WELL SINCE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HIM can I get 'hey… no tears, alright? this isn’t goodbye.' for Epel? thanks girl nfgdhlk
HELL YEAH YOU CAN. I'm in a particularly angsty mood so this was perfect timing lmao.
I think way too much about how everyone would react to MC going home so this thing practically wrote itself.
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You’re leaving.
You’ve been in this world for so long that it’s almost impossible for Epel to remember a time when you weren’t there. You, that stubborn prefect who got dragged into everyone else’s problems, who butted heads with the world’s strongest mages with no magic of your own like it was nothing, and always managed to bounce back stronger than before. After all of these months of memories made, of friendships formed and bonds tested, Epel couldn’t see a Twisted wonderland without you in it. You’d become such an integral part of his life and everyone else’s whose hearts you’ve embedded with your presence.
Yet just like that, you were leaving. And not a single one of those hearts could stop you.
There’s an eerie quiet in the hall, nothing like it had been just minutes ago when cries and sobs and shouts of protest and well wishes had echoed from the walls once occupied by all you’d come to love at the college. Some had left willingly, unable to bear the thought of being there when you inevitably departed. Others had to be strong armed to the door, still so convinced that this was all a trick and you were going to stay even though the tears that streaked their faces proved that they knew better.
It was just the two of you now. He watches you reach a tentative hand towards your saving grace home, fingers sliding carefully over the intricate framing like it’ll shatter beneath your touch. The mirror’s surface ripples in response, and for a second Epel’s so convinced that it’ll somehow drag you in that he has to fight the urge to drag you away from it.
You must have noticed someone had stayed behind. Epel watches you pause in tracing the frame, looking back over your shoulder to find him glued to a spot across the room just a few steps away. You muster up a smile, one that on any other day would make his heart shoot up to his throat and his pulse race. But today he’s no fool - that smile doesn’t reach your eyes for a second.
“Epel-“
“No.” He cuts you off, knowing what you’re about to say. “I ain’t leaving.”
The corners of your eyes crinkle, as though you’d expected his answer. He should hope you would - you knew him better than that. That smile softens into something more genuine, and you extend a hand towards him. “I know.” You mutter. C’mere.”
The heels of his shoes drag across the polished floor, each footfall feeling more final than the last as he comes to stand by your side. From across the room it was easier to stave off reality, to suspend belief for a little while longer; but now the mirror looms, and it feels like if you so much as take a step it’ll swallow you whole and he’ll lose you for good. He glances at you from the corner of his eye, frustration settling like poison in the pit of his stomach watching you appraise the portal with such a wistful gaze, as though it’s finally dawned on you that you’ve found your ticket home, to your old life.
A life without him.
Epel doesn’t want to understand why you want to go back, but he does. You had a life before twisted wonderland, before him; friends and loved ones who were no doubt tearing their world apart trying to find you and fearing the worst. He knows if he were in your shoes he couldn’t just leave his family behind if they were just a mirror away - god, what was he gonna tell his meemaw when you were gone? His whole damn village loved you to pieces. That world was waiting for you now, in the shimmering mass that lit up your silhouette as though welcoming you home; it would be selfish to get in the way.
But Epel wants to be selfish; he wants to be angry. Angry that you’re leaving everyone behind. Angry that that lousy headmaster actually kept his stupid promise.
Angry that he’s not enough to make you stay.
He wants to break that damn mirror. Wants to smash it into pieces with his bare hands if it means you’ll stay. But he won’t - you’d never forgive him, and he’d sooner leave with your love than survive with your hatred. So he clenches his fists, nails digging into shaking palms until they almost match the burning he feels behind his eyes. He bites the inside of his cheek until he tastes metal, but even that’s not enough to stem the tears that blur his vision and carve wet streaks into his face
Fuck, he can’t stop it-
Something touches him and Epel almost rips his head away like he’s been burned until he feels your hand cup his cheek. You tilt his head and he’s inclined to follow until you’re face to face and then he hears it. You laugh. You’re laughing. That goddamn noise that makes his heart rate spike and his face feel warmer. Epel opens his mouth to snap and demand to know if his misery is so funny to you. His jaw slams shut just as quickly when your fingers smooth over the thick tears collecting on his lashes, brushing them away before sliding a soothing hand through his hair. No doubt it’s to try and tame the mess he’s made of it, but sevens you must read him like a book because that simple gesture drains the fight out of him in seconds as you speak.
“Hey… no tears, alright? this isn’t goodbye.”
His face scrunches up, both at the frustrated tears he just can’t get to stop and at the watery smile you try to soothe him with. That laugh he’s learned to love so much is broken up into stuttered hiccups as you fight back your own sobs.
“Ha! Wh-Why’re you tellin’ me that when you’re blubberin’ yer’self?” Epel chokes out between sniffles, unable to resist making a jab. His hands fly up to chase the tears rolling down your cheeks with his thumbs, and your eyes flutter closed as you duck your head with a strained chuckle, resting your forehead against his.
The laughter simmers and moments pass, the only sound being the mutually shed tears and Epel’s deep breaths as he tries and fails to pull himself back together. He doesn’t know how long it’s been and he doesn’t care. He wants this to last as long as possible, because he knows what happens when it ends.
“I’ll come back.” You whisper into the space between you like it’s a fact. “And I swear you better be waiting for me when I do Epel Felmier or I’ll never forgive you.”
Epel can’t help but grin at how childish that sounds coming from you, and the hands on your face give a squeeze till your cheeks are rosy and you playfully swat him away.
“You better come back. Grim’ll kill you otherwise.”
You don’t doubt it for a second. Though with how easily Grim is swayed by food you’re sure you could earn his forgiveness if you were a little late. Epel clings to the last moments of normalcy with you until it slips through his fingers and reality returns. His face drops, creasing his brow as he sticks you with a resigned expression. He won’t beg you to stay, though the words burn in the back of his throat; instead he demands something else.
“Promise me yer comin’ back.” Epel knows better, but he says it anyway because he needs to hear it.
You can’t promise that. Neither of you know if you’ll even be able to return once you pass through that mirror. But he can pretend; he’s gotten damn good at it too.
The fondness in your expression makes his heart twist and his throat feel tight, but he doesn’t tear his gaze from you for a second as you lean into his touch, covering his hand with your own and tilting your head to brush your lips against him. A small kiss is pressed into his palm, and it takes everything in him not to yank you towards him, to never let you go as he feels the words whispered against his skin.
“Wait for me, Epel.”
And then you’re gone. The mirror surges, the surface disturbed by your departure, and Epel’s hands are left grasping at the air where you’d once been.
You never get to hear the curses he screams into the empty hall. Never get to see the marks he leaves on his knuckles as a fist slams into the wall beside your mirror. Never get to see the hand he cradles close to his chest, chasing your lingering warmth long after it’s faded from his fingertips.
The mirror’s surface stills, and the only thing left in its reflection is the anguish of the boy you left behind.
"I'm an old person too, just like miss Jo" EXCUSE ME, I'M YOUNGER THAN YOU >:V LMAO
Ma’am. Of all the things I’ve said, THAT PART got you? FJOAISJDGNOAIJFG we’re almost the same age and if you round up, it equals the same age. LMFAO Round up in life y’all. Fast math. LOOOL
But the she notice Toji in the corner of the room what will she do?
Bonus: after the party 🥳 Toji and husbandomail Have an evening walk through town and at some point when their stopped their notice a mistletoe above their heads.
ASDFGHJHGFD BOY OH BOY HAS THIS ONE BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. ALLOW ME TO REITERATE THAT I SUCK AT DIALOGUE (especially Toji cause like i suck at it so bad lmao) BUT I REALLY TRIED WITH THIS ONE! (Also had to make this a lil cheesy cause if this really happened Jo would kick out Toji’s knees and that wouldn’t be very fluffy at all lmao) @husbandomail HOPE YOU LIKE IT!!!
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The party is in full swing by the time it gets dark outside, and doesn’t show any sign of slowing down any time soon. It had taken a lot of work to get everyone in the same place, on top of setting everything up to look perfect and it showed - Jo had spent so long helping Hanuman stringing up decorations from the ceiling, getting frames and cards and signs pinned to the walls, on top of just about every other task that went into setting up the festive mood. By the time they were done everything looked amazing, but she was more than happy to have the chance to relax and sit down before people started coming in for the celebrations.
Jo had taken a seat close by the doors with a hot drink and made herself comfortable, and from the safety of her perch she could look out over the room, eyes scanning the crowd to take everything in. She was met with a sea of familiar faces, the Summoners scattered about the room taking part in the various activities that had been brought into the event room specifically for the party. On the far right of the room Jo could smell the food from the main table, a mixture of dishes both made for the occasion and plates that people had brought in to accompany the main food having made them themselves. Jo could see some of her own dishes among the table, not that she’d ever admit to anyone that she’d gone out of her way to cook them - when Shiro had caught her up in the early hours that same day making food for the party, she’d had to get him to swear secrecy. She’d be so worried that they wouldn’t like the food, but seeing how everyone had all but picked the trays clean over the course of the party had made a rush of pride swell up in her chest at the sight.
She could see Agyo, Kijumuna and Ryota currently swarming the table, picking things from the selection with bright smiles. Jo watches Kiji as he keeps turning to Agyo and Ryota and offering to feed them some of the food from his plate, a sight that is honestly kind of cute as it quickly devolves into the three of them sharing their favorite foods to see if the other likes them. Not too far away from the table there’s a handful of the Summoners in a mix of sitting and laying on the floor, all of them crowded together as they watch the screen that R-19’s projecting from his arm. She has no idea how they’d managed to get the android to use his function to connect to one of Hanuman’s consoles, but it works like a charm, and Kengo and Hanuman have been competing in a multiplayer, getting increasingly more rambunctious with every win and lose. They’d even coaxed Gullinbursti into playing, though it had taken more than a little while of explaining the rules of the game and what button corresponds to what before he was actually able to play. Hanuman’s a far better mentor than he’s given credit for, at least when it comes to video games, but the first few rounds where poor Gull had been staring baffled between the screen and the controller were undeniably adorable when you’d watched him getting the hang of it. Shiro and Moritaka are spectating the game, though they switch between watching the game and talking between one another, sharing a pleasant conversation as they move to take a seat next to R-19 talking about something that Jo can’t make out over the music that’s winding through the room from the music player.
Everyone seems to be having fun, and it’s a well deserved break from everything that’s been happening recently. But as Jo’s eyes look over the group she realizes that there’s just three things missing. Suddenly there’s a sigh next to her and a familiar face slides into view.
“Boy, you sure know how to set up a party, Jo~ - I’ve talked to enough people to last me the year!” Juno hops onto the nearby table, crossing her legs and dropping her chin to rest in her hands as she fixes her friend a lax grin.
There’s one.
“Agreed - but I’m definitely gonna nab a round with Kengo on that game next round!” Another voice pipes up, and sure enough Fel joins the duo and leans against the doorframe, playing with the tinsel decorating the wall as she flashes a similar grin in Jo’s direction.
And there’s two.
Jo’s got a sinking feeling the two of them are planning something when the pair sigh dramatically and lean a little closer, and she buries her attention back into her drink, hoping the hot drink will delay the conversation she feels coming on. There’s another exaggerated sigh before Juno huffs.
“It’s a shame though,” she begins “that someone seems a bit lonely~”
At first Jo thinks that they’re talking about her being sat alone, but when Juno shuffles to the side and jabs a thumb behind her, Jo realizes who she was on about.
Ah - there’s three.
Toji’s over in the far corner of the room, switching between watching the other Summoners mull about the event room, and looking out of the window he’s resting against the windowsill. His arms are folded, and like the others, he’s shed his usual uniform for something more warmer and festive, donning his usual winter outfit barring the bright red christmas sweater that you’re sure Ryota was able to wrangle him into wearing specifically for the occasion. From here, Jo can’t gauge what he’s thinking - as reigned in as he can be, it’s been fairly easy for her to guess at least how he’s feeling when she needs to; it’s almost kind of funny how easy it is, but this time she can’t.
When Jo looks back to Fel and Juno the pair are sticking her with knowing looks, and in response Jo fixes them with a look of her own and hides her face behind her mug even though by this point it’s gone cold.
“Joooo~”
“No”
“But he’s on his own!”
“Don’t care”
“You sure you don’t want to go over and say hi~?”
“Absolutely not”
Jo’s firm, but the pair are equally as stubborn, and soon enough Jo can feel her resolve wavering under the gazes of her friends. They know damn well how she feels about Toji - and if she has anything to say about it, they’ll be the only ones - so Jo has a pretty good idea of the matchmaking scheme that they’re trying to pull by asking her to go over. The three of them stare each other down.
And stare.
And stare.
And then Jo sighs, placing her mug on the empty table space next to Juno as she moves to stand up.
She doesn’t miss the whispered ‘yes!’ between Fel and Juno as she escapes from the table and slows down her steps the closer she gets to where Toji is. For a moment she wonders if she can just veer over to where the others are playing video games and get lost in the conversation as they place; but then she notices that Toji’s turned away from the window, and when his eyes glance over the room again his gaze catches hers.
“Hey, Toji” Jo greets him as approaches “What’s wrong, not in the celebrating mood?”
“No, I’m...watching” he responds, after a beat of pause, and Jo tilts her head at the reply.
“Watching?”
Toji nods towards the Summoners right as a chorus of laughter rips through the room, Hanuman jumping up and down with a triumphant grin as the results screen flashes on the screen. Everyone’s laughing and smiling, expressions bright and free of any kind of worry - it’s a welcome respite from the usual worries that each of them have been going through this past year. Jo’s quick to piece things together, and quirks a brow as she asks.
“Not used to seeing so many happy faces?”
Toji hums with a nod, and Jo pipes up and motions over to the group.
“You can join in too, y’know. Pretty sure you could beat Kengo at the next level if you can beat Fel to the controller”
“Over my dead body!” comes the yelled response from the other side of the room, right as a controller goes sailing across the room for Fel to catch. Jo can’t help but sigh at the sight, shaking her head before looking back to Toji, who’s looking back out of the window
“Come and join the party, it’ll be fun!”
Toji seems to consider Jo’s offer, and it looks like she might actually convince him to join as he looks back towards the window before answering, only to do a double take and pause.
“Jo, look.”
That catches her attention.
“Yeah? what’s-?
A hand on her shoulder stops Jo mid-sentence and she looks up at Toji, brows furrowed wondering what’s up when she follows his line of sight outside the window. Small white specks land onto the glass, starting out with just one or two, but soon enough more follow, and before she knows it it’s starting to snow. The sight of the snow falling, the soft orange glow of both the inside lights and the lamps outside illuminating them as they fall, has Jo enraptured - when was the last time she’d seen snow?
Her fingers brush against the glass, leaning closer to the glass to look outside and get a better look. With her attention captured on the sight outside, Jo misses Toji glancing at her from the corner of his eye, expression softening as he looks at her eyes, bright and full of wonder as the reflection of the christmas lights dances along the side of her face from this angle. She seems lost in thought, mulling over something in her head as she gazes through the glass and Toji’s expression is fond, though it lasts only briefly before the moment is broken.
“IT’S SNOWING!”
Toji has no idea who yells it, but in a flash Hanuman, Kengo and Fel are bolting for the door, the latter diving under the two and racing outside with the other two hot on her heels. Sure enough the others follow their lead with varying degrees of excitement, and in that moment Jo seems to catch herself and shakes herself from her reverie, taking advantage of the sudden excitement to follow the others outside, turning back towards Toji as though to make sure that he’s coming too. Toji doesn’t hesitate to follow her outside, the two of them trailing behind the rest of the Summoners as they listen to the conversation and laughter echoing down the hall.
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The party, thankfully, doesn’t take long at all to clean up, but by the time Jo’s finished she’s the only one left as she puts the last of the chairs away, grabbing her coat and shucking it on as she prepares for the solo walk back home. What she doesn’t expect is to find someone outside waiting for her to come outside.
It’s a hilarious reflection of that valentine’s fiasco the year before, where Toji’d very nearly ran her through with his swords thinking she was an enemy when she was just waiting to walk back with him; this time the tables are turned, and Toji’s got his coat on and scarf wrapped snug around his neck when he greets her just outside of the event hall doors. His offer to walk her home takes Jo by surprise - it sounds kind of cheesy being escorted back late at night by a cute boy while it’s snowing, like something out of a christmas movie, but Jo doesn’t entirely hate the sound of that idea. Toji seems just as surprised at her acceptance, but almost immediately straightens up and falls in stride with Jo’s footsteps as she begins walking.
The peace is a welcome change, and Toji’s surprisingly pleasant company to travel with - there’s no need for forced conversation, no need to wrack your brain for something to say or listen to someone ramble. It’s nice, and Jo finds herself eager to take a little detour through the shopping district to admire some of the lights that had been set up for the coming festivities on the way back. The cold temperature makes her skin tingle, cheeks growing rosy as she burrows further into her coat and looks around at the lights illuminating their path trying to burn them into memory. Who knows the next time these lights are going to be up? How long is this merriment going to last before the break ends?
There’s one particular building that catches her attention - they’ve gone all out on the lights, shaping a few strings of bulbs so that they’re shaped like a ferris wheel, and the way that they blink and shift colors almost makes it look as though it’s moving. She’ll have to remember that for next christmas - if she’s lucky, she’ll be able to convince Shiro that they can get away with putting something like that up outside of the guild for the next party. Hell, maybe she could even get them to set it up for new years, she’d just have to figure out how they hell they-
“Careful!”
A hand grabs hold of her arm and tugs her back, and Jo stumbles a little before catching herself, head swiveling to face the path in front of her. She’d been distracted enough she hadn’t noticed the upcoming stairs were right below her feet until Toji had pulled her back; he’s still holding her arm but his grip loosens significantly when she turns to face him.
“Honestly” Toji shakes his head “you need to take better care not to get sidetracked”
Jo bites back the retort she can feel bubbling up, instead turning her gaze away from him before she can make a quip; instead, she lets her eyes glance upwards to look at the sky, only to catch sight of something dangling from the lampost that the two of them are stood under. It takes a moment, given the bright light making the object in question easy to miss, but Jo makes out some kind of plant dangling over the very top of the pole.
Is...is that...?
“Oh”
“‘Oh?’” Toji mirrors, giving her a confused look.
When she doesn’t look down, Toji follows where she’s staring and looks up. Soon enough, he spots it too.
It’s mistletoe.
“Oh”
Jo doesn’t know what’s more baffling - the fact that someone strung up mistletoe in such a missable spot, or the fact that someone found the time and went out of their way to climb all the way up the pole just to hang a single decoration; but in the time it takes her to realize what she’s looking at, on top of why it’s there, she feels her heart jump up into her throat, and her face starts to feel warm. It seems as though Toji isn’t faring any better, as he coughs awkwardly into his hand and turns away from the lamppost; he tries to avoid looking at Jo, but he keeps glancing back as though trying to gauge her reaction and she’s quick to notice.
With a nervous chuckle, Jo brings a hand to rub the back of her neck, stealing one last glance up at the mistletoe in question.
“So, um…” she attempts to find the right words. “Are we just gonna pretend we don’t see it, or-?”
She was going to suggest leaving it be, but it appears that someone else had different ideas, as before the full sentence can leave her lips the words get muffled as Toji steps forward to claim them. Just about every coherent thought screeches to a stop, and Jo has no idea whether to just drop to the floor and wait for her face to feel like it’s not burning, or to yank him in further by the collar of his coat, but just about every train of thinking leads to the same thing.
Holy shit, Toji’s kissing her.
Okay, Jo will be the first to admit that she’s teased the hell out of Toji in the past; made jokes about looking good in his jacket, playing with his horns just to watch him get ridiculously flustered among other things to get a rise out of him. It’s always been satisfying garnering reactions out of him, and those reactions are one of the reasons she liked him so much in the first place - but given how reserved and generally awkward he is around anything romantic she didn’t expect him to actually do anything!
He’s clearly inexperienced, and his lips tremble a little against hers as he kisses her, but it feels so genuine that the kiss just about takes her breath away. It’s sweet, warm, and over all too quickly. When Toji pulls away his face is starting to turn red and he brings the back of his hand to his mouth giving her a surprisingly bashful look for a boy who’s usually so serious. Jo brings a hand to her lips, almost not believing what just happened as she feels her own cheeks starting to burn. The previous stutter in her thoughts comes back full force, a mix between surprise and flustered silencing just about any words she might say. What comes out instead is a choked noise and she just about wants to kick herself for not coming up with at least a verbal response.
Toji takes a step back, and opens his mouth in what Jo can only assume is gonna be some long winded apology about being abrupt, but she doesn’t even give him the chance to humor the speech before she grabs him by his scarf and yanks him back towards her. This time Jo’s the one to initiate the kiss, and the satisfaction of the muffled gasp he lets out overrides the embarrassment of being so bold as Jo pulls him even closer, winding her hands into the plush fabric of his scarf as she tugs.
A hand comes to rest at the back of her neck and slowly, sweetly, Toji returns the kiss, the previous trembling of his lips now steadier, more assured in his actions this time around. He’s gaining confidence, which Jo’s glad for because she’s pretty sure he’s going to have to catch her by the time they break apart; but for now she’s going to let the moment last, pressing against his chest and kissing, illuminated only by the gentle glow of the lights and with an audience of soft snow drifting down around the pair as their shadows overlap.
[kickflips into the ask box] I'm not even bothering with anon bc you'd absolutely know it's me so ANYWAYS, I know I've already said this but do you have ANY IDEA how desperate I am to peg Daisuke, jsut, l is te n, he'd be ADORABLE all whiny and begging even though he's shy as hell adjshflk
Can I just say it’s both hilarious and great that you were the very first ask I got for sin night lmao. With that being said if anyone deserves this it’s a cute like Taurus mask~
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Daisuke whines and pushes his hips back against yours as you push into him in a slow, purposeful rhythm, taking your time to draw out his moans and make him squirm.
“Plea-hah-please-”
You lean down to press a kiss between his shoulder blades, smiling against his skin when you feel him arch back into you with another keen. He looks adorable like this, pressed against the mattress with fists twisted into the sheets as he gasps out noises so sweet that it has heat coiling in the pit of your stomach.
“Daisuke~” you hum, pressing a few more kisses along his back. “You know, you’re so cute when you beg“
At this, Daisuke lets out another shaky gasp as you reach down to run your nails along his sides, coming to grab ahold of his hips and pull him flush against you, pushing the dildo further into his ass at the sudden jerk. Each thrust brings out more delicious noises, the shy boy reduced to mewling and trying desperately to meet back with your movements for more friction.
The sounds are intoxicating - at first he’d been so hesitant to be vocal, biting his lips and covering his mouth with his hand when you thrusted particularly deep. But now? Daisuke couldn’t keep quiet if he wanted to. He’s loud, moans echoing around the bedroom with little care for keeping as muted as he had been, lost in the feeling of you fucking him as you continue to shower him with whispered words. Your attention is completely focused on him, not wanting to tear your eyes away in fear of missing those wonderful expressions he’s making for even a second, and the blush that’s spread across his face, such a cute shade of red, only makes the sight more appealing as he releases another whine.
“C-Close, I’m going to-”
“I know, sugar“ you finish for him, leaning down until your chest is pressed flush against his back to kiss at his cheek.
You move up to kiss the shell of his ear, and he shudders at the feeling of your breath fanning against his hot skin. It’s the way that his body trembles that tells you he’s close, the rise and fall of his chest and how he grinds into you each time you push in to fill him.
What does him in is when you move one hand away from his hips, running it down along the dip where hips meet thighs as you come to wrap your fingers around his shaft. Similar to the rest of his body it’s hot to the touch, pre-cum slicking up the length, and as you give him a few experimental pumps the reaction you get has your heart hammering in your chest. He arches back with a loud whine, hips stuttering, and you almost lose your rhythm, gasping at the sudden action. Just a few more thrusts, coupled with your hand on his cock and you’re sure Daisuke will finally break, and you have to bite back the shiver that runs up your back in anticipation at the thought.
“Come on, Daisuke” you murmur right against his ear, picking up the pace of your thrusts.
“Cum for me~”
And he does, and it’s beautiful. Daisuke tenses up when he finishes, his cock twitching in your hand before he shoots his load, splattering against the covers beneath him and making a mess of your hand as it drips down his shaft and over your fingers. His expression twists into absolute ecstasy, biting his lip so hard it almost breaks the skin as his moans are reduced to breathless gasps.
You practically purr at the sight, sighing in delight as you watch him come undone beneath you, hands still massaging him as he comes down from the rush. The praises you shower him with this time are sweet, your voice soft as you feel his muscles finally relaxing, body going lax with the leftover pangs of pleasure. Kisses pepper his skin with each whisper,
“Kiss me” you say, and he tilts his head obediently, sighing against your lips when they press against him.
Daisuke melts into your hold as your arms shift to loop around his waist, kissing you slowly and deep as you whisper sweet nothings every time you part.
[kickflips into the ask box] well if you're not gonna stop BULLYING ME then can I at least get #3 with Mr. Komasan
LISTEN It’s wholesome bullying so I’m allowed. but I SUPPOSE I can come up with something fluffy for this cutie asdfghjkl
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3. The first time
It’s unusual for the school to be so quiet. You’re so used to the hallways being full of students and teachers, all bustling to get from one place to another and filling the air with a cacophony of conversations and chatter. But now, a while after the lessons have concluded for the day, the school feels emptier, the only noise coming from beyond the window as you stare down into the empty courtyard.
You’d stayed behind after school hours to get some work finished before the weekend, not wanting to worry yourself silly over it later, and by the time you’d finished most of the other students had gone home for the day, barring the after school clubs. So for the most part you were on your own.
Or at least you thought you were.
Looking down into the courtyard you caught a figure walking out of one of the exits. Even far up you can make out who it was, the sword and horns being a dead giveaway and you watch as Toji starts making his way across the yard to the entrance. Instinctively you start pounding on the glass and call out to him.
“Toji! Hey, Toji, up here!”
Your voice is muffled and for a moment you think he isn’t going to hear you, but the knocking seems to do the trick as you watch him pause and spin around, looking behind him with visible confusion before his eyes trail up the building and lock onto you. That confusion shifts into utter bewilderment as he cocks his head and raises a hand wordlessly asking you what you’re doing as you yell out to him, hands still pressed against the glass.
“Wait there!”
You don’t know if he hears what you say but you don’t wait for a reply, pushing away from the window and turning on your heel to bolt down the hallways and down the stairway, jumping down the last couple of steps and nearly toppling over in your rush to get to the bottom. You almost slam into the exit door by the time you reach it, but manage to steady yourself once you finally get it open and step out into the courtyard-
-Only to just about run face first into Toji’s chest the moment you get outside.
“Shit-!” you nearly topple back from the force but Toji’s hands shoot out and grab your shoulders rooting you in place until you regain your balance, watching you release a relieved huff.
“Phew, close one. Thanks, Toji”
He makes a noise of acknowledgment and releases his hold on you, taking a step back as you give yourself a quick once over before turning your attention back to him with a grin.
“Are you heading back to the dorms? Wanna walk back together?”
At this Toji’s eyes briefly flicker from you over to the gate, and then back again, meeting your eyes as nods. “Fine, if that’s what you wish”
He turns away from you to head to the school entrance and you’re quick to follow suit, walking in stride alongside him until you’re out of the school grounds and on the way to the dorm building. The walk is quiet yet peaceful, the silence between you comfortable and natural as you take in the area around you as you walk. The sun’s only just starting to dye the sky orange, a cloudless sky turning the sky and ground a gorgeous ombre of warm colors that you can’t help but admire as you walk. Your eyes trail over the benches, up to the trees that just barely sway with the breeze, along the pathway and across your shadow before looking back over at Toji. You only look at his face for a moment, taking in his face bathed in the coming sunset before your eyes dart down hoping he doesn’t notice.
His arms are relaxed at his sides, swaying as he walks, though one occasionally brushes up against the hilt of his swords as though to make sure they’re still on hand for a fight. You wouldn’t be surprised honestly, Toji’s never been one to let his guard down easily, and even now you can practically see the tenseness in his shoulders as he walks alongside you, which makes you sad even though you can understand why. For a beat you look down at his hand - he’s close enough that if you moved a little closer your hands would brush against each other.
You hesitate, hand twitching at your side before you move, slipping his hand into yours before you can talk yourself out of it. Almost immediately, Toji stops walking and you can feel his muscles tense instinctively but you don’t budge, instead feigning ignorance and trying to look anywhere but at him.
“Wha-What are you doing?” He asks, sounding almost scandalized by your gesture.
“Holding your hand”
“Yes, I can see that - but why are you-?”
“Because I want to!” you blurt out before you can stop yourself, feeling your face turning red as you fumble for the right words.
“I just...wanted to, okay? I mean we’re walking back and I-I just thought about it and then did it. And hey! Sometimes holding hands is nice and…”
….oh boy you’re making a mess of this.
“Sorry” you mumble, taking a step back and waiting for him to drop your hand and keep walking.
Instead, you feel his grip on your hand tighten, firm enough that you’re sure letting go isn’t on his agenda and you dare a look back up. You’re embarrassed to find that his face is, probably as red as yours and he’s avoiding eye contact, but he’s still holding your hand refusing to let go. At this point you’re sure your face is burning as you stare at the floor, flustered but happy and yet incredibly amused about how you two must look to anyone passing by - Two people in the middle of the sidewalk, blushing like crazy at just holding hands - you’d laugh if you weren’t in the situation right now.
“Well” Toji clears his throat, thankfully being the first to break the silence. “Do you....shall we keep going?”
You look up at him and nod, feeling your shoulders sag in relief as you beam. “Yeah! Let’s go!”
With that the two of you continue your trek back to the dorm rooms, your shadows once separate, now merging together on the sidewalk as you walk, hands intertwined.
I know we’ve known each other for years but I’m following the rules anyways lmao. Waddup it’s ya girl Jo lookin for a matchup, pair me with a boy please! Personality-wise, even though I’m usually quiet and low-energy, I’m headstrong as hell, more than a lil abrasive, and really don’t like being told what to do. I get super loud and excited about the things I love, though, and it can surprise a lot of people who’ve never seen me so amped up. [1/?]
Asdfghjkl;hgf about time I got this one done Jo! Wanted to match you without bias so I convinced Erica to take a read - so without further ado....
-
I match you with Kengo!
The two of you have a lot of chemistry to work with that makes you get along way better than people would first assume. At first glance, your quietness makes people wonder how you get along with a loudmouth hothead like Kengo, however, if they spent the day with the two of you, it quickly becomes apparent that the two of you are thick as thieves! Oftentimes Kengo doesn’t like being told what to do, especially if it goes against his morals, so to find someone who shares that sentiment makes him feel as though he’s got someone else in his corner. The fact that you can both be abrasive at times means that, when you agree on something, you’ll power towards it and get it done (whether it’s by mutual drive or pure spite). However, this also means that you end up butting heads a lot when you differ on things, and can lead to arguments down the line where none of you are willing to back down - in these instances, one of the Summoners or your friends will have to act as a mediator, but even if it’s just the two of you, these arguments eventually end in a positive light, one way or another (even if you guys are really, really stubborn about getting there).
Kengo’s got a similar work ethic - sure, give him something that he loves to do and he’ll go above and beyond to get it done; but when it comes to schoolwork or other boring stuff you’ll be hard pressed to get him to focus. This really sucks when it comes to projects - when you get paired up for work you’ll more often than not have to give the guy a non too gentle nudge to kick his ass into gear and actually get his work done. He will absolutely try to distract you during group projects to pull you into procrastinating with him, trying to lure you away with games or even just physically picking you up and away from the things that you’re working on. Needless to say, you’re gonna have to be pretty strong willed to get him to relent and actually work, but he’ll never leave you hanging when you really need him.
When he sees you getting excited of course Kengo’s gonna get excited too! I mean, he may not even know what’s got you excited, but seeing you being all pumped up makes something in his chest feel warmer and he just wants to celebrate it with you, regardless of what it is. Whenever things are going downhill and you get into the mood where you’ve resigned yourself to the world’s end, Kengo’s right there to pick you back up - literally. He’ll chide you that things aren’t over yet! Sure bad things knocking you back suck, but they’ve happened before! And you’ve always gotten through them one way or another! Plus, you aren’t doing it alone - . Though he gets sarcastic when things go right and you practically spin around the room with a smug grin, giving you a playful nudge telling you not to get ahead of yourself just yet.
Kengo gets not wanting to talk about your issues. Opening up isn’t all that easy, and even Kengo’s still trying to get used to being upfront with his emotions and issues. Whilst he does want you to talk about the things that piss you off or upset you, he’s not gonna push you about it - you’ll come to him or someone you trust when you’re good and ready, and trying to force it out of you does nothing more than damage the trust you’ve built so far. With that being said, keeping the emotions that come with problems and life bottled up is a bad idea, he knows that too well, so he comes up with a plan. Getting out and shooting the breeze becomes a common occurrence for the two of you; he knows some places that give you space and get you away from your problems for a little while so you have a chance to clear your head. Regardless of whether you’re a fighter or not, he’ll propose you have a go at some light training with him - you can take it at your own pace, and if you decide it’s not your style he’ll find other ways to help take out your frustrations. Most of the time you guys do spar though, it doesn’t last long before it dissolves into play-fighting, plucking out grass from your hair and dusting yourselves off from the dirt by the time you’re finished, forgetting about what you’ve got to get back to in the moment.
Kengo doesn’t entirely see your appeal in writing and stuff, mostly because it’s just not his thing - he’s more of an ‘actions speak louder’ kind of guy. But he knows someone who loves what they do when he sees em, and the effort you put into your writing? That’s dedication and he respects that. Games and shows however he can get behind, and he’ll watch you play for a while or watch a couple of episodes with you whenever the two of you have a chance to chill at home or at the guild (though if you’re at the guild you’ll find it’ll very quickly become a movie/game night with the whole guild.) Kengo absolutely loves your cooking and baking! He will try just about anything that you make, though he has a bad habit of not asking before he nabs a taste, especially while everything’s still half cooked and unfinished. You’ve had to threaten him away from your dishes with a spoon more times than you can count, scolding him to at least wait until you’re finished before he ends up with some kind of food poisoning. Whenever he’s going out to train he enjoys taking a couple of your snacks with him to keep himself energized while he’s out there, and he’ll be sure to tell you how great they tasted as soon as he’s eaten them. If you need someone to try any new things Kengo’s your man.
Hearing you talk about the things you’re associated with, namely the stars and the sky, makes Kengo think. He often goes out into the mountains, which, away from the city lights and bustling crowds, means that there’s a great view of the nighttime sky - so, because of this, you may find that Kengo ends up taking you up there for your first date (after making sure no one hears him mention mountains for obvious reasons). He knows enough of the trails to get you up to a good spot, and by the time the two of you make it to the right place and get things set up the sky’s alive with more stars than you can hope to count. It’s impossible to tear your eyes away and you can’t help but marvel how beautiful it looks aloud - if you manage to pull yourself away and turn to Kengo, you’d notice that Kengo’s not paying attention to the sky at all, instead he’s looking at you, mesmerized by the pure joy on your face as he realizes - shit, he really is smitten.
"HEY JO I'M NOT SAYING YOU HAVE A TYPE BUT LOOK AT THIS BIG TIDDY ANGEL MAN AND AT THIS TSUNDERE, THEY'D BOTH LET YOU TOP"
Aw fuck I should have known this was coming-
TO BE FAIR I WAS NOT THE ONE TO CALL HIM BIG TIDDY ANGEL SO PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT >:A Bold words from the one who yells ‘BEEF’ every time you meet a new character (Jk Jo love you dude but I will die on this hill)
