hello!! this is my first request on tumblr oh boy…
if you’re comfortable writing this, could you please write headcanons or like short scenarios (whichever you would prefer) of the kyoya, tamaki and the twins (all separately, and if that’s too many characters then just kyoya and hikaru) with a high masking autistic reader, but like reader only seems to unmask around them? reader only unmasks around them once they feel comfortable, too.
when reader is masking, they present as an upbeat, happy but anxious jokester. unmasked, reader is more blunt/honest about their thoughts, stims more and is open about sensory preferences instead of suppressing discomfort.
reader can be gn, and romantic relationship please :)
again, if you’re not up for writing this, i totally understand since this seems like kind of a big ask and if you are up for it take your time (sorry if this is awkward again my first time requesting lol)
❝ OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB — HEADCANONS ❞
❝ high masking autistic s/o who only unmasks around them ❞ an: anon, im gonna say this super super lovingly this is not a big ask i prommie prommieee, i am a highmasking autistic as well and it warmed my literal heart and made my day to get this request when i did <3
⸻
❝ Kyoya Ootori ❞
He notices before you ever say anything.
At first, you present as polished. Sociable. Light jokes at the right time, smiling through conversations, always just a little tense beneath it all. Kyoya reads people for a living, and with you, he notices the pattern quickly. The way your smile lingers a second too long. The way your responses feel practiced.
He does not call it out.
He simply… adjusts.
Quieter environments when possible. Less pressure to perform. Conversations that do not require constant responses. He creates space without announcing it, which is exactly why you begin to relax around him.
The first time you unmask, it is subtle.
You are sitting beside him, and instead of forcing eye contact, you look away. Your words come out more direct than usual. You fidget more openly, hands moving in small repetitive motions you usually hide.
“I do not like how loud it gets in there,” you say plainly, referring to the Host Club.
Kyoya pauses.
Then, without hesitation, “we can relocate.”
No questioning tone. No surprise. No discomfort.
Just acceptance.
That moment sticks with you.
From then on, you become more honest with him. About sensory things. About what bothers you. About what you actually feel instead of what is expected.
Kyoya does not react dramatically. He simply listens, adjusts, and remembers.
If anything, he prefers you like this.
More predictable. More real.
“You do not need to filter yourself with me,” he tells you once, quietly. “It is inefficient.”
But there is something softer underneath that statement.
He learns your stims. He never stops them. If anything, he subtly accommodates them, placing objects in your hands, keeping routines consistent, making sure you are comfortable without drawing attention to it.
With Kyoya, unmasking feels safe because it is never treated as something strange.
Just something that is… you.
⸻
❝ Tamaki Suoh ❞
At first, he completely believes your mask.
You are bright, expressive, joking through nerves, playing along with his theatrics just enough to keep up. He adores you immediately, thinking your energy matches his perfectly.
But Tamaki is far more emotionally perceptive than people give him credit for.
He notices the cracks.
The way your laughter sometimes feels forced. The way your shoulders drop when you think no one is looking. The way you go quiet after too much stimulation.
He starts checking on you more gently.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” he asks once, softer than usual.
That question lingers.
The first time you unmask around him, it is not planned. You are overwhelmed. Tired. You stop performing.
Your tone becomes more flat. More honest.
“I do not like this many people,” you admit, not sugarcoating it.
Tamaki goes still.
Then, instead of reacting dramatically, he softens completely.
“Then we will leave,” he says.
No hesitation.
No disappointment.
Just immediate care.
From that moment, he becomes fiercely protective of your comfort. Not in a controlling way, but in an attentive, emotionally tuned way.
He learns your limits. Watches for when you start to get overwhelmed. Redirects situations without making you feel singled out.
And when you stim around him for the first time, visibly, without hiding it, he does not question it.
He just smiles.
“You look more comfortable like this,” he says warmly.
Tamaki loves both versions of you, but he cherishes the unmasked one more because it means you trust him.
And he will do everything he can to keep that trust.
⸻
❝ Hikaru Hitachiin ❞
He is suspicious at first.
Not in a bad way, but he can tell something is… off. You joke, you laugh, you keep up socially, but it feels a little too perfect. A little too controlled.
Hikaru is good at reading authenticity, and your mask throws him off.
He tests it, a little.
Pushes conversations. Changes tone suddenly. Watches how you respond.
Then one day, you do not respond the way he expects.
You are quieter. More blunt.
“That was too much,” you say simply after he teases you in a louder setting.
He blinks.
“…too much?”
You nod, not backtracking, not covering it up with a joke like you normally would.
Something clicks.
From then on, he starts noticing everything.
The way your energy drops. The way you stim when you think no one is paying attention. The way your tone changes when you are comfortable.
And instead of calling you out harshly, he adjusts.
His teasing becomes more controlled. More intentional. He checks your reactions more carefully.
“You can just say if something’s annoying you,” he mutters once.
The first time you fully unmask around him, it catches him off guard.
You are more direct. Less filtered. Your body language more open in ways that are not performative.
He stares at you for a second.
“…this is you, right?”
You nod.
He huffs lightly, but there is no rejection there.
“…took you long enough.”
After that, he becomes weirdly protective of that version of you. Not in an obvious way, but he makes sure no one pushes you back into masking too hard.
And if someone does?
He shuts it down fast.
⸻
❝ Kaoru Hitachiin ❞
Kaoru understands before anyone else does.
He notices the difference between your social persona and your quieter moments almost immediately. The small shifts in tone, posture, and expression.
He does not confront it.
He just gives you space.
He is the one you end up unmasking around first without even realizing it.
Because with him, there is no pressure.
One day, you are sitting together, and instead of filling the silence, you let it exist. Your movements become more natural, your speech more direct.
“I do not like loud places,” you say simply.
Kaoru smiles softly.
“Then we will avoid them.”
That is it.
No confusion. No questioning.
Just understanding.
He starts accommodating you in quiet ways. Suggesting calmer activities. Sitting with you in comfortable silence. Letting you stim without ever drawing attention to it.
When you realize you are not masking around him, it is almost surprising.
“You are not reacting,” you point out once.
“To what?”
“To… me.”
He tilts his head slightly.
“You are just being yourself.”
Kaoru treats your unmasked self as something natural. Not different. Not something that needs to be explained.
And because of that, you feel safe enough to be fully honest with him.
He becomes your calm.
Your quiet space.
The person you do not have to perform for at all.
⸻
❝ OVERALL ❞
masking is what the world gets.
but unmasking is trust.
and with them, in their own ways, you are allowed to just… be.
