WHAT'S THE GIG?... little bits and pieces of toji being in a relationship with a pretty lil' stripper.
featuring... toji x stripper!reader
WHAT'S THE MOVE?... THE MORNING by THE WEEKND. reader is black. shiu is a little annoying here. suggestive scenes[1]. mention of wine [not consumed, just mentioned].
luvrs note: thought of this on a whim, but I'm pretty proud of it.
girl, put in work.
toji, who didn't expect to find himself strung up over a stripper after his best friend's birthday.
"smitten over sweet nothing's, toji?" shiu asked, boredom written across his face as he watched toji space out for the nth time that day.
it's been a week since they'd left that strip club. a week since shiu's birthday celebration.
yet, it somehow seems like toji enjoyed the damn event more than the poor birthday boy, who only got a few pretty words from the pretty ladies before they walked off.
poor guy mentioned it being his birthday, and only got a dismissive "okay" in return.
toji turns his head, summer breeze crossing his cheeks. "shut up."
toji, who carelessly brought into the pretty dreams and pillow talk, regardless of his best friends' concern.
"thought you were outta money?" shiu asked.
toji glanced at him. "w'made you think that?"
shiu's eyes narrowed. "spent it all last time we were at the club. for my birthday. or d'you drink all your memory away?"
toji shakes his head. "another gig came up, that's all."
"that paid enough money for you to go back to that expensive ass club?" shiu asks.
he nods like it's obvious. "wouldn't have gone any other way."
patient and tired, shiu only sighed. "don't get caught up in nothin' crazy. i ain't bailing you out of anything."
toji laughs. "some friend you are."
toji, who remembers the exact night he finally got you to leave that damned club and see him in broad daylight.
"...lest you scared of a lil' drama?"
seeing toji back in your club wasn't something that surprised you.
he and one of his friends - who you paid little to no mind - were here almost two weeks ago.
not that the timeline really mattered to you.
you're far more interested in whatever toji has up his sleeve.
your head tilted, pretty lashes batting up at toji. "what drama?"
he shrugs lazily, music booming and lights fading between one another. "from management... or whoever 'sposed to be above you."
"what, you think i'm gonna get in trouble if i'm seen out with you?" you muse.
"don't know. would you?" toji asks.
you take a sip of your drink - one he brought you, and swore he wouldn't touch - before rolling your eyes. "this a half-assed attempt at askin' me out?"
toji's head falls onto the heel of his palm. "is it workin'?"
looking him up and down, you smile slyly. deciding to give him the time of say, you say, "a lil' bit."
"good to know."
toji, who only seemed to fall for you even more as he learned more and more about you.
"wine tastin'?" toji echoed, brow raised in suspicion.
you nod shamelessly. "ain't that what i just said?"
chatter of surrounding conversations surrounded the two of you - you sat outside of a humble cafe you liked.
toji was initially caught off guard by it; usually when someone mentions a cafe, it's almost always pink and white. bright and visually appealing to most.
this one, however, was littered in browns, whites and greens. vining plants and colorful flowers littered the building inside and out; hummingbirds and butterflies making cheeky appearances around guests.
when he looked at you, it matched your vibe, so he couldn't complain.
still, he rolls his eyes, appearing unimpressed. "didn't know bein' an alcoholic was a hobby."
your eyes narrow. "excuse me?"
shrugging meaninglessly, his eyes drift off to the daunting sun above the two of you. "nothin'."
"don't hold your tongue now, hot-shot." you tell him, "it's a hobby, the same way killin' people's yours, ain't it?"
now, he's the one glaring. "what you just say?"
"didn't know bein' a murderer was a hobby, toji." you repeat, just barely leaning over the table.
despite your mouthiness, a wry smile stretches along his lips, scar following the movement as he says, "i guess we both learned somethin' new today."
settling into your chair, you offer a sarcastic smile. "ain't it nice, what learnin' will do?"
toji, who didn't see the big deal when he'd told shiu what you said.
"why the hell would you tell her you kill sorcerers?"
toji hummed, twirling chopsticks between his fingers casually. "'cause i felt like it."
shiu groans. "do you realize you aren't-"
"i'm not supposed to tell the general public, yada-yada." toji mocks, "what's she gonna do? tell the police?"
"you'd better hope she doesn't." shiu says, "why the hell were you even out with her to begin with?"
"oh," toji says, focusing on eating his noodles before responding. "went back to the club a few days ago, made plans."
shiu narrows his eyes. "you have got to be shitting me."
"why would i do that?" toji replied sarcastically.
toji, who happens to listen more than he'd admit.
"good shift?" toji asks, watching as you shuffle out of your place of work in little slippers and a much more comfortable outfit.
you nod. "kinda boring tonight. just used the opportunity to practice, mostly."
by habit, you hand him your duffel bag - filled to the brim with hygiene products, outfits, heels, makeup, and hair products. he takes it without a word.
because of course the two of you fell into a cycle; him waking up just early enough to walk to your club. wait about five minutes for you to come out before walking with you to the bank and heading home.
a large purse sits on your arm as you walk down the street. like always, it's likely filled with stacks of cash - even if the night was boring.
he's gotten used to this schedule you've somehow got him involved with. your night routine often overlaps with his morning routine. his night routine overlaps with your morning routine. and still, he finds time to do shit like this.
"no bruising?" toji asks, eyeing you up and down. you walking a little wonky after a shift is something he got used to; almost rare to see you walk without a mild limp any day now.
you glance at him before smiling. "someone's worried."
"answer the question." he groans groggily.
"no," you tell him. "no bruising. my old ones are a little sore, though."
"need anything?" is toji's next question.
"aside from a bath and sleep?" you shake your head, weave flowing smoothly with the movement. "nah."
he nods, crossing the street by your side. "nobody gave you trouble?"
"aside from the same jealous bitch, no." you chuckle sleepily, resting a hand on his forearm as you rub your eye. "apparently she ended up cryin' 'cause i took her pole."
"thought you said you rotated?" he asks.
now, you perk up a little. head tilted slightly, you smirk at him. "so you have been listening?"
toji smacks his lips. "not anymore."
you laugh. "i'm joking!"
toji, who didn't understand why his best friend was so caught off-guard by the next conversation they'd have about pole dancing.
"that shit ain't easy, y'know."
shiu rolls his eyes. "what point are you tryin' to prove, toji?"
"not provin' a point." toji murmurs, "just saying."
shiu sighs, clapping a hand on his friends shoulder. "sound like she talkin' for you, man."
toji glances up. "what?"
"she's messin' up your head, toji." shiu sighs, looking at toji with mild disappointment. "i mean, c'mon. when have you ever stopped to consider how hard pole dancing was?"
ignoring him, toji continued to tap away on his phone. "new perspectives don't kill nobody."
shiu's quiet for a minute - just staring. waiting for a sly grin, or toji to sike him out, as weird as it may have been. he'd have an easier time settling with toji playing a sike-out game with him instead of watching him seemingly become brainwashed.
toji, who always felt a sense of accomplishment when you'd finish sets with him at the gym.
you drop the weights, ignoring the muted thud they make against the insulated floor.
chest heaving, you stare up at the ceiling. head throbbing, arms practically ready to melt off, and a new line of strength you didn't know you could cross.
you'd just finished a set of floor-presses 'til failure - true failure. when you were initially ready to call it a day, thinking you'd truly done it until failure, you were proven devastatingly wrong.
it only took a few 'encouraging' words and a sly smile from him for you to consider pushing.
and you did.
until you met the true line of "failure".
toji's hands come into your line of sight, shielding your vision from the blinding overhead lights. you blink away surprise and sheer exhaustion.
your arms still felt heavy from the weights as you took his hand between both of yours, putting in minimal effort as he pulled you up from the chair.
stumbling slightly, you grab onto his forearm as you exhale heavily. "shit."
toji nodded, offering a smug smirk. "see? told ya you could do it."
you roll your eyes, still catching your breath. "shut up."
toji, who always found a way to ask you some kind of question.
"how d'you do that with long ass nails?" he asks.
your heels click as the morning plays in a loop behind you. your place is otherwise quiet; save for the two of you talking, of course.
you blink at him, like it's obvious. "same way you make shit work even when you injured."
his gaze narrows. "don't get smart."
you roll your eyes. "maybe don't be dumb."
"it was a genuine question." he insists.
sarcastically, you show him your hand and slowly wrap it around the base of the pole. stepping back demonstratively, you walk forward and pull yourself up, naturally falling into an air walk.
"like this, toji." you tell him, your free hand extended like you've done something magical.
toji scowls, mutters something about you being a smartass before tapping at something on his phone. he gnaws at his inner cheek, eyes scanning uselessly at the blue screen.
for the record, he doesn't remember the last sorcerer to make him struggle.
and still, he can't help but watch you from his peripheral.
toji, who'd finally told you about shiu's doubts.
"fuck 'em."
you'd said it easily. like the topic as a whole meant nothing.
which, it didn't.
not to you, anyway.
shiu wasn't your best friend. nor was he the one laying naked in bed with you, after hours of sex you wouldn't soon forget.
"y'don't care?" toji asks, almost timid.
you glance over at him. "why would i? he don't sign my check, do he?"
"alright, i get it." toji murmurs.
"i mean," you start. "you know it's real, don't you?"
toji hums. "...yeah."
you glance at him again before fully turning to straddle him again, brow raised. "you don't sound sure, toji."
he can't help the dumb grin that crosses his face. "yeah, yeah. i'm sure."
leaning down to kiss him, you match his expression. "good."
toji, who expected nothing good from shiu after he broke the news to 'em.
"...what?"
toji nods. "you heard me."
"why?" shiu almost demands.
"why i'm marryin' 'er, or why's she pregnant?" toji asks, a mild snarkiness behind it.
shiu forces himself to blink. "what're you gonna do about megumi-"
"he'll just have another sibling," toji says. "and a mama. win-win."
"do you not believe how insane that is?" shiu asks, pacing along the wooden bridge.
below them, sits a calm lake - ducks quack, dipping below the water to mess with their feathers before coming back up quickly.
toji watches them for a minute before shaking his head. "no, not really."
"she's a stripper!" shiu insists, "toji, you met her at a club months ago, man. she whispered sweet nothin's to you."
"yeah," toji nods along. "now she's bearin' my kid, with my last name."
shiu laughs - unimpressed. "you're insane."
toji shrugs. "maybe."
"toji, man," shiu runs a hand down his face. "why'd you call me here? hmm?"
"oh," toji hums. "wanted to ask you to be my best man."
toji, who didn't expect to be in a relationship with the same stripper who initially did nothing but string him along.
luvrs note p.2: i would def write a separate piece detailing toji and stripper!readers' pregnancy journey, or maybe the after results with lil megumi & his new baby sibling [probably a sister, knowing me]
It is by no means cheaper to craft your own clothes btw, it's just that every piece is special and dear and well loved, and every time you wear or clean them you feel all the work you've put into them
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