arguing with your boyfriend over something so pettyâactually funny that it's still ongoing.
nanami kento made a vow to never let you go to bed with a heavy heart.
your boyfriend, who'd take the blame and apologize for every argument no matter who was at fault.
the same man who swore he'd love you even if you were a louse (put you on his head just so you'd survive typeshi).
it all started on a wednesday afternoon. sunlight streamed through the windows as you both curled into the couch. the tv played a movieâsomething about high schoolers singingâbut your mind drifted off elsewhere.
"are we meant to be?" you queried the man slumped against you.
"not really." he said, entirely unfazed.
"excuse me?"
***
it was day two of ignoring nanami.
he stepped into the bedroom, spotting you curled under the covers with your back to him. the room was dark except for the faint glow from the hallway.
"darling?" he padded over and gently sat on the edge of the bed.
he reached out to brush a strand of hair away from your face.
"i apologize but i still find the notion of fate disagreeable."
you don't respond.
"it could've picked anyone for me. any random person across town or some celebrity i don't like." you turn, glaring daggers at your boyfriend.
"fate didn't choose you." nanami said softly, like it was the most obvious truth in the world. "i did."
he turned his head slightly and tucked the duvet under your chin.
"i believe i chose you every single day since we met." his voice dropped almost to a whisper. "i chose to be the first one you see when you open your eyes. and be the last before you sleep."
his thumb brushes your cheekbone.
"even when my hair turns white. even if my skin starts to wrinkle. even if i won't be able to open my eyes. even if you can't hear me anymore."
aang is only mildly surprised when you walk into his study on a mission. he smiles, at first, because that's his automatic response to seeing your beautiful face. but he's rendered shocked when you reach for the strings of his pants, quick and determined.
"w-waitâ" he tries, already flustered and half-hard from your fervant touch. "what's going on? are you okâ?" he bites his tongue, a whimper at the back of his throat as you pull his cock free. "o-oh, right now?"
you shake your head, attention focused mainly on his cock which thickens further under your wanting gaze. you gather your skirts with shaky fingers, lifting them high above your hips to reveal slick-wet thighs and the peek of a swollen clit between puffy pussylips. aang's mouth instantly waters, his cock jerking slightly as white beads from the blushing tip.
"i just wannaâ" you start, breaths trembling, as you come to stand over his lap with spread thighs. "i know you're still busy and can't be distracted but i just needâ"
oh.
you need him.
"shh," he hushes you softly, big hands coming up to grip your hips. "i get it, don't worry. you don't need to explain, i got you."
"but your, mmn, work," you gasp out, following aang's pull onto his cock easily. he doesn't push in just yet, simply allowing his girth to glide between your pussylips and rub against your clit. "don't, don't wanna distract you. just wanna sit on it and feel you."
aang nods hurriedly, desperately, just as needy as you are as he removes one hand from your hips. he uses it to steady himself, hissing at the touch to sensitive skin and the anticipation of delve into where you're warmest.
"wanna feel you too," he murmurs back, arching his head in search for a kiss you're eager to give him. "spirits, i need to, really need toâ"
he angles the head of his cock against your dripping hole then pushes you down as he thrusts up. it catches on your rim, both of you moaning into each other's mouths, before aang tries again and it's just pure heat.
the moan you release is guttural, your back arching at the sudden pressure and fullness of him pushing in. you grasp at his shoulders, nails digging into clothed skin and aang wishes he could feel the stinging pain, the way it hurts when you drag them down his back.
you're so tight it hurts but in the most perfect of ways. and it's like your cunt remembers him, warm walls molding to him beautifully and clinging to every vein. he's made speechless every time and always wonders if this is a part of what being soulmates is.
"fuck," you pant out after a moment, curling into him and nestling your head into his neck. "fuck, okay. okay, you can keep working."
"bold of you to assume i can do anything like this," aang breathes out, nosing the curve of your ear and the plush of your cheek. "this is probably the hardest challenge of my life."
you hum, amused. "you're the avatar," you say, and he can feel the imprint of your smile against his skin. "i believe in you."
aang huffs a laugh, his body too sensitive and drawn to you all wet and beautiful and pilant on his lapâkeeping him nice and warm.
it's nice that you believe in him when he can't even believe in himself.
contains: sawamura daichi x female reader + 40 yo host dad daichi + 21 yo au pair reader + fluff-ish + daichi is married and has two daughters + implied cheating? + first interactions + continuation of this drabble
note: this is supposed to be the first part to a short series, but i often lose the ability to write so who knows if i actually end up writing more. enjoy!
While most people just sat down at their desks, turned their signs to open and started their first classes of the day, Daichi was glad to finally enter his home and take his shoes off his aching feet.
As much as he missed his wife and daughters during his chaotic workweek, he would be lying if he said he didnât like having the house to himself after a debilitating 24-hour shift.Â
Daichi could unwind and eat his breakfast without his puppy-eyed babies staring at him, pleading with him to share his meal even after they had already had their uninterrupted breakfast beforehand. It didnât matter in what mental state he found himself in, he could never say no to his princesses.
After stowing away his coat and shoes, he walked past the living room to the kitchen âhand rubbing the exhaustion out of one of his eyesâ only to do a double take when he noticed a nearly unmoving figure sitting at the dining table.Â
Daichi stepped backwards to the doorway of the living room with a curious frown.Â
âOh.â He said surprised. âHey, kid.â
It had already been nearly a week since you, the newest and temporary addition to his family, had moved into the guest room, but Daichi still had to get used to your presence.Â
When you werenât busy taking his daughters to and from school or their extracurricular activities, you were usually out of the house, doing god knows what. With Daichiâs unusual work and sleeping schedule, he had barely caught a glimpse of you since you had been living with his family.Â
âMr. Sawamura, um, hiââ You looked up from your laptop sitting in front of you, only noticing his presence then. Swiftly, you closed your device like you were looking at something you werenât supposed to. âJust give me a moment and Iâll get out of your hair.â
A notebook, a few pens and other knickknacks were scattered across your side of the table. You quickly gathered the smaller objects and messily stuffed them into your pencil case before stacking everything on top of each other.
Daichi smiled amused and shook his head. âYou donât have to leave. Technically this is your house now, too.â
A sentiment Mr. and Mrs. Sawamura didnât seem to share. His wife, Yumi never explicitly told you you couldnât be in the same room as her, but in the first few days you often caught her, what you could only interpret as âwhat are you still doing here?â glances when you werenât attending to her children. You always excused yourself to your room, kept busy with the girls or found something outside of the house to do.
Daichiâs tone seemed sincere, but you still werenât entirely convinced he actually meant it.
âI just donât want to be in your way.â
âYouâre fine.â He assured you. âIâm going up soon anyway.â
You gave him an unsure nod and Daichi went on about his day, moving on to the kitchen.Â
It was hard to ignore his presence. Even with him in the next room, you felt like your every move was being monitored. You straightened your back and disassembled the tower on top of your laptop. This time you made sure not to take up so much room, taking out just one pen to take notes.
You resumed scrolling through the translated list of various activities around the city, bookmarking the most intriguing ones.
From the next room the soft clanks of pots and pans reached you, followed by the beeping of the microwave as Daichi prepared last eveningâs left overs. After the end signal, it only took him another moment for him to appear in your peripheral vision as he approached the dining table.
âDo you mind?â He asked, reaching for the chair diagonally across from you.
You forced a smile. âYeahâ I mean no. Go ahead.â
Daichi pulled his phone from his back pocket and sat down. He got comfortable in his seat and whispered his gratitude before starting on his breakfast.Â
There was a moment of an uncomfortable silence âprobably just uncomfortable to youâ filled with closed-mouthed chewing, the inaudible swiping on his screen, the clicking of your mouse and the seconds ticking away on the clock sitting against the wall.Â
It was even more impossible to ignore him when he was sitting at the same table as you. Like a moth to a flame, his presence attracted your gaze to him and for the first time since you arrived you got a good look at him.Â
Daichi was as handsome as Yumi was beautiful. As far as you knew, the couple was both in their late 30s or early 40s, but noticing his salt-and-pepper hair and the lines in his face, you wondered if there was somewhat of an age gap after all.Â
You wanted to tear your eyes away before it became clear you were staring, but you couldnât help but let them wander to his exposed arms. How didnât you notice how buff he was before? Comparing him to the pictures hanging around the house from his volleyball days in high school and college, he had grown softer over the years, but his years as a firefighter definitely showed in shirt-hugged biceps.Â
Mrs. Sawamura had great taste in men.
âSince when do we have tea?âÂ
Your gaze flickered up to his and luckily he hadnât caught you ogling his arms. His attention was fixed on the transparent cup next to your laptop. Embarrassment still warmed your cheeks, your heart picking up at how close you were to making your host think you were a pervert.
It took a moment for you to gather your words. âOh, itâs from back home. Raspberry leaf tea.â
âAh, I was about to say.â Daichi smiled short of a laugh. âWeâre more of a coffee household.âÂ
âIâm also more of a coffee person. This just helps relieve. . .â You stopped yourself from giving away way too much information, mentally face palming yourself for your nerves getting the best of you. â. . . certain symptoms.â
Horrible safe.Â
âIs that why youâre staying in today?â Daichi asked.
âHm?â You expected him to take a moment to think about how to change subjects, but to your surprise he never halted in his movements or response, like it was the most normal thing to discuss with a practical stranger.
âYouâre usually already out and about by now.â He chuckled, almost embarrassed, assuming he phrased his question oddly. âIâm just being nosy, you donât have to answer my question.âÂ
âOh, no, youâre fine. Iâm justââ not used to others taking an interest in what I do. âIâm not feeling great so I decided to stay in.âÂ
âIf youâre not up to getting the girls later, Iâll go so you can rest up.â Daichi offered without hesitation, like exchanging his well-needed rest with yours was nothing, like they werenât paying you to take this responsibility off their shoulders.Â
You shook your head with a grateful smile. âI should be fine, but thank you sir.âÂ
âAlright.â He gathered his empty plate and utensils before he got up from the dining table and headed to the kitchen. âIf you change your mind, you know where to find me.âÂ
As Daichi left you to be on your own once more, a spark of hope ignited in your chest that this new adventure wouldnât feel so lonely after all.
contains: sawamura daichi x female reader + 40 yo host dad daichi + 21 yo au pair reader + fluff-ish + daichi is married and has two daughters + implied cheating? + first interactions + based on this drabble
note: this is supposed to be the first part to a short series, but i often lose the ability to write so who knows if i actually end up writing more. enjoy!
While most people just sat down at their desks, turned their signs to open and started their first classes of the day, Daichi was glad to finally enter his home and take his shoes off his aching feet.
As much as he missed his wife and daughters during his chaotic workweek, he would be lying if he said he didnât like having the house to himself after a debilitating 24-hour shift.Â
Daichi could unwind and eat his breakfast without his puppy-eyed babies staring at him, pleading with him to share his meal even after they had already had their uninterrupted breakfast beforehand. It didnât matter in what mental state he found himself in, he could never say no to his princesses.
After stowing away his coat and shoes, he walked past the living room to the kitchen âhand rubbing the exhaustion out of one of his eyesâ only to do a double take when he noticed a nearly unmoving figure sitting at the dining table.Â
Daichi stepped backwards to the doorway of the living room with a curious frown.Â
âOh.â He said surprised. âHey, kid.â
It had already been nearly a week since you, the newest and temporary addition to his family, had moved into the guest room, but Daichi still had to get used to your presence.Â
When you werenât busy taking his daughters to and from school or their extracurricular activities, you were usually out of the house, doing god knows what. With Daichiâs unusual work and sleeping schedule, he had barely caught a glimpse of you since you had been living with his family.Â
âMr. Sawamura, um, hiââ You looked up from your laptop sitting in front of you, only noticing his presence then. Swiftly, you closed your device like you were looking at something you werenât supposed to. âJust give me a moment and Iâll get out of your hair.â
A notebook, a few pens and other knickknacks were scattered across your side of the table. You quickly gathered the smaller objects and messily stuffed them into your pencil case before stacking everything on top of each other.
Daichi smiled amused and shook his head. âYou donât have to leave. Technically this is your house now, too.â
A sentiment Mr. and Mrs. Sawamura didnât seem to share. His wife, Yumi never explicitly told you you couldnât be in the same room as her, but in the first few days you often caught her, what you could only interpret as âwhat are you still doing here?â glances when you werenât attending to her children. You always excused yourself to your room, kept busy with the girls or found something outside of the house to do.
Daichiâs tone seemed sincere, but you still werenât entirely convinced he actually meant it.
âI just donât want to be in your way.â
âYouâre fine.â He assured you. âIâm going up soon anyway.â
You gave him an unsure nod and Daichi went on about his day, moving on to the kitchen.Â
It was hard to ignore his presence. Even with him in the next room, you felt like your every move was being monitored. You straightened your back and disassembled the tower on top of your laptop. This time you made sure not to take up so much room, taking out just one pen to take notes.
You resumed scrolling through the translated list of various activities around the city, bookmarking the most intriguing ones.
From the next room the soft clanks of pots and pans reached you, followed by the beeping of the microwave as Daichi prepared last eveningâs left overs. After the end signal, it only took him another moment for him to appear in your peripheral vision as he approached the dining table.
âDo you mind?â He asked, reaching for the chair diagonally across from you.
You forced a smile. âYeahâ I mean no. Go ahead.â
Daichi pulled his phone from his back pocket and sat down. He got comfortable in his seat and whispered his gratitude before starting on his breakfast.Â
There was a moment of an uncomfortable silence âprobably just uncomfortable to youâ filled with closed-mouthed chewing, the inaudible swiping on his screen, the clicking of your mouse and the seconds ticking away on the clock sitting against the wall.Â
It was even more impossible to ignore him when he was sitting at the same table as you. Like a moth to a flame, his presence attracted your gaze to him and for the first time since you arrived you got a good look at him.Â
Daichi was as handsome as Yumi was beautiful. As far as you knew, the couple was both in their late 30s or early 40s, but noticing his salt-and-pepper hair and the lines in his face, you wondered if there was somewhat of an age gap after all.Â
You wanted to tear your eyes away before it became clear you were staring, but you couldnât help but let them wander to his exposed arms. How didnât you notice how buff he was before? Comparing him to the pictures hanging around the house from his volleyball days in high school and college, he had grown softer over the years, but his years as a firefighter definitely showed in shirt-hugged biceps.Â
Mrs. Sawamura had great taste in men.
âSince when do we have tea?âÂ
Your gaze flickered up to his and luckily he hadnât caught you ogling his arms. His attention was fixed on the transparent cup next to your laptop. Embarrassment still warmed your cheeks, your heart picking up at how close you were to making your host think you were a pervert.
It took a moment for you to gather your words. âOh, itâs from back home. Raspberry leaf tea.â
âAh, I was about to say.â Daichi smiled short of a laugh. âWeâre more of a coffee household.âÂ
âIâm also more of a coffee person. This just helps relieve. . .â You stopped yourself from giving away way too much information, mentally face palming yourself for your nerves getting the best of you. â. . . certain symptoms.â
Horrible safe.Â
âIs that why youâre staying in today?â Daichi asked.
âHm?â You expected him to take a moment to think about how to change subjects, but to your surprise he never halted in his movements or response, like it was the most normal thing to discuss with a practical stranger.
âYouâre usually already out and about by now.â He chuckled, almost embarrassed, assuming he phrased his question oddly. âIâm just being nosy, you donât have to answer my question.âÂ
âOh, no, youâre fine. Iâm justââ not used to others taking an interest in what I do. âIâm not feeling great so I decided to stay in.âÂ
âIf youâre not up to getting the girls later, Iâll go so you can rest up.â Daichi offered without hesitation, like exchanging his well-needed rest with yours was nothing, like they werenât paying you to take this responsibility off their shoulders.Â
You shook your head with a grateful smile. âI should be fine, but thank you sir.âÂ
âAlright.â He gathered his empty plate and utensils before he got up from the dining table and headed to the kitchen. âIf you change your mind, you know where to find me.âÂ
As Daichi left you to be on your own once more, a spark of hope ignited in your chest that this new adventure wouldnât feel so lonely after all.
you find him where you always doâexactly where the weight of the world settles after everyone else has gone to sleep.Â
the council chambers are dim now, lit only by low-burning braziers that cast a steady, amber glow across polished floors and carved walls. everything feels quieter at night, but not softer. the silence here is heavy, filled with decisions not yet made, with futures balanced on ink and parchment.Â
zuko is kneeling at the center of it all, back straight despite the hour, shoulders broad beneath his armor, head bowed over a cluster of scrolls. even in stillness, he looks like he is holding something togetherâlike if he lets go for even a moment, the world might tilt.
you step inside without announcing yourself, because youâve learned the rhythm of him. the guards donât stop you anymore. the doors barely make a sound when you slip through, and your footsteps are light, softened further by the fabric of your robes brushing against the stone like a hush, like wind threading through something sacred.Â
you donât interrupt. you never do. you just move toward him slowly, taking him in the way you always doâquietly, like something youâre still a little in awe of.
zuko has changed throughout the years. that is undeniable. he is taller now, broader, his body shaped by years of training and responsibility, his posture no longer defensive but grounded. his shoulders fill the space they occupy with an ease that used to be absent, like he no longer feels the need to make himself smaller or sharper just to survive. but the softness⊠it never leaves him.Â
it lingers in the way his brows knit together when he reads, in the slight downturn of his mouth when something troubles him, in the way his eyesâstill so expressive, still so painfully honestâmove across the page like he is trying to understand more than just words.Â
he used to frown like the world was something he had to fight. now he frowns like the world is something he has to care for.
his hair has begun to slip loose with the passing hours. strands fall over his shoulders, catching the firelight, dark and soft against the rigid lines of his armor. you watch as he runs a hand through it, a tired, unconscious motion, pushing it back only for it to fall again. it feels intimate, somehowâthis quiet unraveling at the end of the day. like he sheds pieces of the fire lord here, in the solitude of these walls, until whatâs left is just him.
you close the distance between you carefully, stepping into his warmth before you touch him. itâs always thereâthe heat of him, not burning, never overwhelming, but constant. like standing close to a hearth in winter, like something alive and steady and safe.Â
your hands lift slowly, giving him time to notice if he hasnât already, but he doesnât turn. he always knows itâs you. he always does. your fingers curl over the back of his neck first, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath your touch, before sliding forward over the metal of his armor, settling against his chest. even through the layers, you can feel himâsolid, steady, real.
he doesnât startle. he never startles with you. but there is a pauseâa small, human hesitation where the fire lord slips and something softer surfaces. he blinks, turning his head just enough to look at you over his shoulder, and there it isâthat faint flush creeping across his cheeks, that little flicker of something unguarded that he hasnât quite learned to hide from you.Â
âwhat are you doing here?â he asks, but his voice lacks any real reprimand. itâs quieter than it would be in court, lower, touched with something almost shy.
you shrug lightly, your gaze driftingâinevitably, instinctivelyâto his scar. it catches the firelight differently, textured and real, a mark that once carried so much pain and now sits on him like something reclaimed. you donât stare at it the way others do. you trace it with your eyes the way someone might trace a constellationâsoftly, with understanding.Â
âi missed you,â you say, and the words are simple, but they settle between you like something heavier, something honest.
for a moment, neither of you move. the world outside these wallsâhis duties, the court, the expectationsâfalls away, leaving just the two of you suspended in this quiet, shared space. and then he looks at you properly, turning just a little more, his head tilting in that familiar way. thereâs something new in it nowânot arroganceâbut a quiet awareness. a growing understanding of himself, of you, of the space between you.
âyouâre staring,â he says, and his voice dips just slightly, teasing in a way that feels tentative, like heâs still learning how to do it.
the pause that follows is deliberate. he lets it stretch just enough for warmth to bloom in your chest, for your breath to hitch, for that small, traitorous flutter to betray you. and thenâjust barelyâhis mouth curves. itâs not a full smile, not the wide, unguarded one he gives in rare moments, but something softer, more controlled.Â
something that says, i know.
because he does. thatâs the difference now. zuko has grown into himself in a way that lets him see the way you look at him, the way you respond to him. he doesnât wield it like a weapon. he holds it carefully, almost uncertainly, but he lets it exist.
âdonât tease me,â you murmur, the words brushing against his skin as you lean in and press a kiss to his unscarred cheek.
he exhales a quiet, almost breathless chuckle, and it melts into you more than it escapes him. when you settle closer, your body aligning with his, you feel the strength of him more clearly. itâs not just the shape of himâthe breadth of his chest, the firmness of his armsâbut the way that strength exists. it is not harsh or rigid. it is controlled, deliberate, built over years of discipline and survival. every part of him feels earned, like something carved rather than given.
and yet, even like thisâarmored, composed, carrying the title of fire lordâhe shifts slightly under your touch, one hand coming up to push his hair back again, a faint, almost embarrassed habit that softens him instantly. his voice, when he speaks again, loses that edge of formality entirely. itâs just him now.
dorky, gentle, still a little unsure of where to put his hands sometimesâbut warm. always warm.
âi missed you too,â he says after a moment, and the words are quiet but steady, like something rooted deep in him.
he reaches for the scrolls then, not to return to them, but to gather them, stacking them neatly as if creating spaceâmaking room, not just on the table, but here, in this moment, for you. and your heart does something soft and helpless in your chest at the gesture, at the way he chooses, even if only for a little while.
you hide your smile against his cheek, pressing closer, breathing him inâsmoke and heat and something distinctly him; for a moment, the world feels smaller, quieter, kinder.
(even fire, in the right hands, can learn to hold instead of burn.)
you shift without asking, without hesitationâlike itâs the most natural thing in the world to close that last bit of distance between you. your hands slide over his shoulders as you move, gathering his attention fully now, and then youâre settling into his lap, the movement slow and deliberate, your weight sinking into him in a way that makes his breath catch just slightly.Â
the scrolls are forgotten entirely now, pushed aside by your presence alone, and for a moment he just looks at you, like heâs trying to decide whether to scold you or something else entirely.
âarenât you finally going to fuck me on the big, bad council table?â your voice dips, teasing, soft with mischief, the words brushing against him more than they land.
he exhales sharply, something between a sigh and a quiet huff, his head tilting back just a fraction as if gathering patience thatâs already slipping through his fingers. âbehave,â he mumbles, but it lacks any real bite. it never does with you. thereâs a warmth creeping up his neck now, coloring his cheeks, and it betrays him instantlyâthe way he reacts to you, the way you unravel him without even trying.
you laugh softly, the sound light and pleased, and shift just a little more comfortably in his lap, your legs resting on either side of him. your robes spill around you both, fabric pooling and fluttering with every small movement like petals caught in a warm breeze, soft against the edges of something far more solidâhim. you can feel the tension in him now, not rigid, not pulling away, but contained. like a flame held carefully in place.
his hands hover for a moment, unsure where to landâstill that same boy in some ways, still learning you, even nowâbut eventually they settle at your waist, firm and grounding. his grip is steady, anchoring you there, as if heâs reminding both of you that he hasnât lost control. that he wonât.
but his eyes give him away.
amber, always warm, always brightâbut now they feel deeper, heavier somehow. like molten gold rather than flickering firelight. thereâs something in them that lingers on you, that studies you with a quiet intensity, and it makes your chest tighten in that familiar, helpless way.
you lean in before he can say anything else, before he can gather himself too neatly again, and press your lips to his.
the kiss is slow at first. intentional. you donât rush itâyou never rush him. your lips move against his with a softness that invites rather than demands, and for a second he stills, caught off guard by the gentleness of it. but then he responds.
he always does.
his hand at your waist tightens just slightly, fingers pressing into the fabric of your robes, grounding himself in you as he leans into the kiss. thereâs warmth in it, a steady heat that builds rather than burns, and it spreads through you easily, like something youâve come to recognize as his. familiar. safe.
and stillâthereâs that contrast.
because this is the same man who sits in council, who makes decisions that shape nations, who carries a title that once crushed himâand yet here, with you, he softens. his lips move against yours with a kind of carefulness, like heâs still learning how to hold something precious without breaking it. like heâs still a little in awe that heâs allowed to have this at all.
you feel it in the way he exhales quietly against you, in the way his shoulders loosen beneath your hands, in the way he lets himself lean forward just a fraction more than before.
the kiss deepens like a slow ember catching on dry tinder, your tongues meeting in a warm, careful slide that tastes of smoke and salt and the quiet hours you have both been waiting through.
his mouth is hesitant at first, the way zuko always is when the world narrows to just the two of you, but then he gives in with that familiar intensity he can never quite hide, the same fire that once burned too hot and now knows how to hold steady.
you feel the soft wet sound of your mouths parting and coming back together, a hushed rhythm that fills the quiet council chamber like a secret only the braziers are allowed to witness. your robes shift against his armor with a whisper of silk on metal, and tiny moans slip from you both, unplanned, unguarded, the kind of sound that makes the air feel thicker.
you shift your hips with deliberate slowness, dragging yourself back and forth across his lap until the heat between your bodies becomes something alive and insistent. beneath the layers of fabric you feel him, hard and warm and unmistakably wanting, the rigid line of his cock pressing up through his robes like a secret he cannot keep from you anymore.
zuko moans, low and startled, the sound vibrating against your lips as he pulls back just enough to breathe. his amber eyes are half-lidded now, lashes casting faint shadows on his cheeks, and that faint flush you love so much has crept all the way down the column of his throat.
âwhatâhahâwhatâre you doing?â he asks, voice rough and cracked at the edges, the fire lordâs composure fraying like an old banner in the wind.
even as the words leave him his hands betray him, sliding to your hips and guiding you with gentle pressure, urging you to keep moving, to keep sliding against that hard bulge that twitches every time your clit catches just right.
you moan softly, the pleasure sharp and sweet like a spark against dry leaves, and you shake your head with a small smile that feels almost wicked in the amber glow.Â
ânothing,â you whisper, the lie soft and breathless, and he knows it is a lie but he does not call you on it.
instead his fingers tighten on your waist, not to stop you but to anchor himself, the way he once anchored himself to honor and duty when the world demanded too much.
you both lean in again and the kiss returns, deeper this time, tongues stroking with a new urgency while your hips keep that slow, rolling grind that makes every nerve in your body sing.
his breath hitches against your mouth each time you drag forward, the hard heat of him rubbing perfectly against your clit through too many layers of cloth. you feel the way his thighs tense beneath you, strong from years of firebending forms and battlefield stances, now trembling just slightly under the weight of your pleasure.
zukoâs heart beats steady and fierce inside his chest; you can feel it where your palms rest against his armored breastplate.
he is the same man who once chased the avatar across the world with rage and shame and a need to prove himself worthy, yet here he lets you unravel him without protest, only that soft, embarrassed hitch in his breathing that makes your own chest ache with tenderness.
you grind a little harder and his head tips back, exposing the long line of his throat. a quiet groan escapes him, raw and honest, the kind he would never allow in court but offers you freely in the privacy of these shadowed halls.
his hands slide up your back, palms warm even through the silk, mapping the curve of your spine like he is memorizing a new firebending stance, careful and holy.
the friction between you builds like a controlled flame, steady and rising, never rushing. your clit throbs with every slow drag forward, pleasure blooming low in your belly and spreading outward until your fingers curl tighter into the metal at his shoulders.
he feels it too; you know he does because his hips lift just slightly to meet you, an instinctive roll that presses him harder against your core and draws a sharper moan from your throat.
his eyes flutter open for a moment, amber and molten, locking onto yours with that intense honesty he has carried since the day he chose his own path.
you see the fire lord in him then, the man who carries his nation on his shoulders, yet you also see the zuko who still blushes when you tease, who still hesitates before letting desire win.
that contrast makes your heart swell and your body burn hotter, a rush of love and lust so tangled you cannot tell them apart.
another slow grind, another shared moan, the soft wet sounds of fabric and mouths and breath filling the chamber like a private melody. his grip on your hips grows firmer, guiding you now with more confidence, the way he once learned to guide flame without letting it consume him.
âyou feel⊠so good,â he admits in a whisper against your lips, voice husky and almost shy, the admission costing him something precious and beautiful.
you smile into the kiss, nipping gently at his lower lip, and the small sound he makes in response is half protest and half surrender.
the scrolls lie forgotten on the table behind you, ink and parchment no match for the living heat of his body beneath yours.
outside these walls the world waits with its treaties and expectations, but inside this circle of your robes and his armor there is only the slow, deliberate drag of your hips, the deepening kiss, and the way his warmth seeps into every part of you like sunlight after a long winter.
you keep moving, steady and unhurried, letting the pleasure climb in soft waves that make your thighs tremble and your breath catch. zukoâs forehead rests against yours now, eyes closed, lashes brushing your skin, and he lets out another quiet moan that vibrates through both of you like the first tremor of an earthquake only you two can feel.
in this moment he is not the fire lord. he is simply yours, warm and wanting and wonderfully undone, and the knowledge settles deep in your chest like a promise carved in flame.
(even the fiercest fire, in the right hands, learns how to dance instead of destroy.)
i think zuko starts off so shy and dorky and sweet during sex⊠face all red, ears burning, mumbling quiet little âis this okay?â while heâs barely holding it together.
but after a while? he really grows into it.
he gets more confidentâfucking you deeper, faster, putting you in positions you never thought heâd even consider. suddenly heâs gripping your hips, flipping you over like itâs nothing, voice low and a little rough when he murmurs against your ear, âyou think you can take more for me?â
he even starts getting charming and teasing about itâthat rare, smug little smirk appearing when he sees how wrecked you are, softly taunting, âwhatâs wrong, princess? too much for you already?â while he keeps going harder.
he still blushes⊠but now itâs because he loves how desperate you sound for him.
summary: what was supposed to be a gentle evening exposes Clarkâs deepest fear: that someone else could give you the life he canât
warnings: 18+ smut, graphic depictions of sex, f oral receiving, p in v, porn with plot, needy! clark, clark is sad and just wants to make you feel good :(, insecurities, anxiety?
It wasnât often that Clark made it home before you.
Most nights, you beat him there by hours, the space already warm. Your shoes by the door, the soft light from the kitchen, the sound of you moving around in clothes far more comfortable than those youâd worn to work.
He knew the routine by heart. Youâd change the second you got in, slipping out of your work things and into something softâfluffy socks, an old robe if it was cold, or, his personal weakness, one of his shirts that you found in the back of your wardrobe.
If he was being honest with himself, heâd started leaving them behind on purpose, just for the chance of coming home and finding you wrapped up in something that still smelled faintly like him.
Worth it, he could always buy more shirts.
Worth it every single time.
It wasnât that he didnât want to get home sooner. God, he did. Most days he was already thinking about you before heâd even finished his first coffee at the Planet. Wondering if you were thinking the same thing. Wondering what you were doing, if youâd eaten, if youâd remembered to take your coat when it got cold.
But articles ran long, deadlines moved, and sometimes the sound of something breaking three streets away would reach him through the windows before he even realised he was listening for it.
He hated that the world always seemed to need him most when you were waiting so patiently for him. Hated it even more because you never made him feel bad about it.
But the moment he finally walked through the door always made it worth it.
The hum of your voice from the kitchen, something soft playing through your speakers.
You said you liked to cook for him.
Heâd offered a hundred times to pick something up on the way, to make up for his punctuality. To make it easier, faster, less work after your own long day, but you always waved him off like the suggestion was ridiculous.
You said it relaxed you. Said you liked knowing he was eating something you made.
Said it like it was the most normal thing in the world to take care of him like that.
He never quite knew what to do with all your kindness. The small things still caught him off guard, made the warmth creep up the back of his neck before he could stop it.
He wasnât sure heâd ever stop feeling that way.
He wasnât sure he wanted to.
Tonight, though, the flat was quiet when he opened the door.
Clark let himself in with the spare key youâd pressed into his hand months ago. The lock clicked softly behind him, and he closed the door gently.Â
It felt strange, walking into the empty space first. Everything looked the same.
Your books stacked unevenly on the shelf, the plants you swore you remembered to waterâeven the ones he secretly helped along when you forgot. Your mug from that morning in the sink.Â
All the usual things. All the proof that this was your place.
And still, without you in it, the space felt incomplete.Â
If this was how it felt when he got home first, he suddenly wished heâd made it home sooner a lot more often.
He shrugged off his suit jacket and folded it neatly over the back of the chair. Youâd texted him a few hours earlier, telling him you were running late, promising youâd make it up to him when you got home.
Heâd smiled at the message when he read it. You really didnât have to make anything up to him. You never did. Just coming home was enough.
If anything, this just meant he had time to do something for you for a change.
Clark made his way over to the fridge, pulling the door open and leaning down slightly as he looked through the shelves, taking stock the way heâd seen you do a hundred times before.Â
He was careful about it; he didnât want to use the wrong thing, didnât want to mess up whatever plan you mightâve had for the week.
He reached for the container of leftovers first, then paused, putting it back exactly where he found it.
Absolutely not.
Youâd probably pack that for lunch tomorrow, and he liked the idea of you walking in to the smell of something cooking a lot more than the sound of a microwave.Â
He shifted things around instead, scanning the drawers until he spotted what he was looking forâa few stray cloves of garlic tucked down at the back of the vegetable drawer, half a bunch of basil wrapped in a paper towel, a lone chilli pepper rolling slightly when he moved the onions.
That would work. That would work just fine.
You always said the simple ones were your favourite anyway.
He straightened up, already thinking it through. Thereâd be tomatoes in the cupboard. Pasta too, somewhere on the second shelf, the one you kept meaning to organise but never quite got around to.
Perfect. Simple.
Something warm for you to come home to.
And he knew he could make a darn good pasta.
It was one of the first things his ma had ever taught him, standing beside her in the kitchen back home, listening to her explain that good food didnât have to be complicated, just made with care. He could still hear her voice sometimes when he cooked, telling him to taste as he went, to trust himself, and to always make enough for everyone at the table.
He liked to think sheâd smile if she could see him now, standing in a kitchen that wasnât hers, cooking for someone who had somehow become just as much home. He was pretty sure sheâd tell him heâd done well for himself. Say she was proud he had someone at his table worth making dinner for.
He liked to think sheâd say he picked right.
That heâd found someone good.
Someone sheâd love too.
He set the garlic down on the counter and reached for the chopping board, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows without thinking. His eyes flicked to the clock on the wall to his left.
Plenty of time.
He let himself smile a little, picking up the knife. Might as well give you something good to come home to.
You always did the same for him.
Clark was stirring the sauce when he heard the front door open. The tomatoes had burst and cooked down just right, the garlic mellow, the basil already starting to sweeten the air. Another five minutes, maybe less, and it would be perfect.
âClark?â You call out, tired. Soft, but still tired. âYou in here?â
Right on time.
âIn the kitchen!â he called back, setting the spoon down and stepping away from the stove. He wiped his hands on the dish towel slung over his shoulder, already turning toward the doorway before you even appeared.Â
He could hear you coming closer, the shuffle of your steps, the soft thud of your bag hitting the chair in the other room.
Your head peeked around the doorframe, and the second he saw the look on your faceâapologetic, tired, a little sheepish, a small smile you wore when you thought youâd disappointed himâhis chest tightened.
âSorry Iâm late,â you said, stepping into the kitchen.
He shook his head immediately, already moving toward you without thinking about it; the distance between you needed fixing as fast as possible.
âHey, noâdonât do that,â he said with a soft smile. One hand coming up automatically to rest on your arms when you got close enough.Â
You donât have to apologise to him. Not for anything out of your control.Â
You gave him that look again, like you still werenât convinced.
âI said Iâd be back earlier,â you murmured.
He let out a breath through his nose, shaking his head as he looked down at you, his thumb brushing absent-mindedly against your sleeve.
âHey,â he said again, waiting until you actually looked up at him. âItâs okay. Really. Youâre here now. Thatâs all I wanted.â
You nodded, then glanced past him toward the stove, nose twitching slightly as the smell hit you, and your eyes widened just a little.
ââŠDid you cook?â
He felt the back of his neck warm instantly, that bashful heat creeping up before he could stop it. He rubbed the side of his jaw with his thumb.
âWell⊠yeah,â he admitted. âYou said you were gonna be late. Figured I could manage dinner for once.â
Itâs the least he could do.Â
You stepped past him toward the stove before he could say anything else, leaning over the pot with a small sigh, breathing in the scent like it was the best thing youâd smelled all day.
âThat smells amazing,â you groaned, glancing back at him over your shoulder with a grin.
He huffed out a quiet laugh.
âItâs pasta,â he shrugged humbly. âKinda hard to mess up.â
You turned, still smiling, and before he could stop himself, he was already moving closer, drawn in by your grateful expression. The domesticity of the moment.
He needed to cook more often.Â
He closed the distance in two easy steps, one hand finding your waist on instinct, the other brushing down your arm as he leaned in and pressed his lips to yours in a familiar kiss.
You let out a sigh against his mouth, warm and tired and relieved, and it went straight through him.Â
It was ridiculous, the way one small sound from you could undo him like that.
Gosh, he missed you today.Â
He smiled against your mouth, one arm tightening around your waist as he lifted you, setting you up on the counter beside the stove as heâd done it a hundred times before.
âCareful,â he murmured, still smiling against your lips, one hand lingering a bit longer than it needed to, just to make sure you were steady.
Not that you ever werenât. He just liked the excuse.
You let out a small giggle, bumping your knee lightly against his side.
âYouâre in a good mood.â
How couldnât he be?
He shrugged, glancing back at the pot before turning the heat down another notch.
âGot home early,â he said with a shrug. âFelt like my turn to do something for you.â
You gazed at him, smiling at his words.
âSo you made dinner for me?â
He rubbed the back of his neck, proud but slightly embarrassed at the acknowledgement of his hard work.
Heâd had strangers thank him before, whole crowds even, but nothing ever made him feel this awkwardly pleased the way you did when you looked at him like that.
âWell⊠yeah. Didnât seem fair you always do it.â
âYouâre trying to spoil me.âÂ
He snorted softly under his breath.
âPretty sure thatâs my job.â
His favourite job.
You laughed at that, and he ducked his head again, turning and stirring the sauce just to give himself something to focus on.
âSo,â he added, âWhat about you, huh? Whatâd you get up to today?â
You swung your feet lightly against the cabinet, completely relaxed.
Good.
âNothing exciting,â you said. âWork, mostly. Had lunch with one of the new guys though.â
Clarkâs hand paused for just a second.
âYeah?â he said, keeping his voice easy. âNew guy?â
You nodded.
âYeah, Daniel. He started a few weeks ago. We ended up grabbing lunch together after a meeting.â
Daniel.
The name settling somewhere in the back of his mind, whether he wanted it to or not.
ââŠDaniel?â he repeated, voice slightly higher. He glanced over his shoulder at you, trying very hard to sound like he was just making conversation.
You tilted your head, thinking.
âI think I mentioned him before? Maybe?â
Your brows pulled together as you tried to remember, then you shrugged.
âWeâre the only ones around the same age in the department,â you said with a small chuckle. âKind of felt natural we got paired up. Weâve been grabbing lunch together the last few days.â
The spoon dragged a little slower through the sauce.
Last few days.
Did you mention that before?Â
âOh yeah?â he said, keeping his tone light.
âYeah,â you went on, still talking easily. âYouâd like him, actually. Heâs kind of similar to you.â
He glanced back at you.
ââŠSimilar how?â
You smiled, completely genuine.
âHeâs just⊠nice. You know? Always the one who remembers peopleâs birthdays, makes sure everyoneâs got what they need. Stayed late the other night to help one of the interns finish something.â
Clark looked back at the pot, the corner of his mouth twitching faintly, though it didnât quite make it into a smile.
âSounds like a real hero,â he said quietly.
You laughed, missing the way his shoulders had gone just a little stiff.
âNo, heâs just⊠thoughtful,â you said. âHe actually hung around after work the other night too, when you got held up. I didnât even realise how late it was until we were the only ones left in the office.â
The other night.
The night heâd been halfway across the city instead of walking through the door with you.
He swallowed, eyes fixed on dinner, which now felt slightly inadequate as the guilt began to gnaw at him.
ââŠThat so,â he said, voice steady, even if his chest felt a little tighter.
You nodded, still oblivious.
âYeah, he was waiting on some notes from his boss, I was finishing up my draft, so we just⊠talked for a bit. Heâs easy to talk to.â
Easy to talk to.
Clark let out a quiet hum, forcing himself to place the spoon down before he bent the handle clean in half.
Of course he was.
Normal hours. Normal life.
No disappearing mid-sentence because someone somewhere needed saving.
âSounds like you two are getting along.âÂ
âYeah,â you said, smiling. âHeâs been having a bit of a rough time, though.â
He glanced back at you again.
âWhat happened?â
You frowned slightly.
âHis girlfriend broke up with him a couple weeks ago. Knocked his confidence a bit, I think.â
His expression softened automatically. He couldnât help it.Â
âPoor guy,â he murmured.
âI know,â you agreed. âI donât know all the details, but he seemed really upset about it. We ended up talking about it for ages the other day. He just needed someone to listen, I think.â
Clark nodded slowly. Of course you listened, and that was the thing.Â
You made people feel better just by being there.
Made him feel better just by being there.
He reached across to turn the stove on the lowest setting before facing you once more, slotting himself between your knees. His free hand reached out without him thinking, settling lightly against your thigh where you sat on the counter, thumb brushing once.
âThatâs good, honey,â he smiles down at you. âIâm glad youâre not stuck over there on your own.â
Without him.Â
The words came out quieter than he meant. His tone was small and honest, slipping out before he could stop it.
You didnât seem to notice anything in his voice, just shuffled a little.
âYeah. Heâs easy to be around,â you said. âAnd heâs opposite me, you know? Same mornings. We end up hanging out without really planning to.â
He nodded slowly.
Same routine. Same life.
Didnât have to disappear halfway through dinner. Didnât have to text apologies from five blocks away. Didnât have to leave you sitting alone at a table because someone somewhere needed him.
You kept talking.
âHe stayed late the other night too. When you got held up? We were the last ones in the office. He didnât want me walking back to the station on my own.â
It shouldnât have bothered him.Â
Honestly, he was glad someone stayed with you. It was a kind gesture by a coworker that stopped you from being alone that late.Â
He was grateful, but there was something else there too.Â
His mind immediately pictured you sitting in that office after hours, laughing at something some other guy said, walking out together side by sideâŠ
âClark?â you said, tilting your head a little.
Your voice gently shook him back into the room, blue eyes catching yours as they focused. He didnât answer right away. Just stood there for a moment, hands resting on your legs, like he was trying to settle his stomach that wouldnât quite sit still.
He knew it was stupid.
You hadnât done anything wrong. You were just talking about your day. But all he could think about was how easy it sounded. How much of your time happened in places he couldnât always be.
He swallowed, glancing down at the counter while his mind kept circling the same thought.
He couldnât always be there when you stayed late. Couldnât always walk you home, couldnât always make dinner, couldnât always give you the kind of normal time other people seemed to have without even trying.
His thoughts drifted for a moment.
Dinner suddenly felt almost juvenile compared to what he really wanted to do for you. Sweet, sureâbut not enough. Not when you looked this tired.
There had to be something more. Something only he could give you.
He ran through the list in his head without thinking; every little thing he knew made you smile, until one idea settled in and stayed.
Oh.
Oh.
Yeah. That.
That he knew how to do.Â
He knew how to make you come undone after a long day without you even realising that was what you needed.
Knew the exact places to touch that made the tension leave your shoulders, the way your breath caught when his hands moved across your bare skin, the way you melted into him like your body already trusted him to take care of the rest.
He knew the sounds you made when he took his time.
Knew how your fingers curled into the sheets when he got it right.
Knew how to make you forget about work, about long days, about anyone else whoâd had your attention before you walked through the door.
Itâs not much, but it would work for now.Â
âYou know,â he said quietly, voice low, a little rougher than before,
âI figure I owe you a better evening than just pasta.â
You blinked at him, caught off guard by the look on his face more than the words. He could hear your pulse quicken at his insinuation.Â
âClark, we donât have toââ
He was already moving before you finished the sentence.
He reached past you without breaking eye contact, turning the stove fully off, the soft click of the burner cutting through the quiet kitchen. He stepped in close again, coming to stand between your knees where you sat on the counter, his hands settling lightly on either side of you, not touching yet.Â
His blue eyes lifted to yours, soft and searching, asking without saying a word.
You looked tired.
He could see it now that he was close enough. The faint tension in your brow, the way your shoulders hadnât fully relaxed since you walked in.
That he could fix.Â
His hand came up slowly, giving you plenty of time to pull away if you wanted to, his fingers brushing along your cheek, thumb tracing just under your eye like he could smooth the tiredness away if he was careful enough.
You let out a breathy sound at the touch, the sound soft and surprised, and the corner of his mouth lifted, the tension in his chest loosening just from hearing it.
There you were.
He leaned in then, slow, giving you time to meet him halfway, his lips finding yours in a soft kiss.
You melted into him almost immediately, arms coming up around his shoulders, and that was all it took for his hand to slide to your waist, pulling you a little closer on the counter without thinking about it.
He deepened the kiss carefully, listening more than leading; he felt your breath change, your fingers tightening slightly at the back of his shirt. He let his mouth drift from your lips to your cheek, then lower, pressing slow kisses along the side of your jaw, down to your neck, unhurried, patient, like he had nowhere else to be for once.
Your breath hitched under his mouth, just barely.
Gotcha.
His eyes closed for a second, forehead brushing your temple as he let out a sigh, one hand sliding around your back, his thumb moving in slow circles like he was trying to work the tension out of you one touch at a time.
âCâmon, sweetheartâŠâ he murmured softly against your skin, almost pleading. âDinnerâs done⊠missed you all dayâŠâ
His lips brushed your neck again, slower this time, listening for every little change in your breathing.
âCanât I make you feel good for a while?â
Please.
He pulled back to look at you, hands still warm at your sides, waiting.Â
Your cheeks were flushed now, eyes a little softer at the edges, heartbeat spiking slightly.
He didnât move. Didnât touch you again. Just waited until you gave him the permission he was almost desperate for.
âYes,â you sighed with a nod, arms sliding around his shoulders again as you leaned into him. âPleaseâŠâ you murmured against his lips.
Finally.Â
His whole face softened and he let out a sigh that almost sounded like a laugh before his arms wrapped around you properly.
âOkay,â he whispered, more to himself than to you.
He lifted you easily from the counter, holding you close against his chest, arms under your legs, careful even now.
Strong arms stayed steady beneath your thighs as he carried you down the short hallway, your legs tightening around his waist as you went, drawing him closer.Â
The bedroom door was already half-open; he nudged it wider with his shoulder and didnât bother with the light switch. The city glow filtering through the curtains was enoughâsoft gold and silver across your skin.
The way he liked you best.Â
He lay you down in the middle of the bed like you were something delicate, straightening just long enough to pull his own shirt over his head in one smooth motion.Â
The fabric hit the floor. His eyes never left yours. You looked up at him with soft, half-lidded gaze, and that was all it took to undo him.
Gosh, how did he get so lucky?Â
He crawled over you slowly, caging you in with his forearms. One large hand brushed your hair back from your forehead tenderly.
âYou gonna let me take care of you?â he murmured, voice low. Asking once again for your consent.
You nodded eagerly, already pawing at his bare shoulders to have his lips meet your own again. He obliged immediately, kissing you slow and deep, revelling in the way you gave yourself to him without hesitation.
When he pulled back, his thumb traced along your bottom lip.
âSo pretty,â he whispered, the words impossibly softer than the touch.
You huffed out, slightly flustered by the praise. Your fingers tightened against his wrist as you looked up at him, eyes heavy.
âPlease.â You asked from under him, doe eyes almost pleading for him to touch you more.Â
Oh, sweetheart.
Who was he not oblige such a sweet request?
His fingers were careful as they moved to your shirt, unfastening each button one at a time, slow enough that you could feel the warmth of his hands long before the fabric gave way. Goosebumps followed every small movement, your skin reacting to the light brush of his knuckles as much as the cool air hit your exposed flesh.
You were always so receptive to him, always so open. Taking everything he offered you and more. It made his mind dizzy.Â
Not that he thought he deserved it.Â
He shoved the thought to the back of his mind as he continued undressing you, not allowing your pleasure to be sidetracked by his own insecurities.Â
Tonight, he wanted you to forget everything else.
He pushed the shirt from your shoulders with such softness. One hand slid behind your back, fingers finding your bra clasp without looking. His hands moved lower next, sliding the rest of your clothes away until nothing was left but warm skin under his palms.
He leaned in again, lips brushing over the newly bared areas, kissing along your collarbone, your shoulder, the centre of your chest, taking his time with each touch like he was memorising you all over again.
âBeautiful.â He breathed against your neck as your face heated.Â
It really was the only way to describe youâsoft and pliant, bare and so needy for him already.Â
He was going to give you everything tonight. Take his time until the only thing left in that sweet head of yours was him.Â
It felt like he owed you more than that anyway.
His hands settled on your thighs, spreading them gently.Â
âNeed to taste you first, honey,â though it sounds more like a plea. âJust lie back for me, can you do that?â
Let him make you feel good.Â
Let him make it up to you.Â
You nodded eagerly, cheeks already warm, no convincing needed.Â
He lowered himself between your legs, pressing a slow, open-mouthed kiss to the inside of your thigh.Â
âMissed taking care of you like this,â he said, mainly to himself, fingers already spreading you open before any words could escape you.Â
He dipped his head down, mouth closing over your clit, tongue lapping in the rhythm he knew drove you wild.Â
A small whine pulled from your chest and he hummed in approval, the sound vibrating against your skin. One broad hand stayed splayed across your lower stomach, holding you down so you couldnât chase his mouth even if you tried.Â
He needed you just like this, exactly where he could take care of you properly.
As he kept going, a gentle cry burst out of your mouth, your hands coming down to tangle in his hair, pulling him without thinking. He could only groan as he felt you tug him closer.Â
âEasy, sweetheart,â he soothed, pressing his lips against your thigh. âIâm not going anywhere.â
He truly wasnât.
He was in heaven between your thighs. Your warmth, the softness of your skin as he pulled more sounds from you. The way you tensed, squeezing his head as he sucked harder.Â
He was taking his time, savouring you, stroking his tongue across every fold, every nerve ending, until he was sure youâd be seeing stars.Â
He owed you that.Â
Your moans got longer, the feeling of your body unwinding around him, letting him know that he was still good at this. Letting him know that it was only him who would make you come undone like this.
He pressed two fingers inside of you, humming in appreciation as you cried out.Â
âAh, Clarkââ
He curled his fingers, feeling your walls begin to tighten, throbbing as your sounds grew more desperate, more beautiful.Â
He swore his name had never sounded so sweet.Â
âThatâs it, angel, almost there.â
Your back arched; he pressed you back down with that hand on your stomach, keeping you right where he wanted you.
Let go for him.Â
When you came, it was with a sound that made his entire body tingle. He stayed between your legs the whole time, licking you through every aftershock until you were whimpering beneath him.Â
Always the prettiest sight he could ask for.
When your shaking subsided, he kissed his way back up your body, careful not to overwhelm you just yet. He pressed his forehead to yours while you caught your breath.Â
He saw the blissed-out look in your eyes, the hazy smile, the sheepish look as you giggled at him, like he had just given you the world, and he couldnât help but smile too.Â
Your hands shifted to the top of his slacks, giving them a small playful tug as you met his blue eyes again.Â
âNot fair,â you pouted. âWanna see you too.âÂ
He let out a small chuckle, but he was elated that you wanted more. Wanted more of him.Â
Always so eager.Â
âYeah?â He asks as his nose nudges against your cheek, lips brushing your flushed skin. He smiles when he sees you nod, your face almost desperate.Â
He leans back to unbuckle his belt, trousers following quickly after as he pulls them down his hips. He can feel your eyes on him as he undresses, his muscles twisting in the dim light under your gaze.Â
He watches the way your eyes glaze over, your breath getting stuck in the back of your throat, the way your thighs rub together at the sight of him bare before you.Â
âYouâre so handsome, Clark.âÂ
The words stop him in his tracks.Â
Spilling from your mouth without thought. Like it was the simplest truth. It stuttered his movements as he could feel the heat bloom across his face.Â
The fact that you still say these things after all this time never fails to make the world tilt ever so slightly. It nearly knocks him off balance.Â
Focus.Â
He needs to make you feel good tonight, needs to make you feel good every night.Â
If making you come over and over was what it took to keep that soft look in your eyes, to keep you reaching for him instead of anyone else, heâd do it as many times as it took.
Gladly.
Every single night.
âBabyâŠâ he breathes, pushing his hair back off his forehead. âYou keep talking like that, Iâm not gonna last five seconds.â
You glance up at him, a teasing glint in your eye.Â
âThen I guess Iâd better keep talking, huh?â
Youâll be the death of him.Â
âSweetheartâŠâ he groans softly. âIâm hanging on by a thread here.â
You take mercy on him and bite your lip as he drops the last of his clothes aside and begins to crawl back over you, allowing his warm, solid body to wrap around you once more.Â
He breathes in deeply against the side of your neck, his breath tickling as he leaves soft, open-mouth kisses against your jaw.Â
The way he is positioned over you, caging you in, not allowing friction in the one place where you really want him.
âPleaseââ you wrap your legs around his hips, trying so hard to get him closer. âClarkâfuckâI need more.â
âLanguage, baby,â he coos, pressing his lips once again on your flushed skin. âI got you, alright? Need you to relax for me.â
You nod, giving him a gentle peck as your hands slide up his bare back. His muscles flex under your palms, shivering like itâs the first time.Â
He was already hardâaching, reallyâhis cock heavy and flushed against your thigh. Heâd barely been paying attention to himself tonight.
Noâtonight was about you.
Reaching down between you, he guides himself to your entrance slowly, watching your reaction. The blunt head of him nudges against your slick folds.Â
So wet, so ready for him.Â
He pauses there, eyes locked on yours.Â
âTell me if itâs too much,â he whispers against your lips. âIâll stop, alright? just say the word.â
Just say, and heâll stop.Â
âI need you, Clark,â you plead, âPlease, I need you so bad.â
Every ounce of self-control he had went into holding himself together at the sound of your voice, his sweet girl begging him to make her feel good.
He feels you fluttering around his tip, walls trying to suck him in. His chest rumbles as he slowly pushes forward, rolling his hips gently so he fits with little resistance.Â
âGodââ you whine as your head hits the pillow behind you, nails digging into his shoulders.Â
âI know, babyââ he soothes, almost fully inside you. âI knowââ
He groans into your collarbone as he bottoms out, allowing himself to look between your bodies. Your arousal is coating the bottom of his shaft. It makes him nearly burst right then.Â
âSo good for me, angel, so goodââ
His praise has you clenching as he thrusts into you once more, mewling gently under him.Â
It begins lazily, savouring every twitch of your body. Long, deep strokes that drag against every sensitive spot inside you, his hips rolling again and again as his breaths get heavier.Â
Every breath that caught, every time your hands tightened around his shoulders, pulled his focus right back to you, even when his mind kept trying to wander somewhere it shouldnât.Â
Gosh, heâd almost forgotten how you looked falling apart like this.Â
Soft under him, lips parted, trusting him completely.Â
How long had it been since he pleasured you like this? A week? Two?Â
Far too long.Â
His jaw tightened slightly as his hips faltered for half a second before he forced himself back.Â
âFeel good, honey?â he murmured against your temple, âTell me Iâm doing it right.â
He had to be.Â
He had to make this good for you.Â
He shifted his angle just slightly, the way he knew made your breath stutter, pressing his lips to your temple as he heard your sweet voice.Â
âSo goodââ you breathe out. âAlways feel so good.â
He really hopes so.Â
Superman could keep the whole city safe, sure. That was the easy part.Â
But this? This was the part that really mattered.Â
It was up to Clark to take care of you. Up to him to make sure you felt wanted, felt seen, felt good.Â
âDonât get enough of you,â he admits, voice cracking slightly. âNot nearly enoughâgoshââ
You moaned under him again, letting him know he was hitting your sweet spot when you arched up into him, chest brushing against his own.Â
Yes, just like that.Â
He needed to see this, to know that he could still do this for you.Â
âYouâre mine, arenât you?â he whimpers as he can feel you getting closer. âSay itâplease angelâgotta hear you say it.â
Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, both of pleasure and pure determination. The kind that made his vision blur just enough that he had to blink them away to focus.Â
He couldnât be done with you yet.Â
He kept moving, steady and deep, listening to every single sound you made. When your nails scraped lightly down his back, he slowed even more, letting you feel every thick inch.Â
It was then that you looked up at him, concerned eyes completely filled with love.Â
âClark⊠I love you.â You say slowly as you cup his face. âYou donât even have to ask.â
He lets out a choked sound as his movements still, breath catching in his throat.Â
His forehead drops against yours, eyes squeezing shut. One of his hands comes up to cover yours where it rests on his cheek, pressing into your palm.
âSay it again,â he asks softly. Needing to hear it once more.
There is no hesitation in your reply.Â
âI love you, Clark,â you say as you squeeze his hand gently. âIâm always yours.â
A soft moan escapes his throat as your words wash over him, the sweetness of your tone spurring him on.Â
He pulls back ever so slightly, searching your face for any sign of dishonesty. He finds none.Â
âI love you too,â he says, though his voice sounds sadder than he means. âJust⊠donât stop saying that, please?â
He doesnât give you time to question his statement before his lips are back on yours, hips rolling once again in steady movements, reassured somewhat by your gentle words.Â
The sweetness starts to fray at the edges as the pleasure builds. His thrusts stay deep but grow a fraction harder, a little more urgent, like the need to prove himself is winding tighter in his chest.
His dark curls begin to drift onto his forehead. His kisses are messier now, almost desperate, tongue sliding against yours as his hips snap forward with a little more force.Â
He could feel you getting close again, the way you tightened around him, the way your thighs started to tremble. He didnât speed up. He just kept that same devastating rhythm, grinding deep on every stroke, one hand sliding between your bodies to circle your clit with two fingers.
âCome on, baby,â he coaxed, voice soft and pleading. âLet go for me, I got youâpleaseâ.â
âClarkââ It came out broken, desperate, and he felt it like a punch to the chest.
He groaned, hips stuttering for the first time, but he caught himself immediately, forcing the pace back to that slow, worshipful roll.Â
âAgain,â he begs through gritted teeth.Â
Say his name again.Â
Tell him itâs only him.
âClark⊠oh god, Clarkââ
Your orgasm hit you like a waveâlong and rolling and endless. He felt every pulse, every flutter, and he kept moving through it, fucking you gently through every aftershock, drawing it out until you were gasping and shaking beneath him.Â
Only then did he let himself chase his own release, but even that was careful. He buried his face in your neck, lips pressed to your pulse point, and came with a quiet, shattered groan of your name, hips pressing deep and still as he filled you.
For a long moment, the only sound in the room was your shared breathing, slow and heavy. Clark stayed buried inside you, arms lifting slightly as he held himself up so he wouldnât crush you.Â
His chest rose and fell against yours, warm skin caught the faint city light filtering through the curtains. Dark curls messy, and when he finally lifted his head, his blue eyes were soft and a little glassy, still hazy with pleasure and something deeper.
You looked completely spent beneath him, hair a mess against the pillow, lips still parted from catching your breath.
He gently eased out of you, mindful of how sensitive you were. Then he shifted his weight, rolling to the side and lifting himself off you completely so you could breathe easier.Â
Immediately, he leaned back in, peppering the softest kisses all over your faceâyour forehead, your closed eyelids, the tip of your nose, each cheek, and finally your lips.
âYou okay?â he murmured, voice still rough. âDid Iââ he hesitated. âDid I do alright?â
You let out a tired laugh, reaching up to push his hair back.
âClark, you know you did.â
His smile didnât quite settle.
âYeah?â he asked quietly, like he needed to hear it again. âYou sure?â
You nodded, thumb brushing along his cheek.
âI promise.â
He held your gaze for a second longer, searching your face, checking for any cracks. When he didnât find any, he leaned down to kiss you once more, softer this time.
âIâm gonna grab a towel,â he murmured against your lips, already starting to shift off the bed.
You let him move for half a second before your hand caught his wrist. fingers wrapping around it gently but firmly.
âHey,â you said softly.
He paused immediately, turning back to you.Â
His kind eyes wide and vulnerable as they met yours, his lips slightly swollen from kissing you, and there was a faint pink still high on his cheeks.
âYes?â he asked, voice attentive. Always ready to give you whatever you needed.
You sat up a little, the sheet shifting, and reached for him again, fingers brushing along his jaw.Â
âClarkâŠâ you say as you hold his gaze. âSomethingâs on your mind, isnât it?â
Darn it. He should have hidden it better.Â
âHuh?â he says quickly, like heâs been caught off guard. âNahâno, nothingâs wrong, baby. Honest.â
He tries to smile, tries to make it sound easy, but he can already see the way your brow pulls together, the way you tilt your head just slightly.
âYou sure?â you press gently. âI mean⊠you seemed⊠I donât know. Different?â
Different.
He lets out a small huff, rubbing the back of his neck as he looks away.
âI donât know what youâre talking about,â he mutters, voice a little strained despite himself. âWas it⊠was it not good for you?âÂ
He couldnât stop himself from asking.
He could go again, if you needed him to. Could try harder, slower, whatever you wanted.Â
Do it better this time.
If you asked him to stay between your legs all night, making you forget, he would. Gladly.
âIt was,â you say softly, before glancing down. âI just⊠I donât know.â
He swallows, jaw tightening for a second.
He didnât want this to turn into that kind of night.
Didnât want you worrying about him or feeling like you had to fix something. He just wanted to give you a good evening. He wanted tonight to be special.
Or at least⊠as special as he could manage on short notice.
âI just missed you,â he says finally, forcing a small smile as he leans in and presses a gentle kiss to your cheek.
He bends to grab his clothes from the floor, shaking them out before pulling his briefs back on, then his shirt, movements a little quicker than usual, keeping that little bit busy to ignore any further questions.
âBesides, itâs getting late,â he adds with a shrug, dragging the shirt over his head, voice casual. âFigured I should probablyââ
âYouâre leaving?â
Your voice is quiet.
Oh, sweetheart, no.
It makes him freeze instantly, one arm still half through the sleeve. He turns around so fast he nearly trips over his own foot.
âNoâIââ he blurts, eyes wide. âIâm not. Iâm not leaving.â
He wouldnât do that to you immediately after something like this. He didnât think he could bear it.Â
You give him a small smile, already reaching over to the bedside drawer, pulling out one of his oversized t-shirts and slipping it over your head.
âItâs okay if you are,â you say gently, like you donât want him to feel bad about it. âIf you heard something orâŠâ
The only thing he can hear is the tone of your voice. That tiny bit of disappointment youâre trying to hide. It hits him right in the chest.
âNo, heyâno,â he says quickly, stepping closer, hands half-raised, not knowing whether to touch you or not. âThatâs not what I meant. I wasnât saying I had to go. I justââ
He stops and exhales hard, running a hand through his hair, cursing the words that donât come out right.Â
âI meant itâs late,â he says, softer now. âLike⊠I should probably serve dinner. Or something. I mean, we havenât eaten yet, soâŠâ
You blink at him.
âOh.â
He gives a sheepish shrug, suddenly feeling very big and very unsure, standing there before he sits down on the bed.
âI mean, itâs the least I can do.â
As the words leave him, your expression softens, understanding gracing your features. Everything suddenly clicked into place, understanding before he even said anything.Â
You stay silent as you look at him, vulnerable atop the mattress. He knows what that silence means, that you want him to say more. That youâre waiting for him to find the right words and talk to you, rather than pushing his own feelings down when theyâre inconvenient.Â
You always make him talk more than he planned to.Â
He looks down at the floor, then back at you, then away again.
âI justââ he starts, then stops, shaking his head.
âItâs alright, we canââ
âNo, itâs justâ,â he tries again, a little too quickly. âI just⊠I donât know.â
You donât say anything.
For someone who writes for a living, he sure does struggle with finding the right words when youâre around.Â
You sit there, watching him, patient as ever, hands folded in your lap, waiting for him to get the rest out.
He lets out a quiet breath through his nose.
Thereâs no getting out of this.Â
ââŠFeels like I havenât been around much,â he admits finally.
Your face softens even more.
âClarkââ
âI know, I know,â he says, holding up a hand, already rambling. âI know you donât mind. You always say you donât mind. You always tell me itâs fine, and I believe you, I do, I justââ
He rubs the back of his neck again, sighing.
âI just keep thinking one day youâre gonnaâŠâ he breathes in, not wanting to say the next words. âMaybe youâre gonna get tired of that,â he mutters.
You blink.
âWhat?â
He stills, not meeting your eyes.
âWaiting. Eating dinner by yourself. Me showing up late, or not at all. Falling asleep before I get back.â He lets out a humourless laugh. âFeels like thatâs not exactly⊠boyfriend of the year material.â
You stare at him, completely melted already, but he keeps going, words spilling out faster now that heâs started.
âI mean, you could have somebody whoâs actually around,â he continues. âAnybody, really. Somebody who doesnât disappear in the middle of the night because the police scanner goes off.â
He finally looks at you, and his expression must be worse than he thought. The way your lips turn slightly downward, face looking that little bit sadder.Â
He never should have started.Â
This is exactly what he didnât want.Â
âI just⊠I donât know. Feels like Iâm not doing enough for you lately,â he admits. âAnd I hate that. I hate feeling like you deserve more.â
Deserve more than him.Â
He hears the rustle of the sheets as you sit up on your knees. You go to wrap your arms around him, but he beats you to it, gathering you up on his lap on instinct. Holding you close to him, allowing him to hear your heartbeat soothes him slightly, but he still struggles to look at you after his admission.Â
âClark,â you say softly, drawing him back.
He looks down at you, eyes still a little uncertain.
âYou think I donât know who Iâm with?âÂ
He goes to speak, but you beat him to it, silencing whatever argument he had formulated in his head.Â
âYou think Iâd trade you for someone who just⊠makes it home on time?â
âYeah, but thatâs notââ
âYouâre the most attentive, patient, ridiculous man Iâve ever met,â you go on, thumb brushing over his cheek. âYou take care of me better than anyone ever has.â
He still doesnât seem convinced. It makes sense on paperâyesâbut surely youâre just saying that to spare his feelings. Someone as special as you deserves far more than that, not stolen kisses before he has to take off through the open window.Â
He shakes his head faintly.Â
Surely thatâs not true.Â
âIâm not always here to do that.â
âYes, you are.â
He lets out a quiet scoff, looking away.
âYeah, right.â
You tug his face again until he looks back at you.
âWhen youâre out there,â you say softly, âsaving the world every day⊠youâre taking care of me.â
He goes still, trying to understand what youâre getting at.Â
âYou make it safer for me to live here,â you continue, voice warm, smile returning. âFor me to walk home. For me to sleep. For me to sit here and wait for you without being scared.â
âYou think that doesnât count?â you whisper.
He swallows hard, not quite knowing what to say, your words settling somewhere in his chest where all the doubts usually lived. Heâs waiting for a sign that youâre being dishonest, or being just the right amount of honest to spare his feelings. But there isnât any.
You just keep looking at him the same way you always doâlike none of this is really that complicated at all. Like loving him is the most obvious thing in the world to you.
ââŠYou really mean that?â though itâs more statement than question.
You smile, thumb still brushing along his cheek.
âI wouldnât say it if I didnât.â
He huffs out an almost a laugh, shaking his head as his eyes drop for a second.
âHoneyâŠâ he mutters, now embarrassed. âYou always know the right thing to say, donât you?â
Always know how to keep him steady.Â
You grin.
âWell, someoneâs gotta look after the cityâs Superman.âÂ
He snorts softly at that, finally looking back at you, and there it isâthat stupid, boyish smile he always gets when you call him that.
âI justâŠ,â he says, rambling now, words coming easier now that heâs started. âFeels like I should be doing more.â
You shake your head immediately.
âI donât want somebody else,â you say simply. âYouâre the one I want. Even when you show up through the window instead of the door.â
That makes him laugh, a real one this time, head tipping forward as he presses his forehead against yours.
âHey, that only happened twice.âÂ
âThree,â you correct.
ââŠOkay, three.â
He sighs, eyes closing. He opens them, about to say something else whenâ
Your stomach growls.
He feels your heart beat speed up as you groan, immediately hiding your face in his shoulder.Â
âOh my god.â
Clark stares at you, then lets out the softest, most offended little gasp.
âWell we canât have that,â he says, like this is suddenly the most serious problem in the world.
You laugh into his chest.
âIâm fine.â
âNope. Not happening.â He shakes his head firmly, already sliding one arm under your knees. âAbsolutely not. I just gave you a whole speech about taking care of you, I canât let you starve five minutes later.â
Before you can protest, he lifts you clean off the bed, settling you against his chest.
You let out a surprised laugh, grabbing his shoulders.
âHey!â
âWhat?â he says, grinning, already heading toward the door. âDoctorâs orders. You need food.â
âIâm not a patient!â
âYou are when you donât eat.â
You roll your eyes, but youâre smiling, arms sliding around his neck as he carries you out of the bedroom.
Halfway down the hall you tilt your head at him.
ââŠDo I have time for a shower before dinner?â
He stops instantly.
âOf course you do,â he says. âYou just say the word, I got all night.â
You raise an eyebrow.
âAll night, huh?â
He grins, a little crooked, a little bashful.
You snort, and he laughs under his breath as he pushes the bathroom door open. He sets you down gently on your feet, hands lingering at your waist.
âYou alright?â he asks softly.
You nod.
He leans in automatically, pressing a quick kiss to your cheek. Then another to your jaw. Then one to the corner of your mouth.
âClark,â you laugh, pushing at his chest. âGo. I need to shower.â
âRight, right,â he says, but heâs still smiling.Â
He backs toward the door, hands up in surrender.
You point at him.
âOut.â
âYes maâam.â
He slips out into the hall, closing the door behind him, staring at the wood like an idiot.Â
You really love him.
I mean, he knew that, but the reassurance had eradicated any doubt he held in his chest. He rubs a hand over his face, shaking his head to himself as he walks back toward the kitchen.
He flicked the stove back on, checking the sauce he made earlier, giving it a slow stir.
Still good.
He smiles to himself, leaning one hip against the counter as the warmth fills the room again.
From down the hall, he can hear the shower start. A second later, soft humming.
He turns the tap on, filling a pot with water for the pasta, setting it on the stove, still listening to that faint little tune drifting down the hall.
Tonight was good. Better than good.
And as the water starts to heat, he finds himself smiling at absolutely nothing, already thinking about what else he can do.
Maybe garlic bread. You like the garlic bread. Maybe dessert if he can find something sweet in the cupboard.Â
He shakes his head, chuckling quietly to himself.
He needs to slow down. Step one: feed his girl.Â
He glances toward the hallway again when your humming gets a little louder, warmth settling right behind his ribs.
Yeah.
He thinks he can do that.
a/n: first clark fic wooo!
but no, i know im late but i immediately knew i had to write for him after seeing the movie. please let me know what you think, i havent written in months so i still feel im suuuper rusty
there will most certainly be more where this came from if people want so lmk ! <3
sometimes fanfic writing with english as your second language is âoh no! looks like Iâve ran out of englishâ or âthatâs it, I give up englishâ half way through your fic. and then you continue writing in english.
i do not âdelete sentencesâ when they start âhindering the plotâ i COPY PASTE THEM into a SEPARATE DOC made just for keeping all my USELESS LINES that i will also NEVER USE so therefore i should JUST DELETE THEM but i DONT because id FEEL BAD if i did
pairing. depressed!suguru x reader (fanart by raonnni on twitter/tiktok)
synopsis. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IâM NEVER LEAVING âCAUSE IâM MRS. SNOW âTIL DEATH WEâLL BE FREEZING . . . you havenât seen your friend geto in weeks. youâve texted and called to no avail. youâre really worried about him to say the least. when you finally knock on his door youâre met with a sight youâd always recognize that breaks your heart.
warnings/tags. please do not read if this any of this may trigger you. depression, suicidal tendencies, self isolation, hurt/comfort, reverse comfort, crying, reader has history of depression (but has mostly healed), reader is painfully hesitant & awkward but we adore her, heavy angst but lots of comfort to make up for it!! (wc 5.7k)
ê° âïž ê± i started writing this during a snowstorm so yes. happy birthday my pretty boy suguru who i love and adore. if you can relate to this fic iâm sending you the biggest and warmest hugs. remember youâre never truly alone in this big, beautiful world, even if you feel like you are. +side note this is basically a suguru version of blue christmas (and i mightâve made myself sob while writing againâŠ)
you notice suguru recoil slowly.
at first, itâs nothing to worry about.
heâs always been inconsistent with textsâjust like you. long stretches of silence were always followed by sudden paragraphs at three in the morning or hours-long conversations.
youâre used to it.
time seemed like it never existed for the two of you. so you donât question it when your texts go unanswered the first time.
you tell yourself he must be busy.
when it happens again a few days later, you shrug it off again. you donât want to be the kind of person who reads too much into things. youâve worked really hard not to be that person anymore.
still, you find yourself opening your phone to his contact more often than usual. typing. deleting. then typing again.
hey âthatâs too empty.
just checking in âsounds forced?
are you okay? âthatâs too heavy. too direct. you donât think you have the right to ask so bluntly.
though⊠you remember wishing someone had asked you that when you were in a not-so-good place.
you close your messages without sending anything. your chest tightens with anxietyâjust a littleâbut you breathe through it like youâve learned.
but then days pass. then a week. then another.
worry doesnât hit all at once. it seeps in slowly, settling into your every thought. you catch yourself thinking about suguru at inconvenient timesâstanding in a line, brushing your teeth in the morning half conscious, lying awake at night unable to sleep.
every time your phone buzzes, your hope spikes in an embarrassing way.
itâs never him.
you tell yourself youâre projecting. youâve been in that place where the world feels like too muchâwhere even something as simple as responding to a text feels too daunting of a task.
you know what itâs like to vanish without meaning to and you guess knowing that should make this easier.
it doesnât.
after a few more days of no contact, you finally try calling him⊠even though you despise phone calls. that says a lot.
the line rings and rings and ringsâŠ
you hang up before it goes to voicemail, heart pounding like youâve done something wrong. your hands feel unsteady after, like they used to when you were younger and everything felt like too much. you hate that reaction. hate that it still lives in you somewhere.
you try to ignore it. but now? nowyouâre really worried about him. again, you try to find reason. heâll probably reach out when heâs ready like he always does. again, you shouldnât project.
but concern doesnât disappear when you ask it to.
by the time youâre standing in front of his door your stomach hurts.
the walk to his apartment felt longer than it should have. every step felt like another chance to turn around.
you had excuses lined up and ready: heâll be asleep. youâre overreacting. this is intrusive. itâll be really awkward. you have nothing to say!
when you reach his door youâre still not sure what to say, even after youâve gone over a billion different ways a conversation could go.
maybe heâs ghosting you because he doesnât want to be friend anymore.
your fist hovers inches from the door and you exhale sharply.
you hesitate, because of course you do. your heart is beating too fast, your palms are sweaty, and your brain is cycling through worst case scenarios you donât want to name.
but finally, you muster the courage to knock. you were here already. you couldnât be that girl who wimped out of everything again.
the silence that follows is loud. and through it, the thought of leaving flashes through your mind so clearly it scares you.
you triedâŠthatâs enough. time to go home.
however, something heavier roots you in place. you shouldnât leave. couldnât, actually. you needed to know your friend was okay.
so you knock again, a little firmer this time.
thereâs movement inside. a pause. and then footsteps towards the door. you take a deep breath, preparing yourself.
the door opens just a crack.
getoâs face appears in the gap.
relief hits you first, sharp and dizzying. heâs here. heâs alive. your shoulders loosen before you can stop them.
then the rest registers.
getoâs eyes look tired in a way that isnât just about the loss of sleep, dark bags making home under his eyes. his hair is messier than youâve ever seen it. heâs always taken care of the luscious locks⊠but apparently not right now.
though, itâs the look on its face that really gets to you. itâs blank. not in his usual quiet or guarded way.
nothing in his expression even shifts when he sees you.
like a corpse.
ââŠoh,â geto says plainly, âhey.â
he utters the two words like theyâre nothing. like this is just an ordinary dayâlike you havenât been worried sick after being ignored by him for weeks.
at that exact moment, regret slams into youâsharp and shameful.
you shouldâve checked on him sooner. you really shouldnât have waited until time stretched on for too long.
âhi,â is all you finally manage to whisper back, even though you want to say so much more.
your throat tightens. you werenât ready for how much it would hurt to see him like this.
thereâs an awkward pause where neither of you move. youâre suddenly acutely aware of how long itâs been and how strange this must be for him. you donât want to overwhelm him.
but you also donât want to pretend everythingâs fine.
âyou⊠um⊠you havenât been answering?â you try.
it comes out like a question instead of the statement you meant.
he looks away, jaw tightening. âyeah. sorry.â
thatâs all he offers. no explanation.
it hurts.
youâve been close with him for a few years. you thought maybe youâd earned enough trust for him to tell you when things were wrong.
but you know, even like this, that he must be hurting more than you are.
the door opens a little wider. not an invitation, exactly, but not dismissal either.
okay. well maybe your presence here was fine.
suguruâs apartment is dim, thin curtains drawn tight. the air feels stale. there are signs of life everywhere, but no signs of living.
thereâs a high pile of dishes left in the sink and a crumpled blanket on the couch like itâs been slept in for weeks.
your chest aches.
you stand there, unsure where to put your hands, your eyes, your words.
this is the part youâre terrible at. you know you should reach out to him right now. you should say the right thing. maybe offer comfort without sounding rehearsed.
you donât know how to do any of that.
but you do know why you came.
âum⊠i just wanted to check in on you⊠itâs been a few weeks,â you murmur softly. âi thought you left the country or something!â
shit.
you donât even know where that last part came fromâthat thought had never crossed your mind until this minute.
maybe you shouldâve kept your mouth shut.
he doesnât laugh or twitch like usual when you try to fill the awkward gaps with useless jokes. instead, suguru only nods like heâs tired.
âsorry. iâve beenâŠâ thereâs a pause like he doesnât know what heâs been doing. âbusy.â
you donât believe him. you know he knows you donât too.
âohâ is all you respond with.
youâre really fucking bad at this.
he opens the door wider after a moment, stepping aside like heâs giving in rather than inviting you in. you take that as permission, slipping past him with careful steps, like the wrong movement might snap the fragility.
the door shuts behind you.
the click of the lock makes your stomach twist.
you stand there, hands useless at your sides, not sure where you belong. you don't say anything, trying to steady your racing thoughts. neither does he.
the silence stretches.
it isnât comfortable. it isnât neutral. itâs just there, pressing in on you from all sides. suffocating. it floods the space where something should be said but isnât.
geto moves first.
itâs subtle and something he doesnât even realize he does. his shoulders sag and he drags a hand down his face like it takes effort to keep himself upright. he exhales emptily, then turns away from you without another word.
he crosses the room slowly, movements dulled, each step is heavier than the last. when he reaches his couch, he doesnât even bother sitting properly.
he justâŠcollapses into it, slumping forward, elbows on his knees, head bowed. itâs scarily as if heâs been holding himself together purely out of obligation. your heart clenches painfully in your chest.
you clearly recognize how he feels. you can recall the time you felt it.
that alone terrifies you even more.
you stay where you are for a second too long, watching him. the way his once shiny hair falls into his face, now dull and uncared for. he goes still once heâs thereâlike moving any more might be too much.
this wasnât how you imagined him at all.
well, you donât even know what you imagined. but whatever it was, it wasnât this. not him looking so spent⊠so tired.
you take a few tentative steps closer, stopping a careful distance away. close enough to be present but still far enough in fear that youâll overwhelm him.
another pause settles in.
you feel your heart pounding in your ears.
your brain starts shouting at youâdonât ask. donât make it worse. donât open a wound you canât fix.
this is the part where you usually retreat. where you convince yourself silence is safer.
but you just canât.
your fingers curl into the fabric of your sleeves.
ââŠsuguru?â you say softly.
just his name. testing it. seeing if heâll come back to shore or if you have to go back out into the deep to get him back.
he doesnât respond. but his shoulders tense, just a fraction.
you swallow, throat feeling tight. this feels like stepping off a ledge.
after a long minute, you finally whisper it.
âare you okay?â
the words hang in the air.
for a moment, nothing happens. you almost think he didnât hear you because of how quiet you spoke.
but then his shoulders are trembling.
just once at firstâsharp, like heâs been jolted awake after a nightmare and his body reacted before he could stop it.
geto lets out a sound thatâs quiet and broken. he brings his hands to his face like heâs embarrassed to be seen like this. like he can still fix it if he hides fast enough.
ââŠthatâs a stupid question,â he mutters, lacking any conviction.
his voice is wrong.
your chest throbs again painfully. âiâm sorry. you donât have to answer,â you say quickly. âi justââ
he inhales, shaky. then exhales, worse.
âi donât know,â he says. the words crack halfway through. âi really donât know.â
and thatâs when something shatters.
his head drops into his hands. his elbows press harder into his knees like heâs folding in on himself. another breath stutters out of him, then another, each one rougher than the last.
it hits you in the chest like a brick.
heâs crying.
quiet. youâre only able to tell in the way his shoulders shake and he sniffles just one.
itâs the same exact way youâve cried before.
heâs been holding it back for so long his body has forgotten how to let it out properly.
fear flares hot in your chest and you freeze in your spot. your first instinct is to do something. anything. but your body wonât cooperate.
youâve been here before. you know how overwhelming the simple question felt when you were already falling apart. but maybe thatâs why you asked it.
youâre rooted to the spot for a whole minute. it seems to stretch for an eternity.
suguruâs breathing hitches again. itâs small and barely there. a soft, broken sound that slips out of him like he didnât mean for it to. and something in you breaks with it.
your eyes are burning before you can stop the reaction.
old memories rush in uninvitedâthe nights you spent staring at the ceiling, the times you wished someone would just stay and hug you without asking you to explain yourself.
you press your lips together, hard, but it doesnât help much.
before you can overthink itâbefore fear can catch up and drag you back like a tideâyou move.
itâs sudden and clumsy. unplanned and uncalled for. one second youâre frozen, the next youâre crossing the room in a few quick steps, heart pounding like youâve made a terrible mistake you canât undo.
thereâs a brief pause and a moment where you hover, unsure, caught between wanting to help and being terrified of doing the wrong thing.
and then youâre sitting down beside him.
not touching him, just close enough that your knee almost brushes his and that he knows youâre there.
his shoulders tense and he turns his face away from you.
âsorry,â he mutters, voice thick. âyou shouldnât have to see this.â
your breath wobbles. before you can swallow the words back down, they slip out.
âhey,â you say, softly. shakier than you meant it to be. âplease donât say that. donât apologize for anything. itâs okay.â
he stills.
your hands tremble slightly in your lap, but you keep them there, resisting the urge to grab onto him, to hug him and give him the comfort he deserves.
âitâs really okay,â you repeat. âyou donât have to stop. or⊠hide.â
your voice cracks on the last word.
you hate that it does, but you donât take it back.
he lets out a breath that sounds like it hurts. it catches in his chest, stuttering on the way out.
and then suguru is crying harder.
not loudly still, just deeper.
somethingâs given way and he doesnât know how to put it back together. his shoulders shake, uneven and exhausted, but he still wonât look at you. his blurry gaze stays fixed somewhere on the floor, jaw clenched like heâs bracing himself for impact.
your eyes sting at the sight and tears blur the edges of your vision. you blink a few times, trying to ground yourself. you donât want to make this about you and you donât want him to feel like heâs made you cry too on top of everything.
you swallow.
âyou donât have to be so strong anymore.â the words feel dangerous, but you say them anyway. âi know youâre tired.â
his breathing falters again.
he presses his lips together, like heâs trying to swallow the sound back down, as if crying is something he can still control if he tries hard enough. you know itâs not.
his shoulders curl inward further, his arms wrapping around himself, spine bending under a weight you canât see but you can feel.
you shift on the couch a little. close enough that you can feel the warmth coming off him. you stop there, giving him time. giving yourself time.
again, your hands twist in your lap.
you want to reach out so badly it almost hurts. the ache is as strong as a current.
so you give into it. for him.
âi know iâm not great at this,â you admit, eyes fixed on the floor just like his. âbut i justâŠi really care about you. you shouldnât suffer alone. you can share the burdenâŠâ you take a breathe, and then add, âif- if you wantâŠâ
the word sits heavy between you.
his crying doesnât stop. but it softens, just a fraction, like the sharpest edges have dulled. he tilts his head slightly away, breath shuddering, and for a terrifying second you think he might pull back entirely.
but he doesnât.
the question fall from your lips before you can stop it.
âdo you want me to⊠to hug you?â
your heart starts racing, loud in your ears, every nerve suddenly awake. you shouldnât have asked so bluntly. maybe you shouldâve given him more time.
you brace yourself for him to shake his headâor pull awayâor just close off completely.
he doesnât respond for a long moment.
his breathing stays uneven, shoulders trembling with aftershocks. he keeps his face turned away from you, eyes fixed on nothing, lashes damp.
your stomach twists with the urge to take the words back, to apologize for overstepping.
you almost do.
but then suguru is nodding, itâs barely there. so small you almost miss it. but itâs unmistakable. he slowly lets his arms fall away from where they were tightly crossed in front of him.
âokayâŠâ
you move slower, giving him space to change his mind. you move to sit closer. close enough that your shoulder brushes his arm.
you pause againâone last chance for him to pull away.
when he doesnât? you lift your arms and wrap them around his side, gentle and loose enough he could slip out if he wanted to. your cheek hovers near his shoulder like youâre waiting for permission even now.
he stiffens for half a second.
and then he collapses into you.
it doesnât happen all at once. he sinks into your arms like heâs falling into a sink hole. but really, he sinks as if his body has finally found a place to rest.
he turns his whole body toward you and his forehead presses into your shoulder. his breath hitches as another quiet sob slips out, finally audible. his hands curl into the sleeves of your hoodie, gripping like heâs afraid youâre gonna disappear.
your eyes burn harder but you swallow it down and you hold him just a little bit tighter.
âyouâre okay. iâm not going anywhere,â you murmur hoarsely.
his breathing breaks again at that. itâs a quiet and broken sound muffled against your shoulder. he clings a little tighter, hands shaking.
time stretches strangely after that.
you donât know how long you sit thereâminutes, half an hour, maybe longerâhim shaking softly, you holding on, bodies sore yet both of you breathing through it together.
neither of you move while suguruâs sobs ease into uneven breaths. he still doesnât speak. you donât need him to and he doesnât have to. he just stays curled into you, exhausted down to the bone.
you know exactly how it feels so you let him.
youâre not sure when exhaustion pulls him into slumber⊠and youâre not sure when you fall after him.
ââșââ ă
suguru wakes in fragments.
first he feels the dull ache in his muscles. then, the faint warmth pressing against his chest. and finally, the slow, steady rhythm of your breathing.
for a moment, heâs still, letting it register. he doesnât move, doesnât open his eyes fully. the world is soft, somehow softer than he remembers it being in weeks.
his lashes stick slightly, damp and crusty from the tears he couldnât stop. when he blinks, the motion is slow.
the swell of his eyes still aches, but gentler now, muted by exhaustion and the quiet presence of the girl he loves beside him.
he shifts just enough to glance at you without disturbing your sleep.
the edges of your face are softened in the dim light, strands of hair falling against your cheek. your eyes are closed, but thereâs tension there too, small lines that tell him youâve been holding yourself tight too.
something warms in his chestâa surge of affection so sudden it almost makes him startle.
he stays still, just watching you. memorizing the small thingsâthe rise and fall of your shoulders with your breath, the slight twitch of your fingers, the soft crease at the corner of your brows.
and then, slowly, almost instinctively, you stir. your eyelids flutter and you shift slightly as if sensing him there.
suguruâs heart leaps.
you blink slowly, just as he had moments before. and when your gaze lands on him, he sees itâthe soft worry still lingering in your eyes even though youâre disoriented from falling asleep without meaning to. he can visibly see the concern that still hasnât faded from your expression.
he swallows, tense in a way thatâs entirely different from before. no panic, no guilt, just a tight, affectionate awareness. his lips twitch into something like a small, quiet smile.
âhi,â he whispers, voice rough, almost reverent.
he doesnât want to speak any louder. he shifts closer to your body. not by much, just enough to feel even more grounded in your warmth. for the first time in days, even weeks, he finally feels⊠lighter.
he rests his head a little more firmly against your shoulder, suddenly not so afraid to sink into you anymore.
he glances at you again, careful, taking in the way you blink the haze of sleep away from your sight. his chest aches in a way thatâs soft, like itâs finally making room for something he hasnât allowed himself to feel in a while.
âyou stayed,â he murmurs, almost like a question.
you blink, still waking, your own chest tightening. âhuh? of course i did⊠i wasnât gonna leave you alone againâŠâ
again.
he swallows. hard. his throat still feels raw. but he lets out a shaky breath. it feels like heâs letting some more weight slide off him, little by little.
thereâs a quiet stretch of time where neither of you speak. there seems to be a lot of that. but this time it isnât tense. itâs comfortable. his cheek rests against your shoulder. his eyes are still half lidded and tender.
your hand moves on its own, gently resting over his broad back, fingertips light and steady.
he inhales, slower this time. a small, almost imperceptible smile tugs at the corner of his lips. not everything has been magically fixedâŠbut he can breathe easier now. he can live, not just exist.
and then, very slowly, you let the words slip out. not consciously, just a stream that feels like itâs been there, ready to come, and the presence of him makes it possible, âyou know, i⊠uh, i wasnât always okay either. before i met you, i had⊠lots of bad days. for longer than i care to remember.â
he shifts slightly, just enough to glance at you with that tender gaze. he doesnât interrupt. he doesnât even blinkâhe just lets you continue.
âi didnât talk to anyone about it at first. i just⊠kept it all inside. i thought it would go away on its own.â your hands twitch against his back, almost subconsciously. âit didnât. and it⊠it got worse before it got better.â
your voice drops a little. itâs distant, almost as if youâre remembering something far away. âum⊠something bad happened and eventually i started seeing a therapist. that⊠helped. not everything fixed overnight, not even close. but⊠it made it a lot better.â
you pause, hesitating, testing yourself.
then, softly, âso thatâs why i know a little about feeling like youâre too far gone. or like nobody can ever understand,â you huff out a breath, âbut⊠youâre not alone. if you ever want to talk about itâ i mean, when youâre ready of courseâ you um⊠you can talk with me.â
the words linger.
for a moment, he doesnât react at all. he stays leaned into you, breathing slow.
your heart starts to race again in the silence. you worry you said too much. worry youâve made it about yourself and crossed some invisible line.
but in reality, heâs letting what you said settle somewhere deep before touching it.
his fingers move.
just slightly, curling into the fabric at your sleeve.
ââŠthank you,â he says.
you blink.
he doesnât lift his head at first, still pressed against your shoulder. but then, slowly, he meets your eyes. puffy and vulnerable, they hold yours for a long moment.
something unspoken passes between youârelief, trust, and a fragile acknowledgment that youâre both still here.
and before he even realizes it, his arms are around youâa way to make sure youâre here and heâs here. and the world outside doesnât matter for a second. his cheek presses lightly against yours and his hands rest on your back.
your body stiffens for a fraction, startled by the contact, even though you had been the one hugging him earlier, but you donât pull away.
your hand instinctively rises, resting on his arm, fingertips light and steady, letting him feel your presence too.
he inhales, shaky, then slowly exhales, letting out another quiet breath heâs been holding in for days. the ache in his shoulders softens. his face buries into your neck, eyelashes against the skin. you feel the faintest tremor run through himâbut it isnât weight this time. itâs relief.
âthank you,â he repeats against you, voice almost inaudible, softer, but you hear it. ââŠfor everything.â
you squeeze back gently. âyou donât have to thank me,â you murmur.
he lets the words sink in, letting himself relax a fraction more. he rests there, arms wrapped around you, feeling like he can finally exhale. in that quiet, tender space, he feels finally feels a little bit of peace.
you let yourself watch him for a while, just feeling the warmth of him, letting the quiet stretch out.
after a while, your eyes wander to the window behind his sheen curtains. the sky is darkening outside⊠and big, soft snowflakes are drifting down.
you gasp without meaning to in complete awe.
suguru peeks up at you in question.
âitâs snowing!â
he watches how your face lights up in that way it does when youâre giddyâand he canât help the curve of a smile tugging at his lips.
âit is,â he murmurs, still looking at you.
you grab at his sleeve gently. âwe should go outside! get some fresh air. it might⊠feel good,â you say softly, hopeful and excited, but still trying to be careful not to push.
he hesitates, blinking up at you. âoutside?â
you finally look at him, reigning yourself back in, âyeah,â you murmur, âjust for a little while? itâs so pretty. and itâll be good to get some air too.â
he swallows, still leaning against you, and after a moment he gives a tentative nod. âokay then.â
you smile, relieved. he shifts off of you slowly, like he doesnât want to, muscles stiff.
after getting into coats, both of you move towards the door. when it opens, the cold rushes in, sharp and crisp against your cheeks.
beautiful chunks of snow flutter down, big and soft and so so pure.
you tug on his hand with a giggle, pulling him outside completely. the snow lands onto suguruâs hair and yoursâthough it probably doesnât look as good as it does on him as it does you.
he blinks as you tug on his hand, and for a moment his surprise turns into something soft and unguarded.
a small laugh escapes him.
itâs been days since heâs felt like this. weeks even.
light.
snow lands on his hair and shoulders and he grins without thinking, brushing them away with a quick shake of his head. your laughter carries him along, and he canât help but mirror it.
âhey, careful!â he teases, voice rough but warm, nudging you gently as another flake lands on your nose. you giggle louder, swatting at it, and his chest aches pleasantly at the sightâat the way your eyes sparkle despite the cold, the way your smile makes the world feel so much lighter.
he squeezes your hand, tugging you toward him briefly, eyes bright, the tension long gone from his shoulders.
âthis is nice,â he murmurs, and it isnât just the snow. itâs everythingâbeing outside, being here, being with you.
he tilts his face up, letting flakes land on his lashes, his lips curling into a soft, happy smile.
you squeal softly, tugging him along again, and he laughs, a little louder this time.
he lets himself move with you, the cold biting his cheeks, the snow crunching under his feet.
âlook at it,â you whisper, eyes bright. and he does. he watches the snow swirl around, the flakes catching the dim lights of the street.
heâs happy. he really is.
he squeezes your hand again, tighter this time, shy but sure. âthanks for everything,â he says softly, full of warmth and something like awe.
he squeezes your hand again, tighter this time, shy but sure. âthanks for everything,â he says softly, the third time, full of warmth and something like awe.
you smile back, just as soft, and squeeze his hand back. both of you feel oh so warm despite the chill of winter.
you both keep walking, letting the snow fall over you, letting the cold sting your cheeks, letting the joy sink in.
the world feels impossibly big, impossibly soft, and impossibly alive.
when you round back the block and end up near his place again, neither of you slow down. if anything, your steps drag, reluctant, like the idea of going back inside would break whatever spell the snow has wrapped around you both.
the building looms quietly ahead, familiar and unthreatening now, but still⊠you donât let go of his hand. he notices. doesnât mention it. he kind of hopes you wonât either.
you stop in the middle of the sidewalk instead, breath puffing out in little clouds. you glance around, at the untouched snow piling up along the curb, smooth and perfect. an idea sparks.
ââŠthis might be stupid,â you start, already half embarrassed, âbut⊠we could make a snowman?â your voice lifts at the end hopeful. âi mean, since itâs sticking and weâre out here already!â
for a beat, he just stares at you.
then he lets out a laugh. something in his chest loosens even more.
âa snowman,â he repeats, amused, so achingly fond. âyouâre serious.â
you shrug, ducking your head in embarrassment. âkind of. i mean, we donât have to if you donât wantââ
âno,â he says quickly, smiling wider now. âno, i want to.â
the words come easier than he expects.
you light up instantly, clapping your gloved hands in quiet excitement. âokay! okay, good. umâwhere do we start?â
he crouches down without thinking, scooping up a handful of snow and packing it together between his palms. itâs cold enough to sting, but he barely notices.
âguess we start here,â he says, rolling it against the ground.
you kneel beside him, your shoulders brushing as you help. the snow sticks to your gloves, to your sleeves, to the hem of his coat.
the first snowman comes together slowly. suguruâs oddly focused, packing the base like itâs a serious task, while you smooth the middle and keep fixing the same dent over and over.
âit keeps leaning,â you whine.
he tilts his head, studying it. âmaybe it just likes that side.â
you huff a laugh and smile at him, âyouâre right.â
you find two sticks for arms and hand them to him. he sticks them in, then pauses.
âhmmâŠthese look weird.â
you pout. âtheyâre fine.â
he shrugs. âokay okay. artistic choice.â
by the time youâre done, your fingers are numb and your cheeks hurt from smiling. you both step back to look at your snowman.
âi think he needs a friendâŠâ you contemplate.
he nods without hesitation. âyeah. itâd feel rude not to give him one.
the second snowman ends up shorter and rounder. you laugh when the head almost slides off, steadying it with both hands.
âhold onâhold onââ you say, trying to fix it.
âiâve got it,â he says, reaching in to help, your hands overlapping for a second before you both still.
you donât pull away. neither does he.
you finish it together, brushing snow from each otherâs sleeves without really thinking about it. when youâre done, the two snowmen stand side by side, uneven and kind of charming.
âthey look like us!â you giggle without thinking.
âyeah,â he replies softly. âthey do.â
snow keeps falling steadily. the world feels small and calm. you realize youâre standing closer to him than before.
he glances at you. you look up at the same time.
âcold?â
you grin knowingly. âjust a little.â
he huffs softly, rubbing his bare hands together and looking at your gloved ones. âeven though youâre the one that thought ahead?â
you look down at his handsâred at the knuckles, fingers stiffâand before you can overthink it, you reach out and grab them.
he startles slightly. âheyââ
âhold still,â you say, already cupping his hands between yours, gloves and all. âyouâre freezing!â
you rub them together briskly, breath puffing out in little clouds as you focus way too hard on the task.
he watches you, eyes wide for half a second, then soft. a quiet laugh slips out of him, a little breathless. âyou donât have to do that.â
âi canât let you get frostbite. besides⊠i wanted to.â
that seems to knock the air from his lungs just a bit.
his smile turns shy and giddy, like he doesnât quite know what to do with it. he squeezes your hands gently, almost absentmindedly.
snow settles into his hair. onto your shoulders. neither of you lets go.
âmmh well⊠this is nice,â he murmurs.
you nod, cheeks suddenly warm despite the cold. âyeah. it is.â
thereâs a pause thatâs charged and soft all at once. you sway just slightly closer, still holding his hands, still warming them, until thereâs barely any space left at all.
you donât know who leans in first.
you only know that suddenly heâs close enough that you can feel his breath, and still, you want to be closer. as close as you can possibly get.
so you kiss.
itâs soft and surprising and immediately right. your hands slip from his fingers to his coat, his hands coming up to your waist like itâs always belonged there.
both of your lips are chapped, but it doesnât really matter. his lips are warm despite the cold, and gosh, does it feel nice. the kiss lingers, unhurried, like neither of you wants to be the first to pull away.
you breathe him in and your chest feels too full all at once.
he exhales against your mouth, a quiet sound that almost feels like relief.
your forehead rests against his when you finally part, noses brushing. you keep your hands fisted in his coat like letting go might send him drifting away again.
for a second, he just looks at you.
really looks.
his eyes soften, something fragile flickering there, and his thumbs trace small, absent circles at your waist.
you break the spell first with an exhale. âwoahâŠâ
he smiles that smile you adore, still close, voice low and warm. âi hadnât even realized how long iâve been wanting to do that.â
you duck your head, smiling. âyeah⊠same.â
but then heâs tilting your head up and youâre kissing again.
this time itâs giddier, smiles breaking through, noses bumping as neither of you quite figures out how to stop. you pull back for half a second, just to laugh⊠and then youâre kissing again, closer, warmer, like neither of you wants to let the moment end.
snow keeps falling around you, the world hushed and glowing, the two uneven snowmen behind you slowly blurring together.
still, neither of you are in any hurry to go inside.
youâre glad heâs here with you.
masterlist
hi, my first reverse comfort fic so i hope this is okayđ„č
iâm sorry for not writing an actual bday fic because i ran out of time and took too long to edit thisâŠ
the apartment is dim, lit only by the lamp beside the couch and the soft glow coming from the city outside the windows. rain taps gently against the glass, distant and soothing. clark sits on the couch with a book resting on his thigh, glasses low on his nose, one arm stretched along the back of the couch like it belongs there.
like you belong there.
he doesnât look up when you walk in. he doesnât need to.
âlong day?â his voice is calm, deep, familiar in the way that makes your shoulders drop immediately.
âyou have no idea,â you say, toeing off your shoes and crossing the living room without urgency. you donât sit beside him. you never do when youâre like this.
you turn, climb onto his lap, facing him, knees pressing into the cushions on either side of his thighs.
that makes him pause.
he looks up slowly, blinking once behind the glasses, lips parting just slightly.
ââŠhi,â he says, softer now.
you smile and lean forward, resting your forearms over his shoulders. his hands hover for half a second â as if giving you the chance to change your mind â before settling at your waist, warm and steady.
âi needed you,â you admit.
his thumb presses in, grounding. âyou have me.â
always.
you shift, settling more comfortably on him, your weight fully there. his breath changes. barely. but you notice. you always notice.
âyouâre distracting me,â he says after a moment, voice lower than before.
you tilt your head. âam i?â
âmm,â he hums. âvery.â
but he doesnât move you. doesnât even try.
you reach up and push his glasses up his nose, fingers lingering just a little too long on his cheek. his eyes flutter closed for a split second at the touch.
âyou could tell me to stop,â you murmur.
his jaw tightens. when he opens his eyes again, theyâre darker. focused. on you.
ââŠi could,â he agrees.
you lean closer, close enough that your noses almost brush. his breath fans warm over your lips.
âbut?â you whisper.
his hand slides just a fraction higher on your waist, thumb pressing under the hem of your shirt. the touch is careful. restrained. like heâs holding back something enormous.
âbut i donât want you to.â
that does something to you.
you kiss him slowly, softly â a kiss meant more to feel than to take. his response is immediate but controlled, lips warm, deliberate, like heâs savoring it instead of devouring you.
still, his other hand comes up to cradle the back of your neck.
protective. intimate.
when you pull back, just a little, his forehead follows yours instinctively, chasing the closeness.
âclark,â you breathe.
he swallows.
âif you keep doing that,â he says quietly, âiâm not sure iâll be able to keep pretending iâm focused on this book.â
you smile against his mouth. âyou havenât been focused on that book for at least ten minutes.â
he exhales a soft laugh, embarrassed and fond all at once. âyou caught me.â
you shift again, slower this time, and his grip tightens â not to stop you, but to steady himself.
his voice drops. âhey.â
you pause, looking at him.
his expression is gentle, earnest, but thereâs heat there too â something barely contained.
âjust⊠stay,â he says. âright here.â
you nod, settling, resting your forehead against his. his arms come fully around you now, holding you like youâre something precious, something irreplaceable.
his thumb traces lazy lines at your side. not asking. not demanding.
just there.
minutes pass like that. breathing syncing. rain still tapping the windows.
eventually, he kisses your temple, then your cheek, then the corner of your mouth â feather-light, reverent.
âi love having you like this,â he murmurs. âclose. safe.â
you smile, eyes closing. âme too.â
he presses one last kiss to your lips, slow and lingering, before resting his chin on your shoulder.
the book lies forgotten beside you.
and clark stays exactly where he is â glasses slightly crooked, arms around you, voice low and content â like this is the only place heâs ever meant to be.
using naoya while he's drunk and submissive
unfortunately heâs fine, it canât be helped
since you were born, you had been promised to be sold off the zen'in clan, to marry one of the many male counterparts, and the one who you were married off to was jinichi zen'in. he's about 20 years older than you, which is blah. but he's never home, out on missions, or doing god knows what.
so you spend your days and nights dilly-dallying around with your personal servant. she kept you company for the most part. on this particular night, it was the start of many nights for you .. and him.
you quickly shoo the servant away as you watch the most disgusting of them all stumble towards you from the end of the hall. dragging himself on the traditional japanese walls, clearly drunk. he slowly but surely found himself to you mumbling something under his breathâdropping to his knees, he looked up at you with glossy eyes. he clung to your kimono, still spilling drunken slurs, letting little 'pleases' slip.
with pure disgust, you hissed, "what the fuck are you doing?" he winced at your words, snuggling closer to your legs. with his slurred speech, he finally spoke, âtell me .. tell me iâm good please..â like instinct, you kick him off, and almost immediately, he came crawling back. the heat of his face burning through your clothesâburying and whining into your thigh, sliding his hands up your kimono, gripping onto your skin for more security.
you flinch at his nails digging into your thighs, making you grab a fist full of his dirty blonde hair. the grip made him squirm a little, his whines grew louder at the painâthe whines started bouncing off the walls of the halls, making you nervous that anyone could find you and him like this.
naoya lets out a nasty groan as the grip on his hair was suddenly strongerâit was like the world was spinning around him as he tried to steady his uncoordinated steps. throwing him into a small roomâwith the alcohol in his system, he still couldnât catch his step, and with your throw, he ended up with his back slamming into the wall, making him âackâ.
sliding the door shut, you turn around to find him looking at you like a lost puppy. âgod, you make me sick.â letting out a soft whine, his feelings hurt at your harsh words, âplease .. please donât say that, y-you donât mean it..â you scoff, âoh yes i do.â
you continue to watch him as he squirmed at your words, and then you noticed his raging bonerâthe lighting was dim so you didnât notice at first, his breath hitched as you came to notice his obvious stiffnessâhe tried to cover it up, but it was too late.
covering his boner, he droops his head to avoid your gaze. he peeks up as he felt your footsteps come closer to himâhe bit his lip as you kick his hands away and then pushing his legs open. slowly putting pressure on him, a soft whimper escaped from his lips. grabbing onto your legsâhe bucks against it, chasing more friction. ugh.
taking your foot off, you wave him up. âget up.â and as obedient as a dog, he stood up, stumbling back just a little, looking at you for the next command. leaning against the wall, you motion him on the groundâand again without hesitation he complied, âcrawl to me.â he moved with grace as you made his way towards youâstopping at your feet, he looked at you with those puppy eyes.
taking off your panties, you throw it at his faceâas they fell to the ground, the wetness leaving a trail. lifting your kimono, you put your leg on his shoulder, his face leaned into your inner thigh, still looking up at you. âever eat pussy before? or are you too high and mighty for that?â he answered with his eyes darting away from you, âyes, yes i have.â
âwell, letâs put the mouth to use then.â dropping the rest of the length of the kimono over him, you feel his body heat fill up the space. his large hands gripped at your ass for stabilityâhis wet lips kissed and teased at the spot where he once lay his head. he placed kisses on your clit, rotating between sucking and licking.
the room was filled with the soft noises from naoya, and your wetness as he continued to eat. his tongue worked slow, deliberate circles before flattening into youâhis breath hitching as he vibrated a ragged moan into you. his hips jerked into the air, the friction from his straining cock against his pants making him moan a broken sound into you.
with trembling hands, he muttered against you, âplease-tell me iâm good .. tell me-ah-plea-â the rest of his words dissolved into a muffled moan as his hips jerked again. lifting your dress back upâcrushing him with your thighs you hissed, âdid i say you could rut into the air like a dog?â his cock twitch at your wordsâa soft whine slips out, you watched as he shook his head ânoâ. âdidnât think so.â releasing him from the thigh hold, you caressed his lips, smearing your juices across his cheek. âget back to work.â
ây-yes .. fuck, yes, maâam.â as the dress surrounded him again, his tongue continued to drag flat and firm against your clit, before sealing his lips tight around it.
the sloppier his mouth work, the closer you were, and he knew that. naoya's body jerked as you pushed him in deeper, holding him in place as he moved in frantic, desperate circles. âfuck, fuck, fuck.â
then all movements stoppedâhe withdrew from under your dress, his face covered and glistening in your slick, looking at the wet floor, then up at youâdrenched from your squirt.
rubbing his face against you again, âiâm glad i could please you.
After watching Tell Me Lies all I can think about is lonely host dad Daichi cheating on his wife with his homesick au pair.
He never planned for your temporary addition to his family to be anything more than to help you get familiar with his culture and language in exchange for some help with his daughters and other light household chores. But it became hard to ignore the warmth blooming in his chest whenever you chose sharing a cup of tea with him over your well-needed rest to listen to him talk about his day.
contains: iwaizumi hajime x gender neutral reader + established relationship + fluff + comfort + maybe a little ooc hajime?
note: this is for my dear friend @akaashioppa who is always very patient (but not really) and my number one supporter when it comes to anything i write
Hajime rounded the corner to your shared apartment and slowed his pace when he found you still outside. You were slumped forward, your forehead leaning against the wooden front door.Â
His eyebrows pushed together into a confused frown and he took his earbuds out of his ears. Putting them into their case, he approached you, a slight amusement lifting the corners of his mouth. âWhatâs going on here, hm?â He teased as he leaned against the wall, adjusting his backpack against his shoulder.
From the moment he didnât get any of your usual texts throughout the day, Hajime had a feeling he wasnât coming home to your usual bubbly self.
You didnât have the energy to turn to him, your eyes remaining closed as you only shifted on the balls of your feet in acknowledgment of his presence. âIf I make eye contact with my keys, Iâm gonna start crying.â Your voice was soaked in exhaustion, your work day heavy on your shoulders.
The bundle of various keys, consisting of mostly colorful keychains, laid on the floor next to you on one side while your handbag, clearly tossed in a sign of defeat, sat on your other side.Â
âBad day?â He asked as he bent over to grab your keys off the floor and went around you to collect your bag next.Â
You sniffled with a nod. âI hate everyone.â
Using his free hand, he got ahold of your arm and he gently pulled you away from the door, right into his chest. Stubborn and exhausted, your arms hung by your side as Hajime cupped the back of your head and pressed a kiss against your hair. âEven me?â
Suddenly the worries of the day didnât feel so suffocating as you melted into his touch. âNot if you donât make me cook.â
He laid his head on top of yours. âSo I should cook?â He joked.
For the first time, since you walked into the office that morning, your lips twitched into something close to a smile. âDo you want to make my day worse?â
Hajime had many amazing qualities, but cooking wasnât one of them. Luckily he gladly took on washing the dishes as one of his many unofficial assigned chores, which you absolutely loathed doing.Â
âTakeout it is, then.â He chuckled lowly as he pulled away from you. âLetâs get you inside first.âÂ