shohei ohtani (fighters era) x fem!reader
the room is quiet except for the soft rustle of notebook pages and the faint hum of the old dorm heater that never quite works right.
âi need to study and you need to get going or youâll be late for practice,â you say, pushing shoheiâs arms from around you.
âitâs okay, they wonât start without me,â he replies, a cheeky grin pulling at his lips as he settles right back into place.
you roll your eyes, but you donât move away this time.
when you decided to study abroad for your last semester of college, you never imagined this.
shohei, looking up at you like this, like he belongs here, like this is where heâs meant to be, stretched across your dorm bed thatâs barely big enough for one person, let alone two.
this had become a routine.
for the past months, heâs sacrificed comfort just to be here, showing up quietly, slipping in like he isnât supposed to, folding himself into your space without ever asking.
and somehow, it started to feel normal.
like this was always part of the plan.
your highlighter drags across the page slow, deliberate until it stops.
because heâs staring again.
âshohei,â you sigh without looking up, âi can feel you.â
he doesnât even try to hide it, lying on his side across your too-small bed, one arm tucked under his head, the other draped lazily across your waist like it belongs there. like you belong there.
âyouâre supposed to be at practice,â you remind him.
âshoheiâ you warned him sounding like a whine.
you turn fully this time, eyebrows raised. âyou left practice?â
he shrugs, a small, unapologetic smile tugging at his lips. âi wanted to see you.â
you stare at him for a second. âyouâre going to get in trouble.â
no hesitation. no teasing. just quiet certainty.
your chest tightens a little.
âyou say that now,â you mutter, trying to turn back to your notes but his hand tightens slightly at your waist, pulling you back before you can move away.
âi am staying. youâre the one whoâs supposed to leave.â
âno,â he says softly, nudging his forehead against your arm. âlike this.â
you exhale, half annoyed, half smiling. âi need to study.â
âyouâve been studying all day.â
âbecause i have exams, shohei.â
âand i have you,â he replies, like thatâs enough.
you pause. âthat doesnât even make sense.â
you try to ignore the way your heart flips at that. you fail.
you set your highlighter down. âyouâre going to ruin your career over me,â you say lightly.
he shifts closer. âno,â he murmurs. âi wonât.â
âthen stop skipping practice.â
a pause. âiâll go,â he says.
you blink, surprised. âreally?â
if anything, his arm tightens around you just a little more.
you huff a quiet laugh. âyou said that ten minutes ago.â
âthis time i mean it.â
you turn your head to look at him, skeptical.
he meets your gaze, completely serious and then, softer, âi just like being here.â
your expression softens. âitâs a tiny dorm room,â you tease. âthereâs nothing special about it.â
he doesnât look away when he says it. doesnât laugh it off. doesnât soften it. he just means it. completely.
you reach down, brushing your fingers lightly through his hair. âyouâre a lot, you know that?â
he smiles faintly, eyes closing for a second as he leans into your touch.
âfour months,â you murmur.
he opens his eyes again, looking up at you. âyeah.â
âin a good way,â you add quickly.
his hand shifts at your waist, thumb brushing slow, absent circles against your side. âi know.â
another quiet moment passes.
âyou should go,â you say softly.
âokay,â he sighs like it physically pains him.
but instead of getting up, he leans up just enough to press his face into your shoulder, arms tightening around you in one quick, warm squeeze. âiâll come back later,â he murmurs.
you smile, already knowing he will. âyou always do.â
he pulls back just enough to look at you again, something soft settling in his expression. âof course i do.â
your fingers brush lightly against his cheek. âyouâre in love with me,â you tease.
he doesnât even hesitate. âyeah.â
your heart skips. âthat wasnât supposed to be that easy.â
âit is,â he says quietly.
you hold his gaze for a second longer, something warm and overwhelming settling in your chest. âme too,â you admit.
his expression softens in a way you havenât seen before, quieter, deeper, like heâs holding onto the moment. âi know,â he says gently.
you laugh under your breath. âyouâre so sure.â
he leans in then, slow, unhurried, pressing a soft kiss to your lips, like he has nowhere else to be. like this matters more.
when he pulls back, he stays close for a second, forehead resting lightly against yours. âi should go,â he murmurs.
âone more minute,â he adds.
you smile, closing your eyes. âokay.â
and somehow, with him there, too close, too warm, too distracting.
you donât mind falling behind on your studying.