And we go beyond the farthest reaches
Where the light bends and wraps beneath us
And I know as you collapse into me
This is the start of something
Pairings: widowed single dad! Toji x divorced! Reader(F)
Summary: His wife died a year ago and Toji Fushiguro has felt like his life has been on autopilot since then. Every day is just the same continuous loop.
Your marriage ended five months ago, four years down the drain. And now you find yourself living with your sister and brother-in-law, trying to pick the pieces of your crumbling life back up.
A chance meeting brings these two broken souls together.
Trigger Warnings for Chapter: Not much. Just a lot of flashback scenes. But mainly mentions of an abusive parent and horrible home life, slight profanity, threats (mainly from Ryomen) and bullying of a child who is younger.
WC: 13.7K (this is the most I have written so far hahahaha geez)
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It was a cold, rainy Friday evening in November when another fight with his father ruined Toji's mood and nearly caused him to cancel his plans with his friends. And the sixteen-year-old would be damned if he had to spend the rest of the night stuck in the hellhole that was his childhood home with his asshole of a father.
His father was still in the middle of his tirade when Toji shoved past him, making sure to shoulder-check the drunken man out of his way before grabbing his jacket from the coat rack. He angrily shoved the shoji doors open and stepped out into the pouring rain.
Behind him, he could still hear his father's harsh voice yelling and cursing after him. Toji ignored it, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets after pulling the hood over his head. He could also hear what sounded like his brother physically holding their father back from coming after him—like always.
Toji chewed the inside of his cheek, tasting copper as he continued down the stone path leading away from the Zenin Estate.
The rain had finally stopped falling by the time Toji made it to the meetup spot: Tamako's house.
Tamako—or Tamsy, as she preferred to be called—was the girlfriend of Ryomen "Sukuna" Itadori, one of Toji's best friends.
The plan was for the group to grab a bite to eat, watch a movie, and check out the new bowling alley that had just opened. It was a joint birthday celebration since Tamsy and Shoko shared the same birthday: November 7th.
Apparently, that was the reason the two girls had become best friends after Tamsy and her family moved from Yokohama to Tokyo.
Shoko Ieiri was the girlfriend of Toji's longtime best friend, Shiu Kong. Toji had known Shoko longer than Tamsy, but he'd always heard good things about her from Sukuna—who was so hopelessly wrapped around her finger that it always surprised Toji how much his best friend changed whenever she was around.
It was Yukina, Tamsy's mother, who answered the door when Toji knocked.
He had texted Shiu and Sukuna to let them know he was there, but after seeing the two cars in the driveway, he decided to be respectful and knock. The two idiots he called his best friends had both told him to just come on in since everyone knew he was coming—but Toji's mother had always taught him to knock and wait to be invited inside instead of just walking in.
And that was exactly what he did.
The instant concern Yukina showed over how soaked he was sent a sudden ache through his chest, making him think of his own mother for a brief moment. He swallowed the feeling down and tried to reassure the older woman that he was fine—that he'd just gotten caught in the rain on the way there.
Toji decided to leave out how he'd ended up walking through the rain after storming out during yet another argument with his drunken, piece-of-shit father.
Yukina wouldn't hear it. She ushered him inside, took his soaked jacket, and told him where the upstairs restroom was. She insisted he freshen up while she dried his jacket and invited him to sit in front of the heater afterward to warm up and dry off.
She assured him he had plenty of time. The group was still waiting on the last three people to arrive before heading out.
Toji watched as she walked past Sukuna and Shiu, giving each of them a light smack on the back of the head after hearing them snicker. She scolded them both before disappearing toward the laundry room.
Smirking, Toji stuck his tongue out at his friends, earning a pair of middle fingers in return and muffled giggles from Tamsy and Shoko as he headed upstairs to do as Yukina had instructed.
It felt... nice to have a mother worry about him again.
Even if she wasn't his own.
It reminded him of how Mama Itadori—Sukuna's mother—always fussed over him, or how Mama Kong—Shiu's mother—did the very same thing.
Toji washed his hands in the bathroom sink, dried them, and turned off the light before stepping back into the hallway. As he pulled the bathroom door shut behind him, he jumped at the sound of another door closing somewhere down the hall.
He blinked a few times before looking up. A little farther down the hallway, he noticed light shining beneath one of the doors, and he could faintly hear the shuffling of feet.
Part of him wanted to walk over, press his ear against the door, maybe even try the handle.
But he thought better of it and headed downstairs instead.
Toji was halfway down the stairs when he heard the squeak of a door opening, followed by hurried footsteps. Turning to look over his shoulder, he caught a brief glimpse of someone darting down the hallway toward the bathroom. A blanket was draped over the figure, hiding them well enough that he couldn't make out who it was.
Even after the bathroom door shut and he heard the hiss of the shower turning on, Toji lingered on the stairs for another few moments. He was perplexed... and more than a little curious about what he'd just seen.
"Did you get lost up there, Zenin?" Shiu called from the living room.
Toji heard him laugh before he added, "I understand falling in the toilet at your own house but, dude, we're guests here—OW!"
It didn't take a genius to figure out Shoko had smacked him upside the head—or wherever she could reach him most easily.
Sukuna could also be heard laughing at whatever Shoko had done to Shiu, only for his own disgruntled yelp to follow, making it obvious Tamsy had done the exact same thing to him.
Rolling his eyes, Toji made his way down the stairs and back into the living room, where he saw Satoru and Suguru had arrived while he was upstairs.
Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto were longtime friends of Shoko's. Apparently, the three of them had known each other since they were in diapers—much like he and Shiu had.
Toji wouldn't call them his friends, but they were tolerable.
Well... Suguru was more tolerable than Satoru.
It wasn't that Toji disliked the giant walking snowflake. Gojo was a decent guy—helpful, caring, and always making sure everyone else was alright. He was just also loud, obnoxious, constantly in your face, and never seemed to know when to shut the hell up. Satoru was a good guy, sure.
He was also a pain in the ass.
Toji never understood how Suguru put up with him. He was the complete opposite of his best friend.
Suguru was kind and caring, willing to help just about anyone if he could. He was patient, level-headed, and knew when not to cross a boundary. Unlike Satoru, he was quiet and soft-spoken.
He was definitely the calm to the storm that was Satoru.
The group constantly joked that Suguru was Satoru's handler. Sukuna especially liked to joke—and had even made a bet with Shiu—that Suguru and Satoru would end up together at some point in their lives.
"You look like a drowned rat, man," was the first thing Satoru said the moment his blue eyes landed on Toji. He pushed his sunglasses up onto the top of his head.
Satoru had sensitive eyes, so he regularly wore dark shades whenever he was outside. It had been that way since he was a kid. He got headaches easily because of it, too.
"I could tell you what you look like, Snowflake," he said as he made his way over to the space heater, taking a seat in front of it like Yukina had told him to. He looked up at the white-haired teen with narrowed green eyes.
"But I think I'll be nice and keep it to myself."
Toji saw Satoru open his mouth, no doubt ready with some smartass remark. Before the dumbass could say a word, he turned his attention toward the couch where Tamsy and Sukuna sat.
She was tucked comfortably against Sukuna's side, one of his arms draped across the back of the couch behind her while his free hand rested in his lap, their fingers loosely laced together.
"I think you have a ghost in your house," Toji said with a straight face.
He pointed toward the ceiling, indicating the upstairs.
"That, or someone snuck into your house and is using your shower right now."
From her spot beside Sukuna, Tamsy let out a laugh before she could stop herself. She quickly covered her mouth with her free hand, but the giggles escaped anyway.
That drew Toji's attention away from the ceiling and back to her.
"What's so funny?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's not a ghost or a random person," Tamsy answered after lowering her hand. She smiled at him.
Tamsy nodded, giving a quiet, "Mhm."
"Mhm," Tamsy replied, nodding.
"Like your little sister? Little brother?" Toji asked, tilting his head with a faintly confused expression.
"Yes," Tamsy answered, the smile never leaving her face as she snuggled back against Sukuna. "My little sibling."
Toji didn't say anything else. Instead, he turned to Sukuna, silently hoping his best friend would give him a little more of an explanation than his girlfriend had.
"Not a chance, bud," Sukuna replied a few seconds later after catching the pleading look on Toji's face. He slouched farther into the couch, spreading his legs in an attempt to get comfortable. It earned him a quiet sigh from Tamsy before she adjusted herself as well.
"Don't look over here for any answers," the pink-haired teen added, his crimson eyes drifting up toward the ceiling. "Pipsqueak is just Pipsqueak. That's all you need to know."
Toji stared at him for a moment before shifting his attention to the other end of the couch, where Shiu and Shoko sat together. Maybe one of them would be willing to explain things a little better.
Sukuna was completely wrapped around Tamsy's finger, so of course he'd go along with her vague little "my little sibling" explanation. But before Toji could ask if either Shiu or Shoko knew whether Tamsy had a brother or a sister, a knock sounded at the front door.
"That must be Kyouka!" Tamsy exclaimed happily as she climbed to her feet and hurried toward the door.
"Finally," Satoru sighed, leaning back onto his hands as he stretched his legs out. "Leave it to Fushiguro to be fashionably late."
"No, that's usually you, Satoru," Suguru remarked from beside him. His words were slightly muffled by the hair tie clenched between his teeth while he gathered his long black hair into its usual messy bun.
Satoru let out a dramatic gasp, placing a hand against his chest as though he'd been mortally wounded.
"I am not fashionably late! In fact, I'm never late, Suguru!"
Suguru's voice remained as calm and level as ever while he finished tying up his hair.
"That's because I'm the one who always makes sure you aren't."
He paused for a beat before adding, "Mainly because none of us would ever hear the end of it if you were."
"Here we go..." Shoko sighed, sounding thoroughly exasperated as Satoru launched into yet another dramatic rant. He'd say something, and Suguru would calmly answer back.
Somehow, Suguru's calm demeanor only seemed to fuel Satoru's irritation.
Their back-and-forth continued in the background. Since they were sitting right beside him, Toji did everything he could to tune them out. It wasn't difficult—he was a natural at pretending the dumbass twins didn't exist half the time.
A satisfied smirk crossed his face when Yukina returned to the living room, scolding the two chuckleheads before sweetly handing him his freshly dried jacket.
"I'm so glad you were able to make it!" Tamsy said, her voice bright with excitement.
"I am too," a feminine voice—who Toji assumed was Kyouka—replied. It was soft and airy, carrying the same cheerful warmth as Tamsy's. "I've been practically bugging my mom and dad all week for this. I'm just glad they agreed."
The front door clicked shut a moment later, followed by the cheerful voices of Tamsy and Kyouka.
Toji watched as Tamsy stepped into the living room, a smile still spread across her face as she happily continued talking to the girl behind her.
The moment Kyouka crossed the threshold, it was as if time had stopped for Toji Zenin.
She wore a simple pair of black skinny jeans, a light purple—Toji guessed it was more of a lavender—cardigan, and a pair of pink socks. Like everyone else, she'd left her shoes by the front door.
She wasn't especially short, but she wasn't tall either. Standing beside Tamsy, she looked maybe an inch or two shorter. Then again, Toji couldn't really judge since Tamsy wasn't particularly tall herself.
She had smooth, pale skin and chocolate-brown eyes that seemed to sparkle whenever she smiled. In fact, the more she smiled and laughed, the brighter her whole face seemed to become.
What Toji found even more intriguing, though, was her hair.
It was jet black, much like his own, but hers was spiky, sticking up in different directions as though it completely defied gravity.
Her hair kind of reminded him of a sea urchin.
Although he would never say that out loud.
Toji had been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn’t even noticed Tamsy leading Kyouka over to where he was sitting until—
“And this broody dude is Toji,” Tamsy said as she introduced him to the spiky-haired girl beside her.
She giggled before adding, “Don’t worry, he isn’t always this broody. He’s pretty cool.”
After a brief pause, she smiled.
“A tad cooler than ’Toru.”
“Hey!” Satoru called out.
Everyone seemed to sense he was about to launch into yet another dramatic rant. Unfortunately for him, he’d turned around where he sat on the floor, leaving his back to Sukuna.
The moment Satoru opened his mouth to begin what was no doubt going to be an overly dramatic—and incredibly annoying—speech, he let out a loud yelp as a foot slammed into his back, sending him pitching forward to land face-first on the carpet.
Sukuna could be seen setting his foot back down.
“Ryomen!” Tamsy scolded, turning to glare at her boyfriend. “You could’ve hurt him!”
“I shut him up, didn’t I?” Sukuna replied simply.
“The man earned us five minutes of peace,” Shiu chimed in with a laugh.
“Don’t laugh,” Shoko scolded, flicking her boyfriend on the nose, her brown eyes narrowed.
Shiu grunted, covering his face.
“You’re only going to encourage him." She added, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Exactly!” Tamsy exclaimed as she walked back over to where Sukuna sat slouched on the couch.
“Ryomen Itadori, you apologize.”
Sukuna scoffed before replying, “Not happening, babe.”
“Is it always like this when they’re all together?” Kyouka asked softly over the arguing.
It took Toji a few seconds to realize she was talking to him and not simply asking the question out loud. He cleared his throat, suddenly feeling awkward.
“For Tams and Sho, yeah,” Toji answered. He glanced past Kyouka toward the couch, where Tamsy and Shoko were still busy scolding their boyfriends.
“They put up with those dumbasses all the time.”
“Then again… since they’re my best friends, I guess I put up with them too.”
"And those two?" Kyouka asked curiously, her brown eyes shifting toward where Satoru and Suguru sat.
Satoru was clearly seething, his blue eyes fixed on Sukuna. A faint pink tint colored his face, making the minor carpet burn he'd just earned obvious to everyone. Beside him, Suguru sat cross-legged with his arms folded across his chest, a defeated frown on his face. He already knew nothing he said would calm his best friend down this time, so he decided to give up on being the voice of reason—for now.
"Is it usually this lively with them, too?" Kyouka asked, turning back to Toji and patiently waiting for his answer.
Toji looked up at her for a brief moment.
His green eyes met her chocolate-brown ones.
Were his cheeks warming up?
Was he seriously about to blush because a cute girl was standing in front of him?
There was no way in hell Toji was going to let Kyouka see that.
He quickly looked away, avoiding eye contact as he busied himself putting his jacket back on. If he took his time, maybe it'd give him a minute to pull himself together.
"Honestly, 'lively' is putting it mildly when it comes to those two dumbasses," Toji replied. He kept his voice level, making sure his usual lazy drawl never wavered.
"Well... Suguru's pretty calm," he corrected himself. "He hardly ever gets worked up. Satoru, on the other hand..." He let out a quiet breath. "You'll learn he's a great guy... but a major pain in the ass."
Kyouka gave a small hum of acknowledgment.
She didn't ask anything else, and Toji continued taking his time putting on the rest of his jacket, still refusing to look at the spiky-haired girl.
He heard the soft shuffle of movement and assumed she'd walked off to join Tamsy and Shoko on the couch with Shiu and Sukuna.
"And what about you, Toji?" Kyouka asked a few moments later.
Against his better judgment, Toji looked up after zipping his jacket.
Kyouka had taken a seat on the floor directly in front of him.
"Are you just as lively?" she asked again, a small giggle escaping her.
Toji wasn't sure how to answer that.
In fact, he'd momentarily forgotten how to speak altogether as he stared at Kyouka.
He shook his head, collecting himself and mentally telling himself to get a grip before attempting to answer.
"Not really," he said with a slight shrug. "Or... I don't think I am. I'm more of a go-with-the-flow kind of guy."
Leaning forward, he rested his forearms on his knees. Sitting cross-legged had left him slightly hunched as his gaze drifted from Suguru and Satoru to where Sukuna, Shiu, Tamsy, and Shoko were gathered on the couch.
"But I guess you'll just have to keep hanging around all of us to find out," he added a moment later.
Toji hadn't meant anything by it, truthfully. He was only being honest. He couldn't really describe himself as lively the way the rest of his friend group was.
But most of the time, he really was the type to just go with the flow.
Whatever everyone wanted to do, he was usually down for it—within reason, anyway... or if he simply felt like joining in.
"I hope I can find out," Kyouka said, her voice still soft and carrying that same sweetness Toji couldn't deny he liked. There was curiosity woven into her words as well.
"I'd like to see just how lively this whole group can be."
Toji answered with a quiet hum of acknowledgment.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke, simply listening to the conversations happening around them. Somewhere behind Kyouka, Tamsy was asking Sukuna if he'd go see whether Pip wanted to come with them that night.
"I'd especially like to see just how lively you can get, Toji."
The blush Toji had been fighting so hard to keep hidden finally won.
That was the first time Toji had ever met Kyouka Fushiguro.
Sometimes, when he found himself trapped in his grief over losing her, he wished they'd never met. Maybe then it wouldn't hurt so much. Maybe she never would've become such an important part of his life.
Yet every time that thought crossed his mind, Toji hated himself for it.
Kyouka had been the best thing that had ever happened to him.
She had been his best friend. The love of his life.
Toji just wished he didn't wake up every morning feeling hollow because of the memories she left behind.
Like he had this morning.
But, like always, Toji got up. He took a shower, got dressed, woke Megumi, got him ready for the day, and made them breakfast.
He swallowed down the hollowness in his chest and put on a brave face for his boy.
Megumi had actually been more lively than usual that morning. He seemed genuinely excited after learning he'd be coming to the auto shop with Toji.
The kids didn't have school that day, which Megumi had already been looking forward to, even if he was a little disappointed he wouldn't get to see his friends. That, however, didn't seem to dampen his excitement about spending the morning with his father.
It would only be for a little while. Tsumiki was going to pick Megumi up after finishing her part-time job.
She'd started working at the bookstore just around the corner from the auto shop, and Toji couldn't have been prouder of the girl.
"Is Pip going to be there?" Megumi asked around a mouthful of pancakes, his green eyes bright with excitement.
"Don't talk with your mouth full. You know better," Toji gently corrected.
Megumi pouted before finally swallowing.
Toji had a feeling that was part of the reason his son was so excited to come to work with him that morning.
Ever since the Halloween festival, Megumi hadn't stopped asking when he was going to see you again.
Toji had chalked it up to his son having a tiny crush on you.
"And she should be there today, kiddo," Toji said with a chuckle as he reached over to ruffle his son's unruly hair.
Megumi swatted his father's hand away with a pout and narrowed eyes before returning to the breakfast in front of him.
"She is our receptionist, after all."
"Do you think she'll mind if I sit with her?" Megumi asked, making sure to swallow the food in his mouth before speaking this time.
Toji hummed playfully, pretending to think about his answer. Megumi simply stared at him, waiting.
"I don't think she'll mind, bud. She seemed to like you a lot."
He turned his attention back to his food, taking a few bites before swallowing.
"Because I really like her too," he added softly. "She's nice."
Toji found himself smiling.
"Yeah," he said, lifting his fork to his mouth.
“Are you sure you don’t want me and Kento to wait with you for Tamsy?” Utahime asked as you, her, and Kento walked down the street together.
“We don’t mind,” she added, glancing over at the blond-haired boy beside her. “Right, Ken?”
Kento looked at her, then at you, a small smile spreading across his face.
“Right,” he agreed with a nod. “We don’t mind, Y/N.”
It was the end of the school year.
Your school—since you were still in an elementary building—got out earlier than Tamsy’s, who was now in middle school.
Her school was only a few blocks away, so you’d decided to walk over and wait for her at the entrance gate.
Utahime and Kento had come with you so you wouldn’t have to walk alone.
Your mother and father both had to work, so Tamsy had been instructed to walk the two of you home after school let out that day.
Tamsy didn’t make a fuss—she never did. She simply accepted her role as the older sister and agreed without complaint. She did, however, ask if it would be alright for Ryomen to come with you.
You weren’t too thrilled about that, or about the fact your father had simply agreed before letting her out of the car that morning.
Ryomen—or Sukuna, as he was called—was your sister’s boyfriend. They had been dating for about four months at that point.
Sukuna, even at fifteen, was extremely tall and broad. He was the complete opposite of his twin brother, Jin. Jin was also tall, but a few inches shorter than his brother, and far more lanky, with longer limbs. He also wore glasses.
Ryomen had something of a reputation as a punk—always getting into fights and trouble with authority. He even had hidden tattoos, mostly on his back so his shirts covered them.
Ryomen Itadori was, in simpler terms, intimidating. Sometimes you wondered how he and your sister had even ended up dating, considering how different they were.
Apparently, they had started out as friends. Sukuna was friends with a boy named Shiu Kong, who just so happened to be the boyfriend of Tamsy’s best friend, Shoko.
You wouldn’t say you disliked Sukuna. He had never really done anything out of the way toward you.
He never ignored you when he came over to your house. He would give you a nod, sometimes a small wave, which usually made you turn and quickly leave whatever room he was in.
Sukuna had been told about your shyness and how unfamiliar people weren’t exactly your strong suit, and not to take it personally if you ran off like he had the plague.
It was embarrassing, but you couldn’t argue with it.
You were shy, and new people made you uncomfortable.
“No, I’ll be alright, Uta,” you finally responded as the three of you neared Tamsy’s school. You held your satchel in front of you. “I’m just going to sit on that bench and wait for Tamsy. But thank you for offering.”
“We don’t mind,” Kento said. He held two satchel bags in one hand, resting them over his shoulder. Utahime had somehow convinced him to carry her bag.
You smiled at him. “I know you guys don’t, but I’ll be okay.”
You talked as the three of you continued toward Tamsy's school. More than once, you found yourself breaking up whatever small argument Kento and Utahime had managed to start.
It was a normal occurrence between your two best friends—they were bound to argue about something no matter what.
Usually, it was Utahime who started it.
Kento just liked throwing fuel on the fire from time to time.
It wasn't hard to set Utahime off. She was a sweet girl...
She just had a short fuse.
The moment you reached your sister's school, you smiled and waved goodbye to your best friends.
You shook your head as you watched Kento and Utahime continue down the street, listening to them bicker back and forth. The smile on your face slowly faded as they turned the corner and disappeared from sight, leaving you standing there by yourself.
A small sigh escaped you before you turned and walked through the school's entrance gate, making your way over to the wooden bench just outside the middle school's courtyard.
You placed your satchel in your lap, hugging it to your chest as you waited. With the tip of your shoe, you nudged a small rock back and forth between your feet.
When that no longer kept you occupied, you opened your satchel and pulled out the book you'd been reading.
Surely it would be enough to keep you busy until your sister came out of school.
By the time you reached the tenth chapter of your book, utterly engrossed in the heroine's journey to save her village, the bell signaling the end of the school day finally rang. Moments later, the front doors opened, and middle schoolers poured out in droves.
You kept your eyes fixed on your book, making yourself as small as you could. A few curious glances landed on you as the older students walked past, but none of them lingered long enough to approach. They were all too eager to leave the school grounds and begin their summer of freedom.
Your fingers tightened around the edges of your book as they continued to pass by. You could hear the excited conversations they were having with their friends, along with the slap of shoes against the pavement as some of them ran ahead. Their laughter filled your ears while your eyes continued to skim the pages.
If you showed no interest in them, they wouldn't show any interest in you.
At least, that was the hope.
The only two people you were waiting for were Tamsy and Ryomen.
A few more minutes passed after the dismissal bell rang. Only a handful of your sister's classmates were still making their way through the entrance.
You'd managed to finish another chapter of your book when a shadow fell over you.
Looking up, you expected to see either your sister or her boyfriend.
Instead, panic settled in your chest.
Three boys you didn't know stood in front of you.
"You lost or something, kid?" the boy at the front of the group asked.
He had shoulder-length red hair, pale skin and brown eyes. He was lanky but looked athletic all the same. He wore the slacks and black shoes of his school uniform. His jacket was nowhere to be seen, though his tie still hung loosely around his neck.
You swallowed thickly but didn't answer.
Your heart had already begun pounding against your ribs, and you quickly lowered your gaze back to the book trembling in your hands.
At least, that was what you told yourself. If you showed no interest in them, they'd eventually get bored and move on.
Like most people usually did.
That wasn't the case this time.
Instead, the two boys in the back stepped forward to stand beside their friend. You guessed the red-haired boy was the leader of their little trio.
“Hello?” the red-headed boy said again.
You refused to look away from your book, but from the edge creeping into his voice, you could sense he was growing irritated by being ignored.
“I’m talking to you, you little shit.”
You bit the inside of your cheek, gripping your book even tighter. You wished nothing more for your sister to hurry up and come out of the school building. Maybe then it would make the boys leave.
A startled gasp escaped you when your book was suddenly snatched from your hands. You looked up to see one of the other boys holding it.
He was a little shorter than the redhead–maybe an inch or two. His dark hair was buzzed short, and he had golden-hazel eyes. His skin was pale, and he wore his uniform much the same way as the redheaded boy. Even his build was similar.
“Pretty rude to ignore someone,” the hazel-eyed boy remarked, looking at you with a bored expression. “Especially when we’re a lot older than you.”
“Never been taught to respect your elders?” the last boy asked as he stepped forward to stand between his two friends, crossing his arms over his chest.
He was about the same height and build as the redheaded boy. His uniform was worn in the same style as the others, though his noticeable difference was him not wearing his school tie.
Unlike the other two, his skin was not pale. It carried a light tan, and his piercing blue eyes almost reminded you of the Gojo boy your sister was friends with. Almost.
His blue eyes weren’t nearly as bright–or sparkling. And his hair was extremely blond–so light it was almost white–and was cut short, though it was left longer on the top.
"Probably not," the hazel-eyed boy remarked. He rested his hands on his hips as the bored expression on his face slowly twisted into a smirk.
He glanced at his two friends before looking back at you.
"But how about we teach her the importance, huh?"
You slowly rose from the bench.
Your hands balled into fists at your sides—not out of defiance. They were shaking so badly that you hoped clenching them would make it stop.
"G-Give... give me my book back..." you said softly, hating how badly your voice trembled.
You weren't trying to sound commanding or intimidating.
You were just a ten-year-old kid waiting for your big sister, standing in front of three horrible middle school boys.
"Please," you added quickly.
The word came out much higher than you meant it to.
Then your face burned with embarrassment as all three boys laughed.
"I'm just waiting for my sister..." you whispered.
Summoning every bit of courage you had, you finally looked up from your feet and met the eyes of the boy holding your book.
Slowly, you walked toward him.
Your heartbeat was so loud you could hear it pounding in your ears.
You held out a trembling hand.
Your voice barely rose above a whisper.
The hazel-eyed boy stared at you and your outstretched hand for a few seconds. He blinked twice before giving a lazy shrug.
"Well, I guess if you put it that way, kid..." he said, starting to hand your book back.
You reached for the paperback, meeting him halfway.
Your fingertips barely brushed the cover before he yanked it back out of your reach.
The twisted smirk returned.
You watched as he tossed your book to the blond-haired boy, who only laughed.
You hurried toward him, reaching for your book, only for him to toss it to the redheaded boy.
The same thing happened again.
Every time you got close enough to grab your book, one of them snatched it away and tossed it to another.
They had you playing a game of keep-away.
A game you never wanted to be part of.
The three of them laughed, seemingly the only ones who found any of it amusing.
You, however, were on the verge of tears as the torment continued.
The hazel-eyed boy tossed your book to the redheaded boy.
This time, you managed to grab it at the same moment he did.
Unfortunately, the book had fallen open during their game of tossing it back and forth. You held onto one side while the redheaded boy gripped the other.
One of you was trying to end the game.
The other was determined to keep it going.
All you wanted to do was get your book back and run into the middle school.
A shriek tore from your throat as the heel of a foot slammed into your stomach.
The force knocked the air from your lungs, sending you sprawling onto your back.
Instinctively, you curled around your stomach, already knowing a foot-shaped bruise would be blooming there.
Through blurry, tear-filled eyes, you looked up to find the redheaded boy and his friends looming over you.
Every one of them wore the same smirk.
As if kicking you to the ground wasn't enough, the redheaded boy took your book...
And tore it clean in half. The two halves landed beside you.
You curled into a ball on instinct, trying your best to make yourself feel smaller than you already were. You stared at your book, now torn in half, as tears slowly trailed down your cheeks while the boys chuckled coldly around you.
With the last bit of strength you had left, you forced yourself to your feet.
Before any of the three boys could react, you took off.
Using both hands, you shoved the redheaded boy out of your way as you made a desperate run toward the school.
Your satchel remained on the wooden bench.
Right now, you just needed to get away from them.
You needed to find your sister.
You wouldn't have minded finding—
A rough hand wrapped around your bicep, stopping you mid-run.
You struggled against the grip with everything you had, but the boys were faster than you.
"Let me go!" you shrieked, desperately trying to wrench your arm free.
The redheaded boy clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Not happening, little bi—"
He never got to finish the insult.
A fist slammed into his face.
For a split second, everything went silent.
The sickening crack echoed through the air as the punch connected squarely with his nose, sending him flying backward.
The moment he was hit, his grip released your arm.
"How about you assholes pick on someone your own size?"
The voice was gruff, carrying a familiar rasp.
You blinked, fresh tears slipping down your cheeks as you slowly looked over your shoulder.
Relief flooded through you.
Ryomen was standing there.
His crimson eyes were narrowed, fixed on the trio that had spent the last ten minutes tormenting you.
Much like the trio, Sukuna stood there in his own modified version of the school uniform.
That didn't surprise you.
He wore the standard black slacks, but instead of the usual dress shoes, he had on his combat boots. His white button-up hung open, revealing the black tank top underneath. Black sweatbands wrapped around his wrists—something you'd noticed he always wore—and a silver chain rested around his neck.
Another thing you'd noticed he never seemed to take off.
"R... Ryo..." you breathed, your voice trembling as your bottom lip quivered.
Sukuna tore his gaze away from the trio.
The hazel-eyed and blond-haired boys had rushed over to their redheaded friend, frantically trying to check on him. Blood streamed from his nose, staining the front of his white shirt, while his eyes looked unfocused.
The hazel-eyed boy shook him repeatedly, calling his name and desperately trying to snap him out of his daze.
The tick in Sukuna's jaw told you everything you needed to know.
You were covered in dirt from where you'd been knocked to the ground. There was no doubt the shoe print across the front of your school shirt. Your face was blotchy from crying, and your eyes were red.
His gaze slowly traveled over you before dropping to the ground.
Torn clean in half. Crumpled in the dirt.
"You could've killed him, Itadori!" the blond-haired boy snapped.
The hazel-eyed boy remained crouched beside the redhead, one hand gripping his shoulder as he glared at the pink-haired teen.
His eyes shifted toward you, making you instinctively shrink back.
The moment Sukuna stepped in front of you, however, the trio disappeared from your view.
The hazel-eyed boy sucked his teeth.
"We were just messing around with her, man. You know, having some fun. Ever heard of it?"
He simply walked toward them, heading straight for the hazel-eyed boy.
You stood frozen where you were, hurriedly wiping away the tears that still clung to your cheeks.
Without a word, Sukuna grabbed the front of the hazel-eyed boy's shirt and yanked him to his feet.
The sudden movement forced him to let go of the redheaded boy, whose body flopped limply back onto the ground with a groan.
"What's your deal, man?" the hazel-eyed boy sneered, trying to pry Sukuna's hand from the front of his shirt.
Sukuna's grip didn't budge.
"My deal is you three fuckheads," Sukuna replied, his voice as harsh as ever before practically tossing the hazel-eyed boy back to the ground beside the redhead.
"You get your rocks off picking on an elementary school kid? That it?"
"She's the one who started it," the blond-haired boy claimed, pointing a finger toward you.
You instinctively wrapped your arms around yourself.
"All we did was ask her a few questions to find out why the hell she was sitting on the bench—"
"—And that gave you the right to start messing with her?" Sukuna cut him off, never once losing the edge in his voice.
The blond-haired boy audibly swallowed.
Sukuna stepped even closer until their noses were nearly touching.
Being much taller than the three boys, he had to tilt his head down just to meet the blond-haired teen's eyes.
"You shitheads were big and bad when it came to three against a fucking ten-year-old. But now someone your own age and size shows up..."
He gave the boy's chest a hard shove.
"...and you're shitting your pants."
A cruel smirk tugged at the corner of Sukuna's mouth.
"Come on. Talk your shit to me the way you were talking to her. Try to kick me around, mess with me."
Neither the blond-haired boy nor the hazel-eyed boy moved.
Neither of them said a word.
They seemed frozen in place.
The redheaded boy still lay unconscious at their feet.
"Well, since you seem to have lost your ability to talk, let me make one thing fucking clear, yeah?"
Sukuna stalked toward the trio.
By then, the hazel-eyed boy and the blond-haired boy had managed to haul their unconscious friend back onto his feet.
Even so, Sukuna still towered over all three of them.
His eyes narrowed. He looked just as intimidating as he always had.
"I ever catch you fuckers anywhere near her again—or if I even think for one fucking second you've been anywhere around her—I'll break every bone in your bodies," Sukuna said.
There wasn't an ounce of hesitation in his voice.
It sounded far more like a promise than an empty threat.
"And then..." he continued, a cruel grin tugging at his lips, "...the best part.”
He leaned in a little closer, his voice going into a whisper. But you were still able to hear him as he spoke to the two boys.
“I'll shove your bodies down the nearest manhole where no one will ever find you."
Sukuna tilted his head slightly.
"You know my reputation around here, don't you? You know I keep my word."
Sukuna reached over and gave the unconscious redhead a few light pats on the cheek.
"Better get your friend somewhere," he said, mock concern dripping from his voice. "His nose looks broken."
He paused just long enough to glance at the blood covering the boy's shirt.
"Maybe a concussion, too."
The hazel-eyed boy and the blond-haired boy hurried away without another word, practically dragging their unconscious friend with them as they fled from what had quickly become the most terrifying moment of their lives.
You stood there with your head tilted, watching the dust the boys had kicked up as they fled from Sukuna. It was a little surprising they could even run that fast while carrying their unconscious friend.
You sniffled before rubbing the last of your tears from your eyes.
You hadn't even noticed Sukuna had turned his attention away from the boys until he spoke.
And though you were grateful he had stepped in to help you, you still couldn't bring yourself to answer.
Instead, you lowered your gaze to your shoes and gave the tiniest nod.
"You sure?" Sukuna asked again.
Once more, you gave a tiny nod.
The pink-haired boy sighed quietly before walking toward you.
He stopped a few steps away when you instinctively shrank back, your hands lifting in front of you.
You kept your eyes fixed on the ground, but you could feel Sukuna's crimson gaze resting on you.
You waited for him to grow impatient with you–like everyone else eventually did, even when they tried not to be.
You flinched when you felt one of his hands rest gently on your shoulder.
His other hand came into view, and you squeezed your eyes shut.
You weren't sure what you were expecting.
You were certain it was going to hurt.
Instead, you felt Sukuna gently brushing the dirt from your uniform.
"Let's get you cleaned up a little," he said.
His voice was much softer than it normally was.
It didn't take long for you to realize it was the same voice he always used around your sister.
"Not much I can do," Sukuna continued, carefully dusting off another sleeve, "but we can at least get some of this dirt off you. I'm sure Tamsy can get the stains out of your uniform when we get back to your place."
You still didn't say anything.
Instead, you cautiously lifted your head, peeking at him through the bangs that had fallen loose from beneath your headband.
You were used to Sukuna being gruff, intimidating, and seemingly annoyed by everyone and everything...
It was something entirely new to you.
“There we go,” Sukuna said after a few minutes, seeming pleased with the little progress he’d made dusting the dirt from your uniform.
He wiped his hands together as he rose from the crouch he’d settled into in front of you.
“I’d say good as new, buuut…” He scratched the side of his cheek with a sheepish grin. “My effort’s a little lackluster at best.”
You just continued to quietly stare at him.
Sukuna cleared his throat before rubbing the back of his neck.
For a moment, he genuinely didn’t seem sure what to do next.
“Tamsy sent me to come get you,” he explained. “She volunteered the two of us to help a few of our classmates clean out some of the classrooms before summer break officially started.”
His gaze drifted toward the school building.
“She was taking some trash out to the dumpsters and asked me to come see if you’d made it here yet.”
“Gonna be one hell of an explanation when she sees you,” he muttered, more to himself than to you.
Even though he was looking right at you, he already knew you weren’t going to answer.
“Come on," Sukuna said as he pointed to the school building behind him. "Let’s go find her. We’ll see how much longer we’re gonna be stuck here.”
Sukuna turned his attention to the wooden bench where your school satchel rested.
You followed his gaze and immediately started toward it after realizing what had caught his attention.
"I got it, Pipsqueak," the pink-haired teen said, making you stop in your tracks.
He walked over to the bench, picked up your satchel by the handle, and slung it over his shoulder.
It was what Sukuna had called you ever since Tamsy first brought him over to your house a few months ago.
You still weren't sure how you felt about it.
Was it just a silly nickname? Or was he making fun of you somehow?
Maybe it was because of your shorter-than-average height.
Then again, standing beside Ryomen Itadori...just about anyone would feel like a pipsqueak.
As if trying to reassure you, Sukuna raised a hand toward you. It caused you to flinch.
To his credit, he paused for just a split second before gently resting his hand on top of your head and lightly ruffling your hair.
You blinked before slowly looking up at him.
To your surprise, he was looking back at you with a soft smile and calm, relaxed eyes.
It was an expression you hardly ever saw on him.
Sometimes, you weren't even sure he was capable of having soft emotions.
Unless Tamsy was involved.
"Look, I know you try to avoid me because you're not really a people person," Sukuna said. His hand had stopped ruffling your hair and now simply rested on top of your head.
"And I get that. I'm not much of a people person either."
Even at ten years old, you knew that was an understatement.
Ryomen was definitely more than just not a people person.
Then again, people who knew Ryomen Itadori usually weren't really Ryomen Itadori people themselves.
"But I do want you to know..." Sukuna continued, his voice still soft, "...I'm always here for you."
You continued to stare at him as he continued talking.
"I'm always gonna be around to knock some dickheads down a peg whenever they mess with you."
He pulled his hand away before gently tapping your forehead with two fingers.
"You're about as much my responsibility now as you are your sister's," he added with a quiet chuckle. He nodded towards the building behind the two of you.
"Now, speaking of your sister, let's go ahead and find her so we can get out of here."
Then he turned and started walking toward the school, your satchel still hanging over his shoulder.
You stood there for another few moments, silently watching his back.
His words lingered in your mind.
A small smile slowly spread across your face.
When you reached his side, you slipped your much smaller hand into his free one and gave it a gentle squeeze.
The gesture caught Sukuna completely off guard.
He stopped mid-mutter and looked down at you. A smile slowly spread across his face and he gently squeezed your hand back.
"Now, when we find your sister," Sukuna said with a grin, "lay it on thick about wanting to leave, yeah? Maybe mention you're hungry and wanna stop by the corner store."
He looked down at you again.
"Think you can do that, Pip?"
You giggled and nodded eagerly.
"Mhm," you answered cheerfully, leaning just a little closer to him.
After that day with those three boys, Sukuna never seemed quite as intimidating to you.
Sure, he was still intimidating—and that only got worse as he got older, gained more muscle, and collected more tattoos—but it became much easier to be around him.
You stopped avoiding him the way you used to. Whenever he came over to the house, you actually made an effort to greet him and spend time around him.
Sukuna, in turn, seemed to soak up the newfound attachment you had to him.
As you sat at your desk, however, the calm and patient version of your future brother-in-law from your memories felt thousands of miles away.
The Sukuna standing in the auto shop was anything but calm and patient.
Shiu and Mahito were currently holding him back, doing everything they could to keep him from putting his hands on Satoru and beating the hell out of the white-haired annoyance.
The shop hadn't even been open for thirty minutes, and Satoru had already made it his personal mission to get on whatever shred of nerves Sukuna had left.
Ino and Suguru had wedged themselves between Sukuna and Satoru, just in case the hulking man managed to break free from Shiu and Mahito.
You weren't entirely sure what those two planned on doing.
Ryomen was an unstoppable force.
Still, you figured it would at least be entertaining to watch from your desk.
Because while you certainly weren't the brightest bulb in the pack...
You also weren't the dumbest.
And you'd spent far too much time around your brother-in-law to even think about trying to stop him.
Your attention was pulled away when the bell above the shop door chimed.
A smile spread across your face when you saw Toji standing there.
His black hair hung low over his face like always, still slightly damp from his morning shower. He wore a pair of blue jeans and a black compression shirt—which, if you were being honest, provided a very delicious view of his chest and abs. His usual combat boots completed the outfit.
An even wider smile spread across your face when you spotted the little body standing beside him.
Megumi was dressed in white sneakers, blue jeans like his father, and a Power Rangers graphic T-shirt. His wild, spiky black hair stuck up in its usual fashion.
“Megumi!” you chirped happily as you rose from your chair. The wheels squeaked against the floor as you rounded the desk and made your way over to the two of them.
You crouched down just in time to brace yourself before little arms wrapped tightly around your neck.
Smiling, you hugged him right back, feeling his small weight settle against you as you gently rocked the two of you from side to side.
“Pip!” Megumi exclaimed, his voice every bit as cheerful as yours.
“This is a nice surprise,” you giggled as you released Megumi.
He unwrapped his arms from around your neck but stayed close to you. You swore the smile on his face made his whole face brighten, his green eyes sparkling with excitement.
Speaking of his green eyes…
You let your gaze drift from Megumi to the man he had inherited them from.
Giving a small wave, you smiled.
“Hey, ’ji,” you greeted. “How are you?”
Toji let out a quiet laugh.
“Oh, now you notice me?” he mused, pretending to sound offended. “Gave my boy here thr welcome wagon and all I get is just a little 'hey'? Probably should’ve left Megs at home if that’s the case.”
“But I didn’t wanna be left alone,” Megumi said innocently, his smile immediately giving way to a pout. His eight-year-old mind clearly hadn’t caught on to the sarcasm.
He looked up at his father.
“I know,” Toji said with a chuckle. Crouching down beside the two of you, he reached over and ruffled his son's unruly hair.
“I was just teasing ya, bud.”
Megumi let out a disgruntled—albeit adorable—little noise as he swatted his father's hand away before inching closer to you.
“Well, I'm so glad to be seeing you this morning, Megumi,” you said softly.
The little boy looked back at you, his smile returning just as wide as before.
“Are you going to be my helper today, or are you going to head to the back and be your daddy's little helper?”
You couldn't help but giggle at the little boy's instant response.
“It’s only for a little while until Tsumiki gets off work and comes to pick him up,” Toji explained as he straightened back to his full height.
You rose to your feet as well.
“Oh, okay,” you replied, your smile never leaving. “And what has Miss Tsumiki been up to today, hmm?”
You knew all about Tsumiki.
The girl was Megumi’s babysitter, though after being around for so long, she had practically become the little boy’s big sister.
Toji had told you how Tsumiki had wanted a summer job, and around the same time, Kyouka had started needing more help around the house and with Megumi as her illness continued to progress.
What had started as a simple summer job had ended with Tsumiki basically being adopted by the Fushiguros.
“She finally got that part-time job at the bookstore,” Toji answered, a smile tugging at his scarred lips.
You could tell how proud he was of the girl.
“Today was her first day of training, so I told her I’d bring Megs with me until she got off around twelve.”
“And then Miki said we can get ice cream!” Megumi chimed in, already excited about his treat later.
The little boy suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to look up at his father.
“Can I still get ice cream, Daddy?”
It was sweet how much softer his voice became when he asked.
It was also adorable that he still wanted permission to enjoy his treat—even though you were fairly certain Tsumiki had already cleared it with Toji.
“Yeah, you can still get ice cream,” he answered. “You just have to be good for Miki, alright?”
“Got it!” Megumi confirmed excitedly.
A loud crash suddenly echoed from the garage, causing all three of you to jump.
A second later came Sukuna's familiar growl, followed immediately by Satoru, who apparently was still doing everything in his power to get under the pink-haired man's skin.
Toji pointed toward the garage.
“Do I want to know?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“That depends,” you replied with a sigh, crossing your arms as you glanced toward the garage door.
Through the small window, you watched Satoru's mouth continue moving as he narrowly dodged a wrench your brother-in-law had thrown at him.
Turning back to Toji, you sighed again.
“Are you willing to deal with Ryo and Satoru at the same time this morning? Because”—you gestured toward the garage—“that happened barely thirty minutes into the workday.”
You paused before adding dryly,
“And as you can see... they're still going.”
Toji scratched the side of his head.
“I'm definitely gonna need coffee before I deal with their shit.”
“Lucky for you, I just made a fresh pot.”
“You are a goddess among women, Pip,” Toji said, already thinking about the caffeine that was about to hit his system.
He turned to look at his son, never noticing the warmth spreading across your cheeks at his comment.
“You be good for Y/N, Megs. I mean it,” Toji instructed, pointing toward you. “She'll tell me if you're misbehaving.”
“I'll be good,” Megumi promised.
He lifted his chin proudly and crossed his arms over his chest.
You did your best to ignore the heat in your face as you stepped beside Megumi, resting a gentle hand against his back.
The little boy looked up at you just as Toji turned his attention back to your face.
“He'll be fine, Toji,” you assured him, your voice light, a smile still on your face.
Your hand slid from Megumi's back to his unruly hair, gently ruffling it.
“He's going to be the best helper yet.”
Megumi had been gone for about an hour by the time Toji found himself sitting on one of the benches in the garage, a cigarette held between his fingers as he took a slow drag. Tilting his head back, he let out a long plume of smoke.
Business had slowed down for the time being, giving everyone a chance to catch their breath.
Some of the guys busied themselves cleaning around the garage, while others—like Toji—decided to sit down and enjoy a few minutes of peace.
Well... as much peace as he was going to get.
The only reason he had chosen that particular bench was because Satoru and Sukuna were sitting beside him, currently getting chewed out by Shiu.
Satoru's little Piss Off Ryomen game had finally come to a head after the dumbass managed to push the pink-haired man one step too far.
Toji had honestly forgotten just how limber Sukuna still was.
Apparently, if you pissed him off enough, even at nearly thirty-six years old, he could still vault over the hood of a car and clear a full-sized toolbox without breaking stride.
“I should kick both of your asses!” Shiu barked, a cigarette hanging loosely from the corner of his mouth as he glared at the two men.
The vein bulging in his forehead suggested he meant every word.
“This is a fucking place of business—my place of business—not a damn UFC ring!”
"This place isn't even big enough to be considered a UFC ring," Satoru muttered, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the wall.
He wore a bored expression, as though this entire scolding was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
With a dramatic sigh, he looked back at Shiu, a pout forming on his face.
"Besides, man, all I've done today is kid around with the big guy. He's the one who decided to get pissy every time."
"Excuse you, you fucking bitch," Sukuna barked, his temper flaring all over again.
He turned sharply on the bench to face Satoru, causing the white-haired man to instinctively scoot a little farther away.
Sukuna jabbed a tattooed finger in his direction.
"You've been asking for a fucking death wish all goddamn day!"
"No, I have not," he argued, dismissively waving a hand. "You've just been a giant ass all day and can't take a joke."
"How about I fucking show you what I can do, you motherfucking—"
"Will you two give it a break already!"
Toji's attention shifted away from Sukuna and Satoru toward the door separating the garage from the front office.
You stood there with your brows knitted together and a deep frown on your face.
Your expression made your displeasure immediately obvious.
A plastic bag from Seven-Eleven hung from one of your hands. You had volunteered to run out and grab everyone snacks and drinks during the unexpected downtime.
Though, if Toji was being honest...
He was pretty sure it had also been your excuse to get away from the chaos that was the Sukuna-and-Gojo Show.
"Why the hell are you fussing at me?" Sukuna asked, turning his attention away from Satoru and toward you.
He was still irritated, but noticeably less so now that you were the one he was talking to.
He jerked his head toward Satoru.
"I'll bitch at both of you, jackass," you shot back.
As you walked over to your brother-in-law, you rummaged through the plastic bag until you found the soda he'd asked for, promptly shoving it against his chest.
"And I'm telling Tamsy you've been a dick to everybody all day."
"Sukuna's gonna be in time-out," he mused, looking far too pleased with himself.
His amusement lasted all of two seconds before a bag of kettle corn smacked him square in the face.
"Shut up, 'Toru!" you scolded as you handed him his milk tea.
Sukuna immediately started grumbling about having his drink shoved into his chest, but you cut him off before he could really get going.
"I'll throw your donuts at you, too."
You turned your attention back to Satoru.
"As I was saying... shut up. You're only going to make things worse, and Shiu is one more thrown tool and one more idle threat away from either firing the two of you..."
"...or killing the two of you."
"Honestly, it could go either way."
"Thank you, Pip," Shiu said as you handed him his milk tea.
He turned back to Satoru, pointing a finger at him.
"The next time you decide to rile him up all damn day, I'm letting him have you."
Satoru let out an offended scoff.
"Suguru wouldn't let Ryo hurt me," he replied confidently. He seemed completely certain his best friend would have his back.
"After the shit you've pulled today, Satoru," Suguru chimed in from where he stood beside Mahito, the two of them sweeping the garage floor, "I'd gladly pretend I didn't see the consequences of your own actions coming back to bite you."
"You sound like a whole-ass traitor right now, Suguru!" he bellowed, genuine outrage in his voice.
"You know it's bad when even Suguru refuses to help you out, Snowflake."
His mismatched eyes shifted to the seething white-haired man.
"And don't look at me, either. I'd find Ryomen beating the shit out of you pretty entertaining."
Satoru turned his glare toward the blue-haired menace.
"Of course you would, asshole!"
"Maybe we should all just calm down?" Ino offered from the other bench, where he'd been wiping down a handful of tools.
He smiled as you walked over and handed him his drink and bag of chips.
Holding up both the can and the chips, he looked around at everyone.
"How about we eat our snacks, drink something, and relax a little before it gets busy again?"
"Ino's right," Toji finally spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.
He chuckled as he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray beside him.
"I think there's been enough bitching and fighting for one day."
He paused long enough to accept the bottle of water and sandwich you'd brought him.
"Thanks," he murmured before looking back at the others.
"We can resume the shitshow tomorrow."
"How about we don't resume the shitshow," Shiu shot back immediately, irritation still lingering in his voice, "and actually act like we have some damn sense?"
With that, he popped open his drink and took a long swig.
Of course, Satoru just had to make one last comment.
Toji watched you roll your eyes before turning and making your way back toward the door, no doubt heading for your desk.
He had to stop himself from snorting into his bottle of water when, as you passed Satoru, you casually smacked him across the back of the head.
Sukuna laughed hard enough for everyone.
That laughter died the instant you flicked him square on the nose.
A disgruntled grumble left the pink-haired man as he rose from the bench, his soda in one hand and his sleeve of donuts in the other, before following after you.
The door separating the garage from the front office swung shut behind the two of you, muffling your voices.
Even so, it wasn't hard to make out Sukuna grumbling about getting flicked in the nose.
"I could've punched you, Ryomen," your voice drifted back through the door. "But I flicked you instead."
A beat later, Sukuna's reply carried back just as faintly.
"I wish you would've, Y/N. That would have been your last time, too."
Then the two of you disappeared farther into the shop, your voices fading until no one could hear them anymore.
Everyone settled into the rest of their break in their own way.
Satoru, naturally, sulked his way over to Suguru, still visibly offended that his best friend hadn't taken his side. He made sure to remind Suguru of that fact every couple of minutes.
Mahito and Ino grabbed their drinks and snacks before heading outside to the alley beside the shop.
It was where they usually spent their breaks.
Whether they were smoking, talking, or just enjoying a little peace and quiet...
Toji honestly had no idea.
They were good guys. He'd never deny that.
They were just... Odd. In their own way–very harmless. Still odd.
“I'm pretty bummed I didn't get to see my dude all that much before Tsumiki came and picked him up,” Shiu said, breaking Toji out of his thoughts.
The green-eyed man looked over at his childhood best friend.
Scooting over, Toji made room for Shiu on the bench beside him before taking another sip of his water.
“We've been busy today,” Toji replied, twisting the cap back onto the bottle.
His gaze drifted toward Satoru, finding the white-haired man still sulking like a child.
Beside him, Suguru quietly sipped his drink while scrolling through his phone, seemingly making a point of ignoring both Satoru and the tantrum he was throwing.
From there, Toji's eyes wandered to the garage door.
Somewhere out front, you and Sukuna were probably sitting at your desk.
“Plus,” he continued, “you've had your hands full with Ryomen and Satoru today.”
“Don’t even mention those two assholes right now, man. I’m pretending Snowflake isn’t even sitting across from me.”
“What exactly started the whole thing this morning?” Toji asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
“I don’t even fucking know.”
“One minute I’m in my office getting everything ready for the day…”
He ran a hand through his hair.
“The next thing I know, I’m running into the garage to hold Ryomen back before he rips Satoru’s head off.”
“Pip wasn't much help either,” Toji remarked as he leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. “Apparently she just ignored the whole thing.”
“Yeah, the little shit did. She kept herself busy with everything up front this morning so she didn't have to pay either of them any attention.”
He rubbed a hand over his chin, humming thoughtfully.
“Until she had to keep apologizing to customers and explaining why two grown men were acting like dumbasses.”
“I think most of the customers got a kick out of it, though,” Toji commented. “Megs thought they were hilarious.”
“That's because he doesn't know any better,” Shiu replied, rolling his eyes.
He lifted his drink for another sip but stopped when the can was only a few inches from his mouth.
Another thoughtful hum left him before a slow smile spread across his face.
“Truthfully, I think the little man had a lot more fun spending those few hours with Y/N.”
“Yeah. He really took a liking to her after the Halloween festival,” he said.
A soft smile tugged at his lips as he remembered how you had single-handedly helped Megumi that night.
He'd already told Shiu about how Megumi had started to panic while he and Aimee waited backstage for the costume contest.
His nerves had gotten the better of him.
Toji had also told Shiu how you'd stepped in without a second thought.
You hadn't asked any questions.
You'd simply knelt beside Megumi and helped him calm down, guiding him through the same breathing exercises your parents had taught you as a child whenever your anxiety and nerves got the better of you.
“I would, too, honestly,” he admitted with a chuckle. “A pretty girl taking the time to calm me down? Holding my hand and letting me sit in her lap? If I were Megs' age again, hell... I'd be absolutely smitten.”
His smile slowly shifted into a sly grin.
“Although...” he continued, giving Toji a knowing look. “I don't think Megumi's the only one who's grown a liking to our little Pip.”
Toji had been in the middle of taking a drink.
Shiu's last comment caught him completely off guard.
He choked on the mouthful of water, sputtering as he coughed into his fist.
“You good, 'ji?” Mahito asked as he and Ino wandered back into the garage.
Still coughing, Toji raised a hand to let the blue-haired man know he was fine.
Mahito and Ino exchanged a glance before shrugging in unison and making their way over to where Suguru and Satoru were.
“Don't start anything, man,” Ino pleaded quietly.
“I wasn't going to do anything,” Mahito replied.
The tone of his voice suggested otherwise.
“You oversized, walking blueberry better not say shit to me,” Satoru warned, clearly not in the mood for whatever Mahito was about to start.
Satoru could be a lot to deal with.
Mahito, however, could be on an entirely different level whenever he felt like causing trouble.
“I'd rather be an oversized blueberry than a snowflake, Snowflake.”
A loud, exasperated sigh came from both Suguru and Ino.
Toji tuned Mahito and Satoru out, giving Shiu his full attention instead.
His childhood friend still wore the same grin that always meant one thing:
Trouble. Or, more specifically... that Toji was about to end up with a headache.
“What the hell does that mean?” Toji asked, his throat still burning from the water going down the wrong pipe.
“I don't know,” he mused, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the wall. He glanced sideways at Toji.
“How about you tell me that, hm?”
Toji narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“It'd be implying something if I were making an assumption,” Shiu replied. “I'm merely pointing out an obvious fact, bud.”
“Funny how you don't have to make assumptions to be an ass,” Toji muttered.
“Avoiding the question is only proving my point, by the way, 'ji.”
“The point that you like Y/N.”
He simply stared at Shiu, his green eyes a little wider than before.
Shiu stared right back, wearing the smug, self-satisfied grin of someone who knew he'd finally cornered his best friend.
If he was being honest...
Shiu wasn't wrong. He did like you.
You were sweet, funny, and easy to talk to.
Over the past few months, Toji had genuinely enjoyed having you around the shop. Somewhere along the way, you'd become one of his closest friends.
It had happened so naturally that he hadn't even realized it until now. And it certainly helped that Megumi had become so attached to you.
That part still surprised Toji the most.
Megumi had never been the type to grow attached to new people so easily. The boy was always cautious, preferring to stay close to the people he already knew and trusted.
It wasn't that Megumi couldn't be around new people.
He had friends at school, after all. But he usually took his time warming up to someone.
It happened almost immediately.
“She's a good friend,” Toji finally managed to say.
“And you want her to be more than a friend, right?”
“Don't you have to be stupid somewhere else?”
Toji let out a scoffing laugh.
“Been watching cartoons with Mei, huh?”
Shiu blinked a few times.
“I do sometimes,” he admitted, sounding genuinely confused. “Why do you ask?”
He only stared at his best friend.
There was absolutely no way Shiu hadn't gotten the reference to that stupid talking sponge.
Toji was sure Mei had watched SpongeBob more than enough times for Shiu to have caught at least an episode or two with her.
“Anyways,” Shiu said, steering the conversation back on track. “Back to the subject at hand.”
He looked at Toji with a grin.
“Will you stop saying that out loud?” Toji pleaded, his eyes instinctively sweeping the garage.
The four men on the other side paid them no attention.
His gaze drifted toward the door leading to the front of the shop.
“The last thing I need is for Ryomen to hear that shit.”
“Because it's true, and you don't want him going all big brother on you?” Shiu asked, still thoroughly amused by the entire conversation.
Toji dragged a hand down his face.
“Because you're stirring up shit,” he muttered. “And the last thing I need is to deal with Ryomen and the stick that's permanently shoved up his ass.”
“Or...” Shiu continued, his grin only growing wider. “Could it be that you don't want Pip hearing it herself?”
“Dude,” Toji said, his annoyance with the conversation steadily growing, “I am about to beat the ever-loving shit out of you.”
“You only threaten me with violence when I'm right and you don't want to deal with me anymore.”
“First off, that isn't true.”
Toji held up one finger while pinching the bridge of his nose with the other hand.
“I have threatened you with violence on several different occasions, whether you were right or not.”
He pointed the raised finger at Shiu.
“Which, for the record, I'm not admitting you are.”
“You kind of are admitting I'm right.”
“It's not a crime to like her, man,” Shiu interrupted before Toji could finish the insult.
“What?” Shiu asked with a shrug. “She's gorgeous. She's really sweet. And, to put the icing on the cake, Megumi likes her.”
He paused for a second before grinning.
“Did I mention she's gorgeous?”
“And she's Ryomen's sister-in-law,” Toji shot back.
“So?” Toji repeated. “He made it pretty clear she was off-limits.”
“Ryomen doesn't control what she does, you know.”
Toji let out a quiet sigh before looking down at the bottle in his hands.
“It's the principle of it, man. She's been through a lot of shit already, and she needs to focus on herself.”
Silence settled between them.
Neither man spoke for a long moment.
Then Shiu finally broke it.
“Is this really about Ryomen saying she's off-limits because you're trying to be a good friend...”
He let the question hang for a beat.
“...or is this about Kyouka?”
It was the only thing Toji said.
Shiu let out a quiet sigh.
“I'm not trying to step on your toes,” he said gently. “And I'm not about to tell you how long you're supposed to mourn your wife.”
He hesitated for a moment.
“But don't you think she'd want you to be happy, 'ji?”
Kyouka had told him countless times during the course of her illness that if anything happened to her, she wanted him to be happy.
And she'd always added that however happiness found him...
That would be enough for her.
Whether that happiness came from finally letting Megumi get a dog or a cat—something Kyouka had always been allergic to, much to their sweet boy's disappointment...
Or whether it came from finding happiness with someone else.
She'd always made it clear that neither would ever bother her.
“I'll be gone, Toji. And you'll still be here.”
That had always been her defense whenever the conversation came up.
Kyouka would be okay with it.
Kyouka had been his light in the darkness that was his upbringing.
Because of her, he'd found a home in another person.
She had been his best friend. His lover. His first love.
They had gone through everything together.
From the awkward first steps after they officially started dating, learning how to go from being best friends to something more...
To standing beside Shiu and Shoko on their wedding day.
Then doing the same when Tamsy and Ryomen got married the following year.
Kyouka had been his light through it all.
Even when it was just the two of them struggling to make it from one day to the next, she'd always greeted him with a smile. Toji knew she had been just as stressed as he was.
She simply refused to let him carry that weight alone.
It was Kyouka who always held him whenever he woke from another nightmare about his father.
She would hold his larger frame against her smaller one until his breathing finally evened out and the trembling in his body eased.
Then she'd run gentle fingers through his hair, humming softly to him.
Almost like his mother used to.
She was the one who finally helped him overcome the fear that, one day, he would become just like his father.
All it had taken was watching Shiu and Shoko dote on their newborn daughter.
All it took was Kyouka holding baby Mei, smiling and looking at the infant with so much awe, and for the first time, Toji could picture it.
A yard big enough for children to run through.
A handful of little ones who were equal parts him and her.
In the end, though, Megumi became their only child.
Kyouka had needed an emergency hysterectomy after their son was born.
The two of them had been devastated that they would never have the big family they’d dreamed about. But even through that heartbreak, they had looked at their healthy, beautiful little boy and known they already had everything that truly mattered.
Toji and Kyouka had been through everything.
The awkward. The good. The best. The ugly. The worst.
And even a year later... Toji still couldn't move past any of it.
All he wanted was to turn back time and have his wife again.
He wanted to keep turning it back, over and over, every time it crept closer to the day he lost her.
He knew it sounded selfish.
"It's just...complicated, Shiu," Toji finally admitted, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.
"You're a man mourning the love of your life," Shiu said. "But you're also a man who's grieving that love while starting to have conflicting feelings for someone else."
Toji let out a quiet sigh.
He was cut off by the sound of a car and a pickup truck pulling up to the open bay doors at the same time.
A beat later, Sukuna walked through the door leading from the front of the shop into the garage, with you following close behind.
"Hey, your two and three o'clock are here," you called, nodding toward the two vehicles as their owners climbed out and headed inside.
You handed a clipboard to Shiu.
"The two o'clock is here for an oil change and new brakes. The three o'clock wants someone to take a look at his transmission while he's here for an oil change."
"Alright," Shiu said as he took the clipboard from you. "Thanks, Pip. We'll get right on it."
With a smile, you turned and headed back toward the front of the shop.
Shiu waited until you were gone and Sukuna was well out of earshot before looking back at Toji.
"Look, man," he began, "I don't know even half of what you've been feeling this past year—and I hope I never do. Not because I don't care, but because I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anybody."
"I know," Toji said quietly. "I wouldn't wish this on you...or even my worst enemy."
A small smile crossed Shiu's face as he tucked the clipboard beneath his arm and rested a hand on his best friend's shoulder.
"But knowing Kyouka..." he said softly, "she'd want you to be happy."
"She may have been your everything, 'ji, but you were hers, too. I know she wouldn't want you to spend the rest of your life punishing yourself. Mourning her? Yeah. Missing her? Of course."
Shiu squeezed Toji’s shoulder.
"But refusing to let yourself be happy if happiness finds you again?"
"She'd kick your ass if she could."
That earned a genuine laugh from Toji.
Because he knew Shiu was right.
Shiu gave his shoulder one last pat before turning toward the waiting vehicles.
"Just think about it, alright?" he said over his shoulder. "There's no harm in that."
Toji watched as his best friend joined Sukuna and the others. Shiu glanced over the notes on the clipboard with them, pointing out what each vehicle was there for before they all got to work.
Twisting the cap off his water bottle one last time, Toji drained the last of it in a single gulp. He crushed the empty bottle in his hand before tossing it into the nearby trash can.
As he stood, his eyes drifted toward the door leading into the front office.
Through the small window, he could see you sitting behind the reception desk, smiling as you laughed at something one of the customers had said.
He found himself smiling, too.
As much as Toji hated admitting it—
Holy freaking nair balls guys!
I did noooot mean for it to be so long for an update to happen. And I’m sorry if this isn’t really the best…I really just wanted to have a duel flashback scene for Reader and Toji.
And because I haven’t really put a lot of Satoru and Suguru or Ino and Mahito in the chapters when it involves the shop.
But, yeah, here’s the new update. I’ll start the next one soon and hopefully it doesn’t take me so long this time. But I hope you guys have a great day/night and stay wonderful and awesome!
Also, as always, if you would like to be added to the tag list just let me know! <3
@h4rkonn3n @dawnsoblivion @ilovemacandcheese @dollthy @ihesoou @mawaziiphotography @s-e-s-a-l-e-n-e @your-mum3000 @kattywhomper @heeknow
