Ever.Loyal.Fellow

It's completely possible to tell the story of a romance that blooms over months or years in a 1000 words of short, snapshot scenes-- as long as you show the important scenes.

This is especially true in fanfiction where the set up is done for you, but can, in the right circumstances, be achieved in original fiction just as well.

Your friends ask why you bother staying with him. You're in college, you should be having fun, they'll tell you, not being with someone who doesn't care about you and isn't even fun.

You know better than them, of course. Your boyfriend just struggles with affection.

His care for you isn't shown by spinning you around in his arms when you see each other after classes, or kissing you in front of everyone to prove you're his, or keeping his arm around you when you go out together so no one else dares to talk to you.

His care is shown in smaller ways, ways that way more caring to you.

Instead, he'll cook for you when you have a busy day. He'll let you complain to him when you have a bad day, offer you suggestions for ways you can deal with your problems, or ways you can lower your stress.

He'll help you study when you have a test coming up, even if you aren't in the same classes. He'll introduce you to his family, tell you about his childhood, even secretly brag about you to his friends from high school (not that he'd ever tell you about that).

Tsukishima Kei believes subtle actions speak louder than words ⎯ especially in relationships.

To anyone Kei would seem aloof and cold, but you know that he cares from his little gestures. The way he gently squeezes your hand to reassure you, letting you rest your head on his shoulder, that little relieved smile that makes way on his face when you drop by during his practice sometimes. Him mindlessly massaging your calves ⎯ your legs sprawled over his as he lets you watch whatever sappy romance you want watch when you whine about your day being so bad.

Tsukishima who freezes when you move closer on the couch and peck his cheek during the movie. His surprise slowly dissolves on his face, making way for a soft smirk as he turns his head and looks at you.

"Was that necessary?" he asks, his words almost accusatory, but his tone and expression is relaxed.

"Nope, but I'm trying to get you used to affection." you say softly.

He snorts at your words, “So, you’re planning to slowly brainwash me to become the ideal boyfriend? Or what?"

"I am trying to brainwash you into being utterly in love with me, the ideal girlfriend." you chuckle, rotating your pointer finger in front of his face. "Wish Woosh, Hocus Pocus. Tsukishima Kei will love me forever."

Although he tries keeps up his serious expression, but it turns more into a smile as a wide grin spreads across his face at your silly action.

"You actually want me to say it? That I love you?" He asks, "Is that what the game is?" he rolls his eyes and shakes his head in amusement.

"Maybe?" you whisper out softly and look at him with those hopeful eyes of yours that make him melt.

Tsukishima is silent, just looking at you calmly in a way that makes your heart raise with excitement and trepidation togther.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" you ask softly and he sighs, shaking his head, his eyes softening.

"Of course not, its just...I am not used to it?" He says and you listen to him intently, nodding, urging him to continue. "I just...I don't know, it makes me feel so vulnerable saying it." He utters.

"I just feel like what the point of saying it, when I already express it through other ways, you know?" he says, running his fingers through your hair, calmly. Thats how he loves you.

"I know. you murmur, "I just like hearing you say it." You hum with a pause, looking at him, trying to gauge his reaction. "You don't have to say it if you don't want to, its just that it makes it feel so much real when I hear it..."

Tsukishima smiles, lightly. Thats what he loves about you. You have these ways of making him feel utterly speechless and you do this so effortlessly.

"Okay." he says, his ears getting a tiny bit red. You want to point it out, but you bite your tongue to not ruin the moment.

"I love you." he says, his hand resting over your head and a you can't help the bright smile that makes its way on your face. Hearing it out of his mouth almost makes you flustered. You can't help but giggle and bury your face in his chest.

"I love you too."

Character(s): Law

WC: 586

Summary: Modern Au; Law asks you to watch a Sora marathon on TV

Note: I wrote this in like 10 minutes and I just wanted to post it lawl

You sped through the stop sign as you rushed home. The clock in your car read 6:23pm, which meant you had 7 minutes to get home before the marathon started. Tonight, for one night only, there was a channel running a Sora Warrior of the Sea marathon. That said show being Law's childhood obsession he begged you to watch it with him. He was invited to watch it at Bepo's apartment with Shachi and Penguin, but he denied the invitation, wanting to share his special interest with you.

Law even took the day off work to prepare for tonight. He spent the whole day getting snacks and finding his old merch to wear for the night. You on the other hand, decided to go into work, but you didn't expect to be so busy today. You were honestly exhausted, but you knew tonight meant a lot to Law, so you pushed through the tiredness and raced home.

It was 6:28pm when you opened the door to your shared apartment and fumbled inside. You looked up to see Law sitting on your couch, on a facetime with Bepo. He quickly said goodbyes to his friends and patted the seat next to him on the couch.

"Good you're here, I thought you were going to miss the first episode."

You walked over to the couch and collapsed on him. "I'm so sorry, we were so busy today and I had to stay a little later and-"

"It's ok," he laughed softly and pulled you closer to him, "As long as you're here now that's all that matters."

The smell of pizza and popcorn reached your nose as you looked at the coffee table in front of you and saw a display of different treats. Law had ordered your favorite type of pizza and had made popcorn and all types of different snacks.

"We're going to be here for awhile, so I figured we would get pretty hungry."

You quickly dove into the pizza box and grabbed a slice, your growling stomach begging for food. Law turned on the TV and the marathon had begun. As the first few episodes began to play, you watched as every two minutes Law turned to explain something to you. God he was such a nerd, but he was also so cute.

It was around 8:30pm when your exhaustion started to hit you. After a long day at work and the stress of getting home on time, you honestly just wanted to take a nap. You slowly rested your head on Law's shoulder, which caused for him to wrap his arm around you and pull you closer. The softness of his shoulder and the warmth coming from the rest of his body slowly lulled you to sleep.

You weren't sure how much time had passed, but you woke up to Law giving you a small shake.

"Hey, you fell asleep, are you feeling ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, I just had a long day at work,” you signed, “Look, maybe you should just head over to Bepo's apartment, I'm probably going to fall asleep again and I know you really wanted to watch with someone and-"

"Stop. Really, it's fine. I don't care if you fall asleep. I wanted to watch this with you and only you."

You smiled at his words and promised him that you wouldn't fall asleep again.

— Charles Wiles.

Pirates don't help people, he used to spit. I was not born into this world to help anyone.

Yet, as the fabric of your shirt softly shifts up your skin making you shiver, Law finds himself unable to stop the hand raising his blanket, keeping you warm.

You're not just people, though, he poorly excuses himself. You're more than just anyone to him.

Which is why he pretends to not notice how clingy you get when the sun's barely peeking through the windows, warm and bright enough to make out the shape of your face, features he awkwardly traces with the tip of his fingers, finding himself needing the intimacy, this closeness with you.

He cherishes these slight pieces of yourself you only show him. Asleep, vulnerable and soft to the touch, trusting this callous man to keep your dreams safe, Law has to bite his tongue to hold himself from repeating the same three little words to you like a fool.

He chastises himself for even thinking about it.

And then you start to wake up, with bloated cheeks and messy hair, your eyes still fighting sleep, and God, it's useless, Law thinks. It's an urge too hard to resist– but he refuses to say it out loud. He's content with protecting you as it is, tightening his blanket around you and trying to fix your hair.

Will it be too much for you, he wonders, impatiently waiting for your eyes to fully open, if he physically gives you his heart to keep, to protect?

"Law?"

You shove your face further down his neck, eyes scrunching in a tender way that makes Law's hands clench and unclench with the need to touch.

He hums low on his chest in response, bringing your body closer to his. When you don't continue, eyes closing again, he grumbles out, "Morning."

He feels your smile on his neck, one sleepy kiss pressed against it. "Good morning, love."

It hurts.

Up to this day, Law's guilt clenches with a vice-like grip around his chest, reminding him how he doesn't deserve this warmth, this forgiveness you give him.

It's a hole his heart still aches to fill– this disgusting need for affection, a need he can't allow himself to ask for out loud, but one he desperately looks for anyways.

When you're out and about on a new island, linking pinkies and pressing your side against his, teasing him for his pink cheeks and burning glare.

Aflot in the Polar Bear, dragging his tired self up deck to get some much needed sun in his system, his palms tingling where your hands held him.

On nights he's blessed with your pleasure, where he's insatiable until he makes you his– unsatisfied until every part of you is marked with his name, his traces.

So when you pull him closer to you now, he doesn't say a word. He doesn't tease you like he would any other day, doesn't call you out on how your body seems to always gravitate towards his– today he's not sure if his good intentions would come clear enough, and what if one last remark is what pushes you to finally leave him for good?

Law instinctively holds you closer, letting your body soothe his restless mind. You're here. You're staying. You love him.

You hug him even tighter in your sleep, entwining your legs together, impossibly closer to eachother. He's usually not positive for anything, but you're for sure a gift from his loved ones up above, because only those who cared for him enough could guide you to him.

He has one final thought before dozing off again, as the tiny fluttering of your eyelashes on his skin and the slight rise from the waves of the New World lull him to sleep, carrying so much fondness he doesn't even put up a fight when his eyes start to drop.

summary: eustass helps law realize something

♡: sort of non-canonical wano law content. female reader. 750+ words. sfw. check out my event here!

law could feel his eye twitch at the sight of you two. it has his stomach twisting in knots and his throat running dry, like some form of horrific torture.

tsukishima warms up to you after a while of dating him. at first he recoils at physical affection because he’s not used to it, but once he realizes how touch starved he is after you guys cuddle for the first time, he becomes CLINGY.

when tsukishimas sleepy, hes clingy. when you wake up in the middle of the night and try to unravel from his arms to reach for your phone to check the time, his arm immediately wraps around you and pulls you back toward him, so your chest is flat against his back.

“kei, wait. i just wanna check the time.” you mumble, putting your hand on his bicep. “you can do that later.” tsukishima grumbles, holding you tighter against him. “look, the sun’s not even out yet. you can check it later.”

he’s especially clingy when he wakes up and you aren’t there, but instead in the kitchen, making pancakes with strawberries. he scares you by pressing his chest against your back yet again, icy cold fingers slithering around your waist. “why didn’t you wake me up?” he asks, raspy morning voice filling in the silence. “wanted to surprise you.” you say, slightly smiling as you flip the last pancake.

he’s especially clingy in aftercare, wiping you down, giving you a bath, and changing the sheets. afterwards he makes sure you’re comfortable, and lays you down on his chest, making you smile and melt into his touch.

“you’re so clingy, y’know that? i love that you are though, ‘ts just unexpected from you.” you mumble into his neck, kissing it.

tsukishima rolls his eyes, scoffing. “i’ve never felt as comfortable with anyone as i do with you.” he ignores how on fire he is, that if you were to look up you’d see how red he is. he moves his glasses from the bed to the nightstand, and you whine, putting his hand on your back. “why’d you move it?” you whine.

he chuckles. “i just had to move my glasses so they wouldn’t break while i sleep. you’re so clingy, y’know that?” tsukishima replies, mocking you. you giggle and he continues to rub his hands up and down your back nonetheless, turning off the nightlight.

“yeah yeah whatever, i love you kei.” you say as you drift off to sleep, a small smile on tsukishimas face as he quietly joins you. “i love you too.”

very ib by kentoloves drabble on this too!

The stoic Surgeon of Death, deep beneath that cantankerous cat facade, is one quite hungry for affection. Either way, a pamper is a pamper, and it will always be well received. Whether he admits it or not, whether his face remains equally indifferent or not, means nothing.

You, Bitch, hug this man more often.

Look at him being so pissed that he can’t study and do things without being irritated by ignorant twats!