Summary: Nobu finds strength and courage during a deadly game thanks to his confident girlfriend’s unwavering support.
Word count: 631
Nobu always felt out of place around you.
Not because you made him uncomfortable — in fact, it was the opposite. You carried yourself like you belonged anywhere, like the world bent slightly to make room for you. The way you laughed, teased, or even stood with your chin high—it was magnetic. And he, with his awkward silences and uncertain steps, always wondered how someone like you could choose someone like him.
Tonight, sitting on the edge of the rooftop in the Borderlands, the two of you watched the distant flickers of neon signs from abandoned buildings. The air was heavy with the possibility of another game call, but you leaned back on your hands, unconcerned.
“You’re staring again,” you said, eyes sliding over to him.
Nobu flushed, quickly looking away. “Sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“You don’t need to apologize,” you interrupted, voice confident but not unkind. “You always look at me like I’ve got the answers. I don’t. I just… know how to fake it better than you.”
That stung in a strange way. Nobu had spent years feeling invisible, like he was fumbling his way through life. Here, in the Borderlands, that hadn’t changed. But you — you moved like you trusted yourself, even when the games stacked the odds against you.
“I don’t think you’re faking,” he admitted, voice soft.
Your lips curved. “That’s because you actually see me.”
The silence that followed was comfortable. A rare thing here. Then, as if summoned, the blaring chime of the next game announcement shattered it. A direction arrow lit up in the distance, red and unrelenting.
You hopped up immediately, dusting off your jeans. “Come on, Nobu. Let’s show them what we’ve got.”
He hesitated, heart thundering. Every game brought him back to that helpless feeling, the weight of mistakes, the reminder of how fragile he was. He thought of the Sacred Fortunes game, the heat of flaming arrows searing too close. He thought of failing.
Your hand appeared in front of him, palm steady, fingers spread. “Hey. You’re not alone.”
Something steadied inside him. You weren’t afraid to be loud, to lead, to push forward. And maybe he couldn’t be like that, not yet. But he could match his steps to yours. He slid his hand into yours, surprised by how firmly you squeezed.
The game turned out to be one of endurance — a maze where walls shifted with every wrong move, threatening to crush those who hesitated too long. People panicked, running blindly. You, however, strode forward with confidence, analyzing patterns, barking quick instructions.
“Left next. Don’t stop. Trust me.”
And he did. Every time your voice cut through the chaos, he listened. His chest burned, legs ached, but he stayed at your side. When a section of the wall began closing faster than expected, he froze for a split second—until you shoved him forward with a grin.
“Move it, Nobu! You’re faster than you think.”
He stumbled through, heart racing, just as the wall slammed shut behind him. You followed right after, laughing breathlessly.
By the end, when the victory fireworks burst across the sky, he was shaking — not from fear, but adrenaline, relief, and something else. You leaned against him, sweaty and triumphant.
“See? You don’t give yourself enough credit,” you said. “You’re braver than you think.”
He looked at you, really looked, and something clicked. Maybe he wasn’t like you—confident, sure, unshakable—but he didn’t have to be. With you beside him, he could learn.
“Only because you’re here,” he whispered.
You smirked, brushing his hair out of his face. “Then I guess you’re stuck with me, huh?”
For the first time in a long time, Nobu didn’t feel like apologizing for wanting something. He only smiled back, quiet but certain. “I hope so.”
Reader and Nobu meet at a depression support group. After sharing their experiences to the group, they get a chance to properly introduce themselves at the end of the meeting.
Word Count: 1.5K
Trigger Warning in place for those affected by depression, self-harm, and s-cide. Please take care of your mental health and do not interact with this post if you may be triggered by these themes.
a/n: as someone who has struggled with their mental health Nobu as a character really spoke to me. I viewed him as incredibly strong on top of being a likeable character. Just had to write a fic for him that felt fully connected to his backstory. - E🌻
AIB MASTERLIST
TAG LIST - if you would like to join the tag list for my AIB fics, leave a comment on this post or drop me a DM x
“I just want to remind everyone before we start today's session that this is a safe space, free of judgement.” Your ex-therapist had signposted you to this particular depression support group after you had ended your course of treatment with them. It was your first session, you were extremely anxious and didn't feel like sharing at all. Despite the hard work you had put in with your weekly therapy sessions to get to a place where you could see the light at the end of the tunnel, beginning to recover and learn to better manage your depression, you still decided to attend this support group on the off chance it could provide you something therapy might have missed. “I see we have some new faces joining us today. Welcome!”
Your face reddened as you felt the glances of other members sitting in the circle of plastic chairs. Giving an awkward smile to the man directly opposite you, receiving one in return you wondered if he was also new. It certainly seemed that way as he shuffled in his seat and avoided eye contact with others. The signs of low self-esteem were there in the way he held himself, shoulders hunched to make him seem smaller than he actually was, to take up less room that he probably felt he wasn’t worthy of. You were familiar with the feeling but it was something you had worked hard to challenge. That feeling of inferiority, of unworthyness was one that had been with you since you could remember and meant you had allowed people to walk all over you because of it.
You had suffered from depression since high school. The immense pressure of exceeding academically from your parents as well as the ups and downs of friendships had mentally drained you. It was a numbness that took over, cancelling out every other emotion and making your movements sluggish. Interactions you once looked forward to now became a pointless chore without meaning. Even eating was a task that held zero enjoyment, no longer did your mind register hunger and so you spent days eating the bare minimum before crawling back into bed and falling asleep waiting for yet another day to pass. That was when your friends had staged an intervention of sorts. At the time it had felt like an ambush, a way for them to voice all the issues they had with you and add to the negativity that hung over you like a dark storm cloud. Looking back, you knew it was genuine concern for your wellbeing. I wonder who he has supporting him? You couldn't help but think as your gaze settled on the man across from you. He was cute, with boyish features and plump pink lips. His hair was parted down the middle and looked incredibly soft.
As the session continued your mind wandered, drifting to far off places before you were brought crashing back down into reality by a sweet, timid voice.
“Erm, hi…my name’s Nobu.”
“Hi Nobu.” The echoing reply said in perfect unison by everyone in the circle seemed to remind the man, Nobu, that he was indeed highlighting his presence to a whole bunch of strangers. He seemed to hesitate a moment before doubling down and sharing the reason why he was here.
“I…I wasn’t going to do this. Come here tonight I mean, let alone speaking out like this.” His bravery was touching and you found yourself sitting up straighter and giving him your full attention.
“Take your time Nobu, there’s no rush.” The facilitator reassured him and he nodded before taking a breath and continuing.
“I’ve suffered from depression for years. I didn't really recognise it as that when I was in highschool, just put it down to the stress of exams, keeping up with the drama that comes with friendship groups, and my Dad left around that time. But…” He stuttered slightly, clearly struggling to admit the next part aloud. “I know now that all I did was shove my emotions down into a tiny box and leave them there to fester.”
You found yourself nodding along in agreement. From personal experience you could relate heavily to the idea of ignoring your emotions in favour of pretending that everything was okay.
“Clearly that didn't work since I'm here right now.” Nobu gave a tiny self-depricating laugh, glancing up and briefly meeting your eyes. You gave a reassuring smile, encouraging him to continue. “I did this to myself.” He held up his wrist, showing everyone a thin but deep scar, your own throbbed in response to the visual reminder of the memory.
“I wasn't tryng to-you know-kill myself or anything. I was just so sick of feeling numb. I needed to feel something. Anything! Even if it was painful.” Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill over and run rivers down his cheeks. “My Mum found me in the bathroom, she screamed and cried and I had no idea what to say.”
A heartbreaking sob broke free from his mouth and the tears that had clung to his tear ducts finally fell, seemingly endless. “The worst thing for me isn't that I hurt myself, it's the fact that I've put so much stress on her. That I've burdened her so terribly.” Nobu was given a polite moment of silence to compose himself.
“Thank you for sharing Nobu, that took courage. Let's all give Nobu a round of applause for his bravery.” The facilitator led the clapping and everyone quickly followed, voicing their praise and reassurance to the man. You also clapped politely but decided to find him after the session to give your praise privately.
The last rays of sunlight hit his features, making Nobu look angelic as he stared off into the distance. He was pretty in a way you thought impossible as you exited the building where the meeting had taken place. It had been your intention to catch Nobu for the last five minutes of the session but he had rushed off to the bathroom before you could even take a step towards him. Now it seemed like you had a chance.
“Hey.” He startled at your unexpected greeting, spinning around to face you before relaxing.
“Oh, hi!”
“I, erm, just wanted to say I found what you had to say really brave. And that I related a lot.” You awkwardly smiled, unsure if it was appropriate to say to a complete stranger. Nobu flushed at the unexpected compliment and smiled back timidly.
“Thanks, I was super nervous but I think being around people who understand helped with that.” You shared a knowing look before standing next to him in companionable silence. Taking a deep breath you decided to take a chance and ask something you would usually avoid.
“We could maybe get a coffee sometime?” Nobu looked stunned but pleasantly surprised at the offer.
“Are you-are you sure?”
“Yeah of course! But no pressure.” You backtracked slightly, trying to make Nobu as comfortable as possible in this moment.
“No, of course I want to!” He waved his hands in front of him to emphasise the fact that he was super excited at the idea of meeting with a beautiful woman. “Here, let me give you my number.”
After exchanging phone numbers you and Nobu parted ways with shy but eager smiles, promising to arrange something soon.
As Nobu walked away, he couldn’t help but smile wider than he had in months. An attractive woman had not only acknowledged his presence, but had actually agreed to meet up with him in the future. He'd gotten her number! Sure he would probably see you at the support group every week, but this felt more personal. Like you had a genuine interest in him.
Would texting her tonight come off as needy?
As he reached for his phone to do just that, someone suddenly bumped into him. Knocked off balance Nobu quickly stood straight before turning to the stranger and bowing in apology.
“Oh god, I'm so sorry sir. I wasn't paying attention.” The man seemed totally unaffected by this, merely smirking and standing with his hands in the blue suit pants he wore. Something about his stare was off, his eyes cold and shark-like despite the outward appearance. Nobu was immediately on edge.
“No worries.” And the man held out his hand, a card presented to him. A moment's pause before Nobu hesitantly reached out and took the card.
“I look forward to seeing you play again very soon.” Another smirk and the man continued to walk past Nobu at a leisurely pace before he turned a corner and vanished out of sight. Thoroughly confused, Nobu looked down and was greeted by a playing card, the joker specifically. He scoffed, about to throw it away before his phone buzzed with a notification.
“I'm glad we met tonight. Can’t wait to grab that coffee!” Nobu’s smile returned and he stuffed the playing card into the pocket of his jacket, thoughts of the strange man quickly forgotten.
“Me too! Does Monday work for you?”
“Definitely!”
Little did either of you know, Nobu wouldn't make it to that date.
Dividers by @dividers-are-us
Tag list: @zmbiegrltori, @stxr-lilac, @cookiesandcream000 (tagging you as promised!)
I do not own any of the pictures found in this post.
Nobu (AIB) headcanons pretty please with a cherry on top? 😸😸
Regressor! Nobu Headcanons
•He’s a toddler/kid regressor, so his age range is around the ages of 2-7! He usually stays around 4-6 though.
•He’s a very playful little guy, especially when he’s more towards the older side of his regression. He loves running around and going outside to play.
•When he’s feeling a little smaller than normal, he’s typically more calm. He likes to sit with his caregiver and cuddle up with them.
•Depending on what age he’s regressed to and/or how he’s feeling, he can be either super talkative or he just doesn’t talk at all. He’s typically more talkative the older he is.
•He can definitely be very sensitive when he’s little. He cries and gets upset easily, but on the bright, he’s pretty easy to cheer up. He also doesn’t have tantrums at all when he’s upset, the most he’ll do is just cry.
•He has a huge collection of stuffed animals. He always carries around a stuffed animal with him too, and gets so excited whenever he’s gifted a new plushie.
•He also really likes stickers and has a bunch of sticker books. He liked putting them on random things, like his toys, plushies, clothes, sippy cups, etc. He’ll also randomly go over to his caregiver(s) and put a sticker on them as well.
•He has a preference for sippy cups over bottles, he’ll rarely use bottles. The only time he does is when he’s at his littlest age and he’s given a bottle for bedtime, but other than that, he doesn’t really use them.
•It definitely takes him a while to get used to having a caregiver. He’s a bit embarrassed by his regression and gets anxious about being made fun of for it/the way he acts. He’s pretty shy at first, but once he gets comfortable around them, he can be very outgoing.
•He’s just the sweetest little guy ever. He’s always trying to help out his caregiver(s) with whatever they’re doing, and if someone else is regressed with him and wanting to play with him, he’s always making sure they’re included with what he’s doing.
•He’s also very good at following rules too. He never does anything he’s not supposed to and is always on his best behavior.
•He has a habit of chewing on his fingers, so he does have a lot of different types of teethers/chewing toys. He does have some pacifiers too, but he doesn’t use them super often, he’ll usually only use them for bedtime or when he’s around 2-3.
Summary: After surviving the Borderland, you reunite with Nobu in Tokyo. Both haunted by trauma, you slowly rebuild your lives together, finding comfort, healing, and the first spark of love in each other’s quiet company.
Word count: 741
Notes: should I do a part 2??
The world felt too bright now. Too loud, too alive.
Nobu had said that once—back when you’d first seen him again after the Borderland—and you’d never forgotten it.
You spotted him on a cold afternoon in Shibuya, the kind where the air bit at your skin and the streets glowed with neon against grey skies. He was crossing the street alone, hands stuffed in his jacket pockets, eyes fixed on the ground. The last time you’d seen him, his clothes were blood-stained and his voice hoarse from screaming.
Now he looked… different. Lighter. But the shadow in his gaze hadn’t disappeared.
“Nobu?” you called before you could stop yourself.
He turned, startled, and for a second, you saw a flicker of recognition. “Y/n?” His voice was soft, disbelieving. “You’re—alive.”
You laughed shakily. “Guess we both are.”
The two of you ended up in a quiet café nearby, one that smelled of coffee and vanilla. The clatter of cups and soft chatter filled the silence you were too afraid to break.
You wrapped your hands around your mug, trying to warm your fingers. “How… have you been?”
Nobu hesitated. “Trying,” he admitted. “Some days I wake up and I still think I’m there. I hear the beeps. The gunshots. The screaming.” He took a breath. “But then my mum knocks on my door and tells me to get up, and I remember. It’s over.”
Your chest ached. “You’re back in school, right? Architecture?”
That got a faint smile out of him. “Yeah. I wanted to build something that lasts. Something that doesn’t kill anyone.”
You smiled, a little wobbly. “That sounds perfect.”
He studied you quietly for a moment. “What about you?”
“I’m… figuring things out.” You glanced out the window. “After everything, normal life feels fake sometimes. Like any second, someone will shout that there’s another game starting.”
Nobu nodded slowly, his gaze distant. “I know that feeling.”
The silence that followed wasn’t awkward—just heavy. But when he reached across the table and placed his hand over yours, it eased something deep inside you. His touch was warm, steady, real.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he said quietly. “I thought I was the only one who remembered.”
You squeezed his hand back. “You’re not alone, Nobu.”
After that day, you started meeting more often. Sometimes it was for coffee. Sometimes just a walk around the city when the noise in your heads got too loud.
He told you about his classes—about learning how to draw clean lines, design safe spaces, and how he wanted to make buildings that “felt like breathing.” You told him about how you still woke up sweating from nightmares, and how sometimes you avoided crowded places because they reminded you of the games.
You didn’t always talk about the Borderland, but it hung between you like an invisible scar.
One evening, you found yourselves walking near the river. The city lights shimmered on the water, and a faint breeze tugged at your sleeves. Nobu walked beside you, shoulders hunched, eyes on the ground.
“Do you ever think about why we were there?” you asked softly.
He exhaled slowly. “Every day. But I stopped trying to find a reason.”
You turned to look at him. “Why?”
“Because maybe there isn’t one,” he said simply. “Maybe all that matters is what we do after.”
Something in your chest tightened. He looked so sincere—like he’d aged years since you’d first met. “And what do you want to do after?” you whispered.
He smiled faintly, almost shy. “I want to live. For real this time. I want to build things. Help people. Maybe even be happy.”
You smiled back. “That sounds like a good plan.”
He hesitated, then glanced at you. “Maybe I want you there too.”
You stopped walking, blinking. “Me?”
His ears turned pink. “You kept me human back there. You made me remember there was still good left. I—” He faltered, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know what this is, but when I see you, I feel… safe. And I haven’t felt that in a long time.”
Your heart skipped. For a second, the world went quiet—just the soft ripple of water and the faint hum of the city.
You stepped closer, close enough that your shoulders brushed. “Then don’t overthink it,” you said softly. “We’ll figure it out together.”
He looked at you then—really looked—and for the first time since the Borderland, he smiled fully. Not the polite kind. Not the fragile one. A real smile.
“Okay,” he whispered. “Together.”
You leaned your head against his shoulder as you walked. The city lights glimmered ahead, the sound of life buzzing all around you.
For the first time in forever, it didn’t feel like survival.
