The job is really hard, and adapting to a new country is more difficult than expected, so it's taking some time to write.
But I hope that this chapter can make up for the wait.^^
Ao3 link
Previous chapter
Hoshina Soshiro became your best friend, and sometimes when his name popped up during your conversations with Narumi, the dual color haired man would start throwing a tantrum.
“How can he be your best friend, when I am right here?!”
You wanted so badly to tell Narumi that he had a different space in your heart, that you couldn’t call him your best friend because he was so much more than that, but not yet, not right now. It wasn’t the right time…not that you knew if the right time would ever come.
“I thought that the only title that you wanted was the platinum one on your game, I didn’t know that you wanted the best friend title so bad.” You said instead, pushing the phone away from your ear when Narumi started yelling profanities on the other side.
“What the fuck?! I never said that! Who the hell would want to be your best friend?!”
“That’s why I’m telling you that Hoshina already has that position.”
“You know him for what? Three months?!”
“Narumi. I’ve been in the defense forces for almost half a year.”
“So what?!”
“It means that I have known him for almost half a year.”
“It doesn’t change shit!”
“It does, it gives him 3 extra months in that position. Can’t you do math?” You said rolling your eyes, and then, just to annoy him more, you added. “Actually, that was stupid of me, you can’t do math, or you wouldn’t spend all your money in yamazon.”
“Shut up, (Y/n), and don’t go changing the subject!”
You sighed.
“You thought that I would be distracted by that?!”
“Well, I almost succeeded, right?”
“Almost doesn’t mean that you got it!”
“And the same logic is applied to the fact that I’ve been friends with Hoshina for 6 months.”
“It’s not the same thing!”
And as Narumi continued nagging on the phone, you made a mental note to never again bring Hoshina’s name to the conversation.
“Are you hearing me, (Y/n)?!”
…
“And then, he kept you awake for the whole night?”
You almost lost the grip of the spear when it came into contact with Hoshina’s sword.
“What the hell, Hoshina?!” You yelled, face blushing as you put some distance between you and your training partner.
“What?” He asked innocently.
You two were training in one of the facilities of the base late at night, while you were telling him about your last phone call with Narumi, and of course, your best friend decided that making you flustered was a good way to pass his time.
“Why do you have to put it like that?!”
“Like what~?”
“Like, like.., LIKE THAT!”
He dropped his weapon and crouched on the ground, arms around his stomach, laughing to his heart's content after just one look at your red face.
Maybe you shouldn’t have named Hoshina Soshiro your best friend after all.
…
In your seventh month in the Defense Forces, rumors about an officer from the second division being compatible with a numbered weapon started circulating.
Numbered weapon RT-0001.
A weapon made from the retinas of Kaiju Nº1.
You didn’t give much thought to the rumors, because even if they were just a few, other officers were compatible with numbered weapons, for example, the current Captain of First Division – Shinomiya Isao, and his late wife, Shinomiya Hikari. You also knew that other officers were tested – including you – and were compatible, but those weapons were extremely dangerous, and not everyone could bear the burden of using them.
So really, you just thought that those were rumors until Narumi dropped the bomb.
“Hah? I am the one using Numbers Weapon 1.”
You almost dropped your phone after hearing that.
“Turn on the camera, I will show you!”
“What do you mean by ‘I will show you’?!” You almost yelled. “You are off duty, so why are you still wearing it?! Aren’t numbered weapons supposed to be locked in the underground basements of the HQ?!”
“This thing doesn’t even work!”
“It doesn’t matter! It’s a numbered weapon! It’s dangerous! You can’t walk arou-...what? It doesn’t work? Narumi…did you break a numbered weapon?!”
“What the fuck, (y/n)! I didn’t do shit! This thing is defective!”
“Did you report it?”
“Course I did! What do you take me for?!”
“A game addicted idiot.” You deadpanned.
“Hah?! Say that ag–.”
“By the way.” You said, cutting Narumi off before he could start complaining nonstop. “Why do you think weapons number 1 is defective?”
“It doesn’t work!”
“Genius, I know the definition of defective.”
“And genius, I’m telling you that the fucking weapon doesn’t do shit!” The man exclaimed, and you kind of feel bad for his roommates – did he even have any? – who needs to share a room with the dyed-haired man. “They said that I am supposed to see the brain impulses so I can predict when and where an enemy is going to strike, but I can’t see anything! It’s like I am just wearing contacts!”
Narumi was calling weapons number 1 just a contact…now you felt bad for his possible roommates and the people who worked so hard to make the weapon.
As he keeps complaining about the weapon, you couldn’t help but feel a little bit relieved, though.
If the weapon wasn’t working, it wouldn’t become a double-edged sword; it wouldn’t be useful, but it wouldn’t endanger – more – Narumi’s life.
…
You went to your Division infirmary a few times to treat injuries, but those were always minor injuries, nothing life-threatening, nothing serious.
But this time you woke up to the smell of antiseptics and the sound of the heart rate monitor.
A year after you entered the Defense Forces, you landed in the hospital of your Division for the first time.
“...Ugh…” You hissed. Your head hurts just as much as any other part of your body.
“Oh, morning Sleeping Beauty.” Hoshina was sitting right beside your hospital bed with a book in his hands. “How do you feel?”
“Like I am supposed to feel after a kaiju slammed me through a building.” You answered truthfully.
“Well, not far from what happened."
“No kidding. How long am I here?”
“3 days.”
“Wha–” You set up abruptly, and you regret the next second.
“Hey! Easy there!” Your best friend said, helping you lie in the bed again. “You really took a bad blow.”
“I guess being thrown through a damn building can do some damage.”
Hoshina sighed, getting the book that he threw on the floor when you shot up suddenly and putting it in the small drawer beside your bed.
“You actually went through 2 buildings, but never mind. You are lucky that the shield from your uniform was activated on time.”
“How bad…?”
“You broke 3 ribs, an arm, and a leg, plus a concussion, but be grateful that JAKDF medical facilities can put everything together.”
You hummed and looked at Hoshina.
“Are you okay?” You asked him, who hasn't made a single joke until now.
“You almost died trying to save me.” He frowned. “How do you think I am feeling?”
“Better than me.”
“I am trying to be serious here.”
“Yeah, but the name Hoshina Soshiro and the word serious don't coexist in my vocabulary.”
“(L/n).”
You rolled your eyes at him.
“Really Hoshina, you would have done the same for me, so stop blaming yourself. I was the one who decided to take the risk.”
“And you almost died.”
“Almost.” You stressed. “I am still here to make you peel oranges and apples while I feel like shit.”
And that made him laugh. Good.
As he kept telling you about how the mission ended, he forgot to tell you that your childhood friend and he had exchanged a few words.
…
“You must be the childhood friend.”
“Who the fuck are you? And why are you answering (y/n)'s phone?! Where is she?!”
Hoshina looked at your sleeping form in the hospital bed and sighed. If it were any other situation, for sure he would make fun of your childhood friend – maybe even introduce himself as your boyfriend to see/hear his reaction – but this was not the time or place.
“Hey! Are you hearing me fucker?!”
A vein popped in Hoshina’s forehead. Your childhood friend was a real piece of artwork.
“(L/n) got hurt in the last mission, and is currently resting.”
“...Hurt?”
There was a long pause from the other side, and for a second, the sword user thought the line went dead.
“What happened?!”
The worry dripping from the other man’s voice caught Hoshina off guard, and before he could really think, he was answering.
“She got hurt protecting me. She shoved me out of danger and took the blow.”
“Hah…” He sounded exasperated. “Stupid, selfless idiot.”
Hoshina didn’t expect that.
He expected your childhood friend to yell at him, cursing him for letting you get hurt, but no. He, Narumi Gen, was insulting you.
“Hey, that’s ru–”
“The idiot doesn’t fucking change!”
At that, Hoshina went silent.
“Always thinking of others before herself! Always putting herself in danger for others! What the hell?! Can’t she think of herself for once?!”
At this point, Soshiro thought that the man on the other side of the call was just venting his frustration, but…yeah, Soshiro could agree with that.
“Yes, she is too selfless.”
“Don’t talk of her as if you know her! Who do you think you are?!”
And again, a vein popped in his forehead. Your childhood friend really had the talent to drive people crazy.
“The best friend.” He smiled sarcastically and cut the call before the other man could reply.
It felt satisfying for some odd reason.
…
“You know. You really need to stop causing trouble, Narumi.”
“I didn’t do anything!”
“I heard that Captain Igarashi had to knock you out because you keep threatening to come here in Sapporo to kill my best friend.”
“The fucker dared to hang up on my face!”
“Well, you were probably getting annoying, that’s why Hoshina hung up.”
“Anno–, what the hell did that guy tell you?!”
“Hum? That you called, he answered the phone, told you about my condition, you started to get angry over nothing, and then he hung up.”
“Liar! Fucking liar!”
You rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t really be annoyed with him – not when a yamazon box filled with your favorite snacks, some medicine, and a bouquet of your favorite flowers was sitting on the small table in your room.
You smiled, and with a soft voice said:
“Thank you, Narumi.”
For once, he became quiet.
“Thank you for caring.”
“...you are welcome.”
You could feel that he was embarrassed, so a laugh escaped your lips.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.”
“And, just so you know, I hate your best friend.”
“Yeah, I figured that much.”
Ending Notes:
Soooooo…
I don't know when I will post the next chapter. I haven't started it yet, but I think that it will have some time skip, because this story wasn't supposed to be so long, actually, the original idea was just an one-shot.^^
I hope that you enjoyed the Narumi X Reader moments and Hoshina messing up with them.^-----^
You entered the Defense Forces and gained a friend.
Author's Notes:
Hello everyone!
New country, new apartment, new language, new job, new life. So yeah…it may take some time to post another chapter, but I hope you are all enjoying the story so far!
This chapter does not have a lot of F!Reader X Narumi moments, but I still hope that F!Reader best friend makes up for it.^^
Ao3 link
Previous chapter
You joined the Defense Forces a year after Narumi.
The tests were in a different format, though. While Narumi did all the tests on the same day, yours were spread across several.
The written test turned out to be tougher than you’d expected, and once again, you were reminded that even if Narumi – who aced the tests – acted like an idiot most of the time, he still had a brain inside his big head. Still, you managed a high score of your own, landing in second place, right behind someone named Hoshina Soshiro.
Not long after the results came in, you were notified of the date for your practical exam.
Physical trials: strength, endurance, resilience – everything designed to make an ordinary citizen quit halfway. Thankfully, you’d kept up with your workout routine, and it paid off. The challenges felt tough, but manageable, and again, you passed with high scores. The physical tests, though, also included the release power for the Defense Forces' combat suits, which you would wear in the next test.
12%.
You felt disappointed at the number. You heard some officers gossiping about a recruit from last year who had a release force of 38%, and instinctively, you knew that they were probably talking about Narumi.
With 12% you were not even a little bit near him, but it also made you want to give your best.
Because you had a goal.
Because there was a place you wanted to be.
And with your only 12%, you managed to take down six yoju, firing precisely at the spots where you knew – the result of countless nights of study – their cores would be.
“Nice shot.” The guy who took first place in the written tests – Hoshina Soshiro – told you.
You looked at the blades that he was using, a different choice of weapons in your opinion, but no less deadly. You saw with your own eyes how fast and precise he was with those blades.
“Thanks for opening the path.” You said with a smile.
He smiled back, and you two fist-bumped.
…
You and the other 15 recruits were assigned to the Fifth Division, stationed in Sapporo, Hokkaido, under the care of Captain Mashiro Nanami, a small woman with a cute appearance, but extremely dangerous when holding any kind of gun.
“We are not here for glory or anything like that. This is a dangerous job that we put our lives on the line for others, people that we don’t even know, but still want to protect.” The captain started with a serious expression. “We are here because we care, because there’s something we want to protect.”
Captain Mashiro began a speech, and all the recruits stared at the woman standing in the middle of the small stage, intently listening and absorbing her words.
“Me, vice captain Suzuki Iori,” She said, pointing at the black haired, tall man on her side. “And all the platoon leaders will be here to train and help you grow and improve, so I expect a lot from all of you.” The Captain said with a smile.
And as everyone started cheering and applauding, Hoshina bumped shoulders with you.
“Let’s give our best.” You said with a smile.
“I am always giving my best, (L/n) dear.” He said with a smirk.
“Oh, shut up, Hoshina.”
…
During your first week, Captain Mashiro ensured that the new-recruits received proper training, which meant that she personally oversaw the training.
In that week, you learned a few things.
That you were average in close combat – Hoshina made fun of you after you lost a few sparring sessions against other recruits.
That you were better with guns than Hoshina – you made sure to rub the information in his face.
And that you had to be better if you wanted to stand by Narumi’ side proudly.
…
Since you’d taken aikido classes, you thought you were pretty decent at martial arts, but sparring with Hoshina during training made you realize just how wide the gap in skill really was.
“Not bad, but if you’ve got a goal in mind, you’ll need more than that.” He said, offering you a hand – which you gratefully took – to help you back up.
“Yeah…I can feel it. Literally.” You muttered, your back aching from being tossed onto the tatami more times than you could count.
Hoshina chuckled at your comment.
“Can we keep training like this?” You asked.
“Of course.”
“And don’t you dare go easy on me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Also, can I ask you for a favor?” You said, staring at his purple eyes seriously.
…
For a month, Captain Mashiro or Vice Captain Suzuki oversaw the new recruits' training; you weren’t allowed to go in a real-life combat against kaijus until the Captain approved.
However, the day that everyone would be put to the test arrived.
“Behind these doors,” Captain Mashiro started – and you stared at the giant iron door behind the short woman. “We have a few yojus that we captured so you all could train.”
It was just like the second test to enter the defense forces.
“You all must be thinking that it’s similar to the entrance exams, and in a way, it is. The difference is that I will divide you into four teams of four people and see what kind of strategies you can come up with when in small numbers. Also, I have data to compare now with then, and I really expect to see some growth.”
“You have been working together for a month, so you know your and your team's weaknesses and strengths, so use this acknowledgment for your advantage.” Vice Captain Suzuki completed.
“Well, that said, go on, and show me what you are capable of!”
…
Hoshina being in your team was a relief, but the other two guys, Mori Ryu and Yashiro Natsume made you worried. It’s not like they were bad guys, but you notice that those two – childhood friends, or so you heard – had a tendency to be overconfident.
And too much confidence could be fatal in actual combat.
“We should think of a plan for different kinds of scenarios.” You said, remembering that Captain Mashiro had mentioned she was looking forward to seeing what kind of strategies would emerge when they were in small numbers.
“We just have to shoot the yojus from a distance, and we are done.” Said Ryu smiling, showing off the long-range rifle. “Right, Natsume?”
“Yep!” The other one nodded while checking for the special bullets for his own long-range rifle.
They were more the sniper type of soldiers, while you and Hoshina were the close combat ones, but still, reeling in just one type of attack was inefficient, considering that you didn’t know what kind of yojus you would be against.
“But it is still better to have a plan B.” You insisted. “What if you can’t destroy their core from a distance? What if they are faster than you imagined?
“There’s no way that we won’t be able to defeat a yoju.” Natsume said with an annoyed expression on his face.
“It’s just like the entrance exams, it can’t be so difficult.” Ryu shrugged.
The snipers started walking ahead, laughing as if the training was nothing, while you fumed at their arrogance.
“Don’t worry. When everything goes wrong, we will show them what close combat soldiers can do.” Hoshina said, spinning a blade on his hand, and judging from the look in his eyes, he was as annoyed as you.
…
“Shit! Shit! Shit!” You heard Natsume yelling at the comms while firing one bullet after another, but the yoju’s skin was too rough to be pierced by a bullet fired from kilometers of distance. “What the hell?!”
You and Hoshina were running in the direction of the yojus – some kind of crab yoju – that at first were really difficult to localize as they were underground, and started attacking when you were just above them. You heard Hoshina snicker at the profanities that Ryu and Natsume were spilling at the comms, and even you couldn’t stop the smirk from appearing on your lips.
“We are going to expose the core, so be prepared to shoot at them!” Hoshina commanded, approaching one of the yojus with incredible speed and slashing through the carapace as if it were nothing.
From what you knew, Hoshina Soshiro was the second son of a former Defense Forces captain who retired once firearms began replacing close-combat weapons – like the very swords Hoshina wielded now. As technology advanced, his father believed there was no longer any place for the art of the blade, but as you saw your friend's refined combat style, you had only one word to describe his father’s thoughts: Bullshit.
“(L/n)! Under you!” Hoshina yelled.
You leaped in the air, and shot at the yoju, but even being a few meters from the monster wasn’t sufficient to pierce the carapace. A loud tsk left your lips, annoyed at the kaiju, but you had another card up your sleeve.
The weapon that you have been carrying all this time on your back, a black spear – a common one that an officer from the defence force could use as a backup weapon – that you asked Hoshina to teach you how to use after the defence forces' mandatory training.
As soon as your feet touched the ground again, you were already running in the direction of the crab-like creature with the spear in your hands, evading and blocking its attacks, while trying to find an opening. When its claws got stuck to the ground, you used them as leverage and jumped on the head of the kaiju.
“You want me to teach you how to use a spear as a secondary weapon?” Hoshina asked you with an arched eyebrow. “Why not use guns? You are good with them.”
“I don’t want to be dependent on just one type of weapon.” You answered sincerely. “It’s just that…after being here for a while, I got to see how I need to improve my techniques if I want to achieve my goal.”
“Humm…” The guy in front of you hummed with a knowing smile, and you couldn’t stop the blush in your cheeks. “Your goal, hum.”
Damn Hoshina and his sharp instincts. You didn’t even tell him about Narumi, but for some reason, it was like he knew about your feelings,
“A-anyway! I thought that you would know how to use a spear, that’s why I am asking for your help!”
He laughed at your embarrassed form, but didn’t comment further; instead, he just agreed to train you.
But this was Hoshina, so of course it had a condition.
“W-what do you want?” You asked, scared of his grin.
“Why don’t you tell me about your goal?”
“...I hate you.”
…
“Goodbye crab.” You said as the spear came in contact with the carapace, breaking the rough skin and exposing the core that was between its eyes.
The next moment, a bullet – courtesy of Ryu – shattered the core, and you leaped away from the kaiju that fell to the ground immovable.
“Nice work, (L/n)!” Ryu yelled in the comms.
“Not bad.” Natsume commented, but you could feel that he was just bad at giving compliments.
Hoshina approached you with a smile and a lifted hand. You just hi-fived and smiled back.
“So…what’s next, (L/n)?” Natsume asked, and you were relieved that those two seemed to agree that now they should follow a plan.
…
“You are good with guns.” Captain Mashiro said while approaching you after the training/evaluation. “But I saw that you can also fight with a spear. To tell the truth, I was surprised."
“I asked Hoshina to train me, Captain.” You answer sincerely. “I didn’t want to be left behind.”
She patted you on the shoulder and, with a playful smile, she added:
“Don’t worry, I can’t see you being left behind. Actually, you may be the one leaving the others in the dust.”
…
After the evaluation, you and the other recruits were permitted to go to actual combat under the care of the platoon leaders, who would let you intercept the yojus, while the main forces went to the honju.
But as the months passed, and your abilities improved, little by little, you started joining the battles against the honjus.
And with that, you felt that you were a step closer to your goal.
…
“You know, I heard your name even here in Sapporo.” You said over the phone.
“Hah! I told you that I would be more famous than you!” Narumi laughed on the other side.
“I heard that you were almost kicked out of the Defense Forces, you idiot!”
“...I am still more famous than you.”
You signed. That was Narumi Gen for you.
Next chapter
Ending Notes:
So…I don't know when I will be able to post another chapter yet.
I already started chapter 4, but I am writing during my breaks at work…so it may take some time…
But as a spoiler, in the next chapter, I intend to write more Narumi X Reader moments to make up for the time that you will have to wait.^^
“Just to let you know, I will be more popular than you.”
“Hah! As if!”
Ao3 link
Previous chapter
A few things happened after your encounter with the insect-type kaiju.
First, everyone from the orphanage had to relocate to a nearby facility for a while, since the one you lived in had been partially destroyed during the attack.
Second, the orphanage director was ready to chew both of you the moment that he found out that you left the shelter, so of course, you landing in the hospital and Narumi getting in trouble with the Defense Forces just added more fuel to the fire.
You stayed in the hospital for two days before returning home, and were grounded together with Narumi for two weeks. You two got the chores all for yourselves, no games for Narumi, no candies for both of you, and every day you had to write an essay apologizing for your reckless behaviour. At least yours looked like an essay; Narumi would just write a big ‘SORRY’.
The third thing that changed was Narumi himself.
Okay, Narumi was still Narumi, but you could see that after that day, something shifted in him, and you were a little bit worried.
He never tells you anything – he didn’t told you what happened in the Defence Forces HQ – and had never told you anything, but ever since you met him, you had a feeling that for some reason Narumi had always hated to show that he was putting effort into things he does – all he cared for was results, and results only. Why? You had no idea, and you doubted he’d ever give you a serious answer, so you never asked – just observed and tried to support him with the best of your abilities.
You wanted him to know that you were there for him if he ever needed, because no matter how much you two bicker, Narumi was important to you.
So when he suddenly began going for early-morning jogs – despite hating to wake up early – you didn’t question it. You just went with him, claiming you needed the exercise for your “diet”.
When he started studying till late at night, you would study together with him, or bring a snack, even knowing that he probably had a lot of junk food somewhere in his room.
When he started taking jiu-jitsu and muay-thai classes, you told him that you would also take aikido for self-defence. Sometimes, the two of you would spar in the orphanage’s back garden – usually until Narumi forced you to admit defeat, or on the rare occasion you caught him off guard and sent him falling on his butt…which only happened twice.
And later that same year, just when the autumn started to prepare to give space to winter, just a month away from Narumi’s 18th birthday, he finally said something.
“By the way, tomorrow I will be home late.” He said while checking something on his phone.
“Why?” You asked, arching an eyebrow, a little bit suspicious. You two were coming back from the martial arts classes when Narumi suddenly seemed to remember something and pulled out his phone.
“I’m taking the Defence Forces entrance exams tomorrow.”
“You what?!” You couldn’t stop the cry that left your lips – the nerve of the guy to drop a bomb like that out of nowhere.
However, it made sense; he was preparing for the exam all this time, and you were preparing yourself too, without even knowing.
“You…want to join the Defense Forces?” You asked, just to make sure that you didn’t hear it wrong. Because…when did Narumi decide that? “Why?”
He looked at the sky for a second and then smirked at you.
“Because it sounds interesting.”
And with a reason like that – even though you knew that there was something more to that answer –, you saw him coming back the next day, with a letter of acceptance.
Narumi was now part of the Japan Anti-Kaiju Defence Forces.
However, he didn’t immediately start working there. The Defense Forces asked Narumi to finish high school before being officially named an officer and had to move to the Kanazawa base.
The director was beyond proud to hear that Narumi had finally “straightened up”. Your so-called siblings were overjoyed that their big brother had made it into the Defense Forces, even joking about how they could brag at school that they knew someone in the troops. The staff cried when they heard, murmuring about Narumi “growing up too fast.”
And you…you weren’t sure how to feel.
Of course, you were happy for him – Narumi earned his place in the JAKDF – but for some reason, it felt like he was leaving you behind.
Damn your stupid feelings.
…
“What’s wrong with you?”
You were sitting in the orphanage garden well past curfew, staring at the dark sky, lost in thought, when Narumi appeared at your side.
You looked him in the eyes for a second, his red eyes seemed to be staring at your soul, so you looked away, afraid that he may see through you.
“Nothing.”
He sat on the ground with his legs crossed, chin resting in the palm of his hand, elbow balanced on his knee, and you felt that his eyes were still staring at you.
“Bullshit.”
You rolled your eyes and sighed. Why the hell did he have to be so damn perceptive?
“I…I guess I am just a little bit worried about you.” Not exactly the truth, but not a lie either. “I mean, it’s a dangerous job…”
His brows drew together.
“Just so you know, I’m strong!”
“I know you are.” You knew it better than anyone.
“But…?”
You pressed your lips together, because yeah, the “but” was definitely there.
“But we don’t know what can happen in this line of work…” You say.
“Hum…so, you think I’m going to die?”
Your (e/c) eyes went wide, and you immediately turned to look at him – only to be met with a smirk. He got you, he made you look at him.
“You jerk!”
He laughed at your expression, and you shoved him – only for Narumi to tumble to the ground, still laughing.
“That’s not funny!” You cried, hitting him in the chest. “You could die, and I won’t be there to at least try to save your sorry ass!”
And all of a sudden, he caught the hand that was hitting him, and with a grin, he just said:
“Then, you just have to be there.”
“...what…?”
He pulled you closer, your faces just a few inches apart. Your heart was pounding so loud that you were scared that Narumi could hear it.
“I’m saying that if you want so much to be by my side, you should give the Defense Forces a try.”
You stared at him for a few seconds, trying to process his words. Did he mean it like that? Like…in a romantic setting?
“I mean, you have been strangely clingy lately.” He continued with a stupid, proud expression. “I get that I’m the coolest guy around, but — AHHHGGGG!”
And before he could finish, you headbutted him.
It hurt like hell – what was this guy made of? – but it was strangely satisfying to see Narumi rolling around, clutching his face. Who did he think he was, making you all flustered just to end up spewing nonsense?
You huffed, a little bit annoyed, but still, it was good to be in known grounds again.
“I bet that if I join the Defense Forces, I would be way more popular than you!”
And you left him there after shouting those words, because you knew that those words would annoy the hell out Narumi.
“Say that to my face, (Y/n)!”
…
Nothing really changed after that night.
You and Narumi continued your weird friendship.
You kept studying and training together, celebrated Christmas with everyone at the orphanage, gave him a new game for his birthday, and received the book you’d been wanting to read for ages.
You went to the temple together on New Year’s Eve, and on Valentine’s Day, you made him brownies – to get a pack of supermarket cookies back on White Day.
Nothing changed.
Except that this would be the last time you two would share moments like these.
…
By the end of March, when the cherry blossoms started to bloom, Narumi entered the Defence Forces, leaving everyone behind, including you.
“Then, you just have to be there.”
That’s what he said a few months ago.
And really, what were you supposed to do with those words? Was he even serious when he said that?
You started your third year of high school, and people still gossiped about Narumi joining the Defense Forces. And you couldn’t blame them, because that stupid guy was probably one of the few, if not only, their age who passed the entrance exams in first place.
Narumi may act stupidly, but he wasn’t an idiot – at least not a complete one.
You continued with your routine. Going to school, training aikido and studying. Narumi would send you messages, sometimes to annoy you and sometimes to complain about…well, everything. Too many rules, he had to wake up early, and Shinomiya Isao…
“Why the fuck can’t I beat him?!”
You read the message and arched a brow.
“There’s a difference between a captain and a mere soldier like you.”
Of course, you regret saying that, because for the next few hours, your phone didn’t stop going off with messages from Narumi.
And time passed just like that, until the day your teacher handed each student a sheet of paper titled: Career Path.
You stared at the title because, for some strange reason, the words that Narumi told you the same day that he came back home with the news that he would be joining the JAKDF, started echoing in your mind.
“Then, you just have to be there.”
You sighed. What were you supposed to do now?
…
“Hum? I thought that you wanted to join the JAKDF, (y/n).” Your friend said during lunchtime.
“What? Why?” You asked, surprised.
“I mean, you have been studying and training really hard, even after Narumi left.”
When you keep quiet, your friend continued.
“I thought that you were just trying to be supportive when you started to tag along with Narumi’s activities, but when you continued with…well, everything, I thought that you also wanted to follow the same path.”
“... Did it really look like that?”
Your friend just nodded.
And for the rest of the day, you keep wondering why you keep with your routine even when Narumi wasn’t there anymore.
What did you want to do?
Why did you do that?
However, deep down, you knew why you kept giving your best.
“Then, you just have to be there.”
A week later, you returned the career path sheet to your teacher, and for some reason, he didn’t seem surprised by your answer.
…
“Just to let you know, I will be more popular than you.”
“Hah! As if!”
Next chapter
Ending Notes:
So, how was it?
I feel like this story is fast-paced compared to my other stories, but I hope that you are enjoying it so far.^^
Also, english is not my mother tongue, so sorry for possible grammar mistakes.^^''
See you soon!
P.S: @gina239, I don't have a taglist, but I can always tag your name when I add a chapter, if it is fine for you.^^
Narumi Gen wants results, because that’s what the First Division is about. Results. If people can’t achieve anything, there is no place for them. You are struggling, you hit a wall, and don’t know how to break through, and surely, Narumi’s comments don't help. Until when can someone push others' buttons? What’s the breaking point?
Author's Notes:
Hello!!!
That's my first story for Kaiju Nº8 fandom!
I wanted to post a Hoshina X F.Reader first, but I don't have a concrete idea of what I want to do with the story, so I decided to start with the Narumi X F!Reader story first, which I have a better idea of what to write.^^''
Tags may change in the future, because I'm still deciding some stuff.^^
I don't know when I will be posting the next chapter, actually, I've been really busy, but some stuff happened, and I kind of vented writing.^^''
But I hope that you enjoy the first chapter.
Ao3 Link
You lost your parents early in life. You were just a 10-year-old child when you saw your mother being crushed by the ceiling of your house, and your father being killed by a kaiju while he was trying to give you a chance to escape.
The defense forces arrived just a second too late.
You remember a blond man apologizing, but you were too shocked and scared to understand what else he said.
And like a lot of children your age, you were sent to an orphanage.
You cried for days, tears staining your pillow, crying until you fell asleep, but people in the orphanage were kind to you. The other children could relate to your situation and feelings – everyone was there for the same reason, after all – and the staff would hug you and offer comforting words.
As time went on, the pain became easier to bear. Most days, you could hardly feel it, especially surrounded by the other kids who had become your new family – your younger and older brothers and sisters.
But things began to shift a bit during the summer you turned fourteen.
And that change had a name: Narumi Gen.
You heard from your caretakers that Narumi was a little bit complicated. He lost his parents at the same age as you, but from time to time, he was sent to different orphanages for misconduct…he was the typical problem child. Not that you could fault him there. No one can expect a child to behave well when the world takes away the only life that they know so far. Who wouldn’t be revolted to some extent?
But really, you didn’t expect… that .
You expected a real delinquent, with tattoos, piercings, dyed hair, and maybe a mohawk, but no, his appearance was more normal than you expected. Although you were on mark with the dyed hair part, the rest was completely different from your initial image.
…
“Narumi! You need to clean your room!”
“Not now! I'm almost beating the boss!”
“And did you buy more stuff from yamazon ?!”
“I bought it with the money from my part-time job, so what?!”
You glared at him, but he wasn’t wrong. However, that wasn't the point.
“Just do something about the empty boxes! And clean your room! It's worse than a pigsty! The other children are starting to think that it’s okay not to clean their rooms!”
“Well, let them, it’s a lifestyle!”
And this time you couldn’t stop yourself. You grabbed one of the many empty soda cans and threw it at the boy, who, caught off guard, missed a button and lost the game.
“Nooooo!” He freaked out and turned to you. “What the fuck, (y/n)?!”
“Clean. Your. Room!”
…
Narumi Gen was terribly lazy, foul-mouthed, egocentric, and a game addict.
So yeah, truth be told, your first impression of him was horrible.
He was a year older than you, but he acted worse than your younger siblings. A true man-child.
And sometimes you felt like your mental age may be dropping as well, since you were always at each other's throats over stupid things.
The orphanage staff, though, had a different view of your constant bickering with Narumi.
…
“I remember how my husband used to complain about small things just to get my attention~” An old woman who was a volunteer at the orphanage sighed with a longing gaze.
“WHO THE FUCK IS TRYING TO GET WHOSE ATTENTION, OLD HAG?!”
“Who would want his attention, Nakamura-san?!”
…
“What did you just call me, you game addict?!”
“You heard me, bitch!”
“Oh, look at them, now they have pet names for each other~” One of the staff said, giggling, while observing the bickering from a distance.
“Hum…yeah they do, but I would be happier if they could tone it down.” Another one sighed. “The young children asked me just yesterday what the meaning of ‘sugar daddy’...how am I supposed to explain?!”
“How did they end up in a ‘sugar daddy’ discussion?”
“I don’t want to know.”
“And…did you explain?” They asked, laughing.
“Of course not!”
“Ugh! What’s your problem, Narumi?! Why are you so egocentric? Do you suffer from main character syndrome or something?!” They heard you yelling again.
“Wahh, Narumi has main character syndrome!” He said back in a high-pitched mocking voice. “No shit, Sherlock. I’m hot, traumatized, and the universe revolves around me! Deal with it.”
“What? Hot? You?” The comeback at the tip of your tongue. “That’s debatable. Traumatized? No, you are the one traumatizing other people. And the universe? Trying to get a damn refund!”
“Hahhhh?! Take it back! Are you blind?! I am fucking hot!”
“I can only see a dry stick walking around with a video game!”
And the bickering went on, and really, by now, everyone was kind of used to your weird friendship.
“Teacher, teacher!”
A small child approached the adults, a worried expression on his face.
“What’s up, buddy?”
“(Y/n) onee-chan said to Narumi nii-chan that he suffers from main character syndrome!” The child cried. “Is this serious?! Can a doctor fix it?! Is Narumi nii-chan dying?!”
And while their friend started laughing at the question, the one who was asked about Narumi’s condition pinched the bridge of their nose, annoyed.
They need to have a long, long conversation with both of you.
…
But even if your daily lives were chaotic, filled with Narumi’s colorful outbursts whenever his gaming sessions were interrupted, and your quick comebacks and nagging, the orphanage felt brighter than ever, and you hoped that things wouldn't change.
…
“Go back to the shelter, (Y/n)!” He yelled at you.
You were sixteen when the alarms to alert that a kaiju had appeared in the area started roaring – it was the first time that an kaiju had appeared so close to home –, the other kids from the orphanage were already at the shelter with the staff, but after a few minutes there, hearing the children cry over their belongings – the ones that held their last memories from their families – Narumi bolted outside, and you followed him.
“Let’s go back together!” You yelled back, grabbing his left arm. “It’s dangerous here!”
“If you know that much, go back, genius!”
But you didn’t let go, and with an annoyed sigh, he held your hand and started pulling you in the direction of the orphanage.
“Stay close, and don’t let go of my hand! Got it?!”
You nodded, glanced one last time at your joined hands, and started moving your legs.
…
There were no bags in the orphanage, so you two started collecting all the toys that you could find and placed them inside a yamazon box that Narumi got from his messy room.
“Hah! Told you that one day we would use the boxes!”
You rolled your eyes.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m soooo glad that your trash is finally being useful.”
“It’s not trash!”
“Anyway, did you get everything?” You asked, ignoring his outburst and scanning the room one last time.
“Yeah.” The boy answered, lifting the box. “Let’s go.”
Walking in the direction of the door, you two kept your voices low. The last thing that you needed was a kaiju coming after you.
“If a kaiju doesn’t kill us, the director sure will…”
“You should have just stayed at the shelter then.”
“And let you go out alone? No, not happening.”
Narumi opened the door slowly, taking a look around, but there was no sign of a monster.
Pulling you with his free hand, you two started walking back to the shelter, using the rain to camouflage the sound of your steps. You don’t know how long you stayed at the orphanage getting the toys, but it was enough time for the kaijus to destroy the neighbourhood, and then be killed by the defense forces.
It seemed the kaijus in the area had been wiped out, and you let out a sigh of relief. Maybe the two of you could make it back to the shelter without a hitch.
But of course, things couldn’t go so well.
You don’t know how, but out of the corner of your eye, you saw something moving.
“Watch out!” You yelled, pushing Narumi out of the way.
It was the first time you'd seen that expression on his face – and maybe you would have teased him for it, if you hadn’t just been slammed into a wall several meters from where you originally were.
“(Y/n)!” You heard Narumi yell your name.
You opened your mouth to respond – to at least say you were alive – but no words came out. Your body hurt, your head was spinning, and it felt like you could lose consciousness at any moment.
Damn kaijus and their stupid strength. And it has to be an insect-type of kaiju – a mantis –, of all things.
“I…hate…insects…” You muttered as you observed the monster coming near you.
You were going to die, but if Narumi could at least escape, your sacrifice wouldn’t go in vain.
Black spots started appearing in your vision – you were really losing consciousness. You took one last look at the place where you last saw the stupid game addict boy, but only the box with toys was left there.
Did he run away? No, he wouldn’t leave the toys behind after all this…
“Hey kaiju!”
And Oh gosh… , you thought. That stupid guy wouldn’t leave you either, no matter what, because Narumi Gen was…
The monster stopped his movements, turning his attention to Narumi, who kept yelling while swinging…what was that again? A part of a kaiju? You really didn’t want to know…it was kind of gross.
“I bet that I taste better than her!”
The kaiju slowly moved toward Narumi, and you felt panic bubbling in your chest.
That stupid guy!
What was he doing?! Did he have a death wish?!
“Narumi…you…” You muttered, fighting to stay with your eyes open.
“Go sleep for a while (Y/n)! I will do as you say and take the trash out!” He said with an annoying smirk on his face.
But for some reason, those words made you strangely calm.
For some reason, you thought that things would be okay.
So you finally closed your eyes.
“Good girl.”
…
You remember that when you opened your eyes again, you were being placed on a stretcher and Narumi was by your side, being yelled at by a famous platoon leader called Hasegawa.
“Oh, you woke up.” The boy said, completely ignoring the older man.
“...are you…hurt?” You asked.
“What the fuck? Who else would the paramedics be here for?!”
You frowned at his words, and for once, he decided to take your question seriously.
“...better than you.”
“...idiot…”
“Right back at you.” He rolled his eyes. “But at least we are even now.”
You smiled at that, because that was Narumi Gen’s way to thank you.
“Now that your friend is awake, come here with me, the medics from the defense forces will take a look at you while I run a background check!”
A background check…you wondered what the hell Narumi did while you were unconscious.
However, as you watched him get dragged off by Platoon Leader Hasegawa, still clutching the box of toys he claimed were his – even though they clearly belonged to the other kids – you felt a familiar warmth bloom in your chest.
Your first impression of Narumi Gen couldn't have been any worse, he was terribly lazy, foul-mouthed, egocentric, and a total game addict.
But Narumi Gen with all his faults, was still a good person. You have known this for a long time.
You saw him taking care of the younger kids in his own way, and you knew that children liked him too. You saw how he would teach them how to play games and let them win on purpose – of course, he would make a scene about it, but that was just for show…probably.
When they were almost out of candies, different sweets would magically fill the jars. Cookies. Lollipops. Chocolates.
And when your parents' anniversary was coming, he would annoy you more than normal, just to distract you. And every year it worked. Still, on the date, he would just follow you to the cemetery and wait quietly by your side, while you would offer flowers and tell them that you were okay.
Narumi Gen was kind under his usual ridiculous attitudes.
How could you not see it when you were together most of the time? There was no way you wouldn't notice those small gestures.
You didn’t want to acknowledge it. You would even lie if you were asked, but you couldn't lie to yourself.
Stupid heart.
The most irrational and stupid part of you had fallen in love with him.
Next chapter
Ending Notes:
So, how was it?
I hope that Narumi wasn't OOC.^^''
There are some spoilers from Kaiju Nº8 B-side, but nothing major in my opinion. But in the future, I may write something that might include references from manga.
Anyway, I hope that you liked the story so far!
arranged marriaged au! + hurt/cormfort + injuries + denial of feelings + platoon leader reader! + enemies to lovers (?)
warnings; it’s gender neutral reader but… lowkey lenient to male readers, but obviously only if you think hard jajaj, that’s all, also, change of work format! not proof read.
⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆ hoshina soshiro
— he wanted NOTHING to do with you! not even as entertainment to see what could become of you both, NADA
— it’s not that he would argue with you or anything, but he’d speak a little harsher when it comes to you
— constantly asks why did he have to be married when both of you were in the defense force and could die any day
— at least he acknowledges your hard work
— mina actually likes you for him, so she always tells him he should show you affection, to which he gags at.
“ah, hoshina, don’t you think l/n looks good like that? sweaty, covered in monster fluids, look at how badass l/n looks, took down so many monsters…”
“what, are you saying you want l/n to take my spot as vice captain? since your praising l/n so much.” hoshina asks darkly while placing his hands on his hips.
mina shakes her head, expression neutral, “no, of course not, but maybe you should give l/n a nice reward-“
“ugh!” he groans, immediately walking away from her. he knows her expression wouldn’t show much, but he knew her true feelings. she was probably laughing in her head, mentally patting her back for ticking him off.
it didn’t help that you had defeated so many monsters, a few more than him. he eyes you as you flick some monster grub off of your shoulder, looking around to step aside, away from the scene. he hated going back “home” with you, you took the longest showers.
“good job today,” your voice snaps him out of his thoughts, like he said, you took long showers, so he sometimes zones out waiting for you to get out. “i wish i knew how to use blades,” you comment.
he stares at you, fresh out of the shower. your cheeks have a rosy color, definitely from the warm shower you had taken. your eyes weren’t on him, but with the way you said that, it felt like you were looking directly at him. you don’t talk much to him either.
“for a platoon leader your skills are too inadequate,” he bites before going to the restroom. “train more and you’ll be better suited.”
— honestly, you wish he’d at least make fun of you or something, not nag or insult your honed skills.
— you two lived more like strangers that shared a room, little talk yet always around
one day, you two had to face a group of honju. it wasn’t something either of you couldn’t manage, but for some reason, hoshina was having a bit of a hard time. especially with the way you kept missing your shots.
“the heck is wrong with you?” he ask as he slices the honju’s joints.
“the heck is wrong with you? you keep cutting off limbs and letting them fall on me! makes me miss my shots!” you argue as you hop off a wall.
“if we don’t take this one down we can’t help out with the other ones!”
“well if you weren’t all up on the honju then i would’ve shot it down already!”
mind you, you two were still honing your new, growing skills. hoshina was recently risen to vice captain and you as platoon leader.
“and i can’t slice it down because you keep shooting at the wrong areas!”
in the end, the honju got a good hit in you and him. minor injuries of course, but the next day you were sent off in a mission where plenty of platoon leaders were called to assist. hoshina was recently getting inside the house when you trudge up to him, looking absolutely worse than the day before from the honju.
your yored expression was one he’d never seen, mostly because he barely looks at you.
“woah there, did you age in the span of a day?” he finds himself joking.
yet you walk past him and go inside your home.
“nice talk.” he grumbles as he follows.
after your shower, you sit at the vanity, with a sleeveless shirt. there are fresh scrapes on your shoulders, your cheek is bruised and your hand are wrapped in bandages. he notices, because you hum softly as you put ointment on the scrapes.
“a mission?” he asks, surprising himself at his worry.
“broke my guns, had to use that blade.” you reply, closing the bottle.
“i told you to practice more close combat.”
“you didn’t say anything, you commented on my bad skills.”
“same difference.”
“if i die one day it’s your fault.”
he frowns, “how would it be my fault?”
and your eyes fell on him. and they gave him an answer he couldn’t hear. you’ll have pushed me so far away that you won’t make it in time when i need you.
— fighting beside you turns to be like fighting alongside mina. he carves a way and you hit, except only on those missions that aren’t nation threatening.
— at some point, he enjoys the teamwork.
— doesn’t show interest head on, he does it in silent ways. (like placing a cold water on your night stand. putting your books back in place when you’re too much in a rush to organize before leaving.)
— your determination for constant growth impresses him, he notices it when you beat him one day on slicing down a small kaiju
and just when he starts to appreciate you, something happens.
“hoshina,” your voice surprises him as he slices through the kaiju.
“l/n, what is it? kinda busy here-“
“VICE CAPTAIN HOSHINA! L/N HAS TAKEN A CRITICAL HIT!” okonogi’s voice goes through, “SHIELDS ARE DOWN!”
“uh,” you chuckle, “so are my vitals, have you said that?”
“what-?” he gasps as he dodges an attack, he’s in a tight spot right now.
“VICE CAPTAIN!” okonogi cries, “YOU MUST RELEASE MORE POWER! THAT KAIJU IS ADAPTING TO YOU!”
“yeah!” he hops off a rooftop and slices down the middle, causing a hit, but it’s bot enough yet. “someone back platoon leader! where is everyone?” he barks.
“we’re sending more reinforcements! the kaijus had overwhelmed our troops and many are severely injured! platoon leader l/n please hold out until back up comes!”
“we’re too shorthanded for backup!” hoshina argues. “i’ll finish this and head over!” he grunts as he attacks once more.
“so like, i’m bleeding out,” you say softly.
“PLATOON LEADER PLEASE STAY STILL! YOU DON’T HAVE STRENGTH LEFT!”
“how bad is it?” hoshina asks as he finally takes down the kaiju. he’s out of breath.
“VICE CAPTAIN HOSHINA HAS ELIMINATED THE KAIJU IN THE SECTOR!” okonogi shouts, “if anyone can go back up platoon leader, we’ll have victory soon!”
“just how bad is it?”
“the honju is a plant based type! it’s core keeps shifting!”
“and so are my organs, i wanna throw up,” you say.
“you idiot! hide! you can’t keep facing it! how far away am i okonogi!?”
“six minutes- PLATOON LEADER L/N YOUR SUIT IS OVERHEATING AGAIN! PLEASE STOP, YOU’VE ALREADY LOST TOO MUCH BLOOD!”
“I FOUND IT’S CORE!” you yell before going silent.
“VICE CAPTAIN PLEASE HURRY! PLATOON LEADER COULD DIE IF THEY DON’T PULL THIS OFF BEFORE YOU ARRIVE-“ okonogi gasps.
“okonogi? what is it? l/n?” he calls out as he dashed inside the building your squad had been.
the sight was ugly, many officers thrown about, blood and kaiju fluids everywhere.
“PLATOON LEADER L/N’S VITALS ARE DROPPING! PLEASE SOMEONE DO SOMETHING!”
“where is it?” he asks as he runs across, slicing the vines coming at him.
“uh, go to the control room far back, full of vines and living plants, literally they’ll attack you,” you slur into his ear. “hurry before i get digested.”
“WHAT!?” okonogi cries.
he sees red. no wonder your life force was dwindling. “YOU’RE SO RECKLESS!”
slice after slice, he makes it through and strikes the core. it’s disregarded by him as he searches for you. soon, he stands before you.
he stares at your body, laid there on the floor surrounded by kaiju fluids, in your own blood. you’re breaths are too shallow, too painful.
“you want something…” you say lightly between breaths, “to do with me now?”
“what are you talking about-“
“platoon leader please don’t use your energy! it keeps dwinDLING! MEDICS! MEDICS!” okonogi screeches.
“you… you never look at me… never accepted me,” you smile tiredly, looking at him through half lidded eyes.
the gash on your side is seeping blood. your suit had given up from over exertion.
“can you stop?” he’s kneeling over you, trying to lift you out of the puddle. “if you don’t come back home with me, then i don’t want to go home.”
you close your eyes, there’s commotion far away. medics maybe? “we live like strangers under a roof…”
hoshina grips you, “i’m… sorry,” he bows his head, pulling you close but still so gentle to your wounds. “please know that i am grateful for you… all these years, you’ve also pushed me to extend my potential…”
“platoon leader! vice captain!” a medic calls out as they bring a stretcher.
“well…” you give a shaky breath, eyes closing, “guess i was… bound to… be in your arms…”
“y/n-?”
“WE’RE LOSING THE PLATOON LEADER!” and everything become white noise to hoshina.
was he going to go home to an empty house? was he going to lose you, after finally accepting that you’re now a part of his life routine, a routine he doesn’t want to exclude? what’s this ache in his heart? he feels cold.
“-out of danger zone,” okonogi’s voice brings him back.
— seeing you frail was never something he expected to see
— you were always standing, as badly as you were always injured, you never showed signs of injury until you two got home or he found you at the hospital
hence, seeing you on the hospital bed wasn’t ever in his mind. you just woke up, smiling at him. your smile is wonderful, he felt like that warmth radiating from you finally brought him back to life. after days of feeling lost, cold and alone, he felt like he was back on track.
“what? wanna be in my arms?” you grin, joking.
and neither of you expected him to take up the offer.
⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆ gen narumi
— literally did NOT ACKNOWLEDGE YOU
— the audacity! you were so annoyed but you understood too, why would anyone want an arranged marriage?
— he’s cute, you loved looking at him even if he was just yelling at his screen when you were both on stand by
— he ARGUES. ALWAYS. just to get a rise out of you but you PISS HIM OFF when you don’t give him the reactions he wants.
“i want to sleep on the left side today.” he huffs, glaring down at your sleeping figure.
you had literally just managed to fall asleep after all his yelling and that bright ass tv. you glared at the wall, your back facing him as he looms over you.
“move,” he demands, shaking you with so much force you want to flip over and punch him.
yet, you close your eyes and roll over. literally rolling OVER him as you make your way to the right side, squishing him and making him yells and fight. still, you let that shove throw you off of him and settle on the right side. you fall back asleep, smiling at his grumpy remarks.
— as pay back he makes you go through brutal training. yet you always get back at him somehow back in the “comfort” of your shared room.
— you’re more serious about the things you have to accomplish outside of the battlefield, he’s not.
— he constantly berates you for your fighting style, just to piss you off
— at some point you lose confidence in yourself. had had been extremely harsh that day and the kaiju managed to make a good example of you. and gen had laughed at you for it.
“have you changed the bandages?” he asks, looming over you when you were trying to fall asleep.
you say nothing, ignoring his presence. yet, he cages you, practically on top of you with both arms to your sides as he glares down.
“y/n.”
your eyes snap open. that is the first time he’s ever called you by your name and it had to be your first name? his nerve!
“get off me,” you grunt.
“have you changed your-“ he’s easily thrown off of you by your action, he didn’t expect you to move.
“why do you care?” you growl.
he frowns, “i don’t want you messing up our bed sheets!”
you end up leaving the room, crashing somewhere else. he obviously didn’t chase after you, you aren’t that important to him. yet, he couldn’t sleep, remembering the way you left; angry, hurt. he had gotten used to you sleeping next to him, to you waking him up when the two of you had to assist morning duties.
he honestly felt like he couldn’t breathe well, until you came in the morning to change into your attire. he immediately sat up on the bed, staring at you as you move about. not a hello, not a “good morning captain, gotta wake up now” to be followed by his complaints. not even an acknowledgment, you got ready, freshened up and left. he didn’t like that.
— he lives for attention. for recognition. there should always be someone that gives it to him, yet that was the day he realized you don’t.
— it made him feel like he had to prove himself to you.
“lower the sound to the tv, it’s late,” you day dryly.
“i’m winning! listen to me win!”
you just turn over and go to sleep. when he shouts at his victory, his immediate response is to turn to you. yet, since you’re sleeping, you don’t acknowledge him.
he stomps over to you and forces you awake, sitting you up and practically trying to open your eyelids.
“NARUMI!”
“I WON AGAIN!” he roars, shaking you.
— honestly the relationship is more like child and guardian despite how old you two are.
— he has no plans for a family, said that loud and clear
— same way he tries to get a rise out of you, you do it to him when you catch him training late at night
“this is the third night in a row, captain,” you tease as he freezes mid air attack.
“THEY TOLD ME TO BE ON STAND BY IN CASE A KAIJU APPEARED!” he screeches.
“at one in the morning?”
“HOW ABOUT YOU POLISH THOSE HORRIBLE SKILLS OF YOURS!?”
you laugh, setting down a cold water bottle on the floor. “don’t over do it, or else they’ll notice you’re doing this again.”
“SHUT UP! I’M NOT DOING ANYTHING!”
— you’re literally always tidying up behind him. he never tidies up.
“l/n, where are my clothes?” he argues one morning.
“have you washed them?” you ask, annoyed.
he pauses. ever since you two married, he’s never really lifted a finger. well, even when he lived alone, the defense force would sometimes always send someone in to clean up. he’s tidy up once a month but it wasn’t often. now that he thinks hard, as he stares at you in the kitchen, it’s always been you doing almost everything.
“why haven’t you washed them-“
“gen narumi i will throw this knife at you, how about you prove you’re good at surviving in your own home the way you survive out in the battlefield?” you bark as you turn back to face him.
you never snap at him like that, it’s always a silent glare or a petty action. never verbal.
fine, he’ll prove he’s good without you.
— he’s never felt like he’s had a place to belong, no matter how much he proved himself worthy
— captain isao was a clear example of his first time feeling a sense of accomplished belonging
and now, coming home to an empty cleaned out house, he wonders why he feels out of place. it freaks him out, it’s been years since he felt like this. he’s proven himself more than capable of being the best at defending the nation from threats… yet.. why hasn’t he done the same to keep a home.
you didn’t give a divorce, simply asked to be elsewhere for a while, off on a mission that even you don’t know how long will last. yet, coming home to this isn’t… normal… anymore. time and time again, he was rejected from homes and hoped orphanages, that desire to have a home long gone after years or not being enough no matter how much he proved himself.
and now, he’s alone in these four walls again. where you had tried to make a home out of. where he, unknowingly, didn’t even have to prove himself worthy of having. of belonging.
“captain gen! how can we help you?”
“i wanna see how platoon leader l/n’s mission is going.” he says dryly.
everyone in the room turns to him, like he lost his mind.
“uh, i-if you don’t mind captain, why would that be?”
“i don’t have to explain anything to you!”
he doesn’t get to watch or hear how your mission is going. captain isao kicks him out, he put up a fight of course, but it was embarrassing to even try to come up with a valid reason. he doesn’t like you, always in his business, in his commodity, in every mission, every training. always cleaning ip after him, always telling him to go to bed early, always telling him to file out reports- always breathing down his neck!
you’re weak. strong enough to be platoon leader but still so weak! always coming home hurt. always needing medicine. always taking breaks during training.
yet, when he finally gets to see you in action again, after weeks of being denied your whereabouts, he finds himself seeing you. actually seeing you in action. you’re different here than in training, than when you had last fought beside him. yet, you could do better. he knows that, so he grows frustrated when he sees you take a hit and miss the perfect opportunity to subjugate the kaiju.
going against the rules, like always, he does it for you. you’re eyes are wide as you see him do just what you were trying to do. so easily. they superiors are barking in your in ears. they’re doing the same in gen’s. yet, you couldn’t hear them, only your anger and your frustration, you’re insecurity eating at you again.
“was i ever, even for one second, enough for you?” you yell, stomping over towards him.
“you had a chance and you didn’t take it!” he barks.
“GEN NARUMI! YOU WILL BE SUSPENDED!” captain isao roars in the in ear.
“FOR WHAT!?
“for always making everything about yourself!” you jab your gun at him, shoving him a step back. “where’s your teamwork? why do you keep making me feel like i don’t belong here!”
he stares at you, wide eyed.
he… he made you feel like you don’t belong? you, l/n y/n who always did better throughout every mission. you, who always messed with him when he didn’t get along with you. you, who was always levelheaded even to nag at him.
“only-“
“only the strong survive here! i know!” you seethe, “if you want me out so bad just tell me! don’t insult my skills! my efforts!”
“hey, i’m your captain-“ his argument is weak in his ears too.
hence, he feels, for the first time, like he actually is in the wrong when you growl and walk past him. you stomp off, fuming. are you about to leave the defense force? give him the divorce?
“just so you know-“ he yells, making sure no one else is listening in. “you’re the best thing that’s happened to me.”
you stop in your tracks.
“i’m prideful, i don’t play nice,” he chokes out, “but… don’t leave me.”
you turn around, anger long gone. but you’re still distraught. you’re just dissatisfied. “gen… not now.”
and he watches you leave.
— screw all his kaiju missions. he has to win you back, because just now he’s realizing he had you.
“gen, what are you doing.”
“i need money.” he says as he kneels before you when you finally return home.
you nudge his head with your boot, “get up. how embarrassing, you sure you’re my captain?”
“HEY! RESPECT ME-!”
you walk past him, leaving him alone. he huffs, watching you set your belongings back.
“don’t move those boxes!”
“you ordered a bunch of stuff from yamazon for what!?”
“it’s stuff we could need!” he argues.
you sigh and turn around, “like what, gen?”
“uh,” he scratches his head, then gives you an accusatory look, “i don’t have to explain myself to you!”
“uh, yes you do! have you forgotten we’re married!?”
he looks away, unable to form an argument. it’s a surprise, normally he’s quick to fire back at you, but he seems so at bay. it’s…
“disgusting,” you grimace, “what’s wrong with you? aren’t you used to being suspended? what’s with this change?” you look around, “hey, it’s even clean in here, despite all these boxes.”
“yeah so what?” he huffs, crossing his arms. “i’m way better at cleaning than you are, i just don’t like doing slave work often.”
“slave-“
“plus, we’re married,” he puckers his lips as he looks away from you, “aren’t chores like,, shared or something?”
you stare at him wide eyed. is he… for real? he glances at you and you’re heart skips a beat at the blush that crawls on his face. he’s for real. ah, what a darn cute knuckle head.
“this is only going to last a day isn’t it,” you chuckle to yourself.
