Chapter Text
"Is there really no one that can take us right now?" Maki asks, irritation etched onto her face. Toge, Yuuta and Panda all stand behind her, and Toge absentmindedly scrolls on his phone while Maki faces off with their teacher.
It really wouldn't be that big of a deal to get to the mission location by themselves, but Gojo-sensei is definitely messing with Maki on purpose. He's already given three different answers about rides, all inconsistent with each other, and now?
Maki looks like she's about to lunge at him and throttle their teacher. At this rate, Toge thinks she might actually be able to bypass infinity.
It's not like this is the end of the world. The second years have Kusakabe to take care of them, even if he doesn't come with the perk of Gojo-sensei's black card.
"Nope," Gojo-sensei says cheerfully. Toge lowers his phone to squint at their teacher. He's definitely asking to be murdered. "I know it's a pain, but there's nothing I can do about it. Can't help it if no one's free right now. Your best bet is probably to take the subway or the bus!"
Toge sighs. Maki looks ready to burst from anger, probably more from the fact that they have to deal with Gojo-sensei rather than the fact that they don't have a driver.
Then someone completely unexpected speaks up.
"I can drive," Yuuta says, and the silence that follows makes Yuuta's shoulders shrink. Toge's eyes turn to stare at their classmate, who he distinctly remembers could not drive before he left.
"You can?" Panda asks, sounding a little suspicious. Yuuta only scratches his head sheepishly with a smile.
"I learned overseas," Yuuta admits. "It was useful to have a license. And Miguel made me drive when he was tired."
Toge doesn't know Miguel personally, but he's heard the stories. And....it doesn't sound impossible.
At the very least, this solves the immediate problem of their driver.
"Sujiko, mentaiko," Toge says brightly. They can get going now, right? Maki only sighs before uncrossing her arms.
"Alright," she says grudgingly. She looks like she has more words for Gojo-sensei, but Toge hurriedly pushes her back before she can say anything else..
Knowing her, if Toge allows her to start yelling at their teacher, they'll never make it out of here.
"Takana, tsuna tsuna," Toge stage-whispers towards Yuuta. Figure out where we can get a car.
Yuuta throws him a thumbs up, and Panda walks with Toge as he steers Maki outside. "I'm not going to snap," she grumbles. "You can stop pushing me now."
But then she grins. "If Yuuta actually has a license, we're going to abuse the hell out of it," she says with a smirk. Toge's not entirely sure what's running through her head at the moment, but based on the look on her face, it can't be anything good.
Still, Toge has to admit the appeal of a license is definitely something. His mind is already drifting off to the mischief the four of them could cause, now that they basically have access to a car at all times.
If Yuuta has a license, that's basically the same thing as Panda, Maki and Toge having a license. His phone buzzes, and Toge clicks it on to see a message from Yuuta.
Okkotsu Yuuta: I'll pull up a car to the front of campus. Meet you guys there?
Toge sends off a response of affirmation. "Mentaiko," he tells the others, and Panda nods.
"Got everything you need?" Panda asks, and Toge shoots him a thumbs up.
"Let me swing by my room real quick," Maki says. "I need to grab something." Toge nods, and she disappears down the hallway.
Panda yawns. "Might as well wait for her out front," he rumbles, scratching his head. Toge finds he doesn't really care either way, so the two of them head out.
It really is sweltering hot outside. Toge has swapped for his summer outfit, so the fabric is much lighter, but it's still uncomfortable. The sweat on his skin makes the fabric stick, and Toge unhappily tugs his collar away from his face.
Heat is the worst. Toge can't wait to get inside the car and blast cold air.
The two of them find a nice spot under a tree to wait, and Maki soon joins them. Toge raises a questioning eyebrow when she appears to have brought nothing new, but she ignores him. What did she go back to grab?
Ultimately, the thought is not interesting enough to keep his attention, so Toge lets his mind drift off. There's absolutely nothing in his brain right now, not when the heat feels oppressive enough to melt ice in seconds.
The sounds of Maki and Panda chatting in the background fill his ears. Maki's grilling Panda about her stolen snacks again, but little does she know that Toge is the real culprit. It's all too easy to make Panda look like the guilty one, and he snickers behind his collar.
Then, he sees a car pull up to where they're sitting. That must be Yuuta. Eager to escape the heat, Toge stands before Yuuta has pulled over, and Maki clears her throat.
Toge glances at her curiously right as Yuuta parks at the curb. "I'll let it go just this one time," Maki says cryptically, and Toge stumbles as she shoves him towards the front seat. He catches himself against the door and turns around to glare, but she's already getting into the back seat.
Panda clambers in after her without a word, so Toge ends up taking the front seat.
"So, Yuuta," Maki's voice rings out casually as they're buckling in. "Tell us about your driving adventures in Africa."
There's something off in her voice that makes Toge frown, so he turns around to look at her. As his head swivels, his eyes somehow end up latching onto Yuuta's form.
Yuta's looking over his shoulder to see if there are cars coming. It should be a normal action by all means, but Toge's eyes continue to linger on his friend.
Yuuta's left elbow rests against the door, both hands on the wheel. His pose is very casual, but it has a hint of confidence that settles into his shoulders.
It's attractive.
Toge's eyes end up tracing up to Yuuta's neck, following the tendons along his neck. Yuuta's become a lot stronger in the past year. It's clear to see from the lean muscles, and Yuuta's head tilts ever so slightly to get a better view of the cars driving along the road, exposing a long stretch of smooth, tan skin.
Unknowingly, Toge swallows hard. His whips his head back towards his own window, willing the heat to die down from his cheeks. "Oh, I mostly got my license because Miguel didn't want to drive," Yuuta says with amusement in his voice. "I was a menace on the roads, that's for sure."
He pulls off cleanly onto the main road, and then they're off. The GPS is already set to their mission location.
"Ha, that's something I want to see," Maki snorts. Toge secretly agrees.
He can't really see Yuuta driving like a maniac. Yuuta's too mild for that.
Panda chuckles. "I guess shy Yuuta has finally grown up," he jokes, and Toge stifles his laughter. Yuuta makes a noise of protest, and Toge comfortably settles into his seat.
It'll be about twenty minutes until they get there.
The mission doesn't even take half an hour. With the four of them, it's a breeze. And even if it was something beyond their abilities, Yuuta would be enough to take care of it.
It pays to have a special grade so close.
"Ugh, I'm starving," Maki grumbles. She eyes their car, which is parked across the street. "Shall we pick up some food on the way back?"
"I want meat," Panda chimes in. "Or sushi."
"Why don't we stop by that place Gojo-sensei took us last time?" Yuuta suggests. Toge winces. It was really delicious, but it was also super, super expensive.
"Only if it's on you," Maki grins. "Your special grade paycheck can cover us, right?"
"Shake shake!"
Yuuta laughs. "Alright, alright. I'll pay for today." The three of them cheer, and Toge rubs his hands together, excited at the thought of an expensive free meal.
"I call shotgun this time!" Maki shouts, and she's already in the front seat before any of them can protest. Well, Toge already got to sit there on the way here, so he supposes it's fair that he sits in the back.
He'll make sure to grab it next time though. Toge slides into the back for now, right behind Maki, and Panda squeezes himself in while Yuuta takes the driver's seat again.
At the very least, Toge is glad that he doesn't have to sit next to Yuuta. Just thinking about what happened earlier is enough to make his stomach churn, and Toge doesn't want a repeat experience.
"Put on some music," Panda insists, and Maki takes over song selection while Yuuta starts to pull out. Toge peers forward to see what Maki's going to choose, but then his heart stutters to a stop as his eyes land on Yuuta's hand.
It's on top of Maki's chair. Since Yuuta's backing out, his head is turned in Toge's direction, and Yuuta offers a boyish smile before his eyes flicker back up towards the window.
From the way Yuuta's arm is flexed, Toge can see his muscle definition clearly. He swallows hard. There's a tendon that's flexed in a way that forces Toge's eyes to linger on it, tracing the smooth definition of his arm. Out of the corner of his gaze, Toge can see the way Yuuta's hair drapes over his face. It looks silky and smooth, and it partially drapes over one eye as he focuses on getting them out safely.
If Toge gets caught staring here, Maki will never let him live it down. This seat was also a mistake. In fact, just being in the car with Yuuta is a huge mistake. To Toge's relief, Maki is busy scrolling through a list of songs on her phone.
Yuuta finally turns back to face the front, and Toge shrivels up on the inside. He's been saved, but something deeper, something more instinctive wants Yuuta to do that again.
Aware that his brain is marching towards something terrible, Toge forcibly shuts down all of his thoughts and ends up jamming his earbuds in. It's rude, but Toge needs a distraction or he's going to lose his mind.
To Toge's relief, there isn't an immediate need for Yuuta to drive again.
Even though Maki clearly had intentions for Yuuta's license, it's been hard to get a day planned. Something always seems to pop up at the last minute, or missions and lessons conflict with each other.
Toge thanks all of his lucky stars in the sky he doesn't have to deal with Yuuta driving. Once was enough, and he's not eager for a repeat.
Mostly.
Then, misfortune strikes when Toge's least expecting it.
"There aren't any managers available today," Yuuta murmurs, a frown on his face. Toge peers over at the tablet he's holding, and he has to forcefully stop himself from dropping his face into his hands.
There's not a single person free. How is this even possible? "I heard there was an attack recently, and a few auxiliary managers got caught up in it," Yuuta tells Toge. "I'm guessing why there's still a shortage of drivers."
Toge supposes that's fair. They're already short on drivers as is, so if even a handful of them are out of commission, it makes sense that the few remaining are probably overworked or unavailable.
"Shake," he says glumly. Toge hopes the managers aren't stuck in the hospital for too long.
"I guess I'll borrow a car again," Yuuta says, and then the problem immediately surges up to the front of Toge's head. All of this thoughts crash to a halt, and he chokes on his spit.
"Toge?!" Yuuta cries, startled by the sudden change. Yuuta nearly drops the tablet as he tries to fuss over Toge, but Toge waves him away as he recovers.
"Mentaiko, sujiko?" He asks desperately, coughing as he tries to clear his airway. If there's one thing he's absolutely certain of, it's that he's not going to survive being in the car alone with Yuuta for a second time.
His mouth feels dry. "The location is a bit too far for public transport," Yuuta says, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "We could take the train, but it would take twice as long to get there."
He'll take it. Anything beats being stuck with Yuuta in the car. "I told Gojo-sensei we'd be back by five tonight since he said that he's taking us somewhere," Yuuta adds.
It's only two in the afternoon. If they took the train, they'd never make it back in time. Toge's heart sinks, trying to find another way out of the situation, but he already knows the answer.
There's no choice. With great reluctance, he nods, and Yuuta grins.
"Great! I'll go grab the car. Meet me up front."
The ride over is exactly what he expects it to be.
A disaster.
Yuuta tries his best to chat with him on the way down, but Toge firmly pulls his collar up and slinks down in his seat. He does everything he can to avert his eyes from Yuuta, who eventually gives up and plays music.
Toge's not sure what excuse Yuuta has cooked up in his head, but he'll apologize later. When Yuuta's not sitting in the driver's seat.
They arrive at the mission site, which is right outside of the city. Toge zooms out of the car as soon as Yuuta parks, and he takes in a deep breath of fresh air.
It smells nice out here, unlike the city air.
"Feeling better?" Yuuta asks. The sound of the car door closing echoes behind him, and Toge peeks over his shoulder. "You looked pretty sick in the car earlier."
Relieved, Toge nods. "Shake." Carsickness is a pretty good excuse. Yuuta moves over to stand next to him, and they gaze at the campsite.
There's nobody here, probably since they closed it temporarily so the two of them could exorcise the curse. It'd be bad to have people continue to use the area if a curse was lingering here.
"They said it's a semi grade two, so it shouldn't be too difficult," Yuuta says, checking his phone. He must have had the files sent over from the tablet.
Then the grade registers, and Toge gives Yuuta a curious look. If it's just a semi grade two, then it was probably assigned to Toge alone. Why did Yuuta choose to come along?
"Tsuna tsuna?"
Yuuta laughs sheepishly. "Well, I wanted to come along," he admits. "I haven't been able to spend a lot of time with you recently. Is that a bad thing?"
Ever since Yuuta's gotten back, he's been swarmed with missions. Since there aren't many special grades in the first place, it makes sense that they're forcing Yuuta to carry a heavier burden.
Even if Toge doesn't like it.
"Come on," Yuuta prompts, gesturing towards the mission site. "Let's get this over with. Maybe if we get back in time, we can watch another episode of that new anime you've been wanting to see."
Toge grins. "Shake," he agrees excitedly.
Toge might not tolerate driving with Yuuta, but watching shows together? That's an old routine that they've had for a while.
To his relief, the mission is as easy as they expected it to be. Toge forcefully herds it out with a command, and then Yuuta easily exorcises it in seconds. The only thing Toge's displeased about is that he took a light blow to the leg while running from the curse.
It's probably just a bruise, since it wasn't that painful when he got hit. While waiting for Yuuta, Toge gingerly shakes his leg, but then an ache rips through his thigh.
Toge hides a wince. Maybe it wasn't just a light blow. Toge had assumed that it was just a bruise, but it hurts a little too much for that. Yuuta jogs up to him, and Toge does his best to hide his limp.
"I think we'll make it in time," Yuuta says, checking the time on his phone. "Good thing I had you here with me today. It made the job so much easier."
Yuuta's praise settles warmly over his shoulders, even though Toge knows that it's not true. Yuuta probably could have taken care of it easily by himself, but it's still nice to hear his friend think highly of him.
Toge holds his hand up for a fist bump, and Yuuta obliges. They head back to the car, and Toge pulls the door open before sliding into his seat.
The motions pulls at something painfully in his leg, and he winces. When Toge gets back to the school, he'll have to stop by the infirmary and ask Ieiri to take a look at it.
"Toge? Is something wrong?"
Yuuta's concerned voice breaks into his thoughts, and Toge clears his throat. "Okaka," he responds. It's really not that big of a deal, and since Toge can still walk, it can just wait until they get back to campus.
"Is it your leg?" Yuuta asks as his hand comes to grab the back of Toge's chair. They're backing out, so Yuuta turns his head to check if there are any cars behind him. Once again, Toge is faced with the view of Yuuta's muscles right in front of his face. "You were limping a bit on the way back to the car."
Toge can't focus on Yuuta's words, not when he's too busy staring at Yuuta's arm. As such, he fails to respond to Yuuta right away, and the car smoothly pulls out of the parking lot. Yuuta's hand slips off Toge's chair, and just when Toge thinks that Yuuta's going to take his arm back, he slides it onto Toge's thigh.
...
Toge wonders if he's imagining the situation right now.
Yuuta's eyes are still on the road in front of them, but his hand is warm against Toge's thigh. It's all too easy to see how much Yuuta has changed since his time in Africa, since his hand nearly wraps around Toge's entire thigh.
Toge knows that he's small. He's the second shortest of all the students at their school, but that doesn't mean the rest of his body is small. Toge knows he has good leg muscles, but this is just unfair.
It's not like Yuuta has tried to hold his leg in the past, but Toge's a hundred percent certain this wouldn't have happened before. There's no way that his friend would have been bold enough to hold Toge's thigh like this, and Yuuta's hands were definitely not this large.
Toge's only saving grace is that he's wearing his usual long pants. If he was wearing shorts, Toge might have actually passed away from a heart attack on the spot.
Before he can spiral too deeply into his head, a familiar rush of reverse cursed energy flows through his leg. It immediately eases the throbbing, allowing the deep ache to fade.
It clicks. Yuuta must have reached for his leg to heal his wound. There's no hidden meaning behind his touch. Toge internally sighs in relief, the tension in his shoulders messing away. "Tsuna mayo," he says gratefully.
The corner's of Yuuta's lips curl into a smile. "No problem," Yuuta tells him cheerfully. Toge nods, then he waits for Yuuta to remove his hand from Toge's leg.
A second passes, and then another. Yuuta's hand doesn't move. It remains on Toge's leg, firm and steady.
Toge's brain starts to short-circuit.
Is he supposed to...say something about this?
Unfortunately for Toge, his brain hesitates for too long. By the time Toge gathers his courage to speak, he realizes that it would be awkward if he brought it up now.
Yuuta doesn't look remotely bothered by this, so how is Toge supposed to say something first? Is this some new form of torture? Yuuta's hand shifts, small enough that it feels like a twitch, but it takes all of Toge's willpower to keep his flinch down.
The only thing protecting him from imminent explosion is that Toge's face is covered. He can feel the heat of his blush burning his face, and for a brief moment, he's genuinely worried that he might heat up the car with how hot he feels.
Unlike the ride here, there's no music being played. The silence rings in Toge's ears, making each second that ticks by feel like an eternity. Yuuta doesn't say anything either, but his hand firmly remains on Toge's thigh.
Each minute shift of Yuuta's hand sends shivers up his spine. The heat builds and builds until Toge thinks his head might actually implode. The wind blowing against his face is the only thing holding him together, but his last strand of sanity is about to snap.
As soon as they pull up to the school, Toge snaps his seatbelt off in a flash and dives out the window.