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From the moment you laid eyes on him you were captivated, you think in retrospect. It may have been just circumstance that brought him into your life. Him, the friend of a friend of a friend who just happened to be in the same place at the same time as you were. It was at brunch with Gojo and Nanami when Geto found you all, someone trailing behind and sticking to his shadow. Geto had pulled on his arm, tugged him into your field of vision to introduce him - Yeah, this is Choso, he’s kind of quiet, but don’t mind him . This Choso looked anywhere but at any of you, his eyes falling on a bird starting from a nearby tree, on his friend’s hand on his arm, at the cups of tea on the table in front of you.
Geto and Gojo chatted away, as they normally did when within shouting distance of each other, and Nanami remained fixated on his phone, likely skimming emails he had no intention of ever responding to. That left you and him, the stranger named Choso who looked like he would rather melt into the pavement than be perceived. Unfortunately for him, you were very interested in perceiving him.
The first thing you noticed was the black line across his nose. Having several tattoos yourself, you couldn’t imagine how much that must have hurt; the inside of your arm hurt enough, much less sitting through a tattoo over the delicate skin over your nose. You quickly scanned down his body, looking for more ink, but his arms were covered by the sleeves of his black sweater despite the warm spring day. His hair was up in spiky, twin buns. On anyone else you would have thought that choice strange, but it was oddly… endearing on him, cute, even. His eyes wouldn’t meet yours, but they were dark and tired, as if he hadn’t slept in days, if not weeks.
Was he a little odd-looking? Yeah, maybe, but you were friends with Gojo, so odd was kind of in your wheelhouse. It just added to his charm, you reasoned. You heard a scraping sound to your right and, oh great, Geto had pulled up a chair to keep talking with Gojo. You glanced up at Choso, who looked distinctly uncomfortable in the midst of strangers and practically abandoned by his friend. You looked at Nanami, who briefly looked up from his phone to shrug at you before returning to ignoring emails. You rolled your eyes and stood up, stepping towards Choso.
“Hi,” you said.
He startled, as if surprised that you could actually see him. “Um, hi.”
You gave him your name. “Sorry about them,” you said, gesturing towards the three at the table. “No manners to be found among these guys. It’s nice to meet you. Choso, is it?”
He nodded, eyes flitting to his scuffed Docs. “Yeah, it’s, um, nice… to meet you too.”
You huffed a laugh. “Don’t sound so eager about it.”
“That’s not- I’m…”
You patted his shoulder. “Babe, it’s okay. Just teasing you a little. Lord knows you probably get enough of that from Suguru, though,” you thumb over your shoulder at his friend.
“I… yeah. He can be, well… a lot,” Choso admitted.
“Christ, don’t I know it. He and Gojo were a match made in Hell. I don’t know why I put up with them.” That got a quiet chuckle out of your new acquaintance, and you beamed up at him.
“Hey, since they’re too busy flirting with each other, do you want to go inside and get something? You’re probably going to be here a while if they keep at it like this. You can tell me how you know Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber. My treat!” You pulled your wallet out of your purse.
“I couldn’t-”
“Oh, sure you can. What do you drink? This café has an amazing tea selection. Here, let’s go inside, and I’ll show you!” You gently grabbed his hand, giving him plenty of time to avoid you or pull away. His eyes widened, but he curled his fingers around yours as he let you drag him inside. You shivered at the feel of his cold fingers. The guy must be anemic or something, you thought. Nothing a hot cup of tea - or your warm hand - can’t fix.
Once you disappeared through the door with your new friend, Gojo and Geto fell silent, shell-shocked.
“Did she-”
“Did he-”
“Did you see-”
“He never lets anyone-”
“I know!”
Nanami set down his phone, picked up his cup, and took a sip from his latte. “You two act as if she doesn’t make friends everywhere she goes.”
“Yeah, but this is Choso; he doesn’t make friends,” Gojo argued.
“It’s a miracle he’s spending his morning off just out and about like this,” Geto added, “and talking to a girl, no less. He let her touch him. That’s practically third base for him. If I’d known all it took was her, I would have brought him to your Saturday brunches sooner.”
“I thought he was a vampire when I first met him,” Gojo stage-whispered.
“That’s because you’re an asshole,” Nanami pointed out.
“Well, yeah but… Hey!” Gojo whined.
“Vampire or not,” Geto said, “I kind of want to see what happens with the two of them.”
Gojo tapped his chin. “Ten thousand yen says they hook up by Halloween.”
“That long?” Geto scoffed. “Autumn equinox, by the latest. And double it.”
“He’s too shy; it’ll take forever for him to make a move. But you’re on, Suguru. Nanamin?”
“You’re both idiots, but by Obon at the latest.”
“Yeesh, okay. I can’t wait to take your money.”
You put Choso’s number into your phone and texted him so that he’d have yours. You figured he needed some people in his life who weren’t Geto and that weirdo that followed him around. Mojito, was it? No, Mahito. He gave you the heebie jeebies. But Choso? There was something reserved but sweet about him. He’d warmed up to you a little once you sat down with a pot of jasmine pearls and pain au chocolate you bought to share.
“This one is my favorite,” you said, pouring him a cup. “It’s like drinking from a garden.”
“That sounds… interesting?”
You snorted. “Don’t knock it till you try it, babe. Here,” you handed him a cup.
Choso held it between his hands for a moment, savoring the heat that bled into his cold fingers, before lifting it to his face and inhaling the fragrance of jasmine and green tea. He looked up at you taking a sip when you gave him an encouraging nod. The earthy taste of good green tea and, like you said, a garden of sweet jasmine danced across his tongue. He closed his eyes, letting the smell and flavor ground him, and in his mind’s eye he was a kid again, playing among flowers in the warmth of the summer sun.
“Good, right?”
He opened his eyes to see you grinning across the table at him, sipping from your own cup.
“It is. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” After another sip you asked him, “Tell me about yourself?”
Choso’s tongue peaked out to lick his lips. “I don’t know if there’s much to tell.”
“Sure there is! What’s your favorite color? What did you want to be when you grew up? If you could be any animal, what would you be?”
“Um.” He set his cup down on the table, ticking each response off on a finger. “Red I guess, a painter, and… I don’t know, a crane?”
“A crane? Interesting choice.”
Choso fiddled with a ring on his finger. “When I was younger, I went to the zoo in Tokyo, and they had a pair of red crowned cranes. You see them a lot in traditional eastern Asian art, so I was really excited to see them…” He looked up at you as if asking permission to continue. You gave him a smile and nodded eagerly.
“There was a guide who was outside the habitat to talk about them because they’re endangered. She told us that cranes more or less mate for life and stay as family units until the chicks leave the nest. I… I don’t know, I really liked that, and they’re beautiful animals, so…”
“Choso, I love that. Thank you for telling me about that, really,” you said with a smile. He nodded silently, picking his cup up and taking a sip of the still-steaming tea. You gave him a moment before asking your next question.
“What do you do with your time?”
“Oh, um, I’m a tattoo artist.”
Your eyes sparkled. “You’re a tattoo artist? That’s so cool! What’s your style?”
He shyly looked down at his hands on the table. “I tend to stick to woodblock art in blackwork. I take some inspiration from classical Japanese art, I guess?”
“Mmm, that sounds beautiful. I’d love to see some of your work someday.”
“Do you… do you have any? Tattoos, I mean.”
You nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, yeah, I’m working my way up towards a sleeve, but it’s slow going. I just have so many ideas and can’t pin any down to commit to them. Dumb question, but I’m guessing you have your fair share too?”
“Yeah,” he said, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows. You gasped softly when you saw his arms, swirling clouds and blooming flowers, chrysanthemums and spider lilies, birds in flight (what you could assume were his beloved cranes), a labyrinth of black ink that drew your eyes up as far as his skin was bared. You wished you could see more, but it wasn’t like you were going to ask him to take his sweater off in the middle of a café.
“Choso, those are beautiful. They suit you, too. I think it’s really amazing, making our bodies into living, breathing paintings. Even cooler that you’re the artist. You transform people into works of art. Not many people can say that without sounding creepy.”
He gawked at you for a moment. “That’s… you’re right, I guess. I love what I do, so…”
“You should! What a gift.” You tore off a piece of the pain au chocolate and popped it into your mouth, humming at the taste. You tore off another piece and held it out to him. His eyes flitted between your fingers and your face.
“I promise I’m not trying to poison you. I’d die too, since I ate it before you. It’s good, I swear. This place is run by a French patissier and his wife. Satoru wouldn’t settle for anything less,” you say with a roll of your eyes.
You weren’t sure if he was going to take your bait, but your eyes widened in surprise when he leaned forward and took the bite you offered him into his mouth. His dry lips brushed against your fingers. He chewed thoughtfully, swallowing after a moment and licking a crumb from the corner of his mouth.
“Yeah, you’re right, that is good,” he murmured with a blush.
You settled back in your seat, taking a sip of your tea while you waited for the heat in your face to cool. “You’ve told me about your work, but what about you? Got any family, a cute girlfriend, maybe?” Hardly subtle, you thought to yourself.
The blush across Choso’s pale face spread to his ears. “Ah, no girlfriend,” he coughed. “But I do have a younger brother I take care of.”
“That’s so sweet. I have a younger sister, so I understand the eldest sibling thing. What’s his name?”
A fond smile crossed his face. “Yuuji.”
Your mouth dropped open. “Shut up, is this the Yuuji that Satoru never stops talking about? The one in his weeknight jiu jitsu class who absolutely bodies all the other kids? That Yuuji?”
Choso let out a genuine laugh. “Yeah, that’s him. We had to find a constructive way for him to get out all of his energy or he wouldn’t focus on his classes. I didn’t expect he’d take to it the way he did, but I shouldn’t have been surprised. He’s always been quite an athlete. If only he’d apply himself that way to his English classes.”
“He’s friends with Megumi, isn’t he? I tutor him on Tuesdays when Gojo teaches the night adult class.”
Choso nodded. “Yeah, he’s a good kid. Quiet, maybe a little sad, but a good friend to Yuuji. I think Yuuji brings him out of his shell and Megumi provides some impulse control in return.”
“Well, I’m glad they have each other. Middle school is hard enough without having friends. That explains how you know Satoru, then.”
“Suguru introduced us when I complained about Yuuji needing an outlet. They’re both… a lot, but I’m still grateful for everything he does for my brother.”
“You really love him, huh?”
Choso’s eyes went soft and distant. “Yeah. He’s everything to me. After his grandfather died, he had nothing, so he came to live with me and I’ve never regretted it once. He’s had too much loss in his life, so I try to give him everything I can.”
You propped your chin on your hands. “You’re a sweetheart, you know that, Choso?”
He looked at you like a deer in headlights. “What? I’m- no, I don’t think-”
“It’s a compliment, you can accept it.”
He clasped his hands together. “You don’t even know me, though.”
You shrugged. “I mean, we just met, yeah, but you’re a good one. I can tell. I’ve got an eye for these things. I don’t break bread with creeps, like that Mahito. Ugh.”
Choso’s mouth curved up into a small smile. “He is kind of creepy, huh?”
Your laugh was music to his ears.
You’d succeeded in winning Choso over that day. Geto told you as much in your group chat.
Suguwu: When’s the wedding? ;)))
You: You’re insufferable
Toru: Can I be your maid of honor
You: You’re even worse, and if anyone’s going to be my maid of honor, it’s going to be Nanamin
Nananana: Pass, but thanks
On a more serious note, Geto had told you that Choso didn’t normally take this quickly to strangers. He was, in general, shy, skittish, touch-averse. You felt badly that you’d grabbed his hand, but Geto dismissed it. “He needs the exposure therapy, and you’re the perfect person to give him that.” You’d genuinely enjoyed your time at the café with Choso, though. You meant it when you said he was a sweetheart and you looked forward to spending more time with him, hopefully without your idiots in tow. You knew his schedule had to be busy between running his studio fulltime and taking care of Yuuji with the remainder of his days, but your shift at the coffee shop you worked at had hardly started on Monday morning before you found yourself itching to message him.
You: Hey, it’s me.
You: You know, the wrangler of idiots and connoisseur of tea
You: Do you want to hang out? I can feed you again
It wasn’t until noon that you got a response back.
Choso: You don’t have to feed me, but yeah, I’d like that
Choso: I may have mentioned you to Yuuji. Kid hasn’t even met you and he’s your new number one fan and wants to know everything about Megumi’s pretty tutor
You: Oh, so you think I’m pretty?
Choso: Yuuji does, at least
You: Oh, how you wound me. You’re lucky I’ve decided to forcibly adopt you as my friend
You: Plus you’re cute, but don’t try your luck
You felt a little giddy, a little nervous, after that last text, but you were good at flirting, and this was par for the course the way you made friends. (Though maybe, a voice whispered in the back of your head, it would be cool to have him as a little more than a friend.) You wondered if you’d pushed a little too far when you didn’t get a response for another fifteen minutes, and startled when your phone buzzed in your pocket.
Choso: Yuuji has class with Gojo tonight. I’m working, but I usually take a break around 6. Want to grab a bite?
You: Sounds good, I’ll come your way then
Choso: Just come into the studio and I’ll meet you after I finish with my 4:00. I’ll send you the address
You tucked your phone back into your apron, excitement settling into your chest. It was always fun getting to know new people, and something in your gut told you that Choso needed more people on his side in life. He spoke so fondly of his little brother at the café on Saturday and you couldn’t imagine Yuuji not adoring him as much, but you got the impression that his world had been too small for too long. You wanted to see if you could get him to smile, get him to laugh and break out of the shell he seemed to have built around himself.
You made yourself busy for the rest of your work day and before long it was 5:30. Your navigation app said that his studio was on the other side of town, so you clocked out as quickly as you could and nearly ran to your car. You were glad you left when you did; between the end of the day traffic and hunting street parking outside Choso’s studio it was 5:59. It was fairly nondescript, the first floor of a string of buildings, some apartments and some eclectic little shops. The vinyl lettering on the window said Cursed Painting Tattoo Parlor with the studio’s phone number beneath it. You pushed open the door, bells chiming overhead, and took in the décor of the waiting area. It was about how you expected his studio to look: exposed brick wall on one side with tastefully macabre prints on the opposite wall, hardwood floors that creaked under your boots, warm yellow lighting.
You could hear the buzz of a tattoo gun behind the partition separating the waiting area from the rest of the studio, and you were unsure if you should step around. Before you could think to, the buzzing stopped and you heard the wheels of a chair roll back against the wood. Choso’s head peeked around the wall as he slid into your line of vision. He waved with a hand covered in a black glove.
“I’m almost done,” he said. “Just have to put down the saniderm and clean up.”
You nodded and took a seat in one of the black leather chairs in the waiting area. Soft conversation came from within the studio, and you overheard aftercare instructions for whomever had just gotten a tattoo. A girl, probably no older than 19, soon came out from the back room, admiring the fresh ink on her forearm covered by a layer of saniderm. She yelled another “thank you” over her shoulder and waved at you as she made her way out. You waved back, standing up and walking behind the partition to see Choso.
He was in the process of cleaning up his supplies, compiling things to be sanitized and spraying down what couldn’t be moved. You noticed that instead of his hair being in buns he had it down and hidden under a maroon beanie. He was still in black, head to toe, Docs on his feet. Rock played from a speaker in the corner of the room but quietly enough that you couldn’t discern the artist.
“Hey,” you said.
His tired eyes met yours. He didn’t smile outright, but the corner of his mouth pulled up. “Hi,” he said. “Sorry I wasn’t ready by the time you got here. She was a little late, and there were a few adjustments I needed to make to the design, and-”
“Choso, babe, you’re good,” you laughed. “Just do what you need to and we can get something to eat, yeah?”
He nodded. “Sit wherever you like. I’ll be just a minute.”
You sat on a stool and let your shoulders relax, your head leaning back to rest on the wall as a yawn overtook you. His studio was just so… cozy was a weird way to think about it, but it was definitely a comfortable place to be. You could tell that this was his home turf, where he felt most at ease. You listened to him move back and forth while you looked at the prints on the wall. Some were in a traditional woodblock art style, some in traditional Americana, some watercolor. You wondered if any of them were his own artwork.
You had drifted off, lost in thought, but perked up when Choso came out of the back room with his keys.
“You ready?” he asked.
You nodded eagerly and hopped down from your stool. “What were you thinking? I’m not on this side of town too often.” You followed him through the front door and leaned against the brick as he locked up.
“I was kind of feeling something hot. There’s a ramen bar just down the street, and they have plenty of options, but if you’re wanting something else-”
You placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Ramen sounds great. Lead the way?”
Choso looked down at you curiously before pocketing his keys and guiding you down the street. The restaurant was just a little hole in the wall, but you knew that those are always the best places. You seated yourselves and were quiet as you scanned the menu. You were beginning to learn that silence with Choso was never uncomfortable, but you still wanted to hear him talk to you. Setting down the paper menu, you looked across the table at him as he folded the paper from a straw.
“How was your day?” you asked.
He dropped the paper, startled as though he hadn’t expected you to make conversation. “Oh, um, I made sure Yuuji got to school, went back to sleep for a little, got to the studio at noon. I’ve only had two clients so far today, but I have a couple more appointments after my break… I guess my day has been pretty… okay?”
“I’ll take ‘okay,’” you said. Getting the feeling he likely wouldn’t elaborate further, you went for his kryptonite. “And how is Yuuji today?” you asked with a grin.
Choso’s face brightened slightly. “It’s the beginning of the school year, so he’s just happy to be back in classes with his friends. He gets stir-crazy when it’s just us over break. I try not to hover, but I sometimes wonder if I’m doing enough for him.”
“I get the impression you are, Choso,” you said, “and I’m sure he loves his big brother as much as you love him. He’s your baby tiger and you’re making sure that he’s properly enriched with a big cardboard box and a pumpkin stuffed with hamburger meat.”
He blinked once, twice, then began to giggle, actually giggle . “That’s-” he began breathlessly, “that’s exactly- exactly what he is. Oh- oh, god, I can’t not see him like that now.”
You grinned at him as he let his giggles run his course, and you felt a sense of pride and accomplishment that you’d gotten him to laugh like that. You’d make it a goal, you thought, to get him to laugh like that more often. He took a deep breath once he’d stopped and turned a gentle smile your way. Your heart squeezed in your chest; you wondered how frequently he got to break out that smile. He looked at you for a few heartbeats before averting his eyes down to his hands on the table and blushing.
“I’m- I’m sorry, it seems like we’re always talking about me and Yuuji. That’s rude of me, isn’t it?”
You shake your head. “I love hearing about you and Yuuji. He sounds like a great kid, and I like being around you. A lot. So consider it my honor to hear about anything and everything Choso.”
Again, that curious look flitted across Choso’s face, as if he couldn’t believe that you, a living breathing person, were taking so much interest in his life. Before he could think to ask you about it, a waiter had come by your table to take your orders.
“You can ask me anything you want though,” you said once the waiter had left. “This isn’t an interrogation. As long as you don’t ask what happened on 25th June 2017, I’m an open book.”
“What… what happened on 25th June 2017?” he asked, brow furrowing.
“If I told you, I’d have to kill you,” you said with a wink. “No, but really, anything you want to know?”
What didn’t he want to know? You fascinated him and broke through the shell of loneliness he’d built around him to keep himself safe. He remembered the icebreaker questions you’d asked at the café.
“What’s your favorite color?”
“Black, like my soul,” you deadpanned. “Just kidding, I do like a nice maroon. Kind of like your beanie.”
Choso nodded. “If you could be any animal, what would you be?”
You hummed and tapped your chin. “Hmm, maybe a red panda? They’re like the best of both worlds between bears, raccoons, and cats. Plus, they’re really cute when they just spread out all over a tree branch. They’re living my dream.”
“What did you want to be when you grew up?” he asked.
A wistful smile crossed your face. “I wanted to be a concert cellist.”
“You play?”
“Yeah, but not anymore.”
“Oh.” He paused. “Why not?”
You shrugged. “Stopped going to university to take care of my dad when he was sick. I didn’t have the time to practice anymore, and by the time he died, I didn’t want to.”
Choso’s heart sank in his chest. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-”
You shook your head. “Babe, it’s okay. That was a long time ago. It was just a season of my life. I am where I am now, and where I am is out to eat some great food with a great new friend. I work a couple of different jobs now and just put my energy into the people around me. Life’s too short not to, you know?” You turned a sunny smile that crinkled the edges of your eyes his way, and he swallowed around an ache in his throat.
“I… I lost my parents when I was young too. Don’t really remember them. Yuuji’s grandfather looked after me though, made sure I wasn’t just another kid on the streets.”
You reached across the table to grasp his hand. “I think they’d be really proud of who you are today, Choso. Yuuji’s grandfather too.”
“I- I think your father would be proud of who you are too,” he murmured. “I’m glad that Suguru made me go out on Saturday.”
“Me too,” you beamed. “Now don’t look so sad, our food is coming!”
Before Choso knew it, you had become a stable part of his life. You’d stop by his studio every Monday night during his break and make sure he got something to eat, whether it was something you brought yourself or made him go out to get. Between you and Geto, he found himself at your table for brunch on Saturdays while Yuuji and Megumi stayed behind to play video games. (He stuck to you like glue at brunch, though. Geto and Gojo spent the entire time being loud with each other and Nanami wasn’t exactly an extrovert.)
You were something special to him. Part of him wanted to cherish you as a friend, but a deeper part wanted your smiles to be just for him and for all the times you called him “babe” to be more than platonic. He felt safe around you. You didn’t try to pressure him into situations he wasn’t comfortable being in. You met him where he was at, and you let him be his quiet, gloomy self, but he didn’t feel so gloomy around you. You made the clouds part and let sunshine stream in through the curtains he’d drawn around himself for protection. It was what kept him and Yuuji safe for so long, but he was starting to think that maybe it was time to let someone else into his little patchwork family. You hadn’t known each other for very long, he acknowledged, but he was incredibly fond of you and wanted to keep you in his life for as long as you’d let him. He wondered if you wanted him at all.
The nail in the coffin was Yuuji begging Choso to introduce him to Megumi’s pretty tutor.
“Is she your girlfriend, Choso-nii?” he asked one night.
Choso choked on a mouthful of tea. “What-” he coughed, “what?”
“Megumi’s tutor, is she your girlfriend?”
“No, Yuuji. Where did you get that idea?”
“You hang out with her a lot,” his brother replied, “and you smile when she texts you. Plus, Megumi says she’s really pretty, and I think you should have a pretty girlfriend. Gojo-sensei called her your girlfriend too.”
Choso rubbed his forehead and sighed. “Gojo-sensei is a menace,” he said, “but no, Yuuji, we’re just friends.”
“Oh,” Yuuji frowned. “Can I meet her?”
Choso looked at his brother. “... Why?”
Yuuji shrugged. “She sounds cool and if my favorite people like her then she must be great. Plus, weren’t you saying that I should get some tutoring in English?”
“Yuuji, it’s summer break.”
“Yeah, well, you’re always telling me to plan ahead. This is me, planning ahead. By getting Megumi’s pretty tutor to tutor me.”
Choso studied his younger brother for a moment. Yuuji typically wasn’t the devious sort; he didn’t plot or scheme and his intentions could be taken at face value. On one hand, his brother could never let well enough alone. On the other hand, Choso really did value being with you and he trusted you far more than he trusted Gojo, so what harm could there be in him meeting you, maybe even getting better grades in English as a result?
“I’ll call her and see if she’s willing to take on another student,” he finally said, “and maybe we’ll invite her for dinner on Friday.”
Yuuji’s face brightened and he bounced on his heels. “Thank you, Choso-nii! This is going to be so fun, I’ve got to text Megumi.”
Before Choso could get in another word, Yuuji had bounded up the stairs. With a sigh, he took out his phone and dialed your number.
“Helloooo?” you sang into the phone.
“Hey,” he murmured. “It’s me.”
“Hey, you. What’s up?”
“Yuuji’s asking to meet you,” he sighed.
“Really? What a cutie. What did you say?”
“I said I’d call and ask.”
“Choso,” you laughed, “you don’t have to ask permission to bring your brother around me.”
“He was asking about English tutoring, too.”
“Hmm, really?” He heard water running over the receiver. “I can take on another student; I have the time. I can ask Megumi if he wants to share his Tuesday nights, or we could work out another time? Might help both you and Gojo out, since you both - oh whoops - work late then.”
There was a clatter over the receiver. “That’d be nice,” he replied. “Am I interrupting anything?”
“Nah, just finally getting around to making dinner, and my counter space is, shall we say, insufficient to the task.”
He hummed; you’d complained about that before. He let a beat of silence pass before he spoke again. “Speaking of dinner, would you, um, would you like to have dinner here, with me and Yuuji, on Friday?” His hands felt cold as he waited for your response.
“Oh, that’d be awesome!” you exclaimed. “I get to meet the world’s coolest teenager and hang out with you in one fell swoop. You want me to bring anything? Is this like, a potluck kind of situation? Business casual or black tie?”
He chuckled softly. “No, you’re our guest. Just bring yourself, wear whatever you’re comfortable in.”
“Don’t say that, I’ll show up in my pajamas and camp out on your couch if you’re not careful. You’d never get rid of me”
“You’d still look wonderful, and I don’t want to,” he said softly.
The giggle that came through the phone echoed in his ears and sent heat racing to his face. “So, I’ll… I’ll see you on Friday, then?” he asked.
“I’ll be there with bells on. I’ll text you later. Night, Choso.”
“Yeah, night.”
If you were nervous about dinner on Friday night, you couldn’t imagine how Choso was feeling. You didn’t, in fact, show up in your pajamas, but had cycled through maybe half of your closet to find something you found suitable. You wanted to make a good impression on Yuuji, you reasoned with yourself, but really you felt deep down that this was a new step in your friendship; who were you kidding, in your relationship. You were so fond of Choso, but you’d be lying to yourself if you said all you felt was platonic. It had only been a little over four months since you’d met, but you’d be hard-pressed to think of anyone you enjoyed being around more than him. He was still waters where you were a tempest, summer clouds where you were a sunbeam.
Checking yourself one last time in your bedroom mirror, you laced up your boots and drove to Choso’s apartment. You’d agreed on six o’clock, and Choso was all but waiting at the door when you arrived. He opened the door with a shy smile and invited you in. In the early August heat he had finally shed his layers for a black, short-sleeve shirt. You greedily drank in the sight of his bare, tattooed arms.
“Thank you for having me over,” you said, bending to take your boots off. You produced a bottle of umeshu from your bag. “For dessert,” you sang with a wink.
“Been a while since I’ve had umeshu… That’ll taste good later,” he murmured, taking it from you.
You stood, looking at each other: you, smiling and him, gazing down with tender affection. The quiet moment was broken by a thud above your heads. Choso looked away and cleared his throat.
“That’s, ah, probably Yuuji,” he said to you before calling up the stairs: “Yuuji, our guest is here!”
Before either of you could strike up conversation you heard the sound of feet thundering down the stairs. Yuuji slid around the corner in socked feet and stopped a meter in front of you. His pink hair was unruly and his face split in a wide grin.
“Hi! It’s really nice to meet you. I’m Yuuji. Wow, you’re even prettier than Megumi said. Gojo-sensei too.” He stuck out his hand.
“Yuuji,” Choso chided.
You laughed, shaking the hand he offered. “It’s great to meet you too, Yuuji. I’ve heard so much about you. I see where Choso gets his good looks from,” you say, winking at Choso.
Choso blushed. “I’m, um, going to go chill this,” he said, lifting the bottle of umeshu. “Make yourself at home. Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Some water would be great!” you responded, turning back to Yuuji.
He was looking at you rather intensely, studying your features. “Something on my face?” you asked.
Yuuji shook his head. “Nah, you just are really pretty. Thanks for getting my brother out of the house. He can be kind of… gloomy.”
You chuckled. “You’re sweet for thinking that. I’m not going to let Megumi hear the end of it. And I don’t think your brother is gloomy. I think he’s shy, maybe a little lonely. I’m glad to be his friend.”
“He doesn’t make friends easily,” Yuuji said honestly, “and he hasn’t had a girlfriend since I’ve lived with him.” This kid was hardly subtle.
“Those kinds of things come in their own time, my friend. That’s just not his season in life right now.”
“Yeah, but now he has you! He’s smiling a lot more now.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” you said with a gentle smile yourself. “He makes me smile too. You’re lucky to have each other.”
“Yeah, we are. He’s the best brother I could have asked for. Oh, here, follow me. Choso-nii will be upset if I make you stand at our doorway all night.” He grabbed your hand and pulled you behind him to their home. For a kid his age, he was freakishly strong, you thought. You’d be lucky to have him on your side in a fight. There was a bar that bisected the kitchen and living area, which Yuuji brought you too. There was a glass of water waiting for you. He pulled out a stool for you to sit on, and you thanked him.
“Choso, you didn’t tell me you raised such a gentleman,” you teased, sipping your water. “Though I can’t say I’d have expected anything less.”
Choso turned from the refrigerator where he had gathered ingredients for dinner in his arms. Closing the door behind him he said, “I wouldn’t expect anything less from him. I can’t take all the credit for that though. He’s just like that.”
“Well, I think he’s charming. He’s going to be someone’s knight in shining armor someday, I just know it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind when his English grades come in,” Choso said with a roll of his eyes.
“Hey, I’m working on it!” Yuuji protested. “... Kind of.”
“Your brother mentioned maybe starting some tutoring?” you said.
Yuuji’s eyes lit up. “Mmhmm! Megumi does really well in English, and Gojo-sensei says it’s because of you, so I was wondering if you’d have the time to help me.”
“Yeah, I’d absolutely have the time to do that. I already asked Megumi, and he said he’s fine with sharing his Tuesday nights with you, if that’s alright.”
“I get to hang out with Megumi and you, of course it’s alright! This is going to be awesome!” Yuuji exclaimed.
“Yuuji… What do you say when someone does something for you?” Choso prompted.
“Oh, yeah, thank you so much!”
“You’re welcome,” you chuckled. “Though school won’t be in session for another few weeks, kiddo.”
Yuuji’s face fell. “Oh, yeah…” He paused and thought for a moment before his eyes brightened again. “You’ll just have to come have dinner here with us more until then!”
“Yuuji-” Choso chided.
“I wouldn’t want to impose-” you began to say.
“You never could,” Choso said to you gently. “You’re always welcome here.”
You saw Yuuji’s eyes dart back and forth between the two of you and gave him a wink. “Careful, or you’ll get sick of me.” Before Choso could protest, you had hopped out of your seat and come into the kitchen. “Now, what can I help with?”
“You’re my guest. I’m supposed to be cooking for you. If anything, Yuuji should be helping.” He gave a pointed look to his brother.
“He can set the table,” you said with a wave of your hand. “You know I don’t like to just sit around. Consider this a bonding exercise. Point me in the right direction, chef.”
Choso leveled you with a look for all of five seconds before admitting to himself you were going to stand your ground or bully him into letting you help. He sighed and motioned you to his side. You bounced over gleefully.
“I was planning on making yakisoba tonight,” he said, rubbing the back of his head. “It’s nothing fancy, but…”
“Oh, I haven’t had yakisoba in a minute.” You stood on your toes to look over his shoulder. “What do we have to put in it?”
“I have carrots, cabbage, and mushrooms, and then either shrimp or chicken. You can take your pick, since you’re my guest.”
“Well, if it’s up to me,” you drawled, “I’m doing as many vegetables as I can and… hmm… I say shrimp.”
“Alright, then you can get to chopping vegetables.” He handed you a knife. “Please don’t hurt yourself.”
“Ye of little faith,” you tutted. “Yuuji, can you believe this?”
“He has a point,” Yuuji said from behind you. “Megumi told me about the time he had to patch you up during tutoring because you cut yourself on a glass bottle you dropped.”
“Traitor,” you hissed under your breath. Choso eyed your grip on the knife, and you backed up from him. “Nuh-uh, you’ve already given me this responsibility. No take-backs. Give me the vegetables to murder. I’m ready for bloodshed.”
“I want that knife in your hands even less,” he deadpanned, but still passed you the freshly washed and dried vegetables.
The two of you fell into a rhythm of cooking. You chatted back and forth with each other and Yuuji, who was eager for a new audience. He was a sweet kid, funny and excitable. He was full of stories from school and his jiu jitsu classes. He hung onto every word you gave in response, eyes shining and brightening with mirth when you divulged something you knew about Megumi or Gojo. You got the impression that he was dying for validation and approval that wasn’t his brother’s, and you could see yourself becoming overly fond of this kid. Something protective and nurturing rose in you and you understood Choso’s fierce love for his little brother. Who wouldn’t love this kid? He’d lost so much so young, and your heart ached for him, but his sunny disposition suggested resilience and sheer force of will you couldn’t help but admire.
You caught Choso’s eye every now and then and beamed up at him. There was a look in his eyes that made your heart flutter, something full of adoration and awe and sheer gratitude for the kind attention you were giving his brother. You felt heat rise in your face, and you looked back down to your task of vegetable slaughtering. Out of the corner of your eye, you admired the movement of his hands. They were pretty hands, you thought, pale but strong, nails painted black. His fingers would brush against yours as you passed chopped vegetables to him to throw in the pan with the noodles, and you itched to simply hold his hand. If Yuuji weren’t bouncing around the kitchen, grabbing this and that to bring to you and then going to set the table, you might have laced your fingers through Choso’s.
The kitchen smelled fan-freaking-tastic, you thought, especially when Choso tossed the noodles in the sauce he made while you prepared the vegetables. You hadn’t cooked alongside someone like this in a very long time, at least since before your father fell ill. It was nice; you missed it, and you hoped you’d get to do this again in the future with Choso. Maybe this would be the first night of many like it, where it’s the three of you, a little patchwork family. You shouldn’t get your hopes up, though, you thought.
Hopes and dreams for the future were laid to the side at the sight of steaming yakisoba in a bowl before you. Your stomach was growling, and the three of you dove in without preamble.
“Oh my god, Choso,” you moaned. “This is so good, I could cry. Marry me and cook this every night.”
“It’s one of the only things he can really make,” Yuuji said around a mouthful, “but it’s always so good.”
“Yuuji,” Choso all but whined, blushing.
“What? It just means you have to learn how to cook more to impress her. We’ve got to keep her around,” Yuuji argued.
“You act like you’re getting rid of me now. You’ve invited me into your home, cooked for me, let me befriend you. You’re going to get sick of me before I go anywhere.”
“Impossible,” Choso said.
“Yeah, I don’t think Choso-nii could ever get sick of you. He thinks you’re nice and pretty.”
“Yuuji!” The blush on Choso’s face deepened and he put his head in his hands.
You set down your chopsticks and patted his back. “It’s okay, babe. I think you’re nice and pretty too.”
He peeked at you from between his fingers. You gave him a smile and nodded at his food, encouraging him to keep eating. He exhaled through his nose and began to eat again. If you’d looked Yuuji’s way, you couldn’t have missed the unmitigated glee that crossed his face. The three of you fell into companionable silence, the only sounds the clinking of utensils against bowls and contented sighs. When the meal was over, you and Choso simultaneously stood and reached for the empty dishes.
“Nope,” he said simply. “That’s where I draw the line. Guests don’t do dishes.”
“Come onnnn, you let me help cook,” you whined.
“Nope,” he repeated.
“I will wrestle you to the ground to clean your kitchen,” you threatened.
“Please don’t.”
The two of you stood your ground, staring each other down, and were thwarted by Yuuji collecting the bowls and pans.
“I got this! Go away!”
You looked at Choso and snorted a laugh. “Told you, you raised a gentleman.”
He shook his head fondly. “Drink?” He asked.
“God, yes.”
Choso retrieved two glasses and the bottle of chilled umeshu from the refrigerator. You perched beside him on the sofa as he broke the bottle’s seal, poured two drinks, and handed you one. You raised the liquor to your nose, inhaling the sweet scent of plums and the bite of alcohol before taking a sip.
“Ah,” you sighed. “That’s good.”
Choso took a sip and hummed in agreement. Together you sat in silence, sipping your drinks. You could hear splashing and clinking of dishes being washed behind you; it was soothing, like being a little kid again and getting ready for bed while your parents cleaned up the kitchen. Yuuji would hum a line of a tune every now and then, but nothing you recognized. Before you knew it, you had drained your glass and felt relaxation after a long week finally hit you. You let your head tilt to the side, and it came to rest on Choso’s shoulder. He didn’t say anything, but he bent to tap his forehead against the crown of your head.
The stillness was broken by Yuuji running up and back down the stairs.
“Yuuji-” Choso began.
“Sorry, Choso-nii. Megumi texted, wants to play Kirby. I’ll be back tomorrow morning, okay?”
“It’s eight o’clock-”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take my bike and text you when I’m there. See you! Nice meeting you, miss, please come back again!” And he was out the door.
Choso threw his head back against the sofa and sighed deeply. “He never stops moving.”
“It’s only going to get worse the older he gets. Better brace yourself, babe.”
Choso groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. You moved your head from his shoulder to lean back against the couch and look at him. He looked tired, as always, but here in his home he was looser, relaxed. You noticed his pulse thrumming in his throat and something in you burned to kiss at it, bite it. You almost felt guilty- this was your friend, someone whose companionship you cherished deeply. Keep it in your pants, you told yourself. And yet…
He opened his eyes and turned to look at you, bringing himself nearly nose to nose with you. He hadn’t realized how close he was, and his breath hitched in his chest. You studied his face, caught how his eyes flitted from yours and down to your lips, the bob of his throat as he swallowed when you licked them. You simply watched each other, frozen in each other’s gaze and unwilling to make a move.
It was when he softly said your name that something within you snapped. “Fuck it,” you said, and closed the gap between you. Your mouth met his, and when he gasped you slid your lips against his in a soft kiss. He tasted sweet, like the umeshu you’d both been drinking. He sighed breathily into your kiss, eyes fluttering shut when you reached up to cup his cheek. He gently squeezed your thigh, fingers pressing into the flesh and fat, and the sensation shot straight to your core.
You parted, breathing each other’s air, and you thumbed his bottom lip. He silently took your glass from your hand, set both his and yours on the table next to the forgotten bottle of liquor, and pulled you towards him. You followed, settling on his strong thigh and shuddering when he gripped your hips.
“Please,” he whispered. “Can- can you kiss me again?”
You could only moan in response and dip your face down to his again. This kiss was wetter, needier than your first. You heard him whimper when you dipped your tongue into his mouth, circling around his, then pulled back to worry his bottom lip with your teeth. His grasp on your hips tightened, dragging you to his chest so there wasn’t an atom between you. Your hand on his face slid around to the back of his head, plucked the ties keeping it up in the two buns, and you delighted when it spilled down over your wrist. You ran your nails over his scalp, feeling him shiver beneath you, and tangled your fingers in his soft, black hair.
Kissing Choso felt natural - like breathing, you thought. You never wanted to stop pulling breathy little sounds from him, never wanted his hands to leave you. You could feel yourself getting wet and slick against his thigh, the seam of your pants catching against your clit when you surged forward to meet his lips again and again. You began to grind down onto him, groaning when the hands on your hips helped move you along. You could feel his hard length against the knee you had in between his thighs and you pressed forward. He keened into your mouth, a hand reaching to grip your ass and keep you tight against him.
You broke the lock of your lips to look down at him and take in the dazed, adoring expression on his face. “How much- mmm, how much farther do you want to go?”
“As far as you’ll let me,” Choso gasped, “as much as you’ll let me have.”
You ducked to nibble at his pulse, grinning when his hips bucked beneath you. “Baby, I’d give you everything. You only have to ask.”
“Please,” he begged, not knowing exactly what to ask for, “please.”
“Of course,” you cooed. “Anything for you. Everything. But first, um, are you clean?”
He nodded. “It’s, ah, it’s been a while since I’ve been with anyone,” he said sheepishly, “and my last results were clean.”
“Okay, me too. Sooo… which way is your room?” You climbed off of him, taking hold of his hand and pulling him up towards you. He couldn’t help bending to catch you in another kiss.
“Upstairs,” he said against your mouth, “second door on the left.”
You broke away from him again, smiling up at him, and turned to make your way towards the stairs. His hand still gripped yours, almost as if he was afraid that the second he let go you would walk out and leave him hard, burning, and desperate. You squeezed his hand to reassure him, to signal to him that you were there and real and certainly not going anywhere, and you led him up the stairs to his room. Once you’d crossed the threshold, you turned back towards him, released his hand, and pulled your top off over your head. You heard him sharply inhale when the expanse of your skin was bared to him.The sun was just beginning to set, washing everything in a warm, golden light. The sun’s last rays were warm on your back, and they shined into Choso’s dark eyes, bringing out colors and depths normally unseen.
“You’re so beautiful, I knew you would be,” he said reverently.
You smiled. “Come here, get that off.” You tugged at his shirt.
Quickly, he dragged it over his head. You hummed when you saw the extent of his tattoos, how they stretched from wrist to shoulder, bleeding over onto his pectoral muscles.
“Can I touch you?” you asked.
“Please.”
You lifted his hand, felt the bones of his wrist. You traced your fingers up his arms, over the lines inked into his skin and over muscle and sinew and flesh that corded in his strong arms. Up you trailed, following the contours of delicate flowers, swirling clouds, and detailed feathers of birds in flight. It wasn’t until you had reached his chest that you saw them, two little silver barbells with pointed studs through his nipples .
“I didn’t know you had these,” you said, running your thumbs over them.
“I- ah- I’ve had them for… for a couple of years now.”
“Mmm, they’re really cute. They suit you.” You plucked at one of his nipples, biting your lip when he gasped and grabbed your hips. “Still sensitive, huh babe?”
“Yeah, but- but it feels good.”
“I’ve thought about getting mine pierced,” you mused, “but then no one could touch them for upwards of six months, and I don’t think I’m that patient.”
“I bet… I bet you’d look beautiful though,” he said, hushed, as if in a holy place.
You only hummed in response, leaning away from him to unhook your bra and throw it to the side. You came back to him to run your hands down his taut stomach. The muscles beneath your fingers twitched and goosebumps rose on his pale skin. You let your nails scratch gently at his waistline, just barely dipping below the fabric of his pants.
“Can you take these off too?” you asked, pulling at a belt loop. “And whatever you have on beneath them?”
Choso nodded, rushing to unfasten his pants and drag them down alongside his cotton boxers. You bit your lip when his cock sprang free, bobbing in the air in front of you. You could see a bead of precum forming at the tip, and you reached forward to take his length in your hand. He gasped, closed his eyes, when you thumbed his wet cockhead and slid your hand to the base and back.
“You’re as pretty as I knew you’d be, baby,” you echoed, slowly jerking him off. “Can’t believe I can make you this hard. Didn’t think you’d want me the way I wanted you.”
“I’ve- ah,” he groaned, “I’ve wanted you for- for a while now. Didn’t think you’d want me. ”
“Oh, sweetheart, how could I not? Look at you.”
Choso opened his eyes to look down at you, and you released your hold on his cock. He whined, reaching for you, but stopped when you backed up, slid your pants and underwear off, and sat on his bed with a hand outstretched.
“Come here?” you asked sweetly.
He laced his fingers in yours, joining you on the bed. You climbed back up onto his lap and pulled him into an open-mouthed kiss that had your head reeling. He kneaded the fat of your hips beneath his hands, sliding up to squeeze the curve of your waist and then the weight of your breast. You moaned into him when he plucked your nipple to hardness. You spurred him on to kiss down your jaw and nip at your throat where your pulse beat heavily beneath thin and tender skin. He laved each bite with his tongue and kissed the delicious sting into a tantalizing ache.
“Wanted you-” a kiss, “for so long-” a bite, “can’t believe I can have you.”
“Mhmm, yeah, you have me. You can take what you need, baby. I need it too.”
Choso detached himself from your throat. His dark eyes peered into yours, a flurry of emotion you couldn’t discern within them. His hands dug into your waist and he all but lifted you to lay you back against the pillows.
“Choso, I’m too heavy for that!” you protested
“Hardly,” he snorted. “I’m stronger than I look.”
Okay, you could admit that was kind of hot. He loomed over you, all broad shoulders, strong arms, and wild black hair. You reached for him, making grabby hands, and he smiled softly as he willingly came into your embrace. You spread your legs for him, let him slot himself between your warm, soft thighs. His mouth met yours in a desperate kiss, eager to taste you again. You gave as good as you got, tugging on his hair, scraping your nails down his back and back up. He was practically trembling in your grasp and you savored each precious little sound that fell from him.
You missed him when his lips parted from yours, but the feeling of him kissing down your neck to your breasts was too good for you to complain. Choso kept his eyes on you as he sucked a nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the bud. His other hand grasped your other breast, plucking and pinching the nipple into a stiffened peak. A breathy whine escaped your throat and you felt him sigh through his nose against your chest when you ran your fingers through his hair again.
He pulled away with a soft pop and trailed down your stomach, taking the time to lay kisses on every stretchmark and blemish he could see. Your throat ached from the tender care he showed your body, the reverence with which he touched you. You gasped when he spread your pussy with one hand and hooked your thigh over his shoulder with the other. He stayed there for a moment, admiring you entirely and intimately bare before him before he ducked his head to press a soft kiss to your clit. You felt his tongue like a broad stripe up the length of you.
“Holy shit,” he paused to groan, and then he was pressing his face into your cunt and absolutely feasting. You didn’t think you’d met anyone who ate pussy as thoroughly or voraciously as he was in this moment. He was all but devouring you, tongue dipping into your hole and swiping back up to run circles around your clit. The fingers keeping you spread open drifted down to your fluttering pussy, rubbing around the rim before one slid in and up. You threw your head back into his pillows, crying out at the delicious suction on your clit and the curl of his finger.
“Mmm, Choso, give me another, I need another, please.”
He moaned into you and obliged, slipping another long finger in and curling it into a spot that had you seeing stars. He didn’t relent between fucking you with his fingers and tonguing and sucking on your swollen clit, and you could hear the sloppy, wet sounds of his mouth and hand on you. Already the rising heat of an oncoming orgasm was building in your core. You were almost embarrassed by how quickly you felt you were going to cum, but at the same time gratified that he could make your body sing the way he could.
Choso felt you clench down on his fingers, a preamble to your climax. He took his mouth off of you to say, “Come on pretty girl, please, I need to see you cum for me. Please cum for me.” Then his mouth was back on you as enthusiastically as before.
When he slid a third finger in you, curling all three up hard, heat bloomed within you, a band snapping, and you came on him. He continued to massage that spot in front of you, continued circling your clit with his tongue as you rode out your orgasm and only stopped when you whined and tugged at his hair.
“Mmm, Choso, sensitive.”
He placed one last lingering kiss against your pussy before climbing back up your body to gently meet your lips. You licked your taste off of his lips, caressed his face and held him to your chest.
“You’re amazing,” he murmured.
“What?” You giggled. “I haven’t done anything yet.”
“You’ve given me more than I could have ever asked for, just with that.”
“Oh, baby,” you cooed with a wicked smirk. “You have no idea what I have left to give you.”
You pushed him off of you, onto his back, and straddled his hips. His aching cock fell between your wet pussy lips and a shaky sigh escaped him as you ground down on him.
“Don’t you want me to fuck you, baby?” you purred. “Don’t you want to be inside of me?”
“I- I want that more than anything,” he whined, “but I’d never assume-”
“Sweetheart, I wouldn’t have let you eat me out like that if I wasn’t going to give you something in return. You did so well, made me feel so good. Let me do the same for you.”
The head of his cock caught on your entrance and his hips twitched up into yours. “Ah, um… Condom?” he asked breathlessly.
“Only if you really want to. We’re both clean, and I’m on birth control, so I’m okay with you hitting it raw.” You looked down at him and stroked his face. “If you’re good, I might even let you come in me. What do you think?”
The gentleness in his eyes faded and was replaced by pure heat. He threw you off of him and back onto your back, settling between your thighs again. “I’m going to fuck you so good. I’ve wanted this for so long, wanted you for so long, and I’m going to finally make you mine.”
You reached down to line up his cock with your dripping heat. “Do it then, baby.”
Choso pressed a hard kiss to your mouth and slid into you, inch by inch. He hardly paused when he bottomed out, instead pulling back to thrust sharply up into you. You cried out into his mouth when his cockhead kissed your cervix. He set a slow but sharp pace that drilled into your core and carved out a place within you that was just for him. He slid his arms under your shoulders to bring you chest to chest, as close as you could be. His forehead rested against yours and each thrust brought his lips to yours in fleeting kisses that were mostly sighs.
“You feel so good,” he murmured against your mouth. “You’re- ah, you’re so tight and warm.”
You could only moan and nod, wrapping your arms around his neck and holding onto his hair as he moved in you. He kissed you soundly then trailed his mouth down your throat to where your pulse pounded. He simply pressed his lips there, feeling the beat of your heart and breathing in the scent of your skin.
“Wish this could last forever, but I- I want more. Can I have more?”
“Mmm, take what you want, baby. Want to make you feel good too.”
Choso pulled away from you, and you protested the distance before he sat cross-legged and dragged you onto his lap. You immediately locked your legs around his waist and slid back onto his cock. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders and gyrated your hips forward to take him in completely. He dropped his head to your shoulder and groaned, hands digging into your hips to set the speed himself. In his lap like this, he hit you deeper and every thrust forward rubbed the head of him into a delicious spot that had you dripping down his length.
“I don’t- I don’t think I can make this a one-time thing,” he panted. “I want you, but not just in my bed. I want to wake up next to you, I want to be the one to hold your hand. I want to hear your voice every morning I wake up and every night I go to sleep. Please, be mine.”
You gripped his hair to pull his face from your neck. Your heart ached with the vulnerability that flooded his eyes, the plea in them to not leave him, to not break his heart. You kissed him sweetly, pouring every syrupy, besotted feeling you felt in your chest into him.
“Of course I’m yours, sweetheart. I could never be anyone else’s, not while you’re around. There’s no one else I want.”
A smile as bright as day broke out on Choso’s face, chasing away the dew in his eyes. He pressed his forehead to yours, sighed, and closed his eyes to savor your presence and the feeling of you wrapped around him. His grip on your hips never lessened, and he continued to thrust up into you. You tipped your chin up to kiss him tenderly, and he opened his eyes when you pulled away.
“I want to look at you, baby,” you said softly. “My pretty boy, my sweetheart.”
Choso keened and picked up his pace, sliding you faster up and down his cock. He pounded into that spot within you over and over, and brought his hand between you to roll his fingers around your clit.
“I need you to come, need to see you come. Please? Please come for me?”
Your breath caught in your throat. “Keep that up,” you moaned, “and I’m going to.”
His dark eyes remained fixed on your face, studying every expression you made. The sopping wetness of you eased the glide and slid down his cock; the room filled with the sloppy sounds of your pussy meeting his hips. That heat rose within you again, that same band tightening and tightening.
“Mmm, baby, I’m- ah, oh! I’m coming!” With one last roll of his thumb over your clit, you came on him. The cries that left your lips captivated him and he savored each one as you rode out your orgasm on his cock. The squeeze of your cunt around him was too much, though. He could feel his own end approaching and pounded up into you frantically.
“I’m, ah- I’m going to come too. Where should I-”
You held his face between your hands, looking deep into his eyes and still panting as you rode your high. “Choso, I want you to come in me. Can you do that for me, baby?”
“Yes! I- ohhh,” he groaned out, tipping over the edge. He pulled you flush against him, melded chest to groin, and spilled as deep within you as he could. You felt the warmth of him rush into your core, the twitch of his cock within you, and cradled his head against the curve of your neck where he panted. Your cunt finally stopped clenching and fluttering around him as the dregs of your orgasm faded and left you calm and sated. Choso’s arms hadn’t lost their hold around you, and he trembled in your arms. You ran your fingers through his hair.
“You’re wonderful, you know that?” you praised once you caught your breath. “The second I met you, I knew you were. I’m lucky I have you.”
“Don’t break my heart,” he said quietly into your neck. “I don’t think I could take losing this.”
“Oh, sweetheart, I don’t plan on going anywhere.” You pulled away from him to rub your thumb over his cheek and kiss his forehead. “I think you’re stuck with me.”
Choso grasped your hand on his face and brought it to his mouth, kissing each one of your knuckles. “Thank you,” he whispered.
“You’re welcome,” you chuckled softly. “I’m going to go to the bathroom really quickly, but then I’ll be back, okay?
He hummed and nodded. You pried yourself off of him, crinkling your nose when he pulled out and left you feeling empty. A mix of his cum and your slick stuck between your lips and began to trickle down your thighs. You caught a blush rising on his face and threw a wink at him as you sashayed out the door.
When you returned, he had turned down the sheets and was laying back against his pillows. The room was dark, the sun having finally set, and through the window you could see a sliver of the moon. Choso turned his head to look at you and extended his hand. You gladly took it, crawling in bed beside him, throwing a leg over his and and curling into his side. Immediately a strong arm wrapped around your shoulder to hold you tightly to his chest, where you lay your head. Your fingers traced the ink that you could see on him, and you hummed in contentment when he pressed a kiss to your hair.
“Will you stay the night?” he murmured.
“Of course. I’m not passing up on the cuddles. Plus, you wore me out.”
He breathed a chuckle against the crown of your head, kissing you again. He trailed his fingers up and down your arm, painted nails gently scratching at your skin. You felt a sated weariness creep upon you, and you yawned against him.
“You should sleep.”
“Mmm. yeah,” you yawned again. “Helps that I have the world’s best pillow. Hey, Choso?”
“Yeah?”
“I think I really like you. Like, like like you.”
He was quiet for a moment, squeezing you against him. “Yeah, me too,” he replied quietly. He felt your hum against his chest, then the slowing of your breath. Before long, you’d fallen asleep against him, still curled around him and warm against his side. He pulled the sheets up over you, whispering a soft “goodnight.” He lay there with you in his arms, and for the first night in a long time, sleep came quickly for him. He fell into it gently, and it was the soundest sleep he could ever recall.
You: Sorry, guys, running a little late this morning. Be there in 15
Toru: I can’t believe you. I got out of bed for you. Shame
You: Keep your shirt on, I’ll be there soon
Suguwu: Is Choso joining us today?
You: Yeah, he’ll be there soon too
Nananana: You want your usual?
You: See, this is why you’re my favorite. Take notes, bitches
Toru: Rude
Suguwu: Yeah, rude
Toru: Oh wait, I see you guys. We’re in the shade because it’s too fucking hot to exist
You saw Gojo wave to you and Choso. You waved back and tugged him along behind you. Your friends greeted you cheerfully as you pulled out a chair to sit, Choso right beside you. You’d been there not even thirty seconds, hadn’t even taken a sip of the tea Nanami had ordered ahead for you, when Gojo yelled.
“Are you shitting me? You couldn’t wait another two months? Augh, you fuckers!” He threw his head into his arms on the table.
“What?” You looked at Choso, then Nanami, then Geto.
Geto pointed to his throat. “Got a little something there.”
Your eyes widened and you slapped a hand over what was surely a blooming love bite. You shot Choso a look from the corner of your eye. He looked away sheepishly.
“Well, fuck,” Geto sighed. “I really thought it would take you guys longer. I guess Choso puts out easier than I thought.”
Beside you, Choso blushed and covered his eyes with his hand.
“Do you know how much you assholes just cost me?” Gojo whined.
“I’m sorry, what?” you asked.
Geto sighed again, reaching for his bag, thumbing through 1000 yen notes. “You’re lucky I happened to be carrying this much on me today, you bastard,” he said, handing them to Nanami.
Gojo reached for his bag as well, taking out a fistful of notes before counting them out. “I was going to go shopping today,” he whined.
“Too bad,” Nanami said, collecting the money from his friends.
You could only stare at them, mouth agape. “You’re telling me that you bet on when we’d get together? Are you fucking with me right now?”
“No, but Choso apparently was,” Geto said with a shit-eating grin.
You flipped him off as you looked at Nanami, “Et tu, Brute?”
He just shrugged at you, counting through his money. There had to be at least 40,000 yen in his hands.
“I take it back. You’re not my favorite anymore. And you’re not my maid of honor anymore either.”
Nanami thumbed seven of the bills and handed them to you. “Does that soften the blow?”
You snatched it from him. “Pleasure doing business with you. You’re my favorite again.”
Gojo whined your name. “Can you at least buy me a mille-feuille for my trouble?”
“Fuck no. But you know what, I’m going to buy a mille-feuille for me and Choso just because you had the unmitigated audacity to ask that, so if you’ll excuse me.”
You abruptly stood up, kissed Choso on his cheek, and strolled into the café, ignoring Gojo’s indignant shout behind you. Geto turned to look at Choso, a wicked smirk on his face.
“So-”
“Please don’t.”
“Yuuji,” you called up the stairs. “Honey, you’re going to be late for your entrance ceremony!”
Over your head you heard a thunk , a thud , and then he was sprinting down the stairs. “I’m ready, I’m ready!” he said as he flew by you to grab his bag. He ran past you to lace up his shoes, but before he could open the door, you handed him a boxed lunch.
“Don’t forget your lunch. Be respectful, have fun, and make a good impression, okay?”
Yuuji beamed at you and bent to kiss your cheek. (He’d grown so much over the past couple of years, and now he had nearly half a head on you. You couldn’t believe it). “Thanks, onee-san. I will. You’re the best.”
You pinched his cheek. “Text one of us if you need anything, okay? Say hi to your friends and Nanami-sensei for us.”
“Can do!” he chirped with a salute. “Bye, Choso-nii! See you later!” he yelled, and he was out the door. You watched him through the window as long as you could, until he disappeared down the street.
A head fell heavy on your shoulder. “He on his way to school?”
You turned to kiss Choso’s temple. “Yeah. Made sure he had his lunch, reminded him to be his best self, blah, blah, blah. He’ll be okay, it’s just high school.”
Choso grunted quietly against your shoulder and snaked his arms around your waist. He held you there for a moment, slightly swaying side to side. He squeezed you, kissed the side of your neck, and then released you to make his way to the kitchen.
“I made coffee,” you said over your shoulder. You headed towards the kitchen as well, cleaning up after hurricane Yuuji. Choso had already gotten down two mugs, a matching set you had purchased on sale at the market, and was handing you a cup of coffee just the way you liked it. “My hero,” you joked.
He smiled sleepily at you, taking a sip of his own coffee. (He drank it black, which was appalling to you, but you let it slide because he was so cute in the mornings. And you loved him.) You pressed next to him, leaning into his side and humming when he wrapped an arm around you.
“There’s breakfast on the stove, too,” you said after a measure of silence. “I made sure Yuuji ate earlier. No boys going hungry on my watch.”
Choso chuckled softly into his mug. “We love you for that.”
“You better. What’s your schedule like today?” You pulled away from him to pour him a bowl of miso. He sat down at the bar.
“Pretty typical for Monday, really.”
“Mmm. I was thinking of taking Yuuji out to dinner after his jiu jitsu class to celebrate his first day in high school, so I won’t be coming to you this evening. This is a major life transition! He’ll be graduating before you know it.”
“I don’t even want to think about that,” he said into his soup. “But I’m sure he’d love to go out. There’s an Italian restaurant he’s been talking about going to.”
“I can make something for you to take, if you’d like?”
He smiled at you. “I’ll get something out to eat. You do enough for us already.”
“Well, yeah , because I love you. Oh, woe is me, having people to love and care for,” you sighed dramatically.
He shook his head fondly and held out his little finger. “I promise I’ll get something to eat tonight, and you can punish me if I don’t.”
You curled your pinkie around his. “You’ll sleep on the couch and have to tell Yuuji why.”
“That’s fair.”
You hummed in agreement and sat beside him. You let him eat for a few minutes before speaking again. “Hey, I wanted to run something by you.”
Choso looked at you curiously. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I’ve decided on what I want to start my sleeve, and I want you to do it.”
He nodded. “Whatever you want, I will do for you. What did you have in mind?”
You leaned your head against his shoulder. “I was thinking of a pair of cranes, the ones you like.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well, they’re pretty, they remind me of you, and don’t you know they mate for life?”
Choso pulled away to look at you. “Are you trying to say something?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know, weather boy.” You nipped his shoulder then kissed it. “And if I were saying what I think you think I’m saying, you’d definitely know. I have a flair for the dramatic.”
He exhaled a laugh through his nose. “I know you do. And if I were to say what you think I think you’re saying, you’d definitely know too.”
“Glad we’re on the same page,” you chuckled. “But will you tattoo me or not, you talented, beautiful man?”
“It would be my honor to do that for you.”
You smiled at him and kissed his cheek. “Hey, Choso?”
“Yeah?”
“I really, really love you.”
He smiled and pressed his forehead to yours. “Yeah,” he said, “me too.”