noelle

The story of how you two met was something like out of one of those cheesy romantic comedies you secretly indulge in. Touya was on patrol, walking down the streets looking for any suspicious behavior going on. It was a slow day, so there weren’t any crimes to stop. He was casually sipping his coffee, enjoying the warmth of the day. You had just finished your job and were walking on the same sidewalk coming from the other side. 

You were scrolling on your phone not paying attention, when you accidently bumped into the pro hero and spilled the drink all over his hero uniform. You looked at the mess wide eyed and embarrassed, heat rising to your cheeks as you stumble out an apology. 

“Oh my--I’m so sorry, I was on my phone I should’ve been watching where I was going I can--” As you rambled on, he couldn’t help but admire your beauty. He’d never been one to fall for a girl so quickly but you…you were the exception. 

He interrupted you, “Don’t worry about it, it’s not a big deal,” he gave her a gentle smile, when did he get this soft? 

“Are you sure I can pay for whatever--” he cuts you off again with a soft chuckle at how flustered you're getting over something as small as spilt coffee. 

“I promise, it’s fine,” he says, lifting a hand slightly as if to calm you down. “Comes with the job. I’ve dealt with worse than coffee.”

You blink up at him, still a little panicked, still a little embarrassed. Up close, he’s…a lot. Taller than you expected. Warmer, too. Not nearly as intimidating as the headlines make him seem. 

Still, guilt twists in your chest. “At least let me get you a new drink or something. I feel really bad.” 

Touya pauses at that, something flickering in his expression. He could just walk away. He should just walk away. That’s what he always does--no attachments, no unnecessary interactions. 

But then there’s you. Standing there awkwardly, hands hovering in the air unsure of what to do. Looking up at him, him looking down at you. You’re looking at him like you genuinely care. 

“...Alright,” he says after a second, surprising even himself. He holds up one finger, “One drink.’ 

Your face immediately brightens, relief washing over your features. “Really? Okay--there’s a cafe right there.” You gesture behind you, already starting to walk before he can change his mind. 

He follows without thinking too hard about it. 

The cafe was small and warm, the kind of place that smells like fresh pastries and coffee beans. You order quickly, insisting on paying despite his half-hearted protests, and the two of you end up sitting across from each other in a quiet corner. 

There’s a brief moment of silence. 

You fidget slightly, then laugh under your breath. “This is…probably not how you expected your patrol to go.” 

Touya leans back in his chair, arms loosely crossed, but his eyes stay on you. “Not exactly,” he admits. Another pause. Not uncomfortable--just…new. 

You glance at him, then away, then back again. “I’m really sorry again. For earlier.” 

“You’ve apologized like five times already,” he says, a hint of teasing in his voice now. 

“...I have not.” 

“You have.” 

You narrow your eyes at him “Okay, maybe I did.” 

He lets out a quiet laugh, and something about the sound makes your chest feel warm. For a second, neither of you says anything. You just…look at each other. 

Then he speaks, a little more casually this time. “What’s your name?” 

You tell him. 

He repeats it softly, like he’s committing it to memory. “I’m Touya.” 

“I know,” you smile. 

He huffs lightly at that. “Right.” 

Time passes quicker than either of you expects. Conversation comes easier than it should--about small things at first, then a little more. Your job, his patrols, random stories, dumb jokes. 

At some point, Touya realizes he hasn’t checked his surroundings in a while. 

At some point, you realize you don’t want this to end yet. 

Eventually, though, reality creeps back in. Touya glances toward the window then back at you, “I should get going,” he says, though there’s a slight hesitation in his voice. 

“Oh--yeah. Of course.” You nod, trying to ignore the small pang of disappointment. “Duty calls, right?” 

He stands, but doesn’t immediately leave. Instead, he looks down at you with something unreadable in his expression. Then before he can overthink it, “Can I see you again?” he spouts. The question catches even him off guard. 

Your eyes widen slightly, surprise flickering across your face before it softens into something warmer. “I’d like that.” 

Touya exhales, almost like he didn’t realize he was holding his breath.”Good,” he says quietly. 

You quickly scribble your number down on a napkin, sliding it across the table to him. His fingers brush yours for just a second when he takes it--brief, but enough to send a spark up your arm. 

“I’ll call you,” he says, “Princess” he adds walking out of the cafe. 

Your breath hitches, blush rising to your cheeks. A cheesy gentle smile grows as you watch him walk out of the cafe. As he walks out the cafe, Touya glances down at the napkin in his hand. 

He wasn’t supposed to do this. 

Wasn’t supposed to get involved. 

Wasn’t supposed to want more. 

And yet he did. You did too. 

You both were aware of the risks you were taking when you got into a relationship.  

Present day, after hearing the news about being revealed to the world, Touya watches your reaction carefully--almost too carefully. His eyes don’t leave your face for even a second, like he’s bracing himself, waiting for something. Waiting for you to get upset. To last out. To regret him. 

His voice is barely steady. “I…I didn’t mean for this to happen. I was reckless…I shouldn’t have kissed you in public--I’m sorry. I never wanted---” his words break off abruptly as he pulls you into him, burying his face into your shoulder like he can’t even stand to finish the sentence. His grip tightens, almost desperate. 

“I didn’t want you to be exposed…to be put in danger.” 

For a moment, you just stand there, feeling the way he’s trembling slightly, the way his breath is uneven against your neck. You wrap your arms around him, squeezing gently, one hand coming up to the back of his head. “Hey…it’s okay. We knew the risks. It’s not your fault,” you murmur softly, brushing his hair back, trying to soothe him. 

He shudders in your arms, his voice muffled but heavy with guilty, “But…I should’ve been more careful. I should’ve kept you safe…” 

“You’re my girl, my sweetheart. I didn’t want you getting caught up in my work, the stress of it all,” he kissed your neck with a silent apology. 

You pull back just enough to look at him, your hands still resting on him, grounding him. “You’ve always kept me safe,” you reply softly, tilting your chin up so he has no choice but to meet your eyes. “And I’m still here. I trust you.” 

Touya blinks, swallowing hard, like your words hit deeper than he expected. For the first time, there’s the smallest hint of a smile on his lips, faint but it’s there. The tension in his shoulders doesn’t fully disappear though, “You’re too good for me baby you know that?” You smile standing on your tip toes giving him a kiss. One sealing your commitment to him. 

Once you break apart, Touya sighs, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, “I just…I thought we were careful. I didn’t think anyone would catch us.” 

You nudge him lightly, a soft attempt to ease the heaviness in the room, “Well…when it comes to you I’m shocked people haven’t found out sooner.” 

A quiet, shaky chuckle leaves him, and he presses a small kiss to your forehead then rests his forehead against yours. “Il…I won’t let anything happen to you,” he murmurs. “I’ll protect you…no matter what.” 

And in that moment, despite the fear, despite the article still open and burning into your mind, you feel something stronger than anything else--Touya’s heart, raw and real and completely yours. 

In the middle of the night, when you’re fast asleep, Touya steps out onto the balcony. He needed air, and some time to think. He hated that he brought you in the middle of all of this. He rubs his hands over his face, looking at the city spread across the landscape. The lights of a few store signs shining across his face. A few cars drove by, a couple people laughing from their night out, he didn’t know whether he wished that photo was never taken…or if he didn’t drag you in his mess all together. 

He exhaled slowly watching his breath fly through the cold air. He took out a pack of cigarettes, taking the stick out and putting it between his teeth. He lifts his pinky towards the end of the stick, the blue flame lighting the cigarette charring the end. He inhales letting the heat stick to his lungs before exhaling watching the whitish grey smoke float through the sky. 

He was consumed by his thoughts when the silence was interrupted by the loud shrill of his phone. He takes his phone out of the pocket of his sweatpants checking the caller id. 

Great. His father. 

He picked up the phone holding it up to his ear expecting a lecture about being careless and a whole bunch about responsibility. 

As if he didn’t feel shitty enough. 

“Hello?” His voice is raspy, still holding the cigarette to his lips. He keeps his voice low not wanting to wake you up. 

“Touya.” 

“Dad.” 

“I saw the news,” 

“You and everyone else,” his voice is bitter, he scoffs at the thought of everyone now knowing their personal business. It pisses him off like nothing else. 

“Touya you know--” 

“Yes dad, I know. I was irresponsible and careless and I shouldn’t have taken her out in public let alone get involved in the first place,” Touya’s on edge, he squeezes the cigarette between his fingers harder than he should, “I know the agency is gonna be pissed but I’m not leaving her,” 

He felt guilty for even considering it, thinking it would let you leave a better life. But the way you looked at him earlier, your eyes big with determination, the way you clutched onto him like a lifeline. You need him just as much as he needs you. 

“Forget about the agency,” Endeavor says, and for the first time Touya noticed how his tone is more sympathetic than angry. “Your relationship is out there now there’s nothing that can change that.” 

Oh boy does he know that. 

“But you can change the narrative,” 

That grabs Touya’s attention. He goes silent as the cigarette is put out now, long forgotten. 

“Your number priority should be making sure that girl doesn’t get any more backlash than she already is. I’ve read what’s online and it’s not looking pretty,” Touya’s jaw tightens thinking about the potential things people could be saying. “You have a huge fan base, so people aren’t going to be taking this change lightly.” 

“You need to be prepared for what’s to happen now. You can’t react no matter how bad you want to, I know how hot tempered you can be son,” 

“I’m not--” 

“Don’t lie.” 

He shuts his mouth resting his cheek against the palm of his hand. His elbow is holding him up on the railing while the phone is held to his ear with his other hand. 

“You’re my son, I know you have the tendency to push people away but I also know how strong you fight for people,” His dad continues, “But in this case you’re going to have to take a different approach. You can’t run head first into this.” 

“Yeah I know, I just don’t know how to protect her from this,” Touya mutters, he hates showing vulnerability. He hates that he feels so weak, that he doesn’t know how to stop you from hearing the things people could be saying. 

Endeavor sighs on the other side of the phone, “Be a shoulder for her to lean on. Just be calm, which I know is a difficult concept for you,” That earns a scoff from Touya. “How is she doing right now?” 

Touya tilts his head up looking at the stars, his mind going through what happened a few hours ago. “She…didn’t freak out. She said that she doesn’t care and that she doesn’t plan on leaving.” 

Endeavor grunts in approval, “Smart girl,” Touya closes his eyes letting out a breath. “More like idiotic,” he mutters. 

That earns a short laugh from Endeavor, “Invite her to dinner soon,” 

“Oh fuck no” 

“C’mon I wanna meet the girl whose got my son wrapped around her finger--and whose brave enough to stay,” 

“No way in hell am I bringing her over to you guys,” 

“Your mother would love to meet her, in fact Fuyumi and Natsuo have been nonstop talking about it” 

Touya groans, “Precisely the reason I’m protecting her,” The thought of Fuyumi and Natsuo bugging her with random questions is a day he never wanted to come. 

“How long have you been keeping her from us anyways,” 

“...Two years,” Touya mutters. 

For a second he thought his phone died or something before Endeavor’s loud voice cut through the speaker again. “TWO YEARS!?” 

Touya holds his phone away from his ear as Endeavor rambles about how Touya managed to keep a part of his life away from his family and how he wants to meet her right away. 

“Fine, fine fine, One dinner--But I swear if any of you nutjobs ask her any wack questions I’ll--” 

“Great, it’s a plan. Invite her over once you’ve gotten a hold of your situation,” Endeavor interrupts, pleased he got his way. 

“And Touya? Keep a close eye on her, it’s not everyday a civilian gets exposed to the media for being in a relationship with a pro-hero,” 

Touya sighs, “Yeah…I got it.” 

They say bye to each other before ending the call. Touya shoves his phone back in the pocket of his sweatpants. The night air has gotten colder, he turns his head back thinking about you. Probably peacefully speaking, not knowing the chaos you’re about to endure. 

The only thing he can do is hope he can protect you at least a little. 

As the days went on you were getting more and more public attention. If you were going to groceries, there would be people holding their phones towards you not so subtly. Even when you were getting the mail, your neighbors would be giving you looks whispering to each other. 

By the end of the week you went from a nobody to somebody…whether that’s a good thing or bad thing is up to the viewers interpretation. 

Headlines, posts, videos---your face, your name, your life. You thought at first you wouldn’t care as much, the only thing that mattered was you and Touya’s relationship. But…you don't like having your name in articles, people you don’t even know trying to figure out every part of your life. It’s unnerving. 

You didn’t say anything to Touya, he already feels guilty enough you couldn’t add on to that. But even through your silence, he could feel the weight this put on you. 

It was late, the sky was black, stars peaking out, the city outside your window still hummed faintly, distinct traffic and the occasional voice drifting up, but inside your apartment, everything felt softer. Dim. Safe. 

You sat curled up on the couch, legs tucked under a blanket, the TV playing something neither of you were actually watching. Touya sat behind you, back pressed into the corner of the couch, one arm wrapped securely around your waist, keeping you close---like if he loosened his grip, you might disappear. Your head was resting against the chest, his presence keeping you grounded. 

Touya’s fingers moved slowly along your arm, tracing absentminded shapes into your skin. Circles, lines, something uneven---something mindless as his thoughts drifted farther away. 

His hand pauses for a moment. “Princess...you okay?” he asks quietly. 

The question is gentle, but there’s something heavier underneath it--like he’s been wanting to ask for a while and just now found the courage to. 

You don’t answer right away, your fingers tighten slightly in his shirt. Touya notices immediately. His arm shifts just a little, pulling you closer without forcing anything. “Hey,” he murmurs against the top of your head, softer now. “You can tell me.” 

You let out a slow breath, your gaze dropping to where his hand rests against you. 

“I…” you start, then stop, your throat tightening slightly. His fingers are still against your arm completely now. His eyes drop down to your face watching your expression and listening to whatever you have to say. 

“I don’t like it,” you admit quietly, the guilt seeking into your chest the moment you say the words out loud. Touya’s chest rises under you, a subtle, sharp inhale. You’re unable to look him in the eye, forcing yourself to continue. 

“I don’t like people looking at me like that,” you continue, your voice small but steady. “Like they know me. Like I’m being dissected,” your hands curl a little tighter into his shirt. 

Touya knows the feeling all too well, being put under the eyes of the public is not for everyone. Hell, he doesn’t like being under the spotlight either but he endures it for the sake of being a pro hero. 

But he knows how shy and awkward you can be around randoms--it’s one of the reasons he fell so deeply in love with you. The arm around your waist tightens slightly as if he’s protecting you, his chin rests on your shoulder as he listens to your feelings. The breath warm against your neck, pressing a gentle kiss to your pulse point. 

“I read some of it,” you add, almost like you shouldn’t have. That. That catches Touya’s attention immediately, and you can tell by the way his entire body tenses beneath you. 

“...What?” You can hear the shift in his voice immediately--low, controlled. He knows what the media does to people, he knows how bad people’s self-esteem can get. He wanted to protect you from that part of his life, he gently cards his fingers through your hair coaxing you to look at him. 

“Baby, what did you read?” His voice is soft, like he’s trying to coax the answer out of you. 

“It doesn’t matter--” 

“It matters to me.” There’s an edge there now, the way he’s still running his fingers through your hair gently tells you it’s not because of you. He remembers what his dad told him, about how what people are saying is not pretty. 

He didn’t even bother reading it knowing he would get pissed and hunt down whoever wrote such terrible things about his girl. But it’s not hard to imagine what was on there. He knows how aggressive fans can be. “You can tell me sweetheart,” 

You hesitate then look at him, “Some of it was nice,” you slowly start making yourself continue, “But…not all of it.” 

You look away for a second, biting your lip as you figure out how to put it in words. He squeezes your hand a little letting you know he’s not going anywhere. 

“People say I’m a distraction. That I’m not good enough. That I’m just gonna get in your way.” You let out a shaky sigh trying to block those comments out of your head but they live their rent free. 

He notices the tension on your face and presses a kiss to your cheek, cupping your face so you can look at him and only him. He kisses your nose, the corners of your mouth, your forehead, painting your face with soft gentle kisses. 

You’ve made him such a big softie for you. 

He pulls back a little, his eyes filled with determination. Determination to get you to understand that you are nothing but perfect to him. That you are his. He hated the media for trying to meddle in the relationship, if he could light them all on fire he would. 

“Listen to me, you’re not a distraction. You never were. You make me better in every way possible, I never knew I could fall so deeply in love. I. Love. You.” he emphasizes each word making sure they imprint in your brain washing away any insecurities the media implanted in your head. 

Your eyes are glassy, the self-doubt lingering in those beautiful eyes of yours. He hated how his life affected you, you were something precious to him and he refused to let something as cruel as the paparazzi damage you…he couldn’t even fathom the thought of villains thinking they could touch you. You watch his expression how anger still lingers but there’s also something else there. Guilt. 

“...I did this to you,” he murmurs. Your brows pull together immediately, shaking your head. 

“No, you didn’t.” 

“If I had just--kept my distance, I told myself I didn’t want to drag you into this especially not you,” he rubs a hand over his face, his mind going through different ‘what-if’ scenarios. What would your life look like if he had just left you alone? If he didn’t let you buy him that one drink? 

You felt the tension in his body, your hand gently rubbing his arm reeling him back from whatever spiral he’s going through now. The dark circles under his eyes become more visible to you now, “I chose this,” 

That gets him to look at you, really look at you. The cute little furrow in your brows when you're determined to do something. In this case, you’re determined to get him to see how he’s brought nothing but warmth and love in your life. How you never truly understood what being safe and cared for was like before him.

“I knew who you were,” you continue, softer now but no less sure. “I knew what could happen. And I still said yes. And I don’t regret it one bit,” 

You turn your entire body towards him, legs tucked underneath. Even though he was still feeling mad at himself, he was having a hard time not laughing seeing as you looked cute with that pout on your face, the pure feeling of love and need was consuming him entirely. 

“I can’t imagine myself but anyone other than you, and I don’t want to. Does the internet freak me out a little? Yes it does,” that earns a breathy laugh from him, one that makes your heart flutter, “But that doesn’t change the fact that I want you. I want to be with you despite the risks and dangers. I made my decision and I’m sticking with it, so don’t take that choice away from me just because it got harder.”

Touya goes quiet. Really quiet. It was hard to read the look on his face. Was he mad? Did you go too far? Maybe you should’ve--

Your thoughts get cut off with the warm press of his lips against yours. You tense for just a second, caught off guard, before melting into it, your body responding before your mind can catch up. His lips move against yours slow and sweet, his hand cups your cheek, thumb brushing lightly along your skin as he tilts your head back guiding you closer. 

You clutch the front of his shirt, fingers curling into the fabric to steady yourself, but it doesn’t help much. Not when he kisses you like that. You feel yourself give in completely, sinking into him until you’re practically melting in his lap, warmth spreading through you like you might just dissolve right there. 

He smiles against your lips feeling how submissive you got for him. He takes it as the greenlight to slide his hand from your cheek to your waist guiding you up until you're straddling his lap. The movement is smooth, your lips never breaking. When you finally pull away for air, your face stays close, your breaths mingling together--warm, uneven and full of heat. “Did I mention,” he murmurs softly, his voice brushing against your lips, “how completely in love with you I am?” 

His eyes lift to meet yours, you part your lips slightly taking in the moment. You're 90% sure he can hear how loud your heart is right now. He smiles, taking his finger tracing the part of your cheek where the prettiest blush appeared. He watches the way you react to every small touch, he leans his head forward letting the tips of your noses touch.

“They don’t get to decide who you are,” the words are barely louder than a whisper, “Or what you mean to me.” 

Your lips curve just slightly, that small bit of affection was enough to make his heart skip a beat. “And what do I mean to you?” 

“...Everything,” he admits. His turquoise eyes looking at you as if he could see your soul, making your heart stutter. You’re the only thing that exists in this moment…in any moment really. 

You let out a small breath, your hands sliding up from his shoulders to the back of his neck, fingers threading lightly into his snow like hair. “You’re really unfair, you know that?” you murmur softly, a hint of breathless amusement in your voice. 

His brow lifts just slightly, his small smile transforming into a smirk. “How?” 

“I can’t respond when you say things like that,” you gave him a small push to his shoulder playfully which earned a quiet, warm laugh from him. 

“Not my fault,” he tucks a piece of hair behind your ear, taking in your perfect face. The more prominent blush on your cheeks, the way your eyes glimmer is the dim lit room. “You love it.” 

You roll your eyes just a little, but the smile on your lips gives you away. 

Before you can respond he presses a small kiss to your nose, then back to your lips. Slower this time. As if he’s trying to communicate a secret only you can know. One hand stays firm on your hip, grounding you against him, while the other slides to the back of your neck, fingers slipping into your hair, holding you there like he doesn’t plan on letting you go anytime soon. 

You lean into him fully this time, no hesitation, no tension left in your body. Just warmth, and him, and the steady way his thumb brushes against your side like he’s reminding himself you’re still here. That it’s just you and him at this moment. 

When you finally pull back again, it’s slower, reluctant. Your forehead rests against his, your eyes still half-lidded, “I’m not going anywhere,” you whisper softly. 

He smiles, adjusting himself and you so that you’re tucked against him. He traces patterns along your back, you close your eyes melting against the feeling. 

You loved moments like this, where you can just exist together in silence. He presses a soft kiss to the top of your head, his lips lingering longer than they should. 

“My sweet girl,” he mumbles against your head. 

A couple of weeks had passed by and the attention had not left you and Touya. If anything it grew. There were heavy debates from fans, fangirls who weren’t too pleased, they acted like you took him away from them. As if they had a chance to begin with. There were news reporters watching Touya’s every move, meaning one slip up from him and the media would turn on you--blame you for being a distraction of some sort. 

You got paranoid walking home from work, Touya insisted he drive you but you didn’t want to put that burden on him. After hours of back and forth he gave in to your wish and let you walk. 

So now here you were, the sky was pitch black with barely any stars peeking through. The glow of the moon shone across your face, you crossed your arms clutching onto your sleeves when you felt a chill run down your spine. Whether that was from the chill of the night or the feeling of paranoia you couldn’t tell. 

But then that’s when you heard it. 

Footsteps. Slow but menacing. 

Your breath hitched almost instantly, your body going rigid for just a second before picking up the pace, turning a random corner. You thought that was smart considering you didn’t want to lead whoever this was straight to your place. 

The street was darker and more narrow. The flickering streetlight above buzzed faintly, casting uneven shadows across the ground. For a moment, the footsteps thought. For a moment, you thought you were safe. You slowed slightly, your breath uneven as you listened. 

Nothing. Just silence. Maybe you were overthinking it. 

You took one step forward when a hand suddenly grabbed your wrist pulling you harsh and rough. You gasped, instinctively trying to pull back, your heart slamming painfully against your chest. 

“Got you.” The voice was low. Dangerous. Terrifying. Your back hits a hard chest, your breathing uneven as panic surges through you, adrenaline all at once as you struggle, twisting your arm, trying to break free. The man was in all black, the top half of his face was hard to see because it was covered by his hood. He had this darkness around him that made your skin crawl with goosebumps. 

“Let go of me!” you shriek, loud enough hoping that some bypasser could hear. His grip on you tightened causing your heart to race faster. 

“You’re prettier up close,” he muttered, his breath tickling your ear in a not so pleasant way. You tried to put some distance between your bodies but his unfaltering grip made it difficult. Your stomach dropped as your mind was being consumed with fear. 

You shoved against him, your free hand pushing at his chest, trying to create space but he barely budged. “Stop--!” 

“No, no,” he cut in, shifting as he tried to pull you closer. “Don’t make this difficult. I just need you to cooperate for a bit. He’ll come running once he realizes you’re gone.”  

Your breath stuttered. Touya. This creep is using you to lure your boyfriend out. 

Adrenaline surged at the thought making you react without thinking--bringing your knee up sharply, catching him off guard just enough for his grip to loosen. You ripped your arm free and stumbled back, turning to run…unfortunately he was faster. 

His hand caught the back of your jacket, yanking you back hard enough to make you lose your footing. You hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the air from your lungs. You tried to push yourself up but your vision was a bit blurry from how hard your head hit the ground. Before you could recover, he was already there again. 

“Not so fast,” the creep muttered, crouching down, reaching for you. You scrambled back, heart racing, vision still messed up, palms scraping against the pavement as you tried to put distance between you. 

“Stay away from me!” your voice was shaky but you didn’t stop fighting. You tried to grab your purse but somewhere between the chaos it landed a few feet away from you. 

You twisted again as his hand closed around your ankle this time, dragging you back. Your legs scraped against the pavement leaving red marks. Panic clawed its way up your throat. 

No…no no no no. 

You kicked out hard, connecting with something, you weren’t sure if it was his arm or his shoulder but you didn’t care, the kick was hard enough that it made him hiss and loosen his grip for a second. You crawled back again, forcing yourself up, trying to run when he snapped and grabbed your wrist. He pulled you toward him with force this time.

“Stop moving!” you felt dizzy between the pure fear, your head still messed up from earlier, and trying to fight for your life. Your balance gave out, and suddenly you were too close. His grip tightened painfully leaving bluish purple bruises on your wrists. “You don’t get it,” he said, breath uneven, his devious eyes sharp in the dim light. “This isn’t about you. It’s about him.” 

Your chest heaved with panic and anger mixing as you struggled against him. “I’m not helping you--” 

“You don’t have a choice.” 

In that moment you realized there was no way you could get out. You just thought about Touya to keep the panic at bay. You missed Touya, you needed him. You wanted his presence, his comfort, his reassuring words. The way he’d hold you tight and press kisses across your face. You hated yourself for not letting him drive you, you were so stupid and naive. Tears stung your eyes as you thought about everything you regretted and wished for in that moment. But you refused to let this bastard see you break. 

Where is he? 

Just as that thought rang in your mind the grip on your wrist vanished. A flash of blue flames slammed into the man, sending him flying back, his body hitting the pavement with a sickening thud. The creep coughed violently, his outfit slightly charred, his ugly face more visible now. 

Your vision of the man was blocked when Touya stood between you and him, his back was to your shoulders tense, blue flames flickering faintly along his arms, casting a low blue glow against the dark street. 

He was in full pro hero mode now it was a side of him you’d never seen before. He was controlled and furious, it must be terrifying being on the other side of that glare of his. The man groaned, trying to push himself up, “Took you long enough,” he groaned. 

“Stay down,” Touya warned, taking one menacing step forward. The man didn’t listen, he lunged forward but Touya moved faster. The fight was over in seconds, it wasn’t messy. Touya had kicked and punched him multiple times dodging whatever attacks the man threw at him swiftly. Until one swollen eye and bloody nose later, the creep realized he was outmatched and ran in the opposite direction. 

He was about to take a step forward when he remembered the shaking girl behind him. He turned around looking at you on the floor, hot tears started falling from your eyes, your breathing uneven. In a split second he crosses the distance crouching down in front of you. 

“Hey, hey, hey baby,” his hands cupped both your cheeks, his thumb swiping away as each tear fell down. “You’re okay, you’re safe. It’s just me and you now,” 

You sniffled, your throat closing up as you tried to conjure up any sort of sentence. He could see your struggle and immediately pulled you in his chest. Touya could feel the tears staining his shirt, his hand cradled the back of your skull holding you tight but delicately. His other hand rubbed your back soothingly, “I’ve got you, let it out sweetheart, you’re alright,” his voice was calm despite the basket of feelings he had right now. 

You nodded against him, pressing your face further into his chest, your fingers clutching at his shirt. 

“My brave girl,” he pressed a couple kisses to the top of your head, his movement never faltering. 

“I tried to--” your voice was shaky, the words coming out strangled “I tried to get away--” 

“I know,” he said quickly, he gently removed your face from his chest tilting your head to look at him. Your eyes were glassy, still filled with unshed tears. He kissed your eye lids, the press of his lips were soft and familiar. Just like you wished. “You did so good, baby I’m so proud of you,” 

You winced, holding the back of your head which was still paining from earlier. Touya noticed immediately, removing your hand and replacing it with his gently messaging the part that hurts. That’s when he took in your appearance. The bruise on your wrist, the red scrapes on your legs. His eyes were filled with anger but he forced himself to hold back for your sake. 

“Fuck,” his hand gently traces all the marks, “I’m gonna find that guy and he’ll never--” he pauses when he hears you wince, and immediately softens up. It’s kind of pathetic how you got him wrapped around your finger. 

He brushed your hair out of your face smooshing your cheeks together, gosh you're so darn cute even with your eyes puffy and red, your cheeks silently damp from the tears, eye lashes clumped together and glossy. Your adorable nose was a cute shade of red too. 

“Don’t cry sweet girl. I hate seeing you cry,” he mutters, smooshing your cheeks together, after a moment he swoops one arm under your legs and the other cradling your back. “Let’s get you home,” 

He doesn’t let go for even a second carrying you all the way. Not even when he steps into your apartment. He gently sets you down on the crouch leaving the room for less than 30 seconds to grab a first aid kit. 

You’re still shaking a little thinking about the events from earlier, your fingers curled tightly into the fabric of your clothes, your mind replaying everything in flashes you can’t quite control. The footsteps. The grip. The fear. 

You barely have time to look up before Touya is back, kneeling in front of you again, the first aid kit already open beside him. His movements are quick but careful. He’s done this on himself a million times before. 

“Hey,” he murmurs softly, his hand coming up to rest against your knee, grounding. “Look at me.” 

Your eyes flicker up to his, still glass, still unfocused around the edges. 

The corners of his lips turn up a bit when he fully sees your face, “There you go,” he says gently, brushing his thumb just under your eye. “Stay with me, yeah? You nod, barely. His expression softens even more at that. “Good girl.” 

He reaches for your wrist first, his fingers light as he turns it over, examining the forming bruise. His jaw tightens for just a second but he reins it in quickly, forcing his touch to stay gentle as he dabs at the area. You flinch at the sting of the rubbing alcohol. 

“I know, I know,” he murmurs immediately, his other hand coming up to steady yours. “I’ve got you baby. I’m gonna be gentle, okay?” 

His thumb brushes over your knuckles, slow and grounding you again before he continues. The room is quiet except for your uneven breathing and the soft sounds of him working. 

“You scared me,” he says after a moment. His voice is quiet but not in an angry way…just heavy. 

You blink, your gaze dropping slightly. “...I’m sorry.” 

“No.” It comes out firmer than anything he’s said so far. Your eyes snap back up to him. “Don’t apologize,” he says, softer now, but no less serious. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” 

There’s a short pause, the silence doesn’t linger for long. 

“...But you are an idiot.” he grumbles. Your lips part slightly in surprise. Touya exhales through his nose, shaking his head just a little, his hand still gently holding yours. 

“I told you I didn’t like you walking alone,” he mutters, not looking at you for a second as he grabs a clean cloth. “Not because I don’t trust you--but because I don’t trust everyone else. All things considering,” 

There’s no anger in the way he says it, just fear that hasn’t fully left him yet. His hand comes up to your cheek again, tilting your face toward him so you can’t look away. 

“From now on,” he says quietly, his voice steady and unwavering, “I’m driving you. To work. From work. Everywhere….for the time being,” he adds. 

You open your mouth to argue--out of habit more than anything. But memories from tonight fill your head, the lingering free creeping back in. You don’t argue. Instead, your shoulders drop slightly, and you nod. “...Okay.” 

His body is relieved of tension after hearing that, letting out a relieved breath. A part of him was worried you would keep arguing because you were stubborn like that. But seeing as you were all shaken up from today’s events he’s more than happy to accept your acceptance. 

“Good,” he murmurs. His thumb brushes along your cheek again, slower this time. He finishes cleaning up the scrapes on your legs, his touch careful, deliberate. Like every small action is his way of making sure you’re still here. That you’re still okay. When he’s done, he sets the first aid kit aside and sits on the touch next to you. Shoulders brushing together, knees touching.

There’s a moment of silence, he looks at your side profile analyzing your expression. Mentally filling in the blanks your silence speaks. He doesn’t rush to comfort you, he gives you your own space. He waits for you to come to him if you need, one thing about Touya is he’ll always be by your side whether you need him or not but he never pushes you past your limit or overwhelms you. Sure he could be hardheaded and stubborn but that doesn’t change anything. 

Touya just stays by your side, he hesitates at first but he lifts his hand a little gently brushing a strand of loose hair behind your ear. 

“You did really good,” he whispers, soft enough that he wasn’t sure if you actually heard it or not. You rub your arms, a nervous tick he’s well aware of. His eyes dart down, watching your hands rub up and down your arm like you’re remembering you’re here with him and not back there. 

“I was…” you start, swallowing the lump in your throat, tears pricking your eyes. Get it together you’re fine. He can see your eyes forming glassy tears again and the way your eyebrows knit together tells him you’re mentally bereading yourself, “terrified.” 

“I know,” he nods, “And despite that you still fought back. You’re braver than you think.” 

Your breath hitches, you don’t make eye contact with him. His gaze softens when he watches you fight your own feelings. How you’re trying to act brave for his sake is cute but completely unnecessary. 

Touya opens his mouth to say something but you interrupt him by hugging him. It threw him off guard, one second you were completely to yourself and the next your arm is wrapping around his waist, head pressed against his chest holding onto him as if he’ll disappear in the next 5 seconds. 

He slowly wraps both his arms around you, resting his chin on top of your head. He’s holding you as if you could break any moment. Like you’re something delicate and precious. 

Well to Touya you are. 

“My brave, sweet girl,” he whispers atop of your head, his warmth enveloping you protecting you from your own worries and fears. You let your tears fall, you don’t know whether it’s from the aftermath of everything that happened or the fact that Touya loves you and takes care of you like no one you’ve ever met. 

Touya feels his shirt dampening, your tears sinking into the fabric. You don’t make a sound, just silently crying and shaking in his arms. He doesn’t push you to talk about anything, just rubs your back; a reminder that he’s here and he’ll always be here. 

“Shhh…shhh you’re okay baby, I’m here, no one’s touching you again,” he reassures you with his hand carding through your hair. “I love you so much. More than you know.” You muffle a small cry against his shirt, the small sound piercing his heart worse than any villain could. 

Your fingers tighten slightly in his shirt. A few minutes pass…or maybe longer, it’s hard to tell. You’re not shaking anymore, the tears have stopped falling. He keeps you where you are, only letting you move when you want to move. 

“I’m gonna fix this,” 

“What?” Your voice is hoarse.  You look up at him, tilting your head. What did he mean by fixing this? It's not like he can erase the photo from the internet or everyone’s minds? 

He shifts the two of you so that he’s laying down on the couch with his head on the arm rest and your body laying on top of his. 

His arm wraps around you tightly, protective but gentle, his hand finding yours and lacing your fingers gently. He looks at your adorably confused face pressing a kiss to your knuckles, “Trust me,” Touya doesn’t go into detail, instead he just presses a soft kiss to your forehead then each of your damp cheeks. He’s met with the salty and cold taste of your tears but he doesn’t care. Because all that matters is that you’re in his arms. 

It’s been a few days since the incident happened, you decided to email your boss and tell him you’ll be working from home from now on or at least until everything dies down a bit. You didn’t want to burden Touya with the stress of driving you back and forth and you didn’t want another incident to happen again. 

Touya’s been barely over since then as well, he’s reassured you multiple times that he’s not avoiding you or anything…and that he loves you which makes you embarrassingly sappy every time. 

You’ve never had any reason to doubt Touya and you figured with everything going on it was probably a good idea to keep his distance from you, you didn’t want to put him in danger after all. 

Your apartment is quiet, the smell of your morning coffee lingering in the air, the afternoon sun shining in through the blinds creating lines across the couch you’re sprawled across. A blanket is bunched around your legs, one hand holding a mug that’s gone slightly cold. You grab the remote flipping through different channels to pass time. 

The channels switch from some cheesy Hallmark movie, to some animal documentary, to Touya, to--

Hold on. 

You frantically flip back to the last channel, fumbling with the remote clicking the button until you landed back on the channel. 

You see Touya, you’re Touya, on your tv with a microphone in his hand, paparazzi flashes and news reporters crowding around him. 

What is he doing? 

He takes a deep breath, waiting for the crown to hush down, before he starts speaking. You sit up straighter, putting the volume up, Touya hates press conferences. Says they’re an absolute waste of time and that the reporters twist everything he says anyway so what’s the point. 

“Touya, is it true you’re in a relationship?”

“Who is she?” 

“Is she a civilian?” 

“Is she the reason your recent patrol reports show decreased focus?” 

“Are villains targeting her?” 

The voices overlap, chaotic, hungry for any sort of information to turn into gossip. Touya doesn’t react, not immediately, instead he lets them all talk, ask their questions. He lets them think they have the power here.  

Touya thinks about what his father told him, about how he needs to change the narrative. This is his chance. 

He slowly exhales before lifting the mic closer. He didn’t really have anything prepared, was planning on just saying whatever’s been on his mind for the past few weeks. Ever since that bad guy tried something with you, he knew he needed to do something to address the situation. He couldn’t let these people think they can touch you or say stuff about you and he wouldn’t do anything about it. 

“I’m going to answer this once,” His voice is calm, scarily calm. It’s taking everything in him not to just use his fists instead of words, to just beat it into everyone’s minds that his love life is no one else’s concern. But no, he has to do this properly, he has to do this for you. Every reporter quiets almost instantly not because they respect him but because they can feel something shift. 

Touya’s eyes sweep across the crowd, like he’s memorizing every face that’s about to twist his words later. This could either be beneficial or a waste of time. 

“I’m not distracted,” he starts, “And I’m not unstable. My work hasn’t changed.” 

A pause, he’s making sure his words are sinking into these reporter’s heads, “But my life has.” 

Meanwhile, you’re on the edge of your seat, your fingers tighten slightly around the mug. You don’t even realize you’re holding your breath, your eyes never leave his face. Watching how serious his expression is, the way his white hair sweeps across his forehead hanging just a little bit in front of his eyes, you notice how tense his muscles seem like he’s holding himself back. 

A reporter steps forward again. “So the rumors are false? There is no girlfriend?” 

Touya doesn’t answer right away, the second he answers this question the whole world will know who you are to him. As if most of the population doesn’t already know but everyone will have it confirmed. He taps his finger on the side of the mic gently, the parts of him soften when he thinks about you and your smile. Your personality, how sweet and considerate you are, the feel of your body against his. Everything about you makes him a better person, in both his hero work and his personal life. 

The longer his silence takes the faster your heart races. He lowers his gaze for a fraction of a second, then looks up again. “No. I’m not single.” 

That simple word let chaos run havoc among his audience. Flashes explode like lightning, voices crash into each other, questions turn sharper and louder. Each reporter wanted a piece of their new juicy gossip to write some fuckass article. 

“Is it serious?” 

“Is she in danger?” 

“Is this a publicity issue?” 

“Did the agency approve--” 

Touya raises his hand slightly, and somehow they listen again. You’re now realizing how much power and control he has over the situation. How he’s making the narrative his. 

Ours. 

“I didn’t come here to entertain speculation,” he says, his voice is steady and professional but with a slight more edge now. “So I’ll make this clear.” 

Here goes nothing, “I’ve been in a relationship for over two years.” Your breath catches so hard it hurts, your mind replaying all the awesome, romantic moments you two have had, the secrets you’ve kept from everyone. 

And now it’s all out. 

“And I kept it private because I knew exactly what would happen the moment people found out. Because I didn’t want her turned into a headline,” he takes a breath, choosing his words carefully, “And I didn’t want her to become something people debated instead of respected.” 

Your vision blurs slightly before you even realize it. 

“Is she the girl in the leaked photo?” 

“Yes” 

Simple. Confident. 

“And before anyone decides to turn this into a story about distraction or weakness--don’t.” 

He shifts his grip on the mic, “She is not a distraction from my work. She is not something I lose focus over. And she is not a mistake I made.” 

His eyes lift slightly, beyond the reporters. He looks into the camera, but it’s like he’s looking at you through the screen. You don’t even register the tears rolling down your face, your knuckles turning white from gripping the edge of the couch so hard. 

“She’s a person who didn’t ask for any of this. And she still chose to stay with me knowing what my life looks like,” His eyes darted back down to the reporters giving each of them a warning glare, “So if anyone is looking for something to blame for my ‘lack of focus’--look at me.” 

“I made the choice to love her. I made the choice to keep her safe. And I made the choice to finally stop pretending she doesn’t exist in my life just because it’s inconvenient for yours.” 

Touya exhales slowly letting his voice drop lower, “I knew this would happen eventually,” he admits. “I just didn’t think it would happen like this…And I didn’t think I’d be okay with it.” 

Your chest hurts now because you can hear how much he means every single word he says. How even though he hates attention he’s confessing his love for you to the entire world. 

“I’ve spent my whole career keeping things out of reach,” he continues. “People. Attachments. Anything that could be used against me--or them.” 

HIs fingers tighten slightly around the mic. “But I was wrong about one thing,” 

His eyes flicker back up at the camera, “Some things are worth the risk.” You press your hand over your mouth without realizing, he’s speaking to you and you alone. You can see how his eyes are soft, the same ones reserved only for you. 

A reporter asks another question, softer and more perceptive, “Are you worried this will affect your reputation?” 

His eyes darted down to the reporter who asked, “No,” he answered. “Her being in my life is not a burden to my career or me. The only one responsible for my reputation is myself.” 

Touya lowers the mic slightly, a signal that he’s wrapping up. “I’m done hiding it,” 

“If you want to write about me, write the truth,” His eyes narrow slightly. “But leave her out of your stories.” 

“And for those who think they can touch her just to get to me, think again” he warns. 

Then he turns slightly, not fully away from them but enough like the conversation is over. Just as he made that small movement, reporters all step forward holding out their mics wanting just a few more pieces of information. Slight chatter starts up from among them. 

He eyes the camera one more time, as if he can imagine you watching from your apartment. The corner of his lip lifts up a little as if saying:

I love you, I’m coming home. 

taglist: @imjustawriter09 @catboygumi

a/n: i need to finish my spider-man yuji serious omg i completely forgot about it.

sparkle and line dividers by @pixopix

bow divider by @cursed-carmine

When he stepped inside the room was dimmer, the blinds were shut, the usual energy missing. He scrunched his eyebrows the second he felt a change in atmosphere. 

Then he saw you. 

Curled up on the bed, clinging onto that stuffed bear he won you a while ago, your face was scrunched up a little. You looked completely in pain and that broke his heart. He never liked seeing you in pain. He felt it was his personal mission in life to keep all bad things away from you. 

He crossed the room in two steps, crouching down in front of you. He brushed the few strands of hair that fell in front of your face, “Hey,” his voice dropped as quiet as he could, “What’s going on?” 

You were curled in on yourself, knees pulled in, one arm wrapped tight around your middle. His thumb brushed lightly over your cheek, coaxing you to look at him. 

“Talk to me” 

Once you made eye contact with him through your squinted eyes, your face was tense in a way he didn’t like, “...Touya?” Your voice was small, sleepy but in pain. 

He nodded tilting his head to the side to get a better look at you, “Yeah it’s me,” 

“Did something happen? Did someone hurt you--” 

You shook your head before he went into a huge spiral, “No, no…it’s just…cramps,” 

He paused for a minute then it clicked. 

Oh. 

Oh. 

“Oh,” he adjusted to sitting on the edge of the bed running a hand through his hair, lightly setting his free hand on your hip. His face was scrunched, not in disgust but processing. Like he didn’t understand how to fix something your body can’t control. 

He took a look at your face again, scrunched in pain, your usual happy, bubbly smile nowhere to be found. Touya’s jaw tightened, something protective and frustrated rising up, “Why didn’t you tell me?” 

You slowly adjusted yourself to sit up, facing him, “It’s not a big deal,” 

“It is if you look like you’re on the brink of death,” he puts his hand on your shoulder, lightly pushing you back down as if telling you it’s ok you can rest. 

“Just what every girl wants to hear from their boyfriend.” you grumble lying back down. 

He let out a scoff, kissing your knuckles as a silent apology for sounding harsh. He could be tough and mean on the outside, with his insults and glares he shoots at other people. But with you it was different. He was softer, gentle. It was only something you got to see. "You know you're gorgeous, I just hate seeing you like this."

After a moment of silence, he stands up from the bed mumbling something that sounds like “be right back” leaving you alone to suffer in silence. 

He steps out of the room, tapping rapidly on his phone before putting it up to his ear. He leans back against the wall, one hand shoved in the pocket of his sweatpants, the other one pushing back his snow white hair that falls over his eyes again. 

“Hello?” 

“Fuyumi,” he clears his throat, he’s not used to needing help from his younger sister. But period stuff was way out of his repertoire, “What helps…when it’s that time of the month?” 

She bursts out laughing, making him hold back his words pulling away his phone from his ear, “Quit it.” he mutters, the tips of his ears turning pink. 

Fuyumi doesn’t stop laughing, her giggles piercing through his ears, “Oh my god,” she manages between breaths, “Is this about your girlfriend?” 

Touya exhales sharply through his nose, already regretting this call, “Could you just answer the question?” 

“Okay, okay,” he can feel her smiling through the phone, “Cramps right?” 

“Yeah” 

“Alright well, heating pads help a lot, there’ll be cravings--she seems like the type to crave sweet stuff, so ice cream or chocolate works,” she hums on the other end of the phone thinking of what else is there, “painkillers if she has any. And Touya?” 

He pinches the bridge of his nose, waiting for the inevitable teasing, “Hm?” 

“Be nice to her,” 

That’s not what he expected. 

“I am nice,” 

“Pfft, yeah I’m sure,” she laughs, “I just mean be extra nice and patient with her, she’s not feeling great,” 

He hums, that painful expression on your face flashing through his mind, “She’ll appreciate you being there more than anything.” Fuyumi adds. 

“Got it,” he mutters a quick thanks before ending the call. 

He walks toward the dormitory kitchen, thankfully it’s empty, he’s not really in a mood to chitchat with others. Not when his mind is solely focused on making his girl feel better. 

He makes some hot tea for you, your favorite in fact, mentally thinking of different ways to make you feel better. Although the main thing Fuyumi said was to be there by your side. 

That he can do.  

Touya softly pads back to your dorm, opening the door with more gentleness than the time before. He takes the bottle of painkillers he finds on the table and brings them over to you. 

You’re still well he left you, curled up in a ball and in major pain clinging onto that stupid stuffed animal he won you god knows when, his expression softens as he places the mug and bottle on your nightstand quietly. 

“Hey,” he says a little softer this time, sitting back on the edge of your bed he gently cups your cheek. You instinctively lean into his touch, his warmth and presence making you feel better. You hum in response, barely opening your eyes. 

“Sit up for a sec,” he murmurs, his voice carrying that tenderness only you get to hear. 

You groan quietly, “Ugh, I really don’t wanna,” 

“I know baby,” he slides an arm under your shoulders anyway, “C’mon. Just for a second,” 

There’s no real resistance, you’re too tired to fight him, so you let him help you up. He hands you your water bottle and painkillers, “Take these,” not commanding, more like offering. 

You do, leaning into him without thinking. 

He notices. Of course he does. 

Once you’re done, he sets everything aside and reaches behind you, adjusting your pillows so you can lean back comfortably. He carefully climbs in the bed beside you, adjusting you so your head can gently rest on his chest. When he holds out the tea he made, you cup your hands around the warm mug, Touya’s chin resting on top of your head. 

Touya places a soft kiss to the back of your head, his nose filled with your strawberry scented shampoo, he watches you drink your tea in content. His hand traced slow, steady circles along your arm, grounding, comforting. 

“Good?” 

You nod happily. 

The warmth of the tea settles in your chest, mixing with the steady warmth of him beneath you. His hand continues tracing slow, absentminded circles along your arm, grounding, gentle. 

For once, the pain isn’t the only thing you can focus on. Touya’s presence makes you feel grounded, you focus on the soft gentle circles he traces. 

Your eyes start to grow heavy. 

Touya notices almost immediately, the way your grip on the mug loosens slightly, the way your breathing evens out, “Hey,” he murmurs quietly, carefully taking the mug from your hands before it can slip. “I got it.” 

You barely respond, already half-asleep and grumbling what sounds like a thank you. You instinctively curl closer into him the second your hands are free. Your arms wrap around him, listening to the steady beat of his heart. 

He sets the mug down on the nightstand, then shifts just enough to pull the blanket up over you. He presses another kiss to your hairlines, then to your cheek mumbling, “Go to sleep,” 

Your fingers clutched lightly at his shirt. He noticed. A tiny, soft smile tugged at his lips, the kind that only ever appeared when she was near. 

“...i’m right here,” he whispered reassuringly, voice low and steady. 

Despite you feeling like you're in the depths of hell, he can’t help but feel happy that you’re leaning on him. Letting him help you. Take care of you. Touya loves you more than anything and cherishes you deeply. His free hand cards through your soft delicate locks and within minutes you’re fully asleep against his chest. 

Touya doesn’t move. 

Not at first. He just lays there, one arm wrapped securely around you, the other resting over your stomach--like he could somehow keep the pain away just by being there. 

His eyes drift down to your face. 

You look…better. The painful expression on your face has softened a bit. It eases something in his chest. 

“...Good,” he mutters under his breath, admiring how gorgeous you look even in pain. 

After a while, he carefully shifts, testing to see if moving will wake you. When he feels you stir slightly, watching your brows twitch slightly he freezes. When you settle again only then does he slowly, carefully, slide out from under you, replacing his warmth with a pillow before you can notice the difference. 

You instinctively cling to it, he admires the sight a second making sure you stay asleep. Then he grabs his hoodie, takes one more glance at you, and when he’s satisfied he quietly slips out. 

When you wake up, it’s quieter. Too quiet. Your eyes blink open slowly, adjusting to the dim light of your room. For a second, you don’t move--still half-asleep, still warm. 

You look down and realize Touya isn’t there. 

Your brows knit together slightly, a small wave of disappointment settling in your chest, “...Touya?” you mumble softly, voice groggy. 

Nothing. 

You shift a little, wincing faintly as the ache in your stomach reminds you it hasn’t completely gone away. 

That’s when you notice a small note sitting on your nightstand. You reach for it, fingers a little sluggish, unfolding it carefully. 

hi pretty girl, i went to the store real quick i’ll be back 

You stare at it for a second. Then--despite everything-- a small smile tugs at your lips. 

He thinks I'm pretty. 

That small smile turns into a cheesy grin as you settle back against your pillow waiting for your boyfriend to come back. 

The door clicked softly behind him, and Touya stepped in, hair slightly messy from rushing, cheeks faintly pink. “Don’t get up,” he said immediately, nudging the door shut with his foot. 

You blinked up at him groggily, still half-asleep, stomach still achy. “You left…,” your voice trailed off, but it wasn’t accusatory--more like sleepy confusion. 

“Yeah, for like ten minutes,” he replied, shrugging like it was no big deal. “Relax.” 

From the plastic bag he pulled out two pints of ice cream, juggling them carefully. “One’s yours,” he said, holding it out with a little flourish. “And don’t touch mine.” 

You blinked at him, groaning softly, “You got…two?” 

“Obviously,” he scoffed, pretending to be serious, but there was a tiny curve at the corner of his lips. “You think I’m giving you my favorite?” 

You giggled quietly, the sound soft and sleepy, and he felt his chest tighten in that good, fluttery way. “Thanks,” you murmured, taking the pint from him. 

He climbed back onto the bed beside you, pressing a soft kiss to your cheek, “How was your nap princess?” 

You smile up at him, “Restful,” 

He smiles letting out a soft chuckle, “I bet,” he takes a bite off his ice cream, “You drool in your sleep you know?” he teases, it’s not even true but he likes making you laugh. 

You laugh playfully, shoving him, “Do not!” 

He laughs, pressing another kiss to your temple.

The two of you dug in, the rich, sweet flavor a tiny comfort against your ache. His hand found yours, lightly brushing fingers together as you both ate. He watched you relax with every bite, a soft, almost invisible smile playing on his lips. 

“You feeling a little better?” he asked, voice low as if only you could hear it. 

You nodded, leaning against his shoulder, spoon paused mid-air. “Yeah…a little,” you admitted, eyelids fluttering with drowsy comfort. 

He wrapped an arm around you, pulling you close. “Good,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “You’re my pretty girl. I’ll take care of you, always.” 

You couldn’t help but smile, resting your head on his chest, feeling the warmth of his body and the steady thrum of his heartbeat. The pain didn’t vanish completely--but with him there, it didn’t feel as heavy. 

“...Thanks, Touya,” you murmured softly, closing your eyes for a moment. 

He tightened his hug just slightly, thumb tracing gentle circles along your arm. “Anytime, baby. Anytime.” 

Outside, the sun dipped lower, casting gold streaks across the blanket and the two of you huddled together.

taglist: @imjustawriter09 @catboygumi

a/n: lowkey i always think about what would've pro hero touya been like. what could've been, what could've been.

sparkle and line dividers by @pixopix

bow divider by @cursed-carmine

He was standing in front of his own mirror adjusting his unbuttoned black denim jacket covering his oversized white t-shirt. 

He couldn’t decide which cologne would fit best. What if she hates this smell? What if she thinks it’s too much? What if I kill her beautiful nose? 

Before he could overthink some more he picked the one that made him smell like sandalwood. 

Yuji grabbed his phone to check the time: 6:45 

He let out a small gasp realizing he should’ve left a lot earlier. He ran his hands through the tips of his soft pink hair making sure they are angled the right way before heading out the door. 

She was in the middle of adjusting her hair when she heard the doorbell ring. 

Crap that’s so definitely him. 

She looked at herself one more time, her hands brushing down the skirt of her sundress and before she could overthink anything else she approached her door taking a deep breath before opening it. 

She slowly opened her door peeking out from behind it, and there he was--Yuji smiling that bright, heart-warming smile she couldn’t stop thinking about. 

“Hey,” he said softly, leaning against the doorframe. His eyes looked her up and down in admiration taking in how soft and adorable she looked in the pastel pink floral sundress. It made her beautiful big eyes pop out.

“You look…wow,” He let out a soft breathy laugh, he couldn’t form any words that could perfectly describe how amazing she looked. 

Her cheeks warmed immediately, and she tried to keep her voice steady. “Th-thanks,” she stammered, her hand brushing the ribbon in her hair nervously. 

He smiled softly at the nervousness in her voice, he held out his hand, “Shall we go?” he asked, his voice full of that easy warmth that melted her nervousness away. 

Walking together through the streets toward the carnival, her hand snug in his, every little noise--the hum of distant rides, the laughter of families--seemed to fade away. The only thing she could think about was the tall, easy-going pink haired boy walking next to her. 

She couldn’t help but notice the way he occasionally glanced down at her, a soft smile playing on his lips, like he couldn’t believe she was really there. Holding his hand. Walking with him to the carnival. 

The carnival lights came into view, flickering and colorful, with the scent of popcorn, funnel cakes, and cotton candy drifting through the air. She took a deep breath, “It’s…really pretty,” she whispered. 

Yuji’s hand tightened around hers, he looked down at her, “Yeah, really pretty,” only he wasn’t talking about the carnival. 

She felt her heart stutter at the intensity of his gaze. 

They wandered between the booths, stopping first at a game where Yuji insisted she try her luck at the ring toss. She rolled her eyes but laughed softly when he teased her for missing the first few tries. 

“Hey! That was totally intentional,” she protested, her laugh light and airy. 

“Uh-huh,” he said, crossing his arms with mock suspicion. “Sureeee,” 

When she finally landed a ring around a bottle, he cheered like she’d just won the lottery. “See! I knew you could do it! I had faith in you all along,” he laughed, clapping for her. 

She narrowed her eyes in a playful manner, “You sure? Cause it sounded like you were questioning me earlier,” 

He laughed, leaning down to hand her the small plush bear she’d won, “Positive,” his face was just inches from hers, and she felt the heat rising to her cheeks again. 

Next, they shared a big stick of cotton candy, laughing when strands of sugary fluff stuck to their fingers and noses. Yuji playfully flicked a bit at her nose, and she giggled, swatting his hand away. 

“Careful,” she said, smiling softly, “I might…retaliate,” holding out her cotton candied fingers towards him. 

He leaned in closer, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face, eyes warm and focused on hers. “I’m not scared of a little retaliation,” he said teasingly, though his tone was gentle, almost shy. 

They went on a few rides, rode the carousel while holding hands, and ended up on the Ferris wheel as night fully settled in. The lights below painted her face in soft colors, and Yuji’s hand stayed around hers, thumb brushing over her knuckles. 

As the Ferris wheel slowly lifted them higher, the sounds of the carnival softened into a distant hum. The bright lights below blurred together, turning into soft colors that reflected in her eyes. 

Yuji shifted a little closer next to her, like the distance between them felt unnecessary now. He tilted his head to get a better look at that pensive expression on her face. 

“You okay?” he asked, his voice quieter than before.

She nodded, her fingers lightly gripping the edge of her cardigan sleeve. 

“Yeah…it’s just really nice.” She smiled softly. 

He smiled at that, softer this time, “I’m glad you came,” he said. 

There was a small pause before she responded. She looked out over the carnival, then back at him hesitating, “...I almost didn’t,” she admitted. 

Yuji blinked. “Really?” 

She nodded, her gaze dropping slightly. “I just…” she was hesitant to speak about her insecurities. She didn’t want to scare him away and she didn’t know the right words. “I’m not really good at this kind of stuff.’ 

“What kind of stuff?” 

“Talking,” she said with a small, self-conscious laugh. “Being…interesting, I guess?” 

Yuji frowned softly, his eyebrows scrunching a little as if the thought of her not being interesting was unfathomable to him. “You think you’re not interesting?” 

She shrugged, her fingers tightening around her sleeve, “People usually lose interest pretty fast,” she said quietly. “I’m kind of…boring.” 

There was a beat of silence. Yuji leaned toward her a little bit, his expression more serious now. He wanted, no, needed her to understand, “I don’t think that at all.” 

Her eyes flickered up to meet him in surprise, meeting his serious expression, “You don’t?” 

He shook his head, “I think you’re…” he paused, searching for the right words, “...easy to be around.” 

She blinked. 

“Like--I don’t feel like I have to try so hard,” he continued, rubbing the back of his neck. “And when you do talk, I actually want to hear what you’re saying.” 

Her chest felt tight in a way she didn’t understand. 

“You listen,” he added simply. The Ferris wheel creaked softly as it continued to rise. She swallowed, the sound of the fast pace of her heart beating loud in her ears. 

“And for the record,” he added, “I think you’re really cute when you get excited about things.” 

Her face immediately heats up, he laughed softly at how fast the blush spread across her cheeks. 

“I don’t--” 

“You do,” he interrupted gently, “Your eyes do that thing.” he pointed at her eye. 

“What thing?” 

He shrugged, the smile still plastered on his face. “They light up,” he said it so easily, as if it was the most obvious thing ever. 

She didn’t know what to say to that. So she didn’t say anything, she just looked at him. And he looked at her. Their eyes were saying words to each other at that moment. 

The Ferris wheel slowed slightly as they reached the top. The world below them stretched out in glowing lights and soft sounds, but it all felt distant. 

Yuji’s gaze dropped briefly to her lips before flicking back up. His face leaned in a little, his voice coming out quiet, “Can I kiss you?” 

Her breath caught and she nodded just barely. 

He leaned in slowly, giving her time to pull away if she wanted to. 

But she didn’t. 

Their lips met softly--gentle and careful at first, like they were both afraid of doing too much. 

But it didn’t take long for the moment to settle. 

Her hand found his sleeve, holding onto it lightly, while his hand hovered near her before finally resting gentle against her arm. 

Warm. 

That was the only way to describe it. When they pulled apart, it was slow, reluctant. They stayed close, foreheads almost touching. “...was that okay?” Yuji asked softly.  

She let out a small breath, her lips still tingling. “Yeah,” she whispered. “It was…really nice.” 

He smiled at that--soft, a little shy. 

“Good,” he said quietly as he leaned in again giving her another kiss. His hand cups her cheek, guiding her face to his. 

The moonlight and carnival lights shone across them, fireworks going off in the distance but neither of them broke apart.

Being with him felt just as sweet as anything he could ever make. Maybe even more. 

taglist: @imjustawriter09 @catboygumi

a/n: last part! i actually wanna date someone so bad it's not even funny. also i really wanna write another megumi thing but i have zero ideas.

sparkle and line dividers by @pixopix

bow divider by @cursed-carmine

Which is why they’re here now, walking across the school field, her smaller hands in his warm ones, her hair caught in the small breeze. The sun dipped below the horizon turning the sky into a deep, velvety violet. 

Megumi stopped at the top of a hill, the grass was soft underneath their feet, short too so it wasn’t itching their ankles.

She was breathing heavily, they both were out of breath from walking up the steep hill. Her eyes never left the back of his head even when he finally turned around and met his eyes with hers. His beautiful soft dark blue eyes that could always see through her. She felt as though he could see her soul with those eyes of his. 

They both just stared at each other for a while, it was as if the world around them didn’t exist.

After a few more moments, Megumi cleared his throat a little, “Sit with me,” His hand never left hers as he sat down on the grass. He guides her to sit in between his legs, her back fitting his chest like the perfect piece of a puzzle. 

His arms wrapped around her waist holding her closer so that there was no space between them, he pressed his lips to the back of her head, touching her soft hair that smelled like coconut and hibiscus. 

She let out a soft hum melting against his back, she always admired how even though he’s not good with words, he manages to express his affection through his actions. 

The sky’s turned from a light violet color fading into a darker blue. The stars are starting to glimmer in the distance a bit. 

“The weather's nice today. I thought I’d take my favorite girl to my favorite place,” His breath is warm against the back of her head, she feels a fluttering feeling in her stomach as his words replay in her head. 

My favorite girl.  

She’s unable to hold off the small smile that appears on her face, “You come here a lot?” 

She feels him nod against her, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head resting his chin there, “Mostly to think. You can see a clear view of everything from here. I’ve also noticed the stars being a lot brighter too,” His voice is light and quiet like a lullaby. 

“Sounds peaceful. What do you usually think about?” 

“You,” 

He said it instinctively without meaning to, the tips of his ears turn pink. Meanwhile her cheeks match the same pink as the fading streaks of sunset stretching across the horizon. 

She turned her face slightly so he couldn’t see the way her smile widened, “You’re terrible at lying,” she murmured. 

Megumi frowned slightly, “I’m not lying.” 

That made her heart beat faster but she still hid her expression, “So when you come here to think…you’re just thinking about me the whole time?” 

Megumi paused, “...Sometimes.” 

“Sometimes?” she laughed softly. 

He buries his face in the crook of her neck, concealing his embarrassment. His voice rumbled  across her skin, “Most of the time.” 

Her heart skipped a beat, the warmth in her body spreading as she pressed her back into his chest sinking deeper, “You’re full of surprises today,” she murmured. 

Megumi let out a soft breath, “I guess.” 

For a while they just sat there in silence again, the quiet kind that felt comfortable. 

When it gets darker and the stars are clearer, he looks down at her relaxed expression with a gentle quiet light in his eyes. He lifts his mouth against her ear whispering, “Can I show you something?” 

She nods, kind of excited to see what he has in mind. 

He presses a soft kiss to her temple, before taking her hand again, lifting it toward the sky. 

“See those points of light?” he murmurs. 

His fingers guide hers slowly across the darkening sky, careful and gentle, like he’s afraid the stars might disappear if he moves too quickly. 

“That bright one there…that’s Vega.” His thumb rests lightly over her knuckle as he traces the shape. “It’s the brightest star in the constellation,” 

She squints slightly, following the direction of his hand until the star finally comes into focus. It shines a little stronger than the others, steady and calm against the velvet sky. 

Megumi shifts her hand a little, “And these ones…Sheliak, Sulafet, Delta, Zeta, and Epsilon.” 

Her fingers drift where he guides it, connecting the points slowly until the shape begins to appear. 

“That makes Lyra,” he says quietly. 

The night breeze brushes through the field, lifting a few loose strands of her hair as she looks up at the constellation, 

“I didn’t know you knew all of this,” she admits softly. 

“My sister taught me,” 

She goes quiet, he never talks about Tsumiki so it caught her off guard. She doesn’t say anything, waiting. Giving him room to continue talking about her if he wants to but not pushing him too much. 

“Whenever we were out late she would talk nonstop about the different constellations in the sky,” he continues, his fingers absentmindedly playing with the edge of her sleeve as he speaks, “You wanna know the story?” 

She nods. 

“It’s supposed to be the lyre of Orpheus,” he says. “He was a musician in Greek mythology. His music was so beautiful it could calm storms…even make the Gods listen,” 

She listens carefully, the quiet rhythm of his voice almost blending with the wind. 

“When he died, the story says the Gods placed his lyre in the sky so the music would never disappear. 

Her eyes drift back to the constellation. 

The stars seem brighter now. 

“That’s kind of sad,” she murmurs. 

Megumi is quiet for a moment, then his arms tighten slightly around her waist, “Maybe,” his voice is softer now. 

“Or maybe it means that the things people love don’t really disappear,”

She leans back a little more into him. His warmth engulfed her like a blanket. The distant glitter of the stars adds life to the blackness of the sky. 

She never wanted to leave this moment. He doesn’t either. 

Neither of them say anything, the night stretches around them, the sound of wind creating an unsaid conversation around them. Crickets hum faintly in the distance, the grass swaying wherever the breeze takes them. 

She tilts her head back slightly so she can look at him, “You’re really sentimental for someone who pretends not to be.” 

Megumi lets out a quiet breath that almost sounds like a laugh. 

“I’m not sentimental.” 

“You brought me to a hill to look at constellations and told me a tragic love story,” she scrunches her nose a little, “That’s pretty sentimental,” 

His ears turn faintly pink again, “...Maybe a little,” 

She smiles to herself before looking back up at the sky, “Still,” she murmurs thinking back to the story, “I like it.” 

Megumi’s arms tighten slightly around her waist again, his lips dropping to her shoulder like he’s gathering a little courage. 

He lifts his head a little, his eyes drifting back up to Lyra, “That story always stuck with me,” he admits quietly. 

She waits. 

Megumi isn’t someone who fills silence with empty words. When he speaks, it’s usually because he means it. 

“When Orpheus lost the person he loved,” he continues slowly, “the only thing he had left was the music he wrote for her,” 

His thumb traces a small absentminded circle against her sleeve. 

“The Gods put it in the sky so it wouldn’t disappear,” 

She nods slightly, “I remember.” 

Megumi lowers his voice a little more, “I used to think that was the sad part.” 

Her brows knit slightly, “Used to?” 

He hesitates then gently places the palm of his hand on the softness of her cheek and turns her to face him. When she meets his eyes she notices the starlight catching faintly in his dark blue ones. 

“The sad part would be loving someone and never telling them,” he says. 

Her breath catches a little. 

Megumi looks nervous now in a way she’s never really seen before. Usually he’s nonchalant and composed, but now he’s looking like he’s standing on the edge of something important. 

“So I figured,” he murmurs brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face, “if there’s something worth saying…you should say it while you can,” 

Her heart is beating so loudly she’s sure he can hear it. 

He notices the slight part of her pink lips, the way she’s holding her breath waiting for him to finish what he’s saying. But all that’s going through his head is how beautiful she looks at this moment. He wishes he could take a photo, capture the way she looks and look at her forever. The way her eyes are glimmering from the moonlight, the gentle breeze flowing through her soft luscious hair. 

“I love you,” 

The words are simple. Soft. But they land somewhere deep in her chest. 

For a second she just stares at him, warmth spreading across her cheeks. They both have been dating for a while and the way they love each other is shown more through actions than words. 

Him saying those three words she never knew she needed from him makes everything more real. 

His expression softens, almost shy as he keeps going, “You’re my favorite person…my favorite place to be.” 

He glances briefly back at the sky, his voice having a subtle tease to it, “...Even more than this hill.” 

She laughs softly, to him her voice itself was comparable to what the Gods heard from Orpheus’s lyre. 

“That’s a big compliment,” 

Megumi’s thumb brushes lightly against her cheek, “Yeah,” he murmurs, “It is.” 

For a moment they just look at each other again, the same way they did in the beginning of the night: like the world beyond the hill doesn’t really exist. 

Only this time there’s something deeper between them. 

She laces her hand over his free one that's resting on her waist, “I love you too Megumi.” 

Something in his shoulders relaxes instantly like a weight he didn’t realize he was carrying just lifted. 

He leans down slowly, his lips meeting hers beneath the scattered light of Lyra. The kiss is warm and unhurried, the kind that feels like a quiet promise. 

They pull apart barely, their warm breaths mingling. 

“My girl,” he murmurs against her lips before kissing her again.

taglist: @imjustawriter09

a/n: please note that i don't know if the constellation stuff is accurate i did some research and kind of went with the flow. i also did not proofread lol.

sparkle and line dividers by @pixopix

bow divider by @cursed-carmine

She blinked in surprise but stated where she was as he disappeared into the back. She looks around the bakery, noticing all the small intricate details along the walls. 

Fairy lights were strung across the walls, casting a warm glow across the room. Small framed sketches of pastries hung between shelves lined with jars of cookies and wrapped candies. The whole place felt cozy. 

There was a faint vanilla and cinnamon scent. 

Yuji returned a moment later carrying a plate. He placed three cupcakes in front of her, each one decorated differently. 

He rubs the back of his neck, “They’re…uh…different flavors,” he explained. “I was curious about what you might like.” 

“Research purposes of course” He adds in, he studies her face wondering if maybe he had gone a little overboard. 

“You made all these for me?” Her voice was soft, almost disbelieving, her eyes glazed over the different desserts in front of her in curiosity. It’s clear in her voice that no one’s ever given her something just because. 

She glanced up at him, almost like she was making sure he was serious. 

His expression softens immediately, “Yeah,” he takes a step closer, “I mean…I’ve gotta put my skills to use somehow right?” The smell of his cologne mixed with the cinnamon scent of the bakery makes her become very aware of how close he was standing. Her heart picked up slightly when she noticed the way he was looking at her. 

For a moment neither of them spoke. The quiet hum of the bakery equipment filled the space between them as they held each other’s gaze. There is this warmth in the air but whether that’s from the moment or the weather it’s hard to tell. 

She blinks and realizes he’s expecting her to say something, “Yeah. Right. Um…thank you,” Her cheeks heat up slightly and Yuji swears his brain malfunctions when he sees the light pink slowly blossom over her cheeks. 

He has this urge to make her react like that again. He wants to make her smile and laugh again. To put that surprise look back on her face. 

Is it possible to fall this hard for someone so fast? 

She picked up the first cupcake carefully, “So which one is this?”

The cupcake had a white frosting with a small strawberry perched up at the top held together by a pink wrapper with little flowers on it. 

“Strawberry cream,” Yuji said immediately. She lets out a soft laugh before taking a bite into it. Strawberries must be their thing. 

Her taste buds were greeted with a delicious light and fruity blend of the strawberries and the frosting. The cake part was a moist and fluffy vanilla, she was met with a little strawberry filling on the inside and she could not complain. 

Yuji took note of her reaction, the way her eyes widened a little in blessing. It was a similar look she had when she first tried the strawberry shortcake. 

“It’s good?” 

“It’s good” That small confirmation makes Yuji’s heart do a backflip. She likes something I made! 

She goes to pick up another cupcake. This one had a chocolate base with a white frosting tanned golden-brown, there was a marshmallow, hershey bar and small piece of a graham cracker perched at the top held together with a purple wrapper with white designs over it. 

“S’mores?” 

“How’d you know?” 

“Lucky guess,” She takes a bite out of it and it’s definitely way more sweeter than the last cupcake but just as good. It brought this nostalgic feeling to her, as if she could taste the campfire and fire from an actual s’more. The combination of the rich chocolate and gooey marshmallow swirling on her tongue was to die for. 

Yuji was having a blast reading her reactions. He would never get tired of the way her eyes light up at every new taste, it was refreshing to have someone appreciate sweetness the way he does. Especially when it was someone as cute as her. 

“Thoughts?” 

She has no words, her mind completely whisked away by the thousands of emotions his baking makes her feel. 

“I mean I’ll admit I kinda took some inspiration from a random baking channel,” He leans in a little forward naturally, “But it’s an original recipe overall.” 

“You…made this all on your own?” 

He nods, “I can’t tell whether I should burn the recipe or—”

“No!” Her voice was louder than she expected, she clears her throat a little as if it’s concealing her, “I mean no…keep the recipe it’s really good,” 

His expression brightens when she admits she thinks the recipe is good. No, really good were her exact words. 

Yuji’s eyes darted down to the corner of her lip where a little bit of chocolate frosting was there. He takes a step closer to her, “Umm…you have a little…” He points to the spot. 

She misses the spot he pointed to, “Did I get it?” 

His smile softens, his warm light brown eyes shining in amusement, “Here…let me,”

His eyes dart to her lips as reaches his hand up to her face. He pauses halfway there, almost like he was silently asking for permission. 

When she doesn’t argue or flinch back, he gently wipes away the frosting with the softness of his thumb. He doesn’t miss the way her breath hitches the second he makes contact. 

The distance between them was close to nonexistent, Yuji’s thumb lingered on the corner of her lips as he took in her expression. The small part of her soft lips, the way her breathing became a little shallow, those beautiful wide eyes he could easily get lost in. 

It took everything in him not to close the distance. 

For a split second she wondered if he was about to— 

Ding 

They both broke apart when the sound of another customer came in. 

Yuji coughs and looks back at the person, “uh—be with you in one moment,” He calls out to the other person, he looks back to her noticing the way she looks down at her feet trying to compose herself. 

He rubs the back of his head, hesitating for a moment. His heart was beating way faster than it should have been. 

He had asked girls out before, but somehow asking her out felt ten times scarier. 

Maybe because she’s different then any girl he’s ever met. 

Quieter. Softer. Sweeter. 

And somehow that made him want to know her even more. 

Still, he took a breath and decided just to go for it, “Hey—um…”

She looked up at him, her eyes barely meeting his eyes. It was clear she was still reeling from whatever moment they just had. 

His cheeks warmed slightly under her attention. 

“Would you maybe…wanna go out with me?” The words sort of tumbled out, like he was afraid he might lose the courage if he didn’t say them quickly. 

“Like…on a date,” he added, suddenly feeling the need to clarify. 

For a moment, everything went quiet around them. The faint sound of bakery equipment was tuned out, as he waited for her answer. 

She blinked up at him, studying his expression carefully, almost like she was trying to figure out if he was joking. 

Yuji’s heart pounded harder with every passing second. 

She didn’t see anything playful in his expression. Only sincerity. 

Finally she found her voice. 

“Um…” her fingers curled around the loose sleeves of her t-shirt, “Yeah.” 

Her eyes lifted to meet his again, “I’d really like that,” 

Her voice was quiet, but the small smile on her lips said everything. 

For a second Yuji just stared at her, his brain taking a moment to catch up. 

She said yes. 

She actually said yes. 

“Really?” 

The excitement was barely concealed. She nodded, a little shyly. 

His grin widened before he could stop it, “Great! Uhm…how’s seven today?” 

The eagerness in his voice was noticed and it made her feel surprisingly lighter. Knowing that he wants to go out with her makes her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 

She nods, her smile more prominent, “That works for me,” 

They both stood there for a second, smiling like two people who weren’t entirely sure what to do next. 

But neither of them seemed to mind. 

And it was set.

taglist: @imjustawriter09

a/n: part three is most likely gonna be the last part and hopefully I can finish that soon lol.

sparkle and line dividers by @pixopix

bow divider by @cursed-carmine

His doctor. His anchor. The only person able to multitask yelling at him and stitching him up.  

When they first met back in high school she was this shy thing who was always cooped up in the library studying with a stack of textbooks, hair falling into her face as she studied. She may have been shy but she also had backbone. She’d call him out on his bullshit like no one he’s ever met, keep up with his wit, and she’s as cute as a button. She had this way of looking at him that made him feel seen instead of admired. 

He’d fallen first. Hard.  

I guess you could call her his dream girl. 

She found out his identity by accident when she was being mugged walking home late one night. Ever since the two have been working close together, and eventually what started out as a “work relationship” turned into an actual “relationship”.   

Now, years later, she was cleaning blood off his ribs at twelve in the morning because he’d decided five trained men weren’t worth calling backup for. 

“You understand that if they hit any closer, you could’ve experienced serious damage right?” She pressed the rubbing alcohol to a deeper cut. The sting made him inhale a sharp breath through his teeth. The burn was sharp and punished…almost as much as the look on her face. 

He does feel bad, being the reason for her high stress and worries isn’t something he intended on adding in her life. But he couldn’t help smiling at the scrunch between her brows, the downward turn of her lip that indicated she was furious. But because she cared.  

Which happened. A lot. 

“But they didn’t!,” he countered lightly. “That has to count for something!” He shot her a small smile, trying to lift the mood. The room around them was dim, lit only by the small desk lamp near the sink. Medical supplies were scattered across the metal tray: gauze, tape, and blood-speckled cotton balls. The air smelled faintly of cleaning chemicals and iron. Outside the frosted window, the city hummed low and distant, sirens wailing somewhere far enough away to not be his problem tonight. 

His baby blue eyes were watching her work on the cuts on his torso with precision. He admired the way she looked while patching him up, her hair tied back in a messy ponytail, her big focused eyes, the gentle feel of her hands. 

Yuji, Megumi, and Nobara must be patrolling or something, he smirks to himself at the thought of his little sidekicks probably bickering every minute. He looks over at the clock ticking on the wall.

12:04 am. 

It’s late. He looks back at his sweet girlfriend who is rummaging through her drawers pulling out more bandages and cotton balls. He feels a quiet pang of guilt in his heart, she should’ve been asleep hours ago instead she was stitching a cut along his side, hands steady despite the tension in her shoulders. 

“And what if you had gotten unlucky? Then what? What am I supposed to do if--” she cuts herself off not wanting to finish that thought, let alone think about it. 

He leans his head back against the pillow, the snow white strands of his hair falling over his bright blue eyes as he watches her go through the medical supplies like she always does as if it’s a routine which by now it is muttering something about how reckless he is and that one day it’ll bite him in the ass. 

“Sweetheart look at me for a second I’m fine,” she scoffs at his insistence of being fine. He doesn’t look fine, he’s bleeding and bruised and his insistence of being fine lets out an exasperated sigh from her. 

She let out a short, humorless laugh. “You and I have different definitions of ‘fine’. Bleeding all over the floor does not equal ‘fine’,” 

He watched her jaw tighten as she worked. She wasn’t just angry. 

She was scared. 

“Before going into these things head first,” she continued, her voice trembling despite her effort to keep it even, “do you even stop to think about how your recklessness could affect me? And no I don’t mean patching you up constantly I mean what if one day I can’t and--” 

“Stop,” He didn’t say it harshly, but it was firm enough to make her freeze. Despite how sore his arm is, he reached for her wrist, fingers wrapping gently around it. She looked at him, really looked at him, scanning every bruise like she was mentally patching up the damage just by staring. 

His expression softened. Her worry was going to consume her one day if he let it.   

“Baby,” he murmured, tugging her closer. “Take a minute,”  

Reluctantly she sat on the edge of the bed, he intertwined their fingers lifting her knuckles to his lips, pressing a soft kiss there. “Breathe,” 

She inhaled slowly, exhaled shakily. Her gaze stayed fixed on their joined hands instead of his eyes. He notices the way she’s avoiding looking at him and guides her palm to his chest, resting it over his heart.

She feels how it’s going at a steady pace, he’s alive being the only two words going through her mind. 

“It’s just…” she whispered. “You’re always rushing in to save everyone. And I love that about you. I love that you care. I just wish you’d put yourself first sometimes,” A loose strand of her hair slipped into her face. 

He tucks the strand behind her ear with his free hand, his fingers lingering against her cheek before lifting her chin up so her eyes meet his eyes. He takes in the vulnerable look in her eye, his finger brushing over the small pout of her lips. 

There was fear. And love. And exhaustion. 

“You think I don’t think about you?” he asked quietly. “Every time I walk into something stupid, you’re the reason I walk out.” 

Her brows pulled together slightly. “I fight the way I do because I know you’re here,” he traces small gentle shapes on her cheek. “Because I know if I fall, you’ll catch me. But that doesn’t mean I’m trying to leave you behind. I’m not.” 

His thumb brushed across her lower lip again, soft and careful. 

“I don’t want a world where you’re not in it,” he said, more serious than she’d heard him all night. “So I’m not going anywhere.” 

He kisses her softly, pulling her closer to him. The kiss was grounding, melting away all her thoughts and everything she was worried about. His free hand cups her cheek, he takes the time to memorize everything about her. The softness of her cheeks, the fullness of her lips, the warmth of her breath. 

He pulls away, murmuring against her lips, “I swear to you I will always be with you. I will always come back to you. I will always protect you.” He adds letting out a small smile. “And I’ll try--try--to be less of an idiot.”  

He kisses her forehead, then temple, pulling her to lay carefully beside him, mindful of his injuries. He shifted, ignoring the dull ache in his ribs as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his side.  

Her head rested against his chest, right over his heart. The steady beat filled the quiet room. 

His fingers traced lazy circles along her back, pressing a small kiss to the top of her head, "I love you," he whispered against her hair.

For once, Nightwing wasn’t Gotham’s hero.

He was just hers. 

taglist: @imjustawriter09

a/n: lol i had a dream last night i tried to execute it. i need to come up with ideas for my little yuji series so enjoy i guess!

sparkle and line divider by @pixopix

“Yeah I got that much Captain Obvious,” she scoffed. She’s not mad…well a little mad but more confused and concerned. She hates that he hid this from her but she hates that he’s been risking himself out there this entire time even more. Her worry spikes up even more when she thinks about all the dangerous missions she’s read about Spider-Man. 

How the entire time the man under the mask was…Yuji Itadori. 

“Okay yeah my bad um….where do I start,” Yuji mutters to himself, “Okay so…three years ago…I was bitten by a radioactive spider that gave me these abilities to shoot webs and super strength and speed and so every since…I’ve been fighting crime as you’re friendly neighborhood Spider-Man,” Yuji summarizes in one breath waiting for her reaction. 

She blinks at him once. 

Twice. 

He can see her processing everything, her mind building a timeline of all the times he’s been late, the half-assed excuses to everything, the different crimes Spider-Man has stopped. He lets go of her shoulders slowly watching her mind work through her thoughts and feelings. 

Even when he shouldn’t, he still finds her the most alluring person to ever walk this earth. Her cute eyebrow scrunch, the downward curve of her lips, her rosy cheeks. God he could spend his entire life just memorizing her face and he’d never get tired. 

“So…for the past three years, it was you under the mask the entire time,” She says slowly, still trying to make sense of it all. The kid she’s known since elementary school, the one who barely remembers to put his shoes on, the one who's got a chaotic mess of a brain, the one who she thought she knew inside and out. 

He’s the one who's been fighting crime and protecting people.  

He can see the concern in her expression and he feels a pang of guilt inside. He knew he was going to have to tell her eventually…but this wasn’t how he wanted her to find out. 

She lets out a short humorless laugh rubbing her forehead, “I guess this is why you always left everything in such a rush…god I’m an idiot,” she mutters that last part under her breath but he hears it anyway. 

“You’re not an idiot,” He murmurs, he almost reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear but he thinks against it. He doesn’t want her to pull away from him, god he can’t stand that thought. He gives her the room she needs to think. 

“For three years? You’ve kept this a secret from me for three years?” Her eyebrows scrunch together in confusion, he runs a hand through his short pink hair letting out a breath, “...yeah” 

She looks up at him, really looks at him. 

I thought I knew everything about him. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She whispers, looking down afraid of the answer. What if it was because he doesn’t trust me? 

He wanted to erase that look on her face. He wanted to rewind back to when she was smiling and laughing carefree, he couldn’t bare to see her with this sad look on her face, “I…It’s just…I couldn’t risk putting you in danger,” 

“So you thought the best way to go about it was hiding from me?” Her voice went up an octave, she stared at him in disbelief, “I mean c’mon Yuji I thought we trusted each other with everything!” 

“I do! I do trust you with everything…I just…keeping this from you was the only way to protect you,” 

She rubs her forehead in distress, too many thoughts running wild in her mind. She can’t even tell which emotion to pinpoint, “Did you even think that maybe if I knew what was going on I could’ve been prepared for danger?” 

Yuji opens his mouth. Then closes it again. Because the truth is…he had thought about that. 

A lot. 

“I did,” he finally says quietly. She looks up at him, surprised by the honesty. “But every time I imagined telling you…” He exhales slowly, rubbing the back of his neck, “All I could see was someone targeting you because of me,”

Her expression softens just a little, “Yuji--” 

“I’m serious,” He cuts in, voice more intense now, “You think the city is dangerous now? Try having enemies who know exactly who you care about.” Silence falls between them. 

The weight of his words settling, the quiet between them sounding louder than anything around them. 

He always does this. He always makes it a heart to stay mad at him. 

“That doesn’t make it hurt any less,” she murmurs. Yuji’s shoulders drop. 

“I know” 

For a moment neither of them speak, the alleyway feeling colder. Cars pass somewhere down the street, a breeze moves between the buildings. 

And suddenly everything feels different. Like the ground of their friendship shifted slightly. 

“So all those times you were late…” she starts softly. “Spider-Man stuff.”

“The broken arm last year?” 

“...also Spider-Man stuff,” 

“The time you said you ‘fell down the stairs’?” 

Yuji scrunches his nose, “Very aggressive stairs.” Despite herself, a small laugh escapes her. 

It’s quiet. But it’s there. 

Yuji feels something in his chest loosen for the first time since she found out. 

She crosses her arms, “I’m still mad at you,” she says quickly, trying to regain composure. 

“That’s fair.” 

“Like…really mad.” 

“Also fair.” 

Another pause. Then she sighs. 

“Gosh, you’re Spider-Man.” 

He rubs his neck awkwardly, “When you say it like that it sounds fake,” 

She looks at him again. Really looks. Not just at Yuji. 

But the person who had been swinging across the skyline this entire time. The person who saved her earlier tonight. 

“You could’ve died,” she says quietly, looking down, not able to make eye contact with him. 

That hits him harder than any villain punch ever could. Yuji shrugs like it’s nothing, but his voice is softer now, “Comes with the job.” 

Her eyes fling up to his narrowing instantly, “That was not funny” 

He rubs the back of his neck looking down, “Yeah…yeah it wasn’t.” 

Another silence falls. But this one feels different. Less sharp, more fragile. 

“I’m still processing,” she admits, rubbing her forehead in that way she always does when she’s kind of overwhelmed. He watches her face carefully, memorizing every curve, the scrunch of her eyebrow the way her hair’s still kind of messed up from the events that happened before. 

“Take your time,” he says softer, then he adds more hesitantly, “I’ll answer anything. No more secrets,” 

Her eyes flick back up to his, studying him carefully. Trying to decide if she believes him, when she sees nothing but the truth, “...Okay,” she starts. 

“...So can you actually shoot webs or are they some sort of gadget?”  

Yuji blinks then smiles softly letting out a huff of laughter, “That’s your first question?” 

“I have a lot of questions,” He smiles softly. “Yeah I figured” 

For a second they just stand there, looking at each other. The city lights reflecting in her eyes. And something about the way she’s looking at him now makes his stomach flip. Not in fear, but something else. But something dangerous in a completely different way. 

“...You saved me tonight,” she says quietly. Yuji’s heart skips a beat. 

“Yeah” 

“Thank you” 

His expression falters for a bit, he tries to act casual (failing) he shakes his head waving her off, “Anytime,” 

And the truth is--he always will. 

Even if it costs him everything. 

taglist: @kenmacantakemeaway, @imjustawriter09, @ratgeneralarmageddon, @bunichuu

a/n: i tried keeping this at set a decent pace sorry if it seems rushed!

taglist is open please lmk if it's for a certain series or permanent i don't wanna annoy you guys lol.

sparkle and line dividers by @pixopix

The bakery was small but cozy. Warm lights hung from the ceiling, making everything glow softly. The air smelled sweet--like vanilla and sugar. A few tiny tables sat near the windows, and there was a glass display case stretched across the counter, filled with cakes that looked almost too pretty to eat. 

Rows of pastries sat behind the glass like tiny works of art, strawberry cakes topped with whipped cream, golden cream puffs, and colorful macarons stacked neatly in rows. 

She bent slightly to get a closer look, trying to decide which one she should try first. She was so entranced by the sweets in front of her she didn’t notice she had an audience.

“See something you like?” 

She quickly straightened up, started by the voice. Her eyes widened as she spotted the boy leaning forward behind the counter, watching her with a small warm smile, “I mean I get it, it's hard to pick,” He added casually. 

He had an easy energy about him, and his voice carried a warmth that was hard to describe. His short pink hair reminded her of the pink frosting on the cupcakes in the back. She fidgeted with the sleeves of her t-shirt,  “Um…yeah, they all look really good,” her voice came out softer than she intended it to. 

He could sense how nervous she was and his eyes dropped down to her fidgeting with her sleeve. Cute. He looked back up to her wide eyes, “I mean…if you want, I can help you narrow it down,” She looked up at him, meeting his warm brown eyes, and the easy smile that made her feel like she could breathe again. 

She gives him a soft nod and smile, “Yeah, that’d be nice,” 

He smiles a little wider at that and then pauses like he just remembered something. 

“Oh--wait,” He laughs softly, rubbing the back of his neck, “I probably should introduce myself first,” 

She looks up at him again. 

“I’m Yuji.” He says it easily, like talking to her is the most natural thing in the world. 

There’s a small pause before she responds, giving him her name as well. He repeats her name, his smile softening as he says it. For some reason, hearing it out loud makes her chest feel warm. 

“Okay,” he continues, clapping his hands together lightly, “Now I can officially help you pick something,”

He walks around the counter standing beside her. She immediately takes notice of how close they are, her heart pounding in her ears. He smells like cologne mixed with cinnamon. He points to the menu up above, “So over here, we have the assortments of coffees, bread, pastries, cakes, and cookies,” he then points to the display case, “And here we have some of them out on display,” He leans back against the counter crossing his arms, watching her expressions. 

She took note of how quickly he talked and how expressive he was when he spoke. Normally that kind of energy would make her nervous, but with him it felt…easier. Warmer. 

“Um…” Her eyes flicked up to the menu again. There were too many options. Way to many. 

He noticed her eyes darting between each item on the menu, the little waver in her voice didn’t go unnoticed as well, “Okay, wait,” He said leaning a little closer to the display case. “Important question,” 

She blinked, tilting her head a little, “Huh?” 

“Chocolate or strawberry person?” 

The question answers her off guard, “...Strawberry” 

His face lit up instantly, like she had given the correct answer on a test, “Good choice,” he said confidently, “Strawberry desserts are elite,” 

She let out a tiny laugh before she could stop herself. He looked at her, like really looked at, and his grin softened at her laugh. It was tiny but real. 

“So,” he continued, pointing to the case, “our strawberry shortcakes are really popular. But if you like something lighter, the cream puffs are good too.” 

She leaned down her eyesight lining up to where he was pointing, feeling a little less overwhelmed now, “The shortcake looks really pretty,” she admitted quietly. 

“Yeah?” he nodded leaning down with her, “It’s one of my favorites,” There was a small pause before he added, “...I might be biased though. I helped make them,” 

Her eyes widened slightly, she turned her head slightly looking at his side profile, “You did?” 

“Yep.” He rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile, “I work here,” 

“I figured considering you were behind the counter,” she smiles softly, he lets out a laugh straightening up, “Yeah that’s a pretty good assumption,” 

She straightens up too, he looks her over once and then gets an idea in his head, “Hold on,” he said suddenly.

She watched as he grabbed a small plate and placed a tiny slice of strawberry cake on it. 

“Research purposes,” he said, sliding it toward her. She takes the fork he gives her, their fingers tips brushing together slightly, her heart quickening just from a small touch. 

She takes a bite of the cake and she has never been more thankful in her entire life. The cake tasted like a cloud and the thick creamy strawberry frosting was like a blanket. 

Yuji took note of her reaction, her face giving all the words he needed, he smirked a little tilting his head, “You like?” She nodded instantly earning her a laugh from him. 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” He takes out another slice, “For here or to go?” A part of him is hoping she says ‘for here’ just so he can talk to her some more. 

“To go,” She said softly, as much as she wants to stay and talk to him longer she knows herself. She knows she’s unable to hold a conversation especially with a really cute guy. 

He doesn’t show his disappointment, instead he shoots her a small smile and puts the cake in a small box, and rings her up at the register.

When he slides her the box she smiles and thanks him. As she’s walking away he calls out, “Hey wait,” She stops and turns to face him, “How strong is your sweet tooth?” 

"I like to think it’s pretty strong,” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, and Yuji swears his heart does a back flip at the same notion. 

He smiled, “Good.” 

A small pause. 

“Then you should come back tomorrow.”  

taglist: @kenmacantakemeaway, @imjustawriter09

based on this request

a/n: i actually had so much fun writing this hopefully i didn't make it to corny but i'm going to definitely start writing part two soon.

She looks to her side and she sees Hawks approaching. He stands next to her and casually leaned on the railing, mimicking her position. 

Hawks. The number two hero. She’s met him once or twice before. She thought he was a nice guy…but then again, so did most of the fake bozos in the party. 

She doesn’t say anything at first. Just watches him from the corner of her eye. Observing people had always come naturally to her. There was just something about figuring out who they really were underneath the performance. 

And he definitely looks intriguing. 

Up close, he looks even more relaxed than he had inside. His tie was slightly loose, wings shifting lazily behind him in the night air. He drags his hand through his blonde hair letting out a quiet breath. As if he can breathe again. 

He glances at her, then back towards the view. 

“Thought I was the only one ditching the party,” he mused, his curiosity spiking a tiny bit. He didn’t try hiding the fact that he was checking her out. The way her dress hugged her figure. Her hair was perfect, not a strand out of place, she looked every bit like a woman who would care about climbing the ranks, “What’s a pretty girl like you doing here instead of in there?” 

His voice carries that same easy tone she’s met with a few times in the past. 

She huffs quietly, her eyes still fixed on the skyline, “Escaping before I lose my mind,” she says it so bluntly as if with him she didn’t need to worry about appearances. 

That catches him off guard and then he laughs, “Oh-ho looks like we got a rebel amongst us,” he teases taking a glance at her with a crooked smirk on his face. He always thought she looked gorgeous but somehow her bluntness made her even more interesting. Her appearance and her words didn’t match at all. And that hooked him immediately.  

“But yeah these things aren’t really my scene either” he admits. That earns a glance from her, she’s studying him as if seeing him in some new light. 

“You could’ve fooled me,” 

“Oh?” 

“Number two hero. Cameras love you. Fans adore you. You’re good at the whole charming hero thing,” 

He grins at that. Not offended, if anything almost amused. 

He turns to face her, leaning against the railing, “Oh yeah? And what about you sweetheart?” He eyes her expression, catching the small hint of defiance in her eyes. He could tell that despite appearances she wasn’t like the other suck ups in that party room. And that intrigued him…a lot. 

She turned fully towards him now, noticing the way he’s observing her with that ridiculously handsome smirk on his face. His amber eyes staring into hers trying to read her, “What about me?” 

He gives her a knowing smirk leaning in a bit, his voice dropping just a little, “How do you feel about me?” 

Her pulse jumped, which annoys her more than it should’ve. Why’s he so close? And worse, why do I want to move closer? 

She tilts her head looking him up and down, “You want an honest answer?” 

He grin widens, letting out a huff of laughter, “Those are usually the fun ones,” 

“You look like you belong at these things, but now I’m wondering how much of that charming hero act is real,” 

Hawks lifted one eyebrow impressed by her deduction, “Observant. I like it,” He pointed lightly at her, “But you’re the same way.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. She raises her eyebrows, equally impressed by his deduction skills. 

She crosses her arms, turning her body to face him, leaning her hip against the railing, “Meaning?” 

He chuckled when she shifted to face him fully, her hip leaning against the railing. Like he had finally earned her attention, “Well…you’re gorgeous to put it bluntly. You’ve got the status, you can charm anyone with that pretty smile of yours, and you're smart enough to fool any of these assholes,” He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing playfully, “But that’s all an act, yeah?” 

She stares at him, lips parted slightly, taken aback by the conclusion he’s drawn. He laughs at the look on her face, “You’re good at performing in there, but out here? I knew your guard would come down,” 

Hawks wings twitch slightly, he raises his hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, his touch lingering. Warm. Intentional. Her breath caught as heat crept up into her cheeks and her heart started beating faster. 

She wasn’t used to people seeing through the act. And she definitely wasn’t used to someone making her react like this. 

Hawks loved the effect he’s having on her. His smirk deepened and he took a step closer, “Important question,” He doesn’t wait for permission, “drinks or coffee?” 

That was different. That caught her completely off guard. She blinked, breaking out of whatever daze she was in. 

“What?” 

He let out a breathy laugh at the confusion laced in her voice, “I think you and I have a lot more in common than you think,” 

His words linger in the air between them. The music from inside muffled through the glass doors, soft laughter spilling out every time someone walks by.

But out here, it’s quiet, the city lights glittered in the distance. Just the two of them staring at each in a new light. As if they both see something in each other that no one’s seen before. 

“You’re weird, you know that?” she said. 

Hawks laughs under his breath, shaking his head a little, “Yeah, I get that a lot,” He takes a small step closer, testing the waters, “I figured you didn’t seem like the small talk type though,” 

Her lips twitch despite herself, “And you do?” 

“Nah,” He says easily, “I’m just better at pretending,” 

That earns him a small smile. Small, but real. And Hawks noticed it immediately, his expression softens, “See” He points slightly to that small smile murmuring, “That one was real,” 

She scoffs, tilting her head to the side a little, “You analyze everyone like this?” 

“Occupational hazard,” 

A pause then he tilts his head mimicking her, “But I’m usually right,” 

“Oh yeah?” 

“Yeah,” 

He leans a little closer again, voice quieter this time. 

“You hate the attention in there,” 

Her eyebrows lift. 

“You hate the fake conversations,” 

Correct. 

“You’d rather be anywhere else tonight,” 

Still correct. 

“And,” His eyes flick briefly to her lips before meeting her gaze again, “you’re pretending you’re not enjoying this conversation,” 

That one lands. She exhales slowly through her nose, “You’re very confident,” 

“Perk of the job” He shoots. 

“Or flaw” She shoots back never missing a beat. 

He gives a little shrug, his smirk never faltering, “Depends who you ask,”

For a second neither of them moved, silence stretched between them neither of them moved. 

When Hawks noticed she wasn’t pulling away, something in his expression shifted. Subtly but different. His eyes flickered down to her lips for just a second before meeting her gaze again. The corner of his mouth lifted. 

Slow. Curious. Like he had just realized something. His wings rustled behind him, feathers catching the night air. 

She felt it before he even touched her, the shift in the space between them. Her heartbeat picked up. 

And the worst part? She didn’t move. Didn’t step back. Didn’t even pretend to 

Hawks noticed that too, his hand hovered near her waist. Not touching yet. Giving her time to stop him, but when she didn’t? That was all the permission he needed. His hand settled against her waist, light but certain, warm through the thin fabric of her dress. 

When she still didn’t push him away, his thumb shifted slightly against her side, pulling her just a little closer. Enough that the space between them disappeared. Their chests touching, faces a breath away from each other,  “So…drinks or coffee?” he murmured.

“You already asked that,” 

“Yeah and I’m still waiting for the right answer,” He shoots right back, a knowing smirk on his face. 

Her eyes narrowed slightly, but there was something else there now. Something warmer. Bolder. She takes a small step forward closing the last inch between them, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his breath, “I’ll decide later.” 

For a second Hawks just looked at her, then he laughed softly, his voice quiet,  “...Yeah, I like you,” 

taglist: @kenmacantakemeaway, @imjustawriter09

a/n: i actually love hawks sm, hopefully i didn't disappoint.

sparkle and line dividers by @pixopix

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the other side of him, positioning himself between her and whatever was coming. 

She stumbled over, nearly running into his back.  “Yuji--?” concern etched into her face, she gently tugged on his sleeve trying to get him to talk to her but he was too locked in. His eyes scanned the buildings, jaw tightening. 

“You okay?” she gently asks, lightly tugging his sleeve once more. Her heart started to race at the look on his face. She’s never seen him this on edge before. 

“Inside, now.” The tone of his voice leaves no room for argument. She’s confused by the change in his demeanor. In the span of a minute he went from playful to stern and it was unsettling. 

He didn’t answer right away. His brows furrowed, fully focused on something she couldn’t see. 

“Go inside,” his voice dropped deeper. Sharper.  

“What--?” 

“Inside. Now.” 

She scrunched her eyebrows a little, she’d seen him serious before…this was different. 

This wasn’t annoying, this wasn’t playful. 

Before she could even take a step--

BOOM! 

The ground shook violently beneath them, glass shattering, screams erupting across campus. She covers her head and closes her eyes instantly at the sound. She opened one eye and when she looked up…

Yuji was gone. 

Smoke filled the air clouding her vision, a car flipped onto its side nearby, small fires surrounding the area. Her eyes darted searching, her heart slamming in her chest as she called out, “Yuji?!” 

Her voice cracked as she kept calling for him. Her heart raced faster than the speed of sound, she can feel herself hyperventilating as she keeps calling for him. 

In the center of all the chaos, there’s a man in black clothing using explosives to blow up the cars and buildings around him laughing sadistically. She immediately looks around trying to find Yuji, her nerves heighten when she realizes she can’t find him. 

Her eyes darted around desperately. Where did he go? 

She notices a man in a red and blue jump into action. She recognizes the man as Spider-Man, he’s been in so many articles she reads. He’s swinging from building to building but her focus is on her best friend who she can’t seem to find. She’s looking back and forth wondering where he could’ve disappeared to. She pauses as a thought comes to her mind. 

No way, that’s impossible. 

She looks back at Spider-Man and watches him skillfully counter the villain’s attacks, using his webs to grab flying cars and save the people within them. 

He’s been hiding stuff from me…but it couldn’t possibly be…no way…that’s insane. 

Her thoughts started spiraling. 

He’s clumsy. 

He trips over air. 

He can’t even keep his shirt on the right way. 

No way is he Spider-Man. 

Her stomach dropped when she thought back to a couple minutes ago. 

When he pulled her behind him. The way he ordered her inside. The way he was looking out…like he knew. 

Her chest tightened, “No way, no way, no way,” she muttered. 

She watches the way the hero moves, jumping from building to building with precision, throwing punches and dodging faster than one can comprehend. He uses his webs to disable the villain's arms pinning him down so he can’t move. She’s staring in awe at the action unfolding in front of her, she doesn’t even register the crowd recording the scene or the police sirens wailing in the distance. 

The building behind her started slowly falling apart. 

Before she could process it she was being swept off her feet. One minute she was on the ground the next she’s practically flying, buildings going past her fast. She gripped onto him instinctively, her fingers curling into the fabric of his suit. Spider-Man holds her by the waist tight as he swings her far away from the chaos, he finds an abandoned alleyway they can hide in. 

Her feet barely touched the ground before he set her down carefully. Like she was fragile.

Like she mattered. 

For a second, neither of them spoke. His breathing was heavy, her hands were still gripping his suit. He lifts his hand towards her face wanting to make sure she was real. Give her at least some comfort, but he pulled back remembering the situation they're in.  

Slowly, he takes off his mask revealing the pink haired man whom she thought she knew inside out is the face in front of her, “Are you okay?” His eyes are filled with concern and worry as he takes in her appearance. 

Yuji. Her best friend.  The boy who walked her home at night. 

The boy who bought her ice cream. 

The boy who took her to the library even when he hates it.

The boy she…

She looked at him with wide eyes and could barely respond. She wanted to ask so many questions but her thoughts were running rampant and she couldn’t get any of the words out. 

My best friend has been hiding stuff from me. 

My best friend has been living a secret life. 

My best friend is the guy in the newspapers. 

My best friend is Spider-Man. 

taglist: @kenmacantakemeaway

a/n: i have the urge to drink hot chocolate and rewatch jjk season 1...and i think i might just do that.

sparkle and line dividers by @pixopix

She felt it immediately. Yuji had never been a good liar, not to her at least. She could always see right through him.  

But she didn’t push.

As always. 

Instead she just watched him, something unreadable flickering in her eyes. And somehow that made the guilty sitting in his chest feel even heavier. 

Later that evening, she walked home alone, which was a rare occurrence. Yuji never let her walk home by herself. Even when she insisted she was fine, he always said the same thing:

"there are dangerous people lurking in the streets."

Always. 

But today he had “a late night study group” 

Funny how this was coming from the same guy who thought study groups were ‘cult like’ 

She continued walking down the street lost in her thoughts and worries about Yuji. He’s never hidden stuff from her before, and that openness was something she loved about him. 

Did I do something? 

Her mind replayed every interaction they'd had recently, from everything before to earlier that afternoon. She absentmindedly bit her nail, anxiety creeping in. That's when she noticed how quiet the street was. 

Too quiet. 

She pulled her jacket tighter around herself, keeping a watchful eye out. Her heart started beating faster, she couldn’t tell if it was instinct or just her imagination running wild.

That’s when she heard the footsteps echo from behind her. 

Slow. Heavy. Deliberate. 

She made the bad decision of turning around and she met with a man standing a little too close. 

“Hey,” he spoke in a low voice, one that gave her an unnerving feeling deep within, “You got time?” 

Her nose was violated with the cigarette smoke clinging onto him, sharp and suffocating. It took everything in her not to cover her nose. 

Something about his tone though made her stomach twist. She stood frozen, wide eyed, “I--uh--” 

He stepped closer, she stepped back. Her pulse roared in her ears. Every part of her body was telling her to do something, to run or to swing a punch all though she was never good at physical fighting. 

Just before he could take a step further, a blur of red and blue dropped from above. Standing between you and the stranger. 

It was the man you recognized as Spider-Man.

“Back up, buddy” 

Everyone knew who he was. She read about Spider-Man in articles. About how he stopped robberies, kept the roads safe, how every now and then you could see him swinging from building to building. Like some guardian angel.  

She thought he was really cool. 

She shook her head a little, snapping back to the situation at hand. She couldn’t see what the man looked like since Spider-Man was blocking her vision but she heard the man let out a small curse. 

“Listen man we were just talking--” 

“Yeah dude sure you were, I think we both know how this story goes so either you turn around and walk away or I can swing you to the nearest police station,” He affirmed. 

The man chose not to push his luck and quickly walked the other way. Spider-Man let out a quiet breath of relief and turned back to her. And froze.

For a second, neither of them moved.

He was definitely staring longer than necessary, checking if she was okay. She was staring at him wide-eyed, her cute button nose and soft cheeks red from the cold, her hands tucked close to her chest like she didn't know what to do with them.

God she looked so small, so soft. His chest tightened just looking at her.

He yearned to hold her precious hands in his. Just to make sure she was real.

But he didn’t. He couldn’t. 

“Uh--you should probably get home safe,” He said quickly clearing his throat, as if he wasn't just imagining something he shouldn't be. He lowered his voice, “Stick to well-lit areas.” 

She nodded quickly, “Th-thank you,” her soft spoken voice made his heart trip over itself.

He nodded stiffly, the shot a web upward, forcing his eyes away from her. Before he could say something stupid, he swung away. 

She watched in the direction he went in, watching. Her heart was left pounding from the events that happened all within five minutes. 

She couldn’t help but think. 

The voice sounded...familiar. But before she could place it, he was gone.

Spider-Man found himself on a rooftop leaning against a concrete wall, chest heaving. He pulled off his mask revealing the face of an exhausted Yuji Itadori. He runs his hand through his short pink hair replaying the scene that just happened. 

If I had been there a minute too late…

He shut the thought down immediately. Nothing happened. He was there, that's all that matters. No point in going through a rabbit hole of ‘what if’s’. 

“I can’t lose her,” he whispers to himself, closing his eyes. 

Not to villains

Not to danger. 

Not to his own secrets. 

He exhaled slowly, trying to calm the adrenaline still rushing through him. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple. He pictured her instead, her beautiful smile, that sweet vanilla scent she carries around, those gorgeous wide eyes of hers. 

The way she had looked at him tonight. Like she trusted him, even without knowing him. Like she knew.

Everything about her felt…dangerously perfect. 

He snaps out of his thoughts when he feels his phone vibrate in his pocket. He takes it out and lets out a sigh of relief when he sees her name on the screen. 

Her: guess who saved me today. 

He takes off one of his gloves with his teeth holding it in his mouth as he responds. 

Yuji: who??

She waits a few seconds before responding letting the suspense sink in, obviously he knows who saved her, which is why this amuses him a little. 

Her: spider-man. 

He snorted quietly. Time for his oscar worthy acting skills. 

Yuji: no way! you got to meet the spider-man! dude’s been all over the news! 

Yuji: wait what do you mean saved? 

Yuji: are you okay? did something happen? 

Her: yeah i’m fine, he showed up out of nowhere. 

Yuji: as long as you’re fine that’s what’s important

Yuji: are you back home yet? 

Her: yeah i just got back like a few minutes ago. 

Yuji: good. stay safe. please. 

He stared at the screen for a minute, fingers hovering, like he wanted to say more. Like he always did.

But never could.

He locked his phone and leaned his head back against the wall. He takes a minute to breathe before putting his mask back on and swinging back to his apartment. 

She’s fine…that’s all that matters. 

Even if it meant lying to her a little longer.

a/n: okay i also wrote this late at night and just went with the flow no proofreading nothing. i actually need the next jjk episode to come out i'm so mad it got delayed. on another note to whoever's reading this i really appreciate it!

sparkle and line dividers by @pixopix

Alright let’s do this one last time. Yuji Itadori. He was bitten by a radioactive spider when he was sixteen and for about three years, he’s been the one and only Spider-Man. 

You’d think he’d be able to get a grasp on the whole double life thing but no…in fact when he got to college it became a lot harder. And it doesn’t help that his childhood best friend is more perceptive than he’d like. 

The two have been inseparable since they were six years old. They’ve seen each other through all their phases and they’ve stuck by each other no matter what. 

It wasn’t until middle school when Yuji realized his feelings for her, he never told her in fear of ruining their friendship. But that didn’t stop the looks he’d give when she wasn’t looking, or bringing her little things like her favorite snack or drink just to see her smile. As the years went by it was getting harder to bury his feelings. 

But when he became Spider-Man, that was one huge reason to not tell her. He didn’t want potential bad guys to target her or to put her in harm in any way. So he’s not only keeping his feelings from her he’s keeping his whole other life from her. 

She hasn’t caught on yet but she’s not stupid, she’s bound to find out eventually. 

So back to the current situation. 

Yuji swings into the open window of his and Megumi’s shared apartment and stumbles into his room. He’s frantically looking around for a change of clothes and some deodorant. 

He’s currently supposed to meet her at the park….ten minutes ago. Between superhero life and making sure he passes his classes, he hasn’t had a chance to see her let alone talk to her. 

He’s tripping over the clutter all over his room trying to get himself situated and hide anything to reveal the fact that he just stopped a grocery store robbery. He runs out of his room past the kitchen where Megumi is sipping his coffee looking unbothered. 

“Your shirts on backwards,” Megumi sips his coffee as Yuji stops to a halt. Megumi and Nobara are the only people Yuji told about his superhero secret. While Megumi is Yuji’s inside man, doing all the technical stuff and covering for Yuji when needed, Nobara makes his suit and improves/fixes it when needed. 

Yuji takes off his shirt and fixes it, “Thanks man!” He takes the keys from the counter and runs towards the door. 

“She’s gonna find out eventually. She’s not stupid,” Megumi calls out casually sipping his coffee. 

Yuji pauses, his hand on the door knob. He knows Megumi’s right, but he’s determined to protect her even if that means keeping her in the dark, “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” He mutters under his breath. WIth that he opens the door and runs out. 

He runs into the park and swings his head back and forth looking for her. He freezes when he finally spots her, sitting on the park bench looking at the sky. 

She looks as beautiful as ever…maybe even more he thinks to himself before approaching her. 

Yuji felt his chest tighten in that familiar way it always did when he looked at her. 

She looks over and her face brightens when she sees him standing up and walking towards him, “Well, well, well,” she said, crossing her arms. “Look who decided to grace me with his presence. Twenty five minutes later,” 

But there was a smile tugging at her lips. 

One she only ever had for him. 

Yuji rubs the back of his head smiling embarrassed, letting out a breathy laugh tired from running, “Yeah heh sorry about that I uh…had to drop off my…library book,” It was a lie. A terrible one. They both know he doesn’t go to a library…or read. 

She tilts her head confused, “Since when do you go to the library?” 

His eyes widened a bit “Uh did I say my library book? I meant Megumi’s library book obviously, yeah I owed him a favor so…” He held his breath, watching her face like the answer to everything depended on it. He knows she’s way too smart for her own good. 

She narrows her eyes a little, “Uh huh…right,” She knows something’s wrong. She’s known he’s been keeping something from her for a while. He’s her best friend of course she’s been picking up on the little things over the years. The way he gets mysterious bruises, is abnormally late to a lot of things, always looks on edge.

 It worries her, she cares about him a lot, more than he’ll ever know. She wants to push, she wants to ask what’s going on and why he’s keeping secrets from her. 

But she doesn’t. 

“So how were your midterms?” She asked, shifting the conversation to something more light. She wants him to tell her when he’s ready. 

Yuji lets out a quiet, relieved breath at the shift, “Well, I passed that’s all that really matters,” 

She laughed, soft and warm, and Yuji swore his heart actually stopped. That sound. He wanted to memorize that laugh. Every curve of her smile. Every tilt of her head when she laughed. He wanted to be the reason she never stopped.

For a second, he just stared at her. 

He always did this. 

Like he couldn’t believe she was real. 

“But anyways, enough of school, I found this great burger place the other day and I need to show you. Seriously it’s a must,” Yuji exclaimed as he led her to wherever his burger place was. 

“Great I’m starving,” She catches up to him easily, her shoulders brushing as you walk side by side. 

Yuji’s face heated instantly. He was suddenly aware of everything about her. How her sleeve smelled faintly of vanilla, how her laughter lingered like a song he couldn’t forget. Every small detail about her seemed to pull him closer, and he had the urge to reach out and wrap his arms around her. Hold her. Hug her. Anything just as long as he could be near her.

He cleared his throat, trying to act casual while sneaking glances at her when she wasn’t looking.

And even though she didn’t notice it yet, he felt like walking next to her might be the closest thing to perfect he’d ever get.

a/n: this is my first post i lowkey wrote this at like two in the morning and did not proofread. anyways i hope you enjoyed!

sparkle and line divider by @pixopix