TOKYOREV BOYS WHEN THEY FOUND A SKETCH OF THEMSELVES, DRAWN BY YOU - Drabbles
CHARACTER(S): Bonten WARNING/S: none :P Request
a/n: sorry, it took so long. first time writing for Takeomi and Mochi.
Mikey was never the prying type, but when he saw the canvas-like notebook among your things, one he saw you always scribbling in during meetings, curiosity got the best of him. he flipped through the pages of the book, the content have him being entranced as early as the first page. sketches of the Bonten executives linger on every page, the details exquisite as it can get, among those sketches he found himself. It was not weird to find himself among the others but seeing that majority of your drawings were him, mostly sketches of him eating dorayaki or dozing off during a meeting, either way, you manage to find and capture an innocent side of him, completely different to his current dark life. a small rare smile spread on Mikeys' lips as he continue to flip through the pages, but despite his attention completely drawn to your sketches he didn't miss the way you entered the room, followed by a gasp as he turned to look at you. and if Mikey thought your Sketches were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, your flustered self was even more alluring, with rosy cheeks and an awkward smile as you fidget with the hem of your shirt. suddenly bowing as you apologized for drawing him without permission. gently closing your sketchbook before making his way towards the exit behind you, Mikey passed by you but stop midway as if thinking about somehing before slightly glancing back at you.
"come with me, we should discuss your new position as my 2nd secretary"
Sanzu scans the sketches you drew once more, a hum of approval escaping his lips as he spins around on the chair, your chair. he was just supposed to drop some document on your table when he accidentally found your sketches, and instead of being a good person, Sanzu chooses to pry, opening the sketchbook as if he owned it. as soon as he flips it open, Ran's face was what he saw, earning a scowl from him, flipping to the next he saw Rindou, Koko on the next. frustrated he flipped through the entire sketchbook, every page filled with his team members, and not a single sketch of him. he was so close to flipping and complaining at you when he happen to stumble to another sketchbook, after rummaging your desk, which he aims to apologize to you later. the new sketchbook was filled with only his portrait, raging from sketches from when he was fighting to his serious face as he discusses something with the others, either way, you manage to capture all his best sides and the fact that you dedicated a whole new sketchbook just for him erases all his earlier frustration. Sanzu can't help but take a selfie of one of your sketches of him and sent it to you with a very cute caption.
"I should just steal you from Koko and make you work for me"
Kakucho silently and seriously scans the document you handed him, courtesy of Koko, it was just a financial report as usual nothing out of the ordinary, numbers after numbers yet as he flips through the next page a cough immediately escapes him, his face feeling rather hot. somehow a sketch of himself was mixed among the report, his name clearly written on the bottom with unmistakably your handwriting. the paper was a little torn but still intact, and despite it all - the sketch was so detailed that he easily identified himself, the cute doodle of the heart on the edge of the paper sending his heart into a frenzy. Kakucho is known to always have a stern or serious look on his face making him seem cold, even he knew that. yet the sketch you had drawn him depicted him with a small smile, making him appear kind. he melted inside. that day, instead of his secretary, Kakucho personally returned the documents to you, making sure you received them before quickly scrambling away with a rather red face. and to your surprise, you found the sketch you made among the reports and before you can pray that he didn't see it, you fond words were neatly written on it.
"meet me later at the bar across the street - Kakucho "
Mochi had become more conscious of his appearance ever since Ran randomly blurted it out to him that you've been sketching the members. he was doubtful at first but after catching your gaze one time before quickly scribbling down into a piece of paper had him correcting his doubts that the very next day he showed up dress-up more than usual. Mochi was so conscious that whenever you're in the same room as him he becomes stiff as he overthinks whether he should pose or not for you. this goes on for a few more days, the sudden change in his personality exhausts him and after a very meaningful and serious talk with Takeomi, he decided to just confront you about it. and sure enough, he found you sketching once more, with his powerful stature, towering above you had him freezing on the spot as you look up from your curled up form, his eyes catching the sketch you were currently doing, the person on the sketch unmistakenly his.
"So I heard you drew me…any chance I can see it over a cup of coffee?"
As much as Ran was amazed by your drawings, he was more astonished by your embarrassed state as you stood in front of him, face red, and avoiding eye contact as he smirks at your predicament. much like Sanzu he accidentally stumbled upon your sketchbook as he decided to forgo privacy and search your desk for some stapler but instead find something more valuable. he can't stop his lips from grinning as he flips through every page to find his portrait from various angles, only frowning when he found sketches of his fellow executives. but he was too lost to the high to keep lingering on them. his favorite of them all was his half-body sketch, you captured even his downturned eyes-his short hair that is styled slicked back even his earing, you captured down to every detail. although almost looking perfect there was one minor detail he notice, his tattoo stretching from his nape and collarbones down to his torso was lacking, possibly because of the fact that you haven't seen him without his shirt-which, he quickly propose a solution to you when you walk in with him grinning from ear to ear, your sketchbook on his hand.
"so how about it? drawing me like one of your french girls?"
Rindou already knew you were drawing him, it was hard not to when he always caught your stares during meetings, your wandering gaze coming up to his face as if memorizing every detail of his face and Rindo always felt warmth shot to his cheeks every time. when he would ask you, you always deny it claiming you were taking down notes. so when he caught you in the act, he didn't let the chance slip by. a satisfied, annoying smirk playing on his lips as he snatches the sketchbook away from you, he was ready to tease you or give a witty remark. but upon a closer look at the sketch drawn on the blank canvas, his black and purple hair standing out and bringing the whole sketch into life had him getting speechless. the familiar warmth creeping up his cheeks as he opens and closes his mouth, not finding any words to say. Needless to say, he love it very much that he also got you many more sketchbooks with a clear demand.
"Only fill them with my portrait"
Kokonoi has always been curious about what you've always scribbled, the sound of the pencil running across the paper always reaches his ears whenever you are around. his interest skyrockets when you refuse to show him the book when he asked for it, even though you work for him. he had no choice but to catch you off guard one time and sneakilly snatch the sketchbook on your desk. to his surprise his pair of black eyes stare back at him, his white hair flows with so much detail that it looks so real. the sketch itself shows the elegance of his lifestyle, the jeweled earing he was earning, the gold chain hanging on his neck, and even his favorite expensive bottle of wine in the background. he can only fathom how much time it took you to draw him and makes him wonder of other possibilities you can do, he didn't waste any more time as he staked the whole hideout to find you and make a very tempting offer.
"how much do you want for it?"
Takeomi always felt your stares, but when he would turn to look, you would already be buried in your sketchbook, eyes focused only on the paper in front of you. Takeomi is smart but he had no evidence so every time he would suspiciously narrow his eyes at you. and somehow he manages to take hold of one of your sketches of him, thanks to his strong connection with the Bonten members. he huffs a puff of smoke, a cigarette between his fingers, as his eyes focus on the sketch you made. the most noticeable on the portrait was the scar running down his eye, though many claims it made him look scary, somehow you manage to capture it in an angle that made him look more serene. was this how you see him? Takeomi didn't waste any time looking for you, quietly handing you the now folded sketch, a small smile decorating his lips as he watch you curiously unfold the paper, a look of recognition passing your eyes before your face grew red. you were about to fold it back and bury it somewhere he will never find, but he was faster as he quickly took hold of your hand to stop you and stood almost threateningly in front of you, a smirk on his lips.
"I didn’t know Koko's little secretary thinks of me that way"
^°•^°•^°•^°•^°•^°•^°•^°•^°•^°•^°•^°•^°
Mikey is always touching you whenever he can. If your walking with him you better believe he's holding your hand. He'll even go as far as to give you a piggy back ride when your tired.
Knows and life's by the sidewalk rule
Won't let you open door for yourself he has to open them for you with a "A queen should never have to open her own doors."
Mikey would steal your lollipops. If you have one in your mouth he'll go and just steal it even though you had just given him one for himself.
He knows your strong and can hold your own in a fight so he'll take you to fight alongside toman. Will get mad at himself if you end up hurt even if it's just a scratch because he's the one who took you there.
Loves it when you do his hair. Like when Draken is doing it he'll complain about how you do it better
Random dates he will just appear at your doorstep like "We are going on a date yayyyy!"
Mikey has given you a lot of his jackets and starts whining when you are wearing your own one instead of his.
If or when you guys have /adopt a kid he would tell them story's about his big brother Shinichiro while he works on a motorcycle in the garage
Speaking of Shinichiro, Mikey would want to be the kind of role model Shinichiro was to him.
Kinda short I'm sorry but I couldn't really think about anything else 😅
Ran Haitani × reader, sfw, fluff, no mentions of readers appearence, afab reader, mentions of sexual assault from the past (pls don't read if it triggers you or if you have any trauma, it's brief but it's there), soft Ran, protective Ran, (super OOC Ran, but I needed some comfort with him so I don't really care), no mentions of age but Ran and you are of the same age
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Ran Haitani when you go on date with a guy he doesn't like, and that guy disrespects your personal borders, because it happened to me once and I still have a trauma
- also I need some comfort with Ran because I kinda fell for him because of all soft fluff and comfort headcanons on tumblr
(you and Ran are not dating (yet))
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when you agreed to go to movies with your friend (who probably had a crush on you), you didn't expect anything necessarily bad to happen
and the movie itself was nice but you couldn't shake off the uncomfortable feeling you got from the guy
he was sweet, and he was a friend and a classmate of one of your friends, so you knew for sure he wasn't a bad guy, and he always made sure to give you attention and learn about your hobbies and things you liked
but you still felt uncomfortable around him for no particular reason
so while you two were watching the movie, your body was filled with anxiety for the whole time
once the movie ended, you both went outside the building
he suggested to walk you home, but you politely refused, saying you needed some stuff to do (when honestly you just wanted to spend some time by yourself to regain control over your body and chase the stiffness in it away)
he proceeded to offer you a goodbye hug, which you also tried to refuse politely, saying that you didn't think you two were close enough for that
(now, you loved hugs, you really did, but only with those you considered close to you. your family, your closest friends, your future s/o (which you didn't have yet). but you've known this guy just for some months (and considering you were sexually assaulted twice and had a phobia of strangers (or not so close friends) touching you, you weren't really fond of the idea of him hugging you, his suggestion giving you anxiety right away)
he didn't accept your refuse, proceeding to hug you and saying that you two "will get there", meaning that you two will become close enough for him to hug you (maybe even without asking as he didn't seem to take your "no" as one)
you knew right away, it wasn't gonna work out
"take your fucking hands away from her"
hearing Ran's voice had your body filled with relaxation
he was your close friend and one of the ones you were not afraid of letting to touch you, so him being here really made you feel safe
"and who may you be?" asked the guy you went to the movies with, finally letting go of you
"her boyfriend" replied Ran firmly and you felt your breath stuck in your lungs, eyes widening in shock
now, Ran's been flirting with you for a while now but you always tried to ignore it, as you've heard a lot of rumors about him and you knew some of them (if not most of them) were true
(like the one about him being a womanizer)
(you never thought he was being serious with you, as come on, it's Ran, he flirts with so many girls all the time)
"her boyfriend?" asked the guy, eyeing Ran cautiously
(now, you knew Ran could be intimidating when he needed it, he was in the gang, after all, and he was a really good fighter at that, but you never realized the extents of that before this time, seeing how the guy you went to movies with seemed to look smaller under Ran's pressuring gaze)
"yes, her boyfriend", he replied firmly once again, sliding his hand to squeeze yours to give you some comfort. "so I suggest you run along before I beated you to death".
the guy seemed uncomfortable but proceeded to collect himself, waving to you and saying goodbye and sharing his hopes you two will see each other again soon (which didn't seem to make Ran happy), taking his leave then
(you knew you won't be coming to any of your friends group's gazerings for a while)
"you okay?" asked Ran calmly after the guy was far enough
"mhm", you confirmed with a small humm. "what are you doing here?"
"thought I'll see for your safety myself".
"you were spying on me?" you asked with a surprised laugh
"hmm... kind of?"
"okay..." you laughed nervously
now, Ran was your close friend (at least you considered him as such) and you trusted him, and he most probably didn't spy on you out of bad means but, as he said, "to make sure you are safe"
(it was cute and you were glad for having such a caring friend)
(but it still was kinda creepy though)
you two walked around the area, just laughing at some funny signs on the buildings, or looking at cute things with Ran making funny remarks or little stories about them
(let's be honest, he always knew how to make you feel better or how to make you laugh, and you've never been bored with him)
as the day was coming closer to its end and the sky was slowly turning dark, you told him you're going to be heading home, as it wasn't totally safe on the streets of city at night
Ran suggested to walk you home which you agreed to gladly
as you got closer and closer to your house, you felt his hand in yours stiffen
"everything's fine?" you asked worryingly
"no", he replied firmly, stopping in front of your house
"what's happened? how can I help you?" you asked, a troubled look on your face
that's when you felt him hugging you from behind, circling his arms around your chest, lowering his head so his jaw was touching the right side of your neck, his two braids tickling your skin there
"I hate seeing you with other guys", he replied, his voice small yet so firm and sure
"I hate seeing you with other guys so can you please give me at least one chance?"
you felt your breath stuck in your lungs as he never said anything like that to any girls he flirted with, but also because he sounded so desperate, it made your heart sank
"Ran..."
"please, just this one time, at least this one, and if you feel uncomfortable, I won't pressure, I promise, just give me a chance. just this one time", he mumbled softly, holding you carefully in his arms
Ran was always soft around you. and flirty. very flirty. but he was flirty with other girls as well so you never took it as anything serious
now he sounded so broken and desperate, yet his voice firm as if he was sure of his words, being completely honest with you and his feelings for the first time you've been around him
"okay", you agreed smiling softly, which he could see from the corner of his eye.
his arms tightened around you, holding you even closer to his warm body as he calmly breathed, smiling gently
you seemed to stay like that for quite a long time as the sky got really dark and stars started filling it around the brightly shining moon
"Ran, I have to go home", you smiled slightly, leaning your head to his
"I don't want to let you go" he mumbled whining
"I'm just going home, we'll meet tomorrow", you laughed softly, smiling slightly
(you were meeting nearly every day, so it wasn't like you'll be gone for long)
"yes, but i don't want to let you go, I wanna stay like this", he pouted
"Ran, we'll meet tomorrow, it won't be that long"
he left out a sad sigh, not wanting to let go of you
"I love you", he said after a short silence. "I really do"
his voice so desperate yet assured, so you couldn't help it when you felt your heart start racing as if it was gonna jump out of your chest
"I can't say "I love you" for now, but i know for sure that I like you"
"hopefully it can change into something more, can't it?"
"it can. and it may"
he smiled softly, finally letting go of you
"I can't wait for that to happen"
you nodded, smiling slightly, and waved him goodbye, promising to see him tomorrow
"I really love you", he whispered watching you go inside your house. "I promise I won't mess my chance up"
under the moon and the starry sky he made this promise to himself, and he never ever reneged on it
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don't repost on other social medias, don't translate without permission (you can feel free to share the link to this post on other social medias if you want to tho, I'll be very greatful)
hi hehe can I request a shy reader that owns a bakery and mikey walks in one day soaking wet from the rain, so the reader fussed over him before offering sweets :0? - 🔆
A.N: Hi there!
Thank you for the request.💙💛
I hope this was something that you had in mind, and that you will like this. Enjoy 💙💛
Update: Now PART 2
Title: Taiyaki for the Soul
Pairing: Manjiro x Reader
Genre: Fluff |Warning: some angst since I chose Bonten Mikey | Words: 4.5K
The weather wasn’t getting better, so your decision, to let your cashier home early seemed like the right call. You would hate it if the poor older woman had to walk to her bus in such horrific conditions. It was the type of weather no one should be left outside and given the lack of customers inside your small bakery and on the street behind the large windows, it seemed most of the people really took that advice.
You played with the business card near the register for the last half hour arranging them across the small plate they were usually placed for customers to see and pick them up if they felt like it.
It was overall a boring day due to the rain, and it seemed like you even might end up closing early and going home yourself when your eyes caught some sort of movement outside in the darkness and nonstop downpour.
A person outside in this weather?
You walked from the other side of the counter closer to the large windows and peeked outside. It was still hard to see a lot, but even so, after a while, your eyes could make out the shadowy figure standing outside your bakery.
This caused you to gasp a bit alarmed. It was raining and the wind was horrific, and yet this person was just standing there without an umbrella or raincoat or anything really.
They could be homeless.
The idea that anyone would be forced to spend their evening outside in such conditions didn’t sit right with you, but what could you do about it? In general, you were not good at interacting with people. You preferred to bake alone in the comfort of your kitchen and have your cashier deal with customers. You were better with people you knew for a longer time, but even so, it often felt like too much to even speak out loud when asked let alone when you needed to ask something.
But the weather is really bad, and they’re just standing there.
You tried to rationalize that they had to see the lights coming from your bakery so if they felt like coming in they would have, but…
Don’t we all sometimes want things, but are too afraid to reach for them ourselves?
With that in mind and before your doubts could get the best of you, you opened the door and called out through the sounds of the wind, ‘Excuse me!’
The person stood not far from you and the door to the bakery with their back turned to you, so you tried again, this time a bit louder, ‘Excuse me! Would you like to come inside, please?!’
You couldn’t help, but feel silly that you were yelling on the street like this. You weren’t used to yelling at all. You tried to avoid it as much as you could, but given the loud sounds of the wind and rain, it couldn’t be helped.
The person didn’t turn around, but they might have just not heard you.
You rushed back inside and snatched something to throw across your head and shoulders and put on outside shoes before you opened the door again partly shocked that the person was still there.
You stepped outside and touched that person’s arm not wanting to startle them in case they didn’t hear you.
They flinched anyway, and when they turned around, you were shocked to find such empty eyes looking back at you. You couldn’t explain how they looked if you tried, but there was something profoundly empty almost dead about them that caused an instant chill to rush toward your heart making you feel sad just by looking at them.
How can anyone still alive have such dead eyes?
You feared to think about what had to happen to them.
The person, who you now could see was a young man with white hair, was staring at you blinked releasing you from the intense lifeless imprisonment of his gaze and caused you to stutter, ‘Uh-you-if…w-w-would you…,’ the rest came out too rushed, ‘like-to-come-inside?’
You felt cringed over how pathetic you sounded cursing yourself for it a bit.
The man didn’t say anything. He just carried on staring at you with his dark empty eyes causing you to feel even more nervous and like an idiot, since it must have looked odd that out of the blue someone asked him to come inside, ‘It’s really…cold and uh, this weather will make you sick. So if you want you could come inside with me.’
The dark eyes blinked again, and the man looked up behind you at your bakery probably trying to piece together what was it that you wanted from him.
You bit your lip imagining this going better inside your mind and cursing yourself for making this so hard and weird, ‘Please?’
The dark eyes snapped back at you, and even if they stayed lifeless the rest of his face appeared confused more than anything, but to your absolute surprise and delight, the man gave out a single and curt nod which got you to immediately let out a sigh of relief and quickly turn around motioning for him to follow.
Once inside you quickly put down your coat and changed your shoes into a pair of slippers for when you were behind the counter and kitchen, ‘Wait here, please. I’ll find you some towel.’
You snatched a couple of dry and warm from the oven towels and rushed back to the man who now seemed to have taken a seat at one of the stools meant for customers who were waiting for their orders.
‘Here,’ you managed to get out a bit too squeakily since now all too aware this man was in your bakery, your shyness started to kick in all over, ‘Uh, you need to dry yourself…so you don’t get cold, you know?’ You asked at the same time shaking your head and avoiding their gaze a bit.
‘Thanks,’ he said shortly and simply back.
He took the towel from your hands almost lazily or less than lazily like it was almost pointless and started to dry his hair which now you could see wasn’t blond or white, but silver.
You didn’t question the odd choice. You saw many customers from tourists to regulars, so you were not unfamiliar with varieties of hairstyles and clothing. Despite the exhaustion or even more depression and complete dejection of life that was coming off of him in waves now, you couldn’t help but notice he was rather attractive. The hair color suited him just fine.
Apart from his hair, he seemed to be dressed in simple black pants and a shirt with long sleeves. The most bizarre thing about him was the flip-flops attached to his feet. If you didn’t think it was unimaginable, you would think, this man simply put on something for a nice evening stroll. But how could that be when the weather was so profoundly terrible?
But his eyes look so…dead…
‘Is there a problem?’ asked the man suddenly breaking your train of thoughts as you realized that you had spaced out with your own eyes at him, and he must have realized it.
Almost immediately, the cold was the last thing on your mind as your whole face felt warm from the shame and embarrassment, and you bowed a bit, ‘No, sorry!’
You quickly turned around, ‘It’s really cold outside. You shouldn’t just go out dressed like that or at all in such weather, you know? I…I’ll turn on the heat and make you some tea. Herbal?’
You didn’t really give him time to finish and rushed behind the counter busing yourself there for a bit all the while stealing glances at the man as he finished drying himself and set the towels over the chairs.
He wasn’t all that tall, and although he was built a bit better, you could see he looked like he hadn’t had a decent sleep and meal in a while which made your heart clench again for some reason, ‘Here’s your tea.’
He came closer to the counter and reached for the cup at the same time as you were about to give it to him causing your fingers to brush and some static to pass over your skin, ‘SORRY!’
You quickly let go and turned around to cover your face with your palm feeling more than a bit self-aware. You weren’t used to people. It was always a bit of a challenge to connect with them, which was why the form of your cashier, a middle-aged woman, who seemed could talk with anyone was a gift from heaven. You preferred to bake in the back kitchen and prepare the treats rather than serve them. Hearing her repeat the praises from the customer or describe the looks of gratitude on their faces was enough to fill your aching-to-please-others heart with content.
But you couldn’t really stay quiet and mind your own business when you were the one who invited this man to come over.
Not to mention, he looks so broken.
Luckily, by the time, you got the hold of yourself, the man was slowly drinking the tea and warming his hands against the cup all the while looking at you, but you tried to accept small victories for now.
You shifted your gaze and tried to ask politely to ease the mood. You were alone and strangers, so you weren’t at your best, but you still felt like you should try because of how sad this man looked.
He looked young…no young person should look so sad…
‘W-Would you like something? Anything, you like…uh. It’s on the house,’ you finally got out looking at him hopefully with a smile polite smile playing across your face hoping it was friendly enough to make him feel more comfortable.
The man looked like he might have stepped outside for a smoke, so you figured he wouldn’t have any money, phone, or even his house key on him. He almost seemed like he appeared in front of your bakery out of the thin air.
His dark eyes finally shifted from your face and glanced over the glass to see the treats and baked goods which you had prepared for today.
His lips stayed pressed into a thin line for a while before finally, he asked his voice a bit hoarse, but something close to hope flashed behind his dark eyes, ‘Say, do you have any taiyaki?’
Your heart sank a bit as you heard him ask that of all things, ‘No, it’s not very popular among the customers, so I don’t make that.’
He nodded as if he almost expected such an answer, and you felt something inside you riot a bit against the idea that out of all the deserts and snacks you had around, he wanted one which was so laughably easy to make and simple, and yet you did not currently have. One, that might potentially bring him something close to joy or a spark of happiness behind his eyes. Such an idea, for someone who wanted to please people, like you, left you feeling absolutely disgusting on the inside with yourself.
‘But,’ you spoke and looked at your hands as it was a bit hard to have his absolute attention on you, ‘if you’re not in a hurry. I can make you some,’ you said with a low voice hoping it didn’t come off as too pushy because you would hate if he assumed you were trying anything on him.
‘You don’t have to-’
‘But I want to!’ you said and looked away feeling a bit embarrassed at how eager you sounded. You didn’t know this man, and you didn’t owe him anything, but he looked so sad and empty, you couldn’t help yourself but want to give him something.
You forced your eyes back at him, ‘So what do you say?’
His dark eyes remained the same, but there was clear curiosity coming from the rest of him as he put his elbow at the counter and pressed his cheek against his knuckles to look at you, ‘Why?’
What a horribly loaded question…
You looked down again and ironed your clothes with your palms a bit in a nervous way, ‘I like making snacks and baked goods for others,’ you admitted, ‘It makes me feel good to know they enjoyed them, and I fed them well? So…if you want taiyaki, I don’t mind making you some. I…I would really like to make you some.’
When you looked back up, he was still looking at you, but even if his gaze was intense and his dark eyes seemed so empty, you couldn’t help but think there was something alluring about someone like him looking at someone like you like this. You didn’t think anyone ever looked at you with such interest.
‘Alright, make me some then. Feed me,’ he said and opened his mouth for good measures causing your heartbeat to speed up and your face to grow warm again before you turned your back and quickly.
‘Right…so, uh…I’ll go and make you some now,’ you started to make your way to the back, where your small kitchen was, only to catch movement behind you and find the man now standing behind the counter with you.
Did he really just jump over it like that?
He paused and blinked at you probably noticing your shocked face, ‘Am I not going with you?’
You weren’t planning on asking him to join you in the kitchen, ‘It’s not in order with the health department rules,’ you admitted, but once you saw his face almost drop into more despair than it was already in, you quickly made up your mind, ‘Uh, but, please, join me.’
You found him a pair of slippers and an apron, ‘So you don’t drag mud or dirty your clothes.’
He put the shoes on himself, but then he waited while holding onto the apron which made you blink and walk closer to him, ‘Here, let me.’
He let you walk around him and tie a small bow in the back. Your eyes briefly catching the tattoo on the back of his neck as you did.
That symbol...
‘Do I look like a baker now?’ he asked, and there was almost a hint of amusement in his voice, which made you smile even if just a bit, ‘Not yet.’
You helped him wash his hands properly and prepared the ingredients, ‘Can I ask for your name? It feels strange, to bake with you and not know.’
‘Mikey.’
He didn’t offer you more, so you accepted it and offered him a smile as you introduced yourself. It could have been awkward, you were still strangers, but oddly, it didn’t feel so after you started directing Mikey on what to do or moving your hands over his to help him.
At first you hesitated to touch him, but he seemed so casual about it, you managed to find your footing.
You told him a bit about yourself mostly to try and fill the silence while you work. You tended to hum when you baked, so this wasn’t all that different. It surprised you, how easy it seemed to talk to him, and even more so when he admitted, ‘I used to eat taiyaki all the time when I was younger. My buddy Kenchin was always out of money because of me.’
‘That’s not very nice,’ you teased, but he was quick to pout, ‘Don’t say it like that. If he really minded, he wouldn’t have left me. Kenchin is no pushover.’
You chuckled, and you took it with great relief when you found him easing up a bit. He seemed casual before too, but there was tension in his whole body that couldn’t be explained and contradicted by the laziness of his persona. However, now he seemed to properly let his hair down so to speak, and before you knew it he told you about why he loved taiyaki so much, ‘It’s like a distant memory. My brother’s warm hand holding mine as we walk through the festival stopping at booths and eating taiyaki.’
Mikey looked most alive you saw him since you met him when he spoke about his childhood, siblings, and friends. You watched him closely, and whenever you saw a shadow of something haunting appear behind his eyes, you purposely asked another question or shared something from your own childhood to bring him back to the light.
You managed to prepare the fish-shaped goods in an hour and a half. Maybe you would manage faster on your own, but it was nice to have company, and even if for a bit, you would have sworn that Mikey’s eyes lightened up when you praised his work and called his taiyaki better because he put more love and effort into them.
The more time you spend together in the small kitchen in the back, the more the depressed-looking man seemed to almost relax and radiate with life.
‘Delicious,’ moaned Mikey and closed his eyes and looking properly blissful making you wonder how long it had been since he felt this content about something in his life.
‘See, you can make yourself some at home too,’ you assured him taking a taste of one yourself. They turned out really well.
He shook his head almost instantly, ‘It wouldn’t be as good,’ his dark eyes looked you over, ‘It wouldn’t be as fun as it was with you.’
He smiled so openly and almost happily, you thought there never was a more beautiful person in the world. It made your chest feel warm, and a smile settle against your lips to be in his presence and to see him like this and know some of it was your doing.
You settled for just one chuckling as Mikey ate one after another clearly enjoying the snack and looking almost like a child.
After a while, you heard some buzzing, and you were surprised when Mikey pulled out a phone from his pants as you assumed, he didn’t have anything on him.
His alive and content face darkened as his eyes scanned through the phone screen, and you wondered if it was the work, he mentioned that he didn’t like so much at one point.
‘I need to leave soon,’ he said and put the phone away looking upset rather than empty.
You nodded and tried to ease his mood, ‘That’s alright, I can pack the rest of the taiyki for you.’
‘How much?’
‘I told you it’s on the house,’ you argued feeling awkward that you had to say it again, but Mikey shook his head, ‘No, it’s too much. How much is it?’
‘No,’ you argued back although it was weak since you were never good or comfortable with arguing with people, ‘I…can’t take your money. You helped me make them, and you looked…happy. I don’t want to ruin it,’ you smiled at him honestly feeling the warmth inside your chest over the experience and his presence, ‘It was nice baking with you and seeing you enjoy it too.’
You watched the hard look on his face soften so profoundly, it was almost like they were two different people altogether.
‘I liked baking with you,’ he admitted and looked away almost unsure of himself or self-aware, ‘and talking. Today was the first time, I didn’t think about my past in a bad way. I missed thinking about my childhood bathed in sunshine colors instead of the grey ones.’
Your heart ached at his words, and you almost felt tears rushing toward your eyes before you chased them away by turning your back to him, ‘I’m happy to hear that. I feel like I want…I want to make you talk about your childhoods, and be happy…glad that you got to experience those good parts, and not feel guilty about them.’
There was silence after you said those words that made you almost regret them until you heard his soft and broken, ‘You don’t know me. How could you…want good things for me when you don’t know…’
He didn’t finish, so you decided to speak again, ‘Sometimes…you don’t need to know everything about a person. Sometimes it’s enough to know they’re sad and hurting. It’s enough to want to make them feel better.’
There was once again silence after that making you question whether you made things awkward or if he was simply going over your words. You were honest. You didn’t know Mikey and everything who he was, but when he spoke about his childhood, siblings, and friends, you felt like he came alive. As if it was so long since he talked to anyone about these things, he might have forgotten there were good things about his past too.
When you turned around, you found him unexpectable close forcing you to move back until your back hit the counter behind you.
He caged you by stepping even closer to you almost touching all the while looking at your face before his dark eyes moved to your lips.
It was a feeling more than a comprehensive thought about what was about to happen, but it was enough to jump-start your heart to the extreme.
Panic kicked in before you could stop it from taking over, and before you could stop yourself, you loudly gasped, ‘Don’t,’ right before Mikey moved his face closer to yours.
He paused and leaned away looking genuinely shocked before his eyes darted away from your face, and it seemed he wanted to move away too, ‘I’m sorry. I thought…I must have misjudged this.’
It was the closest to shame, you saw the young man get through the whole evening.
You looked away as well and gathering all the courage, you could find, you reached out and took hold of his arm chasing the feeling of connection and happiness from before to settle your thoughts and feelings that blossomed inside.
Your voice was soft again as you barely managed to get those words out of your mouth with how embarrassed you felt, ‘Uh, you didn’t misjudge anything.’
The moment, Mikey moved closer, your palms shot up and covered his mouth before he would be able to reach your face.
He looked confused, and you didn’t blame him. It would have sounded confusing to you as well if someone else was retelling this story to you, but it couldn’t be helped.
You shut your eyes closed trying to gather your thoughts and push them above your feelings, ‘I-I don’t allow people to kiss me…unless I know them well.’
You didn’t open your eyes fearing, he might find your reasoning silly, but your mouth seemed to get the best of your and carried on, ‘I…I don’t know you very well yet…so please don’t…don’t take advantage of the fact that I…that…I like you so far.’
You felt hot breath against your palms which caused your eyes to open and then to freeze in place.
Mikey’s dark eyes were on you, but for the first time their emptiness didn’t bother you as you grew familiar with it, and in contrast with his surprised face, it seemed almost bearable. Familiar. Welcoming even.
‘Don’t…do that,’ you whispered feeling your cheeks were on fire again referring to what you assumed he was planning to do each time he leaned closer to your face, ‘Unless you plan to come back here again, and…and tell me more about yourself. Alright?’
It sounded ridiculous in your own ears to demand something like that. It felt like you had no right, but at the same time, it felt like you owe it to yourself, to demand at least that much for yourself.
‘You’re a bit strange,’ said Mikey shocking you and forcing your palms to fall to your sides as you felt embarrassed now. But just as quickly as he caused you to feel such a way, you watched and heard as he chuckled out loud almost joyfully, ‘But very kind and sweet.’
He reached behind you and took another fish-shaped treat before he took a bite with a small smile pressed across his face as he chewed, ‘Just like your goods.’
His free hand reached out and patted your head a bit, ‘Don’t change, no matter what, okay? It feels too good to know that people like you exist in the same world as someone like me.’
You didn’t hear such things often, so it brought a smile to your own face. Most people suggested you try and be less shy, or less naïve and trusting often viewing all that as a flaw. You didn’t blame them for their views, but it felt good to for once hear it wasn’t a bad thing to be the way you were.
He stepped away from you and allowed you to pack the rest of the taiyaki in peace which helped to calm your rapidly beating heart and mind that only now seemed to properly realize, you almost let him kiss you.
He already stepped out of the kitchen by the time, you were finished, and you couldn’t help but wonder if your choice really was a good one. You stood by it. You didn’t know Mikey well enough yet to be that intimate with you no matter how attracted you felt toward him. You were just too you to allow yourself to be that carefree about such things. But at the same time, you felt a stab of worry that this might be the last time, you would see the young man with silver hair and if that was the case, shouldn’t you want to have something to remember him by?
You handed the plastic container over to him, and he easily placed it under his elbow as he switched from your slippers to his flip flops, ‘Thanks for today.’
You smiled at him wishing you knew something better to say if this really was the final time you would see him.
‘M-Mikey-kun,’ you started when he opened the door into the darkness outside. It seemed it stopped the rain if nothing else.
Your voice broke a bit at the end, ‘Come again.’
He paused and offered you a final smile that almost reached his eyes before he stepped out into the dark as if he was never inside your shop to begin with.
Almost immediately, you felt a sense of coldness enter your body, but you couldn’t bring yourself to follow him outside sensing that if he wanted to come to see you again, he would.
There was no promise, but there also was no final goodbye.
You spent the rest of your opening hours cleaning up erasing almost all the evidence that Mikey was there at all.
Once you returned to the register you noticed something was off. It was almost unnoticeable at all, but you did notice that from the small plate near the register where you kept your business cards, the same card, you were playing with earlier, there was one missing.
This brought the familiar tender warmth to return to your chest as you silently let out a small prayer into the universe.
Mikey-kun, call me, the next time, you’re alone and feel like baking taiyaki together.
Koniec
A.N: thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you and your loved ones are well. English is not my first language, so I apologize if things were unclear, or if there were unnecessary mistakes. Have a lovely day :)
🖤Intro post 🖤
Greetings, my name is Kiri, I am a Ukrainian artist
I draw #dabihawks stuff and my commission are open, you can dm me if you want ❤️
Thank you ❤️
Title: It's You
Pairing: Manjiro x Reader
Summary: You're saved from bullying by Mikey one day, and you can't shake the feeling as if you know him from another life (timeline) | Genre: Angst with a happy ending = hurt/comfort | Warning: Bullying, uncomfortable situations | Words: 4.6K
It was happening again.
Your stomach twisted in the worst way imaginable, and you felt like throwing up a bit in your mouth. It was so cruel and so confusing.
They’re talking about me. They’re laughing at me.
You weren’t certain what brought it, but over the course of the last couple of weeks, you could hear your classmates whispering among themselves and snickering all the while looking at your back.
You didn’t turn around to face them, but you could still picture them and their cruel smiles. You didn’t understand. Did you do something wrong? Why, would they act this way all of the sudden?
You came to live in Tokyo a couple of months ago, and at first, the kids in your class seemed nice enough. Some asked you to eat lunch with them and even spoke about walking home together or plans for the weekends, so what caused the shift?
The only thing, you could think of was that boy, the one who seemed to laugh the most at you. He seemed the nicest of them at the beginning, he waited for you in front of the school to walk to class with you and then even walked home with you. He asked you about your life before you moved, your interests, pets, family, and friends. He seemed to genuinely want to get to know you, but then, one day while walking to school, he asked if you would kiss him. You were confused. You didn’t really think about kissing him since you were certain, you only viewed him as a friend for now. Maybe after a while, you would genuinely like to go on a few dates with him and even kiss him afterward if the dates would turn out well, and you would feel like doing so, but you were definitely not ready to do so that day and not so out of the blue.
Did he like you? Was he just embarrassed and messed up asking you out?
Also, you couldn’t help but think, It’s not him.
‘I’m sorry,’ you said and bowed a bit, ‘You’re a dear friend to me, but I don’t feel that way yet,’ you said feeling guilty about it before you tried to put on a smile, ‘Maybe when we know each other for a little long-’
‘You might as well do it, though,’ he suddenly said, and the smile, you thought was so sincere and friendly a while ago seemed twisted and wrong now, ‘I will tell everyone you did it anyway.’
Your own smile immediately fell as his words sunk in. Did he really just say what you thought you heard, and did he really mean it?
He remained to wait for your answer, but you were too startled to give one, and you simply ran away without a single word. You never felt so scared and uncomfortable in your life.
At home, you spent hours before finally falling asleep dreading the next morning which mercilessly came all too quickly. You thought about telling your family, but you didn’t really know what to say or how to explain it. You felt like your stomach was carrying rocks that were so heavy they were pushing all the food and water back into your throat as if you were supposed to throw up.
You felt sick.
Your classmate didn’t wait for you that morning, and throughout most of the day, nothing much happened as you both seemed to be ignoring one another almost making you believe it could have been forgotten altogether.
Then the next day came, and slowly you noticed your classmates and kids outside of your class whispering and looking at you. It was nerve-wracking. You tried to ask what was going on, but they seemed to put on smiles and act all confused like they didn’t know what you mean. Could it be all in your head? But why did they stop calling you out to eat lunch with them? Why did they stop talking to you during breaks? Why did it seem that the only time someone looked at you was at your back right before they would snicker or snort at something that was said among themselves?
You thought about going to your classmate and demanding what he said about you, but you felt even more like throwing up at the thought of ever talking to him again. What did he say? Was it bad?
Worse than their laughter and secret gossiping were those looks.
Not those mocking cruel ones, even if those were bad in their own way, but those that seemed to sometimes follow you on your way home. You didn’t know why, but at times you would notice a boy or a group of them looking at you or following you leaving you to feel incredibly uneasy. Like they wanted to approach you. Like they wanted something from you causing panic and alarm to kick in and force you to speed up or look for an area with more people around.
It was hard to sleep when you noticed those looks. You felt like crying or running every time you caught their uncomfortable almost sickly gazes.
From an early age, you found groups of men to be scary for some reason even those you knew well always trying to be with someone and not alone around them.
You found out the next day, that knowing was worse than anything your innocent mind could imagine.
‘Everyone knows she does lewd stuff with older guys.’
‘I heard she tried to sell herself for seven-thousand yen.’
‘She even kissed a bunch of girls in her old school.’
Your stomach sank and tears rushed into your eyes as you felt a tremble take hold of your body. You wanted to believe they weren’t talking about you. How could they be talking about you when none of those disgusting things were true? But they said your name, and they seemed to be so sure about their words. So cruel with their laughter spreading those rumors as if they were facts as if they were true.
You wouldn’t have heard it, but you forgot your pencil case in your shoe locker and had to return to it.
You were crying before you even knew what was happening, and your shaky legs still dressed in your school shoes let you out of the school before you could even focus on what you were doing.
You just walked away from the building. Away from those nasty words. Away from those horrible gazes and mockery.
How…? How could someone be so cruel and make up such lies?
Your legs gave up somewhere outside the school, and out of the view of anyone else, you simply sank into the sidewalk and started to cry as hard as you could regardless of if someone heard you or not. You felt horribly dirty by their lies. It didn’t matter if they were just their malice and hurtful words, they left you to feel unclean, and you wished for nothing else than just to go home and tell your parents what happened, but how could you? What if they believed those words? If all your classmates and others were saying them, what if everyone else believed them too?
It felt like ages had passed, and you cried so hard you didn’t even notice someone stopped in front of you until you felt someone touch the top of your head, ‘Oi, what happened to you?’
You blinked your eyes open, but the tears made it impossible to see clearly who was talking to you. All you could make out were two blond figures in black.
‘Isn’t that the new girl?’ asked one of the voices to which the first one replied with a little uh-huh sound, ‘It is? I thought she was cute.’
You started to cry harder for some reason.
‘Always the charmer,’ commented the second one who sounded grumpier while the first one let out something like an offended puff of air before you felt the same hand from before gently pat the top of your head again.
Huh?
‘Come on, stop that wailing, when my sister wails like this it’s because of another one of her K-pop idols is leaving the band for a solo career,’ said the first voice still patting you, ‘Maybe you should get Emma, Kenchin. This is more her territory.’
‘Emma isn’t going to skip school,’ replied the second voice, and you recognized the name Emma since it was such an unusual one for a Japanese girl as the name of a girl from another class.
‘She would if you asked her,’ said the voice of the person who was patting her before letting out a small chuckle, ‘Now, now, no more of that. Women are weak and all but crying in front of the school never solved anything, right Kenchin?’
‘I’m sure she would have stopped sooner if you didn’t talk nonsense to her.’
‘Don’t be mean. You don’t have a cute little sister, but this is what good brothers do.’
It still took you a while, but strangely, hearing those two talk to each other all the while feeling someone pat your head like you were a puppy did help your sobs and tears ease enough to brush them with your sleeves and look at the two boys properly.
It was actually nice to be caressed like that.
‘Oh, she stopped,’ commented the tall blond one, you knew only as Ryuguji Ken before your eyes shifted to the other blond who turned out to be Sano Manjiro who continued to pat you a bit longer.
‘H-hello,’ you said weakly brushing your eyes some more trying to appear more presentable for some reason.
All the while watching as Sano offered you a calm lazy smile just as he did the one and only time, you actually came face to face with him while running to class.
‘Good morning,’ you found yourself saying for some reason when you were faced with the handsome blond boy with the darkest eyes as you almost crashed into him.
The moment he looked at you, something shifted across his face if only for a moment making him look very serious before he regained his bored persona again and offered you a lazy grin, ‘You still have plenty of time before class. Don’t stress about it too much, yeah?’
Without waiting for a reply, he simply left causing you to momentarily forget about class altogether and simply watch him walk away with this unshakable feeling of a deja vu.
Right now, you could feel this sensation right under your skin, but it was very weak as you were still too caught up on what happened to you in school.
You didn’t know the boys all that well since from the two months you were in school, they spend maybe half or less in classes. You knew there were rumors they were a part of some gang, Sano was the leader of, but for all, you knew it might have been just something people said like those things they said about you.
You hiccupped as you felt like crying again only to be harshly snapped at, ‘No! Stop that! You just finished doing that, if you cry more everyone is going to think you’re a pathetic crybaby!’ It might have been scary to be told such things if Sano didn’t appear looking more like a little child than a powerful gang leader when he said it.
You swallowed down the bump once again forming inside your throat and nodded knowing he meant well even if his attitude wasn’t the best, ‘S-sorry.’
He did approach you and made you feel better even if he didn’t have to.
He seemed satisfied with this result as he grinned at you and then his friend, ‘See, Kenchin. I told you I knew what I was doing. Well, that’s that. Later.’
‘W-wait a moment please,’ you said immediately shocked that you had, but it seemed it was too late because both of the boys turned and looked back at you. It was bizarre, but since the last couple of weeks, they seemed to be the first ones who spoke to you somewhat ordinarily and not like they were hiding nasty rumors from you or like they were faking niceness. Not to mention, you couldn’t shake the feeling around Sano for some reason wishing to see him for just a bit longer.
‘Yes?’ asked the taller one since the shorter one already looked like he was a bit bored with you, ‘People sometimes said mean things about you behind your backs.’
You looked away wondering if that meant you too since you heard those things and never stood up for them. It suddenly made you feel bad, ‘H-how do you deal with it?’
‘We kick their ass,’ said Sano causing your head to drop and shoulders to slump. Given what you heard you shouldn’t be so surprised, ‘Right, never mind. Thank you and sorry for keeping you.’
You remained sitting on the sidewalk. You already missed the first period and had no idea what you would tell your parents or homeroom teacher. You also couldn’t imagine yourself entering the school again knowing all those horrible things they said about you.
What am I going to do now?
‘Hey, Mikey, you’re coming or what?’ you heard Ryuguji asked realized they didn’t leave, and Sano was still looking down at you.
You couldn’t really describe this look, but it was different, not just from those you had gotten since the rumors must have started, but also different from any other look you ever received from anyone. You wondered what was going through his mind, and if he also felt a bit strange around you which was the reason why he stopped and went to comfort you in the first place.
‘Sure,’ said Sano suddenly breaking your train of thought, and then suddenly pulled down his black jacket the one he seemed to also wear in class regardless of what was the assigned uniform.
You blinked confused, and you could see his friend didn’t understand what he was doing either before you felt the heavy material of the jacket fall over your shoulders.
It was quite heavier than the material of your school uniform even if it didn’t properly fit your body type, but it was surprisingly warm and-
This smells so familiar. What is that?
It was hardly cold outside, but for some reason, the moment to fabric touched your body, you felt infinite times warmer not even realizing you were cold in the first place all the while wondering what was the wonderful smell that entered your senses.
‘No one will dare say anything to you if you wear this. I will come to find you at the end of the day to get it back,’ said Sano and offered you another lazy-looking grin, ‘Don’t lose it, or I will kick your ass, girl or not, got it?’
You could only nod feeling almost intoxicated by the scent, gesture, and the feeling of déjà vu it all seemed to cause you.
You barely got out a thank you before the short blond started to run leaving you behind.
You shared a bit look with Ryuguji who waved and nodded at you before he followed his friend leaving you sitting on the sidewalk with a heavy jacket on top of your shoulders.
You returned to the school for the second class, and as Sano predicted no one dared to say anything to you. You could see they were still staring probably more than ever but instead of nasty or mocking looks they now seemed properly scared shutting up the moment you met their eyes and swiftly looking away.
It might as well be a magical jacket because at least for today it gave you the power to be left alone in peace. It seemed priceless.
Every once in a while, you found yourself pushing a hand into a pocket or brushing the material as if to chase some sort of memory you didn’t have.
Could it be Sano and I met before? You wondered curiously. You weren’t in Tokyo that long and saw him in passing just two times actually exchanging some words, but it almost felt like you knew him longer.
It got a bit into your head and made you busy and distracted enough to forget about your previous worried. Not to mention feel properly safe for the first time in what felt like forever.
When Sano and Ryuguji showed up at the end of the class, you couldn’t help but bow to them in gratitude, ‘Thank you so much. You really helped me out more than you know.’
Just as you were planning to straighten up, you felt Sano snatch the side of your uniform and pull you up to look at him. You would have been afraid given his reputation and everything that happened to you so far, but surprisingly such a feeling never came as you met his face taking it in.
His face carried a lazy-looking smile, and although his eyes were the darkest you ever saw they carried a strange light or hope inside them that stole your breath away for some reason and left this strange feeling in the back of your mind.
This was the first time you properly saw him up close without tears, and you couldn’t help but think he wasn’t just kind in his own harsh way, but also very handsome.
‘So pretty,’ he said soundly very pleased, and grinned, ‘No more crying, alright?’
You felt your face grow hot over him smiling at you like and calling you pretty all the while your heart pounded all too loud and fast, ‘I’ll try.’
He laughed upon hearing that seemingly delighted which caused you to feel a wave of fondness for this strange boy wash over you, ‘Okay, do your best. I really rather see you smiling and happy. It feels better when I see you like that instead of sad and crying,’ he confessed, and your mouth opened and closed as your mind tried to come up with something to say because the way he spoke it sounded just all too real, and you couldn’t help but wonder why and what it all meant, and if he felt it too.
But before you could embarrass yourself or get some answers, you heard a commotion coming from behind and found Ryuguji kicking your classmate who ended up on the ground bowing in front of you with his whole body, ‘I asked around,’ said the tall blond, ‘Everyone said this guy started the rumors.’
It wasn’t a surprise. You figured as much as he was the boy who asked you to kiss him not so long ago.
‘Please, I’m sorry. I didn’t know she was with Toman. I swear!’ begged the boy still not the ground not daring to stand up.
Ryuguji stepped on his back while Sano went to squat down in front of him, ‘So if she was any other girl, it would have been alright? I have a little sister, you know? If someone was to say shit about her like that, I would personally kill every and each one of them.’
‘Please,’ begged the boy now crying still not daring to raise his head.
You noticed a lot of people from your school gathered around now watching the scene with worry and fascination while the boy carried on his pleas and wailing, ‘I’m sorry. I swear I’ll never do this again! I swear! I’m sorry I started the rumors. I’m sorry I tried to force her to kiss me!’
Silence fell over the scene as no one said anything for a while after those words.
‘You tried to force her to kiss you?’ asked Sano finally, but you almost wished he didn’t because he sounded incredibly cold right before he reached out and snatched the guy’s hair pulling his head up.
That was when it happens.
Somewhere in the back of your mind, you couldn’t help but hear Sano’s voice as if he spoke right now.
Nothing scares me more than when the impulse takes over. Especially when you’re around, y/n-chan, his voice as clear as day asked, and your heart skipped a beat at how familiar and intimate it sounded as if he knew you. As if you were friends. As if you were close.
A cold chill ran down your body and before you could stop yourself and rethink your palms reached out and found a place on Sano’s shoulders, ‘He’s not worth it, Mikey-kun.’
You didn’t know why you called him that. You heard his friend call him that, but it wasn’t like you were friends despite his kindness. You also didn’t know why it felt so natural to call him that.
The death grip on your classmate’s hair loses, but you barely noticed as the moment the blond, you were holding onto, slightly turn his head to you, you saw the light return into his dark eyes.
You held your breath as a small smile appeared once again across his handsome face extinguishing the feeling of darkness and cold that came over you, ‘I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.’
‘You’re still too forgiving and sweet for your own good, huh?’ he asked his dark eyes sparkling with a sudden fondness that felt like you didn’t deserve it for some reason, ‘I’m glad.’
Mikey let go of the boy who started to cry harder on the ground and stood up as you let go of his body so he could properly face you, ‘Let’s get you home. I don’t think anyone will give you a hard time anymore, but if they do, tell me, alright?’
Once again, you felt as if this wasn’t the first time, he said this to you, and you couldn’t help but ask, ‘Have we met before?’
He looked at you again as the taller blond pulled your classmate from the ground, but you were still too focused on the blond boy in front of you to pay attention to all that. It was as if nothing else matter than to look at his face and see him so calm and content.
‘So you noticed too, huh?’ he asked something flashing behind his dark eyes, ‘It’s just this feeling like you’re someone important to me even if I don’t really know you. Maybe it’s love,’ he chuckled looking really happy as your heart continued to beat faster and louder again.
Love, you thought wondering how bizarre to hear someone so young as him speak so lightly about it.
‘ Or maybe it’s fate,’ he shrugged his shoulders easing up the tension, but only slightly, ‘It doesn’t really matter though. Let’s just take you home and see what happens, yeah?’
You blinked at his nonchalant behavior, but you couldn’t really argue with him. You couldn’t explain the familiarity between you too, and it didn’t seem like that was much to do about it anyway.
For now, you accepted his offer to take you home with Draken, and Mikey’s younger sister, Emma trying to convince yourself that it was not a big deal.
But when your hands slipped around his middle to hold onto him during the ride, you couldn’t help but smile as a wave of joy filled your insides. Something which Mikey had to share with you because you noticed he was smiling with a certain sweetness; you didn’t before.
I wonder if we did this before. In a past life or something.
Whether you believed in such things or not, you couldn’t help but admit you felt very much connected to the blond boy as he took you home and promised to come to get you tomorrow morning as well.
‘You don’t have to,’ you tried to argue since you were certain, he didn’t often come to school, and even if you didn’t approve, you felt you might have already bothered him enough for today, but he just offered you a lazy shrugged and told you to be ready at a certain time, ‘I promise to come for you. Do you believe me?’ the way he asked, you couldn’t shake a feeling he already asked this of you once. You couldn’t tell what happened with that promise back then, but at least for now you felt you could offer him another smile and nod, ‘I believe you, Mikey-kun.’
The light inside his dark eyes made them exceptionally warm as he reached for your hand, and you without a single doubt met him halfway so he could take it all the while oblivious that Draken and Emma were watching you from his bike not too far away while sharing confused looks.
His hand was rough and strong, but all you felt was warmth and safety as his thumb brushed against your knuckles, ‘Promise me, I’ll see you tomorrow,’ he said looking into your eyes and even if he didn’t say anything else, you could feel it was important so once again you nodded, ‘I promise you’ll see me tomorrow, Mikey-kun. I’ll be waiting right here.’
You squeezed his hand before he finally let you go and left, and just like last time, you watched him go, but instead of sadness or longing, you only felt anticipation and excitement that you would see him tomorrow again.
You went into your home and about your day, and the next day, you dutifully took your place right where you parted with the blond boy, whose connection to you still couldn’t figure out, but at the same time didn’t mind all that much.
When Mikey parked by, both of you greeted each other with overly happy smiles before you took your place behind him once again feeling like it was the place you should have been all along, ‘Let’s do this ever day,’ he said as he put his hands over yours that were around him, ‘Let me pick you from and to school every day. Promise me?’
‘I promise,’ you breathed against his cheek all too eagerly as you couldn’t even imagine ever refusing this to him when it made you feel so good inside.
You could see he was grinning the whole ride looking just as happy as you felt.
Mikey and Draken didn’t go to school that day either. They just dropped you and Emma off watching you get inside while you couldn’t shake the warm and content feeling of knowing he would come to pick you up after school too.
It feels right. It feels like it’s him, you thought fondly knowing it was true deep in your gut, heart and mind. You just knew. It was him. Whoever, he was and expected him to be it was him, Sano ‘Mikey’ Manjiro.
In school, you avoided the people who made fun of you and they did the same for you fearful of retaliation from the Toman as Emma, who you decided to befriend and spend more time with, explained to you.
‘Hey, did you fall in love with my brother? You two act like you’re dating and look so happy all the time,’ said the blond girl, and even if you shouldn’t have you couldn’t help but smile a bit before admitting without much embarrassment or doubt, ‘You know, I don’t think so. I think I’ve already loved him before,’ you giggled at how silly it sounded still feeling the comforting warm inside, ‘I just hadn’t met him until now.’
Emma gave you an odd look, and for a moment you simply thought you were weird before she grimaced and chuckled, ‘Mikey told me the exact same thing. I guess that means you’re meant to be, huh?’
Yeah, I guess it does.
Koniec
A.N: Thank you for taking the time to read this. It was a bit of a self-request that I was working on for a while. English is not my first language, so I apologize if this was confusing or there were many errors and mistakes. I hope you liked it. Have a nice day and stay safe 😊
Just as I think that this can’t get any worse, I am always unpleasantly reminded that, yes. This can get worse. (x)
BONTEN MEN and how they call you
────────。゚•┈୨♡୧┈• 。゚────────
MIKEY: my love
RAN: babygirl/babyboy, baby
RINDOU: babydoll
SANZU: doll, dove
KOKO: pretty girl/pretty boy, baby
KAKUCHO: sweetheart
MOCHI: sunshine
TAKEOMI: baby
────────。゚•┈୨♡୧┈• 。゚────────
Title: The Fall
Pairing: Manjiro x Reader
Summary: Your boyfriend, Mikey, falls during a bike race and starts to act a bit differently. | Genre: Angst with a happy ending| Warning: Angst| Words: 2.5K
You weren’t certain what had happened.
One moment you were cheering along with Draken and others, watching your boyfriend, Sano Manjiro, in the lead on the large TV, and the next, you all watched in absolute shock and horror as he lost control of the bike and ended up in a collision that caused several other races who were behind him to fall.
You weren’t certain you heard anything anyone said to you afterward. As you stood there frozen, Mikey got up and looked around as if he was looking for something or someone before he got back on the bike and drove through the finish line. Even if he made it, he didn’t come first, and causing other races to fall would surely cause him several points, but honestly, that was the last thing on your mind at that very moment.
‘W-what did you say?’ you finally asked Draken when you realized your longtime dark-haired friend was talking to you.
Looking alert but at the same time keeping his cool, no doubt for your benefit, he repeated himself, ‘You can go see him. They’ll let you in with a pass.’
You nodded, catching the paramedics on the TV screen escorting Mikey away before you rushed in the same direction. All sorts of horrible scenarios started to spin inside your mind. It was over a decade since Mikey’s older brother taught him how to ride a bike, and not once did he have any incidents or even close calls like today. He was fast but steady, so you couldn’t comprehend what had happened today that caused the skilled rider to lose control like that during a race.
Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay.
You repeated like a mantra inside your mind all the while before you reached the medical room.
Once you entered the room with blood rushing through your ears and your heart in your throat, you found Mikey sitting on a small couch, waving one of the paramedics off with a small smile across his face.
‘Mikey!’ you shouted, alerting everyone inside the small room.
When his dark eyes met yours, it almost felt like you were looking at a different person for a second before he breathed out your name with intensity; you hadn’t heard in a very long time since things had been going so well in your life.
You rushed to his side, immediately taking his face between your palms, checking his body over with your eyes for any damage. Even if he was sitting there looking at you and talking, you found it hard to breathe and accept he could already be until you saw it.
His expensive race suit was pretty dirty, but it must have softened the fall since it wasn’t torn anywhere.
When your eyes fell to his face again, you were surprised by how stunned he looked while watching you. His dark eyes were full of life and gratitude, unlike any you had ever seen. Even when you cooked for him or took him out for dorayaki when you were younger. Even when you accepted all his flaws and insecurities giving him strength and promising to always be by his side. Even when you accepted his heart and love, you didn’t think you ever saw him look at you quite like this. He just seemed so different yet the same in that moment.
‘Are you alright?’ you asked, still worried, ‘Does it hurt anywhere?’
Mikey’s face lightened up with a bright smile that captured your heart all those years ago, ‘No, don’t worry. It doesn’t hurt anywhere…anymore.’
You blinked, confused by his choice of words wondering if it could be a concussion before you saw him chuckle and reach out to touch your cheek, ‘I wouldn’t think you would ever get prettier than you were back then, but you had to prove me wrong, huh?’
You felt your cheeks warm up, knowing the others could hear what he just said, at the same time, feeling your chest fill with love for the man in front of you all over again.
He must have removed his gloves since you could feel his bare fingers brushing over the skin of your cheek, heating it up with their gentleness.
Mikey put his hand away, but he still remained looking at your face as if he couldn’t look anywhere else, ‘Like I told these guys, I just got spooked for a second. It happens.’
Suddenly a pair of his strong arms circled around you, and before you knew it, you were pushed against his solid body. The height difference would have made it uncomfortable since he was sitting and you were standing. However, you were still so worried and desperate to feel him and know that he was alright after watching him fall like that that it didn’t come to it.
You hugged him back, immediately sensing how firmly he held you.
It should have felt the same. After all, the two of you were together for a long time now, and Mikey could be rather clingy and sleepy, and although everything was the same, it didn’t feel the same.
It wasn’t like your usual cute, sleepy, or intimate hugs. This one felt different. It felt like a hello after a long period of absence, but it was filled with such a strong sense of desperation and longing that it almost made breathing hard. It felt as if Mikey had returned to you after a long war, finally embracing his well-deserved rest and peace.
You didn’t know why this embrace felt like that, but whatever was the cause, you let him have it feeling you needed it just as much as he did.
Finally, when his manager cleared his throat and the paramedics explained they still needed to check his head for injuries, you let him go. Still, almost immediately, he snatched your palm and forced you to sit next to him through the whole ordeal.
You didn’t mind patiently listening to their medical advice, all the while stealing glances at Mikey, who would offer you smiles occasionally.
After they cleared the dark-haired racer, you were allowed to leave.
‘The manager arranged for you to slip through the back, so you won’t be bothered by the press,’ said Draken as you prepared to leave, and you sensed an undertone in Mikey’s thanks, Ken-chin.
You drove your boyfriend home, noticing how he looked around the neighborhood and place, almost like he was taking it all in for the first time, ‘Are you sure you’re alright?’
He turned to look at you as you opened the door to your shared place and smiled, ‘Yeah, I’m great.’
Inside the place, Mikey acted the same as he did outside, looking around occasionally and smiling at some of the things inside your place, mumbling something about how he was not surprised you would pick a certain thing as decoration, something he said when you first got that certain thing too.
It made you nervous, but the doctor and Mikey assured you he was fine, so you tried to calm down.
After a while, you told yourself you shouldn’t baby the poor man so much and suggested making him dinner.
‘Really? You’ll cook for me? You’re the best.’
The way he said it and the way his eyes shone with gratitude and glee was like a throwback to your youth when he used to be like this about everything you did for him. Like he couldn’t believe it and loved you for it all the more. Not that he wasn’t happy about your cooking nowadays, but you supposed the appeal did die down a bit over the years as it became a habit. So, seeing him all giddy about your cooking or taking care of him left you feeling really good.
You busied yourself in the kitchen while Mikey was left to his own devices.
Occasionally, you stopped to answer a phone call or a text message from one of your friends or relatives who heard about his fall and then chatted a bit with Hina, who was stressed about the wedding that was less than a day away all the while Mikey stayed away from the kitchen.
Once you finished, you went to fetch him, only to find him in the living room looking over the photos of the two of you.
‘Hey, dinner is ready. I made your…,’ you suddenly stopped talking, and your eyes widened in shock before you quickly rushed toward the man and asked, ‘Mikey, what’s wrong?!’
He was sitting on the ground, his body shaking as he sobbed and tears ran down his cheeks while several of your albums were left open around him.
One particular photo was in his shaky hand.
‘Mikey, Mikey, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?’ you kept asking, trying to recall the last time you ever saw him cry like this.
You touched his arm, and he turned his head to look at you, ‘I took you…I took you…’
You didn’t understand what he meant, and it seemed the sobbing was making it hard for him to speak, so he showed you the photo that must have upset him so much, and you looked down at it.
It was the photo of the two of you on vacation from two years ago. Mikey, with the help of his friends and sister, arranged for the two of you to visit a place you had been dreaming of since you were a child, just like he once promised you when you were just teenagers starting to get to know one another.
‘Huh? You would want to go to that place?’ back then, the blond-haired gang leader who was starting to capture your heart asked, ‘Why?’
‘It’s my dream. I once saw it on TV, and ever since, then I read everything I could about it. One day, I’ll have enough money and free time to visit and experience it,’ your teenage self told him back then. At the same time, you sat with him on the stairs to the shrine he usually used for his Toman meetings.
‘It’s pretty far. So it will be pretty expensive,’ he said, and you let out a sad little sigh, ‘I know, I know. I should be smarter and use that money elsewhere. Or I won’t ever be able to save that much. I heard it all before. Go on, make a joke,’ you said, looking away from the handsome boy back then, ready for someone as childlike and carefree as Mikey to mock your dream the same way so many others had before.
‘I’ll take you there,’ he said next, causing you to almost get whiplash from how fast you turned your head back to look at him, ‘You will?’
You were stunned, but Mikey chuckled and tossed his arm around your shoulder to bring you to his side.
You felt your entire body catch on fire over how close you were to him now, while Mikey promised you he would take you there while making you promise that you would only go if it was with him.
‘No one else but me, y/n. Can you promise me that in return?’ he asked and sounded so smug and childlike at the same time. You couldn’t help but find it charming, and your rapidly beating heart sincerely agreed.
‘I promise.’
You weren’t sure why it upset Mikey so much in the present, but you put your arms around his neck and pulled his head toward your chest, ‘You did. You took me to my dream destination. You…you kept your promise to me, Mikey. You took me there.’
He quietly sobbed and cried against you, and it broke your heart, but you continued to hold him until he was done and a little longer afterward.
‘Mikey, are you certain you’re alright?’ you asked, running your fingers through his hair while he seemed to settle down.
‘I’m perfect,’ he assured you, and you believed he meant it. Still, you couldn’t help but feel worried given everything he had done today, ‘Everyone is alive, and they achieved their dreams, and you’re with me. You’re here with me,’ he said with sincerity and feelings that felt almost too much to handle at that moment, ‘How could I ever be anything but perfect when everyone,’ he looked down at the photo albums again and then back at you, ‘When everything is perfect this time around.’
He reached his hand and tenderly brushed his fingers over your eyebrow and then lowered through your cheek toward the corner of your mouth, ‘Would you believe me if I told you there was a time when you left me?’
You opened your mouth to argue, but he stopped you with his next words, ‘Not because you wanted to. Not because…you chose to do it. But because you were forced to, and…and I wasn’t the same after that. After you.’
A sole tear escaped his dark eye again, ‘But you’re here now. We’re both here now. And everyone we care for is here now too. And I’m sorry, I’m freaking you out so much, but I’m just so happy about it, you know?’
His words were confusing, but you still found it easy to say, ‘I don’t know much about a time when I would be forced to leave you. I can’t really image it, but,’ you took his palm and pressed it against your chest, ‘As you said, I’m here now, we’re here now, and I don’t plan to change that anytime soon. Please remember that, okay?’
He watched you for a moment as if scanning your face for any hesitation, and when he found none, he nodded, looking much better than before.
You leaned forward and pressed your lips against his forehead before you replaced it with your own. You remained like that for a while, sensing there wasn’t anything else you could do to make your boyfriend feel better before he calmed down enough for the two of you to go have dinner.
He assured you it was delicious, even if you knew it was a bit colder now than you would like, and then went to lay down together in the bed.
‘Are you sure you’re alright?’ you asked against Mikey’s hair while holding him as it tickled your face, ‘I don’t want to be annoying; I just want to make sure.’
He held you tighter, and even if you couldn’t see it, you could feel his smile in his voice, ‘I know. I always loved that about you. Whenever you took care of me, you always made me feel worthy.’
You settled your chin against the top of his head while you felt his face against your chest, ‘You were always worthy. You’ll always be worthy,’ you thought about what he said before and finally added, ‘In every time.’
He was quiet momentarily before he sank into your further and let out a small sigh, ‘I’m glad.’
AN: Thank you for reading. English isn’t my first language, so I apologize for the mistakes and if I wrote it unclearly. Have a lovely day 😊
HEYYY WELCOME TO THE FANDOM!!!!! what's ur fav lookism characters or/and ships?? :D
thank youuuu ❤️❤️
my fav characters are Daniel and Jake (i also think Daniel is my kin character (or, at least, that's what "your lookism kin character" tests told me. and we also share the mbti type, so...), i also really like Zack and Zoe in terms of their character development, and Jay is an absolute sweetheart
my favorite ships are jangseo (especially those stories, where Samuel meets Yenna, they are so sweet and wholesome, even tho absolutely impossible in canon. probably). i really like hudson/daniel because of "The Sun and the Fox" series on ao3, and I love Gunniel dynamic, but it's... well, pretty much very toxic, because it's Gun
in terms of the ships i really want to be canon (or see as canon) it's Daniel/Zoe and Daniel/Jay. fun fact: for some reason i can't read any story with those pairings i don't even know why 😂😅
yep, that's probably all 😂😅
what abt your favorite characters and ships? would you like to tell me if you don't mind? 👀👀
Monday evening in Odesa:
21:29 explosions
21:33 explosions
21:35 explosions
21:37 explosions
21:40 explosions
21:42 explosions
21:43 explosions
21:45 first reports of fires in the city
21:48 explosions
first reports of power outrage
21:52 explosions
21:59 explosions
22:07 explosions
22:14 explosions
Or should I write “the loud sounds of putin wanting peace” instead “explosions”? 🤔
Nothing says “I want peace” more than daily attacks on critical infrastructure and people’s houses.
Same shit every day for years
i occasionally write some (hopefully) good stuff on tokrev | 22 y.o | Ukrainian 🇺🇦 | riya_song on ao3 | empty profiles dni
78 posts