for @steddielovemonth prompt 'love is showing up when someone doesn't ask'
rated t | 1,533 words | cw: implied sexual content | tags: friends to lovers, getting together, realizing feelings, love confessions, fade to black
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Eddie was nervous.
He hadn't bothered mentioning Corroded Coffin's first show back to anyone except Wayne, didn't want anyone he knew to see him stumble over chords and lyrics with nerves he'd never had before Vecna. The guys didn't really say anything, but they'd casually suggested some slower songs mixed in to give him a break during the set. They just seemed to know that he didn't have the stamina anymore.
It's not like the Hideout was Madison Square Garden, but news had spread amongst the locals about Eddie's return to the stage and people must have gotten curious. The bar was busier than Eddie'd ever seen it, people lined up against the tiny stage and filling the tables spread out around the room. Every stool at the bar was filled, the door constantly opening to welcome someone new with a chilly breeze from the fall air.
"Hey, man. You ready?" Gareth's hand on his shoulder was meant to be comforting, but all it did was remind him of how much everyone in the crowd probably wanted to watch him fail.
"Yep," Eddie breathed out.
It was fine. This would just be another show, maybe not the best they've ever had, but they did fine during practice. He was fine.
There was no announcement for them, there never was. The bar owner and the main bartender pretty much only invited them back because the regulars would order double the amount of drinks when they performed.
The lights were already dimmed in the bar, and the spotlight stayed on on the stage all night.
It wasn't anything special, but it still felt like a step towards more.
The crowd was loud, and barely paid them any attention during Jeff's introduction.
They started playing Master of Puppets, a shorter version without the solo since Eddie still struggled getting through it without having a panic attack. It was part of "reclaiming his trauma" or whatever the government appointed therapist told him on his second and final visit.
He took the first minute to really look out at the crowd, passed the obnoxious spotlight.
Most of the people were unrecognizable, dressed a lot like Wayne, but lacked the friendly smile he gave him when he managed to make it to his shows. He saw a few people he knew from his first two senior years hanging by the back, probably trying not to be noticed by him.
And then he saw him.
Steve.
His fingers skipped over the strings, missing a note and then two, though only his band and maybe the bartender would notice.
Steve smiled back at him, mouthed 'lookin' good', and gave him a thumbs up.
How did Steve even know about this? None of the other guys had told him, he begged them not to, made them pinky swear that they wouldn't invite anyone they knew for the first show.
Eddie smiled back at him still, happy that Steve was here, realizing now that a friendly face was the only way he would get through this set. He should have told them all.
Most of the set went surprisingly well, and most of the crowd seemed content to watch and sing along. Only a few people walked out when they realized it was mostly metal music, but he figured they weren't really there for any music at all. Watching the freak was the only entertainment a lot of people had in this town.
Steve was nodding his head, nursing the same beer for the entire hour they were on stage, smiling every time Eddie made eye contact with him. He seemed to be enjoying it, despite his usual refusal to listen to any of Eddie's music.
When they got off the stage, Eddie rushed to Steve, not even bothering to put his guitar back in its case first. Most of the crowd had gone outside or settled around the bar anyway, so his sweetheart would be safe.
"What are you doing here?" Eddie bounced on his toes, adrenaline pumping after a successful show. "I didn't tell anyone about this."
"Wayne mentioned it by accident. He assumed you'd asked me to come," Steve shrugged. He didn't seem hurt about not being invited, thankfully, but Eddie still felt guilt bully its way into his chest.
"Sorry. I just wanted to get the first one done before I had anyone here," Eddie nudged his hand. "But thanks for coming. I'm glad you came."
"I'm glad I did too. I'll always be here if you need me, Eds."
It sounded serious, less like what friends do and more like what love does.
"How do you always know what I need?" Eddie couldn't help asking. "It's like I think I'm fine, but then you're there with a glass of water because I haven't remembered to drink all day. Or like tonight, when I thought I could do it on my own, but played much better because you were here."
"I just know you," Steve smiled.
"Wait," Eddie started thinking back to all the times Steve was there. All the times he would show up at the trailer after work to make dinner, not knowing that Eddie had been feeling lonely. All the times he sat next to him on the couch while he planned out Hellfire campaigns because he needed someone to bounce ideas off of who wouldn't be involved. All the times he had to brave the general public and Steve always managed to find a reason to be right by his side, silently protective. "Wait."
"I'm waiting," Steve said. And was he sounding smug? What was that smile on his face? "How long am I supposed to wait?"
"I didn't ask you to be here."
"That's true. You didn't even tell me you'd be here."
"I never ask you to come over. Or go places with me. Or anything."
"You do sometimes," Steve argued.
"Wait."
Steve's lips pinched together, but a smirk was starting to tease its way onto his face.
"You're here because you want to be. Because you knew I'd be a mess and would actually want someone here even though I didn't tell anyone. Because you're always there when I need someone even when I don't admit I do. Because you care about me."
"Love, actually."
Eddie stopped in his tracks. "What?"
"You said I care about you. Duh, of course I do. But I actually love you."
"Like...the way you love Robin?"
"No. Like the way I thought I loved Nancy. But with you it's more. It's way more, Eds."
Eddie was grateful for the dim lighting and Jeff's sudden appearance by his shoulder.
"Eddie! We fuckin' nailed it! I signed an autograph for a girl who knows my name!" He yelled before he noticed Steve. "Oh, hey Steve. Enjoy the show?"
"You all did great, man. Glad you're back out there," Steve reached out to grab his shoulder, a friendly gesture that Jeff wasn't expecting judging by his face. "Need any help loading up?"
"Uh. No. I was actually gonna let Eddie know Gareth's dad came by to help bring all our stuff home so we don't need his van." Jeff gave them both a knowing look, then smacked Eddie's shoulder and smiled. "See you tomorrow!"
Eddie waved at him, still in shock from everything Steve had said before Jeff interrupted.
"You should probably put her in her case, Eds," Steve gestured to the guitar still slung across his back. "People aren't that careful in a bar."
"Wait."
"You've said that a lot tonight."
"Because I'm having a stroke or something. I'm having a very lucid dream. Or maybe I got too high." Eddie shook his head and pinched his own arm. "You love me."
"That's what I said, yeah."
"And you meant it?"
"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it."
Eddie still felt like he might be dreaming, but he decided to lean into it. If Steve loved him, then that meant-
"Wait."
"Oh my God," Steve groaned, but he was smiling. "What now?"
"I love you, too."
"Yeah? You just figure that out?" Steve definitely sounded smug now.
"Yes! I thought I just had this stupid crush on my straight friend. Sorry I didn't realize the way my stomach does cartwheels when you're next to me meant I loved you!"
They both started laughing.
"So, that's why you were staring at me like that at the pool," Steve finally said through his laughter.
"And that's why you asked me to read to you when you had a migraine," Eddie crossed his arms across his chest to avoid doing what he really wanted to do: pull Steve into the most John Hughes-esque first kiss ever.
"We should probably get out of here," Steve said when he recognized Eddie's twitching fingers fighting to not reach out. "Don't think anyone here would like it too much if I made out with you next to the bar."
"Give me two minutes. I'll meet you outside."
Their actual first kiss was just as John Hughes-esque, but it was in the privacy of Eddie's bedroom, and immediately followed by Steve pushing him against his own door and dropping to his knees.
He never let himself linger too long on it in fear of what he might see if he let himself look. If he let himself dust off the dirt that lay on top of it, too overwhelmed by the possibility that he really hadn’t had himself figured out the way he thought he did.
But it’s true.
Like the sky knows clouds that filter in and out of eyesight, like the moon knows the unwavering devotion of the tide, Steve knows this to be a fact as irrefutable as the nature of gravity:
Eddie Munson is beautiful.
It’s in the way his hair bounces with every step. These springy, frizzy little curls that Steve desperately wants to know, intimately, the way he knows his own. Wants to compare them, wants to feel them in the spaces between his fingers, the sensitive parts that nothing else really touches.
It’s in the way he lights up a room as soon as he steps into it, a walking sun that burns so bright that he leaves the hole of every space he was once in great and gaping and singed at the edges. Everything he touches turns to gold, everyone he meets ruined for anyone else.
It’s in the way he carries himself. Tall when people are looking and small when they aren’t, like his body is a show that no one ever willingly buys tickets for but ends up seated front row at regardless.
Steve would buy tickets.
If he had known, if he had been brave enough when it really counted, he would have bought tickets.
There is no one like Eddie, and there never will be again.
But it doesn’t matter now.
Because Eddie is still beautiful, Steve thinks, even when he’s pale.
Even when his skin is sallow and sunken, even when his big brown eyes are tucked behind grayed eyelids.
Even when Steve himself was the one to shut them, but only after he spent nearly an hour gazing into their emptiness.
His hair is shorter now, the frayed edges trimmed by Wayne. He’d laughed as he did it, a sad little hitch in his throat, because apparently Eddie never let him cut his hair when he was younger.
When his blood flowed warm through his arteries, when his skin was still pink.
Wayne said he used to bounce his leg so hard that he was worried he was going to stab the scissors right through his thick skull.
So Eddie grew his hair out, split ends running wild.
But Steve still thought he was beautiful. Frizzy hair and all.
Steve’s never seen him dressed so fancy, not even for his own graduation.
But then again, he never got to try on that suit he borrowed from Wayne. Never got to see just how long the sleeves were, because he never got to be as tall as his uncle, did he?
No, Eddie never got the chance.
Never got the chance to he a normal boy with a normal childhood. To grow into the man he could have become and then into the world that was always too small to fit him.
Eddie Munson: born to die in Hawkins, Indiana.
If only he had tried just a little bit harder.
Fought just a little bit longer.
But he did his best, didn’t he?
Steve certainly thinks so.
Steve thinks he looks beautiful, now, still, always. He tucks a trimmed curl behind his ear, wishes he could have known what it would feel like if his skin were warm.
But it’s okay. He’ll know the feeling one day.
Next time.
Next time, they’ll try again. They’ll try harder.
Next time, Steve won’t be afraid to tell Eddie how beautiful he is.
Won’t be afraid of what comes after, because it will be different.
It won’t end with Eddie, sallow and skinny in a suit six sizes too big for him.
It won’t end with Eddie, pale and pretty as ever, laying in the coffin that’s been on reserve for him since the day he was born.
Next time will be different, see, because it won’t end.
They’ll do it right.
Steve will do it right.
And Eddie will still be beautiful, and Steve will tell him so.
Rules: go through your last 5 fics and share the first and last line. No context.
This made me notice I start a lot of fics off with some form of breathing and I don't know how to feel about that.
Breathing in deeply, Kita inhaled the faded citrus scent clinging to the pillow before releasing a long, sleep-heavy sigh./'Later. We'll get up later.' Kita promised inwardly as the last seconds of consciousness drifted away, his lips parting as a whistling snore escaped.
The Pillow Thief - Haikyuu!! Ushijima/Kita. Fluffy, Cuddles, and of course Pillow Stealing.
He was fucked./"I'm so fucked..." he grumbled to himself, lips upturning slowly in a smile as he stomped off to start a pot of coffee.
I'll Let You Take Everything If I Get You - Haikyuu!! Tsukishima/Hinata. Realizing Feelings, Literal Sleeping Together, Getting Together, purely Self-Indulgent.
Crossing the threshold with a sigh, Kuroo shut the door, locking himself in the familiar silence of his one-room home./Spoken words were important—the miscommunication between them proof of that—but now, with Kuroo’s study and understanding of the language of flowers, the language of Daichi’s people, their truest meanings and intentions would always be spoken freely.
Say It Again, Just For Me - Haikyuu!! Kuroo/Daichi. Blacksmith Kuroo, Traveling Mage Daichi, Language of Flowers, Magic/Fantasy AU.
Kenma couldn’t help the wince that crossed his face as Akaashi emptied everything but their soul into the toilet bowl./Kenma knew they’d be sporting matching lumps, if not matching bruises, later because of it.
You'd Do The Same - Haikyuu!! Akaashi/Kenma. Regretted Kiss, Sick Fic.
“My snoring is not that bad!”/ It only caused the dude he was apparently going to be sharing a bed with that night - and the rest of the weekend apparently if he just heard correctly - to chuckle more.
It's Not That Bad! - Haikyuu!! Tanaka/Hanamaki. Literal Sleeping Together, Banter, Snoring.
Bonus
He knew he was being an asshole, just a little bit of one though./A grin tugged the corner of his lips upward from both his act of pettiness and because of the echo of their choked laugh as it followed him on his sleepy journey down the hall to his bedroom.
Teaser from my upcoming Haikyuu!! Tsukishima/Hinata.
I’ve had this horrible idea floating in my brain for a month now.
Medic x (GN) Reader.
Basically, Medic discovers his wife cheated on him. His first instinct is to call the reader for comfort and to ask to stay with them while the divorce finalizes.
Medic soon realizes that he’s in love with the reader, and has been for a good while.
I’d like a oneshot. If you’re busy, I understand. I apologize for the inconvenience.
I'm so excited! Thanks for the request, I've been wanting to write something involving Medic for a while now.
:)
Warnings: mentions of a fight and cheating on one's spouse.
~~~~~~~~
It's been three days.
Three long, painful days.
The first day was when he discovered his wife's infidelity. That was when the insults began and the screaming matches started. On the second day, they began the talk of getting a divorce. Medic shut his eyes recalling the third day. He walked into the house that he shared with his wife to gather his belongings, claiming that he needed some space. And there in the doorway to his kitchen stood the bastard that stole his wife's love.
Everything from that moment till now passed like a blur. There was shouting, plates being broken and fists were thrown. The sting on his knuckles felt like nothing compared to the aching numbness that's been gnawing away at him. It was the first time in a very very long time that he felt like crying. It was almost as if he were crying for the first time in his life. His sobs reverberated around his small office. His hands felt far too rough against his sensitive eyes, prompting even more tears to fall.
His teammates knew something was off with him the moment he set foot back on the base. A jolt of embarrassment shot through him. His sobbing stifled.
'Did they know?'
'Oh Gott, do they know?'
More and more questions fluttered through his head. Each one, worse than the last. He was catastrophizing, he's seen it before. Many people go through divorces, but being a mercenaryon top of it? The thought of his teammates knowing this delicate part of his personal life was affecting him this way was akin to a fate worse than being tortured by the BLUs.
'What would Misha say?'
'Would my teammates ever look at me the same way again?'
'what would you say?'
For some strange reason, that thought didn't seem as bad as the others. The other thoughts about his team knowing about this situation filled him with dread. But you. The way that you cared about what everyone had to say, whether it was good or bad was astonishing.
You took people's perspectives and flipped them upside down, you knew what to say and how to say it. If there was a problem, you were one of the first people that his team would call. The way that you helped him in the past came to mind. How you would sit up with him in the darkness of the rec room and talk him through a situation. How you would get that look in your eyes when explaining a passion of yours, how your soft hardworking hand felt in his much larger one...it was breath-taking.
He needed to call you.
He needed to call you ASAP.
Eyeing the phone warily he dialed your number and waited. He didn't have to wait long. Soon the sound of your tired voice came through.
"Medic? You do know that it's 9pm, right?"
"Medic? is everything okay? did something happen?"
The way your voice sounded through the phone was so sweet. His hands felt sweaty against the phone handle. He couldn't bring himself to say anything.
"What's wrong Ludwig?"
And with that, the damn broke. He felt like an utter dummkopf. His chest heaved with despairing sobs..You both have known each other for years. And yet he never noticed how he felt around you. He never noticed how you looked at him with those twinkling eyes or how you always stayed behind to help him clean his lab and feed his birds.
"Ludwig, I'm here, just breathe. Breathe with me."
"Ludwig please."
As you inhaled he inhaled, as you exhaled he exhaled. This cycle continued for what felt like hours. He could feel his temples throbbing painfully. He felt a strange warmth fill up his chest, not the uncomfortable warmth of embarrassment. It was the feeling of that gentle warmth called admiration, perhaps...maybe even love? He smiled a little at that thought.
"Danke der Schatz"
"Medic? You know that I don't speak german right?"
Oh, that voice.. that lovely voice you had.. with no doubt an equally lovely voice box to match. He could tell from the tone of your voice that you your words with a light smile.
You both stayed on the line for quite a while. Not really talking, but listening to each other's breaths. Once in a while breaking the silence by just saying each other's names. Medic felt himself slowly relaxing into the wall behind him. The sound of your voice saying his name felt as if it were taking all of his stress away. You sounded so concerned, so confident. That if he were shot in the leg and you told him he could walk he would have walked with you to the ends of the earth.
With a sigh his strained voice thanked you and he hung up. His heart beat violently from within his ribcage. His tired voice echoed around his empty room. Wishing desperately that you were still on the phone.
Hi! :) Could a please request a cutesy/fluffy LeonxRaihan story where Leon gets to witness Raihan interacting with baby dragon Pokémon? Maybe something like Leon having a crisis because he only ever viewed Raihan as his tough rival and has never seen this side of him?
yaaass cutsey leonxraihan story yaasss gay panic yaasss. made this one Long so it’s also a oneshot on Ao3
~~
Leon, You’re Staring (LeonxRaihan)
“Stop!”
“Don’t tell me to stop, you stop!”
Laughter rang through the swaying grass of Route 6, easily surrounding the two trainers that trekked down the path. It was nearing sunset, and although that normally meant cooler temperatures, the intense heat was still blustering over the orange rock and over the Champion and Dragon Gym Leader. Flushed faces, sweaty bodies, shiny smiles – normally Leon loved training in the heat and found it exhilarating, but not when Raihan was desperate to strip out in the open.
“There’s no one out here, it doesn’t even matter,” Raihan retorted as he tried to pull his shirt off again, though Leon tugged it back down in defiance. “Leon it’s a billion degrees out!”
“We are too close to Hammerlocke,” Leon growled in return. “What if someone sees you, half naked and sweating?”
“Then they’d say, ‘thanks for such a treat,’” Raihan said as he swatted Leon’s hand away again. “The one time I’ve ever remotely hot and you don’t even let me cool down.”
“Don’t blame this on me,” Leon scoffed. “Blame this on you needing to keep your image family-friendly.”
“Rubbish,” Raihan said, and he quickened his pace so he was out of reach from Leon’s frustrated tugging. “You just want this half naked and sweaty body all to yourself.”
“Yeah okay,” Leon laughed. He shot a glance to Hammerlocke, and once he deemed it far enough away, let out a frustrated, “Whatever, do what you want.”
At that, Raihan made quick work of peeling off his shirt and tying it around his forehead, along with letting out an over-dramatic sigh. His skin glistened with a light sheen of sweat, and he rolled his shoulders as if his light t-shirt had been terribly constricting his range of motion.
“So much better,” he hummed. “Okay, your turn.”
“What?”
“C’mon champ, take it off,” Raihan teased as he gave Leon a once over. “Let’s see those famous pecs.”
“Maybe later,” Leon chuckled, rolling his eyes.
“Alright, how ‘bout a battle then?” Raihan grinned. “If I win, you take off your shirt. If you win, I’ll take off my pants.”
Leon barked out another laugh and added a playful shove as he and Raihan continued down the path. It wasn’t often he got to spend time with Raihan like this, but every minute seemed to refuel his energy stores. His best mate had a good habit of doing that, either with jokes or an intense, blazing battle. Lately, Leon had only been able to see Raihan on the Champion pitch, where they would ferociously throw everything they had at one another. So, being with Raihan like this almost made Leon giddy. He motioned to let out another quip, only to pause when Raihan held his arm out.
His smile was gone, and the electric blue of his eyes were no longer childishly glinting but were focused on something on the path ahead. Leon paused, waiting and listening for whatever it was that had taken Raihan’s attention. All that surrounded them was the swaying of the grass, then suddenly, a weak cry.
“Did you hear that?” Raihan asked, and Leon nodded.
There it was again. A faint mewling came from a tuft of green grass a few feet ahead, and Raihan delicately covered the space between him and the sound. Soft rustling filled the air as he knelt, then a quiet ‘oh, no.’
Leon peered over Raihan’s shoulder to see him cupping the bruised jaw of a tiny Trapinch. The Pokémon had fat tears rolling down its cheeks, each of them glinting as they plopped to the dirt below. Its shaking only made the tears fall faster.
“I won’t hurt you,” Raihan whispered as he gently stroked the Trapinch’s head. “What happened?”
The Trapinch let out another soft cry, its entire body quaking.
“It’s so small,” Leon said as he watched Raihan inspect the Pokémon. It had a bruise on the top of its head, and what looked like a broken back leg. Bruises littered its body, and faint scratches throbbed red against the dirty orange of its skin.
“I think it’s just a baby,” Raihan said softly as he unraveled his shirt from his head. He lifted the Trapinch to gently swaddle it, who let out another soft cry. “You’re safe now, I won’t hurt you. Let’s take you to the Pokémon Center, okay?”
The two immediately turned back to Hammerlocke. Raihan’s strides were long, as they usually were, but he never once took his eyes off the Trapinch. He muttered soothing words to it as they traveled the short distance back to the city, and Leon’s brow furrowed at this sudden sweetness coming from his rival. What happened to that biting wit from barely two minutes ago, that blazing competition?
Hm…
Well, it was only natural that a Gym Leader be caring towards Pokémon.
Those thoughts faded as they reached the Pokémon Center in Hammerlocke. The nurse was quick and succinct, and informed them that the Trapinch was probably only a few months old, and would be fine despite whatever scuffle it was in. She healed up most of the bruises and scratches, but the broken back leg would take a while to heal. Raihan immediately decided he’d take care of the Pokémon for as long as it took for its leg to heal, the nurse nodded and said that was sweet, then again told him to please put on a shirt.
After finally obeying the nurse’s request and swaddling the Trapinch in a Pokémon Center–themed blanket instead, Leon and Raihan walked out the sliding glass doors and into the main streets of Hammerlocke.
“You’re going to be safe and sound with me, okay?” Raihan cooed as he held the Trapinch close to his chest. “I won’t let anything hurt you.”
The Trapinch let out another faint squeak, then nuzzled its face into Raihan’s chest. It was a cute motion, but what grabbed Leon’s attention was how Raihan smiled. It wasn’t something smug, there was no evidence of that cocky shark-toothed grin, but rather it was… gentle. Might’ve been the gentlest thing Leon had ever seen, coming from Raihan. The soft curve of his lips, the delicate squint of his eyes from that smile – it was something so strange, so foreign, and so confusing, it made Leon stop in his tracks.
He hadn’t done any strenuous exercise, so why was Leon’s heart suddenly thumping harder in his chest?
“What’s up?” Raihan asked, turning to face the suddenly still champion. “You good?”
Leon blinked a few times as he processed Raihan’s question. The setting sun was reflecting off the windows of the café beside them, softly dappling on the ground, on the Trapinch snuggled in his arms, and on Raihan himself.
Did… Did Raihan always look like this?
Long legs, trim waist, defined arms, soft smile, striking eyes… did Raihan’s eyes always look like that? Were they always that color? Shining electric blue in the light of the setting sun, as if he should be part of the sky as well?
…odd.
When he cocked an eyebrow, Leon jolted into focus again.
“Yes!” Leon blurted. “But where are we going!”
Raihan furrowed his brow at Leon’s volume, and shielded the Trapinch as if the noise would damage it further.
“My apartment,” Raihan said, and Leon fell into step with him as they started again. “I already said that, were you not listening?”
“No, I was, I was,” Leon said, trying to better maintain the strange squeak in his voice. “Yeah I heard you I just forgot.”
“Too busy staring at me?” Raihan asked. “Too distracted?”
“Wh-,” Leon started, his cheeks tingeing pink (though he was sure it was just because of the heat). “Th-that’s… No! That’s not true, that’s rubbish!”
Raihan’s brow furrowed, though his teasing smile was still easy on his face.
Why was Leon stuttering? Why didn’t he just laugh it off like earlier? Why didn’t Raihan’s joking accusation roll off his back, why was it jumbling the words in his mouth?
These questions didn’t seem to plague Raihan, as he only shrugged and led the way back to his apartment. Leon was unsuccessful in averting his gaze, because now he couldn’t quite understand why Raihan seemed different. He could accurately predict how much Hop had grown down to the quarter of an inch, so why couldn’t he pick out what was different about Raihan?
The same tall frame, strong shoulders, sharp jawline… and yet, there was something else, too. Something else that made Leon’s throat a little tight.
“Leon.”
“Huh?” Leon grunted with a start. “What?”
“I asked if you wanted to stay for dinner,” he asked, and Leon’s heart thumped yet again when Raihan squinted at him.
He nodded quickly, almost too quickly, though again he wasn’t sure why.
Before long they were in Raihan’s apartment, sitting on Raihan’s couch, both tucked in soft blankets as the cool twilight breeze blew in from the open window. The lights were dimmed, as to help Trapinch fall asleep faster, but Leon could only focus on how the soft glow of the lamps around them made Raihan seem almost ethereal.
“Come pet Trapinch, Leon,” Raihan hummed, and Leon immediately obeyed.
He scooched down the couch until he was an inch away from Raihan’s thigh, though he for some reason couldn’t cover the rest of the distance to press against him. When Raihan’s fingers brushed his, immediately goosebumps raised on Leon’s arms and he shot his hand back.
“Chill out, what’s wrong with you,” Raihan asked as he grabbed Leon’s hand again. “Are you that scared of a baby Pokémon?”
Raihan tugged him forward, and Leon’s unstable posture led him to tumble into Raihan’s side. Raihan must have bene anticipating that, because he easily lifted his arm and wrapped it around Leon’s shoulders, his other arm still holding Trapinch against his chest.
Leon certainly wasn’t anticipating that, however, and he also wasn’t anticipating how his brain seemed to be short-circuiting. He swallowed, blinked a few times, and acted as normal as possible by giving Trapinch a few pats. Trapinch immediately let out another affectionate cry and nuzzled into Leon’s touch.
“You’re a natural,” Raihan sighed, his voice rumbling through Leon’s body.
Natural.
The word resonated within Leon, settled into his bones, as he again took in their placement.
Is that what this was?
“You’re so sweet,” Raihan whispered, wrinkling his nose again when Trapinch bumped it.
Leon’s brow furrowed.
This… was this even Raihan?
“You hungry?” Raihan asked Trapinch, his voice barely a hum as Trapinch bumped his nose again. “No? What do you want?”
Raihan pressed a gentle kiss onto the Pokémon, who let out a garbled cry of delight. He chuckled and pressed another kiss to Trapinch’s paw as Leon stared with a confused countenance. Who was this man, so gentle and calm, pressing gentle kisses to a baby Pokémon?
Leon’s eyes flit to Raihan’s mouth when he kissed Trapinch again.
This man sounded like Raihan, looked like Raihan, and yet something seemed… different. Leon squinted his eyes.
Hm.
What was it?
His eyes? His smile? His lips?
Leon’s eyelids lowered an inch.
Maybe…
Were Raihan’s lips always so plush…?
So… soft and perfect?
What would it feel like if…
What if that were him?
Soft lips pressing against his… sweet whispers just for him… that smile so close…
Leon’s eyes widened at that thought and he immediately bolted off the couch. Both Raihan and Trapinch jumped, and Raihan offered a frustrated scowl at the haphazard movement. He curled his arms around Trapinch into a secure hug, protecting it from the fumbling champion.
“Sorry,” Leon spluttered out. “I-I, uh, I thought I felt something.”
Raihan raised an eyebrow, then glanced to where Leon was sitting.
“What?” he asked.
“I’m going to get a drink,” Leon coughed. “Um. Be right back.”
“…Alright,” he said as Leon scrambled to the kitchen. That suspicious gaze was boring into the back of his head, and Leon again wondered what the hell was going on with him.
As Leon filled a cup for himself and promptly chugged it down, those images kept flashing into his mind.
Raihan, holding Leon in his lap.
Raihan, smiling against his lips.
Raihan, kissing his cheek, his jaw, his neck.
Raihan, whispering soothing words to him.
“Leon?”
With a start, the glass tumbled from Leon’s hands and shattered on the floor, spurring a yelped expletive from the champion.
“You alright?” came Raihan’s voice from the other room.
“Yeah!” Leon called back, though he was definitely not alright. “Just, uh, the glass slipped!”
“Okay, well the broom’s in the closet. Get me a cup too when you’re done.”
“Yeah,” Leon called again, then he let out a sigh. “Yeah, I will…”
What was going on with him? Raihan was his rival and best mate, and that was the limit. He couldn’t think about him like that, like he was something… more than that.
Leon had swept up the shattered glass and was going to grab another from the cabinet, only to freeze when Raihan stepped into the kitchen too, stopped only a foot away, hands on his hips and scowl on his face.
“Leon, you’re acting weird,” Raihan said as he squinted his eyes and leaned closer. “What’s going on with you?”
Raihan had leaned closer only a few inches, but the less space between them was dizzying. Those eyes, those lips, that body pressing into his space – it was all suddenly squeezing Leon’s chest, beading the sweat on his brow, and making his heart pound in his ears. Had Raihan always been this tall? Had he always looked like this? Had his eyes always been that color? Had his lips always seemed so, so, so soft?
“Where’s Trapinch?” Leon deflected as he backed against the counter.
“Sleeping on the couch, don’t change the topic,” Raihan said as he stepped closer. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing!” Leon blurted. “Nothing, nothing’s wrong.”
“Liar,” Raihan said. “Your face is flushed.”
“No it isn’t,” Leon quickly retorted, yet he could feel his cheeks burning the closer Raihan leaned.
Kiss me
The thought was gone as quickly as it came, yet it seared into Leon’s brain like it was burned there.
Was… was that him?
Did he just think that?
Did Raihan hear that?
No, why would he think that?
Why would.
Why would…
“Yes it is, you're blushing,” Raihan said as his brow furrowed. He lifted his hand, and Leon’s breath caught when he gently cupped his jaw, then ran his thumb over Leon’s cheek.
Kiss me
“I-I,” Leon stuttered. “I-I, um…”
His eyelids were fluttering despite himself, and something pulled much too strong in his stomach when Raihan set his hand beside Leon’s waist, effectively pinning him against the counter.
What was going on with him?
Kiss me
He didn’t really want Raihan to kiss him, right?
Kiss me
He was his best mate, his rival, not someone Leon was… was…
Raihan’s eyes flicked to his lips.
Kiss me kiss me kiss me
…was suddenly and insanely attracted to.
“You sure?” Raihan whispered. “This is the fourth time I’ve caught you staring at me.”
“I have,” Raihan said as he pressed closer. “Staring at my lips, actually. You doing that on purpose, or do I have something on my face?”
Kiss me
“Nothing’s on your face,” Leon replied dumbly. “I-I mean there is, that’s why I was… um… staring.”
“Why don’t you get it for me,” Raihan breathed as he leaned closer.
“I… I…” Leon mumbled. His words were failing him, as was his will to stop whatever this was, as Raihan tilted his chin up.
“I’ve been flirting with you for years and all it took was snuggling a Trapinch?”
Kiss me
“Well, I-I,”
Kiss me
“I meant that… um…”
Kiss me kiss me kiss me
“What do you want, Leon?” Raihan whispered. The nerves on his lips were tingling as if lightning were about to strike.
Kiss me kiss me kiss me
“I want… I want you to… um…”
Raihan’s breath whispered over Leon’s lips, only a few inches away. Everything in Leon was burning – his cheeks, his throat, his chest, his mind as that thought repeated again and again.
Raihan covered the space between them, hovered an inch away, and gently pressed his lips against Leon’s.
Softly.
So, so softly. It was such a soft kiss, just as soft as Leon imagined. Perfect, plush lips, pressing against his, between his, just a glint of electric blue whenever his eyes would flutter open – it all made him a little dizzy.
“Kiss me,” Leon mumbled against Raihan’s mouth, who in turn let out a laugh.
“I literally am,” Raihan said, and offered Leon another peck, then another when Leon gripped the front of his shirt.
“Kiss me,” Leon mumbled again, as if those were the only words he knew.
Raihan opened his mouth to respond, only to be cut off by a cry from the living room. Immediately Raihan bolted away to tend to Trapinch, and Leon was left cold from the lack of Raihan’s heat against him, and yet everything within him was burning.
Did that…
Did they…
Did that just happen?
Suddenly Raihan’s head popped out from around the corner.
“The second I get Trapinch to sleep, you will meet me on the couch, and we will continue that.”
Leon breathed out a laugh when Raihan smiled, and he nodded at the idea of fulfilling those wonderings he had only earlier that night.
Luckily it didn’t take long for Trapinch to fall asleep.
Doujinshi Title: Invincible Rhythm
Author: BubunHanten (KAZUKI Rai)
Summary: Hinata asks Kageyama to help him calm his nerves by letting Hinata listen to the sound of Kageyama’s heartbeat. However, this soon escalates into more and more intimate contact, until Kageyama is certain that if he doesn’t stop this right away, Hinata is going to realize that his feelings have escalated beyond that of teammates.
Fandom: Haikyuu!!
Pairing: Kageyama Tobio x Hinata Shouyou
Language: English
Happy Bi-visibility Day 🎉 here is a little thing I couldn't get out of my head and somehow finished just in time! If The Old Guard is my comfort movie well Julie and the Phantoms is my comfort show 😆 Enjoy Reggie figuring some things out! This is Julie/Luke/Reggie cause they all have 2 hands 💖
It's sort of the little things that Reggie usually misses but they keep happening more and more that even he notices.
It's when they harmonize and it feels like their all one amazing voice. It's that heated tension when they share a microphone. How proud they are after performing or practicing or practicing something they've just made.
The small things build to big things which becomes a new thing and something he's still trying to figure out which means he has 2 things to figure out.
Eventually he solves the new thing pretty quickly but doing something about it takes longer… or as long as his self-control lasts which isn't exactly stellar.
Finally Reggie can't hold it in anymore and blurts it out to Luke when it's just them practicing riffs.
"I think I like Julie?!"
Luke shrugs and keeps playing.
"I like Julie too."
Reggie just shakes his head frantically and his bass disappears so he can grab Luke with both hands by the shoulder and pulls him close to stare him right in the eye as he says this.
"No like actual feelings man."
It finally dawns on Luke what Reggie is trying to say but still there's no reaction as he keeps playing, shifting to a slower sound before making his guitar disappear.
"Oh well I like Julie too. With actual feelings." He frowns in thought and crosses his arms in defence. "Which both you and Alex teased me about remember?"
Reggie chuckles at that. "Huh ya you both are really obvious but like what do I do? I mean I know she loves us and you a bit more but what should I do? Ignore it? Try something? Find someone else?"
Luke eyes him in thought before grinning, a mischievous look Reggie knows means fun trouble.
"Ok well why don't we just tell her and see what she thinks?"
Reggie goes silent for a moment before a bright smile breaks across his face, one Luke reciprocates.
"Ya maybe if I tell her she'll help me figure this out. God feelings are weird. How do you guys do it? I'm just used to fun easy crushes that are well fun and easy but actual feelings kinda suck."
Luke's smile turns smug and he presses a messy kiss to Reggies cheek. "Cause I'm a genius and always know what to do Reggie. Now come on."
Reggie stares in shock before frowning at him.
"Hey, you gotta stop doing that Luke. I'm still trying to figure out the weird feelings I've got for you man."
Luke just pats him consolingly on the arm still attached to him.
"I know Reggie I know, now come on. Julie should be done studying by now right?" Luke questions and slings an arm around Reggie.
"Ya she should be it's like almost dinner time."
They drop in front of her door and knock because if theres one thing Julie Molina knows it's how to get people to do what she wants. Now occasionally the boys remember their manners.
Then Luke has to go and poke his head through the door.
"Julie Reggie has a question for you."
The odd tone Luke uses makes a feeling of nerves settle back again and Reggie's about to pull Luke back so they can be anywhere else but it's Luke who yanks him through the door instead.
Reggie barely resists the urge to poof away because Julie has those cute butterfly clips in her hair and she's just so pretty. She's also giving Luke an annoyed look which makes him feel better.
"See this is why I like you, you defend me when Lukes being annoying and look cute doing it."
Luke gives Julie a look as he motions his hands to Reggie and sighs.
"What-oh right. Julie I'm possibly in love with you in a more than friends way… what should I do?"
She looks from him then Luke and there's also that same mischievous look in her eyes too. Reggie feels like he's missing something he should already know.
"You're asking me… What you should do?" She questions and Reggie just nods.
"Ya cause we know you and Luke are an almost something and I'm not trying to mess with that but I'm not usually a full on feels kind of guy. So like is there a way for me to… not be? Also help me figure out these feelings I have for Luke too cause Alex just stares at me like I'm missing something but never tells me what." He squirts at Luke in annoyance. "You too. Both of you stop waiting for whatever I'm missing and just tell me! It'll save everyone time."
Julie seeing the signs that Reggie is heading for an actual freak out, takes his hand and brings him to sit next to her on her bed.
"Hey Reggie I promise you after today you'll have all of this mostly figure out alright? Now I'm gonna need you to answer some questions I'm going to ask." She squeezes his hand which instantly calms him. "Just blurt it out without thinking."
"My specialty then! Alright I'm ready. Go!"
Both Luke and Julie laugh at that which makes him feel way too warm and giddy.
"Okay favorite thing about Luke?"
"Eyes."
"Favorite thing about me?"
"Smile."
"What do you feel when you think about me?"
"Happy."
"What do you feel when you think about Luke?"
"Also happy."
"My favorite song?"
"Trick question you said you'd never be able to have one cause all the songs you love are special in their own way."
"Luke's favorite guitar?"
"Also trick question because just like you, each on is special and has its own unique use."
"Do you think how you feel about me is the same you feel about Luke?"
"Probably?"
Reggie finally pauses in thought before gasping.
"Omg I'm also in love with Luke."
He snaps his head to look at Luke who just winks at him. "Luke I'm possibly in love with you too!"
He goes silent again and before throwing a pillow at Luke who let's it pass through him. "Wait you knew and you didn't tell me!"
Luke doesn't even look ashamed at this and proceeds to throw himself onto both Reggie and Julie's lap.
"Dude I tried to see if you were interested even before we died. You just never reciprocated so I let it be."
"What! You know how bad I am at that stuff! WE COULD'VE BEEN TOGETHER SOONER IF YOU JUST TOLD ME. WE COULD OF DOUBLE TEAMED TO SWEEP JULIE OFF HER FEET LIKE SHE DESERVES." He starts slapping Luke in the leg then pauses for the third time during this whole thing.
"Wait you were into me back then?"
A hand flies to his chest. "Aww man that's so embarrassing you had a crush on me even then."
Julie's hand pokes him in the chest.
"So did you Reggie."
"Oh huh right." He takes hold of Julie's hand and starts fiddling with it.
"So does this mean you love me too?"
The fond look she gives him makes Reggie blush.
"What do you think Reginald?"
"That I'm in some weird fever dream."
"Well if hearing it will make things seem more real then yes Reggie, of course I love you too."
Reggie face breaks out into a blinding smile because he's so happy.
"Dude did you hear that? Julie loves me!"
Julie and Luke laugh again because they do love their ridiculous boy.
"Well I also love you too." Luke adds and pats his cheek, leaving it there for a second longer than usual before dropping it.
"Why do I feel like both crying and proofing to the roof to yell?"
Reggie feels like he's too full of emotions he might actually explode.
Julie tugs his hand and pulls him closer.
"Come on group hug."
They all laugh in joy as they crash together and hold each other tight.
"Wait what do you guys like about me?" He asks as they all fully settle on Julie's bed fully comfortable.
He has his head in Julie's lap and his feet on Luke's. Luke has a hand gripping his ankle and his head on Julie's shoulder.
"You always make me laugh. Luke always makes me smile." Julie answers and they both look to Luke.
"Kinda the same for me too. You both just make me happy."
Humming in happy contentment as Julie runs her hand through his hair and Luke taps his fingers on his ankle, Reggie just asks one more question.
"How'd you guys figure out you liked me?"
He opens one eye to see both of them starting to blush and he has an inkling of what it could be.
"Oh my god you guys wrote a song about me didn't you!"
Julie tugs his hair but gently at the comment.
"Got it in one Reggie. Not gonna lie though it was a bit frustrating cause it was after I accepted I felt something for Luke."
"She was so mad when I realized what the song was about before her. Mainly because I had the first part done and she finished it."
Reggie chuckles at that.
"Well duh we've known each other longer but Julie was able to finish it right, like it needed her."
"Reggie man that was insanely poetic.
"I can be from time to time."
Julie rolls her eyes at that.
"Very rare times."
They all bask in the quiet for a few more seconds before Reggie rolls over and looks at them.
"Wait how are we going to tell Alex?" The raised brows from both Julie and Luke answers that for him. "Oh he knows doesn't he? That's why he just stares at me like I should already know!"
Luke sighs loudly and drops down to take the spot Reggie left.
"Yup he definitely fits the disaster Bi thing you were showing me Jules."
Reggie looks at them confused at what that means.
"What the heck does that mean?"
"Well you know Alex is Gay cause he likes only boys? Bi or bisexual is when you like both genders or more. That's at least how I describe it and feel. Luke thought he was too but then he found out about being Pansexual and said that felt more like him."
Reggie stares at them in awe.
"There's a word for it." He whispers and tries to go launch himself off the bed and open Julie's laptop on her desk but two hands latch onto him to keep him stationed on the bed.
"Nope. Enjoy the cuddling."
"Reggie we were having a moment!"
He struggles weakly before relaxing back into their arms.
"You can't just say there's a word for something I couldn't name most of my life and expect me to chill right now!" He argues but stays where he is.
They both pat his chest to comfort him.
"You can research all you want tomorrow while I'm school. I'm sure my dad can answer some questions too since he was the one who helped me figure out I was bi."
Some unknown tension lifts from Reggies chest but it's not the two hands resting there.
"Your dad is so cool."
"Cause he has such a cool daughter."
No one disagrees.
After that it's as if they've been doing this since the start. Sometimes they're all together or with at least one other person, never alone unless they need it.
