「 ✦ Spoon Writes ✦ 」

── .✦

It was dusk when you left the library, having spent the better part of your day digging through this week’s new materials for anything that could give you an idea of how to break your curse. This had become a pillar of your weekly routine - something consistent in between missions that continued to yield very little progress. You would stay in the library for hours scouring new materials, so absorbed in your research that the rest of the world would disappear.

Your stomach growled, as if to emphasize just how much you lost yourself in your reading - it has been hours since you last ate, but you are only just now feeling the effects. You clutched your stomach and groaned, pivoting midstep to make your way over to the campus convenience store to pick up a quick bite. You knew you should probably have something more substantial than just cup ramen, but it was late and you were tired. Quick convenience outweighed the need for nutrition.

You pushed open the door to the campus store, hearing its bell tinkling overhead. Benkei was nowhere to be seen, but you could see the store manager snoozing away on the front counter. You let out a small laugh at the sight and shoved down the urge to give them a little scratch behind the ears, instead forcing your feet toward the back of the store where the cup ramen display was. 

Unfortunately for you, this section of the store could have hardly been considered a “display”. A wreckage would be more accurate - the shelves were almost completely barren, leaving behind only one option for your sodium-packed meal: plain beef. It didn’t even include any additional seasonings or a measly little veggie packet - it was literally just beef-flavored broth and noodles. As if sensing your hesitation, your stomach let out another growl, this one louder than the first. You sighed and begrudgingly snatched up the ramen cup as if it had personally offended you, and turned to head to the register. However, you immediately slammed head-first into someone’s chest, their hands instinctively finding their way to your waist to steady you.

“Ooff- easy, Senpai. You may have it out for that ramen, but I sure as hell didn’t do anything to ya.”

You jolted and scrambled backwards out of Sho’s arms, face flushing red with embarrassment. “Ah! Sorry, Sho! I didn’t see you-”

“It’s okay,” he interrupted, adopting his usual lop-sided grin and teasing eyes. You blushed just a little more and looked away to avoid direct eye-contact. It’s already bad enough that you felt ridiculous for your lack of self-awareness, but the fact that it just so happened to be your crush? You thought you may as well order your gravestone now since you were sure to fall over dead at any moment.

Sho crossed his arms, looking at you appraisingly and with just a little too much amusement in his eyes. “So, what did the ramen do to earn your wrath?”

His question helped knock you out of your embarrassment a bit as you were reminded by how hungry you were. “Oh, I just came from the library and realized I was starving, so I came to pick up something quick and easy, but the selection tonight is..” you turned and gestured, “..disappointing.” 

His eyes followed your hands and he nodded in understanding. “Yeah, the plain isn’t the best. But you know, you could easily dress that up to make it more substantial and nutritious.”

You blinked. “What do you mean?”

He shook his head and laughed lightly, “I mean you could cut up some veggies to put in there, maybe even boil an egg. If you really wanted to go all out, you could even cook your own meat to add.” He brought a hand up to his chin, clearly considering even more possibilities. You studied him, appreciating the way his eyes seemed to sparkle when talking about cooking, and felt your heart bloom with the warmth of adoration. Talking to Sho was always an enjoyable experience, but when you got him hooked on talking about food or cooking, the twinkle in his eye would steal your breath away.

You shook your head slightly to center yourself back in the present. “That sounds great, Sho, I just don’t really have any groceries at the cathedral at the moment so.. plain it is I guess,” you laughed weakly, scratching the back of your neck.

Sho gave you an incredulous look. “Obviously you can come with me to Vagastrom for that. You know I always have fresh ingredients on hand, Senpai.”

Embarrassed blush bloomed across your cheeks and burned your ears. “Oh! Um, thank you, Sho. I’m sorry, I just never want to assume-”

“You don’t need to apologize, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Right. Sor-” Sho shot you an unamused look, stopping the words in your mouth.

“Ah, ahem. Right. Thanks, Sho.”

He cracked a smile at that and rolled his eyes. “C’mon Senpai, let’s go make your sad ramen.”

── .✦

In the Vagastrom kitchen, you prepped a kettle with water for the ramen while Sho washed the veggies he pulled out for you - green onions and bamboo shoots. “We’ll boil an egg for you too, but that will be easy,” he said while finishing up his task. He pulled out two cutting boards and set one in front of you. “Think you can take care of the green onion?”

You scoffed, “I may not cook a lot, but I can cut up an onion just fine.” You swiped the vegetable from his hand and shook it in his face. It had actually been quite a long time since you last found yourself chopping vegetables, but that was clearly irrelevant at the moment.

Sho held up his hands in mock surrender, “Okay, okay easy with the onion Senpai.” He flashed you his lop-sided grin, “You take care of that while I prep the bamboo shoots, ‘kay?”

“Okay!” You chirped in response.

You turned towards your cutting board and began to work. The first few cuts were a little clumsy, resulting in pieces a bit too large for your liking. You slowed down, repositioned your hands to mimic what you have seen people do in cooking videos on YouTube, and tried again. The cuts were cleaner and smaller, the perfect size for slurping up with noodles. 

You smiled a little to yourself, proud that you were able to perform the task so well. You always felt as though there was something deeply satisfying in being able to execute simple tasks well - but in this moment, there was the added bonus that if you impress Sho enough, he may praise your good work. Your ears burned with excitement and embarrassment at the thought, and while you silently scolded yourself for being so silly, you didn’t realize how dangerously close the knife was getting to your fingers until-

“Ah, shit!”

You immediately dropped the knife and it clanged onto the countertop as you brought your cut finger up to your mouth to suckle. Luckily, you were only cutting onions so you weren’t pressing very hard. It was a very minor cut, but you were still bleeding.

Immediately Sho was at your side, gingerly pulling your hand away from your mouth by the wrist. “Let me see. Are you okay?”

You nodded, “Yeah it’s just a little cut, but I think I need a bandaid.”

Sho looked at your hand and saw the blood blooming on the skin of your finger and nodded. “Wash your hands in the sink, I’ll get the first-aid kit.”

You did as you were told and by the time you were finished, Sho had returned with the first-aid kit. He was already pulling out a small bottle of anomalous medicine and a bandaid when he motioned for you to give him your hand.

You reached for him and he gently cupped your hand in his. His warmth spread through your fingers and zipped up your arms. You felt your face flush again, and you mentally chided yourself for being ridiculous - he was just helping you with an injury, there was no reason to make this a romantic moment.

Unaware of your mental turmoil, Sho calmly spread a little anomalous medicine across the pad of the bandaid before wrapping it snugly around your finger. “There, all better. What happened anyway?”

You thought back, and remembered that you were imagining him praising you for your expert knife skills and sputtered. “I- ah, um. I just got a little distracted..” You looked at the ground as you spoke, not brave enough to see his disapproving face while you partially came clean.

You heard him scoff before you felt him flick your forehead.

“Ow! Sho-”

“That is for being dumb and getting distracted with a knife in your hand,” he said, firmly. You shrunk back a little, knowing that you definitely deserved that punishment. “But this,” he said softly as he lifted your bandaged finger to his face and gave it a tender kiss, “is a good luck charm to keep it from happening again.” He smiled at you confidently, making your heart flutter for the umpteenth time this evening. All you could do was smile in return while your mind whirled with emotions.

“Take a seat over here, and I will finish up your food, okay? No more kitchen time for you today,” he said thoughtfully, with a hint of teasing.

This snapped you out of your flood of emotions and made you laugh, “Yeah, okay, I think that is fair. Thank you, Sho.”

── .✦

Rui paced back and forth across his room, nervously wringing his hands. You were on your way to Obscuary to see him, and the nerves were setting him on fire. He wasn’t just nervous to see you - though, how could he not be when you effortlessly make his heart do somersaults every time he saw you?

No, today he is nervous because it would be the first day he could touch you. Just this morning his curse was finally broken - by Haku, of all people. The ritual flew by in a blur, and when it was over, he wondered if it had really worked. There were no immediate changes that he could sense, so he left, feeling confused. But when he returned to Obscuary, Lyca and Ed bombarded him with lung-crushing hugs, proving that the ritual did work - his curse really was broken. He really can touch people without killing them.

Before he really processed this miracle, he was already pulling out his phone and texting you that he had big news and needed you to come to Obscuary right away. His subconscious was desperate to share the news with you, the person he loved more than anything or anyone else in the world - so he contacted you as automatically as he breathed.

It hadn’t been very long since you replied that you were on your way, but it was enough time for reality to settle in a little bit more, allowing Rui to spiral. Am I really doing this? I know I touched Lyca and Ed, but.. they’re not the Honor Student, he thought. What if something still goes wrong? Am I really willing to take the chance? Is my selfish desire really worth their safety?

Rui’s chest tightened and he stopped pacing to bury his face in his hands. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he should wait until he was completely sure that nothing would happen to you. Maybe-

His train of thought was cut off by the sound of three gentle knocks on his bedroom door.

“Rui?” His heart melted at the sound of your voice calling out to him. “Are you in there?”

He took a big breath. “Y-Yeah. Just one second, cutie!” Cringing at the shakiness of his voice, Rui brought his hands up and slapped both sides of his face to center himself, and opened the door.

You stood there in your uniform, looking at him with big, round eyes filled with happiness and curiosity, and his brain completely short-circuited. The reality of what was about to happen hit him much harder with you standing right there in front of him. His palms started to sweat, causing him to wring his hands again.

Your eyes flicked down to the motion and when they looked back up to him, the happiness and curiosity were replaced with worry. “Rui, are you okay? What is happening?”

He let out a shaky breath, “Yeah, I-I’m okay. Everything is okay. Everything is actually more than okay, everything is great! Today is great! Yeah, everything is-”

“Rui.”

“Right, sorry.” He cleared his throat and gestured for you to enter his room. He closed the door behind you, and you quirked an eyebrow up at him, but otherwise said nothing, giving him the space he needed to process what he wanted to say.

“So, um, Honor Student, I- uh. I honestly don’t know how to tell you this without just..saying it, so I’m just going to say it.” You nodded encouragingly, so Rui took a deep breath, and all at once said, 

“HakubrokemycursethismorningandnowIcantouchpeople.”

── .✦

You blinked at him owlishly, trying to process his words. But your mind had gone completely blank - all of your worries vanished and were replaced by this once phrase now bouncing around in your skull like an echo in a cave.

“I’m sorry, Haku did what?”

You watched Rui let out another shaky breath before he responded, slower, “Haku broke my curse this morning. A-And now, I can..I can touch people..”

You felt a sense of understanding wash over you all at once. His text, his tense behavior, the way he kept wringing his hands - which you now realized were glove-free - it all made sense.

“Rui,” you breathed, excitement apparent in your voice.

“But maybe it’s still too soon for us to try. I mean Ed and Lyca both have touched me already and they were okay,” he quickly rambled.

“Rui.” You tried to get his attention, to break him out of his spiraling thoughts.

“But this is you we are talking about! I want to hold your hand and hug you more than anything in the world, but I will never ever forgive myself if-”

“Rui!”

His eyes snapped to yours, worry etched deeply into his features. You took a deep breath and held up your hand, palm facing him.

“Please.”

You watched him gulp, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, before he began to raise his shaky hand to yours. He moved so slowly, making you want to reach out and grab him, but you held completely still and allowed him to move at his own speed. Though you felt so excited at this moment that you were practically giddy, Rui clearly still held strong reservations. For so long he had to live such a careful and lonely life in fear of hurting anyone, but especially you. His devotion to you has been his strongest source of motivation these past months, and his love only grew stronger each day that passed. You understood why he would be cautious - after living as he did for so long, how could he easily trust that everything was okay now? Just like that? This was a very big moment for him, and you knew he had to be processing so many feelings, so it is only right to let him set the pace.

Finally, the very tips of his fingers brushed lightly against yours and you gasped in unison. He jumped back slightly, eyes flicking from you to his shaking hand, waiting for..something to happen.

You held still to the best of your ability. Your heart was racing, pounding in your ears, and thrumming through your whole body. 

You just touched Rui. The sweetest and kindest ghoul you have come to know, the one who has brought your comfort and joy in so many more ways than you can express with words, the one who you fell in love with but could not confess to because of his condition, his curse. But now.. that was gone. There was no barrier between you. Your body buzzed with excitement.

After waiting a bit, Rui reached for your hand once more. But this time, once his shaky palm made contact with yours, you quickly laced your fingers between his and held on tight.

Rui gasped, his eyes widening in shock and his body going completely rigid. You watched as realization washed over him, and he gently closed his fingers around your hand in turn. You beamed at him, completely elated. But when he looked back to you, you realized the worry had been replaced by a swarm of emotions that Rui himself couldn’t name. His eyes welled with fat tears, and his lip began to wobble.

“Oh, Rui,” you started - but this was enough to break the dam. He choked on a sob as his knees gave out, dragging you down to the floor with him. His body shook and heaved as he released the weight of everything he had carried since being cursed - the memories, the loneliness, everything. You scooted closer to him and held him with your free hand - as he still held on tightly to the other. He buried his head in the crook of your neck and continued to cry and shake, wetting your shirt in the process.

You nuzzled your face into the top of his head and rocked your bodies back and forth in a soothing motion. You didn’t say anything, you just allowed him to cry and process in the intense and raw manner which he needed and allowed your physical presence to be a reminder that you were there and that this was real.

Over time, his sobs turned into gasps, which then turned into normal breaths. You just kept rocking him back and forth until he lifted his head to look at you. You paused, and looked down at him, with love and adoration in your eyes.

“Honor Student?” he croaked.

“Yes?”

“I think I’m.. tired. It’s been so long since I felt like this, I’m not sure..”

You remembered that his curse not only kept him from touching other living things, but also prevented him from getting tired and sleeping. It had been so long since he truly rested, and after all of that crying, you are sure he had to be completely tuckered out.

“I think that makes sense,” you said gently. “Do you want to take a nap?”

He nodded, then looked away, his cheeks and ears tinted red. “Would.. Would you stay with me?”

You smiled, “Of course.”

You helped him up off the floor of his room, finally unlatching your hands from one another, and guided him to his bed. He got in first and settled on his side, and you scooched in behind him. You slung an arm over his waist and buried your face up against his back and the back of his neck, and you felt him relax into your touch. Soon, you heard his breathing deepen and even out, and as you dozed off yourself, you couldn’t help but think about how your reaper can finally just be your love.

── .✦

Sunlight filtered in through the windows above Leo’s bed and gently kissed your face, stirring you from your slumber. You blinked slowly, eyes unfocused and teary as you stretched your arms and stifled a yawn. Rubbing your eyes and wiping the sleep away helped to center you and bring your mind out of the sleep fog. The room was completely still and the only sound you could hear was the faint breathing of your boyfriend, who was tucked up next to you.

You rolled over, eyes landing on Leo’s sleeping figure. He was lying on his side facing you, one arm supporting his head from beneath his pillow, the other tucked up in front of him - his hand gently holding onto his satin pillowcase. His hair was only slightly tousled, and his lips were slightly parted as he continued to snooze. Your heart filled with warmth looking at him. This was your favorite part about spending the night in his dorm - getting to see him like this; gentle, soft, relaxed. It’s the only time when he isn’t scheming, doing his duties as Vice Captain, or creating content for his social media platforms. The only time he can simply exist. And now he shared this time with you, too.

You reached out to him and very gently tucked a stray hair behind his ear. Your heart skipped a beat, and before you really acknowledged it, you had gently cupped his cheek, leaned in, and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

He stirred a little, giving you a small pleased, “Mmh.”

You smiled, and whispered, “Shh, go back to sleep,” against his forehead before pulling back slightly to look at him.

His eyebrows furrowed slightly, letting out another “Mmh,” but this one sounded more confused and annoyed.

You started to pull your hands away, whispering, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you-”, but you were cut off by him wrapping his arms around you and pulling himself flush against your chest. A light chuckle bubbled its way out of your chest as you looked down at him and moved your hand to cradle the back of his head, threading your fingers in his soft hair there.

He leaned back into your touch, opening his eyes to gaze at you. His golden irises sparkled and shone in the soft morning sunlight, pulling a captivated gasp from you. Though still half asleep, the way he was gazing at you made you feel as though you were the only two people in the world - he made you feel precious, adored, revered even. 

You tipped your head down and pressed a kiss to the bridge of his nose, right between his eyes, followed by another pressed to his cheek. He let out a content hum, eyes flicking down to your lips for a moment, then back up to yours.

You smiled at him and leaned in again, capturing his lips in a sweet and lazy kiss. It wasn’t rushed or heated, but it was no less passionate - both of you pouring all of your tender, unspoken feelings into the movement. His lips were soft against yours, and you both naturally took turns leading the kiss, taking each other on a journey which simultaneously went everywhere and nowhere. The destination was here, now - the space you both had carved out for yourselves and for each other, wrapped around one another in an ardent kiss. It felt like worship and tasted like praise.

Leo broke the kiss first, gently pulling away and pressing a kiss to your cheek, then jaw, and down your throat over your pulse-point. You let out a small sigh and he nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck, breathing you in. “Let’s stay here for a while longer.”

You nuzzled the top of his head in turn, whispering a small, “Okay.” You pulled his thick blankets over you both a little tighter, and allowed yourself to be lulled back to sleep by your feelings of content and the sound of Leo’s quiet breaths.

── .✦

You thrust open the door to Rui’s bar, flushed and panting from rushing over. You had gotten a call from Rui a little bit ago telling you that Romeo had one or two, or five, drinks too many, and needed help getting back to Sinostra.

“I offered him one of our rooms here,” Rui explained, “but he is insisting-”

“Tell my BB to GTFOH now!” you heard Romeo yelling in the background. You and Rui sighed in tandem, and you let him know that you would be there as soon as you could.

Now that you were here, you couldn’t help but linger in the doorway, surprised - and definitely amused - at the sight before you. Rui was wiping down the bar, no doubt getting ready to close for the night - but it was Romeo and Haru who were entertaining you. Romeo was slumped onto the bar, groaning and whining something you couldn’t quite make out - his face and ears flushed red. Haru, surprisingly, seemed to be the sober of the two, and was trying unrelentingly to convince Romeo to drink water and eat some crackers.

You sighed, rubbing your temples slightly, and stepped fully inside.

“Hey cutie!~” Rui called from the end of the bar. “Thank you for coming by to help out. We tried to move him ourselves, but he really wanted you to do it.”

Haru scratched the back of his neck sheepishly and sighed deeply, “Yeah, he’s been quite fussy about it.”

You smiled at them both, “I am sorry he has been causing you guys so much trouble tonight! Thank you for taking care of him.” You walked up to Romeo and stroked his face, moving hair out of his eye. He seemed to have dozed off since you came in.

“It’s no problem at all, Honor Student!” Haru said. “But, are you going to be able to handle getting him back to Sinostra by yourself?”

You sighed, “Yeah, I will figure something out! He already knows I can’t princess-carry him back so hopefully his expectations are low.” You gently nudged Romeo, softly telling him to wake up so you can take him home.

He struggled to open his eyes and lift his head, but when he caught a glimpse of you, you saw light enter his hazy stare before he roughly pulled you in for a kiss. You let out a little squeak at his sudden movement, but melted into him as he tilted your head to deepen the kiss. You hummed happily against his lips, and he responded by swiping your bottom lip with his tongue, asking for entrance - and you unthinkingly obliged. He eagerly pushed his tongue into your mouth, transferring the taste of his scotch to you. 

You jolted and pushed him away, ready to complain that he knows you don’t want to taste his liquor off of him after he drinks, but he cut you off before you could even start with a dead serious face. “BB, you are late.”

You scoffed, “It only took me like, what, 10 minutes to get here?” You looked to Rui for confirmation and he nodded, “Yeah, 10 minutes. Do you know how far Clementia is from Obscuary?”

“IDC! You should know better than to keep your BF waiting! Now take me home,” he said, wobbling to his feet. You snickered quietly to yourself, watching him with amusement. Even when he is absolutely trashed and needy for your attention, he still tries to act like the one in control - it’s cute. You and Haru both reached to steady him, and with Haru’s help, you were able to sling one of Romeo’s arms around your shoulders and wrap one of yours around his waist - a position where you were able to comfortably support him. You thanked Haru and Rui again, and began the trek to Sinostra.

The journey started off rough - the uneven trail through Obscuary’s woods caused Romeo to stumble, a lot. You had to bear most of his weight to keep him steady as you both moved slowly, allowing him time to secure his footing before moving forward. Getting back onto the main campus grounds with paved walkways has never made you so happy before. 

After struggling to cross Sinostra’s sandy terrain and covertly sneaking Romeo past the casino so no one would see him, you were finally able to get him hauled up to his room. You kicked the door closed behind you and hobbled with him over to his bed, helping him lay down with his legs hanging off. You fell next to him, mirroring his position and breathing heavily from the unplanned workout. You both laid there for a while, simply staring up at his ceiling, existing together.

He suddenly rolled over and attempted to push himself up, but quickly fell face-down into his sheets with a groan. You propped yourself up on your elbows, looking at him, “Are you okay? What are you trying to do?”

“I am trying to do my NTR, obviously!” he snapped, pulling his head up from the bed. “I’m just.. a bit dizzy still.”

You raised an eyebrow, “You mean your extensive nighttime routine which includes your 10-step skincare process? Don’t you think you could maybe, skip that tonight? Given your state..?”

His eyes snapped open and he glared at you, “Skip it?? BB have you finally lost it? Consistency is key to personal hygiene. This is why you get breakouts, and I don’t.”

You rolled your eyes, “Okay, okay fine. I will help you then.”

His pinched, irritated expression melted away as he watched you scoot off the bed - eyes lighting up slightly with adoration, mouth quirking up into a small smile. You were a consistent, positive force in his crazy whirlwind life, and though he didn’t say it often, he was very appreciative of the peace you brought him. No one else had ever been deemed worthy enough to see this side of him - his softness. Only you.

Your heart fluttered at his expression, causing a hint of rosiness to creep onto your cheeks as you extended a hand to him. You helped him up and planted a chaste kiss to his lips before wrapping your arm around his waist again and waddling you both over to his luxurious bathroom. Once he was settled comfortably in his vanity chair, you moved towards the bath.

You heard a sharp gasp from behind you, “What are you doing!?”

You turned to face Romeo with a confused expression on your face. “I’m going to run a bath for you? How am I supposed to help you if you take a shower?”

He crossed his arms over his chest, “Baths are for relaxation only! You should only use a shower to get clean and a bath for some TLC. I am taking a shower.”

“But it will be easier for me to help you if-”

“Do you need to get your hearing checked? I will not sit in filthy bath water like a renaissance peasant. I said I am taking a shower BB! I will not change my mind!”

You sighed, resigning yourself to his whims. You moved to his glass shower and ran the water to give it time to heat up. Meanwhile, you prepped yourself to avoid getting wet as much as possible by stripping off your socks and pants, leaving you in just your underwear and T-shirt. You then rummaged around in the drawers of Romeo’s vanity until you found some hair clips, which you used to pull your hair back and out of your face. 

You examined yourself in the mirror. You looked a little crazy, but hopefully you will stay dry.

You turned back to Romeo only to find him already undressing, pulling off his last bit of clothing and letting it fall to the floor in a pile with the rest. You had expected to need to help him undress, so turning to see him suddenly naked made you jolt in surprise. You averted your eyes and tried to ignore the blush blooming on your face and the heat blooming low in your stomach. “U-Uh, are you ready, Romeo? Oh! Also, do you think you can stand on your own?”

He wobbled slightly as you asked the question as if to answer you with the movement. “I can manage, let’s go.”

You guided him to the shower and tested the water’s temperature before letting him get in. He sighed happily as the water hit him, and you felt a bit of pride blooming warmly in your chest. In your past experiences, whenever you drank just a bit too much, you would begin to feel extremely tense as you sobered up - as if the loss of the alcohol’s buzz showed you how much tension you carry in your body. You had guessed this would be the same for Romeo, so you tried to set the water to just the right temperature to help soothe his aching muscles - and you were delighted to see that it worked. 

You slid in behind him and closed the glass door of the shower, standing at the back in a relatively dry patch - which you were thankful for. You helped Romeo get his hair wet and started working his ridiculously expensive, salon-grade shampoo into his hair. He let out a pleased sigh, closing his eyes and leaning back into your touch a little more. You smiled, feeling that pride blooming inside you again, and really focused on giving him a soothing scalp massage. Now that he is beginning to sober up, he may have a headache and you knew that he had to be holding tension in the muscles on his head from furrowing his brows all the time. He tilted back further into your touch, and you hummed, thinking about how maybe you should do this for him more often - when he suddenly slipped on the wet tile, and fell back into you, squishing you against one of the glass walls of his shower. You caught him with a heavy “Oof-” and struggled to keep you both from slipping down to the ground. “Ah! Are you okay, Romeo?”

You pushed off the wall with your butt, hoisting Romeo back up under the water. “I’m fine, I just slipped a little-” his breath caught as he turned around to face you, eyes raking over your form. Your hands were still a little sudsy from washing his hair and you were looking at him with concern in your eyes, but your shirt - fuck, your shirt. The whole front was wet from catching him, and it clung to your body, highlighting every dip and curve. His brain short circuited, and his silence only worried you more. You reached out and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, “Romeo?”

His eyes snapped back to yours, and you realized that he was finally lucid again. His eyes were attentive, clear, but they also were swimming with something more - something darker and primal.

He caught your wrist as you pulled your hand away from his shoulder and had you pressed up against the shower wall in the next second. His other hand found your waist and gave it a little squeeze as he slotted one of his legs between your thighs. You gasped, and he took the opportunity to claim your lips in a hot and needy kiss, immediately slipping his tongue into your mouth. This time, you were too overwhelmed to taste the lingering traces of scotch on his tongue and instead, you moaned and returned the kiss with the same fervor. He groaned and subconsciously bucked against you, rubbing his now hardened length against your stomach.

All of the sensations were too much all at once for you to process. You were elated and aroused, but also extremely light headed. Threading your free hand into his hair, you tugged causing him to groan again - allowing yourself a moment to break free from the kiss and gasp for air.

He sighed your name, and pulled you even closer to him, cupping your face and resting his forehead against your own. “You drive me crazy.” Still panting, you gave him a breathy laugh and teased, “You love my craziness, though.” Your eyes glinted at him with mischief and he smirked. “I do.”

You met him for another kiss - heated but quick. A little string of saliva connected you both before it snapped. 

“Mmm, if I recall correctly, I ordered you to my side to help me tonight, did I not?” He asked as he leaned down to nip your ear. You gripped his shoulders and answered with a breathy yes. He grinned and pulled away, bucking against you again, “Don’t you think you should finish your job then?”

The contact sent a thrilling shiver down your spine. “Of course, Fico,” you purred, lowering yourself to your knees, “It would be my pleasure.”

── .✦

New abbreviation meanings:

GTFOH - Get the fuck over here

── .✦

You were late. Not late by Jin or Romeo’s unrealistic standards, but actually, really, late. 

You were assigned to Vagastrom to assist with their new mission, and you were supposed to meet at 7:00 am in front of the Galaxy Express to debrief and make your way into Tokyo. But you had stayed up quite late last night doing research and preparation for the mission, so you had accidentally slept through your first alarm and woke up to the second - the one you set to go off when you need to leave your dorm in order to be on time for the meeting.

You had skyrocketed out of bed when you saw the time and scrambled to get ready. Now, at 7:12 am, you were sprinting to the train station, face flushed from the exertion but also from embarrassment. Though this is the first time you have ever been late, you knew that a certain chaotic combo of ghouls from Vagastrom would most definitely give you hell for it all day.

You rounded the last corner, the Galaxy Express station coming into view, and you felt a wave of relief flood over your body. All three ghouls stood waiting for you - a small part of you was nervous they would just leave you behind, but looking at the concerned expression on Alan’s face made you realize that he would not have let that happen.

You slowed your pace and came to a halt in front of them, doubling over with your hands on your knees for support and taking in huge gulps of air. “Sorry, *gasp* for being la- *gasp* being late,” you forced out.

Sho crossed his arms, and looked at you with an expression mixed with concern and amusement, “Geeze Senpai, breathe. It’s not that deep.” You lifted your head, giving an appreciative gaze to Sho - and at the same time you heard an annoyed scoff come from behind him.

Leo moved Sho out of the way and stood in front of you, hands on his hips. He was giving you his classic smirk that he often wore when he was actively scheming, or plotting something. “Wow, I didn’t even know it was possible for an NPC to go against their programming. Looks like you can’t even be relied on as an NPC, huh?”

You stood back up to your full height, still breathing heavily, and rolled your eyes at the silver-haired ghoul. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Good morning to you too, Leo,” you said, waving him off.

His eyebrows scrunched together and his smug grin twitched, but before he was able to retort, Alan had brought everyone back on track to discuss the mission. While you were giving your review of the research you had done the night before, Leo watched you closely, his heart twisting with irritation. You brushing him off was affecting him in ways he was not anticipating - and he decided that you were going to have to take responsibility for it. 

Luck would be on his side today because as you were concluding your report, you had recommended that the four of you split into pairs, and Alan nodded in agreement. Before any other recommendations could be made, Leo had looped his arm in yours and pulled you up next to him, insisting you two pair up. He noticed the way your cheeks had suddenly flushed again from the physical contact and proximity, and he grinned. Yeah, this was going to be a lot of fun.

── .✦

The mission had you investigating a new skincare brand that has recently gone viral on social media. In the last month, the brand has held several influencer events around Tokyo to publicize their newest products, and strange occurrences have been happening at each event. A select few A-list influencers have been reported missing, and at almost every event, attendees reported having missing memories of the evening, though most of them attributed this to alcohol consumption. However, through your research into the catering company used at every event, you were able to discover that the company does not offer a selection of alcoholic drinks - so either someone was bringing in drinks off-menu, or there was something else causing the memory lapses entirely.

Darkwick decided to capitalize Leo’s influencer status for this mission - easily securing him a direct invitation to the next event with a plus one. After Leo had immediately claimed you as his investigation partner, it was decided that you would attend the event as a couple. Afterall, Leo had already posted some teasing images of you on his social media platforms to make his audience think he was in a private relationship - the tension of not having a clear answer made his views and interactions go up exponentially.

You knew why Leo was using and uploading your photos, but you still felt a sense of excitement and elation to see glimpses of yourself on his pages and to read the vague captions referencing “his favorite person”. Whenever he asked you for more photos, you always felt happy and would immediately send him whatever he asked for - and part of you found this to be incredibly pathetic. Instead of owning up to your feelings and approaching him directly, you continued to let him toy with you and showcase your fake relationship online.

That complacency is what ultimately led you to the position you were in now - set up in a hotel suite with the ghouls in one room and you in another, getting ready for tonight’s event. Alan and Sho were getting ready to infiltrate the event as extra security while you and Leo were preparing for your public appearance.

Leo was usually a smartass and a tease, but for some reason you felt as though he had really been laying it on thick today. He was constantly glued to your side, making snide comments about the way you investigated, your ability to adapt and be flexible as plans were changed, but you were well used to these kinds of comments at this point. What you were not used to were the suggestive comments about your fake relationship and the nonchalant way Leo discussed how the two of you would need to act tonight to be believable.

He went through all of the normal things you would expect from a couple - hand holding, linking arms, sitting together, etc., but for some reason he was really hung up, and honestly really insistent, on the two of you kissing.

At this point it has been hours since he switched gears and fixated on the topic, hitting you with comments like, “Have you even kissed anyone before Honor Roll? You have to make it convincing you know,” and “I know that getting to kiss me is a dream come true for you, but you better stay focused. It is going to be really irritating if your ability were to stop working again tonight because you were busy swooning over me.” The first few times he had said something, it was definitely shocking, and you are certain you gave him the response he had been looking for - gasps, wide eyes, frozen movement. But as he kept teasing, the comments started to wriggle their way into your heart and plant themselves there, causing you to flush with embarrassment every time he brought it up.

You looked at yourself in the mirror and sighed - just thinking about it was riling you up again. You shook your head and patted your face, trying to shake off the memories and the reactions he was able to pull from you even when he wasn’t present. You didn’t want him to see how shaken you were, and it was time to reconvene with everyone before heading over to the event.

You left your room and knocked on the door to the one the ghouls were sharing. You could hear some feet pattering around and conversations happening behind the door, but everything was too muffled for you to quite make out. Suddenly the door flew open and you were met with Sho, dressed head-to-toe in all black, looking sharp as ever. His eyes grazed down your form quickly, taking you in, “Wow, hi Senpai. You look good.”

You let out a laugh, “Pff- thank you, Sho.” He gestured for you to enter the room and you did, preparing yourself for whatever off-the-wall comment Leo was going to make. Your eyes met Alan’s first, who was also dressed in all-black, and he nodded at you in recognition. You looked further into the room where you found Leo with his back facing you, taking photos of himself - no doubt getting extra material and content ready for the post he would make about the event. Even if it was a mission, he was still there officially on work as an influencer, so he was definitely going to monetize the hell out of it.

He turned around, sensing the energy in the room shift and froze when he saw you. You had never seen him behave like this before - just, literally frozen, mid-turn with his phone in his hand and his camera app still open.

Sho quirked an eyebrow up and exchanged confused looks with you before turning back to Leo to say, “Earth to Leo? Are you good?”

Leo jolted as if Sho had hit him, but recovered quickly - his smug grin sliding across his features easily. “Well, Honor Roll, it's a good thing you clean up well. I had considered not giving you the satisfaction of a kiss if I didn’t like the way you looked, but it looks like you will get lucky tonight afterall~”

You rolled your eyes and crossed your arms over your chest, “Leo what is your deal? You have been stuck on the idea of us kissing tonight for hours. Do you have an oral fixation or something?” Sho snickered next to you and Leo shot him a glare. 

“You know, I have been trying to be considerate of you, NPC. I wanted to give you enough warning that your heart could be prepared for it but if this is how you are going to-”

“Really?” You interjected teasingly, “All of this has been on my behalf?” You approached him and saw him stiffen, clearly not expecting this response from you after you have been acting so shy and embarrassed all day. You stopped right in front of him, leaned in and whispered, “Because to me it looks like you are just preparing yourself, Leo-kun~”

His eyes widened in surprise and he floundered just a little, trying to recover, “That is such a ridiculous statement. Why would I ever be nervous about kissing you? This is a big opportunity for you, not for me.”

“Prove it.”

His face twisted in annoyance, “No. I don’t have to prove shit.” He side-stepped you, clearly intending on ending the conversation, and as he did, you caught a clear view of his ears flushed red with embarrassment. Moving quickly, you turned towards him, left arm reaching out to grab his wrist and right hand getting a fist-full of his collar, and you pulled him in all at once, finally kissing him.

Leo stiffened in response, and you felt his face flush with heat. In the next moment though, he had dropped his phone, threading his hand in your hair to deepen the kiss, and wrapping his other arm around your waist to pull you close to him. You hummed with satisfaction, and he nipped at your bottom lip. 

You pulled back from him, meeting his frustrated gaze with a mischievous one. “So what was that about not being nervous to kiss me?~” You asked. He scoffed and pulled his hand out of your hair, giving your forehead a flick. “You’re such a brat,” he muttered.

You planted a chaste kiss to his lips again before replying, “Takes one to know one~”

Leo moved as if to pull you into another kiss but was interrupted by a deep *AHEM*. Both of you snapped your heads to the side, meeting Alan’s gaze. You both completely forgot that other people were in the room with you. You awkwardly cleared your throat and pushed Leo away from you. “Sorry about that.. Got a little carried away,” you said sheepishly. “Let’s get back to the mission, I will take care of him later.”

Leo plopped down onto an armchair near where you were standing, muttering beneath his breath and desperately trying to calm his heart, “Like hell you will.”

── .✦

You pushed open the door to the Mystery Diner with a little spring to your step. You and Ren had only been dating for three weeks - almost four! - but it has already become part of your routine to stop by the diner after classes end to hang out with him during his shift. No one really ever came to the diner, and you always ordered a drink at the very least, so the owner didn’t seem to mind at all. Not that you could actually understand them.. but they never made a fuss, so you both took it as permission to continue.

Ren’s eyes glanced up from his place behind the counter when he heard you come in, and his eyes quickly snapped back down to his phone, the tips of his ears burning with blush.

You couldn’t help but giggle. Nearly a month of seeing me practically every day and he still gets this flustered when he sees me? He’s so cute.

You took a seat at one of the stools at the counter and leaned forward towards him, “Hi Ren~” you said in a singsongy voice.

He shifted towards you a little bit, but otherwise didn’t make any physical acknowledgements of your presence. “Hi, Senpai,” he muttered.

You propped your elbows up on the counter, and rested your chin in your hands, gazing at him lovingly. “I missed you today, you know~” he jolted, ears flushing a darker shade of red, blush now dusting his cheeks as well. You smiled, proud at yourself for riling him up so easily, and continued, “How was your day? Did you miss me too?”

Ren stammered, looking up at you but immediately breaking eye contact, “I- uhh-”

Before he could continue, the sound of the diner door opening again interrupted him. You both looked up to see who was coming in.

Ritsu was looking at his wristwatch as he entered, briefcase carried in his opposite hand. When he looked up and made eye contact with you, his eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Honor Student, it is very encouraging to see you here early. Could it be that you are beginning to take our partnership more seriously?”

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Ren tense at the word “partnership”, which you found to be strange. You shook off the thought and addressed Ritsu back, “What do you mean I am here early?”

Ritsu stopped next to his usual table and his shocked expression shifted to that of bewilderment. “Do you mean to tell me that you never received my WickChat message?”

Your eyebrows scrunched in confusion and you pulled out your phone. Sure enough you had a message from Ritsu:

| Please meet me at the Mystery Diner at 3:30pm sharp.

The message was sent right as your class was ending, so you hadn’t switched your phone off of silent yet and you likely hadn’t felt it vibrate in your pocket since you were making your way over to visit Ren. “Ah, sorry Ritsu. It seems like it did deliver, I just didn’t see it until now.”

He set his briefcase down on the table, a confused expression now gracing his features. “Then why are you here?”

“Oh!” you perked up, “I guess you haven’t heard. Ren and I are dating, so I came to visit him!” Your face was beaming with joy talking about your relationship, but from behind you, Ritsu could see Ren blush harder and jerk away, hiding his face.

Ritsu’s eyebrow quirked up, and he looked at you both appraisingly, “Really? I had not heard.. Congratulations to you both.” He unbuttoned his blazer and turned to slide into the booth, and you could swear you heard him muttering something about “needing to update his character models.” He started to pull some papers out of his briefcase and spoke directly to you, “Well? Aren’t you coming? We still have business to discuss afterall.”

“Oh, um..” you turned towards Ren, who just grumbled to “Do whatever, I don’t care.” You are used to his slightly stand-offish nature but this was definitely different from normal. You opened your mouth to ask him if he was okay, but were cut off by Ritsu calling out behind you, “Honor Student, time is of the essence. Please join me so we may begin our meeting.”

You rolled your eyes and sighed, “Yeah, okay, one second Ritsu.” You turned back to Ren who had resumed his game, “We’re still on for movie night, right?”

He looked up at you with an expression that made it seem as though he was surprised that you remembered about your date. It made your heart sink and your mind whirl, utterly confused by this reaction. “Y-Yeah, we’re still on for movie night,” he confirmed. You nodded and leaned across the counter, planting a quick kiss to his cheek before joining Ritsu at his table. 

Ren held a hand up to touch where you had kissed him, as if he couldn’t believe it had happened. But his heart squeezed and ached watching you sitting with Ritsu, so he turned away and pretended neither of you were there.

── .✦

That evening, you trudged across Jabberwok, making your way over to the dorm. You were pretty tired after being thrown into a last-minute mission with Sinostra which would be officially taking place tomorrow. You had to be caught up quickly to make sure you were prepared and now your brain felt as though it was overloaded with information.

You sighed happily as Jabberwok’s mushroom-shaped dorm came into view. You loved movie nights with Ren, so this was exactly what you needed after such a stressful time in Sinostra. 

You stopped suddenly - memories of Ren’s odd behavior from this afternoon slamming back to the forefront of your mind. Your heart started to beat anxiously as you tried to analyze what was going through his head. Did you do something wrong? Is he upset? What could you have done to make him upset? Was it the teasing? Was it-

You slapped your cheeks hard, the sting helping you to stop spiraling. You looked up at the mushroom dorm again and sighed. You were just going to have to ask him. You just hoped that he would be comfortable enough to talk.

── .✦

Ren walked you up to his room, and when you entered you found that he had already gotten everything set up. Movie loaded up on his laptop, popcorn in a big bowl for you to share, your favorite drinks set up on the table next to his bed, and his pillows arranged in the way you both liked them to be when you cuddled and watched movies together. You felt a small wave of relief - seeing your usual set up made you feel as though you really were just imagining things with his behavior from earlier.

Unfortunately, that feeling of relief quickly dissolved as you both settled onto his bed. Though he still let you snuggle up to him and lay your head on his chest, and though he still wrapped his arm around you like usual, he was incredibly stiff - as if the contact actually made him a bit uncomfortable.

You looked up at him, concerned, “Ren, are you okay?”

He barely made eye contact as he choked out a “Yep. All good.” You started to say something else, but he swiftly turned the movie on, cutting you off. You grumbled a bit and faced his laptop again, resigned to just watch the movie.

However, you couldn’t make it even five minutes in before you grew too frustrated at everything to continue. You sat up abruptly and paused the movie, turning towards Ren as he grumbled out a protest. “Okay, what is with you today? Why are you so stiff? Why do I feel like there is some kind of distance between us all of a sudden?”

You both stared at each other, making intense eye contact, before Ren let out a big sigh and buried his face in his hands. “ᴵ ᵈᵒⁿ ᵏⁿᵒʷ ʷʰᵃ ᶦʰ ʷᵒⁿ ʷʰᶦʰ ᵐᵉ⁻”

“Wait, what are you saying?”

He groaned and pulled his face up, “I said, I don’t know what is wrong with me!” He looked so distraught, tears prickling his eyes and his face covered with a deep flush - it made your heart ache. “I feel like this can’t be real, and I am just constantly waiting for something to happen-”

“Wait, stop. What isn’t real?”

He gestured between you both, “This! Us!”

Your eyes widened in shock, “Us?? Why don’t you think we are real?”

“Because you could have literally anyone at this stupid school! Everyone follows you around like a lost dog and demands all of your time. Even Ritsu made it obvious that he was surprised by us being together, and he was all too pleased with himself for stealing all of your attention.” Ren was spiraling in real time, word vomiting everything he had been thinking to himself for - well, who knows how long. You watched and listened, and were rapidly trying to figure out how to assure him how much you cared in a way that would break through his self sabotaging mentality. He continued, “And he is right! We are a surprising pair because if you could have anyone at Darkwick then why would you pick me of all- hmph!??”

You had grabbed a fistfull of his t-shirt and yanked him into a passionate kiss. When his torso had come into contact with yours, you let go of his shirt, and threaded your hands into his hair with such desperation - as if he would disappear if you didn’t keep a tight hold on him. Ren floundered for a second, surprised by the sudden kiss. He clenched and unclenched his hands repeatedly, before he timidly reached out for your waist.

You broke apart, panting and staring at each other. Your face filled with determination - his with confusion. “You talk too much,” you said before you pushed him against the headboard and straddled his waist.

Before he could reply, you had threaded your hands in his hair again and pulled him in for another fiery kiss. He met your intensity this time, grabbing your hip with one hand and sliding the other up your back to hold you at the back of your neck. You nibbled his bottom lip and he whined, allowing you space to slide your tongue into his mouth. He attempted to do the same to you, but you asserted control, guiding him through the kiss.

You grinned as you pulled away again for air - a string of saliva connecting you briefly before snapping. Ren’s face was completely flushed and his pupils were blown wide, raking over your form on top of him. “Fuck, Babe,” he groaned in between deep breaths.

You smiled and grabbed his face on both sides and started planting kisses all over him - turning his head left and right to give you more space. When you were sure you had covered his whole face with kisses, you pulled away from him and said, “Don’t ever doubt my intentions, Ren. Please.”

His eyebrows shot up, but you continued before he could say anything, “I don’t care if I could be with anyone else, because I want to be with you. Only you. Okay?” He nodded, eyes swimming with adoration. You gave him a small kiss to the tip of his nose, “Please say it out loud. I need to hear you say that I only want you.”

He gulped, “Y-You only want me..” 

Your eyes sparkled at him, and you rewarded him with a kiss. “Louder,” you whispered.

He firmly gripped your hips, eyebrows furrowed in determination, “Y-You only want me!” This time you felt something twitch beneath you, and you grinned. You pulled him into another kiss and ground your hips down on him at the same time. He let out a low groan, his head falling back against the headboard. 

“Hmm, good boy,” you purred in his ear. You felt him twitch again as he whined in response, and you just grinned. He is seriously just so cute.. and he was all yours.

── .✦

It was a peaceful day in Hotarubi. You had come over to visit your boyfriend, Subaru, and found that he prepared tea for you out on the covered veranda. The weather was a pleasant temperature that day, and the gentle rain of Hotarubi was always very soothing, so you were excited to spend a little time outside together. 

You shared your tea, enjoyed the snacks and confections he had prepared for you, and now you were laying down with your head in Subaru’s lap, listening to Zenji play his biwa. He had come by after you had finished eating, planning to compose out on the veranda, and was apologetic for interrupting. You both insisted he stay anyway - neither of you were bothered by his presence at all. 

Subaru was running his fingers through your hair, a soothing motion that was beginning to make you a bit sleepy. You were fighting to keep your eyes open, feeling like your eyelids were so heavy, when you felt Subaru chuckle. “Are you getting tired, my flower?” he asked, still gently running his fingers through your hair.

You hummed happily, “I just feel so at ease. Everything is so peaceful in Hotarubi, the sound of the rain, the sound of Zenji’s biwa, and just being physically with you.” You rolled onto your back, looking up to Subaru’s face, “Your presence is soothing, you know?”

He looked down at you, adoration in his eyes, and said, “Really? I am glad I come off that way to you. I always feel so excited and nervous to be with you that I feel like I am a bit of a mess.” He gave a little chuckle, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

You reached up, cupping his face and stroking his cheek with your thumb. “No, never. You always seem so confident and capable. You put me at ease, and make me feel comfortable and supported.”

He placed his hand on top of yours, leaning into your touch with a pleasant sigh. “I feel the same way about you. Maybe the reason why I always seem so confident to you is that your presence gives me strength.” He pulled your hand away from his cheek, and gave it a kiss. “You really are my everything, my beautiful wisteria.”

You beamed at him, your heart swelling with love, and your cheeks flushing. You sat up and leaned into him, kissing him soft and sweet. He cupped your cheek and returned the kiss, then broke away and planted a kiss to the tip of your nose.

“Do you want to retire to my room? You can rest there, if you’d like.”

You nodded, fighting back a well-timed yawn. He chuckled and stood, extending his hand to you to help you up. You both cleaned up everything from the tea and snacks, said goodbye to Zenji, and made your way to Subaru’s room, hand-in-hand.

When you got there, you set your things down and promptly leaped onto his bed. He chuckled, sliding his door shut, “Eager, are we?”

You rolled onto your back, and spread out like a starfish, “Yes, absolutely.” You popped your head up to look at him, both of you grinning and laughing together. You shuffled under the blankets, scooching down until the covers came up to your chin.

Subaru moved deeper into his room, putting away the items he had brought out for your tea time on the veranda. You watched him intently - you will never get over how he could do literally anything with ease and grace. 

He shrugged off his blazer, and began to sit down at his desk. “Suuuubaaaaaaaa,” you whined. He turned towards you, smiling, “What is it, my flower?”

You pouted, “Aren’t you going to lay down with me?”

“Oh! Did you want me to? I had thought you wanted to rest.”

“I doooo. I just want to rest with you,” you emphasized. He seemed to take a second to think about it, so you flipped back the sheets and patted the empty space next to you eagerly. He chuckled, shaking his head, “Okay, okay, I am coming.”

He settled down into the bed next to you, pulling the covers back over you both. You scooted closer until you were pressed against him, head nuzzled into his chest and arm wrapped around him.

He brought his hand up to your face, tucking a stray hair behind your ear. His eyes twinkled at you as he moved his hand to your chin, holding you there between his pointer finger and thumb, and titled your head up towards his. You closed your eyes as your lips met, and you hummed happily. 

He pulled away, just a little, and gazed at you with a look of pure devotion. Moving his hand to the back of your neck, he pulled you in for another, more passionate kiss. You giggled, turning your head slightly to deepen the kiss. You felt Subaru’s tongue swipe against your lips, and you obediently complied, opening your lips to let him in. He let out a small groan as he rubbed his tongue against yours. 

This time, you pulled away, needing to gasp for air. You looked at each other, panting slightly, feeling the air between you both crackling with energy. He suddenly propped himself up and moved over you slightly to meet you for another kiss. You threaded your hands in his hair, moaning a little as he nibbled your bottom lip. 

He moved to plant kisses across your cheek, down to your jaw, and then further down onto your neck. “What happened to resting?” He asked teasingly.

You let out a breathy laugh, which turned into a whine as he sucked lightly on your neck, “Y-You’re the one who started it..”

He pulled back, looking at you with a new hunger in his eyes. “You’re right. I apologize for that.” He moved to straddle you and pinned both of your hands down. He leaned down to where your lips just barely brushed together, and said, “Please let me take responsibility.”

── .✦

You were sitting on one of the, less broken pews in the Clementia cathedral, with your arms wrapped around your legs and your head resting on your knees. You were waiting for your boyfriend, Luca, to come by since you were craving his presence. 

Today was just one of those days where nothing feels right. You woke up, and immediately felt as though you were off-balance, like your spirit wasn’t completely aligned with your body, and that feeling just never went away as the day went on. You were able to distract yourself with classes, studying, meals with friends - but now that it is the evening, and you are back at your dorm alone, nothing is preventing the darker whispers in your mind from clawing their way to the forefront.

Initially, you had hesitated to reach out to Luca. You knew that you would likely interrupt his evening training and mission preparation, and you knew how important these things were to him - especially now that he, Kaito, and Tohma would be heading out for a mission in just a few days. But, just as you were resigning yourself to suffer alone, a memory surfaced from when you had just started dating. 

Luca and Kaito knew that you struggled with your mental health, but they were always an arm’s length away from really understanding the depth and complexity of it. But soon after your relationship began, Luca had dropped by unannounced while you were spiraling. He was so sweet, and gentle, and patient with you, helping you ground yourself and leave the dark headspace you were trapped in. Some time later, when he was sure you were fully returned to a centered headspace, he knelt down in front of you, took your hands in his, and told you with the utmost sincerity and devotion, “Please call me if this happens again. You will never be a bother or a burden. You are my partner, and I want to help you and support you - but I can’t do that if you don’t communicate with me.”

His eyes were filled with love and a tinge of concern when he said those words to you. Tonight, as the memory swept through your mind, his words echoed through your head, and the image of his eyes squeezed your heart - pushing you to message him that you needed him. That is all you needed to say - he replied that he was canceling his plans for the evening and would come to you as quickly as possible.

That message came only ten minutes ago, so you didn’t expect him to be there for a while still. So when three precise, firm knocks came from your front door, you jumped, clutching your heart. You ran over to the door and flung it open, finding Luca standing on the other side - his eyes shining at the sight of you. He was dressed casually, though still in a pristine way. He wore spotless sneakers, black joggers, and a hunter green pull-over hoodie - a simple outfit, but on him, it gave him the look of a Kpop idol in casual wear at an airport. Effortless and beautiful. He also had a duffle bag with him and a bouquet of wildflowers, bundled together with twine knotted into a bow.

“Luca!” you breathed, throwing yourself at him.

He returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around your waist and burying his face in the crook of your shoulder. “Hi, Love,” he said against your neck.

The two of you stayed like that for a bit, just enjoying each other’s embrace, your hearts gradually syncing the rhythm of their beats. Just existing like this, held by the man you adore most in the world, made you feel so much lighter as if a wave of comfort washed over you and cradled you like a weighted blanket. He knows how much this helps you, so he always holds you until you pull away, humming in happiness and rubbing your back in soothing strokes.

You pulled back slightly, just enough to see him face-to-face, and sighed happily. “Hi,” you said in a small voice. He chuckled, bringing one of his hands up to cradle the back of your head and neck, pulling you in for a sweet kiss. When you broke apart, you both just looked at each other for a moment, eyes full of equal adoration and love for each other.

He brought up the bouquet, handing it to you, while saying, “I apologize for my tardiness. I spent a little more time picking these for you than I had anticipated.”

You accepted the gift, admiring his work and pressing the bundle of flowers to your heart. You planted a quick kiss on his cheek, “Thank you, Luca. They are beautiful. But you know you are hardly late, right? I only texted you like, ten minutes ago!”

He smiled, moving his hand to your lower back and guiding you back inside your dorm, “True, but you said you needed me. I wanted to get here as soon as possible.” Your heart swelled with adoration - his devotion never ceases to amaze you.

After trekking up the stairs and moving into your bedroom, you pattered around, preparing a vase to put the flowers in, while Luca set his duffle down by your bed and unzipped it. He started pulling out various things that he knew would cheer you up - your favorite snacks and treats from the campus store, his Nintendo Switch and a few games, a set of couple’s facemasks with funny animal prints, a variety of movies in different genres, and a spare hoodie - your favorite of his which was a sage green color and was sprayed with his cologne.

You found a place for the flowers, and wandered over to him. “Ooooh! Is that for me~?” you asked, eyeing the hoodie.

“Yeah!” he enthusiastically responded, “I brought a bunch of different things I know you like to help cheer you up, so I had to make sure to bring this.” He handed you the hoodie, and you quickly slid it on over your head, burying your face in it to revel in the smell of his cologne. He continued, “I also brought some things we can do together tonight. I wasn’t sure what you might be in the mood for, so I brought a little of everything.” He stood up next to you from where he was kneeling to access his duffle, and you wrapped your arms around his waist, pulling him into another hug. He wrapped his arms around your shoulders, gave you a little kiss on the top of your head before laying his head on yours.

You nuzzled into his chest. “Thank you, Luca. You always know how to make everything better,” you sighed, slightly muffled by his hoodie. He kissed the top of your head again and pulled back, holding you by the shoulders. “You’re welcome, Love. But.. can we talk about what happened? Why were you upset?” His eyebrows were scrunched together, and his eyes were swimming with concern.

You sighed and plopped down onto your bed, sitting with your back pressed against your pillows. You brought your legs up to your chest, wrapping them in a hug like you did earlier while you were waiting for him to get there. He sat on the side of the bed, turned towards you and patiently waited for you to continue.

“I just.. I don’t know. I woke up this morning and immediately felt off,” you explained. “I didn’t feel present in my body, and that feeling never really went away.”

“What do you mean when you say that you didn’t feel present in your body?” he asked, gently.

You hummed in thought for a moment, “I mean.. Like, it felt as though I was just a driver today. I piloted my body, my movements, but I wasn’t really here. Like my spirit was just floating around somewhere else.”

The look of concern only deepened on Luca’s face. “I’m so sorry you were feeling like that today. I can’t imagine what that must be like.”

You sighed, “Yeah it’s…it’s not fun. It’s like this sense of unease and discomfort that never goes away.”

He scooted towards you slightly, placing a hand on your knee, and asked, “Do you know what caused it?”

You tilted your head, considering his question. You hadn’t given it any thought throughout the day, but now that he is asking, you are sure you know exactly where it came from. “I uh.. I haven’t been feeling great about..my body..recently...” you said, trailing off.

Luca didn’t respond. It was silent for a beat before you glanced at him again, and realized that he was giving you space to elaborate. You took a deep breath, “So, sometimes..my mental perception of what I look like doesn’t match what I see. And when that happens, it makes me feel uncomfortable, like I don’t know my own body. And I don’t really..like the version that I see, if that makes sense.”

Luca nodded and moved closer to you again. He was now sitting fully on the bed, right in front of your legs, but still facing the side. He gently pulled your hands apart, taking one in his hand and looking you in the eye. “It does make sense, thank you for explaining and for sharing this with me. I am so very sorry you are feeling these things.” He pressed soothing circles into the back of your hand with his thumb.

Without both of your arms holding your legs in place, it was hard to maintain your curled up position. You kept one leg bent up, but the other, the leg on the opposite side of your body from the hand he was holding, laid down flat behind Luca. “It’s okay-,” you began.

“It’s not okay, Love.” he interjected. “At least, not to me. You are wonderful, extraordinary, and beautiful, and you deserve to feel like that every day.” His brows were still creased. You could tell that he was deeply troubled by this information, and you couldn’t help but panic a little. That is, until you saw his face light up with a revelation or idea. He leaned over you, his left hand still holding yours, but his right hand now pressed into the bed next to your hip, supporting him, “Can I try to show you how beautiful you are? Help you feel it?”

Your eyes widened a little, from both shock and curiosity. “Uh, yeah. You can,” you replied, slightly nervous.

He grinned, shifting his body to where he was kneeling in front of you on the bed. Both of his hands grabbed your waist and, in one smooth motion, pulled you towards him so you were now laying flat on the bed, Luca in between your legs. He leaned over you completely, either hand pressed into the bed on both sides of you. Your face flushed as he lowered himself closer and closer to you, finally capturing your lips in a gentle kiss.

He pulled back, just enough to make eye contact. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” you breathed.

He grinned, “Good.” He lowered himself and pressed a kiss to the side of your neck, sucking slightly on your skin. You let out a pleased sigh.

He moved further down your body, pushing his hoodie and your shirt up your torso a little bit, exposing your stomach. “Because it is my personal mission tonight to make sure you believe you are beautiful.” He placed a series of kisses to your stomach, sucking slightly on a few.

He sat back on his heels, supported by his knees, and pulled his hoodie off of himself, exposing his plain white t-shirt underneath. You watched him toss the hoodie to the side, and lay down fully in between your legs. He lifted your right leg by the back of your knee to rest over his shoulder. His arm wrapped around it, and his other hand pushed up the bottom of your shorts slightly, the feeling of his fingers on your skin tickling you. You sucked in a breath when he finally planted a wet kiss to your inner thigh above your knee. He moved up your thigh, planting one, two more kisses onto you. On the last kiss he sucked and nibbled on your skin, causing you to release your breath to let out a whimper. He looked up at you from between your legs, beaming with joy, “That’s it, Love. Don’t be shy.”

He lifted your left leg, beginning the same process. In between the kisses he continued, “I am going to make you feel the way I see you; Incredible- *kiss* Passionate- *kiss* and Breath-taking.” He lifted his head, looking at you again. His face flushed with his own excitement, eyes sparkling at you. “And I will spend all night doing so, if I have to.”

You both just came from the Anomalous Combat practical, where you had taken a rather nasty fall. It was one of the few times you have been able to participate with the ghouls as today Professor Moby had decided it would be a good idea to start practicing your stigma-enhancing ability with them in an active combat setting. You had been maybe a bit too laser-focused on your role as you were blind-sided by a pop-up which was able to grab you and restrain you from behind. In the struggle to get out of its hold, you ended up scraping your forearm and elbow against the structure of the anomaly, and when it released you, you fell on the ground hard - scraping your knee and shin. It was an unfortunate turn of events, but it made you feel so clumsy and silly, as though you really were dead weight for the ghouls to manage.

Your eyes welled again at the thought, and almost immediately, a tissue was offered to you. “Thanks, Jiro,” you said, taking it and looking up at him. He nodded in response, and also handed you a small, wet washcloth. 

“You will need to take off your tracksuit so we can treat your injuries. Please use this to wipe off any dirt, fibers, or other debris from the abrasions. I will sanitize and treat them after.” You nodded, wiping your eyes with the tissue.

“Should I change into my uniform? Or a patient gown?”

Jiro considered your question, then looked at the time. “Hmm, it would be best if you were dressed in your uniform since there is not much time left before the next class.” He looked back to you, and tilted his head, clearly still processing your question, “But you can’t put on your button-up shirt or blazer because I won’t be able to access your injuries.. For now, please keep your t-shirt on, but you may change into your skirt. This will be the best for efficiency.”

You nodded again, “That makes sense, I can do that.”

“Good. I will be just beyond the curtain if you need me,” he said, as he pulled the privacy curtain around the bed.

You got to work gently changing your clothes as instructed. Once you were completely changed and had gently wiped your injuries, you opened up the curtain and let Jiro know you were ready.

He brought over a tray covered with neatly laid out supplies as you hopped up onto the patient bed. He gently lifted your arm up and turned your palm over backwards, forcing you to rotate your forearm. “Let me know if this stings too much,” he said, bringing a wet towelette to the injury. You instinctively winced and jolted at the sting and Jiro apologized, adjusting to a lighter pressure.

He quickly cleaned the wound on your arm and got it bandaged up, and you twisted your arm to have a look, bending your arm up and down a few times to see if any bandages would loosen with the movement. At the same time, Jiro pulled over a small rolling stool, lowered it to the shortest height, and gently guided your leg to his lap.

The cool press of his hands against your calf and ankle caused a shiver to run through you, and your face immediately flushed with embarrassment. He is barely touching you and you’re practically swooning.

“Is everything alright?” he asked, eyes flicking to yours from where he was working on your leg.

“O-Oh! Um- hah- yes! Yep, I’m good. I’m goood..” you babbled, trying to cover up your flush.

He smiled at your response - his characteristic, small Jiro smile, where the corners of his mouth just slightly quirk up. It disappeared quickly though, his professionalism sliding back into place. “I meant with your bandages.”

“OH! Of course! Yes, uhh- yes. Everything is good. I was just checking to see how tight it was, but it's comfortable.” You held up your arm, looking at the bandages again. Jiro nodded at your response, now beginning to work on bandaging your leg. After a moment, he glanced up at you and noticed that you were still holding your arm up, just..looking at it.

“Are you sure everything is alright? You look like you are deep in thought.”

You shook your head, returning from the small daydream you had slipped into, “Yeah, sorry! I was just thinking about how when I was little and I used to get scratches like these, my Grandmother would give them a kiss to ‘make the pain go away,’” you gave a breathy laugh. “It was a silly little thing she would do, but it always brought me comfort. Thinking about her just made me start thinking about how much I miss my family..” you trailed off, looking over Jiro’s head, but at nothing in particular.

He had finished bandaging your leg, and was now watching you. The melancholic look on your face made his heart ache, though he didn’t quite understand why. He tilted his head, thinking about the memories you just shared with him. While hummed in thought, he lifted your leg, bringing your shin up to where he could easily dip his head and press a soft kiss to your skin.

You jumped, surprised by the feeling since you weren’t paying attention to what he was doing. Your heart started pounding in your head and your flush returned - deeper than before, “J-Jiro?! What are you doing?”

He looked up at you, replying simply, “You said that getting kisses from your Grandmother would comfort you, so I administered the same treatment to comfort you now. Did it not work?”

Your heart did a backflip, and you felt a little lightheaded upon hearing his admission. How could someone be so genuinely sweet in such a nonchalant way? “Oh! N-No, it did.. I was just surprised, that's all.”

He gave you another small smile, “Good.” He leaned in closer to you, giving you another soft kiss on your outer thigh, above the bend in your leg. You bit your lip to hold back a whimper, not wanting to make an uncomfortable situation out of his sweet gesture.

Jiro gently lowered your leg back to his lap, and took your hand and gave you a small kiss on your wrist. Flipping your hand over and rotating your arm as he did earlier, he pressed one more kiss on the side of your arm, close to your elbow.

You watched him, completely dazed and in awe. He pulled away from you, observing your reaction. “Good, you look pleased now, so the treatment must have worked.” You just hummed in response and nodded.

He let out a little laugh and worked on cleaning up while you finished changing. The interaction between you both would continue to replay in your head for the rest of the day, leaving you in a dreamy state which confused your classmates - the last time they had seen you was when you left for Mortkranken in pain. Little did they know that you had shared such a vulnerable and tender moment with Jiro in Mortkranken - one that you could believe was a dream if it weren’t for the feeling of his lips on your skin, which burned and lingered well into the day

Little did you know that a certain raven-haired ghoul kept replaying the scene in his head, too.