#i have a few theories bouncing around in my head rn but yeah they all involve the garden and fuli . | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

cutietobio · 4 years

Note

HC’s for Ushijima, Bokuto, Kageyama, Nishinoya, & Kuroo with an S/O who fosters kittens / has lots of pets cats. Like sis just can’t seem to say no to an animal in need. How would they react?

Sure, anon! Hope you like it :’) I apologize for the inconsistent length, but I get more ideas for some characters than others at a time.

USHIJIMA

- He’s a dog person (confirmed by my group chat, very reliable source) so he’s used to more energetic pets. He does admit that your cats are very calming, and he finds himself smiling at the sounds of their purrs. All of your cats are drawn to him like a magnet, he doesn’t understand why and he sits with a stoic face, hands on his knees while dozens of cats are rubbing up against his legs, chest and one even found its way upon his head. He would remain as still as possible, hoping they find it comfortable up there.

- He’s not very talkative when playing with your cats, but you see the soft smile which graces his features at the funny antics of your furry friends. It’s all very calming, your favourite moments is during a rainy evening when Ushijima cuddles with you upon your couch and all your kitties join in on the love. (catch me crying in the club rn, your head is resting on his chest, legs intertwined, blanket over the both of you and your cats are scattered everywhere. One is nestled upon your feet, a few on the armrests and on top of the back while a very tiny kitten is curled up on Ushijima’s sternum, underneath his warm hand)

- He would spoil them a lot, bringing over treats and exotic-sounding food. The once he came over with cotton candy flavoured meat treats and you soon realized his obsession with strangely flavoured items. Each week he comes back with something weird and you fear that your cats won't like it but you give it to them anyway, to your surprise, they almost never turn their nose to it, and if they do, Ushijima is able to get them to eat it just by holding it out for them.

BOKUTO

- He’s surprised upon first visiting your home, only to be greeted by seemingly dozens of cats staring back at him. He lets out a sudden noise of excitement, causing all your furry friends to scatter in multiple directions. Yeah, they’re kinda scared of him and yes, Bokuto looks extremely dejected about it. The whole visit he attempts to warm up to your cats who keep a wary eye on him and pouts when none of them warms up to him. Feeling bad for him, you brought him your newest addition to your cat family which had been a tiny little kitten which you distanced from the rest. It had no power to fight back and instantly curled up into Bokuto’s chest. You swore his eyes grew misty and his smile was absolutely contagious.

- Eventually, your cats warm up to him after his constant visits and he never fails to bring them gifts. These include treats, toys and even costumes. He buys these all unironically, he’s genuinely so excited to see what they will look like in the cute sparkly dress he bought because his heart swelled upon first seeing it. Unwilling to disappoint, you dress up one of your more tamer cats in the outfit and Bokuto is almost brought to the verge of tears at how cute they look. He’s very enthusiastic when it comes to your babies :’)

- Frequently questions when you’re considering getting your next cat. You make the mistake of asking him if he would like to tag along with you and pick out a cat to foster, you return home with four additional kittens all snugly asleep in Bokuto’s arms. (...can ya’ll imagine seeing him carrying a bunch of sleeping kittens in his muscular AF arms... I-)

- Your love for cats is so endearing to Bokuto, he catches himself staring at you whilst you play with them, admiration gleaming within his eyes. Seeing you so gentle towards them makes his heart swell with pride at the thought that he managed to meet and date someone as loving and caring as you. He doesn’t even play his staring off as something else when you catch him and instead he openly admits what a lovely person you are. (your cat is sitting there like...human...proceed giving me attention with the delightful chase of the feather string...why do you love this owl-head anyway)

KAGEYAMA

- The only experience Kageyama has had when it comes to pets is his own fish which he sometimes forgets exists. This is proved canon by my group chat members and I. He’s pretty overwhelmed by the sheer amount of cats you have and finds himself awkwardly stroking one who comes up and rubs themselves against his legs. He looks a bit uncomfortable, not sure what to do. You help him ease up by putting your hand on top of his and guiding it over the soft fur of your cat.

- Kageyama finds your will to help cats admirable, not that he would do something like that himself, but he can tell a lot of hard work goes into it and he thinks you’re amazing for being able to cope. Many times he finds himself willing to help you clean up or even help bathe one of your cats. His hands are full of scratches afterwards and you feel sick to your stomach with guilt, only for him to offer you a small smile of reassurance and tell you he didn't mind - it was fun, in fact, seeing as he never had the opportunity to take care of his own pet in such a way before.

- He’s only close with one of your cats. For some reason, this cat eases him and whenever he comes over, he’s instantly greeted by the cat upon stepping through the door. The one time, you caught Kageyama falling asleep upon your bed with the cat curled up against his chest, both of them with seemingly content smiles. You managed to snag a picture and it will forever remain your profile picture because what on earth can top a sleeping Kageyama with his favourite cat snuggling on top of him. (me thinking about Kageyama cuddling with a cat.)

NISHINOYA

- Your poor cats.

- In the beginning, Nishinoya is in awe at how many cats you have. He doesn’t make an attempt to rush towards them but he definitely thinks their cute. He’s more interested in how he can entertain himself by playing with them. You show him some tricks they can do and he’s immediately hooked, oohing at every minor thing they do.

- “Whoa! that was so cool,,”

- “Uh..that wasn’t a trick.”

- Lowkey terrorizes your cats ngl. He’s gonna test out the theory that cats are afraid of cucumbers like he’s seen so many times on youtube and laugh his ass off when one of your cats jump nearly ten feet into the air. He records the whole thing and likely uploads it to social media. He likes to set up pranks for them. The one time you wanted to walk into the kitchen, only to find the entrance blocked off with clingwrap and all your cats sitting expectantly before it, their heads bouncing around in sync. Peering around the doorway, you find Nishinoya sipping on a milk box as he waves a toy around, holding back the snickers at how funny your cats look trying to get through.

- Overall, he thinks its really cool of you to do such a thing. Despite pulling pranks on your cats, he’s really endeared by them. Knowing how much you want to help, he often sends you posts he finds from animal shelters who are looking for foster homes. It makes you happy knowing he keeps your interests in mind when you’re away from each other.

- He’ll come over with catnip one day, saying he wants to see how high your cats can get. “Damn, pass the joint du-” *hiss* “I just want my hit, man.”

KUROO

- He’s in his element whenever he comes over to your house, your cats literally swarm around his feet upon barely taking a step inside the door. He’s their cat daddy, and you have zero say in the situation. Your cats probably like him more than you and you can’t even be mad at them tbh. Of course, you get a bit salty when your cats, which you have handpicked and rescued from a terrible fate, turn their nose to your cooing and tempting treats and instead find comfort in curling next to Kuroo who is watching youtube videos, not even making an effort to coax them into doing so.

- You have that one cat, the true OG, your loyal disciple who refuses to leave your side. They turn their head at Kuroo like he’s a walking infestation inside your house and they refuse to look at him with their nose up in the air. You don’t pick favourites, you love all your kitties equally, but you do find yourself loving that specific cat more during those moments. Kuroo doesn’t really mind, he just ruffles your hair teasingly and sarcastically comments that it’s good at least one of your cats love you. (yes, you did attack him with a pillow afterwards.)

- He truly doesn’t mind your mild obsession with cats. He loves them and they love him, with the exception of one. He doesn’t encourage you out of the blue but if you talk about potentially wanting to rescue a new cat he’s totally there to support you. This dude buys you so much cat food! You hardly need to go out and buy any, it’s like an unlimited supply. The one time he burst your front door open, carrying two bags of cat food over his shoulders whilst posing theatrically. “Come to me, my sweet children,” he says loudly over the deafening meow’s of your cats that circle his legs.

- He would likely ironically buy your cats these stupid looking costumes and dress them up with literal tears of laughter in his eyes. He lowkey makes fun of your cats and even YOU feel personally offended. But you gotta admit, he brings home really funny outfits and you feel bad for laughing at times. Kuroo is there for all the fun things, but as soon as it comes to bathing your cats or cleaning out litter boxes, he’s outta there.

#haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #kuroo #ushijima #kageyama #nishinoya #bokuto #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu headcanons #kuroo x reader #ushijima x reader #kageyama x reader #bokuto x reader #nishinoya x reader

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voltedyoongi · 4 years

Text

lee minho- neighbour au

(listen i’m imagining the apartments from big bang theory coz i’m binging it rn so if you dk what that looks like get on google)

-so you’d been looking for a place to live for a while now since your best friend had announced she was going to move in with her boyfriend leaving you high and dry

-after a month of searching, you’d finally found the perfect place and today was moving day

-said best friend was currently on holiday with said boyfriend and you didn’t want any of your other friends getting too close to all your stuff so you were all on your on

-you couldn’t afford a moving truck so you were spending the day driving as many boxes as you can fit into your car to the new apartment taking them up the stairs one by one before going back to your old apartment to repeat the process

-you had reached the third box moving escapade of the day when you bumped box first (literally) into a group of guys as you went up the stairs

-‘oh, shit sorry’ you apologise, ‘didn’t see you over the box’ you laugh lightly.

-‘it’s okay’ one of the two guys says, ‘where are you going to? can we help you?’

-‘4B, and it’s fine really if i put my back out i’ll have an excuse to lie in bed all day’

-the two boys smile at your comment, nodding, ‘well we’re across the hall if you need us’ the second one says, ‘just knock if you need any help, those boxes seem heavy. i’m ‪jisung by the way, and this is jeongin’

-you smile gratefully, secretly relieved you wouldn’t have to lug boxes all day if you really didn’t want to.

-and that’s what it came to, you were tired and moody when you packed the last round of boxes into your car and got to your new apartment block. you grumpily hauled a box of pillows up the stairs to your apartment before glancing at 4A nervously, where jisung had said he and jeongin would be.

-it wasn’t that you found them particularly intimidating, they’d seemed lovely, it was more the notion of interrupting the evening of people you barely knew to ask them for strenuous help.

-alas, you really couldn’t be fucked to drag up the remaining five boxes, one of which was filled with books.

-so you reluctantly skulked across the hall and prepared yourself to have to socialise.

-you knock on the door, your nerves on fire, only nulled by the fact you were constantly reminding yourself jeongin and jisung seemed like really sweet guys who wouldn’t make a fuss of carrying some boxes.

-the door swings open and you internally freeze.

-a handsome man had answered with cute dark hair and a loose white t-shirt.

-‘shit shit shit’ you think, had you gotten the wrong apartment? were you about to completely embarrass yourself searching for two random men who didn’t even live here? no, surely not...they had said they lived across the hall from you...

-he looks at you expectantly and you kick into action

-‘erm sorry i’m looking for jisung and jeongin, they said they’d help me move some boxes upstairs from my car and to come across the hall...’

-‘oooh’ he chuckles, ‘sorry they’re not in right now, jisung doesn’t even live here’ he scoffs.

-‘oh sorry’ you mumble, ready to trudge down to your car and break your body with the last of those boxes

-but before you can turn he’s marching out his apartment to the stairs, he stops short of the third step and looks at you expectantly.

-‘you coming?’ he asks, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world

-‘where are you going?’ you answer cluelessly, it not quite clicking in your head

-‘downstairs to your car, that’s where the boxes are right? unless you’ve parked on the roof.’

-‘ye right’ you retort, matching his tone dripped in sarcasm ‘i can park my flying car on the roof but i can’t carry five boxes.’

-he grins at you, before walking down the stairs prompting you to follow in his wake

-you don’t get a chance to interact with him on the way down as he’s marched ahead so the next conversation you share is once you reach the pavement outside your block.

-‘which one’s yours?’ he asks, eyeing the cars around.

-you point to your small red car across the street and he grins

-‘why are you smiling?’ you tease him defensively, he shrugs still looking at your car ‘it’s cute, but i don’t think you could fly to the roof with it.’

-‘nah not quite,’ you grin back ‘maybe just the fifth floor’

-‘i admire your ambition’ he plays along, but before you can reply he’s halfway across the road to your car and you’re trudging after him.

-you press the button on your keys and unlock the boot to reveal the boxes.

-‘here we are’ you sigh ‘if you could help me on two trips, we can both take two up and then i’ll run down and grab the last, that would be great.’

-he nods, looking down at the boxes before taking the heaviest one, the one filled with all your books.

-but he doesn’t seem phased at all by it’s weight when it’s in his arms, he’s either very strong or very good at pretending not to be in pain at the hands of your literary collection

-you grab another, lighter, box and put it on the ground to close the boot. you pick it up and then to see that minho stayed and watched you do so rather than striding ahead again.

-‘not so fast this time?’ you ask, as you two walk across the road back to your building.

-he shrugs, but you don’t miss the way he flinches slightly at the weight. ‘didn’t want you left behind unable to carry your stuff’

-‘hey!’ you exclaim playfully, ‘i’m not that weak’

-‘alright sure, you’re strong as the hulk, just stop pouting’

-‘i never pout’ you pout- prompting him to scoff, but smile.

-you’ve made it to your building's entrance now, meaning you’ll have to conquer the stairs next. there’s not enough room for you to walk side by side with the boxes, so you opt to go in front of him.

-‘don’t you want you falling on me when you collapse under the weight of the box’

-he doesn’t answer so you turn around to look at him as you walk up, he looks back up at you like a deer caught in the headlights.

-you gasp jokingly, ‘did you just check my ass out?’

-he sees red, and looks down at the box in his arms, ‘no’ he mumbles, but you can the tips of ears are tomato coloured

-‘you totally checked out my ass’ you grin, stopping walking to make him look at you

-‘so what if i did?’ he says in a tone yk he wants you to take as a sarcastic quip, ‘take it as a compliment and keep walking’

-you do as he says, changing the subject but grinning from ear to ear.

-you put the boxes in your apartment and then go back down, friendly banter bouncing between the two of you the entire time, he even goes down alone to get the last box to let you start unpacking earlier.

-you’ve opened up your box of books when minho brings your box in, he places it on the floor before coming over to you and the box of books

-‘let’s see what was so worth me almost breaking my arms to get up here’

-you chuckle and let him lean forward to inspect your collection, ‘hmm...’ he muses ‘i approve.’

-your first instinct is to make a sarcastic comment but instead you hold back

-‘thanks’ you smile

-‘that’s okay’ he smiles back ‘i need to go set up i have some friends coming over, but i’ll catch up with you soon yeah?’

-‘yeah...thanks for all your help minho’

-‘that’s okay y/n’

-surprisingly you were doing a very good job unpacking, normally you'd procrastinate doing anything till you absolutely had to or until you died...whichever came first

-but today you were oddly eager to see how your new apartment would look all finished, and it was going well

- a pile of empty cardboard boxes had cultivated on your floor so you decided now was a good time to take them downstairs to the bins.

-you were on your way down the stairs when you bumped into none other than jisung and jeongin

-’hey!’ they grinned at you, prompting you to grin back, in a good mood having unpacked so well

-’i see you managed to unpack’ commented jisung, nodding towards the collapsed boxes in your clutches

-’yep’ you smile, and im almost all done unpacking my stuff too, i’ve done well’

-’maybe you deserve a treat?’ jeongin says playfully, to which you raise your eyebrows

-’i like treats’ you reply, pushing him to tell you what he had in mind

-’we’re having a little get together in our apartment right now, once you've gotten rid of those old boxes you should join us’

-you ponder the idea before eventually nodding, ‘that would actually be really nice...i’ll be right up’

-you ran across to your apartment to change into something a bit more appropriate, a tank top and shorts weren't going to quite cut it today

-you slid on some comfy yet sleek jeans with a white crop top that highlighted you figure oh-so-casually

-you brushed your hair quickly and then made your way across the hall for the second time in a day

-you knocked but before you could pull your hand away the door had swung open and you were met with an overjoyed jisung

-he grabs you by the arm and pulls you in shouting happily about your arrival, had he somehow managed to get drunk in the short time it took for you to change?

-he wraps his arm around your shoulder, a beer in his hand

-’guys meet y/n! y/n meet the guys’

-you glance around nervously, there were 8 other guys including jeongin and minho and a few had girls sitting on their laps who you assumed were there girlfriends

-there was a chorus of ‘heys and his’ in response to your introduction but you couldn’t help but notice that minho hadn’t said anything, instead sifting through the takeout container on his lap

-jisung’s breath stunk of beer as he howled out at the silent boy ‘minhooooOoooo say hello to my new frienddd’

-you stand there awkwardly before minho looks up smirking ‘oh, we've already met.’

-’you guys know each other?!’ questions jeongin, to which you nod

-minho pats the arm of the big armchair he was sitting on, still smirking at you, ‘come sit with me y/n, everyone else here is a little bit drunk’ he playfully whispers loudly, nodding towards jisung.

-you smile back at him, the banterous connection you guys had shared earlier rising to the surface. you awkwardly perch on the arm of his chair and he begins to quietly tell you everyone’s names so you don't feel too lost.

-as the night continued the boys and girls around you got more and more drunk, leaving only you and minho as the sober ones. normally you'd be drinking alongside with them but you felt weird getting drunk with people you barely knew, and it didn't really matter minho was there to be sober with you.

-the two of you stayed perched on the armchair together, chatting between yourselves happily and pretty much ignoring everyone else

-at one point one of the boys had knocked into you sending you toppling onto minho’s lap,

-’changbin!’ he hissed at the raven-haired giggly boy who was tripping and giggling away from you two already

-’sorry’ minho apologised, rolling his eyes but moving up on the chair so that you didn't have to get off. instead you had your bum on the cushion of the chair with your legs over his lap, and the conversation continued.

-eventually, the party died down, the guys with girlfriends were stumbling around with their mouths attached to each other most definitely pursuing something further

-’well’ you sighed, rising from minho’s lap ‘i’m gonna go back before babies start to be conceived.’

-he stands up with you, smiling at your comment. ‘not a bad plan, i’ll walk you to my door’

-you make your way through the pairs of people either making out or having ‘single person banter’

-’well’ you finish as you get to minho’s front door ‘it was very nice being the only sober one with you’

-’ditto’ he grins back, nodding along.

-’bye...’ you say happily, before walking across the hall to your apartment

-you were alone in your apartment for approximately half an hour before there was another knock

-you trudge tiredly to open the door but wake up as soon as you see who it is

-’minho? what’s up?’

-he stands there nonchalantly, but there’s hints of nervousness in hs demeanour

-’erm...’ he smiles half heartedly ‘you know how you said people in there were gonna be making babies? well they’ve kind of already started in my room...think i could crash on your couch for tonight?’

-’hmmm’ you muse playfully to which he grins and rolls his eyes, sticking his tongue into the side of his cheek to convey his annoyance. ‘of course you can’ you laugh opening the door and nodding him in ‘but only because you carried my books upstairs’

-’ah of course’ he plays along, walking inside ‘we’re even now’

-’well...i don't know, i think you still owe me one really’ you cheek, closing the door behind him.

-‘oh yeah?’ he quips

-’yeah.’ you reply defiantly

-and then he’s kissing you.

-he’s clearly had something to drink since you left because you can taste the alcohol on his lips, but something tells you this isn't some tipsy fluke

-when you pull away he grins, nuzzling his nose against yours. ‘now we’re even’ he chuckles.

-he give you another quick peck before pulling away and walking to the door

-’wha- where are you going?’

-’oh, i lied about my bedroom i don't need the couch. i’ll see you tomorrow y/n’ he smirks before leaving

-and with that he was gone and you were alone with your thoughts and the taste of alcohol from his lips on yours.

it was getting a bit longgg but i can write a part two if y’all want lmao just tell me

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straykats · 4 years

Text

cle: levanter

kat’s thoughts on the album that no one asked for (insert that weird googly eyed emoji with tongue out)

stop

i’ve always loved intro tracks because (most of the time) they give you a taster of every track on the album??

felix’s rap reminds me of his rap in ?? ? ??? miroh ??? i think (off the top of my heads) the rhythm is incredibly similar, only a few variations in beat

changbin and hyunjins rap section also reminds me of their rap in miroh

it’s actually really weird to me that stop is the first song on this album, and sO many of its sounds and stuff is super similar to Miroh??? which (if im not mistake) is the first in the cle series??? maybe someone can make a theory out of this idk lol

double knot

okay this is obvs not my first reaciton and opinions to it but yknow what lets hear them anyways lmao

i’ve always loved the glass shaterring and rope sound

also maybe im biased but minho’s single lines are actually so nice

oh but this version on the album is ot8 vers,, makes sense, ig but :(

i love how it ends as well, with the glasss shattering

levanter

only half way through did i realise that this is the second/third time i’ve heard it bc i watched the mv already lmao

minhos lines got me teary eye emoji (im on my laptop rn i cant emoji)

i fucking LOVE the falsetto prechorus, and then how it leads into a full chorus with all of them

also like the lyrics got me emo

the bass

IN THE CHORUS “i wanna be myself” you can hear ?? im gonna assume its felix but his really deep voice as backing vocals. its super far back

omg the bit in changbins rap when the pull back a lot of the sounds and its just the bass drum thing

elecrtic gUITAR HECKAS YEAH

i love the ?? ? sound distribution in the chorus (with earphones) bc the main vocal is center but when its chantyed you hear it from all surround?

as a music student i should know my terms better but oh well

i love the instrumental in the dance break

the instrumental at the end is also so amazing, the way everythihng is suddenly pulled out and the vocal hands for a split second

booster

i love the bass thingy

almost mimics the “da dada da” thing in double knot

oo hyunjin to minho sounds so nICE i think thats them anyways

“oooh ohh oh oh “ fucking LOVE

build up in prechorus is very booster

yES we have a bass drop after pulling everything out

omg the second ?? loop time section of the chorus, the bass drop is held back and it’s??? almost on beat two but it’s not on two it’s just before ??? i think ??? but it’s not on the “and” of one either

i love the vocals in the bg of the chorus too

transition into hyunjins rap is funky (not literally) i love it

theres a ticking sound (wHaTs ThAt MysTerIOuS tIcKInG nOISE) and its a metronome i think (also im lacking the counting ability but is it ticking 12312345123... ???)

and the warp iNTO JISUNGS i think HECKAS YEAH THAT WAS SO COOL

i love the nokia sounding bloop sound (idk how to describe it) in the prechorus

hOhoho christmas came early with that wavering ??? keys sound im losing my musical terms

the “speed it uuuuUUUUUUP” section reminds me of nct but idk how lmao

god i love booster sm

astronaut

i didn’tnotice it before but felix backing vocals too!!!

i used to dislike the beginning bc the keys come in a split second before he vocals but i kinda love it now hehe

this sound really makes me smile

theres something about the mixing in this song ??? reminds me of levanter. idk how to explain it

oh there’s echo/reverb on all the vocals

i love hyunjin’s IDK KOREAN but the two words he repeays

the bit at the end of changbinsrap tbh transitions funny into the prechorus ?? it’s like space guns pewpew idk how to explain it, it bounces between my ears super quick

“aYe”

bass drum w lix’s section sounds so nice,

that whole thing chan and lix said in chan’s room about this song making you jump around

sunshine

i love it sO FUCKING MUCH

the sample of just street wsounds i love it i love it i lOVE IT

THE CHORD PROGRESSION IS SO WEIRD NOT REALLY

arpeggiator thing that reminds me of ??? idk what its called ??? night owl or smth on samsung AHAHAH

oi love how everything is slowly but quickly added in

guys i love this song so much

the falsetto w plucky synth sounds ?? yum

i love the soft falsettos throughout

idk what to say this is such a nice song

oH THE DESCENDING SOUNDS in the second (?) progression and its minor ??? i think there was already a lot of minor things but it jsut became more obvious

ooooo sustained chords in prechorus heckas yeah

the sound that rings out in the left ear ??? yum

tHE SILENCE and then the bass boooOOoomm that was so nice im in love with sound rn

this song reminds me of winter/autumn and the rays of sunshine peeking through

you can stay

same keys as 4419 but muted??

felix and kickdrum is literally my kink rn

this makes me warm

chano :(((

magical glitter chimes make me feel like im floating through space or glittery tea

this song really does give me 4419 vibes

i love the build up and transition into the chorus

chan’s “you can stay, yeah” is making me so emo but its so calming and reassuring

god fucking i love this song so much too

the zweeeep sound hehe

oh shit the end of the bridge has me so emo

i also really love the “oh oh ohoh oh”

omg noooo the end is all of them im gonna cry im gonna cRY

the end has the same energy as mixtape2 i really am oging to cry oh no

i think the end of this song is really effective as the last song on the (online) album and to the cle series bc it really has a “closing the curtains” feel

in a nutshell:

i love this album so much omg it may or may not be on shuffle forever

i ??? actually love booster, you can stay, and sunshine so much?? unless its just bc theyre the “newest”

i love skz hehe im cry now goodbye

#cle: levanter #kat talks levanter #♡

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subasekabang · 5 years

Text

Long Dream –Live Remix– (A Side)

Title: Long Dream –Live Remix– (A Side)

Rating: T

Word Count: 7598 total, 3758 this chapter

Characters: Coco, Joshua, Neku, Beat, OMC, OFC

Warnings: Major character death

Summary: Her Magnum Opus nears completion, and as her audience approaches, she hurriedly arranges one final rehearsal. Elaboration on a pet theory of mine, built out of Final Remix spoilers.

Every day streets are crowded with people

Every night streets are jammed with these noises

Things are so strange, are they real or a dream?

Where am I now, trapped in this city of illusion?

***

Neku surveyed his surroundings. It didn’t take him long to recognize them.

“This is Cat Street…”

“Yo, finally!” Beat said, running a few steps ahead. “We can get outta Shibuya from here! I’m so ready to be done with this crappy Game!”

Neku looked up the street, murmuring, “Unless the way ahead has been rearranged too…”

He tensed a bit as Coco stepped up behind him, the tiny Reaper saying, “No worries fam! See, the way ahead looks, like, totez clear! That super tough wall you guys just made it past must’ve been the last challenge!”

Neku’s eyes caught on the café just ahead. Even in this situation, it still sparked a very complicated emotion in his heart.

“Yo, whatchu waitin’ for,” Beat said, “an engaged invitation? Le’s go, man!”

Beat took off. Neku followed at a slower pace, saying, “Hold on! While we’re here, shouldn’t we ask Mr. H what’s going on?”

The other boy skidded to a halt. “Huh? You think the H-Man’s gonna tell us anything?”

“He might. We have time to spare—it can’t hurt to ask.”

Coco made a face as she walked up next to him. “Uuuuh, source? That guy, like, oozes bad vibes. You should totez just finish the Game! That’s all that matters, yeah?”

Neku shook his head. “I still want to know what’s going on. Out of the people who might actually know, Mr. H is the only one with an address. We might not get another chance.”

The Reaper rolled her eyes and shrugged. “I mean, I guess, but like, why risk it? The finish line is literally right in front of y’all—just cross it and end the Game. Then if you still wanna talk to Coffee Weirdo, just walk right back in and do it then! It’ll totez be less stressful once we’re off the clock!”

Beat nodded. “Yeah, man! We gotta get this over with either way. Plus we might get an explanation jus’ for winnin’! We’ll keep the H-Man as a back-up plan, aight?”

Neku crossed his arms. “I still feel like this would be less risky.”

“Aw c’mon!” Coco said, skipping down the sidewalk. “You srsly need to chill, Neku! Let’s just finish the Game already. Besidez…while we stand here chatting, the other Players are still fighting Noise and stuff. Like, uh, Shiki? Do it for her!”

“Right: Shiki and Rhyme is still out there, Phones!” Beat said. “We gotta end the Game now!”

With a sigh, Neku grumbled, “…Alright, I guess we shouldn’t keep them waiting. But soon as we’re done, I’m coming back to get answers.”

The three of them ran down Cat Street, with Coco trailing farther and farther behind. Eventually she came to a stop, and just watched the boys continue with a wide grin on her face.

“Ugh, finally,” she said to herself. “This pair was WAY more stubborn than the last, 7.8/10 too much effort.”

Neku noticed they had lost her just as he and Beat ran over the city limits. The next thing he noticed was pain. Intense, searing pain, like his entire body was on fire. Judging by the way Beat had toppled over on the ground, the same thing was happening to him. Neku fell to his knees as the agony worsened.

“What’s…happening…?!”

Coco slowly approached them, taking care to not actually cross the limits. “This is fine! All according to keikaku. Congratz on winning the Reaper’s Game: Expert Mode! Oh btw, keikaku means plan.”

Beat cried out suddenly. Black and red flames consumed him, burning brightly for a few seconds before vanishing, leaving not even ashes in their wake. Neku’s eyes widened in horror.

“What did you do to him?!” Neku demanded.

“Erased him, duh,” Coco said. “Though technically wasn’t me, actually my baby that did it.”

“What?!”

“He needs loads of food to grow up big and strong. I’ve tried, like, a gazillion different things, and the Soul of super tough Players like you two is what works the best by far! ty so much!”

The pain only grew. Neku screamed, doing all he could to endure it despite knowing he was failing.

Coco put a hand to her ear. “Mmmm whatcha say? Couldn’t make that out.”

It wasn’t long before the flames consumed Neku as well, and then he too was gone. Coco put her hands on her hips and smiled. The world around her shifted, wavering like a mirage until it all melted into one swirling void of bluish clouds. Before her spawned a massive creature: a tapir with purple skin and six tusks, yellow tattoo-like protrusions in the shape of flames erupting all across its form. Its red eyes focused squarely on Coco.

“Yay! Look at you, you absolute unit! You’re, like, so strong now you could body anyone!”

Coco threw herself onto the tapir’s trunk, hugging it tightly—the creature gave a guttural rumble in response. She could sense its power increasing, and giggled happily as she took a step back. The tapir lowered its head and nudged her gently.

“Okay, okay.”

Reaching up, she scratched the tapir’s trunk. It tilted its head and squeaked.

“Aw, who’s a good boy?”

Coco hopped up to the top of its head, lying down so she could reach far enough to scratch behind its ear. The tapir lifted its trunk and trumpeted happily, then floated up and down in place, jostling Coco only the smallest amount.

“Haha, very good, such cute, wow!”

Soon it settled down. Coco propped up her head with one hand, continuing to slowly pet the tapir with the other, and let out a long sigh.

“Tapez my dude, I’m, like, so glad I have you. ngl you’re kinda my bff.”

The tapir grunted, swinging its trunk slightly. Coco swayed along.

“I dunno when it’s going down…but I’mma make sure you get through it. You’re one of my peeps too now! So it’s a legit promise!”

Coco extended her pinky. The tapir inclined its head a little and flexed its claws.

“Oooooh right. Well, still totez binding lol.”

She pressed her face against the tapir’s skin, letting her eyes close.

“Aaaaaah, we’re almost there, Tapez. Should just need, like, another few rounds and you’ll be a prime example of the ideal Noise body! Though tbh if the next pair is as annoying as this one, totez just gonna yeet them straight into your stomach.”

Her phone chimed. She opened one eye to look at the screen, and then rolled onto her back and groaned loudly, kicking her legs about in frustration.

“Uuuugh for real? Fine, whatevs.” She paused to pet the tapir one more time. “Sorry Tapez, I gotta bounce. brb and then we’ll go find you some more treats!”

The tapir squeaked a farewell, and then Coco stood up and shut her eyes again. Focusing her power, she elevated her Vibe and reached out with her mind to feel for the world she wanted to travel to; after so many times, it was easy for her, and in mere seconds she had concrete beneath her feet. Opening her eyes, Coco looked up at the skyline of Shinjuku and smiled brightly.

I love my city tbh.

***

Feel the people, hear the voices

They are reaching out to catch you

Feel the rhythms, hear the noises

You are beating all the visions

***

Coco moved through the city at a slow pace. Shinjuku was a travel hub, a place that was purely transient for most: each moment was fleeting, but each brought something new, something different, and that everlasting tumultuous tide of life fascinated Coco in a way nothing ever had before. Each second was something wholly unique, and she never wanted to miss even one of them. She spun around on a corner, taking it all in, and just laughed to herself.

“Having fun, Atarashi?”

Her good mood was spoiled instantly. She grimaced over her shoulder to see Joshua standing there, looking every bit as smug as she remembered him.

“fml what are you even doing here Kiryu?” she asked, turning around and crossing her arms in a huff. “Can’t you, like, take a hint?”

“Nice to see you too.” He raised a hand to his chin. “Hm. I’m curious: why is it you hold onto your wings even in the RG?”

Gesturing to them, Coco said, “Aesthetic.”

“…And what aesthetic would that be, exactly?”

“fyi I’m headed to a super important meeting rn so unless you’re finally ready to fite me irl then I, like, don’t even want to hear it.”

Joshua chuckled and brushed aside a lock of hair, which only made him seem even more smug and made Coco even angrier. “Stimulating as that has the potential to be, we’d both be in quite a bit of trouble with the folks upstairs if we were to have a skirmish.”

“Oooooh good point,” she said as she turned away. “And I bet you’re, like, already in hot water after the way you went off.”

“Nothing to worry about on that front. I’ve spoken with my Producer and he assures me the matter has been put to bed. Things in Shibuya will be staying the way they are.”

Coco spun around. “WTF?! You two are out of trouble just like that? I literally have no words!”

“Hm? Why, I would assume your Producer has been apprised of the details as well. Has he not passed them along to you yet?”

There was a short delay, and then Coco glanced aside and grumbled, “That must be why he sent me that txt…”

“I take it you’ve been too busy with your side project to stay on top of the paperwork.”

Coco locked eyes with Joshua. He was still smug, that would never change, but now there was a deadly undercurrent to his words that demanded Coco’s attention.

“tf are you even talking about?” Coco asked. “You really need to stay in your lane, Kiryu.”

“That’s rich, coming from you.”

“Explain.”

“Well for starters, I know you’ve been poking around my city.”

“omg! Tourism is a crime now?”

“Considering our circumstances I believe it falls more under ‘corporate espionage’.”

“It’s totez hilair to me that you consider the UG a corporation.”

“Setting that aside for the moment, there’s also the fact that you’ve been shirking your duties as Composer to jaunt off to an alarming number of parallel worlds as of late.”

Coco smirked. “Aw, u just jelly I can travel between worlds without needing to call an Uber to get back.”

Joshua shrugged. “I admit, it’s a skill I’ve yet to master—even my alternate selves seem to have difficulty with it. One came to call on me recently, you know. Said something about a bizarre Noise erasing two former Players in his world.”

Yawning loudly, Coco said, “Kiryu can I, like, get a tl;dr?”

Joshua’s face began to darken, the undercurrent gradually rising towards the surface. “Well Atarashi, it certainly sounds like you’ve been attacking alternate Shibuyas. If so, that’s something I believe qualifies as ‘in my lane’. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Coco cackled. “Pffft omg are u srs? I am DECEASED y’all, the guy who just tried to wipe his whole city is acting protective up in this bitch! lmaoooooo!”

Joshua stared hard at her. “Coco, do think for a moment: how do you suppose the Higher Plane would react to this news?”

“What, are you, like, planning to tell them? If you’ve got some proof then hmu.”

Joshua didn’t answer.

“lol that’s what I thought, smdh you better sit down Kiryu. Even if I were, like, messing with parallel worlds or whatevs, why would the Higher Plane even care? Angels from this world have no jurisdiction there. It’s free real estate.”

Slowly, Joshua nodded. “…Alright. Perhaps you have a point. Let’s leave the Higher Plane out of this hypothetical. The only one you need to be concerned with…is me.”

The air suddenly felt very heavy. Coco actually needed to remind herself to breathe, but she made sure her reaction wasn’t obvious.

“So, Atarashi. Explain to me why you’ve been killing Neku in so many parallel worlds. And, do try your best to make it a very good explanation.”

Coco brought her hands up to her face, twisting slightly away. “lololol I’m confused. Mad cuz I beat your record? Or want to make sure I don’t off this world’s copy of Edge Head before you can tell him he’s worthy of your grace? Honestly? I ship it.”

Joshua paused. “Neku himself isn’t the issue here. But if you’re making a move into my territory—“

“Yeah yeah yeah, cuz you care, like, SO much about your territory! I am SHOOK seeing you come in here acting like the authority on protecting your peeps! I could learn so much about my job from watching you!”

“I’m feeling a bit of déjà vu. I could have sworn I’ve already told you that a Composer’s job is simply to judge their people, and that it is only the existence and boundaries of their respective UG that require protection.”

Coco covered her mouth. “omg! Why would you say something so controversial yet so brave?” She dropped her hands and stuck out her tongue. “jk obv you’re full of it.”

“I don’t see why I should need to divulge my motivations to you of all people,” Joshua mumbled, “but if you must know…I was under the impression that Shibuya was not worth keeping around. Now that I’ve seen it still holds potential, I of course have every intention of preserving the seeds that I’ve sown.”

Coco scowled at him, but didn’t speak at first. Nearly a minute passed before she said, “Then tbh? I’m not your enemy.”

Joshua’s eyebrows went up.

“It’s, like, only a matter of time before a new kind of Game starts up Kiryu. Their Game. And I’m gonna be mad prepared when it does. If you had literally a single brain cell you’d totez be doing the same thing.”

By the time she was done, Joshua’s eyes had narrowed down to a suspicious glare. “Surely you’re not referring to the party I’m assuming?”

“Like, who else?”

Joshua stared down his nose at Coco as he considered his next move. Coco grunted, drew out her phone, and checked her messages.

“My, you truly are impossible to figure out,” Joshua sighed.

Coco gave her best Clearly Fake Smile and replied, “Because you’re an expert at that lol. I’m nothing compared to your galaxy brain.”

“I think I could do it if not for that absurd…shall we call it a dialect?”

“Uh, this is how people talk now? Hello? If you knew anything about people, then like, you’d already know that, but as always you have 0 friends so buh-bye.”

“…Hm. And, exactly how many friends do you have, Atarashi?”

Coco frowned.

Joshua turned. “But, alright. If this is some plan to deal with the Inferno, then I’ll drop the matter for now. But, one thing I’d like to make clear before I go.” He took one last glance back at her, eyes full of ice. “I will not tolerate any interference in this world’s Shibuya.”

He was off without another word. Coco suppressed the urge to shudder, turning back to her phone and mumbling half-formed syllables as she made herself look busy. She looked back up to be sure that he was gone, and then sighed and tucked her phone away, gazing over Shinjuku once more as she waited for the tension to leave her body. It was immediately replaced by joy.

“omg whoops. Rōjin is totez still waiting orz.”

***

Is it angels? Is it devils?

Whispering in my ears

Is it emotions? Is it illusions?

I need to be with you

***

Coco poked her head through the shrine’s gate. Looking up the path, she could see a bald, tan-skinned man with a stoic face sitting at the building’s entrance, his eyes already locked onto her. She flinched.

“Uuuuh what’s up gamers?” she blurted as she stumbled forward. “I know I’m, like, totez late, but I have a tru legit reason for it, get a load of this!”

The man was Seiji Rōjin, owner of the shrine and also Shinjuku’s Producer. He offered not a single word as Coco hurriedly explained her encounter with Joshua to him. When she was done, he nodded and closed his eyes; Coco looked around awkwardly for a few seconds, and then took a seat next to him.

“You must leave your Opus be,” he ultimately said.

Coco started. “Uh, excuse me? Abandon all my hard work just because that nerd doesn’t want me near his bf? I think the heck not!”

Rōjin opened his eyes to look at her.

“…Um? Something else?”

“The Higher Plane demands a Game.”

Coco blinked. Then she rolled back, digging her fingers into her scalp and shouting, “AAAAAAARGH, srsly?! I know I haven’t held a Game in, like, forev, but can’t they just let me handle thingz down here? Please say sike!”

Rōjin said nothing. As she accepted the reality of the situation, Coco’s heart sank.

“But…Tapez…” She groaned. “…Is, like, a teeny bit of faith in me too much to ask? They know I’ve got mad skillz! When you taught me how to make Tapez, you said I was one of only, like, three Composers whomst’ve ever been able to control Magnum Opus Noise—they should be totez impressed with me already!”

“The Higher Plane demands more of your position than mere talent,” Rōjin said. “It demands discipline.”

Coco pulled herself back into a sitting position. “I am, like, sooo disciplined! I legit wanted to tear Kiryu’s face off, but I didn’t!” She got back on her feet as she went on, “Like, sure, this is about Shinjuku, but the whole reason I’m working on Tapez is so he can protect my peeps! Making sure he’s bad enough to dunk on anyone is literally The Best Thing I can be doing rn! The Inferno is out there, you know, somewhere, and we dunno when they’re gonna throw hands! And now I have to take time out of my counterattack schedule to run some basic-ass Game?”

She whirled back to face Rōjin. He didn’t say anything. Coco stared at him for a few moments, realizing she was getting a headache.

“…heck. We don’t really have much of a choice, do we? If the Higher Plane wants a Game so bad, then like, we gotta pull together a Game. Tapez will just have to chill for a week I guess.”

Coco put a hand to her head as she trudged past Rōjin for the door.

“Ugh, lemme see, the Conductor obvs needs to show, and we should probably @ all the Officers too. idk who’s gonna be the GM this week but they—“

The pain in her head suddenly turned sharp. She paused mid-step.

“…they…”

Her vision blurred, then went dark. And then she saw Shinjuku again, but it was…different, somehow. As if viewed through some sort of filter. She saw the streets, the people, and then a glowing red symbol up in the sky—and then the streets were empty. Not a single soul was left in Shinjuku. No, not quite, next she saw one person: a girl who slowly walked forward with a blank look in her eyes. The girl stared straight ahead, but couldn’t see Coco. Still, she opened her mouth to speak.

“All that’s left in the world is me.”

Coco gasped as the shrine came back into focus. At first she was too surprised to make any sense of the event. But as she breathed, she processed it, and her eyes shot wide as pure dread came over her.

“Uh…a-ah…I…”

Rōjin stood, watching her with furrowed brow. Coco’s entire body shook as she turned to face him.

“I…I saw it again…!”

She jumped forward and grabbed Rōjin’s shirt.

“It was the same vision! You remember, right? From, like, WAY back when I first asked you about Magnum Opus Noise? I saw it again! Shinjuku was erased—it was an Inversion! I-I…” She looked down as tears started to form in her eyes. “I haven’t seen anything since that day…why now? Is…is the Inferno about to attack Shinjuku? Is that what this means?! Are we out of time?!”

She felt a hand on her head. Looking up, she saw Rōjin staring back at her, his face as calm and stoic as ever. Coco swallowed hard, and then exhaled slowly.

“R-Right…right.” She managed a chuckle. “Like, look at me, crying in the club like a little bitch! Thanks bunchez, Rōjin.”

She stepped away and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Coco found herself looking up at the sky, as if to verify what she had seen hadn’t actually come true…at least, not yet. The same skyline greeted her. But this time, she just couldn’t feel happy about it. This time, it made her feel resolute. She turned back to Rōjin.

“Sorry fam. But I, like, can’t just sit on my ass and play a Game rn. The Higher Plane might not be convinced, but I just know the Inferno’s on their way to end my whole career, and I’m not about to take that.”

Rōjin paused. Then, with a single nod, he said, “Mood.”

Coco giggled. “omg, you’re, like, literally the worst!”

She left the shrine and made her way back up the street, thinking, Dunno how much more time I have to beef up Tapez. My boi’s totez strong, but I can’t be too careful, and probs don’t have much time for last minute boosts. I need to, like, think of how else I can improve his chances…

Her feet slowed, and she looked back at the shrine.

…Hm. I wonder what she would think?

Coco crossed her arms.

I mean, she’s gonna be totez disappointed there’s no Game. But like, she’s still my Conductor, yeah? If I can’t trust her to back me up, then who can I trust?

She turned and got moving again.

At the v least I gotta ask. Whatever it takes…my Shinjuku is going to survive.

***

Every day noises are killing these people

Every night noises are waiting for me but

Don’t run away, we’ve got no time left to fear

Where are you now, still it’s showing me illusions

#TWEWY #TWEWY Bang 2019 #The World Ends With You #Subarashiki Kono Sekai #World Ends With You #fanfic #submission

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suprisinglysweetsociopath · 4 years

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Let’s start with honesty

Seriously I do not want to be honest, I absolutely love lying about my feelings to everything and everyone. But fine. Fucking fine. I am increasingly a mess of anxiety because despite my myriad schemes and theories I am increasingly terrified that none of them are going to work. Several of my friends are “essential employees” and I am fucking terrified for them - shit my mom finished chemo a year ago, she’s coming up on when cancer’s going to come back if it will, and she’s gotta work as an RN. I’m also dealing with a massive inferiority complex - and if you’re thinking “oh shit where did that come from I thought he had a giant ego.” congratulations, you are one of the literally hundreds if not thousands of people who I’ve successfully lied to. Not even meant as a taunt - I’m a really, really good liar. Guess what? I absolutely fucking hate myself. My family are well off, as you might expect from the mentions I’ve made here and there on my main that my mom’s a nurse and my dad’s a surgeon. We didn’t get that money by fucking anyone over, but holy shit I am such a silver-spoon piece of shit and I cannot begin to explain how much I fucking HATE that I am still relying on my parents. Never had to worry about being hungry, never had to worry about being able to maintain a work schedule to keep insurance or keep a roof over my head. I’m 25 years old and have actually never had to really worry about the things that plague almost everyone I love. Yeah, I should be grateful. I know. And I am, in a way. But the tradeoff is that I know, on some level, that I do not have the understanding I should. Because emotional empathy isn’t *really* a thing I’m capable of, and while i’m capable of worrying about my friends I often worry that I’m not capable of understanding them because I don’t share their experiences. I also know, clearly and painfully, that I have never actually proven my worth in any capacity that matters in regards to taking care of myself or really earning my place in the world. I don’t need to get a job to go to grad school, much less a shitty, minimum wage one in an “essential” field, but guess what? I’m going to anyway. Not because it’ll be good for me - it almost certainly will not - but because it’ll let me feel a little less like the silverspoon little cuntfuck I have always been. My parents are worried about my grades if I do it but you know what? Fuck it. I can manage. I have the discipline. Sure, I’ll wind up screaming incoherently about the frustration and the tension here, but if it soothes the absolute fucking hatred I feel about being this goddamn sheltered and safe and fucking bourgie, worth it. Oh, and let’s also add this on: I frequently realize I scare people with my reactions to things. Example. I said, to the face of someone not wearing a mask, that because they were putting people at risk by their selfish jackassery, I thought they should be summarily euthanized to avoid them infecting anyone who actually mattered. And I was really, really hoping they’d take a swing so I could. You know. Have a bit of stress release. I have said, previously, that idgaf about the old people in the retirement home a friend works in because “fuck it, they’re old, they’ve had a good run, all of them together are not worth risking you.” Apparently, that’s a cold blooded and offensive opinion to have, and I guess that makes sense that it would be once it was pointed out, but you know what? I’m only attached to so many people and I would happily drown the world in it’s own gore to keep all of them happy and healthy. Then there’s the constant seething rage and bloodlust I feel about politics. Yeah, let me be honest about that. For no other reason than that I want to see my friends and loved ones taken care of and the Republican party is in the way of the progress needed to do that, I want to maim, kill, pillage and burn my way across the entire goddamn country and slaughter every single motherfucking right winger in existence. Fuck, even now I’m working on infiltrating QAnon and seeing if I can’t get them to meet up and kill each other or better, use them as pawns to kill some of the super rich assholes who keep fucking everything up for the rest of us. And I’ve bounced around incel forums in earnest efforts to make sure the black pill winds up being “suicide” not “rape and homicide” because fuck it, I know exactly zero incels but as far as I can see every single on of them is a potential threat to people I do care about. So if they reform? Great. If they die instead? As long as it kills zero people I love? Not my problem. Ditto neo nazis and white supremacists. Them being dead does nothing but make the people I count safer. Oh, and any of the optimism you’ve seen me express in my main on the stories? All lies. All of it. I think humanity, at its core, is a race of stupid, selfish ignorant assholes with few to no redeeming qualities that it can claim on anything more than an individual by individual basis and I think our extinction at our own hands will do little more than prove Darwin right. Why do I write those? Because I feel like SOMEONE probably deserves to have hope about our species and fuck it, why not? I enjoy fantasizing about better worlds and writing about a cast who do generally have redeeming qualities and if it gives people the hope they need to continue, so much the better. Me? I’m animated by desire to be there for the people I love and an absolute refusal to die before everything I hate. That’s the only reason I get out of bed in the mornings most of the time. Oh and did I mention that ASPD and manic depression have this weird synergy where I either feel nothing or everything at fucking once? Or on the “balance” days I feel my emotions exactly the way I want to, with them there and identifiable but comfortably distant from my decision-making process, where they belong. Okay maybe my therapist was right. It does feel good to get all that out there.

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blackwatchbastard · 7 years

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Sleeping Habits of Super Soldiers

Rating: T Chapter(s): 1/1 Relationship(s): Gabriel Reyes/Jack Morrison Warnings: Light Angst (happy ending) Words: 2,204 Additional Tags: Cuddles, Sappiness, FLUFF Summary: Even heroes need their rest. A/N: All I feel like writing rn are cuddles so y'all just have to deal with me. (ao3)

There was a procedure to sharing a bed with Jack Morrison. Gabriel learned early on that the man was easily unlike any other bedmate he’d ever had.

For starters he snored, loudly. He knew this before their friendship became anything more than playful banter while they both barfed in trash cans after a round of serum shots. It was a majestic sound; like someone trying to start up an ancient car that just wanted the sweet release of death. And rolling him over did nothing.

Not that rolling him over was an option when they slept together. Usually, Gabriel was trapped fully by a tangle of arms and legs within the first few minutes and stayed that way until the alarm went off in the mornings. No getting up to piss or get a drink, no squeezing out of his grasp before morning to go make breakfast. Gabriel just had to stay put and hope Jack’s alarm went off before his bladder exploded. Didn’t help trying to wake him was like trying to raise the dead.

Blankets were also subject to scrutiny from Jack Morrison. Gabriel never saw him sleep with more than a thin sheet in winter, summer meant nothing at all. It made some sense; the man put off heat like a furnace. A few times Gabriel worried he must have had a fever but he seemed to just run hot, something that only increased in severity after SEP treatments. So on cold nights Gabriel would simply have to burrito himself in a blanket before sleeping, leaving Jack to coil around him in a tangle of too-warm limbs. On warm nights, they would just sweat. Gabriel just took up showering in the mornings after waking up to Jack sweat-glued to him.

All in all, an outsider would probably see the arrangement as completely inconvenient. But love makes you adaptive. Gabriel Reyes got used to it, even started to like it. By the time they’d gone from green recruits to Strike-Commander Morrison and Blackwatch Commander Reyes he could actually say he genuinely liked it.

Some nights, Jack fell asleep before him. He hauled himself into their apartment on one such night at around 0300 with a headache and stale coffee breath to find Jack snoring, limbs flung oddly and pillows on the floor. Gabriel undressed to the sound, washed up, and grabbed his fleece off the floor before sitting on the edge of the bed next to him.

“Sleeping beauty, wake up.” he murmured, wrapping his blanket around his shoulders and reaching over to rub Jack’s cheek. Fresh shaven and already prickly, one day he’d just convince him to grow a damn beard.

Jack’s face twitched, nose crinkling, but he didn’t move. Gabriel leaned over and pressed his lips to his cheek, making exaggerated kissing noises, and felt Jack’s cheek pull with a sleepy smile. He didn’t wake up, not really, but he stretched his arms open and Gabriel tucked himself into them, nose smooshed against Jack’s throat. Jack’s arms locked around him instantly, one leg getting haphazardly tossed over his hip, and his snore started up again in seconds. It didn’t take Gabriel much longer to fall asleep under the ideal conditions.

Strike-Commander Morrison’s picture was on another tabloid. Dressed in sweats and toting his luggage into a hotel, caught coming from the airport on some official business. They could have zeroed in on anything, really. His graying and receding hair, his new wedding band (replaced last month after the old one got snatched off with his glove and some of the skin on his knuckles during a mission), laugh lines, softness growing around his middle—anything.

Instead, they’d focused on the item stuffed under his other arm. A body pillow, firm but clearly well napped on and wrapped in a jersey fabric pinstripe cover. The article titles ran the gamut; from ‘Strike-Commander Can’t Sleep Without A Comfort Item?’ (going on to ask what kind of ‘juvenile’ was in charge of Overwatch) to ‘Jack Morrison Possible Pillow Pervert?’ (points for alliteration and how hard Gabriel was going to laugh when he showed him but still a D- in theory).

Jack tossed his tablet at the hotel bed and it landed with a slight ‘puff’ against the too-warm duvet. Of all the stupid shit to get hassled over. He was on a diplomatic mission not some high school overnight trip. He also didn’t have Gabriel, which was the whole reason he had the damn pillow.

It had been Gabriel’s idea; he’d gotten it for Jack after hearing how poorly he slept when they were apart. Originally, he’d gotten some off-brand Strike-Team merch cover for it; himself, in an artist’s rendition of a seductive pose. Jack yanked it off immediately, mortified. Gabriel laughed the whole time. But joking aside it had… weirdly helped. It wasn’t the perfect substitute for Gabriel’s warm and sleep-pliable form tucked against his chest but it worked in a pinch to mimic his usual sleeping position.

Jack glanced back over at the bed, tablet lighting up with another alter. Sighing, he got up and wandered over to flop sideways onto the bed and grab it, head braced against the pillow. Gabriel; asking if he was up. Jack had barely sent the reply before a video chat call came through. Smiling to himself, he answered.

“Hey sunshine, isn’t it late there?” he teased, taking in Gabriel’s drowsy expression and dark background. He looked to be surrounded by pillows in the dim view Jack got, probably in bed. Gabriel nodded in reply to his question and had to stifle a yawn before speaking.

“I can’t sleep without my white noise maker.” he drawled. Jack snorted. “Also, it’s cold as fuck here.”

Jack offered up a sympathetic little smile. “I’ll be back in a few days, promise.” he said, then, “Check the tabloids when you wake up, it’ll make you smile.”

Gabriel stifled another yawn, laughing faintly. “What’d you do?”

“Oh,” Jack said, “I didn’t do anything.”

They talked until Gabriel fell asleep on the line, cheek smooshed against the pillow, and Jack took a screenshot before ending the call.

Usually, Commander Reyes didn’t sleep much on away missions. If they were in the field he would sometimes doze sitting up or catch a short nap during flights. If they actually had a hotel it was another story, however.

Gabriel figured out the exact number of blankets and pillows it took to feel like he was getting smothered by another super soldier and usually would request the extras upon booking. Hotels didn’t really have an issue giving a war hero some extra bedding. And he usually got a room to himself, meaning no one was around to question his weird pillow nest. Sometimes, however, the funding department got a little cheap.

One such occasion, he and Jesse wandered into their room jet lagged and dazed, to find his usual bedding request stacked on one of the two queen size beds in the room. Jesse did a double take when Gabriel dumped his bag on the bed.

“You… ask for those, boss?”

“Yeah.” Gabriel shot him a bland look. “What of it, kid?”

Jesse raised a brow at him. “You gonna play princess and the pea?” he asked.

Gabriel plopped unceremoniously on his bed and went to yanking off his boots. “You tell a damn soul how I sleep, McCree, and the hat is mine.” he replied, casual despite the clear threat.

Jesse blaunched some, one hand shooting to hold his hat to his head, and huffed. “Fine, fine.” he grumbled, moving to drop his bag on the free bed, “Yer secret is safe with me, princess—I mean Commander.”

Gabriel responded by bouncing one of his extra pillows off the back of Jesse’s head, knocking his hat across the room.

Fifth of whiskey and he still couldn’t sleep. Jack stared at the ceiling, vaguely drunk and totally exhausted, and sighed. Shakily, he sat up and grabbed his pack of cigarettes off the ground next to his cot. Laying back down, he lit one and puffed the smoke up toward the ceiling.

Ana had offered him a nicer place to sleep. Maybe a bed, somewhere inside rather than just squished under an overhang. It wouldn’t have done anything but make this process more awkward, so he’d politely declined. Besides, he liked being able to catch glimpses of the stars.

He didn’t have the luxury of carrying extra bedding. His sleeping bag was usually the most he had some nights, since teaming up with Ana he’d been forced to at least get something up off the ground. She’d thrown a pillow at his head after the first night but it and the thin sheet on the cot both usually ended up on the ground by morning. Sleeping in a sleeping bag had been easier; he could restrict his movement and just lay on his back. Now, he tossed and turned and slept in short, fitful bursts.

He hated sleeping on his side. The absence of anything in his arms hurt too much. The lack of a warm body, mumbling in his sleep and scratching his chest with beard hair. Not waking up in the morning and getting groggily smothered in kisses before his bedmate bolted to the bathroom. All sleeping like that felt like anymore was empty and impossible, so Jack trained himself to sleep on his back.

He smoked his cigarette and snuffed the butt out next to his empty whiskey bottle. It didn’t help him sleep but it just about took the edge off. Eventually, he drifted off in a slight daze and dreamt of warmth and softness that was just out of his reach these days. In the morning, it hardly felt like he’d slept at all.

“I don’t sleep.” Reaper told Sombra, hint of a snarl on his voice.

“Weird.” she said, bouncing on her toes, “Must be why you’re always so cranky.”

He just sighed and shooed her off, attempting to get back to the mission at hand. She slept most of the night while he stayed up on watch. The mission wasn’t very long, he could wait to get back.

Gabriel didn’t want to know what Sombra would do with the information of how he slept. Be annoying, mostly. But more worryingly, be curious. Force him to face why he still couldn’t sleep unless he was crowded in pillows and blankets, compressed as best as possible and too warm. She’d make him examine why he dreamt of snoring and scratchy stubble and fingers kneading sleepily at his back muscles.

So he waited. Dozed behind his mask when she was sleeping and tried not to think about how much he missed his bed. Or what else he missed.

“Jack.”

The dream felt so vivid. Like he could just reach out and touch it. Blood, smoke, and agony. It had repeated so many times he could almost tell the whole thing by heart.

“Jack.”

He knew that voice. Knew it in the dark, haunting parts of his mind. Even in the terror, it was home.

“Wake up, Jack.”

His eyes opened but he was still largely blind, dark room and fading vision leaving everything hazy like the dream was. Jack felt a hand rub comfortingly at his chest, just below his collarbone, and tucked himself closer to the soft, blanket wrapped form in his arms. He felt Gabriel shift and sling one arm around his middle, fingers dancing across his bare back soothingly.

“Bad dreams?” he asked. Jack nodded and squished his cheek against the top of Gabriel’s head. “Wanna talk about them?” Jack shook his head so Gabriel went silent.

For a while they just laid there, Jack breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth until he calmed down. Gradually, sleep started to find him again. Gabriel, still rubbing circles on his back, shifted again and roused him some.

“Jack,” he mumbled, sounding half awake, “I gotta piss. Lemme up.”

Defiantly, Jack tucked himself closer. Pulled Gabriel more flush against his chest, chin tucked protectively on top of his head. Gabriel squirmed, grumbling, and shoved halfhearted at his chest.

“Jack.”

“Can’t hear you, Jack’s asleep.” he replied, squeezing his eyes shut.

There was a pause, more grumbling, and then Gabriel’s form dissipated in Jack’s arms and left him clutching the blanket the other man was wrapped in. Smoke flowed thickly over the side of the bed and reformed Gabriel standing next to it, arms folded over his chest. Jack looked up at him sulkily from the bed.

“Cheater.” he pouted.

Gabriel shook his head, smile tugging the corners of his mouth, and ducked down to kiss his temple before turning and heading for the bathroom. “You don’t get to trap me and my bladder anymore, Jackass.”

Jack rolled away to avoid the light of the bathroom cutting on. When he heard it shut off he rolled back over and held his arms out blindly. Gabriel climbed into them a second later and settled in, tucked under his chin. Coiled around him, sleep came easy for the first time in years. In the morning, Gabriel was still asleep in his arms. And everything felt right.

#reaper76 #morreyeson #morreyes #fly writes fics

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