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Utahime could confidently say that she didn't participate in denial. She owned up to her feelings and always knew when she was in the wrong. As a child, her father instilled in her the importance of being true to oneself, so she made it a habit never to pretend.
Except one day, she did.
In high school, Gojo always made jokes about how she must be in love with him, given how angry he made her. He said that hatred was just another form of love, and so he would flirt his way into a beating just so that she would touch him. She didn't know when, but somewhere along the way, her scoffs turned hollow in the face of his pestering nature.
She was less bothered by his presence as time passed, though she pretended otherwise. And for a while, she convinced herself that her fantasy of indifference was true.
Until one day, she couldn't.
The night had started out just fine. It was the first time since graduation that all their friends got together, and Utahime was delighted to be doing anything that wasn't coursework. Working full-time and taking college classes left her little time to socialize. Not everyone could afford to be as carefree as Gojo.
Just the thought of him had her curling her lip.
“Utahime, Satoru’s not even here yet. Put your fangs away."
Utahime straightened and softened her face into something less hostile. "I have no idea what you mean, Mei Mei."
"I'm sure."
Mei Mei's knowing response left her grumbling into her beer. She was less than a second into her insults before large, familiar hands slapped down on her shoulders. Those hands pushed down as she jumped, sliding sure thumbs along the base of her neck on either side.
"I heard my name. Were you talkin' about me, Utahime?"
If looks could kill, Mei Mei would have been sent aflame by the glare Utahime sent her.
"Did I forget to mention he was walking this way? Silly me." Mei Mei giggled behind a ghostly hand like some meddling spirit and turned her attention to the shots Shoko was distributing.
"Please, why would I waste my time talking about you?"
Utahime tried and failed to shake Gojo's hands from her shoulders, turning instead to return Geto's usual placid smile. He gladly accepted his shot from Shoko's hand, brushing purposeful fingers against hers in the process. As usual, Shoko gave no indication that she noticed. At least Utahime could take solace that she wasn't the only one drowning in denial.
A violent shiver zipped down her spine as plush lips brushed across her ear.
"I know you missed me," he whispered.
Mei Mei and Shoko watched, amused from the other side of the table. Their stares only served to embolden him because he followed up with a lick along the shell of her ear. This time she jerked her way out from under his hands, falling onto Geto's lap.
"Satoru, sit down. You're gonna make her leave," Geto said. He shoved Gojo away and helped her up with careful hands.
"Fine ."
"You wanna switch chairs with me, Utahime? I'll make sure he leaves you alone."
Utahime never moved so fast in her life. She answered Gojo's pout with her middle finger and was glad to be sat next to good ol', sensible Nanami. But the smooth brush of Gojo's lips wasn't far from her mind, no matter how many arguments she had started with Mei Mei.
Each time she found her eyes wandering in his direction, she sipped the drink she'd conned Mei Mei into buying her. Anything to keep herself from meeting the shameless blue eyes that were currently burning a hole in the side of her head. Not for the first time, she cursed herself. She could have fallen in love with anyone sitting among them. Why did it have to be Gojo?
After three shots and two mixed drinks, Utahime fled to the bathroom on unsteady feet. Thankfully, there had been relatively no line into the women's room, as this was one of the less popular campus bars. She exited the bathroom, ready to drink the rest of her feelings away, only to narrowly avoid colliding with Gojo.
Her eyes slid along his chest and neck, examining every contour poorly hidden by his too-tight shirt, beyond his lips which she deemed too enticing to look at, and up to his eyes that watched her with open amusement.
"Did you follow me to the bathroom?"
Gojo laughed. "Yeah. I'm not the only one who did. You almost clipped yourself on someone's chair."
Utahime tilted her head to look behind him. "Why are you the only one here then?"
"Because I told them I'd take care of you."
"No," Utahime said. "I can't be alone with you."
Gojo grinned, dipping a breath shy from her nose.
"Why can't you be alone with me?"
Utahime's eyes widened. God, she had such a big mouth when she drank. "That's not what I said!"
She tried to dip past him, but he blocked her each way in an infuriating dance. Utahime dug her nails into the meat of her palms to keep from touching him. It had been a long while since they'd played this game, and she feared what other truths she might give away with her actions.
But Gojo was observant. Always lying in wait for the next piece of ammunition to make a fool of her. To poke fun at her for wanting what she couldn't have.
He crowded her into a nearby wall, allowing another patron to pass him. Just as her truth shattered her drink-addled mind, its catalyst smoothed the tension from her hands. Gojo brought one up to brush treacherous lips across her knuckles, then lowered his face to hers.
Suddenly, her shoes were very interesting. Or maybe she couldn't stand to see that kindness in his eyes without wondering if it were mocking.
"You cryin'?"
Utahime scoffed, lifting her eyes back up to meet his. "You wish."
The corners of his mouth lifted back into a grin, and soft lips pushed a quick peck against hers.
"Let me take you home."
The kiss stunned her into silence. Her heart swelled with insecurity at what that might mean, why Gojo's expression softened in the face of her shock. But he left no room for explanation or answer, sliding his hand in hers and tugging her toward the exit.
"While we're on our way, I'll tell you all about how the girls told me you're in love with me."
Utahime squawked behind him and fought against his hold to attack said girls as they walked past their table.
Fortunately for them, Gojo was stronger than her.