⋆ ˚ : ⋆ ˚｡⋆ My roomate’s work.. ⟢
Chapter 3 : danger .𖥔 ݁ ˖
⠀☽ ‧₊˚ミ☆ synopsis: Ever since you and Choso became roommates, he's been going out far more often than usual. At first, you didn't think much of it. Everyone needed space sometimes. But lately, he's been coming home at four in the morning with bloodshot eyes, crumpled bills stuffed into his pockets, and a strange scent clinging to his clothes. You tell yourself there's a reasonable explanation. After all, you've known Choso since childhood. He isn't reckless.
He would never start smoking… right?
WARNING : MDNI, plug!choso, roomatechoso, smoking, fem!reader, both of yall are in not so good financial situation, choso and reader are both 18+, stoner!toji, and stoner!sukuna mention. College no curse au, violence, getting high, choso is lowk nonchalant, reader got an attitude, Hints of sub!choso dom!choso ( most of the times but in some cases..) prideful reader. blood, (obviously, it’s a choso fic lol) bruises and scars mention, lots of plot before..you know what.. not proofread!
Pairings: roomateplug!choso x fem!reader
Note from the author: hii guys! I decided to change my writing style to a more compressed look if you get what i mean, so it may appear shorter than the previous chapters but I promise it’s just as filled as them! Anyways i took a liking to watching youtuber’s anime reaction videos and theories, that’s how i gather more information and headcanons about characters I wanna write about lol.
Ps: Couldn’t find the artist please help ..also listen to FREAKED OUT by Fat papi and All That Matters by Justin Beiber!
Is that a fucking strip club?
₊˚ ‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵˚₊
People lingered outside, smoking, laughing in clusters.
Choso was frozen in place.
The building looked like it had personally offended him, for several seconds, he simply stared, first at the sign.
Then at Toji.
Then back at the sign.
Sukuna noticed immediately, the smirk on his face returned, amused.
Toji stretched his arms above his head and walked toward the entrance like this was the most normal place in the world. Skipping the long line next to him. Then he glanced back, "Relax."
Choso narrowed his eyes.
"You're not gonna get naked."
Choso blinked.
That was NOT reassuring..
"Delivery's here," Toji announced, not to anyone outside. But loud enough for security by the door to react, a security guard by the entrance nodded once and stepped aside, opening the velvet rope.
Complains from the people in front that have been waiting for hours were muffled in Choso’s mind, he was hesitating, just long enough to earn another amused look from Sukuna.
"Problem?" Sukuna asked.
His voice was low, almost teasing.
Choso stared at him for a moment..then sighed, a long tired sigh.
"No."
He absolutely had a problem.
But explaining it sounded exhausting, so instead, he just followed Toji inside.
And Sukuna? He didn’t join them yet. He only lit up another blunt, leaning against a pillar, taking a slowwww drag outta that shit before blowing the smoke into the night sky.
…
It was late.
Far later than you expected, Utahime's recommendation had turned out to be a terrible idea. Not because the show was bad, but the opposite, you ended up watching episode after episode until the screen literally begged you to sleep. After finally parting yourself away from it, you wandered into the kitchen, half asleep and thirsty. You grabbed a bottle of water and drank, then immediately felt guilty, every drop counted these days…
Or at least, it used to.
Your hand paused on the refrigerator door.
Bottles.
Four of them lined neatly on the shelf.
You blinked, then looked again.
"...What?"
A small gasp escaped you.
‘When had those gotten there?’
Then it clicked.
Choso.
You remembered seeing grocery bags beside the fridge when you came back from your job earlier.
A smile slowly spread across your face, of course…
Ever since finding that job, he'd been bringing things home, food, groceries, thigs you used to stare at in stores before quietly putting them back.
A warm feeling settled in your chest, carefully closing the fridge, you made your way down the hallway.
Maybe.. he'd actually be home tonight—
Wrong.
You stopped in front of his door, only to find a sheet of paper taped to it.
Got work tomorrow. Don't wake me up.
Beneath the message was a poorly drawn doodle,you stared at it then laughed quietly.
"Is that supposed to be you?"
The doodle just silently stared back at you.
A pause.
Then, slowly, you rested your hand against the door.
"...Thank you." The words barely rose above a whisper, your cheeks warmed immediately afterward, simply because…
You felt cared for, in a way that felt different from when it was you, him and Yuji.
After a moment, you rushed back to your room.
Still smiling..still embarrassed.
And eventually fell asleep..
Meanwhile—
Music shook the walls.
It was quite litterally pulsing through the floor, red lights flashed across the crowded place.
Choso smelled nothing but alcohol, sweat and perfumes that were too strong for his nostrils.
Yikes.
He kept his head lowered as he moved through the club, scanning faces with one glance, looking for the person he was supposed to find, as soon as he entered the club he already couldn’t wait to leave.
This wasn't his world.
And it never would be.
Some women danced on stages, almost naked and barely covered by pink sparkly bikinis—
"WOOO YEAH BABY!”
"POP A TIT!"
Men were thirsting, barking nonsenses at the dancers while throwing money at their feet. One dancer spun with one leg locked onto the a pole the other up in the air earning a wave of cheers.
Choso didn't even glance in her direction, his attention stayed on the crowd.
Hands reaching for drinks..
Or bodies.
Shady people passing by.
Exits.
It was an old habit of his.
The music was too loud, the lights flashed too much, and the smell of liquor made his head hurt.
A burst of laughter suddenly erupted behind him,
Before he could react, 2 women had already spotted him, giggling with one another, then one of them spoke, "hey baby, what are you doing all alone?"
She grabbed his arm.
Another leaned against his shoulder, whispering something into his ear.
Choso blinked, …baby?
"W-What?"
The woman stared at him, then laughed.
Apparently whatever she said was supposed to be funny, or maybe flirtatious? He wasn't entirely sure.
He quickly got away as soon as their attention turned to another man.
Meanwhile—
Toji looked perfectly comfortable.
A woman with long dark hair approached him immediately. "Toji~!" She pouted dramatically, "you never visit anymore."
Toji dropped into a chair near the bar, manspreading, stretching lazily. Smirking before glancing at her from the side.
"M'sorry, sweetheart."
His voice was smooth, too smooth..
"I've been busy." The woman rolled her eyes, clearly not believing a word.
"Actually..."
Toji patted his pockets, then frowned. "Damn."
"forgot my wallet."
Choso couldn’t comprehend what was happening.
"Hey,” Toji then spoke to a group of women near the bar, “think one of you lovely ladies could buy me something?"
then pointed toward the drinks menu.
"Maybe a cocktail?"
"Hold the alcohol though."
The women erupted in a giggling mess.
They basically fell on top of each other rushing to treat that dirty rat.
Like…seriously girls?
high heels clicking like gunshots.
One of them was already reaching for her purse.
Another offered to buy two.
As hands reached out and patted his cheek like he was some adorable stray puppy who’d shown up hungry.
Toji looked far too pleased with himself.
Across the room, Choso watched this circus play in silence.
Package tucked under his arm, expression completely blank.
What a rat..
The thought came so naturally it almost surprised him, minutes passed.
Choso was confused, was Toji seriously going to leave him standing there all night? His eyes felt heavy, the music was loud enough to echo through his heartbeats, the muffled bass beat in his ears made him more aware of how exhausted he was.
And at this moment?
He envied you.
Right now you were probably asleep, curled up inside a blanket, safe and comfortable. Far away from places like this.
..At least the money was worth it.
At least he was providing.
Providing for the apartment.
For Yuji..
For—
His jaw tightened.
For you..
As his eyes started to close shut, something slammed into his shoulder, hard.
Choso's head snapped up immediately. His muscles tensing, for a split second he thought someone was trying to start a fight.
But instead—
Sukuna stood beside him.
His tall frame covering the blinding colored lights that was beginning to irritate him, the man's eyes were slightly red from whatever he'd been smoking outside. He looked mad but didn't speak.
Didn't explain.
Didn't acknowledge Choso's glare.
Instead he just continued walking deeper into the club, the crowd instinctively parting for him like he was royalty or some kind of king walking through.
Lmao, as if.
Sukuna never looked back, never checked if Choso was following.
He simply lifted one hand.
Follow.
That was all.
Choso sighed, then followed.
Toji finally noticed mouvement across the bar, still sat, still being a rat. He only smirked while drinking his virgin cocktail
The VIP section could be slightly seen behind a curtain of dark velvet.
Quieter.
But somehow more intimidating.
Leather booths laying around the black walls.
Champagne chilling in silver buckets filled with ice.
A woman and a man who’s pants were down to his ankles for some reasons hurried out the moment Sukuna and Choso entered.
Sukuna ignored them completely, he dropped onto one of the couches, sprawling across it like he was at home.
One arm stretched along the backrest. Manspreading, legs almost taking up the whole couch.
Like DAMN sir?
Head tilted back, exposing his throat.
Eyes closed.
A low grunt left his throat.
Then—
He opened one eye.
Looked directly at Choso.
And pointed toward the empty seat across from him.
No explanation.
Just a finger.
The message couldn't have been clearer.
Sit.
For understable reasons, Choso suddenly regretted not actually delivering packages.
Choso sat down with a groan, finally able to rest his feet. He looked over at Sukuna. The tanned man had bloodshot eyes, veins almost visible at his temples, mumbling something under his breath.
Then suddenly—
He slid a phone across the table.
Choso caught it before it could fall off the edge and examined it. He gave Sukuna a confused look. He already had a phone, so why another one?
The device was matte black, with no brand name anywhere on it. The kind of phone that couldn't be traced, probably bought with cash from some shady electronics store. There wasn't even a passcode screen. It turned on the moment Choso touched it.
The phone felt heavier than it should have.
Colder too.
Sukuna only tilted his head back against the booth and closed his eyes. When Choso looked at ihim for an explanation, the man simply stared back through half lidded eyes, his expression clearly saying:
Figure it out yourself.
Choso resisted the urge to sigh.
A moment later, Toji finally appeared, sliding into the booth across from them with a drink in hand. A bright pink cocktail with a tiny umbrella sticking out of it.
It looked ridiculous.
He took a sip.
Then glanced at the phone resting in Choso's hand.
"You'll need it."
Another sip.
"It's a burner phone. When it rings, you answer. Simple."
Choso looked down at the phone again before nodding slowly. That explained what it was.
It’s probably for deliveries.
Toji suddenly leaned forward.
"Aight, guess I gotta be the one to explain why you're here."
He jerked a thumb over his shoulder toward Sukuna.
"Since a certain someone's too pissy and stoned to explain anything."
The only response he got was a low grunt.
Without even opening his eyes, Sukuna lifted a hand and flipped him off.
Toji grinned.
"See? That's how I know he's listening."
After a pause, Toji spoke again.
"You're here to deliver the package you're holding to a client. Not just any client," he added, taking another sip of that ridiculous pink cocktail. "Rich guy. Big spender at this club every Friday night."
Then he pointed toward a metallic door at the back of the room.
"You'll hand him the goods in the underground parking lot, send him our regards."
Choso pushed himself off the couch with a grunt, adjusting the package in his hand before heading toward the door. He stopped after a few steps though, turning back around with a slight frown.
"But, why are you here?" He wondered
"Don't make me beat the hell outta you."
Sukuna cracked his knuckles.
"Go."
Toji sighed and pulled out his phone.
"Don't pay attention to him. He's grumpy when he's hungry."
"But he's always—"
"Exactly."
He didn't even bother looking up from whatever was on his screen.
"We're here because we wanted to be, alright?"
The answer clearly wasn't an answer at all.
Toji only waved him off dismissively.
"Send us a text when you're done."
…
The parking lot was even darker than the one next to his apartment.
Expensive cars lined up in perfect rows, their hood reflecting the pale lights on the ceiling. The entire place looked shady.
Then again, it was the perfect place for shady business.
Choso walked slowly through the lot, a quiet shadow making his way toward a corner. The muffled music from the club faded with every step, finally giving his ears a break.
After a few minutes of waiting, exhaustion started catching up to him.
His hands remained tucked comfortably inside his hoodie pockets while he buried part of his face beneath the hood to keep warm. The night air was colder than he expected.
For a moment, he thought about home.
About you.
About checking up on Yuji when he can.
His eyes started closing shut—
"Excuse me, sir?"
Choso jolted slightly at the sudden voice.
A woman stood a few feet away from him.
Probably one of the club's workers.
The oversized brown fur coat hanging from her shoulders looked far too large for her frame. She squinted into the darkness, trying to make out his face.
Choso blinked once.
"Who are you?"
The woman visibly froze.
The deep, tired voice seemed to catch her off guard.
"I-I was sent to get the stuff."
She hurriedly reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out a thick stack of cash.
Choso stared at it.
His hands remained in his pockets.
Completely unimpressed.
Then his gaze shifted back to her.
The woman was clutching her coat tightly around herself, as if the cold wind might freeze her on the spot.
For a second, Choso wondered why anyone would willingly dress like that in weather this cold.
Her cheeks were pink from the cold, and her nose looked slightly red. The fur coat was clearly not hers, it had a tag on the inside with a designer name Choso didn’t recognize.
His tired eyes met hers, she looked away, swallowing before opening her mouth.
"Um… you’re with him, right? The big guy? with pink hair?"
She meant Sukuna, obviously.
Choso nodded in response,
He expected some rich looking old man not some shivering worker half naked infront of him.
But honestly, he couldn’t care less anymore. He was tired out of his mind, so he didn’t question anything and reached for the stack of bills.
Without warning—
The woman dropped the stack of cash.
Bills scattered across the ground, few of them immediately caught by the wind.
Frozen.
Then her expression changed.. horror.
She couldn’t pronounce a single word.
Before Choso could say anything, she turned around and ran.
His eyes followed her figure rushing back inside the club.
Something felt wrong..
The feeling barely had time to settle before movement flashed through the corner of his eye.
His instincts kicked in, the same ones that kept him and yuji alive this long in this damn city.
THUMP!
A foot hit the back of his arm that he used to block the sudden attack.
The impact made him slightly slide back, his boots scratching the concrete, barely catching himself against a black car with cold metal under his palm.
What the fuck??
He grunted in surprise and pain.
but didn’t fall.
He looked around fast, hood flying off, and saw a figure lunging at him again.
Tall.
In all black,
With gloves on.
Large hood covering the stranger’s face.
Choso clenched his fists.
His tiredness wiped off by survival instincts.
The random man lunged at him, aiming for his jaw this time.
Choso had no idea what he was doing.
His body moved before his brain could catch up.
The second the figure lunged at him again, he stepped aside on instinct and threw a punch.
His fist connected with the man's stomach, harder than he intended.
The impact forced a rough sound from the stranger's throat as the air left his lungs.
For a moment, Choso thought that would be enough.
It wasn't.
The man straightened back up almost immediately.
Then—
He laughed.
A cracked, uneven giggle.
The sound sent a chill down Choso's spine.
It was familiar, something about it scratched the back of his tired brain.
The stranger rolled his shoulders and lunged again, looking almost excited.
Like getting punched had made the situation more fun.
Choso frowned.
What kind of person reacted like that?
His position shifted instinctively as he prepared to dodge the next attack.
Then—
The metallic THUMP of the door behind them echoed through the parking lot.
The man didn’t stop,
Too.. into the fight to care about the door that just opened.
He just swung a fist at Choso’s face, earning a grunt in response, he didn’t move fast enough to dodge this one.
But the adrenaline covered the pain,
Atleast for now.
In one motion of his hand, Choso held a fistful of his dark hoodie, It had holes in it.
Big enough to catch glimpses of his arms, and what seemed to be healed scars stitched around them. More giggles erupted from inside the hoodie, the kind that could drive somebody mad, even more mad than this laughing freak!
Before Choso could land a punch.
the deep voice he knew so well echoed behind him.
"Leave that fucker for me."
He didn’t even have time to turn around—
BAM.
The sound of a fist connecting with skin echoed through the parking lot.
When he turned back around to look at the stranger,
He found him gone.
Meters away from where he was origin standing, now on the floor. Sukuna who had blood covered knuckles laughed,
Toji, slightly sweaty, who was a few blocks behind, held the package Choso had in hands a moment ago. Where was it during the fight?
Before Choso could ask anything Sukuna spoke again, irritated this time. Like always..
"Stand up, fool."
The strange man was already getting on his feet again. The laughing getting fainter now. He held his head high, droplets of blood falling from the hoodie.
"Aw, no fair." He spat out blood, "I was only supposed to handle a scary quiet dude with bun buns!"
…scary quiet dude with bun buns? Was this how whoever sent him described Choso?
Sukuna turned around slightly,
Taking one single glance at Choso.
Up and down.
Then he turned his attention back to the weirdo.
"Bun buns?"
Sukuna mocked,
He cracked his neck with a sickening pop, his knuckles still dripping blood from the brutal punch he’d just landed.
Then—
He moved, one step at a time.
The attacker barely had time to scream before he was knocked flat again, this time hard enough that his hoodie slipped halfway off revealing a wild grin beneath it, crazy mismatched eyes wide open like a madman.
Choso was good at recognising people just from a look at them.
But he froze the moment he caught a glance of his face.
Mahito.
The same guy who somehow turned every game night into complete chaos.
After graduation, they'd drifted apart. Choso knew Mahito never cared much for college, but seeing him here now...
Like this...
What the hell happened to him?
Then again...
...Like I'm one to talk.
Toji walked up next to Choso, leaning against a nearby luxury car, completely unbothered.
"Yo."
Choso looked his way.
Toji smirked and opened his mouth to let out another nonsense at the poor tired man.
"Ten bucks says Sukuna knocks this clown out in two hits."
"..what?"
Choso was tired out of his mind, couldn’t even think properly anymore, but was he really betting right now?
He could only give Toji a confused look,
"Never bet before, huh?" Toji said, with a teasing voice. "Man… you’re missing out."
He held up a finger.
"Look, you don’t even gotta think,"
"Just say yes or no, easy."
He didn’t understand betting,
Didn’t care about what was happening right now.
All he cared about was not passing out on the cold ground.
"no..?"
That probably wasn’t the good choice but who cares? Not Choso that’s for sure.
Toji let out a laugh now talking to himself, "He must not know who Sukuna is."
One hit.
BAM! right to the jaw.
The man hoped back,
"What a beast!" He laughed, wiping his smiling mouth with the back of his hand, "I never felt a hit that hard in my soul!" then crouched down slightly, ready to charge at Sukuna.
That clown was basically a dummy for him.
it was impressive how his hoodie was still covering the rest of his face.
One hit left.
Sukuna warmed up, cracking his knuckles.
As if they were in a boxing ring. Mahito bounced at him, then—
CRACK!
In a flash Sukuna’s fist connected with Mahito’s guts, grinning like he was starting to enjoy it aswell.
The mysterious guy legs were like jelly. Most people would’ve been knocked out cold after a hit like that from Sukuna.
But somehow he was still there.
Still standing.
Still breathing.
Even more shocking he laughed again. A wheeze that echoed through the parking lot.
Sukuna’s eye twitched.
That wasn’t normal.
Nobody should be able to take that much of his punches and still function.
Toji smirk slowly faded, lowering the package in his hands.
"Damn it."
Realizing he lost,
Again.
It wasn’t even the first time this week, Hell it wasn’t even the first time today. He’d bet on boat racing this morning, lost it too.
He could only exhale through his nose, searching in his pockets, slapping the crumpled bill on the hood of the car next to Choso.
Who was starting to fall asleep.
Sukuna smiled, as if this fight was starting to cover his irritation.
"You’re resistant, good job."
He walked over to mahito. Clenching his fist, then in a swift motion—
He lunged it toward him, but before it could reach him, mahito quickly dodged it to stand behind Sukuna.
BAM!
The back of his shoe connected with Sukuna’s spine, earning a slight grunt.
For the first time all night, something flickered across Sukuna’s face.
Not pain, but shock that this clown had dodged his punch and countered like a trained fighter.
Mahito breathed heavily despite grinning, he was clearly proud of himself.
Sukuna just turned around slowly, staring at him, then—
He smirked, raising a brow.
"is that all you got? Kukuku.."
Sukuna always had this weird laugh whenever he was excited..
"Is this the best they sent here?"
Mahito only chuckled, bouncing on his feet.
"Don’t worry,"
He then turned around and gave Choso a creepy smile, strands of silver gray hair falling down his face.
"we’re just getting started."
Choso frowned, fully awake now, thick eyebrows knitting together.
We??
The moment he took to look at Choso was enough for Sukuna to strike again.
The smirk on Mahito’s face lasted exactly one second.
WHAM.
His elbow slammed into his ribs with brutal force, the sound loud and sickening. The man’s eyes widened, a sharp gasp escaping him as he crumpled to his knees.
He fell back, laying on the cold concrete.
His hoodie finally dropped down, for the first time all night, Choso could see him clearly.
A Bloody face.
Two old scars crossed his face.
One ran vertically along his left cheek.
The other stretched across the upper half of his face, both looking old and poorly stitched together.
Mahito stared blankly at the parking lot lights above him.
"Pathetic," Sukuna said. "You didn't even last ten minutes."
Those were the last words he heard before passing out.
Toji walked over to him, casually kicking his already beaten up face to the side with his foot.
"Stupid bastard, you should’ve gone down after the first hit."
He sighed,
"Made me lose a bet against a newbie."
Mahito didn’t respond, he was out cold.
Choso however, was still confused.
Not about the bet, he didn’t care about that.
But about the reason why Mahito, his high school friend was sent to beat him up.
"What’s going on?"
He turned to the two men.
Sukuna glanced at Choso over his shoulder, not answering right away.
Both him and Toji looked at each other for a moment, then he finally spoke, bluntly.
"The client, he warned us."
Choso let out a confused "huh?"
Sukuna crossed his arms. "Rich guy who brought from us? He said someone might come after you. Said he had enemies, and people sent assassins to deal with it."
He pointed to Mahito’s unconscious body with a move of his head.
"He was probably here to steal that package along with the money."
After a minute, Toji spoke, scooping up the bills that were still laying on the floor.
"So, we came to watch your back."
The words sounded strange.
Watch my back?
Choso didn't answer, he just stared, the concept felt unfamiliar.
His entire life had been spent looking after someone else.
Watching Yuji.
Protecting you.
Making sure the people he cared about were safe.
He couldn't remember the last time someone had stepped in front of danger for him.
Toji hadn't said it with a smile, he probably meant to make sure the package doesn’t get stolen.
Choso knew that.
Yet...
Something settled in his chest anyway.
For a fast moment, standing in a dark parking lot next to two criminals and an unconscious idiot laying across the pavement...
He felt safe.
₊˚ ‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵˚₊
A minute later, they left the parking lot.
None of them were particularly interested in dealing with the unconscious body they'd left behind. Cleaning up wasn't part of the job.
Coming back to the club was strange, the music was loud. Nobody had any idea of what was happening in that parking lot. After giving the package to a bouncer standing next to one of the VIP lounge, probably the client’s.
They headed toward the car. Toji's hand shot out and firmly pressed against Choso’s chest, stopping him mid reach for the driver’s side door. "Nah," Toji said. "You look like a freshly dead man," He jerked a thumb toward the back seat.
"Go sit down."
Choso blinked at him, too tired to argue. His eyes were half lidded, movements slow. He hadn’t realized how drained he was until right now, the fight, the stress, staying up all night… it had finally caught up to him.
Sukuna slammed the passenger door shut and dropped into the seat beside Toji, arms crossed tightly over his chest. "I’m hungry." He simply stated in an angry tone. As if he were a king who expected servants to bring food to his lips. "of course you are." Toji chuckled “Alright, Your Majesty." he said sarcastically, turning the wheel and pulling out of the parking lot.
Sukuna glared out the window like it personally offended him that there were no drive-thru signs in sight yet. Choso leaned into the passenger seat, the cold night breeze moving loose strands of hair that were resting on his face, slowly letting himself relax for once.
Toji drove with one hand on the wheel, phone in the other, scrolling mindlessly without a care in the world about getting pulled over.
The city lights flashed past the car as they drove down quiet streets, only streetlamps illuminating Choso’s sleeping face in the passenger seat, Toji glanced at him in his rearview mirror.
After he tapped his phone one last time he dropped it on his lap "Alright, the food should be dropped in 30." He said in a lazy voice, scratching the corner of his mouth. Sukuna’s brow twitched slightly.
"You fucking ordered?"
A growl could be heard through his irritated voice, Sukuna was a man with a taste for luxury, despite his job, he hated ordering, especially if Toji was the one choosing the dish. The meat never reached his expectations. His face came near Toji’s, glaring at him through possibly deadly crimson eyes. "Why."
"'Cause." Toji sighed, reaching for his phone again. "You’d eat a whole restaurant and leave us broke if we took you to one." The light of the screen hitting his face. "You seem to forget we live on the same roof-"
"you dare talk….you gambling addict?" Sukuna leaned even closer, Toji didn’t back down.
But he also wasn’t stupid.
He knew when Sukuna was this close to throwing hands over something as dumb as food preferences "you spend our very last bill on horse races and you have the nerve to say I’m the one getting us broke?" His voice drops lower. "You gamble away money I could’ve used for steak,"
"Well my gambling money is the only thing preventing you from devouring our whole house, unlike you I try to win us a bigger amount." His knuckle turned white as he griped the steering wheel, flashing a smug smirk at Sukuna. "But of course, you’d just use it aswell for some meat." Toji adds, both of them raising their voice ever so slightly, it was dominance against dominance. Sukuna grits his teeth, seconds away from sending Toji and his cocky smile out of the window. He suddenly raises a fist,
"like you ever win us anything—"
Before he could move his hand toward the man, he pauses, catching a glance of Toji’s phone, revealing one of the delivery company he claims to "tolerate".
"…is that, the company that has the tasty ribs?" He asks.
For the first time since getting into the car, Sukuna's attention was completely focused, the murderous look was gone.
Replaced by genuine interest.
A long silence followed.
"...Maybe."
The argument died instantly.
His eyes landed on the delivery app’s logo, "Flame and meat." A place known for, juicy ribs with a spicy sauce that even Sukuna, who never complimented food unless it was perfectly to his taste. Admitted was "not bad."
Toji didn’t say anything smart this time. And Sukuna?
He didn’t say anything for a few second either, the both of them letting the silence stretch.
Then—
Sukuna grunted, a deep sound leaving his mouth, not as an insult.
But as a quiet sign of acceptance, before slowly turning his head toward the window, crossing his arms while pretending to be disinterested.
Toji exhaled through his nose, trying to hide the chuckle that was threatening to escape, he lowered his phone and kept driving. Choso on the other hand, slept like a dead man. Completely oblivious to the two men who were on the verge of starting a chaotic fight.
After a moment, The car had stopped.
Toji must’ve parked quietly, because Choso didn’t budge an inch.
Then—
WHOOSH
The passenger door swung open.
Choso jolted awake, he quickly caught himself with a hand on the seat, avoiding falling onto concrete. He blinked up at Toji's tall frame towering over him.
"We're here."
Toji stepped back, giving him enough room to climb out on his own.
"That's your apartment, right?"
He added, searching for something in his pockets.
Sukuna stayed put in the backseat like a grumpy statue, waiting.
Choso only nodded, his brows furrowed, familiar damaged brick walls, some peeled off numbers plastered on doors, yep, that’s actually his apartment complex.. he suddenly remembered, they must have been to Hakari’s place before, it wasn’t surprising they knew he lived here. He didn't even need to check his phone to know how late it was, the parking lot was quiet, except from the very few cars driving by in the distance and the sound of lights flickering under them, nobody but them and a random black cat waking gracefully past a corner, the atmosphere felt dark and silent, Choso actually liked it, he looked away for a minute.
He felt at peace finally being back home, but, his muscles tensed again, the pain on his face suddenly striking aftemr all this time not paying attention to it. He hissed a little as he brushed with a finger the bruise on his cheek, he lifted his head to look at the two men, then—
"...Is this..." he hesitated.
"...going to happen a lot?"
He asked.
The question hung in the cold night air.
Toji paused mid-reach into his pocket, as Sukuna turned slightly to study Choso’s bruised face, crimson eyes sharp under the dim streetlight.
a minute passed, then, Toji lowered his head again, his hand fell back into his pocket.
"Yeah, probably." He casually responded, honest as ever.
Sukuna only watched.
The weight of it all settled on Choso’s shoulders like a heavy coat, thoughts flooded his head.
Then—
His mind flashed with images, of you.
Asleep in your room, unaware. Soft breathing. Maybe dreaming about something sweet.
Then Yuji.
Innocent. Laughing with Choso and the rest of his brothers around dinner.
Still too young for this kind of world.
And him?
A man who barely knew how to fight…who now had to provide while fighting to stay alive.
His jaw tightened, he didn’t fear for himself, he feared failing them.
If he died trying to make a living for you two.
Who would care for you?
Who would share his umbrella with you when it rains?
Who would make sure you were fed everyday?
No one else would think of those little things.
No one knew you the way he did.
A pause.
Suddenly—
regret burned like a slow fire in his chest, quiet but painful.
Regret over Hakari’s offer. Regret over taking the job when he was desperate. Regret for not pushing harder to find something safer, even if it paid less.
His stomach twisted.
I should've found another way.
Maybe a convenience store shift, part-time at a cafe…
Anything without killing, fights… or people trying to knock him out in parking lots.
The two men noticed Choso’s expression shifting, they knew what was going on in his head. Sukuna reacted faster.
Kicking the car door open before walking over to Choso, taking slow steps.
He stopped right infront of him, looking down at an exhausted man.
Sukuna didn’t even need to speak to pressure somebody, so for a moment, he just observed Choso’s face.
He could see it, the man was second guessing everything.
And Sukuna?
He hated hesitation.
Hated seeing potential getting wasted.
In a swift motion he grabbed Choso by the collar of his hoodie and yanked him forward violently.
"You thinkin’ about quitting?"
Choso stared at Sukuna, tired eyes trying to stand their ground.
"I might." He shot back.
Because, yeah he needed the money, but he hated risking his life for it.
After a pause,
Sukuna let go of him with a shove, harsh and dismissive. Like the answer disgusted him, he took a step back and crossed his arms.
Then he spoke again, voice deeper now,
"Who else is gonna pay you like we do?"
He just stood there, massive, intimidating, like a mountain.
Then.
He dropped the truth like a stone.
"Nobody."
He said.
"Not even close."
Choso couldn’t argue back, tiredness mostly, but also because all of this was true, however, this job wasn’t worth dying over.
Then—
Before Choso could open his mouth, two thick stack of bills pressed against his chest. His earning for the night.
He blinked at Toji, who smirked at him.
"Why don’t you think about it for now, yeah?" He said.
“Sleep on it."
Choso grabbed the two stacks, it was a lot more than usual, must be extra for what he had to deal with.
Then—
"get yourself and your girlfriend something nice."
Choso blinked.
Girlfriend?
He immediately corrected him, voice flat.
"I said I didn’t have a girlfriend.”
Toji stopped for a second.
"Oh."
Then he shrugged.
"Right."
A grin slowly returned to his face.
"Same difference."
Choso frowned, same difference?
He looked down at the money in his hands, his thoughts drifted back to you almost immediately.
Maybe...
You'd like something from that bakery near campus, or a coat for winter…or—
Wait.
Why was he thinking about you?
Toji said..girlfriend,
Not..
Choso stood there, stiff as a board,
His ears warmed ever so slightly.
Without realizing it, he'd already pictured spending the money on you.
And suddenly..
He felt… awkward.
Because.. he never thought about it like that.
You weren't his girlfriend. You were... you.
The person he lived with. Shared meals with. Came home to every night.
But "get something nice"? For you?
That sounded… romantic.
Now Toji had put that idea in his head, and Choso, who had zero game or experience, was just standing there.
Sukuna, meanwhile, stayed completely indifferent, just leaning against the car, zoning out mentally. cause to him? Love?
Worthless.
In his world, strength was everything.
So wether Choso bought flowers, chocolates or a brick made no difference to him.
As long as he showed up when the burner phone rang.
Choso nodded again.
Once.
Twice.
As if he forgot he already did.
A minute passed.
Then another.
In a slow motion Choso walked away, "I’ll think about it, about the job." He simply said.
Trudging back to his apartment still looking at the stacks of cash In his hands.
Toji grinned, shaking his head as he watched Choso disappear up the poorly lit stairs, slow, the tired steps of his boots echoing slightly in the quiet night.
Then.
He turned to Sukuna.
Raised one finger and twirled it near his temple.
"He’s a weird guy isn’t he?" that gesture said.
Sukuna didn’t respond, he just slid back in the passenger seat, slamming the door behind him. Arms crossed, looking ahead, his stomach growled with a force that could cause an earthquake.
He was so hungry he could eat a full human.
Toji sighed dramatically, Sukuna’s sense of humor vanish the moment hunger shows up.
then got behind the wheel and started driving back toward their apartment.
"Can’t you go any slower?" Sukuna said in a low, irritated voice.
"Quit being an ass and take a nap." Toji responded, unimpressed.
Then—
"If my food's cold by the time we get there..."
Sukuna's crimson eyes stayed fixed on the road ahead.
"...I'm ripping your head off."
A beat passed.
"And cooking it while you're still conscious."
His black nails dug into his arms.
Toji side eyed him, then leaned back in his seat,
"your food’s gonna be fine."
pressing his foot a little harder on the gas pedal.
Meanwhile—
The apartment was quiet, except from the soft hum of the fridge, Choso slipped inside like a shadow, softly kicking off his boots next to the door, moving silently through the dim hallway. Making his way to your room, to you.
Out of habit.
Because yeah, He always did this, checking on you first thing when he got home. No matter how tired or hurt he was, his bruises throbbed faintly, but he ignored them.
Your door creaked open just enough for him to peek through, his eyes immediately found you.
Asleep.
an arm above your head as the blanket only covered your lower body.
Moonlight slipping through the curtains coating your exposed skin with a glowy shine.
Then—
The scent.
Warm and sweet.
It hits him instantly, a mix of your shampoo and a cheap little scented candle you always burn during afternoon.
His shoulders dropped as he walked in, It always had this calming effect on him, the same way it did whenever he came home after class or failing interviews.
It eased something deep in his chest, the tension that had been contained since Mahito showed up.
He looked around for a minute, something caught his eye, it was photos taped over the wall, he observed them.
One picture had obviously been taken without his permission, the flash of the camera displaying the confusion in his face, his brows furrowing.
Another showed him asleep, head lowered and arms crossed on of a desk, biology notes scattered under his arms as the tip of your fingers could be seen on the corner of the camera.
The last picture made him stop breathing for a second, you, him, and Yuji, all together on a couch, a open box of pizza on his lap, the light of the tv highlighting the smile on you and yuji’s face, the both of you were making this finger heart gesture toward the camera, and him, trying but failing to replicate it as his fingers awkwardly formed nothing but a heart.
He somewhat remembers how Yuji laughed his lungs out about it.
He chuckled under his breath, then slowly noticed how almost all those pictures.. had him in them, he grew pink in the face then quickly looked at something else.
Your desk, filled with books about law despite you having a shelf, you must have worked hard today, again.
A soft smile formed on his face, but deep down,
Choso’s heart ached in the quietest way.
Watching the peaceful expression on your face despite everything. You worked so hard. So damn hard juggling between your part time job and your studies.
And for what?
Rent? Food?
You rarely bought anything for yourself.
You didn’t even dare look at a menu and only ever stopped at the drink category, to order a simple glass of water.
…Was she okay living like this? Choso felt as if this was a part of his duty, now that he had the money for it, he could maybe make life a bit easier for her.
After quietly tidying up your messy desk, stacking the books back on the shelf, he quietly stepped out of your room.
Only then did he realize how exhausted he truly was.
The moment he reached his bed, his legs gave out beneath him, and without warning, he collapsed onto the mattress before every muscle in his body refused to move. He didn't even have the strength to take off his hoodie.
So naturally, he allowed sleep to take his mind away.
…
Chirp chirp chirp!
The noises rang in your ear as you started gaining consciousness, the warmth of the sun replaced last night’s cold breeze, blistering enough through the thin fabric of your curtains to almost cook your now uncovered legs, you instinctly stretched, and for some reason? Your back wasn’t hurting like usual, your limbs felt strangely lighter, and you felt.. surprisingly well rested? But despite feeling good, something felt odd, something was missing. You didn't usually wake up to birds singing outside or the distant hum of cars passing through the city.
You woke up to Choso.
That deep, sleepy voice reminding you it was time to get up followed by a light knock on the door.
However today, the apartment stayed quiet, your eyes remained fixed on your door as if hoping his shadow would suddenly appear beneath it.
But nobody came.
After a minute, you decided to grab your phone, surely, you must have woke up earlier than normal—
Your eyes shot open.
1 PM
You quickly looked at the barely aknowledged clock on your wall.
1 PM
No fucking way..
How could it be so late?!
You fled down the hallway, heart racing as you stood infront of Choso’s door.
Was he okay? You wondered.
Waking you up had practically become part of his daily routine.
Your eyes landed on his stupid little doodle beside the handwritten warning :
‘DO NOT ENTER.’
before storming into the man’s room.
Your breath caught as soon as you stepped inside.
Choso was still there.
Curled up on his bed, fully dressed, one arm tucked beneath his pillow as if he'd collapsed the moment he got home.
You hurried next to him, his breathing was uneven, shaky even, you couldn’t see his face burried in his pillow, Questions flooded your mind.
Why was he still wearing yesterday's clothes?
Did he not hear his alarm?
Why did he sound so exhausted?
...
Then it hit you, you both had work today.
Without thinking, you quickly nudged his shoulder.
"Cho! …Cho wake up!" You whisper screamed.
The low groan that came out of the pillow slightly caught you off guard, Choso slugishly rose up grunting in pain, Eventually, he looked at you through heavy, half-lidded eyes.
"..already...?" he mumbled, his voice sleepily rough and low.
For someone who had supposedly gone to bed early...
He sounded like he hasn't slept at all.
As he finally turned toward you, your eyes immediately spotted the dark bruise on his cheek.
You froze.
"...Choso?"
A small gasp escaped you.
"What happened to your face?"
His eyes widened he didn’t consider what would happen if you saw him like this.
He hastily covered it with his hands turning away from you,
"it’s nothing—"
"Let me see."
You gently pulled his hand away before he could protest and sat beside him on the bed, leaning in to examine the bruise. the tip of your noses almost touching, his eyes couldn’t even bear looking at you from how close you were, he could feel the blood surging into his face reddening his cheeks.
You gently brushed your fingertips on the dark spot, earning a small hiss of pain coming from him.
"When did that happen?"
Silence.
Like the both of you were holding your breaths at that moment.
"It’s a.." He responded briefly,
"…work accident.." his voice flat and low.
Weirdly, you couldn’t believe that, the bruise throbbed on his face like the pain that was easing in his sleep came back stronger than before.
It looked too severe to be discarded as a simple "work accident". Almost as if someone had punched him with all their force, you just stared at him as he tried to avoid eye contact, hands clutching the sheet.
It lasted for a moment
Until you let out a sigh, Questioning him the second he woke up wasn't going to get you anywhere.
He could barely keep his eyes open
You lifted yourself off his bed and took his hand in yours and gently helped him up, he blinked in confusion.
"What are you—"
"Shush." You cut him off, guiding him toward the bathroom.
it took everything in your body to drag him into the bathroom, manhandling him like that wasn’t a grown ass man, he took slow steps, yawning, still half asleep.
Finally, you were able to sit him down on the toilet lid.
The bathroom was small, sunlight came through the tiny window in the corner, the light blinded him for a minute, he let out a groan as he tried to stretch, his muscles felt painfully sore.
He could only sit back and wait, crossing his arms over his chest.
After opening the wall mounted mirrored wardrobe you took out a small medkit.
He gulped as he made eyes contact with the ice pack in your hand, you wrapped it with a thin cloth as you carefully approched him, standing in between his spread out legs, without wasting a second, you grabbed his jaw and tilted his head to the side so you could see his bruise better.
You didn’t say a word at first.
Just focused.
you held his face to keep it still, he flinched the moment you began lightly pressing the cold pack, it was freezing, sending a sudden shock under his skin that woke him better than coffee would, you quickly tightened your grip on his jaw signaling him to not move.
You were gentle but firm, his hands resting akwardly on his lap as he let you take care of him.
The silence between you both was relaxing, Choso started ignoring the cold sting of the ice pack, all he could feel right now was you, the warmth of your fingers on his face.
His usual dark eyes softened as he secretly studied your face, you looked serious, brows furrowed as your lips slightly parted in concentration, worry expressed in your eyes, he watched the way you adjusted the ice pack on his cheek to his jawline, how you brushed strands of hair away from his face.
It felt selfish of him to like this, to sit there like a man who been starving for this kind of tenderness and finally got a taste.
Knowing he was lying about everything, knowing it hurted you seeing him like this.
A sudden feeling of guilt took over him.
As you kept the ice pack pressed against his cheek, your eyes involuntary met his, you both held eye contact, you knew each other long enough to communicate with nothing but a look, his tired gaze spoke louder than any normal words would : ‘I’m sorry for making you worry over me.’
You stood there for a minute.
Even with a bruised face and half dead eyes you still found him.. adorable?
Suddenly—
"Hold the ice pack on your cheek, I’ll get the bandage." you briefly said before turning away in a swift motion, the color red glowing on the tip of your ears didn’t go unnoticed by him.
He stayed perfectly still as instructed, lifting his hand to hold the ice pack in place himself while watching you rummaging around the medkit for bandages.
The guilt came back stronger than ever,
He used to hang out with you every day after class.
Would search ways on how to be better at explaining Biology lessons, just so you wouldn’t seek for another tutor.
Watched movies together.
Even attended yuji’s boxing practice sometimes.
But it all changed ever since he became a plug.
Coming home late and now with bruises all over him.
He was your best friend.. closer than anyone else in your life. And now? He was becoming a stranger who lived under the same roof but wasn't really present.
It hurted..
"You can let go now."
"what?" Choso blinked up at you standing infront of him.
"…The ice pack, let go of it." You said, holding a long strip of cloth
"Right, sorry." He responded, releasing the ice pack so you could place the bandage on him.
As your fingers carefully wrapped his head with the fabric, making sure it’s not too tight, you analyzed his face, tired of course.
But you could tell something else was bothering him.
The bathroom was silent for a moment.
"...Do you remember," you asked quietly,
"back in high school?"
You lifted his chin up slightly so you could wrap the bandage under it.
"When I'd treat your wounds after class because you refused to let the school nurse help?"
A groan escaped him as the bandage tightened.
"You'd get into fights whenever someone talked shit about your brothers."
His lips turned into a small pout.
"...I remember."
"I was healing bruises that looked just like this one."
His gaze started drifting away.
Shit.
Silence..
"You've never been the type to start fights, Cho." You said, concern hiding behind your gentle words
"So..."
Your fingers stopped moving as you stopped wrapping.
"...What really happened?"
Choso’s throat went dry.
He wanted to tell you.
More than anything.
But the words wouldn’t come.
You’d worry too much, or even stop him from going back..
And then what?
No more money, no more groceries and no more rent.
"...Some guy tried stealing my delivery bag last night," he murmurred
with a low voice. "I fought him off."
Despite hiding key elements it was still believable, in this city?
You were lucky if you only got robbed.
he just hoped you wouldn’t look too much into it.
You remained still, registering what he said.
Sure, Choso is one to keep a lot of things to himself.
However the story felt pretty vague for a bruise this bad, but knowing how stubborn he was.
You didn’t push it.
"I see.." you said, slowly moving again to finish wrapping his head.
"Serves them right." You chuckled, "they should’ve known better than to steal from a guy like you," his lips slightly parted,
"I mean, you always stand your ground pretty well."
"I do?"
"You do." You said, a laugh escaping your mouth.
The way you sounded completely normal after he just lied to your face made his heart ache a little, by now, you’d be teasing the living shit out of him by asking tons of questions until he’d tell you the truth.
But today felt different.
Without warning—
"Alright, we’re all done!" Your hands grabbed both of his cheeks, admiring your work.
"ONLY remove it after 2 hours, got it?"
"Yes, miss."
…
His answer came in a flash, the familiar words resonated in your ears.
Back in high school you’d always just assume he was being sarcastic, but right now?
Judging by how obedient he sounded?
Looking up at you with those tired eyes of his?
You could tell he was being for real.
And by hearing those exact words again after days of distance, after not hanging out as often as before, you felt like you just caught a glimpse of his old self.
The guy who’d stay quiet and listen as you rambled about a biology lesson you couldn’t understand.
Or the guy who’d let you tease him for being "too serious." The day you jokingly ordered him around during a hang out and he casually responded with that exact same obedient tone, "yes, miss." followed by a long silence afterwards.
Suddenly—
You giggled, still holding on to his face.
“good."
Choso noticed the delicate blush coloring your cheeks just from hearing those words, the way your eyes softened, staring at him longer than intended, he realized how badly you missed this.
Missed talking to him.
And fuck—
He did miss you too.
Before he could stop himself, his hands reacted on their own.
Hugging your waist so gently compared to his rough looking hands.
Bringing you closer to him, as if you’d disappear if he let go.
You let out a quiet yelp, before looking down at the man who was now close to tears.
"Cho? Are you..—"
"I’m sorry!" He shouted, "because of my job.." his voice slightly cracked
"I haven’t been around.." His breath was shaky, arms wrapped around you, tightening slowly.
A minute passed before you could find your words.
your hands found their way on his shoulders.
It felt strangely intimate compared to other of your hugs, but you managed to keep your composure.
Atleast that’s what you thought.
You felt unexpected heat creeping up your face as your eyes met his.
"Its fine…Cho." You reassured.
"Getting money is the priority," you said, while playing with his hair, "remember?"
That was something you both agreed on before moving in together.
"the money.." Choso repeated, feeling your hands running through one of his spiky bun.
Right, he received money yesterday.
Toji’s words came back to him in an instant,
"buy her something nice."
For a couple of seconds, his teary eyes stared into the distance, then he turned to you again.
You gave him a confused look, but before you could ask what was wrong—
you could feel one of his hand slightly tugging at the broken zipper of your hoodie
"Your clothes.." he spoke, "you need new ones."
"What?"
He remembered how close your favorite clothes were to become worn out, it bothered him.
You deserved nice things too, like comfortable clothes.
But your pride suddenly took over, "it’s okay, Cho." You said, "I don’t need new clothes at the moment."
"I’ll buy them."
You blinked at him for a second.
Then raised a brow.
"You got new clothes money?"
His hands suddenly reached down his hoodie,
After patting down his pockets he pulled out two thick stack of cash, all rolled and tied up.
Your eyes widened at the sight
"Cho? How did you.." your brows furrowed,
"I’ve been good at work these past days." He said, "they gave me extra."
Your jaw was practically on the floor, the sum of the rolls combined were probably worth your annual salary,
Did his job as a delivery man really gave him that much?
Choso wasn’t a slacker….
For the things he wanted to do, atleast.
But to earn THIS? After a month of work?
You looked up at him.
He was already staring at you.
"I can buy them." He repeated, shoving the money back into his pockets.
"Dude… You’re being serious right now?"
"I am." He affirmed, his arms finding their way back around your waist, "And, I’m Choso, not dude."
You almost cracked a laugh, he looked so serious for something so ridiculous.
"Like I said before, Choso," putting the emphasis on his name, "I don’t need anything."
"But."
"Really, im fin—"
"No," he cut off, pulling you closer until his chin was pressed against your stomach, "please."
You locked eyes with him, tears were sliding down his cheeks, but he didn’t look away.
"Let me take care of you.." he whispered, "please."
a long silence installed itself in the bathroom.
You never saw him beg this hard,
Especially for..this?
Was it really a big deal? You already accepted that you couldn’t afford many things, so you focused on the essentials.
Food, stationery and a few clothes.
That was enough, or rather you convinced yourself it was.
You remember the feeling of his hand fiddle with the littles tears in your snagged knitted top, silent but observant. It seemed to bother him,
Every piece of clothing you owned looked worn out, far different from the first time he saw them on you.
Yet.
You insisted it was okay, that you’d transform your entire wardrobe once money comes in.
Only to get stopped by the endless bills pilling up on your head.
"When would you have time for yourself?"
Was something you’d hear daily,
and, "I don’t know."
Was your answer.
But despite it all.
You kept on working,
Kept on working for the things you really wanted,
Cause the pleasure of enjoying something you earned was far greater than when you simply received it.
Turning down generous friends was becoming a habit.
You didn’t wanna be seen as someone to pity, who couldn’t care for herself.
You’d assume your best friend would be the one to understand it more than anyone else, but really,
He’d fix you a plate during tutoring sessions despite you refusing, as you desperately tried to focus on your notes while hiding the growls of your stomach.
No matter how convincing you thought you sounded, he’d always make sure enough food was on your plate.
Or he’d show up at your door, with a book shaped gift in hand even through you said you didn’t want anything for your birthday.
And now, there he was again,
Begging.
But what could you do?
He had you cornered.
But not literally,
More like, your feet felt glued in place on the cold tiles, his arms squeezing around the small of your back, deep brown eyes reflecting the light coming from the window.
That’s when you knew, he wouldn’t let you go without getting an answer.
After a moment of inner battle against your pride.
You breathed out a sigh.
"Fine." Your shoulders dropped.
His head perked up the minute he heard the word.
Then—
"I saw," He patted down his pockets looking for his phone, "there was sale at the mall, tomorrow."
"The one nearby?" You asked.
He nodded, still looking.
"Well then," You finally let out a giggle.
"It’s a date."
His hand froze in his pocket, then he looked back at you.
"A date?"
"Yeah, a person offers to take you some—"
"I know what a date is."
"So its all set!" You shot back, suddenly walking towards the mirror "tomorrow, at the mall," you said, grabbing your toothbrush, "let’s say… 10 am?"
You turned your head just enough to catch a glimpse of his confused face.
Choso could only straighten himself on the toilet lid, then gave a single but agressive nod.
"You won’t regret it."
"I know I won’t." You smile at him.
After looking back at the mirror the sudden buzz of your phone gave you a strange feeling, almost as if you both forgot something..
'Girl where are you?? Your shift started 3 HOURS AGO!'
'I’m covering for you, you owe me this one.'
And many, many more messages, blowing up your phone.
Your heart nearly skipped a beat.
"Cho we’re late!" You gasp.
He tilted his head to the side.
"Work!" You shout, turning on the shower, "Don’t you have work today?"
His eyes widen "Oh—yes right." He said still a bit sleepy.
Just as he removed his hoodie and shirt in one go you both notice the neglected red bruises on his arms, shit, he forgot about them—
"Choso!" You exhale, pinching the bridge of your nose.
Clearly.
You both won’t make it to work today.