The sunlight peeking through the curtains invites you to stay longer in bed, basking in the glow that shines when mornings have just started.
You shift a little, rolling closer to the edge of the mattress until you are rolled back against the warm body of your boyfriend. “What if I have to pee?” You mumble against his chest, trying to throw him off.
“In that case…” Your question doesn't receive a full answer as Kuroo begins to drift off again, nuzzling into your neck.
His attempt at falling once again into a slumber is cut short, making him groan, “Now I have to go.” He kisses your cheek before detaching himself from you to remove the covers.
Just like his body had fallen victim to a pavlovian response, yours does too. Frowning into your pillow and kicking the sheets, you saunter —with your eyes still closed— along your apartment.
You get by the hallway in time to hear the faucet running, shortly after the door to the bathroom opens and it takes Kuroo less than three strides to get to where you're standing. The flower scent of your soap reaches your nose when his hand goes past your cheek —finding its place at the back of your head— and kisses your forehead, making you smile before standing on your tiptoes to give him another kiss.
When you exit the bathroom you see Tetsuro waiting for you, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed just like you were minutes ago. His pants hang low on his hips and his tousled hair from sleep misses the frame on the wall by a smidge, he certainly would've bumped into it had he stood a step to the right.
With bladders empty and the chance to make it back to bed as seamlessly as possible hanging by a thread, Tetsuro circles his arms around your middle, nuzzling his head in the crook of your neck once again and walking you both back to bed.
The cotton sheets welcome you back in its soft threads, along with Tetsuro’s arms around you and yours around him you are all set to surrender yourselves to a deep slumber.
“Tetsuro.” “Mhm.” His hum sounding more awake than you expected.
“I can’t fall asleep.” Earning a huffed a laugh against your hair from him. “Yeah, me neither.”
The return to the bed is everything but seamless, any chance of falling back asleep out of your grasp now. However, that doesn't stop either of you from holding one another, resting your eyes and basking in the calmness the morning hue brings.
A gift for @deliriously-donna for the HQ x reader summer fic exchange. divider by @/diviniyae
Morning shifts are the worst, you think. Even worse are shifts where you have to close the coffee shop late at night and by the time you return to your apartment, there are only a couple of hours left of the night to have to yourself before going to sleep if you want to arrive at your morning shift on time to open the shop.
On top of that, the establishment is on a street full of office buildings, which makes morning shifts so much busier not even the music playing on the speakers can drown the words of the patrons.
Some want to reschedule a meeting, blocking the entrance until they get what they want; others had an issue with the due date of a project and their voice increases in panic during a call, clearly startling the university student with dark circles under their eyes—who like you was at the coffee shop until closing and is back at the establishment first thing in the morning—heavily overwhelmed with the thesis they are writing.
There is also the group of coworkers—five of them, at least—that go together to get coffee, spend most of their time in line chatting about any topic and when they get to the register they choose that exact moment to begin pondering on what they should order: their usual, the new item on the menu or perhaps something else.
You want to sigh so deeply that you deflate and soar across the room like a balloon.
But seeing your favorite customer makes it easier; has made it easier this past couple of weeks, talking to him (aside from taking his order) feels like a breath of fresh air.
Weeks ago when you had a few minutes left from your shift before you had your break, you cleared your throat to do the lively customer voice, “Good morning, what would you like to order?” and your heart skipped a beat when you saw the customer in front of you.
“Hey there, can I have a hot chocolate, please?” You ask more about his order and write the further details and his name down on your register, not expecting him to ask, “How are you doing?”
Usually people go back to their phones to scroll mindlessly on it while you write down their order or fumble with their wallets to get their payment ready. So it comes as a surprise when he asks how you are doing with the intention of actually wanting to know, not just making small talk.
After seeing the bright smile he bid you a good day with to wait for his order on the other side of the bar, you went into your break with a giddy feeling on your chest hoping to see him again.
Moving forward to the present, now when you register his name and order you can't help the smile that threatens to appear on your face, having to bite the inside of your cheek to try to hide it.
With every single visit Tendou always finds a way to surprise you. You want to memorize his order and start making his drink as soon as you see the red hair through the glass window crossing the street, but whenever you tried to do that he would switch orders—not so much of a switch because he would always order hot chocolate. However he kept changing the type of milk he wanted the hot chocolate with, so you never knew the type of milk he would choose next.
It’s Thursday in the afternoon and you just got a notice from your manager that made your heart ache. There are people sitting at the coffee shop but there is no line, so Tendou can chat with you at the register without any rush or pressure of being holding back a customer.
“Are you alright, cutie pie?” He hopes the rhyme makes the frown you are wearing on your face turn upside down alas it does not.
“I’m being transferred to another store.” His eyes widen slightly, “Oh. Well, is it closer to where you live?” You can't help the dejected tone on your voice, “It is.”
“Then that's not too bad.” He sounds relieved as you should be because in a few days your body will get a few more hours of much needed sleep.
But it is too bad because now you won't get to see Tendou, unless…
Unless you ask him out on a date, but how? Should you write your number on his cup? Should you write a short message along with your number, one that reads «call me!» or «date?»?
In the few seconds you spend thinking of how you should do it, you are holding his order ticket—for a longer time than you were supposed to—in your hand. After snapping back into reality you hand it to him, apologizing for getting lost in your thoughts.
“It’s fine, don’t worry,” the same cheery grin that makes your heart beat faster appears on his face and as if he could guess what you were thinking he asks the one question that has your heart doing summersaults. “Are you free on Saturday?”
During the date you can feel your cheeks hurt from how much you are laughing. The company along with all the pastries you share at the bakery ensure you are having a lovely time.
At the table it’s just the two of you, the myriad of pastries and two spoons. Tendou suggests fun combinations to mix with the desserts; mixing the whipped cream of a pastry with the mille-feuille of another one, trying eating the strudel filling with the tiramisu cream at the same time and plenty more.
Exiting the bakery you begin walking towards the park, neither of you wanting the date to end yet. “You know, I thought at one point you would have hot chocolate with water because you kept changing your order every time.”
Holding up index finger and moving it from side to side, “Ohh, don't underestimate hot chocolate made with water, it’s really tasty if you know how to make it. I could prepare it for you some time!”
“How do you know how to make it?”
“A coworker taught me how to make it, I’m a barista too.” Your eyes widen, halting your step. “Why did you come to the coffee shop if you can make any beverage at home?”
“Well you see, I went there to meet up with a friend and then—” he takes a few steps forward so he can stand in front of you to playfully poke your nose with his index finger. “I saw a really cute barista at the register and I wanted to see her every chance I could get.”
Gauging your reaction, Tendou gives you the same grin that makes you giddy and circles his arms around your waist, sporting a blush on his cheeks that matches yours before leaning towards you.
His lips taste as sweet as you expected, he thinks the same about yours.
References to Little Nightmares II: Chapter 2 ; wc: 501
“Sure, babe. Keep playing the scary videogame when it’s already past midnight.” Tetsuro’s voice sounds slurred along the hallway as he brushes his teeth in the bathroom. “It’s not like anything bad—like having nightmares or losing hours of sleep—will happen.”
The screen stays paused on the menu display as you shake your head in disbelief and take the cup of tea (now cold) you had prepared yourself a while ago. “It’s just a videogame, I won't have nightmares despite what the title suggests.”
Famous last words.
In a sense you were right. Because how could you have any nightmares if you can't even close your eyes from fear of watching the images in your head.
At this point you have tried everything, looking for a gameplay and agreeing with all the people in the comment section that pinpoint the exact moment they got lost on the same section you did that made you question your intellect.
You have been playing for so long that when you look your surroundings, the ‘IRL graphics’ seem more saturated in comparison. Now with the lights turned off, you try again making it out of the boss fight alive; a different timing, another route, another hideout.
If it weren’t for the sound of the bedroom door hinges, your partner’s voice could have certainly startle you when he came into the living room, “Giraffe lady giving you a hard time?”
“No—Well, kind of, because I haven't figured out her timing but,” Sitting beside you on the couch, his arms circle your frame while he nuzzles his face in your hair. “I had to wear the head of a child as a disguise and seeing the head of my character scared me.”
Certainly playing with the lights off didn't help.
“It’s not that it was scary per se, but it was so ugly that it was scary, you know?” His hands rub soothing circles on your back as he keeps listening on whatever you tell him: the details of the gameplay, how far you are into the story and the items you haven't unlocked yet the person who posted the gameplay already has unlocked at the same checkpoint you are.
You don't notice that Kuroo slowly maneuvers you so you both are laying on the couch until you can hide your face in the crook of his neck. “You know how it is with horror games, they play with the ambience and sound so they can your mess with your mind.”
The combined sleepiness and exhaust from the day showing on your face are not lost on him. “I’m sure you’ll get it next time but right now you need to sleep.”
Snaking his arm past your waist, Kuroo grabs the controller, saving your progress and turning off the TV.
The next time you play the game, with a well rested mind and with the Sun on its zenith, the scene is not as scary and the fight is not as difficult as they seemed.
First it was a night spent at her place, then one at yours and so on, never really saying goodbye to each other. Legs tangled beneath the sheets, under the excuse of clothing feeling too ‘stuck’ with the tossing and turning in bed, leaving both of you wearing only your undergarments.
Lingering touches against skin lead to lashes fluttering closed and lips that upon meeting yours, they leave behind a feeling that makes you want more. Her ear meets your gasp when her soft lips suck on your neck and hard nipples bump against one another.
Sometimes the first thing you wake up to is the sight of her back, where you want to trace your lips until you reach the crumpled bedsheets around her hips and move back to kiss from her navel all the way to her nipples that harden at the touch of the cold air when she turns and stretches in her sleep.
There are other times where you wake up to Arlecchino's face, sleeping soundly and you find yourself getting lost in her beauty, wanting to trace your finger on the slope of her cheek and the dorsum of her nose.
Other times you wake up from the soft caress of fingers on your thigh, making your lashes flutter, “Hello, beautiful. I didn't mean to wake you.”
And every single time, you can't help the smile on your face and the dreamy sigh that passes your lips when you finally kiss her.
pairing with bowser ; isekai, getting to know each other, brief memory loss, mutual pining; wc: 1417
You had discovered a leak in the pipe under your sink and while the brothers in the plumbing advertisement seemed reliable you chose not to give them a call.
After all, why pay for something you can fix by yourself.
However, when you were on your knees about to reach for the wrench you needed, you miscalculated the space above you and hit your head with the bottom of the sink.
Next thing you didn't knew—because you were unconscious— a bunch of tiny creatures in red suits and masks dropped your body on the volcanic rock floor after finding you in the Dark Lands.
From afar your body is maneuvered to lay on your back and lifted from the ground, guiding you where heavy steps grow closer to you, inspecting your body up close.
“Take them to a chamber.”
The creatures who brought you to the castle do as commanded, leaving your body on the second comfiest bed you will ever know.
Rubbing your face awake, you gradually become aware of your surroundings. Not long after, a group of turtle like beings enter your room, followed by another one dressed in a cloak and their much taller leader.
Piercing red eyes that shoot daggers at you, framed by thick brows and horns; a spiked shell and claws that could rip easily through flesh. All reasons to feel threatened yet fear is nowhere to be felt within you, only a feeling akin to curiosity.
After the usual interrogation he gives to intruders, which you couldn't answer fully due to memory loss, the King of the lands you stumbled upon turns to leave without saying a word; leaving the subordinates by his side confused as to why the usual imprisonment order was never uttered.
You begin wondering what his plans for you might be when his deep voice pulls you back. “I’ll send you a change of clothes before dinner.”
The King of the Koopas, whom you learned goes by the name Bowser lent you his painting set with which you captured the beauty of the cascade of lava as seen from center of the castle. He reasoned that you would most likely need a way to not get bored during your stay at the Castle while your memories of where you come from came back to you.
Most recently he got you a few companions he couldn't quite name and neither could you but that didn't erase the fact that they were cute, somewhat resembling Bowser because of the spikes on their shells and their turtle-like physique; their combined purrs when you pet them on your lap help you get a better rest at night.
Days pass and you begin to question what could happen if you didn't regain your memories back.
Weeks pass and you no longer question the morality in pretending your memory never came back.
However that’s not the only matter on your mind. More often than before, as you stare at the volcanic rock ceiling late at night, you wonder if you should cross the threshold that separates you and a certain Koopa.
“Why do you insist on kidnapping her? Was one kidnapped person not enough?” You say in jest as you pinch a piece of fruit in your plate with your fork, careful to not let the honey drizzled on it drip on your fluffy robe.
“I want to convince Peach to give me another chance,” he takes a break to finish chewing. “And I didn't kidnap you, you came to me and I let you stay here.”
“Oh, is she an ex girlfriend?”
“No.”
“Were you married?”
“Not quite.”
Your knife cuts through the fruit on your plate, slicing a wedge and you stab it with the blade to hold it out for him to take, “I’m not following. What type of relationship was it?” Soon after an abridged retelling of the events you can pinpoint the answer.
An infatuation.
Why was he feeling nervous about telling you about it, that was beyond him. Why should he care about what you think of him is also beyond him, but the nods you make and the way your face shifts a while you listen intently have him feeling flustered? Has he ever felt like this before?
As you stir your tea, the glint in your eyes and the soft smile on your face when you eye the piranha plants he gifted you a few days ago make his heart skip a beat. “I believe you should be with those who love you and if she already expressed her rejection towards you, then you shouldn't knock on that door anymore.”
After that day onwards, upon hearing the word ‘peach’ Bowser thinks less of the Mushroom Kingdom’s Princess and reminisce more about the fruit you sliced and shared with him that morning.
Wandering around the grey stone halls, you end up in an area of the Castle where music can be heard even through the walls, inviting you to open the door to the room the music comes from.
You can't tell what's more impressing: the wall of lava that lights up the room or the one koopa that skillfully plays the piano sitting on top of a floating rock at the end of a suspending staircase.
“I didn't know you played the piano.” At the sound of your voice, his concentration falters making him hit the wrong note but he doesn't seem upset by your intrusion. “It helps me clear my mind off things.”
By the time you reach the last suspending stone step, Bowser scoots over to make room for you to sit with him.
The keys are not in the state you expected to see them in. They might be well worn but for such menacing sharp claws that play them with ease, the scratches haven't ruined them.
“Can I touch them?”
When your fingers don't hover over the pizno tiles, the King of the Koopas follows your line of sight to the scales on his shoulder, feeling a sense of smugness within him, “Of course.”
Your fingers move with a cautious touch —not from fear rather being mindful of not hurting him with your nails— on his body, tracing the pattern on his scales with your fingertips, admiring how the green color fades into yellow and how snug the bracelet sits on his arms when he subtly flexes it.
Your face is close to his and Bowser wonders if you would be okay if he closed the gap between you. Your hand lowers to the bicep below where the spiked bracelet sits, your fingers itching closer where you have been wanting to squeeze since—
“Sire.”
You break apart like water dropped on hot oil. You don't see the stema coming out of his nostrils nor the angered, hundred dagger look he sends to his advisor Kamek but you do feel his angered huff hitting the back of your neck and you try your best to not shudder at that.
Bowser and you walk to the outskirts of the Castle, by the time you enter the dry forest, with the moon above you, you are certain that something is different about him. His steps are unrushed, not exactly slow rather each step is taken with the intent of extending the time spent with you.
The curious and amused expression he used to have whenever he was with you is nowhere to be seen, in its place is a somber face void of the smile you had caught a liking to. “Where are we going?”
His steps halt in front of a path that leads to a wide green pipe before taking a breath. “This is where you were found. The pipe will take you back where you belong.” He isn't looking at you in the eye, he just reaches his hand out for you to take and helps you step on the edge.
And for once Bowser doesn't want to rely on violence. On any form, whatsoever. Not threats, neither abductions nor anything remotely close to forcing you to do something you don’t want to.
He doesn't let go of your hand, nor do you make any effort to walk further into the pipe.
And so, in the stillness between you does silence speak volumes.
Stay.
Turning your back on the pipe, thus making his hand grab yours in a tighter hold, a hug where you don't want to let go of the other speaks the words that are left unsaid.
You push Leviathan to the ground, caging him with your arms kabedon-ing him. Then the words start to fall.
“You are a worthless waste of space and a disgusting freak.”
He can sense a mix of anger and disgust in your words, the frown on your face gets deeper as you keep talking to him. Leviathan takes silently everything you tell him, listening to every insult with his eyes closed and his pants slid down his thighs.
“The only reason I talked to you was because I felt sorry for you.”
“I know otakus have a reputation of being lame but you really took it like it’s your job.”
“You are a burden to everyone who meets you, whether that's in-game or in person.”
You can see the shudder in his body, and how his chest rises and falls with writhing gasps.
“You are such a loser even your name starts with an ‘L’.”
A wet patch of precum forms on his underwear and you are sure it would be sliding down his cock had he taken his undergarment off.
“I have to take a shower after kissing you because just touching you makes me sick.”
A gasp elicits from his mouth and he feels his breathing short of stopping.
“My life was better when I didn't know you.”
A broken whimper, his voice is the quietest you have ever heard it.
“Red.”
Then everything stills.
Your fingers touch the tips of his, touching him just enough to give him space while letting him know you stay close. When his fingers wrap around your hand to give it a squeeze, that's when you take it as your cue to hold him; extremely observant of how he reacts at your touch.
Once his breathing has slowed down you kiss his temple while you rub soothing circles on his arm. “How are you feeling?”
“You really think that about me?”
Your eyes widen, “What? Of course not! See,” stretching your arm to retrieve a notebook with scribbles on it, you hand it to him. “I listed everything I liked about you and turned it into their evil versions.”
He reads the line where you wrote the thought process of what you had told him: «W boyfriend → L boyfriend ; L–eviathan»
He laughs bitterly at the thought that you had put so much thought into this and he ruined it by letting it get to him, “That one was kind of funny though.”
“You think so? I had a couple more left and if you still wanted more I was planning to spit on you—” “Ngh.”
Oh, crap, he didn't moan in his mind.
“Levi?” He turns to hide his face in your neck, the thought of looking at you in the eye too much to bare. “It's not that I didn't like it at first and I appreciate that you did this for me.”
“But the last two... Those were too much, I think.”
You whisper a soft ‘Noted’ before scratching the mean sentences he didn't like off your list and tossing the notebook elsewhere.
“You know why I told you those?” You subtly maneuver around him, so he is laying once again on the soft cushions. His mind tries to tell him it's because it's how you really feel about him and that's why he doesn't answer you; saying that out loud would make it too real, it would be a confirmation of every self doubt he has.
“It's because every day I think of how lucky I am that I met you and even after all the time we have been together I still get giddy when you kiss me or hug me or we link fingers.” Your words make him blush intensely and Leviathan tries to hide it by covering his face with his arm but you won't let that happen.
You kiss him where you can: his temple, his forehead, his other temple. Just a few kisses that distract him enough for you to pull his arm down and carefully cradle his face in your hands.
You kiss his forehead once again, then the tip of his nose, then each of his cheeks and finally you kiss his lips, giving them a soft peck until you feel him smiling into the kiss.
“Now if you let me, I want to let you know you everything I like about you and how much I love you.” You start undressing yourself, taking your top off first and making his cock twitch again in his pants.
You don't need a notebook for the praises you are going to whisper against his skin. You can just speak from the heart.
BONUS
Your fingers play with his bangs, “Are you feeling better?” Leviathan nods and the soft smile he gives you lets you know he is feeling better. “Can you do the spitting thing another time? In my mouth?”
“Sure! Want me to surprise you or will you let me know when you want me to do that?”
“Surprise me, I think that—” Ptui
Throwing his head back, he moans when he feels your spit on his tongue. Another moan, this one even louder goes past his mouth when he licks his lips and can feel it on his bottom lip, his tail wagging in excitement as he hides his face in your chest—When exactly had he turned into his demon form?
You had gone to the gym where Akaashi was practicing volleyball, reliving the days where he used to practice with Bokuto and Kuroo back in highschool. The only time they could fit each of their schedules was during a session late into the night, when the gymnasium was practically empty except for them and the sounds from spikes and blocks intensified in the silence of the night.
However by the time you arrived at the gym, Akaashi was the only one there reaching for the water bottle in his bag; the perfect circumstance to chat with him.
“Why don’t you just tell Kuroo how you feel?” He shrugs before stretching his arms. Sure, easier said than done.
“I know! But every time I’m with him and I’m about to tell him, my mind starts spiralling: ‘What if he cringes?’, ‘What if he feels insulted by my confession?’, ‘What if—’ Oh, my god, Akaashi, what if he gags?” Fear showing in your eyes at the unlocked new potential fatal scenario.
You were walking in circles, physically and mentally, which made Akaashi toss you the ball to volley back and forth to keep your mind off such thoughts. “Don’t say that. Besides you know Kuroo is not like that.”
“You're right, once I tell him and he rejects me I can move on. The quicker you rip the band-aid off, the less it hurts, right? Also it doesn't feel right to daydream about someone in a relationship.” Akaashi frowns at your words and keeps the ball to himself, clearly confused. “Wait, what makes you think he has a partner?” His eyes briefly glance behind you, past the gym’s opened doors.
You stare at him blankly, like the answer to that question is undoubtedly obvious. “Akaashi, come on.” You start counting with your fingers, clear in your body and voice that tonight is not the first time your mind has gone through the list. “He’s kind, he’s funny, he's smart, he’s incredibly handsome, he’s so—” Groaning exasperatedly because you cannot stand how much you like him, how much yearning your heart can store in itself.
“Kuroo has so many amazing qualities. Who wouldn't want to be his partner. I see lots of people looking at him because he really is that cool and charming and—Ahh.” ‘And while others are looking at him, who do you think he is looking at?’ Akaashi wants to say but doesn't, knowing it’s not his place to let you know about that.
You're sliding your bag on your shoulder, about to exit the gym after a much needed talk to calm your feelings. Akaashi beeding you goodbye and staying longer at the gym to wait for Bokuto and Kuroo to return. “Remember he’s just a guy. You will be fine.”
Not long after, your name is called from behind your back. When you turn, you see Kuroo Tetsuro catching up to you. “Hey, can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Sure, what’s up.” Your voice is as breezy as the pleasant summer wind. As if your heart wasn't eligible for a competition against a hummingbird every time you see Kuroo’s smug grin.
“Did you know there’s an echo in the gym that makes your voice audible from outside the gym?”
Your eyes widen. You did not know that.
And you certainly didn't know later into the night you would find out that Kuroo’s heart could also rival a hummingbird’s when he looks at you.
You didn't know that later into the night you would be gasping against the lips you dreamt about kissing for weeks, that the arms you often eyed not so subtly would be holding you close to him.
And that the love you deemed as unrequited would be very much requited.
