with a fan.

"Ko - Joe, don't you know someone at the Fire Department?" Kaoru asks over the heads of the two teens. He gives Kojiro a meaningful look that makes him think he really should know someone there. It dawns on him a moment later.

"Chief Edo!" The town council sometimes has lunch meetings at Sia La Luce and the fire chief is a big fan of Italian cuisine. So much so that he sometimes orders food to be brought to the fire station, even though the restaurant normally doesn't offer take out services.

"Are you calling 119?" Reki exclaims when Kojiro takes out his phone and taps the screen a few times.

"911?" Langa's face shows emotion for the first time that evening as he rounds on Reki. "Is Joe calling the police?!"

"No, the Fire Brigade," Reki corrects. "And it's 119, not 911."

"Pretty sure it's 911."

Kojiro ignores the boys squabbling over the correct emergency number. He's not calling that anyway, as they risk a fine or at least a bill if they call in the fire squad through official channels. Kaoru's idea is their best shot: Kojiro can probably call in a favour to rescue Miya from his predicament. Not that the kid seems to care much about being locked up inside a trash can, he's as cool as a cucumber in there. Or so it seems. Kaoru keeps a sharp eye on him anyway. He thanks his lucky stars when Chief Edo turns out to be on duty tonight. The older man is understanding and promises to send over some help quickly. While they wait for help to arrive, Kaoru lectures the boys sternly on their idiotic behaviour. He's noticeably more lenient towards Miya, going as far as speaking calmly with the still locked up kid. Kojiro suspects Miya isn't as laid-back about the situation as he tries to appear, so he herds the two other young boys to the other side of the square where they can toy around with their skateboards for a bit.

A red hatchback with the fire department logo on it appears by the entrance to the park, with two firemen stepping out. One of them is Chief Edo, who greets Kojiro with a jovial clap to his shoulder. "Now, where's the fire?" he jokes. Kojiro shows the two men the trash can with Miya inside and it turns out to be an easy job for one of the various master keys they have in their car. The door of the trash can opens on squeaking hinges and Miya half falls out, stumbling when he has to stretch his sore limbs to catch himself. Kaoru rights him with a hand underneath his arm, keeping the boy close even though he makes the kid bow to the firemen to thank them for their trouble.

"Thanks again," Kojiro says, walking the two firemen back to their car. "I'll make sure to bring by lunch for the crew tomorrow."

"Reki and Langa can do that," Kaoru suggests, only it's more of a command. "They can also wash the dishes afterwards." He still has a hand on Miya's shoulder, steering the kid towards his small Toyota. The thirteen year old is strangely subdued, evidence that his little adventure did not leave him unaffected.

"That's not fair! What about Miya?!" Reki cries out.

"I think sitting in a trash can for over an hour is punishment enough already," Kojiro interjects before Kaoru can react. His stern face matches Kaoru's thunderous expression, although his is mostly for show. Getting a friend stuck in a trash can is nothing compared to the shit he and Kaoru got up to when they were younger, but he does kinda want to teach them a lesson. After all, he could've been on his way to S right now, instead of standing here in an empty, dark park, still dressed in his chef's uniform. "I expect you boys to come by the restaurant tomorrow morning."

Both boys give him a reluctant nod and then they skate away, the wheels of their skateboards rolling noisily down the sidewalk.

Kaoru is waiting for him by the car, his hand on the opened car door. Miya is already sitting in the back, face glued to his game again. "Do you still want to go to S?" he asks quietly, his eyes following Kojiro as he walks around the car to the passenger side.

Kojiro sighs, his shoulders slumping as he leans his arms on top of the car. "I guess we better get the kid home first."

"He needs a bath," Kaoru confirms, his nose wrinkling slightly.

"It'll probably be too late for S after that." Kojiro considers going anyway, but he has to get up in time for lunch service tomorrow, so he didn't plan on staying at S for that long to begin with. It's not worth the hassle, he decides. They can always go tomorrow night.

"Wine and a movie?" Kaoru suggests instead, guessing his thoughts. He already moves to get behind the wheel, counting on the other to agree.

Kojiro nods and gets in too. "Sounds like a plan."

[iicyspiicy]

Am I too late for drabble requests? I'd love some matchablossom where Cherry and Joe are bitter exes still holding onto feelings and familiarity with one another, if that tickles your angsty fancy!

[bruh not at all!!!] 

the thing about a break-up is that the person is still there, just not there. not in the way that matters- the way they once were, when things were good. but they’re still there, walking the same sidewalks as before, shopping in the same grocery store as before, wearing the same look of barely hidden exasperation when forced to wait for his drink order, pink hair pulled back into the same ponytail-

so maybe joe still thinks about kaoru sometimes. 

but it’s not like kaoru is out of joe’s life, right? kaoru still comes by with clients, the epitome of japanese perfection save for his pink hair, and kaoru still calls him an oafish gorilla under his breath and gets flustered when joe whispers princess right into his ear, and joe still puts his hand on kaoru’s shoulder and leans in way too close when placing a plate of food in front of him. kaoru still looks at joe like he’s analyzing every atom of him, like joe is something worth studying, and since he never stopped looking at joe like that joe in turn never looked at kaoru like he was something to win and earn and fight for.

joe isn’t stupid. he knows that people call them an old married couple (his own “kids” call them mom and dad, even, despite the fact that reki and langa and hiromi aren’t that much younger than joe and kaoru) because they still act like an old married couple. when joe gives kaoru tea he knows to steep it for the precise amount of seconds at the precise temperature using the precise mug and water amount for maximum flavor and quality, because kaoru is a picky bitch who sniffs about why do anything at all if you’re not going to do it right? but he still allows himself to be a guinea pig for any of joe’s new culinary creations that he haphazardly threw together because what’s the harm in trying something new? they still skate together at s, and their lives are intertwined, and it’s hard not to think about kaoru when kaoru is always there. 

it isn’t hard to slip into old habits though. to forget for a brief period of time that kaoru isn’t his boyfriend anymore, to allow himself to be lulled into a fantasy where kaoru is going to join him in bed after work (because sometimes they still do that, even, when heated whispered insults turn from taunts to foreplay to the clock not moving fast enough for joe to close his restaurant down), because nothing has really changed. 

and that’s the problem. nothing has changed, including the way kaoru will lash out with a sharp tongue at the slightest provocation, unwilling to back down and apologize, and so joe will insult him and provoke him as a fuck you, which in turn has kaoru cutting deeper and joe insulting him more, until they’re shouting and shoving at each other and not in the sexy way but in that hurtful way that leaves joe feeling battered and bruised even if no physical blows were dealt. 

there’s a reason they aren’t together as of episode 9.5 anymore, joe knows, but it still feels like he’s lying to himself when he’s content with the way things are now.