Archive of Our Own

„It should be an easy run for you two,“ Gojo had said while giving them two thumbs up before running off to tell the other groups about the missions they had been sent on. Megumi and his assigned partner for that mission, Inumaki, were driven by Nitta to a college, in the middle of the night to investigate a curse (“Low grade, don’t even worry,” Gojo had said, trying to assure Megumi, who had asked many questions, “And you’re with Inumaki, he’ll have your back!”). 

During his first missions as a sorcerer, Megumi had felt eerie roaming halls of abandoned places, but with time this had changed to quite the opposite. If he ever entered a highly frequented mall or city hall or whatever, it felt wrong. Too many people in a flutter of activity, such vast spaces and so many hiding places.

They scanned the perimeter, a divine dog already by his side (after telling a pouting Inumaki that he would not conjure another one up for him), and used the little information they had to search for their objective. Apparently it had been seen roaming the area of the gymnasiums and changing rooms. This college was known for their sports programme, they owned many halls to play basket- and volleyball, as well as a soccer field outside, even rooms for dancing with mirrors over all the walls, giving Megumi a queasy feeling. The divine dog guided them around the halls, completely concentrated on its task.

Megumi felt a bit off. It was weird, this whole place didn’t seem haunted. Nothing there was pointing to something sinister, there was no cursed energy, and no residuals… And then, giving Inumaki a side glance, since when were they paired off? Somehow that was a weird choice. Sure, he liked Inumaki enough, didn’t respect him at all, but they were friends. And their powers weren’t hindering each other, but also weren’t alleviating each other. Megumi just didn’t understand why Gojo decided to choose putting them together, and not Maki with Inumaki or Megumi with Nobara. (“Oh oh oh,” he heard Gojo’s voice sing singing, “I won’t pair you up with Itadori, otherwise you will be too preoccupied.” He had waggled his eyebrows, and Megumi hoped his teacher prayed every night to the goddess that gave him his infinity powers, or else….).

“Tuna mayo,” Inumaki said, pointing at the dog, which sat in front of Megumi, looking at him expectantly, while wagging his tail. Megumi sighed, threw him a little treat, even divine dogs weren’t above that. But he was probably sad to not have eaten a curse.

“There is nothing here,” Megumi said. He sighed, letting the dog go back to the shadows. (“INTO THE SHADOW REALM WITH YOU!” Yuuji had once called out, and now Megumi couldn’t help but smile every time he let go of his shikigami).

“Bonito flakes,” Inumaki said, hands deep in his pockets. They had looked everywhere and had decided to sit by the bleachers looking at the field, not illuminated. This whole situation was weird, Nitta had driven them there, and had thrown a curtain over them, but… There was nothing to be exorcized? Maybe this was a test? Megumi again threw a look at Inumaki. He should be in the know if this was a test for the younger student. Maybe he was just getting too much into his own head.

“Let’s have another look?” Megumi asked. Inumaki shrugged, then nodded. This time without help from shikigami (Inumaki still was sad about no animal being around them: >>Not even a bunny?<<), and still they didn’t find anything cursed. Starting to become frustrated, when back again in the dancing room and seeing their reflections falling back onto them again and again, Megumi decided that this was an useless endeavor. 

“Inuma-“ Megumi began, wanting to suggest going, but Inumaki interrupted: “Shh.”

It wasn’t a command, but it worked like one. Inumaki looked right through him, completely concentrated on trying to hear anything, then pointed to the hallway. Where they had just come from. Something was changing in the air. 

And there was nowhere to hide in this room. Megumi got ready to fight, Inumaki’s hand was on his shawl, ready to take it down, for whatever was going to meet them there. They heard a stomp, but then nothing.

Inumaki was the first to move, stepping up quietly, slowly inching to the door leading to the hallway. So much for  Inumaki being his backup… Megumi followed him, not losing sight of their environment. But all the mirrors only made him dizzy, rather than helping him to orientate. 

There was nothing in the hall. The noise had come out of the changing rooms. A difference could be felt, the light had dimmed, the air felt thicker and Megumi was immediately in the zone, ready to strike whenever something would show up. 

Inumaki touched the door handle to the changing rooms, waited for Megumi to nod, before throwing it open and looking in. Nothing. No one was in there, someone had forgotten a shirt, but other than that, it was… empty.

“Nothing?” Megumi asked, as Inumaki stepped in, still alert, there was a window open somewhere, a light gust of wind going through the room. A second later, the door was violently closed right in Megumi’s face, causing him to hit his forehead so strongly that he saw only stars for a few seconds, before he was able to call out through gritted teeth for his partner. 

The door didn’t budge, the handle didn’t go down anymore, it didn't matter how much he tried, he threw himself against the door, but nothing moved even a centimeter. The door, made out of wood, felt like concrete.

“Inumaki?”

He didn’t hear an answer. They’d walked into a trap. He went through his options, he didn’t like destroying objects in his missions, but his school would take care of repairs. So he got ready to call Nue, since she would be able to destroy this door without hurting Inumaki on the other side.

Music started playing, and he could hear a light chuckle from another room. This was a trap to get them away from each other. 

“Nue,” Megumi brought her to life, giving her the objective to break this door. The music got louder, a classical piece, Megumi had heard it before, mellow, but the record seemed to scratch every now and then. Nue had broken the wall next to the door, but Megumi saw it was thick, way too thick, the insides oozing with cursed energy in the form of a black liquid slowly dripping down.  The changing room was empty, even the shirt was gone.

“Inumaki?” he quietly asked. Feeling himself growing frantic - scared. 

The music stopped. “Here, Fushiguro.”

He paused, Nue next to him, wings not able to unfold in this small room, but making her best to keep him on guard.

“Listen to the music, Fushiguro,” Inumaki’s voice said, quiet from the other room, the music starting again from the point it had stopped, “Listen.”

And he understood. The music was taking all of him in, the notes slowly building up to something climatic, all instruments working together to bring a melody unlike one he had heard  before. Megumi loved listening to all kinds of music, but this was – hypnotic, slow violin notes showing a melancholy, composed to bring out feelings Megumi hadn’t felt in a while.

Nue was gone, he’d lost grip on her, letting her go, his powers faltering upon completely losing himself in just listening.

“Fushiguro,” he heard Inumaki’s voice again, far away. He only saw a hallway stretched out, doors left and right closed, besides the one in the far end, a light coming out of it, warm, orange, almost inviting him in.

“Fushiguro, help me.”

He staggered on, slowly as if wading through water, he was stepping one foot in front of another as if he just learned walking. He listened to words spoken by Inumaki.

“I didn’t mean to do that, I just wanted to listen to music,” Inumaki whispered from somewhere,  everywhere, “Forever. Will you listen to the music with me forever, Fushiguro?”

A few steps he almost caved in, his thoughts unblurring, something wrong was happening, this was not right.

“Please, Fushiguro, come here.” 

Was it a command? It didn’t matter, because it worked, Megumi took up the pace, his body walked, his mind fought to stay. He tried shielding his ears with his power – but too late, he would see this command to the end. The hallway was empty, Megumi tried to take in his surroundings, nothing. He stood in front of the room, some other power than the one he had over himself, opening the door completely. It was a classroom, all tables and chairs pushed to the walls, as if something in the middle had exploded.

In the middle was the light. There was Inumaki, and a record player, music coming out of it. His friend laid on the ground with his back facing Megumi, shielding the record player from him. 

“Inumaki?” Megumi asked, feeling power over his body again, moving closer, hesitantly, “What are you doing?”

Inumaki turned, laid on his back, blood around his mouth, eyes opening to look at the intruder. “Help,” he said, broken, not a command, a whisper, closing his eyes again, “It hurts so much.”

In a second, Megumi had stepped over to sit down by his side, almost leaning over him, assessing the situation. 

“Shit, do you have medicine on you? What happened?” He tried to take in the damage, but other than his mouth, there were no wounds apparent on Inumaki.

“There was no music anymore, play more-”

“Shut up, you're making it worse,” Fushiguro said, clasping a hand over his mouth. The record player was not turned on. Still there was music coming out of it. Inumaki’s eyes looked at him, almost closed, but not letting Megumi out of his sight. 

Something engulfed Megumi, something cold, wet, arms all around him, like vines, closing him and Inumaki. As the only one concerned for their safety apparently, Megumi was the one trying to fend them off of them. But to no avail, once he swatted one vinelike arm away, another one was coming - their origin was the ground under Inumaki.

“Fushiguro, listen to the music,” Inumaki said, “Don’t leave me.”

He was pressed to Inumaki’s ice cold body, felt thorns coming out of the vines, he couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, felt his skin being pierced by tiny little prickles.

“Never leave me again,” the voice grew contorted, it wasn’t Inumaki’s, it was dark, sad, lonely. Megumi closed his eyes, gathered his power, tried bringing his hands together, calling his frogs successfully, the vines were tugged on by them. The voice was screaming, it weren’t words, nothing Megumi understood, only the pain, sadness swinging with it.

Megumi could move away, the body under him was Inumaki, blood bubbling out of his mouth, eyes full of tears, mouth moving, vines trying to close in around them, but Megumi took a weapon, materialized it, cut himself out of that, Inunmaki grabbing his hand, repeating a chorus of help me, and don’t leave me.

“Stop.”

This command chilled Megumi to the bone, everything stopped. He did, his frogs did, Inumaki under him did. He could not turn.

Vines were cut, violently, Megumi's sword was taken from him, then he was almost thrown across the room, hitting his back against one of the tables, the next time he opened his eyes, he saw the two Inumaki’s fighting against each other, one equipped with Megumi’s sword, the other with the vines, slowly this one lost Inumaki-qualities, eyes dark, almost black, forming into a bigger body, talking, repeating commands that did not work. His frogs fought mostly against the vines.

Megumi took one of his weapons, standing, but Inumaki used his cursed speech to tell his horrid mirror image: “Blast away, explode”, which caused the vined creature to do exactly that, blasted away, but one of the vines had clasped around Inumaki’s feet, would drag him with it, but Megumi was faster, jumping in, against his splitting pain in his head, and cut it off with the spear he had took out of the shadows.

It exploded, while he took the real Inumaki to the side, frogs shielding them from the blast.

Then the music stopped. And Inumaki coughed.

“What was that?” Megumi asked, looked up,saw the destruction they’d left behind, shattered wood and metal around the room and Inumaki sitting on the ground drinking some sweetly smelling syrup.

>>At least grade 2.<< Inumaki signed. Making sure both of them were okay, there were only the many little marks the thorns had left in Megumi’s skin, some rips in his clothes, whereas Inumaki had a big slash on his leg, pants ripped open at that part, one of his arms full of little splotches of blood forming through the attack of the vines. 

>>Sorry for throwing you so harshly,<< Inumaki said, while they left the curtain, having decided that the spirit was exorcised. Megumi searched for Nitta’s contact on his phone, while he decided that he would kill Gojo, if that had been a test.

“No, it was good,” Megumi said, while they sat on the stairs in front of the college, the bruises would probably show up in the coming hours, “I thought, it was you.”

>>I’m way more handsome and beautiful than that.<<

Megumi put his face in his palms. At least that was the real Inumaki.

Their mission had been a success since Nobara and Panda had caught all of them. The little grade 4 curses had run rampant in a kindergarten. It had been fun, chasing after them – they had made a little competition and Nobara had won! By one curse, so it had been a close call. And maybe Panda had gone easy on her, since she did have a bad day up until then.

All the little curses (13 in number) were in three little cages, causing ruckus in there.

“A full success, I see,” Ijichi said proudly, when putting the screeching demons in the trunk of his car, “And in record time at that.”

“We’re just the best,” Panda said, giving him a thumbs up.

Nobara had never seen Panda in a car, and if she was honest, it was horrible how funny it looked like. He was squashed in there like an oversized plushie.

“How are the others faring?” Panda asked.

“Itadori and Zen’in just arrived at their location, and about Fushiguro and Inumaki I am not informed.”

Yuuji and Maki, who had decided on that pair? Nobara thought of herself as perfectly able to fight with anyone partnered. Maybe that was why they were put together, to put this to the test. But then they should give them a harder task than that.

She threw Panda a side glance, she had won, so she nudged him, and he then joined in: “Ijichi-san?” they asked in their nicest voice.

“Yes?” he asked, only looking at them through the mirror.

“Can we pretty please-“ Panda began, letting Nobara finish: “Get food at that sushi place?”

Itadori was always in the way. It was a terrible hassle to fight with him almost dancing around in her field of vision. He stayed close to the curse, beating it up, whereas Maki wanted to end it from a distance, if Itadori wouldn’t jump right in range all the time.

“Left, run left!” Maki bellowed out, at least Itadori was a good boy and listened, so she could land a strike. They fought a big curse, in a hospital, a sickness having taken form like that, big, blotchy and disgusting (and Itadori willingly touched it), hopefully he at least showered afterwards. That was the third and last curse they would have to fight that day. They had already destroyed one of the operation rooms… Only their floor had been evacuated for “renovations'', so no one would see what they were up to. The last strike was dealt by Maki, slicing it’s head off, a tiny tiny head for such a massive, sloppy mess, which resolved and went away, leaving destruction behind.

“Good job!” Itadori called out, palm facing up, waiting for a high five. Maki gave him that, for once. He’d gotten better since they’d met, more accurate, stronger, more well rounded, but he wasn’t used to fighting with Maki… But Fushiguro also used weapons, did Itadori run into that headfirst as well? Probably. She couldn’t follow this train of thought, rather walking after Itadori out of the halls, who started chattering on about what they had done and how hungry he was now. A stream of thoughts escaping him, hard to follow for bystanders. 

“Hope Fushiguro is alright,” Itadori said. Maki rolled her eyes, but he didn’t see, since his eyes were cast on the dark sky. Now this started again, the Fushiguro-talk… Maki didn’t give him fodder for that, they waited outside, and tried calling Nitta first (didn’t pick up), then Ijichi, who gave them awfully bad excuses to not be able to pick them up that moment. She heard Panda in the background excitedly blabbering to Nobara, who cried out in joy about something. At least they were all right.

“Mh,” Itadori made when the call ended, standing in the parking lot of the hospital, “Maybe we can call Gojo?”

“Yeah, you do that.”

She was still mad at their teacher, that he brought them into danger by giving them missions in weird pairs. She was sure everyone was capable of doing their job and this was part of being a sorcerer, fighting with someone by your side that you didn’t know, maybe didn’t even like, but working together was a must to survive, oftentimes. But did he really need to test it like that? There still was danger, and Gojo should know that. Itadori talked, explained to Gojo in great detail what he had done and he even made Maki sound really cool, by talking about her like she was the fastest, coolest, and best in his retelling of their fight.

When he got off the call, he said: “Nanami is picking us up.”

She looked up, and had been cleaning her fingernails up until then, “What?”

“Nanami is picking us up,” he repeated.

She hm-ed. Nanami was sent, this was… rather odd. The man had been on a mission on his own, with Ieiri that morning, they must’ve just come back. But… Sending Nanami as a pick up service? Rather worrying even. When Ijichi was probably doing Panda’s and Nobara’s every bidding, they must be fine, but Nitta and the other two… Something had gone wrong.

She called Inumaki. It was a lost cause, she knew that he wouldn’t talk, but at least she could talk to him without him talking back – and picking up was more than enough as a life sign.

But a voice said upon picking up her call: “Maki?”

“Fushiguro,” she said, “You’re alive.”

He sighed deeply on the other side. “No one is picking us up. We’re walking.”

“What?”

There was noise on the other side, a car rushing down a street maybe, Fushiguro said something to Inumaki.

“There’s a bus station nearby, we’ll just… do that,” Fushiguro said, then, “No, Inumaki, you can’t, no, don’t–“

And a sigh.

“What are you doing? Where are you?” She asked, more worried, Itadori now closing in, trying to hear words that are being said through the phone.

“Inumaki patched me up, it’s okay,” he said, “We’re good.”

“Nanami is picking us up, send me your location, we’ll drive by.”

A pause, shuffling. “Nanami? Where is Nitta?”

“Ah! Nitta,” Itadori called out, too close for Maki’s liking, “She’s with Gojo, something important came up.” Then he smiled the littlest smile, “Hey Fushigurooo.”

“She could’ve at least sent a message,” Fushiguro muttered, annoyed, but the little hello from Itadori had apparently done enough for him to be less angry.

Maki pushed Itadori away. “Use your own phone to flirt.”

They told Inumaki and Fushiguro to stay on hold, waited for Nanami, who drove with the sleekest car, but the man himself was not in the best condition, rather tired and somehow disappointed. They were called in, Itadori in the front, Maki in the backseat, all weapons in the trunk.

“I am very sorry for you having to wait that long.” Nanami said, while starting the engine, “There has been a change in schedule.”

“And there’s another one,” Maki said, “Can we pick up Fushiguro and the devil?”

Nanami nodded. “I’ve already heard of their predicament,” he said, “Do you know where they are located?”

They were on their way, Itadori being the one asking what had happened. Apparently Nitta had been hurt, in the way to get Gojo to his mission, they had been approached by a shaman that had been their goal – and a fight had ensued, they had won, but Nitta had shattered her phone, the car wasn’t in one piece and they had been cooped up with Ieiri since she had come back. Couldn’t even rest.

“There really are too little sorcerers,” Itadori stated. Nanami did not answer further, but there was a shadow over his features. By a bus stop the one they were sent to, they saw the two others, leaning against each other, both sleeping.

“Oh my god,” itadori said, no… he squealed.

“You are revolting,” Maki said, Itadori had jumped out, not listening to Maki at all. Both she and Nanami watched Itadori approach, took a few pictures and heard his voice “oh god, so cute, are these hello kitty plasters?”, while Fushiguro was woken.

“You are a good group,” Nanami said, “Cherish that.”

She couldn’t say anything further, since Inumaki and Fushiguro were placed next to her in the car. Inumaki immediately fell onto her shoulder into a deep slumber.

Fushiguro looked at her, gave a small “hi”. He really had hello kitty plasters on his face and arms… and… why did they have so many?

“We went to a store on our way here,” Fushiguro said, “They were the cheapest.”

“Sure.”

After saying their thank yous for being picked up, they were heading back to school, where there was no time to waste, Inumaki and Fushiguro were brought to the infirmary for a check  up, and Nanami told the others that he hoped Gojo would apologize for that mess. (“Reckless mess,” he had said with such disdain, Maki was almost impressed.)

Nobara and Panda, stomachs full, laid on the carpet in the common area, Ijichi putting blankets over them.

“Oh god, so cute,” Itadori again said (this time Maki kind of agreed), and took photos again. Itadori probably had his whole camera roll full with pictures of all of them. It was kind of nice, but she didn’t want to know how often she looked weird on them.

Many people hated Gojo – but at least twice as many loved him, so in his picture, everything was well. The missions had gone perfectly (well except whatever Fushiguro and Inumaki had encountered, but they had made it out without a scratch (well, there were many scratches…)), and that was what counted at the end of the day.

Nanami apparently did not think so, approaching him: “You cannot set them up like that.”

“It’s important to challenge them to new heights before it comes to the serious part.”

Nanami stood before him, angry. “It was serious,” he retorted, “There was no backup. Why would you call Nitta away?”

“Because Ino was all alone.”

“Who is more than capable,” Nanami continued, “But the students?”

“It’s those two, come on, I think it’s a perfect match!” Gojo really thought so, “They compliment each other, aren’t in each other’s way and it as you can see worked out.”

Okay, maybe he had been worried and went through a lot of what ifs, but this was not the point at the moment. They had made it out and grew with that experience. That’s at least what he had to tell himself. He’d even saved Megumi with sending Inumaki with him, since the higher ups have had completely different ideas at first, wanting to send Fushiguro alone, so getting Inumaki on board had been a hassle to push through. 

“Inumaki works best with Panda,” Nanami said, “And sending Maki with Itadori… why did you decide that? Maki complained that he was in her way all the time.”

“That’s how you learn that, and then Itadori can better himself,” Gojo pointed out, “Or she can change her approach.”

His blonde friend sat down, they were in the meeting room, where Gojo had written the teams on the whiteboard, connecting them with the missions. Laymen would think it was just randomly chosen by the squiggly lines between them, the many used colors. But it hadn’t been done randomly, rather by feeling. Which combination felt the best.

“I do not understand you sometimes,” Nanami said, “You have lived through traumatic things, why do you not make it easier for them to avoid this?”

Gojo couldn’t answer that.

Yuuta was many things. Inumaki could write a list – handsome, sensitive, safe. And cute, how he had puffed out his cheeks upon hearing from the last mission, probably also plotting to kill Gojo. Somehow everyone had this goal – Inumaki wasn’t on board, since he liked their teacher most of the time, but he wouldn’t cross their paths.

“An apparition that looked like you?” Yuuta said, “I’ve heard about this before, but never saw it myself. Kind of creepy.”

>>To fight against yourself?<< Inumaki retorted, >>I found it rather deep and meaningful.<<

Yuuta laughed, a rich sound having been held back for a while, and Inumaki smiled at his screen.

“You really know how to turn everything in a better light.”

The background of Yuuta was a dark hotel room – a haunted one apparently, they were currently somewhere in Greenland, and Yuuta looked tired, and had yawned a lot already, but talked on and on and on, and didn't want the call to end. On one hand, Inumaki was sad to see him so tired and almost sick, but on the other it was so nice for him to not want to go. To not end this little connection they had.

“Again on that damn phone?” He heard another voice from the off, the voice he connected to Miguel, Yuuta’s partner, amused and teasing, “The youth these days. I’m heading down to eat something.”

With that the man seemed to be gone. Yuuta shook his head but smiled. “I think he’d would’ve liked not traveling around the world, but then again, I’ve learned so much. And he doesn’t like to show it, but he’s stronger as well.”

Toge really tried to get stronger, somehow sometimes he felt left behind, not moving on like the others in the steady upturn of their powers and abilities. They all had… improved. And Toge was slowly being left, he felt at least… Training his cursed speech was just… hard. He couldn’t train with people, that was just too dangerous. He trained with dummies or the plushies from principal Yaga. Gojo once wanted him to use his powers against him, but he had not wanted to.

Maybe he should push himself more. Last time it had gotten awfully close, he almost hadn’t been able to speak, seeing Fushiguro being attacked by this curse, since he was immediately in the way of his ability, he would be hit, and so Inumaki had needed to know which words to use, carefully. Stop or don’t move was always great to assess a situation.

“Are you okay, Inumaki?” The quiet voice from Yuuta almost startled him in its fondness, “You're awfully quiet today.”

Inumaki tried to make a joke, about always being quiet – since his voice was so destructive. He had never sung. He loved music and somehow this weird monster had known that – had used that, lured him away, had seen into his thoughts, fears. But he wasn’t in the joking mood.

>>Do you think I am good? At being a sorcerer?<< Toge asked him. Yuuta’s eyes wide.

“You are the best,” Yuuta said quickly, “You’re so cool and collected. And you always saved me.”

Toge threw him a glance. >>Always is quite a stretch.<<

“Yeah, maybe I saved you too, ONCE, but” Yuuta said, gesturing, he had propped up the phone on something, “I want to become as strong as you.”

Toge laughed, really, taken aback, the noise escaping him (laughter couldn’t curse, could it?).

“Hey, that wasn’t funny.”

>>Do I hear Rika laughing with me?<< Toge asked >> Because you two are the strongest.<<

Yuuta had turned, looking at something behind him, then: “Rika does not understand why that should be funny. She thinks you are very strong and kind. To me and her as well.”

Through the electronics, he couldn’t see Rika, but she was probably in the room, maybe watching Yuuta talk to Toge. Somehow that was creepy. Toge was kind of really scared of Rika. She was very protective, and if Yuuta told her to protect someone else she would, but… Jealousy was a hard feeling, and if Rika would be jealous of Toge, this would be a good opportunity to write his last will. And maybe an eulogy already, so that nobody slandered him after his death.

>>You’re just biased.<< Toge said, >>Because I am so -<< he then gestured didn’t know how to end that. He wasn’t really in the mood to joke around anymore.

“Yeah, you really are,” Yuuta agreed, smiling.

That night, Toge loaned a few plushies and killed them over and over and over. A few were beyond repair (but Yaga wasn’t too mad, he only gave away the ones he didn’t love – and he knew that Toge was up to that), and some only missing limbs.

He stopped for a break when tasting blood, shuking down some cough syrup, he’d changed the brand, apparently some people were addicted to the other he had used before. He sighed. Hopefully he soon didn’t need to use it anymore. It tasted disgusting. Sometimes lingering for hours, so all his food tasted like that and sometimes it just brought him stomach aches like crazy, where he could only lay in bed and Maki not helping but making fun of him. (But when Nobara was sick, Maki was next to her and was the best, nicest person on this planet).

Life as a sorcerer really was hard, he thought to himself, huddled in a blanket that night, looking out the window, wondering which constellation he could see. 

Fushiguro had fought curses, fought against other humans, had won a swimming competition once when he was younger, he even read all of Anna Karenina voluntarily. Point was: He had accomplished many things in his life, hard things he had worked for. So then why was going on a date with Itadori so nerve wracking? Yuuji wanted to watch a movie with him, a new release, some thriller from Korea, and Megumi had bought tickets for them. Currently he waited while Yuuji talked to the bored lady making him popcorn. Making them popcorn. 

Somehow Yuuji came back with the biggest bucket of popcorn known to man, bumping into him, “Let’s go, or we’ll miss the ads!”

He felt rigid, sitting next to Yuuji, watching the ads and Yuuji was already shoveling in popcorn like no tomorrow. He had offered his companion some, who had taken it only to try at least to tell Yuuji that it was good, still warm.

When the movie began, the moment the first logo was seen on screen, Yuuji took the bucket in his right side, his left arm, the one closer to Megumi, on the armrest, palm up, fingers stretched out.

Megumi looked at the hand, then at Yuuji, who smiled, wiggling his fingers the next time Megumi looked down.

“If we don’t hold hands, we are just bro’s going to the cinema together,” Yuuji whispered, “That are the rules.”

“We kissed before,” Megumi pressed out.

“I can’t hear you, because my hand is oh so cold.”

Megumi grabbed his hand and took it in his lap, Yuuji smiled and continued shoveling popcorn in his face, offering to feed some to Megumi, who felt like he had a heart attack since holding hands.

They had done this before, yes. Maybe not too often in public. And it still was new and… a lot.

The movie was kind of happy the first hour and afterwards went south. Both of them had seen worse things in real life, but still Yuuji, after obliterating the popcorn (and Megumi was impressed, having only eaten maybe two handfuls), had leaned on Megumi, when something scary happened, he even cuddled up more, even though he probably was not scared in the slightest.

“I think the sister plots something,” was whispered in his ear, and Megumi felt a shiver running down his spine, feeling the ghost of Yuuji’s lips on his earshell, not able to move, already forgotten what had been said, then Yuuji was hugging him egain, head leaning on his shoulder.

Megumi was dead, no he was going to die.

Yuuji had thought taking Megumi to a cinema date would be a great idea… well, he still thought that afterwards. He had eaten quite a lot of popcorn, maybe they should’ve gone eat something beforehand? A thought for next time! He had thought of a cinema date as a good idea, since Megumi was not such a fan of showing affection in public, he maybe would ease more into it in the dark, where no one could see them?

But after the movie, Yuuji was kind of not so sure about that theory, for once, his ideas of the movie had been wrong, the sister hadn’t planned anything, she had even been the only one that died… And then, he had been able to cuddle up to Megumi, but he still had been uncomfortable, so Yuuji hadn’t stretched it, hand holding was more than enough, and being close to his boyfriend.

His boyfriend, that moment walking next to him, had his eyes fixed somewhere in the front, thoughts maybe on the movie or whatever. They walked through Tokyo’s busy streets, maybe Megumi would be hungry? Or they could buy a few snacks or a book before heading back, it was dark out already, early evening.

“Need something?” Yuuji took Megumi out of his thoughts, eyes on him at the moment.

“No, I don’t think so,” Megumi said, their shoulders touching, “But we could… take a walk together? If you do not need something.”

Yuuji smiled. Megumi really was something. Behind closed doors, he was more affectionate, maybe sometimes even really affectionate, as if he kept it in front of other people… And then outside, he was giving him the cold shoulder. And Yuuji understood that this wasn’t against him, and he was okay with it, for the beginning, at least, maybe they could work on some more… closeness, even when out.

They decided to walk to the river, Yuuji giving Megumi an in depth movie analysis, whereas Megumi denied some of his theories as “outlandish” (“They were all aliens!”), but he entertained his thoughts.

Then Yuuji saw something out of his eyes. Something… similar. Oh-

He grabbed Megumi and dragged him around a corner, pressing up against him. Sneaking a look around the corner, until Megumi cleared his throat and Yuuji looked back at him, wide eyes alert and a dark blush on Megumi’s cheeks. 

“Oops,” Yuuji said, stepping away, “But you have to see this.”

Megumi didn’t want to, but then peaked around the corner as well. There was a stand for slushies.

“Aha?” Megumi said, “You want a slushie?”

“You need to look deeper.”

“Like you look into those movies? Are the slushies aliens?”

Yuuji paused, looked at him. I really love you, he thought. Then, he couldn’t say that yet, maybe later.

“There's Inumaki!”

In the second look, Megumi probably saw what Yuuji had spotted beforehand. Inumaki was at the slushy stand, a mask hiding his features, but his hair always made him stand out a bit – and his fashion choices. Yuuji didn’t understand it, but that meant it was probably good. He wore dark green (and Yuuji had learned that word from Nobara) corduroy pants, and he could only see a big dark jacket. But it didn’t matter too much – there was someone next to him, someone rather special.

“Is that… Nishimiya?” Megumi asked.

“Bingo!” Yuuji called out. She had her hair up like always, and Yuuji really was jealous, she had the coolest head of hair (save for Megumi of course), but wore more of a dressed up version of her dress.

“Are they… on a date?” Megumi dared to ask.

“A gossiper all of a sudden?” Yuuji grinned, Megumi wanting to bonk him on the head, but Yuuji had a sixth sense for violence from his friends, so he held out his hand, confusing Megumi in the process.

“We need to investigate,” Yuuji said, hand still in front of Megumi, empty, who looked at it, as if Yuuji was offering him something (and really he was, just offering his hand to be held). Megumi shook his head, “We really do not need to.”

“But I need to know.”

They debated for a while, and next time he looked around the corner, both of them were gone.

Nobara took a self care day with Maki – she had introduced Maki to it with their kind of dating-not dating. It was complicated (not really, Maki just wanted more time and didn’t want to be stressed about it and well, Nobara still was new to… this all). They had their coal face-masks on, were doing each other's nails (Maki wasn’t good with nail art, but she did the rest very well, a normal coating and an occasional French tip), while some old sitcom was background noise on her laptop.

A self-care day also included a lot of rest, no stress, no drama. Which is why she was happy that Yuuji, Megumi, Inumaki and even Gojo had flown out. The evening would go just fine. No nuisances, no distractions.

“Okay, I’m done,” Maki said, letting Nobara look over her hand. Dark lavender – a good look on her, very sophisticated.

“Thank you,” Nobara said.

“I should thank you,” Maki said, looking at her own nails, Nobara had outdone herself, she would be so brave and say that. She had painted a red undercoat, but then painted card signs on it, because Maki didn’t know what she wanted.

“Just don’t train too much,” Nobara said, “Or it chips.”

But both of them knew that it would be chipped the next morning already. And Maki just grinned at her.

“I’ll try,” she said and leaned on Nobara, who was in the moment of throwing an arm around her shoulder – when the door was violently opened, Yuuji out of breath in the middle of the room, dragging Fushiguro in. Nobara sighed. She should’ve locked, but then her door probably would not be in one piece. Her peace and quiet – done. Maki seemed to think the same, with her disdain openly on her face, but she looked kind of happy to see the miserable face Fushiguro made.

Yuuji between breaths pushed out: “We saw it – puh – they were on a date – so close! Buying slushies.”

Nobara gestured between her and Maki. “We are very busy as you can see.”

“INUMAKI,” Yuuji breathed out, then fell down on the floor, to sit, dragging Megumi with him, “ON A DATE!”

“Don’t scream,” Fushiguro pleaded, “And we aren’t sure.”

Yuuji was rather red in the face, sweaty. Ugh.

“Take a shower or something,” Nobara said, “before sitting on my floor.”

“I ran here,” Yuuji said, standing there and looking at Nobara’s nails, “That looks nice.”

“All the way?” Maki asked, and somehow there was no annoyance or amusement, but… admiration. Nobara feared for the worst.

“All the way,” Fushiguro confirmed, not at all happy.

“I carried him,” Yuuji said, “BUT it does not matter how we got here, but what we saw.”

“He ran and carried you?” Maki asked, eyes fixed on Fushiguro, “What the hell. What is wrong with this guy?”

“I don’t know to be honest.”

“HELLO!” Yuuji called out, grabbing Fushiguro by the arm and shaking him, “I saw it! And Megumi did too.”

Nobara stopped her show, they hadn’t really ever watched it, so it wasn’t too bad. Then she urged Fushiguro to at least close the door. And then they sat all around the ground in a circle.

“Explain,” Nobara said, “Why are you like that?”

Yuuji started a monologue: “We were just on a date – Megumi and me, I mean, but you probably would’ve guessed that. Imagine if we would’ve been on separate dates with other people and we just told you now, that would’ve been interesting, but. We were watching a movie, actually, and it was good, maybe not romantic, but Megumi does not like romantic movies. We watched Little Women the other day, but this doesn’t count as a romantic movie, but I really liked it and Megumi maybe as well, I am not allowed to speak about that. Well, anyway. We watched our movie, did our thing and went on a little walk that was totally not romantic, just bros being friends and five feet apart and not gay, yes. Then my eyes saw something. And I have good eyes, I could become a pilot or an astronaut, hehe,” then he turned to Fushiguro, “Are you an astronaut?”

“I want to be sent out to space, without life support, why?” he miserably asked.

Yuuji clasped his arm on Fushiguro’s shoulder and grinned at him. “because you are out of this world.”

A groan from Maki and Nobara in unison. “Disgusting,” Maki said, whereas Nobara settled for: “Eugh.”

Yuuji didn’t let that deter him. “So as I was saying. There by the slushie stand, the one with the sugariest, best, and sweetest ones, stood – and I kid you not: Inumaki Toge and Ni-shi-mi-ya Mo-mo.”

“Why are you saying it like that?” Fushiguro asked, cocked eyebrows.

“Together! Sharing slushies.”

Intrigued, Nobara leaned in. “Is it true?”

Yuuji nodded, whereas Fushiguro wasn’t completely on board. “We didn’t see if they really shared something.”

“BUT they were on a date, definitely. She came all the way from Kyoto to meet Inumaki, is that not cute?”

“Poor Nishimiya, I would’ve expected better from her,” Maki said, but somehow it didn’t sound like her usual insults, rather distracted. Nobara thought back – it was not that far off – and she and Momo may not have started on the best foot (or maybe fighting each other was the best?) but at least she knew that Inumaki had tried out the dating app again – the sorcerer dating app, maybe Momo had been in there too. And it was common knowledge and courtesy that you always swiped to match with friends. And he and Momo did have so much fun sharing a broom ride, maybe that was a cute beginning for a romance?

Maki dismissed that. “They probably trained together, Inumaki is rather focused on that in the last few weeks.”

“No.” Yuuji said, before continuing, “No.”

Fushiguro probably was done as well, giving apologetic glances to the two girls.

“Well, they both need to get stronger,” Maki said, “So why not train together?”

“Because!” Yuuji said, standing up pointing at Maki, “Inumaki is not like you and thinks that you train with the person you like to date.”

Maki looked on the ground, but Fushiguro took pity, tugging on the hem of Yuuji’s pants, to make him sit down again. “I think you need to calm down and maybe drink some water.”

Nobara watched this from a distance. Maki hadn’t refuted that. She had asked Nobara a lot to train with her, to get better…. Hm. Thoughts for later.

“Why don’t we just ask him?” Nobara suggested.

All were quiet.

„Okay, good idea.“ Yuuji decided, “I will wait by the door, bye.” With that he ran out.

“Fushiguro,” Maki said, “I have no respect for you anymore, not a sliver. And you seemingly have lost all your self-respect.”

Fushiguro looked at her with an angry vein on his forehead. “Maybe take that sheet off your face before talking about self-respect to me.”

“You are insulting the face-mask Nobara shared with me?” Maki said, standing up, sending him the dirtiest look.

“And you are insulting Itadori?” He jumped up as well.

Nobara took a deep breath, self-care. No stress, no drama, no nuisance. If she just closed her eyes, everything would be okay.

Sometimes Panda liked to take a walk, just around the grounds, not thinking about anything in particular. Sometimes he spotted some animals or other people, Ieiri often sneaked out to smoke, Gojo was with her many times (never smoking but eating something that would probably kill a medieval child), or someone training, Fushiguro or Maki were mostly the suspects for that.

Sometimes he really wondered how it was being a human. He had feelings and thoughts too, and a soul and something like a heart. In the meaningful sense. But there was a lot of drama brewing, or something weird at least was happening. Fushiguro and Itadori dated – it was something like an “open secret” (Nobara’s words), and Panda didn’t understand it, really. It was clear that these two liked each other a great deal, and that normally led to dating? But somehow Yuuji “wore rose coloured glasses” (he also learned that from Nobara), whereas Fushiguro was like always, distant, but when Itadori was around, there was something softer around him. Like Toge was with Yuuta.

Like Toge was with Yuuta! Mh… Back then, Panda hadn’t thought much about dating (and at that time, he also didn’t, but somehow everyone was dating… and it was just a topic that was hot amongst humans and their conversations), but back when Yuuta had still been around, they hadn’t dated. But apparently they should have, according to Maki. But she had said it so… disgusted. Maybe they weren’t a match?

Now Nobara and Maki also dated or something, Panda had asked once and then never again (he probably still would have bruises if he was a human), maybe they also weren’t a good match? Very confusing.

And then generally, Yuuji was so open and inviting, but also confusing. Panda saw him sitting outside, without a jacket, even though in human conditions it was rather windy and cold, and he was completely focused on the ground in front of him, where there was… nothing.

Panda approached him. Yuuji did not sleep, so at least he wouldn’t freeze to death.

“Hello Yuuji,” Panda said, Yuuji’s head still somewhere else, but he still said hi.

“What are you doing here?”

“Waiting.”

“For?”

“Inumaki.”

“Why?”

Yuuji moved, eyes on Panda. “What do you know about Inumaki?”

“A lot. Where shall I begin?”

The pink haired guy touched his chin, deep in thought. “Where is he right now?”

“In the city.”

“With who?”

“Whom.”

“Who is that?” Yuuji said, springing up, taking Panda’s paws in his hands, looking up at him with stars, “This whum?”

“Yuuji?” Panda asked, looking at the shivering Yuuji, “I think you need food or sleep, or maybe a shower, your body has the human condition.”

“You big pillow,” the mouth under Yuuji’s eye called out, “Please just end this, punch him. Kill him for all that matters, end this suffering.”

Yuuji slapped a hand on his cheek, in the process just hurting himself if the flinch was enough of a sign for that.

“Shall I get Fushiguro? It seems dire.”

Watery eyes look up at him. “I really like Fushiguro.”

“I know, maybe he can help.”

Panda knew that this was bad. Humans need many things, Sleep, Food, Warmth, other people to talk to, and so on. It was probably a burden, but sometimes they enjoyed these things. And when some were missing, they were going a bit crazy. Nobara got cranky when she got hungry, Fushiguro was without sleep more easily annoyed, and Inumaki sometimes got very sad when he had no one to talk to. Panda slowly became a human whisperer.

The starry eyes of Yuuji turned to something else, someone else.

“Kelp,” Inumaki said, a big jacket around him, he curiously looked at the display in front of him, but that didn’t last long, since Yuuji jumped, called his name and stood before Inumaki in a second.

“Tell me all about it, please.”

Inumaki pushed down his mask and pointed at his snake-marks.

“You… You kissed her?!” He called out, “Oh yeah!”

Inumaki’s eyes were wide (panic – Panda registered immediately), and Yuuji wanted to give him a high five, but the other did not react at all. 

“I am so proud of you.” Then Yuuji ran off, while saying something about “Megumi”. He really was fast… In the blink of an eye, gone.

“Is this what happens when you as a human eat cursed objects?” Panda asked, before the silence stretched too long (this was making humans uncomfortable), and Inumaki had already looked very uncomfortable since being asked the question, so Panda wouldn’t elaborate that further.

>>He seems … like it. Maybe.<<

Panda didn’t ask any further questions, but decided to continue his walk, telling Toge good night.

Humans really were something. But it was also interesting, watching them interact. The next few days would prove to become interesting.

Not being able to talk sometimes was a blessing, most often a curse. Especially when all eyes were on him the next day. Toge really just wanted to train, where he got weird glances on his way from Nobara, and even Fushiguro? Then after the training, he was off to the showers, where he bumped into Maki, who didn’t say anything, but only watched him suspiciously, almost looking down on him, huffing out a breath, and gone as well.

Yuuji had overexerted himself the day before, apparently running a long distance with weights, and had been sore and cranky. And maybe that was better that way. But somehow – sooner or later – they would ask him about it. The thing Yuuji had asked him and how could he…

Toge decided not to dwell on it. A long shower would be great, but the water got cold way too quickly, so after showering for a sadly short amount of time, he settled into bed, blanket around him, looking at his phone, regretting it immediately.

[08:44]

Yuuta: Good morning TOGE!

Look at this

I am so excited!!

[.jpg101 attached, showing a picture of Yuuta next to a big plushed Pikachu]

And look who we met! We could color panda in maybe like that

[12:01]

Yuuta: It is done!

We’re now officially in PERU at the rainbow mountain, look at it

[.jpg.105 attached, Yuuta at the mountain grinning from ear to ear, next to him the picture had some quality errors]

Rika always wanted to come here, she was so excited. She caused quite some problems, people were scared because they felt her presence.

But a woman came up to me, asking if I knew about something following me

She wanted to exorcise my demon

Imagine that.

[15:22]

Yuuta: Toge, are you okay?

Then nothing. It was 5pm already, Toge sighed, swallowing down his bad emotions, to take care of not hurting Yuuta.

Me: !!!

I’m sorry, today was a hard training day

You are so lovely

No he couldn’t send that

You are so nice, I’m glad rika has you

No, he couldn’t. He backspaced and started anew:

Me: You’re the best. I hope Rika had a fun day.

This woman sounds nice, I mean her intentions are probably in the right place. Maybe?

I hope you’re well, and send Rika my regards, I can see her in the picture kinda.

Yuuta immediately responded.

Yuuta: Haha you need glasses 😝

She was so happy.

She didn’t expect that.

And so happy to hear from you. Why was training hard?

Toge sank deeper into the blankets. Now Yuuta was online and waiting, and it would only take so long before he would ask to call. And Toge felt the tears, thick tears rolling down his cheeks. He hated this. Why couldn’t he move on?

The date with Momo had been nice. She was nice. Eccentric and funny, and she liked so many things he liked, sweet food, cute things, fashion, they even bonded over a little shop about nerd stuff, little figurines and mangas and weird cosplay things (she wanted to dress up as kiki from Kiki’s delivery service, laughing about already almost looking like it already). And it was harsh to compare meeting her for the first time really with the relationship he had formed with Yuuta for example. Yuuta who understood Toge without problems, who learned sign language, who could shield his ears, who probably was strong enough to listen to Toge regardless of that (maybe that would backfire on Toge, but he already felt like it backfired to his heart). And Momo had tried – really hard to understand him, and he had tried making it easy. He sighed. He still hadn’t moved on. He never had anything with Yuuta – and this curse on him… how could anyone get close?

Yuuta: Want to call maybe? I could call you in ten, still need to eat. 😊

Me: No mukbang for me today?

Yuuta: You wish!

I was told people normally pay to watch people eat

Toge: 🤡 It occurs to me that you and I are thinking about completely different things

My oh my on which websites do you dwell on?

Yuuta: Whaat

Hey

What? No

:O

What do you mean

No

No I don’t want to know.

Togeeeeeee don’t embarrass me when I am not even with you

Yuuta really started to text a lot – coming out of his shell, showing more emotion like that. And Toge decided to answer the other question, swallowing down, wiping away his tears.

Me: You can call me

But don’t comment on my eyebags, I am really tired. :(

Yuuta: yay

I mean not to eyeballs

*bags

Nay to eyebags

Me: 🏴☠️ Aye

Then he fell back on his bed, phone still in hand, lit up with new messages incoming.

What was he doing?

“Gojo is at the dentist,” Nanami stated, “He is high on laughing gas.”

Shoko looked at him with absolutely no care in the world, but then it set in. “Oh heavens.”

Something terrible would unleash upon all of them. And Nanami would not let this become his problem. He handed her the keys to the car, well he wanted to, but she just looked at them.

“Oh, I lost my drivers license.”

“When? And why?” Nanami asked.

“A few weeks ago, Ah the usual, driving over the speed limit, alcohol, no lights, my car had no license plate, I forgot how to drive, I parked on a childrens-mothers parking spot and speeding again,” she said, a sweet smile on her face, listing it out almost robotically, “Oh and I smoked while driving. Apparently that is not allowed anymore.”

Nanami pocketed the keys again. He hadn’t wanted Ijichi to pick Gojo up, this man really did not deserve anything that had to do with Gojo Satoru. And Shoko was lying to his face. Probably. (Hopefully)

When he had asked Nitta for this favor a few minutes before, she had bowed slowly, before saying: “Nanami, I am deeply sorry and you don’t deserve what I am about to do.”

Nanami had only blinked and she had sprinted away. She had good running form, at least he could give her that…

And who else was there to take care of Gojo? The principal surely would not move a finger to get Gojo safely back to the school. Even though he was a danger to himself and society as a whole, especially after that treatment. The dentist office had called him (emergency contact), telling him that Gojo was ready for picking up in half an hour. Like kindergarten, or when you lose your child in IKEA: They had sounded awfully happy, and he had heard Gojo laugh in the background, trying to talk, but words were only garbled out between giggles.

“I see how it is,” Nanami said, “And I do understand. I’ll be off.”

Maybe that was how Ijichi felt every day. Like a punching bag. Someone who needed to jump after Gojo everytime. On his way to the car he saw Fushiguro and Itadori, both in training gear, but not training. There were a few of the shikigami bunnies hopping around, both of them sat next to each other, and were slightly leaning on each other not noticing Nanami. It would’ve been nice and cute and all, but Nanami was not in a good mood. He averted his gaze, went on his way. 

The dentists office was located on the outskirts of Tokyo, from the school it was only a fifteen minute drive, nothing exciting happening there. 

There was something off happening in the dentist’s office. The secretary happily cheered when seeing Nanami. “Mr. Gojo! You are here.”

Nanami already regretted his decision. His decision to come here, his decision to return to the school, his decision to be born. Well that was not his decision, but he would not blame his mother. She had just wanted the best for him. He composed himself.

She told him to go to treatment room 1 to get his husband.

Inside Gojo sat on the big chair, deeply invested in a book. A children's coloring book, the pages open completely uncolored. He didn’t wear any glasses or his signature blindfold, just looked at the book, absorbed the pages in amazement.

The assistant who had been cleaning supplies up until that point, sighed in relief, upon seeing Nanami. “You’re here to pick him up?”

“Yes, I am sorry for any inconvenience he caused.”

She smiled, but it seemed a tad bit forced. “Not inconvenience, just rather… A lot of energy.”

Upon seeing the questioning look on Nanami’s face, she added: “Just after the procedure, he didn’t stop laughing, and this is not too unusual, but then he wanted to go by himself, almost escaping, but our dentist is a national MMA-pro, so they fought.”

“He fought… his dentist?” Nanami asked, an unpleasant feeling infesting the fibers of his being, but he wore a smile that probably showed that he was very disappointed.

“Yes, she is really good,” the helper said, “She almost knocked him out, I think at least, but then he saw this book. And since that, he is transfixed. Sits here like this for 20 minutes already. You can take it home,” She smiled brightly, “Do you have children?”

Nanami sighed. “A few.”

She squealed. “How nice.”

Then she watched him like a hawk. Nanami should’ve sent Shoko, hell, even Ijichi. He shouldn’t have been the bigger person about this. He approached Gojo like one would approach an apex predator, slowly,  while talking to him.

“Gojo? I’m here to pick you up and bring you home.”

“Nanamin,” Gojo said, almost a whisper, excitement mixing with his voice carrying a feeling of being deeply touched, showing him the page he currently was set on, “Do you see this? Kento, can you see this? I have never seen such… The forms and the expressions, I haven’t felt so alive in a while.”

“Since you married, I hope?” the assistant asked from the sidelines, “That probably was better than the book.”

She wanted them out, it was clear, yet she enjoyed seeing this exchange between them.

Gojo’s eyes were on Nanami. “Are we married? Sorry, I forgot.” Then he was back to his book, changing the page to a normal mandala, a little speck of color on it, violet, and a blue line squiggled across it.

“Oh my god,” Gojo breathed out, “This is…”

But he didn’t continue, rather staring at the page in blank amazement. Where a preschooler had probably had a field day with it, and Gojo looked at it, as if it was a painting by Georgia O’Keeffe.

“You are really lucky,” the assistant walked up to put a hand on Gojo’s shoulder very carefully, “Your husband will now take you home, yes? You can take the book with you.”

She talked to him like one would with a child. Gojo moved, closed the book, kept it close to heart. “I am ready now.”

Before they were out, a woman in an almost glaringly white lab coat appeared. “Hello, Gojo the husband, I suppose?” She shook Nanamis hand in a very firm handshake, “I am Gaoko, his dentist. He did not stop talking about you, even though we had four hands in his mouth.”

“Thank you for the compelling picture,” Nanami pressed out. She really was buff, and tall, especially on those dangerously high red high heels.

“No food for at least three hours, and no hot beverages, less he hurts himself. And no alcohol until tomorrow.”

“I don’t drink,” Gojo exclaimed, proudly. 

She nodded. “Good. Keeps you younger.”

A stomach growled. “Kento?” Gojo said, “I am hungry.”

Gaoko looked at him with an expression that was full of pity and schadenfreude, but then she said: “I hope you never let him live that down. And tell him if he wants a rematch, I am at the gym down by the lamp shop a few streets over.”

“I will,” Nanami said, pushing Gojo out of this cursed place. The car ride was quiet, besides Gojo’s few and far between comments about the pictures in his book, and then watching them in silence, baffled. Maybe he was crying. Nanami brought him home, even to his room, where he probably “read” the book the rest of the night. Nanami locked the door so he wouldn’t sneak out to eat.

Then he sat in the common room area on the couch in silence for a long while.

“Do you think he is… dead?” Maki whispered.

“He looks… sad, defeated.” Nobara argued. Maki had just wanted to get some snacks so that Nobara would be happy. She had gone to the store and bought her favorite as a surprise, but had forgotten it in the kitchen. But between them and the sweet savory happiness of Nobara, was Nanami. Sitting on the couch, hands in his palms, utterly defeated, as Nobara had put it so well.

He really looked sad, like someone had died. Haha, yes, Maki bitterly thought, she knew how such a face looked now. Or rather what was to be seen.

And Nanami didn’t even notice them, they weren’t well hidden at all, just around the corner, peaking in, but most of them were on display, if he would just look up. Maybe he could even hear them.

“Should we… ask if he is okay?” Nobara asked.

“He does not seem the type to like that very much,” Maki answered, “But…”

Leaving him like that was cruel. Mean. And Nanami was a good man, the best out of their adults by a long long stretch, so she should help, or at least say something.

“Hah, good,” Maki decided to step out, then more loudly addressing Nanami by his name. He looked up slowly, then probably understanding slowly, posture more stiff, sitting up normal.

“Ah, I should be off,” Nanami said, glancing at his wristwatch, standing, putting his glasses back on.

“Had a bad mission today?” Nobara stepped out of the dark hiding place, stood next to Maki.

Nanami nodded. “You could say so. It is late, don’t stay too long.”

It was already after midnight. Normally he should be mad at them. But he just went. Walked out, without further comment.

“Okay?” Nobara asked, while seeing him walk off, “Weird?”

So it was that far, now Nanami also went south, no normal adult for them left.

He woke up due to something tickling his nose. Darkness, pink hair. Oh.

He’d fallen asleep next to Yuuji.

No,that wasn’t correct. He fell asleep in Yuuji’s room, next to Yuuji, the other in his arms, facing him, breathing loudly, almost snoring. Megumi touched his hair, pushing it away from his forehead carefully. He’d woken up next to Yuuji quite a lot, even a few times next to Sukuna, who had vanished rather fastly most of the time. He didn’t seem to be happy with their arrangement, and especially not with Megumi not being scared of him.

But this time, Yuuji just laid in his arms, peacefully sleeping. Would he miss this soon? Would Yuuji leave?

Was their relationship a sinking one? Was it doomed to fail?

He hugged Yuuji closer, smelling the cedary scent of his own shower gel. Yuuji really should invest in his own… But then… it was nice, maybe Yuuji wanted to smell like Megumi? Was that weird?

“Gumi,” Yuuji muttered, “Crush.”

Megumi let go a bit. Yuuji’s eyes were opened slightly, and he croaked out: “You crushed me… Almost.”

“Sorry,” Megumi whispered, “Go back to sleep.”

“Mhhh,” Yuuji agreed, eyes closed again, pecking his nose once, “I like you so much, Megumi.”

“I do too.”

“So much,” Yuuji whispered again, hands around Megumi’s middle, head smushed in Megumi’s chest, “Hearing your heart is so soothing.”

Even though his heartbeat was probably at 120 beats per minute at that moment. Soothing, sure.

“So glad,” Yuuji mumbled against him, “So beautiful, my prince,”

“No, not that.”

“So prickly. My little pickle.”

“Oh god don’t say that.”

Yuuji laughed softly against his chest. “Why wouldn’t I?” he asked, completely aware of why he shouldn’t.

Megumi decided to leave it at that.

“I’ll find a nickname for you, just so you wait,” Yuuji moved away, bringing their faces closer, until their noses touched, Megumi dazed, not able to close his eyes. Yuuji put a hand in his face, breath hot on his lips, tugging closer. “So beautiful.”

Then he bridged the gap, kissing Megumi, who could close his eyes, before returning, trying to deepen this kiss, trying to show how he felt about Yuuji, how important this guy was for him. This weird person, and how important it was that he stayed.

Toge saw it all around him: Heart eyes. Nobara and Maki, sitting together, conspiring about something to do with Nanami, Megumi acting as if ignoring Yuuji (and again with the hickeys, get a room), and he was just... There. Well Panda was too, at least a bit of back up on his front.

They had a little break, a storm was washing over Jujutsu Tech., so no training outside allowed. And Toge had done his training already, his throat sore. Maybe he should go back to his room and sleep or do anything else than be with other people. Which he normally liked. A lot. But Yuuji gave him these glances and thumbs up and Inumaki ignored him.

He could go eat something. But he wasn’t hungry. Eugh.

“You are frustrated,” Panda said in a low voice, “How can I help?”

Toge leaned on him.

“Hug?”

He nodded and was engulfed in plush. At least this picked him up always. When he was loosening the hug, Panda offered: “I’ll get us some pudding?”

Toge nodded.

“Ah, bring me some too!” Maki called out, then looked at Nobara, who contemplated it, before adding: “Only if there's vanilla. But not the low-fat one.”

Then Panda was off, Toge took out his phone, no one gave him any attention anyway.

Yuuta: I got a sunburn. I should’ve listened to you.

So wise.

Momo: Kamo is so scary. Like a vampire, but uncool. You know.

Sometimes he says such weird things, so… unprompted.

If I surprisingly die under weird circumstances, it was him! Just for the record.

Yuuta: Did you get your new command to work? I’m still very intrigued.

You’re so secretive.

Toge watched his screen and did not do anything. And closed his eyes. It would all go over, like always. It just needed time. He just needed time. A pudding was handed to him the next time he opened his eyes, he gratefully took it and ate.

“Hey, my favorites,” Gojo said, standing in front of their group, leaning on the sofa, getting between Fushiguro and Yuuji, “Have you seen Nanami?”

With their teacher just magically appearing in front of them on several occasions in the last few weeks, none of them were taken off guard anymore, it was more hassle than it was worth. Maki stated: “He took a few days of vacation.”

Gojo’s eyes were hidden behind a blindfold, so only his mouth gave away some surprise. 

“Can we take a vacation?” He stood up straighter, put a hand to his chin, “Huh, I probably have a lot of vacation days gathered.”

“They forfeit,” Maki destroyed his thoughts.

“Huh,” Gojo said, “Huh indeed.” Then he looked at them again. “But he acted weird, right?”

Nobara nodded.

“He really did,” Gojo said, pacing, gesturing, “He gifted me a childrens coloring book.”

The pudding was nice, very cold and sweet, and Gojo always was funny, so Toge was happy at least for that moment.

“Sounds thoughtful,” Yuuji said in awe. Fushiguro did not seem convinced about this statement, but then contemplated something. Maybe Yuuji would like such a gift.

“And my dentist thinks we are married.”

Maki coughed and almost died. Death by pudding. But Nobara knew the Heimlich – which was way too much since pudding normally wasn’t known to bring people to suffocate, but Maki survived.

“Somehow I fought my dentist,” Gojo continued, nodding approvingly, “She was very good by the way, I’ve learned something new.”

Fushiguro was not happy with this, which was easily read on his impression. But Yuuji grinned at Gojo.

“You would be a nice married couple,” Yuuji said. Gojo laughed, waved at that.

“Little old me? Married? Off the market? Think of all my fans,”

“You have zero fans,” Fushiguro said.

“That’s not true.”

Toge sighed. Great. Now even Gojo was in love or whatever. What the hell.

This sucked. Toge ate a big spoonful of his chocolate pudding. This would fill the void in his soul.

Nobara and Maki whispered about something, hands accidentally touching. Toge thought about gouging his eyes out with his spoon.

Maki thought of herself as a good friend. She picked her friends up when sad, she kicked their butts when they slacked off and she knew everyone's favorite food – bringing that when needed and buying them some when they were sad.

So it was a no-brainer that she brought Inumaki a mixed bag of little chocolates to his room, knocking. Nothing was said, nothing happened.

“Inumaki, it’s me,” Maki said, knocking again, “You in there?”

Something made a noise inside, and she could hear a few steps before the door was opened, Inumaki standing in front of her, hair pushed back by a hair circlet, wearing pajamas. In the middle of the day.

She wiggled the bag up on her, “Brought a gift.”

He let her in, took the bribe as payment. She sat on his chair, watched him eat the first, even offering her some, she took it, and waited.

“So you and Nishimiya?”

He breathed out, and just put a blanket over himself.

“Sure, do your cute little ghost cosplay.”

Something muffled was said. And another bag was ripped open, and probably eaten.

“If you’re uncomfortable and don’t want to talk about it, tell me, and I will stop.”

The blanket was put down a bit, eyes looking at her. Unsure. 

“But I have a question,” she continued, when he lowered the blanket completely, eating one of the chocolates, and then shrugged.

“You like Okkotsu?”

He shrugged again, avoiding her gaze, but didn’t eat and played with a wrapper.

“And you like Nishimiya as well?”

He shrugged.

“I see,” She didn’t, but this was not important. She waited, before he caved in, signing frantically, before probably seeing all the question marks flying over Maki’s head. He shook his head and started over.

>>It is not fun anymore. Yuuta likes me, I know, maybe not like that, but it’s good with him. But he doesn’t let me in that close, and he has Rika and then only over the phone, it sucks.<<

She waited for him to continue, but he ate one of the chocolates first, throwing her another one.

>>Momo is nice, but I think she doesn’t like me like that. We’re just both alone at the moment, I guess.<<

“Sorry to hear that,” Maki said, watching her friend put the blanket around him, wrappers and the bag on his lap, looking at her with big eyes, “And you are distracting yourself by training like a madman?”

He shrugged.

“I’ve heard you cough at night. And you look pale.”

>>I need to get better.<<

“Yeah, I guess we all have to.”

His shoulders sank, frustration on his features, the snake and fang markings blowing up with him breathing out a big sigh.

“I mean that,” Maki said, “We still have a long way to go.”

>>Yeah, but some of our ways are longer.<<

She rolled her eyes, but then remembered that this wasn’t too nice, looking at him, seeing her friend in shambles. Heartbroken and sad, about being left behind.

“Don’t compare yourself to Okkotsu or Itadori, this will just break you, I know,” she admitted, “They have something we don’t. We just need to work harder.”

He hesitated, then asked slowly: >> Do you sometimes wish that the sorcerer world wouldn’t exist?<<

She smiled at him. “I kind of don’t belong here.”

His eyes were cast down, he stood and with that the wrappers were falling onto the bed or the floor. He was wearing the blanket like a cape when he walked over and leaned on her, weirdly. He held her ears, letting the blanket fall on the floor.

“I am sorry,” he whispered, then hugged her.

“Oh,” she made, “I know you didn’t mean it like that.” But his shoulders trembled, she kept quiet, then said: “Your voice was normal?”

She waited until he brought distance between them, taking his  blanket again, nodding.

“Worked on that?”

He nodded again.

“Cool.”

Her grin was contagious it seemed, because he mirrored it.

“I have brought you here, because we have to do one thing,” Maki began talking, Nobara grinned at her, but Megumi wasn’t swayed by their little ploy.

Panda apparently was in on whatever Maki had planned, nodding profusely, also standing in front of them.

“We need to get Yuuta here,” Panda said.

The first year students all blankly looked at them.

“Ehm?” Yuuji said.

“I thought-“ Nobara began.

“How?” Fushiguro heard himself ask.

“It is important for Inumaki’s well being,” Panda said, “I have analyzed that he is sad, that everyone found a partner, but his one is gone.”

“Sounds weird when you say it like that,” Nobara threw in. 

Maki shook her head, saying: “Don’t worry, he said worse.” But then she cleared her throat. “I have an idea. But for that we need Gojo – so Yuuji, you will talk to Gojo.”

Yuuji pointed at himself, confusedly asking: “Why me?”

“You’re clearly the favorite,” Maki supplied. Yuuji turned to look at Megumi and didn’t look sure if he should be happy or sad.

“Good, I’ll give you the details later, but when Yuuji gets Gojo to somehow ship Yuuta to us,” Panda continued, “Fushiguro will give Yuuta a pep-talk.”

Megumi had wanted to console Yuuji, but upon hearing his name coming out of Panda’s mouth, his head snapped to look at him. “A what now?”

Yuuji touched his shoulder, to get his attention and then give him a thumbs up and a wink.

Maki pointed at Yuuji. “You are somehow successful with dating this desaster of a person. This is enough to sway Okkotsu to get his shit together and finally ask him out.”

“What?”

Of all the things he would’ve thought he’d hear from her, this was something he wouldn’t have expected.

“He wouldn’t want dating advice from me,” Maki said, probably meaning that she didn’t want to give it. Panda nodded again, as if he understood. Then Maki called out: “And most importantly, Nobara!”

She saluted, sat up straight. “Yes Coronel.”

“You take Inumaki on one of your… whatever you do. And then we surprise him with Yuuta, yuuhu,” Maki said, not happy at all, doing jazz hands, “And then we leave them alone and they smooch or whatever.”

“Sounds like an elaborate plan,” Yuuji said, pumping his fist, “I AM SO IN.”

Panda halted, head askew, like an error in their elaborate plan just occurred to him. “Wait? What should I do?”

“You do your thing,” Maki said unhelpfully. But Panda was happy with that.

And this was the future for the sorcerer world, great, just great. 

Maki called. Four times, then she left messages, all different ways of saying “call me back as soon as possible you Brussels sprout”. When he got back to his hotel room, he did.

“Okkotsu,” she picked up immediately, “Took your sweet time.”

“I was at an important meeting with sha-“

“Hellooooo Okkotsu,” he heard a voice sing-singing, the phone was in another persons hand, “I have a little question.”

It was a nice voice, very sweet, almost innocent. 

“What is it? How can I help?” Yuuta supplied. Maybe one of the new students wanting some advice from him. 

“Do you remember the year you won the Exchange event?”

“Sure, it wasn’t that long ago.”

“Mhm. How was Kyoto?”

He smiled, remembering the days in the summer, when Maki had gotten a bad sunburn, and he had brought her aloe. When Panda had shown him how to win in hand-to-hand combat. “It was a good time, I cherish it a lot.”

“Hmh,” The voice clipped, “Imagine if SOMEONE would just take THE OPPORTUNITY to experience SOMETHING LIKE THAT from you.”

The voice changed, from something nice and happy to something vitriolic. 

“Who… exactly are you?”

“Don’t worry about that…”

Maki said something in the background, something about this costing too much, then she was back.

“Anyway-“

Yuuta sputtered something, the fear he felt making Rika look at him curiously.

“You’re coming over. Gojo will arrange a flight, do not, I repeat. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE call or tell Toge of this plan, yes?”

“A surprise? That is such a nice idea,” he said, already feeling the excitement well up. Seeing them all again, seeing Toge again, oh god, he needed to get his haircut, and maybe some new clothes? What would he say? Had he changed a lot? If Gojo really could make this happen, he would immediately take the chance to see them. 

Oh god, he would see them again. 

He was going to be sick. Rika next to him asked: “Yuuuuta, is the telephone eeevil?”

“No, it’s okay,” he said to her, “It’s Maki, she wants to see us again.”

“Maaaaki,” Rika said, and maybe it was happy, “And Panda? And Toge? I like them. They were nice to me.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Hello, stop talking to your imaginary friend,” Maki said, even though she- no… She couldn’t hear Rika. Oh.

“Sorry, that was rude,” Yuuta realized, but gave Rika a smile he would call reassuring, “So what do I do?”

“Just be yourself, Fushiguro will call you with further details. If you tell Toge I will burn your ass off.”

“Burn?”

“Yes.”

“My..?”

“Your ass, yes. So don’t.”

“Okay,”

“See you soon, Okkotsu Yuuta,” the other voice sweetly expressed, “I hope you are ready to CATCH THESE HANDS,”

“Nobara!” Maki called out in a surprised laugh, there was a knock and the call ended.

Rika looked at him, he looked at Rika. He shrugged.

This was a good idea, wasn’t it?

Yuuji was so pumped. He would call Okkotsu again. Well, Megumi would, but Yuuji was his right hand man. He had convinced Gojo to get Okkotsu a flight under another name and a hotel room in Tokyo (highly dangerous but okay whatever, not Yuuji’s problem), and now it was Megumi’s task to call the happy man.

He didn’t video call, but held the phone to his ear waiting for the other to pick up and Yuuji was just so happy to be part of this, touching the other's arm, to have something to do. Megumi even gave him a weary smile. He’d been tired since this plan had been laid out in front of him, since he didn’t think it was realistic at all.

“Hey, Okkotsu,” Fushiguro said, letting the other talk, “Hmh.”

Yuuji really loved this guy, Megumi. His elegant noose, his eyelashes (he was not allowed to make comments about that anymore), and his lips, chapped at the moment, because he had bitten on them in preparation for the call, very nervous. And the neck – hm so cute.

He hugged his boyfriend. Boyfriend. Could he believe that? No, he couldn’t. Sukuna was throwing up, telling him how disgusting he was, but Yuuji was in his own world. “I hate every second in this shell of a body. Fushiguro is not too ugly, I understand the sentiment, but must you be this annoying about it? And disgusting, why can’t you be normal?”

Yuuji ignored this thing in his head. Sukuna didn’t come out often when Megumi was around, and deep inside Yuuji knew that this was kind of bad – Sukuna had planned something, and didn’t want to get on Megumi’s bad side? Maybe? But he already was. Yuuji could ignore the voice, cuddle up to Megumi and enjoy the little moment of peace.

“Yuuji,” Megumi said, “Hello?”

Yuuji looked up at his loving boyfriend, who pulled a blank face.

“Can you tell Sukuna to shut it?”

“Hm?”

Oh, Sukuna had said it out loud. “Oh.”

“Oh,” Megumi repeated, but a small smile on his face, and Yuuji could kiss him.

A groan from Sukuna was heard between them. “Can you not just f-“

Both of them put all their hands over the place (his cheek again) where Sukuna had manifested, Megumi first, hand on Yuuji’s heated cheek, causing the phone to fall down. And Megumi’s expression changed into a horrified one.

“He – it?” Megumi stuttered, after ripping his hand away from between Yuujis hand and cheek, Sukuna chuckled.

“What?”

“He licked my…”

Megumi stared at him. Sukuna on the other hand almost giggled out: “Hehe tasty.”

“Hello?” They heard Okkotsu’s voice.

Yuuji blinked at Megumi, who wiped his hand on his pants, taking the phone back, sighing, “Sorry, there was… Sorry. Anyway.”

And he talked about his pep talk that they prepared. About Inumaki being sad and them wanting to cheer him up and maybe these two could do something together, wink wink, but Yuuji was speechless.

Sukuna had never done such a thing. Don’t be rude, Yuuji said, and then something different swelling with it, he’s my boyfriend. 

“And I am you,” Sukuna said, but just in his head, “Slowly consuming you. Maybe I’ll eat him afterwards,” then he laughed. What an ass. What an utter ass.

Yuuji just wanted a good time with Megumi and Sukuna was making it weird. Great. Just terribly great. Sukuna thought of himself as funny, especially since sensing that Yuuji was annoyed and mad at him.

He decided to ignore Sukuna, and rather listened to Megumi trying to give advice to Okkotsu. 

Everyone was weird. Which wasn’t too unnatural all things considered. But Toge still was suspicious.

Nobara wanted to go shopping with him, get his mind on something else than training for once. And he wasn’t in the mood, but she seemed so happy to go with him, overly excited even, how could he say no?

They had crossed the path of Gojo and Nanami, a weird picture together. Gojo had a spring in his step, being watched by Nanami closely. He was also suspicious of the happenings around him clearly.

They took the bus. Inumaki already was tired, napping against the window on the ride, Nobara was on her phone anyway.

They went to two shops and Nobara bought 0 things, she didn’t even really look. Just on the surface. But Inumaki bought a sweater, a dark one, black, and fluffy on the inside. Then they walked through a park, sharing a coffee.

“I want to show you something, a new place I just … discovered,” she said then, “It’s over there.”

They walked through the park, Nobara talked weirdly little, but she seemed happy. Trying to hide a smile for some reason. Oh no, she had something planned. Oh no. He really just wanted to go home.

>>Can we go home, I feel sick?<< he asked, standing still, something would happen, and he didn’t want it to.

She stood, only needing a short time to recover and say: “Ehm, I guess. But, I need to pick something up. A package I ordered.”

>>I can wait here, please.<<

“Oh, I-“ she looked at him, then her demeanor changed, soft, “Yes, do, wait here.” He was ushered to a bench, “I’ll be back in a minute,” she ran off. He sighed, sat back. Touched his hair, massaged his scalp. This day felt off. Everyone had been weird. They probably just wanted to be nice, seeing that he overworked himself and that it was too much at the moment.

He didn’t want to check his phone. Momo had kind of told him very flowery and nicely that she needed some space to think about things and what they should be doing, and Yuuta had been weirdly dry over text, stunted almost.

Maybe he should live more in the moment or whatever. There was a man with a puppy in the park, playing Frisbee and catch. And that was the moment.

He could cry, maybe would, but was too tired. His throat itched. Hyper aware, now that alone.

He looked at the ground, little mismatched tiles of stone, thinking about the question he had asked Maki. Sometimes he wished he was “normal”. Away from all this… stuff. But then again. He would live in a world and not know this part. And his friends wouldn’t be with him, they were so close due to these circumstances bonding them together. 

But then he could talk – sing, scream, loudly cry and laugh maybe without being a danger to everyone, even himself.

There were Inumaki’s in the past, whose tongues had been cut out, so that they could hurt no one.

He hadn’t hurt anyone in quite a while, besides himself. Never intentionally, this was just the side effect of his powers. 

He trained alone. Was that good? Or just lonely, keeping to himself and the plushed animals.

His mother could sing, she wasn’t like him. She could speak many languages, she could sing and dance, and bake. And cry and scream. (He could dance, he could bake, but… she had looked so happy doing these things while singing with the music or a nursery rhyme)

And she could leave.

She hadn’t left, he shook his head, it was not her decision to do so, she was ripped from him. Steps approached, but it wasn’t Nobara, she walked differently, more sure, more demanding of attention. Probably just someone passing by. But the steps stopped in front of him, he could see dark shoes. He sighed.

“Ehm, is this seat taken?”

He looked up.

Right in Yuuta’s face.

And he just lost his composure.

Somehow he imagined less tears in their reunion, but it somehow also felt right to cradle Inumaki in his arms, to sit next to him in this park, and hide him from the world. Rika also was affected, but kept hidden. Her way of dealing with emotional people was rather to be on the lookout for dangers lurking nearby, to keep Yuuta and the person he took care of safe from outsiders at least. 

“Sorry, I should’ve… said something else maybe?”

Inumaki shook his head. 

Tears were still coming, silently as ever, probably, Yuuta hadn't seen him cry that often. He’d calmed down after Yuuta had held him, patted his back and soothed him.

“You have different hair,” Yuuta said, “I mean, I’ve seen it on the calls, but in reality, it's different. Very soft.”

>>And you’re so tall.<<

“Yes, I know, it's almost a miracle.”

Toge had taken off his mask, tears having found their way in, and he let it air out, dry.

>>They planned this?<<

“I think the idea was to make you happy,” Yuuta admitted, “Somehow it didn’t work?”

Somehow it hadn’t worked, and somehow that gave Yuuta a pang. He was excited to meet Toge, still was over the moon to see him, touch ihm, just like that, in Tokyo. Talk to him, to be so close.

>>I am overwhelmed. But I'm happy. How long will you stay?<<

“Three days.”

“Hm,” Toge made, reaching out, but halting, moving his hand back to himself, watching it.

(“Just be yourself,” Fushiguro had said, sounding like he was reading it off a script, “And go after what you want.”)

“Let’s make good three days?” Yuuta asked, Toge was looking into his eyes, smiling upon hearing these words, getting a determined nod. 

“Salmon.”

“He stopped crying! I repeat, no crying anymore,” Yuuji whispered.

“Oh finally. I hated this,” Maki said.

“Then why did you tell us to hide in the bushes?” Fushiguro muttered.

“Psh, I can't see anything,” Gojo pushed Fushiguro out of his sight.

“Why are you even here?” Nobara asked.

“No one chaperoned him,” Panda replied.

“A point for the talking panda,” Gojo said, “Now be quiet, I need to see this.”

“They move!!! Look how close they are,” Yuuji whispered again, so excitedly it was almost a scream.

“That’s like a completely normal distance between two people,” Maki replied.

“No, they are closer than normally,” Fushiguro threw in.

“Ah now, you join in,” Gojo teased, “Finally.”

“You’re our teacher, be weird somewhere else,” Nobara said and would’ve kicked him in the shin if this infinity thing wouldn’t be on his side.

“Are they dating now?” Panda asked, “It's hard for me to tell.”

“Hm,” Gojo made, “There’s a bit more to that than this for humans, more work going into this before you decide to date someone, especially after all this time apart. But the yearning or whatever the cool kids call it these days probably helped.”

“And pining,” Yuuji threw in.

“Be quiet, you dunces,” Maki said, “They’ll hear us,”

Fushiguro rolled his eyes.

Gojo kicked him. “Phs, more quietly.”

Nobara cackled.

And Panda just watched. Toge smiled, no mask, carrying his snake and fang markings proudly and even Yuuta looked healthier, happier than Panda had ever seen him before.

So this is what this romantic love looked like.

Crying really had felt good, he’d let out a big portion of emotions already, and now he was just nervous. They were getting food, he was aware of Rika’s presence in the distance, but she was shy that day. And Yuuta talked and talked, animatedly, keeping Toge entertained, who had just wished for that.

Maybe it was a dream.

Could be.

Toge pinched himself.

It hurt. So maybe no dream?

They ate burgers together. Toge acted like he hadn’t seen all his classmates and the sorry excuse for a teacher they had hiding in a bush in the park, and now they hadn’t followed.

Yuuta paid for him, then took him to the river.

“I’ve been here before when I took a day off, when all this stuff was going too crazy,” Yuuta told him, “I like watching bodies of water, especially the sea. We could go to the sea.”

Toge nodded.

“What do you want to do?” Yuuta asked, abashedly, “I shouldn’t overstep.”

>>Just be with you.<<

And Yuuta looked at him for a long moment, before saying. “Okay. Yeah.”

Rika came out when they were by the sea, trying to get into the water.

Toge felt sand everywhere but it didn’t matter, he chased Yuuta, who was very fast. Too fast for his liking, but Toge was faster in the end, tackling him to the ground, they threw sand at each other, then sat in the sand. Yuuta was still laughing, when he watched Rika “swim” or whatever she was trying to do, then turned to catch Toge’s gaze, smile not dying down at all. 

“I missed you,” Yuuta said, and was in a smooth movement, closer, touching his shoulder, keeping his hand there for a while, Inumaki felt the warmth seeping through his jacket, through his everything, “I should’ve come sooner.”

>>It’s dangerous.<<

Yuuta laughed, “What will they do? I have you with me.”

Toge could cry again, maybe more happy tears that time.

In their limbo of kind of dating-maybe not really Maki currently resided in, she saw the signs of romance much clearer everywhere else. How Yuuji, like muscle-memory, reached out for Fushiguro’s hand then after only touching his hand, remembering better (Fushiguro blushing and looking away probably a reminder), and scratching his head, but laughing. 

Toge and Okkotsu dancing around each other - hopefully they could talk it out… How Okkotsu had cradled Inumaki, concerned face completely fixed on the smaller one, ready to protect him from anything.

After seeing these two off, the rest of the group’s evening consisted of eating at a fast food chain with Gojo, who had been forced to pay for everything. 

Nobara ate her fries, listened to Fushiguro trying to explain to her why she was not allowed to call him emo boy, (“Sure, emo man,” she said). Nobara was affectionate, with Yuuji this turned mostly into violence, but other than that, she touched a shoulder here, or patted someone's head, cuddled really often, sometimes with Maki, who didn’t really know what to do with that. She was rather… different with that. She liked keeping her distance, not getting overly in contact with people. Maybe she was like Fushiguro in that regard, but he somehow thawed with Yuuji, maybe only the tiniest bit, this was probably good for all their sanity. 

Yet, she didn’t feel ready to do these things. She would like to sometimes, just let other people close like that, how she saw Inumaki get hugs from Panda without second thought or Nobara mindlessly petting Yuuji’s head (after leaving him a nasty bump on his head), how even Fushiguro closed his eyes when Yuuji very subtly (not at all), stroked his back.

In public, Panda was invisible to most people, hence why he tried to make Yuuji laugh at him to embarrass him for laughing at nothing. Maki sometimes liked to take her glasses off as well to ignore him. Generally taking off her glasses was a good way to ignore the others. Gojo joined in on the fun, trying to tell jokes so bad that Yuuji needed to snort out his milkshake. Nobara, disgusted, threw a napkin at his face. 

Maybe she should reach out as well? Maki was opposite her, so she extended her legs, coming to contact with hers, wasn’t that also enough?

Yuuij toweled himself down and grinned at her apologetically, the foot was gone out of her reach, “Sorry Maki for invading your space.”

Nobara sat with crossed legs, she had footsied with Yuuji. 

Great. 

They didn’t even need to talk about it. Toge was coming back to his hotel room and they would have a sleepover.

Yuuta was a hot mess, while Toge showered, getting the sand off and then he would wear the clothes Yuuta had given him. Had he mentioned already that he had given Toge his clothes – his own clothes that Toge would drown in and look handsome in, and cute and nice and everything that Yuuta was not?

He waited for his turn, sitting on the uncomfortable chair in the “kitchen”, reading messages from Maki and Fushiguro.

Maki: Go get em tiger.

She had not written that, he didn’t believe one second that Maki would be able to write these letters in that order.

Fushiguro Megumi: Block Gojo. Lock the doors and windows. Tell Rika to kill on sight.

Yuuta smiled at that, this definitely came out of Fushiguro, and thanked him. He had locked the door already and Rika was wandering around the room waiting for Toge to come back. A curse really didn’t know much about decency, but she had learned not to get in the bathroom when people were occupying it.

He would share a bed with Toge – this room had a double bed. Maybe he should offer sleeping on the ground? Wasn’t that the nice thing to do ? He really didn’t want to. For everyone else, he would’ve gladly offered, but he wanted to share this space with Toge. The shower was stopped. Oh no.

“Tooogee~” Rika sang, but didn’t elaborate further. Her jealousy concerning Toge had subsided at least.

Yuuta had taken out clothes he would wear to sleep, already armed with them, when Toge emerged, hair wet, the big band shirt of a band Yuuta only listened to because Toge had sent him a song (“reminded me of you somehow”), long joggers were all too big on his friend. Yuuta could scream. 

>>It’s a good shower,<< Toge just signed, put his clothes on a neat pile in the little cupboard there was and sat on the bed, >>Get the sand off, you know what happened to Anakin.<<

Yuuta did not know who or what Anakin was, but something bad had probably happened, so he showered.

And didn’t think too much about the collarbone peeking out from Inumaki while wearing that shirt. And with that uncovering the little trinket on the chain resting on his chest, the one Yuuta had gifted him all those months ago. The one Toge still wore. 

Oh my, Yuuta thought to himself while getting ready to shower, three days would be long. But also very short.

He cut his shower short, wanting to get back soon. Toge had made himself comfortable, all blankets surrounding him, Rika sitting on the ground before him. They were talking, or playing a game, Yuuta wasn’t sure.

“Yuuuuda,” They said in unison, when he came out of the bathroom. 

They talked, long into the night, both on the bed, Toge shared the blankets with him, there were only two, and they had only a little light on. Rika was gone somewhere later, maybe resting, maybe patrolling (he had told her to not kill on sight, especially not Gojo, but to alarm him at least).

Toge’s eyelids seemed heavy, he listened, was cuddled in, so tiny and vulnerable. So soft. Hair dry already.

And then he was asleep. Yuuta only watched him for a moment, before turning the lights off, telling him. “Goodnight, Toge, see you tomorrow.”

Being the strongest, best and frankly most handsome man in the sorcerer world (maybe in the whole wide world, but Gojo had seen some other contenders that could beat him if they tried a bit harder) was a difficult task. Rika hadn’t let him get through to Okkotsu, and okay, maybe fair. At least Rika and he could catch up like that.

When he had come back with the students, Nanami had threatened to kill him. Not literally, Nanami had manners. And openly confessing to wanting to kill someone he worked with was not very nice. But Nanami had been angry, for Gojo to do such reckless things.

“He is in danger,” Nanami said, about Okkotsu.

“Okay, first I don’t care about my students enough, and then when I do it is not okay?” Gojo retorted, “I want a divorce.”

Nanami sighed, he didn’t even fall for his trap to say “for that we would need to marry” to which Gojo would reply very surprised “you want to marry me?!”. But Nanami knew him too well and wouldn’t entertain him.

“It was a nice thought, but badly executed.”

“Huh?”

“You should not have brought him to the center of Tokyo,” Nanami chastised him, “And better hidden, not in this dinky hotel with Rika roaming around. There is too much attention on her.”

“Huh?”

“You should’ve let him stay in Yokkaichi, and brought the students there,” Nanami explained, “You could have told the higher-ups that this was an important learning excursion for them, and no one would have batted an eye at Rika there.”

“Huh?”

“And then, hiding in the bushes? What are you?” Nanami touched his glasses, going in for the kill, “It was reckless and you should be ashamed of yourself. But all in all the intentions were good.”

Gojo blinked twice. He saw the world differently than anyone else (but then again, did not everyone see the world differently?) and so he looked at Nanami more closely. But nothing showed anything being off with his friend. 

And it obviously took a great inner battle for Nanami to even continue: “You prove to be a good teacher in that way at least. Taking care of their mental health and bringing them together. I don’t think any of our teachers would have put their head on the line so recklessly as you time and time again are willing to.”

Gojo visibly fell into himself. “Thanks I guess. That was a bad compliment sandwich by the way.”

“You slept through the pedagogy lessons.” Anybody else would’ve said that in a teasing tone, but not Nanami, he stated it like a fact. 

“I was wide awake,” Gojo denied, “Just because I wear this great accessoire-“

“You snore.”

“YOU SNORE!”

Nanami sighed, taking his glasses off, looking right through Gojo. “Let us get a drink.”

“HUH?”

The blonde was already turning and mumbling something about not knowing how to tell his mother that he loved her but regretted being born, but Gojo’s brain was not functioning. How could Nanami insult Gojo’s character and probably also great handsomeness and then want to get drinks?

“You need to get better at flirting, or you’ll never have success in that regard,” Gojo retorted, back in his fun-joking-mode, hopping next to his old friend, wandering next to him to get to the car and ultimately somewhere where good drinks would be on offer. 

There were many things Nanami could’ve said that Gojo would’ve expected, maybe:

• I am not flirting, you (insert insult that is only an insult if you know Gojo really well, one that would hurt him for many many weeks and maybe months and maybe years after hearing it(he would never forgive Shoko for calling him an off brand toothbrush that one time))
• Please kill me (or something along those lines about not wanting to be alive and/or regretting every decision up until that point yadda yadda)
• One of those sighs 
• I do not respect you
• Please shut up
• Who would even flirt with you? Why would I/someone flirt with you?

But no. Nanami was out for violence that day. He didn’t even look at Gojo while saying: “It must’ve sufficed for you since I thought we were already married.”

Toge woke all at once, startled, since something weighed him down, tried sitting up and then hit his head.

“Oooohuuu,” Rika lamented, trying to apologize for being the force that had woken him, “Toooge.”

Yuuta was by his side in a moment, holding his head, also still half asleep.

“I am sooo sorry, Riiika did not want to hurt Toooge.”

“’sokay,” Toge whispered, then remembered that he shouldn’t talk.

How could he forget? Well, to Rika he could talk. Sometimes, she somehow puffered his speech, or took his commands, she had at least in the past, without it hurting him. (“Because she likes you,” Yuuta had said, “That’s at least what Gojo thinks”).

And Yuuta laughed. Quietly and wonky, but happy.

Toge loved this sound.

They had a quiet morning, Rika telling them that Gojo had showed up and she had talked to him about nonsensical things, and here really was the question if Rika wasn’t remembering it correctly or if Gojo just had jumbled weird stuff again. And really, the latter was way more realistic.

They ordered room service, consisting of french toast and an alarming amount of sweet tea.

A secret meeting was to be held. Apparently first the plan had been to meet somewhere in Shibuya, but Gojo had changed plans, after “talking it through with Nanami”, so they now would go to a bowling alley. In what way would that be more safe? Toge did not know at all.

But the morning was just for the two of them (and Rika?).

Yuuta looked so free of any sorrows when they took a picture together. And next to Yuuta, there were a few pixels off. “Rika!” Yuuta laughed at that, showing her the screen, “Look, you’re there with us!”

Nobara had two goals that day. First, to get the highest score at bowling and win at billiard afterwards. And her second goal was to get her hands on Okkotsu, maybe talk to him nicely and then steal a lock of hair or something and threaten to curse him.

She wasn’t that mad anymore if she was honest. Kyoto was boring anyway. But Maki found it terribly funny when she threatened to kill Okkotsu, and that was cute, seeing her smile so brightly and amusedly. So Nobara would threaten him a bit, easily. She had lots of experience in scaring her boys, so it wouldn't be harder to scare this one.

She wouldn’t have expected Yuuta to be like… this.

All of them had waited in the bowling alley, save for the adults, Nanami was talking to the owner, having rented the whole thing for the day for a “birthday party”, a black credit card in hand, and Gojo slept on a couch chair by another lane, so he didn’t really count. So when Yuuta walked in, next to Inumaki, she was taken aback. He looked nice, a bright smile, running up to them, hugging Panda and Maki and even Fushiguro, who hugged back (she had at least seven question marks on top of her head and decided that she could throw a bowling ball at Okkotsu’s head, just for show), and then there was this presence.

She was told it was Rika, just an old crush or fiancé who died having materialized in a cursed form, Yuuta having cursed himself. The usual. She seemed nice.

Yuuji was rather excited, like a puppy jumping around him, asking questions. Rika didn’t like him, or maybe she sensed Sukuna. Oh maybe they would do a great show off. She should get the others to place bets. 

But this had to wait, since it was her turn, with Yuuta outstretching a hand. “You are Kugisaki Nobara? I’ve heard quite a lot.”

She took it. “Same. Hi Rika, nice aura you have going on there.”

“Thanksssss.”

Yuuta gave her a careful glance, but he seemed too happy to sense anything of her malice. He would regret this.

“So, time to lose?” Maki asked, already equipped with a bowling ball, having saved their names at the machine.

Yuuta nodded. “Let’s play.”

SCORE:

• MAKI: 187
• NOBARA: 101
• BEAR-Y FLUFFY: 209
• JESSIE (TEAM ROCKET): 77
• DEVOURER OF THE DEMON: 187
• EYEBAGS: 100
• OH NO GIRI: 7
• COOL GIRL RIKA: 300

Looking up at the scoreboard, what should they have expected? Panda and Rika gave each other a high five.

Great. Now they were unionizing.

“How do you change names in this thing?” Okkotsu asked Nobara, while Fushiguro still sulked over his name. (“I can be the James to your Jessie next time if you want to!”, Itadori called out to him. Fushiguro probably was just mad that Itadori had gotten such an edgy name).

Itadori tried teaching Toge bowling at another lane, but Maki had to avert her eyes, that just looked dangerous. Gojo still snored in the distance.

But all in all, it was a success. Since no one else was there to watch them, Rika could play as well, and Maki took off her glasses once, just to see a disembodied bowling ball fly and knock everything over at almost any lane and Yuuta giving nothing a high five (it really was fun sometimes to just pretend he was nuts), and Nanami let them order food and drinks, even took pity and brought Gojo some water, who didn’t wake, but slept on. Maybe they should be more careful, but somehow, Nanami was working hard so that they could enjoy themselves. And once just act like normal people. Well, normal people where two to three of them were kind of really cursed, depending on who to ask.

But it was the most normal she felt in years. She shared fries with Nobara, and later, they all shared pizza, before getting into teams for billiards. After the game, one of the billiard balls was missing, and Maki couldn’t stop laughing sheepishly, when Yuuta asked completely innocently: “Yuuji, were you hungry?”

Even Fushiguro didn’t seem too mad.

Toge was also really bad at billiards, but then it turned out, he just wasn’t concentrating on that, but rather was distracted due to Yuuta. What a mess. Nobara won their round at least, threatening Yuuta twice with the billiard cue. But he didn’t know of the danger he was in. He still thought she was joking.

(“Qué!” Yuuji called it, using it like a sword after he scored three points.

“You speak French?” Panda asked.

“Oh eh Merci?”

Panda, impressed, nodded. “Incredibleu.”

“Please stop this,” Fushiguro muttered. The other two snickered.)

Gojo woke up after a while, eating some leftover pizza and watching them lounge around, the other half playing another round of billiards. Well, if Nobara running after Yuuji and wanting to skewer him with the cue counted as playing… “You cheater!”

“They are lively,” Gojo said, yawning and pointing at them, “So young and… young.” He clasped his hands, “Well are you having fun?”

Okkotsu smiled, genuine, eye bags weren’t even that visible. “I didn’t expect this… thank you Gojo.”

“Ah,” Gojo waved dismissively, but then changed gears, a devilish smile being presented, “Well yeah, actually. Good idea from me and me alone.”

>>I thought it was Nanami's idea.<<

“Ah yes, I have a new haircut, thank you for asking, Inumaki. Very good eye,” Gojo said, “I thought they cut too short at first, but it turns out I am fine.”

Inumaki rolled his eyes, but the grin they shared spoke enough.

There was a little table soccer and it was really fun to watch Fushiguro get frustrated and Yuuji trying to give him hints on how to win, and he still lost. He wasn’t a good loser, but somehow upon looking in Itadori’s face who coached him immediately, he softened up and it was small, but he inched closer and listened.

She felt so free.

Maybe Toge was going crazy, but maybe… Not.

Okay, when Yuuji had tried to teach him bowling (where his strategy was to just “Look at the pins”, where else should he look??), Yuuta had looked over, rather dark for a moment, as if jealous. Somehow this had verified something in Toge’s head. 

He still wasn’t better at bowling, maybe even worse. It didn’t matter. The bowling shoes were so ugly.

And then: When playing billiard Yuuta had been by his side, encouraging him and in that way making it worse. So he was bad at billiards because Yuuta was.. Yuuta.

They sat together in the evening in a little sushi restaurant, where someone brought the sushi to the table in waves. Yuuta was next to him, so closely that their thighs were touching, laughed with Gojo about Yuuji who’d felt sick and was in the bathroom with Fushiguro (due to the “billiard  ball” he had eaten, whereas in reality Toge had seen Panda eat one, the yellow one, but why? He didn’t know and he wouldn’t judge his friend). Nobara was feeding Maki sushi, who didn’t even bat an eye.

>>Disgusting<< he signed in their direction and Maki gave him one finger as an answer which didn’t need learning a whole sign language course to be understood. 

And Yuuta touched his arm. “Thanks, Inumaki,” He said, but didn’t explain what he meant.

Nanami stole Gojo later, (“Leave them some space!” – “Yeah, sure, whatever you say.”) and he saw Nobara plot something against Okkotsu, but she sat far away enough.

It was nice. It should never end.

The day ended with them separating, Yuuta taking Toge with him again.

That night they brushed their teeth together side by side. And Toge imagined if this could be a reality for them. In the future, when Yuuta was done with his program from all over the world. When Toge was stronger.

But… Didn’t sorcerer relationships not never work out?

He didn’t want to think about this, not while laying next to Yuuta, completely tired and done, and yet hanging on every word he said, Rika patrolling the halls to probably meet up with Gojo and then Yuuta hugged him.

“I missed you so much, you are so great.” He chuckled, “I’m bad with words, I'm so tired and I want to never fall asleep tonight, but yet I want to fall asleep next to you every night.”

“Hmm,” Toge agreed, not sure what else he could say. Yuuta put some space between them, yet they looked at each other. Toge cleared his throat, but didn’t say anything.

Yuuta avoided his gaze, but put his hand on Toge’s.

“Goodnight.”

Toge nodded.

Yuuta was such a coward. He had wanted to kiss Toge, and yet – hadn’t. The other already slept, safely tucked in.

Toge had looked so happy that day and Yuuta had almost just grabbed him, to take him somewhere more private to ask him if he could just finally kiss him. But this wasn’t possible. First, he was way too scared to ask Toge that. And second, that wasn’t how he expected it to go. More organically.

Okay maybe he just hoped Toge would kiss him.

And seeing the other without the mask almost all of the day… It was over with him. He was over, head over heels with only Toge in his thoughts. They still held hands, kind of, loosely, but it counted!

That was progress.

Oh god, he would go away the next evening agan. What had Fushiguro said from his script? Be happy and bold? No, Live long and prosper?

No, what?

“Yuuuda,” Toge said. At first Yuuta thought he was just talking in his sleep, but no, the lilac eyes of Toge were looking at him.

The light from outside was giving him enough to see. Toge ended their loosely held hands to sign: >>You are restless.<<

“Oh, I didn't mean to keep you awake.” 

Maybe Fushiguro had said: “Don’t be scared, he likes you too.” He didn’t know, in some part of the conversation it had been about Yuuji licking Fushiguro’s hand and he still was kind of traumatized from that image in his head.

Anyway.

Toge.

Looking right at him.

So close.

When did this happen?

Eyes on Yuuta. So close, their noses almost touching. Toge interlaced their fingers, warm. And looked at him expectantly. Okay – without free hands, Toge couldn’t ask. And he also couldn’t ask because this could turn out to be a command, and this was not Toge style. So Yuuta should listen to Fushiguro’s advice (“Go get em tiger” maybe?) and just do it.

“Can I – ehm – “

Okay this was harder than expected, Toge may be smiling and coming closer, other hand in Yuuta’s hair, oh god his stomach was doing flips. And the hand was so careful as if Yuuta was …special, careful to be handled.

“...Kiss you? Can I kiss you?”

“Yes,” Toge said, the lowest whisper, almost not to be heard, but YUuuta had bridged the gap with a lot of confidence and no idea on how to go from there only – lips oh god, Toge’s lips on his?

What the hell, moving, he was moving! Yuuta closed his eyes and felt Toge smile against him, carefully moving his lips, angling his head (knowing what he was doing), before letting go for a moment, to look in his eyes again, before Yuuta dove against him again, there was no time to lose like this. And Toge giggled, and pulled him closer, deepening their kiss, Yuuta’s mouth opened in a surprised sound and Toge used this opportunity to slip his tongue out.

Good, Yuuta was dead anyway.

Great life that he had. Maybe the childhood trauma took a few points away, and living with these powers, but this kiss. All in all, good life. 

Yes.

Very dead and had Toge’s tongue in his mouth. Yuuta went with the flow, moving like Toge showed him to do, who had both hands in Yuuta’s hair, almost grabbing him, bodies close together, whereas Yuuta opted to touch the other’s side, feeling the fabric of his own shirt on Toge’s smaller frame. Toge broke the kiss red lips smiling, the snake and fang markings cutely making his smile even more just so - Toge.

“You are just… you are…” Yuuta began, fumbling for words, “This is,.. I’ve…”

Toge smiled, noses bumping into each other playfully. “Hm?”

At a loss for words, Yuuta just kissed him again. 

How they even slept that night, Yuuta had no idea. 

There was only one weird thing happening the next morning that embarrassed Yuuta so much, he hoped he would’ve died the night before. Rika was telling him to eat more breakfast, so he didn’t have to eat Toge’s face again.

And Toge had laughed at him, openly just made fun of him, while he hoped for a hole in the ground and to never appear again. 

Maki didn’t like lipstick. Nude colors, maybe sometimes or a bold red every once in a while. But applying and reapplying it was such a hassle, eating was a problem then and drinking and eugh, just annoying. She didn’t have time for this. However, seeing Nobara happy about a new color of lipstick or lip stain or whatever they had invented at the moment, was nice, seeing her happy and being her “model” to try it out on was something Maki could more than live with. 

And it often smelled so chemical or very fruity and weird, but seeing Nobara so concentrated on creating her art on Maki’s face – so close, was very nerve wracking. With that closeness, she could count Nobara’s lashes for god’s sake!

“Interesting,” Nobara said, getting some space between them, “With your hair, purple really is an interesting choice.”

“So I look like a clown.”

“Not a clown, just… colorblind.”

“Do you think it would suit you better?” Maki challenged. 

Nobara shrugged, searching for the cap of the lipstick. “I guess, I could try it.”

“Let me apply it for you.”

Nobara’s smile changed into something proud. “Yeah, do that!” She gave her the lipstick and with the thing in her hand, Maki decided to forgo the extra step and pulled Nobara close, who gave her a confused look. “Do you need your glasses back?”

“Can I apply it?”

“Yeah, I already-“ Her eyes froze, she realized, quietly moving on, whispering, “Yeah, good, yeah.”

And this was all Maki needed to pull her close and connect their lips, letting her get a taste. Maki had a few experiences with kissing, mostly only Toge. And this had been fine or whatever, she didn’t like thinking about it too much, but this was different – this was another league. She never was one for big displays of affection or thinking too much about emotions and feelings if not needed. But she felt jittery, little sparks flying through her body delivering happiness everywhere. 

Nobara was toppling over, almost sitting in her lap, leaning on her, arms around her, as if she had initiated it, warm and soft and so – perfect.

Finally having her that close, that intimate, she carefully acting not too ask of too much, waiting for Maki to invite her in, she kissed her back!

Nobara broke apart first, letting Maki catch her breath, lips only blotchy stained purple. “Is this okay?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, and we need to apply the lipstick evenly,” Maki said when her eyes flicked to her lips. Nobara chuckled and pulled her back in.

Somehow… This probably was his fault. All of this. He had started it. A chain reaction of bad decisions maybe? But he was the catalyst.

Megumi had started dating Yuuji, then… Maki and Nobara had done whatever had to be done to see them kissing on the floor of Nobara’s room (he had just wanted to get his game back, so he could play with Yuuji that night…), a forgotten open lipstick on the floor. And currently, after the biggest, saddest goodbye to Okkotsu, Inumaki was at first on cloud nine or seven or whatever, and then very sad, hidden in his room, everything dark and quiet, not to be disturbed.

Fushiguro had started this by falling asleep on Yuuji that one day. And he would like to say that he regretted it, but he did not at all, just... everything that came with it. And now he had to turn up back in Yuuji’s room, breaking the news that Maki and Nobara’s rooms were off limits now as well. Great.

“Well, they’re dating, so that’s great!” Yuuji had said, happy as ever for his friends, not too sad that he could not play this little co-op game with him. Megumi decided to sit next to him, leaning against him, and trying to remember when he’d been this happy last time.

A Megumi from maybe half a year ago would’ve snarked, they were all dating now? This was going to be a mess. But somehow… He pushed that down, Yuuji had shown him to live in the moment, well he had to, because maybe there weren’t many of those left. He brought an arm around Yuuji’s stomach.

Yuuji made a little noise, but didn’t move away. He was always so warm, kissing the top of Megumi’s head, then whispering: “I’m glad we met.”

Megumi didn’t answer, but pulled Yuuji closer, hoping this was understood better than anything he could’ve said.

He had lived through another long day of hard work (okay, he had read but not replied to one email and thought about a new lesson (ideas up to then: how to spot residuals or mirrors and their part of letting ghosts in), and then he played a Pokémon game he’d gotten from Maki. Currently his team was kind of bad, so he was preoccupied with leveling up and catching some new little pixelated monsters. Shoko had watched him play for a while, forcing him to catch an Eevee and name it after her. Then she had returned to work (“Some of us have to pull our weights here”, she had said, he only shrugged), and he had been alone again. He wasn’t really a gamer, he only wanted to play Cooking Mama, but Maki only owned one of those games (which apparently was Mai’s), and Gojo hadn’t been able to find another copy, so now Pokémon it was. Next time in the city he should go into a video game store or something like that.

“Gojo, there you are,” Nanami said while joining him in the meeting room. 

“Yes, here I am,” Gojo said (Shoko used tackle. It’s super effective!), looking up. Nanami was in his usual set up, white suit, funky tie, and looked well put together as always. But there was nothing implying what Nanami had planned. He sat down opposite him, loosening his tie. Gojo looked over the upper screen of the pink DS, meeting the other’s gaze.

“Hard mission?” Gojo tried.

“Yes,” Nanami said while taking off his jacket, not looking at Gojo but rather at the wall behind him. 

(Shoko gained 33 EXP. Points. Shoko grew to Level 4! Shoko learned Body Check.) He was on his way to the next battle. But he missed cooking… And baking… And burning cake. He again looked up, seeing Nanami lean back, eyes closed, head thrown back. Maybe he would fall asleep like that.

“Wanna go to the city?” Gojo asked.

“Why?”

“I need some baking supplies.”

Nanami made a noise, maybe a groan, low. Gojo closed the pink DS, his battles with Shoko could wait. “It’s really important.”

“Hm,” Nanami said, eyes still closed, a picture of complete relaxation, “I do need some rest. Maybe afterwards.”

“I can bake you something too!”

“Do not understand me wrong,” Nanami said, “I do not have a death wish.” He then gave a chuckle, low and quiet, “And I cannot eat food made out of pixels.”

Gojo opened the DS again, turned the volume down and felt himself smile. “You know me too well.”

“I am afraid I do,” Nanami said quietly, yet with none of the usual sarcasm behind it. 

(Shoko is confused. It hurt itself in its confusion.)

And then Nanami fell asleep, dreams hazily engulfing him, bringing him a moment of peace amongst all this chaos.