Chapter Text
It’s late in the evening, but you find yourself unable to sleep. In the end you give up, sitting in bed and reading. The sound of a quiet knock on the door makes you jump slightly.
Hesitating, you get out of bed, smoothing your pyjamas down as you creep towards the door. You listen for a moment, not hearing anything before opening the door a crack. The lamp light from your room slices across the corridor, illuminating Inumaki’s figure.
“Oh, what are you doing here this late?” You open the door further.
“Kelp.” He responds, holding up a flask. His voice sounds hoarse and painful, but he smiles anyway.
You stand aside to let him in “Somehow that raises more questions than it answers.”
He sits at the chair by your desk, watching as you set a couple of small mugs in front of him.
“Did you just get back?”
He nods, handing you a cup of sweet smelling tea. He tilts his head, catching your eyes and giving you an expectant look. You turn to move away from him, nervous that if he held eye contact too long, he'd be able to watch all your nightmares.
“I just can’t sleep. No specific reason.” You sit on the edge of your bed. “Thank you.” You sigh deeply, the warmth of honey-laced tea spreading through your chest. “How’d you know I was awake?”
He points to the lamp, then reaches for his own cup.
“Ah, right. I was just going to read until I felt tired. I’d ask you to knock me out again, but you’ve said enough.”
He responds with a rueful smile.
“It’s alright. It’s kind of nice just sitting around with you, even if you don’t say much.”
His smile grows into a crooked grin, and it’s enough to make you wonder if what you said was embarrassing.
“Whatever you’re saying, shut up.”
Behind the rim of his cup, a ragged laugh escapes his lips and you roll your eyes at him.
You watch him quietly as he keeps smiling into his drink. He looks up at you after a few minutes, the gentle light of the lamp planting golden highlights in his eyes and hair.
“Tuna mayo?”
He’s returning your gaze with soft eyes, and while you’re not really sure what he’s referring to, you’re inclined to agree.
“Yeah…” you frown, thinking about his voice, thin and hoarse. “You must be in pain all the time, Toge.”
He shrugs, as if to say he was used to it. “Salmon.”
“Oh, you’re tougher than you look, huh?”
He winks at you, sly grin returning.
The pair of you finish the tea, both of you taking your time. Your almost one-sided conversation ambles on until late into the night. As he leaves, you encourage him to rest for a few days.
You drive quietly, a student sitting in the passenger seat. The quiet is disturbed by a loud growl of their stomach, and you laugh at their startled expression.
“Let’s get you fed before we think about exorcising anything, Mizuki.”
“Ah, it’s fine.” She looks down at her hands.
“Come on, no curses on an empty stomach.”
You pull up outside a convenience store, sending her along to pick out some food. While you wait for her to return, you browse the shelves yourself, picking up a few snacks of your own.
Pausing in the next aisle, you gaze at the shelf in front of you. Without thinking, you take a tube of throat lozenges from the shelf.
“Oh, are those for sensei?”
You jump at the sound of your student at your side, feeling your face warm up. “Come on, let’s go and pay.” You don’t wait, hurrying up the aisle towards the cashier.
In between mouthfuls from the bento box you bought her, Sato fires questions at you.
“You’re a graduated sorcerer, right? Why are you working as a manager?”
You smile at the blunt question “Because I don’t like my cursed technique.”
She frowns “What’s wrong with it?”
You think about it for a moment. For one moment, you were in Sato’s place, running headlong into danger with no real concept of the suffering you could face, overzealous and desperate to do better, completely misguided as you face something stronger than anyone involved realised. You relive the enduring agony that transcended your physical form and left fractures in your psyche that you still have to bear; once again you meet that instance where you hit a limit you don’t want to push past, just for one second. The next moment, you smile across at her “It’s too close range, and I don’t like getting beaten up by higher grade curses when I move in to use it.”
“Get Inumaki sensei to teach you to fight better.” She narrows her eyes at you, smirking.
You pat the top of her head “He’s busy teaching you kids, and exorcising bigger curses than I can be bothered with.”
She pouts.
“What’s that face? I like my job. I get to watch you do all the work.” You point to the car, and she shuffles along to get into the passenger seat.
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Hey, just because I’m not a teacher doesn’t mean you can ask me things like that! You brat… don’t I look out for you enough to not get this disrespect?” you start driving.
“It’s because I like you that I think it would be cute if you went out with sensei.”
You start the car, trying not to get distracted. “Don’t gossip about your teachers.”
“Gojo sensei gossips about you…” she mutters.
You resist the urge to press further on what he gossips about. “I don’t think anyone would recommend you following his example. Focus on getting that strong like him if you want to be able to say whatever you want.”
“Can I practice sparring with you, since we’re both weak?”
“I would have said yes if you hadn’t phrased it like that.” You shake your head, turning a corner.
“There’s only three of us in the first year, I have to wait for the other two to finish practising before I get to fight them.”
“If you exorcise this curse without getting hurt, I’ll come and practice with you.”
She cheers, and when you arrive and lower a curtain around the area, she runs off with renewed enthusiasm.
You can’t help but laugh when she returns unscathed, doing a victory lap and demanding a duel as soon as you return to the school. It’s not late by the time you get back, so you oblige and trail behind her towards an empty practice room.
Eventually, she sprawls out on the floor, panting. “Maybe I didn’t win, but you didn’t beat me either.”
You stand over her with a grin “I’m not battering a student just to prove a point.”
“What point?”
You swing the wooden pole around in the air “The point is… I’ve still got it. I would have resigned if I got beaten up by a kid.”
“I’m your favourite student, aren’t I?” She sits up.
You look at her, a bright eyed, mischievous girl who toed the line with a knowing grin. She was ever so slightly pushed out to the sidelines by her classmates but, unlike you, she was never quite ready to give in. You should have been like her. “I don’t have favourites.”
She reasoned that as you weren’t a teacher, it was okay to have favourites.
“Alright, then you’re my favourite. You know, you’d like Kugisaki, if you ever get to go on an assignment with her. What about me?” You help her up “I’m your favourite manager, right?”
She hums “I like Nitta.”
You drop her onto the floor again “What about me?”
“You’re Inumaki sensei’s favourite. I asked him, I’m pretty sure he said yes. Gojo sensei said he doesn’t have a favourite because you’re all weak, you scold him, and refuse to laugh at his jokes. He might just have been trying to upset Ijichi though.”
“I’m starting to miss Kyoto. No one openly insulted me there.” You extend your hand to her as she gets to her feet again. “Practice is over now.”
Seeing her off to her dorm, you return to your own room exhausted.
It’s early in the morning when you set out, Inumaki and Sato buckled into your car, towards a woodland area recently afflicted with a curse. Eventually the road becomes rough and tapers away, so you park, and the three of you begin walking through the trees.
“Do you think we’ve gone far enough?” You look up at the dappled, pale sunlight slipping through the canopy.
“Salmon.”
“I’m ready!”
You extend your fingers, eyes fixed on what you can see of the sky as the curtain forms.
With Sato running deep into the woods, you’re left in silence with Inumaki. You glance at him, seeing that he’s already watching you with a smile. Beginning to walk through the trees, you return the smile shyly. “Did you rest for a few days? You sounded rough last time I saw you.”
“…Salmon.” His voice is still deep and rough, but he tries his best to speak normally.
“Well, that’s not convincing, is it?” You sidle closer to his side. He makes no move to distance himself, instead, nudging you playfully with his shoulder. Taking the throat lozenges you bought recently from your jacket, you slip your hand into his pocket. He startles at the feeling of your hand brushing against his thigh, but when he realises that you’ve given him something, he smiles, siding his own hand into the pocket and intertwining it with yours.
“Sensei!” A shriek from somewhere deeper in the woods rings out.
“Ikura!” Inumaki’s eyes snap forwards, but unable to see, he begins to run.
Hand still clasped in his, you don’t hesitate to run with him, knowing he had over exerted himself too often recently.
You see Sato thrashing about on the ground, fighting not to be dragged into a mass of vines by a sentient bramble wound around her ankles.
“Don’t move!” Inumaki spits at it, blood already sprayed over his lips.
“Sensei, there’s more than one out there!”
His eyes scan the area, narrowing when he spots something further in the shadows and running off in pursuit.
The curse gripping Sato freezes, but she continues to howl in pain, hands bloodied as she scrambles to try and pull the tendrils off. You lurch forwards, blade ready. With a viscous slash, you sever the vine, rounding on the source.
The mass of vines condenses into a thicket around one large eye. Its pupil quivers as it tries to fight against Inumaki’s curse.
“Perfect.” You hold the handle in both hands, raising it high before plunging it directly into the centre.
Cursed technique: Death by one thousand cuts.
With its most vulnerable spot impaled, your attack replicates itself everywhere cursed energy flows, making it screech, slowly regaining movement. It blunders, trying to wind its vines around the wound, but still restricted. Just as Inumaki’s command lapses, you withdraw the knife.
The curse clutches at its eye, only for its screams to be renewed as new slashes begin to tear faster around its body from the inside. It chases each new wound, trying to heal itself, only for yet another cut to sever its vines. Among the leaves and bark flying off, its cursed energy bleeds out. The weaker it becomes, the faster the cuts appear, travelling like a spark of wildfire over a parched field.
By the time the curse has disintegrated, you’ve turned to Sato, inspecting the thorny shackles embedded into her legs. Inumaki stands over you, a strange smoky smell clinging to his clothes. She sobs quietly, apologising to both of you.
“Don't worry, this is why we're here. You were asking about this the other day; see how inefficient my cursed technique is? It’s better if I’m just the manager that lets you bleed over their car…” you sigh, hauling her off the ground and helping her over Inumaki’s shoulder.
“Takana.”
“It’s okay, Mizuki, Inumaki sensei has you. We’ll get the medical office to remove those, rather than me hacking away at them, okay? Can you bear it a little while longer?”
She nods, hanging limply across the back of his shoulders.
Between the two of you, you help her back into the car. After closing the door gently, you’re surprised to find yourself pressed against it. Your heart pounds as Inumaki appraises you from such a short distance.
“I’m okay. It’s you two that need checking over.”
He leans in closer, and you panic.
“Not in front of the students!” You hiss.
He continues to lean across and open your car door, looking up at you with a grin.
Your face burns, as you shove him, realising what you had said. What did you think he was doing, and why did you say later instead of no? “Just go sit in the car!”
He laughs to himself as he walks around to get into the passenger seat. After taking a few breaths, you slide into the driver’s seat.
You reach back to squeeze Sato’s hand. “It won’t be long, we’re taking you back now.”
“Salmon.”
When Sato is safely delivered to Shoko, after you spend some time sitting together while she rests and recovers, you lead Toge to the kitchen. While brewing some tea, you take the time to gently clean the blood from his lips and chin. Once he’s cleaned up, you stir honey into his tea and press the cup into his hands. His eyes are appreciative as he gazes up at you.
Neither of you talk, slumped over the counter with exhaustion as you drink.
This time, you walk him to his room, ordering him to rest properly this time, then cross the green towards your own building.
When you finish washing up and return to your bed, a message is waiting for you.
Toge😶
>I’m glad you were there today
<You would have coped fine without me
<But thanks
Toge😶
>We coped better because of you
>You should value yourself more :)
>Did you always use that knife?
<No, up until a few years ago, I had a chokutō sword with me
Toge😶
>That’s way cooler, what were you thinking?
>You’re the only manager that comes armed like a gang member
You roll your eyes, although you’re glad he’s back in a joking mood.
<Am I? Nitta has knuckle dusters, Ijichi’s got a glock.
<Strangely, it’s hard to live a peaceful life when you carry a sword around 24/7
Toge😶
>You apparently carry around medicine for me 24/7 as well
>knife in one pocket, cherry cough drops in the other
>what a gap moe trope
<Shut up.
Toge😶
>You carry those around just in case I run out?
<No.
Toge😶
>for a moment when you put your hand in my pocket I thought you were just being *really* forward about what you wanted
>Haha you care about me
<I don’t. I just bought them randomly.
<What do you mean forward about what I want??
<Why are you like this?
Toge😶
>It’s funny to me
>The kid is fine, so it’s alright for me to feel happy that you were thinking about me ^^
Your face burns, and you set your phone aside to hide your face in the pillows. Your phone continues to buzz with his teasing messages.
>Keep looking after me like that please
>You don’t have to get embarrassed over it
>It feels great lol
>I wanna hang out with you soon, when I don’t sound like a 70 year old chain smoker.
>kinda kills the mood
You sneak a look at the texts.
<Stop over exerting yourself then.
Toge😶
>You’re worrying about me~
>My heart~
A while passes between his last message and the next, and you set your book down to check it.
Toge😶
>Did you go to bed? It’s late, you don’t seem to sleep that well.
<Yep
Toge😶
>I want to tell you something.
You frown at the message, wondering what he was planning on telling you. You watch the screen, but he doesn’t seem to be typing anymore. You’re surprised by him calling you. Nervous, you answer, gingerly bringing the phone to your ear.
It’s quiet, until you hear him whisper your name.
“Toge? What is it? Are you okay?”
He hums in agreement.
“What were you going to say?”
The soft murmur of his voice caresses every corner of your mind “Have sweet dreams.”
“Oh…” your arm falls slack, dropping the phone onto the pillow beside you as you fall into a pleasant sleep.
You wake up gently, with the glow of the morning sun slowly pulling you out of your slumber. You check your phone, which had slid off the pillow and onto the bed beside you.
“I want to tell you something.” Followed by a long phone call you can barely recall a minute of, let alone 30. Despite this, you don’t feel worried, instead you find the edge has been taken off the nerves you usually begin your day with.
There’s a knock on the door to the office. Ijichi, Nitta and you raise your heads, waiting to see who has come by. You glance among each other, silently hoping that nothing stressful awaits you.
When Inumaki peers around the door, you sigh in relief.
“You’re back!”
“Kelp!” He runs over to your desk leaning across to wrap his arm around your neck, burying his face in your shoulder. He freezes, pulling back and nodding to the other two, who watch with peculiar expressions. “Kelp.”
Nitta smiles and Ijichi sighs, returning to his work. Inumaki slinks around your desk, perching on the edge in front of you.
“Good trip? You’ve been gone for a few days.”
He pulls his phone out, showing you a picture of him posing in front of a smashed up building.
“Now what was the point, knowing the curse wouldn’t show on camera? You just look like a vandal.”
He shrugs, eyes creasing with a hidden grin.
“Are you gonna take a rest now? The students are out with Gojo.”
“Salmon.” He tugs at your sleeve.
“I’m working.”
“Just go.” Ijichi mutters.
“No, let them stay.” Nitta smirks, eyes glittering with amusement from watching you over the top of her screen.
You lock your screen, standing up. “Just a quick break then.”
“Salmon!” He pushes you out of the room. With the door shut behind you, he takes your hand, pulling you outside.
Your fingers curl around his hesitantly. “What’s your rush?”
He doesn’t answer, pulling his mask off and shoving it into a pocket. He beams at you, pulling you again to encourage you to keep up.
He apparently doesn’t have any place in mind, content with just wandering around outside the deserted track, swinging your arms as you walk.
“Let’s sit down here.” You point to the base of a tree, the grass around it dappled with sun. Spreading your jacket on the ground, you sit with your legs stretched out in front of you. Next to you, Inumaki lies down, gazing up through the branches. “You’ll get bugs in your hair like that.” You chastise him, patting your lap.
He doesn’t take asking twice, shifting about until he lays his head in your lap.
“Better?”
“Salmon.” He sighs, stretching like a cat asleep in a sunbeam.
The smile on his lips spreads further when you comb your fingers through his hair idly, appreciating the silky feeling against your skin. Enjoying his apparently pliable and amenable mood, you keep toying with him, fingertips trailing down his temple and jaw. “They might have looked stupid on me, but these things suit you pretty well.” You murmur. “Kinda cute…” you poke the centre of one of the markings adorning his face. “Like buttons or something.” You do the same with the other side ”If I press both of them, does something happen, or…uh…hmm.”
He smirks up at you, then tilts his head. “Salmon.”
You're not sure. You never are, but sometimes, rarely, you can be brave. You could be brave for a change, hoping that something good might come of it one day. You lean down, quickly pecking each side.
Grinning up at you, he slowly pokes his tongue out. It’s the first time you’ve noticed the black oval symbol on the tip of his tongue. You feel your face burning, and look away, not entertaining any funny thought that may have suddenly crossed your mind.
The weight from your lap suddenly lifts, and you find yourself nose to nose with him. He quirks an eyebrow at you, waiting. The moment you edge forward, he catches your lips in a tender kiss. Feeling you start to reciprocate, his hand cradles the back of your neck, and he slips his tongue past your lips. There’s a sweet taste of cherry from the cough sweets you had slipped into his pocket the other day.
Hesitating, you rest your hands on his chest. The pounding of his heart spreads through your fingertips, reassuring you that you weren’t the only nervous one. Despite his apparent nerves, he shows no hesitation, moaning softly against your lips and deepening the kiss further.
Remembering your very public choice of location, you reluctantly press your hands against him. With one last quick kiss, Inumaki pulls back, eyes scanning your face. He lies back down with his head in your lap, grinning up at you with shining pink lips and a flushed face. You look away, hand returning to stroke his hair.
You sit together, quietly enjoying each other’s company in the sun, until you return to your office. Just before you open the door, you’re pulled back and Inumaki presses one last kiss to your lips before releasing you and heading down the corridor.
Nitta grins “Nice break?”
“It was fine.” You nod.
“Must be really warm out there.”
You clear your throat, sitting down “Yeah, it’s sunny.”
She laughs, and Ijichi rolls his eyes.
-Satoru💙💎 has added you (Kyoto Defector🗡) to “10/10 Would Trust to Break Me Out of Prison Realm❤️”
Satoru💙💎
>It’s been so long since I’ve done this with you kids… Pop quiz!
Nobara💅💁♀️
>Not playing unless I get money
Satoru💙💎
>This is better than money
>Drum roll please!
Yuta( Rika👹)
>🥁
Satoru💙💎
>Question 1! Which member of the faculty forgot how my Six Eyes worked and walked past me covered in someone else’s *highly suspicious* cursed energy residuals today as if I wouldn’t notice?
You read the message a few times, feeling your face drain of blood as you remember your strange interaction with Gojo earlier. He had stopped you in the corridor, asking questions with a strangely leading tone, and laughing in your face, until you brushed him aside to continue on your way back from your office.
-You (Kyoto Defector🗡) have left the group
-Toge😶🍙 has added you to “10/10 Would Trust to Break Me Out of Prison Realm❤️”
Satoru💙💎
>Any guesses?
>Oh, look who’s back
Nobara💅💁♀️
>This is stupid
<@Nobara💅💁♀️ agreed
Satoru💙💎
>Forfeit? Fine, another drum roll please~
Toge😶🍙
>🥁
<Should you guys encourage him like that?
Satoru💙💎
>@Kyoto Defector🗡 Don’t get loud, I’m not done ❤️
>Question 2! Which faculty member left their residuals all over the mouth of [See Question 1]?
You quickly back out of the group chat, opening your conversation with Toge.
Toge😶💕
>Come on, this is funny
<It’s really not
<I wondered why he was laughing earlier…
Toge😶💕
>I’m gonna
<Please miss at least one opportunity to troll me?
Toge😶💕
>No❤️
>Might as well play along
>It’s not like I’m gonna stop doing it😇
>If anything, it might get worse
>jk
>unless…?
You sigh, returning to the group chat.
Satoru💙💎
>Time is running out! Any guesses?
Toge😶🍙
>🙋♂️
Satoru💙💎
> Toge!
Toge😶🍙
>Correct answer! 1 point to you^^
Nobara💅💁♀️
>What?
Yuta ( Rika👹)
>Ohhhh
>I get it now
>That’s sweet!
Toge😶🍙
>@Yuta ( Rika👹) 🥰
Nobara💅💁♀️
>@Kyoto Defector🗡 why do I find out like this?
<You said these guys are boring
Satoru💙💎
>What?
Nobara💅💁♀️
>True. Are you still coming to help dye my hair?
<Be there in a minute 🧡
Nobara💅💁♀️
>🧡🧡🧡
>@Toge😶🍙 congrats on kissing my cute friend, I guess
Satoru💙💎
>”boring”?!?!
>All I do for you kids, I don’t even get told when you grow up and fall in love
>Except you @Yuta( Rika👹) it’s stressful when you do it
Yuta( Rika👹) is typing…
You put your phone away, standing to leave the room. On your way out, you bump into Toge waiting by your door with a grin on his face.
“Alright, you had your fun.” You slap his arm gently.
He pulls you close, pressing a kiss to your lips.
“Salmon?”
“I’m going. You’re not coming because your hair is already a pretty colour.” You stand on your toes to kiss his forehead.
He laughs, patting your waist to send you on your way. He leans in towards your ear as he releases you “Have a nice time. Don’t you worry about a thing.”
You laugh, a buoyant feeling filling your heart as you walk down the corridor, waving back at him. A strange idea that you might have found a place you’re brave enough to exist in comes into your head, and you feel so very warm.