"Oh." Hiromi's steps come to a slow stop. There's a head full of brown spiked hair and a trademark trench coat some paces away. What a coincidence.

@ofcursedenergy

Sakura widens his heterochromia eyes to see the cake prepared by the one who is known as Tiger of West Junior High. "You...." It came as a shock to him that someone had a cake for him.

Sakura's face becomes like a scarlet, blushing pink as he begins to shake. He shut his eyes tightly. What's more......it's the kind of the cake he wanted to try. One that he never get to have until now.

Half-chocolate and half-vanilla with cherries on top. He opens his eyes then says,

"You..." He can't help, fidgeting a little, "T-thank you, Itadori....Yuji." He said then he lowers his head before a smile appears at his lips, before looking up at Itadori before taking the card. He holds it between his hands like it's the best gift ever. He will keep it with him as a remembrance.

Kisho takes the fruit and thanks him for it. It's an orange, and he goes to peel it. "I am. Last mission got me beat, but I can manage. Got another coming up, so I'm going to take it easy before it comes." He said. Even with a good night's rest, it didn't put Kisho at ease seeing Yuji like this. He hates seeing his friend like this.

"Itadori...." Kisho begins, "Yuji." He said his first name, "You know it's okay...to take a break, or ask for help." He tells him as he starts to peel the rind and starts to place the slices into a small bowl.

- Suguru to Toji

unprompted ask || always accepting || @ofcursedenergy

"This is sisig," Neela explained, her bracelets clinking as she moved to indicate the plate, "It's a little spicy the way Lola makes it but it's so good! You'll love it." Wide eyes glittered upon catching the tray of her favorite fried spring rolls. "Oh, and you HAVE to try her lumpia" the plate was nudged toward young Yuji, "and her garlic rice. You won't regret it! This is some of the best food on the planet. Trust me."

Whatever anxiety Suguru had been feeling, it went completely unnoticed. And when Satoru called out the lack of any initiated reciprocation after this second kiss of theirs, he didn't really expect anything to happen, done more to deflect his own nerves than anything else.

But Suguru agreed, and it happened: the space eliminated between them again, their lips met for the third time in a week (that was an awful lot, he'd think, if his brain wasn't all but static at the moment), and a small noise involuntarily left his throat in surprise at the eagerness of it when he was pulled close. It wasn't that he didn't like it — rather the opposite once he has time to register it all — it was just... more than he expected, sooner than he expected.

Eyes slid open as he felt the other's arms wrap around him (something a little more familiar), but even after being told Happy New Year, he could only stare back, trying to find his words while also trying to fight down the heat he could feel rising to his face. The last thing he needed right now was to blush. After visibly struggling to say anything, Satoru abruptly blurted out: "I was right. You were desperate for me to kiss you under that mistletoe!" Well, it was something, if possibly moment-ruining; or maybe not, given how used his behavior Suguru must be by now.

He began to notice the position they were in, the slight awkwardness of him being turned at the waist towards Suguru, arms around him while they sat side-by-side. "Hold on..." In a bold move that he hoped would be more comfortable but would likely do nothing to calm the fluttering in his chest, Satoru placed his hands on Suguru's shoulders and, carefully, started to maneuver himself over him: one knee on either side of him, his back to the television, and lowering himself back down until he was straddling his lap.

Now they were really face-to-face.

"Better?" Statement or question? He didn't wait for an answer, laughter bubbling up in soft chuckles before he could stop it, part nerves, part just from the sheer innocent ridiculousness of it all. Hands sliding toward the ends of Suguru's shoulders, he leaned down and hid his face near the crook of his neck.

"... Now what, Suguru?" He paused, all the potential consequences of what they just did beginning to fill his head as he collected himself. The mistletoe was one thing, but there was no real turning back after tonight, was there? In a moment of vulnerability, even a hint of worry, Satoru asked, quietly:

****

"I'll get on it then... sugar and cream?"

Oh the reigns she was having to mentally pull to keep a volital temper at bay. Her older brother, Takara, was like this as well. Snarky and very punchable. But for the sake of this alliance, she would behave... even if she didn't care for her clan or this marriage. Besides being snarky and rude, Naoya had yet to give her a reason to passive aggressively toss him out the window of their shared domicile.

"Would you like a snack as well?"

❝ Eh. . . ? ❞ A faint little sound escapes, her lips puckering slightly,❝ You say that like it's supposed to help or somethin'.❞ A murmur, ❝ If pain's always gonna be there, then what exactly is the point of pretending it doesn't hurt?❞

Slowly a centipede crawls up her sleeve, ❝ Guess that's easy to say when you don't feel nothin'. Must be nice.❞ It's not that she was mocking, quite the opposite⸻curious in a way that sounds more like disbelief than judgement. Slowly her red eyes drift away, her expression relaxing. ❝ I don't I'd wanna forget what it feels like, even if it's inconvenient.❞