Latest Posts by kirarileadtheway - Page 3

thinking about Umemiya caging you in with his arms while he's teaching you how to garden—his much larger, gloved hands covering yours, guiding your fingers to the soil. he's got his chest pressed against your back and you can feel his heartbeat, so steady and sure. there’s no real reason for this, no purpose other than to be close to you because he’s just so utterly gone for you, finds any excuse to keep you near. he likes to rests his chin on your shoulder, strands of his white hair brushing against your cheek. you squirm, laughing at the ticklish sensation, but he doesn’t let go. when he does finally drop the pretense, he wraps his arms around you in a tight bear hug, snuggling his face into the crook of your neck, inhaling your scent deeply as if you’re the air keeping him alive. he tips your chin toward his with a finger so he can press his lips to yours, smiling into the kiss when he feels you curl your hands around his forearms. he holds you like that, not caring about the dirt on either of you, about anything except the feeling of you in his arms. for him, in these quiet, stolen moments with you, in this little corner of the world—his happy place—everything feels just…perfect.

that bit of manu being the helicopter parent is so funny when you consider their lineage to the popoki goddess. if a feline cub is near u, the parent is definitely nearby watching u 😂 what i would give to see an au of manu and mahina living and manu is not so lowkey watching asl when the 4 become friends like a wild cat hiding behind the bushes, he did not let up the 🤨 expression even when hoku gotten older and there are more men than he like for them to be around hoku

Mahina stopped just short of bringing her hammer down onto the slab of metal sitting over her workbench.

A loud rustle from the front of the house caught her attention. The older woman blinked, tilting her head curiously as she set the metal aside and kept the hammer in her grip, twirling it around her fingers out of habit.

Her long white braid swung easily against her back. An ocean breeze tickled the ends, bringing Mahina's gaze outwards to the coast. Her workshop sat right beside their little house on the cliffside hill, looking right out to the ocean before them.

A short, familiar curse reached her ears and she grinned now, slinging the hammer lightly over her shoulder. "You moving the furniture again?"

Manu frowned. He'd been letting his hair grow out a bit this time, silken ends tied off just at the base of his neck with an old ribbon—one of Hoku's, she realized fondly. Their usual patio furniture sat in a cultish huddle around him, rocking chairs gazing back as Manu crossed his arms over his chest.

"Do you think they looked better where they used to be or how I had them yesterday?"

Mahina tipped her head to the side.

"How did they look yesterday again?"

Manu sighed, shaking his head. Mahina grinned cheekily, almost skipping over to her dearest friend as she came up to the steps of their home. "Are you going through your mid-life crisis now? Hoku won't mind them either way, you know."

Manu scowled, looking at her like a cat caught getting wet. Mahina laughed, coming over to help him move the chairs back into place as she set the hammer down. "What made you think she'd care if you moved them?"

"At first I wanted to move them to do something different," Manu explained slowly, evenly as he carefully polished off each chair and Mahina idly checked the wood for stray splinters. Not a single one to be found, of course, because the two of them were damn good at what they did. "But then I woke up last night—remember when I went down and started painting?"

"Of course I do, you almost gave me a heart attack."

"You? Right, Hina," Mahina laughed and Manu continued, "But then I woke up and realized, what if she's expecting everything to look the same way it did when she left? What if seeing it different will make her sad? Shouldn't I just leave it the way it was then?"

"But it's still the same chair," Mahina said, taking a seat in one of the rockers once it'd been moved. Manu immediately took up a seat beside her. "I don't think she'd mind how you moved it."

"You think?"

"Mmm, she's a funny one, that girl. I don't think she'd mind much at all unless you did something more drastic... like changing the paint or putting it on the roof?"

"Hina, why on earth would I ever—"

The sound of a car engine slowing to stop brought the two of them to a halt. Mahina and Manu froze, blinking in confusion at each other as they immediately shot their feet, rushing over to the pathway leading down their hill.

A car they did not recognize sat at the base of the hill, parked along the grassy edge. Mahina frowned in curiosity while Manu looked thoughtful, glancing to his watch. "Hoku's supposed to get picked up from the airport tomorrow—"

Both of them stopped as a familiar face appeared at the base of the hill, kicking the door to their rental car open. Manu caught a brief glimpse of a smooth hand reaching for her, as though in concern, but she was barreling out of the car before they could touch.

It was a face Mahina and Manu would know, in their dreams, every waking moment, and up to their last breath.

A happiness Manu had once never known and now could not fathom otherwise flooded his chest. Mahina's eyes sparkled, bright with mirth and love and the two of them began making their way down the hill as their daughter rushed to meet them.

"Mama! Papa!"

"Maka!"

Hoku's arms wrapped around her parents. Manu and Mahina embraced her in an instant, completing their circle of three. Snow white hair mingled with each other, a sense of perfect peace settling for a moment in unison as Manu shut his eyes, breathing in the familiar scent of their daughter, carding his fingers through her hair. Mahina's hand moved over her back, down the side of her arm—their daughter, theirs.

(Their beautiful baby girl.)

"Maka, it's been too long," Mahina murmured sweetly, eyes full of warmth as she pulled back, only an arm's length away to get a full view of their daughter. "You look good."

"You could afford to eat a bit more," Manu said, briefly pinching Hoku's arm to test for her weight. Hoku laughed, rocking back on her heels and almost taking her parents with her. "You're early! Why did you come without telling us? I would've gotten everything ready and—"

"He's had everything ready for weeks," Mahina said. Manu gaped at her. "He's still getting more ready. I haven't seen the fridge this full since—"

"I haven't heard you complain about it since you've been snacking plenty on the—"

"I wanted to surprise you guys!" Hoku said happily, positively glowing at her parents. Manu and Mahina quieted, hands still rubbing up and down their daughter, mapping the shape of her, how she looked now, her face full of life, content.

(Happy.)

"I always had the flight booked a day early, just wanted to make it a fun trip," Hoku said. She turned over her shoulder, grinning down at the base of the hill. "And well... maybe introduce you to a few new faces?"

Mahina raised a curious brow, slipping her arm through Hoku's as they made their way down the hill. Manu looked skeptical, walking right at their side and absently nudging Hoku away from any dips and rocks.

"HEEEEEYYYY MAMA HOKU!! PAPA HOKU!!!"

Mahina looked amused while Manu snorted in disbelief. Luffy appeared around the other side of the car, almost leaping into the air as he jumped up and down to wave to them. "LONG TIME NO SEE!"

"That boy isn't a new face," Manu said, watching Luffy run around to the trunk now. "I didn't know he was coming. I would've doubled the fridge—"

Mahina noticed the two men stepping out of the car before Manu, her raised brow raising even higher as an amused whistle sat on her lips. She turned now to where Manu had frozen stiff, staring in cold, incredulous silence at the two men standing at the base of their hill.

Two dashing young men stood beside the rental car, watching the three make their way down the hill. Mahina realized who they were in an instant, as she was sure Manu did as well, despite his cool silence. She could hear the judgement in his gaze as he skimmed the more tan one up and down, from his sandaled feet and board shorts to his open chest and unbuttoned shirt. Mahina like the wild way the wind tousled his black hair—this one was Ace.

The more respectable blonde man was Sabo, she realized. He stood instead of leaning against the car like his brother, hands clasped politely in front of him, a small smile already on his lips, but Mahina noticed his eyes never left her daughter, watching and tracking her steps down the hill with practiced ease. A sort of softness.

"I wanted to introduce the two of you!" Hoku said as they drew nearer to the car. "I know I always talk about Ace and Sabs, but you've only ever known them in photos and stuff... so when they mentioned they were able to get some time off work..."

"I think the photos are fine enough," Manu said simply. Hoku laughed and Mahina grinned. Her daughter was sharp, but she wasn't Mahina's sharpest creation in certain aspects, that much she was sure.

"I know it's sudden, and they don't want to bother," Hoku said. "But they've always wanted to meet you guys, they almost beg me to be honest. I thought, eh, might as well, right?"

"They seem fun," Mahina managed.

"That one doesn't know how to button his shirt," Manu said.

Hoku grinned, tugging her parents down the rest of the way. Up close Mahina could see clearly just how handsome these two young men were—fit, chiseled, matching better than the strange, blurred photos her daughter would send from time to time. They both straightened in unison at the sight of Manu and Mahina, rushing forward with outstretched hands.

"Mama, Papa, this is Ace and Sabo!" Hoku introduced proudly, nose somewhat thrusted in the air with a bright grin. "Ace, Sabo—my parents!"

"Hoku's mom and dad it's nice—"

"Miss Mahina, Mister Manu—"

Ace and Sabo stopped, looking at each other with round eyes. Sabo's expression instantly schooled into a cooler one, motioning quickly with his eyes while Ace gaped until his brother blinked, nodding.

"Miss Mahina! Mister Manu!" Ace and Sabo said in unison this time, beaming politely and widely at the two of them. "It's a pleasure and an honor to finally meet you!"

Mahina decided slyly to follow in Manu's steps, glancing sideways as her friend's face became one of quiet politeness—she knew this expression of his like the back of her hand, a frigid sort of coolness beneath its quiet.

"...It's good to meet the both of you as well," Manu said simply. Hoku positively beamed between her mother and father. Ace and Sabo continued to smile, a crooked grin and a polite upturn of lips respectively. Mahina took that as her cue and shook their hands first, both their gazes flying to her.

Mahina watched Ace do a double take, a soft redness coloring the tips of his ears at the sight of her. He bowed especially deep when she took his hand, "Mama—Miss Mahina, thank you for leaving Hoku in our care."

"Well, she's always got some fun stories to tell thanks to you lot," Mahina said slowly, a bit of a tease to her tone. She turned to Sabo next, considering this upstanding looking young man and wondering what little thoughts he kept hidden behind those quiet eyes. "Thank you for looking after our daughter."

"Hoku's very dear to us," Sabo said sincerely. Hoku made a face, looking at him. Dramatic, Mahina heard her think without saying. "She's always speaking so much about the both of you, it's a pleasure to finally—"

"What were your names again?"

Ace and Sabo blinked, looking back at Manu. Hoku didn't even seem the slightest bit bothered, swaying happily on her feet until she noticed Luffy by the trunk. Hoku quickly scampered off, shouting something about not eating the gifts.

"A-Ace," Ace said quickly, offering his hand. Manu considered it for a second longer than most and shook it silently. "Ace, uh, Mister Manu."

"I'm Sabo," Sabo repeated as well, extending his hand. Manu considered it just as long before shaking it briefly. "Thank you again for—"

"That's... polite of you to drop Hoku off," Manu said. He pulled his hand away, facing both Ace and Sabo. "What time is your flight home?"

Ace looked dumbfounded, blinking repeatedly. Sabo looked a bit perplexed, blinking at a slower pace at Manu as his lips parted to respond. Mahina withheld her grin, offering instead and politely curious expression.

Maybe she was being a bit mean, but she didn't get to see Manu like this often—it'd be too fun to tease him later.

"Uh, well," Ace started. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his brow. "Tuesday... when Hoku leaves..."

"I see, quite some time then," Manu said smoothly. "Where will you two be staying? Somewhere close? We're quite a ways away from the nearest hotel where most have to stay."

"Oh, well," Sabo began gracefully, an easy, polite smile settled over his lips. Mahina understood the situation instantly and had to give it to the young man for recovering as quick as he did. "Yes, we were planning on booking over by—"

Ace looked confused, snapping his head to Sabo. "But we're supposed to be—"

Sabo's heel smacked into Ace's shin, a quick, efficient kick. Mahina did her best not to laugh when his eyes bulged. "Excuse me, we're booking by—"

"I told them they could stay with us!" Hoku called over, appearing over the popped lid of the trunk, her arms wrapped around one of the suitcases while Luffy hauled a box over the top of his head. "There's the spare bedroom in mama's workshop if that's okay?"

Manu quietly tipped his head to the side, considering the new development in silence. Ace shifted unsteadily on his feet, looking quite a bit out of his element while Mahina simply allowed her lips to curl into a grin, lightly touching Manu's elbow. He glanced to her, meeting her gaze for a moment before he looked back at the two men.

"Yes," Manu said, clipped. "I think that'll be fine. Luffy can stay in the guest room in the house."

"Thanks Papa Hoku!" Luffy shouted, racing past them and up the hill toward the house with the box over his head.

"Thank you so much for your generosity," Sabo said quickly, smiling brightly at Manu. His expression remained unchanging and Sabo continued, "We don't mean to impose, we'll make sure we handle everything on our side and—"

"That's fine," Manu said.

Sabo's words fell to a quiet, polite silence. He continued to smile, a bit strained at the corners as he lightly adjusted the cuff of his sleeves.

"Oh, maka!" Mahina called, deciding to throw the two a bone. "Wait, let us help you with that."

Ace and Sabo turned on their heels in an instant. Mahina almost choked on a snort. Hoku looked up from where she was wrestling with one of the suitcases to get the handle up. "It's alright! We brought a ton of souvenirs over! It'll be a few trips."

"Aw, come on, let me get that for ya," Ace said, stepping over to the trunk. Hoku made a face and Mahina watched an easy grin slide across his face, expression suddenly far more confident than it'd been second ago, teasing. "You'll take the entire trip to get it up the hill if we let you."

"You're exaggerating that isn't gonna—"

"You almost broke your nose pulling it off the carousel," Sabo added, easily lifting one of the suitcases up with one hand while Ace grabbed the other. Mahina watched this interaction with curious eyes. Sabo's hand dropped and lightly touched Hoku's lower back, guiding her with practiced fingers to the side of the car. "Could you grab—"

"I can get this for her."

Mahina pressed her fingertips to her lips, hiding her expression. Sabo and Ace looked startled, blinking like deer in headlights as Manu easily took Hoku's bags from the two of them, one in either hand—and promptly began to make his way up the hill to the house. "It's my daughter's things after all."

Ace opened his mouth, closing it abruptly. Sabo looked momentarily stunned, staring after Manu—

"Thanks, Papa!" Hoku said sweetly, running around the side of the car and almost tripping over the lip of the hill. Ace and Sabo's arms shot out, a practiced move to Mahina's gaze, but Hoku easily rightened herself, almost skipping over to Manu's side.

Mahina watched with fond eyes as they shared the weight of the larger suitcase together, Manu turning to Hoku with affection in his gaze.

She glanced back to the two young men looking lost at the base of the hill.

"Don't worry," Mahina offered, almost sang as she took another suitcase from the two of them. Ace and Sabo watched her almost robotically as she hefted it over her shoulder with ease. "I think you two did just fine."

the entirety of this trip is Ace and Sabo trying to win Manu and Mahina over, only to find themselves at the constant mercy of Manu's scrutiny

Manu's never too mean to them, but he sure does make them sweat

Sabo's a bit hurt because he can normally charm most parents and Hoku's won't even give him an inch

Ace starts to think that maybe he did do something wrong, he tries not to show it but starts to freak at the thought of Hoku's parents actually hating him—what the hell is he supposed to do if that happens?

He starts to limit physical contact with Hoku—which is nowhere near normal for him, Ace holds back bear hugs and noogies and chokeholds because he grabbed Hoku, swinging her up and Manu had looked at him as though he'd just thrown up all over his hand-embroidered rug

Even Sabo gets caught, an arm around Hoku's waist when he helps her down the steps to the beach—he respectfully keeps it hovered over Hoku's lower back instead when Manu stares him down from the top of the hill

Manu and Mahina treat Luffy normally, and Luffy does the same to them—they've become acquainted with Luffy and like him quite fine, after all

Hoku's just happy to have a good time with everyone

It's Luffy who gets Manu to act just a liiiiitttttlllleeee bit nicer when he notices Manu and Mahina standing by the hill, watching and talking about Hoku and he says:

"Shishishi, Ace and Sabo can handle it, they're tough!" Luffy promptly spit out a mouthful of watermelon seeds. Manu and Mahina watched them scatter to the ground. "Besides, they know Hoku loves it."

"Loves it?" Manu repeated.

"Sure," Luffy said, unbothered. "You guys havin' a say. I dunno. She's probably just happy she gets to grow up with ya this time."

Manu and Mahina look at each other, expressions soft and full of love for their daughter as Luffy walks off, sandals slapping in the sand. It takes them a moment before Manu suddenly looks a bit confused, glancing to Luffy's swaying straw hat in the wind.

"Did he say this time? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Who knows," Mahina says, looking curious, maybe a bit mystified. "He's always been a curious one, hasn't he?"

Luffy eats the entire watermelon rind in front of them and Hoku's parents decide to just have fun the rest of the weekend

-i decided to do a modern au for this one because an au where mahina and manu live in the memos storyline... :'( they'd probably want to hear all the news possible about their daughter, so an interaction of them scrutinizing all the boys would probably go something like them sitting around the table talking about their wanted posters and making judgements based on that

Golden Afternoon Monkey D. Luffy x StrawHat! Reader

You and your caption relax together during a sunset before dinner.

Reader is GN and it can be read as platonic or romantic.

On with the show!!~

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was beginning its descent, casting a golden glow over the deck of the Thousand Sunny. The ship rocked gently with the rhythm of the ocean, creating a soothing cadence that matched the lazy afternoon. You and Luffy were nestled in his hammock, its soft fabric cradling you both in a cocoon of warmth and comfort.

The world around you was tranquil; the crew was taking a well-deserved break, lounging around and enjoying the serene atmosphere. The breeze from the ocean was a refreshing contrast against the fading warmth of the afternoon sun. It drifted over your shoulders, carrying with it the salty tang of the sea and the gentle scent of the ship's wood.

Luffy's tan skin was a comforting warmth against you as he held you close. His presence was both grounding and comforting, his rhythmic humming a soft backdrop to the sounds of the ship. His hand threaded through your locs with a tender, rhythmic touch, while the other caressed the gentle curve of your back. The sensation of his fingers brushing against your skin was soothing, a perfect counterpoint to the cooling breeze.

He whispered softly, his breath tickling your ear, urging you to look at the horizon. You shifted onto your elbows slightly, feeling the hammock adjust to your movement as Luffy helped you turn over. His touch was gentle, lifting his straw hat from your head and guiding you so that you could face the lights rays. As you settled back into his embrace, you were now lying with your back against his chest, his legs intertwined with yours. The sunset painted the sky in rich hues of orange and pink, a vibrant contrast against the deepening blue of the ocean.

You propped yourself up slightly, eager to see the light reflecting off the water. The golden red hues of the sun danced across the waves, creating a shimmering path that seemed to lead right to the horizon. As the sun made its final dip, Chopper's voice rang out with cheerful enthusiasm. "Good night, Sun!" he called out, his voice filled with innocent delight. It was a simple, heartfelt moment that made you smile.

Sanji, ever the diligent chef, stood up from his seat and began to serve dinner, the aroma of his cooking wafting through the air. The colors of the sky continued to shift, the vibrant blues and oranges giving way to cooler shades of pink and dusky purple. A few stars began to peek out from the deepening sky, twinkling softly in the fading light.

Luffy's cheeky, playful smile never wavered as he pressed his cheek gently against your shoulder. You looked down to find him gazing up at you with a bright, infectious grin. His eyes sparkled with warmth and affection, and it made your own smile widen. You leaned into him, pressing your nose against his cheek, and let your foreheads rest together in a tender, intimate gesture.

The world seemed to slow down, the beauty of the sunset and the closeness of Luffy creating a moment of pure, unspoken calm. The gentle caress of the breeze, and the warmth of Luffy’s embrace all combined to make this moment feel timeless and perfect. You felt at peace, wrapped in the simple joy of being together, as the sky continued to change colors and the stars took their places in the evening sky.

The moon was just beginning to peek out from behind the horizon when Sanji’s voice rang out, "Come on, you two, dinner!"

Luffy didn't need to be told twice. With an excited gleam in his eyes, he scrambled out of the hammock, taking you with him in one fluid motion. His arms were strong and steady as he lifted you effortlessly, your squeals of delight mingling with his joyful laughter. The two of you tumbled onto the deck, giggling like children as Luffy steadied you both.

The crew watched on, their faces illuminated with affection. Zoro smirked, leaning casually against the railing, while Nami and Robin exchanged knowing smiles. Usopp chuckled, shaking his head at Luffy’s boundless energy, and Franky gave a thumbs-up, his grin as wide as ever. Chopper clapped his hooves together in delight, his eyes shining with happiness.

Luffy's excitement was infectious, and you couldn't help but smile as he carried you toward the promise of a delicious meal and the warmth of your friends. 

You’d be asleep in his arms again soon enough. ______________________________________________________________

Taglist: @orange-milky @xxsliverwolfxx @mochiclouds @m0rona @thealtofvalleyxdoodles

I own none of the art or characters!!

Posted on the ao3 account soon.

Be sure to check out my other works and leave likes and comments, they really help. I have a fic for almost everyone here in the master list. Drop a follow as well if you please. Don’t be shy to leave me a little reblog if you want.

I promise I bite~

See you soon my loves!!

(｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡ And thank you guys again for 100 followers!!

Drunken Sketches

Summary: The Straw Hat Crew reacts to a creative outburst y/n had as they were drunk. (Jinbe is part of the Straw Hat Crew) y/n Pronouns: they/them

cw: mentioning of alcohol, hungover, hungover reader -------------

It was a peaceful morning on the Thousand Sunny. Sanji was in the kitchen preparing a hungover breakfast for the Crew, while Jinbe relaxed on the deck, watching the sky and calm sea navigating the ship to the next island. Some of the Straw Hat Crew looked more tired or hungover than other, after their big party last night. Zoro seemed like nothing happened and as he didn’t drink two barrels of sake alone. Nami and Ussop on the other hand looked like they were the ones drinking too much, even tho they had two beer top last night. “Breakfast!” Luffy was the ray of sunshine as usual and was about to reach for the breakfast as Sanji stopped him.” “Hey! You know, not to eat until everyone is there, Luffy.” Only now, Luffy noticed that y/n was missing at the table. He asked Robin if she had seen them, but as she looked up from the newspaper, Robin shook her head, “No, the last time I saw them was before I went to bed. They were looking for paper.” “For paper? I saw them in front of sick bay..” Nami said, massaging her temple, looking up tired and worried.

With that as a clue, Luffy jumped up and went to sick bay looking for y/n. The Captain was hungry, and he didn’t want to wait any longer. “y/n!! Food!” As Luffy approached the door, he could hear y/n snoring loudly inside. When he opened the door, Luffy was surprised to find his friend lying on the floor surrounded by sheets of paper and colored pencils. Luffys laugh brought everyone up and rushed to investigate why their Captain was laughing so loud. When they joint Luffy, they saw a snoring y/n curled up, eyes closed, and hand over their eyes and ears to shut out the laugh and the sun. "What the hell happened here?" Zoro muttered. Nami and Chopper picked up some of the sheets of paper from the floor that surrounded y/n, hoping not one of their important Maps or documents were scattered there. As they looked through the pages, they saw that everything was ok, and realized that the drawings on them were actually quite good.

"These are amazing!" Chopper exclaimed, holding up a drawing of himself that y/n had done, complete with little antlers and a red nose.

"Yeah, look at this one of me!" Robin said, holding up a sketch of herself sitting in her chair, surrounded by books, she had picked up.

Usopp and Franky were particularly impressed by their portraits, which showed them posing dramatically with their respective weapons. "I always knew I looked cool, but I never thought someone could capture my essence like this," Franky said with a grin.

As they admired the drawings, Jinbe noticed something funny about the way they were arranged. "They're in alphabetical order," he pointed out. "Look, there's Brook, then Chopper, then Franky..." “yohohoho, how fantastic!” 

Everyone laughed at the realization that even in their drunken state, y/n had taken the time to arrange their drawings with care. They felt a warm sense of affection for their friend, even though they were too hungover to hear it.

"Let's not wake them up," Nami said, picking up one of the drawings and cradling it carefully. "We can put these in the gallery and surprise them, when they wake up."

The rest of the crew agreed, and they carefully gathered the pages of the gallery-worthy artwork. As they left the room, Chopper took one last look at y/n, who was still snoring contentedly on the floor.

"I'm glad they are part of our crew," the little reindeer said, before putting a glass of water and some medicine against the hungover near them.

As they settled back to the breakfast table, admiring each other's portraits, the Straw Hat Crew knew that they had another memorable moment to add to their collection of adventures. And even though y/n couldn't remember anything about their artistic endeavors the night before, they knew that their talent and creativity would be remembered forever.

im like,, in love with hoku, shes bae, 10000000/10 would die to see her happy and cuddling with her loved ones. anyways if its cool for you could we maybe have some hokucanons with the rest of hasl being protective lil shits. or maybe mihawk and shanks??? idk i love them all i want them to give her hugs and beat up anyone mean to her.

Hoku and Hugs:

Luffy - Completely normal. Doesn’t even blink. Capable of falling asleep in his arms. Will often be doing normal tasks while he hangs off her or drags his feet around. Luffy is one of the few people she’ll initiate hugs with first. 

Shanks - Wouldn’t even dare. Shanks wouldn’t even mind and just open his arms with that dumb kissy face like “c’mere dove” but she’d just be hyperventilating several feet away about to faint

Mihawk - She always initiates the hugs but he always hugs back in his own way. Will sometimes be seen riding on his shoulders with her arms wrapped around his face despite their heights, no matter what age.

Ace - Usually has her in some kind of head-lock or the two of them are usually scuffling before it morphs into this giant bear-hug. His are the most suffocating, Hoku often tries to dodge less he fall asleep on top of her. The warmest hugs though.

Sabo - These ones kind of sneak up on her when she leasts expect it. Sabo’s hugs are the kind where he smiles, all quaint and polite and it might be at an extremely inconvenient time but Hoku thinks he just likes to watch her squirm with the debate of turning down his polite, kind little hug and feeling bad about it so she ends up walking into his arms.

Bonus:

Chopper - Hoku can often be found toting Chopper around, tucking under her arm like baggage she’s just carting with her. Chopper is her immediate traveling-companion on the colder islands otherwise Hoku complains non-stop and gets on everyone’s nerves.

teacher teacher teacher i have a sad hokucanon about how, since hoku honey thinks sabo is dead, she makes little dolls of him with his clothes and stuff, and then leaves them in places with good views, especially of the sky or sea. she even makes an openable pocket in the back wear she writes short letters to him since she thinks. you know, that he’s dead. there’s at least one mini-sabo in every place she’s been,

ah, anon, you have good taste

If possible though, since Hoku isn’t the best with needles and things, I’d say that she instead draws/paints/graffitis his hat onto different places following what you said, where she thinks he’d like it the most. Places that remind her of being free because it’s what he wanted more than anything else. Then she’ll leave small memos behind in the cracks and places beside them with the written lines hoping he’s getting it from up there too.

. . . . .

“Hoku, what are you drawing over there?”

Hoku hummed, finishing up the little bit of black to the edge of his hat, making sure it finished nice and clean against the brick wall over looking the ocean’s harbor. Nami came to stand beside her, arms daintily full with her latest purchases with Sanji carrying the rest several feet behind.

“Hoku Honeyyyy! There you are!”

“Just finishing up here,” Hoku said. She pulled a small paper from her pocket, slipping it into the cracks of the brick wall. She pressed her fingers to her lips and then to her heart and then placed it onto the painted hat, offering it a small smile before she sat back up.

“Did you find anything good?” Hoku said, tucking her brush behind her ear. Nami reached out, tucking some of Hoku’s hair behind that and giving her a bit of a thoughtful look before she simply smiled.

“Plenty. I’ll tell you all about how I bartered with the cashier,” Nami slung her arm through hers and Hoku didn’t complain, letting her pull her along as Sanji sang praises behind them. “I even picked some things out for you for the right price.”

“Well, I gotta like them first before I pay.”

“Well, you’ll just have to try them on first then, won’t you?”

Hoku grinned carelessly while Nami offered her a cheeky smirk in return, tugging Hoku closer to her side.

A small black top hat sat in the corner of the brick wall, painted in permanently overlooking the sea. A pair of goggles etched around its brim. Unhindered by anything else.

Free as a bird.

Did Mahina really intend for Hoku to go to that marine (I forgot her name) and be inevitably raised by marines if anything happened to her and/or Manu. Or was she secretly hoping that Mihawk would grow a soft spot for her and end up raising her (like he kinda ended up doing).

I love this question 

Mahina believed that with Tsuru and inevitably in the heart of the marines, she’d be the safest. If Hoku joined their ranks, she’d be protected under their laws and care and in a way, hidden and untouchable by certain people because she’s a hard working soldier, how could they sell her off as a slave? Mahina knew however there would be restrictions and laws, but her first hope was seeing Hoku be able to get the chance to survive in the months past what was going to happen. She also didn’t know what the state of the world would be after the Fall of Artopoki, and since she planned to go into this as her last fight, she wanted to do what she could and think ahead for once for the daughter she was leaving behind.

However, Mahina trusts Mihawk with all her lives, and the only thing she did know for certain was that if she left her in his hands, she’d live.

And maybe, maybe, she humored the idea of Mihawk towing around that daughter she promised he would meet and maybe they’d go on some adventures of their own, she knew Mihawk had been feeling a bit bored lately anyway.

I LOVE MAHINA PLEASE GIMME SOME RANDOM FACTS ABOUT HER LIKE HOW TALL WAS SHE FAVORITE LEAST FAVORITE FOOD WAS SHE AFRAID OF INSTECTS DID SHE LIKE FLUFFY MIHAWK HAT DID SHE PLAN ON HAVING KIDS BEFORE HER DEAL WITH MANU HOW MANY SWORDS DID SHE MAKE DOES SHE LIKE COLD WEATHER OR DOES SHE HAS COLD FEET BIG SPOON OR LITTLE SPOON DID MIHAWK AND HER HAD A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP OR PLATONIC IF SHE GOT TO LIVE WHAT WOULD HER GREATEST SWORD LOOK LIKE DID SHE HAVE A FAVORITE COLOR thanks and sorry ilovya!

HAHAHAHAHA I LOVE THIS MAHINA LOVE, I LOVE HER AND MANU TOO OKAY THANK YOU FOR LOVING THEM <3

I know sometimes stories that get too bogged down with OCs can turn some people away, but I’m really happy and thankful and GLAD you guys liked them so much ;-;

(I have to be wary of spoilers, but here you go!)

Mahina

- Her favorite food was grilled seafood, specifically the best kinds you could eat skewered. Her least favorite is anything too sweet. She likes kalo berries more than kiionohi because they have a more subtle favor and nutrients.

- Insects don’t bother her! Mahina was always the kind of woman who could shove her hands into a hole in the ground to find good ores and pull them out covered in worms and creepy-crawlers but she just brushed them off. 

- She was particularly fond of the birds and the horses that were native to Artopoki. The cremellos and palaminos that live there are wild horses, but many are painted with different coming of age markings because from time to time, a Pokian will live beside the herd and slowly try to form a bond with one horse, build a working relationship with it and in a sense, “ask” it for services for however long before releasing it back into the wild. It was customary to paint your marking somewhere on the horse to show you owed it a life and debt. (The horses with more markings are especially proud because they feel they’ve done a good service)

- She loved the flowers of Artopoki, especially the sea lotuses. (They grow in small, still lulls of seawater along the island coast or on sandy shores) They tended to grow white but could inherit the color of something around them. 

- They were her favorite flower to carve into her markings and Mau’s original guard was in the shape of one until she changed it to a star shaped guard when she planned to give it to Hoku. 

- Her mother passed away giving birth to her and her father was a man of the forge who worked himself to death and drank a lot, he never hurt her though or treated her particularly bad, they just were never very close. Mahina grew up around fire and brimstone and the heat of metal, and she was more of an apprentice to him than a daughter. He did leave her with some valuable skills and parting words she kept with her.

- She and Manu are childhood friends, they’ve known each other since birth. She thinks Manu’s drawings are always the best.

- Manu’s brother wanted to marry her once, she told him if he could ever kill her in a sword fight she’d do it. (He never could.)

- Many Pokians advise against the practice/habit but it wasn’t uncommon for rowdier, wilder Pokians to bet a life on the sake of something. Mahina was one of the rowdier ones.

- “If that sword breaks on you, you can cut me down.”

- Mahina was considered one the greatest weapon crafters Artopoki had seen in a long time. Her weapons were classes and grades above others but specifically her swords. They thought her father taught her some kind of skill, but Mahina says, “The forge and the metal were the first voices I ever heard.”

- She developed her own coating technique. Every Pokian who coats uses different mixtures based on their blood they make themselves, but hers were on another level.

- Women of Artopoki tend to lean toward crafting and the forge while the men were actually often more inclined to be artists, both work places and schools were always fairly even, but there tended to be a bit more of the other respectively. 

- Mahina was the type of Pokian to have more feline features (sharper canines, very agile movements and balance, the gold in her eyes tended to be an almost feline-like slit) some Pokians tended to inherit that trait but they’re not really sure of reasons but they have speculative sayings like, “More of the goddess in that one.” or “You’ve got her touch.”

- She loves Mihawk’s hat. Originally it didn’t come with the plume and she found it and felt like it really completed the look. He never said no.

- The cross-knife was one of the first things she ever forged for Mihawk, he wore it with him always and preferred not to use it. When Mahina had to return to Artopoki, he gave it back to her to hold onto and when they met again, she gave it back to him.

- She and Mihawk traveled together for many years while both building names for themselves, they had to find funds to make their travels around and often set up shop like the scene with her and Tsuru where Mahina would sell weapons and swords and Mihawk would demonstrate how well they cut.

- They’ve traveled to many places, I wonder where?

- Mahina is a few years older than Mihawk!

- Was it romantic or platonic? Mmm, this question has been asked many times and I’ll answer like always by not really answering–they were very close and each other’s greatest friends, they trusted each other more than anyone else. Partners through and through.

- Mahina never really thought about having kids but she didn’t mind the idea, her swords were always her children first.

- Mahina is terrible with cold weather but Manu always seemed to move just fine in it.

- How many swords? Hahahaha I wonder…

- I guess she’s the big spoon? She always fell asleep with her head against her swords and the swords in her arms.

- Mahina was the more easy-going parent. Manu was usually the stricter one between the two and more ferocious and protective, Mahina’s the kinda mom that would let her four-year-old hold her swords and sit next to her while she sharpened them.

- Her favorite color is any shade of metal.

- She was never sure what the greatest sword would ever look like, she figured she’d know when the time came for her to make it, but she did know what she wanted to name it and the epithet she wanted it to carve and cut for itself.

- She wanted to name it Hoku. A sword that could cut through stars.

Omg omg omg NEED MOAR DECADE SWAP W/ HOKU AND FAM SOOOOOO GOOD. CAN YOU IMAGINE JUST ALL THESE CRAZY FAMOUS LEGEND FIGURES CHASING HER(somanyships,solittletime) AND SHES JUST SORTA OBLIVIOUS AND SHANKS NOTICES WHAT HE'S GOTTA TANGLE WITH TO GET SOMEHWERE WITH THE HOKU .... ahem, I might just feel a little strongly about this au, super love your stuff can't wait to see what happens next

Hoku laughed, kicking her feet up onto the table. Sanji tutted about manners, gently taking her feet into his lap and starting to ease his fingers around her ankles, smoothing out the rough muscles. He started to undo her laces. “Me? I’m old! Who the hell wants to get with this grandma?”

“Hoku Honey, I’d have you in a heartbeat,” Sanji said, pulling her shoes off for her. Hoku let her head hang over the back of the chair. He exhaled a cloud of smoke. “You haven’t aged a day, beautiful.”

“They just want to fight me ‘cause of Lu,” Hoku said, waving a hand. Sanji grinned around his cigarette, massaging her feet. “And they’re too scared of you and Zoro.”

Sanji pointedly looked over to the side. Bright red hair peeked out from between two palm leaves, poorly concealing his envious expression. The boy bit into the fruit in front of him, clutching the palm leaves harder.

Sanji exhaled, pulling Hoku’s legs over his lap and continuing to massage her feet. She melted under his touch.

“That’s wonderful, Hoku Honey,” Sanji said smoothly. “You just keep thinking like that, alright?”

“Sanji, don’t stop.”

“Aye, aye, my lady~”

Ok so we've heard a lot about Mahina, but now I want to know more about Manu.

More about Manu will be revealed in plot line but what I can say for now at least is that:

- He comes from a long line of extremely talented artists on Artopoki, many of which also became illustrators

- He was considered the problem child between himself and his brother

- He had a rebellious phase, he was known for taking long trips away from the island and traveling around the world, he went years without going back sometimes

- Manu was considered one of the prettiest/handsomest for his generation on Artopoki

- He and Mahina have been friends since they were children

- He used to abhor the traditional style of art taught to him and did more unconventional/explorative styles with Pokian ink in his youth, found himself reconciling with tradition and the new when he got older (he drilled the fundamentals into Hoku for the short time they were together)

- He originally didn't want children

- He had a ten-year-plan for Hoku when it came to learning art, but the more time he spent watching his daughter grow, somewhere along the way he decided he wanted to see what kind of stories she would tell on her own

- He pretended not to notice when Hoku skipped art practice to learn from Mahina, they later decided if she wanted to take up crafting they'd find a way to make it work

- Manu did leave quite a string of broken hearts behind across the Grand Line

Typetober Day 2: warm on a cold night

(pls let this tide u over for now, new update coming soon!)

Hoku pressed her two hands together, rubbing her fingertips hard enough for it to feel raw from the pressure.

Her breath came out near solid in a puff of white cloud, trailing into wisps around her face. The frigid cold blanketing the entire ship was enough to send her running for the hills if there were any hills to begin with. She should’ve stuck to her originally intentions and holed up in the girls’ room with all the blankets she could find.

Everyone moved over the deck around her, peals of laughter filling the night, starry air. She tracked Luffy with her eyes, lunging around as Chopper and Usopp chased him with snowballs. Nami and Robin were curved over a freshly snow-brushed table, warm, steaming hot cups of cocoa in their hands as Sanji tended to their every need. Some ways away Zoro was up in the crow’s nest, the faint outline of his swords peeking over the rim.

It’s too cold for a night out. I don’t know why the all wouldn’t want to just stay in. Hoku bitterly eyed her frostbitten fingers. She’d long chugged the hot chocolate Sanji had gifted her and was too stubborn to ask for more. I can’t even draw in this weather. It’s too damn cold.

She should just go inside.

Why don’t you just go inside?

I’m only bad with the cold because I’m from Artopoki. Hoku thought. I just didn’t get the good genes to deal with the snow. I’m part of the majority.

She ran her fingers over each other, stuffing them into her jacket. That’s why I hate the cold.

“Why don’t we go somewhere for Christmas?”

Hoku paused.

“It’s been so long…”

“Just a nice get together…”

“You’ll be all alone again…”

“Just come…”

“Why are you always so busy when you don’t even have a real job–”

“Hokuuuuuuu! What are ya doin’ over here?”

She stared at the top of Luffy’s sandals. It was amazing how this guy couldn’t feel anything, heat or cold. Luffy was just indestructible. 

“Thinking,” Hoku said. Luffy made a face, squatting down in front of her with his arms wrapped over his knees. He stared drawing into a patch of snow beside her. “Go back and play. I’ll die if you toss any snowballs at me.”

“Shishishi, you’re too weak!” Luffy sang. He cocked his head. “You’re not drawing?”

“My hands are too cold,” Hoku said darkly. “Run back, I’m going to go down and just–”

“Hands.”

“Huh?”

Luffy pointedly held out his hands, looking at her with that stupidly open, stupidly unreadable face. The big, wide eyes and the expectancy of a guy who never knew how to take no for a god damn answer. Hoku stared at him, bewildered and confused until she grudgingly tugged her hands out of her pockets and set them on top of Luffy’s.

Hoku nearly shuddered at the warmth. Her eyes snapped down to where Luffy’s fingers slipped through hers, linking their hands together. Goddess, he’s so stupidly warm. Maybe he and Ace really are brothers.

“Shishishi,” Luffy grinned at her, peering up from beneath the rim of his hat. Snow caught on the edges. “Better you big baby?”

Hoku hesitated for a second before she tightened her hands around Luffy’s. Her captain didn’t protest, tightening his hands right back as though it were some sort of competition.

Hoku couldn’t bring the words to her lips. The voices in the back of her head faded away.

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “Better.”

Typetober Day 8: encounters and partings

In light of a Memos update coming veeeerrrryyyyy sooooooon (to the reader who asked for an update because today was their birthday, i’m sorry i wasn’t able to make it :( but i promise i’ll make it up to you! hope you had an amazing one <3)

A flurry of bodies rushed past her legs, nearly toppling her over. Hoku wobbled, grabbing the wooden pillar of the shop beside her before she could fall flat on her face. She scowled, whirling around with one hand curled into a fist. “Hey! Stupid brats, watch where you’re going! You could get someone killed!”

“Sorry, lady!” one of the boys hollered, breaking out into a chorus of laughter as they ran. The smallest one tripped, forcing the other two to brake on their heels. They quickly rushed back, hauling him up by his arms and running away with him in tow.

Hoku stopped at the sight, fist loosening in the air. She felt a little quiet all of a sudden, staring at their backs as the three boys laughed, heads tossed high and smiles bright until they disappeared entirely from sight.

“Hoku, you’re too slow!”

“Put more effort into it!”

“We’re gonna leave you behind!”

“My star, is something wrong?”

Hoku’s fingers uncurled from her fist. She dropped her hand back down to her side, staring after the empty space between the crowd. 

No. She thought back, reaching behind her to touch Mau’s hilt before she shook her head, turning toward the shop and stepping inside. “It’s nothing.”

Hoku fixed the tie under her chin. Her hood stayed well in place, hiding the bright white hair she’d tucked away for the sake of a little stealth. The island ought to be fine for now since she was just picking up supplies before her next raid, but she couldn’t be too careful. I have to think ahead. I have to be smart.

There wasn’t anyone else around to do it for her.

Keep reading

Fk,,,, i just,,, realized. Since in OP idiots like luffy usually attract people w/o them noticing, does that mean hoku will too??? D: i mean,, she kinda seems like oblivious idk unless she is also attracted to that person. Will the rest of the strawhats protect her from shitty guys?

HAHAHAHA DUMBASS HOKU

if she isn’t beating up the shitty guys herself first, her crew will be there dw

“Yeah, sorry, nice try—this one’s ours.”

Bonus:

(Somewhere in the New World)

“For a crew this small, that asshole Straw Hat sure can get himself some women.”

“I don’t get the guy—he’s a monster. Look at that face—he can’t possibly be pleasing them the way we could.”

The two men grunted in unison, flipping through the wanted posters. All the men and one pet and skeleton of the infamous Straw Hat pirates were littered on the floor. Three spread out on their table.

“I’d go for the ginger,” one man said, tapping Nani’s wanted poster. “Look at that body.”

“If she doesn’t rob you for all you’re worth,” the other man grunted. “See, the raven, now—that’s a beautiful bitch if I’ve ever seen one. Mature. Older—she knows her way around if you know what I mean. But I’d settle for the next best thing. Don’t like my women too smart.”

He tapped the next poster. Hoku’s canines peeked through, her grinning face on the paper beaming back at something else. “Got a look to her this one. Bet I could show her a thing or two and she’d be writing my name down for weeks.”

They laughed, slapping each other on the backs. The man shoved Hoku’s poster forward. “If only these damn things worked like those strips—could unfold this and see what’s beneath that cloak—“

“Follow that tattoo right?”

“I can think of a few places I’d like to see where she might be hiding one.”

“Maybe if you’re lucky you can see those legs—“

“Hello, fine gentlemen! That’s a pretty poster you’ve got there.”

The two men snorted, a shadow falling over their table. They turned over their shoulders, “What’s it to you—“

They stopped.

Slowly, carefully, blood began to drain from their faces. Their eyes inches open wider and wider, threatening to pop from their sockets as tears spilled from the corners. Their knees began to knock together, their faces ashen and—

Black curled at his ankles. Scarlet red hair tickling the sculpted curve of his sharp jaw. Broad shoulders. Sun kissed skin. Eyes, easy and languid along with the wide, bright grin curling over his lips—

One of the Four Emperors in the flesh.

Red Haired Shanks—

The two men foamed at the mouth, falling over and smashing into the ground.

Shanks grinned. He calmly reached over on the table and tugged the wanted poster off, holding it gently in his hand as he turned on his heel.

“Come on, was that really necessary?” Yasopp complained. “A little excessive on the Haki—“

“I didn’t even use a single thing,” Shanks said, giving the poster one long, absently fond look before he started to fold it back up. “I say we all go get ourselves a drink.”

Lucky chewed, “I’m telling you guys, at the rate she’s looking, our Hoku-chan must’ve had her pick of who she wanted in the sheets by now—“

Shanks’ sword hit his knee the same time Yasopp tripped him and Benn’s gun caught the back of his head.

Shanks moved to tuck the poster into the fold of his shirt when he paused. A curious look flickered over his face and he unfolded the poster, brushing his finger down the side corner of Hoku’s cheek, then to her neck, inspecting.

“I am curious though, I wonder if she’s added any new pretty little things anywhere else…”

Shanks craned his head, as though expecting the poster to continue so he could see for himself.

Benn exhaled a cloud of smoke.

“Pot calling the kettle black.”

back stuff

if there was one thing satoru loved about you, it was your back. of course, he loved the other parts of you too! like your face and your tits—but nothing gets him going like the sight of you in a backless dress. or when he’ll wake up next to you, nude and turned away, all exposed for him.

he’ll find himself praising the lord above on those fortunate days. his cerulean blue eyes roam over the expanse of your skin, tracing the gentle curvature of your spine with a soft gaze. and he’s unable to resist the urge to touch you, to run his fingers over the smoothness of your back. his wife.

you were so vulnerable like this, so beautiful—did he ever tell you enough? he’ll reach out his hand, the knuckle of his forefinger tracing downwards, feather-light. the skin of his own finger tingles at the contact.

deep in your slumber and still so tempting, he grows bolder with each caress, letting his touch linger longer in the divot of your spine. he’ll repeat the motion again and again as your back arches sensually in your sleep, mesmerized by the way your body responds to his touch.

OHH MY GODDD THE ENDING WHERE LAW SHAMBLES A CRATE OF APPLES....

MADE ME THINK OF HOKU!!!!!

Kid: *wanting to give a crate full of apples to Hoku to have browny points*

Luffy: *sees meat steals meat*

Luffy and Kid fighting

Law: *shambles crate of apples to give it to Hoku instead*

Hoku: *draws while daydreaming of apples........apple hair Shanks*

MILD SPOILERS FOR THE END OF THE WANO ARC BELOW

Kid paused for a moment as something rolled across the ground, knocking lightly into the side of his foot. He glanced with half a scowl nearly tattooed across his lips, narrowing his eyes at the disruption while Killer hauled the next crate of supplies over his shoulder.

The people of Wano were ensuring with everything they had that the pirates currently preparing to leave their hidden shores would be stocked and ready for whatever lay beyond them. Kid didn’t care for their generosity and blubbering—they’d take what they deserved and have their fill. There was nothing else to it.

He didn’t care much either, for the way the other two crews encroaching on his space handled things. Namely one crew in particular, and specifically one ridiculous, mouthy, cowardly, irritating—

(“We can’t take all of this!” Hoku laughed, her voice grating against the side of his ears as he watched her over the lip of a sake jar, scowling beneath the fluttering shadow of light from the lanterns strewn across the street in victory above them. “You all have to eat enough to make up for all these years!”

“But supplies! You need more!”

“We’ve seen how your captain eats!”

“We saw you back in the banquet hall!”

She tossed her head back and laughed. It rang and echoed, the faint flush of joy against the tan of her skin.

“Then let’s eat it together! Lu!”

“Hoku don’t you dare! The two of you will end up clearing all our supplies before we even leave!”

“Hoku Honey! If you’re hungry, I’ll make something for you right now!”

One of the brats leapt from the ground, arms wrapping around that damned woman’s neck as she continued to laugh, eyes swallowing the sight of joy before her with a bright sort of greed—drinking her fill before they skipped across the street and met—)

Kid angrily hefted the stuffed crate of supplies. The bright, shiny red apples rolled against each other. Wrapped hunks of meat were placed haphazardly on top. He looked forward beyond Killer’s shoulder to where that damned woman sat now, looking useless as always as she leaned back against a stack of crates, idly drawing into her book.

He’d already mocked her for being lazy and lounging around, but she’d simply bit back with an arrogant sniff that their tangerine haired devil woman of a navigator had ordered her to stay put.

“You’ll end up falling into the dock or worse,” Nami said. “Just sit there and look pretty.”

Kid had scoffed at how she’d pouted, ambling through the stacked crates of supplies trying to poke her nose and help here and there until she’d tripped into a grain barrel and Roronoa Zoro had fished her out by her scruff.

He’d unnecessarily slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, her visage completely unbothered—as though this ridiculousness was normal—while Zoro walked around with her slung like that and kept lifting crates and helping stack goods.

What an idiot.

Kid’s boots stomped against the ground as he grew closer to that stupid woman now. His scowl deepened into a sort of sneer, grip tightening on the crate over his shoulder. He was in a good mood. He’d fool around with that idiot. She was easy to rile up if you knew what buttons to press. Kid had started to learn from their encounters so far.

He’d even pretend it was a peace offering—watch her face comfort into dumbfounded confusion—maybe he’d trip her into the same crate he was carrying—hah! What a load that’d be.

(She could easily fit into it, he thought carelessly, not even really thinking much of it. Right into that crate. They’d toss her into the ocean. On board. Into his cabin. )

A familiar twang sounded off like a snap by Kid’s ear and he abruptly stopped, whirling around the same moment grubby fingers pulled free an entire hunk of smoked meat from his crate. Straw Hat Luffy shamelessly shoved the entire thing into his mouth.

“Hey! You looking for a fight Straw Hat?” Kid dropped the crate to the ground with a thump! Luffy immediately stood at his raised tone, grinning impishly. “Keep your grimy hands off!l

“What’d you say Jaggy?”

“Come down here and I’ll beat it into ya!” Kid snarled. Killer continued peacefully without him towards the ship. “Less you’re scared.”

Luffy landed nimbly before him in an instant. Kid’s hackles raised and the two of them began to shout, hollering childish remarks back and forth while one calm, unbothered gaze finally set his finished newspapers down. He raised his fingers instead, curling them slightly.

“Shambles.”

Law stood up with the crate in his arm with ease. He made his way down the same way Kid originally intended, making it quite a fair distance before either of the two idiots realized what had happened and they were now shouting and spitting at him across the docks.

“Hoku-ya.”

Hoku looked up with a bit of a jump from her drawings. Law raised a curious, fine arched brow when he noticed her not-so-discreetly attempt to shuffle one of her papers back. “Torao! What can I do for ya?”

On any other occasion, Law would’ve ignored it. Meddling further with this woman usually ended up with more than he intended, and even teasing her to some degree either sailed over her head or ended with him having a headache.

But he was in a good mood today. Law felt…tactful.

(“Our captain’s still a bit of a sadist at heart,” Penguin said. “Don’t forget that!”)

A blue film enveloped the two of them and Hoku jumped, looking surprised and confused until she glanced down to her hands where a handful of bright red apples now sat.

“Hey!” Hoku’s lips started to turn into a grin. “Aw, don’t tell me you’re feeling sentimental! C’mon, is this your way of being sweet? Or wait, are you doing a whole one apple a day—“

Hoku abruptly broke off, watching Law flip casually to the page she’d been hiding. Her sketchbook now sat loosely in his grip.

Hoku paled. Her eyes went wide and her cheeks flushed as she shot up, cradling the apples still. “Wait—“

Law promptly stilled. He blinked once, slowly, and then finally looked back to Hoku with judgement clear in his gaze. His expression attempted disinterested disdain, a usual look, but his fingers twitched against the sketchbook, a quiet whisper of something else.

Law made the tactical decision to ignore that.

“Really?”

“S-So what?” Hoku snapped. Her cheeks flushed a red as deep as the apples in her hands. Law briefly traced it down her collarbone—her blush always carried down her neck, against her back—but his scowl deepened instead. “It’s just a drawing! I can draw whatever I want! I like drawing pretty things! That’s perfectly normal! He’s a handsome man!”

Law gave her a look somewhat reminiscent of disgust and disappointment.

“Did I ask?”

“No! But I can tell you’re judging me and I don’t wanna—“

“Are you fucking kidding me? This some kinda sick joke doll?”

“Shishishi! That’s a good one Hoku! He’d love it!”

“Beat it Straw Hat! I’m about to throttle this—“

“Throttle? You’re talkin’ hot shit for a loser.”

“Loser? Did you go blind? I won—“

“I’m still 2-0 with ya, Kiddo.”

“Kiddo?”

“Eustass-ya pipe down.”

“Shut it—“

A breeze ripped the page from Law’s fingertips—he absently let it go, better off to the winds—but the four gathered continued a mix of shouting, condescending speaking—

Nami watched Robin pluck the paper from the air as it drifted by them. The two women leaning over the side of the ship.

Robin carefully smoothed the paper out, humming in amusement.

“Our dear artist has dangerous taste.”

“I just don’t get it,” Nami sighed with a pitiful shake of her head. “She’s hopeless, that one. The seas are endless and she picks one of the scariest men in the ocean to have a crush on?”

“Hopeless,” Robin echoed playfully, glancing thoughtfully toward where they could barely see Hoku’s bright white hair peeking out from the three bodies surrounding her. “Hopeless indeed.”

Nami sighed in pity when she followed Robin’s gaze. “Something tells me this is going to come back and bite us. Should I send Zoro? No, Sanji would be better…”

“No harm in letting them play a bit longer,” Robin said smoothly. The breeze fluttered the paper in her grip and she glanced back to it.

“Well,” Robin turned the picture perfect portrait of a grinning, fearless Red-Haired Shanks. Even the glint of his eyes seemed particularly fond to Robin. “She does draw him very handsomely.”

“Hmm… I’m going to make Hoku draw a portrait of me now once we set sail.”

“Mm, did that make you jealous? Though, that does sound rather fun. I think I’ll have to make Hoku do one for me too…”

i know it might have been mentioned before, but if it hasn't been touched on already, could we pretty pretty pls see what a marine au for memos would look like? who would Hoku work for? would she ironically make for a good marine?

The following AU takes place in a timeline where Hoku did eventually join the Marines. After spending time on Dawn Island with Luffy, when Hoku sets off on her own journey, reuniting with Ace, meeting Hack, etc, only after fixing up Mayman/meeting Kid, does she seek out Tsuru and decide to take her up on her offer to become "an upstanding marine" and to avoid Luffy

(The scene with Shanks below takes place sometime 3D2Y post-time skip)

Hoku decides to play at being a marine because she (1) finds them constantly in the line of fire and at risk of work hazards (2) believes there's something specific she can do from the inside of the institute she'd like to explore, mainly helping other Pokians and maaaaaybe making things a bit easier for a certain king of pirates (because she knows she can always quit!) (3) it will help her avoid being a pirate with luffy and being involved further in the main story

Despite this plan, she still seems to run into one too many pirates

"What's your relationship with Straw Hat Luffy?" "Who's that?" "Our men saw him trying to kidnap you onto his ship! Was it for ransom?" "He just wanted me to try Sanji's new dish."

"But you're a marine, we're supposed to be capturing pirates?"

"I didn't see that in the handbook."

"But you never read the handbook!"

Hoku underwent rigorous training with Tsuru, mainly under the tough old lady's jurisdiction—this helps her particularly avoid discipline from several other marines. There have often been requests for her to join other commands, some from marines who want to teach her a lesson, others from marines who genuinely have fun working with her

When Tsuru isn't training her, she's being worked to near death by Garp

She has one of the highest disciplinary records in academy history

Some cadets don't understand how she can get away with getting into so much trouble, sometimes a marine grunt will see her being forced to clean out an entire base's cafeteria while someone supervises and they're like?? again??? how is she not in impel down?? tried for mutiny??

Some people eventually get the memo—it's favoritism/abuse of power/strangely good luck in some occasions

Some marines don't like it one bit, they have it out for Hoku, she doesn't really care

Garp never, ever stops talking anyone's ear off about how his beautiful, adorable granddaughter is going to be one of the best marine's the world has ever seen

Tsuru has unofficially officially made herself Hoku's grandmother in a way. She and Garp often have petty fights over Hoku stories. They fight a lot over who's squad Hoku has to be on

Over the years, she's actually made enough contributions and done quite the number of great feats, enough to land her at captain level, (rear admiral candidate at Tsuru and Garp's behest) but Hoku sometimes keeps her petty officer title, keeping the perks that come with captain status and the likes

She doesn't mind abusing her power and shrugging off her responsibilities

Whenever she's assigned missions where she has a whole squad to take care of, the marines assigned to her are usually wary, uncertain and thinking they're unlucky

Until they actually work with Hoku and are like??? we're doing work today? did we just bust this human trafficking ring? did we just liberate an entire island stuck in a pirate tyranny? and other times they come, asking her what their job is for today and she's just like? go home there's nothing to do

If they really bother her, she'll send them off to different islands and countries that need help. "Go distribute these supplies to here." "They asked for someone to help rebuild their village." "Put those dumb ships to use and go delivery this to them."

Hoku has made her way around several different bases, under several different chains of commands, (she is now infamous) usually on a sort of temp job kind of borrowed basis, but officially she's under Tsuru's wing

Smoker has gone through several different stages of mental strife and grief with Hoku, originally being distrustful when the criminal who blew up a base in Tretar became a marine, then becoming somewhat determined to help mold her into a damn good marine, then to becoming strangely fixed (obsessed) with either being in charge of ensuring she receives punishment/is not mistreated for her origins within the lower ranks, and they are even sometimes seen gambling together on occasion. They have a funny relationship these two, Hoku's too lazy to try to understand it.

Her outfit as a marine is a lot like her original, however she wears a black top instead of white and with black pants. Her jacket is white instead with her usual accessories, and the only thing that helps people actually identify her as a marine is the standard issue marine cap she wears

Hoku has also secretly become a huge collector of wanted posters. It originally started small, just taking the wanted posters of people she cared about, but now it's spiraled into a full-on sizable collection where she has different versions of wanted posters, original prints, first roll-outs and etc. She trades with Bradnew and other marines and hangs them all up on her wall or keeps them safe in a minted book

Hoku often abuses any and all of her rights as a marine. She's really, really good at being a bad marine.

"Hey, did you hear the news?"

The petty officer looked up from where they'd been tasked to dust and clean the entire meeting room to perfection. Several other cadets and chore boys had been called from the barracks, each ordered to ensure that the following few rooms that would be in use for the meeting would be ready at a moment's notice.

For what meeting? He had no idea.

"No," he said, because he didn't know. There was so much gossip going around base these days he could hardly keep up. "What was it?"

First there'd been the rumor that one of the Four Emperors of the sea was on the move about the Grand Line, cutting and going as he pleased. Any movement from an Emperor was grounds for mass panic. Then there'd been talk that newly appointed Fleet Admiral Akainu had almost burned another ranking marine alive. Less serious and more on the interesting side, word was floating around that the Vice Admiral Smoker was seeing someone, which was juicy gossip in its own right because Vice Admiral Smoker?

"Apparently he's always following her around," someone said.

"He requests transfers and is always grumbling about them, I think he's worried they're going to end up with someone else—"

"Even Captain Tashigi seems to be aware and they're always—"

For today, however, it seemed something different was brewing amongst headquarters. Other officers were making a ruckus while the upper brass seemed particularly miffed—which usually only happened if it involved someone outside their scope of power influence doing something they didn't like—

"One of the Seven Warlords is visiting HQ!"

The petty officer blinked, opening his mouth before closing it and then finally deciding on his next words, "Well, that's big news, but it's not unheard of news man. They're required to come for summons."

The petty officer shrugged. "Especially people like Bartholomew Kuma or First-Son of the Sea Jimbei. They're always on time."

"No, no, you don't understand," the marine looked around as though someone would hear before motioning for the petty officer to come closer. He rolled his eyes, leaning over the table. "It isn't just any of the Warlords... It's Hawk-Eye Mihawk!"

The petty officer dropped his broom, turning to his fellow marine. The other man looked smug now. "Dracule Mihawk is coming to HQ?"

"That's what I'm saying!"

"You should've said so sooner!" the petty officer scooped up his broom, renewing his cleaning with vigor. "He's not just a regular Warlord—that guy never responds to his summons! Never!"

"See what I mean! This is big news! Why now? What do you think convinced him to come?"

"It must be something big," he said, shaking his head as the two of them not-so-discreetly made their way to the wide windows overlooking the base's dock. They'd get a full view of the elusive swordsman this way. "Do you think they're mobilizing for something?"

"I don't know, man. Think they'll let us sit in on the—"

A loud clamor came from the ground level beneath them. The two marines quickly looked at each other and then pressed their faces up against the glass. Their fellow officers below them were rushing around on the docks, forming into greeting lines and looking sick with nervousness. One man seemed to be praying.

It was understandable behavior, to be honest. Dracule Mihawk was known for being an unknown man and more often then not he'd felled one too many marine ships simply because they'd been in his way.

"I see his ship!" the marine beside him said. They pressed harder to the glass, squinting for the full view. "Always gives me the creeps. Who sails around in a coffin?"

He thought about telling his fellow officer that there was quite the number of weirder ships out there, but the sudden silence below them made the two of them pause. They glanced to each other and then back down.

The dock had gone eerily silent. Marines shook at the knees while hardened captains and a single vice admiral waited to greet the Warlord of the Sea.

One figure, however, suddenly came into view along the dock, sticking out like a sore thumb compared to the rest.

Her bright white hair fluttered absently with the wind, tugged this way and that as she paced up and down the dock, looking out across the ocean. She skirted the edge of the pier, however, just shy of the water with her hands stuffed into her jacket pockets.

"Who the hell is that?" the marine beside him said. "And why isn't she falling into line? What's her rank?"

"That's..." the petty officer caught a full view of the woman's face now, freezing at the infamous half-heart curving around her eye. "Cap—Serga—Lieute—" he paused, uncertain of her current ranking now. "Officer Hoku!"

"Hoku?" the marine looked confused, "who the hell is that?"

"Officer Hoku!" the petty officer repeated, looking at the man in shock. "You haven't heard of her? Vice Admiral Tsuru's right hand woman, the officer who blew up over ten marine bases—"

"She blew up our own bases?"

"It's a long story—the woman who apparently violated the nefarious Trafalgar Law—"

"Violated?"

"I heard what she did to him was so disgusting, even the officers near her threw up themselves! The one who fought Fleet Admiral Akainu's authority multiple times, got caught gambling in Crocodile's casino, vandalized a whole part of Marineford—"

"And she's not in Impel Down?" the man said, aghast. "Are you sure she's on our side?"

"Oh, sure. She's been credited with busting the largest human trafficking rings in history! She's also brought in multiple heinous pirates, and on multiple occasions they say she's been able to deescalate several run-ins with huge bounty pirates like the Straw—"

"I guess it makes sense why they're sending her to meet someone like a shichibukai," the marine said thoughtfully. The petty officer paused, a bit offended he didn't get to finish Hoku's infamous and notorious list. "Need a crazy officer to handle a crazy pirate, right?"

A commotion finally broke out below them. The vice admiral waiting to oversee the whole affair was shouting at Hoku now, lecturing her about her lack of respect. The white haired marine simply took a seat on a wooden crate, picking at her ear and absently flicking off toward the vice admiral's feet.

The marine gaped while the petty officer stiffled a laugh with a cough.

"Look, it's him!"

Hoku seemed to have thought the same thing, turning sharply from the vice admiral and jumping to her feet. A single, haunting figure of a man stepped out from the edge of his coffin. His coat flared out dangerously about his heels, wind catching against the fluffed plume atop his head. Cadets started to shake at the knees at the sight of the man—

"Mihawk!"

The cadets around them went completely pale, jaws growing slack as Hoku flew across the dock, taking off with a flying leap and sailing through the air, arms and legs oustretched.

Dracule Mihawk did not move. He remained, still as a statue as the marine promptly wrapped her arms and legs around his head. The vice admiral's jaw dropped to the floor, one hand reaching for his saber uselessly.

Mihawk remained still, allowing Hoku to situate herself as she rubbed her cheek over the top of his hat, laughing with a sound so sweet with joy, it made the petty officer flush. She turned around, keeping herself wrapped completely over his head.

The rest of the marines continued to stare, waiting for Mihawk to throw her into the water or cut her in half.

"I didn't know you were coming to visit!" Hoku said happily, eyes shining with affection. "What's it for? You get called in by the brass or somethin'?"

"It was a whim." Mihawk neither cut her nor tossed her into the ocean. Instead, the man simply began to walk with perfect ease, toting Hoku along as though she were an added weight to his hat. "I will be departing shortly."

"Already! You've got a stay for at least a bit! Actually, aren't you hear for a meeting?"

"I heard of no such thing."

"Oh, cool then! Why don't we grab something to eat?"

"You mean to spar?"

"I-I never said that! Eat! I said eat!"

"Come, then. We shall take up arms—"

"Wait, wait, wait!"

The petty officer quickly began to add another feat to Hoku's growing list. The marine beside him continued to gape.

- - - - - - - - -

"Hmm," Hoku's brows furrowed in thought, fingers moving in a rhythmic, soothing motion. "This isn't a bad idea, right?"

"It's a bit cramped."

"Right, right, sorry about that. Just give it a few more minutes. Those guys out there are runnin' around like chickens without a head."

"Aye."

Hoku's fingers flexed. Her cheeks flushed a bit as she cleared her throat. As subtly as she could, she pressed herself tighter to the figure squeezed into the armory closet beside her. He made no move in protest, simply shuffling a bit to accommodate her and Hoku felt her cheeks flush.

"Do you need more room?" he asked.

"No, no," Hoku cleared her throat. "Sorry. Mind if I get a bit closer."

"That's okay," he said kindly. "I don't mind."

Hoku sneakily reached her arms more around his waist. He turned again in her arms and she felt her heart hammer wildly now, cheeks flushed as she slowly, carefully pressed her cheek against him.

Hoku shut her eyes in bliss. Soft. Like a cloud. And so warm. So, so warm. Ka. I don't mind staying like this for another hour—

"Shambles."

Hoku let out a squawk of surprise, her and her companion ripped clean from the closet and appearing hovering in the air for a moment. A thin film of blue surrounded the two of them, Hoku's arms and legs wrapped shamefully and scandalously around the other as her eyes went wide and then they both crashed onto cobblestone floors.

Hoku groaned, a second flick of someone's fingers leaving her on her ass before a pair of long legs. She rubbed her tailbone, looking up with a disgruntled frown as dark, brooding eyes gazed directly back at her.

"Traffy," Hoku greeted casually. "I didn't know you were here."

Law gave Hoku one long, withering look before he glanced over to the mound of soft white fur collapsed on the floor still, his fluffy cheeks flushed a soft pink.

"Were you taking advantage of Bepo?"

Hoku coughed. She refused to meet Law's eyes, fiddling instead with the top of his boot.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Captain Hoku!" Hoku blinked, looking around the side of Law's legs as a crowd of marines skidded to a halt before them. "Shall we arrest these fiends?"

"Nah," Hoku sighed, standing up as she dusted herself off. Law tipped his head to the side, regarding her coolly. "No need."

"B-But they're pirates!"

"I didn't see anything." Hoku turned on her heel, giving Bepo a wink. The polar bear's cheeks flushed a brighter pink and she grinned, saunteering off. "Let's head back to the ship—"

Tattooed fingers enclosed smoothly around her wrist. Hoku blinked, once, twice, before she glanced down to the larger hand engulfing hers. She followed it up to a calm, unreadable expression, dark, half-lidded eyes slowly meeting her own.

Something devious flickered, like a dark little shadow across Law's face.

Hoku paled.

"On an island surrounded by marines," Law said slowly, his voice low, curling around her ears. "I suppose we ought to take a hostage for safe passage, right?"

Hoku grinned nervously.

-------- ------ -------

"Cap—Officer Hoku! Officer Hoku!"

Hoku sighed, forcing her eyes to remain shut. Sunlight warmed the exposed skin of her belly, whispering temptingly to urge her into a well-needed nap in a rare moment of peace. The island they'd been called to investigate had seemed to resolved itself, no more terrorizing, plundering pirates and simply happy, cheerful townsfolk.

She didn't know what good luck had helped them out, but she wasn't about to complain over a free chance to kick back on the island before HQ called them back. They weren't expected for another week—this was the perfect chance to slack offcget some rest.

Hurried footsteps still rushed her way. Hoku kept her arms behind her head, lounging over one of her drawn hammocks. Usually ignoring them for awhile did the trick—

"Officer Hoku!" the marine finally panted, wheezing as she skidded to a halt beside Hoku. "Cap—Hoku! It's an emergency!"

Hoku kept silent, turning onto her side.

"The—at the docks," the girl panted. Her eyes were round with fear, knees shaking. "Docks!"

Hoku continued to sway peacefully in the sun.

"A ship, docked!" she inhaled a great breath of air.

"It's one of the Four Emperor's of the Sea—Red Haired Shanks!"

Hoku slipped out of her hammock, slamming face first into the wood below her. The marine jumped, hands flying to her mouth as Hoku quickly shot to her feet, nose red from her fall and eyes wide in disbelief.

"Who?"

"Red Haired Shanks!" the marine cried. Hoku's jaw went slack, eyes round. "O-Our men are currently in a perimeter around him! Apparently he's been spending time on this island for the past few days and—"

"They're doing what?" Hoku squawked. "Our orders are to never engage with Emperors unless ordered—oh for—ka!"

The marine opened her mouth to deliver the most pressing part of the news, but Hoku was already running past her, racing faster than she could ever hope to catch up to.

"And he's..." the marine started weakly. "Asking for you..."

Hoku skidded to a halt before massive blockade of blue and white bodies. She scowled, quickly forcing her way through, barking out quick and concise orders as her men whirled around, eyes widening at her appearance, jumping in and shouting left and right about emperor, what do we do? and Captain Hoku, stay back! This man is—

Hoku let out a screech as she tripped into the clearing, finally pushing past the wall of bodies.

A single arm reached out, a hand wrapping gently around her arm to hold her steady.

Hoku froze, her eyes shooting up.

"Dove," Shanks said, voice thick with fondness. "It's been awhile."

Hoku's traitorous heart fluttered at the sight of that slow, cheerful grin. She pointedly coughed, dusting herself off as Shanks' eyes flickered with amusement, stepping back, fingers lingering slightly on her arm so she could straighten herself.

"Pirate," Hoku said casually, the hint of a tease in her tone. Shanks raised a playful brow in turn. "As... what rank am I right now?"she turned to her men behind her.

"Just an officer, ma'am!"

"As commanding officer," Hoku crossed her arms over her chest. Shanks hand fell back to his side, fingers curling slightly. "I'm obligated to ask what one of the Four Emperors of the Sea is doing in this humble town."

"Well," Shanks glanced over his shoulder, back toward the dock where the Red Force was waiting. He could sense the playful jeers of his crew over the lip of the bow. "Miss Marine... It isn't a crime to be stocking up on some supplies and catching a short break now, is it?"

Hoku pretened to think his words over. Shanks' eyes glimmered with mirth.

The marine surrounded them continued to gape, frozen in disbelief.

"It's interesting timing," Hoku said. Shanks hummed for her to continue. "We were originally here on a distress call, but just as we were about to dock, we found out the issue had already been taken care of..."

"What luck," Shanks said with a grin. "I suppose that leaves you with some time to perhaps... relax yourself, aye?"

Hoku's mouth parted to retort and then she paused. Hoku blinked, looking up at Shanks in stunned surprise as she tried to make the little click of what she'd just heard in her head. But when he says it like that... no, wait. There's no way he'd know—huh?

Shanks watched the gears turn, eyes crinkling at the corners. "I know how hard you marines are always working—"

"Hoku!" Shanks eyes flickered to where a man broke the ranks of the gathered crowd, shoulders squared with whatever confidence he'd mustered. Shanks regarded him easily, expression relaxed as he approached Hoku. "We should retreat! We need to leave immediately and report the situation back to HQ!"

Hoku turned back to the marine. "It's alright. It's... a bit of a long story, but you guys know how it goes these days. He's—"

"Not like one of the other pirates!" the marine continued, gaze fearfully flickering to an amused looking Shanks and back. "With the others we understood, but this is an Emperor of the Sea! Cap—Officer Hoku, we should go!"

"I know, I know," Hoku appeased. "But don't—"

A different marine broke the ranks now, reaching out a grabbing Hoku's elbow. The first marine looked shocked while Hoku remained nonchalant, expression cool.

Shanks' gaze slowly flickered to where his fingers pressed indents into her skin.

The marine scowled viciously. "I ain't gettin' fired because of—

Shanks simply glanced over the top of Hoku's head.

Hoku's knees buckled for a moment, trembling under the sheer force until she quickly rightened herself, looking up at the pirate before her in disbelief.

Left and right the marine officers behind her dropped to the floor like flies, foam spilling out of some of their mouths as they crashed onto the ground. The man who'd grabbed Hoku in particular had been the first to collapse, hacking and clawing at his head before he fell face forward, pale and ashen. Hoku watched all of them, jaw going slack until not a single man was left standing, wiped out in a manner of seconds.

Warily, she turned her gaze back to playfully dark eyes, already watching her in turn.

"...even I have to say," Hoku began slowly, "that was a bit much, don't you think?"

"I never said I was a patient man," Shanks said almost sweetly, but his tone was sly and his eyes crinkled at the corners, shameless. "Now, Dove..."

Shanks offered her his arm, lips curling at the corner into something mischievous. His eyes watched her, half-lidded and almost lazy.

They burned, never leaving her face.

Hoku felt her pulse racing beneath her skin, forcing herself to appear relaxed.

"Shall we catch up a bit?" Shanks said, a slight husk to his tone.

"...I could threaten to make quite the arrest you know," Hoku said, only because she needed time to calm down.

Shanks tipped his head to the side, seeming to humor the thought. He hummed then, shutting his eyes as though going a step further and imagining the scenario. He turned his arm toward her, offering his wrist.

"I suppose I could come willingly," he said lightly, his words curling all about her, "If it were a beautiful woman like you... but I'm afraid I've only got one hand to offer..."

Shanks grinned impishly. "You'd have to cuff me to yourself."

Hoku snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. Shanks laughed, a full, cheerful sound. "You sure that's a good idea?"

"Well, I suppose it could be quite a bit to handle."

"More than you can handle?" Hoku grinned.

Shanks' eyes glittered then, like a ripple, and Hoku felt a thin shiver run down her spine, like the playful drag of a fingertip ghosting along her back.

"I don't know," Shanks murmured into her ear, leaning down. "I'd have to find out for myself."

Weakly, Hoku hooked her arm through his, making the decision for him.

Shanks laughed, a bellowing, heartfelt sound. He pulled her along into his side, his cloak flaring out behind them, almost wrapping around Hoku as they made their way down to the port.

"Aw, dove, don't pout. I promise I won't bite."

"You might lose a tooth or two if you try that."

"Dahaha! I thought you'd be sweeter since it's been so long! Is this any kind of reunion?"

"I was never sweet to you."

"Mmm, what does a man have to do to get a woman out of his league to give him a smile half as sweet as the ones she gives to that brooding—"

"Ten million beli," Hoku said on instinct. She paused then, suddenly growing pale as she half turned to Shanks, stepping a step back but unable to get very far with her arm still hooked through his—Shanks let her go a little ways away.

(But not very far.)

"Actually, wait, I take that—"

"Why, dove," Shanks laughed, grinning almost boyishly. "I suppose that could be easily arranged—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Hoku grumbled, trying to force the embarrassed red crawling up her neck to disappear. Shanks watched the dark flush along the nape of her neck with half-lidded eyes. "I know that amount ain't much these days to an Emperor of the seas—"

"It isn't that," Shanks said lightly, his words curling playfully. Hoku blinked, looking back up at him curiously.

Deep red stood out brightly against the expanse of white. Strands of Shanks' hair tickled against the side of her head as Hoku froze. Shanks leaned down, curling around her, smoothly tucking her against his side—the action forced Hoku to bend a bit, back arching ever so slightly as Shanks' lips brushed against her ear.

Hoku caught a glimpse of dark eyes beneath crimson strands. They curved, playful as always at the corners, but still a shudder threatened to run through her—the light press of Shanks' fingers on the side of her hip—when did he move his hand—

"You're worth much more than that, dove."

Hoku swallowed. She meant to say, "Oh, yeah?" but the sound that came out instead was a soft, slightly shaky, "Mmnh?"

Shanks hummed in affirmation, his eyes absently sliding behind her. "But I suppose it's easy to forget that when you've been surrounded by men who don't quite..." his gaze swept over the passed out, foaming marines at their feet, "Know how to value a woman properly, aye?"

Shanks paused briefly, brows raising slightly in surprise as he glanced down to the slender, scarred fingers now examining Gryphon, slid clean from its sheath. His sword rested with care in Hoku's hands as she inspected the current status of the blade.

Her eyes were half-lidded in faux disinterest, expression cool as she absently met his brightening gaze.

"And a heinous, shameless pirate would know better?"

"Hmm," Shanks grinned, walking the two of them back deeper into port. He remembered there being quite the delicious chef charring food in an open fire pit by the port.

"I suppose we'll have to find out."

-the shanks was too self-indulgent, anytime i think of writing a little bit of this man, he manages to steal another paragraph from me

satoru playing into the whole super dad role, wearing a baby carrier everywhere and mindlessly letting your teething baby chew and slobber all over the tip of his finger to soothe her itty bitty aches. unable to keep his precious baby girl out of sight for a second, barely allowing you to lift a damn finger in the middle of the night as your daughter’s cries rouse the both of you from slumber. sure, satoru slacked off on plenty of things but never when it came to his princess. her diapers full? he was already changing it. breast milk was taking some time to come in? not a problem, he’ll feed her using formula. a sudden sneeze? she must have caught a cold. needless to say, he would do anything for his little girl. he was always alert, having conditioned himself to sleep only a few hours even before the baby was born due to his demanding work schedule. and although you appreciated his consistent efforts and the lengths at which he was willing to go to prove himself a good father — though you knew he would be from the start and he’d done just about enough even while you were pregnant — you would like to spend at least an hour with your baby before she inevitably got whisked away by your husband. but no matter how many times you tried to reason with him that you were completely capable of taking care of the child you birthed for just one night, he’d readily refuse. you’d spent nine months nourishing and caring for his little one in your tummy, and now it was his turn.

reader who can’t stand satoru but then he gets hit by a curse that turns him into a cat. you find him, to his dismay, and take him home, only for him to realize how different you are when he isn’t around to pester you.

at first, he causes a lot of trouble. breaking things in your house, tearing up the pillows. he just wants to be a human again, but nobody can understand him! but you still take care of him and coddle him no matter how much trouble he causes, so different from how people treat him normally, as if he were a nuisance (which he kind of was on purpose). and he finds himself falling for you without realizing it.

so he stops being a bad cat, steadily losing hope that he’ll ever be human again. and satoru would be lying to himself if he said he didn’t enjoy how you stroked him while you read a book or let him sleep beside you at night. maybe it wasn’t so bad? so he decided then if he was going to be just a cat, he was fine with being your cat.

the higher-ups had taken note of his absence, obviously, and he only knows cause you’ve mentioned it to him. you had this endearingweird quirk where you’d talk to him as if he were a real person.

throughout his stay in your home as a house pet, satoru finds out a lot about you. you’ve always kept to yourself, but you vent your frustrations out to him while he’s like this, and he offers his comfort the best he can. which you appreciate, rewarding him with kisses that he secretly enjoys.

once he turns human again, by some miracle, his first thought is to go and find you. and when he does, you give him the cold shoulder like you used to, and it surprises him. before he realizes that, ah, he wasn’t your pet anymore. he was gojo satoru.

satoru realizes his feelings for you in that moment. when he feels the ache in his chest from your dismissive behavior, it leads him to starting his most important mission yet—winning your heart once more.

but this time, it’ll be as a person, not a damn cat.

im totally normal about this…😃

"kiss me."

"what-"

You're head shot up, eyes now focusing on the white-haired man in front of you, mouth agape and eyes taking in his sunkissed figure.

He leaned his head closer to you, head resting on his palm, his arm on your desk, observing your reaction with a subtle smug look on face.

"what?" furrowing your brows, looking down on him with a hint of disgust.

"You're beautiful."

You scoffed.

"No need for the flattery. I'm doing this so you can shut the fuck up during class." You ignored him and returned to explaining the physics lesson he asked you to tutor him with.

You complied to this silly situation because you figured this would be a way for him to finally stop poking your side and whispering dumb questions to you during classes.

It's been an hour of explaining, and Satorou Gojo seems to have been quiet the whole time. You were happy because you assumed he was really listening and understanding the topic.

Unbeknownst to you, he, instead, was listening to your soft voice, and how you kept trying to make yourself sound strict and scary by making your voice sound deeper, how you brush your hair when you're thinking, how your fingers fidget with your ballpen when you're impatient, how your eyebrows lift up when you're anticipating his answer to a question he didn't even process.

Satrou adored you. This stupid physics tutoring was just a pathetic excuse to spend more time with you.

He reached his hand out towards you, and brushed your hair away from your face.

Pupils dialated, heartbeat quickened, eyes yearning. You watched him be like that, entertained by the sight of him.

The lovestruck man uttered.

"You wanna grab coffee?"

"No, Gojo. I wanna go home."

Swatting his hand away, and bluntly shooting down his offer, closing your books and tidying your stuff. Yet the man still persists.

"But we haven't even finished studying yet, haven't we, sweetheart?"

He holds both of your hands, and fiddles them up and down, treating you like a baby.

"You weren't even listening to me, '"sweetheart." " mocking him, trying to detangle your hands from his big, slender ones, though, failing miserably.

"I soooo listened to you! "

Tightening his grip with you intertwined fingers, and motioning them in the air.

"Yeah? What's the speed of light in a vacuum?"

"..."

"The only thing that matters is the speed of my heartbeat when I'm with you. "

He shoots you a wink.

"Wait- where'ya goin? "

"I'll walk you home!!" Quickly grabbing his backpack and chasing you down the halls.

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ

Satorou Gojo's plan Q has failed, but, no worries, he'll figure out more ways to make you fall for him. Today, he's just happy he got to be with you for an extra hour, and be able to walk you home... after chasing you down the road, of course.

Megumi annoyed when his shikigamis do the complete opposite of what he has summoned them for, rubbing their heads into your hands, pulling out their tongues and spinning around on their bellies, Throwing you to the ground to keep playing with you, being attacked out of cuttenes, Megumi let out a sigh, looking down at you, "I don't know why are they doing that. "

He clearly knows why they are doing that, his shikigami are a reflection of what he feels, he is weaken? They are too, he feels happy? They are too, and the reason why they act like that to you is because he likes you, Unable to say what he feels, his shikigamis would do the work for him, he put his thumbs on his temples, looking away with his cheeks red, trying hide his shame.

the day satoru gojo finds out that megumi, his sweet little megumi, is dating you, he goes down on his knees and starts crying, head in hands with his blindfold thrown to the side. he has this whole fit that only further embarrasses fushiguro to the point where he kinda regrets introducing you to the sorcerer. megumis right eye twitches as gojo grabs him by his shoulders and shakes him back and forth with tears shining in his eyes, pinching his cheeks as he babbles words neither of you can understand, acting like a desperate parent who is just over the moon for his son to finally be dating someone. “thank you for choosing megumi !” he sobs out to you, poking his head out to the side from your boyfriends shoulder to show his red, puffy eyes before snapping his head back to face megs, staring him down to the bone with an attempt of making a serious face. “if you guys break up i might lose my fucking shit.”

Y/N : babe, if i died, how much would you miss me?

Gojo: * with a loving smile* it's SOOO CUTE that you think death can get you out of this relationship <3

birthday candles with gojo !

"what," satoru whines, twisting his fingers into the hem of your old sweater. "is it illegal to want m'girl blowing out the birthday candles?"

you squirm in his lap to no avail, hips trapped by his arms and shoulder pinned under his chin. your boyfriend pouts up at you, big blue eyes sparkling.

"they're your candles, 'toru."

"but you're my girl," he counters, sidling up close to press a sticky kiss to your cheek. "look, the wax is melting already."

you reach back, brushing over the short, white hairs curling around his nape. "need me to do everything for you, huh?"

with a short puff, the room goes dark. little boxes of light still blink in through the slats in the blinds of satoru's apartment, but now it's mostly just you cradled in his lap, saccharine candle smoke wafting around your heads.

a quiet exchange of breaths, and—

"ahh," satoru voices next to your ear, finger pointing at his open mouth.

you oblige (as you always do), sinking a fork into cream and chiffon.

turning in his lap, you cup his jaw in one hand and shove the cake into his mouth with the other. and as a gift, you seal it with a kiss, smearing cream on your lips.

"happy?" it's a question that comes with a head tilt and a smile.

"best birthday ever," is what satoru says before diving back in.

— hbd to my glorious blue eyed king.. pls talk/interact if u enjoyed, gojo said so ᡣ𐭩

© mawaaru 2024 :: do not repost, plagiarize, translate, modify, or use any works to train ai

he cold

Baby gojo reacts to: megumi!🖤🐺

“just for three hours, can you do it?”

“…yeah.”

megumi stares at the blinking miniature of his sensei quietly, as the baby looks back at him too in silence.

“well then!” gojo claps his hands before turning to you. “let’s go, sweets! we have a willing, trusty babysitter to take care of him!”

you shoot your husband a glare before turning to megumi. “sorry, megumi. we have to go to school and investigate the recent cursed spirits outbreak, and it doesn’t feel right to bring him there.”

“i don’t mind, nee-san,” megumi replies to you almost nonchalantly, throwing a glance at your baby in his hold. “i’ll keep an eye on him.”

that’s what megumi said, but even he doesn’t know what he’ll do with a baby in his apartment. at first, he puts the kid on his bed and he immediately sits up straight and turns to him.

“what?” he questions the baby as if he could answer him. “do you feel cold?”

the munchkin is dressed in a frog onesie with two round eyes on the hoodie, so maybe he doesn’t feel cold, megumi thinks. in the next half an hour, he and the baby are in staring match, as he doesn’t even squeak once.

“you must be bored here,” megumi sighs, starting to feel bad that he can’t entertain him. “maybe i should ask her to accompany me next time…” his thoughts flit to the chirpy girl in his class, whom he knows will have many ideas to humor a baby.

maybe it can also be an excuse to spend time with her too.

suddenly, baby scoots closer to his side and leans to him, closing his eyes— and megumi feels warm inside.

“ah,” a small smile lights his face at the sight of this cute creature depending on him so trustingly. he pulls him closer and pats his back, before wrapping his arms around him to keep him in place.

“okay, let’s sleep together then.”

CUPID’S CORNER : UMEMIYA HAJIME

[☆] you’re a pampered girl from a wealthy background, with everything handed to you on a silver platter—private school, designer clothes, the latest gadgets, and more. meanwhile, umemiya hajime is an ordinary boy raised in an orphanage, leading a life completely different from yours. here’s a glimpse into what it’s like being his girlfriend.

BEWARE: this content might contain [n]sfw, mention of blood, injuries, public place sex, cunnilingus, fluff, light/heavy angst, nineteen! umemiya hajime, fighting, fingering, unprotected/raw sex, suggestive conversation, gangsters, spoiled! fem-reader, etc. . ..

p.s template and diveder credit to the owner.

SPOILED SO ROTTEN

you hate— no, you fucking love it— how umemiya hajime always gives you attention, especially when he gives you that bento lunch box you love so much that you have to throw it at him, so in return for you to ruined his plant, he has to fuck you in furin rooftop.

OH, SADLY?

your boyfriend ignoring you for a whole day only for you to find out that he's fighting against choji from shishitoren and come to your room all beaten up— not really.

MY CUTE LITTLE FAIRY GARDENER

you’ve been nothing but a princess in your entire life, never doing anything for yourself, always having anyone to do things for you. with that information your boyfriend, umemiya asks you— forces you more likely— to garden with him.

NASTY FEVER

you’ve been mia since yesterday, making your boyfriend worried. when umemiya comes to your bedroom, he finds you unable to move from your nasty fever.

SOON !!!

TAGLISTS :

call it quits or call it destiny | h. umemiya.

✮ tags ; afab + fem!reader(she/her pronouns, referred to as a girl, gets dressed up by tsubaki and kotoha), reader gets their hair braided (no desc of texture) and puts on makeup, lore heavy reader backstory + personality, deliquent!reader, gap moe, best friends to lovers, idiots to lovers, themes of insecurity, mutual pining,the use of she/her for tsubaki, jealousy, confessions, loss of virginity, creampies / unprotected sex, oral (f!recieving), fingering, 18+

✮ wc ; 13.9k (dont. don't say anything)

✮ a/n ; me when i completely lose my mind because i have a weekend off. whats wrong with me.

anyways. there's no major triggers for this but be forewarned reader is meant to be very rag-tag deliquent type. she has a strong personality and generally is not feminine. she is like a mangy street cat a bit. also if u want u should listen to easily by bruno major while reading.

✮ synopsis ; you've been quietly pining for umemiya for a little over ten years with no plans of confessing.

you did not have a plan for what you would do if umemiya confessed to you first.

Once a day, everyday - Umemiya will come into your store, pause, smile, and confess his love to you before going off on his own.  

And once a day, everyday, you reject this confession with a soft huff  telling him to quit being stupid before shooing him away.  

It's become a ritual. A fixture in your daily routine that you're not allowed to ignore despite how hard you're trying.  

He's been doing it for three months, more or less. 

His reason for confessing everyday? Because he’s waiting on the day you confess back, of course. Which you've refused to do for the last few months and will continue to refuse for as long as you’ve got.  

It's not because you don't like him, alright? 

You've known Umemiya since middle school and you've liked him for about the same time. One of the core memories of your childhood is the day you met him, crying while sitting on a  swing-set, after what felt like the worst day of your life. 

( On the day you run away from home, you seriously consider not going back.  

You don’t really know how long you sit there. People walk by but most of them move on quickly. It’s mid-day before anyone bothers to stop and ask you something.  

 "I've never seen you around  before.” A strange looking boy approaches, friendly and unassuming but not entirely cheerful “Did you just move here?"  

You keep quiet, closing your eyes and hoping your lack of response is enough to push him away. Your hope fizzles out when you hear the swing creak as he sits besides you. 

"I'm Umemiya Hajime. I live close by." His voice is airy and causal. "I'm sorry you're having a bad day.”  

"Fuck off," You reply bluntly, frowning. “I don’t need sympathy. Leave me the hell alone.”  

He pauses before pushing himself slightly forward to barely swing.  

“I couldn’t leave you alone while you’re sad,” He voices willfully. "It might make you feel better to talk about it." 

In disbelief at his response, you finally look up and asses him properly. It doesn’t do much to change your initial unfavorable impression. White hair, blue eyes and a little taller than you. You’re definitely about the same age. All of that to say, there’s something weird about him that you can’t quite place.  

Despite his manner and way of speaking though, you don’t actually think he’s that weak which makes his whole aura even more unnerving to you. His attempt at being non-threatening doesn’t work for him. He’s being a real try-hard about trying to make you comfortable… 

Either way, he’s got an air about him that puts you on the defensive.  

 Talking to someone about it had never been much of any option, and somehow it pisses you off that he’s being so brazen about it.  

Maybe if you tell him about, he’ll stop prying into your business. Or maybe you’re just looking for excuses to let off steam. 

You don't care anymore. You wipe your nose with the back of your sleeve.  

"I don't live here and I didn’t move. I ran away." You reply.  

He keeps looking at you, curious, inquisitive and sympathetic.  

"Why?"   

"I broke a girls nose." You scowl. The words rise up in your throat like bile. Make you feel cornered. The wounds too fresh. "It—she bullied me for years for one. And I never fought back, it was all petty bullshit anyway and I didn't like getting calls home. I didn't care about that but she—it wasn't for nothing. She was causing trouble for Sensei."  

Umemiya keeps to himself, humming in response to your troubles. Your voice breaks on your next sentence, chest tightening.  

"It doesn't matter what she does to me but—" Your hands ball up at your first. Your throat feels thick, eyes suddenly watering as your chest throbs . "Anyway, I couldn’t let it go like normal."  

He hums. "So you hit her?" 

You shake your head, sniffling. "Not at first. Just told her to shut up. Said that she didn't know what she was talking about. She hit me first..." You screw your eyes shut, sighing. "...said she was gonna spread rumors about him just trying to get under my skin and be malicious,” You lean back slightly and look up towards the gray sky. “I punched her after that."  

You realize he's looking at your bloodied knuckles, but he isn't making an expression that you can read easily. You don’t remember the last time you spoke to someone like this who wasn’t Tsukimori-sensei.  

"Are you crying because you got in trouble?"  

“Who cares about that?” You sigh “Sensei had to put his job on the line and take responsibility for me,” Your brow furrows in frustration. “He’s the one person I don’t want to cause trouble for,” You grip the iron chains of the swing set with a closed fist and finally admit what you’ve been avoiding to say out loud. “I don’t want him to hate me…”  

The kid besides you smiles  absently at your words. Half-way between listening and recalling something else, it seems like. You can’t help but wonder what the hell his deal is. You barely know him but you’re spilling your guts. 

He speaks after a long while. "I don't think he sees it that way. I think you should try to talk to him about it."  

You make a face, rejecting the idea. "What? No way." 

Umemiya shrugs, smiling - though it doesn't quite meet his eyes.  

"He sounds like he cares about you. If he knew your reasons, there's no way he would hold it against you. And it’s important to share your burdens with people who care for you." You look over and see him smiling somberly at the mulch beneath his shoes before returning back to what you’ve grown to know as his usual self. "Anyways, I think we should be friends. Tell me your name."  

You sniffle again. What a weird guy. Well you say that but 

You still give him your name. 

"What a pretty name," 

When you tell him to shut up again, your new friend Umemiya just laughs.  

And you find you feel just a little bit lighter.)  

That night, Umemiya walked with you to take the last train and told you to come see him again  with good news. 

You aren't sure what compelled you to follow his advice. Maybe because he was the first person who sat down and listened to you about it other than Sensei himself. 

Tsukimori-sensei was your school counselor and the only adult in your entire life that seemed to worry about. You didn't have any friends in middle school and you were a scary looking delinquent girl without a mother and a mostly absent father.  

But Sensei was always incredible gentle to you and incredibly kind. And despite what rumors that girl tried to spread  - he was never anything more than an important mentor.  

It was fucking embarrassing crying in front of him but because you were honest - you got to keep in touch with him. He attended your middle school and high school graduation - supporting you as you started to sort your life out. Became the closest thing you ever really got to a parental figure.  

Over time, you got close with Umemiya and developed strong loyalty to him. You attended an all-girls middle and high school the next town over - totaling one other friend in all six years of your remaining education. Lack of socialization meant that Umemiya somewhat became the very center of your existence. 

It was easy to visit him thanks to parental neglect. You sort of melted into his life. Tsubaki once called you his guard dog as a half-joke, but there's some truth to the sentiment. Quick to defend, quick to heel, and always happy to see him.  

You, like many people, owe Umemiya a lot. His meddling over the course of ten years gave you reason to push forward. He even encouraged you to try and attend school and not give up on living a half-decent life. 

You've got a never-ending list of short-comings but being with him didn't make you hate yourself. It made you want to be better because you knew Umemiya would accept you for whoever you decided to be.  

So despite your delinquency, you managed to graduate high school. Post-graduation, you attended a vocational culinary school and became a patisserie before moving to Furin for permanent residency. You opened a bakery and supply bread to Kotoha-chans diner.  

You made something of your life mostly 'cause of Umemiya. He's not your only friend anymore but he's still your best. Even though you never really pictured things like dating or romance - in some way it only makes sense that it'd be that meddling, kind-hearted idiot that you end up falling for it.  

Lovesickness aside, you respect Umemiya more than anyone in your personal life.  

He’s stuck around with someone like you this long after all. That means a lot to you.  

Somehow the two of you mesh well despite being totally opposite.  

You decided as soon as you realized it sometime in high school that you'd keep your feelings a secret for the rest of your life. You had a strong resolve in your beliefs about the whole thing which made it easy. You hid 'em so well even Sakura's stupid accurate romance detector didn't uncover them.  

When you picture Umemiya's future - it was easy to picture the kind of woman he would end up with. Another kind-hearted idiot like him, a social butterfly. Someone a little softer.  

In any case it definitely was not you. You didn't need it to be. You've received so much from him already, you never entertained the idea. Plus, Umemiya has dated other people over the years, so in your head there was never any hope to cling onto.  

For all reasons listed above, a requited romance is at the very bottom of your expectations.  

That's why you've been in this fucking conundrum.  

To say it was a complete shock to you when Umemiya openly confessed to you many months ago would be understatement of the goddamn century.  

He confessed right on the last day of Spring, totally out of the blue. 

(It’s a little unusual for Umemiya to call you at this hour. If it were anyone else, you’d be a little upset since you’ve gotta be up around four-am to get prepared for the day.  

It’s him though so you’re particularly tolerant, yawning as you find Umemiya on a familiar swing-set, still wearing your PJ’s.  

"Why am I out here in the middle of the night with you?"  

Your words lack any real malice as you sit down. Umemiya remains totally quiet. It's unusual for him to not immediately go on a tangent upon seeing you.  

"Oi. Earth to Hajime." You frown at him. "Did ya get beat up before coming here and scramble your brain? Give me the popsicle before it melts."  

He looks over at you and chuckles as he hands you the bag from the convenience store. You ignore his odd behavior and open up said popsicle before it melts  - carefully splitting it down the middle and giving him the bigger side before going to town on your own. He takes it from you but doesn't even bring it up to his mouth.  

Weird.  

"Did something... happen? Like seriously happen?" You take a long lick of your iced treat. It's melon flavored, your favorite. "Seeing you frown doesn't feel right. Gives me the heebie-jeebies."  

He cracks a little smile at that. It makes you feel better. He shakes his head.  

"Mm, nothing happened. I just have something I want to tell you."  

You nod in understanding. "'kay. Take your time."  

He blinks, surprised.  

"Hm? Aren't you gonna scold me for wasting your time?"  

"Nah. Whatever it is must be serious if it's making you all introspective or whatever. 's fine. Bring me coffee tomorrow and I'll forgive ya."  

His lip twitches up. "I l really like that about you."  

You feel yourself flush and wave a hand at him. "Ahh, shut up."  

He pauses for a second then shakes his head. "Mm. It's more like I like everything about you, actually."  

You twist your face in confusion. "What are you on about now?"  

"That's what I came here to tell you." Umemiya says after a deep breath. He says it so casually you wonder if you're mishearing him - leaning back to look up at the stars. "I really, really like you. I just felt like I had to tell you that"  

You stare at him in disbelief.  

"Wha—huh?"  

He doesn't even flinch as he repeats it.  

"I like you."  

"No the hell you don't."  

He furrows his brow with a light laugh. "I just told you that I do, silly."  

"But that's—" You don't say the word impossible. You really want too, but you know exactly how he would react if you did. You simply shake your head. "No, you don't." 

"I thought you might respond like this so don't worry but how about you?" He shrugs then looks at you intently. "I thought you might like me too."  

Your eyes go wide. Oh fuck.  

You feel like a deer caught in headlights. You know you should be happy about this, deep down. That'd be the normal response.  

But you just feel complicated as shit instead. Fuck does he mean? Umemiya.... likes you? There's just no way that's true. Not after all of this time. And how the fuck does he know you like him back when you've been keeping it in? 

You can't bring yourself to look him in the face and lie. Your heart rises to your throat as you shakily stand to your feet.  

"Stop...thinking whatever you've been thinking. I'm going home." You reply in complete panic. 

 The minute you say it, you turn on your heel so you don't have to look at his face. You don’t even want to know.  

And before Umemiya can catch you and try to talk it out, you bolt. 

What the fuck was that?)  

For the last few months, you've been avoiding the topic of conversation as much as you humanly can.  

The possibility of Umemiya even just accepting your feelings was already far beyond your imagination, but him returning them? Confessing first? That wasn't even in your realm of possibility.  

Ever since then, you've been losing your mind trying to force your life and train of thought to go back to normal. You’ve done all of the math on it.  

Realistically, you can't ignore him. Your lives are so mixed together it'd be impossible unless you went under protection and changed your name which you briefly considered. You thought of turning him down but you’re pretty sure you wouldn’t be able to actually do it despite how good you are at keeping it in. Either way, your best option logistically is feigning ignorance and trying to keep the whole thing out of your mind entirely which should've been easy.  

Tricking yourself into believing the whole thing was a dream? Lightwork.  

Except. Except.  

Umemiya just won't give up.  

He confesses to you again every single day. Worse, he doesn't care whose around to hear him. No one in your friend group seems even the tiniest bit shocked by it which doesn't help the situation. You can't get used to it, can't get used to him being so fucking cheeky as he stops you midway through normal conversation to tell you he loves you.  

He's persistent to a fault and while you've done well feigning immunity - you can't survive like this.  

You've graduated to tell him to go away and treating the whole thing like some big joke.  

But honestly? 

You're avoiding having a proper conversation about it. Umemiya is especially keen in not letting you forget that. And determined to make you confess.  

But you're not going to to let him sway you.  

You've got principles, after all.  

__  

After you close up shop on Friday, you get dressed to attend a kickback with all of your friends.  

It's a barbecue technically - commemorating the end of summer. Togame is really into grilling and in their weird domestic partnership, Chouji really enjoys hosting. They've done this once or twice a year ever since they started living together.  

Once you've finished cleaning up the store, you take the train to Kotoha's place - mistakenly assuming you'd leave as soon as you got there. However you failed to realize that Tsubaki and Kotoha would be getting ready together.  

You got jumped as soon as you walked through the door - so now you're wearing a different pair of clothes that Tsuabki got for you and waiting for them to finish getting you dressed up so you can leave.  

Tsuabkino is inches from your face while Kotoha braids your hair. You feel itchy and exposed but with both of them here there's no way you're going to get out of wearing it. 

"Can we just go?" You grumble, not enjoying the feeling of being poked and prodded.  

"No," Tsubaki insists, frown making her expression pinch. "You have half an eyelash on. Sit still." 

"He'll be happy to see you dressed up," Kotoha adds, trying to encourage you. You frown and look down.  

"Whatever. I don't care about makin' him happy."  

The both of them pause and stare at you until you fold under the pressure - screwing your eyes shut and making you flush.  

“Such a blatant lie.”  

Tsubaki giggles. “Right?”  

Your face feels hot. "Ahhh, alright already. Shut up."  

"Honest girls are much cuter," Tsubaki coos. You give her a half-assed glare.  

"Don't you like Hajime? Why're you trying to set me up with him still?" You mumble. You always think they’d make a perfect pair.  

"Of course I like him. He's my prince." She smiles at you. “But it’s a little different to how a certain someone loves him. And well, if you knew the way he looked at you…"  

You frown, feeling hot all the way up to your ears as you ball your fists up and look down at your lap. "Whatever." 

"You should stop trying to worm your way out of it," Kotoha adds, much less sweetly. "You know how he is. He couldn't give up on you for ten years like some idiot."  

You blink. "Huh? But ten years would mean -"  

Kotoha braids your hair even tighter making you wince. "I know. You're both stupid like that."  

"Don't be mean, Kotoha-chan. And you, be a little more honest, okay?"  

You sigh deeply. 

"Ain't like anything is gonna happen either way. I already told you both I'm not accepting his confession," 

"Cause you're a huge wuss, yeah we know."  

You elbow Kotoha lightly.  

"Maybe nothing will," Tsubaki hums mischievously.  "But it feels nice to dress up for him, right?"  

You pretend the thought doesn't make your hear flutter.  

Tsubaki does you the kindness of laughing lightly before moving on. 

__  

You arrive to the function an hour later than planned and stick mostly with Kotoha and Tsubaki until half way through the evening.  

Loosening up with a few drinks, the three of you part ways to catch-up with different people. It's not rare you see them, but it's not often everyones schedules allow them to be in the same place.  

Lucky for you, Umemiya does you the courtesy of not confessing during the first half of the night before food comes out.  

(Though you do spit beer in his face after he calls you pretty, which he takes on the chin after cleaning up.)  

After dinner, the function simmers down significantly. People quietly break off into groups and chat to each other into the late night. About that time people split whatever desserts they brought among guests.  

You brought cookies and something specifically for Chouji and Togame as thanks for hosting.  

Towards the end of the night, you find yourself sticking sort of close to Umemiya. Though he's having his own one-on-one conversation with Hiragi while sitting next to you , turned the other way.  

You busy yourself catching up to Suo, Sakura and Nirei - all of whom you consider yourself close to.  

Of them, you're the closest to Nirei which always surprises people. 

The kids a total wimp but he helped you years ago study to graduate so you're a little closer to him than everyone else. He's a great guy though and you hang out alone sometimes too.  

The conversations gone far left at this point in the evening.  

Suo leans back against his chair and looks toward Sakura besides him with a lazy smile.  

"Sakura-chan would make a great wife." 

You snort listening to them bicker. Sakura grows beet red, throwing an empty beer can at Suo's head that he catches gracefully.  

"Go die."  

"What? You're good at domestic work and you have a cute side, Isn't that all you need?"  

"Shut up. I'll kill you."  

As Suo breaks out into laughs, Sugishita comes down from the kitchen just in time to catch the argument. He crinkles his nose up.  

"Oh, Sugishita-kun. 'Sup."  

He nods to your greeting as he leans against the wood railing of the outdoor deck.  

"What the hell are you two talking about?" 

'What? You mean about Sakura being a good wife?" Suo asks. Sugishita crinkles his nose. 

"Don't phrase it so repugnantly but yeah I guess." 

"We were talking about marriage 'cause I was complaining at work."  

"What's happening at work?" 

Nirei sighs as he lays it out again to Sugishita after having given the spiel to the three of you once.  

"One of my superiors at work is a lot older than me and keeps bringing up marriage," Nirei explains woefully. "It's all he talks about. He thinks I'm seeing someone."  

Sugishita frowns. "Eh? What gave him that impression?"  

A good question you hadn't considered asking.  

You raise your brow at Nirei who laughs awkwardly while he holds your gaze.  

"You know that picture of us from highschool? When he came to the cafe at your school festival?"  

You smile spitefully, crinkling your nose in faux distaste. "The one wear we wearing those stupid maid costumes?"  

"Yup. That's the one. It's a good picture of us so I keep it on my desk and he saw it so..."  

"You keep a picture of just the two of you on your desk? No wonder he got that impression.” Suo adds.  

You sense Umemiya suddenly tense which you find weird. He's still talking to Hiragi though when you glance from the corner of your eye. You brush it off.  

Nirei blushes, elbowing him.  

"Shut up. I've got group pictures and stuff too. But he just singled out that one cause you know,"  

You nod in understanding before it dawns on you. Your eyes widen. "Oh, shit? Does that old man think you're dating me?"  

Nirei closes his eyes and sighs. "He won't even let me correct him." 

You pause before breaking out into genuine laughter.  

"Pfft, that's terrible." You reply sympathetically, taking a sip of your beer before giving a mischievous grin. "Maybe you can make it work for you though, eh? Tell 'em we got hitched forreal and then I'll call you on the phone and nag you to get home for dinner so you can leave earlier."  

Nirei acts like he's touched making you laugh even harder. "You'd do that for me?"  

You give him another toothy grin. "I'll even help you fake some wedding photos. We'll be accomplices." You lean back with a shrug. "You gotta wear the dress though." 

Sugishita laughs at that. "You being a blushing bride is a little..."  

You snort, shooting him a dirty look "Shut up."  

"Deal. Not a bad plan honestly." Nirei says with a sigh. "Whatever gets me out of the office early."  

"Even if that means being married to me?" You joke.  

He smiles at you. "Aw, what do you mean? That's the best part."  

You chuckle at him good-natuedly and the conversation quickly moves on.  

The alcohol is starting to make you dizzy so you eventually tune out as the four of them talk, glancing at Umemiya from the corner of your eye.  

You swear you catch a glimpse of his jaw ticking.  

__  

For the rest of the night, Umemiya is off.  

No one else can tell. You know that because the atmosphere remains light until everyone leaves around two-am. There's no blips or tension, no awkward pauses. 

But you know Umemiya. He's been real weird all night and it's bugging the shit out of you.  

It's a well past two now, and you've just left the late night cab you took with him. Umemiya lives close so he's walking you home.  

He's usually energetic after a get-together like that so his dead silence is weirding you out. You're pretty good at figuring his feelings out but for once you feel totally clueless.  

It feels as if even the cicadas and crickets have gone to sleep. There's nothing bu the streetlights overhead and soft glow of the moon, coupled with the soft click of your shoes on the pavement. Occasionally, a car will pass by.  

At one point, it becomes too much. There's still a few minutes until you're home.  

You stop in the middle of the sidewalk and turn around to look at him. Umemiya pauses, startled as he stops with you, and doesn't smile which only makes your concern worsen.  

"Oi. What's up with you?"  

"Hm?"  

You cross your arms over your chest.  

"Don't 'hm' me. You've been in a bad mood few for the last few hours. It's gonna bug me all night if I don't ask, so what's up?"  

He stares at you.  

"You noticed?"  

"How could I not notice?"  

"I was hiding it pretty well, I thought." He states more than asks, half-smile on his face.  

"Yeah. But well," You shrug. "I'm always looking at you for better or for worse. So. What's wrong?"  

He stares at you a long time before sighing, running his fingers through his hair. You've never seen him like this. You've seen him pissed off before, seen him mildly irritated - but never this... pouty? It's not like he's pissed.  

He's quiet, taking a deep breath of cool night air before sliding his hands into his pockets and taking a good look at your face. 

"Do you know that I like you?"  

Your eyes widen as you blink wildly.  

This is what he wants to talk about? 

He pins you down with his stare, hands in his pockets and intense as ever.  

"Don't even think about bolting this time, okay? I'm asking you seriously. Do you?" 

Your eyes flicker down the concrete - feeling extremely uncomfortable and suddenly sweaty. You shrug, unsure of what else you could say or do.  

"Hard not to know." You mumble. "You tell me everyday." 

"But do you get it?"  

Your frown deepens.  

"Of course not. How could I possibly get something like that, stupid?"  

He takes a deep breath. "But you like me, don't you?"  

Panic sets in. If you could sink straight into the Earth you would.  

"...Never said that." 

He calls your name quietly. "Look at me, at least. Stop running away from me and just look." 

You know you're being stubborn but you can't help it. You've kept it a secret for ten years and all of a sudden he wants you to tell him you like him? You've held it in for so long already and he's telling you not to run away.What other choice is there?  

One wrong move move and everything will come crashing down inside of you. You can't even lie about it either.  

Damn it.  

"I won't look." Your voice is warbly and it makes you feel so pathetic you could die, tucking your chin petulantly "Don't wanna,"  

Umemiya frowns at you.  

"If you say you don't like me I'll let it go."  

You remain very quiet and close your eyes tighter. He sighs softly, making your chest hurt.  

After a minute, you muster up the courage to be dishonest - determined to drop it at all costs. You're slow as you pick your head up.  

"I don't like you," You repeat slowly, carefully - trying not to stumble the words. "So quit it, alright?"  

He laughs humorlessly and holds your gaze.  

"That's the first time you've ever actually lied to me. You're terrible at it," 

"I'm not lying." You snap. Umemiya smiles somberly when he sees tears on the corners of your eyes. He steps closer to you. You freeze. When his hand reaches cups your cheek, you feel your legs lose all their strength and close your eyes. You're terrified to even look at him, not wanting him to see what you know is obvious on your face.  

He wipes them as he tilts your face towards him slowly. 

"Tell me, at least. If you're going to refuse me, don't I deserve to know why? Do you hate the idea of dating me that much?"  

You shake your head. "Stupid. How would anyone hate that?"  

"So I deserve to know why you're turning me down."  

A long moment of silence draws you out of your feelings. You guess that's fair enough. Maybe this way he'll leave you alone  - as long you're clear about your reasons. He’s the earnest type after all.  

You manage to suck up all your tears and clear your throat enough to give him an explanation. 

You step back a little from him, putting some distance between you as you stare down at the sidewalk. 

"You know... I respect ya more than anyone else. You've always been someone I admire. And I uh, owe you a lot. So I only want the very best for you and all." You scratch your neck, taking a deep sigh. "For me... regardless of my feelings, I want you to be with someone who really fits, you know? Well put-together and everything. Someone that suits you better"  

He pauses before frowning.   

"Regardless of your feelings? Does that mean you were willingly pushing them aside?" He says distraught. "For how long?"  

You shrug, trying to lighten the conversation. It’s too devastating otherwise. "About ten years, give or take." 

The sheer distress in his face makes you want to keep talking, just he doesn’t look so disheartened. Like some explanation will clear things up.  

"It ain't a bad thing, Hajime. You've given me a lot and I'm serious when I say I want the best for you. I love you, if that's what you wanna hear. I'm content just being besides you as your friend." You say with a shrug. "I can be kinda selfish but there's a limit to my greed,yknow."  

He looks like he's in shock. 

"Wanting someone to love you back isn't greedy or selfish."  

You find you don't have anything to say with that, but hope he drops it for the time being. 

Umemiya stares at you seriously. It makes your breath hitch meeting his eyes, blue with all the depth in the world. You feel like you can't pull yourself from his gaze.  

"And there was never a possibility? Not once that I could've liked you? That I wanted to be with you?"  

"It doesn't matter." You say. "And no, it never crossed my mind.."  

"Stop saying it doesn't matter. Of course it matters. Your feelings matter the most so don't toss them aside so easily. Do you really believe that you're not right for me?"  

You aren’t sure how to answer him.  

"You think you're not good enough for me." He says with some realization more than asks.  

It's the first time you see his face change. When you look up, he looks well and truly angry. The whole thing is confusing.  

"I'm sorry," You say. It’s such a timid thing to say but you don’t know how else to fix.  

"It's not—I just don't like hearing you talk about yourself like that. I don't like hearing someone I love get spoken about like that.” 

You ignore the sentiment again and wait in the quiet. You always thought this would be an easier conversation to have but it hurts.  

He sighs a bit, getting closer to you again. He’s less upset than before but there’s something else in his expression.  

"You wanted to know why I was upset earlier right? It's because of you and Nirei-kun." He admits.  

"What about him?"  

"You talked about marrying him so casually. I overheard and it bothered me all night."  

Your eyes go wide.  

"I—it wasn't serious."  

"I know that. I never thought I was that childish either but you being married to someone else as a joke." He laughs humorlessly. "I really hated it. That’s why I asked if you know how much I like you."  

You feel frozen in place by his admission. 

Umemiya steps towards you faster than you can muster up a counter for why he shouldn’t bother.  

His arms around you feel sudden. His grip on you is so tight, like you could slip through his arms all at once if he loosens it. He smells like cologne and beer and summer but it's not unpleasant. He rests his chin on your head and lets out a deep breath.  

Your chest is throbbing for different reasons now. Shit. Shit, shit, shit.  

"If you won't be greedy, then you should at least let me be." He lets out a long, tense breath "At least let me have what I want." 

You're stuck. Your mouth moves faster than your brain.  

"Why me? And why now?"  

Umemiya pulls away to stare down at you. You can't bring yourself to turn away from him. 

"It was always you. I felt guilty... for wanting to you that way when you were a precious friend. Wanting to treat you delicately when you were strong and proud." He admits. Hearing him say that out loud embarrasses you to no end, “But it was those things that made me love you. Strong yet clumsy. Prideful yet honest. Awkward yet trying to be gentle. Loyal. And always considerate of everyone. Of me, when I was taking care of everyone else."  

Your stomach feels like it's going to erupt. You're losing your resolve faster than you know how to mend it.  

"Stop saying stuff like that."  

Umemiya holds you tighter and shakes his head. "No. How else will I get you to change your mind?"  

"I won't change my mind." You say stubbornly.  

"I love you." He repeats.  

You squirm.  

"Stop it,"  

"I want to be with you. I want to kiss you. I want to hold you. I want to stay by your side forever. I want to do things with you and make you feel good. I want to make you smile. I want to grow old with you." 

Your hearts fluttering. Fuck.  

"Idiot. What are you saying? Let me go."  

"It has to be you for me. I won't have anyone else no matter what you think. The person I love is you. I love you."  

"Hajime." Your voice is shaking. 

His drops down to a whisper.  

“I can’t change how you think of yourself overnight but I can tell you that there’s no point in trying to push me away. Whether or not you accept  me, we’ll never stop being side by side - so please stop fighting it.”  

You put your hands on his chest, trying to push him away. “Stop it,” 

"Please tell me it's okay to love you how I want too," He says, soft and doting while he crushes you in his arms. "And please love me in return."  

You put your hands up to your misty eyes wanting to wipe them away as he melts through the rest of your resolve like it's nothing. It's hard not to be moved. You've been pretending for ten long years that you don't love him at all and he's declaring his love for you like it's the easiest, most sensible and sane thing in the world.  

A kind-hearted, willful, meddling idiot. How you are you supposed to push him away when he's holding you this tight?  

"Shit," You voice, huffing as your voice shakes. "Don’t be stupid, alright? If you’re so insistent, I wont let you back out if you meet someone else."  

He laughs wetly.  

"I already tried meeting other people, but it's still you. Always was."  

He smiles above you. 6'2 with watery eyes with the look of pure relief like it's the best news he's ever heard in his life. It's too much for you. Your heart is racing so fast you wonder if you're gonna die.  

"Can I kiss you?" He asks.  

Your eyes go wide as you look away, not wanting to look too eager. "That's..."  

He makes another puppy-dog kinda face. "Please?"  

You're embarrassed by how easy it makes you give in. "...Do whatever you want."  

He laughs bright and warm as his hands slide up to cup your cheeks and kiss you with all the passion he can muster. It's intense, almost suffocating the way he slots his lips against yours and breathes you in. He doesn't let you up from it, doesn't part from you for a second even when he pulls away - noses brushing and stealing the air from your lungs.  

It's your stupid first kiss and it's perfect - so perfect you wonder if you're going to wake up in a dream. He kisses you hard and makes you stand on your toes to chase his lips when he pulls back. Elated. Ecstatic when you grasp the front of his shirt and keep kissing him when he stops. 

He pauses before littering your whole face with pecks even as you weakly protest, unable to stop frowning but feeling the happiest you've ever been.  

There's so much longing in between you, you feel like you could die. You feel helpless.   

"Can I come home with you?" He asks, once he stops - only holding your hand a short distance away. "I want more time together." 

You feel your skin burn hot as you nod, all while trying not to read too much into it. 

"Yeah."  

__ 

You barely get to lock your door behind you before Umemiya crowds you in the door way.  

His arms circle around your waist, chin resting against your shoulder.. Broad chest against your back, you try not to flounder as his warm voice caresses your ear.  

You're going to die young if he keeps this up.   

"I love you,"  

You flush. "Enough already. And let me go so I can wash up."  

"Do you need to sleep early? Thought you were closed tomorrow. Wanted to talk a little longer."  

You pause.  

"...Sleep?" 

"Hm?"  

You both freeze as the miscommunication dawns at the same time. You try to pull away from him as soon as you realize, skin burning hot. You're quick but Umemiya is quicker.  

"Hajime." You say gravely. "If you don't let me go, I'm gonna kill you."  

"No way," He laughs  as you attempt to wriggle out of his grasp. "Is that why you let me in? Were you expecting something?"  

"Shut up! Don't say anything, I swear I'll —"  

"Don't be like that, baby. I'm not making fun of you. Hey, turn around. Look at me."  

You're upset but you think the reason is more embarrassing then the feeling.  

"Don't wanna,"  

Umemiya laughs as he gently turns you around to face him. In your utter mortification, you can barely bring yourself to meet his gaze.  

"Stop staring."  

He doesn't.  

"Do you normally invite guys in just 'cause they ask?"  

"Wha—no! It's because it's you, stupid!"  

He smiles in satisfaction.  

"You shouldn't say yes so easily even if it is me. What if I took advantage of you?"  

You think he's just being smug for the sake of it, which is pissing you off. You grab him by the front of his shirt.  

"Fuck off. Maybe there's a reason I said yes."  

He pauses before his eyes widen. You push your hand against his mouth before he blurt anything else out but he's quick to pry your hand away.  

"Don't say it." You hiss.  

"I was planning on taking my time. I cherish you and I want to make sure you know that. I'm just a little surprised you’re moving so quick when you were telling me not too long ago."  

You can feel the tips of your ears growing hot, feeling even more self-conscious. "Whatever. If we're just going to sleep I still need to wash up."  

He keeps his arms behind your back so you can’t move.  

"Hey. Didn't say that. It's not like I don't want to do it with you. Just don't want you to regret anything."  

You give him an flat look. "I was prepared to give you my virginity and you're worrying about that. Unless you're planning on backing out, there's no way I would."  

"Your—" His jaw drops a little.  

You drop your voice down just a little close as you grab his collar.  

"If you get it, then hurry up and fuck me. Stupid Hajime."  

He gives you the dopiest smile you've ever seen while your face grows increasingly hot, leaning to in to press a kiss to your lips. He brushes his nose with yours. Laughter from deep in his chest.  

"Yes, ma'am."  

__ 

Once you give Umemiya permission to have you, you get the feeling that there really is no going back from here.  

You both know it. The tension in your bedroom is so thick you can barely breathe around it.  

Umemiya lands gently onto your bed - sitting up as he holds you by your waist and pulls you over to him. You're so aware of his touch it makes your nerves feel they're on fire. You're not a total virgin - at least not enough to be feeling this worked up over someones hands lingering on your waist.  

But they're Umemiya's hands—Hajime's hands, so you can't rationalize your thoughts of out it. His hands are strong and big, a little calloused and rough from the gardening and fighting. You can feel how much he adores you in a gesture so small it makes you concerned for your own heart thinking about how the rest of the night will go.  

He invites you into his lap gently, so pleased by the way you go to him so willingly. You spread yourself over him with your knees on either side of his thighs. He's big - wide and broad.  

Your barely hovering over his bulge as you lean your weight onto him. His hand barely brushes underneath your top, just barely touching the skin.  

You shiver.  

"Are you really sure this is what you want?" He asks. "I don't mind waiting as long as you need,"  

You give him an bored look. "Not very convincing when you're makin' a face like that,"  

He chuckles nervously. "That bad?"  

You nod before adding a little bashfully. "Dunno if I mind, though."  

He buries his fact against your chest all of a sudden making you jump.  

"The hell?"  

"You're so cute when you're honest like that," He mumbles into your chest, cheek pressed against your tits.  

"Jeez, shut up. What're you talking about?"  

Umemiya pulls back and leans forward - enough to breach the inches of space between you. Nose to nose, your eyes meet. A bated breath, you put your hand on his shoulders and work up the nerve to kiss him.  

It's chaste. Mostly for you to break the ice otherwise you're sure you're gonna pussy out.  

He smiles at you when you pull away.  

"See what I mean? So cute," He hums, and leans in again. "Come on. Kiss me again."  

Something about him is different when he tells you to kiss him. It's not smug or cheeky. But it's not casual either. Softness tinges his words, his touch - his whole demeanor screams like he loves you absolutely. It makes your heart rate pick up again, hands shaky as you try not to lose your nerve.  

He's restraining himself though. How he intense he could be vs how soft and calm he is being. You know Umemiya like the back of your hand so you want him to do what he wants. It's hard to find your voice.  

"You don't have to.." You cast your eyes down in embarrassment. "…hold back with me, either. I'm not some maiden."  

He smiles at you a little. "You really do know me better than anyone, huh? I was keeping it together pretty well."  

"Look I know I’m kinda difficult…I'm not real good with stuff like this either," You fidget with the collar of his shirt with your free hand. "But once I say yes I don’t back out. So don't worry about scaring me off or putting too much pressure on me or whatever. ...'s fine to just do what you feel like. I’m scared out of my mind but I wouldn’t do that to you,"  

“Don’t know how long it’ll take but I’ll do my best to make you feel secure. Might take some time but we’ve got our whole lives.” You flush at the implication. He smiles a little. "Whatever I want seems like a lot to give, though."  

"Well...depending on what, I'm might not be good at it,"   

He shakes his head. "I don't want anything like that."  

"What do you want then?"  

"You." He says easily. Your stomach flips. "All of you. I just want to make you feel so good you can't stand it. Want to worship you top to bottom. There's not a single part of you I don't want."  

You flush. "The hell... I meant like a blowjob or some shit."  

He laughs. "I know. And I want that too, another time." He hums, taking a deep breath. "Right now I just want you to feel so good for me. Is that okay?"  

You can't look at him. You can barely stand how bashful you're being, but you can't even play coy. Something in you is bursting at the seams.  

You love him so much you don't recognize yourself, or your voice, or how you're acting. It makes you sick but you can’t do anything but go with it. "Yeah. 's okay, if it's what you want."  

"It is," He says, leaning in. "All I've ever wanted."  

You ignore the latter half of his comment as he finally goes to kiss you again.  

He pulls your body close to him as you do. Until your chest to chest, arms wrapped around the span of his shoulders as you press your lips together soft and slow.  

He slides a hand underneath your top, undoing the clasp of your bra. He lets his palm stay on the center of your back while you keep kissing - straps of your bra falling down your shoulder as he splays his fingers to feel more of your skin and hold you. Hugging you close to him, his other arm wraps around your torso. His forearms feels especially strong they way they hold you by the waist.  

You're so close to him. Kissing him so deep, his tongue sliding against your lips. Something about the kiss is languid but the touch is so hot it makes your skin burn. You feel wrapped up in him, can't even tell whose heartbeat you're hearing. 

More of your weight ends up in his lap as you feel your knees go weak. Something hard presses against your clothed cunt and you gasp a little into his mouth.  

"Oh, shit." You mumble in surprise. Umemiya laughs.  

"You're making me feel good." He hums.  

Your face heats up. "I barely did anything." 

"You just being on my lap is more than enough."  

You make a face at him before rubbing yourself over the zipper of his jeans, slow and deliberate trying to get a feel for it. You hear him moan, nearly jumping out of your skin in surprise.  

The way Umemiya moans is a lot for you to process. Breathy and a little low. It resonates through your whole body like a caress.  

You make a few more tentative passes over his bulge, just to hear him do it again. Driven by your instinct more than anything, you lean into kiss at his jaw - making use of the limited experience you do have to try and draw more sounds from him.  

"What're you thinking about?" He asks, still breathless. Maybe amused.  

"Like the way you sound." You mumble in reply.  

"I thought I told you I wanted to take care of you, hm?"  

You frown. "So what? I can't touch you at all?"  

He thinks on it. "You can touch me everywhere else and you can have your way with me later, if you want it. I don't wanna cum too fast."  

"I'm just..."  

He shakes his head. "You're underestimating me. I'm still a guy, you know? With a woman I love at that. There's no way I would make it through our first time if I didn't focus on you. Don't pout,"  

Hearing him describe you in such an embarrassing way makes you flush. You roll your eyes half-heartedly. "Fine, whatever."  

He smiles.  

"Good girl. C'mere. Lay down."  

You decide not to think about how effected the praise makes you as you comply.  

Umemiya lays you down carefully, making sure you're comfortable before hovering over you. He looks a lot more imposing from this view - the dim lights of your room making his face seem more well-defined. Your nipples harden in arousal, peeking from underneath your shirt as he stares long and hard.  

"You're so beautiful to me."  

He leans down and presses a hot kiss to your jaw, just underneath your ear before slowly kissing down your neck. Open-mouthed kisses along delicate skin, tongue sliding over every patch he scrapes lightly with his teeth. You fidget underneath him, a dull throbbing between your legs. You try to figure out what to do with your hands but you’re too nervous.  

He kisses your throat where it's extra sensitive and you bite back and involuntary noise. 

"Don't hold your voice, please?"  

"It's embarrassing,"  

"It's not," He assures, bumping his forehead to your shoulder lightly. "I want to know what makes you feel good. Let me pay attention to you."  

You frown but nod ultimately.  

Umemiya isn't the first sexual encounter you've had in your life. You've done other things, but you've never really gone all the way with anyone. All of your other partners were mostly strangers - people mutually interested in using someone else to try and get off.  

This is the first time anyone has taken this much time with you. A little kissing and groping, sometimes touching your chest.  

No one's ever touched you like this, though.  

His hands feel like they're all over your body no matter where they actually end up being. Makes your heartbeat rain drumming on a tin roof. Makes your stomach tingle, a heat in your calves and a prickly feeling on your back. Your whole being drowning with pure anticipation.  

"Take this off for me." Umemiya mumbles. You nod, feeling absent as you wiggle yourself out of your tight little tee and toss it somewhere.  

The air shifts again when you're naked. His eyes drink you in, tracing the soft lines and edges of your body. Looking over scars and stretchmarks with pure, blown out wanting that shoots lust straight into your veins.  

You want him to fuck you so bad it's killing you but the very thought makes you feel so shy you could die.  

"You're beautiful," Sounds dirty the way he says, makes it spill from his lips like wine tipping over a glasses edge. "Perfect. Every inch of you is so perfect."  

He proves this to you by kissing you again. Running his hands over your skin. Up against curved sides and down against your arms, brushing the back of your biceps and forearms.  

Infatuation in his touch ruins you. Makes your voice let out. You can't think of anyone whose treated you so preciously in your entire life and you find you don't resent it as much as you should.  

(You find it feels so good to let someone touch you so kindly. A touch like you're being loved.)  

Nonetheless it's embarrassing. Of course it is.  

But it's so hard not to feel pulled in when you feel the way he kisses you. Draws a trail with his lips and tongue from jaw to shoulder blade - kissing down your biceps with his hands on your body, taking  gentle inhales of your scent.  

Anticipation makes your stomach tie in knots but finally he relents. Both hands squeeze the soft weight of your chest, palms brushing your hardened nipples.  

"Fuck."  

He laughs a little, heavy with want. "Yeah? Do you like being touched here?"  

"Mm." Is the best reply you can get out.  

He brushes against the tips with his fingers in a feather-light gesture, testing the waters before rubbing with a little more pressure. Your body jolts from the stimulation, wetness pooling and dampening your underwear. He leans in and takes one of your nipples into his mouth making another dull wave of lust wash through you.  

And he makes sure to pay attention to both. It's just like him to be so attentive to some shit like that. Your spine arches as he sucks on your sensitive nipples, letting his tongue flick across them and giving into a sweet friction. You buck your hips up against instinctively, gripping onto the sheets as your sense of restlessness grows.  

Your voice is whiny to your own ears but you can't calm down to save your life.  

"You're taking too long," You huff. He laughs lightly, looking up at you from underneath his lashes.  

"Don't be impatient." He tsks.  

"It's enough already," 

He shakes his head. "Nope. Still got a long ways to go. Promise you'll have me when you're ready for it, so just try and focus on feeling good."  

You make a frustrated sound. "It's embarrassing being the only one feeling good,"  

He pauses before standing up on his knees. He takes his black t-shirt off in one swift go until his torso is bare, and undoes the top button of his pants. He gives you a little glance. "Better?"  

There are too many layers of that to process in the moment it happens. You mumble. "A little,"  

He beams. "Good. Now let me take good care of you,"  

Sliding down lower, he kisses you from sternum to navel. Hands gripping at the softness of your sides, smoothing over the bare skin as he his thumb finds the waistband of your skirt. He glances up at you, silently seeking your permission. You nod back at him, watching him slide the short skirt away from your waist.  

The sudden air feels cool against your skin. He presses his cheek against your belly, both hands on your hips..  

"You're gorgeous. Even more gorgeous than I thought. I feel so lucky being able to touch you when you're this perfect.” He praises endlessly.  

You cover your face with your arm.  

"Ugh. Quit it. You're sayin' too much."  

"Seeing you get so shy when I praise you a little is so cute." He trails his lips down further and further - just above your sex before stopping. "You're so cute."  

He sits back, standing up and bending your legs slightly at the knee. You hold the position as you feel him massage your calve. Thumb drawing hard circles in the muscle, slowly working his way up to your knee. He kisses you afterwards trailing the same spot his hands were touching seconds ago before moving onto the other side.  

There's nothing you can call it short of worship. The nagging feeling that it's undeserved is washed away each time Umemiya holds your gaze.  

Devotion colors every touch no matter how small. And it’s so obvious, so prominent - it feels outright wrong to deny the fact it’s there.   

You think the closest thing you can compare it too is the way Umemiya gardens. A patience as his fingers root through earth and soil, a kindness towards delicate things that makes even hours of work under the sun look beautiful and easy. His expression is what's most uncanny - what makes you you feel so hot. 

An expression that says he loves doing it from the very bottom of his heart - not even a hint of apathy or complaint.  

A face that says he loves every long, drawn out motion and actions of repetition all fro the very core of him.  

Having it directed at making love to you so blatantly makes you more aroused than you know what to do with. You don't know how to let yourself be treated like the most cherished flower in Umemiya's garden - and you aren't so sure how you're meant to get used to it no matter how much it makes you feel...nice. You don’t have any other experience.  

Which is why you're trying to be patient. Trying to be at least temporarily secure in whatever he sees in you that makes him worship every inch of you, memorizing all your ins and outs.  

Umemiya places hot, wet kisses on your inner thigh before laying himself between your spread legs - breath barely hovering over your sex.  

By the time he gets there, you feel utterly melted into your sheets. Your mind is hazy, impatient and wanting as strong hands secure your thighs. He's so close.  

"I wanna eat you out. Is that okay?"  

"If you don't do something soon I'm gonna kill you."  

He laughs warmly. "I'll take that as a yes."  

You pause. Umemiya waits.  

"I didn't uh," You clear your throat. "Wasn't planning on getting laid so y'know. Haven't shaved in a while."  

"Were you worried that I'd change my mind? I like it for the record. Feels natural." Umemiya says. "It's your body so there's nothing I would dislike about it."  

"You're too much." You reply back in earnest. You cover your face with your arms. "So cheesy."  

"I'm being serious." He says suddenly solemn with how sincere he is. 

The sudden change is amusing. You pause before breaking into genuine giggles, unable to help yourself.  

"You're really somethin', yknow that?"  

He's quiet for a long time. Long enough for it to catch your attention, turning your gaze more clearly towards his face. Swiftly, he pushes himself up to catch your mouth in another kiss. It stuns you a bit, very different to all the rest. More teeth and tongue than lip.  

"I like you," He murmurs, forehead to yours. "How can someone be so cute?"  

"Would you quit embarrassing me and get on with it?" 

He smiles. "As you wish,"  

Umemiya settles back down between your legs after easing your panties off and putting your feet flat on the bed to give himself more access. You can barely look down at him doing it. His fingers brush the slick hairs back gentle as he uses his thumbs to spread your pussy apart and look at you more intimately.  

You can feel him. Feel his every breath and movement. He stares at you awestruck. "How is all of you so pretty? Even here it's such a beautiful color."  

"Stop looking so much,"  

He takes a breath, taking in your scent one more time before pressing a kiss to your clit. You make an attempt to squirm away from his grip as his finger dig into your thighs and hold you down. The strength of it knocks the wind out of you, forcing you into place. Umemiya pushes his tongue and gives you a long, tentative lick through the seam of your cunt.  

Your whole body breaks out into shivers at the sensation. The warm weight of his tongue on your sex makes feels like an electric current through water - your toes curling as he makes the same few passes over and over. He collects your pooling arousal on the tip as he drags upwards and flicks your clit tentatively. You grind against his face instinctually, hips chasing the pleasure. Amused laughter vibrates against your core as you do, mumbling at you to be patient while he's still face deep in it.  

You let out another pitchy whine before he finally stops teasing. He lays his tongue flat against your clit, cupping it lightly before drawing it around experimentally. He watches carefully as he plays around with pressure and angles - trying to see what makes you react the most. You can feel how closely he's watching you. 

You cover your mouth with your hand when he does find it, your voice breaking off as he licks carefully right where you need. He smiles into your cunt as he toys with your with the sensitive bundle of nerves, pleased by the change in your reactions. The obvious pleasure he's making you feel.  

Something blooms into your chest. You've never— 

"You're—" You close your eyes, hands tangling in the sheets as you break out into a fever. "Ngh, never had someone l-lick me,"  

He must've heard you because he seems to laser in his focus the minute you say it. He's lapping at your clit so deep, licking precisely and holding you with nose against your bush.  

You reach down tentatively, pushing back the hair falling in his face and he gives you a look so lovesick you want to run away. The pressure changes gradually, more intensely.  

It feels better somehow. Makes you feel restless. Your whole body curls in tight with want at the sensation of it, the lower expanse of your belly tensed. You're shaking as you drift closer to the edge, arousal upped by the wet sound of him sucking your clit.  

"Hajime," You warn, spine starting to arch as you helplessly try to pull away from the intense sensation. It's not familiar to your body, so much so your mind can barely make sense of what's happening to it, "Cumming—c-cumming!"  

Something in you goes undone as Umemiya keeps pace during your orgasm. All the tension inside of you suddenly comes loose - specks of white matter behind closed lids as you screw your eyes shut. Your back curves up into arch, your hips trembling, your insides pulsing. It comes running into you, crashing into your body as waves of pleasure drown out the noise in your head. He eats you out until you feel borderline hysterical.  

You feel melted and reshaped by him - yanking him off when he continues to be insistent after you're too oversensitive. He laughs when you pull him away, resting against your thigh as you take worn out heaving breaths.  

He kisses the inside of your knee as you calm down, bright smile on his features - painted pink with a slight flush. "You came. I'm so happy."  

You look at him in shock. "You're a scary guy."  

He pushes up to kiss your temple, voice soft. "Did I scare you?"  

Your stomach flutters, tucking your chin. "You were intense, but I didn't... hate it or anything."  

"Yeah?" He grins, pressing a few kisses to your cheek and face before whispering against your ear. "Then, is it okay to go farther?"  

You nod silently. Umemiya smiles.  

He stands up on his knees, pushing his hair back as your eyes are drawn to his pants. You reach out for the waistband of his pants unthinkingly, hooking your finger into it. "Isn't it stuffy?"  

He blinks, frozen before rubbing a hand across his face. "Ah a bit, but it's fine."  

"Take 'em off. Please?"  

Umemiya looks unusually distressed by the request, but follows through without another word. You watch him undress - revealing the tight black fabric of his boxer briefs snug against his waist. Your eyes go wide as you see the outline of his cock - head still half hazy. You voice your unfiltered reaction.  

"Your dick is so big,"  

He laughs breathlessly. "Are you trying to stir me up? What's with you?" He pauses to lay down besides you. You turn to lay on your side and face him a little better. "You're being cute. I'm not used to seeing you so docile."  

"Shaddup," You reply half-heartedly. Your body is still on fire but it knocked the wind of you to cum once already. "Your fault."  

He grins, a hint of smugness as he laughs. "That's true."  

"You gonna fuck me?"  

"Mm, yeah. Gotta open you up first or it'll hurt."  

"I've put stuff in before. Toys. Should be fine."   

"Still wanna play it safe. It's your precious first time after all."  

You make a face before pulling him into you, hugging him tight as your whole body breaks out in a shameful flush. "Then hurry up and do it already."  

His arms slide underneath where your laying, holding you to him as he hikes one of your legs up. He slides his free hand in over your leg - his forearm holding your thigh. You press your face to his neck and shoulder - hiding your expression. "Guess I should huh? You were always impatient,"  

You can barely tell him to shut up, the way your body waits for it. A warbled little noise leaves your mouth as he slides his middle finger through the sticky folds of your cunt - careful as it catches on your hole. Wet and so aroused, the first finger he puts in goes in completely smoothly with no real effort 

Umemiya speaks low and soft as he holds you. "I don't know if I can get used to seeing you like this. I'm glad no one else but me ever wil You’re really all I think about lately," He catches the lobe of your ear between his teeth gently. Your head spins. "People misunderstand you because you're prickly, you know? For a long time, only I knew what it felt like to be liked by you. I liked that,"  

"Why are you—mmgh," 

He slides another finger in carefully after the first one slides inside of you with no resistance. His voice is so hot against your skin, the low bass of it in your skull as he speaks so close to your ear.  

"Don't get me wrong I'm happy seeing you with so many people surrounding you. But I was a little sad too. And it kept getting worse over the years until I couldn’t ignore it. I couldn’t figure out why for a long time and then it clicked,” Umemiya explains. You realize half way delirious this is his real confession. God, you’re gonna kill him. “Suddenly it was all I thought about. I wanted to be special to you. I wanted to monopolize you. It was my first time having thoughts like that,”  

Another finger slides into you easily. Umemiyas fingers are so much bigger than yours. Thicker than they are long. The stretch is enough to make you gasp.  

“Hajime—“ 

He curls them up, careful until he finds the spot he’s looking for. Your body reacts, another sensation of pressure as his middle finger rubs tenderly against your gspot. You weakly try to wiggle away as he holds you firm.  

“I felt a little guilty, too. You’re my very best friend. You’re independent and diligent. Tough. But you know, when I saw you for those few months - all I could think about was how much I wanted to spoil you,” He whispers. Something in your body shifts the way touches you. Pushes in further and further - stretching until it’s easy for him to be inside. “Somehow everything I liked about you became so cute I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t help but want to dote on you over every little thing even though I knew better than anyone you didn’t need something like that.”  

Your eyes well up but not necessarily from emotion. Totally overwhelmed. You don’t feel like you’re gonna cum but there’s something else that’s waiting and each time he thrusts his fingers into you it comes a little closer. Your voice is shaking.  

“It—fuck, quit talking. Somethings gonna—“  

His smile grows a little. It’s the first time it looks so hungry.  

“I was happy in general when I realized you liked me too. Even when you were being stubborn, I liked the way you couldn’t turn me away. I liked how happy you looked talking to me as usual as if that alone was something so precious,” He hums, so focused and precise as he stretches you open on a third finger but never once losing his train of thought. Like saying all of these comes to him so easily it doesn’t matter. “I didn’t want to corner you. But it felt like I couldn’t rest until you were mine completely. Which is why I’m being so unfair to you. Why I’m so persistent. ” 

Your voice breaks on a whine. “It’s gonna come out—“  

“You make a pretty face when your heads filled with nothing but me. I don’t think it’s bad to wanna stay that way,” He hums, almost conversational as he presses a kiss to your skin. “Go on. Let go,”  

Something hot sprays between your legs as Umemiya fucks you open on all three of his fingers.  

A rush of warm liquid squirts onto your sheets as your legs shake wearily. Umemiya marvels at the mess. Your hands curl into fists, nails digging in your palms as he finally pulls them out - leaving you stretched, almost gaping.  

You lay limp in soaked sheets as you pull away from Umemiya with a very weak glare.  

He’s smiling at you, dopey and lovesick.  

“Too much?”  

Angrily, you smack at his bare chest over and over, trying to recover your pride.  

“You’re insane. What’s,” You swallow thickly. “What’s with you.”  

He shrugs. Wordless, he flips you onto your back again before hovering over top of you. Pressing his forehead to yours, he brushes your noses together and plants a tentative peck on your lips as if trying to gauge whether or not you’re upset. He melts when you kiss him back, smiling happily.  

“Were you like this with your other girlfriends? No wonder they broke up with you,”  

He laughs. “Mm, no? I was more of a gentleman.”  

You break out into another exhausted fit of laughter.  

“Pfft, yeah? Guess I’m pretty special,” 

“Yeah. You are.” He kisses you again. “Wanna keep going or are you too tired? I don’t mind if we sleep.”  

“Stupid. I said it already didn’t I? Hurry up and fuck me.”  

“Okay, okay. Let me go get the condom from my wallet,”  

You wrap your legs around his waist and stare up at him plainly as he tries to move, keeping him pinned in place. You’re frowning, brows furrowed with a hard glare. He stares at you.  

“Did you want something else? Water?”  

“Want you to fuck me,” You restate, arms reaching up to circle around his neck. “Just do it already.” 

He pulls back to look at you seriously.  

“Do you know what you’re asking?”  

You flush. “Of course I do. Stupid. Are you trying to get me to say it out loud?”  

“I might think I’m deluding myself otherwise.”  

You sigh, looking at him flatly as you try to tamp down the part of you that’s screaming to be more tactful.  

“Don’t bother with the condom, a-alright? Or pulling out,”  

He looks like he’s experiencing the shock of his life. “But…” 

“Stop being dumb or I’m never gonna have sex with you again.”  

He nods suddenly solemn. “Fine. But,”  

You give him another look that silences him. He sighs again, getting the message before kissing your cheek and pull back to sit up on his knees between your legs. Pulling his briefs down, his cock springs free. It looks a lot bigger than you saw underneath the fabric, weighed down from it’s own weight even though it stands up stiff. He opened you up with three but you wonder if it’ll be enough not to stretch you open.  

You reach your hand out to touch it tentatively, feeling it’s weight and heft. He clears his throat but seems content to let you. The palms of your hands cup the shaft, feeling all the veins pulse. The tip is sticky with precum. You pull your hand away, another sudden wave of self consciousness overwhelming you.  

Umemiya hovers over you again, placing he length of his cock against your pussy. You shift a little feeling it slide against you, hard and hot.  

“Gonna put it in now, okay?”  

Nodding, you put your legs up. You take a deep breath when the head pushes in, letting out an involuntary noise. You feel well-stretched but the thickness of his cock is still enough to make you feel it in your legs. Umemiya is focused above you, barely sliding the tip through your folds as you open up around him. The air feels punched out of your lungs on just the first inch.  

His face is strained is he holds his hips steady, leaning down to tap your foreheads together. “Feeling okay?”  

“Mm,” You nod, wrapping your arms around his neck. “Fine. Feels different.”  

“Different?”  

“Yours is bigger than all the stuff I own,” You explain. “Feels hotter. Harder, too.”  

You feel his cock twitch inside of you suddenly, shocking you. He smiles sheepishly.  

“Gonna push in a little more, okay?”  

You nod, watching as Umemiya so slowly presses his cock into you further. Enough that it doesn’t hurt when you take him, as much as it just feels like something is inside of you. You feel a warm sense of satisfaction at how full you feel. You feel like him like he’s in your stomach, taking up so much space. After a while of pushing, stopping, and going again  - he finally bottoms out.  

“You feel incredible,” He murmurs, half-smile on his face. Your stomach flutters. “It’s hard not to cum right away. Feels so good inside of you. I love you.”  

You feel yourself twitch, frowning at the expression of delight Umemiya has. You put your hand against his fact to keep him away but he kisses your palm and moves it. Bottomed out, he grasps both hands and holds them  - pinning them to the bed as you watch him wide-eyed.  

“Think you’re used to it?” He hums, clasping your fingers together. “Is it okay if I move?”  

You feel so damn bashful. “It’s okay.” 

He kisses your forehead. “I’ll go slow.” 

As promised, Umemiya pulls out carefully before pushing back into you. You’re so wet that it slides in without any real friction. It takes a few thrusts of him going slowly for your body to get adjusted to the sensation. After a few motions, though - it starts to feel different.  

Starts to feel good. Really, really good.  

“Oh,” Your eyes flutter open. “Shit. You c-can go faster.”   

“Yeah?”  

You nod, trying not to seem too eager. 

When Umemiya picks up pace, you feel your  the whole lower half of your body weaken all over again. Something in your legs, your spine go soft against the bed underneath, a sudden unusual arousal swelling. Somewhere in deeper as he cocks thrusts against your gspot, knocking against it with more force than before. The change in pace coupled with the visual of Umemiya over you, face drawn together in focus as he fucks you is too much. Split open on his cock, you can hear how wet you are each time he moves.  

“Feels…” Your words come up empty. “’s so much.” 

“Yeah? Is it too much for you, baby?”  

You shake your head as your thoughts get increasingly cloudy. It’s like there’s nothing else your body can focus on. The way his cock drags against your sensitive, silken walls. The feeling of being full to empty and then full all over again. The way your pussy gets so much wetter each time he moves, sloppy and sucking him in so tight. You can feel your body want for him.  

Umemiya lets go of your hands, sliding one between your bodies. Palm resting on your sex, he lets his brush against your clit. The difference it makes is significant, makes your eyes go wide. He smiles a little, hair falling in his face as he pushes it up with his free hand.  

“That’s it,” He hums, contented to keep at it like this. “Feels good, right? Your holding onto me so tightly it’s hard for me to pull out even though you’re so wet.”  

You make a whiny noise and wonder if other peoples first times feel this good or if you’re just outrageously lucky. You decide on the latter he fucks you faster and matches his thrusts with the movement of his fingers. You’re warm all over - skin scorching as your hands find his biceps and shoulders to cling onto.  

Your voice is so whiny when you call out for him “You’re so deep, ngh.”  

He laughs, deep and raspy. “Yeah? Tell me what you’re feeling,”  

“It feels good when you’re in me.” You reply drunkenly. “Want it faster. Please,”  

He complies with your request almost immediately. You cry out loud, physically incapable of holding the sound in as he gets to fucking you faster and harder. Your pussy is throbbing. Senselessly horny, you pull Umemiya closer to you as he fucks you and smash your lips together. You feel so good, so thoroughly fucked and completely out of it. He’s in you but you want him even closer, want the scent of his skin to mark you.  

A second time your body builds up to that familiar feeling but it’s so much farther inside. An orgasm pulled right from your core. Stomach tied in knots as Umemiya fucks you hard, you wrap your legs around his waist and take him. 

“That’s it. You’re so good. Cum on my cock, sweet girl. Let me feel it” He murmurs against your skin, holding you close. “You’re making me feel so good. So cute. Go ahead, it’s okay. Let me see how good I’m making you feel.”  

Pliant to his request, you hold onto Umemiya for dear life as your body gives into second orgasm. Your nails dig into his biceps as the built up arousal gives way pleasure - and you cum hard with his cock sheathed all the way inside of you. All the wind gets stolen from your lungs as you press forward with another kiss, your whole body trembling violently as you let go.  

Umemiya sweet talks you through without letting go once, only stopping to take a pause when you’ve fully ridden out your high.  

You stare up at him in a daze as he takes a breather to kiss you, still hard as he’s bottomed out inside of you.  

“You gonna cum soon?”  

“Mm,” He nods. “Yeah I’m close. If I move, I will.”  

“’s okay to cum in me,”  

Umemiya laughs warmly. “I’m already about too. You’re not helping,”  

You smile a bit as you hug him close to you and tell him again that it’s fine. Before long, he holds you too, whispering the same three words into your neck as he finally lets it out. It’s a weird feeling, thick white ropes of seed spilling into the deepest parts of you.  

You don’t really hate it, though.  

“I love you,” Umemiya repeats. Tired you don’t try to fight yourself.  

“Love you too,”  

__ 

The next morning, you’re stirred away by the sound of your front door unlocking and the sound of Kotoha’s voice echoing through your apartment.  

You’re still half-way asleep, so it barely dawns on you that anything is off. Not cognizant enough to think twice, your body tries to go back to sleep.  

Or it does until you hear a very loud shout coming from your kitchen that wakes you up with a start.  

“No fucking way,”  

You sit up suddenly, hearing faint conversation before the sound of steps barreling towards your door. You just barely manage to pull the sheets up over your chest before she comes storming through the door of your bedroom.  

You watch her eyes scan your entire room, mentally collecting data before she finally lands on you. As your brain starts to load back in, your eyes go wide with horror at the look of pure scandal on her face.  

Fuck. You were supposed to be having dinner with her and Tsubaki tonight. Usually you confirm with them in the mornings since your up. It’s not uncommon for her to drop in when you don’t reply to check in since you live close by. 

Fuck.  

“You—Oh, I have to text Tsubaki-chan, I can’t believe—“  

Before she gets to finish her sentence, Umemiya appears behind her in your door way. The sight of him only adds fuel to the flame of your embarrassment. You went another round or two before bed last night and it looks like it too. Shirtless in sweats he left over a while ago, his biceps are covered in scratch and with a few hickies, he’s wearing his hair down with a cup of tea and a very apologetic smile.  

You cover your face with your hands unsure of how to deal with the feeling of pure mortification.  

Kotoha snaps a picture of your room that causes even more distress.  

“If you don’t delete that right now, I’m gonna kill us both.”  

“In your dreams.”  

Umemiya laughs warmly. “Please don’t kill each other.”  

He slides past Kotoha coming over to you. Bending down to kiss your forehead, he pulls the blanket up over you so you’re more well-covered. You give him an incredulous but Umemiya is unfazed - smiling as bright as ever. 

“Good morning,”  

“I can’t believe my eyes,” Kotoha says. She points at Umemiya. “You, go put on a shirt.”  

“Fine, fine. Stay for breakfast,” Umemiya says with a smile. “It’ll be nice having it with my two favorite people.”  

You make another face as Umemiya gives you a long, affectionate look before disappearing. She sighs as she looks at you, pinching the bridge of her nose.  

“I would ask if you’re gonna meet us for dinner but you don’t have a choice anymore so show up at seven. I’m gonna leave before that tactless idiot comes back. We’ll talk later.”  

You nod in understanding. She turns to leave but then turns back with a genuine smile.  

“And, well - congrats. He’s a tactless idiot but he does love you or whatever. Cherish each other,”  

You flush, nodding your head. “Yeah…thanks.”  

With that Kotoha leaves quickly. Umemiya returns still shirtless, pouting a little when he notices she’s gone.  

“She left already?”  

“Of course she did. I can’t believe you would invite her for breakfast.”   

Umemiya shrugs. “No point being coy about it. I thought it’d be nice. I was looking for a shirt but I guess I don’t need one now,” He sits besides you on the bed, turning to face with a goofy smile. “Anyways, good morning.”  

“You already said that.”  

“You didn’t say it back,”  

You frown. “G’morning,”  

He smiles suddenly  before grabbing you from underneath the blankets and sheets - pulling your naked body ontop of him as he grins. Sunlight pours through the window as he holds you to his chest, kissing the crown of your head before pressing his cheek into your hair.  

“Mm, yeah. It’s a really good morning after all.”  

“You’re stupid.”  

“And you love me,”  

You fail trying not to smile.  Damn him. You're so happy it hurts. You roll your eyes.

“I guess so.”  

Imagine birthdays being quite an uneventful for you. Sure you love celebrating birthdays when it comes to your dearest friends but it was just that your own birthday was never your thing and probably would never be. It was just the same old day and the more that you get older, the less exciting it has become. It makes you wonder when did you started getting unexcited about it, just treating it like any other day.

Imagine today just happened to be that day, the day that you were born, one you did not ask to- but sure, happy birthday self, you thought as you close the door behind you. Taking a quick shower after work and changing into your comfortable clothes, a piece of tower hanging on your shoulder as you grab a couple cans of beer in the refrigerator before going inside your room.

Imagine, birthdays were troublesome. Specially when you have no plans to joyfully celebrate it but as you walk on the balcony of your room, stepping out only to be greeted by a cold breeze as you step out causing you to rub your arm with your free hand as a small smile creeps into your face. You then gently place the can of beers into the small coffee table on the balcony before sitting down on the chair beside it before looking beyond the horizon. "This is nice."

Imagine looking at the sunset as it disappears from the horizon. Its colors reflecting all over the city and its skyscraper as you stare at it in awe. You have not seen such scene once in a while. Making you wonder when was theblast time you have seen such thing. Makes you wonder when did you ever stop to look at the sky to see such wonderful scene. It happeneds every day yet it feels like you rately have seen it. Growing up means losing time, the more you focus on something else the more you seemed to have forgotten the little things. Maybe it was not so bad to take a break once in a while. Just like today.

Imagine finishing your beers as time by, the sun have already set in the horizon as the sky darkens and the stars start to appear as well as the moon, giving light into the city night. It was almost time for you to get up and take a break when you heard someone humming, taking on your way from the inside as you slightly panicked. Until you heard a familiar voice coming from the inside.

"Happy birthday to you..." your jaw almost dropped as you could not help but to look at him with wide eyes. He was not supposed to be in here. "Happy birthday to you..." Yet there he was cake in hand, candles lit up waiting for you to blow it with a wish- if the breeze would not beat you into doing so. "Happy birthday dear (First name)..." He then looks at you with a cheeky smile on his lips. "Happy birthday to you." He finishes, kneeling in front of you with cake in hand within your reach.

Imagine the way you blink, look down in the cake with a melting candle before you blink again, then you make a wish, blow the candle before poking and scooping a little bit on your finger and tasting it. This time he was the one looking at you with wide eyes. "You're not surprised?" He asked, slightly offended that his plan did not seem to surprised you at all but you do. You did not expect him to barge into your apartment and make such last minute appearance. And then you chuckle which eventually turn into full blown laughter.

"I am." You giggle, brushing off some tears on your eyes before cupping his cheeks. "Thank you very much love." You said affectionately which almost made him drop the cake he was holding nevertheless was about to put it into the coffee table before anything else. "I mean it, really." In the eyes of others it may not be that obvious, but the way his eyes brighten upon hearing your word. Maybe spending your birthday with someone would not be so bad as you thought it would be or maybe because it was him that you would not mind celebrating yor birthday for once in a while.

[ⓒdark-night-hero] 2024°

: happy birthday to my broke-ass self yay! Thank God it's my way off. Anyways, adios.

"It's raining."

You stick your hand out into the falling rain, cold drops plopping into your palm. the air smells fresh, a hint of musty wet leaves on the cool breeze. The sky is gray, the sun hiding behind the thick whirling clouds.

"Really?" Umemiya breathes, in a playfully incredulous tone. He cups your cheek gently, the warmth of his calloused hands radiating under your blushing cheeks. He turns your face to look into his eyes, and they soften, like like sinking into a soft bed at night.

You can smell the tea on his breath, minty, no doubt from the small mint plant he's been reviving in the garden out back. It calms you instantly, makes you fall out of the whirlwind of thoughts cascading through your mind to drive up your stress levels.

But with Ume, in this moment it's quiet, tranquil. The rain pools in your palm, washes away the doubt and insecurity you were previously reveling in, and Ume..stays by your side, engrossed in your beauty.

"I hardly noticed..." he replies bending down to touch the tip of his nose to yours," How could I when I'm standing next to the sun?"