#quality time

Sunday mornings were nice and quiet.

No alarms.

No rushing.

Just the two of you.

You stretched under the blankets, bonnet halfway off, tryna run away in your sleep, beside you, Jaafar was still half asleep, his own bonnet somehow still sitting perfectly on his head.

You turned your head toward him and smiled.

"Today's wash day."

He opened one eye to look at you.

"...Already?"

You laughed.

"Already, I told you yesterday."

Jaafar groaned dramatically before rolling over to lay his face on your shoulder.

"I don't wanna."

"You say this every single time."

"Because every single time you torture me."

"You literally have curls. You need moisture."

"I need sleep."

"You need shampoo, I know it's crusty under there."

"Five more minutes, Mama."

"You said that twenty minutes ago."

"Did I?"

"You did."

— — — – – – – – – 

About thirty minutes later, the bathroom looked exactly like it always did on wash days.

Products lined up across the counter.

Shampoo.

Deep conditioner.

Leave-in conditioner.

Hair masks.

Curl cream.

Mousse.

Hair oil.

Heat protectant.

Wide-tooth combs.

Detangling brushes.

Silk wraps.

Bonnets.

Shower caps.

Spray bottles.

Everything.

"Alright," you rubbed your hands together.

"My turn first."

Jaafar sighed, as if you'd just sentenced him to life in prison, before sitting on the little shower stool.

You gently pushed his bonnet back.

His hair immediately puffed out.

"There he is, my handsome baby."

He smiled.

"You say that every time."

"And I'll keep saying it."

He reached for your waist.

"And you're still the prettiest girl I know."

You smiled, kissing the top of his forehead.

"Flattery ain't gon' get you outta wash day."

"It was worth a shot."

— — — — – – – – – 

Warm water ran over his curls as you carefully soaked every strand.

You massaged shampoo into his scalp.

Your fingertips worked in gentle circles across his head.

Jaafar's shoulders immediately relaxed.

"That actually feels nice."

"I know."

"...Babe."

"Hm?"

"Why the water so cold?"

You stared at him.

"...It's literally warm."

"It ain't."

"You so dramatic."

"I'm finna report you."

"You finna report me?"

"Yeah."

"To who?"

"Don't worry about it."

"I'll find somebody."

— — – – – – – – – 

After the second shampoo, you rinsed everything clean before working conditioner through his hair.

When you finished, you pulled a shower cap over his head.

"There."

"Now sit."

"I've been sitting."

"Then sit quieter."

He rolled his eyes.

"Yes, ma'am."

— — – – – – – 

"Your turn."

You slipped your bonnet off before undoing the four big braids you'd slept in.

Your natural hair fell around your shoulders.

Jaafar literally stopped blinking.

Even after all this time

He still looked at you like he'd never seen anything prettier.

"You know".

"I really love your hair."

"You've seen it a thousand times."

"And?"

"It still amazes me."

"You are such a sap."

"You love it."

"I do."

— — – – – – – – – 

His hands were unbelievably gentle.

He wet your hair little by little before working shampoo through your curls.

His fingers massaged your scalp.

You actually closed your eyes.

"Okay."

"I get it now."

"Hm?"

"This feels amazing."

"Told you."

He smiled proudly.

"I know my job."

After your second shampoo, he coated every section with conditioner before twisting your hair up underneath another shower cap.

"There."

"Perfect."

— — – – – – – – – 

Once you both finished letting the conditioner sit, you rinsed everything out together before moving into the bedroom.

Jaafar sat behind you while you sat comfortably on the floor between his legs.

He applied leave-in conditioner throughout your curls.

Section by section.

Then came the detangling.

He never rushed.

Never yanked.

Every knot was worked through gently while he quietly apologized whenever he accidentally pulled too hard.

"Sorry."

"You barely pulled it."

"I still felt bad."

You laughed.

"You're too sweet."

When your hair was finally detangled, he coated it with heat protectant before carefully blow-drying every section.

Tomorrow was your appointment for your braids, and he wanted your hair as healthy as possible before you got it done.

— — – – – – – – – 

Then it was your turn.

You repeated the exact same process with his hair.

Leave-in.

Detangle.

Heat protectant.

Blow-dry.

The whole time, he just sat there letting you play in his hair.

"I could honestly fall asleep."

"You better not."

"I'm trying."

— – — — — — – – – 

Once both of your hairs were finished

Face masks.

You stood together in the bathroom mirror, looking absolutely ridiculous.

Green clay covered both of your faces.

Jaafar pointed at your reflection.

"You kinda look scary."

"You literally look exactly the same."

"Fair point."

After rinsing everything off, you braided your own hair back into four loose braids before slipping your bonnet back on.

Then you turned toward Jaafar.

"Come here."

"My turn?"

"Yep."

His hair wasn't nearly long enough for proper braids.

That didn't stop you.

You somehow managed four tiny little braids sticking in completely different directions.

You stepped back.

"...Perfect."

Jaafar looked in the mirror.

"...Baby."

"Yes?"

"I look insane."

"You look adorable."

Before he could stop you

You had already taken three pictures.

"I'm posting these."

"You better not."

"I absolutely am."

He chased you around the room, laughing while you held your phone to your chest.

— — — – – — — — – 

Eventually, both of you gave up.

You ordered dinner.

Layed up together underneath a blanket on the couch.

And put on Captain EO.

The original version, perks of dating a Jackson

Halfway through the movie

Neither of you were actually watching anymore, having seen it only a million times.

Jaafar more than you since he’s been watching it since childhood. 

Your head rested against his shoulder.

His fingers traced shapes along your arm.

The food containers on the coffee table.

The TV continued playing in the background as you both just enjoyed the presence of each other. 

Eventually

Both of you drifted off to sleep.

Bonnets still on, but not for long. 

The same way you wished every day could end.

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words of affirmation

eiji also really loves to receive words of affirmation

even after fighting in a war, eijiro still feels himself having a low esteem.

though your encouraging words mean so much to him. you make him feel like he’s a capable hero. you spend hours in bed tangled up together. you hold him as you tell him how amazing he is. how he’s a strong hero, a great person, the perfect partner.

he’d get overwhelmed and cries as you shower him with love. just knowing that you think so highly of him makes him feel worthy. you definitely healed the little middle school kirishima in his heart.

eijiro might as well be a package deal because he is also amazing at giving words of affirmation. the most supportive boyfriend you could ever find.

goes in the mall dressing room with you to see you try on new outfits, he's paying (ofc). “i love that color on you baby.”

don’t even get me started with him dressing you.. flushing your shoulders with kissing as he fixes the strap of your top, every touch making you feel euphoric.

kneeling down to put your shoes on, kissing along your leg as he does. “so beautiful.” he praises the ground you walk on.

when eijiro notices that you’re doing good with work he makes sure to let you know! two big thumbs on the side of his face “doing amazing, beautiful!” and makes kissy faces towards you.

⋆˚࿔ d.kaminari - shows his love by never letting you go (literally)

physical touch

you and denki are constantly found with your hands, legs, (or both) tangled together.

chilling with bakusqaud? feet are kicking each other from across the couch. studying a case file? nope, denki can’t focus until his head is in your lap. completely drunk and dancing at a party? denki’s pressed up against you with his hand ghosting over your ass, letting everyone know you didn’t come here alone.

there’s not a single second of the day when his hands don’t snake their way onto your waist or lower hip, doesn’t matter if you're at home, work, or anywhere else.

because of his touchy tendencies, you two are always showing pda and he loves it.

denki SWEARS he’s trying his best to be respectful in public, but he can’t help but get addicted to the look on other guys faces when they see you leaning up to kiss him. hes so so proud that you choose to be with him.

but don’t be fooled by the lust! denki can be romantic too; though he's forever a dork.

he likes poking at ur sides when he’s teasing you. he kisses your face over and over again when you’re annoyed (until you smile a little).

gift giving

poor denki could be dirt broke, but when you come out of the dressing room wearing a top that perfectly hugs your figure his mouth drops, and his money goes poof.

“it’s so good, let’s get it yeah?” (hes gonna cry to his empty wallet when he gets home)

this prompts a lot of shopping dates which leads to a LOT of matching accessories. matching hats, hoodies, jewelry.

he has a ring with your initial on it he never takes off.

+ plus

denki has u as his lock screen and gives you (his phone) a kiss every morning he can’t sleep by your side.

would tweet: “just fell down to my knees in a walmart parking lot cus my girlfriend hasn’t texted back it been 30 mintues what do i do 💔”

has you and him as his profile picture on instagram and has a highlight of you titled: “my wife (BACK OFF)”

⋆˚࿔ h.sero - shows his love by showing you off

physical touch

he grew up with parents who never left the honeymoon phase, so he knows what it’s like to feel so much love and he knows how to show it. (he also grew up with two younger sisters and an older sister and they made sure he knew the standard!)

so hanta is a romantic confirmed!!

he’ll buy you a big bouquet of flowers. buys you gifts, even for small anniversaries/celebrations. slow dances with you in your living room. prepares a warm bath for you when you're stressed.

and although he’s more mature than denki, hanta still pretty immature. so, he’ll jump at you any opportunity to get his hands on you.

hanta loves when you two are hanging out with friends, sitting on bakugos couch, and he has the chance to wrap his arm around the top of the couch. he possessively hovers his hand over your shoulder, pulling you closer to him whenever someone looks your way.

hanta is taller than you and always uses this to his advantage. squeezing your face when you look up at him. leaning down to give you kisses. holding your side to guide you through crowds.

occasionally, you’ll let him pick you up from your armpits like a cat and dangle you. you don’t know why he likes this; he just does.

words of affirmation

now one of hanta's best qualities is definitely his confidence and the way he talks to you confirms that.

he reassures you without even meaning to. hanta can tell when your down and easily finds the perfect comment that makes your cheeks flush pink and your dopamine levels boost. “look at that,” he practically purrs when you finish an assignment “done already cariño? making me look bad.” he laughs, not caring who hears him.

(quick mention that he also loves to make you laugh; he prides himself in it actually)

showing you off, showing you off, showing you off. everyone knows who the pro-hero cellophane is dating, it's hard not to.

“yeah that’s my girl.” he says it stern, with a smirk on his face. it drives you INSANE.

⋆˚࿔ shinsou - shows his love by keeping you around

quailty time

it took a while for hitoshi to open up but when he did it was overwhelming for him. he thought wouldn’t be able to express his love for you. he soon realized just being in your presence was enough.

you love spending quality time with hitoshi. it doesn’t matter what you're doing, he wants to be there. doing chores together, planning your monthly schedules together, talking walks together.

hitoshi loves to hear you talk and learn more about you but he just loves to hear you laugh.

he likes teasing you like there’s no tomorrow with stupid jokes and stupider insults just to see you laugh over and over again.

physical touch

but once hitoshi gets comfortable, once he gets confident: he also gets cocky and handsy.

comes up to you and whispers in your ear, “come on, can you do it for me, baby?”

favorite cuddle positions is spooning and honestly doesn’t mind whose big or little spoon.

he holds you by the waist as he looks up with you with those eyes.

hitoshi is a jealous guy. he knows you’re fun to be around, he knows you have friends, and he knows it’s wrong to think this, but he hates not being with you.

but he also knows that when you get home, you’ll lay in his arms again and it’ll be alright so he’s patient until he can hold you again.

holding you from behind when you’re leaving to go out with coworkers. he’s kissing your cheek, “‘m gonna miss you. be safe,” gripping onto you like there’s no tomorrow.

once hitoshi learns to love you he never lets you go.

+ plus

he found that he likes to share his clothes with you and finds it funny that you practically drown in his hoodies.

when you give his hoodie back, he puts it on and smiles as the smell of your perfume fills merges into his skin.

gifts (G)

with so much money, it's easy for sylus to spoil you. often, he'll buy things that catch his eye because "they reminded me of you." he loves bringing home new clothes for you to wear, to try on for him. he'll sit down and watch you put on a show for him, even if you initially feel overwhelmed by all his presents. he adores it. he adores the look on your face when you're so torn between gratitude and refusal. because how could you take so much from him? he'll remind you that the dirty work he has to do every day is worth it when he gets to spend his money on you. he tells you he'd feel insulted, offended, if you refused any of his gifts. "you don't like them, sweetie? what's wrong?" he'll drape you with jewelry--gold, silver, and encrusted with gems. real ones, of course. he loves imagining how a necklace would look wrapped around your neck, thinking of your surprise when he'd come home to show you. he goes out of his way to buy you things from your hometown or from foreign cities, things you'd never find in linkon city. he'll buy you a bouquet of flowers, triple the size of your head. he'll keep note of things that catch your eye in stores, then act innocent when they appear in a pretty box on your nightstand. sometimes, it's an addiction. more for him than it is for you. "what do you want? just name it and i'll get it for you. just talk to me, sweetie." he'll find a way to get anything that your heart desires, all to keep you happy. he can't help it. he needs to keep showering you with presents. he needs to see you sparkling like his personal, pretty treasure.

words of affirmation (R)

he'll never say it, but part of him craves it. your words heal him. when you tell him how kind he is, how pure of a soul he has, despite what scraps the world has given him. when you remind him how much you love him, verbally expressing it, looking him in the eye as you say it. his shoulders start to droop, relaxing in your presence. he relies on your praises after a long day, after he's dirtied his hands, yet again. he's getting numb to the danger and you tell him how worried you get. it pulls him back to reality. even if he lost himself, you tell him you'd always pull him back. he believes you. even if you sometimes doubted your strength, he feels so comforted by you. you start leaving him notes everywhere. on a little box of food you packed for him, hidden in his helmet, tucked into his favorite jacket, he finds these scattered pieces of love you leave for him. he can't understand it. he could feel like the world's against him, but you still find a way to anchor him. even when you're not there, you find a way to keep him steady and he loves you for it. he gets so used to your voice. he saves your voice messages, listens quietly when you're singing in the shower, and if you ever gave him the silent treatment? he'd lose his goddamn mind, he'd go insane trying to get you to speak to him again, even if you screamed at him, he just wanted one word. he'd settle for anything. he'd apologize for things he's done, things he hasn't done, "tell me how much you hate me, sweetie, just tell me something."

physical touch (R + G)

yes, he loves touching on you. but he loves it even more when you initiate the experience. he loves knowing you want it just as much as he does. he loves knowing you're just as lovesick as he is. especially in the earlier stages of your relationship, the only times he'll initiate anything is to tease you, to rile you up. he's scared of pressuring you into doing anything he doesn't want to. he doesn't want to force anything onto you. but that means he'll always reciprocate. even when he's in a mood, when he's frustrated or tired, he's always ready to please. if you're down? he's been down since yesterday. when you accompany him to a meeting and you grab onto his arm, like an anchor, he lets you. it feeds his ego, that you feel safer with him, safer around him. like nothing could hurt you in his arms. you told him once how untouchable you felt when he cuddled you in bed. when, before you fell asleep, you mumbled into his chest how secure you felt. it made his heart swell, it made him feel like a good man. that he is able to provide you the feeling of safety and security you deserve. when he's upset with you and you slip your hand into his, he can't help but embrace it. when you squeeze his palm, he can't help but mirror the action. and on the tense nights, he knows you want him. he can easily see your desires, he just loves seeing you taking the action to back it up. and sylus is nothing if not adaptable. he'll cater to your needs he loves seeing you take whatever it is that you want, even if that happens to be him. especially if it happens to be him.

acts of service (G)

it's not an outstanding trait of his, but he'll always do the little things. he'll open doors for you, pull your chair out, walk on the outer side of the sidewalk, hold an umbrella for you when it's raining. but one thing he'll go out of his way to go, without fail, is to help you get dressed. he'll help you choose the right outfit, slipping you into your undergarments and the rest of your clothes the second you step out the shower. he'll zip up the back of your dress, tie the bow in your hair, get on his knees to fit your shoes on. you glance at yourself in the mirror, checking every angle of your makeup and hair, as he admires your reflection. holding your waist, his chest to your back, he takes the moment to pull out new presents for you. he shows you a new pair of garnet earrings, the same shade as his eye, taking it upon himself to adorn you with his gifts. you'll protest, feeling shy under his attention, but he takes his time. "you look absolutely breathtaking, kitten," he purrs in your ear. his long fingers fixing the clasp of the velvet choker at your nape, his cold palm adjusting rings glinting at your knuckles. he unboxes a new perfume, fruity but heady. a bottle in the shape of a cherry, dark crimson and evergreen. the scent is cherry wine. he plants a kiss at each pressure point of your body, spraying the fragrance all over your skin, as if gift-wrapping you.

quality time (G)

actually, it's not the biggest thing on his mind. he has other ways to better show you how much he loves you and cares for you. especially since your sleep schedules only slightly overlap. especially since you're busy at work as a hunter, and he is busy keeping the N109 Zone in check. however. he sees quality time as the segue into other love languages. he's grown to like parallel play. while you're trying to focus on your work, he's assembling a gun right beside you. he watches, amused, as you try to keep your eyes from wandering to him. he waits patiently, glancing to your bouncing leg, you chewing on your lip absentmindedly, not paying attention to the documents in front of you. he loves spending time with you to shower you with attention. he loves staring at your lips until you flush. he loves dragging his gaze down your body, watching goosebumps rise on your skin. he loves going on a walk with you, always half of a step behind you to make sure you're always in his line of sight. he loves taking you out to expensive restaurants, buying things that catch your eye at jewelry auctions. and he loves telling you how busy he is, and then immediately clearing his entire day's schedule the second you ask for a moment of his time. he wants you to know you're the center of his world. he can tell it can overwhelm you sometimes, the feel of his attention, his energy, all focused onto you sometimes too much. but he can't help crowding into your personal space anyway, fitting himself into your daily schedule until you both can't imagine life without one another. because you had somehow meddled your way into his life so easily, so effortlessly, it was only fair for him to do the same.

Wise was leaning against the counter, his sharp eyes scanning a small tablet in his hands. He looked so at ease, so effortlessly in control of everything around him, yet you knew his mind was a constant whirlwind of calculations and plans. That was just who he was. The leader, the strategist, the protector.

And you? You were the quiet observer, the one who trailed after him like a shadow, never too close but never far enough to let him out of your sight.

“Something on your mind?” Wise asked, not looking up from his tablet.

You hesitated before answering. “Not really.”

He hummed, setting the device down. “You’ve been staring at me for a while now.”

“Can’t I just look?”

He chuckled, a rare but genuine sound. “You can. But you usually pretend you’re not.”

Your lips twitched in a ghost of a smile. He wasn’t wrong. You weren’t the type to throw yourself into someone’s arms, to seek warmth through touch. But that didn’t mean you didn’t crave closeness in your own way. And Wise—analytical, perceptive Wise—had picked up on that long ago.

He stretched, rolling his shoulders before walking over to where you sat. “Movie night, then?”

You nodded, grateful he understood without you having to explain. He grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch, tossing it over both of your legs as he settled into the chair next to you. Close enough that you could feel his presence, but not touching. It was perfect.

As the movie played, you caught him glancing at you from the corner of your eye. You didn’t acknowledge it, but you didn’t mind, either. He liked quality time, and so did you—just on your own terms.

At some point, Wise let out a content sigh, resting his chin on his hand. “You know,” he mused, “for someone who hates skin contact, you’re awfully clingy.”

Your face warmed, but you refused to look at him. “Shut up.”

He laughed again, and it was soft, teasing. “I don’t mind.”

You finally turned to meet his gaze, his eyes reflecting nothing but quiet understanding. You exhaled, shoulders relaxing. No words were needed. He knew you, just as you knew him. And that was enough.

The city continued its restless hum outside, but in the warmth of Random Play, time slowed, leaving just the two of you in comfortable silence. Together, yet apart—just the way you needed it to be.