Fics with WIP Cream on Top

Ace attorney, M/M, 767 Words

Klavier didn’t really believe in soulmates. After all, his own parents were soulmates, and they’d hated each other’s guts as long as he could remember. So he flirted, went on dates, hooked up with other people, hoping to have some semblance of choice in his love life. Hoping that even if he couldn’t control much in his life, that he could at least choose that much.

It never stuck. Most encounters he had in the dating world ended once his date realized he wasn’t their soulmate. Even if he was okay with people only dating him on the search their soulmates, the sting always lingered. He had always hoped that someone would choose him anyways.

After another failed date, Klavier came home to his apartment. He shed his shoes and jacket and headed right for the couch. Sighing, he stared at the ceiling for a moment. Granted, the date had been lovely, but his date determined he wasn’t their soulmate. But it left him feeling even lonelier in the depths of his heart.

Deciding the quiet wasn’t helping, he got up and picked up his guitar. Before he knew it, his fingers were strumming a familiar tune. A lullaby his Nana had always sang to him. The strings vibrated under his fingers, and the lyrics bubbled to the surface, as well as the tears.

With each word, his burdens felt lighter and lighter. By the end of the song, he had come back to himself. And that’s when he noticed a thought in the back of his head. A nagging feeling that he was being watched.

Then it clicked.

Suddenly, he was seeing the view in another living room. A cartoon was playing on the TV. The theme song sounded like the steel samurai, but it seemed to be in khur’ainese, so Klavier couldn’t quite place it. He was quickly hidden under a blanket, a chunky gold bracelet and pajamas the last things he saw before the blanket blocked his sight.

Or, as Klavier realized, it was his soulmate hiding under the blanket.

And it seemed he was… embarrassed.

And despite Klavier’s denial of soulmates, he couldn’t help but find it adorable. He laughed in disbelief that his highly emotional song performance had been interrupted by his soulmate watching some silly steel samurai copycat in old, worn pajamas while cuddling a cat. Whatever tears he had left had been chased away. Grateful for the relief, he hoped his soulmate enjoyed the performance, and wouldn’t be too embarrassed for long.

Maybe Klavier didn’t believe in soulmates. But maybe, for once, he was willing to try.

***

Apollo cursed from under his blanket, his face a bright shade of red.

Having been so entranced by his soulmate’s voice, he had completely frozen where he sat. It wasn’t until after his soulmate noticed they had connected that Apollo realized his current status: Curled up under a blanket on his living room couch in his favorite old pajamas, Mikeko on his lap, and plumed punisher on the TV to comfort him from a long day of job hunting.

Being told he could connect with his soulmate at any time was one thing, it was another thing to actually be caught so off guard.

For a long time, Apollo had kept to himself so strongly to keep himself from the pain that came with going to foster home after foster home. The Terrans took years to get him to open up. Despite Clay’s efforts, there was no way he was ready for his Soulmate to know so much of him.

But after he heard their voice, and all the pieces of themself in their song, somehow Apollo managed to ease up. It touched a deeply buried part of Apollo he hadn’t felt in years, one that never truly knew what it was like to have a place to call home. He wasn’t sure what to make of that.

And then there was his soulmate’s laugh. His gut always told him to stay wary, stay skeptical, stay safe. Yet this time, it wasn’t. Something rang true in that laugh, and he had a suspicion it wasn’t a laugh heard often. Once most people never got to hear. Yet Apollo couldn’t decide whether that made him more or less anxious.

Ace Attorney, M/M, 651 Words

“Hear me out,”

“Absolutely not,”

Apollo had expected to remain a simple castle servant living quietly in the background. He saw what happened to Dhurke when a servant got too ambitious. All he wanted was to survive in peace.

Instead he was faced with the second prince of the most powerful kingdom giving him puppy dog eyes. Apollo was convinced he had practiced beforehand.

“I haven’t even said anything yet!”

Unfortunately, the puppy dog eyes were admittedly working on Apollo. He sighed.

“With all due respect, after today’s events, it was obvious what you’re going to ask, and as much as I am aware of what the crown prince is up to, I could be facing penalty of death if I were to be found to be involved in this situation in any way, shape or form, so no thank you, I want no part in this investigation.”

Klavier sighed. “I suppose that’s fair. I can’t guarantee I will come out of this in a position to pardon your involvement,” he leaned forward to prop his elbows on his desk. “However, I do have a proposition that I think will ease your concerns,”

Apollo crossed his arms, eyebrow raised.

“Let’s get married,”

“I- What,” Apollo hoped it wasn’t obvious how red his face was turning.

“A marriage of convenience. It would be a perfect distraction. I do have more people in place to get things done, but we need a smoke screen to make sure they can operate without extra scrutiny and get what we need to take him down. And when it’s taken care of, I make sure you get a chance for freedom,”

Apollo rubbed his temples. “So you’re telling me you want us to get fake engaged as a ploy to help take down your murderer brother,”

“Well it doesn’t have to be fake,” Klavier winked.

Apollo groaned. “Klavier. I am literally a servant under Kristoph. There is no way he would let it slide,”

“Why, that’s the whole point, herr forehead. We would want his full attention,”

“Not when it would likely end up with me being the next target of his,”

“I can’t deny that you would become the next target, and that the castle would become more dangerous for you. I know the risk I am asking you to take on, and I don’t ask lightly. I won’t force you. But I’ll tell you now, Kristoph will be nothing but a puppet for our parents, and that will be worse for everyone. Please, I need your help on this,”

Apollo considered the words for a moment, memories of Dhurke flashing across his mind. He took a deep breath. “If I do this, will the other servants in the castle get a chance at freedom as well?“

“If all goes well, they will. And if they choose to stay, they’ll have proper employment instead of servitude. It’s the least I can do after what my family puts them through,” Klavier gaze did not waver, and Apollo had no doubt the man was genuine as he spoke.

Apollo ran a hand though his hair and sighed. “Then, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m in,”

Klavier flashed a bright grin. “I knew I could trust you,”

Apollo groaned again. “Don’t make me regret getting fake-engaged to you,”

“I’m thinking a dramatic fake-proposal in the middle of a huge ball, maybe with some flower petals floating down to add to the effect, what do you think?”

“I would reject you right there and there,” Apollo deadpanned as Klavier snickered. He turned to leave.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then, liebling! We’ll be planning a fake wedding before you know it,”

Enjoy as I challenge myself to stretch my writing muscles by writing for at least five minutes nonstop under threat of starting the fic over

Fic 9: Even more matchablossom

“I shouldn’t have said that,”

Kojiro turned white as a sheet.

“Kojiro?”

“You’re engaged to the crown prince. An entire peace treaty hinges on your wedding,” Kojiro stepped back towards the door. “Forget I said it,”

“But how could I-“

The door closed behind Kojiro. Left with his own thoughts, Kaoru put his hand to his cheeks, trying to hide the color covering his face. For the first time, Kaoru was utterly lost.

His whole life had been chosen for him by his royal family. They had unofficially picked his fiancée when they were both children. That was fine with him. After all, it was Adam they had picked. Adam, who was always the most exciting part of going to a ball. Adam, who always knew how to make Kaoru laugh. Adam, whom he fell for before he knew it.

In the Shindo castle though, he could not have felt more underprepared or out of place. Trying to talk to Adam about his concerns just led to him changing the subject every time. The work as a diplomat just got harder and harder. He felt himself slipping away, lost in never ending meetings and paperwork. Stuck playing the role of the perfect fiancée, lest the peace treaty come under threat.

It seemed like the only time he was able to relax was back in his room, alone. The only place where he could ignore propriety and act as himself. Maybe he could have with Adam, but as of right now, they were unmarried and not allowed to share a room. They hadn’t had a proper conversation since Kaoru came to the castle, and his pleas for another fell on deaf ears.

Kaoru found only ally he had in the castle was Kojiro. The Shindo family had allowed him to pick a chef to come with, as they didn’t want him to be without the comforts of home. Kojiro was more than prepared for the challenge, as the Nanjo family had served the royal family for ages, and he had been trained in early to run the kitchens one day. He was practically the only person his own age Kaoru had around him growing up. The two butted heads over and over again because of it.

But somewhere along the line, Kojiro became the first person Kaoru told about most things. Kojiro’s input became the opinion he listened to the closest. Despite warnings to stay away, Kaoru kept finding himself at the kitchens time and time again. He desperately wanted to follow Kojiro into the kitchens again. He had no appetite in recent months, only eating the bare minimum to avoid scrutiny at meetings and the dinner table.

Kojiro was the only one who noticed.

Kaoru’s parents never noticed when he secretly kept doing calligraphy. They never noticed that he always cleaned his plate when they served carbonara. They only noticed when his posture was wrong, or if he spoke too informally. He had hoped Adam would pay more attention than that. Clearly he was wrong.

But Kojiro was always there, making sure his food was always good, and that he never went hungry. For as long as Kaoru could remember, Kojiro was the only person he believed truly cared about him. The Adam he knew ended up being a lie, after all.

And it turns out Kaoru was not prepared for why Kojiro had cared so much when Kaoru kept refusing meals.

Because I love you, dumbass.

It all made sense now. Why he had learned to cook all of Kaoru’s favorites, why he snuck in calligraphy supplies for him, why he’d sneak over to Kaoru’s room after hours so often. Why he decided not to leave the castle when his family offered him the choice to stay or not.

And Kaoru had been oblivious to it all. The heat of embarrassment refused to dissipate. Maybe Kojiro was right. Forgetting that had happened would make things easier. He could go on to the wedding as planned, and finally get to share the life he wanted with the man he loved. But there were two truths in front of Kaoru: One, Kojiro cared for him far more than Adam ever could. And two, nothing would stop Kaoru from chasing after Kojiro, whatever the circumstances.

Having finally gathered his thoughts, Kaoru was done pretending. He rushed to the kitchens.

***

After receiving many strange looks from the kitchen staff, he was pointed in the direction of Kojiro’s living quarters. He could only hope to apologize later for startling them, but this could not wait. Taking a deep breath to compose himself, he knocked on Kojiro’s door. He was greeted by silence followed by a light flicking off in the room.

“I know you’re in there, Kojiro. We need to talk,”

The silence persisted.

“You’re the one person who will listen to me anymore. Please, I can’t just go back to my room like this,” his voice choked up. “I just can’t,”

Light once again came from behind the door, and a moment later, Kojiro hesitantly opened the door ajar, his gaze averted.

“I told you to forget it, it’s okay,”

“Kojiro,”

“Please, you know what would happen if-“

“I’m well aware, Kojiro,”

“Clearly not! Do you not think it was already a noticeable scene when I left your chambers earlier? You following me back here just makes it look more suspicious,” Kojiro turned toward his room. “Go. Just… go,”

“I can’t. No, I won’t,”

Kojiro stayed standing in the doorway.

“This castle is somehow more suffocating and irritating than back at home, and it’s only getting worse. Not even the kitchens can catch a break. I’m surprised you can still cook under these circumstances,”

“Well, if there’s one thing I can still do under these circumstances, it is cooking,” Kojiro folded his arms.

“I brought you here not just because I thought you’d be honored by the chance to learn from the chefs and cuisine here, but because I wanted you here. I wasn’t prepared for this place whatsoever, I couldn’t go it alone. I didn’t expect this place to put you under the same pressure,”

The chef shook his head. “No, I am still learning a lot here, and yeah they demand a lot, but I’m doing what I want to do. I came because I wanted to, not just cause you asked,”

“Kojiro,”

“I’ve never trusted Adam. I wasn’t about to wait and see what he did once you two were at this castle and married,”

“Adam is-“

“The crown prince, and your fiancée. And there will be no more peace if that changes. So I’ll leave,”

“What,”

Kojiro sighed. “People talk, Kaoru. I can’t deny avoid treason charges if I dismiss myself before word spreads,”

Because I love you, dumbass.

“The other chefs know how to make most of your favorites by now, so don’t worry, I’ll be fine back home,”

“That’s not what I’m worried about, dumbass,”

“Then why are you here?”

“What you said earlier… you were serious weren’t you? I can’t forget something like that,”

“It doesn’t have to change anything,”

“But you’re having to leave now because of it! That hardly seems fair,”

“I learned what I was hoping to here, I’m not worried-“

“Kojiro, you being here made me realize something important,”

“Did it?”

“Look at me, Kojiro,”

The two finally locked eyes.

“I actually dread living in this castle for the rest of my life,”

Kojiro’s mouth snapped shut.

“I probably would be in worse shape now if you weren’t here with me. You’re the only one who noticed,”

“I’m sure Adam did, he just never-“

“No he fucking didn’t and you know it. None of them did,” Kaoru took a breath. “If I’m being honest, as much as it hurts to admit after wanting it for so long I… I don’t think I can marry Adam,”

“I really will get nailed for treason-“

“Let me be clear, I realized this a while back, now. Once I settled in as a diplomat, it didn’t take long,”

“So you’re saying, that even if I hadn’t come with,”

“That I probably wouldn’t have been able to marry Adam then, either, or if I did, I think I would just waste away here,”

“So, what are you gonna do now, then?”

“Take me with you,”

“You’re serious,” Kojiro sighed. “How do you think it will look if the two of us runaway together? We won’t make it halfway back to the castle,”

“What if we didn’t try to go back to the castle?”

Kojiro raised an eyebrow.

“Faced with the prospect of either getting stuck married to Adam forever or running away with you, the latter is an easy choice,”

A blush fell on Kojiro’s cheeks. “Kaoru, you-“

“I thought I knew what love was, and I thought that’s what I felt for Adam. It’s clear to me now that wasn’t the case. And… I can’t imagine never being allowed to see you again. It would be too painful,” Kaoru’s voice got quiet, hsi eyes pleading. ”Kojiro, please, let me come with you,”

“So you really wanna be branded a traitor, huh,”

Kaoru spun around, heart pounding, to be greeted by a familiar shock of blue hair.

“Pray tell, what is the meaning of this?”

“Adam,” Kaoru carefully regained his composure. “Nice of you to finally talk to me for once,”

“Cut the formality. Explain yourselves. Now,”

“What I discuss with my best friend is no business of yours,”

“Hah, best friend, so that’s what you’re calling it,”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Like I never noticed how you longingly looked towards the kitchens when you thought nobody was watching,” Adam took a step forward. “I’m here to secure the peace treaty, no matter what it takes,”

“And that’s all that matters to you? After all this time?” Kaoru clenched his fist.

“This engagement was arranged for that purpose, to secure the kingdom. What other purpose need it serve?”

“I could have been happy, with you,” Kaoru started slowly. “Maybe in another life, I would be a more adept diplomat, I would find this place to be a second home, and I would be content to spend my time with you when a hard day’s work was done,” he looked Adam square in the eye. “But I see now that was just a dream,”

“You’d want for nothing in this castle! You’d be married to a crown prince! Such an opportunity, just to get thrown down the drain for this… peasant,” Adam spat.

“Who I keep company with is my business, Adam. Get to your point already,”

Adam snapped his fingers. Guards filled the hallways from both directions. “Guards, these are the traitors I informed you about. Detain them immediately!”

Kaoru froze, but luckily Kojiro had not. Before he knew it, he was pulled Kojiro’s room, and the man was desperately trying to keep the door shut. The two locked eyes while the banging on the door intensified. Kaoru anxiously began looking around the room, and caught sight of Kojiro’s window.

“Go,”

“You can’t be serious,”

Kojiro shook with the force hitting the door, his gaze unwavering. Kaoru hated that look. It meant Kojiro was right. He averted his gaze.

“My chef’s knife, it’s in the top drawer of my dresser. Take it with you,”

“I’m not going to-

“Soldiers are surrounding this room on all sides as we speak. Take it and go,”

Kaoru crossed his arms. He reluctantly went over to the dresser, pausing for a moment as he picked up the knife. “I’ll come back for you. Be here when I do, got it?”

“Kaoru, you…”

With a tear rolling down his face, Kaoru looked at Kojiro one last time. “I’m sorry,”

Enjoy as I challenge myself to stretch my writing muscles by writing for at least five minutes nonstop under threat of starting the fic over

Fic 8: The latest Matchablossom au living in my brain

M/M Sk8 the infinity 1570 words

As the sun went down, Kojiro went to grab a bottle of wine and two glasses. Sia la Luce was closing for the night, and nobody else would be visiting. At least, Kojiro knew who he was waiting for probably wouldn’t come. But he couldn’t let go - he made a promise, after all.

This is your home, no matter what happens. Fight your ass off, and come back.

After setting the wine on ice, he retreated to the kitchen to finish closing. It was only thanks to the automatic doorbell that he installed was he able to focus in closing every night. His employees could confirm how distracted he used to be, after he left. Hiromi had practically forced him to buy the doorbell. Kojiro couldn’t help it. He wouldn’t believe Kaoru was dead until he saw the corpse himself, though it was entirely possible he’d never see it even if Kaoru did die.

Vivid in his memory was the last week the two had been living together. Kaoru was jumping out of his own skin, and that raised some serious red flags for Kojiro. The man was stubborn about elaborating what was bothering him. It took a complete mental breakdown to finally let the secret out. Turns out, Kaoru has been forced to join a crime organization to survive as a young adult, whose parents cut him off after graduating high school. It was just one little incident, and he was sucked in to the spiral. Luck had gotten him out, and Okinawa had served as a safe blind spot for him to recoup and rebuild some semblance of a life.

But Kojiro could tell something had gone very wrong for the other man at some point in life pretty quickly after the two of them had met at S. It was in the way he never showed any ambitions for the future, never talked about his likes and dislikes. He never even guaranteed he would come every week. Getting answers took ages, and the more answers he got, the more he fell for the other man. Hearing how his parents treated him, disapproving of essentially every life decision Kaoru made, trying to force him to take over the family business so the family could maintain its wealth, it made Kojiro’s blood boil. The worst part was he didn’t even know he was missing the biggest part of the story until long into their relationship, until it was too late. Kojiro didn’t even get to make a proper proposal, just enough to briefly exchange rings and promise to do it properly one day.

Keep this ring safe for me, and give it to me again, when this is over. They can’t know.

Kojiro himself was doing just fine. Sia la Luce was doing well, and he had a small crew of wonderful employees that he adored, including some rowdy teens he met at S who insisted they wanted to help. By all accounts, things were going how he had hoped. Many had said he should just move on with life already, and stop banking on a lost cause. After all, he had everything else going for him, why not find someone new?

But it never worked. As lovely as all the people he met and went on dates with, he couldn’t see himself being with any of them. None of them were Kaoru, and Kojiro couldn’t put anyone through dating him when he clearly still had feelings he couldn’t resolve. He may have done his fair share of dabbling with other people, but he wasn’t about to fake it and hurt someone. Hiromi shed tears when Kojiro came to that conclusion. The big softie was a romantic, after all.

Thus, life seemed to move on, unchanging. Sure, he still went to S, his family still checked in on the family business, he had no shortage of things happening around him, but at the end of the day, he could only imagine telling Kaoru about all of it. That he would set those wine glasses down, and Kaoru would be there, demanding to be served. They’d both yell at Reki and Langa to go home. The two of them would bicker, as they always did, until the bottle was empty. Until Kaoru finally relaxed, and Kojiro could truly take in how beautiful he was. He would give anything to see his face, to hold him, just one more time. Just to make sure Kaoru knew how much he loved him, even now.

But all he could do was set out those wine glasses and hope.

He didn’t know what was worse, living like this forever, or finally learning of his death, and being forced to move on. The clink of dishes was not enough to distract him. Seeing himself reflected in the plate, he paused. The light in his eyes was dim. He dunked the plate back in the soapy water, in denial of his reality. His knuckles quickly went raw from the excess force he used to scrub. The pain was a welcome distraction.

A stack of plates was still left to send through the dishwasher when Kojiro thought he heard the doorbell. The dishwasher had been loud enough that he wasn’t sure he actually heard it. He kept washing dishes, not wanting his hopes to get too high. And then he heard it again. And again. Slowly, he left the kitchen, attempting to keep his heart from pounding too hard. He could hear the bell more clearly as he headed towards the entrance.

It has to be Hiromi. Nobody else would come here at this hour. It can’t be him, it won’t be him.

His heart strained against his brain, trying to take control as he called a response. Every step seemed to shake his whole body. The floorboards complained as he crossed the dining room. Steadying himself, he opened the front door.

“I’m sorry, but we’re closed-“

“About damn time you let me in, it’s freezing out here!”

Kojiro looked up and froze. Lit by the moonlight in front of him was Kaoru. A battered, scarred, deeply exhausted Kaoru. His Kaoru. Who had to push him out of the way so he could come in and close the door behind them.

“Kaoru,” he could feel his voice waver as Kaoru turned to face him.

“It’s done. They’re gone,”

Kojiro noticed how empty his right sleeve was. “Your arm,”

“I’m lucky that’s all it cost me,”

“Guess you’ll have to learn to do calligraphy with your left hand,”

Kaoru shrugged. “I’ll have time,”

A lump came up his throat. He slowly reached out and felt Kaoru’s cheek. “You’re really back,”

Kaoru piled his own hands on too, tears in his eyes. “I am,”

All the tears from the past few years released all at once. Kojiro embraced Kaoru as tight as he possibly could. They were home, safe, together. Neither could stop the tears or the shaking, and they ended up on their knees together, weak from emotions. He soaked in Kaoru’s smell once more. It was different than it used to be, but it was still undeniably him. He finally released Kaoru, wiping the man’s tears as he did.

“Welcome home,”

Kaoru nodded, using his own sleeve to wipe any remaining tears. It was then the Kojiro remembered the lump he always had in his pockets somewhere. When Kaoru finally rid his face of tears, he was faced with a ring being presented to him.

“Kaoru, it’s time I gave this back to you. I’ll ask properly this time: I’d be honored if you would marry me and be my husband. Will you?”

“You really waited, like you promised,”

“Hiromi did make me try a few dates, but it never felt right. I knew deep in my heart that I wouldn’t ever be able to love anyone how I love you, and I hope you know how much I mean that,”

Words failed Kaoru, as he nodded and offered his hand. Kojiro quickly grabbed his matching ring from the box, allowing Kaoru to put it on his hand. They exchanged salty kisses, starved for the taste of one another. Neither could tell how long they stayed together on that floor. All they knew was that they would never leave each other’s side again.

They were the rudely interrupted by Kaoru’s stomach.

Kojiro laughed. “Come on, princess, I’ll make some carbonara for you,”

“I hope you’ve improved your recipe,” Kaoru took the hand offered to him.

“My carbonara has always been perfect, I don’t know what you’re talking about, your highness,”

Kaoru took a seat and helped himself to the wine as Kojiro disappeared into the kitchen. The smell of Sia la Luce calmed him, and he felt alive again. He was finally where he belonged.

Enjoy as I challenge myself to stretch my writing muscles by writing for at least five minutes nonstop under threat of starting the fic over

Fic 7: Some Harusawa

M/M Daiya no Ace 1,367 Words

Haruichi had grown a lot over the years. Not only did Seido help him grow physically, but so many of his teammates had pushed him and helped him to get where he was now. Long gone was the timid boy who hid behind his bangs. Well, mostly.

His baseball skills were something he’d finally found the courage to be proud of. He worked just as hard as everyone else to earn his spot on the team, fair and square. Grades hadn’t been much of an issue for him either, despite baseball eating up so much of his time. But then there was Sawamura Eijun.

There was no clear beginning to when he started feeling the way he did. It could have been any number of little things he’d noticed about the pitcher over the years. His determination, his optimism, his goofiness- all of it, Haruichi had come to love. And that’s what made it so difficult.

It wasn’t a secret among the team - he knew the only person who didn’t know was Sawamura himself. Never did Haruichi deny it when asked. But when he saw how deep Sawamura was into baseball, he couldn’t help but feel he’d never be able to gain his attention. That idiot was already married to baseball, no doubt.

Having accepted this for a long while now, he kept swinging his bat and moving along. Lulled into the rhythm of life on the Seido baseball team, counting the days he had left before they all graduated. Sawamura was sure to go far with baseball.

Farther than Haruichi thought possible.

Attempting to keep up with him even a little longer, Haruichi got sucked into his own practice regime. All in the name of standing on the baseball diamond with him for even one more game. For showing the pitcher the baseball he’d inspired when they met in their first year at Seido. Hoping for the off-chance he would hear Haruichi.

I’m right here.

But he knew Sawamura had no room for anything but baseball. As much as he’d worked up his courage to confess, every time he tried to tell him he’d see Sawamura pitching his heart out or something, a dumb grin on his face. It was one of the things he loved the most about the goofball pitcher, and also the thing Haruichi wouldn’t put at risk. He was in love with an idiot who, quite literally, wouldn’t be able to rest until he’d properly considered and responded to someone’s feelings, after all.

And Haruichi was okay with that. Plenty comfortable where he was, he resolved to just appreciate the time he had left at Seido watching the one he loved. Despite what his teammates may think, he couldn’t ask for anything more. So he swung his bat, day by day, hoping to help Sawamura play just one more game with this team they both loved so much.

Or so he told himself.

Soon enough the last pitch was thrown, the last tournament ended. As Haruichi walked back to his dorm, he felt it deep in his in his gut. Having put everything he had into his baseball that day, nothing was left to distract him from what came next. Graduation. Leaving Seido.

Leaving Sawamura.

Having used the last of his energy to say a proper goodnight to his teammates, his pace slowed, and his gaze drifted to the ground. He had not gotten nearly as much time as he’d wanted. Graduation was coming too quickly, and he was not prepared. Never had been. Not realizing he stopped walking, the tears started to flow. It wasn’t until something tapped his shoulder that he moved.

He looked up to see Sawamura’s concerned face.

“Oh, Eijun, I… this is nothing, I’m fine, I,“ his vision went blurry with tears again.

“Haruichi?”

“It’s okay Eijun, I’ll go get some rest now, you should too-“

Sawamura put a hand on his shoulder and gave a stubborn look. “No, it’s not,”

“Really, it’s-“

Sawamura’s gaze didn’t waver. “Haruichi,”

He finally met the pitcher’s eyes. His tears couldn’t be held back anymore.

“You know something, Haruichi? You played the best baseball I have ever seen you play today,”

Haruichi shook his head. “I could have done more, I-“

He chopped Haruichi’s head. “You did more than enough, Haruichi,”

“We could have played another game as a team! We were so close! If I could have just-“

“Stop talking like it’s your fault, dammit!” He was holding Haruichi’s shirt collar now. “Every one of us played our best out there! We played as many games as we possibly could! That’s enough!”

Haruichi’s tears were startled into stopping. He wiped his face. “I thought you’d gone back to your dorm like the rest of the team,”

Sawamura shook his head. “I wasn’t going to be able to sleep, so I took a walk,” He hesitated. “Want to come with?”

Surprise flashed across Haruichi’s face before he nodded.

The two took off around the Seido grounds, neither keeping track of how long they walked for. Eventually, they found themselves up on a hill overlooking the baseball fields, stars clear above them. With exhaustion starting to kick on, the two laid down, and silence followed.

Haruichi wished they could stay like that forever. With Sawamura right by his side, a wave of calm came over him. He knew he was strong enough to face what came ahead. It would still hurt to leave, and he still wasn’t prepared. But that was the thing about Sawamura - he always made you feel like anything was possible.

As Haruichi made his peace, Sawamura broke the silence.

“Say, Haruichi,”

“What?”

“I’m glad I came to Seido,”

“Me too,” Haruichi sat up. “I’m glad we got to play with this team,”

“Do you think they’ll make it back to nationals?”

“Who do you think they are? Of course they will! They’ll be fine, besides, shouldn’t you be more worried about hitting the college leagues and going pro?” Sawamura fidgeted. “Eijun?”

Sawamura sat up. “It doesn’t feel right, not having everyone behind me anymore,”

“Everyone will still be cheering you on, it will just be from a distance. Besides, I’m sure you’ll meet some amazing new teammates, too,”

“It won’t be the same though,”

Haruichi sighed. “I know it won’t, but I’m sure you’ll do great-“

“That’s not it, Haruichi,”

“Then what is it?”

Sawamura averted his gaze. “Well, you won’t be there, so it’s not gonna be the same,”

Haruichi’s face turned a shade of pink. “I get what you mean, it’s gonna feel weird not seeing you in the pitcher’s mound every day-“

“-I like you, Haruichi,” Their eyes met. “You’re incredible. I mean, you already were when we started, but you’ve really worked hard, and the way you step up to bat is the coolest thing, and I-“

Sawamura’s face reddened, and he looked down at the ground.

Haruichi giggled. “You know, Eijun, seeing you ramble like that is one of the cutest things,”

“What do you mean?!” The pitcher pouted.

“I mean,” Haruichi leaned in closer. “It’s one of the things I love about you,”

“Wait, you’re saying that you-“

Haruichi smiled. “I like you too, Eijun,”

Words failed Sawamura in a gleeful garble. Laughter overcame Haruichi. The two embraced, melting into puddles of tears together.

“Sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner. I just… whenever I thought about it, you always looked so absorbed in it that I couldn’t bring myself to distract you,”

Sawamura shook his head. “No, I’m just dense, sorry I never noticed,”

“You know what, it’s neither of our faults, it doesn’t matter now, does it?” Haruichi smiled.

“I could kiss you right now,” Sawamura’s face reddened further. “Can I?”

“Please do,”

***

Enjoy as I challenge myself to stretch my writing muscles by writing for at least five minutes nonstop under threat of starting the fic over

Fic 6: More Matchablossom

M/M Sk8 the Infinity 725 words

“Your parents are assholes,”

“I know, I can’t believe they said all that to your face,”

“I’m not talking about what they said to me,” Kaoru tensed at the words. “Kaoru, is that how they always talk about you?”

He paused before responding. “More or less, I guess. I’m used to it,”

Kojiro’s blood turned to ice. “Can I punch them both once for you next time I see them,”

“Kojiro please, there’s no need, I’m fine-“

“Doesn’t matter if you’re fine or not, they shouldn’t be talking to their own son like that! Who do they think they are?”

“They’re the Sakurayashiki family, what else can be said. They always get their way, eventually,”

“Then someone needs to put them in their place,”

“That’s my problem to worry about. I told you I only needed you to be my date for this party, we can fake break-up now,”

“Oh, this fake relationship is not ending right now,”

“I told you, you don’t have to-“

“What would piss off your parents more, seeing you with a revolving door of partners, or seeing you commit to just one?”

Kaoru paused. “They would be more convinced to back off with the arranged engagement idea if I had one steady partner,”

“Then, let’s-“

“However, I don’t think that’s the only thing that they would have to be convinced of - they want to conglomerate their company with another wealthy company, and manipulate who I choose as a partner to do that,”

“A chef ain’t gonna sell them, then,”

Kaoru nodded. “They won’t lay off until I can bring in more wealth to the family,”

“Fuck that. Have you thought about cutting ties?”

“Many times. But they’re paying for my college, so I can’t really do that until I graduate, at least. And they’ll make sure I can’t live independently until they marry me off,”

“Seriously, I will decimate them,”

“No you will not, they’ll just take it out on me. Again, I’m used to it, I’ll figure something out,”

“Kaoru, your family is too powerful for you to just fight off by yourself like that,”

“Watch me,”

“Let me help you,”

“You already did,”

“But it would help your chances for us to keep fake-dating right? If I can help serve them their comeuppance, I’m in. In fact, I’ll be pissed if you don’t let me get a piece of that sweet revenge,”

“They could decimate your career as a chef by whispering a few word to the right people, and they do know the right people. They’d make sure you’d never work at or open a restaurant,”

“That’s a risk I’d be willing to take-“

“But I’m not!”

Kojiro paused.

“I… I can’t ask you to take that risk. I know what Sia la Luce means to you, and…” Kaoru cleared his throat. “That place has been more of a home for me than my own. I won’t put it, or your career, at risk. End of story,”

Silence enveloped the car as they pulled up to the Nanjo house.

“We’re here,”

“Kaoru, I-“

“Go, Kojiro”

“Fine,” Kojiro got out of the car. “But promise me you’ll tell us if you need help,”

“You know I can’t make that promise,”

“We’re your friends, dammit! Promise me!”

“And that’s exactly why I can’t,” Kaoru’s voice died as he spoke. “I’ll see you later,”

“Kaoru, you-“

The door closed on Kojiro, and the car took off.

Kojiro kicked a pebble. There was so much he was learning about his best friend, yet it felt like he’d hardly learned anything. Thinking about it just pissed him off more. Why does that bastard have to be that stubborn? He knew he couldn’t sit down, so he went for a walk. If his asshole family was going to treat him like that, he wouldn’t just sit by. He couldn’t. Not until Kaoru was able to tell them to fuck off like he could to any asshole he ran into.

Enjoy as I challenge myself to stretch my writing muscles by writing for at least five minutes nonstop under threat of starting the fic over

Fic 5: Shiranori Drabble, Again

M/M Daiya no Ace 960 Words

Nori waved his goodbyes as he left the restaurant. It had been far too long since he’d seen any of his old teammates from Seido, and he was grateful that the former third years had managed to get everyone together. They’d picked a place that nobody had tried before, and everyone had a good time giving their approval of the food together. But as he proceeded into the cold, he couldn’t help but feel it deep into his bones. They were lucky all of the teammates from his grade had made it except one, but that one absence hit harder than he thought it would.

Shirasu had been visiting family, and couldn’t get out of it. He had apologized and promised he’d catch them all next time. But this wasn’t the first time. He knew Shirasu wouldn’t lie about any of his excuses, but it had been years now since the two had been able to meet. Their universities were too far apart, and they still had another year each before graduation. There was no telling where work might take them, either. While he knew people came and went in life, it still stung that his best friend was one of those people who seemed to be drifting away.

It’s not like they never sent each other a text or an email, or never tried to find time to meet up. Heck, they had managed to send each other birthday gifts here and there. His hat was proof of that. But after leaving Seido, it got harder and harder to keep up with each other, especially as their studies were ramping up over the previous year. It wasn’t that either wanted to drift away, there were things that neither could control. He just regretted that the little he or Shirasu could do was still overtaken by life’s circumstances.

And he missed him.

A lot.

Having had Shirasu by his side every day for so long made it hurt that much more when they left for college. Nothing prepared him for the ache that no other companionship would fill. For all the grief he was able to give Miyuki and Kuramochi over the years about their pining dramatics, he himself wondered if what he was feeling now was exactly what they were talking about. He wrapped his scarf tighter across his face. Tomorrow, he would keep moving forward. But today, he’d let the cold sink in.

Walking down the block, he absentmindedly turned a corner to head back home. The wind howled, and for a moment, it was all Nori could hear. Which is how it took him by surprise when someone suddenly bumped into him. Not only was it sudden, they were clearly in a rush, and Nori stumbled with the force of the impact, his hat sliding off. He bent down to stop it from flying away.

“Sorry about that, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, don’t worry about it,” As he put his hat back on, he couldn’t make out the face from the bundle of winter clothing now facing him. He nodded in their direction, and carried on his way without thinking much of it. The cold began to lull him back into his loneliness with every step.

“Wait, Nori!”

He was pulled back into reality as he turned back around to face the stranger. But when he heard that voice saying his name, he realized without looking who had crashed into him.

“You came?” Nori’s voice wavered as he spoke.

Shirasu stepped forward. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to, my family is pretty insistent about reunions,”

“How did you get out of it?”

“The venue had to cancel us, and they had to reschedule it last minute. I thought I’d be able to make it and surprise everyone,”

“They haven’t left yet, I just have work tomorrow so I couldn’t stick around,”

“Oh,” Shirasu scratched the back of his head. “Guess I was too late then,”

“What do you mean?”

“Nori, I-”

As they met each other’s gaze, tears began to roll down Nori’s face. He closed the distance and pulled Shirasu into a hug.

“I missed you, you know,”

“I missed you too. A lot,” The words died on Shirasu’s tongue promptly followed by sniffling.

Nori held him tighter.

“When I graduate, I want to be able to hold you like this again,”

Nori looked up at him, a question on his face.

“I’ve been doing and learning so much in college, and there’s so much more I want to share with you. I can’t count the number of times I’ve turned to tell you something only to remember you’re not there, like somehow you came to college with me,”

Nori giggled, wiping the tears from his face. “You know what? I’ve done the same thing,”

Shirasu smiled, his eyes watering. He put his hand on Nori’s face. “I know I don’t say a lot, but I want you to know, Nori, that I love you. I love you, and I think about how big the distance feels between us every day. I know we’re both focusing on our studies right now, but if you’ll have me, I’d love it if you would go out with me,”

Nori’s eyes lit up in surprise.

Shirasu averted his eyes. “You don’t have to answer now, or at all, I just…”

“Shirasu,” Nori guided Shirasu’s gaze back towards him, smiling. “Nothing could make me happier,”

Shirasu put on a wide grin in return. “Can I kiss you?”

Enjoy as I challenge myself to stretch my writing muscles by writing for at least five minutes nonstop under threat of starting the fic over

Fic 4: Matchablossom Drabble

M/M Sk8 the Infinity 704 words

Kaoru hated his job.

Not that food service was a popular line of work, but as a broke college student, he needed anything he could get. It wasn’t making coffee or running the cash register that he hated, it was the customers. He only had so much patience for dealing with pushy customers in a day, and it made him grateful he had a coworker like Hiromi who could take over for him. Most customers would be fine, and he could last a few hours taking their orders.

And then there was Kojiro.

Kaoru knew neither had much of a choice in the coffee shop they both had access to - it was the only one on campus. But his heart still ached every time he came into the store.

“Hi, how can I help you?”

“One cup of expresso please,” he never changes, Kaoru thought.

“Anything else I can get for you?”

“Maybe make that three, actually, my study group and I will need them,”

“Okay, so that’s three cups of expresso, anything else?”

“No, that’s it,”

“Okay, you’re all set, can I get a name for the order?”

“Nanjo,”

“Got it, your order will be right out,”

“Thanks, man,”

Kaoru wistfully watched him go. Hiromi noticed the change in his expression and stepped up to the register.

“Need to tap out?”

“Thanks,”

Heading back to the break room for a moment, he sighed as he sat down. He always hoped that there was a chance the cook would somehow remember him one day. After all this time, he should know better than to get his hopes up, shouldn’t he? The Sakurayashiki family was not to be trifled with. They had the resources to get things to go their way, and nobody could stop them once they’d made a decision. If they decided to make a memory erasing drug, of course they would make sure it was irreversible. And he knew that even if he were to reintroduce himself, they would just administer the drug again, and not only on Kojiro this time. Normally he wouldn’t be someone who’d bend so easily, but when it came to Kojiro…

Kojiro deserved to live his life without Kaoru causing him so much pain and confusion along the way. His family wasn’t ever going to accept that Kaoru wanted Kojiro as a partner. Not when he had encouraged Kaoru to defy them, if only to live his own life. If the only way he could be with Kojiro was if his family was constantly chasing them and erasing his memories, he couldn’t put Kojiro through it. Not when there was no way he could explain that to him even if he wanted to try. The best he could do was take his coffee order, nothing more. It hurt to be a stranger to him, but at least this way, he could see him from afar and cheer him on. This way, he would be safe.

Hearing Hiromi’s call, Kaoru returned to work. Going through the motions, he finished up his shift and started closing down the shop. He made his way around, cleaning up all the tables and putting up the chairs for the night, when one table made him stop. There was a crumpled up note left behind with some writing on it. At first, Kaoru moved to throw it away. But then he realized what table he was at: Kojiro’s table. He’d been the last one sitting there before close. Instinctively, he smoothed out the napkin and read the note.

It was a mishmash of ingredients and instructions for a carbonara recipe. Looking closer, Kaoru realized he knew this recipe. It was the same one Kojiro had come up with for him to try shortly before his memory was wiped, the one Kaoru still had on a recipe card in his kitchen. He had thought Kojiro would never make that carbonara again, since he had made it because of Kaoru. But here he was, staring at the proof that the recipe had come to the chef once again.

He tucked the napkin neatly into his back pocket.

Enjoy as I challenge myself to stretch my writing muscles by writing for at least five minutes nonstop under threat of starting the fic over

Fic 3: Kuraryou Drabble

1119 Words M/M Daiya no Ace

“You’ve been off all day. What’s going on?”

“Just having an off day is all,”

“Oh really?” Ryou quirked an eyebrow. “Can’t be helped then, I guess I’ll have to find someone else to join batting practice,”

Kuramochi stopped. “I can still practice, you know,”

“Let’s go then,”

The two collected a bin full of baseballs and got to work batting each other’s tosses. Neither was keeping track of time, but eventually the batted so much they laid on the ground for a brief rest. Having cleared his earlier blunders from his mind with the physical exercise, Kuramochi felt lighter, relieved. Usually no matter what, batting helped clear his mind, but for whatever reason, it worked best whenever Ryou was there. The shortstop had gotten used to his presence, and while he worked well enough with Haruichi, it would never feel quite the same once Ryou graduated.

There it was again. Graduation. Knowing it was inevitable didn’t mean he wasn’t going to miss playing baseball with Ryou. The team was solid even without the third years, but Kuramochi couldn’t help but be bothered. Though he would admit, being stubborn about his feelings probably did not help him at all. But what was he supposed to do? Get all mushy-gushy and wreck his last few months with Ryou before he graduated? Ryou would be in medical school afterwards anyways, and there would be no room for dating once he started. Kuramochi wouldn’t want to distract him, after all.

But at least he had this.

Seeing the time, he got back up and began picking up stray baseballs. Ryou didn’t take long to join him. A moment later, a baseball heading in his direction snapped him out of his thoughts. He caught it on instinct, then turned to Ryou.

“The heck, man? Warn me next time,”

“I did warn you, you just didn’t hear me,”

“Wait, really?” He dropped the baseball.

Ryou glared daggers in his direction. “Whatever funk you’re in right now, shake it,”

“I’m trying, but it’s not that easy, you know,”

“What could possibly be bothering you this much? You usually don’t let your baseball suffer for anything,”

“Well, it’s… something that’s been bothering me for a long time now, I can’t just stop worrying now,” Kuramochi could feel his cheeks turning pink with indignation.

“But you know what it is, don’t you?”

“Doesn’t mean I know how to deal with it,” he turned his gaze away.

“Since when did thinking ever go well for you,”

“Excuse you?!”

Ryou punched his arm. “You’re not good at dancing around issues, so don’t dance around them,”

“But what if-“

“No matter what you do, you’ll be better off with whatever it is off of your chest, so let it out already. The team is waiting on you,”

Kuramochi groaned and scratched his head in frustration. There was no getting away from Ryou when he was like this. It was time. His arms fell to his side as he accepted what he had to do. But he’d be a coward if he ran now. He stood up straighter and took a step forward.

“It’s because I like you, okay!” Ryou’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’ve known it for a while now, and I- well, you’re special to me, and I didn’t wanna mess things up, because spending time with you makes me happy and I didn’t want that to change if I said anything and I know you’re graduating soon too and I know you really want to focus on college afterwards so I-“

“Kuramochi,” Ryou put a hand on his shoulder.

“Ah, sorry, I just…” he averted his eyes again.

“Do you see my face right now,”

Kuramochi looked back over to see Ryou’s face, freshly covered with a shade of pink that complemented his hair. He was so surprised he shut up right there.

“This is because I like you too, you lovable dumbass,” The shade of pink of both of their faces intensified.

Kuramochi stammered in response, words failing him. He stammered so badly that Ryou couldn’t help but laugh, and before Kuramochi knew it, he started laughing too. All his worries from the last few months, gone. Just like that, because Ryou felt the same way he did. He felt like a dumbass for wasting all that time by staying quiet. Happy tears fell from his face, and through his blurry vision he could see Ryou with happy tears too. Wiping his face, he wrapped Ryou in a big bear hug and held tight. He felt dampness on his shoulder as his shirt dried Ryou’s tears. As the tears died down, Kuramochi broke the silence.

“Shit, I owe Miyuki twenty bucks now,”

Ryou looked up at Kuramochi, a small smile on his face. “Why? Did he bet you wouldn’t say anything?”

Kuramochi groaned. “No, it’s because he bet you’d say something first because I was being a dumbass and he wanted to egg me on so he didn’t have to hear my lovesick miseries anymore,”

“To be fair,” Ryou reached into his pocket and presented a ticket. “I did get you a ticket to come to prom with me, and actually wanted to give it to you today,”

Kuramochi excitedly accepted the ticket. Seeing the shortstop so excited made Ryou’s smile bigger.

Then he stopped and pulled a face. “Miyuki will never let me hear the end of it,”

Ryou chuckled. “He’s the one who’s gonna be looking to bring Sawamura with him next year, he will eat his words, he’s worse than you are at this stuff,”

Kuramochi had a retort on the tip of his tongue before he started laughing again. “I guess I signed up to forever get roasted, huh,”

“You bet,” Ryou gave a mischievous grin. “If I can’t roast my boyfriend then what is the point,”

Kuramochi froze. “Wait, wait, wait, hold on, did you just-“

Ryou turned to pick up the crate of baseballs. “Unless you don’t think you can handle it,”

“Are you kidding me?!” Ryou looked over at Kuramochi and his determined grin. “Bring it on!”

Enjoy as I challenge myself to stretch my writing muscles by writing for at least five minutes nonstop under threat of starting the fic over

Fic 2: Belated Mermay Matchablossom

1,890 words M/M Sk8 the Infinity

“Shinomiya-San is being so kind as to let us onto his boat with them this evening, do you understand how it makes me look if you refuse his offer like this?l

Kaoru took a step back towards the railing. “I’m sorry, but I’ve told you how I feel about being near water, Adam, I-“

“I thought I told you not call me by that name here,”

“I’m sorry, I just- you know I can’t swim-”

Adam took a step closer, then another, and another. The lamps by the party flickered to life with the sunset, drawing Adam’s gaze to the party guests. Then he stopped.

“On another occasion, I would make a bigger scene over this, but I will be lenient for today,”

Kaoru gripped the railing behind him, and paled.

“I do however, need to make an example of you. If you’re too much of a coward to step out of your comfort zone, you need to start learning, and fast,” he drained his wine glass and let it drop to the floor.

***

Kojiro had gotten antsy. Begging his master to help at this party was a one way ticket to trapping himself in the kitchen for the whole night, and Kaoru had seemed far too on edge about this party for his liking. Every small chance he got to serve food and catch a glance of Kaoru had ultimately led to nothing, as his familiar pink hair disappeared with Adam and a few other fancy people out to the courtyard. No matter how much he wanted to follow, there was no escaping his master when she was in the kitchen.

So here he was, desperately cleaning every last table in the room to a polish, instead of helping Kaoru.

Although, to be fair, he wasn’t entirely sure what he could even do. It wasn’t like he was a guest who could go roaming around the party and talking to everyone, much less Kaoru. Not when he was there. The thought allowed him to scrub off a particularly difficult spot of grime off of the table he was cleaning. It had been one thing for Kaoru to dream of coming to this university, but Adam just had to wrap him around his finger. He had done his best to warn Kaoru not to go when the last thing he wanted was to follow his parents into politics. But the dumbass insisted that bastard was enough for him to overcome anything.

Kojiro watched as Kaoru messaged him less and less, almost like they were never friends. Even after he gained his apprenticeship by his university, the brief encounters they had never gave them time for a proper chat, not without Adam there. Kaoru just looked worse and worse every time Kojiro saw him. If Kaoru didn’t want to ask for help, even when offered, then so be it.

But like hell he was going to let his best friend go through this without doing anything.

Once the dining room was spotless, his master freed him from his duties for the night. She almost caught him sneaking over to the party, but he managed to pull it off. He snuck through the halls until he found his way to the courtyard, making sure to stay hidden as he entered. He wouldn’t lie, it was a beautiful courtyard, seaside cliff view and all. There was no question it was a Shindo mansion.

He snuck a little closer to get a clearer view, but froze when he heard something.

There was yelling and wailing, and a wine glass breaking. Venturing closer he saw two figures fighting by the cliff rails. One figure was partially hidden by a tree and the other…

The other figure was on the other side of the fence.

Instinct took over, and Kojiro took off full speed to help. It wasn’t until he got close enough that the light revealed two familiar figures. And a familiar pink head of hair fell over the railing. He didn’t need to check who the other person was. It wasn’t the first time Kaoru’s inability to swim had been disregarded like this.

Kojiro dived down after Kaoru. The cold and impact of the water shocked his system, but he made his way up to tread water. Gasping for breath, he called for Kaoru. Not seeing the other man, he kept diving back down to look, with no success. He started to panic. Kaoru was here, within his grasp. He needed Kojiro’s help, and he couldn’t even save his life. He wouldn’t remember how long he swam, but it got to the point where his own beefy muscles were getting worn out. He couldn’t - wouldn’t - give up. He started swimming to the nearest shore, hoping Kaoru might wash up there. It took him so long to make progress that he thought he might not make it.

Just as his muscles were screaming their last, a pair of hands grabbed him and started bringing him to shore. He didn’t have enough breath left to ask who it was, all he knew was the sweet relief of the sand below him as he made it to shore. Once he caught his breath, he looked around to see who had helped him. Dread overtook him as he realized he didn’t know if his savior had made it.

Scanning the water, he had a hard time seeing anything in the poor light, but he did notice one thing: there was a pool of blood.

Exhausted, Kojiro jumped back into the water regardless. He realized immediately he was being an idiot. Treading water was too much for him now, and he just began to sink despite his efforts. Terror overtook him as his mouth started to fill with water.

And once again, he found himself being rescued by a mystery stranger. He couldn’t speak as he coughed up copious amounts of water, but he felt a hand on his shoulder as the water left his system. They were as tense as Kojiro was.

“Thank you,” Kojiro looked up to see who it was, only for them to immediately retreat. Kojiro went to grab their arm to stop them from leaving, but then he noticed their arm was bloody and scraped up. Almost as if he had a taken a nasty fall and landed on their arm.

“Wait, please,” Kojiro begged. The figure froze, and did not turn to face him. “You’re hurt, let me help! I-“

They shook their head, and moved to leave.

Kojiro tore a strip of bandage from his shirt. “I have a makeshift bandage for you! Please let me see-“

And then Kojiro realized, the figure wasn’t just attempting to leave. In place of their legs was a lengthy mermaid tail, which was currently pathetically squirming in an effort to return to the water. Their eyes met as Kojiro approached, and Kaoru’s terrified face was looking back at him.

“Kaoru…?”

Both men froze as understanding dawned between them. Kojiro moved first, finally securing Kaoru’s arm and applying the bandage. Realizing there was no more use running, Kaoru stilled. As Kojiro finished wrapping the bandage, he could finally get a proper look at his best-friend-turned-merman. Aside from the new injury to his arm, there were copious other scrapes and bruises that he instinctively knew should not be there. Bruises and scrapes that big were not the result of clumsiness. Aside from that, Kaoru looked rough, like he hadn’t been eating or sleeping well lately. He made a note to eviscerate Adam the next chance he got.

Stopping himself from reaching a hand over to comfort Kaoru for fear of aggravating any injuries, he looked towards Kaoru's face, hidden in his hands.."Kaoru,"

The merman shook his head.

"Kaoru, look at me, please?"

"You weren't supposed to see me like this. You were never supposed to know, I-"

"I don't care about that right now, I just need to see your face and know you're okay, can you do that for me? Please?"

"You're going to hate me. I lied to you about who I was for so long. Please can you just go and pretend you never saw this?"

"Kaoru you know I can't promise that,"

"You have to go, Kojiro, if you don't they'll-"

"They'll what? Who?"

"Your memory will be wiped if they find out, and I'll have to return to the sea and I'll never see you or the surface ever again, and I can't do that Kojiro, I just-" Kaoru sobbed.

Instinct overcame Kojiro and he pulled him into an embrace as he sobbed. He wasn't sure how long Kaoru sobbed for, but somewhere along the line, his tail disappeared and the Kaoru he knew had returned, sopping wet in his nice party outfit. As the sobs subsided, Kojiro wiped some tears from Kaoru's face.

He knew Kaoru looked rough, but his face multiplied the effect tenfold, especially with the freshly red eyes. Defeated, tired, desperate. But far from dead. "There you are," he offered a little smile at the sudden awkward reunion. "It's been a while, hasn't it,"

"I expect you finally learned how to make a decent carbonara, being an apprentice now and all,"

"Excuse you, I have been working hard the past several years to perfect my recipe, asshole, and you will eat it and you will like it, got it?"

Kaoru snorted in response before turning somber once more. "If i ever get to, at this rate,"

"Please, tell me everything, Kaoru,"

"They could do worse than wiping your memories if we aren't careful," He averted Kojiro's eyes. “And the Shindos aren’t any less brutal than my mermaid family,”

"And has something like that ever stopped me before? Please," he put a hand on Kaoru's shoulder. "I haven't been able to do a single thing for you these past few years, so for once please let me help you, Kaoru, you don't have to do this alone,"

"I wish I could, but it's the Shindo family we'd be up against, if I fall out of line more than I already have, who knows what they'll do," Kaoru fidgeted. "And if you don't get out of here now, they'll go after you too,"

"I'm prepared to take them on, I don't care, I-"

"No, no you don't Kojiro, they have the kind of power that can end any person's career immediately! If you get caught, you can kiss your chef days goodbye, dumbass! Think for a moment, will you!"

Kojiro flinched in reponse to the words. In the same moment, they could see a search party coming their direction.

Kaoru grabbed Kojiro's shoulders. "Look, you need to go, and now. I don't know when we'll talk next, but whatever you do, please try not to do anything to piss them off, okay? Promise me,"

Kojiro had to fight not to swallow his words. "I'll try,"

"That'll have to do,"

Kojiro pulled Kaoru in for one last brief embrace. "Whatever I can do to help you, I will do it, even if I have to pull you out of this mess kicking and screaming. So promise me you won't give up on what you want so easily, okay?"

Daiya no Ace M/M 1,275 words

Oh Shirasu, what do I do? I thought I could handle this, but…

Nori looked out in the distance, wondering if Shirasu could see the same sky. At a different time, he may have cried, but he had none left. They had all dried up watching Shirasu desperately chasing after his carriage. If only he could go back, just to be with him a moment more, he would give anything. The king was never that generous, and never would be.

His thoughts were interrupted by a voice calling his name.

“My apologies, what was it you needed?” He turned to the servant that had spoken.

“I brought chai tea and a blanket, if you require them. I merely noticed you had been sitting out here in the cold for a while, and thought you might need to warm up,”

“You needn’t have bothered, I was just about to go inside,” Nori moved to stand up.

“Would you prefer to take you tea inside, then?

You always have chai tea with ginger during the festival, do you not?”

Nori froze. The deep voice of the servant had suddenly changed. Not only was it familiar, nobody among the castle staff should know his habit - he had not been at the castle more than six months.

“I do,” he said slowly, sitting back down.

“Very good, I shall pour you a cup,”

As Nori received the tea, he immediately recognized the scent.

“Care to join me? We will be able to see the fireworks from here, you watch them every year, no?”

The servant smiled. “With a cup of chai tea, of course,”

The servant remained standing, but poured himself a cup of tea. He raised his teacup.

“Forgive me, but I don’t remember your name,”

“I don’t believe we have been properly introduced. I am Kenshi, from the kitchens,”

“Kenshi, huh,” Nori smiled. “The curry you made tasted like what I had at home,”

“I am glad you enjoyed it,”

“You could have chosen to pursue cooking outside of the palace, why choose the palace?”

“Serving members of the royal palace is the highest honor a chef could receive,”

“Is that so,” Nori swirled his tea. “I don’t come from a high status, so I was opposed to selecting a personal chef. I was relieved to find I wouldn’t struggle with choosing one,”

“I am honored to hear it,”

The fireworks began, and the two enjoyed their tea while watching the show. After a few moments, Nori spoke once more.

“Say, do you miss cooking at home?”

“Sometimes I do,” the servant put down his teacup and took a seat next to Nori on the bench. He then fiddled with a necklace. “But I bring my secret ingredient with me wherever I go, so no need to worry,”

The two made eye contact as the servant put something in Nori’s hand. Nori knew what it was without looking, because he knew the ring inside and out. And the person who’d given it to him was right in front of him.

They both had tears in their eyes as they allowed themselves to embrace each other for a mere moment. Nori was overwhelmed that the love of his life had given up everything, everything, just to find him again, however briefly. He held Shirasu as tight as he could, willing the moment to last forever.

“What is the meaning of this,”

The two froze. They had miscalculated how long Narumiya would be at the festival with the other concubines.

“And who the hell are you,” he gestured towards Shirasu. “How dare you sit next to the kings fiancée!”

Nori rose. “He’s here with my permission. He brought tea, he’s one of the kitchen staff,”

“And what business do you have drinking tea up here during the fireworks? I don’t recall giving permission for you to leave the festival,”

Something in Nori snapped. “Do forgive me for missing the fiancée you pulled me away from on the day we had planned our wedding for, and wanting to celebrate the festival how I normally would with him,” he walked towards the palace. “Do relax, I’m coming inside now. The show is finished,”

Narumiya grabbed the collar of Nori’s kimono. “You walk out in the middle of the festival and expect people not to notice the king’s fiancée has left him alone? Do you realize how it makes me look, that my fiancée doesn’t want to stay with me?”

Shirasu was prepared to deck Narumiya in the face. Nori waved him off. “Maybe if you made either of your concubines your fiancée instead, you wouldn’t have this problem. They’re both head over heels for you,”

He threw Nori to the ground. “Don’t you dare mess with me, you know that a king can’t-“

“Who’s going to be able to stop you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re the king. Who can go against your word? Does it bother you so much to be disliked by the masses? I never thought you were one to care,”

Narumiya froze. He’d never considered this possibility. He tried responding, but nothing came out.

“Do you hate the idea that much, Mei?”

Narumiya turned around immediately to face the newcomer to the scene.

“Itsuki!? When did you…”

“If you were never interested, then,” a few tears rolled down his cheek. “Why did you let me be a concubine?”

“It’s not like that, Itsuki, I-“

“You knew how I felt, Mei. You knew. I thought you felt the same. Looks like I was wrong,”

Itsuki turned and left the scene as fast as he’d arrived, Narumiya on his heels.

Shirasu helped Nori up, and the two were inclined to chase after. But an arm stopped them before they could follow.

“Don’t bother. They need to sort this out without our help,”

“Masa, you came too?”

“We were following Mei back from the festival. Itsuki was fidgeting with his pocket all night, a ring, I imagine,”

Nori nodded. “Took him long enough,”

“We’ll see if that wait gets any shorter. For now, it’s cold, let’s go in,”

The three headed back in, Shirasu saying goodbye and heading towards the servants quarters.

“Wrong way,”

“What do you mean?”

“That’s the servants quarters,”

“I am indeed a servant,”

“But you are also the fiancée of the king’s fiancée, are you not?”

Nori froze. “Wait, how did you-“

“You’ve told me a bit about your fiancée, and I doubt any servant would be as bold as to join you for tea. Besides,” Masa smiled. “That’s not the same ring on your finger, now, is it,”

Nori and Shirasu turned bright red.

“Come on, you’re probably gonna wanna give Mei some space tonight anyways. No matter how things go, you won’t want to be there. Have a guest room prepared, then you two can stay together too,” Masa waved as he went his own way.

Enjoy as I challenge myself to stretch my writing muscles by writing for at least five minutes nonstop under threat of starting the fic over

Fic 1: Some AsaNoya Post-Time-Skip Trip Drabble

M/M Haikyuu 724 words

Asahi watched as Noya ran ahead to the top of the Eiffel Tower. He couldn’t suppress his smile as he caught up and saw him completely immersed in the gorgeous view of Paris. Coming up next to Noya, he took a moment to enjoy the sights himself. He felt himself relax and release a breath he didn’t know he was holding. This was the moment where he realized he was… at peace. Traveling the world with his loving boyfriend was more than he could ever ask for. Smiling to himself, he reached into his pocket, feeling the ring box inside. He decided to act before he thought too much about it and chickened out again.

“Hey Noya,”

The libero turned his attention away from the view. “What is it?”

“I have something I’ve been meaning to ask you - for a long time, actually. I promised myself I would ask you while we’re on this trip, so I-“

“Hold on, before you ask me, I have something to ask you,” Noya reached towards his own pocket, face red.

Asahi gently smiled. “Noya, just this once, can I go first?”

“Oh, O-Of course!” He scratched the back of his neck.

It’s so cute seeing him shy like this. “Thanks. If I’m being honest, Noya, I wouldn’t be who I am today without you. It’s because of your endless belief in the people around you that I was able to challenge myself and grow. I’d be in a very different place right now if you hadn’t been around, and I have been endlessly lucky to have you in my life. And I would be honored if you would have me in yours for the rest of it,” Asahi got down on once knee and presented the ring. “Will you marry me, Noya?”

Noya was covering his face with his hand, and with the other, he held out a different ring box. Asahi could tell that any speech that was planned had just flown out of the smaller man’s brain, and he was too overwhelmed to speak, as was Asahi. The reality did not hit his brain until the two of them out the rings on each other’s fingers. Then the waterworks began and all they could do was melt into a puddle of sobs on each other’s shoulders.

Neither remembered the trip back to the hotel that night. All Asahi could remember was how they hardly let go of each other at all last night, and the sheer number of times they had to pinch each other to make sure they weren’t dreaming. It was a good thing Paris had been their last stop before flying back to Japan, as their attention had been stripped away from any of the sights around them. By the time they landed, they were just barely falling out of their lovestruck newly engaged stupor.

Suga, Daichi, and Tanaka had shown up to bring the two of them home. Noya excitedly bounded over to Tanaka while Asahi received a warm greeting from Suga and Daichi. He immediately started telling them about the trip, talking about all their different stops, until he got to Paris.

“…and then our day in Paris, we explored around and tried some new foods and whatnot, but then we got to go up the Eiffel Tower, and when we got to the top-“

“NOYA YOU AND ASAHI FINALLY GOT ENGAGED!?”

“Tanaka! I was about to tell them,” AsahI whined.

“Ah, oops!”

“Wait, so you two actually finally-“ Suga asked excitedly.

Asahi showed off his ring, with Noya simultaneously coming over to show his off.

“Who proposed?”

“I did, actually,” Asahi sheepishly admitted.

“Tanaka, you owe me ten bucks,”

“Oi you bastards don’t tell me you bet on who would propose?!” Noya exclaimed.

They avoided Noya’s glare as Tanaka handed Suga a ten dollar bill.

Daichi shook his head. “Well, we’re all together, do we wanna go get something to eat? Drinks on Suga,” he smiled.

“Why me?!”

“You’re the one with an extra ten bucks, after all. Not my fault you didn’t listen when I warned you,”