#yūji x yn

[system-to-the-madness]

Cherry Blossom Fireworks 🌸 Itadori Yūji x Reader

Pairing: Itadori Yūji x Reader (can be read as any gender, no pronouns used) Genre: fluff Word Count: 1 346 Summary: Yūji and you attend a festival together

Sakura Festival Masterlist - Masterlist

The fabric of the small plushy was cool and soft underneath your fingertips as you held tighter onto it, trying to chase away the chill that had started to set in. It was dark, only the lanterns in the blooming cherry trees lighting up the area. Around you, a crowd had gathered, the visitors of the festival eager to witness the fireworks in the night sky. You were leaning against a balustrade that separated the cobblestone path through the park from the pond before you. Moonlight and the shimmer of the lanterns reflected on the calm surface in whites and oranges between the pink of the fallen petals drifting on water.

Holding the plushy tighter, you looked up, searching for that familiar mop of pink hair in the crowd. Yūji, who had come to the festival with you, had disappeared a while ago, claiming he wanted to grab some cream crepes, but he had been gone for almost twenty minutes now, and the fireworks were about to start any moment. Where was he?

Just as the thought threatened to occur, that maybe he had just left, not feeling like pushing his way back through the crowd, you saw him waving to you. As quickly as the crowded place allowed, he made his way over, grinning broadly. He was dressed in a beige Yukata, holding up a crepe in his one hand, waving to you with the other.

“I made it,” he grinned, when he stepped beside you, leaning his back against the balustrade. “I almost thought I’d be too late!”

Not waiting for your comment, he took a bite off the cream filled crepe before offering it to you, practically shoving it into your face, so you would also take a bite. You leant back a bit, examining the pink, Sakura flavoured cream, before nibbing at the treat, earning some raised eyebrows from Yūji.

“Come on,” he scolded. “What was that? Take a proper bite.”

“But you bought it for yourself,” you protested.

“I bought it, so we’d share it. So come on!”

You rolled your eyes at him before reaching up with your free hand, supporting his, and leading the crepe back to your mouth, taking a bigger bite this time.

“See, not that hard,” Yūji grinned, seemingly not noticing the way your face heated up at the way your cold hand had brushed over his warm one. He always seemed to be running warm, you thought. While you were wearing your warmer kimono and still felt chilly in the spring evening, he was only dressed in a Yukata, and seemed perfectly fine.

Yūji took another bite of the crepe, before his eyes landed on the plushie in your hand, and he pouted.

“I really thought I could win the bigger one,” he mumbled, around the dough and cream in his mouth.

You looked down at the plushie too. You supposed it was a Sakura mochi, big, stitched on eyes and a cute, blushy smile stitched onto fluffy, pink fabric.

“It’s the perfect size, I think,” you smiled, lifting it up between Yūji and you, before booping it against his nose, making him giggle.

While he held the crepe out to you, feeding you another bite, you couldn’t help but wonder, what had been going on with the two of you. You were friends after all, right? It didn’t matter that ever since you had gotten to know him better, you had steadily developed feelings for him, and it also didn’t matter that you spent almost every day together. You were friends, so it was normal that you two would go to the festival together, right? But he had been acting different today, actually he had already acted differently when he had asked you to go with him.

He had been all bashful and had stuttered again and again throughout the evening, which was unusual for him. And you were acting differently too. Were you flirting with him? Was he flirting with you? First, he had insisted on sharing some yakisoba and some melon float. Then he had gotten competitive with some other high schooler over a stupid game in which he had won the Sakura mochi plushie, which he had insisted on gifting you. After that, he had let you hook your hand into his arm, and you had walked around the park, marvelling at the sight of the blooming trees all around you. You had walked so closely, that you had felt his warmth bleeding through the layers of clothes separating you. And now he was feeding you a crepe and you booped him with the plushie he had gotten you… What was going on?

You finished the treat in silence, both of you painfully aware of the other’s stolen glances. Just as Yūji had fed you the last bite, an announcement declated, that the fireworks would soon start, and Yūji turned to you excitedly.

“I love fireworks,” he grinned, as if he only just now had learned that there would be a show tonight. “Hey, are you cold?”

Apparently, you had not been as good in hiding your shivering from him as you had hoped to be.

“It’s okay,” you assured him, hoping your voice was not as shaky as your hands. “Just a bit chilly.”

Yūji contemplated you with a serious expression for a moment before he spoke up. “Want me to hug you?”

Confused you blinked at him. “What?”

Instead of a proper answer, he just opened his arms a little, inviting you to move closer. Any other day you would have laughed, trying to hide your embarrassment, and how much you really wanted to be held by him, but like an accumulation of the entire afternoon and evening, in which you seemed to have done nothing but flirt with each other, you simply gave in, hoping you wouldn’t regret your actions later.

Quickly you stepped forwards, wrapping your arms around Yūji’s middle, while he closed his around your back, pulling you against him. Like before, you couldn’t help but notice how warm he was. Warm and safe, his arms strong but gentle around your frame, his subtle scent mixing with that of the night air around you. He never smelled of any strong deodorants or perfumes or shampoos, you noted. He mostly didn’t seem to have any smell at all. Only when you hugged him as closely as you did now, although usually those hugs barely lasted a few seconds, only then did you pick up on that note that was distinctively Yūji.

“Is this better,” he asked, his voice more resembling a deep rumble in his chest than actual words.

You only hummed in agreement, nuzzling your face closer to him, relishing the warmth that he engulfed you with in the hug.

“Can I ask your something,” he asked, and again you hummed affirmatively. “Would you go on a date with me?”

This time you didn’t hum, instead let his words sink in before you turned your head so you could look at him.

“This wasn’t a date?”

He only blinked, a blush beginning to rise into his cheeks.

“What I mean,” you continued, “I know we didn’t declare this as a date, so technically it isn’t. But I can’t imagine a better first date than this, so we could make this our first date retrospectively.”

A smile tucked at Yūji’s lips as he thought about your words for a moment before he nodded.

“Sounds good to me,” he agreed. He seemed to want to say something else, but in that moment an explosion and the collective gasp of the crowd made you turn around in his arms, watching the first stars of the firework glimmer above the lake.

Yūji leant his head against your shoulder, pressing a chase kiss to your hair, as you watched the firework together which seemed to mirror the fireworks that felt like they were sparking inside you. But it was hard to focus on anything other than him, once he had whispered: “Would you also go to a second date with me?”

@delzinrowe

[itsmm4hiii]

Desperate Desires - Sukuna

Synopis: Sukuna means anything and everything to you. After centuries of him being stripped away from you, he finally returns..

Pairing: Sukuna X (female) Reader

Warnings: Blood, gore, death?

‘My child! My child! I can’t find my child!’ 

She scattered like an ant, with paths blocked either way. Hands frantically stretched out almost as if she was faintly remembering her hands felt pressed against her child’s cheek. Distraught was an understatement, her eyes bulging from her head; beady little eyes screaming in pain for her loved one to come back. 

Her daughter was stomach down in a pile of dirt in the alleyway. From her right cheek stuck a ruby red heel impaled into the skin. Eyes rolled back and from them seeped a singular tear. 

You smiled. 

Your hands cupped your cheeks greedily, your feet dangled in torment as ants scattered away screaming for the hellish nightmare to end. The clutter of steps as they black clay tiles hit leant forward hitting the one below. No fool ant would do anything like that, a sorcerer perhaps? Yet the steps were too large, ones that you could faintly hear those who had been massacred as the smell of death fluctuated  your nose. Your soft smile turned into a toothy grin. 

‘Woman.’ He grunted, a jerk in his voice, one that sounded as if he didn’t  even want be there though you could feel that he wanted to deep down. 

‘My Ryomen.’ 

You stood up, and spun around to stare at him. Your hands brushed against his face, fingers tracing soft parts of cheeks. His features and everything. The tips of your toes placed against the titles, shoes nudging him. His eyes downturned, bright red the color he tore from innocent lives scattered across the streets, crawling on walls where children used to live. 

‘Are you using your foolish powers on me, woman?’ 

You smiled as you stared up at him. His eyes beading in each direction, screams of laughter from different spirits wrapped around the two of you. 

‘Why would I use my powers when you’re already fallen for me?’ 

His face boiled, as you turned your head around. Your back pressed against him, arms crossed and eyes harsh as they stared down upon hearing the cries of those who lost loved ones in the mascare. Love was a funny thing; in reality not that many people ever experience the good love, written in novels and other such things, peoples parents weren’t good examples of love either. Arguments and fights, screams of hatred over dumb issues, unrequited love, hate to someone they love - this is what threw you over the edge, carved you tooth and nail till you were perfect of all the horrible feelings that follow love. 

‘Woman,’ 

A soft puzzled sound escaped your lips, his fingertips drew upon your skin, pressing softly before pain stuck. His fingers duldged around your skin, gripping it till his knuckles turned a ghastly white.

‘Woman!’ he shouted in anger 

Your body tossed as regard was thrown out of the window. Yet it wasn’t- his face a brittle disfigurement of concern. The small blood that squirted out of his body seemed to be a slow film rolling slowly. Sorcerers drew behind him, perhaps he already knew his face, a slow arm reached out towards you- eyes stayed upon you as death rather eternal imprisonment took its toll. 

‘SUKUNA!’ 

‘Sukuna?’

That name has not slipped your lips in many centuries though it played in your mind everyday, he was always the thing you dreamed off. Yaga stared at you, his sunglasses slowly fell off the bridge of his nose both in concern and worry for both your sakes. 

‘A boy is his vessel, right here in the school. Unlike you,’ he paused, ‘you got a fresh corpse to reincarnate into.’ 

Your fingers scrambled through the fur of Panda, his body laid between your legs, eyes closed as the animal instinct of loving scratches still drove through his blood. 

‘Is he here?’ you questioned bluntly, 

He was much dearer than anything, you would give your body over and over for him. You would betray anyone for a kiss or just to wrap your arms around his fair cheeks and stare into his eyes with love yet it was just another part of being brought from evil emotions of love, that you. Yourself could not even be with the man you loved. 

‘Y/n.’ he paused, 

‘Where is he!’ 

Your voice churned with feelings as you stood up and left. The grounds weren’t as big, you knew them like the back of your hand. Your shoulder brushed against a pink haired boy as he entered the room a aura felt warm around you-

‘Woman,’ 

You paused in your steps, your feet laid upon the ground. Your heart skipped and your head turned around. 

‘Woman.’ your heard his chuckle, 

His eyes glowed viciously in the light, his head cacked to the side and a grin upon his face. He wasn’t your Ryomen, but you smiled. 

‘Seems I pulled the lucky straw out of the both of us.’ 

You moved forward towards him, your head pressed in the nook of his neck. You lifted your head, placing your temple against his own. Your hand, placed softly around his. Hearing him mutter your name for the first time in centuries. You smirked when you brought his hand to your lips, kissing his skin. 

‘Shut up woman, Still up to your old tricks of trying to make men fall for you?’ 

You smiled and brought his hand away from your mouth, ‘I've waited centuries for one man.’ 

You felt a soft shift. Then he was gone. Your head snapped towards him. A flustered face of a boy who was not a man stared at you. The boy you had pushed passed earlier, you untangled yourself from him, 

‘I’m glad that I didn’t have to meet you in death, my Ryomen.’ you softly whispered, 

You left with a grin upon your face, the feeling of his cheeks in your hand, the soft fleshy skin still imprinted in your hands.

[ugh-tsumu]

POV: Jowa mo si Terushima Yūji

[millenialfanfictionaddiction]

🧋First Date with the Team Captains🍔

Futakuchi Kenji x GN reader; Terushima Yūji x GN reader; Kuroo Tetsuro x GN Reader

Warnings: kissing, idk if that's much of a warning but better safe than sorry

AN: This is an Anon request! They didn't specify a team captain so I just picked 3 at random!

🌠 Please Like, Reblog and/or Share to help support my writing 🌠

Futakuchi Kenji

First off, getting a date with man is like scheduling a doctors appointment

Seriously everytime you suggest a time, he can't make it 🙄

So what you must do YN is simply 🌠 ignore 🌠

Let the mans come begging you for a date

Even if you don't plan anything for the next year in anticipation, we will prevail 💪🏻

When he does finally get his head out of his butt, he's going to ask you to a theme park

Seriously Futakuchi loves to show off

And what better way to show off than winning all the games 💅

Praise the man YN Seriously

He LOVES praise

All of them do but that's besides the point

But seriously fawn over this man when he wins you a prize 😭

"Kenji this is the sweetest thing any guy has ever done for me"- you 😍

"Well obviously it's because I'm the best guy ever"- Futakuchi 💪🏻

Ok whatever 🙄

You'll eventually have to pull the man away to eat something

But seriously, he will totally pay

Mans is a gentleman deep down 🎩

When it comes to going on ride, the higher the better

He will totally call you chicken if are too afraid to go

But this jerk will absolutely hold you hand or let you cuddle close 😎

Pls he isn't going to let an opportunity to hold you close go by

Will walk you home again

Hand in hand 🤝🏻

But never fear YN he won't try anything

In fact you will have to initiate any sort of contact

But give him a small kiss and this man will faint

Gone... dead 💀

Will wait the obligatory 2-3 days before asking you out again

No clue what that's a thing

But he doesn't want to seem "too desperate" 🙄

Nevertheless, he's a super fun first date!

Terushima Yūji

Honestly I feel like this man doesn't go on many first dates

He definitely asks alot of girls for their numbers but going on an actual date 👀

He's definitely someone who likes to get to know alot of people (boys and girls)

But he won't go out with someone unless they really catch his fancy

He has high standards 💅

He's kind of like Oikawa but less annoying? Yeah that's it 🤣

So when he approaches you and asks you for a date 👀

You just stare at him like 👉🏻👁👄👁

Say yes YN!!

Of course you say "yes 🤗"

He's the kind of guy that likes to do home dates

Hear me out now ✋️

Pizza, movies and/or video games and cuddling

He will insist you two sit across from each other while you are eating too

He wants to stare into your eyes YN

He's a guy who enjoys studying people's facial expressions

Don't ask me why he just gives off those vibes

The movie will be an scary movie

But a movie he's already seen

He wants to open the opportunity for cuddling

Pull gradually pull you closer and probably scare you 🤪

He's a guy who loves to laugh on dates

Will definitely make the first move when it comes to kissing

He's not afraid to go for it

Will also walk you home or make sure you gave a ride before you leave

Will plan a second date right away if he digs you 😍

Kuroo Tesuro

It takes Kuroo a long time to get the courage up to ask you on a date

Seriously, it seems like he's testing the waters for like a freaking year!

Kenma, Kai and Yaku are getting annoyed with the wait

Yaku thinks they need to push Kuroo and Kai thinks they need to give him time to make his move

Kenma walls up to you and says "YN go out with Kuroo already"

Kenma 👉🏻 🚶‍♂️ away

You 👉🏻😳😃

Kai and Yaku 👉🏻😳😲

Kuroo👉🏻😀🥲

Kuroo is finally going to make a move because he doesn't want to be embarrassed

He really just needed that push honestly

He's going to ask you to one of those interactive museums

Don't ask me why, but he wants to have fun while getting to know you

Plus like those places provide all the opportunities for easy conversation and corny jokes 🤣

Will just randomly hold your hand and he's sweating 😅

The bby is nervous YN so squeeze his hand 😭

Hope you are able to do everything one handed YN because he won't be letting go

Congrats you have a new extension of your body YN 🙌🏻

After the museum, he will take you to a quiet Cafe for lunch or dinner

And Kuroo is going to sit right next to you

Like you will practically be on his lap YN

Sorry you opened the flood gates I can do nothing for you

Will walk you home or take you on the train/bus

Seriously he's paid for everything too

I actually headcannon that all the hq boys will pay for you

Seriously they are all really sweet 🥺

Kuroo will definitely go for a cheek kiss first

But turn your head and lick lips with that man

Welp YN, it's over for you

Prepare to be announced as his partner the next day

In fact, Kuroo is going to ask to hang out with you the next day 😅

Mans has zero chill

[system-to-the-madness]

A Promise Kept - Itadori Yūji x Reader

Pairing: Itadori Yūji  x Reader (can be read as any gender, no pronouns used) Genre: angst (a tiny speck of fluff in the end) Word Count: 3 951 Warnings: suicidal Yūji, self-harm (Yūji), panic attack(?), throwing up(both Yūji and Reader), death, canon typical violence, description of sever wounds and pain, lots of crying, SPOILERs for up to chapter 137 / episode 47 Summary: Following the Shibuya incident, you try to talk to Yūji, who has locked himself away A/N: Inspired by an ask @delzinrowe sent to @just-jordie-things and I got the permission to write it. This is probably not what you guys had in mind, but I had this idea as soon as I read this ask and stuck with it. Also: I usually don’t write angst unless it ends in a lot of fluff, so this is a first for me.

Masterlist

“He’s hidden himself away.” Panda’s voice was heavy with concern. Not unjustified concern, considering ever cheerful Yūji had distanced himself from everyone following the events of the Halloween night.

It was the morning of the first of November. Dust still hung in the air like fog, the first sunbeams of a warm autumn morning shining their light on the destroyed Shibuya. You had not slept at all in the past 24 hours, nor eaten anything in the past 12. Instead, you had thrown up even the little stomach contents you had had left. You had tried drinking something, but none of it was any good, you just couldn’t keep anything down. Not the water the half-curse Chōsō had offered you, not the green tea Yaga had handed you, not the broth Ieiri-sensei had convinced you to drink. You had thrown everything back up.

The pictures of the night kept haunting you, of the curses you had exorcised, of the transfigured humans you had been forced to kill, of Gojō-sensei’s eyes looking back at you from that prison realm in Kenjaku’s hands, of Megumi’s lifeless body leaning against a wall, of Nanami-san’s body being torn apart, of Nobara clutching her face before dying. Now of the four first-years, only Yūji and you were left standing. But you were doubtlessly in way better shape than he was. Sure, you were so exhausted that your hands were shaking and your legs quivering, you had cuts across your arms and face, and bruises all over your body, but Yūji was of way worse than that. He had a huge cut right over his nose, was missing a part of his cheek so his teeth were showing. According to Chōsō, Ieiri-sensei had already healed him, but the scars were red and angry, and you knew it still had to hurt. Not to mention what he had gone through, watching his friends die, just like you had. But you were not possessed by an ancient, evil sorcerer who had used your body to wreak havoc to the city, burn it to ashes. And you knew he blamed himself for all of it.

Now, as you stood where once the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing had been, legs weak from exhaustion and morning sunlight reflecting in the broken glass of the skyscrapers around you, you wondered how you were even still alive. Sweat had dried on your skin, blood crusting your clothes, smears of dust painted your face. The shock of the news you had received about the outcome of the night had not quite settled in, instead it was a slowly creeping terror, that you knew would close its fingers around your heart once you stopped to rest. So it was better not to rest, not yet, not while Yūji was still in distress.

“Where is he,” you asked, turning to Panda, who was climbing over the debris. Somewhere beneath all that rubble the famous statue of that dog, Hachikō, was buried. Along with humans, all of them probably long dead.

“He hid in one of the bathrooms,” another voice answered.

Shielding your eyes from the sunlight, you were met with the sight of Chōsō. Dark circles were painted under his brown eyes, the black tattoo over the bridge of his nose seeming to split his face in two.

“Which one?”

You ignored how strange it was asking the half-curse – whose brothers you had killed – for directions to help your friend… who he also considered his brother. But Yūji was your friend and if Panda’s words were to be believed – why shouldn’t they? – then Yūji needed you. He was your friend. Right? Nothing more than that. And nothing less.

Chōsō looked around for a moment, trying to orientate himself in the rubble, then pointed to the stairwell closest to Shibuya 109.

“Down the stairs, the first bathroom.”

Instead of acknowledging either Chōsō or Panda any further, you began making your way to the entrance of the subway. In the backpack on your bag, bottles of water and bags with food shifted against one another, as you climbed over a piece of a building.

The stairs were almost entirely destroyed, but you made your way down anyway, trying to sort your thoughts out. This was not the time to contemplate your feelings for Yūji, you told yourself. What mattered now was to help him, not because you liked him, but because he needed help. He needed to drink something, something with minerals to avoid cramps later, so Ieiri-sensei had packed sports-drinks in the backpack you were carrying. He needed nutrients and vitamins, also packed in your bag. He needed words of assurance, so you had already thought about what you needed to tell him. That it wasn’t his fault. That without him, many more would have died. That you were glad he was still there. He probably needed a hug or two, and you were prepared to hold him for as long as he needed you to make him realize that you would always be by his side. Because you were his friend. Because you would always stick together.

Now was not the time to think about how you had always felt connected to him, from the first moment on. It was not the time to think about how tight he always hugged you, how close he sat to you during movie nights, how he pretended to serenade you during karaoke or make your favourite ramen for you when you felt down. Nor was it the time to think about how he always made you explain the homework to him, as if he had to force you to do it when really you were thankful for each moment you got to spend with him, especially when it allowed you to gaze at him for minutes on end without him noticing. And whenever he noticed, he would grin at you, as if he were proud of something, and your face would grow warm. One time he had even told you he liked it when you looked at him like this, and you had been unable to meet his eyes for the rest of the day.

And then there were those little touches, the hand on the small of your back whenever he guided you to walk on the inside of the pavement so he was walking at the side of the street. The touches that lingered a little longer than with anyone else. But now was not the time to think about any of that.

The lights in the subway station were flickering, making it hard to see through the dust in the air. On a wall the lit-up advertisement for some sports anime sent flashes of white light into the dark. What you’d give to be the stupid love interest in one of these harmless anime now.

And there was the bathroom.

Stepping through the dark, careful not to fall over any of the debris, you slowly approached the door, your dominant hand at the handle of the cursed katana you had spent the past six months learning how to wield. Listening for any suspicious sounds, you stopped for a moment, before you pushed against the closed door to the men’s bathroom.

It didn’t budge.

Furrowing your brows, your tried again, but the metal of the door refused to swing open.

“Yūji-kun,” you called into the silence.

Something moved behind the door.

“Yūji-kun, it’s me,” you called again, knocking against the door. “Are you in there?”

“Go away!”

Yūji’s voice sounded chocked up and raw when he answered from behind the door, making you exhale in relief. You had found him. And he was conscious.

“Yūji, you need to eat and drink something,” you told him, knocking again.

“Leave me alone, go away!”

“You know I can’t do that,” you refused, trying to suppress the shaking in your voice. He sounded so hurt and lost. All you wanted to do was wrap him in an embrace and protect him from the memories of the night’s events.

“I don’t wanna see anyone right now! Go away.”

“You don’t have to see me, we can keep the door closed if you like. Just-” you sighed, crouching down in front of the door. “Just talk to me. I want to help.”

“You can’t help! You can’t- unless you kill me, you can’t help!”

It felt like your heart stopped beating in your chest, and tears shot into your eyes. You knew Yūji would feel terrible, but bad enough to want to die? You had not expected that.

“Yūji-“

“They’re dead because of me! Because of me Nanamin and Kugisaki-” Yūji’s voice broke off in a sob. “They died because of me! Shibuya is burnt to the ground because of me! So many people died because of me! And Fushiguro- Ijichi-san, Maki-san, Inumaki-san- they all-”

This voice broke off again, and you heard choking from the other side, as if he was throwing up. Or at least trying to throw up. After tonight you were familiar enough with the sound of trying to throw up with an empty stomach.

“Yūji, it’s not your fault. You couldn’t have prevented-”

“Of course, it’s my fault. It’s all my fault, all of it is!”

“No, it’s not! If it had been your fault-”

“Stop saying it isn’t! Because it is! All of it is! Those were my hands who killed all these people! My hands who destroyed Shibuya! All of this only started because I’m a vessel for Sukuna! If I weren’t, they wouldn’t have tried getting to me, and all these people were still alive! It’s all burned into my memory! Every time I close my eyes I see them die, over and over and over again-”

He chocked and gagged again, making your own stomach clench, and you squeezed your eyes shut. You wanted to help him so badly, hold him, comfort him. But the door kept you at a distance.

“If I weren’t possessed by Sukuna, they’d still be alive! Gojō-sensei should’ve just killed me! He should’ve just executed me!” From behind the door, you heard a bang, as if he had punched the wall… no, he had hit his head against it.

“Yūji!” You banged against the door, before placing your flat hand against it. Your fingers curled against the smooth, cool metal, your nails scraping against it in a desperate attempt to get to him. Of course, you could have just kicked down the door, but a part of you knew Yūji wouldn’t forgive you if you were to intrude on this space, he had created for himself, away from everyone. “Yūji, stop it! Stop!”

But another dull bang followed your plea, accompanied by his sobs and more retching.

“He should’ve executed me the moment the order came in! I should be dead!” Yūji’s voice was soar from screaming and crying and throwing up. “I should be dead! Then none of this would have happened! I should be dead! They should’ve just killed me! The world would be better off if I were dead! I should be dead! I should just die! I should-”

“Stop it! Stop it, Yūji! Stop it!” Tears were running down your cheeks as you banged against the locked door again, your voice shrill in your own ears. “Stop saying that! Stop saying you should be dead! Stop it, please stop!” You chocked on your own sobs, weakly trying to bang your firsts against the door. “I need you, you hear? I can’t lose you, too!”

For a moment there was silence on the other side of the door, no more screaming, no more head-against-the-wall-banging, no more retching. Only some heavy breathing.

“You’re only in danger around me,” Yūji eventually answered, his voice quiet. “Sukuna could take over any moment and he’d kill you without hesitation. The only way to ensure everyone’s safety would be to kill-“

“Nobody’s killing you! And those who try will have to go through me first! And the same goes for you! If you try to hurt yourself, Itadori Yūji, I swear by my life I will do everything in my power to stop you!”

Again silence spread between you. Long and heavy silence, interrupted only by your sobs and occasional gagging from Yūji’s side. It spread for so long, that you were almost tempted to ask if he was still conscious, when he spoke up again.

“I want to go home.” It was only a whimper, small and pained in the vast destruction of the night, and it made you want to tear down that stupid bathroom door and pull Yūji into the tightest hug you had ever given anyone. “I want to go home. Not to Jujutsu High. I want to go back to my grandpa’s place. And I want to eat his Naporitan Pasta. And sleep in my old bed. And just forget everything. I just want to feel safe. Just once more. I can’t take this anymore. I just-“

“Yūji, I-“

What were you supposed to say? His grandfather had died over six months ago. The apartment that had belonged to him was empty. Even if Yūji went back to Sendai, there would be nothing left of his old life, there was no way he could ever eat his grandfather’s homecooked meals again. What could you do to help him fill this hole, this loss that was so overwhelming? You had lost family too, but you still had a home to return to, some place to feel entirely safe. The thought, that no matter where Yūji went, he would never feel quite safe suddenly hit you. Not as long as he was possessed by Sukuna.

Suddenly anger bubbled in your chest, pushing aside the grief and fear of the night, and the pain you felt for your friend. As long as Sukuna possessed Yūji, he could never be happy. So you had to find a way to get rid of him.

“Yūji,” you repeated, your voice calmer this time, now that you had finally found a proper thought to express. “I promise you we’ll find a way to exorcise Sukuna. And we’ll free Gojō-sensei and deal with Kenjaku. And when all that is over, we’ll sit down with Megumi and Gojō-sensei and we’ll all make Naporitan Pasta together, in honour of your grandfather. I promise you. So please. Don’t give up. Don’t stop fighting. We need you. I need you. Please.”

Your declaration was followed by more silence, but at least he didn’t seem to throw up anymore.

“Do you promise?” His voice was weak and sounded like he was far away with his thoughts.

“Yes, I do. I promise.”

“Can we have pancakes with strawberries and cream for dessert?”

“As many as you like. I know a really good recipe,” you answered, the weight in your heart lifting a little.

“Okay,” Yūji agreed. “Uhm… can I ask you something?”

“Yes, anything,” you quickly replied, perking up.

“When I open the door… can you- would it be okay if we wouldn’t hug or anything?”

Confused you blinked, but nodded your head before you remembered that he couldn’t see you.

“Oh, ahm, sure. Of course.”

“It’s just-”

“You don’t have to explain-”

“But I want to explain,” Yūji interrupted you. “I just feel like, if someone were to touch me now, I’d have another…” he hesitated for a moment, “another panic attack. Because after all that… how could I allow anyone to touch me, when I’m the one who’s responsible for-”

“You’re not the one responsible! Yūji, please, you need to understand-”

“It doesn’t matter right now, okay? It doesn’t matter,” he interrupted you, sounding impatient. “I just- I just don’t want anyone to touch me, alright? I can’t have anyone touch me. Promise me?”

You took a shaky breath closing your eyes before you answered.

“Okay, I understand,” you assured him. “I won’t touch you unless you want me to, I promise. But I’m here for whatever you need, okay? I also got water and something to eat if you want, alright?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Yūji answered from behind the closed door. “Uhm, one more thing…”

Quietly you listened to what he had to say, blinking your eyes open again.

“I’ve taken quite a beating through the night and Ieiri-sensei couldn’t heal all of it at once so… don’t be alarmed, okay?”

You swallowed, trying to get rid of the painful lump in your throat. You had seen Yūji earlier, before Ieiri-sensei had treated him; you knew what state he had been in. If he warned you now about his appearance…

“I’m not looking exactly fresh either,” you told him, trying to sound cheerful, “I’m sure both of us have looked better than today.”

A small hum sounded from the other side of the door, before you heard shuffling of clothes, the clinking of porcelain against stone tiles and the sound of shoes on dusty ground.

Quickly you scrambled away from the door, but it swung open before you had gotten to your feet. Yūji was right, he still looked quite beaten up. The two worst wounds in his face were healed to fresh, pink scars, but smaller cuts and bruises still littered his skin, not to mention the blood and dust that stuck to his hair and clothes. A red spot was forming on his forehead, slightly swollen with a few scratches in the centre, where he had hit his head against the wall. Underneath his eyes dark circles, quite similar to those of his self-declared older brother, seemed to have taken up permanent residence. Your eyes dropped to his right hand, fresh blood running down his fingers from cuts on the knuckles and dripping to the ground.

“Your hand-!”

Almost you would’ve forgotten what he had requested of you, but your stopped yourself just in time before you reached out, staring up at him from where you were sitting on the ground instead.

“I punched a mirror,” he admitted, his beautiful eyes looking away from you in shame. “I saw those marks under my eyes and I- I got so angry.”

You swallowed again thickly but nodded.

“Let’s get you to Ieiri-sensei,” you decided, scrambling to your feet.

Up closer to his face, you could see the tear streaks on his dusty cheeks. The longer you looked at him the more your heart ached, and the harder it got to stick to your word of not touching him, when all you wanted to do was pull him into a long hug. He sure looked like he needed it. But he had explicitly asked you not to touch him, so you wouldn’t.

“I’m sure she can do something for your hand and those cuts on your arms and stomach.” You gestured to where his uniform had been ripped apart, showing shallow cuts on his pale skin.

“Thank you,” Yūji mumbled, but when you gestured for him to walk ahead, he didn’t move.

“Don’t thank me, thank her,” you tried smiling, knowing you were failing terribly.

“No, I mean… thank you for coming looking for me. And respecting that I don’t want to be touched right now. I know you want to hug me, or want me to hug you… you deserve it so much after this night but I just can’t right now and-“

“And that’s okay. If I want a hug, I’ll ask Panda. He’s cuddly,” you assured Yūji. “I know you feel like the weight of the world is resting on your shoulders. And maybe it is. And while you carry a lot of responsibility, you don’t carry the responsibility of giving me hugs whenever I want them, yeah?”

A small smile tucked at Yūji’s lips, and he nodded. “Thanks for understanding.”

“Sure thing,” you nodded.

“Hey, you said you had something to drink-”

Quickly you dropped the bag to the floor, and pulled out a bottle of the sports drinks, Ieiri-sensei had packed for Yūji and you, handing it to him. He unscrewed it and emptied it in one go.

“Need more,” you offered, holding a second bottle out to him.

“You first,” he demanded, signalling you to drink first.

Obediently you unscrewed the cap and took a few long gulps, the sweetened liquid running down your throat and washing away the salty taste of tears in your mouth.

“How are you,” he suddenly asked, his dark eyes watching carefully as you drank.

After a few sips, you put the bottle down and handed it to Yūji, who eyed it for a moment but waited for your reply.

“Been better,” you admitted. “Tonight was… a lot. But I’m not as badly injured as you – or possessed – so I can’t really complain.”

“Just because others are off worse than you, doesn’t mean you don’t have a right to feel terrible,” Yūji mumbled, chewing on his lower lip. “I know what you’ve seen. Even if it had just been a stupid tv show, or anime or something… the things we saw tonight are enough to give me nightmares for a lifetime. So, I understand how you feel. Don’t down-play it for my sake.” He lifted the bottle to his lips, finishing it as well, before looking back to you again. “I’m asking again. How are you?”

Trying to keep the tears at bay the shot into your eyes, knowing this time you’d have to confront these feeling inside your chest, pursed your lips before answering.

“Horrible,” you pressed out, sniffing.

Yūji nodded. “If you ever need anything, someone to talk to, someone to wake you up from a nightmare… I’ll always be there for you, you know that, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. And I’ll be there for you.”

“You already are,” he answered.

Neither of you mentioned when you handed him some cereal bar and he hesitantly brushed the tips of his fingers against yours as he took if from you, or how he grabbed your arm to pull you off the floor.

As you made your way back to the staircase that would lead you to the surface, you couldn’t shake the feeling that it was important that it had been you, who had come looking for Yūji. You weren’t sure why, but then the backs of his fingers brushed against yours while walking. Instinctively you wanted to draw your hand away, after all you had agreed not to touch him. But then his pinkie brushed yours again, this time linking with it, and you relaxed. For the first time in hours a part of the tension fell away, and you dropped your shoulders, only focusing on the sensation of Yūji’s warm and rough skin against yours. Maybe he wasn’t ready for a hug, but this little bit of contact, contact initiated by him, was more than enough comfort.

At the foot of the staircase he stopped, bringing you to a stop as well.

“I need you, too,” he admitted, his huge, brown, with pain filled eyes glancing over at you for a moment. Confused you furrowed your brows, but then you understood he was referring to what you had said earlier. That you needed him.

You nodded in acknowledgement, taking a shaky breath when you realized that he was not only referring to the war with the curses you were about to face, but to himself generally. The same way you had meant it earlier.

Yūji gently squeezed your pinkie, and nodded back, before you both faced forward again. It would be a long way, to sitting down with Gojō-sensei and Megumi, eating food together, but you would get there, you knew it. And the first step you had to take was up this dusty flight of stairs, Yūji’s pinkie safely intertwined with yours.