a/n: not proof read!, lowercase intended warnings :emotional tension, arguments, and themes of relationship struggles
youâd hit your breaking point. it wasnât the first time, and you knew it wouldnât be the last, but it still sucked. âyou always do this, katsuki!â you snapped. âi try to make plans, to spend time with you, and you just-" you threw your hands up in frustration, â keep giving me excuses. youâre a pro hero, people need you... i get it. but what about me?â
his face was hard, the kind of look he wore when he was trying to shut down everything inside. he hated it when you guys fought, but there was no hiding it now. âthis job has been my dream since I started working for it,â he said, voice getting louder. âiâve worked my butt off for this. you know that.â his jaw tightened. âiâm not doing this for fun. iâm out there keeping people safe. keeping you safe.â
you felt the sting of his words, but it wasnât about that. it was the frustration, the way heâd always pull away. âi donât need a future if youâre never there for it,â you muttered, turning away. âi need you now. but you wonât even give me that.â you couldnât deal with the quiet that came after that. you turned toward the door, already knowing what would happen next.
katsuki stayed still, looking at the spot where youâd been. his chest felt tight, but his pride kept him rooted to the floor. you were right, but the words didnât come. he watched you leave and didnât move.
day 1:
katsuki woke up to an eerie silence. his phone was quiet. the kitchen felt empty. there was no music playing, no hum of the coffee machine. just the soft ticking of the clock in the corner. he ran his hands through his hair and sighed, wishing he could just fix it. but it didnât feel like there was a fix.
he went through his morning routine, training, patroling, paperwork, making himself as busy as humanly possible, but the whole day dragged. he couldnât focus. everywhere he went, there were reminders of you. your favorite mug. your hair tie on the bathroom sink, your favorite coffee shop, the restaurant you eat at every day. all of it was too much.
by the time he got home, he wasnât hungry. he just sat on the couch, staring at the space where youâd usually be. he picked up his phone, saw your contact name, and hovered his finger over it. but then he put it down. youâll be fine, he thought. youâll come back when youâre ready.
but he knew that wasnât the truth. deep down, he knew he messed up, but his pride wouldnât let him do anything about it.
day 2:
another day, another round of nothing. katsuki woke up to the same empty apartment. his mind was foggy from lack of sleep, from thinking about the argument all night. every time he closed his eyes, he heard your words. youâre never here.
training was harder today. his punches didnât feel right. every move felt like it was missing something. he kept imagining, the way youâd cheer him on even on his worst days, and it made his chest ache.
by the time he got home, his temper was bubbling over. the silence of the apartment only made it worse. his fist hit the wall in frustration, and he stood there for a long time, breathing heavily. just text her, he thought. apologize, you idiot.
but he didnât. his pride had him in a chokehold, and it was too tight to break.
day 3:
the weight of the silence was unbearable now. katsuki spent the entire day trying to distract himself as if it was going to work. he knew it wouldn't. everything just reminded him of you. his usual sharp focus was clouded by the thought of you being angry at him. he kept expecting his phone to buzz, but it never did.
by the time he got home, he sat on the couch, staring at the empty side where you used to sit. this is my fault, he thought bitterly. he picked up his phone again, staring at the screen. maybe if he just sent a quick message, heâd feel a little better. but no. he just couldnât.
he finally texted you.
he stared at the words for a moment before deleting them. stupid. he tossed his phone aside.
day 4:
katsuki woke up earlier than usual, his body restless. he tried to do his usual morning routine, but the whole day felt like it was dragging by. every time he turned a corner, his mind flashed to you. he couldnât stop thinking about the argument, about how heâd hurt you.
he found himself standing at the window, looking out, but not seeing anything. the apartment felt like a shell now, like it was missing its soul.
but the more he thought about it, the more he hated himself for being so stubborn.
he spent the whole day pushing the thought of you away, but by the time night came, it all came crashing back. he missed you.
day 5:
katsuki was running on fumes. his patience had worn thin. he was angry. angry at you? no. angry at myself. he couldnât figure out what to do. the apartment felt emptier than ever. he hadnât heard from you, and he hated it. he hated that he couldnât fix it.
he found himself texting you again, but this time, it was a real message. a real apology.
he stared at the words for a moment before deleting them. no. not yet. he knew he wasnât ready to face you.
he spent the rest of the night pacing. he couldnât sit still, couldnât focus. this is killing me.
day 6:
katsuki couldnât take it anymore. everything was falling apart. he was snapping at people, easily irritable, just acting like the complete opposite of himself.
his mind kept replaying the argument. you were right. heâd been selfish. so caught up in everything else that he didnât realize how much you were hurting.
that night, he stood outside your apartment, fists clenched, rising his hand to knock and dropping it over and over again. he lets out a loud sigh before he finally knocked on your door. when it opened, he could see all the hurt still in your eyes.
âiâm sorry,â he said, voice rough. âiâve been an idiot, and i shouldâve never made you feel like you were second place. youâve always been first, and you always will be.â
you sigh dragging your hands down your face. âitâs not just about apologies. youâre always gone, katsuki. i canât even bring you lunch anymore, youâre always too busy.â
âi know. iâll change my schedule, work less. iâll do whatever it takes to show you how much you mean to me,â he said, stepping closer. his hand brushed yours, and when you didnât pull away, he felt a weight lift. âi donât want to lose you.â
tears formed in your eyes. âi just need you here. not just for the big things, but the small things, too. like how I finally told that waitress my order was wrong, you know how much I-â
âhate being a bother,â he finished for you, and you both shared a small laugh.
he nodded, swallowing hard. âi promise. iâll be here. for you. no more excuses.â he pulled you into his arms, holding you close.
âi love you,â you whispered into his chest.
âi love you too.â
a/n: umm hi guys ik I havent written in while! hopefully I can get more stuff out for u guys, requests open!!
the urge is always strong, you were like two magnets always pulling towards each other and anything that gets in your way gets destroyed int eh process.
" I'm your dream girl but your not my type "
he loved you more than you did, it was going to be the downfall of you two and you both knew it but it was a topic constantly left unspoken. everyone around you could see it. in the way you looked at each other, how you texted, even when you kissed he always chased for more while you found it so easy to pull away.
" nothing makes me feel as good as being loved by you "
you sucked him dry of all the love he could give in every sense of the word. as the relationship continued everyone could tell the energy and life force being sucked out of him. no matter how many times his family and friends told him how much they could see the change in him it never worked.
" fame is a gun, and I point it blind "
you had the gun, you had the power to end the relationship, you had the opportunity to do the right thing; end it, but every time you got close to pulling the trigger you found some reason to take your finger off and with that, the cycle continues.
you didnât notice him at first. too focused on the crumpled receipt in your hand, squinting at the order number, wondering if you were cursed or if this place was just chronically slow.
ânumber 88?â
you perked up. finally.
you moved toward the counter then stopped. because someone else had moved too. tall, white-haired, smug grin. he looked at your tray, then at you.
âweâve got a problem,â he said, pulling down his sunglasses just enough to show a flash of bright blue eyes. âthereâs only one tray of fries here, and i also have number 88 on my receipt.ââ
you blinked. âthis is my order.â
he tilted his head. âyou sure? couldâve sworn the universe was trying to get us to share.â
you gave him a once-over. he looked like the type who flirted with anything that had a pulse â or maybe just anything with fries.
âi donât share food,â you said flatly, taking the tray.
âah,â he nodded seriously. âgot itâ
you walked off, thinking that was the end of it. obviously it wasnât.
a minute later, he sat down across from you without asking. fries in hand. soda in the other. smile too bright for someone this annoying.
âi ordered again. crisis averted.â
you gave him a look. âdo you always sit with strangers?â
âonly the cute ones who threaten me over fries.â
you huffed a laugh despite yourself. âwhatâs your name?â
he leaned forward slightly, like he was about to whisper a secret.
âgojo satoru. professional sorcerer, full time ladies man.â
âmm. you sound like a walking HR violation.â
âand yet,â he grinned, stealing one of your fries with zero shame, âyou havenât told me to leave.â
warnings: emotional trauma/past emotional neglect (implied), mentions difficulty with vulnerability, subtle themes of abandonment and fear of rejection and soft angst to comfort
jinu had always been hard to read.
sharp jaw, sharp tongue, sharp looks, the kind of guy who made people second-guess if theyâd done something wrong, even if he hadnât said a word. he didnât mean to come off cold. it was just⊠easier that way.
he wasnât mean. just careful. distant in the way someone becomes after years of being let down, overlooked, or expected to carry more than a kid should have.
he grew up learning that being vulnerable was a risk. that if you got too soft, youâd get hurt. that if you let people in, theyâd leave when they saw the mess inside. so he stayed locked up. not because he didnât want love, but because he didnât think he could survive losing it again.
and then you came along. all sunshine and chaos and comfort, barging into his world like you belonged there.
at first, you confused him.
you talked too much. you asked questions like âwhatâs your favorite color?â and âdo you ever cry during movies?â and âcan i braid your hair or is that too soon?â
you said things like âtext me when you get homeâ and âi made you lunch because i thought youâd forgetâ and âyou donât have to say anything, i just like being near you.â
he didnât know how to handle it. affection without expectation? care without strings? he kept waiting for the catch. but there wasnât one. just you, standing at his door every time he pushed you away.
some days, he tried to match your softness. heâd bring you your favorite snack without a word, or let your hand linger a little longer in his. heâd roll his eyes and pretend to be annoyed when you snuggled up to him on the couch but youâd feel how he leaned in, just barely.
he never said much, but you noticed the little things.
how he always faced you when you talked. how he never let you walk on the side closest to the street. how he started keeping a spare toothbrush for you in his bathroom.
how, when you were quiet, he was the first one to ask, âwhatâs wrong?â
-
one night, it cracked open.
you were sitting together on his rooftop, wrapped in the hoodie he always let you steal. the city was quiet, stars faint behind the glow of streetlights. he hadnât said much which was nothing new but there was something heavy in the air.
âyou ever think,â he started, voice rough, âthat if people really knew you, they wouldnât stay?â
you turned to look at him. his jaw was tight, hands clenched, like he was bracing for your answer.
you reached for his hand, gently prying his fingers open.
âif people really knew you, jinu,â you said softly, âtheyâd love you even more.â
his eyes darted to yours startled, unsure. âyou donât know everything about me.â
âi donât need to. iâll learn. when youâre ready.â
his breath hitched. no one had ever said that to him before not without an edge of impatience. not without a clock ticking down. but you meant it. you always did.
and that night, he let his head fall against your shoulder.he finally trusted that you wouldnât leave him.
he didnât cry.
he didnât talk.
but in that moment, with your hand in his and your warmth pressed to his side, he felt something shift.
youâre mid-sentence, rambling without breath about your day, something about a rude barista, a weird cat you saw, and a playlist that made you cry on the bus. you donât even realize how long youâve been talking until you glance at jinu.
heâs slouched on the couch next to you, head leaned back, hoodie half over his face, one hand loosely holding his phone but not really using it. he hasnât said much in the last five minutes.
your words falter.
jinu blinks, slow and lazy, like you pulled him out of a nap. âhm?â
your lips for an even line as you look at him. âyouâre not listening.â
he shifts slightly, finally turning his head to look at you. his expression is unreadable, calm. but thereâs something in his eyes.
âyou said the barista gave you oat milk instead of almond,â he says, voice low and quiet. âthen you saw a one-eyed cat. then you cried on the bus because of a sad song about strawberries. and you think your headphones are cursed.â
you stare at him.
ââŠsorry i just assumed.â
he gives a small shrug, lips tugging into the tiniest smirk. âi always listen. i just donât interrupt.â
you feel your heart twist in that stupid, fluttery way it always does around him. you expected him to be bored, maybe half-tuned out like most people get when you talk too much, but he remembered every detail.
he looks at you again, this time really meeting your eyes. âyou talk like your brainâs on fast-forward,â he says, softer now. âbut i like it. you sound excited when you talk about stuff. it makes me want to listen.â
your face heats up immediately.
âyouâre so weird,â you mumble, trying to hide how much that meant to you.
he nudges you gently with his shoulder. âyouâre the one crying over strawberries.â
you smack his arm. he just grins the lazy, lopsided kind that makes your chest ache in the best way. and even though he doesnât say much, you know heâs listening.
warnings: emotional vulnerability, quiet tension, references to family issues, cursing, guarded affection.
your head was swirling with thoughts of him. why was he here? dose he want to be friends? was he going to hurt you? ( obviously not but you never know) youâre closing up the diner when he walks in. you barely register the bell above the door dinging.
you glance up from the register.
âweâre closed,â you say, your voice flat and even.
âi know,â rafe says.
why was he here? he just lingered in the doorway, eyes flicking around like heâs not sure he should be here. like heâs waiting for you to kick him out.
you sigh, tug your jacket on, and nod toward the back door.
âcome on.â
he blinks. âwhere?â
âdock.â
âž»
the skyâs already bleeding into dark blue by the time you both sit on the edge of the pier behind the diner, feet dangling over the water. the sound of the tide is soft tonight barely brushing the wooden posts below.
rafe lights a cigarette, exhales slow. doesnât offer you one.
youâre both quiet for a while. but itâs not awkward.
âyou always come out here?â he asks eventually.
âwhen i need quiet.â
âyou? needing quiet? couldnât tell.â
you elbow him lightly. he doesnât move away.
âi used to come here when things got bad,â you admit. âmy mom worked doubles. iâd sit out here and pretend the water could, like⊠wash me away.â
you look at him. âyou think thatâs dumb?â
he shakes his head.
ânah.â
another pause. then: âmakes sense.â
he flicks ash into the water, watches it vanish.
âused to do the same.â
you glance at him, surprised heâs even saying this much.
he catches the look. exhaling while tilting his head up. âdonât make it weird.â
ânot making it weird,â you say softly. âjust⊠didnât think you talked about that stuff.â
âi donât.â
that sits heavy between you for a second. not in a bad way.
you shift, pull your knees up to your chest.
âwhat kinda bad?â you say softly.
rafe doesnât answer right away. you think heâs going to deflect.
instead, he says,
âdad used to yell so loud the windows shook. thatâs when iâd leave. find somewhere quiet. just⊠disappear for a while.â
he snorts. âdidnât really work. always came back worse.â
you donât know what to say.
so you donât.
you just lean your head gently on his shoulder.
he stiffens just for a second. then he relaxes.
neither of you say anything else for a while. just sit there, watching the water move.
finally, he says,
âfeels different when iâm with you.â
you glance up at him.
âwhat does?
âall of it.â
you donât smile. you just nod.
because you know what he means.
âž»
later, when he walks you back to your car, he doesnât kiss you. (obviously not giving that to you guys right nowđ )
he doesnât say something slick or cocky.
he just pulls your keys gently from your hand and opens the door for you.
you look at him like what the hell was that?
he shrugs. âyou looked tired.â
you climb in.
he leans against the door for a second, eyes on yours.
you hadnât thought about him that much. just enough to catch yourself staring at the back alley every time you took the trash out.just enough to remember the blood on your hands, and how he flinched each time the alcohol touched his skin.
he was probably already back to getting high and crashing boats or whatever rich boyâs with no real jobs do.
so when he walked in a week later with faint bruises and a smug expression your heart still jumped just a little.
âseriously?â you muttered, half to yourself.
he slid into a booth like he owned the place. didnât look at the menu. didnât look at you. just leaned his head back like he was bored already.
you grabbed a notepad anyway.
âwhat do you want?â
he glancing up. âfigured iâd return the favor. let you stare at me in the daylight this time.â
you raised a brow. âyou want something or just here to annoy me?â
he grinned; that sideways, cocky grin that always meant trouble. âdepends. you still offering free medical care?â
âi charge double for sarcasmâ you said flatly, but there was no real bite to it.
he tilted his head a little, eyeing you. âcoffee. black.â
you walked off without another word. when you brought it back, he didnât say thank you. just stared at the mug for a second before taking a slow sip, like it was some kind of test.
he winced. âdamn. tastes like shit.â
âyouâre welcome,â you said sweetly.
he chuckled under his breath and rested an arm on the back of the booth. âso?â you asked. âyou good now? or are you still getting beat up?â
âhealed up just fine,â he said. âthanks to your little first-aid moment.â
you just looked at him. âright.â
âyou didnât have to help,â he said suddenly. voice lower.
you blinked. the sarcasm faded for a second.
âi know,â you said.
he held your gaze. there was something unreadable in his expression, like he didnât know whether to be annoyed or impressed.
then, just as quickly, he reached into his hoodie pocket, pulled out a crumpled napkin, and slid it toward you on the counter.
âjust in case,â he muttered. ânot that i expect you to use it.â
you stared at it.
his number. messy handwriting. kind of smudged.
âthis your way of flirting?â
âdonât flatter yourself,â he said. âyouâre just less boring than most people.â
you smiled, sharp and amused. âlikewise, cameron.â
he stood up, tugged the hood over his head again.
and as he pushed open the diner door, he glanced back just once.
âkeep the number,â he said. âyouâre gonna want it.â
itâs late when you step out the back door of the diner.
the kind of late where the air is heavy and quiet, sticky with salt and silence. your shiftâs just ended. ten hours, two burns, one broken plate, and a regular who left you a five-dollar tip and a wink.
youâre tired. your feet ache. you just want to go home.
but then you see him.
slumped against the alley wall near the dumpster, head tilted back, chest rising unevenly. thereâs blood on his shirt just enough to make your heart stutter, and bruises blooming under his jaw.
rafe. cameron.
he doesnât notice you at first. or maybe he does and he just doesnât care.
you stand frozen, one hand still on the doorframe. this obviously isnât normal. this isnât something that happens to you. you donât get mixed up in âcameron dramaâ.
but something in your gut pulls you forward anyway.
ââŠrafe?â you ask quietly, like if you say it too loud, heâll disappear.
his eyes glide toward you, glassy and dazed.
he blinks at you slowly. âyou work here?â
âyeah.â you pause. âwhat happened to you?â
he laughs. rough, humorless. ânothing new.â
you glance around, the alleyâs empty, the streetâs quiet, and thereâs no sign of a car or a friend or anyone looking for him. heâs just here, alone and bleeding and pretending not to care.
âyouâre hurt,â you say, crouching beside him. âyou need to go to a hospital.â
âno hospitals,â he mumbles, flinching as he shifts.
you hesitate. logic says leave. logic says walk away and pretend you never saw him. but youâve never been great at listening to logic when someone looks that lost.
âcome on,â you sigh. âyou canât stay here.â
âyou offering to take me home?â he teases, but itâs weak barely a flicker of his usual arrogance.
âiâm offering to keep you from bleeding out behind my job. donât get ahead of yourself.â
he lets you help him up. slowly. stubbornly. leaning on you just enough to make your heart beat a little too fast.
his arm is heavy around your shoulders, but his voice is quiet when he says,
warnings: heated argument, emotional avoidance, mutual heartbreak, yelling, vulnerability, and a kiss that feels like it might ruin everything
you almost get away with it.
another night of pretending you donât see him. of slipping into the shadows and sipping something warm from a solo cup, face blank, heart caving in.
but jj finds you.
of course he does.
âseriously?â he bites out, storming up from the firepit. âyouâre just gonna keep acting like i donât exist?â
your stomach drops. âjjââ
âno. donât âjjâ me right now.â
he stops in front of you, jaw clenched. âyouâve been ghosting me for days. and then you show up here, dressed like that, pretending you donât see me?â
you cross your arms, defensive out of habit. âi didnât come here for you.â
he laughs, sharp and bitter. âwell, congrats. mission accomplished.â
the silence after that is ugly. hot and heavy and filled with all the words youâve swallowed over the past week.
he steps closer.
âyou know whatâs funny?â his voice is quieter now, but meaner. sadder.
âi actually thought you liked me.â
you flinch.
âguess i was just another summer mistake, huh?â
he shakes his head. âshouldâve known better.â
âstop,â you say, voice cracking.
âwhy? does the truth make you uncomfortable?â he snaps. âbecause thatâs all iâve been trying to give you.â
you snap.
âyou donât get to act like this is all on me!â
jj blinks.
âyou come in like a hurricane,â you spit, heart racing. âand yeah, it was fun. until it wasnât. until it started to mean something, and i didnât know what to do with that!â
his voice drops. âso you ran.â
âyeah, jj,â you say, breath hitching. âi ran. because iâve never had something that felt real before. and i didnât know how to keep it without breaking it.â
he stares at you, something unspoken falling into place.
you look away.
âyou wanna hate me? fine,â you whisper. â but dont act like it was going to get easierâ
he grabs your wrist, not rough, but enough to stop you from slipping away. again.
his voice is low.
âeasy? maybe. but i wouldnt be happy.â
you finally meet his eyes.
âi was happy with you,â he says. âeven when you were pushing me away. even when you couldnât say how you felt. i still wanted you.â
you donât mean to cry. you really donât.
but it all comes out; the fear, the want, the truth, and you still tried to disappear.
and you donât mean to kiss him either.
but your hands are in his hair, and his mouth is on yours, and itâs everything you were trying not to feel, wild and aching and home all at once.
when you pull away, everythingâs shaking.
jj looks at you like heâs trying not to fall apart.
hey love! iâm not sure if youâre actually taking requests right now, but i have a very specific oneâŠ
i was thinking about something with jj or rafe, paired with an avoidant!reader. maybe something where reader and one of the boys are kind of seeing each other â nothing official or too serious â but then reader starts catching real feelings and decides to pull away for no reason, just full-on dramatic avoidance, lol. and then that causes fights, angst, and a lot of yearning from their side, etc! đ«Łđ«Ł
thanks hun!!! my requests are always open! its 2 parts the moment i got this i was workinnnn , hope you like it!!
you and jj werenât anything. not officially. not really.
just flirting that went too far. lingering looks. stolen moments behind beach houses and in the back of his truck. inside jokes that no one else understood. the kind of connection that felt like a spark you could smother if you just ignored it long enough.
you told yourself it was casual. fun. a distraction, nothing more.
and jj? he played along staying loud, flirty, always quick with a joke.
but then he started doing more.
bringing your favorite snacks. sending dumb memes in the middle of the night. watching you like he was trying to memorize every emotion on your face.
and youâŠ
you started caring.
that was the problem.
because once you cared, it was only a matter of time before it all fell apart.
so, like clockwork, you pulled back.
first, it was little things. taking longer to text back. skipping hangouts. giving him short answers and vague excuses.
but jj wasnât stupid.
he texted you three times in a row the night before:
whereâd you go?
did i do something?
just tell me if youâre done, okay?
you didnât answer.
you couldnât. because the truth felt pathetic.
you were scared. not of him, of you. of how deeply you felt. how badly you wanted this to be real. how you knew if you let it happen, if you let him all the way in, it would destroy you when it eventually ended.
because things like this didnât last.
so now youâre standing at the edge of the party, alone in a crowd, pretending the flames arenât burning holes in your resolve, pretending your heart isnât clawing its way out of your chest every time you catch a glimpse of him.
heâs across the firepit, laughing with john b and pope, beer bottle dangling from his fingers, eyes flicking over the crowd like heâs not really listening.
like heâs looking for someone.
and when his gaze finally lands on you, like a damn spotlight, your stomach flips and your chest tightens and you do the most cowardly thing youâve done all week.
you look away.
and pretend you donât care.
even though every nerve in your body is screaming his name.