More Firelord Zuko and Ambassador Sokka because I live for their soft love gestures (and for how confused the Palace staff must be that a Firelord can genuinely love someone)
relationships: Choso x Reader, Gojo x Reader, Geto x Reader (multiple endings)
content: MDNI, angst with a happy ending, fluff, smut, semi-public sex, reader is down BAD, messy relationships, fake dating
Where the fuck was your shoe?
Stumbling (half barefoot) into the street, you tried your best to assess your unfortunate situation through your alcohol-induced haze.
Shoes? Question Mark. Purse? Check. Phone? You dug around the small bag with no luck.
Shit.
It was supposed to be a fun night. It wasn't supposed to end with you getting black out drunk and dying from hypothermia after sleeping on the street. Yuji had insisted on dragging you and Nobarra out for drinks with Megumi for the latter's birthday. Everything had been fine - until you guys had run into their old teacher.
This was really all his fault.
Your phone (and shoe) were probably both still with him, but there was no fucking chance you were going back now.
So, here you were, freezing your ass off, searching for friends who'd most certainly left already with no way to get back in touch. You hadn't even noticed when you got separated from them at first, but you doubted they were still hanging around now. There was no sign of them anywhere, inside the bar or out on the street.
Cursing under your breath, you glanced around the dim sidewalk, flickering yellow lights from the street lamps cutting through the dark. Annoyingly loud music thumped behind you, but the rest of the world seemed like a ghost town. Cold wind burning at your nose as you shivered in your thin dress. So goddamn stupid.
Maybe it was the tiniest bit your fault too.
Walking lopsided, you started down the street, hoping to see a payphone, taxi, or anything even semi-familiar. Did taxis even come by this part of town at three in the fucking morning?
After God-knows-how-long hobbling, you spotted a payphone up ahead.
An anxious pit gnawed at your stomach while you approached, praying to whoever was listening to please, please, please work.
Scrounging up the few coins you could find in your purse, you inserted them and dialed the only number you knew off the top of your head - Yuji's home phone. They were all supposed to be heading back to his place after this anyway. Hopefully, they were already there, and one of them would be sober enough by now to give you a ride.
The phone's ringing seemed to stretch on forever.
Nobody answered.
Panic coursed through you as you carefully redialed, making sure you entered each number right, rubbing your eyes, mascara smearing off on your hand. You might actually throw yourself in traffic if you had to go back inside and ask him for help.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
“Hello?” An annoyed voice gruffly said. Relief immediately flooded through you.
“Choso?” You asked, voice shaking as you trembled in the cold. You could hear him mumble your name along with a muffled string of curse words on the other line.
“Shit, are you okay?” He asked, his voice much softer and gentler than it was only seconds before.
“Is everyone already back? I kind of got separated from them and um, I lost my phone,” You started rambling. It was kind of embarrassing to show this side of yourself to Choso, of all people. Although you'd been friends with Yuji first, you found yourself crushing on his brother more every time you saw him.
“Yeah, they got back a while ago, but they already passed out. Where are you? I can come pick you up,” Choso offered, muffling his yawn. Your heart pounded a little harder at the thought of him coming to your rescue.
You looked around until you saw the closest street sign and repeated it back to him, his promise that he would be there as soon as possible making your chest ache.
The first time you met him, Yuji had invited you over with the others for a movie night. But instead of your familiar pink-headed friend greeting you, a tall, dark-haired man opened the door. Flailing for words, your mouth immediately dry at the sight of him. He was handsome - all sharp lines and jagged edges from his cheekbones to the pigtails sticking up. Even the tired-looking circles under his eyes were attractive. You stuttered a hello before he let you in and disappeared down the hall without another word.
Eventually, you would figure out he was as soft as his brother, despite his looks. He would do anything for him, even used to juggle two to three jobs at a time to help support them.
Honestly, the more you saw, the more you liked. And it was becoming a problem.
No matter how much you tried to distract yourself, your mind kept wandering back to him.
“It's freezing out here, get in,” A deep familiar voice called out, startling you. You looked up to see Choso, window down and waiting in a car pulled up on the street. You half-ran over to him, well, as much as you could consider the gravel sticking to your foot before climbing into the warm and toasty passenger seat. He tossed you a black hoodie from the backseat, his tired eyes narrow as they bore into your own. “Here, put this on before you catch a cold.”
“Thanks,” You mumbled into the fabric as you pulled it over your head. Your face burned red as it started to sink in just how much of a wreck you must look like right now.
“I'm going to kill them for leaving you when they wake up tomorrow,” He muttered, avoiding looking over at you when he glanced back over at the empty street.
“It's fine, really. It happened so fast. They probably thought I would be fine if I had my phone to get a ride,” You replied, embarrassed at your own stupidity for how things ended up.
“No, it's not fine,” Choso sighed, running his long fingers through his hair. It was actually down for once, wearing an old t-shirt with a small hole in the collar, probably just whatever he'd been sleeping in. You had definitely woken him up.
“Thanks for picking me up. I really appreciate it. Sorry for, uh, waking you up,” You sheepishly apologized, buckling your seatbelt. Now that you were actually in his car, in his hoodie, your nerves were getting the better of you.
“You don't need to apologize,” He reassured, his voice still thick with sleep. Who wouldn't feel butterflies when he spoke to you like that?
“Oh, okay.”
“Can I ask you something?” He paused, glancing over quickly before turning his attention back to the road.
“Y-yeah, of course,” You replied.
“Why are you only wearing one shoe?”
--
The next afternoon, you found yourself standing outside the sleazy little bar you stumbled out of just twelve hours ago. Head throbbing in pain but at least fully-clothed, you couldn't help cringing as you entered.
You had called your phone from Yuji's after showering last night's grime off of you, annoyed but not surprised at who answered, suggesting you just meet back up there so he could return it, completely unbothered. You supposed you should probably just be grateful you didn't have to go crawling under sticky tables just to find your phone encrusted in mysterious substances at least. But who knows what state it was in after being in his custody?
Even at three in the afternoon, the place was busy. Weaving through bodies to make your way over to the bartender, about to grab his attention before someone suddenly grabbed your shoulder, making you bump into a tall metal stool, hard.
“Oops, sorry about that. Didn't mean to scare you,” A lilting voice taunted. Glaring, you winced as you turned to see Gojo, white hair spiked up to show off his expensive undercut, dressed in slacks and a freshly-pressed button-down. He was peering down at you, a thin pair of sunglasses perched below the bridge of his sharp nose. As much as you hated to admit it, he was even hotter now that you were sober.
"Did you have to do that?" You scowled, pulling away and rubbing the sore spot on your hip.
“I’m just returning this,” He feigned innocence, dangling your phone in one hand. “I’ve got your shoe in my car too. Didn't wanna look like some kind of weirdo, y'know, carrying it around.”
Sure, the guy who was still wearing sunglasses indoors didn't want to look like a weirdo. It was already dark in here. How could he even see out of them?
Biting back an insult, you tried snatching the phone back just for him to move it behind his back out-of-reach.
“Keep the shoe or toss it for all I care, just give me my phone back,” You tried to force a neutral mask to hide how annoyed you were with him, well-aware it wasn't working. It didn't take a genius to tell he was enjoying pissing you off tremendously.
“You’re no fun,” He pouted. “I thought we had a great time last night.”
Yeah, maybe he did. Your face flushed at how casually he was bringing it up.
“Whatever, you were the one who said you didn't go back for seconds,” You poked his chest, the gesture only hurting your finger when it met the hard muscle underneath his shirt. While your hookup easily qualified as a drunken mistake, nothing left but regret the morning after, he was the type that couldn't resist pouring gasoline on a fire.
Looking back, it was almost embarrassing how easily he lured you in with those pretty baby blues and whispered steamy things in your ear until he convinced you to go somewhere a little more private.
He led you into a barely-used back office, hardly bigger than your closet at home. He locked the door behind him, not even waiting three seconds before bending you over the desk. He had your panties down and dress pulled up with world record speed.
Way to make a girl feel special.
“I-is this okay? You don't think we'll get caught?” You stammered, face pressed into the solid wood.
“Doesn't that just make it more fun?” He teased, inserting one finger against the slick wetness. You gasped for air. He toyed around lazily in there, drinking in the way you squirmed around him.
“Does that feel good?” He murmured, leaning in to brush his lips against the nape of your neck.
“F-fuck, yes,” You said, voice hardly more than a whisper, spine stiff as he started pressing hungry kisses along your throat.
You couldn't even remember the first time he made you cum, so it couldn't have been that good.
Only him pulling his fingers back out, unzipping his pants quickly, belt clinking when it hit the side of the desk. Your mouth fell open when you glanced behind you, landing on his cock when it popped free. He chuckled at your reaction, smirking as he snagged a condom out of his pocket, his easy access to it leaving you feeling a little slimy. A reminder that you were probably just the latest in a long line of girls he'd done this with.
He held your gaze hostage, quickly sliding it on. If you were going to protest, he quickly shut you up the second he slid his cock in. You moaned, the sound of it drowned out by the heavy bass pumping in the distance. Your fingernails dug into the wood, his thrusts, hard and fast, like he was ready to get it over with.
“G-Gojo,” You panted, hot and breathy. One large hand slapped your ass, his cock snugly pressing deeper as the other clawed at your hip, pulling you in closer.
But, of course, as soon as he got his dick wet and finished, he bookended it by telling you in no uncertain terms to get lost and not get your hopes up. As if you would ever want to be in a relationship with him.
Prick.
“Yeah, but I did think it was awfully cute when you threw your shoe at me,” He talked down to you.
He laughed, hands slipping in his pockets as he sat on the barstool next to you. Instead of ordering a drink, he just pulled out a piece of loose candy from his pants pocket and popped it in his mouth.
God, could he get more gross?
“Can you please just give my phone back now so I can get out of here and never see you again?” You held your hand out impatiently. The throbbing in your skull worsened with every passing second. It felt like your eyes might actually pop out of your head at this rate.
Gojo smiled, one of those annoyingly dazzling ones you were sure was intended to make your heart lurch, your brain fog. You sort of wished he had brought your heel in just so you could stab him with it.
“Maybe I'll just drop it off at Yuji's then,” He hm-ed, cocking his head to the side. The last thing you needed was him to run into Choso and brag about you being his freshest conquest after last night’s humiliation. You struggled to regain your composure, panic flaring up as your breath caught in your throat.
“Can you quit being an asshole? What do you want?” You crossed your arms protectively against your chest, swallowing hard.
“I just wanted to see you again,” He jutted his bottom lip out, really trying to sell his lie.
“Uh-huh,” You scoffed.
“Okay, I might have another reason,” He shrugged, something mischievous glimmering in his eyes.
You had a distinct feeling you weren’t going to like whatever came out of his mouth next.
“Would you like to be my girlfriend?”
“Excuse me?” You asked, dumbstruck.
“Well, fake girlfriend, technically. One-time only. I'd pay you,” He talked like a car salesman, like he was the one doing you a favor. Pulled out his wallet for show, as if he was going to whip out a wad of cash to prove how serious he was.
You stared at him blankly.
“Can’t you just get a real girlfriend? Why are you asking me?” You questioned, brows furrowed. All of this was pretty fucking hypocritical coming from a man who claimed to never see the same girl twice.
“You don't seem like the clingy type,” He vaguely explained, talking with his hands. "Plus, you know Yuji so-"
“I don’t want anything to do with this,” You interrupted, holding your hand up to stop him mid-sentence. You didn't particularly care what Yuji had to do with it, only that you'd have to be an idiot to get involved with Gojo any further.
All you wanted was to curl up in your own bed and sleep for the next eighteen hours.
“Boo," He sighed dramatically, pretty pink lips pouting. You watched him unlock your phone and start typing.
“What the fuck? How do you-?”
“I watched you type it in last night. Don’t worry, I didn’t look at anything,” Gojo grinned at you. You weren’t sure if his words made you feel better or worse. Or that you even believed him to begin with. He finally handed it back over, his fingers lingering when they brushed against yours.
“I’m leaving now,” You frowned. He tipped his sunglasses down, those cerulean eyes holding you in place.
“Text me if you change your mind,” Gojo finally said, a smug smile creeping onto his face.
“Don’t count on it.”
--
The following Friday night, you found yourself curled up on Yuji’s sofa watching him and Megumi attempt to make popcorn in the attached kitchen, Nobarra scrolling aimlessly through her phone. You tapped her on the shoulder, giggling between yourselves while Megumi scolded Yuji for somehow burning the butter. Not that he was helping either.
“What are we watching tonight?” She called out to the duo.
“Attack of the Mutant Lobster 2!” Yuji exclaimed, almost bouncing from excitement.
Nobarra rolled her eyes, muttering something about never letting Yuji pick again.
The front door creaked open and a tired Choso came in, grocery bags hooked over his elbows. You were pushing off of the couch automatically, the springs creaking underneath you when you stood, internally grateful you decided to wear a skirt instead of pajama pants in the hopes he'd be hanging around tonight.
“Can I help with those?” You pointed, bottom lip tugged between your teeth. He hesitated before nodding, holding an arm out. You nearly bumped into the coffee table in your rush to grab a few, face heating up while you trailed behind him into the kitchen. Yuji wasn't paying an ounce of attention, throwing now-burnt popcorn at Megumi in retaliation.
“Movie night, huh?” Choso asked as you unloaded the bags. You glanced over, wondering if he was talking to you or them.
“Yeah! You wanna join?” Yuji asked his older brother. The exhaustion in Choso's face started to melt, his features relaxing when his gaze settled on you next to him.
“You should,” You added softly.
“Okay, sure,” He cleared his throat, pulling a carton of eggs out of the bag and looking away from you.
After all the groceries were up, you went to sit back down only to find Megumi and Yuji lounging where you were before. Sighing, you stole the fuzzy blanket behind them and collapsed into the ratty old armchair next to the couch.
The salty smell of buttery popcorn wafted from the kitchen, Choso taking it upon himself to make a fresh batch after deeming Yuji’s inedible. After bringing out bowls for everyone, he paused next to the TV. You looked around, realizing at the same time as everyone else there wasn't exactly a place for him to sit.
“It’s fi-” He started to say, already looking back towards the hall.
“Why don't you just sit over there together?” Nobarra interrupted, jutting her thumb over to you on the armchair, an uncharacteristically sweet smile on her face at her not-very-subtle attempt to hook you up. The heat creeping up your neck while you considered maiming her after this. She wasn't incorrect - there was technically enough space for two if he squeezed in.
“A-are you sure?” Choso asked, his dark eyes meeting yours. You nodded, the words not leaving your tongue. A bit reluctantly, he walked over while you scooted to make room for him.
Your thigh brushed up against his as the seat sank in, the wooden frame whining under his weight. The armchair wasn’t quite big enough, forcing his leg to press against yours, goosebumps trailing down your arm. You stole a glance, noticing the faint pink blush across his pale face. You weren’t the only one feeling nervous.
“Are you cold?” You whispered while Yuji started the movie, Megumi groaning as he got up to turn off the lights.
Choso nodded, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat, a small grunt you guessed meant yes coming out. You thought you heard Nobarra snicker to your right while you readjusted the blanket over his lap too.
You kept your head glued forward, trying desperately not to think about the firm thigh touching into yours or how warm and woody his cologne was or even the soft sound of his breathing so close to you. But your brain refused to process a single thing happening on the tv, stuck on the admittedly filthy thoughts playing on a loop in your head.
His hand drifted down, lightly grazing the bare flesh of your thigh. You stifled a gasp, looking over to see an extremely flustered Choso, brown eyes wider than you'd ever seen them before. Judging by his face, he hadn’t meant to touch you. But before you could lose your nerve, your fingers interlaced with his, keeping them in place.
You were pretty sure he stopped breathing.
Pretending to turn your attention back to the screen, play it off like it wouldn't bother you if he pulled away. But he didn't, his fingers tracing the tendons, thumb brushing against your knuckles. His hand was warm, calloused. You couldn’t hear anything on the tv over the rush of blood in your ears.
The others’ chatter eventually drifted into sleep, popcorn bowls discarded on the floor, Yuji snoring on the opposite side of the room despite being the only one who even wanted to watch this. You wouldn’t mind if the movie dragged on forever if it meant you could keep holding Choso’s hand. You tried to sneak another look at him just to find he was already studying your face.
Both of you blushed, his ears tinged pink, one side of his cheek hollowed out like he was biting the inside of it.
“I think they’re all asleep,” You said, voice barely audible. He nodded, but you caught the way he kept glancing at your lips, his face only a few inches away.
You leaned in closer, looking up at him with hopeful eyes.
“Can I kiss you?” He asked in a hushed whisper.
“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for you to ask,” You murmured, your own gaze flitting down to his mouth.
His soft lips brushed against yours, gentler than you expected. You could still taste the hint of popcorn on his tongue when your lips parted for him. His other hand tangled itself in your hair, pulling you into his embrace. His chest was warm, heat pouring off of him when your hand skimmed up his sturdy arm, trailing past his shoulder so you could cup his face.
A small moan escaped your mouth, freezing the second you remembered you weren’t exactly alone. Breaking the kiss to whirl around, checking to make sure the others were still sleeping and sighing with relief at the confirmation they were all passed out soundly, movie credits playing in the background.
Choso abruptly got up, the blanket falling in a heap on your lap. You blinked a couple times, staring up at him, surprised.
His expression was pure panic.
Mouthing an ‘I’m sorry,’ while he hurried down the hallway.
Confused didn't begin to cover it.
Scrambling up after him, tossing the blanket behind him so you could follow, cringing out how loud your steps were even on the carpet. You managed to grab his hand and stop him before he could shut himself in his room.
“What’s wrong?” You asked, worried. You had waited so long for this - and now that it happened, he was running away.
“It’s just - you're Yuji's friend. It's not right,” He muttered, anxiously pulling his hand back.
“I don't think he'd care. I mean, I can make decisions for myself,” You sounded wounded. It honestly hurt more that he liked you back. After years of yearning, you finally knew it wasn't one-sided, only for him to reject you anyway.
“I’m sorry,” He repeated, turning and quietly shutting the door in your face. You heard the soft click of the lock turning.
You turned on your heel and returned to the armchair, the seat suddenly far more spacious than it ever was before.
Lost in thought, you stared blankly at the screen until you heard Nobarra shuffling as she readjusted a pillow under her head. Yawning, she glanced over to you.
“Just you?” She murmured, still half-asleep. “Too scared to make a move?”
“He went to bed,” That was about all you could manage right now. Nobarra nodded, drifting back off and murmuring something unintelligible.
You pulled the blanket up to your chest, digging your phone out from the crack of the chair.
Fueled by some petty bitterness, you scrolled through your contacts until you found the one you were looking for.