Chapter Text
Long lightly tanned legs twist and turn slowly in the glint of a tv screen. One toe points out, giving a little shake so Yuuji can really study the black heels cupping his feet and twisting around his ankles.
If he had to take a guess, Yuuji would say they’re about six inches in height, the design is simple and elegant and they’re brand new.
He knows because Nobara had presented him with the receipt along with the box from the shoe store.
Some part of Yuuji isn’t too sure about the situation he now finds himself in. It’s a familiar one, getting roped into doing something only he could apparently do. But maybe he’s just a bit surprised that this time, it’s dancing in heels and this time, it’s Maki and Nobara asking for his help.
Well, Nobara had bullied him while Maki stood in the background with a devious grin and mischief in her eyes.
That was two weeks ago. It’s now the first free Sunday they’ve all had together in a while and the girls wasted no time in dragging Yuuji to the common area to start practice.
Their audience today is a single Megumi, whose curious gaze flickers between the three of them and whatever thick book he has open across his lap.
Both Maki and Nobara are putting their shoes on, still unfamiliar with the process as Yuuji finally turns from the tv.
“So,” he drawls out, rocking carefully so he doesn’t put too much weight on the heels. “Have you guys ever done this before, like at all?” The question almost isn’t worth asking as both Nobara and Megumi’s heads snap up. One in annoyance and the other startled by his audacity for asking girls if they’ve ever worn heels.
Thankfully Maki answers first, her gaze laser focused as she triple checks the complicated straps of her stilettos. “Fuck no,” she says bluntly, “heels are annoying to walk in and they pinch your feet and they’re too expensive.”
After a moment Maki makes a face, adding “also the heels snap ridiculously easy. But, it would be useful to learn to balance on these things while fighting.”
Yuuji isn’t entirely sure why anyone would be fighting in heels, but he keeps his lips pressed shut out of self preservation and waits for Nobara’s answer.
She seems to be weighing the need to be truthful verses trying to look cool in front of her crush and ends up sighing.
“No, we didn’t have nice shoe stores or anywhere cool to wear them.”
This time Yuuji makes sure to turn his whole body away so he’s not caught staring at Nobara’s obvious pout.
Instead he focuses on Megumi, flashing a smile and asking “you sure you don’t wanna try too, Fushiguro?”
There’s no surprise when Megumi levels him with an unimpressed frown. “No,” Megumi says, “I don’t want to tell Leiri that I broke my ankle while dancing.” The additional, or Gojo sensei , is silent but ever present and it tugs at Yuuji’s lips in a fond smile.
Gojo sensei would lose his mind to know Megumi wiped out during one of their weird leisure activities. He seems to take a childish delight in seeing Megumi fail or get ruffled up like a grumpy dog.
A little thought burbles in the back of Yuuji’s mind. Would Gojo sensei like to see him in heels? Yuuji huffs a small sigh, no probably not. Yuuji knows he’s not as cool as Megumi or as cute as Nobara.
The sound of sharp heels on tile snaps Yuuji back to the present. Back to staring at Megumi whose face is inching slowly into concern.
“Right,” Yuuji says smartly, hoping to laugh off the whole thing. “Uh, right! No problem Fushiguro, you do your stuff and if one of us needs Leiri you can go get her!”
A long suffering sigh tumbles from Megumi’s lips, but it’s not a refusal and in his heart Yuuji is pretty confident Megumi would get the doctor if someone broke something.
With that settled Yuuji retreats across the space as quickly as he can to a game system someone has brought out from their room. He thinks maybe it’s Inumaki’s or Panda’s, it’s hard to tell with all the stickers covering it. On top lies a pile of precariously stacked CD’s that Yuuji scoops up with the utmost care, displaying them to his new students.
“Okay, so we have a lot of choices cuz my dance group was kinda crazy. What do you guys wanna learn first?”
Still on the couch beside her cousin, Maki shrugs, a hand lazily cupping one cheek, “something dance-y I guess. If someones breaking their legs then it might as well be to a fun song.”
Yuuji isn’t quite sure that’s the spirit to have but he appreciates Maki’s opinion all the same.
“Right,” he nods slowly, offering the collection to Nobara who makes a beeline in his direction, “what about you, Kugisaki?”
As soon as she gets close enough, Nobara peers over the collection with a light pout. Her eyes sweep back and forth before something catches her attention and her entire expression lights up.
One of the CD’s is plucked from Yuuji’s hand, held triumphantly as Nobara declares, “this one’s perfect!” and flashes a case that reads in loopy handwriting ‘Bang, Bang - K’Naaan’.
Out of all the choices balanced between his hands, Yuuji is a little surprised and maybe a little disappointed by her decision.
“Not Fergie?” He asks, casting a longing look at a case covered in pink sharpie hearts and the word ‘Fergalicious’ written in large block text.
If a look could slap someone, Yuuji thinks the one Nobara is giving him would positively deck him in the face.
“Fergie is great but this one has the finger gun move. You know? The little-” she cuts off and strikes a pose, one hand flicking into a finger gun complete with a flirty wink.
It’s insanely cute and Yuuji caves instantly.
“Okay, okay, we’ll do that one,” he sighs and gives one last forlorn look at some of his personal favorites before popping the winner into the console.
A controller is quickly picked up, pausing the disc so Yuuji can shoot a curious look at Maki and Nobara.
“Do you guys wanna watch me do it first?”
Yuuji doesn’t suggest that they should watch him do it first to get a sense for the moves. But thankfully Nobara’s already flopping onto the couch on Megumi’s other side. “Show us your moves,” the two girls clap their hands with exaggerated enthusiasm, forcing Megumi to sink lower into the couch so they don’t hit him in the head.
It’s clear he’s also curious, Yuuji’s already shown him a large range of his athletic prowess, but dancing is new.
The controller is tossed to Maki so Yuuji can do a few more small stretches in the center of the room. His body falls into the ghosts of familiarity, of a routine he’d painstakingly helped make. it brings a nostalgia for mirrored walls and the overpowering smell of fifteen different body sprays.
Once he’s ready, Nobara calls, “hit it, fergie!” a large grin on her face as Yuuji shoots her an irritated glare.
He doesn’t have a lot of time though before the music explodes into the room and his feet are moving on instinct.
Like many physical things, dancing comes to Yuuji as natural as breathing. Stability is the core of him, branching and twisting its way outward into flexibility and a grace that Yuuji never expected or thought much about.
His body wants to move so it glides like water, feet flying over the floor like he’s tapping his way across clouds.
It’s what’s gotten him through ballet en pointe, through ballroom lifts and swing dance partnerships. All so fun and all so freeing in a way that no sport has ever gotten Yuuji’s attention.
Feet kick out in little half steps in time with the beat and Yuuji makes sure to give every shimmy and shake his absolute all, a wide grin on his face.
His ears are practically tingling with the laughter of memories. Of a scolding teacher and voices asking for his opinion on a new move or a new outfit. Yuuji knows he might not be popular with girls in a romantic sense, but he’s had many good friends who flocked to him when he was younger. When he didn’t have death as a permanent dance partner.
Yuuji doesn’t notice his small captive audience, his mind is following the melody and the moves he knows comes next. It’s an endless stream of counting that’s both so intense and natural that Yuuji manages to only gain more and more confidence with each step he takes.
It’s not until he’s close to the end that Yuuji remembers why Nobara wanted this song. The dance team’s original choreography didn’t call for the finger gun so he thinks on the fly. With the last notes Yuuji sweeps down, aiming a well timed wink and a finger pointed at imaginary crushes and hears a delighted gasp for his troubles.
He’s definitely going to have to revise the routine for that.
But for now it’s over almost as quickly as it had started and Yuuji has to blink a few times to jostle himself back into the present. To now, where he’s trying to breathe slow and strong to calm his racing heart and there’s an unnerving silence radiating from the couch.
“So,” Yuuji huffs out, hoping to break the tension, “that was the dance, any questions?”
All three of them are flat out staring. Megumi’s book has fallen out of his limp grasp, dropped upside down with pages bending at odd angles while Maki and Nobara gawk. Maki is the first to break out of her stupor.
Even on slightly unsteady feet she shoots up off the couch, eyes wild with excitement.
“What the fuck was that!” she yells, “I didn’t know you were some kind of professional or something!”
It’s so much praise and anger at once that Yuuji’s face artfully goes blank in surprise. He blinks a bit, pointing at himself to be sure he’s the target of Maki’s- compliments? “Me?” Yuuji hopes he sounds appropriately confused, “I’m not though! I just took a class in junior high!”
Best not to mention that he’s definitely been handed some cards for dance academies in the past.
Maki looks scandalized and strangely impressed, nodding along as if Yuuji’s told her something insane.
But it’s Nobara who quickly steals all of Yuuji’s focus. All of his senses are screaming ‘Danger! Danger!’ as she rises off the couch and growls, “Itadori, you better start teaching us right now before I get even more pissed off that you hid this from us.”
I really didn’t though , he wants to say but once again keeps his mouth sealed tight with a sheepish smile.
Backing up a few extra steps for safety, Yuuji places his hands on his hips, trying to don a good teacher voice. “Okay, so, let’s break it down into some basic steps!”
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As it turns out, the basics might just be a little too advanced for Yuuji’s wayward students. It’s through no fault of his own. Really, Yuuji had tried to warn them that learning to dance in heels before being able to comfortably walk in them wasn’t the best idea.
But like most things regarding his advice, it was promptly ignored and now Yuuji gets to watch them suffer for their hubris.
He tries very hard not to let a smug satisfaction bubble in his chest when Nobara wipes out and lands flat on her back.
“This is bullshit,” Nobara proclaims fiercely. Her eyes follow Maki as she makes for another pass on light feet, nodding to herself in time with a silent tempo.
It only takes a few moments for Maki to trip and land on her ass, but there’s a brilliant grin of satisfaction as she says, “I made it longer than last time.”
It’s cute and they’re trying so hard and it reminds Yuuji of when he was learning to walk in heels. Never giving up because the dance team had approached him on their hands and knees for his help and Yuuji is nothing if not a bleeding heart.
That had been a year before his grandpa was admitted to the hospital. Hell, his grandpa was the one to buy him heels, simply snarling “You better knock someone dead with these.”
(They’d gotten lost in the shuffle when Yuuji started high school, now doomed to rot in a storage unit or a thrift store in Sugisawa.)
The image of them withering away brings a sharp painful twist to Yuuji’s heart. He does his damndest to shrug it off and flashes a thumbs up. “You guys are doing great!”
It’s meant to be an encouragement but Nobara looks at him like he’s just spat in her cereal.
“Don’t lie to me Itadori,” she says waspishly, “we’ve been at this for hours and I still can’t do the kicks.”
Thankfully Megumi decides to cut in, saving Yuuji the trouble of stuttering over a comeback.
“Hey, Itadori,” Megumi tilts his head, book still upside down in his loose grasp. “Didn’t they call you the Tiger of West Junior High? I thought you only did sports stuff.”
Somehow that nickname feels like years ago, like a Yuuji of another lifetime had worn it with pride. The Yuuji of now had completely forgotten about it, buried under the new nickname of Sukuna’s vessel .
“Um,” Yuuji laughs soft and breathy, fingers absently dancing along one of his cheeks in nervous little scratches. “Actually I got that nickname because of dance class first.”
This has Maki and Nobara paying attention now, the both of them taking a short break in favor of a juicy tidbit about Yuuji.
Nobara raises her brows, prompting him, “okay? But like how?”
Yuuji clears his throat and shrugs, unsure why it’s even important. “The dance class really needed a guy to do some parts for their routines, so they asked me. And they say tigers are really strong and graceful? So,” he flounders a bit, “yeah. I don’t know. The girls really liked it and it just kinda got out of hand from there.”
So much so that most people thought he was a delinquent until they saw him on the dance teams flyers.
Unable to stop it, a sigh tumbles out of Yuuji, warm and nostalgic. “It was really fun actually, everyone was nice and the dances were cool,” his gaze finds its way to the stack of cd’s and thinks if he stares long enough he’ll hear the memories held between each colorful case. “I haven’t gotten to dance with anyone since.”
That last part escapes before Yuuji can really think about his words and his cheeks flare up in a vivid red. They didn’t need to know that part-
But before he can backtrack, Nobara and Maki are making their way back onto their feet. Nobara taps her shoes against the floor, testing her ankles and flashing a cocky grin, “well c’mon then. If you wanna dance with someone then let’s keep going.”
And oh, Yuuji feels like he’s thirteen again when things were simpler and he could handle everything the world wanted to drown him in.
Yuuji’s smile aches a little, cheeks burning even brighter with something that’s not embarrassment.
“Okay, then let’s start from the top!”