Archive of Our Own

SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY MORNING ??:??AM/PM

„Brat.“

Nothing. Yuuji wouldn’t move. He didn’t listen anymore.

“Brat!”

Still, Yuuji didn’t move a muscle. It was a form of training he had put onto himself. In the last months, he had become a pro at ignoring Sukuna, which was to the latter’s annoyance.

“You fucking brat!”

A jolt rushed through Yuuji, but he barely moved, showing his unwavering sense of self. A sigh from Sukuna ringed through his ears, and then he muttered: “We are compromised.”

His voice was laced with anger, and he chattered about wanting to save the “wreck called Yuuji’s body” and not being able to do these good deeds, since “the brat” didn’t listen. Sukuna seriously needed friends. But seeing as Sukuna had said it so nicely (for his standards at least), Yuuji considered it and opened one eye. He wasn’t too alarmed, yet. It was dark and he was warm. But nothing out of the ordinary. He was laying on the couch in the common room and it was a quiet night. There was-

Something on him. Something with cursed energy.

But no threat, it was just Fushiguro. Yuuji closed his eyes again.

“Just Fushiguro,” he muttered quietly. Even though Sukuna probably had deduced that himself through their shared sight or senses in general, he felt the need to say it out loud.

It was time to sleep again.

Wait.

He opened both of his eyes this time and gave himself a few seconds to get used to the darkness. Looking down onto his chest, he saw a head of hair resting on his chest. Megumi Fushiguro halfway laid on him, sideways and pressed against the backrest of the couch, one leg on Yuuji’s own, almost entangled, whereas Yuuji laid on his back.  And Fushiguro just… slept, using Yuuji’s chest as a pillow. Loosely resting around Fushiguro’s back was Yuuji’s arm.

Yuuji tried to think back on how he had gotten into this position. That day, he had trained, went for a run, had showered and then… ? Ah yes! He had played UNO with Panda and Inumaki, until the two second years had run off for their shopping trip, and then… Yuuji must’ve fallen asleep, too lazy to move away from the couch.

This small couch was their bed at the moment so it made sense that they needed to squeeze together like that. But there was a leap of logic. Why would they do that? His friend was kind of on top of him, rather peacefully sleeping even.

Or… did Sukuna have his hands in this somehow? Had he done anything to his classmate? No, nothing like that, Fushiguro breathed evenly, there was no blood anywhere, and nothing seemed off. (Besides all the little things screaming that something was off…)

With the fear of any injuries aside…. It was nice. Not overly warm. Fushiguro smelled nice, like the shampoo Yuuji sometimes stole in the showers, when he forgot his own, cedar and something fresh, but not too much.

Fushiguro wasn’t an overly touchy person, well, not touchy at all even… Maybe he had needed a cuddle? Yuuji would say that he was a good catch for that. He always ran warm and had open ears and arms for his friends at all times of the day. He had cared for Nobara when she had been told that her wisdom teeth needed to be removed, when he hugged her until she stopped crying, and even went with her to the appointment. Afterwards he dutifully was her servant for a week, his tasks consisting of bringing her soup and smoothies. In their many cinema nights, Inumaki had fallen asleep against Yuuji a few times already (the other way around as well, when Yuuji was sure none of the cursed plushies were around), and he had used Panda as a pillow more than once (but who hadn’t?). So maybe Fushiguro had just… felt lonely?

A groan was going through his head, Sukuna was at it again, wanting to surface and probably scare Fushiguro for his life, but Yuuji was able to hold him in, pulling the black haired man closer. While doing so, the other one didn’t even stir, but brought an arm around Yuuji as well, hand loosely by the other’s side. How nice.

“I hate it here,” Sukuna said.

~~

SUNDAY 09:33AM

The next time he opened his eyes, it was morning. And he was alone. Maybe he had just dreamed about a certain someone joining him on the couch…

“No,” Sukuna immediately manifested as a mouth on Yuuji’s cheek. Yuuji rolled his eyes.

“What do you want now?”

“That one would not just walk into this room and take a nap on… a brat like you.”

“As if you know him that well…”

Yuuji sat up, stretched, and tried to forget the curse inside him for a moment. He really should have invested in new nicknames for Yuuji, but he was rather busy chattering about something or the other. It was more of a rant, but Yuuji didn’t care to listen.

If Sukuna said that he hadn’t dreamed about Fushiguro choosing him as a bed, then… why? Weird. Okay, he should probably get up and get some productive things done. It probably wasn’t anything important. Maybe Fushiguro had just been too tired to get into his own bed.  Or maybe they had put toxic sprays around the dormitories to get rid of cockroaches or whatever. Nothing to dwell about too much.

~~

SUNDAY 05:17PM

He dwelled on it. Too much.

They had no class that day and while it was still sunny outside, there always was someone outside training. Yuuji had joined the others after Inumaki spammed his phone to come out too and when he did his seniors bidding, he had gotten different greetings (Panda was the happiest, and Maki just nodded), but…  Fushiguro had thrown him a small “hello,” and then hadn’t looked at him even once. And even though he knew his friend was sometimes emotionally distant, this was just rude.

They had trained for hours. Panda had wrestled with Yuuji, they had tested another new weapon (Maki was onto something, maybe she was blackmailing Gojo?),  and Nobara had shown them new nails out of copper or something. When the sun slowly started to set, Inumaki had thrown ninja stars at Yuuji (they had taken liberties and played Naruto for a while) but all of that wasn’t important.

“Fushiguro, stop sulking!” Nobara scolded him for sitting on the stairs by the running track and doing something with his hands, a shikigami frog sitting next to him, watching his owner as if contemplating what was wrong with him itself and how to comfort the sorcerer.

She had stepped up to him, and Yuuji only heard her side of the conversation, seeing as Fushiguro talked more quietly.

“You bore! It’s such a good day,” she said, and then there was a pause, before she talked on, “Then send it out!”

She seemed rather annoyed.

“You three still need to get better at… communication and teamwork,” Maki said, Inumaki next to her nodded poised. Panda tiptoed up to them from behind, not quietly at all, then grabbed Inumaki to throw him, crying out: “SURPRISE ATTACK!”

Maki sighed, but seeing as the other two were preoccupied, she leaned in.

“I don’t care really, but what is up with him?” She asked, pointing in Nobara’s and Fushiguro’s direction.

“Huh?” Yuuji staggered for time, “Fushiguro is always like that.”

She didn’t seem impressed, looking over her glasses down on Yuuji. 

“I know him,” she said slowly, “And today he is… awkward. And weird.”

In the background, Inumaki was flying across the field, with Panda frantically running after him, maybe realizing that he had thrown too hard, to catch his friend. And Fushiguro was acting weird, sure.

She tsk-ed, turning to see the two doing dumb shit in training time, following Yuuji’s gaze.

“These idiots,” was her commentary with a hint of a smile, as she turned back to Yuuji, “Just make sure your idiots are fine.”

She ran off, giving Panda tips on how to catch the third in their class without causing to break his neck. Yuuji sat down on the ground, and looked over to his “idiots”. Nobara sat next to Fushiguro, still a safe distance away from the frog (she seemed… put off?), and they talked normally. He probably wasn’t needed there, it looked like they worked on serious topics. They seemed okay.

~~

TUESDAY 07:45AM

So Yuuji did what every halfway clever person would do. Start an investigation! He had watched enough Detective Conan to know what to do!

First, since he was the … victim? Or was Fushiguro? Mh, another thought for another time. Anyway, he confronted Fushiguro, like friends do. Confrontation was an important people skill, Nobara had told him, really brought character to the table and was good for personal growth. He had caught Fushiguro in the morning before class bringing his laundry back to his room, still dressed in comfortable pajama clothes.

“FUSHIGURO!” Yuuji underestimated his loud voice, which caught the one mentioned off guard, causing him to almost lose his basket full of laundry, so Yuuji continued more quietly, “I have a question.”

The other stood, contemplating this. Looking Yuuji up and down from a distance away, holding his laundry basket in front of him like a shield, which was filled with mostly black and white clothing.

“Yes?” Fushiguro then asked hesitantly.

Huh. Yuuji hadn’t thought he would get that far, didn’t the murder suspects deny everything at first? – Wait, that wasn’t a murder. It was the cue to start a cross examination! (Maybe he hadn’t only watched Detective Conan…)

“What did you do yesterday night from around 10pm to, let’s say… 4am?”

Fushiguro’s eyebrows were pulled together, a frown forming. “What is this about?”

Ah, the denying started… But Yuuji had the big guns, since he had seen the culprit himself! He had no witness. Shit, did he need a witness to make it to the courtroom? He also didn’t have any evidence.

Then it dawned: He had a witness!

“Sukuna!” he cried out in enlightenment, making Fushiguro wince and look around alarmed. But was it really a witness if it was a curse trapped in Yuuji’s body?

Since Fushiguro couldn’t see inside Yuuji’s head, he slowly asked: “Are you... alright?”

He seemed awkward to ask this question. Very un-Fushiguro to ask if someone was alright. Yuuji looked at him. Sukuna didn’t say anything, didn’t come out, and Fushiguro looked at Yuuji.

“Sure,” Yuuji said, “Just… wanted to know if you are alright.”

Fushiguro blinked. Again, these eyelashes… He looked onto the ground. “Sure.”

“Okay, I was just wondering, since I fell a-“

A big stomp stopped them, coming from behind Fushiguro. Nobara stood there glowing with rage. A red sock was pinched between two fingers in her hand and held up high above her head.

“Whose is this!??”

Fushiguro stepped back, holding his laundry basket up, showing her that he didn’t own anything red. Yuuji, on the other hand, blurted out: “I’ve searched for this one! Thanks!”

And he wanted to get the sock out of her hands, but it was slung into his face, laden with no cursed energy, but nonetheless with deadly precision and smelling of flowery laundry detergent. Fushiguro swiftly left the scene, not wanting to witness that murder.

~~

TUESDAY 07:28PM

In the evening Yuuji caught a few concerned glances from Panda and Inumaki, since Nobara had left bruises in her onslaught of violence. Her favorite (well favorite was… stretched, she liked many of her clothes enough to call it her favorite) white tennis skirt was pink now, due to the forgotten sock.

Fushiguro wasn’t present at dinner, and Nobara sat far away from him next to Maki, who sipped on her protein smoothie, asking: “So, he is still sulking?”

“Mustard leaf,” Inumaki said.

Panda nodded. “He turned me away too.”

Nobara still sent Yuuji death glares. He would’ve bought her a new skirt – if it didn’t cost like 200 Dollars (yes, American Dollars) plus horrendously high shipping costs and tax stuff he didn’t understand.

Maki put her drink down. “Yuuji? What have you gotten out of him before Kugisaki caught you?”

Nobara’s eyes were only slits, bad energy flowing freely everywhere, and no one but Yuuji seemed to see it.

Yuuji scratched his head. “Well, I tried, but he said he was okay.”

It would just embarrass his classmate further if they knew about him trying to find out why Fushiguro had taken a nap on him the night before. And also he wanted to keep that little moment of intimacy to himself.

“You mean “okay” in the sense of avoiding you after your night spent together?”

The table was silent, all eyes on Yuuji. On Yuuji’s cheek to be exact, where Sukuna had taken control for this sentence, then vanished. Nobara’s glare was gone, eyes wide. Maki had knocked her protein smoothie over, the red liquid was spilling onto the table. Panda looked at him in confusion, not surprised per se, but rather worried about the meaning of those words, and Inumaki blinked at him, mouth open not hidden behind a mask for dinner.

Maki was the first to come to her senses, saving her smoothie, cleaning the spilt over liquid with a few napkins, but to no avail. She coughed, awkwardly.

Panda asked: “Does that mean what I think it means?”

He was looking at Inumaki for clarification, who didn’t say anything. Then Nobara happened. She pointed a finger accusingly at Yuuji. 

“No,” she level headedly said, her voice cutting through the silence.

“No?” Yuuji said, but understood that he needed to get this situation under control, “Sorry, that was just Sukuna trying to do dumb stuff and make my life hard. >ou know how he is, just loving violence and danger an-“

“No,” Nobara said again. Inumaki nodded. Yuuji looked at her, hearing Sukuna cackle in his head, happy to cause some chaos, albeit not the kind of chaos he had hoped to cause with his “reincarnation” into this world, still he was awfully pleased.

Nobara breathed in loudly, then: “How dare you? First you ruin my favorite skirt that I wanted to WEAR ON A DATE, you…. AND then – “ she chuckled, not happy but rather disgusted, “You get a boyfriend, before I do!!” She shook her head, “And you decide on Fushiguro??” She stood up, gestured around her, “Here are so many better matches! And you choose this grump?” 

“Oh, so I understood correctly,” Panda said, clapping, “Congratulations, that is nice!”

Inumaki shook his head.

“Oh no, it is bad?!” Panda’s now joined the alarmed faces, “You had an argument?”

Maki still looked at Yuuji, processing what was happening, smoothie sloshed on her hands, all napkins fully soaked and useless. Yuuji could relate - he also felt pretty useless.

He cleared his throat to say: “Please stop, we aren’t – that’s…” he thought about his words for once, “That isn’t true, Sukuna just talked out of his ass. I didn’t do anything like that!”

Which wasn’t a lie.

“Hm,” Nobara said.

“Hm,” Panda agreed.

While trying to clean her hands, Maki asked: “So Sukuna has done or said something to Fushiguro?”

Yuuji shook his head. “No, he can’t just take my body over like that.”

“Sure,” Sukuna said, but just in his head this time, “Lie to yourself, if it helps you sleep at night.”

“I have a question,” Panda said, holding his paw (/hand?) up, continuing, after Yuuji nodded, “So you aren’t with Fushiguro in a romantic way?”

“Yes.”

“Mh,” Panda said, disappointed.

Maki had collected herself, telling them: “I’ll go on a mission with him tomorrow. Maybe I can pry something out of him.”

~~

WEDNESDAY 01:56PM

Fushiguro downright avoided him, as much as possible, but now that Nobara was also on the lookout for that, it didn’t make it easier. After Maki had returned from her mission with Fushiguro, they hadn’t seen either of them. And Nobara waited with Yuuji, sitting in the common area, working on some assignments from Gojo – it was dumb stuff, just there to give them something to do. Nanamin never gave them homework. (“Homework destroys the boundary for a healthy work-life balance,” he had once said.)

Nobara was done already and Yuuji was stealing her answers, when she asked: “How would you even go on dates?”

“With my feet? What do you mean?”

She swatted at him, making him look at her face.

“No, I just think it is hard. I imagine you sitting in a coffee shop with a Jennifer Lawrence lookalike and you do your thing and tell her something embarrassing out of your boring life and just – plop – Sukuna comes out and traumatizes her for life even more than you could.”

Yuuji hadn’t thought about that. With his new life, he wasn’t really sure about dating. Since he was a sorcerer, he hadn’t had any dates. And he really didn’t have time for that, so… How would he?

“Well, normally I can keep him in.”

“But you can’t date normal people,” she said, “Sooner or later he would emerge.”

Yuuji hadn’t thought about that and now that she’d said it, he realized: “Well, none of us can date normal people.”

Then, Fushiguro walked in, upon seeing both of them, he kept his expression neutral.

“Hello, nice of you to join us finally,” Nobara said, her voice cold.

“Hello,” Fushiguro said, more awkwardly, walking past them in the direction of the kitchen to the fridge, looking for something as an after mission snack.

“How was it?” Yuuji asked, trying to get the conversation out of this awkward mess.

“Good,” Fushiguro answered.

Nobara rolled her eyes. “Do we get some as well?”

In the end, she convinced Fushiguro to share his food, and they ate together in comfortable chatter. Fushiguro gave them the rundown of his mission, it had been a low level curse, changing the environment around them, making them dizzy and lose direction, but in the end they had been able to overpower it. So everything was alright again?

While Nobara told them something about the K-drama she watched (sometimes with Yuuji), Fushiguro met his gaze, then looked down on his food again. Well, maybe not alright but good enough.

~~

THURSDAY 00:22AM

Normally, he would’ve just let it slip. Fushiguro was acting less weird. Everything was getting better. Slowly, the others forgot (or at least didn’t bring up) the weird stuff Sukuna had said (good thing he normally said weird things), and then he did something dumb. Which wasn’t too out of the ordinary for him, but still. He accidentally called Fushiguro in the middle of the night. He just had come back to his room from a movie night with Nobara and Inumaki (at the end all of them had been crying over someone who had been dead all along the movie, a twist that came out near the end), and he had wanted to send Fushiguro a picture he took of them together, and somehow he must’ve slipped, and called him. He had looked at the screen for two seconds, before ending the call, getting ready to text him sorry, but then he couldn’t. 

Since Fushiguro was calling him!

What the hell.

He looked at the screen for another two seconds, before picking up.

“Yes?” he asked. And was met with silence.

“You called me,” Fushiguros voice deadpanned, but it was … weirdly worried? Somehow that did things with Yuuji – the other one cared? Well, rationally Yuuji knew that the other had shown care towards him before, but… Sometimes he wasn’t too sure. 

“Ehm. Oh,” he said, “Sorry, I-“ He wanted to tell the truth, but then he thought about another, more safe route, “Are we good? You were… distant. More than usual. Have I done something wrong? Said something? Overstepped a boundary?”

(“Boundaries are the most important thing in any relationship,” Nanamin had once said, “Be it work, friends, or love, whatever. Communicating a boundary is the groundwork. If your boundaries are overstepped, you are the one in charge to vocalize it and to end or change the relationship so that your needs are met.”)

Fushiguro seemed taken aback. “No, it’s. No. I’m, just…”

Normally he didn’t stutter like that? Maybe Yuuji had woken him with his accidental call.

“A few days ago, I-“ Fushiguro began, but stopped, “I thought that I did something wrong.”

“You mean,“ now it was important to step carefully, so Yuuji said the least he could, “in the common room?”

“Yes.”

Ah, so Fushiguro was embarrassed because of that? Made sense. Maybe? Yuuji kind of was feeling bad now, seeing as Sukuna had told everyone…

Had the other… joined him on the couch on his own accord? He could feel Sukuna roll all of his eyes, but… Somehow, Yuuji felt more warm than normal. Fushiguro cleared his throat, but didn’t follow up with words.

“No worries,” Yuuji said, “I’m good.”

“Good,” Fushiguro said, “Take care. You should sleep.”

They said goodbye. They were in the rooms next to each other, so phoning had been useless... But maybe it had helped not seeing each other’s eyes. Yuuji put the phone down, not wanting to send the picture of him with Nobara and Inumaki anymore.

Since the night on the couch, he hadn’t slept well.

He had never slept as good as in the night with Fushiguro in his arms.

~~

WEDNESDAY 11:55PM

The next few days, Yuuji slept on the couch. This was his next step of his investigation – Maybe the couch had been the defining feature of his perfect night of sleep and not Fushiguro being there with him. During that time, he was awoken by many people. The first night it was Maki who had wanted to raid the fridge, and stumbled over Yuuji’s slippers haphazardly thrown in the room.

“What the hell?” she had asked, but still had eaten half the contents of the fridge (stole it off to her room more like). 

Another day he was woken by Inumaki wandering through the halls. At first, Yuuji thought the other was sleepwalking, until Inumaki noticed him and turned, revealing a confused look on his face. Without any cover for his mouth Yuuji could see the full expressions on the other’s face. He had his phone in hand, walking over and handing it over to Yuuji. There was a video call happening.

“Hi?” Yuuji asked, and then recognition set in, “Okkotsu! Nice to finally meet you.”

Yuuji sat up, letting Inumaki sit next to him. Okkotsu looked confused as well. His background was well lit, he sat on a balcony, sun on his face, but he looked tired and worn out, besides the smile on his face, which was rather genuine. He looked like in the pictures Yuuji had been shown, just a bit more tired and older.

“Oh, you must be Itadori Yuuji,” he said, voice warm and happy, “Nice to meet you too. You’re… in the common room? Isn’t it like…the middle of the night?”

“Yeah, the couch is great,” Yuuji lied. It had been great for that night, but then never again. As if a piece was missing. But the jury was still out on that.

“You must’ve gotten a new one,” Okkotsu said, “I slept there once too, well, I was unconscious after Panda- that’s not too important, but I just remember that it wasn’t nice.”

As if to bold that statement, a spring of the couch pressed into Yuuji’s back, but he didn’t budge. Mind over matter.

“Yeah, maybe,” he changed the conversation, “So you just chat with Inumaki in the middle of the night?”

Inumaki leaned on Yuuji so he was in the frame as well, signing something with his hands. Ah yes, Yuuji had learned to sign a few words from him, but couldn’t hold a whole conversation yet.

“Yes, sometimes… I just got back from a mission, and Inumaki was awake. It’s like midnight for you, right?”

Yuuji nodded. Okkotsu sighed but his smile didn’ leave his face, as he tried to scold them: “You should both sleep.”

Inumaki signed something, and Yuuji just got the parts about talking and not enough.

Their friend overseas chuckled. “Well, anything new about the Fushiguro story?”

Yuuji looked at Inumaki who looked back at him questioningly.

“Ehm, or was that secret? I just thought-“ Okkotsu said fast, almost stumbling over his words.

Inumaki said: “Bonito flakes.”

And signed for Yuuji to go on.

“He’s better now,” Yuuji said, “Just had a rough few days.”

“That’s good to hear,” Okkotsu said, “When I was still back home – he sometimes isolated himself, because he needed it. But he often overestimated how much time he needed alone and … Mh, I guess it doesn’t matter anymore, he has kind friends around now, to get him out of this slump.”

Yuuji nodded. Fushiguro was out more, maybe not happy directly, but more energized. And that was what mattered.

They talked to Okkotsu for half an hour, exchanging stories about new happenings here and there. Inumaki was laughing a lot, happily smiling, he must really like the one behind the screen  – Then something lit up in Yuuji’s head. They really liked each other. They must know the question sitting in the back of his mind, since Nobara asked it.

“How do you go on dates?” Yuuji asked, after Okkotsu had eyed him particularly weird. Inumaki let out a little noise, a shocked surprise at first evolving into him coughing.

“Ehm. You ask someone to do that with you?” Okkotsu phrased it more like a question, trying to get help from Inumaki, who shrugged, but seemed amused, whereas Okkotsu even through the screen sported red cheeks.

“Yeah, I get that. But I mean, with our lifestyle, what if a curse just jumps up and destroys your romantic candlelight dinner?” Yuuji asked, and Okkotsu’s expression also soured. Maybe he had hit a sore spot?

Inumaki signed for him, after calming down, >>I can’t even talk, dates are hard.<<

“But many people understand you,” Okkotsu interjected, almost in a defensive tone.

Yuuji nodded, he had spent a lot of time with Inumaki as well. After some weeks it wasn’t hard to understand him and with the additional help with sign language and technology, what could go wrong?

Inumaki jumped up suddenly, bumped into Yuuji, who let the phone fall, landing on the sofa cushions safely. They heard something being said from down there, but their attention was on the figure in front of them. Inumaki’s death grip on Yuuji’s bicep softened, after the person stepped closer.

“What do my weary eyes see here?” The man with the blindfold dared to ask, “My little students out and about in the middle of the night? What if a shady person approaches and kidnaps you?”

“Gojo, what the hell,” Yuuji said, Inumaki next to him: “Cod roe.”

“This is not allowed,” Gojo said, waving in the general direction of them, then snatching the phone, and holding a peace sign up, “Hi Yuuta, nice to see you. You’re also in detention.”

“Hel- … Detention?” The voice from the phone asked incredulously.

“Yes. As you know, the curfew starts at 10pm, you’re only allowed down here for food if necessary or to get to the showers, and i repeat, only if necessary. And you are just chatting here. No food, no shower to be seen.”

Okkotsu didn’t say anything, Yuuji looked at Inumaki who shrugged.

“See you soon, Yuuta, don’t forget souvenirs for your favorite teacher!!” Gojo said, before ending the call, then looking at his other two students.

“You know what detention means?” he asked, giving the phone back to Yuuji.

“Ehm? I guess – sitting around after class?” Yuuji asked.

“Nope,” Gojo answered, grinning, “You’re on duty to do my chores tomorrow. Here’s a list.”

A list on a pink post-it note appeared and was pushed into Inumaki’s hands, then Gojo continued, chipper and happy as if it wasn’t the middle of the night: “Be gone – If I see you again tonight, it only gets worse.”

Then he was gone. Yuuji looked over Inumaki’s shoulder onto the list.

•   Harajuku – snacks, new shop
•   Tokyo central – suit for Nanamin (cleaning)
•   Shoko birthday book (cats)
•   Cinema tickets (send Ijichi)
•   New license picture (overdue – URGENT)

“I guess… We’ll have to go to the city tomorrow?” Yuuji asked, giving the other his phone back, who agreed.

~~

THURSDAY 10:30AM

As their usual driver, Ijichi took them to the city the next morning, who at least knew what was meant with the cinema part on the list, seeing as this was probably a task he had been sent on a few times already.

“Does he go to the cinema that often?” Yuuji wondered from the backseat. They always sat on the backseat, never in the front. Inumaki next to him looked out the window, probably listening in.

Ijichi sighed. “That he sends not only me, but also you to do his tasks… That’s not what a teacher should do,” he muttered quietly, as if Gojo was near to hear, “He does go a few times, he even went with me to a new movie last month… He invites his colleagues…” Ijichi seemed lost in thought for a moment, but caught himself, stopping at a red light, “This time he wants to take Shoko, and he always wants the seats with the best view.”

Ijichi chuckled, continuing: “Once he annoyed Nanami until he agreed to go with him. And Gojo had bought tickets for Nanami’s choice of movie but then he tricked him into sharing one of these loveseats.”

Inumaki next to him let out a laugh, more of a grunt, but Yuuji had another question: “Loveseats? Is that a good idea for a date?”

Inumaki looked at Yuuji, but the latter didn’t turn, rather watch Ijichi sputter something, worriedly about not having told them that, and that Gojo wasn’t to hear of that – or Nanami!! Oh god he was going to be beat up.

“No, I mean. I-“ I want to go on a date with Fushiguro , he thought, no, he realized. He had liked their couch-sleeping-situation. And he wanted to do that again. But sleeping cuddled like that with a friend? Maybe that was normal, not in Yuuji’s world currently, so it would be a good step to ask the other one out and take it there slowly?

Yuuji looked at Inumaki, asking: “And what did you do for your first date with-“ he gave Ijichi a side glance, who was just happy that he wasn’t the person they talked about, “the person we phoned yesterday?”

And Inumaki’s eyes looked back at him wide open with shock, the little parts of cheek that could be seen had a red tint on them. He vehemently shook his head.

“Oh,” Yuuji wondered, “I just thought… You never had a date with-“

Inumaki still shook his head. “Bonito flakes.”

“Never?”  Yuuji reiterated way too loud. And Inumaki looked down, maybe hiding sadness, had Yuuji made him sad? Inumaki had never had a date, and he was sad about it. So it was Yuuji’s duty to turn that around – which was coincidentally fitting into his little investigation, with the goal having changed from “Why did Fushiguro use me as a pillow?” to “How do I get Fushiguro to use me as a pillow again and preferably every night?”

So he suggested: “We’re going to do these chores and afterwards go on a date!”

Inumaki looked up so fast, it was a wonder he hadn’t broken his neck in that movement, not only alarmed but worried. Poor guy.

“I mean a play-date. Play pretend?”

Inumaki sighed in relief.

“Oi!” Yuuji playfully said, “Am I not boyfriend-material?”

The other laughed and signed slowly something about Todo and beating up.

That was another problem for his investigation… If he would be able to get a date with Fushiguro, and if Todo would get wind of this… Maybe he would start a riot again. But that was a problem for future-Yuuji. Future-Yuuji who was older and able to make wiser choices than present-Yuuji could even imagine.

“Good, then it is settled,” Yuuji said, leaning back, “Let’s do this!”

~~

THURSDAY 11:02AM

•   Harajuku – snacks, new shop
•   Tokyo central – suit for Nanamin (cleaning)
•   Shoko birthday book (cats)
•   Cinema tickets (send Ijichi)
•   New license picture (overdue – URGENT)

In Harajuku they visited a bookstore, wandering around. Inumaki had mentioned that book stores also were a nice date idea, maybe after a café or something, just to wander around and look at what the other person liked to read. It was a different one than where Yuuji had bought Inumaki birthday books weeks ago, so they decided to split, search for cat themed birthday books (?) and would meet up a few minutes later.

Yuuji felt like he had a good run – there was a book in the point of view of a cat who celebrated her 20 th birthday and how the owner took care of her – somehow Yuuji got lost in the story, sitting on one of the lounge chairs, already welled up to tears after reading 25 pages.

He decided to buy that, after one employee suspiciously watched him for a few seconds too long, and then started to rummage through the birthday section. There were joke books- with cat jokes. Was Shoko… had she ever laughed? Did she even like cats?

But it would fit Gojo to buy her something like that.

“Oh!” Yuuji said, startling the woman browsing the shelves next to him, grabbing a copy of Cats-The Musical-The Movie-The Book . That sounded good, didn’t it? The cover was a bit scary, but… But the book was taken out of his hands, Inumaki stepping up next to him and snatching that up, shaking his head. Putting it back where it belonged.

“Bonito flakes,” he said disappointed. The woman eyed them curiously. Inumaki held up a book he had found: Living life like a cat – Philosophy and life tips we learn from our four legged companions.

“Sounds good?” Yuuji guessed.

So they bought that book, and Yuuji bought his, whereas Inumaki had chosen a manga which he hid from Yuuji.  

Next up was the “new snack shop”. Standing outside the bookstore, Inumaki searched for snack shops on his phone, whereas Yuuji tried to think. Had Gojo said anything about a new shop? Something he wanted to visit? Gojo’s talking was quantity over quality sometimes, especially when it came to the more mundane parts of life.

The phone was held under his nose. There was the map app – and a snack shop “SWEET TOOTHZ” was selected, with a tag “new!”. So… That made sense? It was a walking distance of ten minutes, so they started their journey.

The shop was a nightmare. It was like a circus, the employees were all dressed up in carnival clothing, smiling abhorrently. It was like these horror/ghost houses, just worse.

“Curses?” Sukuna asked, since Yuuji felt scared, maybe Sukuna was too? “You brat!” Sukuna complained, “Fuck off.”

There were so many sounds at once, some pop song blaring from the speakers, and a different song in another part of the shop, slowly mixing into a hellscape of sounds. Inumaki shuddered.

“Mustard leaf.”

In the end they decided on a random assortment of snacks in a surprise box, maybe Gojo would like that. They didn’t want to dwell in that shop longer than necessary.

~~

THURSDAY 01:11PM

•   Harajuku – snacks, new shop ☹
•   Tokyo central – suit for Nanamin (cleaning)
•   Shoko birthday book (cats)
•   Cinema tickets (send Ijichi)
•   New license picture (overdue – URGENT)

Two bags heavier than in the beginning of their trip, they took a subway to the central station. On the drive, Yuuji was looking for a restaurant in the area, where he could take Inumaki for the real date experience.  He was lost in the lists on his phone, until the light haired one bumped into his shoulder, getting his attention.

>>Date – who?<< was all Yuuji got from the signed question.

“You want to know who I want to go on a date with?”

Inumaki signed something, it looked like he tried to do a shadow figure of a dog and then – Nue! How Fushiguro signed Nue. Yuuji asked for confirmation: “Fushiguro?”

Inumaki nodded, and then looked at him in waiting.

“Ah, yes. Oh,” Yuuji said, “I thought it wasn’t too… easy to catch.”

Inumaki pointed on his own cheeks making a talking expression with his other hand. Yuuji groaned. “You believed Sukuna?”

The smaller one nodded.

“That’s not what happened.”

He was looked at amusedly.

“I haven’t… thought about it too much myself,” Yuuji said, giving in, “It’s just… We- I… It’s… I think I like him? No, I know I like him, when we’re together, it’s… Everything is better, you know? And he really is so… caring, for me? For all his friends in general, and I realized I’d like to… be with him.”

Since he didn’t get any reaction from that, he decided to dig his grave deeper.

“I probably ramble too much, but… It’s just… How could I even ask him out? When we’re out in the city, he gets hit on a lot, and he doesn’t seem to care, his standards must be up in the sky. And then – there’s Sukuna. Would you date someone with a curse inside them that could come out every second and do something weird or bad?”

He hadn’t anticipated an answer or a reaction, but Inumaki’s inside corners of his eyebrows slanted up together, eyes not focused on Yuuji’s anymore but on somewhere behind him, just giving the tiniest of nods, sad. Again, Yuuji must’ve put salt in a wound. Again.

“Okkotsu has a curse as well?” he asked, then remembering what Maki had told him about the classmate currently abroad, “Ah the – the cursed fiancé or something… Oh.”

“Oh,” Inumaki agreed.

“Shit, sorry,” Yuuji said, patting the other one on the shoulder, “That’s… rough.”

Inumaki chuckled at that, but then shook his head, doing his Nue-sign again, then asking for the phone. When Yuuji got it back, there was a simple message typed out: “You should ask him out.”

~~

THURSDAY 03:49PM

With dawn slowly approaching, they had decided to take a little break and get into the restaurant Yuuji had picked for their not-date. Inumaki seemed really amused with being “properly taken out”, letting Yuuji open the door for him and escorting him to their assigned table.

“I thought this is a good location?” Yuuji started, after the waitress had left them with the menus, only looking a bit weirdly at them, seeing as Inumaki still had his mask on and Yuuji wasn’t really clothed for such an occasion. Next time he probably shouldn’t just wear jeans and a big old hoodie… Inumaki, on the other hand, looked more well put together, maybe not really fitting that restaurant (it wasn’t too high end, but still), wearing big camo pants, but a nicer sweater under his jacket.

Inumaki made his Nue-impression again, flapping the wings a bit.

“Yeah, for Fushiguro, do you think he wouldn’t like it here?”

With the menu still in hand opened on the dessert page, Inumaki looked around. He shrugged, putting the menu down.

“Bonito flakes,” he said, then acting as if holding something between his thumb and pointer finger while with the other hand forming a fist and moving up and down fast.

“A hammer?” Yuuji asked, maybe he should’ve played more activity as a kid or whatever that game was called. Inumaki nodded.

“I should – hammer him? Get him hammered?” Yuuji wondered. Inumaki shook his head. He took his phone out, typing and sliding it over. “It’s more of a Nobara place.”

“Aaaah, true… Fushiguro needs something more low-key?”

A nod as an answer but then he signed something easy for Yuuji to understand: >>I like it.<<

They decided on the main course immediately, Inumaki chose something terribly fancy and gluten free and vegan and without whatever else that Yuuji didn’t understand, whereas he took the option easiest to pronounce. That backfired, seeing as he needed to order for both of them, or did at least, just thinking about Inumaki not wanting to vocalize his order. They chose sparkly drinks. The waitress happily told them that their choices were great and that everything would come fast, before running off.

It was kind of dark, a romantic candle light atmosphere, furniture rather red and black, very fancy, there weren’t too many people around, just….

Just…

“Shit,” Yuuji said, ducking, with no menu as a cover anymore, but he would be hidden behind Inumaki. Who didn’t turn, bless him, but shot him a questioning look. A few tables back – there was Aoi Todo, sitting with Mai.

“What the hell even,” Yuuji wondered, they should’ve heard the boisterous voice of his “best friend” already, but he looked rather shaken and somber, “There are Todo and Mai…”

Inumaki had his phone back in his hands, typing something, afterwards showing the light up screen to the other. A website was open, showing an announced and sold out meet and greet with Takada-chan, right around the corner of the restaurant. And this particular restaurant was even named as a place the tall idol visited a lot. (She also ordered the dish the cursed speech user had ordered…)

“You think he’ll see us?” Yuuji asked, still almost flat on the table with his head, not proper etiquette for a restaurant like this. His date nodded, brutally honest, without saying a word, pocketing his phone.

“So really a bad date decision,” Yuuji decided aloud, but seeing as Todo was currently in a bad mood (or sad at least), maybe he wouldn’t mind them. Mai on the other hand- no… she also seemed kind of… sad? Maybe something had happened. Maybe Yuuji should ask?

But the drinks were brought in, the bubbly waitress asking them if everything was still okay, both of them nodding, so she went off again.

“Well, then, to us!” Yuuji said, “And our weird not-date-date-doing-chores-for-Gojo”, they clinked their glasses together, their bright lemonades laden with sugar, and Inumaki took his mask off to drink. After taking a sip and then exchanging the drinks to see if the other had a better drink (Inumaki really had chosen wisely, so Yuuji wouldn’t give it back for now), he watched the lighter haired one. The marks weren’t too obvious, they looked kind of … faded? And in the dimmed lights they were hard to see.

“Did you put makeup or something on it?” Yuuji asked, pointing on his own cheek.

The answer was a nod. What a clever idea, but it must’ve worn off with the mask. Nobara always complained when she wore makeup and a mask, hating having to put new stuff on.

>>Is it obvious?<< Inumaki asked, self consciously for once. 

“A bit, if I come close, but… It’s dark here.”

Inumaki nodded, but still put the mask back on, signing that he’d be back in a second, moving to the bathroom. Now Yuuji had a perfect view of Todo and Mai, they had eaten up already, and at that moment, Mai did pay for both of them. Yuuji occupied himself with his phone, looking at unread messages.

Gojo: Don’t 4get the gift for Shoko!! Her birthday is tmrw!! Very important

Me: Already done.

Why exactly did he do that for his teacher again?

Oh. While scrolling to find other messages, he saw a two-hour old message from Fushiguro, Yuuji hadn’t gotten a notification for that.

“Best… friend?”

Yuuji slowly looked up.

“Hi Todo,” he said with a shaky grin. Mai next to Todo, sighed, before saying “I’ll wait outside.”

She seemed rather… deflated.  Maybe they had trained too much? Or maybe the line to get to their (or at least Todo’s beloved idol) had been kilometers long again. Todo looked at the set up, the two drinks, and the empty seat, taking it all in and using his enormously high IQ to deduce the situation in milliseconds.

“A date?” Todo asked.

“Kinda,” Yuuji said, feeling an urgency to get the other one away. He didn’t need all of that drama again.

Todo nodded, his voice wasn’t as loud as normally, he seemed… off.

“Is everything okay with you?” Yuuji felt the need to ask. The other was… A weird guy to say the least. But he was a weird guy that Yuuji held close to his heart. Todo had tears in his eyes (but he seemed rather easy to be brought to tears, so maybe everything was normal?).

“You know me too well,” Todo said, “Today, we’ve seen Takada-chan.”

“I figured… And it wasn’t good?”

Todo shook his head, tears flying everywhere. “It was an enlightening experience. How shall we move on with our normal life like nothing?”

“I guess…” Yuuji began, seeing Inumaki emerge from the bathroom and upon seeing Todo, turning and going back into hiding, phew, “You should sleep on it?”

Todo patted him on the back (rather violently), “Next time, I’ll take you. You still haven’t met her yet.”

“Sure,” Yuuji said, hoping that the other would move on and go, “Take care, and take care of Mai? She seemed unwell too...”

A nod from the big guy. “You are very clever, bestie.”

Bestie? Everything went downhill in his life.

“Tell me about your date when it’s over,” his best friend said, “I should go, before she comes back or she may decide to fall in love with me. And I can’t reject another woman anymore, but for Takada-chan I have to.”

Thanks for nothing, Yuuji thought. “Yeah, that’s… very thoughtful of you.”

Todo nodded again, gravely, and murmured a goodbye and something about freshening up and went back… to the restrooms. Shit.

He warned Inumaki by sending him a message, hoping the other would be on his phone. And then everything went silent. Yuuji slumped again, but had to move, when the waitress came back with their orders, smiling at him. 

“Bon appétit!” she said, giving him a genuine smile, he said a quiet thanks, and waited. A few seconds later, Todo came back, waved him halfheartedly and moved out. Then Inumaki looked out, left and right, saw that the coast was clear and walked over, happily seeing the food in front of him. Now without a mask and no marks to be seen. How weird. Like an imposter. A fake Inumaki. 

“Salmon!” Inumaki said happily, and they started to eat, during which Yuuji recounted the short experience with the Kyoto student. His opposite laughed at him (not with him), but thanked him for the heads up.

“Yeah, I thought today wouldn’t be a day for the shenanigans from last time…” Yuuji said. His meal was nice, still very hot and a bit too spicy, but the more he ate, the more he enjoyed it. He even was offered some from Inumaki (which was also so much better – the little vegetable balls or whatever they were called were so nice that Yuuji stole three of them).

Afterwards they shared a piece of dark chocolate cake the waitress had recommended. Inumaki had taken a picture of the piece of cake, where Yuuji tried to be in the background, giving a thumbs up to Inumaki’s surprise. But he took a few with Yuuji. After their little photo session, they had to confront the next problem: Nanami’s suit.

While sharing the cake, they searched for their next target. They found a suit shop nearby. “SUITS & TIES – Suit cleaning &  tailoring”.

“And there’s another one two kilometers away, but this one is just called “CLEANING YOUR SUIT - 24hr SERVICE”, but it only has 3 stars… Wouldn’t Nanamin want the best service?” Yuuji asked. 

Inumaki had taken the last little crumbs of the cake, giving him a blank expression.

“You’re right… Gojo probably didn’t care.”

Even though Yuuji was the one who had taken Inumaki on this date-not-date-whatever-he-had-said-before, when he came back from his “freshening up” (he decided to borrow that phrase), Inumaki had already paid for their food (and bought another piece of the cake to go). Nobody had ever paid for him like that, so Yuuji was a bit emotional for a while, until they arrived at the suit shop to be precise.

It looked very prestigious, and very very expensive. From outside they could see a few suits displayed, and there were no prices to be seen anywhere. He had learned many things from his shopping trips with Nobara, and one of them was that no prices were a bad sign for anyone's wallet.   

They walked in and immediately were met with a nice smell, perfume, very dark and expensive, mixed with detergent. Yuuji tried not to breathe too much (that probably cost extra – oh god, had Gojo paid up?), and went up to the store clerk, a man in an expensive suit, looking down at them, especially at Yuuji, then turning to Inumaki.

“We have a mask sale – there’s one designed and imported from France, starting at 19.000YEN.”

Inumaki blinked at him, but then was snatched and escorted by another seller just appearing next to them (Gojo-style), a middle-aged woman, looking like the villain in a paris-fashion-show-movie (and Yuuji had seen them all).

“Ehm, we just… wanted to pick up a suit. For Nanami Kento, brought in by Satoru Gojo,” Yuuji stammered. It felt like he did something illegal. The man typed on his tablet (encased in a glittery diamond case), then looked up and down between the tablet and Yuuji, a rather appalled look on his face.

“It is paid already, I see,” he said, clipped, “Give me a minute.”

He picked up the phone, calling someone. During that time, Yuuji looked to the other end of the shop, seeing Inumaki being talked to by that woman who seemingly didn’t care that the young adult didn’t answer, maybe that was even better for her selling tactic.

“Mr. Gojo, we have told you time and time again that you have to tell us who picks up your suits,” the man told into the phone, “This time it is a teenager, pink hair, and his … friend, white hair, mask, not many words,” the man said, and with every word, his voice got more stern, “Is this so? … I understand, see you next time. Thanks for having shopped with us.”

He didn’t wait for an answer, and put the phone down, addressing Yuuji again, “I’ll get you the suit.”

When the guy disappeared to a part of the shop where the customers couldn’t go in, Yuuji again checked up on his friend. The woman had apparently moved on to the suits, trying to sell him something? And Inumaki kind of looked interested. Or played pretend at least.

A suit was handed to Yuuji, folded inside a black sleeve, so he couldn’t see what it was about, the man blankly said: “Tell the owner to be more careful when cutting beetroot in the future,” he didn’t sound too eager or convinced, “Normally one wouldn’t cut beetroot while wearing a suit in such quality. He should invest in an apron.”

Yuuji nodded, thanked the man and carried the suit over to Inumaki, saving the other by saying: “Ehm, thanks but we need to go.”

The woman seemed sad, but Inumaki was relieved to be saved, already by his side again, and out, saying goodbyes.

~~

THURSDAY 05:39PM

•   Harajuku – snacks, new shop ☹
•   Tokyo central – suit for Nanamin (cleaning)
•   Shoko birthday book (cats)
•   Cinema tickets (send Ijichi)
•   New license picture (overdue – URGENT)

Yuuji carried the suit and the bag with the books, while strolling next to Inumaki, sighing: “What a day…”

It was almost 6pm, and they only had one task left with no pointers on how to do that. Yuuji looked between the list and Inumaki. The day had been fun, but already he could feel a tiredness set in, due to the ups and downs that the general trip had caused him.

“Inumaki-senpai?” he asked, playing coy. But the other wasn’t easily fooled, shaking his head, but Yuuji wouldn’t give up without trying, giving the other a big smile, while asking: “You look a bit like Gojo, don’t you think?”

Inumaki crossed his arms in an X in front of him, a bag whooshing a bit with that fast movement.

Yuuji felt how Mai had looked all these hours ago, sad and tired. “Okay, good, I guess. You have different eyes.”

Inumaki almost seemed offended, signing something way too fast and frantic for Yuuji to even catch one word. How were they to do the last task?

“… Can he even drive?” Yuuji wondered. Inumaki also looked lost in thought. Had anyone else ever driven a car besides Ijichi?

They decided to call the driver, abandoning the last task, seeing as Inumaki wasn’t happy with pretending to be Gojo for a picture. Ijichi picked them up 15 minutes later – maybe he should join a taxi business on the side.

In the car, Inumaki played on his phone, showing him the pictures he had taken that day. There were also some candid shots of Yuuji, and the one selfie they had taken after eating. Yuuji looked at his own phone, the message from Fushiguro still open and unanswered. He’d forgotten.

Fushiguro: Where are you? Gojo said you’re on a mission with Inumaki, is that true?

Me: Sorry for not getting back sooner! It wasn’t a mission in the normal sense… He caught us sneaking out of our rooms last night and now we have to do his chores as detention, so we went to the city…

But before he could hit send, Inumaki shook his head, taking the phone away, waiting for consent to change the message.

“Okay?”

So everything was deleted and Inumaki wrote another message, a better one apparently.

Me: Sorry for not answering sooner! 😞 Gojo sent us to do his chores 😅 so not really a mission, but thanks for your concern. We’re on the way back home, wanna eat dinner at 8? ☺️

Then the phone was given back with the power to hit send. Seeing as Yuuji was happy with that message, he hit the button.

~~

THURSDAY 07:11PM

Fushiguro had answered shortly afterwards, a message consisting only of one word: “Yes.” When they arrived back at the school, he was ushered by Inumaki to take a shower, and was then asked to meet back at the other’s room. Where he was met with an assortment of clothes. Well, an assortment was an understatement – it looked like Inumaki had decided to take all of the clothes he owned out of his wardrobe and distribute them across his room.

Yuuji was invited in and a phone screen was shown to him, the notes app opened, so Yuuji could read the text: “You should wear some nice clothes for a real date, I can lend you sweaters and shirts, but I think your pant size may be bigger?? Try still, if you like some. And tonight, you should ask him!!!! 🤩 When you eat with him, I will deflect any intruders 🥷 and then you can have your pre-date.”

Yuuji looked up, swallowed, looking around the room. Oh well… The next ten minutes were spent by him rummaging through the clothes (they were sorted by size he found out), and being styled by Inumaki. In the end they decided on a sleek black sweater – no logos, nothing springing out immediately, but it was very soft. When wearing it, Yuuji caught himself petting his tummy to feel the fleece-like fabric. And pants really were a problem, Inumaki wore big big pants, but wasn’t happy with how they looked on Yuuji, so they decided on a pair of washed out jeans.

But Inumaki wasn’t happy yet, not completely, giving Yuuji another sweater for next time (a dark red pullover) and then letting him go, giving him pointers on what to do and what to say while they dropped the sweater off and went down to the kitchen. Yuuji didn’t catch all too much about it, even when asking for an explanation, it was just too fast and he was tired, but he caught the gist of it. He thought at least.

Inumaki told him to look into the others eyes, maybe try establishing body contact through subtle hand holding or lingering of hands (How would he even initiate that?), and to never forget to talk about good things and give compliments. Affection would be nice, but even Inumaki saw Fushiguro as a lost cause for that.

It was still before 8pm, but Nobara and Fushiguro already lounged around on the couch, Panda was laying on the floor under a weighted blanket, sleeping. Nobara was scrolling on her phone and Fushiguro had a book in his hands.

His classmates looked up upon their arrival, seeing as Inumaki said a tiny: “Kelp” to announce them.

“Back again from Gojo sending you to do his bidding?” Nobara deduced, looking up and then Nobara eyeing him carefully, before blowing out a disgruntled noise, asking: “You bought new clothes?”

Yuuji looked down on himself, as if noticing it for the first time, saying: “Ehm kinda.”

Even Fushiguro was looking at him. Inumaki was stepping carefully around Panda, then woke him by nudging him. Panda flopped onto his side, away from Inumaki, who whispered something, which caused Panda’s ears to perk up and he immediately forgot his tiredness, jumping up using his blanket as a cape. 

“You are right! I have this very important thing that I need to do now in my room. Bye people.” And he walked off, blanket swishing in the wind he created.

Nobara paid him no mind, wanting to ask another question, probably why Yuuji hadn’t brought anything, but… Inumaki showed her something on his phone. And she took it, looking at it for a few seconds, expression hardening, then looking up to him.

“Are you for real?” she asked with urgency, grabbing her own phone and Inumaki by the neck of his shirt, waiting for him to nod, “We’re gone, bye losers.”

As she dragged him out, Inumaki gave Yuuji a thumbs up, maybe for approval.

Fushiguro cleared his throat, ah yes! The food they wanted to eat. Awkwardly, Yuuji scratched the back of his head.

“Today is a weird day...” Yuuji moved on, deciding to not sit on the couch, but rather ask Fushiguro to get into the kitchen. In his shaky plan, Yuuji had thought that they could cook something easy together, but Fushiguro seemed to have put in more thoughts already. He had prepared by having already chopped vegetables and mixing a sauce for diced up tofu, and he even had already chosen a package of colourful noodles.

“Oh,” Yuuji said, upon seeing all these things prepared just to make it easier for him. 

“I thought you may need a snack after the mission and didn’t want to cook too long,” Fushiguro said, as if it was the most normal thing. They did the rest of the preparations, idly chatting. Mostly Yuuji held up conversation, telling him about their day and Gojo’s stupid tasks, getting a reaction when hearing about the license picture.

“Does he even drive?” Fushiguro asked, while the food sizzled in the pan.

“Yeah, I asked the same! I think Ijichi has a monopoly on the car,” then Yuuji was lost in thought, “There are cars in Monopoly, you know the game!”

Somehow Fushigruo smiled, just hearing that dumb connection Yuuji had brought up, was that… affection? If yes, then compliments needed to be next. 

Fushiguro wore his school uniform, so maybe not that… And his hair was lazily done back with a claw-like hair grip (which reminded Yuuji of a crocodile), so that no hair would find its way to their food. But that looked nice, there was more of his face to see – and the eyelashes! Yes! That was a good part, but… people always complimented him on them, right now these eyes looked at him, framed by the long lashes, and a puzzled look.

“Do I have something on my face?” Fushiguro said, touching his right cheek and in the process putting some of the sauce (a recipe from Fushiguro) on his cheek, splattered in a dark red, almost black.

“Ehm, kinda.” 

Yuuji decided to move closer, swiping his thumb over the little dot of sauce, making it disappear, now vey close to the aforementioned (afore-thought-of?) eyelashes. 

“You’re just … You look good.”

Fushiguro didn’t move, looked at Yuuji, then his gaze wandered to Yuuji’s hand, until that was taken away, back to Inumaki’s sweater again, hand on his stomach, probably dirtying it now. But Fushiguro at least wasn’t so pale anymore, due to the cooking heat he must’ve warmed his face up, sporting a faint blush on his cheeks where the eyelashes landed when he blinked.

“Thanks – I –“ But Fushiguro’s attention was needed by their noodles, taking care of them before they were over boiling. And this got Yuuji out of his trance, putting the rest of the veggies from the pan onto a big bowl, where they mixed in the drained noodles.

When they put the dishes on the table – they saw something new. A little carton standing there, with the logo on top from the restaurant he had visited with Inumaki … Fushiguro opened it, looking in, asking: “Cake?”

Ah, Inumaki must’ve brought it down, so he could share it with Fushiguro.

“Yes, dessert!” Yuuji called out, “From the city.”

“I see,” Fushiguro closed the lid, then added more quietly, “Very thoughtful.”

Eating their food Yuujo noted that Fushiguro (being known as a rather mediocre cook in the beginning, maybe even bad depending on who was asked), had outdone himself with everything, so he gained another compliment, very heartfelt (and stomach felt) from Yuuji, but Fushiguro shrugged it off.

While eating, the other talked about his day – having trained with Maki, going on a run and catching Gojo sitting around bored playing Cooking Mama on Maki’s green old Nintendo DS (Yuuji would remember that). Panda had been away on a mission with Nobara, so when they’d been back, the place had felt more lively.

“A mission?” Yuuji asked for further details.

“The principal wanted to send Inumaki and Panda originally, but he didn’t expect Gojo to cross his plans…” Fushiguro ate so elegantly, maybe he really fitted into the fancier restaurants. Yuuji tried to hold the chopsticks like the other one did, but he felt sloppy, watching Fushiguro talk on, “Kugisaki had to jump in, and she now has not only Okkotsu and you on her hit list, but also Gojo.”

They ate up and Yuuji offered to share the cake, with little forks he found in the kitchen. Fushiguro was hesitant at first, but then seemed to really dig it, after the first bite.

While sharing the little piece of cake, Fushiguro cleared his throat, awkwardly asking: “So… you wanted to tell me something?” 

He gestured with his fork to Yuuji's general being. And Yuuji just looked at the other one for a few seconds, head empty. Had he said anything about wanting to tell him something?... The non-understanding must’ve been pretty clear on his face, seeing as Fushiguro now felt the need to supply him with more information, looking at the half eaten cake, now very interesting apparently, mumbling: “You and Inumaki, I mean?”

And Yuuji still scrambled for his thoughts, had he said something wrong? Exposed one of Inumakis secrets? Did Inumaki even have exposable secrets? Probably, seeing as the other didn’t talk much, so how would Yuuji even know? Wait, he got off track again…

“Come again?” Yuuji asked for clarification, much to Fushiguro’s further embarrassment.

“You’re … sneaking around out with him at night and Gojo said he sends you on a date? Then you show up wearing his clothes, I mean… I guess that’s good?”

He didn’t sound sure at all, but Yuuji looked at him, blank expression. Then he laughed. “Ah no,” he said between the chuckles (Fushiguro didn’t look amused, stabbing another part of the cake with his fork, bringing it to his mouth), “The sneaking out was just a coincidence, two idiots at the same place – or how is the saying going? And the sweater was just to look better so you say yes when I ask you out.”

Fushiguros forked piece of the cake met the table with an unpleasant sound and now he was the one wearing the empty expression. Yuuji remarkably only needed a few seconds to realize that he had said too much.

“Ah, oh. Ehm,” He said cleverly, before he was able to remember words again: “That’s why I wanted to eat with you. Maybe that’s what I wanted to tell you? Yes!” 

Fushiguro flinched at the loud outcry.

“That’s what I wanted to ask. Why would you think I would date Inumaki – or anyone even at that – in secret and not tell you? I would talk so much about the person I like that your ears would start bleeding, maybe that would be my version of cursed speech. But I can't tell you about you, because that kind of defeats the purpose. Or it would be weird, and it's so hard to catch you alone, Nobara’s always around or Gojo just manifests suddenly,” Yuuji made a pause to look around, no white hair to be spotted, “And I guess since you’ve… since the couch-incident, I thought, maybe… You know?”

Fushiguro put his fork down, and the splattered cake was forgotten.

“The couch incident…” he said, almost sounding wounded or injured, bringing the words out behind gritted teeth, “was an accident.”

“Oh,” Yuuji said, putting his own fork down, looking at the table, feeling the first tears prick his eyes as his stomach dropped. How dumb and naïve had be been? And now he’d make a fool out of himself, just spilling that all over the other one, thinking that he felt the same – wanted the same. He needed to retreat, before it got more awkward.

Fushiguro calmly, quietly said: “Itad- Yuuji, hey?” And the other looked up. Fushiguros face was full of concern, green eyes so softly on him and he had used his first name…

“Not, like that,” Fushiguro continued, “I – I accidentally fell asleep on the couch – on you – without… that wasn’t planned.”

Yuuji still couldn’t hold the other's gaze, eyes close to spilling the first tears, and Fushiguro noticed that, and said: “I – yes.”

And with that, he smiled at Yuuji warmly. Sometimes Yuuji’s head wasn’t working right, he liked to think of his brain as a printer: Thoughts weren’t printed out, there was paper jammed every now and then, and some printing jobs were just randomly cancelled. This was another paper jam, a big one at that, Yuuji didn’t understand what was happening, so he started to cry. It had been a hard day, so it made sense that when he felt his lips quivering, he just let it out. Fushiguro was on a different roller coaster of emotion,consisting of anxiety, confusion, and alarm. He looked as rattled as the last time they had fought against a second grade curse together that had run rampant in a hospital. But he got over it fast, putting one of his hands carefully above Yuuji’s, holding them. And Yuuji said: “That was supposed to be my move.”

And then his ugly sobbing started. Fushiguro changed positions, scooping over on his side, letting Yuuji lean on him, hugging him halfway, until everything was better again.

It took some time until that happened. If Yuuji hadn’t been so preoccupied with bawling his eyes out, he maybe would have appreciated the gesture and Fushiguro being so close. 

“Stop that, brat,” Sukuna spat out, he overly dramatically coughed and Yuuji tasted something salty, “Stop crying, I don’t want to drink your tears.”

Fushiguro ignored Sukuna, fingers absentmindedly combing through Yuuji's hair. “I meant yes to the date.”

Yuuji jumped up so fast that he almost knocked Fushiguro over, for the chance to look at his face, and for Fushiguro’s credit, he only paid Sukuna’s manifestation mind for a split second, then went back to looking into Yuuji’s real eyes.

“Really?”

Fushiguro nodded.

“Huh,” Yuuji said, thinking back, “So the couch thing was an accident, but… a happy accident?”

Fushiguro admitted: “A lucky coincidence rather.”

“A happy little accident?” Yuuji asked, until Fushiguro yielded and nodded, which almost made Yuuji cry again. Inumaki hadn’t given him the complete run down on what to do and what to say or whatever, but he figured crying normally wasn’t a big part of asking someone on a date. “That’s cool.”

Fushiguro stuttered something, but ultimately agreed.

Before silence could stretch too long, Yuuji decided to get back on the topic: “So … what do you want to do? I know a few good restaurants around town…”

“Okay.”

“Tomorrow?”

“What?” Fushiguro asked, but then after a pause, “Okay.”

“Good.”

“Good.”

Yuuji asked: “I’ll pick you up at 5pm?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

And then they continued to look at each other. Fushiguro really was beautiful up close, and he looked content with the situation, biting the inside of his cheek, but his lips were more upturned than usual.

“I’m going to throw up,” Sukuna said and Fushiguro just put his hand over Yuuji’s cheek, and for good measure over the other too. (They only heard a muffled noise of anger, until Yuuji felt Sukuna disappear.)

“Thanks for asking me,” Fushiguro said, at the same moment that Yuuji said: “Sorry about that.”

They were so close.

Wait! That was wrong. Yuuji had seen the movies (and he did have these situations before a few times, so!). First there had to be one to three dates before the big kiss! But Fushiguro didn’t seem to know as well as Yuuji did, leaning in more, searching something in Yuuji’s eyes, opening his mouth maybe to ask something, but Yuuji mesmerized, only nodded, forgetting what he had just thought about.

And then he felt Fushiguro’s lips on his own, sweet, soft, lingering taste of the cake they had shared, but Yuuji needed more, his own hands useless up until then, one moving to Fushiguro’s shoulder for support, the other to his hand, just holding, because it made him tingle inside.

Fushiguro was careful, giving Yuuji the upper hand, letting the other invade his space even more, they’d sat on separate chairs, but not for long, since Yuuji stood, leaning over onto Fushiguro, then breaking the kiss slowly, and grinning at the other, who seemed more content even, cheeks reddened, eyes shiny.

“Can I call you Megumi now without you scolding me?”

“I will still scold you,” Megumi said.

“You just didn’t.”

“Hm?”

Yuuji hugged him, “You’re the best, Megumi.”

Megumi returned the hug, softly whereas Yuuji almost violently grabbed him, scared that the other would change his mind.

“You’re not going to shut up about that now?”

“No, Megumi, I’ll say your name so often now that your ears will bleed. Until Megumi isn’t a word anymore.”

The hug continued for a few seconds, Yuuji only leaned onto the other in the end.

“Itadori,” Megumi began, but Yuuji shook his head, feeling Megumi’s hair tickle his face due to the movement.

“Yuuji,” Megumi said more quietly.

“Yes?”

He tried to get out of the hug, loosening their grips on each other, holding Yuuji’s hands, looking into his eyes, swallowing, before saying a bit unsteady: “I’m happy about this.”

And Yuuji grinned at him. Megumi who was few with emotional words, opening up like that! The day couldn’t get better.

“Well, well, well.”

They both jumped, Yuuji falling against his chair, back on it, sitting there dumbly, looking at the intruder. Megumi had jumped away, getting distance between them.

“What do my old eyes see here?” Gojo stood way too close, almost between them, with Megumi standing next to his chair, visibly deflating when looking at their teacher.

“Have you seen our dear Maki? I need help with my playthrough,” the white haired man asked, holding the handheld up, screen shining bright currently showing a selection screen.

“No,” Megumi said, blank and cut short, annoyed.

Gojo looked at Yuuji, waiting.

“Ehm, I haven’t seen her as well.” Yuuji said.

“Mh,” Gojo said, closing the screen, with a loud click, “I see how it is. Then I’ll have to search somewhere else. Maybe chaperone Kugisaki and Inumaki, they are also alone … Teens these days have no shame… Courting back in my days was different,” he said, then singsanged something while walking to the door, before stopping and turning, “Don’t forget that there’s a curfew. Or do, I still need someone to take a good picture of me.”

When he was out of sight (but could they ever be sure?), Megumi rolled his eyes. But Yuuji grinned at him: “We have a date.”

And somehow Megumi shook his head, slowly but chuckled: “Everyone here is weird.”

~~

❤

~~

REWIND - MOMENTS JUST BEFORE THE INCIDENT

It had taken way too long to get all the grime, mud and blood cleaned from his body and especially his hair, he had to throw the clothes in the laundry twice and then decided to scrap the shirt to make a rag out of it, it wasn’t to be helped. The mission had been terrible, an onslaught, a curse which could duplicate itself, its copies running around, the real one hiding in the janitor’s room – Maki had told him her theory afterwards that maybe the janitor had caused this curse, or someone who used to hide in there, since the curse had been doing the same.

Ijichi had looked at them with big eyes when they came back, but after Maki almost boasted: “Not ours, you should see the other one,” he didn’t say anything, let them in and they tried to get nothing dirty, but it was a lost cause.

Megumi had said sorry at least, but Ijichi had waved. “Ah, don’t worry, I have a free pass to get a cleaning once a week. Happens in this business more often than not.”

And back at the school, he was just tired, running after that dumb thing for hours, chasing the fake curses, little ones mixing in. Maki had given the final blow, and everything had been better immediately and he just wanted to sleep. But his growling stomach was against it.

It had been hours since they’d come back, and even more since their last meal. Maybe he should get some instant ramen or a packet of chips and just fall into bed afterwards. It was dark everywhere in the housings, with it being already almost midnight. He sneaked into the kitchen, no one was around, and there were leftovers, rice cooked in a djuvec style, with a little note >>FOR MAKI & MEG FUSHIGURO! ❤ << in the scribbly handwriting belonging to Itadori. He felt himself smile, and promptly swallowed it down. He served himself a big bowl, eating while sitting in the kitchen, only lit by a little overhead light of the oven, scrolling on his phone. Kugisaki had posted a new picture with Inumaki, posing outside like arrogant celebrities, but the second picture was them laughing, maybe at something Panda had done or said offscreen.

Opening his messages, he was again confronted with the same letters as he had been that morning.

Itadori Y.: GOOD LUCK! 🐞 To you and Maki, see you tonight!!!

He hadn’t answered it and now he felt dumb. He had seen it in the car that morning, and at that moment Maki had said something, to which he had turned the phone over, not wanting her to see what Itadori had written to him. Even though it was just a mundane, normal message. It was common for friends to say something like that. In the last weeks he had to endure so many emotional phone calls with Okkotsu about the things Inumaki wrote the latter and these messages were obviously flirty. Inumaki didn’t directly chase Okkotsu, but gave enough hints(more than enough if Megumi’s opinion was to be believed), and Okkotsu even slowly believed Megumi that you didn’t really send your friends things like “ily” and weirdly flirty meme messages (both things that Megumi didn’t see himself doing even if he would be married to someone), but then he had asked Maki for more information, and she apparently found it okay for friends to send such messages and mean nothing behind it. So it was safe to say that Okkotsu still panicked somewhere 9.043km away.

And this situation was too much for Megumi anyway. In a world where he really had to fight for his and other people’s survival every day, these relationship things weren’t on top of his mind. Or hadn’t been.

Romance was hard, and he hadn’t grasped it completely yet. When he’d met Okkotsu the first time, he had felt… something. Maybe affection? He had put it in the drawer labeled respect, since he looked up to Okkotsu. And who wouldn’t? He lived with a curse, in a symbiosis, something he strived to do with his shikigami (which seemed easier without them being so humanlike). And he’d been sad upon hearing that the other was “going abroad”, and was maybe to never be seen again. There was a time he had caught himself thinking about upping his training regimen, so that when (or rather if) Okkotsu came back, he could maybe show him how much Megumi had grown, maybe wanting to impress him?

But with the new people he had met… This had changed. There was a line. There were people he wanted to be like and people he wanted to be with. Well, not people. Itadori had been a sore sight in the beginning, so easygoing, not seeing the dark side (and how could he, he did have such a different life before his grandfather's death), he was fun, open, and… touchy.

In the beginning Megumi hadn’t thought too much about it, he knew he wasn’t someone who wanted to be like the pink haired guy – he wasn’t like that, he wasn’t able to be so open with feelings, so easy to hurt,  so eager to take care of other people without a second thought.

And then Itadori died. In front of his eyes, to save him. 

Kugisaki and he had mourned each their own way, and had felt a pain deeply like he hadn’t before, making him want to isolate, to get away from everyone. And she had mourned differently, so differently. There was a day – the day he had heard her laugh again, Maki terribly proud of being the cause of that (seeing as she wasn’t the most comedic person, and maybe since starting off on a wrong foot with them), where Megumi had felt something stab him inside. How could she laugh again? So soon after losing Yuuji, when he felt like he didn’t deserve to, not without him.

He had asked Gojo for a funeral – and their stubborn teacher hadn’t given in, he had let his usual dumb exterior down for once, giving him good reasons why they couldn’t do that at the moment (The exchange event and the problem happening with the high grade curses who could communicate like normal humans), and Megumi had been so angry.

He couldn’t mourn, he needed more time, and yet, he knew rationally, he had no time. And he couldn’t just complete this process. Something was missing, the ability to say a real goodbye was taken from him with no funeral for him to do so. 

And then Itadori just appeared again. He’d said his sorrys already, but at that moment, Megumi had felt like dying. He understood, and yet he had wanted to beat Gojo to a pulp. Worst teacher, why was every male adult in his life such a mess? Besides Nanami, of course.

Megumi had eaten up, tried to get out of his thoughts, deciding to bottle them up a few more months… or years maybe. Gojo wasn’t open with his true feelings (and maybe Megumi couldn’t blame him, being like that himself – but maybe he could, at least he didn’t overplay his feelings with “comedy”), but… something traumatic had happened to him. Something he had bottled up too. Megumi emptied his bowl, putting it in the washer, and decided to store the leftovers in a little plastic box he moved into the fridge. He kept the note, pocketing it.

He was so tired. Now thinking back on all these things… And when turning the light off, he felt dizzy, had he moved too fast maybe? His eyes weren’t adjusted to the darkness, but he knew these rooms, walking over and feeling sick, deciding to take a break.

The couch must be there somewhere.

He stumbled over something small, but the couch was there to catch him and everything was just too much, he let himself fall onto it front down, clumsily. And immediately, something breathed out loudly, an arm was around him, the couch wasn’t soft (well it wasn’t ever, but this was different).

He hadn’t done that before (not that he knew of at least); but it felt like he was on top of another human.

“F’shig’ro?” the voice mumbled. Itadori. Sleepily, he still held him, so Megumi waited a second, before scrambling for an answer: “Yes, sorry, I-“ but then he didn’t know what to say, the other still held onto him, moving a bit (to get more comfortable?).

“You’re warm,” Itadori still mumbled most of it, tucking Megumi’s head under his chin, “G’dnight.”

Even though Megumi had felt his heartbeat in every fiber of his being, somehow, he was tired again. And… It was comfortable, now that the other had shifted, and he didn’t just lay flatly on top of him anymore, only on his chest, and his leg entangled between Itadori’s, so he couldn’t really stand up, even if he wanted to, without waking the other. Might as well?

Somehow there was a thought flying inside his head, telling him, warning him to not get into deep. Itadori was just nice and caring. But it felt nice to… Indulge in the fantasy of something like that to happen every night.

He felt himself slowly succumbing to sleep, safely in the arms of his friend.

~~

❤

~~

FRIDAY – Day of the Date 00:01AM

Chat with Itadori Y.

Itadori Y.: Megumi

Megumi

Megumi

We have a date today!!!!!!!

I cant tell anyone

Bcus then youll be mad maybe and I cant do that before our date

Bad start you know

So ill just tell you about my date that I have today with you megumi

Medumi

I mean

Megumi can you believe that

Its so hard to type

Im s o hyped like I drank energy drinks

7 or so

I mena ur so cool and

Megumi

I should stop embarrassing myself further………………

See you later 😊

07:09AM

Me: You’re ridiculous.

See you later.

Yuuji.