#if anything avoid them outside of awkward hovering from afar

[kolechiart]

* it's easy to outsource security work to robot. what is a robot if it can't protect? and as such ezzy should be more mechanical as a treat. with how seriously they take their role as a protector them being a sentient camera isn't out of the question, always patrolling the hallways in a compulsive, militant march. they don't know much else. the iron curtain may lay shattered yet it still hangs heavy around their neck.

their vision makes them stuck to the night shift, rendered blind by bright lights. maybe that's what kept their presence hidden for so long, their figure always tangled in the darkness of the schools many abandoned corners. it's impressive really. standing at eight feet they aren't someone to miss but at a place like strange hill you learn to ignore shadows that talk back, especially ones that carry your voice.

it's how they earned their name, assigned ezzy from the few that know of them, lifted from the electrical buzzing that hangs off their jaw. their actual name, belwist howler, is only left as a footnote in history that has long since been forgotten. and that's how they prefer it stay.

[mshermia]

Christmas Eve - At Peace

That holiday-themed story that I will totally blame @superherotiger for making me procrastinate with ;)

###

Just a couple of months after they defeated Thanos, Tony and Pepper throw a Christmas party. Instead of a partying kid, Tony finds his Spiderling outside in the snow at the grave he has been trying to ignore ever exists.

I'm using my own Fix-it to Endgame "Like You'd know how it works" as a basis for the timeline, though the prompt will work fine without having read that story. The important part is, that Tony's not dead.

Baseline: circa 5 months after Tony is brought back from the multiverse.

###

The sky above him was clear. No clouds. No moon. Above him only the stars. The stars, he still avoided looking at too much. It made the night a little colder, a little darker despite the white snowy blanket covering the hills and trees.

It wasn't that Tony minded the solitude, quite the opposite. That had been the idea behind moving out to the cabin after all. Peace and quiet. Less exposure. Privacy. But of all the places on their property, why did the kid have to go there?

In all fairness, there was nothing quiet or peaceful about what was going on at Tony's house right now. There were 13 people gathered in his living room and kitchen, one of them a black-eyed alien who didn't quite understand the concept of Christmas but had been positively eager to experience all the "merriment and joy" that the little Madame Secretary had been promising from afar. Leave it to Tony to have to explain a spaceship landing in his backyard on Christmas Eve and talk down an international response.

"Morgan said it's an important gathering that every family member is obligated to attend." Nebula's eyes were on Tony, unblinking. "You should have told me sooner. I could have been here last year and the year before but I didn't know."

"Not to worry, Smurfette." There was a sense of genuine joy at seeing her again, that let the smile on his lips come quite easily. "You're here now, so that's that."

It was a sight to be seen how willingly the blue meanie allowed Morgan to put a party hat on her before she was sent off to mingle with the rest of them, studying the mini hot dogs on her plate. That hadn't been the only surprising sight of the evening though. Tony's jaw had equally popped with stunned surprise as he opened the door to a paler and distinctly shorter human version of Bruce Banner. A face Tony hadn't seen on him in years, as he showed up on his doorstep accompanied by a certain master spy that Tony had frankly not been expecting either.

"Making things work then," Tony mused out loud as he hovered next to them while Pepper fetched a welcoming drink.

Bruce cleared his throat. "Just... you know... happy to... to have her back."

"Of course." His head bobbed a short nod with a sincere smile in Natasha's direction. There was no denying that Tony, too, was glad to have her back. Retired or not, he had no illusions that the Avengers would remain anything but a constant in his life one way or another and while Natasha might never be a definite number on his side, she was an ally. Of sorts.

"Well, it's good to see you guys. I know it's quite a drive out here and we had suspected things might be a little more entertaining at the Compound." His thoughts still trailing a little behind, the words had slipped off his tongue before his brain could catch up with what he was saying. He hadn't meant to just straight up mention the Compound, the rest of the team by extension who hadn't received an invite to this particular gathering.

Pepper had wanted to discuss the guest list more than once. Had asked him repeatedly if he wanted to extend an invitation to the others, the team... but Rogers... Steve... no. Christmas was for family and while Bruce and his plus one did count - because Tony wanted him to count - Steve... Steve was not family. When it came down to it, they were hardly even friends. Natasha's eyes were on him and Tony was painfully aware that he was spacing out. No glasses to hide his face, all of a sudden he felt almost too exposed in his own house.

"Oh, we're just splitting the time equally over the holidays." Natasha smiled brightly. "Christmas Eve with one side of the family and then Christmas Day with the other."

Bruce's face fell a little, looking back and forth between them. "It's not sides as much as... just..."

They were saved from more awkwardness as Pepper arrived with the drinks and ushered them further into the house. Bruce was happy to follow along but Natasha hung back, her eyes still on Tony.

"There don't have to be any sides in this." She linked their arms, pushing Tony along, as Bruce shot a glance back at them, just out of earshot. "You can just decide to let it go, Tony."

"I did." It wasn't all that easy to keep the tone light but he was determined not to let this get to him. "I told him, I moved on from all of this years ago."

"We both know that's not the same as solving the real problem." Her voice was low but not unkind. "We both know you never forgave or forget, that he has never earned back your trust."

It didn't matter. He didn't even want to think about how much of that was or wasn't true. Rogers had no place in his thoughts tonight. So the timing was perfect when his eyes came to rest on a brown-haired boy who was creeping closer and closer to the pot of mulled wine. With a lame excuse, he pulled away from Natasha, away from the world he had officially retired from towards the buffet.

"And what do you think you're doing?"

"Me?" The boy's eyes were wide, the cup in his hand already filled to the brim.

"Listen here, squirrel!" His finger poking against Harley's chest, Tony could at least pretend that this was a situation he could actually control. "You take your grabby hands off that mulled wine or so help me..." He snatched the hot drink out of the boy's hands.

"Oh, come on..." His long lashes were blinking at Tony with feigned innocence. "It's not for me."

"That routine might work on some indifferent cater waiter at those benefits but if you think I can't see past your ridiculously lazy—"

"Yeah, yeah..." Harley just waved him off. "Don't be such a killjoy!"

Tony narrowed his eyes at him. "I mean it!" For good measure, he took a healthy gulp from the cup, positively burning his throat in the process. But it wasn't until Harley threw his hands in the air and turned his back in defeat - for now - that Tony allowed his face to cringe at the sting. Those little trouble makers were not helping with his heart condition. Speaking of trouble... "Where is Peter?"

Harley crossed his arms in front of himself, his mind clearly brooding on a new strategy. "No clue."

Tony's next sip of the hot wine was a lot smoother than the first. "What do you mean, no clue?"

"It generally means that the person doesn't have any information about the subject that you are—"

"Alright, short stuff..." Tony's eyes were searching the room but the little spider was nowhere to be seen. "A bit less of the asshole routine please?"

"Listen, if you want me to babysit, same rules apply as they do for Morgan." Brazen in his brattiness, the little shit ladled a good helping of mulled wine into a new cup. "I'll need a heads-up and generous compensation that I'm happy to re-negoti— Hey!"

Harley tried to hold on to the cup that Tony once again just plucked from his hands. "You've had enough of this!"

"That one is for Rhodey," the boy scowled.

"Uh-huh. Sure. I'll get it to him and you can enjoy your night without any errands, hm?"

Tony made a point to stare at the kid until he huffed and finally skedaddled away from the wine pot, possibly in search of his sister, or maybe more likely trying to stay out of her and Morgan's way. Careful not to spill either of the two cups, Tony made his way across the room towards Rhodey who had brought a "friend", a development Tony had been mindful not to comment on all night.

The Colonel's eyes looked him up and down as he made a beeline towards them. "Because one is never enough with you, is it, Tones?"

"You..." he hissed, his lips pursed. "You better not try to quip with me, you enabler!" Tony pushed the second cup he was holding into Carol Danvers' hands instead of Rhodey's. "Are you seriously letting my boy use you as an exit strategy to score a buzz?"

Rhodey's eyes shifted to the cup in his "friend" Carol's hands before he nipped on what was left in his own cup and then gave a shrug. "Which one?"

"That's not funny!"

With a deep sigh, Rhodey exchanged his empty cup with Carol's hot one. "Tony, you need to lay off the mother-hen vibes. The boy is 21 years old, as for Peter—."

"No, he's not," Tony growled. "Not for another 6 days!"

"Geez, daddy, do I really have to remind you how old you were when I 'enabled'," Rhodey air-quoted, "your ass in college?"

He said it like he had a point when that was exactly what Tony was afraid of. "And how did that turn out?"

His eyebrows pulled up, Rhodey made a gesture like that would somehow prove something, but Tony was not in the mood for semantics. His eyes roamed across the room - pointedly ignoring Harley who tried to usher Nebula closer and closer to the pot of hot wine - in search of the other little trouble maker.

Where was the kid? He hadn't seen him since... since he had ducked away from awkwardly shuffling his feet back and forth between May and Happy. Without another word, Tony strode past his friend, checking the kitchen but there was no Peter in there either. Everyone else was happily chatting, eating, enjoying themselves exactly like they were supposed to. Not so the Spiderling.

For a few more minutes, Tony quietly, discreetly wandered around the house. He had a feeling, a feeling that something was up. It didn't take long for him to give up the pretense and outright mutter to FRIDAY, asking in which room Peter was hiding.

"He's not in the house, boss." 

That was how Tony found himself outside, stalking up a snowy hill in the dark. The wind was icy, but it wasn't the cold that made the hair on the back of his neck stand tall. He had avoided this for months. Had avoided even thinking about that spot on the hill where his other-dimensional self had been buried before he ever made it to this timeline. With how loudly his brain was rattling, there was a part of him that couldn't deny that right about now, he appreciated the silence in the dark. They were so far away from what people would call the 'civilized' world out here. Surely, with Peter's senses constantly strained in the city, that was the basic appeal to him as well.

It was also how Peter had heard him coming before Tony even had the chance to call out to him.

"How did you find me?"

A little winded from the slippery ascend to the hilltop, Tony paused a couple of steps behind where the boy was sitting in the snow. "Oh, come on... It's me."

Peter pursed his lips, refusing to turn his head. "So, you questioned every single person at the house about when they had seen me last and then calculated the radius of how far I might have come?"

Tony only blew out a huff.

"Ah," Peter exclaimed and pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Tracking me after all, aren't you."

"Well, duh." Slowly, Tony came closer until he sank to the ground right next to the boy. "Not that I needed it. You're a Spiderling, not an Elf, kid."

"Right." Peter grimaced to himself. "Footprints."

"I keep telling you. Gotta learn how to fly."

The smile that tucked on Peter's lips seemed genuine this time. "You didn't have to come out here."

All of a sudden, Tony contemplated that the boy may have picked this particular spot not because of what it meant to him, but because he had been sure that of all the places, few of the people staying at the house that night would voluntarily wander up here. Tony least of all. There was no denying that the kid had picked up on how much this all freaked Tony out, the fact that there was a dead version of himself buried so close to where he still lived. Silence hung heavy between them before Tony's voice echoed a little quieter, a little hesitant.

"I wasn't sure if I should, but..." He swallowed hard. "I can leave if you want to be alone." 

There was another pause. Wanting to give him room to speak if that was what he wanted, Tony waited but the kid didn't say a thing.

With a shaky exhale, Tony kept his eyes on him. "But then I thought, I'd rather have you send me back than not be here if... if you would need me."

The kid's eyes were still staring straight ahead at the headstone in front of them.

"I know, I'm not him—"

"Of course you are," Peter breathed quietly.

Tony lowered his gaze, faltering. Maybe. "Not really though."

The kid's lip was caught between his teeth, refusing to look over at him. "In... in every way that matters."

"If you want to talk about it—"

"I don't," Peter mumbled.

It had been weeks after he had come back when Tony's curiosity had won out against his anxiety. Late at night on his own in the basement, he had asked FRIDAY to play him the footage of what had happened that day. That day he had died. Pepper, the kid, Rhodey... seeing their agony in the face of what he had done to protect them... it was a memory he just couldn't shake.

"I know, me being here doesn't change what happened. Kid, I know you were there when he..." Tony glanced to the side, searching the kid's face for a reaction. "...when I died."

Peter's head moved in a mixture of a shake and a shrug. "It... it doesn't matter..." His voice shook, possibly trying to convince himself as much as Tony. "You're back. You're... here. It... it's fine..."

"You're sitting at my grave in the freezing cold in the middle of my Christmas Eve party, buddy."

It was as bluntly as he could put it. He could see no benefit in tiptoeing around the demons the kid was battling.

But Peter shook his head more distinctly this time, still denying him. "It was just because... so many people and my senses, they... I just needed a little quiet to... calm down."

"Right. We have about 60 hectares of land out here and still..." Tony blew out a breath and leaned a little closer to the kid. "Still, this is the spot you picked to go." There was no answer from the Spiderling. "It's okay, if it still hurts, buddy."

The humorless chuckle that bubbled out of the kid didn't make things better for either of them.

"Pete, can you look at me?"

He didn't though. His eyes didn't stray from the inscription on the stone. 'A.E.S. - At peace.' A shudder went through Tony at the thought of how his wife had decided on that particular inscription.

"You're here." Peter's eyes dropped further, away from the stone, down to the snowy ground. "You're okay. It... it shouldn't matter..."

Tony grit his teeth then threw caution to the wind. "It's been 5 years and a little more than 8 months since you dusted in my arms, Pete."

The kid visibly shook next, his hands braced against the cold ground as he finally turned to look at Tony. 

"5 years, 8 months, and some odd days." Tony's lower lip was caught between his teeth, his cheeks flushed. The images in his mind were as vivid as they had been on that fateful day on Titan. "You're here now. You're back. You have been back for 6 months and I can still hear your voice in my head pleading how you don't—"

"I'm sorry..." the kid whispered.

Tony huffed out a low chuckle. "Yeah. You said that too."

"I'm sorry that... that you felt responsible," the kid started and Tony had just wanted to protest when the boy stopped him with a wave of his hand. "I am, but it's not the same."

For a brief moment, Tony closed his eyes, trying his best to calm himself and keep the dry bite from his tone. "No. It really isn't the same."

The breath Peter blew out was harsher, angrier. "It's not, because I didn't choose to get dusted," he growled, refusing to look away from Tony now. "I didn't want to die!"

"I know, Pete. I remember." The beat of his heart hurt in his chest. "You think I would have wanted to die?"

Peter shook his head, tearing his gaze away again. "It doesn't matter."

"Kid—"

"Can we just... I don't want to argue about this."

Peter pulled his knees close to his chest and the way his hands were shaking made Tony want to drag him back inside so he could focus on giving him a proper lecture without having to worry about the cold the kid might catch out here. 

Instead, he filed that back for later, deep breaths keeping his own frustration in check. "Maybe we do need to argue about this."

"I just want to move on!"

"And I..." Tony couldn't stop his voice from shaking. "...would really appreciate a chance to argue my side here."

"You don't need to argue your side," the kid hissed at him. "It's not you, I'm mad at, okay?"

Tony studied his boy. He was becoming painfully aware, how strung up the kid really was, how agitated. "It's not a choice anyone wants to make, kid. Sometimes, there is just no other way to —"

"There were like 10 people close by who could have done it." Peter shot him an angry glance. "It didn't have to be you! What about Morgan and Pepper, huh? What about—" He shook his head, eyes back on the snow-covered grave. "Captain Danvers. Thor. King T'Challa. The lady with the flying horse. Strange. Rogers. Barnes. Wanda Maximoff. Me." His head spun back towards Tony. "I could have tried."

Tony's stomach turned at the mere thought of that. "Yeah, there's no way in hell, Pete."

"Why not?" Peter's eyes burned with tears. "Why not! I could have taken it!"

"You have no idea if that's true." His heart was racing, his throat dry. "You might have died."

"So it's fine for you to sacrifice yourself on a whim but for me it—"

"Stop!" The way his hand hit the ground didn't have the grand effect he wanted. "That's not how this will work, kid. Ever. I will always try to keep you safe."

"And what about what I want?" Peter spat at him.

Tony shook his head, his eyebrows knitted close, desperately grasping for control. "I'm here now, am I not?"

"Yeah, for now..."

Any frustrated retort that might have been building up on his tongue died instantly as he watched the boy rub a hand across his face, the way his lower lip was quivering.

 "Kid... come here..." His agitation evaporated and without another beat of hesitation, Tony pulled him close, his arms tightly wrapped around the boy's small frame. "Shh, it'll... it'll be alright."

There was nothing he could say, nothing he could do that would take away the pain of the days when he had seemed lost forever to the people who loved him most. Just like Tony would never be able to quite shake the deep sense of loss he had carried for years when the kid had been dead and gone. 

Peter's hands were clasping the thick fabric of Tony's coat, his face pressed against his chest.

There was nothing he could say, no promises he would make, not the ones the kid wanted to hear right now cause he could never keep any of them. When it came to the kid's safety, his life, he would always put it above his own. No matter how much it might hurt him again, at least the kid would be breathing, would get to live.

"I'm sorry, buddy."

"But... but you're not," he mumbled against Tony's jacket.

He had a hand on the back of the kid's head, holding him tight. "I hate that I hurt you, Pete. I do." He pressed his eyes close, ignoring how the cold was creeping up from underneath him. "But I'll never apologize for trying to keep you safe." The boy shook in his arms, but Tony didn't let him pull away. "I sure as hell won't apologize for succeeding." There was a low tremor in the kid's body that was definitely more than emotions. "You're shaking, buddy. Let's get you back inside."

"I'm not c-cold," Peter hiccoughed.

"Alright, then..." Tony ruffled a hand through the boy's hair, his own digits frozen stiff. "Well, I'm going to get pneumonia and you seem to be very invested in—" He groaned as Peter slapped a hand against his chest.

"It's not f-funny!"

"No, at my age it really isn't something—"

This time, he caught the kid's hand just in time to soften the blow. In the process, Peter sat up straight enough for Tony to squint at his red-rimmed eyes.

"In there, you could watch me bust Harley for sneaking around the mulled wine?" There was a sparkle in the kid's eyes at that. A real sparkle he couldn't quite hide. "Ha! Knew I'd get you with that one."

Peter moved back a bit, shaky fingers rubbing his face. Squinting at the boy, Tony was weighing his words, wondering how many hornet's nest he should be poking at.

"You should get over this, buddy." Tony cringed at the look of utter discomfort on his boy's face. "I mean it. That little power struggle the two of you are going through..?"

"There's no power struggle."

Tony crocked his head at him. "You know what I mean... Kid, I know you want to keep your secrets but Harley can be a great ally to you."

"Right," Peter mumbled. "Can we just like... do this another time?"

He nodded before the kid had even finished the sentence. "Course, buddy." For a moment, Tony held in, his focus never anywhere else but Peter, as he tried to control the tremor in his voice. "So, we should get back inside, right?"

"Yeah. Right." The kid leaned back against him, his voice muffled. "Just... just a couple more minutes?"

Tony swallowed hard, nodding soundlessly. He'd never refuse the kid. Never. How could he ever?

 ###

Merry Christmas and happy holidays wherever and however you guys are celebrating!

Thank you for reading. And thank you even more if you take the time to let me know in the comments what you think about the story and reblog it!

This story is part of my Post-Endgame timeline. More about my Endgame Fix-it and the connected series of stories: “Like You’d Know How It Works” timeline 

[ichigo-daifuku]

Lionheart

Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia Pairing: Amajiki Tamaki/Hado Nejire Genre: Fluff Word Count: 4.3k

Synopsis: On the day they met, Nejire told Tamaki he reminded her of an elf.

Now, as she glided in the air for her performance in the beauty pageant, Tamaki couldn’t help but think, Nejire is like an innocent fairy.

Tamaki has always had a faint heart when it comes to social situations, but when the perfect opportunity to convey his romantic sentiments to Nejire arises, he takes all the courage he can muster and confesses.

— Set during the U.A. School Festival Arc.

Tamaki has never liked crowds.

The presence of a large number of human beings in a definite space had a way of transforming his mind from organized to blank. If he had to say something to a companion or to an audience, more often than not, the words would die in his throat, and his frowning lips would tremble in a painful sensation called ‘awkwardness’. In the end, he wouldn’t be able to say anything correctly—or anything at all, for that matter. It was no secret that he avoided crowds as much as he could, however, today was an exception.

It was the day of the U.A. School Festival. Tamaki stood amidst the sea of people excited for the annual beauty pageant, feeling out of place but nevertheless, determined to support her, one of his dearest friends, Nejire. These days, with Mirio taking a break, his school days were spent mostly with Nejire alone. As they were in the same section, they saw each other in class and back in the dormitory, and being friends, they ate lunch and spent their breaks together. When Nejire submitted her entry for the beauty pageant, the preparation for the event took the majority of her free time. Along with their classmates, Tamaki was around during her practice sessions, witnessing her hard work and improvement. At times, hints of weariness marked her features, yet she never failed to wear a cheerful smile. As they walked side by side on the way back to the dormitory, she had a skip on her steps and chattered happily about anything and everything as usual. She remained energetic and bubbly, as though she wasn’t tired at all. It was one of the things he admired about her.

Beside him, Yuyu, Nejire’s best friend, observed the other girls vying for the crown with clenched fists. Class 1-B’s Kendo Itsuka was a strong competitor, having starred in a commercial with Pro Hero Uwabami. However, Nejire’s greatest rival would be Kenranzaki Bibimi, the girl who was aiming for her third win. Bibimi exuded flashiness in her performance, as everyone expected.

The crowd cheered when Nejire took the stage. The thought of standing in front of all these people and performing made Tamaki’s stomach churn. From afar, he gave her a thumbs-up, uncertain if any words of comfort would reach her but still managed to grit out, “Hado, people are just animals… Just think of them as mammals, and you’ll feel more relaxed.”

It turned out, Tamaki had nothing to worry about.

As the audience let out sounds of awe, Tamaki lifted his head and gazed at Nejire from below, entranced at the sight of her gliding in the air, creating an image of a rose with the use of her Quirk. All the while, she smiled and enjoyed the performance she spent weeks perfecting; effortlessly graceful and enchanting. To Tamaki, she looked like an innocent fairy, and he could almost imagine her butterfly wings sprouting from her back and fluttering as she moved.

She was beautiful.

The moment Nejire’s feet touched the ground, everyone clapped their hands and cheered louder than ever. After being crowned as the runner-up twice in the beauty pageant in the previous years, she shined brighter than anyone else this time.

Tamaki had no doubt that she would emerge as the winner later on, and with that thought, he smiled.

Tamaki would never forget the day he met Nejire.

It had been a sunny morning, but his mood couldn’t have been more opposite. Surrounded by fellow students admitted to Class 1-A, he wallowed in his gloomy thoughts, alone. Despite going through the application process and entrance exams with Mirio, the two of them were separated in the assignment of sections, a possibility which didn’t cross their minds when they began their journey to becoming heroes. Mirio laughed it off and said words of encouragement to Tamaki, but in truth, Tamaki thought Mirio gave him too much credit.

While his new classmates acquainted themselves, Tamaki sat quietly at the back. The seat next to his remained empty, and the view outside the window kept him company. Excited chatters of the possibilities the future would bring to the students who were part of the hero course filled the room. Unlike them, Tamaki dreaded his first day at U.A. High School, knowing that the nerves, the anxiety, and the memories of the time when he was a transferee in middle school would come back to him in full force. He sighed and buried his head on his desk, wondering how he was going to survive his stay in this school. Classes hadn’t begun yet, but he already wanted to go home.

The classroom door slid open, and a female voice chirped, “Good morning, everyone!”

A chorus of ‘good morning’ replied to the newcomer, but Tamaki paid them no mind. He shut his eyes and wondered if he had enough time for a nap to make up for the lack of sleep he experienced the night before; the mere thought of the awkwardness he was experiencing right now had been enough to keep him up for hours.

The sound of footsteps neared Tamaki and stopped in front of his desk. The newcomer patted his shoulder and said, “Hey, hey! Good morning! Are you okay? Are you feeling sick? I can accompany you to Recovery Girl if you’d like?”

Tamaki froze. There it was, the inescapable social interaction he had not been looking forward to. Slowly, he lifted his head and sat properly, rubbing his closed eyes with his fingers. “It’s nothing. I’m fine…”

“I see! That’s good to hear. What’s your name? I’m Hado Nejire, by the way!”

He blinked, his vision coming into focus and registering the curious eyes gazing at him. Every second passing led to the heat creeping up his cheeks to grow more intensely. The girl in front of him was clutching the handle of her school bag, her long hair neatly styled. Even from a considerable distance, Tamaki got a whiff of the jasmine-scented perfume she used.

She was pretty. Very pretty. 

He swallowed and took a moment to compose himself, not wanting to embarrass himself. “My name is Amajiki Tamaki.”

“Nice to meet you!” Her face broke into an innocent smile, and Tamaki felt like he was going to faint. “So, Amajiki… What’s your Quirk called?”

“Uh, Manifest.”

“And? What does it mean?”

“I can… manifest…” he cringed at his choice of words but continued, “the physical features of food I’ve eaten.”

Tamaki didn’t know how to explain his Quirk properly without him coming off as an odd person. Some people thought he was a ‘freak’ for possessing such an ability. He half-assumed that she would find him strange, but instead, she leaned closer in excitement, her eyes sparkling with even more interest.

“Oh, oh! Show me!” she said.

Though caught off-guard, he managed to reply, “Uh, okay.”

Tamaki raised his hand from the desk, unable to remember what exactly he had for breakfast as he had been too nervous to pay attention earlier. He did note that it was some sort of vegetable soup and was proven correct when a thin leafy vine erupted from the hollow of his palm, the stem still connected to his skin.

Nejire picked up the end of the vine, inspecting in closely. “Whoa! That’s amazing!”

“You think so?”

“Yeah!” She shifted her gaze to him, her eyebrows furrowing at something that caught her attention. With a small gasp, she bent down to peer at his face, her dainty fingers hovering closer to his ear. “Say, Amajiki, have your ears always been like that?”

Tamaki’s cheeks flushed, and he covered his ear with his free hand self-consciously. “I—uh, y-yes…”

He expected her to laugh at the way he struggled for words, but to his surprise, the sincere smile on her lips never faltered.

“Hm, I see…” She paused, deep in thought, and her eyes widened before exclaiming, “That’s it! You remind me of an elf!”

Tamaki stared at her with a confused expression on his face. “An… elf…?”

Nejire nodded and draped the vine she was holding over his head like a crown. “Yes, yes! See? Right there, an elf!”

“Huh?”

“I like you, Amajiki! You’re very interesting!”

“What?” Tamaki felt his whole face heat up to the tips of his ears. “You can’t just say things like that!”

“I can’t?”

Determined to change the subject he averted his gaze and muttered, “What about you, Hado? What kind of Quirk do you have?”

He was curious. Tamaki would bet anything her Quirk was a flashy sort; she was someone who stood out.

Nejire’s feet bounced in excitement. “My Quirk is called Wave Motion. Here, let me show you!”

She outstretched her hand, and a thin strip of golden light spiraled from her palm. For a second, he squinted, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness coming from her hand, and admired the way the light danced once he was able to see it fully.

“It’s a beautiful Quirk,” he found himself commenting.

“Ah, thank you…”

The peal of her laughter lifted his spirits, and at that moment, he was certain Nejire was another one of those who shined like the sun. As she occupied the seat next to his, for the first time that day, Tamaki smiled.

A crowd had formed around the newly crowned beauty queen as she stood in the hallway. Once Nejire had placed the crown, sash, and bouquet she received from the pageant inside her locker, she turned to thank her friends and acquaintances, all of them celebrating her victory.

Tamaki leaned against the wall by the staircase, content with staying on the sidelines, intimidated by the number of people surrounding Nejire. He would wait for them to finish and approach her after. From the looks of it, it would take a while, but he didn’t mind waiting.

Yuyu, who was standing next to him, said, “Make sure she enjoys the rest of the day, okay?”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

Instead of answering, Yuyu merely smiled and spun around. She navigated through the crowd to get to Nejire, tearing up once again as she congratulated her best friend. Nejire laughed, patted her friend's shoulder, and said something before whispering a question in her ear. Once she has received a reply, Nejire craned her neck, her face lighting up as she faced Tamaki’s direction. 

Saying their goodbyes, Nejire excused herself and walked his way. “There you are, Amajiki!”

“Hado…”

“Well?” she asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Tamaki cleared his throat and said, “Congratulations, Hado. You were great out there.”

“I can’t believe I managed to do it!” She twirled in excitement, still over the moon at her victory.

“Of course, you did. You worked hard and practiced a lot, after all.”

“Thank you for coming to support me!” Nejire gestured to the staircase, giving him an expectant look. “Let’s go!”

“Go? Where?”

“To the festival, silly! Mirio, you, and I have always gone to the festival together since we were first years. It’s practically tradition at this point, right?”

“Yes, but Mirio is with Midoriya and Eri right now…”

“I know. I got to talk to them before they left. Did you see Eri’s smile? She’s so cute! Togata looks like he’s having a lot of fun with them, too. Anyway, it’s going to be just you and me this year, so let’s go on a date!”

“A d-d-date?!”

“That’s right!”

“Amajiki! Hado! Wanna go to the festival with us?” a classmate of theirs called from the distance, gathering other 3-A students who would like to explore the school festival together with the class.

Nejire shook her head and gave their classmates a wave. Yuyu whispered something to their classmate’s ear to which their classmate replied with a nod of understanding, waving back at Tamaki and Nejire’s direction and leading everyone inside their classroom to wait for the others.

“Come on, come on! I’m so excited!” Nejire exclaimed, patting his back repeatedly to urge him to start walking down the staircase.

Tamaki let out a shaky breath, following Nejire’s lead. The two of them had hung out many times before and had been alone together often, but they had never gone out somewhere explicitly as a date. A hint of pink dusted his cheeks at the prospect alone, the reality that he was going to be on a date for the first time—and with Nejire, at that—slowly sinking in.

Once they reached the school grounds, Nejire began to stroll from stall to stall excitedly, curious about the goods each of them was selling or which activity they were holding. Tamaki lagged behind, and Nejire would turn her head to check on him from time to time, asking him a question only to find him farther away each time. She sighed and pouted, shooting him a playful glare.

“You’re walking at a turtle’s pace, Amajiki! We’ll lose each other in the crowd at this rate.” Nejire reached out a hand to him, and swiftly—before he could figure out her intentions—her slim fingers intertwined with his. “There! Oh, by the way, have you heard? Apparently, some kids are selling beverages with Cementoss as the juice box! I wonder which stall is selling them…”

As Nejire rambled on, Tamaki’s eyes went wide, and his whole body grew stiff. His companion failed to notice—or perhaps, she was too used to the attention that she failed to notice—but everyone was looking their way. One by one, their whispers reached Tamaki’s ears, making his whole body tremble.

“Isn’t that Hado Nejire? The girl in The Big Three?”

“Yeah, that’s her. She won the beauty contest a while ago.”

“Look! She’s holding that guy’s hand.”

“That’s not just any other guy—that’s Amajiki Tamaki!”

“The guy who’s also in The Big Three? The one who can make tentacles?”

“Oh my gosh, you’re right! Do you think they’re dating?”

“Hey, hey! Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?” Nejire waved her free hand over his pained facial expression, worried.

“I’m… fine…”

“You don’t look fine to me, though,” she mused, peering closer to have a better look at him. “Ah, I know what this is!”

Without warning, Nejire dragged him away from the festival to the school garden. She chose the most secluded bench and pushed him on the shoulders, urging him to sit. “Wait here.”

Before Tamaki could protest, she had already turned and ran back to the direction of the festival. Although he was certain she wouldn’t ditch him, the fact that he was being a terrible date made him think twice. When a quarter of an hour passed, his shoulders threatened to slump in disappointment, and he asked himself repeatedly why she could be taking her time, assuring himself she got distracted or lost. It wouldn’t be the first time it happened.

Soon, he spotted Nejire sprinting back to him. Her lustrous hair bounced, and her face was coated by a thin sheen of sweat from the heat and physical exertion as she waved at him with a smile. “Amajiki! I’m here!”

Tamaki breathed a sigh and waved back.

Once she reached him, her breaths came out in light pants, and she handed him a paper bag. “I’m sorry I took so long. I passed by Uraraka and Tsu and chatted with them for a bit. Here you go!” 

“It’s alright. What’s this for?” Tamaki asked, checking its contents: two packages of crepe and a pair of milkshakes.

“You’re stiff when you’re nervous, and you’re grumpy when you’re hungry. As of now, you are both of those things,” she stated and sat beside him, taking her share from the paper bag. “I was looking for a takoyaki stall, but I couldn’t find one. I saw this, and it's one of my favorite comfort foods, you know? So, I thought it would be nice if we could eat this together.”

“Hado… Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, eat, Amajiki!”

As Tamaki unwrapped his food, the warmth he felt from Nejire’s actions slowed his movements. It didn’t surprise him how she knew him so well; they had been friends for a couple of years, after all, and yet the way she showed how she cared caught him off-guard. A pleasant feeling welled up in his chest as he listened to Nejire ramble about the stalls she passed by when she purchased their food. Tamaki used to be more comfortable eating in silence, but being surrounded by outgoing people, this had become the norm for him.

Once they were both finished eating, Nejire turned to him and asked, her voice soft and concerned, “Are you feeling better?”

Tamaki nodded. “Yeah.”

“Are you ready to go back?”

“Okay.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“You’re really sure?”

“I’m really sure, Hado.” Tamaki stood, certain that their time together had helped him loosen up, ready as he’ll ever be for the crowd once more. “Let’s go.”

Nejire blinked at him, wondering what spurred this on and judging if he was well enough to go. Tamaki met her gaze and smiled. The sight of her reminded him of the performance she mesmerized everyone with earlier. At that moment, she wore no crown nor sash. She was the girl who had her curiosity piqued by anything and everything. She was the classmate who told him he reminded her of an elf when they first met and, until now, asked him endless questions. She was a great friend who showed him nothing but kindness.

She was Nejire, the girl he harbored feelings for.

Casually, Tamaki offered Nejire a hand and waited. A faint smile curved upon her lips, and she accepted and stood, both of them deliberately intertwining their fingers together.

As they returned to the festival and walked at a leisurely pace, the rest of the world was drowned out by the drumming of his heartbeat and the sound of Nejire’s voice as they talked. He pointed to a large booth a distance away. “Let’s check out that stall.”

“Oh, it’s one of those where you have to shoot a prize in order to win it,” Nejire replied, leading the way. “I didn’t think you’d be into those, Amajiki!”

“Yeah, I didn’t think so, too.”

They took their place at the back of the queue and waited for their turn. Tamaki browsed the prizes available for the taking, deciding on which one to aim to be more focused when his turn came. Nejire liked cute things, and plush toys, in general, were cute. A cat would be a safe choice, he concluded. Once they reached the front of the line, Tamaki paid the storekeeper and aimed the toy gun at the kitty plush toy wearing a purple ribbon on its head.

To his surprise, Nejire patted his back a few times and pointed to the other side of the shelf. “But, but! Why don’t you try aiming for the cute octopus one? It’s a lot like you, don’t you think so?”

“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment…”

“Duh! Of course, it is!”

“Whatever you say…” he played it off, secretly relieved that, in a way, she revealed which one had caught her attention the most out of all the prizes.

Tamaki shifted his aim and managed to hit the octopus plush toy with its rounded mouth. Nejire cheered as the storekeeper handed him his prize, and the two of them walked away from the booth to make way for the next customers. 

The moment they were a distance away from the booth, Tamaki tugged on Nejire’s sleeve and moved to hand her the octopus plush toy. “Here.”

“Huh?” She cocked her head to the side, a confused expression on her face. “I thought you wanted a cute plushie for yourself, Amajiki.”

“It’s for you.” He took her other hand to secure the octopus plush toy in her grasp and let go. “As thanks for the food and for taking me out of the crowd a while ago.”

“I see… Well, sure thing,” she replied with a smile, hugging the octopus plush toy to her cheek. “Thank you. I’ll name him ‘Tamaki-chan’.”

“What?”

“I said, ‘I’ll name him ‘Tamaki-chan’.’”

“Like your hero name? Nejire-chan?”

“That’s right!”

Before Tamaki knew it, the rest of the afternoon had gone by so quickly.

Together, the two of them explored the festival. One of Nejire’s hands had been occupied with the octopus plush toy while the other would intertwine with his and let go only when needed. Much to Nejire’s delight, they managed to locate which stall was selling beverages in Cementoss juice boxes and bought some of them. Later on, they managed to get out of the horror house unscathed. They even took photos with the ‘Principal Nezu and the U.A.’ themed photo booth, which was Nejire’s idea, but Tamaki was also on board with it, though he didn’t say it.

“I had a blast! Thanks for coming with me!” Nejire said once they reached the sidelines of the designated area for the school festival and entered the garden where they had rested earlier because of Tamaki’s nervous jitters. “Hm, I guess it’s time to go back to the dorm. Do you mind if we drop by the lockers first? I need to take the stuff I left there back with me.”

“Sure.”

With a skip in her steps, she led the way while humming the tune of her favorite song, unknowing that her happiness was making Tamaki’s nervous heart sing. It felt right. No one, save for the trees, flowers, and butterflies, was around the two of them. He didn’t know if he would get another chance, but he wanted her to know of the way he was feeling. At the same time, the depressing thought of her rejection crept inside his mind, but Tamaki cast those thoughts away as best as he could. If that were the case, he would be lonely, but it wasn’t as if they couldn’t be friends any longer. Even if she didn’t share the same romantic sentiments as him, Nejire would still be his friend, and he would remain hers. He knew her well enough, she was that kind of person.

Tamaki took a deep breath and exhaled. He took all the courage he could muster, tugged on her hand, and gave it a firm squeeze, urging her to stop. “Wait a moment, Hado.”

“What is it?” she asked, turning to him with those curious eyes that endeared him so much.

“I love you.”

Nejire was rendered speechless, a rare moment for her bright personality. Her wide-eyed gaze coupled with her reddened cheeks turned the speech Tamaki had been practicing in his mind into a jumbled mess, and his face grew warm. At that point, he must have looked like the exact shade of a tomato, but he couldn’t help it. 

She was cute. She always was, even without meaning to.

Clumsily, he gathered whatever was left of his thoughts and hoped that what would come out of his lips would be enough to convey the extent of his feelings. “I… I want to be with you, Nejire.”

She averted her gaze to her shoes and fidgeted under his stare. Letting go of his hand, her fingers fiddled with the octopus plush toy’s limbs. Her lips curved into a shy smile, and with a soft voice, she asked, “So, you finally see me as a girl now, huh? Since when?”

“For quite a while now,” he admitted. “But I don’t really remember not liking you, to be honest… H-Hey, why are you crying?”

“Sorry, I just…” She wiped her tears with her sleeve, but as she did, more streamed down her cheeks. “I thought you’d always only see me as your classmate, friend, or teammate… I never thought this day would come.”

“I’m sorry it took me so long. I was… nervous.”

She chuckled and met his gaze, beaming. “That sounds a lot like you.”

Tamaki clenched his fists nervously. “Can I… Can I get an answer?”

Nejire threw her arms around him, and he held her by the waist to catch her on reflex. “I’ve fallen for you long ago, Tamaki. I love you—of course, I want to be with you, too!”

“Really?”

“Really, really. So, you’re my boyfriend now, right? Right?”

Tamaki was unused to the term ‘boyfriend’, but when it meant that his ‘girlfriend’ was the one who was holding on to him tightly, then the warmth from her embrace was all he needed to get used to it. “Yeah.”

“Tamaki…” she called as she leaned back to look at his face. “Kiss me.”

“H-H-Here? Now?”

“You don’t want to?”

“It’s not that…”

“Then, what is it?” Nejire gazed at him expectantly. 

Tamaki asked himself the same question and found no valid answer. Throwing caution to the wind, he bent his head down and shut his eyes.

As their lips touched, the rustling of leaves made their eyes snap open and their heads turn to the direction of the sound. They released each other from their embrace and using her free hand, Nejire activated her Quirk to reveal who was behind the bushes.

Mirio and Izuku paused mid-step and turned around slowly, their eyes wide, every detail in their demeanor screaming that they were caught doing something they shouldn’t have been doing.

Izuku was the first to snap out of it. “We, uh, w-we were just—we happened to be passing by! We walked Eri to the gates, and I—um, we couldn’t help but overhear, but we sure didn’t see a-a-anything…”

“Midoriya’s right, we heard!” Mirio sauntered over to his fellow Big Three members and shook their hands. “Finally! Congratulations to you both! I guess I’m the ‘third-wheel’ now, huh.”

Tamaki began, “Mirio, were you spying—”

“Anyway, carry on!” Mirio ran back to Izuku and dragged him by the arm, escaping as quickly as they could to the direction of the dormitories.

Tamaki and Nejire exchanged glances and ended up laughing.

Special thanks to @photoproses for looking over the draft of this story for me! ♡

Thank *you* for reading my first work in this fandom! I hope the fluffy times made you smile. (◍•ᴗ•◍)

BNHA Masterlist | Main Masterlist

[happy-meo]

Color in the World of Gray (Jungkook x Reader): Part 2

You became the color in his world of gray, while he became the light in your constant darkness. But will that be enough to discover where you’re both supposed to be? And will light and color be enough to spark a little change?

Summary: What fiery passion Jungkook had upon joining the world of adults swiftly dulled as he became swept into the routine of the working life. The world was gray, filled with monotonous motions and half-empty words, exchanged out of necessity and feigned courtesy. But as he settled into the colorless pattern of his present and what he assumed would also most likely be his future– a bland, meaningless drawling world–, one fateful day had him stumbling into you. And he quickly learned that although you were blind, you envisioned a world far more beautiful than people with sight could ever see.

Jungkook x Reader (ft. some of the BTS members) Fluff, Angst, Romance Warning: This fic will contain a lot of information and does surround itself with someone who is visually-impaired, and other disabilities will be introduced as well. If this topic makes you uncomfortable, then please do not continue.

Parts: 1 | 2 | 3

A/N: Hi everyone <3 Wow, sorry I haven’t updated in awhile. Life has really been tossing me around. Sigh. I hope everyone’s been doing well!

Part 2: The Blossom of Orange

           Jungkook realized he had a real problem.

           What was the diagnosis that he had researched? Internet addiction? Social Media Obsession?

           The more he was conscious about how actively he reached for his phone, the more he realized how attached it was to his hand. It was an extended limb of sorts. His mind wandered to it during his meetings and when he wasn't doing work, his full concentration was there. He guessed that maybe he really did ward off any friendly advances with his closed off posture and actions.

           He glanced around his office, immediately recognizing the tuff of orange hair peeking out of a nearby cubicle.

           Park Jimin.

           He was his old schoolmate back in Busan, and had entered the company before Jungkook, so by far, Jimin was more accustomed to the workplace than he was. They briefly acknowledged each other daily, but hardly spoke too much. They mainly interacted with mutual waves and shared glances if something was off or funny during a meeting, occasionally even exchanging an e-mail here and there. Jungkook had to admit to himself that did feel a tinge of happiness during those moments.

           And so, with your voice in the back of his mind, he forced himself to make his way towards the one person he vaguely felt a connection with. It was a good place to start testing your theory, and frankly, you were right-- if he didn't do anything different, nothing would change about his miserable life.

           "Hey." Jungkook cleared his throat and greeted.

           Jimin immediately glanced up, his eyes wide with surprise. Jungkook looked around awkwardly, and it took a few seconds for Jimin to register that he hadn't actually said anything back.

           "Hi, Jungkook." Jimin replied, a hint of a timid smile splaying on his lips. "Did you need something?"

           "I uh---" Jungkook rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "No, actually. I don't know if you would want to...or anything. I know it's probably weird but..."            He knew he was rambling, but Jimin's attention stayed on him patiently, so he sighed and decided to take the plunge.            "Do you want to eat lunch together?" 

           Jimin's eyes turned into round orbs of initial confusion, followed by shock and interest then they flitted down to hide his emotions. Jungkook swore he saw a smidge of joy in there too, but it may just be his hope manifesting itself into a visual hallucination. But eventually, he spotted a smile tugging at Jimin's lips and he was sure that wasn't his imagination, and it made him anticipate a positive answer.

           "Yeah, sure." Jimin answered lightly. "Do you have a specific place you want to go?"

           Jungkook shrugged. "I mean I usually don't eat out..."

           "I know." Jimin chuckled.

           Everyone knew Jungkook stayed in his cubicle, settling for his ramen while listening or watching something on his phone. It was an easy way to avoid interaction, disguised even to himself, as an excuse to save income.

           "Well, if you still like noodles for lunch, I have a place I usually go to?" Jimin tilted his head.

           Jungkook grinned, touched by his clearly thoughtful suggestion. "I'd like that."

           "Cool." Jimin smiled. "Clock out in 15?"

           Jungkook nodded in agreement.

           "What brought about you asking me to lunch?" Jimin questioned, with no hint of offense, just pure curiosity.

           Jungkook smiled sheepishly. Maybe it was the fact that he and Jimin had known each other during their awkward childhood phases or maybe it was the desire to share something to someone new for once, but Jungkook didn't feel nervous or hesitant by Jimin's attention. He actually found the words leaving his mouth easily before his mind registered it.  

           "Well, I met someone the other day."

           "Oh?" Jimin wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

           Jungkook blushed and lightly shoved Jimin's shoulder. "Not like that. But I was complaining to her about how I wasn't exactly enjoying work...like I like work but I don't..."

           "Yeah, I get that." Jimin chuckled.

           His affirmation caused something warm to well up and spread inside Jungkook's chest; maybe this was how it felt to be understood without having to explain one's self.

           "So? What'd she say? Ask someone to lunch?" Jimin questioned.

           "Not exactly." Jungkook laughed. "She told me that making friends would help make the work day better. Says it makes it seem less like a slaughter and more like a battlefield."

           Jimin hummed, clearly letting the message sink in, before grinning. "I like that."

           "I did too." Jungkook took a sip of his drink. "That's why I figured, maybe I should give it a go."

           "Well I'm glad you did." Jimin sincerely stated, staring directly at Jungkook before shyly focusing on his drink. "I usually eat by myself too, unless people ask me."

           Jungkook's eyes widened in confusion. "But you usually go out with everyone?"

           "Mmm..." Jimin bit his lip. "I just go out at the same time as everyone, but no one specifically really invites me or talks to me. They're all in their little groups already, and I feel like inserting myself is just a bit too..."

           "Aggressive? Intrusive?" Jungkook finished.

           "Yeah."

           "I get that." Jungkook hummed.

           They smiled at each other and then continued eating their meals.

           "I guess I'm just one of those 'not quite a friend' friend?" Jimin commented.

           "What do you mean?"

           "Like I'm nice enough that people see me as someone they can chat with and occasionally include, but not as someone that they want to do that with all the time. Since I'm generally shy and don't actually reciprocate..." Jimin mulled it over. "Did that make me look standoffish?"

           Jungkook snorted. "You're asking the wrong person. I always thought you were good friends with everyone. You definitely fooled me."

           Jimin chuckled. "Well I'm not always comfortable with people, though I try my best to be accommodating, but it's not exactly 'me'."

           Jungkook nodded. "Do you have any friends outside of work?"

           Immediately, Jimin's face lit up. "Oh yeah! I have a group of 5 close friends in the city. It's enough to be honest. They're a handful, but I love them."

           Jungkook smiled as he watched Jimin excitedly talk about them. There really were all types of people and all gradients of friendships and relationships out there. It usually would've terrified him, that notion, but seeing it firsthand with you, and now with Jimin, it was quite fascinating.

           "Sorry, I'm rambling." Jimin blushed.

           Jungkook shook his head. "It's cute. You all seem so close."

           "How about you?" Jimin asked.

           Jungkook looked down, "Um no one. I just moved from Busan...so I never really got the chance to meet people outside of work...and I live alone so..."

           Jimin didn't say anything, just gave him a warm, understanding smile. "Well, I know my friends would love you. You have to meet them."

           Jungkook felt like his heart was going to burst at Jimin's kindness. "I-I'd like that."

           Jimin grinned. "Cool."

           Out of embarrassment, Jungkook pointed his chopstick at Jimin's bowl, trying to get them away from the topic of his lack of friends. "Hyung, you've eaten like 2 noodles. You still have so much left! I'm beating you."

           Jimin scoffed. "I didn't know this lunch was a competition."

           "Everything is fair game." Jungkook teased, feeling lighter than ever and not as drained to head back to work.

           The next time Jungkook ran into you, it was not where he expected it to be.

           He scrambled behind the end of the food aisle, hiding as if you would be able to sense his presence or something from afar. Curiously, he peeked out, not paying mind to the odd looks he was getting. He was sure he looked suspicious, borderline stalker even, but he wanted to see what you were up to. Although there weren't many options of activity at a grocery store he thought to himself.

           After a few seconds of observation, he realized you had your phone out and seemed to be taking pictures, bringing it to your ear, then moving to the next item. He glanced at the labels in his proximity and was floored when he realized that there was no Braille or anything that would tell you what exactly you were looking at. His lips curled downwards. You probably spent an excessive amount of time shopping because of this. Carefully, he moved towards you, conscious of not startling you.

           He hovered over of your shoulder briefly before teasing.

           "Wow, a Spam connoisseur I see."

           "You can't judge until you try all the flavors, Jungkook." You grinned. "Or are you boring and stick with the original?"

           "Ow. Harsh words." Jungkook playfully clutched his chest then hurriedly moved his hand away, realizing you couldn't see his sarcastic actions. "Whatcha doing with your phone?"

           "Oh." You smiled. "I have this app that reads me print out loud when I take a picture of it."

           "Must be tedious."

           You sighed. "Yeah. That's why I buy half the store all in one go."

           Jungkook chuckled. "You have a list of what you need? We can go together if we're shopping for similar things."

           "That'd be great actually." You pulled up your list, relief evident in your voice.

           Jungkook hummed as he scanned it, pretending like he's comparing his nonexistent list with yours. Honestly, e had only come for some ramen, a box of seaweed, and maybe some other snacks, not that he'd mention it to you.

           "Our lists are almost identical. Let's go!" He grinned.

           You looked at him skeptically, but didn't say anything.

           "So are any stores...you know..." Jungkook started as they moved to a new aisle.

           "Visually-impaired friendly?" You finished, laughing light heartedly. "Not many to be honest. No one really thinks about it. And we're too worried about figuring out everything else to start rallying somewhere about it. Kinda sad really."

           "So you use that app to read prices and items and all?"

           "Yeah, sometimes menus, but most times those are too long for me to actually remember and people at the restaurant get annoyed when I keep replaying and replaying it out loud."

           You stopped pushing your cart and let people pass by. Jungkook was silently impressed, since he hadn't even noticed them coming.

           "I mean people always tell me 'why don't you just order groceries online?' or 'order in'? Things like that." You shrugged. "But I know I'll figure out a way to overcome this somehow and be able to shop easily like others. Why should I restrict and limit myself?"

           Jungkook frowned, his heart hit with a pang of sadness.  

           "You should have someone eat out with you." He stated. "Oh, that's your cereal right in front of you, slightly to the right."

��          You reached for the item gratefully and grinned. "Are you offering?"

           Jungkook felt himself warm, realizing his statement could've been flirtatious. He panicked; he already felt like a creep, he didn't want to advance it up a notch. "I mean-- as a suggestion...generally...I was no way asking you to take m-me or --"

           You burst into laughter. "You must be fun to tease, huh?"

           Jungkook relaxed, seeing you didn't think any differently of his comment.

           "Don't worry. I'll be the one asking you to eat out after this. No pressure." Your lips curled up as you continued pushing your cart forward.

           Jungkook blushed and hurried to take his place beside you so he could list the items you were passing through.

           "So I tried your suggestion." Jungkook found himself accepting your offer to treat him out to lunch, and he felt like he needed to let you know that he had done something since your last discussion as he was perusing the menu.

           You smiled as you waited for him to continue patiently. "And?"

           "And I'm meeting his friends sometime next week." Jungkook beamed.

           Excitedly, you clapped. "I'm so happy for you! I told you, you wouldn't have a problem making friends." You leaned forward against the table, showing your immense interest with your entire body. "So who is he? What happened?"

           "Well -- uh I asked him to lunch and he was surprised but agreed then suggested a ramen shop since he knows that's what I always eat for lunch."

           "A healthy choice." You teased.

           Jungkook snorted, "And then we just kinda got to talking. I knew him from back in Busan so we talked about our mutual friends, our family, childhood memories, then transitioning into life in Seoul. It just flowed."

           Your lips curled up, and Jungkook felt shy under your focus. He wasn't used to someone being so attentive to what he was saying. And most people would look away every so often since too long of eye contact would make both parties feel awkward, but seeing as how you didn't have that problem, you looked at him unfailingly.

           "And then? Did you exchange numbers? Will you eat lunch together again?" You questioned.

           "Yeah, we decided it was nice to have lunch together. Like we have something to look forward to, and I found myself noticing more things around me, because I want to have funny or interesting stories to tell him." Jungkook admitted, although he left out that sharing them with you was also a motivator. "And he always tells me about his friends."

           "What's your old-yet-new friend's name?"

           "Park Jimin."

           "I'm so happy for you."

           Jungkook felt his heart stutter a bit at the genuine tone of your voice and the gentle smile on your face. You truthfully and wholeheartedly wanted him to not be miserable, and he knew for sure that was rare. Most people were inherently selfish, and would be jealous of the status of other people's lives if they were even the slightest bit better. But maybe it was different amongst friends. Maybe friendship meant wishing for each other's happiness and supporting them on the road to attaining it.

           "Ready to order?" The waiter came around.

           "Uh..." Jungkook was worried, since you hadn't opened your menu or asked him to read anything aloud for you.

           "I'll get the usual." You smiled.

           "Your usual it is, Y/N." The friendly waiter beamed. "And for you, sir?"

           "Uh this. Please." Jungkook shyly pointed, so he didn't butcher the name.

           "Okay." The waiter clicked his pen and grabbed the menus. "I'll be right out. Any drinks?"

           "I'm good with water, Hoseok." You waved your hand.

           "Y-yeah me too." Jungkook nodded.

           "Okiedokie. Food should be ready in a few. Sit tight!"

           "You're on a first name basis with the waiter?" Jungkook asked, after Hoseok went to tend to another table.

           You laughed and knocked on the glass beside you, "I'm here a lot, and I like this booth by the window. This is always his section. They get very few customers, but almost everyone becomes regulars."

           "Wow." Jungkook glanced around.

           "I do other work here and stuff too. It's comfortable." You confessed. "It never gets crowded. And Hoseok is very accommodating."

           "What do you do?" Jungkook questioned.

           You blushed and replied hesitantly. "Um ...I do...art."

           "Can I see?"

           "I have a few pics on my phone, but they don't do it justice. You'll have to come to my house one of these days."

           "Whoa." Jungkook teased. "First asking me to lunch then to your house? I didn't think you were this aggressive, Y/N."

           "It's cause you seem to be the shy type." You flashed your teeth playfully, but Jungkook knew it had the hint of truth as well.

           "Plates incoming. It's hot so wait a minute until it cools down to touch it." Hoseok returned and set a timer on the table. "When the bell rings, everything is fair game."

           Jungkook felt his lips curl up at the consideration Hoseok was putting forth for you. Maybe there was some hope in humanity after all.

           "I hope I'm not being weird." Hoseok turned to Jungkook timidly.

           Jungkook tilted his head inquisitively.

           "Are you by any chance Park Jimin's co-worker, Jungkook?" Hoseok questioned hesitantly.

           Jungkook's eyes widened, "Yeah that's me. And you are?"

           "Jung Hoseok...or he likes to call me Hobi so that's probably what he uses in stories." Hoseok outstretched his hand then gestured to you with his head. "You must also be her knight-in-shining-armor."

           "Hoseok." You whined.

           He giggled. "Just wanted to say you're an awesome guy. For helping her out, and for making Jimin a lot happier at work. He showed me some old pictures you had from Busan, so I hope you don't think I'm too creepy. It was nice meeting you officially."

           Jungkook timidly bowed, not knowing what to say to such high compliments. Whatever he did wasn't a big deal.

           "I'll leave you to your food. Holler if you need something." Hoseok knocked on the table before he left, most probably a signal for you to know he was walking away.

           "Sorry about that. He sometimes keeps me company when I'm eating so we tell each other stories." You looked down, shyly.

           "Do you think you've met Jimin through him before?" Jungkook asked.

           You shook your head. "I haven't met any of his friends...I guess officially? Sometimes I hear their voices at one of the booths and Hoseok yelling at them to stop being so rowdy. But I don't exactly know if Jimin was among them?"

           "No worries." Jungkook chuckled. "Small world, huh?"

           "It really is." You smiled.

           The timer rang and you pressed the button on top to stop it, exclaiming excitedly while mirroring Jungkook's own hunger.

           "Chow time!"

           Towards the end of your lunch, Jungkook was internally struggling, trying to find a way to not miss the opportunity he had before. He didn't have to be conflicted for long since his mouth decided to make the choice for him, which was how he ended up rambling instead of asking a question.

           "Can I have your number? I mean, you might not like to use your phone or anything like that. I assume it's hard to text if you well you know. Oh my gosh. I'm sorry...stop listening to me. Forget I said anything." He pulled his hood up and proceeded to bury himself inside it, thankful you couldn't see him turtling in front of you.

           You paused for a few seconds, waiting to see if he was actually finished with his cute panicked outburst, then you burst into laughter.

           "Here." You handed him your phone. "Don't worry. I use my phone a lot. I'm quite savvy with it. It has Braille lettering but also the letters and numbers are raised. And there's thing that doesn't require people to see, you know, what's that called? Um oh right-- a phone call."

           Jungkook chuckled at your cheekiness, and strangely it calmed him.

           He typed in his contact and called himself so he had your phone number.

           "Well then, you're welcome to text or call me at anytime from now on if you need company." He handed your cell back with a wide smile. "Or a bodyguard."

           "Anytime is quite a large offer, Jeon Jungkook." You grinned.

           He lightly tightened your scarf then stated, "I think I can handle it."  

           The next time you heard from Jungkook was through flustered yet giddy rambling that you couldn't make out. You knew he had had that meeting with Jimin's friends and you couldn't exactly tell whether he was excited or angry with the rate of his speech.

           "Take a breath, Jungkook." You laughed. "Did it go well?"

           You heard him inhale deeply then chuckle. "Yeah, really well. Sorry, I didn't know who else to call about it. Is it a bad time?"

           You hesitated as you fiddled around, having abandoned your paintbrush when you heard his call. "Mmm...wanna come over? I need to finish up something so it'll probably be easier to listen and do it if you're actually here."

           "Uh..." You heard his hesitancy, probably nervous that he was coming over a girl's house. It made you smile that you had such an effect. "Sure. If you don't mind."

           "Not at all. Do you have something to write down my address on? I'll just say it to you now."

           "Uh right. Hold on."

           Jungkook's heart was beating quickly. He had run back to his apartment to shower, not wanting to go to your place smelling like food and alcohol. He was sensitive to smells so he was sure you would be too. But he was also pretty nervous about venturing to a female's house. You had invited him so nonchalantly that there was no reason to be flustered. But it was new territory all the same. Boy, he was doing everything today. Meeting new friends, getting invited to a girl's place. His mother would be so proud... not that he was going to tell her about it though. That was simply inviting too many embarrassing comments, and entirely too many unnecessary questions.

           He threw on a clean white shirt, sweats, and a sweater, and topped it off with a beanie. Glad that it didn't actually matter what he wore for once. He threw random stuff he might need into a backpack and hurried out, not wanting to keep you waiting for too long.

           When he arrived at your place, he rang the doorbell and your voice spoke through an intercom.

           "Who is it?"

           "Jungkook."

           He heard the door click and he carefully opened it, but interestingly, he did not find you behind it.

           "I'm in the next room." You called out.

           Jungkook quietly took off his shoes and padded into the adjacent room, finding you sitting on the floor in front of an easel, your clothes, exposed parts of your legs and arms, even your face splattered with paint.

           "I think the paint should go on the canvas, Y/N..." he teased.

           You grinned. "Oh? And where is the canvas?"

           Jungkook blushed, and didn't know how to respond since well...you really couldn't see it. But you burst into laughter light-heartedly.

           "Relax. I'm pulling your leg. Have a seat wherever."

           Jungkook chuckled, and seeing as how there were no chairs in the entire room, he sat down a little far from you, not wanting to risk getting paint on his white shirt.

           "So? How was it?" You smiled as dipped your finger into paint and began mindlessly stroking the canvas.

           Jungkook tilted his head a bit, unsure what it was supposed to be, but it was clearly incomplete still.

           "It'll come together." You replied, as if sensing his curiosity. "Tell me how it went. I already know Hoseok, so how were the others?"

           Jungkook felt himself grin as he recalled the entire humorous yet easygoing meeting. He already felt at home with the guys, and for him, it was an odd feeling.

           "Well it all started pretty crazy..."

           Jungkook raised his arm to knock on Jimin's door after triple checking he had gotten the right number apartment. Nothing would be more embarrassing than ringing the wrong door. But before his fist made contact, it flew open.

           "Hi! You must be Jungkook!" A bright eyed, widely grinning man stood in front of him. "Come in! This is Jimin's place. I was watching the monitor and it took you awhile to knock so I figured I'd just open it for you. I'm Tae!"

           "Oh my god, Tae. Did you just admit to creeping on him?" Jimin appeared, shaking his head exasperatedly. "I told you to check the door, not scare him."

           "He's not scared. I was most welcoming." Tae beamed.

           Jimin gave Jungkook a questioning look, and so he replied. "Um not scared. I guess more so...surprised?"

           Jimin softened his expression and gestured for Jungkook to enter completely.

           "Jin is cooking, but I can introduce you to the rest of the guys." He threw a friendly arm around Jungkook, although Jungkook was taller so it was a bit awkward. It did help calm him though, like Jimin wasn't going to leave him to fend for himself against these strangers.

           Tae skipped ahead of them, announcing to the others loudly that Jungkook had arrived. Suddenly, Jungkook felt himself get embarrassed. He didn't want it to be a big deal. It felt a lot like he was being introduced as a boyfriend to the family or something. But it was also a bit flattering. The way they were all enthusiastic, preparing a home-cooked meal and awaiting his arrival.

           Jimin ushered him into the living room with a kind smile.

           "Everyone--"

           Jungkook found 4 pairs of eyes on him.

           "This is Jungkook. Jungkook, everyone." Jimin laughed. "They can introduce themselves. You already met Tae --"

           "And me." Hoseok waved. "Nice to see you again."

           Jungkook returned the wave shyly.

           "I'm Namjoon." A dimpled man gave him a warm smile. "Nice to meet you."

           "You too." Jungkook bowed politely.

           "Yoongi." Another man, who was lounging in the other couch all to himself nodded chicly.

           "Namjoon is a Literature professor at Seoul University. Jin, who you'll meet in a bit, owns a club that the others basically run. Yoongi is a DJ at the club, and Hoseok and Tae are bartenders there. Namjoon handles the business side of that too; he's a shareholder. But that's the boring part." Jimin winked.

           "What do you do there?" Jungkook asked Jimin.

           "He dances." Tae smirked. "Really well."

           Jungkook's eyes widened. "Really?"

           "And he sings." Yoongi added.

           Jimin blushed. "Not well." Quickly, changing the subject. "Let's have you meet Jin, shall we?"

           He practically dragged Jungkook to the kitchen, where a broad shouldered man was humming and expertly cooking.

           "Hyung, he's here!"

           Jin turned and smiled at him. "Our new maknae! Welcome! I heard you had a good appetite, so I'm making a few dishes."

           "Oh you didn't have--"

           "Tsk." Jin shook his head. "Of course I had to. I have to make a good first impression. Although my handsome face should be enough."

           Jimin rolled his eyes as Jin laughed at his own statement. Jungkook found his lips curling up at his unique and infectious laughter.

           "Go relax. Dinner should be ready in a few. Don't let the others bully you." Jin warned.

           "With these muscles?" Jimin pointed out, poking Jungkook's biceps. "No one would dare."

           "Well get out of my kitchen. I need to concentrate." Jin shooed them away, and they found themselves back in the living room.

           "Yoongi-hyung, stop hogging the couch." Jimin complained, but the older stayed unmoving.

           "Pile up!" Tae shouted and hurried to Yoongi's couch, but before he could leap on top, the elder sat up, grumbling about being comfortable. Tae giggled and winked at Jungkook playfully before returning to his seat.

           Jimin took the space beside Yoongi and Jungkook beside him.

           "So you work with Jimin?" Namjoon started the conversation.

           "We went to school together." Jimin commented. "But he didn't look like this back then."

           "Neither did you." Jungkook scrunched his nose.

           The others giggled.

           "What did Jimin look like back then?"

           "Well for one, he had black hair." Jungkook grinned.

           Everyone gasped dramatically, playing along. Jimin covered his face embarrassed.

           "AND he had glasses."

           "No!!" Tae groaned, fake crying.

           Jungkook laughed. "But he had a reputation for being a really good dancer back then too. But as far as I remember, he was a contemporary dancer so I was surprised hearing he danced to club music."

           "We trained him in the art of hip hop." Yoongi commented.

           "Please." Namjoon snorted. "You didn't teach him any sort of dancing."

           "Coming from you? That's gold." Yoongi chuckled.

           "Now, now. Play nice you two." Hoseok laughed. "Last time we had a drunk dance battle, someone broke a table."

           Namjoon groaned. "I was GENTLY putting my cup down."

           "Yes, with your entire body." Yoongi teased.

           Jungkook found himself laughing along at the image.

           "Dinner is ready kids!" Jin called out.

           Everyone practically leapt out of their seats and raced to the dining room, shoving each other to get the prime seat at the center of the table. But one glare from Jin as they entered the kitchen had them split up obediently, leaving the center seat for Jungkook who had just been watching the stampede in amusement.

           "Seriously. I don't know why you fight for that seat." Jin shook his head.

           "You have access to all the food so easily!" Tae explained.

           "It's cause Jimin had to get a rectangular table to be 'classy'." Yoongi stated.

           "Yet you helped put it together." Jimin shook his head.

           "It was too late by then." Yoongi sighed exasperatedly. "The deed was done."

           Dinner flew by easily. Jungkook loved listening to them reminisce about their first few months in Seoul, how hard it was for everyone to adjust (since they all were from different places and moved to Seoul for work), and how they began meeting each other and building this little group they had. He enjoyed that they openly teased each other and bickered. Everyone was easygoing and didn't force him to speak, but they would try to include him by saying "Tell Jungkook about the time that" or "Jungkook, who do you think won in the end?". It made him comfortable enough to insert some of his own funny stories from back home or events that occurred when he first arrived in Seoul. They listened attentively, but didn't spare him from the teasing and the jokes either, which made him feel more at ease and comfortable. Like he was already one of them.

           Then they eventually found themselves playing drunken Twister somehow. It ended up with lots of giggling and a lot of body piles. Once sobered up, they began to talk about more serious topics like their dreams, their future, love, etc. And Jungkook was astounded by their different perspectives and how some of them were as unsure as he was, but others had had their dreams from a young age. It made him really reflect on himself, and luckily, they didn't ask him to contribute. It segued back to funny stories then somehow went to Jin telling them dad jokes, which became a catalyst for people to begin saying their goodbyes.

           Filled with so much to say, so much energy, Jungkook didn't know what to do with himself after leaving, so his immediate response was to call you.

           And that led him to rambling about his day excitedly in the middle of one of your rooms as you painted and seemingly listened intently, since you laughed at the right parts and asked questions here and there. It was only after he finished his story that he took the time to really look at what you were doing.

           "I'm glad you had a really good time." You grinned genuinely. "See? I told you life is better with friends."

           "Well, no. You only said work would be more bearable." He corrected.

           "Semantics." You waved it off.

           "Why're you painting in the middle of an empty room, by the way?" he finally asked.

           You chuckled. "Well I sort of paint for a living."

           "What? Really?"

           "Yeah. Surprised?"

           "A little."

           "I did say I did art. Do I not seem like a painter?"

           "Well no, I just-- have you had them put up in galleries?" He questioned.

           "Yeah, most of them. Although, I go by a pseudonym."

           "Wow." He was in awe. "Is that what you've always wanted to do?"

           "Honestly...no... I mean I love to do it. I just kind of wish I had more career choices, you know?"

           Jungkook frowned. He hadn't really thought about it. That your lack of vision could hinder your opportunities and limit how you could make a living.

           "It's not that we don't have the capability." You sighed. "Most people are ignorant or intimidated, I'm never sure. We can do everything everyone else can, just a little differently. So it's not lack of ability, but lack of knowledge and understanding by people hiring."

           "I'm sorry." Jungkook stated.

           "Don't be. It's not your fault. It's how society's been for a long time." You laughed. "I don't want that to make your day sad. I'm sure it'll change eventually."

           "Do people know you're the artist behind these paintings?" He changed the subject.

           "No, actually. I've never stepped out in public at these galleries. It's kinda like the big mystery among the artist community. They say it's probably a celebrity." You snorted.

           There was a comfortable silence as Jungkook observed you mixing colors with the paintbrush and dipping a different finger into it. He realized your fingers each had their own color paint.

           "How do you know which color is which?" He asked.

           Your lips curled up, "Each paint color has a specific texture and consistency."

           Jungkook's mouth dropped in amazement. "What? Really? You can tell that way??"

           "Mhm. I've painted long enough I've been able to tell." You nodded.

           "Wow..."

           You started cracking up.

           "What?" Jungkook inquired. "What's funny?"

           "I'm joking, Jungkook." You held up one of the bottles. "They have Braille on the bottles and on the palette. The trick is just remembering which finger I used for which."

           Jungkook laughed along. "Hey I'm a noob at this, take it easy."

           "Go hard or go home." You shrugged.

           "Pretty sure that doesn't apply to this." He chuckled. "So what made you get into painting and art?"

           "Well...cause with art, I can build a world that doesn't exist. It doesn't matter if I miss dipping my finger into a color, really. It doesn't matter if I make trees blue and the sun green. It still results into something amazing because of the journey, and because there is no structure, no constraints, no limit." You smiled fondly. "Much like life right? You meet a mix of people of all different shades and colors; you feel different ranges of emotion. There's no set constraint to how someone should be or feel. But yet, everyone tries to set limits, to compensate and make sense out of the unknown and establish a 'norm'."

           Jungkook watched you finish up in silence. He could hear the sadness in your voice, and it made him realize as he glanced around your large yet somewhat empty apartment, that you were both relatively alone. But for you, it wasn't that you isolated yourself and avoided people like he did; people were isolating you, not wanting to put in the effort to interact and understand you. He realized why you were so adamant on him reaching out and making friends. You knew the feeling of loneliness all too well probably. He had taken for granted something that wasn't so readily available for everyone. You wanted to make friends, and most probably tried, but not everyone was accommodating. Meanwhile, Jungkook was that person who refused to get to know others.

           He wasn't sure what to say, but he knew he wanted to let you know that he wasn't going to go anywhere like the others. But all that came out was a question.

           "What's your dream?"

           "Hm..." You hummed. "In general? Or as in a job?"

           "Whichever." Jungkook shrugged.

           "Well I've always wanted to travel." Your lips curled up, dreamily. "Although I can't see the sights, I want to be able to feel them, and be there. But it's definitely a venture going anywhere new."

           Jungkook nodded, cursing silently. Why was he so bad at finding words of comfort and reassurance?

           "I'm done. Wanna see?" You flashed your teeth excitedly, and he was somewhat relieved you changed the topic.

           Jungkook scooted over, surprised to find that the canvas was now dark--black, really--, with hints of blue green and a gray-ish tint mixed in. His eyes immediately landed at the bright, orange flower you had painted realistically at the center. It flooded him with warmth, which settled solidly in his chest.

           "Can I take a picture of it?" He questioned.

           "Yeah, of course." You nodded. "You like it?"

           "It's beautiful." He breathed genuinely.

           Jungkook spotted a tint of pink on your cheeks, and felt himself blush as well. Quickly, he snapped a picture of it for safekeeping. He resonated with your painting on a deeper level.

           Much like he had been in the darkness just last week, you and a certain tuff of orange hair had brought a little more color and brightness into his world. And although it had only been a short while, he knew he would forever be grateful for you both for making him see there was so much more to life, so much more to him.  

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PART 3