Finaly I Made Setsuko's Character Sheet :D

No way just making some faces while reading this :')

(I really liked it! maybe Im starting to see Thoma as one of my fav characters haha, im still on liyue so I don't know so much of the archon quest of Inazuma hehe)

Furry wars

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Summary

"Finally finding time to visit Inazuma, you bring your co-worker and 'little sister' with you to the land of Eternity. Though, what seemed more eternal was when you first looked into his emerald green eyes."

Warnings

Man everyone is fluffy—

Dogs vs Cats debate

Barks and hisses

Reader is not traveller

Reader can have a vision (Whether they have it or not, it isn't mentioned)

Light cursing from Diona's dialouge (Towards Gorou)

Love at first sight trope

Thoma kinda knew you a bit back then

But you never noticed him

As usual, GN!Reader and quite a long Oneshot

A/N: Had to put the SMAU on hold for a day or two, i'm trying to juggle 7 things at once (studying, writing, genshin, hobbies, etc.) But I promise it'll continue as soon as this oneshot gets posted ^^

I always wanted Diona and Gorou to meet, or any other half-human-half-animal hybrid. But since Hoyoverse slapped my face for that idea, I turn to the best and also worst solution to everything; this :D

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Your romance begins here

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A sigh of relief left your lips, your shoes hitting the wooden deck as soon as you jumped off the boat. "We're here..." You breathed out, gazing at the city of eternity now right in front of you. You had been dreaming about visiting the place ever since a relative of yours had moved to Inazuma.

Now that Cat's Tail's closed for a month due to some renovation, you could finally visit the region, treating it as your much-needed vacation. "Diona! We're here!" You exclaimed, turning around with a gleeful face, a contrast to the young half-cat girl who only raised an eyebrow at her surroundings.

Her slitted pupils followed the bulky men carrying boxes, moving between ships and chatting with the guards patrolling around the decks with their polearms. "...This is Inazuma?... I've seen better. But, I guess a change from the bland Mondstat atmosphere ain't half bad."

"Hey, you begged me to bring you here. The least you could do is smile." You chuckled, giving the back of her ears a scratch.

Her tail curled up, ears erect as you grazed your nail at a specific area that made her melt into your touch. You're extremely lucky to become Diona's closest friend, giving you an exclusive privilege to petting her tail and ears, parts that she would claw anyone's faces into pieces if they dare graze their fingers on. But, you were an exception.

And if you're lucky enough— she'll accidentally call you her sibling.

"Yeaaaah... W-Wait, don't try to change the story! It wasn't me who begged you, you were the one begging me to join because you can't survive even a second without me!" Patting your hands away in a flustered manner, she began marching foward and away from you, hoping you didn't catch the blush on her cheeks.

"Hey! Diona! Wait up!" You laughed, catching up to the bartender who was scanning the city of Ritou. You did the same, admiring how peaceful and calm it was compared to the lively, happy-go-lucky, energetic city of Mondstat. This was certainly a vacation you were looking foward to enjoy.

"Ugh... out of all the places you decide to go first, it had to be the one place where they sell wine here too!" The pink haired girl hissed in disgust, glaring at the stall nearby with a female holding a bottle of Dandelion Wine in her hands.

Diona glared at you, narrowing her eyes at you as though you had destroyed the wine industry before her. You laughed awkwardly in response, scratching the back of your neck while averting your gaze away from her.

You then remembered [Relative] suggesting you a small restaurant for you and Diona to eat at upon arrival, knowing they sell one of her favorite food there.

"Heeeey, you're probably hungry. I heard [Relative] said that there's a restaurant nearby and they sell fish!" You watched as her ears perked up on interest, her eyes clearly asking you to continue. You took out a piece of paper from an envelope your reletive sent you, on the paper was a well-drawn out map of Ritou.

After checking the location, you nod your heard towards the direction of said restaurant, Diona now walking right beside you with a small smile of excitement while you busy yourself with choosing where to go to after having lunch.

Though, perhaps maybe you should've waited a little longer before heading over to the restaurant.

"Stay back! I won't let you harm him!" You looked up from the map, eyes widening when you saw your pink haaired co-worker hissing at the brown haired boy... who had dog-like features?

You were familiar with others having animal-like traits, such as Sucrose and Klee, but those were quite rare.

"What's up with you mutts goin' around barkin' at us, huh!? What? Want me to scratch your face!?" Diona hissed, her tail erect as she pulled up her sleeves while marching towards the male.

"W-Wait!! Diona, no!" You hurried over to her, wrapping your arms around her waist and lifting her away. You were lucky she was just a small child.

The bartender thrashed in your arms, digging her slightly sharp nails into your skin. But as usual, you felt no pain, having been used to dragging her away from any stray canines back in Mondstat and getting her to attack you instead.

"Gorou, you too! You shouldn't act so impulsive towards someone innocent!" Another voice reprimanded, you turned your head, opening your mouth to apologise, only to have your words stuck in your throat as the other apologises first. "I-I'm sorry, my friend doesn't normally react like this!"

You sealed your lips shut, trying to tear your gaze away from the attractive blonde struggling to hold back his half-canine friend barking at the half-feline girl in your arms, who was hissing back at him with the same ferocity. It's a surprise you could still hold Diona, already getting distracted by the stranger's good looks.

"Ah, i-it's fine, really. She just doesn't really like dogs. Ahaha..." You managed to blurt out with an awkward chuckle, causing his striking emerald green eyes to gaze into your shy ones. Your cheeks grew warmer, averting your gaze away to the passersby stopping to witness the commotion.

Now that he's got a good look at you, he nearly choked on his words and loosened his hold around Gorou's waist. "I-Uh..." The blonde was having the same reaction as you were, though, the blush he wore was much less visible compared to yours.

As much as the two of you would like to continue gazing eachother in admiration, the male was the first to break the contact with much reluctance, being forcefully pulled foward by his friend.

"Gorou, snap out of it. You're causing a ruckus." The blonde whispered, 'Gorou's ears twitching in response. His teal eyes gazed over at the small crowd he and Diona had garnered, the embarrassment now settling in.

Seeing as all eyes were on them, Gorou lowered his defensive stance, his ears and tail drooping low as though he got caught doing something bad. "U-Uhm..." The half-canine barely glanced at the hissy cat who didn't care about the crowd nearby before looking at you shyly. "S-So sorry... I didn't mean to bark at your... 'friend'. They caught me off guard, I haven't met a half-feline in Inazuma before."

You could hear the hesitation in his voice when he called Diona your friend, but you decide to accept it anyways. "We come from Mondstat. It goes the same for my friend, Diona, here." You explained, at this point, the crowd had dispersed since the commotion between your friend and Gorou is being resolved rather quickly.

"I see. Welcome to Inazuma... Mx?" The blonde gestured to you, ever-so-subtly taking this opportunity to ask for your name.

"[Full Name]. But you can just call me [Preferred Name]." You stated, you didn't even realize you had placed the pink haired girl down who was now leaning against your back with hers, hiding her pout away from the three of you. You were too busy maintaining proper eye contact with the blonde and trying not to shy away from his kind gaze.

"I'm Thoma, a housekeeper. As you most likely know already, this is Gorou, a general from Watatsumi Island." Thoma introduced, gesturing over to the shorter male who nodded in acknowledgement. "What were you both planning to do previously before meeting us?"

You opened your mouth to awnser, only to have the pink haired bartender beat you to it. "We were gonna have lunch, that's what. Til' your mutt decided to butt in and bark at me for no reason!" It seems like Diona was still having a grudge against Gorou despite his half-assed apology.

You let out a strained laugh, stepping a little to the side so you could hide her behind you. "It's... true, but to be fair, we didn't realize we'd encounter the two of you here."

"Well, since neither of you had lunch yet, please allow us to treat you both to a meal as my apology!" Gorou suggested enthusiastically, now receiving Diona's attention as she turned around, interested in his offer.

You waved your hand frantically, your cheeks growing red after hearing Thoma's incredibly adorable laughter. "B-But that's too much we shouldn't take up your ti—" You flinched when Thoma suddenly grabbed your hand, pulling you away from a confused Gorou and a furious Diona.

"Don't be so shy, i'd love to get to know you better!" Thoma stated as he guided you into the restaurant with the other two following behind.

Upon stepping into the building, you were greeted with an aromatic waft in the air coming from the kitchen, you could already feel your mouth water just from the fragrance alone. Behind you was Gorou and Diona, who, unbeknownst to you and Thoma, were still sending eachother death glares behind your backs.

"Here, have a seat." The blonde offered, pulling a chair for you. If you weren't so flustered and melting over his smile that could light up a whole room, you would've been amused at his gentlemanly acts.

"Ah, thank you." You replied as you sat down, but your voice was barely above a mutter, too focused on trying to make your brain function and create coherent sentences instead of gibberish. Thoma sat right across from you, oddly enthusiastic about this, to which you found endearing.

Gorou took the seat beside Thoma, giving him a questionable look that went ignored by his friend. Meanwhile, Diona sat next to you, her arms crossed and scooting herself extremely close to you, to the point where she had bumped her hips against yours. You were already used to it, though, always having lunch with the pink haired bartender led her to become surprisingly clingy to you.

"So, what brings you to Inazuma?" Thoma asked, his smile never faltering. You're lucky he was carrying the conversations instead of leaving it to you, he seems like the type to always be the first to break the ice quite easily.

"A relative of mine had invited me over, I brought Diona here cause I see her as my little sister." You blurted out, looking over at Diona who immediately pushed herself away from you, staring with wide eyes that spelled betrayal.

You couldn't help but laugh, a real one this time, holding joy and amusement instead of awkwardness. And Thoma swore he had witness the true laugher that cures all.

The pink haired feline hissed, bearing her pearly white fangs at you, but the both of you knew she'd never lay a single finger on you. "I would rather be called a stranger to you than to be 'sisters' with someone as dumb as you!"

Obviously, you brushed away the insult like a spec of dust hitting your facs, used to it as well. It was a wonder to many citizens, how much patience do you have to even tolerate Diona's sassy personality. Yet, you just shrug as an awnser and continue to handle her hissy fits.

"I see. Well, if you have the time, I can show you around! There are a few places i'd like for you to see!" The blonde offered, you wondered if his cheerful aura is just completely natural to him. It's like Thoma is the definition of a ball of sunshine. "You can bring your 'sister' with you too. Gorou, would you like to join?"

At the mention of the pink haired bartender, the canine's ears perked up before drooping low. "Uh... Yeah, s-so, I think her excellency actually asked me to... uh, keep tabs on the other troops in their training. Yes, that! So, uh... See you later!— Uh, bye, [Name]! It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

With that, Gorou had rushed out of the door, causing your friend to snicker. "Can't handle the heat, how sad~" Diona sneered, her ears twitching in amusement. "Alright, enough of this sappy stuff. I didn't come all thr way from Mondstat just to witness you cling all over some weirdo we just met... for all we know, he could be a spy!"

"D-Diona, he's not—" You tried reprimanding the young girl, taking it lightly as you despised hurting her feelings and seeing her cry.

"That's alright. I don't want to pose any threat towards the two of you, but I understand if you're cautious of me." Thoma waved his hand in the air once, a waiter coming over to take your orders. "But I promise, this is just a simple meal that i'd love to indulge with you."

You gave your order just as Diona did, after a nod of acknowledgement, the waiter had left the three of you alone once more. "There's no way you could be some... some— ball of happiness! Who do you work for and why are you after [Nickname]!?"

It's rare hearing Diona call you that, you can't help but feel honoured at her protective nature towards you.

"I knew this was not enough." Thoma chuckled, his eyes shining like crystals as they met yours once more. "That's why; i'd like to get to know you guys better. Especially you, [Name]. I remember seeing you back at Cat's Tail, you looked adorable back then."

"Wh-What!?" You covered the lower part of your face, a horrible attempt at hiding the growing blush on your face. Were you just hearing things now, or did he actually called you adorable? "Wh-What do you mean 'back then'?" You asked, hoping he wouldn't elaborate on his compliment once more. Perhaps he might, if it meant seeing you getting all shy and flustered. You're just absolutely precious.

"Ah, to be fair; we rarely saw eachother back then. You were such a busy worker, even at a young age. I guess you could say... I was inspired by you." Thoma chuckled at your puzzled expression, but he knew you'd react like this.

Your ran your fingers through your hair, your nails scraping against the skin of your scalp. "Wait, wait wait, you're saying you knew [Name] when they were a kid?" Diona asked, clearly not buying it.

"Yes. I apologise for keeping this a secret until now, but I actually come from Mondstat." Your eyes widened in surprise, just as shocked as Diona was. But you practically knew everyone Mondstat and you've never seen him before, was he telling the truth? "Sometimes, when I was younger, my parents brought me to that tavern when no one was around to watch after me. The first time I went to Cat's Tail was also the first time I saw you, [Name]."

"If you actually knew her before, then why in Teyvat did you ask for her name?" The pink haired girl asked while narrowing her eyes at him, still suspicious of him.

Thoma laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "Ah... actually, she was always busy... and I may or may not have been a little too shy to ask for her name."

You nearly let out an 'awe' at his reason, you would've loved to meet him when he was little. Perhaps the both of you would've been great friends. "I'm sorry I never noticed you before. I'm sure we could've gotten along quite well if I wasn't so busy all the time."

"Don't worry about it! Now that you're here... we can make up for all the lost time with eachother." Thoma spoke softly, placing his hand on top of yours while gazing into your eyes.

Your cheeks grew warm, nearly pulling your hand away out of instinct. But you returned the smile, shy but excited. "I... look foward to it." You managed to reply, adjusting your hand's position so that your fingers could intertwine with one another.

"This is disgusting. Where's my fish!?" Diona yelled impatiently, directing it to the person behind the counter, causing them to flinch and rush into the kitchen.

Diona lets out a huff, grumbling away while you and the blonde gave eachother a look, before bursting out in laughter together. Unaware of the victorious smug smile your friend wore, hiding away from you.

You're not one to believe in fairytales such as 'Love at first sight', let alone falling in love with someone as special as him. But looking into those green eyes of his... perhaps you could extend your vacation and indulge in this 'little fairytale' of yours.

After all, this was just the beginning of your blooming relationship.

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A/N: After about a week of getting random Oneshot ideas, I got hit with writers block while writing this. I'm sorry if the ending seems kinda ass, I just didn't have an idea on how to end it, I just cheesed through it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I wanted to make Gorou the best man while [Name] and Thoma are on their unofficial date, but I realized Gorou might not be an expert in that field. Poor boi.

[A bit of spoilers here for 3.3's Inazuma event]

Don't mind the shitty quality, it's bad graphics or my hand will be trained to touch the sun because mobile players just have heat proof hands

Also guys the new event is amazing

1. I squealed when Heizou appeared like this

2. Thomine UwU

Some photos I took of this pretty boy eheh in Natlan

I can't stopppp (⁠╯⁠°⁠□⁠°⁠）⁠╯⁠︵⁠ ⁠┻⁠━⁠┻

THE CUT THAT ALWAYS BLEEDS

Keigo Takami is in love with you, and you don't love him back

Hanahaki disease, angst, fluff, workplace romance

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Keigo starts his morning the same way he has for the past two months, by coughing up a handful of bloody petals.

It splatters against the pure white of his toilet bowl, and he watches, knees digging into the floor and hands grasping the lid as they wash away, the water turning pink as the red petals disappear. It’s disgusting, really, the way he’s sprawled on the toilet floor, and on any other day he wouldn’t even consider touching the lid of any toilet, even his. But he doesn’t care, because the pain in his chest is aching, and his lungs burn as tries to breathe in, and Keigo cannot stop thinking about you.

The first time he’d coughed up a petal, it was after a week of pain. He thought it might just be the flu, or some other illness he’d caught from flying around in the cold winter winds. But then one night it had reached its peak, and Keigo was in slight disbelief at the red rose remains in his hand after he’d coughed his lungs out. It was small and bloody. He didn’t know what to think of it, so he didn’t. Maybe he swallowed something when he was flying, who knows. It wasn’t anything to worry about, he decided.

And then it happened again. And again. And it’s been happening ever since, now two months later, only getting worse and worse as the days go by. It was only after a week that he looked up his symptoms, the flowers and the blood and the constant pain in his chest, and the internet said there was only one thing it could be. 

Hanahaki disease. It originated in Japan, apparently, and was rare, but real. Keigo skipped past all the useless information to find what he really needed. He found it’s a disease where someone coughs up flowers due to unrequited feelings for somebody. And he knew, the minute he read those words, that his unrequited feelings were for you.

Keigo had never loved anyone in his life. Not his parents, for obvious reasons, and his training at the Hero commission had meant that he had no time for it anywhere else. Not that there was anybody in there to love, anyway. And now, as a Pro hero with his own agency, he didn’t want love. It complicated things, and he was in no position for a relationship anyway. He barely had time for himself, so how could he deal with a relationship? So Keigo filled the empty parts of himself with meaningless sex with whoever he found. At parties, at award evenings. It was just the physicality of it, skin on his own. He craved it and got it where he could. It pissed his publicist to no end, but they usually kept quiet, and scandals always did good for the agency. 

And then he met you.

His assistant had quit. Something about better opportunities, work closer to home. He had flashed her his best smile, sent flowers to her home, and waited dutifully in his office for you to walk in the next day. And you did, perfectly pressed shirt and black skirt, smiling so sweetly at him and introducing yourself, and he knew it was over. 

It’s not his fault. What couldn’t he love about you? You were funny, you were kind. You brought him breakfast every morning and started leaving a pillow and a blanket in his office when you knew he’d come off a night shift. You actually spoke to him like he was a person, not Hawks, not the Number two hero. It didn’t take long for the feelings to start but he thought he was pushing them down well enough.

These flowers tell him he’s not. 

He flirts with you, and the two of you joke around, but nothing ever comes of it because he knows you don’t like him back. And even if you did, Keigo would never do you the horrible favour of burdening you with loving somebody like him.

Keigo sighs, pushing himself gingerly to his feet. He clears his throat and it stings from the acidity of throwing up. He moves on autopilot, shrugging on his coat and typing the laces on his boots. His mind races with thoughts of you, of how long he has left. The final stages are apparently whole flowers and he ignores the voice in the back of his mind that says judging by what he just coughed up, he’s getting dangerously close to the end.

The weather outside is cold and bitter. Keigo hates winter, hates how he has to bundle to avoid the sharp, piercing wind whenever he flies. It’s harder to patrol in the dark and you’re less likely to leave the agency for your lunch break, so it also means he can’t use it as an excuse to take you out. He steps out on his balcony, sliding the door behind him, and he shuts his eyes.

Sometimes he thinks in another life, he’d tell you. In another life maybe he was just an assistant like you, someone normal, someone you deserved. That after his shift he’d get to come home and you’d have cooked dinner or he’d bring home takeout. He craves normalcy, to have a home with someone, and he can’t help but dream it’s with you.

He slips his goggles on and pulls up the gaiter around his neck. He steps forward and with one strong flap of his wings he’s in the air. 

The flight to the agency doesn’t take long. Nothing really does, to be honest. He’s not patrolling today but he still keeps an eye on the ground, the sky still dark as the world wakes up around him. He lands deftly in his own office, and the wide windows being pushed open already lets him know you’re in the building too. He runs a hand through his hair, quickly checking his reflection to make sure he looks good. He does, obviously, but he can’t help but worry. There’s a familiar knock on his door, and you don’t wait for him to let you in before you enter.

Today, you’re wearing a long pair of trousers that hug your legs, the white blouse you have on buttoned up apart from the top two, a small sliver of skin exposed to show a small gold necklace he got for you at a Christmas party, holding two coffees.

His heart pounds and he coughs into his sleeve. Your eyebrows furrow and you step forward, empty hand reaching out.

“Are you okay, Hawks?” You ask, and he nods.

He clears his throat, swallowing away the feeling prickling it. He nods, flashing you a toothy grin. “Yeah, now that you’re here.”

You roll your eyes but he doesn’t miss the small smile on your face as you set his drink down on the table. He takes a long drink of it and you wince.

“God, I don’t know how you drink that. It’s more sugar than coffee.” You scrunch your nose and he shrugs.

“I need the energy, babe, you know that. All that flying around burns calories quickly.”

One of his feathers shuts the window, another two hanging up his coat. Your eyes follow quickly. He might be trying to impress you a little, but it’s been a long enough time of you watching this show that he’s sure it doesn’t do much. The skin tight thermal might, though. He may or may not be flexing a little when he stretches, but he doesn’t see any harm in that. 

You nod, pulling out your phone, eyes quickly averting away from him. “Okay, so. Luckily for you, today is just paperwork. No energy necessary.” You sigh, sitting down heavily. “I hate paperwork days.”

He knows exactly why. The long, tired hours of writing and reading. Anyone would hate it, but Keigo? Keigo loves paperwork days. A whole day with the two of you in a room? What couldn’t he love about that?

He sits down across from you. It feels a little weird, too formal, with you across his desk. He doesn’t use it much. His office is pretty empty. There's no decorations, no plants, nothing. It's empty because Keigo doesn’t care. He doesn’t like this office. The only thing he likes about it is that it’s the place he spends the most time with you. He wishes you were closer.

He coughs. There's a familiar feeling itching in his lungs and he begs to a God he doesn’t know that he won’t throw up flowers in front of you.

“Aw, come on. Paper days are fine. And I’ll order food for us later.”

You perk up at that. “Really? Let’s get yakitori.”

“And this is why I love you.” He coughs again and you peer at him.

“Are you okay? You keep coughing today.”

He nods. “Don’t worry about it, babe, I’m good.”

You keep looking at him. “If you’re sick, go home.”

“No, I’m fine. The number two hero doesn’t get sick.”

You don’t look convinced but you hold up the first set of papers. His fingers brush against yours as he grabs them. The two of you sit in silence for all of five minutes before Keigo groans. You look up, amused.

“I’m bored.”

You sigh. “Me too. But as your assistant I have to tell you to keep going.”

Keigo pouts. You tap the pen in your hand against the desk.

“No way to get out of this?” He says. “Nope.”

“No work parties I can look forward to?”

You shake your head. Then you sit up suddenly. “Wait. Oh my god.”

Keigo sits up too, immediately mirroring your panic. His wings curl out behind him. You cover your face with your hands.

“What? You’re freaking me out, Y/N.”

“There is a work party! Tonight. That I’m supposed to be planning. And I completely forgot!” You groan.

Oh. That’s easier to deal with. “It’s fine, don’’t worry. We’ll sort it.” You shake your head and it ruffles your hair, and he wishes he could reach forward and brush it behind your ear. “No, I don't know what to do. It’s for Kaylee’s birthday! Everyone loves Kaylee, I love Kaylee, that’s why I offered to plan this for her.” You ramble.

Keigo catches most of your babble. He quickly moves off from behind his desk to stand in front of you, his hands coming to rest at your shoulders. “Breathe, girl.”

You do, chest moving up and down slowly. Like this, with you still seated and him standing, he towers over you. He thinks for a moment.

“Let’s just go now.”

“What?”

“We’ll just go get the stuff you need right now. Shouldn't be too much, right?”

Your eyes glance at the paperwork on the desk. “What about all that?”

He hums, and you look up at him again. This close, Keigo can see you so much clearer, so much brighter. Another cough rumbles in his chest and he ignores it. “We can do it another day. Blame it on me.”

You bite at your bottom lip, considering his offer. You stand up and nod, determined.

“Okay. Okay, let me get my coat. I’ll meet you at the front desk.”

And then you’re out before he can say another word.

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Keigo thinks this is torture. Real, honest to God torture.

You’d refused his offer to fly to the marketplace, so now the two of you were just walking down the street. He’d left his feathers at work, and changed into the most civilian outfit in the agency. It always felt weird without them on his back, the heavy weight something he’d been used to since he was born. But for you, Keigo thinks he might set them all on fire. 

What makes everything worse is that you’re walking with your arm linked in his. You had been since you’d walked out the agency, animatedly talking and pointing at the things around you. It was hard to focus on much when your fingers squeezed his bicep every time you saw something you liked. 

“Okay, so. I need a cake, and decorations. And like, snack food.”

He nods. “Yes, ma’am. Can we squeeze lunch in there?”

“There’s always time for lunch, Hawks.” 

The first stop the two of you end up at is a supermarket. You pass him a coin to grab a shopping cart and he immediately starts running around with it, and you tut.

“Hawks, enough. People are looking.”

Your words should sound annoyed, but there’s a soft fondness behind them that has his head reeling. You take the cart from his hands and he lets you walk ahead, because the feeling that he’s started to dread builds in his torso, and he grabs the tissue out of his pocket and he coughs.

It’s loud and grating and it scratches the back of his throat. He’s lucky that there’s nobody around to see him gag into his hand, the petals tickling as he spits, blood splattering against it. He breathes heavily, once, twice, and tears prick at his eyes. He curses, eyes screwed shut. Not today, not like this. Not when he finally has a day alone with you. He throws the tissue in the trash outside the shop, and goes in to find you.

He finds that grocery shopping is fun. He’s never actually been before. His groceries are kindly delivered by the Commission straight to his front door, so he’s never actually done this before. It’s exciting. He likes the little line you get between your eyebrows whenever you get annoyed at him for putting random things in the basket.

“Hawks, enough! We don’t need six loaves of bread!”

“We do! We can make those little hors d’oeuvres with like, pesto on them.”

You mumble some choice words under your breath, putting them all back. “Hawks, this isn’t some Hero commission party. We’re getting a bag of Doritos and dip and calling it a day.”

Keigo pouts and you drag him over to the basket. “Here, you push this.”

You take him to the produce aisle and he boos as your throw in a few vegetables sticks. Keigo gags again, holding up the celery sticks. You snatch them out his hand and toss them back in the car.

“Stop. We need something healthy so we can eat a carrot stick and feel good about the cake I’m going to buy.” You tap your head knowingly and he grins.

“I don’t look healthy enough as is?” He stretches out his arm and the windblower you’d found for him in the agency billows around his arms.

You snort, patting him on the chest. “Oh, yeah. You look great.” 

It leaves him winded, just for a second, and then he’s back.

The cake aisle is his favourite one. You steer him clearly away from the children’s cakes, because he’s sure you saw the light in his eyes when he noticed the Marvel cake. 

“Can we get chocolate?” He asks, and you shrug.

“I don’t know. You know what Kaylee likes?” You step a bit closer to the shelves, peering at the different boxes.

Keigo hums, tapping the corner of his chin. He walks around the cart until he’s right next to you. “How about that? Red velvet. And it looks cute.” He points to the one near you, arm reaching over and brushing against yours.

“Hm. Yes. That’s- Yes. Red velvet.” You nod.

Keigo glances at you and he finds the two of you are closer than he realised. He thinks if he leans in just slightly you’ll be kissing. He smiles, soft and sweet. 

“You look pretty this close.”

“So I look ugly from afar?” You joke, but you sound nervous.

Keigo's eyes dart to your lips. It’s so quick but he sees the way your cheeks flush. “You never look ugly. Don’t I compliment you enough?”

You shove him away softly, reaching for the red velvet cake.

“Enough out of you. Go grab candles.”

And Keigo does, in the next aisle over, and hopes you can’t hear him coughing up another handful of petals. 

———

The two of you finish up quickly, despite Keigo’s efforts to long out the day as much as he can. The coughing only gets worse, and he’s surprised you haven’t noticed the amount of times he disappears to hack up his lungs around the nearest corner.

But it’s fine, he tells himself. This is about you, about helping you. He can deal with this problem later. 

You, who are sitting across from him in the tiniest table known to man at his favourite yakitori place. Part of him is a little annoyed about the whole ‘civilian disguise’, because whenever the owner sees it’s him he always gets a few extra sticks. But he can’t complain. Your legs are touching his, seeing as you’d shoved the both of you in the farthest corner of the shop possible. Which also happens to be the smallest in the shop.

“Okay, so, when we get back I’ll set up everything and we’re done!” You speak around a mouthful of food, chicken almost falling onto the table.

He nods, mouth also full. “Perfect. And you’re sure you don’t need help setting up?”

You shake your head. “I should be good, there’s not that much to do.”

You place the now empty stick on the table, dusting your hands. “Thanks for this, Hawks. Really.” 

He just smiles. “Don't mention it. Anything for my favourite assistant.”

“Aren’t I your only assistant?”

“So? You’d still be my favourite if I had more.” 

You snort, picking up another stick. “Sure, sure.”

The grocery bags crinkle beneath the table. And like this, without his wings and without any eyes on him Keigo can be selfish and pretend like this is real. 

You glance around the restaurant. “I like this place. Why haven’t we come here before?”

Keigo shrugs, polishing off another two sticks. “It’s usually busy around our lunch time. We should come more though.”

You nod. “Definitely. There’s this ramen place too, we should go there. It’s by that supermarket we went to.”

It’s so casual, so calm, and his heart is racing. 

“Oh! I found this song. I think you’ll like it.”

You dig in your purse and pull out the same ratty wired earphones he makes fun of you for everyday. He rolls his eyes and you glare at him.

“No. Shut up.”

“Just let me buy you a nice pair of AirPods, babe. Seriously, these are dying.” He flicks the wire that’s covered in tape and you tut, pushing his hands away.

“Never. I'm a wired earphone supporter till I die. Come here.”

You scoot your chair closer to the table, but they don’t really reach. “Fuck. Okay, wait.”

You stand up, dragging your chair so it’s right up next to his. You sit down, and your hand comes up to brush his hair out of the way so you can press the earphone in his ear. And if you see his breath hitch you don’t say anything. Just hit play, your own earphone in.

And the pure bliss of having you this close, close enough that he can smell the sweet scent of your perfume, lasts about a minute before he starts coughing.

He reels it back as much as he can, wincing as he swallows the petals that try to crawl their way out his throat. He drinks water, washing away the taste of metal from his mouth and he barely even registers your hand on his shoulder.

“Hawks? Are you alright?” There’s panic clear as day on your face, and he nods.

“Y-Yes. Don’t worry, I think I just swallowed a piece of chicken wrong.”

You’re not convinced as easily as before. “That didn’t sound normal, Hawks. Should we take you to the doctor?”

“No, it’s fine, babe. I promise.” 

He holds up his pinkie. You just stare at him for a moment, eyes searching for a lie. But you seem to believe him, because your hand comes up and your finger curls around his.

——-

The party is going well, he thinks.

Kaylee looks happy. You did well with the decorations, as best as you could do with an office room and an hour. There’s pink balloons and streamers that Keigo wants to scream that he bought with you. But that’s stupid and desperate, so he doesn’t. 

You’d all sang and cheered as she blew out her candles. She looked nice but Keigo couldn’t keep his eyes off you, grinning so hard it was like your face was about to split in half. People were milling about now. Keigo likes to think he knows all his employees but he’d be lying if he said he recognised every face that had come to greet him.

There is one face he could recognise anywhere.

“Birdbrain! What are you doing here?”

Rumi’s voice is loud and full of energy, and he can’t help but mirror the grin on her face the second she claps him on the back.

“It’s almost like this is my agency.” He raises his eyebrows. “What are you doing here?”

“Kaylee and I know each other from ages ago. She used to intern when I was working with Best Jeanist.”

Keigo nods. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees a guy approaching you. One of the office workers he can’t name. His wings are back on his body and he wishes he could send one over to listen to what you’re talking about.

“But- Are you even listening to me?” Rumi says.

“Yes. I am.”

“No. You’re not.” 

Rumi follows his eyeline, to where you’re handing out slices of cake. She nods, understandingly. “I see. Have you asked her out?”

“What? No. Why would I- She’s my assistant.” Keigo splutters.

Rumi laughs, clapping him on the shoulder once more. “Oh, Hawks. Has positions of power ever stopped you before?”

Keigo frowns. “No, it’s not like that. I’m not trying to just hook up with her.”

“Oh.” Rumi looks at you again. “You actually like her?”

“Yes. No. It’s- It’s complicated.”

Rumi hums thoughtfully. The two of them were quite blatantly staring at you now, and Keigo is sure you’d be quite weirded out if you caught them. But he doesn’t need to worry about that, because your attention is stolen away by some guy. Keigo doesn’t even know his name because he’s some irrelevant worker that doesn’t even matter.

But he seems to matter to you. Because you are smiling and laughing, and you nudge his shoulder when he says something Keigo itches to hear.

“Well. Maybe try telling her. She won’t wait around forever.” Rumi nods towards you and he shakes his head.

“That’s… I don’t- Just leave it.” Keigo’s voice sounds bitter in a way he’s not used to, and Rumi peers at him.

“Birdbrain? You doing okay there?”

He’s not. How could Keigo be doing okay, when Rumi is annoyingly right? You won’t wait forever. Keigo doesn’t even have forever. He has a few weeks left if his research is correct. And for some dumb reason Keigo didn’t seem to think about the fact that he might live to see you with someone else.

You move slightly closer to him, and Keigo’s fist clenches. 

He doesn’t even know the guy, but can he be surprised? You’re perfect, you’re you. It makes sense that he’s not the only one in love with you. Keigo sees the hand this guy places on your elbow, the way he smiles at you whenever you laugh. He knows that look because it’s how he looks at you everyday. 

And then it starts. Slow and slight. It stirs in his lungs, just a tickle, but he knows, he knows what comes next.

Rumi notices the way his face pales, and she shakes his arm. “Hawks? You’re freaking me out, what’s wrong?”

And he tries to answer, but all that comes out is a choking noise he can’t even recognise as a sound his own body made. And the feeling builds up all too quickly, and Keigo thinks he might be dying. He’s rushing out the room to try and make it to the bathroom, but he doesn’t make it further than out the door, because the pain in his chest is splitting, like somebody is trying to push their way out of his skin. He drops to the knees and he clutches at his stomach, and he coughs and coughs and there’s blood, and there’s flowers now, fully grown flowers-

And then everything goes dark.

——————

Keigo opens his eyes to the bright white ceiling of a hospital room. It’s not something he hasn’t seen before, and the slow blink back to life and the few seconds of peace before the pain kicks in are always the worst. He blinks harshly before slowly, slowly sitting up, arms almost buckling from his weight. 

He hates the weakness that comes with injury, the embarrassment. If he was still training at the commission they would’ve sent him back on the field before he’d even gotten up. But, he doubts he’d have gotten a disease quite like this over there.

It’s only after he’s pushed himself into a sitting position that he sees you. 

Arms crossed as your head leans back against the wall behind you, asleep. He has no idea how long it’s been, but judging by the fact you’re still wearing the clothes you were wearing in the office, he assumes it’s the same day. He glances out the window and its pitch black.

And you look beautiful. Even with the mascara smudged beneath your eyes, the worry on your face even visible in your sleep. Keigo looks away, but not before you wake up and catch him staring. You blink like you might be dreaming, before you bring your chair closer to him.

“Hawks. You’re- You’re awake.” You whisper the words like if you say them too loudly they might not be true.

He smiles as best as he can. “Hey, pretty. The party still going on without me?” He tries for a joke but your eyes prick with tears. 

“Don’t. Don’t joke right now. Nothing about this is funny.” You sound serious in a way he’s never heard before, and some sick, twisted part of himself is giddy that it’s all for him.

“You promised you were fine.”

Keigo wants to turn away because the hurt on your face is his fault.

“I’m sorry. I just-“ He sighs. “Did you see?”

“Yes.”

“Did anyone else see?”

“No. Rumi stopped them from coming out into the hall.”

He nods. You shake your head, hand coming up to rub at your eyes. 

“How long has it been?” He asks.

You check your watch. “It’s one in the morning so. About six hours.”

Keigo falters. “Wait- You’ve been here for six hours?”

You frown. “Well obviously. I- They said I’m your emergency contact. And someone had to be here to tell you what the doctor said.”

He knows already. From the sharp pain in his chest he knows.

“I’m assuming you know it’s Hanahaki?”

He nods. You nod.

“You-“ You curse. It takes a few moments for you to get the words out.

“He said you don’t have long. The petals, he said they’re starting to look like flowers. Fully grown ones. And that means you’re in the final stages.” Your voice cracks and Keigo thinks he might throw up again.

“Okay.”

You pause. “Okay? Is that all you have to say? Okay?”

Keigo frowns. “Y/N, I-“

“Do you not get it, Hawks? You’re going to die. He says you’re going to die if you don’t either tell the person or- get the surgery done.”

Keigo shakes his head immediately. “I’m not doing the surgery.”

Your lip quivers and you pull yourself even closer. Your hand grabs his and it’s cold where his is warm, and you squeeze. 

“You have to, Hawks. The world can’t lose you. I can’t lose you.” You whisper.

And your words sound so raw, so vulnerable, and it tears at his inside more than the roses growing inside them.

“Just try. Try, okay? Tell them how you feel and see. It- It might be reciprocated. It definitely will be. I mean, who wouldn’t be in love with you?” You laugh wetly, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

But there’s something else behind them.

Jealousy.

And there’s a small flicker of hope that grows beneath his bones. And he looks at you then, at the tears that gather on the bottom of those fluttering eyelashes. And he reaches up, brushes the curve of your cheek.

And your breath hitches. He feels the heat on your face from how close he is, and he thinks he might cry.

“It’s not fair.” His voice sounds so weak, so awfully weak and he wants to scream. 

“What is? What’s not fair?” You ask.

“I can’t tell her. I don’t deserve her.”

You look so confused. Like he’s said the dumbest thing in the world. “What?”

“I’m not- I work almost everyday, and when I am off I’m too tired to do anything. My place is more of a prison cell than an apartment. I- I’ve never even been in a relationship before. Never even thought about it. I can’t- I’m not allowed, Y/N.”

And now his voice cracks and your hand squeezes tighter. And his voice sounds unfamiliar. This desperation, the frantic panic that fights against his words is so unlike him. Keigo has never been vulnerable with anybody in his life, but that look in your eyes makes him feel like he can tell you everything. All the dirty horrible secrets he keeps locked inside himself.

“It’s not fair. I don’t know if I can even be there for someone. It’s why I never said anything, I didn’t want to mess up a relationship that’s so important for me for one I can’t even commit to. It’s not fair on you, Y/N. You deserve better.”

He feels like there’s a weight that’s left his shoulder when he finishes speaking, rambled words he can barely remember. He’s out of breath when he’s done. Waiting anxiously for you to say something. Maybe this real version of Keigo is too much for you. He has half a mind to tell you it was just a joke, he didn’t mean it if it means you’ll stop looking so shocked. Keigo just needs you to say something.

“I deserve better?”

He doesn’t expect that. “What?” He says, confused.

You swallow roughly and he watches the sharp lines of your throat as you do so. “You said ‘you deserve better’. You as in, me. As in… I’m the one you have feelings for?”

Shit.

“I- Did I say that? I think it’s the medicine, it’s making me all-“

“Are you in love with me, Hawks?”

The room isn’t silent. The machines he’s hooked up to all make a low humming noise, and he can hear people and nurses walking and talking outside. But when you say those words it feels like the world has stopped. 

He could lie. But Keigo won’t get the surgery, so he figures he might as well let you know how he feels before he dies.

“Yes.”

You freeze for a moment. Then your hands come up to cover your face and he immediately misses the contact. And then your shoulders start shaking and he thinks you're crying.

Keigo sighs. “It’s not that awful of a thing. No reason to cry.”

“I’m not crying. I’m laughing.”

When you look back up at him there are in fact tears running down your face, but you look happy. And hope claws its way out of him.

“This funny to you?”

“No. Your stupidity is, though.” 

Keigo is quiet for a moment, confused. “Do you mind elaborating on that?”

“Hawks, do you think it’s normal that I do all your paperwork with you? Or that we get lunch together almost everyday? Do you think any other assistant in all of Japan would stay as late as their boss, especially when he’s a top ten Pro hero who rarely finishes before ten in the evening?”

“I-“

“Do you think it’s normal that I wear this necklace you bought me everyday?” And you reach into your shirt and pull it out, the gold catching against the light.

“Hawks, I spend every waking second I’m in that agency with you if I can help it. I’ve had job offers a million times better than what I do for you, and I’ve rejected every single one because I wanted to be with you.”

Keigo doesn’t say anything. You grab his hand again, but it feels a little more threatening this time.

“You don’t get to decide if I deserve you or not, I do. It’s- I can’t believe you. I don’t care about all that. We’ll figure it out together.”

And Keigo just closes his eyes, because this can’t be real. He must be dreaming, because Keigo doesn’t get things like this. Love. Nothing like that look on your face that’s all for him.

“You sure you're not just saying this because I’m dying?”

And you laugh, and let your tears fall freely, and Keigo can finally breathe clearly for the first time in months.

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

this is for lysa if ur anyone else stop reading...?

JKKKKK guys i love hawks so much i can't explain... he was my lover for so long i miss him

also i loved writing this i literally did it in ONE NIGHT?? plz give me more ideas pookas

LOVE U ALLL HAVE A GOOD NIGHT

Don't ever hesitate. Reblog this. TUMBLR RULE. When you see it, REBLOG IT.

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This was so good...!! (I already imagine how elegant reader and wrio looked :'D)

Oh, the man he is... (Wriothesley x Reader)

Wriothesley x fem!reader; fluff, shared feelings, implied mutual pining or some sorts + Sigewinne, Furina, Neuvillette appeared as cameos!

You had agreed to extend your work in the Fortress, much to Wriothesley’s delight. However, recently, he found it harder and harder to spend time with you, and it left him feeling restless.

((The story is a sequel of my previous fic here! Although you can always read it separately, the build-up is somewhat connected to the previous one))

Words: 3.1k

Notes: 

I’ve always wanted to do the continuation of my previous stories, but I clearly went overboard for this one since I didn’t plan this to be this long. But, I mean, it’s Wriothesley, who could resist? ;) and don't judge the title pls HELP

Enjoy the story!

•~•~•~•

No, Wriothesley wasn't a jealous man.

As a responsible warden of the fortress, he remained focused on his professional duties, fully acknowledging the demands they entailed.

However, ever since you’ve agreed to extend your work at the Fortress of Meropide—with Neuvillette’s permission, of course, Wriothesley had unconsciously developed a habit of seeking you out—whether it was to hand you some documents or simply to ask about your day. 

Yet, it had been a week since he had a proper conversation with you, since the conflicting work schedules you two had left little time to spend with each other. And somehow, it was starting to bother Wriothesley more than it should. 

Wriothesley exhaled as he stood up from his office seat, leaving piles of documents sprawled on his desk. Despite his usual preference for lunching in his office, he found himself walking towards the cafeteria.

As he approached the bustling cafeteria, his hopes lifted momentarily when he saw you already seated, only to deflate when he spotted you already seated… with another young man in front of you. 

Oh. He thought to himself.

In that moment, he recalled that your latest work involved cooperation with some of the fortress’ members. Right, it was business matters and he’s the Duke of Meropide, he got nothing to worry about, right? 

So, he greeted you, asked about your day, and went back to his office.

•~•~•~•

Wriothesley surely wasn’t a jealous man...

Another day, he discovered that you were done for the day as your work for the day was finished. He was just about to step out of his office to search for you when, to his surprise, you appeared right in front of the office doors. What luck, he thought to himself. However, your sheepish smile hinted at something else.

“Oh, hi, um— I’m here to tell you that I won’t be here for the weekend.”

His plans to ask you out crumbled inside his head.

“Oh, you got called in by the court?”

“No, but I’ve got other things to do,” you replied as you gave him an apologetic smile. “Is that okay?”

Well, he couldn't just outright refuse; after all, you deserved a break too. However, his mind raced, wondering about the nature of the 'other things' you had mentioned. Was it work-related? Or perhaps it was something more private?

"Of course, don’t worry about it," Wriothesley reassured you with a smile, trying to bury his own thoughts as he mentally cursed himself for his train of thought. "I'll see you next Monday then."

You thanked him and went off. He sighed, hoping that you would be available for the weekend so he could at least ask you out. But for now, he would have to wait.

•~•~•~•

Wriothesley definitely wasn’t the jealous type... or so he believed.

But lately, he couldn't shake this nagging feeling of restlessness. You seemed busier than ever, going back and forth between the surface and the fortress. And, to make matters worse, you were spending less time with him compared to a certain assistant. This young man had been assisting you in the latest case at the fortress, and he seemed to be handling it well. In fact, it was Wriothesley himself who suggested you to appoint an assistant in order to lighten your workload—as you seemed to have some business to take care of on the surface, only to find himself now competing for your attention.

It was like his own idea to help you had turned against him, backfiring in the most frustratingly ironic way possible. 

Massaging his temples, Wriothesley groaned as his thoughts swirled in his head.

“Feeling unwell, Your Grace?” Sigewinne's soft and cheery voice interrupted his brooding as she entered his office, carrying documents from the infirmary.

“Oh, Sigewinne, it’s nothing,” Wriothesley exhaled. “Thanks for the documents though.”

“If you’re wondering about y/n, she’s already gone to the surface,” Sigewinne said softly, yet, her tone masking a hint of mischief.

Wriothesley sighed in defeat. “Right, the event tomorrow. I figured she'd be attending.”

“Didn't she tell you?” Sigewinne asked innocently.

Oof.

Wriothesley fell silent, then replied, “No, but I had a hunch.”

“I saw her heading to the surface with Antonio—the assistant, did I get his name right? I heard there’s a ball in the event, right? Maybe they’re preparing for it,” Sigewinne added, her smile widening just a bit, her eyes anticipating his reaction. 

Wriothesley lifted his head to stare at Sigewinne, at a loss for words.

Wait, were you actually planning on dancing together with Antonio?

She giggled innocently at his reaction before continuing.

“But you’ll be there too, Your Grace. And for security reasons, I don’t see any problem,” she chirped, her amusement evident in her voice.

With a grumble, Wriothesley stood up and headed straight to his room. “Security reasons, right… I’ll need to think about tomorrow's outfit then…”

Sigewinne watched him go, giggling softly to herself.

“Racing hearts, rising blood pressure, uneasiness. Yep, those are the physical symptoms of jealousy, alright,” Sigewinne mused to herself.

“Human emotions are truly interesting.”

•~•~•~•

You stared at the dress laying on top of your bed at your dwelling in the surface, mentally preparing yourself up with confidence to wear it for the event tomorrow. In fact, Furina had picked the dress together with you. Classy, beautiful, drop-dead gorgeous; was what she commented. But honestly, when was the last time you'd slipped into something so elegant? 

As you lay back on your bed, your mind wandered over the events of the past few weeks.

--few weeks before--

“A… ball, you said?” 

"Yes, in fact, Lady Furina will be hosting the event. And we are expected to attend as representatives from the court," Neuvillette explained, his tone as flat as ever. Beside him, Lady Furina nodded eagerly. “The ball will pose as the closing ceremony.”

"Ah, I see... so the event about three weeks away," you replied, your confidence faltering slightly. "To be honest, I'm not exactly skilled at dancing..."

"Oh, nonsense! A Fontainian lady must know how to dance!" Lady Furina interjected, her voice brimming with determination. "Fear not! I'll personally train you at least twice a week until the ball. How does that sound?"

You swallowed nervously, anticipating her rigorous training methods. You glanced to Neuvillette, only to found him nodding in agreement. 

"Um... alright, thank you for the offer, Lady Furina. I'll try to make time during the weekends."

"Excellent! It's settled then!" Lady Furina exclaimed with a wide smile, her hand clasped in front of his chest. "Meet me in front of my house this weekend!"

You closed your eyes, recalling the training sessions with Furina as you tried to gather your confidence for tomorrow. Although you could safely say you were doing okay-ish with the training, your mind kept wandering back to a certain man in the fortress, leaving you longing for the interactions you shared with him.

•~•~•~•

The next evening, the venue began to fill with people, the atmosphere bustling with liveliness. You positioned yourself near the Palais Mermonia members, keeping Neuvillette in your sight as you glanced over at Furina, who was already engaged in conversation with other people.

As you talked with various guests, your thoughts often drifted to whether Wriothesley would attend the ball. The idea of dancing with him crossed your mind, but so far, he was nowhere to be seen.

Come to think of it, you hadn’t told him a thing about your secret dancing lessons. 

“You haven’t found a dance partner??” Furina's panicked tone was evident as she approached you, her arm linked with Neuvillette's, signaling that they would dance together. 

“Um, well, not yet…” you mumbled, feeling a bit flustered.

“Oh, my! I won’t allow you wasting your skills today! Let me see…”

Furina pondered for a moment before suggesting a few Palais Mermonia attendees as potential partners. However, none of them really piqued your interest. If you want someone, it would be– 

“Wriothesley is also attending this event too, in case you are wondering,” Neuvillette added suddenly, catching you off guard.

Your eyes widened slightly at the unexpected mention of Wriothesley's presence. You knew Neuvillette must be offering his personal opinion, perhaps based on his own observation of your close working relationship with the Duke, in addition with Wriothesley's request to extend your stay at the fortress. However, the comment had caught you off guard, and you went silent, a faint blush tinting your cheeks as you hid your excitement.

But your reaction had caught Furina’s attention as her smile turned into a mischievous grin. “Ah, the Duke of Meropide! How could I forget?” she exclaimed dramatically, holding her hand up to her face. “I saw him near the gardens earlier. You should go check him out!”

Although you realized her attempt on teasing you, you found yourself nodding hastily and made your way outside to the place she had mentioned. 

“And the ball is starting in fifteen—!” Furina added rather enthusiastically, her voice trailing behind you. 

And so, you went outside. The atmosphere was less crowded than indoors, but there were still plenty of people mingling about. You paced around in search of Wriothesley when suddenly, a young man intercepted you from the side, introducing himself.

“Good evening, m’lady. You're as lovely as a fresh rainbow rose. Would you do me the honor of a dance?”

“Thank you, but I’m actually looking for someone…” you began, trying to politely decline.

“A dance partner, perhaps?” he persisted, holding out a real rainbow rose this time.

“I’m sorry, but I really should— ,“ you attempted to excuse yourself, but he wasn't taking the hint.

“The ball's starting soon. It'd be a shame not to enjoy a dance with such a beautiful lady…”

Feeling pressured but unable to escape his persistence, you were about to step away, but a reassuring hand suddenly clasped your waist, holding you close from the side.

“The lady clearly indicated she wasn't interested.”

Relief flooded through you as you immediately recognized the voice. Looking up, you saw Wriothesley standing with a polite – or perhaps, intimidating – smile on his face, standing rather menacingly in front of the persistent man. The young man went off immediately, clearly taking Wriothesley’s cue.

After the man had hurriedly retreated, Wriothesley released his arm from your waist and turned towards you, his gaze lingering for a moment, a small smile playing on his lips as he took time to admire your delightful appearance. He then bowed slightly towards you, lifting your hand with a gentle touch and pressed a small kiss to the back of it.

“M’lady,” he murmured, his voice low and husky. 

You were stunned by his gentlemanly gesture, as you just felt a flutter of butterflies inside your stomach. “Wriothesley…” You found yourself momentarily at a loss for words, struck by how incredibly charming he appeared in his formal attire.

“You look stunning,” he complimented, his warm gaze met yours, a stark contrast to the coolness of his icy-colored eyes. You shyly thanked him for his kind words, feeling a warmth spreading through you at his sincere compliment.

As the two of you were lost in the brief moment of admiring each other, he cleared his throat, subtly regaining his composure as he glanced around. “…Are you perhaps, waiting for someone?” he asked as his curiosity piqued. 

“Oh, well, I was…”

Wriothesley immediately caught onto your choice of words.

“You… were?”

“Mhm, but not anymore,” you replied with a warm, sheepish smile.

A hint of confusion flickered across Wriothesley's face, his thoughts momentarily jumbled. Wait, so you weren't waiting for Antonio, which meant…

You sensed his slow realization and couldn't help but let out a small laugh as you added, “You, Wriothesley. You’re the one I’ve been searching for.”

Your words came out cheesier than intended, and you felt a blush creeping up your cheeks as you scrambled to explain. But Wriothesley did not seem to care as his smile grew wider. It was what he had hoped to hear. 

But then, before he could say anything, your attention shifted to the direction of the building, with the music began playing from inside the hall, signaling that the ball had already begun as people started flocking into the building.  

Observing the dwindling crowd, Wriothesley turned to look at you. “As much as I want to dance with you, I don’t think we’ll make it in time inside.”

You returned his smile at his eagerness to dance with you. You looked around, taking in the serene atmosphere of the nearly empty garden. “It’s fine. Instead… I’d hate to miss the beauty of the moon tonight.”

He gave you an affectionate smile as he seemed to understood the hint, and extended his arm towards you. “Well then, m’lady, may I have the honor of a dance?”

With a nod, you gladly accepted his hand. “Of course, Your Grace,” you replied, earning a small chuckle from him at your sudden formality.

As the music played softly in the background and the moon cast its gentle glow upon you, you and Wriothesley began to dance. The waltz you had practiced with Furina proved its worth as you both moved gracefully under the enchanting night sky. You realized that you had been longing for his company for this whole time.

As you danced, you became acutely aware of the close proximity between you and Wriothesley. Your faces were just inches apart, and his eyes seemed to be locked onto yours with an intensity that made your heart race. His hand rested firmly on your back, providing a reassuring support, while the other held yours with a gentle yet firm grip. 

“You dance well,” you whispered softly, breaking the silence.

“I could say the same about you,” he hummed, his eyes affectionately locked on yours as you two transitioned into a slower dance. “Have you been practicing in secret? Or were you just naturally gifted?”

You gave a small laugh at his remark. “Actually…” You paused, shying away for a bit. “I’ve been attending dance lessons with Lady Furina these past few weeks.”

“Oh? Is that why you've been going back and forth to the surface?” 

“Mostly, yeah, since I agreed to return her favor,” you explained with a sheepish grin. “But she also roped me into helping compile some data for this event. I must thank you for offering me appointing an assistant to help with the job though. He really did his job well.”

“Wait, I thought he’s also coming to this event?” He stopped the slow dance momentarily, still holding you in his arms as he processed the new information.

“Antonio? No, he’s taking care of my duties today in the fortress, as I instructed him yesterday.”

Wriothesley went silent as everything seemed to click inside his mind, a chuckle escaping his lips, amused by his own thoughts. You looked at him in confusion, but he waved off your concern with a dismissive smile.

“Never mind, it’s not the time to dwell on petty things,” he said, his focus returning to you. “I don’t want to spoil the moment dancing with you tonight.”

You stared at him for a second, before nodding in agreement, letting go of any lingering questions inside you as you both resumed your dance under the enchanting moonlight. It felt like you were dancing without a care in the world, lost in each other’s embrace.

As the song reached its conclusion, you both stopped gracefully, locked in a gaze neither of you wanted to break. A warm smile played on your lips as you looked into his eyes, feeling the warmth of his gaze that he returned to you.

In that fleeting moment, as the night air wrapped around you like a gentle caress, there was a subtle shift in the atmosphere. His eyes began to flicker between your lips and your eyes. You were ready to surrender yourself into the silent invitation as you slowly leaned forwards, feeling his breath brush against your skin as your noses almost touching.

Seeing you responded to his silent cue, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Wriothesley's lips as he too began to close the gap between you, inching closer. Finally, his lips met yours as he kissed you gently, sealing the moment carefully with a tender embrace.

Despite your racing heartbeat, you melted into his soft kiss, feeling his hand cupping your cheek gently that made your heart flutter. As the air around you seemed to grow warmer with the intensity of the moment, you pulled back slightly, needing a moment to catch your breath. Your cheeks flushed with a rosy hue as you met his gaze with half-lidded eyes, the heat of the moment still lingering between you.

He leaned in closer, as if to pull you into another kiss, but then abruptly halted, his body rigid as his eyes widened slightly. He then quickly turned his head to the side facing the bushes, while his hand remained protectively on your waist.

“Who’s there?” he asked, his voice a bit demanding.

Slowly, a small figure behind starting to emerge behind the bushes, revealing Sigewinne who slowly tiptoed out.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Your Grace, I thought I was hiding well,” she said with a sheepish smile. “I didn’t want to bother, so I waited.”

Wriothesley immediately released his hand from your waist, bringing it to his face to hide his embarrassment. “Ah, it’s you…, what brings you here?”

“Monsieur Neuvillette was searching for you, and I happened to spot you here,” she explained, her tone light and playful. 

Wriothesley let out an exasperated sigh, his hand falling to his side. “Right.”

Then, Sigewinne glanced at you with a mischievous gleam in her eye. “Looks like your jealousy was a tad unnecessary, Your Grace,” she teased.

“Huh, where did that come from?” Wriothesley responded with a bemused expression.

You stood there, momentarily stunned, before Sigewinne’s words finally sank in. “…Jealous? Of whom?” you asked, glancing between them in confusion, before it dawned on you as you recalled your lingering questions from your mind.

Wait…could it be? 

A smile tugged at the corners of your lips as Sigewinne continued, “Ah, you see, this big man was actually jealous that new assis–”

“Ugh, spare me…” Wriothesley groaned, turning to walk away, not wanting to hear the rest of Sigewinne’s teasing. You laughed softly as you followed behind with Sigewinne as she started to explain her observationsfrom the past few weeks.

As you walked, you caught Wriothesley stealing a glance back at the two of you, a playful smirk tugged on his lips. It seemed like he was content with how things had turned out.

And so, the rest of the night unfolded with cheers and laughter, with everyone by your side. Despite the lingering feeling of a certain unfinished business, you couldn't wipe the smile from your face for the entire night.

After all, you now know that the feelings were mutual, right?

Ok...I feel weird posting too soon, but here you go :b

Ive been working on this one for a while and finally I finished it (⁠ ⁠╹⁠▽⁠╹⁠ ⁠)

Just showing off some photos with Xav hehheheheheh

damn...😳

NAME : katsuki bakugou + shoto todoroki, boku no hero academia

SONG : moment , vierre cloud

SUMMARY : y/n l/n is the new girl in class 2-a. as the year goes by, todoroki and bakugou find out that they like the same person. wc :

(reader's quirk is angel. u have two wings in ur back)

(also i removed hagakure from the story 😭 SORRY i love her swear)

"hello, i'm y/n l/n. i hope we can all get along."

the winged girl smiled, then bowed deeply as the class admired her. she was pretty, and her wings were pretty.

"you can sit infront of him. bakugou, raise your hand."

bakugou lazily raised his hand a bit, she looked towards him, walking towards the empty seat in the front row. as she sat, she placed her bag under her table, tucking her wings into herself a bit to not bother the boy behind her.

he raised an eyebrow at her actions, rolling his eyes and slouching back into his seat.

-

"hi! i'm mina ashido!"

"oh hi!"

"i'm ochaco uraraka!"

"you can call me tsuyu."

the girls were crowding around the new girl as soon as the bell rang for break. the girls in the class were all making eye contact with each other during class and pointing fingers at each other of who would be the one to talk to y/n first.

"wanna sit with us for lunch? we'll tell you everything about our class!"

"yeah sure, that would be great."

y/n smiled at yaoyorozu as mina threw an arm around y/n's shoulder, pulling her up from her seat.

"man, the girls have already started talking to the new girl.."

kaminari said, looking at the group of girls with his arms crossed. he stood infront of kirishima and bakugou who were around bakugou's desk as he packed up his stuff.

"you can't deny, she's really cute."

kirishima murmured, leaning into kaminari a bit to quiet his voice but bakugou heard it anyway, ignoring it. kaminari nodded rapidly, you would think his head was going to fall off from how fast he was.

bakugou got up without saying anything, leaving the classroom while kaminari and kirishima yelled at him to wait.

-

the girls were waiting in the lunch line together, waiting patiently as uraraka brought her three guy friends to meet y/n.

"my name is tenya iida! i'm pleased to have you as a new classmate!"

iida put a hand out for y/n to shake, she grasped his hand, giving it a firm shake and a smile as she held onto his hand.

"pleased to meet you, iida."

iida matched her smile, letting go of their head and directing her attention to the boys next to him.

"i'm izuku midoriya, this is shoto todoroki!"

the green haired boy said, turning to the white and red haired boy as he looked up from his phone at y/n. he bowed a bit, putting his phone in his pocket.

"nice to meet you."

"nice to meet you too-"

"l/n- are you an actual angel? what else is apart of your quirk? can all of your feathers separate like the pro hero hawks? can you control all your feathers with free will? or-"

"geez midoriya, chill out!"

mina exclaimed, her hands going down on y/n's shoulders as y/n grinned, a bit of a nervous look on her face as her eyebrows furrowed. todoroki blinked at her facial features, he didn't really get to see it when she was infront of the class and he was at the back, but now, right infront of her, he can.

"you're very pretty, l/n."

the group went quiet, hearing the stoic heterochromic boy say such a bold statement.

"o-oh, thank you, todoroki.."

y/n blushed, turning red as mina nervously laughed, then pulled y/n away as they were at the front of the line to get food. todoroki cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"did i do something wrong?"

todoroki turned his head towards midoriya and iida who were partially embarrassed, red filling their faces.

"n-no, todoroki.."

-

the next day, y/n was walking to school as she looked down at her phone, scrolling and looking for a song to play.

"l/n."

y/n heard a voice behind her, turning to see her handsome classmate. yesterday, when he said she was pretty, she was going to say that he was handsome too, just to make him embarrassed, but his blank stare made her crumble, and blush.

"hi todoroki!"

y/n waved, stopping and waiting for todoroki to catch up as he slowly jogged up next to side, then she continued walking.

"do you live around this area?"

y/n questioned, playing a random playlist and turning off her phone, holding it in her hand.

"mhm. just down the road."

todoroki nodded, looking straight down the sidewalk as y/n looked up at the boy. but then something clicked in her head, she quickly looked at her phone, her eyes widening at the time.

"shit! we're gonna miss the train, todoroki!"

y/n blurted, gripping onto todoroki's wrist and starting to run towards the train station. todoroki watched her hair bounce with each step she was taking, holding onto his bag with his free hand to avoid his bag falling off his shoulder.

todoroki watched as the sunlight hit her hair just right, making her hair practically shine underneath the sun as y/n’s hold on his wrist slipped, going down to his hand as she grabbed onto his hand, holding it tight with a squeeze as she checked her phone again.

“todoroki! are you there-“

y/n turned her head while running, making eye contact with todoroki as he blinked, snapping out of his lovesick daze.

“yeah-“

todoroki lips parted, shutting tight as he squeezed her hand, starting to run alongside y/n as y/n smiled laughing next to todoroki as she closed her eyes, her head going down as laughter bubbled out her lips.

todoroki let a small smile slip from his lips, the corners of his mouth going up as he continued running down the street alongside y/n.

he would just have to tell his driver he could get to school on his own.

-

y/n and todoroki came into the classroom together, todoroki opening the door for the girl as she smiled and thanked him.

bakugou looked up from his seat, he was leaning back into his seat while kirishima, sero and kaminari were infront of him, standing and talking to each other while letting bakugou pipe into the conversation from time to time.

“yo, should i ask for l/n’s number?”

“no bro- didn’t you see todoroki and l/n walk in together? pretty girls and pretty boys always get together.”

“are you saying i’m ugly-!?”

“hey, sir’s waiting.”

bakugou said, making the three look at him and look back at aizawa who was glaring at them, his eyes turning red and his hair floating up as they bowed in embarrassment, hurrying to their seats.

when they finally left from bakugou’s view, he could see y/n clearly infront of him, well, the back of her, and her wings.

bakugou thought they were big for no reason. could she even fly?

-

“team bakugou and l/n, you’re up!”

the class had a training exercise with a random partner, bakugou made no comment out loud of the new kid being his partner but, his thoughts were screaming.

‘are you kidding me? pretty girl is my partner?’

bakugou yelled in his head as y/n ran up to him, slowing down to walk next to him.

“hey! you’re bakugou, right?”

“yea.”

“oh okay! how do you wanna do this-?”

“just don’t get in my way, i’ll probably do all the work anyway.”

bakugou said bluntly, walking faster to avoid y/n as y/n’s face became blank, blinking at the boy who was walking away faster. she squinted her eyes at him, smiling.

-

there were multiple clones of ectoplasm and y/n and bakugou were surrounded.

“i told you not to get in my way!”

bakugou yelled, explosions sparking from his palms. y/n looked down as she clenched her forearm, a white energy surging through her arm.

“i didn’t even do anything! with you running away from me!”

“because you would get in my way!”

“just stop yelling for a sec, your throat-!”

y/n cut herself off as she flapped her wings and the clones on her side turned to liquid clones. bakugou whipping his head at her side to look and see no one, y/n gone and the clones gone.

“angel!”

bakugou called out, looking up to see y/n in the air, jumping down in the centre of the clones on bakugou’s side, slamming her fist down on the ground as the ground crumbled, making the clones fling into the air as bakugou put his hands down towards the ground, shooting himself up as he exploded all of the clones.

y/n stood up on the ground, bakugou dropped down infront of her. y/n quirked her eyebrow up,

“are you gonna yell at me? sorry if i was in your way-“

“sorry for the way i was acting.”

bakugou grumbled, it was so, out of character of himself. he didn’t even know what he was doing. y/n’s eyes widened, feeling a tad bit bad for the way she was yelling, but to be fair, he was yelling louder before.

“oh! it’s cool- sorry i yelled back at you.”

y/n admitted, her eyebrows furrowed but a smile on her face as bakugou’s eye trailed down towards her parted lips.

“let’s go back.”

“oh right!”

y/n exclaimed, turning and starting to walk as bakugou admired her back, her wings.

“bakugou?”

bakugou heard, fast walking to catch up with her, much unlike before when he was literally running away from her.

-

y/n walked beside todoroki, counting her money in focus to be sure she had enough for one of the dishes she wanted from the cafeteria. (pretend they pay for somethings idk)

the winged girl groaned out loud, his hands rubbing her eyes as her lips turned to a frown. todoroki looked at her in wonder, cocking his head to the side.

“what’s wrong?”

“i don’t have enough money for the cold soba..”

“do you like cold soba?”

todoroki’s eyes widened, wondering if the pretty girl liked one of his favourite foods, she lifted her hands away from her eyes, blinking at the boy.

“yeah.. i was really craving it today...”

“i’ll pay for you.”

todoroki said, starting to fast walk to the cafeteria to see y/n’s reaction to eating it as y/n stopped in shock, jogging to catch up with todoroki as her eyebrows furrowed and her lips opened,

"are you sure? thank you so much though.."

“it’s alright.”

todoroki said, in the line and already at the front, ordering two cold soba trays.

y/n stood behind him, a small smile of her face as she appreciated the kind offer that todoroki gave her- well, more like just buying her food.

the girl felt a nudge in her shoulder, turning her head to see bakugou with one hand holding his tray of food, the other in his pocket.

“come sit with me.”

bakugou said, looking away from y/n and straight at his table of friends who were laughing loudly far away. y/n turned to look at the group and where they were, while she was looking away, bakugou took the chance to glance down at y/n, seeing her long eyelashes as they fluttered open and shut, then turning to bakugou again as he quickly looked away.

“sorry,, i’m sitting with todoroki today!”

bakugou looked at the girl after scoffing loudly.

"you can stand one lunch away from that half-and-half bastard-"

"bakugou?"

bakugou and y/n turned towards todoroki, who was holding two trays of cold soba. bakugou raised an eyebrow at the dual coloured haired boy as todoroki narrowed his eyes towards him.

"l/n is going to be sitting with me. not you."

"i don't remember asking you, icy-hot."

"you didn't have to, i'm telling you."

"what do you say?!"

todoroki let out quick but calm remarks at the blonde boy but bakugou was glaring openly at todoroki, getting right up in todoroki's face as y/n's eyes whipped back and forth between the boys.

"guys!"

the two looked at her, stopping their argument.

"how about, we all sit together? i wanted to talk with mina today anyway!"

y/n grinned, turning and quickly walking towards the table that had mina, kirishima, sero, jirou and kaminari. jirou and mina seeing the girl and the two boys walking behind her, waving at her.

"hey y/n!"

"hi!"

"oh shit, hey l/n!"

"hi there!"

y/n sat in the free space next to mina, with a space for one more person to sit next to y/n.

"is it okay if i- i mean, todoroki and i sit with you guys?"

"no problem!"

sero said, showing a thumbs up towards the girl and a wink while kaminari was fist bumping the air in excitement.

todoroki was quicker than bakugou, sitting in the seat next to y/n as bakugou gritted his teeth slightly at the boy who was staring up at him- was that a tiny smirk on his face!?

bakugou dropped his tray on the table, already eating as y/n talked to todoroki about english homework. then she turned away, leaning over mina to talk to jirou who was next to her.

todoroki and bakugou made eye contact with each other as todoroki looked at the boy across from him on the table. bakugou narrowed his eyes, using his hand and sticking out his thumb as he dragged his thumb over his neck, pointing at todoroki.

todoroki just silently slurped his soba, glaring at bakugou.

this meant war.

Scars

Contents: post-war. Hurt/comfort. Fluff. Very sappy.

Word count: 1.8k

Pairing: Hawks x reader

“I look…sick,” Keigo mumbled, looking in the bathroom mirror hanging over the sink. You were both getting ready for bed, and you almost choked on toothpaste as you brushed your teeth when he said that. You rinsed out your mouth and glanced into the same mirror he was staring into. You didn’t see what he saw, you knew that much.

Sure, suppose you looked hard enough his skin was paler, and dark circles under his eyes from a lack of sleep. In that case, his now often night terrors waking the both of you up at ungodly hours of the morning-, the red angry scar that ran down from the peak of his cheek to his neck and exploding across his back where his wings used to reside. Angel wings stained with blood that you used to love to run your fingers through so much now gone, leaving only red scar tissue behind on his once unblemished skin. And he had a problem with it all, you knew he did. But you didn’t; you didn’t take issue with a single thing about him.

“I think you look handsome,” You insist, kissing the scar on his cheek gently, your hand gently running up and down his bicep. “C’mon, we need to put your scar cream on and blow dry your hair. I don’t want you going to bed with wet hair, you might catch a cold.” You giggle softly but there’s no trace of amusement on his face causing your smile to falter.

You take his hand, pulling him back into the bedroom, the wide windows that encompassed most of the left wall gave a view of the expanse of the entire city below. Rain gently tapped against the glass and the moonlight made a soft light in the room. You sat him down on the edge of the bed and flicked on the lamp that was on the nightstand, warm light illuminating the room better so you could see what you were doing.

You gently pulled out the drawer of the nightstand and took out a tub of off-white cream that the hospital had sent you home with for his scars to ensure they healed the best they could. Of course, they’d never leave his skin, it was important to make sure they healed properly to lighten the color of them and prevent any possible infection and such.

You try to take his hand in yours, always working on the scars on his palms first and then his cheek along with the small scar on his forehead and working to his back which required the most care. But he pulls his hand away stubbornly, making you sigh.

“I don’t like the way it feels…it’s too thick, it never rubs into my skin fully and it’s uncomfortable.” He complains. You understood, you didn’t like when your scented lotions were too thick because it also seemed like they never actually rubbed in fully. But there’s a difference between wanting to put scented lotion on and needing to put a cream on for burn scars. He debated you every time. It was practically part of the routine. It was more concerning when he didn’t debate, that was when you had to check up on him to make sure he was doing okay.

“I know you don’t, but it needs to go on. Please, for me?” You plead softly, kissing his cheek softly. You watched as he thought it through before he huffed softly and turned his head from you with a soft whine.

“Fine…You can do it…” He pouts. It’s so cute but you don’t push your luck, you could shower him with affection in a little. In a way, this was affection you supposed. Take care of him like this, how he did with you before the war. You took care of each other, it was mutual. That’s what you do for people you love. You and Keigo have a special kind of love.

You slab the ointment on his open palm, rubbing it into the lines of his palm. If you could palm read you’d say something sappy about heart line or fate line. But you don’t, so you stay silent as you focus on gently massaging his palm. When you’re done you glance at him, his soft gaze focused on your hand in his and you brush your thumb against his knuckle and his eyes snap up to yours.

“Hey,” You smile softly.

“Hey, pretty,” Keigo whispers, moving in to kiss your neck but you stop him. Your palm is flat against his chest.

“Not yet, later. Let me finish first, baby.” You giggle softly. He was always quick to try and distract you before you got the scar on his cheek. Even if he had to play a little dirty by trying to distract you with sweet words and kisses.

He pouted, about to protest before you gave him a quick peck on his cheeks and quickly put some ointment on his cheek before he could stop you. You can see the instant look of irk on his face. But you make fast work of gently rubbing it into his cheek and down to his neck. Moving behind him.

He was already shirtless from the shower you both took, only in his boxers which were old and worn barely hanging on by the seam. Maybe it was a thing with just Keigo, or maybe all men, But he clung to boxers and socks until they were nothing more than a string. You had to harass him to toss them and then drag him shopping to pick up new pairs.

It didn’t make it any more dignifiable that said boxers were quite literally his own merch, a limited edition thing his PR did. The same design as his belt on the waistband of them. If you had any say it was a little tacky but whatever made him happy, and people loved them. No more of that. Which saddened you. No more fun brand deals and such. But at least he still had his modeling gigs, now as the president of the commission. Which meant he wore more suits in them, focused on being more professional and sexy and not just ‘hot blonde playboy-esque’.

You weren’t complaining.

You took a moment to appreciate the expanse of his back. The muscles. His shoulder blades. You knew he was self-conscious of the scar tissue from the burns he got when his wings burned off which are now completely gone. But you didn’t mind. You missed his wings sometimes, of course, you both did.

How they’d protectively wrap around you whenever he got a little jealous. How they used to puff up whenever you’d kiss him or do something he deemed cute. His wings were a core part of him, his personality almost. An extension of his body language. And they were gone now. But that didn’t mean you stopped loving him.

You make fast work on massaging the cream onto his back scars, going quickly to avoid making him uncomfortable for too long.

When you finish you gently trace your finger down his spine and giggle when his posture straightens out. Leaning over to kiss his cheek and getting up to grab a towel from the bathroom. You drape the towel over his head, drying his hair with it. You gently comb your hands through his damp hair for a little while, sitting in silence as you play with his hair before you suck in a breath and pull out the blow dryer from under the bed. Plugging it in and taking your time until his blonde hair is poofy and fluffed up before you straighten it out with your fingers so it’s not as messy.

“All done,” You hum, flicking the dryer off putting it back in its box, and sliding it under the bed again.

“Thank you…c’mere.”

You knew what he wanted.

When he still had those bird avian instincts that accompanied his quirk, he’d always preen you. Sometimes when he was bored or if you had come home in a rough state. It was soothing for him, and you alike. Even now that those instinctual feelings left him, it was his way of having a semblance of normalcy even now.

You found purchase on his lap, and he went to work. His hands straightened out your hair and messed with your shirt until it sat evenly on your shoulders and he was satisfied.

You yelped softly when he pulled you up further onto the bed, pulling the covers up over your body and holding your back against his chest.

“I wanna see you,” You whine softly in protest, hearing him sigh as his arm leaves its tight hold on your waist and you turn over to look at him face to face. You lean far over him to flick off the lamp and then lay back down, the only light filtering through the window casting a light blue hue across his face from the moonlight.

He was so pretty.

You wondered what was going on in his head sometimes. You only knew what he told you, or what you could infer from how he acted.

“We should get married…” He whispered.

You stayed silent in thought for a moment before snuggling closer to him.

“Why now?” You ask.

“Why not now? We have peace…or at least we’re in the process of rebuilding it…I finally have some time on my hands. I want to slow down a little. With you. Maybe make a little family, a couple of chicks running around. But that’s an…entirely different conversation for another night.”

Your cheeks flush at the mention of children, not like it’s scandalous or anything but still. You lay in thought for a few seconds. Thinking it through. He has a point; you can both go slow now. Finally. After being the fastest man he can finally take a breath. So it makes sense he’s becoming a bit more family-oriented. And you guessed after everything he’s been through, his multiple near-death experiences. No wonder he wanted to marry you. You’d been together long enough.

“Okay…but just…propose to me properly, yeah?” You smile softly when he chuckles and nods. His hand comes to gently pet your hair.

“Yeah, I will…It’ll be kind of a surprise…I’ll find a way to make it a surprise, which will be hard since I already spoiled it but still…I’ll make it feel special. I’ll make you feel special because you are.”

“I look forward to it,” You giggle softly when he begins to pepper kisses all over your face before his lips lock with yours for a few seconds before he pulls back, tugging you close against him like you’re a stuffed animal or toy.

“Get some rest, baby. You have a long day of work tomorrow.” You whisper softly, hearing him yawn softly before he hums in agreement.

“Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you.”

“I love you too,”