Bonus Round 2: AUs

[referees]

Bonus Round 2: AUs

SASO 2015 is over, but this round is perpetually open to new fills (no new prompts).


This round is made for exploration of all those "what-if?" scenarios, like "what if my favorite sports anime was actually a spaghetti western?" or "what if everything was the same except everyone was actually a car?"


This round ends at 7PM on June 27 EDT. Countdown Timer.

RULES

• Submit prompts by commenting to this post with an alternate universe idea, along with a ship from one of our nominated fandoms.
• An AU could be a canon divergence, e.g. "what if [team] didn't win the Inter High in season 1, but [other team] did instead?", or a completely different setting altogether, e.g.s pop idol AU, coffee shop AU, superheroes AU, etc.
• Fill prompts by leaving a responding comment to the prompt with your newly-created work.
• Remember to follow the general bonus round rules, outlined here.

FORMAT

Bonus round shenanigans all happen in the comments below. Brand-new works only, please.

Required Work Minimums:

• 400 words (prose)
• 400px by 400px (art)
• 14 lines (poetry)

There is no max work cap.

Format your comment in one of the following ways:

If PROMPTING:	If FILLING:	If FILLING as a TEAM GRANDSTAND participant:
PROMPT: TEAM [YOUR SHIP] Replace [YOUR SHIP] with the name of the team you belong to, including Grandstand or Sports Teams Write it exactly as it appears on the team roster or your team will not receive points Place the prompt's relationship in the first bolded line of the comment. Including the canon isn't required, but it's nice. Visual example	FILL: TEAM [YOUR SHIP], [RATING] Replace [YOUR SHIP] with the name of the team you belong to Write it exactly as it appears on the team roster or your team will not receive points Replace RATING with the rating of your fill (G - E) Place applicable major content tags and word count before your fill (when applicable) NSFW FILLS: Post written/text fills directly to the round with clear tags. Please link to art/visual fills. You can include a small safe-for-work preview if you'd like. To place an image in your comment, use this code: <img src="LINK TO YOUR IMAGE" /> Visual example	FILL: TEAM GRANDSTAND, [RATING] Replace RATING with the rating of your fill, G - E, as explained in the rules Place applicable major content tags and word count before the fill, where applicable NSFW FILLS: Post written/text fills directly to the round with clear tags. Please link to art/visual fills. You can include a small safe-for-work preview if you'd like. To place an image in your comment, use this code: <img src="LINK TO YOUR IMAGE" /> Visual example

Posts not using this format will be understood to be unofficial discussion posts, regardless of what they contain. They, like all comments in this community, are subject to the code of conduct.

SCORING

These numbers apply to your team as a whole, not each individual teammate. Make as many prompts/fills as you want!

For prompts: 5 points each (maximum of 50 prompt points per team per round)

For fills:

First 3 fills by any member of your team: 20 points each
Fills 4-10: 10 points each
Fills 11-20: 5 points each
Fills 21+: 2 points each

All scored content must be created new for this round.

Etc.

If you're hunting through the prompts looking for what to fill, a good trick is to view top-level comments only.

Have a question? Check The FAQ first. If you still need help, feel free to contact the mods. Happy fanworking!

Comments

PROMPT: TEAM MATSUOKA RIN/RYUUGAZAKI REI

[niaocat]

Sousuke/Haru (Free!)

"I’m an ice hockey player and came in early to the ring to practice and saw you practicing your figure skating lesson so I’ve made it a routine to come early just to see you practice." [x]

/dying cat noises

PROMPT: TEAM FUKUTOMI JUICHI/KINJOU SHINGO

[catlarks]

Kinjou/ & Fukutomi + Kinjou/Tadokoro/Makishima ( & also fine) (yowapeda)

AU where Hakogaku is the House running the casino and KinTadoMaki (or all of Sohoku, please throw in as many of them as you're feeling) are the crew about to pull a heist over on the House.

I want Fukutomi in charge most of all but please please please give me all the Hakogaku third years as security/casino staff/what have you.

(Okay I lied I just love heist fic and casinos, god do I love casinos. If you like Oceans 11 that kinda flavor is 100% good with me.)

PROMPT: TEAM FUKUTOMI JUICHI/KINJOU SHINGO

[catlarks]

Kinjou/ & Teshima (yowapeda)

AU in which Kinjou and Teshima are both competitive / pro chess players. Optional: Kinjou was Teshima's mentor who he now aspires to surpass despite having weaker skills.

Re: PROMPT: TEAM FUKUTOMI JUICHI/KINJOU SHINGO

[underscored]

are you trying to lure me into something

PROMPT: TEAM AOYAGI HAJIME/IZUMIDA TOUICHIROU

[elucidatedlucy]

Miyahara & Toudou Jinpachi, Yowamushi Pedal

Baccano AU wherein due to a certain lazy protege, Miyahara inadvertantly drinks what remains of Toudou's immortality elixer, and it is Toudou who is left to pick up the pieces of her horrified realization.

PROMPT: TEAM FUKUTOMI JUICHI/KINJOU SHINGO

[blueminuet]

Imaizumi Shunsuke /& Onoda Sakamichi /& Naruko Shoukichi (Yowamushi Pedal)

Pokemon AU: They're all pokemon breeders who race each other on their bikes while hatching their eggs.

FILL: Team Haikyuu!!, G

[bisharp]

No content warnings, 503w

"Ready and... go!"

Laughing, Onoda pedaled as quickly as he could while watching Imaizumi and Naruko saw their legs off biking. They were actually glaring at each other, but Onoda grinned at his vulpix perched on his back. She was curled around the egg that he was trying to hatch. She let out a happy little mewl when Onoda looked at her.

"Hang on tight," he said to her, before laughing again and chasing after Imaizumi and Naruko.

When he caught up to them, Naruko was throwing taunts out to Imaizumi through his labored breathing. "Do you..." he said, "think you could... beat me... in the... flats...? This is... my territory... hotshot..."

"Stop talking," said Imaizumi. It took another full minute for him to continue with, "You're wasting your breath."

Naruko chuckled. His growlithe was hanging dangerously off Naruko's bike--unlike Imaizumi or Onoda, Naruko insisted on riding with as little weight as possible, and said frequently that they could definitely hold on. His growlithe seemed to think so too, tongue dangling out of his mouth, barking at Imaizumi's houndoom every so often, who looked bored and awkward with its paws around Imaizumi's waist. Imaizumi's egg was pressed between them, and houndoom ignored growlithe's barks.

Naruko said, "I... didn't... know... you cared about me, hotshot!" He slowed with the last sentence, but started dancing on his bike to make up for the time.

Imaizumi started dancing as well. His houndoom tapped himself back into his pokeball, rolling against Imaizumi's egg. "I don't want to race against someone who's doing everything half-assed," he replied.

The three of them reached the end of the road, and then Naruko shouted, "Turn!" They did, swerving and nearly hitting the citizens of Verdanturf, but neither of them really paid much attention.

It had been Imaizumi's idea, for the bike and egg thing. He'd told them about the flash fire ability when Naruko and Onoda were complaining about their eggs not yet hatching, and Naruko said, "O-Oh, I knew about that!" while Onoda looked at him with sparkling eyes and said, "You really do know everything, Imaizumi-kun!" It'd been Onoda's idea, then, for them to bike together--and then Naruko's, afterward, to turn it into a race. They'd all gotten mach bikes when they'd started their pokemon adventure, naturally, and sometimes Naruko challenged Onoda to the top of Mt. Chimney, even though he knew he'd lose almost every time.

They passed by the Day-Care Man. He looked warily at Naruko and Imaizumi, both of whom were kind of yelling at this point. He shouted to Onoda, "How are they coming along?"

"Not yet!" Onoda shouted back.

His vulpix mewed as well.

"Hey, Onoda-kun!" Naruko shouted from up ahead of them. "You're falling behind!"

"Yeah," Imaizumi joined him. "Do you plan on losing?" But he was smiling at Onoda too, in a way that made Onoda lift himself up from his seat and beam back at them.

"Of course not!" he said, and, once again, laughed as he raced to catch up.

**

and then all their eggs hatch at the same time and they all fawn over them together and even Naruko thinks Imaizumi's baby togepi is cute and asks to pet it and Imaizumi can't say no and Onoda is so happy im so

also i have more headcanons for the pokemon they have and also yes they are in Hoenn because I am super biased

PROMPT: TEAM FUKUTOMI JUICHI/KINJOU SHINGO

[catlarks]

Toudou/Tadokoro (yowapeda)

Sci-fi AU where Toudou is some variety of alien (use your own discretion what that entails but I sure do love xenobiology) who has had little exposure to humans prior to their current starship posting/visit to X galaxy/what have you. Toudou meets Tadokoro — broad, loud, FASCINATING and entirely foreign. Toudou is so into that.

PROMPT: TEAM FUKUTOMI JUICHI/KINJOU SHINGO

[blueminuet]

Makishima Yuusuke /& Onoda Sakamichi (Yowamushi Pedal)

SciFi AU: Makishima is an AI (I'm thinking hologram or otherwise non-corporeal, but do whatever you want) that has been sentient for some time. Onoda is a younger robot/android that is still new to sentience and wants guidance.

Re: PROMPT: TEAM FUKUTOMI JUICHI/KINJOU SHINGO

[doxian]

i'm dead

PROMPT: TEAM FUKUTOMI JUICHI/KINJOU SHINGO

[catlarks]

Makishima/ & Arakita (yowapeda)

Sci-fi AU where Makishima is a researcher with a remote posting on some planet in the space-boondocks studying the (horrifying and absurd) totally fascinating local fauna. Arakita is a now EX member of a smuggling crew. Who just abandoned him on this totally uninhabited backwater planet. Assholes.

Except the planet sure is a bit more inhabited than he thought.

FILL: Team Aoyagi Hajime/Teshima Junta, T

[kiriska]

Cursing and stuff. I DIDN'T PROOFREAD THIS AT ALL HAHAHAHAHA. 869 words.

Arakita is definitely going to Kill Them All, at some point, eventually, when he gets off the godforsaken piece of rock he's been abandoned on. It really isn't much of a rock at all though.

He stands at the edge of a grassy cliff and looks out towards the horizon. There are no rocks to be seen. Everything is vivid and bright -- there are towering purple trees, only partially covering the lush pink and yellow and golden plants of the underbrush. The trees reach up in twisted, thin shapes, like silly string, or something equally stupid and weird.

There's an annoying buzzing noise vibrating through the trees, and Arakita imagines that the planet probably has blood-sucking insects the size of rats because that will just be his luck. There's also some kind of animal in the mess of overgrown weeds making a noise like a car alarm, and Arakita hopes that it's delicious because he is definitely going to Kill It.

When he squints, he sees a tiny black dot just beyond the jungle that might be a building. It's rigid and has sharp edges, but he thinks it's probably a rock, the only rock on the planet, because his life is shitty and there's no god. He's going to die out there, forgotten and useless, at the mercy of the wilds. Maybe the car alarm animal will eat him before he can eat it.

Arakita sighs, stretches, and starts to make his way carefully down the side of the cliff. Finding out what it is will keep him occupied for a little while, anyway.

It takes him a day and a half to get to the black dot. He doesn't encounter the car alarm animal in that time, though he hears it, them, constantly, warbling loudly back and forth at each other at all hours of day. Was it mating season? Are they fucking somewhere out of sight? He spends a lot of time thinking about walking in on some furry cars fucking and gutting them for dinner.

He doesn't though, and finds brightly colored berries and fruits to eat. He half hopes they're poisonous, but he wakes up in the morning and doesn't feel terrible, so maybe things would be okay after all.

The black dot is not a rock. It's a small, square building, definitely man-made, and fairly new-looking. Arakita can't figure out where the goddamn door is though, and there don't seem to be any windows either. But if it's a building, then there must be people, right? Someone has to be around for him to threaten into saving him.

Arakita settles in the pink and yellow thickets in the late afternoon while car alarm noises continue to sound off distantly. The planet's sun is bright, but it isn't very hot, thankfully, and he passes the time well enough nibbling on his fruit and thinking of all the ways he can kill his ex-comrades.

The sky turns a green color when the sun starts to set, and at last, Arakita sees movement nearby at the line of trees a short distance from him. At first, he thinks it might be the car alarm animal, or some other thing that lives in the forest. Shiny green hair streaked with iridescent red sparkles strangely in the light of the setting sun. It must be an alien. But it isn't. The unnatural colors are attached to a human head and a slender human body, who slinks out of the jungle like a spider.

The human is wearing tacky camouflage gear and is carrying a small suitcase, but Arakita doesn't think they're armed. They approached the black building and pressed a hand against a seemingly random part of the wall. Arakita darts out of the brush at top speed, grabs the stranger's arm with one hand and twists it behind their back while wrapping his other hand over their mouth.

"Let's go inside," Arakita snarls as a door slides open in the black building.

The green-haired human does not seem especially distressed and walks inside calmly, free hand still holding onto their briefcase.

The inside of the building is unremarkable and looks like a dentist's office, or something stupid and sciency. Arakita shoves the stranger forward, draws his knife and points it at them. "Are you alone here?"

"My name is Makishima," they say first, looking up at Arakita with careful, curious eyes. "Yes, I'm the only person on this planet, sho. I don't have a ship. My team will be picking me up from here in about a year, after I've had time to catalog this planet's fauna, and as much of the flora as possi---"

"A fucking year!?"

"Indeed," Makishima says, smiling vaguely. "So if you'd like to get a ride off, I think you should start being a little nicer, hmm? I suggest washing up, too. No dirty hands at my dinner table, sho."

Arakita is definitely, definitely also going to Kill this person.

But he asks, "Is dinner meat?"

Makishima nods and scratches their chin. "I saw your ship drop you here a few days ago. Figured I'd stock up for company, sho."

Arakita hesitates a moment, then sighs angrily and pockets his knife. "Where the fuck's the bathroom?"

PROMPT: TEAM FUKUTOMI JUICHI/KINJOU SHINGO

[catlarks]

Imaizumi/Arakita (yowapeda)

Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced AU (or I guess FF12 works since it has viera but I didn't play it and this is really FFTA based) where Imaizumi and Arakita are both viera in the same clan and Arakita is constantly starting pissing contests about who can do more missions, or do missions faster, or shoot their bow better... Look Imaizumi is just not better than him, okay?

(Bonus points if you include my now jossed headcanon that all viera have female sex characteristics regardless of gender. This entire prompt is so self-indulgent I'm so sorry.)

Re: PROMPT: TEAM FUKUTOMI JUICHI/KINJOU SHINGO

[miyukitty]

FFTA viera prompt... -touches softly-

PROMPT: Team Aoyagi Hajime/Teshima Junta

[nobetterpicture]

Kenma/Hinata Haikyuu!!

College roomate AU where "I just heard you say that Final Fantasy games were overrated but you haven't even played a single one and now you're not leaving the apartment this summer until you do"

Re: PROMPT: Team Aoyagi Hajime/Teshima Junta

[bisharp]

this just sounds like me and you

PROMPT: TEAM FUKUTOMI JUICHI/KINJOU SHINGO

[catlarks]

Fukutomi/ & Shinkai + Fukutomi/ & Kinjou + Kinjou/ & Makishima (yowapeda)

Pacific Rim AU where Kinjou is Science Side and very happy doing research on kaiju with Makishima and only having the occasional spar with Fukutomi... Up until Fukutomi's drift partner Shinkai is ruled unfit for duty because of (redacted traumatic experience shinfuku got into) and the shortage of jaeger pilots means Kinjou is the next best compatible drift partner for Fukutomi.

(I'm sorry this is sort of. Overly specific. But I love PacRim AUs and this is what my heart has long desired. Feel free to pick the ships you dig but I'm gunning for the maximum if you can hack that.)

mentions of gore (kaiju entrails)

[blueminuet]

Filling for SWAG 2016


“Oh, Kinjou,” Makishima said brightly. He would have waved but he was elbow deep in the most recent kaiju specimen that had been delivered to him, his hair pinned up in a messy bun to minimize its exposure to the entrails.

To Kinjou’s credit, he hardly wrinkled his nose at the smell.

“You’re late,” Makishima said. “Some splatter may have gotten onto your side of the lab, but that’s what you get.”

Kinjou nodded. “It’s fine. You should make as much use of the lab space as needed.I won’t be using it for the time being.”

Makishima looked up him, his smile dropping. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Kinjou wasn’t one for hesitation, but there was definitely a longer pause than needed. “I’m being reassigned as a ranger.”

Makishima pulled his arms out of the kaiju carcass, but laughed. “Kinjou, that’s not a very good joke. I mean, I know you like sparring with that ranger friend of yours, but—”

“It’s not a joke,” Kinjou said. He pulled out a paper and held it out for Makishima to read. It was a simulator score; ten drops, ten kills.

Makishima backed away. He began pulling off his arm length gloves and made his way to the sink. “Wait, I don’t understand. I thought you were happy to be on the K-science team. You said so.”

“Of course I am,” Kinjou said following him. “But as it stands, we need a ranger now more than a scientist.”

Makishima flicked the water off his hands and grabbed a towel as he turned to face Kinjou. “But Fukutomi already has a partner.”

Kinjou shook his head. “Dauntless Oni went down in the last attack. Both pilots are alive, but Shinkai can’t pilot.”

“So, you’re the next best thing,” Makishima finished.

Kinjou nodded.

Makishima sighed and looked away.

“I have piloted before, you know,” Kinjou said.

“How long ago now? A decade,” Makishima said. “Do you even remember how?” he teased.

Kinjou smirked. “I’m told it’s something like riding a bicycle.”

Makishima shook his head. “Really, Kinjou. Is this safe? I mean, last time you piloted things went badly. Are you sure you can handle the neural load?”

“I’m told everything will be fine. I didn’t have any neural damage from my last run.”

Makishima sighed. “So, I guess I can’t stop you.”

“Nothing is official yet,” Kinjou said, placing a hand on Makishima’s shoulder. “The test run isn’t until tomorrow. We’re not even sure if it will all go smoothly.”

There was a glimmer of hope there, but Makishima had a hard time holding on to it. “We’ll see.”

---

Makishima knew from the very beginning that Kinjou would be a perfect fit. Why wouldn’t he be?

There were sirens blaring across the base now, people running around as the announcements looped.

“Double event in the breach. Jaegers Tandem Star, Hydra Ophion, and Dauntless Oni, prepare for launch.”

There were people running, but Makishima was not one of them, instead drifting somewhat aimlessly around the elevator. The pilots had to come by here, he was fairly sure.

Sure enough, he caught sight of Kinjou and Fukutomi, already suited up in black drivesuits, making their way to the elevator.

“Kinjou!”

Kinjou stopped, and after exchanging a few words with Fukutomi, walked over to Makishima. Fukutomi looked a bit impatient, but waited anyway.

“Came to see me off?” Kinjou asked.

Makishima grinned. “Something like that,” he said. “Came to make sure you know what you’re doing. Just because you’ve got the jock suit on doesn’t mean you’ve lost your senses, right? I don’t need to remind you where the weak spots are on a kaiju, do I?”

Kinjou shook his head. “I think I can remember.”

Makishima grinned weakly. The moment seemed to stretch out, taut and strained, before the deployment announcement repeated, snapping the tension.

Kinjou started. “I should—”

Makishima wrapped his arms around Kinjou’s neck, holding him there. “Make sure you come back, okay?”

There was a pause, before Makishima felt Kinjou’s arms wrap around him as well. Kinjou said nothing, and for a moment Makishima swore the sirens disappeared.

It was Kinjou who finally broke the silence. “Your hair smells like kaiju entrails.”

Makishima laughed, but it came out wet as tears rolled down his face as well.

Kinjou pulled away, but not before ghosting a kiss on Makishima’s forehead. “I’ll see you when I get back.”

Makishima nodded, and all too soon Kinjou had rejoined Fukutomi and the elevator doors snapped shut, closing them in.

Makishima wasn’t sure how long he stood there before a hand touched his shoulder and he jumped. He looked to see Tadokoro next to him, with a concerned grimace on his face.

“Tadokorocchi,” Makishima said, slumping into him. “They’re all going to be okay, right?”

Tadokoro was silent as his hand wrapped over Makishima’s shoulder. “Yeah. They’re all going to be okay.”

Makishima stared at the elevator doors, willing them to open even though he knew they wouldn’t. “Thanks for lying to me.”

Tadokoro nodded. “Let’s get up to LOCCENT. We can watch from there.”

Makishima nodded, following along and feeling sick to his stomach every step of the way.

PROMPT: TEAM FUKUTOMI JUICHI/KINJOU SHINGO

[catlarks]

Kinjou/Arakita + Kinjou/ & Fukutomi + Arakita/ & Fukutomi (yowapeda)

Kinjou is a foreign diplomat sent to open negotiations with Fukutomi's nation/starship/planet (I'd prefer the sci-fi angle but I'll take a more modern or fantasy angle too). Unfortunately, he must first contend with Fukutomi's right-hand man, who seems out to undermine or outright sabotage all of his efforts.

(Mix and match ships as you please, it's just kinara I'm gunning for first and foremost.)

PROMPT: TEAM FUKUTOMI JUICHI/KINJOU SHINGO

[catlarks]

Tadokoro & Teshima/Aoyagi (yowapeda)

Pit Crew AU! Where Tadokoro works pit crew for some big-shot racecar driver (suggestions: Naruko or Shinkai or Kinjou, if you want to include the driver) and T2 are his apprentices of a sort working crew under him.

(I just want mechanic Tado mentoring his kiddos, okay. Bonus points for Teshima or Aoyagi or both having a baby puppy crush on Tado.)

PROMPT: TEAM FUKUTOMI JUICHI/KINJOU SHINGO

[catlarks]

Tadokoro/Makishima (yowapeda)

Tadokoro is a knight trained and educated his entire life to prepare him for slaying dragons. Makishima is the dragon. Well, dragon shapeshifter, to be specific.

(Bonus points for Eastern-flavored dragons / dragon mythos, maybe? If you're feeling that? Or just "less medieval Europe" tbh.)

Re: PROMPT: TEAM FUKUTOMI JUICHI/KINJOU SHINGO

[doxian]

i just...

so Tado is the furry in this AU? how the turntables

PROMPT: TEAM FUKUTOMI JUICHI/KINJOU SHINGO

[catlarks]

Kinjou/Imaizumi (yowapeda)

Yakuza AU where Imaizumi is the "bocchan" / spoiled heir apparent to a particular crime family. Kinjou is the head of an upstart rival faction who initially began getting close to Imaizumi solely to undermine his dad. This backfired.

(This is the most self-indulgent goddamn thing I am so deeply sorry please @ god give me Kinjou falling in love with his mark.)

PROMPT: TEAM HAIBA LEV/YAKU MORISUKE

[solfuric]

Aiichiro Nitori & Hazuki Nagisa & Matsuoka Rin & Mikoshiba Momotarou & Nanase Haruka & Ryugazaki Rei & Tachibana Makoto & Yamazaki Sousuke (Free!)

BLUE'S CLUES au where makoto is steve, haru is blue, rin is magenta, rei is mr. salt, nagisa is ms. pepper, momo is shovel, nitori is pail, and sousuke is sidetable drawer

man that was a long shower

Re: PROMPT: TEAM HAIBA LEV/YAKU MORISUKE

[dokuhan]

BUT...who is Mailbox?

PROMPT: TEAM HAIKYUU!!

[simpleruser]

Oikawa Tooru/Sugawara Koushi/Iwaizumi Hajime (haikyuu!!)

grey's anatomy au, aka Personal Drama + Sass oh and sometimes there's surgery.

PROMPT: TEAM KOUSAKA HONOKA/MINAMI KOTORI

[underscored]

Izumida Touichirou/Matsuoka Gou (Yowamushi Pedal/Free)

Izumida is a personal trainer. Gou goes to the gym to stare at him.

Re: PROMPT: TEAM KOUSAKA HONOKA/MINAMI KOTORI

[doxian]

stares at this prompt......

PROMPT: TEAM KOUSAKA HONOKA/MINAMI KOTORI

[underscored]

Kozume Kenma & the rest of Nekoma VC, bonus if KuroKen

HATOFUL BOYFRIEND AU WHERE KENMA IS THE PROTAG BUT INSTEAD OF EVERYONE ELSE BEING A BIRD THEY ARE ALL CATS

FILL: Team Aoyagi Hajime/Teshima Junta, G

[kiriska]

UH. I BET THIS WASN'T WHAT YOU WANTED. 8);;;

Spoilers for Hatoful Boyfriend (Ryouta's route & a little bit Hurtful mode), 409 words.

They sit on the park bench in silence. For once, there isn't even the sound of fingers pressing buttons rapidly on a handheld. Kenma stares at the ground in front of them, and Kuroo looks up at the sky. The cool evening breeze is a welcomed reprieve from the oppressive heat of the day, but the pair of them still shift uncomfortably next to each other, divided by the weight of bad news and quiet revelations.

Kuroo isn't surprised that Kenma knows already. He's always known the human boy to be very smart. Too smart for his own good, and too kind. The scraggly black cat has never taken this for granted. He hopes Kenma knows that too.

"It's okay," Kuroo sighs. His tail lashed back and forth slowly, anxiously, betraying his emotions as always. "I mean, I always knew it would happen. Parents always die before their kids, right?"

Kenma doesn't say anything, and Kuroo thinks about when they stood together on one side of a fence, listening to screams and gunshots. Maybe his comment had been insensitive. He didn't forget in the moment. It's not really something he can ever forget.

"We're both orphans now, I guess," Kuroo says.

"Your mom always took care of me," Kenma mumbles, still looking at the ground.

"It's fair," the cat mews. "You always took care of me. I looked out for you, too, of course, weird little human, but yeah." Kuroo looks at the horizon, where the last streaks of sunlight were quickly fading. "I love you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah," Kenma exhales.

"You're going to outlive me," Kuroo says. "But until then, I'll always love you, even if you don't love me back."

"Kuro..."

"You've always been my friend, and you've always put up with me, and that's good enough."

"Kuro, you're an idiot." Kenma mumbles. The human slides a hand across the slick black fur of his back and Kuroo arches into the touch automatically, purring. "As if there can ever be anyone else..." Kenma has the words on his tongue, but he finds that they're still too hard to say.

Kuroo laughs softly, tail still lashing gently. "I think it's probably easier if you didn't, you know. I hate the idea of leaving you alone someday."

"It's okay," Kenma says, scratching between his ears. "Someday isn't today."

"Yeah," Kuroo agrees. "Someday isn't today."

"I love you," Kenma breathes, just loud enough for a cat to hear.

PROMPT: TEAM HAIKYUU!!

[simpleruser]

Oikawa Tooru/&Sugawara Koushi/&Yamaguchi Tadashi (haikyuu!!)

All of them in Slytherin at Hogwarts and oisuga making yamaguchi's life the best and worst bc oh no they're hotttttt

PROMPT: TEAM HAIKYUU!!

[simpleruser]

Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi or Azumane Asahi/Sawamura Daichi or whoever else you want with daichi (haikyuu!!)

Oblivious daichi and increasingly desperate person crushing on him. Like they ask him out on a date to a candle lit restaurant and one of the first questions he asks is "are you seeing any one at the moment?"

He's not aro, he just has no radar for anyone being interested in him.

FILL: TEAM IWAIZUMI HAJIME/OIKAWA TOORU, G

[oikawas]

no major content warnings
1,313 words

"What are you up to this Friday night?" The question is unexpected, a sudden break among the silence that had previously only been punctuated by the occasional turn of the textbook page or a clearing of the throat.

Daichi looks up from between the pages of his philosophy textbook, pencil poised in the air from where it had alighted his page of notes.

"What?" he respons eloquently, not sure if he'd heard correctly. Across from him, Kuroo looks like he's tumbling on the edge of exasperated, though Daichi's not sure why. Their study sessions are pretty regular, and this one had been going like all the rest.

"I said," Kuroo repeats, using a regular volume this time despite the cloying silence settled around them in the library, "what are you doing this Friday night?" Somewhere in a corner, the librarian purses her lips at them disapprovingly and hisses for them to shush. Daichi's ears turn red, but Kuroo doesn't seem to care.

"Um...nothing, I guess? Why do you ask?"

"Do you wanna maybe get dinner with me?" Kuroo's staring at him kind of funny, and his eyes are intense in a way that Daichi hasn't seen them before. It makes something in his stomach churn a little bit, but not in a bad way.

"Sure, that sounds good?" Daichi says, but his voice goes up towards the end, making him sound rather unsure despite his words. Kuroo doesn't pay any mind, though, and just lets a smile slide across his face, happier than Daichi would have expected from a friend asking another friend to dinner.

"Really? Great!" Kuroo says. "It's a date, then."

"Sure," Daichi laughs, bringing his pen back down on the paper. Across from him, Kuroo says something about needing to get going, but he's already getting back into concentrating on his notes, so the words go semi-unheard. He offers a small wave when he catches Kuroo leaving out of the corner of his eye, already immersed back into his textbook.


--


Come Friday night, Daichi hadn't known what he'd been expecting. Certainly not this--the place seems rather upscale for two friends hanging out together. Their table is lit with a soft, flickering candle, the silverware laid out neatly in front of them already. Kuroo is wearing a nice, button-down shirt and slacks, and Daichi feels terribly under-dressed in his jeans.

"Wow, um," Daichi says as soon as they sit down, "this is...really nice."

"Uh, yeah," Kuroo laughs a little, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, is it too much?"

"No! No, it's fine," he reassures, holding two hands up. "I guess I just wasn't expecting it."

A waiter comes around to take their orders, and Daichi doesn't miss the disdainful glint in his eye at Daichi's choice of wardrobe. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat, wishing that Kuroo had given him some sort of advance that they'd be coming to a place like this.

"So, Sawamura--"

"Oh, you can just call me Daichi."

"Oh...really?" Kuroo looks surprised, but pleasantly so.

"Yeah, it's fine," Daichi shrugs, "everyone does."

"O-oh, I see." Kuroo's face falls a bit, but he's quick to slide the amiable smile back in place. "Anyways...Daichi," he rubs the back of his neck again--a nervous habit, perhaps. "You're not...seeing anyone right now, are you?"

The question catches Daichi off guard, and he opens his mouth to reply just as the waiter arrives with their food. "I--uh, no, I'm not," he says, as soon as their food is served and they are alone once again.

"Oh! Okay," Kuroo smiles, eyes lighting up. Daichi can't help but to notice how handsome he is in that moment, skin glowing in the soft candlelight, face framed so attractively by that wild, dark hair. But he pushes those thoughts aside quickly--how inappropriate of him...

"You know, I didn't think you'd say yes to coming out tonight," Kuroo admits halfway through dinner, chin propped on one hand, eyes surveying Daichi carefully. "I was surprised when you did."

"Really?" Daichi asks. "Why would you think that?" After all, he likes to think that he's a pretty friendly guy. And it's not like Kuroo's a stranger, anwyays--they'd known each other since high school, had the same passion and connection through volleyball. That they ended up at the same college together was a stroke of luck, and nowadays Kuroo was more often than not showing up in his life in all sorts of places. In some of his lectures, in coffee shops, at the library--a lot of times they end up just hanging out, and Daichi's gotten quite used to having Kuroo around.

"I dunno. I guess it was silly of me, since we're here now."

Daichi chuckles, and from across the table, Kuroo's smile widens.


--


"Hey, listen," Kuroo says as they're making the way out of the restaurant, ambling leisurely across the parking lot. "I had a really great time tonight, Sa--Daichi."

"Me too," Daichi agrees. The air outside is warm despite the hour, a hint of summer sliding into its peak in Tokyo. It's still a little bit light outside as well, though the night is quickly taking its place in the sky.

"I know I said this already," Kuroo continues as they make their way side by side across the pavement, "but I'm really glad you said yes to this tonight. I really...really," he pauses to give a relieved-sounding huff of laughter, "didn't think you were going to."

"Really, Kuroo? I think we've known each other long enough to skip past that kind of stuff. Besides, you're a great friend, of course I'm not opposed to hanging out with you." Daichi smiles to himself, putting his hands in his pockets as he continues strolling.

Kuroo, however, has stopped, and is standing rooted to the same spot. There's a dumbfounded look on his face, and he's staring at Daichi with an expression of mixed shock and bewilderment.

"Friends?" he repeats, raising his eyebrows.

"...Yeah? Isn't that what we are?" Daichi says, confused.

Kuroo takes a step forward, and at first Daichi's not sure if he's angry or not, by the set of his eyebrows or the intense look in his eye.

"Daichi," Kuroo says slowly as he continues his approach. "I asked you out tonight. For dinner. At a fancy restaurant, alone."

"Yeah...?" Daichi says, not following.

"Oh my god...the first thing I asked was whether or not you were seeing anyone!" The simmering exasperation that Kuroo had been showing at the library is back, now at full-blast. He looks about ready to tear his hair out.

Ever so slowly, the pieces begin to fall into place for Daichi, who stays silent.

"Hello? Daichi? Hello?" Kuroo says, waving a hand in front of his face desperately.

"Oh," Daichi breathes, a soft sort of realization washing over him. "You..." he turns back to Kuroo slowly.

"...like you," Kuroo finishes for him. "I like you. More than a friend, and tonight was a date. Dear god, I'd been sending you signals for weeks but I had no idea you were actually this oblivious," Kuroo laments, but his lips are quirked upwards in a smile now.

Daichi gives a short exhale of disbelief, running a hand through his hair. "I really had no idea..."

"No kidding," Kuroo quips. "Even after I wiped the crumb off your lip during dinner? Really?"

Daichi reddens. "I thought you were just being polite!"

Kuroo laughs, hearty and amused. "My god, this is some story, huh?"

"Ugh, no, shut up," Daichi says, putting his face in his hands.

"Anyway," Kuroo continues. "Am I lucky enough to have a second date, possibly? Or...did you want to just 'hang out as friends'?" He bends his fingers in the air, mimicking quotation marks.

Despite the redness blooming across his face, despite the utter mortification he feels right now, Daichi knows that he'll be saying yes.

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