đâ„ïžđâ„ïž
hey hey dino!! can i get headcanons of akaashi meeting his s/o for the first time at a bookshop and then how they confessed or got together afterwards? -đ
wahhhh sorry for responding to this so late but i was thinking a lot about how to do this and i finally got what i want in my head. i hope you like this onigiri-anon !! i also really missed the second-hand bookstores near my campus so i mentally projected myself there. alsoo,, this ended up being a drabble ajgkla i just love bookstores so much (and akaashi)
Akaashi + meeting his s/o in a bookstore
akaashi loved his part-time job and he was proud to say it, especially with his own friends struggling with having to deal with customers in cafes or weird people in clothing stores. instead of those, he was in his ideal place which was essentially being surrounded by books. it was a small, bookstore that sold second-hand books for really great deals. the store would attract the occasional wanderer whoâd thumb through the dusty shelves, sometimes buying one or two books, or just wandering back outside. his regulars though, the faces who akaashi would recognize, were often literature students whoâd specifically inquire about titles theyâd need for a class. that, and one other person who akaashi found himself inexplicably drawn to.
he couldnât really tell what course you were taking, nor did he particularly think it was his business, but you came to the shop at a specific time every week: four oâ clock, every friday. youâd browse the shelves, paying special attention to the ârecent arrivalsâ collection and always walked out of the store with a handful of paperbacks. akaashi could tell from your purchases that you were a genre-jumping kind of reader, something that he admired. after a bit of time, heâd make small conversation with you at the counter while he wrapped up the books you ordered. sometimes heâd talk about a book you were buying that he read before or heâd ask about whether or not the one you got last week was any good.
âhmmm, this seems to be a mystery novel weekend for you,â akaashi hummed, smiling down at the stack of agatha cristie novels that you placed on the counter.
âi used to read these a lot when i was younger,â you shrugged a shoulder. âso it also doubles as a nostalgia trip.â
âi see,â akaashi let out a small chuckle as rang up your order. âthat will be five dollars.â you rummaged around your pocket for change, dropping a few crumpled dollar bills and coins on the counter, only to come up fifty cents short.
âdang, i should have known not to buy that overpriced coffee earlier,â you laughed, going through the stack of books. âi guess iâll take out this one...âÂ
akaashi only needed a split-second to think up what to do. âyou know what? think of it as a discount,â he smiled, plucking the book out of your hand and re-adding it to the stack of books that he was about to wrap in brown paper.
âreally?â you blinked at him in surprise.
âyeah. i mean, youâre a pretty regular customer,â akaashi said. âalthough, donât tell that to the lit majors. i might go out of business if they knew,â he whispered, handing your books to you.
âiâll keep that in mind,â you laughed.
âand by the way,â akaashi added quickly. âi know you mostly choose books here based on what interests you but, you can make some special requests if you want.â
âand... will they just magically appear in that secret storeroom behind you?â you raised your eyebrows at him.
âas much as i would like that, sadly they donât âmagically appearâ. i have some connections.â
âso, a black market then,â you nodded your head. akaashi couldnât help but chuckle.Â
âyes, exactly that.â
âwell, if itâs not too much trouble for your underground, second-hand book mafia, do you think you could find a copy of âstation eleven?ââ you asked.
âstation eleven,â akaashi picked up a pen and wrote down the title.
âby emily st. john mandel,â you added. âi read the blurb at a bookstore but it was way out of budget.â
âiâll see what i can do,â akaashi said confidently.Â
his âblack market second-hand booksâ connections happened to be just an online website full of second-hand bookstore owners. most of the time, theyâd talk about the best places to get books but everyone helped each other out. akaashi put up a post inquiring about a copy of âstation elevenâ and got a response in less than an hour, and the actual book in less than two days. the hard part about that was akaashi ended up impatiently waiting for you to come by the bookstore again. and because of that, he ended up reading the book that you requested for.Â
by the time you came again on friday, akaashi had long finished the book and had it waiting for you on the counter.
âno way! book mafia is real!â you grinned, holding the copy in your hands.Â
âreal, and always at your service,â akaashi bowed, feeling warmth bloom in his chest at the sight of your smile. âi hope you donât mind that i read through it.â
âas long as you donât give any spoilers,â you wagged a finger at him. âand besides, iâd do that if i were you.â
âiâll just say that itâs a wonderful read and leave it at that. we also have some more stuff at the new releases collection.â
âooh, yes please!â you smiled, rifling through the box beside the counter that akaashi had strategically repositioned. he watched as you tucked your hair behind both ears and rifled through the stacks, eyes scanning through titles and blurbs. he was staring before he even realized it.
âoh my gosh,â you gasped, breaking akaashi out of his reverie. âare these goosebumps books.âÂ
âyou noticed,â akaashi smiled, joining you at the new releases box as you pulled goosebump book after goosebump book from it. âthey sell these pretty cheaply since theyâre essentially pulp fiction books for kids.â
âthese were my childhood,â you laughed, reading out the titles. ââdeep trouble,â âdeep trouble 2âČ, âvampire breathâ.â you gasped again as you held up another book. âthe curse of camp cold lake!â
akaashi laughed at your excitement. you shot him a pout. âwhat? i know theyâre not esteemed literature but--â
âno, itâs not that,â he shook his head. âyou see, iâm more of a ârevenge of the living dummyâ kind of guy.â
âi havenât read that one! itâs a trilogy, right?â
âyou can start now,â akaashi handed you the three, slim paperback novels.Â
âalright,â you nodded. back at the counter, you watched as akaashi carefully wrapped all your books with brown paper, tie it all to secure them together, before pressing a stamp on the edge. it was one of those things you loved about the bookstore, aside from the cheap books and the very cute storeowner. you always unwrapped your books as carefully and tenderly as how akaashi wrapped them.
âlet me know what you think of them in a week,â he said, handing the package to you. you hugged your books to your chest.
âiâll probably take less than a week to read all of these,â you said, fidgeting with the hem of your sleeve. âi mean, theyâre pretty slim novels.â
âoh,â akaashi blinked, getting the hint. âiâll... hear your thoughts soon then?â
âsoon,â you nodded brightly.
as the weeks continued, you and akaashi exchanged book recommendations, most often reminiscing about old, pulp fiction books you read as children. what started out as you coming in once a week turned into a few days a week, and then at least once a day in between your classes. akaashi loved the way youâd sometimes enter, seemingly in a rush, and immediately start talking about the book you just read or even just about your day.Â
that was until one day, he realized that he was pretty much looking at the door and wishing for you to pop in instead of reading his book to pass the time. âif i could just close up shop today and talk to them, that would be great,â he wondered, checking his watch again and finding that your class was a good hour away from ending. akaashi felt a rush of joy when he saw you come in. this time, he didnât confine himself behind the counter while you browsed the shelves. the two of you took turns pulling books from shelves, reading out blurbs, and sharing recommendations. you liked how your conversation wasnât just limited to what you were reading, but other things that happened in your day and during your classes.
akaashi wished that he could do this all the time. and then, he realized a way how.
on friday, you bought a little more books than usual for your weekend reading and came back again on monday to an expectant akaashi. âwell, how was it?â he asked, quirking up a smile at you.
âamazing. i canât believe itâs taken me this long to read it,â you grinned, your copy of âthe giverâ by lois lowry still in hand. akaashi smiled at it, knowing that you probably ran over to the bookstore right after reading it.
âthe fact that itâs been banned in several schools makes it all the more compelling to read,â akaashi added. even though he was talking, he felt as if he was still holding in a breath. he listened and nodded along, adding in his insights as you talked about the book, until finally, you brought up what he was waiting for.
âby the way, you know how most of the books here have all these doodles and writing on the pages?â you asked.
âyeah?â akaashi cocked his head.
âwell, i saw this one on a page. it said âwill you date me?â i thought it was cute,â you smiled softly. âhopefully the person said yes.â
âthat remains to be seen,â akaashi cleared his throat.
âhmm?â you looked at him, puzzled. akaashi took the book from you and opened it to the first page. there, on a corner of the page, was his name. your eyes widened at the sight as you quickly put two and two together.
âoh.â
âyeah...â akaashi pursed his lips as he watched you. you crinkled your nose and quirked a smile up at him.
âdid the book mafia just ask me out?â
akaashi laughed and closed the book. âthey just did. and they eagerly wait for your reply.â
âwell, if the book mafia also likes watching movies,â you said nonchalantly.
âthe book mafia loves stories in all mediums,â akaashi smiled down at you. âis this saturday alright?â
âthis saturday sounds wonderful,â you agreed.Â
taglist (still open to anyone who wants in): @montys-chaosâ @miyumtwinsâ @strawberriimilkshakeâ @pocuboâ @sugawara-sweetheart@akaashisbabydoll @laure-chan@therainroguefanfiction@atetiffdoesart@stephdaninja@oikaw-ugh @charliefredb @dramaqueenweeb1469@tremblinghearts @applepienation
[2:22am] ;; inumaki toge
note: nothin man inumaki toge needs a hug send tweet. gn!reader on this one too ladies and gents. it's 4:05am now i'm gonna go.... sleep
Heâs never up this late. Not when the world outside seems so quiet, as though even a breath from him could shake the trees until their leaves fall and scatter around him, swirling in circles until they land at his feet.
Inumaki is never one to let his breath stir in the night with such ease, to let the wind cast around him and whistle past his ears until itâs hardly all he can hear. Yet, when night came he couldnât find himself drawn to sleepânot for anything bad, no, the nightmares stopped bothering him a few months ago. But rather, because he saw your silhouette passing by his window and out into the courtyard, and Inumaki Toge has always been a curious one.
You turn as he approaches, and even in this darkness, he can see the way you smile at him, your eyes flitting over him and brows pulled together in a certain kindness that he could never expect from someone, but one that he feels from you as though itâs the only thing youâve ever known.
âAnd I thought you werenât one to stay up late,â You say, and your voice drips with fatigue at this hour, as though moonlight has crept its way into your throat and left you coated with its dust. You have your arms wrapped around yourself in this chill, your short sleeves not nearly enough to cover your skin from the breeze, so before he responds Inumaki shrugs off his own jacket and places it around your shoulders.
âSalmon salmon,â He says with a sigh, though his tone is awfully delightful for the way his eyes wish to close with every passing breath. He watches as you pull his jacket tighter around you, and he tries not to pay too much attention to the way you lean into him, as though you could share the warmth from the clothing purely through proximity alone.
From where you two stand, you can see the way the moon shines over the forest that surrounds the school. It reflects on puddles from the earlier rain showers, water still dripping from the leaves onto the soil, but he can hardly pay attention to the way night has spread across the forest, not when youâve begun to lean your head onto his shoulder until your hair brushes against the newly-exposed skin of his neck and jaw.
These moments have grown much more frequent, as of late. As though youâve only grown bolder with time, as if with each turn of the clock, youâve only inched closer to him until there was no space left between either of you.
He doesnât mindânot at all. Not when the sight of you in his jacket is enough to warm him even as the breeze fights against him. For the longest time, he thought you were never one for touch. He thought you would be the kind to only lay a hand on those who asked, but he supposes most people think he would be the kind to never wish to speak, tooâhe should really know better than to make assumptions like that.
Because now, in the glow of the moonlight underneath the ancient stars of this Earth, Inumaki Toge wishes for nothing more than to let words spill past his mouth as though he could afford to be careless. He wishes for nothing more than for his breath to creep past his lips and confess without consequence or fear.
And under this moonlight and beneath these ancient stars, youâve trusted him with your touch, as you have for a few weeks now, and youâve curled yourself around him and the warmth of his skin as though neither of you have known any different.
âYou look pretty,â You say then, and itâs almost like youâve managed to know no different here, either, because you know his thoughts that can never be vocalized, and now theyâve become your own. âYâknow, under the moonlight and all. Though Iâd say all the other times, too.â
It takes him off guard, and he almost regrets giving you his jacket because now a blush has managed its way up his cheeks and heâs entirely on display for you to gaze at. And you do, god you do.
And then, as though itâs the most natural thing for him to do, Inumaki buries his face into the crook of your neck and whispers bonito flakes into your flesh, and then tuna, over and over again until the meaning behind the words can be felt since god he knows that they canât always be heard.
No, he wishes to say, itâs you. It's you. Look at you. He wants to spill past his lips.
But he doesnât need to. Never does with you, because you pull him away from your shoulder and smile at him, the moonlight reflecting off of your skin in the sweetest of ways, and smile.
âNo,â You say, âItâs all you.â And then your lips are on his cheek, the kind of thing that only the sweetness of night could bring.
baseball
pairing: inumaki toge x gn!reader
the crack of impact rings in your ears as you watch him drop the bat and swiftly make it on base. you werenât sure how to feel about the results of the goodwill event being settled with a baseball game, but seeing the way everyone is letting loose and enjoying themselves instantly changes your mind. not to mention, getting to see your boyfriend in action is a real treat.
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Holy fuck this is so pretty đ„ș
(a/n): small self indulgent drabble, lowkey wish my first kiss was like this instead wtf i got
warnings: none
loosely based on awkward by tyler the creator
during your afternoon class when the sunlight would drift through the windows onto akaashiâs face, you couldnât help but be enamored by his beauty.
his long lashes, slightly messy hair, and soft lips would be something you looked forward to during your morning class. and when the afternoon would finally come, you would be enamored all over again. and sometimes he would spare you a glance while you quickly looked away.
so when he finally asked you out, of course you obliged.
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summary: all of the attempts for your first kiss and the time it finally does happen. pairing: atsumu x fem!reader genre: fluff!!! seriously rlly fluffy ok, established relationship, first kiss scenario, atsumu soft as hell for you word count: 2.7k words a/n: aHA IM AN ATSUMU SIMP NOWâŠyeah not proud of it, but iâll accept it. anyway did this instead of the homework i had due at 12am (rip my grades) i hope you enjoy some soft atsumu who adores you. anyways this is obvious but electric love while reading? MMPH *chefs kiss*
atsumu feels a smile grow on his face at the sight of your wide eyes darting around the carnival like an excited child. colors of blues, pinks and purples danced off your skin from the reflection of the tall ferris wheelâs lights and your grin shines brighter than any of them.
youâre beautiful.
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hot moments | atsumu, osamu, kuroo, sakusa, akaashi
just some hot haikyuu boy things. iâll be thinking of these for the rest of the day. i hope you enjoy this as much as i enjoyed writing it >:)
â atsumuÂ
» when he wears a white shirt in the rain ⊠imagine rain seeping through his shirt, making see-through, not completely see-through, just enough to see his toned muscles. the way the cloth clings onto his biceps-Â
heâs a whole meal.Â
» when he stretches and his shirt lifts ever so slightly to reveal his tummy. heâs caught the way your eyes widened as you watched, but never said anything about it ;)Â
» when he sits with one knee propped up, his elbow resting on that knee âŠ. mhm. mhmmm~Â
» when he casually palms ur butt or wraps his hand around your waist in public. when he walks around with his arm hung loosely over your shoulders, it lets you play with his hand too đ„ș
â osamuÂ
» his weight on one foot, one hand rested on the countertop while the other casually flips panÂ
» when he throws dough up in the air and makes it look so easyÂ
i can watch him cook in the kitchen for days <3Â
» âsamu in black aprons. YES. YES YES YESÂ
» âsamu wiping his sweat off with his forearm, looking as focused and unbothered as everÂ
» when he cups your chin when feeding you food to avoid spilling anything. we love a caring man <33Â
â kurooÂ
» ITâS THE WAY HE WEARS SUITS/BUTTON-UPS TO WORK EVERYDAY FOR MEÂ
» when his tie hangs slightly loose djfksldkfj đ€§(it makes you want to pull him by his tie and smoosh your lips against his)
» when he smirks (which is like 24/7, but thatâs the point đŒ)
» WHEN HE ROLLS UP HIS SLEEVESÂ
» when he takes sips from the matching coffee mugs he bought for the two of youÂ
» WHEN HE WEARS A WATCH AROUND HIS WRIST
i bet heâs real good with technology related stuff too >:) heâll be able to recover ur lost files <3Â
â sakusaÂ
» when he steps out the shower, towel hanging dangerously low around his waist (his low ab lines are clearly defined), he flips his wet curls back and ruffles his hair using another towel
» and then he looks up at you with a goofy smile, completely unaware of how mesmerized you areÂ
» when he walks around with his hands in his pocket, looking like the CEO OF EVERYWHERE đ€
» when he occasionally sticks his hand in YOUR POCKET, gets your stomach fluttery every time <33
» open eye kisses. his eye contact daring you to deepen the kiss đ»makes you weak at the kneesÂ
â akaashiÂ
» every time he has his glasses on <33Â
» when heâs working on transcript and occasionally taps his pen against his lips
» when he softly blows on hot drinks before taking a sipÂ
» when he slides his arm through his jacket sleeves-Â
» WHEN HE SMILES THAT GENUINE SMILE OF HISÂ
» when he softly chuckles at you, hiding his face behind his palm but you can still see the crinkle in his eyes đ„ș
» HEâS TOO KIND FOR HIS OWN GOOD. heâs good with kids, animals, elderly people, literally everyone love him, as they should. husband material đ»
Pairing: Akaashi x reader
Type of fic: Domestic fluff
Warnings: None
Youâre laying on Akaashiâs lap as he reads aloud, his voice smoothly going over the punctuation and flow of the story.
He takes short breaks at the end of each chapter just to watch you, eyes closed small smile never leaving your face.
Akaashi isnât completely sure if youâre asleep, but his reading seems to be putting you in a good mood, so he continues.
The house is slightly chilly and the sun is starting to set, filling the house with a golden light that illuminates his skin and creates a glare that makes it hard to see his gunmetal blue eyes through his wire glasses.
Heâs also good at holding the book in one hand for the most part, his other hand buried in your hair, petting and massaging any tension away, occasionally stopping so he can flip the page.
He does the characterâs voices well, and you can tell when he particularly likes a character by the lilt in his voice and smile as he speaks.
This weekâs book was The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe a book youâve both read before, but itâs one of Akaashiâs favourites, and he tells it slightly different each time.
His voice lulls you to a point in consciousness where all you hear is his voice and it takes everything in you to not fall asleep, but after this week you were tired and let sleep wash over you like a blanket.
The last thing you heard was Akaashi voicing the narrator, his voice slightly deeper than usual; â People who have not been in Narnia sometimes think that a thing cannot be good and terrible at same timeâŠâ
When you wake up, Akaashi is asleep, head leaned back against the couch and hand still and tangled in your hair. His glasses still on, but slipped down his nose to where it looks like they might fall.
Carefully watching him, you grab his calloused hand, warm and large compared to yours, and kiss it. Stirring him awake.
âYou fell asleep during chapter 11â he groaned, stretching his neck out.
âDid you finish it, Keiji?â You ask, brushing the hair out of his face.
âI always do.â He smiles and leans over to kiss you, sighing into the kiss.
âThe suns set now.â You gesture to the dark room around you, wanting to get up, but Akaashi holds your hips in his hands.
âA little longer in the dark.â
âSounds good to me.â
â
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@sachirou-senpai
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speaking of coffee (thanks jade LOL):
akaashi knows you have an iced coffee addiction. heâs a coffee drinker himself, mostly hot, but youâre far more committed to the same drink than he is. and heâs okay with that, of course, because it only makes it easier for him to order for you when he wants to surprise you or when he picks you up for a date.
the only time itâs inconvenient? winter.
because while akaashiâs love for you doesnât change with the seasons, the temperature surely does, and that only makes it more difficult for him to carry the icy drink to pick you up. the walk to your house isnât a long one, and itâs one he usually enjoys, but the tremble in his freezing fingertips causes him to focus a little less on the scenery and a little more on getting to his destination with all ten fingers still attached.
yet, when he knows boldly on your door, breath puffing out in a wispy cloud in the air, he doesnât feel quite as cold when the door swings open. his cheeks are tinted pink from the air and the affectionate hug you offer him as a greeting, and he feels like heâs warmed up a bit already.
âkeiji!â you gasp, holding both of his hands in yours as you usher him inside, âyou didnât bring gloves? ah, and this drink is iced, you must have been freezing!â
you quickly take the drink from him, setting it on the table before blowing warm air onto his hands. it feels refreshing to have the heat flow over his palms and to his knuckles, and it only gets better when you look up at him through your lashes.
âis that better?â you ask tentatively. akaashi smiles, letting out a small chuckle and pressing a short kiss to your forehead. itâs cold, yet somehow not unpleasant.
âdonât worry about me,â he replies. âiâm all better now.â
thereâs only one kind of heat he needs, akaashi decides.Â
the comforting warmth called you.
desc: sparring with your boyfriend turns into an emotional unpacking of sorts.
a/n: okay but i promise itâs not ALL angst. i just canât do that to myself, yâknow? soft endings make me smile. also the title is a quote from kylo ren because i canât think of another name. thank you very much.
warnings: angst, mentions death, blood, anxiety, trauma
wc: 3.5k
â
âIs⊠is there really any point to this,â you pant.Â
Youâre hunched over with your hands on your knees, struggling to suck in a breath.Â
For such a pretty day, you hadnât planned on spending it getting sweaty, much less sparring with someone. If youâd wanted to drip sweat and ruin your hair, you would have preferred to go for a jog or hit the gym⊠but you certainly hadnât asked to sink your fists into your boyfriendâs hands today.
Fushiguro adjusts the collar to his white button-down shirt and sighs, âI already told you, yes.â
Thereâs hardly a drop of sweat on him.Â
If anything, he looks refreshed after an hour of gentle sparring. The only sign of physical exertion is a slight cherry-pink tint shown on his cheeks - even then, it could just be the product of a little too much sun on his pale skin. In comparison to the dark-haired boyâs youthful stamina, you feel like a feeble, old lady; maybe you should invest in a cane so that you look like one too.Â
âBut why now? Youâve never asked to teach me before.â
You donât usually whine around Megumi - heâs too practical to take your complaints very seriously anyway - but today, you just canât seem to help it. Itâs a gripe thatâs been sitting at the tip of your tongue all morning.Â
For someone so reserved, he really had a way of working you to the bone. Why does he feel the need to drag you out to a random field to punch and kick and fall down when you likely couldnât even outmaneuver a child? Itâs counterintuitive and a big waste of your time.Â
But he doesnât seem to think so.
âI donât want you to be defenseless.â
You stand back up, your lungs having finally recovered.Â
âI wouldnât call this defense. Youâre literally just teaching me how to slug a guy in the face,â you say flatly while looking down to examine your hands.
âDonât try to punch someone in the face, y/n. Youâll-â
â-break my fingers, yeah, I know. You already told me thatâŠâ you glance back up and roll your eyes. âDonât take everything I say so literally.â A smile plays at your lips.
Fushiguro sighs in response. He wears his usual frustrated frown (which he maintains is just his resting face) and trudges toward you.
You eye him and swipe a bunched-up fist across your forehead before dropping it back to your side.
In a few short strides, heâs in front of you, blue eyes hooded and lips drawn into a firm line. He gives you a once over, probably measuring how well youâre holding up so far. You just hope that heâll call it a day⊠but itâs not looking like thatâs going to happen anytime soon.
He blinks. Then, without warning, Fushiguro reaches down and wraps a hand gently around your lowered wrist. He uses his other hand to conduct your upper arm so that itâs parallel to the ground. You let his warm hands guide your movements slowly and meticulously while he trains his eyes on your positioning. If you werenât already acquainted with his inscrutable stares, you mightâve been battling a blush right now, but youâve grown used to your boyfriendâs habits.
Although, for someone whoâd just been blocking your kicks and tripping you up, Fushiguro is being awfully careful with you. His fingers, scarred and rough, are delicate on your skin.Â
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[Genshin Masterlist]
word count: 2.1k
summary: Over the course of a seemingly menial day, Albedo finally realises that he's in love with you.
warnings: none! just sheer, tooth-rotting fluff. this has however just been word vomited with no beta so <33
this fic absolutely ran away with me, it was only meant to be the rain scene and then whoops i had 2k words written đđ i just get,,,, very soft for Albedo, apparently. also sof if u see this i pushed to get this finished quicker for u so u could read it â€
"We're going to get soaked," Albedo complained as you tugged on his hand, pulling him out of his office. He didn't try to let go, though, willingly following you regardless. He would have followed even if you were leading him straight into hellfire.Â
"It'll be fun, I promise!" You beamed, a bounce in your step as you guided your partner outside.
The rain was pouring down heavily and Albedo sighed as the front of his hair was almost immediately flattened into his eyes, obscuring his sight. You hadn't fared as well either, but you were already mostly waterlogged from travelling to see him in the first place so it hadn't been as extreme of a difference.Â
With heavy hands, he pushed his hair out of his face, letting it slick back against the sides rather than remaining plastered across his forehead. You were already lost in yourself a little further ahead of him, the enthusiasm never once leaving your steps as you bounded through the soaking streets of Mondstat with a gentle laugh.Â
Albedo's feet sank against the drenched stone paving, little splashes of water flicking out under the soles of his boots. He spent a moment observing the way that the droplets rippled out from one another, some constructively interfering and causing larger splashes, some pattering out quickly into nothingness. For a while, he was lost in thought as he followed after you, until you finally snapped him back to reality with a little wave of your hand in front of his face.
"We're here," you declared triumphantly, gesturing out into the open space around you.Â
You'd taken him all the way towards the cathedral, to the wide open square that housed the towering statue of Barbatos. He noted that the rainwater was cascading heavier from between the open palms of the statue, causing louder and larger splashes on the ground below. You didn't seem to care, eagerly running around in the space with a gleeful whoop as you splayed your arms out in the air and simply just enjoyed the time you were having.Â
The downpour hadn't once cleared up and Albedo was certain that you'd have some serious drying off to do in front of a warm fire later to avoid catching a cold. Not that he couldn't just make up a few concoctions to make you feel better if you did get sick, but he decided he'd rather avoid the probability entirely.Â
Almost as if to prove his point, a significantly large gathering of water sloshed unceremoniously down from the top of the statue and plopped tremendously atop your unsuspecting head. You let out a yelp of surprise, somehow now even more impossibly soaked through than you already were.
It surprisingly didn't change just how stunning you looked in the moment, though. If anything, the glistening droplets of rain reflecting in the fragments of light peeking through the grey clouds overhead gave you an extra layer of etheralism that had him close to blushing.Â
"You're beautiful." He couldn't help himself from making the comment. It was an astute observation, like everything else he had noticed on the walk there. You really were the most breathtaking person he knew, so why wouldn't he let you know?
"Flatterer," you laughed, moving back over to him only to scoop his hands into yours. "Dance with me?"Â
"Of course," he obliged.Â
Sure, there was no music. That hadn't stopped you before so it certainly wouldn't stop him now.
Albedo wasn't necessarily adept with the concept of dancing, at least not in the traditional sense. His years of training as a swordsman had helped his footwork, naturally, so it wasn't possible for him to falter too badly. It had been a while since he had had a partner as proficient as you, though. Klee managed to keep him on his toes- literally sometimes- by insisting he teach her how to dance and then proceeding to simply drag him around the room a few times, but it was nothing compared to genuinely trying to dance with another person.Â
"You don't need to be perfect at this, you know," you let out a laugh as he tried to lead you in a slow waltz.Â
"I am aware," he admitted. "But you deserve nothing less."
"Just let yourself have fun, Mr. Perfectionist," you grinned, switching up your movement to pull him into a twirl.Â
You were leading him now, dancing him around in a circle past all the bright cecelias that were planted around the foot of the statue. They were almost as pretty to look at as you, but Albedo knew they'd never quite match your elegance and charm. Your hands placed gently on his body, one on his shoulder and the other just over his hip, felt so warm against him. It was a shocking change to the bone-chill he could sense from the damp soaking deep into every single fiber of his being. It was welcome, though, and your touch felt like home to him.Â
Home.
He considered "home" to be the land he was created in, the land he no longer got to see. Home was meant to be where you were from, right? So why did you, a person who had let themselves into his life like an absolute whirlwind and consumed his entire being until you were all that was left, feel the exact same way?Â
You had become a comfort, not unlike the blissful warmth of settling down before a fire deep in the harshest snowstorms that wracked through Dragonspine. Like the early dew in the morning gracing the blades of grass that Albedo did so like to sit out and sketch when the sun was just rising. You were ephemeral, fleeting, but at the same time you were strong and grounding, like an anchor keeping him steady. He never quite realised how much he liked feeling stable.Â
Yet here, now, with you, he let himself enjoy it all at once. The feeling that he always felt when he was with you, that glorious encompassing feeling of home. It threatened to swallow him whole and never let him go. And he would gladly let it, without hesitation.Â
He laughed. For maybe the first time that you had ever heard him do so, he let out the most genuine laugh that he ever had. The rain was still cascading down in rivers across him, forcing him to blink hard to get the water away as he threw his head back towards the sky. You watched him with keen interest for a moment, bewildered by the sudden display of emotion, but once you had settled you laughed along with him.Â
Never once did you stop dancing, out in the rain like that together. You both kept going until you were too tired to move any more, until you were practically dragging yourselves back through the wet streets home.Â
Home. That elusive word yet again.Â
This was your house that Albedo was currently crossing through the threshold of, closing the door carefully behind him as you went ahead to start up the fireplace. It was your sofa that you piled some blankets onto, your dining chair that you slowly and cautiously spread out your soaking wet outer clothes to dry upon.Â
Everything was familiar to him of course, he had been invited into your house many times even before you were courting, but it all belonged to you. It wasn't for the both of you.Â
It could be, though, he let himself think. Perhaps one day, some of his paperwork could be laid upon that dining room table. The cup he usually used half to death for coffee before finally washing it out every time could be sat neatly on the countertop, perhaps next to your own. His coat could be hung up on the hook beside your front door, next to where your own currently rested.Â
"-e that," you said, but he didn't quite catch it.Â
When had he let himself get so lost in his own imagination around you? You really must have had such a strong effect on him, for him to even be thinking about sharing his life with you in such a way.Â
"Hey, Albedo," you called out to him again. This time, he actually turned to you.Â
"I'm sorry, what did you want?"Â
"Give me that," you held out your hand, gesturing towards his coat. "You're still drenched, I'm not letting you stay here if you're going to drip all over my carpets."
He passed it over wordlessly, peeling the fabric back off of his arms and handing it to you. You gave him a warm smile, such a beautiful smile, one that never failed to elicit a similar one from him in response, as you moved off to hang his coat up to dry.Â
It was next to yours, just as he had been imagining only seconds prior. He had to admit, they looked good together. Like they were meant to be there.Â
"C'mon," you urged as you returned, ushering him back towards the sofa.Â
He sat first, at your behest, and let you plonk yourself down by his side. You stayed where you were for a moment, before fidgeting and eventually shifting all the way until you had your head resting on his shoulder.Â
"Your hair is still wet," he noted, which made you giggle.Â
"Yeah of course it is, we were out there for like an hour." You wrapped your arms around his middle, settling down as comfortably as you could manage.Â
It wasn't the first time the two of you had cuddled in such a way on your sofa (yours, not a shared entity), but this time Albedo just couldn't seem to find the right way to place his own hands. He settled, eventually, for draping one arm gently across you and using the other to hold onto the hand of yours that had come to a rest across his stomach.Â
"You seem really off today Bedo," you hummed, tilting your head up to glance at him.
He met your eyes with a smile. "I'm fine, love, don't you worry."
Love.Â
He hadn't ever called you that before. Why did it feel so right, now?
"Love?" You repeated, a sheepish smile spreading across your face.Â
"Do you not like it?" He asked, suddenly wondering if he had said something wrong. Before you, he never would have been so worried about something so small.
"No, I," you hesitated. "I love it."
"Was that meant to be a joke?" Albedo mused, moving to press a kiss to your forehead. He wasn't sure what had compelled him to do that right then and there but it just felt right.
Felt. Feelings were difficult, a concept that Albedo knew about in abundance- but still could never quite grasp. Even though he knew he was happy with you, happy interacting with you in a more-than-platonic manner, he never seemed to get a decent understanding of how he felt about you. You had told him several times how he made you feel, not to the point of saying those specific little three words, but it was close enough. He knew you cared for him, deeply at that. Why else would you have been so patient with him all this time?
"I love you," he uttered out at last, after what felt like he was thinking for hours. Really, it had likely not been much longer than a few seconds.
You stopped what you were doing, mindlessly twining and unlocking your fingers with his, to gaze up into his eyes. The slight part of your lips expressed your shock brilliantly as you stuttered to try and get a response out.Â
"I love you too," you replied at last, after fumbling around the words for a while. "I love you so much, you don't even know."
"I think I can imagine," Albedo smiled, leaning down to pull you into a searing kiss.
Yes. Love was definitely what he felt. There was no other way to describe it, the overwhelming feeling he got whenever he looked at you. The feeling that desperately ached in his chest whenever you weren't around him. It was the feeling that made him want to stay there like that with you for an eternity, even despite the inclination to keep working on his research. It was the feeling of the first day of spring after a perilous winter, of the very first leaves tumbling off of their trees in autumn.Â
The feeling of home.Â
And he wanted to make a home with you, no matter what.
⟠the witching hour
⟠decision: hallway
⟠warnings: f!reader, alcohol mention, drug mention, sfw shirtlessness
⟠word count: 2.4k
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