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hoshipills · 14 hours

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Seventeen as romance tropes

I have been thinking about this for a while so I am excited to present it ^^

read it under the cut

Seungcheol- CEO/Mafia

This man is MADE for the ceo trope. tell me you look at this man and don't think of some rich ceo. Like one those stories where he is the ceo and you are a employee or like some normal person. He falls for your kindness and beauty. and then does some grant gestures to impress you. yes, that kind.

he could honestly be a good fit for mafia as well and for obvious reasons. he just gives off that aura. like he is some mafia boss and you are like a flower shop owner or something. and he is just so smitten. everyday visiting your shop and buying flowers just to see you.

Jeonghan- Academic rivals to lovers

I could imagine him being the one who gets marks without trying as he is naturally so smart but then you work your ass off for those marks, so thats how it all starts

Jeonghan would be such a tease. he would make snarky comments about you when he gets the first rank and you get the second. and when the reverse happens you wouldn't back down as well.

and finally i picture a scene where you both must be project partners. as you work together you discover maybe he is not too bad.

Joshua- fake dating

This man screams fake dating. like it could be any scenario, my favourite one is finding a fake boyfriend so you could escape your parents' torment to get a boyfriend or they will set you up on a date. it starts of normal as a dinner and of course they LOVE him so they invite him to celebrate Christmas with them or something . he agrees to avoid suspicions( when it was just to get close with you)

you guys would be forced to be in one room in the name of being a couple, you have to act all domestic with him

so basically in the coarse time you would fall for him because who wouldn't for this man.

Jun- Mafia enemies

I am honestly a sucker for this trope.

when you both are under same mafia organisation and just despise each other. so it is always you both fighting and throwing nasty remarks at each other and to the point you points guns at each other

let us just assume there came a scenario where you all were attacked by the rival mafia gang. they know how badly you hate each other so the boss is like, shoot jun and come with us or something like that. you would just stare before shooting this boss' leg and running away with jun and when he asks why you didn't shoot him, you are just like," i hate you but that doesn't mean i want you dead."....like the angst? the tension? i would be signed up.

Wonwoo- detective

I am currently having a wonwoo brain rot, him in those glasses, suits and sitting with those case files and solving it, ughhh.

you two would just be paired up to solve a case. and in the mean time you fall in love with each other as you guys solve it.

i could imagine being the ending something like when you suddenly realise who is the culprit, you are hit on the head or something, you find yourself in the basement of the culprit. there would be wonwoo as well, both of you tied up. and just when you are getting killed, you ask wonwoo to leave but he doesn't. somehow you guys escape and catch this guy. you are like, " you should've left when I said " and then wonwoo is like, " how can I when I love you.".😭😭

Soonyoung- Oblivious to lovers

you are both so in love with each other, every body sees it except you two. like you guys are bestfriends, always with each other. the kind of bestfriends where someone sees you both and prolly think you are a couple when you are not. and when someone says that , both of you end up becoming a blushing mess.

Its just so obvious by the way you look at each other and snuggle up in each other's arms while watching a movie.

the confession probably becomes a result of you fighting. in middle of the argument, he just yells, " because i am in love with you.", and oh my god.

Jihoon- Co-workers

this man belongs in a place with music so let him be a producer in a entertainment company, you are a fellow producer or a lyricist there. so you get to work on few songs together and thats when you start falling for each other.

like i could clearly imagine those late night stay ups at the studio, deep conversations at the middle of the night, getting takeaway for each other, coming up with the tunes together and what not honestly.

he would be all giggly spending time with you, sometimes grabbing a coffee together and just enjoying each other's company. subconsciously you end up making the songs about each other <3

Minghao- Second chance

hao is such a soft spoken person that makes me think he so suited for the more mature tropes.

like in the case, you two are like high school bestfriends and he is literally head over heals for you. but with college and all you grew distant. 10 years later, you guys reunite, he discovers you are a single mom. that doesn't change the fact that his old feelings return as he spends time with you.

I can perfectly imagine him playing with your kid and your kid obviously love him. you fall for him as well. I could imagine those talks with him about life and love. he would be the reason you would believe in love again. ugh I could go on.

Mingyu- Forbidden love

lets us say it is set in some historical era. you are like the princess and he is some kind of worker there. you two are not allowed to be together but in your lonely life, he adds up some light. so obviously like a sane person would, you fall for this man and of course he loves you back <3

but then again its forbidden, he sneaks into your room to be with you and all those stunts. ( for some reason mingyu reminds me of angsty tropes so)

your secret would be out and all those sacrifices to be with each other and honestly you would leave the world behind to be with him. happy ending or sad ending, this would be lit af.

Seokmin- childhood friends to lovers

Anything else with him is just too much. he is so pure, he would fit right in with friends to lovers. like imagine being neighbours with him from childhood, so you are friends for a long time.

He develops a crush on you gradually, you time to realise your feeling but you do eventually. you both go to the same high school so for the most part you stick with him.

its time for some high school prom or something, so he decides to ask you out but poor baby is nervous.

he does end up asking after a lot of trying and of course, you agree so happy ending.

Seungkwan- Class clown x nerd

he would be that guy in class who is loud and always making everybody laugh while you are like the nerd who always scores good marks and indulges yourself in reading books.

you two never talked in school but lets just say you both joining in the same coffee shop for working part time. you recognise him but he doesn't recognise you at first. later he does and is sincerely sorry for not recognising you earlier.

you two get close and he would be one of the first people to read your poetry and you would probably be invited to see his Lego collections or something.

when you guys get together, the whole class is shocked because they haven't seen you both talk even once.

Vernon- brother's bestfriend

Vernon is that guy would be at his bestfriend's house every weekend to play a few video games. so you would practically seem him almost every week.

he is the type of guy to have a crush on you but won't tell you because you are his bestfriend's sister after all. you have feelings for him as well but you are too scared to tell him.

you know those scenarios where he stays the night at your house and in the middle of the night he comes down to the kitchen for some water where he catches you eating some chips, yeah goes perfect with him. you guys would chat up and in that tension end up kissing.

the next day it goes something like you two talking about what happened, get together and now kind of scared to break this out to your brother.

Chan- Regency era

Chan as some prince in regency era is what i live for. I honestly don't know how the story would go. you could be some princess, and you both are arranged for a marriage. it was diabolical at first, you both thought it would never work out by the way you always disagree on things.

but then one day he just had a bad day, you were the only person who comforted him. thats when he realises life with you might not be as bad as he initially thought.

things start to work out and you would eventually fall as well. let this be slow burn and I would eat it up so bad.

#seventeen x reader #mingyu x reader #seungcheol x reader #vernon x reader #joshua x reader #jeon wonwoo x reader #jeonghan x reader #hoshi x reader #woozi x reader #jun x reader #minghao x reader #dokyeom x reader #svt fic #dino x reader #seungkwan x reader

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rulersofcerberus · 2 years

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——— basics! ♡

(PEN)NAME: Armani Ocean { omg it’s designer water! }

PRONOUNS: She / Her

ZODIAC SIGNS: Gemini, { that's right. fear me.}

TAKEN OR SINGLE: Single

TIME ZONE: GMT + 10 { I’m from down under so enjoy my inconsistencies! }

——— three facts! ♡

I’m actually a musician! I am a vocalist, composer and producer and music is my entire reason for being. I can play a bunch of different instruments such as trumpet, piano, bass guitar, acoustic guitar and more. The general gist of it is that once I know the basics I can keep going. Can’t play a woodwind for the life of me.

I play way too many mobile games, love live and bandori have my entire souls (Yohane & Sayo Oshi). I also play genshin a bit as well as IDV. I don’t have any form of computer that can run proper pc games so if a game interests me I typically watch letsplays lol.

I can’t watch horror movies, I am easily scared but idk why. I can play horror games, I can watch horror anime, I can read horror novels. I just can’t watch the movies without freaking out.

——— experience! ♡

I started writing in a Danganronpa RP server back in 2019...did a few more of those and then in 2020 started working on my own world. I’m still improving with regard to all that and this is a great place to do so! My goal is to write a music series with character songs where the music tells the story because I am much better at writing lyrics than I am writing in a novel format. (it is a truth universally acknowledged that musicians can’t name files, hence all the ‘queen of file naming’ jokes that come around)

Fun fact, I used to apologise for writing one liners to people because they were ‘too long’

I’m still improving as a writer, I've come along way from where I started and it will only go up if I keep practicing. I'm so grateful for my designer friends for dealing with my random af tumblr questions. Still in awe I don’t have to hold the shift button to make a new line lol.

——— muse preference ! ♡

I’m better at writing women than men, I am heavily biased to some of my muses so expect me to ramble about them more than others.

My primary muses and ones I can talk about for hours are Ryoko, Itsuko, Stella & Julia...also all of Cerberus & Takane. There’s also 2 more that I haven’t added to the blog named Anya & Viola who also have alot of my attention.

Tropes...I like opposites, I feel like every character has an opposite one and I like forcing my ocs to challenge those dynamics. Itsuko & Eden is a fun once because you have a negative, cynical and pessimistic woman vs an optimistic ray of sunshine. Anju & Takane are another one of my favourites because its the girl who has everything trying to empathise with the girl who has nothing.

I have to remind myself that this was a blog originally for Cerberus...haha...

——— FLUFF / ANGST / SMUT! ♡

FLUFF: Fluff is fluff soft moments are nice, alot of my characters are quite closed off so it’s fun to write those moments. Cute moments between them are fun too!

ANGST: Yep. Expect alot of that here, there aren’t many of my characters who haven’t experienced something big in their lives, those moments of vulnerability or when they question something about themselves...yeah I like writing angst.

SMUT: I can’t write it to save myself so don’t expect that here.

PLOT / MEMES: Memes are fun, it’s a good way to pass the time and it means I don’t have to think about the background to the scenario, I haven’t really done much plotting here so I don’t want to rule that out either! TLDR send memes and if you want to plot then IM me!

tagged by : @serpentsexile

tagging : Whoever wants to/hasn’t done it yet ig

#🐚ARMANI OCEAN - Water sure has gotten expensive #🐚DASHBOARD #OMG It's designer water

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fanfic-corner · 2 years

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some of my favourite fics <3

It's my birthday on Sunday, so I thought I deserved to make another list of all my favourite fics! They are in no particular order and from a variety of fandoms... I hope you like them all as much as I do! (Spiderman, SamBucky, and Grishaverse fics under the cut.)

See my Destiel favourites list from last year here!

Daredevil

Exclamation, Statement, Question, Command by shipNslash (32k)

honestly this is maybe one of my favourite fics of all time... the writing is just *mwah* and the way the au is weaved into the plot of the actual show??? genius.

Of Fans and Fictions by Nellied (21k)

this is just so funny and sweet! it revolves around Foggy thinking Matt is just a cosplayer... kinda meta, but I love it!

The Glass of Sand and Fog by neonbrutalism (7k)

it's a fan comic!!! it's just so beautifully illustrated and also one of the most hilarious things i've ever read... it's amazing!

Day Forty-Seven by Marchling (17k)

this is some of the best angst just. ever! it's so angsty but the comfort part of the hurt/comfort is amazing... just go read it right now :D

The Devil Went Down To Tennessee by RAT_BAT (1.5k)

Matt deserved to ride a horse. Enough said.

In Which Foggy Nelson Will Absolutely File That Sexual Harrassment Claim, Matt by cosmicocean (9.5k)

I have read this fic so many times I could probably recite it by now. Matt and Foggy are both written so well in this and it is so funny!

More fandoms under the cut!

Spiderman

The Teenage Vigilante's Guide To Saving New York (And Making Friends Along The Way) by candlesneedflame (103k)

this is one of my all time favourite fics... The plot is fantastic, all the characters (and there is just about every vigilante in New York involved) are written perfectly, and come on... Matt with kittens? That's just adorable.

Danger Pizza by alice_in_ink (5.2k)

this is just adorable and also hilarious Irondad hurt/comfort!!

This is the worst timeline by Hittinmiss (6.6k)

the field trip trope is iconic, and this is probably my favourite version of it! it's just absolutely hilarious and I love Ned with my entire heart <3

Sambucky

a couple rebel top gun pilots (flying with nowhere to be) by notcaycepollard (19k)

Bucky walking Lucky the pizza dog cured me. Also Kate Bishop my beloved <3 but seriously, this fic is so sweet and I love them all so much

we're awesome, totally genius by napricot (3.9k)

coffee shop au!! absolutely hilarious and also quite soft <3

Grishaverse

Two Weeks Of Tutoring by Feriku (83k)

honestly idk what it is but modern au fics for the Grishaverse fandom hit different and this one.......... hoo boy

Six Fifteen by mugsandpugs (3.5k)

I had to include a Kanej fic as well and this one is just so sweet... Kaz and Inej, karoake royalty <33

I hope you enjoy all of these! There are a million different fics I could put on here, but I ran out of time... Thank you to every single author or artist who put out any kind of fan content in this last year, because I love all your work and I have no idea what I'd do without you <33

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figurativepieceoftrash · 2 years

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further Pandon't archive filing - what are your favourite kinds of aus? what kinds of fics do you look for?

Ooh okay so. I usually only read crackfics and angst, but heavy angst and dark fics are definitely my favorites.

In the bnha fandom specifically my favorite tags/tropes are dfo, villain izuku, traitor [insert anyone in class 1a], dadmight, roleswap, and bad end.

Anything with family or relationship drama is VERY good, especially if said family or relationship drama occurs across the dividing line of protagonist and antagonist. Friends to enemies and lovers to enemies are also great, especially if there's lingering feelings of affection between the two that they feel they need to overcome/come to terms with.

Stories that are fatalistic or existential really pique my interest, especially if the protagonist has to grapple with either or both concepts. The realization that nothing is okay and never will be okay as well as the immidiate fallout of said realization are always very fun in literature.

Corruption arcs are my absolute bread and butter, I'd live and die for them. Hero to villain, loss of faith, and grapling with urges/instincts beyond one's control are very good. Bonus points if there's psychological horror involved.

Transition from one state of being to another is another favorite, especially if said transformation is an ascension to godhood or sudden acquisition of power. It's very fun to see characters forced to wield responsibility they aren't qualified for, especially when they didn’t ask for it. Bonus points if the person who gave them the power wants them to use it in a way they don't personally approve of.

Body horror is also really good, especially if it's got some psychological elements for flavor. Existential horror is also pretty fun because of the dread that usually comes along with it. All three together and I'm never putting the fic down.

Obsession is a very fun theme to play around with, as are control and order vs chaos. Any narrative that strips control from a character and forces them to live with it until they snap and turn the tables is a lot of fun! Free will is basically the same thing, but fics that play around with it absolutely own me.

The child soldier trope is also a personal favorite of mine, especially when it makes a protagonist jaded or causes them to lose faith in a system they previously revered and trusted. Blind faith is also nice in the case that it results in a divide between those who approve and disapprove. Fics that actually explore these aspects of the trope are top notch in my book.

Deception is great, especially if the person being deceived forms a strong connection to the deceiver. I want big, dramatic fallout! Guilt or a disturbing lack thereof! Regret!

Gray morality is also amazing, I don't think any story should ever have a clear, unquestionable right and wrong side. I love it when the lesser of two evils still does very evil things but under the guise of the greater good. The protagonist can either recognize these faults and fight to change them, or resign themselves in support at the expense of their moral fiber. Both are good.

My favorite kind of romantic fics have like. Really fucked up romances. Lots of conflict, be it via subtle manipulation and power imbalances, unhealthy codependency, mutual hatred that is only slightly overpowered by love, one-sided interest that is used by the uniterested party, or star-crossed lovers who meet a tragic end in some form. Fluffy romances are the only way to go irl, but I'm reading to be entertained. It's gotta have drama.

Speaking of which, manipulation in general is very fun! Love me some mind games and strategic ploys! Self destructive characters are also really good, love it when fics give someone a problem and have them destroy themselves over it, whether intentionally or subconsciously.

Anyways that was a lot, and don't get me wrong, there's even more, but I'm gonna stop now to spare you the extra word count.

#asktag #pandachair #sorry this is... a lot #I promise I'm normal irl I just like reading fucked up shit for some reason

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aloera · 3 years

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The ask prompt is too long to fit into an ask TT_TT but here's the doc for it docs(.)google(.)com/document/d/1yDI7iFRhOJ8ENv_IwZAo3rDSUqj80EiJROS10RzRbj4/edit

the lengths u are going for this,,, much appreciated you're very sweet!!!

prompts + answers under the cut!!

INTRODUCTION

Name: aloera

AO3 account: aloera

Fandoms you write for: bnha

How many stories have you written so far: 19

FANFICTION PROFILE

What's your favorite fandom to write for? hmm,,, used to do pjo and eah (ever after high) and eah was fun as fuck i will say!!! i think bnha is my fav mostly bc i made the most friends in this fandom :D

What's your favorite character/person to write for? bkg and kirishima!! cannot choose do not make me <3

Fic you'd want to improve? probably what we deserve? i rushed the beginning and the confession is a bit stilted imo

Hardest fic you've written? between lion and men -_- bc there is so much canon compliant stuff i've gotta write out before i get to the divergence and its HARD

Easiest fic you've written? come home to me!!! it happened so easily,,, no second guessing no writers block just vibes <33 was lovely i miss it

What would you say is the most "famous" fic you've ever written? also probably come home to me? its got the most interaction

first line of the first fic you've ever written and published. [not including my 2014 ffnet fics] "The bell rings, class starts, and Katsuki and Midoriya are inexplicably absent." from come home to me

Have you ever done a collab with another writer? yes!!!!! on two separate occasions and its so fucking fun i highly recommend trying it out its the best

Do you beta? if asked but honestly im a shit beta lmao

Do you like joining fic fests/exchanges? depends on what i have going on irl but in general yeah!!

FANFICTION PREFERENCES

Fluff or angst? definitely fluff

"OCs" or "Reader" inserts? reader inserts!! have been going ham on them recently

Blurbs or drabbles? blurbs!!

One thing you love about fanfiction i just. i really love slice of life romance?? and most media doesn't give you that bc its dedicated to plot and action and that's valid!! but fanfiction fills in the gap which is really nice

One thing you don't like about fanfiction most of the stuff i don't like is less about actual fanfiction and more about how people behave about it

What is/are your favorite fandom author/authors? IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE!!! TURN IT UP!!!

bnha: hiuythn, rae_tnub, Moniix, Ata_Lanta, wrunic, chezka, PurplePersnickety, surveycorpsejean, mahadevi, arxaris, deviance, Oceanbreeze7, MikeWritesThings, bonnia, wonhaebunny, dinosuns

voltron: hiuythn, Oceanbreeze7, DeerstalkerDeathFrisbee, arahir, dinosuns,

and honorable mention to loveclouds im not even in the haikyuu fandom i just love their fics So Much

these are just the ones off the top of my head i have so many favourites idc if i'm only supposed 2 have one!! die mad about it!!!

What is your favorite trope? secret relationship + relationship reveal til the day i die babie <3 <3

Least favorite trope? hm,,, probably just like. angst lmao i cannot stand 90% of it

A fanfiction cliché that you can't help but love? coffeeshop aus,,,, so good

Do you have a type when it comes to pairings? the otp where its like. piece of shit + himbo = love. ex. krbk, catradora, jade/beck

Favorite setting/au? hm,,, truly i cannot pick one KGKSJNHKj but i really like college aus!! and modern aus!! and roommate aus!!

Explain the meaning of your favorite line of dialogue you've written as if someone hasn't read it in context. “He doesn’t know,” Katsuki says, softly. “My timer stopped and nothing happened. He’s not mine.”

the line is from what we deserve!! it's a soulmate au where your timer counts down to the moment that you meet your soulmate!! bakugou's timer ends at USJ when he and kirishima attack kurogiri at the same time (impulsive kings <33) but kirishima's timer doesn't end until kamino because that's when he accepts himself as bakugous soulmate!! unfortunately, when bakugous timer has reached 0, he turned to see that kirishima's was still ticking and therefore believes that kirishima isn't his soulmate.

this line just,, idk. it's really sad. bakugou is such an action-driven character? if something doesn't go his way he Makes it go his way. he's got this insanely volatile quirk and he's got impeccable control of it!! but his love for kirishima isn't something that he can change and he's not going to ruin kirishima's chance of finding his own soulmate because he loves him and wants him to be happy. i really wanted to focus on how resigned he is? and how unusual that is for a character like him.

Favorite trope/genre to write? again, secret relationship with relationship reveals <33 fluff in general is my wheelhouse!!!

A trope/genre you haven't written but think would be a fun challenge? idk if this counts?? have been working on some dead dove concepts!! its super different from what i normally write so its a cool challenge

The one trope/concept you'll never touch and why probably cheating/infidelity?? it just looks,,, super difficult to write well and i don't have enough of an interest in it to try it out

Which do you prefer to write: longer or shorter fics? shorter!! low attention span gang <3

Ideal length to read? 5-10k?

Ideal length to write? 4-8k!!

How long was the longest fic you've ever written? control fraek is around 28k i think?

Have you ever written an AU? yeah!! i've done restaurant au's, soulmate au's, pro hero aus, and fantasy aus (general, not the bnha fantasy ending)

What's your favorite AU trope? hm,, probably when two people in authority are in a secret relationship? ceo's/uni professors/etc etc

Have you ever written smut? yeah!! was. difficult tho

What's your comfort genre? (the one you fall on most in writing/reading) fluff,,, hurt/comfort,,, fix-it fics with happy endings <3

If you were to start writing in other fandoms, which would they be? maybe jjk?? the characters are really cool!!!! fr i might go back to my ever after high roots i love the characters and setting so Much its so fun!!! idec if no ones into it anymore!!!!!

Is there a trope you think you could be easily recognized by in your writing? i've had people say they saw the mention of buff hagakure and recognized it was me so. probably that skdjhnksjd

WRITING STYLE

How would you describe your style? i tend to use shorter sentences and pretty simple words i think? and i gravitate towards lighthearted concepts that allow for ensemble casts and humour!!

Describe your style in three words romcom but fanfic

Favorite words to use when writing? the word reverent!! fuckin love including it!!

Dialogue tags or no dialogue tags? (she said, he said, they said, etc) dialogue tags!!!

Favorite dialogue tag (other than said, if you use them) again idk if this counts but "they said softly" is unmatched

Long sentences vs short vs a mix short <33

What colors would you use to describe your writing? hm,,, depends on the fic i would say?? control fraek is dark green to me?? kinda like a forest at night yk?? scary but there's still life there. sugar cookies is yellow like early morning sunlight, when it rains is yellowy-orange like a caution sign. not gonna list all of them cause theres a lot its just. do u get it? the colours change based on the vibe of the fic.

What song or music genre would you use to describe your writing? think. i am constantly trying to emulate that moment at the end of wasteland baby when hozier goes "im in love/im in love with you."

What kind of metaphors do you rely on? religious metaphors my beloved <33 they're just so pretty!!! i also love comparing stuff to water for some reason?? like that ocean vuong quote thats like "what are you now?/water." it goes hard!!!

What's something you'd say is experimental in your writing at this time? definitely action!! i have,,, no idea how to write it so anything i do is really just me playing around and seeing what works and what doesn't

Do you prefer to write by hand or to type? i've tried both!! personally i prefer typing because it goes way faster but i will say that writing by hand lets me get words down when i'm going through writer's block

What is your preferred place to write (notebook, laptop, cellphone, etc.)? laptop!!

What app/apps do you use to write (word, notepad, etc.)? google docs skjdnkjh its fine on desktop but mobile is,,,,, disgusting

Do you keep a notebook or file/notes page in your phone/device for notes on your writing? ngl i just have everything organized in my drive?? one folder per fandom and then sub folders for ideas+hcs, unfinished wips, and finished fics. multichaps get sub sub folders so i can organize outlines and drafts

Do you listen to music to help you write? yeah!! playlists organized by fic vibe :D

Where do you usually go to write (bedroom, living room, etc.)? mostly in my bedroom??? but moving around to different stops helps too i think!!

How long does it usually take for you to write? again this depends on what i have going on irl, how attached i am to the idea, my mindset at the time, etc!! i am,, the least consistent person skjnhdkjh.

What's your favorite font to use when writing? times new roman my beloved

Other writing habits? sometimes i'll write in the dark?? bad for my eyes but for some reason it gets the words flowing

CONCEPTUALIZATION

How do you conceptualize your ideas? (See specific moments like they're a movie, writing specific lines in your head, don't know until you put the words on paper, etc.) i tend to get inspiration from movies, books, poems, or other fics!!! sometimes one line just makes me go oh,, i want to write something like that,,, and then it helps me create an idea that makes me feel the same way?? i did this with control fraek!!!! i wanted a scenario where bakugou was cold and calculating and i was like hm. to do that he’d have to be focusing on something important. and from there i was able to flesh out the rest of the idea.

Which comes first: the pairing or the plot? with krbk its always always the pairing,, i'll be sitting there like wow <33 i love them <33 what if one of them had amnesia <33 (which, yes, wip!!) otherwise it's usually the plot!! and i slot in characters that i feel make sense

Have you ever used a prompt? yeah!! used a prompt for wlw week 2020 and it was fun as hell

Do you write around the story around a specific scene you want to get to or do you start from a plot idea definitely the first!!!! i almost always write like,,, a super messy scene thats 90% dialogue, keep it in my head, and then write the entire fic around that one moment

Do you find that you include a projection of some part of yourself in the way you write a character? a lot of the time when i write love confessions or love in general i'll have one of the characters think or say that the other person makes their head quiet? and it's because that's what i feel whenever i'm in love?? a quiet mind. i project on characters yeah but i think most of the projection actually goes to the way that i write love

Do you research some of the things you write deeply, partially and kind of wing the rest, or play entirely by ear (in this case, go with whatever base knowledge of the subject you have)? most of the time if i do research it'll be about the setting (ex. the izakaya in to have and to hold) or if i'm having the characters interact with an object that they like. need to know how to use (me, in control fraek: google. hey google. does someone die if they get shot in the foot??? no???? awesome thank u <3)

Have you ever had an idea for a story and forgot about it? lmaoo yeah all the time i'll find like 500-2k words of concepts in my gdocs like i do. not remember this at all

Is there a trope you think you could be easily recognized by in your writing? probably krbk secret relationship lmao

Are there concepts you've tried that turned out better than expected? yeah!! i fully thought the action in control fraek would be awful but it turned out not bad??? which im happy with

Are there concepts you've tried that turned out worse than you expected? again, what we deserve, i personally think it would have worked out better if i'd paced it slower and drawn out the pining but i. do not feel like going back to fix it so its staying the way that it is. pining is so fucking hard to do AHHHH i get so tired with it!!! im like just date already!!!!

PROCESS

How do you come up with titles? in rare occasions (literally. all my multichaps for some reason) the title comes after writing like .5 words of the first chapter im like YES this is it!!!!! sometimes i write the whole thing and pick out one line that fits (what i did with come home to me) a lot of the time i just. steal from songs or poems that i like

What's your favorite emotion to cause on your readers? i like making people happy!!!! love when people comment saying they're cheered up

What's your favorite emotion to write? lovelovelovelovelovelove

Have you ever cried or felt any emotion while reading something you've written? never cried?? but sometimes i'll rereading my hurt/comfort fics 4. yk. comfort

Do you write in order or whatever comes to you? in order!! unless i have a scene that i Need to write and i'll quickly jot it down so that i don't forget

Usual way you procrastinate while writing? ...doing asks like this, making playlists, discord, watching netflix. what don't i do smh

Do you outline or free write? i am. so shit at outlines. i mostly free write and write lil notes for stuff that i wanna add later

Do you set word goals or scene goals (scenes you want to include)? yes!! like i said i'll write loose notes for scenes that i want to add later!! it gives me something to write towards :D

What do you consider when writing your scenes? what goes into making the atmosphere and mood you want? to set a scene i do two things? the first is like,, the five senses bc that always sets the scene really well and makes it feel Real. i'll visualize stuff in my head like its a movie and write out what i would want to tell the set designer?? if the lights are low, if the space is busy, if it's supposed to exude comfort or not.

for putting forward the character's mood one thing i've found that makes a difference is sentence length!! long sentences are good for making a character seem flustered and nervous or not really in control of their emotions? good for love confessions. short sentences are good for when the character is focused on something or short on time. good for fights!!

What's something you never considered to include in your writing that you can't leave out now? def buff hagakure,,,, once i thought of it i was like. if i don't include this at least once in every single fic how could i look at myself in the mirror!!!!!! how could i face anyone!!!!

How do you start a story? establishing a fact about the character or describing the setting! option a is one single thread of gold, option b is between lion and men

How do you end a story? either by tying it back to the beginning or doing like a funny kind of closing??? option a is sugar cookies, option b is a godless society

How do you get out of writer's block? change something!! move something!! i go from typing to handwriting, moving from my bedroom to my living room, switching wips to work on something else!! i do sprints as well?? give myself like fifteen minutes to write something and sometimes 200 words opens up the way for another 2k. sometimes i'll just delete like 500 words and start fresh

Do you edit? or do you toss your writing out there? i edit!!! i'll go over it myself then send it to one or two betas (bee my beloved <33)

How do you edit? do you use spellcheck, grammar checkers, etc? bee is my grammar checker bc he is So Good with grammar. i use grammarly as well for spellcheck stuff mostly?? sometimes my edit process is just like "am i tired of looking at this!! yes <3" and then i post it

PROGRESS

Do you usually like what you write? yeah!!! i post stuff that makes me happy and that i'm fine with rereading!!! i write stuff for self-indulgence reasons first and foremost and i think my writing reflects that sjhnksj

Have you ever written something you didn't like but posted anyways? nope!! even what we deserve i LIKED even if i see a lot of room 4 improvement!! if i don't like smth it's not getting posted

Do you find yourself rereading your writing often? yeah!! the reason i wrote so much krbk secret relationship is because i loved it but i'd read all that there was so i just,, wrote more,, ngl its kinda nice being in a place where i actually like my writing bc i can write stuff that i want to see and really enjoy it!!

Can you tell us anything about your current WIP? sure!! i'm currently working on when it rains which is a fic where bakugou gets hit by a crying quirk!! i'm gonna be using it to explore So Much of all might's character and his relationships with bakugou and aizawa (and i think some people from his past!!)

Can you give us a sneak peek on your current WIP? “You did something. What the hell did you do?” Kirishima sounds pissed off. It would amuse Katsuki if he wasn’t fighting just to stay standing.

“Nothing he didn’t ask for,” Shinsou replies.

“K’ri… shima,” Katsuki croaks out. “‘S fine. Not him.”

His chest collapses back into the familiar dry heaving after that but Kirishima shuts up. He doesn’t apologize to Shinsou.

Kirishima’s a good friend, stubborn and loyal. He stands by Katsuki’s side like an attack dog, blocking him from the view of anyone ogling at his tears.

The last line you've written Ochako knows more than she'd realized. She knows enough to keep her guard up.

It’s not enough.

Open a wip. what’s the first line?

Katsuki wakes up feeling like absolute fucking shit.

INSIGHT

What's your favorite thing about writing? touched on this before but it's mainly just being able to write the things that i want to see and actually enjoy them!!! actually reread them!!!! i thought "wouldn't it be cool if bkg and kirishima owned a restaurant together" and then i wrote it and i like it enough to reread it!!!! being able to create content for myself makes me. so happy

How do you keep yourself inspired? this is gonna sound narcissistic maybe but honestly i'm just really excited about my ideas and where i'm gonna take them and the idea of "i'm gonna get to That scene" keeps me going through the entire thing. also my friends!!!! i'll talk to them about fics and their reactions keep me hyped up enough to finish!!!!

What is your favorite thing to write? just,, slice of life romance,,, stuff thats silly and makes people laugh!!

What do you think your strengths are in writing? i'm good with dialogue!! i do lil voice acting sessions with myself to make sure everything sounds natural and like it's coming from that character skhjnskj

i'm comfortable with my portrayal of love as well??? i spend a lot of time thinking about what it is exactly that i'm trying to get across and i think it turns out well!!

What are things you wish you could practice more? on one hand i wanna get better at writing angst on the other hand i dislike writing angst. do you see my issue

One way you've improved your writing since you began? characterization!! i think i've gotten better at writing characters that are all Different and bring different things to the table!!! i used to project a lot more and it would compromise the characterization because the character was like 70% me and 30% them? not to say that projection is bad but if you do it too much it just,, doesn't read like the character and from a reader's standpoint the narrative can become less compelling

One aspect of writing you're still working on? writing action!!! i. literally hate writing it but i write for a fandom about superheroes so. Unfortunately i gotta learn.

A piece of writing advice you've learned while writing saw this on another tumblr post but they said sometimes if you're struggling with a scene, the problem is five lines back. i've found that to be true!!!! sometimes u gotta delete a chunk and start a little ways back!! i did this with too busy being yours because i was stuck for Weeks and i deleted like 25% of what i had but it helped me actually finish it :D

A bit of writing advice you can't stand when people shit on show don't tell for being overrated lmao bc when u read their writing you can Tell

Something you wish you knew when you first started writing? ,,,,honestly i kind of wish i could know some of the stuff that i used to when i first started writing?? technically i'm better now but creatively i was must better when i wasn't stressing about whether anyone would like what i was writing. so i guess i wish i knew that i should keep that confidence? i kinda wish that i wasn't as insecure about other people's writing styles because i never used to be!!

Something you've learned in life that you apply in writing there's no point in feeling inferior?? writing one genre isn't better than the other. being in one fandom isn't better than being in another. the kind of language you use or the length of your paragraphs- none of that stuff like. matters. what matters is that you're having fun and happy with what you're creating!!!! enjoy other peoples writing but don't let it make you feel worse about yours :D

#AHH ive wanted to answer these for so long...... bro fr i was so happy when u sent these!!! like wow!! finally got sent one!!!#sorry for how long the responses are idk how to be concise #asks #anon #a(lore)a

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mcrmadness · 4 years

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Oooo, how about two from each of them? Fanfic asks: J and P, film asks: 15 and 16, music asks: 20 and 26.

OMG thanks!!! :DDD

Ask games: Fanfic asks, Film asks and Music asks. (People you can still send me asks if you want, asks are fun to answer to!)

***

FANFIC ASKS:

A little background before we get to the questions: I haven’t written too many, actually only 6 quite short ones (and one of them is a bit longer than usual) about Die Ärzte (Bela/Farin FTW) and all of these I have written between the years 2009 and 2012, so I was 18-21 which means they are not that good. And there’s lots of things I wouldn’t write anymore. I also have a WIP on my computer, I started it in 2012 but stopped writing altogether only to start writing again in the end 2018, it has bit over 28k words currently and tbh I have written 90% of that when I started writing again two years ago. I still have my old ones up on LiveJournal (ask for a link), but I haven’t published anything fron this later one as I’ve just been writing down all kinds of snippets whenever I have had an inspiration. I think those are also a lot better in quality than what I wrote before, the old ones are quite cringey.

J. What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

I guess we talk about those fics I have also finished, now. It’s actually hard to decide but I would say my favourite is either Why not even once? or The Boring Book Freak. I think the latter is actually The favourite.

The first one (was actually my second dä ff overall) is set to happen in 2003 and in that one Farin is leaving for another vacation somewhere and Bela wants to go with him, but Farin wants to travel alone and Bela is struggling with that, as well as with Farin finally leaving and having to somehow survive his time at home without Farin there. The writing itself is bit stupid and I feel that the end got bit too far but otherwise I like the idea.

The second one (came actually after the previous one) is set to happen in the early/mid 90s (my fave Bela/Farin era btw) and on that they just are at some random summer cottage. Now, fuck cottagecores and such, I wrote it because summer cottages are a thing in Finland and I wrote it when cottagecore was not even cool yet. Somehow I imagined that it would be very Farin-like to rent a cottage from the middle of nowhere, in a forest and then spend a weekend or so there with Bela. Who then is not entertained at all and is bored because Farin won’t put away his book and won’t give him any attention, so he tries everything to get Farin’s attention. I especially like the visual images this fanfic gives to me, I can see their hairs and outfits so well and those are also aesthetically very pleasing. (They look the same as in that Absolut Live interview from the 90s, I don’t control their looks with my fics usually, I just have an idea and then my brain creates how they look in that particular scene :D)

I have also written a short songfic around the lyrics of their song “Ich weiß nicht (ob es Liebe ist)” and it was fun to imagine that as Bela/Farin. That was fun to write.

This got a bit long so I put the rest under a cut:

P. What are your favorite tropes to write?

(Had to google what a trope is lol. I’m old-school and no longer know most of the terms unless they’re old terms.)

Angst - I put my own angst, sadness and angriness into my writing often. It’s when I feel like in real life I would need other people but I don’t know how to reach out or don’t just feel comfortable about opening up, I open up a file and start writing. This is also where we get to the next trope...

Hurt/Comfort - But not so that X hurts Y, but that Y feels hurt for other reasons and then X comforts them. I kinda got obsessed with this theme after being bullied at school so I was always hurt but never comforted, so I often go back to those feels and emotions with my text to look for that comfort (hug, nice words, whatever) I never got in real life.

Fluff - This is bit complicated because I like writing fluff but I also hate reading fluff I have written. Because it does not sound like me. And sometimes when I write, I feel like standing behind my own back and vomiting a little on the inside because of how cheesy and disgusting that is but still I can’t stop writing. And then I feel like a different person when I read them because I can’t believe it’s ME who wrote them. The same way when I watch movies and people kiss, I always look away. And I want to look away when I read my fanfiction. But I can’t, especially because I know I looked at that scene in my head when I wrote it.

Humour - I love humour so much and I like to include this to my writing. Normally I put the humour in my comics but some of that fits also in the regular texts too.

***

FILM ASKS:

These are super tough but also fun - I have been trying to think of what to answer to these for days.

15. A film everyone loves but you hate?

The Avengers (-12). Sorry but not sorry. Well I don’t hate it but I don’t understand why everyone says it’s the best Marvel movie ever. It’s not. It’s full of clichés and stupid forced heteroromances and whatnot and the plot was just so, so predictive I don’t understand why it’s often talked about as some sort of cinematic master piece. I literally was able to tell everything that was gonna happen next when I watched it for the first time. Only cool things in that movie are Loki and Iron Man, whose character I already liked as I had seen the Iron Man movie and liked it. But I hated both Thor movies (the third one is awesome tho).

I like Marvel and I have seen I guess most of the movies - before MCU all good Marvel movies to come out were The X-Men movies and Spider-Man movies, and because I saw so many terrible Marvel movies, I was avoiding the whole MCU and I got into these movies much later and still, after seeing them all, I say The Avengers is one of the worst ones. Thor and Thor 2 are pretty much even worse (and I haven’t even seen the Hulk movie because it looks terrible), mainly because I just can’t stand the fact they’re mainly just built around Thor and his love interest...

16. A film you love but everyone else hates?

Spider-Man 3 (or the whole trilogy with Tobey Maguire). I see we continue with Marvel here but seriously I don’t understand why everyone is always picking on Tobey’s version of Spider-Man? And people especially hate the third movie and how Venom was portrayed in it (I’m obsessed with Venom’s human teeth pls I want his teeth), when it’s actually the best one for me. The second one is bit boring because it was again all about whining and Mary-Jane... Anyway, the reason why I am so attached to these movies is that I saw the first Spider-Man movie from TV when I was a teenager and in junior high myself, and I was bullied and a bit of a nerd so I could relate to Peter Parker a lot, and it gave me just so much strength to see him become Spider-Man and to stand up against the bullies and other assholes.

I also saw the third movie in the movie theater and there was one scene during which I started hysterically laughing with my friend because of an expression Tobey made as he was sitting on a bed, I don’t know why but somehow I just totally lost it at that :D It still makes me laugh so much when I see it! And when the movie ended, I heard a The Killers song “Move Away” for the first time during the end credits and TK was one of my favorite bands at the time (and still is).

***

MUSIC ASKS:

20. a song that empowers you

It gotta be Dead! by My Chemical Romance:

youtube

This album was what got me through all the shit that happened when I was 15+ and especially this song always made (and still makes) me feel so good. I often listened to my old mp3 player while walking to school and back home and every time this song came by, I just felt like nothing can harm and that life FINALLY was so great! It’s so energetic and still makes me feel that living is actually super awesome.

26. a song that taught you a lesson

Hmmm. I think I will answer to this with Dusche by Farin Urlaub.

youtube

That thumbnail is terrible but... And why did I choose this song? Well, I’m all for the sound what comes to music and I’d say at least 80% of all lyrics go way over my head. I just don’t have the skills for understanding poetry and also very poetic lyrics make me go crazy. I hate not knowing and when I have to assume, guess and interpret something. I don’t want to guess but I wanna know what someone has actually thought.

Dusche was the first song that had lyrics that for the first time ever actually spoke for me. I probably saw some video with English subtitles a fan had made and it just blew me away because holy shit, people are capable of writing lyrics even I can understand??? And that way I realized I can like lyrics but only if they make absolutely no sense (aka are funny or somewhat crazy, like Dusche) or when they are written in a story form or sung from the 1st person view or to “you” or in passive - but only if I can get behind the idea there.

After Dusche, Farin’s song Porzellan followed. And one of my absolute favourites is Karten. So, Farin is one of the only few people whose lyrics I have been able to understand. I still don’t hear lyrics and don’t understand a majority of the lyrics my fave bands write, and I have understood only a couple of Bela’s lyrics and I’m not sure if I’ve understood any of Rod’s lyrics. It’s not even about the language barrier anymore really, it’s just the topics or wordings I cannot comprehend.

Thank you again for the ask! This was very interesting to ponder and answer to :)

#useless-blog-of-a-moth #mutuals #ask games #mcrmadness' random stuff

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mythicamagic · 5 years

Text

Picture Frames - Hatori x Tohru Oneshot

Hatori is stranded at the Sohma estate during a blizzard. To his surprise, Tohru stumbles into his solitude, and the two awkwardly try to place their feelings about the other while waiting out the storm. Hatori’s self-imposed isolation won’t be easily shattered, but Tohru’s smile has been known to melt snow.

Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Romance, Fluff (many many tropes be in this fic, take a shot for each one)

Rated T

Made for @frost-guardian - hope you enjoy bud!

Post-curse fic

Word Count: 7,000 (as always you can read this on ao3 or fanfiction.net via the same username)

Picture Frames ~

It was snowing again.

The soft breeze spun the flakes into flurries of white confetti. They fell and landed in silence, a strange stillness lingering in the air, as it always did when it snowed. Hatori observed the fall from his porch, hands buried in his pockets. He stood lost in thought, allowing melancholy nostalgia to settle over him. Usually he wasn’t so generous with his time, but the worsening snow was so deep the authorities had issued a warning for people not to leave their homes. So Hatori found himself in the strange position of not being able to make house calls. Which meant no work needed to be done.

That never happened.

At a loss of what to do, he was reminded of why he’d become a workaholic in the first place. It starved off painful memories.

Taking out a cigarette and lighting it, he mulled over calling Ayame or Shigure. Which was also strange and never happened. They always rang him first, Ayame to gossip nonsense or Shigure to wryly observe some latest mischief he’d made. Taking a drag, Hatori padded inside and exhaled slowly, dialling for Ayame.

‘Due to the poor weather conditions, we cannot connect your call at this time. Please try again later.’

Ah, that explained things. Even Akito wasn’t around to send for him. The entire Sohma estate lay empty, with him the sole occupant. Everyone else was busy enjoying their time off for the holidays and he’d been so caught up in work he’d ignored the weather warnings. The open doors shuddered, the wood starting to rattle against the bellow of new, harsher gusts of wind. Pulling them shut, Hatori frowned to himself, sighing. Good thing he had a heater or the room would be freezing.

Tired eyes slanted towards the single bed in the corner of the room longingly. Maybe…he could just sleep for a little while? Uninterrupted rest was rare, he should make use of it. Hatori took a step towards it before catching sight of his desk. Kana’s picture frame stood empty now, but something about it still made his mouth thin. He looked at the filing cabinet instead. That’s right. He needed to check over some prescriptions first before sleeping.

He could always rest later.

Not like he’d been up for 48 hours already.

Hatori let the cigarette hang loosely from his mouth, sitting down and pulling open the cabinet. He thumbed through it, fingers lingering on the letter ’T’ just as his door suddenly flung open.

Brunnet hair and blue ribbons caught his eye first. Her wild pants and red face suddenly registered, sending his heart skittering.

“Hah- hah- whew!” Tohru panted, struggling to close the door against the gusts of wind. “It’s crazy out there!”

A pale hand pushed the door shut above her head. Tohru blinked snowflakes from her lashes, looking up at the doctor.

“Miss Honda. How-” his mouth clicked shut, good eye slightly wide. “Why were you out in the storm? Didn’t you hear the news?”

“Hm? Oh no, I haven’t heard anything. I’m so sorry to barge in on you like this, I’m sure it’s an inconvenience.” She fussed, lingering by the door and not moving to take off her snow drenched coat. White flakes sprinkled her shoulders, nose, even the top of her head. Tohru gave a worried smile, hands moving animatedly in the air. “I did notice it had started to snow while at work, a-and some of the staff decided to wait out the weather there. But I thought it’d be over pretty quick. Next thing I know it’s like a blizzard, but oh- I’m sure you’re busy with work,” she babbled.

Hatori noticed their proximity and leaned away, wondering if he made her nervous. He took a drag from his cigarette, letting her ramble until a few certain words caught his attention.

“No, you’re not going out again.” His quiet gaze settled on her, tone dropping.

Tohru blinked, putting her bag down and holding her gloveless hands. He noticed they were red, fingers no doubt stiff. “Are you sure? I don’t want to interrupt.”

“Please do,” he muttered flatly, offering his hand to take her coat. “Work isn’t exactly keeping my focus right now.”

“Well then,” she smiled hesitantly at first, before beaming outright. “I’m happy to be your distraction.”

His heart did another funny thing in his chest. Hatori firmly folded it away just as he hung her coat on the rack over the heater. Tohru rubbed her hands and sighed with relief as she unwound her pink scarf from her neck. Hatori offered his hand again, setting it aside.

“That’s better,” she chirped, dusting some melted snow off her. “I couldn’t get through to anyone on the phone, so when I passed by the Sohma estate, I wondered if it would be alright to use yours.”

“There’s not much point. The phone lines aren’t working.”

Tohru paused, “oh.” She deflated a little, and he regretted being so blunt. Unfortunately, that was just in his nature. He blinked when she smiled anyway, “that’s okay. The electricity still seems to be working,” she gestured to his lamp. “Would you like some tea? Or I can cook something if you’d prefer.”

The former dragon zodiac stared. He then swallowed, removing his cigarette from his lips and snuffing it out on an ashtray. He could hear Shigure now, simpering about 'sweet little Tohru’ and her kind ways. She always threw him. Because while he listened to Shigure and sometimes Ayame drone on about her latest feat, he never expected her kindness to extend to him.

But she always offered it freely, and so easily. He hadn’t gotten used to it despite knowing her for years now. “Tea would be…nice,” he uttered, clearing his throat. “Thank you.”

Tohru smiled and wandered to the kettle, kneeling to open the cupboard and take out some mugs. Her actions were thoughtless- like she spent many hours there with him. Hatori sat at his desk, running a hand through his heavy bangs. He supposed she did visit sometimes, usually with an entourage of their strange, colourful friends.

Tohru padded back when she was done, placing his mug down on his desk, only to wince and move it onto a coaster. Hatori rose a brow, glancing at the water rings on the wood. It wasn’t like he would ever yell at her, let alone over something so simple.

Thanking her again, he took a good measure of comfort from wrapping his hand loosely around it. He watched the steam rise from the cup and attempted to make casual conversation.

“How has your health been?”

Damn it.

Tohru took a seat on a cushion by the low table. Hatori averted his gaze as she blew softly on the steam from her cup, nursing it close. “I’ve been wonderful. No worries here, what about you?”

His good eye slid back to her, as though unable to do anything else. People tended to forget to ask doctors that. “Yes, much the same.”

She tilted her head, gesturing to the space under her eye. “But you have bags under your eyes. Are you sure you’ve not been pushing yourself too hard? I suppose you must have a busy schedule in winter, lots of colds. Please remember to rest.” Tohru seemed to notice how prying her words could come across and opened her mouth to apologise-

“Pot kettle black,” he muttered, cutting her off.

Tohru blinked, tilting her head. “Um, do you want…black coffee instead?” She made a weak guess.

A huff of amusement escaped him. “No, I’m referring to your own dark circles. You should take your own advice and 'please remember to rest’.” Hatori quipped, lips curling up at the edges.

Her cheeks flushed scarlet, and she drew her knees up, hands curling in the thin material of her black tights. Hatori noticed her legs shaking slightly.

“I-I have been resting, honest. You’re starting to sound like Yuki and Kyo,” she smiled, eyes widening when he stood and grabbed a nearby blanket, tossing it over her legs. Pale hands settled on the tops of her knees as he leaned down slightly over her.

Black hair slid forward, exposing one sightless eye. “Do you also lie to them to assuage their worry?”

Tohru’s eyes widened, gaze fixed on his. She then bit her lip and smiled coyishly, “pot kettle black.”

He inhaled, lips tilting up while he straightened. “Touché.”

This wasn’t flirting, right? He’d never been good at it so he hoped this was simple banter. Because he was not flirting with a woman 12 years his junior. He had firmly filed that particular thought into a cabinet known as - never to be reflected upon. Even when she’d graduated and grown into a young lady of 19, he assured himself that he'd never open the cabinet.

“I really like that tie,” Tohru changed the topic of conversation, looking at him over the rim of her mug. “It looks very nice on you.”

He cleared his throat for the umpteenth time. Again, not flirting but an innocent compliment. He touched it uncertainly. A gift from Aya.

“A biased opinion. Isn’t pink your favourite colour?” Hatori muttered, retreating to the safety of his seat. Her smile froze on her face, before she busied herself with sipping her tea, the steam causing her cheeks to grow redder.

An awkward silence descended upon them, and Hatori cursed his social skills. They hadn’t been…alone together for a very long time. Usually their louder friends were filling the silences. Why couldn’t he have just accepted the compliment?

“How did you know that?”

Oh. That’s what was bothering her. Hatori shrugged, “you mentioned it once.”

And he’d remembered.

Tohru smiled slightly, before shivering and rubbing her legs over the blanket. Hatori noticed and leaned forward, angling the heater near his desk more toward her. Tohru made a face and pulled the cushion closer to him so that they were sharing the heat. Hatori’s lips tilted up slightly. She was stubborn in some ways.

“I wonder how long the blizzard will last for,” she mused aloud.

Hatori lifted a shoulder, resting his chin on his knuckles. “The news said at least a day. Unfortunately, it looks as though you’re stuck with me for company, miss Honda.”

Tohru jolted and shook her head violently, ribbons ruffling in her hair. “N-no! That’s- I mean, you’re wonderful! Please don’t say that, and you really can call me Tohru you know,” she said, standing suddenly. “We just need to take our minds off the snow and how people are probably worried about us! Do you um…have any board games?”

Hatori stared at her, blinking slowly.

“Let’s see, one, two- six. I scored six!” Tohru chirped, leaning over the scrabble board. It was the Western version, something Momiji had brought over, but luckily the two were proficient in English. They’d played a number of games for a few hours, punctuated by idle chatter, before landing on this one as their favourite. Tohru didn’t have the strategic eye for chess and Hatori didn’t possess the same enthusiasm for 'Old Maid.’

Hatori walked over, carrying yet more tea. He placed the tray down and rose a brow, looking at the word. “Dragon, hm,” he took his place opposite her at the low table, wondering why he could feel a slight chill in the room. “You know you could have scored higher by utilising this triple letter score,” he tapped his figure on the blue square.

“Yes but then I wouldn’t have been able to spell Dragon!” She giggled, obviously more pleased by the word than winning the game.

He rose a brow, feeling a warmth in his stomach. Her enthusiasm for pointless things appeared to be infectious. Glancing at the letters on his side, his lips curved up. Taking hold of an 'i’ he placed it under her 'r’ and began completing his own word. Sitting back, he looked at it with quiet satisfaction.

Tohru tilted her head, blushing slightly. “Rice ball…hmm, isn’t that two words, Doctor?” She said playfully.

He blinked and checked it again, his own cheeks dusting with heat at the mistake. “…I suppose. Hm, should have gone with onigiri.”

She let out a carefree laugh that sounded like the personification of sunshine. At that moment, the orange light of the heater that had been casting orange hues onto her face made a distressed noise. It then abruptly shut off. Hatori frowned, shifting the rack away to fiddle with it.

“Oh no, is it broken?”

Hatori turned off the power and removed the back, fiddling with it. “No need to panic, it’s probably just a faulty-” he broke off a wire. The heater probably needed that. He calmly returned the broken piece to its place. “…Yes, it may be broken.” Funny how his hands could be so careful when treating patients and yet he had an allergy to tinkering with electronics.

Tohru’s brows drew together when the room started to grow colder. The Sohma house was old-fashioned, with no radiators in sight. She sat up, holding her arms, “okay, um. We need a battle plan! This is fine, my mom couldn’t always pay for the gas bill and we made do!”

Her hands balled into fists, face determined. Hatori straightened, noticing her shiver. He hummed, removing his white doctor’s coat and placing it around her shoulders, touch lingering. They felt much too thin and small under his hands. “Extra blankets are a must, I’ll take care of finding those.”

She smiled bashfully and nodded, “mhm! And I’ll see if you’ve got any electric ones! Or candles. I’ve also got a bento box leftover from work that we can share. Keeping well fed is integral for fighting the cold!” She nodded sagely.

Dark hair slid forward as he leaned down, tugging on one of her ribbons lightly. “You didn’t eat earlier? Miss Honda…am I going to have to strictly monitor your health?” The calm tone dropped once more, ice leaking into his words. And yet, vague worry lingered around his perpetually melancholy eyes.

Reaching up to fix her ribbon, Tohru slid her arms into the sleeves of his coat, which slipped past her hands. “There’s no need to worry~ I promise! Now, let’s begin operation: Fight the cold!” She quickly turned with yet another curiously red face. Hatori wondered if she were coming down with something.

Something foreign heated his veins though when she padded away, the coat swaying out behind her like a cape due to it’s size. Her long shapely legs were visible for a moment under the billow of white- and his breath caught.

Hatori quickly adjusted his tie. No, put that thought away damn it. Just because she looked like a woman didn’t mean Tohru deserved to be disrespected by his unwanted attention. He quickly strode into a new room, opening the cupboards and bringing out all the blankets he could find, loading them into his arms. Now if Shigure were here, or- Hatori shuddered- in his place. Alone. With Tohru. The former dog could not be trusted not to cause a scandal. But Hatori Sohma, lonely and admiring of Tohru though he was- never caused scandal. He was the straight-laced doctor, a man of discipline, routine.

Besides even if there wasn’t an age gap and even if in some mad parallel universe Tohru returned his affections-

Hatori shook his head, returning to the room and glancing at the empty picture frame. He couldn’t do it, not again. He needed to stop thinking about ridiculous things.

He’d vowed never to hurt another person ever again.

Tohru came padding in, holding a tub of various sized candles but sadly no electric blanket. She smiled amiably at him, before pausing. “Hatori…what’s wrong?”

Lean muscles froze. He placed the blankets down, straightening slowly. Fishing in his pocket, he brought out a lighter and offered it. “Nothing, here. Just don’t burn yourself,” he muttered.

Cold fingers closed around his own, gentle and soft. His lips thinned.

“I-I’m not that accident-prone,” she lightly teased, giving a smile. It fell on her face a little when he didn’t respond. Accepting the lighter, she turned and with his help, began arranging the candles around their make-shift nest of comforts. They didn’t provide much of a heat source, Hatori wryly observed. If anything, they were more of a fire hazard.

Tohru concentrated on lighting the wicks, glancing up at him every so often. Hatori pulled out a spare futon to spread beneath them, sitting on it as he worked on making their surroundings as comfy as possible, spreading blankets everywhere like a fort. He didn’t own a kotatsu, much to Tohru’s dismay. Once they were done, Tohru brought out her bento box, grabbing a spare set of chopsticks and handing them to him.

“Since you haven’t eaten, it would be best if only you-”

“You’re eating too~!” She smiled brightly, to the point that Hatori sweatdropped, backing down. He still had reservations about taking half, but she divided it evenly, placing the box in between them.

Digging in, Hatori quietly appreciated the food, noting the amount of care she’d put into every part. The attention to detail that she afforded every meal. A thought surfaced in his sleep-deprived head- tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop it.

“You’ll make a wonderful wife, someday.”

Tohru made a noise, chocking on her food. He winced, mentally kicking himself as he offered her water. She gratefully accepted, chugging it down. “A-ah! Thank you, that’s very sweet of you to say. You’ll make an amazing husband too!” She rambled, also wincing.

His limbs locked, coldness skittering down his spine just as his pulse raced. “…I don’t think that’s something in my future, but thanks,” he quietly admitted.

Tilting her head, Tohru picked up the pickled plum in her chopsticks, putting it on his side. She knew he liked them. “O-oh um…what makes you think that?”

“Experience,” he uttered, placing the plum back on hers. He knew she liked them more.

Her cheeks puffed up indignantly, but on her face, the expression only came across as cute. “W-well for what it’s worth I think you’re wrong. Yuki used to think something similar, but now he has Machi. Then there’s Rin with Haru, a-and Kisa with Hiro. Even Ayame and Mine. I don’t really know what’s happening with Akito and Shigure but if you’re worried about not marrying because of the zodiac then-”

“I know. The curse is broken, and it has been for some time.” Hatori interrupted gently, exhaling. He could really use a cigarette, but he didn’t like exposing her to secondhand smoke. “I’m just of the opinion that it’s…in my personality or fate to be alone. I’ve become used to solitude, there’s no need to fuss over it. I don’t find it uncomfortable.”

Tohru’s brows drew together, and she glanced at the picture frame on his desk. Hatori busied himself with eating, wishing he hadn’t opened his mouth once again. He didn’t even know why he was talking about it, but Tohru had that effect on people.

“I understand,” the words escaped her gently, lifting some rice to her lips. He hated that he’d lowered her mood, but upon looking up, he found the girl lost in thought, not upset. She was…different, miss Honda.

When first getting to know her, he’d surmised that she was a lot like Kana, but as time wore on, that thought had faded. His ex-fiance had been beautifully sensitive, like an orchid. She’d filled his days with colour when she’d blossomed. But under strain and heartbreak, her petals wilted. Tohru, for all her naivete, held a deep well of pain within her. It was like no amount of troubles the Sohma curse threw at her would compare with the loss of her mother. She could handle the secret. Hell, she’d broken it.

Drawn out of his musings, he noticed her fingers had turned blue. “Miss Honda,” he muttered, placing his chopsticks down. “Your hands, give them to me.”

Brown eyes blinked, nibbling on the rice. She set her own utensils aside, startled when large hands covered her own. The doctor shifted to sit beside her, holding her palms over a larger candle. Lips thinning with consternation, his slightly calloused hands rubbed her smaller digits.

“H-hator-” she jolted when his head dipped down- exhaling on her hands and continuing to massage her skin with his thumbs. Hatori lowered his head once more, the movement bringing his lips shockingly close to her skin.

“We can’t afford to be polite right now,” he grumbled. “If you’re feeling cold, tell me.”

Tohru swallowed under his intense attention.

“Alright,” she softly agreed, smiling. “You’re so kind, Hatori. It’s no wonder you became a Doctor.”

He hesitated in his touches, before continuing to rub her hands. His eyes stayed fixed on the task, but a slight gentleness warmed his gaze. “I didn’t have a choice in occupation, it was something my father did before me. But…I do enjoy it.”

His muscles tensed when he felt something light tap his cheek just under his good eye. “Still, you should let other people look after you sometimes too. You look like a panda. Ah!- sorry that came out rude. I meant it as a cute thing!”

Hatori rose a brow. Cute?

Tohru reeled, waving her free hand, “a-anyway. Just how long have you been awake for?”

He checked his watch, mulling it over. “About 52 hours,” he said bluntly.

It were as though her spirit had ascended from her body, leaving Torhu with a sucker-punched expression. Hatori reached out and tugged on her bangs almost fondly. “There’s no need to freak out, it’s quite normal in my line of work.”

Still reeling, Tohru snapped herself out of her daze, raising a finger. “That doesn’t make me worry less! A-ahh, and you’ve been staying up to take care of me when you could have been resting! I’m the worst! I am so sorry- here!” She quickly got up, breaking their contact to dash to the bed. She began fluffing a pillow, setting it down. She then tucked a thick blanket over it and gestured to it with the most determined expression she could muster.

“Please rest.”

“No.”

“W-why not?”

He sighed. “For one thing, it’s getting late. You need your sleep more than I do after actually working today, I’ve only been sitting down and sorting notes. You’ve been on your feet and out in the snow. So go ahead, use it.” He gestured to the bed while dousing the meagre amount of candles they’d put out. He then picked up the bento box and carried it to the kitchen. He heard uncertain, worried sounds as Tohru followed, hovering behind him.

“B-but you need it more than me!-”

Hatori turned on the tap water, letting her ramblings wash over him much like whenever Ayame or Shigure started fussing.

“Besides your schedule is busier, and it’s 52 hours, Hatori! 52!”

He calmly washed the utensils and bento box, surprised she wasn’t running out of steam talking a mile a minute. So caught up was he in his musings that Hatori misjudged her proximity. Turning to grab a dish towel- he bumped right into the girl. Hatori reeled, eyes widening as he automatically caught her by the shoulders, heart thudding when he expected to transform. To become small, fragile. Something easily stepped on as he fell the great height to the ground.

But nothing happened. He didn’t realise his breathing had escalated until soft palms gingerly touched his cheeks, drawing his startled gaze down to hers.

“It’s okay, Hatori. See? Nothing- nothing happens anymore…” she murmured, seeming to only now realise he hadn’t tested his newfound freedom yet.

Hatori caught his breath, wondering why sweat dotted his temples. He trembled slightly, touching her hand on his face. He hoped he imagined leaning into her touch. “I apologise. I guess it was just a shock…”

She nodded empathetically, gazing up at him. She stroked her thumb over his jaw slightly, before blushing and letting go. “U-um…so- like I was saying,” she murmured, holding her hands as they slowly padded back to his room.

“Fine, look see, I’ll sit down.” He took a seat on the bed, that he admitted was much comfier now that she’d plied it with blankets. Still, this was not enough to assuage her as Tohru placed her hands on his shoulders.

“Okay! Step one is done~ now for step two! Lying down,” she beamed, putting all her strength into trying to force him to lie back. Hatori felt her hands shake and noticed her grunt with effort, but he did not budge. He sighed. Reluctantly, he allowed himself to fall back- head hitting the pillow and scattering his dark hair in disarray.

However, the sudden movement made the girl lose her balance. She landed with a squeak directly atop him.

Hatori stiffened immediately, shifting to get up, “m-miss Honda.”

Tohru seemed to misconstrue his motives to escape- as she placed her palms firmly down on his chest, trying to keep him there. “N-no! You shouldn’t get up! Go to sleep!” She blushed scarlet. “I’ll keep you like this if I have to!”

“I can hardly rest while you’re-” he sucked in a harsh breath when her hips squirmed. Directly against his. His head hit the pillow once more, mind screaming. Alright, so Tohru was essentially straddling him. No big deal. It wasn’t like he could also feel the gentle curves of her body pressing against his, smell her scent of fresh linens dancing in a warm summer breeze- or sense the line of tension in her spine. His hands reluctantly settled on her lower back.

“This isn’t necessary. I’ll sleep if it means that much to you.”

Tohru shifted atop him, tilting her head up where it rested on his chest. Heat surged down his stomach, curling his fingers in the material of her blouse. Suddenly seeming to realise how indecent their positions were, Tohru lifted her upper body, hair frazzled. It hung down to tickle his nose.

“I-I um- okay. Just make sure you rest!” She blushed, moving carefully to try and untangle their limbs. Feeling the warmth leaving his chest, Hatori surprised both her and himself by halting her movements.

His hands had settled on her waist.

Tohru paused, cheeks seemingly incapable of losing their red hue. “H-Hatori?”

Exhaling, violet eyes stared up at her. He quickly grasped a blanket and tossed it around her shoulders, tugging her to lie back down on a mad impulse. “Let’s just…both get some sleep. You’re as bad as me when it comes to watching your health and pushing yourself too hard. I don’t trust you not to stay up.”

Surprising him, she gave a soft, mumbled giggle. “You make us sound so rebellious. Like Black Haru or something.”

The former dragon stared up at the ceiling, his heart thundering quicker at the sound. He was certain she could hear it in his chest. He’d forgotten what it was like to hold another human so close. The alien feeling was dissolving into such a pleasant sensation he feared he’d grow spoiled from it.

“Hatori…this is okay, isn’t it?” Came her small voice.

His hand glided up her back to rest on her head. “Of course. Unless it bothers you.”

“Oh no, not at all,” she murmured, grip tightening in his shirt. He wondered why. “I mean, we’re friends!”

“Yes. Friends.”

Tohru made a noise of quiet affirmation, settling closer. “Goodnight Hatori.”

Hearing her breathing even out, his attention shifted down, glancing at the crown of her head. Brunette strands of hair were sprawled over his chest, some spun into gentle spirals. His pale fingers stroked the soft locks, before clenching and drawing away.

“Goodnight…Tohru.”

Hatori was floating on clouds. Or at least it certainly felt that way. He slept long and deep, breathing in heavenly smells and feeling oddly…safe.

Releasing a dusty sounding breath, his lashes fluttered. Surfacing from sleep slowly, he lifted his head groggily. At once, he noticed their positions had changed. Strands of hair were stuck to his lip, his face inches from Tohru’s neck, where he assumed he’d been resting just a moment ago. Somehow they’d changed positions in the night. He was now laying on his stomach, trapping her more petite form under his. His felt his arms wrapped around her, and more alarmingly- hers around him.

Shifting, Hatori’s face flushed when he felt something. Ah, it seemed her leg had hooked around his in the night too. Fantastic.

Grasping her wrists, Hatori gently untangled her from him, shifting to get up. He braced his hands on either side of her head on the pillow to rise.

Of course, her lashes opened.

“H-hatori,” she breathed, eyes widening. She then smiled shyly, hands grasping the covers tighter. “G-good morning! Did you sleep well?”

Hatori made a noise, quickly moving to rise. He half-heartedly tried to fix his bed-hair, only to give up. “And you?”

“Yes, very well thank you,” she chirped. “It felt very warm.”

He adjusted his tie, wishing he could stop damn blushing. He strode over to his desk, “I’m going to see if the phone’s working.”

“Ah, sure. I guess I’ll start making breakfast then.”

“You don’t have to-” too late, she was already gone.

Hatori dialled for Shigure and lifted the phone to his ear.

'Due to the poor weather conditions, we cannot connect your call at this time. Please try again later.’

Not good. It was only the second day but spending any more time with Tohru alone might make her catch wise to his feelings.

“Hatori!~ Would you like some eggs?”

Then again, it was Tohru. He was quite fortunate she saw everyone around her as strictly friends. Sighing, he tried to fix his expression into a calm mask and joined her in the kitchen.

While they contentedly tucked into their breakfast together, he noticed her pause mid-meal. Finishing a bite, he waited for her to speak up.

“Hatori, remember yesterday when you said you didn’t think you’d get married?”

He made a non-committal noise.

“I-I don’t think it’s in my personality to be alone, maybe I’d make a good wife-”

“You would,” his tone brooked no argument.

“Hmph. Pot kettle black,” Tohru smiled with a hesitant impishness.

Violet eyes danced. “You think I’d make a good wife?”

She gave a laugh, lips tugging up as warmth lit up her expression. She then sobered. “It’s just that…maybe I’m afraid of marriage in a similar way. Afraid of someone being more important to me than my mom. If I got married, then I’m worried they’d take her place in my heart. I don’t like to admit it, because it makes me a bad daughter- but I can’t…picture her face clearly anymore. I have to rely on her photo. I-it’s awful. I’m terrible.”

Something vicious attacked his bloodstream at her put down. “Don’t. Your mother would be proud of you.” His voice became haunting steel, before softening. “For what it’s worth, I’m the same. I can’t clearly recall Kana’s laugh, but I know it was distinct. I can’t see her face, but there’s the recollection of her eyes or how she used to stand that I do know. I’m sorry, she’s not deceased so it’s not the same-”

“No, no. It is- because it’s just as painful. You still…lost her.”

He stopped, that reserved quietness in his bearing softening for her. “Just because we loved them…doesn’t mean we have to be alone to honour them, Tohru.”

She stared, tears collecting in her eyes. “Does that mean you’ll reconsider becoming an old maid?” She sniffed, smiling teasingly while trying to ignore her red nose and wobbling lip.

Hatori’s gaze shifted over her honest features, before returning to his now cold breakfast. “Perhaps. If the right suitor came along.”

It was at that moment the electricity decided to shut off, dousing the room in faint blue tones.

Tohru had let out a yelp and panicked, hands fluttering everywhere. “H-h-hatori! Oh no! If there’s no electricity then we can’t cook dinner!”

“Calm down. We’ll find a way, besides there’s enough food to snack on if this isn’t just a short power cut.”

He heard her get up, but she was on his sightless side- moving closer. “But what if it lasts longer than- GAH!” Something knocked violently against the table, making the plates rattle.

Hatori turned in alarm, hands reaching out and finding her form stumbling. Firm fingers wrapped around her arm, steadying her. He shifted to stand, brows drawing together.

“Tohru? Are you alright?”

The lights flickered, before turning back on. The whole room was bathed in soft hues once more, and the girl exhaled in relief, looking up at him. “O-oh, yes I’m fine. I just tripped.”

“You’re bleeding,” he deadpanned, attention fixed on her torn tights. Her left knee was scrapped, some bruising starting to rise to the surface.

Tohru gaped, peering down. He decided to take it upon himself to pick her up, leaning down to allow her to place her arm around his shoulders as he slid one arm under her legs. He didn’t think of it as some gallant thing, he just couldn’t be bothered to wait as she hopped over to a chair. He placed her down in his desk chair and retrieved some antiseptic, along with a plaster.

Though he knew her to be a grown woman he couldn’t shake the habit of tending to even the most minor of injuries, especially when it came to her. He’d taken the car to Shigure’s house on several occasions when it was reported she had a headache or scrape from a new fall.

Hatori knelt down to grasp her ankle, placing her foot on his thigh to elevate her knee and allow him to see it better. She made a noise, though he wasn’t certain why. His fingers then rubbed the cream onto her wound, and this time he understood the hiss between her teeth.

“The pain will pass…am I being too rough?” He muttered, trying to gentle his touch.

“N-no not at all,” she murmured.

He hummed and placed the plaster over the scrape, smoothing the edges to let it stick. He felt mild satisfaction at such a simple task, ready to move away.

Hatori shifted, raising his head. He froze, finding her closer than anticipated. His breath stilled, eyes widening marginally. She wasn't…pulling away.

Her eyes shone from the light of the nearby candles, giving the brown a brightened earthy glow. Some loose strands of hair hung forward, lingering near his cheek. His nails caught in her tights as his fingers clenched- and he inhaled. He needed to pull away. Needed to stop. But the look on her face remained gentle and inviting. He couldn’t understand why.

Hatori’s heartbeat thundered in his ears like a roaring tide. He leaned forward-just a touch. Just to see. To know. Tohru didn’t scream or pull away. Her cheeks coloured red, mouth parting a touch. Those kind eyes flitted down to his thin lips.

That was what did it. His fingers rose up to her jaw- touch feather light, bridging the last of the distance between them. She inhaled, her lips feeling soft and pliant under his.

Something crashed down his veins and melted inside his stomach. Rapture and longing collided, hurting in an exquisite, visceral kind of way. Suddenly he was more aware than ever of his loneliness, his secret want of her. It caused his hands to tremble.

He felt her hesitant palm on his cheek, smoothing the long dark strands of his bangs aside. When he pulled away, eyes peeling open, he wished for the first time in a long while to have his full sight back. Tohru remained frozen with rosy cheeks, opening her mouth to say something-

Hatori retreated, standing. He walked over to his desk, facing away from her as he collected himself slowly. A fire churned in his gut, emotions pressing tight against the surface. He wanted so badly to embrace her.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have-” she murmured, voice wavering. She was hurt. He could tell.

“Don’t be. You have nothing to apologise for. I took advantage-”

“No, no you didn’t!” She burst, and he heard her stand. “Please don’t turn away…”

His fingers twitched at his hands, hands curling into loose fists that tightened until they shook. “You understand why we can’t do this, Tohru. Aside from the age gap-”

“M-my parents were far apart in age-”

“There’s also my…disposition. My fate,” he said with an air of grim finality.

Despite the curse being broken and the zodiac members free, he still felt fear. He still pictured history repeating itself. That she’d somehow be hurt again just like Kana. Perhaps he should be worried about losing another eye, but Hatori gladly would if it meant keeping her safe.

He heard quiet footsteps approach, and he turned to face her. A guarded look had entered his gaze, haunted with past terrors and agony.

He was afraid. Terrified of hurting her. The empty picture frame stood silent and empty as a grim reminder.

Tears swam in Tohru’s gaze, though he wasn’t sure why. She clasped her hands, perhaps to stop herself from touching him. “You said it before 'we don’t have to be alone to honour them.’ Things are different now…they’re not what they were a few years ago. No one’s going to punish you for being happy, Hatori. Not Akito, and not fate.”

That’s right, God had stepped down.

Looking to the future felt like an insurmountable task considering the past that still clung to his lonely room. Lingering in the backs of his eyes and resurfaced in his waking thoughts.

But then Tohru…

Tohru sometimes felt like she’d present a 'maybe.’ Maybe things wouldn’t go to hell with her. If he were just brave enough to take her hand then-

The sound of the phone ringing filled the room.

'It seems like the worst of the storm has passed. There is no longer a Red Weather Warning in effect, so you’ll all be pleased to know it’s clear to go outside again~ This has been your three o'clock weather report.’

Hatori stood outside on the porch, smoking as the radio droned on. He stared down at the empty picture frame in his hand, lost in memory once more as the snow fell. Tohru was busying herself cleaning, though he’d told her it wasn’t necessary.

Shigure and whoever else would come to take her home. The mischievous dog had been on the phone, cheerfully announcing that Hatsuharu had found a snow plough for who knows where.

No doubt the roads would be cleared soon. His heart constricted at the thought, though nothing touched his expression.

A soft touch had his eyes snapping down to his hand, where Tohru looked up at him. She gently grasped the picture frame, biting her lip, before looking away. She then summoned the courage to speak.

“I might have to go soon, but um…I wanted to say something.”

She paused, and he waited, hanging on the precipice of whatever she chose to do or say.

“Stop me if this is too forward, but I think…it’s time to get a different photo frame for your desk.” Tohru said, voice gentle. “You don’t have to throw this away of course. See it’s like if someone wanted to become extra special to me, I could never- never put their image in mom’s place. She’s important to me, and always will have a large part of my heart.”

Hatori felt it now, the pull toward her. His attention was magnetised, hearing attuned to her voice to pick up every soft inflection. Tohru smiled gently, no jealousy in her. “Just like Kana will always have a large part of yours.”

She took a breath. “But if…there was someone for me, I’d put them in a brand new frame. That way they’re not crumpling themselves to fit someone else’s space. I feel like I understand that a bit better now. Maybe I…don’t need to be afraid of marriage if I think of it like that.”

She really did understand. For a moment he contemplated her. He saw something radiant in her face, a kind of wiseness beyond her years that mingled with her naivete. “I see, eloquently put.” Violet eyes shifted over her slowly. “In that case, would you like to go shopping for photo frames together, Tohru?”

His hand hung loosely at his side near hers, fingers curling.

Her lips tilted up, stretching further into a breathtaking, radiant smile. “Yes! That would be wonderful,” she murmured, expression softening into something more hopeful and quiet. She released her grip on her hands and also let them hang lose, watching the snowfall. Slowly, as though fearful of rejection, she inched her knuckles closer.

Hatori’s gaze shifted down and giving in to the small ray of hope inside him, took her hand outright. He would follow her lead, he decided. She jumped a little and dipped her head shyly, threading their fingers together.

“Hatori…”

“Mn?”

Brunette hair slid over her shoulder, falling in soft waves as she shifted to look up at him. “I don’t think…friends are supposed to feel this way about each other.”

“No, probably not.” He somberly agreed, heart thudding as though he were a schoolboy.

Her brows pulled together slightly, and her hand squeezed his. “What do we do?”

For a long while, he didn’t reply. The snow fell gently, a silent witness to the quiet regard in Hatori’s eye, which was starting to become reserved only for her. “We’ll do this at our own pace. However, I wish you’d reconsider and think about being with a boy more your age.”

Tohru’s comforting eyes sparked with alarm, her mouth opening to perhaps voice an eloquent protest. It then clicked shut, and her heart took the lead in her words instead. “But I only want you, Hatori.”

He exhaled sharply, a fragile thing inside him anchoring itself to the warmth of her palm. He wasn’t sure if the universe would allow him happiness once more, but he trusted Tohru. However naive it was to hope- he wanted to believe in a future with her in it. He felt his body humming with life, the touch of her skin feeling more tangible the more warmth flooded him. Bringing her hand up- he pressed his lips to her knuckles ardently, breath shuddering over her skin.

“Then you have me.”

Outside, the snow slowly began to thaw.

End

#fruits basket #hatori sohma #tohru honda #hatori x tohru #furuba #Hatohru

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