jae!

𝒌ita 𝒔hinsuke x reader

more characters here

𝒃lurb ﹕ a 'secret' relationship between a manager and an opposing team's captain doesn't exactly remain secret for long.. ╱ 𝒘𝒄 # 1.8k

— 𝒂uthor's 𝒏ote ﹕ my first for posting kita 💗 hope i did him justice

● requested ☆

the two of you have been dating for six months, completely in secret because you didn't want the miya twins making your life a living hell, but, kita.. well, kita's good.

but he doesn't actually know how to hide things.

or- maybe he does, and reveals them on purpose. but you'll never know.

he doesn't lie, he doesn't sneak around, and he treats your relationship with that same discipline that he treats everything else in his life.

SYNOPSIS. Someone assumes the two of you are together, when you’re not (yet), how does he react?

FEATURING. Albedo, Ayato, Childe, Kaeya, Lohen, Thoma, Venti

WORD COUNT. 5.7k total (i got carried away, please stick around)

NOTES. Just fluff through and through. I wanted to write for so many more characters!! Do let me know who else you would like to see :))

Fem!reader !! she/her pronouns are used.

ALBEDO

You spend a lot of time in Albedo's lab. You're not entirely sure when it started becoming routine, but somewhere between him seeking your presence and you deciding to stay longer than necessary, it just... happened. You'd sit in the corner with a book or just watch him work, the way he moves through his experiments with methodical precision. 

Today, though, you're in the Favonius library instead. Albedo needed to research something specific, and you went along with him without question. You're sitting at one of the tables while he browses the shelves, pulling down various tomes with focused precision.

Lisa is at the front desk when Albedo brings his stack of books to check them out. You're waiting nearby, and she glances between the two of you with that knowing smile of hers.

"My, my, someone's been spending a lot of time with our dear Chief Alchemist," she says to you, her voice sweet as honey. She's already flipping through the first book. "Taking quite the interest in his work, are we?"

"Just curious," you say, suddenly very aware of how close Albedo is standing.

"Mm, how thoughtful of you." She continues scanning, her eyes flickering up to Albedo for just a moment. "Your lover must appreciate having someone so interested in what he does."

She says it so casually, so mixed in with the mundane task of checking out books, that it takes a moment for the words to actually register. By the time they do, she's already moving on to the next book, completely unbothered.

Albedo pauses. You notice it immediately—his hand stills on the counter, and there's a moment where he seems to be processing something. His gaze drifts to the side, not quite looking at Lisa, not quite looking at you. He's just... considering. Turning the words over in his mind the way he does with everything else. 

Then, just as quietly as the pause came, he seems to release it. He doesn't correct her. Doesn't say anything at all. Just sets down the remaining books on the counter in that careful way of his.

“Oh, uhm,” You begin, looking over at Albedo. “We, uh, aren’t together.”

Lisa glances up, catches something in his expression, and her smile widens slightly. But she says nothing more.

Later, when you're back at the library and Albedo is focused on his research, you find yourself thinking about what Lisa said.

"Do you think I'm a distraction?" you ask casually, not looking up from your book.

Albedo doesn't pause in his work. "No." The answer is immediate. Certain. You turn a page.

"Lisa thinks we're together," you say.

He sets down the vial he held with careful precision. Turns to look at you fully, and for a long moment, he doesn't say anything. His soft, analytical gaze is fixed on you, and the silence stretches out—long enough that you start to feel uncomfortable, long enough that you begin to wonder if you've said something wrong.

And then, as though he had reached a conclusion so simple and obvious, "Would that be so strange?"

You realise you don't have an answer for that. And more importantly, that perhaps, no, it would not be so strange after all. 

AYATO

The Kamisato clan commissioner rarely ventured into the markets. Usually, he would have sent either Thoma or one of his other myriad helpers to fetch whatever it was he or Ayaka needed. But, today, perhaps as a change of environment—away from the towering paperwork he had to fill—Ayato decided to accompany you in your shopping. He always had a peculiar habit of trailing behind you, even when it was unnecessary. You had gotten used to his presence in your life. A shadow. An extremely coy and teasing shadow, that is. 

Besides, perhaps the presence of the commissioner would snag you a couple of good deals while out and about. 

You curled a bolt of silk green fabric around your wrist. Pretty, smooth. Ayato peeked over your shoulder, scrutinising the item in so much more detail than you were at all. 

You turned back to look at him and huffed, a sound of amusement, “What, is it not to your liking, Ayato?”

“Well,” he seemed to draw out, catching your eyes. “I hardly think it’s your shade.”

Not your shade? Just as a retort bubbled up in your throat, you were interrupted by the sound of the vendor. “Ah, commissioner!” He said. “Interested in imported silks, are you?”

The man seemed to be pulling out more cloth, shades of different colours—silver, lavender, pink, blue. His hands moved with practiced efficiency as he laid out the fabrics over the counter. He seemed to be going on and on about where each piece was imported from—this one from Liyue, the other a local craftsman from Inazuma, the other cultivated in the meadows of Mondstadt. 

But then he picked out a specific piece and looked over to Ayato. “I’m sure your lover would look stunning in the deeper blues,” he said. “Does the lady have a preference, or should we let the commissioner decide?”

You tensed. 

Lover? And the man had said it so casually, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. You felt your cheeks warm and suddenly you seemed to become all too aware of the little distance between you and Ayato. As though hypersensory, you could feel the way Ayato’s hands stilled, resting for a moment at your hip. You looked over at him. 

And yet, there was no change in his expression. If anything, the small smile he had on his face had stretched a fractional amount. His head tilted to the side. 

“I think she would look rather beautiful,” Ayato said. Simple and casual, his eyes snagging on you for half a second. It was like he hadn’t even heard the former part of the sentence. Or, scratch that, like he hadn’t heard anything the vendor had just said. 

The vendor was simply ecstatic to have sold something to the commissioner, and—apparently—his “lover,” and had left to wrap the item. 

You paused for a second, before turning to the man next to you. “What was that?” 

Ayato hummed non-commitally as he looked at you. “What was what?” He feigned ignorance, that smug idiot. He never missed a single thing. Once you had changed the scent of your perfume from Sakura Bloom to Naku Weed, and he had caught it the moment you stepped into his office; there was no way he hadn’t heard that. 

“He just called me your lover!” You pressed. 

Ayato just tilted his head, his fingers tapping against the wooden counter. “Yes.”

“And you didn’t correct him.”

“No.”

The heat in your face seemed to rise in temperature. Just what exactly was he playing at? Why was he staring at you like this was the most normal thing ever? Was he not bothered? And the way the merchant had said it, too, it was like everyone in the entirety of Inazuma knew about this except for you!

“Why not?” You asked, growing more shifty by the second. 

Ayato let out a laugh, a sweet, melodic little sound, “You didn't seem eager to correct him yourself.”

You opened your mouth to argue, and then closed it again. “W-Well, I was just about—but then, I…” Any and all justification that rose in your throat withered away. Especially when Ayato was staring at you like that. Like he was challenging you to question that assumption, daring you to change it. 

That day, the two of you walked away having bought an expensive indigo fabric. Matching the Kamisato insignia.

CHILDE

The training grounds were empty except for the two of you. You'd been sparring with Childe for the better part of an hour, and he was still grinning like he was having the time of his life—which, knowing him, he probably was.

"Your footwork's off," he called out, circling you with that predatory grace he had when he was actually engaged. "You're telegraphing your next move."

"Maybe I want you to know what I'm doing," you shot back, lunging. He sidestepped easily, but you'd anticipated that, spinning to catch him off-guard with a follow-up strike. He blocked it, and the impact sent a jolt up your arm. "Or maybe you're just slow today."

"Slow?" He laughed, and there was an edge to it now—the kind that meant he'd stopped holding back. He came at you with a series of quick strikes, testing your reflexes, and you matched him, parry for parry. 

Your muscles were already burning from the previous rounds, but you pushed anyway because he'd give you that look of approval when you did, that slight nod like you'd passed some invisible test. "You're the one who's slowing down. Your last five moves have been predictable."

"Only because you're boring me," you said, breathing harder now. You twisted away from his next strike, used his momentum against him, and nearly got him off-balance. Nearly. He recovered with infuriating ease, but you caught the flash of something in his expression—genuine interest now, not just amusement.

The sparring continued, and at one point, you overextended on a strike. His hand came out to steady you, gripping your arm just above the elbow. It was meant to be instructional—a correction of your form—but he held it for a moment, his thumb brushing against your skin before he released you. Neither of you acknowledged it. He just stepped back and said, "Again. Better this time."

You came at him again, and somewhere in the middle of it, there was a moment where he caught your wrist mid-strike. His hand was warm, his grip firm but not painful. He could have thrown you. Instead, he held it for a fraction of a second longer than necessary, and you were close enough to see the slight raise in his eyebrow—a challenge. You twisted your arm, trying to break free, and he let you go with a grin.

"Getting better," he said.

"I've always been good. You're just finally noticing," you replied, and charged at him again.

By the time you both called it, you were both breathing hard. Sweat dripped down your temple, and your arms felt like lead. Childe was still smiling though, that infuriating, easy smile of his that suggested he could do this all day. He grabbed his water bottle, tossed you one, and you caught it easily. The cold water was a relief as you drank, trying to catch your breath.

You were leaning against the nearby pillar, still catching your breath, when you heard voices approaching. Not close yet, but getting closer. You recognized one of them immediately—Paimon's high-pitched chatter, and underneath it, Lumine's quieter responses. You didn't think much of it. They were probably just passing through the training grounds on their way somewhere else.

Childe was standing a few feet away from you, already looking refreshed despite the exertion. He had that energy about him, the kind that didn't seem to deplete no matter how hard he pushed himself. He caught you looking at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" he asked, already moving toward you.

"Just wondering how you're not completely dead," you said. "Normal people need recovery time."

"I'm not normal people." He stopped beside you, close enough that you could feel the warmth radiating off him. Without any real thought to it, he reached over and fixed a strand of your hair that had come loose during the sparring, tucking it back behind your ear. It was such a casual gesture, the kind of thing he did without thinking. Your breath caught slightly, but he was already pulling his hand back, already grinning at you like he hadn't just done something that made your heart rate pick up for reasons that had nothing to do with the exercise.

"Definitely not normal," you muttered, looking away.

"Hey, Childe! Lumine and I were just—oh!"

You looked up to see Paimon floating toward you both, her expression shifting to something almost knowing as she took in the sight of you two standing close together, both flushed and breathing hard. Lumine followed behind her, her eyes flickering between you and Childe with that quiet observation of hers.

"We were just heading to the Adventurers' Guild," Paimon continued, but there was a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "But wow, looks like you two have been going at it pretty hard. I'm just glad Childe's finally found his special someone! But sheesh, do you have to go that hard on her?"

There was a beat. You opened your mouth to correct her, to clarify whatever assumption she'd just made, but Childe moved first. His arm came around you without hesitation, pulling you against his side in one smooth motion. It was the kind of casual contact you two shared all the time, except it wasn't casual now. Not the way he was looking at Paimon, not the way his hand rested at your hip like it belonged there.

"Yeah, well," he said, his voice easy and warm, "took me long enough to find someone worth the effort."

Lumine's lips curved into the faintest smile. "That's one way to put it," she said, and there was definitely something knowing in her tone.

You felt your face flush. You pushed against his chest, your hand flat against the fabric of his shirt.

"You're insane," you said, but you were already laughing despite yourself, despite the way your heart was doing backflips.

Paimon giggled, seeming satisfied with whatever she thought she'd figured out, and Lumine gave you both a small wave before they continued on their way. You watched them go, still half-pressed against Childe's side, and the moment they were out of earshot, you pushed away from him properly.

"You want to enlighten me on what you were implying there?" you asked, turning to face him.

Childe's grin was still there, but something underneath it had shifted. He wasn't quite looking at you directly, was instead focused on something past your shoulder, his expression caught between amusement and something you couldn't quite read.

"Was I implying something?" he said, but there was no real teasing in it now.

"You just told them we're together."

He finally looked at you then, and his expression was softer than you'd expected. Still smiling, but there was something real behind it—something that made your stomach twist in a way that had nothing to do with the sparring.

"And?" he said softly. "I wasn't lying though, was I?"

KAEYA

You'd been coming to the tavern with Kaeya for weeks now. It started innocuously enough—he'd asked if you wanted a drink after a particularly grueling shift, and you'd said yes mostly because you were too tired to say no. Somewhere along the way, it became routine. Every few nights you'd find yourself at the counter with him, and he'd order for you without asking. He always got it right, which was irritating in its own way.

Tonight was like any other night. You were sitting at your usual spot, the one that had somehow become your spot, when someone approached. One of the regulars—a member of the Adventurer’s Guild—someone you'd seen around enough times to recognize but not enough to know by name.

"Kaeya," the man slurred, leaning against the bar. "Your girlfriend's looking particularly radiant tonight."

You felt your spine stiffen slightly. Girlfriend. The word hung there for a moment, waiting to be corrected. 

You looked over at Kaeya, waiting for him to say something, to clarify, to do whatever it was he normally did when people made assumptions. But he just smiled. That easy, lazy smile of his. 

"Isn't she always?" he said, and the man laughed like it was the most charming thing he'd ever heard, and walked away.

You stared at your drink. The ice was melting slowly, diluting the amber liquid into something weaker.

"You could've corrected him," you said, looking over at him with barely concealed flustered confusion.

"Could have," Kaeya agreed. He wasn't looking at you, was instead focused on something across the bar with that detached amusement he wore like a second skin. "Didn't seem worth the effort."

You let it go. It was small enough, harmless enough. Kaeya was always like this—playing into characters, scenarios, whatever amused him in the moment. And besides, this was the tavern. People were drunk, made assumptions, barely thought twice about anything. Everything Kaeya said carried that thin veneer of humor, that deliberate lightness that suggested nothing he did was ever meant to be taken seriously. This must have been yet another attempt at his particular brand of entertainment, or maybe an effort to fluster you. Which you weren't falling for. Obviously.

But a few days later, he suggested dinner at Good Hunter's. You'd gone, mostly because you were hungry and he was there. Sara smiled when she saw you two sit down underneath the parasol. 

“Maybe the both of you would like a seat that’s more private instead?” She had suggested. Your face erupted into flames when she suggested that. And although you tried to correct it, Kaeya had already confirmed, and you found yourself in a shaded area to the side. The kind of area that everyone implicitly agreed was for honeymooning couples. 

You sat across from him, irritated, and tried to focus on your food. Kaeya, for his part, seemed entirely unbothered. He ate with deliberate slowness, and at one point he leaned across the table, his eye catching yours with a particular brand of teasing softness.

"You're scowling," he said, like it was an observation about the weather.

"I'm not scowling."

"You are." He reached over and tapped your forehead with one finger. "Right here."

You pulled back, but he'd already retreated, that infuriating smile still in place.

By the time you were walking back through the city, your irritation had crystallized into something sharper. Something that demanded to be addressed.

"What are you doing?" you asked, stopping abruptly in the middle of the street.

"Walking," Kaeya said simply. "Same as you."

"Don't be difficult. Everyone keeps thinking we're together and you're not correcting them. You're actually—" you gestured vaguely at the space between you, "—playing into it."

He was quiet for a moment. Then he laughed, that low, warm sound that always seemed to come from somewhere deeper than his chest. When he looked at you, there was something in his expression you couldn't quite place. Something that felt almost like he'd been waiting for you to notice.

"I think you like it more than you're willing to admit," he said softly. His eye was half-lidded, that familiar amusement still there, but underneath it was something else. Something that made your chest feel tight.  "The question is whether I should keep pretending not to notice."

He was already walking ahead, already moving past you with that lazy stride of his, and you were left standing there, flushed and furious and unable to quite articulate why his assumption felt less like teasing and more like he'd read something in you that you weren't ready to show him.

Damn Kaeya.

LOHEN

The training grounds were filled with apprentice knights, all watching intently as you explained the formation they'd be running through. Lohen stood beside you, arms crossed, and you could already feel the restlessness radiating off him like heat.

"This is boring," he said, not bothering to lower his voice. "Just let them fight something real."

"They need to understand positioning first," you replied firmly, not even looking at him. "We're not sending them into the field unprepared."

"Unprepared is half the fun," he said, and you heard the grin in his voice.

You turned to face him. "You know what? Not everyone gets a thrill from almost dying."

"Their loss," he said, and there was something playful in his eyes, something that suggested he enjoyed getting a rise out of you. One of the younger apprentices nudged their friend, both of them watching the exchange with barely concealed amusement.

"This is why we have strategy," you continued, turning back to the group. "Lohen charges in and—"

"And it works," he interjected.

"And you get lucky," you corrected.

He laughed, "Lucky. Right. That's what we're calling it."

The training started smoothly enough. The apprentices moved through the formations you'd drilled into them, and you were positioned to observe and correct. Lohen was supposed to be doing the same, but his attention kept drifting, his foot tapping with barely contained energy. You could see him watching the apprentices with the kind of hunger that meant he was already bored. At one point, you caught him staring at you instead of the recruits, and when you raised an eyebrow in question, he just grinned wider.

After about an hour, one of the younger recruits approached as you and Lohen were standing together reviewing the performance. The recruit was still catching their breath, clearly impressed by how well the formation had held.

"It's lucky that the two of you are paired together," they said, glancing between you both. There was genuine respect in their voice. "Aren't the two of you together?"

The moment those words left the apprentice’s mouth, you could see something wicked shine in Lohen’s eyes. You opened your mouth to clarify, but Lohen moved before you could. He crossed the distance between you in a few strides and pulled you against his side, his arm wrapping around your waist like it had always belonged there. Your face went hot immediately, but he was looking at you with that chaotic grin of his, like he'd just been handed the best entertainment of his day.

"And she's the only person who could ever keep up with me," he said, loud and theatrical, and you could tell he was leaning into it now, performing for the apprentices. You felt your cheeks burn as you realized what he was doing, deliberately making a show of it, spinning this into something bigger just to see you get flustered. The manic energy was at full throttle, and he was clearly enjoying every second of your embarrassment.

Your face went hotter. One of the apprentices bit their lip to keep from smiling, while another looked away, clearly uncomfortable with the display. But most of them were watching with interest, waiting to see what would happen next.

"Lohen—" you started, trying to extract yourself, but he didn't let go. His grip on your waist was firm, not painful, just insistent.

"And she's brilliant," he continued, spinning you slightly so he could look at you properly. His hand was still on your back, and he was looking at you with an intensity that made your breath catch. "Everything I'm not. Everything that keeps me from getting killed in a ditch somewhere." There was something underneath the chaos when he said it, something that suggested he meant it more than he was letting on.  A few of the recruits exchanged glances, and one of them smiled knowingly.

"You'd be lost without her," one of the bolder apprentices called out, earning a few quiet laughs from the others.

"Completely lost," Lohen agreed, but there was something in the way he said it that wasn't entirely joking. For just a moment, the manic energy seemed to settle, and he looked at you like you were the only thing in the training grounds that mattered. "Actually, yeah. I would be."

Then he released you, and the chaos returned. He was already moving away, already tossing some comments to the apprentices about formation angles, leaving you standing there flustered and hyperaware of every eye on you.

The rest of the training passed in a blur of corrections and positioning. By the time you finally dismissed the apprentices, your face had only just stopped burning. Lohen was already collecting his things, and you found yourself watching him move with that restless energy of his, wondering what he'd actually meant in that moment when everything had seemed to pause.

THOMA

You were sitting in one of the Kamisato estate's quieter rooms, mending a tear in one of the ceremonial clothes when Thoma appeared with tea. He set it down beside you without asking and settled into the seat across from you.

"That's going to take forever," he said, watching you work the needle through the delicate fabric.

"Only if I rush," you replied, concentrating on your stitching. "You taught me that."

He smiled at that, leaning back and watching you work. It was comfortable, the kind of silence that didn't need filling. You'd been coming to this room more often lately, always finding some reason to be here. Mending. Reading. Just sitting. And somehow Thoma always seemed to find his way in.

After a while, he got up and moved to sit beside you instead. He didn't ask permission. He just shifted closer until his shoulder nearly touched yours. He picked up a different piece that needed mending and started working on it without preamble.

"You're still doing that stitch wrong," he said after a while, no judgment in his voice.

"I know," you said, not bothering to correct yourself. "But you always fix it for me anyway."

He smiled, and you swore you could see the pupils of his green eyes dilate a fractional amount. His hand came over yours, guiding the needle through the proper motion. His fingers were warm, and he moved slowly, making sure you understood. When he pulled back, you found yourself missing the contact.

You worked like that for a long time. Sometimes he'd hum something soft under his breath. Sometimes you'd ask him about his day, and he'd answer while still focused on the mending. At one point, you reached for more thread at the same moment he did, and your hands brushed. Neither of you moved away.  You both just continued working, shoulders close, existing together in the quiet of the afternoon.

"You're thinking too hard," he said once, glancing at your face.

"How can you tell?"

"You get this little crease," he said, reaching over and smoothing it away with his thumb. It was such a gentle gesture that you forgot to breathe for a moment.

You were so focused on the mending that you didn't notice when Ayaka appeared in the doorway. She had a few attendants with her, but she stopped when she saw the two of you sitting close together, heads bent over the work, your shoulders nearly touching.

"Oh, there you two are," she said warmly. "I've been meaning to mention something." Thoma looked up, and you followed his gaze.

"There's a couples' festival coming up at the end of the month," Ayaka continued, her tone genuinely kind. 

"I thought perhaps you two might enjoy attending together. It would be nice for you to have some time away from the estate."

You felt your face warm. Thoma's reaction was immediate. His entire face flushed a deep red, from his neck all the way to his ears. He set down the cloth quickly, maybe too quickly, like he needed something to do with his hands.

"Oh, we're—" he started, his voice slightly strained. He cleared his throat, and when he spoke again, he was trying for his usual politeness, but the fluster was unmistakable. "We're not actually together, Lady Ayaka. We just spend a lot of time together because of work, that's all."

The correction was gentle, the way everything Thoma did was gentle. But there was something in the way his hands gripped the cloth a little too tightly, the way he wouldn't quite meet Ayaka's eyes, that made your chest tighten. One of the attendants looked faintly disappointed.

Ayaka's expression softened with understanding, and she nodded. "I see. My apologies for the misunderstanding." She excused herself politely, and the moment she left, the room felt smaller somehow.

You picked up your mending again, but your hands felt clumsy. Thoma did the same, but neither of you were really focused on the work anymore. The ease you'd had before was gone, replaced by something tense and uncertain. The afternoon light filtered through the screens, and the silence stretched between you, heavy with things unsaid.

When the sun started to set and you finally set down your work, Thoma was already moving. You said something soft to break the tension, just to ease it.

"That was kind of awkward," you said quietly, not quite looking at him.

He paused, his hand lingering on the cloth. You could see him turn it over in his mind, searching for something.

"I didn't mean to be rude," he said, finally meeting your eyes. "She was just... it caught me off guard."

"I know," you said, offering him a small smile. "It's fine. These things happen."

He looked at you for a long moment, and there was something in his expression that made your breath catch. Something that looked like regret, like he was reconsidering something he'd just said.

"Actually," he said, and his voice was steadier now, "about that festival."

You looked at him, waiting.

"It might not be a bad idea," he continued, and there was a careful consideration to his words, like he was choosing each one deliberately. "For us to attend together, I mean. Not because anyone thinks we should. But because..." He paused, searching for the right words. "Because I'd like to spend that evening with you. If you'd want to."

Your breath caught slightly. There was nothing casual about the way he said it, despite how carefully he was choosing his words. There was intention there, and something that looked a lot like hope.

"Yeah," you said softly. "I'd like that."

VENTI

Venti had dragged you out to yet another performance. You weren't sure why he felt the need to do this—invite you specifically, stand you in a particular spot in the crowd where he could see you, like your presence mattered to the mechanics of him playing. But he'd shown up at your door this morning with his elfish smile and asked if you were busy. A pointless question, really. He would have begged and whined until you relented had you said no. 

On the way to the fountain, he'd been insufferable. He kept humming fragments of melodies, stopping abruptly to ask your opinion on them, then laughing at your answers like you'd said something hilarious when you were just trying to be helpful. At one point he'd grabbed your wrist and spun you around on the street for no reason, just to see your expression, probably.

"You're going to make me dizzy," you laugh, pulling your hand back.

"Is that a complaint, windblume?" he asked, and there was something in his tone that suggested he already knew the answer.

"Yes," you lied.

He had just smiled like he could see right through you.

Now, standing near the fountain while he set up, you watched him adjust his lyre with great care; the kind of care reserved for especially special things in one’s life. Which, for Venti, was music and—you were noticing more and more—you. 

He kept glancing over at you, making sure you were in the right spot, making sure you could see him properly. You found it funny, it was almost like a nervous tick. A flick of his gaze to you every few seconds to make especially sure that you had your eyes on him. It was unnecessary. Of course you could see him. You were always looking at him anyway.

Another bard approached as Venti was finishing his setup—someone you recognized vaguely from around the city. They exchanged greetings, the kind of easy familiarity that suggested they knew each other from the musician's circles. You turned your attention back to the fountain, not really listening until the other bard said something that made you tune back in.

"Your recent stuff has been different," he was saying to Venti. "All of it sounds like it's about the same person."

You felt something shift in your chest. His recent stuff? You hadn't really paid that much attention, if you were being honest. But now that it was being pointed out, you found yourself wondering if that was true. 

You'd been hearing him play new things lately, pieces you hadn't heard before, and now you were suddenly wondering who they were about.

The bard glanced over at you, then back at Venti, and you watched something click into place behind his expression.

"That your muse?" he asked, gesturing vaguely in your direction.

Venti laughed. It was the kind of laugh that made people turn their heads, that seemed to move through the air like something physical. He spun—actually spun, his coat catching the light—and when he looked at you, there was something deliberate in the movement.

"The best one I've ever had," he said, and he was looking directly at you when he said it.

Your face went hot. The other bard laughed too, charmed, and the conversation continued between them, but you weren't really listening anymore. You were stuck on that phrase, on the way Venti had said it, on the realization that apparently his recent compositions had been about you and you'd been too oblivious to notice.

An hour later, after the performance was over and you'd managed to slip away, you found yourself at the tavern. You were nursing a drink when Venti sat down beside you. He waved a hand to the bartender, and Charles just sighed—a routine. And then Venti’s gaze was fixed on you.

"You've been thinking about what I said," he observes.

"I haven't," you say, which is a lie and you both know it.

"Mm." He's amused. You can hear it in his voice. "That's exactly why you’ve been zoning out since my  performance?” He had that teasing lilt in his voice. You wanted to puncture his voice box. 

"You can't just say something like that and expect me not to—" you start, then stop because you're not actually sure what you're going to say. Expect you not to what? Wonder if he meant it? Wonder what it means? Wonder if you're reading too much into it?

"Not to what?" Venti prompts, and there's that tilt of his head again, that soft amusement in his expression.

"You know what," you snap, trying not to sound flustered. 

Venti, all he does is laugh. You really want to puncture his voice box. 

thanks so much for reading!!

Synopsis: Your son looks just like Rin // fluff, suggestive at the end

“What is that.”

“Sae, it’s your son,” you sigh, lying in the Hospital bed, completely exhausted of a night of giving birth.

“Why does he look like that.”

“I don’t know, what does he look like?” you’re currently so tired that you haven’t opened your eyes in hours, just weakly replying to Sae’s dumb questions. You saw your son after the birth briefly, but didn’t really see much of him due to him being cuddled in towels and having his eyes closed.

So what the hell does he mean?

“He looks…he looks exactly like Rin.”

You open your eyes slowly, “Really? That’s a surprise.”

Your eyes begin to focus slowly and get used to the bright light of the Hospital Bed, now being able to see your son in Sae’s arms.

He’s tiny.

A little bundle of…anger?

He looks extremely unsatisfied with the entire situation he’s in.

You crack a little smile. “Do you think he looks like Rinnie because he’s angry?”

“I told you to not call him that. And no,” with a sigh, Sae pulls the blankets away from your son’s body, revealing green hair, “Look. It’s green.”

You blink a couple times and then shrug. “I mean…your Father and your Brother both have green hair. It’s no surprise.”

“It shouldn’t work like that. My child is supposed to look like me, isn’t he?”

“What? You’re seriously angry about that? You’re completely ridiculous. Rinnie is your Brother, be happy your son is like him.”

“Don’t you dare say that. Just because he looks like him, doesn’t have to mean he’ll be like him,” Sae shivers at the thought of Teenage Rin in flow state.

You grin, “I actually hope he is exactly like Rinnie. I love his grumpy attitude and he’s just so adorable in general. He’s such a sweetheart.”

“Whatever floats your boat, Itoshi.”

You gasp and giggle, “Itoshi Sae’s first try at humour?? Will this affect the Aldi opening hours??”

“Just shut up.”

You giggle even louder, which wakes your baby up. He immediately begins to scream and cry, his little hands grasping for you.

“We’ll have to try for another one in time. One that isn’t loud and looks like me.”

“No the fuck we’re not. You know how much blood is coming out of me right this second?”

“This happened to you every month a while ago. Don’t be dramatic.”

“That’s it, I’m divorcing you.” You stare at him in complete seriousness.

Sae smiles softly and gives you the baby, “Love you too.”

。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。

a/n: English isn’t my first language, criticism is welcomed but please be nice. Likes, comments and reblogs are highly appreciated. Do not steal or copy my work, nor feed it to ai.

n: If I had to have a baby with the worst Itoshi, I’d want it at least to look like the best // also, Sae is like mid 20s in this :o

the university train was entirely packed due to a sudden downpour, forcing the evening commuters into a suffocatingly tight space. you were standing near the doors, losing your balance every time the car lurched, when kuroo suddenly shifted his weight.

​he stepped closer, completely cornering you against the metal partition. he placed his left hand flat against the glass right above your head, his massive frame creating a physical barrier between you and the rest of the crowded train.

​“don’t fall over, shortie,” he teased, his signature grin firmly in place.

​“i’m not falling,” you muttered, looking down at his chest because his face was entirely too close.

​the train suddenly screeched around a sharp bend. you lurched forward, your hands instinctively grabbing the fabric of his jacket for balance, your forehead bumping directly into his collarbone. kuroo let out a sharp, breathless oof.

​when you looked up to apologize, the sly, teasing captain was entirely gone. kuroo was staring down at you, his golden eyes wide and completely dark, his jaw locked tight. a deep, violent shade of pink had exploded across his face, spreading rapidly from his throat all the way to the tips of his ears under the train’s dim lights. he looked completely short-circuited by the sudden proximity.

​“kuroo?” you whispered.

​“uh,” he cleared his throat, his hand on the glass trembling just a tiny bit as he slowly lowered his arm, wrapping it securely around your shoulders instead to pull you firmly against his side. he stared hard at the digital station map above the door, his chest rising and falling in heavy, panicked breaths. “the train is… really unstable today. yeah. just stay right there so i don’t have to carry you off the platform.”

n: bro i haven’t eaten a thing, idk how i thought of this.

© showhay — don’t copy, repost, or translate without my permission. do not use/feed my works to AI.

you were standing in front of the stove, humming quietly while trying to stir somthing that probably looked way easier on tiktok than it actually was.

“i got it,” kuroo said from behind you.

before you could even move, warm hands settled lightly on your waist.

“careful,” he murmured, gently nudging you a tiny step to the side. “hot pan comin’ through.”

you huffed. “i was fine.”

“mmhm.” he moved past with the pan, way too smug for someone holding dinner hostage. “and i’d rather not have my favorite girl get burned.”

he set it down before coming right back, resting his chin on top of your head for a second.

“you okay?”

“yes,” you mumbled.

“good.” he stole a peice of food straight from the plate.

“tetsu!”

“quality control, baby.”

—

you reached for the grocery bags.

kuroo gave you a look.

you froze.

“…what?”

he lifted one brow, already carrying half the bags in one hand like it was nothing.

“what did i say?”

you sighed dramaticly. “that you can carry them.”

“right.”

“i have arms, tetsu.”

“yeah, pretty ones.” he reached over and took the last bag before you could argue. “so let me.”

you rolled your eyes, trying to grab the door handle instead.

another look.

that stern, unimpressed one.

you stopped instantly.

“…seriously?”

“seriously.”

he opened the door with a little nod. “after you.”

“you’re annoying.”

"let me gooo, i want to make my coffee," you whined softly, the tone made it apparent that you couldn't hold a smile at the sight of your usual collected man being so clingy. provoking him further, you once more tried to release the grasp of his hand on your stomach. the man responded with a disapproving grunt, the vibration from his lips against your skin made you shiver.

"stay, please. i'll make it for you later," he pleaded, trailing lazy kisses along your shoulder blade in hope to get you stay in bed, going as far as bringing his leg over both of yours, practically keeping you in his embrace. you chuckled.

"but i want it now," you replied, yet despite those words you couldn't help but put your hand on his cheek, seeing how the blond nuzzled closer to it, chasing the contact like a cat basking under the attention.

"not yet," he murmured, doubling down by gently turning you over, bringing you closer as you rested your head on his chest. you caved under his relentless touch, both his arms folded snugly behind your back. nanami wore a satisfied smile, like he just achieved something great. "i need another hour of this. of you."

"didn't know i'll be held hostage in some mornings when i went into this marriage," you teased, the comfort of his warm hug made you abandon the scheme you never planned to follow through. your fingers made their way to draw random patterns on the navy shirt he was wearing.

he caught your digits, planting a soft kiss at the back of your hand, "and you promised to accept me as i am in your vow, so i'm afraid you'll have to put up with this for the rest of your life."

you laughed.

Assuming a year has past since your confession. They aren’t sure if you still like them.

​iwaizumi was looking for his water bottle in the clubroom after a grueling three-hour practice. the gym was quiet, the rest of the team already in the showers, when he heard your voice through the open window of the adjacent equipment shed. you were talking to one of the first-year managers.

​“i don’t know, i just like guys who are dependable. like… someone who works hard without bragging about it.”

​“like iwaizumi-senpai?” the manager asked.

​“yeah,” you murmured softly. “exactly like him. he’s really reliable. and his arms are… well, you know.”

​outside, iwaizumi completely short-circuited. he dropped his gym bag with a loud, echoing clatter against the concrete porch. his dark eyes were wide, his mouth slightly open, and his face instantly turned a violent, agonizing shade of red under his dark bangs. he stood there like a statue, his heart hammering against his ribs so forcefully he was convinced the entire prefecture could hear it.

​the shed door slid open immediately. you stepped out, holding a basket of volleyballs, and froze when you saw him standing there, looking like he had just witnessed a crime.

​“iwaizumi!” you gasped, your own face burning. “how much of that did you hear?”

​he cleared his throat, a loud, rough sound, his shoulders hunching up defensively as he slammed his hands into his tracksuit pockets. “the… the part about the arms,” he barked out defensively, his voice cracking slightly before he forced it down into a growl. he stepped right into your space, towering over you, his jaw set so tight a muscle was ticking. he looked terrifyingly intense, but his ears were glowing bright crimson. “if you want to talk about my arms, say it to my face. and… and i am dependable. i’ll walk you to the station every day from now on to prove it. so stop talking about me behind my back.”

n: for my beloved discord members, cs i’m outside rn lawl.. i can’t write fics ;(

© showhay — don’t copy, repost, or translate without my permission. do not use/feed my works to AI.

♯ a bit rushed bc i did it in a rush also ❤️☺️

Nanami had never considered himself a jealous man.

possessive, perhaps, in small ways. protective? certainly.

but jealousy? it was messy. the sort of thing that clouded judgement and made people act irrationally.

Nanami preferred facts.

and the fact was that you were free to spend time with anyone. the fact that your smile didn't belong to him. and the fact that he trusted you completely.

but why—why had he spent the last twenty minutes staring at his phone?

the photo on the screen was harmless for god's sake!

a group picture from a company dinner. you sat near the center, smiling oh so sweetly to the camera.

but the problem is there was a man sitting beside you.

nothing appropriate or suspicious. just a coworker. a coworker whose arm was slung casually over the back of your chair.

a coworker who seemed to appear in every photos your friend posted. a coworker whose name you had mentioned bunch of times this week without realizing it.

Nanami locked his phone and set it face down on the table.

he hated this feeling. Not because he distrusted you.

there was no reason for the knot tightening in his chest.

there is no logical explanation for why he suddenly found himself wondering whether you smiled that brightly around everyone. or whether you looked at everyone the way you looked at him.

the apartment door opened suddenly, snapping him out of his trance.

"Kento?" your voice drifted through the hallway.

you stepped into the living room, smiling when you saw him.

"There you are."

Nanami returned the smile automatically.

but as you sat beside him and started talking about your day, he found himself listening for one name. and when it finally appeared in the conversation? his jaw tightened.

your words faltered. "Kento?" you looked at him carefully.

for a moment, neither of you spoke.

then, quietly, you asked. "Is there something wrong?"

he met your gaze briefly before looking away.

the silenced stretched. not uncomfortable, just heavy. Nanami wasn't entirely sure how to answer.

you knew your husband too well to notice when something was off.

"Kento."

"Hm."

"You're doing that thing."

his brows furrowed slightly. "What thing?"

"The thing where you pretend nothing's bothering you."

you moved closer on the couch, turning toward him fully.

"Did something happen at work?"

"No."

"Did someone annoy you?"

"Not particularly."

"Are you tired?"

"Always."

your expression only softened.

your fingers reached for his hand without thinking. you interwined your fingers with his.

"C'mon, talk to me?"

you waited patiently, giving him space to speak.

Nanami hated that he was making this difficult.

eventually, he said, "Who is he?"

you blinked. "...who?"

"The coworker."

your eyes widened slightly. "Oh."

for several seconds, you said nothing.

then, "Are you jealous?"

Nanami closed his eyes briefly. "Perhaps," he sighed.

your expression softened even further.

you shifted closer until your shoulder rested against his.

"I found him annoying," you started. "He talks too much, he steals food, he's arrogant too."

the corner of Nanami's mouth twitched. you caught it immediately.

"There he is."

"I was here the entire time."

"No, you were somewhere in your own head."

you brushed your thumb over his knuckles.

"I don't smile because of him," you sighed. "I smile because i was having fun."

his gaze softened. "I know," he admitted.

"Then why are you suffering by yourself?"

a faint huff escaped him, not quite a laugh.

"Because," he pulled your joined hands closer. "I was hoping it would stop if i ignored it."

"Did it work?"

"No."

you laughed. "That was unfortunate."

he laughed along with you. "It was."

the knot in his chest began to loosen.

not because the jealousy had vanished. but because you were looking at him exactly the way you always had.

every single time you bend down in front of him he smacks your ass like it’s a reflex. like a doctor hitting your knee with that little hammer. he genuinely doesn’t even realize he’s doing it anymore.

when you take off your shirt he hollers, “BOOBIES!” loud enough for half of the cleaner hq to hear. rudo once dropped a wrench because of it.

he got a pic of you in his pocket where you sleep with your mouth wide open, double chin included. he proudly shows it EVERYONE.

calls you baby in increasingly stupid variations. sugarbaby. babycakes. babygirl. babybel cheese. babesaurus rex.

absolutely the type to fake dramatic injuries for attention. “aughhh… my heart…” — “what happened?” — “you looked too pretty.”

if you ignore him for more than ten minutes he starts escalating. first it’s whining. then poking. then laying on top of you like a weighted blanket. “hello? hello? customer service? my girlfriend stopped loving me.”

he cannot flirt normally. ever. he points at you and goes, “that one’s mine btw,” like he found a cool rock.

one time he tried to kiss you smoothly and accidentally headbutted you hard enough to make both of you see stars.

obsessed with making you laugh. if you laugh so hard you snort, he acts like he just won the lottery.

if you’re cooking he WILL appear behind you and steal food straight from the pan while acting offended when you hit his hand away. “wow. abuse. in my own home.”

absolutely the kind of boyfriend who starts fake beef with inanimate objects for hurting you.“this table got one more time to hit my girl before i square up.”

loves putting his cold hands on your skin just to hear you shriek.

kisses you mid-sentence. not romantically either. fully to shut you up because he thinks it’s funny.

every time you wear something slightly revealing he malfunctions, in a “walking into walls because he’s staring” way.

would 100% yell “THAT’S MY WIFE!” over the smallest accomplishments. you parallel parked successfully? THAT’S MY WIFE!!!!

he treats your bra like a deadly ancient artifact whenever you ask him to unclasp it. “okay wait. hold on. i almost got it. why’s this built like a fucking escape room?”

once tried to carry you bridal style to be romantic. immediately dropped you both onto the couch because he tripped over absolutely nothing. another time he knocked you out on the doorframe.

if you’re shorter than him he rests his chin on your head constantly. if you’re taller than him he still tries. the posture is horrendous.

shamelessly fishes for compliments. “babe do i look sexy today?” — “you’re wearing one sock and my shirt?” — “answer the question.”

he sees you naked and suddenly turns into the loudest man alive. “WOOOOOOO!!!!” then rips his shirt off like in the werewolf meme.

portgas d. ace, who has always been handsy.

not that you’re complaining — how could you? especially since something has changed in recent months. something has become sticky, mushy, needy.

feelings. there are new feelings, but you both ignore the aforementioned sticky, mushy, needy feelings because you’re best friends, and best friends don’t have sticky, mushy, needy feelings for one another.

portgas d. ace is always hanging off you. his arm, freckled and strong, is always slung around your shoulders. he leans and slouches, pressing the full length of his body against your side whenever he can. he’s always there, in your orbit, tangling himself up in your space.

the crew knows that you, a vice-lieutenant shipwright, and the division commander are two peas in a pod; inseparable, indivisible, and integral. where his voice carries, your laughter is soon to follow. ace burns bright, like a star streaking across the sky, and you’re the moon he dances for. you call his name from high up on the mast, and he always calls yours back.

no one pities the fool portgas d. ace makes himself for the sake of your smile. no one pretends there isn’t something else there, either. marco thinks it’s gonna kill him — ace, with his longing looks, and you with your lingering smiles. always when the other isn’t looking, but for fuck’s sake, marco is looking. marco sees it. marco can’t unsee it.

feelings! sticky, mushy, needy feelings!

portgas d. ace, whose threshold for appropriate touching is quickly diminishing despite the whole best friend title. his newest, baddest habit is a sturdy kiss to your temple in passing — always paired with a murmured hey you. he’s recently started to tangle his fingers in yours during quiet moments up on deck. always during the setting sun, always when you’re off shift, and he’s avoiding whatever new responsibility pops throws him.

portgas d. ace, who starts sleeping in your bed — he blames the barracks. they’re too crowded. marco, his bunkmate, snores. you’re lucky, he says, you’ve got a tiny little cabin, with a tiny little bed, and a tiny little water room. a perk of being one of the few female crewmembers. the perk is stolen by ace, who starfishes out and runs hot. you start sleeping with less and less clothing, and ace chases the feeling of your skin against his in his sleep.

there’s a line. always. you’re best friends. best friends who touch and roughhouse and laugh. best friends who fall asleep in one another’s arms, best friends who knock foreheads together when they hug, best friends who daydream about kissing one another—

portgas d. ace is your best friend. best friends don’t kiss.

until they do.

puru, puru, puru—anon's callin'! ─=≡Σ((( つ＞＜)つ (this was a requested fic!) fluffy fluff, no use of y/n, neutral reader, kisses, eustass kidd trynna flirt a little bit, that who framed roger rabbit scene is the whole plot of this fic lol, short n sweet

“seriously, what do you see in that guy?”

the question does little to surprise you. in fact, you were used to it by now. you’ve heard this question many times before— people had plenty of colorful opinions about your relationship with luffy. however, most didn't dare pry about it; they knew better than to earn themselves the ill will of an emperor of the sea. even if said emperor was nothing but an idiot.

a slow smiles pulls at your face, you turn your head up to glance at the man who’d asked—eustass kidd. now that you know that it’s coming from him, the  bold question surprise you even less. you take your time to respond, languidly taking another sip of your drink.

you didn’t think you turned that many heads. so much so that one the infamous worst generation pirates was also left perplexed. 

“i didn’t know you cared about this type of thing...jealous?” you tease, giggling against the rim of your cup.

kidd scoffs loudly “tch! don’t test me, princess. s’not like i care much.” he recovers quickly, from the little you know of him thanks to the alliances your groups have shared, you know he was quick to bounce back and never let others get the upper hand on him. 

“you’re obviously out of his league. m’just wondering what a numbskull like him can do to pull someone,” he glances at you, eyes raking you up and down “like you.” a smirk plays at his lips.

unfazed, you look on ahead at your captain and his shenanigans. now that the skirmish is over the crews are having a blast—a noisy banquet, the smell of food wafting through the room and loud cheers, a mix of crew mates drunkenly singing a jumbled mess of lyrics and loud drunken conversations. or rather drunken arguments, you can't quite tell.

luffy, as always, is somehow in the centre of it all. or maybe he only is to you. he’s showing off some silly trick you’d shown him earlier that week with a spoon, but he keeps using brute force and bending it in half, to ussop’s confusion, zoro’s irritation and killer’s flabbergasted laughter. luffy laughs through it all, as usual.

then his eyes meet yours, he always manages to find you despite the chaos. like you were the centre of his world, too. his face brightens. he beams at you, you can even spot something stuck in between his teeth, but the brightness of his smile doesn’t seem to care for that. 

you wave softly, smiling back, and he waves back excitedly with both arms. you giggle.

next to you, you hear the red haired captain scoffs “yeurgh,” he gags in disgust.

“well, it’s simple really,” you smile, looking up at the man. 

“he makes me laugh.”

kidd looks down at you, perplexed and jaw dropping like he wants to argue. 

luffy calls for you loudly before he can ask anymore, though.

you look away from him for half a second and he’s ended up in a conga line with some new pirate friends with chopsticks up his nose, stretching his face out ridiculously.

“HOME HANCE WIF EEEEEE!! (COME DANCE WITH ME!!)” he yells, practically incomprehensible, without waiting for a response his arm stretches out to wrap around your middle.

“sorry, but that’s my queue,” you giggle, smiling at the shocked pirate captain “see ya!” 

luffy starts pulling and you don’t stop him, jogging a little to keep up with his pace. he’s mindful enough not to yank you towards him like he usually would because of the overwhelming crowd. of course that doesn’t stop him from snatching you up snug and tight when you’re close enough to him. idiotic as he is, he tries to get a kiss with the chopsticks still horrifically stretching his face out. 

you snort, tugging them out. he yelps and shakes his head like a dog shaking off rain after a walk, and it makes you laugh again.

“hiya!” luffy grins, wrapping both arms tightly around you now, conga line  forgotten for now. he leans in to press a wet kiss to your cheeks, your nose, your mouth. 

“hi, luffy.” you respond, grabbing his ever moving face by the cheeks to press a small kiss to his nose. small, simple, sweet. and he breaks out into so much joy you’d think he’d found the one piece. 

“c’mon, dancing !” he cheers pulling your still wrapped up frame along with him clumsily. and you follow, not like you have much of a choice, but still laughing as you stumble all the way.

The day Luffy rejected you on Valentine’s Day was the day you thought you could move on. But since then he began noticing you everywhere, seeing you in ways he didn’t before.

༯ ℒuffy x reader / highschool au / fem reader / humor / hurt and comfort / first kiss / sfw / oblivious / luffy being a fat ass /6.2k wc / one shot

A/N: it was actually so fun writing this idk why!! I have a soft spot for Luffy. Another song I wanted for the title was “Banana shake”, but instead I only referenced it. It’s a cute song though!

Afternoon light spilled through the tall windows in long golden strips, catching the floating particles in the air and making everything look softer than it felt. Outside, you could hear distant laughter, people exchanging chocolates, confessions.

Inside, it was just you and Luffy in a classroom.

He was sitting on top of one of the desks instead of in it, legs dangling, heel knocking idly against the wood. His hands were planted behind him for some balance, head tilting ever so slightly to the side.

What was once a fun crush turned into an overly long school year for you.

Luffy blinked at you, curious but not concerned. You realized he probably thought you were about to say something casual.

But maybe the distinctness of the red roses in each room gave him a fair guess.

Your throat felt tight, opening your mouth with a ghostly smile. “I like you, Luffy.”

For a second, he didn’t react.

He looked at you the same way he always has, which wasn’t complicated. The boy probably barely even knew you besides your name. Then his gaze drifted, your face, the envelope. You’re shaking hands. The box tucked awkwardly against your chest.

You could almost see the thought process, or rather his lack of one.

He tilted his head slightly, confusion, like he was trying to figure out if you meant it the way he thought you did. “Oh.”

That was it.

You waited. Your heart was pounding so loudly you were sure he could hear it. You tried to straighten your posture, tried to stop your fingers from trembling so obviously.

He scratched the back of his head.

“Sorry,” he said easily, “Not interested.”

Ah.

You’d prepared for this outcome, hadn’t you? You told yourself that if you just said it out loud, if you just ripped the bandage off, you could finally stop watching him from across rooms. Stop waiting for him to glance back.

You liked this outcome out of everything, no awkwardness, no doubt to make this any more harder. You nodded before your brain caught up.

It would hurt, but it would end.

Your lips trembled, and you forced them upward. If you smiled, your body might follow. “Yeah,” you managed. “That’s okay.”

His eyes dropped to the box in your hands.

“Oh! Is that chocolate for me?”

There it was, that brightness. That immediate spark of interest that made him oddly alluring. You froze when he asked.

He slid off the desk in one smooth motion and stepped closer, close enough that you could feel the warmth of him. Close enough that for half a second your heart betrayed you and jumped with hope.

He reached out and took the box.

And with your heart still processing a reasonable pace that wouldn’t kill you, you didn’t protest.

“Thanks for the food!” he grinned, giving you a quick, playful bow that felt rehearsed from a hundred other harmless exchanges before leaving.

Food. That’s what this was to him.

Just chocolate.

Your smile dropped the second you were alone. You stared at the closed door, blinking hard, as if that might push everything back into place.

Did he seriously take the chocolates?

A small, almost hysterical laugh bubbled up in your chest and died there. Of course he did. That’s who he is, that’s the exact person you liked and he showed it right in your face.

You pressed your fingers to your lips and winced at the sting from where you’d bitten them too much. “Shit, I need some chapstick.”

—

Luffy dragged the hem of his shirt up to his face, wiping sweat from his forehead before letting out a long, miserable groan. “So.. so hot..” he whined.

The heat clung to him like glue. His sandals slapped lazily against the pavement as he wandered through the crowded rows of vendors without any real destination in mind

Ace had suggested the new market a few days ago. He’s known it as Remate, though most people in the area called it the swap meet. The second he mentioned it, everyone wanted in. It’s the kind of place they’d spend an entire afternoon.

At some point, Luffy had completely lost track of everyone else.

Not that he minded much. Someone would find him eventually or he’d find them. Any works.

He turned another corner before abruptly stopping in front of a faded poster taped crookedly against a tent. It could’ve been consider a dirty one, something that Sanji would hang on his wall.

A woman stared back at him through peeling paper edges, lips slightly parted while holding a tube of lipstick near her mouth. The shade was pinkish red, a bit of glitter with the sun.

Luffy blinked.

And somehow, immediately, he thought of you.

You didn’t even wear lipstick, but it’s not like he knew enough to understand the difference between gloss and stick. Or even enough for him to remember the brands or shades or anything complicated like that.

But he remembered seeing the tubes left behind on your desk during sixth period. Usually Tuesdays. Maybe Wednesdays too.

His brows furrowed faintly.

It had been over a month since your confession, yet you kept appearing in his head at random moments like this. He didn’t even fully understand why. It wasn’t like he spent every second thinking about you.

..But lately, things kept reminding him of you before he could stop it.

He thought of what you’d like in that shade, or rather if you’d even wear it. Your mouth slightly parted, wiping the edge of your lip.

Luffy didn’t know why that interested him.

“Since when were you interested in lipstick?” Nami sneered, shoving yet another shopping bag into the growing pile already hanging from everyone’s arms. “The shade’s cute though.”

Zoro nearly buckled under the weight of everything. “How much more crap are you gonna buy?”

It was left on empty ears.

Luffy stiffened at the correct accusation, or rather how he was caught.

“..Me? I’m not interested in lipstick.” His answer came out too fast. He scratched the back of his neck, the guilty look spreading made it even worse

Sanji let out a strangled, envious cough from behind. “He’s probably interested since Boa has been following around our third period.” He shot a jealous glare, dragging out another smoke. “Some guys get all the luck.”

Usopp snorted, his hands occupied by what looked like two plastic cups. “What’d you expect? He’s an idiot.”

“It’s not like that!” Luffy protested immediately, tugging the collar of his shirt away from his neck. “She buys me food.”

It was way too hot. Or maybe that was just him.

In the end, the offense lasted all of maybe two seconds before his eyes drifted toward the shaved ice in Usopp’s hands.

He coughed. “So who’s that for?”

Usopp grinned, his face proud like he planned for this moment. “Take it already.”

Luffy brightened instantly. “Seriously?!” The cup was in his hands before Usopp could even finish nodding.

Luffy dug straight into the bright red edge of the rainbow ice, inhaling it. The cold hit his tongue and spread through his body immediately, cooling him down enough that his shoulders finally relaxed.

“Mmf.. thank you!” he mumbled through a mouthful of ice.

Zoro had a concerned look on his face. “You’re gonna get a brain freeze.”

“Alright,” Nami announced, adjusting the single bag in her hand. “Let’s get moving.”

“Right away, Nami-swaaan!” Sanji chirped, nearly sparkling despite the ridiculous amount of bags he was carrying. He immediately pointed at Zoro. “Don’t you dare drop any of them, mosshead.”

“Not all of us want to carry bags.” He growled.

“You’re right.” He suddenly agreed, catching the other off guard for just a second till it made sense “Should’ve known you were too weak to hold a few bags then. Pass them to me.”

“Excuse me?”

The argument started instantly.

Neither of them slowed down as they shoved shoulders through the crowded street. Bickering between every market, but too occupied to really fight.

No one paid attention.

Usopp scooped another bite of shaved ice into his mouth. “What’s the hurry anyway?”

“Yea,” Luffy agreed absently around another spoonful. “There’sh shtill more shtufff..”

Nami rolled her eyes, the sound of him taking with a mouth full got to her. “I’m meeting a friend after this. Her name is..”

She says your name.

Luffy’s mind went completely blank, every thought in his head had slammed into a wall all at once. His eyes widened before he could stop them, heartbeat stumbling so suddenly it genuinely startled him.

You?

Before he could even process the thought properly, the melted ice slid went the wrong way.

Luffy choked.

The spoon clattered onto the pavement as he doubled over coughing, shaved ice going down the wrong way so badly his eyes instantly watered. His hat nearly slid off his head as he dropped to his hands and knees.

“Holy shit!” Usopp yelped. “Luffy’s dying—“

“He is not dying,” Zoro said flatly.

“Luffy?!” Nami crouched slightly, startled by the sudden fall. “Are you okay?!”

Luffy coughed again, face burning red as he tried, and failed— to breathe normally. Why did hearing your name do that to him? His chest felt weird. His stomach felt weird. Everything felt so weird.

And the worst part was he didn’t even know why.

It took nearly a full minute before he could stand again, still wheezing slightly while Sanji smacked his back hard enough to nearly send him forward again.

“You eat food like an animal,” Sanji muttered, the plastic clear bags wrinkling down his arm.

Luffy barely heard him, your name still bouncing around inside his head. It caught him completely off guard.

The others exchanged looks before collectively deciding it was just an accident, continuing to move through the place with a pouty Luffy. None of them thought anything of it.

In that moment, lungs burning, he decided he was gonna figure out what it meant.

—

Luffy tried handling it himself first, for a few pretty good reasons.

Mostly because the last thing he wanted was Usopp yelling “LUFFY HAS A CRUSH!” across the hallway, not intentionally but wouldn’t be surprising. Or Sanji giving advice that would probably work for Boa, not you.

So he kept it quiet.

At school, it started with small excuses.

He’d suddenly remember he had a friend to talk to near your classroom. He’d take slightly different routes between periods if he knew you walked that way, lingering slightly behind. If he spotted you in the courtyard, he’d watch over naturally.

And every single time, he’d act weirdly normal. Which for Luffy meant trying way too hard to seem casual.

At some point, he was going to talk.

“You got chips?” was the first thing he asked one afternoon, dropping into the seat across from you without invitation.

You stared, completely baffled by the interaction. You looked around once, then twice, and realized he really was talking to you. For one, you still havn’t recovered from the rejection.

Your gaze flickered between the bag and him, you were extremely confused. “Hello to you too.”

“Oh, right.” He grinned. “Hi.”

Then immediately pointed at your food again. “Can I have one?”

There was something disarming about how straightforward he was. There wasn’t any build up, he truly just came up to you without a thought in mind. Which somehow made you more nervous instead.

You narrowed your eyes at him suspiciously, you should say no. Should’ve.

But you didn’t.

And since you accepted one gesture, it became a pattern.

He’d appear out of nowhere, say something random, hang around for a bit, then leave once it became clear class was starting in seconds.

Sometimes he’d ask bizarre questions just to keep conversations going, mainly because his thought process came from what he believed in the moment.

“You think you could beat a raccoon in a fight?”

You hissed under your breath, bringing the book down from your face. “No.”

“What? Why?” He asked with such a genuine tone it made others hate how honest he could be, including you.

And because it was Luffy, it somehow came off natural instead of crush like. You didn’t question how he oddly wanted to know a lot about you, mainly because you didn’t want to believe it as anything more than acquaintances.

But there were moments where his nervousness slipped through. Like when you unexpectedly smiled at him in the hallway first one morning, finally getting used to the interaction enough to reciprocate his smile.

He froze mid step, actually froze.

Then pointed at himself like there was no way you meant him. “You’re saying hi to me?”

You laughed, a bit hesitant yourself like you overthought what you guys had. “Who else?”

Luffy didn’t doubt you, not even a little bit. But he still turned to check if anyone was potentially behind him that you might know. “Oh.”

You smiled again, smaller this time. “Hi, Luffy.”

And for some reason hearing his name from you did something strange to him.

You didn’t notice the faint warmth rising on his ears afterward, too busy adjusting your bag while continuing down the hallway beside him. But Luffy noticed. Mostly because suddenly he could hear his own heartbeat for some reason.

It’s fine, he could survive that.

Or when he sat beside you during free period and became weirdly aware of how close your shoulder was to his. Suddenly he couldn’t focus on anything. He tapped his pencil against the desk too fast, glanced everywhere except directly at you, then blurted..

“You smell nice.”

Silence. You stopped writing on the paper, looking up at him with a shocked expression.

Luffy still hasn’t registered what that even did to you. “Was that weird?”

“It sounded weird.” You replied.

“Yeah,” he admitted honestly, face warm now, dipping his face into his hands. “Okay.”

Your laugh escaped before you could stop it, bright enough to make him groan dramatically in embarrassment.

“Don’t laugh!”

“You said it so seriously!”

“I was serious!”

Still flustered, he shoved your shoulder lightly in retaliation without thinking. Unfortunately, Luffy’s version of lightly was still stronger than most people expected.

Your chair tipped dangerously sideways, you yelped in instinct.

His hand shot out instantly, grabbing your arm before you could actually fall. “Sorry! Sorry, I forgot!”

And for a second he just stared, heaving a bit like he was the one who almost fell off a chair.

Then you started laughing again.

And despite the embarrassment still burning across his face, Luffy found himself laughing too. Because somewhere along the way, without realizing it, that weird restless excitement feeling began happening with you.

—

“You remember Luffy?” You suddenly asked, throwing your bag over your arm with a huff at the parking lot.

“As in the guy who rejected you in Valentine’s Day?”

You frowned, the bluntness of it did not come in softly. “..Yea. He’s been greeting me everyday before class.”

Well, that happened a two months ago.

You left out the part where it had somehow turned into brief conversations, never more than a couple of minutes. Or even how you began saying hi back.

“Huh?” She blinked, the silence slowly turning into her laughter. “So he’s your friend now then.”

“Don’t know.” You said a bit too quickly, the uncertainty in your tone was undeniably there. He wasn’t a bad guy, not at all. But that part of you still questioned his intention. “It’s weird, but it’s not like he’s doing anything bad.”

“Maybe not,” she said, tilting her head. “But it’s too weird. He rejected you, and now he’s just.. acting normal? And he even took the food you bought him after that? That’s messed up.”

Your jaw tightened slightly, the reminder didn’t really help.

“It wasn’t like that,” you argued, eyes drifting anywhere but her. “I don’t think he meant anything by it. Or maybe he just.. didn’t think? I don’t know. I don’t want to over do it.”

“Me personally I’d tell him to fuck off.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously,” she reasoned, “if someone rejects you, they should give you space. That’s just normal.”

You nodded, well you had to. It made sense. It should make sense.

But then you thought about him again, how he looked at you the in the hallway. Or how he brushed your arm without a single thought. And how confusing it was that you didn’t want him to stop.

“As my final advice,” she said more quietly, “don’t keep doing it if it hurts you.”

That was the part that finally made you stop pretending you didn’t know what this was. Your gaze lowered to the pavement, fingers tightening slightly around your bag strap.

It did hurt.

But not in a way you wanted to walk away from. Because somehow, his kindness felt worse to lose than the rejection ever did.

But you’ll try. Try and put some distance.

—

Luffy chewed on the stick of a finished popsicle, an arm slumped on the arm of the bench. It was hot, unbearably hot that day. It starts to settle that it’s gonna be like this for a long time.

Beside him, Zoro exhaled through his nose, arm draped over the back of the bench “I’m gonna..” He breathed, a hand running down his face. “Find our way back.”

“No ya’ ain’t.” Luffy replied instantly, the heat took his patience with him.

“Hey!” His friend growled, lifting his head in order to properly glare. But even that was a bit too tedious for him so he laid it back down. “Yea you’re right. Let’s hope Nami finds us.”

Suddenly he heard a distinct sound that reminded him of you, a laugh. With how quickly he turned his head you could assumed he snapped his neck.

Zoro noticed immediately, a burst of energy he definitely didn’t have seconds before that.

“Oh,” he muttered, following Luffy’s line of sight, letting out an amused huff that could be mistaken as a laugh when he saw you.

Down the street, you were walking with a friend, a small plastic bag swinging lightly at your side. You were still smiling at something she said.

Luffy instantly felt his face light up, heart beating that didn’t feel quite like adrenaline. He didn’t why he was so happy to see you, see you laugh, all that boredom he had was replaced with something else.

He noticed you long before you did, only turning your head when he yelled your name.

You winced, giving a slow agonizing look to your friend.

The one you told that you weren’t going to be friends with Luffy anymore.

Yeah right.

The bag in your right hand rattled in crinkles, trinkets and cloths inside. Luffy didn’t particularly care about it, just taking a curious glance down as he stepped up to you.

“Hey!” He grinned, getting scarily close. “Didn’t expect to see you outside of school.”

“Yea..” you replied carefully, still adjusting to his sudden appearance.

Zoro strolled up behind him more slowly, hands in his pockets. He was definitely eyeing you, it was embarrassingly intrusive. “You’re scaring her, idiot.”

“I am not,” Luffy shot back instantly, without even looking. Then, turning to you like that settled it. “Right? I’m not scary.”

There was no real intimidation in it, just Luffy being Luffy. But it was oddly persistent.

“I..” you started, then stopped when he leaned in slightly, waiting like your answer was the most important thing in the world.

“Uh, yeah, I know him,” you said, mostly to end the staring contest forming between the three of you.

Luffy’s face lit up immediately, a hint of confidence in his face. “See?! I told you!”

Zoro sighed, shrugging his shoulders. “No one said you didn’t.”

Luffy ignored him completely, his attention heading right back to you. “Do you know where the mall is? We got lost.”

“Lost?” You repeated, letting out a short laugh.

“Just tell us the way, it’s already as embarrassing as it is.” Zoro sighed.

“Alright.” You nodded with a chuckle. “It’s just right around the corner—“

“—But.” Your friend added in, suddenly super smiley. “We’re actually heading the same way, so if you want we can walk together.”

That was an easy yes from them, and unsure ‘ok..’ From you.

The walk to the mall ended up way louder than expected, well first you didn’t expect to actually join their entire group.

Mostly because Usopp spotted Luffy from across the street and immediately started yelling about how they “managed to find them,” while Sanji complained none of them texted him where they disappeared to. Nami looked one second away from hitting all of them with her bag.

That was their concern until they saw you and Luffy shoulder to Shoulder.

Nami called your name first, giving you a quick hug before pulling back. “I’m glad you’re coming with us,” she added with a bright, suspicious smile. “And your friend.”

Her tone was welcoming, but there was already that subtle assessing look she gave.

She hooked a finger around one of the bags she was carrying and gave it a light swing. “Ignore my friends.”

“Not me though right?” Usopp grinned, tilting his head into the conversation.

“Especially you.”

“Hey, you liar!”

The moment barely had time to settle before Sanji came in.

“Ohhh a beloved angel has arrived!” Sanji practically appeared out of nowhere and took your hand delicately. “I am at your service,” he declared.

You froze for a second, caught off guard by the sudden intensity. “Thank you?” you managed.

Of course, Luffy from behind was a bit hurt, jealous is a better word. He was trying to decide which part he didn’t like up until the group moved on. The following moments became more natural, it was weird to see how you clicked with them so easily.

But a separate thought was how attached Luffy was.

Not obvious enough for anyone else to call it out directly, but enough that you to notice it. Every time the walkways got crowded, his hand would lightly touch your back to guide you through people. If someone accidentally bumped into you, he’d immediately glance over. Even inside stores, he kept drifting back toward wherever you were like he forgot the others existed.

Nami didn’t even get a chance to finish handing out the shopping bags properly before the situation immediately spiraled.

“Here— Luffy, hold these,” she said, already shoving a couple of heavy bags into his arms.

Luffy caught them, stared at them for half a second and immediately reconsidering all his choices that brought him here. “Why me…” he muttered.

“Because you’re strong,” Nami replied sweetly, which somehow made it sound more threatening than anything else.

Usopp took a glance. “How do you even have the money for this?”

“I’m shopping for Vivi too of course.”

Luffy only grumbled, shifting the weight awkwardly, already bored in one position

That was when your voice cut in.

“Ah,” you said, slowing just a bit, grin forming like a thought had struck. “Anyone wanna get boba with me?”

Silence lasted exactly one second.

“I will!” Luffy’s response was instant, raising his hand. Even faster than the words came out, he dumped every single bag straight into Zoro’s arms.

Zoro, who absolutely did not have time to react, lurched forward under the sudden weight.

“The hell?” His knees dipped before he caught himself, glaring down at the pile of responsibility now in his hands. He slowly looked up, following Luffy’s trajectory.

Luffy was already gone, the world had narrowed down to one objective and one objective only.

Zoro exhaled through his nose, ending up saying nothing instead.

Meanwhile, the moment you and Luffy drifted ahead, the group naturally slowed without even realizing it. Then came the instant huddle together at the corner of a shoe store.

It started subtle, Usopp leaning in first like it was a secret briefing.

“Operation: Luffy totally likes her,” he whispered, dead serious about himself.

Nami pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a deep sigh. “We are not naming it that.”

Sanji, however, was already too invested since the start of the hangout to question it. “Of course he likes her,” he said. “Have you seen the way he looks at her? He was jealous when I held her hand. It’s romantic. It’s—”

“Focus,” Nami cut in, and Sanji instantly stoped talking, getting gushy already. “I can’t believe my friends like each other and I never knew.”

Usopp pressed on anyway. “How long has this been happening? He’s never mentioned her before this!”

Your friend, walking slightly behind them, answered without hesitation. “Four months I think?” She let out a disappointed sigh. “She didn’t even tell me they that so close..”

That alone made Usopp choke. “Four months?!”

“But didn’t he reject her on Valentine’s Day?” Zoro murmured. “So less than that.”

“Oh, right.” She thought about it again, calculating every time she noticed a change in you. Luckily for them, she paid attention. “so maybe three months? Let’s go with two and a half”

He nodded. “That’s pretty accurate.”

Nami put a hand out. “Pause! How do you know about this? You’re as dull as a rock.”

“I’m his best friend,” He scoffed, rolling his eyes like it was obvious. “I know everything.”

“Thanks for telling us when you found out Zoro.” Usopp said sarcastically

This time it was Sanji who let out a strangled cry.

Sanji clutched his chest as if he witnessed it. “Who rejects a girl on Valentine’s Day and then turns around and falls in love later?!”

“Luffy.” Everyone said.

“So it’s mutual,” Usopp concluded, bringing a hand to his chin. “But knowing my friend, he probably doesn’t even register it. Does your friend know he likes her?”

“Nope. She’s just as oblivious.”

Nami let out an agonizing, slow groan. “This just hurts to watch at this point.”

Just as the conversation started settling into collective resignation, you guys appeared again, shoulder to shoulder.

Waking like nothing in the world had changed. Except Luffy was already leaning in way too close to your drink, that was natural.

“But yours tastes way better..” he complained, practically hanging off your arm just to get another sip.

“Yeah, I told you that fatass!” you shot back, trying to angle the cup away from him. “Your greed sickens me.”

“Just one sip,” he insisted, completely undeterred.

Behind you, the entire group froze in synchronized disbelief. No one had the guts to say it, but it was hard watching.

The worst part was how sincere he looked about it, he wasn’t even in denial or even a tiny bit embarrassed by the way he acted around you.

You tried ignoring how warm your face felt after that.

The day dragged into evening fast. Stores started closing one by one, lights dimming outside while everyone slowly split off.

Usopp left first. Then your friend got picked up. Sanji insisted on walking home with Nami but got quickly turned down, leaving only you, Zoro, Sanji. and Luffy standing near the entrance.

Zoro stretched. “I’m heading home.”

Luffy blinked. “You sure you know the way?”

“Shut up.” Zoro scowled. “Of course I do, it’s my house.”

“I’ll take this idiot home.” Sanji grumbled, remembering his home is oddly close to his. The car keys rattled in his hand. “You’re driving Marimo.”

He eyed the keys, a smirk on his face. “Deal.”

And then suddenly it was just you and him left.

“You need me to walk you home?” he asked, a single bag in hand and a straw in his mouth, it was weird seeing him make gentleman like remarks like that.

It was too uncharacteristic for him.

You hesitated, checking the time with your phone before looking up again. “Actually, do you wanna stop by your place first?”

His eyes widened slightly, a flickering of thoughts running through his head. “Huh?”

“You mentioned earlier Ace was making food.” You went one time before, so it was easier saying it again. “I miss his rice.”

“…OH.”

That immediately sold him.

By the time you reached his house, the heat outside had settled into a warm summer evening. You slipped your shoes off at the door while Luffy loudly announced he was home. He mentioned having two siblings, both seniors at your school. Usually only Ace was home.

No answer besides the shower turning on.

“Guess Ace is upstairs.” He shrugged casually before walking into the kitchen.

You followed behind him, setting your bag down near the counter. The room smelled faintly like leftover spices and something fried earlier.

Luffy opened the fridge. Closed it. Opened it again like the answer changed, “Want anything to drink?”

You eyed the fridge on its side, a little bit hesitant despite the fact you’ve been here before. “Just water.”

He grinned before suddenly tossing you a plastic bottle that was definitely not water. You barely caught it with two fingers, holding onto it against your chest with a yelp.

“Seriously, Luffy.” You bit out, taking a deep breath. You took a good look at it this time, it had pink and yellow wrapping, it was a Banana shake. “This is a kids drink.” You laughed.

“So? It’s better than water, right?”

You stared at him for another second before the seriousness cracked entirely. A laugh slipped out of you first, and Luffy joined immediately after, loud and unrestrained like always.

You popped it open, taking a few sips with a simple hum. It was good, and you tried not letting him know it.

But it got silent in the kitchen, the only thing audible was the shower water going off. He stood there awkwardly, hand still on the counter edge. It was honestly the quietest you’d ever seen him.

“You know,” he started, hand on the back of his head. “I thought you were mad at me.”

You almost dropped the drink, settling it on the counter. “What?”

“Well you’ve been avoiding me a bit at school. I rarely see you in the hallways anymore, so I thought I did something.” He admitted, seemingly avoiding your gaze till he finally looked up with the most beautiful smile you’ve seen. “I’m glad I was wrong.”

Except he wasn’t.

You were avoiding him, or trying your best to do so. You still liked him, but you didn’t expect it to go this far at all. You’re too comfortable with him, and you respect the friendship more than anything.

You stared at him for a second too long, making him panic slightly. “Was I wrong?”

“I was avoiding you.” You admitted, it caught his attention. “But I wasn’t mad, I was just.. nevermind. Are you my friend because you felt bad for rejecting me?”

Luffy’s face twisted immediately. “Felt bad?”

“Yeah.” You shrugged, trying to sound less affected than you actually were. “I mean, I don’t get it. You rejected me and now you’re trying to make up for it by hanging around me all the time. Was that it?”

“No..” it came out hesitant at first, the second one came faster. “No! I’m not doing that.”

You looked up at him properly for the first time since the conversation started, heart thumping. “Then what are you doing?”

Luffy opened his mouth, but nothing came out at first.

His brows furrowed hard like he was actively trying to untangle something in his own head. One hand rubbed the back of his neck while the other flexed uselessly at his side.

“I just,” He stopped. “I wanna be around you.”

Your heartbeat stumbled, not in a good way. You felt dissatisfied with the answer, or maybe you were actually disappointed. “That doesn’t answer the question.”

“I know, hold on.” He looked genuinely frustrated now, not at you, at himself.

“I didn’t get it before, okay?” he blurted suddenly. “When you confessed the first time, I didn’t think about stuff like that a lot. But then after, I started noticing you more” He grimaced. “Like a lot.”

You stayed quiet.

“And then every time you laughed with somebody else I got annoyed for no reason.” He frowned harder. “And I kept wanting to talk to you first whenever something happened.”

Luffy looked down briefly before speaking again, quieter this time. “I’m pretty sure that I like you,” He swallowed once.

When the silence lingered, he started getting hesitant.

“I mean, unless that’s bad? Is that bad? Cause Zoro kept looking at me weird all day and I think everyone already noticed and—”

You stepped forward before he could keep rambling.

Then kissed him quickly, short enough to leave him frozen. When you pulled away, Luffy looked completely stunned.

“God, I hate you sometimes.” You breathed, feeling your heartbeat race. “I thought you wouldn’t—“

This time it was you who got cut off.

He entangled his hands into yours, leaning in until he was right in front of your face. You stepped back as far as you could until your back was against the counter top. Then suddenly he gives you a long kiss against the side of your lips, it was awkward and a little wet, but you chuckle anyways.

When Luffy finally pulled back, you could see the flush on his face, the dimple on his cheek when he giggles. “I like you—“ kiss. “a lot.” kiss. “So you have to date me.”

You could barely contain your own laugh. “Yes, will. Now get off my face, I can’t see.”

For a second, it was silent.

“Was it really that easy?” He huffed, a little bit mad at himself for how unsatisfying that was. “I really thought I was gonna die.”

“You’e still an ass.” You reminded him, head leaning back. “I literally asked you out on Valentine’s Day. How quickly do you think I lose feelings?”

“That doesn’t count!” He defended instantly.

“You are unbelievable.”

“But you still like me.” He grinned again, way too confident for someone who almost gave out on standing a second ago.

Unfortunately, he was very right. “Maybe a little bit.”

“A little?” Luffy repeated dramatically, leaning closer again. “After all that kissing?”

When the needy, mushy, ushy feelings began to die down, his forehead pressed against yours. He didn’t want to pull away yet, or even at all. You felt nervous from the way he looked at you, a desire that wasn’t familiar.

Luffy’s hands slowly settled at the bottom of your shirt, hesitating until you nodded. Then instantly, his fingers went until he felt the coldness of your skin.

He didn’t have anything dirty in mind, he just truly thought he wasn’t close enough.

You flinched for a second, then slowly eased into the feeling. Your hands settled at the side of his face, fingers curled into his soft hair.

When you guys leaned in again, you curiously pressed against his lips to try it. You wondered if he kissed anyone before, or if he was just following you. Because honestly you had no idea what you were doing.

The second time was a lot more satisfying, your lips parted briefly, whispering his name before you surged up again. He kissed you just as deeply, he licked into you slowly before drawing back.

“Was s’that alright?” He breathed.

You nodded quickly. “It was new.”

He slowly leaned in, “Good.” You kissed him with more confidence, chasing after each breath of air, the mixture of Banana Shake and Taro boba lingering in your mouth.

It was gross, pretty gross if you thought about it. But you didn’t, the only thing audible in your mind was how hot and tingly you felt, or the way you could feel his smile.

Suddenly you heard footsteps against the floor. It put you out of the daze, pushing him back despite his whine.

Both of you snapped your heads toward the entrance.

“Hey, Luffy!” His brother yelled, grinning ear to ear. “Who’s the friend—“

Oh.

Ace stood in the doorway with a towel draped over his shoulder, still damp from the shower, blinking slowly like his brain was trying, and failing— to make sense of what he was seeing.

You and Luffy were still too close.

Not just standing near each other close. Hands still loosely tangled in his hair, his body half angled toward you. Hell— his hands were still on your waist.

The silence stretched.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” he murmured, letting out a groan that was familiar to exhausted disbelief.

Your whole body went rigid realizing this was barely your second time meeting Luffy’s brother. You pulled your hands back from Luffy quickly, like you could physically undo what had just been happening by pretending it wasn’t real.

“I..uh..” Your voice cracked immediately. You cleared your throat, looking anywhere except at Ace. The counter. The floor. The ceiling. The Banana Shake bottle that was on the counter. Anywhere that wasn’t him.

Luffy, on the other hand, barely changed at all. He just blinked at Ace like he’d finally registered him. “Oh,” Luffy said. “Hey, Ace.”

Ace stared at him, then at you, then back at Luffy. His expression twisted slowly into something between disgust and resignation.

“I leave you alone for like ten minutes,” he muttered, dragging a hand down his face, “and I come back to this.”

You made a small sound of protest, half mortified, half defensive. “I mean, it just—”

“Don’t,” Ace cut in immediately, holding up a hand. “I don’t need details. I really don’t, I pinky promise with a cherry on top.” He used his fingers to ‘zip’ his mouth.

Luffy, completely unfazed, gave a small shrug like he didn’t see what the issue was at all. “She said yes,” he added simply.

Ace slowly turned his head toward him. “To what?”

Luffy smiled. “Dating me.”

Ace closed his eyes for a second like he was considering walking back out of the kitchen and pretending none of this existed. His towel slipped slightly in his hand as he exhaled through his nose.

“Well,” he muttered, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, “guess that explains why you’ve been acting weird for like months.”

Luffy tilted his head. “I was acting weird?”

“Yes,” both you and Ace answered instantly.

Ace shook his head, still recovering mentally from the scene he’d walked into. “You two are disgusting, by the way.”

You groaned quietly in humiliation, even worst when your support was on lala land. “Luffy, I swear to god, stop smiling.”

“What? I’m happy.”

“But,” Ace added after a second, pointing lazily at you both, “I’m happy for you idiots, even if you made out in the kitchen.”

You buried it partially behind your hands, shoulders hunched in pure embarrassment, wishing you didn’t start this in his house of all places. “Can we please not talk about it like that? I appreciate the support.”

“Exactly.” Your boyfriend crossed his arms. “You’ve done worse with—“

“—I’m not talking about it at all!” he yelled over Luffy. “Actually, what are talking about? My delicious food? Good, let’s go eat.”

…

“Sounds good.” Luffy gave a thumbs up, taking your hand to grab a plate like nothing happened at all. For a second you wondered if you had to get used to this.

ace, for one, can immediately tell that his little brother has a crush on you.

he was delighted to see his oaf of a younger brother (affectionately speaking, of course) managed to land a crew of respectable looking people. said crew managed to keep luffy on his toes and mostly well behaved, but ace saw that respect amongst the crew was mutual, there was a love there that only an idiot like luffy would be to find. he always had this god-like luck.

in fact, ace thinks luffy is especially lucky to have found someone like you. during his many years as a pirate, he's made it a habit of trying to analyse others and when his gaze fell on you and his brother he knew there was something...different there.

from what he could tell. you were incredibly patient. patient enough to allow his brother to cling to you like a baby monkey. luffy hadn't even hugged him after they'd reunited, yet you'd think it had been ages since he last saw you, the way he clung to you like you'd disappear.

"yn's super cool, huh, ace ?" luffy cheered, chin propped onto your shoulder and arm wrapped around it as well. you patted his arms, clearly embarrassed and trying to shrug his praise off.

luffy looked at you in confusion at your sudden silence. his face clearly way too close to you but still analysing your face like there was something to miss.

"luffy..."

"what ? you are ! they're duper smart i'm tellin' ya ! knew i wanted ya in my crew the moment i saw ya !" he laughed, roughly slapping your shoulder.

by that point, ace knew something was up.

"the captain speaks too highly of me," you chuckled "i'm really not that great..!"

"but you are."

"luffy ! shut up !" you hissed.

"s'true ! you won't stop me from saying it ! ace thinks you're cool, too. right, ace ?!" luffy turned to his brother for support, but ace was sure that even his opinion wouldn't deter him. stubborn as a mule, that one.

he was sure he'd almost phased out of luffy's mind by now, his mission now solely to convince you of how cool you were while you tried to stay humble.

at some point ace even became referee in the matter of if you were as amazing as luffy said you were or not, luffy being uncharacteristically serious about it. so much so that you ended up having to grab his cheeks to shut him up. in the end, ace ended up having to mediate what ended up being a fight for your honour...between luffy and you. the person in question.

his brother was always a clingy boy, he'd climb on ace's shoulders, which usually led to wrestling. but he was more affectionate with his crew and especially to you.

he'd do everything and anything to get your attention, pulling silly stunts during dinner time that unsurprisingly ended with him getting a whack on the head from the cook for playing with his food. but he seemed unfazed when you laughed at his antics, smiling bright and wide like the spot on his head wasn't already starting to swell.

(he won't even mention the way he almost choked on his food when he saw luffy share a piece of his meal with you..)

luffy was always around to show you something cool, to tell you about something he saw or something his crewmate, ussop, told him. ussop would exclaim that luffy was a joke thief, but again, nothing mattered to his baby brother so long as you smiled at him, it seemed.

ace saw how luffy's eyes searched for you and your reactions first and foremost. he could tell he loved his crew dearly, the boy had his heart on his sleeve and couldn't lie to save his life, but ace could tell. he could always tell when it was about luffy, you were different.

and ace, for all his worries, is reassured he's found himself a group that will follow him with faith. and someone like you, who managed to captivate his brother so, and allow ace to see something interesting before he had to leave his brother again. though luckily, not on his own. at least as long as you were around.

before his departure, ace pressed a hand to your shoulder, leaning in close to whisper softly in your ear. "i leave my little brother to you. you take care of him, yeah ?"

he leaned back and chuckled at your flabbergasted expression. luffy was quick to lean in, pressing his hand to your opposite shoulder to demand to know what ace told you. "oi, ace !! what'd you do to yn ?!"

ace smirked, sticking his tongue out "not tellin' !" he jeered.

it's childish, something he'd do when both him and luffy were still kids. but which older brother doesn't enjoy messing with their younger sibling once in a while. and by the pout on luffy's face, he still had it.

"you take care of each other, kay ?" ace teased. luffy blinked, face melting into a blank expression before he raised a brow.

"huh ? course i do !" he grinned, looking at you again "right, yn ? i take good care of you, right !"

ace could only sigh affectionately while your groans and the captain's cheers faded from his ears as he made his way.

he could immediately tell that luffy had a crush on you. regrettably, even before the boy himself had. ace prays you'll remain patient and allow him to connect the dots on his own time.

but he thinks it probably won't take his dense little brother long to figure it out...hopefully.

2k followers event, request no 16: Rin Itoshi once lived for football alone, but now his world revolves around two tiny children and the woman he loves. In the quiet moments of family life, he discovers that home is the greatest victory he's ever won.

The house is unusually quiet for a Saturday morning.

Soft sunlight spills through the kitchen windows, painting warm golden patches across the floor while you stand at the sink washing strawberries for breakfast. The world still feels half-asleep, peaceful and slow, the kind of morning that makes you want to stay in pajamas all day.

You don't hear the tiny footsteps at first.What you do feel is a gentle tug on the back of your skirt.

"...Mama?"

Your heart melts instantly.

You turn around to find Aoi standing there in oversized blue pajamas, her hair sticking out in every direction from sleep. Her cheeks are still pink and warm, her eyes heavy and blinking slowly as she rubs one tiny fist against them.

She looks impossibly adorable.

The moment she sees you looking at her, she lifts both arms without hesitation.

A silent request.

You laugh softly and pick her up.

Aoi immediately curls against your chest with a sleepy sigh, burying her face in your neck as if that's where she belongs.

Just like her dad...

A few seconds later another pair of tiny footsteps approaches.

Ren appears around the corner dragging a dinosaur plushie almost as large as himself. Unlike his sister, he isn't sleepy enough to hide his excitement.

The moment he spots you holding Aoi, his entire face lights up.

"Mama!"

The dinosaur is abandoned immediately.

You barely have time to react before he wraps his arms around your leg.

Ren looks exactly like Rin, the same dark hair, the same teal eyes. The same innocent little stare just like his dad.

If someone put a childhood photo of Rin next to his, nobody would question that they were father and son.

Ren presses his cheek against your knee.

"Mama, I had a dream."

"Oh?" you ask. "What happened?"

"There was a dinosaur and it was this big." His tiny arms spread dramatically. "And Papa fought it."

You bite your lip.

"Did Papa win?"

Ren looks offended. "Of course."

You are still laughing when a familiar voice appears from behind you.

"Why are all three of you awake already?"