atwooozi

[atwooozi]

SEHUN x CREAM SODA TEASER IMAGES

[atwooozi]

I've been hyperfixated on crocheting headbands and idk why

[atwooozi]

I'm literally the worst. I decided to crochet a hat rather than work on my assignments or go over edits that my beta sent me for my fic

[atwooozi]

gojo x oc

Chapter 18: Promise?

summary: Ai wakes up at Gojo's place after a long night, surprised to find herself still there. As she groggily stumbles through her morning routine, Gojo’s carefree and teasing nature contrasts with her exhausted state. Gojo, freshly out of the shower and looking effortlessly composed, offers to make coffee, revealing small nuances about their growing connection as they banter.

genre: modern AU, slice of life, comedy, eventual romance, eventual smut, some angst

A/N: Gosh, once again I'm sorry for the inconsistency. My poor kitty got sick and then I did right after so I took a week off from editing to recoup. Hopefully, nothing else gets in the way as I continue posting from here on out.

Anyway, the song for this week is Sugar Magic by tonun . I feel that this song suits this story so well. It's so light and fresh while at the same time being a little bit bitter.

READ ON AO3

Ai groaned as she woke up. Her body–especially her neck–was aching all over, thanks to the awkward position that she fell asleep in. She opened her eyes, expecting to see her room. To her surprise, she was met with anything but that. 

Ai was still at Gojo’s place. She had fallen asleep after they finished watching that awful movie. She was curled up on his comfy couch, covered in an amazingly soft blanket, and Gojo was nowhere in sight. 

She carefully got up and stretched, her joints letting out popping sounds as she moved. While some of the soreness was gone, she still had a dull ache on the side of her neck. 

What time is it? 

Ai yawned as she padded her way over to where she left her bag beside the dining room table that still had the box of pictures sitting on top of it. 

When she dug through her things she found her phone. The time read four-thirty in the morning, and the battery was almost dead. She groaned and ran a hand through her hair. She was still on Gojo’s stupid schedule from when they were doing reshoots two weeks ago. Around this time if she were still in Kyoto she would be dragging herself to the car with Geto and Junpei in tow as Gojo finished getting his makeup done. Even though the experience was fun there was a part of Ai that was thankful that this assignment was close to being over. 

“Ai-chan’s awake!” Gojo smiled as he made his way over to her. “You look scary when you wake up.” 

From the looks of it, Gojo had just gotten out of the shower. His usually fluffy hair was damp and his flawless skin had a nice sheen to it. Not to mention the soft-looking towel that was draped around his neck to catch the remaining droplets of water from falling onto his very simple, but somehow sultry outfit. Ai had never realized how a black compression shirt and gray sweatpants could look so nice before–or maybe she was just tired. 

She was probably just tired.

“Earth to Ai-chan~” Gojo sang as he flicked her forehead playfully. 

Ai frowned at Gojo and swatted his hand away. She wanted to say something back, but her brain was still adjusting to being awake after only a few hours of sleep. If there was one thing she disliked about Gojo it was the fact that he was such a morning person. 

“How do you have so much energy?” Ai mumbled as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. 

Gojo smiled as he pulled Ai up gently by the wrist. “I’d like to think it’s because I’m so pretty that I don’t need that much beauty sleep.” 

Ai couldn’t help but roll her eyes, causing Gojo to laugh. “I would say something but I can’t think properly right now,” she muttered as she lightly slapped her cheeks, trying to wake herself up. Unfortunately, it didn’t help much. 

Gojo ruffled Ai’s hair. “C’mon, I’ll make you some coffee,” he said as he led the way to his obscenely beautiful kitchen. 

It was clean with sharp lines and almost monochromatic, except for the colorful magnets and pictures of Megumi and Tsumiki that covered the fridge door. The kitchen resembled something from a fancy restaurant, rather than the typical Japanese home. The decor somehow fit Gojo. The man was anything but typical, so why would his home be? 

Ai took a seat at the counter and rested her head on the cool marble surface. It made her shiver, but it felt somewhat refreshing, waking her up some. 

“How do you take your coffee, Ai-chan?” Gojo asked as he put fresh coffee beans in the grinder. 

Ai sat up, now excited for the fresh coffee he was making her. The smell of freshly ground beans filled the air–it was heavenly. She was used to the cheap instant coffee that she would unceremoniously make herself, just to get her caffeine fix, but despite the ungodly hour, she felt like she was in the lap of luxury. The more she thought about it the harder it was to remember that last time she was able to just sit and relax with a cup of coffee.

“I like a spoonful of sugar and lots of cream.” 

Although Gojo had his back to her, she could feel his light and cheerful energy. She found herself fascinated with the way he easily moved around his kitchen to get mugs and turn on the tea kettle.  

“Gojo–” 

“Satoru,” he corrected as he pulled a pour-over coffee maker from a high cabinet. 

Ai blinked as she watched him, any objections she had were now gone. She was worried that the meal he made her the other day was a fluke, but she was starting to quickly learn that Gojo was more competent than she thought.

“Do you like coffee, Go–I mean, Satoru?” Ai asked as she curiously watched him. 

Not many people had pour-over coffee makers if they didn’t particularly care for coffee. It felt like a silly question, but Gojo didn’t seem like the type to enjoy more bitter flavors given his obvious sweet tooth.  

Gojo looked over his shoulder at Ai and shrugged, a gentle smile on his face. “It’s more Suguru and Gumi-chan’s thing,” he explained as he poured the boiling water over the freshly milled coffee grounds. “I started drinking it because Suguru did.” 

Ai chuckled and smiled to herself. “Were you trying to impress him?” she joked. 

“Yeah,” Gojo answered honestly. “I thought he was so cool so I forced myself to drink coffee when we’d hang out. It’s not my favorite thing, but I don’t hate it.”

“Does Geto know that?”    

“No,” Gojo said, turning to her with a wink. “So let’s keep that between us, ‘kay?” 

Ai nodded. “‘Kay.”   “Here,” Gojo said, placing a mug of coffee in front of Ai. “You can add the cream yourself.” 

Ai nodded as she took the mug into her hands. When she looked down at the cup it smelled delicious, almost chocolatey. She poured the cream that Gojo had placed on the counter into the cup until the liquid turned a lighter brown color.  She blew on gently as she brought the cup to her lips and sipped it. 

“Well?” 

Ai almost whimpered. “It's so good…” 

Gojo wore a smug smile as he watched Ai. “I'm glad you like it,” he said as he brought his cup to his lips. He took a sip and sighed. “Suguru makes fun of me for all the sugar I use…” he said thoughtfully. A silence washed over them both as they sipped on their drinks. It felt almost too domestic to Ai. While she loved how natural it felt, it felt equally unsettling. She couldn’t let herself get used to this. They only had a finite amount of time together left. She needed to remember that.   

“I need to go home,” Ai stated as she sat the mug on the counter. 

“Why?” Gojo pouted. “Today is our big interview day anyway. Just stay.” 

Ai shook her head as she stood up. “I can't do that. You think Geto won't notice if I wear the same clothes twice?” 

Gojo hummed in throught before answering. “You’re right, stupid Sugu notices everything .”

There was a brief silence before Gojo decided to open his mouth again. 

“Can't you just borrow something of Tsumiki’s?” 

Ai narrowed her eyes at Gojo. “No, you clown.” 

Gojo groaned as he circled around the counter. He immediately went slack and he leaned against Ai, causing her to almost topple over from his weight. He wrapped his arms around her much like a child would do when they didn't want their parents to leave for work. “But I don't want you to leave…” he muttered as he buried his face in Ai's still messy hair. 

“Gojo–”

“ –Call me Satoru,” he pouted as he nuzzled his face deeper into Ai’s hair. “Pleeeeease…pretty please.” 

“Satoru, I'll be back later.” Ai sighed as she hesitantly rubbed his back. 

She was still unsure how to interact with him. Gojo was so touchy and affectionate, it was almost overwhelming. He was the most touch starved person that she had ever met. 

“Can I come with?” Gojo looked at Ai with pleading eyes. “I'll behave. I promise.” 

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“Ai-chan,” Gojo called from her living room. She could tell just from the tone of voice that he was bored. 

Ai groaned inwardly as she hit her head against her bedroom wall with a gentle thud. She was afraid to answer him, but she couldn’t leave him alone either. The fact that he went quiet was almost more unnerving than his constantly calling for her as he looked around her small apartment. 

“...What?” She called out reluctantly. 

She squeezed the moisture out of her hair with a towel while waiting for him to respond. When he didn’t respond her heart sank. 

Did he die? 

Hesitantly, Ai peeked out of her room to look into her small living room. Satoru was standing in front of her bookshelf holding a picture frame while smiling to himself. She let out a sigh of relief and quickly ducked back into her room and went back to fixing her hair. Hopefully, the bookshelf would keep him occupied for a while so she could finish getting ready.   

Ai swore that she got ready in record time. Blow drying her hair would take too long, so she had to settle for her natural waves and light makeup. She wore a soft, light-blue turtleneck and simple, loose-fitting pants. Since they were going to be at Gojo’s place to conduct the interview, she figured she could dress a bit more casually.

Gojo glanced over at Ai with a gentle smile on his face. He had been skimming through one of the books on her overcrowded shelf. “Do you write in all your books?” 

Ai furrowed her brows and walked over to stand next to Gojo as she inspected the careworn novels she had collected over the years. 

“Not all of them…” She said as she picked a book off the shelf, skimming through the contents. The pages didn’t have any of her little scribbles in the margins or colored reading tabs. “The ones I haven’t read yet, for example.” She grinned as she looked up at him.  

Gojo chuckled and put the book he was holding back. He nodded towards the frame he was holding earlier. “Is that you and your mom?” 

Ai nodded as she reached for the picture. She ran her thumb over the glass as she looked down at it–it was a picture from her high school graduation. In the photograph, Ai wore a red hakama that had been in the family for a few generations, as her mom stood proudly next to her in front of the school gates.

“You looked pretty,” Satoru said as he looked over Ai’s shoulder. 

She felt her face flush and her heart flutter at Satoru’s compliment. Ai never thought that she was bad-looking, but to get a compliment from someone that other people saw as beautiful felt exceptionally nice. 

“Your head looked bigger then, but I think you grew into it,” Gojo chuckled. 

Ai jabbed her elbow into Gojo’s stomach, causing him to groan. She put the picture down back on the shelf carefully. “Do you just say whatever comes to your mind?” 

Gojo rubbed where Ai had jabbed her elbow and pursed his lips. “Only with certain people.” 

Ai sighed as she went to grab her keys and slip on her shoes. “Let’s go. I don’t want Geto or Junpei-kun to get there before us.” 

Gojo obediently followed Ai after he slipped on his shoes. She was surprised he didn’t fight her on leaving. She thought she’d have to drag him out of the apartment.

“Do you really think they’ll get there before us?” Gojo asked as Ai locked the door behind them. 

Ai looked him point blank in the eyes. “Your friend is a demon and I think he lives to torment me.” 

Gojo shrugged, still appearing as carefree as ever. “Suguru? He’s an angel.” 

Ai couldn’t help but chuckle at Gojo’s response. “Are we talking about the same guy?” 

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 Somewhere near the Omote-Sando station Geto Suguru was waiting for Yoshino Junpei to meet him. Just as the younger man walked up to him Geto couldn’t help but sneeze.

“Are you getting sick, Geto-san?” Junpei asked curiously as he adjusted his face mask.

Geto rubbed his nose and sniffled. “If you gave me your cold I’m making you pay my doctor’s bill.” 

“B-but I just got here…” Junpei stuttered. 

Ghetto narrowed his eyes and looked around the station suspiciously. “Someone must be talking about me…” 

Junpei scratched the side of his head as he stood next to his odd, yet handsome companion. “I’m sure it’s all nice things, Geto-san.” 

Geto smiled, causing his eyes to morph into crescents but instead of it being disarming it was rather unnerving. “It had better be…”

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As Ai and Gojo walked into the train station, Gojo kept glancing Ai’s way. Even with his glasses obscuring his eyes she could feel his stare on her. It made her heart tremble. 

“What?” she asked, exasperated. She couldn’t take it anymore. 

“You wear a lot of blue.” Gojo pointed out as he put his hands in his pockets. 

Ai glanced down at her outfit. Gojo’s comment had caught her a little of-guard. “I like the color blue.” 

Gojo nodded as he looked ahead, looking for the train. “Yeah, it’s nice.” 

Ai furrowed her brows and glanced at Gojo. “You always wear black or white.” 

“That’s because it goes with everything.” Gojo pulled his glasses down and winked at Ai. “I think you should try red though.” 

Ai wanted to question Gojo further but they had to get on the train. She’d have to ask him about it another time.

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 When they arrived back at Gojo’s place, the sun was hanging bright in the sky. It shined brightly through the floor-to-ceiling windows. It was truly a beautiful view of the city, but at this level she couldn’t help but feel disconnected from the people on the streets. They looked so small, like ants. 

“Home sweet home,” Gojo said as he stretched and sat himself down on his large luxurious couch. He sat himself in the middle and let his lanky body stretch fully, taking up as much space as possible. He let his head fall back, hanging over the top of the couch to stare at Ai with a smile.   

Ai set her bag down at Gojo’s dining room table and took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous now. She and Gojo had been alone many times now, but this time felt different. No one could interrupt them. He had purposely cleared his schedule for today’s interview. She pulled out her notebook as well as her laptop. If she forced herself to work then maybe that would ease her nerves a bit. 

“Ai-chan,” Gojo whined and got up from the couch. “Stop working and pay attention to me. You can work when Suguru and Junpei-kun get here.” 

Ai glanced up from her laptop, trying to keep her composure. “I’m just trying to be prepared.” 

Gojo rolled his eyes dramatically and flopped back onto the couch, making a big show of being ignored. “You’re so serious, Ai-chan. You need to have some fun.” 

Ai couldn’t help but smile at Gojo’s dramatic display. He seemed to always know how to lighten the mood when she was feeling stressed. “I’ll have fun after the interview. I promise.” 

Gojo shot up and wore a goofy grin as he looked Ai’s way. “You promise?” 

“I promise.” 

Gojo started to hum to himself happily, fiddling with his phone. He was probably playing his Digimon game. Ai turned her attention back to her laptop, trying to focus on what she was writing. 

A few minutes later, Geto and Junpei walked through the door. Ai looked over with a frown. “You have a key?” 

Geto wore a mischievous smile, his eyes turning into those all too familiar smug slits as he spun the key around his finger. “Jealous?” 

Ai rolled her eyes at him and tilted her head to look at Junpei. “Junpei-kun, get away from the evil man.” 

And just like that, for no reason whatsoever, Geto sneezed. 

Junpei stepped away from Geto and quickly bowed to Gojo before he made his way over to Ai. Geto stuck his tongue out childishly at Ai as he walked into the common area.  

“Took you guys long enough,” Gojo said as he lazily got up from the couch. 

“Our train was delayed,” Geto sighed as he started to get his camera set up. 

Junpei was still a bit under the weather from what Ai could tell. He had always been pale and his under-eyes a little darker than most, but he looked different enough for Ai to notice despite him wearing a mask.  

Ai frowned as she stood up and instead of greeting her kouhai, she pressed the back of her hand to Junpei’s forehead. “No fever…but you still don’t look well, Junpei-kun,” she sighed as she looked at him. “Are you sure you’re up for this?” 

Junpei gave a firm nod. “I’m fine, senpai. Just a bit tired, that’s all.” 

“Ai-chan!” Gojo whined, “I think I have a fever too.” He whined wanting to be the center of attention. 

“Let me see, Satoru,” Geto said as he held his hand out to check Gojo’s forehead. 

Ai chuckled as she watched Gojo gently swat Geto’s hand away with a frown. “But you were fine earlier.” 

“Earlier?” 

Shit…

“When did you get here, Senpai?” Junpei asked, concern evident in his voice. “Were you waiting long?” 

As Ai panicked to come up with something to say she could feel Geto’s piercing gaze and it sent a chill down her spine. “I don’t think she left,” he said simply. 

“Wha–” 

Before Junpei could even get the word out Ai waved her hands as if trying to put out the imaginary fire that she had started. “A-anyway…Junpei-kun, let’s get you set up to take notes, okay?” 

Geto finished setting up the camera and looked over to Ai and Junpei. “If you need a break, Junpei, just let us know.” 

If Ai was alone, she would probably cry. Even though Geto was a demon, at least he was nice to her kouhai. It truly warmed her heart. 

Junpei shook his head. “I’ll be okay.” 

Ai wanted to object but decided to trust Junpei’s judgment. “Alright, if you’re sure.” She handed over her notebook and pen. “Take notes for me today. Leave the camera stuff to Geto, okay?” 

She couldn’t help it. Ai didn’t want to baby Junpei, but she wasn’t going to let him do anything too physical, like helping Geto with the lighting. Hopefully, note-taking wouldn’t be too much for him. 

Ai took a deep breath and turned to Gojo who had sat himself on the armrest of the couch, seemingly pouting as he played with his phone. “Are you ready, Gojo?” 

Gojo looked up and flashed Ai a smile. “Let’s do this.” 

[atwooozi]

gojo x reader

Chapter 17: Stay With Me

summary: Over pizza and a lighthearted TV show, Ai notices a rare vulnerability in Gojo that draws them closer. As the night progresses, the two share quiet moments, from sorting through photos to watching a bizarre horror movie.

genre: modern AU, slice of life, comedy, eventual romance, eventual smut, some angst

A/N:

Hello again! We're actually getting to a point where I need to start writing up some fresh chapters. The ending for this half of the story is in sight but we still need to connect everything to make it work if that makes sense. I'm really excited and proud of what I've created and to those who are reading it thank you for following this story like you have.

The song for this week's chapter is iconic if you love city pop. It's called 真夜中のドア/Stay With Me by Miki Matsubara . Whenever this song comes up for me on shuffle I always find myself a bit nostalgic but happy. I feel that while we don't know much from Gojo's perspective the lyrics kind of capture what he's thinking.

READ ON AO3

When Gojo had come back from the gym, Ai and Geto were sitting in front of the TV with a pizza box in between them, watching Takeshi’s Castle. Ai looked towards the door when she heard it open and she smiled Gojo’s way, giving him a small wave. 

When Gojo opened the door, he looked somber–if Ai hadn’t seen it herself, she wouldn’t have believed it. As he entered, he looked as if he was carrying the world upon his shoulders, but when he noticed that someone was there to welcome him home, it was as if he had become weightless. Ai wasn’t so deluded as to think that it was only because of her presence–after all, his best friend was there, in addition to a warm meal. 

Ai also had days when she would come home to her apartment after an especially hard day of work, and at those times she likely looked similar to Gojo—longing to be greeted by someone as she walked through the door. But unlike Ai, Gojo always had to be “on”. No one cared if Ai seemed quiet or sad, but what would people say if Gojo stopped wearing that same smile, day in and day out?   

“Satoru, come eat while the pizza is still hot,” Geto called out. 

Gojo threw his gym bag off to the side and plopped himself in between Ai and Geto with a smile. 

“How many people have made it so far?” Gojo asked as he looked up at the large TV in front of them. 

Ai smiled as she watched Gojo and Geto, listening to them quietly talk about the show while she chewed on her slice of pizza. Gojo’s hair was still damp, and he had changed into more casual clothes. He seemed much more relaxed than she had ever seen him before. It made her heart feel warm. She wished she could take a picture of him at this moment and save it forever

“Ai-chan!” 

Ai jumped a bit when she heard her name. 

“W-what?” Ai huffed, she felt her cheeks flush.

“Do you want more?” Gojo asked with a smile. “I’m pretty hungry.” 

“Go ahead.” She waved her hand at him and shifted her attention to the TV.

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Geto had left first, he said that if he didn’t leave any sooner than he did he’d end up sleeping there, and while he usually would he had some commitment in the morning that he couldn’t miss.

Ai wasn’t sure why she stayed. Maybe because she didn’t want to imagine Gojo alone with that sad look on his face. There wasn’t any other reason for her to stay otherwise so she was helping Gojo put away the pictures that she assumed Tsumiki had pulled out earlier that day.

“Those kids…” Gojo sighed as he collected some photos. “They just leave a big mess and leave.” 

Ai giggled as she handed Gojo the pile of photos that she picked up. “You call them kids but they’re only six and eight years younger than you. Technically they’re adults.”

Gojo snorted. “How adult were you at twenty?” 

Ai pursed her lips in thought and laughed. “My mom still schedules doctor appointments for me sometimes,” she admitted. 

“Exactly.” Gojo smiled gently. 

They continued to sort through the photos silently. Unlike other times when Ai would be alone with Gojo, she didn’t feel as anxious. There was tension there regarding where they stood, but the ease between them at the moment overpowered those underlying anxious feelings. For the first time, things felt comfortable, even if things weren’t clearly defined for them yet.   

“Hey Ai,” Gojo called out to her. 

Ai felt her heart jump. Gojo had called her by her name countless times now, but he dropped the honorific and without the usual bratty tone of voice it felt almost too intimate. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to run or collapse on the floor right there. 

“S-Satoru…” Ai cursed at herself for stuttering but did her best to remain cool. However, when Gojo cracked a smile at her stutter she wanted to smack him upside the head. 

There was a moment of silence between them and it made Ai want to scream. Just when she thought she could feel comfortable Gojo pulled the rug right out from under her. It was as if he knew just when to push her buttons. 

 “Part of me wondered if…” Satoru hesitated for a moment, thinking of how to phrase his words. 

Ai glanced up at him, waiting for him to continue, but his eyes flicked away from her own.

“A part of me wondered if when I came back you’d be gone.” His voice was barely above a whisper. 

There was a vulnerability in Satoru’s voice that she had never heard before. She almost felt like it was something that she wasn’t supposed to hear. She wondered how Satoru felt that night at karaoke or even when she left him at the train station…it made her heart sink. 

“I’m sorry,” Ai said in a soft voice. 

It didn’t even sound like her own. If she had heard it played back to her she would have a hard time accepting that such a sad sound had left her mouth. The sound wasn’t what she was ashamed of. She couldn't care less about that. She was ashamed of her pitiful apology. He had tried to bear his heart to her time and time again, but she pushed him away each time. She had been so frustrated that he wouldn’t open up to her, but she was the reason they were that way, and all she could say was “I’m sorry”. 

Satoru smiled down at her and gently ruffled her hair like he had many times before. Ai lifted her eyes to meet Satoru’s gaze and felt the tears well up behind her eyes as he looked at her with such undeserved tenderness. He slid his hand to cup Ai’s chin, his thumb idly rubbing against her bottom lip, which parted for him easily. 

Satoru’s eyes dropped to Ai’s mouth before speaking again, his voice falling into a low, quiet, but relaxed tone. “There’s nothing to apologize for.” 

Ai nodded her head silently. She didn’t agree with him, but she wasn’t going to beg him for forgiveness. He just wasn’t that type of person. Instead, she chose to enjoy his presence, he felt like an anchor which was funny since all of her anxieties seemed to stem from him, but in this moment, he grounded her.

“I’m glad I’m here,” she whispered. “With you.” 

Satoru’s smile softened, a warmth illuminating his features as he leaned in to press a feather-light kiss against her forehead. “Stay with me a little longer.” He murmured, his words laced with sincerity. 

And so she did…

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Ai was wearing a pair of Gojo’s shorts and a T-shirt. Even his casual clothes were expensive just by the way the material felt against her skin. She had a sneaking suspicion that the shirt she was wearing could cover at least half of her rent if not all of it. 

She sighed and sat down on Gojo’s plush couch, cozying up against the arm of the seat. She wanted to take up as little space as possible. The whole situation filled her with anxiety, so the smaller she could make herself, maybe the easier she could disappear. They hadn’t done anything wrong. They didn’t even kiss, but the intimacy of it all weighed heavily on her. Despite not crossing any physical boundaries, the emotional walls had started to crumble. 

“You okay, Ai-chan?” Gojo asked as he came out of his bedroom with a blanket. 

Ai flinched when she heard her name but nodded. “Mhm.” 

Gojo pursed his lips and gave Ai a skeptical look as he plopped himself down next to her. 

“You sure?” He asked teasingly as he leaned his face in closer.

“Yes,” Ai pouted as she tried to shrink away from him. “Do we have to sit like this?” 

“What do you mean?” 

Ai frowned at Gojo. “You have this big couch and you’re practically on top of me.” 

Gojo broke into a smile and laughed. “You don’t want me on top of you, Ai-chan?” 

Ai’s face flushed and she looked away from Gojo. “Just move over, Gojo…” she muttered as she crossed her arms over her chest.  

“Satoru,” he corrected as he gave Ai some space. 

Ai relaxed some when Gojo eased off of her. She watched as Gojo scrolled through a list of movies to pick from. He looked so at ease as if this was a regular day for him.

“Do you like scary movies, Ai-chan?” Gojo asked suddenly, breaking the silence. 

Ai thought about it some and shrugged. “I don’t hate them.” 

Satoru grinned. “Then we can watch my favorite movie.” He turned to the screen, hitting a button on the remote. “If you get scared I won’t laugh at you too much.” 

Ai rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the screen. “Your favorite movie is Human Earthworm Four?” 

“It’s good!” Gojo insisted. “Have you seen it?”

Ai sighed as she wondered what she had gotten herself into. “I couldn’t even get through the first one. It was so gross.”

Gojo busted out laughing, his laughter filling the room and washing away whatever tension that remained. “It’s not that bad!” he teased, giving Ai a playful nudge. “This one is more of a romance, anyway.” 

Ai gave Gojo a skeptical look. “I can’t even tell if you’re being serious or not.”  

Gojo grinned mischievously and pressed play. The opening credits rolled, and Ai could already tell that it was going to be a memorable night at least. She stole a glance at Gojo, who was leaning back comfortably, looking far too pleased with himself. 

“I’m serious, Ai-chan. This movie is a masterpiece,” Gojo said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. 

Ai sighed, she really couldn’t tell if he was messing with her or not. “Fine, I’ll give it a chance, but if I have nightmares I will never forgive you.” 

Gojo chuckled and draped the blanket over both of them. “Deal.”

As the movie progressed, Ai found herself inching closer to Satoru despite her best efforts to stay composed. Human Earthworm 4 was even more grotesque and bizarre than Ai could have imagined. Now and then, Gojo would lean in to whisper to her to see how she was holding up, and if anything that put her more on edge than the movie ever could. 

At one particularly tense moment, Ai flinched and grabbed Gojo’s arm without thinking. He looked down at her hand and then back up at her face, a smirk playing on his lips. “Scared, Ai-chan?” 

Ai quickly pulled her hand away, her cheeks burning. “No! I just–you said this was supposed to be a romance.” 

“You need to learn some patience, miss.” Gojo teased as he gently took her hand back and held it in his own, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Just watch, I’m here with you.” 

Ai’s heart raced, but she didn’t pull away this time. Instead, she did her best to focus on the screen, trying to ignore the warmth that was spreading through her at the simple gesture. She felt like she was in high school all over again with how shy she was acting over something so simple as holding hands. 

The movie ended with a bizarre twist that left Ai more confused than anything. She turned to Gojo, narrowing her eyes at him. Was this truly his favorite movie? 

“How can you call that a romance?” 

Gojo laughed as he looked over at Ai with tender eyes. “You didn’t see the love story? It’s all about connecting with someone despite their circumstances.” 

Ai shook her head in disbelief. “You’re insane…I must have missed that part when they revealed the human earthworm babies.” She couldn’t help but break out into a smile. “But…thanks for sharing that with me.” 

“Anytime, Ai-chan,” Satoru said softly, his tone suddenly more serious. “I’m really glad you stayed.”

Ai glanced up at him, she felt that anticipation build up within her again. “Me too, Satoru.”

They sat there for a moment, just looking at each other, the mood shifting to something more intense. 

Then, Gojo broke the silence with a playful grin. “So, you ready to watch Human Earthworm Three? They make more sense this way.”

Ai groaned and threw a pillow at him. “Absolutely not!” 

Gojo laughed and held up his hands in surrender. “I was joking. No need to get violent, Ai-chan.” 

Ai huffed, settling back against the couch. She looked over at the goofy man who sat next to her and couldn’t help but smile. Oddly, she found herself feeling more relaxed than she had in a long time. Maybe it was the exhaustion from the long day that was hitting her, or maybe it was how at ease she felt with Gojo. Either way, her eyes grew heavy, and she started to drift off. 

Gojo noticed and gently adjusted the blanket around her. “Sleep, Ai-chan.” 

She mumbled something incoherent, already half-asleep, and Gojo smiled softly. He rested his head against hers, letting the sound of her gently breathing lull him into a more relaxed state. 

For the first time in a long time, Gojo hadn’t felt that loneliness that he had become accustomed to. As Ai slept beside him, he promised himself that he would do whatever it took to keep this feeling alive.  

[atwooozi]

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gojo satoru's shoulder to waist ratio appreciation

[atwooozi]

gojo x reader

Chapter 16: Tender-Hearted

summary: Ai finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of mixed signals, romantic confusion, and her own indecisive heart. Her best friend Utahime can’t help but roll her eyes at the whole situation—why is Ai so drawn to the unpredictable Gojo when the steady, dependable Geto seems like the obvious choice? As Ai gets swept into a world of luxury and unexpected twists, her investigation takes a turn, leaving her to wonder what she’s really looking for—both in her article and in her own heart.

genre: modern AU, slice of life, comedy, eventual romance, eventual smut, some angst

A/N: Hello again! I feel like time has been moving faster and faster and while exciting it's also a bit overwhelming for me. I hope the people taking the time to read this are enjoying it as much as I do when I take the time to sit down and write it.

The song to go with this chapter is I Only Want To Be With You by Tommy february6.  I love this song and the many covers of it that I've heard (I think my favorite version is by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes).

READ ON AO3

“You did what ?” Utahime practically yelled as the two walked through the narrow streets of Shimokitazawa–full of vintage clothing stores, unique accessories, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the air.    

Ai panicked as people turned their heads to look in their direction. “Will you keep your voice down?” 

“How can I keep my voice down when you tell me that ?” Utahime said in a hushed tone as she gripped Ai's wrist. “Are you crazy or stupid?” 

Ai gave Utahime a pitiful look. Even though she didn't answer the question she knew the correct answer was both. “Nothing happened.” 

“Why are you lying? First, you went shopping with his card, then you let him in your place, and then you told him that you liked him, and to top it all off he kissed you–”

“On the forehead!”  

Ai rolled her eyes at her friend and dragged her towards an accessory shop. It was a small kiosk with rows of handmade earrings and hair pins.

 “You're ignoring the parts where I told him we couldn't do anything.” Ai frowned as she looked Utahime's way. 

Utahime didn't look the slightest bit amused or distracted by the cute accessories. “Why can't you like the photographer guy?” 

Ai sighed as she thought about Geto. Why didn't she like Geto? On paper, he was her type: sharp eyes, beautiful hair, piercings, creative, kind…in his own way, but she could only think of him as her friend. She didn’t get the same feeling around him that she got when she was around Gojo.  

“I don't know…” 

Utahime gave Ai a sympathetic look. “I swear, you're gonna be the death of me…are these cute?” She held up a pair of earrings that were rhinestone-encrusted heart studs–not ugly, but maybe too flashy for the journalist. 

Ai held up a different pair of earrings in the shape of bows next to Utahime's ears. “You should get these.” 

As Utahime took the pair of earrings into her hands Ai picked up a pair of simple sapphire studs. They were a gorgeous pale blue. 

“When do you see him next?” Utahime asked with a frown.

“Later today…” Ai muttered as he held the small studs in the palm of her hand. 

Utahime took the earrings from Ai's hand and looked at the price. “And what are you going to do?”

“My job.” Ai insisted as she took the earrings back from Utahime to pay for them. 

She felt bad lying to her friend. She reasoned that she wasn’t lying completely …she just left out the parts where she agreed to a transactional relationship with the man that she was writing an article about. She was telling a half-truth which was better than a whole lie . 

Utahime snorted at Ai's tone of voice as she paid for her things. “Well, when you put it like that I have no reason to doubt you.” 

Ai rolled her eyes. “Nothing is going to happen,” she lied. 

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Ai took a deep breath as she made her way to a high-rise building in Roppongi. It was a new development reminiscent of the types of buildings that you'd see in New York: sharp lines, cold-looking, and lots of big windows. 

As Ai made her way to the door, a doorman opened it for her. She felt unsure if she should thank him, or if she should just continue moving forward. She opted to give him a little bow before making her way to the front. Ai had never been in a situation like this before. She had met with some of her subjects at their homes, but none of them lived in such luxurious places. 

The woman at the desk looked as elegant as the building itself. Ai wouldn't be surprised if she came with it. After giving her name, she was directed towards the elevators and given a passcode. 

Ai made her way to the elevators and looked around the enclosed space. It reminded her of the day she met Gojo at Mappa Studios. Unlike Mappa Studios, this elevator had cold steel walls, no music to play over the hum of the elevator moving, and bland, but expensive-looking tiles. When the doors opened, Ai was left outside the entrance of what had to be Gojo's place. 

Hesitantly, Ai buzzed the doorbell and waited for an answer. 

“Hello?” What sounded like Megumi's voice played over the intercom. 

Ai felt a bit of anxiety when she heard Megumi’s voice. Did they go to the right place? Of course they did, she had to give her name after all. “U-um…It's Amada Ai.” She tried her best to sound collected. 

And with that, there was a buzz and a click of the door that let her in. 

Ai hesitantly peeked her head through the door. “Hello?” she called out as she walked in. 

“Amada-san,” Megumi called out as he came to greet Ai and Junpei. “Gojo is on his way, come on,” he said as he led the way inside. “You can leave your shoes on.” 

Ai hurriedly followed Megumi as he led them through the sleek-looking home. It looked more like a sample penthouse than one that Gojo probably decorated himself. She would be surprised to hear that he actually spent time here; it looked that clean. 

“You must be Amada-san,” A young woman with long brown bangs and an equally long ponytail said as she came over to greet them. “Gojo said you’d have someone with you?”

 She was the one in the pictures with Gojo and Megumi on Twitter…

Ai nodded and bowed slightly. “Yes, I'm Amada Ai, nice to meet you. My kouhai wasn’t able to make it today.” She gave an apologetic look. “He is feeling a bit under the weather.” 

“Oh, that’s too bad! I'm Tsumiki,” the girl said with a warm smile. “Come sit, I was looking through some photos.” She said as she led them to a dining room table covered in pictures, photo albums, and some boxes. 

Ai took a look at some of the pictures scattered across the table, it all felt so warm and cozy despite the coldness of their surroundings. Each picture was of Gojo with his friends and family, but as the years went on the amount of people in the pictures seemed to become smaller and smaller. His smile was always bright but his eyes seemed a bit duller as time passed. 

“Ai-san, look at this one,” Tsumiki said as she held a photo out to her. It was of Geto, Gojo, and Ieiri at what looked like their high school graduation. Each of them looked so young and happy. Megumi, Tsumiki, and two other young girls were in the picture with them as well. “Isn't it nice? Too bad Megumi-chan wasn't smiling in it.” 

Megumi rolled his eyes at Tsumiki’s comment and Ai giggled. “I think if he was smiling like everyone else it wouldn't be like Fushiguro at all.”

Tsumiki smiled and nodded. “I suppose so…” 

“Gojo-san looks so young there,” Ai said softly. 

As they continued to look at the pictures, Gojo burst through the doors. “I'm home,” he announced. “And I brought Suguru.” 

The two men made their way into the larger living space. “Are Ai-chan and Junpei-kun here yet?” 

“You're so loud,” Megumi complained. “Amada-san is here.”

“Where’s supervisor Junpei?” Geto asked with a pout. 

Ai felt unsure of whether she should say anything given what happened yesterday and decided to wave. Hopefully, that seemed natural enough to everyone. “Oh, he isn’t feeling too well, so I told him to stay home and rest.” 

Geto huffed, obviously not pleased with the news, but didn’t say anything more about the subject. 

“Ai-chan!” Gojo beamed as he made his way over to the table with Geto. “You seeing how gorgeous I was all those years ago?” 

Ai rolled her eyes and held up a picture of Gojo at the age of eight. “This kid looks like he eats glue.” 

Geto snorted as Gojo pouted. “I'll have you know that I ate glue one time.” 

“Do you really want people to know that?” Megumi asked as he walked towards the table to inspect the photos. 

“I’m pretty sure you ate glue at one time too, Megs.” Tsumiki giggled as she continued to look over the photos. 

“Ai-chan, strike that from the record,” Gojo commanded as he took the picture from Ai’s hand. 

“Nope, the people need to know,” Ai stated as she made a show of writing the note down.  

“I invite you into my home, where my children are, and you come here and slander me?” Gojo said in fake outrage, “ This,” he said as he waved the picture of the small boy in front of Ai’s face, “is the child you're hurting. Remember that.” 

“Your children?” Megumi questioned as he made his way to the large kitchen, grabbing himself a bottle of water. 

“Yes, my children,” Gojo insisted as he took a seat across from Ai. “I know I'm too young and too hot and sexy to be a father, but it's a burden I bear with pride.” 

“Satoru, stop talking,” Geto sighed as he snapped some photos.

Gojo huffed and turned his nose up at the people surrounding him. “You're all picking on me.” 

Tsumiki giggled at Gojo's antics and took a seat next to Ai. “As silly as he is, he's not too bad. He would show up for any of Megumi’s recitals or my volleyball games.” 

Ai nodded as she listened to Tsumiki, doing her best to block out the men in the room as they bickered. “Was it hard growing up when your guardian was still growing up themself?” 

Tsumiki thought about it for a moment and shook her head. “No, Gojo knew he couldn't do it alone. Shoko, Geto, and Ijichi-san helped a lot, too. It takes a village, you know?” She glanced over at the men behind Ai and smiled. “Gojo is good at a lot of things… I think he's best at knowing his limits. If he doesn't think he needs help he won't ask, but if he saw me or Megumi struggling he would do anything he could to make sure we were okay. He's just like that. I can't imagine where Gumi and I would be without him.” 

Ai let Tsumiki’s words sink in as she wrote them down. She wasn't sure what to think of Gojo. Despite his eccentricities, it seemed that Gojo had a genuine heart, especially when it came to the people he cared about. But for whatever reason there was still some lingering uncertainty about him that she couldn't shake off. Whether that was because of their own complicated relationship or not, she wasn’t sure. As she continued to write down Tsumiki’s words she wondered what other things Gojo was covering with his flamboyant personality. 

“You guys talking shit?” Gojo asked as he tried to look over Ai's shoulder at her notes. 

Ai clicked her tongue at him and quickly closed her notebook. “You're too nosy.” 

“You're writing a story about me ,” Gojo whined as he tried to grab at Ai's notebook.

 “Will you get out of here? You can wait to read the article like everyone else.” Ai said as she held her notebook close to her chest.  

Tsumiki giggled as she watched the two bicker with each other. “You seem pretty used to Gojo, Ai-san.” 

Ai sighed, she was unsure of how to reply. In all honesty, she was never sure how to interact with Gojo, especially now. “I guess...” 

“Tsumiki, we should go,” Megumi called out to his sister. 

Tsumiki stood up and gave Ai a small smile. “It was nice talking with you, Ai-san.” 

“You're leaving?” Ai stood up, she wanted to beg Megumi and Tsumiki to stay with her. 

“Yeah, I have class in a few hours,” Tsumiki apologized. 

Megumi rubbed the back of his neck. “I have plans with Itadori so I was just waiting here until it got closer to our meeting time.” 

Ai tried her best to keep a straight face as she looked at them both. “Thank you for sitting with us.” She bowed her head slightly. 

It wasn't their fault but she felt like her fate was sealed. She was most definitely cursed. Why else would Junpei have a cold and the Fushiguro siblings abandon her like this? It was the obvious work of some sort of demon lord.  

Ai practically followed Megumi and Tsumiki out the door as she bid them goodbye. Now that she was alone with two menaces, the atmosphere immediately shifted. Ai cursed at herself as she made her way back to the living area. 

“You don't like us anymore, Ai-san?” Geto asked with a cat-like grin as he put his camera down. 

“No comment,” Ai said as she walked back over to the dining room table, looking at the photos once again. “You guys look the same.” She smiled as she picked up a picture of Geto and Gojo, holding it up as she compared it to the men standing in front of her. 

They really didn’t change much if at all. The differences were so minute that unless you knew the two well you most likely couldn’t see it. 

“I think I’m even more gorgeous,” Gojo said as he looked over Ai’s shoulder. “And Geto’s ears are bigger.” 

Ai had to bite back a laugh and looked Geto’s way. He scrunched his face up at Gojo’s comment and touched his ears. “They’re the same, jerk.” 

Ai smiled and took a seat resting her laptop on her legs, not wanting to disturb the photos on the tabletop as she started to write. She had actually started writing a little since her last encounter with Gojo. It wasn’t much, but it was better than the whole lot of nothing that she had before.  

Gojo let out a dramatic gasp and took a seat next to Ai. “Are we seeing the master at work?” 

Ai glanced up from the screen and gave Gojo a playful glare. “You should feel so honored.” 

“How’s the article going?” Geto asked curiously as he looked over Ai’s shoulder, causing her to flinch a bit. Ai didn’t mind Geto being in her space, but she always felt self-conscious when people read anything that she wrote, especially when it was unedited and full of flaws. Was it truly as bad as she thought? Probably not, but writing was so vulnerable. Even if the subject wasn’t something personal to her, she felt an intense amount of pressure to be perfect right from the start. 

“...I was actually going to ask you to sit down with me for a bit,” Ai muttered as she continued to type, not bothering to glance Geto’s way. 

“Right now works for me,” Geto said with a shrug as he took a seat next to her. 

Ai hummed as she thought about it and stopped her fingers from moving over the keys. “No, right now isn’t good.” She shook her head. 

Geto raised his eyebrow at her and it registered when he looked over at Gojo. “Oh, I see.” 

“What?” Gojo literally butted himself into the conversation, forcing himself in between Geto and Ai. “Why not now, Ai-chan?”

Ai couldn’t help but wonder if Gojo did that on purpose. Whenever someone else had her attention he liked to force himself into the conversation. She wondered if he did stuff like that with Geto or Shoko too or if this was something that was unique to her.  

Ai closed her laptop and slipped it back into her bag. It was silly to think she would be able to get any writing done while she was here. 

“Because you’re here,” she said simply. 

Gojo pouted at Ai much like a young child would. “What’s wrong with me being here?” 

“Nothing is wrong with you.” Ai shook her head and tucked some hair behind her ear. “It’s just that Geto won’t be able to speak freely with you right here and I don’t think you’d be able to keep yourself from butting into the conversation either.” 

Gojo pursed his lips in thought and glanced over at Geto before turning his attention back to Ai. “I will give you one hour.” He said as he held up a finger to them. “I am going to the gym and when I come back the interview will be done.” 

Ai wanted to argue with him, but he had already left the room. She supposed he was doing her a favor, but it felt annoying to have him set the parameters for everything. She sighed in defeat and looked over to Geto. 

“You’re okay with doing this now?” 

Geto smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I don’t think we have much of a choice anyway, right?” 

 “I’m leaving!” Gojo called out as he walked out of what presumably was his bedroom with a gym bag, waving his hand as he made his way to the door. “If Suguru says anything bad about me it’s a lie.” And with that, the front door shut.

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Ai turned to face Geto and sat up in her seat to properly look his way. Geto was looking at the photos scattered across the table with a warm smile, studying each one with the same amount of care as the other. 

“I haven’t seen a lot of these in a long time.” He muttered as he held one in his hand. A glint of sadness passed over his features, but when he glanced up at Ai, a calm expression masked it almost instantly. 

“I didn’t realize you were so nostalgic, Geto,” Ai said as she crossed one of her legs over the other. She leaned forward and looked at the photo that Geto held in his hand. It was from their high school days–Gojo was smiling brightly with Geto standing next to him, Shoko was near the front with a lit cigarette hanging out of her mouth, standing beside someone else with a bright smile that rivaled Gojo’s. The boy had a dark brown mop of hair on his head and large brown eyes. “Who’s that?”

“Haibara,” Geto sighed as he looked at the photo once more. “He was our underclassman.” 

Ai frowned when she caught the ‘was’ and Geto’s overall change in mood. She was starting to realize just how much death seemed to follow after Gojo and in turn, Geto. It was hard to believe given Gojo’s constant nonchalance,  but she could read Geto’s emotions much more easily. The sadness was palpable.

“He was only seventeen…” Geto said as he carefully turned the photo over and set it gently down on the table. He let out a mirthless chuckle and rested his hand against his cheek. “He loved to eat. I think his favorite food was rice.” 

Ai smiled as she listened to Geto speak about his friend. “He sounds like the quintessential Japanese man.” 

Geto let out another laugh and smiled. “Yeah…” he sighed. “He wanted to be an Olympian. It’s all he ever talked about.” He shifted in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. “I think maybe that’s why Satoru started getting really serious, y’know?” 

“About fighting?” 

Geto nodded. “Yeah, I mean–Haibara’s death was completely unexpected, but I think Satoru felt that as his senpai he should see through his dreams for the both of them.”   

“Haibara’s dream?” Ai questioned. “Did Gojo not care about being an athlete much?” 

“It’s not that he didn’t care.” Geto shrugged. “It was more like, his heart wasn’t in it. He did it because it was natural. He was good at it. He only started to get serious when Haibara passed.” 

“I see…” Ai mumbled as she jotted down some notes. “Why do you think Gojo felt so obligated to continue with Haibara’s dream?” 

Geto thought about it for a moment. “I think…I think he felt that he was the only one that could do it.” 

“and that was around the time he injured his knee, right?” Ai asked curiously.

Geto’s face tensed at the question. He looked unsure of how to answer or perhaps if he even should answer the question. He gave Ai an awkward smile and shook his head. “Can we move on?” 

Ai nodded and waved her hand as if to brush away the tense mood in the air. “Y-yeah, sorry I shouldn’t have asked that.” She bit her lip in thought. “Let’s try and move to something a bit lighter, okay?” 

Geto smiled, a true smile and his body seemed to relax a bit more at the suggestion. “Yeah, that sounds better,” he said as he played with his bangs. 

“Okay, so, what was your first impression of Gojo?” 

“My first impression of Satoru…” Geto hummed as he thought about it. A let out a snicker and pulled out his phone. “One second…” he muttered as he started to type. 

Ai nodded and glanced down at her notes as she waited for Geto to answer. Normally, she would be annoyed when anyone would pull out their phone during an interview. It would usually ruin the flow of conversation when that happened. She wanted to give Geto the benefit of the doubt, though. Having worked with him for some time now she wanted to believe that whatever he was doing was for a good reason. 

“Here,” Geto said as he handed his phone over to Ai. He had pulled up a picture of the creator of KFC. She was almost dumbfounded when she looked at the screen but the longer she looked the more she could see it: the white hair and the circle-framed glasses. “You see it, don’t you?” 

“ Geto …” Ai did her best to suppress her laughter. “I don’t think Gojo would like that comparison.” 

Geto shrugged and took his phone back with a smirk on his face. “We can keep that bit in between us.” 

Ai nodded. “Yeah, I think we will.” 

“He tried dying his hair.” 

Ai glanced up at the man in front of her. “He did?” 

Geto nodded. “Yeah, but it didn’t work. The color didn’t take for whatever reason.” 

Ai almost felt guilty talking with Geto. Gojo knew about it, but instead of getting information for the article, she felt like she was gossiping with Utahime over lunch.

“Why did he try to dye it?” 

Geto shrugged. “I think he just wanted to fit in with everyone else.”

“That doesn’t sound like Gojo,” Ai said as she cocked her head to the side. “I feel like he relishes in the idea that he’s not like everyone else.” 

“Maybe now, but it was harder for him when he was younger,” Geto explained. “Being a teenager already feels so isolating, but you're also trying to figure out how to be an adult, and being an adult means being just like everyone else...let’s keep the hair thing off the record by the way.” 

Ai groaned in annoyance and crossed out her scribbles. “You can’t just say that after you tell me…”

Geto rolled his eyes playfully and smiled Ai’s way. “You weren’t going to put that in there anyway so no need for the big show, Ai-san.” 

Ai pursed her lips, Geto was right, she wasn’t going to write about it, but now she really wanted to. 

“Anyway, as cheery as Satoru is he’s had it hard too.” Geto frowned as he rested his chin against his fist. 

“Yeah…I can’t imagine.” Ai frowned as she thought back to her own teenage years. Her life wasn’t a cakewalk, but she couldn’t imagine living the life that Gojo did. The thought of taking on so much at such a young age seemed almost impossible. “Gojo’s tough, isn’t he?”

 “...I think that Satoru comes off as nonchalant and detached at times, but he cares a lot more than he lets on,” Geto said thoughtfully. “Don't get me wrong, he's strong but he has a tender heart.” 

Ai nodded as she thought back to her encounters with Gojo and nodded. “Yeah…” 

She closed her notebook and sighed. It hadn’t been an hour yet, but she felt that she had gotten more than enough from Geto. She just wished that she could get Gojo to open up to her like the way that the people close to him did. 

“Should we order food?” Geto asked as he scrolled on his phone. 

Ai glanced up at him with furrowed eyebrows. “I was actually gonna go…I feel weird being in Gojo’s place without having a reason to.” 

Geto frowned at Ai’s reasoning and continued to scroll. “You do have a reason, we’re getting food. ‘Sides, you’ll hurt Satoru’s feelings if he shows up and you’re not here when he’s back.” 

Ai sighed but stayed put in her seat, “Fine.”

[atwooozi]

gojo x oc

Chapter 15: The Talking Stage

summary: When Gojo's easygoing demeanor suddenly shifts, leaving Ai to wonder if crossing the line with him might cost her more than she's willing to risk, tension brews in the air. Can they find a balance between personal desires and professional obligations, or will their connection end before it even begins?

genre: modern AU, slice of life, comedy, eventual romance, eventual smut, some angst

A/N: I'm so sorry for the inconsistent posting. Although I planned on posting Wednesdays I'm going to have to switch it to Thursdays because of how busy I am with my internship.

The song for this chapter is Na Na Na by ALSA . It's super cute I listened to it the other day when I was driving to work the other day. I feel like it fits this chapter well.

READ ON AO3

“Thank you all for coming, goodnight!” Takaba said with a showy bow to the audience before leaving the sound stage. 

The audience members clapped and cheered as the Takaba's show had wrapped after two hours of taping and honestly, the two hours had flown by. Ai was surprised when people had gotten up from their seats in the audience. She was happy to sit and watch for another hour if they had to. The energy between Gojo, Maki, and Takeba worked so seamlessly.  

Gojo stood up from his seat and stretched, his hands practically reaching the height of the set walls. “I'm so hungry.” He yawned as he hopped over the railing toward Ai’s little trio. “We should get food.” 

“You could’ve just walked around the railing…” Junpei said softly. “There’s an opening right there.”

“I'm gonna pass.” Geto shrugged at Gojo's pout both of them easily ignoring Junpei. “I have to develop some more photos for some stupid project I'm working on.” 

“Hey, I'm not stupid,” Gojo argued. “Ai-chan, tell him.” 

Ai looked over her shoulder at Junpei as if asking for help and to shake the poor kid out of his momentary state of disbelief. She did not want to get sucked into Geto and Gojo's argument, play-fighting or not. 

“U-um, you guys are both equal amounts of stupid,” Junpei said as he stood in front of Ai. 

Ai shook her head and hid her face in her hands. Even if it was true, that wasn’t something that Junpei should’ve said out loud.  

“I'd agree with that,” Maki chimed in with a smirk as she walked past them. 

Gojo's shoulders slumped as he looked at Ai and Junpei with pitiful blue eyes. “You’ll still get food with me though, right?” 

With the way that Gojo was sulking, he reminded Ai of a wet cat. 

“A-actually…” Junpei interrupted Ai’s thoughts. “I have plans so I can't stay.” 

“If you tell me you have a date I'm gonna slap you silly.” Gojo huffed as he practically towered over Junpei. “How can Junpei-kun have a date while his most handsome and interesting mentor not have any plan?”

“Mentor?” Ai arched her eyebrow at Gojo.

Geto scoffed. “Please, I’m more of a mentor than you , Satoru.” 

“S-senpai…” Junpei panicked and went to hide behind Ai, despite her being much smaller than him. 

Without much effort Gojo had easily derailed their conversation that he had started to begin with. Ai supposed that his ability to change the trajectory of even the most mundane situations could be seen as a feat in itself. 

“Don't bully my kouhai, please,” Ai said as she gave Gojo a disapproving look. 

“Only if you get dinner with me so I'm not alone,” Gojo said as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

Ai rolled her eyes at the man in front of her. “Fine, but you're buying.” 

“Then I get to pick!” Gojo smiled brightly.

“Fine.”

What a mistake she had made…

⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹ . * ꙳ ✦ ⊹⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹ . * ꙳ ✦ ⊹⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺

Ai was now regretting telling Gojo that he was buying because she was now in a grocery store with a handwritten list of ingredients that she had to get. All while Gojo sat in Ijichi's car playing on his phone. She supposed that Gojo couldn't necessarily just walk in and shop himself since he was so popular, but it hadn't stopped him before when he had gone to restaurants and everything else. She supposed it would be weird to see a cardboard cut-out of yourself selling grape-flavored gummies while trying to shop. She clicked her tongue as she looked at the standee before walking past it to pick up some fresh scallions. How was even a cardboard cut-out even receiving so much attention? The stupid thing was covered in kiss marks and was sporting a sign that said ‘please do not touch the cut-out it does not feel.’  

As she moved through the store towards the checkout, she spotted some tasty-looking pudding. The pudding seemed to call out to her, and she bit her lip as she debated whether or not to buy it. She decided that Gojo wouldn't mind her spending a few dollars more on his card for pudding. He could afford it, hopefully. He’d like the treat anyway. 

When Ai returned to the car, Gojo grabbed the bags from her immediately. “Finally!” he said, looking through the bags. “I don’t recall putting pudding on the list, Amada-san.” 

Ai rolled her eyes and buckled herself in. “How can you complain when you sent me in there without as much of a warning? I should keep your card just for that.” 

Gojo plucked the black card out of her hand and pocketed it. “No shot,” he murmured as he looked over the receipt. “Ijichi, can I write this off as a business expense?” 

Ijichi shook his head and adjusted his glasses. “For the last time, Gojo-san, you can’t write something off as a business expense just because you say it is…”

“But I am my own business. If I don’t eat then I can’t work and then who will pay your salary?” Gojo reasoned. 

“I don’t think finances would be an issue, Gojo-san….”   

“But what about Ai-chan? We’re having a business meeting, right?” 

Ai blinked at Gojo unsure of what to say. “Are we?” 

Gojo nodded his head at her, which was somehow both relieving but caused her heart to ache. Had each hang out of theirs just been a business meeting this whole time and she was just reading way too far into it? The fact wouldn’t surprise her, but it still stung. 

Ai sighed and looked out the window as they started to move again, not bothering to answer Gojo’s question, and tuning out the rest of Ijichi and Gojo’s conversation. She couldn't even picture Gojo cooking even if she wanted to. He seemed like he grew up pampered and if the black card was any indicator, it must be true. Hopefully, she wouldn't get sick from his cooking. 

As Ai stared out the window she couldn’t help but notice the familiar scenery as they made their way through traffic. It would be comforting if not for it being so suspiciously familiar. Slowly she felt her body stiffen and she sat up straight in her seat. 

“Ijichi-san…” Ai called out her voice wavering as the car started to slow. 

Before Ai knew it, Ijichi had parked the car. She looked out at the scenery around her and she practically jumped out of her seat. “Why are we parked in front of my building? How do you know where I live?”

Gojo grinned, tapping his temple. “I have my ways. Plus, Ijichi’s a pretty good detective.” 

Ijichi, visibly uncomfortable with the sudden attention, adjusted his glasses and muttered something under his breath about security measures and protocols. 

“Don’t worry, Ai-chan,” Gojo said, hopping out and stretching lazily. “We’re already here so let’s go.”  

Ai followed Gojo out of the car and tried to hurry over to the door. “W-wait…” She looked around to make sure no one on the street was looking at them. “You can’t just come into my apartment.” 

Gojo tossed the bag of groceries over his shoulder and leaned down so he was at eye level with Ai. “Why not?” 

Ai flushed. “Um…because it’s inappropriate?” 

Gojo stared at her silently for a second before he bursted out laughing. “Who cares? C’mon, I’m hungry.” 

Ai sighed and took out her keys to let Gojo in. “Fine, but I don’t have any slippers that will fit you,” she said as she led the way up to her place. There was no use in fighting him–Gojo wasn’t the type to care much about societal rules in the slightest.  

Ai was wracking her brain, wondering how she got here. She hadn’t had a man over since she was in her early twenties, and even then it was awkward as she thought back on it. She just hoped that she didn’t have anything embarrassing out for Gojo to see. 

She stopped in front of the door and turned her back to it, looking back at Gojo. “Wait here for a second.” 

Ai quickly slipped the key in the lock and opened the door only slightly so she could sneak inside without letting Gojo get a peek of her apartment. She yanked off her shoes and put on her slippers before running around her place to see if there was anything incriminating or embarrassing lying around. Thankfully, there wasn’t anything too bad. She quickly picked up some stray clothes that were on the floor and threw them in her laundry basket and she made sure her underwear drawer was perfectly closed. She quickly glanced at her nightstand and let out a sigh of relief when she didn’t see anything that didn’t need to be seen by strangers. 

Ai let out a deep breath and opened the door for him. “You can come in.” She stepped out of the way. “Please don’t mind the mess.” 

Gojo walked in and slipped off his loafers as he looked around. “Cozy.” 

Ai watched Gojo carefully as he took in his new surroundings. Her apartment was small but charming. Her lounge area had a bookshelf overflowing with novels and trinkets from her many trips all over the country, a small couch draped with a throw that her mom had crocheted for her, and a kitchen that was more functional than spacious. She could feel her anxiety bubbling up, worried about his judgment. Her whole home was probably the size of his bedroom.

“What did you have to hide before I got in here?” Gojo asked with a cheeky grin. 

“Nothing!” 

Gojo slipped off his shoes and sauntered into the kitchen, placing the grocery bags on the kitchen counter like he owned the place.

“What do you need?” Ai said as she turned on the lights in the kitchen. 

“Knife, cutting board, bowl, a pan… and I think that’s it,” Gojo said as he rolled up his sleeves. 

Ai nodded and got Gojo the things that he needed. “Can I help?” 

Gojo hummed as he took the groceries out of the bag. “You can skin the carrots.” 

Ai nodded and washed her hands. She glanced at Gojo’s way and was surprised to see him chop the scallions without much hesitation. Ai grabbed a knife of her own and started to skin the carrots for whatever they were making. 

“Do you cook a lot?” 

“Nah, not really. I had to learn how to make some things for Gumi and his sister when they started living with me. I was fine eating junk, but that’s not good for kids.” 

Ai nodded in understanding. “Is this one of the things that you would make for them?” 

“No, this is an Itadori recipe.” Gojo said as he placed the knife down. “So if you don’t like it you can take it up with him. Are you done with the carrots?” 

Ai nodded and handed them to Gojo. “Need me to do anything else?” 

Gojo shook his head. “I got it.” 

Ai took a seat at the counter and watched Gojo quietly cook. She was surprised that when the meat started to simmer in the pan, it started to smell good. She especially liked the smell of the ginger that started to fill the air. 

“I’m gonna make a salad to go with it,” Ai said as she got up from her seat. She felt a bit uncomfortable watching Gojo cook alone in her kitchen. She looked through her fridge and pulled out what fresh veggies she had and used them to make a garden salad for them to share. 

Throughout their odd domestic scene, Ai had almost forgotten that she was supposed to be writing a story about the man in her kitchen. A part of her wished that she could just forget about her work for a minute and enjoy the moment, but unfortunately that wasn’t possible. 

“Ai?” 

Ai flinched as she looked Gojo’s way. He smiled at her gently. “Plates?” 

“Oh right!” Ai said as she ran to her cabinet. She passed Gojo two plates and sighed. “Do you want to eat at the table or…” 

“Here’s fine,” Gojo said as he transferred the meatballs from pan to plate. “I hope you like it.”

Ai nodded and smiled. “It smells good.”  

When Ai glanced Gojo’s way, she did her best to maintain some semblance of normalcy despite the anxiety bubbling within her. Unsurprisingly, Gojo seemed at ease–he came off as effortlessly relaxed no matter the setting. Something was charming about it, but it was ‌equally annoying to her. If anything, she was jealous that he was able to appear so calm while she was internally panicking. 

When Ai finally took a bite of the meatball, she was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was. The flavors were comforting, reminding her of something her mom would cook for her on a day when she wasn’t so tired. She couldn’t help but let out a small hum of approval, earning a pleased smile from him. 

“Good?” 

Ai nodded. “Yeah, really good.” 

“Not bad for a makeshift dinner, huh?” 

 “Not bad at all,” Ai said as she took another bite. “I can’t remember the last time I had a home-cooked meal.”

“When do you think that was?” Gojo asked curiously. 

“...maybe in middle school?” 

Gojo raised an eyebrow at Ai, but a relaxed expression washed over his face again. “Your mom didn’t cook?” 

Ai shook her head. “No, she did. She worked a lot so she was always too tired. I would eat lots of cup ramen up until college, honestly.” 

“Your dad didn’t cook?” Gojo asked as he picked at the salad.  

Ai shook her head and bit her lip, debating on what to say. “Didn’t have one.” 

Gojo nodded his head in understanding. “It’s not the same, but my parents were pretty busy so I didn’t see them a lot.”

“What about now?” Ai asked curiously as she took another bite of her food. 

“Oh they’re dead,” Gojo said nonchalantly. 

Ai started to cough, some of a meatball had gotten caught in her throat at Gojo’s casualness. She got herself a cup of water and tried to regain her breath.

“You okay, Ai-chan?” Gojo asked as he watched her curiously. 

Ai sighed as she looked up at Gojo. “Are you okay?” 

“Me?” Gojo gave Ai a confused look before putting it all together. “Oh, you mean about my parents being dead. Yeah, I’m fine.” 

Ai gave Gojo a wary look. “Okay…” 

Her gaze lingered on Gojo for a bit longer. Just like he said he seemed fine, but was he really? She didn’t want to pry, but her heart ached for him. How could someone lose so much and still manage to be okay? 

As they finished their meal together, the atmosphere between them felt a bit awkward. It reminded her of that time she stupidly decided to go to karaoke with him. Once they were done, Ai started to clean up the few dishes they had. When Gojo tried to help, Ai shooed him away. “You cooked, so I’ll clean up.” 

“Fine,” Gojo said as he stretched and yawned. “But while you do that can we go off the record?” 

Ai glanced over her shoulder at Gojo. “Sure…what is it?”

Gojo pursed his lips in thought as he seemed to struggle with how to start.

“You kow, if it’s too hard to talk about your parents we don’t have to, Gojo.” Ai said in a gentle tone. 

Gojo’s morphed into one of confusion his pretty features contorting in a way that would typically make Ai laugh. “What? My parents?” he scratched his head as he thought. “No, I was gonna ask you about Suguru.”

“Suguru?” Ai said about dumbfounded.  

“Yeah…do you like Suguru?” 

Ai frowned. “What?”

She let the dishes sit in the sink to soak in the soapy water as she turned to face Gojo. There was no way that she was going to be able to have a conversation like this without breaking a glass. In her mind, she was prepping to talk about Gojo’s family life, but as per usual the man moved in the total opposite direction. 

“You guys got lunch today.” 

“I just ate dinner with you .” Ai pointed out. 

“Well, do you like him?” Gojo pouted at Ai, crossing his arms stubbornly over his chest. 

“ No , I don’t like him.” Ai spat.

She didn’t dislike Geto, but there was nothing romantic between them. Ai saw Geto as a friend, maybe even her only friend aside from Utahime at this point. She wasn’t sure why she was being so defensive, but she didn’t want to give Gojo the wrong idea about her and his best friend.   

“Are you sure?” Gojo questioned. “I mean, I’m great–look at me.” he said as he pointed to himself but he couldn’t help but frown. “But people–women tend to like Suguru more..” he trailed off. 

There was a stillness in the air as neither of them spoke. And all of a sudden that anticipation flared up again in Ai’s chest like it did just the night before when her gaze met Gojo’s. 

“I don’t like him in that way.” Ai said with a shake of her head. 

“What about me?” Gojo asked as he stepped closer to Ai, closing the distance between them in her small kitchen. 

“You?” Ai’s voice was barely above a whisper. She took a step back, bumping against the sink as she tried to make some space between her and Gojo.  

Gojo nodded and placed his hands on either side of the counter, trapping her in. His gaze didn’t waver as he looked down at her, waiting for an answer. 

“Gojo…” 

“Satoru.” Gojo corrected. 

Ai swallowed thickly as she stared back at Gojo. “S-Satoru, I…” Ai’s voice trailed off as she struggled to find the right words. She felt the weight of his gaze, intense and unwavering, bearing down on her. 

Satoru rested his forehead against Ai’s and she gasped at the closeness. Ai took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She couldn’t deny the attraction she felt towards him, and she knew he knew it. But there were just so many things that she could lose if she crossed that line. She would lose everything. What would Gojo lose? 

“Ai-chan,” Satoru said softly, his voice gentle yet insistent. “Tell me.” His breath felt hot against her skin. 

Gojo put some space between them, but his gaze was still intense. It felt oppressive almost, but she felt like she could breathe normally at the very least. 

“Go–Satoru,” Ai began as she tried her best to keep her voice steady. “I do like you bu–”

Before she could finish what she wanted to say, Satoru took Ai into his strong arms. The hug was so tight she felt like the wind was knocked out of her. 

“S-Satoru!” She gasped and did her best to try and push him off. 

“What?” Satoru asked as he loosened his grip on her. 

“ But ,” Ai tried her best to emphasize the ‘but’ as she spoke. “But I can’t do anything with you without putting myself at risk.”   

Satoru pulled back, his expression a mix of confusion and concern. “What do you mean by ‘putting yourself at risk’?” 

Ai sighed, trying to find the right words to articulate all her worries. “I mean…I’m contracted to work with you. I’m writing a story about you, remember? If anything were to happen between us, it could jeopardize my career—yours too. We both have something to lose.” 

Gojo’s brows furrowed as he considered Ai’s words. “I mean, I get it, but we’re both adults…I think we can keep our personal lives separate from our work.” He reasoned as he rubbed small circles into her hips. 

Ai sighed and put her hands on Gojo’s wrists, pushing them away from her. ”I don’t think so.”  

Gojo pursed his lips as he took a step away from Ai, thinking something over. 

As if to try and calm her racing heart Ai went back to tidying up, reaching for the stray grocery bag to toss, but before she could Gojo reached into the grocery bag and pulled out the puddings that Ai had bought. He held one out to her and when she shook her head causing him to frown. 

“You need to slow down, Ai-chan.” Gojo said as he gently patted her head. “You almost threw out dessert.” 

Ai sighed and nodded, gently brushing Gojo’s large hand away. His touch still lingered the warmth of his hands from where he had touched her had almost felt like they were burning.

“Can I have a spoon?” Gojo asked as he set one of the cups down on the counter. 

Ai reached into her silverware drawer, pulling out a spoon to hand to him. She shivered when his fingers grazed along hers as he took the spoon into his hand. 

Gojo opened up the pudding cup and started to eat the dessert. He seemed to have something that he wanted to say because he met her eyes with a certain determination that she wasn’t used to. 

“Maybe we can meet in the middle?” Gojo said between spoonfuls of pudding. 

Ai furrowed her brows. “Meet in the middle?”

Gojo nodded and took the spoon out of his mouth before swallowing. “Yeah, like you want to get to know me for the article, right?” he leaned back against the counter as he continued. “And I want to get to know you too…for reasons.”

“For reasons…” Ai repeated, causing Gojo to smile. 

He nodded. “Yeah, for reasons,” he scooped up another spoonful of pudding. “What do you think?” 

Ai took a deep breath, considering Gojo’s insane proposal. It was stupid, but she was stupid for actually considering it. She reasoned with herself that maybe she could make it work. They could just enjoy each other's company and that’s all it had to be. They were two adults that could both gain something from it. Ai would be able to write her article and Gojo would get whatever he wanted out of the deal too. 

“I think…” Ai began slowly, choosing her words carefully. “I think we can try, bu–”

“Really?” Gojo wore a surprised expression. 

“ But we need to be careful.” Ai continued. “No one can know about this, at least until the article is finished. And if things get too complicated, we stop.” 

Gojo’s eyes lit up, a genuine smile spreading across his face. “Deal,” he said, holding out his pinky finger to Ai. 

Ai raised a brow, but wrapped her pinky around his, sealing their agreement with a light shake. “Deal.” 

Gojo set down his pudding cup and leaned in closer to Ai. “I promise I’ll behave, Ai-chan.” 

Ai couldn’t help but laugh, feeling some of the tension from earlier fade away. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”  

With a small smile, Satoru pressed a soft kiss to Ai’s forehead. “Let’s finish cleaning up, okay? We can talk about this more later.” 

Ai nodded and went back to washing the dishes. She couldn’t help but feel like she was standing on the edge of catastrophe, but for some reason, she didn’t care so much. She glanced at Satoru as he stepped next to her to help with the dishes and tried to calm her beating heart. She could do this–at least that’s what she hoped. 

[atwooozi]

🥰✨

Autor : @prenkuchan in X

[atwooozi]

Out of context spoilers

[atwooozi]

gojo x oc

Chapter 14: Dumplings

summary: Ai navigates the pressures of her job and the complex relationships with her colleagues. As she waits for a meeting with the intimidating Director Yaga, she finds solace in Geto's photography.

genre: modern AU, slice of life, comedy, eventual romance, eventual smut, some angst

A/N:

I want to apologize for such a long gap in posting. Things got pretty busy on my end with the semester coming to a close and having to start up practicum. Things aren't so backloaded this time so I have more time to post hopefully.

Anyway, the song to go with this chapter is Last Summer Whisper by Anri

READ ON AO3

Sitting in the Hollow offices, Ai waited for Director Yaga to call her in for their meeting. He wanted to see where Ai and her team were in terms of the story. It was nice to have a break from having to follow Gojo around, but seeing her boss wasn't a much better alternative. She leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes as she waited to be called. 

“Tired?” 

Ai opened her eyes slightly to see Geto take a seat next to her. She closed her eyes again and sighed. “You could say that.” 

Geto chuckled and bumped her shoulder playfully. “Do you want to see some of the photos I developed?” 

Ai took a moment before she opened her eyes again, sitting up straight. “Sure.” 

Geto passed Ai the portfolio and she flipped through the glossy pages. While Ai wasn't necessarily a photography expert, she could see the energy in each snapshot. The activities were so mundane, yet Geto somehow transformed them into something extraordinary. There was a candidness to the shots that were just so captivating.

 Ai was surprised by the way Geto captured Gojo’s playfulness in a simple photo. She ran her fingers delicately over the pages. The scenes he captured felt so real, so human. One photo showed Gojo interacting with his co-stars, laughing as he made shadow puppets against the wall of his dressing room. That day was so ordinary, but it showed a side of Gojo that people rarely get to see; his warmth and joy. This was the Gojo that Ai wanted to present to the rest of the world, and these photos were a testament to that depth. 

“They're amazing, Geto,” Ai said as she flipped through the pages some more. “Your work is amazing…” 

“Thank you,” Geto said with a prideful smile as he took the binder back. “How's writing going?” 

Ai glared at the man, causing him to raise his hands in defense and laugh some more. She wasn’t sure if it was just her, but she felt that most writers hated it when people asked them how it was going. It just made her want to work less if she was being honest.  

“Sorry,” Geto said with a small smirk playing on his lips. 

Ai narrowed her eyes at Geto causing him to lean back in his seat and chuckle. “At least, someone did their homework.” 

As Ai was about to open her mouth to give Geto a piece of her mind Director Yaga opened his door and looked to them both. “Come in,” he said gruffly before walking back inside. 

Ai and Geto both stood up and filed their way inside the office, each taking a seat across from Yaga. Director Yaga’s office was… strange , to put it lightly. Sitting alongside various awards in journalism were handmade plush toys of various colors and sizes. No one who worked at Hollow dared to ask Yaga about the toys directly, but since the director didn’t have kids, people tried their best to come up with theories. 

Geto glance around the office before taking his seat next to Ai. “This is an interesting collection of–” Ai pinched Geto’s side causing him to grimace and wear a strained smile. “I like your decor.” He muttered without saying much else. 

“How's the profile going so far?” Yaga asked, thankfully ignoring Geto’s snark. 

Geto glanced at Ai as if encouraging her to speak and she hesitated momentarily. “It's…It's coming together,” Ai said and gave a tight smile. “He's finally starting to open up.” 

Yaga nodded as he listened. “Good, I skimmed over some of your notes…but you didn’t send any pages.”

Ai winced a bit but did her best to smile. “I just had a big breakthrough last night so I didn’t want to send you anything mediocre until I had Junpei look it over…?” 

Ai smiled a bit more but looked down at her lap feeling some guilt spread through her chest. She had absolutely nothing written yet, but Yaga didn’t need to know that.  

Yaga let his stare linger on Ai for a beat before turning his attention to Geto. She was safe for a day or two longer, hopefully. 

“You're not really my concern, Geto-san, but since your stuff is going in my magazine I might as well take a look.” He said as he took the portfolio from Geto. The three sat in silence as Yaga looked through the photographs. 

Director Yaga wasn't someone who was particularly fond of working with people outside the magazine. He would if it was necessary, but he preferred working with people he felt like he could trust. Plus, the costs that came with getting big names for just a few shots, felt like a scam. 

Ai recalled Yaga saying something along the lines of ‘They're just as good as those big names. People who read Hollow do it for the articles. If they wanna look at pictures they can grab a damn photobook.’

“They're good,” Yaga admitted as he handed Geto his photos back. “I see why they wanted you for the job.” 

Geto gave Yaga a smug smile, his eyes turning into sharp slits that Ai had become accustomed to. “Thank you for the compliment, Yaga-san.” 

Yaga nodded and looked through his schedule as if the two weren’t even in the office anymore. “You two can leave now,” he said dismissively as he shifted his interest to something on his computer. 

Ai and Geto quickly excused themselves and made their way out of the offices. 

“You like working for that guy?” Geto asked once they were far enough from the building. 

Ai giggled and shrugged. “I mean, he gave me my first job and while I don't particularly like him– I like my work.” 

Geto nodded as he listened to Ai’s reasoning. “Maybe you should look at other options? Just because you're comfortable doesn't mean you can't find anything better.” 

Ai rolled her eyes and nudged Geto playfully. “Got any other sage advice, Geto sensei ? Should I invest in some stocks, too?” 

Geto stuck his tongue out at her. “Just giving you my two cents.” 

Ai sighed and stretched her arms over her head, causing her shoulders to pop. Geto winced at the sound and shook his head in disapproval. 

“I appreciate it,” Ai said as she exhaled. 

Geto nodded and put his hands in his pockets. “Are you excited for later today?”

“Hm?” Ai tried her best to recall what was on today's schedule but kept drawing a blank. When she finally remembered she had almost walked into the back of a poor salaryman before Geto stopped her. “That comedian’s show, right?” 

Geto eyed Ai with concern but nodded. “Yeah, Takaba Fumihiko.”

“Right! He has that interview with him…” Ai muttered mostly to herself as she tried to sort through Gojo’s schedule in her head. The more she tried to remember the more dates and times became blurry just like the rest of her thoughts lately.  

Ai gave Geto a weak smile and looked ahead. She felt like she was falling apart at the seams after that meeting. If Geto could see it, someone whom she had only known for a little more than two weeks, it must’ve been obvious to ‌just about anyone. “Are you looking forward to it?” 

“A bit.” Geto shrugged as they walked. “I would watch some of his performances with my dad when I was a kid.” 

“But he’s so over the top!” Ai laughed. “His style is something that my grandpa would be into he’s all puns and lame gags.” 

Geto rolled his eyes and scoffed at Ai’s comment. “ Oh, I didn’t realize that on top of being a journalist that you were comedy legend too.” 

Ai giggled. “You know something?” She couldn’t help but smile. “You look cool but you're probably just as lame if not lamer than Gojo.” 

Geto clicked his tongue at Ai's comment and turned his nose up at her. “I'm not lame .”

“Name one cool thing about you that doesn’t have to do with your looks.” Ai challenged as she stared Geto dead in the eye. 

He paused for a moment and looked around at his surroundings as he tried to think. “... I,” the man was stalling, letting his word drag on as he tried to give Ai an answer. “I run a well-respected food blog I’ll have you know.” 

“So cool,” Ai laughed and continued to walk ahead. “Are you going to stay in the area or do you want to meet up later?” 

Geto stopped next to Ai as he pondered what to do. “Did you want to get something to eat? I know all the best places.” 

Ai shrugged. “Chinese?”

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Geto and Ai were sitting off to the side of a small Chinese restaurant that seated probably twenty to twenty-five at most. The atmosphere was cozy, with dim lighting casting a gentle glow over the dark wooden tables. The lanterns that hung from the ceiling, along with the accents of red added to the restaurant’s charm. They ordered potstickers, shumai, and a spicy tofu dish at Geto's insistence so they didn't just get plates and plates of different types of dumplings.  

As they waited for their food, Ai took in the surroundings. The walls were mostly bare, but some of the corners were adorned with paintings of serene landscapes. The aroma of sizzling dishes being prepared in the kitchen traveled through the air, making Ai’s stomach growl in anticipation. She glanced at Geto, who seemed completely at ease, his eyes scanning the menu one last time as if contemplating whether to order something more. 

“The tofu is really good,” Ai smiled as she gulped water to dilute the spice on her tongue. 

“Aren't you glad we ordered some?” Geto asked as he divvied up the rest of the food for them both. 

Ai noticed that he had given her more than he had given himself. She wondered if sharing a meal was Geto’s way of checking in on people he cared for. Whatever his reasoning was, she couldn’t help but feel touched by the gesture.   

“I don't need all that,” Ai complained as she tried to put some of the potstickers on Geto's plate, but he blocked her with his chopsticks. 

“Eat,” Geto said as he glanced up at her from under his lashes. His gaze was soft yet firm, a mix of concern and insistence “You need the energy. I'll just eat whatever you don't finish.” 

Before Ai could even begin to open her mouth in protest Geto stopped with a shake of his head. “I’m sure you have sizable brain in that large head of yours, but thinking burns a lot of calories so eat.”

Ai didn't fight Geto. It's not like she minded; she was tired, and the food was good. She picked up her chopsticks and took another bite, savoring the flavors.   

“You could’ve said that without mentioning me having a big head…” 

“But it’s one of your more prominent features.” Geto hummed as he enjoyed his tofu.

Ai looked out the window and sighed as she watched the people go by. She had never felt so tired. She had hoped that once this story was over things could go back to the way they were: easy, boring, simple. 

“How are things going with Satoru?” Geto arched his brow. 

“Good, I feel like he’s finally opening up to me.”

Geto narrowed his eyes at Ai and gave her a knowing smile. “That’s nice, but that wasn’t what I meant.”

Ai frowned. “Things are going nowhere–just like how they should be.”  

Geto nodded and glanced away. “Are you sure about that?” 

Ai popped a dumpling in her mouth and furrowed her brows at Geto’s question. She was starting to feel like he was trying to play games with her now just like how Gojo seemed to be. She was beginning to think that the two of them were the reason behind her exhaustion rather than this assignment in general. 

“What do you mean?” Ai asked, chewing her dumpling slowly as she waited for Geto to speak. 

Geto shrugged and set down his chopsticks, looking Ai in the eyes. “What was yesterday about then?” 

“Nothing happened.” Ai shook her head. “We just talked and he walked with me to the station.” 

Geto leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest as he studied Ai’s face. “What did you talk about?” 

“Fushiguro Toji,” Ai said, setting down her own chopsticks. 

Surprise flickered in Geto’s eyes. “He talked about Toji?” 

Ai nodded. “Yeah, why?” 

“I’m just surprised, that’s all,” Geto said as he picked up his chopsticks, ready to eat again.

Ai studied Geto’s expression waiting for him to continue speaking, but he just silently ate the food that was in front of them. His expression seemed pensive though as if there was something that didn’t play out quite right in his mind.  

After a few moments of unsettling silence, Geto finally spoke again. “It’s unusual for Satoru to bring up Toji with anyone.” 

Ai’s flicked up from her food to Geto. “Why do you think he mentioned him to me then?” 

Geto paused, considering his words carefully. “Maybe he’s testing you.” 

“Testing me?” 

Ai started to panic internally. If Geto was right that Gojo was testing her then how would she know if she passed or not? Would he even let her know? Would he let her try again? She felt a sudden urge to call Gojo and beg for a second chance. Maybe if she begged he’d take some pity on her. The thought was horrifying but she would swallow what was left of her pride if she needed to. 

Geto picked a potsticker off Ai’s plate, popping it into his mouth. Ai watched Geto, her mind racing with questions she didn’t want to voice. She picked at her food, her appetite dampened by the turn of their conversation. 

“How do I know if I passed?” She finally asked, trying to keep her voice steady. 

Geto shrugged, his nonchalant attitude was driving Ai up a wall. “I don’t think it’s something that you have to worry about.” 

Ai let out a sigh, feeling a mix of relief and anxiety. “I wish I knew what he was thinking…” 

Geto chuckled. “Don’t we all?” he rested his head against his palm as he smiled to himself. “I’ve known him for years and I still can’t figure out what he’s thinking sometimes.”  

Ai smiled and nodded, she took another bite of her food, feeling a bit more at ease. She looked over at Geto with a newfound appreciation. He was still a menace, but he had a way of calming her that she hadn’t expected from him. It made her wonder if that’s what Gojo liked about him too. 

“Stop smiling at me, you're creeping me out,” Geto said as he picked off Ai’s plate. 

Ai rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, okay. But seriously, thanks for this.” 

Geto gave a small nod, his smile looked a bit more genuine this time. “Anytime, Ai.”  

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After wandering around Kanda with Geto, he and Ai had taken a taxi to the set of Takaba Fumihiko's talk show. It felt cozy in comparison to the Jujutsu Kaisen set. There were enough seats to fit a handful of people in the audience while the rest of the room was for Takaba and his two guests. This evening it would be Gojo and Zenin Maki, who were promoting their upcoming movie. 

After taking in the scene that was Takaba's “clubhouse”, Ai and Geto made their way to Gojo's green room. 

“Senpai,” Junpei quickly stood up and greeted Ai and Geto. 

“Hey Junpei-kun, is everything okay?” Ai said as she quickly stepped into the room. 

Junpei sighed and looked over his shoulder at the mischievous-looking Gojo. “Y-Yes…”

When Ai looked over Junpei's shoulder at Gojo he quickly turned his head away from her. From the looks of it, he seemed to be pouting. 

“Don't be mean to kids, Satoru.” Geto tutted as he started to put the lens on his camera. 

Gojo huffed and leaned back in his makeup chair. He was wearing fitted black slacks, a light blue button-up, and a rather expensive-looking pair of leather black loafers.

“No glasses today?” Ai asked as she sat down on the small couch behind Gojo.   

Gojo seemed to debate whether he wanted to answer or not before letting himself break out into a smile. “Nah, something about the lights reflecting off the camera. Plus, I look better without them, don't you think, Ai-chan?” 

Ai rolled her eyes playfully at Gojo. “If you say so.” She didn't want to say anything that Gojo could read into. Ai was still trying to figure out how to navigate her relationship with him, and her talk with Geto certainly did not help. 

“Are you nervous for Takaba’s show, Gojo-san?” Junpei asked with a smile. 

Junpei was so mild-mannered that Ai felt herself swell with pride when she saw her kouhai speak without hesitance to Gojo. 

Gojo shrugged casually as he turned his attention to Junpei. “Nah, not really. It's just another gig. Besides, Maki will be there too, so I don't have to do too much work.” 

“Do talk shows feel like a lot of work with you?” Ai asked as she started to jot some notes down. Gojo didn't seem to do many talk shows, if any at all. However, given that he was promoting a movie that was going to be in theaters, it seemed like an absolute must. 

Gojo made a face and sighed before answering. “I mean, regular talk shows are boring as hell, but at least Takaba has us play games, so it's much better.” 

“Not a fan of talking about yourself?” 

Just before Gojo could answer Ai, a PA called for Gojo, it was time. “I guess there's just not much to say.” He stood up from his makeup chair and a small crowd of stylists came over to make sure that he was picture-perfect. “Wish me luck, Ai-chan.” 

Ai nodded and gave him an encouraging smile. “Break a leg, Gojo,” she said as she stood up. 

As Gojo walked out, Ai, Geto, and Junpei followed behind. They would be standing on the sidelines while Gojo would turn on the charm for the cameras and the small studio audience. 

The show went by relatively well. Gojo immediately fell into a groove with Takaba. Maki's more stern energy made her a natural straight man for the two men to play off of. 

Yet, despite the lively energy on set Ai couldn't help but feel a bit of an ache in her chest as she looked Gojo's way. His laughs and his smiles looked and sounded so natural, but when she glanced down at his hand she could see him tense it with each laugh and grin. He was putting on a show. She wondered what it was that bothered him so much. She desperately wanted to know, but she wasn’t sure if it was for the benefit of her story, or out of the concern that she couldn’t help but have for the man. 

[atwooozi]

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bunch of portraits

[atwooozi]

the summer semester officially ends tomorrow but my fall semester starts on this upcoming tuesday. I'm not getting much of a break but I'm hopeful I can start writing on a more regular schedule again. I really miss posting and although I don't get a whole lot of interaction it's nice to have an outlet.

[atwooozi]

[atwooozi]

"Interrogator Ino Interviews!" suddenly cut off here, later everyone in the surrounding area woke up from a genjutsu-sleep to bloody smear where the anonymous interview subject had been.