Jolie

Saturday, 10 pm - you checked the time on your phone. With a sigh, you decided to sit up on the bed and try to start your day. 

You took a long shower, the warm water cascaded down your body making you feel relaxed. While you were in there you decided that today was going to be one of those lazy days. A blanket wrapped around you, a bowl of popcorn, and real housewives playing on the TV of the living room. 

After the shower you dried yourself off and got dressed in comfy clothes. A black soft sweter and some baggy pants. Humming a song you didnt even know the name of you walked to your kitchen, needing your daily dose of caffeine, but as you reached on the shelf for the coffee you noticed that you had run out of it. 

What a nice way to start the day. 

With a sigh you quickly put on your shoes to go buy some coffee at the local grocery store. 

Before leaving, you grabbed Gyutaro’s jacket and wrapped it around yourself. It was kinda chilly outside anyway, you told yourself as an excuse to wear it. 

As you walked out of your apartament block you felt the autum air suround you and the orange and brown leaves coloring the saidwalks. You arrived at the small grocery store just two blocks away and said goodmorning to the owner, an old man with a warm smile. 

Struttening directly to the isle where the coffee was, you grabbed the coffee that you liked the most and directly went to the counter to pay. Like usual, you were making small talk with the owner when you pulled out your wallet to pay. 

But as you where about to take out your card what you found in your hands was a men’s wallet. 

You opened it confused for a moment, and as you did the first thing you saw was his ID. 

You froze. 

Gyutaro Shabana, 

born on February 24, 

and an ID picture of him that seemed more like a mug shot than anything. 

You gasped as realisation hit you. You didn’t just kept his jacket, you also had accidentally kept his wallet. 

“Sorry! I will be back on another moment” You said quickly to the owner as you rushed outside and tried to call Gyutaro. 

He seemed to not have noticed that I have it yet. You thought as you waited for him to pick the call while you paced nervously on the side walk, but he never responded. Could he be still sleeping? 

But then your remembered that one day someone told you that Gyutaro used to work on weekends. Pobrably that flashy guy from an artsy major, Tengen, you thought was his name. He had mentioned to you and your friends during one of the class breaks that he had seen Gyutaro on the mall working on a tech shop. 

You didn’t want Gyutaro to get mad at you, you already did not give back his jacket yesterday when he had especifically mentionet that it was his only jacket, and now you also had his wallet… 

So without giving it a second thought you ran back to your apartament and took your bicycle to go to the mall. 

As you pedaled furiously toward the mall, your mind raced, and you couldn’t shake off the feeling that you’d messed something up. You had his jacket and his wallet, and what if he got angry when he found out? You winced at the thought of him confronting you.

— 

Meanwhile, across the city, Gyutaro sat in a small, dimly lit break room at the tech shop, the small chair cracking under his weight. 

He rubbed his temple as he took a sip of his coffee. Last night he barely slept, tossing and turning on his bed all night as he remembered how you smiled at him, how your voice sounded and that kiss. 

He felt his chest clench at the memory and he touches his cheek absentmindly as if he tried to burn in his skin the memory of your touch. 

Fuck, that feeling again, he thought as he closed his eyes, looking as if it physically hurt to think about yesterdays events. 

Had he imagined that? Surely a girl like you would’t touch a guy like him like that… it had happened so fast that maybe it was just his mind playing tricks on him…

His thoughts where suddenly interrupted by the sound of the metal door of the break room opening. Kaigaku, Gyutaro’s friend, walked in carring one of those specialized gaming laptops that he assumed that was for fixing. 

“Still thinking about that chick?” Kaigaku teased with a smirk as he placed the laptop on the old table, making Gyutaro grunt in annoyance and blush under his messy bangs. 

Kaigaku pissed him off to the core sometimes but to Gyutaro he was one of the fewer people he could consider as a friend. After all, thanks to Kaigaku he had gotten this job as a tech repair, working in the back without having to deal with customers, just as he licked it. 

“Shut the fuck up already. If I’d known you’d be this nosy, I wouldn’t have told you shit.” Gyutaro said deffensively as he stod up from his chair, walking to the sink to leave his mug there and giving his back to Kaigaku. 

That morning Gyutaro had let his muth run out and told his “friend” about yesterday’s events. Kaigaku, shocked with the fact that Gyutaro was merely interested in any woman, had been asking questions nonstop since then and messing with his friend. 

“Fine, fine, but she is kinda hot, ya know? can I see that pic again?” 

Gyutaro tensed as he heard that and gripped the counter tightly, knuckles turning white from the force. Even thought he would never accept it, he was already very protective of you. 

Kaigaku just chuckled as he noticed his friend’s back tense and pated the laptop on the table. 

“Anyway, gotta have this one ready for this afternoon, think you can manage?” He said with a smirk changing the topic, knowing when it was enough teasing with Gyutaro. 

Gyutaro let go a heavy breath, relaxing slightly, and turned to face his friend. “Yeah, tell them I will have it done by 4pm” he said dismissively as he gestured his friend to just leave him with his hand. 

As a response, Kaigaku just made a salute with his fingers, his smirk not faltering enven once in his face, and walked out of the break room to attend the customers of the store. 

With a grunt Gyutaro pushed himself off of the counter and took the laptop from the table. He walked to the workshop in the back, a place where he could just get lost between the machines in need of fixing. 

—

After getting lost a few times in the bast streets of the city you finally arrived at the mall with your bicycle. Sweting and panting you rested your bicycle on a wall outside of the techshop and quickly made your way inside to look for Gyutaro. 

Your hair was messy in a high ponytail, some of your baby hairs stuck out stubbornly, and your cheeks where flushed from all the cardio you did to get there. You skaned the inside of the shop as you paced around, but to your surprise there was no trace of Gyutaro. 

You where losing hope until you crossed one of the aisles and almost bumped into a black haired guy that was wearing a yellow shirt that seemed to be the work attire of the shop. 

“Hey, can I help you with anything?” The guy said with a cocky smirk and a politeness that seemed heavily staged as he leaned one arm to the shelf beside you. 

Kaigaku, you could read in the nametag in his shirt. 

Kaigaku had noticed you from afar since the moment you steppent in. He was good with faces and he could almost swear that you were the same girl from the picture that Gyutaro had shown him that morning. He couldn’t believe a girl like you could even give a second glance to his ugly friend, and if it was true it made him a little jealous. 

You tensed to his proximity and stepped back to create some space between the two of you, feeling a little uncomfortable. “Um.. yes, I’m looking for someone that might work here” you said hesitantly. “His name is Gyutaro, do you happen to know him?” 

Kaigakus brows shot up in surprise as you asked directly for his friend. So it was really true, lucky bastart… 

He let go a snort of laughter in disbelef “Yeah, I happen to know him. He works in the back.” He remarked with fluid gesture of his hand, with his thumb pointing at the back door. 

Your face lit up immediately “Really? And can I see him?” you asked with a hint of impatience and hopefulness.

Gyutaro’s friend raised an eyebrow in surprise by your eagerness and gave you an once-over, noticing the jacket that was too big on you to be yours. “I guess you could, but why is a girl like you so eager to see a grump like him?” he asked already turning to guide you to the back of the shop. 

You explained everything to the guy named Kaigaku as he walked you to the back of the shop, and discovered that he seemed to be a good acquaintance of Gyutaro. 

“Don’t worry much, he won’t be mad, even thought he may act like it” He half  reassured you as he let you in a small hallway with a few doors. You could hear faintly some Punk music being blasted from the other side of one of the doors. 

Kaigaku walked directly to the door to the left and without even bothering to knock he opened it, the volume of the music now even unpleasant to the ears from how high it was. You covered your ears in a vain intent to preserve your hearing abilities and followed him inside. 

As you stepped inside, you immediately found yourself facing a room that looked like a tech workshop, centered around a large table cluttered with gadgets and tools scattered carelessly across its surface. Two large speakers sat on either side of the table, easily identifiable as the source of the music. Sitting in a chair, hunched over the table, you spotted a concentrated Gyutaro who seemed to be dissecting some kind of computer. The room smelled like a mix of cigarettes and metal, adding a gritty edge to the space.

“Gyutaro! Someone is here to see you!” Kaigaku raised his voice in order to be heard throught all the noise. Gyutaro barely lifted his gaze from what he was doing. 

“Why the fuck are you bothering me? I already told you, I would have it by 4pm!” Gyutaro retorted grufly. 

Kaigaku let go a laugh as he noticed that his friend wasn’t even paying attention and just waited for Gyutaro to lift his gace. 

After what felt for you like several minutes, Gyutaro let go an annoyed grund and paused the music,  eventually freeing your ears from the torture. 

“What the hell do you want?” He asked aggressively finally lifting his gace. For a moment he semeed to not have noticed you as the silence stretched, so you moved hesitantly from behind Kaigaku, your ponytail bouncing to the side with the tilt of your head. 

“Hi, Gyutaro” You said shily as you waved your hand awkwardly. 

As you stepped out from behind his friend and finally met Gyutaro’s gaze, his mind seemed to short-circuit and his heart almost stop working. For a full minute, he was at a complete loss for words, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. He felt like if he was seeing things. 

“You… what are you doing here?” He managed to stemmer out, his voice softer than usual. His cheeks got a slight shade of red behind the black birth marks. He couldn’t help but feel a flutter in his chest as he noticed you still wearing his jacket. 

But the moment didn’t last long. Quickly his wall where up and his face hardened, masking the glimpse of his real feelings that he could have caressly shown. 

He quickly got up, towering over you. For a moment you had forgotten how tall and intimidating he really was. 

“How the hell did you know I worked here? and why are even here?” His tone accusatory as if you where some kind of stalker. He didn’t even know why he was raising his voice now or acting this way towards you. You just made him feel things, things he did not understand and didn’t know how to manage emotionally. 

Your heart sank and you stepped back, suddenly startled by his tone. “Um.. I… I just…-”

"Hey, easy there, bro" Kaigaku quickly interrupted, trying to ease the situation, placing a hand on Gyutaro’s shoulder.

He might be an asshole of a friend sometimes, but even for him it was painful to watch Gyutaro blow his chances like that - especially knowing how much he actually liked you.

“Let her explain. She tried to call you, but you ignored your phone, like always,” Kaigaku said, patting his friend’s shoulder with a knowing smirk.

Gyutaro slightly relaxes and looks away flustered, not daring to meet your gace. His hands unclenching on his sides. 

“Good, I’ll leave you two alone, have to go back to attend the costumers” Kaigaku announced as he sensed his friend calming down. “Be nice” He whispered to Gyutari on the ear fondly before stepping back. Then he gave you a smirk and walked out of the room leaving the two of you alone. 

As the door clicked shut behind Kaigaku, a thick silence settled in the room.

You stood there, awkwardly fidgeting with the wallet in your hands, the oversized jacket still wrapped tightly around you like a shield. Gyutaro, now fully facing you, looked… conflicted. His brows were furrowed, but there was no venom in his gaze anymore. Just tension, discomfort, and maybe a flicker of confusion.

You broke the silence first.

“I didn’t mean to… you know, stalk you or anything,” you said softly, eyes briefly meeting his before looking down again. “I found your wallet in the jacket when I was at the store. I tried to call you, but you didn’t pick up. So I remembered someone mentioning you worked here, and…”

You forced yourself to shut up and extended the wallet toward him with both hands, like it was something sacred.

Gyutaro stepped closer. His fingers brushed yours for a second too long when he took it from you. You saw him hesitate. He opened the wallet briefly, then closed it, as if he wasn’t really checking it but buying time.

“Sorry for keeping it… and your jacket…” You muttered not meeting his gaze. 

Gyutaro was processing everything slowly. Maybe to someone else it would’ve seemed like a small gesture. Just a girl returning a wallet. Just a few words of apology. But to him… it was monumental.

You’d come all the way here for him. You wore his jacket. You apologized.

He couldn’t recall a single time in his life when someone had apologized to him. Not for bumping into him. Not for mocking him. Certainly not for caring too much. It unsettled him in a way he didn’t know how to name.

“…You’re weird,” he muttered, not unkindly, more like he was still trying to make sense of you. “You didn’t need to come all the way here” 

“I just… we seemed to start to get on the right foot together, I didn’t want to mess it up” You said with total honesty with a chuckle. 

Gyutaro blinked slowly, his brows furrowing like he didn’t quite understand your logic.

“You were worried about messing it up?” he repeated, almost incredulously, like the thought hadn’t occurred to him that someone like you could care enough to be worried about him, about whatever was this between you two.

You nodded sheepishly, tugging at the hem of the jacket “Yeah. I mean, we were finally talking, you weren’t glaring at me as much, and... I don’t know. You smiled a little yesterday. That was nice.”

“I didn’t… smile,” he grumbled, brushing the back of his neck like he hoped to rub the memory away.

But as he said it, the corner of his mouth betrayed him, lifting just slightly. 

And that tiny, reluctant smile?

When Daki dragged you to her hideout, fear gripped you completely. She had grown fond of you because of your complying and affable personality. But when she revealed her unsettling looking brother to you, your heart nearly stopped—you thought you might faint on the spot.

His appearance was as nothing you had ever seen. He crawled out from what seemed the inside of the back of his sister, showing his scrawny body with an inhuman shape, with an abdomen that nearly existed and pointy prominent hip bones. You gasped when his lanky frame stood tall in front of you, not daring to scream, too paralyzed from the fear.

Slowly he kneeled down in front of you with a wicked smirk. His eyes trailed you up and down with a hungry gaze. As you look at him in the eyes, you can see something written in them. The kanji for "Upper Rank" carved across his right eye, and the daiji for "Six" carved on his left.

"Such a pretty thing... pretty eyes... smooth skin..."

He trailed off with a cracked voice, while with his left hand he began to scratch his neck with such a force that it bleed. Seeing him doing that to himself made your stomach turn and your chest tighten. Slowly you tried to crawl away from him, but when he saw your attempt, he grabbed your chin roughly, keeping you in place.

A maniac laughter echoed from his gut, and you could see his bleeding skin regenerating. Your eyes widened. Whatever this thing was… it wasn't human for sure.

His thumb caressed your skin almost tenderly, making you shiver. "So cute... I bet you never had to worry about getting a plate of warm food in the table... so lucky" His voice sounded teasing and sarcastic, as if he was playing with his food.

With his free hand, he pointed at your neck, something that looked like a red weapon. Like a scythe made of meat. You closed your eyes tight in fear, thinking that this was when everything ended.—"Don't you dare, brother!" Daki whined, making him stop. "She is not food for now, she is mine".

You opened your eyes and Gyutaro turned to look at her with a scowl. "What the fuck do you mean with that Daki? Is this like a pet or something to you?" He said with disdain, tilting your face towards them.

Daki huffed and started throwing a tantrum. "And what if she is?! Don't you want your sister to be happy? Just let me have her". Gyutaro with a sigh immediately let go of you and started consoling his sister. "Fine, fine, you can have this human or whatever... if it makes you happy..." He said as he patted her head.

You were left confused as you watched the scene. At lest, the imminent danger was over, but the fact that they called you a pet made you feel very uneasy.

The younger demon girl recovered in time record when her brother allowed her to keep you, and looked at you with a smirk. "I knew you'll understand brother, and we can share her of course... she is well-behaved and pretty". She said as she got closer to you and caressed your hair.

Gyutaro scoffed and looked at you up and down lazily while he scratched his neck. "So what if she is pretty? She is just a human". He did not understand his sister fascination with you, you were just another privileged pretty human that made his jealousy boil.

"But she is our pretty human. She is cute and compliant." The female demon said and then grabbed your hair with her first. "Aren't I right?" She said with a dangerous tone, and you could only nod in fear.

"See brother?" She's all cute and yours to play with" As his sister said dose words, something in him snapped. You were a pretty human and all his. He felt himself getting excited, and he took a long look at you again.

Such a fragile and cute thing, and all for me to break.

He thought to himself. You were just like a small, precious present that had been given to him. "Mine…?" He murmured under his breath as he stared at you with an unsettling gaze. As you felt his eyes on you, you felt a shiver run down your spine.

"Yes, she's all yours, brother, until I get back from work, of course." Daki announced and then turned again to you. "Be a good girl and keep company to my big brother while I'm gone" She told you almost sweetly, letting go of your hair and giving you a soft kiss on your forehead.

And with that, she left you alone with him.

You were still sitting on the ground, feeling small and vulnerable under his gaze. For a long while, he did not move or flinch, he just stared at you with widen eyes. It was so weird. You did not know what to do in that situation and just fidgeted nervously as the air was charged with tension. The anticipation of what he would do was making your heart rise.

"Do you have a name, pretty thing?" His cracked voice sounded after what felt like an eternity.

You nodded shyly and looked up at him. "Yes, my name is Y/N..." you managed to say without your voice trembling.

He tilted his head to the side and a smirk that showed off his shark like white fangs appeared on his face. "Y/N... a pretty name for a pretty girl..." His words sounded mocking, and slowly he started to step closer to you.

“Tell me, I am too hideous for such precious thing like you, Y/N?” He asked in a taunting voice, almost sarcastic, but this time it felt as if he was genuinely asking… as if there was a tingle of hope behind all the mockery. 

You quickly shock your head out of fear of doing anything that could anger him. You had seen how they could tear a person's libs apart just with their bare hands and how their teeth crushed human bones without any difficulty, so you did what you needed to do at that moment, you lied. 

“No! of course not… I don't think so at all… you and Daki are both precious to me!” Panicked words started flowing out of your mouth before you forced yourself to shut up. 

As you said that, he paused suddenly, his characteristic smirk faltering, and an unsettling silence succumbed between you two once more. The demon just stared at you again with dose eyes that seemed to pierce through your soul. Fear gripped your heart and your head started reeling. 

“Did I said something wrong? Is he offended? Will he hurt me now?” Panicked questions started to flown in your mind. 

You didn't know it, but your answer had actually surprised Gyutaro and deeply touched him. He knew that it was probably a lie, he sensed your fear and discomfort under his gaze, but at that the same time he also felt a soft tightness into his chest. It was a nice sensation, and he wanted more of that, more of your pretty words. 

Suddenly, a manic grin returned into his features and he started moving again closer to you. “Precious… you think I am such a thing?” He asked, with a low rumble.

As he got closer, your heart rate started to increase. They said they weren't going to kill you, but that only could mean that maybe your fate would be worse. As he stopped in front of you, you closed your eyes hard in fear and waited for anything to happen. You could feel his imposing presence in front of you and for a long moment he just stared at you, feeling amused, until you felt his hand move.

You instinctively flinched at the change in the air, in fear of getting hit, but what he did surprised you. He started petting your hair.

For a long moment, you did not open your eyes. His hand felt rough and strong, but his touch was tender against your scalp, making you shiver slightly under it. Slowly you opened your eyes and your heart nearly stopped. Your eyes immediately met his grotesque features and his intense gaze. He was so close you could feel his hot breath on your face.

“Foolish girl… tell me what else do you think about me.” he commanded in an intimate tone, his voice tingled with challenge, but it was also obvious what he wanted. He wanted more pretty words, more validation from you. 

For a long moment, you didn't know what to say, what could you possibly say to a thing like him? But you decided to try anyway. “My precious… my sweetheart…” You whispered, “I like your… Colorful eyes… and your hair…”

As you said those words, Gyutaro felt a shiver run down a spine, and he made a strange sound close to a whimper. Now he was looking at you with a weird expression, between a pleading look and as if he was in pain. Then he suddenly grabbed your hair, making you gasp in fear. 

You did not dare to move or blink, just held your breath. Then he leaned closer, and to your surprise, he started sniffing your hair and nuzzling his nose against it. As he sniffed you, he whined. "I am your sweetheart?" He asked reassurance as if he was a small kid. 

His sudden change of demeanor left you confused and a little unsettled, but for some kind of reason, it also made you feel some sort of twisted sympathy for this demon. Slowly, you moved your hand and caressed his arm. “Yes… my precious sweetheart” you reassured him, which caused another whimper to come out of his lips. 

He couldn't hold himself any longer as he felt an immense need to feel you close, to touch you. His free hand traveled to your lower back and in a rough push he pulled you into his lap. You let go a surprised gasp and your hands fell against his chest. Now he had his arms wrapped around you, and he was nuzzling his face on your neck like a cat.

You felt like a caged rabbit, in the arms of a hungry wolf, and you could only think about how close to your neck now those sharp teeth were. Even so, it was like if a connection was being to slowly build between the two of you. It was like if a protective feeling was gradually building in your heart towards this thing that was clinging to you as if you were his last air of breath. 

He was now holding you in a crushing embrace that almost left you without space for your laughs to breath, so you tried to move a little to regain some space. As you did, you moved your hips trying to wiggle free from his embrace, and gasped when to your horror you felt against your clothed core his hard clothed erection. 

Your slow, innocent roll of your hips caused him to growl and whimper against your ear, his breath starting to get labored. “What are you doing…? ah… do it again…” Gyutaro panted as he crushed you closer to him and pushed your hips with his hand so you will repeat the delicious friction. 

His lips started to trail wet and open-mouthed kisses along your neck, leaving a trail of saliva on his wake, making you tremble under his touch. You could feel how hard and big he was under the thin texture of his pants, as he continued to ground against your now wet clothed core and swollen nerve button.  

“Wait… it wasn’t…” You tried to say weakly as you shifted against him, trying to resist his sensual advances, feeling overwhelmed and conflicted by the pleasure and your emotions. Gyutaro, noticing that, with a swift motion he had you pinned into the floor under him, now moving faster against you and sucking into your neck dark red and purple marks. 

“You are not going anywhere” He panted against your ear as he held you trapped under him. His movements now erratic against you, seeking his own pleasure while he whimpered and grunted against your ear. 

The stimulation was maddening and now that you were trapped under him, you were just forced into having to feel it. Every time he moved his hard clothed shaft against your clothed clit, you felt an electrifying feeling of pleasure. It was like as if your fear and his body looming over you made you feel even more aroused. 

You held tightly against him, your nails digging into his back, while you tried to muffle any sound that came from your lips, pressing your face against his shoulder. But it was of no use, because your body was starting to tremble more due to the constant stimulation, and you also started to buck your hips against his, seeking this maddening friction. 

“Shit!, fuck… need more! Don't… don't fucking stop” Gyutaro growled against your ear as his hand moved behind you and grabbed you by your rear, lifting your lower half so it was pressing more insistently against him. He was so fucking close that he didn't care if he was about to cum all over his pants.

As he pressed into you, you finally felt that exquisite sensation in your lower abdomen, and a muffled moan escaped your lips against his shoulder. You instinctively wrapped your legs around his waist, keeping him close, as your orgasm hit you hard, just by the stimulation of his clothed erection. 

The realization that he made you just go over the edge like that made him feel a sense of power and a fierce possessiveness that helped him also reach his high. “FUCK, I’m gonna.. AH..SHIT!” He tried to say as he reached his peak. With a few more erratic movements, he suddenly stilled and let go several hot spurs of heavy cum that stained his pants and even trespassed into your kimono. 

After the intense moment you two had shared, he stayed on top of you, panting and lazily moving his hips against yours, his spend cock twitching softly inside his pants after all the stimulation. He couldn’t believe that had happened and that you let him do that without screaming or resisting against him. He felt like a dark sense of triumph thinking that you succumbed to his advances. 

Slowly, he lifted his head from your neck and looked down at you, taking in your rosy cheeks, your parted lips and how your chest rose and feel with each ragged breath. To him, you were the most beautiful thing in this world, and after this he bowed that he would never let you go. 

Mine forever and always.

As you laid there, you column’t believe you had just let him make you feel such a thing. You felt ashamed and in some way disgusted with yourself. But at the same time, you felt vulnerable and exposed, because deep down you knew you had liked it and that you liked him. 

Gyutaro smirked as he saw your internal struggle play across your gaze, knowing that he had you just where he wanted you, under his grasp. Then he slowly leaned in and placed a soft kiss on your forehead. “My sweet Y/N…” He whispered against your skin. 

You splashed some water into your face, rinsing the soap and trying to not get too excited about it, but you could feel your ears get warm just by thinking about it. It would be the first time you will be alone with him in the same room. 

The morning passed with a blur, and now you found yourself waiting for him at the entrance of the small classroom. It was kind of difficult to find one available, specially at this time of the semester since finals were getting close, so you went early just in case. 

As you waited while fidgeting with the bracelet in your wrist, you heard footsteps approaching you. Instantly you lifted your gaze in the direction of the sound and your heart did a little flutter when your gaze landed on him, Gyutaro.

Today he was wearing slightly different clothes than normally, which was very odd since he always just dressed plain black. He was dressed in a red shirt with some black details, with a leather black jacket and his signature ripped black pants. The shirt seemed like from a band or something you clearly did not recognize at all. You did not care either, the only thing you cared about is that he looked hot in it, at least in your eyes. 

You let out a soft breath, trying to not stare too much, and smiled at him. “Hey, Gyutaro” You said nicely as he stopped in front of you. You could feel immediately the smell of cigarettes that clung into his clothes, mixed with a unique scent similar to metal. 

He looked down at you with his icy blue eyes for a moment before quickly looking away. “Yeah, yeah… hey to you too, let's go in and finish this already” he said walking past you and opening the door to the classroom. To your surprise, he held the door open for you to walk first, which made you blush slightly. You muttered a thanks and went in, feeling already really nervous as you stepped inside the small room. 

Quickly, you sat down and started taking out your laptop to start the project. Gyutaro sat beside you, taking more space than he needed to, and his presence by your side made you feel all giddy inside. He did not have a laptop of his own, so he just took out a pencil case that had seen better days and a notebook that he used for every class. 

Noticing that, you moved your laptop closer to him and turned to him. “So, we have to read all this and then do the exercises that are related to the original problem…” You started to explain. Gyutaro’s posture was a mix between relaxed and guarded, his legs were spread open, his thigh brushing against yours, but he had his arms crossed against his chest. 

As you continued explaining, Gyutaro wasn’t listening at all, too focused on how your pink lips moved as you spoke and your perfume making it hard for him to think at all. He had been all week anticipating this moment, the moment he would have the opportunity to spend some time with you, and he was feeling a mix of anxiety and unwanted arousal.

From your perspective, he was staring at you with a blank expression, not engaging in the conversation at all. It made you feel very nervous, and you unconsciously started talking a lot, trying to avoid any awkward moment of silence. “I have already tried to do some of the exercises…” you said as you took your notebook out and continued yapping non-stop. 

Gyutaro had to resist the urge to trail his gaze down your form because that damn short skirt was making the bulge in his pants grow bigger. So instead, he tried to focus on your face. Your hair, the slight blush on your cheeks, how you looked at him and just at him at that moment… It was being too much for him, and he was feeling a storm of emotions inside of him that enraged him. 

Suddenly, Gyutaro moved and roughly placed his hand over your mouth, muffling your words. 

“Can you fucking shut the hell up? You are giving me a headache!” He said harshly without thinking twice. 

Your heart almost stopped, and you stared at him, astonished. His hand was surprisingly warm but a little dry to the touch. 

He is touching me. You thought, feeling your heart race. 

Silence succumbed between you two in the small room for a long moment, his big hand still covering your mouth. 

At that moment, all the anxiety and intrusive thoughts disappeared from your mind, and you could only feel his hand against your skin, making you feel all tingly inside. 

You just looked at him with wide eyes, breath hitched, and you didn't dare to breath for that long intense minute. 

As the moment stretched longer, Gyutaro seemed to calm down and to realize his actions. His gaze softened, and a soft flush tainted his checks as he registered the feeling of your soft lips touching his palm. 

Snapping out of it, he quickly withdrew his hand away from your face, as if he got burned.

Looking away, he acted as if nothing happened, and focused on your notes. He moved in his sit, discreetly trying to ease the uncomfortable stiffness of his pants. His heart was beating like crazy. 

“You got this wrong here, we should start over with this one…” He started saying gruffly as he took his pen and redid the exercise, you had done wrong. 

You were still stunned and felt your cheeks grow warm. For some strange reason, you weren’t mad at his bizarre way of acting. His touch and his dominating presence had taken over all your thoughts…

“Okay…” you said with a blush and shifted closer to look at how he solved the exercises. 

You couldn’t understand yourself. Your mind was in a battle now, between feeling flustered from his touch and a little worried that he found you annoying for being too chatty. Pushing those thoughts away, you opted for staying silent for now and just listen. 

Meanwhile, Gyutaros mind was a wild mess. For a moment he had been thinking that he had blowed up all chances he had with you, but then when you just said that and moved closer he felt really confused. Why wasn’t this girls shouting at him and telling him he was a weird freak after that? He didn’t know, but he wasn’t about to ask you that, so he continued solving the problems with you. 

Hours passed and you and Gyutaro did the exercises together for the project. His temper occasionally flaring up when you got something wrong, but before you could get affected by his harsh words, he would lean closer and start explaining to you how to do it right. 

His presence and scent making you forget about his outburst. Despise everything, He was a surprising good teacher, and you found yourself learning a lot.

Finally, after working all afternoon, you were pressing the send button and finally submitting the task to the teacher. Gyutaro let out a sigh of exhaustion and stretched on his chair. “Shit… thought we would never finish” he said and then patted your head softly, making you blush. “Not bad for someone that has no idea about stats” He said in a mocking tone. 

You felt a little bad because he almost did all the work, but you didn’t want to admit it. “It's not like I don't have any idea, it's just that you are too good at it.” You protested as you got up from your chair to gather your belongings. 

Gyutaro felt his ego boosted up at your words and blushed, scratching the back of his neck in a nervous gesture, not used to being praised. 

As you got up, you did not notice, but Gyutaro stared at your ass shamelessly as you moved around in your short skirt. To him, you were so pretty and hot that he couldn’t help himself.  

“Weren’t you supposed to be the smart one, you perfect girl?” He retorted with a smirk, trying to mask his frustration as he gathered his belongings. 

As you gathered your things, you could feel your cheeks burning from Gyutaro's teasing. It was a mix of frustration and something else, something you couldn’t quite put your finger on. The way he called you the "perfect girl". It bothered you, but also… it made you feel good. After all, you worked hard to craft this image of yourself. 

“I’m not perfect. As you have seen today, I also have my weak points.” You said as you closed your laptop, avoiding looking at him directly. 

Gyutaro smirked a little as he got up, finding this side of you oddly endearing. He had pictured you as one of those flawless, popular girls. But seeing you like this, more authentically yourself, made you feel far more relatable to him. And he liked you more for it.

Feeling more comfortable around you, he let his guard drop slightly. “Tch… you should quit trying so damn hard,” he muttered, though his tone was gentler than his words. “You’re fine just the way you are.”

As you registered what he said, your breath hitched and your heart almost stopped. He passed by you as if he had said it was not a big deal but for you, it meant the world. You always tried to act nice for everyone, to be the sunshine girl, but it was actually exhausting. You always felt like it wasn’t enough, so hearing him say that felt refreshing. As if a weight had been lifted from your shoulders. 

You two weren’t so different after all. 

You did not reply, you just stared at his back as he walked to the door. “Yeah, I should do that” you muttered to yourself, feeling a small smile appear on your lips. 

Gyutaro, sensing that you weren’t moving, stopped on the door and turned to look at you. 

 “So you are going to your place now, or what?” He said suddenly.

His question made you snap out of it. “Yeah, I was about to head home, why?” You said, trying to pretend that what he said before wasn’t still affecting you.

“I’ll walk you there, it's late and all that crap” Gyutaro declared as he turned, living no room for discussion as he walked out. He was determinate to take any chance to have you around for longer. 

You looked at him perplexed for a moment and then hurried to follow him outside the building, feeling your chest warm and fuzzy from having him walk you home. 

As you two stepped outside, you felt the cold night air hit your skin, getting goosebumps. You instinctively wrapped your arms around yourself, trying to shield your arms from the cold. 

It did not take long for Gyutaro to notice that you were feeling cold. His protective instincts kicked in, and he thought of lending you his jacket. But then his intrusive thoughts started to get to him. What if you refused his gesture? What if you thought he was disgusting and didn’t want to touch anything that was his?

All of a sudden, his thoughts were interrupted by your sneeze, and he found himself acting on autopilot. Before he could stop himself, he was already wrapping you with his black leather jacket. “Why the hell aren’t you wearing a jacket, you idiot?!” He scolded you as he put the jacket on you like you were a little girl.

You blushed and felt the warmth of the jacket enveloping you, being too big on you. “Oh… Thank you, Gyutaro” You said shyly as you clung to the jacket. It smelled like him, and that thought made your pulse jump. 

“Whatever… you better return it to me, you hear me? It's my only jacket” He said as he blushed and looking away. He couldn’t help it but find you adorable in his jacket, and secretly loved to see you with it. He was very pleased with the fact that you didn’t seem disgusted by his gesture.  

The walk to your place was in silence but charged with an unspoken tension between you two. You actually wanted to talk to him, to ask him a ton of questions, but you were feeling shy for some reason. 

As you arrived at your doorstep, he sighed and scratched the black marks on his neck, a gesture he always did when nervous or agitated. “Well, finally here, guess it's time to say goodbye”. 

You nodded and looked down shyly. Gyutaro wasn’t a handsome guy, he was by far from that, but to you, he was just so attractive. You knew that if you ever let this crush develop into something, your friends would think that you have gotten mad or maybe that he was blackmailing you. But you couldn't care less at that moment. As you hugged his jacket, you could only feel your feeling for him grow. 

Emboldened by the intimate moment, you stepped closer. Before Gyutaro could react, you leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his check, making Gyutaro's mind short-circuit and go blank for a moment. No one had ever kissed him before or touched him with such a gentleness. 

As quick as it started, you moved away. “Goodnight, Gyutaro”. You said and quickly walked inside your apartment, your form disappearing behind the door. 

Gyutaro stood there dumbfounded for a long moment, looking at your door. Slowly, he lifted his hand and placed it absently on his cheek, just where you had just kissed him. 

Plus, why should he thank the striped asshole anyway? The room dedicated to him was only a fulfilled favor from the man’s brattle girlfriend and self-proclaimed sister of sorts but Gyuutaro didn’t refute the statement either. Hakuji wasn’t exactly a welcoming man but he’d do anything for his little ‘princess’ so his headache is Gyuutaro’s gain, for what it was worth anyway. 

He’d probably save more money if he didn’t send nearly every dime he had to his biological sister to ensure she never went without. A weekly ritual of scraping together what he can to give Ume as an allowance for whatever she so desired, things her scholarship doesn’t cover because he’ll be damned if his pride and joy would ever go without.

Even if that meant pinching pennies and skipping meals often to do so. It’s worth it to him, knowing she’ll be able to pursue her dream in clothing design and not have to take up a part time job to split her attention between. It’d be such a shame for her flawless face to bear the same dark circles that decorate his under eyes.

Thoughts like those are what get him through the doubles he pulls and minimal days off without killing anyone. Though, Gyuutaro swears he’ll hear the shrill ringing of cooler alarms along with the wretched chime of the convenience store doors opening and closing constantly in his sleep. He’ll probably hear it long after he quits, if he ever does. 

Maybe the job wouldn’t be so bad if he didn’t have to perform so much customer service; chatty elderly, rude and entitled soccer moms with their unruly little brats at six in the morning, burnouts that think they’re slick when they’re asking for cash back the second they walk inside and buy ninety-nine cent rolling paper. He hates it all, hates never being able to reach his boss and being expected to make judgement calls that are well above his pay grade like he gives more than a singular shit. Vendors and sales representatives coming and going with information on ads that he forgets the second they leave. 

All but one; one rep that comes in never dressed in any uniform the company surely provides. 

You always come in dressed casually where nobody would think you were working unless they’d seen you regularly. Black jeans because you “hate the work pants” with a plain black tee and a snapback hat that has your company’s logo embroidered professionally on the front with your hair pulled through the hole in the back while the fringe too short for the ponytail hangs from the sides, framing your face that you try and hide. You shake it up sometimes by wearing a company-provided jacket but only when it’s cold out or wearing your hair down entirely so it forces your hair to frame your face a little more than usual but he definitely prefers it like that. You always come in with a smile too, a sort of cheery that Gyuutaro would usually sneer at and waving to him behind the counter while making a beeline to the storeroom, grabbing a clipboard to sign in as proof that you even showed up in the first place even though he tells you often it didn’t matter. Gyuutaro was the only one ever here and if the teenager worked she’d call him a million times for questions she could figure out for herself but you flash him a playful little smile and tell him, “me signing in give her one less reason to call you on your day off.”

It didn’t though, the airhead would ask him where the sheet was despite it never moving from the same spot it’s always been in but he keeps that to himself.

You’re nice, that’s what he would say about you and probably the first and only kind word he’d used for anyone besides his sister for the first time in his entire life.

And it’s an objective truth, you’re incredibly friendly in a professional sense, he guessed anyway. Overly considerate as well. You asked about his day each time you spoke to one another but not in the obligatory way of menial conversation. You’re probably the only rep he even bothered to remember the name of, you’re the only one he’s ever taken the time to say more than two words to. Pretty too, objectively speaking of course, nice to look at so maybe that’s why he didn’t mind interacting with you more than the average person he was forced to deal with.

That’s the reasoning he gives himself anyway as Gyuutaro takes a second to look around the parking lot from the window, seeing if anyone else would come in before hopping over the counter and wandering over to the store room. It’s just to help you with whatever you’re doing, he’ll just see if you have any questions about inventory and then get back around to count the cigarettes or something; nothing more, nothing less.

You’re tapping something into your phone whenever he rounds the corner to the backroom, leaning against the doorframe with his hands shoved into the pouch at the front of his hoodie, the weight of them dragging the baggy material downward and giving him more space around his throat before clearing it ‘innocuously’’ to let you know he was there, sparing you from a fright. You look up for a second, face scrunched into a concentrated scowl that quickly melts into your usual soft look as you flash him a quick smile then get back to whatever you were doing on your phone. 

“Yer kinda early today, huh?” kicking off from his perch as he ventures further into the room as you glance over all the inventory. 

You’re scowling again whenever he gets closer, a short silence falling between you before you turn to him; nodding after heaving a bereft sigh after tucking your phone into your back pocket, “Yeah, reset guy called out so I’ve gotta do it instead because corporates breathing down our necks about the completion rate being so low. Boss told me he’ll cover anything else I have today but hey, I’ll get to bother you for a while.” 

He can’t help but chuckle at the way you stick your tongue out at him as if you lingering for an extended amount of time could ever be a bad thing, continuing to babble about what you’ll have to do and what’s happening with all the products in the store. It sounds like a lot, obviously it is since your schedule was essentially cleared for it. 

“You gonna’ need any help?” The question falls from his lips reflexively, surprising himself because he was never one to offer assistance to anyone, much more likely to make their lives harder and enjoy their suffering in the meantime.

The chime to the store's entrance doors rings when you open your mouth to answer, closing it quickly as you wave him goodbye with an apologetic smile as Gyuutaro rolls his eyes with a snarl to his lips. Pulling one hand from his front pocket and putting two fingers together at his temple paired with an exaggerated but muted explosion sound as he backs away from you to tend to the customer but he earns a cute, tinkling giggle from you over the semantics. He leaves you to your work while he helps the customer with whatever it is he’s needed to do. Put x amount on pump whatever, buying a ridiculous amount of junk food, vape stuff; whatever it is he’s not really paying attention while they’re talking to him and he pushes buttons on the register as that melodic sound plays on repeat in his head until you emerge from the back, his eyes on you instantly. 

It’s obvious he’s staring at you, too, watching while you walk back and forth from the storeroom and between the aisles and displays of different products. Pushing standees around as kicking stacks to certain spots and bending over every so often to rotate perishable stock with a few choice words over the delivery drivers performances but it drains out quickly as Gyuutaro drinks you in. 

And your shirt that usually drapes down to your ass rides up to reveal just a peek of lacy panties, making a pervert out of Gyuutaro quickly. Warming his chest with wandering thoughts that stray too far and end up carrying the heat in his veins until he has to shed the oversized hoodie. 

Customers come in sporadically after that, keeping him tied to the register as he yells responses across the way to you the few times you poked your head around to ask him something. It’s about three hours whenever he’s finally able to actually move away from the counter and meet you in the storeroom where you’re tidying up, bent over yet again and his eyes instantly drag downward to enjoy the view but you sense his presence quickly enough. 

Standing up just as quickly as crystalline hues flit to meet your gaze, saliva gathering on his tongue with the way you greet him so warmly like he weren’t just ogling you for the umpteenth time today.

“Hey!” chirped as you toed at the neat stack you were tending to when he’d appeared, “I’m just about done, I’m sending back all this junk in these boxes.” You could’ve told him the sky was green and he wouldn’t have questioned you, let alone the shit to do with this building he prays burns down. You’re typing away at your phone again at a system he never bothered to learn after explaining all the changes he may actually retain simply because it was you who said it. 

Gyuutaro rubs at the back of his neck while you finish your professional spiel, biting at the skin on the inside of his cheek, “sorry I didn’t get t’help ya any, shit timing I guess,” but you smile at him nonetheless, waving your hand and dismissing his apology. 

“It’s not a big deal at all, promise. You looked like you were ready to jump over the counter and throttle someone anyway,” he likes the way you giggle at your own comment, how it lights up your whole face and makes him need to swallow a little more. Thinks it’s cute, thinks you’re cute and he’s actually pretty annoyed he didn’t get to speak to you more the one day you’re at his store longer than an hour. Scowl marring his perfectly imperfect features as he slouches and scoffs as he recalls the faceless nobodies that kept him away from you.

“Everyone’s pretty fuckin’ annoyin, like they don’t have a shred of sense. We were busier than normal today too, should’ve just traded you jobs for the day,” to which you only gave him a sympathetic pat to his forearm in response. 

It makes him feel warm, a comfortable heat in his chest, with how you always laugh at whatever he says or are just so genuinely enthused to speak to him and that you feel inclined to be near him or touch him. He scratches at the slope of his throat in a subconscious bid to fight the unfamiliar feeling you evoke, flicking the scythe earring that dangles from the tunnel in his stretched lobes while he thinks of what else to say; never one to actually desire for conversation to carry on.

“Uh, so, you gotta order more overpriced shit or?” Was all he could come up with, his cheeks heating rapidly when you look up from the small handheld clutched in your hands and nod before returning to whatever it is you do. Thankful for the dark marks he’s had since birth that spreads from his right cheek to just below the center of his left eye for once in his life as it disguises the blush that probably tints his pale skin. Sighing as he gives up on finding something to say and leaning against the doorframe again while peeking over your shoulder as you add and subtract god knows what to the store owners bill. Jarring him from his stupor when you shift from one foot to the other on your feet before you exhale heavily.

“Alrighty, ’m all done here now, you got much longer today?“ 

He groans long and low before he nods, scowl deepening  and scratching noisily along his sharp jawline, “yeah, Imma be here pretty late, gotta’ work a twelve today because my boss is a dick and the brat he made manager has an important college party she can’t miss. Ya can only tell me yer dyin to have a train ran on ya in so many ways.” 

That makes you frown, genuinely disheartened for a reason Gyuutaro can’t really understand yet, eyebrows scrunching as you chew at your plush lower lip for a second. The next moment you’re whipping your phone out of your back pocket and clicking several different apps before you turn it towards him and he sees the add contact screen, “Put your number in, I get off after I head back to our office to clock out and wouldn’t mind coming by to help.” 

“To bother me, you mean?” quipped in jest as he takes your device with a raised eyebrow and crooked smile that makes you squirm minutely under his gaze, tapping in his contact information and sending himself a text with a playful little middle finger and scythe emoji in it to save yours before handing it back to you. You laugh at the text, rolling your eyes with a nod while tucking your phone away and moving toward the door with Gyuutaro hot on your heels, “Bothering you is an obvious given, you should know that.” 

Playfully shooing you out the door in mock annoyance in response, hanging in the doorway as he sees you out to your car and for once the blaring chime doesn’t annoy him as it screeches in his ears.

The days don’t drag on like they used to after that, probably due to the fact that he spends all day on his phone now texting you. He’s in a better mood too, smiling more (at his screen but smiling nonetheless) because the conversation doesn’t feel forced or stagnant and you’re always engaging in one way or another and if you can’t think of anything to say you you send a meme or a picture of another location that you’re at for the day. 

‘You’d never do this’, your text bubble highlights, which makes him roll his eyes, tapping at his screen in between mindless tasks he can’t focus on. 

‘Probably would if it made you have to be here awhile longer,’ Gyuutaro smirks while he types it, lopsided grin splitting his face as he wonders if you’ll fluster over it or at the very least read it in his tone. He’s gotten a little more bold with you in the weeks you’ve been texting; mostly not so subtle hints of his attraction, telling you you’re cute for simple things and complimenting you in ways that couldn’t be considered platonic. You’re animated in the ways you respond too, displaying how what he says makes you feel with caps lock and unintelligible key smashes and Gyuutaro takes it as a good sign. The awkwardness of flirting with you had long since gone away because of it and he's learned you’re the incredibly nurturing type.

Displaying it overtly and subtly all at once with questions like, ‘Did you sleep alright? Have you eaten today? I’ll be in the area today do you want me to pick up lunch? Have a good day!

The more receptive you are to him the more he does it, always toeing the line of borderline sexting without plunging into it just yet.  

For now he’ll just enjoy the mutually casual flirting, he thinks it’s flirting anyway, that’s what his roommate's stray of a girlfriend (and his bonus sister, he guesses) says when she snatches his phone from his hands or reads the screen from over his shoulder. Taunting teasingly ‘serial killers got a girlfriend’ before they end up rough housing as he wrestles for his phone back until her man came to separate them and toss her over his shoulder.

Gyuutaro couldn’t say he was opposed to the notion, however, you’d creeped your way into his personal life instead of lingering at the doorway of his professional life only. You both text one another as often as you can, but he feels the times where he has to wait, keenly aware of every agonizing minute as he drums his fingers along the counter and clicks through apps on his phone; he even hears a phantom chirp of your text notification every so often and cringes at himself if he dwells on that feeling of desperation too long. 

Lets his mind wander in fleeting distraction when there aren’t customers to busy himself with. Gyuutaro thinks of how his roommate has made fun of him for checking his phone so often just yesterday, recalling the scene vividly in his mind's eye. 

Hakuji watching the lanky man waking his screen or unlocking and locking it back more times than he can count. His legs growing restless as he did so, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he lounges in the living room of their apartment. 

Pots and pans clatter as the bulkier of the two searched for the correct cookware as he commented from the kitchen, “y’know Shabana, it's pretty refreshing seein you this hung up on someone that isn’t your sister.” 

The heavily tattooed man doesn’t realize the connotations of his phrasing, or maybe he does, Gyuutaro could never tell when Hakuji tried his hand at banter. The response was the same regardless “fuck off, stripes.” 

His roommate puts his hands up in front of his torso in mock surrender, “just saying, seems like yer really into her, princess said the girl sounds into you and could be a good thing going.”

Gyuutaro didn’t respond further, simply sneered before retreating to his sparsely decorated room with his brows furrowed in thought over how the both of you interact and if the chemistry was really that palpable that people on the outside looking in could notice it too. 

Returning to that line of consideration now as he waits, ruminating on it and if there were different attempts Gyuutaro should make but it’s abandoned quickly when an eagerly anticipated response wakes his screen and your name graces the notification bar on display.

‘Miss me?’ He reads it in your voice, a sweet sound that rattles around in his head more than he’d willingly admit to anyone aloud. Lips curling up around jagged teeth as he goes to tap out a reply before the door swings open dramatically enough that it agitates Gyuutaro. Growl rumbling from his chest only to die in his throat when he sees you standing with a beaming smile before you hold up a plastic bag with two containers of takeout while you laugh at him. 

“Gotcha!” Exclaimed between your erupting giggle fit as you place the food on the chipping countertop as you make your way around the counter to him, “you should’ve seen your face you were about to lose your shit.”

The snarl he wears is significantly less menacing and off putting than any other that he’s adorned but only because it’s directed at you, “didn’ tell me you were stopping by pretty thing, didn’t even get time to make myself look all nice.”

You scoff as you lift yourself onto the adjacent counter facing the window, your back to it after you’ve laid out your respective meals, “always look nice, now eat, I know you haven’t since I came by yesterday.”

Gyuutaro doesn’t miss how you quickly slip in the compliment but you give him no time to refute it, chuckling himself as he shakes his head while grabbing his plate of food and the utensils that came with it. An upwards quirk lingers on his lips even as he takes a bite and lets his lids slip shut to savor the moment rather than the food itself, a pleasant heat pulsing softly behind his sternum as he realizes you’ve been subtly learning about him too. That you’re at least well versed enough to know how quickly he’d refute your genuine response to his sarcastic jab at himself. 

Instead he lets you have this win, enjoys the fact that you genuinely find him appealing instead of the nagging urge to mock you for it before you could mock him because there simply isn't a singular instance where that would transpire. You were too good for that, too good for him he knows but Gyuutaro is a selfish man that takes what he wants and unfortunately (but oh so fortunately despite how unaware of the fact he was) for you, you and your affection was what he had his sights on. 

‘I’m on vacation starting tomorrow,’ you break the rare silence that had blanketed the space after swallowing your own bite of food. Gyuutaro pulled from his musings with a confused sound muffled by his mouthful as he urges you to continue, “I’m not doing anything special. Staying home all week.” 

You want to squirm over his expression, still clueless with a thin brow quirked high on his forehead hidden behind long fringe that hangs in his face. Waiting a moment in case he just needed the time to process what you were saying but once he continues to miss the point you finally sigh and ask him outright, “Do you want to hang out with me sometime during the week?“

Only for an impish grin to spread on his devilishly handsome face that makes your throat, ears and cheeks burn with heat, “thought ya’d never ask. Just lemme know when ya want me.”

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You’re relatively busy the rest of the week after you inform him of your time off, tying up loose ends so you don’t run the risk of being contacted during your vacation and leaving notes for whoever will be filling in for you. Too dutiful in Gyuutaro’s opinion considering all the times you’ve ranted to him about your coworkers screwing you over as he thumbs away frustrated tears when you’ve reached your breaking point over the added workload. Always telling him that it’s easier for you in the long run if you just take care of things ahead of time but you ignore him when he reminds you of how you pick up everyone else’s slack but they don’t allow you the opportunity to do the same. 

It doesn’t sit right on his tongue and weighs heavy in the pit of his stomach but he lets it go when you ask him to; offering him placating words as if he were the one that felt overwhelmed. 

So he just opts to make you laugh because apparently Gyuutaro’s ‘so good at cheering me up’ and he ‘always knows just how to put a smile on my face’.

But your relief come the end of the week is palpable even without the several texts to him in all caps about how you’d completed all your tasks and written out all your emails for the ‘team’ so you’re ‘home free.’ You’re so ridiculously cute Gyuutaro can’t even stand it, embarrassed about how his heart skips a beat when you ask him his schedule and if he’ll want to come by this Sunday before he could even respond to your joy. He takes a moment to calm himself, exhaling slowly as you coordinate a short back and forth and commit to a plan.

Excitement making his stomach twist with a different sort of hunger than he’s ever suffered from before. Fuck, was he in love with you?

He wished he’d never asked himself that question, at least not before he was going to spend time with you outside of work. The first time he comes over is somewhat awkward, being alone with you in private, nevermind the fact that it’s in the sanctity of your home at that, surely would’ve been. 

The space is tidy, he notes, like you like to keep things neat and orderly the same way you do at work and he honestly isn’t surprised; demonstrating his assumption by holding out your hand for his keys as you toss them into the little bowl on the entryway table that houses your own set. Busying yourself as you move around the space before disappearing into the kitchen that wafts the smell of dinner throughout your home and makes him salivate.

“Dinner’s almost ready,” you call from the other room but Gyuutaro only coo’s a cool ‘kay’ as he seizes the opportunity to explore his surroundings as he meanders to your modest dining room table that doesn’t look like it can seat more than two people at any given moment.

There are only a few scattered pictures on the wall, family he presumes, mostly you and who he guesses is your mother as well as a few that are of people that bear no resemblance to you at all that Gyuutaro gathers must be your friends. Closest to the archway that leads into your kitchen is a singular ornately designed analog clock and some painted canvas’ on the opposite side that lead down the extended hallway that make him smirk to himself, a little pleased to learn on his own that you like to paint and you aren’t half bad at it either. 

Your home is dimly lit as well, curtains drawn for privacy and it blocks out a significant amount of natural light but it's rectified with lamps that cast a softer yellowish glow to illuminate the area. Overall you decorate pretty simply, modestly, keeping mostly essentials with the occasional knick-knacks placed sporadically so the space doesn’t feel so empty or bland. 

Pulled from his reverie when he catches sight of you preparing the plates for both of you, snarling his lip because like fucking hell you were going to do more than you needed to especially on your vacation, especially over something like this.

Broad palm and lithe digits with knobby knuckles take the ladle from your hands with ease, sucking his teeth at you when you go to protest with a cute whine but he stands firm. Taking your dish and holding it higher so you couldn’t try and snatch it from his hands as he spoons the steaming food onto the ceramic. You relent easily enough though, but not without any complaint as your shoulders slumping animatedly in exaggeration as you let him finish up making both plates instead, “I could’ve done it ‘taro.”

“Ya cooked,” short and to the point as he hands you your food, jerking his head backwards because if he acknowledges the cute nickname for him he doubts he could contain he already barely concealed desire for you, “I’ll serve it. How it works.”

Nevermind he’s never served another soul in his life that wasn’t blood related to him. What had you done to him? Will you keep doing it?

He hopes so as you retreat from him, exhaling slowly to calm himself before he follows you into the next room to find you already comfortably sat at your table; waiting for him to join you before you start eating. Something Gyuutaro never let Ume do while they were growing up, always wanting to make sure she’d had her fill before he’d even consider eating.

But food was plenty when it came to you, he knows how to pick his battles as well, Gyuutaro didn’t think he could get away with strong arming you with something simple like this again. Sliding into the cushioned seat next to you as he digs his spoon into the hearty stew after only a moment's pause. Puffing out a disbelieved chuckle when you make no move to start eating yourself as you stare expectantly at him. 

He rolls his eyes but take a decent spoonful and shovels the meat and potatoes into his mouth without even blowing on it to cool it off with little reaction besides a hum of satisfaction. Pointing the dirtied utensil at you when he swallows and lets the taste warm his belly, “s’great, now eat lil brat.”

The deliverance was a little curt but not insultingly so as you beam at him, rolling your lower lip between your teeth as you nod before finally tucking into your own plate with a playfully flippant, “was gonna, just needed to let it cool down.”

You do love your technicalities, Gyuutaro’s learned, “lucky yer cute, liars never are.”

Nudging at you with his elbow before the meal continues in amicable silence, interrupted with light conversation and Gyuutaro getting up to make himself a second bowl halfway through while you sit with him as he polished that one off as well.

This was probably the longest either of you had taken to eat any meal before, Gyuutaro never one to eat very often which was apparently in the way his skin clung to the bonier areas of his body; you because you bite off more than you could chew in other areas of your life and used the excuse of ‘never having the time to stop and eat.’

But this meal was enjoyable, one you both wanted to savor that didn't pertain to the food at all. Lingering at the table as you both idly chat a little bit more than you would when you see him at work or over text. You’d known about his sister of course but it’s more enjoyable getting to watch him talk at length about her more, have him detail to you about her personality quirks and cherished memories from their childhood that you’re sure she would be utterly mortified to know that he’d regaled them someone she hadn’t even met yet.

He was more like a proud dad than a loving older brother but you admire that about him, adored it rather. There weren’t many men like Gyuutaro that would accept that sort of responsibility over their sibling at such a young age, it shows you how good of a father he’d be one day before you nip that train of thought in the bud. 

You hadn’t even met the most important person in his life yet, nevermind that you weren’t even dating or discussing the prospect of it, what did you think you were doing with mental images of him cradling a precious little swaddle of a newborn that looks like a healthy mix of you and–

“Ya feelin alright?” his voice has you careening back to the present from a future you imagine a little more than you should, looking somewhat stupified then shocking at the cool feel of the back of his palm on your heated cheek, “feel warm.”

Your fingers wrap around his wrist thoughtfully before pulling it away gently, patting it assuringly only to chirp out tightly, ““m great! Soups n’stews just warm me up a little too much.”

You’re aware that that sounds less than convincing but you breathe a sigh of relief when he shrugs his shoulders with a smirk before figuring now was as good a time as any to start clearing the table. It makes you frown though, reaching for him quickly and grasping onto his baggy shirt, “you don’t have to do that, I’ll get it.”

Gyuutaro casts a glance over his shoulder to scold you lightly over this as well but his words die in his throat when he sees your crestfallen expression. His cleaning up feels like their time together was already coming to an end and you’d be lying if you said that wasn't more than disappointing. 

So he stops, stands less slouched than normal as he turns to you and lets his index finger hook beneath your chin to earn your gaze, “we’re gonna watch a movie yeah? What kinda asshole would I be if I dined n’ditched?”

His tone is so low and gentle paired with his touch as well as that soft expression on his face that he pulls off flustering and pacifying you in one fell swoop but you do the same to him in turn. Facilitating that pleasantly uncomfortable heat in his chest like a flickering flame that has smothering ash kicked from it’s core the moment your crestfallen expression melts from the warmth of your relieved smile.

This much of a change in mood so quickly, all because he said he’d be staying with you for a little while longer? If you’d told him weeks ago Gyuutaro alone was capable of that he’d have cackled maniacally in your face. 

Well, maybe not your face specifically, but still the sentiment stands, the notion would’ve been unfathomable to him. Gyuutaro favored souring people's moods and leaving a bitter taste in their mouths but the thought of doing that to you in any capacity makes his stomach twist in familiar discomfort.

He doesn’t realize you’re still within his grasp until you reluctantly pull yourself from him, reaching for the stacked dishes in his other hand only for him to shift it further out of your reach, “What did I say earlier?”

Your arm flails slightly, trying in vain to take the bowls from him before you huff in momentary defeat and fix him with a defiant pout, “that I cooked so you made the plates, not a thing was said about cleanin up.”

“It was implied.”

“Implied where, in your imagination?” Wrestling with him playfully as he gives you his back before your arms slip between his own but still only come up short thanks to his lanky limbs, “I can clean up two plates, seriously.”

“Didn’t ask,” purred with his back to you as long legs carry him into your kitchen with three easy strides, maneuvering about the area like he belonged there as he crouched to the cabinet below to grab a new sponge on assumption alone. You protest a bit more, knocking your hip into his in a weak attempt to bump him out of the way only to be quietly humbled over how he doesn’t even budge. Averting your gaze and pouting with warm cheeks when he glances at you with that shit-eating grin of his before leaning against your counter with your arms crossed in an exaggerated huff. 

Tapping your foot quietly against the hardwood floor as the sound of running water and the gentle clink of ceramics and metal fills the tranquil moment; simply watching Gyuutaro work comfortably in your kitchen and enjoying the delusion of domesticity until your heart races. Inhaling audibly and collating his curiosity as you scoot slightly away from him, patting your thighs because you’ve been too idle for too long.

“Actually.. Since you insist on not letting me clean in my own house, do you mind if I grab a shower? I don’t like taking one super late,” a habit even when you’re on vacation, trying to give yourself as much relaxation time before you finally decide to wind down for bed far too late in the night for how early you always seem to wake up. 

Gyuutaro gives a simple nod, resuming his self-assigned task but not without an internal scoff to himself and a smirk that fights it’s way onto his lips with the passing thought of his roommate being wholly aghast at Gyuutaro in this moment considering he never even so much as looked at the sinkful of dirty dishes back home.

Glancing over his shoulder again when he catches the motion of you awkwardly shifting your weight on the balls of your feet as he quirks his brow. Tilting his head for the dip dyed ends of his mop of wavy locks to shift out of his eyes, “Need somethin else? Or was that an invitation?”

You stiffen and he almost thinks he’s overstepped and completely misread everything between the two of you up to this point before he watches you press your palms to your cheeks the same way his sister does when she’s trying to calm herself down. Attempting to stammer out a response but you can’t even meet his gaze and as relief washes over him he taps his foot near yours and shoots you a damning wink, “m kiddin, take yer shower or I’ll start the movie without ya.”

“Don’t you dare,” scowling exuberantly, recovering from your momentary malfunction in a way that has Gyuutaro grinning, “make yourself comfortable when you’re done, swear I won’t take long.” 

He only responds with another nod, giving you an easy smile as he returns to the task at hand, grabbing a few of the stray tableware and cups while he was at it. He can feel you lingering though, feels your gaze on his back and it fleetingly makes the nape of his neck burn but he doesn’t resent the feeling. Another sensation only you stoke in him, one he doesn’t question because subconsciously he knows the cause even if he teeters between delusion and denial. 

You almost look in a daze from what he can glean from his peripheral everytime he sets a dish into your drying rack, snapping you from it as he flicks soaked digits in your direction, “doubt this is an efficient way to shower pretty thing.”

The way you squeal and giggle louder as he flicks more water at you before you race off down the hall to your bathroom makes his (now full) shrunken stomach do a flip, fluttering in another of many foreign yet familiar sensations he continues to amass from your presence. Drying his hands as he smirks over the dull thuds of your feet and the door at the end of the hall shutting hastily as Gyuutaro calls out, “can’t blame me for using all the hot water either yaknow.”

Surprisingly satisfied with what he accomplished he moves to linger in your living room idly with nothing to do, glancing about and opting to occupy his time by familiarizing himself with the dwelling after shedding his hoodie when he rounds the couch. Picking up your scattered candles and appreciating the sweet smells that recognized the times they clung to your skin or clothes before wandering further into your home. Hoping to gain more than a shallow glimpse into your life and how you live it outside of the small window he knows you from on a week to week basis or walls of text messages exchanged for hours on end could ever offer him.

Returning to the kitchen first, concocting a flippant excuse of having a sudden sweet tooth should you emerge from the corner without him noticing, not that he’d really need one for some innocent perusing. 

Starting off simple as he rummages through the fridge to see what you like only to find a random assortment of ingredients and a case of water. Frown marring his features with a slight growl, sucking his teeth because why the hell were you worrying about his eating habits when your fridge looked this barren? He’s a hypocrite for certain as he tells himself to get on your case about it later while straightening his spine and shutting the heavy door with an indignant scoff. Unsatisfied with his snooping yet as he opens and closes every cabinet in the room and stares into the pantry, growing bored before long and settling to just lounge in the living room.

Resolving to actually behave and respect your privacy.. That is, until he hones in on the sound of the running water of your shower trying and failing to muffle the sound of a melody sung in an impossibly sweeter tone than he already thought you’d had. Stalling mid stride, staring blankly down the hallway and at the simple door your voice emanates from.

A siren song for certain the way it draws him to you, craving to hear it more clearly as he closes the gap; allowing only the inch thick distance of the particle board and the few feet between it and your shower to separate you both. Leaning against the structure carefully with his ear pressed to the surface, almost holding his breath as he enjoys the sound of you. Arms folded over his chest with a ghost of a smile on his lips as his lids slip shut as if you were serenading him explicitly. Jarring when you a loud clattering of several things follows your cute little yelp, and he pauses to see if you’ll whine in pain, untensing when the sound never comes nor does the captivating cantical. 

But that’s fine for now, something else has stolen his attention anyway as he carefully pushes away from the bathroom door to push open another. Knobby knuckle nudging open the already already ajar entryway to the room across the hall.

Your room.

And he shouldn’t slink in, knows he shouldn’t slither through the marginally larger gap he created but, the lamp on your bedside table casts such a warm and, like everything else about you, inviting glow. Call Gyuutaro a moth to a flame if you wanted, vying for just a little bit more of you in any way he could get his greedy little hands on. 

Even for something so insignificant and inconsequential as the areas you dwell in, but there was an aspect of intimacy associated within the sanctity of where you seek solace and Gyuutaro has always been a man starved of many things. and since he’s met you you’ve only ever fed him more and more. He’s thankful you’d never taken the lesson to never feed a stray to heart. 

Because he wants to invade every fiber of your very being, infect your life slowly like the plague he saw himself as. Praying to any god that only ignored his pleas until Gyuutaro finally stopped asking and dolled out misery that he’d be terminal for you but in a softer, more affectionate way. 

The feeling festering in the space between his ribs as he stands in your sanctuary. Your room is as simply decorated as the rest of the house aside from a marked amount more pictures and tchotchkes that tell him more than idle chit chat ever could. 

Even silence is a conversation, easy to glean desired information so long as you were willing to look for it. 

Like that you loved deeply and cherish the moments you get to spend with those so fortunate enough you afford the affection if the candid moments immortalized in photos and preserved in protective frames are any indication. Friends mostly, some from your childhood, most from recent years alongside a lone photo of you with a woman you bare a vague resemblance to. Parental problems maybe? May you and Gyuutaro be kindred spirits. 

Perhaps that alone validates his next assessment. Where he grew callous and cold you chose to be kind and warm, obvious enough, to him, that you crave comfort as his eyes rove over the abundance of plush creatures of all varieties, stuffed foxes, cats, a pink fawn as well as a rotund bat plush that looked specifically tailored to cuddle artfully arranged around strawberry shaped pillows. 

Your bed itself reminds him more of a little nest with how it’s tucked into the corner of your room to accommodate the comforts artfully arranged around strawberry and heart shaped pillows along with the fluffiest comforter Gyuutaro has ever seen with another blanket folded at the foot of the bed. He wants to lie in it on the worst of days with you in his arms, curling around you protectively. Burns to bury his nose into your hair after kissing your crown as the smell of your shampoo, the sound of your breathing and the feel of your skin against his lulls him into the most restful sleep he’s ever gotten in his rotten life. 

Gyuutaro has to take a few steps back, berating himself over the faithless fantasies from his wicked and treacherous heart while staring at your empty bed. The longer he lingered the more likely he felt he’d be inclined to stay and for once he didn’t want to intrude or invade, not without your explicit invitation. 

Though he bumps into another piece of furniture on his exit, the rounded edge of the sturdy wood stabbing just below his shoulder blade causes him to hiss in pain. Pivoting on his heel with a snarl that quickly fades into benign curiosity as his hand strokes along the lip of your dresser.  

Drumming his fingers against the material as he purses his lips and quirks a thin brow. Weird place to put something like this, in his opinion, rocking on his heel and as he does he can catch a glimpse of the bathroom just outside of your own room. Easy access, it must be here for when you forget your clothes to spare yourself the shameful shuffle in the starke nude despite living alone. 

The thought makes him laugh, the scene a domestic one he’d never imagined of anyone as his hand rests over the top. Drumming his fingers against the hardwood as serenity turns salacious in his ever working mind. 

It’s shameful, he knows this already, but what wasn’t when it came to Gyuutaro? If he were a kinder, more compassionate man, the kind of man you deserved, the wherewithal to not violate your privacy like this would be a nonissue.

But he wasn’t, never even considered to be and doubts heavily he ever would; in this life or the next. 

So the drawers are already quietly opened with a practiced ease. 

And of course they’re all organized. Jeans, skirts, shorts, leggings and sleepwear in the bottom two drawers. The one above those holds all your shirts, long and short sleeves alike with some camis and tank tops and he chortles over the realization that you’ve sorted the storage's contents by the placement on your own body for the most part. 

Gyuutaro opens the top drawer last, he can hear how heavily he swallows as it creaks open, pausing with a scowl at the shrill sound. Is there any real reason for him to open the final drawer? No, not really, but there wasn’t any valid justification for coming to your room in general either; so, why should he stop now? Guilty is guilty, is it not, he’s always been punished severely regardless of his transgression anyway. It’s why he selfishly prioritized his own pleasure where he could and you being his currently coveted prize was enough justification to slide the drawer open further. 

Just enough to revel at the assortment of bundled silky and lacy underwear alternatively. He should be ashamed of himself, feel disgusting for how he cards through the variety of styles with a lidded gaze and lazy smile, but he doesn’t. 

Doesn’t still as he conjures images of you clad only in the pretty black, lacy pair with a precious little pink bow on the front while you stand between his spread legs with your hands on his shoulders before you climb to straddle him. Lashes fluttering over the daydream as he fists the fabric with a white knuckled grip before he forces himself from his reverie. 

Heaving a bereft sigh as his cock twitched and threatens to throb if he doesn’t leave now, quickly but carefully closing the drawer after he’s pocketed the lingerie before finally fucking leaving your room and just in time for him to hear the steady stream of water to stop. 

He’s in the living room again when the bathroom door opens and the humidity accumulated billows out. You're toweling your hair dry as you pad towards him, wearing a satin red camisole and dark dolphin shorts but you might as well be dressed to kill.

“Sorry I took a little bit, I just know after the movie I’ll want to go to sleep as soon as it's over,” there’s a ringing in his ears that almost drowns out everything you’d said to him. The sound blaring as crystalline hues quickly give you a once over as you cross in front of him  

Gyuutaro croaks out a tight ‘s fine’ as he sits sprawled on your sofa, one arm draped over the back of the couch as he slouches lower. Cursing inwardly as he folds his leg in a way that keeps his swelling cock from tenting the material of his jeans. Gritting his teeth and subtly tensing every muscle in his body to will blood flow anywhere else but you (always unintentionally and jn the best of ways) make his life harder. Plopping down into the plush cushions with a saccharine suspire that will fuel his fantasies later before leaning your head on his shoulder while clicking through several apps before settling on Hulu. 

So sweetly handing him the remote with a chirped ‘you pick’ like he wasn’t fighting for his life right now. He couldn’t be fucked to actually choose a movie so he chose some suggested horror flick and hoped for the best.  

It takes about fifteen minutes into the movie before he’s finally calmed enough to let his arm fall from its perch and drape around your shoulder and tuck you into his side properly. It’s criminal how easily you adjust into him too, shifting your weight more into your hip as your head tucks into the crook of his throat and your hand splays just over his diaphragm after you’ve pulled the throw blanket over you both. 

He doesn’t absorb anything from the movie, not that he’d really been attempting to anyway. Mentally occupied by how well you fit against him, how warm you are as well as committing the fragrant notes of your shampoo and body wash to memory. Mind wandering to anything else, though any and all thoughts still pertained to you, to stave off the dread of the movie ending because the last thing he wanted to do was to go home alone tonight. 

Until he notices how you grip onto him for dear life, whole body tensing before you flinch and fist the material of his hoodie tighter; all normal reactions to a horror film. Gyuutaro almost wants to chuckle over your reactions until you whimper and hide your face, trembling over the gory and frightening scene that has him hastily fumbling for the remote to pause it. 

You opt to hide in his throat when he does until his broad palm cups your cheek after a long moment and coaxes you to look at him, nose nudging against your own when he rests his forehead on yours. Cooing at you in the softest tone he could manage when you apologize for no reason while trembling in his hold, thumb swiping over the apple of your cheek as his fingers caress the hinge of your jaw. 

Your eyes are pretty when they’re glassy with tears but he doesn’t think he wants to see them this way ever again, not from this circumstance anyway. There were probably less selfish ways to comfort you but he tells himself he isn’t a selfless man as Gyuutaro closes minimal gap between you, sealing his lips over yours. Chaste and tentative at first, testing until you whine approvingly and press closer. 

It’s all the permission he needs to do what he does best; take. 

His hand slides to the curve of your skull to press you closer to him, leaning into the contact as he tilts his head with a hum. Your lips are as soft as he thought they’d be, softer maybe but he won’t get too lost in those details. Not when you return his fervor by weaving your fingers into his loose locks, blunt nails scraping deliciously at his scalp and how you barely break the contact to take a breath. 

It’s more than encouraging to him, slightly emboldening Gyuutaro as his tongue swipes along your plush bottom lip before you grant him entry. Your muted moan swallowed by him as he shifts you into his lap for you both to be more comfortable. 

He figures it to be a safer bet than pressing you into the cushions and climbing on top of you. ‘Easier to hold back this way,’ Gyuutaro inwardly assures himself while staring directly at pure temptation with a lustful gaze. Chest heaving as you lean back just enough to adjust and sit comfortably in his lap before chasing his lips once more. 

Broad palms finding your natural waist as your thick thighs frame his narrow hips and you cradle his jaw as if he was your personal treasure. Nipping at and gently pulling his own kiss swollen lower lip before you tug the hair at the base of his skull for him to tilt his head. 

Eyes glinting with mirth paired with a mischievous little smile that he mirrors as he palms the nape of your neck, “feelin better?” 

“Maybe,” giggling as your thumb swipes at the corner of his lips, “not sure yet.” 

Dipping for another kiss as a chuckle vibrates his chest, reverberating against your own as your tongue swirls around his. Gasping in pleasant surprise when your clothed slit brushes over his throbbing cock, chasing the sensation by grinding down after he slouches lower in his seat. 

It feels good, you feel good, even through the layers of clothes like this; it still makes Gyuutaro groan. His hands slipping lower and palm the fat of your ass to pull you closer as he presses further into the plush couch. Whimpering in turn when you repeat the motion with more confidence, rolling your pelvis into his only for him to rut upwards somewhat awkwardly until he falls into a comfortable unspoken rhythm.  

Gyuutaro’s in trouble, mind racing with the desire to pull the thin, flimsy material of your shorts and panties to the side to glide his cockhead through your sticky folds. Gripping your hips with a bruising force that you seem to more than enjoy if how they jerk in his hold was any indication before tap your fingers on his wrist. It gives him pause, swallowing thickly thinking he’d done something wrong when you lift your ass and reach between your bodies to fumble with his button and zipper before he grabs both of your hands in one. 

‘Wait, fuck, don’t wanna—“ he can already see you start to deflate at perceived rejection whenever he grabs your chin gently. Carefully cradling your jaw when you try and shy away from him to force eye contact, “nah don’t do that, believe me pretty girl, I fuckin wanna, but not on the first date. You’ll think I’m easy.” 

He winks with a Cheshire grin that makes you giggle, relaxing against him as your thumb swipes affectionately over the marks he thinks are ghastly. 

“Movie was shit anyway,” shifting you to sit in his lap with your back against the arm of the couch and your head tucked into his throat, “I’ll head home a little later. Put something on ya like.”  

You nod but don’t detangle from him, only adjust enough to where your legs are kicked over one side to sit comfortably in his lap. Spending the next hour letting YouTube autoplay comfort videos with one another’s hands laced together in your lap and even still, when it’s time for him to head home, it feels too soon. Lingering in your doorway after he grasps at his discarded hoodie and helps you into it to see him off after demanding he text you he’s made it home safely with a petulant pout he wouldn’t dream of denying. 

And true to his word he sends a concise ‘home’ after you’ve tucked yourself away in a bed that now feels too big with just you in it’s confines. Breathing a sigh of relief as you reply with a heart and telling him goodnight before you shimmy lower into your thick comforter. 

On the cusp of slipping into a dreamless sleep when your screen wakes that does the same for you in turn when you groan to see what disturbed you. 

A text from Gyuutaro that read “how bad I wanted to, btw” after resorting to fucking his fist with your pilfered panties pressed to his nose. A picture attached of him that’s cut just above his toothy, satisfied grin to just below his toned abdomen where you can see sticky white stain pale skin.

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It’s safe to say the proverbial ice had finally been broken, the shift in your relationship with one another unspoken and the nature of it is still undefined but you’re both certain (at the very least) that you're on the same page. 

From the time he wakes up to the time you fall asleep you’re in constant contact with one another, texting between chores around your households or having extended phone calls during his shifts at work. Conversation feels impossibly easier than before, lighter, uninhibited and lacking any gnawing desire to fill any silences that fall between you often.

The week carries on doing simple activities, seizing any opportunity to see each other again any chance either of you get. Gyuutaro doesn’t collect nearly half as many of his usual hours because of it and he already knows his paycheck will suffer dearly for it but he can’t say it was any real loss. The lack of monetary gain is more than accommodated for with your loving laughter and welcoming warmth; tipped a gratuitous amount of unmitigated tenderness and unconditional care.

Paid in your panoply of both subtle and unsubtle displays of affection like sending him to work with a home cooked meal every day, for instance. Packed up nice and neatly in glass containers tucked away into a branded lunch box he’s never once seen you carry around. Always placed into his hands when he reluctantly kisses you goodbye for the night though it does hold an endearingly innocent ulterior motive on your part, hinted at with your ‘firm’ demand for the containers return the next day. Creating an excuse (besides the desire to keep his belly full consistently for the first time in his life) he doesn’t realize is just so he’ll have a built in reason to come over again, not that he ever needed one but it felt easier than outright asking him to come see you every day of the week.

Until the weekend before the end of your holiday arrives and Gyuutaro can see the telltale signs of trepidation that threatens to ruin one of the best weeks you’ve had in a long while. 

The shift in you has Gyuutaro the slightest bit clingier, more doting in his own unique ways and subconsciously caring for you in the way you like to be loved despite having never been told how. He asks if you need groceries just to volunteer to drive you there, adding to it by insisting, “n’ if yer a good passenger princess I’ll take ya on that bike ride you’ve been beggin me for, maybe we’ll get that too sweet coffee ya like too.”

Treating the chore like an exciting excursion, playing dirty by sweetening the deal plus that damning lopsided grin of his is infectious and it only splits wider when you pout bleeds into a tentative smirk. Agreeing to his terms but with an added stipulation, “passenger princess needs her gas pumped and control of the radio.”

He slouches with a quirked brow and faux scowl before hooking his index finger beneath your chin, tipping it upwards to seal his lips over yours in a fleeting press. Muttering a graveled ‘deal,’ acquiescing to ‘staunch’ demands as if the exchange didn’t go exactly in his desired direction, heart warming as you giggle gleefully in victory before gathering your things to leave.

You hated shopping alone but with Gyuutaro it wasn’t nearly as nerve wracking and hard to focus. Wandering down the emptier aisles at a leisurely pace with him at your side and comfortingly placing his hand at the small of your back to guide you through the more crowded ones. Your basket gets filled with far more items and ingredients than it ever has for either of you separately, discussing dinner options and planning meals for certain days so he’ll have leftovers for lunch. Neither of you comment over how domestic the entire process is for the nature of your still undefined relationship, just enjoy the feeling and ease of it all.

Though if you asked Gyuutaro, regardless of if you were around or not, he’d proudly and possessively proclaim that you were his and he was yours. 

He knows you better than most anyone else at this point too, bagging the groceries how you liked to have them sorted without even needing to be told. Gently kneeing your thigh when you try and carry a single bag out to your car and again when you try to do the same whenever you get back home.

“Don’t piss me off brat,” sniped with a notable lack of malice as he shifted his loaded down arms out of your reach, giving you his back as he crossed the threshold of the front door. 

“Or what?” You taunt daringly only to give him little trouble, though not for a lack of serious trying. Looping your arms around his tapered waist and dragging your feet to slow him down to no avail before resorting to swiping uselessly at the bags before they’re all placed onto your countertop. 

He only sucks his teeth at you in response for now, rolling his eyes when you snatch at a bag he reaches for to unpack and stick your tongue out at him for good measure. Repeating that process for each bag as it devolves into a harmless game, tricking one another with twitching hands and sudden jerks when reaching for what’s laid out on the countertop until there’s nothing left. The whole process of the menial task breezed through with your antics, simpering as you bump your refrigerator door closed with your hip. Turning to gather the discarded bags while Gyuutaro faces your pantry, humming as you flatten and fold the plastics before a startled yelp rips from your throat. 

Broad palms placed onto the countertop cage you in as Gyuutaro’s chest presses against your back, the surprise makes you shrink lower but he grabs at you when you squirm, “where’re ya goin?”

His voice still playful but a silky pitch lower than what you’ve heard before, almost purring in your ear as Gyuutaro cups at your jaw, pads of his index finger and thumb pressing into hollows of your cheeks when you whine. He chuckles at you, the sound vibrating against his ribcage as he nips at your ear to elicit more of the enticing sounds from you; breathing you in as he lets his hands rove over your body. 

Periodically pawing at the parts of you he knows are sensitive just to watch you try and drop to your knees to writhe from his hold fruitlessly until you giggle and gasp, “alright alright, let go of me taro.”

Just the response he was hoping for as he handles you with absolute ease, brushing his lips over the slope of your throat as his arms tighten around your natural waist. Hoisting you up just enough so your toes just barely graze the flooring as you flail in the short distance he walks from your kitchen to your living room. Stopping at the furniture placed in the center of the room before he corals you once again, growing bolder by pinning your hips to the frame on the back of your sofa. Lips to the shell of your ear as he shudders out a breathy exhale when you arch your back and the swell of your ass brushes against his crotch, “or what?”

He takes a sick delight in how your eyes widen but leaves no time to dwell on the notion before deft digits make quick work of your button and zipper. He works both of his hands into your pants, massaging at your hips and palming the sides of your thighs as he shimmies the dark denim lower until it pools at your knees. Taking the time to knead appreciatively at the exposed flesh as they crawl higher, cupping your mound and pressing the pads of his middle and ring fingers over your clit as Gyuutaro slouches around you. 

Your breath hitches at the contact but the lack of tension in your body tells him enough that it isn’t unwanted. Encouraging Gyuutaro further by turning your toes inward as he pulls the lacy material to the side to feel you uninhibited, eyes rolling when you twitch in anticipation but he won’t leave you wanting. Parting your folds to play in the quickly gathering slick and he can’t help but think about how much warmer you are than he thought you’d be; warmer than what he’s fantasized about since the end of the week previous. 

He moves almost reflexively, swirling his fingers around your pert bud in firm circles, growing in confidence when your head lolls forward and you brace your forearms on the back of the couch. Ass brushing against his crotch as you go slack in his hold, dipping lower as you spread your legs just a bit more for him, rewarding Gyuutaro with a throaty sigh as he tests out what makes you feel good. A learning experience for the both of you as the sound of slick clicking and shushed suspires mingle in the space between you. 

Working you up after a few testing pressures and motions, guiding you to your climax while his breath dampens the skin of your throat and the sound of him warms the blood in your veins. The coil in your lower belly tightening with intensity as your thoughts race, all of them about him and how he makes you feel, how you think he feels about you. Focusing on how he praises you, encourages you, the feel of his cock prodding at the curve of your ass and the more he coos at you the warmer you feel. 

Clutching at the cushions of the couch for dear life and finally, finally tipping over the edge when he nips at the lobe of your ear and husks, “cum for me baby, show me how good I make ya feel.” 

Shuddering in his hold and your voice breaks on the syllables of his name as you reach rapture, arching your back and he supports you with his free hand as he overstimulates you with the other. Cupping your throat while you moan his name so sinfully while his fingers swirl in lazy circles over your puffy clit, hips twitching and bucking uncontrollably into his hand until you have to grip desperately at his wrist for some reprieve. Heaving a heavy sigh of relief when he relents and occupies himself with littering the slope of your shoulder up to the hinge of your jaw in gentle nips and caste kisses. 

Slowing his affectionate assault, Gyuutaro takes a moment to bask in the afterglow of your orgasm, marveling slightly over the pleasure he provided for you. Drinks in how you slack in his hold, leaning into him because the tremble in your legs betray you. He didn’t think it possible for you to look any more beautiful but your blissed out, satisfied expression and the softness to your features that follows proves him wrong.

Letting the moment linger until you regain your bearing before he helps you straighten up by fixing your hair and step completely from your pants after voicing you’d wanted to change. Lovingly kissing your temple with a soft apology for getting carried away but not without a swift smack to your ass and a wink, repeating coyly, “told ya not to piss me off pretty girl.”

He starts dinner while you get comfortable before coming to help cook and you equally split cleanup duty afterwards. Gyuutaro all but corrals you into the living room as soon as he’s done with the dishes, drying his hands on the decorative towels before quickly grabbing at your waist before you had time to notice. 

Eager to get situated on the plush furniture and fluff one of your many throw blankets over you both. Cuddling on the couch soon after, again, with you in his lap and his chin resting on your crown as time ticks by watching all the updates to the shows you’ve taken to enjoying with one another until he checks the time and sucks his teeth.

“Gettin late,” he grumbles as he all but tosses his phone onto the couch cushion beside you, “should probably head home so I can drag my ass outta bed for work tomorrow.” 

You almost visibly deflate, relaxed features devolving with dejection as you reluctantly move from his lap for him to stand. You watch as he rises to full height and takes the time to stretch but you grab at his wrist reflexively before he can move to put on his shoes, releasing him when he turns to you with a quizzical look. Turning fully and squatting down to your eye level when you pull your feet up onto the couch and bring your knees to your chest while you fidget with your fingers the way you always do when you’re working up the nerve for something.

Glancing away quickly when he brings his palm to cup the side of your head, stroking along it soothingly before you groan dramatically. You surprise him with the sound, making his brow quirk and he leans back slightly when you drag your hands down your face before resting your forehead on your knees with another groan. Mumbling something that’s too quiet to be understood but too loud for you to be talking to yourself so he leans closer to you, comically cupping his ear with one eye open wider than the other. 

“Hah?” Scoffed slightly and though he can’t see it you roll your eyes, “that a mouse I hear squeakin at me?”

“I said,” you shoot up with a scowl on pretty features, “why don’t you just stay the night instead.” Rushed out in one breath, like you’d lose the nerve if you’d attempted to deliver the sentence in any other way. 

Your shoulders slack again, tilting your head to lean your cheek on your knee as you fix him with this unintentionally hopeful look, “If you wanted to anyway, you don’t gotta of course. It’s just that it is kinda’ late and I can just bring you to work tomorrow but, you absolutely don’t have to. It's just that you live across town—“ you stumble through your sentence for him to, thankfully, cut off your rambling. 

“Ya had me at ‘I said’ pretty thing, why the hell wouldn’t I wanna stay?” Gyuutaro teases as he leans forward on his haunches, pressing a kiss to your forehead before he flops back onto your sofa, pressing his back into the arm of it. He reaches for you, hand encircling your wrist with ease as he pulls you between his legs and into his arms, “plus ‘m not gonna say no to a night away from my roommate and his girl bein’ loud as shit.” 

“You could’ve just said yes,” you scoff as you reach for his phone and the remote previously tossed to the wayside, handing both to him after you’ve woken the screen to check the time, “one more episode? Then we should head to bed.”

You’re telling rather than asking him, batting long lashes up at him as your chin rests on his sternum as if Gyuutaro could ever really deny you anything you desired but that doesn’t mean he won’t put on his own theatrics. Pulling a giddy little giggle from you when his head lolls back and he heaves an exaggerated sigh but powers on the tv anyway.

But ‘one more episode’ turns to two then four because ‘they can’t just leave it on a cliffhanger like that!’ Until Gyuutaro inevitably has to be firm when he tells you at nearly midnight that, “ much as I’d love to pull an all-nighter with ya, I do have the early mornin shift baby.”

Halfheartedly you pour at him, certain he won’t relent this time but you’re beginning to grow accustomed to asking just the slightest but more of him. He’d say he’s rubbing off on you, secretly he’s happy to notice it even as his thumb and index grab at your plush lower lip as he tuts. The sound of your petulant whine is music to his ears as he cackles before tapping suspiciously closely to your ass. 

“Fine, fine, I guess you win this time,” you groan playfully as you detangle yourself from. Standing and stretching as you hold out your hand to guide him to the bathroom as if he hadn’t spent every day of the week in your home. 

Gyuutaro’s brow quirks high and a ghost of a smile tugs at the corners of his lips when you push into your bathroom with him in tow. Blood ready to thrum in his veins simultaneously with elated and nervous energy as you yank open the shower curtains.  

Though he deflates quickly with a burning heat stinging the nape of his neck that forces him to grip it to abate the burn when he realizes you’re just preparing the shower for him. He clears his throat as you slip past him in the small space with a cute, “oh one sec,” as you all but scurry into your room. 

The lanky man tails you like the stray he calls Hakuji’s girlfriend and the one he always has been. Standing and yawning as he slouches in your doorway, debating minutely if he should just crawl beneath your cozy looking comforter and force you into his arms with the excuse that he could just shower in the morning. Swaying forward with intent when he’s pulled from his reverie by the sound of your searching. He leans like he’s going to help you in rifling through your drawers before gasping in satisfaction. 

You produce clothes from your dresser that he doesn't remember seeing whenever he snooped through their contents last week, heart skipping a beat and his fists clenching, hidden away by his pockets before you explain without prompt.

“They’re my brothers,” you add quickly, like you couldn’t bear the misunderstanding, “he’s nowhere near as tall as you, though. They’ll probably look like capris but I doubt you’ll want to sleep in jeans. Turning the nozzle up on the shower makes it hotter, down is colder and in is off kay?”

He showers quickly, he has to, as much as he’d like to stand under the spray and let the warm water soothe tight muscles he’s ready to lay down with you in bed. The thought is lame to him, but it’s been on his mind since he’d come over the first night; since he stood in your room and familiarized himself with it just in case he didn’t get the chance to. Groaning to himself as he slouches forward and the water streams from his wet mop of unruly locks and into his face, off his nose and blurring his eyes before he snarls. 

It was too good of a day to let his self-deprecating tendencies ruin it, finishing up what should’ve been a relaxing experience by using a modest amount of your body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. Thinking idly as he steps into just the pair of joggers alone that you liked the same sort of scents his sister liked to use, maybe just a bit sweeter where her preferences are more floral. 

He’ll have to introduce you soon, if you were up for that anyway. It was a miracle he hadn’t mentioned you to her yet with how much time he was spending with you; cautious in case this (like everything else in his life) blew up in his face when whatever deity harbored a grudge against him in particular decided they needed some entertainment.

Gyuutaro finally emerges from the bathroom as he tugs the spacious hoodie on over his head and discards his worn clothes into the hamper with your own. Brow quirking in confusion when he sees the bed still made, no you sized lump beneath the thick comforter. 

“Babe?” Called as he spins on his heel but you scurry hastily from the hall. Tucking your hair behind your ear as you step into the room and close the door behind you.

“Sorry, sorry,” huffed as you cross the room hurriedly as tug your covers back, “thought I heard something. Then I saw I forgot to turn off the oven and then I was making sure the front and the back doors were locked.”

Gyuutaro should be more than alarmed at the mention of forgetting to turn off the oven. Should question if you do that often and if he’s going to need to remind you or check himself before he can rest. 

He should be, he likely will the following day but for now he’s far too captivated by you. Adam’s Apple bobbing as he swallows thickly when sky blues rove over your body. Drinking in how you don nothing but one of the hoodies he’d left here with only panties underneath. Overtly ogling you, letting his eyes linger on your pillowy thighs before they’re hidden from view when you crawl beneath the covers. 

“Gonna sleep standin up taro?” Cooed cutely as you tap the empty space next to you, “pretty sure this is more comfortable though.” 

You’re so cute to him, every positive descriptor he could use for a person comes to mind when he looks at you. Alluring without trying to be, or maybe you were with the way you pose yourself even beneath the thick comforter. Adorable with the way you smile at him, however impish the expression may be at times. You make Gyuutaro’s mind race but externally he looks calm as he crosses the room to join you even as he retorts, “maybe not with yer popsicle feet.” 

Proving him right instantly as you cling to the warmth of his body, blade of your foot working up his joggers up just enough for your skin to touch his and earn a hiss. A curse from his lips hangs in the air but he resents none of what transpires as you squeal and giggle while Gyuutaro wrestles to return the favor. Gripping at his hoodie to let his cold hands rest at your waist before you offer a truth he’d rather label a concession. 

Finally settling down with your back to him, scooting back into him until you’re contoured to the curve of his body. Finding an acceptable position to cuddle and be cuddled when his leg settles between yours with Gyuutaro’s arm thrown around your torso to keep you close. 

Not that you’d dream of moving away, shimmying lower with an excited energy moments after you’ve both quietly settled together. And you were tired, honestly you were, whenever you’d initially got ready for bed. 

Until Gyuutaro came out of the shower and you fully registered he’d be staying the night. 

You’d cuddled plenty before, all during the week you’ve crawled in his lap or curled comfortably on his chest. You weren’t particularly that shy about anything with him either, not entirely anyway; more bold than you’d certainly ever been with all the times you’ve straddled him and held his face in your hands to kiss him as much as you pleased. 

Going to sleep together was comparatively one of the more innocent, albeit just as intimate, moments with Gyuutaro. 

Heaving a heavy exhale as you scoot ever closer into him, curling into yourself and writhing slightly as you adjust the position of your bodies. Wrapping your arm around Gyuutaro’s as it coils tighter around you, satisfied with the slight change before the sound of his voice sends a pleasant shiver down your spine. 

“Too much energy,” husked almost groggily from the gravel in his tone against the shell of your ear. 

You shift slightly, kissing his knobby knuckles in silent apology as you twist your body once again, “m tryin to get comfy, just a little restless.” 

“Ya sure it’s just that? Don’t really look like yer tryin to go to sleep baby,” voice a low tease as his other arm snakes between the mattress and your waist. Rough pads of fingers pressing into the soft flesh of your stomach as he slides lower, slipping beneath your panties to cup your mound with a sigh and, “need some help?”

You cast a glance in mock innocence over your shoulder at him, a pleading gleam in your eye as you slowly nod your head. 

Not that he was entirely waiting on a definitive answer, having received an explicit enough response when you’d spread your legs wider for him, but; he still had no intention to deny you as he slowly rolls his fingers over your clit until your hips. Testingly at first, varying pressure and motions while he watches what you respond best to until your hips are bucking into his hand and you sigh out his name so sweetly, breathily. 

He builds you slowly at first, basking in the way you respond to him but just when you’re on the cusp of euphoria he pulls his hand away, halting your high so abruptly you voice your frustrations just as Gyuutaro turns you onto your back. 

“Don’t whine,” as he lays you on your back, fingers looped into the band of your panties on either side of your hips before tugging them lower to slip them off your supple thighs to position himself between them. Wasting no time in burying his face in your cunt like a man starved.

You don’t get time to protest, gasping with a roll of your eyes as you arch from the mattress with his first languid stripe up your soaking slit. Gyuutaro lets out a low, rumbling groan at the taste of you that sends pleasant vibrations and shocks of pleasure shooting up your spine. Lost in you as he laps lazily as your lips, harding whetting his appetite like this before his fingers join the fray, calloused pads playing in the gathering slick before adding just a modicum of pressure to spread your sticky folds as he ducks his head lower. Lids fluttering and he relishes in how your hips twitch just before the tense with each lazy lap until his lips purse around the pert little pearl at the apex of your pussy for a kiss. 

Sweetly, affectionaly before sensually suckling at it in an adoring assault, alternating between rapid lateral flicks of his wet muscle and circling around it until your fingers thread through wavy locks.

Arching slightly from the mattress as your hips twitch minutely into his face, earning a rumbling chuckle from Gyuutaro and another kiss to your puffy clit. Softly sighing his name, broken by a muted moan and choked by a gasp when he resumes the motions he’d found you’d liked the most. 

Humming your approval to him as your thighs tremble around his skull and your nails gently rake along his scalp as he works you over generously. Fueled by every sound and reaction you reward him with, never liking the sound of his name more than how you gasp it as thick digits sink into your greedy cunt gradually.  

Gyuutaro’s middle finger first as he tests the motions and finds a rhythm. His ring finger follows second and it has you spasming without control, biting your lip to stifle the first debauched moan. Surely stoking his ego as you helpless rut into his face with babbled, witless whines of his name as you gripped the sheets beneath you like a lifeline. 

He enjoys watching what he does to you, delights in how helpless you are to the pleasure he provides as the taste of you turns saccharine on his tongue when the coil finally snaps. Exhaling a breathy, “fuuuck, oh ‘taro ‘m cumming,” as the tension bleeds from your body and the roll of your hips falls out of sync with him. 

Left reeling after he’s pulled his fingers from your convulsing cunt and climbing up your body, given no time to consider lamenting the loss as Gyuutaro cups your face for an impassioned kiss. Long tongue swiping over yours as he coos praises at you throatily between dizzying kisses but you’re too focused on the rigid length that pokes into the fat of your inner thigh. Leaky tip steadily staining his borrowed sleep pants as it soaks through his underwear, throbbing and left neglected while he enthusiastically tended to your own pleasure. 

Humming as your fingers thread into his unruly locks and your leg hooks on his hip before moving in one swift motion, flipping your positions to straddle him instead. Arching into Gyuutaro and giggling at the muted sound of surprise that you swallow in chasing kisses, resting your weight on the tops of your thighs. Hovering slightly as your hands splay out over his chest, body alight and still thrumming with the aftershocks of euphoria as you arch into him, hands sliding from his pectorals to his trapezius. 

Your thumbs swipe along the columns of his throat as your lips seal over his with a hum before reaching higher to thread into his hair. Blunt nails scratching soothingly at the curve of his skull as his arms wrap around you to pull you closer. 

His lips seal over yours with a sigh as his hands roam your body, groping intermittently with appreciative groans that grow in volume. 

“Fuck, I want you,” husked against your skin as his head dips to litter your throat with open mouthed kisses. Jagged teeth nipping pleasantly at sensitive flesh as you tilt your head to the side to grant him more access. Whining encouraging when Gyuutaro’s teeth testingly sink into the slope of your throat, moaning unabashedly when he adds more pressure. Not enough to break skin but enough to mark you as his, lovingly marr the unblemished space with the structure of his jaw. 

Every reaction to him fuels him, goads him further and fans the flames of desire even more so as you soak through the lacy garment you wear and his borrowed joggers. Finally reaching between your bodies to grip at the elastic band and pull it down just below his sac to run his leaking tip between your folds. 

“Wait, wait, ‘taro” muttered between hungry kisses, gently pressing your fingers into the planes of his chest, “do you have a condom?” 

There’s a glaze over Gyuutaro’s eyes, lidded gaze “never had a reason to carry one pretty girl,” nosing at your pulse point, lips brushing over the thrumming artery affectionately as he kneads at the juntures of your thighs, “do you?” 

“Um.. no? Was I supposed to?” 

“Nah, m’ glad ya don’t, jealous guy after all” winking as he squeezes at the fat of your ass again and gives you a fleeting kiss, “but if I sink you on my cock I ain’t gonna wanna pull out.” 

It is a little early on for him to even consider breeding you even though, in his shriveled little heart you’ve made room in, he’s certain you’re the one; he doesn’t want to risk scaring you off. Missing how your lips part in a soundless sigh at his comment, if he hadn’t you likely would’ve been pinned to the mattress with the entire length bullied into you in one stroke to feel that delicious burn of the sudden stretch.

Instead you give him a parting kiss that leaves him momentarily confused, subtly shimmying as you litter a trail chaste but loving brushes of your lips over every part of him that you adore. 

First to the corners of his lips that curl up with his devious grins, impish smirks and gentle smiles. Then to the inky black birthmark that decorates both edges of his mouth, dipping lower to his adams apple that always bobs distractingly and sometimes holds your gaze in the times there’s a lull in conversation.  

Your hands glide down his body to dip beneath the material of his hoodie as you straddle his knees. Hem of his borrowed hoodie pooling at your wrists as the pads of your fingers press into the toned flesh of his abdomen, firmer as your push upwards when Gyuutaro stops you. Broad palm and long digits resting on both of your hands to halt your ascent, jarring you slightly, ready to recoil in embarrassment thinking you’d misunderstood and were too forward when his free hand grasps at your chin to keep you in place.

“It’s not that baby, god it ain’t that,” he whispers, moving some loose hairs away from your face and running his thumb over your cheek, “just.. You don’t have to, ‘m not.” His voice softens and the sentence trails as his confidence wanes drastically with no intention to finish it, unsure of how he wanted to explain to you.

If he wanted to explain at all; especially something he thought he’d resolved and absolved himself of at a young age from cruel lessons hard learned. 

You cup his face as lovingly, as you always do, comforting him with touch alone in ways even he didn’t know he needed and Gyuutaro is ever grateful for it as he leans into your palm with fluttering lashes. He’s certain of one thing as you blindly offer him consolation, he’s that same sniveling coward he was as a child. 

He fears rejection but only from you, that it’ll take seeing him laid bare before you for you to finally feel the repulsion someone like you should’ve always felt towards a man like him. 

You’ve proved yourself gentle with his jagged edges though, a sanctuary for him to find solace, time and time again. 

“I want to, please?” your voice is barely a whisper, hand resting gently over his clothed cock, your index finger tracing the outline of his heady length. 

Gyuutaro swallows thickly, the hushed plea and how you palm him making him throb with a need that overshadows his cowardice. He concedes to you once again as he nods, untrusting of his voice to not embarrass or fail him should he try to respond. You flash him a dazzling smile, the same one that had him fisting himself in the shower or in his bed with a pair of your underwear balled to his nose the nights following his days filled with you. 

Would you laugh if he told you that all the simple things you did made him ache for you down to his bones? Probably not, because you’re kind like that, because you’re here with him right now, eager to please. 

His blood roars in his ears and rushes in his veins over the way your fingers dance along his abdomen, pushing up his oversized hoodie to expose the years of his neglect the months of your care could only dream of reversing. 

You can see some of his ribs but they’re far less pronounced than before he’d met you, though much less drastically and the crests of his hips still protrude a little too sharply for either of your liking. 

And even though you’ve never judged him once in the time he’s known you, Gyuutaro still can’t help but hold his breath when the fabric is completely tugged over his head and you run your hands back down his body with such caring adoration. 

You lean forward to kiss him then, a reassuring peck to his lips where your taste still lingers, another to his jaw, mapping a trail down his body to finally press another just below his navel as you untie the drawstring of his bottoms. You can feel his abdomen tense beneath plush lips when you hook your fingers into the material, urging you to press another kiss directly above the elastic band. 

“Lift your hips,” your voice is sweet, gently commanding as he complies with little delay and shimmies from the cotton blend. Your fingers tap up his lithe but densely corded muscled thighs, sliding over his rigid cock that tents the fabric of his underwear before you let soft hand linger over the straining material. His jaw clenches tightly, molars gnawing at the inside of his cheek while you rub your palm over the bulge, kneading coyly and swiping your thumb over the darkened fabric dampened by his leaky tip. 

Finally tugging his boxers down after a few agonizing minutes with a mischievously cute giggle but only just enough to free it of its confines and no lower. His engorged tip taps against his pelvis with a soft pap, saliva pooling on your tongue at just the sight of it, flushed and leaky. 

You ogle him for a long moment and his lips part after his tongue nervously darts out to wet the flesh when your fingers wrap around the base of him. Your palm feels cool compared to the heated skin throbbing beneath it, it makes him hiss reflexively and you flinch slightly but thankfully your confidence doesn’t wane. 

Moderately emboldened as you place your thumb and index fingers on his mons so the underside of his shaft rests in the web of your palm. Keeping his hard cock directly upright as you adjust closer to him, lying on your stomach between his legs. 

His heart could almost skip a beat at the sight of you, how focused you look, he can’t tear his gaze away from how you stare at him. As if Gyuutaro and the pleasure you’ll provide him is the only thing that’s going through that meticulous little mind of yours that he’s come to adore.

Leaning closer as you purse your lips around the mushroomed tip with unwavering eye contact just to tease Gyuutaro as he had earlier. Humming coyly as you pull back with a mischievous quirk to your lips as you take a moment more to appreciate the view. 

Memorizing the was his fingers fist the sheets and his pretty face dusts with a hint of red while his cock twitches in your hold. 

It’s long, just like you thought it would be, thick too with a slight curve and a prominent vein in the underside. The muscles of his abdomen tighten when you test different pressures until you think you’ve found one he appreciates, thumb tracing over the slit of his mushroomed tip to spread the pre that leaks from the tip next.

He lets out a hiss, chest rising and falling a little faster when you give him experimental kitten licks to the head down the underside of his shaft. Tip of your tongue tracing over the vein all the way down only to let the flat of the wet muscle caress his girth as you drag upwards again. 

Ending your teasing as you wrap your lips around the head of his cock, taking him in slowly, sensually.  Stretching your lips around it to form a tight ‘o’ before suckling gingerly in a way that earns you a beautiful sigh that has your lashes fluttering open to drink in just what you do to him. 

Only to meet the gaze eyes of clear blue skies now darkened into a stormy cobalt before his hips jerk upwards slightly into your pursed lips with a curse, “fuck baby don’t do that, I could cum just lookin at ya like this.”

You take more of him, hum giddily when he huffs a light “fuck”, threading his fingers into your hair to push the lose strands that fall into your face. It’s tender, the way he tucks some behind your ear and gently holds the back of your head as you bob on his length.

“You’re so pretty,” Gyuutaro whispers, hips thrusting slowly, albeit jerkily, into your mouth. Emitting an involuntary rumbling groan when you hollow your cheeks, taking him in to the base of his cock in tandem with his thrusts. 

You make him more vocal than you’d imagined he’d be, clenching your thighs to abate the throb to your clit from the sound of him. 

Gyuutaro can’t help the noises that escape him before long, jaw falling slack as his head lolls back onto your headboard while he rewards you with his pleasure. He apologizes each time you gag on him, each time he thrusts to the back of your throat that makes your eyes water but you can’t say you hate it, far from. You thoroughly enjoy the way he chases his climax helplessly, using you for his pleasure while still being so loving. 

His hands scratch lightly at your scalp, winding your hair carefully around his fingers, “Yer perfect, shit, yer amazin’— d-don’t stop baby please.” 

You bring your hand down from where you caress his hips, fondling his sac to aid him toward his climax. Humming as you watch his jaw set tightly and Gyuutaro can no longer manage the rut of his hips, fucking up into your face with abandon when the coil finally snap. He lets out a long, relieved moan whenever he finally cums down your throat with a stuttered curse and throaty growl as your only warning. 

He rides his high, fucking your slowly until he’s calmed down and you pull away with an audible pop. Swiping away the drool that dribbled down your chin, smiling to yourself as you appreciate the state you’ve left him in. 

Gyuutaro’s managed to regulate his bresthing when you crawl up his body, tucking into his side with a leg kicked over his own. He presses his lips to your temple after he runs his thumb over the corner of your lips to wipe away the bit of saliva you’d missed. You nuzzle into him, arms wrapping tightly around his torso, warmth radiating between you both, “feelin’ good?” 

“Yeah, feeling great. I think I’m gonna call out today,” he says after a long minute, lacing his fingers with yours over his chest, “it’ll be fine for one day.”

You hum tiredly in response, lifting your head slightly to rest your chin on his chest as a single digit twirls a lock of your hair mindlessly. Simply basking in the afterglow of everything and not just what Gyuutaro has done with you tonight.

He pulls your face to his in a tender kiss, one where you can’t help but smile at the affection, rolling your lip between your teeth when he cups the curve of your skull. 

"Ow!" you yelp as one of the servants tightens your corset.

You're already feeling nervous as it is, and this corset crushing your ribs isn't helping.

"What's going on here?" a sultry deep voice appears out of nowhere.

"I-I'm sorry sir, I was just-" the servant tries to apologize but is interrupted.

"No need, you are excused," Gyutaro says as he walks towards you, his eyes looking over your body as you try to cover yourself as you're in your undergarments.

"Don't you know it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding?" you say, flustered.

"Is that so?" he chuckles, "You humans have such silly superstitions."

You can't help but blush as he comes up behind you and adjusts the corset, his fingers working quickly and elegantly as if he's done this many times before.

"How's this feel?"

"Oh, much better. Thank you..." you mutter.

"You look beautiful," he whispers as he wraps his arms around your waist and leans into you, "You know... I never imagined I'd ever get married. Let alone to such a beautiful woman."

"B-But, you're beautiful," you mumble, nervous from his touch though you can't help but like it. "So many women come here seeking to become your wife."

"That's true," he sighs, "But it's easy to charm you humans. Believe it or not, amongst vampires I'm considered quite unsightly."

"You? Unsightly? I don't see how. You're the most stunning man I've ever seen."

"You flatter me, but it's true. My father was ashamed of my face, and claimed I was a disgrace to our legacy."

His usual cocky demeanor shifts to something more melancholy as he steps away from behind you and idly walks around the room.

"I know I'm not well acquainted with you or your family but I don't get that impression of you. You seem like a strong pillar for your kingdom," you try to console him.

"Thank you," he gives you a genuine smile, "My father was so ashamed of me that he hid my existence from the kingdom. I was never allowed to leave the grounds..."

"Gyutaro..." you walk over to him and place your hand on his cold cheek, "You didn't deserve that. You know that now, don't you?"

"I do," he smiles, leaning into your touch, "And thanks to my father's untimely death I'll be taking his place... with you by my side."

"I know you'll be a king that your people can be proud of. I hope I'll make a fine queen," you laugh nervously.

"Don't worry, I know you will," he kisses your cheek, "Anyway I'll let you get ready, dear. I'll see you at the ceremony."

After Gyutaro leaves the room his servants come in to finish getting you ready. You feel better after having a proper conversation with him. Of course, you still don't know him very well but you do feel like you got a glimpse of who he is behind his status as a prince.

Though you still can't shake the uneasy feeling you get whenever he's around.

Once the sun goes down and the moon rises, the ceremony begins just as Gyutaro had said.

You wear a beautiful blood-red dress with a long train that trails behind you as you walk down the aisle. You can barely see anything due to the veil covering your face but you can tell that a lot of people are in attendance. You wonder if any of them are vampires as well.

A gothic tune plays loudly on the pipe organs within the cathedral. The moonlight beaming through the tall stained glass paints the room with red light.

You feel everyone's eyes on you as you slowly walk down the aisle, trying not to mess anything up. Gyutaro's marriage traditions are a bit different from yours so you try to do everything exactly as Ume had instructed you.

You can see Gyutaro's tall silhouette waiting for you. Though you can't see the expression on his face, everyone else can. And he stares at you with awe in his eyes - like you're the most beautiful creature he's ever laid his eyes on.

Once you make it to him, you promptly stand in front of him, keeping your face covered.

Usually, the king would be the one to lead the ceremony, but since Gyutaro's father is dead Ume will be leading the ceremony.

You can't see him fully, but your veil is thin enough for you to see that his pale skin is radiating in the moonlight. He looks almost ethereal.

Ume and the wedding guests wear all black, Ume's gown is long and adorned with red jewels. Usually, she has a sassy and combative attitude but she knows how important this ceremony is so she puts her attitude aside for her brother's sake.

"Family, friends, spirits of the night," she addresses the guests in a loud and commanding tone, "We gather here tonight to cast a bond for all of eternity. A bond that even death won't break. Gyutaro, Y/N, are you ready to marry?"

"Yes, more than ready," Gyutaro states.

"Yes," you nod, feeling nervous but pushing through anyway.

"Very well," she almost rolls her eyes but stops herself, "Brother, please proceed." She bows and holds out a golden dagger.

Ume didn't tell you about this part of the ceremony, she only said to shut up and follow along, so you start to feel nervous.

But as Gyutaro takes the dagger and steps forward, you somehow feel safe being closer to him.

"Y/N, my love... You are blood of my blood, bone of my bone. I give you my body, that we might be one," he lifts the dagger and slashes his wrist, not even flinching when blood comes pouring out, "I give you my spirit until our life is done."

"Y/N," Ume says, "Do you accept this unholy union?"

"Y-Yes, I do."

Gyutaro can't help but smirk at your agreeance. With his other hand, he lifts your veil, only enough to reveal your mouth and nose. And he lifts his bleeding wrist to your lips. It's clear he expects you to drink his blood.

Even though you don't know the consequences of drinking vampire blood, there's a voice in the back of your head that compels you to drink. Makes you crave the taste of Gyutaro's blood even though this is the first time it's ever touched your lips.

Without hesitation, you take his wound into your mouth and savor the taste of his blood as it flows onto your tongue and down your throat.

Gyutaro smiles, feeling pleased to see you eagerly drink from him. His wound appears to seal on its own as he pulls away from your lips. A beautiful red now stained on them.

You feel dizzy as Gyutaro's blood infiltrates your body. Vision blurred and chest heavy. You feel like you can't breathe as you struggle to stand. Feeling weak, but strangely there's a strong urge to be closer to him. Like the only thing that can comfort and protect you is your new husband. Unbeknownst to you, an unbreakable bond began to form after you drank his blood.

"Splendid," Ume smiles, "Gyutaro, you may now claim your bride."

With a devilish smirk, Gyutaro fully lifts your veil. The hunger in his eyes growing when he sees that gorgeous expression on your face. The expression of submission.

Gently placing his hand on your cheek, Gyutaro whispers, "Please, give yourself to me."

Without hesitation you tilt your head, exposing your neck to him.

His eyes meet yours, like he's telling you to trust him, before he leans forward and pierces your flesh with his fangs.

It hurts but you can't help but submit to him, giving him all of you. In this moment you'd let him drink every ounce of blood in your body if he so wished.

All you can do is hold him close with weak arms, moaning softly under his touch. Allowing him to take, take, and take from you. Until your body grows weak and you can't keep your eyes open anymore.

Everyone in the audience claps when they see your body go limp in Gyutaro's arms.

Pulling away once you've passed out, Gyutaro lifts you in his arms, carrying you bridal style down the aisle. Everyone in the room claps and throws rose petals towards the newlyweds.

You aren't awake to see it, but this is the happiest Gyutaro has ever been. And seemingly by everyone's reaction, the ceremony must have been a success according to their tradition.

However, Gyutaro isn't able to wait any longer and immediately carries you to your new shared bedroom.

The man acknowledged you with a nod, staring at you with his bright blue eyes for some time before reaching for his hair and letting it down from his ponytail in a blonde explosion. The bowl was discarded on the floor, as he shrugged his arms from the sleeves of his clothes, revealing his muscular back and chest. His scarred arm caught your eye. You wondered what could hurt him. He seemed so bloodthirsty and strong. When you shifted your gaze, he was watching you. You felt heat rise in your cheeks at the embarrassment of being caught staring. He touched your cheek with the back of his hand and moved it down your throat. He grabbed the edge of the sheets you were holding tightly against yourself and you tried not to flinch. The man tugged lightly at the sheet. You knew he could rip it away from you if he wanted to. He was giving you an opportunity. Your gaze drifted down and your cheeks flushed again, relinquishing your hold on the fabric and causing it to drift down your shoulders.

Goosebumps traveled down your arms as the cool air hit your bare skin. Now you mirrored him with both of your top halves exposed. His hand was so large that when he grabbed your throat, he could push your chin up with his thumb, tilting your head up enough so that he could see the discomfort on your face. The smile that was never absent from his face made you shiver. It was so unnatural. And so was the weak laugh that left him. 

He took his hand from your throat and touched below your breast. He ran the rough pads of his fingertips over each rib he could see, then trailed them to your hip. It seemed as if he was appraising you, like a cut of meat. The man splayed his hand out flat against your sternum and pushed you down until your back was flush with the bed. He hovered over you, bending down towards your lower half without removing his hand. You tensed, anxious about what he would do. Your lower half was still covered for the moment. With his free hand, he lowered the sheet covering you until the top of your pubes were showing, but he stopped there. The man kissed the ridge of your hip bones, trailing kisses over your stomach and up to your breasts. He lingered there, every movement of his was slow and deliberate. In a way that, almost, but not quite, suggested that he was waiting for you to relax or push him away. 

There was a warm feeling blooming in your gut. Something deeper than your stomach felt like it was clenching and getting wound up in knots. The warm feeling traveled through your body followed by a shiver. You were conflicted. He was a stranger, yet the closest person you had had in your life for a long time. You weren't comfortable with him, yet he was your only comfort. It wasn't your choice to have sex with him, yet you wanted to show your gratitude and this was the only way you knew how. A part of you did find the man attractive, even though he was intimidating, or maybe because he was intimidating. You felt like if you did push him away, he might not continue, but you also got the feeling that he would become impatient and get rid of you if you didn't prove useful. Ultimately, you knew you were going to do whatever the man wanted, you were going to like it, and if you didn't, you would learn to. 

The man kissed both of your breasts, kneading one of them with his hand when his mouth was occupied with the other. A gasp surprised you by escaping your lips when his tongue flicked over your nipple. Another unnerving laugh came from the man. You weren't sure if he was laughing at your discomfort or if it was an involuntary response. The thoughts slipped from your head when he bit the just above the nipple, not hard, but hard enough. You let out a yelp as he did it to the other breast, reflexively swatting at him, as that bite was harder. It hurt. You knew it was a mistake as soon as you did it. 

The man roughly grabbed both your wrists in one hand and pinned them over your head. He had a feral glint in his eye that scared you, like you flipped a switch in him. The man kept biting you, over your breasts, your neck, your stomach. Sometimes he would kiss or suck instead. Your torso was covered in marks. You tried your hardest to keep any noises from coming out, but that didn't last very long. The man seemed to bite harder if you tried to be quiet. He seemed entertained by your squirming. How long was he going to do this for? Almost since the beginning, you could feel his erection through his remaining clothes pressing into your thigh.

Against your will, your body was responding to his touches, especially when he turned his attention to your neck. Each kiss was like fire that went straight to your groin. The subtle groans that vibrated against your skin evolved to include grunts and growls, the most sound you had heard from him in general. It took you some time to realize his increase in enthusiasm came from the fact his free hand was wrapped around his cock. One glance down had you anxious. He was certainly proportional, and although you were no virgin, it had been a while, and never with anything that big. 

The knot in your belly tightened when you felt the brush of his knuckles against your thigh and stomach as he stroked himself. You wished he would stop taunting you and get on with it. His sounds were intermingled with the disturbing cursed fruit laugh that made you uncomfortable. You also became aware of your knees rubbing together and your toes curling and uncurling in anticipation. It may be painful at first, but it may offer you some relief. Actually, it may not even be as painful as you might have first thought with the way your inner thighs were collecting moisture. How shameful, to be aroused when you didn't want it. Or did you? Your mind had conflicting thoughts with your body. 

More whines were pulled from you as the man moved back to your breasts, sucking and biting at the nipples. His hands were still holding your wrists. You wanted to feel the rough callouses touching elsewhere. You writhed under him with the limited amount of movement you were allowed. He was wearing you down. You wanted him to touch you at this point, anything to give you some kind of release with all the pressure building in your core. You wanted to ask, to beg, but you weren't sure how he would receive that. You opened your mouth to say something, when his mouth cut you off, moaning into yours. There was a hot, wet sensation on your abdomen as he came onto your stomach. Of all the things you were expecting, that was not one of them. 

As soon as he was finished, he grunted and rolled over with a sigh. What just happened? And why did you feel... disappointed? Left hollow? You shuddered as the air cooled the seed dripping from your stomach. Slipping from the bed, you found the basin again and wiped it off. The slippery mess made your lip curl. You felt ashamed and confused. Your heart raced as you slipped back into the bed. You thought sharing your name might buy you some sympathy or warmth from him, but he remained indifferent. The marks and bruises on your neck and breasts were sore. And yet, you wished he would have fucked you proper. It would have been over faster and you wouldn't be aching for release. Maybe that was his goal, to make you want it, so that you would beg him for it. But a criminal wouldn't care if you wanted it or not. He was already a murderer; why would he stop there? Unless it was part of him getting off. Or maybe he just wanted you to remain an object for his use. He takes care of you like a pet and in return you were to let him use you. It was stupid to try to apply logic to something illogical. You should plainly be glad that you were alive. 

The next day, he went off as he normally did in the evening. He left you unbound, correct in the assumption you were not going to move, both out of embarrassment of the red-purple marks over your skin, and the fact you refused to put on the clothes stained with blood. There wasn't anything to do. There was barely anything in the room, nothing to tidy up. You had tried to get the blood out of your clothes with the remaining water in the basin, but failed. There was no food to prepare. The only thing you could do was lay in bed and wait. 

You heard steps coming towards the room, but they were heavier than usual. You tensed and thought about hiding. What if it wasn't the man? The door opened to reveal the man's signature grin and blonde ponytail, but there was something off. He looked weighed down and his smile was pained. When he stumbled into the room, you could tell why. He had a gash from his shoulder to his hip. His clothing was soaked with blood. You were startled at the sight, and watched him slowly kneel at the bedside, resting his upper half against it. His breathing was ragged and pained. 

You were frozen until he turned his head enough for his electric blue eye to land on you. It was silently commanding you. You ran to the basin, frowning at the unclean water. It would have to do. You gingerly helped him take off his yukata. Then you poured the water over his back and used your stained clothes, that were nearly dry now, to clean the blood away. The fabric that was the most clean, you tore into strips to wrap around his torso. The man laughed and even you could hear the pain behind it. It wasn't a deep wound, but it was big. He sucked in a breath and pushed himself up, crawling the rest of the way into the bed. 

The man slept for two days. You had no idea what happened to him. You did your best to clean the wound with what you had, but that's about all you knew to do. Without him, there would be no food coming soon, but you thought of a plan. While the man was asleep, you peeked out of the door, watching for people to leave their rooms. A naked, angrily yelling woman ran out of one of the rooms, followed by a naked gentleman. Every now and then, some similar event would happen, and you had been banking on it happening again. Assuming no one else was there, you darted into the room and snatched all the clothes you could find, then ran back to the room. You laid everything out and were surprised, and a bit ashamed, to find that you had also picked up a small pouch of coins. You only meant to grab what was needed, not resort to straight up thievery. 

You chewed your lip and stared at the man. You threw on the woman's clothing and grabbed a small amount of coins. Would he be mad at you? Your stomach growled. Now that you were accustomed to eating every day, the lack of food was wearing on you. You paused before you left and grabbed the small knife that the man kept in his belt. The scythe was way too big and obvious for you, but you felt much safer with a weapon if he wasn't going to be with you. You were shaky as you reached for the door, but you were going to prove your use. 

It was overwhelming trying to decide what food to get as your gaze bounced back and forth between all the food stalls, but you figured he was probably going to be really hungry. Selfishly, you wanted to try some of the delicacies that you had never gotten to eat. You realized you were taking too long, so you hurried, bought a bunch of food, and rushed back to the inn. You were almost giddy coming back to the room with your skirts full of food. When you returned, the man was standing in the middle of the room holding one of his scythes, which was swiftly brought to your neck as you entered.  The man slowly cocked his head and dropped the scythe, realizing that it was you, and that you had come back. You moved gradually towards the small table in the room, dumping all the food you had gotten on the table while his icy eyes followed you. You sheepishly put the rest of the coins and the small knife on the table too. You watched his gaze slide from the table to you, calculating what all you had done. 

Your smile faltered, afraid now that he was going to be mad you left. The man reached for you and you closed your eyes, thinking he was going to hit you or choke you. All he did was lay his hand on your head. You opened your eyes, peeking through your lashes at him. The man's cursed grin grew wider for a moment and your cheeks flushed. Had you finally become useful? Did you do a good job?

The two of you ate in silence. He seemed to particularly enjoy watching you try things for the first time. You didn't know how you got this feeling, since his expression was almost always the same, but you did. His eyes were hungry when they looked at you, and not for food. You grew small under that gaze. The man offered his hand to help you up from the table when you were done. For a moment, he held your face in his hands. They slid down your shoulders, pushing your yukata down slightly. He paused and picked you up, tossing you on the bed. You bounced awkwardly and had just become oriented when he joined you, sliding his arms around you and trapping your back against his chest. You felt a nip at your neck and a large hand running up your leg. There was a rumble in his chest that reverberated against your back.

"Hitokiri Kamazo."

You looked back at him in surprise. You had only ever heard the unpleasant laugh. You didn't think he would ever speak to you, or that his voice would sound so alluring.

He turned your head towards him. "Say it." He ran his thumb over your bottom lip.

Gyutaro was laying in his bed playing some games in his old beaten up PSP when he heard his phone vibrate in his night stand. A sigh of annoyances escaped his lips and placed the console on the bed, feeling a little pissed off for being interrupted while having a moment to relax. He rarely got any message, only from Ume or some of his few friends, so he grabbed it, thinking that probably was one of them. He unlocked the phone and felt his heart do a small jolt as he saw who it belonged to. 

Cute girl from class: “Hey Gyutaro, its Y/N, I was wondering when are you available so we can meet up and start the project ☺️” 

Gyutaro immediately felt his cheeks head up and a bubbly feeling building into his chest, as he stared at the message that you had sent him. “Damn, is that annoying girl again…” he muttered under his breath. Then he ran a hand through his messy black locks in frustration. 

Since the moment that you smiled at him for the first time, he felt a bunch of mixed feelings towards you. He was not used to receiving attention from girls, specially not girls as pretty as you. Normally in high school, girls would look at him in disgust or talk to him just to poke fun on him. The prettiest the girl, the meanies were her to him. 

So when the first day of class you walked towards him and introduced yourself in the sweetest voice he had ever heard, his brain stopped working. He did not know how to react at all, for a moment his defenses came at full force and just told you to “get lost”, leaving as fast as he could in fear of  getting mocked by you. 

He thought that with that you would not talk to him ever again, just like everyone else did when he usually acted like that. But then you continued to smile at him the next day, taking him completely out of guard. When you started to say good morning and greet him almost daily, he started thinking that maybe you were stupid or just out of your mind. He did not understand what exactly did you want from him and felt a little anxious and confused. But even though all that, he secretly craved the attention he was receiving from you.

Slowly, he started to long for those little moments. You were a pretty girl, so why wouldn’t he?  He always ignored you at the beginning, most of the time taken out of guard by your politeness, feeling as if his heart would go out of his chest. But with time, as he got used to it, he would give you sometimes a small nod in acknowledgment. 

He couldn’t help it, but he started to taking notice of you in class, sometimes just staring at you from the distance, watching you interact with your friends or answering questions in class.  He felt a sense of disdain towards you, a typical popular pretty girl with everything in life served in a silver plate…. He couldn’t stand you at all, but for some reason he felt drawn to you, and he hated it. 

Then, one particular day that he skipped class, he received the first message from you in his phone. At the beginning he was confused, not used to receive notifications from unknown numbers. And when he unlocked his phone and saw that it was from a girl that was sending him her notes, well, he was even more confused. 

Why would anyone send him their notes? Specially to him of all people? 

But then he looked at the profile picture of the unknown number and saw a picture of you in a cute blue dress drinking a cocktail, and almost dropped his phone. 

Of course, it had to be the cute girl from class that always smiled at him… He felt his chest flutter. Damn it, why was he feeling like this? 

He did not respond to your message till the next day with a rude tone, but he surely had spent the night looking at your profile picture. 

All this small gestures weren’t small at all for Gyutaro. No one had ever taken the time to acknowledge him like this before, and for the first time in his entire life he felt seen by someone other than his own little sister. 

He hated it, but he was growing attached to a random girl from class for just doing the barely minimum for him. And the worse part is that he did not know how to react to all this kind gestures he was receiving. 

So when he noticed you between the crowd one Saturday in his basketball match, he almost barfed from the anxiety. Why were you there?, could it be the possibility that you were there to see him? It couldn’t be that, surely. 

During the beginning of the match, he couldn’t focus at all, stealing glances at your way all the time. But then he started to feel more motivated by your presence. He wanted to do his best for you, in order to impress you. At the end of the match, he managed to basket four times and performed better than he ever had in a long time. After that day, he really wished you would go see him every match, having the little fantasy of how nice it would be to have for once someone to cheer for him among the grades.

Deep down, he knew that you were shallow and that probably he wasn't even someone special for you. But he couldn’t help but begin to feel a certain way towards you and want to cling into a small feeling of hope. Because maybe… just maybe… you could be interested in him in a certain way, right? After all, you always smiled at him, and more over, for some strange reason that he couldn’t understand, you never looked at him with disgust. It was crazy really, and all his self-deprecating thoughts were screaming at him constantly that he was being delusional. But he couldn’t help it, he was starting to develop a crush on you.

He began to make a conscious effort to suppress those feelings and ignore you even more. He couldn’t let himself be vulnerable like that. But every time he saw you in class and got a glimpse of your smile, his heart melted. 

And then, you did the most unexpected thing… you asked him to be your partner in the next project. 

He wasn’t sure if that wasn’t just a prank or something. You have been nice to him, sure, but why would you even want to do any project with him to begin with?  And what if it was all an elaborate prank to make him fall for you and then make fun of him?  He was paranoid there, so he acted as usual, pretending indifference and anger. But at the end… he couldn’t say no to your cute pretty face, so now he was here, answering your text and agreeing to met up after class on Friday to do the damn stupid project.