Work Text:
Y/n was decidedly having the worst fucking day of her life. First, her alarm hadn't gone off, resulting in her leaving the house in a rush without breakfast. Second, she hadn't noticed that her shirt was inside out until she spilled coffee all over it. On her way to buy a new shirt, a bucket of some nasty, brown mystery liquid was thrown down from the top of a building. Her clothes were soaked through, hair sopping, and her shoes were waterlogged. She didn't have time to shower, so she had to just dry off and change. She smelled not so great, but perfume was masking most of it. Not to say that it was helping, if anything the perfume was too strong and she was getting some looks.
Then, when she finally got to work, after stopping to buy a new outfit, she was an hour late, and her boss called her into his office. The second her ass hit the chair, she was being scolded about making a small, tiny mistake in a file that did not need to be a whole meeting.
After being yelled at for twenty minutes, she was sent back to her desk to do a bunch of bullshit work that nobody else in the office wanted as punishment for her mistake. Y/n was pretty sure this was workplace bullying, but she so desperately needed this shit ass job that she just dealt with it. Then, at lunch, she obviously didn't have time to pack anything, so she went to order something. And, to add to y/n's no good, terrible fucking day, all her payments had come out and she had 3.75$ in her account. So, no lunch for her.
No breakfast, no lunch, y/n was starving and pissed off. And pretty sad.
She had been getting stares all day as she sat at her desk, looking like a complete mess. She could hear the whispering start, and she was not pleased. That was the last of what she needed, the fucking gossip mill of her stupid office job.
To make matters worse, when work was finally over, y/n was on her way to the elevator when she bumped into a coworker and was sent flying to the floor. Her nose smacked into the carpet, and y/n could feel warm liquid seeping out as she sat up. She could feel the bruise forming. Tears sprung in her eyes and she angrily wiped them away. She couldn't catch a fucking break today, and she was so close to just bursting into tears and screaming.
Y/n took a few shaky breaths and pulled herself together, standing back up. Fucking piece of shit coworker just watched her and left.
"Fucking dickhole." She growled to herself and held the sleeve of her white shirt up to her nose as she stepped onto the empty elevator.
She leaned her back against the sidewall as the doors slowly closed. It went a few floors before the fucking elevator just stopped. Y/n felt her shoulders just sag in defeat. She shuffled over to the buttons and clicked the one that connected to the front desk.
"Hello?"
"The elevator is stuck." She said miserably.
It was quiet for a few minutes before they spoke again. "The firefighters will be here in an hour."
"Fucking perfect." Y/n pulled her sleeve away from her nose, the bleeding having finally stopped.
Y/n pulled her phone out, no fucking service. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a few calming breaths, but they didn't work. She slid down the wall to the floor, finally crying into her hands.
This day fucking sucked, and y/n was so over it.
Eventually, y/n wiped her tears and hugged her knees to her chest as she waited for the firemen.
That receptionist had lied, by the way, she waited for two hours in that stupid elevator before there was a voice on the other side of the doors.
"Hello?"
Y/n jumped up. "Hello?"
"Are you alright in there?" The voice asked again, slightly muffled due to the thick doors.
"I'm fine! Really wanna get the fuck out of here though." She said.
The voice chuckled. "We'll get you out real soon."
True to his word, the elevator started to move again a few minutes later. It was a few seconds later that the doors finally slid open, and y/n let out a breath of relief. She looked up and her eyes widened at what she saw. There were the firemen, and they were all way too hot for their own good, but one was just too cute. And she looked fucking horrible.
Amazing, awesome, fucking great.
Hair a mess, cheeks tearstained, eyes puffy, clothes messed up, smeared blood on her upper lip and cheek. Fuck, she was a mess. All in front of these cute firefighters.
The cute firefighter with pink hair and a beaming smile that could rival the sun eyes' widened at the sight of her. He was wearing his boots, turnout pants with red suspenders and a shirt that was stretched tight over his muscles with an emblem from his fire station on the left side of his chest.
Fuck.
"Woah, you okay?" He asked.
"Fucking fantastic." She sighed and rubbed her eyes.
"Bad day?" He asked.
"You could say that." She pushed some hair from her face.
"Yuji! We gotta go, high-rise fire!" A man with white hair and blue eyes called out as they started to leave.
"Okay!" He called over his shoulder before looking back at y/n with a gentle smile. "Hope your day gets better." He said sincerely before grabbing a bag and jogging off.
"Yeah." Y/n said lamely.
On the way home, y/n's mind was filled with thoughts of a cute pink haired firefighter.
~
When y/n finally got home, the first thing she did was shower. She scrubbed the hell out of her hair and body, only relaxing when she finally smelled like her body wash and not buckets of cheap perfume that was vaguely hiding the nasty mystery smell from the liquid that was poured on her.
Finally feeling clean, y/n stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body. She blowdried her hair and changed into her fluffiest, comfy pyjamas. She threw her bloodied shirt into the wash and resigned to throwing out her shoes, since they stunk and y/n was not about to try and clean those heels. Whatever, they were cheap anyways.
She cooked a delicious, massive dinner and ate it watching her favourite show. Finally feeling full and much, much better, y/n made a decision. She was going to the firehouse with the cute firefighters and she was bringing cupcakes.
And, if maybe she wanted to see Yuji again, that was nobody's business but her own.
~
The next day, after a few hours of baking and decorating the best cupcakes she'd ever made, she drove over to the firehouse. She'd remembered the name from the emblem on Yuji's shirt, then did a quick google search. She went to work in a much better mood and was excited to go to the firehouse after she was finished.
Y/m made sure to not look like shit this time. She did her hair, her usual makeup, and wore a cute sun dress with some slightly heeled sandals. She parked in the only available spot, which happened to be a block over, fucking irritating. Anyways, y/n walked the rest of the way to the firehouse, determined to stay in a good mood.
She walked up to the open door where there were a few firefighters cleaning one of the trucks. It didn't take long for her to be noticed.
"Hello." Y/n smiled as she stopped just outside the building.
"Hello." One of them smirked, the one with white hair. "To what do we owe this pleasure- are those cupcakes?" He dropped the rag he was holding and walked over quickly.
"They are." She nodded, holding the box out. She looked behind him, eyes landing on the one she really came to see. "I wanted to say thank you for getting me out of that elevator yesterday."
"Oh! I didn't even recognize you." He laughed softly, taking the box that she offered.
"Probably not, I looked like shit." She said honestly.
"These are for us?" Yuji asked, walking over after wiping off his hands, smiling. "Are you feeling better?"
Y/n's heart jumped. "Yeah." Her cheeks turned slightly red. "Thank you."
Gojo walked off with the cupcakes, smirking. He could see the blush, and he put it all together. He put the box on a nearby table and called the others over for the cupcakes.
"Wanna come in?" Yuji asked, eyes subtly checking her out.
"Sure." She followed him inside and to the table, where the others were swarming the cupcakes.
"Holy, where did you get these?" Gojo asked after biting into one.
Yuji picked one up and took a bite, eyes widening.
"Oh, I made them." She smiled, clasping her hands in front of herself.
"Really?" Yuji asked, frosting on the corner of his mouth. "These are awesome."
The cupcakes were gone in less than twenty minutes, and everyone in the station was asking her to bring more. Y/n hadn't anticipated that, she thought that she'd get a thanks and they'd shuffle her off, but they actually asked her for more.
"You really want more?" She asked, eyebrows raising.
"Yeah!" Yuji smiled. "They were really good."
"He ate most of them." Y/n pointed over at Gojo, who was licking frosting off his lips.
He smirked at her. "They were delicious, thank you."
"They were good." Megumi nodded.
"That's high praise, he doesn't like sweets." Yuji laughed.
"You're really good at baking." Toge said.
She'd learned their names quickly. There was Megumi, Yuji, Gojo, Nanami, Todo, Maki, and Nobara. She met the paramedics too, a man named Toge and a tired looking woman named Shoko.
Man, a whole fire station full of cuties, y/n was so doomed.
"Thanks, I can cook, too." She said, rocking back and forth on her heels.
"Really?" Gojo lit up and eyed Yuji for a second. "Is it too much to ask if you'd cook dinner for us sometime?"
Y/n quirked a brow. "You want me to cook for you guys?"
"Mhm." He leaned against the table. "If that's not too much trouble."
"No, I'd love to." She shook her head with a smile. "When?"
"Next week?" Gojo asked.
"Works for me." She hummed.
"Can I get your number? I'll add you to a group chat." He said.
Y/n nodded and put her number into his phone when he handed it over, not noticing how Yuji watched the movement closely. The buzzer sounded and everyone was immediately moving as the address was announced along with the type of call it was.
"See you." Y/n waved to them as they put on their turnout gear and left.
Y/n left once the trucks cleared out, a little pep in her step. Her phone buzzed and she saw that a number added her to a group chat. She saved the number for Gojo and went home.
~
A few hours after y/n got home, the chat was making her phone buzz like crazy. She checked it and saw that everyone had identified themselves, so she saved all their numbers.
Y/n asked them what they all liked food-wise and was flooded with answers, making her smile. She noted everything down and started to plan out something for dinner for them. She hadn't thought it'd be so easy to get their numbers and see them again, thank you, Gojo.
She was in the middle of writing a grocery list when her phone dinged again. She looked up and was kind of surprised to see Yuji's number and not the group chat.
She clicked on the message and read it.
Yuji
Hi!! Just wanted to say that I'm happy you had a better day than yesterday :)
Y/n
Thank you :p yesterday really sucked ass lol
Yuji
What happened? You looked kinda rough
Y/n
I looked like shit, no need to be nice about it lol
Y/n played with her bottom lip before giving a shorter version of what happened to Yuji. She only second guessed herself after sending the message, thinking that maybe she overshared a bit too much.
Yuji
Wow
that sounds like something that would happen in a movie
Y/n
Yeah, thought I was in the fucking truman show
After that, y/n and Yuji texted for hours. Y/n was smiling the whole time, happy to get to know him. He was funny, kind, and cute. Y/n was already crushing.
~
Earlier
Yuji wiped the sweat off his brow and rolled his shoulders. It was hot, and they had to clean the trucks. He heard a voice and looked over. He was surprised to see the woman from the elevator, but she looked crazy different. Yuji had been nice about it the day before, but she looked awful. Even through that, Yuji had thought she was cute, under all the grime and tears.
But seeing her now, she was beautiful, and she was holding a box of cupcakes. He couldn't help but stare as she laughed and talked with his friends. She was bright, her smile was wide, and her eyes were shining. She fit in so well with them, and they had just met not even twenty minutes ago.
And those cupcakes were insanely good.
It all seemed so fast when Gojo asked her to cook for them, but Yuji was not complaining. He wanted to see her again, and then later he had her number thanks to Gojo.
~
On the days leading up to next Wednesday, y/n and the others talked a lot, but her and Yuji talked more in private. She learned a lot about him and told him about herself in return. He seemed genuinely interested in her, and y/n was happy about that. Her crush was in full bloom by Wednesday when she went back to the firehouse to cook them dinner. It was around six when she got there. She'd changed from work and went grocery shopping for the things she'd need to cook for them.
She was welcomed into the firehouse and lead to the kitchen before they were called out to a house fire. Y/n told them to stay safe and started to get to work.
~
The others came back three hours later, soot smudged on their arms and faces as they hauled their asses into the kitchen. They looked tired as they plopped down in their chairs.
"Fuck it smells good in here." Nobara said.
"Foods all ready, I kept it in the oven to stay warm." Y/n said, standing up from the couch.
"You are an angel." Gojo threw an arm around her shoulders and gave her a side hug before making a beeline to the oven.
Y/n smiled and followed him, shooing his hands away. She pulled out all the food and handed everyone a plate. They hadn't even showered yet, but they were clearly more hungry than anything. They all sent little thank you's and praises to y/n as they shovelled the food in their mouths. Y/n made her way to the door to leave, but a hand caught her wrist. She looked up, seeing Yuji.
"Are you leaving?" He asked, not wanting to seem desperate, but he wanted her to stay longer. He didn't even get to see her or talk to her properly yet.
"Well, I cooked, aren't I supposed to leave?" She raised a brow.
"You can stay." He gave her a gentle smile.
She nodded and he dropped her wrist. Y/n had already eaten while they were on the call, so she took a seat next to Yuji at the table and propped her chin up on her hand.
"This is so good." Nobara said and licked her lips. "You're awesome."
"Thanks." Y/n smiled. "I can come back again, if you guys want." She offered.
"Please." Toge said. "Nobody here can cook like this."
"Do you guys take turns?" She asked.
"Mhm." He nodded.
Y/n was asked some questions about herself, which she happily answered. She liked everyone, they were really welcoming.
~
A few weeks later
Y/n had been spending a lot of time at the firehouse, bringing baked goods, cooking dinner for them, hanging out. She'd gotten insanely close with Yuji, which turned out to be easy as hell because he seemed just as eager to get to know her. She'd also gotten to know the others who worked with Yuji. She even went out with Nobara and Maki to the mall. Y/n and Yuji tried to hangout outside of the firehouse, but something always seemed to come up, it was always bad timing.
Which, that was really unfortunate because y/n really wanted to see that cute face again. Alone.
Today was another day she was supposed to cook dinner at the firehouse. Y/n didn't know why she was always allowed there, she thought they would have like, policies against it, but she was always welcomed there with open arms and grateful stomachs. Her life had become brighter since she started cooking for them, like a piece of something had clicked into place. She had never had many friends, and work had become her life, but now she felt like she was really living.
That was how she ended up at the firehouse on a Thursday, food going cold and worry building up as she watched a high rise fire on the tv. Multiple stations had been called to the fire, it was out of control and looking very dangerous. Fire was spewing out of the windows, building creaking and turning black with soot.
Y/n was worried.
~
"Anyone here!" Yuji yelled out. "Call out!"
"Here! Help me!"
Yuji maneuvered through the smoky room, running his gloved hands along the walls and bed until he found a kid hiding under the bed, black smudged around their mouth and nose.
"Hey there, ready to get out of here?" He smiled through the mask, the air hissing slightly.
He hauled ass and got the kid out of there and to an ambulance. Shoko and Toge were leading triage, so Yuji dropped the kid off with them and pulled his mask off. He moved to change his oxygen tank, sweating buckets from the heat of the fire and his turnout gear.
"Floor one to twelve is cleared." Megumi said, kneeling down next to Yuji to change his oxygen tank as well.
"What about the upper floors?" Yuji asked.
"Other companies are working their way down, but some of the floors are almost completely engulfed." Megumi said, standing up with his new tank.
Yuji nodded and pulled his mask back on, ready to head back inside.
~
By the time everyone was back, it was well past 2am. They were sweaty, covered in soot and grime, but they were all there. Y/n had a little freak out when she heard that the building had collapsed a few hours prior and there were injured firefighters.
Y/n stood up from the couch, and was surprised when Yuji stepped over and wrapped his arms around her. His face looked grim, his usual smile completely absent from his face. She slid her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his chest. She didn't even care that he was sweaty and dirty, she was just happy he was okay.
He had a bandage on his arm and cheek, but he was okay.
The hugging wasn't new, he'd started doing it after rough calls, and y/n was more than happy to hold him.
The others all shuffled off, leaving y/n and Yuji in the kitchen.
"You alright?" She murmured.
"Yeah, I just..." He didn't sound as okay. "There was a kid, I couldn't save him."
Y/n's heart broke a little. "I'm sorry."
Yuji squeezed his eyes shut, letting himself feel the warmth of y/n's body, feel her heartbeat against his chest.
Not being able to save someone was always hard, but it was even harder when it was a kid.
"I should shower." Yuji pulled away reluctantly, body feeling cold.
"Come eat after." She reached up and swiped her thumb across his cheek.
"I will." He said, cheeks reddening slightly.
When he left, y/n heated up the food as the others slowly started to trickle in, freshly showered, looking tired and hungry. Y/n passed them plates with food piled on top, and they all gave her a small thanks. Yuji was down last, and as she handed him his plate their fingers brushed. She gave him a gentle smile that he returned before sitting down to eat.
Y/n yawned into her hand and rounded the counter, sitting down at the table. She rubbed her eyes and blinked tiredly a few times. She hadn't slept, too worried about everyone while they were at the fire. That was one thing that was hard to get used to, the fear she held for the people she cared about running straight into danger.
~
After everyone ate, y/n did the dishes quietly. The others had said they would do it, but y/n told them to sleep while they could. Yuji had been stubborn and stuck around, drying and putting the dishes away.
"You should be sleeping." Y/n said, handing him another plate.
"Don't think I could even if I tried." He gave her a lopsided smile, but his eyes were dull.
She eyed him for a second before running the sponge over another plate. "How'd you get those scars?" She asked, referring to the scar near his eye and the one by his lip.
"I was breaking a window at a house fire for ventilation when it popped and glass shards were flying at me." He said.
"That must've hurt a lot." She frowned.
"Ah, I've had worse." He shrugged. "Beam fell on my back once when a roof collapsed."
"A roof collapsed on you?" Her eyes widened.
His head bobbed as he nodded. "Yeah, it was scary, but I came out okay." He smiled at her.
"Well thats good." She sighed. "I worry about you guys." She admitted. "A lot."
"Really?" He glanced down at her.
"Yeah. It's hard to watch the people you care about run into buildings on fire." She turned the faucet off and dried her hands.
Yuji felt his heart jump. He'd had a big, loser crush on y/n ever since she brought those ridiculously delicious cupcakes to the firehouse. It had been like a dream when they started texting regularly and she came by to cook them dinner. Her smile could cause cavities and the way she held him after a rough call healed something in him.
"Go out with me." He blurted out.
Y/n'a head snapped up to Yuji, who was blushing and looking like he didn't mean to say that.
"Oh man, I didn't mean to say that now." He rubbed the back of his head nervously, averting his eyes. "I mean- I wanted to! I just- I wanted to ask you in a better way." He said, blush turning darker.
"I'll go out with you." She said quickly, turning to face him properly. "I want to."
Yuji licked his lips. "Okay, yeah, awesome."
~
Y/n was freaking out. It'd been a week since Yuji asked her out, and it was finally time for their date. They'd been texting a lot, and now there were flirty undertones. She was excited, but also freaking out. She found a cute outfit, did her hair, her makeup, and now she was waiting for Yuji to pick her up.
She was pacing her living room and waiting for a text. She really liked Yuji.
Her phone dinged, and it was a text from Yuji telling her he was there. She took a steadying breath and left her apartment. She got in his car and clicked her seatbelt in place.
"Hi." She smiled over at him.
"Hi. Wow, you look... really good." He said, cheeks red and smile soft.
Y/n smoothed out the hem of her skirt. "You look good too."
And he did look good. He had on light wash jeans, a t-shirt, and a red baggy sweater half zipped up.
They were going to an aquarium. Y/n hadn't been to one in years, but she liked them. She liked the sharks and stingrays the most.
~
When they got to the aquarium, y/n laced their fingers together. They were both blushing, but y/n had calmed down and started to act like her normal self as they made their way around.
"Look at this guy." Y/n smiled as she leaned her face closer to the glass to get a better look at the silly fish.
Yuji looked at the fish briefly before turning his eyes to y/n. She was pretty, really pretty. Her head was tilted to the side, lips lifted in a soft smile, eyes crinkling at the edges slightly.
As they walked around the aquarium, Yuji's crush was deepening. Letting y/n drag him around to all the different tanks was the highlight of his week. She would mumble the information on the little plaques about the creatures, light up at the starfish, and turn to look at him to make sure he was seeing what she was seeing.
When they walked through the area that was surrounded on all sides with corals, fish, and sharks, Yuji felt his breath get caught in his throat. The light shining through the tank casted a soft blue glow over her, and the smile on her face, oh, that really did it. She looked so serene, so happy.
He pulled out his phone and took a picture of her with her face tilted up as she looked at the sharks swimming above. He was a few steps behind her. He opened his text messaging app and his fingers flew across the screen.
Yuji
Nobara I am so screwed
[1 attachment]
She's so cute what do I even do
Nobara
Dude
You treat her right and hope she likes pink haired idiots
"Yuji!" Y/n smiled as she walked up to him and grabbed his arm.
"Yeah?" He turned his phone off and shoved it back in his pocket.
She rambled off some facts about the shark passing overhead, and Yuji was so gone, watching her lips move as she spoke.
~
By the end of the date, Yuji had an insane amount of pictures of y/n and he was sure he wanted another date, maybe ten.
Yuji walked y/n to her door, and she shifted from foot to foot. "I had a really good time today."
"Me too." He said, rubbing his hands together. "Can we do it again sometime?"
"I'd like that." Y/n smiled.
She leaned up and pressed their lips together after a moment of hesitation. The kiss was short, but warm and sweet. Like, literally sweet, definitely from the powdery donut they'd shared earlier. It was over all too soon, and Yuji found that he wished it was longer.
~
After that first date, more followed. Soon, they were hanging out every weekend for two months. Sometimes they went out, dinner, movies, zoo. Other times they stayed in and cooked together before watching a movie.
Cooking with Yuji was an experience, to say the least. He was bad, per se, but he was very clumsy. She'd put more than a few bandaids on his fingers. Those moments always felt more intimate than they should have, but it was nice. It was nice to have someone that she looked forward to seeing every weekend. The time that they spent together only solidified y/n's feelings. They far surpassed a little crush at this point.
Y/n and Yuji were hanging out in her bedroom, the sides of their bodies pressed together as they leaned their backs against the headboard. The bed was large, but they still stuck together like glue. Yuji's head was on her shoulder, and y/n had her arm wrapped around him, finger nails lightly scratching through the hair on the side of his head.
There was a hard call, and Yuji had showed up on her doorstep with a tired smile and a bag slung over his shoulder at 7:30am on a Saturday. Y/n let him inside and waited for him to bring it up first, not wanting to make him talk about something if it was hard. He waited until after y/n fed him and they were cuddling in her bed. Apparently, there had been a family in a house fire and the father had died. He was shielding his wife and children's bodies with his own to protect them from the fire, and it was a lot for everyone at the firehouse.
Y/n turned her head and kissed his forehead. "How are you feeling?"
"Better." He let out a content sigh. "You always make me feel better."
Y/n smiled and pressed her cheek to the top of his head. "You can come over anytime, you know."
Yuji rubbed her fingers with his thumb and pointer finger, just wanting to touch her. "Really?"
"Yeah." She smiled down at their hands. "I like having you around."
"I like you." He said, lifting his head from her shoulder. "I really like you, y/n."
Y/n tilted her head to the side, a fond smile on her face. "I like you too. A lot."
"So, um, would you be my girlfriend?" He asked, slightly nervous but sincere, cheeks turning a slight shade of pink.
"Yes." She pressed her lips to his briefly, the feeling warm and sweet. "I want to be your girlfriend."
"Awesome." He said, slightly awed as he looked down at her, dopey smile on his face.
That was the beginning, their beginning.