Hell and the Handbasket

Aro and ace activism is healthcare reform, so that no one needs to rely on a spouse for health insurance, so that healthcare is available to everybody regardless of income, so that no one’s lived experiences or basic dignity are dismissed or overridden by doctors

Aro and ace activism is well-funded and expansive public transit, so that you don’t need to have someone on hand to drive you places if you are incapacitated, so that you don’t have to pay for an ambulance if you need to get to the hospital quickly

Aro and ace activism is disability and elder care services, so that no one needs a spouse to care for them, so that no one needs children to care for them, so that marriage is not a bind for disabled people, so that people on disability who want to and can live alone can

Aro and ace activism is community-building, it’s public events, it’s free social activities, it’s mutual aid, it’s activities that bring community members together without socializing relying on just a romantic partner

Aro and ace activism is developing a culture of believing when people tell you who they are and what they want rather than assuming you know them better than they know themselves

Erika sat still, admiring her painted nails on one hand while the other sat under the uv lamp to dry. Elsewhere in the room behind her gaming setup sat Kiryu, tapping away furiously at the console with headphones on, brows clenched in focus. God did he look cute like that. The timer on the lamp went off with a 'ping', allowing her to pull her hand out and admire her handiwork. She might not have been a nail tech but you'd have to blind to look at this and not think 'Slay'. Now for her boyfriend to confirm what she already knew.

"Babe, they're done" she called out.

"Ooh lemme see, lemme see" he responded, immediately pausing the game to look at his girlfriend's hands. His eyes lit up as he inspected them.

"Omg, they're absolutely gorgeous!"

"Really?"

"Mhmm! I think this color really brings out your eyes. Wait I know just the thing to go with these." He got off the chair and rushed to her closet, rummaging a bit before pulling it out.

"Aha! Ehhh? Ehhh? How about this one? I think it'd look fabulous with them, plus the style is perfect for where we're going tonight" She agreed. She couldn't lie, the man had taste when it came to these things, more so than she. It honestly made her just a little jealous sometimes.

"Perfect as always Kiri, thanks." She said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Aww you're welcome,"

He leaned down to kiss her too and that's when she caught sight of his hair. The cute pink it normally was had been pushed out from the base, replaced by his natural hair coloured roots. Her fingers slid into his hair.

"Your roots are coming in, if you want I can help you do it today" He tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Mmmm I guess we do have some time before we have to head out. Do you still have that leftover dye from last time?"

She nodded before pulling him to the bathroom. She slid gloves onto her hands as Kiryu sat on the stool. She pulled out all the tools and chemicals needed, mixed what needed to be mixed before fastening the cape around his neck.

"Alright here we go. Though I might be a little slow today, fresh nails under here after all"

"No worries" he assured.

And so he sat perfectly still as she parted and painted his hair, slightly slower than usual like she said while he used his phone. Finally she was done and now all he had to do was wait for the dye to set it. They began cleaning up in that time when they both reached the tiny mixing bowl half full of the dye mixture. It ended up being a lot more than she thought. Both looked at the half full bowl, unsure of what to do with it. Well, only one thing to do.

"I'll throw it out" she said. Around the same time Kiryu got what he thought was his best idea of the day after he spotted the tiniest drops of the colored mix hanging off the tips of a few strands of her hair.

"Wait!" He grabbed her hand before she could pick it up

"what?"

"Don't you realize what we can do with this?"

"Uhhhh dye the white side of Sakura's hair?"

"No! Well yes, but we'll talk about that later. Why don't we do your hair?" He asked excitedly

"My hair?"

"Mhm! Well maybe just the tips though, we don't have enough for the whole thing. Maybe we should do that next time. You might even like, no, love it. No one can just 'like' this pink, it's literally the best one. Of course that means we'll buy double the dye from now on"

"Woah woah woah, slow down. Dying my hair?" She repeated, looking down at the ginger strands she had pinched between her fingers.

"Yup. That's what I said." He was putting on a fresh pair of gloves.

"I don't know Kiri, I don't think I could pull it off" she responded unsure. He raised a brow, scoffing at that

"Are we talking about the same woman? You can pull anything off. Come on it'll be fine, I promise you're gonna look so good after this, come sit."

She was a little wary but she trusted his judgement, it hadn't failed her so far. And hey it was just the tips, if she didn't like it she could always cut it off. She could rock shorter hair couldn't she? She watched through the mirror as he worked on her hair. The last portion was wrapped in foil and now all they had to do was wait. A little later Kiryu's time was up and after washing and drying, she was able to confirm that the roots were all a pretty bright pink like he was born with the color. Then her own timer went off. She allowed him to do his thing and then finally

"Voilà! What did I tell you? I knew it would suit you perfectly Eri"

He clapped his hands in delight. Erika looked in the mirror, head turning different angles to admire her new hair.

"Gosh Kiri you were right, it looks amazing, thank you!"

"Yes, yes, I know, I am the best." He was reveling in the praise, watching her enjoy looking at herself with pride swelling in his chest when he got a thought, a mischievous one

"Baaaabe?"

"yeah?"

"Since you love your new hair, do I get a reward?"

"Sure, what do you want?" He pretended to think about them said with the most innocent smile ever.

"I want those nails around a different pink tip"

At first she didn't get it, too busy admiring her new look before his words actually clicked. Her eyes widened in realization and she spun around, gaping at him.

He burst out laughing at the reaction while dodging the comb she threw at him

"Mitsuki Kiryu! Watch your mouth!" She smacked him upside the head but it didn't deter him in the least

"How about I watch your mouth wra-"

"Finish that sentence and you'll be spending the night on the couch!"

"Alright alright, I'll stop. I was just messing with ya." He teased, poking at her now reddened cheek.

_______________________________________

Time had passed, the sun had set a while ago. Now, Erika stood before her mirror, dressed in the outfit Kiryu picked earlier, hair beautifully styled and make up done. All except the eyeliner which wasn't working out. She'd already wiped it off three times.

"Eriiiii, what's taking so long?" He called out

"Almost done Kiri. Just a little trouble." It was quiet after. Soon arms circled her waist and a chin propped up on her shoulder

"What's the problem? You look beautiful by the way" he pressed a kiss into her cheek.

"Thank you love. And the problem is that I'm trying to finish my look but I can't get this stupid eyeliner right and it's frustrating!"

"Aw pookie bear-"

"Call me that again and I'll rip out your piercings."

"Sheesh, tough crowd. I was only offering to do it for you."

"You know what? Sure, go ahead, I give up"

He grabbed her by the waist and without warning hoisted her onto the counter. She cleared her throat, trying to dispel the….ehem, thoughts that came to her from the action. With his pretty face and lean build, she honestly kept forgetting how strong he really was but whenever he did something to remind her, it was always somehow more attractive than the last.

She tried to focus but how could she when he was this close? He needed to get as close as he could to her for precision which is how he ended up standing between her opened legs with her chin held between his firm and steady yet soft fingers. While she breathed in the sweet scent of the cologne he wore, she found herself staring at his lips. They moved every once in a while, definitely talking to her but she couldn't hear him because all she could think about was how much she wanted to bite them.

"There, all done. I think I did fantastic"

"….."

He tilted his head at the lack of a response, then looked at her and saw her zoned out expression. Only then did he fully realized the position he was in. He'd yet to let go of her chin so her head was still tilted upwards. His eyes had honed in on her lips as well. Several seconds passed between them, neither making the first move. Finally having enough she grabbed his collar, pulling him forward to close the distance with a kiss. He pulled her closer, one hand cupping the back of her head to deepen the kiss while the other laid on her hip. Her own arms wrapped around his neck and her legs around his. This was pure bliss.

However before he could leave her lips in favor of her neck, the sweet, passionate moment was interrupted by a loud cat meow from Kiryu's phone. She pulled away first and he immediately groaned in annoyance, silently cursing whoever texted him. He caught sight of the id. Sakura? Oh he's so getting his hair dyed.

"Come on or we'll be late"

"Nooo, can't we just stay home?" He tried to steal a kiss but was stopped by her finger on his lips

"No Kiryu, I've been looking forward to this for weeks. You know how hard it is to get a reservation there"

"Ugh, fine" he grumbled, bringing a hand up to the corner of her mouth to wipe a lipstick smudge.

"Whoops. Messed up your combo." She groaned.

"That took me five minutes to get right Kiri."

He grinned, "sorry, I just couldn't help myself."

Her eye twitched at his clearly unapologetic response. Grabbing two wipes she handed him one to clean up the lipstick she left on his lips and used the other to clean hers.

"Great, now I've gotta start over." His hand immediately grabbed hers.

"Wait-"

"Let me guess," she cut him off "I should let you do it"

"yup"

"I'm not even surprised anymore. Fine"

With that he assumed the same position he was in when he worked on the liner.

"......"

"......"

"You know I'll end up ruining this again right?" He leaned in close but she stood her ground and pushed him away.

"you better not unless you fancy the couch"

"But it's my job as your boyfriend to ruin your lipstick"

She glared at him with a look that said 'dont you dare'

"You know you love me" he grinned

She rolled her eyes, unable to contain her own smile.

1. Talk about the first time you and your f/o met. How was it like?

2. How long did it take for you and your f/o to gain feelings for each other? Was it fast or did the feelings grow slowly? Who was the first to get romantic feelings? 

3. Did it start off as a small crush for you, or did you quickly fall head over heels? How about vice versa?

4. Was there a special moment between you guys that got you to realize you had feelings for them? Was it a deep conversation, spending more quality time with them or something else? How about vice versa?

5.  When you first started crushing on them, what qualities of theirs stood out to you? Was it their smile? Their eyes? Their way with words? Anything else? How about vice versa? (It can be any trait. Personality, appearance, etc.)

6. How did you react once you realized you had feelings for them? Were you calm, stressed, in denial, etc.? Vice versa?

7. You’ve just come to realize you have a crush on your f/o. How was it like when you encountered them again after that? Were you able to keep your cool around them, or was it awkward? How about vice versa?

8. Do either of you plan to confess to each other, or are there too many obstacles for that?

9. Before dating, did either of you ever have any embarrassing moments? (Examples: Socially awkward moments, almost accidentally revealing your feelings to them, being clumsy, etc.)

10. Before dating, were you guys friends? Enemies? Anything else?

11. Have either of you ever had daydreams about being together? What scenarios did you guys imagine? (examples: dancing, cuddling, kissing, etc.)

12. Have either of you ever sent gifts to each other with notes attached to them as secret admirers?

13. Are either of you good at hiding you feelings, or are you very obvious about them?

14. Is there a love triangle going on? Any jealousy moments? Former relationships/crushes?

15. Does anyone else know about your feelings for your f/o? Did they find out on their own, or did you go to them? How about vice versa? Does anyone else know about your f/o’s feelings for you?

16. Have you ever feared that if you confessed your feelings, that it would go wrong? How about vice versa?

Sakura still has his adrenaline rushing, heart pounding in his ears, ribs bruised, nose crusted with dried blood. And he jogs to you, meeting you halfway. Before you ask even ask how he is, his hand cups the back of your neck and he drags you to him, mouth roughly sealing over yours. He’s grinning against your lips, tongue sweeping over yours, sucking and biting your lip and not hearing anything over his ears ringing.

But then he pulls away, and notices how wide your eyes are, and how silent it is on the street around him, and the fact that there is an open mouthed audience of young men behind him.

Hibari Kyōya & Gokudera Hayato

Day 2 | Graduation & Storm 🎓💥