No monsters were terrorizing the city. The world wasnāt falling apart. Genos was out running errands, and the Hero Association hadnāt contacted him for any low-level jobs in over a week.
So in that little apartment that was still too small for how much love filled it, the air was calm. No explosions, no emergency alerts. Just the hum of the fridge, the occasional passing car, and the sound of you flipping a page in the book you were reading.
Saitama was lying across the couch, his head comfortably nestled between your breasts. Youād long since stopped wearing a bra around him at homeāit was one of those silent love languages between you. He liked the softness. The warmth. The steady beat of your heart. And you⦠well, you liked spoiling him.
He never asked for it out loud, but every time he sat down and glanced at your chest with that soft, subtle flick of his eyesājust once, never twiceāyou knew exactly what he wanted.
And you always gave it to him.
His face was buried slightly against your skin now, warm cheek resting against your bare cleavage as he laid there like a lazy cat. One of your hands combed gently through his scalp, dragging your nails across it with soft, rhythmic scratches. The other held your book steady, reading lazily while his breath fanned against your chest.
āI could stay like this forever,ā you murmured.
Saitama hummed, almost inaudibly. But it was lacking something. The usual weight in his humāthe relaxed, content sound he made when he was completely at peaceāwasnāt there.
You paused.
Your fingers moved slowly down to the side of his face, cupping it gently. He didnāt resist, but he didnāt lean into it like he usually did either. That made your stomach twist.
āBabe?ā you asked softly, lowering your book.
His eyes were open, staring at nothing across the room.
āMm,ā he grunted.
āSomething wrong?ā you tilted your head, peering down at him.
He hesitated for a second. Just a second too long.
āNo,ā he said.
You frowned.
āTry again. This time without lying.ā
He shut his eyes, sighed out through his nose, and let the silence settle again. That was the problem with him sometimesāhe didnāt know how to talk. He could say the most off-handed things without realizing how much they weighed. And other times, when it really mattered, he got stuck.
You set your book down, both hands cradling his face now.
āYouāre thinking a lot,ā you said. āToo much. And not in your usual āWhat should I eat for lunchā kind of way.ā
He grunted again.
āCāmon. Whatās going on in that shiny little head of yours?ā
āā¦Itās nothing,ā he muttered.
You gave him the look. He cracked one eye open, met your gaze, and immediately shut it again like a turtle retreating into its shell.
āā¦Itās really not a big deal,ā he tried.
āThatās not what your face is saying.ā
He was silent again. But this time, you could feel something shifting in his expression, something subtle and vulnerable. You could feel the tension in his jaw under your thumb.
āI donāt get you,ā he finally muttered. āYou know that?ā
You blinked. āMe?ā
āYeah.ā
He shifted just enough to tilt his face up at you, resting his chin now between your breasts instead of his cheek, and for once, his eyes were serious. Really serious. It almost caught you off guard.
āIām⦠boring.ā
You blinked again. Your lips parted, confused, waiting for more. He sat up slowlyānot too far, but enough to leave the comfort of your chestāand stared at the floor.
āIām not romantic. Iām not interesting. Iām not even cute.ā
You stared at him.
āSaitamaā¦ā
He laughed once. Not bitter, not mocking. Just⦠hollow.
āI think about it a lot. How you could be with anyone. Anyone more exciting. Someone who knows how to flirt, or take you on real dates, or has more than three facial expressions.ā
He rubbed the back of his neck and kept going.
āYou couldāve fallen for a guy with a personality. Or a hobby that isnāt grocery sales. Someone who doesnāt kill monsters in one punch and come home with blood on their shoes. Hell, someone with hair.ā
You felt your heart twist, the weight of his words sinking into your chest. This wasnāt something fleeting. These were thoughts that had been building. Heavy and festering, tucked away under his nonchalant tone and lazy smiles.
āYou really think I care about any of that?ā you whispered.
He looked away.
āThatās just it. I donāt know what you care about,ā he mumbled. āI never asked. I just assumed one day youād get tired of⦠this. Of me. And I guess I started wondering why you havenāt yet.ā
Your eyes stung.
God, he was so stupid sometimes. Stupid in the most lovable, heartbreaking way.
You leaned in slowly, cupping his jaw and turning his face back to you.
āSaitama. Look at me.ā
He did. Reluctantly, hesitantly. His eyes were uncertain, something aching sitting just beneath the surface.
āI love you,ā you said plainly. Firmly. āNot because youāre romantic. Or interesting. Or even for your looks. I love you. The man who lets me hold him like a teddy bear on the couch. Who gets excited about discounted leeks. Who lets me see him like thisāquiet, vulnerable, soft.ā
His breath caught slightly.
āI love how your voice sounds when youāre half-asleep. I love how you get genuinely confused when someone compliments you. I love how you try to act like nothing matters, but the moment someone insults a friend, your fists are already clenched.ā
You reached forward and pressed your forehead to his.
āI donāt want dates. I want you. I want lazy days and dumb jokes and holding you like this until the world disappears. I want to be here when you wake up, when youāre moody, when your hoodie smells like garlic and soap and I still pull you into bed anyway.ā
His hands slowly reached up, settling against your waist like he was afraid to touch you. Like he was afraid he might lose you if he held too tight.
āā¦Really?ā he asked softly.
You smiled. A small, watery one.
āReally. Iād scream it from the rooftops if you wanted.ā
He snortedāfinallyāa real laugh this time, and you felt his grip tighten just a little.
āā¦Can you do something better?ā he said.
You raised a brow. āBetter?ā
He leaned in closer, his face burying itself back between your breasts, arms wrapping around your waist as he pulled you gently into him like you were the last pillow in the universe.
āJust stay like this,ā he mumbled. āForever.ā
You melted.
āI can do that.ā
Your fingers resumed their soft combing through his scalp, your other hand rubbing gentle circles along his back. He was warm. So warm. Not in the heat-of-a-fire way, but in the way a bed feels after youāve been snuggled in it for hours. Familiar. Safe.
āā¦Do you know what I think?ā you whispered.
He mumbled something into your chest. You took that as a yes.
āI think you donāt realize how much youāve saved me.ā
He looked up slightly.
āIāve had other relationships,ā you said. āOnes where I was constantly trying to be enough. To do enough. Say the right things. Wear the right clothes. But with you? I can just be. And you never make me feel like I have to be anything else.ā
He blinked at you, his eyes wide. He didnāt speak, so you cupped his cheek and leaned down until your lips brushed his.
āYouāre more than enough, Saitama. I wouldnāt trade your one-punch ass for the world.ā
He chuckled into the kiss, lips pressing against yours with a quiet desperation. Not heated. Not lustful. Just⦠needing.
When you pulled away, he sighed against your skin, forehead still pressed to your sternum.
āā¦What if I forget this tomorrow?ā he mumbled. āWhat if I start doubting it again?ā
You kissed the top of his head.
āThen Iāll tell you again. And again. Every time you need to hear it.ā
He was quiet for a long moment. Then he shifted, turning to the side and pulling you with him until the both of you were lying on the couch, tangled together. His head was still resting between your chest, arms wrapped tight around your middle like you were the only anchor in a sea of doubt.
āā¦Youāre warm,ā he murmured.
You smiled against his crown.
āSo are you.ā
And in that moment, you didnāt need anything else.
No grand gestures. No romantic getaways. Just the feel of his weight against you, the steady rhythm of your heartbeat, and the knowledge that no matter how many monsters he could punch away in one hitāthis was the one thing he couldnāt destroy.
Your love for him. Constant. Steady.
And entirely his.
When Circuits Slow Down
The heater clicked softly in the background.
Your apartment smelled like clean laundry and warm tea, with a faint edge of metal and engine oil. It always did when Genos was around. That subtle, sharp scent of burnt circuitry and ozoneālike heād been pushing himself too hard again. Like he hadnāt powered down properly since his last mission. Like he couldnāt stop working, couldnāt stop trying.
He was seated on the edge of your bed now, legs spread slightly, posture perfectāalways perfect, always stiff like he didnāt know how to relax in a space that was built to hold comfort. His hands rested on his thighs, metal fingers twitching once in a while. A nervous tic he didnāt even realize he had.
The TV played something faint in the living room. Youād left it on as background noise. Just voices, something human, something real to fill the silence he carried in with him.
You leaned on the doorframe, arms crossed lightly. Watching him.
He was looking down at the floor like it was going to give him answers.
āGenos.ā
He didnāt lift his head. His voice was low, even. āI didnāt mean to wake you.ā
āYou didnāt.ā You took a step forward, then another. āI was waiting for you.ā
Silence.
The kind that made your chest feel heavy.
You crossed the room slowly, dropping to your knees in front of him. His eyes lifted, finallyāthose glowing irises catching the low bedroom light. Even now, even like this, they were steady. Controlled. Every movement he made was deliberate. Calculated. He didnāt move an inch unless it was serving a purpose.
You reached for his hand. He didnāt pull away.
āBad fight?ā you asked.
He shook his head once. āIt was routine. No casualties.ā
āThen whatās wrong?ā
He hesitated.
You rubbed your thumb gently over the back of his hand, youād learned a long time ago how to read his tells. He never really relaxed. But you could tell when he was close. When he let himself be vulnerable. When he needed you.
And right now, he needed you, he just didnāt know how to say it.
āā¦I saw a couple today,ā he said quietly. āAt the station. Before the mission.ā
You waited, not interrupting.
āThey were just⦠talking. She was laughing. Touching his arm. He was smiling at her like nothing else in the world existed.ā His voice dropped, mechanical but somehow fragile. āAnd I realized Iāve never looked at you like that.ā
That caught you off guard.
You blinked. āWhat?ā
āI want to,ā he said, a little too fast. āI want to give you those things. That kind of life. But Iām notāā His jaw clenched. āIām not human.ā
Your stomach sank.
You sat back on your heels, hand still holding his. āGenosā¦ā
āI canāt give you warmth,ā he said. āOr grow old with you. Or hold you with real arms. Or kiss you without you tasting metal. I canāt give you a family. Or safety. Orāā He shut his eyes. āIām trying to be something better. Iām trying so hard. But Iāll never be enough for someone like you.ā
Your heart squeezed.
It wasnāt the first time heād said something like this. But it was the first time heād meant it like this.
So raw. So still. Like if you moved the wrong way, heād shut down entirely.
You stood slowly, easing yourself into his lap, straddling his thighs with your hands resting on his shoulders. He stiffened out of habit but didnāt stop you.
āGenos,ā you said softly. āLook at me.ā
He did.
You cupped his face gently, his expression was blank, but you could feel the tension in him, the confusion. The pain of not knowing how to feel something and the fear that if he did, he might break apart.
āI donāt need a normal life,ā you said. āI donāt need someone with a heartbeat or a future carved in stone or a perfect smile. I donāt even need to be looked at the way strangers do on TV.ā
Your fingers traced along the side of his face. āI need you. The person who sits up with me when I canāt sleep. Who remembers exactly how I like my tea. Who keeps spare clothes in his chest compartment just because he knows Iām forgetful. The man who lets me hold his hand when heās short-circuiting and lets me kiss him even when heās terrified Iāll think heās cold.ā
His breath hitched.
You leaned forward, pressing your forehead to his. āYouāre not broken, Genos. Youāre trying. That means more to me than anything else ever could.ā
His hands came up slowly, hesitantly, resting on your hips like he wasnāt sure he was allowed to touch you right now. Like he was afraid heād ruin the moment just by existing in it.
āYou could have anyone,ā he whispered.
āI chose you.ā
That made something inside him shift.
You felt his grip tighten, the lines in his shoulders ease just a little. You kissed the corner of his mouth, then leaned into his chest, letting your weight fall into him until he finallyāfinallyāwrapped his arms around you.
You didnāt say anything for a while. Just sat there, breathing with him. Letting the quiet settle between you like a blanket.
After a while, he spoke again. Softer.
āIām scared I wonāt be enough.ā
āYou already are,ā you murmured.
āAnd if I lose youāā
āYou wonāt.ā
He pressed his forehead to your shoulder.
You held him tighter.
That night, you let him power down beside you for the first time in days. He laid still while you traced every plate of metal, every scarred seam, every line he didnāt see as beautiful.
You made tea.
You left the window open a crack so the cold air would make it easier to snuggle under blankets.
He laid beside you, quiet, stiff, uncertain.
And you reached for him.
Draped your arm across his waist, rested your cheek against the smooth plate of his chest.
āYou know what I see when I look at you?ā you asked softly.
He looked down at you, hesitant.
You smiled against his chest. āI see someone who makes me feel safe. Someone who tries. Who never gives up. Someone who holds my world together even when he thinks heās falling apart.ā
āā¦That doesnāt sound like me,ā he whispered.
āIt is.ā
You pulled the blanket tighter.
āYou just havenāt learned how to see yourself the way I do yet.ā
Eventually, you both fell asleep like that.
You, breathing slow and steady against the cold metal of his frame.
And Genos, curled slightly around you, engines quiet, arms secure, systems dimmed low in the warmth of someone who saw himāand loved him anyway.
Gravity Doesnāt Hold Me Down, You Do
Tatsumaki wasnāt known for being gentle.
Or soft.
Or warm.
She was chaos in a small, compact frame. All power and sharp words, hair as wild as her temper, eyes glowing with authority. The world knew her as the Tornado of Terror, the psychic prodigy, the fearsome S-Class heroine who could rip apart entire cities with a thought if she was pushed far enough.
But you knew her differently.
Because behind closed doorsāwhen the world stopped demanding her strength, when she didnāt have to pretend to be invincibleāTatsumaki could melt.
And she melted only for you.
It was a slow, lazy afternoon. Rain tapping lightly against the windows of your shared apartment. The city below was muted, bathed in grays and mist, and even the usual sirens and chaos of hero life felt distant.
Tatsumaki hovered mid-air lazily, sprawled belly-down just a few feet above your couch. Her tiny frame was wrapped in one of your oversized sweatersāgreen, of course. Her bare legs kicked aimlessly in the air as she watched the television screen with half-lidded eyes, arms folded beneath her chin. She was pretending not to be sleepy, but you knew better. That sweater had always made her drowsy.
āYouāre gonna fall asleep midair again,ā you teased gently from where you sat beside her, pulling a fuzzy blanket over your legs.
She gave a little huff and squinted at you over her shoulder. āAm not. Iām just⦠recharging.ā Her voice was clipped but not cold, and you caught the way the corner of her mouth twitched upward.
āMmhm. Last time you ārechargedā you nearly dropped into the ramen bowl.ā
āShut up,ā she muttered, but she didnāt sound angry. In fact, she floated down until her head settled on your thigh, face half-buried into your lap, arms flopping limply. Her hair tickled your stomach, and her aura calmed until it was nearly imperceptible.
You didnāt say anything for a while, just ran your fingers through her wild, mint-green curls, letting the silence fill with softness. Tatsumaki let out a small sighāso soft you almost missed itāand nuzzled closer to your warmth.
These moments were rare. The world expected her to be a weapon. Unshakable. Alone. She was told she didnāt need anyone, that attachments were weaknesses. She had told herself the same, once.
And then⦠you.
You, with your steady hands, warm smiles, and refusal to fear her. You, who looked at her not like a ticking bomb but like a woman who got tired sometimes. You, who never tried to fix her or push her. Who let her float when she needed to float and held her when she needed anchoring.
Still, even in moments like this, when she was quiet and open and practically purring into your lap, you could feel itāthat little coil of tension beneath her skin. Something twisting. Something uncertain.
You traced a slow path down her spine, feeling the rigid set of her back despite her soft exterior. āTalk to me,ā you murmured.
āIām fine,ā she said immediately, voice muffled by your sweater.
Liar.
āOkay,ā you said, letting the word sit there. You didnāt push her. She hated that. But you kept petting her, slow and rhythmic, grounding.
āā¦Youāre being weird today,ā she mumbled after a while.
You raised a brow. āWeird how?ā
āI dunno. Youāre just⦠looking at me all soft.ā
You smiled. āI always look at you soft.ā
āTch. Gross.ā But her cheeks were tinged pink.
āMaybe Iām allowed to be a little gross with the person I love.ā
There it was. The flicker. Her body went still for a heartbeat too long. You didnāt stop running your fingers through her hair. You didnāt press. But you saw her eyes flick to the TV, then to the wall, then finally down to her own fingers as they toyed with the hem of your sweater.
āā¦Hey,ā she said eventually, voice quiet. āDo you⦠think Iām hard to love?ā
Your heart stuttered.
You turned off the TV with the remote and looked down at her, but her eyes wouldnāt meet yours. āTatsuā¦ā
She shifted on your lap, voice tight. āI donāt mean just now. I mean⦠in general. Always. I know Iām short and loud and annoying and kind of a bitchāā
āYouāre notāā
āāAnd I know I donāt act like other people do in relationships. I donāt say nice things all the time, I donāt really like touching peopleāexcept youāand Iāve done terrible stuff. I lose control. People hate me. I can feel it when they look at me. Like Iām just this⦠dangerous thing theyāre forced to tolerate. Even other heroes treat me like Iām some weapon they canāt point the wrong way.ā
She laughed, and it was hollow.
āSometimes I wonder if youāre just the only person dumb enough to think Iām worth it.ā
The words hit like cold water, and your chest ached just hearing them. You moved gently, urging her to sit up, and to your surprise, she let you. You cradled her face in your hands, her cheeks warm and pink, eyes glassy but defiant.
āTatsumaki,ā you said, voice firm. āyou are not hard to love. You are hard on yourself.ā
Her eyes flickered, lips parting slightly. You pressed your forehead to hers, breathing her in.
āI love you when youāre loud. I love you when youāre quiet. I love you when youāre mad, when youāre smug, when you curl up in my sweaters like theyāre your emotional support items. I love you when youāre throwing meteors at monsters and when youāre falling asleep on my lap. I love you.ā
She blinked quickly, trying to disguise it as irritation, but you saw the wetness gathering at the corners of her eyes.
āYou donāt have to act a certain way to deserve love, Tatsu. You are loveable. Exactly as you are.ā
Her lower lip trembled, and for a terrifying second, you thought she was going to float away. But instead⦠she launched herself at you, burying her face into your chest and wrapping her arms around your waist like a vice.
āā¦I donāt want to lose this,ā she whispered.
āYou wonāt.ā
āI donāt know how to be⦠normal.ā
āYou donāt need to be.ā
Silence. And then, muffled into your shoulder: āā¦You really love me?ā
You smiled, wrapping your arms around her small frame, rocking gently. āMore than anything, baby. You keep me grounded.ā
Tatsumaki snorted, the tiniest of laughs bubbling up. āThat was cheesy as hell.ā
āAnd you loved it.ā
āShut up,ā she whispered, clinging tighter. āā¦Donāt let me go.ā
āNever,ā you promised.
The rain kept falling, a soft lullaby for the two souls curled up togetherāone a storm of power barely contained, the other the eye of that storm.
And maybe Tatsumaki didnāt know how to say I love you in a thousand words. But she didnāt need to. Not when she said it in every act of trust, every moment she let herself be small, every time she let her guard down just for you.
Because some people love like sunshine.
Some love like spring rain.
But Tatsumaki?
She loved like a natural disasterāloud, wild, destructiveā
And you loved her with the kind of quiet that could hold all that power and still never flinch.
And together, you made your own kind of calm.
Too Fast to Catch, Except By You
Speed-oā-Sound Sonic was a blur.
A name whispered like a warning.
A blur of purple, danger, and death.
The shinobi no one could touch, the assassin who turned battle into ballet, the rogue who could outpace anyone but his own thoughts.
He was known as a ghost in the wind. Elusive. Untouchable. Cold.
Except with you.
With you, Sonic wasnāt a storm. He was a still night. A silent snowfall. A breath between heartbeats. The fleeting softness he never let the world see.
Because you⦠you caught him.
And he let you.
It was the kind of night you could only get away from the city. Quiet. Crickets chirping lazily in the tall grass, moonlight bleeding silver across the forest floor. You sat outside the small cabin heād whisked you away to for the weekāhidden, safe, and far from the chaos of heroes, villains, and Saitama-related rage fits.
You wore one of his tops, perfect for sleeping in. Your legs were curled beneath you on the wooden porch, a cup of tea warming your hands as the breeze tugged gently at your hair.
Thenālike alwaysāhe was suddenly there.
No sound. No footsteps. Just one moment empty air, and the next, Sonic crouched in front of you, sharp eyes scanning your face.
You didnāt flinch. You never did.
You simply smiled, soft and knowing. āHey.ā
He blinked once, twice. His expression didnāt change, but you saw itāthe tiny, nearly imperceptible release of tension in his shoulders. The faintest shift from combat-mode to something⦠gentler.
āā¦Hi,ā he said at last, his voice low, quiet.
You reached out, brushing a piece of windblown hair from his cheek. āRough night?ā
He didnāt answer at first. Just looked at you. That kind of long stare he only gave you when his head was full and his throat was heavy with unsaid things.
Then, without a word, he movedāand sat beside you, back against the porch railing, legs stretched out. His arm brushed yours. Close, but not clinging.
You waited. You always waited. And after a few minutes, he finally spoke.
āā¦Sometimes I think Iām a fool for this.ā
Your heart gave a small jolt. āFor what?ā
āThis,ā he gestured vaguely toward youāyour shared quiet, your closeness, the warmth of your hand near his. āYou. Us.ā
You turned to him fully, blinking. āWhy?ā
He didnāt look at you. His eyes were fixed somewhere deep in the trees. āBecause itās not what Iām built for. Iām a weapon. I was raised to kill. I sleep with a blade under my pillow. Iāve slit throats for less than the way you smile at me.ā
You were silent. You knew better than to interrupt. Sonic didnāt open up easily. His heart was a trap-rigged room, and you were one of the few ever invited in.
āIāve spent my life running. Fighting. Being feared. I donāt know how to be someoneās⦠person. Someoneās comfort. I donāt know how to stay.ā
He swallowed. His voice lowered.
āAnd I think⦠one day, youāll realize that. That Iām not normal. That Iām not good for you. That you deserve someone softer, safer.ā
Now your hand reached for his. He flinched at first, always a little shocked by gentle contact, but let you lace your fingers through his.
āDo you want me to leave?ā you asked softly.
His head snapped toward you, alarmed. āNoā!ā
āThen why are you trying to convince yourself I should?ā
That shut him up.
You scooted closer, letting your head rest against his shoulder. āSonic⦠loving you was never about finding someone normal. I donāt want soft and slow. I want you. All of you.ā
His throat worked in a tight swallow, and his brows drew together like he couldnāt decide if this was comforting or dangerous.
āI know youāve been through hell. I know you werenāt raised to be held. I know you see yourself as a weapon. But you are more than that. You are capable of love, of softness, of choosing something besides survival.ā
You looked up at him, and he looked like he was about to crack wide open. Not with tearsāhe didnāt cry. But with ache. The kind that crept behind the ribs and sank its claws in.
āAnd Iām not scared of you,ā you whispered. āNot your speed. Not your skills. Not your past. Iām not scared of the person you were, or the one youāre still becoming.ā
You kissed his knuckles. He was stone-still.
āYou donāt need to run anymore,ā you whispered. āYouāve already made it home.ā
And thatāthat was the breaking point.
Not a dramatic sob. Not a trembling gasp. Just Sonic slowly, cautiously, folding in on himself and letting his head rest against yours.
āā¦I donāt know how to be loved like this,ā he murmured.
āYou donāt have to know how,ā you said, pulling him gently into your lap, your fingers carding through his dark hair. āYou just have to let yourself be.ā
He clung to you tighter than any blade.
Later that night, when the cabin was wrapped in darkness and your heartbeat was a lullaby in the silence, Sonic lay in bed with his head on your chest. Your fingers trailed lightly over his back, and he breathedāslow, even, like someone learning peace one inhale at a time.
You felt his lips brush your collarbone.
āā¦Iām still dangerous,ā he whispered.
You smiled, kissed the top of his head. āThen be dangerous for me.ā
And for once, Speed-oā-Sound Sonicāthe untouchable, the lightning bolt, the living bladeādidnāt run.
He stayed.
He chose to stay.
With you.
Even Monsters Need Love
Garou never really figured out how this happened.
Not the monster stuffāthat part he knew. He had reasons, motives, a whole philosophy tattooed into the marrow of his bones. The world was rotten, heroes were glorified bullies, and heād made it his personal mission to flip the damn system on its head. He was going to show the world what it really looked like when the "villain" won.
No, what he didnāt understand was you.
You, with your soft voice and stubborn patience. You, who somehow saw past the blood and the bounties and the entire list of Class S heroes who wanted to take his head off like a prize.
You, who fed him when he was starving, patched him up when he shouldāve been dead, and told himāstraight-faced and infuriatingly sincereāthat he wasnāt a monster.
Youād stayed.
Even when he told you to leave.
That was months ago now.
Now you were living in some busted, half-forgotten hideout heād fixed up with stolen supplies and calloused hands. The place looked like hell from the outside, and the inside wasnāt much betterāexcept for the couch you insisted on cleaning, the half-functioning kitchen you somehow made magic in, and the pile of blankets on the mattress where you slept tangled up in each other every night.
It wasnāt romantic in the storybook sense.
Garou didnāt whisper poetry. He didnāt make grand gestures or write love letters or light candles for dinner. What he did do was pull you behind him when trouble showed up. What he did do was fight harder when he knew you were watching. What he did do was come homeābloodied, bruised, bone-tiredāand collapse into your arms like you were the only safe place left in the world.
He never said āI love you.ā
But he looked at you like the words were burning in his throat.
Tonight felt heavier than usual.
He hadnāt said much since he stumbled through the door, and that wasnāt too out of characterāGarou didnāt talk much after fightsābut this time was different. You could tell from the way he moved. Not just tired. Dragging.
His shoulders were hunched. His eyes werenāt focused. He dropped his jacket on the floor, didnāt bother with food or water, and slumped onto the couch without a word.
You approached slowly, carefully, like you would a wounded animal. Which, honestly, wasnāt far off.
āYouāre back early,ā you said, keeping your voice quiet.
He didnāt answer.
You sat down beside him, close but not touching, giving him space to come to you on his own. Sometimes he needed that. Sometimes he didnāt know how to ask for comfort.
Minutes passed like hours.
Finally, his voice cracked the silence.
āI got my ass handed to me.ā
You blinked. āGarouā¦ā
āDidnāt even stand a fuckinā chance.ā His voice was low, tight, almost hoarse. āDidnāt matter how fast I was, or how hard I hit. They wiped the floor with me.ā
You reached out, brushing your fingers against his arm.
āAre you hurt?ā
He shook his head. āNot really. Just⦠bruised. But itās not about that.ā
You waited.
He exhaledāharsh, frustratedāand leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands raking through his silver hair. He looked like he wanted to rip it out by the roots.
āTell me something,ā he muttered. āWhy the fuck are you still here?ā
That made you freeze.
āā¦What?ā
He looked at you thenāreally looked. His eyes were tired. Raw. No bravado. No smirk. No sarcastic quip. Just Garou, stripped down to nothing but skin and scars.
āI keep coming back half-dead, covered in blood, talking about tearing down the whole goddamn world. I scare people. I scare myself sometimes. And you⦠you just keep being here.ā
His voice cracked on the last word, and he clenched his fists, like he was trying to hold himself together.
āI donāt get it. I donāt deserve it. Iām not a hero. Iām not even a good person. I donāt do flowers, or dates, or soft bullshit. Iām angry all the time. Iāve killed things. People. You know that.ā
You moved before he could spiral further, climbing into his lap and cupping his face in your hands, forcing him to look at you.
āYou donāt scare me, Garou.ā
His jaw clenched. āYou should.ā
āI donāt.ā
āWhy not?ā he barked, voice rising. āYou should! Iām the fuckinā Human Monster! Iāmāā
āYouāre Garou.ā
You didnāt yell. You didnāt match his volume. You just said it like it was the simplest truth in the world.
āYouāre Garou. Youāre stubborn, and reckless, and too proud for your own good. You donāt know how to sit still, and you punch holes in walls when youāre mad, and you act like you donāt care even when you care so damn much it eats you alive.ā
Your voice softened, but your hands didnāt leave his face.
āAnd I love you for all of it. Not because youāre perfect. Not because youāre soft. But because you fight so hard to be something different, even when the world tells you you canāt.ā
He stared at you like youād cracked open his ribcage and were holding his heart in your palms.
āI love you when you win. I love you when you lose. I love you when you come home limping and pissed and bleeding, because you came home. Because you chose me. Again and again.ā
Tears werenāt something Garou did. Not really.
But his throat bobbed like he was swallowing back something big and painful, and his hands gripped your waist like if he let go, he might fall apart.
āIām not good at this,ā he mumbled.
āYou donāt have to be.ā
āI donāt know how to be⦠enough.ā
You leaned in, resting your forehead against his.
āYouāre already more than enough. Just like this.ā
He didnāt answer right away. Just breathed. Let it wash over him. And then, slowly, his arms slid around you, pulling you close, burying his face in your neck like he was hiding.
āā¦Stay with me.ā
āAlways.ā
You didnāt move for a long time. You stayed there with him on the couch, the night stretching around you both like a blanket. Eventually, he started to talkānot about the fight, but about the thoughts that kept him up at night. The way he never felt like anything he did mattered. The way people looked at him like he was broken. The way he wanted to believe you, but didnāt know how.
And you listened.
You didnāt try to fix it. You didnāt tell him to stop feeling it. You just stayed. Held him through the worst of it. Let him fall apart in pieces instead of shattering alone.
And in that moment, he realized something.
You werenāt a weakness.
You werenāt a distraction.
You were the only thing in this whole shitty, bloodstained world that made him want to be something more.
Not a monster.
Not a hero.
Just⦠a man.
Your man.
And that, maybe, was the scariest thing of all.
But for once, it didnāt make him want to run.
It made him want to stay.
More Than a Pretty Face
People called her The Blizzard of Hell.
Sharp. Commanding. Beautiful in that untouchable, ice-queen way. Her reputation stormed ahead of herācalculated, driven, deadly.
And when you first met her, she was all those things.
Fubuki didnāt let people in. She didnāt need to. Not when she had psychic prowess, designer heels, and a perfectly tailored reputation.
But then you⦠happened.
You, with your warmth. Your laughter. Your stupid nicknames. The way you called her āpretty ladyā drove her insane. Until it didnāt.
Until she found herself missing the sound of your voice when she went a day without hearing it. Until she started saving you the best parts of her favorite pastries. Until her team started whispering about how she actually smiled now and then.
And now, she was yours.
FubukiāThe Blizzard of Hellāwas yours. Lip gloss kisses and all.
It was supposed to be a lazy evening. Just the two of you tangled up on her couch, some trashy drama show playing in the background, your head in her lap and her fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on your arm.
You were mid-sentence about something dumbāprobably that actor you claimed was ādefinitely into older women and you could fix himāāwhen her touch faltered.
You blinked up at her. āWhatās wrong?ā
Fubuki hesitated, fingers frozen on your skin. Her eyes werenāt on youāthey were distant, unfocused.
āā¦Do you ever feel like Iām just⦠a package?ā
Your eyebrows drew together. āWhat?ā
She swallowed. Her voice, when she spoke again, was quieter than you were used to. Like it was fighting past the steel-reinforced pride in her chest.
āI mean, likeājust something nice to look at. Big boobs, pretty face, expensive clothes. Like thatās all people see when they look at me. When they talk to me. Even when they date me.ā
Your heart twinged.
You sat up slowly, the show still playing forgotten behind you. āFubukiā¦ā
She turned her face away, eyes locked on some invisible thread of thought across the room. āEveryone treats me like Iām a prize. Like Iām just this image. If Iām not perfectly put together, Iām failing. If Iām not powerful enough, pretty enough, impressive enough, then Iām⦠disposable.ā
Her lip trembled. Just barely.
āAnd sometimes I wonder if⦠even you will start to see me that way, too.ā
And damn, didnāt that shatter you.
You reached for her handsāthose perfectly manicured, strong handsāand held them between yours.
āFubuki. Babe. My beautiful gorgeous little drama queen.ā
That almost got a smile. Almost.
You leaned in, cupping her face gently. āYou think I fell in love with you because of your looks? Your clothes? Your titties?ā
She gave you a sharp look. āDonāt call them that when Iām being vulnerable.ā
You laughed softly. āOkay, okay. Iām serious though.ā
Your voice dropped, gentle but firm.
āI love you because youāre you. Because you fight like hell to protect peopleāeven when they donāt say thank you. Because you pretend youāre fine when youāre not, and still find a way to win. Because you let your team believe youāre invincible so they can feel safe.ā
You brushed your thumb along her cheek.
āAnd because when itās just us, you let yourself rest. You let yourself be. You let me see the real you. The scared you. The messy you. The one who steals my hoodies and talks shit during movies and eats dessert first.ā
Her lashes fluttered, tears trembling there but not falling.
āI donāt want the image of Fubuki. I want you. The woman who gets overwhelmed. Who doubts herself. Who cries sometimes, and still wakes up the next day in six-inch heels and runs a team of psychics like a goddess.ā
You kissed her knuckles.
āIām not going anywhere. Not for the glamour. Not for the boobs. Not even for the killer legs.ā
She sniffed. āThey are killer, though.ā
You grinned. āOh, absolutely. Theyāre criminal. But thatās just the icing. You? Youāre the whole damn cake.ā
That did it.
She finally smiled, watery and fierce and beautiful. And then, without warning, she leaned in and hugged you tightāarms wrapped around your waist, face buried in your shoulder.
āI hate when you say corny stuff like that,ā she muttered.
āI know,ā you whispered, pressing a kiss into her hair. āBut it makes you feel better.ā
āā¦Yeah. It does.ā
You held her close, running your fingers down her back, feeling the tension bleed out of her bit by bit.
Later, youād help her take off her makeupāsomething she never let anyone doāand sheād lean into your hands like it was the first time in her life someone had ever touched her like she was soft instead of strong.
And as you climbed into bed together, her curled against your chest with her eyeliner faint on your pillow, she whispered:
āThank you.ā
You kissed her forehead.
āAlways, baby.ā
And if your hand drifted a little to those famous..assests while you cuddled?
Well. You were only human.
All This Steel, Still Soft for You
Youād seen him take down monsters the size of buildings with nothing but a metal bat and a whole lot of bad attitude.
Youād watched him charge headfirst into fights with blood in his mouth and a wild grin like he dared death to try him.
Youād seen the bruises. The limps. The bloody knuckles. The stubborn tilt of his chin as he spat red and swore he was fine.
But thisāthis right here?
This was the softest youād ever seen Metal Bat.
Flat on his stomach on the couch, cheek squished against your thigh, hair sticking up in all directions, mumbling complaints while you gingerly dabbed antiseptic on a cut across his back.
āThis stings worse than the fight,ā he grunted, flinching slightly.
āMaybe if you dodged once in a while, you wouldnāt need me to patch you up every other day,ā you said, voice teasing but gentle.
He glanced back at you with one eye, the red of it still a little bloodshot from the last punch he took. āCanāt dodge. Thatād be like⦠insultinā the guy. I gotta take it head-on, yāknow? Respect.ā
You gave him a look. āRespect doesnāt mean letting yourself get turned into street pizza, Badd.ā
āEh,ā he grunted again, but there was a little smile tugging at his lips now.
Youād been dating Metal Bat for over a year. What started as flirty banter in a ramen shop turned into real dates, and those turned into slow mornings, dumb arguments over laundry, falling asleep with his arms around you and his snoring rattling your skull.
He was a lot. Loud, brash, bold. The kind of guy who punched first and didnāt even bother with questions later. Protective to a fault. Loyal beyond reason. And when he lovedāgod, did he love hard.
But tonight⦠something was off.
You noticed it after you finished patching him up. He didnāt bounce back like usual, didnāt sit up and demand snacks or tug you into his lap like a human teddy bear.
No. He just stayed there, head down, cheek still pressed against your leg. Quiet.
āā¦Badd?ā you asked softly, brushing your fingers through his wild black hair. āYou okay?ā
He let out a long sigh through his nose.
āDo you ever think Iām not⦠enough for you?ā
Your heart nearly stopped.
āWhat?ā
He finally turned, sitting up slowly. His battered body creaked in protest, but he didnāt seem to care. His eyesāalways full of fireāwere dimmer now. Heavy.
āI meanā¦ā He scrubbed a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated with himself. āYouāre this smart, sweet person. Youāve got your shit together. You donāt need someone who comes home covered in monster guts and smells like alleyway blood. You could have some doctor or a lawyer orāhell, a normal guy.ā
You stared at him, stunned. āBadd, where is this coming from?ā
He shrugged, eyes on the floor. āI dunno. Just⦠was watchinā you clean up the apartment earlier. Youāre always takinā care of me. I donāt bring much to the table besides beinā strong and, like, really good at swinging bats.ā
You reached out and cupped his face before he could spiral deeper.
āBadd.ā
He glanced at you.
āYou bring everything to the table.ā
He looked skeptical. You didnāt blame him. You knew how he saw himselfājust muscle, temper, and instinct. A big brother first, a fighter second, and somewhere way down the list, a man worthy of love.
But you werenāt letting him believe that tonight.
āYou think I care about some guy in a suit? I chose you. Loudmouth, reckless, headstrong, bat-swinging you. You know why?ā
He blinked. āWhy?ā
āBecause no oneās ever made me feel as safe as you do. No oneās ever fought for me the way you do. You show up. You listenāeven if you suck at it sometimes. You protect whatās important. And you love with your whole damn chest, Badd.ā
You brushed your thumb over the edge of a bruise on his cheekbone.
āYou love me like Iām something worth protecting. And that means more to me than any calm, clean, normal guy ever could.ā
He was quiet for a long time. His lips parted like he was gonna say something, but all that came out was a shaky breath.
Then he grabbed you.
Not roughlyānot like his usual grab-you-and-toss-you-on-the-bed kind of hug. No, this was different. Slower. Almost hesitant. Like he was worried you might change your mind mid-squeeze.
You wrapped your arms around his neck and tugged him down into your lap.
āStay here tonight,ā you whispered, knowing damn well heād already planned to.
His arms tightened around you like steel beams.
āā¦I love ya,ā he mumbled into your shoulder, voice rough.
āI love you too,ā you said. āEven when you smell like monster guts.ā
He snorted. āHey, thatās my cologne.ā
āEw.ā
āLimited edition.ā
You giggled, and he nuzzled deeper into your neck, the kind of sigh falling from his lips that only came when he truly let himself relax.
Later, youād fall asleep with him wrapped around you like a human furnace, his bat leaning against the nightstand, your fingers tangled in his messy hair. Youād wake up to him cooking the worldās ugliest pancakes and trying not to burn the apartment down.
But tonight, all that mattered was the weight of his heart finally resting in your hands. And youād hold it like the precious thing it was.
I loved Ep.6. The pacing, the action, Flug's past, FLUG IN ACTION!! It wrapped up a whole new season very well. So I came up with my usual design for Flug's face during battle š
(every year, i get so confused whenever my notifs go crazy cuz someone just randomly digs deep into my twitter archive and rts my skts art from way back in 2020 and i end up feeling very nostalgic and miss them
so here i am, 4 years later finally drawing them again together as an offering to that nostalgia HAHA)
It is somewhat remarkable how much can change in a few years: Motoko is not just an EXPLICIT lesbian in the new Ghost in the Shell adaptation, but also a BOTTOM.
They really took EXTRA EFFORT to make this scene SIGNIFICANTLY MORE lesbian as compared to the 2 pages (or rather, 3-4 panels) it had in the original manga:
Imagine having THAT depicted in an anime 20 years ago that would have been - rightfully - presumed to be the iconic flagship show of the entire season, and that purely on the whim of the studio direction without being able to hide behind the source material.
Science Saru really said "I know artists who use subtext and they are all cowards" and proceeded to devote almost two whole minutes of the episode to making sure everyone knows just how much of a lesbian Motoko is. Quite a difference to the intentionally strong asexual depiction in the 90s movie.
gentle reminder that if u feel hungry soon after eating, it might be bc youāre eating mostly carbs without adding enough protein. try eating a handful of nuts or smthing alongside your next meal.
and you donāt have to change the recipe or anything! you can eat what you were going to, just add some cheese cubes or a handful of nuts or salami slices on the side. u donāt have to change your meals, just add a little extra protein
thats nice but what do I need to do If I wake up around 3 am every other night with an unquenchable hunger for flesh even tho I ate normal balanced meals trough the day?
another way to manage the undying hunger for flesh is to eat 15-20 live crickets. their souls are weaker than most other animals that size but they are easy to get a hold of and have the best flavor
I hate you Ozempic craze I hate you 'heroin chic' I hate you weight loss ads on public radio I hate Burn Fat Fast ads every thirty seconds I hate you I hate you I hate you
I grew up before the term 'thigh gap' was invented I grew up before 'hip dip' was invented I was born before 'muffin top' was a thing before 'clean girl look' was a thing before 'glass skin' was a thing before razoring off peach fuzz was a thing and I'm so so so fucking tired of us inventing new concepts purely for the purpose of convincing people to hate their own bodies enough to buy products
Last time Tuberculosis ran through the USA a small number of people got it on purpose to look skinny and waifish and delicate and used makeup to look flushed and bony and when the Victorians figured out tapeworms people would infect themselves on purpose to starve themselves smaller and women and now in the year of our lord 2026 there is a noticeable fraction of the USAmerican population genuinely thrilled about a treatment-resistant microbial parasite that makes you shit and vomit your brains out for a month because side effects include weight loss and STILL we talk about being skinny like it's the natural default setting for all healthy people as if it's a self-sustaining standard and not an imaginary goal that we are constantly constantly constantly beating ourselves with a whip to acheive