I have this as the beginning of them becoming a s/o, hope you enjoy! – Admin Jade
There he was again, Akashi Seijuro, or as they commonly referred to him in their own mind: the beautiful man with red eyes. They’d never seen eyes of that color on anyone else. It reminded them of chrysanthemums, hints of gold showing in certain lighting. As he moved through the shop, ease in his step, they watched from behind a bunch of daisies, unable to tear their gaze from his form. He was wearing a grey suit, it’s lines sharp enough to cut paper they were sure, with a black tie fixed perfectly by a gorgeous ruby tie pin.
“Good afternoon, ______” his deep smooth voice offered, light smile on his lips.
They started, worried he’d caught them staring, but if he had he made no mention of it.
“Go…good afternoon, Akashi-san,” they managed, heart rate speeding up as those crimson irises settled on their face.
“I was hoping you could help me,” he continued, never breaking eye contact.
They swallowed, hoping the little moisture left in their throat would be enough to help them form words adequately. “Yes?” Good, no stuttering and their voice didn’t crack.
“You see…today is a very important day. Today is the day I’m going to tell someone how I feel about them and I’m sure you can provide excellent assistance.”
They were sure the color was draining from their face if the settling cold was anything to go by; but should they really be surprised? Akashi-san could have anyone he wanted. He was rich, powerful, gorgeous; but that wasn’t all they liked about him.
The first time he’d been to their shop, he’d asked for flowers for his mother’s grave. The way he looked, the depth of love still there, was tragically beautiful.
The second had been to order flower arrangements for an event as his company, purchasing vases as well. They’d heard later everyone loved the flowers and the fact they could take them home at the end of the evening.
On his fourth visit, he had a girl with him and they’d felt their heart sink only to rise with joy when he introduced them to her. “This is one of my greatest friends, Momoi Satsuki. She’s getting married in six months and I told her this was absolutely the place to come for flowers.”
The pink haired girl had clapped her hands enthusiastically, chirping, “Everything is so pretty! I just can’t decide! I wish Tetsu would have come with me!” From there, they’d taken over, asking for her color scheme, the size of her tables, how many bridesmaids. After talking for about an hour, Momoi had made her selections, only for Akashi-san to grab the contract and sign it himself. “Consider it a wedding gift,” he chuckled as Momoi protested him spending so much.
Yes, there was much to admire about the man before them.
They snapped back to attention when he cleared his throat, a slightly raise eyebrow all the indication he was curious as to their silence.
“Yes! Yes, of course I can help, Akashi-san. Um, what exactly were you looking for?”
He hummed, tapping his index finger against his chin. “I’d like for the bouquet to speak to them. For it to make clear all the reasons I appreciate and admire them,” he answered, looking back into their eyes.
“Right, ok….so….tell me about them! I’m sure I can find some flowers that will serve your purpose well!”
Akashi smiled, eyes soft as he considered their request and they were sure by the end of this ordeal they would need to lie down and take a couple of deep breaths. “First, they are exceedingly beautiful,” he supplied.
“Amaryllis,” they murmured, picking two from the display.
“They’re a very happy person.”
“Definitely gerbera,” and in went two more flowers. They paused then asked, “You said you wanted to convey admiration, right?” He hummed ascent. “Then you definitely need red carnations. What else?”
Akashi stared at them for a moment then answered, “They’re strong and creative and carry themselves with elegance.”
“Wow,” they breathed then refocused. “Some dahlias are perfect for that.” They considered the gathering of flowers in their grasp and said, “Ok, I think we have room for one more. Better make it a good one,” they teased, trying to lighten the load of despair in their chest.
“This one I think I can pick on my own,” he said softly, handing them two roses.
”Love! He loves this person!”
Returning behind the counter, they completed the arrangement, making sure every petal was flawless and every stem was perfectly even with the rest before securing them with green ribbon. Taking a deep breath, they walked out to where Akashi stood waiting, hands in his pockets. As the approached, they extended the bouquet, trying desperately to keep any tremor out of their voice as they said, “I hope they like these and I wish you the best of luck.”
Akashi took the bundle, but as he made way to gathering his wallet, they held up one hand. “On the house, today is a special day, after all.”
He stared at them, smiling again.
“Normally I’d protest. As an Akashi I am not accustomed to receiving charity, however, it is fitting all things considered.”
They cocked their head, confused by his words but their eyes widened to the size of saucers as he stepped closer, hands extending the bouquet back towards them. “I hope this makes perfectly clear how I feel about you.” He closed their shaking fingers around the stems, leaning forward to touch his lips to their cheek. “I’ll pick you up for dinner after you close, make sure to wear something nice, we’re going to celebrate.”
They don’t know how they didn’t manage to faint dead on the spot.
In case anyone is wondering what these flowers look like, I made this banner to share. They are in the order they were picked in the scene.
I just love this gorilla! He’s so sweet! – Admin Jade
“Okamura-senpai, we’re leaving, are you gonna stay late again?” shouted his point guard from across the gym. “You know the girls team is comin’ in soon!”
Despite his best efforts, Okamura could feel his cheeks heating up. Did they know? Shaking his head, he called over his shoulder, “Just a few more shots, I’ll be outta their way soon! See you tomorrow!”
A mumbled reply was all he got as they exited to head to their respective dorms chatting as they went.
Exhaling a sigh of relief, Okamura turned towards the basket, shooting a three pointer. Gathering the ball, he took another shot and then another, both of which bounced off the rim. He hadn’t lied, he really would keep taking shots, though his focus was less than perfect. Any minute now-
“Oi! Girl’s team coming in! Time to get out!” shouted the vice captain.
Okamura gathered his ball and headed towards the bleachers to pick up his bag, strategically placed right underneath so he’d have to pass right by her. Gathering courage, he made eye contact and smiled at the captain, raising a hand in greeting. She returned the gesture before refocusing her attention on the conversation with her partner.
It wasn’t until he was outside that Okamura realized he’d been so distracted by her beautiful smile he’d forgotten to pick up his bag!
“Ugh, how embarrassing, but I can’t leave it there all night,” he groaned. Sighing he pivoted, heading back into the gym.
Just as he touched the strap, he heard a voice say, “Oh I just wanna give him a big hug! He’s like…like…like a teddy bear!”
It froze him in his tracks; he knew that voice, had dreamed of that voice. His shoulders slumped, head beginning to hang. He supposed he shouldn’t be that surprised she would have someone she was interested in, maybe even was already dating, though he’d not seen evidence of that. Then again, maybe she had someone back home. Yeah, that would make sense. His heart ached, a deep burning pain rushing through his blood and giving him a headache. But before he could retreat he heard the vice captain ask, “Who? The guy who’s always here till the last minute?”
“Of course! Who else did you think?”
Now he was sure his heart had stopped; was she actually talking…about him?
The vice captain snorted, “I can’t believe you like him. Don’t you think it’s…kind of creepy how he’s always here when we’re coming in?”
“Just because he works harder than everyone else does not make him creepy! It’s admirable!”
Okamura lips twitched upward, heart beating a bit faster hearing her defend him. Not that the vice captain was entirely wrong, he did stay late for more than just extra practice but it wasn’t like he just sat around!
“Yeah, well, I’d say it’s a bit of a stretch calling him a teddy bear. Gorilla is more like it.”
There was a pause and for a moment Okamura felt the weight of dread settling upon him; did she think he was a gorilla too?
Then she laughed, loud and bright. “I have always been a fan of primates, and he’s as prime as they get for a mate!”
Her partner groaned, the sound of a smacked arm echoing in the gym. “I swear, you get worse and worse! You really should stop hanging out so much with Izuki!”
“Hanging around?! The only reason we’re in that stupid study group, you know the one on the complete opposite side of campus, is because you wanted to join it. And the only reason you wanted to join that one was because of-”
“Oh look, the girls are comin’ in!”
“You can’t hide from me!”
Okamura chuckled, watching from his position under the bleachers as they ran to greet their team.
So she wanted to give him a hug did she? He’d just have to make her wish come true.
Awwww! I love protective Kise! Slight trigger warning for the subject manner of bullying. – Admin Jade
“You know he’s dating you out of pity, right?”
“That or he lost a bet! Ooooo, I bet that’s it!”
“You bet that’s it? How lame of joke is that?”
“Not as lame as ____-chan thinking someone as gorgeous and talented as Kise-kun could ever have real feelings for her. It’s so sad it’s funny.”
The girls giggled, a cruel, mirthless sound. Their eyes bore down on her and she shrunk farther against the wall, wishing for the ground to open and swallow her up. How could people think this was ok? That they had any right to comment on something they knew nothing about? But she was weak, too weak to stand up for herself or Kise. She knew dating the popular model turned basketball prodigy would be challenging, but the taunts had grown more vicious and despite knowing better, seeds of doubt were beginning to take root.
Maybe they saw something she didn’t. After all, these girls ran in the same circle as Kise, at least before he started playing basketball. But now they were regulated to the literal sidelines watching the ace, the “golden boy” of Kaijo.
And they hated her for standing beside him.
That alone should have been enough to give her the strength to disbelieve their venomous insults, their never-ending torment but it didn’t; slowly but surely she was beginning to question Kise’s motivation to be with her. Despite her fervent efforts, she could feel tears welling up then sliding down her cheeks, her face flushing hotly in embarrassment and shame.
“Oh, you gonna cry now?” one of them cooed.
“So pathetic,” another snapped, hand reaching down to grasp a handful of her hair. She cried out at the firm tug but a moment later felt an imposing presence of an entirely different variety standing next to her. Cracking open her eyes she inhaled sharply at the expression on Kise’s face as he gripped the wrist of the girl holding her.
“I suggest you release, ____-cchi, before something bad happens,” he said lowly.
The girl, now shaking in her shoes, did as told, taking a step back to fall in line with her fellow gossip mongers.
Gently, Kise slid his arm around his girlfriend’s waist, tugging her close and she couldn’t help burying her face against his chest, inhaling his spicy scent.
“It’s ok, I’ve got you,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head. Then, turning his gaze back to her abusers, his eyes narrowed, a more fearsome expression present than any he’d held on the court.
“You think you know me so well, do you?” he said, tone surprisingly even. “You have no fucking clue!”
They gasped, backing away again as he tucked the girl in his arms between himself and the wall, shielding her though the immediate danger was gone.
“If I so much as hear one more word from you about her, to her, about me, or to me, you will regret it!” He stepped forward, leaning down to their height to make eye contact with each one. “Trust me, I have many ways of ruining your lives. So if you want the next two years to be in any way enjoyable, I suggest you take this as your last warning. Stay away from her,” he pointed backwards, “and keep your ugly mouths shut!”
Nodding rapidly, the trio scurried away, not able to hide tears of their own.
Kise waited until they were out of sight then turned back to the girl still cowered against the wall. Slowly he turned her to face him, tilting her chin up, frowning at her still closed eyes. “_____-cchi, look at me,” he insisted firmly but there was a sweetness in his tone.
She did as told, blinking to try to dispel the tears still hanging on her lashes. He took care of them with the soft pads of his thumbs, whispering, “Don’t believe anything those bitches said. Or any others I don’t know about…yet.” His tone slipped into darkness, his aura threatening once more and she almost shrank away, but his arm held fast around her back, pulling her closer to his body. Leaning down, he brushed a gentle kiss to her lips. “I love you, ______.” His lips pressed to hers again, a bit firmer, more insistent and she couldn’t keep a sigh from escaping. Pulling back, he smiled, a true, warmth and love-filled smile so beautiful she couldn’t hold back her tears any longer, flinging her arms about his waist.
He stroked her hair, murmuring words of affection and understanding, letting her cry it out. When her sobs turned to sniffles he gently pulled back to look at her face. “Come on, let’s go get some ice cream.” And taking her hand, he lead her towards the front gates, babbling away about practice and all the great things he’d done and how Kasamatsu-senpai didn’t properly appreciate him. Despite all that had happened, she smiled, squeezing his hand in silent thanks for his protection…and his love.
“Isn’t that what he just did?” Midorima snickered, unwinding the tape from his fingers to discard.
Aomine’s scowl melted away to an enthusiastic smile, hands gripping Akashi’s shoulders and shaking him slightly in his excitement. “Wow, Seijuro! That was awesome! For a second there, it looked like you really stabbed him!”
Akashi smiled, but before he could reply Kagami was bellowing, “What do you mean looked like?! He did!”
“Calm down baka!” Kuroko said firmly, smacking him on the back of the head. “It’s barely a scratch!”
“Barely a scratch! This idiot drew blood!” Teeth clenched and fists ready to fly, Kagami turned his attention to the other redhead. “You need to know where your mark is! It was perfectly placed to get within a centimeter of my face, not actually cut me! To top it all off, I have a meet and greet,” he looked at his watch, “in thirty minutes and now I have this to deal with!”
Akashi eye’s widened. Taking a step forward, hand outstretched he said quietly, “I…I’m sorry Taiga, I didn’t realize I was that close.”
“A likely story, you’re just lucky I was able to stay in character long enough to complete the scene!”
“Taiga, enough,” Kise said evenly, crossing his arms. Gone was his bubbly persona, his bright eyes narrowed and slightly obscured by his bangs. “You’re fine. Just go to the makeup department, they’ll have you looking good as new in no time.”
“Probably better,” Kuroko sniggered.
“Why you-”
“Do not make me repeat myself,” Kise reprimanded voice firmer. “Taiga, go. The rest of you, let’s get some lunch.”
“I’ll pass,” Murasakibara said. “I’m not that hungry.”
As the seven stars of Kuroko’s Basketball made their way off set one stagehand commented, “They’re so…different when the camera isn’t rolling.”
His companion nodded. “Sometimes I wonder how they were cast as they are.” He shrugged. “Oh well, as long as they get the job done, who cares?”
I’m a sucker for cuddles, can you tell? – Admin Jade
Kise inhales deeply through his nose, a soft smile on his face. It’s times like these he cherishes. Times with you, wrapped in his arms, drifting in and out of twilight sleep as he plays with your hair while your fingertips trace idly patterns on his chest and neck. Your scent engulfs him, a fragrance that always reminds him of home.
Because no matter where he is, as long as you’re with him, he feels he’s safe.
It’s laughable sometimes, how much he’s come to rely on what he can only describe as your soft strength. It’s the smile that reaches your eyes that shows him joy. The gentle touch of your hands after a long day on the set that calms his mind and lets him relax.And the feel of you pressed against him that makes him feel secure, like all, at least for one quiet moment, is right with the world.
His eyes shift to your face, half hidden against his chest and he gently caresses your cheek with the backs of his fingers. He smiles wider as you lean into his touch, seeking more. He rolls closer, dipping the mattress and your body in the process, to lay a kiss to your temple.
“You’re everything I’ve ever wanted,” he whispers. “I wanna keep you forever.”
“Love…you…Ryota,” you mumble, nuzzling against his shirt.
“Love you too, ____-cchi,” he returns, lips pressing against the crown of your head.
He settles himself more comfortably, tossing his leg over the mound of your hip and takes another deep breath. Yes, as long as he has you to come home to, to have, to hold, he can face whatever the days ahead may bring.
The last time I wrote about Kasamatsu trying to teach his s/o guitar, it didn’t lead to very safe for work places… lol -Neon
“Which hand is your dominant one?”
Giving him a bit of an incredulous stare, you lightly smacked the back of your hand against Kasamatsu’s shoulder. He was your boyfriend for god’s sake; shouldn’t he know which hand you wrote with by now? The light smack and glare was met by a surprised, then annoyed look of his own. He knew what he’d done wrong, just didn’t want to admit it.
“Just hold this,” he said, pushing one of his older guitars into your hands. When you positioned it so that you were holding it the wrong way, just to test him, he rolled his eyes and responded with, “The other way, doofus.”
With the guitar positioned in your arms and his own positioned in his, he went through the first few chords to a song you both knew and enjoyed. It was slow work at first with him showing you where each finger went and you trying your best to copy it. There were a few times, when you’d strum along, that the notes seemed to be just a bit more off than his.
“No, here,” he said.
Scooting closer to you, Kasamatsu set his guitar off to the side and placed his hands over yours. As he positioned them where they should be, you couldn’t help but notice the way his skin felt so warm against yours. It made everything tingle slightly in that way that often happened when you were with someone you love.
“Now strum like this,” he once again directed.
This time his hands wrapped over your other one, guiding it as he allowed you to lightly strum over the strings. What was produced was an airy, very light sound that reverberated just enough.
“Keep going like that and you’ll get this down in no time,” he encouraged.
As Kasamatsu went to take his hands back, you snatched them up in your own. The fast action nearly had you fumbling with the guitar in your lap and it ended up haphazardly laid out across both of your legs.
“I don’t think I understand yet,” you blurted out, a blatant lie.
Kasamatsu’s look of surprise, that slight blush on his cheeks, quickly went away as he realized your game. Taking his hand out of yours, he frowned in that disapproving way and flicked at your forehead.
Awww, I love giving love to the giants with even bigger hearts! – Admin Jade
Kiyoshi
The sway of the subway made his eyes heavy but Kiyoshi couldn’t relax, going over and over his last conversation with you. As much as he knew it impossible, humans are flawed after all, he always tried to make sure not to let the day’s irritations bleed into how he treated you. But today, today had been really bad. He’d missed the subway and been late to physical therapy which was always oh so much fun but this round had been terrible. His knee throbbed, his back hurt, and it felt like everything he’d tried to do had gone to crap.
Then you’d called to check on what he wanted for dinner and he snapped. Over nothing, he all but growled for you to figure it out yourself.
The subway came to a stop and he stood, making his way slowly up the stairs and onto the street. When he reached home, he winced, certain he wasn’t emotionally stable enough to properly apologize but you didn’t deserve that.
He’d barely touched his key to the lock, when you opened the door. But instead of the look of anger or sadness he was expecting, you smiled warmly and embraced him around his waist. Somewhat startled, he hesitated but then drapped his arms around your back. The two of you stood there for a moment, just breathing in the scent of one another.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled against the crown of your head.
“I know, it’s ok, come on, dinner’s ready.”
Grabbing his hand, you led him through the living room to the dining table upon which sat red bean buns and salad. He pulled you up short, sliding his arms around your waist and burying his face against your neck, practically engulfing your small frame. Sometimes he forgot how drastic your height differences were. “I don’t deserve you,” he muttered.
He felt you inhale, hands caressing over his own. “We all have bad days, Teppei,” you replied, giving them a squeeze. “I don’t expect you to be perfect all the time, that’s impossible.”
He nodded against your skin, planting a kiss to the nape of your neck.
“Now, come on, let’s eat before these get cold and then we’ll ice your knee while I give you a massage.”
Nebuya
Finally home, Nebuya collapsed on the couch with a long, loud sigh. He didn’t think days could be this bad. How was he going to tell you he’d lost his job? And for something that wasn’t really even his fault! At least, not that he broken that stuff on purpose! His large body just didn’t work in small places and the boxes were stacked too close together to begin with. He sighed again, hand covering his eyes. It wasn’t even that he liked the job all that much, but money was tight and he needed to pull his own weight.
When the door opened again, his removed his hand, watching as you hung up your keys and toed off your shoes. Turning, you exclaimed, “Eikichi! I didn’t expect you to be home yet, did you get off early?”
Nebuya felt his throat go dry, dread of what he had to confess welling up in his chest and it must have shown in his expression because you were hurrying towards him, concern etched on your face.
“Honey, what’s wrong?” you asked taking one of his large hands in both of yours. He stared at them, marveling again at how he could engulf both so easily.
Forcing himself to look up, he grunted, “I…I got let go.”
He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, it wasn’t like you were an unreasonable person, but he couldn’t keep his eyes from widening when you moved forward to kiss him. As you caressed his cheek, he leaned into your touch, thankful you were so understanding.
“They didn’t treat you well there, sweetie. It’ll be ok, you’ll find another job.” His eyes met yours again and saw them brighten. “Why don’t you go back to that gym? Maybe they have a position open now!”
He nodded, feeling the tightness in his chest loosen the long you stroked his face.
Standing, you tugged at his hand. “Come on, we’re going out for ramen and ice cream. You need a pick me up!”
He stood, throwing his arms around your waist and drawing you into a huge hug, your feet lifting off the ground making you giggle. “All I need for a pick me up is to pick you up,” he said and your bright easy laughter melted the rest of his stress away.
Okamura
He was sure if he didn’t get home soon, he was going to lose it. It felt like everything and everyone one he encountered were determined to make his day get worse and worse. And the kids had been especially troublesome, some tiff between the captain and vice captain causing a divide that he had no idea how to fix for his team. It made him question whether he should even continue coaching.
Bursting through the door, he all but slammed down his bag, chest heaving as he tried to will away the urge to break down.
“Kenichi, sweetheart, is that you?”
He looked up to watch your lilith figure make way towards where he leaned against the door, barely keeping his tears at bay. When you reached him, he almost shied away, ashamed you were seeing him so weak. Not that you weren’t already aware of his proclivity to be emotional, but it still made him uncomfortable from time to time.
Without a word, you knelt down, untying his sneakers and removing them. You slipped on his house shoes, standing on tiptoe to plant a kiss to his cheek.
“I’m going to get a hot bath started for you,” you said spinning on your heel to head to the bathroom. “You go get out of those clothes and it’ll be ready soon enough.”
Okamura did as told, shuffling to your shared room and stripping down. He already felt a bit calmer just by removing some remnants of a thoroughly screwed up day. Landing heavily on the bed, he waited until you called him to the bathroom.
“Now, get in there and relax, I’m going to cook dinner and if you want to, we can talk about it. If not, that’s ok too.”
He sighed a thanks, easing his large body carefully into the tub but he needn’t worry; you always got the temperature just right and filled it just enough so that he was covered but not overflowing the edge.
He didn’t know what he’d done to obtain the luck that made you his, but he thanked the stars he did.
Iwamura
Shoulders dipped and head hung low, Iwamura made his way home on the train, tugging loose the uncomfortable tie around his neck. Why couldn’t he find a distributor of suits more…well…suited to his large frame? He rubbed his temple, trying to will his headache to go away. The day had been hell, his manager making yet another stupid call on a project and when he’d given his opinion had basically been told to keep his mouth shut; and it wasn’t the first time. How the guy had obtained his position, Iwamura had no idea. He was clueless, constantly making bad decisions then blaming the inevitable poor outcome on those below him.
As his stop came into view, his eyes widened at the sight of you, standing on the platform.
He exited, making his way quickly to your side. Before he could ask, you had your arms around his neck, lips planting a kiss to his own. Pulling back he cupped your face, looking down into your eyes. “What…what are you doing here?” he asked quietly.
“You sounded like you could use a night of relaxing so I booked us a room at that osen like hotel. You know the one? It’s got private baths and everything!”
He chuckled, trailing his fingers down your neck to grasp your shoulder. “So you could tell, huh?”
“Of course I could tell, Tsutomu!” you chided, slapping his massive arm playfully. “We’ve been together so long sometimes it’s like I can read your mind!” You grabbed his hand, tugging his massive frame up the stairs. “Now come on, we have a lot of relaxing to get to and I don’t want to waste another minute here!”
Though his smile may have been wary, it was no less genuine. You always took such good care of him.
Awww! I love cuddles! I hope you enjoy these! -Admin Jade
Kuroko
Kuroko, as we know, has low stamina so if all you want to do is cuddle for the night, he’s down. Hell, if you want to take a weekend day and spend all of it snuggled in bed or on the couch, he’ll love it.
For bed cuddles, Kuroko enjoys being the big spoon, wrapping his arms securely around your waist, his face settled against your back.
If it’s cold enough, he’ll tuck both of you under a lush blanket.
If you’re ok with it, he’d love for Nigou to be able to join in, settled at the base of the bed nestled next to your feet.
On the couch, he loves having you snuggled between his legs, knees bent, your back to his chest as you watch TV or a movie.
He’ll rest his chin on your shoulder, breath ghosting over your neck on which he plants random little kisses.
If you feel like reading, he’ll tuck himself under your legs, rubbing gently as you read outloud.
Kise
For as high energy as he is, Kise does appreciate down time, especially when cuddles are involved!
For bed cuddles, his favorite position is lying on his back with your head on his chest. One arm will be wrapped around your back, holding you close, while his other hand trails through your hair as he plants forehead or crown kisses on you.
Trail your hand under this shirt to caress his skin and he’ll positively melt. Not all touches have to lead to sex and he appreciates the simplicity of just being together.
It’s the quietest you will ever see him.
For couch cuddles, Kise enjoy being seated upright with you sitting sideways on his lap, his arms around your waist while yours are around his neck.
This is actually one of his favorite ways to have conversations with you. It helps him maintain focus in a world that is constantly vying for his attention.
However, this position also enables him to kiss you more easily and has been known to lead to more…erotic escapades.
It had been more or less an accident when you bumped into Imayoshi, giving him a light jab to his side. Honestly, it had been the faintest of touches. Yet somehow he still seemed to react so wildly, flailing a bit as he tried to get away from you, his body bending at the side you had touched as if your fingers had become his kryptonite. At first, a look of shock and surprise overtook you as you tried to comprehend why he’d act so out of character because of a simple touch. Then the realization hit you.
Imayoshi was ticklish.
“Why are you looking at me like that, hmm?”
It wasn’t like Imayoshi didn’t know. He was trying his best to hide what you already knew, gritting his teeth together to keep his voice from wavering with nerves. It was a pretty big secret of his that the sides of his body were a weak spot for him, so knowing that his cover had been blown all because of an accidental touch was not going over well with him.
In a game of cat and mouse, you began to advance toward Imayoshi as he began to retreat from you. Every step you took was matched by him until he felt a wall against his back. With nowhere else to go, he tried glaring at you from behind his glasses.
“You know I’ll get revenge, right?”
Ignoring his question, you jerked a hand in his direction. It was almost comical the way he pressed his arms to his sides, trying to hide all the sensitive parts. Still, you were relentless in your endeavor and practically shoved your fingers into the space between his arms and his torso. The simple wriggling was enough to cause him to jerk and writhe, trying to get away from you.
“S-Stop!” He gasped, trying so hard not to laugh. “__-____!!”
It was hard for him to yell out your name behind the gasps he was pulling in, each torturous move of your fingers only bringing more of that tingling sensation in his sides. Tears had started to form in the corners of his eyes, but Imayoshi would first be damned before he let them fall! Slowly he began sinking to the floor in a last ditch effort to get away from your tickling; he’d crawl away if he had to. Unfortunately for him, you saw this coming. It took a simple crouch downward for you to follow him.
With his pleas for you to stop quickly melting into incoherent babble and laughter, you thought that now would be a good time to show mercy. Your fingers ceased their onslaught and Imayoshi was given the sweet relief of breath without struggle. You couldn’t help but notice how his glasses were askew on his face, practically falling off.
It was cute.
“I’m going to get back at you,” he said with a soft, tired voice.
“Not before I do this again,” you retaliated.
And suddenly your fingers were on his sides once more.
Neon did so good with this one! She’s so damn clever!
ASK: Hello! Could I request a Hanamaki soulmate au where when everyone sees the world in black and white, but when soulmates first make eye contact, they can see color? Thank you!
For as long as he could recall, Hanamaki didn’t give much thought to the world being in black and white. That’s just the way things were since birth; two toned. The full lack of color and the complete saturation of color with nothing in between. The status quo, normal.
But then, he started seeing people around him, his friends, begin to experience the world in a whole new light.
They were seeing color, which meant they’d found their soulmates.
It surprised them all a bit when the first of their tight knit group to experience this phenomenon was Oikawa. Ever the provincial flirt, Hanamaki considered that maybe, subconsciously, they all expected the setter to be a bachelor forever. But fate had other ideas and one day he arrived to school screaming about the beauty of the world. When they’d finally calmed him down, he told them how on his way home from the market the previous evening he’d come across his soul mate; and his whole world was literally changed.
After that, it seemed like a flood gate was opened. The next to find his was Iwaizumi, then Matsukawa. Hanamaki wondered if his turn would ever come.
“Not if you keep staring at the ground,” he sighed, tilting his head up and willing his eyes to open a bit more. If he were going to find her, he’d need to put a bit more effort in paying attention to his surroundings. A deep rumble indicated the approach of his train and he tugged his bag onto his shoulder. As he stepped into the car, he took hold of one of the handles and turned his attention towards the front of the train only to have a wave of pain shoot through his skull.
“Ugh!” he groaned, falling to his knees. It felt like his eyes were on fire! He clutched at his face, rubbing furiously over his eyelids trying to get them to stop stinging. What the hell was wrong with him? The world faded away, yells for assistance growing faint as his vision narrowed to a pair of y/c eyes.
Wait….color? He didn’t know the name of what he was seeing, but he knew it was something he’d never seen before. Which could only mean…
He sat up, hand against his head, vision still swimming but slowly everything started coming back into focus; glorious technicolor focus! Next to him lay a girl, also coming to and being assisted to sit up by their fellow passengers. Reaching out, he touched her shoulder drawing her hazy attention to his face. He watched as her eyes, also formerly squinted, widened when her focus returned.
“Y…you…you can see them right? The colors?” she asked a bit breathless.
“Yeah,” he confirmed, hand still holding her. His eyes fell to it, a blush coming on his cheeks. “Sorry, I just…you…”
“It’s fine,” she affirmed quickly, soft smile on her face.
“Hey you kids ok?” someone asked from the crowd.
“Yeah, we’re fine, sorry about that,” Hanamaki said standing. Turning, he extended his hand to her. “Let me help you…”
“_________,” she supplied placing her hand in his.
He drew her to her feet, picking up her bag and slinging it on to his shoulder along with his own. “Pleasure to meet you. I’m Hanamaki Takahiro. Um, would you..would you like to get some coffee or something?” He knew they both had school, but he didn’t want to part from her, didn’t want the opportunity to get to know her better right away slip away. He saw her hesitate, clearly the same consideration in her own mind but to his delight she nodded.
At the next stop, they alighted from the train, walking side by side, both unable to stop their heads whipping back and forth to take in what used to be familiar surroundings. Her gasp brought his attention back to her. “Just a second,” she requested, hurrying into a store. Confused, Hanamaki looked at the sign above the door, then smiled; a bookstore. He could guess what she was looking for.
A few moments later she returned, smile bright.
“Since we’ve never seen them before I figured we could use this,” she explained holding up her purchase. Across the cover he read: “Color Identification”.
He chuckled. “I like your practical mind.”
She blushed, averting her eyes to the ground. “Tha..thank you. Um, maybe instead of a cafe we could…walk around and see the colors?”
He nodded. “That sounds great.”
They began walking, her with the book open, excitedly pointing out all the colors she could identify quickly. Their impromptu exploration date lasted well into the afternoon, consisting of a respite at a ramen counter where they got to know more about each other. He talked about his volleyball team while she expounded on her extra curricular activities. The longer she talked, the more Hanamaki found himself falling for her. He knew there was no guarantee of love with a soulmate but being with her he felt his heart filling with joy.
“Hanamaki-kun, do you…do you have a favorite yet?” “Hmmm?” he asked cocking an eyebrow.
“A favorite color? I know it’s probably too soon to have picked but-”
“Your eyes,” he interjected. In light of her stunned silence he went on, “I know it’s probably cliche and I’m most likely not the first to say it to their soulmate. But truly,” he leaned his chin on his palm, smiling, “your eyes are my favorite color.”
Her cheeks reddened and she hastened to change the subject but he smiled, knowing that even if they were just at the beginning of this journey, he couldn’t wait to see where it would lead. And he would do everything he could to fill her world with more than just color.
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