#fallflashspb

If someone asked you to pinpoint when exactly it happened, you wouldn’t be able to answer because you simply didn’t know. You don’t know when you fell in love with Shibaman, you just knew that you had fallen hard. If you were being honest, it took you a long time to even realize it.

You started to feel nervous around him, worrying about how you acted or the things you said. You were afraid he would look at you differently. There were also the physical effects he had on you. Every time his eyes met yours, your heart would race. Hearing his voice never failed to make you feel calm and happy. His touch set butterflies free in your gut and when he spoke your name, you felt like you were melting.

You thought you were sick or maybe even allergic to him. It was so foreign to you that it was jarring, so you started to avoid him. He didn’t like this, of course, so he confronted you about it. You had no idea how to explain what you were feeling, at least not until Tsuji intervened.

He had noticed the change between the two of you – and he wasn’t the only one, either. To your surprise, Shibaman had been experiencing the exact same feelings. He loved you, too, so you started dating to test the waters. It was awkward as hell at first. It felt as if something had changed between you and you hated it.

It took a while, but you finally figured out that things didn’t need to change simply because you were a couple now. It took time, but the two of you soon fell back into the familiar groove you had sat in throughout your friendship and it was amazing.

Shibaman was the love of your life, you realized. All you wanted was to be near him and for him to be happy. You would do anything to make him feel loved, to make him realize how special he was to you. 

With his birthday and Halloween coming up soon, you wanted to do something special because, this year, the two of you were more than just friends. It took you a while to figure out what you wanted to do and you weren’t even sure it was a good idea. You couldn’t stop thinking about it, though, so you knew you had to at least try.

You could only hope your efforts wouldn’t be wasted and that he wouldn’t hate it.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

“Ready to go?” Shibaman leaned toward you from where he sat on the couch, a smile on his lips.

You offered him an apologetic smile. “I actually have plans today…”

The two men exchanged a surprised look before Tsuji questioned, “Don’t tell me you’re cheating on us.”

You laughed, shaking your head as you stood up. “No, never. I do need to get going, though.”

“Where are you going?” Shibaman stood up, reaching for your hand. “I’ll go with you.”

“No, you can’t!” You replied quickly, making his brow furrow. You mentally cursed yourself, scrambling for a believable excuse. “My cousin is coming into town today. I… haven’t seen her in a long time and she’s not really a fan of guys, so…” You mentally cursed again for choosing such a terrible lie.

Whether he believed it or not, he didn’t question it. “Be safe. If you need me, call me.”

“I will, I promise.” You cupped his cheek, pulling him down into a soft kiss that stole his breath away. “I’ll see you later.” You smiled at the two before rushing out of the room, unaware of the worried look the two exchanged.

It took a while for you to reach Housen, mostly because you were paranoid that the boys were following you so you took the road less traveled. The students looked at you strangely when you entered the school, but they knew who you were and had no desire to fight you. Housen and Oya had long since squashed their beef.

“Excuse me,” you called out, tapping a boy on the shoulder. When he turned, you recognized him instantly. “Ah, Sawamura!”

His brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to see Yuken. Can you take me to him?”

“Yeah, sure,” he motioned for you to follow before starting down the hall. “What do you need to see him for?”

“Ah, well…” you rubbed the back of your neck, offering him a sheepish smile. “It’s a bit personal.”

He hummed, giving you a playful smile. “I hope you’re not going to confess. You know he’s dating Meg.”

You laughed at the thought. “I would never betray her like that. Besides, you know I’m dating Shibaman.”

“Oh, right. I forgot about that. Does he know you’re here?”

You frowned, lowering your gaze to the floor. You felt bad lying to him but you didn’t want to ruin the surprise. 

“That’s a no, then,” he replied softly, resting his hand on your shoulder. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

“Thank you, Sawamura.”

He led you toward a classroom on the first floor, sitting at the back of the school. The Four Heavenly Kings, along with a bunch of seniors, were crowded around the room, watching two students try to take down Jinkawa. The keyword there being try.

“Wait here,” Sawamura told you before moving farther into the room. Yuken was sitting at the back of the room with his girlfriend, the two watching something on his phone. Sawamura leaned down to tell him the situation, pointing over at you.

Yuken met your eyes and you smiled politely, waving your hand at him. Meg leaned to the side to see around the large boys standing between the two of you, a grin on her lips as she waved at you.

You waved back before forming a heart with your hearts. She pretended to catch it, holding it against her chest before both of you started laughing. Yuken shook his head, pressing a kiss to her cheek before standing up and approaching you.

“What can I do for you?” he inquired, a charming smile on his lips.

You glanced at the group of men gathered in the center of the room. Most of them were focused on the fight, but a few were sending you curious looks. “Can we talk somewhere more… private?”

He quirked a brow, glancing at the other boys before nodding. “Sure. Follow me.”

You followed him outside, taking a deep breath of the cool autumn air. “I need your help.”

“My help? Shouldn’t you be asking Oya?”

“This isn’t a problem they can help with,” you frowned, glancing around to ensure you were alone. “Is it true that you know how to crochet?”

Yuken scowled, a hand on his hip. “I told Meg not to tell anyone that.” 

“So, it’s true then?” You gave him a hopeful look and he nodded. “Please teach me!”

He hummed curiously, folding his arms over his chest. “I expect diligence. No slacking off and no excuses.”

“I understand. I promise to be a good student!”

Yuken considered this for a moment before nodding. “Alright. Give me your number so I can text you when I get everything set up.”

“Thank you so much,” you grinned.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

For the next two months, you visited Yuken every few days to learn how to crochet and begin working on the sweater you wanted to make for Shibaman. You chose the softest yarn you could find, using black as the base color. It took a while for you to decide between cats and pumpkins, but you finally chose both.

In the center of the sweater would be a jack-o-lantern with a cat leaning the upper half of its body on top of it. You also planned to add a witch’s hat. You could clearly see the design in your head, but it was much harder to bring to life than you had anticipated.

“Damn it,” you cursed, scowling down at the design before you. The jack-o-lantern was misshapen despite having redone it about twenty times. If you couldn’t even get a pumpkin right, how in the hell were you going to get the cat done? You were getting frustrated, especially since his birthday was quickly approaching.

“Don’t get frustrated,” scolded Yuken, peering at you over his glasses. “It’ll only make the stitching look worse.”

“I know,” you muttered, taking a deep breath to try and calm yourself. You carefully undid the stitch before trying again, slower this time, but it still came out looking funky. “Ugh! Why is this so damn hard?!”

“I did warn you that this pattern wasn’t beginner-friendly,” he tutted, sitting back in his chair as he worked on a pair of mittens for his girlfriend. Unlike your creation, his was pristine and well crafted, clearly made by a professional.

“Maybe I should have hired you to make one instead of teach me,” you sighed, sliding down in your seat. 

“You’d regret it.”

“Huh?”

“You chose to learn how to crochet because you wanted to make something for the person you love, right?” He quirked a brow at you. “You wanted to craft something with your own hands, your own heart, to show him how much he means to you. That is the soul of crocheting – making things with love for the people you care about most. The feeling simply doesn’t transfer if someone else makes it.”

You frowned at the sweater in your hands, taking in his words. “You’re right, but… it looks god awful, he’s going to hate it. What was I thinking? Shibaman is into fashion and hip-hop, why the hell would he want a crocheted Halloween sweater? I’m so stupid!” You groaned, hanging your head.

Yuken scoffed, sending you an offended look. “If he’s not grateful for your hard work, then the problem lies with him, not you. Taking the time to crochet something for someone is the ultimate form of love and respect! And if he disrespects that, I’ll kick his ass myself!”

“You’re really passionate about this, huh…”

“Everyone needs something to be passionate about.”

“I thought that was fighting.”

He clicked his tongue. “Other than fighting. Come on, you need a break before you ruin the yarn.”

You set the sweater carefully in its box, closing the lid before following the male away from Housen and toward the local café to grab some lunch. The woman at the counter greeted him cheerfully, so you assumed he came here often.

Yuken sat down across from you, folding his hands on the table. “Tell me honestly, why did you choose to crochet a sweater for him? There are plenty of gift options that may be more… suited to his tastes.”

“Why?” You frowned at the table, scratching your cheek in thought. “As soon as I thought of the idea, it just felt… right, I guess. This is the first time we’re celebrating his birthday and Halloween as a couple, so I really want it to be special. I wanted to make him something myself because…”

“It feels more personal?” He guessed, quirking a brow.

“Yes.”

“The fact that you chose crochet over all other art forms tells me that you understand the craft at its base level. As long as you understand that, then no matter what you craft, no matter how imperfect it may be, it will be perfect in the eyes of the one receiving it.”

You didn’t feel entirely convinced. “Are you sure?”

“Trust me.”

“You’re the crochet expert, I guess.”

“Just… don’t go around telling people that, alright?”

“Sure, sure.”

While the two of you continued talking, Shibaman and Tsuji just so happened to be passing by. He wasn’t sure what possessed him to glance over, but his eyes fell on you immediately, widening in surprise. You had told him you were going to help your cousin get settled into her new apartment outside of Sword, yet there you were, sitting in a cafe with Housen’s Odajima.

Tsuji paused when he realized the taller male had stopped walking. He followed the male’s gaze, removing his glasses with a frown. “They are definitely not cousins.”

Shibaman frowned, feeling frustration and pain settle in his gut. Though he wasn’t fond of the idea of you meeting up with other schools, that isn’t what bothered him. Why had you lied to him about it? Why weren’t you honest with him?

Tsuji glanced at him, nudging his arm. “Don’t jump to conclusions. We should confront -”

“No,” Shibaman shook his head, beginning to walk away.

“No?” Tsuji quickly followed him, brow furrowed. “Don’t you want the truth?”

“Of course I do,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He didn’t want to demand answers from you, though. He wanted you to come clean on your own. “Don’t say anything about this.”

Tsuji had an idea of what his best friend was thinking, though he wasn’t entirely sure he agreed. “Fine, I won’t say anything,” he sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

“Baby,” called Shibaman, slipping his hand into yours as he leaned closer to you. “Do you want to go see a movie?”

Tsuji glanced up from the magazine he was reading. “My uncle just recently started working at the theater. He can get us in for free.”

“Oh, uh…” you rubbed the back of your neck with a frown. “I’d like to, but…”

“You have to see your cousin,” guessed Shibaman, his jaw tensing as he turned his gaze toward the wall.

You could feel how tense his body was and you didn’t notice the way he tried to subtly shift away from you. Guilt pooled inside your gut. “I’m sorry…”

He nearly asked if you really were sorry, but he bit back the question, pulling his hand free as he stood up. “It’s fine.”

You weren’t dumb. You knew this man like the back of your hand and you knew it very much was not fine. He wasn’t the type to speak his mind, though, and preferred to bottle things up until he simply couldn’t any longer. It was obvious that he was getting fed up with your cousin and you constantly ditching them.

Tsuji stood up to follow but paused when you called out his name. He quirked a brow at you but you could tell his usual friendliness toward you was gone. He didn’t like it when his brother was upset.

You quickly shut the door in case Shibaman was still close by and you lowered your voice. “I know you’re mad at me -”

“That’s an understatement,” he scoffed, having to bite his tongue to stop from mentioning the cafe. 

You chewed on your lip, having an internal debate with yourself about whether or not to tell him. “If I tell you something, you have to promise not to tell Shibaman.”

“I can’t promise that.” He folded his arms over his chest, eyes narrowed from behind his colored glasses. “If you’re hiding something from him, he deserves to know.”

“And he will,” you promised him. “Just… I need a bit more time.”

“Time for what?”

You glanced at the door before leaning toward him. “I’m working on something for his birthday. It’s… taking longer than I thought it would. I didn’t want to lie but I want it to be a surprise.”

Tsuji felt surprised by this information. Why hadn’t he considered that you might be planning something? He felt a bit dumb for not thinking of it sooner, but he also felt a bit hurt that you hadn’t confided in him sooner. “You should have told me.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry…”

He sighed deeply, bringing his hand to his forehead. “I’ll see what I can do, but you better hurry up. He knows something’s up and he’s getting impatient.”

“I know…”

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

“Come on, you got this!” cheered Meg, staring at you with a grin.

“Just a little bit more,” encouraged Yuken with a nod, leaning toward you. 

“Hurry up, you’re so close!”

“No, don’t hurry up! Don’t rush it now!”

You looked up from the sweater with a scowl, sitting back when you realized just how close the two of them were to your face. “Can you two give me some space?”

“Oh, are you having performance anxiety?” snickered Meg as she sat back down.

You scoffed, muttering under your breath, “Anyone would with you two breathing down their neck.”

“Hey, we’re just trying to help.” Yuken sat down as well, arms folded over his chest. He was watching you intently, his shoulders tense as he watched the way you were stitching the last bit of the sweater.

Meg noticed this and laughed, resting her hand on his arm. “I think you’re more tense and you’re not even the one making it.”

“Of course I am! This is the creation of my first student.”

“Your first student?” she grinned, quirking a brow. “Does that mean you’re gonna take on more?”

Yuken said nothing, though he’d be lying if he said the idea hadn’t crossed his mind. He enjoyed teaching you more than he thought he would, despite how frustrating you could be at times.

“Yuken’s Crochet studio,” you snickered, glancing at him. “Got a nice ring to it.”

“Focus,” he scolded, refusing to admit that he did like the sound of it.

“Alright, keep your panties on.” You did as he instructed, focusing on the last few stitches. A few tense moments of silence ticked by. “There… it’s done.” You stood up, holding up the completed sweater.

It was far from perfect, the cat looking a bit derpy and the pumpkin still misshapen, but it had its own unique charm to it. It was one of a kind, made with all the love you held in your heart for Shibaman. That made up for the imperfections.

“What do you think?” you questioned nervously.

“It’s super cute,” smiled Meg. “He’s going to love it!”

Yuken nodded, giving you a proud look. “I have to say, I wasn’t confident that you would stick with it until the end.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“But you did and I’m proud of you.”

You chuckled, feeling happy at the praise. “Thank you, Yuken-sensei.”

Yuken put his hands together in front of him and bowed, deepening his voice. “Now, go out into the world, my pupil.”

Meg snorted. “What voice is that supposed to be?”

“Yoda.”

“That wasn’t even close.”

“I tried my best,” he pouted, pulling her into his arms.

You carefully folded the sweater before placing it in the box and securing it with an orange ribbon. “His birthday is tomorrow… wish me luck.”

“You got this,” Meg smiled, offering you a thumbs up. “And if he doesn’t appreciate it, Yuken will kick his ass.”

Yuken nodded, pushing up his glasses. “I won’t stand for anyone disrespecting such a sacred art.”

“Thanks, guys.” You offered them a bow and a grateful smile before scooping up the box and heading home.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

You couldn’t remember the last time you had felt this nervous, your heart racing within your chest. You were honestly tempted to just drop the gift off and run away, not wanting to see his reaction, but you knew you couldn’t do that. It was his birthday, after all, and you wanted to make up for avoiding him lately.

Taking a deep breath, you knocked on the door of his house. His older sister was the one who answered, looking tired. “He left already.”

“Eh?” your brow furrowed. He had always waited for you to arrive before heading to school so it was strange that he had gone ahead of you. “O-Oh, um… thank you.”

“Oi,” she called out, eyes narrowed at you. “He’s been moping around lately. If I find out you’re the reason, I’m gonna kick your ass.” And then she slammed the door in your face.

You scowled in frustration, though you weren’t sure if it was more toward her or yourself. You knew you were the cause and it pissed you off despite having done it with good intentions. Surely he would forgive you… right?

Holding the box to your chest, you rushed toward Oya high, keeping an eye open for the pair as you went. You entered the broadcast room with a smile, expecting to see your boyfriend sitting on the couch, listening to music. It was Todoroki who sat on the couch, though, reading one of his books.

Tsuji stood up when you entered, a frown on his lips. “He had already left when I got to his house this morning. I have no idea where he is.”

“Oh,” you frowned, chewing on your bottom lip. You thought about it for a moment before carefully setting the box beside Todoroki. “Can you make sure he gets this please?”

“Of course,” Tsuji offered you a smile, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. It did little to help, though.

“Thank you.” You offered him a bow before turning and leaving the room. Without Shibaman there, it felt pointless to stay at school so you decided to just leave.

Rather than go home, you chose to go for a walk around town to clear your head. The wind was chilly, making you retreat farther into the jacket you were wearing. It had originally belonged to Shibaman so it was quite large on you and it still faintly smelled of him. 

A light misty rain started to fall from the cloudy sky, feeling cold against your face but you didn’t mind. The rain was peaceful and helped you relax whenever you felt stressed. It wasn’t heavy rain, anyway, so the likelihood of you catching a cold from it was slim.

Despite how peaceful and quiet the world around you felt, you couldn’t stop thinking about Shibaman. Where was he? Was he okay? Was he mad at you? Or was he just hurt by your lies? You wished you could find him and explain everything, but you knew he didn’t want to be found. He wanted to be alone so he could sort out his own feelings.

That was fine with you, you just wished it hadn’t fallen on his birthday. Today was supposed to be special for him, to be free of worry or want. You had royally screwed that up, though.

With a sigh, you plopped down on the wooden bench inside the makeshift park. Honestly, you weren’t even sure it met the qualifications to be considered a park because it was just a small strip of grass with trees planted at each corner. A sad-looking swing set sat in the middle, the metal rusted and worn.

You doubted it was safe to use, though there were few things within Sword that were. The city’s entire aesthetic was danger.

You slid down on the bench as thunder rumbled softly overhead, leaning your head back so you could stare up at the sky. The tree to your left was completely bare, its leaves scattered across the ground like discarded newspapers. The tree on your right, though, was still clinging to a few of them, as if desperate to not let go.

The wind picked up and they finally broke free, dancing gently through the air as they made their way to the earth below. It was such a simple thing, but it brought a smile to your lips. 

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

You stifled a yawn as you approached your apartment, reaching into the pocket of the jacket for your keys. You hadn’t intended to spend the day at the park but time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye and, before you knew it, the sun was setting.

To your surprise, Shibaman was pacing back and forth outside the building, running a hand through his red hair repeatedly. He looked distressed which alarmed you.

“Shibaman? What’s-“

As soon as he heard your voice, his head snapped up. In just a couple long strides, he reached you, throwing his arms around you until you were buried in the warmth of his chest. The smell of pine and cologne filled your nostrils and you smiled, fingers curling around the black t-shirt he was wearing.

“Where have you been?” He huffed, trying to control the light tremble of his voice. “I’ve been worried sick!”

You frowned, pulling back so you could see his face. “You’re the one who disappeared. You had already left the house by the time I got there and you weren’t at school, either.”

“My sister made me go pick up some food from the convenience store,” he scowled, clearly still annoyed by this. “I told her I was waiting for you but she wouldn’t stop bitching about it. When I got back, she told me you had stopped by.”

Thinking about it, it did make sense. She’s never liked you, even when you were just his friend, claiming that you were a bad influence on him. When you started dating, she didn’t try to hide the fact that she thought you weren’t good enough for her baby brother. 

“When I got to school, Tsuji said you were looking for me then you left. I looked everywhere for you.” He cupped your face, brows punched with worry. “I thought… I thought something happened.”

“I’m sorry for worrying you, love,” you told him softly, resting your hand over his. “Why didn’t you call me?”

“I did. Many times!”

“You did?” Your own brow furrowed in confusion as you reached for your phone only to realize it wasn’t there. You had forgotten it this morning in your excitement to get to Shibaman’s house. You offered him a sheepish, embarrassed smile. “I, uh… I forgot my phone.”

Shibaman scoffed in disbelief, lowering his head until his forehead met your shoulder. The tension was slowly leaving him now that you were safe and sound in front of him.

“I’m sorry for worrying you,” you told him softly, running your fingers through his hair. “And on your birthday, too.”

He chuckled, arms encircling your waist so he could bring you closer, bringing his forehead down to meet yours. “You’re safe, that’s all I need.”

You couldn’t hold back your smile, pressing your lips to his. “Stay with me tonight?”

He hummed, claiming your lips again. “Of course.”

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

“Baby, wake up.” Shibaman pressed a kiss beneath your ear, arms wrapped protectively around your waist. 

“Five more minutes,” you mumbled tiredly, leaning into the warmth his body offered.

He chuckled, turning you over so you were on your back looking up at him. “You said that five minutes ago.”

“Did I?” Your brow furrowed. “That doesn’t sound like me.”

“I’m gonna stop by my place to grab something,” he told you softly, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “I’ll meet you at school, okay?”

“Wait, I’ll go with you.” You forced yourself up, rubbing the sleep from your eyes.

“I’d rather keep you away from my sister,” he chuckled. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Be careful.”

“I will.” He put his finger beneath your chin, leaning down to press a soft, slow kiss to your lips. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.” You watched as he left the room, listening to his footsteps fade before the front door opened and closed behind him. Despite wanting to go back to sleep, you forced yourself out of bed and got ready for the day.

It was much colder out today than it was yesterday, the sky covered by light grey clouds that made it seem more like the afternoon than early morning. You didn’t mind it, though. The cold was a welcome change from the warm weather of summer and spring, plus it gave you an excuse to steal more of your boyfriend’s jackets.

When you got to school, you were surprised to find the boys gathered in the courtyard, snickering and laughing. Curious, you made your way through the crowd, eyes widening at what you saw.

Shibaman was leaning against the building, arms folded over his chest and eyes closed. There was a slight furrow to his brow as he tried to ignore the teasing he was receiving. The reason for this teasing? He was wearing the sweater you had crocheted him.

It fit him perfectly, showing off his toned body while still being comfortable to wear. It was warm, too, easily blocking the cold wind. When you looked at the design, it felt childish to you and you felt guilty for not just making him a regular, solid sweater.

“Did you get that from your granny?” Teased one of the older boys before bursting out laughing, his friends following suit.

Shibaman opened his eyes, narrowing them at the male.

You swallowed down the nerves and embarrassment you felt, stepping forward. “I made it…”

“You did?” snorted the male. “No wonder it looks like trash -“

A fist slammed into his face, sending him flying back into the crowd with a cry. Shibaman straightened up, fire in his eyes. “Don’t you ever say that shit again or I’ll kill you.”

The crowd grew tense, their previous jolly demeanors changing to one of fear. It was easy to laugh at him and not take him seriously when he was wearing that sweater, but it didn’t change anything about how strong he was or how protective of you he was.

“I’m sorry,” you muttered, lowering your head. “I didn’t consider how Oya would react. You don’t have to wear it.”

He scoffed, resting his large hand atop your head. “Of course, I’m gonna wear it. You spent months working on this, didn’t you?”

You nodded, tugging lightly at the material. “It was my first time crocheting. Yuken did his best to teach me, but… it could have been better.”

Realization flashed across his face as he remembered seeing you at the café with said male. Everything made sense now and his heart was filled with warmth and love for you. “I love it.”

“Really?” You sent him a skeptical look. “You’re not just saying that?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you. If I didn’t like it, I’d be honest.” As badly as he wanted to kiss you, he couldn’t bring himself to do so with the crowd that was still gathered in the courtyard. PDA was not something he enjoyed. “I love this sweater and I love you.”

You searched his eyes for any hint of a lie but there was none. “You really like it?”

“I do. Thank you, baby.”

Your eyes lit up, happiness filling you. “You’re welcome!”

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

-> High&Low/Rampage Taglist: @kiraaaeon, @simpforchuchu, @star2fishmeg, @thatpoindexterpixy @manhwabtch

“Sorry. You know how Hyuga is,” you shook your head, tugging off your jacket. “A lot of people are gambling around this time of year, trying to win big before December finally gets here. It’s only going to get busier and he’s only going to get more demanding.”

Cobra did not like the fact that you worked for Daruma’s gambling hall, but you had known Hyuga long before you ever crossed paths with Sannoh. He had considered, on more than one occasion, asking you to quit working for him but he knew that you were, above all else, loyal.

“You don’t need to apologize.” He held his hand out and you smiled, setting yours against his own. “Just promise me you won’t gamble again.”

Your smile turned sheepish, a laugh passing your lips. You had only gambled once in your life after you had gone drinking with the Daruma babies one weekend. You were on a hot streak, actually, but you refused to quit while you were ahead and ended up losing everything.

You had started out with twenty bucks, turned it into ten thousand only to lose it all and walk away with just twenty cents to your name. The Four boys hadn’t done much better, either, and Hyuga was pissed when he found out. You were pretty sure he was just upset that you hadn’t blown it all at his gambling hall instead, honestly.

“I learned my lesson, I swear. I’ll never gamble again.”

He chuckled, nodding his head. “Good.”

It was pretty late by this point, so the boys slowly filed out of the diner until it was just you, Cobra and Naomi left. It was strange when the diner was quiet, but you didn’t hate it. Everyone needed a break from the rowdy Sannoh boys every now and again.

“Are you kidding me?” cried Naomi, sounding distressed.

You glanced over at her, seeing her begin to pace back and forth as she talked to someone on the phone. 

“There must be some way… can’t you reschedule? Ah, no, I… yes, I understand… I’m sorry about that, but…” She pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly frustrated but trying to remain polite. “Yes… yes, I understand, Nakamoto-san. Good night.”

You exchanged a concerned look with your boyfriend before addressing her. “Everything alright, Nao?”

“No, not at all.” She ran a hand through her hair, continuing to pace.

Cobra leaned forward, brow furrowed in concern. “What is it?”

“You remember how I was asked to help provide snacks for the elementary school’s autumn festival, right?”

He nodded.

“The job was supposed to be split between me and Nakamoto-san, the head of the PTA but she just told me that something came up and she can’t help. There’s no way I can do it by myself! What am I going to do?”

You frowned, standing up to comfort her. “It’s alright, Nao. I’ll help.”

“You will?” She looked at you hopefully. “Are you sure? I know you’re really busy with Daruma…”

“Don’t worry, Hyuga owes me some vacation time anyway,” you grinned. 

“Are you sure he’ll give it to you?”

“Nothing is ever a sure thing with him, but I’ll find a way to get out of work.” You gave her a reassuring look. “I’m not very experienced with baking, but I know how to follow a recipe. If you write down everything I need and how to make them, I’ll happily help.”

“Thank you so much!” She threw her arms around you, hugging you tightly which you returned without hesitation.

Cobra felt butterflies in his stomach as he watched you. You were willing to blow off your responsibilities with Hyuga to help Naomi, to help a member of his family. The amount of happiness that brought him was, quite frankly, embarrassing. 

“I’ll help, too.”

Naomi looked between the two of you with glassy eyes. “Thank you both so much! I’ll get to work on the lists and recipes.” And then she disappeared into the back.

Cobra approached you with a warm smile, wrapping his arms around you. “Thank you for helping her. Let me know if Hyuga gives you a hard time.”

“I’m always happy to help your family, Jun.”

He hummed, brushing his lips against your own. “They’ll be your family, too, one day.”

You chuckled, looping your arms around his neck, fingers playing with the hair at his nape. “I don’t think so. I’ll always be Daruma and, well… we caused you guys a lot of trouble at one point. They may be willing to put up with me because of you, but I doubt they’ll ever view me as part of the family.”

His brow furrowed in concern. Had one of the Sannoh boys said something to you? Thinking about it, he hadn’t really discussed it with the others. You just started dating one day and he started to bring you around without asking how everyone felt about it. He knew Yamato didn’t trust you at first, but did he still feel that way?

You poked the spot between his brows. “If you keep frowning like that, you’re gonna get premature wrinkles.”

His lips formed your name but you cut him off, knowing what he was going to say.

“It’s really not a big deal, baby. I went into this relationship knowing that they most likely wouldn’t accept me and I honestly don’t blame them for it. As long as I get to be with you, that’s enough.” You tugged him closer until your lips met.

He didn’t hesitate to kiss you back, but his mind was partly elsewhere. It was enough for you, perhaps, but not for him. He wanted them to accept you, to love you like he did. He didn’t just want to be your boyfriend, he wanted to be your everything like you were to him.

Having his family accept you and love you was important to him.

“Okay, this should be everything.” Naomi returned with a small stack of papers, pausing when she saw how close the two of you were. “Am I… interrupting something?” The sly smile on her lips said that she already had her answer.

You laughed, pulling away from him. “We were just keeping each other company until you returned.”

“Sure,” she chuckled, handing you the stack. “I printed out the recipes for you. Each one has a full list of everything you’ll need to make them and if you have any questions, I’m just a phone call away.”

“Nice. When do they need to be made?”

“The festival is tomorrow afternoon,” she winced, running a hand through her hair. “We need to start working on them tonight if we want to make it in time… I’m sorry, I should have told you that first… it’s probably too short notice, right?”

“I’ll make it work and yes, I’m sure.”

“Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome,” you replied, turning to look at Cobra and holding out your hand. “Up for some late-night shopping?”

“Sounds fun.” He slid his hand into your own, fingers lacing together.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

As soon as you returned home, you started to look over the recipes while Cobra put away anything perishable. None of them seemed too complicated so you felt confident that you could make them with little to no problem, especially with Cobra at your side.

“What are we making first?” He leaned on the counter beside you, peering at the recipes. 

“What do you think?”

“We should probably choose whatever takes the longest to make so we can get it out of the way.” His eyes scanned through pages before tapping the one for the Sakura Mochi. “This is the longest, so let’s start with it.”

“Okay, let’s see. We’re supposed to soak the sweet rice for at least an hour and soak the sakura leaves for fifteen minutes.”

“Easy,” he grinned, grabbing two bowls and filling them with water. “We have to wait for them to soak, so which recipe is next?”

“Purin! We have to combine the sugar and water into a saucepan. Medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.”

Cobra did as you ordered without question, enjoying how domestic this all felt. He could definitely get used to this and was already making up excuses in his mind to get the two of you cooking together again.

For the rest of the night, the two of you worked together to bake the various treats requested by Naomi and you felt as if you were making pretty good time, all things considered. You did end up getting into a flour fight with Cobra because he kept trying to steal some of the finished treats, unable to fight his sweet tooth.

You were proud to say you had won that fight, though the messy kitchen was a reminder that you both had lost the war.

You yawned as you looked at the final two recipes, trying to decide which one you wanted to make. You had messaged Naomi about your progress and she told you that there were plenty of treats between the three of you. You should have gone to bed since it was nearly five in the morning, but you wanted to make one last thing first.

You hummed, thoughtfully. “Hey, Jun?”

“Yes, love?” He glanced over at you from where he sat on the couch, looking half-asleep.

You leaned on the counter, smiling at how cute he looked, even with bits of flour stuck to his blonde locks. “Would you rather have pumpkin spice cookies or cinnamon cookies?”

He thought about it for a moment, shifting to a more comfortable position. “I’ve never had pumpkin spice cookies before but I know you like them. I choose those.”

“What if you don’t like them?”

He hummed, closing his eyes. “I’ll like anything you make.”

“Such a hopeless romantic,” you teased softly, walking over to cover him with the blanket. You brushed the hair away from his face, fingers lingering on his cheek longer than necessary.

It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep, though you really couldn’t blame him. All you wanted to do was sleep, as well, but you decided that making these cookies was more important. He had worked hard and, though he did attempt to swipe a few treats, he had mostly behaved.

Cobra was a man who loved sweets. More than anything, he wanted the sweets that you had made with your own hands because, to him, they tasted all the sweeter. You had honestly always wanted to bake for him, but you had just never gotten around to it for two reasons.

The first was because Hyuga kept you so busy that you rarely had the time or energy. The second, which was probably more important, was because you were afraid. Afraid that they would come out terrible and he would hate them, yet he would still force himself to eat them because he loved you.

You slapped both of your cheeks at the same time, shaking your head to wake yourself up. You were going to make these cookies for him and he was going to love them, not just because you made them yourself, but because they tasted amazing.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

Cobra woke up several hours later, the apartment still smelling like sugar, pumpkin and various other sweet flavors that made his mouth water. He expected you to be asleep in the bedroom but you weren’t. You had fallen asleep at the island, the other half of your body draped over the countertop, arms acting as a pillow.

All of the treats had been wrapped up or placed in containers, ready to be picked up by Naomi. He glanced at the clock. There were still a few hours left before she was due to arrive so he had time to clean up. Before doing that, however, he wanted to take you to the bedroom. That couldn’t be a comfortable position to sleep in, after all.

He brought you carefully into his arms and you shifted closer to his warmth, mumbling incoherently in your sleep about pumpkin sugar cubes and honey tea. With a chuckle, he placed you gently in bed, bringing the covers over you so you wouldn’t catch a cold.

“Sleep well, love,” he whispered, pressing a lingering kiss to your forehead. It took a while for him to get the mess cleaned up and he was sure he had missed some flour somewhere, but that was a problem for the future.

There was a knock on the door and he headed over to open it, drying his hands with a dish towel.

“Good morning,” greeted Naomi, looking tired but pleased. 

“Morning.” He stepped aside to let her in. “We got everything done and ready to go.”

“Thank you so much for the help. You two really saved me.”

“Don’t mention it. We were happy to help. Do you want some coffee?”

“I wish I could stay for one, but I have to get these to the school.”

“Do you need help?”

“No, I’ve got it,” she smiled gratefully, packing away the containers into the reusable bag she had brought with her. When she picked up the final container, she paused, a smile coming to her lips. “Pretty sure this one is for you.”

His brow furrowed as he took the plastic container from her. An orange sticky note sat on the lid with his name written on it next to a cute little heart. When had you made these? He realized it must have been after he fell asleep and he couldn’t help but smile, warmth filling his chest.

“I’ll see you later,” said Naomi as she headed for the door. “Thank you again!”

“Be safe, Naomi.”

Once she was gone, he grabbed one of the cookies from its container, taking a small bite. It was his first time trying a pumpkin spice cookie so he was a bit weary at first, but the flavor exploded on his tongue. Maybe he was crazy, but he felt as if he could feel every ounce of love you had poured into them.

With a smile, he returned to the bedroom, sliding under the covers and pulling you into his arms. You didn’t hesitate to snuggle further into his chest, adoring the way he smelled and how warm his body was.

“What time is it?” you mumbled.

He glanced at the clock on the bedside table, brushing his fingers through your hair. “It’s almost nine.”

“Shit, Naomi will be here soon.” You tried to sit up but he tightened his grip, keeping you in place.

“I already passed them along to her. Go back to sleep.”

“You didn’t give her the cookies in the plastic container with the blue lid, did you?”

“No, love,” he answered softly, unable to hold back his smile. “You didn’t have to make them for me.”

“I wanted to. I hope they came out tasting good,” you muttered, looking up at him tiredly.

“They taste amazing.”

“Do you mean that or are you just saying that because I made them?”

“I mean it.” He cupped your cheek, leaning down to rub his nose against yours. The gesture was cute and sweet, but it left you feeling embarrassed. “Thank you for making them.”

“If you want… I can bake for you more often?”

“Please,” he replied quickly before clearing his throat, color rising to his cheeks. “I’d really like that.”

“Consider it done, then,” you laughed, snuggling closer to him and closing your eyes. 

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

-> High&Low/Rampage Taglist: @kiraaaeon, @simpforchuchu, @star2fishmeg, @thatpoindexterpixy @manhwabtch

You even insisted on paying your half of the bill when he took you out to dinner, something that really frustrated him. He knew you worked hard for your money and that it was always tight for you, yet you insisted on paying.

The first time you had gone out together, he had chosen an expensive restaurant and you ended up not having enough to pay for your half. It was one of the most embarrassing nights of your life and you still hate thinking about it.

Taking a deep breath, you grabbed your keys and headed outside to wait for Ice to arrive. The cold autumn air curled around you like a blanket, bringing goosebumps to your skin and a smile to your face. Autumn was your favorite time of year and you loved the cold.

Ice’s black Bentley pulled up to the curb and he stepped out, smiling when he saw you. “Hey, baby,” he greeted, pressing a kiss to your cheek before leading you to the passenger’s side, pulling the door open for you. As soon as you were safely inside, he closed the door and returned to the driver’s seat.

When you first met Ice, you saw how viciously he fought, how cruel he could be. You never would have imagined that he could be such a gentleman, that he could be so soft and kind to you. 

“Where do you want to go?” He questioned, taking your hand in his, fingers lacing together.

You bit your lip, knowing how drastically your interests were. A good date to him was an expensive restaurant before heading to the club to party. A good date to you was staying indoors and watching a movie or going for a walk together at the park.

He waited patiently for you to answer, rubbing his thumb against your hand.

“Can we… visit the autumn fair?” you asked softly.

“Sure.” He pressed a kiss to your hand before putting the car in park and pulling away from the curb. Music was playing softly in the background, the heater turned on low to stave off the chill.

You shifted against the leather seat, turning your gaze to the window as the city passed by in a blur of silver and orange. It didn’t take long to reach the fair and the place was packed, mostly with families and their kids. You felt guilty forcing him to come here and it honestly made you feel a bit childish.

As you climbed out of the car, you offered him a sheepish smile. “If you don’t want to be here, we can go somewhere else…?”

Ice just smiled, putting his arm around your shoulders and tugging you against his side. “Nah. I haven’t been to a fair in years, it’ll be a nice change.”

“Are you sure?”

His dark eyes met yours, fingers pushing your chin up so he could claim your lips. “Positive, baby.”

You nodded, a smile slipping onto your face. He let you take the lead, following you around as you bounced from one ride to the next, tackling each game booth that they had. You weren’t very good at them, not once winning a prize, but Ice dominated each one, allowing you to choose the item you wanted. 

The loud sounds of the rides along with the sea of people was enough to cover the soft thunder above, the night sky slowly filling with dark clouds. Though it felt as if you had been there for only a few minutes, several hours passed by and the fair was getting ready to close. Most of the families had already cleared out, leaving only couples and groups of teens.

The wind was picking up, the temperature dropping as rain approached. Despite loving the cold, you were starting to shiver. You regretted not wearing your hoodie, but you worried Ice wouldn’t like the way it looked on you because it was baggy and quite old.

He shrugged out of his jacket, draping it over your shoulders. The scent of his cologne filled your nostrils and you smiled, sticking your arms through the sleeves. It was still warm from his body.

“Thank you.”

He pressed a kiss to your temple. “I can’t let my baby get sick. Let’s get you home before the rain starts.”

“Okay.” You followed him back to the car, sliding into the passenger seat. “Thank you for today. I had a lot of fun.”

He quirked a brow at you before returning his eyes to the road. “When are you going to stop thanking me for taking you on dates?”

“At least once more, Mr. Ice,” you grinned, quoting the Pirates of the Caribbean. It was the movie you both watched on your first date, so it held a special place in your heart. It was also just a really good movie.

Ice chuckled, a smile coming to his lips as he thought back to that day. It had started out as a disaster of a blind date, set up by your friend who Pearl was desperately trying to get with. Bernie was supposed to be your date but he got food poisoning at the last minute. Everyone else was busy except for Jesse and Ice, the former flat-out refusing.

Ice didn’t want to go, either, but Pearl was his family and he needed help so the leader agreed. 

He honestly didn’t think much of you, at first. Despite being at a club, you were wearing baggy shorts, a hoodie, and sneakers. You had no interest in dancing or drinking and you acted as if you wanted to be anywhere else. He thought you were cute, but you were nothing compared to the hotties he usually pulled.

He expected the night to pass by in awkward silence, but you tried to get to know him, striking up a conversation repeatedly even when it died out. Usually his dates were all over him by now, complimenting his watch, the diamonds in his ears or the chain around his neck. You didn’t care about any of that. Even when he told you that he owned a club and a bunch of expensive cars, you weren’t interested.

When he mentioned his music, though, you became very interested. You had always admired musicians, not just for their talent but for their confidence. They bore their souls for the world to see and they did so proudly despite the fear of rejection. Ice was surprised by just how animated you became when discussing the topic and, as the night wore on, he began to warm up to you.

He offered to take you home when it became glaringly obvious that you no longer wanted to be inside the club. Rather than fawn over his expensive car, you were hesitant to even look at it for fear of somehow messing it up. He thought it was cute how he had to coax you inside, assuring you that it was highly unlikely that you would.

He found himself driving slower than he needed to because he was enjoying spending time with you. You were so different from the people he usually hung around with and it was refreshing to him. He remembers how relieved he had felt when you spotted the sign for the drive-in movie theater. It was playing the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie and you asked him if he would be interested.

You were surprised when he said yes but you certainly weren’t complaining. He was not your type at all, yet you felt drawn to him, drawn to the strong aura he possessed. You weren’t sure why but you felt safe around him, comfortable even. That’s not to say you also didn’t feel nervous, as well, given the extreme differences between you, but he just had this way of making you completely forget about your worries for a time.

“What are you grinning about?” He wondered, quirking a brow at you as he pulled up in front of your house.

“I was just thinking about the day we met,” you replied, sending him a soft smile. “Things didn’t start out too well, but I’m happy with how it ended.”

He smirked, reaching over to grip your chin in his hand. “Just how happy are you, hm?”

“Very,” you breathed out, finding yourself leaning toward him. 

“Show me,” he ordered, lips brushing against your own. A sudden clap of thunder rattled the car windows and made you jump, heart racing within your chest. He clicked his tongue. “The rain’s about to start, you should get inside.”

“Right…” You stepped out of the vehicle, heading toward the door with him close behind. You reached into your pocket for your keys only to frown when they weren’t there. You checked your other pocket but they weren’t there either. Dread filled you. “Shit…”

“What’s wrong?”

“I lost my keys…” you sent him a panicked look and he rested his large hand on top of your head, giving you a calming look.

“You probably dropped them in the car.”

The two of you started back toward the car when the thunder boomed again. The sky opened up, sheets of rain falling down on top of you. You cried out in surprise when the ice-cold water hit you, easily soaking through the t-shirt you wore.

“Get in!” Ice ordered, rushing to the passenger side to open the door for you despite his designer clothes getting soaked. When he finally made it inside, you frowned at the water dripping down his face.

“I’m so sorry,” you apologized, lowering your head.

“For what?” He quirked a brow at you in confusion.

“You got wet because I lost my keys… and now your seats are gonna be ruined…”

He chuckled, his voice soft. “You have nothing to apologize for. Do you see them?”

“Oh, um…” you started to feel between the seats, looking on the floor and reaching beneath the seat but your keys were nowhere in sight. “They’re not here. Oh my god, what am I going to do? My roommate won’t be back until tomorrow night!”

“Hey, calm down,” he called softly, resting his hand against the back of your neck. “You can stay with me tonight.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” He started up the car, pulling away from the curb.

The closer you got to his apartment, the more nervous you became. You hadn’t ever been to his place before and now you were gonna be staying the night. You took a few deep breaths, hands clenching and unclenching as you tried to calm yourself down.

The apartment building was just as you expected – a twenty-five-story building that sat in the eastern district of the city. It’s where all the rich people lived and the air just felt different there, though it was hard to explain why. 

“Welcome back, Ice-sama.” The old man at the reception desk bowed to him but the male didn’t spare him a glance as he approached the elevator. 

You hugged yourself tightly, feeling super uncomfortable between the wet clothes clinging to you, your missing keys and the fear of spending the night at Ice’s place. You were honestly scared that he would expect something from you in return and you just weren’t ready for that. 

His apartment was huge, filled with expensive-looking furniture and decorations, most of which were music-themed. “The bathroom is down the hall. Go take a shower and I’ll find you something to wear.”

You swallowed nervously, watching as he disappeared down the opposite hall. You knew you had to get out of these clothes and a warm shower sounded lovely right about now, but were you really okay being naked in his apartment? And he was going to bring you some clothes… what if he decided to join you?

Your heart hammered against your ribs as you entered the bathroom, locking the door behind you. Your hands trembled as you undressed, but you couldn’t be sure if it was because of the cold or the nerves. Probably both.

You slowly slid the clothes off your body, turning on the water so it could warm up.

There was a knock on the door and you tensed, waiting for him to try the doorknob but he didn’t. “Baby, I’m gonna leave the clothes on the table, okay?”

“Y-Yeah! Thank you.” You pressed your ear to the door, listening to his footsteps fade before you cracked open the door, snatching up the clothes before shutting the door again. You showered quickly and started to get dressed.

His scent lingered on the clothes, mixed with the smell of the laundry detergent, and you inhaled deeply, feeling a wave of calm wash over you. You picked up your wet clothes, not wanting to just leave them on the floor.

Ice was sitting on the sofa, changed into grey sweatpants and a black shirt that hugged his body. A towel sat around his neck as he dried his short hair. You assumed there were two bathrooms and he had used the other one.

“Um,” you shifted nervously in the doorway when he looked up at you. “Where should I put these?”

“Here, I’ll take them.” He pulled himself off the sofa, taking the wad of clothes from your hands before disappearing down the hall. He returned a moment later, confused as to why you hadn’t moved. His hand found the small of your back, gently pushing you toward the sofa. 

You felt as if you should say something but your mind was drawing blanks, too preoccupied with the rising nerves within your system. He settled down beside you, putting his arm around you to pull you closer.

“I have a surprise for you, baby,” he commented softly, pressing a kiss to your cheek. 

You watched curiously as he picked up the remote, turning on the TV. you recognized the music immediately, eyes snapping over to see the menu screen for the Pirates of the Caribbean. A bright smile came to your lips and he could feel the tension leaving your body.

“After our first date, I ordered the limited edition set.”

“Limited edition?” Your wide eyes fell on him, knowing exactly what he meant. “But that thing is like 300 bucks!”

He hummed, fingers brushing against the back of your neck. “It was worth it. I’ll show you the set later, if you want.”

“Please! I was eyeing it for ages but they stopped selling it by the time I saved up enough.” You shook your head, folding your arms over your chest.

Ice hummed again as he pressed play, already knowing what he wanted to do. A soft smile came to his lips as he watched your eyes light up, focused completely on the TV screen. He felt so much love for you in his heart and it felt so foreign to him. He had hated it at first because it scared him, but now he craved more.

He pulled you even closer until you were practically on his lap, arms wrapping around your waist. You leaned into his warmth, head resting on his firm chest. 

“I love you, baby,” he whispered, lips brushing against your cheek, feeling your skin grow warm.

“I love you, too,” you breathed out, hands resting over his arms.

You made it through three movies before you started yawning and Ice suggested it was time for bed. He didn’t think twice about sharing the bed with you because you were dating, you had been for a while, but you were nervous as hell.

Truth be told, you were a virgin who had never gone beyond kissing anyone before. You figured Ice was the opposite, having quite a few notches in his belt. That didn’t bother you, it was long before you started dating, but you assumed he had an expectation. How long was too long to date without getting intimate? You knew you weren’t ready but you were afraid he might leave you if you refused him.

Your heart raced within your chest as he led you into his bedroom. The bed was huge, fit for a king, with a plush black and white comforter. As he pulled back the covers, he took notice of how tense you were and a frown tugged at his lips. “You okay?”

“Y-Yeah!” you replied quickly, forcing a smile. 

He knew you were lying. He said your name, hand on his hip. “Tell me.”

You shifted nervously under his piercing gaze, mumbling under your breath.

“What?” He stepped closer to you. “I couldn’t hear what you said.”

You screwed your eyes shut, fists clenching at your sides. “I-I’m a virgin!”

Ice was both taken aback and confused. He knew you were vastly different from the people he usually dated, but a virgin? He definitely hadn’t expected that. Why were you suddenly bringing it up, though? At first, he thought that you trusted him enough to confide such information to him.

His eyes scanned your tense body, taking in the way your fists trembled slightly, how your eyes remained closed, and the deep frown that marred your face. He knew he was wrong. You weren’t confiding in him, you were worried about it.

“Baby,” he called out softly, closing the distance and resting his hands on your upper arms. “I’m not going to force you to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

You slowly peeled open your eyes, expecting to see him looking annoyed to some degree, but his eyes were filled with warmth. “You’re… you’re really okay with it?”

“Of course, I am. What kind of person do you think I am?” He hadn’t meant to sound so harsh, but he was hurt that your mind had even gone there.

“I’m sorry, I…”

Ice exhaled sharply to calm himself before pulling you into his arms. Despite the tense situation, he felt you relax in his grip. “I love you and I’m just happy spending time with you. I won’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with, but you have to tell me what those things are, understand?”

You nodded, fingers curling around his shirt. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Let’s get some sleep, okay?” He paused as he considered his words. “Unless you’d like to sleep in the guest room instead?”

“No,” you mumbled against his chest, cheeks darkening. “I wanna stay with you.”

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “Whatever you want, baby.”

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

Sun streamed through the cracks in the curtains and you shifted, eyes fluttering open. You instantly felt the lack of Ice’s presence behind you, his side of the bed cols to the touch. With a yawn, you crawled out of bed to search for him but the apartment was empty. Upon checking your phone, you found a new message from him.

-> Had to go deal with a problem at the club. Stay as long as you want, baby.

You quickly messaged back, telling him that you hoped everything was okay. It felt strange being alone in his apartment and, truth be told, you felt kind of happy that he trusted you around all of his items. He had more faith in you than you had in yourself because you feared you would break whatever you touched.

You glanced at the clock and cursed. It was almost time for your shift at the food bank so you needed to hurry up and get ready. You searched for your clothes, finding them in the laundry room. He had tossed them in the washer but hadn’t turned it on and you didn’t have enough time to do it yourself.

You bit your lip, tugging your phone from your pocket. He still hadn’t responded to you so you hesitated to send another. You knew you had no choice but to wear his clothes if you wanted to get to the food bank on time. If you asked to borrow his clothes but he didn’t reply immediately, only to say no later, it would be awkward as hell when he found out you had done it anyway. 

“Damn it,” you cursed, returning to his room. 

His closet opened up into the next room, overflowing with fashionable clothes from brands you couldn’t even pronounce. Your eyes scanned the items as you slowly walked through the room, looking for something that was close to your style but also something that didn’t look as if it cost a couple of grand.

You found a basketball jersey that was big on you but super comfortable, along with a pair of jeans that had a hole on the left knee. You assumed they were old and not worth much because of it. They were also big on you and you had to roll up the pant legs so they weren’t dragging against the ground. Securing them with a belt, you nodded in satisfaction before grabbing your shoes and leaving the apartment.

Ice had left a spare key for you on the table so you were able to lock the door behind you. 

Taking a deep breath of the cold autumn air, you smiled and started to run down the sidewalk, leaves crunching beneath your feet. Because of how far the food bank was from the upper district, you were three minutes late for your shift. 

The other volunteers jumped in surprise when you slammed the door open, breathing heavily as your lungs tried to suck in air. Your side was in stitches, heart beating hard against your ribs and your legs felt like jelly.

“You’re late,” scolded Mako, eyes narrowed and arms folded over his chest.

“S-Sorry!” you quickly bowed to him before rushing over to your station.

“Our doors open in five minutes!” he announced, raising his voice so everyone could hear him. “Remember to be kind. These people are struggling and are hungry. Kind smiles, soft words. Be polite!”

The food bank was a large rectangular building divided down the center. On the right side was the kitchen where the homeless could come and get some freshly made soup to fill their bellies. On the left was the food bank where you worked, handing out groceries to families who couldn’t afford the overly priced items at the store.

Kai, your friend and coworker, leaned toward you with a frown. “How are we supposed to act cheery when we’re nearly out of food?”

“Eh?” You looked at him in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“The supply truck was robbed and all the food was taken. We have enough for maybe two days, depending on how many people show up.”

A frown tugged at your lips, a sad feeling settling in your gut. You were forced to push those negative feelings away as the doors were opened and people began to flood the building. You forced a smile as you greeted the woman at the front of the line, trying not to worry too much.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

“Oi, are you still alive?” Sarah snapped her fingers in front of your face, knocking you from your thoughts. 

“Sorry,” you sent her an apologetic look. “What were you saying?”

The two of you were relaxing at the back of the club, far removed from the crowd of people dancing and drinking. The walls were thick enough to block most of the sound, though you could still hear the faint bumping of the bass.

She hummed, sitting back on the couch and crossing her legs. “You’ve been distracted all day. Did you fight with Ice or something?”

“No, of course not!” you replied quickly, holding your hands up as if in surrender. “It’s just…”

“Just what?”

Honestly, you doubted she would care but you needed to get it off your chest because you couldn’t stop worrying about it. “I work at the food bank downtown.”

She sent you a surprised look which you didn’t notice because you were staring at your lap. She knew you had a job and did odd jobs sometimes for extra cash, something she found strange. She had grown to know Ice well and she had been surprised to learn that he wasn’t taking care of you. 

She had no idea that, when you weren’t working, you were volunteering. She briefly wondered if Ice knew.

“The supply truck was attacked and we barely have enough food left for tomorrow. What are we going to do?” You frowned, running your hand through your hair in frustration. “All of us pooled together what little bit of money we had but it didn’t buy much. Donations have gone down a lot this year and I don’t know if we can recover from this.”

Sarah watched as you stood up with a groan, pacing back and forth. This was clearly something important to you but she didn’t even have to ask if you had told Ice. She knew you hadn’t because you feel bad using his money. Even if it was for a good cause, you felt guilty asking him to spend his money for you.

Sarah had no qualms about this, though.

She pulled herself off the couch, resting a hand on your shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll find a way.”

You gave her a grateful smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes. “Thank you and thank you for listening to me ramble.”

“That’s what friends are for.”

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

Mako looked worried as he approached you, eyes glancing to the storage room behind you. He tugged you away from the line of people, lowering his voice. “How is it?”

You shook your head with a frown. “Not good. We have two loaves of bread, one gallon of milk, three boxes of cereal and a jar of peanut butter. There’s no way we can stretch that out for all of these people.”

Mako scowled in frustration, running a hand through his brown hair. “Shit. Did you call up everyone on that list I gave you?”

“Yes. All of them said they weren’t in a position to help us right now…”

“Of course not,” he huffed, folding his arms over his chest. “We’ve exhausted all of our options. We have no choice but to close our doors for now.”

“But, Mako-san -” You bit your lip, eyes scanning the room full of people that were waiting for their food. “We can’t just -“

“I know!” He snapped angrily, startling the people nearby. He sent them an apologetic look before leaning toward you. “I know that, but we don’t have any choice.” Mako took a few deep breaths before stepping over to the center of the room, clearing his throat. “Can I have everyone’s attention, please?”

The soft voices of the crowd slowly disappeared until the room was silent, everyone staring at him. Your heart ached, the other employees exchanging sad looks because they already knew what he was going to say.

“A couple of days ago, the supply truck bringing us food for the next month was attacked and the food taken. Because of this…” He paused, biting his lip as the crowd shifted nervously, exchanging worried looks.

Your phone buzzed in your pocket and you tugged it out, seeing your boyfriend’s name on the screen. You tried your best not to sound sad or worried, turning your back to Mako as if that would block the sound. “I can’t talk right now, I’m -“

Ice cut you off. “Come outside, baby.“

“Huh?”

“Trust me.”

With a furrowed brow, you made your way through the crowd, stepping outside. You shivered as the cold wind wrapped around you, but that was the last thing on your mind. You instantly recognized the shiny supercars that sat in front of the food bank and your heart skipped a beat. What were the Mighty Warriors doing here?

The door to Ice’s car opened and he stepped out, eyes locking with yours. 

“What are you doing here?” you questioned, watching as the others exited their vehicles and started to direct large box trucks into the parking lot. “What’s going on?”

His hands found your waist, a frown on his lips. “You should have told me.”

“Sarah told you, didn’t she?”

“Yes and I’m glad she did.”

The breath was knocked from your lungs when Bernie opened the back of the truck, revealing boxes upon boxes filled with food items. It was way more than what the food bank usually received in a month’s time.

“Ice,” you breathed out, tears stinging at your eyes. “That had to cost so much, I… I swear I’ll pay you back!”

He scoffed in disbelief. “You still don’t get it, do you?”

“Huh?” You looked at him in confusion, cheeks darkening when he took you by the chin, leaning his face toward your own.

“You’re mine, baby. Everything I own belongs to you, too. My money is your money and that?” His gaze flickered to the truck before finding yours again with an intensity you had only seen when he was fighting. “That is a small price to pay for your happiness.”

“Ice, I -“

He cut you off with his lips, hand pressing against the small of your back to bring your body against his. You tilted your head to deepen the kiss, arms wrapping around his neck. 

Mako slowly stepped outside, his eyes wide as he watched the men carrying the boxes inside. “It’s a Christmas miracle!”

The comment made you laugh, breaking the kiss. You sent your boyfriend an apologetic look before addressing Mako. “It’s October, Mako-san.”

“I know that,” he huffed, looking a bit embarrassed and intimidated by the large man you were standing next to. “But a Halloween miracle hardly has the same ring to it.”

“That’s fair,” you laughed, turning your attention back to your boyfriend.

He adored the way your eyes sparkled with happiness and love. He knew then that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life making you happy. 

His forehead rested against your own. “Move in with me.”

You looked at him in surprise. “Eh?”

“I want to live with you,” he explained softly, pulling you into a slow, sensual kiss. “For the rest of my life.”

Your cheeks burned at the implication of the words and you were unable to hold back your smile as you nodded, claiming his lips again.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

-> High&Low/Rampage Taglist: @kiraaaeon, @simpforchuchu, @star2fishmeg, @thatpoindexterpixy @manhwabtch

“Good afternoon,” you replied, reaching across the counter to press a kiss to his lips. He followed you when you started to pull back, making you chuckle. “The usual?”

“Please.”

“Need a minute, Shiba?”

He glanced up from the menu and nodded. “Yes, please.”

“What do you want to drink?”

“Coke.”

“Got it.” You grabbed a slice of apple pie for your boyfriend and two cokes for both of them. 

“Thank you, love,” smiled Tsuji, taking the fork you offered. He had been on the fence about trying out an American diner and the food it offered, but that was thrown out the window when you got a job there. He wanted to support you and, to his surprise, the food was quite good.

Your eyes scanned his face and knuckles before returning to the task of wiping down the counter. “I’m surprised you managed to make it here without getting into a fight.”

“You have no faith in us,” he pouted. “We don’t go looking for fights, they just find us.”

“Uh-huh, sure,” you smirked. “Everyone wants a piece of you, hm?”

His lips twitched up but he chose not to reply out of respect for his best friend sitting next to him, something the tall boy was grateful for.

Shibaman pushed the menu toward you, tapping on one of the pictures. “Is the chicken bake good?”

“Very,” you nodded. “The chicken is breaded with parmesan and garlic herbs. It’s one of my favorite dishes.”

“I’ll try that, then.”

“Okay! Do you want anything else, baby?”

Tsuji hummed as he chewed his pie, glancing at the menu. “I’ll take the same thing since it’s your favorite.”

You chuckled at his reasoning, scribbling the order onto your pad before ripping out the paper. “Josh, got a new order for ya!”

Josh appeared in front of the window to the kitchen, grinning as he took the slip of paper. “Coming right up!”

Josh was the owner’s son who had been tasked with running the place when his dad was out of town. Technically, he could have hired someone to work the grill but he adored making the food for his customers. People seemed to enjoy it, as well, so there were no issues.

His dad moved to Japan five years ago so his wife could be closer to her family. He always dreamed of opening up his own diner and he was sure bringing a diner specializing in American food would be a great idea. It certainly wasn’t as successful as he had been hoping, but he got just enough business to get by, though it probably helped that his wife and second son also had jobs.

Tsuji finished his pie, crossing his arms on the counter and watching as you worked. “Are you free this weekend?”

You paused, going over your schedule in your head. “I work Friday and Sunday but Saturday is free. Why?”

The two boys exchanged a look which you missed since you were brewing fresh coffee.

“Shibaman and I wanted to go to the hot springs. Can you get the weekend off and take us?”

You smiled at him. “Yeah, sure. It sounds fu – ow!” You hissed in pain when hot coffee poured onto your hand because you hadn’t been paying attention. 

Tsuji didn’t hesitate to jump over the counter, gently taking your wrist and pulling you over to the sink to run cold water over it. “You need to be more careful, love,” he scolded you softly, brow furrowed in worry.

Seeing him like this filled you with warmth. “Now you know how I feel every time you come back injured.”

He knew you had him there so he pouted, pushing your shoulder lightly with his own. “Does it hurt?”

“Only a little.” You tugged your hand from the water to inspect it. The skin was darkening but it didn’t look too bad. “I heal quickly, don’t worry.”

“Order up!”

You pushed your boyfriend toward the break in the counter. “You’re not supposed to be back here, shoo.”

“Don’t you shoo me,” he pouted, reluctantly returning to his seat.

You set their food in front of them, sending Tsuji a look when you noticed his boot print on the counter. He gave you an innocent look before shrugging, acting as if he had no idea how it got there. You just shook your head, grabbing a rag so you could clean it off.

The bell above the door chimed and you looked up with a smile but it quickly fell when you realized who had just entered. 

“Howdy, darlin’,” Kaminari tipped his cowboy hat at you before settling down at the counter, eyeing the two boys sitting a couple of seats down. For some reason, he believed himself to be a modern-day cowboy, descended from some famous gunslinger who had come to Japan to start a new life.

He was also in love with you, constantly flirting and attempting to shower you with gifts that you politely refused each time. He knew you had a boyfriend but he didn’t care.

“The usual?” You forced a smile, trying to keep your annoyance hidden by a cheery tone. He didn’t seem to notice, though Tsuji certainly did.

“That’s right, darlin’,” he grinned, eyes sparkling. “Ya know me too well.”

‘Kind of hard not to when you come in here every day and order the exact same thing,’ you thought, scribbling the order onto the notepad before handing it over to Josh. You poured the fresh coffee into a cup, careful not to burn yourself again, before handing it over to him. He liked it black, ‘like the souls of his enemies,’ he would always say.

Whatever the hell that meant.

When you set the cup down, he noticed how red your skin was and he grabbed your wrist with a frown. “What happened, darlin’?”

Your eyes fell to Tsuji, worried that he might start a fight. He was glaring at Kaminari’s hand, gripping the fork so tightly that you worried it might bend. As badly as he wanted to beat this guy into oblivion for having the nerve to touch you, he knew this job was important to you and he didn’t want to be the reason you got fired.

“Let go,” you ordered firmly, attempting to pull free from his grip.

His frown deepened and he reluctantly released his grip before leaning forward, his voice lowered. “Was it them delinquents that did it, darlin’? I can take care of em for ya.”

Tsuji scoffed, turning his attention back to his food.

Before Kaminari could speak, you replied, “I wasn’t paying attention and burnt myself. No big deal.”

“Ya gotta be more careful, darlin’. A pretty thing like you shouldn’t be marred with scars or burns.”

You rolled your eyes at him, the comment annoying you more than it should have. Probably just because it was him who said it. 

Shibaman raised his empty glass. “Can I get a refill?”

You smiled at him, thankful for the distraction. “Of course!” 

Kaminari scoffed. “Ya could say please, boy.”

Shibaman quirked a brow at him but said nothing, finishing off the last of his chicken. You set the refilled drink down, grabbing Kaminari’s plate when Josh set it down on the kitchen window.

“Thank ya, darlin’.” He tipped his hat. “Ya know, you should consider hirin’ a security guard for this place.” His eyes flickered to the duo. “To keep the ramble out and keep ya safe.”

“I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself, thanks.” You held back a scowl, heading over to the register when an elderly couple approached. It sat diagonally from where Tsuji was sitting.

“Ya say that, but Sword district ain’t a place for people like you.”

You handed the woman her change, feeling your eye twitch despite the smile on your face. You had no intention of engaging with him or his stupid comments.

“I mean, look at ya. You’re so pretty, darlin’. You don’t look like a fighter.” Kaminari shook his head, stuffing his mouth with fries. That didn’t stop him from speaking, though. “Ya look weak and people will take advantage of that. I’m currently available, ya know. You should tell Josh to hire me so I can keep ya safe.”

‘Not a chance in hell,’ you thought, sending him a blank look. “Sorry, we’re not hiring.”

“Shouldn’t ya ask Josh that?” He quirked a brow, glancing toward the kitchen window. “No offense darlin’, but you shouldn’t be making those decisions.”

You offered him a mocking smile. “It came from Josh himself.”

He didn’t seem to believe you, glancing at the kitchen again but Josh was nowhere to be seen.

Tsuji shifted when his phone started to vibrate in his pocket. It was a new message from Todoroki, informing him that a group of guys were looking for them and headed his way. He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he stood up, pulling his wallet from his pocket.

You didn’t even have to ask, choosing instead to offer him a smile. “Be careful.”

“Always,” he smiled back, resting his hand against the side of your neck to pull you closer. You knew what he was doing and didn’t hesitate to meet him halfway, his lips claiming yours. 

You tilted your head to the side, running your tongue along his bottom lip as your fingers played with the front of his jacket. Shibaman looked away, nose wrinkled in disgust. Kaminari was staring at you in shock, his fork falling from his fingers and clattering to the counter.

Tsuji nipped at your lip, giving it a tug as he pulled away. “Call me if you need me, love.”

“I will. See ya, Shiba.”

The taller male offered you a smile as he headed for the door, Tsuji right behind him. You couldn’t fight the grin that took over your lips as you placed the cash into the register. Kaminari could only stare at you as you grabbed their plates, taking them into the kitchen so they could be watched.

Josh was squatting down by the door, hiding beneath the window. When he saw you, he whispered, “Is he gone yet?” 

“No,” you scowled, carefully setting the dishes in the sink. “Can’t we add a ‘no fake cowboys’ rule?”

“He thinks he’s a real cowboy so the sign wouldn’t apply to him.”

“‘No cowboys allowed,’ then.”

“That’s exclusionary. Dad would never go for that.” 

“It’s just one person, I think the business will survive.”

Josh just sighed, leaning back against the wall. “Come get me when he leaves.”

“Sure, boss.” You sighed as well, forcing yourself to go back out into the dining room. To your relief, Kaminari was gone, a wad of cash sitting behind his half-eaten food. With a shrug, you dropped the cash into the register before taking his plate into the back, letting Josh know that it was safe.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

You pulled up in front of Tsuji’s apartment building, tapping the steering wheel in time with the beat of the song playing softly through the car. You sent him a quick text letting him know you had arrived. He said he would be right out so you preoccupied yourself by scrolling through social media, smiling at cute cat pics and memes. 

Tsuji tugged open the passenger door, leaning down to look at you. “Pop the trunk.”

You quirked a brow at him, glancing at the large duffel bag around his shoulder and the suitcase in his hand. “Babe, we’re only going to be there two days. Isn’t that a bit excessive?”

“Nope,” he grinned, standing up and heading toward the back of the car. You shook your head, opening it for him so he could put the bags in. He settled himself into the seat beside you, pecking your cheek. “Let’s go.”

“What about Shibaman? Where is he?”

“Didn’t I tell you?”

“No?”

“He ate something bad last night so he didn’t want to come.” He said it nonchalantly, focusing his attention on the radio rather than you in case you realized something was up.

“Poor Shibaman, I hope he feels better soon,” you frowned, putting the car into drive and pulling away from the curb. You felt bad for him, but part of you was happy about the development. It had been a long while since you were able to properly spend time alone with your boyfriend.

Tsuji connected his phone to the radio, bringing up the Spotify Playlist he had made for the trip, mixing songs that both of you liked. The first song was one of your favorites, bringing a smile to your lips.

You couldn’t sing well, but that didn’t stop you from belting out the lyrics as if your life depended on it. Tsuji laughed at your enthusiasm before singing along with you.

It took the entire day to reach the hot springs, night beginning to fall as you pulled into the parking lot. You parked the car and frowned, glancing around at the empty lot. 

“Are you sure they’re open?”

He sent you an innocent look, opening his door. “They should be. I’ll check.”

You hummed, eyes following him as he approached the doors, giving them a tug. They were locked, the lights inside turned off. He jogged back to the car with a frown.

“They’re closed.”

“Didn’t you check to make sure they would be open?” 

“…no?”

You sighed, crossing your arms atop the steering wheel. “What do we do now?”

Tsuji pretended to check his phone. “There’s a motel a few miles down the road.”

“We don’t have much of a choice, do we?” You put the car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot, following Tsuji’s directions without a second thought.

“Pull in here,” he pointed toward a dirt path on the right side of the road.

“Are you sure?” you glanced at him with a frown before looking at the road. Tall trees lined either side of it, nearly bare as their orange leaves covered the ground. “This looks sus as hell, Tsu.”

“You don’t trust me?” he pouted at you, amusement dancing in his beautiful brown eyes.

“I trust you, I just don’t trust Google maps.” Still, you did as he told you, turning down the path. It stretched on for about five minutes before opening up into a large clearing, trees surrounding it like a barrier.

Rather than a motel as you had been expecting, it was a drive-in movie theater. A large screen sat at the back of the clearing, a ticket booth sitting at the end of the path and connected to the room where the projector was set up. No one was there so you assumed it was also closed.

“I think you got your directions wrong, babe.”

“I didn’t,” he smiled at you. “Go park the car in front of the screen.”

Your brow furrowed in confusion as you did as he asked. “Tsuji, what -“

“I’ll be right back,” he promised, hopping out of the car and jogging over to the projector room, disappearing inside. An image appeared on the screen and your eyes widened with joy as the Nightmare Before Christmas started to play.

Tsuji appeared at your door, reaching in through the window to press the trunk button before disappearing behind the vehicle. You got out and followed him, watching as he pulled out about a dozen blankets from his bags.

You put your hands on your hip, sending him an accusing look. “Did you plan for this to happen, Tsuji?”

He sent you an innocent look, but the wide grin on his face gave him away. “I don’t know what you mean, love.”

“You knew the sauna would be closed and Shibaman isn’t actually sick, is he?”

“Fine, you caught me.” He closed the distance, hands finding your hips. “I just wanted to surprise you for our anniversary.”

“Our…” you paled, shoulders tensing. 

“Oi, don’t tell me you forgot,” he pouted. It wasn’t annoyance or sadness dancing in his eyes, though, it was amusement. You never even remembered your own birthday so he had honestly expected this.

“Baby, I am so sorry! I’ve been working so much lately that I completely forgot! Oh my god, I’m terrible, I’m so so -“

He cut you off with his lips, cupping your face. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against your own, voice soft. “It’s okay, love, I forgive you. I know how hard you’ve been working, that’s why I wanted to prepare this for you.”

“Thank you so much, Tsuji. God, I love you so much!” You threw your arms around his neck and he chuckled, squeezing you tightly.

“If you love me, help me carry the blankets.”

As if to reinforce his choice, the cold autumn wind picked up, bringing goosebumps to your exposed flesh. Both of you grabbed a pile before he led you to the hood of the car. You watched as he set up a makeshift bed atop the hood with his pile before disappearing back into the car to fiddle with the radio.

The movie started to play through your speakers and he turned it up so you could hear it outside of the car, opening the windows to assist with this. You carefully climbed up onto the hood, nose wrinkling when you felt the metal shift beneath you. 

Tsuji joined you, leaning back against the windshield before pulling you against him. Most of the blankets you had been holding were used to support his back, acting as a pillow, while the thickest blanket was used to cover both of you.

You hummed, arms wrapped around his slim waist as you inhaled his scent. He had started using a pumpkin spice-scented cologne because he knew you loved the smell. “How did you manage all this? It couldn’t have been cheap.”

He hummed, running his hand up and down your back. “Shibaman’s aunt is dating the owner. It took a lot of bribing but they finally agreed to let me have the place for the night.”

You chuckled, sending him a grin. “You’re unbelievable.”

“And you love it,” he grinned back.

“I really do,” you agreed, leaning up to claim his lips before shifting so you could see the screen. “Did you bring any snacks?”

“…”

“Oh my god, Tsu, you forgot the snacks, didn’t you?”

Tsuji scowled at the screen, a light dusting of pink on his cheeks. “Damn it, I knew I was forgetting something.”

You just laughed, patting his stomach comfortingly.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

-> High&Low/Rampage Taglist: @kiraaaeon, @simpforchuchu, @star2fishmeg, @thatpoindexterpixy @manhwabtch

You scoffed, sending him a look as you grabbed your favorite drink. “Only because he’s not here today.”

“Hey!” He pointed a finger at you, his ring glinting under the bright lights of the class. “A win is a win, no matter the circumstances.”

“Uh huh, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night, my guy.” You leaned forward, scanning the pile of snacks for something that looked appetizing. You would have preferred to get lunch from the cafeteria, but they didn’t allow you to take food out of the room, much to your annoyance. 

“By the way,” he popped a twizzler into his mouth, talking as he chewed. “Did you hear that they finally reopened the Coral Cove trail?”

“Yeah?” You quirked a brow, your interest peaked as soon as you heard the name. “Did they catch the murderer?”

“Nope. Dad says they’re still completely clueless,” his nose wrinkled in annoyance. “It’s been months, they can’t keep the case open forever.”

“Isn’t it against police code or something to talk about cases outside the force?” you wondered, snatching the pizza-flavored combos before he could.

“Oi, those are mine!”

“Says who?”

“Says me!” he scowled, smacking his hand on the desk.

For a moment, the two of you just stared each other down, daring the other to give in. His eye twitched and you grinned, slowly leaning forward. Finally, he broke.

“Damn it, fine! Don’t say I never do anything for you.”

“Sure, sure.”

“Anyway, do you wanna hit the trail this weekend? We haven’t been allowed to ride there in ages and it’s not like we have Halloween plans.”

“Bold of you to assume I have no plans.”

His eyes widened as he sat up straight. “What? Did you get invited to something?!”

You snickered, turning your gaze to the window. Despite being nearly one in the afternoon, the sky was covered with grey clouds, the sun nowhere in sight. 

It truly did feel as if an age had passed since you were last on the trail. After a bird watcher spied a body floating in the lake, the cops completely cordoned off the lake, the trail, and the surrounding forest. It seemed a bit overkill to you, especially since there were always cops guarding the area.

You and Kazu had been caught sneaking in a handful of times when they first closed it off. It was a shame because the trail was quiet and peaceful, usually devoid of other people. Growing up, the two of you spent more time there than at home.

“Oi~” Kazu pouted, resting his upper body against the desk, pushing the snacks closer to you. “Answer me.”

“No, I didn’t get invited to anything. I’m as big a loser as you are.”

“Good,” he nodded, seemingly satisfied. 

“Wait for it,” you whispered to yourself, watching as realization flashed across his face.

“Hey, I’m not a loser!”

You just laughed, leaning back in your chair.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

The day of Halloween was cloudy and grey, rain falling from the sky as a fine mist. The wind was strong and chilly, something you thoroughly enjoyed. Most people didn’t want a rainy Halloween but, for you, it was perfect.

You threw your leg over the bike, stifling a yawn as you started down the quiet street. Most of the people in your neighborhood were older couples, so only a couple of houses had Halloween decorations up. It honestly hurt your soul, though you couldn’t judge – there were none up at your house, either. Not because you couldn’t be bothered but because you didn’t have the money to spare.

Kazu was waiting at the start of the trail, taking shelter under the seating area on the right side of the parking lot. When he noticed you approaching, he stopped sipping on his Kool-Aid Jammer to scowl at you. “What the hell took you so long?”

“I was enjoying the rain,” you shrugged, coming to a stop in front of the seating area.

“Your love of rain is bordering on unhealthy.”

“Your love of Kool-Aid Jammers is, too.”

“Hey! It’s a delicious drink for all ages.”

“Keep telling yourself that. Let’s go!” You started to bike down the dirt trail, tall pine trees towering over you on either side. Despite being autumn, the needles of these trees didn’t change color, remaining a rich dark green. It was a shame, really, because it made it feel less like Halloween.

“Move it, granny!” Kazu grinned, racing past you, his legs pumping as if he were being chased by Satan himself. 

You rolled your eyes at him, continuing your leisurely pace down the path. You just wanted to take in the nature around you since it had been so long since you were last here. The trees blocked most of the rain, though every minute or so a large drop would hit the top of your head. 

After about fifteen minutes, the path started to veer toward the left, right up against the side of the lake before following around its length. As you started to ride beside the water, you caught sight of something glinting just beneath the surface.

“Oi, Kazu -” you turned toward your best friend, only to find him halfway to the other side of the lake already. Shaking your head, you climbed off your bike, resting it against a thick tree just off the path. It was doubtful that anyone else would be riding by, but better safe than sorry, you supposed.

You squatted down at the water’s edge, squinting your eyes to try and make out what the object was. It appeared to be a necklace of some sort, with a round pendant stuck in the dirt. You reached out for it, hand sinking into the ice-cold water, but the tips of your fingers just barely scraped it.

You should have just given up and returned to your bike ride, but something was compelling you, whispering to you. You needed that trinket. Shifting onto your knees, your palm pressed into the dirt, water coming up to your elbow and lapping against the t-shirt you wore. You stretched your body as far as you could, reaching desperately for the metal chain.

The dirt gave way beneath you and you cried out as you fell face-first into the cold water, fingers curling around the chain and yanking it free from the dirt. The pendant sent a ripple through the water before it started to glow a bright blue, forcing you to close your eyes. There was a sudden yanking sensation, as if you were being sucked into a drain or something.

When the light faded and you opened your eyes again, you were surrounded by inky darkness so thick that you could barely see your hand in front of your face. You glanced upward but couldn’t see the surface of the water.

Your need for air was growing so you started to swim upward, sure that it couldn’t be that far off. The lake was only about twenty-five feet deep at its deepest section and you had been right at the edge and yet… no matter how far you swam, the surface never came.

Your heart was racing in your chest as your lungs started to burn, desperate for air. You were trying not to panic, knowing it would only make things worse, but what other options did you have?

A long shadow darted through the water to your left and your head snapped toward it, eyes frantically searching for the source but it was too dark. Was your mind playing tricks on you? You whipped around when you caught sight of it again, this time behind you but again, there was nothing there.

Panic was beginning to rise because you knew you couldn’t hold your breath much longer, plus there was now something circling you, most likely waiting for you to run out of air so it could strike.

A pair of strong arms slithered around your waist, a firm chest pressing against your back. Lips pressed against your ear, voice amused as it spoke to you as if you weren’t underwater. “What do we have here? A lost little starfish~”

A man appeared in front of you, a frown on his face. His skin was blue-green in tone and he was covered in scales, the lower half of his body fading into an eel-like tail. Your wide eyes met his mismatched ones, lips parting in shock. This was a poor choice on your end as water invaded your lungs.

Your body tensed, hands grasping at your throat.

“Huh? What’s wrong, little starfish?”

“I believe they’ve run out of air, Floyd,” stated the male before you, bringing a hand to his chin.

“Oh, right,” giggled Floyd. His clawed hand gripped your chin, turning your face toward him before his lips pressed against your own.

Your body stiffened in shock and you wanted to push him away, but he was providing you with much-needed air so you refrained. It helped that his lips were plush and soft against your own, feeling as if they were made just for you. He felt it, too, becoming intoxicated by the way you felt against him. He gripped you tighter, tilting his head to the side and swiping his rough tongue across your bottom lip.

Jade frowned as he observed his twin, realizing that the taller of the two had just imprinted on you, claiming you as his soulmate without even realizing it. This concerned him for multiple reasons, the biggest of which being the fact that neither of them knew who you were. He couldn’t prove it, but there was a voice at the back of his mind saying that you didn’t belong in this world.

You shoved at his shoulder, trying to push him away but he was like a stone wall, unmovable. When you tried to pull away, he followed you, tail swishing back and forth in the water. Since neither was working, you did the next best thing – you bit down hard on his bottom lip, making him whine in pain and pull away, blood staining the water red.

“That wasn’t very nice, little starfish,” he scowled, eyes narrowed at you. “Don’t make me squeeze ya!” As if to prove his point, he increased his grip to an almost painful degree before lessening his hold.

You wanted to yell at him, to tell him to let you go, but you couldn’t speak underwater like he could. Instead, you clenched your fists and started to kick and punch him, eyes narrowed to try and communicate how angry you felt.

“Stop it,” he scowled, grabbing hold of your wrists so you’d stop hitting him. In response, you leaned forward and bit his slender wrist, tasting blood and saltwater on your tongue. He hissed in pain, jerking back from you and loosening his grip enough so you could slip away.

You turned, trying to swim away and up toward the surface, desperate to find air and safety. In the blink of an eye, he had swam past you, coming to a stop directly in front of you with narrowed eyes and a scowl on his lips. 

“You’re gonna drown, little starfish,” he pouted, reaching out for you again but you flailed wildly, trying to put some distance between the two of you. He moved easily through the water but you were awkward, barely moving at all.

You knew he was right. The need for air was growing again, your head feeling light and your vision blurring. Like it or not, he was your only chance at survival and he knew it.

Floyd grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. He held out his hand to you and you glanced nervously at his sharp nails. “Do you want me to save you, little starfish?”

You quickly nodded, squeezing your eyes shut tightly, lungs burning. A strangled sound left you and he quickly closed the distance, his lips finding yours again, filling your lungs with air that you accepted greedily. His tail shifted into the water, propelling both of you upward at a rapid pace. He passed twice the distance you had in just a few seconds.

You felt yourself break through the surface and you gasped loudly, sulking in air greedily as you coughed and sputtered. Rain was falling steadily from the grey sky above, creating tiny ripples on the surface of the water.

Floyd watched you closely, head tilted to the side and a grin on his lips. He couldn’t explain why, but he felt protective over you. 

More than anything, he just wanted to be close to you. He shifted closer and you quickly moved backward, eyes wide. Seeing the fear in your eyes made him frown, hurt and annoyance swirling in his gut. He had just saved your life, why were you acting scared of him?

“What… what are you?” you breathed out, eyes flickering to Jade when he broke the surface behind his twin.

“We’re eels, silly little starfish,” giggled Floyd, his tail breaking the surface of the water before sinking back under with a splash.

“E-Eels?!”

Though Jade couldn’t be sure that you weren’t from this world, he decided to bluff it and ask if he knew it to be a fact. “Do people like us not exist where you’re from?”

You quickly shook your head no and he hummed in interest.

Floyd frowned, glancing between the two of you. “Whatcha mean, Jade?”

“Your little starfish is from another world. One without magic, correct?”

You nodded, looking between the two. Your eyes were filled with confusion, a twinge of fear, and you looked exhausted.

“Come, we must get your starfish to land.” Jade swam past you with ease, dipping his head beneath the water.

Floyd swam closer to you with a grin. “Get on my back, little starfish~”

You hesitated, glancing around but you could see nothing but water. You had no choice so you slowly got behind him, your chest against his back and arms loosely around his neck.

“You gotta hold me tighter than that or you’ll fall off!” His fingers wrapped around your arms, tugging them tighter around his neck. “Hang on tight, okay?”

“Y-Yeah,” you replied shakily, swallowing hard as he shifted beneath you, his body easily sliding through the water. Though he hated swimming slowly, he knew you were already scared so he refrained from going too fast.

You felt relief wash over you when land finally came into sight and you relaxed against him, closing your eyes. A smile came to his lips when he felt the tension leaving your body. All he wanted to do was hold you tightly, to bury his face in your neck and mark you as his.

When he finally reached land, you slid off his back and pulled yourself up, the cold wind making you shiver. You wrapped your arms around yourself, trying to find some warmth but since you were soaked to the bone, it did little to help.

Floyd frowned, pulling himself up onto the earth with his tail still in the water. He held his arms open, motioning for you to come closer with his hands. “Come here, little starfish.” 

You crawled over to him, teeth chattering. You honestly didn’t expect much warmth from him at all because he had felt cold under the water, but now that he was on land, his body was a bit warmer. You clung to his scaly body, trying to soak up what little bit of warmth he offered. 

Floyd held you tightly, a frown on his lips as you trembled against him. “Hurry up, Jade.”

The shorter twin stepped out from behind a tree, in human form and dressed in his NRC uniform. “Don’t be so impatient, Floyd.”

Floyd cupped your cheek with one hand, nuzzling his nose against the other. “I’ll be right back, little starfish.”

Confused, you watched him slip back in the water. Your eyes fell on Jade, brow furrowed. “How did you… you can change your form?”

“This is my human form,” he explained, eyes landing on a cluster of mushrooms at the base of a tree. He squatted down to inspect them, humming softly. “With the help of a potion, we are able to exist on land with very little trouble.”

Floyd burst out from behind the tree, his uniform messy and half-heartedly thrown on his body. He, too, was in human form, a grin on his lips as he rushed over to you. The air was knocked from your lungs when his body crashed into your own, arms tight around your body.

You wanted to complain, but he was so much warmed now and you found yourself leaning into him, much to his delight. He placed his jacket around your shoulders before returning his hold to your waist, face buried in the crook of your neck.

“Floyd,” said Jade sternly, sending his brother a look. “We should return to Night Raven.”

“I don’t wanna,” he muttered, lips brushing against your skin when he spoke. You were glad that you were already trembling because the action brought goosebumps to your skin.

“Do you want your little starfish to get sick?” Jade quirked a brow, holding back a smirk when his brother’s shoulders fell. He chose not to mention that NRC was probably the only way you were gonna be returned home.

“Fine~” He pulled away, bringing you to your feet with ease. “Ne, little starfish?”

You offered him your name and he tested it out before wrinkling his nose and shaking his head.

“No, you’re my little starfish!” He pouted, resting his forehead against your own. “Promise me you won’t ever leave me. If you do, I’ll squeeze ya!”

You didn’t know what that meant and you really didn’t want to find out so you hesitantly nodded. The bright smile that took over his face after this surprised you. He grabbed your hand and started to run through the woods, giggling like a boy on Christmas morning.

Despite your current situation, his carefree laughter brought a smile to your face and you soon found yourself laughing along, your worries temporarily forgotten. 

Jade sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. This whole situation was quite messy and he knew Floyd wasn’t going to take it well when it was time for you to return to your own world. He was the last person that Jade would have expected to imprint on someone, especially upon just meeting them.

Of all the people to be his soulmate, why was it someone from a different world? It made no sense to Jade. He started to follow the two of you when something caught his eye, glowing softly among the grass. Curiously, he leaned down to pick it up, eyes widening when he realized what it was.

What was the Jewel of Mamoten doing there? His eyes narrowed at you, a feeling of worry settling in his gut. It was no coincidence that both you and the trinket had appeared at the same time, he knew. This might get more annoying than he had originally thought.

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