#jayerayreplies

Still disoriented from sleep you reached for him, hoping to convince him to come back to bed with you, knowing it would be easy if you promised he could squeeze you as he pleased, only for your fingers to hit cold glass instead, bringing cold reality crashing back in.

Your bottom lip trembled for a moment before you wrestled your emotions firmly under control. It had been about four months since you’d been returned to your world, and you were still utterly miserable. It had taken a good two years for Crowley to work out the spell to send you home, and in that time, you’d managed to somehow fall head over heels for the last man in Twisted Wonderland you ever would’ve suspected.

Floyd Leech was the epitome of mercurial, never standing still or paying too much attention to any one thing for any real length of time. Thus when he’d asked you out you hadn’t given it much thought, turning him down immediately and assuming he’d lose interest, just like he’d lost interest in everything before.

It turned out you’d underestimated the eel mer, who hated being told no almost as much, if not more than being bored. For the next six months he’d pursued you doggedly, a predator hunting prey. No matter where you were or what you were doing somehow Floyd always managed to turn up.

Doing homework in the library? Floyd was there, either offering you solid help or getting you kicked out for being too noisy. Watching a Magift game? Floyd was right beside you commenting and insulting almost everyone, even when it meant he got scolded later by Azul for not selling items in the stands the way he was meant to. Hanging around in your dorm? Floyd was knocking on your door, and insisting on keeping you company. Hell, he’d even showed up in your classes from time to time, even though it got him yelled at by Crewel or Trein.

It probably should’ve been annoying, but somehow, you’d found it endearing instead. The way his whole face seemed to light up whenever he spotted you, the squeezing hugs that lifted you off your feet and were always almost too tight, and his joyful laughter at whatever caught his attention. You’d noticed it all.

Floyd had also proved more than once, that he truly was the genius his brother claimed, which was why he got bored so easily. Once he mastered something he never really wanted to do it ever again. He always had to be trying something new, which was why he enjoyed cooking so much as there were seemingly endless possibilities.

Knowing this about him you’d finally caved and said yes to a single date, thinking eventually it would lead him to feeling like he knew all he could know about you and you’d be left in peace again. However, you’d underestimated one rather significant part of Floyd’s personality, the one thing that kept him coming back again and again.

Floyd was incredibly possessive. Once he decided something was his, it was his for life, whether that be a pair of shoes, or the person he’d chosen to be his mate. From the moment you’d finally agreed to that first date he’d begun to think of you as his one and only, and had gone out of his way to ensure you felt the same way.

You’d thought he was stuck to you before, but after you started dating there were very few times he wasn’t somewhere close by. This had led to a few misunderstandings here and there until you’d convinced him that no one was going to try and steal you away, and that people needed time on their own sometimes, even when they were dating. Setting boundaries was important with him, but once they were set, while he may test them from time to time he never broke them or pushed too far.

Which meant that somehow, you’d found yourself with your ideal boyfriend, one who practically worshipped the ground you walked on and respected your boundaries. It therefore wasn’t all that surprising that you’d fallen head over heels for the eel mer, who was so persistent and respectful with his courtship.

The first time you’d told Floyd you loved him he’d stared at you with those mismatched eyes of his, face uncharacteristically serious as he’d told you he loved you too, and that he’d love you forever. By that time you’d been a year into your stay in Twisted Wonderland and had mostly resigned yourself to spending the rest of your life together.

You’d spent a blissful year together with him, taking turns sleeping over in your dorms, spending your time wrapped in his arms, making frequent trips to the ocean so he could show you everything about the world he’d grown up in. It had felt like paradise, but you should’ve known, all good things come to an end.

On the last day of your second year at Night Raven College you’d been called to Crowley’s office. You hadn’t thought too much about it, figuring he wanted to chat about how the year went, and how next year would go. It was unsurprising, after all you were technically a dorm leader even if it was just you and Grim in Ramshackle.

However, to your shock the flamboyant headmaster had informed you that he’d finally managed to secure a way home for you. It had been an enormous shock, so much so you’d basically ignored him blabbering on about how generous and clever he was. You should’ve paid more attention though, something to this day you were still kicking yourself over, because before you could tell him you needed time to think things over you’d been shoved forward, stumbling through a mirror and somehow back into your world.

You’d immediately whirled back around, trying to go back, but the portal had closed behind you, and you’d been left staring at a normal mirror. For the next few days you’d gone about your life in a daze, realizing that somehow, someway despite being gone for two whole years, no one seemed to have noticed your absence.

You still had your same job, and your same apartment, and none of your family or friends had so much as blinked when you’d called them out of the blue. Careful questioning led you to believe that either their memories had been altered to fit you back in, or some sort of doppelganger had been going through the motions for you. You refused to believe the third option, that it had just been a really long dream or some sort of delusion.

Luckily, you did have some proof it hadn’t been all in your head. At the beginning of your relationship Floyd hadn’t quite realized how careful he needed to be with his sharp teeth and your delicate human skin. You actually had a scar shaped like his teeth at the juncture where your neck met your shoulder.

At the time you hadn’t been too happy with it, and had been determined to use the scar reducer you’d begged off Vil. However, Floyd absolutely adored the mark, insisting it was his claim and the mer equivalent of an engagement ring. You’d just gotten yours sooner than he’d planned because he hadn’t accounted for your human fragility.

Faced with his rather aggressive sulk at the idea you might be trying to get rid of it, you ended up caving in and agreeing it could stay, something you were extremely grateful for. In that first week back it had been your lifeline and you’d run your fingers over it every time you needed the reminder that Twisted Wonderland had been real, that Floyd was real and that you needed to find a way to get back.

Exactly one week after your return you’d come home to several voices shouting in your home. At first, you’d been afraid someone had broken in, but then you’d recognized them. You’d practically tripped over yourself to get to the mirror, the one you’d moved away from its original position, too heartsick to look in it.

Spinning it around you’d come face to face with all your friends from Night Raven, and of course at the very front was Floyd, who’d practically shoved everyone out of the way when he caught sight of you. They’d explained that your boyfriend had quickly noticed your disappearance, and had been all set to recruit (i.e. bully) everyone in the school into searching for you when Crowley had told him you’d been sent back home to your world.

Your impulsive and protective boyfriend had almost gotten himself expelled as he’d lunged at Crowley. Luckily, level headed Jade and Azul had been present and kept him restrained, keeping him from doing anything stupid. Apparently, the oblivious headmaster had tried to convince them that going home was what you’d wanted, but Floyd was having none of it.

He’d insisted that you’d never leave, not without telling him first so he could go with you. He’d been absolutely certain you’d never leave him behind, and the rest of your friends were sure you’d at least never leave without saying goodbye.

In the end Azul had gathered all the people you’d helped at school and managed to convincethreaten Crowley into admitting you’d been sent home without actually asking what you wanted and get the headmaster to find a way to contact you again.

You’d been unable to help your tears as you explained everything to them, and how very much you wanted to go back. All of your friends had promised to help you, and swore they’d stay in touch and keep you updated. So far, they’d all kept their promise, none more dedicated than Floyd, who called on the mirror every day.

He didn’t always call at the best times of course, because time flowed a bit strangely between your world and his, which was why he was once again calling so late at night. Still, even if not being able to touch him made your heart ache you were still glad to see him. He was the whole reason you’d placed your mirror beside your bed in the first place.

“Floyd,” you murmured, studying his face, which was peering at you through the glass, face uncharacteristically solemn, the way it always seemed to be these days, “I miss you.”

You pressed your palm to the glass wishing more than anything that you could reach through it, to him. It was a gesture he echoed, his face twisted in frustration as his fingers touched the glass. You were just glad the mirror on his end was shatter proof, as he’d hit the thing in his frustration more than once. The growing desperation in his eyes every time he saw you never failed to make your heart ache.

“You have to come back soon koebi-chan,” he told you firmly, heterochromatic eyes locked with yours, peering at you as if trying to drink in and memorize every bit of your face, “There’s no one here for me to squeeze.”

“I’m sure Jade would let you squeeze him if you really needed to,” you teased lightly trying to brighten his mood, earning a grimace of distaste that made you smile a bit.

“Jade is Jade, and koebi-chan is koebi-chan,” Floyd told you, as if that explained everything, which to him it probably did, “It’s not the same.”

“I know,” you assured him, fingers aching to brush the dark strand of hair out of his face and cup his cheek in your palm, “I can hardly sleep at all these days without you here to hold me.”

Floyd’s face twisted in helpless rage and frustration, eyes suspiciously shiny as he told you, “I just want you back! You’re supposed to be mine! We’re supposed to be together forever!”

“I am yours,” you told him, tenderly, carefully pulling the collar of your shirt down so he could see the imprint of his teeth on your neck, “See? I have the mark and everything. And I want my forever with you too Floyd.”

If there was one thing this little trip back to your world had taught you, it was that you were more than prepared to give it all up to be with Floyd, to live in Twisted Wonderland forever. There was no doubt at all anymore, which was the only real thing to be thankful for.

His face crumpled and he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the glass as if willing himself to fall through. You echoed the gesture, the cool glass warming under your skin almost enough to make you believe you were touching him again. Your lip wobbled at the thought, the shining tears on Floyd’s face enough to make your own spill over in quiet agony, helpless to wipe them away the way you so desperately wanted to.

“Has there been any progress? Has anyone said anything?” you asked desperately, trying to distract yourself from the deep-seated ache in your chest, the hollow feeling that told you without a doubt you’d left your heart behind in Twisted Wonderland.

“Azul thinks it’s soon,” he warbled out miserably, “He’s working with umiushi-chan and hotaruika-chan on something. Ishidai-sensei said it will probably work, they just need to spend a little longer on it.”

“Malleus and Idia huh?” you asked, managing to smile through your tears, “If it’s them and Azul together with Crewel-sensei then I’m sure I’ll be back soon.”

“When you come back, you aren’t ever allowed to leave ever again okay koebi-chan?” Floyd asked, voice tinged with desperation, “Promise you won’t leave me again!”

“I promise,” you swore meaning every word, your fingers clawing helplessly at the stiff, immovable glass, “I promise I won’t ever leave you. I’m going to stay by your side forever.”

Floyd let out a quiet sob at that, a helpless animal noise escaping from his throat, a whining, clicking trill that told you how very distraught he was, the sound making your heart shatter in your chest.

Tears spilled helplessly down your cheeks as you listened to him cry and swore to yourself, once you got back you’d ensure he never had cause to make that heartbreaking sound ever, ever again.

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The rest of what you considered the former Nekoma team, the one Kuroo had led to nationals his third year was already there, all of them gathered at a nice restaurant for a reunion and a celebration of sorts, all except one. Your boyfriend was late, which was unsurprising considering he tended to get wrapped up in his games and lost track of time quite easily.

Honestly it was a miracle he’d managed to make it through school as Kenma was very much of the opinion that time was a social construct and one that should be entirely ignored. You put down a lot of his success to Kuroo, who’d dragged him along to classes, and to the fact that Kenma had actually enjoyed the programming classes he took in college, otherwise you were sure he would’ve ditched more often than not.

These days it was mostly your job to ensure that Kenma wasn’t late to things, something you didn’t mind doing, but unfortunately, you’d had things you needed to do before the reunion, so you hadn’t been able to bring him with you. You’d reminded him about it when you left earlier, but considering he’d been on his computer at the time you were fairly sure the reminder had gone in one ear and out the other.

Which of course, led to where you were now, at the restaurant sans boyfriend, who was supposed to be the guest of honor, considering you were celebrating Bouncing Ball Inc. being named one of Japan’s top ten up and coming businesses. None of the others seemed particularly bothered by Kenma’s absence, but you could tell Kuroo was sulking a bit, since he was the one who’d gone out of his way to organize everything.

On one hand you couldn’t blame him, as the former captain had put a lot of effort into this for Kenma, on the other hand Kuroo really should’ve known better. He’d been Kenma’s best friend for something close to two decades now, and it should’ve been obvious that he needed to go get Kenma himself if he wanted the other man to be anywhere close to on time.

“He’s not answering,” Kuroo announced, as he plopped down at the table with the rest of you, shooting a dirty look at the phone in his hand as if he could send his displeasure at his friend through the tech.

“He never does,” Yaku consoled, shaking his head, with an amused smile on his lips, “Sometimes I think Kenma only got his phone so he could play games on it.”

There were agreeing nods all around and a rueful chuckle from Kuroo, but you were a bit baffled at the agreement and asked, “What do you mean?”

“Kenma doesn’t answer his calls, and only rarely answers his texts,” Kai explained patiently, “he’s always been that way.”

“But Kenma always answers when I call,” you told him, truly bewildered, “And while it sometimes takes a while for him to see my texts I don’t think I’ve ever been left on read.”

“You’re kidding,” Yamamoto countered, looking extremely dubious.

“She’s not,” Kuroo told them all with an eye roll, before giving you a teasing grin, “It’s how you can tell he’s head over heels for her. It’s honestly sickening, what about me? Aren’t I his best friend?”

“He answers you more than anybody else,” Kai told the dramatic former captain soothingly, as the rest snickered at him.

“Prove it,” Yaku told you, nudging your phone toward you where it had been sitting on the table, “Call him right now.”

You felt a little awkward being called out like that, but you supposed it was your fault for asking in the first place. Thus you picked up your phone and dialed your boyfriend, putting it on speaker at the insistence of the team who were all watching avidly.

Kenma answered on the second ring, his voice low and soothing, and the team immediately erupted in noises of shocked disbelief. You quickly snatched your phone off the table, taking it off speaker and pressing it to your ear.

“What are the idiots doing now?” Kenma asked, clearly exasperated.

“Nothing, just waiting for you to get here,” you assured him.

He told you that he was on his way and would be there in less than five minutes before hanging up, and you turned back to the table where Kuroo was fake sobbing on the table, and Yamamoto and Lev were lamenting about how Kenma must hate them, since he never answered them.

Watching them you couldn’t do anything but smile, feeling warm, knowing that you were the only one Kenma would drop everything for. You hadn’t recognized it before, but now that you did you promised not to take the privilege for granted as you realized just how very much Kenma loved you.

He Lays His Head in Your Lap

You’d been casually scrolling through your phone when you felt it, a sudden and familiar weight on your thighs. A quick glance down confirmed your suspicions as you saw Kenma, his head pillowed in your lap, switch held up above his face as he continued to play, completely nonchalant about it as if he did it every day, which to be fair he kind of did.

You weren’t exactly sure how it had started, but nowadays if you and Kenma were in the same space he found a way to casually work himself into your lap, so he could be close to you and continue to play games at the same time. He never actually said anything, but he got adorably pouty whenever you had something in your lap that kept him from taking his usual spot.

He’d quietly sulk, lurking close by, and casting reproachful glances at whatever was in the way, whether that be your laptop, a pet, or simply because you had your legs bent in a way that didn’t allow him room. He’d keep that up until you got rid of whatever was in the way and then promptly settle in place the second it was gone.

It was honestly pretty cute and you never minded even though your legs sometimes fell asleep from being in the same position for so long. It was sweet that he wanted to be close to you so much, especially since you knew that outside of a few close friends and family Kenma really wasn’t a touchy feely kind of guy. He shied away from physical contact from strangers, and still sometimes cringed away at times from his friends, with the sole exception of Kuroo. That he deliberately sought you out for touch meant a lot to you.

Absently you began to run your fingers through his silky fine strands of hair, massaging your fingers over his scalp and earning a happy hum in response. This was probably the other reason Kenma sought out your lap so often, because he adored having you play with his hair. The silky strands were extremely soft despite the bleached ends he kept. It was utterly ridiculous, especially since he didn’t put in any special effort to keep it that soft, but it was so touchable and smooth that you couldn’t resist.

Idly you began to braid it back, peering into his face, and smiling despite yourself. He always made the most hilarious faces when he was playing difficult games, nose scrunching up and tongue poking out in concentration. You’d never tell him, but you were convinced it was one the reasons he was such a popular streamer outside of how very good and knowledgable he was. It was funny how expressive he could be playing games when he was usually so deadpan with his real life interactions.

“What are you smiling at?” he asked you idly, his voice pulling you from your thoughts, golden hazel eyes flicking away from his game for a second to peer up into your face before turning back to his game.

“You,” you told him honestly, tapping his nose with your finger, making him wrinkle it unhappily, shooting you an exasperated look though he didn’t bother to actually voice his protest.

“I love you,” you told him sincerely, meaning it with every fiber of your being.

“I love you too,” he assured you, pausing his game to look up at you, giving you his full attention as he asked, “But what brought that on?”

“Nothing,” you assured him fondly, leaning down to press a kiss to his willing mouth before straightening back up again and explaining, “Just wanted to say it.”

He eyed you for a moment, clearly searching for any hint of something troubling you before nodding in understanding and turning back to his game. Though he quit earlier than he usually would and turned his full attention on to you, clearly ready to return some of the affection he’d been basking in, even if he didn’t move from his place on your lap, soaking up every bit of your love and attention and giving all he could in return so you would know just how very much he adored you.

He Lets You Be His Player 2

“Come here for a second Peaches?” Kenma asked, calling to you from the other room.

You frowned a bit in confusion, well aware that he was supposed to be streaming at the moment, but figuring you might as well see what he wanted. Normally during streams you either sat quietly out of the way to watch on the special couch Kenma had set up in his streaming room just for you, or you kept out of the room entirely, only bothering him if it was a long stream and you thought he might need a refill of either food or water to keep him going.

“Ah I call her peaches because she used to always get stuck with princess Peach whenever we played Mario Cart with our friend group,” Kenma was explaining to the chat as you stepped into the room, the explanation making you smile. It was the truth sort of.

It had actually started off as a teasing nickname from Kuroo, who’d been giving you a hard time over how much you were struggling with the game at the time. You’d blamed the boys, for constantly picking on you since they apparently weren’t good enough to terrorize Kenma, and Kuroo had blamed it on your poor driving skills and Princess Peach not having good stats.

Kenma had overheard the teasing and proceeded to lay out a bet that he could defeat all of them with Princess Peach one handed, and if he did they’d have to leave you alone. Needless to say he’d creamed them all, and with the next game you’d managed to prove yourself, as it turned out you were a pretty decent driver when no one was trying to sabotage you.

However, Kenma had later quietly admitted he thought the nickname was kind of cute and suited you because of how sweet you were. Thus you’d agreed to the nickname, though only he was allowed to call you that and anyone else who tried, including Kuroo got viciously glared at and passive aggressively insulted until they stopped.

“Did you need me for something?” you prompted with a fond smile for your boyfriend who clearly had one eye on the chat and the other on the screen where he was playing a new game, one you didn’t recognize.

“Apparently this game is better if you play with another person,” he told you, spinning in his chair to give you his full attention, “Do you want to play with me?”

“You know I’m not nearly as good as you are right?” you asked a little hesitant, “And I’ll probably drag you down. Are you sure you want me to play?”

“Who else would I want to be my player two, Kuroo?” Kenma asked matter-of-fact, holding out the controller for you to take as he explained, “Don’t worry so much peaches, it will be fun either way, and I’m good enough for both of us.”

You giggled a bit at that and accepted the controller, sliding into his lap when he offered with a smile even as you scolded, “One of these days you’re going to hurt Kuroo’s feelings insulting him like that.”

“His fault,” Kenma told you with an unbothered shrug, “Besides, you’ll always be my number one choice for player two, both in games and in life, he knows that.”

You melted a bit at that, pressing an affectionate kiss to your boyfriend’s cheek, completely ignoring the way the chat was blowing up, some of the responses clearly from the former captain himself, basking in the soft fond look that Kenma was giving you before the two of you turned your attention back to his stream.

Your heart felt light as the two of you set out to take on the new game, feeling utterly loved, knowing that you were Kenma’s first choice, and more than happy to be his Player Two for the rest of your life.

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Your boyfriend was always considerate of your time and space, sometimes too considerate. It was something you suspected had to do with his relationship with Kalim and his family, though you couldn’t say for sure and would never actually ask. You did know that as sweet as Kalim could be, he didn’t always notice when his presence was grating or too much.

You did like the charismatic dorm leader, but he was an extrovert through and through, and didn’t seem to understand that sometimes other people might need a break. Jamil of course was his polar opposite in this, introverted to the core, and incredibly aware of everyone around him. He almost never inflicted his presence on someone who didn’t want him around, unless of course he was doing it on purpose, but that was a whole other can of worms. For you however, his presence could never be unwelcome.

“Jamil,” you greeted, with a warm smile, patting the grass next to you in invitation for him to come sit with you, “I see you finally escaped Kalim.”

“For now at least,” he grumbled, even as he made his way into the clearing, sinking down elegantly into the offered spot. You took a moment to admire his natural grace, and the way the sunlight in the garden played off the pretty caramel colored skin. Of course as observant as he was he immediately caught you looking.

“Something on my face?” he asked, though from the slight smirk on his lips you could tell he was teasing you.

“How long do I have you?” you asked instead, choosing not to answer lest you embarrass yourself. Jamil was incredibly good at twisting your words around when he wanted to be, and he would never let go of an opportunity to tease.

“He’s at light music club,” Jamil reported dutifully, with a sigh, “That means he’s with Lilia, so he shouldn’t need me for the duration, an hour or two I should think.”

You smiled tenderly at him, your heat fluttering in your chest as you realized, not for the first time, that Jamil had purposefully sought you out. Your boyfriend very rarely got any free time, Kalim was a sweetheart, but looking out for him was a full-time job. Before you’d known the truth of things you’d wondered how on earth he’d gotten into a school like Night Raven, that had a reputation for ruthlessness and cunning. The answer of course was that money talks, even at Night Raven.

Kalim could be cunning too when he tried, but he didn’t try very often, and he couldn’t quite match the ruthlessness of the other students, which made him a bit of a sitting duck. That was of course where your boyfriend came in. Jamil had a viciousness and cunning to him that put even a lot of the other students at the school to shame. It was entirely to his credit that the al Asim heir hadn’t been fleeced a thousand times over.

Still it meant he very rarely got time to himself, time you knew he treasured, especially since he was an introvert and Kalim was incredibly wearing on his social battery. It made it even more obvious just how much he cared about you, that when he did have free time he almost never failed to seek you out, not matter how short the break was.

It was incredibly sweet, not that you’d ever tell him as it would just make him scoff at you. It made you want to melt every time. It made you want to show him just how much it meant to you that he’d choose your presence over rest and solitude. To that end you immediately started to pack your homework away.

“Oh? Did you finish already?” Jamil asked, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at you in question.

“No,” you admitted with a smile, “But I can work on it later. I’ve only got an hour or two with you, and I want to spend it focused on being with you, not on homework that can wait.”

The look on his face, the softening of his eyes and the slight blush on his cheeks as he reached for your hand, twining your fingers together, was more than worth the extra hours you had to stay up to complete your homework that night.

He Does Little Things for You

“Jamil what?” you asked a little dazed as you stared at him masterfully making his way around your kitchen, his fingers practically flying as he chopped ingredients. Something smelled absolutely amazing and it was making your mouth water.

You hadn’t actually expected your boyfriend to come over, even if he did have the key to your place. Sure you’d complained to him earlier that you weren’t going to have time to make yourself dinner tonight or prepare your lunch for tomorrow so you were going to have to buy from the cafeteria.

However, that hadn’t been meant to make him come over and do it for you. The absolute last thing you wanted to do was to add to Jamil’s workload. He was one of the busiest, hardest working people you knew, and he had his hands full as it was. As his significant other you’d always felt it was your duty to ease his burdens not add to them.

“You said you needed dinner,” he told you with a slight smile, glancing up from his preparations, amusement dancing in his eyes, “And I’ve made enough you should have food for a couple of days if you need it.”

“I didn’t mean for you to come make food for me,” you protested, a bit anxiously as you set your things down and made your way in to the kitchen, trying not to drool over the amazing food, which you noted included some of your favorites.

“Did you not want dinner?” he asked, raising a brow at you, the look on his face slightly condescending, though you knew him well enough to know it hid a hint of insecurity as well.

“Dinner sounds amazing,” you assured him, sneaking up behind him so you could wrap your arms around him from behind, leaning into him and savoring the physical affection he let you have without protest as you explained, “I just don’t ever want you to feel like I’m asking you to do things for me that you might not want to do. You’re my boyfriend not my servant.”

“Ah, but you see I like doing things for you,” he told you, watching you out of the corner of his eye, his lips quirked in a soft smile, “I get to choose to do them after all, so it’s different.”

You smiled a bit at that, unable to really argue with him, and settled for nuzzling your face into his neck as you conceded, “It does smell really good.”

You were honestly touched. It meant a lot to you that things he’d told you he hated doing for others before he would willingly choose to do for you. Not only would he choose to do them, but he would enjoy doing them. It meant the world to you, and made you feel incredibly soft for your boyfriend who had a sweet side he kept hidden from the rest of the world behind layers of cool pride and distant demeanor, the sweet side he only ever bothered to show you.

“Of course it does,” he informed you loftily, the arrogance in his tone well deserved, mostly because he truly was an extremely good cook, just like he was good at almost anything he tried really, “Nothing but the best.”

“Of course,” you agreed with a helpless smile, endlessly amused by him, “Do you have time to eat with me when you’re done?”

Both of you knew what you were really asking, if he had some time free from running after Kalim and keeping the sweet idiot out of trouble with the rest of the school. Jamil huffed in quiet resignation, but conceded, “Kalim has agreed to give me a few hours off to spend with you.”

“Oh he did, did he?” you prompted curiously. You knew Kalim would happily give Jamil all the time he wanted, he was generous like that, though Jamil didn’t usually take him up on it, too worried that something would happen to the al Asim heir in his absence that he might be blamed for.

“He’s with Riddle,” Jamil explained, “They have a project for Trein’s class they needed to work on as they were partnered together. I simply suggested he do it tonight.”

You huffed in amusement, knowing that was a very simplistic version of the story, and no doubt your cunning boyfriend had manipulated things to ensure he got his way. Though you did concede that he was most certainly safe with Riddle of all people. You were touched that he’d gone out of his way to do it though, just so he could make food for you to make your life easier.

“Good,” you told him, squeezing him affectionately and pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek that had him refusing to meet your eyes as he flushed with pleasure, “That means I get you all to myself for the evening. But since you’re making food for me, you might as well put me to work.”

Jamil nodded, and gestured to the space beside him, indicating where you could stand, and as the two of you peacefully made dinner together you once again marveled at how very lucky you were to have him as your boyfriend.

He Lets You Dote On Him

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” you asked, standing in the doorway to Jamil’s bedroom, hands on hips as you stared at your boyfriend in disappointment.

Jamil immediately froze from where he’d been attempting to struggle out of bed, turning surprised eyes on you that immediately turned accusing as he saw who was standing behind you.

“Ahh Jamil don’t be mad,” Kalim told him hastily, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, “But you wouldn’t listen so I went to get her.”

You bustled into the room, reaching for your boyfriend, who was flushed, sweating, his eyes were glassy and his normally pristine hair in disarray. Gently you placed the back of your hand on his forehead, feeling the heat of it against the skin and winced in sympathy.

“You’re sick,” you scolded, though you couldn’t keep the worry out of your tone, as you carefully brushed the sweaty strands back from his face, “You need to rest. Kalim is right, you can’t just run around like usual when you’re ill!”

“I’m fine,” he snapped, clearly unhappy, “I can handle things, if I can just…!”

He tried to get back up again, but in his weakened state your hands on his shoulders were enough to hold him in place and he couldn’t resist for long, staring up at you in clear frustration from where you were standing over him.

“Please, Jamil, please just rest,” you begged anxiously, genuinely worried for your boyfriend who never seemed to know when to stop and take it easy on himself.

“I can’t,” he informed you, though his protest was weaker this time, clearly softening at your genuine distress, “I have classes to attend and my duties to the al Asim family to fulfill.”

“I would think the al Asim family wouldn’t want you to go around when you’re ill especially if you’re potentially contagious,” you pointed out ruthlessly practical, knowing appeals to kindness and benevolence almost never worked on Jamil when it came to the family his served given his resentment for the family.

“That’s right, please take the time you need to recover,” Kalim chimed in, in agreement from behind you, “I can take care of myself for a few days I’m sure of it!”

“I’ll make arrangements,” you assured your boyfriend in an undertone, where the other boy wouldn’t be able to hear, “And make sure he’s kept safe for you, so please trust me and rest.”

Jamil studied your face intently for several seconds, but in the end slowly nodded and conceded to your wishes. You pressed an affectionate kiss to his sweaty forehead as he laid back down and ushered Kalim out of the room.

You spent the next couple days keeping your promise to Jamil, and trying to find time to check in and dote on your sick boyfriend. This mostly meant Kalim was left in the presence of those Jamil had deemed safe for him in the past, usually club meetings and other particularly responsible people like Riddle or Lilia. He also always had a guard of at least one Scarabia student with him at all times.

It was honestly a bit like having a child and leaving him with trusted baby sitters, and while it was a bit of a weird feeling, Kalim was very cooperative since it was meant to help Jamil. It left you free to dote on your boyfriend, gently brushing out his hair and braiding it back to keep it out of his way, doing his normal chores, changing out the damp cloth on his forehead, and getting him food.

If it was anyone else your boyfriend would’ve likely thrown a massive fuss, become aggravated, prideful and vicious. He was fiercely independent and hated the idea of relying on others, it wounded his pride like none other. However, you’d noticed from the beginning that Jamil let you get away with things that would have others facing his rather terrifying wrath. That these things just so happened to let you get away with doting on him was an added bonus you hadn’t expected, but were grateful for nonetheless.

In fact instead of snapping at you your boyfriend instead seemed to soak up your attention like a sponge, leaning into your touch as you pressed cool cloths to his face, and never complaining a bit despite how uncomfortable you knew he had to be at times.

It was all incredibly sweet, and you were just glad that for once you got to return the favor. Jamil was always taking care of other people, sometimes willingly, sometimes not, and he deserved to have someone take care of him for once. You were just glad the person he chose to do so was you.

Jamil was the kind of guy with high walls built strong and thick, the kind that guarded his heart closely, and didn’t let anyone in. That he let you see and care for him at his most vulnerable meant the world to you, that trust and deep affection making your heart feel like it might melt. You truly were incredibly lucky to be so utterly adored by a man like Jamil Viper.

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“Really, Sunarin?” you asked him, your voice rusty from sleep as you watched him pocket his phone, not a single sign of remorse on his features, “Right now?”

             “You looked cute,” he told you with a shrug, completely and utterly unapologetic.

             “I look like a mess,” you countered with a sigh, keeping your voice quiet so as to not wake the rest of the people on the bus.

 EJP Raijin was surprisingly accommodating to their players’ significant others, and from the very beginning they had let you travel on the bus to their away games with Suna if you wanted to. You didn’t get to go nearly as often as you would’ve liked, if you had your way, you’d go to every single one, but unfortunately, you had your own work so the times you could go were rather rare.

 However, for this particular match, you’d made sure to take time off in advance so you could attend. It wasn’t every day that your boyfriend got to play against one of his old senpai from high school, and despite being extremely laid back most of the time, you could tell that Suna had been really excited for it.

 The game against Aran and the Tachibana Red Falcons had been a rather epic one, with the entirety of the old Inarizaki team in attendance for once. Even Atsumu had managed to be there, his own team having gifted him the day off so he could watch. In preparation you’d gone all out, wearing the official EJP Raijin jersey with Suna’s name and number on it, and doing up your hair and make-up, even though the yellow might not have been the best color on you.

 It had been a lot of fun especially since you got to sit right up close with the rest of Inarizaki. However, now several hours after the game on the bus back, you were sure you looked a mess. No doubt the make-up you’d applied so meticulously was smeared across your face, and your hair in disarray. You were very sure you didn’t look anything close to cute, despite what your boyfriend said.

 “Delete it?” you asked him plaintively, though your hopes weren’t very high.

 From the beginning, Suna had made it clear that he thoroughly enjoyed taking pictures of you. Almost every time you’d turned around he’d had his phone out and pointed in your direction. It had been a bit disconcerting at first, but you’d slowly but surely gotten used to it.

 A part of you thought that if Suna hadn’t decided to become a volleyball player he definitely would’ve become a photographer of some kind. He had a gift for it. The only problem was that he used said gift to capture everyone at their absolute worst. You were pretty sure he could make even the most photogenic person in the world look like complete and utter garbage.

 The most annoying part of it was, he was perfectly capable of bringing out the best in everyone if he wanted to as well. He just chose not to. It could honestly be a bit infuriating at times, especially since you knew he had entire folders of you on his laptop looking completely and utterly hideous because he insisted it was hilarious and adorable.

 As his girlfriend it was no surprise that you were the one he photographed the most, which you might’ve objected to except unlike with others he was very conscientious and considerate of your photos. He never posted anything to his social media that he knew you wouldn’t like, and never shared any of your embarrassing photos with anyone.

 When you’d asked him about it once, he’d told you it was because he didn’t want to share those moments with anyone else. It was honestly almost cute, and would’ve been adorable if he hadn’t followed it up by teasing you. He’d gone on to show you all his favorites, which were quite frankly the most hideous pictures of yourself that you’d ever seen chuckling all the while and wondering aloud how such a cute person could take such ugly photos.

 You might’ve objected, except unlike with others Suna also went out of his way to take pictures of you that were surprisingly lovely. At times, he managed to capture things that made you question if the person in them was even you with how good they looked. He always kept one of those photos as his lock screen, claiming he wanted to show off how beautiful you were. Seeing it never failed to make your heart swell with affection, even if he did set his contact picture of you to something completely hideous.

 “Nope,” he told you as he tucked his phone away into his pocket, another no doubt awful picture of you added to his collection, “You know I don’t delete my pictures.”

 You heaved a sigh at that knowing was true, he really didn’t ever delete anything. You quietly resigned yourself to it again, your feelings a mix of annoyed fondness for your boyfriend who insisted you were his greatest muse.

 “Fine,” you agreed with a pout, “but no more tonight Rintarou. I want to sleep.”

 “No promises,” he told you with an amused chuckle, making you huff at him unhappily, “It’s your own fault for being so cute.”

 You rolled your eyes at that, but did allow him to pull you into his side so the two of you were resting comfortably together, snuggled up as close as the seats would allow. His warmth and your own exhaustion quickly began to pull you back under, and you began to nod off again. This time when the camera shutter sound went off you firmly ignored it, feeling a swell of exasperated fondness for your boyfriend who could never get enough.

 He Seeks You Out

             During your relationship with Suna, you’d thought more than once that he was actually more like a cat than a fox the way he liked to claim. You’d never say so to his face, because he’d no doubt find some way to turn it on you, but some of his actions really were positively cat-like.

             If you told others, they would most likely say it was in the way he was so incredibly choosy about who he spent his time with, the way he liked to provoke people, and just generally be a jerk because it genuinely amused him. However, in your case it was actually in the way he sought you out, and then proceeded to drape himself all over you.

             It didn’t seem to matter where you were or what you were doing, if the two of you were in the same vicinity, Suna eased his way into your presence and demanded your attention. At home if you were on the couch, reading a book, or watching TV, he’d lay his head in your lap and stare up at you until you started to pet him before turning his attention to his phone. If you were laying in bed, he’d lay himself on top of you, nearly always knocking the air from your lungs and absolutely refusing to move despite your protests. If you were sitting at your desk, he was behind you, bent over with his chest pressed to your back and his sharp chin resting either on top of your head or dug into your shoulder with his arms around you.

             It wasn’t just at home either. Suna had never particularly cared about the opinions of others, and the fact that public displays of affection were looked down upon didn’t bother him one little bit. He was always coming up to you, wrapping his arms around your waist from behind and leaning as much of his weight on you as you could take, his face nuzzled insistently against your face or neck. It was more than a bit embarrassing at times, especially since he didn’t care who you were speaking to or if you were in the middle of something.

             In addition, whenever he was cuddled up to you, he always wanted your hands on him, preferably in his hair. The man went practically limp with pleasure whenever you played with it, scratching your nails gently over his scalp. The only thing he really needed to do was start purring to complete the feline image you had of him.

             The funny thing was that the minute he was cuddled up to you and sure that he was taking up your attention, was he then promptly dozed off. You weren’t quite sure why he was so insistent about sleeping draped all over you, but it was this more than anything that made you think he truly was feline at heart.

             It was honestly kind of cute if you were honest with yourself, with as much of a jerk as he portrayed himself to be, you never would’ve guessed he was the clingy type. However, he really was, even if the way he went about it was a bit annoying, since he didn’t seem to care at all about what you were doing or if his clinging to you made things difficult.

             The two of you had been teased more than once about the way Suna went out of his way to find you whenever he wanted a nap. He’d even referred to you as his personal pillow on more than one occasion, but you couldn’t bring yourself to object. You thought it was sweet, and enjoyed how incredibly physically affectionate he was. Especially since he never protested when you wanted to turn the tables and sleep on him, even if he did tease the hell out of you for it.

             He really was a jerk sometimes, but he was your jerk, and you loved him, just the same way his insistent cuddling let you know just how very much he loved you.

 He Shares His Blackmail with You

             You glared at the blond setter who just looked back with a smarmy grin on his face, clearly entirely too pleased with himself. The twins could be annoying, but were usually fairly respectful when it came to you. Today however, for whatever reason, Atsumu had decided to go out of his way to tease you.

             You were honestly trying to be a good sport about it, but he was frankly getting on your last nerve. You wanted nothing more than to do something that would knock him off his high horse, but had no clue what to do to make him back off. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue, as Kita was pretty good at keeping both twins under control at reunions like this, but unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to make it today. Aran probably would’ve tried to step in, but the man was a little preoccupied dealing with an incredibly drunk Akagi who was stirring up trouble.

             Osamu might’ve helped you, but he was also finding Atsumu teasing you fairly amusing, and was simply watching on. You’d already tried appealing to him, but he’d insisted you didn’t get teased enough at gatherings like this, and it was only right that it be your turn. This, of course, left you with only one option, one you wouldn’t normally resort to, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

             Normally, one would think that your boyfriend should’ve been your first line of defense in situations like this. However, Suna was the kind of man who firmly believed you were more than capable of standing on your own two feet, and would only step in if you asked him to. If things were dire, or your feelings were actually being hurt, he’d do it with no hesitation, verbally eviscerating anyone who tried to mess with you.

             However, in a situation like this, where you were simply being teased, and he was also amused by said teasing, the situation wasn’t nearly as clear cut. What you offered had to be worth more than the entertainment he was already getting, and judging by the amused smirk on his face he was incredibly amused.

             “Rintarou,” you pleaded, giving him your best pout, “Help me?”

             “What’s in it fer me?” he asked teasingly, as Atsumu sputtered at the tactic you’d chosen to use, claiming you were cheating.

             “The love and affection of your beloved girlfriend?” you tried, batting your eyelids at him, making him chuckle in amusement.

             “Nice try,” he told you, his pale citrine eyes gleaming with mirth, “But I’m goin’ to need somethin’ more than that.”

             Your mind whirled, trying to figure out what you were and weren’t willing to offer him, based on how annoyed you were with Atsumu. The man himself wasn’t helping his case, guffawing at what he saw as a failed attempt and only riling you up further. You flipped through several ideas before settling on the perfect thing. Your lips curled into a smirk as you gave Atsumu a slow, triumphant smile that instantly had him shutting up, a wary look settling on his face.

             “Oy, I don’t think I like that look in yer eyes,” Atsumu informed you, leaning back a bit, though you promptly ignored him, all of your attention on your boyfriend who was watching you with interest.

             “Sunarin, if you help me with Atsumu I’ll let you do that thing you mentioned last weekend,” you coaxed, your words heavy with innuendo as you stared him down, “If you throw in Osamu too, I’ll even wear your favorites.”

             “Done,” he agreed instantly, pulling out his phone and pulling up several blackmail photos as both twins squawked in the background, Osamu protesting being dragged into it. It was his own fault, he should’ve helped you when you asked.

             “Since when do ya share that with anyone?!” Atsumu whined. His dignity completely shattered as he stared at his own phone in horror at the images that he’d just been tagged in that had appeared on his timeline, “Ya wouldn’t even give me any blackmail pictures, not even when I bribed ya. That’s unfair!”

             “Suna’s sharing his blackmail collection?” Aran asked, coming over from where he’d finally finished wrangling Akagi, as Osamu let out a low groan of despair, “With who?”

             “With her,” Atsumu told him, pointing at you dramatically, not that you cared a bit. Suna had come up behind you to drape over your back, his phone held in front of you, so you could pick the next few awful pictures of Atsumu to post online yourself.

             “Huh, guess he really must be in love,” Aran mused mostly to himself, though you couldn’t help but agree.

He’d actually woken you a bit earlier doing just that, before tucking you back in and telling you to sleep for a little while longer. It was an order you’d been all too happy to obey, claiming another hour and a half of sleep before your alarm woke you to let you know you had to get ready for your day. You stumbled through your morning ablutions and into the kitchen, where breakfast was waiting for you, kept warm in the microwave as always. The two of you traded off meals, Kita made breakfasts, you made dinners and you alternated lunches, a routine you both enjoyed. Carefully eating the home cooked meal you also read the small message he’d left you on the little journal the two of you kept on the table in order to communicate with each other throughout the day. Kita wasn’t a big texter, and actually preferred more traditional methods of communication, which was why you’d started this little tradition. He’d write to you in the mornings before he left for the fields, or wherever else he needed to be for the day, and you’d write back before you left for work. He’d see it when he stopped back at home for lunch and would respond, which you’d see when you got home from work. It was a nice way to communicate things with one another even if you didn’t get to see each other as often as either of you would’ve preferred. He’d clearly remembered that you had a big presentation at work that day, because he’d written in his usual, beautiful penmanship… Hello Bright Eyes, I know today is a big day for you at work. I hope you got enough rest, be sure to drink lots of water throughout the day, and don’t skip your lunch. I will keep my phone on if you need me today, and I think we can order from your favorite take out place for dinner. We haven’t eaten out for a while, so it will be a nice break for you. Remember you worked hard for this. I know you put a lot of effort in, so don’t worry. You will be great today just as you are every day. I love you. -Shinsuke Your lips curled in a smile at the words, and the fact that no matter what else he said in the note he always closed it by reminding you that he loved you. It never failed to make your heart flutter. Feeling bolstered, you went to the fridge and pulled out the bento Shinsuke had packed for you, as it had been his turn to make lunches, along with the water bottle that had a bright pink sticky note on it and Shinsuke’s handwriting with a reminder that read Bright Eyes don’t forget this! You took them with a smile and headed out, feeling more than ready to face the day. The morning passed by in a blur and you did your best to keep calm. Following your boyfriend’s advice and drinking your water, along with reminding yourself that you’d worked hard for this, and could absolutely do it. Your presentation was right after lunch, and gave you just enough time to eat beforehand. Pulling out your bento your heart melted as you unwrapped the cloth to find another note tapped to the top of the box that simply read, You’ve got this. I love you. -Shinsuke You read the words over and over as you ate the wonderful lunch he’d prepared, which contained all of your favorites, running your fingers over the text every once in a while, to remind yourself that even if you didn’t believe in yourself he believed in you, and that was more than enough. Needless to say, you aced that presentation. How could you not when Kita Shinsuke loved and believed in you and went out of his way to show it? He Pays Close Attention to You You liked to think you knew your body fairly well, it was yours after all, but sometimes it almost seemed like Kita knew it better than you. Your boyfriend paid exceptionally close attention to you, and was incredibly meticulous in his care because he wanted your relationship to flourish. He was a firm believer in the adage you only get out what you put in, and was determined to do put the effort into your relationship that it deserved. All of this meant that Kita always knew before you did when your period was coming on. He knew all the signs and symptoms, and even if you

were irregular he could always predict it coming at least twenty-four hours beforehand, which meant he was always well prepared. Being a man he didn’t know all that much about what it was like to have a menstrual cycle, but he was well aware thanks to his granny and younger sister that it could be both intensely painful and incredibly uncomfortable. Therefore, as your boyfriend he went out of his way to ensure your comfort as best he could. In the time leading up to your time of the month he put together care packages that included things like heating pads, fuzzy blankets, bath bombs, your favorite snacks and treats, water bottles, pain killers, and one of his sweaters that he knew you liked to wear. He ensured you had everything you could need or want all tucked into a cute little basket he reused every month just for you. You’d told him over and over again that there was no need to spoil you so much, especially since it was a monthly occurrence for the most part, but he was very insistant on wanting to see to your comfort. Your time of the month wasn’t the only time he seemed to know your body better than you did. He also seemed to be able to predict when you were getting ill. He claimed it was because he’d had a lot of practice watching out for that kind of thing with his younger siblings and the team he’d captained at Inarizaki, though he also insisted you were a much better patient than the Miya twins had been. It was almost precognitive the way he always seemed to be prepared for it, and got you things like cough drops, and emergen-c in the days leading up to your illness to hopefully ensure it wasn’t as bad as it could be. Atsumu had once called his ability to predict such things utterly creepy, but you found it comforting, and more than a bit flattering, even if it did lead to a bit of trouble on nights like these when you were pushing yourself even though you knew you probably shouldn’t. “That’s enough,” he ordered gently laying a hand on your shoulder, “it’s time for bed bright eyes.” “I’m almost finished Shinsuke,” you told him with a deep sigh rolling your neck on your shoulders and trying not to wince at how sore it was. You’d been at your desk for hours writing up a paper that you fully intended to have done before work tomorrow, and your body felt incredibly stiff. “Yer too tired,” he countered, setting his other hand on your shoulder and digging his thumbs into the muscle, massaging the knots in your sore neck and making you groan quietly in appreciation, “Ya can’t be productive while yer exhausted, come to bed, and get some sleep.” “I need to finish this before work tomorrow,” you protested half-heartedly, well aware that arguing with Kita was nearly always a pointless endeavor as he seemed to have a logical and reasonable counter for anything you said. “Then I’ll wake ya in the morning after you’ve gotten some sleep,” he told you, just as reasonable as you’d expected he would be, gentle hands continuing to help ease the stiffness in your neck “Ya were up far too early this mornin’, an both yer body and mind are exhausted, sittin’ here starin’ at the screen won’t do ya any good. I’ve been watchin’ ya bright eyes, ya haven’t typed a word fer more than half an hour, so come to bed, restin up will be much more productive in the long run than this.” You hesitated glancing at the screen, for several long moments, unable to fight the yawn that forced its way out of your mouth and the feeling of distaste at the idea of continuing. He was right as usual you were absolutely done in. “You promise you’ll wake me?” you asked caving to him as usual, unable to hold your ground against his clear concern and unwavering logic. “I will,” he promised sincerely. You heaved a long sigh, but eventually stood up from the desk, stretching out and glancing at your boyfriend who was watching you with fond eyes. You leaned forward and he met you halfway anticipating your needs as always pressing a sweet, fond kiss to your mouth, before gently ushering you away to get ready for bed the tender affectionate look never

leaving his face as he watched over you, making you feel incredibly loved, and protected. He Holds on to You in Public Your boyfriend had never been a big fan of public displays of affection. Kita was the tiniest bit old fashioned that way, and liked to keep anything he viewed as intimate at home. That didn’t mean of course that he would deny you or push you away if you initiated something, it just meant that he was a little uncomfortable and never initiated anything himself. As a good girlfriend you tried to respect his feelings well aware that Japanese culture looked down on PDA as a whole especially the older generation. The one exception to that rule was holding on to you, usually in the form of holding your hand or linking his arm through yours. He’d explained once that he found the gesture eminently practical, because it meant you’d never lose one another, and it let people know you were together. It was, just as Kita was, entirely sound and logical. However, you knew it meant just a little bit more than that. After all it hadn’t started that way. In fact, when you’d first started dating he’d barely touched you at all, and his former team mates and some of your own friends had questioned whether the two of you were dating at all. You never questioned of course that he cared for you deeply, because when you were alone he was incredibly affectionate with you, offering all the hugs, cuddles and kisses you desired, but they didn’t know that. Then the two of you had gone to an MSBY vs EJP Raijin game together, one that both Atsumu and Suna had invited you to. A lot of the former Inarizaki team Kita had captained would be attending, which in turn ensured Kita went along too. It was extremely crowded that day and you’d been hard pressed to keep up with Kita, who easily made his way through the crowd. You were never sure how he did it, as he wasn’t actually the tallest guy around, but he never seemed to have an issue, maybe it was confidence or maybe it was the fact that he was well muscled thanks to all his work on the farm. Whatever it was, it always ensured he could stride easily through crowds while you seemed to get jostled every step trying to keep up with him. Most of the time you were able to keep up, simply by walking a bit behind him and following in his wake, but this time you hadn’t been able to, and you’d abruptly looked up to find yourself completely and utterly alone in the crowd. It hadn’t been too big a deal, you knew where you needed to go after all and were certain he’d meet you there, it was just disconcerting to suddenly find yourself all alone. You’d heaved a sigh and glanced around trying to find a sign to point you in the direction of your seats moving to a more open space near a wall so you wouldn’t continue to get jostled or get in the way of the flow of traffic. You thought you’d figured out where you needed to go, and were just about ready to brave the crowd again when the call of your name had you turning to find Kita coming toward you, the most ruffled you’d ever seen him. “There ya are! Are ya alright?” he demanded as he got closer his hands reaching out for you gently inspecting you for any signs of damage or distress. “I’m fine,” you assured him, a little baffled at seeing your normally cool and calm boyfriend so distressed before hesitantly adding, “Are you alright?” “I looked back ta find ya gone,” he told you seriously gently cupping your face with one of his hands and running a thumb along your cheekbone, the intimate gesture taking you by surprise and making you realize just how worried he’d been at your brief separation, “I was worried I’d lost ya bright eyes.” There had been a wealth of meaning behind the words, and the real concern in his face had made your heart melt and you found yourself apologizing even if you knew it hadn’t really been anyone’s fault, “I’m sorry for worrying you Shinsuke, I got caught up in the crowd.” “S’not yer fault,” he’d stated immediately before offering you his hand, “Here, hold on ta me this time. I won’t let ya get lost again. I probably

shoulda been holdin’ on ta ya in the first place considerin’ how packed it is in here anyway.” The offer had surprised you, as you were well aware by that point how little he liked public displays of affection, but you certainly weren’t about to turn him down. You’d accepted his offer and let him guide you through the congested stadium, his hand warm and comforting wrapped around yours. After that he did it all the time. It didn’t matter where you were, who you were with, or what you were doing, if you were with Kita he was almost always holding your hand. The more you thought about it, the more you’d realized that it was how he protected you in his own quiet way. It was the same way he always did little things for you, walking between you and the street whenever you were together, holding open doors, and pulling your chair out for you at restaurants. When he did those things or reached for you it never failed to make your heart warm. He truly was the perfect gentleman when it came down to things like that, and you would never complain about getting to hold on to him, to showing the whole world just how much he meant to you, and you to him.

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It was how whenever he went to the vending machines, he always came back with his milk in one hand and your favorite drink in the other. It was in the way he ensured you never ran out of your favorite treats at home, restocking them every time he went to the store and never forgetting them. It was how there was always a seat reserved for you at all his games, even the ones you couldn’t come to because he wanted to remind you that you were always welcome and that he was always thinking of you.

             The little things he did never failed to make your heart warm, each gesture stating how much he loved you loud and clear for anyone who cared to look. After all, each gesture was catered to you and to the things you loved. It surprised every single person who asked about your relationship, but after the first few mistakes where you stated your preferences to him clearly, Kageyama hadn’t ever gifted you something you didn’t like.

             Your volleyball crazy boyfriend had proved over and over that the only things he paid attention to and bothered to memorize were about the things he loved. It was why he’d struggled so much in school, and yet he never seemed to forget a single detail about you. He knew your favorite dessert, the things you craved, when your cycle was, your hobbies, and the little things you did or that he could do to brighten your day. He memorized it all, carefully and meticulously and pulled those details out when he needed them to help him prove to you how very much he cared.

             It meant when the two of you went shopping that if you happened to mention you liked or wanted something, you could almost always count on having it show up sometime in the near future. It made things a little difficult at times as your boyfriend, with all his adorable awkwardness, didn’t seem to know the meaning of the word excessive. You couldn’t help but find that part of him incredibly cute. It just meant you’d had to learn to watch your words so you wouldn’t accidentally take advantage of the way he wanted to spoil you.

             However, the clearest and most obvious sign of his adoration for you was when you asked him for something, he almost never said no, even if doing it for you made him a bit uncomfortable at times. If you asked him for a hug, he gave it, even if it was in public in front of his team, or even in front of reporters and fans despite the fact that public displays of affection made him uncomfortable. He would blush the whole time, and maybe be a little stiff and awkward, but if you asked, or even so much as hinted that you might need it he would do it without hesitation.

             It was another thing you were very careful never to take for granted, unwilling to make him uncomfortable or unhappy for your own selfish reasons. However, you really appreciated that he was willing to step out of his comfort zone for you, to do whatever it took to make you feel loved.

             A lot of people over the years had asked you how you could be with someone who seemed so cold. You’d always scoffed at those people, because it was very clear to you and everyone who truly knew him. Kageyama was the exact opposite of cold. Sure he struggled sometimes, but it was clear to you that he was doing his best to show you how much he truly loved you, and in the end that was all that mattered.

 He Makes Time for You

             You waited patiently up in the stands, watching as your boyfriend practiced his setting for Hoshiumi, Ushijima, and Romero below clearly working on something or another. You honestly loved watching your boyfriend practice, the look on his face was unlike anywhere else, the sheer joy and concentration in his expression clear to anyone who cared to look.

             It was very clear to you that the volleyball court was where Kageyama belonged, and where he felt most comfortable. However, these days you liked to think volleyball wasn’t the only thing that could make his face light up with joy, a feeling that was only confirmed as he glanced up after a successful toss to meet your eyes.

             It was a habit he’d formed fairly early on in your relationship, searching out your face in the crowd, almost as if seeking your approval, something in his face clearly asking ‘did you see that? Did you see what I did?’. The answer of course was always yes, because when he was playing you could hardly ever tear your eyes away from him, which was part of the reason the two of you had gotten together in the first place.

             However today wasn’t about volleyball, or enjoying watching him set for hours on end. No today was supposed to be about the two of you. It was an important date after all, Valentine’s Day, and one he’d promised to you. He clearly hadn’t forgotten, judging from the lovely bouquet of your favorite flowers that had arrived while you were at work, and as he caught your eye, he nodded to you in acknowledgment before turning to his teammates.

             You weren’t sure what exactly it was he said to them, but it had Hoshiumi letting out a surprised shout, and Ushijima raising a brow at your boyfriend. Romero, whose Japanese had improved a lot recently, simply clapped your boyfriend on the shoulder in a clearly congratulatory manner before gently pushing him off the court.

             Kageyama went, though not before meeting your eyes and gesturing that he would meet up with you in the lobby. You waved in acknowledgment, a wide affectionate smile on your face as you stood to leave, even if it would take him at least ten minutes to shower and dress.

             Your departure however was stopped by a shout from Hoshiumi. Curious, you turned to find all three of the players who’d been practicing with your boyfriend, along with the team captain Hirugami, Fukurou, all gathered below the bleachers clearly looking to speak with you.

             “How did you do it?” Hoshiumi asked you bluntly, his eyes wide with shocked awe as he stared up at you.

             “Do what?” you asked him, a little dumbfounded by the question. Hoshiumi was a bit of an odd one, and though you didn’t know him well you did know he was the kind of guy that was almost impossible to predict.

             “How did you convince Kageyama to leave practice early?” he asked, his voice getting louder and louder with each word, clearly baffled, “We can hardly ever get him to leave the building period, but somehow he’s ditching us early?”

             “Kageyama is very diligent,” Ushijima added thoughtfully, also looking a bit baffled as to why anyone would want to leave practice. The compliment was a high one though, especially from Ushijima who was honestly the epitome of diligence.

             “But I didn’t,” you told them, unable to help the fond smile that pulled at your lips as you realized that your boyfriend had clearly made special plans for the two of you, especially if he was leaving practice early, “Tobio was the one who told me what time I needed to be here. He insisted on making the plans for today.”

             Hoshiumi made a clearly disbelieving noise, but Romero who had been listening intently and quietly asking Hirugami for clarification at certain points simply nodded voicing, “Is the power of love, sí?”

             You flushed a bit at having it pointed out so bluntly, especially when Hoshiumi squawked in clear surprise and Hirugami started in on a coughing fit, clearly trying to cover his laugh. However, the beaming smile on your face no doubt gave you away.

             “Kageyama told me a couple weeks ago that he’d be leaving practice early today,” Hirugami told the group, once he’d recovered from his fit, “It surprised me and the coaches too. Apparently, he’s more of a romantic than I thought.”

             “I never thought I’d see the day Kageyama loved something as much or more than volleyball,” Hoshiumi voiced with a frown, “I’ve known that kid since high school, and never would’ve guessed he had room in his head or heart for anything more than the game. Guess you must be pretty special to him eh?”

             You didn’t get a chance to respond to the surprisingly perceptive question from the white-haired wing spiker, as your conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the man himself. He was dressed surprisingly nicely, in dark pants and a deep blue button down that no doubt had been picked for him by his older sister Miwa. He had a bit of an impatient look on his face, clearly suspicious as he glanced between you and the members of his team who’d gathered to speak to you.

             “Oy, come on, we’re going to be late,” he informed you bluntly, holding his hand out to you.

 “You look nice Tobio,” you acknowledged, immediately accepting his hand, smiling up at him, and enjoying the faint pale blush you could see across his cheeks. He was clearly a little flustered at the compliment, simply dipping his head, unable to collect himself to return the compliment just yet.

 However, he did carefully guide you out of the bleachers, ensuring you didn’t slip on the stairs because of the heels you’d worn to match your date night outfit. The soft, admiring look he gave you every time he looked at you more than enough of a return compliment, and reward for dolling yourself up for the night.

 You waved in acknowledgment as the team wished the two of you a good evening together. You stepped out hand in hand with your boyfriend ready to enjoy the evening and celebrate your love, one that he’d more than proved already, simply by taking the time off to be with you.

 He Vocalizes it to You (and only to you)

             “Tobio is something wrong?” you asked your boyfriend, deeply concerned with the way he’d been acting all evening. He’d been fidgety and restless, casting you furtive looks out of the corner of his eye that he clearly thought were subtle but were actually anything but.

             Usually when he got a bit agitated or when something was bothering him, you could get him to relax by cuddling up together on the couch and running your fingers through his hair as you watched something mindless on tv. Tonight however, even that surefire method had failed. You weren’t sure what was wrong, only that something was.

             Kageyama fidgeted for several seconds, clearly fighting with himself as you waited patiently. By this point in your relationship, you were well aware that sometimes the best thing to do with him when you wanted answers was to quietly wait him out and give him some time to get his thoughts together.

 You didn’t mind. The fact that Kageyama was able to communicate effectively with you at all was, according to some of his old high school senpai, a minor miracle. After all, verbal communication was one of the areas your boyfriend struggled with the most, and had led to quite a few misunderstandings and hurt feelings on both sides from the people he’d known over the years.

 He’d gotten much better though as he got older and a little more patient. It was something he credited Sugawara, Hinata, and Oikawa of all people with, which had always baffled you a bit. Oikawa himself had squawked rather indignantly when your boyfriend had mentioned as such in his hearing which, while hilarious, had done nothing to clear up your confusion.

 You were grateful for it nonetheless as it had certainly helped ease things in your relationship. The two of you had, had more than a few bumps along the way, especially at first, but these days you liked to think the two of you had a good system worked out and communicated rather well.

 “I love you,” your boyfriend blurted suddenly, the words pulling you from your reminiscence about the past rather abruptly and startling you a bit with their volume.

 “I love you too, Tobio,” you told him immediately, a little taken aback, but warmed nonetheless about his declaration of affection, even if the delivery hadn’t been all that smooth. He didn’t say it as often as some, and never where anyone else could overhear, too shy to do so, but when the two of you were home, he never failed to tell you and it warmed your heart every time.

 “You- you know I love you,” he continued hesitantly, peering up at you from where he’d been resting on your lap, his deep blue eyes clearly troubled as he asked, “right?”

 “Of course,” you answered, more than a bit baffled about what had brought this on all of a sudden, “And, you know I love you back, right?”

 “I know,” he murmured his voice quiet, but filled with affection as he peered up at you, his face full or adoration even if the worry hadn’t completely left his eyes.

 “I just wanted to make sure you knew,” he told you earnestly, his ears burning red, clearly embarrassed but determined to keep going despite that, “Because everyone says it isn’t obvious, and I just thought, maybe it might not be obvious to you.”

 “Everyone says?” you repeated a little baffled, before remembering the article that you and one of your friends had been laughing at over lunch earlier in the day. It was one of those stupid gossip rags that made up random news articles about celebrities. This particular one had proclaimed that it was clear your boyfriend wasn’t in love with you, because he was never affectionate or loving toward you when the two of you were in public.

 It had even gone on to proclaim this was because he was in love with another woman, and included a grainy picture of him hugging her as clear ‘evidence’. You’d nearly laughed yourself to tears seeing the photo as it was clear how incredibly uncomfortable he’d been, stiff as a board in the embrace. Even funnier was that you’d recognized the ‘other woman’ in the photo as his sister Miwa.

 You hadn’t given it a second thought other than to ask your boyfriend if the PR team of the Adlers was going to do anything about it. He’d immediately responded with an affirmative, and you’d seen the magazine had been forced to print a retraction and an apology just an hour or two later. You’d honestly forgotten about the incident completely, but apparently your boyfriend hadn’t.

 “Tobio, you know I don’t care about what anyone else says about our relationship right?” you told him gently, “As long as you know I love you, and I know you love me that’s all that matters. As long as you keep talking to me, keep telling me you love me that’s all I could ever need to know how you feel.”

 Kageyama still looked a bit concerned, the furrow that appeared whenever he was thinking hard about something still evident between his brows. You meant the words though, really and truly. You knew how hard they were for him to say, both because he struggled with communication in general and because he was shy about expressing his feelings. Which was why it meant the world to you that he went out of his way to say them to you. You didn’t need him to proclaim them to the world, him just saying them to you was more than enough.

 “I love you,” you told him earnestly, peering down at him, gently smoothing the crease in his brow until his face relaxed, into the soft look he reserved for you.

 “I love you too,” he told you sincerely, sitting up to press a sweet, lingering kiss to your lips.

You didn’t get to talk to him for long, the restaurant was too busy for that, only managing to exchange quick greetings, and affectionate brush of the hands before he was forced to move on to the next customer but it was more than enough to tide you over. After all in just a short while you’d be able to have him all to yourself, so it was more than enough.

            More than one patron had wondered why Onigiri Miya closed early on Tuesdays. It was a strange day for such a thing after all. Most people thought it was a restocking thing, or a cleaning day, only those closest to you knew it was because your boyfriend had decided early on when he’d started his business that no matter how busy he got he was always going to set aside one evening a week that he could devote wholly to you. Thus the shop closed at four o’clock on Tuesdays and anyone who wanted to have their Onigiri had to come early or miss out.

            He’d had more than a few complaints about it too, but he’d never cared about that at all, waving them off and telling anyone who complained that it was their own fault if they missed out. After all the store was open regular hours all the other days of the week, and even stayed open late on Fridays and Saturdays, so there was no point in whining about one day.

            Once you’d tried to suggest that it might be okay if he didn’t, that you would be okay with him putting his restaurant first, as you knew it was his dream job, but he’d been very quick to shut that down. He’d insisted that yes, the restaurant was his dream, but you were part of his dream too, and part of his future and having time with you, just for you was important to him. You hadn’t been able to argue with him after that, and just gratefully accepted what he’d offered your heart full to the bursting for the incredibly man who had somehow fallen in love with you.

           A few years in and most of the patrons were used to the Tuesday closures, and knew to come early, but there was still the occasional late comer, who refused to be budged, and it seemed tonight was one of those nights.           He’d come in at four on the dot, pushing his way through the door and nearly knocking over the poor employee who’d been trying to shut and lock it, the open sign already flipped to closed, and hadn’t even apologized. Instead he’d marched right up to the counter and rattled off his order right into your boyfriend’s extremely unimpressed face.

            “We’re closed,” Osamu informed the clearly self-important business man in a bored drawl.           “The door says you close at four!” the man blustered clearly angry.

           “And by my count it’s now exactly,” he paused for a minute to check the watch you’d given him for your last anniversary that he wore faithfully every day, “4:01 sir, which means we’re closed.”

           “Well that’s a ridiculous hour to close anyway,” he informed your boyfriend flushed but not backing down, “Not even dinner time! Besides I came all the way here, the least you can do is give me my meal. I’m a paying customer.”

            “We’re closed,” Osamu repeated slowly for the man as if he were a petulant toddler than needed things explained very slowly and in small words, his tone making you hide a smile behind your drink, “That means everythin’ is turned off, and we’re all packin’ up to leave. I couldn’t make yer order even if I wanted to.”           “Well then what is she doing here huh?” the man demanded pointing an accusing finger in your direction, startling you enough you nearly spilled your drink, “I demand to be served too!”

            “She ain’t a customer,” your boyfriend informed the man, a clearly warning edge to his voice, “That’s my girlfriend, and she’s waitin’ there fer me ta be finished so if ya could please vacate the premises so we can get goin’ I’d appreciate it.”           “How unprofessional,” the man scoffed derisively, “Having your girlfriend here. I demand to speak to your manager.”

           “Yer lookin’ at the manager,” Osamu countered with a bored sigh, “And he’s tellin’ you to please leave so we can close.”

           The man blustered a bit more, but in the end he did concede, stomping out of the door and shouting how he was going to be in contact with the owner, and would be leaving a very poor review, which made you frown turning to look at your boyfriend in concern, though as per usual with him he looked completely unruffled by the whole thing.

           “’Spose it’s a bit too late to tell him I’m the owner too huh?” he asked when he saw you looking at him, his mouth curling into a smile.

           “Is it really okay?” you asked hesitantly, “I could’ve waited a little longer for you to make his food. I wouldn’t have minded.”

            “Well I woulda minded,” he countered casually pulling his hat off and ruffling a hand through his dark hair, making it fall across his forehead rather appealingly, “Sides, even if I wanted too, everythin’s pretty much put away anyway. I wouldn’t have had the ingredients.”

          “But what if he does leave a bad review?” you asked with a frown, concerned for his business.

           “It’s just one review sweets,” he assured you, “An if he does I’ll be sure to respond to it, if it’ll make ya feel better and explain the situation, though I don’t think it’ll matter much.”

            “Alright,” you agreed, feeling a bit better at his reassurance, “If you’re sure.”

           “I’m sure,” he told you firmly, “Besides I wouldn’t have wanted to keep my favorite girl waitin’ any longer than she has ta be, just let me wipe everythin’ down, do one final check and get changed and we can get goin’ on our date.”

            “Let me help,” you told him, quickly finishing your drink and tossing the disposable cup away moving toward the counter to grab one of the rags he kept there to help wipe down the tables.

            “Ya don’t have ta sweets, me n the rest can handle it,” he told you grabbing hold of the other end of the rag to hold you in place.

            “I know,” you told him with a smile, giving a quick glance around the shop to ensure no one could see before leaning over the counter to give him a light peck on the lips and explaining, “But we’ll finish faster if I help, and the sooner we finish the sooner I get you all to myself.”

            “Alright,” he agreed a playful smile on his lips, and a soft look on his face that he only ever shared with you, “Have it your way then.”

           “I will,” you told him with a grin, before bouncing off to do as you’d said you would a cheerful spring in your step as you contemplated how very lucky you were to have your man who loved you enough to set aside the time for you even if it meant dealing with angry customers just to spend a little extra time with you.

He Tugs at Your Ear

You stared out the window contemplatively watching the rain hit the glass. It was kind of a dreary day today and while you could sometimes enjoy the rain today it was making you feel a bit out of it. Frankly you had a lot to get done, but you couldn’t seem to drum up the motivation to do it.

You were so spaced out you didn’t even notice your boyfriend sliding a plate of food in front of you, and gently nudging your laptop away too distracted by watching the path the raindrops carved down the shop window. You probably would’ve continued with your daze, not even noticing the delicious smelling food just waiting to be consumed if not for the gentle tug at your ear.

The touch was a familiar one but even so you jerked slightly in surprise, your eyes turning to your boyfriend who had the lobe of your ear caught gently between his thumb and forefinger. It was a gesture he used a lot when he wanted to get your attention, a leftover remnant from his childhood with his twin, where Osamu would be forced to grab hold of him somehow to get him to shut up and pay attention.

Though you had to admit he was a lot sweeter with you than he was with Atsumu, probably because unlike his brother he had no particular desire to cause you pain when he was trying to catch your attention. He never twisted or yanked, just gently tugged on you, a disparity the blonde twin had noticed and liked to complain about loudly to anyone who would listen.

It was a rather sweet gesture honestly and an intimate touch you’d gotten used to after dating him for so long, even if it did still make you jump a bit from time to time, when he startled you, like he had just then.

“Looks like yer thinkin’ some pretty hefty thoughts there sweets,” he pointed out, his voice gentle with concern as he released your ear to gently cup your jaw running his thumb affectionately over your cheekbone, “Somethin’ botherin’ ya?”

“Nothing in particular,” you admitted with a wry smile, “Just feeling a little down I guess.”

“Well maybe this will cheer ya up,” he urged, nudging the plate of onigiri toward you, “Or at the very least fill yer belly.”

You couldn’t help the slight smile that crept over your face as you looked at the food he’d brought you. He’d shaped them into cute little pandas, no doubt especially for you and you didn’t doubt they were full of your favorite flavored fillings too.

Honestly you were pretty sure Osamu thought food was the answer for everything, and in some cases he was right, but this time just the gentle tug of his fingers on your ear had already lifted your mood a bit. The gesture more than enough to remind you just how much he cared about you.

He Cooks for You

The sound of your alarm woke you from a deep sleep, and you groaned quietly to yourself. It was morning again, and you really didn’t want to get up, but you had to work, so you slowly forced yourself to sit up, rubbing the sleep from your eyes and heaving a tired sigh.

You couldn’t help the sad glance you cast at the other side of the bed, which was already empty, the sheets cold, the owner gone a long time ago, no doubt already hard at work at his store. These days you didn’t get to wake up with Osamu in your arms or him in yours very often the way you had when you were in college. Not when he had a store to run, food prep to do, and employees to supervise.

You understood even if it did suck somedays to not find him beside you when you woke. Especially the mornings when you woke up and would’ve given almost anything to hold and be held by him just for a little while. Still needs must, and you were sure if you asked he’d be more than happy to cuddle you all evening if you asked it of him. He was incredibly accommodating that way.

With a tired sigh you pulled yourself from the bed and got ready for the day, doing your morning ablutions, picking out the clothes you’d need to wear, and trudging to the kitchen. You yawned as you glanced blearily around the room only to have the whiteboard on the fridge catch your eye.

You and Osamu had agreed to get the thing so the two of you could let one another know if you ran out of things and start a grocery list, since your boyfriend got a little cranky sometimes when he didn’t have the ingredients he needed. However you also used it to pass notes to one another, and it seemed he’d left one for you.

His handwriting was fairly neat though judging from the way it was a little sloppier than usual he’d either been in a hurry or too tired to really concentrate on what he was doing when he wrote it. However, you couldn’t help the fond smile that touched your lips when you read it.

Mornin’ Sweets,

            Made yer favorite fer ya. It’s in the oven. Don’t forget to turn it off when ya take it out. Have a good day. Love ya.

-Samu

           Curious you turned to the oven, which was indeed on, though set at a very low temperature, just enough to keep the food inside warm without cooking it further. You followed his instruction and turned the oven off before pulling the foil covered plate out, peeling the wrap back to see what he’d left you.

            You weren’t able to stop the tender grin that spread across your face as you saw what he’d left you. He had actually made you your favorite breakfast, along with a couple side dishes he no doubt thought you’d like, including little sausages cut like octopi. It must’ve taken him forever, and no doubt forced him to wake up even earlier than he needed to be.

           Your lip trembled slightly your heart feeling so full it almost hurt, touched at the clear care and thought your boyfriend had put into this for you. You honestly couldn’t help tearing up slightly even as you smiled so wide your cheeks hurt. Eventually you managed to get your emotions under control and eat your breakfast feeling like you could almost taste how very much he loved you with each bite.

           Before you left for work you made sure to leave him a voicemail, knowing he wouldn’t see it until later, but wanting to express your appreciation all the same in the best way you could for the moment.