Description: Tamaki comes across a magical quirk artifact that amplifies his most suppressed personality traits.
For PeachOSeed and maemaeschurros. Sorry that this isn't a lemon... yet... *villain mustache twirling intensifies*
I had a lot of fun with this one. (To enhance your reading experience, I highly suggest you imagine the psychic as a sassy black woman.)
"Would ya stop sighing like that, Tamaki?" Hado was becoming impatient with his exasperation and frequent eye rolls since they entered this shop.
"I'm just breathing, Nejire. Is that a problem?" Amajiki had found that the best way to deal with her antics was with a detached sarcasm.
"I know what you're thinking, mister know-it-all." She poked a sharp finger in to his chest. "You think I'm crazy for coming here." He chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully.
"...I think misguided is closer to the word I was looking for."
"Hmph." She turned her nose up and crossed her arms. "Unlike you, I think it's important to keep an open mind." He frowned at the insult. "You should talk to the psychic too." She suggested with a smile.
"It's uh... not really my cup of tea." He continued strolling through the tiny dusty store, dark wood bookshelves filled with various paraphernalia. Past incense, crystals, and essential oils he walked, subconsciously trying to heed Hado's advice and find something that piqued his interest. This endeavor became unfruitful rather quickly when he saw a very cliché monkey's paw perched on a shelf. His lips curled but held his tongue. Legends say that it brings good luck to the owner, but he couldn't fathom what could possibly be lucky about a poor mutilated animal.
"But why not?" She tapped her foot impatiently.
"I mean... just look at all of this." Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a perfect reason for his distaste. "They have... All Might tarot cards." He held them up with two fingers, as if the unsettling energy they emitted would rub off if he touched them too much. "Doesn't that seem... a bit... disrespectful?"
"There are all types of people who love All Might, Tamaki. Don't be a chicken."
"I just don't really... believe in all this stuff."
"Really, Tamaki?" She raised her eyebrows in amazement. "Mirio's interning for someone who can actually see the future, yet you don't believe in psychics..."
"It's just... I..." He gathered his thoughts. "If someone has that power... then... I just don't see why they wouldn't use it for the greater good, you know? Why hide such a gift in a place like this..."
"Not everybody shares our ambitions, Tamaki."
"Ambitions..." He repeated quietly. He honestly didn't see the desire to be a hero as ambitious. It was something that everyone should pursue if they can, to use their quirk to help people and make a better society for everyone.
"If you want to be a party-pooper and stay out here, suit yourself." She shrugged, deciding to change her game. "But I bet she'd be able to tell you something about F/N..."
"Tch..." He clicked his tongue and blushed at the floor. Before he could come up with a witty retort, a heavyset woman emerged from the back room to greet them. She was covered in purple fabric, a mix of silk and tulle, bedazzled (far too much in Tamaki's opinion) with sequins and star patterns. This was obviously the psychic.
"What brings you here to my House of Intuition?" She asked.
"If she were really psychic, wouldn't she already know that?" He muttered under his breath, receiving a reprimanding elbow in the ribcage from Hado. "Ow!"
"I came for a reading." Nejire said brightly.
"Well come on in, dearie." She gestured her back, glancing at the tall boy expectantly.
"Are you coming in with me?" Hado asked, and for a moment, he actually contemplated it, but decided to remain with his pride intact.
"I'll be out here..."
He waited in the little corner designated for reading, awkwardly positioned atop the impractically large beanbag chair. He flipped through a book on chakras and energies to keep himself occupied before another piece of literature caught his attention. 'How to Read Your Crush' was the title. Amajiki glanced away briefly, perhaps trying to convince himself that he wasn't at all curious about such things. 'I'm sure it's all subjective.' He scoffed. 'No scientific evidence or anything...' His hand drifted over to it, deliberately slowly, as if to appear casual in his interest- even though nobody was watching. 'I don't believe in any of this hokum, so this is strictly for... research purposes...'
He flipped through the pages, mind soaking up as many little tips as possible before someone could walk in the store and catch him reading it. It began with the usual, cues on body language and such, but then there came a chapter about flirting tips. As he expected, many of the strategies mentioned were interactions he knew he was incapable of pulling off. He blushed at the mere thought of trying any of these courtship behaviors on you. Aaaand now he was blushing harder at the word 'courtship.' Without him knowing it, a considerable amount of time had passed and the beaded doorway jingled, signaling Hado's emergence from the back room. It startled him and he fumbled to toss the book as far out of arms reached as possible.
"Hey Tama-"
"NOTHING!" He exclaimed for no reason and then became terribly embarrassed. 'Oh god, that was really suspicious!'
"Uh..." She tilted her head at him. "Ooo...kay? ...Are you ready to go?"
"Y-yeah..." He cleared his throat and brushed himself off in a half-assed attempt to restore some former dignity.
"Great! I wanna tell you about my fortune!" Lucky for him, Nejire was very obtuse, letting his shameful literature choice off the hook for now. As they turned to leave, they heard a voice.
"One moment." The psychic said, stopping them in their tracks. "I have something for the young skeptic." She gestured directly to Tamaki. He felt a swell of panic, appearing as a deer in the headlights. 'Oh no! Did she hear what I said earlier from all the way over there?! Her hearing must be even better than mine!'
"Don't look so frightened, child." She crouched behind the counter. "I just wanted to give you something." She handed him a little wooden box, and upon hesitantly opening it, Tamaki noted a tribal-looking wooden arm cuff nestled in velvet.
"...A bracelet?" He made a face of pure confusion. "I don't... uh..."
"Just take it." She insisted. "We'll make a believer out of you yet, wont we, Nejire?" She winked at the young girl playfully.
"Um... wh-what do I do with it?"
"Whatever you want to, sugar. ...Maybe it will help you win over the special lady in your life." She peered up at him with a knowing smile and Tamaki began to stammer, unable to form coherent sentences. He flushed red, eyes wide as saucepans.
"Uhm... uh- eh. Nngh!" He let out a frustrated groan.
"But use it wisely, dearie." She tapped on her tacky shiny wristwatch. "The effects don't last forever."
Frozen in a mix of bashful discomfort and unsullied confusion, Nejire had to yank on him a bit to help him remember how to move and speak again.
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Nighttime came and Amajiki couldn't stop stealing glances at the box. Normally, he would pride himself on his ability to keep gnawing curiosity contained. Self-control was usually one of his strengths... but not today. 'Don't put it on.' He told himself. 'This is how people start believing in this nonsense.' He placed it on his dresser and sat on his bed, a proclamation of disinterest to the box. But the lore of this mysterious artifact began to grate the back of his mind like a cat on a scratching post. 'It's all smoke and mirrors, I bet. Surely Nejire is just playing a prank on me. She just got the psychic in on it. It's silly to think that a weird bracelet could solve all my girl troubles.' He let out an almost amused huff through his nostrils. But his tiny smirk slowly disappeared as he caught sight of the cryptic box again.
'But what if Nejire was right... what if there are quirks that can do things like that? Is it even possible?' His over-analytical brain began to muse the topic more, spiraling into his usual habit of overthinking everything. 'Nah. I'm sure it's just a placebo, something that only works because you believe in it.' He flipped the hair out of his eyes, almost proud that he was too smart to fall for such tricks. 'Or maybe the psychic heard the mean thing I said and this thing will kill me when I put it on!' His eyes widened before he shrugged off that idea. 'Not likely...'
'But... what did she mean when she said win over the special lady in my life...' He was pacing in front of the dresser now, morbid curiosity beginning to get the better of him. 'Does that mean it has some kind of love spell quirk in it? ...No. Those don't exist either. If it does anything, it's probably because it has something sneaky in it... like pheromones.' His feet stopped moving suddenly. 'Still... that sort of thing couldn't hurt one's chances I suppose...' He opened the box, then closed it, then opened it again, mentally arguing with himself. 'If it was just a joke, why did she say to use it wisely?' He stared bitterly at the wooden arm cuff. 'What could this weird little thing possibly to do help me get closer to F/N?'
It was then he decided to try it on. He had to put his own stupidity to rest and convince himself that this was all just a hoax. 'It's just an experiment. I'm a man of science, after all...' He figured it would be smart to do this in the safety of his own home just so he knew how it would affect him. 'IF it affects me.' He corrected. 'Because it definitely won't...' He took a shaky breath, picking up the trinket. The bangle was much too large for his slender wrists but he slid it on anyway, truly disappointed in his own lack of discipline.
He gasped when the wristlet constricted, binding to his arm. In the mirror he saw his eyes begin to glow gold. It was an unnerving surprise. He should be afraid! 'Why... am I not afraid?' He didn't feel a flicker of fear in his veins. However, he was struck by a sudden insatiable restlessness. He felt excited, jittery, like he just wanted to dance around the room for some reason. The golden shimmer began to dissipate, eye color returning to their default dark hue, but the energy within him didn't disappear.
"I think I'll go visit F/N." Tamaki smiled to himself, full of resolve. He couldn't describe how or why, but he was stricken with an immovable urge to see you. Freely, he tore away from his dresser, humming a song in his head. He stopped himself. "Well, I certainly can't go without looking my best." He threw open his closet with a loud noise and peered inside. "Ugh. I really ought to buy more bright colored shirts..." But he wouldn't let that get him down tonight. He grabbed a whimsical pattern, one he hadn't worn in a while, and returned to the mirror. He slicked his hair over to the side a bit, the way he might wear it to a black-tie event, and he was on his way.
The time on his watch read 11:30 at night. "Is it too late to go to a lady's house?" He lengthened his walking stride. "Of course not! She will be happy to see me." Why he was so certain of this fact, he had no idea.
"Hm..." He eyed your house thoughtfully. It seemed like a much more romantic idea to go to your window than your front door, so that's just what Tamaki did. The light was still on in your bedroom, making him smile. He had an aura of good fortune about him tonight, and nothing could stop him. It resembled the high of a Vegas gambler on a winning streak, untouchable in his glowing glory. He launched a stealthy tentacle to your rooftop, suction cups taking hold on the gutters. He raised himself up and you heard a knock on your window.
"TAMAKI?!" You almost yelled. What on earth was he doing here at such an hour?! You felt a knot in your throat as you threw open your window. You knew he would never burden you this time of night unless there was an emergency. "Tamaki, are you okay?"
"I am now." He smiled as you pulled him into your room by the hand.
"What's wrong?" You examined him with wide eyes, checking for injuries. "What happened?"
"...Nuthin." He shrugged.
"You can tell me, Tamaki."
"There's nothing to worry your pretty little head about." He replied with a grin.
"...Tamaki?" You took a step backwards. You had never seen him smile like that. It was confident... evocative.
"I just popped in for a visit. Honest."
"At midnight?" You tilted your head.
"Welp, I figured it meant you weren't busy." He laughed, and you furrowed your brows, mind beginning to race. 'Something terrible must have happened. He's acting manic! He isn't himself. He would never be so impulsive. ...Wait, did he just call me pretty?' During your silence, Amajiki approached you and put two comforting hands on your shoulders.
"Really, you have no need to worry."
"...Okay then..." You looked up at him, craning your neck a bit more than usual. "Tamaki... did you get... taller?" You took in his slender fit form and realized something. 'Wait, no... he's just standing up straight for a change.'
"No." He answered, leaning in close to your face. "Did you get prettier?" This question stunned you and your mouth fell open. "Wait. I already know the answer to that. Yes!" You were sure that all the blood in your body just rushed to your face.
"Uh... uhm..." There was no clear identifiable way to react to this situation. Amajiki was straight-up flirting with you and that defied the laws of physics itself. You were definitely dreaming; this was preposterous, inconceivable. He approached you with that irresistible smile, allure radiating off his chiseled features.
This was positively ludicrous! You were used to being the one who initiated any sort of flirting with Tamaki. You took it slow, enjoying every bashful reaction from him and holding it close to your heart. However, it seemed that the roles were reversed tonight, the world turned upside-down, and you had no idea how to handle it. He took one last stride, closing the distance between you. His face was much too close to yours, nebulous galaxies besprinkled in his beautiful dark eyes.
"It was a bit chilly out there." His voice interrupted your train of thought. "Aren't you going to warm me up?" He placed his hands on your waist, cornering you in his embrace.
'Holy shit!' You gulped. You were backed against the wall now, heart thudding loudly in your ears. Your expression must have been priceless, for he gifted you a warm smile. His advances were so blatantly forward, it caught you off guard. 'Amajiki who? Ama-CHEEKY is more like it...' Your face went up in flames again when he caressed your jawline with his fingertips. Your stunned silence made him pause for an instant.
"F/N..." His lips were just inches from yours now, so welcoming and kissable. "If you don't love me, you can love whom you please..."
"L-love?!" You squeaked.
"But surely... that person can wait until tomorrow." His eyes had fluttered closed and you could feel his hot breath rush past you. You gasped at the suggestion.
"But I-" His lips cut off your confession and his arms wrapped around you securely. You gave in, throwing your arms around his neck and weaving your hands into his hair. As his desire spiked and he deepened the kiss, you couldn't help but formulate a new theory. Not even in your wildest dreams would Tamaki hold you so tightly, sigh into your mouth so passionately. Therefore, this couldn't be a dream. You were surely dead and what you were experiencing was a literal slice of heaven.
You tried to gain control of the situation again by nipping his bottom lip and pushing him backwards onto the bed. But he wasn't having it. With a surprised yelp, you were flipped beneath him, and his lips crashed against yours again, more intense than before. His touches were smooth, intentional and driven, affection reducing you into a puddle of melted ice cream. With his body pressed against you, hot mouth moving against yours, you felt completely surrounded by him. You had to push him back enough to catch your breath and steal a glance at his blushing cheeks. He locked eyes with you again and you spoke to try and keep yourself from getting more flustered.
"A-are you warm now?" You stuttered breathlessly.
"Mmm." He nuzzled your jaw with his nose. "Yes. You're such a gracious host." You covered your face in embarrassment from his intense stare and Tamaki chuckled, voice low and husky. "I hope I've been an acceptable guest." His tone was playful, excitable. For a moment it felt as though he swapped personalities with a very frisky Mirio.
"Yeah..." You bit your bottom lip, a much-too-inviting signal for Tamaki to ignore.
The kissing continued for a while, trading sweet affection and touches as you went. When you would try to gain control with a bold move, he would match it or top it each time until you were both panting, love-struck and dazed.
"Tamaki..." You hesitated, feeling a little self-conscious for asking such a loaded question. "...Would you... stay?" He paused and brushed a strand of hair behind your ear.
"You act like I had any intention of leaving..." He raised an eyebrow as if he was appalled at the question, a mischievous grin pulling at the sloped corners of his mouth. For a moment you almost wanted to get a camera to preserve these expressions you'd never seen on this shy boy before. He plopped his body next to you on the bed. "You can't get rid of me that easily..."
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You awoke to a startling thud of something hitting the floor. 'Oh. It was just that weird bracelet Tamaki was wearing.' You gazed upon the face of your sweet companion, sleeping soundly right next to you.
Amajiki felt a soft touch on his face and his eyes drifted open slightly. Your face lingered close to his, how nice of a dream. He reached out to touch your hair, consciousness slowly returning to him.
"Good morning, Tamaki."
"Mmf... Morning." He dawned a lazy smile and sighed. "What are you doing here, F/N?" He mumbled. Not that he was complaining about your presence.
"Me?" You chuckled. "It's my room, silly."
"How did I- OH!" Suddenly, all the events of last night came rushing back to him and his eyes shot open. "UUUAAAHHHH!" His sudden shriek alarmed you.
"Tamaki?" You reached out in concern and he fell backwards off the bed to escape your grasp. "What's wrong?"
"L-l-last night! I-I...I... and w-we... k-ki-ki..." The color filled up his face like a thermometer dropped into boiling water.
"It's okay, Tamaki." You sat up and he was practically hyperventilating on the floor, eyes darting around the room searching for any means of escape. He crawled frantically towards his jacket on the ground, spluttering various gibberish and apologies.
"I erm- I wasn't... S-s-sorry- nyeh! Didn't mean to-" The boy before you looked utterly petrified by his actions, and the last thing you were able to make out before he was out of sight was: "H-HAFTA GO!"
"Wait! Don't-" He ran the wrong direction down your hall before realizing his mistake. He was discombobulated, unaware of the layout of your house, seeing as he came in through the window last night.
You sat on the bed, mouth agape, utterly baffled at the events that just ensued.
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Tamaki was mortified. The moment he arrived home he threw himself under the covers of his bed, hiding his shame. He was never coming out again, not ever. "I can't believe I did that! All of that!" His face burned from embarrassment, ears twitching from the stress of it all. The things he did under the influence of that item were unthinkable! But as much as Tamaki tried to cast every ounce of blame on the object, he just couldn't quite do it. There was no denying his own part to play in all of this. As much as he wanted to think that he was being controlled by it, every idea that came to his mind last night was his, the only difference being the endless supply of spontaneity and courage that he always lacked before now. That little thing had turned him into the polar opposite of his default setting. But he had to admit, it felt so good to finally be able to let loose like that.
By some fantastic miracle, that little wristlet from the shop had helped him effortlessly woo you, and that very notion made his heart sing. However, this feeling was tainted with a veil of sadness. "The only reason I won her over was... by being anything but myself..." That was the thing that hurt the most (besides the painful churning anxiety in his chest that is). 'Maybe that's what the psychic was warning about when she said to use it wisely...'
He frowned from the deepest recesses of his heart, wishing. What exactly he was wishing for, he wasn't even sure. That you wouldn't totally hate him after this? Yes, that was definitely the first and foremost wish. That he could ever hope to win favor with you again by just being his normal flawed self? Also yes. Unfortunately, both of those wishes seemed utterly unreachable, and his only desire now was to apologize for his ghastly actions.
But... there was no way he could muster up the bravery to face you now. Not without the bracelet at least...
"AH! The bracelet!" He exclaimed, blanket falling off of his head. "Where is it?!" He scrambled throughout his room, tearing his bed apart for any sign of it. He simply had to find it. There was no chance of the conversation going over smoothly otherwise. A gruesome dread struck him when he remembered where he left it... 'At F/N's house...' His eyes widened and he gulped. He couldn't go back there, probably ever again after what he had just done. There was only one solution he could think of...
"Please help me!" The bell of the House of Intuition jingled, signaling Tamaki's violent entry to the store. "The bracelet... a-and the spell and... I- I've made a terrible mistake!"
"Woah there, sweet thing." The psychic sat the poor shaken boy down. "Tell me what happened."
"I-I went to her house and talked to her and we kissed and- and I s-stayed over!"
The woman blinked in confusion.
"Now... correct me if I'm mistaken... but that sounds like a successful evening..."
"It wasn't me at all..." He hung his head. "I totally took advantage of the situation, and of her." The psychic raised her eyebrows.
"N-not like that! We didn't- I-I wouldn't! Ugh!" He covered his face in defeat. She placed a consoling hand on his shoulder.
"Well I'm sorry, sugar. I don't have another one of those. Looks like you're going to have to talk to her in person." He shut his eyes in fear and acceptance.
"You're psychic... tell me what she'll say."
"That's not how it works, dearie..."
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Unglued and sweating bullets, he arrived at your front door. If he could just find a way to convince you to give him the bracelet, he could take control of the conversation and straighten things out.
"Tamaki?" You were happy to see him after his panicked departure this morning, but still felt a little on edge. You had begun to wonder if his unusual (and extremely sexy) behavior was the result of someone's quirk and felt terribly guilty for taking advantage of that.
"H-hello, F/N." His meek persona was solidified proof that he had returned to his original self. In your hand sat the magical artifact he needed, his mission for coming here. Now he just needed to find a way to take it from you...
"Are you okay?" You questioned delicately, but he was utterly focused on the item in your hand. "Oh. Here." You handed it to him without question, a heaven-sent miracle in Tamaki's eyes. "You left it this morning." He snatched it from your hands at lightning speed.
"Th-thanks..." How perfect! All he had to do now was slip it on and... The concerned shimmer in your eyes halted him and a wave of guilt washed over him. No... He couldn't do it. If he used it now, his apology wouldn't be sincere, it wouldn't be him. After his actions last night, he felt you deserved better. If you were going to reject him, it would be unjust for him to not bear the full brunt of it. "F/N..." He finally spoke up after a long silence. "I have something to tell you about... this..." He turned the arm cuff over in his palm.
"Someone used their quirk on you, didn't they..." You were certain that was the truth, and you had taken advantage of the poor boy under the spell of a prank.
"N-not exactly..." He stared at the ground, afraid of seeing scathing rejection in your eyes. "Y-you see... I um... r-really l-like you and..." His face flushed. "...this bracelet... made it so I was confident enough to tell you so..."
You blinked. This wasn't at all the story you expected from him. 'Things like that actually exist?!'
"B-but... I-I let it take over and... I let it go too far... and I'm sorry..." He shut his eyes, awaiting the impending rejection.
"Wait... so you used it on purpose?" Your jaw dropped and he winced.
"Y-yes..." He twiddled the object between his fingers. "It made me overly confident and impulsive." ('And smooth as hell,' You thought as he said it.) "It turned me into all of the things... that I'm not."
"But why, Tamaki... Why would you try to change yourself?"
"I just... wanted to be better and more confident for you..."
"Tamaki..." You took his hands in your own. "You shouldn't try to be different. I liked you the way you were before." His gaze lifted up at your confession but you could tell he was having trouble believing you.
"But... you only liked me when I was being anything but myself... when I was... whoever that was..."
"Oh, Tamaki!" You smiled genuinely. "It's not like that at all. I was in love with you to begin with. You just happened to sweep me off my feet last night." He felt a rush of excitement. "I mean really. Could you resist someone you love suddenly showering you with affection like that?"
"...P-probably not..." He blushed again at the memory, realizing if the roles had been reversed (like they usually are), he would have definitely found himself lost in your embrace as well.
"What happened between us was a special treat, but I really don't mind taking it slow." You took a step closer, peering into his eyes. You were certain you saw stars residing there. "...As long as it's with you." Amajiki felt as if his chest were filled with fluttering wings, tickling his stomach until a smile bloomed on his face.
Before you had a chance to initiate, the ravenette's lips were moving against yours, shy and unsure, but still brimming with the passionate undertones you had felt the night before. You returned his love, holding him close until his hesitation began to fade.
A thud hit the floor behind your back; Amajiki had let the artifact slip from his grasp where it rolled somewhere out of sight. He no longer needed it. Instead, he cherished your caress, basking in a love that was not only everything he desired, but also in the fact that the love you were accepting was a love that was genuinely his. He smiled and sighed into the kiss, feeling his insecurities slip away just like the bracelet that fell from his hand.
Perhaps the item would have had enough juice for one more use... but he had no need for it. At least not now. The artifact would just have to wait for a special occasion...
The End