k౨ৎ

welcome to the library! enjoy a story with me?

attack on titan

armin arlert - heaven

jean kirstein - style

jean kirstein - jealous

tokyo ghoul

rize kamishiro - toxic

ken kaneki - bite marks

touka kirishima - before we knew

jujutsu kaisen

yuji itadori - you look cold

yuji itadori - kissing practice

megumi fushiguro - awkward…

my hero academia

w.c - 650 cw: dark romance themes, ghoul/human relationship, implied violence, angst, i think thats it idk?

if you dont know shes a ghoul

• Dating Rize feels almost too perfect. She’s charming, confident, and always seems to know exactly how to make you smile.

• She loves quiet dates, cafés, bookstores, late night walks, or just sitting together talking for hours.

• She always orders coffee instead of food. If you offer her a bite, she’ll just smile and say she isn’t hungry.

• She’s naturally affectionate in private. Holding your hand, resting her head on your shoulder, wrapping an arm around your waist, it all comes so naturally to her.

• She always insists on walking you home, especially at night. You think she’s just protective.

• Sometimes she’ll disappear for a day or two with a vague excuse like, “Something came up.” She always comes back acting like nothing happened.

• She’s incredibly observant. She notices when your mood changes before you even say anything and somehow remembers every little detail about you.

• You’ll occasionally catch her staring at you with a strange, almost guilty expression. When you ask what’s wrong, she just smiles and says, “Nothing.”

• She avoids talking about her personal life. Questions about her family or where she was all day are usually met with a playful change of subject.

• If a stranger makes you uncomfortable, Rize somehow always notices first. By the time you look back, they’re already gone.

• She treasures the normal moments with you more than anything, even if you never realize why. Deep down, she’s constantly afraid that one day you’ll find out the truth and look at her differently.

if you DO know shes a ghoul

• From the beginning, you knew what Rize was. There was never a moment where she had to reveal some huge secret or worry about you finding out. She was just Rize, the girl you loved who happened to be a ghoul.

• She was surprised you treated her so normally. She expected fear, curiosity, or discomfort, but instead you just asked if she wanted to get coffee with you.

• Rize loves that she doesn’t have to pretend around you. She can drop the charming, effortless persona and just exist without worrying about keeping up appearances.

• She still teases you about being human.

“You know you have terrible survival instincts, right?”

Usually followed by her pulling you closer because, despite the teasing, she’s always watching out for you.

• She’s extremely protective. She knows exactly how dangerous her world can be, so she’s careful about where she takes you and who she lets near you.

• Sometimes you catch her watching you with this unreadable expression. When you ask what she’s thinking, she’ll just say,

“I’m wondering how someone like you ended up with someone like me.”

• She struggles with the fact that you’re willing to love her despite knowing the truth. Part of her believes you’ll eventually realize you deserve someone easier.

• Rize isn’t great at expressing genuine feelings, so she shows her love through actions. She remembers everything about you, checks that you got home safely, and notices when something is bothering you before you say anything.

• She’s still independent and difficult to read, but with you, she lets herself be softer. You’re one of the few people who gets to see the quieter side of her.

• She hates when you worry about her after she disappears for a while. She isn’t used to someone caring whether she comes back.

• You’d probably have to remind her that you’re not with her because you’re unaware of what she is, you’re with her because you know exactly who she is.

• She’d never admit it, but being loved by a human means more to her than she knows how to handle. To Rize, you choosing her despite everything is proof that maybe she’s more than the monster everyone expects her to be.

• She’d still be herself, confident, teasing, unpredictable, and a little impossible. But with you, she’d have one place where she doesn’t have to be untouchable.

w.c - 1.3k c.w: cursing, awkwardness, tension, slight anxiety and self consciousness

The first thing you noticed about Megumi Fushiguro was how quiet he was.

Not shy quiet, just observant. Like he was always watching everything around him and deciding whether it was worth his attention. Most people found him intimidating because of it, but after spending enough time around him, you realized Megumi was just bad at expressing himself.

Which somehow made your crush on him worse.

Because once you started noticing the little things, there was no going back.

The way he'd wordlessly hand you a water after training before you even realized you were thirsty. The way he always walked slightly closer to the curb when the group went into the city. The way his expression softened, barely, but enough whenever you laughed at something stupid Yuji said.

"You're staring again."

You nearly dropped your chopsticks. Across the table, Yuji looked unbearably smug.

"I am not."

"You are."

"I'm literally eating."

"You can eat and stare at the same time."

You forced your attention down to your food. "You're imagining things."

Yuji leaned across the table slightly. "So if I look over there right now, Megumi won't already be looking at you?"

Your head snapped up immediately.

Yuji burst out laughing.

"Oh my god," he wheezed. "That's actually evil. I can't believe that worked."

You kicked his leg under the table.

"Ow!"

"Shut up," you muttered, mortified.

Unfortunately, your reaction had been enough.

Yuji stared at you for a moment, realization slowly spreading across his face. "No way."

You froze. "No," you said immediately.

"You like Megumi."

"No, I don't."

"You absolutely do."

"I absolutely don't."

"You're blushing."

"That's because you're being annoying."

Yuji sat back in his chair with the expression of someone who had just uncovered the world's greatest mystery. "This is insane."

"It's really not."

"How long?"

You groaned quietly and covered your face with one hand. "Can you not make this a thing?"

"How long?" he repeated.

"A while."

You glared at him. "Lower your voice before I actually kill you."

Yuji immediately lowered it, though he still looked way too entertained.

"Does Nobara know?"

"No."

"Maki?"

"No."

"Gojo sensei?"

"Absolutely not."

Yuji nodded seriously. "Good. He'd make your life unbearable."

"That's exactly why I haven't told anyone."

He rested his chin in his hand, still grinning. "You know, this makes so much sense now."

"What does?"

"The way you act around him."

You frowned slightly. "I act normal around him."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do."

"You get quieter."

"I do not."

"You do," Yuji said. "You act like you're scared of saying the wrong thing."

That caught you off guard a little because he wasn't exactly wrong.

You weren't usually awkward around people. But Megumi made you hyperaware of everything you said and did. Whether your hair looked stupid. Whether you were talking too much. Whether he secretly found you annoying.

It was exhausting.

Yuji's expression softened slightly. "You know Megumi likes you, right?"

You stared at him for a moment. "What?"

Yuji blinked. "Wait, you seriously haven't noticed?"

"Noticed what?"

"The way he acts around you."

You laughed once under your breath. "Yuji, Megumi barely acts around anyone."

"Exactly. But he does around you."

Before you could respond, the cafeteria doors opened and Megumi walked in.

Your stomach immediately betrayed you with that stupid familiar nervous twist.

And Yuji, of course, noticed. Again.

"You're doing it right now," he whispered aggressively.

"Stop looking at me."

Megumi approached the table, hands in his pockets. "What are you two walking about?"

"Nothing," you answered way too fast.

Yuji looked between both of you, then smiled slowly in the most dangerous way possible. You knew that expression. It meant he was about to ruin your life.

"You know," Yuji said casually, "I think you should spend more time with her."

You stared at him.

Megumi frowned slightly. "Why?"

"Because she likes being around you."

The world stopped. It felt like your soul had actually left your body.

Yuji's eyes widened a full second too late as realization hit him.

Megumi went completely still.

You slowly turned towards Yuji with a look that was absolutely full of violence.

"Oops."

"You idiot," you whispered.

"Listen, I didn't mean-"

You interrupted him by standing up. You stood so fast your chair scraped loudly against the floor and you were dizzy for a split second.

"I'm going to kill you."

Then you walked out before either of them could stop you.

-

You avoided Megumi for almost two days afterward.

Not intentionally at first. The first day you genuinely had a mission with Nobara. The second day though, maybe you were hiding just a little bit. Or maybe a lot.

You were sitting outside near the dorm steps late that evening when footsteps approached. You already knew who it was before looking up.

Megumi stopped a few feet away from you, hands shoved into his pockets.

"You've been avoiding me."

Straight to the point. Of course.

You looked down at the drink in your hands. "No, I haven't."

He gave you a look that clearly said he knew you were lying.

"I'm sorry about Yuji," you said quietly after a moment. "He has no filter."

Megumi sat beside you on the steps, leaving just enough space between your shoulders to make you painfully aware of it.

"He told me it slipped out."

"I'm still going to strangle him."

"That's fair."

You smiled despite yourself.

For a moment, neither of you spoke. Crickets buzzed softly somewhere nearby, and the campus was unusually calm tonight.

Then Megumi sighed quietly.

"You know," he said, staring out at the courtyard, "Yuji's not exactly subtle either."

You glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

"He's been trying to figure out if I like you for months."

Your brain stalled.

"What?"

Megumi looked almost annoyed at himself for admitting it.

"He kept asking weird questions. Like why I always partnered with you during training."

"You do that with everyone."

"No, I don't."

The answer came so easily that it stunned both of you a little.

Megumi looked away first.

You felt your heart start racing again.

"Oh."

He rubbed the back of his neck, visibly uncomfortable now. "I'm not really good at this."

"At what?"

"This." He gestured vaguely between you both. "Talking about feelings."

A nervous laugh escaped you. "Yeah. I noticed."

That earned the faintest smile from him.

It disappeared quickly, but you caught it.

"I didn't say anything because I figured you probably didn't feel the same way," he admitted. "And I didn't want to make things awkward."

You stared at him for a second, trying to process the fact that Megumi Fushiguro, serious, guarded Megumi, had apparently been worrying about you rejecting him.

"You really thought that?"

He looked genuinely confused. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Megumi," you said carefully, "you're probably one of the most attractive people I've ever met."

The words slipped out before you could stop them.

His eyes widened slightly.

You immediately wanted to just evaporate.

"Okay," you muttered. covering your face, "forget I said that."

"No."

You peeked at him through your fingers.

Megumi's face was a little red now too, which honestly made the situation feel less terrifying.

"I like you," he admitted quietly.

"I like you too."

For the first time since sitting down beside you, Megumi actually looked relieved.

And then.

"FINALLY!"

Both of you whipped around.

Yuji was leaning halfway out of a nearby window with the biggest grin you'd ever seen.

You stared at him in horror. "Were you listening to us?"

"I had to make sure it worked!" Yuji said before disappearing back inside.

You looked back at Megumi, embarrassed laughter escaping under your breath.

"This is humiliating."

"A little," he admitted.

"But at least Yuji was right about one thing."

Megumi raised an eyebrow slightly. "What?"

You smiled softly.

"I do like being around you."

The look Megumi gave you then was small and quiet enough to make your chest ache.

"Good," he said.

And somehow, coming from him, that meant everything.

if you would like to support it my wattpad is victorianporcelain and the name of the fanfic is orbiting you

Could be school or university mates.

w.c - 1.1k cw: violence, guns, blood, death, hunting/killing, tragic ending...

The first thing Touka had noticed about you was that you never looked afraid of her. Not intimidated, not infatuated, just comfortable. And that irritated her.

You'd sit beside her during lectures without asking, borrow her notes because your handwriting looked like "a crime against humanity", and somehow convinced her to split a convenience store coffee with you every Tuesday morning.

"You know," you said one rainy afternoon, "people make you seem scary."

"I am."

"I don't buy it."

"You're annoying."

"You keep sitting with me."

"You sat here first."

"Sure."

She hated how your grin made her hide a smile of her own.

-

You had another life.

One that Touka never saw.

One nobody ever saw.

When classes ended, you disappeared into a sleek black vehicle with windows dark enough to hide the world inside.

Down beneath the city, training halls echoed with gunshots, steel struck steel, instructors barked orders.

You were one of the academy's most promising recruits.

Raised from a childhood under a government organization dedicated to exterminating ghouls.

Every lesson had been the same.

"Ghouls imitate people."

"They lie."

"Never hesitate."

"Mercy gets you killed."

You believed every word they fed to you.

How couldn't you?

It was all you had ever known.

-

Touka had secrets too.

When she left campus, she stopped by Anteiku. She helped serve coffee and would laugh quietly with familiar faces.

And sometimes, late at night. She hunted.

Only enough to survive, only people already dead. Only because she had no other choice.

She wondered sometimes what you would think if you knew. Would you still smile at her? Would you still sit beside her? Would you still split a coffee with her every Tuesday without fail?

The answer terrified her enough that she never asked. She believed it was best to never bring it up. After the semester ended, she wouldn't have to see you, and she wouldn't have to worry about how you would react if you ever found out.

-

One night in the middle of fall, the two of you sat on the rooftop of the university together. You looked up at the stars, admiring them. They always shined through the best and worst nights.

Touka broke the comfortable silence, "You never talk about your family."

You froze before responding, "It's complicated."

"Mine too."

After that it was silence for a long while. Comfortable silence, because it was never awkward between you.

Then, she quietly rested her head against your shoulder while you looked out at the bright lights of the city.

The moment lasted maybe twenty seconds before the weight of her was removed from your shoulder. Neither of you acknowledged it. But afterward, everything had changed.

-

People began to assume you were dating before either of you would admit to it.

"You two are disgustingly obvious." Stated a classmate.

"We're not dating."

"No?"

"No."

Touka looked away. "Not officially."

"Touka."

"What?"

"Are you asking me out?"

"Shut up."

You laughed so hard she punched you in the arm. Not hard though, but just enough to make you laugh harder."

"Idiot."

"So that's a yes?"

"Yeah."

-

For three months life was almost normal.

You shared movie nights, studied until two in the morning, held hands beneath desks, argued over whose turn it was to pay, shared kisses beneath train station roofs while rain drowned out the city above.

You started imagining a future together.

An apartment. A cat. Graduating together. Growing old together. It felt so possible, and for once everything was going your way. In this life of obstacles that were thrown at you, you finally got one thing for yourself.

-

Touka was happy. You made her happy.

But she knew deep down this couldn't last forever.

Eventually you would figure it out. Whether she told you, or you were smart enough to put the pieces together yourself.

She didn't want to end this, but she didn't know how long she could let it go on. She knew that the longer it went on, the more it would hurt both of you when it ended.

That was a pain she wasn't looking forward to, and a pain you weren't ever going to expect.

-

One evening, your instructor placed a photograph on the table.

It was a security camera image of a masked ghoul. A rabbit.

This rabbit was responsible for eliminating several investigators.

Your mission leader spoke calmly, "She is considered extremely dangerous."

The red eyes of the mask stared back at you through the photo. You memorized every detail of it.

"You'll be participating in the operation."

Your stomach tightened.

"Understood."

This would be the first real, serious, mission that you were going on. It was anxiety inducing and made you almost sick. But this was what you trained so hard for for years.

-

The same evening, Touka arrived late for your date.

You had become increasingly more worried as time passed. You thought back to the masked ghoul you were shown earlier.

"She is considered extremely dangerous."

The words repeated in your head.

When Touka arrived, there was dried blood beneath her fingernails.

She had scrubbed her hands. Twice. She imagined she could still smell it.

"I'm sorry."

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"You seem upset."

Touka wanted to tell you everything she had been hiding. Instead, she leaned forward and kissed your forehead.

"I'm just tired." She said with a reassuring smile.

-

The operation began before sunrise.

Your squad surrounded the abandoned warehouses. Radio chatter filled the air.

"Rabbit sighted."

Your heartbeat quickened. This was it. You could seriously prove yourself.

Then. She appeared.

Blue hair.

Purple eyes.

The same eyes you'd memorized every day since you sat beside her in class.

"Touka."

Her mask slipped just enough. She stared straight at you.

"No."

Silence.

It felt like the world had stopped spinning.

Your fellow investigators raised their weapons to her.

Touka's kagune unfolded.

Someone shouted, "Fire!"

It felt like everything was moving in slow motion.

Without thinking, you moved forward.

Standing between Touka and your own squad.

Bullets ricocheted.

"What the hell are you doing?" Someone shouted at you.

"She's not a monster!" You shouted.

"You've been manipulated!"

"No!"

You turned to face Touka.

"I know her!"

Her hands trembled slightly.

"You shouldn't."

"I do."

"You don't know me."

"You're the girl who complains when i steal your fries, the girl who falls asleep in libraries, the girl," you cut yourself off.

You stood there for a moment before you finished what you began to say, "The girl I love."

The word stuck. Because saying it now made everything real.

"I love you."

The warehouse fell silent.

Touka slowly removed her mask. Tears blurred her vision.

Neither side lowered their weapon.

Investigators called you a traitor, and the other ghouls called you prey. Neither world wanted what stood between them.

One step.

Then another.

She met you halfway.

"I love you too." She said through tears.

And that was all.

w.c - 1.1k cw: sexual tension, biting, marking/bruising, kissing, possessive language, (idk what else)

The air in Kaneki's apartment feels different tonight, charged, electric. You can feel his eyes on you from across the room, that familiar intensity that makes your pulse quicken. He's been quiet since you arrived, but it's not the comfortable silence you're used to. This is something else. Something restless.

"Come here," he says, voice low and rough.

You cross the space between you, and when you're close enough, he reaches out, fingers curling around your wrist. His grip is firm, almost desperate. He pulls you down onto the couch beside him, and you can feel the tension radiating off him in waves.

"Bad day?" you ask softly.

His jaw tightens. "Something like that."

You've been together long enough to know when he needs you close, when touch speaks louder than words. You lean into him, and his arm wraps around your waist, pulling you against his chest. His heartbeat is rapid beneath your palm, and when you look up at him, there's something in his eyes you can't quite read, something dark and hungry that makes your breath catch.

“Hey," you murmur, reaching up to cup his face. "I'm here."

That's all it takes. Kaneki moves suddenly, shifting until he's hovering over you, one hand braced against the couch cushion, the other sliding up to cup your jaw. His thumb traces your lower lip, and when you part them slightly, his eyes darken in a way you've never seen before.

"You have no idea," he whispers, voice strained. "No idea what you do to me."

His lips find yours, and the kiss is immediately intense, demanding, almost frantic. There's a desperation in it that's new, thrilling. His tongue slides against yours as his hand moves from your jaw to the back of your neck, fingers tangling in your hair. You can feel something coiled tight in every movement, like he's fighting against himself even as he kisses you deeper.

When he breaks away, you're both breathing hard. His forehead rests against yours for a moment before he trails his lips along your jaw, down to that sensitive spot just below your ear. You shiver, fingers clutching at his shoulders.

"Kaneki," you breathe.

His mouth moves lower, kissing and sucking at the column of your throat. Each touch feels more urgent than the last, building something you can't name. His hand slides under your shirt, fingers splaying across your ribs, and you can feel him trembling.

Then you feel it, the scrape of teeth against your pulse point. Harder than you expected. Sharper.

And then he bites down.

The shock of it steals your breath. Pain blooms sharp and sudden where his teeth sink into the soft flesh of your neck, and you gasp, body going rigid beneath him. It's not gentle. It's not playful. It's real, intense, and primal, and completely unexpected.

"Kaneki. What."

He freezes immediately, teeth still pressed against your skin. You can feel him shaking now, feel the war happening inside him. Then slowly, so slowly, he releases you, pulling back just enough to meet your eyes.

The look on his face is devastating, equal parts shame, fear, and desperate need. His pupils are blown wide, and there's something almost feral in his expression that you've never seen before.

"I'm sorry," he chokes out. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I couldn't.”

Your hand comes up to touch your neck, fingers finding the wet heat where his teeth broke skin. Not bleeding, but marked. Claimed. The sting of it pulses in time with your heartbeat, and something shifts inside you as understanding dawns.

This is what he's been holding back. This is what he's been afraid to show you.

"Kaneki," you say softly, and his eyes squeeze shut like he's bracing for rejection. "Look at me."

When he does, you see the vulnerability there, raw and exposed. So you tilt your head deliberately, exposing more of your throat. An answer. An invitation.

"Don't stop."

His eyes widen. "What?"

"I said don't stop." Your voice is steadier now, even as your heart races.

Something breaks in his expression, relief, and hunger, and gratitude all at once. "Are you sure?"

You pull him down to you, lips brushing against his ear. "Show me."

The sound he makes is almost a growl. His mouth finds your neck again, and this time when he bites down, you're ready for it. The pain is sharp and bright, but underneath it is something else, heat, pleasure, the intimacy of him finally letting go. You gasp, but this time you arch into it instead of away, and he groans against your skin.

He doesn't stop at one. His mouth moves across your collarbone, biting down again, harder. The sensation is overwhelming, each bite sending sparks of pleasure and pain through your body. Your fingers dig into his shoulders, and you hear yourself making sounds you've never made before.

"Fuck," he mutters against your skin, voice wrecked. "You feel so good. Taste so good."

His hands push up your shirt as his mouth continues its path, your chest, your shoulders, the soft skin above your collarbone. Some bites are quick, testing. Others are deep and possessive, leaving marks you know will last for days. And with each one, you feel him relaxing into it, accepting that you're not going to push him away.

When he bites down on the curve where your neck meets your shoulder, sucking hard enough to bruise, you cry out, back arching off the couch. The sound seems to drive him wild. He pulls back just enough to look at what he's done, the constellation of marks blooming across your skin, and his expression is pure awe.

"Beautiful," he breathes. "You're so fucking beautiful like this."

You pull him into a kiss, tasting the desperation and relief on his lips. When you break apart, you're both trembling, both breathing hard.

Slowly, carefully, he helps you sit up. His fingers trace over the marks he's left, gentle now, almost reverent. There are so many red and purple marks blooming across your throat, your shoulders, your chest. Evidence of what he's been hiding, what you've now shared.

"I've wanted to do that since we first got together," he admits quietly. "But I was afraid. Afraid you'd think I was a monster."

You catch his hand, bringing it to your lips. "You're not a monster. You're mine."

His eyes shine with emotion as he pulls you against his chest, arms wrapping around you protectively. You can feel his heartbeat gradually slowing to match yours, the intensity fading into something softer but no less intimate.

"Thank you," he murmurs into your hair. "For trusting me. For not running."

You press a kiss to his jaw, feeling the marks on your skin pulse with each movement. "Never."

Because this, the trust, the revelation, the acceptance, this is what love looks like. All of it, even the parts that surprise you. Especially those parts.

And you wouldn't trade it for anything.

w.c - 0.7k cw: kissing, slight tension, awkwardness

The first time you and Yuji Itadori realized neither of you had ever kissed anyone, it happened during the dumbest conversation imagineable.

"You're lying," you said flatly, sitting cross legged on the floor of his dorm room. "There's no way."

Yuji pointed an offended finger at you from where he was sprawled across his bed. "Why does everyone think that? I'm serious!"

"You're literally Yuji Itadori."

"That explains nothing!"

You snorted, tossing a pillow at him. He caught it with ease and hugged it to his chest dramatically.

"I just thought it would've happened by now," you admitted. "You're nice, and weirdly charming in your own way."

"Weirdly?" he repeated. "That's messed up."

You grinned at him. "Still true."

He narrowed his eyes playfully before suddenly pausing. "Wait. Hold on." His expression shifted into disbelief. "You haven't kissed anyone either?"

Your face heated up instantly. "That's not the point."

"Oh my god." Yuji sat up so fast the mattress squeaked under him. "We're both losers."

"We are not losers."

"We're definitely losers."

You threw another pillow at him.

For a few seconds, the room filled with laughter, easy and familiar. That was normal with Yuji. Everything with him felt light, effortless. You had been best friends long enough that silence never felt awkward.

Usually.

But then Yuji tilted his head at you slightly, looking lost in thought.

"We could practice," he said casually.

You blinked, stunned for a moment. "What?"

"Kissing," he clarified, like it wasn't already obvious what he meant. "Practice kissing."

Your brain almost short circuited.

Yuji, somehow completely oblivious to the effect he had on you, rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I mean, it sounds less embarrassing than being completely clueless forever, right?"

"You're insane."

"But am I wrong?"

Unfortunately, he wasn't.

And maybe that was why, ten painfully awkward minutes later, the two of you were sitting side by side on his bed, shoulders touching while neither of you could make eye contact.

"This is stupid," you muttered.

"Probably."

"Why are your hands shaking?"

"They aren't."

"They literally are."

"Okay, whatever."

You laughed nervously, and Yuji smiled at the sound automatically. The sight of it made your stomach flip in a way you really didn't want to think about.

His voice softened. "We don't have to if you don't want to."

The sincerity in his expression made your chest ache a little.

"No," you said quietly. "It's okay."

Yuji nodded once.

Then both of you froze again.

"How do people even start?" he whispered.

"I don't know!"

"You're supposed to be helping."

"You're are too!"

He laughed under his breath, and somehow that made the tension worse instead of better.

Finally, Yuji leaned in hesitantly, giving you plenty of time to pull away.

You didn't.

The kiss was brief. Soft. Clumsy enough that your noses bumped slightly.

When you pulled back, both of you stared at each other in stunned silence.

"Oh," Yuji said faintly.

Your heart was pounding hard enough you swore he could hear it through your chest. "Yeah. Oh."

That should've been the end of it.

Instead, Yuji swallowed nervously and asked, "Was that bad?"

"No," you admitted. "Just weird."

"Weird bad?"

"Weird good."

Something changed in his expression, something warmer, heavier. "Can we try again?"

You nodded before your brain could catch up.

The second kiss wasn't nearly as awkward.

Yuji's hand came up carefully, resting against your cheek like he was scared to move too fast. You melted into the soft touch instinctively, and he made a soft sound against your lips that sent heat rushing straight to your face.

This time, when you pulled away, neither of you moved far.

"You're really pretty," Yuji blurted suddenly.

Your eyes widened. "What?"

"I mean, obviously you know that, probably, but,” he groaned, covering his face with one hand. "I sounded cooler in my head."

You laughed breathlessly, but your stomach flipped hard.

"Yuji."

His hand slid away from his face slowly. He looked nervous now, genuinely nervous, and somehow that affected you more than anything else had.

"I think," he said carefully, "I might've liked you for longer than I realized."

The room went silent. All you could hear was the pulse that thudded in your ears.

"Yeah?" you whispered.

He nodded once.

You didn't realize you were smiling until Yuji's entire expression softened at the sight of it. Then he kissed you again, slow, warm, and a little less uncertain this time.

w.c - 1.1k cw: wlw, toxic, emotional manipulation, distancing, angst, hunger and predatory instincts, mentions of blood and human consumption, fear, kissing, emotional dependency

The first time Rize kissed you, she tasted like coffee and blood.

Not fresh blood. Not enough to make you recoil. Just something metallic lingering underneath the sweetness of her lipstick, something wrong hidden beneath something beautiful.

You should've run then.

Instead, you kissed her back.

Tokyo at night always felt colder after meeting Rize Kamishiro. The city became sharper somehow, neon lights cutting through puddles, train tracks screeching like warning signs, strangers looking too fragile under street lamps.

You noticed things now. Missing person posters, dark alleyways, the way Rize watched crowds like she was starving. Because she was.

"You shouldn't keep seeing me," she said one night, sitting across from you in the quiet cafe where you'd first met. Her fingers tapped lazily against her coffee cup. "People die around me."

You tried to laugh it off. "That's a dramatic thing to say."

Her eyes lifted slowly to yours. "You know I'm not joking.

The air between you tightened painfully. You knew what she was. You'd known for weeks now. The realization should've horrified you more than it did. Maybe it would've if it were anyone else, but Rize had already sunk herself into your life before the fear could settle in properly.

She walked you home, remembered your favorite books, brushed your hair behind your ear so gently that it hurt, and somehow, impossibly, she never touched you like prey. That was the cruelest part.

"You're looking at me like you feel sorry for me again," Rize murmured.

"I don't."

"You do."

Her smile was sharp around the edges tonight, brittle instead of playful. You'd started noticing the difference recently, the moments where she seemed almost angry that you cared about her at all.

You leaned forward slightly. "Then tell me what you want me to do."

Her expression flickered.

"Leave."

The word hit harder than it should have.

You stared at her. "You don't mean that."

"Yes, I do."

"No," you whispered. "You don't."

For a second, something vulnerable cracked through her expression. Something exhausted. Then it disappeared.

Rize stood abruptly, chair scraping against the floor. "You don't understand what this is."

"Then explain it to me."

"You can't love me."

The cafe suddenly felt too small. People chatted around you, completely unaware of the way your chest was splitting open.

"Why?" you asked quietly.

Rize laughed once, cold and humorless.

"Because eventually I'll hurt you."

"You haven't."

"That's exactly the problem."

She looked furious when she said it. Like sparing you was killing her slowly.

You followed her outside anyway.

Rain had started while you were inside, thin and icy against your skin. Rize walked quickly down the sidewalk, black heels clicking against the wet pavement while neon signs painted her face red and blue.

"Rize, wait."

She stopped without turning around. "You need to stop following me."

"You keep pushing me away and then coming back."

Silence.

"You disappear for days," you continued, voice shaking now. "And every time I think you're finally gone, you show up at my apartment at two in the morning acting like nothing happened."

Her shoulders stiffened. "You don't get to act confused," she said softly. "I warned you."

"You think that makes this hurt less?"

At that, she turned. Rain clung to her dark hair and eyelashes making her look almost unreal beneath the city lights. Beautiful in the same terrifying way thunderstorms were beautiful. Dangerous enough to ruin lives/

Rize stepped closer slowly. "You want to know what I think about every time I see you?" she asked.

Your throat tightened.

"I think about your heartbeat."

The confession shattered something inside you. Rize's eyes looked hollow now, painfully hungry beneath all the restraint she forced onto herself.

"I hear it when you stand too close to me," she continued quietly. "I smell your blood every time you touch me. And I still can't stay away from you."

You felt tears burning suddenly behind your eyes. "Then don't."

Her expression twisted immediately. "You don't mean that."

"I do."

"You're human," Rize snapped. "You don't understand what hunger feels like."

"Then help me understand!"

"You can't."

Her voice cracked unexpectedly. That silenced both of you. Rize looked away first.

"I hate what you do to me," she whispered. The words barely reached you through the rain.

Your chest ached violently. "I'm not trying to hurt you."

"I know."

That was what made it worse.

Rize lifted a trembling hand like she wanted to touch your face, but stopped herself halfway. You watched her fingers curl tightly instead.

"You make me feel human," she admitted quietly. "And that's not something I can survive."

Your heart broke a little more, because you understoon then.

Loving you wasn't soft for Rize. It wasn't healing. It was starvation. Constant denial. Every second beside you was her fighting her own nature hard enough to tear herself apart. And still, selfishly, you wanted her anyway.

"I don't care," you whispered.

"I don't."

Rize stared at you for a long moment, rain dripping from her jawline. Then suddenly she grabbed your wrist and pulled you into the alley beside the street.

Before you could speak, she kissed you.

Hard.

Desperate.

The kind of kiss that felt like greif.

You hit the wall behind you softly, fingers clutching the front of her coat while she held you like she couldn't decide whether to keep you or destroy you.

Her teeth grazed your bottom lip briefly and you felt her freeze instantly afterward.

Rize pulled away so fast it almost hurt. The look on her face made your stomach drop.

Hunger.

Real hunger.

Her breathing turned uneven as she stared at your mouth.

"Go home," she said immediately.

You reached for her again. "Rize-"

"Go."

The sharpness in her voice startled you. For one horrible second, her eyes flashed black and red. You stepped back instinctively and Rize noticed. The pain on her face was immediate.

There it is, you realized. The thing she had been trying to protect you from.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

You hated how broken she sounded.

Rain poured harder around you now, drowning the city in static noice.

"You should hate me," Rize said quietly. "It would make this easier."

But you didn't. Even standing there terrified, heart racing painfully in your chest, you still loved her. And maybe that was the tragedy of it all. Not that Rize Kamishiro was a monster, but that she loved you enough to know she had to leave.

The last thing she did before walking away was press her forehead briefly against yours. A goodbye disguised as tenderness.

Then she disappeared into the rain, leaving you alone beneath the neon lights with her lipstick still smeared across your mouth like an open wound.