#tomoyasu

He’s not very good at being affectionate and romantic in public, for one thing. If you act that way with him where others can see, fine, whatever, it doesn’t really bother him; just don’t expect him to reciprocate, at least not to the degree that you act. Much as he adores you, he doesn’t like seeming vulnerable around other people. That kind of thing can be exploited as a weakness, so he tries to hide it. He’ll return a kiss or give your hand a squeeze, but… there won’t be much passion in public gestures.

Even in private, though, it’s not usually easy for him to relax. Sometimes it feels like if he isn’t constantly working on something, he’s just… failing at life. But of course, that’s precisely the reason he needs to relax a little. He’s nearly always very stiff at first, mumbling some excuse about having something to do, and resisting your touch. It’s as if he has to let himself have ‘permission’ to chill out. Luckily, the simple fact that you want to spend time with him, unadulterated by any kind of responsibilities, often makes him soft. To the point that it’s easier, only around you, to let all the stress and worry melt down into something far more manageable. When he’s with you, he believes that everything else should come second ― time for you is time for you, and his being preoccupied with other things is disrespectful to his beloved. Though it takes practice, to feel his muscles go completely limp under your fingertips is the best.

Tends to rest his head on your shoulder or in your lap during cuddle sessions. Particularly around you, he has been trying to let his walls down a bit, so most of the time when you’re together, (only in private), he silently reminds you that there’s a lot weighing him down. So… he occasionally has to put it all down. The safest way to do so is to let you hold him for  awhile. He likes to watch TV or read books this way, too… snuggled up with you, head nuzzled into your neck or laying atop your thighs. You quiet his mind, somehow, and give him something more gentle to focus on. It’s a good thing he doesn’t have a Quirk which relies on stress to power it, because moments like this take it all away. (He has never been so glad to not be Rikiya Yotsubashi in his life…)

Regardless of anything else, he’s incredibly gentle with you during romantic moments, particularly in public. (Obviously, sex is another story!) He’s careful in where he puts hi hands, he doesn’t dare use any real kind of force, and even if you’re trying to work him up or get his attention, he displays a level of restraint that rivals a vow of celibacy. He does like to hold your hand… well. When he’s able to. Often his own hands are busy with his laptop, so, he can’t always take your hand. It’s a cautious gesture when he does, though.

Hugs from Tomoyasu are… desperate, in a way? Maybe he’s paranoid, but it’s a frequent thought in his mind: I could lose you, couldn’t I? Something could go wrong. And I could lose you. And it would be my fault that I didn’t ― couldn’t ― keep you safe. He knows he’s physically not the strongest person, and… while his Quirk is powerful, it really doesn’t tie directly into strength. He’s convinced he can’t do anything to protect you, so instead, he holds onto you tightly when he can. It scares him, the thought that a failure of his could lead to something bad happening to you. So he clings to you. He holds you in his arms for much longer than most people would consider a hug to last. With him, it’s more of a standing cuddle, except all his muscles are tensed with this singular purpose of holding you as close as possible. He nestles his face against your neck, rubs his hands up and down the small of your back, pats between your shoulder blades. It’s technically a hug! Just… a very, very long one.

Suffice it to say, his ‘hug’ is enough of an emotionally-charged romantic gesture that he doesn’t hug you like this around other people. When he does hug you in public, it’s nothing like his real hugs. In public, it’s fleeting, casual; more often than not, just a one-armed return to a hug you’ve given him. His arm loops around your waist briefly, maybe a quick squeeze, before he pulls away to continue whatever else he’s doing. His hugs in public and private are like night and day.

His kisses work in a similar way to his hugs. In public? You’ll be lucky if you get a peck on the cheek. It lasts half a second, tops… though, if he happens to be around the rest of the MLA and them only, he will occasionally be holding your hand, and tug it upwards to brush his lips over your knuckles. Kissing a partner’s hand is quite romantic, isn’t it? Particularly given his focus on hands in general, considering how much he uses his own, mirroring it and giving some attention to your hands is a bit of a significant gesture for him, even if it doesn’t last long.