#i need them back together as teammates before the end of their careers pls

[ak8shi]

FWB HQ Boys: In which you beat the player at his own game!

warnings: Time skip spoilers, mentions of sex(all characters are 18+), alcohol, stupid people in love

a/n: ahh I’m sorry I’ve been a little MIA!!! But I’m back with this pls enjoy ! I think the fandom really make germaphobia his only personality trait sometimes which makes me sad because I think he’s actually a quirky/classy dude and very functional in social situations,, I hate to say it but ya’ll would get played by him… sorry.

━Sakusa Kiyoomi

Some of you may be like ???? Omi fucks around ?? how ?? BUT he definitely does in his own way

He probably doesn’t do much in high school to be honest, he’s mostly focused on improving as a volleyball player and achieving his goals

Once he reaches pro level though,,, it’s a different story lmfao

I can see him being picky as hell about his hookups, but just because he’s a bit of a germaphobe doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel attraction or doesn’t have needs…

….He’s so hot too… girl

His hook-ups are always taken seriously though… like he’s the type that feels like he has a professional image to upkeep, so he always arranges things beforehand; he’s definitely not messy about it and sets clear boundaries

I think what makes him kind of a player is how standoffish he can be…and he doesn’t really give anyone a chance because he doesn’t think they what it takes to deal with his lifestyle lmao

He’s just like, its easier to call the uber right after, get into the shower, and wait until he can hear the front door of his apartment shut I’m screamingg

Sakusa also isn’t one to kiss and tell, even with the boys… he doesn’t think its tasteful and would rather not have Atsumu up his ass about his flings

ANYWAYS,, let’s get into this, so you know Atsumu through mutual friends and met during college, and the two of you just instantly clicked since you also were a part of the same sports medicine program as him

Atsumu signed with MSBY and you were so happy for him, but you were bummed because you were busy with PT graduate school and couldn’t really attend any of his games

A year passed and you found yourself texting Tsumu to see if he could meet up and grab coffee since you were on winter break!!

You: hey I’m back in town wanna grab coffee sometime?

Him: who is this

You: I see you haven’t changed ❤️

LMFAO, so you catch up with Atsumu and he talks about his new career and his teammates, he seems so happy :(( we love to see that!!

He invites you to MSBY’s game the following weekend, and you’re pumped to go!! Tsumu got you great seats, and he meets you before warmups to make sure you’re okay finding your way around

Atsumu: don’t take yer eyes off me <3

You:

He’s so…

You’re enjoying the match and you even go to grab Onigiri from Osamu’s stand, but you can’t seem to look away from number 15 on Atsumu’s team

He’s .., scrumptious to say the least 🥴

Like he’s so composed and calculated on the court, and you find it so funny how he rolls his eyes whenever Tsumu says something to him and how Tsumu gets so heated about it 💀

The match ends and you go down to meet Atsumu near the lockers, showing the security your family/friend pass 😌

You walk through the halls trying to locate the setter, but you can’t seem to figure out where he is

The only person in the hall is the tall, dark haired man that caught your eye earlier; he is already walking towards the exit with a mask covering his face, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder, sweats embroidered with “Sakusa” adorning his body we’re all looking..... respectfully

He’s truly so intimidating but you’re like….highkey lost… so you don’t really have another option

You catch up with him, poking his shoulder gently; he turns around and his attention on you is almost STARTLING.. like his eyes are SO dark

Him: can I help you

You: sir… if you don’t rail me, I’m gonna have to intervene‼️😈😹

After getting over your initial shock, you hear multiple footsteps rumbling down the hallway towards the both of you

Sakusa lets out an annoyed sigh, muttering about how he has to go, but before he can escape you hear Atsumu’s loud voice LMFAO

“OMIIII, where are you goin’? Its team karaoke night remember?”

Tsumu sees you and slings an arm around your shoulders, “Oh-? So I see you’ve met our outside hitter Omi?”

You glance over at Sakusa, his expressionless eyes glued to your face, then slowly trailing down to analyze the way Atsumu casually has you tucked under his arm

Atsumu nudges him, and he grumbles that he’ll meet them after changing at home before walking off in the direction of the private parking garage

You meet the rest of the MSBY boys in the uber, and find them super friendly and welcoming; Bokuto and Hinata buy the first round of drinks at the karaoke bar, but you only have one because you have work to finish the next day WE STAN

Atsumu already has a pink glow setting into his cheeks when you see the boys turn their attention to Sakusa walking through the front door, looking as handsome as ever in his dress pants and fitted white t shirt

They all shout out incoherent hello’s, and he takes the only open seat next to you with a glass of gin and tonic in his hand he smells so good god

You’re unsure what comes over you, but you find yourself turning towards him, and you just start asking him about himself and his career, and surprisingly he’s very polite and much more animated than you previously thought

His voice is like…so alluring and he never looks away from you when you talk, its like he’s absorbing every word

Meanwhile, Atsumu is stumbling over the stage with Bokuto belting Love by Keisha Cole LMFAOO😭

Tsumu kind of ‘warned’ you in the car ride over that Sakusa was a germaphobe, but you know that Atsumu tends to invade people’s personal space sometimes and it probably wasn’t as dramatic as he made it out to be

However, you weren’t expecting the outside hitter to lean over from his seat after checking the time on his phone, whispering in your ear, asking you if you wanted to meet him at his place later than night WHEW

Girl I would be sweating… and you say yes ofc because who’s going to pass up this type of opportunity-

He gives you a charming smile and is like,, okay cool, I’ll see you later then 😊 I’m dead

Ya’ll exchange phone numbers and he’s like if you need any help with my idiot teammates let me know before he takes off

You don’t tell Tsumu about your little… entanglement plans dsnjaknda but honestly he wouldn’t even remember based on the way he’s slumped against you in the uber he owes you big time

You get home after dropping off Tsumu at Osamu’s, and operation dick appointment with the professional volleyball player is put into action 😈

He sends an uber over to get you ladies do not settle for less please, and you’re BIG nervous but in a good way as in you know this dick is about to be bomb af

SO you’re standing in front of his apartment door, and when he opens it, he’s still in the clothes he wore to the bar and its like 1 am he’s so powerful

Um I feel like he would get straight to it honestly, probably starts with a little convo on the couch and then…

YOU WEREN’T AWARE HE WAS SO DIRTY,,, it was SO good too like after getting home that night you’re going through a crisis… like you had so much chemistry together for having just met, and you wonder if he feels the same way🥺

You caught yourself in sleepless states some nights, kept awake by the thoughts of the way his hands felt against your skin, the way his five o’clock shadow gently rubbed against your face when you kissed, and how he would hold you(only after a thorough shower together of course)

As it happens more and more, he lets you into his life little by little, and you notice and remember small facts about him and he often remembers a lot of the things you tell him about you, its really enjoyable for both of you

Its weirdly domestic to a point but that’s why its so good for both of you???it adds a bit of spice ??

Sakusa: can you come over tonight

You: sorry the retainer is in already <3 no dick sucking for me tonight <3

Him: I bought pastries from that cafe you like

You: say less✈️ I’m coming💃

AND he HAS jokes okay, like he’s funny as hell and very witty when his true self comes out; but he’s also a HUGE tease and he’ll say something completely straight-faced that someone else might take offense to like “you look ugly,” but you just know he’s kidding from being around him long enough and from seeing the little glint in his dark eyes

It becomes a routine thing while you’re home honestly, and you try your best to hide it from Atsumu because you just KNOW you would never hear the end of it; for all he knows, you met him that one time at the bar and that was that

Everything is going smoothly until you slip up at one of their games

You were sitting in the waiting area with the team (mostly talking to Atsumu), when he just says something that makes your short circuit

Atsumu: what kind of animal do ya think omi would be? An octopus maybe?

You: yeah I mean with those flexible wrists it makes sense

Atsumu: what the fawk🤠

He’s like… how do you even know about his flexible wrists IT TOOK ME 6 MONTHS TO GET TO THAT STAGE WITH HIM-

Oops, lmfao so you kind of tell him about everything and he’s literally shocked for you, mostly because he doesn’t want you to get hurt :(

Atsumu: So I see he’s just sleeping with ANYONE anyone

LMAO noo he definitely thinks you’re too good for him and he kind of lectures you, telling you that he had a hunch that he messes around with girls like that, but also you’re an adult and you can take care of yourself, and it isn’t like it’s a serious thing!!

Meanwhile, Omi is like going through a bit of a crisis all alone because everything around him reminds him of you or something you said when you were together

He got with people who were compatible sexually often, but he never had the urge to have them stay over after the deed; he usually immediately called them an uber and wouldn’t speak to them again

He found himself thinking about seeing you in the stands at his games, wishing you were there to cheer for him only, and he adored the way you respected his boundaries unlike many of his hookups

Atsumu probably notices something is off with him at practice

Atsumu: hey…if ya ever want to talk about somethin’-

Sakusa: no

Girl… he doesn’t disclose any of this to anyone

Its nearing the end of your break, and you head over to sakusa’s for probably the last time before you go back to school

You’re kind of at the point where you don’t think anything will happen and you know you shouldn’t get your hopes up, and it goes how it usually goes? Except he kind of hugs you goodbye and your heart goes: 🦋🦋🦋

You go back to school, occasionally texting Tsumu about your graduate program, and before you know it, like 5 months pass by and you’re back for summer!

Tsumu texts you and is like… sorry but I’m forcing you to be my plus-one tonight for this dinner thing I have to go to

So you dress up and he comes to pick you up, and you’re really not sure why you were surprised to see Kiyoomi sitting at the table when you arrive you give Atsumu a nice smack on the back of the head for not warning you

You sit down at the table after greeting everyone, trying your best to not act awkward when you shoot sakusa a small smile that he returns politely (but you don’t see it because of his mask)

Atsumu sits weirdly close to you the entire dinner with his arm around the back of your chair, and he’s just acting strange in general??? Like he’s bragging about your degree program and about your accomplishments, you just know he’s trying something funny; but you don’t really say anything because you don’t want to disrespect him in front of the team’s staff as a guest

You almost choke on your wine and you catch on when Bokuto starts making comments after Atsumu says something,

Atsumu: …so yeah, pretty much she should be our next president in my humble opinion

Bokuto: 🙈WOAH. WHAT?😍 HOW COULD SHE GET ANY BETTER⁉️🙄 OR HOTTER⁉️💪🏼💋

You, sitting there: 🧍‍♀️

He’s so bad at acting I’m crying..,, it becomes so obvious that they’re trying to make Kiyoomi jealous

(the boys plotted beforehand, trying to get Omi to ask you out officially; after you left, he literally would never shut up about you whenever Atsumu mentioned you, and it was just obvious he was in his feels when it came to you)

Atsumu: she’s studying at a café tonight for finals

Sakusa: Yeah so I’m glad you brought it up, because I’ve been thinking about it for days. Fine I guess I’ll say it. Her favorite coffee blend is French roast and she only likes a dash of sugar with a lot of cream, but it has to be hazelnut creamer or else she doesn’t like any-

Everyone in the gym: 🗿

LMAO ANYWAYS ITS LOWKEY WORKING you look over at him and his face is like stone.. girl..

The dinner is almost over and Atsumu gets up to go to the restroom with a wink I hate him, and you get up to catch a breath of fresh air outside

You sit on a bench for a minute, calming yourself down after the eventful dinner, but then you see the door to the restaurant swing open, Sakusa looking around the corner before spotting you

Your heart pounds in your chest as he walks over and asks if he can join you, inspecting the bench before sitting down, pulling his mask down as well

He eases into a conversation by just asking you how you’re doing, basic stuff, but then in the middle of you going off on a tangent about your stupid professor, he stops you

“I missed you.”

He crosses his legs, not looking at you as he takes your hand, intertwines it with his, and places it in his lap

You gaze at him, taken back at his confession, noticing the slight pinkness tinging his pale cheeks

You say you missed him too, and then he’s asking you if you would like to go on an actual date with him

You: wait are you asking me out officially?

Him: Yes. No I’m not. Yes I am❤️

SKSLD Please he’s awkward help him a little, you agree and then you hear a tap on the window behind you, you turn around to see Tsumu, Bokuto and Adriah behind you with big grins on their faces LMFAO 🤡

Kiyoomi rolls his eyes, but you don’t miss the small upturn of the corners of his lips as he hears Bokuto happily scream through the glass

#dont even get me started w this i dont want to look at it anymore ❤️ #JUST TAKE IT LMFAOOOO #sakusa #sakusa kiyoomi #sakusa x reader #haikyuu!! #haikyu headcanons #hq #sakusa kiyoomi x you #haikyuu x reader

[sapphicmsmarvel]

JJ: Booktube

premise: dating jj and being a booktuber. 

masterlist 

Lets ignore the fact that JJ would be fired without a doubt from the FBI if this stuff actually happened and her life would be threatened by criminals.

-She knew that you were really into books. 

-She just didn’t know how much. You two had met through tinder believe it or not, she was sick of being alone at night and didn’t want a fling. Luckily, you felt the same way and you two matched. 

-The team did know that she was on Tinder, but not that she had officially met someone. 

-Reid was sitting at a table on the plane, watching something on his laptop. But then she heard your voice, your upbeat, happy voice. She glanced back to see your bright and beautiful face holding a book. “What’re you watching?” JJ asked. Which grabbed the attention of Emily.

“A video on what books to read if you want to get into ‘young adult’ books.” Reid said, thoroughly focused on the beautiful woman on his screen. 

“She’s pretty.” Emily saw you. 

“She is.” Reid mumbled, blushing. 

“Who’s pretty?” Morgan said, leaning over the back of the seat, “oooh who’s the cute nerdy girl?” 

“A youtuber, and be nice.” JJ said crumpling a piece of paper and throwing it at him. 

“Her shirt literally says ‘Nerdy Bitch’, I think she knows she’s one. She's hot too.” 

-JJ quickly sent a picture of the screen to you. “My teammates think you’re pretty, have to say I agree.” 

“OMG, please tell me you aren’t watching my videos 😭” 

“I am now baby 😉” 

“FUCK.”

She huffed a small laugh at your response, then continued watching with Reid. 

-Little did she know you tweeted to your followers, “THE GIRL I’M DATING IS WATCHING MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH HER COWORKERS. PLS KILL ME.” 

-When she came home from that case, she wanted to hear all about your job, which you happily told her and tried to ignore your embarrassment over how she found out. 

-Since then she has been a loyal subbie. 

-You met the team and they were all very shocked that it was you that they were watching on their computer screen. They also all subscribed, and you had to make Rossi and Hotch youtube accounts because they didn’t know how. 

-Your viewers knew of her, knew how you always called her “Rapunzel,” and she always called you, “Flynn” in response. 

-But because you explicitly said you won’t be showing her because she asked you not to, you got hate comments for respecting your girlfriends privacy. 

-When she came over one night, she saw all of the publishing houses boxes on your front step. She knocked on your door because she saw that your car was in the driveway. She got her key out of her pocket and opened your door. Then, she carefully put all the boxes into your foyer, as well as her overnight bag and shut the front door. 

-What she saw next warmed her heart, you had fallen asleep on the couch with a book on your chest. She saw your tripod and camera, she realized you were filming a timelapse for a reading vlog. She remembered you telling her that you were filming one this week. 

-She decided not to turn off the camera, instead, she gently took the book off your chest, placed a bookmark to mark your spot. Then she crawled on top of you. You were laying on your back, she laid her head in the crook of your neck, she giggled as she felt you wake up. You wrapped your arms around her, “hey baby.” You croaked. 

-You felt her whisper against your skin, “you left the camera on, thought I’d give a little show of affection for those subscribers who think I’m a bad girlfriend.” 

You sighed, “please tell me you haven’t been reading the comments.” “No, well, sometimes I do. Garcia sees them and gets mad.”

“So she’s the commenter, TheBlackQueen causing fights on my channel. Gotcha.”

JJ laughed, “oh god, I didn’t know she was doing that.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ve been liking her comments, not deleting them.” 

JJ laughed at that, then you continued, “you want me to get up and turn off the camera? It should turn off in…” she didn’t have to open her eyes to know that you were looking at the red light on the camera and the clock on the wall behind it. “Oh jeez, five minutes maybe, it has a 40 minute timer before it automatically turns off.” 

“No,” JJ shook her head, “I really need to just stay here, Y/N.” 

“Okay.” 

-When the video was posted, she saw the comments on it. There was not a negative one, of course there were ones making a comment about why JJ was just showing herself on Y/N’s channel. 

-After that, she was slowly showing herself in your videos more. Handing you something, delivering a package to your little library in your home. 

-She made a lot of appearances in your moving vlogs for your channel because you two moved in together. The kids also made a brief appearance but very vague, you didn’t show their faces. 

-She was memed within your fanbase because of the faces she pulled while you were moving books, and her helping you move them, she was like “????” 

-When she knew she wanted to propose to you, her and Garcia watched a couple of YouTube videos to learn how to use your camera, then they devised a plan to vlog the engagement together. The ring picking, her talking to the camera and introducing herself. “Hey as you can tell I am not Y/N, I’m her girlfriend, as you guys know we’ve been together for some time but I’m gonna propose to her!” She cheered, then the team in the background were like “finally!” and cheering as well. 

Then she broke down the plan to them, “so, we’re gonna go to our favorite greenhouse in D.C. I shot some footage of picking her ring, which I’ll have her insert here,,,,gah I’m no good at this.”  Then she continued, “so we have a friend who’s hiring some professional photography, which is exciting.” She did a lil shimmy, then Prentiss popped in, “hey! This is a friend of theirs and the reason our friend is hiring photographers is because we’re gonna be sobbing too much to take good photos, as well as he’s rich as fuck” 

Everyone laughed at that. 

“And, well, we’re going tonight, so wish me luck!” JJ gave an awkward peace sign to the camera and turned it off. 

-She then handed the camera to Garcia who would hide and record the footage, the photographers that Rossi hired posed as regular ole pedestrians. The others hid in bathrooms, waiting for the text saying that JJ did it. 

-JJ almost spilled the beans that she was nervous on the way over there to you. That would’ve ruined it. 

-Luckily, the part of the greenhouse that you two had your first kiss in was empty. The fairy lights were lit inside, it looked beautiful.

-They had a flower there that the greenhouse called “the wishing lilly.” The owner of the greenhouse says that those lilies bring good luck, he wished on it then his wife was pregnant with twins, then he won the lottery and managed to build the greenhouse into something bigger. 

-Per as tradition, you both closed your eyes to make a wish, but she opened hers and got down on the ground, Garcia quietly followed you guys in with the other photographers.

“Y/N..” she trailed off, you opened your eyes to find her kneeling on the ground, your eyes instantly filled with tears as your hands went up to your mouth. “Y/N, you are the light of my life, the Flynn to my Rapunzel, will you do me the honor and be my wife?”

“Yes!” You nodded and cried. She quickly stood up and pulled you into her arms. 

-Garcia started crying and shaking, “yay!” You looked up to see her there.

“Oh my god, hi, there’s a lot of people in here.” You said seeing the two photographers and Garcia. 

“Rossi hired photographers. And the team is waiting for a text to come in and congratulate us.” JJ laughed and leaned up to kiss your head. 

“Oh god, I look like a mess!” You laughed, yet cried at the same time.

“We both do, baby. Welcome to marriage.” She slid the ring on your finger, just in time for photos to begin. 

-At the end of the video, you made an introduction part for the subbies to meet JJ. Filled with questions and such to know her. Briefly mentioning her sons as well. 

-After you two got engaged, you started filming fiance challenges, (my fiance picks my next read, my fiance tries to guess the plot of books based off their covers). Hell, you two even do some baking and cooking videos. 

-Your marriage blew up on booktube, you two were The Lady Lovers on booktube, as you had been labeled. You both loved that there were so many people resonating with your love. You shared a pre wedding video talking about the insecurities you both had, and a talk about discovering sexuality when you’re in your mid thirties after a divorce from a man and having two kids. And you, someone who’s never been in a serious relationship, giving your advice to people. 

-It was a big video and an emotional one. But it resonated with a lot of people which you both were glad for. 

-Then your wedding video came out and everyone lost their shit. People were sending in love, there was a lot of adorable footage from the wedding, people crying. 

-You even incorporated books into the wedding decor. 

-While your career was quite different then JJ’s, people saw you as a perfect fit. You stayed home all the time, writing, putting videos up, writing reviews and partnering with brands on your channel, you were able to be there for the boys when she couldn’t be. She was all over the country constantly, she made it a point that every night before bed she’d watch one of your videos, and it helped that you sent videos to her of Henry and Michael. 

-You were the calm to her storm, where her life was hectic and constantly on the move, she knew she always had a home waiting for her. 

#Jennifer Jareau #jennifer jareau x reader #jennifer jareau x you #aj cook #jj criminal minds #Criminal Minds #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds x you #criminal minds x y/n

[cryoculus]

soulmate au wit oikawa where soulmates feel each others pain and oikawa isnt the one who hurt his knee, his soulmate is a soccerplayer and got slide tackled. i really love your work, tysm!!!! 💐

» Word Count: 6,080 wordsCross-posted on AO3

Omg i was looking for references on what to base the scene where the soulmate gets tackled from and this is what i imagined! Just scrub the video to 0:14!  I know jack SHIT about soccer though. Everything in this work was purely based off research, so feel free to leave me a message if you spot some errors!

And MAN this was meant to be a short scenario with quick transitions but it turned into a whole drama bomb. You can keep scrolling if you’re not up for a 6000-word oneshot ++ as usual, my shit is terrible on tumblr mobile pls bear with me.

Oikawa loved the thrill of the game.

The incessant beat of his heart against his chest, the adrenaline that surged through his veins, the buzz of confidence that washed over him as he hit powerful serves at the other side of the court – he was enamored with his own capabilities, so to speak.

Today was like any other day. Seijoh was hosting a practice match against Datekou and Oikawa was in top form. They were already down to a match point in the second set. But just before he could land the killing shot that would decide the winner, he halted mid-air as a searing sensation ripped through his knee.

The volleyball bounced aimlessly for having been forgotten. Oikawa fell on his side against the hardwood floor, clutching the afflicted knee to his chest as agony bloomed across his nerves. He bit his lip, not allowing himself to utter a single sound as everyone else on the court crowded around him.

“Coach, Oikawa’s injured!”

The sound of your knee popping from its sockets from where the enemy defender, Yamanaka, kicked you from the side was sickening. Even through the incessant cheer of the audience in the stands, you could hear it loud and clear. The moment the sole of her shoe made brutal contact with your knee, Yamanaka even brushed her torso against yours, roughly toppling you off balance and forcing your kneecap to absorb the impact of your fall.

For a moment, your vision darkened from the agonizing pain that flared up your right knee as you fell onto the grass. A scream ripped its way from your throat, your hands scrambling for purchase to alleviate the mind-numbing sensation that burned through your nerves. You’re sure that your leg was twisted in an unnatural angle, too.

The distant sound of a whistle rang in your ears. Even through your current state, you were hyper aware of everything that’s happening around you. Players from both your team and the opposition flocked around you with concerned stares. Your best friend, Harada immediately crouched beside you, careful not to move your injury.

“Hey, (Name)!” Her eyes were wide with dread. “Can you hear me? Can you stand up?”

You shook your head with minimal effort, groaning as you did your best to remain still to avoid inflaming your knee. A few moments later, a couple of medics arrived in the scene, telling the others to give you some space to breathe. You wanted to tell them that you could breathe fine, but your voice failed you.

As you were being carried onto a stretcher, you could see one of the referees giving Yamanaka a red card. She only shrugged, as if getting penalties was a regular thing for her. But before she could step off the field, she took the liberty to cast you a self-satisfied smirk.

A sob unknowingly made its way from your lips, gaining the attention of one of the medics that was about to bring you to the first aid station. He murmured something about everything being okay in the end and that you’d get to play with your teammates soon enough.

Today really wasn’t your day.

“So,” Doctor Yamano began, “what seems to be the problem here?”

Iwaizumi nudged Oikawa, who was fidgeting nervously under the professional’s gaze. For some reason, he harbored an inexplicable discomfort around doctors. Whenever he visited one, it was either because he was sick or sustained an injury. Frankly, he wasn’t a fan of both.

“While we were playing a practice match against another school earlier today, I…” His voice trailed off. How the hell was he supposed to explain it to him?

Yamano hummed. “Yes?”

He sighed. “…I felt my right knee give out.”

“Did you apply the proper first aid procedures, Oikawa-san?”

Oikawa nodded, recalling the urgency in Coach Irihata’s voice as they lugged him to Seijoh’s infirmary.

“Is it severe? It probably isn’t if you’re not in the emergency room, I presume?”

He scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously. “It felt serious. I really thought my whole career was done for just because of a practice match.”

Yamano nodded in understanding. “Did you have your knee x-rayed already?”

“Uh, no.”

He sighed before lacing his fingers together. “Well, I’ll be needing a clear image of it so I can make a proper diagnosis, Oikawa-san. I’ll write you up a request form to show the radiologists.”

“Ah…” Oikawa wanted to tell him that it really wasn’t necessary. That maybe going here was a mistake because his knee still looked pretty much intact, save for the dull throb that pestered him throughout the day. Iwaizumi even jokingly berated his soulmate for getting such a severe injury. But Oikawa didn’t really know how doctors reacted to that.

So when he was given the green light to get an x-ray, Oikawa told Iwaizumi that he’d be all right on his own and that he should get going. There was obvious apprehension in his best friend’s eyes, but he indulged Oikawa’s request, regardless.

He was glad. If there truly was something wrong with him, he wouldn’t want Iwaizumi to be there to see how bad it was. He already worried about him far too much than Oikawa deserved.

“You go here often?”

You shot the guy that was sitting a few seats away from you in the waiting room a bizarre look. If you could recall perfectly, you were in a radiology center, not a bar.

“I’m not even from here,” you explained gruffly, pressing your legs closer together. They exchanged your uniform with a hospital gown to minimize the pressure on your knee as much as possible. The injury was beyond what the stadium’s first aid medics could manage, thus the impromptu trip to the Sendai Medical Center. But before the doctors could assess the severity of your condition, they needed a visual.

“Hmm, so am I.” The stranger sighed miserably. “I live in another district, but this is the only hospital that covers my insurance. So, where you from?”

Your brows scrunched up at his nonchalance. Did you not look distraught enough for him to just leave you to your own devices? Maybe he was just like that as a person?

You exhaled. “I’m from Hyogo.”

His noticeably brown eyes widened in surprise. “What’re you doing all the way here, then?”

“You ask a lot of questions, don’t you?”

A soft-hearted laugh escaped his lips as he flashes you a cheeky grin. “When I see cute girls looking like their whole world just ended before their eyes, it’s kind of my thing to swoop down and comfort them.”

“Like a knight in shining armor of sorts?” you snorted.

He shrugged. “Take it as you like. All I’m saying is that I’m a pretty good listener. It’s not like we’ll cross paths again for me to hold anything you tell me against you, right?”

You managed to give him a lopsided smile. The gravity of everything that’s transpired today was slowly beginning to weigh down on your shoulders.

When the coach’s assistant arrived in the hospital, the game had already been concluded. Without their main offensive player, Mikage Shihan had to surrender their title to Aomori High for this year’s tournament.

When the news fell upon your ears, the sting of loss almost rivalled the throbbing ache in your knee. But before you could get emotional about your own hastiness, the nurse that attended to you in the emergency room informed that they needed an x-ray so the doctors could treat you accordingly.

Your eyes trailed back to the chatty stranger. He’s gazing at you expectantly and though there’s something about that sympathetic look he’s giving you that’s making warmth dance across your skin, you weren’t really the type to confide in people you just met.

Just as you were about to reject his offer, the door to the room where they conducted the x-rays swung open. The person inside called out your name, saying the machine was up and running. Talk about being saved by the bell.

You gave the stranger a curt nod as you tried to stand up from your seat, almost crumpling to the floor when the sharp pain from your knee shot up in your leg again, but you resisted it. Too many people have seen you in this sorry state already. You didn’t intend to add more to the list.

When the door closed behind you, you completely missed the way Oikawa Tooru clutched his own knee in a deathly grip as the pain, that he’s now realizing really wasn’t his own, came to life once more.

His knee was fine, but he’s pretty sure he accidentally stumbled into his soulmate in the process. At first, Oikawa didn’t know if Iwaizumi would understand, but thankfully he did.

“It happens,” he told Oikawa as they were heading home from practice. “Not everyone experiences it though.”

Iwaizumi told him about how Hanamaki and Matsukawa used their own bond to grate at each other’s nerves. Oikawa did a double-take on that one. He asked Iwaizumi why they didn’t bother telling him, their most trusted friend, about their status as soulmates. Iwauzmi smacked his head, reminding him how much of a chatterbox he was and that Makki and Mattsun wanted to keep it private.

“Ow!”

The woman that’s overseeing your therapy shot you a concerned look. You’re in the middle of doing the exercises that aid in rehabilitating the torn ligament in your knee, and you were on the last of your reps when suddenly, you lurched forward as if a ghostly hand had smacked you upside the head.

“You doing all right there, bud?” your therapist asked, placing a hand on your shoulder.

You rubbed the side of your head, still stinging from the contact (or lack thereof). “I feel like my head was spiked by a volleyball player.”

She laughed. “Really now?”

“Yeah, I’ve been feeling it really often. One time, I was eating and my face nearly pummelled into a bowl of ramen.”

“Your soulmate must piss a lot of people off, then.”

You stared at her, but laughed it off as one of her jokes. Surely, she didn’t mean you actually had a soulmate right? Only a few people were blessed enough to be given one. Besides, whoever got stuck with you as a soulmate would be damned to the achingly slow healing stage of your knee for an indefinite amount of time.

But a hopeful part of you wished that, if you did have a soulmate, they wouldn’t be an athlete like you. Your own tribulation would only weigh them down in ways you can only imagine.

Oikawa could bear with the pain.

On good days, it was just a faint throb in his knee that he could ignore for the most part. His performance wouldn’t be easily affected by a twinge of pain. He had a pretty high tolerance for it, after all.

But there were also times like these when he’d wake up in the middle of the night, clutching his leg as he stifled a scream. What were you doing in such an ungodly hour?

He laid in his bed until the agony subsided back into the usual telltale throb that reminded him that though it’s no longer volatile, the sensation was still there. You were still in pain. He didn’t like the idea; not one bit.

That was the first time he looked you up. He clumsily spelled out your name on the search engine in the way that he remembered the x-ray technician from nearly a month ago pronounced it. He expected to see links to social media accounts you probably owned, but instead he was faced with a bunch of news articles from online high school sports magazines.

Curious, he clicked on the first link.

“Hyogo’s Own (Surname) (Name), Out of Commision for Good?”

Oikawa vaguely recalled you mentioning that you were from Hyogo and nothing else. It was a district far off on the other side of the country. It would take more than twelve hours to drive there, yet he had  found you sitting in a hospital in Sendai with a dead look in your eyes. He always wondered how exactly you wound up waiting to get an x-ray of whatever was afflicting you so far away from home, but the pieces slowly came together as his eyes grazed every word in the article.

“The coach of Hyogo’s Mikage Shihan is yet to release a statement with regards to their star player’s condition. But from what we’ve gathered from the team’s captain, Matsumoto Hiyori, she sustained a severe injury in her right leg. Some speculate that it was a dislocation, but others insisted that it was just a torn ligament. Whatever the cause may be, the football scene would be having scarce glimpses of one of Japan’s top three high school strikers, both in the male and female divisions.”

Your back collided with the wall as Harada roughly pressed you against it, holding you by the shoulders as unveiled fury burned in her eyes.

“Do you really want to end your whole career because of your own stubbornness?” she spat.

You have half the mind to tell her that your career would end sooner if you didn’t practice, but Harada would only remind you that you were given a three-month probation from any sporting activities. You hated that your doctor was right, that Harada was right, but could they blame you?

Soccer was all you had – it’s all you’re good at. You wanted to feel the rush of running through the field, the sun glaring at your skin, and the sound of grass crunching under the soles of your shoes. You ached for it.

“Just one month more, (Name),” she whispered, her fingers trembling. “One more and you’ll be free to play again. But right now…your knee still needs to heal.”

You knew that. You knew it far too well more than Harada or anyone else could ever understand. The burden of waking up every morning, feeling like your knee was going to snap off its sockets at any moment was already fair enough of a warning. But you couldn’t help yourself. You needed to move, to constantly be doing something because you’d rather incapacitate yourself entirely than spend another second feeling worthless. Seeing everyone do their drills on the field as you watched them between the barrier of a chain-link fence ate away at your sanity more than you expected it to.  

The door to the locker rooms abruptly creaked open as your team’s goalie, Suzuhime, and your captain, Matsumoto, made their entrance, shattering the tension that nearly suffocated you.

Their gazes, oh how sick you were of those pitiful gazes they sent your way. Why did they always look at you like you wouldn’t be playing alongside them anymore? It infuriated you to no end and the frustration that’s been building up in your chest for weeks just…burst.

“Why does everyone have to keep deciding what I can and can’t do for myself?” you snapped. “It’s my body, it’s my career, why do you have to meddle with what I want to fucking do with my life?”

Poison might as well dribbled from your chin at the sharpness of your tone. The two newcomers shot you wide-eyed stares, unused to your seething behavior, but Harada remained unfazed. She’s known you since you were children and even if you were a collected person for the most part, she’s borne witness to your rage a handful of times. And she knew how to handle the situation accordingly.

You were armed with an arsenal of even more hurtful things to say, but before any of them left your lips, the sting of Harada’s palm smacking against your face snapped you out of your haze of indignation.

The frown you didn’t know you’ve been making loosens as your lips parted in surprise when tears fell from Harada’s eyes.

“You’re not the only one who’s hurt by this, you know?” she interjected with a shaky breath. “We hate seeing you in pain. We hate it when you try to push yourself to limits you can’t reach anymore. So please just–” she exhaled, “–try to understand why we’re keeping you from training.”

Matsumoto came forward, pulling the two of you in a tight embrace. Suzuhime muttered something about unwarranted affection, but joined in regardless. You couldn’t react. You never really thought of it that way until Harada slapped you with the truth (no pun intended).

“Can you promise me one thing, as your captain?” Matsumoto pressed her lips in a thin line.

You nodded.

“Focus on getting better. The field won’t disappear, but your career can. Wasn’t that one big shot university in Tokyo eyeing you for a sports scholarship? You can’t lose that.”

And she was right. There was more to your life than this measly little slip-up. In five years give or take you’d be laughing at this whole thing like it was an inside joke. Everything was going to get better.

With that, you wiped the tears that ran across Harada’s cheeks, mumbling an almost inaudible apology.

“Man, you guys are too uptight,” Suzuhime whined. “Let’s all just get some pork buns like we used to!”

The idea never sounded better.

“What’s up with you?” Iwaizumi spared Oikawa a mindful glance. Their captain was rubbing his cheek instead of warming up for practice.

“I think she got slapped,” he muttered.

Hanamaki, having found out about Oikawa’s newly discovered soulmate bond, cackled. “You want to return the favor?”

“Shut the fuck up, Makki.”

“A soulmate?” Harada cocked her head to the side. “Don’t you have one, Suzu?”

Redness crept up Suzuhime’s face for having been singled out. “Um, yeah. It’s my childhood friend. You don’t know him. He goes to another school.”

Matsumoto scoffed. “That’s just high school girl-talk for ‘my soulmate doesn’t exist’.”

“Hey! He does, too!”

Harada waved away their impending banter, her attention solely on you. “So you think you have a soulmate?”

You nodded, eyes drifting towards your half-eaten pork bun. “They get hit a lot. I’m worried they’re in an abusive environment.”

“How sweet,” Suzuhime sighed. “My soulmate doesn’t care about his health at all. He always gets into scuffles and the bruises take ages to heal. When I talked to him about it, he just shrugged it off!”

“If he exists, that is,” taunted your captain.

“Matsu, I am going to tape your damn mouth.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

“Ignore them,” Harada told you. “So, what do you plan on doing about it?”

You’ve been asking yourself the same thing. Soulmate bonds are a surefire way of determining that someone was out there fated to be with you. But the tricky part was finding them. They could be anywhere in the world and the only means you had to contact them were the shared sensations of pain you felt on both ends of the bond.

Your eyes drifted onto the black knee brace you’ve been coerced to wear for the duration of your therapy. It served as a visual reminder of what had happened. But then again, the dull ache that made itself known every now and then still haunted you. Did your soulmate feel that slight ounce of pain, too?

“I think,” you sighed, “I’m just going to wait it out.”

This was bad.

Oikawa Tooru was known for his exceptional talent as a setter and a jump server. He wouldn’t have the audience from the stands hyping him up when it’s his turn to send a merciless blow towards their opponent. But jump serves were the only serves he made, since he refused to settle for anything less. This put an unnecessary strain on his knees that he knew, from the start, he would pay for when the time comes.

That time was now.

He hissed as Iwaizumi soothed the taut muscles in Oikawa’s legs. Matsukawa handed their ace an ice pack, which he placed over their captain’s aching knee.

“Is it yours?” Iwaizumi asked.

“I don’t know,” he admitted.

Matsukawa snickered at the side. “Of all the soulmates you could have ended up with, they just had to be an injury-prone idiot, too.”

Normally, he would’ve told Mattsun off for being mean, but honestly, he couldn’t have been more right.

“Shouyou’s playing volleyball now?” you clarified to your mother, who was giving you your afternoon massage.

She hummed. “Your aunt told me their school’s fighting to qualify as Miyagi’s representative for nationals. They got us tickets to watch their semifinals game.”

You couldn’t ever picture your little cousin, Shouyou, being able to touch the top of a volleyball net. He never even showed the vaguest interest in any kind of sport! Whenever his family visited yours in Hyogo a few years back, you always tried to get him into soccer one way or another. But he was as stubborn as an ox. Now, you’re hearing he’s playing to qualify for a national-level tournament for their prefecture?

“Miyagi, huh? That’s where I…” You frowned. No, you weren’t going to dwell on it any longer. “When’s the game?”

“This Friday, but we’re leaving on Thursday night. Your father’s driving.”

School wasn’t particularly hectic this time around, so you shrugged, agreeing with your mother to go all the way back to the place where some of your dreams were crushed. It wouldn’t do anyone harm, right?

Things were looking pretty dire for Seijoh. The little chibi – no, his entire team wasn’t letting up at all. It annoyed Oikawa more than it should. How did they still have that much determination left? 

Oikawa’s breath came out a little shaky as Mr. Refreshing and the little shrimp attempted to send the ball back to Seijoh. But Oikawa saw through the feint. Sugawara set it into the ace’s direction instead, who promptly slammed it down with unparalleled precision. Hanamaki was quick to react, diving for it without a second’s hesitation. The receive was off and it was flying away from the court, but Oikawa’s feet moved before he could even set a plan in stone. 

He forced his legs into sprints as he snapped his arm and pointed an index finger in the direction of the person he trusted most. His eyes flashed with fiery determination and the flames spread to Iwaizumi’s as well. It seemed impossible. It would be one of the riskiest sets he would have to make in his whole career thus far, but if he didn’t take it, he would just be admitting defeat. 

Oikawa launched himself into the air, twisting his torso in the direction of Seijoh’s ace and put the ball back in play all the way from where he set it from outside the court. Iwaizumi nodded in understanding, bending his knees for the sole purpose of connecting it. Naturally, the rules of physics still applied in a volleyball game and gravity eventually brought Oikawa back on the ground, at the cost of his back colliding with some of the metal chairs set aside. 

But Iwaizumi didn’t disappoint. He was already flying, arm pulled back in a spiking stance before the ball could even come to him. He trusted Oikawa’s accuracy enough to make this shot possible. There was no one else that could pull this off.

The captain grit his teeth, struggling to get back on his feet, but a sheet of black cloth was on the floor, making him lose traction in his shoes. The urgency in his action made him slip, his bad knee – your bad knee – colliding with the floor. The familiar sting in his bones flared back into life, but he couldn’t afford to pay it any mind.

He was running. Running even if his knee screamed for him to stop. Running even if his lungs burned for a breather. Running because even if Iwaizumi connected his set with a beautiful spike, that blasted Karasuno delinquent was definitely going to receive it–

A pained scream momentarily distracted him from everything happening on the court. It was strange. He never let what was going on in the stands distract him from a game, whether it be Seijoh’s supporters egging them on or some other matter than didn’t require his attention. 

But he could see it. The way you crumpled on the stairs a few levels above in the stands, clutching your knee to chest as you howled in agony. His heart stopped at the sight. 

What were you doing here?

“It hurts! It hurts!” you sobbed into your father’s shirt, fingers clamped around your aching leg. The all-too familiar pain erupted in your knee at the very same time that familiar face slipped on the court. You knew it wasn’t just a coincidence that the chatty stranger from a few months back was in the very same match as Shouyou. 

“Shh, we’re going to get your meds, baby,” your father cooed as he carefully hooked his arm under your knees and supported your back with the other. “Just hold out for a while.”

You could vaguely hear your mother apologizing to your aunt, but all your mind could focus on was how beautiful his eyes were. They were looking straight at you with crackling intensity. But before you could spend any longer drowning in those hazel eyes, your father carried you out of the stands, whispering words of consolation in your ear. 

“Oikawa-san!” 

Yahaba’s shout pulled Oikawa back into focus and he could clearly see Tobio running about on the court, going into position for their freak quick. A menacing smile graced Oikawa’s lips. That’s what he wanted – for his junior to use their ultimate weapon and fail. 

But something was wrong.

Iwaizumi, Kindaichi, and Kyoutani – the three of them, at the same time, lunged in an attempt to sully the ball’s trajectory. But they shouldn’t. The chibi’s arms were angled too obtuse. The shot was definitely going outside. He was about to bark at them to stop being a couple of idiots, but there was no reversing it.

Even if you can’t stop it, touch it, that’s what Oikawa always told them. He shouldn’t go back on his own teachings now. 

The chibi’s spike grazed Iwaizumi’s fingers. Out of instinct, Oikawa pulled his arms to the side in a pathetic attempt to receive, but he knew it was in vain. If only he stood a few feet at the back, maybe he could have had better odds. 

But fate has always been cruel to the ordinary. 

As all eyes were on the outplayed volleyball, none of the players dared to draw a breath. But seeing that Oikawa was already their last line of defense, it collided with the floor, the echoing sound imprinted in his mind for the rest of his days.

Seijoh had fallen.

“When I find that boy, I’m going to beat him to a pulp,” your father flatly proclaimed when you finished your story. The three of you were back in the Hinatas’ living room, your mother having soothed your knee with her otherworldly massage. 

“Dad, no,” you pleaded, but knew he didn’t mean the threat. At least, not entirely. 

“I’m going to have to agree with your father, sweetie,” your mother caressed your hair. “He must know what’s going on with you by now. He should be more careful.” 

You rolled your eyes. “Mom, I should have been careful. Who knows what he went through when I got slide tackled in the Aomori game.” 

She hesitated before sighing in defeat. Your parents then shared a look, presumably having a telepathic conversation as to what your next course of action should be. 

But before they could make that decision for you, Shouyou emerged from the hallway. 

“You’re…soulmates with the Grand King?” 

You didn’t know who this ‘grand king’ was, but he probably meant the chatty stranger turned volleyball player you met eyes with earlier today. You shot Shouyou a pained smile.

“Yeah.”

“Iwa-chan, I don’t get why we’re in rival territory. Why won’t you just tell me?” Oikawa simpered as Iwaizumi dragged him along further inside Karasuno’s campus. A few girls they passed by shot him knowing glances, which was odd. Most females would swoon at the sight of Oikawa Tooru.

“Shut up, Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi dismissed before letting go of his best friend’s collar when they arrive at the school’s gym. “Someone wants to see you.”

Oikawa narrowed his eyes. “If it’s Tobio-chan, tell him to forget it! As if I’ll let him gloat about their victory in my face.”

“Dumbass, it’s not him! None of the players are looking for you!”

“Then why are we even here in the first place?”

“Uhm, hello?”

It’s been months since Oikawa’s heard that voice, but even now, he could still associate your face with it. You peeked your head from inside Karasuno’s gym. The sound of volleyball shoes scraping against the polished floor spilling from inside almost made Oikawa nostalgic, but he was preoccupied with something else entirely.

You grinned at him, but your eyes held a hint of shyness in them. Oikawa didn’t know whose breath hitches, but he’s definitely having a hard time taking in oxygen at the sight of your face, more vibrant than the first time he saw you in Sendai. His eyes glazed over the knee brace slapped on your right knee – it looked painfully similar to the one he needed to wear in games. 

“I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time,” came your sheepish apology. “If I’d been more careful back then, you could’ve beat these guys… But I was rooting for Shouyou from the start, so…”

Oikawa didn’t know anyone named Shouyou, but he must have been someone close enough to you that you’d go all the way from Hyogo to watch their game against Karasuno. He made sure to shower whoever Shouyou was with infinite affection for finally, finally bringing you back to him.

Shit, he’s hot. 

You didn’t remember mister chatterbox from the hospital being this attractive. Maybe you just had such a terribly pessimistic view of the world at the time that you missed how unfairly good-looking he was.

You could feel the warmth spreading all over your face at apologizing profusely for your past mishandling of your current predicament. But he dismissed all of your concerns with a lighthearted laugh that sounded like a symphony in your ears.

“(Surname) (Name), Japan’s number three striker, is apologizing for an injury she didn’t even mean to get? You’re quite the saint, are you?” The way your name rolled off his tongue tugged at your heartstrings more than it should. Stupid soulmate bonds, making you lose composure all the damn time.

“You know who I am?” you queried, rather amused with this revelation.

He offered a nonchalant shrug. “I do my research.” 

The two of you stood there, carefully taking in each other as much as you could. You almost felt bad for the friend he brought with him, who stepped aside as to not interrupt your first meeting with your soulmate. But knowing that he’s the boy who’s always getting smacked in the head, the one that made you feel the sting of a service ace on the tips of your fingers, and the very same guy that powered through the burden you unknowingly shoved into his plate all with an award-winning grin on his face, it was all worth it. 

This was Oikawa Tooru, one of the most amazing setters in the high school volleyball scene.

But why did he look like he was about to cry?

Oikawa couldn’t help it. He threw his arms around you and took a long whiff of your scent. Ever since he ensured your identity, he couldn’t help but think of all the times your pain was transmitted to him. Those days were difficult for him, alone, already, what more for the person actually suffering the affliction?

Gentle fingers tangled themselves in your hair as he pulled you as tight as he could into his own body. His arms shook with the sheer emotions coursing through his veins and–

“Why are you crying?” 

He sighed, placing his hands on your shoulders. You eyed him bizarrely, but concern was lining your features, nonetheless. 

“I hurt you.” 

You snorted. 

“I’m pretty sure I’ve hurt you more times than the other way around,” you retorted, smiling up at him. “What kind of athlete would I be if I had a shitty pain tolerance?”

His eyes widened, taken aback with your reply. Admittedly, he already planned his first meeting with you in his imagination dozens of times. Only he didn’t expect for it to be in Karasuno, a day after his last volleyball game in high school. But he imagined himself letting his emotions lose, apologizing for hurting you, and you clasping his hands in forgiveness. He didn’t exactly write it in the script for you to take the blame, yourself, too. 

You were simply full of surprises.

You spent the rest of the afternoon talking and talking until the sun was beginning to bleed into the horizon.

Oikawa Tooru was an interesting person. He loved volleyball, had a penchant for milk bread, and admitted that he may be quite the narcissist at times. He told you that Tobio-chan, one of Shouyou’s teammates, was a junior that finally surpassed him. (There was a bitter undercurrent to his voice as he told that part.) He was going to Tokyo for college and–

“For real? I’m headed for Tokyo, too,” you chuckled, lacing your fingers together on your lap. 

Oikawa quirked an eyebrow. “Do you happen to be on a sports scholarship as well?”

You hummed, smiling playfully. “I dunno. Could the number three high school striker of Japan be able to land a scholarship even after this shitty injury?”

“Hmm…probably not.” Oikawa shook his head.

That reply garnered a pout. “Why not?”

He shrugged. “I haven’t seen her play yet. She’s seen me play, and we both know that my skill is already university-tier.” 

“Yet, you still lost,” you sighed dramatically.

The offended look on his face was priceless. “You didn’t have to go that far!”

You bellowed a hearty laugh, clutching your stomach at the puppy eyes he’s sending your way. Never could you have imagined that same boy from the radiology center being gifted with a whimsical persona so in tune with your own. Weirdly, you’re thankful for the injury that linked you to him. 

But as your laughter died down, the sun had already set. Your mother told you to be back with Shouyou and from the looks of it, the boys were already cleaning up inside the gym. 

You glanced at Oikawa, who was contently gazing at you with a small smile. 

“I’m going back to Hyogo tonight,” you imparted. 

He gave you a curt nod. “Have a safe trip.” 

“What, you’re not going to proclaim your love for me and force me to never leave your side again?”

Oikawa wrinkled his nose at such a bold statement. “You’re pretty, but not that pretty.”

“Hey!”

“I jest. I jest,” he chuckled, tucking in a lone tuft of your hair behind your ear. The graze of his fingers against the skin of your cheek made your lips part in a mute sigh. 

“All I’m saying is what’s there to fret about when we have–” he gestured towards your knee, “–this bonding us?” 

“You saying you want me to get injured again, Tooru?”

“Oh, say my name again.”

“Pervert!”

“No! It really sounded nice in your voice!” 

“(Name)-neesan!” 

Your heart almost sank at the sound of Shouyou’s voice. He emerged from the entrance with his gym bag slung across his shoulder. With a polite smile, he asked if you were ready to go.

You almost told him that, yes, you were, but that’s until Oikawa hissed at him like a cat.

“You’re the Shouyou that brought us together?” he accused with thinly veiled apprehension, to which Shouyou laughed.

“That’s right, Grand King! You owe me now!”

“I owe nothing to any of you Karasuno folk!” 

You rolled your eyes to pull Oikawa into an abrupt embrace, which effectively snapped him out of his hostility towards your younger cousin. He stammered with his words, but they remained forgotten when you whispered in his ear:

“See you in Tokyo.”

#haikyuu!! #haikyuu!! headcanons #haikyuu x reader #oikawa tooru #oikawa tooru hc #oikawa tooru x reader #im crying #soulmate au #this was so much fun to wrITE #I LOVE HIM #the grand king of mY LIFE #hqscenario

[queenmabscherzo]

I try to imagine at what point Steve decides to retire ? Is Bucky constantly massaging his knees and sore joints ? They always make sure a pack of icy hot on the grocery list ? Have the heating pad handy in the bed stand drawer ? Steve is so stubborn. Just another season Buck ! But Bucky is the voice of reason and says he deserves some more quality time with those lethal hips before Steve throws them old timer ?? Idk give me aging sappy men headcanons pls !!

OH MY GOD I’M SO SORRY I FORGOT TO ANSWER THIS SOONER!!!! i just loved it so much and kept putting it off bc i wanted to take time to give a good answer :’) :’)

at the end of holiday spirit ... that’s when steve thinks about retiring. he’s been in the NFL for 15 years, so like, that’s already HOF status

he’s body’s finally feeling it, you know? his elbow has probably been bugging him for a couple years. maybe had a surgery or two.

imagine if you will: the time steve breaks his leg during a game ... and someone on the team staff calls bucky .... oh my god ... that’s prob the only time bucky would straight up walk right out of an ASU practice and book it back to chicago to see steve

he would be sooo worried and also so heated and so nosy with the trainers!!!! and steve is like ‘buck lmao let them do their job’

broken bones aren’t a career-threatening, but they require patience and time .... lol steve would be sooooo frustrated on the sidelines

‘they said i need to wait two more weeks, but i’m feeling great buck, i’m thinking next sunday--’ ‘don’t you dare’

but anyway after 15 years, steve is moving slower. bucky tries to teach him some good, easy yoga poses that will stretch his back and loosen his hips, but steve is soooo stiff all the time

we know when bucky has bad days/migraines/etc, steve curls around him in bed and holds an ice pack to his neck and strokes his hair

when steve has bad days, it’s probably in the knees and the throwing arm. bucky would sit behind him on the couch and give deep massages, really digging into steves right shoulder

or they’ll sit in a steaming hot bathtub together, facing each other, so bucky can give him long, soapy foot rubs

anon, you are a genius i literally cannot top “i deserve some more quality time with these hips before you throw them old timer!” I’M CRYING I ‘M LAUGHING SO HARD

(”oh ya, i’ll show you quality time”)

also lbr steve is the last one holding out. bucky was obv the first to retire, then rhodey i presume, then isaiah (bc running backs never last that long), then sam (same goes for WRs), and a ton of Steve’s NFL teammates. so like ..... everything’s changing around him

i’m not sure what would put him over the edge....?

maybe it’s just a build up of everything around him. nick fury retiring and alex moving away? those are huge life changes.

he finishes the season when he’s 37, and before the next season starts, he prob announces that he’s going to retire. i can totally see him doing the kobe diva thing, where every stadium he visits gives him gifts and makes a Huge Deal out of it like “this is the last time Steve Rogers will play in the Superdome!” and other hilarious wonderful nice things.

and man. AFTER he retires? just imagine what he does with those hips and endless free time. bucky won’t be able to deal

#aging sappy men headcanons #i love this and i love you #targeting stuff #mab hath been with you #anon

[onlypreciousloves]

Almost.

Request from ??? (didn’t leave a name; pls message me so I can properly address this to you ♡)

Paring: Han “Peanut” Wangho / Lee “Faker” Sanghyeok

Characters: Han “Peanut” Wangho, Lee “Faker” Sanghyeok, Park “Monark” Minkyu, Bae “Bang” Junsik, Bae “Bengi” Seongung

Wangho never considered trying out for the various eSports teams in South Korea.

That was until he met Sanghyeok…

A/N: I didn't get a name/username for the request, but it wasn't an anon. This is probably the longest I have written so far this year (hehe).

Enjoy ♡

2013

For a 15-year-old, Challenger-ranked Jungler, Yoon Wangho has never considered trying out for any of the various eSports teams in South Korea. Perhaps it was because his parents wanted him to focus on his education rather than take an early career path into the modern sport of League of Legends. But that didn’t stop the young boy from playing a few games of Solo Queue. Even if he had to hide from his parents at 2 AM on a school night.

Bundled up in his large black and puffy jacket, Wangho stuffed his hands in his pockets after blowing a heated breath into them, attempting to warms himself up from the bitter January cold. He bit his bottom chapped lip, staring up at the pedestrian light on the other side of the busy street through his reddish brown bangs. The young Jungler scrunched his rosy nose as he began to get impatient for the light to change. All he wanted was to get across and closer to the café he would be meeting a friend in.

The young boy was more than eager than to escape the chaos that came from his house during the daytime and there was nowhere else he’d rather go than to meet up with “Shot Point Blank” for the first time. A player who he trusted enough in-game and out of game to cheer him up and make him feel nicer when he was feeling down.

Even just a simple chat message made him smile. Each time he heard the notification tone from Kakao Talk and glanced at the other player’s name, Sanghyeok, it made his heart skip a beat. Now, finally, after what felt like forever of knowing each other, Wangho finally got the chance to meet the other male in person for once.

His hands curled into fists in his pockets and he nearly jumped in excitement when the light turned from orange to white and he could finally cross the crowded street with the other pedestrians. The café was just around the corner, and just the thought of finally meeting his Duo Queue partner in person made his heart race uncontrollably.

Nothing made his day like the moment he stepped into the café and was met with a blast of warm air and the sweet scent of coffee and pastries. His eyes searched the room filled with young couples and groups of friends chatting around at the tables. When he found the pair of eyes he was looking for in the corner of the café, he had to blink a few times to make sure they weren’t playing tricks on him… was that..?

Hold on, let’s rewind this a bit…

The first time Wangho met “Shot Point Blank,” both of them were climbing the ladder from Diamond IV. The first game they played together, Wangho may not have been playing at his best, but he found communication with the Mid laner almost as easy as if they were using Skype together. It didn’t take excessive pings to make sure the other player knew he was preparing to give a gank or when he would be engaging in a team fight.

Even if Wangho made a small mistake, “Shot Point Blank” would save the play and make sure their opponents didn’t even have a chance to capitalize and punish him, or his team, for his mistakes.

“Shot Point Blank” had great mechanics and response time, which made the two of them work even better together in-game. Yet, that wasn’t what got Wangho so eager to hop into Duo Queue with the other gamer. In chat, the two of them could talk for hours without end on just strategies, champions, playstyles, and even the current happenings of the eSports championships and invitationals. The amazing thing between the two gamers was how it didn’t even need to be League-related for the two of them to have a conversation.

Within a week of knowing each other, the two of them had reached the lower ranks of Master, exchanged Kakao IDs, and first names.

For two young gamers, “Shot Point Blank” and “Peanut” skipped a whole step in formality with little to no hesitation between them. So it should have been no surprise to Wangho when “Shot Point Blank” asked if he’d like to meet in person and hang out one weekend.

But… let’s just say the boy Wangho found sitting in the corner they had decided to claim as their meeting place was not expected to be the prodigal Korean Mid laner. The Lee “Faker” Sanghyeok.

“Sanghyeok~” A sing-song voice called from the kitchen. The 17-year-old prodigy clicked away at his keyboard and mouse, eyes glued to the monitor. He wasn’t purposely ignoring his teammate, but he didn’t have any additional energy to spare his fellow LCK pro-gamer while he focused on his Solo Queue game. His eyes glanced at the bottom corner of his square glasses, to check the time on his phone. One more hour. One more hour before he finally got to meet “Peanut.”

The moment the “VICTORY” sign materialized over his monitor, Sanghyeok sighed and leaned back into his chair while stretching his tired arms above his head.

A pair of arms threw themselves over the Mid laner’s shoulders without warning, almost making the boy jump. Almost. “Aren’t you supposed to be going on a date or something?”

Although he rolled his eyes at the other boy’s statement, a slight smile couldn’t help but grace the normally straight-faced gamer’s features.

“Ah! You’re smiling! The great Lee Sanghyeok is smiling!”

“My god, Minkyu. You’re so embarrassing and there’s no one else here.”

The golden-haired boy just chuckled, nuzzling the side of his teammate’s face affectionately before pulling away and spinning the chair around so that he could look at him face-to-face. “Come on. It’s just the two of us here in the gaming house. Who’s there for you to be embarrassed in front of? On a side note, shouldn’t you be getting ready to go out? It’s cold outside, y’know.”

To say Sanghyeok underestimated the weather outside would be an understatement in itself. Minkyu had shoved him out the door continuously repeating “you’ll be late to your date, hurry up!” Sanghyeok believed it was just because he wanted the house to himself. The weather outside was so cold, he wished he had gotten a heavier jacket, or at least a scarf by the time he turned at the corner of the block. Though, it was too late to turn back by that time.

Thankfully, the café wasn’t all that far away from their gaming house. In less than five minutes, through the biting wind of Seoul, Sanghyeok slipped through the front door of the café, shivering and rubbing his arms through his black, North Face jacket. He made a note to himself not to wear anything that advertised him as SK Telecom T1’s famous Mid laner, wanting to blend in and not draw attention to him and his Duo partner.

The last thing he wanted was for fans to crowd the two of them, asking him for a sign or a picture, preventing him from actually being able to talk with the boy he had asked out to the café. The meeting was technically organized by Minkyu, not that it really mattered to Sanghyeok. Either way, he wanted to avoid crowds of people on a break like this anyway.

Sanghyeok settled himself down in the booth in the back corner of the café. No one would notice him there unless they were actively looking for him. And, with his back to the wall, he could clearly see the front door and every person who walked through it. He opened the screen of his phone, scrolling through KKT and tapping on the picture of Wangho.

The boy had a soft smile in his profile picture, and his eyes shone with a certain sparkle that made Sanghyeok’s lips curl into an uncharacteristic smile without any tangible reason. His eyes traced the face framed by short, reddish brown hair that lay on the top of his head in a ruffled, yet attractive, mess.

A minute or two past their scheduled meeting time, the Mid laner checked the time on the lock screen of his phone. He frowned a little in discontent, wondering if the boy had stood him up last minute. He was, after all, just some random stranger he met in Solo Queue as far as Sanghyeok was concerned. Wangho had no idea of knowing who he really was behind the name “Shot Point Blank” and his simple given name, Sanghyeok.

He refused to have his face on his KKT. Instead, he used a picture of Minkyu’s husky pup, Kookie, as his profile picture instead. So, Wangho had no idea what Sanghyeok looked like. The only reason he’d be able to find him would be because he told the younger boy to meet him at the café in the corner booth.

As a few minutes ticked by past their meeting time, Sanghyeok’s heart began to thump uncomfortably in his chest as he started to worry about the boy’s wellbeing. Those thoughts quickly turned into ones of regret for letting Minkyu talk him into such a thing as meeting a random duo queue partner in person.

“‘It’s not every day that you find a friendly Duo partner online and climb up to Master together from low Diamond. Hell, you refuse to queue with me on a good day. You have to meet him, Sanghyeok. I don’t care whatever the hell you think.’”

Those had been Minkyu’s words when he convinced his friend and LCK professional teammate to let him look over his shoulder while they tried to set up a time and place to meet that weekend. Seongung, Jeonghyeon, Gwangjin, and Eonyeong had all gone home to spend the short break with their friends and families before scrims began again and time would be lost in their monitors for the season.

As a sub and a young boy who would rather spend time at the gaming house than his chaotic mess of a family, Minkyu stayed in the house, relishing in the peace and quiet. Minkyu had been quite eager to spend more time with Sanghyeok when the said boy returned to the house early after staying with his family for a mere two days. Minkyu had also been the first out of the team to catch onto Sanghyeok’s secret smiles when he was texting on the phone or chatting in Solo Queue practice times.

The jingle of the bells hanging on the handle on the front door caught Sanghyeok’s attention just as it had each time before. But, this time was different.

He caught sight of a boy with disheveled, reddish brown hair, bundled up in a big and puffy jacket, making him look like a soft marshmallow. The boy ducked into the high neck of his jacket, closing his eyes with a soft exhale into his knitted scarf. It only took him a few more seconds before his eyes searched the café and locked with Sanghyeok’s in the dim corner.

The normally stoic Mid laner couldn’t help the smile that grew on his lips.

“Hey,” was all he could muster from his mess of a mind when Wangho made his way across the café to him. Sanghyeok spoke softly, shyly attempting to hide his happiness at meeting his friend. “Nice to finally meet you.”

“No way. I can’t believe it. You’re the Lee Sanghyeok. Oh my god.”

The young Mid laner knew he should’ve been happy – at least to some extent – that he was recognized as a person who could have the word “the” placed in front of his name. Yet, his first reaction was a slight pain in his chest. Did his status as SK Telecom T1’s Mid laner change their relationship? He was just a young boy, like Wangho, who enjoyed the game and they had enjoyed playing together. So, what difference did it make?

Sanghyeok didn’t want there to be a difference. Such a difference made him uncomfortable.

“I’m a big fan. Wow, I really can’t believe it. I’ve been playing with you the entire time and I just – I didn’t even realize it? My god.”

Stop…stop it. Please…

“Uhm…should we get drinks or something…?” the older between the two spoke softly. He desperately wanted to steer away from his identity as ‘Faker.’ That had been the whole point in making his new alternate account, which he did his best to unlink from his currently public accounts.

When Wangho noticed the other boy’s slight discomfort, he did his best to quickly follow the change of subject. Not that it was really a subject of conversation. “Oh, right. Of course! My treat, what would you like?”

“No, it’s fine. I can get my own.”

Sanghyeok spoke in his infamous monotonous voice as he slid out of the booth. Wangho slipped his puffy jacket off and dropped it in the seat across from the other boy. Sure he sounded bored, like always, but Sanghyeok was more than grateful when Wangho paused his outburst of fan-like behavior so that they could get drinks.

Unfortuantely, that pause didn’t last very long.

“How come you didn’t tell me who you were?” Wangho turned around in line so that he could face his Duo Queue partner as they waited for their turn to order.

“I –”

“I mean, if it was to keep your identity a secret, I totally understand,” a small laugh of disbelief from Wangho nearly made Sanghyeok cringe in discomfort. Why did his professional identity have to get in the way? It made him uncomfortable. “I really still can’t believe it. I’ve been playing with the best player in League and I didn’t even catch on.”

“I wasn’t trying to hide it…but I wasn’t trying to let the whole world know either…” Sanghyeok attempted to smile for a touch of humor. If he failed, Wangho didn’t let it on when he turned around to order from the barista.

It didn’t take them very long before they were back in the booth, hidden in the corner. Thankfully, conversation was still as easy for them in person as it had been in the chat. Each time Sanghyeok provided a new topic – a play from some game, a theory of a new strategy, proposal for a new way to play a champion – Wangho was more than eager to keep the conversation alive. Even when it wasn’t League-related, like when they exchanged stories of being at the gaming house or at home.

The way the younger boy grinned at him when they spoke almost made the Mid laner forget that he was “Faker.” Almost.

If it weren’t for Wangho noting something about him being an LCK pro, or something he did in some game at some time, the meeting would have been nearly perfect to Sanghyeok. Each time Wangho praised him for a play that “Faker” had made, the smile on his face would drop and so would his heart. With each statement and praise, Sanghyeok was beginning to think that if he weren’t a famous Korean Mid laner, Wangho wouldn’t be as eager to talk to him in person.

The reddish brown-haired boy asked a question and tilted his head to the side a little, staring up at his partner. Sanghyeok missed whatever was in that look as he sat there, lost in thought, staring at the foam on the edges of his coffee cup. He hummed to acknowledge the boy, but he hadn’t heard a single word Wangho had said the past few minutes. He was so lost in his disappointment that he never caught the look in the younger’s eyes of admiration and – quite simply put – love, when he spoke to him or listened.

Sanghyeok hated it. The price he had to pay for being famous in the League community. People had expectations he was supposed to meet 24/7. People looked up to him. People crowded him with wishes for signs and pictures. People couldn’t be mere friends with him without worrying about their performance in-game. He just couldn’t make friends in the League community without having his status as a famous, prodigal Mid laner pointed out to him as if he didn’t already get it all the time.

He had hoped that Wangho would be different. But what else should he have expected, he thought to himself. He couldn’t escape the fact that he was “Faker” just as much as he was a 17-year-old Korean boy.

Wangho’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest each time he remembered that the boy he was talking to was the prodigy of the professional eSports community. He was so eager to share his thoughts about his plays. He wanted in-game advice from a player everyone looked up to. He wanted to know how life was as a professional. The young gamer had so many questions, that by the time they said their goodbyes for the evening, he still had a mountain more of them sitting in the back of his mind. But, on his walk home, he stopped in his tracks as his giddy smile fell off his face.

Fuck. I must’ve seemed like some idiot fan.

He smacked his own face with the palm of his hand and immediately regretted it when a shock of pain spread across his forehead and eye where he had hit himself. “I’m so stupid.”

The Jungler groaned as he turned around to face the direction he came from. He had long since turned off of the busy street close to the café and was now on a quiet living quarters street, but he felt some urge to look back the way he came.

“A crazy fan with millions of questions was probably the last thing he wanted to deal with on his holiday…”

With a pout on his chapped lips, Wangho continued on his way back home, trying to think of a way to apologize. Yet, as he was trying to decide between giving the boy a call through KKT or gifting him a skin over the client, Wangho found himself lost in his thoughts about the boy himself.

Sanghyeok was nothing more than just a 17-year-old boy who loved what he did. He wasn’t the emotionless machine most saw him as in the professional scene. The amused smile he had offered when Wangho offered a ridiculous use of a champion – something meant to be humorous – had made his breath hitch in the back of his throat. Even just the thought of that smile made the young boy eager to meet up with him and hop online to Duo Queue that night.

The awkward smile and tiny dimples Wangho had caught when they said their goodbyes made the younger blush as he thought back to that moment. “Ah, you’re ridiculously crazy, Wangho,” he muttered to himself as he rubbed his otherwise frozen cheeks in the elevator. “You barely know him…”

If there was anything Wangho enjoyed more than meeting the famous Mid laner in person, it was his discovery of the fact that Sanghyeok was just as normal as any other young boy playing League out there. He was human, too. He was capable of stealing the Jungler’s heart in person with a few smiles and genuinely amused laughs at his lame jokes.

While Wangho relished their meeting, Sanghyeok’s disappointment overtook his daily life.

Sure, Sanghyeok didn’t look like he minded anything in the world with his normally stoic expression. He didn’t give anything away with the same face he held behind and in front of the camera. Some fans thought it cute when he showed his rare smiles and laughs, and rare it definitely was. Even though he hid everything he felt behind fortified walls like a prison in his mind, Sanghyeok had times where he looked extremely vulnerable. They were almost as rare as his smiles and laughs. Minkyu was one of few who approached him in those times.

After meeting with “Peanut” in person and feeling disappointed when he found him to be just another fan who wanted to drop a mountain of questions over him, Sanghyeok came back to the SKT gaming house in a more somber mood than usual.

“Monark” was sprawled out on the couch, scrolling through his phone held above his face with an extended arm. At first, he hadn’t thought much of it when he asked his teammate how the meeting went and was answered by silence. The substitute player thought it was just Sanghyeok thinking him to be annoying as usual and ignoring him.

He ran a hand through his messy, dirty blonde hair and laughed it off, muttering under his breath, “it probably went better than I thought if he doesn’t even want to share it with me.”

What he hadn’t really expected was the decline in his teammates in-game performance.

In the following days, “Faker” silently played Solo Queue, quietly thumping his fist on the desk in frustration each time he lost – which was quite often, Minkyu noted to himself. Even in scrims, the sub noticed that Sanghyeok started to make ridiculous mistakes that were extremely out of character.

Confrontation was definitely not Minkyu’s forte. But, no one else on the team took the initiative to approach their MVP. Not even Seongung who usually did all the confronting and comforting. So, he decided, it was his turn to step up as the lowly sub.

One night, Sanghyeok left the dinner table silently while everyone else was laughing at the light bickering between Seongung and Jeonghyeon who were arguing about whose turn it was to do the dishes that night. About a minute after he heard the click of the Mid laner’s door close, Minkyu stood up to follow after giving Seongung a teasing laugh and telling the Jungler it was definitely his turn to do dishes tonight.

There was a roar of laughter between the rest of the team when one of the youngest sidestepped respect to tease his older teammate. A few moments later, he found himself at Sanghyeok’s door, knocking a few times before he let himself in when he didn’t hear an answer.

Sitting in the corner of his room, at his desk, Minkyu caught sight of the Mid laner with headphones over his ears. The boy clicked the button on the client that would put him into a queue. He noted that he was alone and the name “Peanut” was nowhere to be seen in the party.

Silently, Minkyu came over and gently pulled the headphones off of his ears. “Not queuing up with your boyfriend? That’s a new one.”

He definitely didn’t miss the faint blush that threatened to take over Sanghyeok’s cheeks at the teasing. Neither did Minkyu miss the slight frown on his lips as he turned to weakly shove at the substitute player. “I haven’t played with him in two weeks, shut up, Minkyu.”

The other boy raised a curious eyebrow with a tilt of his head. “Why?”

“He’s just another one of those fans.” From the disappointment in the usually emotionless voice of his, Minkyu could tell that Sanghyeok wished for something more.

“No way, he can’t –”

“Shut up. What would you know?” the Mid laner grumbled in a hint of frustration. “You weren’t there.”

“Well, I do know that he has to be more than that,” Minkyu moved around his friend and teammate’s chair so that he could sit on the desk, blocking Sanghyeok’s view of his computer. The Mid laner swatted at his friend’s side as if to get him to move off his desk. Minkyu continually moved his head so that he would be facing the boy who kept shifting around, weakly trying to get a view on his monitor. It wasn’t like he was going to get a match this soon anyway, as a Challenger-ranked player. “Or else, he wouldn’t be affecting your gameplay so much.”

“You’re crazy,” Sanghyeok stopped moving to give the boy his attempt at a death glare.

With two hands on his shoulders “Monark” shook his head, unfazed. “No, I’m not. And you know it. Just talk to the boy, Sanghyeok. Come on, he can’t be that bad.”

“I’m not ignoring him. I’ve talked to him.”

“Lies.”

With a chuckle, the substitute player plucked his teammates phone off of the table before he could even reach for it. He unlocked it in less than a second to look through his messages. “Minkyu! Give my phone back!”

He was able to see a short exchange between Wangho and Sanghyeok before the phone was wrenched from his hand.

Wangho had asked if the Mid laner was getting on tonight to play. The boy’s response was that he was too busy with scrimmages and would probably be too tired tonight.

That was a complete lie.

“What the hell, Sanghyeok, we don’t have any scrims today or tomorrow. Why are you lying to him?”

“I can’t do this, Minkyu. Go away. What I do is my business. Leave me alone.”

As he was shoved out of the Mid laner’s room, Minkyu frowned a little, wondering why he pushed away a friend that could help him escape all the attention of being an eSports star. He knew this – whatever this was – was affecting his gaming performance before the competitions even started. As a teammate, he couldn’t let it affect their team. As a friend, he couldn’t let Sanghyeok spiral into sadness and frustration.

No matter what it took, he was going to find a way to solve whatever it was that was the problem.

The auburn-haired boy sighed when he logged onto the server, only to find that “Shot Point Blank” wasn’t even online tonight. As always.

It’s been nearly a month since the two of them met in person, and Wangho found that the tension between them had only been getting worse.

Was it something I said? Does he not like playing with me anymore because I asked so many questions? What do I do?

Wangho even sent him messages in attempt to just talk to him. But, each time he tried, Sanghyeok shot him down by saying he was too tired or that he was busy at the moment. He started to think that the Mid laner was avoiding him on purpose only a week after they stopped playing every night together.

The sound of his Kakao Talk notification ringing shocked him out of his thoughts as he stared at the red “DEFEAT” sign on his monitor. Wangho scrambled around for his phone, hoping that the message was from his favorite Mid laner. He was disappointed to find that it was someone else.

…but he didn’t know who that someone else was.

‘Who is this?’

‘You don’t know me, but I kinda know you. I’m Sanghyeok’s teammate.’

At the mention of the dark-haired Mid laner, Wangho was eager to know what the other boy wanted to say. A few moments later, “Minmin” continued.

‘You’re Peanut right?’ Again, Minmin didn’t wait for the Jungler to answer before he continued. ‘Is there something going on between you and Sanghyeok? Did you guys fight?’

They had to at least have conversations if they were fighting, and conversations were not exchanged in the past few weeks. At this point, Wangho was almost certain it was because of something he said when they met in person.

It wasn’t very hard to talk to Minmin. He was almost as natural with him as he had been with Sanghyeok. Almost. But nothing could beat the familiarity and comfort he had with texting the Mid laner.

By the time they finished talking at 2 AM, Wangho had set a new goal for himself. A promise to meet Sanghyeok on the stage. He would prove to the boy that he meant more to him as Sanghyeok than as “Faker.”

SBENU Championship Summer 2015

Said goal had taken much longer than Wangho had hoped, with the age requirement in the professional field of gaming, yet it was all worth it.

With his team ending the summer with a score of 11 - 7, “Peanut” was quite satisfied with his first season on a professional LCK team. The 17-year-old Jungler couldn’t have been happier to know that he hadn’t let SK Telecom T1 win against them without a fight. If he had lost 0 – 2, he probably wouldn’t have had the heart to rush where he was rushing to now.

The young Jungler of NaJin e-mFire, in his red, white and black uniform, rushed down the hallway of the competition’s building. He glanced at the cell phone in his hand, peeking at Minkyu’s message a second time to make sure he was headed to the right room. As he turned a corner, his eyes caught sight of the fiery-haired AD Carry substitute.

“Min-hyeong!” He grinned widely at the boy who had become his friend two years ago. The two of them had become close since Minkyu had supported him on his journey to LCK.

The corner of Minkyu’s lips curled into his amused, signature smirk as he threw an arm around the young Jungler who rushed into him. With the hand of the same arm, he roughly ruffled Wangho’s reddish brown hair. “Hey, kid. You did great today.”

The younger couldn’t help but beam up at the boy who had turned into a sort of older brother in the past two years. He let out a happy giggle, as the older led him into SK Telecom T1’s waiting room. The laughter between the two young LCK pros caught the attention of seven players spread out across the small room.

“Meet Han Wangho, guys,” Minkyu grinned cheesily as he messed with the boy’s hair as he introduced him. “Najin’s ‘Peanut.’”

“Hello, nice to meet you.” The Jungler bowed his head respectfully at the other players as he was officially introduced to the team. The moment he lifted his head, he found his eyes locked with the stoic Mid laner who had just stood up from his chair on the other side of the room.

He bit his lip almost at the same time, Sanghyeok bit his.

Seongung was asking the young player a question, but his words went through one ear and out the other. Wangho was much too busy letting his eyes glance over the features of the Mid laner that had changed since the last time he saw him two years before. A gentle hand on his back nudged him forward, effectively catching his attention. Minkyu kept his cheesy grin as he faintly motioned towards his teammate with his eyes and a small nod.

Wangho didn’t need to be told twice before he took two strides across the room and nearly leapt onto the Mid laner.

“Hyeong,” He mumbled with his face buried into the crook of the LCK prodigy’s neck. “I missed you.”

No one else heard his words under the laughter from the rest of the team who commented on the young Jungler being another big fan as an LCK Pro. Minkyu settled himself down in one of the chairs, legs thrown over the armrest as he spun around to look over the rest of his team in amusement.

“I’ve waited two years to tell you this,” the younger whispered, almost unheard, against Sanghyeok’s skin. “I don’t care who you are. Whether you’re ‘Faker’ or SKT’s MVP. But you’ll always be ‘Shot Point Blank.’ My favorite Duo Queue partner and the boy who stole my heart in that café.”

The Mid laner blinked in surprise, but a noticeable blush crept onto his normally pale cheeks. Minkyu noted it to himself so that he could bug his teammate about it behind closed doors.

“I’m not a boy. I’m a man.” Were the only words the 19-year-old managed to sputter out in an attempt to answer the younger boy.

Since the rest of the team had only heard this, everyone burst into laughter at the random statement.

“Leave it to Sanghyeok to say the most random things,” Junsik chuckled, giving his substitute player a knowing look and a laugh.

Wangho laughed with the rest of the team, still clinging onto the Mid laner. “Doesn’t matter. As long as you’re mine.” He said softly, resting his head on Sanghyeok’s shoulder as he hung off of him.

A/N: So this turned out a lot longer than I expected, and I think they’re a tad out of character. I hope you liked this! Tell me what you think ♡ I welcome criticism if you’d like to give it ^~^

#request #peanut #faker #skt faker #kinda fluffy #kinda angsty #kinda neither honestly #but more like in the middle #fanfiction #semi au #semi ooc