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#i love cats and ladies so put um together and bliss for me
generallynerdy · 4 years
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Step By Step (Bucky Barnes X Roommate!Reader)
Summary: Step by step, Bucky Barnes was learning to put himself back together. Luckily, he’s not alone. He has Sam Wilson, a bastard cat, and you, of course.
Requested by nklnnd (AO3): Since requests are open again would it be too much to ask for an after endgame bucky/reader. Like bucky is trying to piece his life back together without Steve in a new world and his roommate/friend helps him. I don't know I just love the cute fluffy domestic moments. Ps: I adore your writing. Feel free to do whatever you want with the prompt, if you like it that is, I have complete faith in your abilities! :)
Key: (Y/N) - your name Warnings: the Snap, mentions of death, depression, depressive episodes, mentions of isolation, touches of trauma, recovery process but written badly Word Count: 1,469 (nice)
Note: i hope it’s domestic enough?? I played loose and fast with the ‘step by step’ theme i just really wanted to get this done LMAO
    Step One: Survive.
    Returning to Manhattan after defeating Thanos was more painful than it should’ve been. Days before, he was dead, so you think he would’ve been overjoyed. But in reality, he wished he was dead again.
    Loss weighed upon his shoulders heavier than it ever had. Steve Rogers, Captain America, was gone. His Steve, his best friend Steve.
    Bucky Barnes was alone.
    The Avengers knew this. They thought they could help him. So, they set him up in an apartment in Brooklyn with a roommate: you. They hoped you could take care of him, help him piece his life back together.
    But you weren’t sure what was left to put together. To be honest, it would probably be better for him to start anew. But he wasn’t ready for that either.
    “James?”
    You entered his room one quiet Saturday morning. You hadn’t seen him for a full 24 hours, which was worrying. Your concerns were confirmed when you discovered a pitch black room and the shuffling form of the Winter Soldier still in his bed.
    You sighed and spoke quietly, sure that his head was pounding. “Bad day?”
    He didn’t reply, but he didn’t have to.
    You’d only lived together for about two weeks, but he’d already had quite a few of these days. He would shut himself away from the world, from you especially, and wouldn’t come out for at least the rest of the day. Yesterday was a bad one, too. You hoped this wouldn’t become a regular occurance.
    You moved to sit on the edge of his bed. “Can I get you anything?”
    There was a pause before he shook his head just slightly. You bit your lip as you looked at him. You could leave him be, let him simmer until he felt better...or maybe there was a better way to do this.
    “Do you want company?” you asked hesitantly.
    Step Two: Don’t isolate.
    The pause was longer this time, but he finally nodded.
    You scooted up the bed so that you could rest your back against the wall and sit right next to him. Carefully, you pulled your knees up to your chest and pulled your phone out of your pocket, making sure that you weren’t touching him. He hummed gratefully before the two of you sank into silence.
    Step Three: Let others in.
    On a good day, you and Bucky would have breakfast together before you went to work. Mostly you talked about when you’d be home and how he was doing, then you’d leave.
    You weren’t entirely sure what he did all day without you there, but after a muttered movie reference, you realised he was watching Netflix religiously. Once you found out about that, you realised that you probably should get him something else so he wasn’t as painfully bored.
    “I’m home!” You called one day, entering the apartment.
    You found him on the couch with a show playing on the TV, which he paused as soon as you entered. “How’d your day go?” he asked quietly.
    “Meh, same old, same old,” you replied cheerily, flopping onto the couch beside him. “I got you something.”
    He furrowed his eyebrows and sat up, his gaze questioning. Before he had to ask, you held out a small, shiny card that had his name on the back of it and some unrecognisable logo on the front. He flipped it around to look at it, but still looked confused.
    “There’s this, um, library down the street,” you told him. “I figured TV is gonna get old sometime, so I got you a card for it.”
    His eyes widened and he nodded. “Thanks,” he finally said, almost wistfully.
    “Yeah, of course. Just let me know when you wanna go and I can show you the way there,” you said with a smile. “It’s a really nice, quiet place. I think you’ll like it, James.”
    “Bucky,” he corrected. “Only one that called me James was my mom.”
    You blinked dumbly a few times before nodding. “Bucky.”
    Step Four: Get into a routine.
    Bucky took to the library like a fish to water. He said he wasn’t much of a book guy, but he was clearly a liar because every time he went, he checked out more books than before. On weekends, the two of you would make it a group outing, but while you were at work if he found himself lacking reading material, he would make a quick trip. The lady at the front desk already knew both of your names after a few weeks and was one of the few people Bucky actually felt like talking to regularly.
    It was a massive relief, seeing as he hardly ever left the apartment otherwise.
    His bad days happened less and less often, but when they did happen he was content to curl up next to you in his bed as you read your own book silently. The first time he put his head in your lap, you nearly jumped out of your skin. The next few times, however, you got into the habit of running your fingers through his hair.
    Step Five: Find comfort in the little things.
    And then came Alpine.
    You woke up one blissful Saturday morning to find Bucky already awake and on the couch. You were about to say something about how much of an improvement that was, but then you spotted a puddle of white on his lap.
    It was a cat.
    “Uh…” You didn’t even know what to say.
    “He climbed in through my window and he won’t leave,” Bucky said instantly, his own eyes wide. “(Y/N), what do I do?”
    You were shocked silent. “I...don’t know.”
    “I’ve never had a cat, is this how you get a cat?” he whispered frantically.
    Apparently, it was. Bucky dubbed him Alpine and he became a permanent resident of the apartment. 
    He was a little bastard, but the both of you adored him. He usually slept in Bucky’s room, but he was always up and about when you woke up, purring as he invaded your personal space while you attempted to cook breakfast.
    A day wasn’t complete without someone shouting; “Alpine, NO--”
    Step Six: Reach out.
    Slowly but surely, Bucky was putting himself back together. Or maybe he was becoming someone else-- you didn’t know. But you liked Bucky as you knew him, as he was now.
    Through libraries and breakfasts, cats and Netflix, the two of you became inseparable. Bucky Barnes was quite possibly the best friend you’d ever had. You would never admit that to anyone who asked, though, as Bucky nearly died under even the slightest compliment. He was still figuring out positive reinforcement.
    He still struggled with Instagram and the news often gave him a headache, but his reintegration was going smoothly. In fact, he’d made a few more friends other than you and Alpine.
    “And then he fell on his face like an idiot--”
    The laughter from the living room made you smile as you reentered the room, carrying three specially made sandwiches.
    “Sorry we don’t have a decent dinner,” you muttered as you passed them to the boys.
    Sam Wilson, ever a sweetheart, just shook his head. “Hey, sandwiches are great. I wasn’t planning on any dinner, so…”
    “Sandwiches are perfect,” Bucky repeated.
    You sat down on the couch in between them, gently shoving Alpine aside when he tried to get a bite of your dinner. Sam snorted at the sight while Bucky rolled his eyes fondly.
    “Dibs on picking the show,” you said as you turned on the TV.
    “Rude,” Sam said, mocking offense. “Age before beauty, (Y/N)!”
    Bucky lifted his legs to rest on top of your lap. “In that case, I get to pick.”
    “Old man,” you teased, elbowing his side. “If you’re both gonna be so whiny about it, then we should make this a regular thing. New person picks every week.”
    “Deal,” Sam agreed instantly.
    Bucky grinned. “Only if it doesn’t mess with your work schedule.”
    You waved him off. “A little late night won’t kill me.”
    “Okie dokie,” he said, finally agreeing. You turned bright red when he leaned over to kiss your cheek. “You’re the best.”
    You desperately tried to ignore the way Sam waggled his eyebrows. Luckily, Bucky didn’t seem to see it. He snatched the remote from your hands, citing his age once more as Sam choked on his food when you smacked his chest.
    As Bucky put on some comedy, you snuggled deeper into the couch, smiling to yourself.
    One step at a time had worked wonders. He was taking bigger steps every day and, to be honest, so were you. Recovery was a slow process, but it was worth every moment just to see him smile.
    Step Seven: Realise you’re not alone.
Nova Tags: @hahaboop
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anon here is v curious about your headcanons for john/veronica/roger pls share
Okay you had no idea what you were getting yourself into when you asked me this. I will not apologize for my passions
My wife @candidroger​ and I have built out an elaborate world wherein John/Veronica/Roger are together and pure. It’s gonna be long, so STRAP IN! (long rant below the cut)
okay so it starts like this: roger and ronnie grow up in the same town and are bffs and  when they’re like seventeen roger realizes that he might..not..be straight?? he’s like definitely bi but more into dick than vagina
and he has STRICT parents who are homophobes so he’s like oh shit this is bad
and ronnie realizes that she has STRICT parents who just don’t want to see their baby girl go off and live her life in london like she’s always dreamed of? like they’re like, we can’t have you live ALONE in the BIG CITY where you could DIE so why don’t you stay here in town and just never leave the nest
so ronnie and roger are commiserating together over a bunch of wkds because they’re trash when they come to the realization that if they marry EACH OTHER they can not only make roger’s parents think he’s straight but also have ronnie’s parents let her go to uni in london
AND THEN THEY DO! they get married and roger’s parents are SO PROUD and ronnie’s parents are like, ugh FINE (minus Grandma Tetz but she deserves HER OWN STORY because that woman is hell in a handbasket and i love her)
So Ronnie and Roger move down to London together and they proceed to just fuck shit up. They have an excellent report with each other because these kids are inSANE. like they write up a prenup that is basically just that when they divorce, whoever has had the most sexual partners during their wedding wins their whole liquor stash, and that the cats (Mrs. Fuzzles [he’s a boy] and Gilgamesh [she’s a girl]) have a very detailed custody agreement. Its written on the back of a take away menu and they got it fucking notarized because they’re ~extra~
Ronnie also takes sick pleasure in trying to sabotage Roger’s chances of winning the liquor stash by kicking down his door while he’s in flagrante and being like “WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN BED WITH MY HUSBAND!”
She’s only supposed to do it the morning after, but she’s competitive and in it to win
(That’s how they meet Freddie)(he refuses to leave because he lives for the drama)
Anyways so fast forward and Queen is now a thing like they are picking up steam and they’re looking for a bassist
In comes Mr. John Richard Deacon born August the 19, 1951 
Roger is his usual flirty mess who is hitting on men and women left and right and John is like, ah gotcha, this guys just the usual player like i think he’s the prettiest guy i’ve ever seen? but he’s kinda just a fuckboi okay gotcha gotcha gotcha
And then one day they’re playing and he sees this GORGEOUS woman in the crowd and he’s like fuck that’s the one I Love Her and he’s making eyes at her across from the bar and she’s making eyes right back at him and hes!! so!! happy!!
When the set finishes he goes and puts the Disco Deacy Moves™ on her and she is just so fucking into it and John’s like hell yeah hell yeah hell yeah
Only for Roger to come bounding up to her and is like “John! I see you’ve met my WIFE Mrs. Veronica Tetzlaff-Taylor (Tetz for short)” 
And Ronnie is like yup, this is my husband, can you believe we’ve been married for 6 years???? (they wear rings john just doesn’t pay attention poor lad)
And John is just...heartbroken. Like he is CRUSHED. Here was his perfect woman but not only is she MARRIED she’s married to his bandmate who is also a serial CHEATER
and he sits on it and stews for months because Roger keeps cheating but always goes home to their apartment and Ronnie is just so much better than him?? and she doesn’t deserve this!! but what can he do?? if he tells her he ruins the band but if he doesn’t then she’ll just get more hurt? 
Basically he spends it trying to avoid her because she’s aggressively hitting on him (hey the lady’s married to roger she’s learned some shit along the way) 
Then one night, they’re all out at a bar and Ronnie like corners him and he’s drunk and she just goes for it and she plants the kiss of a lifetime on him and is like “i know you want me like i want you” (a trademark Roger Taylor Line™) and john just snaps
“What about Roger?” and Ronnie’s like “He’s going home with someone else it doesn’t matter” because she might be brilliant but she’s Dense
“I’m not going to just be with you in order to get back at Roger,” he says and pushes her off him. “I’m not your whore.” 
And he leaves and locks himself in his apartment and spends the weekend alternating between eating too much ice cream and crying and watching shitty movies and feeling all around shitty
and when the next practice comes around, he shows up looking like shit with sunglasses on and is like “alright, roger is gonna kill me for kissing his wife and i’m gonna get kicked out of the band” 
Roger is FURIOUS and he immediately just slams John up against the wall and is like “You MOTHERFUCKER who do you think you are calling Ronnie a whore?” 
And john is like wtf no i didn’t and for your information SHE kissed ME
and Roger is like “I will fucking kill you for looking at her she doesn’t DESERVE YOU she is BETTER THAN YOU!”
John is now angry and is like “Oh yeah? Well she deserves better than YOU you fucking wankstain CHEATER!!” 
And Freddie is the one who's like okay...there’s clearly some miscommunication because Roger isn’t cheating? And johns like they’re MARRIED and he’s GOING HOME WITH OTHER PEOPLE
and Roger’s like oh fuck no one actually told you??? we all just...assumed you knew...
And johns like knew what
and then roger explains how they’re married in name only so that his family won’t cut him off and so her family would let her go to her dream university and hey the tax break is fantastic so they just kept at it and it works cuz they’re best friends
Johns like...”who the fuck gets married for a tax break” 
and together freddie and brian are like “roger and ronnie do”
So John shows up at Roger and Ronnie’s flat with flowers and is like I didn’t know and I’m sorry and I really want to take you out to dinner if that’s okay with your husband
And roger is like “bring her back by nine and no funny business”
and ronnie’s like “i can blow him in the car if i want roger and we’ll be back when i want to come back you hypocrite” 
And they start dating. And then John moves in with Roger and Ronnie because Ronnie can’t abandon her husband??? And it goes from Roger&Ronnie to Roger&Ronnie&John
Two years later, John has the worlds most awkward conversation with Roger where he’s basically like, hey can you um, get a divorce from my girlfriend so i can ask her marry me??? 
And Roger at first is THRILLED because John and Ronnie are couples GOALS and he LOVES them SO MUCH and they DESERVE HAPPINESS
So they get a divorce (Roger wins the pot of alcohol but Ronnie gets Mrs. Fuzzles and Gilgamesh) (Roger cries) and Roger is like okay, cool, i’m now single this is great!
and he just spends his newly single nights hooking up with everything that moves but he just keeps feeling sadder and sadder
Until he wakes up one night two weeks before the wedding and is like Oh Fuck I’ve Fucked Up and Fallen in Love with My Ex-Wife and Her New Husband
and just shuts down and is like okay well there’s nothing I can do now they love each other and i will never ruin their happiness so I’ll just SUFFER like a MARTYR
And he gives Ronnie away at the wedding (Ronnie and John couldn’t decide who would have him as their best man/MOH and it caused their biggest fight so they decided neither could have him and they’d just have him walk her down the aisle and give the big speech at the end) and is like i will never let them know that this is Killing Me.
After the wedding he’s like, okay guess I’ll move out now? At first its okay? because he’s now got all the hot water he wants, and he doesn’t wake up in the middle of the night to Ronnie and John going at it and Ronnie doesn’t leave her hair in the sink and John doesn’t drink all the milk and put the carton back in the fridge
But he’s Lonely 
Ronnie and John go on their honeymoon and Roger goes to Freddie’s to get the drunkest he’s ever been and he confesses his feelings but is like whatever i can be strong (spoiler alert he’s not he’s very sad)
Meanwhile, in Paradise, Ronnie and John are beginning to realize that they’ve never been alone this long without Roger
And John is like, has Ronnie always talked this much without Roger there to cut her off?
And Ronnie is like, had John always breathed this loud?? why is he wheezing?? wtf???? 
And they’ll never admit it to each other, but they’re really really REALLY excited to get home and see Roger again
But they can’t say that to each other?? Because it’s their honeymoon and who wants to hear from their new spouse that they’re more excited to see their best friend/ex husband than have sex with them
So they get back and they’re like ROGER!! WE’VE MISSED YOU!!
And Roger is like I Can Never Let Them Know I Love Them
so he just plays it cool and starts to distance himself from them because he doesn’t want to ruin their newlywedded bliss
But Ronnie and John keep fighting about everything (the milk the talking the fact that john will not stop dropping his wet towels on the bathroom floor wtf john) and they keep trying to see Roger but he’s always busy now??? he has no time for them??? because he “doesn’t hang out with married couples”????
Finally it comes to a head months later where Ronnie and John are just screaming at each other from across the kitchen when Ronnie finally just screams: 
“I WOULDN’T HAVE MARRIED YOU IF I KNEW IT MEANT LOSING ROGER!”
And john’s like 
“WELL ME THE FUCK TOO, VERONICA!” 
And they stop and stare at each other and they’re like, whut
so they pull out the wine and spend the night unloading how somewhere along the way they both fell in love with Roger?? And that they can’t love each other unless Roger is there because he is their Missing Piece
But clearly Roger doesn’t love them the way they love each other
They cry and hold each other and decide that even if they can’t have Roger like that, they’ll settle for just having him in their lives as their friend again because he’s been so distant lately
So when they’re in the studio next, John pulls Roger aside and is like, look i know things have changed, but I want you to know that no matter what Ronnie and I consider you to be our best friend and we miss you so please tell me what i can do to fix this?
and roger’s like...you can’t. because its my fault and i don’t want to be like, ruining everything
and johns like just tell me i can fix it!
and roger’s like you can’t
and john’s like try me
and freddie’s like, uh, let’s not do this here--
and john’s like i just want to know why he’s ignoring me and ronnie just because we got married
and roger’s like it’s because you got married
and john’s like, fuck, is this what its about? sorry you had to get divorced but like, i wanted to marry ronnie and--
it’s not that
“then what is it roger?”
And roger just goes fuck it and is like “I wanted to be the one married. To you. Both of you. Because I love you both. Like, love love. But you’re married to each other and it sucks but i’m working on it and it’ll take some time but we can be friends once i stop yknow. Loving you. Both. The two of you. Together.”
And john just stares at him because his whole brain is rebooting. and then he just kinda goes, “okay. I uh, need to uh, talk to my wife.” 
And then he leaves
He goes home and he tells Ronnie and they get so excited they have sex right there in the front hall and then they get dressed and they go to roger’s apartment all ready to be like WE LOVE YOU TOO WE WANT YOU TO COME BACK AND MARRY US FORVER
but roger is GONE he has fled the country
with freddie
they have vanished and ronnie and john are distraught like where the fuck is he??
Crystal is like you can’t break me I’ll never tell because drummer solidarity! And john is like fucking tell me or i’ll bring out the big guns and crystal is like you don’t fucking scare me
and the Veronica comes in and he breaks in >30seconds because Ronnie is terrifying and also she knows Too Much
Roger and Freddie are in Peru
Why? Because once John left, Roger panicked nd was like I HAVE TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY!! And because Freddie is the ultimate bro he took him to heathrow and got them trashed on duty-free vodka and was like okay bb you choose where you wanna go
and roger ends up talking to this nice new age couple who were like, we just hiked all of Mechu Pechu and we have come back cleansed of all our negativity and issues and we are now so much better than we ever were before and roger in his drunken glory was like yes that there i wanna go there cleanse me of my negativity
(they hike for exactly thirty minutes before they give up and check into a 5star spa and spend the days in face masks and chugging champagne)
Ronnie and John end up hiking the trail for two whole days before they realize that there’s absolutely NO FUCKING WAY Freddie would have done this
They think Crystal LIED and Ronnie is ready to kill him and strangle him with his own intestines when John spots a head of golden hair from across the market place 
(”fuckin’ romantic nerd,” roger teases later right before ronnie twists the shit out his nipple in retaliation)
And that’s how Roger gets his declaration of love screamed at him while 200 Peruvians and tourists stare on in horror as John dips Roger backwards and tries to swallow his tongue
(”I FUCKING LOVE YOU YOU PIECE OF SHIT! YOU MADE ME GO HIKING! JUST TO TELL YOU THAT I’VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU EVEN BACK WHEN WE WERE MARRIED!” Ronnie screams)
They end up back in Roger’s hotel room wherein they proceed to dom the shit out of him like we’re talking praise kink and body worship and ronnie’s riding roger while john’s pounding him though the mattress
and the whole time they’re telling him that there is no us without you and we couldn’t work together unless you were there because we love you and you are ours and you can never leave us again and roger is loving it
and then they come home and the first thing they do is move roger into their new marital home and buy a giant mattress
Ronnie introduces them as “this is my current husband and our boyfriend my exhusband” and roger is like “this is my ex wife and her trophy husband they are both my lovers” and john is like “this is roger and veronica” 
and they spend the rest of their lives together having crazy hot sex and a billion babies
because you know Mr. I Have Six Kids and Mr. I Have Five Kids spend their days seeing who can get Ronnie pregnant the most and they are LOVING their giant ass family
and they all live happily every after
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk I hope i have converted you to the bright side 
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viobliterator · 5 years
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coffee date - a dazatsu drabble
it’s my very first completed drabble for a ship! challenging yes, but really fun nonetheless. I hope y’all like it and feel just as fluffy reading it as I did writing it!
Word count: 2860
Ship: Atsushi Nakajima/Osamu Dazai (Bungo Stray Dogs)
Summary: they go to a coffee shop after a boring case what more is there to say
Today definitely seemed to be an easier day at the Armed Detective Agency. It seemed as though the citizens of Yokohama were indeed capable of going one day without committing crimes that would need the organization’s attention. Accidents and natural emergencies surely went on, but organized crime, terrorism, and other forms of violence in the city were reduced.  Even the ruthless Port Mafia appeared quiet on this particular day.  This, agency member Osamu Dazai didn’t seem to mind, as he had no problem slacking off at the office with his favourite pair of headphones, inducing Doppo Kunikida’s scrutiny. In light of this, Kunikida sent Dazai and his new subordinate, Atsushi Nakajima, to the one case that demanded the specialties of the new agency member.
A man’s (adorable) cat had climbed up one of Yokohama’s tallest trees, and was stuck. The feline had reached a height that even the city’s fire department couldn’t reach. However, since Atsushi had the power to turn into a white tiger at will, all he had to do was climb the tree in question, rescue the cat, and land on his feet like the graceful creature of the wild. Of course, solo operations are only issued under special circumstances, and Kunikida wouldn’t allow Dazai to laze about yet again. He had him supervise Atsushi in this particular job. After all, it would keep the slacker from causing any more mischief than he already had this past week alone.
                                             ------
Now that the entire debacle with the adventurous cat was over, the timid, white-haired cat in human clothing named Atsushi seemed to be free for the day. And since he had nothing more to do, the same went for Dazai. He previously had the idea of spending the rest of the afternoon searching for a beautiful woman to perish in a double-suicide with, but a sudden flash of what happened earlier with the cat sparked something in him that seemed quite unfamiliar…
When Dazai saw Atsushi holding the nonchalant cat that he’d rescued in his arms, Atsushi was smiling. He looked so proud of himself, and even held his chin up when other locals had come to see what happened and celebrate the boy’s accomplishment. He had even shared some sort of familial affection with the kitty. It wouldn’t have surprised Dazai if Atsushi also had the ability to purr with the way he saw him cuddling the cat. It was just so cute, he couldn’t help but smile. Something about that seemingly mundane event ignited a sort of candle’s flame in the man’s heart.
A heart?
Who knew that a man like him even had one?
Dazai couldn’t bear the idea of parting with Atsushi now. The thought physically hurt in his chest and he felt his stomach sink at the mere idea. He had to spend more time with him. Just a little more. The feelings that simmered up had suddenly put a stop to his previous plans of searching for a passionately suicidal dame. Was there some sort of animal magnetism that came with Atsushi’s ability that he didn’t know about? How else would someone be able to hook onto the former mafioso’s heart like a fish to a tasty lure? But no matter. He had this little kitten all to himself, and that was all that mattered now.
       The pair had been walking down a street that was hustling during this lunch hour, and a lot of people were also walking their dogs, much to Dazai’s dismay as he hated mutts at the best of times. A large red and white dog, that could have easily been his match in the height department,  had even tried to jump on him in excitement. It took every fibre of his being, not including his tightly wrapped bandages, to hurt the poor creature and its owner. However, the moment he eyed Atsushi giggling and petting the giant furball without a fear in the world, he managed to ease up. He was trying to be a good man now, and Dazai decided that he’d let by-gones be by-gones...
For the moment.
A few minutes had passed, and as the pair walked along, Atsushi had momentarily lost sight of his mentor as they walked, and turned his head to check if he had disappeared. He hadn’t. He had only stopped in his tracks a few feet behind him, looking lost in thought with his hands idly sitting in his coat pockets.
“Dazai? What’s wrong?” He asked.
“Actually...” The older man replied. “I’ve got a splitting headache. I didn’t get to have my coffee this morning...” he whined, pinching his nose with his bandaged hand. “The withdrawal is just unreal!”
“Oh, I see…” said Atsushi with a sigh. It’s just like Dazai to get everyone worked up over something so trite. But the boy found it endearing in a way.. After all, he would much rather laugh at an offhand remark than feel the agony of his own demons haunting him anytime.
Dazai directed his hand in the direction of a modest storefront ahead with a blue octagon on the front window. It was the logo of the shop. “Say, do you want to get coffee? There’s a nice little shop right here; we’ve got some time to kill until Kunikida calls us back. And besides,” Dazai said, starting to trace his gaze downwards towards Atsushi’s shoes, “You look totally beat. I can see your knees shaking.” He called, pointing his index finger in the direction of poor Atsushi’s tired, trembling knees. That cat rescue took a lot out of the poor lad, mainly his leg muscles. However, that wasn’t the only reason he felt his knees shaking now.
“Really? Y-you want us to have coffee together?” Atsushi stuttered timidly. An afternoon alone with the man he could call his saviour? Not talking about work, but just about anything and everything? The thought of this kickstarted Atsushi’s heart and it began to race, pounding in his ears like a drum.
“Is there a problem?” Dazai said, tilting his head to one side.
“Oh, no, o-of course not!” Atsushi answered, frantically waving his hands in front of him. “I’d love to have coffee with you Dazai!” The older man’s eyes lit up with the acceptance of this invitation.
“Okay, then it’s a date.” Dazai playfully grinned, slipping his hands into his pockets and walking  parallel with Atsushi once more. The weretiger felt his cheeks begin to flush.
“That’s not what I meant…” “I know. I’m just messing with you, Atsushi.” said the man, with what Atsushi could have sworn was a wink if he didn’t know better. He’d only ever seen Dazai flirt with women, and he was adamantly clear about wanting to die with a beautiful woman in a lovers’ suicide, to an exasperating degree at times. At the same time it annoyed the living daylights out of the boy, it was also just sad to hear him speak such things. It was heart-wrenching to listen to.
Atsushi followed the older man into the coffee shop like a kitten to his master.
“The barista here makes some of the best coffee in Yokohama. And on the weekends they have this carrot cake, and it’s to die for.” Dazai cheerfully explained, emphasizing the word “die” and giving his companion a nudge with his elbow. Atsushi just couldn’t hide the idiotic grin that rapidly grew into a hearty laugh.
A woman with mousy brown hair in a ponytail peeked her head out from under the front counter and saw the two strange men approach. She stood up and smiled, resting her hands on the counter and said a quiet, friendly hello.
“Hey, Kaoruko!” called Dazai with a wave. Atsushi watched the two adults exchange greetings and small-talk. It was fascinating to watch them speak with each other without a hint of malice in their voices or body language. Perhaps one day, Atsushi would be able to be as good as talking to people as his mentor, whom he found himself focused on more as the conversation went on. It was a situation that was totally unfamiliar to the boy who knew nothing but ridicule and abuse. But watching Dazai being friendly with someone was calming to the boy’s heart. So much so, that it almost sent him into a blissful trance.
The barista named Kaoruko had just about finished conversing with the older man when her eyes shifted to Atsushi. Her expression was unclear for the most part, but there was definitely some curiosity.
“Who’s your friend?” She asked with a smile.
“Oh, this is a good friend of mine from work,” Dazai answered with his arm slinging around his subordinate, his hand taking a firm but tender hold on the lad’s shoulder. “His name’s Atsushi Nakajima.” He announced proudly, as though he wanted the whole shop to hear. Atsushi felt himself blush at the words he heard at that moment, and at how close together they were. He felt so safe in his arm, but at the same time like he wanted to run and hide under a table. He couldn’t help but look downwards, but managed to crack a smile for courtesy’s sake.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Atsushi bowed, desperately hoping that the lady didn’t see him blush.
“Same here.” She replied with a gleam in her eye. She turned her attention back to Dazai, asking what she could get for the two.
“An iced dead eye for me, long, if you please.” Dazai declared, as though he were royalty. The barista slightly winced at the complicated drink, and turned towards the boy next to him.  Dazai turned his head towards Atsushi and made eye contact, as if silently asking what he wanted. Dazai’s face was dangerously close to his own, as his arm was still around him.
“Oh, um… just a latte for me, please.” Atsushi answered quietly, somehow managing to keep his cool.
The barista took the mens’ orders, and the two were seated, along with their beverages.
Atsushi and Dazai took their seats next to a window, the older brunette peeling off his classic tan trenchcoat and resting it on the back of his chair. The boy became a little excited, as this meant that they would likely stay for a while - at least until they were called back to the agency. Until then, the were-tiger had Dazai all to himself. The thought was exhilarating. It made him ecstatic, but at the same time it was absolutely terrifying. However, the joy was somehow just barely enough to keep him from cowering in fear.
He was afraid of the situation at hand, but not at the man he shared it with. Slowly but surely, the lad felt himself ease up. His shoulders began to relax, and he noticed his co-worker’s drink. It was the same colour as his dark brown eyes.
“What exactly is that anyways?” Atsushi asked, pointing at Dazai’s coffee.
“An iced dead-eye. It’s a cold brew with three shots of espresso in it. Kaoruko there won’t put any more than that in it though, ever since the time I tried to overdose on caffeine. Good times...” the man exclaimed, with a whimsical sigh.
Atsushi stared at his superior, mouth agape.
Why was he even surprised?
This was Dazai after all. Atsushi started to wonder if there was anything that he hadn’t tried to commit his perfect suicide, and any place he hadn’t tried to do it. He felt bad for the barista and was surprised she hadn’t barred him from coming back.
“So… what ended up happening?” Atsushi asked, knowing he would soon regret the question.
“They told me I was literally bouncing off the walls, like BOING, BOING, BOING!” he exclaimed, waving his free hand in erratic, zigzag motions to tell his story. He seemed to enjoy his telling of the event, seeing as his expression was ironically full of life in a story about one of his many near-death experiences. As morbid as it felt because of the subject matter, Atsushi felt his heart become light and fluttery at the sight of his mentor being such a passionate storyteller and clearly having fun while doing it. He could watch him do this all day if he could. Dazai continued his story, with embellished details continuously added on. When he finally finished, his dark eyes focused directly into Atsushi’s after taking another sip of his drink and he leaned towards him, resting his head on his hands.
“Enough about me, Atsushi.” He said, his voice quiet, but sharp. “I want to talk about you.”
The boy’s heart jumped. Was Dazai about to scold him for something he did wrong? He thought he did everything perfectly today... Atsushi knew this whole situation was too good to be true. The lad’s first instinct was to lower his gaze, but his eyes were locked with the other’s. There was no escaping his gaze.
“How is it that you’re so good with animals?” The man asked, his eyes sparkling with a genuine curiosity. “It's like you're a sort of animal whisperer!” He said, beaming with a child-like admiration.
Atsushi felt himself instantly relax after having been worked up over nothing.
“I don't know, really. I guess I've always been an animal lover. I never really gave it much thought. I guess maybe I see a bit of myself in them...” The boy explained, his voice trailing. “I figure if I treat them with kindness, like how you treated me when we first met, then maybe that would make up for how I was always treated at the orphanage before in some way.” Atsushi blushed. “I know, it's dumb. You probably think I'm crazy or something.” Said the lad, fidgeting with his mug. His co-worker’s eyes darkened and his expression suddenly became serious.
“It's not dumb. And no, I don't think you're crazy.” Dazai said, his voice low and soft. To Atsushi’s ears, his voice sounded as smooth as velvet. “What you're saying is blatantly false. I wish you could just see that and give yourself more credit.” He continued admonishingly, leaning a bit further towards his apprentice.
There was a long pause that felt like a small eternity. The pair never broke eye contact with each other in that time. It seemed like forever until Dazai leaned back into his chair, his lips curling up into a small smile. “I mean, come on. Who do you think you're talking to?”
Atsushi couldn’t help but grin.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing, Atsushi.”
“Sorry!”
Dazai looked at him with wide eyes before he let out a chuckle.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all.” The older man replied with kind eyes. There was another long pause between them. Atsushi felt himself getting lost in the other man’s eyes and his warm smile. He felt all his troubles seem to melt away, like snow in a spring thaw. The boy wished this moment could last forever.
“Speaking of animals, Dazai, couldn't you get Kenji to rescue that cat with his superhuman strength ability?” He went on to ask. Until now he never gave thought into why Atsushi specifically was called to save the cat from earlier. His co-worker Kenji seemed just as capable at rescuing cats from towering trees.
Dazai took another sip of his coffee. As the drink ran empty, slurping sounds echoed through the shop.
“I thought about that. I even asked Kunikida that exact thing, but he said that Kenji had a big breakfast this morning. You know the condition of Kenji’s ability, right?”
“That's right…! It only works when he's hungry.” Atsushi answered.
“Exactamundo.” he replied with a wink. “And besides,” Dazai continued, “Even if he was starving, Kenji doesn't know his own strength sometimes. We don't need another lawsuit on our hands, so it was better for everyone not to take that risk.”
Ironic, coming from the most problematic member of the Armed Detective Agency. This was something Kunikida said himself on multiple occasions.
“I see… so this was something only I could do?”
“That's right.” Dazai said with a nod. “And for the record, Atsushi, you did beautifully.” he added.
Atsushi’s eyes brightened at the thought of himself succeeding at something that only he could do to help someone in need. He finally had a reason to live, and it felt wonderful. The best part was, the man he had to thank for that was sitting right in front of him with welcome arms. As for Dazai, the sight of Atsushi’s bright eyes filled his heart with joy. He was glad to be a positive influence on someone for a change, even though he knew that being a good man wasn’t exactly his field of expertise. But as for right now, life seemed to actually be okay. It was far from perfect, or ideal for either of them, but it was just okay. Perhaps, Dazai could hold off on his suicide plans for just a little while. At least for today.
On this quiet day, in a quaint little coffee shop in Yokohama, it was a good day to be alive.
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athyrabunlord · 7 years
Text
Modern Fairytale
Summary: You felt it was love at first sight, akin to those fateful meetings described in fairytales. A/N: AU romantic and hopefully realistic sort of oneshot filled with cute sweet moments. Yes, this is the oneshot I mentioned some time ago. I’m just glad it’s finished x.x Ship: YouxRiko Words: 8,591
“The Sagami Bay sure is pretty…”
Watanabe You sighed to herself as she leaned back in her seat and gazed out of the window for the umpteenth time. When she first moved to Kamakura, she made it a priority to find the perfect place to chill an afternoon away. She was captivated by the city’s countless historical sites of course, but her inner Uchiura spirit still demanded a decent view of the sea.
And so, after quite a bit of searching, she was able to locate this small cafe by the bay. There was a comfy little couch situated by the window, allowing the viewer to appreciate the scenery as they enjoyed their afternoon beverage. Smiling, You took out a small sketchbook and began to draw from memory the places she had visited today before coming here. Her doctor did advise her to just follow her heart and avoid any situation that might cause her stress. Therefore, she tried not to put too much effort into her hobby, though the remnant of her professional sense still surfaced from time to time.
Ah, what would the shop owner think if she told the kind lady that she used to be a diver for the national team?
Shaking her head, You ignored the phantom prick at the back of her mind and focused on her sketch. Under her doctor’s recommendation, she travelled around Japan for sightseeing, anything that would not stress her mind and body. Not long after she began her journey, she fell for Kamakura’s ancient aura and settled then and there. The next step to help her recuperation was to decide on a hobby that would help her relax.
Well, what did she love best besides the sea? Designing and drawing! Now that she’s found the ideal place, she was able to sketch several pages daily, each one filled to the edge with details and creativity that kept her brain whirring. Perhaps, eventually, she’ll aim to become a freelance designer?
She paused and stared rather sheepishly at the Buddha statue she just doodled. She should really stop adding stylish accessories or one of these days, the divine presence above would punish her for real.
Just as she thought of that, something suddenly vibrated against her buttocks!
Her yelp garnered curious glances from the few patrons in the shop, so she waved her hand apologetically at them before scooting to the edge of the sofa seat. What was that just now? She dug under the seat cushion and soon found a cellphone stuck within the fold. The person who was sitting here must have forgotten it or it had fallen out of their pocket.
Either way, someone was calling the phone rather desperately as it kept on ringing. Seeing the unknown number, You deduced that the owner must be calling from a public phone and decided to answer it.
“H-Hello? Um, y-you’ve found my phone?” A clearly panicking female voice let out a shaky sigh. “Oh, I’m sorry for being so rude. You see, I have lost my phone and-”
Taking pity on the woman, You chuckled amiably. “It’s okay! I’m sitting at the sofa seat beside the window, at White Lily. You were sitting here, weren’t you?”
“Yes, I was there until I had to leave for a meeting… it was only now that I realized I don’t have my phone with me,” the woman laughed coyly, and You could practically feel her embarrassment. She was sure that the other woman must be blushing.
“Haha, things just happen sometimes. Don’t worry miss, I’m still at the coffee shop. I’ll wait here.”
“E-Eh? But I’m at Shinjuku and the next train won’t be here for another hour, so that’s more than two hours before I can make it back...”
“That’s okay, I don’t have plans for the day.” Or any other day really, You thought a little sadly. “Oh, unless you’d prefer that I just leave the phone with the shop owner-?”
“I’ll come!” The woman said hastily, her voice softening a moment later in mortification. “Erm, I mean, I’d like to thank you in person. If you hadn’t found my phone, there’s a chance that no one would’ve found and picked it up before the battery runs out.”
“That’s decided then! I’ll wait here for you, okay?”
“Thank you very much, um…”
“Watanabe You! Nice to meet you- well, technically we haven’t met, heh.”
The woman giggled softly, and You decided she was becoming fond of her voice. It was velvety with the kind of feminine grace that the former diver could never hope to achieve.
“My name is Sakurauchi Riko. I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’m very sorry about all of this and I promise I’ll make up for it.”
You found herself wearing the biggest grin after the call ended. Finally, she had something to look forward to! Though she was grateful for her peaceful ‘time off’, so to speak, she was worried that the uneventful daily happenings might make her restless down the road. She’s been a very active person throughout her life, so she needed excitement once a while to keep her spirit going.
She glanced at her reflection in the window and hastily fixed her messy bangs, for she tended to wear a cap to hide the bird’s nest she called her hair. In spite of her cute quirks, Sakurauchi Riko seemed to carry herself with dignity so You wanted to be presentable at least.
Once she was sure that her appearance was acceptable, she resumed sketching with zest. However, as time went by, she realized that she’s been doodling profiles of various women that might fit Riko’s voice. She imagined Riko to be around her age if not older, based on her mannerism. Riko probably had hair longer than hers, though it could be either wavy or straight.
Before she knew it, the sun was already making its descent and she had drawn many variations of the imaginary Sakurauchi Riko. Much to her chagrin, now that she reviewed her work, she had even doodled some bunnies on the side as if to characterize the woman.
She looked up quickly when she heard the door chime. There had been other patrons while she was drawing, but she barely glanced at any of them then, for her instincts knew it wasn’t the mysterious caller.
This time, though, she gazed attentively at the beautiful woman who just entered the shop. She was taller than You imagined or, rather, everything else about this stranger exceeded her expectations. She had cascading burgundy hair that reached her mid-back as well as a pair of amber eyes reminiscent of a shy cat.
After giving the shop a quick glance, the woman turned towards the seat by the window with slight hesitation.
Then she smiled.
“Hello. I’m Sakurauchi Riko, the one who lost the phone… you must be Watanabe You-san?”
You felt it was love at first sight, akin to those fateful meetings described in fairytales.
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“Oh! Sorry about that!”
“Mou, w-we’ve held hands before, it’s okay. Go ahead.”
Chuckling, You rubbed the back of her head and shyly squeezed Riko’s hand before taking the eraser. Riko smiled to herself, knowing that her cheeks probably matched You’s flushed ones as well. She shifted a bit so that she was sitting closer to the blue-eyed woman, which prompted the latter to grin and playfully deposit the eraser in her lap once she was done using it.
Riko felt so giddy that it was almost surreal. Surrounded by beautiful nature and accompanied by a fellow artist, she’s experienced and became addicted to the flavor of bliss. Here at the Kamakura Central Park, they’ve located a cool and shady spot under a particular tree and, soon, they fell into a comfortable sketching trance.
After receiving her lost phone, Riko had treated You to dinner for her kindness. To both women’s pleasant surprise, they chatted for a long time as if they were old friends and all that formality was quickly behind them. As they had similar hobbies, they had met up a few more times since then at the cafe and consequently had dinners together too. When Riko first suggested to go on a sketching trip, You had offhandedly replied “it’s a date then!”, which caused them to fluster. While neither commented on the topic, Riko was certain of their mutual attraction and even more so when You began to initiate more skinship after that.
Being the chivalrous and observant person she was, You would lightly touch her back when crossing streets and always made sure she was between the road and Riko as they walked down the sidewalk. In return, Riko would muster the courage to hold You’s hand or even boldly poke her soft cheeks at times.
“Ah, you’ve added a hat again, You-chan.”
“Hehe, you caught me!”
You saluted but made no move to erase the chic fedora she drew for the statue. Riko shook her head in exasperated fondness and simply admired her date’s creativity. While it might appear odd or even jarring at first glance, such sketches were actually refreshing and filled with personality, unlike her own detailed but very plain drawing.
She considered herself an introvert who preferred to enjoy peace and quiet rather than head out for parties. After graduating college, her friend circle had greatly dwindled and she only corresponded with the few remaining acquaintances once a while. It wasn’t as if she didn’t try, she simply lost confidence when people declined meet-ups or didn’t respond at all, which made her worried that she was intruding on their lives.
Therefore, she couldn’t believe she was able to get along with someone like You so well. Her heart fluttered every time the blue-eyed woman smiled at her - it was bright like the blue sky, encompassing and uplifting. It had been her source of inspiration since their chance meeting and she eagerly looked forward spending more time with You.
She didn’t recall ever being so enamoured with something or someone before. The closest instance she could think of was her infatuation with her viola, which steadily grew stronger over time until the instrument had become a vital part of herself. While she wasn’t certain exactly what she wanted, she knew that she wanted to know more about You.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice that she’s been staring blankly at her sketch until You scooted closer, their shoulders almost touching. “Is everything okay, Riko-chan?”
“Ah yes, I was just, um, thinking about this song. Remember I’m learning how to play the kokyuu?” She hastily came up with half-truth. As a professional viola player, she’s interested in trying out other string instruments. Perhaps it was Kamakura’s atmosphere, or the matsuri she’s attended, she thought of trying out the traditional Japanese string instrument.
She’ll always be thankful for this impulsive decision, for it led her to inadvertently forget her cell phone when she rushed back to Shinjuku to meet with her colleagues.
“I see… oh! That reminds me,” You peered at her like an enthusiastic puppy. “I want to watch you play! I’ve been thinking about it ever since you told me you’re a violist and-”
As fate would have it, a sudden breeze blew her sketchbook several pages and revealed various doodles of Riko playing a viola. A deep blush quickly blossomed on You’s cheeks as she snapped her sketchbook shut. “Ahaha, hope you don’t think I’m creepy…”
Riko blinked, feeling the heat rushing to her own cheeks. “Not at all. In fact, I’m rather pleased you’d want to watch me play. Violas aren’t popular after all. They don’t shine like the violin and they don’t have the staple presence like a cello.” Kind of like me. “So it makes me happy to hear that you’re interested in violas.”
“Eh, then I have a confession to make. It’s not the viola but rather, you, I’m interested in-? Urk,” You plunked her face against her sketchbook though it wasn’t enough to hide her red face. “Forget it! I didn’t say anything!”
“Oh, You-chan,” Riko affectionately reached over to caress her date’s cottony hair. “I promise I’ll show you next time. Hmm, we can go to my studio in Tokyo?”
“Really? Awesome! A second date then~” Seemingly energized and placated, You grinned up at her with those beautiful blue eyes brimming with pure joy.
“Mhmm, a second date.” An odd sensation tugged at her heart strings then and she felt compelled to do something to relieve this tension between them. Realizing how close they were, she hastily turned to her backpack and took out her bento box. “Um, since neither of us are drawing anyway, let’s eat lunch?”
“Sure, I’m getting hungry anyway. The mind can’t work on an empty stomach!”
Their light-hearted picnic diffused that inexplicable tension somewhat, and Riko felt like herself again. She was very impressed by You’s homemade curry and would even deem it to be the best she had ever tasted. On the other hand, You unapologetically wolfed down several of Riko’s sandwiches and cheekily requested that she should make more next time.
“In that case, a third date?” Riko bashfully glanced at You, who promptly saluted. The former chuckled fondly as she poured cups of green tea from the canteen she brought and handed one to her companion.
“Riko-chan’s good at brewing tea too~”
“Mou, enough with the flattery.”
“But I’m just saying the truth? If only my tummy can speak, it’ll tell you how satisfied it is!”
“T-Then mine can speak for hours about how delicious your curry is!”
“Daww! Okay, in return for those amazing sandwiches, I’ll make some of my best omelette yakisoba next time too!”
Both satiated with the meal as well as their arrangements, the two artists returned to their sketching mode. However, unlike earlier, Riko was unable to reach that content peace as her mind whirred with endless possibilities of their future dates. Already, she was listing the dishes she was good at making and debating whether it would fit You’s preference or not. Before she knew it, her sketchbook was filled with doodles of a puppy wearing a captain’s hat.
“Ehehe, so that’s how you see me, Riko-chan?”
Yelping, she shut her book and pouted reproachfully at the grinning woman. “No peeking!”
“But you’ve always shown me your sketches…”
“T-That’s because, they were drawings of scenery and still life…” Riko trailed off, realizing that those random doodles were the first to ever grace those pages of rigid illustrations that lacked the liveliness she sought. Between her intricate drawing of the park and the cartoonish puppy, she definitely preferred the latter.
“Oh, hold still for a sec…”
Riko’s eyes widened as You gingerly picked off a leaf that must have drifted to the top of her head. Her hand lingered a little, pausing beside her cheek before it was hastily withdrawn. Their gazes met and, once again, Riko felt that strange spark between them. She was distinctly aware of her thundering heartbeats as she subconsciously closed her eyes.
Nothing happened, however, so after a few moments, Riko peeked at the other woman and discovered that her eyes were also closed. Combined with those reddened ears, You appeared utterly adorable.
Endeared, Riko couldn’t help but giggle. You’s cheeks darkened and her eyes snapped open. “W-What? What’s so funny?”
“You really are cute…”
“Huh, why’re you saying that all of a sudden,” You averted her blue eyes and her voice dropped to a whisper. “Besides, w-why didn’t you… um…”
At this, Riko felt her face heat up as well. “I- I thought y-you were going to- I mean, you took that leaf off my hair and…”
“Oh, but when you looked at me like that, I thought…”
They blinked and stared at each other for a moment before bursting into quiet giggles. That peculiar spark was still here, but Riko no longer felt nervous and allowed her instincts to take over. As if reaching a wordless agreement, they leaned in at the same time their eyes fluttered close.
Their first kiss was chaste and sweet with love. It was so innocently romantic that Riko felt like it was a scene from those fairytales.
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“Here’s your hot cocoa~!”
“Thanks, You-chan.”
Feeling extra playful, You pecked the unsuspecting Riko’s cheek as the latter accepted the steaming beverage. Just as she was about to flee, the taller woman grasped her shirt and pressed her lips against hers. Before she could react, Riko sauntered away like a victorious cat.
Chuckling, You hurried after her girlfriend and hugged her from behind, mindful of the hot drinks they carried. After a bit of snuggling and a few more kisses, they settled comfortably on the sofa. You unreservedly gazed at Riko up and down, pleased at the sight of her girlfriend dressed in her clothes.
How could someone look so appealing no matter what they wear? It was just a simple button-up shirt and sweatpants You dug out from her drawers, yet they appeared rather sensual with the way the fabric fit to Riko’s form.
You resisted the urge to grin with pride. Gah, who could blame her to be so giddy? This beautiful woman was her girlfriend, within arm’s reach in her humble abode.
She was thankful for the sudden rain when they were strolling through the park where they first kissed, as they tended to do once a week. By the time they made it to You’s place, they were quivering and utterly drenched. You was adamant in letting Riko shower first, claiming she would just wipe herself with a towel as she waited. Truthfully, she was not ready to take a bath with her girlfriend just yet, worried she might not be able to control her desires.
After they were both warmed up from the shower and clad in clean clothes, You suggested that Riko stay overnight since the terrible rain wasn’t letting up. Riko, though hesitant at first, agreed and appeared to be intrigued by everything in You’s home. As she sipped at her drink, her alluring amber eyes were sweeping over the few books, ornaments and photoframes that decorated the sparse living room.
Meanwhile, You couldn’t stop staring at her pretty girlfriend. Her lustrous burgundy hair was loosely tied into a sidetail that draped over her left shoulder, revealing the creamy neck that made You subconsciously lick her parched lips. With Riko seated so close, all You’s senses were filled with her scent, the warmth of her body, and her enticing lips ripe for the taking. Those brief kisses earlier in the kitchenette were far from enough.
Sheepish, she shook her head and took a slow sip of her cocoa. This was why she forced herself to decline in showering with Riko. Who knew what she might do? Frankly, she was worried about these frequent fantasies about her girlfriend, so much that she missed those innocent days when they could peacefully spend time together without her mind wandering. Sure, they had been a couple for some time now, but that only made You more fretful.
She didn’t want to screw up their relationship. She adored Riko dearly and refused to let this primal side of herself ruin the incredible connection they shared!
“Hehe, I like this side of You-chan too.”
“Huh?! W-What side?” She squeaked, frantic that her girlfriend read her inner thoughts.
Riko tilted her head, puzzled by her reaction, before chuckling. “I mean your glasses, silly. You look cute in them too.”
Since she was at home, she naturally took off her contacts and donned those black-framed glasses, not realizing Riko had never seen her wearing them before even though she knew of her bad eyesight. She fidgeted nervously under those warm amber eyes and placed her cup aside.
“Cute? Nah, I’m all about being ikemen,” she lowered her voice to what was hopefully a husky tenor and sent her girlfriend a roguish grin.
Riko merely giggled.
“Really? Not good enough huh?”
“You’re You-chan. I like you no matter what you do,” Riko smiled softly but blushed a moment later and tried to appear nonchalant by sipping her drink.
“Gah, com’ere you!” You gently extracted the cup from her protesting hands before enveloping her in a big hug. They stayed in this comfy embrace for a while, enjoying each other’s presence to heart’s content. It was amazing how this simple gesture was able to assuage any turbulence in one’s mind.
No words could ever replicate the effect of feeling your beloved’s warmth.
She recalled the day she watched Riko play the viola in the studio, of how the musician shined brilliantly with her instrument. Riko truly loved music, You could feel it, and that resonated arduously within her soul. She remembered how passionate she once was with diving, yet due to her condition, she was unable to speak in great details about it to Riko.
She wanted Riko to experience the same joy she had for the sea too.
As if sensing the air of melancholy, Riko shifted in You’s lap and brushed away the latter’s bangs before smooching her forehead. “What are you thinking about, You-chan?”
“Hmmm, nothing much,” You blissfully closed her eyes and smiled when Riko peppered her face with more kisses. “Okay, I was just thinking about how pretty you are when you’re in your musician mode.”
“What, I’m not pretty otherwise?”
“No! That’s not what I meant!” You hastily opened her eyes only to find Riko giggling in mirth. “Geez, you tease. You know what I was trying to get at… you seem to be a different person? You have that um, cool, sexy aura going on.”
“Cool? S-Sexy? That’s not what I was expecting.”
“Like, you seem to enter a whole new realm. You look confident and peaceful and, well, really happy?”
Riko’s cheeks darkened as she mumbled something. When You didn’t catch her words, she lightly flicked the former’s forehead in reprimand. “I said, I-I only think of you nowadays whenever I play the viola. That helps me concentrate and perform better…”
You’s chest was filled with warmth and fluff, as well as pride for being able to affect her girlfriend so positively. “I’m so honored, milady~” She giggled blithely against the crook of Riko’s neck, her nose nuzzling playfully until the latter squirmed.
“You’re tickling me,” she chided as she pinched You’s cheeks, stopping her.
“Sowwy,” she grinned unapologetically. “Riko-chan smells too good, I can’t help myself~”
“Should I remind you this is from your body lotion and shampoo?”
“Nope, it’s not that kind of aroma. I’m talking about Riko-chan’s own scent.”
“W-What? That sounds rather… improper,” Riko blushed and disentangled from You’s arms. She brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and leaned over to the coffee table to retrieve her drink again. You could only gaze at her with a fond smile, mesmerized by her girlfriend’s graceful movements.
“Mou, stop staring…”
“Like I said, I can’t help it. You’ve completely captivated me, Riko-chan.” Though blushing, You said unabashedly as she meant every single word. Her heart had fallen for Riko since they first met, and this emotion only grew stronger as time went by.
Riko didn’t respond for a moment. Then, as if making up her mind about something, she tugged the scrunchie off of her sidetail before returning to You’s side. Smiling, she rested her forehead against You’s and gingerly cupped her cheek, caressing it with her thumb. “No, You-chan, I don’t think you understand how much you have captivated me.”
“Then show me?” You whispered with a slight tremor in her voice.
Riko kissed her then, so full of tenderness that she forgot how to breathe. All that guilt and worry of her inner fantasies melted away, leaving only the desire to show her girlfriend how much she adored her.
You interlaced their fingers, noting how nervous Riko was as well through the slight tremor of her hand. Wishing to reassure her, You chastely pressed her lips against Riko’s knuckles and hugged her close. They fumbled with each other’s clothes, clueless but eager, and kissed away any lingering hesitation. There was no need to fear, for they will explore this new phase of their relationship together.
Under the dim lighting and the comforts of her home, You discovered lovemaking to be every bit as dreamy as fairytales portrayed.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
“You-chan, are you awake?”
“Hmmm, nope.”
Riko tucked You’s head under her chin, smiling when her lover snuggled rather childishly into their embrace. She drew whimsical circles on You’s naked back, pleased by how the latter shivered under her touch. As if in retaliation, You sleepily licked Riko’s clavicles which brought out a mortifying gasp.
“Mou! You’re definitely awake...”
Pretending to be miffed, Riko extracted herself from You’s arms and adamantly ignored the latter’s whines. Once she was properly dressed, she carefully opened the blinds and smiled at the breathtaking sight that greeted her.
Uchiura was a quaint and beautiful little town, and she was saddened that their one-week vacation here was coming to an end.
The bed behind her rustled and soon warm arms slipped around her waist.
“Aaah~ can’t wait to be back at Kamakura, right, Riko-chan?”
Unable to answer truthfully, she merely nodded and played with You’s hands. After a moment’s hesitation, she began tentatively. “About your headac-”
“Yosh! Let’s make this last day the most fun one!”
Riko almost stopped You when the latter skipped away to the kitchenette of their rented room, yet the timid part of herself gripped her body. Swallowing down her words of concern, Riko sat down at the table in contemplative silence while You cheerfully prepared their breakfast.
When You had first suggested this trip to Uchiura, Riko was beyond happy that the former diver was ready to show more of her world. After all, You never fully explained why she decided to take time off and would change the topic whenever Riko inquired of her past. Thus, Riko was thrilled in exploring the town that You grew up and, for the most part, You was accommodating and took Riko to shrines, aquariums and even rented a cruiser while sharing various childhood memories.
However, the blue-eyed woman seemed keen in avoiding certain places, as if worried to run into anyone who might recognize her. Riko wasn’t too bothered by all this secrecy at first, for she was absorbed in anything that You showed her. For one, You taught her how to swim efficiently in the sea and how to make the snorkeling experience fun. Riko’s knowledge of swimming was basic and she had only ever been to the pool, thus she found You’s industrious methods to be fascinating. They swam with the fish, splashed water at each other and got touchy at seclusive parts of the beach a few times, relishing in such intimacy together.
Everything felt like a dream come true until the first night they returned to their lodging. Riko found You half-crouched in front of the sink, holding her head with a grimace. After taking a few painkillers, You seemed to have recovered from her headache. Riko let the matter drop but kept a careful watch on her girlfriend since then.
Their little vacation had resumed smoothly, though Riko noticed similar episodes when You thought she wasn’t looking. Whenever she brought up the subject, You would either close off or light-heartedly change the topic. Riko hoped she was only being paranoid, but everything about this was unsettling.
Just what was You not telling her?
Restless, Riko stood up from her seat, startling her girlfriend who was in the middle of pouring coffee into mugs.
“Riko-chan, what’s wrong-?”
She slammed her hand against the wall beside You’s head, cornering the shorter woman and forcing the latter to peer up with wide eyes. Riko was so ready to interrogate her then, those words already at the tip of her tongue, but that flicker of pure confusion in those blue eyes stopped her.
Perhaps, You just wanted this trip to be memorable and as perfect as possible?
Her resolve wanned and she fell prey to those cute puppy eyes. She tilted You’s chin and kissed her rather roughly as if to express her displeasure.
“Heh… you’re rather bold today,” You said hoarsely, the curve of her lips rather beguiling. “Maybe we shouldn’t leave the room so early-?”
“I don’t mind, You-chan, but you’re right with what you said earlier,” Riko fought down the temptation and merely embraced her girlfriend with everything she had, pained by her inability to help her beloved. “Let’s make this last day at Uchiura the best one ever.”
And it was. Rather than the beach, they headed for Awashima, a small island a short boat ride away from Uchiura, and dined at the top floor of a five-star hotel. Awed by the breathtaking view already, Riko was then brought to the Awashima Shrine where she enjoyed a different but just as incredible view of the sea. They spent the afternoon in a languid and content sort of sketching spree.
Truly, with the spectacular fireworks and peaceful stargazing afterwards, it was as if nothing was ever amiss and they were in paradise.
By the time they returned to Kamakura the next day, it was already evening and they were exhausted in a happy daze. After dropping the luggage to the side, You flopped onto the couch and pulled her girlfriend on top of her. Between a few languid kisses here and there, both were fine with just cuddling and resting within the comforts of You’s place.
The sense of familiarity almost lulled Riko to sleep when she felt You tense beneath her. Opening her eyes, she found You gritting her teeth and rubbing her temple. The magic from their trip dissipated, and apprehension filled Riko’s heart again.
“Headache again?” She murmured as if not to startle her girlfriend. As she reached for You’s head, her hand was gently but firmly pushed away as the latter sat up. “You-chan?”
“Haha, I probably didn’t have enough caffeine today.”
You only drank coffee from time to time, so this couldn’t be the reason. Riko knew she would be rather busy once she returned to Tokyo tomorrow, as this one-week vacation barely got approved
It was now or never.
“How frequent are your headaches, You-chan?”
Riko caught You flinching even though the latter laughed it off. “Must be the summer heat and all. It’s only recently that it’s happened, like I told you before. Now that we’re back here at Kamakura, it’ll go away eventually.”
Faced with such an earnest and almost pleading expression, Riko so wanted to believe her words and just let it be. She wasn’t the type to push someone if they showed discontent and she tended to shy away from any confrontation. For the sake You’s health, however, she knew that she needed to get to the bottom of this.
“Is.. there something you’re not telling me, You-chan?”
Blue eyes hardened. “What makes you think that?”
Gulping, Riko realized her wording didn’t sound good and fought against her instincts to back down. “Y-You seem to avoid talking about it, which I u-understand to an extent but, I’m just worried.”
The tension deflated from You’s shoulders. “I’m sorry, Riko-chan. I know you mean good but can we please just drop it?
And Riko almost agreed then and there. Almost. “Maybe you should go see a doctor-”
“No!”
She cringed, dumbfounded by such a hostile tone from someone who had been nothing but easygoing. She was about to apologize when You grimaced and covered her eyes. Determined, she reached for You’s hand.
“See, You-chan, we should go-”
Her hand was practically slapped away. “I already said no! T-This will pass, I promise. Just, s-stop, okay?”
It was You’s desperate, almost frantic tone that made Riko freeze in place. She wanted to stop, seeing how much this conversation pained her girlfriend, yet a part of her was frustrated and even a bit resentful. Didn’t You trust her enough? Was she not dependable? She didn’t want to invade You’s privacy. She was only trying to help, especially since she turned a blind eye to this problem during the vacation. The way You reacted just meant there must be something she was hiding.
Riko thought she knew You, but she didn’t, and that hurt more than she allowed herself to admit.
Taking a deep, controlled breath, Riko began slowly and attempted to reach for the other woman again. “I’m sorry, You-chan, but I really believe that you should-”
“How many times do I have to say it? No means no! Why don’t you just leave me alone?”
Akin to a cornered animal, You glared at her with distress rolling off her in waves. Stunned and hurt, Riko could only recall all those instances where her friends turned her down and brushed away her attempts at trying. Any smidgen of bitterness was washed away by a hollow sensation of fear and rejection.
Scared of making it worse.
Scared of losing everything.
How she wanted to simply pull You into a hug and protect her somehow, but she was too scared. Her arm dropped limply to her side and she turned away, unable to look at You anymore.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered so quietly that she wasn’t sure if You heard her. When she heard no response, she bit her lips to ensure no sobs would escape as she left the now cold home.
Riko discovered heartbreak to be just as devastating as when the illusion of fairytales ended.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
“I’m bakayou…”
You chuckled wistfully to herself, shivering a little from the breezy night air. She was only wearing a shirt and capri pants when usually, she would have added a few more layers due to her weakness to the coldness at night. Summer or not, she felt so dead inside because she couldn’t bring herself to care, not anymore.
She aimlessly strolled through the Kamakura Central Park, finding the rays from the setting sun comforting within this labyrinth of memories. Everywhere she looked, she was reminded of her time here with Riko. The ache in her chest worsened and she rubbed her throbbing temples.
Regret at lashing out at her.
Even in that moment of emotional turmoil, You knew that Riko was simply concerned about her well-being. She never told the violist the reason she retired from diving, so how else would she have known?
Alas, You was merely human and succumbed to her fear. She had awful experiences with her former teammates from the swim team, even her coach, whenever she tried sharing her thoughts and feelings about her surgery and everything that happened afterwards. Since then, she tended to keep her emotions bottled up inside, deeming it pointless for she would just get invalidated or ridiculed anyway.
She was terrified of the same thing happening with Riko, but ended up shutting her out and ruining everything anyway.
“And I hurt her...”
She dug into her pocket for her phone, deliberating for the umpteenth time whether to call Riko or not. They hadn’t contacted each other since that episode and, while it hadn’t even been a week yet, You already felt like dying. She was unable to compose a decent text message and she always seized up whenever she attempted to call Riko.
Riko could be busy catching up, as the orchestra had an upcoming performance, or she no longer wanted anything to do with the person who was so vicious to her.
You swallowed painfully. She knew she must take the first step if she wanted to make this right. Dignity or pride be damned, this was her fault after all. Her legs soon brought her to the tree where they first kissed, for she hoped to be emboldened by their memories so she could finally make that dreaded phone call.
To her shock, the woman of her dreams was there too. Riko appeared to be deep in thoughts as she gazed at the tree, and flinched when she noticed You’s arrival. The consequent silence was unfamiliar to them, and so was the tension.
You dug through her useless brain for some sort of greeting while her eyes were trained on Riko’s form, afraid she might vanish if she blinked. What was she doing here, when she should be in Tokyo? Did she seem thinner? Has she been sleeping properly?
Before she could even open her mouth, Riko broke the silence in a timid tone, asking her the exact same things she just wondered. You was dumbfounded, for she did not expect her girlfriend to still care about her after what happened. Perhaps it was time to take the leap of faith. There was nothing wrong with exposing the vulnerable part of herself, not with someone who truly loved her.
She needed to face her own demons.
Since You didn’t respond, Riko lowered her eyes and excused herself. You snapped out of her daze and hurriedly closed their distance. Her hand closed around Riko’s wrist, tightly at first to ensure the latter would not leave, and carefully loosened her grip when she turned around.
“I missed you.” You blurted, embarrassed by how pitiful her voice sounded.
Several thunderous heartbeats later, Riko gave her a fragile smile and gingerly interlaced their fingers. “I missed you too.”
Relieved, You squeezed her hand and murmured. “There are many things I want to tell you, Riko-chan. Will you… listen to me?”
The taller woman nodded and led them towards the tree, where they sat down and leaned against the sturdy trunk. If it weren’t for the palpable tension and the darkening sky, it almost felt like their first date. You smiled wryly and drew strength from Riko’s warm hand.
She clumsily but full-heartedly apologized for her outburst first and, upon Riko’s acceptance, she began her story. It was nothing dramatic, at least not from her perspective, for it could have happened to anybody in her situation.
Due to her deteriorating eyesight, she took a break from diving and underwent a seemingly successful surgery. While she suffered darkness for a few weeks before she was able to take off her bandages, she was confident to return to what she loved doing without any aftermath.
Alas, she wasn’t as invincible as she believed herself to be. A terrible fear seized her every time she stood at the edge of the diving board. She could not pinpoint the exact reason, but the possibilities of having to return to the hospital or undergoing another operation and possible bout of darkness petrified her. As much as she yearned to relish in the triumph of a high jump again, the fear always rendered her immobile. Being the stubborn person she was, she ignored her doctor’s advice and kept trying, enduring the ridicule and even pity from any spectator.
Any attempt ended with her walking away from the plank in shame.
The last time she got anywhere near a swimming pool, she forced herself to make that jump in spite of her rigid muscles. Such reckless maneuver had only caused her to become hospitalized again.
“My doctor and psychiatrist suggested that I go travelling, to take the time off indefinitely to relax, and maybe discover what else I enjoy in life other than diving,” You weakly smiled at her speechless girlfriend. “That’s when I met you, Riko-chan.”
She determinedly ignored the prickling pain in her head and continued. “Those headaches are probably from stress, unwanted memories, or aftereffects of the surgery. I thought my… fear was only associated with diving, so I was surprised that it happened during and after our swimming trips in Uchiura. Perhaps it wasn’t from swimming but from guilt. My friends there and my family know all about my dream since I was little, so I couldn’t bring myself to tell them that I can’t dive anymore. I’ve lied to them that I’ve fully recovered. No one knew my full secret, until now.”
Riko tightened her grip on You’s hand. “These headaches, are they serious? Shouldn’t you return for check up...” She trailed off uncertainly, as if remembered what happened the last time she suggested that.
You gave her a small and reassuring smile. “Well, I am supposed to return for check ups, yes. I was told that it might be necessary for me to have another surgery-” She gingerly stopped Riko before she could freak out. “But I didn’t want to. And that was why I snapped at you. Again, I’m so sorry.”
Riko shook her head, her quiet voice still laced in concern. “It’s okay, now that I understand, You-chan. I’m just glad y-you’ve opened up to me.”
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Riko-chan. I was so scared of losing you that I didn’t want anything to ruin it… which I almost did by shutting you out. It’s not fair for me to do that. It’s not my place to decide for you. So, yeah,” You looked up into the sky, weary yet also felt like a weight had finally lifted off of her shoulders. “I-I’ve told you everything now.”
It’s up to you to decide if you still want to stay with someone as pathetic as me. You thought sadly.
“Remember what you’ve told me, You-chan?” Familiar scent filled her senses as Riko wrapped her arms around her. “You like how confident and happy I am whenever I play the viola. It’ll always be true - it’s thanks to you that I’m able to hold my head high and believe in myself. You’ve brought colors to my life.”
It took a moment for You to realize that Riko was crying.
“My bandmates or even other colleagues I’m not familiar with commented that I seem like a different person. They said I look happy, confident, and perhaps even shining,” she let out a choked chuckle. “See how positively you’ve affected me, You-chan? They noticed my change so acutely that they encouraged me to return here, to resolve whatever has been troubling me. I can’t play the viola properly, not without you.”
Tears silently trickled down You’s cheeks as she returned the embrace  just as emotionally.
“You’ve become my world, You-chan. I w-want to be part of yours too, the good and the bad. We’ll get through this together, okay?”
She clung onto the woman who meant the world to her too. “I love you Riko-chan, I love you so much.”
You learned that she could not do everything alone, that she must believe in the power of their love if they wanted to persevere and overcome the trials in their path, just like the obstacles in fairytales.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
“You’ve reached Watanabe You’s voicemail~! Please leave your name and your number after the tone and I’ll get back to ya asap! Ready? Yousorou~! -beep-”
“... the performance was well-received. Our conductor and concertmaster were commended by the critiques, but for some reason they deferred the spotlight to me. Can you believe it? A mere violist like me, and out of ten violists too. I wish you could’ve been there to tell me how I did, then again, you would just praise me, wouldn’t you?”
Riko paused and swallowed any tremors in her voice before continuing in a relatively cheerful tone. “Anyway, our orchestra has been invited for a performance overseas and… I’ve decided to participate. Our leader has been kind, being aware of my situation, and told me that I could stay and continue my kokyuu studies if I wish. But that’s not what I’ve promised you, ne, You-chan?”
The jarring beep callously cut her off, signifying the end of the voicemail. She stared at the black screen of her phone for a moment and decided to put it away instead of continuing with her voicemail.
“I promised you that I’d put my life before yours, that you’d live vicariously through mine, and that’s what I’m going to do.”
She smiled painfully at the prone figure on the bed, lulled by the stable beeping of the heart monitor as she played with her beloved’s cool hand. You has always had a lower body temperature, so she hoped that she could warm her up this way.
And perhaps, that would help You wake up.
Sighing, Riko closed her eyes and rested her cheek against You’s unmoving hand. The operation was successful in removing the blood clots in You’s brain, and the surgeon seemed confident that she would make a full recovery too.
But that had been two weeks ago and You was still in a coma.
After their heart to heart conversation, Riko accompanied You to all the sessions she had with her doctor. While the process had been difficult and arguments did spark, they were always able to reach a truce. When the blood clots were discovered, You and Riko had a long discussion  and ultimately decided to take the surgery.
You made Riko promise to continue on with living to her fullest no matter what happened.
Between her job and visiting the comatose woman in the hospital, Riko was exhausted but more determined than ever, strengthened by the torturous waiting and wondering. Her section leader and other colleagues were aware of this and gave her the space she needed, which she was very grateful for. Now that the concert was over, she had to decide whether to stay or go overseas.
Of course she would rather stay here with You, but she also respected You’s wish and the agreement they had. It wasn’t as if her trip abroad was permanent, and she had become acquainted with You’s childhood friends, who would keep her updated of You’s progress.
Nevertheless, she still wanted to be by You’s side when the latter regained consciousness.
Tirelessly, she left voicemails entailing her daily happenings, as if those messages would reach the comatose woman. It was the only way she could hear You’s voice, hoping to arrive at a decision through that familiar, energetic voice.
“Remember how we first met? You waited for me that day at the cafe, when you didn’t have to. So this is nothing, You-chan, I’ll always wait for you. I’m only gone temporarily - I’ll be back before you know it.”
Riko bit her lips when she realized she had subconsciously repeated the exact words You said before she entered the surgery room.
“I’ll be back before you know it! Then, we’ll go sailing on a proper boat since we couldn’t do it the last time we were at Uchiura. Look forward to it!”
“Yeah, you jerk, I really am looking forward to it so you better hurry up and take me there,” Riko choked from the memory and fell silent. She glanced at the open sketchbook on the bedside table, smiling nostalgically at her girlfriend’s characteristic style.
“There are so much of your world that you haven’t shown me yet, just as how I still haven’t shown you mine. So, please, wake up?”
Like the countless times in the past two weeks, her plea fell upon deaf ears. Overcome by emotions, she leaned close and gave You a soft kiss upon her forehead.
When she settled back down at her seat, she noticed odd spikes and waves from the heart monitor and EEG monitor. Taken aback, she immediately turned her attention back to You, whose eyes slowly opened and blinked.
Those blue orbs were just as brilliant and beautiful as she remembered. Though filled with confusion, there was a flicker of recognition in You’s gaze. She hastily reached for the emergency button but she never once broke eye contact.
‘Thank you for waiting for me’, You’s eyes seemed to say.
Riko learned that miracles truly can happen, just as how fairytales illustrated them.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
“The Sagami Bay sure is pretty…”
You hummed thoughtfully as she sketched out the scenery, adding as many boats around the bay as she pleased. She may have doodled a submarine and a pirate ship too, though she probably would have to discard them in the final draft. With the peaceful ambience at White Lily, the comfortable couch by the window and the soothing aroma of coffee, she was able to churn out pages and pages for her storybook.
Ah yes, she wrote and illustrated for children’s books nowadays. Should she tell the cafe shop owner that she worked as a freelance illustrator and designer now?
Blue eyes glanced at her reflection on the glass, noting her casual attire and her trademark cap. She dressed the same way as when she first came to Kamakura, didn’t she? Well, her messy hair was long enough that she had to tie it into a tuff of a low ponytail, and she had her black-framed glasses on.
Things had definitely changed, for the better too.
Chuckling, she placed the sketchbook onto the table and dug out another one from her backpack. It was slightly worn around the edges and the pages were crinkly as opposed to the crisp texture of unused paper. She whimsically flipped through the sketchbook, giggling at the various versions of Sakurauchi Riko, the different angles of the sceneries at the park, statues with contemporary accessories, and even drawings of the sea and shrines in Uchiura.
So many memories, each priceless and romantic, filled this simple sketchbook over the years.
Smiling, she turned her attention back to the incomplete one, her thumb fondly brushing over the title she inscribed onto the cover. You & Riko - a Modern Fairytale.
She couldn’t wait to finish this particular storybook and show it to her beloved.
The phone vibrated inside her pocket, pulling her out of her nostalgic trance. Her heart pounded with excitement as she eagerly answered the call.
“Ohayousorou!”
“Mou, You-chan, it’s already the afternoon…”
“It can be the morning whenever you want, Riko-chan, you just have to make it!”
The familiar giggle was like music to her ears. “Are you implying that you want some sandwiches for brunch later?”
“Maybe? It’s been so long since I’ve had them, I’m so jealous of your bandmates!”
“You do know that I’ve only ever made them for you?”
“Oh right,” You pulled down her cap in slight embarrassment even though Riko couldn’t see her reddened ears. “Wait, you said brunch later… you’re already at the airport? I thought you’re not coming back until later the night?”
“Silly You-chan, I’m not at the airport.”
The door chimed and instinctively, You stood up to greet the newcomer who had warm amber eyes, lustrous burgundy hair and the beautiful smile she loved so much. Though appearing sheepish, Riko radiated with sheer joy too.
“Surprise-?”
You closed their distance in a few quick steps, pulling the startled woman in a big hug and spun her around. They laughed and interlaced their fingers, the rings on their fourth fingers gleaming beautifully under the sun.
A gentle breeze brushed against the open storybook on the table, flipping it to a page with an illustration that matched the two women’s silhouettes, and a small passage scribbled beneath it.
Even if you think you’re a damsel in distress, a princess waiting for the prince to rescue you from your tower, you can still be someone else’s knight in shiny armor.
You meet someone, get to know them, experience the butterfly flutters as well as heated desires, overcome obstacles and resolve problems together. While not everything is as perfect as fairytales of storybooks, a happy ending is indeed possible.
Does that not count as a fairytale in its own right?
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whydocowsfall · 7 years
Text
In Your Dreams
[AO3]
"The truth is, we’re dreaming, my lady. And I have claws to believe it’s a pretty good one if you’re here with me.”
When she goes to sleep at night, Marinette becomes Ladybug and works alongside Chat Noir to protect their city from the mysterious Hawkmoth. The dreams are fun, if a little weird, but they're just that - dreams. Or at least, that's what Marinette thinks.
CHAPTER 1
“I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream”
* * *
Marinette wasn’t sure she would ever be able to move again. She was sitting beside Adrien Agreste in a cinema and their elbows were touching. Nino had invited her, Adrien and Alya to see a film for his birthday but she’d already forgotten what it was about. She was vaguely aware that it was something about space and weird singing rocks, but 95% of her thought process was taken up by the fact that her elbow was touching Adrien’s elbow. Okay, that probably ranked pretty low on the list of “things worth getting excited about” but this was exciting for her! Whoever wrote that list had no idea just how bad she was at even talking to Adrien, and just how wonderful it might be to brush elbows with him. She’d just have to make sure she didn’t move at all; that way maybe Adrien wouldn’t notice and she could live in this state of bliss for ever (or at least until the movie ended.)
When they left the cinema Marinette felt warm, despite the fact that it was a January evening and it was cold enough that her breath left little clouds in the air. The feeling of warmth stayed with her while she wished her friends goodbye, and when she went to bed that night she was sure her cheeks still glowed a bright red. To think she could be this happy just from being able to spend a couple of hours sitting next to the love of her life! She fell asleep thinking about the boy with blond hair and emerald eyes, and hoped that they might be united in her dreams.
* * *
Marinette opened her eyes and was startled to see a boy around her age crouched in front of her. Something about him seemed familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was. 
“Ladybug, you’re awake!” he cried, and she was struck with confusion. Ladybug?
“Who… who are you?” she asked and his green eyes gleamed. 
“I’m Chat Noir, your partner!”
“My partner? I don’t… I think you’ve got the wrong person; I’m Ma-”
“No, no,” he interrupted her, “You’re definitely Ladybug - I’d recognise you anywhere, Bugaboo.”
She frowned slightly at that. Bugaboo? Was that a nickname? They’d only known each other for about five seconds.
“Okay… kitty,” she replied, and the boy – Chat Noir – grinned. “then tell me what’s going on? I can’t remember anything clearly, but I’m pretty sure something’s not quite… normal here.” Somehow they were standing now, though she didn’t remember getting up.
“Ahh, when I woke up a few minutes ago I was feline like that too. But one look at you and I knew exactly who you were! The truth is, we’re dreaming, my lady. And I have claws to believe it’s a pretty good one if you’re here with me.” He winked.
Marinette groaned at the puns, trying to cover up the blush that threatened to rise at his words. “Dreaming…? I guess that would make sense. And we’re partners? Partners in what?”
“Crime?” he supplied, “Marriage?” he chuckled at her look of surprise. “Don’t worry, it’s neither of those, unless you want it to be. Come with me, I’ll show you.” Chat Noir began to lead her down a hallway that looked like it was part of a very large, old house. Had they always been in here? She decided to put it down to dream shenanigans and followed closely behind. Somehow, despite the weirdness of the situation, something felt right. Chat Noir seemed familiar, like she’d known him a long time, and even the house felt like somewhere she felt at home. Eventually they came to a door that was slightly ajar, and through it she could hear a muffled conversation. Chat Noir pushed it open and the people inside immediately stopped talking and looked up.
The old man standing closest to the door beamed when he saw them. “Ladybug and Chat Noir! I’m glad you’re here. We’re going over the plans now – you should be here for this.”
The room was small and the walls were dark, but the atmosphere was cosy rather than cramped. In the centre was a table covered in paper and the people were all standing around it, waiting. Chat Noir gestured for her to go first, and she stood in a space by one of the walls while Chat followed behind her. She felt like a sham – she knew she wasn’t this ‘Ladybug’ everyone seemed to be calling her, but now they were all looking to her as if she were going to say something important. She didn’t even know what these plans they were going over were for! But then she felt Chat Noir’s hands on her shoulders, and suddenly she felt calm. It was a simple gesture, but it made her feel safe, like Chat wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her. She relaxed, and told herself to be honest. Surely they’d understand if she just explained that she wasn’t sure she really was Ladybug?
“Um,” (good start, she thought) “I’m sorry, but I don’t really know who any of you are? I mean! I don’t even know who I am! The truth is… I woke up today with no idea what was going on, and Chat Noir explained a little to me but I still don’t know what these plans are for and I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do.” She hung her head sadly. There was no way she’d be able to stay here with Chat after that.
“It’s okay, Ladybug,” came a voice, and she looked up to see the old man smiling at her. “I thought something like this might happen. I’d hoped you’d understand when you woke up, but there was always a chance that you wouldn’t remember anything. My name is Master Fu. You and Chat Noir work with us to fight against the man who controls this city. He calls himself Hawkmoth, and he terrorises the people with soldiers he calls ‘akuma’. Their purpose seems to be to retrieve your miraculouses. Ladybug, that’s your earrings, and Chat Noir, your ring.”
Marinette put a hand up to her ear and tentatively felt the earrings she had in. She vaguely remembered buying them for a couple of euros earlier that day before going to the cinema, but she didn’t see why they’d be valuable enough for anyone to want to take them from her.
“Your miraculouses are what allow you to be here with us,” she heard him say, as if he’d read her mind. “We don’t know why Hawkmoth wants them, but he cannot be allowed to have them. They also give you special powers that you’ll know how to use when the time comes. However, once you’ve used the power you have only a short period of time before the miraculous stops working, and then it ends.”
“It ends?” asked Chat Noir, from behind her. “What ends?”
But then they were outside, sitting together in the grass behind a large house that she knew was the one they’d just been in. Chat Noir was fiddling with his ring, and his brows were furrowed slightly. He looked deep in thought. He noticed her staring though, and quickly his frown turned into a grin. “Like what you see, Bugaboo?”
Marinette scoffed. “Careful kitty, you might not like my answer.” 
“Oh, and what if I do?”
Marinette smiled and punched him gently in the shoulder. “I still don’t really know what’s going on, but you seem like the sort of person I’d like to have as a partner.”
“We make a great team, My Lady, I’m sure of it.” He smiled in return. “In fact,” he said as his eyes lit up, “we make a purrfect one.”
“Okay, so are cat puns a thing with you? Do you think the akuma should be worried?”
“I’m sure they love my puns. They’re un-fur-gettable.”
She laughed at that. “They’re pretty terrible. Maybe they’re all we need to fight akuma with.” She frowned in concentration. “If you think they’re good… you’ve got to be kitten me.”
Chat Noir stared at her in surprise before bursting into laughter. “That… that was the worst pun I’ve ever heard,” he managed to say, and she started to laugh too.
* * *
She was still laughing when she woke up that morning, the dream fresh in her mind and a smile on her lips. She absolutely had to tell Alya.
* * * 
Across the city, Adrien Agreste was waking up from a very similar dream. Sleepily he sat up and scratched the ears of the black cat curled up on his bed. “Plagg,” he said, grinning, “I think I’ve just had the best dream of my life.”
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