Warnings: None! Enjoy the fluffy summer time goodness!
A/N: Hi everyone! I hope you like this Tetsu fic! This is my piece for the bnharem summer collab series! I’m so happy to be able to collaborate with so many talented writers so you guys should go check out their lovely pieces on this masterlist. Also, there’s a little reference to @pixxiesdust Kirishima fic at the end so you guys should definitely read her piece! This was my first time writing for Tetsu so I was a bit nervous. I tried to incorporate as much as I could and I’m really happy with the results. I’ve always liked wish traditions/beliefs such as this. It just makes a world a bit more magical. Lastly, I wanted to say a huge thank you to @pixxiesdust and @izukyu for betaing my fic! You guys are awesome!!!
Word Count: 3.5k
Stick a watermelon seed to your forehead. Make your wish before it falls off.
U.A. High School was considered atypical by most school standards. While most high schools usually had a long summer break for students to enjoy, U.A. announced that they would be shortening their break down to one week. However, this new condition only applied to their hero departments considering the recent villain attacks that targeted their students, the utilization of dorms, and the increase of special courses scheduled during what would normally be their summer vacation.
This change of schedule led to students thoroughly enjoying their much-needed break. Some a bit differently than others.
Monoma decided to spend his week at his family’s villa, wanting some peace and quiet and “to be away from all the peasants”. Awase had already planned on working at his family’s shop for some extra cash. Like Monoma and Awase, most of Class 1-B either went on vacation or back home.
However, Tetsutetsu’s way of spending his break was a bit different from everyone else in his class. He did go back to his hometown. But he had no plans of relaxation.
“A man never takes a break!” the silver-haired hero-in-training bellowed as he jogged through the neighborhood. He enthusiastically greeted many of the townspeople as they went about their morning routine. Tetsutetsu smiled as he felt a wave of nostalgia, recalling training every day in middle school in order to get into the school of his dreams. Like before, he went through his familiar running route through the small town.
During middle school, he would always go for a jog before and after school. Tetsutetsu chuckled as he remembered the number of times he had been scolded for being late or coming home sweaty and dirty. But that never stopped him. No, he was determined to become a hero.
Tetsutetsu’s grin widened as he recalled a particular memory. He felt his heartbeat and running pace quicken. Even as sweat dribbled down his forehead, Tetsutetsu didn’t feel an ounce of exhaustion. He needed to amp it up a bit more. A low rumble resonated through Tetsutetsu’s chest before he let out a loud roar as he increased his speed.
The silver-haired male felt a rush of adrenaline as he pumped his legs as fast as he could. The exhilarating feeling of the wind rushing past his body only spurred him on. Tetsutetsu grinned as he felt his heart pound against his chest. He loved this feeling. He never wanted it to stop.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. For the silver-haired hero-in-training, that would be a solid mass walking in front of his running path and slamming right into him.
At first, Tetsutetsu couldn’t even process why his momentum was abruptly interrupted. He felt great. He felt indestructible. He felt strong. That is until he felt the wind get knocked out of his chest and his forehead slammed on the solid ground beneath him. Tetsutetsu groaned as he cursed at himself for not activating his quirk in time. He felt his head pound as he tried to push himself up. Tetsutetsu paused when he felt how soft the ground felt under his fingertips. Since when did the ground feel so squishy?
“Can you get off me?” a voice beneath him groaned out.
Tetsutetsu blinked his eyes as he focused on the voice, head still pounding relentlessly. He felt something push against his chest when his vision finally cleared to reveal a very annoyed face glaring up at him.
“You’re too heavy! Get off!”
Tetsutetsu gasped and pushed himself away. He immediately bowed apologetically. He gritted his teeth as his head pounded even harder when he bowed too quickly. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t see where I was going! I’m so very sorry! A man shouldn’t run into people!”
The silver-haired male was expecting a good scolding and a hard hit to the head (courtesy of his internship with Fourth Kind). He waited for his punishment with bated breath, but what he received was a light scoff and a very familiar phrase.
“I should beat the snot out of you.”
Tetsutetsu felt his skin jump as he trailed his grey eyes from the scuffed shoes to the cocked hip to the crossed arms and to the smirk plastered on his childhood friend’s face.
You raised your eyebrow as you stared at your friend’s gapping face. Some things never change. Especially when it comes to the male in front of you. “Hiya, Tetsu!”
A gasp fell from Tetsutetsu’s lips before he took a large step and engulfed your body in a tight hug. He bellowed out your name as he swung you back and forth effortlessly. Waves of laughter resounding through the neighborhood as everyone who passed by merely smiled and went about their day.
When a dizzying feeling brewed in the back of your head, you tapped Tetsutetsu’s shoulder to stop his excited yet incoherent rambling. Tetsutetsu kept his hands on your hips even after he placed you back on the ground.
“I haven’t seen you in so long!” A shark-toothed grin spread across Tetsutetsu’s face as he felt the urge to engulf you in another hug. “Wow! You haven’t changed a bit!”
You rolled your eyes and pushed yourself away from Tetsutetsu. The quick disconnection made you miss the heavy feeling of Tetsutetsu’s hands on your hips. But you weren’t going to tell him that. His hands weren’t the only thing you’ve been missing lately.
Unfortunately, the space between both of you created an opportunity for you to study Tetsutetsu’s features. This was not the scrawny kid that you used to tease endlessly. You were happy that he still had that wide shark-toothed grin on his face that seemed to spread his own enthusiasm to people around him. His gray hair was longer and messier than you remember and the sweat running down his face caused a few strands to plaster on his forehead. As your eyes continued to study his features, you felt your cheeks burn. You watched a single drop of sweat run down Tetsutetsu’s face and down to his chest. Your gray-haired childhood friend was now a muscular hero-in-training.
You stopped your thoughts from escalating any further. This was your childhood friend. You should not be admiring how big his arms looked. You cursed the sweltering summer heat and blamed it for the blush rising on your cheeks and the dizzying feeling in your head.
“Right back at you, steelhead.” You turned your back at him as you tried to control the uncomfortable heat that refused to leave your face. Instead, you turned your focus on your groceries that were haphazardly strewn all over the sidewalk. “Ah, the groceries!” you exclaimed as you quickly gathered the produce.
“Oh, here! Let me help!”
Before you could stop him, Tetsutetsu already had the bags in one hand and a large watermelon in the other. You watched as he effortlessly carried the groceries you were struggling with a few minutes ago, especially the watermelon.
“You really didn’t have to, Tetsu.”
As you made a move to grab the bags from Tetsutetsu, he shook his head and dodged your hands. “I want to. Plus, it would be unmanly of me if I just left you after I knocked you over. Now, let’s go.”
You cocked your head to the side as Tetsutetsu began to walk away from your stunned figure. You ran to catch up to him. A bit irked that he could carry your groceries so easily, but happy that you were able to walk side by side with him. “What about your training, Tetsu? Weren’t you in the middle of a run?”
“Nah, I’d rather spend my time with you.” There it was again. The crooked grin that seemed to make your cheeks flare up and heart skip more so than usual.
“There’s that one-track mind again,” you mumbled as you remembered the times you had to keep Tetsutetsu in check before he ran off headfirst into anything he set his mind to.
“What was that?” the gray-haired male cocked his head to the side.
“Nothing.”
Tetsutetsu wasn’t sure if it was from the summer heat or his morning run, but he felt his throat dry up as soon as you flashed him your bright smile. He merely cleared his throat and stared ahead as both of you walked the familiar path to your childhood home.
You unlocked the gate and led Tetsutetsu into your house. “My parents aren’t home right now, so we should be alone for a bit.”
Tetsutetsu stopped in his tracks as soon as he heard your words. Alone? With you? In your house? Tetsutetsu has been to your house many times, but your parents were always home. He remembered the time he would come by after school so that you could tutor him and occasionally train with him. But now he was here. Alone. With you. In your house.
“Are you sure? Is it ok?” Tetsutetsu murmured as he hesitantly stepped over the threshold.
“Of course,” you shrugged as you placed house slippers on the floor for Tetsutetsu to use. You grabbed the groceries from his hands as you struggled to carry them to the kitchen. You ignored Tetsutetsu’s protests as you made your way in the kitchen. “Why don’t I cut up some watermelon for us? I’ll meet you by the porch.”
Tetsutetsu nodded as he watched your figure disappear into the kitchen. He walked through your house and made his way to the back porch, where both of you used to spend time playing during elementary school or lazily lounge around during middle school. The silver-haired male plopped himself down with a loud thump on the wooden porch. With a sigh, he leaned back on his arms as he soaked in the summer heat. While he enjoyed his time training to become a hero at U.A, he missed the days where he would spend the afternoons with you on this very porch.
His fingers grazed against the old wood, smiling when he noticed all the carvings both of you had drawn over the years. A badly drawn horse. Some squiggles that resembled a snake. A few games of tic-tac-toe. His name and your name with a plus sign in between. A symbol of friendship that he cherished more than anything.
Tetsutetsu let out a muffled groan into his hands as the sickening feeling in his stomach began to rise. He didn’t understand why he was feeling this way. You were his best friend. You were the one that encouraged him to become a hero. You were the one who trained and tutored him for his UA entrance exams. You were there for him more than anybody else. He should be thankful, not feeling like his heart would run out of his chest every time he saw you.
The gray-haired hero-in-training thought that these feelings would go away once he started U.A. And they did for a while because he was focused on his goal to become the number one hero. Nothing else mattered but what he needed to do to become a hero.
Except during the times he would rest and relax after a long training session. His brain always went back to the moments he spent with you. It always made him feel more energized because he knew you still were cheering him on.
“Hey, what’s going on in that empty steel trap?”
Tetsutetsu jumped and swiveled his head towards your voice. He felt a rush of heat rise on his cheeks as you smiled down at his surprised face.
You held up the plate of sliced watermelons in your hands as you made your way towards Tetsutetsu. He moved himself over to make room for you as you placed the plate in between you and Tetsutetsu. “Eat up, Tetsu.”
“Thanks,” Tetsutetsu grunted as he reached for a piece of watermelon. His gray eyes trailed to your figure as he watched you happily take bite after bite of the summer fruit.
He grinned as he took his own bite of the watermelon in his hands. He relished the way the juices spread across his tongue, uncaring that a few droplets of juice were flowing down his chin.
“You’re as messy as ever, Tets,” you giggled as you watched Tetsutetsu grab another piece of watermelon while the collar of his shirt was soaked by the extra watermelon juices. Tetsutetsu merely cocked his head toward you and flashed a shark-toothed grin before he bit down on another piece of watermelon.
You bit down on your own piece as you enjoyed the atmosphere between you and the silver-haired male beside you. You sighed at the refreshing feeling and taste of the watermelon in your mouth. It brought you back to the summer days spent with Tetsutetsu. Your mother always had watermelon ready for both of you to devour after a long study session. You and your best friend would always see who could eat the most.
“Hey.” You were pulled out of your thoughts when Tetsutetsu nudged your shoulder. You looked towards him and tried to stifle your laughter as Tetsutetsu began to spit watermelon seeds out of his mouth. Some traveled far while others dropped right between his legs.
The gray-haired male grinned as he listened to your melodious laughter. He loved your laugh. When he decided to become a hero, he swore he would protect you and your happiness at all costs. Your laughter always made him feel like a true hero each and every time.
“Hey, Tetsu.” You pulled a seed from your watermelon as Tetsutetsu turned his attention towards you. Without a second to waste, you stuck a watermelon seed on his forehead and smiled at his dumbfounded look. “Hurry and make a wish!”
“Wuh?” Before Tetsutetsu could say anything, the watermelon seed dropped from his forehead and landed with a plop on the wooden porch.
“Aw, you were supposed to make a wish,” you pouted as you stared dejectedly at the little black seed.
“Wait! Wait! I wasn’t ready!” Tetsutetsu pulled himself closer to you as he stared expectantly at your widened gaze. “Do it again!”
A dark blush painted across your cheeks when you realized how close Tetsutetsu was. You admired his long eyelashes while the summer sun shimmered in his gray irises. He still had that light scar on his chin from when he accidentally clipped his chin on the park playground when you were little. You could not get yourself to look away. He had that determined look in his face that promised the impossible. His endless amount of confidence and stubbornness has always surprised you in any and all situations. Even to this day.
You gulped as you picked up another seed from your watermelon and placed it on Tetsutetsu’s forehead. You pressed a bit harder, making sure that it wouldn’t fall off as quickly as the first one. You stared into Tetsutetsu’s gray eyes and said, “Make a wish.”
The next thing Tetsutetsu did broke every rule ever made when it comes to best friends. Especially childhood best friends. He was sure that he would end up in the deepest parts of hell made for ruining friendships with one simple forbidden act.
Tetsutetsu gulped down his fears and pushed forward. Literally pushed forward and collided against your forehead. He did it while lightly brushing his lips against yours, but the initial pain of foreheads colliding caused you to pull away from the silver-haired male.
“Oww.” You rubbed your forehead as you turned away from Tetsutetsu. You tried to hide the blush on your face as you felt the soft pressure still lingering on your lips. You weren’t sure which pressure to focus on. The pain on your forehead or the softness on your lips.
“I’m so sorry! That was really unmanly of me! I didn’t know what came over me! I’m so sorry!” Tetsutetsu rumbled on as he tried to fix the situation. You and Kendo always berated him for not thinking before he acted. This was definitely a time when he should have used his head (the right way). The silver-haired male hid his reddened face into his large hands as he wished he was as small as the seeds strewn across the yard.
You looked over at a hunched over Tetsutetu while he continued to apologize and berate himself for being so unmanly. While you were initially surprised at Tetsutetsu’s bold act, you were a bit happy that he made the first move before you. He definitely had more guts than you, which was another thing you liked about him.
“Tetsu.” No reply. “Tetsu.” You placed a hand on his shoulder. Still no reply. “Tetsu!” This time you pulled his messy gray hair until he stared at you with an unfamiliar look him his eyes. Fear. Uncertainty. Shame. Definitely not the Tetsutetsu that you’ve known for years, but you also knew what could turn him back.
“It’s okay.” You flashed Tetsutetsu a bright grin as you pulled his face up. You kept your hands on his face, reveling at the warm feeling spreading across your palms. “Did your wish come true?”
It was Tetsutetsu’s turn. His face was as red as the watermelon slices sitting by your laps. He could not stop the blush from running across his cheeks. Nor could he control the way his heart quickened with every second that passed by. He bit his lip as he stared down at your soft lips, reveling at the way he pressed his own against them while simultaneously knocking his abnormally hard forehead against your own.
“I-I think so?”
“Good, cause it’s my turn to make a wish!”
It’s official.
Tetsutetsu had zero thoughts in his brain.
He could not compute a single thought as he felt your hands pull his face closer to yours. He could not get himself to pull away as he felt himself tremble under your fingertips. He gulped when he felt your breath tickle his lips. Tetsutetsu tightly shut his eyes, patiently waiting for the soft pressure that would once again dance across his lips.
But it never came.
Tetsutetsu opened his eyes when he felt the soft pressure on his cheek instead. He stared at you in confusion as you grinned up at him.
“On second thought, I think my wish already came true!”
-Time Skip-
“Bro! I don’t know what to do!” Kirishima exclaimed as he plopped down on the couch. He had a drink clutched on his left hand while his right arm rested dramatically across his eyes.
“What’s going on, bro?” Tetsutetsu inquired as he cocked his head towards one of his fellow sidekicks. He placed a plate of sliced watermelon in front of his best friend as he patiently waited for him to elaborate.
The red-haired male sighed as he grabbed a slice of watermelon and bit a large piece off. A small pout rested on his chiseled face. “There’s this girl-”
“Ohhhhhh.” Kirishima groaned at the Cheshire grin plastered across the gray-haired male’s face. “A girl, huh?”
“Bro, shut up or I’m going to leave.”
“Alright. Alright.” Tetsutetsu chuckled as he draped an arm across Kirishima’s shoulders and gave him a sly grin. “So, this girl? How’d you meet her?”
The red-haired sidekick rolled his eyes and grabbed another piece of watermelon. “That’s the thing, dude. I haven’t officially met her.” Tetsutetsu shot him a look of confusion. “I saw her once while I was out on patrol.”
Tetsutetsu rested his chin on his fist as he stared expectantly at his red-haired best friend. “What? D’you save her or something?”
“No.”
“Saw her at a bar?”
“No.”
“Then what happened, bro?”
Kirishima groaned as he dramatically flopped his head against the back of the couch. A light blush spread across his cheeks at the sudden thought of the girl. “I saw her standing in the middle of the rain and I don’t even know how to describe it. It was like I was mesmerized and I couldn’t look away. And when she left, it was like she took a piece of me with her.”
“A piece of you? Are you sure, dude?”
Kirishima could feel the endearing grin shot his way by the gray-haired male beside him. “Yes, and I haven’t stopped thinking about her since.” The red-haired sidekick turned to his friend, a dejected look spread across his face. “What do I do, bro?”
As much as Tetsutetsu enjoyed teasing his best friend, he knew that his bro needed his help. He looked around the room as he thought about what he could do to help his fellow sidekick. While he has been in a very long and serious relationship, he wasn’t really an expert. Maybe when it came to hand-to-hand combat, he would happily help his best bro-friend. But love? That was kind of your expertise.
Then his eyes landed on the tiny, tear-drop shaped, black objects that were contained in the summer fruit in front of them.
He grabbed the small object and thrust it in front of Kirishima’s confused face.
Content: magical curses, knight Tetsutetsu, a bit of side kiribaku obviously ;)
Trigger warnings: Strong language, injury, blood, nudity, slight mentions of unhappy childhoods and bad relationships with parents
A/N: This is my contribution to the BNHA Harem’s fantasy collab! It’s my first time joining in with a collab for this fandom so I really hope you all enjoy it! Thank you as always to my very best friend @kingexpl0sionmurder murder for helping me out and always listening to me rambling on about this.
The fic kind of got away from me a bit but I hope you all like it <3 I was originally planning to add smut but the story just kind of got away from me and it turned out super long without it. I’ll happily write a smutty sequel if anyone enjoys this enough!
Collab Masterlist
***
Since he was a little child, Tetsutetsu had dreamed of becoming a knight. He’d sit on the roadside near the palace as often as he could and watch the king’s brave men and women ride in and out of the courtyard, going about various exciting duties.
The very day he turned 16, Tetsutetsu signed up to serve the crown. He started off as messenger and errand boy but his loyalty, bravery and enthusiasm soon helped him rise up through the ranks until finally, just a couple of weeks before his 22nd birthday, he was granted the honour of joining the king’s knights.
He hadn’t really expected his first duties in such an esteemed role to be the most exciting, but he’d kind of hoped for a nice little story that he could tell his future children about someday.
Things hadn’t quite turned out that way…
Tetsu had been part of a small group of knights sent to accompany a senior member of the royal court to a neighboring kingdom. At first, he had been fairly pleased with that assignment. He could tell his future family that he’d been there at the very start of a beautiful alliance between two of the most powerful kingdoms in the whole world. That’d be a nice tale to recount.
An unfortunate incident with a sorcerer on his second day in the city had somewhat soured the whole experience for him.
And that’s putting it mildly.
One minute, Tetsu had been happily conversing with a knight from the neighboring kingdom in the castle’s courtyard, the next, he was a literal little bunny rabbit.
He still had all of his human thoughts and memories but to the rest of the world, he was now nothing more than an ordinary little woodland creature.
Not knowing what to do, he’d scarpered, hoping to find somewhere to hide whilst he came up with a plan.
It turned out that the castle was not a good place for a rabbit to be. There were too many hungry cats and dogs roaming the grounds that could pretty much squeeze into any of the hiding places that Tetsutetsu could.
Aware that his survival was extremely unlikely if he stayed, Tetsu hopped out of the castle grounds as fast as his little bunny legs would carry him. Luckily, he’d taken note of a wood on the ride into the city the day before, so he headed straight for it, keeping close to the walls of buildings and hiding under stationary carts or behind crates as often as he could.
It felt like it’d taken him forever to reach the shelter and shade of the trees, but he inwardly sighed with relief as he sat beneath a shrub. He’d barely begun to collect his thoughts when a rustling behind him alerted him to the fact that he wasn’t alone. Tetsu didn’t even have to turn around to see what it was. He just knew it was a fox. Apparently he had learned to use and understand his bunny senses very quickly.
Panic set in really quickly as he darted off further into the woods. Cursing his tiny legs, Tetsu frantically searched for a safe haven but every nook and cranny he tried to take sanctuary in, turned out to be easy enough for the fox to get into as well.
Before long his legs began to tire and Tetsutetsu’s imminent demise seemed set in stone as a jagged fallen branch pierced his side when he tried to hide beneath it. The fox was closing in on him fast, it’s eyes flashing hungrily as it barreled towards him.
It was right at that moment, the exact second that Tetsu was sure would be his very last, that he saw you.
You looked like some sort of guardian angel, silhouetted by the hazy sunlight as you sprinted towards him, shooing the fox away. For all he knew, you could have just wanted him for your own dinner, but he couldn’t run away. He was frozen, partly in fear but mostly in utter shock and wonder at your sudden appearance.
“Get out of here, you greedy fox!” You yelled, waving your arms at the creature as it skulked off into the nearby undergrowth.
Despite his near-death experience, all that Tetsu could think as you stepped closer to him was how typical it was of his luck that he’d met the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen when he was a fucking rabbit.
***
As soon as the fox was out of sight, you knelt down to get a closer look at the frightened little rabbit it had been chasing. “It’s okay, little cutie…” You cooed gently, reaching out gingerly to pick up the injured animal.
You half expected it to try and escape, frightened and injured creatures often do that. This particular rabbit remained motionless, it’s scared eyes fixed on you as you gently lifted it up into your arms. “Let’s go and get you all fixed up, huh?” You whispered, trying to calm it down a bit.
The little cabin that you’d inherited from your father was close by. You’d taken to living in it a couple of years ago after he’d died, favoring the solitary life that the woods offered. You’d never really been a city girl. The hustle and bustle of markets, the busybodies trying to stick their noses in your business all time… None of that was your cup of tea at all. You loved the isolation that the woods offered you and you’d always much preferred the company of animals to that of humans, anyway.
As you carried the frightened bunny back to your cabin, you couldn’t help but notice the distinct markings around the creature’s eyes. They were a slightly lighter shade of grey than the rest of its fur, shaped almost like a spiky cloud. You’d never seen markings like that on any animal before and it fascinated you.
Having rescued many poor woodland animals from various dangerous situations, you felt that it was extremely unlikely that this particular creature was native to the area. “Where are you from, little one?” You wondered out loud, stroking the rabbit’’s head gently with your free hand. “I’ll do my best to get you all fixed up and then I’ll do a bit of research, yeah?”
The specific part of the woods you called home loomed closer as you weaved your way through the trees and bushes.
Your cozy cabin was set in a beautiful clearing. You’d worked the ground around it into a pretty little garden, planting fruit trees and flowers to make it feel more like your little patch of land than just another part of the woods.
The bunny in your arms curled into your chest, seemingly still frightened. You petted its head once more. “Don’t worry little friend.” You smiled gently. “I won’t let any more foxes get to you, I promise.”
Even though you knew that the predators of the woods needed to eat, you’d never liked it when rabbits were their prey of choice. You’d always had a soft spot for the cotton tailed little critters and so you never liked to see them become anyone’s dinner. It’s not like there was a lack of other options, there were plenty of rats, mice and other rodents for the foxes, weasels and wolves to snack on.
Once you were inside, you placed the injured rabbit in the little wooden pen that had permanent residence in your sitting room. You dropped an old blanket in there too so that it had something to hide behind if it was still scared, before heading into your tiny kitchen to mix the herbs you needed to fix up the cut on the rabbit’s side. Luckily, you always had a well-stocked medicine cabinet for purposes such as this.
You couldn’t help but notice that the unusual rabbit moved to sit next to the wooden bars, watching you closely as though it was trying to decide if it could trust you or not.
“I’m just making up a medicine for you.” You smiled at the tiny creature. “It might sting a bit but it’ll stop the wound from getting infected, so you have to let me put it on without wriggling too much, okay?”
If you didn’t know better, you could have sworn that the bunny nodded at you. That was impossible, of course, rabbits didn’t understand the human language…
***
Although you rarely kept the animals you rescued in your home for more than a few days, you always liked to give them names as most of them never tended to wander far from your cabin once they knew you wanted to protect them. You decided to call this particular rabbit Pebble, due to the soft grey colour of it’s fur.
As the day went on, your suspicions about how intelligent Pebble actually was, increased significantly. The rabbit let you apply the medicine to its wound with no fuss at all, which was incredibly unusual for a creature that was usually so skittish in nature. It lay on your table quietly, only flinching slighting at the sting of the potion before allowing you to put it back in the pen without struggling. After that, it just sat and watched you intently as you went about your daily chores, seemingly taking in its surroundings and paying attention to what you were doing.
At first you thought it was all in your imagination, rabbits didn’t have any interest in human behaviour at all. Usually they’d curl up and sleep or scrabble around until you released them back into the wild. This one was completely different. Your curiosity piqued even further when you lent over to feed the bunny some lettuce at lunch time. It just seemed like an incredible coincidence that the creature covered it’s eyes with its front paws at the precise moment your cleavage was in its direct line of sight.
Once pebble had finished eating you picked the bunny up, wanting to see how it acted when given the freedom to roam around your whole cabin. As you suspected, it stayed fairly close to you, observing your movements but more like a curious cat than cautious rabbit.
Having had a fair few chores on your to do list, you had little time to devote to researching different rabbit breeds and their behaviours. All of that would just have to wait until later that evening.
As you went about your daily work, the rabbit kept you company, even venturing outside with you when you went to hang out your washing. Even then it made no attempt at all to run back off into the woods. It could be because of it’s injury of course, but you got the curious inkling that there was more to this animal than met the eye.
You were pretty sure everyone else would think you were crazy but you couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something distinctively human about pebble.
When it was time to make your dinner, Pebble watched you intently and you could have sworn you heard his tummy growl with hunger. “It’s a good job I have plenty of vegetables for you, isn’t it, Pebble?” You giggled, chopping up a carrot for him.
Once you’d both finished eating dinner, you decided to go through some of your books to see if you could get any idea on where this strange little bunny had come from. As they were one of your favourite animals, you’d done quite a lot of reading on them before, but you were pretty sure you’d never come across any descriptions of wild rabbits being so intelligent and tame.
Intent upon finding out something, you picked out a few of the volumes that you tended to consult less often than the countless others that cluttered every corner of your tiny cabin. Perhaps this breed was so rare that only certain academics had ever had the privilege of studying them.
Before settling down for the evening, you lit a few candles. The sun was already in the later stages of setting and you needed the light.
Pebble watched you curiously the whole time, following you around the room as you lit the candles and then sitting dutifully on the floor beside you when you settled down at your desk to read. The little creature was more like a domestic dog begging for attention than a wild bunny.
After a couple of hours of fruitless reading, you finally admitted defeat and stored your books away. It was getting late and tiredness was setting in, making your eyelids droop.
You scratched Pebble behind the ear, giggling as he leaned into the touch before you blew out the candles and made your way to the bedroom. You half expected the rabbit to follow you, but he just curled up on the rug between your two armchairs as though he was settling down for the night.
It was proving very difficult not to get attached to Pebble. You’d obviously only had him in your life for less than a day, but you were already dreading the moment that you’d have to release him back into the wild.
***
Bright sunlight and the usual pretty morning birdsong woke you up quite early the following day. That was one of your favourite things about living in seclusion. Waking up to nature’s beautiful sounds was much nicer than being forced into consciousness by rowdy market traders and the clattering of loud horse drawn carriages and carts rattling over the cobbled streets of the city.
As always, you lay in bed for a little while, listening to the animals and birds outside as you gathered the energy to go and make breakfast. You didn’t stay there for quite as long as usual, as you were eager to check on Pebble. Even though the rabbit’s injury had been fairly superficial, you had become very invested in his well being.
After just a few short moments, you scrambled out of bed and headed down the short hallway towards the front of your cabin. Before you even reached the sitting room you called out Pebble’s name, expecting him to scurry over to you like a hungry cat.
When he didn’t come running around the corner, concern started to set in and you quickened your pace. As you turned into your sitting room, expecting to see nothing besides your humble furniture and the injured rabbit, a loud shriek of shock and fear tore out of your throat.
In the exact place you’d left the little woodland creature the night before, lay a man, curled up asleep.
The stranger awoke with a start, sitting up and glancing frantically around the room before his startled eyes met yours.
If having an intruder in your sitting room wasn’t frightening enough, it only got worse when the man stood up and it became painfully obvious that he was completely naked. You’d heard about men like that, who would sneak into women’s rooms at night to have their wicked way with them. You never thought that any of them would venture this far out of the city, though. Perhaps if you’d taken a step back to process everything a bit more, you’d have noticed the small injury to the man’s side, in exactly the same place that Pebble’s cut had been.
Under any other circumstances, you’d have stopped to survey the situation. You’d have known he intended you no harm since he’d been asleep on your rug, not creeping into your bedroom. You’d also have noticed that there was no sign of a break in. As it happened, your brain couldn’t process any of that. “What the fuck are you doing here, pervert?” You yelled, scampering into the kitchen area to find something you could use as a weapon. “Get the hell out of my house!”
It wasn’t really acceptable by most people’s standards for women to use strong language like that, however all of the years spent you’d spent alone in the woods had lessened how much cared for such stupid social constructs.
The man looked momentarily confused before he glanced down and immediately cupped his hands over his exposed manhood. “Shit, I’m so sorry, I… Can I explain? I…”
“No you cannot explain! Get the fuck out!” You repeated, grabbing a frying pan from the hook next to your oven.
“Please! I can’t go out there with no clothes, I… do you at least have a blanket or something I could borrow?”
The stranger was clearly as shocked by the situation as you were, which in itself was very odd. He was also very obviously embarrassed by his nudity. He definitely didn't seem like the predatory men you’d heard people gossiping about at the marketplace.
Something about the genuine fear and panic in his eyes, made you less wary of the stranger and you subconsciously lowered your ‘weapon’. “Why should I help you?” You asked, eyeing the man cautiously.
Despite being positive that you’ve never laid eyes on this man before (you’d definitely have remembered him, he was pretty much exactly what you’d envisaged your dream man to be), the strength, warmth and kindness he radiated, made you feel sort of calm and at ease, like you already knew him.
“I’ll explain everything I promise.” He replied, his tone pleading. “Please could I just have something to cover up with first?”
For some reason, you didn’t feel threatened by the naked man. Now that the shock had worn off a bit, you just felt a little sorry for him. It seemed odd that he’d want to cover himself up if he had any ill intentions, so you went with your gut instinct and decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, at least for now. “Okay, just stay here and don’t sit on anything!” You instructed before heading back to your bedroom.
Once you were alone in your room for a moment, you allowed your mind to wonder. The man in your sitting room was so incredibly handsome that you think you could definitely forgive him for turning up at your cabin naked and unannounced. You’d never seen anyone quite like him before. He was handsome, but not in the traditional way that you’d been expected to look for in a man. The grey shade of his spiky hair, his long silver eyelashes and the pretty shape of his face would be burnt into your mind for some time to come.
As you grabbed a fresh blanket from the linen trunk under your window, you couldn’t help but let your mind drift to the rest of the stranger’s body. You’d tried not to stare of course, but it’d been difficult not to let your eyes wander over his tight muscles and smooth, pale skin. You’d caught a quick glimpse of his cock, before he’d swiftly tried to cover it. It had looked fairly big and thick, although you had nothing to compare it to. You knew you shouldn’t really have looked, but the temptation had been too great.
When you returned to the sitting room with the blanket, the man thanked you as you averted your eyes whilst he wrapped himself in it. “May I sit down now?” He asked cautiously once he was all covered up.
You nodded, gesturing towards the less comfortable of your two armchairs, whilst you dropped into the other. “As long as you plan on explaining why you’re in my house and why you’re naked…”
The man’s cheeks turned a pretty pink colour as he snuggled deeper into the blanket. “Of course, but first, I have to thank you for taking such good care of me yesterday. It was really kind of you.”
Your confusion grew with every word the man said but you politely waited until he’d finished thanking you before you prompted him for a little more detail. “I didn’t see you yesterday, you must be mistaken…”
“Umm no it was definitely you.” The man replied, his cheeks deepening in colour as he scratched the back of his neck nervously. “I was the rabbit you rescued from that fox, actually.”
Oddly enough, that explanation made perfect sense. The markings around Pebble’s eyes had looked just like this beautiful man’s long thick eyelashes, the unexplainable intelligence of the creature and the fact that there was no way this man could have gotten into your cabin without breaking in through a window or a door and there didn’t seem to be any such damage to your home.
“Okay, I’m going to need the full story of how you ended up here…” You prompted, settling back in your chair.
“Sure.” The stranger nodded. “But I feel like I should introduce myself first.” He smiled, relaxing a little now that you weren’t yelling at him to leave. “You’ve already seen me naked and we don’t even know each other's names.”
You felt your cheeks heat up at the mention of his naked body, the image was still swirling around in your mind and you couldn’t stop it. You hid your face by pretending to scratch your nose as you told him your name.
“That’s a beautiful name, very fitting for such a sweet, caring woman.” The stranger smiled, “I’m Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu.” He added.
“Your name is the same word four times?” You asked, raising your eyebrow quizzically.
Tetsu chuckled, the cheerful sound melting any of your lingering concerns. “Yeah, my parents had no imagination, I guess.”
“They must be interesting people.” You pondered out loud.
Tetsu shrugged, pulling the blanket tighter around himself. “I suppose you could say that.” He replied, but it was obvious that he didn't really want to talk about them.
You could understand that, you had no desire to talk about your family history either. Deciding to grant his silent wish of a change of subject, you tactfully diverted the course of the conversation. “I’m guessing that they’re not the reason you ended up as a rabbit yesterday, though?”
The relief on Tetsu’s face when he realised you weren’t going to question him about his parents, was written all over his face. His eyes brightened as he met your gaze again. “No, it was some angry wizard or warlock or something…” He explained.
Now it all made sense to you.
“Bakugou.” You giggled, knowing that it had to have been him. “You weren’t talking to a really cute man with red hair when it happened, by any chance were you?”
A surprised expression took over Tetsutetsu’s face. “How did you know that?”
You laughed harder. “Bakugou is incredibly protective and he gets jealous really easily.”
Tetsu’s shocked expression gradually morphed into a confused one. “Why would he be jealous? Is Kirishima not allowed to have more than one friend?”
You were starting to think that perhaps Tetsu’s handsome looks were a substitute for his lack of intelligence, but that somehow made him even more endearing to you. “They’re not just friends.”
The silver haired man’s confusion deepened, his brow furrowing as he tried to work out what you could possibly mean.
“Kirishima and Bakugou are a couple.” You clarified, trying not to laugh. “If you were getting friendly with Kirishima, Bakugou probably thought you were going to try and steal him away. He’s very insecure about that for some reason.”
“That makes sense!” Tetsu exclaimed, scratching his head as he thought back to the previous day. “We were joking about something and I held his arm because I was laughing and-”
“And the next thing you knew, you were a bunny…” You completed his sentence, still trying to hold back from laughing too much. “Yeah that was definitely Bakugou.”
To your surprise, Tetsu started chuckling. Most people that had ever had a run-in with Bakugou got angry, it made for a nice change to see someone take his antics so lightheartedly. “Well someone needs to tell Bakugou to relax a bit…” He sighed, sinking back in the chair. “I don’t want to sleep with his boyfriend.”
“Good.” You giggled. “Because if you did, I’d have to take you back to Bakugou and have him turn you into something much less cute than a bunny.”
Tetsu shook his head, still grinning. “I promise I only want to be Kirishima’s friend. He seemed fun! He’s new to being a knight, too. It was nice to have something in common with someone.”
In the very limited time that you’d known Tetsu, you kind of got the feeling that he didn’t have that many friends and it made you a bit angry at Bakugou for potentially ruining a perfectly innocent friendship. “Well, you will be his friend.” You stated determinedly. “We’ll go right over to their house and demand an apology from Bakugou and then you and Kirishima can have all the friendly chatter you want.”
A sort of fondness blossomed in Tetsu’s eyes as he regarded you thoughtfully. “You’d do that for me?” He asked. “But the only thing you know about me besides the bunny incident is my name…”
The truth was that you probably wouldn’t have given anyone else so much of your time and attention. Tetsu was just proving to be exactly the kind of person you didn’t mind having around. “Yeah about that…” You ventured hesitantly. “I can just call you Tetsu, right? I don’t have to say it four times do I?”
Nodding, the silver haired man gave another cute chuckle. “You can call me whatever you like, angel.”
***
You spent over an hour eating breakfast together, exchanging pleasant conversation and trying your very hardest not to let your gaze drift to the gap in the blanket where it had fallen open, exposing a long sliver of Tetsu’s muscular thigh.
Having spent most of your days entirely alone for the past few years, you had to admit that it was nice to have company. Sure, you would spend the odd day with Bakugou and/or Kirishima, but that wasn’t the same.
Your friends often dropped by to visit you during their foraging expeditions for potion ingredients or they’d bring you lunch when Kirishima had a day off. As much as you loved your friends and enjoyed spending time with them, it sometimes felt as though they did it because they had to. You had no other human contact besides the one day a month you’d venture into the city to visit the market. No matter how many times you’d explained that you liked your life that way, it was obvious that Bakugou and Kirishima didn’t think it was healthy for you to be alone so much.
“... So then I finally got promoted to being a knight.” Tetsu grinned, popping a grape into his mouth as he completed his story. “And just in time for my birthday, too”
“Oh really? When’s your birthday?” You asked, trying to sound casual. It’d been pretty difficult to subdue your enthusiasm throughout breakfast, you were just eager to know everything about Tetsu, that question after question had spilled out of you.
“Tomorrow.” Tetsutetsu replied. “I was going to treat myself to one of those delicious looking cakes from the bakery on the outskirts of town, have you ever had one?”
The excitement in his voice made you even fonder of him. You were falling hard and fast for this man and you didn’t know how to stop it. “No, I always make my own cakes.” You replied honestly. “I haven’t made one in a while but I used to be pretty good at baking.”
“Well now I’d much rather have one of your cakes.” Tetsu insisted. “What flavours can you make?”
“I actually have all of the ingredients to make my speciality.” You smirked playfully. “Lemon and blueberry…”
Tetsu licked his lips enthusiastically. “Well now that’s all I want for my birthday!” He grinned. “I could help you make it!”
The thought of spending all day baking with Tetsutetsu made your heart skip a beat. No one else had ever really expressed that much of an interest in sharing one of your favourite hobbies with you. Part of you was unsure that it could even happen, surely a knight like Tetsu would be missed by his comrades. “Don’t you have to get back to the Palace, though?”
Tetsu thought for a moment, before shaking his head. “Do you think that you could get Bakugou to tell my captain a little white lie?”
“Well I think he owes you at least that.” You replied, your interest in Tetsutetsu’s plan piquing. “What did you have in mind?”
“If Bakugou told my Captain his spell won’t wear off until tomorrow evening, I could spend today and my birthday with you.” He explained, a spark of excitement in his eyes. “If you don’t mind, of course!”
For some reason it meant a lot to you that this man, who you’ve only known for a couple of hours, wanted to spend time with you, especially on his birthday. “You’d really like to spend two whole days with me?”
“Of course! As long as I wouldn’t be too much of a burden.” Tetsutetsu confirmed happily. “You saved my life, you’re like my guardian angel… Who better to spend my birthday with?”
Your cheeks heated in a blush at his words. “Hmm, I’m happy to play the hostess for you.” You replied. “But we need to get you some clothes first.”
Tetsu raised an eyebrow in confusion. “I’m not sure I could really pull off wearing one of your dresses. I wouldn’t want to stretch it out or anything.”
Laughing you leaned across to nudge his knee. “I’d never let you borrow any of my clothes! I’ll go and borrow some from Kirishima, I’d say the two of you were about the same size.”
“Wow, you’re beautiful, brave and smart…” Tetsutetsu grinned. “I really couldn’t have asked for a better person to save me from being eaten by a fox.”
***
Even though Tetsutetsu was eager to join you on the trip to visit your friends, you didn’t think it was a great idea. Bakugou had already felt that he posed a threat to his relationship with Kirishima and for Tetsu to arrive at his house in the nude would surely only exacerbate the situation to an irreparable level.
With just a bit of persuasion and the promise that you’d be back soon, you let Tetsu in your cabin, telling him that he was welcome to use the stream that ran close to the back of your garden to wash up while you were gone. He’d accepted the offer and wished you luck with your trip.
Part of the reason you’d become friends with Bakugou and Kirishima in the first place was because they also lived in the woods. Their little cottage was situated a bit closer to the city than your cabin but still technically in the wilderness.
It didn’t take you long to walk there, having made the short trip countless times over the years. Usually you’d stop to pick berries or mushrooms, but today, you were much too eager to get back to your guest.
For most of the journey, Tetsutetsu occupied your mind. You couldn’t stop thinking about his handsome face, his bright smile, the way that he called you ‘angel’ and the fact that he wanted to spend one of the most important days of his year with you…
“Hey, sweetheart! What brings you out here?” Kirishima’s cheerful voice interrupted your thoughts. He was sitting at the table on his little porch, a steaming mug in his hand.
“I came to see that moron you call your boyfriend.” You replied.
“Ah shit, what’s he done now?” Kirishima asked, rolling his crimson eyes as he took a sip from his mug. “He’s already in huge trouble with me for his antics…”
“Quit whining, you big dope.” Bakugou groaned, appearing in the doorway, cradling his sleepy black cat like a baby. “I already apologised, what more do you want?”
Kirishima huffed, placing his mug down on the table in front of him. “Yelling ‘the idiot deserved it, get over it’ is not an apology, Katsuki.”
You had to fight to hold in a giggle. Bakugou’s and Kirishima’s love for each other was so strong and comfortable that small arguments such as this posed no real threat to their relationship at all. “Would this have anything to do with the naked man I found in my living room this morning, by any chance?” You asked. “Because we need to have a serious discussion about that.”
“Ohhh a naked man!” Kirishima smirked, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Congratulations, it’s about time you found someone.” Bakugou interjected. “But I don’t see how that could have anything to do with us.”
You raised an eyebrow. “Well the naked man in my living room was apparently the rabbit I rescued from a fox yesterday!” You explained. “Does that ring any bells, Bakugou?”
“Shit, you had to rescue him from a fox?” Kirishima gasped. “Katsuki!” He added, turning to his boyfriend. “You could have fucking killed him! I told you to be more careful with your damned spells.”
Bakugou growled, placing his cat down on the ground. “It’s not my fault he’s a dumb fuck…” He grumbled. “I thought he was going to attack you, Eijirou, he grabbed your arm!”
“He held my arm!” Kirishima corrected, “there’s a huge difference, he’d just told me a joke!”
“Well he shouldn’t look like such a predatory shithead, should he?” Bakugou countered before turning his attention back to you. “Maybe you should have just let the fox eat him.”
Scowling you folded your arms across your chest to show how unhappy you were with the blonde’s behaviour. Sometimes you had to treat him just as you would treat a naughty child. “He seems like a really nice person actually and he could have gotten killed. If that fox had eaten him, it would have been entirely your fault. You need to stop with that jealous bullshit. Kirishima is allowed to have friends. Besides all that, beautiful men with amazing silver hair and huge eyelashes should be allowed to joke with other knights without the fear of being turned into woodland creatures by you!”
Bakugou matched your expression and you were sure he was about to argue with you before Kirishima’s snort of laughter interrupted him. “Well she sure told you, Katsuki.” He chuckled. “Now go and make our guest a drink, I’m sure she needs a moment to get over the shock of seeing a man naked for the first time.”
Somewhat reluctantly, Bakugou disappeared back into the house, leaving you alone with Kirishima.
“I have no time for tea!” you yelled after him. “But bring me some of Kirishima’s clothes, Tetsutetsu looks about the same size as him and he needs some clothes!”
Kirishima raised one eyebrow, tapping the chair next to him as an invitation for you to join him. “It sounds like you might have taken a fancy to Mr Tetsutetsu.” He teased playfully, “Are you going to elaborate?”
You fought to stop the blush rising in your cheeks but it was pointless, you’d shown your hand as far as your attraction to Tetsu was concerned. Kirishima was far too perceptive and hungry for gossip to let that piece of information slide. “I don’t have time to tell you everything now, but I have a couple of things I need you and Bakugou to do for him, if possible?” You asked, declining Kirishima’s invitation with a slight wave of your hand. You had no time to sit and gossip with him, as much as you’d have loved that.
“Of course.” Kirishima smirked. “What do you need us to do?”
“I’m not doing anything for him!” Bakugou stated firmly as he returned with an armful of Kirishima’s oldest clothes. “He’s lucky I only made the spell temporary.”
“Speaking of your stupid spell…” You said, taking the clothes from your angry friend. “I need you to go and tell Tetsu’s captain how sorry you are for taking one of his knights out of action and that he will be back to normal tomorrow night. Tell him that you’re keeping him safe until then and you’ll personally accompany him back to the Palace the following morning.”
Once again, Bakugou opened his mouth to argue but Kirishima cut across him. “He’ll do it right away.” He promised, “I’ll make sure he does. Is there anything else you need, sweetheart?”
You thought for a moment, wondering if there was anything your friends could do to help make Tetsutetsu’s birthday as special as possible. He deserved it and Bakugou owed him at least that. “Yes, you can both come over to my place tomorrow evening for Tetsu’s birthday dinner. Bring him some nice clothes for him to wear, a gift and help me make his day as enjoyable as possible. He doesn’t have any friends here and I want to make him feel welcome.”
“It’s his birthday tomorrow too?” Kirishima beamed, his crimson eyes lighting up. “I knew I had a lot in common with that man, I’d love to celebrate with him!”
You felt terrible that you’d forgotten about Kirishima’s birthday in all of the chaos of the morning, but luckily you’d brought his present weeks ago.
“Yay!” You exclaimed, “I knew you wouldn’t mind sharing your day with him.”
Kirishima nodded dutifully. “I’ll make sure we make him feel welcome, sweetheart! We’ll be there and we’ll bring the wine.”
You offered him a grateful smile before fixing Bakugou with a stern glare. “You had better be nice to Tetsu tomorrow, or I’ll work out how to turn you into something slimy and gross, do you understand?”
Bakugou huffed, knowing better than to push you any further when you were already angry with him.
Nodding triumphantly, you aimed a wink and a quick goodbye at Kirishima before heading home.
***
“Wow, these fit me perfectly!” Tetsu grinned as he stepped into your sitting room. You’d let him use your bedroom to get dressed, even though you’d already seen everything he had to offer earlier that morning.
“Good.” You replied, glancing up at him from your spot behind the kitchen counter. “I knew Kiri wouldn’t mind letting you borrow some of his clothes.”
Despite the obvious age and poor condition of the basic trousers and shirt that Bakugou had given to you, Tetsutetsu still looked incredibly handsome. You couldn’t help but let your eyes roam over his body, remembering the pale skin and defined muscles that you knew lay beneath the threadbare fabric.
“I can’t imagine that Bakugou was very happy with the idea of me wearing his boyfriend’s clothes, though.” Tetsu chuckled. “I’m surprised he agreed to it at all.”
You huffed, making it obvious that you were displeased with the way Bakugou had acted. “He knows not to challenge me. I’m one of the very few people that still tolerates him, so he’s at least smart enough to know when to pick his battles.”
It was hard to miss the way that Tetsu’s body language changed at that moment. His eyes lit up with something close to excitement and he bit his bottom lip between his teeth as he regarded you closely. “You’re not like any other woman I’ve ever met.” He admitted, stepping a little further into the room. “None of the girls back home would stand up to anyone like Bakugou. Especially not for someone as insignificant as me.”
There was no self pity or even a hint of sadness in Tetsutetsu’s tone. He was simply stating a fact, honestly and unabashedly as though he trusted you with every piece of himself he had to offer.
“Well, you might have noticed that I’m not like most other girls, Tetsu.” You replied, offering a gentle smile, although you aimed to make it a bit flirtatious.
“I have noticed.” The silver haired man replied. “You’re so much more fun and interesting than anyone else I’ve met.”
The compliment made you blush a lot more than it should have. You hid it by glancing down at your recipe book that you’d been checking before Tetsu had returned to the room. “I could say the same about you.” You responded. “But I’m afraid it wouldn’t be so much of a compliment as I’ve probably met far less people than you do.”
Tetsu chuckled, crossing the room to stand next to you behind the kitchen counter. “Trust me when I say you’re not missing out on much.” He sidled a bit closer to you until his elbow brushed against yours. “Most people really aren’t that great at all. The majority of them are only interested in money and their social status.
“I used to know a lot about that type of person.” You explained, glancing up to meet Tetsu’s gaze. “My mother was one of them…”
Tetsutetsu seemed shocked by the revelation that your family was apparently part of something he’s always viewed as a problem. “But you’re not like that at all…” He observed. “You’re so kind, and helpful and feisty!”
“Yeah, I was never much like my mother.” You huffed, trying not to remember all the times she’d berated you about how much of a disappointment you were to her. “She’d hate that I basically abandoned civilization to live out here on my own.”
“Well, I really like who you’ve turned out to be.” Tetsu smiled genuinely. “I wasn’t lying when I said you’re the most interesting person I’ve met.”
“Neither was I.” You replied, feeling powerless to break the seemingly significant eye contact that he’d initiated. Maybe it was just wishful thinking but you were sure his face drifted closer, like he was contemplating kissing you. Part of you wanted to throw caution to the wind and meet him halfway, but there was a loud voice in your head telling you that even if he did want to kiss you, he had to leave in less than two days. That wasn’t enough time. You knew that if you gave into your urge to kiss him it’d be even harder to get over him when he had to go back to the city.
In an attempt to distract yourself from that depressing thought, you turned your attention back to your recipe book. “Anyway, we really should get started on this cake…”
It was hard to miss the disappointment in Tetsu’s eyes, but you had to force yourself to ignore it. It’d be much simpler to say goodbye to a friend than a lover.
***
It turned out that teaching Tetsutetsu how to bake was far messier than you’d envisaged. He was quite possibly the clumsiest man in the whole world.
Having spent most of the afternoon correcting his mistakes, fishing eggshells out of the mixture and clearing up the batter he’d splashed everywhere with his over enthusiastic whisking, you’d at least been too busy to dwell on your growing feelings for the silver-haired man.
That all changed the moment that the last dish had been wiped clean and put away. When you had nothing else to distract you from how beautiful Tetsutetsu was and how close he was now standing to you.
You’d never really experienced lust before, but you were sure that this ache in your chest and the stirring in your lower abdomen was just that…
“That was fun.” Tetsutetsu grinned, leaning casually against your kitchen counter. “I can’t wait to taste it when it's cooked.”
You knew that he meant the cake, but the way he was looking at you made you wonder if he was partly thinking about you when he said those words. The possibility sent your mind spiralling into situations you knew you shouldn’t be contemplating. Yet the urges building up inside of you were only getting stronger. It felt like an impossible task to keep them under control for almost another two days.
Staring up into Tetsu’s beautiful face, you noticed a tiny smudge of flour on his cheek. “You’re so messy…” You giggled, unable to stop yourself, you reached up to wipe it away.
His smile suddenly faded into something much more intense as he gently placed his hand over yours, pressing it flat to his cheek. “I just wanted you to wipe it off for me.” He replied, “I really wanted to know if your hands were as soft as they look.”
“And?” You prompted, subconsciously leaning closer to him.
“They feel even better than I imagined.” Tetsutetsu confessed as he stroked his thumb gently over your knuckles.
You’d never been more tempted to kiss anyone in your entire life, but that voice in your head, warning you against it, was still too loud. “Tetsu, we shouldn’t…”
He shook his head, his silver hair falling into his eyes as he let go of your hand and took a step back. “Of course.” He whispered. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come across so strongly I just-”
“You don’t have to apologise.” You insisted. “Come on, we should get cleaned up while the cake is in the oven.”
Despite trying desperately to keep things as simple as possible between you and Tetsu, your hand somehow found his before you led him outside. He seemed a bit shocked by your gesture but he made no move to break the contact.
You found yourself leaning against Tetsu as you walked through your little garden towards the stream. He remained silent but he threaded his fingers through yours securely, it made the contact feel even more intimate somehow.
Instead of looking up at the man you were quickly becoming infatuated by, you focused your gaze on your bare feet, anchoring yourself with the feeling of the grass between your toes.
Once you reached the stream, you reluctantly pulled away and knelt down dipping your hands into the cool water.
“This is a really beautiful place to live.” Tetsu said, glancing around at the tall trees and pretty flowers blossoming near the water. “I couldn’t think of anywhere better suited to you.”
His smooth delivery of the flirtatious line sent your heart fluttering but you still managed to resist the urge to surrender to your impulses. “Oh, stop it!” You giggled, flicking a small amount of water at the knight beside you, laughing as he spluttered. “I bet you say things like that to every girl you meet!”
Instead of responding verbally, Tetsutetsu’s expression became playful before he retaliated, splashing you with a huge handful of water.
Refusing to admit defeat, you scrambled to your feet, lifting up your dress and stepping into the stream. The water was only ankle deep, but it didn’t stop you from kicking up a small wave in Tetsu’s direction. He quickly moved to avoid the attack but in the process, he lost his balance and ended up tumbling into the stream beside you.
“You’re the clumsiest man I've ever met.” You giggled, wading a bit closer to Tetsutetsu so that you could help him up. He lay on his back, staring up at you with slightly bemused eyes and you felt another surge of that thing you thought could be lust. If it was at all possible, Tetsu looked even more handsome now that his clothes and hair were soaked through. You hesitantly held out your hand to him, but regretted the kind gesture as soon as he took it and a mischievous smirk crossed his face.
You realised what was about to happen far too late to do anything about it.
Tetsu pulled you into the water, laughing gleefully as you splashed down beside him. Your clothes quickly became saturated as you hoisted yourself up onto your knees. You’d barely gained your balance before Tetsu’s strong arms wrapped around you, pulling you down on top of him.
He let out a small ‘oof’ as you landed on his chest, but his face maintained a dreamy expression as he stared up at you. It’d take a mere tilt of your head to connect your lips to his and it was overwhelmingly tempting.
“I’ve never told anyone else that they were beautiful, actually.” Tetsu confessed, reaching up to cup your cheek gently. “I never say anything unless I truly mean it.”
“Careful, Tetsu…” You warned quietly, holding his gaze as steadily as you could. He looked so incredibly beautiful that you pretty much forgot how to breathe. “I’m barely restraining myself from doing something I know I’ll regret.”
“Why on earth would you regret anything that happened between us?” He asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. “I’ve never wanted to kiss anyone more in my whole life.”
“Neither have I.” You replied. “That’s the problem…”
Tetsu’s bewildered expression deepened as you scrambled to your feet. “You need to explain, angel…” He urged. “If you feel even remotely the same as I do-”
“You’re leaving in a little over a day, Tetsu.” You sighed sadly, ringing out your dress uselessly just so that you had something to do with your hands. “If I give into my feelings, it’s going to be too hard to say goodbye to you.”
Tetsutetsu opened his mouth to argue, but you turned and ran for your cabin, not giving him a chance to say anything that could test your resolve any further.
Sure that he’d follow you back inside, you headed straight for your bedroom, intent upon locking yourself in there until you could gather your thoughts and your strength enough to cope with being in the same room as Tetsutetsu again.
You didn’t make it as far into the cabin as you’d have liked before Tetsu gently took hold of your wrist, squeezing just tight enough to stop you from running away without hurting you. “Are you really only scared of getting close to me because I have to go back to work in a couple of days?” He asked, his voice quiet but his tone was a little more hopeful than it had been a moment ago. “I’ve waited my whole life to find someone like you, I’m not going to let you go so easily. Especially not after spending such a short amount of time with you.”
For some reason, it had never occurred to you that Tetsutetsu would even think of you after he left to go back to the city. You’d just assumed that he’d forget about you and go on with his life. Perhaps that’d been an unfair assumption. Maybe Tetsu really felt as strongly for you as you did for him. On the other hand, it was all too easy to make flippant promises when you were so close to getting something you wanted. “You can’t swear that you’ll come back.” You whispered, fighting back ridiculous tears. You should not have been this emotional over a man you’ve known for just a few hours. “You have a job to do and you live so far away…”
Tetsu waved his hand dismissively as those issues were nothing to worry about. “Limited time and great distances are easily overcome. I’ll be stationed here for quite a while anyway. When the time comes for me to head home, I’ll make plans to come back at every opportunity.”
The sincerity in Tetsutetsu’s tone made it very difficult to believe that he was offering you false hopes. He cupped your cheek gently in one hand, just had he’d done in the kitchen earlier, his eyes burning into yours as though he was trying with all his might to convince you that he wasn’t lying.
In that moment, you realised just what an incredible person Tetsu was. Despite being a social recluse for the past few years, you knew men and what most of them were like. You knew that a man who was willing to promise to travel for days to see you was a rare find. Anyone one else would have tried to command that you go home with them. Not Tetsu, though. In fact, he’d asked nothing of you at all, except for your trust. He’d certainly done enough to earn it.
When he finally plucked up the courage to lean in closer, you didn’t back away again. All of the doubts you had about starting something with Tetsu were still there but they seemed insignificant in comparison to the rush of fondness and lust you had for him. It was definitely far too early to call it love, but you were absolutely sure that was where you were heading.
You tilted your head towards Tetsu, letting him know that you were ready to give this a go, to trust your gut feelings, to put your faith in him. You were ready to be kissed.
As his lips finally touched yours, you knew you’d made the right choice. He was soft and gentle with you, despite the underlying tension and raw need to act on the urges that you’d both been suppressing all day.
You parted your lips, eager for Tetsu to deepen the kiss. It didn’t take him long to do just that, slipping his tongue eagerly over your bottom lip to tangle deliciously with your own.
There was no telling how long the two of you stood there, entwined with each other. You only broke the kiss when you needed to breathe, and even then you only pulled back the tiniest amount, leaning your forehead against Tetsutetsu’s. “I don’t want you to make promises to me Tetsu.” You stated, your voice breathy and weak. “Not about how we can make it work after you leave. I’m only concerned about making right now count. Just in case it’s all we ever get.”
