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limitlessgojo · 3 years

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Blood Bound: Blackened Bond (Ch 17)

Warnings: Action, Coarse Language, Fighting, Descriptions of Blood, Death, Gore, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Japanese Mythical Folklore, No Major Character Death, !Character Suicide!

Previous Chapter: Non-Standard

Next Chapter: 百鬼夜行 - Hyakki Yakou

Word Count: 3k

Tags: Kamo Noritoshi x Reader, Soulmates AU, Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Fem!Reader

Taglist: @lessie-oxj @rizzo-nero @whoreuc @fkngkumiko @isl3t @gojoussunglasses @onepotatostand-blog @s-t-f-u-b-i-t-c-h @sunaswife @lordguameow @track5enthusiast @nayydoesthings @a1hina

Notes: If you want to be tagged for every update, and specify if you're okay with NSFW posts or not, please mention it in the comments below ty ❤

Extra Notes: PLEASE CHECK THE TAGS!!! This is one very loaded Chapter. Some might get triggered over the graphic depictions of violence. This is close to a bit of gore.

Chapter 17: Inferno: Flames of Hell

You wake up in the infirmary. Hiroki had healed you beforehand. You abruptly sat up, looking around the room, before finding him, cleaning some medical tools. “Thanks Niichan.” He smiled as he came over to hug you and messed up your hair.

“It’s okay. I didn't think Satoru would push you this hard. He’s a good teacher for you, much as I hate to call him a good teacher. Did you consider going to Tokyo Jujutsu Tech instead? You could’ve gone ya know, we wouldn’t hold you back.”

You mulled it over. “I think I’m staying here. I’ve settled in and everyone around me is amazing. They’re like a second family to me.”

He smiled before looking a bit annoyed. “Yeah well, glad you like them at least. Someone’s been waiting all this time for you. Rude if I don’t let him see ya, right sis?”

Hiroki walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Noritoshi with one hand up as if to knock.

Your mouth opened and closed.

“Y/n.” He was still so determined. What makes him have so much faith in you? You looked back to Hiroki, but he only gave you his trademark "Get your shit together" look and waved you off.

You walked up to Noritoshi by the doorway, and he stood back to let you through. You both ended walking quietly side by side in the hallway.

Noritoshi smiled, you didn’t run away from him for once.

"Y/n, can we… talk if you're up for it?" He asked quietly, a small sad smile on his face.

You took a deep breath, turned to face him and were thrown into a vision.

◇◇◇

"They've found us, run for it, love." Hotaru dragged you away from the small inn you were both staying at.

You stumbled after him and ran off. A member of the Abe clan had seen the both of you in the midst of fighting curses at an abandoned shrine. They tried to chase the both of you down, but you both fought back and ran further away until they’ve lost sight of you.

But currently, you are facing a much larger problem. A shadow in the distance. Just the silhouette of the curse was enough to etch despair deep in your bones.

With four large arms, two faces and a gigantic body, Ryomen Sukuna could be identified easily. You grabbed onto Hotaru and tried to push you both forward with your technique.

"Uraume. After them. I've heard rumours about a fated pair. It seems as if they are the ones." Sukuna smirked.

"As you wish." Uraume quickly caught up to the both of you.

They quickly froze your escape path, sealing you both in a circle of ice. Hotaru held you as you activated Inferno to break the ice and continued running. You were both dangerously running low on cursed energy. Especially as Hotaru had just fought over a dozen of curses.

"Hooh?? The woman does have power. I want her." Sukuna's eyes lit up madly. He shot a flaming arrow, forcing you to push Hotaru behind you.

Sukuna focused and slashed both Hotaru from behind. Uraume shot shards of ice towards you, but Hotaru shifted your positions.

You watched in horror as your lover took the attack for you. He was bleeding profusely and even his technique couldn’t help him from anemia.

“No no no no no, stay with me.” You screamed at him.

“Misaki, my love, for you I’d burn down the world, travel across thousands of miles, and kill anyone who tried to hurt you. I love you and I’m sorry we can’t be together much longer.” He teared up while cupping the side of your cheek.

“No, don’t go.” You leaned down to press your lips against his, trying to give him a bit of air. But it wasn’t enough. His hand fell limp and he breathed his last. Kamo Hotaru died in your arms.

"Hotaru, no." You sobbed out painfully, hugging his cold body to your chest.

"The talk of the town huh? You must be the soulmate pair judging by the marks on your hands." Sukuna stepped up with Uraume right behind him.

He was a terrifying sight upclose.

You froze as he knelt down and lifted your chin, "What a beauty you are. I wouldn't mind playing with you for a while and having you all to myself, before eating you up." He licked his lips lavisciously.

"So young, and such soft skin." Sukuna's hand trailed down your cheek and squeezed along the curves of your trembling body.

You never felt more dirty in your life. A man other than your lover, touching you like this. "Be my toy, would you? Your lover is dead after all. Why not humor me?" Sukuna jeered. He didn’t care about your silent sobs, even relishing in how you looked right now.

Utterly destroyed. With a monster claiming he wants you for himself.

He grabbed your chin roughly and forced a kiss on your lips. You snapped out of your shock, feeling your anger overcome your fear.

‘I'd rather die than let him have me.'

And so, you pushed Sukuna and Uraume far away and built a solid air barrier around you and Hotaru.

You thrust a hand out and an oil lamp came flying your way. It broke in front of you. Inferno was activated to spread the flames quickly. 'We are meant to stay together, my love, even if it means death.' You quickly slit your throat with a harsh cut, not wanting to die a slow death in the flames.

You choked out blood as Sukuna came near. He shattered your barrier easily with Dismantle, reaching for you. You panicked. You weren't going to die in time.

And you did the craziest thing you could think of. Activating Niflheim simultaneously with Inferno. Freezing everything around you, except for the still burning flames consuming you and Hotaru.

It didn't help too much. Sukuna produced flames out of his hand, while Uraume easily manipulated the frost.

Lightning shot out of your hands dangerously in your confusion. You don't know what you just did. But it didn't matter. You were quickly losing consciousness.

Crimson splattered onto the ground and over Hotaru’s corpse. You burned past the limits of your cursed energy, releasing bolts of lightning.

Sukuna’s hand reached out and activated his reverse cursed technique on you. “Not so fast.” He looked angry.

He was able to seal the cut, but with the last of your energy, you used Inferno on your body, bursting into flame before Sukuna and Uraume.

They were forced to back away and stared as you and Hotaru both turned to ash, the heat an insane temperature they couldn’t approach.

Sukuna threw his head back and cackled, "The lengths people go to for love. What fools Jujutsu sorcerers are!"

◇◇◇

The vision ends. You and Noritoshi gasp harshly. The hallway is covered in ice.

You slowly realized you unconsciously activated Niflheim. You swiped your palm through the air. All the windows along the hallway simultaneously opened.

The vision was far too vivid.

You covered your throat with your hands as though to stop a wound from opening, remembering how the dagger dragged through your neck bones. The flames felt painful as they ate at your body without your cursed technique protecting you from them.

Noritoshi kneeled down and touched his gut. He felt the poison of Sukuna's slash and Uraume's ice eat his body. After his past soul had died. Hotaru's spirit watched the events transpire from above you. So he was able to see it from a 3rd person's point of view.

How Sukuna had wanted you. How you ended your life for him.

You staggered back from Noritoshi, face as white as a sheet, running for the bathroom with bile rising up your throat.

That vision was eerily reminiscent of how Sora-nee died in your arms. You were on the borderline of hyperventilating.

Noritoshi ran after you, “Wait!”. You stumbled into the girl’s bathroom, opened a cubicle door and vomited everything out into the toilet.

The sounds of retching were loud even from outside. Noritoshi halted in his tracks when he saw that you’ve gone into the ladies room.

Fuck manners. If it was to take care of you, he doesn’t care about being gentlemanly or if he was called a pervert. He rushed in, wrapped his arms around you, pulled back your hair and rubbed soothing circles on your stomach.

You were vomiting pretty hard, to the point where it hurt your abdomen. “My dear angel, shhhh it's okay, I'm here.” You continued heaving and reached back with one hand to push him away. But Noritoshi was incredibly stubborn, not letting go of you.

“Noritoshi I literally smell like shit, please leave.”

“Nope. I don't care. I will take care of you. As your soulmate I’m responsible for you.”

Your eye twitched at that.

Both of you were still trembling from the aftermath of the vision. How terrible and cursed it was, that past life.

You closed the lid, flushed the toilet, then lifted it again. You leaned over with heavy breaths, but it looks like you’re done puking. Noritoshi just sat behind you, his hands stroking your belly, keeping your body warm.

It was nice. But he’s not yours anymore. It was only then you felt something wet on your shoulder. Noritoshi was crying.

“It almost… felt like I just lost you… My darling...” loud hitches of breath echoed in the bathroom.

You froze, not knowing how to comfort him at a time like this. You patted his head, and he leaned into your hand.

Even as you close your eyes, the images keep racing through the back of your eyelids. Flames. Blood. Lightning. Hotaru.

“I need to wash up in the sink.”

Noritoshi gave a soft grunt in reply, arms tightening around your waist. You stood up and half dragged him out of the cubicle. He never lets go. His arm is still around your waist, making you half waddle around the bathroom with him like a penguin with its child.

You brush your teeth with the spare toothbrush Jujutsu High has for its guests and rinse your mouth with several cups of mouthwash, the strong scent of mint hanging in the air. You spat it all out, but you still felt nauseous.

You turned and wiped away his tears with your sleeve. He bent down and tucked you under his chin, breathing in your scent. You were both alive. It was fine.

You pulled back when the door slammed open. It was Momo and Mai.

“......”

“.....”

The four of you had a stare off before realizing Noritoshi wasn’t supposed to be in there.

“Kamo kun, you’re in the wrong bathroom. Have you dumbed down so much you’ve forgotten?” Momo asked with wide eyes.

Mai stared at you and noticed how sick you looked. You just shook your head at her and quickly walked out of the bathroom, shrugging Noritoshi’s hand off of you.

'To hell with all this.', you thought to yourself

◇◇◇

"Wait!"

Noritoshi caught up to you in the hallway, grabbed your hand and turned you around to face him. He stopped caring about where he was.

"I'm never giving up on you. I won't, because I love you and I know that now."

You sniffed hard, tears running down your cheeks. You've had enough of this confusion. If you're being truthful to yourself, you missed him.

You missed Noritoshi and his kind words. His touch and his kisses. His soft bits of encouragement and picnic dates.

You want him back. It was just as Hiroki had said, you were pushing Noritoshi away without giving him a chance to explain himself.

But the vision completely broke you. You pulled your hand away, "Don't touch me. Don't follow me. Don't come near me." You whispered.

Noritoshi swallowed hard. "Why won't you let me explain myself?" But you just shook your head.

"Maybe we weren't what we thought we were." You didn't mean it, but you still forced the words out painfully.

Noritoshi flinched, "Why would you say that? You believed in us. I still believe in us. In you."

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, "That vision. Why did we have it? We could be dooming ourselves by staying together, Noritoshi, I can't do that to you. Maybe I am cursed to hurt the ones I love."

He scoffed. "Preposterous. They are our past lives, but they aren't us. We are different people with different choices. You’re not cursed Y/N, since when have you become so narrow minded?"

You stiffened. "Maybe I have always been so. I'm just tired of everything now. Plus I need to take down that damn curse, even if it kills me." You spun on your heel.

Something inside Noritoshi snapped. He now understands how it feels to be pushed away like an outsider. He grabbed your wrist, ignoring your angry whispers as he single-handedly dragged you back into his room.

This man was strong. Not even your hardest tugs threw him off balance. He slammed the door shut once you were both inside and you felt a bit shaken, not having any place to run.

"Why are you trying to do this all by yourself?! You may be a Special Grade Sorcerer, but that doesn't mean you're invincible! A war is not won by one person. Can't you trust me?" He hissed.

"Trust you? Trust you?! How about me? Big words from someone who didn't even want to let me meet or know the people he holds dear to him."

This was the most idiotic argument you had in your life. You didn't even mean half the words that you were saying. Just wanting to win a pointless argument you wished never existed in the first place.

"I thought you agreed to speak to me if that was still bothering you. You said we would work things out together." Noritoshi shook your shoulders.

You held your tongue not knowing what else to say. Noritoshi was still so sweet after all this mess. Pulling you into a warm embrace, patting your head as he cries into your shoulder.

"Will you stay with me at least? During the war.”

"Of course." You didn't even think as you agreed. Even Noritoshi looked surprised at your lack of reluctance. "I won't lose you."

You both stood awkwardly there, not knowing what to do. Noritoshi didn't want you to leave yet, wanting to bask a bit more in your presence. His mark cooled down as his hand slipped into yours.

But you stepped and turned away from him, ignoring how his fingers desperately clung onto the hem of your shirt. "I'll go then… Don’t want to intrude... "

"Would you like to stay for dinner and talk?" He called out hopefully.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'll be with Hiro-nii in my room." You purse your lips.

"I love you." He said once more. There was no room for hesitation in his voice.

You paused, temples throbbing heavily from the onset of a headache. Too many thoughts raced through your head and not all of them were good.

"I don't know what you heard the other day, but I will never take in any concubines. You're my one and only, Angel."

You only half believed him right now, his words going in one ear and leaving through the other. ‘People can lie. He is capable of lying.’ your shitty brain just makes every situation sound worse each time. This type of negative line of thinking was so unhealthy.

He must have understood your thoughts.

"My love please," he's begging you now. You turn to him, face full of confusion and hurt. You opened your mouth, and thought better.

This wasn't the best time to run your thoughts.

"I’m sorry for being in a really bad headspace right now. Are you willing to wait for me?" This time it was you who asked him this. Noritoshi studied your face before nodding. “That’s okay. As you have with me, I will do the same with you.”

You sucked a deep breath, eyes watering. “I’m scared.”

“It’s okay to be scared, we are just kids. We aren’t supposed to bear the weight of saving a nation this early on.”

“I don’t want to lose anyone anymore.”

“You won’t. We won’t.”

“I’m sorry for being such a pain. I know we need to talk about all of this, eventually.” You couldn’t help the whimpers that came out of your mouth.

“I love every bit of you. Even if you're like this… No... Because I understand how you feel. You have a right to be angry, because I held back a lot of things from you. But that doesn’t mean I don’t miss you or love you.” He carefully put out a palm facing up, allowing you to make a choice. You slowly put your hand over his.

“For real?” you whispered so quietly, he had to strain his ears to hear you.

“For real. Since when have I lied to you?”

‘Not once.’ you numbly thought.

Who knew a man could be so delicate. He held your hand lightly, not daring to squeeze it. Just a sign of openness and faith. He lowered his head towards you, eyes hooded.

You shivered as his lips brushed against the back of your hand. Soft, warm and plush. Like the first time he kissed you on the cheek. Shaky yet loving.

"Get some rest then, good night." You left the room.

He wondered if you still loved him now. Gone were the nights you soundly slept in his arms. He could barely pull himself together as he readied himself for dinner and bed.

Back in your room, you sobbed into your pillow. It hurts so much, because your faith in Noritoshi isn’t what it used to be. You wish for yourself to trust him like you did before. It’s frustrating.

There are times you wish you never heard that conversation. But that means staying ignorant to his familial affairs which won't do you any good in the long run.

Love is painful. Love feels like you've filled your lungs with water and you can't breathe. Sometimes it's like that icy inhale of the cold morning air on the winter solstice.

But it also keeps you going. The warmth of being in Noritoshi's arms earlier was more than enough to convince you to stay.

Blood Bound: Table of Contents

#kamo noritoshi x reader #blood bound #blackened bond #red strings of fate #jjk x you #jjk x reader #jjk x y/n #jjk x oc #jjk fanfic #kamo noritoshi x you #kamo noritoshi #jujutsu kaisen fanfic #jjk imagines #noritoshi angst #noritoshi fluff

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makeusfreefromthisfandom · 3 years

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just sending some appreciation and good vibes to my people for the new year <3

kisses from me bc you all hold a very special place in my heart 💝

Also veryyy long post ahead I’m sorry I had to include everyone Aakklaksks 😭😭

@ominous-meme 🖤 sabah! You were my very first mutual on here I hope you know that! I can’t even begin on how excited I got when I found out you were a fellow desi girl and I will always appreciate you being there and advising me! <3 I love our street racing au! talks ! I’m glad I have someone to share ideas with <33

@weebsausage 🖤 dude omg!!! 😭😭😭 pls I literally forgot how we became moots I’m so sorry I have a tiny brain 😪 but I think we literally just messaged each other and started talking about free! ANYWAYS TYSM FOR PUTTING ME ON HXH I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU FOR THAT WTF ITS LIKE MY FAV ANIME EVER I HAVE BECOME HXH TRASH AJSJSJBS ❤️❤️ but other than that thank you for being a really great friend to me and I hope this year is nothing but good things for you <33

@dokifluffs 🖤 you were also one of my first moots on here! I honestly could not believe when you followed me back bc ur like my biggest inspo! 😭 you’re so precious omg I always look forward talking to you and get excited when I see a notif from you still! I hope the new year treats you well and brings good things in your life! Lots of love from me bae 🥰❤️

@syrenblubs 🖤 ah my most relatable person LOL. Omg syren ur my little bestie on here and I’m so glad we’re mutuals! I love our natsuya talks and OML THE C****** RAID! ALSJJSJSJSJJS AND DESI PARENTS AKSJJSNS. Just thank you for always interacting with me even tho I SUCK at responding 😭❤️❤️❤️ ilyyysmmmmmm

@linak 🖤 baby omg where do I even begin. Back when I had literally no one to talk to on here, you would be the one NEVER failing to send me a gm/gn message! You always bring a stupid smile to my face 😭 I’m so freaking glad that we are friends I literally cannot put into words!! Ty for always listening to me and letting me open up to you ❤️ love you always.

@croctears 🖤 vixxx ahhh!!! I’m so glad we became mutuals on this shitty app! You’re one of the highlights of my day and I love talking to you sm 😫 especially if it’s about Sou 😏😏 keep being amazing bae! Kisses mwuah mwuah 😽😽

@xakusa 🖤 Marty bby! 🥰 literally the only person I’m going to share my man natsu with 🙄 our conversations are always so RANDOM and out of nowhereeeee lollll but we also just go along with it and I love that! You are an angel and this year better be giving you what you deserve! Lots of love from my end 😽😽😽 kissies from me and natsuya <3

@cafelixie 🖤 I will keep saying this and I will never stop. YOU!!! ARE!!! THE!!! ACTUAL!!! DEFINITION!!! OF!!! PRECIOUS!!!! Need I say more? You’ve made my day countless times and I always look forward to seeing you in my messages/inbox!! Baby I freaking love you I really don’t know what else to say 😭❤️

@skippyskeppy 🖤 I will never forget the first time we interacted my Kisumi enthusiast 😙🤝 I love it sm whenever I see you pop into my inbox with a random hc about semi semi or Kisumi, Albert now too! You are an amazing person. A really amazing person. I hope you know that ❤️

@keeijiakaashi 🖤 I remember seeing your little comments under my posts before we became moots and OMGGGG YOU ARE SO CUTE AISJJSJSJS ALSO RIN ENTHUSIAST??? YES PLEASE!!! Tysm for always interacting with me and making yourself known as the ultimate sweetest person on my blog! Ilyyyyy ❤️❤️❤️

@animatedarchives 🖤 we have your fellow love of the kirishimas to thank for us becoming moots! You’re so cute soph omg 😫 I love how we literally have brainrots of the same characters LIKE MR GOJO LEECH SATORU!!! GET OUT OF MY HEAD OR PAY RENT!!! Ahh you’re irreplaceable soph! Never fail to make me smile like an idiot <33

@natsuya-enthusiast 🖤 how did we not become moots sooner wtf??? Do yk how alone I felt when I had no one to discuss my obsession of natsu with when I first made this blog 😪 AND THEN I REALIZED U WERE ONE OF MY FIRST FOLLOWERS???? ANYWAYS U ARE THE BIG SIS I NEVER HAD ALWAYS PULLING THROUGH W THAT LIFE ADVICE BAHAHAHA ilysm gaby wtf 😭😡😡😡❤️❤️❤️

@moonlitspring 🖤 do you even realize how happy I got when I realized there was another ACTIVE free! blog 😡😡 ajsjjsjs you are such an amazing writer and PERSON sky!!! You’ve been nothing but the sweetest and I hope we get to interact more this year and share our love of free! together <3

@ayumiko 🖤 laís you are such an angel! I absolutely adore both you and your edits/gifs smmm 🥰 you are so kind and I hope 2021 is also <333

@dalggina 🖤 omg??? YGO bae??? 😤😤 I thought literally everyone had forgotten ab it LOL THEN YOU CAME ALONG ❤️❤️ I’m really glad we interacted precious person! And I hope that you have a great year! ALSO YOU BETTER NOT STRESS YOURSELF OUT TOO MUCH FROM WORK OR IM MANIFESTING MR ATEM TO COME GET YOU 😡

@stormikujo 🖤 omg bby! We haven’t talked in awhile! I hope you are doing well! ❤️❤️❤️ ahhh I’m glad I got you into free otherwise we wouldn’t even have interacted 😫 I love talking to you stormi!! And I hope this year brings great things fro you! Lots of love ❤️❤️❤️

@aj-writes-here 🖤 omg hey girl 😼😼 you’re definitely one of the coolest people I’ve talked to on here for sure! Hope you’ve been enjoying hq and free! Your welcome for putting you on that simp train 😼 anyways, ilysm aj!! I really wish the best for you this year! Stay amazing as you always are, ily!! ❤️❤️

@attackonfics 🖤 wtf 😭😭 I don’t deserve you???? You’ve been nothing but the sweetest to me and also responsible for my unhealthy obsession with mr 5’2 angry gremlin >:(( jkjk but seriously, ty for the food 😌. ANYWAYS QUEEN I HOPE YOUVE BEEN TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF AND TREATING YOURSELF AS!!! YOU!!! SHOULD!!! VIRTUAL HUGS 😽😽 💝

@browsing-my-favourite-fandoms 🖤 Shizen! You are too good for this world! 😭 you are such a genuine person, you deserve nothing but happiness ❤️ I really hope that this year does that for you. I’ll keep checking in from time to time! Ilysm! ❤️

@inum4ki 🖤 sera...please...just invest in a personal guide or smth. Asksksknsjs n e wayzzz seeing you in my inbox is always so much fun! Sousuke really deserves more love and you are bringing it to the table hun 😤😤 also you’re a fellow inumaki enthusiast too??? Yes please. You deserve all the happy things in 2021 <3

@sneezefiction 🖤 Gracie!! I love how easy it is to get along with you! You are truly one of the best people I’ve met on this app and I’ll forever be grateful for our friendship <3 you give off such great vibes all the time omg giving you a huge virtual hug and here’s to more interactions this year! 🥰😽😽😽

@velvetfireworks 🖤 bbyyy!! 🥰 everytime we interact even if it’s not a whole lot, you’re always the sweetest what 😭 I love you and you’re writing so much omggg you are so talented!! I get super excited when I see myself get tagged in one of your stuff 😆 I hope we get to interact more in the future! Have a great New Years ❤️❤️❤️

@a8mine 🖤 stop being so mean to me 😡😡 !!!!!! ig ily anyways tho 🙄 you’re energy is honestly unmatched (in a good way!!) and it’s rare to meet people like that! You’re so funny omg and your random hcs and cursed discourses always have me dying 😭😭 you’re so cool hanna ily 😪✌️ <333

@giorvanna 🖤 ahh rena! Your blog and edits are *chefs kiss* I love our random semi brainrot sessions 🥰🥰 I hope we interact more in the future but in the meantime I’m sending you good vibes and lots of virtual hugs bc you deserve them queen ❤️❤️❤️

@seijohlogy 🖤 hey hey jaestar 🤩🤩 you are such a cool person??? Omg I’m so glad that we’re friends and randomly invade each other’s inboxes 😆 you are so kind! This year better be kind to you too or else 😡😡 I hope that after Ms rona decides to move her ass over, you get to go to Disneyland and take!! Me!!! With!! You!! Love you jae bae ❤️❤️

@prettysetterbaby 🖤 hey sexc 🤩🤩 no idea why you followed me but glad you did bc you are such a sweet and chaotic person!! I loveeeeee <333 I hope we get to interact more bc you are just genuinely such a fun person to interact with! Ilyyy

@datecho 🖤 yet another just genuinely sweet person! The world doesn’t deserve you! You’re so fun to interact with and a hottie??? omg shoto and kags better get off their asses rn and come get you or I will 🤩🤩 ly bae! have a great New Years! ❤️❤️

@miyasangel 🖤 we haven’t interacted much yet but ahaha talking about suna and sending my fanart to you is sm fun! Did I tell you that I also have a wip of Atsumu as a street racer? 😏 have a great year Arden bae! Kisses 😽

@aikk00 🖤 hi hi! We don’t interact on a daily or anything but when we do, omg!!! You are the most easy person to get along with 😭 you have such a good heart along with the talent???omg??? You are UNMATCHED babe! I hope this year brings you many more opportunities! Stay amazing love ❤️ ily and your art very much ❤️ I’m also still very embarrassed from fucking up the credits from last time. I’m so sorry bae 😭❤️❤️

@kurooskult 🖤 ma’am you might as well be the definition of bad bitch 😪🤝 ok but besides that, interacting with you is sm fun??? Like we don’t even have to be moots on your blog to feel just as included and loved! You are such a queen for that! Here’s to more mila x kuroo content in 2021 and he better be doing special for you as he should !!

It’s still the 31st here but THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING MY COUPLE OF MONTHS ON HERE BEARABLE!!! This sounds like a goodbye post Oml-

I love you all very much. I suck at words, but I hope you know that. ❤️

#precious ppl✨<3 #OK NOW GN IVE BEEN UP FOR TOO LONG

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cyhyr · 3 years

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KakaIru Maze 2021: In Pieces, It Is Safe

Rating: T

WC: ~10k for this part / ~19460 total

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Additional Tags (pertaining ONLY to this part): burns, fire, gods/goddesses, canon-typical violence

A/N: Get yourself a snack and a drink; this one's a biggie ALSO With the posting of this last chapter, I have finished the Maze!!! I'll get a Masterpost up in a little bit :D

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“After this, you have a meeting at training ground seventeen,” Shikamaru says, dropping a stack of paperwork on Kakashi's desk. It lands with a soft umph, the sheer weight of hundreds of sheets of paper turning Kakashi’s hair from silver to gray. Shikamaru keeps one hand on the desk as he continues, “And don’t think about skipping out to the meeting early. Iruka-sensei told me he’d send you back here himself if you try to see him before the busy work is done.”

“I think I liked it better when the lot of you weren’t on such great terms,” Kakashi sighs, pulling the first report out from underneath Shikamaru’s hand. “First Shizune is getting me to do regular physicals and now you’re using my partner against me to do paperwork.”

“It’s all with Iruka-sensei’s permission,” Shikamaru smirks. He waves with one hand and leaves him to it.

Kakashi glances up at the clock and groans. He should have asked Shikamaru what time it was before he left. He should get one of those newer digital clocks for his desk.

It’s early afternoon. He can get this stack done in… an hour and a half.

Half an hour later, Kakashi has two kage bunshin assisting with the pile and finally, it feels like he might get to see Iruka before sunset.

The sky is just beginning to deepen into yellows and oranges when Kakashi escapes from the Hat and the office, leaping across the village rooftops with Boar and Sable in tow. Boar isn’t quite as fast as he and Sable are, but he keeps up well enough. They’re almost to the training grounds when Boar overtakes him and puts up a barrier, halting Kakashi and Sable both.

A tree hurls into Boar’s barrier and breaks when it hits, scattering splinters and branches everywhere. Boar keeps the barrier up while more trees and limbs reach out above and around them, smacking into each other and shedding leaves and sticks over the forest floor. Sable from her place positioned over Kakashi’s crouched form, whistles sharply three times—two short, one long.

The trees stop battling, and two faint figures leap away through the trees back towards the center of training ground seventeen. Kakashi grins and stands, gently pushing Sable away and putting a hand on Boar’s shoulder.

“They’re gone. You can drop it.”

Boar nods, and the barrier falls. They continue on their way.

When they reach the small clearing in the center, Boar and Sable stay back in the trees while Kakashi goes forward alone. They’re his guards, and it’s not like he needs them; he’s plenty well-guarded here, anyway.

Here, of course, being around the only two known mokuton users in the world. Tenzō is lecturing about where Iruka went wrong and what they’d work on next time. But Kakashi—oh, he only has eyes for his partner, stretching out after a long day of training.

Iruka’s hair is finally long enough again that he can tie it up. It took months, and a few discreet hair growth treatments, but it was worth it to see Iruka looking like himself again. The only difference being that his hair did grow in a little bit darker; no one else seems to have noticed, but Kakashi is an expert in all things Iruka and he knows that it’s darker than before. Iruka’s scent also never changed back to parchment and rivers, but knowing now about the mokuton adaptation, Kakashi is accepting of that particular Change.

Iruka has also taken the past few months off from the Academy. He claims he doesn’t miss the endless paperwork and grading, but Kakashi catches him looking longingly at the playground whenever they pass it by. He can’t seem to convince Iruka to go back to work yet; Iruka seems to very much want to master control of mokuton before he puts himself back around the children. And Kakashi can’t fault him for that, especially considering what happened to both their house and the Tower.

“Oh, Rokudaime-sama,” Tenzō says, finally acknowledging him. “Glad you could finally join us.”

“Maa, you know how it is,” Kakashi says, waving his hand. “Paperwork breeds.”

Iruka twists from his seated position and looks up at him, smiling wide. “But you still got it all done, right?”

Kakashi leans over and presses a masked kiss to Iruka’s hair. “Of course. Shikamaru implied you had choice words if I showed up before I finished.”

“You should really save all that mushy romantic stuff for when Otter’s around,” Tenzō chuckles. “They get a kick out of you two being…” He makes a vague hand gesture and continues, “Y’know. You.”

“All the more reason to be mushy now while they’re out on mission,” Iruka says. There’s a slight edge to his voice, one Kakashi knows is the slight possessiveness Iruka keeps close to his chest. It sends a tingle down his spine and warms his heart.

“How was training today, Love?” Kakashi says, changing the subject.

Iruka gives a so-so gesture. “I’m getting there.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, sensei,” Tenzō frowns, crossing his arms. “You held your own against me for hours today. I would almost say you’ve mastered mokuton, or certainly will within the week.”

“No,” Iruka shakes his head. “I don’t feel comfortable with it yet.”

“That’s only because you haven’t been on active duty for years, Love,” Kakashi says. He offers his hand to help Iruka stand up, and grins when Iruka takes it. “Give yourself a few more days and you’ll be finishing your spars with Tenzō in a draw.”

“Well, I don’t know about that—”

“I fully expect to have my first loss by the end of the week, sensei,” Tenzō smirks.

Kakashi pulls Iruka to his side and hugs him tight with one arm. “See? Tenzō believes in you.”

“Senpai. Please, it’s Yamato.”

“You stop and I’ll stop,” Kakashi drawls, leading Iruka away.

Iruka turns around and waves. “See you tomorrow, Yamato-taichou!”

Come!

The Spark can now be Relit

Come to The Altar

Place your Seal

And Open the—

“Iruka?”

Startled, Iruka’s breath hitches as he looks up and around. Kakashi’s holding his hand, and they’re standing just outside the gate to their home; his brows are furrowed and there’s a concerned gleam to his eyes. Iruka knows he has a similar look on his own face, but for a different reason.

He’s not sure how they got from the training grounds to home. Surely they walked, but he doesn’t remember anything but the smell of the dying sunlight.

“Love, is everything—?”

“Fine!” Iruka laughs it off. “I just, I was thinking about… things.”

Kakashi guides him inside, lifting one hand to the ANBU over Iruka’s shoulders. Neither of them like having the ANBU close while they’re home; it’s their time. Iruka assists Kakashi in slipping out of his Hokage flak, and then he hangs it up beside his own.

Kakashi comes up from behind him, puts his hands on Iruka’s hips, and kisses the side and back of his neck. Iruka sighs, leaning back against the firm, strong chest of his partner and—

Change and Inspire Change!

All will receive My Curse

Few will find My Mercy

Fewer still will become the Blessed

Come to Me

“—ka? Iruka???”

Oh, shit

He looks up at the ceiling and Kakashi’s face hovering worriedly above him. “I’m… I’m okay,” he murmurs. His head is throbbing in time with his pulse, and his limbs all tingled like he’d lost feeling for a time. Kakashi has him laid down prone on the floor, his head pillowed carefully on one of his thighs.

“You were out for almost two minutes,” Kakashi says. “What’s going on?”

Iruka shrugs, sitting up gingerly. “I think I went too hard in training,” he tries.

“Iruka.”

Iruka knows that Kakashi is aware he’s lying. And Iruka… Iruka also knows he can’t keep it up for much longer. But Kakashi will also respect Iruka’s desire for privacy, and his judgment that Iruka can deal with this issue himself.

He only hopes that he’s not overestimating himself.

He saw her for the first time on a Friday evening two months ago just after a shower. They were finally back in their own house, and Kakashi wasn’t home yet. Iruka wanted to get ready for a night in with his partner, and took the time to be very thorough. But when he stepped out of the shower, the mist in the bathroom was heavier and warmer than it should have been.

Out of the corner of his eye, Iruka saw the mist take a shape for the briefest of moments. He heard the hiss of a thousand whispers—

Relight the Spark

—and then the room was cold and dark and the mist was gone and Iruka—

Iruka checked the time on the tiny clock beside the mirror and realized he’d been in the bathroom for two and a half hours. He’d only taken a half hour in the shower; Freol had stolen the other two hours.

He wasn’t in the mood for sex after that. He brushed his teeth and braided his now-dry hair, tying it off with a soft cord for sleeping.

Pajamas. And bed. Kakashi was puttering around the house, probably searching for dinner; but Iruka just wanted to sleep. He dreamt of mist and heat and thousands of voices speaking in unison telling him Come, Relight the Altar. In the morning, he was exhausted like he hadn’t slept at all.

It wasn’t dire then. Until it started affecting others outside of Iruka, he swore he’d keep it to himself.

But it kept happening. He’d lose hours in the bathroom, a half-hour in the peak heat of the day, an entire evening in front of the fireplace—anywhere there was heat, Freol would appear and speak to him. And each time he would slip into some kind of trance and lose time.

It happened around Naruto two weeks ago. They had been out training, just the two of them, and had taken a break for lunch. While Iruka was opening his bento, lovingly prepared by Kakashi that morning, he happened to glance up at some birds flying overhead.

The sun, the heat, and the glare of light in his face—it had been a perfect storm. She appeared before him, the shimmer of heat in the desert made form, and spoke:

“I have chosen you to be My revival. Come Home to the Altar and become My new Spark.”

Her voice tasted like smoke.

Iruka tried to talk back, but whatever she was doing to him, whatever plane they were on, he couldn’t do anything but sit there and withstand the heat.

Eventually, a different kind of warmth surrounded him and pulled him away. Freol screamed and it was terrible, thousands of voices shouting that Iruka was hers and that she said when she was done speaking to him. The smoke settled on his tongue and made his eyes water, the heat intensified so much he began to dry out. He’d be nothing but leathery skin and burnt clothing—

And then he blinked and he was in a dim room, the floor covered in water, cradled in Naruto’s arms. Behind him laid the Fox—Kurama—his paws crossed and his ears upright and alert.

“Where—?”

“With Kurama,” Naruto said. He frowned. “In my head, but not? It’s hard to explain.”

As if what Iruka had just experienced with Freol wasn’t just as hard to explain. He sat up gingerly; every part of him stung with burns, like he’d rolled around in a bonfire for fun. But a glance at his hands, his arms, a quick touch to his face—all confirmed to Iruka that what he felt wasn’t real. Naruto kept a hand on his back, just below his shoulders.

“Iru-nii. What’s going on?”

His instinct was to brush it off. But Naruto had brought him into Kurama’s sanctuary, and to have done that… whatever happened must have truly scared him. So instead. Iruka sighed, “I’m not sure yet.”

“It has something to do with that goddess,” the Fox said, his voice as deep and massive as Freol’s, but somehow so much softer; tempered by Naruto's own nature. “I saw her speaking to you. What did she say?”

“She. She wants me to go back. To relight the altar, whatever that means.”

“You can’t go back!” Naruto cried. “You only just finished recovering!”

“I’m not—”

“Freol is the Altar,” the Fox grumbled. Both Iruka and Naruto looked up at him, and he continued, “Did neither of you read the scrolls? They all referred to the goddess as an Altar.”

“Sounds familiar,” Naruto mused. Louder, he said, “But that only makes it worse! She wants you to, what, relight her? What’s that supposed to mean?!”

Iruka realized, “She wants to become a relevant power in the world again. And she needs a ‘spark’ of some sort, one that only someone who’s gone through her Change can provide.”

It was quiet in the dark, the water lapping at their legs and the huffing, soft growls of the Fox behind them.

“Naruto, take him out,” the Fox eventually said. “He’s not supposed to be here.”

“Right!” Naruto helps Iruka stand, and together they turn and face the F—

Kurama.

His name is Kurama.

“You pulled me away from her, didn’t you?” Iruka bowed carefully, not sure if he’s overstepping and also not sure if his balance will keep him upright. “Thank you.”

Kurama looked almost embarrassed, but nodded in acknowledgment.

Then Iruka blinked and he was sitting beside Naruto on the ground where they’d spread out their lunch, and Naruto’s hand slowly pulled away from his back. Judging by the sun’s shift in the sky, he’d lost less than an hour.

They’re quiet for a few breaths, and then—

“Naruto—”

“Iru-nii, I—?”

They stopped, smiled; laughed. Iruka gestured for Naruto to go first.

“Nii-chan, if… if it gets worse,” Naruto said, uncharacteristically somber, “or you decide to… to go. Tell me, please?”

Iruka pulled Naruto close and tight and nosed at his hair, then said, “I’ll keep you posted.”

The next morning, Iruka wakes before Kakashi even stirs, before the sun is up. In the cool of the early morning, where the sky is just barely lightening, Iruka’s mind belongs only to himself and he doesn’t have to worry about seeing Freol. He showers in cold water and warms himself in the towel afterward; no mist, no unseasonal warmth, no wispy shadows curling around his shoulders whispering tempting words in his ear.

Just him, his razor, and the slowly rising sun.

A soft knock on the door puts a grin on his lips, and he tells Kakashi, “Come in.”

His partner shuffles in, settling in behind him and putting his chin on Iruka’s shoulders, his arms around Iruka’s waist just above the fold of his towel. Kakashi is sleep-warm and lax against his back while Iruka finishes shaving, reaching for a hand towel and drying his face. He then tosses the towel over his shoulder and on top of Kakashi’s head.

He groans and holds Iruka tighter.

Iruka laughs. Kakashi kisses his neck.

“I’ve missed your laughter,” Kakashi whispers.

It’s sobering, but he keeps a smile on. “What’s that about?” he asks.

“I feel like we had a good month where we saw so much of each other, and then you developed mokuton and now I don’t see you anymore,” Kakashi pouts. “I miss you.”

“Get your paperwork done in a timely manner and you’ll be home early enough to make me laugh again,” Iruka teases, turning in Kakashi’s arms in order to put his own around Kakashi’s shoulders. He plays with spiky silver hair, and leans in to kiss Kakashi’s deepening pout. “We’ll be back to our normal soon.”

“I hope so. Is there any hot water left?”

Iruka nuzzles their noses together. “Plenty.”

“Wanna get wet with me?”

Iruka kisses him quickly and hums. “How about you take a really quick shower, and then come back to bed and we’ll make love before you have to leave?”

Kakashi pulls him back towards the bedroom. “Love making first,” he smirks, “then I’ll shower. And maybe I can convince you to join me then?”

“You’re welcome to try,” Iruka follows easily.

Iruka builds a wood encasement around himself, huddled down close to the ground while the two ANBU he’s training with fling katon and suiton jutsus at where he had been standing. The wood seal would hold until he could collect himself and ready a counterattack. It had held up against Kakashi’s raiton multiple times over just yesterday. Iruka breathes, confident that the ANBU he’s battling aren’t as strong or capable as his partner.

The ground at his feet is beginning to turn to mud. Iruka braces himself under the dome and molds his chakra. He pings with his chakra to locate his targets. He smirks. They’re training against a mokuton user and standing in the trees? Not very bright, these two.

A quick redirect of his chakra and a snake hand seal has the dome split down the middle and Iruka takes in the scene quickly, rolling out of the way of a katon blast and reforming snake. The branches the two ANBU are standing on wrap up and around their bodies, thinning out and flexing as needed; their arms are caught at their sides and soon enough they fall to the ground with harsh oomphs.

Iruka jumps over to both of them and puts a kunai calmly against their neck, one at a time. And then the whistle blows and Yamato slips out of the trees with a proud grin. Once Yamato is firmly in place beside him, Iruka forms his seal and releases the jutsu holding the two ANBU. He helps one of them stand up while Yamato offers assistance to the other.

“Dismissed,” Yamato says.

“Thank you,” Iruka says, bowing to each of them before they could flicker away.

And then it’s just the two of them and Iruka can’t hold it in any longer.

“Did you see that!! I took down two. Whole. ANBU. Me!!!”

Yamato chuckles. “I did. And you could likely take out an entire squad if you wanted, now.”

“Wait ‘til I tell Kakashi; he’s gonna flip!”

“In a good way, I’m sure,” Yamato says, putting a hand on Iruka’s shoulder. “How about we break early for the day? We can go meet senpai at the Tower and you two can have a night out to celebrate.”

Iruka winces. “Kakashi has a meeting late tonight. I was going to see Naruto.”

“Then you go and see Naruto early,” Yamato claps his back and starts them back toward the village proper. “You deserve it.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Iruka grins. “It’s all due to your diligent training, taichou.”

They part ways at the edge of the training grounds; Yamato goes back to the Tower to report on Iruka’s progress, and Iruka…

Iruka wasn’t lying. He is going to see Naruto. And Kakashi is… busy… tonight. Just because the meeting is with Gai, for drinks and a night out together which they haven’t had in so long; Iruka has to take a deep breath to keep the guilt at bay. It doesn’t help that he had been the one to suggest to Gai that it had been entirely too long since he and Kakashi had had a guy’s night.

He stops in front of Naruto’s door and knocks. He is taking precautions. Kakashi will understand… someday. Someday, everything will be okay again.

But first.

Naruto opens the door and beams at him. Gods, when did he get so tall? “Ready to head out, nii-chan?”

Iruka nods. He doesn’t need anything besides the force in his head and his mokuton. Naruto locks the door behind him and then presses his hand to the door to seal it. Iruka remembers when he’d taught him how to do that, on the spare room’s door in Iruka’s old apartment. Back when everything had been easy. Back before goddesses and world-ending jutsus.

They run out into the forest and leave the village far behind. Just in case. Gods, he hopes nothing goes wrong tonight. For almost four hours, they run at Iruka’s most sustainable speed; he knows Naruto is faster, and has more stamina, and he’s relieved he doesn’t have to try and keep up. Eventually they stop in a small clearing and Naruto looks around and nods.

“There’s no one around,” he says.

Iruka pings out with his chakra, to double-check. They’re alone. Iruka pulls his chakra together and forms his seals, and then a few small bushes sprout up around his legs. He steps out of the circle of bushes and makes another seal and a cut intention with his chakra, and the bushes become a pile of kindling and tinder.

He kneels down to arrange the pile into something that more closely resembles a campfire, and above him Naruto squeals, “That’s sooo cool! I’m never gonna get over watching you do mokuton, Iru-nii!”

Iruka blushes. “Yamato-taichou is much more impressive at it,” he says.

“But my big brother can do the same thing the First Hokage can! That makes it a million times cooler.”

“If you say so,” Iruka says, finishing stacking the brush. With a short, quick katon, the twigs light. “I’m going to make some fuel logs, too,” he says, standing up and dusting off his pants.

“I’ll watch the fire and make sure it doesn’t get too big yet,” Naruto nods.

Fifteen minutes later and they have a knee-high pile of fuel, and the fire is rolling and warm. It’s not quite hot, though. Iruka puts two logs on the fire and pokes at the brush to keep it all contained, and then sits down in the grass beside Naruto.

“How long do we need to wait?”

“She doesn’t usually appear unless it’s hot,” Iruka answers. “It could take a while.”

“Okay.” He pulls out a ration bar and hands it to Iruka, who waves it away. Naruto bites into it anyway. Through his mouthful, he says, “Y’know. Kakashi-sensei should be here, too.”

“Naruto.”

“I mean. The two of you are married. You shouldn’t be keeping this from him.”

“I know that. But…”

Naruto takes another bite, waiting.

Iruka sighs. “I can’t risk him,” he finally says. They’re quiet again for another few, long minutes. Iruka throws another log on the fire. “Freol, so far, has only attacked those of Uzushio descent. And you have Kurama to keep you safe. There isn’t… I don’t have anyone else I can trust with this.”

“Not even Yamato-taichou?”

Iruka shakes his head. “He’d go straight to Kakashi. He might even hold me back.” He groans, scrubs at his face with both hands and then drops his head between bent knees. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this. I know that it goes against everything you are to keep this kind of secret.”

“Kakashi-sensei would want to know, even if you think it’d put him at risk.”

“I don’t want her to know that Kakashi knows.” Iruka glares into the fire. It’s getting hot enough that it’s hard to look at it for more than a few seconds. She’ll appear soon. “It’s bad enough that after tonight she’ll know about our relationship. If she finds out about Kakashi, too…”

“He fought against Kaguya with Sakura-chan, Sasuke, and me. He knows about goddesses.”

“That’s not the point,” Iruka groans. “He doesn’t need to know. And I won’t give her more ammunition to be used against me.” He throws one more log on the fire.

And there.

In the heat and shimmer above the flames.

“She’s here.”

Kakashi tunes Gai out for most of the night, instead taking care to get himself as plastered as he can. If he can walk home without assistance, the night will be a failure. He slams back shot after shot, spiraling further with each passing hour.

Is he a good partner? If no, why hasn’t Iruka said anything and just… left Kakashi and moved on? And if yes, why isn’t Iruka telling him what the fuck is happening?

He knows Iruka and Naruto are out at dinner tonight, but they both were cagey about where they were going to be. And it’s already past the dinner hour and Sable hasn’t reported back that they returned, to the house or to Naruto’s place. If Iruka can tell Naruto about it, why not Kakashi?

“All right, Rival,” Gai says, “I believe you have given the bar plenty of patronage for the night.” He claps Kakashi on the back and laughs loud and boisterous, and then raises his hand to pay their tab.

Kakashi groans and leans heavily on the wheelchair's handles to follow Gai through the bar and out into the night. He doesn’t push, and lets Gai propel himself along; but he does use the chair just as he would his friend’s shoulders.

“Gai?”

“Yes?”

“I’m… I’m good for Iruka, right? He’s happy with me?”

“He could do no better, and I don’t believe he would ever look for more even if he believed otherwise,” Gai says. “You two are the epitome of Love and Truth, and I can only hope to someday have what you two have found in each other.”

Kakashi sighs. It’s reassuring, but not… not quite what he needs. He asked the wrong question. “Iruka’s hiding something from me,” he murmurs. “I’m worried—”

“Iruka-sensei would never seek pleasure with another, Kakashi, don’t fret about that!”

“No, no, Gai,” he groans. He shouldn’t be having this conversation drunk. But he can’t have it sober. “He’s. I think he’s messing with Freol.”

Gai is silent for a moment, and then they stop on a bridge crossing the river. The crescent moon reflects on the water below them. “That is concerning,” Gai eventually relents. “But, I believe you have to trust him.”

Kakashi comes around to stand in front of Gai, arms outstretched. “He’s lying to me! How am I supposed to trust him when he won’t be honest with me first?!”

“That’s exactly why you need to do it, Rival. Because it’s hard—maybe impossible! But Iruka-sensei won’t put you, or the village, or anyone else in danger over this. You must give him the benefit of the doubt, you must believe that he is acting with the best of intentions, and when he’s ready—because he will be—you must be ready with open arms and an open heart to receive him.”

Kakashi falls to his knees in front of Gai and presses his forehead to Gai’s lap. “What did I ever do to deserve a friend like you?” he mutters.

Gai laughs, loud and clear. “One doesn’t deserve friends due to their actions,” he says, placing a large hand on Kakashi’s shoulder, “but attracts them due to the quality of their character.”

He sighs. “Sure, whatever you say.”

“Iru-nii—”

“My mind is made up.”

“But!”

“No. I… I have to. I have to do this.”

“We can stop her together. Kurama—”

“Just said that there’s a good chance that she’ll be stronger once I’m at the Altar. We can’t rely on him to protect me or you, should something go catastrophically wrong.”

“…I don’t like it. I wanna help.”

“You have helped. You and Kurama both. Thank you. But this part… This is something only I can do.”

“When?”

“Ah… tomorrow. I’ll leave tomorrow.”

Iruka’s kisses are longer, lingering, his touches firmer and more numerous; something’s going to happen today, and Kakashi doesn’t know how to breach the topic. He wants so desperately for Iruka to come to him, but that looks less and less likely as they go through their morning routine.

They share one last coffee-flavored kiss before Kakashi has to leave, and he makes sure to look Iruka in the eyes when he says, “I love you. See you later?”

He knows he’s not imagining the flash of guilt he sees. He waits until Iruka says, “I love you, too,” though before heading out.

Iruka didn’t say can’t wait like he usually does in response to Kakashi’s see you later. Gods, he hopes he’s gotten this all wrong. Maybe he’s just forgotten an anniversary, or a birthday.

Kakashi goes to the Tower, and once there turns to Sable and murmurs, “Put extra guards on Iruka today. No questions.”

Sable nods and leaves to make the assignment.

When Iruka arrives at the training area he and Yamato have been using, he’s surprised, but resigned, to see Otter, Shrew, and Owl flanking the other mokuton user. Yamato has his arms crossed and a deep frown set into his eyes.

Somehow, they know.

Iruka assesses the four of them. Otter is primarily a medic; they’ll be evasive, but mokuton is nothing if not resilient. Shrew is an assassin-type, a poison specialist; Iruka can’t afford to be hit by anything Shrew uses. Owl is a torture specialist, probably here only for added muscle; he can’t imagine Kakashi ordering Owl here for that reason, but he was also wrong in thinking that he’d fooled his partner into believing that everything was okay.

Yamato is going to be the trickiest. Iruka hasn’t yet beaten Yamato in a fight, and he’s not sure he can.

“Iruka,” Yamato starts, “what are you planning?”

Iruka grins, spreads his hands. “I was planning on coming to training. I see you have some extra help today.”

He’s lying through his teeth and they both know it.

Yamato groans. “Where were you last night? Senpai didn’t have meetings late; he went out with Gai-san and got drunk.”

“I told you,” Iruka lowers his hands, keeping them ready at his side. The ANBU squad are tensing like they’re getting ready to attack. “I was with Naruto.”

They won’t hurt him. Kakashi would destroy any ANBU who dared to actually hurt him.

“Iruka, I’d like to believe that we’re friends.” Yamato steps toward him. “I’d like to think that the last few months of training haven’t just developed a student-pupil bond between us, but something more.”

“Yamato—”

“I’d like to think,” he says louder, stopping a few paces away, “that we’ve developed a friendship over the last few months. Do you not feel the same?”

A glare of sunlight shines down from between the trees, and in the light he can see her and hear her hiss. He’s manipulating you. Come to Me. He presses his palm to the side of his head and winces. It’s the first time he’s heard Freol outside of a trance and it stings like having a senbon pierce his temple.

“Iruka?”

“I can’t,” he murmurs. “I won’t. I won’t endanger anyone else.” He folds his hands together and makes his seals.

Owl is already behind him, forming her own seals, but the wooden dome enfolds Iruka faster than Owl’s jutsu can release. Iruka feels the battering of multiple attacks against his dome, and takes one deep breath to hold back the swell of guilt rising. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone, least of all Yamato.

He reaches out. “Freol.”

And then she’s there, at his side and around his shoulders and neck, the heat sweltering underneath the dome. He can feel her under his skin, the Change—the Spark—and he breaks the dome and pushes the halves aside and jumps up out of the dust the ANBU’s attacks have kicked up.

Iruka’s hands form the snake seal and then he watches as the trees around them warp and twist and attack. Shrew doesn’t get a chance to throw his poison-tipped weapons his way; he’s wrapped up in thick, supple branches before he can properly react to what’s going on. Otter, also, is swarmed and overwhelmed quickly. They try to use their scalpel jutsu to cut the wood, and so Iruka grows a pair of cuffs right around their wrists and in the pattern of the growth he places intricate knotwork—one which reads seal, and with a pulse of his chakra along the roots to this growth, Otter’s chakra is sealed. Owl is clipped, bound and nearly quartered by her own struggling as the trees wrapped firmly around each of her limbs and pulled them out away from her core.

This only leaves Yamato.

Iruka stops and holds back. It’s hard, with Freol’s power rushing through him; all he wants is to release and destroy everything, but he has to temper himself. He holds up his hands. “Yamato, I don’t want to fight,” he says. “Please, just let me go.”

“I can’t do that. You know I can’t do that.”

He groans. “I don’t want to hurt you; I don’t want to hurt any of you. But I need to go.”

“I will drag you to T&I myself before I let you leave.”

Iruka closes his eyes in defeat.

Spill for Me; Burn for Me

Let him be the first of Many

Let none stand in your way

Let the Inferno rage on!

“I’m sorry, my friend,” Iruka whispers. He forms his seal and lets as little of Freol’s power flow into the wood as he can.

His is faster than Yamato’s own jutsu. Wood shards from both of them break and scatter across the forest floor, and Yamato lifts an arm to shield his eyes. That second he’s not looking is his downfall.

Iruka is suddenly right in front of him, pressing his palm to Yamato’s chest and pushing a seal directly into his center. The seal glows blue briefly, and so do Yamato’s eyes. And then the man collapses forward, his legs giving out.

The ANBU around him all shout, “Taichou!” Iruka catches him and carefully lowers Yamato to the ground. Yamato, barely conscious, glares weakly up at him.

“Why?”

Iruka shakes his head. “Just tell Kakashi that I’ll be back soon.”

“You’ll be declared Missing.”

“By whom? The Hokage, my partner?” Iruka smiles sadly. “I think we both know Kakashi well enough to know he’d never declare me Missing Nin.”

“He will, on my word.”

“But you won’t.” Iruka sighs, and looks to the sun. Freol slips away, now that the battle is over. His mind is his own again, for now. “Promise me, you’ll keep him in the village. Where it’s safe.”

“We’ll come after you,” Yamato murmurs.

Iruka shakes him carefully. “Promise me! Please. Please. I’m doing this, all of this, for him. To keep him safe. It’ll be for nothing if he comes after me. Yamato—”

“If you’re going to go, then go,” Yamato says. “But as soon as my squad and I get free, we’ll get senpai, and more shinobi, and we'll bring you home.”

Iruka shuts his eyes tight and clenches his jaw. “Fine,” he growls. He places Yamato on the ground and stands up. “Fine.” He turns, looks to the east, and runs. No looking back, no tears, no regret.

After three hours of running, he meets up with Naruto outside the village. When Naruto asks him if he’s okay—

“I’m fine.”

And then they both continue on to the ruins of Uzushio.

Kakashi sits in an emergency Council meeting and feels his patience thin with every passing second. Mitokado and Utatane are still debating whether or not it’s “worth” going after Iruka. Like it matters what they think. Kakashi looks to Tsunade, who is also watching them talk with a deep, unsettled frown on her face. Behind her, Shizune and Shikamaru are standing, awaiting orders; they both look bored, like this is a waste of time.

He’s starting to think so, too.

“Rokudaime.”

“Yes?”

Mitokado gruffly says, “Have you been paying attention at all?”

“No. I stopped back when you said, ‘As the Hokage, your presence is needed here and you’re forbidden to go.’” Kakashi gestures mildly. “Do you want me to start asking to get up to use the restroom, too? This is my partner we’re talking about.”

“All the more reason for you to not be involved,” Utatane sniffs. “You have shown significant emotional compromise when it comes to Umino.”

“I should hope so,” Tsunade huffs. “They’re married. Do you not give your spouses preferential treatments when you can?”

Both councillors shift uncomfortably. “That’s not the point,” Mitokado says. “He’s the Hokage. He has the entire village to protect and provide for, not just one person.”

“Maa, but if I can’t protect and provide for my partner, how can the village trust that I’ll do the same for them?”

“Our advice holds,” Utatane says firmly. “You must stay in the village. Send a squad if you must.”

“A squad of ANBU wasn’t enough to stop him from leaving,” Kakashi growls.

“Then send two.”

“I’m not going to risk my shinobi when it’s my partner who needs to be brought back!”

Tsunade lays her palm on his knee. “Settle down.” He sits back a bit and then she continues. “There is the issue of Iruka also being one of the few remaining members of the Senju clan.”

Utatane sniffs. “What issue? The issue being that he will not be assisting to continue his clan lineage? Because that is a discussion for another time.”

“You—”

“Kakashi, don’t,” Tsunade snarls, putting her arm out. She glares at the councillors. “You will not speak ill of the Senju clan.”

“Have you formally adopted him back into the clan, then, Tsunade-hime?”

“He doesn’t need it,” Tsunade says. “Kohari was in good standing. Her son is acknowledged. But besides that, as far as I understand it, because the Hatake clan has fewer standing members, Iruka should actually be recognized as part of that clan, as he’s married to its clan head.”

Kakashi preens. Hatake Iruka does have a nice ring to it. Maybe he can get Iruka to formally change his name when he comes home…

“Barring titles and clan names,” Shikamaru says from the side, “Iruka-sensei is important to the village in other ways. He’s an incredible teacher, for one. But even more than that, he is important to Naruto.”

“Yes, who is also conveniently missing,” Mitokado says. “Can we assume that Umino took our jinchūriki as well as abandoning the village?”

“Say that aga—”

“Kakashi! Sit back!”

The sound of a fist hitting a jaw and bones crunching together startles everyone; Mitokado turns his head with the blow and cradles his mouth. In front of him, Shikamaru stands seething, his fist still in place from his punch.

“Shika—”

“Don’t. Ever. Imply that Iruka-sensei would kidnap Naruto,” Shikamaru whispers, deadly. “He wouldn’t abandon Konoha, and he wouldn’t take Naruto with him. If anyone is responsible for Naruto being the man he is today, it’s Iruka-sensei. He is vital to this village.”

The room is silent for a few breaths, until Kakashi reaches out and pushes Shikamaru aside gently. He glares at the councillors and says, “I’m going after him. I’d like to see either or both of you try and stop me. I leave Tsunade-sama in charge of the village in my place.”

He stands up and stalks out of the room. Just outside the door, Sable, Otter, Boar, and Tenzō in his Cat mask stand at attention. He nods to all of them, and says to Tenzō, “Be ready in ten minutes. I’ll meet you on the roof.”

The ANBU scatter silently.

It takes three days of hard running to get to Uzushio, with Naruto getting help from Kurama and Iruka tapping into the power of Freol. Iruka is surprised that he’s able to keep up with Naruto in his Nine-Tail’s Cloak, and also that neither of them get tired until sunset on the second day. They set up traps and barriers and agree to both sleep through the night, letting the traps do the work of being their watch—it’s not to mission standards, but Iruka wants to face the Altar fully rested.

They stop close to the outskirts of the ruins, and Naruto says, “Kurama says she’s close. Can you feel her?”

Iruka nods. The day is hot and there are few trees here for shade. The shimmer of heat in the distance, the beating of the sun on the top of his head; he can feel her around his neck like a noose, looking over his shoulder and urging him forward.

Relight the Altar

Give unto the world My mercy

He winces at Freol’s voice in his head. Naruto stiffens beside him, but doesn’t react otherwise.

“You can’t go any further,” Iruka says.

“What?”

“Do you see the shimmer in the air?” He points out over the ruins. “That’s her poison. The radiation that forces the Change.”

“Kurama—”

“Can’t protect you once I’m at the Altar, remember? If she gets too strong and Kurama can’t protect you, you could become Changed, just like I did. We can’t risk that.”

Naruto crosses his arms. “I don’t like it.”

“We’ll all be okay,” Iruka says, putting his hand on Naruto’s shoulder. He smiles weakly. “I’ll be okay.”

Then he stands up and takes off toward the cave he knows is in the distance, where Freol’s Altar is calling him. He stays out of the ruins of the village proper, where the radiation has settled thick and cloying.

Be not afraid

You are already Changed

And can not Change again

Iruka still keeps his distance, feeling the warmth of Freol breathing down the back of his neck as he approaches the cave from the north. He’s not afraid of further Change; he’s afraid of losing control of himself, like he had back when the Change first settled.

Of all things, he must remain in control.

He stops at the top of a cliff overlooking what once was Uzushio, and beyond it, the bay the village is settled on. His father and Naruto’s mother both came from here; Kushina-san as a jinchūriki, but his father as a refugee. Iruka sometimes wonders what his life could have been like, had his parents stayed here to raise him…

But no.

His mother was Senju. Once the razing of Uzushio began, she would have taken her family and returned to Konoha. Iruka smiles; he might have the blood of Uzushio, but he was always meant to be a Konoha shinobi.

He climbs down the cliffside to the cavern, the same one he, Izumo, and Kotetsu had stopped at so many months ago. There are carvings etched into the rock around the entrance, easier to spot now in the daylight. The same markings are scarred into Iruka’s back, put there by Freol and infected with her essence and power. He almost hadn’t survived.

Mercy is Found Only in Shadow

He’ll never forget it. He literally can’t. The words are carved into his skin—nevermind that they’re in some ancient dialect, because Iruka can read it now. He only hopes that this time, passing underneath the archway doesn’t open him to Freol even further than he already is. Or that he can cross the threshold without being marked; that would be nice. Iruka takes a deep, steadying breath, and steps into the dark.

No pain, no cuts.

Iruka sighs heavily and continues further into the cave, keeping one hand on the wall to keep himself from tripping too much as it gets darker. Before the light from the entrance disappears entirely, Iruka slips a small storage scroll from a pouch on his vest and releases the seal on a palm-sized flashlight. The bulb flickers when he turns it on, likely affected by the proximity to Freol. He just hopes it holds out until he reaches the Altar.

He follows the compulsion, down and down, deeper under the earth, until the cave opens up into a large room with intricately carved columns, broken, rotted crates along the walls, and a large stone slab raised on a dais, complete with its own inscription. Iruka steps closer and flicks his flashlight over the inscription to read:

Here is Fire; Here is Change

Here is the Altar; Here is the Spark

Set the Seal and Light the way

That Her Breath may Come through The Door

To Curse, To End, To Change

Mercy is Found Only in Shadow

Iruka tucks the flashlight into his elbow and begins forming seals for a mokuton jutsu. With it, he builds a stack upon the Altar, kindling and a few pieces of fuel logs included. Once all the wood is there, he sets the flashlight aside and arranges the kindling and fuel into a criss-cross build, and then…

Then he hesitates. He could still destroy the Altar now, and rid himself of Freol for good. Or at least, that’s the theory that he and Kurama are going on based on the scrolls and information they have. If he lights the Altar and calls Freol back, though, there’s a good chance he’ll never be rid of her and that he’ll have created a serious problem for the entire world; however, he needs answers. And ultimately, he wants to try to make peace with her.

If Naruto can tame Kurama, surely Iruka can make a pact with Freol.

He forms the tiger hand seal and blows a small katon into the pile of wood to catch the kindling.

And once the fire is blazing hot, he can feel her sliding over his skin, burning him to the blood and heating him through. He hears the hiss of blades on a whetstone as Freol rejoices upon her Altar. His eyes dry out and his tongue turns to lead in his mouth while he tries to focus on her form. She is the feeling of standing in front of a raging fire. Of sticking your hand into a smith’s blazing forge. She looks like how it feels to break, to melt, to be unwound and changed and reformed. She is the screams of a thousand soldiers in battle, the tears of a small child left alone in a destroyed village, the heart-wrenching cries of a mother at her children’s grave.

She is Fire. She is Change. She is War.

“Hello, my Spark,” she says.

This is Freol.

And Iruka realizes that he’s overestimated himself. He is fucked.

Kakashi isn’t surprised to see Naruto standing outside the ruins of Uzushio when he and the ANBU squad finally catch up. The sun is just beginning its descent over the treeline behind them, their shadows long and dark. Naruto grins, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Hi, Kakashi-sensei.”

“Where’s Iruka?”

Naruto motions over his shoulder, into the ruins. “Probably talking with Freol already. He’s been gone for hours.”

“You let him go alone?!”

His grin falls and his face darkens. Kakashi instantly feels guilty for snapping. “He and Kurama both said that Kurama can’t protect me from her, not once the Altar is lit.”

“That’s what he’s doing? He’s going to… what does that mean?”

“She wants him to revive her. To light a fire on her altar as like, an offering or something.”

“Again, I ask: you let him go alone??”

“She can’t change him again! He’s… he’s safe from her. Kind of. But we’re—we’ve gotta stay back.” Naruto takes a defensive stance. “I’ll fight all of you to keep you from going after him.”

“Naruto.”

“He specifically wanted you, Kakashi-sensei, to stay home,” Naruto grits. “You weren’t supposed to come. If Freol finds out about your connection to Iru-nii, she’ll use you against him. She’s already used me against him.”

A chill races down Kakashi’s spine. The ANBU at his back all tense as well. “What do you mean?”

“She knows I’m important to him,” Naruto murmurs. “He didn’t want to tell me what she said. But Kurama heard it, and told me instead. She calls him her ‘Spark’, the one who will ‘rebuild her inferno’. She kept telling him to come to her, over and over again until finally he just snapped at her saying like, what if I don’t. And she,” Naruto snarls, fists shaking at his side, “she said ‘If you will not come, the Inferno will rage within; and you will be the Spark that burns everything you love. And the first sacrifice upon my new Altar will be’—” Naruto stops, looks away.

Kakashi finishes for him, “You.”

Naruto nods. “I had been sitting next to him at the time, while he was in the trance. She knew.” He gestures wildly, continuing loudly, “You can’t go after him. The only reason Iru-nii is able to work around the threat she’s made on me is because of Kurama. You don’t have that kind of protection! If Freol figures out how important you are to Iru-nii, she’ll use you as leverage and-and—if Kurama can’t even stand up to her if she’s at her full strength—”

“I understand,” Kakashi holds up a hand to stop Naruto’s tirade. He sighs. “I don’t like it by any means. And the second it feels like something has changed, we’re moving in regardless. But for now, we’ll stay back, okay?”

He gets a wide grin in response.

And then the earth shifts and rocks beneath their feet and in the distance, hundreds of trees begin to sprout all at once out of the ruins. Everyone gathers at the edge of the treeline and watches a new forest grow from nothing, and Kakashi asks, “Cat? Did you teach this to him?”

“No, Rokudaime-sama. We never covered this. I determined it to be too advanced for his chakra levels.”

“Then what the fuck is going on?!”

“The radiation is disappearing!” Naruto points out. “Look, see! The shimmer in the air? The more the trees grow, the less there’s a shimmer. And Kurama says he can’t sense Freol anymore!”

The squad follows Kakashi into the ruins, and Naruto catches up quickly to run alongside him and leads the way. Kakashi had planned on just following his gut; following Naruto, who has been to Freol’s cave once before, is a much better idea.

“Iruka,” he says, introducing himself.

“You are my Spark,” Freol says. “You need no other title.”

“I’d prefer if you’d just call me by my name.”

She continues as though he hadn’t spoken. “Now that my Altar is lit, the Door is open and I can breathe into this plane. Tell me, have you brought kindling for the Inferno?”

Iruka glowers. “About that. You can’t honestly think that threatening me is the way to get what you want all the time?! I’m not going to become this Inferno, or whatever. I’ve sparked your Altar, haven’t I?”

“You stand before me with no kindling?”

The fire rages higher and hotter, and Iruka resists the urge to cover his eyes. “I’m here to talk to you! I want to propose a truce.”

“You call upon My Power. You accept My Blessing. You have come and relit the blaze, that My Curse will be released upon the world; and yet you dare to presume I would humor a truce? You have taken and taken and taken from Me, but what shall you give back? What do you have to give that I could care to want?”

Iruka takes a second to breathe—the heat in the cavern makes it hard to take a deep breath. It’s so dry. His throat scratches against itself. “What—What do you want?” As soon as the words leave his lips, though, he realizes that whatever she says in response, whatever it is she wants as part of this truce… She’s going to ask for too much, for something he will be unable to give.

“You will give unto Me yourself, that you will use My Blessing and My Power to bring Change to others in My Name. You will build Me an army, and with it you will set the world ablaze. The world will burn and be consumed upon My Altar and with each sacrifice I will grow ever stronger. As My Spark, you too will grow strong. You will be My General, and will command this world in My Name. This is what you will do. I seek no truce. Place upon the Altar your Seal, your essence, and give yourself fully to Me.”

He drops his shoulders, his head, closes his eyes. He had hoped, so dearly, that he could make a bond with Freol similar to the one Naruto has with Kurama. But it seems… it seems she can’t be reasoned with. He steps forward to the Altar, wincing as the flames reach out and lick at his skin and sear his clothing. He won’t make it out of this cavern without serious burns.

Iruka shifts through hand seals, and then punches out at the slab of rock with an arm which quickly transforms into a tree, then into multiple branches. The slab cracks, and the fire slides to the side. He pushes further, finding a crack in the slab and worming a branch into it. He forces the growth until finally the Altar’s slab splits in two, and the fire falls down into the breach.

“How dare you! Rebuild the Altar! My Inferno will ruin you and all that you are!”

“I think. You are nothing without this hunk of rock tethering you to the world,” Iruka smirks, stepping back from the flames. He molds his chakra and forms roots to grow up and around the Altar. “This world is safe from you, so long as you can’t reach through your ‘door’, is that right?”

“You were supposed to be My revival! My Spark!”

“Sorry to disappoint.” The slab breaks further into pieces.

“You will be weak without My Power! Rebuild the Altar and you will have all the Power you could ever want!”

Iruka shakes his head. “I don’t want power,” he says. “I just want my life back. The life you took from me the moment you marked me for the Change.”

“My Inferno will rage! I will burn all you love—”

“Good luck doing that from whatever hell goddesses go to.”

The roots climb and wrap and break and soon the altar and the dais both are shattered into pieces. The fire is smothered to coals. And Freol—the overbearing presence of fire and change and war is gone. Iruka leans over and presses his hands to his knees and pants heavily.

The hair-raising static of radiation is still thick in the air.

He turns his palms over in his lap and stares at them in the low light the dying coals provide.

“Shodaime-sama,” he mutters, “if you really are my ancestor. Please. Guide me.”

The World of Trees is something he’s only read about in history books. He probably doesn’t have the chakra to do it. But how else is he supposed to get rid of the radiation? He converts his chakra into wood; wood is a source of life; the wood will absorb the radiation… right?

Iruka kneels on the rocky ground and makes his hand seals. Then he guides his chakra outwards, slowly and evenly, to feel each individual tree he plans on sprouting all over what had been Freol’s territory, what had become Uzushio. It takes time, and strength he can barely muster, but soon enough he feels the trees outside reaching the age they need to be. He releases his hands and drops his arms to the side.

There’s an echo of footsteps in the cavern and Iruka sighs as he falls to the side.

He doesn’t hit the ground.

Kakashi slides in as Iruka lists to the right, catching him around the shoulders and cradling his head in his arms. Iruka looks up at him with half-lidded eyes and smiles, exhausted. “Kakashi,” he murmurs softly, and then passes out.

He turns and snarls, “Otter!”

“On it!”

They’re beside him in a flicker, hands hovering over Iruka’s chest alight in healing jutsu. The rest of the squad, plus Naruto, surround them facing outward to the room; everyone’s on alert, regardless of Naruto saying that Kurama can’t sense Freol, whatever that means.

Kakashi keeps his eyes on Iruka’s lax face. There’s one red, shiny burn on his cheek, which he so very much wants to soothe but he knows that Otter will have an easier time healing injuries that haven’t been touched. He will give Iruka the best chance he can.

“The altar is broken,” Naruto draws his attention to the dais at the end of the cavern. Well, what had once been a dais and the altar—now a mess of shattered stone and overgrown roots. Kakashi smiles despite the situation. Iruka did that, he must have. That’s what he came to do, Kakashi realizes. He came to destroy Freol.

This stupid man. Gods, he loves him so fucking much.

He just wishes Iruka would have talked to him.

“Rokudaime?”

“Go.”

Otter nods, still healing. “He’s chakra exhausted, and has moderate burns on sixty-percent of his body. The burns will be healed momentarily; the exhaustion will require proper rest and recuperation, but he can be moved once the burns are dealt with.”

“He was burned under his clothes?”

They nod again. “His pain receptors are reacting to the mystical palm jutsu as such. I don’t want to speculate.”

“Speculate anyway.”

Otter says, “From what we know of Freol, they’re likely radiation burns. His clothes will have to be removed and destroyed to prevent further infection. And I’ll have to check everyone else here after I’m done with Iruka-sensei.”

Kakashi sighs. “Naruto—”

Naruto says quickly, “His spare uniform should be in its normal spot in his vest.”

Boar stays at his and Otter’s side, but Cat, Sable, and Naruto spread out and explore the cavern while Iruka is being healed. Kakashi plays with Iruka’s hair carefully and watches his breath draw in and out of slightly parted lips. Out of respect for Iruka’s distaste for kissing in front of the ANBU he doesn’t, but gods—for one terrible, horrible moment when he watched Iruka fall, he thought he’d never get to kiss Iruka again.

But he’s alive. And he’ll live.

Iruka moans at the feeling of hot water streaming down his body. He missed warm showers in the morning, and also getting to sleep past sunrise. He’s not sure what his plan would have been if Freol had still been in his head when the colder winter months caught up with Konoha. The mist of the warm water in the bathroom clouds around him and he doesn’t fear the shimmer of Freol out of the corner of his eye.

She’s gone, her influence is gone, and she can’t come back. He made sure of that. Naruto had taken pieces of the altar and scattered them across the world, so even if someone were to try, there’s a fairly good chance that it’ll never be put back together again. One large piece, containing much of the inscription from the slab, is actually sealed away in a scroll—Naruto brought this one to Mount Myōboku, apparently.

Iruka’s blissfully alone in his head again.

Three soft knocks on the door—Iruka smiles and says, “Come in.” And a minute later the shower door is slid aside and the mist escapes while Kakashi steps in to stand behind him, wrapping his arms around Iruka’s chest and pressing kisses to his shoulders. Kakashi is sleep-warm against his back, warmer than the water spraying onto his chest.

“I missed you,” Kakashi murmurs.

“I’ve only been in the shower for ten minutes,” Iruka laughs. Kakashi pulls his wet hair aside and kisses his neck, licking up warm water.

“You know what I mean.”

And he does. He knows he was distant while he was dealing with Freol. And he’s apologized; but that doesn’t change Kakashi’s previous feelings of abandonment.

He changes the subject. “There’s still a bit of hot water, if you want a shower.”

“Hmm. Just want you.”

“You’ve got me,” Iruka says. “Always.”

Kakashi’s hand slides lower on his body.

“Want it here?” Kakashi asks, “Or in the bedroom?”

“Bedroom, please, Rokudaime-sama.”

Kakashi reaches around him and turns off the water, and leads him away. They stop to towel off, but then Kakashi kisses him and mutters against his lips, “As you say, Hatake-san.”

#kakairu maze challenge 2021 #in pieces it is safe #hatake kakashi #umino iruka #kakairu #my writing

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ncityislove · 5 years

Text

In Bloom

➳Pairing: Playboy!Jaemin x Florist!reader

➳Genre: Fluff and angst, angst and fluff

➳Word Count: 9K

Requested? yep

A/N: I hate myself so much for posting this so late but I sold my laptop thinking I would be able to buy a new and guess what? LOL I still don’t have one :) I’m using this old broken one my dad has and hopefully it wont die on me while I’m writing this. Good news is while I’ve been saving for a new laptop I’ve been writing on my phone so I have some other goodies ready and qeued to go!

"Oh, please," Xiaojun said, shuffling around on the other line.

You winced at the loud bang blaring from the speaker, throwing your arm out so that the phone was a safe distance from your ear. Xiaojun was doing laundry which was a rare activity to find him doing.

Normally you washed all the clothes to prevent any...mishaps. Xiaojun had a bit of a rough time when it came to simple house chores, as his mom always took care of that for him. You tried to teach him on several occasions but somehow the loads always mysteriously came out shrunken or pink when they hadn't gone in that way.

You pressed the phone back to your ear at the same moment he turned on the dryer, a beeping noise nearly causing you to go deaf. He cursed, apologizing.

"You've got to have more confidence than that....be a man!"

You frowned at this, slowing your pace when you realized you were nearing your destination, a feeling of unease washing over you. "I can't help it," you whined. "It's my first day."

Xiaojun sighed. "You already made it through the interview, y/n. You got the job...so what is there to be nervous about?"

Your stomach gurgled as the most embarrassing scenarios run through your mind. Shaking the owner's hand with sweaty palms, smiling at the customers with food stuck in your teeth, giving people the wrong change, trying to push the door open when it was the pulling kind. You clenched the bottom of your tee, wrinkling your freshly ironed shirt.

"Ugh, I think I'm gonna sick," you grumbled.

"Hey, shouldn't you be there by now?" you could tell by the tone of his voice his cheeks were lifted in that teasing smile.

You pressed your lips together, letting out a breath before finally ending the call. You could do this, right? This wasn't your first job--what was there to be nervous about? You trekked down the littered sidewalk taking deep breaths to calm your nerves. It didn't work.

The green neon sign hanging above the door signified your arrival and you gulped.

N BLOOM

You let out a shaky breath as you craned your neck up at the sign, reaching for the door handle. A chime went off as you pulled the door open and you stepped in, glancing around, relieved no one was in sight. You checked your teeth in the camera of your phone before maneuvering through the narrow path full of greenery. The entrance was full of all the typical houseplants: jade plants, sword ferns, spider plants, rubber figs, etc. After passing through there, the path widened, exposing the coffee-colored tiles. Your eyes analyzed the brightly colored flowers in your passing, noting the Peonies needed to be watered as the soil looked just as shriveled up as the plant itself.

You waited at the register, unsure if you should go into the back room. Of course, you'd been there for the interview but it still seemed a bit impolite. You could hear a voice nearing you, talking to someone—on the phone maybe?—whoever it was they were coming out and your stomach began to flip again.

The owner, Taeil, emerged with an ancient-looking house phone. His hair was messy as if he had run his hand through it several times and his lips were turned downwards in a frown. His dark eyes met yours briefly, a smile flickering across his face, waving for you to follow him behind the counter.

"I know they aren't in season yet, but I'm just letting you know what I want ahead of time so that...no...no. Yes, I'm aware—I'm not an idiot." Taeil handed you an apron, trapping his phone in between his shoulder and cheek as he helped you put it on.

"I'm just asking for the seeds it's not like I'm asking you to plant them for me," Taeil said, his voice sounding bitter. He gently tied the strings behind your back and lifted his hand towards the hall mirror.

"Take a look," he said before turning and murmuring something you didn't catch into the phone. You took the short walk to the hallway to see an out-of-place floor length mirror. This wasn't so bad, right? Taeil seemed nice—when you weren't pissing him off, that is—and the apron was actually kind of cute. It was striped and crossed at the back, resting just above your knees. It wasn't anything like the filthy, plain black one Taeil was sporting.

When you returned, Taeil had ended his phone call and was digging through a drawer. You stood idly behind him as he pulled out a name tag and handed it to you.

"Y/n!!" he exclaimed, making you jump. "Sorry I didn't get to welcome you properly but I'd be glad to give you a tour of the place."

You nodded eagerly and followed Taeil around the small shop as he explained where everything was and the functions of the tools. Thankfully, it was pretty easy to grasp since you had experience with gardening.

Both of your parents were botanists and their love of plants was passed down to you. Although they were retired now, they continued to study through their own garden in their backyard. You had memories of being in that garden since you could crawl and you often found yourself spending most of your time there. It was something about the fresh air and the serene and pure beauty of the plants that made you feel at peace.

After the short tour, you sat at the counter and filled out the last of your paperwork to finalize your new position. It was a relief none of the crazy things you imagined actually happened although there was a slim chance it would to begin with.

Taeil took the papers when you were done, beaming at you. "So what do you think so far? Do you think you can handle working here?"

"Mmm...I think so. I've always liked gardening so it feels like I'm just doing a hobby."

Taeil stacked the papers against the countertop. "Glad to hear it."

You nodded your head awkwardly, unsure of what to say next. Taeil maneuvered around you to squat down and put the papers in a filing cabinet. "So," he said grunting as he stood back up. "Let me brief you on the customers while no one's here yet."

"Okay," you agreed, sitting in the nearby wooden chair when Taeil sat on the stool next to you.

"The store isn't ever crowded really, but we do have some regulars who I think it's really important to know of. Like Ms. Lee, for example," he clasped his hands together. "Ms. Lee has been coming here for years, twice a month for fresh flowers. Mostly daisies but sometimes she'll pick up a fern from time to time."

You nodded, encouraging him to go on.

"Oh! How could I forget? My best customer! He used to come every two weeks or so but now he visits almost twice a week."

Your eyebrows raised on their own accord and you couldn't hide the shock on your face even if you wanted to. Twice a week? What would a person do with THAT many flowers? Did he work for a funeral home or something?

Taeil chuckled at your expression. "Pretty crazy, right? His name's Jaemin. Pretty nice guy, cute as a button but I wouldn't trust the guy with my life."

You cocked your head to one side. "What do you mean by that?"

"Ah," he said, suddenly serious. "He's a pretty sneaky guy, I'd say. If I were you, I wouldn't get too close to Jaemin. He's flirted with all my past female employees."

Your face contorted into a look of displeasure. "I don't think you have anything to worry about. I can't stand men like that."

Taeil looked content with your response but still unsure.

"Trust me," you assured him. "I don't fall for those type of guys."

"Well, you haven't met Jaemin," Taeil said just as his pocket pinged. He slid his phone out, glancing at the screen before scowling. He gave you an apologetic smile before excusing himself to the back to make a phone call.

You got to your feet, using the spare time to check out the cash register. Taeil hadn't taught you how to use it yet and you didn't want to look like a complete idiot when he decided to. It wasn't long before the bell above the door jingled, alerting you of a new customer. Your heart dropped when you realized Taeil hadn't returned and you still didn't know how to do anything.

"Yeah, about that," said the customer. "How about you skip the party to hang out with me?" You could see the customer walk further into the store but the leaves of the ferns blocked everything but the top of his head.

"I've got a gift for you," he said pausing at the roses. You caught a glimpse of his face through the thick of the orchids but couldn't quite make out his features.

"Great. I'll text you, okay?" he said, ending the call. "Yo, Taeil!" he called out peering around the flowers.

You ducked behind the counter praying he didn't see you. Your heart thudded in your chest as you wondered why the hell you were hiding from a customer in the first place.

"Taeil, 're you there?" he asked wondering towards the front. You decided it would be better to show yourself now before he makes it to the register and finds you curled up behind the stool. You sprung up just as he reached the counter.

"Can I help you?" you said giving him a practiced smile.

The man seemed taken aback by your sudden presence before he responded. "Oh," he scratched his head. "I thought no one was here. I was calling..."

"Sorry, I didn't notice before, I was....tying my shoe," you said mumbling the last bit. Your face started to heat up at how dumb you sounded. It was your first customer and you were already screwing it up.

"I didn't know Taeil hired a new employee. I'm Jaemin, by the way," he said holding his hand out.

You shook it, retracting yours quickly when he held on a little too long.

So this was Jaemin. You didn't think you'd meet him so soon. Taeil wasn't wrong when he said he was handsome. In fact, he was a little too handsome. His hair was a pretty golden brown—almost blond—and his thick eyelashes kissed the tops of his cheeks when he looked down. It was almost unfair how sculpted his face was. You shook your head when you realized you were checking him out; you couldn't let yourself get carried away, remembering Taeil's warning.

"Nice to meet you," you said walking around the counter. "Did you want to purchase some flowers?"

"Ah, yes. Six black roses, please."

You nodded, grabbing a pair of scissors lying around and followed Jaemin to the roses. It was when you actually reached them that you realized you didn't know how to cut them. You had your own way of cutting flowers but what if Taeil liked to cut them a specific way? Maybe there was a proper way of cutting them you didn't know about?

"Is there something wrong?" Jaemin asked from behind you.

You opened your mouth to respond before the sound of a door opening and closing interrupted you.

"Back again so soon?"Taeil's voice boomed across the room.

Jaemin leaned against the table supporting the flowers and it wobbled, nearly giving you a heart attack.

"I got worried you'd miss me too much so I stopped by."

Taeil scoffed as he made his way over to you and Jaemin. "As if. You seem to be quite the fan of black roses lately. Who're they for this time?"

Jaemin's eyes looked panicked as he looked at you then back to the roses. "For me, of course."

Taeil squinted at him before he hummed, motioning for you to hand him the scissors.

"Six please," Jaemin chirped.

Taeil nodded, explaining to you what he was doing as he snipped the stems diagonally with attentiveness. The three of you walked to the register and Jaemin knelt over the marble counter to watch Taeil wrap the plastic and tie it around the stems.

"This is my favorite part," he said smiling at you.

You let out a small "oh" and moved to the opposite of Taeil to put some distance between the two of you. You listened carefully as he explained how to work the register and watched as you sold Jaemin the roses.

"Wow, you picked that up quickly. Much faster than my past employees," Taeil said patting your shoulder.

You blushed at his compliment, thanking him. You wondered how he'd react if you told him you secretly got a head start while he was gone.

Taeil's phone began to ring and he rolled his eyes, stepping a few feet back to answer the call.

"What?" he hissed through his teeth, waving Jaemin goodbye.

Jaemin waved back, exposing a smile that was so perfect, you began to doubt if he was human. Surely no one could be that pretty. He was definitely a robot.

"I never got your name?"

You pointed to your name tag. "Y/n."

Jaemin's eyes followed your fingers. "Miss Y/N, how would you like to go out to dinner with me tonight? We can go to my favorite restaurant down the street."

You fought the urge to roll your eyes.

"I thought you had plans though?" you said folding your arms across your chest. "Don't you have a gift to deliver to a certain someone?"

Jaemin merely smiled at you, his eyes holding a playful glint. "Not if you don't want me to, I don't."

"Have a great day, sir," you said, pushing past him to tend to the Peonies. "I hope she enjoys the roses!"

"I hope so too," he said gathering his wallet and the bouquet. "See ya, Taeil."

Taeil glowered at him as he pressed glowing red 'end call' button. Jaemin exited the store with a skip in his walk and Taeil gave you a knowing look.

"That boy sure is something."

"He sure is," you agreed.

The sloshing sounds of water filled the room as you tipped the watering can. "What on Earth does he do with all those flowers?"

"He buys them for all his flings," Taeil said, patting down the soil of a few plants.

Your lips curved downwards. It was guys like him that you made you want to stay single forever.

The door chimed again as another customer walked in.

"Welcome!" Taeil cheerfully exclaimed, greeting the customer.

The next time you saw Jaemin it was a week later and you were in the middle of planting more roses. (Apparently, there was always a shortage of those. Go figure...) The moment Jaemin came in, he set is path straight for you and you inwardly groaned.

"Hey, y/n. Wonderful day today, isn't it?" he said, shoving his hands in the front of his baggy hoody.

"Not really. My allergies are kicking my butt," you said, sniffing.

"Doesn't help much to be working in here, huh?" he asked.

"I guess not but I need the money. Speaking of money, how can I help you today?" The transition wasn't as smooth as you hoped but you wanted to get him out of the store as soon as possible.

The longer you were around him the more you could feel yourself slowly getting sucked into his escapade. When he wasn't being a flirty douche bag, he wasn't all that awful from what you could tell but the problem was that he was almost always being a flirty douche bag. A jerk who uses the same cheap tactics to get any girl dumb enough to bend over backwards for him at the snap of his fingers.

"Maybe you can help me," Jaemin mused. "What's your favorite flower?"

"Going on another date, huh? I'm guessing she liked the black roses."

"Maybe," Jaemin smirked.

You paused, taking off your gloves. "Well, if I had to choose just one, I'd probably pick Middlemist's Reds. Although they're very rare so they're pretty hard to get a hold of."

"Never heard of them," Jaemin said, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Of course you haven't."

Jaemin froze, opening his mouth to say something but must've changed his mind. "Well, anyhow, I'll just take some roses." Jaemin pointed his thumb in the direction behind him. "The pink ones."

You sold Jaemin the roses and he left waving a hand at you with that perfect smile plastered on his face. Maybe he was an alien.

You let out a sigh of relief just as Taeil waltzed out of his office with the brightest smile you've seen since you've met him.

"What's going on?" You asked, his smile contagious as a small one spread across your own lips.

"You know the ramen place across the street?"

You nodded. You ate there once before when you first moved into your apartment but hadn't been back since.

"I've finally eaten there enough times to get five free meals!"

"Oh, wow, five free meals," you teased.

"Laugh all you want, y/n, but you didn't win a free meal, did you?"

You rolled your eyes playfully. "No, I did not."

"Exactly," he said, looking smug. "Let's walk over there after your shift for lunch. My treat."

"That's really nice of you, Taeil, but I promised my roommate I'd have lunch with him."

"Perfect! He can come along too."

"Really? I don't want you to waste your coupons," you replied, sitting on the small stool.

"Yeah, we can just get the king size bowl as one meal. It takes three people to finish those anyway," Taeil said waving a hand passively.

"Okay then! I'll text him right now," you grinned, pulling your phone out of your back pocket.

When you and Taeil arrived, Xiaojun was already sitting in a booth with an oversized menu up to his nose.

"Oh, no, Jun, when'd you get here?" you asked plopping down on the plush cushions.

"About a minute ago. I just wanted it to look like I'd been waiting a long time," he said placing the menu flat on the table.

You made a face, scooting down to give Taeil enough room to sit.

"You must be Taeil," he said, reaching out for his hand and shaking it.

"Nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about your laundry issues," he teased.

Xiaojun laughed, kicking your shin under the table. You hissed, snatching the menu from him.

A silence fell over the three of you as you each examined the menu. The waiter came by with a pen and a notepad, jotting down your desired drinks and sauntered off to the kitchen. After your drinks arrived you all decided to just order spicy beef flavored ramen.

"Ah," Xiaojun hummed, running a hand through his dark hair. "Free food is the best food."

"This is true," Taeil said pointing his chopsticks at him.

"How many times did you have to eat here to get the coupon anyways?" you asked, taking a sip from your drink.

"Forty-two."

Xiaojun's hand flew to his mouth as a shocked laugh came out.

"Unbelievable," you gasped.

"What? I like a challenge."

You and Xiaojun exchanged looks before bursting into laughter.

"Isn't that a little extreme?" Xiaojun laughed.

Taeil grinned. "Maybe. They probably thought no one would bother to do it but I never give up the opportunity to eat free food."

"Good to know," you chortled as your food arrived.

Another silence fell over you as you ate and you were the first one to speak.

"So, what's Jaemin's deal?"

"Who's that?" Xiaojun asked.

Taeil shook his head. "A customer of mine who buys flowers twice a week for girls."

"So he's a player?"

Taeil nodded grimly, his cheeks bulging with a mouthful of noodles. "He started coming around when school started up and hasn't stopped coming since."

"What a tool," you scowled.

"Don't get me wrong, he's not all that bad. Pretty sweet kid, if you ask me but I would never introduce him to my daughter."

"You have a daughter?" you and Xiaojun asked in unison.

Taeil looked at the two of you in confusion. "Of course not, it's just an expression."

"No, it's not..." you said fighting back a smile.

"Really? I could've sworn it was," Taeil said, a hand lifting to stroke his chin. "The point is, he'd almost be half-decent if he at least bought different gifts for them. It's always roses."

You began to get ticked off the more you discussed the boy. Jaemin was playing with other girls hearts like it was a game and you couldn't stand it. You knew the pain of falling for a guy who didn't actually like you back all too well. Too many times to count, you were confined to the walls of your room, crying your high school days away after some immature kid broke your heart.

"I don't understand how he gets away with it. I mean, just how many girls has he done that to?"

Taeil paused to think. "Dear god...who knows? And the worst part is, it's not even a sex thing with him. He makes them fall in love with him then dumps them for the next girl waiting for their heart to be broken."

"Sounds like a grade A ass hole," Xiaojun scowled at his bowl. "How does he live with himself knowing how many girls he's broken—probably torn them to shreds single-handedly. That kind of heartache lingers for months."

You and Taeil agreed solemnly before changing the subject to lighter topics. You and Xiaojun ended up playing a game of "who can drink their water through a straw the fastest" and of course you won, as you did every time. It wasn't that you were particularly good at it, it was that Xiaojun lost every game he played. Taeil, amused by your game, challenged you and beat you by a landslide. Xiaojun was happy about this, slapping his knee in an over-the-top fake laugh.

"Ha! You lost, you loser!" he said, high-fiving Taeil.

You just shook your head, chewing on a piece of ice.

"Look at her. She's such a sore loser," Xiaojun whispered loud enough for you to hear.

Taeil snickered and you rolled your eyes.

"Do you wanna go again then? Because I remember winning against you so who's really the loser here?"

Xiaojun clutched onto Taeil. "Help, she's attacking me."

You gawked at him as the two of them began to snicker again.

The rest of your meal was filled with laughter and jokes thrown at Jaemin here and there. You and Xiaojun thanked Taeil for the meal and he invited Xiaojun out to a bar he goes to every Saturday with his friend, Lucas—some kind of guys night they have or something like that. Taeil was becoming more of a friend to you than he was your boss and you were grateful to be working for someone so friendly and caring. You also were glad your best friend and your manager got along so well because Xiaojun needed to get of the house more than he did.

You bid each other your farewells and headed home, Taeil returning to the shop to open it back up, as he closed it temporarily to go eat with you. You and Xiaojun played a few board games in the dining area before you each retired to your rooms to wash up. You dozed off as soon as your face met your pillow, tired from waking up so early from your morning classes, the world around you fading to blackness. --

The radio softly played an indie song of some no-name band as you typed up your thesis. Summer was coming soon and that meant the end of the semester was approaching. That also meant finals were near, so you started to bring your laptop to work to finish everything. You even had Taeil proofread your work and give you feedback just to have another set of eyes look over it after you did a jillion times.

You were in the midst of wrapping up the conclusion when the telltale jingle of the door sounded.

"Welco—oh it's just you."

You looked up from your laptop to see Jaemin (surprise, surprise) approaching you with a sideways grin and an unhappy Taeil.

"Good afternoon, Miss y/n," he said, propping his elbows on the counter.

"Wow, it's only been three days and your back already?"

"Unfortunately," Taeil muttered underneath his breath.

Jaemin threw daggers at Taeil with his eyes. "I just," he said, looking back at you. "really, really like flowers."

You rolled your eyes, beginning to type again. "Okay."

Jaemin frowned. "What's that look for?"

"Hmm? What look?"

"Your eyes. You rolled them at me," he said.

You looked briefly at him before your eyes flickered back to the screen. "Did I?"

"Yes, you did. And what are you typing anyway?" he said hauling his body over the countertop to peek at the screen.

You slapped the laptop shut, placing your hands on your hips. "Did you come here to buy something or just to annoy me?"

"Jeez, 'you in a mood or something?" he said standing up properly.

"I have an essay due tomorrow and you're preventing me from finishing it."

"Essay?" he said giggling. "How long ago was it assigned? Sounds like you waited last minute to start if it's due tomorrow."

"That's none of your business," you glowered.

"I'm a customer, you know. You shouldn't talk to me that way," Jaemin said.

"I'm the one who gave her the permission to," Taeil said, wiping the dirt off of his hands on his apron.

"Taeil," you whined. "C'mon, why aren't you wearing your gloves? Your apron looks disgusting."

"I tried but it doesn't feel right with them on," he lifted his shoulders then dropped them.

You sighed, reopening your laptop.

"So, what the topic on?" Jaemin said, his chin in the palm of his hand.

You exhaled out of your nostrils when you realized he was still standing there. He was starting to really bug you now.

"Me. I have to write about the obstacles I've faced and how I accomplished my goals despite them."

Jaemin pursed his lips. "Huh."

You raised an eyebrow but didn't look up from the screen.

"Do you go to the community college on 3rd Street by chance?"

This caught your attention. "Yeah...how'd you know?"

My dorm mate has the same assignment." He said, his eyes narrowing at you. "He finished it like a month ago."

"Y/n!!" Taeil scolded, shaking his head.

Jaemin let out a boisterous laugh, bending over, a hand clutching his stomach. Taeil began to join in as you stood there with your mouth open.

"I-I had stuff to do—"

"HA! Like what?" Jaemin said slapping the counter.

"Okay fine, I waited until the last minute, okay?" You said, the corners of your lips turning downwards.

"Aw, don't get upset, I'm sorry," he chuckled.

You furrowed your eyebrows. "You're still laughing."

"Sorry, sorry!" he said, straightening his face. You could still hear Taeil snickering faintly.

"Wait a sec, are you saying we go to the same school?"

"Oh, god no. I just live there."

Your jaw dropped. "You what?"

"I know how it sounds but I wanted to move out of my parents' place and I'm not ready for another four years of school yet," he waved his hands around. "so I live on campus with my friend."

"Does the school know?" You said, your eyes nearly popping out of your head.

"Nope."

You gaped at him, Jaemin obviously loving your reaction as he smirked. He explained how he got into the situation, him being well known at college parties before he even graduated high school which led to him being a party promoter. He posted the location and time on his Instagram; people showed up and he got paid. When you told him you didn't like parties, he insisted you go to one that night with him and you declined immediately.

After a lot of begging, he finally dropped it but looked disappointed afterwards. You noticed how long you were talking and urged Jaemin to buy his usual roses and leave.

It was the next day that you realized it was a mistake to indulge in his shenanigans because there he was, waltzing into the store for more roses—although he seemed to be more interested in you than the flowers. Then he came the next day, and the day after that for three weeks straight, suddenly in need of more and more roses.

"What girl has you so whipped that you have to buy her roses every day?" You asked when Jaemin came in the third day that week.

"They're actually for my mom this time," Jaemin said, cheesing at you. "It's her birthday today."

You weren't sure if you believed him or not but told him to send her your birthday wishes regardless.

Whether you liked it or not, you were beginning to get used to his presence. He finally stopped trying to get you to date him all the time and treated you like an actual person. Taeil was the most surprised at his sudden change of behavior towards you, making overly dramatic shocked faces whenever Jaemin turned his back.

He asked you things no one ever cared to ask you before like questions about your family and your childhood out of genuine curiosity and the more you got to know him, the more your feelings towards him started to change. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

Eventually, Jaemin stopped buying roses altogether, only stopping by to chat with you and Taeil for a while then leave to go off someplace else. You were curious as to why he stopped buying flowers but didn't say anything, not wanting to pry. Maybe he finally decided to be in a serious relationship for once. Maybe he met the one girl who's heart he didn't want to break. Could he possibly be in love? You highly doubted that but it would explain his change in behavior. You decided not to give much thought to it considering he wasn't someone you wanted to waste time thinking about but he kept sneaking into your mind when you were least expecting him to. Like when you first woke up in the morning or when you were eating dinner, wondering if he was eating at the moment too.

Summer finally came and you managed to pass all your finals with flying colors thanks to the help Taeil and Xiaojun. With the semester finally over and done with, you felt as if the world was lifted off of your shoulders like you were finally able to breathe.

Although you weren't too happy about the weather. You had your hair tied in a sloppy ponytail to keep your hair from sticking to the back of your sweaty neck and of course, there was no air conditioning because you worked in a greenhouse. Taeil plugged up an old fan behind the counter for you but it hardly made a difference, nonetheless, that's where you stayed the majority of the day unless you absolutely had to move.

It was nearing the time Jaemin usually visited and you were beginning to wonder where he was. As if he knew you were thinking about him, your phone lit up with his name flashing across the screen.

Jaemin :3 [2:40] : @ starbucks Jaemin :3 [2:41] : want something?

You smiled at your phone, trying to remember all the cold drinks on the menu. You weren't really a coffee drinker so you normally only ever ordered hot chocolate but it was definitely too hot outside for that.

You [2:42]: any cold drink will do

You clicked your phone off, standing to stretch your legs. A blonde lady wearing an ugly pug t-shirt approached you, asking for a bouquet to pick up tomorrow. You wrote down all her information and got to work. You hardly ever arranged bouquets unless they were for the display outside, so you worked cautiously, mulling over where each flower would look best. Taeil would come back from his break soon and you wanted to show him how well you did.

A few minutes later, Jaemin arrived with your drink and a few cheese danishes. He was wearing a thin white button up with sleeves rolled up and a few buttons were undone, exposing his chest a little with a pair of ripped jeans. He looked good—not that you cared or anything.

"Hey," he said, his nose scrunching as he smiled.

"Hello there," you said, removing your gloves. Your eyes zeroed in on the drinks he was carrying. One was pitch black, the one next to it vibrant purple, and the last two were white with whipped cream.

"This one's yours," he said handing you the purple one.

"What is it?" you asked, examining it.

"Try it," Jaemin replied, sticking a straw in the black drink.

You sucked from the straw, bracing yourself for the strong coffee flavor to come but it never did. Instead, your taste buds were met with a deliciously sweet fruity flavor. You looked at the drink again to see chunks of a mysterious purple fruit sloshing around inside it.

"Do you like it?" Jaemin asked as he'd been watching your reaction the whole time.

"Yeah, actually. I'm surprised. What's the purple stuff?"

"It's dragonfruit. I know you don't care much for coffee and I didn't want to buy you something you wouldn't like so I got you a Mango Dragonfruit Refresher."

Your hands felt jittery all of sudden. You don't remember mentioning coffee to Jaemin and although he seemed to not only remember it but pick something out that he thought you liked. You looked down at your shoes to hide the pink tint in your cheeks.

"What'd you get then?" you asked.

"Americano. And the other two are for Taeil. He has a thing for Frappuccinos." he said, his mouth stuffed with his cheese danish.

"I'll never understand what the difference is between those drinks. Americano, Espresso, Frappuccino. They all sound the same to me," you said, shifting on your feet.

"Wanna try it then?" Jaemin reached his arm out, offering the beverage to you.

Your face flushed, knowing that you were about to use the same straw Jaemin did but pushed yourself forward to wrap your hands around the larger one holding the cup, taking a large gulp of it.

You swallowed the liquid with a shiver down your spine, gagging a little. "Jaemin, what the hell?? That tasted like ass!" you yelled, coughing.

Jaemin threw his head back in laughter, falling to the ground during your coughing fit.

"Who drinks black coffee?? Shouldn't you be a middle-aged YA writer or a college professor or something?" you shouted.

Jaemin laughed harder at this, holding on to your legs for support. You kicked him off of you, angrily shoving a danish in your mouth to rid your tongue of the nasty flavor.

"Unbelievable," you grumbled.

"I thought you knew!" he teetered.

"How?! How could I have known?" you perplexed, pieces of the danish flying out of your mouth.

He chuckled, getting to his feet. "Doesn't everyone know what black coffee looks like?"

"I guess not me," you pouted.

Jaemin made a sour face before his expression changed as a thought passed through his mind.

"Hang on, I forgot something in the car," he said, jogging out of the store.

You blinked, watching him run down the sidewalk until he was out of view. You put the cold drink to your forehead as Jaemin walked back inside a little out of breath with his hands behind his back.

"Sorry about that. Anyways, how's your day going so far?" he asked, his teeth showing from the big smile plastered on his face.

"It's a thousand degrees in here so it's been hell," you said eyeing him suspiciously. "Why are you smiling at me like that; you're scaring me."

Jaemin's grin dropped before it reappeared. "I don't know what you mean. I always smile like this," he said biting his lip in attempt to stop smiling. "Anywho, you got any big plans tonight?"

"Ha! I don't go out—you know that," you said, shoving his shoulder playfully. "The only plans I have is with Netflix and my bed."

Jaemin 'ah'ed, nodding in understanding before his sneaky smile returned. "I don't want to ruin your plans with Netflix but," Jaemin pulled a small bouquet of red poppies from behind his back. "I've got two tickets to a basketball game at seven and I'd be really happy if you came with me. What do 'ya say?"

"Absolutely not!" you declined, taken aback.

Jaemin lowered the flowers, crestfallen. "What? Why not?"

"Wh-why not??" you sputtered. "You really are as bad as everyone says! What?—was this your plan the whole time? To get close to me? To butter me up so I can fall in love with you so you can dump me like everyone else?"

Jaemin's eyebrows scrunched together. "No, no, God, no—that's not it at all. Why would you think that?"

You shook your head in disbelief. "I know everything, Jaemin. The games you play with girls. Getting them to fall for you just to break their hearts."

Jaemin's lips parted in realization. "No, it's not like that. You don't understand—"

"Save it Jaemin," you interrupted. "Taeil said you'd be like this but I didn't listen. I stood up for you! And now I know I was wrong..."

"Y/n, please...I thought...I thought you liked me."

Tears welled up in your eyes because you did. You did like him—no matter how hard you tried not to. No matter how much you tried to push him out of your head he ended up moving into your heart instead. You enjoyed his daily visits and you secretly liked it when he'd stay to watch you work, even if you didn't talk. You fell in love with his smile and the sound of his laughter over the months and when you realized it, it was too late.

"God, this is so fucked up," you whispered to yourself. "It's not that I don't like you, Jaemin—that's not the problem here. It's the fact that you knew I liked you but decided to ask me out the same way you asked out all those other girls! Well, sorry to break it to you, but I'm not like those girls. You can't woo me with the same tricks you've used on every other tramp in this shithole!"

Jaemin reached out to you and you jerked your body away from him.

"Please, if you'd let me explain—"

"I don't wanna hear whatever lame excuses you have, Jaemin! I thought you were different. I thought you changed," you said turning away from him. "Just...leave, Jaemin."

Jaemin stood there numbly for a moment, trying to wrap his head around what you just said. "Y/n.." he started, unsure of what to say.

"Please," you begged, your voice sounding strangled.

"I know you're not like those other girls, y/n and that's why I like you, okay? This isn't just a game to me—I'm serious about this—about you! You have to believe me."

You said nothing, as you kept your back turned, a silent tear escaping your eyes.

"Fine," Jaemin said, dropping the flowers to the ground as he stormed out of the store. You flinched when the door slammed behind him.

Your shaky hands gripped onto the counter as you broke down into tears, letting out a painful sob. Taeil ran out from his office when he heard your cry, rushing to console you.

It had been two weeks since the fight and you hadn't heard from Jaemin. No text, no call, nothing. It was hard to believe your friendship would end just like that. It was ridiculous, even, that he's ignored you for so long—as if friends didn't fight. But you couldn't be too mad at it him about it, considering you hadn't attempted to make the first move either. A part of you wished everything could go back to the way it was—back when Jaemin would come to the store and tell you lame jokes or poke fun at your expense but there was another part of you that wished you never met him at all because either way—whether he liked you or someone else—it would've ended the same, with your heart aching.

Although you weren't quite sure what it was your heart was aching for. You liked him a lot but you didn't necessarily want to date him. You were never to keen on the idea of being in a relationship—especially with someone like him and that was selfish and you knew it. You hated that you felt that way but you did. You wanted to trust him but how could you? With his reputation, would you ever be able to?

You were sitting at the ramen restaurant across the street with Lucas, Xiaojun, and Taeil, watching the noodles slide off your chopsticks as you picked it back up again. They were all indulged in an argument about something small and insignificant and you began to question why you even let Taeil drag you here. You could tell he felt bad about what happened between you and Jaemin but it's not like your entire world came crashing down. You only knew him for a few months; how attached could you have become? Yeah, that's right, you weren't attached. Only a careless idiot would become attached so quickly.

"He's the one who got attached!" you blurted out.

Everyone's eyes snapped towards you.

Xiaojun scrunched his nose. "Huh?"

"I know why you guys invited me out—and I really appreciate it—but I'm okay. Jaemin is the one you should be trying to cheer up," you explained.

Lucas leaned forward, furrowing his eyebrows. "Why would we do that? We hate him."

"I didn't mean literally....I'm just saying," you shrugged.

"And what is it exactly that you're saying?" Taeil asked, a small smile curving on his lips.

"I mean, he's the one who can't handle rejection. He basically threw a tantrum when I said no."

"He threw a tantrum?" Lucas questioned, looking between the three of you. "No one told me that part."

"Okay, I may have exaggerated a bit but my point still stands. He needs to get over that big ego of his. He needs to realize he can't have every girl he wants because frankly, he's not all that cute either," you finished, dusting the invisible dirt off of your tank.

Xiaojun and Taeil exchanged looks leaving you and Lucas confused.

"What? What is it?" you frowned.

"Well.." Taeil trailed off.

"Are you sure," Xiaojun started, "he can't get any girl he wants?"

"I'm positive," you said holding a hand up.

"You sure about being sure?" Taeil giggled.

"You seem pretty smitten to me," Xiaojun said, slurping the noodles from his bowl.

You face flushed red as you stuttered to defend yourself. "W-What?"

Lucas seemed to have finally connected the dots as he laughed wholeheartedly, clapping his hands. "Ohhh, you like him but you're pretending you don't!"

Your eyes nearly popped out of your head. "That's ridiculous! Of course not—"

"AHAHAHA!!" Lucas chuckled as he stood, chair scraping loudly against the floor.

Taeil and Xiaojun laughed at Lucas as you ducked your head in embarrassment. People looked over at your table in search of the loud commotion and you wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out.

"Yukhei, sit down!" Taeil laughed, fanning his hand at the chair.

"Yes! I love it! I love this!!" he exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air as he sat back down. "And you," he said pointing at you, "love Jaemin."

You patted your cheeks with your hands to calm the warmth underneath them as you began to question yourself. Who were you kidding? If you couldn't fool them then how could you fool yourself? You were in love with Jaemin.

The heaters Taeil brought in from the back room hummed blending into the radio. Your gloves gave your fingers a shield from the biting cold and you were grateful your job required you to wear them. You were arranging a bouquet of red poppies with Taeil for a wedding. The bride wanted 21 bouquets—1 for each table—which left you and Taeil very busy. Although you couldn't help but think about a certain someone while looking at them.

Four months. Four months had passed and you still thought of Jaemin every time you look at flowers and considering the store you worked at, that meant nearly every day. Roses especially were hard to look at and unfortunately for you, they were the most popular flower sold. To you though, they were overrated—lost its meaning of romance a long time ago.

Taeil finished his bouquet, wrapping it in plastic and a rubber band and you did the same.

Taeil glanced up at you. "You're quiet today. Are you alright? It's not too cold in here is it?"

"The temperature's fine. I'm just thinking, that's all."

He hummed setting the bouquet aside and hopping on the counter. "Listen, I have to leave early today so I need you to close the store by yourself tonight."

"By myself?" you repeated, wide-eyed. You never opened or closed the store on your own before.

"By yourself," Taeil said, chuckling.

"Is it that guy you're always angry with on the phone?" you asked, approaching him.

"You mean Lucas? No, I've got more important things to take care of."

"Lucas is the one who blows up your phone all the time??" you guffawed.

"Yep. He thinks he needs my advice on everything so he calls a billion times a day."

"Aw, that's sweet," you cooed.

"Isn't it?" he retorted, sarcastically. "Let me show you how to close the register and I'll be on my way. As for everything else, you've done it a million times—you know the drill."

You nodded walking to the register and Taeil explained what to do, pulling out a wrinkled paper of instructions. It was a little complicated but you could manage. Taeil left shortly afterward and you pulled out your textbook, deciding to study for your midterms before rush hour came.

Before you knew it was almost time to close. The evening sky made the lighting inside the store dim and the temperature dropped twenty degrees causing you to go fetch your coat. It was strange being there alone at night. You always had Taeil cracking jokes to keep you from dying of boredom but tonight your only company was yourself.

You locked the door, flipping the 'open' sign around. You sighed, ready to go home and lie down already. You opened the register, counting the money, then following the instructions on the paper. You patted yourself on the back when you finished it without error and was heading to the back to turn off the lights when the bell chimed at the door.

"We're closed!" you yelled, rushing back to the front. You could've sworn you locked the door.

"Sorry, we're clo—" you started but didn't finish when you saw who it was.

Jaemin swallowed, waving Taeil's keys with his right hand. "Hey. It's been a while."

You turned your back, grabbing your purse. "We're closed."

Jaemin stepped closer to you, only for you to brush past him, busying yourself by closing the blinds. "Y/n, I'm sorry."

You said nothing as you walked to the next window, twisting the handle.

"Okay.." he said more to himself than you. "I understand why you wouldn't want to talk to me. I wouldn't want to talk to me either. It's been four months and I know I should've apologized sooner than this but..." he trailed off.

"Anyways, I just wanted to apologize and I hope it's not too late."

You stalked past him, picking up your book bag and throwing it over your shoulder.

"I'm about to turn the lights off so you might wanna get going," you said.

"Wait!" Jaemin exclaimed grabbing your shoulder. Sparks jolted under your skin where his hand touched you, causing you to jump.

"Uh, wait. Please?" He begged, retracting his hand. You turned around, folding your arms across your chest in an attempt to hide your trembling hands.

"I-I got these for you," Jaemin said holding out three middlemist's reds.

You gasped, slowly reaching out to take the flowers.

"I know getting you flowers was the problem in the first place but...I know how much you like these with your weird obsession with plants and all," he chuckled.

You frowned at him, pausing to smell the scent of the flowers. Middlemist's Reds were your favorite but you never seen them in real life, let alone held them in your hands.

"It's a good weird. I like it," he added, his words rushed. Jaemin stuffed his hands in his pockets awkwardly.

You smelled the flowers once more entranced by its sweet fragrance. "How did you get these? They only grow in two known places on Earth—and that's thousands of miles from here..."

Jaemin smiled. "Taeil has a cousin who lives about six-hundred miles out who grows exotic plants. Apparently, the soil out there is perfect for Middlemist's Reds.

Your frown deepened. "Taeil?"

Why would Taeil, the main person against your friendship in the first place, help Jaemin?

"Yeah," he said nervously laughing. "Anyway, I drove out and got them for you. Sorry, there's only three but who knew Middlemist's Reds were so expensive?"

You knew but you didn't say anything as you continued to examine the flowers. He drove six-hundred miles to buy your favorite flowers? He must've been driving for days. No one had ever done anything like that for you before, not even your parents would go out of their way to do that. Your heart pounded in your chest as you chewed your lip.

"Again, I apologize for that day. I royally fucked up and I know this doesn't make up for everything but this is just the beginning. I swear to you, y/n, you're the most amazing girl I've ever met. Everything you said about me was right. I played with girls' feelings just for the hell of it. I didn't care about anything or anyone but that all changed when I met you."

How cliche was that? Yet, you blinked, tears welling up in your eyes. There was no way this was actually happening. You'd seen this before. Heard those words coming from his lips in your dreams—it had to be a hallucination.

Jaemin took your cold hand, pressing his lips to the skin of your knuckles.

"Ever since I walked out the door that day, I've been miserable. I tried to forget you and I tried to stay away because I know I'm not deserving of you. I don't deserve to be your friend, your boyfriend—I don't even deserve to be in this room with you right now, asking for your forgiveness but I'm too selfish to keep myself away from you...I swear that guy you saw the first time we met is long gone. I can do a real relationship—at least I want to try...with you," he finished, his hand shaking as it held tightly onto yours.

"Okay," you whispered, closing your eyes.

"Okay?" he repeated, the biggest smile stretching across his face. "I'm forgiven?"

If you were smart you would say no and run as far away as you could. You should've kicked him out the moment he came in. Who gave him the right to come waltzing in as if the past four months didn't exist? It shouldn't have been so easy to wear you down but it was. Just seeing his face again made your heart jump and you had to suppress the urge to pull into a hug and beg him to never go away so long again. If Taeil saw something in him worth redeeming then it wouldn't hurt to try.

Tears spilled down your cheeks as you nodded your head. "Yes, now stop asking before I change my mind!"

Jaemin's eyes looked glossy as he threw himself into your arms, picking you up and spinning you around. You squealed in surprise, giggling.

"I missed you," you admitted, clutching tightly onto his jean jacket.

Jaemin pulled away, holding a warm hand to your cheek. "I'm sorry I was gone so long. Those four months was hell."

"It's okay...you came back right?" you said, leaning to his touch.

Jaemin shook his head. "I don't deserve you."

"Jaemin, I think...I think I love you," you stuttered.

Jaemin let out a shaky breath before he smashed his lips onto yours, almost knocking you over. His hands wrapped around your waist, balancing you, as you kissed him back. The hairs on your arms raised as the skin under his hands began to tingle again, your heart thundering in your chest.

Jaemin pulled away, his ears red.

"Sorry," he mumbled, looking at the ground. "I just—I think I love you too."

You placed your hands on his neck, pulling him down to meet you halfway, your lips touching his. He tasted like bliss and coffee. When you pulled away you were both breathless and rosy-cheeked.

Jaemin grinned. "Can we finally go on that date now? I told you this was just the beginning."

You pecked his lips, a smile spreading feverishly. "What did you have planned this time?"

Jaemin mimed zipping his lips shut as he gestured towards the door. You turned out the lights and excitedly hopped into his car, cheesing ridiculously hard at each other, heading downtown to begin the start of the time of your life.

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