RAY

20s, baepsays' backup

[satosray]

𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐇 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐊𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍 ⸻ ✦.

main acc: @baepsays Ray ✧ NSFW ✧ MDNI ✧ 20s

✦. ⸻ 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐌𝐄

works ✧ yaps ✧ have smth to say? ✧ yaps about my wips ✧ recommendations

a/n: everything is from Pinterest or edited by me. pfp by @/snackanimals on Twitter

[dramamines-deactivated20240907]

Picrew tag game!- Create yourself now vs how you looked when you were a kid

Link

I was tagged by @cutebisexualmess for this but the chain was too long so I'm restarting!

If only that little girl could see me now (she'd probably think I was cool tbh)

uhm tagging: @b3achfagz (ik you dont do tag games so u can just ignore this but i though u might find it cool) @cassiecryptic @viktheviking1 @depressedgremlinbitch @ramencat12 @inkyslimee @the-horrifying-digital-circus @patipati @cute--thing @musicalsiphonophore @tastetherainbow290 @disenchantedwarlock @bookishcatcafe and anyone else who sees this and thinks it looks cool!!

[picrew-dump]

i wasn’t tagged but it looked awesome so i had to do it… i tag: @uglyduckling339 @sapphicshart @needlekind @oya-oya-okay @three-green-waterbottles @heymrspatel @bionicle-ramblings @stvnszlr @wasyago and @r0ttingsystem (no pressure tho obvs — i’m not even mutuals with some of u, hope this isn’t a bother!) plus ANYONE else who wants in! (i love seeing ppl’s picrews on my notifs :))

[heart-of-the-morningstar]

Anybody who wants to can join in 🥰

[gluttonybiscuits]

I always love picrew games! So much fun 🌺

Anyone can join!

[batsybat91]

I'll join you!! This is the closest I could get!

No pressure tags at all, just for fun!

@writingwisterias @shymoob @colesabi and anyone else who'd like to join :)

[writingwisterias]

Ooo this was funn!

Tags: @harpsinfinity @losermuse @074calicocat @vesperaominosum +anyone else that wants to join!!

[harpsinfinity]

Thank youu for the tag (I have NOT changed that much since I was a kid but oh well 😭)

@baepsays @socratestheegg @himishimis @ch3rry---b3rry

[satosray]

thanks for the tag hon <3 i have changed significantly since i was a kid lol

npt: @madamechrissy @cuntphoric @iamsoclone @eirasera @anglbunny @wondeurland @starmapz @rain-soaked-sun + anyone who wants to join in ^^

[satosray]

no man shall be having a good day in my presence

[exquisink]

oh…… manipulative!geto, the man you are. so many red flags but you’re color blind. :)

alright, you aren't all that colorblind. you have to give yourself more credit than that. you have had your suspicions from the beginning, but it's easy to let things slide when he offers you that smile of his, all charming and disengaging and leaves you in a state of breathlessness each time he graces you with that grin. that grin that hides so many darker intentions, like Pandora's Box, that you have yet to unravel yourself. you let yourself be lured into his trap like an unsuspecting prey, and yet you don't find yourself able to hate him with every fiber, every morsel of your being.

he claims he's lost without you there by his side. each time you're in a heat of an argument, that's what he hits you with, and each time, you believe it. because he knows how to make you believe him. with every chaste kiss, with every caress, he can make you forget why you were ever mad at him, and he will do everything to keep you wrapped around his fingers.

each time you threaten to leave, each time you threaten to break things off, he willingly submits. but only for a time. down on his knees, with those enchanting purple eyes sparkling, a silent plea for you to remain here. with him, you don't ever have to worry about a thing, he assures you. with him, you won't even ever have to lift a finger again if that's what you want, he insists.

you can't escape his web of lies... (and maybe a part of you doesn't want to, either.)

[m4nwhore69]

I’ll be quick - N.K.

Synopsis: Your husband has an important meeting, and he needs to look his best. He asks for your opinion on how the suit looks on him. But you can only think about how badly you want him inside of you.

Nanami Kento x Reader

MDNI. fem!reader, husband!nanami, porn without plot, teasing, pervy!reader, fingering, p in v, creampie, pet names, fluff.

Word Count. 1.9k

Nanami had an important meeting today, and he had to look his best, not that it was hard for him anyway. 

He stood in front of the full-body mirror in your shared bedroom, trying to decide which suit looked the best on him. He felt a little silly for making such a big deal out of something so trivial like the suit he’ll be wearing to the meeting. 

Today was also your day off, so you had planned to sleep until late. Those wishes seemed to be put on pause after you stirred in your sleep thanks to your husband’s movements. 

Your eyes opened a bit, shifting on the bed as your gaze landed on Nanami, who was trying to choose a tie that matched well with the suit he had on. You remembered that he had an important meeting today.

“Ken…” You mumbled, sitting up against the headboard. 

He glanced at you through the mirror, a soft smile on his beautiful face. “Good morning, my love. Did you sleep well?” 

Nodding at his words, you let out a soft yawn. “Mhm… you?” 

“I slept well, as always.” He replied, walking towards you, leaving a kiss on the top of your head. “Does this tie look okay?” He asked as he stood in front of you. 

You sat up straight, taking a good look at his suit and tie. “Mhm… yeah, it looks good.”

“But, really good? Because I have to look really good.” 

You smiled at his words, moving to kneel on the bed so your heights matched a bit better. Your hands went to his tie, fixing it. “Is this because of the important meeting you have today?” Your voice still carried that bit of sleepiness that was in your body. 

He nodded at your words. “Mhm. You sure the suit and the tie look good?” 

You moved back a bit, placing a finger on your chin. “Turn around…”

He chuckled a bit at your words, turning around for you. “So?” 

“Yeah, it looks good.” 

He nodded, pleased by your words.

“Except…” 

He raised his eyebrow as you continued. “Except what?” 

Smiling a bit at him, you sat back on the bed. “Oh. nothing.” 

He rolled his eyes, making your smile get wider. “Don’t say 'nothing', come on, my love. I must look good today. What don’t you like?” 

“Nothing, I just thought you’d look better with the other one.” 

He raised his eyebrows before looking at the other suit hanging in the closet. “Well… I did consider it, but doesn’t this one match better with the tie?” 

“Can you try it on?” You asked with a bit of a grin. He didn’t know it yet, but you had an ulterior motive for him to try another suit on. 

“Seriously?” He asked with a sigh.

“I think the other one will look better.” You replied, your voice was soft. “Please try it on? You have time, no?” 

Nanami chuckled, nodding with a sigh. “Yes, I have time… I guess I’ll try it on.” 

You smiled winningly at his words, watching as he began to undress. Too quickly for your taste. “Wait, slow down.” 

“What? For what?” He had no idea, huh? 

“You’ll… wrinkle it.” 

“I won’t wrinkle it, sweetheart.” He replied with slight amusement.

“What if you have to put it on again?” 

He stopped for a second, thinking about your words, before nodding. “Alright, I’ll take it off slow then…”  He was too pure for you. 

He kept taking his suit off, now slower since you had suggested it. He left his tie on the bed while he unbuttoned his dress shirt. You could see the way his chest glimmered with the few rays of sun that came through the window. He looked like a Greek god. 

“Slow,” You mumbled with a grin. 

He chuckled in amusement. “I am going slow!” 

“Well, go slower.”

To your words, he let out a soft huff, shaking his head, but he couldn’t hide the smile that was tugging on his lips. “You’re silly.” 

You chuckled at his words, watching him change into the other suit. You were right, this suit looked better on him. The color made his eyes pop, and the jacket was a little tighter, which made his biceps bulge against the material. Fuck, you could eat him up. 

“There, happy now?” He teased. 

“Hm…” You hummed, getting up from the bed and walking towards him, your hands moved to his tie, fixing it. “Yeah, this one’s better.” 

Nanami stood there, letting you fix his tie and enjoying the closeness. He had a sweet smile on his lips. His hands settled on your hips, touching the skin your -his- shirt didn’t cover since it was a bit bunched up. “Are you saying that because you like to see me in a suit?” 

“Maybe…” You trailed off with a grin, causing a chuckle to slip past his lips. “And maybe I made you change just so I could see you without clothes.” 

He expected that answer, raising his hand to grip your chin gently, making you look directly at his face. “So you just wanted to admire my body, darling? What a little perv.” He said with a hint of teasing in his tone. 

Oh, he knew you so well. Your grin got wider, pulling on his tie as you dragged him back to bed, making him sit on it. “Darling-” 

“At what time is the meeting?” You asked, standing between his legs while his hand rested on the back of your thighs, inching up a bit, who was the perv here?

“It’s at 10 am. Why?” 

At his answer, you glanced at the clock on the nightstand, and it was only 8:20… You had time. Glancing down at your husband, you smiled, straddling his lap.

He raised his eyebrow, but his hands instinctively moved to your hips, keeping you in place on his lap. “Honey… we can’t, I’m gonna be late…” He tried to protest, but his tone didn’t sound convincing. Not to mention his grip on your hips only got tighter. 

“But the meeting’s at 10.” You replied, hands moving to comb his blonde hair. 

He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of your hands in his hair. “We shouldn’t…” He mumbled.

Before he could protest even further, you cut him off with a kiss. A slow, sensual kiss. And he couldn’t help but give in, kissing you back hungrily. His hands moved to your back, inside your shirt, and pulled you closer to him. 

He broke the kiss, only to move his lips to the underside of your jaw, trailing them down your neck. “Sweetheart… we can’t.” He breathed against your skin. His body was already reacting, hard cock straining against his trousers. 

“Come on… I’ll be quick.” You whispered, grinding down against his clothed cock. 

His head rolled back once you moved; words caught in his throat. He was torn between wanting to continue and the nagging thought of being late. But with all the thoughts in his head, you won. You always won.

“You´re a tease.” He grumbled, lips smashing against yours. Nanami´s hands roamed all over your body, one gripping your ass and the other one sliding up your back to your shoulder blade. His desire for you was stronger than his professional responsibility. 

With a sudden move, he switched positions. Lying you back on the bed, pressing his body against yours. He settled between your legs, grinding against your clothed pussy. He groaned in pleasure, the friction making him shiver. Deepening the kiss, his tongue explored your mouth. His hands moved lower, gripping your hips, his fingers digging into your skin slightly. 

He broke the kiss, panting heavily. Breath hot against your neck. With a low voice, he whispered in your ear. “God, you’re gonna be the death of me, sweetheart.” 

He began to leave soft, wet kisses on your neck, panting heavily. Hips grinding against you, making your breath heavier as well. “Fuck… Ken.” 

Your breathy words made him shiver. Hands moving to pull down the pathetic excuse of pajama shorts you wore to bed. He hummed against your skin. “No panties?” His voice was gruff, full of desire. 

“Oops.” You teased with a grin, making him shake his head in amusement. “Mhm, ‘Oops’.” 

His fingers ran through your folds, making you shiver at the touch. “So wet f’me already…” Nanami mumbled against your neck, nudging two of his fingers against your entrance, a soft moan escaping your lips at the feeling. 

His thick fingers stretched you open nicely, your pussy was so wet that squelching noises could be heard loudly. Your head rested against the soft mattress as he practically stretched you open with his fingers. “O-oh… Ken!” 

He hummed against your neck at your soft moan, enjoying the feeling of your tight pussy around his fingers. “I know, darling, I know.” He mumbled lowly, leaving open-mouthed kisses over your skin. 

He curled his fingers up, hitting your sweet spot, causing a louder moan to escape your pretty lips. Fuck, he couldn’t take it anymore. He needed you now. 

He quickly unzipped his trousers, pulling them down just enough so his cock would be freed. It rested heavily against your thigh, twitching lightly. You really had him pent up. 

“F-fuck…” He breathed out, pressing his hard cock against your stretched hole. “Excuse my language, my love.” You chuckled at his words, ever the gentleman. 

Your hands cupped his face, pulling him down for a filthy kiss; his hands landed on each side of your head. Slowly entering your wet cunt with a grunt. Nanami was so big, you still weren’t used to his size, even after all these years. 

You could feel every vein pulsing inside you, and your tight walls around him had his mind spinning, pulling back from the kiss to rest his head on the crook of your neck, breathing heavily as he moved in and out, in and out. In slow, almost teasing thrusts. 

“Oh, sweetheart.” He mumbled gruffly, one of his hands slipped into your shirt, cupping your breast in a rather possessive way. 

His thrusts grew faster, harder. “Fuh…fuck. You feel so good, darling.” 

“Mhmmm… Ken.” Oh, you’d moan his name so prettily, it was driving him crazy. You drove him crazy.  

His hand moved to hold your jaw, making you look at him. Fuck. You were beautiful. Flush cheeks, hazy eyes, puffy lips from the kissing. You really were going to kill him one of these days. He groaned at the side, head rolling backwards.

 “O-ohhh, m-my love…” He breathed out, eyes closing tightly. You felt him twitch inside you. He was close. “So beautiful… you’re so beautiful.” He almost whined. 

His hand moved to your puffy clit, rolling fast circles on your sensitive bud, making you moan. Back arching against his chest. “Need- fuck… Need you to cum f’me, pretty.” 

And you didn’t have to be told twice, with two more thrusts that hit deep inside you, you came around him. Tightening so much, he had to pause for a second to catch his breath. Eyes closing tightly. Oh, and Nanami looked beautiful when he came. 

Eyebrows furrowed in concentration, mouth agape as soft groans escaped his pink lips. Hot ropes of cum filled you nicely. 

He almost collapsed on you, arms shaking as he pulled out with a breathy moan. He lay next to you, trying to catch his breath. Chest heaving up and down in quick motions.

Nanami pulled you closer, kissing the top of your head as he mumbled. “I wish I could stay in bed with you…” 

His words made you smile, planting a sweet kiss on his cheek. “I love you, Ken.” 

“I love you more, darling.” 

Notes: Oh, I loveeee husband Nanami. What a man.

Y'all I wasted five hours of my life getting my passport, I hate being an adult. Anyways, I hoped y'all like the short fic, I'll be most definetly writing more stuff about my darling husband Nanami.

Feel free to leave any suggestions or ideas! Thanks for reading!

Taglist: @sylviavf

[joemama-2]

Loved & Lost — chapter two

pairing: gojo x f! reader

synopsis: Your marriage to Gojo Satoru was doomed from the start. You believed in fairytales, he believed in the past. Your futile attempts at gaining your husband’s attention and affection caused more anguish than rapture. And you’re starting to wonder if you can ever survive being compared to a dead woman forever.

tags/warnings: second wife trope, modern au, arranged marriage, heavy angst, smut, fluff, mentions of su*cide, mentions of infertility, pregnancy, societal pressure, elite circles, mentions of classism, drama, cheating (emotional & physical), gojo is an assjole, reader tries her best to make the best of things, character death, talks of mental illness. artwork by mercyerr. dividers by @/cursed-carmine. gojo pov from the past for first half.

wc: 6.1k

series masterlist < prev. < three

SIX YEARS AGO:

Satoru couldn’t possibly be happier. He was getting ready for his CEO position at Gojo Global Holdings. Everything was looking good. Stocks were high, and the board meetings had only good things to report. People were beginning to show him more respect around the office. 

And of course, he has a wife. A beautiful, caring, astonishing wife that he loves more than anything in this entire world. 

Nothing—no one—could ever compare to Sayuri. 

Round cheeks that he loved pinching. The same ones that would quickly blush a pretty shade of pink from his playful teasing. Luscious brown hair that shone so beautifully under the sun. Green eyes with two long sets of eyelashes to complement them. 

She’s beautiful. Utterly breathtaking. 

His heart stutters just thinking about her. 

They’ve been together seven years already, but married for five. 

Gojo was already looking forward to the next five. He fantasizes throughout his days about what would bless their lives as they grow older. 

Children—naturally—were the first ones. Though he’s been trying to put it on the back burner. 

However, he can’t stop the sliver of hope that shines through whenever he’s alone and looking up at the moon as if it can grant him all his wishes. 

He wants his children to look more like her than him. So even when Sayuri is away, he would always have a little piece of her cradled in his arms so delicately. 

He’s daydreaming again, smiling to himself like a goofy idiot as he pours himself another glass of whiskey. The alcohol has loosened his inhibitions. 

“—will…heir…male or female…by 35…”

“What?” Gojo asks, only tuning into the conversation once he heard the word will. 

Satoru’s grandfather, an old man, sighs heavily. Bald with a greying goatee. Wrinkles on his face, though not too many for a seventy-something-year-old man. The Gojo genes were quite phenomenal, after all. 

“Have you been paying attention at all?” his grandfather scoffs in disappointment. 

“Now I am,” Satoru leans back, jutting his chin. “Continue.”

Satoru’s grandfather shares a look with his son before looking at the youngest Gojo in the room. “Well,” he starts, setting his own glass down, “I was in the middle of explaining the will.”

“Why?” Satoru shrugs nonchalantly. “Nothing we haven’t heard before.”

“He’s rewriting it, Satoru,” his father cuts in, hissing through clenched teeth. 

Satoru jolts up, eyes widening. He disregards the whiskey that stains his expensive shirt. “W-What? You’re rewriting it? Why? To what?”

The old man rubs his temples, clearly weary of repeating himself. “My health isn’t what it used to be. So, I’ve decided to make the terms stricter—more concrete before I pass.” His gaze sharpens. “You must not only be married, but also have a legitimate heir by the time you’re thirty-five in order to inherit the full estate and control of Gojo Global Holdings.”

Satoru blinks, the weight of the words settling on his shoulders. “…Married… and an heir? That’s new.” He chuckles, a sad attempt to ward off his growing anxiety. 

His father’s voice is low but firm. “It’s always been the unspoken rule, but now it’s just written in stone. No exceptions.”

“Besides,” his grandfather crosses one leg over the other. “You and Sayuri have been married five years now. And still no children. Why is that?”

Gojo’s grip tightens on his glass subtly, clearing his throat and shifting in his seat uncomfortably. Of course, they would ask this. Everyone does, especially as their marriage grows older. 

Children. Heirs. Bloodline. Legacy. 

“We’ve…been trying,” he offers. 

“You’ve been saying that since five years ago, Satoru.” His father runs a hand through his thick, white-haired pompadour. “You’re twenty-seven. We all expected children within the first year. Don’t you love her?”

“Of course I love her,” Satoru quickly snaps back, frowning at his father’s implication. 

“Then why no children?”

Satoru’s jaw clenched, eyes narrowing at his father. He says nothing in response, too caught up in his own whirlwind of unspoken emotions. Too caught up in the secret he and his wife have been keeping to themselves for years now. 

They’ve been smoothly fighting off the pushy questions of children. But of course, everyone has their limits. 

And that doesn’t exclude elitist assholes like his family, who want nothing more than for their golden child to have his own. 

But he would never air out their dirty laundry, especially when said wife wasn’t even present. 

His grandfather, noting the tension, clears his throat to intervene in the stare-off. “Thirty-five,” he reiterates, “that’s eight long years. Many things can happen in eight years.”

“And if nothing does?”

His grandfather gives him a certain look—one that says that can’t happen. “Then key land titles, properties, and majority ownership, none of that will be passed down to you.”

His heart pounds harder, a deep pit forming in his gut. He sits up straighter to feign a confident facade, despite the fact that his foot is nervously tapping the floor. “That’s—that’s a little outlandish, don’t you think? Besides, that would include the gallery I bought for Sayuri, too. That’s not—”

“—negotiable,” his father cuts in sharply, voice like steel. “Sayuri’s gallery is part of the legacy now. And it’s not exempt from the terms. If you fail, everything reverts to the family trust. No exceptions.”

Satoru’s chest tightens, the room suddenly feeling too small, the air too thick. He forces a tight smile, though it falters around the edges. “You think I don’t want to provide an heir? You think I don’t want to start a family?”

His grandfather’s eyes hardened. “We don’t question your desires, Satoru. We question results.”

“It’s not up for debate, Satoru,” his grandfather emphasizes once more. “That gallery is tied legally to Gojo Global Holdings, which means it falls under the same conditions. No heir, no inheritance. The art house will revert to the company entirely.”

Satoru’s throat tightened. His mind raced, heart hammering against his ribs. The gallery wasn’t just an asset—it was Sayuri’s dream, her legacy, her passion. He had promised her he’d protect it. 

He bought the gallery as a gift for her within just the first year of her marriage. It houses all her prized possessions—her happiness. And in turn, his happiness, too. 

He can’t just let her dreams and passions be a simple pawn in his life. 

But now, it felt like a sword hanging over his head.

His father’s eyes bore into him like a predator sizing up its prey, even if that prey is his only child. “This is business, Satoru. Not some sentimental trinket to be protected out of charity. The board agrees with me.”

Satoru swallowed hard, struggling to keep the desperation from bleeding into his voice. “I… I just need more time.”

His grandfather shook his head slowly, voice grave. “Time is a luxury you don’t have. The will takes effect the day I sign the final document. No exceptions. This is your last chance to secure everything you want—for yourself, and for your wife.”

Satoru felt trapped between two worlds—the love he had for Sayuri and the cold, brutal expectations of his family. He had always believed his marriage was enough. That the future would come naturally, on its own time. He didn’t think things would ever be taken to the extreme like this. 

But now, the weight of a ticking clock threatens to crush that hope.

He looks down at the glass in his hand, the whiskey swirling like a storm inside. He’d have to make choices. Hard ones.

Choices that might change everything.

His head is already starting to hurt once his grandfather says something like how he’ll sign the final document sometime next month. 

All he can think of is his precious Sayuri. She already has so much on her plate. With her own familial issues, and her company most likely going to file bankruptcy, her father’s declining health, and her mother having to be hospitalized again within the last three months, the last thing he wants to tell her is that they need to have a child. 

Sooner rather than later. 

Especially when they’ve already spent thousands in secret on just the tedious processes alone. 

His grandfather is right. 

A lot can happen in eight years. 

And yet—it already has.

Too much has already happened behind closed doors, in sterile clinics under soft fluorescent lights, in quiet moments where Sayuri smiled through disappointment with tears burning at the corners of her eyes. In the aftermath of every failed attempt, every false hope, every silent car ride home when neither of them could say a word.

He wanted that future so badly. A little family. Messy hair and sleepy mornings. A nursery filled with stuffed animals and baby books. He still wants it.

But now, those dreams come with conditions. With ultimatums. With deadlines.

His fingers curl tighter around the glass until his knuckles blanch. The ticking of his grandfather’s old watch fills the quiet again. He’s aware, distantly, that no one’s speaking now. His silence stretches the tension, but no one dares interrupt his thoughts.

“Next month,” he repeats, more to himself than anyone else. “You’ll sign it next month.”

His grandfather nods once. “Be prepared.”

“Try not to let your personal emotions get in the way of business,” his father adds, voice softening as if he can soften the blow that’s already been dealt. “You’re a Gojo. You were raised for this.”

But what about Sayuri? Satoru wants to scream it. What about her dreams, her health, her heart? What about how exhausted she is—how she hides the bruises from hormone injections, how her fingers shake when she checks her phone, waiting for test results? What about them, as human beings?

He doesn’t say any of it.

Because love has no place in this room. Not when legacies are being carved in ink and blood.

“I understand,” he says instead, even though it tastes like ash on his tongue.

His father nods in approval, but his grandfather watches him carefully. As if already wondering what moves Satoru might make next.

As if he knows, deep down, that eventually—love may not be enough.

And as Satoru finishes the last of his whiskey, head pounding with the weight of it all, he realizes the truth in that bitter thought.

He’s damned if he does. Damned if he doesn’t.

And Sayuri—sweet, beautiful Sayuri—may never know what he’s about to sacrifice. Or what it will cost them both.

A lot can happen, he repeats to himself in his mind. 

Maybe a chance miracle. At least, that’s what he prays to the gods above for. 

PRESENT TIME:

“How is Satoru treating you?

The question alone should’ve been an easy one to answer. Most wives would say good, phenomenal, maybe even exceptional.

Though sitting in front of your father, with a hopeful smile on his aged face, you hesitated whether to expose the harsh reality of your marriage to a man he trusted his only daughter with.

“It’s good,” you meekly respond, busying yourself with your cup of iced tea. 

Your father, Haruto, raises his bushy brows. “Oh? Just ‘good’?” He laughs heartily. “C’mon, you can spill the details with your old man. Ah, just not all the details.”

You smile tightly at his attempt to lighten the moment, but the tea in your hand suddenly feels heavier than it should. You stir the melting ice with the tip of your straw, watching the ripples distort your reflection on the surface.

“I mean…” You begin, and the lie sits thick on your tongue. “He’s busy. With work. Late nights.”

Haruto hums, nodding thoughtfully. “Well, that’s expected, I suppose. Being in charge of Gojo Global isn’t a small role.” He leans back in his chair, stretching slightly before fixing you with a pointed look. “But he still makes time for you, right?”

You hesitate again. This time, for a beat too long.

Haruto notices. The corners of his smile falter just a little, but he keeps his tone gentle. “Sweetheart.”

“Of course he is,” you shake your head, meeting your father’s scrutiny with a light chuckle. “Why wouldn’t he be? Don’t worry about it, Dad. You already have a lot on your plate.”

He frowns. “I’ll always worry when it comes to my children. And it’s not worry, I’m just making sure my son-in-law is treating my daughter with the respect and love she deserves. Don’t fault me for that.”

“I’m not faulting you, Dad.” You smile weakly, a forced curve of your lips that barely touches your eyes. “It’s just been… a bit of an adjustment. You know how it is. New routines, new responsibilities.”

Haruto hums, nodding along, but his gaze sharpens ever so slightly. His fingers tap lightly against the rim of his coffee mug. “Adjustment, huh? That boy’s not giving you a hard time, is he?”

You nearly choke on your tea but manage to swallow it down with a dry throat. “No. No, not a hard time,” you say quickly. Too quickly.

Haruto narrows his eyes just a little, not missing the shift in your tone. “Y/N…” His face is open, gentle. But his voice holds that firm undertone that only comes when he's concerned. “You know I’d never let you stay in a marriage where you weren’t cherished, right?”

Your fingers twitch around your glass.

Satoru doesn’t hit you. He doesn’t yell. He doesn’t even insult you outright.

He just makes you feel like nothing. Like you’re a placeholder. A legal necessity. A shadow in his house.

But how do you tell your father that? After everything he had done just to see you married well? After he walked you down the aisle and shook Satoru’s hand with pride in his chest?

You take a deep breath and force a tiny laugh. “We’re just getting to know each other better. That’s all. It’s quiet sometimes. But I think that’s just him.”

Haruto tilts his head. “Quiet?”

You nod. “Well, he’s just not very…” loving, kind, present— “expressive.”

That was putting it kindly.

Haruto sits back in his chair, the wood creaking under his weight as he studies you for a long moment. You drop your gaze to the condensation sliding down your glass.

“I see,” he finally says, voice unreadable.

You wish he didn’t. You wish he couldn’t.

But your father was never an oblivious man. Not when it came to you.

“You know,” he murmurs, “when your mother passed, I promised myself I’d protect you the best I could. Even if I couldn’t give you everything. Even if it meant watching you walk into a life I didn’t fully understand.”

You glance up sharply, surprised at the sudden shift in his tone.

“I gave that boy my blessing,” Haruto continues, “because I thought he’d be the kind of man who’d never let you feel alone. But now…”

He leans forward, lowering his voice.

“You can lie to the world, sweetheart. But you don’t have to lie to me.”

Your chest tightens with a growing sense of panic. Because for some reason, you still feel the need to defend your husband, despite his cruelty. And because you know just how scary your dad can get when something doesn’t go as he planned it to. “Dad, I—don’t worry, everything is fine.”

“He loves you?”

“Of course he does.”

“And he’s nice to you?”

“Yes!”

“Does he hit you?”

“What?! No, no, he doesn’t hit—”

“Does who hit her?”

Oh, great.

As if your sudden interrogation couldn’t get ten times worse. Ren’s deep voice—the kind of tone he gets only during certain situations—hits you first. Hearing two sets of footsteps, you turn around to see Noa striding in beside him.

Both your brothers, tall and extremely invasive sometimes, look like twins. Dark hair, thick eyebrows (though Noa keeps his more in touch), and stony expressions on their faces. It’s almost laughable considering Ren almost always has that idiotic, dopey grin on his face. It’s usually Noa’s job to have a resting bitch face. Their eyes dart between you and your father.

 Once they get closer, Ren repeats himself, looking at you. “Is Satoru hitting you? I’ll beat his fucking—”

“He’s not hitting me!” you shout, throwing your hands up as you abruptly stand. 

Your chair scrapes loudly against the wooden floor as you rise, the noise jarring enough to cut the tension—but not the heat of it.

“He’s not hitting me,” you repeat more firmly, trying to keep your voice steady. “No one’s hitting anyone. Can everyone just—stop? Don’t talk about him like that.”

Ren’s jaw tightens, but he pauses, eyes scanning your face. Noa, quieter but no less intense, shifts his weight beside him. His gaze lingers on you longer—searching, reading between the lines like he always does. Your father doesn't speak either. His hands rest on the table, knuckles pale, waiting for your next words.

You take a deep breath, forcing the trembling in your limbs to still. You don’t even know why you’re fiercely coming to Satoru’s defense, unsure if he’d do the same for you. But you don’t want to bash his name behind his back, especially to your family.

He doesn’t hit you, that much is true. 

 You take a deep breath before continuing. “Satoru’s not… he’s not what you think he is. He’s just under pressure. The company, the board, his family—there’s a lot on his shoulders right now. And I knew what I was getting into when I married him.”

Noa frowns slightly. “Pressure doesn’t give him the right to treat you like—”

“He doesn’t treat me like anything!” you snap, more sharply than you mean to. You glance away, lowering your voice again. “He’s just distant. That doesn’t mean he’s bad.”

Ren crosses his arms, clearly unconvinced. “So what, we’re supposed to pretend everything’s peachy just because he’s got a boardroom to impress? You're our sister. If you’re not happy, we deserve to know.”

You shake your head quickly. “Don’t make this bigger than it is. I’m fine. Really. We’re figuring it out. He’s not a monster, okay? He’s not cruel, he’s just complicated.”

Noa sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “You don’t owe him that kind of defense if you’re miserable.”

“I’m not miserable,” you lie, blinking too fast.

Haruto finally speaks, voice low. “No one’s accusing him of anything, not without reason. But you shouldn’t have to explain this hard, sweetheart.”

Your throat tightens. “I’m explaining because I love him. And because I want this to work. Maybe he’s not perfect and maybe we’re not perfect, but he’s trying. We both are.”

That lie tastes even worse than the last one, but it’s the only thing that buys you some quiet.

Do you even really love Satoru? Or is that your malleable mind playing tricks on you, forcing you into a deluded fantasy?

A tense silence blankets the room. Ren sighs and finally backs off, muttering under his breath, “He’d better be trying.”

Noa gives you a long, unreadable look, then pulls Ren by the shoulder. “C’mon. Let it go.”

Reluctantly, Ren lets himself be tugged away, but not before pointing a stern finger at you. “If he ever lays a hand on you, you call me. Or better yet, don’t—because I’ll already know.”

“We all will,” Noa reiterates, looking you up and down as if to tell himself you’re really safe and sound. 

You roll your eyes, but it’s the kind of exasperated affection only a younger sister can give. “Got it, watchdogs.”

Once they disappear into the other room, your father remains still, his gaze fixed on you. He doesn’t say anything, just gently slides your glass back toward you.

You sit back down, hands trembling slightly as they curl around the chilled glass.

You can feel his disappointment without him saying a word.

But he lets it go. For now. Because you’ve always been the one thing in his life that he doesn’t push too hard.

Even if you wish, deep down, that someone would.

Satoru had a particularly annoying time at the office today. His past couple of days have been filled with congratulations on the new marriage and being married to a woman like you.

Board members to secretaries, all wondering how married life has been treating him so far. He can’t fault them too much; they’re simply curious.

Too curious.

And Satoru, to save his own ass and because he’s not a complete idiot, won’t spill his guts to outsiders. And if word got back to your family about anything wrong, it would get back to his father. Then to him.

And he can’t have a domino effect like that.

Satoru is more than convinced he can manage to keep you married to him, despite the way he’s been treating you. He’d overheard from your own father prior to the arranged marriage that you’re the only one of his children who hadn’t been married off yet.

He heard snippets of your father saying that when you were a child, you couldn’t wait to have a family of your own one day.

Truthfully, it sickened him. 

Not because he found the idea of family repulsive. Not because he didn’t think you were capable of having one. But because it made you seem weak. Childish. Naïve.

As if your only ambition in life was to play house and wait for some prince to sweep you off your feet. And now that you had one—on paper, at least—Satoru felt backed into a corner. Forced to wear the crown and wield the sword for a kingdom he never asked for.

He ran a hand through his hair as he stepped through the door to his estate. It was eerily quiet except for the distant hum of the city lights bleeding through the floor-to-ceiling windows. His tie was already tugged loose, jacket slung over his shoulder.

He toed off his shoes without much thought, the soft thud echoing through the marble-floored hallway. The silence that greeted him was nothing new— reminding himself that your presence in this house is nothing more than ghostlike. Just yesterday, he forgot you even lived here. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself.

He glanced toward the dimly lit living room. The soft amber glow of a single floor lamp cast long shadows across the couch. A book lay open on the coffee table. One of yours. Probably one of those worn romance novels with cracked spines and folded corners. He didn’t understand how you could still stomach reading about love.

He exhaled a heavy breath through his nose, his jaw clenching as he made his way up the staircase.

His mind was on autopilot the entire way up to his room. Twisting the knob, he stepped in. 

He was suddenly greeted by the scent of something sweet, but floral. It stung at his nostrils, making his nose twitch in disgust. Shaking his head, he tosses his tie onto his bed and undoes the first few buttons of his crisp white button-up.

He instinctively walks over to the frame that’s faced down, fingers skimming the edges in hesitation. After a few seconds, he sighs and pulls his hand back, keeping the frame where it is. 

That lingering, sinking feeling in his gut stays with him as he takes a seat at the end of his bed, eyes flickering from the small, untouched bedside table with memorabilia that makes him force his tears back. Satoru runs his hands through his silky hair, scratching at his scalp.

His head drops, elbows on his knees. 

The silence of a room too big for one person is louder than anything. A deafening noise that even years later, he still can’t get used to. He reaches over to the other bedside table—the one on his side—and flicks on his usual white noise to help him decompress. 

The soft static of the white noise machine begins to fill the room, a dull hiss that drowns out the noise in his own head—if only slightly. It’s the only sound he can tolerate at this hour, the only thing that doesn't ask anything of him. Unlike people. Unlike you.

His fingers hover above the dial, tempted to crank the volume higher until it scrubs out every thought, every memory, every feeling still tethered to this place. But he doesn’t. Not yet.

Satoru leans back, the mattress dipping beneath his weight. His white shirt hangs open now, collar slack and sleeves pushed up just enough to reveal his forearms. He stares up at the ceiling like it might offer him answers—or absolution. Neither comes.

He thinks about what one of the VPs said earlier that morning. “You must be one lucky bastard to land her.”

He’d laughed. Politely. Played along. Even though the words burned hotter than he’d expected. Lucky? He’s not lucky. He’s trapped.

Because he doesn’t want to need anyone. Least of all you. 

He rises suddenly, agitated by the recurring thoughts. He pulls the door open to his shower and undresses with sharp vigor. His jaw clenched, eyes narrowed. He steps into the shower, water still cold. 

The freezing water hits his skin like glass. A shock to his system, but he welcomes it. He stands still under the icy stream, not flinching, not gasping—just letting it soak through his hair, his skin, his thoughts.

He needs the clarity. Or the punishment. He’s not sure which anymore.

The water slides down his body, carving paths through tension knotted deep into his muscles, but nothing dislodges the heaviness in his chest. He tips his head back with a small groan, water crashing against his face like rain in a storm he can’t escape. Every breath he takes feels borrowed, like he’s still living in someone else’s life.

A husband.

A future father.

A leader of an empire he’s been molded to inherit, not one he ever chose.

He rests a fist on the tile wall, knuckles turning white. The water grows warmer with time, but it doesn’t soften him. Doesn’t reach far enough inside to undo the bitterness creeping up his spine like frostbite.

His thoughts swim back to you. You were invading his safe space. Again. 

The way you moved so quietly around the house, as if you were trying not to disturb him. The way your eyes lit up when he put that damned ring on your finger. Your soft voice, your gentle presence, they all annoy him. And now, they begin to haunt him too.

And he despised it. Despises you even more for it. 

Because it meant he noticed you, even if barely and reluctantly.

After a while, the heat becomes unbearable, and he shuts off the shower abruptly. The room fills with steam as he steps out, grabbing a towel and running it carelessly through his hair. He doesn’t bother drying off properly—just enough to keep the water from dripping onto the wood floors.

He walks to the mirror and stares at himself, steam fogging the glass around his reflection.

He looks tired.

Not just physically. Deeply, fundamentally worn.

His fingers reach up, wiping away the condensation. His own eyes stare back—blue, piercing, sharp—and yet lifeless. He wonders if Sayuri would even recognize him now, if she’d look at the man in the mirror and see the boy she used to believe in.

He wraps the towel loosely around his waist and exits the shower, leaving wet footprints on the way to his closet.

He flicks the light on and again, that evil scent hits him like a truck. 

Not anything he’s used to, nothing familiar, not Sayuri.

His frown deepens as he ventures further into his closet, steely eyes quickly scanning the clothes in front of him. 

Satoru has been in here enough times to know everything like the back of his hand. He knows how things were placed. He’s spent countless days just sitting in here, looking at his late wife’s side and reminiscing about the times she’d come in here and fuss over what she should wear. As if no matter what she wore, she wouldn’t look breathtaking. 

And so, Satoru would definitely know when something in this room has been touched. 

He gulps hard, stepping closer to a pale blue dress of Sayuri’s that was her favorite. The sleeve of it, once tucked neatly with the rest of her clothing, is now pulled out. It’s small, barely detectable. 

His breath hitches.

It’s a minute detail. One that no one else would notice. But Satoru does. Because he’s obsessive, because grief made him hyper-aware, and because Sayuri’s belongings are the only part of his life he’s allowed to remain untouched.

Until now.

He stares at the sleeve—his late wife’s favorite dress—and something tightens in his chest. Something ugly. Something furious. The silk hangs just barely off the hanger, but it’s enough to pull him out of his controlled spiral and into something volatile. His hand shoots out, grabbing the fabric with more force than necessary.

It’s not torn, not ruined. But it’s not where it should be.

And he knows damn well you’ve been in here because nobody else would’ve dared.

They all know what happened last time someone tried to.

You—the ghost walking his halls like you belong in a life that was never meant for you. You—the woman who smiles too softly and walks too quietly and dares to tiptoe into parts of him no one was invited to revisit.

Why would you come in here?

Why would you touch her things?

The very idea of you trying to “connect” with Sayuri—trying to make this house feel like home by reaching into a grave he hasn’t finished mourning—makes his jaw lock.

You don’t belong in here. You don’t belong anywhere. You never did. 

And now you’re really trying to get him angry, aren’t you?

He releases the sleeve with a harsh exhale and storms out of the closet, towel still clinging to his hips, chest heaving like he’s just run a marathon.

He doesn’t care for the maids who give him a wide-eyed look as he stomps through the halls. He’s laser-focused. 

“Where is she?” he barks out to a younger woman.

She gulps and stammers out. “I–I—umm–!”

The maid’s voice quivers, her eyes darting like a cornered animal’s. But Satoru doesn’t give her the mercy of patience.

“Where. Is. She.” His voice drops to a low, cold timbre—more dangerous than a shout.

The girl flinches. “I-I think she’s in the garden, sir.”

He doesn’t say a word. He just turns, strides down the corridor, and throws open the double glass doors leading outside.

The night air hits him like a slap—cool, tinged with the scent of lavender and jasmine. The estate’s private garden stretches wide and quiet, bathed in the silver wash of moonlight. A place that once brought Sayuri peace. A place he’s avoided like a wound that never quite healed.

And there you are.

Sitting on the stone bench near the koi pond, barefoot, a light shawl draped over your shoulders, your hair pinned loosely like you’d half-forgotten to finish getting ready for bed. You’re gazing up at the stars, knees drawn to your chest, quiet and soft in a world that doesn't make space for quiet and soft anymore.

You don’t hear him approach, not at first. Not until the heavy crunch of his steps on gravel pulls your attention.

Your head turns.

And you see the look on his face.

Stormy. Unreadable. But not blank—not empty like usual. No, there’s fire in his eyes this time. Cold, sharp fire.

Your heart skips.

“Satoru—?”

“Did you go into my closet?” His voice is low. Controlled. Dangerous.

You blink, startled by the sudden intrusion. “What?”

“Did you go into my closet?” he repeats, voice more clipped now, each word a blade.

You bring your knees down, sensing the shift in the air—tense, cold, and ready to snap. “I just went in for a moment,” you admit carefully. “I was only curious. I didn’t know people weren’t allowed in your roo–”

“So you thought going through my wife’s things was appropriate?” His stare sharpens.

You freeze. Both at his level of anger directed solely at you, and the fact that he still referred to her as his wife. Something he’s yet to call you.  

“I didn’t touch anything of hers—”

“The dress,” he cuts in, voice like steel. “The sleeve was out of place.”

Your heart begins to pound. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t even realize—”

“Exactly,” he snaps. “You don’t realize. You move through this house like you’re trying to wedge yourself into something you don’t understand. And now you’re digging through her life too?”

“I wasn’t digging,” you protest, voice shaking as you stand to your feet. “I was just trying to understand you better. I wasn’t trying to replace her.”

The words hang in the air like smoke after a fire. You feel a lump form in your throat, blinking rapidly.

His jaw ticks. “You can’t replace her,” he spits out, each word precise and heavy.

You flinch, like the truth itself stings.

“...I know,” you whisper. “I never wanted to.”

A silence settles between you both. One that feels longer than it is. He stares at you like you’re his mortal enemy, hands fisted by his sides. It takes everything in him not to completely snap at you.

Finally, Satoru takes a step back, the fire behind his eyes dimming—but only slightly. “Next time, stay out of my things.”

You nod, but he doesn’t wait for confirmation. He turns on his heel, muscles taut, movements brisk. But just before stepping back into the house, he pauses. His voice returns, quieter, but somehow crueler.

“You want to be a wife so badly? Learn to stay in your place.”

And then he’s gone.

The doors swing shut behind him with a soft click that might as well have been a gunshot.

You stand there, still and silent, eyes burning. After a few more silent seconds, you slowly sit back down. 

The stone feels colder underneath your skin than from before. The stars look duller, the wind howls louder. And suddenly, your face wets with tears. 

The tears had started slow, like a leak in an old dam—one you’d tried so hard to patch up, seal, ignore. But now they stream freely, staining your cheeks, dripping onto the thin fabric of your shawl. You don’t wipe them away. You don’t even move.

The garden is quiet. Too quiet. Even the koi seem still, like the world is holding its breath around you, unsure whether to comfort you or leave you in your silence.

You clutch your arms around yourself tighter, pulling the shawl around your frame as if it can protect you from the way his words are still echoing in your skull.

Stay in your place.

You thought you’d been doing that. 

You’ve been cooking his breakfast, even making him lunch that you find left uneaten on the kitchen counter. You’ve been trying to keep quiet, even despite the fact that you’ve barely seen him around the house since you’ve been married to him. You’ve learned long before Satoru to only smile when you’re supposed to, to not ask too much.

To try not to be too much.

So if this isn't your place, then where is it?

Your fingers grip the edge of the bench. Cold. Smooth. Real. Unlike the dream you used to have about love. About family. About what it would feel like to build a home, not just live in one that looked pretty on the outside.

You think about how his face looked when he said her name—Sayuri. It still holds the only softness he’s capable of.

And his anger for you is just a hollow substitute for the grief he never let himself feel.

But that’s not your fault.

Is it?

A breeze picks up and blows across your bare ankles, goosebumps blooming along your skin. You shiver. You shake your head, exhaling shakily. You’re not that kind of woman. You don’t run.

But you do wonder how much more will be left of you in a month, maybe six, and even a year. Will you still be yourself? Will Satoru finally start being nice and acting like a proper husband to you? Or are you just destined for a loveless marriage?

Eventually, your tears slow, unsure of which part to cry harder for. 

You sit there until the moon rises higher and the wind grows colder and your legs are stiff, eyes raw.

And until you remember that no matter how cruel he is, no matter how little he sees you, you’re still expected to show up at breakfast tomorrow. On time. Polished. Proper.

A wife.

You rise, slowly, legs wobbling like they barely belong to you.

As you turn back to the house, one truth follows you like a shadow clinging to your feet:

You may live here. But you are not wanted here.

Not by him. Maybe not ever.

Still, you walk back inside.

Because even a ghost has nowhere else to go.

a/n: i hope you’re all enjoying so far. i will be writing one more chapter on this so that i have at least 3 out already, then finally finishing killer! toji, then updating my other fics. thank you all for ur patience 😭💕

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[megumour-deactivated20260116]

grocery shopping with nanami :)

"ooo can we get this?" you pick up a box of cinnamon toast crunch and drop it in the cart before he can reply. nanami takes a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. your pregnancy cravings this week have been nothing but sugar, and he’s worried about you and the baby’s health. but then again...how could he say no to you?

yor eyes catch a box of fresh chocolate chip cookies from the bakery. you lick your lips subconsciously and make a beeline for them them.

"kento. they are double chocolate chip cookies. double!" "sweetheart you can't have both. you need to pick one." "but they're dark chocolate." you look at him, eyes pleading. “semi-bittersweet,” he corrects, deadpan. you clasp your hands together and bat your lashes at him shamelessly. he rolls his eyes at how ridiculous you’re being, but gives in and sets the cookies on top of the cereal. as you skip off down the aisle, nanami lingers behind with the cart, mentally drafting ways to sneak vegetables into your next meal.

reblogs are appreciated ! ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ

[eirasera]

gojo’s idea of fun? a wild, moaning showdown. (18+)

he’s pounding into you like a man possessed, blindfold loose, sweat dripping down his collarbones. every thrust makes the headboard slam the wall, and you’re already moaning shamelessly when he pauses mid-stroke to grin down at you, his blue eyes shining with mischief.

“new competition,” he pants, voice cocky. “who can moan louder?”

“what?!” you wheeze, nails digging into his shoulders as he rolls his hips again.

“you heard me,” he drawls, then throws his head back and lets out the most fake, over the top - pornographic moan imaginable as a joke. “ohhh yeeeah, fuck me harder daddy, ohhhh-”

you break into hysterical laughter, but it quickly turns into a cry when he slams in deep, right against your oh so - sweet spot. “fuuuck toru-”

“not bad,” he smirks, hips snapping faster. “but you gotta be louder than that if you wanna win - c’mon babe, let me see that competitive spirit in action.”

you try to bite back your sounds, just to spite him, but he angles his cock perfectly, squelching wet noises filling the room as he pistons into you. the obscene slap of skin on skin mixes with your own desperate filthy cries.

“fuck - oh fuck, oh my god!” you scream, back arching.

he practically beams. “there we go! a natural!”

then he leans in, presses his mouth to your ear, and shouts “go on - ahhhh toru - i’m cummmiiingggg” - while still mid thrust.

“shut the fuck up!” you howl, tears in your eyes from laughing and the relentless way he’s fucking you.

the two of you go at it like lunatics, louder and wetter by the second, until neither of you can tell who’s winning anymore. by the time he makes you come around him - screaming hoarse and soaking the sheets - he’s crowing victory like he just won a sports match.

the next afternoon, you find a bright yellow notice taped to your door. bold letters across the top read “noise disturbance report.” beneath it, in sterile print: “several residents have complained of excessive moaning, loud banging, and prolonged screaming between the hours of 11:42 p.m. and 2:03 a.m. please be mindful of others in the building.”

you freeze, mortified, gojo leans over your shoulder, plucks the paper free, and reads it with a slow grin. “huh. they actually logged the hours. two - oh - three? guess we went into overtime.” he snorts. “did they seriously track how long we were fucking?”

you slap the notice against his chest angrily and march back inside. he only laughs harder, following after you with the complaint held aloft like a victory banner.

perm taglist: @lily-bisque @satorus-princess @bluukive @voidfulcrumdilemma @defntkaizer @letteremi @all-with-angel @indiaas-priv @cupidstrace @atydlupout1234 @caffine-exe @yukiyaaaa @bistrocatxx

[megumour-deactivated20260116]

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

file 004 — case in point

pairing : lawyer!satoru gojo and lawyer!reader chapter synopsis: at satoru’s promotion dinner, you fall back into easy banter. but a flashback to a tense case conference reminds you just how easy it is to get pulled into his orbit. tags: slowburn, tooth-rottening fluff, workplace romance, law firm setting, junior partners, hardcore crush, self-denial, flustered reader, gojo is a sweetheart, subtle flirting, reader tries pretending everything’s normal wc: around 1.3k+ | series m.list | main m.list

“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” You spin around to find Satoru eyeing you.

Your breath catches in your throat and your heart stutters.

“Thank you,” you manage, avoiding his gaze

“Outdressing me at my own promotion dinner. Touché.” He grins, smacking your shoulder playfully.

“Well, maybe you’re underdressed,” you shoot back, grinning back at him.

“Me? Never.” 

You laugh, but the sound dies quickly, leaving a silence between you. After a beat, he breaks it.

“You know… It’s been a while since we joked around like this. I hardly ever see you anymore.” He lets out a breath.

“I’m really glad you came tonight,” he says, meeting your eyes with a warm smile.

“I’m sorry—I’ve just been swamped with work, you know.” The lie tastes bitter, but you commit to it. “Too busy to even stop by the break room to chat.”

You sip your champagne, feeling it burn down your throat.

“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll just come to you.”

You nearly choke. “What?” you wheeze. “Since you can’t leave your office, I’ll just start dropping by to say hello.” He shrugs, casual. “That way we can see each other more.”

It amazes you how effortless he makes it sound—like making time for you was no problem, despite the firm’s impossible hours and endless deadlines. To anyone else, it might not mean much. To you, it means everything.

“Are you sure? The big lawsuit has everyone’s schedules wrecked. This dinner is our last taste of freedom before the grind.”

“Yeah, but what’s five minutes? I missed our banter. Plus, now that I'm a junior partner too, we’ll have a similar workload. We can help each other out.” He bumps your shoulder with his.

“Wouldn’t we just distract each other? Remember the Swanson case conference?”

His grin widens. “I was so sure we’d get fired.”

FIVE MONTHS AGO

“To be honest, it’s not looking great for Mr. Swanson,” Geto says, setting down his pen. “He deliberately moved meeting dates so the female administrators couldn’t attend. I say we don’t take this case.”

Satoru clears his throat. “While Geto makes a good point, wealthy clients like Swanson almost always settle. That’s guaranteed money—and likely a bonus for keeping it quiet. It would reflect badly on the company if word got out about the way he’s been running things.”

Suguru raises an eyebrow, “Mr. Gojo is right. We could possibly make a lot of money. But taking a case like this, defending a man like this, what does this say about our firm's morals? Are we that money hungry? Can we be easily bought?” “Woah, woah, who said anything about being bought?” Satoru counters. “We’ve taken controversial cases before, Suguru.”

One of the senior partners cuts in, frowning. “That may be true, but defending Swanson could set a precedent. If we take him on, it signals we’re willing to overlook ethics for a paycheck. Is that really the message we want to send?” Another partner leans forward, steepling his fingers. “On the other hand, if he settles, justice is still technically served—his behavior is exposed, damages are paid, and the firm walks away with a solid payday. Both sides win.”

The room erupts into chaos. Voices overlap, everyone talking over each other, Gojo and Geto the loudest of them all.

“Quiet down!” Mr. Hearst finally bellows, slamming a hand on the table. His gaze sharpens on Satoru.

“Mr. Gojo! Address Mr. Geto properly. Senior partners are not your equals, and senior associates are never permitted to attend high-level case conferences. Consider this your warning.”

Satoru leans back in his chair, smirking. “Never say never,” he mutters under his breath.

Before you can stop yourself, you snicker at his comment. You freeze. Every eye in the room snaps1 toward you.

“Something funny?” Hearst’s tone cuts like a knife.

Your pulse hammers. “No, sir. I just… agree with Mr. Gojo. We’ve defended worse for less money. Why draw the line now?”

The room falls into a heavy, suffocating silence. Every pair of eyes drills into you, every breath of air seems to weigh a hundred pounds.

Please don’t call me out. Please don’t humiliate me. 

Mr. Hearst pauses, his gaze cold and precise, making your stomach twist into tight knots. You brace for the inevitable lecture—or worse—the sting of failure in front of everyone.

“Good point. In fact, why don’t you and Mr. Gojo get a jump start on the case?” He nods at the two of you. “Everyone’s dismissed.” 

As the other partners gather their things and shuffle out of the room, you take a moment to collect yourself. Mr. Hearst was notoriously strict. He’d fired an associate last week for not addressing him properly. Everyone at the firm feared him, even the senior partners. You had gotten off the hook easily, historically, others had not been most lucky. You’re still gathering your papers when you catch his smirk.

“Nice save,” he says, tilting his head.

Your stomach drops, nerves flooding your veins.

He chuckles. “True. Hearst doesn’t forgive easily. But hey—we’re the only ones who’ve challenged him and lived. There should be a medal for that.”

You laugh. “Yeah, I deserve brownie points for that one.”

The two of you leave the conference room, still cracking jokes on the way to your offices.

The next day you find a brownie on your desk. Attached to the box is a note:

Why settle for brownie points when you can have the real thing? - S

You roll your eyes, but a laugh slips out anyway. He actually went out of his way to buy you a brownie over a dumb joke.

You tuck the note into your bottom right drawer before anyone can see it.

Taking a bite, you close your eyes as the chocolate melts on your tongue.

Risking it yesterday was so worth it. 

PRESENT

“You know, technically I saved you,” you remind him. “If Hearst had heard your little comment, goodbye junior partner track. Hello unemployment.”

He gasps in mock offense. “How dare you! Mr. Hearst loves me.”

“Uh huh. Sure,” you giggle.

“He just doesn’t know it yet.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” you smirk.

“What? You don’t believe me?”

“Definitely not,” you say, sipping your champagne.

He presses a hand to his chest dramatically. “Wow. No faith at all.”

“None,” you deadpan.

“Guess I’ll just have to win you over too, then.”

You roll your eyes, but your heart stops for a moment.

He tilts his glass toward you. “One day, you’ll admit I was right.”

“Unlikely,” you laugh.

“We’ll see. Maybe I’ll have to… sweeten the deal.”

You narrow your eyes. “That sounds ominous.”

“Guess you’ll find out.” He winks at you, and you can’t help but shake your head, smiling despite yourself. The chatter and clinking glasses around you fade into a background hum, and you realize it’s finally time for the toast.

Satoru stands a little straighter, raising his glass so it catches the soft lighting. “If I could have everyone’s attention for just a moment,” he begins, his grin widening as he glances at you.

The room quiets, all eyes on him. You sip your champagne, leaning slightly against the table, already anticipating the charm he’s about to unleash onto the higher-ups.

“To new beginnings, hard work paying off, and—most importantly—having the right people by your side,” he says, his gaze flicking to you before sweeping across the room. “Cheers!”

Glasses clink, laughter swirls and bubbles around you, and you find yourself caught off guard—because even amid the crowd, his eyes are on you, steady and warm. For just a moment, the world seems to shrink, the party melting away, leaving only the two of you in the glow of soft lights and shared mischief.

taglist:@aerithsthingss, @coffeeluvr96, @renardiererin, @sxtoabi

reblogs are appreciated ! ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ

[sixeyesonathiel]

bake me up, buttercup

pairing — gym rat satoru x baker reader

synopsis : satoru gojo’s life is a meticulously curated empire of protein shakes, gym selfies, and the unwavering adoration of six million followers. he’s got it all down to a science, a perfect balance of macros and influence that’s starting to feel just a little empty. but when a late-night scroll leads him to your quiet corner of the internet, everything changes. it’s not about your face—he’s never seen it. it’s about your hands, steady and dusted with flour, and your voice, a warm, patient hum that makes him forget all about his post-workout cardio. suddenly, the man who prides himself on control finds himself completely obsessed with a baker who offers something sweeter and far more dangerous than any cheat meal: a little bit of peace. or: he could break the internet with a single photo, but he’s about to risk it all for a girl who accidentally liked his post one time.

wc ࣪— 39k ִֶָ☾. tags -> f!reader, plot with porn, influencer au, modern setting, fluff, humor, banter, slow burn, food as a love language, mutual pining, eventual smut, sexual tension, making out, food play, cunnilingus, multiple orgasms, praise kink, marking, satoru goes feral, unsafe sex, rough sex, size kink, it won’t fit trope, breeding kink, creampie, aftercare, domestic fluff, tooth-rotting fluff, marriage proposal, wedding fluff, happy ending

athy says, hi my lovies, i'm looking at my follower count and i genuinely can't believe we've hit 9k before this little blog of mine is even six months old. thank you, from the bottom of my heart. this fic has been simmering away in my drafts for what feels like an eternity, and i wanted to dedicate it to all of you as a thank you. it's super soft, a little cheesy, and hopefully the perfect thing to curl up with. i hope you all enjoy it!! ♡⁠(⁠Ӧ⁠ｖ⁠Ӧ⁠｡⁠)

satoru gojo has never needed hashtags to break the internet.

he knows this the same way he knows his post-workout selfies could fund a small country’s economy, the same way he knows that the gym mirror loves him more than his own mother ever did.

so when he drops his phone against his sweat-dampened chest and angles it just right—shadows cutting across the landscape of muscle he’s carved with religious devotion, that mess of hair catching the fluorescent light like spun moonlight, eyes the color of winter storms narrowed in that signature smirk—he doesn’t bother with captions longer than “cardio day.”

six million followers don’t need context. they need salvation, and apparently, he’s their god.

the likes pour in before he’s even toweled off. comments that would make his grandmother clutch her pearls, fire emojis that could melt antarctica, marriage proposals in seven languages. satoru scrolls through them with the bored satisfaction of someone who’s never had to wonder if he’s attractive, clocking the trending status of his latest flex, watching the numbers climb.

after a few minutes of basking in the chaos he just unleashed—thousands of girls twisting in their sheets, thirsting themselves half to death—he flicks over to reels. it’s a casual, almost lazy motion, like a king turning away from the adoration of his court once he’s had his fill.

his reels are the usual rotation: endless loops of protein shake hacks, questionable “science-backed” mobility drills, and gym bros flexing in worse lighting than his bathroom mirror. sometimes a cooking video sneaks in—grilled chicken recipes that look like punishment meals, pre-workout snacks no sane person would enjoy, the occasional steak sizzling on cast iron just enough to hold his attention. mindless fuel, background noise for someone who already knows he looks better than half the influencers trying to sell him their macros.

but then, the algorithm, in its infinite, mysterious wisdom, does that thing where it thinks it knows him better than he knows himself, and suddenly his screen fills with something entirely different. no thirst, no desperation, no familiar symphony of validation.

just hands.

soft, capable hands dusted with flour, moving with the kind of precision that makes his chest do something weird and unfamiliar. the voice accompanying them flows like honey over warm bread, explaining the mysteries of chocolate tempering with the patience of someone who actually gives a damn about their craft.

“temperature control is everything,” you’re saying, and satoru finds himself leaning closer to his phone screen like an idiot. your hands work magic he doesn’t understand—folding, smoothing, creating something beautiful from nothing. there’s flour scattered across your black apron like stars, and he realizes he’s been holding his breath. “too hot and you’ll seize the chocolate. too cold and it won’t temper properly. you want that perfect balance.”

perfect balance. right. satoru gojo, who can bench twice his body weight and has never met a macronutrient he couldn’t calculate in his sleep, suddenly feels like he doesn’t understand balance at all.

he’s three videos deep before his brain catches up to his thumbs. your username—why.en_bakes—sits at the top of each video like a riddle he wants to solve. faceless content creator, obviously skilled, voice that could talk him through a panic attack or into one, depending on the circumstances.

his trainer would have an aneurysm if he knew satoru was mentally calculating the caloric content of buttercream roses at eleven pm.

his trainer doesn’t have to know.

meanwhile, you’re having your own crisis three hundred miles away, curled up in bed with your phone balanced precariously on your chest. you’ve been mindlessly scrolling through instagram, the kind of late-night brain rot that makes you question your life choices and wonder why you’re not asleep like a normal person.

the dm notification pops up from @squatoru—and there’s that little blue checkmark that makes your stomach drop because verified accounts usually mean one of two things: actual celebrities or influencers hunting for free stuff.

squatoru: hey, your hands are so steady, i’m pretty sure you could perform surgery. on my heart, maybe? kidding. mostly. anyway, the real question: do you take custom orders, or am i doomed to just drool over your perfect pastries through ig reels tutorials forever? my cardio needs a reward ;)

you frown, tapping on his profile with the kind of skepticism reserved for men who slide into dms and politicians. probably another influencer looking for free pastries in exchange for exposure. you’ve seen this song and dance before, and your content is specifically designed to avoid this—just your hands, your voice, and your pastries. no face, no personal details, no invitation for this kind of attention.

except his profile loads, and the image that fills your screen is so utterly, aggressively stunning that your breath hitches. your eyes go wide, wider than any pastry plate you’ve ever presented, and you feel a ridiculous, old-fashioned flush creep up your neck. like a victorian gentleman accidentally stumbling upon an exposed ankle, but instead of an ankle, it’s an eight-pack, a smirk, and eyes that could unravel your very soul.

you swallow, hard, your mind temporarily short-circuiting at the sheer, unapologetic perfection. the phone, balanced precariously on your chest, finally loses its grip as your hands instinctively clench in shock, and it falls. with a sickening thud, it smacks directly into your face, the impact rattling your teeth and, far worse, triggering an accidental double-tap right on his latest thirst trap. specifically, right on his absurdly defined abs.

because @squatoru isn’t just any influencer.

he’s all sharp angles and casual arrogance, the kind of beautiful that makes you question whether humans are supposed to look like that or if someone’s been editing reality behind your back. his hair defies every law of physics and good sense, standing up in ways that should look ridiculous but instead look like he’s been personally blessed by some very attractive gods. and his eyes—they’re not just blue, they’re the kind of blue that makes you forget other colors exist, like someone liquefied lightning and poured it into his irises just to see what would happen.

the worst part? he knows exactly what he looks like.

every photo is a carefully constructed masterpiece of casual perfection. gym selfies that belong in museums, mirror shots that probably crash servers, candid photos that are about as candid as a hollywood red carpet. he’s the kind of beautiful that makes normal people feel like potatoes, and he’s just casually sliding into your dms like it’s tuesday.

the little heart icon fills with red, mocking you. you immediately know you’ve made a mistake of astronomical proportions, a digital crime scene of embarrassment. you don’t even look at this kind of content. your algorithm is carefully curated chaos of baking tutorials, cat videos, and the occasional pottery reel.

you wouldn’t know a thirst trap if it personally introduced itself and asked for your number. but apparently, it just did, and you just liked it.

your phone buzzes almost instantly.

squatoru: oh, saw that 😉 figured you wouldn’t be able to resist. it’s okay, my content’s usually pretty captivating. consider yourself caught admiring the view.

you scramble upright, nearly launching your phone across the room in your panic. your heart is doing something between a tango and a cardiac episode, and you’re pretty sure you’re about to die of embarrassment in your own bed, which seems like a particularly pathetic way to go. you wince, rubbing your nose where the phone left a red mark.

why.en_bakes: it was an accident. my phone slipped. literally. it just smacked me.

the response comes back quicker than you’d like, quicker than gives you time to construct proper emotional barriers or remember how to breathe like a normal person.

squatoru: suuuure it did. 😉 a very convenient slip. but hey, thanks for the unintentional validation. speaking of irresistible things... i’ve actually been genuinely obsessed with your videos. that chocolate work? absolutely insane. like, i’m genuinely curious about trying your stuff in person. my cheat day budget just went up.

he’s been watching your videos. this man, human equivalent of a renaissance sculpture, is obsessed with your chocolate work? you, who usually only gets comments from sweet grandmas and fellow bakers, are suddenly being eyed by the thirst trap god himself. you stare at the message until the words blur together, trying to process this information like a computer that’s been asked to run software from the future.

why.en_bakes: well, the cafe info is on my profile if you’re actually serious. we’re open from 8-6 tuesday to saturday. no freebies.

because you’re not about to make this easy for him. you’ve built a whole business on not making things easy, on the radical concept that good pastries require effort and patience and maybe a little suffering. if this man wants to waltz into your world with his perfect face and his ridiculous hair, he can follow the same rules as everyone else.

squatoru: oh, trust me, cupcake. i’m serious about good desserts. and good conversation. and maybe a few other things. consider me booked. see you soon.

cupcake.

he called you cupcake, and something in your stomach does a little flip that has absolutely nothing to do with the leftover anxiety from accidentally liking his photo and everything to do with the way that familiar, sweet word, usually piped with buttercream and sold by the dozen, suddenly tasted personal, a secret, delicious indulgence meant just for you.

satoru, meanwhile, is having his own moment of amused contemplation in his ridiculously expensive apartment, a smirk playing on his lips as he stares at his phone. because here’s the thing that’s currently piquing his interest in a way almost nothing else does: you don’t know who he is.

not in the way everyone else does, anyway. you’re not sliding into his dms with marriage proposals or asking him to promote your skincare routine. you’re not breathless with excitement or falling over yourself to impress him. you claimed you liked his photo by accident—a blatant, adorable fib, if your mortified response was anything to go by. you immediately tried to take it back like it was a mistake, but satoru knew better. people didn’t accidentally double-tap his abs. they just got shy when they were caught.

when was the last time someone feigned indifference to his attention?

he can’t remember, and that bothers him more than it should. he’s so used to being wanted, expected, demanded, that your casual dismissal, even if it was just an act of shyness, feels like a puzzle he needs to solve. you’re talented and professional and seemingly unimpressed by the fact that he exists, and something about that makes him want to try harder than he’s tried at anything that didn’t involve weights or protein shakes.

plus, there’s your voice. that soft, warm tone that guided him through chocolate tempering like you were sharing secrets, like you actually cared whether he understood the difference between seeding and tabling methods.

that night, he replayed your videos more times than he’d admit to anyone, and each time he notices something new—the careful way you handle delicate pastry, the little satisfied hum when something turns out perfectly, the genuine enthusiasm when you explain why certain techniques matter.

which is how satoru gojo, influencer extraordinaire and professional beautiful person, finds himself googling the address of a bakery at midnight like some kind of carb-obsessed stalker.

your cafe isn’t far from his gym. isn’t that convenient.

he screenshots the address and adds it to his calendar with the kind of focus usually reserved for competition prep, already planning his route and calculating what time he’ll need to leave to avoid the morning rush but still catch you during business hours.

because apparently, satoru gojo has stumbled upon a new obsession—someone who makes croissants for a living and couldn’t care less about his follower count, pretending she didn't just like his gym selfie.

his trainer is definitely going to have that aneurysm.

he timed it perfectly—after the morning rush had thinned and the café’s cheerful hum had settled into something softer. strategic timing, really. fewer distractions meant more of your attention, and satoru gojo had never been one to settle for scraps when he could have the whole meal.

the bell above the door chimed, small and unassuming, almost absurdly inadequate for the entrance that followed. satoru filled the doorway like gravity had personally rearranged itself around him, a quality white tee draping effortlessly over shoulders that looked like they’d been carved by someone with a personal vendetta against moderation, hinting at the landscape of muscle beneath. well-cut dark cargo pants, practical yet stylish, hung casually on powerful legs that could probably crush watermelons, and his hair—that impossible mess of silver-white strands—caught the morning light like it was showing off.

he walked in with the kind of confidence that made people forget what they were saying mid-sentence. calculated but effortless, the way predators moved when they weren’t particularly hungry but enjoyed the hunt anyway.

you recognized him instantly, and the mortifying memory of that accidental double-tap crashed through your mind like a wrecking ball made of pure embarrassment. heat threatened to crawl up your neck, but you shoved it down with the kind of ruthless efficiency that came from years of dealing with difficult customers and even more difficult ovens.

“welcome to flour & sugar,” you said, voice carefully steady as you finished wiping down the espresso machine. your movements were precise, controlled, the kind of calm that came from having your hands busy while your brain short-circuited. he caught the swift dart of your eyes, the way they met his for a fraction of a second before skittering away, and a slow, knowing amusement bloomed in his chest. oh, you were definitely lying. “what can i get for you today?”

but satoru wasn’t listening to your carefully rehearsed greeting. he was too busy having what could only be described as a religious experience with your display case.

“jesus christ,” he breathed, and those storm-glass eyes went wide as they tracked across the pastries like he was cataloging treasures. his hands pressed against the cool glass, long fingers splaying as he leaned in closer. “is that—are those pain au chocolat actually laminated properly or are you just trying to make me cry?”

the croissants sat in perfect golden rows, their surfaces glossy and flaked to mathematical precision. next to them, danish pastries spiraled with fruit preserves that caught the light like stained glass windows. chocolate éclairs lined up like soldiers, their choux pastry shells piped so perfectly they looked machine-made, topped with ganache so mirror-smooth it reflected the café’s warm lighting.

“showing off, obviously,” you replied, corners of your mouth threatening to betray you with something dangerously close to a smile. your fingers found the edge of your flour-dusted black apron, smoothing it down in a gesture that was becoming embarrassingly predictable. “we just brush regular croissants with chocolate syrup and hope no one notices.”

that earned you a bark of laughter, bright and genuine and so unexpected it made something flutter in your chest like a bird trying to escape. his whole face transformed when he laughed—the careful perfection cracking open to reveal something warmer underneath.

“oh, you’re trouble,” he said, grinning as he straightened up from the display case. ran one hand through that gravity-defying hair, messing it up in a way that somehow made it look better. the motion caused the soft fabric of the white tee to subtly shift and stretch over his chest and shoulder, a brief, undeniable testament to the power beneath, and he noticed you noticed. his grin widened almost imperceptibly. yeah, you definitely hadn’t liked his photo by ‘accident’. “i can tell already. so what’s your best ‘i’m definitely going to regret this later but it’ll be worth every minute’ option today?”

“the chocolate tart is popular,” you said, gesturing toward where it sat in solitary splendor—a perfect circle of temptation with ganache so dark it looked like liquid sin. “our kouign-amann sells out by noon.” you pointed to the golden, layered pastries that looked like edible architecture. “and if you’re feeling particularly self-destructive, the salted caramel éclair has a cult following.”

“dangerous recommendations,” he mused, those impossible eyes still cataloging every curve and swirl of your handiwork. his gaze lingered on the fruit tarts, their pastry cream bases topped with berries arranged like tiny works of art, then moved to the cinnamon rolls that spiraled with mathematical precision, their surfaces glazed to perfection.

he was quiet for a moment, just looking, and something in his expression shifted. softer somehow, like he was seeing more than just pastries behind the glass.

“what about you?” he asked finally, those winter-storm eyes finding yours. “what would you eat if calories didn’t exist and your trainer wasn’t going to lecture you about macros tomorrow?”

the question caught you completely off guard. most customers just wanted their order taken, not actual conversation, not genuine curiosity about your preferences. your hands stilled on the apron, suddenly aware of how he was looking at you—really looking, like your answer mattered.

“oh, definitely the chocolate tart,” you said, and a sudden, unexpected spark lit up in your eyes. you leaned forward just a fraction, your voice gaining a soft, enthusiastic edge. “it’s not just chocolate, you know? we use a blend of valrhona guanaja for that deep, almost bitter cocoa base, but then there’s a hint of madagascar vanilla bean in the custard, just enough to bring out the sweetness without making it cloying. and the crust—it’s a sable breton, a really buttery, shortbread-like texture that just crumbles perfectly. it’s about the balance, the way the intensity of the chocolate plays with the richness of the butter and the delicate snap of the shell. it’s… everything.”

you finished with a quiet, almost breathless sigh, a small flush on your cheeks from the sheer passion of your explanation. you hadn’t even realized you were practically lecturing him until you saw the look on his face.

something flickered across his face then, a slow dawning of satisfaction mixed with a captivating curiosity. his eyes, usually so sharp and teasing, were softened, fixed entirely on you. he hadn’t understood half the technical terms, but he’d understood the passion, the genuine love that radiated from you when you talked about your craft. that, he realized, was even more intoxicating than the thought of the tart itself.

“sold,” he declared, his voice a low, pleased rumble. “one chocolate tart for me. and—” he paused, head tilting as he studied the menu board behind you. “matcha latte. extra sweet, if you don’t mind. gotta balance out all that virtue somehow.”

the way he said it, low and curious, made your pulse skip in a way that had nothing to do with caffeine. “mr. gojo—”

“just satoru,” he interrupted, and that easy smile turned softer somehow, more genuine. leaned against the counter on his forearms, bringing himself closer to your eye level. the sleeve of his white tee shifted, briefly revealing the impressive curve of his powerful biceps, practically begging for your gaze, and you felt that familiar, involuntary tightening in your throat again. he was far too aware of the space between you, of the way the air thrummed with unspoken things. “i’d prefer it if you called me satoru. ‘mr. gojo’ makes me sound like my father, and trust me, that’s not the vibe we’re going for here.”

heat crept up your neck despite every attempt at professional composure. he was close enough that you could smell his cologne—something clean and expensive that probably cost more than your monthly ingredient budget—mixed with the faintest hint of lingering workout endorphins.

“satoru, then,” you managed, fingers finding the register keys with muscle memory while your brain tried to process the way he smiled when you said his name. “find a seat anywhere you’d like. i’ll call you when it’s ready.”

he pushed back from the counter with fluid grace, all loose-limbed confidence and predatory satisfaction. chose the corner table by the window—of course he did—prime real estate for people-watching and and, more importantly, you-watching. settled into the chair like he owned not just the seat but the entire building, phone out but screen dark, attention fixed entirely on your workspace.

you tried to ignore the weight of his stare as you moved through your routine, but it was like trying to ignore sunlight streaming through windows. persistent, warm, impossible to escape. steamed milk for his matcha latte, the bright green powder swirling into pale foam like liquid jade, sweetened just enough to match his request for extra sugar.

selected his tart from the display case with the reverence it deserved, the chocolate ganache mirror-smooth and perfect, reflecting the café’s warm lighting like dark water.

“order for satoru,” you called, and watched him unfold from the chair with that fluid grace that made ordinary movements look choreographed.

“that was fast,” he said, accepting the small plate and cup. his fingers brushed yours for just a moment—warm, callused from whatever weights he threw around when he wasn’t terrorizing bakeries. “efficient.”

“i try not to keep people waiting.” the words came out steadier than you felt, professional smile firmly in place even as your skin tingled where he’d touched it.

“and here i was hoping you’d take your time,” he replied, that insufferable smirk back in full force. tilted his head just enough to catch your eye, silver hair falling across his forehead in a way that should’ve looked accidental but absolutely wasn’t. “guess i’ll just have to savor this extra slowly to make up for it.”

back at his table, satoru lifted the fork like he was about to perform delicate surgery. cut into the tart with surgical precision, watched the ganache yield to reveal the perfect custard beneath, dark chocolate giving way to pale cream in a contrast that made his mouth water before he’d even tasted it.

the first bite rewired something fundamental in his brain.

it wasn’t just the flavor—though that was devastating enough, rich and balanced and absolutely perfect. it was the memory that came with it, sudden and overwhelming. his grandmother’s kitchen on sunday mornings, flour handprints on her faded apron, the smell of butter and vanilla thick in the air like incense in a church dedicated to sugar and love.

he’d been a chubby kid back then, all round cheeks and soft edges before growth spurts and gym obsessions carved him into something else entirely. back when sweetness meant safety, when dessert wasn’t the enemy but the reward for scraped knees and hard days and just existing in a world that sometimes felt too big and too scary.

this tart tasted like coming home to a place he’d forgotten existed.

he tried to eat it slowly, really tried. wanted to analyze the flavor profile, identify the techniques, make it last. but his body had other plans entirely. each bite melted on his tongue like a prayer answered, and before he knew it the plate was empty and he was staring at the evidence of his complete lack of self-control.

worth every single burpee he’d have to do tomorrow. worth twice that many.

he pulled out his phone, angled it to catch the crumb-scattered plate in afternoon light. typed out “found heaven” with thumbs that were steadier than they had any right to be, tagged the location, posted it to his story without a second thought.

let his trainer try to explain that one.

when he looked up, you were watching him from behind the counter, expression carefully neutral but eyes curious. caught in the act of caring whether he’d enjoyed it, whether your work had lived up to whatever expectations he’d built in his head.

“verdict?” you called across the space between you, voice carrying just the tiniest hint of genuine interest beneath the professional politeness.

“devastating,” he called back, not bothering to hide his grin or the way he gestured to the empty plate like it was evidence in a criminal trial. “absolutely devastating. i’m going to have to come back tomorrow just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke.”

“tomorrow’s monday. we’re closed.” the correction came automatically, but there was something softer in your voice now, the professional mask slipping just enough to let real personality peek through.

“then tuesday,” he said without missing a beat, standing up with that fluid grace and reaching for his wallet. “and probably wednesday. thursday’s looking pretty likely too.”

you ducked your head, but not before he caught the small smile you were trying to hide. watched you wipe your hands on that flour-dusted apron in the nervous gesture he was already learning to catalog alongside all your other tells.

“same time tuesday, then,” you said, like you were discussing the weather instead of planning his return to the scene of his carbohydrate crime.

“wouldn’t miss it, cupcake,” he replied, dropping a twenty on the counter for a twelve-dollar order and heading for the door before you could argue about the change.

he walked out into afternoon sunshine already calculating how many extra miles he’d need to run to justify coming back in two days.

spoiler alert: he was coming back regardless, and you both knew it.

the cafe, which once felt like a carefully controlled universe of flour and sugar, now had a new gravitational pull. satoru gojo had become a regular. not just a customer, but a fixture, like the espresso machine or the perpetually overflowing tips jar.

except this fixture came with perfectly tousled hair and a smile that could probably power half the city.

tuesday morning, 10:47 am. the bell chimed and there he was, silver hair catching the morning light like he’d been personally blessed by some very aesthetic gods. today’s ensemble: a loose knit sweater that somehow managed to look both cozy and criminally expensive, draped across shoulders that belonged in a renaissance sculpture exhibit.

he approached the counter with that easy confidence, long fingers already drumming against the glass as those winter-storm eyes conducted some kind of pastry reconnaissance mission.

“just making sure the integrity of your laminated dough hasn’t... suffered since yesterday, cupcake,” he said, leaning against the counter like he’d been doing it his whole life. the casual way he invaded your space should have been annoying. instead, it made something flutter stupidly in your chest.

you barely suppressed an eye roll, busying yourself with restocking napkins because your hands needed something to do that wasn’t embarrassing. “my laminated dough is doing just fine, satoru.”

“is it though?” he tilted his head, hair falling across his forehead in a way that was definitely not accidental, studying a pain au chocolat like it held state secrets. “because that one right there looks criminally perfect. almost offensive, really. i might have to do something about it.”

the way he said it, all mock seriousness with those ridiculous blue eyes sparkling with mischief, made your lips twitch despite your best efforts. “such a hardship for you.”

“devastating,” he agreed, pressing a hand to his chest like he was physically wounded. then that grin broke through, the one that made him look less like a fitness god and more like a kid who’d found the cookie jar. “i’ll take two. and one of those.” he pointed to a lemon meringue tart, its peak of toasted meringue golden and proud. “for balance.”

you reached for the pastries, trying to ignore how he watched your every movement like he was memorizing the choreography. “balance?”

“very important nutritional concept. sweet, then tart, then back to sweet. it’s basically science.”

“that’s not how nutrition works.”

“says who? my trainer?” he waved a dismissive hand, the gesture fluid and careless. “he thinks protein powder counts as a food group. clearly not a reliable source.”

wednesday brought a different satoru—button-down with sleeves rolled just so, revealing forearms that should probably be illegal in most countries. he ordered three chocolate éclairs this time, each one a perfect torpedo of choux pastry and dark ganache.

“consistency test?” you repeated, watching him pull out that expensive wallet like he was performing surgery.

“scientific method, cupcake. very important.” he peeled off crisp hundreds with the casual air of someone who’d never met a price tag he couldn’t ignore. the bills looked fresh from the bank, and you briefly wondered if he requested new ones specifically for pastry purchases. “can’t make proper recommendations without thorough research.”

your fingers found the edge of your apron, smoothing down imaginary wrinkles. “recommendations to who?”

“my trainer, obviously. gotta give him fair warning about what’s destroying his careful work.” that laugh again, bright and completely unrepentant, the sound warming something deep in your chest. “speaking of which, what’s the caloric damage on these beauties?”

“you don’t want to know.”

“try me.” he leaned forward slightly, chin tilting in challenge, and you caught yourself staring at the way his collar bone disappeared beneath the cotton of his shirt.

“about three hundred each.”

he paused, éclair halfway to his mouth, and you watched something flicker across his face. not regret exactly, but the quick mental calculation of someone who’d spent years thinking in macros and meal plans. then he shrugged, a movement that somehow made his shoulders look even broader, and took a bite that was pure bliss.

his eyes actually fluttered closed for a second, and the small sound he made was borderline indecent. you busied yourself with the register before your brain could process the implications.

“worth every burpee,” he declared, and the conviction in his voice made something warm unfurl in your stomach. this wasn’t just politeness or customer service charm. he meant it.

thursday he showed up in a perfectly fitted black tee that left absolutely nothing to the imagination, and your professionalism took a brief vacation. the fabric clung to every angle and curve like it had been painted on, and you spent an embarrassing amount of time pretending to organize the already-organized pastry display.

he ordered what could only be described as half your case. two kouign-amann, a slice of blood orange tart, three of your dark chocolate cookies, and a danish that had been sitting there looking particularly photogenic.

“research again?” you asked, voice carefully light while your eyes decidedly did not linger on the way his shirt stretched when he reached for his wallet.

“training day,” he said, and there was that subtle flex again, the movement so casual it might have been accidental if not for the way his lips quirked slightly. he knew exactly what he was doing. “need the fuel.”

you handed him his order, fingers brushing his for just a moment. warm, slightly callused from whatever torture routine he put himself through daily. “for what, exactly?”

“deadlifts. squats. the usual punishment for having a sweet tooth the size of tokyo.” he examined the danish like he was conducting a forensic investigation, head tilted just so. “my trainer keeps threatening to fire me, but joke’s on him—i’d just find someone who appreciates the finer things in life.”

the mental image of satoru gojo interviewing personal trainers based on their pastry tolerance made you duck your head to hide a smile. “how much extra cardio are we talking here?”

“for this haul? probably an extra hour. maybe two.” he bit into the danish with the kind of focus usually reserved for important life decisions, and you watched his expression melt into something approaching reverence. “but look at this thing. the way you’ve layered that fruit, how the glaze catches the light... that’s art, cupcake. you can’t put a price on art.”

heat crept up your neck at the genuine appreciation in his voice. “apparently you can. it’s twelve dollars.”

“cheap for a masterpiece.”

the compliment hit different when it came wrapped in that soft tone, without any of his usual performative charm. just honest appreciation, and it made your chest feel tight in ways you didn’t want to examine.

by friday, you’d started doing something incredibly stupid. anticipating his visits with the kind of precision usually reserved for oven timers and proofing schedules. you knew his patterns now—tart first, then creamy, then something with crunch. complex flavors that demanded attention, just like everything else about him.

so when he walked in wearing a cream-colored sweater that made his hair look like spun moonlight, you’d already committed the crime of setting aside a perfect almond croissant and a slice of your new cardamom pear tart. just sitting there on a small plate behind the counter, waiting like evidence of your growing soft spot.

he stopped short when he saw them, and something shifted in his expression. softer somehow, like you’d surprised him in the best possible way. “you read my mind, cupcake.”

“just good service,” you mumbled, but your hands betrayed you, finding your apron and smoothing the flour-dusted fabric with nervous fingers.

“is it though?” he leaned forward, elbows finding the counter, bringing himself into your space in a way that made your pulse skip. up close, you could see the faint freckle near his left temple, the way his ridiculously long eyelashes cast shadows on his cheekbones. “because this feels suspiciously like you’ve been paying attention to my very sophisticated palate.”

the teasing lilt in his voice made your stomach do something acrobatic. “your very expensive palate, you mean.”

“that too.” those eyes were studying you now with the same intensity he usually reserved for pastries, curious and warm and entirely too perceptive. “so what made you choose these? professional instinct or...”

“or what?”

“or maybe you’re starting to like having me around.”

the question hung between you like sugar dust in afternoon light, sweet and impossible to ignore. your cheeks felt warm, but you kept your voice steady through sheer stubborn will. “you’re a good customer.”

“just good?” he tilted his head, hair falling across his forehead in that way that made your fingers itch to brush it back.

“you tip well.”

“ah.” he straightened up with fluid grace, grinning like he’d just solved a particularly entertaining puzzle. “so it is about the money.”

the lie sat bitter on your tongue, but you’d rather eat raw flour than admit the truth. that you looked forward to his visits. that you’d started timing your baking schedule around his usual arrival. that the ridiculous tips were just an excuse to let yourself enjoy his company without feeling guilty about it.

“everything’s about money, satoru.”

“everything?” that voice dropped lower, softer, and you felt it in places that had absolutely nothing to do with business. “what about the art? the passion? the pure, unadulterated joy of creation?”

your breath caught slightly at the way he said ‘passion,’ like the word meant something more than flour and butter and sugar. “rent doesn’t pay itself with passion.”

“fair point.” he took a bite of the almond croissant, and you watched his entire face transform. the careful composure melted away, replaced by something raw and genuine and absolutely devastating. “jesus. okay, this is... this is stupid good.”

pride bloomed warm in your chest, the kind that came from watching someone truly appreciate your work. “just stupid good?”

“life-changing. earth-shattering. the kind of good that makes me question every life choice that led to me discovering it this late.” he took another bite, slower this time, actually savoring it like it deserved. watching him eat something you’d made with such obvious pleasure did dangerous things to your equilibrium. “where did you learn to do this?”

the question caught you off guard. not his usual surface-level compliments, but genuine curiosity about you, about your story. you found yourself answering before you could think better of it.

“culinary school. then a few years working under other people before i saved enough to open this place.” you gestured around the café, at the warm lighting and carefully chosen décor that had taken months of planning and every penny you’d managed to scrape together.

“other people?”

“a french pastry chef who made gordon ramsay look like a teddy bear. learned more in six months with him than i did in two years of school.” the memory still made you wince slightly, even wrapped in gratitude for everything it had taught you.

satoru’s eyebrows rose, and something shifted in his expression. less playful, more attentive. “sounds intense.”

“he once made me remake the same batch of croissants seventeen times because the lamination wasn’t perfect.” the words came easier now, maybe because he was listening with such focused attention. “i cried in the walk-in cooler.”

“and the eighteenth time?”

“eighteenth time was perfect.” you surprised yourself with how much warmth crept into your voice. “finally understood what he meant about respecting the process. about not cutting corners just because you think you know better.”

“and now?”

“now i can make them in my sleep.” you gestured toward the display case where your croissants sat in golden, flaky perfection, evidence of countless hours and stubborn determination. “muscle memory and spite, mostly.”

that drew a laugh from him, rich and genuine. “deadly combination.”

he was looking at you differently now, those impossible eyes softer somehow. like he was seeing past the professional politeness to something more real. it should have been unsettling. instead, it made you want to keep talking, keep sharing pieces of yourself you usually kept locked away.

“so this chocolate work you do—the tempering, the ganache—that all came from drill sergeant pastry chef too?”

you found yourself actually wanting to explain it, to share the thing you loved most about your craft. “some of it. but chocolate is... different. more temperamental. you can’t bully it into submission like dough. you have to coax it, understand what it needs.”

he leaned closer, genuinely interested, and you caught a whiff of his cologne mixed with the lingering sweetness from the pastries. clean and expensive and entirely too distracting. “what does it need?”

“patience. the right temperature. respect for the process.” you pulled out your phone almost without thinking, scrolling to a video you’d posted last week. “see this? the way the chocolate looks when it’s properly tempered versus when it’s not?”

he moved around the counter—when had you said he could do that?—to look at your screen. close enough that you could feel the warmth radiating from his skin, see the way his hair curled slightly at the nape of his neck. “show me the difference.”

your fingers were definitely not steady as you pointed to the glossy, perfectly smooth chocolate in the video. “this one. snappy, shiny, stable. versus this.” another clip, chocolate that looked dull and streaky. “seized because someone got impatient and tried to rush the cooling process.”

“someone like me, you mean.”

the self-awareness in his voice made you look up, and suddenly you were much too close to those winter-storm eyes. “someone exactly like you.”

“ouch.” but he was smiling, that soft genuine smile that made your pulse forget its rhythm. “so you’re saying i need to learn patience.”

“i’m saying chocolate will teach you patience whether you want to learn or not.”

“and if i wanted to learn? hypothetically speaking.”

the question settled between you like powdered sugar, sweet and impossible to brush away. your heart did something complicated against your ribs. “hypothetically?”

“completely hypothetical. just curious about the... educational process.”

you studied his face, looking for the usual playful smirk, but found something more sincere instead. something that made your chest feel tight and warm and terrified. “it’s not easy. takes time. messy. lots of failures before you get it right.”

“i’m not afraid of messy.” his voice was softer now, and you realized you were still standing much too close, could see the faint gold flecks in his impossibly blue eyes.

“no,” you said quietly, taking in his perfectly styled hair, his carefully chosen outfit, the way he carried himself like problems were just puzzles waiting to be solved. “i don’t think you are.”

he stayed longer that day, nursing his matcha latte and working through the cardamom pear tart with the kind of focus usually reserved for meditation or very important life decisions. every so often he’d look up and catch you watching him, and instead of that cocky smirk you’d grown dangerously fond of, he’d give you something softer. more real.

when he finally left, he paused at the door, hand on the frame, looking back like he wanted to say something else.

“same time monday?”

“we’re closed mondays.”

“tuesday, then.” that smile again, the one that made your knees forget their primary function.

“tuesday works.”

he pushed through the door into afternoon sunshine, and you watched him pull out his phone to photograph the empty plate he’d left behind. the story that went up an hour later was just the image with no caption, but your café’s location tagged like a promise.

your phone buzzed, not with an explosion, but with another steady pulse in what had become a low, constant hum of new activity over the past few days. each time he’d posted and tagged you, a new wave of curious followers would wash over your small page—a few hundred more likes, a dozen more comments asking who you were. this post felt different, though. more potent.

it felt less like a ripple and more like the tide starting to turn. you stared at your phone screen, watching the new notifications roll in, a knot of anticipation tightening in your stomach. you realized you were in trouble. the kind of trouble that was only partly about the looming threat of viral fame, and everything to do with the way your heart had started keeping time to the rhythm of a certain someone’s visits.

the cafe visits had become routine, but so had something else entirely. late-night video binges. satoru, tucked into the ridiculously expensive italian leather couch in his penthouse, would scroll through your youtube channel like it was late-night cable, airpods in, the city lights a distant hum.

your voice, a warm honey he’d once only associated with chocolate tempering, now filled his ears, a constant, comforting presence. it was oddly intimate, an exclusive soundtrack to his solitary evenings. he’d watch you explain the subtle art of a perfectly proofed brioche, the meticulous fold of a puff pastry. and as he watched, as your gentle explanations filled the quiet of his apartment, he started associating sweetness with more than just taste.

it was in the warmth of your voice, the patient way you corrected a common baking mistake in a tutorial, the quiet dedication in your hands as they measured flour. sweetness became patience. sweetness became quiet strength. sweetness became you.

he’d drift off to sleep with the soft cadence of your voice in his ears, and that’s when the dreams started. not about gym glory or brand deals, but about pastries that didn’t exist yet. wild, impossible creations: a lavender-infused crème brûlée that shimmered like moonlight, a pistachio and rosewater financier that smelled like spring, a miso-caramel tart with a delicate sesame crust. he’d wake up, confused and disoriented, craving flavors you hadn’t invented yet, a strange, persistent ache in his chest.

and then, the texting began.

it started innocently enough, a playful jab after a particularly indulgent visit.

squatoru: seriously, that pain au chocolat today? should come with a warning label. my trainer cried.

why.en-bakes: glad to be of service 😃

but then, the messages started appearing at odd hours. 1 am, 2 am. sometimes a simple, nonsensical emoji. sometimes a flurry of half-baked ideas.

squatoru: what about a churro croissant? is that legal? asking for a friend. (the friend is my sweet tooth).

you’d wake up to the ping, groggy and annoyed, but then you’d read his absurd suggestions, and a small smile would tug at your lips. sometimes, inexplicably, they were good ideas. too good.

your fingers would hover over your phone, considering the absurdity, then find themselves scrolling through your pantry. a few days later, a churro croissant would appear as tomorrow’s special, flaky and cinnamon-sugared, a tangible reply to his late-night musings.

he’d walk in the next day, a triumphant grin on his face. “i knew it,” he’d say, leaning against the counter, eyes sparkling. “you’re secretly taking commissions from my dreams, aren’t you, cupcake?”

you’d just shrug, a faint flush on your cheeks. “just a good baker with good ideas, satoru.”

he began to wonder if this was what inspiration felt like, this constant buzz in his brain, these unexpected surges of creativity that always, always, revolved around you and your world. it was foreign, intoxicating.

the teasing messages started to shift, to soften. the playful jabs giving way to something more sincere, more vulnerable.

squatoru: that apple crumble changed my life, no joke. thought i peaked, then tasted that. turns out i can still be surprised.

a message like that would arrive late at night, catching you off guard. you’d be scrolling through a supplier catalog, exhausted, and then his words would bloom on the screen, a quiet warmth spreading through your chest.

squatoru: didn’t know honey could taste like that. your honey cake. it’s something else.

you’d stare at your phone screen, a strange mixture of fluster and genuine pleasure unfurling inside you. these weren't compliments about his abs or his follower count—they were about your work, your taste, your ability to create something beautiful. when you thought no one was looking, usually tucked under your covers or in the quiet pre-dawn hours of the cafe, you’d screenshot them. little digital keepsakes of his quiet adoration.

squatoru: you made winter feel kind today. the lemon tart. tasted like sunshine.

you didn't know what to do with messages like that. they weren't flirting, not exactly. they were… observations. gentle, heartfelt observations that chipped away at your professional armor, one sweet, unassuming word at a time.

back in the gleaming, sterile environment of his gym, satoru’s performance was, to put it mildly, suffering. his focus, once laser-sharp, now drifted like dandelion fluff on the wind.

he dropped weights mid-set, the heavy clatter echoing through the gym, startling the other lifters. he’d be thinking about the impossibly smooth texture of your lemon curd, the delicate balance of your custard. the way it melted on the tongue. the exact shade of the toasted meringue.

his trainer, a no-nonsense man named masaru who believed in pain and protein above all else, crossed his arms, a vein throbbing faintly in his temple. “satoru. you’ve dropped that sixty-kilo bell three times this week. you sleeping enough?”

satoru grunted, wiping sweat from his brow with a towel, his mind still halfway back in your cafe. “yeah, fine. just… distracted.”

“distracted by what? another brand deal?” masaru eyed him skeptically. “you’re hitting your protein, right? macros are still on point?”

“yeah, yeah. all fine.” satoru lied, easily, smoothly. he hadn’t logged his macros properly in days. he hadn’t done his usual post-workout cardio in favor of replaying your new almond croissant tutorial. he wasn’t fine. not in the way masaru meant.

he was falling. falling faster and harder than any deadlift he’d ever attempted. and the landing, he suspected, was going to be deliciously, terrifyingly sweet.

satoru’s multiple story posts tagging humble your café’s location, each one a testament to your baking prowess and his insatiable sweet tooth, had brought chaos. glorious, sugary chaos.

by the next morning, tuesday, there was a line winding around the block of flour & sugar—a serpent of eager customers stretching down the street, smartphones out, food bloggers scribbling furiously into notebooks, and a worrying number of local influencers trying (and failing) to recreate satoru’s “found heaven” aesthetic shots outside your unassuming facade.

you opened the doors at seven, expecting your usual tuesday hum. instead, you were hit with a tidal wave. your tiny cafe, usually a haven of quiet contemplation for pastry lovers, became a buzzing hive of anticipation.

by 9 am, the display case was utterly, tragically barren. empty shelves stared back at you, pristine and devoid of life. you were sold out, completely overwhelmed by the sudden, unprecedented influx of customers, all asking for “whatever satoru gojo ordered.”

you’d spent the last hour politely explaining that satoru gojo had a different order every day and, no, you couldn’t just whip up a fresh batch of everything right now. the exhaustion was real, but so was the faint, bewildered pride.

when he showed up at his usual, leisurely time, strolling in at 10:47 like he owned the sunshine outside, he stopped short. the bell above the door gave its usual chime, but for once, satoru’s fluid confidence faltered. his storm-glass eyes, usually so sharp and discerning, widened, then slowly swept across the utterly desolate display case.

the devastation on his face was almost comical—like someone had just told him christmas was cancelled, forever, and replaced it with a mandatory kale cleanse. his impossible silver hair seemed to droop slightly, mirroring the sudden collapse of his shoulders.

you, wiping down the already spotless counter, saw his expression crumble, the playful mischief in his eyes replaced by a profound, almost childlike grief. a genuine wave of apology washed over you.

“i’m so sorry,” you started, stepping closer to the counter, your voice softer than intended. his gaze flickered to you, briefly losing focus on the tragedy before him. “we… we sold out early today. there were just… a lot of new customers.” you gestured vaguely towards the lingering stragglers outside, still hopeful.

he ignored them. his eyes were fixed on the barren shelves, staring at the empty spaces where his beloved pain au chocolat and lemon meringue tarts usually sat in gleaming rows, like they had personally betrayed him. his perfect posture, usually so effortlessly arrogant, sagged just a fraction. “all of it?”

you nodded, a small, sympathetic frown creasing your brow. “all of it. the pain au chocolat, the kouign-amann, even the cinnamon rolls. everything.” you watched him process this profound tragedy, the quick flicker of shock, then disbelief, then a truly dramatic despair. a strange, soft tug pulled at your chest. it was ridiculous, of course, but also… kind of sweet.

you couldn’t help it. his absolute, unadulterated heartbreak over a lack of pastries was surprisingly endearing. “but… i could make you something?” you offered, the words tumbling out before you could fully censor them. “fresh? if you don’t mind waiting.”

his head snapped up, those storm-glass eyes widening again, now alight with a sudden, improbable hope. it was like you’d just offered him the moon, gift-wrapped and topped with ganache. “you’d do that?”

“well,” you said, trying to ignore how his entire face lit up, a blinding sunrise of relief and joy. you felt a blush creeping up your neck. “can’t have you wasting away to nothing, satoru. i imagine your trainer would send me a very strongly worded email.” you added, a small, wry smile touching your lips.

what you didn’t say: that you’d already set aside ingredients for his usual favorites—an almond croissant, a chocolate tart, a couple of those irresistible dark chocolate cookies—before the morning rush hit, carefully hidden in the back like a secret stash, just in case. just in case he showed up, heartbroken, and needed a little private magic.

he seemed to take this as a cue, a permission granted. a wide, relieved grin spread across his face, lighting up the entire cafe. “you’re a lifesaver, cupcake. a literal, delicious lifesaver.” he pushed off the counter, moving with renewed purpose towards his usual corner table, settling in with the patience of a cat waiting for milk. “anything you make will be perfect. take your time. i’m in no rush.”

you ducked your head, a smile finally escaping, feeling a warmth that had nothing to do with the espresso machine. the cafe was empty of customers, but suddenly, it felt very, very full.

you disappeared into the back, the familiar rhythm of your kitchen a welcome balm after the morning’s chaos. pulling out the pre-portioned ingredients, you began to work, your hands moving with skilled precision. you rolled the pastry for his almond croissant, its buttery layers promising flaky perfection, then assembled a miniature chocolate tart, ensuring the ganache was extra smooth, the sable crust extra crisp. the aroma of warm butter and dark chocolate began to waft through the now quiet cafe, a comforting, familiar scent that promised indulgence.

satoru, at his table, watched the kitchen door, an expectant, almost puppy-like eagerness in his posture. when you finally emerged, a small plate held carefully in your hands, he practically vibrated with anticipation.

“almond croissant and a chocolate tart, fresh out of the oven,” you announced, placing the plate gently before him. the croissant gleamed, its toasted almonds a fragrant crown, and the chocolate tart was a miniature masterpiece, its surface still faintly warm. “and a fresh matcha latte, extra sweet, just like you like it.”

he stared at the plate, then up at you, his impossible eyes wide with genuine awe. “you… you made this? just for me?”

you felt a blush spread across your cheeks. “it’s part of the job, satoru. making people happy with pastries.”

“you’re doing a very good job,” he said, his gaze lingering on your face for a beat longer than strictly necessary. he reached for the croissant first, breaking off a piece with careful precision. the warm, buttery scent filled the air around him. his eyes fluttered closed for a second, a soft, appreciative hum escaping him as he chewed slowly, savoring every flaky, almond-laced bite.

this wasn't just a pastry. this was a personalized act of kindness from the one person who seemed utterly immune to his usual charms. and it tasted like pure, unadulterated happiness.

he devoured the croissant, then moved to the chocolate tart, taking a huge, satisfying bite. the warmth of the chocolate, the sweetness of the ganache, the unexpected crunch of the crust—it was pure bliss. he ate it with the focus of a man who’d been starving for days, yet somehow also with a deliberate slowness, trying to make the moment last.

when he finished, the plates were impeccably clean, as if licked. he pulled out his wallet again, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “i’m going to need the damage report, cupcake. and i have a feeling this kind of bespoke service warrants… extra compensation.” he placed two crisp hundred-dollar bills on the counter, pushing them towards you. “for the trouble. and for the extra miles i’ll have to run tomorrow.”

you stared at the money, then at him, a genuine smile finally breaking through. “satoru, this is ridiculous. it’s twelve dollars. the ingredients were already here.”

“nonsense. that was a private showing of artisanal genius. worth every penny. consider it a down payment for future emergencies.” he grinned, then stood, stretching with a languid grace that drew your eyes to the way his t-shirt draped over his chest. “so. tuesday, then? same time?”

you watched him, a warmth spreading through you that had nothing to do with the oven. “tuesday. we’ll try to save some for you.”

“no need,” he said, a playful wink accompanying his words as he headed for the door. “i have a feeling you’ll make something special just for me.”

and as the bell chimed, marking his departure, you couldn’t help but smile, already thinking about what new creation you could conjure up for his next visit. he was right. you probably would.

the cafe had always run on rhythm. espresso machine hissing, ceramic clatter, quiet conversation hum. but lately, that rhythm had acquired a distinct satoru-shaped beat that threw off your entire carefully orchestrated world.

he’d been coming in daily now, not just tuesday through saturday, but every moment the doors were open. his excuses were increasingly transparent, delivered with charming smirks that you almost bought—would have bought, if you weren’t becoming dangerously familiar with the way his mouth curved when he was particularly pleased with himself.

“needed caffeine,” he’d declare one morning, striding through the bell’s familiar jingle with the kind of confidence that made gravity seem negotiable. never mind that his penthouse probably housed equipment worth more than your monthly rent. he’d stretch deliberately, quality fabric pulling across shoulders that belonged in renaissance sculptures, while storm-glass eyes swept the display case like he was conducting some kind of sacred inventory.

another day brought, “had a meeting nearby.” vague gesturing down the street with long fingers that moved like they were conducting invisible symphonies, as if his presence wasn’t the actual purpose. he’d unwrap an éclair before fully paying, chocolate scent momentarily masking cologne that probably cost more than your weekly flour budget.

then came the most audacious: “thought i smelled something burning.”

perfectly straight face, not even a twitch in those ridiculous cheekbones. dramatic air-sniffing that somehow made him look like a very expensive bloodhound. you’d given him your flattest look, the one usually reserved for customers who asked if your croissants were “really” made fresh daily.

there was, of course, no burning anything. just your patience, slowly crumbling like overbaked cookies.

today was thursday. he walked in wearing a dark long-sleeved shirt that committed actual crimes against your ability to concentrate and cargo pants that somehow looked effortlessly expensive on legs that went on for geological ages. ordered his usual—chocolate tart, almond croissant, extra-sweet matcha latte that matched his ridiculous sweet tooth—but bypassed his customary corner table.

instead, he chose a small two-person spot against the wall. direct, unobstructed view of your main workspace. the audacity was breathtaking, really.

you felt his attention immediately, warm weight settling between your shoulder blades like a cat claiming ownership. moved to the prep station where vanilla cupcakes waited for rosettes, your hands usually surgeon-steady despite the early morning rush. but under his unwavering focus, fingers felt clumsy, disconnected from your brain. delicate buttercream swirls wobbled slightly, and you bit back the urge to hum—your usual working soundtrack felt too intimate with him watching.

annoyance mixed with growing heat that had nothing to do with the ovens. furious blush threatened to betray every professional instinct you’d cultivated.

during a lull, you glanced up, and immediately regretted it. his table sat maybe six feet away but felt impossibly close, like he’d somehow bent space around himself. no pretense today—phone abandoned beside his matcha, screen dark as those winter-storm eyes. just watching. chin propped on palm, elbow on table, head tilted with languid grace that suggested he had all the time in the world to study your every movement.

his expression was soft, unguarded. usual playful glint replaced by something direct, seeing. it made your chest tighten strangely, breath catching like you’d forgotten how to process oxygen properly. awareness jolted through you like touching a live wire.

“you’re staring,” you called across the space, voice steadier than your pulse deserved. the words came out sharper than intended, defensive armor against the way he was looking at you like you were the most fascinating thing in his very curated world.

he smiled slowly, easy stretch reaching those impossible eyes. blue depths softened, losing glacial edge for warmth that made something flutter stupidly behind your ribs. lifted his matcha with deliberate grace, sipped without breaking eye contact. the movement was calculated casualness, performative in its confidence.

“just appreciating the artistry, cupcake.” his voice carried new weight today, rougher around the edges. more honest than his usual smooth control, like he’d forgotten to put on his public persona along with that perfectly fitted shirt.

“the artistry of cupcakes?” you countered, fingers tightening around the piping bag until plastic creaked in protest. forced attention back to swirling white frosting, but your mind kept circling back to how his gaze felt like warm spotlight, illuminating corners of yourself you usually kept professionally dim.

he chuckled, low and private, the sound meant for your ears alone despite the public space. head tilted again, silver hair falling across his forehead in a way that should have looked messy but instead made him look like some expensive magazine’s idea of casual perfection. storm-glass eyes held yours, reflective depth replacing sharp teasing.

“the artistry of you making them.” the words fell between you like powdered sugar, sweet and impossible to brush away.

this compliment rewired something fundamental in your chest. bypassed professional pride entirely, sailed straight past the fluster you’d been fighting, and landed somewhere dangerous. settled like comfortable weight against your ribs, warm and persistent. wasn’t about pastries anymore, or technical skill. about you.

the quiet passion, focused dedication you poured into everything you made. like he’d reached past counter, past flour-dusted apron, past practiced customer service smile, and seen something essential you rarely let anyone witness.

heat crept up your neck in a slow burn, spread across cheeks like spilled cinnamon. you ducked your head, suddenly exposed in ways that made your skin feel too tight. terrifying and exhilarating simultaneously, like standing at the edge of something vast and unnamed.

foolish joy blossomed behind your ribs anyway. he really sees it. sees you.

“well, thank you, satoru,” you managed, voice softer than intended, betraying the carefully constructed composure you wore like armor. squeezed the piping bag, and a perfect rosette bloomed—slightly lopsided but charming in its imperfection. “it takes a lot of practice. years, actually.”

your fingers trembled slightly as you set the cupcake aside, reached for another. started humming under your breath without thinking, a soft melody that always accompanied your work. caught yourself, stopped abruptly.

he made a thoughtful sound, those long fingers drumming against ceramic in a rhythm that somehow matched the song you’d been humming. like he’d been listening, filing away even your unconscious habits. “years, huh? that’s...” he paused, rolling the word around like he was tasting it. “dedication.”

something almost wistful colored his tone, like he was trying to imagine that kind of sustained commitment to anything that wasn’t maintaining his ridiculous physical perfection. his thumb traced the rim of his cup, absent gesture that drew your attention to hands that were probably softer than yours despite all his gym time.

“some people think it’s obsessive,” you admitted, surprising yourself with the honesty. smoothed your apron with nervous fingers, flour transferring to already-dusty fabric. you’d heard it before—friends who didn’t understand the 4am starts, the burned fingers, the endless pursuit of perfect crumb structure.

“obsessive?” he repeated, eyebrows rising toward that impossible hairline. familiar smirk tugged at lips that were unfairly well-defined, but gentler somehow. less performative. “coming from someone who’s memorized your operating schedule and has been conducting what could generously be called ‘pastry surveillance’ for months?”

the self-awareness in his voice, paired with that slight flush across sharp cheekbones, made something warm bubble up in your chest. despite yourself, you snorted. actual snorted. like an undignified, very unprofessional sound that would have mortified you with any other customer.

his grin widened into something brilliant, transforming his entire face. less magazine-perfect, more genuinely beautiful. the kind of smile that made you forget he was probably genetically engineered for maximum visual impact.

“touché,” you murmured, ducking your head to hide your answering smile. started humming again, softer this time, the melody weaving between words. “though i’d hardly call buying excessive amounts of baked goods ‘surveillance.’”

“excessive?” he pressed a hand to his chest in mock offense, the gesture making his shirt pull across torso that defied reasonable proportions. leaned back in his chair with fluid grace, all long lines and casual power. “i prefer ‘thorough research methodology.’”

“is that what we’re calling it?” the question came out teasing despite your best efforts, fingers moving in familiar patterns as buttercream spiraled into perfect peaks.

“absolutely. very scientific.” he took another sip of matcha, eyes sparkling with mischief that made him look younger, less untouchable. “can’t make proper assessments without comprehensive data collection.”

you paused in your piping, tilted your head in challenge. “and what exactly are you assessing?”

something shifted in his expression then, playful mask slipping slightly. “everything,” he said simply, voice dropping to something more intimate. “the way you move when you think no one’s watching. how you hum when you’re concentrating. the fact that you always check the oven timer twice, even though you could probably bake blindfolded by now.”

the observation sent warmth spiraling through your chest. he had been watching, really watching. not just appreciating the view but memorizing details, cataloging habits you thought were invisible.

“speaking of which,” he continued, leaning forward slightly, elbows finding the table. closer now, close enough that you could see the way his lashes cast shadows on those ridiculous cheekbones. “how does one even begin to learn something like this? hypothetically speaking.”

the question caught you off guard, made you pause with piping bag hovering over another cupcake. something in his tone had shifted—less flirtatious banter, more genuine curiosity. like he was actually interested in your answer rather than just enjoying the conversation.

“hypothetically?” you echoed carefully, studying his face for signs of his usual performative charm. found something more sincere instead, vulnerability creeping around the edges of his confidence.

“completely hypothetical,” he assured, but that flush across his cheekbones deepened slightly. fingers stilled against his cup, waiting for your response with the kind of focus he usually reserved for gym routines or camera angles.

you considered this, set down the piping bag to give him your full attention. “well, hypothetically... most people start with basics. measuring, following recipes exactly. learning to fail gracefully.”

“fail gracefully?” curiosity brightened those storm-glass eyes, head tilting like he was genuinely trying to understand a foreign concept.

“burned cookies, collapsed cakes, chocolate that seizes because you got impatient.” you shrugged, began humming again as you arranged finished cupcakes on a tiered stand. the melody helped organize your thoughts, made the explanation flow easier. “it’s part of the process. you mess up, figure out why, try again.”

he was quiet for a moment, processing this with the kind of intense focus that probably made his personal trainer weep with joy. thumb traced patterns against ceramic, unconscious gesture that somehow made him seem more human.

“sounds like it requires patience.” something rueful colored his voice, like he was recognizing his own shortcomings.

“tons of it. and thick skin. and the ability to get up at ungodly hours because bread waits for no one.” you glanced up, caught something almost vulnerable in his expression. like he was actually considering this impossible scenario, measuring himself against requirements he’d never had to meet.

“ungodly hours,” he repeated thoughtfully, hair falling across his forehead as he leaned closer. “like how ungodly are we talking?”

“four am, sometimes earlier during busy seasons.” you watched him wince dramatically, all sharp angles and exaggerated horror. the reaction was so genuine it made you laugh, soft sound that seemed to catch his attention like a hook. “different kind of brutal than your workout schedule.”

“definitely different,” he agreed, then found yourself adding, voice softer, “but worth it. when everything comes together perfectly, when you create something that makes people happy...” you trailed off, humming resuming as you lost yourself in the thought. “there’s nothing quite like it.”

the way you said it, gentle and genuine and completely unguarded, made something shift in his expression. that performative confidence melted away entirely, replaced by raw curiosity and something that looked dangerously like longing.

“you really love it,” he observed quietly. not a question, more like a realization. like he was seeing you—really seeing you—for the first time.

“yeah,” you admitted, suddenly shy under his intense focus. smoothed your apron again, nervous gesture that left more flour streaks across the fabric. “i really do.”

silence stretched between you, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. charged instead, humming with possibilities and the weight of his attention. you could feel something shifting in the space between counter and table, subtle but significant. like tectonic plates moving, rearranging the landscape of whatever this was becoming.

and maybe, just maybe, you were starting to see him too. past the perfect exterior and calculated charm, to something more genuine underneath. something worth the risk of letting your guard down.

“well,” he said finally, voice softer than usual, that vulnerability still threading through his tone. straightened in his chair but somehow seemed less distant. “hypothetically speaking, that sounds like something worth learning about.”

you met his gaze, heart doing complicated acrobatics against your ribs. started humming again, melody filling the space between words. “hypothetically.”

“of course.” that slow smile returned, different now. less performative, more real. like sunlight breaking through carefully constructed clouds. “purely theoretical interest.”

“naturally,” you agreed, trying to ignore how your pulse had shifted into overtime.

but as you watched him settle back in his chair, something had definitely changed. the air between you felt thicker, more charged with possibility. and for the first time since this whole thing started, you weren’t entirely sure who was in control of this particular game anymore.

not that you minded being a little lost, especially when the alternative was finding your way back to the safety of professional distance. some risks were worth taking, even if they came wrapped in designer clothing and impossible blue eyes.

two months in, satoru gojo’s meticulously structured life had quietly reorganized itself around flour & sugar’s operating hours. his calendar, once a rigid grid of training blocks and sponsorship meetings, now had soft, flexible pockets of time carved out for “research.”

his trainer, masaru, had progressed from exasperated sighs to leaving passive-aggressive notes about “dietary consistency” taped to his gym locker. one simply read: “carbs are not your friend, satoru.” satoru had crumpled it up with a grin.

his friends had progressed from gentle ribbing about his "carb phase" to outright intervention attempts.

“dude, you know there are other bakeries in the city, right?” his roommate had asked last tuesday, watching satoru check the time for the third time in ten minutes, a nervous energy thrumming under his skin. “ones that don’t require you to rearrange your entire geopolitical schedule?”

satoru had just shrugged, eyes fixed on the clock. “the lighting’s better at this one.”

but they didn’t understand. couldn’t understand. because somewhere between that first accidental like and now, somewhere in the quiet hum of your cafe and the warm scent of your pastries, this had stopped being about the pastries entirely.

wednesday morning found him arriving at his usual time—10:47 am, after the morning rush but before lunch prep fully consumed your attention.

he’d timed it perfectly over weeks of careful observation, memorizing the rhythm of your day like scripture. the bell announced his entrance with a familiar chime, and he felt that stupid, predictable flutter in his chest when you looked up from behind the counter, a small, knowing smile touching your lips.

you were piping something delicate onto petit fours, tiny, jewel-like cakes arranged in neat rows. your movements were precise, economical, each squeeze of the pastry bag adding perfect, miniature rosettes of buttercream. but it was the soft humming that got him—a barely audible, contented melody that seemed to flow from some deep, quiet place inside you. he’d started cataloging these details without meaning to.

“morning, cupcake,” he said, his voice a low, familiar rumble as he settled into his usual spot by the window. the endearment had become natural, automatic, though he wasn’t sure when that had happened. it just… fit.

“morning, satoru.” your voice carried a warmth that made something dangerous and hopeful bloom in his chest. you finished the petit four with a final, delicate flourish, set down the piping bag, and he watched you wipe your hands on your flour-dusted black apron—the same gesture he’d seen hundreds of times now, but it still made him want to memorize the movement. “the usual?”

the usual. like he was a regular fixture, a predictable part of your day, which he supposed he was. chocolate tart, almond croissant, matcha latte with extra sweetness because you’d noticed his ridiculous sweet tooth weeks ago and started accommodating it without him ever having to ask.

“you know me so well,” he said, and the words held more weight than he’d intended.

something flickered across your face—pleasure, maybe, or a quiet satisfaction at being seen as perceptive. you moved through the preparation with a practiced efficiency, but he caught the way you selected his chocolate tart from the back row, where you’d obviously set aside the most perfectly formed one. he noticed how you added just a touch more syrup to his matcha without measuring, your muscle memory perfectly calibrated to his preferences.

these small kindnesses shouldn't have meant so much. but they did. they felt like secrets, quiet acknowledgements of this strange, unspoken thing growing between you.

“here we go,” you said, setting his order down with a quiet care. your fingers brushed his as you handed over the matcha, a contact so brief it was barely there, but so electric it sent a jolt straight up his arm. “perfect timing, too—that tart just came out of the case.”

“perfect timing,” he agreed, his voice a little rough, though he was talking about more than pastries. every visit felt like perfect timing now, like the universe had conspired to place him in this specific seat at this specific moment, watching you create magic from flour and butter and impossible patience.

he settled in, but the cafe felt different today. quieter. the lull between rushes seemed to stretch longer, leaving just the two of you in the warm, sweet-scented space. he ate slowly, deliberately, making the experience last. he’d finish a bite of the rich, decadent tart, then take a sip of the sweet, earthy matcha, his eyes constantly drifting back to you as you worked.

you were arranging the petit fours now, a focused intensity in your movements. you felt his gaze on you, a familiar, warm weight. but it wasn't just observation anymore—it felt like a presence, a quiet companionship that filled the empty spaces in the cafe.

“those look almost too pretty to eat,” he called over, his voice a low, appreciative murmur.

you glanced up, a small, genuine smile touching your lips. “almost,” you agreed. “that’s the goal. make people hesitate for at least a full second before they destroy your hard work.”

he chuckled, a rich sound that made your chest feel warm. “a full second? that’s ambitious. for me, it’s more like half a second of quiet reverence, followed by total annihilation.” he gestured to his now-empty plate as evidence.

the conversation fell into a comfortable silence. he finished his latte, but he didn't move. he didn’t pull out his phone, didn’t start gathering his things. he just sat there, watching you, a soft, unguarded expression on his face. the hesitation was palpable, a quiet reluctance to break the spell of the morning. you felt your own heart beating a little faster. he was waiting. waiting for what, you weren't sure. maybe for you to tell him to leave.

but you didn’t want him to.

your hands stilled on the counter. you took a breath, a small, shaky thing. this was new territory, a step beyond the safety of your professional boundaries. “so,” you started, your voice a little softer than you intended. “i was, uh, working on something new this morning.”

his head tilted, a spark of genuine curiosity lighting up his storm-glass eyes. he leaned forward slightly, all his attention focused on you. “oh yeah? a new instrument of torture for my trainer?”

the familiar banter was a lifeline, and you grabbed it. “something like that,” you said, a real smile breaking through. you ducked into the kitchen for a moment, the hum in your throat picking up a nervous, excited tempo. when you returned, you were holding a small, pristine white plate. on it sat a single, perfect creation.

it was a small, dome-shaped mousse cake, glazed with a mirror finish so pale blue it was almost white, the exact shade of his eyes on a clear winter day. delicate, crystalline sugar work spun around its base like fractured ice, and on top, a single, perfect white chocolate feather rested, reminiscent of his impossible hair, dusted with the finest silver powder. it looked like him. it looked like a feeling you were terrified to name.

you placed it on the counter between you, a silent, trembling offering.

satoru stared at it, his usual playful smirk gone, replaced by an expression of genuine, stunned awe. his eyes, so often a similar shade of impossible blue, widened as he took in the delicate details. the color. the single white feather. the resemblance was subtle, artful, but undeniably there. he knew, instantly, what—or rather, who—he was looking at. “cupcake,” he breathed, the word soft, reverent, barely a whisper. “what is this?”

“i’m not sure what to call it yet,” you admitted, your fingers finding the familiar comfort of your apron, twisting the fabric. “it’s a white chocolate and blueberry mousse. with a yuzu curd center. i was trying to capture a feeling, more than just a flavor.” your eyes were fixed on the cake, unable to meet his.

he looked from the cake to you, his gaze intense, searching, his heart hammering against his ribs. he understood. oh, he understood completely. “what feeling?”

you felt a blush heat your cheeks, a slow, deep burn. you risked a glance up, and the raw vulnerability in his expression made your breath catch. “i don’t know… quiet. calm.” you gestured vaguely at the peaceful cafe around you, a weak attempt at deflection. “like… the feeling you get when you finally perfect something. that moment of peace.” your lie was thin as spun sugar.

he was silent for a long moment, just looking at you, a universe of unspoken understanding passing between your locked gazes. then, his eyes met yours, and there was a raw honesty in them you’d never seen before. “can i…?”

“i was hoping you would,” you said, your voice barely a whisper. “i need an honest opinion. from a professional researcher.”

that earned you a slow, breathtaking smile. it wasn't his usual cocky grin—it was softer, more genuine, and it reached all the way to his eyes, making them crinkle at the corners. “my services are at your disposal.”

he moved from his table to the counter, taking the seat opposite you. the shift was significant. he was no longer a customer in your space—he was a guest, an invited participant. he picked up the small fork you’d provided, his long, callused fingers surprisingly delicate.

he took the first bite with the focus of a bomb disposal expert. you watched, holding your breath, as his expression shifted. his eyes widened slightly, then fluttered closed for a brief, blissful moment. a soft, involuntary sigh escaped his lips.

he chewed slowly, thoughtfully. you saw the surprise as the bright, tart yuzu hit his palate, cutting through the creamy sweetness of the white chocolate and the subtle fruitiness of the blueberry.

when he opened his eyes, they were dark, intense. “cupcake,” he said again, his voice rough with emotion. “that’s… that’s not a pastry. that’s a poem.” he looked from the half-eaten cake back to you, a question in his eyes. a silent asking. is this for me?

pride, warm and overwhelming, bloomed in your chest. “so… it’s okay?” you asked, your voice trembling slightly.

he laughed, a real, incredulous sound. “okay? it’s… perfect.” he took another bite, slower this time, savoring it. “it tastes exactly like you said. like a quiet morning. like… peace.” he looked at you then, and the weight of his gaze was enough to make your knees feel weak. “like finding something you didn't even know you were looking for.”

“i try,” you whispered, your heart doing a wild, joyful dance against your ribs.

he finished the entire cake in a reverent silence. when he was done, he set the fork down gently, a thoughtful, almost sad expression on his face. “the only problem,” he said, looking at the empty plate, “is that it’s over.”

his gaze lifted to yours, and in that moment, in the quiet of the empty cafe, with the ghost of a perfect pastry between you, you both knew he wasn't just talking about the cake anymore.

he was in trouble. deep, irreversible trouble.

and as you looked back at him, a soft, shy smile touching your lips, you realized with a terrifying, exhilarating certainty… so were you.

thursday passed like a held breath.

you found yourself checking the clock obsessively—10:30, 10:45, 10:47. each minute that ticked by without the familiar chime of the entrance bell felt heavier than the last. by 11 am, you’d reorganized the display case twice. by noon, you’d deep-cleaned the espresso machine that was already spotless. by 2 pm, you were fighting the urge to text him, though you didn’t even have his number.

the rational part of your mind supplied perfectly reasonable explanations. content creation. gym sessions. life. but the irrational part—the part that had spent last night dreaming about storm-glass eyes and the way he’d said “perfect” like a prayer—whispered crueler possibilities.

maybe he’d finally realized how far he’d drifted from his carefully curated routine. maybe masaru had staged a successful intervention. maybe yesterday’s cake had been too much, too obvious, too vulnerable.

maybe he’d finally gotten tired of your little bakery.

the lunch rush came and went in a blur of mechanical smiles and automated responses. customers complimented your strawberry danish, your matcha cookies, your perfectly crafted lattes, but their praise felt muted, like hearing music through water. you caught yourself glancing toward his usual table—table three by the window—every few minutes, each time hoping to see white hair catching the afternoon light.

instead, you saw empty chairs and the golden dust motes dancing in the space he usually occupied.

masako, your part-time helper, noticed your distraction during the afternoon lull. “you seem off today,” she said, wiping down the counter with characteristic directness. at sixty-two, she had no patience for subtlety. “waiting for someone?”

“no,” you lied, your voice a little too bright. “just tired.”

she hummed, unconvinced, but left you to your melancholy. you spent the rest of the afternoon perfecting a new recipe for honey lavender madeleines, throwing yourself into the familiar comfort of precise measurements and careful timing. baking had always been your meditation, your way of quieting the noise in your head. but today, even the methodical ritual couldn’t quite drown out the disappointed whisper in your chest.

by 6 pm, you’d accepted the truth. he wasn’t coming.

you began your closing routine with a heavy heart, moving through the familiar motions on autopilot. wiping down tables, washing the last of the display cases, counting the till. the evening light slanted golden through your windows, painting everything in warm honey tones that should have felt cozy but instead felt lonely.

you were just reaching for the door lock, keys jingling softly against your wrist, when you heard it—the soft tap of knuckles against glass.

your heart performed some impossible acrobatics as you turned, and there he was. satoru gojo, looking uncharacteristically nervous in the fading daylight, one hand raised in a small wave, the other clutching something behind his back. his usual confident smirk was nowhere to be found; instead, his expression held a tentative quality that made your chest ache with sudden, overwhelming relief. even anxious, he was devastating—the way his white hair caught the golden hour light like spun silk, how his broad shoulders seemed to fill the doorframe despite the uncertain set to them.

you fumbled with the lock, your hands trembling slightly as you let him in. “satoru,” you breathed, his name carrying more emotion than you’d intended, your fingers still wrapped around the cool metal of your keys. “i thought—”

“i know,” he said quickly, stepping inside and bringing with him the familiar scent of clean soap and something indefinably him. his free hand found the back of his neck, rubbing in a gesture you’d never seen before, vulnerability written in the uncertain tilt of his mouth. “i’m sorry. i had… things to take care of.” a pause, where he seemed to gather courage from somewhere deep. “i was going to come this morning, but then i realized i needed to do this properly.”

“do what properly?” you asked, your pulse hammering against your throat. the question came out softer than intended, curiosity and hope threading through your voice as you unconsciously stepped closer.

instead of answering, he brought his hidden hand forward, revealing a small bouquet that made your breath snag. white camellias, maybe a dozen of them, their petals perfect and pristine as fresh snow. in japan, you knew their meaning: you’re adorable. my destiny. in love with you. the message was clear, vulnerable, impossibly sweet.

satoru’s cheeks flushed the faintest pink as he watched your expression shift, the color spreading across his sculpted features like watercolor on paper. “i spent three hours at five different flower shops,” he admitted, his voice carrying that rare uncertainty that made him seem younger, more human. “the florist at the last one had to explain the meanings because apparently i’m hopeless at this.” his storm-glass eyes met yours, earnest and a little scared, the usual playful glint replaced by something raw and real. “but these… these felt right. they reminded me of yesterday. of that cake. of the way you looked at me when i said it was perfect.”

you took the bouquet with reverent hands, your fingertips brushing his in the transfer—a contact so brief it barely registered but electric enough to send warmth spiraling up your arms. the delicate petals felt like silk against your skin as you brought them closer, breathing in their subtle fragrance. “satoru,” you whispered, and the name came out like a sigh, like gratitude made sound. “they’re beautiful.”

relief flooded his features like sunlight breaking through clouds, and a hint of his usual confidence crept back into the curve of his mouth. those impossibly long lashes fluttered as he blinked, and when he smiled—really smiled, not the practiced grin from his instagram posts—it transformed his entire face. “i was hoping you’d say that. because i have a question to ask you, and i figured flowers might help my case.”

you looked up at him expectantly, your heart doing that familiar flutter-dance, clutching the camellias like an anchor.

“would you…” he started, then stopped, that hand finding his hair again, fingers raking through the white strands and leaving them slightly mussed. you’d never seen him this flustered, and it was endearing beyond words, the way his carefully maintained composure cracked to reveal something beautifully nervous underneath. “god, why is this harder than my first brand partnership pitch?” he muttered to himself, making you laugh despite your nerves.

the sound seemed to center him. “satoru,” you said gently, setting the flowers carefully on the counter, your movements deliberate and soft. “just ask.”

he took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling beneath his fitted black sweater, shoulders squaring as he found his resolve. “would you like to have dinner with me? tonight? there’s this place…” his voice gained momentum, words tumbling out like he was afraid he’d lose his nerve. “it’s small, nothing fancy, but they make the best karaage in shibuya, and their ramen is…” he trailed off, shaking his head with a self-deprecating smile that made your stomach flip. “i’m selling this terribly. what i’m trying to say is, it’s my favorite place. where i go when i need to feel grounded. and i want to share it with you.”

the vulnerability in his voice, the way he was offering you a piece of his private world, made your chest feel too small for your heart. you pressed your palms against the counter for stability, the cool surface grounding you as you processed the magnitude of what he was asking. “i’d love to,” you said simply, and watched his entire body relax with relief, tension melting from his shoulders like snow in spring.

“yeah?” he asked, that devastating smile breaking across his face like sunrise, eyes crinkling at the corners in a way that made you want to memorize every detail.

“yeah,” you confirmed, grinning back at him, your own smile feeling bright enough to power the whole cafe. “just let me grab my things.”

you found a small ceramic vase in your supply closet and arranged the camellias carefully, their white petals catching the last of the evening light. they looked perfect on your counter, a promise of something beautiful beginning. after gathering your cardigan and bag, locking up the cafe with hands that trembled only slightly, you turned to find satoru watching you with soft eyes, his gaze following your movements like he was cataloguing them for later.

“ready?” he asked, offering you his arm like an old-fashioned gentleman, the gesture somehow both casual and reverent.

“ready,” you replied, slipping your hand through the crook of his elbow and trying not to think about how perfectly you fit against his side, how solid and warm he felt beneath the soft fabric of his sweater.

the walk to his favorite restaurant took fifteen minutes through the bustling streets of shibuya. he guided you away from the main tourist areas, down narrow side streets where locals hurried past small family-owned shops and the air smelled like yakitori and car exhaust and the particular energy of tokyo at dinnertime. his free hand occasionally gestured as he talked, painting pictures in the air, and you found yourself watching the elegant line of his wrists, the way his long fingers moved with unconscious grace.

“nervous?” he asked as you walked, and you realized you’d been quieter than usual, too busy cataloguing the way his presence beside you made the familiar streets feel brand new.

“a little,” you admitted, your fingers tightening slightly on his arm. “good nervous, though.”

“me too,” he confessed, and the honesty in his voice made you look up at him in surprise. up close, you could see the faint freckles scattered across his nose, barely visible unless you were really looking. “i haven’t done this in a while. the whole… proper date thing.”

“what do you usually do?” you asked, then immediately regretted the question, your cheeks warming. “sorry, that’s none of my business.”

“no, it’s okay,” he said, his thumb rubbing gentle circles against your arm where your hand rested, the touch absent and soothing. “honestly? usually nothing this meaningful. protein bars in my apartment while editing content isn’t exactly romantic dinner material.” his laugh carried a note of self-deprecation that made you want to argue with him about his worth.

you laughed, the sound bright in the evening air, and felt him relax beside you. “well, you’re setting the bar pretty low for yourself.”

“exactly,” he grinned, and there was that practiced charm again, but softer somehow, more genuine. “smart strategy. exceed expectations by actually trying.”

the restaurant he led you to was tucked between a small bookshop and a traditional tea house, so narrow you almost missed it. the wooden sign above the door was weathered and simple: “momiji.” no english, no tourist-friendly decorations, just the kind of place locals protected fiercely from guidebook discovery.

inside was warm and cramped in the best possible way. maybe ten tables total, most occupied by older couples and small groups of friends talking quietly over steaming bowls. the air was rich with the smell of soy and garlic and chicken fat, and your stomach rumbled appreciatively, the sound making satoru’s mouth quirk with amusement.

“gojo-kun!” called out an elderly woman from behind the counter, her face lighting up with genuine affection that transformed her weathered features into something beautiful.

“evening, chiyo-san,” satoru replied, bowing slightly, and you watched his whole demeanor shift into something warmer, more relaxed. the careful influencer polish melted away, replaced by genuine fondness. “i brought someone special tonight.”

the woman’s eyes immediately shifted to you, taking in your simple cream-colored dress with the tiny floral print and the way satoru’s hand had found the small of your back as he guided you inside, his palm warm even through the fabric. her smile grew knowing, delighted, the expression of someone who’d been waiting for this moment. “ah, i see. the usual table?”

“please,” he said, and she led you to a small booth in the back corner, quieter and more intimate than the rest of the dining room.

as you settled across from each other, the worn wooden bench soft beneath you, you realized how different this felt from your morning encounters at the cafe. there, you’d had the safety of routine, the professional distance of counter service. here, with nothing between you but a small wooden table scarred with years of use and the soft glow of paper lanterns, the connection felt immediate, electric.

“so,” you said, glancing around the cozy space, your fingers playing with the hem of your dress, “how did you find this place?”

his expression grew thoughtful, a little nostalgic, and he leaned back against the booth. even relaxed, there was something elegant about the way he occupied space, long limbs arranged with unconscious grace. “my first year trying to make it as a competitive swimmer, i was broke. like, eating convenience store onigiri for every meal broke.” his fingers drummed against the table, a nervous habit you’d never noticed before. “but i’d just started posting gym content online—mostly because i was bored and thought my workout routines were decent enough to share. turns out people really liked watching me lift heavy things.” his grin turned almost smug, and you could see a hint of that cocky influencer confidence bleeding through. “went from the chubby kid getting laughed at in middle school to having people leave fire emojis on everything i posted. not gonna lie, the ego boost was incredible.”

you nearly choked on your own spit. “you were chubby?” the question came out before you could stop it, eyes widening as you tried to reconcile this information with the man sitting across from you—all sharp angles and lean muscle and the kind of physique that probably broke instagram servers on a regular basis.

his laugh was rich, genuinely amused by your shock. “hard to believe, right? but yeah, i was this round little kid who lived on baa-chan’s pastries and had absolutely zero athletic ability. got picked on pretty relentlessly for it too.” his expression grew more serious for a moment. “kids can be brutal about that stuff.”

“i can’t even imagine,” you said, still staring at him like he’d just revealed he used to be a completely different person. “you’re so…” you gestured vaguely at all of him, “you know.”

“devastatingly handsome?” he supplied with a grin that was pure mischief.

you rolled your eyes, but you were smiling. “i was going to say fit, but your ego doesn’t need any more help.”

“my ego is perfectly calibrated, thank you very much,” he said, taking another bite with obvious satisfaction. “six million followers can’t be wrong.”

“six million?” you nearly choked on your tea, your eyes widening in genuine shock. you’d known he was popular—the blue checkmark, the sudden influx of customers at your cafe—but that number was astronomical. you hadn't even looked when you’d first clicked on his profile, too stunned by the… scenery.

a flicker of confusion crossed his features, quickly replaced by a slow, amused smirk. he leaned forward, propping his chin on his hand, those storm-glass eyes sparkling with pure mischief. “wait a minute,” he said, his voice dropping to a low, teasing drawl. “you’re telling me you stalked my entire profile, ‘accidentally’ liked my abs, and you didn’t even clock the follower count?” his eyebrows rose in mock disbelief. “cupcake, were you that mesmerized?”

heat flooded your cheeks, a furious, mortifying blush. “it was an accident!” you insisted, your voice a little too high. “my phone slipped! literally! it fell on my face!”

he just laughed, a rich, delighted sound that made chiyo-san glance over with a fond smile. “sure it did. a very convenient, gravity-induced slip right onto the like button of my most recent thirst trap.” he leaned back, looking incredibly pleased with himself. “it’s okay to admit it. my content is very… engaging.”

“it was an accident,” you repeated through gritted teeth, though the corner of your mouth was twitching with a smile you were desperately trying to suppress. “i barely even noticed.”

“you noticed enough to get flustered when i walked into your cafe the next day,” he countered, his grin widening. “don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.” he winked, a quick, devastatingly charming gesture.

you sighed in dramatic, feigned defeat, shaking your head in amused disbelief. here he was, this successful influencer with millions of people thirsting over his content, sitting in a tiny restaurant getting excited about karaage and still finding the time to relentlessly tease you about a two-month-old instagram mishap.

he gestured around the small restaurant with obvious affection, his smile softening, the teasing glint in his eyes receding as he switched back to the more serious topic. “anyway… that first real brand deal came through when i had a lot fewer followers than i do now. i wandered around for hours after i got the email, just buzzing, until i smelled chiyo-san’s karaage and… followed my nose. she fed me for about half what anywhere else would have charged, and when i tried to tip her, she refused. said young athletes needed to save their money for important things.”

“like what?” you asked, charmed by the story, by the way his whole face animated as he spoke.

“protein powder, apparently,” he laughed, the sound rich and genuine. “she’s been trying to fatten me up ever since. every time i come in, she adds extra portions and pretends not to notice.” his expression shifted, became more thoughtful. “funny thing is, she reminds me of my grandmother. same stubborn kindness, same inability to let people leave hungry.”

something in his voice made you lean forward slightly, sensing a story. “your grandmother?”

“baa-chan,” he said, and the childhood nickname made him look younger somehow, vulnerability flickering across his features like candlelight. “she lived with us when i was little. made the most incredible pastries—mont blanc, cream puffs, these little butter cookies shaped like flowers.” his fingers moved as he spoke, sketching shapes in the air. “i was… well, let’s just say i was a chubby kid with zero self-control around her baking.”

the admission came with a self-conscious laugh, and you watched him duck his head slightly, white hair falling across his forehead in a way that made your fingers itch to brush it back. “i probably ate my weight in cream puffs every week. my parents were horrified—kept talking about discipline and proper nutrition—but baa-chan would just smile and make me another batch.”

“what happened?” you asked softly, sensing the weight beneath his words.

“she died when i was twelve,” he said simply, but you caught the way his jaw tightened slightly, the old grief still tender. “that’s actually when i got serious about swimming. needed something to prove, you know? the chubby kid who got picked on suddenly had abs and could out-swim anyone.” his laugh held a note of old satisfaction. “worked pretty well too, until my shoulder decided otherwise at nineteen.” he shrugged, and there was something almost casual about it, like he’d made peace with that disappointment long ago. “funny thing though—turns out all that discipline translated perfectly to social media. and honestly? after years of being called names, having people thirst over my workout videos was… pretty addictive.”

the parallel wasn’t lost on you—him finding your bakery, the way he’d gravitated toward your humming, your pastries, your quiet care. your throat felt tight with understanding. “she sounds wonderful,” you managed, your voice softer than intended.

“she would have loved you,” he said, and the certainty in his voice made warmth bloom in your chest. “would have probably tried to steal all your recipes and then pretend she’d invented them herself.”

a soft, watery laugh escaped you at the image, a sound thick with an emotion you couldn't quite name. you reached across the small table, your fingers gently covering his where they rested on the wood. his own smile softened in response, and he turned his hand over to tangle his fingers with yours, giving them a gentle squeeze. “i think i would have liked her too,” you said, your voice a little shaky. “even with the threat of culinary espionage.”

as if summoned by your shared laughter, chiyo-san appeared at your table with a pot of jasmine tea and a knowing smile, her approach breaking the tender moment. “the usual for you, gojo-kun?”

“the usual sounds perfect,” he confirmed, then turned to you with a slightly sheepish expression, running his hand through his hair in that nervous gesture. “i hope you don’t mind me ordering for both of us. she knows what i like, and trust me, you want what i’m having.”

“i trust you,” you said, and something in his eyes flickered with pleasure at the words, his whole posture straightening slightly.

chiyo-san bustled away, and you found yourselves alone again in the warm bubble of the corner booth. the awkwardness you’d expected on a first date was nowhere to be found—instead, conversation flowed as easily as it did in your cafe, maybe easier without the professional barriers.

“so,” he said, leaning forward slightly, his elbows on the table, “tell me something i don’t know about you.”

you considered this, idly tracing patterns on the wooden table with your finger, the surface smooth from years of use. “i didn’t always want to run a bakery,” you admitted, glancing up to find his attention completely focused on you, those storm-glass eyes intent and curious. “i went to university for literature. thought i’d be a translator, maybe work in publishing.”

“what changed your mind?” his question came with that particular quality of attention he gave you—like you were the only person in the world worth listening to.

“my grandmother,” you said, and your smile carried the warmth of a thousand memories. “she taught me to bake when i was little. not recipes from books, but the kind of knowledge that lives in your hands. how to tell when dough is ready by feel, how to adjust for humidity, all those little secrets that make the difference between good and extraordinary.”

you paused as chiyo-san returned with plates of food—golden karaage chicken that smelled like heaven, perfectly chewy ramen with rich, cloudy broth, gyoza with crispy bottoms and tender tops, and several small dishes you didn’t recognize but immediately wanted to try. the portions were generous enough to feed a small army.

“this looks incredible,” you breathed, the savory aroma making your mouth water.

“chiyo-san’s love language is overfeeding people,” satoru explained, already reaching for his chopsticks with the practiced ease of someone who’d done this countless times. “but finish your story. about your grandmother.”

you took a tentative bite of the karaage and nearly made an embarrassing sound of pleasure at the perfect balance of crispy exterior and juicy interior, your eyes fluttering closed for just a moment. “oh my god, this is amazing.”

“right?” his smile was proud, like he’d made it himself, and you caught the way he watched you taste everything, cataloguing your reactions with obvious satisfaction. “best in the city. now keep talking.”

“well,” you continued between bites, your chopsticks moving with less grace than his but no less enthusiasm, “when she got sick, i took leave from my job to take care of her. we spent months baking together, and she made me promise to keep her recipes alive. not just the techniques, but the feeling behind them. the idea that food can be comfort, celebration, love made tangible.”

your voice grew softer, more vulnerable, and you found yourself looking down at your bowl. “she died two weeks before i was supposed to start my master’s program. instead of going back to school for my master's, i realized what i really wanted. i used my savings for culinary school instead, and then opened flour & sugar. some days i think she’d be proud. other days i wonder if i gave up too easily on my original dreams.”

satoru’s chopsticks stilled in his bowl, and when you looked up, his expression was gentle, understanding written in the soft set of his features. “you didn’t give up,” he said quietly, and there was conviction in his voice that made your chest tight. “you just found a different way to tell stories. every pastry you make, every customer you welcome—that’s narrative too. connection. meaning.”

the simple validation made your throat tight with emotion, and you had to blink back the sudden threat of tears. “you think so?”

“i know so,” he said firmly, leaning forward slightly, his intensity focused entirely on you. “because i’ve been living that story for two months now. every morning at 10:47, getting to be part of whatever magic you create in that little space.”

you felt heat bloom in your cheeks, partly from his words and partly from a sudden realization that had been nagging at you all evening. “satoru,” you started hesitantly, your fingers tightening around your chopsticks, “can i ask you something?”

“anything,” he said, then caught your serious tone and set down his chopsticks entirely, giving you his complete attention.

“your routine,” you said carefully, worrying your lower lip between your teeth, “your content schedule, your training… am i messing that up for you? because if masaru is angry, or if coming to the cafe is interfering with your workouts…”

he was quiet for a long moment, considering his response, and you watched emotions flicker across his face—surprise, thoughtfulness, something that might have been relief. when he spoke, his voice was thoughtful, honest.

“yes,” he said simply, and your heart sank until he continued, his mouth quirking into a rueful smile. “you’ve completely destroyed my routine. i used to plan content three weeks in advance. i had optimal posting times calculated to the minute. i scheduled my life in fifteen-minute increments for maximum engagement.”

“satoru—” you started, distress clear in your voice.

“let me finish,” he said gently, and there was something in his expression that made you settle back, though worry still thrummed beneath your skin. “you’ve ruined all of that. and it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

you stared at him, confusion clear in your expression, your head tilting slightly in that way you had when you were trying to puzzle something out.

“for three years, since swimming didn’t work out, i’ve been pretty happy with what i built,” he continued, his hands gesturing as he spoke, and you found yourself watching the elegant movement of his fingers. “good content, solid following, enough brand deals to live comfortably. got to turn all that training discipline into something that actually pays the bills.” his smile was easy, confident. “and honestly? i was enjoying it. liked the routine, liked the control, liked seeing the numbers go up.”

he reached across the table, his fingers brushing against yours where they rested beside your ramen bowl, and the touch sent electricity racing up your arm. “but then i found your cafe, and suddenly i had something to look forward to that wasn’t about hitting my macros or optimal posting times. something that was just… nice. simple good. like that first bite of your chocolate tart, or the way you hum when you’re concentrating, or how you remember exactly how i like my matcha without me having to ask.”

his thumb traced across your knuckles, the touch feather-light but grounding, and you found yourself holding your breath. “masaru thinks i’ve gotten distracted, and he’s probably right. but honestly? i’m not complaining. life’s been pretty good to me, but this…” he gestured vaguely between you both, “this is something different. something better.”

the weight of his confession settled between you like a shared secret, and around you, the restaurant hummed with quiet conversation and clinking chopsticks, but you felt suspended in this moment, in the warm golden light and the earnestness in his eyes.

“so no,” he said, his voice dropping to something warm, genuine, meant only for you, “you’re not messing anything up. if anything, you’re making everything more interesting.”

you felt warmth bloom in your chest—relief, happiness, something sweet and uncomplicated swelling until you could barely contain your smile. “that’s either the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me,” you managed, your voice slightly wobbly as you turned your hand palm-up beneath his, fingers intertwining, “or you’re really good at making excuses for carb addiction.”

he threw back his head and laughed, the sound rich and delighted and completely unguarded, and the momentary emotional intensity dissolved into warmth, comfort, the easy joy of sharing a meal with someone who understood the shape of your heart.

“probably both,” he admitted, grinning as he brought your joined hands to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to your knuckles that made your entire body feel warm. “masaru keeps leaving increasingly desperate notes in my gym locker. yesterday’s just said ‘vegetables exist, satoru.’”

“he’s not wrong,” you said, gesturing at the mountain of fried chicken between you with your free hand, though you made no move to let go of his. “this is not exactly influencer food.”

“which is why,” he said, reaching for another piece of karaage with his chopsticks, absolutely no shame in his expression, “we’re going to enjoy every single bite, and tomorrow i’ll do an extra workout. balance.”

you spent the next hour working through chiyo-san’s generous spread, talking about everything and nothing. he told you about growing up in a family that expected perfection, about the pressure of competition, about the crushing disappointment when his swimming career ended with a shoulder injury at nineteen. you shared stories about the early days of the cafe, the learning curve of small business ownership, the quiet satisfaction of creating something with your own hands.

the conversation flowed like you’d known each other for years instead of months, punctuated by his groans of appreciation for the food and your laughter at his increasingly dramatic descriptions of masaru’s passive-aggressive campaign to restore his “macro discipline.”

“he’s started leaving printed meal plans in my gym bag,” satoru confessed, twirling ramen noodles around his chopsticks with practiced ease, his expression one of amused exasperation. “like a nutrition-focused fairy, but more judgmental and with better organizational skills.”

“maybe you should introduce him to my neighbor,” you suggested, dabbing at a drop of broth on your chin with your napkin. “she leaves notes about proper composting technique on everyone’s door. they could bond over their shared love of unsolicited improvement projects.”

“god, can you imagine?” he grinned, his eyes crinkling with genuine mirth. “they’d have the most organized, health-conscious children in tokyo.”

by the time chiyo-san brought you perfectly ripe persimmons and more jasmine tea, the restaurant had begun to empty out. you’d somehow made it through most of the food—a feat that seemed impossible when the plates first arrived—and you felt full in the best possible way, warm and content and slightly drowsy from good food and better company.

“i should probably get you home,” satoru said eventually, though his tone suggested he’d rather do anything else, his thumb still tracing absent patterns across your knuckles. “it’s getting late, and you have to open tomorrow.”

“unfortunately,” you agreed, though you made no move to gather your things, reluctant to break the spell of the evening.

he signaled chiyo-san for the check, waving off your attempts to pay with a firm shake of his head that left no room for argument. “this was my idea,” he said, his voice carrying that quiet authority that probably served him well in business negotiations. “besides, you make me breakfast five days a week. it’s the least i can do.”

“that’s different,” you protested, your cheeks warming. “that’s business.”

“is it?” he asked, his eyes holding yours with an intensity that made your pulse skip, the question loaded with weeks of careful circling around each other. “because it hasn’t felt like business for a while now.”

heat bloomed in your cheeks, and you looked down at your hands, still tangled with his. “no,” you admitted quietly, the word barely above a whisper. “it hasn’t.”

he settled the bill with chiyo-san, who sent you off with a paper bag of extra gyoza “for tomorrow’s lunch” and promises that you were welcome back anytime, her knowing smile making it clear she approved of satoru’s choice. the night air was cool against your skin as you stepped outside, a pleasant contrast to the warm restaurant, and you pulled your cardigan closer around your shoulders.

“which direction?” satoru asked, offering his arm again, the gesture now familiar and comforting.

you pointed toward the quieter residential area a few blocks away, and he fell into step beside you, matching his longer stride to yours with the easy consideration that seemed to come naturally to him. the streets were less crowded now, mostly couples heading home from dinners and workers catching late trains.

“thank you,” you said as you walked, your hand warm in the crook of his elbow, feeling the solid strength of his arm beneath the soft fabric of his sweater. “for tonight. for the flowers. for… all of it.”

“thank you,” he replied, and there was something wondering in his voice, like he couldn’t quite believe his luck, “for saying yes. and for making that cake yesterday. i know it was for me.”

you felt a flutter of nervousness in your stomach, your steps faltering slightly. “was it that obvious?”

“the white chocolate feather was a dead giveaway,” he teased gently, his voice warm with affection, but then his expression grew more serious. “but even without that, i would have known. you put yourself into everything you create. it’s one of the things i…” he trailed off, suddenly uncertain.

“one of the things you what?” you prompted, though your heart was already beating faster, hope and fear warring in your chest.

just as he was about to answer, his phone buzzed sharply, shattering the quiet between you. he flinched, annoyance flashing across his face as he pulled it out. you caught masaru’s name before he silenced the call with a jab and shoved the phone back, sighing.

the fragile thread of his confession snapped. he looked away, jaw tight, then met your gaze again—this time not raw, but steadier, warmer, as though he’d chosen a safer honesty.

he stopped walking, turning to face you under the soft glow of a street lamp, the light casting golden highlights in his impossible hair. his hands found yours, warm and slightly callused and infinitely gentle, and the touch grounded you even as it sent your pulse racing. “

i had a really good time tonight,” he said quietly, his storm-glass eyes searching your face with an intensity that made your breath catch. “like, really good. better than good.”

the words hung in the air between you, warm and honest and making your heart do that familiar flutter-dance in your chest. you felt your breath catch, your entire world narrowing to this moment, this quiet confession, the way he was looking at you like you were something wonderful and unexpected.

“me too,” you whispered, your voice full of wonder and possibility.

he looked like he wanted to kiss you then. you could see it in the way his eyes dropped to your lips for a fraction of a second, the slight parting of his own. you wanted him to. you wanted it more than you’d wanted anything in a long time. but the moment stretched, suspended and fragile, and neither of you moved. the spell broke when a car passed, its headlights momentarily blinding you both, and the chance was gone.

he cleared his throat, a faint flush on his cheeks, and let go of one of your hands. “we should… get you home.”

the rest of the walk passed in a charged, comfortable silence. the unspoken moment from the streetlamp hung between you, electric and full of promise.

“this is me,” you said as you reached the small apartment building where you lived above a quiet bookshop, the familiar sight made new by his presence beside you. the white camellias waiting in your cafe felt like they were calling to you, a promise of sweet tomorrows.

he stopped at the entrance, his hands finding the pockets of his cargo pants. “well… goodnight, cupcake.” there was a touch of awkwardness in his posture, a reluctance to leave that was both sweet and agonizing.

“goodnight, satoru.”

he lingered for a beat longer, his storm-glass eyes holding yours. you knew if you didn’t do something now, the night would end on this note of sweet, unresolved tension. and that simply wouldn’t do.

before you could lose your nerve, you reached up, your fingers finding the soft collar of his sweater. he looked down at you, surprise widening his eyes. with a soft tug, you pulled his head down towards you. even then, with his six-foot-plus frame bent, you still had to rise up on your tiptoes, stretching to reach him.

it wasn’t his lips you found. it was his cheek. you pressed a soft, quick, deliberate kiss to the spot just beside his mouth, your own lips lingering for just a fraction of a second against his skin. it was warm, smooth, and felt impossibly intimate.

“bye,” you whispered against his cheek, then you pulled back, let go of his sweater, and practically fled—turning and rushing up the steps to your building’s entrance without a backward glance, your cheeks absolutely on fire.

satoru stood frozen on the sidewalk for a full minute after your door clicked shut, stunned into immobility. slowly, his fingers came up to touch the spot on his cheek where your lips had been. a slow, genuine, devastatingly happy smile spread across his face, unguarded and brilliant under the streetlight.

inside, you leaned your back against the cool wood of your apartment door, your heart hammering against your ribs. you brought a trembling hand up to your own lips, a disbelieving laugh bubbling up in your chest. a mix of pure terror and giddy exhilaration coursed through you. what did you just do?

a moment later, your phone buzzed in your bag with a familiar notification sound. you fumbled for it, your hands still shaking, and saw the instagram icon on your screen. it was him. a new message.

squatoru: you missed 😉 but thank you. see you tomorrow, cupcake.

you stared at the screen, a wide, foolish grin spreading across your face. the teasing emoji, the playful admonishment through the same app where this all started, the sweet promise of “tomorrow”—it was perfect. it was everything.

your heart did complicated acrobatics as you typed back a simple, breathless reply. tomorrow, you decided as you got ready for bed, still smiling at your reflection in the bathroom mirror, you were going to make him something even better than that cake. something that tasted like jasmine tea and stolen kisses and the beginning of something beautiful.

after all, you had a story to tell. and now you had someone who wanted to read every chapter, someone who understood that the best stories weren’t the ones you planned, but the ones that found you when you were busy making other, smaller plans. and you couldn't wait to see what happened in the next chapter.

the weeks following your first date settled into a new, delicious rhythm. satoru’s visits were no longer just a feature of your mornings—they were the anchor around which the day pivoted. his excuses grew bolder, more ridiculous, delivered with a playful glint in his eyes that dared you to call his bluff. “my coffee machine is staging a protest,” he’d declared one monday, looking deeply offended. “it refuses to respect my caffeine requirements.” another time, he’d claimed he was performing a “long-term atmospheric study” of the cafe.

the tentative space between you had warmed, filled with inside jokes murmured over the counter and a steady stream of late-night texts that ranged from his profound thoughts on protein-to-carb ratios to blurry photos of his cat sleeping on his face. yet, for all the new intimacy, an invisible line remained, drawn somewhere between a shared laugh and the memory of a soft, hesitant kiss on a quiet street corner. the air between you hummed with a constant, unspoken question.

which brought you to this thursday.

the afternoon had bled into soft golden-hour evening, the last loyal customers drifting out into cooling air, leaving behind lingering coffee scent and quiet refrigerator hum.

you were twenty minutes from closing, moving through your end-of-day routine with practiced, meditative rhythm. wiping down the gleaming stainless steel counters, the sharp sanitizer scent cutting through the day’s symphony of sugar and butter. humming a soft, unidentifiable tune that filled the empty space like invisible thread weaving through silence.

he was still there. satoru. at his usual table, fortress of one, half-empty matcha latte sweating onto a coaster. he was pretending to work on his sleek, expensive laptop that seemed alien in the cozy analog warmth of your café. but the screen had been dark for ten minutes, its black surface reflecting the warm, buttery pendant light glow.

he was just watching you. watching you move through your closing routine with the kind of quiet, unwavering attention usually reserved for things you never want to forget. his focus was a tangible weight between your shoulder blades.

“you know,” he says suddenly, his voice a low, unexpected rumble that cuts through the comfortable silence, startling you from your rhythmic wiping. those long fingers drummed a restless, silent rhythm against the closed laptop—a nervous tell you’d never seen from satoru gojo before. the man who moved through the world like he owned it was nervous. the realization sent a warm, unfamiliar jolt through you.

you paused, cloth in hand, leaning a hip against the counter. the setting sun slanted through the large front window, catching the silver strands of his hair, turning them to spun gold. “what’s that? wondering if i’m ever going to kick you out so i can finally go home?”

he smiled, a slow, easy stretch that didn’t quite reach his storm-glass eyes. there was something different there today, a depth you hadn’t seen before. “something like that,” he admitted, his voice softer. he closed the laptop with a quiet click, the sound definitive, final. “how long does it actually take to learn? to do what you do?”

this wasn’t his casual, playful curiosity from before. not banter about his “research methodology.” this was deeper. vulnerable. it made your breath catch in ways that had nothing to do with flour dust.

“depends what you want to learn,” you said carefully, your voice quiet in the empty café, sensing the delicate shift in the air between you. you placed the cleaning cloth on the counter, giving him your full attention.

“everything.” the word hung in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning. he stood, unfolding from his chair with fluid grace that was at odds with the tension in his shoulders. all that easy, performative confidence had been stripped away, replaced by something raw and honest. “i want to understand it all. the whole process. from scratch.”

you turned to look at him properly, taking in the way he watched you with those impossible eyes, the slight tension in his jaw like he was bracing for rejection. “from scratch?” you echoed, a faint disbelieving hum in your throat. “satoru, that’s... that would take a while. it’s not just following recipes. it’s feel. touch. intuition you build over years.”

“i know,” he said, his gaze unwavering. he took a step closer, then another, until he was leaning against the counter opposite you, the broad stainless steel expanse the only separation. the space felt charged, intimate. “i’ve been watching you. it’s different. the way you work. there’s patience to it. respect for the ingredients.” his voice dropped lower, more intimate. “i want to understand what it feels like to create something like you do. not just consume it.”

the confession, earnest and stripped of his usual charm, rewired something fundamental in your chest. he wasn’t just talking about baking. he was talking about meaning, purpose—things you never would have associated with the man who posted thirst traps for a living.

“that would take months, maybe longer,” you said, your voice barely a whisper.

“i’ve got time,” he said immediately, the words a quiet, fervent promise. he pushed off the counter, moving around it until he was standing in your workspace, in your world. he was close enough that you could smell the faint clean scent of his cologne, the subtle matcha sweetness on his breath. “we could start tonight. if you want. something simple.”

your heart hammered against your ribs, a frantic bird trapped in your chest. you realized what he was really asking for. not just lessons. not just a hobby. your time, your space, a piece of your world. he was asking for you.

“it’s almost closing time, satoru,” you managed, the words a weak protest against the overwhelming tide of his sincerity.

“i know.” another step closer. his storm-glass eyes were dark, intense, searching yours. “perfect timing, actually. no interruptions.”

you hesitated, suddenly acutely aware of how empty the café felt, how the golden late-afternoon light streaming through the windows made everything feel dreamlike and charged. you could hear the soft refrigerator hum, the quiet clock ticking, the frantic thumping of your own heart. he saw your pause, the flicker of uncertainty in your eyes, and something shifted in his expression—doubt maybe, disappointment that made your chest ache.

“unless you’re too tired,” he started, his voice suddenly losing its confident edge, “or you have plans, or this is a stupid idea, or—”

“no!” the word came out too enthusiastic, cutting him off. you felt a mortifying blush creep up your neck. you cleared your throat, trying to regain some composure. “i mean, yes. we could do that. tonight.”

the smile that spread across his face was different from any you’d seen before. not his usual cocky smirk, nor the playful teasing grin. this one was softer, more genuine, tinged with profound relief and something that looked dangerously like joy. it transformed his entire face, made him look younger, more vulnerable. utterly beautiful.

“yeah?” he breathed, the single word full of hopeful, boyish charm that completely undid you.

“yeah,” you confirmed, a real, unguarded smile finally breaking through your professional facade. “but you’re on dish duty.”

he laughed, a bright, relieved sound that echoed in the quiet café, and in that moment something fragile and beautiful and terrifying was born between you.

you settled on chocolate soufflé. it felt appropriate—impressive enough to justify the extended after-hours lesson, but delicate enough to require real technique and timing. a challenge worthy of his newfound sincerity.

you flipped the sign to ‘closed’, the soft lock click echoing in the silence. you dimmed the front lights, leaving just the warm, focused glow of the kitchen workspace, creating an intimate golden bubble just for the two of you.

“soufflé?” he raised an eyebrow as you pulled out ramekins, his voice a low, amused rumble. he was leaning against the prep counter, watching with an intensity that made your skin prickle. he’d shed his expensive long-sleeved shirt, revealing a plain black t-shirt that clung to every powerful line of his torso. no designer labels, no carefully tousled hair. he looked simpler. more real. and almost nervous, a faint tension in his broad shoulders that you found ridiculously endearing. “isn’t that supposed to be impossible? the final boss of desserts?”

“only if you don’t understand the science,” you said, gathering your hair with practiced efficiency, tying it back. you felt his eyes on the nape of your neck, a warm focused heat. you started humming under your breath, a soft melody that always accompanied your more delicate work. “it’s all about incorporating air properly, then not letting it collapse. it’s very... temperamental.”

the word hung suspended in the chocolate-scented air, heavy with obvious double meaning. his storm-glass eyes darkened slightly, a slow knowing smile touching his lips.

“first, we make the base,” you explained, your voice slightly breathy as you turned to face him. you showed him how to melt dark chocolate with butter in a double boiler, the rich intoxicating scent starting to fill the air. “low and slow. you can’t rush it, or everything seizes up. gets bitter.”

he stood beside you, closer than necessary, watching intently as you stirred the mixture with a wooden spoon, the chocolate melting into a glossy dark pool. when you handed the spoon over, his fingers brushed yours, a brief electric touch that sent a jolt up your arm.

“like this?” his voice was a low murmur as he mimicked your gentle circular motions. his focus was absolute, his usual playful energy replaced by quiet, earnest concentration that made something warm bloom in your chest.

“perfect. keep that rhythm.” when he started stirring just a little too fast, a little too aggressively, he moved behind you to adjust the motion. his broad chest pressed against your back as he covered your hand with his much larger one, and you went completely still. the solid wall of muscle behind you made thinking suddenly impossible. you could feel every shift of his torso, the way his breathing had gotten slightly unsteady, the heat radiating through his thin t-shirt. “feel how it’s getting smoother? the proteins are relaxing. you have to be gentle,” you managed, voice breathless and unsteady.

“sorry, cupcake,” he murmured against the top of your head, voice soft and slightly shaky. “i’m... not usually this nervous about stirring things.” there was wonder in his tone, like he couldn’t quite believe he was here, doing this with you.

his voice was a low, rough growl when he answered. “kind of hard to focus with you pressed against me like this, cupcake.”

but the real intimacy, the real danger, came with the egg whites. you separated them with practiced grace, the yolks and whites parting cleanly. when you handed him the large copper bowl and the whisk, he looked genuinely intimidated, like you’d just handed him a live grenade.

“this is the make-or-break moment,” you told him, your voice soft but firm. you showed him the copper bowl, the clear viscous whites shimmering within. “the whites need to be perfect—not under-whisked, not over-whisked. just right. perfect stiff peaks.”

he started whisking, and it was all wrong. too aggressive, too fast, his powerful shoulders putting way too much force into it. the whites started foaming unevenly, large sloppy bubbles forming instead of the fine consistent foam you needed.

“no, no,” you said, looking up at his technique with barely contained laughter. “gentle at first, then build up. like this. it’s not about strength—it’s about rhythm.”

he stepped behind you with obvious reluctance, like he wasn’t quite sure this was a good idea either. “show me,” he said, voice slightly strained. his much larger hands covered yours on the whisk handle, his chest pressed against your back as he leaned over your shoulder to watch the bowl. the solid wall of muscle behind you made your pulse stutter, and you could tell from his uneven breathing that he was just as affected. “this is... harder than it looks,” he murmured, clearly talking about more than whisking.

“slow circles first,” you managed, acutely aware of how he was bracketing you, the clean scent of his cologne mixing with lingering chocolate. you started the motion, and he followed your rhythm with careful precision, his hands slightly unsteady over yours. you felt him lean down, his breath warm against your ear, and you had to bite back a nervous giggle at how ridiculous this all was. “feel the resistance change? now we can go faster.”

“this is torture,” he said softly, but there was fondness in his voice, like he was amazed by his own predicament. when you sped up the whisking motion, his body moved with yours, and he let out a soft, almost helpless sound that made you want to turn around and kiss the dazed expression you knew was on his face.

“they’re getting stiff,” he said, his voice rough, strained.

“perfect stiff peaks,” you agreed, your own voice shaky, though you were definitely talking about more than egg whites now. the air was thick with unspoken things, with the scent of chocolate and the clean masculine smell of him. “now comes the tricky part.”

“but first,” you said, reaching for the small container of flour from a nearby shelf, “let me just...” you dipped your fingers into the white powder, then without warning, dabbed it across his cheek, leaving a pale streak across his sharp cheekbone.

he went completely still, his storm-glass eyes widening in surprise. “did you just—”

“oops,” you said innocently, but the smile tugging at your lips gave you away. “occupational hazard. flour gets everywhere in real kitchens.”

a slow, dangerous smile spread across his face. “is that so?” he reached for the flour container, dipped his own fingers. before you could react, he’d brushed powder across your nose, a gentle touch that made your breath catch. “seems like you’re right. very hazardous.”

what followed was gentle chaos. a playful flour fight that had you both laughing breathlessly, white powder dusting your hair and clothes and every surface within reach. he was careful not to be too aggressive, but his competitive streak showed when he managed to get a handful down the back of your apron.

“satoru!” you squeaked, arching away from the cold powder, which only pressed you closer against his chest. he was grinning down at you, flour in his silver hair making him look younger, more carefree than you’d ever seen him.

“what? you started it, cupcake.” his voice was warm with laughter, his hands settling on your waist to steady you. “just evening the playing field.”

“we’re supposed to be baking,” you protested weakly, but you were smiling too hard to sound stern. you hummed a soft laugh that made his eyes crinkle at the corners.

“we are baking,” he said solemnly, though his eyes sparkled with mischief. “this is... technique development. very important for proper soufflé preparation.”

“technique development,” you repeated skeptically.

“absolutely. building trust between chef and... sous chef.” his fingers tightened slightly on your waist. “can’t make good food without trust, right?”

something in his voice made you look up at him properly. you were both flour-streaked and disheveled, hair messed and clothes dusty, but his expression was soft, genuine. like he was asking about more than just cooking.

“right,” you agreed quietly. “trust is... essential.”

the moment stretched between you, charged with possibility, until the timer on your phone chimed a reminder about the chocolate base.

“folding is an art,” you told him after you’d both brushed off the worst of the flour, your voice a low murmur as you spooned a third of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate base. you started humming again, a soft tune that helped organize your movements. “too rough, and you’ll knock out all the air we just built up. too gentle, and it won’t incorporate properly.”

you demonstrated the motion—a gentle lift up from the bottom, a turn of the spoon, a clean cut down through the mixture. it was graceful, practiced, almost hypnotic. a quiet ballet of the hands.

“your turn,” you said, handing him the spoon, your eyes locking with his over the bowl. his were dark, almost black, pupils blown wide.

his first attempts were clumsy, awkward. he was trying to stir, not fold, and you could see the frustration building in the tense set of his shoulders.

“here,” you murmured, gesturing for him to step behind you again. “it’s easier if you can see the motion properly.” this time when he moved to stand behind you, his positioning was more natural but no less distracting—his height allowing him to look over your shoulder easily, though he seemed to be having trouble concentrating on anything but the way you fit against his chest.

you demonstrated the folding motion with him watching intently, his breath tickling your ear. “lift... turn... cut down,” you guided softly, trying to ignore how his hands trembled slightly when they covered yours. “it’s all about the wrist action. gentle but firm.”

the double entendre hung in the air, and you felt him go completely still behind you, then let out a quiet, slightly hysterical laugh. “you’re killing me here, cupcake,” he said, voice strained but fond. “i’m trying to be a gentleman.”

“like that?” he asked when you guided him through the motion, voice breathless and wondering, like he couldn’t quite believe he was here doing this with you.

“exactly like that,” you whispered back, your own voice soft with affection and barely contained laughter at how completely gone you both were. “you’re a natural.”

the confession, so simple and true, settled between you like flour in still air, impossible to take back. you didn’t step away this time. you couldn’t. instead, your hands tightened over his on the spoon, a silent mutual acknowledgment that this had stopped being about baking.

“satoru,” you whispered, his name a soft questioning sound against his skin.

he turned in your arms, the movement slow, deliberate, until you were pressed between his warm solid chest and the cool unyielding edge of the counter. the spoon was forgotten, clattering onto the prep surface as his hands, large and warm and sure, found your waist.

what started as one soft, hesitant kiss, a question asked and answered, became something hungrier, deeper. your hands fisted in the soft cotton of his t-shirt, pulling him closer, and he responded by lifting you easily, effortlessly, onto the prep counter, his strength making you feel cherished and utterly safe.

“we should... put the soufflés in the oven,” you breathed against his mouth, your mind vaguely aware of the prepared ramekins sitting nearby, waiting.

“in a minute,” he murmured back, his hands spanning your waist, his thumbs brushing the sensitive skin under your ribs, sending shivers through you. “i like you messy, cupcake. flour suits you.”

his mouth trailed down your throat, a hot open-mouthed path that made you arch into him, your legs wrapping around his waist to pull him impossibly closer. he groaned softly at the contact, the sound a deep guttural vibration against your collarbone that made your entire body hum with want.

“they’ll collapse if we wait too long,” you tried again, halfheartedly, your fingers tangling in the soft silver strands of his hair.

“then we’ll make new ones,” he said against your skin, his voice a low possessive growl. he pulled back just enough to look at you, his storm-glass eyes dark with a want so profound it stole the air from your lungs. “but i’ve been thinking about this for weeks, cupcake. thinking about you. about what it would feel like to have you in my arms, in my kitchen.”

his mouth found yours again, a deep, possessive kiss that spoke of weeks of pent-up longing, restraint finally shattering. it felt like surrender, a point of no return—until your eyes fluttered open and caught on the copper bowl behind him. the glossy egg whites, the soul of the soufflé, were already softening. the baker in you screamed in silent protest.

your palms pressed to his chest, firm but trembling. “satoru, wait,” you breathed, lips brushing his. “the soufflé—the egg whites will collapse.”

he groaned, burying his face in your neck for one tortured beat before pulling back. the panic in your eyes softened his frustration into something fonder, and a wicked smile tugged at his lips.

“can’t have that,” he murmured. “a collapsed soufflé on my first lesson? my record would be ruined.” he stole one last hard kiss. “okay, chef. lead the way.”

the shift back to the task was electric. the air was thick with what almost happened, and what was definitely going to happen later. with trembling legs, you slid off the counter, your body buzzing with unspent energy.

somehow, between shaking hands and the distraction of his solid presence behind you, you managed to get the soufflé mixture into the ramekins and slide them into the preheated oven. your movements were less precise than usual, some ramekins fuller than others, your usual perfectionist tendencies completely derailed by the heat radiating from his body every time he leaned close.

“and now we wait,” you said, stepping back from the oven and immediately missing the warmth of him behind you.

“twelve minutes,” he repeated, voice rough around the edges. he ran a hand through his silver hair, leaving it more disheveled than usual. “what do we do for twelve minutes?”

“try not to think about them,” you managed, wiping your flour-dusted hands on your apron with nervous energy. “soufflés can sense anxiety.”

“well, that explains a lot,” he said, that crooked smile making your pulse skip. “i’m the human embodiment of anxiety right now.”

the twelve minutes crawled by with painful slowness. you cleaned up together, hyperaware of every accidental brush of fingers, every time he had to reach around you for something. the domesticity of it was strange and intoxicating—him washing dishes while you wiped surfaces, both stealing glances at each other and the oven door.

when the timer finally shrieked, you both jumped like guilty teenagers.

you opened the oven door with trembling hands, and a cloud of warm, chocolate-scented air enveloped you. your heart did a little flip. they’d risen, yes, but unevenly—some tall and proud, others slightly lopsided, one that had clearly gotten too much mixture and was threatening to spill over its ramekin in a delicious, molten wave. they were messy. they were imperfect. they were theirs.

“oh,” satoru said softly from beside you, and you could hear the genuine disappointment creeping into his voice as he took in the imperfect results. his broad shoulders slumped just a fraction, a quiet admission of his high expectations meeting a messy reality.

you turned to face him, a gentle, reassuring smile on your lips as you caught the slight downturn of his mouth. it was an expression you’d never seen on him before—not arrogance, not charm, but a boyish, sulky pout that was ridiculously endearing.

“hey,” you said softly, nudging his arm with your shoulder. “it’s your first time making one of the most notoriously difficult pastries in the world. and,” you added, your voice dropping to a warmer, more intimate tone, “they’re made with love. that’s what really matters, right?”

he looked down at you with those storm-glass eyes, something soft and vulnerable flickering there. “but yours are always perfect,” he retorted, his voice a low, almost mournful grumble. “everything you make is always perfect and made with love. it’s not fair.”

heat crept up your neck at the raw sincerity in his voice, the way he was looking at you like you’d hung the moon and personally arranged the stars. the compliment, born from his own momentary failure, felt more potent than any of his previous praise. “satoru…”

“what? it’s true.” a hint of his usual confidence returned as he grabbed two spoons from the drawer, his movements decisive. he handed you one, but his expression was still earnest. “you need to taste it. for science. to confirm that my love-infused-but-lopsided soufflé is still edible.”

the first bite was molten chocolate heaven, rich and airy despite the uneven appearance. you made a soft, involuntary sound of appreciation, your eyes fluttering closed for just a second. when you opened them, he was watching you, a hopeful, almost anxious look on his face.

“good?” he asked, taking his own first, tentative spoonful.

instead of answering with words, you scooped up another bite from the messy, overflowing ramekin—his ramekin. you held it out to him, surprising yourself with the easy intimacy of the gesture. “you tell me.”

his eyes went wide for a moment before a slow, devastating smile spread across his face. he leaned forward, his lips closing around the spoon you offered in a way that made your pulse stutter. the soft, pleased sound he made, his own eyes fluttering closed in bliss, sent a wave of heat spiraling through your chest.

“incredible,” he breathed, his gaze locking with yours, dark and full of a wonder that had nothing to do with the chocolate. then, a mischievous glint returned. he scooped up some of his own. “your turn.”

you leaned forward to accept the bite he offered, hyperaware of how his gaze tracked the movement of your lips around the spoon. the chocolate was perfect—rich and warm and somehow tasting even better when he was the one feeding it to you.

“this is ridiculous,” you murmured, but you were smiling, caught up in the sweetness of the moment.

“ridiculously perfect,” he agreed, then leaned closer, eyes dark with intent. “you’ve got chocolate...”

instead of telling you where, he kissed you, slow and sweet and tasting of molten chocolate and something like joy. when he pulled back just enough to speak, his lips barely brushing yours, you were both breathing unsteadily.

“found it,” he murmured against your mouth, then kissed you again, deeper this time.

the spoons clattered forgotten to the counter as his hands found your waist, lifting you easily onto the prep surface. your legs wrapped around his waist instinctively, pulling him closer as his mouth moved against yours with increasing hunger.

“satoru,” you gasped between kisses, your hands fisting in his t-shirt.

“been thinking about this,” he confessed against your throat, his voice rough with want. “been thinking about you. for weeks.”

his mouth trailed soft kisses along your jaw, your neck, finding that sensitive spot that made you gasp and laugh at the same time. “been thinking about this,” he confessed against your throat, voice full of wonder like he couldn’t quite believe it was happening. “been thinking about you. driving myself crazy for weeks.”

your fingers tangled in his silver hair, and he practically melted into the touch, letting out a soft, almost reverent sigh. “you’re ridiculous,” you murmured fondly, then squeaked when he found that particularly sensitive spot again. “and apparently very good at distracting people from baking.”

“i’m a man of many talents,” he said against your skin, then pulled back to look at you with that boyish grin that made your heart do stupid things. “though i have to say, this is my new favorite.”

what started as one soft, hesitant kiss, a question asked and answered, became something hungrier, deeper. your hands fisted in the soft cotton of his t-shirt, pulling him closer, and he responded by lifting you easily, effortlessly, onto the prep counter, his strength making you feel small and cherished and utterly safe.

he groans into your mouth, a low, guttural sound of surrender. his hands, large and sure, span your waist before sliding down, gripping your hips with a possessive strength that makes your breath catch. with an effortless display of power, he lifts you, settling you back onto the cool, flour-dusted prep counter without breaking the kiss. you are surrounded by him, pinned between his hard body and the solid surface, the intoxicating scent of him—clean soap, expensive cologne, and a faint, sweet hint of matcha—filling your senses.

he breaks the kiss, pulling back just enough to look at you, his storm-glass eyes dark with a want so profound it makes you dizzy. his breathing is ragged, his chest rising and falling heavily. he rests his forehead against yours for a moment, a quiet beat in the rising storm, as if to center himself.

“been wanting to do that,” he murmurs, his voice a low, rough growl, “since the first time i saw you wipe flour on your apron.” his thumbs trace slow, hypnotic circles on your hips. “weeks, cupcake. i’ve been going out of my mind.”

the raw honesty in his voice, stripped of all its usual playful charm, makes your heart hammer against your ribs. you can only nod, your fingers still tangled in the soft fabric of his shirt.

he straightens up slightly, his gaze dropping to the simple, practical dress you wear for work. a slow, wicked smirk begins to curve his lips. “this has got to go,” he decides, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. he reaches for the small zipper at the back of your neck, his knuckles brushing against your skin, sending shivers down your spine. “can’t properly appreciate the artistry with all this… fabric in the way.”

a wave of shyness washes over you, and your hands instinctively move to cover his. “satoru, wait…”

he pauses, his large, warm hand gently covering yours. he brings your hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to your knuckles, his storm-glass eyes holding yours, suddenly tender. “hey,” he whispers. “it’s just me. just us. i want to see you. all of you.” the sincerity in his voice, the quiet plea in his eyes, melts your resistance. you slowly, hesitantly, release his hand.

with a triumphant but gentle smile, he unzips your dress, the sound loud in the quiet kitchen. he peels the fabric from your shoulders with a reverence that makes you feel cherished, not exposed. he lets the dress pool around your waist, revealing the simple cotton bra and bloomers you wear for comfort during long hours on your feet. he unhooks your bra with practiced ease, his fingers deft and sure, letting it fall away.

his breath hitches. “fuck, you’re beautiful,” he breathes, his gaze sweeping over you with an almost worshipful intensity. his eyes, so often a playful, teasing blue, are now dark with a raw, unadulterated awe. he reaches out, his fingers tracing the curve of your collarbone, the swell of your breast, as if memorizing your shape. “so perfect.”

he breaks away for a moment, and you hear the soft hiss of a canister. he returns with the whipped cream you’d left out from the cupcake prep, a playful, predatory glint in his eyes that makes your stomach do a frantic flip.

“what are you doing?” you whisper, your voice shaky, a nervous laugh bubbling up in your throat.

“you make perfect things all day,” he murmurs, his voice a low, husky rumble, as he steps back between your legs. “so sweet. so delicious.” his hand slides up your thigh, his touch warm and sure. “it’s only fair i get to make you my pastry for once.” he shakes the can, the sound a playful rattle. “for research, of course.”

you watch, a mixture of terror and fascination, as he aims the nozzle. “satoru, that’s going to be… cold,” you manage, a faint note of protest in your voice.

“i’ll warm you up,” he promises, his eyes dark with intent.

he doesn't start where you expect. he sprays a small, perfect dollop of whipped cream on your inner thigh, right above your knee. the cold shock makes you gasp, your legs instinctively trying to close. he just chuckles, a low, pleased sound, and holds them gently in place. he leans down, his silver hair brushing against your leg like spun silk, and licks the cream away in one slow, deliberate swipe. his eyes flutter closed as he savors the taste. his gaze lifts to meet yours, dark and heavy-lidded. “delicious.”

he moves up, a slow, methodical artist at work. he sprays a delicate swirl on your hip, another on the sensitive skin of your stomach, just above your navel, each cold touch followed by the hot, wet warmth of his mouth. he’s decorating you, his movements precise and artful. his final touches are the most deliberate: two perfect, delicate rosettes piped directly onto your nipples. the intense cold makes them pebble instantly, and you cry out, a sharp, surprised sound.

“look at that,” he breathes, admiring his handiwork, his voice thick with a possessive pride. “my perfect little cupcake. so pretty.” he leans in and devours his creation, his tongue tracing the swirl on one nipple before he takes the entire hardened peak into his mouth, licking and sucking the sweet cream away until you’re writhing on the counter, your fingers fisting in his hair. he gives the other nipple the same reverent, all-consuming attention, his praise a constant, filthy murmur against your skin. “so sweet… knew you would be… perfect for me…”

his attention then moves lower, his mouth trailing a hot, wet path down your stomach, licking away every last trace of cream. his hands find the waistband of your bloomers, then the delicate lace of your panties beneath. he doesn't remove them. instead, he hooks his fingers in the elastic, pulling the fabric taut, creating a perfect frame for the sight of you. you’re already dripping for him, the thin lace dark and damp with your arousal. he groans, a low, satisfied sound against your skin. “look at how wet you are, pretty girl. already melting for me.”

he doesn't push the fabric aside. he presses his mouth right against the damp lace, the slightly rough texture an immediate, shocking friction against your sensitive flesh. his tongue darts out, tracing the outline of your folds through the material, mapping you. the friction is maddening, a delicious, textured pleasure that makes you cry out, your hips lifting instinctively from the counter. he laps at you, teases you, soaking the lace until it clings to you like a second skin.

“so sweet,” he pants against you. “i can taste you right through your panties. fuck, that’s so hot.” his praise is relentless, a filthy, hypnotic mantra. “that’s it, let it go for me… soak yourself for me… i’m going to taste every drop…”

then, the teasing stops. he positions his mouth directly over the heart of you, and with a low groan, he pushes the tip of his tongue firmly against the lace, right over your entrance. he doesn't just lick, he fucks. he presses his tongue into you, a firm, insistent pressure that mimics the head of a cock, working his way into your channel through the thin barrier of fabric. the sensation is overwhelming, a dull, deep friction that sends shockwaves straight to your core.

he moves with a steady, relentless rhythm, his entire focus narrowed on this single, filthy act—fucking you through your own panties. you can feel the lace stretching, rubbing, a maddeningly indirect stimulation that is somehow more intense than direct contact. he works you like this for long, torturous moments, his breath hot and ragged, until your mind goes blank with overwhelming pleasure.

with a choked sob, you come, your body convulsing on the counter, your inner muscles clenching with a helpless, shattering release.

he stays there, lapping up the fresh wave of your release through the lace, until the last of your shudders subside. then, and only then, does he pull back, a triumphant, proprietary smirk on his lips. he hooks his thumbs into the waistband of your soaked panties and bloomers, pulling them down your legs with a slow, deliberate motion, tossing them aside.

“oh, pretty girl,” he says, his voice a low, teasing drawl as he looks at the damp, glistening evidence of your pleasure on the counter beneath you. “you made a mess.” he tuts playfully, shaking his head. “we can’t have that. health hazard, you know. very unprofessional.”

before you can respond, a mortified blush heating your cheeks, he’s leaning in, his tongue darting out to clean you up, licking the sticky wetness from the cool stainless steel. his thoroughness is both humiliating and unbelievably arousing.

when he’s finished, he looks up at you, his eyes dark and hungry. “all clean,” he purrs. “but i think i missed a spot.”

he reaches for the whipped cream canister again. your eyes widen. “satoru, no…” you breathe, a weak, helpless laugh escaping you.

“satoru, yes,” he corrects, his grin wicked.

this time, he sprays a single, perfect, generous dollop right onto your swollen, hyper-sensitive clit. the cold shock makes you gasp, your hips lifting off the counter, a sound that is half protest, half plea.

he watches the cream start to melt against your heat, a slow, decadent drip. “now, for the final, most important detail,” he whispers, his voice thick with anticipation.

this time, there is no barrier, just his mouth and tongue and teeth, a relentless, worshipful assault. he licks away the cream with slow, languid strokes, savoring the taste of it mixed with your own unique sweetness. his tongue is an instrument of pure pleasure, tracing circles, flicking, dipping inside you.

his praise starts again, a low, constant murmur against your most sensitive flesh as he works. “fuck, you taste so good… my favorite flavor… so responsive for me, pretty girl… that’s it, let me hear you… scream for me this time…”

he finds your rhythm, his tongue a merciless, perfect piston against your clit. the pleasure is sharper this time, more intense, building with a speed that terrifies and excites you.

you feel the pressure coiling low in your belly, a tight, frantic knot. he senses it, his ministrations becoming more insistent, his fingers gripping your thighs to hold you still. he is determined to wring another orgasm from you, to leave you completely, utterly wrecked.

you come apart for him again, the climax even more intense than the first, a shattering, vocal scream that echoes in the quiet kitchen as he swallows every last drop with a deep, possessive groan.

he pulled back, mouth slick with your taste, a triumphant smirk curving his lips. you were a beautiful, dazed mess on his counter, boneless beneath his gaze.

then, unexpectedly, tenderness welled in him. he kissed you again—softer this time, slow and languid, letting you taste yourself on his tongue. his hands slid from your thighs to brush your hair back, careful, hesitant. he was trying to be good.

but you were wrecked. your body still trembling from back-to-back orgasms, raw with sensitivity, high on his filthy praise—and now achingly empty. his gentleness only stoked the hunger. you craved the strength he leashed, the overwhelming power you knew he held. you needed more.

“satoru,” you whisper, your voice shaky but threaded with a raw, undeniable determination. your hands, which had been limply resting in your lap, come up to fist in the front of his shirt, tugging him closer. his gentle caresses aren’t enough. “don’t… don’t be so gentle.”

his hands still in your hair. he pulls back slightly, his storm-glass eyes searching yours, a flicker of genuine surprise momentarily clearing the haze of lust. he sees the pleading in your gaze, the desperate want, and something darker, more primal, begins to stir in their depths. the carefully constructed dam of his control begins to crack.

“you sure, pretty girl?” his voice is a low, dangerous growl, a stark contrast to his previous soft praises. the air crackles with a new, sharper tension. “i’ve been trying really hard to be good for you. but if you ask me not to be…”

you just shake your head, a single. your legs, which had been lying limp, tighten around his waist, hooking your ankles behind him, trapping him. “i don’t want you to be good,” you breathe, the confession a spark in the charged air, an open invitation to the freak you know is lurking just beneath the surface. “i want you.”

that’s it. that’s the only permission he needs. his control shatters into a million pieces. the last vestiges of softness in his expression vanish, replaced by a raw, possessive hunger that makes a shiver of fear and excitement race down your spine. his eyes darken, pupils blown wide, and the grip on your thighs becomes bruising, possessive.

“then you better hold on tight,” he growls, his voice a guttural promise of what’s to come.

“not here,” he says, his voice rough, a surprising, almost feral nod to the hygiene of your workspace, a last remnant of his respect for your craft. he glances around at the flour-dusted surfaces, at the cooling soufflés, then back at you. “i’m going to ruin you, and i want to see your face when i do it.”

before you can respond, he’s lifting you from the counter like you weigh nothing, your legs locked tight around his waist. his stride is long, purposeful, carrying you out of the warm kitchen into the dark back office. the door slams shut behind him, the echo sealing you off from the world. he drops you onto the worn couch, the springs groaning under the impact.

he looms in the dim light, a towering silhouette of unrestrained want—a predator finally given leave to hunt. his fingers fumble at his cargo pants, grace traded for frantic urgency, the rasp of his zipper loud in the silence.

then he’s free. your breath stutters, eyes widening as the faint glow catches on him—thick, heavy, impossibly long. he’s big. so big. a sharp, sweet edge of fear slices through the haze of your arousal.

“so pretty for me,” he pants, his eyes dark and wild as he moves over you. “all wrecked and wanting it.” he pins your wrists to the couch cushions above your head with one large, strong hand, his grip firm but not painful, a gesture of absolute domination. with his other hand, he parts your slick folds, his thumb stroking your clit in a way that makes you gasp.

he guides himself to your entrance. you’re soaked, still leaking from your last orgasms, but even so, the thick, blunt head of his cock just nudges against you, a solid, unyielding pressure. it’s too much. it won’t fit.

“satoru,” you gasp, your eyes wide, a real note of panic in your voice as you feel the impossible pressure. your hips instinctively try to shift away. “i don’t… i don’t think i can.”

“shhh,” he soothes, his voice a low, ragged rumble, though his eyes are blazing with intensity. he doesn't pull back. instead, he leans down, his mouth brushing against your ear. “yes, you can, pretty girl. you were made for this.” a possessive growl underlines his words. “and i’m going to make it fit.”

he demonstrates a restraint that is almost terrifying. he doesn't push. instead, he begins a slow, torturous tease. he rocks his hips, fucking you with just the very tip, the wide, smooth head of his cock stretching you, parting your slick folds, making you impossibly wetter.

he moves in and out of just that first inch, a maddening, relentless rhythm that feels like both heaven and hell. his control is absolute, his powerful body held perfectly in check.

“that’s it…” he groans, his own control fraying, sweat beading on his temples. “feel how much i want you? just the tip, and you’re already so tight… so good… gripping me…” every word is a praise, a promise. he watches your face, watches your eyes screw shut as you bite your lip, lost in the overwhelming sensation of being slowly, deliberately claimed.

you’re whining now, desperate and needy as your hips buck instinctively, trying to take more of him. the initial fear has been replaced by an all-consuming need to be filled by him, completely and utterly.

“eager for me, huh?” he chuckles, a dark, pleased sound. his hips stutter, a sign of his own fracturing control. “good. that’s so good, pretty girl. now, take me. all of me.”

he shifts his angle slightly, and then, with a slow, deliberate, powerful push, he begins to fill you. it’s a gradual invasion, an inch-by-inch claiming of your body. it’s an overwhelming, gut-rearranging fullness, a delicious, burning stretch that makes you cry out, your back arching off the couch.

he keeps going, slowly, steadily, until he’s buried to the hilt, and you feel a profound, soul-deep stretch as he bottoms out against your cervix. he fills you completely, impossibly.

he stays there for a long moment, buried to the hilt inside you, letting you feel the sheer, overwhelming size of him. he pants above you, his forehead beaded with sweat, his eyes closed as he just savors the feeling of being completely, perfectly sheathed inside you.

“fuck,” he breathes, the word a reverent sigh. “perfect fit.”

he shifts his hips just a fraction, a slow, deliberate grind that draws a whimper from your throat, and a satisfied smirk touches his lips. he opens his eyes, their storm-blue depths dark and intense.

when he finally begins to move, it’s with an agonizing, deliberate slowness. he pulls back almost all the way, the sensation of him retreating making you whine in protest, your hips lifting off the couch to chase him. he chuckles, a low, dark sound. “uh-uh, pretty girl,” he murmurs, his free hand coming down to press your hip firmly into the couch cushions, pinning you in place. “i’m in charge now. you’ll take what i give you.”

he thrusts back in, slowly, every inch a rediscovery, a fresh wave of overwhelming fullness. he establishes a deep, hypnotic rhythm—a slow, complete withdrawal followed by an even slower, deeper return. with every inward stroke, he presses deep, his powerful hips rolling, grinding the head of his cock against your cervix in a way that makes you see stars.

“feel that?” he groans, his voice a low, rough rasp by your ear. “that’s all for you. all of it.”

you can only nod, your own breath coming in ragged gasps, your mind starting to short-circuit. the dual stimulation is too much, your senses overloaded. you’re trapped, pinned by his hand on your hip and his other hand holding your wrists, completely at the mercy of his slow, deliberate torture.

“use your words, pretty girl,” he demands, his rhythm faltering for just a second. “i need to hear it. tell me how it feels.”

“it’s… so much,” you gasp, tears of pleasure pricking at the corners of your eyes. “satoru, please…”

“please what?” he presses, his hips resuming that slow, torturous grind. he knows exactly what he’s doing, drawing out the pleasure, pushing you closer and closer to the edge only to pull you back. “tell me what you want.”

“i want… more,” you sob, the admission torn from you. “faster.”

a dark, possessive grin spreads across his face. “not yet,” he breathes, leaning down to kiss you, a deep, bruising kiss that tastes of salt and want. “not until you’re begging for it.”

he continues his slow, deep, punishing rhythm for what feels like an eternity. he talks to you the entire time, a constant stream of filthy praise and possessive commands that unravels you completely. “so good… gripping me so tight… look at you, taking all of me without even a single complaint… you were made for this, made for me…”

he’s right. you were. the initial overwhelming stretch has melted into a deep, profound ache of pleasure. your body, which you thought couldn't possibly take him, has molded around him, welcoming him.

finally, just as you feel like you’re about to shatter from the tension, he changes the rhythm. his thrusts become shorter, faster, focused on that one spot deep inside you that he seems to have memorized. your own hips start to buck against his hand, a frantic, uncontrolled rhythm.

“there it is,” he pants, his own control starting to fray. “that’s what i wanted to see.”

his head dips down. as a particularly deep, powerful thrust makes you cry out his name in a sob of pure pleasure, his mouth finds the soft flesh of your shoulder, just above the collarbone. he bites down. it’s not enough to break the skin, but it’s a sharp, possessive pressure that leaves a clear, red mark. a brand. he licks over it immediately, the rough swipe of his tongue soothing the sting.

“gotta leave a little reminder for you,” he rasps, his voice a possessive growl against your skin, his thrusts becoming frantic now, slamming into you. “so you don’t forget who you belong to. so everyone knows.”

the mark, his possessive words, the overwhelming fullness, the shift to a desperate, frantic pace… it all sends you spiraling. your mind goes white with sensation, and you come with a choked scream, your body convulsing around his thick cock, your inner muscles clenching and milking him with a helpless, frantic rhythm.

your orgasm only makes him harder, his own release held back by a thread of sheer, iron will. the feeling of your inner muscles convulsing around him, milking him, sends a shudder through his powerful frame. he groans, a low, guttural sound of a man right on the edge. but he’s not done with you yet. not even close.

he pulls out of you with a wet, obscene slap that makes you whine in protest at the sudden emptiness. but he doesn't give you a moment to recover. before you can even process the lingering tremors of your climax, he’s pulling you up from the couch, onto your feet.

“turn around,” he commands, his voice a low, rough growl, thick with unshed lust. you’re pliant in his hands, dazed and completely his to command. you obey without question, letting him guide you the few steps to the small, cluttered wooden desk. he positions you, turning you so you can plant your hands on the edge of it, your ass pushed out for him, a perfect, vulnerable offering.

he presses his hard, sweat-slick body against your back, caging you in, the heat of him a stark contrast to the cool wood beneath your palms. “look at you,” he rasps, his voice a low growl right by your ear as he admires the sight of you, bent over and waiting for him. “so good. so obedient for me.”

one powerful arm snakes around your front, his forearm pressing with deliberate, firm pressure against your throat. it doesn’t hurt, not yet, but it’s a clear, undeniable act of control. your breath hitches, a jolt of pure, primal fear mixing with a sharp spike of arousal.

his hold tilts your head back into the crook of his shoulder, exposing the long, pale line of your neck to him. his mouth is right there, at your ear, at your throat, his hot breath ghosting over your skin. his other hand grips your hip, thumb pressing into the soft flesh, holding you steady, claiming you. you are completely, utterly his to manhandle.

he thrusts into you from behind in a single, powerful motion. the angle is impossibly deep, hitting a spot that bypasses thought and sends a bolt of pure, white-hot pleasure straight to your brain. a scream tears from your throat, but as it does, the pressure on your windpipe increases. not enough to truly choke you, but enough to cut the sound off, turning your scream into a pathetic, breathy whimper.

the world begins to swim at the edges, your head light and floaty from the lack of air. it’s terrifying. it’s perfect. the combination of overwhelming fullness and oxygen deprivation sends you spiraling, your mind going blessedly blank.

his thrusts are deep, powerful, slamming into you with a relentless, animalistic rhythm. with the pressure on your throat, every frantic gasp for air, every choked moan, is a sound of pure, helpless submission that seems to drive him wilder.

his mouth finds the sensitive skin where your neck meets your shoulder, and as he fucks you, he latches on, sucking hard. you feel the sting, the pull, and you know, with a dizzying thrill, that he’s leaving a dark, undeniable hickey. another mark. a claim for all to see.

he’s not pulling out. this is the final, undeniable act of possession. “i’m going to come inside you, pretty girl,” he groans into your ear, his hips slamming into you, each word a percussive beat against your senses. “i’m going to fill you up… make you mine.”

the combination of his filthy, possessive words, the choking pressure making your head spin, the new, stinging mark on your neck, and the overwhelming, gut-rearranging fullness is what sends you over the edge one last time.

your fourth, and most intense, orgasm hits like a lightning strike, a complete system overload. your mind whites out, your body convulsing violently around him, and the helpless, breathy sounds spilling from your lips are his undoing.

with a final, desperate groan that’s more roar than word, he thrusts deep one last time and floods you with his release, the hot, thick seed a shocking, intimate brand deep inside you, coating your womb, claiming you from the inside out.

he collapses against you, his entire weight a comforting, solid presence. his arm immediately loosens from your throat, allowing you to drag in a ragged, desperate lungful of air. your vision clears, the world snapping back into sharp focus. his breathing is harsh, ragged against your ear, his heart hammering a frantic rhythm against your back. for a long moment, you just stand there, tangled together, held up only by the desk and his strength, the aftermath of the storm washing over you in slow, trembling waves.

he doesn't let you go. after a minute, when his breathing has started to even out, he shifts. his movements are gentle now, a stark, beautiful contrast to the ferocity of moments before. he pulls you back against his chest, his arms wrapping around your middle in a secure, protective embrace. he presses a soft, lingering kiss to your temple, then another to the dark, angry-looking mark on your neck. his lips are soft, almost apologetic, yet deeply possessive.

“come on,” he whispers, his voice thick with sleep and satisfaction. he helps you gather your discarded clothes—the dress, the bra, the panties—not with any sense of shame, but with a quiet, domestic tenderness. he guides you back to the couch, sitting you down gently before finding a clean dish towel from a nearby hook and wetting it with a bottle of water from your desk. he kneels before you and carefully, tenderly, cleans you up. every soft swipe of the cloth is an act of worship, an apology, a promise.

when you’re clean, he helps you dress again, his large hands surprisingly gentle as he zips up your dress, his fingers brushing against your skin. he pulls you into his lap, cradling you against his chest, his arms a safe haven. you’re exhausted, boneless, and completely content.

and in the beautiful, comfortable wreckage he’d so lovingly made of you, you felt safer and more cherished than ever before. you were, unequivocally, his.

consciousness crept in slowly, warm and hazy and completely disorienting. your bed felt softer than usual, sunlight streaming through curtains that you definitely remembered closing last night. you were wearing your favorite sleep shirt—the oversized one with tiny croissants printed all over it—and had absolutely no memory of changing into it.

blinking up at your ceiling, pieces of the previous evening started filtering back. the baking lesson. satoru’s hands over yours. flour everywhere. the soufflés rising unevenly. kissing him until your lips felt swollen and your heart hammered like it was trying to escape your chest. everything after that was a haze of heat and breathless whispers and the way he’d touched you like you were something precious and breakable and his.

but how did you get home?

you sat up slowly, running hands through thoroughly disheveled hair, trying to piece together the gap in your memory. the last clear thing you remembered was being wrapped around satoru on your office couch, both of you breathless and covered in flour, the cafe dark except for the warm glow from the kitchen.

your phone sat on the nightstand, and when you grabbed it to check the time, your heart nearly stopped.

9:47 am.

wait, that couldn’t be right. you shot up from bed like you’d been electrocuted, panic flooding your system. if it was 9:47 in the morning, that meant— “shit, shit, shit!” the cafe should have opened an hour and forty-seven minutes ago. customers would have been lined up. your regulars, your weekend rush. they’d be confused, probably annoyed. your perfect attendance record, your reputation, everything—

that’s when you smelled it. coffee. real coffee, not the instant stuff you kept in your apartment for emergencies. and was that… bacon?

you stumbled toward your bedroom door, still half-panicked and completely confused. the soft sounds of someone moving around your kitchen, the quiet sizzle of something in a pan, and—was that humming? a low, familiar melody that made your chest flutter with recognition.

padding barefoot down the hallway, you stopped short in your kitchen doorway.

satoru stood at your stove, wearing his jeans from last night and nothing else except one of your aprons tied around his narrow waist. the soft pink fabric with tiny cupcakes printed on it looked absolutely ridiculous stretched across his broad shoulders, the ties barely meeting around his back. his silver hair was still sleep-mussed, sticking up in several directions, and he was humming while orchestrating what looked like a feast designed to feed a small army.

the counter was covered with an impressive spread that belonged in a five-star brunch restaurant. thick, fluffy japanese pancakes stacked impossibly high, their surfaces golden and perfect. fresh strawberries and blueberries arranged in artful clusters, some cut into delicate fan shapes. crispy strips of bacon laid out in precise rows alongside what appeared to be perfectly seasoned breakfast potatoes, golden and herb-crusted. scrambled eggs that looked like silk, probably made with cream and patience.

a small bowl of homemade whipped cream sat next to another containing what could only be maple butter. and was that hollandaise sauce? actual hollandaise sauce, made from scratch in your tiny kitchen, keeping warm in a makeshift double boiler.

“morning, beautiful,” he said without turning around, shoulders shifting as he adjusted the heat under a pan. his voice carried that particular roughness that came from a night of use, and the sound sent warmth spiraling through your chest as memories crashed back in vivid detail. “hope you don’t mind me raiding your kitchen. and your spice cabinet. and possibly your entire pantry.”

you stared at the spread, then at him, brain still trying to catch up to this alternate reality where satoru gojo had transformed your modest kitchen into a professional-grade brunch operation. “that’s my apron,” you managed, voice scratchy with sleep and something else entirely. your fingers unconsciously smoothed down your croissant-printed pajama shirt, suddenly very aware of how rumpled you probably looked.

he glanced down at the pink fabric with its cheerful cupcake pattern, then back at you with that boyish grin that made your knees forget their structural integrity. those impossible blue eyes held warmth and mischief and something deeper that made your pulse stutter. “looks better on you, obviously, but i didn’t want to get hollandaise on myself.” he gestured toward the elaborate spread with his spatula, movements confident and practiced, like he’d been cooking in your kitchen for years instead of hours. “thought you might be hungry after… well, after everything.”

the way he said ‘everything’ with that slight pause, that knowing look, sent heat creeping up your neck. memories flickered behind your eyelids—his hands, his mouth, the way he’d whispered your name like a prayer.

heat crept up your neck at the implication, memories flickering like film strips behind your eyelids. “satoru, what time is it? the cafe—i need to open, people are probably waiting outside wondering where—”

“relax, cupcake.” he turned fully now, and you caught sight of the feast he’d created on your small dining table. those long fingers gestured toward your phone on the counter, his expression gentle but firm. “it’s friday morning, yes. but look at yourself.”

you glanced down at your croissant pajamas, then caught sight of yourself in the microwave’s reflection. disheveled didn’t begin to cover it. you looked like you’d been thoroughly—well, exactly like someone who’d spent the night being completely and utterly ruined in the best possible way.

“when’s the last time you took a real day off?” he continued, leaning against the counter with those muscled arms crossed, the ridiculous apron making him look both domestic and absolutely edible. “and i mean a real day off, not just sunday afternoons when you meal prep for the week.”

“i don’t need—”

“you fell asleep mid-sentence last night,” he interrupted, storm-glass eyes serious now. “completely dead to the world. that’s not normal tired, sweetheart. that’s your body shutting down because you’ve been running on fumes for months.”

the endearment made something flutter in your chest, but you fought against the warmth. “people depend on their morning coffee. their pastries. i can’t just—”

“the world will survive one day without your croissants.” he pushed off the counter, moving toward you with that predatory grace that made your pulse skip. “but will you survive if you keep pushing yourself like this?”

you opened your mouth to argue, but he continued, voice dropping to something softer, more vulnerable. “i carried you home last night. you weighed nothing, and you were so exhausted you didn’t even stir when i changed your clothes or when the car hit every pothole between the cafe and here.” his hands found your shoulders, thumbs brushing over your collarbone through the soft cotton. “when’s the last time someone took care of you?”

the question settled between you like flour in still air, impossible to brush away. you stared up at him, taking in the genuine concern in those impossible eyes, the way his hair stuck up in seventeen different directions, the careful way he was touching you like you might break.

“i already put a sign on the door,” he admitted quietly. “professional-looking thing. ‘temporarily closed for equipment maintenance, reopening tomorrow with fresh selections.’ even laminated it.”

“you…” you blinked at him, torn between exasperation and something dangerously close to affection. “you laminated a sign?”

“seemed like something you’d appreciate.” that boyish grin made its appearance, but it was softer now, less performative. “besides, gives us the whole day to figure this out.”

“figure what out?”

“this.” he gestured between you with one hand, the other still resting on your shoulder. “us. whatever this is becoming.”

his own cheeks pinked slightly, and he ran a hand through his already-messy hair, the gesture making those silver strands stick up even more ridiculously. the movement drew attention to the lean muscles of his arm, the way his bicep flexed under unmarked skin. he was beautiful in the morning light, all sharp angles and soft edges, looking nothing like the polished influencer and everything like the man who’d whispered praise against your skin in the dark.

“right, about that. you were completely dead to the world, so i…” he paused, shoulders shifting as he turned to face you fully, and the careful way he moved suggested he was reading your reaction, making sure you were okay with this conversation. “i may have carried you.” the admission came out like he was confessing to a crime, storm-glass eyes searching your face for any sign of discomfort.

you were quiet for a long moment, processing this while your fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of your pajama shirt. the image of satoru gojo, internet famous fitness influencer, carrying your unconscious form through the streets while digging through your purse for house keys should have been embarrassing. instead, it felt like being cherished. “called a car, had to dig through your bag for your keys—sorry about that, by the way. total invasion of privacy but you were unconscious and i couldn’t exactly leave you on the couch all night.”

“and the clothes?” you asked quietly, voice barely above a whisper as you gestured to your croissant pajamas. your cheeks felt warm, not from embarrassment but from something softer, more vulnerable.

his flush deepened, spreading down his neck to disappear beneath the ridiculous cupcake apron, and he focused very intently on arranging the berries in perfect little clusters. his long fingers moved with surprising delicacy, the same hands that had mapped every inch of your skin now handling strawberries like they were made of glass. “you were… well, you couldn’t sleep in your work clothes. they were all flour-dusted and…” he cleared his throat, voice dropping to something rough and honest. “i was very respectful about it. found your pajamas in the top drawer, got you changed as quickly as possible.”

the careful way he said it, like he was worried you’d be upset, made something warm unfurl in your chest. after everything that had happened between you—the way he’d touched you, tasted you, made you completely his—the tenderness of him taking care of you when you were completely vulnerable felt more intimate than anything else. your heart did something complicated against your ribs, affection and gratitude tangling together.

“thank you,” you said softly, the words carrying more weight than they should. “for taking care of me.”

his shoulders relaxed slightly, and that devastating smile returned. “anytime, cupcake. literally anytime.” he moved back toward the stove, checking on something in a pan. “now come on, let me feed you properly. all this cooking and no one to appreciate it is making me feel like a very attractive housewife with an absentee spouse.”

despite everything, you snorted. “did you just compare yourself to a housewife?”

“a very attractive housewife,” he corrected solemnly. “the apron really brings out my eyes.”

you perched on one of your barstools, finally allowing yourself to really take in the spread he’d created. it was magnificent—restaurant-quality food that had obviously taken hours to prepare. “satoru, this is… how long have you been awake?”

“since about six.” he shrugged like it was nothing, plating the eggs with practiced precision. “i’m used to early mornings. besides, i wanted everything to be perfect when you woke up.”

something warm and dangerous bloomed in your chest at the casual way he said it, like making you elaborate breakfasts was just another tuesday for him.

he set a plate in front of you that could have fed three people. the pancakes were impossibly fluffy, stacked four high and dusted with powdered sugar. the eggs looked like silk, probably made with cream and the kind of patience you rarely had time for. the breakfast potatoes were golden and herb-crusted, the bacon perfectly crispy, and everything was arranged with an artistry that rivaled your own pastry displays.

“this is…” you took a bite of the pancakes, and flavor exploded across your tongue. light, airy, with just the right amount of sweetness and a hint of vanilla that made your eyes flutter closed. “holy shit, satoru. this is incredible.”

he beamed like you’d just told him he’d won the lottery, settling across from you with his own overfilled plate. “really? basic, but edible,” he said with obvious false modesty, but you could see the genuine pride in his eyes.

“basic?” you laughed, taking another bite, then another, suddenly ravenous in a way that had nothing to do with skipping dinner and everything to do with working up quite an appetite. “satoru, this is restaurant-quality. where did you learn to cook like this?”

you ate with the same focused intensity he’d seen you bring to your baking, that complete attention to flavor and texture that made him fall for you in the first place. watching you devour his cooking with such obvious pleasure made something warm and possessive bloom in his chest. he found himself memorizing the way you closed your eyes when you tasted the hollandaise, the soft sound you made when you tried the potatoes, the fact that you cleaned your plate completely before even pausing to breathe.

“years of meal prep,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady while watching you lick hollandaise off your fork with the same precision you used for piping buttercream. “when you’re trying to build muscle without destroying your body, you learn to make healthy food that doesn’t taste like punishment.” he gestured with his own fork, grinning. “though i’ll admit, i may have gotten a little carried away trying to impress you.”

“mission accomplished,” you said around another bite, then paused to really look at the spread. “seriously, satoru, this is restaurant-quality. why aren’t you doing this professionally?”

his cheeks pinked slightly, that boyish flush that made him look younger, more vulnerable. “because watching people enjoy things i make feels…” he paused, searching for words. “it feels like this. like watching you eat my food with the same appreciation i have for your pastries. makes me understand why you do what you do.”

you finished the last bite and sat back with a satisfied sigh, feeling more full and content than you had in months. the plate was completely clean—you’d devoured every single thing he’d made with the same focused intensity you brought to your own work.

“that was incredible. i mean it,” you said, then caught his expression. he was watching you with something like wonder, like he couldn’t quite believe you were real.

“actually,” he said suddenly, setting down his fork and running a hand through his silver hair. “can we… can we talk about something?”

your stomach dropped slightly. here it came—the regret, the awkwardness, the ‘this was fun but we should probably pretend it didn’t happen’ conversation. you set down your coffee cup carefully, trying to keep your expression neutral. “okay.”

he pushed back from the table abruptly, starting to pace behind the kitchen island like a caged animal. his movements were agitated, nervous energy radiating from every line of his body. “i’ve been thinking,” he said, voice strained. “and i realized i did everything completely backwards last night.”

you blinked at him, confusion replacing dread. “backwards?”

“i should have told you how i feel first.” he stopped pacing long enough to gesture vaguely toward your bedroom, cheeks going properly pink now. “before we… god, your neighbors probably hate me. i didn’t even tell you i love you first and i just…” his voice cracked slightly. “i mean, i really went at it, didn’t i?”

the confession crashed over you like warm honey, sweet and overwhelming. your heart stuttered against your ribs. “you love me?”

he stopped pacing entirely, those impossible eyes meeting yours with devastating sincerity. his hands were shaking slightly as he ran them through his hair again, making it stick up in seventeen different directions. “are you kidding? i’ve been completely gone for you since that first chocolate tart. i rearranged my entire life around your operating hours. masaru thinks i’ve lost my mind.”

“you love me,” you repeated, softer this time, like you were testing how the words tasted on your tongue.

“embarrassingly much,” he admitted, voice rough with vulnerability. he resumed his pacing, gesticulating wildly now. “which is why i feel terrible that i didn’t say it before i… before we…” he trailed off, looking genuinely distressed. “i’m not usually the type to put the cart before the horse, you know? but you make me forget how to think straight.”

something about his genuine distress, the way he was beating himself up over the order of operations, struck you as absolutely ridiculous. a giggle escaped before you could stop it. then another. soon you were laughing so hard tears pricked your eyes, shoulders shaking with the force of it.

“what’s funny?” he asked, stopping mid-pace to stare at you, looking wounded and confused.

“satoru,” you managed between giggles, wiping at your eyes with the back of your hand. “you’ve been courting me for months. bringing me ridiculously large tips. asking me to teach you to bake. memorizing my coffee preferences. learning my schedule by heart.” you stood up, still laughing softly. “if that’s not love, i don’t know what is.”

his expression shifted from wounded to hopeful, like sunrise breaking through storm clouds. “so… you’re not upset that i did it backwards?”

“the only thing i’m upset about,” you said, moving around the island toward him, “is that you beat me to saying it first.”

his face transformed into that brilliant smile you’d grown to love, the one that made him look younger and completely unguarded. “so what does this make us then? officially?”

“well,” you said, reaching up to smooth down his ridiculous bedhead, fingers tangling in the soft silver strands. “you’ve basically moved into my cafe. you know my coffee preferences better than i do. and you just made me breakfast while wearing an apron that’s two sizes too small.”

he glanced down at the ridiculous cupcake-printed fabric stretched across his broad chest, then back at you with that boyish grin. “very domesticated of me.”

“extremely domesticated,” you agreed, hands still buried in his hair. “practically husband material.”

the word hung in the air between you, and you both froze slightly. too much, too fast, too honest for a morning after conversation.

“too fast?” you asked quickly, suddenly uncertain.

“definitely too fast,” he agreed, then that devastating smile returned full force. “but i like the sound of it anyway.”

you stretched up on your toes to kiss him, tasting coffee and maple syrup and morning possibilities on his lips. when you pulled back, both of you were breathing a little unsteadily.

“so… boyfriend then? for now?” you whispered against his mouth.

“boyfriend who’s completely obsessed with his girlfriend,” he confirmed, arms wrapping around your waist to pull you impossibly closer. “and plans to continue being your most devoted customer.”

“what about your trainer? your social media following? the whole influencer thing?”

“masaru can learn to live with disappointment. some things are more important than macros.” he pulled back just enough to look at you seriously, those storm-glass eyes soft with affection. “like making sure the woman i love gets proper breakfast when she’s too tired to make it herself.”

warmth bloomed in your chest at the casual way he said ‘the woman i love,’ like it was the most natural thing in the world. “satoru gojo, are you offering to be my personal breakfast chef?”

“i’m offering to be whatever you need me to be,” he said simply, honestly, thumbs tracing gentle circles against your waist through the thin cotton of your pajama shirt. “starting with the guy who makes you eggs and tells you he loves you every morning.”

your heart did something complicated and wonderful behind your ribs. “i love you too,” you whispered, the words feeling both new and inevitable. “even if you did steal my apron.”

“our apron,” he corrected with a grin, then lifted you off your feet and spun you around your tiny kitchen, both of you laughing like teenagers who’d discovered something wonderful and secret. your hands fisted in the ridiculous cupcake fabric as he spun you, the world blurring except for his face, his smile, the way he was looking at you like you were everything he’d ever wanted.

when he finally set you back down, he kept his arms around you, both of you still giggling and breathless. “we’re domestic now, remember?” he said, pressing his forehead against yours.

and standing there in your sunny kitchen, wearing croissant pajamas while satoru gojo held you close in your stolen apron, you thought maybe the best relationships really did come from a little bit of chaos, a lot of patience, and the perfect amount of sweetness.

seven months of official dating had settled into something sweeter than any confection you’d ever crafted. what started as satoru’s carefully timed visits to flour & sugar had evolved into something that had the internet completely obsessed and your little bakery busier than you’d ever dreamed possible.

it had started innocently enough—his social media transformation had been gradual, so subtle that his followers might have missed it if they weren’t paying attention. but the comments sections told a different story.

“bro where are the gym thirst traps” “who is she and what did she do with our protein daddy” “NOT HIM POSTING COUPLE RECIPES” “the way this man went from ‘rate my deadlift’ to ‘rate our sourdough starter’ is sending me”

his instagram had become a love letter written in pixels and captions, a soft-focus documentary of domestic bliss that had somehow captured the internet’s collective heart. gone were the carefully staged shots of his abs and dramatic gym poses. instead, his feed had filled with your hands—piping delicate rosettes onto cupcakes, kneading dough with flour up to your elbows, writing recipe modifications in your careful script on index cards. blurry morning photos of you both tangled in the sheets above the bakery, sharing a croissant and coffee, your hair catching the golden morning light and his eyes soft with sleep and adoration.

“she said the croissants needed to be tested for quality control. who am i to argue with an expert? #worthit #carbsarelife”

the gym content that remained had evolved too. videos of him teaching you proper deadlift form while you corrected his piping technique, both of you collapsing into giggles when he inevitably got buttercream on the barbell. couple workouts that ended with you both on yoga mats, breathless and laughing, sharing post-workout protein smoothies that you’d somehow made taste like birthday cake.

his captions had gotten impossibly sappier, much to his trainer’s horror and his followers’ secret delight.

“strongest thing about me is how hard i fell for her” under a photo of you both covered in flour after an epic food fight that had started as a serious recipe test and devolved into full-scale warfare.

“she lifts my spirits, i lift heavy things. perfect partnership #relationshipgoals #sheputsupwithme”

“plot twist: the real gains were the pastries we made along the way” posted with a picture of a particularly elaborate croquembouche you’d attempted together, which had collapsed spectacularly but tasted like heaven.

but it was the video that really sent everything viral. he’d filmed you teaching him how to make croissants at 4 am, both of you in matching flour-dusted aprons, your voice gentle and patient as you guided his hands through the delicate lamination process. the video caught the moment when he’d finally gotten the fold right, the way your face had lit up with pride, how he’d spun you around the kitchen in celebration, both of you laughing breathlessly in the pre-dawn quiet.

“month 6 of pastry school with the best teacher in the world. still can’t believe she hasn’t fired me yet #luckiestman #sheputsupwitheverything”

the video had exploded overnight. suddenly everyone wanted to try the bakery where the internet’s new favorite couple had fallen in love. the hashtag #flourandsugar started trending, with people posting their own attempts at your recipes and sharing photos of their visits to the little bakery that had stolen the internet’s heart.

which was how you’d found yourself six months later, standing in what used to be the cramped storage room behind your original space, now transformed into a sun-drenched new kitchen three times the size of your old one. the success had been overwhelming in the best possible way—the new space was a baker’s dream, with warm butcher block counters instead of cold steel and creamy subway tiles that caught the light. it was professional, yes, but it still felt like your kitchen.

that warmth extended upstairs, where you’d expanded into a proper second floor with big, beautiful windows that flooded the space with light, now filled with mismatched armchairs you’d found at flea markets, their plush velvet cushions in shades of dusty rose and sage green inviting people to linger for hours. you’d added low bookshelves filled with old novels and cookbooks, making it feel more like a cozy, lived-in library than a cafe.

and outside, you’d finally built the outdoor garden patio you’d always dreamed of. it was a hidden city oasis, where climbing jasmine and wisteria wove through rustic wooden trellises, their sweet scent mixing with the aroma of fresh baking. warm, rounded wooden tables were nestled amongst potted lavender and herbs that you used in your recipes, and in the evenings, the entire space was lit by hundreds of soft, twinkling fairy lights, making it feel like a secret garden straight from a storybook. a small, charmingly weathered stage was tucked into a corner, where local musicians played soft acoustic sets on friday nights.

satoru had insisted on being involved in every aspect of the renovation, showing up in a hard hat that was completely unnecessary but made him look adorable, asking the contractors a million questions and somehow charming them into letting him help with the purely decorative elements. he’d painted the entire garden fence himself, claiming it was “functional exercise” when masaru complained about his training schedule.

and somewhere in the midst of expansion plans and permit applications and the beautiful chaos of success, he’d also become your unofficial apprentice.

every morning, he’d show up before opening hours, hair still messy from sleep and eyes still soft with dreams, pressing coffee into your hands and tying on the custom apron you’d made him—black with “sous chef (in training)” embroidered in white thread.

he was surprisingly good at it, once you got past his tendency to treat everything like a chemistry experiment that required his complete focus and undivided attention. his hands, so used to precise movements in the gym, had adapted quickly to the delicate work of pastry. he could pipe perfectly uniform rosettes now, roll pasta thin enough to read through, and his bread kneading technique was flawless—all that upper body strength put to decidedly more domestic use.

the only problem was how clingy he got during work hours, like a cat who’d decided you were the only warm spot in the house.

“focus,” you’d murmur when you caught him staring at you instead of watching his custard, which was definitely about to curdle if he didn’t pay attention, your own concentration wavering under the weight of his gaze.

“i am focused,” he’d protest, those storm-glass eyes never leaving your face, his head tilting in that way that made his hair fall across his forehead just so. “just not on the custard.”

he had a habit of finding excuses to be close to you—reaching over you for ingredients he could easily grab from the other side, his chest brushing against your shoulder as he moved with unnecessary slowness, pressing himself against your back to “check your technique” when you were demonstrating something he’d watched you do a hundred times, his breath warm against your neck as he murmured questions he already knew the answers to. stealing kisses between timer intervals that left you both breathless and your kitchen staff rolling their eyes so hard they risked permanent damage.

“you know,” your assistant manager had said one particularly busy morning, watching satoru follow you around like a lovesick puppy with separation anxiety, “most people don’t let their boyfriends work in their restaurants because it’s unprofessional.”

“good thing he’s not just my boyfriend,” you’d replied, not looking up from the wedding cake sketch you were working on, your cheeks warm with the kind of happiness that made everything else fade to background noise. “he’s my best student too.”

and he was. beneath all the playful clinginess and shameless flirting, he’d thrown himself into learning your craft with the same intensity he brought to everything else. he studied cookbooks like training manuals, practiced piping techniques until his hands cramped, and had somehow memorized the temperature preferences of every regular customer without being asked.

tonight felt different, though. there was an energy humming beneath his skin as he helped you test a new recipe—a delicate honey lavender cake that had been giving you trouble for weeks. the kind of nervous energy that made him move too precisely, like he was afraid his hands might betray him. he’d been unusually quiet, focused with an intensity that went beyond even his usual dedication to perfection. his hands, normally so confident and sure, had trembled slightly as he held the mixing bowl steady while you folded in the final ingredients, his knuckles white with tension.

you’d caught him checking his phone more than usual, running his fingers through his hair in that telltale sign of nerves that made the white strands stick up at odd angles.

the new kitchen was empty except for the two of you, the dinner rush long over and your staff gone home. upstairs, you could hear the soft sounds of the last few customers settling their bills and heading out into the night. soon it would be just the two of you in your expanded little empire, testing recipes and stealing kisses between batches like you had every night for months.

“perfect,” you murmured, running the offset spatula around the bowl’s edge to catch the last bit of batter, satisfaction curling warm in your chest. “finally got the lavender balance right. not too floral, not too—”

“marry me.”

the words fell between you like flour from a torn bag, sudden and everywhere at once. your spatula froze mid-swipe, batter clinging to its edge, and the kitchen went so quiet you could hear the soft hum of the new industrial refrigerators, the distant tick of the timer counting down on the oven, the rapid flutter of your own heartbeat.

you turned slowly, your heart doing something acrobatic and terrifying in your chest, like it was trying to escape through your ribs.

satoru was standing by the three-basin sink, soap bubbles still clinging to his forearms from washing the mixing bowls, his storm-glass eyes wide and vulnerable in a way that made the air catch in your lungs. his usually perfect posture had crumbled slightly, shoulders curved inward like he was bracing for impact. in his damp hands—hands that could deadlift twice his body weight but now shook like autumn leaves—he held a ring.

it was simple. classic. a single diamond set in white gold, understated and elegant and so perfectly you that your throat closed with emotion. it caught the warm led lighting of your new kitchen and threw tiny rainbows across the stainless steel counter between you, each facet a promise you weren’t sure you were brave enough to believe.

“i—” he started, then stopped, running his free hand through his impossible white hair until it stood up in anxious spikes. his adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, and you could see the flush creeping up his neck above the collar of his black henley. “i had a whole speech planned. been practicing in the mirror like an idiot for weeks. masaru kept finding me in the gym storage room rehearsing it to the resistance bands. hell, i even practiced on the contractors during the renovation, and they all said it was solid gold. but standing here, watching you perfect something for the hundredth time just because you refuse to settle for anything less than beautiful, i just… i can’t wait anymore.”

you set the spatula down with trembling fingers, your mouth slightly parted in shock, your eyes never leaving his face. there was something raw there, something that made your chest feel too small to contain your heart. the way he was looking at you—like you were the answer to a question he’d been asking his whole life without knowing it.

“i know we’ve technically only been together seven months,” he continued, words tumbling out faster now, like he was afraid he’d lose his nerve. his free hand gestured wildly, flour still dusting his knuckles. “but i’ve been reorganizing my whole life around you for almost a year now, and it doesn’t feel fast. it feels like… like i’ve been waiting my whole life to find someone who makes me want to be better. who makes me want to learn the difference between brown sugar and turbinado sugar because it matters to them. who makes me want to wake up at 4 am just to watch them create magic from flour and butter and impossible patience.”

tears blurred your vision, but you couldn’t look away from him. couldn’t breathe. couldn’t do anything but stand there in your flour-dusted apron with your heart trying to climb out of your throat.

“you turned me from a guy whose idea of cooking was protein powder and water into someone who knows seventeen different ways to fold dough,” he said, his voice dropping to that soft, rough register that made your knees feel unsteady. “you made me trade my supplement-covered bathroom counter for skincare products and fancy soaps that smell like vanilla and cardamom. you let me reorganize your spice cabinet by color and didn’t even laugh when i alphabetized the sprinkles. you taught me that there’s a difference between vanilla extract and vanilla paste, and somehow made me care about it enough to argue with the supplier about quality.”

he was rambling now, the speech he’d practiced forgotten in favor of raw honesty, his eyes bright with unshed tears.

“you make me want to be the kind of man who deserves a woman who puts that much love into everything she touches,” he whispered, his voice cracking slightly on the last word. “and i know i’m not there yet, but i want to spend the rest of my life trying. if you’ll let me. if you’ll have me, with all my terrible habits and my tendency to leave protein powder rings on your pristine counters and my complete inability to remember which spoon is for tasting and which is for mixing even though you’ve told me a thousand times—”

“yes,” you breathed, the word escaping like a prayer, like something that had been building inside you for months and finally found its way out. your hands flew to your mouth, tears spilling over your cheeks. then louder, clearer, with a certainty that surprised you both: “yes. yes, of course, yes. you beautiful, ridiculous man, yes.”

relief crashed over his features like sunrise after the longest night, his shoulders sagging as the tension finally left his body. suddenly he was moving, crossing the spacious new kitchen in three quick strides, his long legs eating up the distance between you. he scooped you up, lifting you clean off the ground and spinning you around despite the flour that would definitely transfer to his black henley.

you laughed—bright, joyous, disbelieving—the sound echoing off the stainless steel surfaces as he set you down gently, his hands framing your face like you were something precious and fragile.

he took your left hand with reverent care, his fingers steady now, and the ring slipped onto your finger like it had been waiting there all along, a perfect fit that made your heart stutter. you stared down at it through tears, this small, shining promise that caught the light and threw it back in brilliant fragments.

“it was my grandmother’s,” he said softly, his thumb tracing over your knuckles, his voice thick with emotion. “she would have loved you. probably would have spent hours teaching you her secret recipes and conspiring against my diet with homemade cookies and guilt trips about being too skinny.”

you looked up at him, this beautiful, impossible man who’d learned to love the quiet corners of your world, and felt something click into place deep in your chest, like the final piece of a puzzle you hadn’t known you were solving. “she raised someone pretty wonderful,” you whispered, your voice watery with happiness.

he cupped your face in his flour-dusted hands and kissed you then, soft and sweet and tasting like promises and the lingering sweetness of cake batter. when you finally broke apart, breathless, he rested his forehead against yours, his eyes closed like he was trying to memorize the moment.

“so,” he said, that familiar playful edge creeping back into his voice, though it was rougher now, weighted with emotion. “think we should celebrate with cake?”

you laughed, the sound bubbling up from some deep, happy place inside you, your hands fisting in the soft cotton of his shirt. “the honey lavender isn’t ready yet.”

“then i guess,” he said, pressing another kiss to your temple, his lips lingering there, “we’ll just have to make do with each other.”

and in the warm, sweet-scented sanctuary of your expanded kitchen, with an engagement ring catching the light and his arms around you, you thought you’d never tasted anything sweeter.

the next few weeks passed in a blur of congratulations and wedding planning that somehow felt like the most natural thing in the world, like every decision was just another recipe to perfect together. your expanded bakery had become an even bigger destination after satoru posted a photo of your engagement ring next to a perfectly plated slice of the honey lavender cake, captioned simply: “she said yes. tastes even sweeter than it looks. #luckiestman #sheputsupwitheverything #futurewife”

the internet had collectively lost its mind with joy, his comments section turning into a virtual celebration that lasted for days.

but the real magic happened in the quiet moments between the public celebrations. like the evening you’d spent sprawled on the living room floor of the apartment above the bakery—your apartment, officially both of yours now, his name on the lease and his terrible reality tv preferences integrated into your netflix algorithm—surrounded by wedding magazines and cake flavor combinations scribbled on index cards.

“okay,” you said, shuffling through your notes with the same methodical precision you brought to everything, your engagement ring catching the lamplight as you moved. “we’ve narrowed it down to seven flavors. one for each month we’ve been together.”

“our love story in cake form,” he agreed, lying on his stomach with his chin propped on his hands, looking at you like you’d personally hung every star in the sky. his eyes were soft and dreamy, the way they got when he was completely, utterly content. “very us.”

“so the bottom layer,” you continued, consulting your carefully organized list, your brow furrowed in that adorable way it did when you were concentrating, “vanilla bean with salted caramel. for that first day you came in and i thought you were just another pretty face with a sweet tooth.”

“just another pretty face?” he gasped in mock offense, rolling onto his back and pressing his hand to his chest like you’d wounded him mortally. his hair fanned out against the hardwood floor like a halo, and you had the sudden, overwhelming urge to run your fingers through it. “i’ll have you know this pretty face was already planning our future together after that first smile.”

“mmm,” you hummed, trying to look stern but failing spectacularly as warmth bloomed in your chest, “the second layer is dark chocolate with raspberry. rich and a little tart, like how i felt when i realized you were actually going to be a problem for my carefully ordered life.”

“a problem?” he sat up, scooting closer until he could nuzzle into your neck, his breath warm against your skin. “i prefer ‘best thing that ever happened to you.’”

“that’s layer seven,” you said softly, your voice going tender in a way that made his heart do somersaults. “honey lavender. sweet and unexpected and perfect.”

he went quiet then, understanding the weight of what you were saying, his arms tightening around you. “and the layers in between?”

“lemon with strawberry buttercream for the first time you made me laugh until my sides hurt—that morning you tried to help me make croissants and somehow got butter in your hair.” you were smiling now, lost in the memory, your fingers absently playing with the hem of his shirt. “coffee cake with brown butter frosting for all those early mornings you started showing up before we opened, just to spend time with me. vanilla rose for the day you told me you loved me. and…” you blushed, consulting your notes, “brown butter cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting for the first time you stayed the night and i woke up to you making breakfast. the most chaotic breakfast, but the gesture was perfect.”

“hey,” he protested, pulling back to look at you with wounded dignity, his lower lip jutting out in an exaggerated pout, “that french toast was a masterpiece.”

“baby,” you said, reaching up to cup his cheek, your thumb brushing over the sharp line of his cheekbone, “you used hamburger buns because i was out of regular bread.”

“innovation,” he said solemnly, leaning into your touch like a cat seeking warmth. “that’s what separates the great chefs from the merely good ones.”

you’d spent that night planning every detail, from the sugar flowers you’d craft by hand to the way you’d display each layer so guests could see the beautiful cross-section of your love story. he’d been unusually quiet as you worked, and you’d found him later at your kitchen table at two in the morning, surrounded by crumpled papers and wearing the ridiculous “kiss the cook” apron you’d gotten him as a joke, his shoulders curved in defeat.

“baby?” you’d whispered, padding over in your pajamas and his oversized gym shirt, your heart clenching at the sight of him looking so lost. “what are you doing?”

“trying to write my vows,” he’d said, voice rough with exhaustion and emotion, his hands buried in his hair. “but i can’t get it right. how do you put into words the moment someone becomes your whole world? how do you explain that you didn’t even know you were incomplete until they showed up and made everything make sense? how do you tell someone that they turned you from a man who thought love was a distraction into someone who can’t imagine existing without them?”

you’d climbed into his lap then, right there in the kitchen chair, your arms winding around his neck as you pressed soft kisses to his temple. together, you’d found the words. together, the way you did everything now.

the cake tasting had turned into an event in itself. you’d closed the bakery early on a tuesday afternoon, transforming the main floor into a private testing kitchen with the kind of nervous excitement you usually reserved for new recipe launches. your wedding cake, all seven layers of your love story, sat on the counter in individual slices, each layer labeled with a small card explaining its significance in your careful script.

“okay,” you’d said, suddenly nervous as you watched him approach the display, your hands smoothing down your flour-dusted apron for the hundredth time. “remember, these are just samples. the actual wedding cake will be much prettier, and the proportions will be better, and—”

“cupcake,” he’d interrupted gently, taking your flour-dusted hands in his, his thumbs stroking over your knuckles in that soothing way that never failed to calm your racing thoughts. “breathe. it’s perfect because you made it.”

the way he said it, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, like perfection was just a natural byproduct of your touch, made your chest tight with emotion.

he’d insisted on tasting each layer separately, giving you detailed feedback like the world’s most devoted food critic, his expressions shifting from anticipation to bliss with each bite. the vanilla bean and salted caramel had made him close his eyes and hum appreciatively, a sound that sent heat curling through your stomach. the chocolate raspberry had earned a low whistle of approval that made your cheeks flush.

but you were just as gone for him, watching the way his face lit up with each taste, the way he’d pause and consider flavors with the same intensity he brought to everything else, the way his eyes would find yours after each bite like he needed to share the experience with you. when he reached for your hand during the coffee layer, threading your fingers together like he couldn’t bear not to be touching you, your heart did something ridiculous and fluttery in your chest.

“this one,” he’d said after trying the vanilla rose, his voice slightly rough, “tastes like that morning when you told me you loved me back. all sunshine and possibility.”

“you remember what i was wearing?” you’d asked, moving closer without really meaning to, drawn in by the softness in his expression.

“that yellow sundress with the little buttons,” he’d said immediately, his free hand coming up to trace the air where the buttons would have been. “you had flour in your hair and you kept fidgeting with the ties on your apron.”

the fact that he remembered those details, that he’d cataloged them like they mattered, made your breath catch.

but it was the honey lavender that had undone him completely. his whole body had gone still after the first bite, eyes fluttering closed, and for a moment you’d worried something was wrong. then his shoulders had started shaking slightly, and you’d realized with a start that he was crying.

“that’s it,” he’d said finally, his voice thick with emotion, eyes still closed like he was afraid to break the spell. “that’s the one.”

“which one?” you’d whispered, though part of you already knew.

“the feeling. the one you were trying to capture when you made it for me that first time.” he’d opened his eyes then, and they were bright with unshed tears that made your own eyes prickle in response. “it tastes like the moment i realized i was completely, hopelessly, forever in love with you.”

“satoru,” you’d breathed, and then you were kissing him, tasting honey and lavender and promises on his lips, both of you crying a little as you held each other in your expanded bakery surrounded by the evidence of how far you’d come.

“marry me tomorrow,” he’d mumbled against your lips, his hands fisting in the fabric of your dress like he was afraid you might disappear.

“we already have a date picked,” you’d laughed, but your voice was shaky with emotion.

“marry me right now then,” he’d said, pulling back just enough to look at you, his eyes wild and bright. “i don’t care about the dress or the flowers or any of it. i just want to be yours officially.”

the months leading up to the wedding had been a whirlwind of planning and preparation, but also of quiet domestic moments that felt like the real celebration

. mornings spent teaching him increasingly complex techniques, watching his confidence grow as he mastered croissant lamination and sugar work and the precise art of tempering chocolate, his tongue poking out slightly in concentration in a way that made your heart flutter.

afternoons working side by side, his playlist mixing with yours over the bakery’s sound system, creating the soundtrack to your shared life. evenings curled up on the couch, him reading nutrition labels to you while you sketched cake designs on his chest, both of you laughing at how perfectly your weird little habits complemented each other.

his social media had documented the whole journey, turning your followers into invested participants in your love story. posts about cake testing sessions and venue scouting, videos of him practicing his piping technique with the focused intensity he usually reserved for deadlifts, photos of you both covered in flour and grinning like idiots after successful experiments.

“wedding cake testing day 3: she’s perfect, the cakes are perfect, life is perfect #blessed #luckiestman #cakefortifiedgroom”

“month 12 of pastry school and she still hasn’t kicked me out. pretty sure that means i’m stuck with her forever #keeper #futurewife #sheputsupwitheverything”

the night before the wedding, he’d found you in the bakery’s kitchen at midnight, putting the finishing touches on the seven-layer masterpiece that would serve as the centerpiece of your reception. you’d been working for hours, crafting delicate sugar flowers by hand, each petal formed with the kind of patience and precision that had first caught his attention all those months ago.

“shouldn’t you be at your bachelor party?” you’d asked without looking up, your brow furrowed in concentration as you focused on attaching a particularly delicate rose to the top tier.

“nah,” he’d said, settling onto a stool at the work counter, his chin propped on his hands as he watched you work. “masaru and the guys went to some sports bar. figured they could celebrate my last night of freedom without me. i’d rather spend it watching you create magic.”

“it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding,” you’d protested halfheartedly, but you were smiling as you worked, warmth spreading through your chest at his presence.

“pretty sure that’s just about the dress,” he’d said, his voice soft with adoration as he watched your steady hands. “besides, i’ve been watching you create beautiful things every day for over a year. why would i want to stop now?”

you’d worked in comfortable silence, him occasionally handing you tools or holding delicate pieces steady while you attached them, his presence calming in the way it always was. when you’d finally stepped back to admire the finished cake—seven layers of love story rising in perfect, elegant tiers—he’d let out a low whistle of appreciation that made your cheeks warm.

“damn, cupcake. that’s not a wedding cake. that’s art.”

“it’s us,” you’d said simply, wiping your hands on your apron, and somehow that had said everything.

standing at the altar the next day in his perfectly tailored tux, satoru felt like his heart might actually burst from his chest. the ceremony was perfect—intimate and personal, held in the garden behind flour & sugar with your closest friends and family gathered under fairy lights and white flowers, the lingering scent of the bakery’s ovens mixing with the evening air.

the space had been transformed, but it still felt like home. like you. white flowers and trailing greenery wound around the fence he’d painted himself, and small tables scattered throughout the garden held miniature versions of pastries from your menu, little bites of your love story for guests to enjoy.

his hands were shaking again, the same way they had the night he’d proposed, and he had to flex his fingers to keep them steady. his best man kept shooting him concerned looks, and masaru had actually brought smelling salts, tucked discretely in his jacket pocket, after satoru had nearly fainted during the rehearsal.

but none of his nerves mattered when the music started—an acoustic version of the song he’d learned to play for you, performed by a local musician you’d hired for the garden’s friday night performances. none of his anxiety mattered when the small crowd rose to their feet, turning toward the bakery’s back door with expectant smiles.

and then you appeared, and the whole world stopped.

you emerged from the bakery like something from a fairy tale, like every perfect thing he’d ever dreamed of and several he’d never been brave enough to imagine. your dress was ivory silk and lace, simple and elegant and perfectly you, flowing around you like spun sugar as you walked down the short aisle between chairs draped with white fabric and scattered with rose petals—roses that matched the sugar flowers crowning your wedding cake.

but it was your smile that completely undid him—radiant and bright and aimed directly at him like he was the only person in the world worth looking at. your eyes were sparkling with tears and joy and so much love that he had to blink rapidly to keep from sobbing right there in front of everyone. the way you looked at him, like he was worth waiting for, like he was worth choosing, every single day.

his knees went weak, and his best man steadied him with a firm hand on his shoulder.

when your father placed your hand in his, satoru had to take a shuddering breath because the moment felt too precious, too perfect to be real. your skin was soft and familiar, and he could feel the slight tremor in your fingers that matched his own nervous energy.

“hi,” you whispered, just for him, your voice slightly breathless, eyes sparkling with mischief and adoration.

“hi, beautiful,” he whispered back, his thumb tracing over your knuckles where his grandmother’s ring caught the golden hour light. “you ready to be stuck with me forever?”

“i’ve been ready since you demolished that first chocolate tart,” you said, your smile widening as you spoke, and he had to bite back a laugh because of course you’d make him smile even now, when his heart was trying to escape through his throat.

the ceremony passed in a blur of tears and laughter and promises that felt too big for words but somehow perfectly right. when the officiant finally said “you may kiss the bride,” satoru cupped your face like you were made of spun glass and kissed you like it was the first time and the last time and every time in between, pouring seven months of morning coffees and shared recipes and quiet domestic happiness into the moment.

the reception flowed seamlessly from ceremony to celebration, guests moving from the ceremony space to tables scattered throughout the garden and up onto the second floor of the bakery, which had been opened up and decorated with more fairy lights and flowing white fabric. the seven-layer cake stood in the center of it all, a tower of love story and sugar art that had guests stopping to take photos and marvel at the delicate details.

“ladies and gentlemen,” the musician announced as the sun set over your little empire, “the couple would like to cut their cake and share the story behind this incredible creation.”

you and satoru stood before the masterpiece, his hand warm and steady over yours on the knife handle, his chest pressed against your back as he murmured sweet nonsense in your ear that made you giggle. “ready?” you asked, looking up at him with eyes bright with happiness, your cheeks flushed with joy and champagne.

“been ready my whole life,” he said, his voice rough with emotion, and meant it.

together, you cut into the bottom layer, the vanilla bean and salted caramel that represented that first day, that first moment when his world had tilted on its axis. the cake was perfect—moist and flavorful and beautiful in cross-section, each layer visible and distinct, a rainbow of your love story made edible.

he lifted the first piece to your lips with hands that finally weren’t shaking, watching as you bit into it with a soft hum of approval, your eyes fluttering closed in pleasure. a tiny dot of frosting stuck to the corner of your mouth, and without thinking, he leaned in and kissed it away, slow and sweet, tasting sugar and promises and forever on your lips.

“best cheat day of my life,” he whispered against your temple, his lips curving into a smile against your skin, making you laugh—that bright, joyous sound that had become the soundtrack to his happiness.

you looked up at him, your husband, this beautiful impossible man who’d learned to love the quiet corners of your world and filled them with light and laughter and more joy than you’d ever thought possible, and felt your heart swell with so much love you thought it might actually burst.

“we’re just getting started,” you said, and kissed him again, sweet enough to rot his teeth, perfect enough to last forever.

as the night wound down and the last guests filtered out into the summer evening, you found yourselves back in the kitchen where it had all started, still in your wedding clothes but with bare feet and sleeves rolled up, sharing leftover cake and feeding each other bites while recounting the best moments of the day.

“i think,” satoru said, sitting on the floor with his back against the cabinets, you curled up between his legs with your head on his shoulder, his bow tie undone and hanging loose around his neck, “this might actually be better than my first chocolate tart.”

you gasped in mock offense, turning to look at him with wide eyes, your hand pressed dramatically to your chest. “better than the pastry that started it all? that’s basically blasphemy.”

“nah,” he said, catching your hand and pressing a kiss to your ring finger, right over the simple gold band that now sat beside his grandmother’s engagement ring. “the chocolate tart was just the beginning. this is the happily ever after.”

you looked at him, this man who’d stumbled into your carefully ordered world and turned it into something sweeter, richer, more alive than you’d ever imagined possible, and knew with absolute certainty that this was what love looked like. not the dramatic, movie-perfect romance you’d once imagined, but this: wedding cake and bare feet and quiet promises made in kitchen light, surrounded by the beautiful life you’d built together from flour and sugar and impossible patience.

tag list : @akeisryna @esotericsorrow @prettilyrisse @cherrymoon55 @linaaeatsfamilies @k0z3me @ilovebeansyay @ethereal-moonlit @anathemaspeaks @fancypeacepersona @scryarchives @chieeeeeee @snowsilver2000 @k-kkiana

[satorupi]

dealer!satoru being absolutely insufferable ˎˊ˗

you knew what this was from the beginning—a mutually beneficial relationship strictly for sex (and well-cultivated sativa).

satoru didn't do commitment, and you didn't care for more than a good, quick fuck with how your schedule was set up. your dealer (classed as a friend too if you squinted) offered that and good weed, lucky you.

the scent of smoke hangs in the air, thick and cloying, joint burning steadily. a singular gram seemed like more than enough to pass between you two, and satoru was always so inclined to share free of charge these days. the end is held in an easy grip by his thumb and index, head tipping to you in a silent gesture. "open."

you oblige with a soft sound, shifting where you’re perched on his lap as your lips part. this really hadn't been part of the plan. unwinding by smoking with the man had been, yes... just not half-naked with your shirt rucked above your bra-clad tits, practically cockwarming him. you'd only come over for leeching purposes—for free, no-strings-attached weed! gosh.

his eyes lock on yours, cherry glowing red in the dim light as he takes a long drag, exhaling a white, wispy cloud out of the path of your face. then he's taking yet another one, free hand moving from your hip to hold your face in an easy grip, fingers pressing in to squish your cheeks, head tilting toward yours. the smoke he exhales this time travels in a slow, deliberate stream. it's warm and earthy as it rolls along your tongue, clinging to your taste buds before settling at the back of your throat. you hold it for a few seconds just to feel that slight burn in your lungs, body already beginning to hum as the high settles even deeper. "mm.." you exhale with a low sigh, smoke a cloudy puff that obscures his face momentarily.

"good?" he questions, thumb tracing the gentle slope of your cupid's bow, smoothing over the dip before his hand falls away again. the loss has you squirming just a little, trying to get some sort of attention in your hazy state—which he quickly puts an end to, hand heavy and solid as it closes against the curve of your hip.

"nuh uh," he hums, not even giving you a second glance. "you’re good where you are. don’t get greedy."

"huh?" you stare him down, dumbfounded of course. he's the picture of perfect nonchalance, thumb circling against your skin, taking yet another hit—all languid like he's not literally buried in your guts. "but 'm not good where i am," you argue, voice carrying that slightly breathless cadence it got when you were all wound up.

"really? i think you are." lidded eyes fix on yours, teeth flashing with a small smile. he doesn't make any moves to give you what you so clearly want, just shifts his wrist to turn the joint so the burning end is safely facing him, other end to you. common sense tells you it's for a puff, so your lips part, closing around it when he places it near enough.

"atta girl," he murmurs, pulling back when you inhale sufficiently, mouth close enough that you can return the favor from earlier. he steals the secondhand breath of smoke like he's owed something, pecking your lips after like it's the most casual thing to do between... well, whatever you two were classed as at this point.

"are you really not letting me move?"

"you're catching on quickly." his head falls onto the backing of the couch, lengthy digits flexing on your hip when you shift again. "i said to stop doing that."

"why not?" you ask, trying to sound casual, but it damn near sounds like you're whining, voice too needy.

"because," he says slowly, like he's making sure there's no room for you to misunderstand. like high-you only has a single working brain cell. "you came here to smoke."

...that's it? he's so stuck on the fact that you came here to smoke with him that he disregards you half-naked in his lap and making a mess on his length? "…yeah? so what?"

"so what?" he gasps like you'd said something scandalous, head tipping. "weren't you the one on the phone saying 'i'm not coming over to fuck this time, satoru'? you were."

his imitation of you is all high and pitchy, near insultingly inaccurate. your narrowed eyes are a clear glimpse into your building annoyance.

"so we're not doing that. we're smoking because that's what you came here for. so," both hands keep you firmly planted, hips shifting ever so slightly, "do your part and stay still."

"what the hell was the point in letting me sit on it then?" you bite, squirming again—but he stops you cold with a single, bruising squeeze to your hip.

satoru pretends to think for a moment, mini hmms under his breath in his contemplation. "for fun?" he says simply. "what’s the issue?"

"well, since you’re asking—"

"you didn’t say you wanted to fuck. you said you needed to 'chill.'" his tone dips lower, shoulders lifting in a shrug. "this seem chill enough?"

"you're really insufferable, you know that?" you huff, fingers digging into the tops of his shoulders and biting into hard flesh, wriggling a little in his hold. just enough to drag his head against that spot where he's settled far too deep, mouth slackening. "mmf—fuck you, seriously."

he tuts at your clear, too-obvious attempt yet again, hand sliding up to your waist since holding your hips didn't seem to be working out too well. not that he's trying too hard at this point. "maybe next time."

you could just grab him by that pretty, slender neck and wring it for playing with you like this. he's the one that’d kissed you when you’d gotten here, all tongue and teeth, hands on your ass. he's the one that'd gotten you out of your damn panties and on his cock—but, what? now he's oh-so set on respecting your 'no sex this time' comment?

your head drops down into the crook of his neck instead, groan long-suffering. "you're the worst person on earth and i seriously hate you."

oh, how he loves when you pretend you can't stand him.

"mm, i'm sure you do." a hand drags up your spine, warm and lazy, like a reward for actually keeping still. the worst part about getting this close is that it’s easier for his scent to start filling your nose, clinging to your senses like it’s trying to brand itself there. smoke and soap, that heady cologne forgone today—but he still smells so good. "maybe make your intentions clear and you'll get what you want next time."

"this was not my intention."

"oh?" and just to be an ass, just to fuck with you, the hands on your waist ease you up, letting gravity do all the work as you fall right back down into his lap, ass smacking against his thighs. it punches a strained sound right out of your throat, hands grabbing at him, core throbbing around where you’re connected. it's somehow worse with how long you'd been sat with zero friction, every inch hitting somewhere deeper.

his mouth eases closer to your ear, lips brushing against the soft slope. "well, that's too bad then, isn't it?"

an arm bands around your lower back to inch you forward, tits crushed against his chest as you press into him, arms finding themselves draped across his shoulders. all the shifting isn't doing you any favors, but at least with his hand not keeping you down, you can rock your hips in micro bounces, tip pressing in-in-into that one spot he’s usually the one targeting.

"satoru.." you moan into his neck, hands grabbing at the back of the chair for more leverage, hips starting to rise higher and fall faster. "just—ugh, please?"

"you’re so easy to mess with," he snorts, bringing the joint back to his mouth and between his lips again. it's hard to pretend to be unaffected when you're quite literally bouncing on his lap unrestrained, just begging him to give you something to feel better.

so he obliges, of course, free hand moving to your ass to lift you just high enough. enough to unseat himself, head just barely nudging your folds. your hands grip at his shoulders like you don't trust yourself—or his single hand—to keep you balanced, head pulling out of his neck to look down at him. "'mm, what are you d—"

then he brings you right back down with a solid motion till your thighs press to his, burying himself in one firm stroke. once, twice, a third time—back-to-back lifting and dropping you, letting just his tip remain before he's sinking back home, refamiliarizing himself with the rhythm of fucking you.

"oh..oh fuck—oh fuck, keep doing that." your breathing gets shakier with every pass, every slow stroke in and out of your soaked cunt. satoru's watching you now, eyes flicking down to where you're taking him, watching your body try to keep him tightly in place every time he pulls even an inch out.

it’s a sudden change in pace from not moving an inch, feet suddenly planted, hips driving up into you. satoru snubs out the burning end and abandons the blunt, hands a firm weight on the curve of your behind to guide you. your nails claw at his shoulders for purchase, head lifting out of his neck to pant against his cheek, mouth moving further east till he’s crushing his against yours again—all tongue and teeth, your hands sliding into his hair, guiding your movements with more urgency than before. the taste is all sweet and smoke on your tongue, practically chasing his lips as he pulls back, lips kiss-swollen.

"always so soft and pliant when you're high," he coos, gaze lifting just to see your expression change when he fucks you full again, relishing in all the sounds you make.

"what happened to not fucking, hm?"

@cupidstrace, @bistrocatxx, @sugurusbeloved, @eaucherry, @junkuna, @himelaces, @caffine-exe, @sweethearticism

a/n: ty to my proofreaders ꨄ︎ + @prosypepper for the info, mwah!

[iamsoclone]

I couldn't wait so here's a sneak preview of —

Ignition — Start Me Up and Throttle Me, Baby!

Pairing ᯓ★ Biker!Gojo x Academic Rival!reader

Summary ᯓ★You're no stranger to competition with Gojo Satoru—a dork with an un-earned ego bigger even than his DnD figurine collection. So what the hell is he doing on a motorcycle? This can't be the same Gojo you've butted heads with for three years, because if it is... has he always looked like that under the giant glasses and stupid Digimon hoodies? How much—or how little do you actually know about this nerd?

wc—4.2k (oops)

God damned red lights. Driving to New Hampshire should really only take an hour, even with the tolls, but you’ve been sitting in the car for forty five minutes already and you’re not even at the state border.

It’s just accelerate, bumper, brake, red light, sit. Rinse and repeat.

“Pass me a water would you?” You reach blindly towards the backseat as you roll to a stop at the nth light you’ve hit. The AC works in the car, but you like your window down and the air outside is stifling.

Someone presses a cold bottle into your hand, still wet from the cooler in the trunk. “Here ya go, want some chips too?” Yuuji asks as you crack the bottle open and take a long, satisfying gulp.

“Nah,” You say on a gasp as you pull the bottle away from your lips, a drip trickling down your chin and neck to combine with the sheen of sweat forming. “Thanks though. How is it back there, not too stuffy?”

“I’m stuck next to the human inferno, so about as good as you can imagine.” Megumi huffs from the back seat and you hear Yuuji scoff.

“I run hot, you knew this and still chose to sit next to me, it’s kind of your own fault.”

“Yeah, whatever, someone had to.” Megumi grumbles, you glance to the rearview mirror to see him with his chin in his hand, head turned to the window but his eyes are on Yuuji who’s digging into a bag of chips as he stares out his own window.

You chuckle to yourself as you hand the bottle to Nobara and she takes a sip, the light turns green and you roll off the line, getting through the intersection just to hit another red light.

“This place better be worth it.” You mutter, braking for the millionth time today.

“Yuuta texted,” Yuuji pipes up from the back. “The house is huge! And right on the beach too, they just got there.”

“I can’t believe that guy,” Nobara crosses her arms beside you as you roll to slow stop. “He’s had a crazy rich family this whole time and this is the first time we’re hearing about it? Guys been holding out.”

“He only just found them, it was one of those DNA test things, apparently he was adopted.”

“Tch, still, knowing that we could’ve been in the Hampton’s on a beach every spring break for the last three years instead is annoying.” Nobara huffs.

“We’re going now, that’s all that matters!” Yuuji exclaims from the backseat, ever the optimist. “But we’re sharing the place, his long lost cousin is using it for the week too apparently.”

“Well if it’s as big as he’s saying it is, it shouldn’t be an issue. So long as whoever it is isn’t deranged we can all coexist.” You offer and Yuuji hums in agreeance, you look over at Nobara for a moment as she shrugs and something catches your attention through her window.

Still sitting at the stop light, someone rolls up on a sleek black bike next to your car, leaning back with one hand still gripping the brake, he rolls a shoulder. His bicep flexes, blue veins prominent under smooth pale skin as the tight black tee-shirt stretches around his arm.

His head turns to your car and he does a little double take, his helmet flicking back to you. His face is hidden under the black helmet and the mirrored visor, completely faceless. You’re about to look away, but he nods, his chin lifting in a motion that says, “’Sup?”

You return it, unable to help yourself as a little smile spreads on your face. His body turns to you, free hand resting on his thigh covered by black jeans. Your pulse jumps a little as you take in his wide chest, hugged perfectly by a tight black shirt that shows off every lean curve to his body. His legs are long enough that the bike doesn’t lean to either side, but he’s flat footed on the road and it’s all doing something you weren’t expecting while sitting in traffic.

The jump in your pulse spikes and you feel it when he twists the throttle and sends a roaring purr reverberating through you. You lift a brow, cocking your head. Does he… want to race or something?

He does it again and your lips part. This faceless stranger—ridiculously hot, but a stranger nonetheless and the rev of his bike are having an effect that you don’t think you’ve ever felt throughout your academically driven life.

You shift to neutral and press the throttle a little, lower lip catching in your teeth as the engine in your car comes to life with fervour you’re not sure it’s ever had.

His shoulders shake a little, like he’s laughing and he replaces his hand on the grip, one foot up and toeing the shifter of the bike. He looks ahead at the light, then back to you. Oh yeah, he totally wants to race.

Are you really going to do this? That bike looks fast and you don’t do this kind of thing, you definitely don’t eye-fuck faceless strangers either but clearly this heat and the endless stop and go has done something to your usually sharp and critical brain.

“Hold on.” You murmur to your unsuspecting passengers, shifting back to drive.

“Huh? What are you—“ Nobara cuts herself off with a little yelp as the light turns green and you hit the gas hard, peeling off the line just as the street racer on his glossy black bike does the same. His tires squeal and the roar of his engine fills your ears and it all pushes you harder. You’ve always been competitive, but racing is definitely a new thing for you.

You nose ahead, luckily the road is open and a few lights have turned in your favour so you keep pressing harder on the throttle, glancing briefly to your racing partner to see him leaned down close to the bike, chest almost pressed to the rounded tank and arms tensed, biceps flexing hard.

The grin on your face is wicked, exhilarated with the wind whipping your hair, both hands gripping the steering wheel and adrenaline pumping through your veins and keeping your foot stomped down hard on the accelerator.

Megumi barks your name from the back seat and you laugh. You’re keeping up with the bike somehow, maybe your little hatchback has more guts than you give it credit for, or maybe you’re more unhinged right now than you thought.

Nobara is gripping the door handle but you can see a grin on her face as the car shifts another gear and revs up again. Yuuji is laughing along with you, Megumi is the only voice of reason left in the car as he barks to slow down before you all crash. You don’t.

Your back pressed hard into the seat, you steal one more glance to street-speed-racer as he pulls a hand off a grip to wiggle his fingers at you, and peels off, weaving through the traffic up ahead and disappearing. You slow a little, accepting loss as three more bikes whip past, following the stranger up ahead.

“What the—were you racing that guy?” Nobara whips her head to you as you slow and resume the speed limit, your little car purring away happily, having enjoyed the chance to stretch its legs just as much as you had.

But it’s a mix of bittersweetness, I wonder where he’s going. Maybe you’ll see him again, maybe you’ll catch up and get a rematch, or maybe… you’ll never see him again.

You shrug, taking the water bottle back from her as you roll to another dull stop, your heart is still sprinting like it could catch up to that stranger up ahead. “Why not? Spring break, right?”

 “Holy shit… Yuuta wasn’t kidding.” You blink at the towering estate behind the wrought iron gate you’ve stopped at, waiting to be buzzed in.

“My whole house would fit in that fucking garage, this is insane!” Nobara squawks, gawking out the windshield at the—admittedly, insane—house and surrounding property. Lush colourful gardens full of brand new blooms and budding trees wrap around the multi-story main house. The salty scent of the nearby ocean wafts and mixes with freshly cut grass and young roses, this place even smells rich.

“Hey! Just park in front of the house, we’ll meet you out front in a second!” Yuuta’s voice crackles through the intercom and a quick buzz sounds out as the dark gates begin to swing out. The car crawls through as they lock in place, the gravel crunching under your tires as you drive along the roundabout centered with an ornate stone fountain, the water spurting from the lotus flower on top catches the sunlight, glinting as it pours down the three other tiers into a main pool.

It looks like something you would throw pennies into to make a wish as a kid. You wonder if it would be worth it to toss one in now.

The car comes to a slow stop in front of the white stone steps up to dark and towering French doors. The house—err, mansion?—is mostly white, with dark accents around the tall windows and door frames. The porch the front door steps out to wraps all the way around the house, with another one on what must be the second floor that disappears around back as well, likely offering a great ocean view behind the already impressive estate.

The front doors open and Maki steps out first as you all hop out of the car, stretching out after the way too long drive up here. Yuuta follows her closely behind, his hair a little messy and his white shirt is rumpled.

“They were totally fucking.” Nobara murmurs to you as you wave to them and you chuckle, she’s absolutely right.

“How was the drive up?” Maki asks as you all grab your bags from the trunk.

“Great! We even raced a biker on the way, we lost but it was still fun.” Yuuji chirps as he hefts his and Nobara's bags up to carry in. She doesn’t even need to tell him, he just knows at this point.

“Fun, that’s one way to say it.” Megumi grumbles as he swings his bag over a shoulder.

Yuuta looks a little taken aback and he cocks his head at you. “Weren’t you driving?” You shrug, grabbing your own bag and closing the trunk.

“Yeah, is it really that surprising? I’m not that boring, am I?”

“Well, um…” Maki hums, looking you over as Nobara throws an arm over her shoulder. “Maybe a little?”

You scoff, “Oh shut up, that was supposed to be rhetorical. Let’s go, this grand tour is probably gonna take all day.” Nobara chuckles behind her hand and she and Maki shrug before you all head into the house.

The interior is just as extra as the outside leads one to believe it to be. You tip your head back, looking up at the silver and crystal chandelier hanging in the entryway, at the vaulted and untouchable ceiling, a round skylight with a pattern etched into it casting a bright glow in the same shape on the marbled floor.

The entry way splits off into three directions and Yuuta starts off to the left, showing you all where the kitchen is before heading back in the other direction towards the stairs up to some of the bedrooms, his and Maki’s already set, you pick one down the hall not really wanting to hear… that.

You drop your bag onto the puffy white bedspread, touching the rounded end of one of the polished wooden posts on the bed frame as you head for the double glass doors behind gauzy white curtains. Opening them up, you step out onto the balcony, hit immediately by salty ocean breeze and the view overlooking the beach below. All sand and endless crystal blue water, it’s picturesque like something off of a travel website exclusive to the upper class.

Thank you Yuuta. You think, smiling and taking in the sight as you lean over the railing. It extends just as you thought, all the way around the house with a few other glass doors opening onto it.

You hear your name called and turn back to your room as Nobara and Maki barge inside. “We’re getting ready in my room, grab your stuff, lets go!” Nobara commands as you step back in from the balcony.

“What? Getting ready for what?”

Nobara grins, glancing to Maki who shares in the look. “We’re going dancing tonight. Spring break, whoop!” She hollers and pumps a fist in the air, Maki scoffs a laugh.

“You idiot.”

“But…” You pout a little, “we just got here.”

“Suck it up! Everyone is going and you’re a part of that ‘everyone’, spring break demands excessive drinking and dancing!” Nobara barks and you open your mouth but she shuts it down before you can start. “No excuses! No assignments, no projects, no tests and no finals, you’ve got nothin to save you from putting on a cute outfit and getting sloppy tonight.” She smirks and cocks an eyebrow. “You clearly need some action if you’re racing random guys through side streets, am I right, or am I right?”

“Whatever, I don’t have a choice anyways, do I?” You sigh and turn to grab your bag as she shakes her head, still grinning.

She may be a tiny bit right. This getaway was welcome news after learning that you’d come in—for not the first time since starting at M.I.T.—second place for the midterm results in your quantum mechanics class to him. So yeah, maybe you do need to let off some… steam.

The club doesn’t exactly fit in with the rest of Hampton, but it’s clearly needed because it’s absolutely packed. People spill out of the entrance as more file in, the bass hums through you as soon as you all approach the line waiting to file in.

In club time, you’re pretty early. It’s only 10:00 PM, most places don’t get this crazy until close to midnight based on your few experiences celebrating the end of finals or getting the internship everyone in your class had been vying for, but you suppose this quiet composed town operates on a different time zone.

Nobara throws her arms around you and Maki grinning between you, her face a little flushed from the drinks you all had while getting ready. “Maki, I know we’re going to lose you to Yuuta as soon as we get in there, but you,” She fixes her narrowed eyes on you with a look that screams mischief. “Are we finding you some tail tonight?”

You groan, halting the hand about to rub your eyes as you remember the makeup Nobara had spent achingly long on. “Let’s just get in there and make it through some dancing before we start talking about tail you horndog.”

“Pfft, like you can talk! You were drooling over that—“ A loud bang cuts Nobara off, you jump at the noise as a roaring engine revs, and quiets to a purr. Your head turns just as four motorcycles screech to a halt just outside the club, only a few feet from the line you’re currently standing in.

The timing.

It’s… him. You don’t know his face, but the adrenaline that kicks in and makes your pulse thrum under your skin at the sight of the dark helmet, mirrored visor still down and keeping him faceless, wearing the same tight black tee-shirt and black jeans as he was during your impromptu race earlier.

“Holy shit… that—that’s the guy. What are the chances?” You lean in to Nobara and Maki, not tearing your eyes off him as he swings a leg over the seat to stand with the other three guys he’s shown up with.

“The one you raced? Which one?” Maki asks, looking them all over, the other three are dressed similarly but for some reason your racer is unmistakable to you.

“In the tee-shirt, he’s the second one down.” You hold yourself back from pointing, not wanting to draw attention or be outright rude.

“This is your shot! It’s totally fate, you have to go talk to him!” Nobara starts to shove you out of the line but you scramble back and she tuts with a reminder. “Tail, remember?”

You whine, glancing at her for a moment before turning back to your racer, biting your lip. Fate sounds dumb but… what are the chances, though? You had been crestfallen knowing that could have been the only interaction you’d ever have with him, but here he is.

“Oh shit! Okay, yeah, how do I look?” You turn back to them for a moment and Nobara fixes your skirt, pulling it up a fraction and pulling your top down a bit, lowering the neckline to show some more cleavage, you smack her hands before she can squish your boobs together.

“Go get em’ hot stuff!” She grins and sends you off.

You turn back to your racer, eyes locked on him as you lift your chin and take a few steps in his direction. Perfect timing, you think as he goes to pull his helmet off.

You’re only a few feet away, the helmet lifts and you see a sharp jawline, full lips and your stomach flips a little as he lifts it the rest of the way off and—

“No…” You breathe. Stopped in your fucking tracks. Eyes wide and horrified as a shock of messy white hair catches the light and sinks your stomach. “You’re fucking kidding me.” You blink, hoping you’re just seeing things with the combination of alcohol and overtiredness.

But as he shakes his hair out, tucking the helmet under an arm to rake his fingers through the long silvery layers, it’s unmistakable.

It’s… him.

Gojo Satoru.

Your eye twitches.

How? He’s a… dweeb? You’ve—unfortunately—known him throughout all three years of attending M.I.T., and he’s inescapable there too. But he’s always in some stupid hoodie with Digimon or Gunpla or some stupid shit plastered on it, or a baggy sweater that screams ‘I looked up what nerds wear and bought the first thing that came up.’ Always wearing those giant glasses and doing the stereotypical ‘Um, actually—‘ pretentious nerd bullshit.

But right now, standing next to—who you also now recognize with his helmet off—Geto Suguru, as well as two guys you would not expect to see with Gojo and his butt-buddy, Zen’in Toji and Sukuna Ryomen, Gojo looks nothing like he does at school.

The hoodies, the knit sweaters, the glasses, has he looked like this underneath it all the whole time?

Gojo laughs at something Geto says as he scans the crowd and you whirl around on a heel to head right back in the direction you came, locking eyes with Nobara and giving her a ‘I’d like to go home now’ look that she returns with one of sympathy and shock equal to yours. She’s been around since it began and witnessed all three years of competition for the top spot with Gojo.

“Whoa, no way!” You’d know that voice anywhere. Like nails on a chalkboard and you wince, your eye twitches again. “Is that Silver? What are you doing all the way out here?”

Your shoulders hike up, nails digging crescent moons into your palms as you grit your teeth against a slew of undignified things you want to spit at him. That name, it makes your blood boil, and it’s only slicing through the last shreds of your will to walk away calmly more so after the %2 difference in your midterm results.

Silver, he started it during first year as a reminder.

Second place.

Fuck, you hate this guy.

Nobara gives you a look, almost like permission. Like she’s saying ‘Spring break, fuck him up!’ with just a scrunched nose and a grin and with that, you whirl around.

Almost instantly, you regret it. Gojo is standing maybe two feet away, it feels impossibly close, way too close and you have to lift your chin to look at his face. You hold his bright blue eyes, unobscured by his usual black rimmed glasses. You’re doing your best at ignoring the rest of him, his arms, his broad shoulders, his chest, his slim waist—focus, hate him, remember? Hate the ridiculous sleeper build he apparently has—fuck, stop it! Focus!

You set your face into cold indifference, crossing your arms as he looks down at you expectantly, that aggravating smirk tugging the corners of his mouth. “What, don’t get enough of me at school? Just had to follow me here too?”

“If I remember correctly—which I always do—you were following me here.” He cocks his head a little, smirk firmly in place.

“Y’know,” Your mouth curves slightly, still holding indifference in your eyes like you’d rather be anywhere else right now. “The wannabe biker thing isn’t really working for you, you should stick to what you know. Like that Pókemon rip-off you cream yourself for.” His nostrils flare like he wants to snap, but he pushes through and grins instead.

“Whoa,” Gojo glances over his shoulder to Geto as he says, “Guess nobody told her that hostility is a turn off for guys, huh?”

“Great advice, if I go into full on hysterics will you turn off completely? Like, total and permanent shut down? Just asking, y’know, for research.” You narrow your eyes as he sets his on you again, the smile slipping slightly as his eyes flit over you for a split second before he regains both again.

“Research, huh? What’s the lab gonna be called? ‘Boner killing man-hater can’t figure out why she still hasn’t gotten a boyfriend’?”

“Boner killer?” You grin, leaning in a little. “I seem to remember quite the opposite happening when I called you out in theoretical physics during first year.”

His eyes narrow, still holding the grin but his jaw is tight. “My dick works and I was 19, sue me. Still doesn’t negate every other boner you’ve killed—not talking about mine though, Toji said he thought he’d never pop one again when you went off about the aerodynamics of his Jeep.”

“Toji is a meat head who’s taken a few too many footballs to the face. He couldn’t sense air flow in a wind tunnel.”

“I can hear you y’know.” Toji snaps from behind Gojo.

“Sorry,” You shrug, turning attention back to Gojo as you continue, “But it doesn’t change the fact that you got hard in front of like 150 people after I pointed out the missing variable in your equation, freak.”

He scoffs but it turns into a laugh after a moment, the sound condescending and grating. “Again, I won’t apologize for being 19 and having a functioning dick. Question is though, you remember that day pretty well, did something about it stick with you?” He smirks again and crosses his arms, leaning in closer to you, making you way too aware of everything you’re still trying to ignore.

“Sorry to disappoint, but nothing about you sticks with me, Gojo.” You say flatly, lying right through your teeth. There are several things about Gojo that stick with you—annoyingly so—and you’ve accumulated a few more just today alone.

His lips twitches, the corner tugging down almost unnoticeably for a split second, like you may have hit a little too hard and you almost feel a little guilty, but something victorious stomps that down and you take the win as you turn on a heel to walk back towards the line.

“Well… that was—“

“Something.” You finish for Nobara.

“I was going to say entertaining. I need popcorn or something when I watch you two go at it.” She puts a hand on your shoulder as you tug your skirt down a little, refusing to look anywhere near Gojo’s direction as he stands with Geto next to their bikes. “Sorry about your biker boy, but maybe it’s like a si—“

“Don’t. Just… don’t finish that sentence. It was stupid and I’m over it.” You sigh and hear the disappointment in it as you do. Just your luck, it’s like Cinderella or something.

But instead of a carriage turning back into a pumpkin at midnight, the hot street racer that sets your pulse on edge turns into the most annoying guy you’ve ever met right before your eyes.

It was him the whole time. And… it all kind of makes sense. The double take he did, like he recognized you, the nod, hell even the race itself. You both have been each other’s ultimate competition since day one at M.I.T., and it seems that extends outside of school too.

Oh god… you… smiled at him.

Oh god… you were eye-fucking him! Nobara was right, you were drooling over that guy and it was Gojo Satoru the whole time. But that fact changes things, that’s where she’s wrong.

The only ‘sign’ here, is a giant red STOP that you’re heeding.

a/n ᯓ★ *slaps the roof of this fic* This baby can fit so many tropes! I'm obsessed with nerdjo rn but I need him on a bike so we're doing it all. Comment if you’d like to be tagged when the rest comes out ♡ | dividers by @cafekitsune and art is by @aliyartss on insta/X and colored by me.

[cupidstrace]

He swears his mouths have minds of their own.

part 1 ∘ part 2

Whippedkuna who swears his mouths have minds of their own. Who says it with a scoff, like he’s not responsible when his hand is kneading your upper thigh and a mouth parts in his palm just to lave its tongue against your skin. Says it’s “acting up again” as his grip tightens.

Whippedkuna whose cheek mouth appears when you lean in to kiss beneath his eye. You’re expecting a soft peck, maybe to fluster him, maybe to make him scowl. Instead, the lips open, tongue sliding shamelessly into your own, swirling deep until you gasp. And all the while, he doesn’t even look away from his phone – just smirks faintly, thumb scrolling like nothing’s happening.

Whippedkuna whose stomach tongue is the worst offender. Always restless and greedy and growling when you climb into his lap, whining when you press yourself close. He swears it isn’t him, that he isn’t doing anything, but when you straddle him, the mouth parts beneath your thighs. It’s slick and needy and sighing wet heat against the thin fabric of your panties.

Whippedkuna who mutters “tch, told you it’s not me” as your hips twitch forward, grinding down against the mouth lapping at you through damp cotton. The sensation is maddening – soft fabric turning wetter by the second, every flick of that greedy tongue making your clit ache with neglect. He won’t admit how easy his hands fall into place on your waist, holding you steady, rocking you against his torso at a languid pace that has your thighs trembling.

Whippedkuna whose hand mouth joins in soon after. Lips splitting open at your inner thigh, tongue hot and slick as it swirls over your skin before pressing flat against your clit through the cotton. The sudden pressure rips a whimper from you, all sharp and needy, cunt clenching around nothing as the tongue hums. You mumble that it’s too much, too good, and he just snorts – like your overstimulation is a joke, like he isn’t hard under you, savoring every little sound.

Whippedkuna who tips his head back with a groan when you rut helplessly against him, stomach mouth sucking at your folds, tongue plunging deep inside your cunt with an obscene sound. The wet slurps echo into the room, mixing with your gasps as his hand mouth works against your clit. His cheek mouth parts, panting in sync with his own, and this time he does look at you – eyes dark, mouth curled upward in something dangerous as he watches you fall apart.

Whippedkuna whose hand slides up your back when you collapse against him, vision blurring, body twitching, cunt fluttering from the overstimulation. His stomach tongue is still buried inside you, pushing deep, lips sucking noisily at your swollen clit. Drinking in every rivulet from your syrupy cunt. And over it all, his cheek mouth parts, sighing something almost too soft to catch. Something awfully close to I love you.

Whippedkuna who still insists it isn’t him, that his mouths just do what they want.

Whippedkuna who is, again, lying.

[m4nwhore69]

Anatomy Lessons - G.S.

Synopsis: You are struggling with your biology class; anatomy was just a difficult topic. Luckily for you, nerdjo is giving you some good ol' anatomy lessons.

Satoru Gojo x Reader

MDNI. fem!reader, nerd!gojo, porn without plot, lots of teasing, sub(ish) gojo, detailed anatomy, handjob.

Word Count. 1.7k

Biology was never your forte; there was just too much stuff to remember, and it didn’t help that the things that the professor said in class went through one ear and escaped through the other. 

Which was the reason why you found yourself sitting on Gojo’s bed, the cute nerd guy from your class. The professor had asked him to tutor you so you’d improve your grades. As impossible as it seemed. 

“Cool room, Gojo.” Your voice was sweet as you glanced around his room, staring at all the different posters splattered all over his room walls. He was such a nerd, cute.

Gojo sat on his gaming chair, as far as he could be from you. “Thanks…” He replied with a bit of a stammer, pushing his glasses up. He was so cute! 

“You like The Smiths?” You asked while standing up from his bed, walking towards a particular poster of The Smiths.

“Uh, yes… You know who they are?” 

“Have I been living under a rock?” You replied sarcastically, glancing at him with a grin. “They’re my favorite band.” 

His eyes widened a bit, not expecting them to be your favorite song. But then again, he had a big prejudice against people he didn’t know. So, almost everyone. 

You cleared your throat at the awkward silence, sitting back on his bed. “So… what are we going to study today?” 

“Oh, uh, the professor told me you were struggling with anatomy, so I think we should start with that.” 

“Okay, uh, are you going to stay there?” You asked as getting comfortable on his bed. His eyes drifted to your form, peeling away quickly once you caught his gaze. God…

“I uh, I guess…” He mumbled nervously. 

“Do you have another chair or…” You dragged out your words, glancing around his room.

“No…” He replied, like he was admitting defeat before standing up from the chair, taking his books with him, and sitting next to you. 

He cleared his throat, pushing his glasses up, nervous about the closeness. “So, why are you struggling?” He asked, opening his notebook. 

“Ugh, it’s just so much to remember.” You whined, throwing your head back dramatically. 

He nodded, not really looking at you, eyes plastered on his notes. “Well, unfortunately, anatomy is mostly memorisation… Here, let me show you something.” He turned his notebook around, showing you the little drawings he had next to his notes. 

“Cool drawings.” You said, looking at his notebook before smiling at him.

“T-thanks. I uh, I like to draw, it helps me a lot with the memorisation.” 

You nodded at his words, shifting a little closer to him to see better. 

“S-so, is there a system you find trouble with? He asked, pulling back a bit to grab the biology book. 

“The masculine.” You replied, grinning a bit at his shyness.

“Oh, okay.” His tone suggested a hint of confusion. 

“What?” You asked with a chuckle, tilting your head a bit. He glanced at you, shaking his head. “No, it’s just that people usually struggle with female anatomy, it’s a lot more… complicated.” 

“Do you struggle with female anatomy, Gojo?” You asked, clearly teasing him with your double-meaning words. 

His cheeks flushed, pushing his glasses up. “N-no, I do really well with f-female anatomy…” 

You chuckled at his reply, enjoying how flustered he got. “You’re so cute, Gojo.” 

His face got impossibly flushed at your words, gaze falling to his book. “Uh, thanks.” He sighed, closing his eyes for a second before glancing at you. “S-so, male anatomy.” 

As much as you enjoyed teasing him, you actually had to study. You couldn’t keep flunking the tests. But talking about the different parts of the penis wasn’t interesting.

 So your attention began to drift, glancing down at Gojo’s lips, glossy with saliva from his passing tongue. He was rambling about something you had stopped paying attention to a while ago. 

Gojo was a really beautiful man; he had thick eyelashes that matched his white, messy hair, pale skin that you just know would look so good covered in hickeys. 

“Are you even listening?” His voice pulled you out of your dirty thoughts, eyes settling on his blue ones.

“Huh?” 

He sighed. “You’re not paying attention.” 

“I am!” You weren’t. 

“What did I just say?” He asked, closing his book. 

“Uh… something about… the shaft?” You trailed off, voice unsure since you knew well he wasn’t talking about that. 

Gojo glanced at you, sighing once more. He didn’t have much patience left. “What’s distracting you?” 

And without any shame, you replied. “You.” 

“H-huh? How am I distracting you?” 

You watched as his face flushed again, earning a smile from you. “I don’t know, Gojo. I just get distracted easily, and you’re just so handsome.”

His eyes bulged comically, making you chuckle. “What? Hasn’t anyone told you that before?” Your voice carried tease, but it was a genuine question. 

“I- I have…” He mumbled, pushing his glasses up. “That doesn’t matter; you should focus if you want to pass the class.” 

You groaned dramatically. “It’s just so boring…” Suddenly, an idea popped into your head. A dirty, dirty idea. You grinned, moving closer to him. “Maybe I just need a hands-on experience, you know? To really memorize everything.” 

“W-what do you mean ‘hands-on’?” He stammered, backing away from you nervously. 

“You know what I mean, Satoru.” 

Oh, fuck. 

He could feel all the blood from his body go directly to his cock. “Don’t s-say my name like that.” He mumbled nervously, trying to reach for a pillow to cover himself before you noticed it. 

“Why? Satoru, you have such a pretty name.” You said, voice like honey as you got closer to him. “So what do you say? I’ll learn better with the real deal.” 

“T-the real…” He whispered, mouth agape at what you were implying. Fuck…

“Come on, Satoru…” You cooed teasingly, getting impossibly closer to him, tits pressing against his arm, making him stiffen. “Don’t be coy, I can see how hard you are right now.” 

He stammered, trying to come up with a logical, not at all perverse explanation, but he couldn’t. And you grinned. “Come on, Satoru. Don’t you want me to pass my exams?” You asked with a fake pout, voice low against his ear. Making him shiver. 

He closed his eyes. God, you were an annoyingly beautiful woman; it would be a sin to let the opportunity pass, right?

Eventually, he nodded, opening his eyes once more and seeing how your hand came down to his pants. Pulling the sipper down. 

“Raise your hips a bit.” You whispered, and he did as told. His face was almost as red as a tomato, as you pulled his pants down along with his boxers, just enough for his hard cock to spring free. 

Fuck, he was big. So what they said about nerds was true. Your soft hand wrapped around his shaft, earning a soft groan from him. Hands hovering nervously above. 

“So, teach me.” You said as you began to stroke him. 

He let out a shuddering breath, trying to gather his thoughts. Teaching you would be useless, but he might as well indulge in your stupid words. “W-what you’re t-touching is the… fuck- the shaft. It’s the main cylindrical portion of the- penis.” He struggled to say, head thrown back as he closed his eyes. Fuck, your hands were so soft. 

“Uh huh… Keep going, I think I’m getting it now.” You were such a liar. 

“The… the corona is the ridge at the base of the glans a-and the frenulum is a small band of tissue underneath, c-connecting the foreskin to the- fuck, to the glans.” 

“What’s the glans?” You asked, acting dumb. You weren’t an idiot; you knew exactly what it was. You just liked to tease him. 

“It’s the head… the rounded tip of the penis.” He breathed out, body shivering at your slow strokes. “It contains a high concentration of- ah… nerve endings, making it very sensitive.” 

“Mhm…” You hummed, brushing your hand up to touch the head, making him moan a bit louder. “Guess it really is sensitive.” 

He cursed under his breath, glasses sliding down his nose. “You’re such a fucking tease.” He breathed out. Eyebrows furrowed. 

“So, the glans, the shaft, the corona, the…” 

“Frenolum.” 

“You’re so smart, Toru.” You teased while smiling at him. Your hand sped up a bit, pulling another moan from him. “Is there something else?” 

“The- oh… the foreskin.” 

“Oh, right. But you don’t have it.” You replied, thumb brushing against his sensitive tip again. Making him buck his hips. 

“Ahh… N-no, I-I’m circumsised.” He moaned out, voice shaky. 

“Mhm…” You hummed again. “Is that it?” 

“N-no… the- fuck, the urethral opening it’s… it’s at the tip of the head-” 

“Glans.” You corrected him, making him sigh. 

“Glans, whatever. The urethra- it’s where urine and semen exit.” He replied with wobbly lips. 

Your hands sped up even more, feeling his heavy cock twitch, veins bulging from the side. Satoru had a pretty cock, you couldn’t lie. “Are you close, ‘Toru?” You breathed against his ear. To which he nodded desperately, eyes shutting tightly. 

“Yeahhh… ‘m close.” He whined. Fucking whined. 

“Cum f’me then, you’re already leaking so much. Give me your cum.” 

Fuck, you were like the devil whispering in his ear. But you also didn’t have to say it twice, nor were you making him beg. 

So as you thumbbed his overly sensitive tip, he came. Hard. Harder than his cummed in a long time. “F-fuckkkk!” He groaned loudly, head thrown back as hot cum spurted out, covering your hand and his thighs in a sticky mess. 

He was left breathing heavily, chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to come down from his high. Oh, you were definitely letting him tutor you again. 

A few days later, you found Satoru sitting by himself in the library. Smiling, you head over to him, excited to show him just how much he had helped you. 

With the paper in your hands, you wrapped your arms around his neck from behind. Showing him your test. A big, red ‘A’ on the top. “Thanks for the help, Toru. You’ll have to let me repay you, and I know just how.”

Fuck, you were going to be the death of him. 

Notes: Ughhh, I love love love, Nerdjo. I'm on my period and I need him to comfort me. Thanks for reading!

[iamsoclone]

Drawn On Paper, Written In The Stars

✦Pairing✦ Astronomy professor!Gojo Satoru x artist!reader

✦CW✦ University AU, nerd Gojo Satoru, afab!reader, no y/n, alternating POV's, parental and family issues, mentions of anxiety and panic disorder, student/teacher relationship, age gap relationship (Satoru is 28, reader is 20/21), slow burn, mutual pining, tons of fluff (so many cute stargazing moments), some angst (forbidden romance so duh), denial of feelings (from both sides but Satoru is down BAD and trying to ignore that for obv. reasons), eventual smut (we will get there and it will be NASTY, be patient), masturbation, oral (f and m receiving), piv sex, public sex, creampie, dominance and power play, slight BDSM elements

✦Prev Chap ✦Next Chap ✦Read on ao3 here ✦ Headcanons

✦Summary✦ Your cosmic knowledge extends as far as 'stars are cool and I know a bunch of constellations.' Your intro to observational astronomy professor is the stellar expert here for sure—obviously. But when it comes to a spark Satoru feels igniting as you both begin seeing what exists beyond the atmosphere from the others point of view, he's out of his element. The stars have something written for you both, be it the ones scattered in your sketchbook, or the ones up in the sky that Satoru thought he knew better than anyone. Either way, he's not sure he wants to listen, he knows he shouldn't. But if this is really the message the universe itself is finally sending him, can he ignore it?

Chapter 2: Tidally Locked—Wc: 12.5k (oops)

˙⋆✮⋆˙ 🪐 ˙⋆✮⋆˙

You

The art department is jam packed today, as it usually is during the similarly timed lunch period that most others take. You’re packed into a corner like a sardine with your likeminded artistically inclined peers. No teacher, just others in your same age bracket sitting on stools, hunched over sketchbooks, standing at easels—like you—feet staggered, arms bent at awkward angles to not swipe or smudge paint.

Some mill about, chatting with friends, checking out what each other are working on, offering supportive comments and constructive criticism when asked.

The dull scent of acrylic paint mixes with the sharp zing of thinner in the air, it fills your nose along with the muddy smell from the jar of diluted paint and water on the table beside you. It’s all soothing, comforting, familiar. You swish your brush in the jar, the handle tapping the rim with little ting-tings, barely heard over the constant buzzing murmur in the room.

You wipe the brush dry on a well used paper towel and take a small step back from the canvas, arms crossed and tapping the end of the brush against your chin. The layering is going well, the soft hued burnt sienna of the under-paint shows through and changes the warmth and brings life to each dark colour you’ve begun to lay down.

As you study the dark expanse of sky, the mountain range and tree-line, the inky marine blue of the water, you catch a dark head of hair pulled into two messy buns in the corner of your eye and look up just as Choso stops at one of the long tables.

He pulls a stool out and sits next to another guy. You watch him as he opens his bag, uttering a single word in greeting to the brown haired boy next to him as he grabs a pad of paper out and digs around for a pen.

You bite the end of your paintbrush as he tucks his dark brown bangs behind both pierced ears, a few pieces still falling over his forehead as he drops his head to focus on the work in front of him. Ugh, focus god dammit. You turn your attention back onto your own work, trying to ignore the little jump in your pulse that started the moment Choso walked into your field of view.

The canvas continues to take shape throughout the rest of your free period, your practised zone out successfully blocking out the way Choso’s hands flex as he holds the edge of the page, the way the bridge of his tattooed nose scrunches a little when he frowns, until your alarm goes off—you haven’t forgotten to set it since the day you were late a week and a half ago.

You pack up your supplies quickly, folding up and returning the easel to its spot against the far back wall and setting your canvas up on one of the shelves with a few others.

As you’re weaving through the scattered groups of people you glance to Choso again quickly, and this time he looks up. He meets your eyes and flashes a quick, crooked smile as he waves with his pen. You return the greeting and he waves you down, motioning for you to come over. Your heart jumps a little but you play it cool as you approach his table.

You may have the teeniest, tiniest, littlest, most insignificant thing for the tall, handsome, pierced and tattooed artist. How could you not? His big, strong, ink stained hands create some of the most beautiful illustrations you’ve ever seen.

You knew him before starting university thanks to Yuuji, but ever since your first year when he’d noticed you a little lost in the new building and you got to know him a little more as he gave you the tour of the department, those stupid little butterflies start flitting around whenever you two talk, or when he lets you see what he’s working on—no matter what it is, it’s always breathtaking.

“Hey, your landscape is coming along pretty well.” Choso says, setting his pen down as he turns to look up at you, still sitting on the stool with his legs spread, a rip in his loose black jeans showing a peek of a tattoo on his thigh.

You adjust your bag a little, thankful for your sketchbook in hand to keep you from fidgeting. “Oh, you think?” He nods, looking over your shoulder to the shelf where the canvases sit.

“Yeah, it’s hard to keep a piece like that from getting muddy and unfocused with all the dark tones, but it looks great so far. Is it for a class?” He shifts his eyes back to you as he asks.

“Thanks, that’s really nice of you to say,” He nods again. “It’s just a side project, I might enter it in the gallery contest in Minato, but I haven’t decided yet. I guess it depends whether it’ll even be done in time.” You shrug and chuckle a little along with him.

“Yeah, there’s always a million ‘one more things’ to add and it still never actually feels complete.” You both laugh, sharing in the perpetual struggle. “You should enter though, so long as it’s done in time.”

“Maybe, we’ll see.” You shrug again and change the topic. You’re not opposed to others seeing your artwork—the carefully constructed and finished pieces at least—but something always nags. An insecurity from years of hard work at the craft with essentially no validation. Years of being told it’s just a hobby, something to pass time that you do not have. You move past the sting the thought brings to focus on Choso instead.

“Um, so what are you working on? Is that for the graphic novel?” You ask, leaning over a little to peer at the page on the table.

“Yeah, no sneak peeks though,” He splays a hand across the page, blocking your view. “It’s almost done, I promise.”

“Sorry, I’m just excited to see it.”

“Soon, I want to make sure it’s perfect before you read it.” He flips the page over, laying it face down on the table and your heart jumps at those words.

One look at Choso would have people think he’s some bad boy with an even worse attitude. The piercings, the tattoos, the stern face—nearly a permanent scowl—he walks around with almost constantly, it’s all dark and brooding, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. He can be blunt, sure, but he’s just so… sweet, too.

Despite the slight flush you can feel in your cheeks, you still manage to tease a little. “Soon, huh? So you don’t have a million ‘one more things’ to do?” The corner of his mouth twitches a little and he scratches the back of his head, looking a little sheepish.

“Maybe, I’m gonna try to cut that down to like five-hundred thousand. But we’ll see how that goes.”

“Just let me know, I’ll be excited to read it, even if I am fifty when it’s done.” You tease again and he narrows his eyes, the tattoo on his nose scrunching a little.

He clasps his hands in his lap, looking up at you in earnest with a dark brow raised. “How about this, you get the landscape entered in the gallery contest and I’ll have the first chapter done and ready to read by then.”

There go those damn butterflies again. The thought of getting to preview the graphic novel he never lets anyone see has your whole face lighting up as you nod quickly and without hesitation. You’ll spend every free minute here to get your side project done in time if you have to, no matter how nervous it makes you to think of the scrutiny your painting will be under if you do enter. The judgement your work—a reflection of yourself—will face.

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Cho. Oh shit,” You glance at your watch, “yeah, I gotta go, class starts soon.”

He nods. “You’re going to Yuuji’s game tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yeah, I’ll… see you there?” You say, a hopeful tilt to your head.

He nods again. “I never miss seeing my little brother kick ass on the court, you know that.” You nod back and chuckle, giving him a little wave as you turn to head for the door and he returns it before spinning on the stool to flip his paper over and continue working.

You let your breath out in a shaky little sigh. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that he and Yuuji are related—half brothers—with how different they are. They’re both sweet, kind and caring but where Choso is quiet and observant from the sidelines, Yuuji is loud and usually at the center of any action happening. The brooding artist and the boisterous athlete.

Something weightless and fluffy like clouds carry your tired feet all the way to the sciences annex. The last of the sakura blossoms tinge the air with that sweet floral scent, their petals scatter and flutter on the late April breeze that’s started to warm up a bit, like the little butterflies still flitting away in your stomach.

You know you probably shouldn’t feel the way you do about Choso. He’s the brother of one of your best friends, someone who—according to unspoken best friend rules—is off limits. Yuuji has never said specifically not to, but you also wouldn’t ask him about it. You and Choso are friends, and you’re fine with that being that. You wouldn’t want to mess anything up by doing something stupid anyways.

So you shove the fluttering down and walk through the looming double doors of lecture hall 7C, finding the seat that’s become your usual spot after sitting here two days of the week for almost a month.

But today feels a little different somehow. So instead of pulling out your usual mixed media sketchbook and putting black liner pen to white paper, you grab out a pad of thick, high gsm, quality black paper and pull out a few coloured pencils.

The last assignment from class continued on stellar formations and tracking their trajectories, using radio and infrared telescopes to estimate the stages, yada yada. You had completed the assignment and sent it in on time, then promptly moved on with your night.

But one thing had stuck with you, the nebulae involved in protostar formations. So solid and real, the plumes of dust and gas clouds looking like you could actually touch them, but you know they’re just that, clouds. Something that dissipates and flows through the cracks of your fingers.

To be admired, but never attained.

You’ve seen them before obviously, pictures of them, but you’d never done much research on the formations. They’re beautiful, and now—thanks to the mind numbing, mostly mathematic assignment—you know they act as the beginnings of the stars you love so much. The starting line of the stellar life cycle.

The lights don’t dim but your professor starts talking as you alternate pencils, going from rich purple, to Prussian blue, to a sunset orange, back and forth you layer and blend the colours, building the swirling clouds of dust and gas, sparking white and bright yellow out from the center of the formation.

The class goes on and your drawing builds. It’s messy and abstract, but you’re learning in this class that most things cosmic are just that, with the fact underlying that none of it happens without reason.

Cause and effect.

It all starts with gravity, then something frigid and cold and lifeless turns white hot, and bang.

A star is born.

Satoru

Everything is as it usually is on a Thursday at 1:13 PM. The facts of the day are simple and consistent, Satoru has had this whole professor thing down for a while now and no matter the class he knows exactly how it’ll go. He’s the one running things, so why wouldn’t he?

He creates the outlines filled with the material that spurs the questions he’s leading his students towards asking. He holds the answers to those questions and delivers them in his way that’s practised but still natural, with room for the little jokes and remarks he throws in on the fly.

It’s like a science. It is science. That’s what he knows, what he expects. Putting raw information in and getting the same outcome every time.

It had gotten pretty boring with how routine everything had become. Had.

There’s a new factor in his classroom equation. Something he didn’t expect. Something that his data driven brain won’t stop returning to. It demands he understand and work the new factor into his formula, blending it into the expected. But that’s so… boring.

The room is warm again—as expected—and for some reason, Satoru decided to wear a sweater today. Swayed by a—dead wrong—forecast and the chilly start to the day to layer up a little and he’s regretting it now.

Leaning over the desk and his laptop, he pops the very top button of his white dress shirt open and tugs the collar of his navy sweater away from his neck as he pulls up the slide for the next part of today’s class.

He squints at the screen for a few seconds. The heat is annoying. The fact that he’s having kind of a hard time reading the screen right now is irritating. Stupid, I don’t need another new prescrip. He got these frames barely a full year ago, he just stayed up too late last night and his eyes are strained now.

But as he blinks a few times, he looks up to one thing that isn’t irritating anymore. The corner of his mouth twitches as he sees you, head down and scribbling away at something as per usual. That, he expects now.

He’s not bothered as much by the fact that you completely disregard him and his class anymore. No, instead, Satoru has found himself wandering up the rows as he belts his lectures out, peeking at whatever you’re working on for a few seconds as he passes your row.

It’s become a part of his routine now, and yet every time he does, it feels anything but routine. He sees it almost like a cosmic crossword puzzle of sorts, something to be done consistently that stimulates the brain a little and gets active, problem-solving thought flowing. In those brief seconds he allows himself to study your sketchbook, he tries to discern which constellations and major stars and galactic formations you’ve incorporated into those drawings.

Last class Satoru made out the lanky crooked formation of Hydra along with what he’s pretty sure was Canis Minor, one of the two stars was bright like Procyon would be so he’s like… 99% sure it was Minor and not Venatici. It was just up from Hydra’s head too, the location makes sense. Yeah, yeah it was Minor for sure.

Satoru realizes he’s been looking up for a little too long and focuses on his laptop again—or tries to, he pulls back and squints at the screen again. He’s scowling internally at his optometrist who may or may not be a tiny bit right. Whatever, she’s such a know it all.

“Okay,” Satoru turns back to the rows of students, turning his laptop to face the other way as the screen mirrors over the projector. “We’re going to take it back to grade school with a bit of a ‘spot the difference’ exercise. Who can tell me which of the images was taken with infrared and which was taken with visible light only?” He gestures to the side by side photos projected.

Hands shoot up and Satoru hums as he looks over the options—luckily the strain he’s feeling is limited to anything close up, just the usual dim lighting obscures faces as he scans the crowd through his—perhaps slightly outdated—lenses. “Mmm… you, third row in the black dino shirt—yeah, which is which?”

The girl sitting directly next to you straightens in her seat but you don’t look up or look at her, you’re too engrossed, whatever you’re working on is too important. “The one on the left is infrared and the right is visible light.”

Satoru nods, “Correct, how can you tell?” He cocks his head a little as she studies the photos of the interacting galaxies—coined as ‘the penguin and the egg.’

“Well… the one on the left shows more of the smaller surrounding galaxies, they’re brighter than on the right which signifies they were picked up by more than just natural light.”

“Good,” Satoru nods again and turns to walk back to his laptop, he uses the cursor to point out a few things. “Infrared will pick up and show the fainter areas in more detail, but there are upsides to both visible and infrared light.” He slides the cursor along the dust lane running from the ‘penguins’ beak and down its back on the right image, “Here in visible light, we can see the dust lane clearly, but in infrared it’s obscured, almost completely indiscernible. Who can tell me why that is?” Satoru turns back to the rows of seats, looking over the hands raised.

“Hmm… uh, fifth row with the cherry shirt—yep. Yes you. Well I don’t see anyone else wearing a shirt covered in cherries in the fifth row, do you?” The girl looks a little sheepish as her hand slinks back down and Satoru feels a little guilty that he called her out. He meant it more jokingly than it came off, but he moves on to draw attention back to the topic at hand. “Why is the dust lane not as clear with infrared light?”

“Um,” She starts, voice a little shaky from nerves, glancing from him to the projector screen. “Is it because the, uh, the dust lane is inside the galaxy? Like, hidden away, kind of?”

A little rough, not as eloquent as I would’ve worded it, but sure. “In a way, yes,” Satoru turns back to his laptop, moving the cursor along the other infrared photo. “These dust and gas clouds here, they surround the interactive galaxies and are picked up by the infrared telescope. They overshadow the dust lane because, as we know, infrared isn’t picky about what it catches. It’ll pick up on the faintest molecular clouds, and since that dust lane exists within those clouds, it won’t be as visible through an infrared telescope.”

Satoru straightens again, tucking one hand in his pocket as he continues. “That’s the importance of having multiple means of viewing a single event or entity, if we had never captured the galaxies with the visible light telescope, the dust lane likely never would have been found.” He starts to walk along the front row, making his way to the stairs.

“And vice-versa, if the infrared scope was never used, we wouldn’t see the detail of how the two galaxies interact with each other, how their molecular clouds flow into each other and mingle. It kind of adds to the endearing quality of the two as well, knowing that they feed into each other and share their makeup makes the ‘penguin and the egg’ nickname all the more fitting.”

It’s a little earlier in the class than the other times he’s wandered up and checked out what you’re working on, but Satoru has never been all that patient in the first place. So what if I get a little excited over something, sue me.

He flinches a little as that thought passes through his head, drifting along without permission. No, no, not excited, he blinks that word away as he treks up the stairs slowly. He makes the same turn on his heel as he nears the back rows, words never breaking, never halting despite the conflicting thoughts. Not excited, just… interested? Yeah, a good professor takes a healthy interest in their students. I’m just being… supportive. Yeah that’s it.

He knocks his glasses up a fraction higher on his face as he nears your row. “So even though the dust lane is a more concentrated molecular cloud, since it’s shrouded and surrounded by more dispersed clouds, it’ll be almost lost amidst everything else picked up by—“

He stops. Again. His head turns, fully and he leans a little. He doesn’t mean to, it’s just that what he sees on the dark page under your hand, it’s… incredible. Frozen in place, quiet—shit, totally silent, Satoru stares hard at the swirling mass of dust and gas clouds, the burning white hot light that erupts from the center.

It’s completely different than anything he’s ever seen you create before, and he’s a little captivated. Star-stuck, if you will.

The silence drags on and he knows that the class is probably confused, wondering what the hell is going on and why their professor just dropped off mid-sentence.

But Satoru can’t look away. He’s seen it all before, with his own eyes even and too many times to count, hell he just had photos of stellar nebulae pulled up last week for class. But the way you’ve captured the utter chaos of the event, the explosivity of the collapse.

It’s an implosion that draws all in, and it seems that Satoru is in range.

It’s so… alive. Like I could blow the clouds right off if I just leaned just a little closer. He swallows, this is weird now. He knows he’s been standing here a few beats too long, but he just… can’t bring himself to walk away. I wonder If I asked, if she’d let me get a better look. He definitely knows that thought is weird, but the strain he’d been feeling in his eyes is making it harder to see all the little details he knows are there.

He wants to see it all, he wants to know how does she do that? How do you make the things he’s seen so many times that they’ve become mundane, the things he’s studied and picked apart for years until there’s nothing left but a cold hard scientific explanation, suddenly look brand new?

Like he’s seeing it all for the first time again but it’s under a different light, one that makes it all look so… beautiful.

It all makes his mind churn and halt in complete awe-struck stillness at the same time, while something that makes his chest feel tight rings out in his head.

When did I stop seeing the universe like this? When did everything stop being… beautiful?

You

The zone, that’s where you are. You’re zoned in and zoned out right now, flicking the white pencil in short little strokes to create plumes of light. But you have the nagging feeling that something is off right now.

What is it? Class isn’t over, it’s still quiet and nobody is moving, so… what? Your hand stops and you frown at the dark paper you’re hunched over. Quickly, your surroundings warp back into reality and you realize that the lecture hall is dead silent.

You lift your head, looking to your left at the girl sitting next to you. She’s turned to you but she’s not looking at you, she’s looking up at something over your shoulder. It all feels so… ominous. The silence, the turned heads. Something is happening around you and you’re painfully unaware of what it is.

You follow her eyes and look back to your right, towards the aisle and your eyes go wide as your heart stops right in its tracks.

Standing right there in the aisle barely a full meter away, is who must be your professor with his eyes narrowed and glued to your paper, thick pale lashes obscuring a sliver of blue behind them. Your hand instinctively sprawls across the page, shielding it from view as a furious flush starts to creep up your neck, frozen in forced shock and unable to tear your eyes off him because… has he always looked like that?

What the hell is going on? And why is he staring like that? Heat from a million different things rushes to your face. Embarrassment from being drawn into a disruption like this, that you have no idea how long this has been going for, oh god, how long has he been standing there? Did I miss something? Did he ask a question? Your mind starts to spiral.

He pulls his eyes off the page you’re attempting to cover, only really blocking less than half, and for the first time in the almost full month since this class started, you look your professor in the eye.

Your lips part, maybe to say something that doesn’t make it past your throat, maybe just to let a quiet breath escape as unbelievably pure white eyelashes lift and impossibly bright blue eyes meet yours through clear lenses set in slim, dark silver frames.

The spiral stops, everything but your sprinting pulse just kind of stops. The moment stretches, feeling like an eternity crammed into mere seconds.

The eye-contact feels heavy, there’s something being silently communicated in his brilliant cerulean irises that you feel like you should be aware of, but again, are painfully not. You blink as the corner of his mouth quirks up, and just like that, the moment is over.

He lifts his head and keeps walking down the stairs, clearing his throat to continue talking as he takes each step down slowly.

You let out a small relieved sigh and flip the pad of paper closed to shove it in your bag, deciding to leave it there for the rest of the class instead of risking another awkward, attention drawing moment like that again.

Looking back up to the front of the lecture hall, you realize you’ve never actually noticed him, how the hell did I not? You blame it on the zone and not wanting to give into what Nobara had said when classes first started, but even still… how?

His hair is the most jarring of all, that’s what you’re really surprised you never noticed. You’re usually pretty observant of your surroundings anyways but his hair is so stark white, like a fresh layer of snow, unsullied by dirt or tires or footsteps. The coloured lighting from the projector casts a blue and purple hue over him, his hair falls over his forehead and around his high cheekbones in long layers that take the colours on and soften them with his own pale tone. God, that alone should have caught your attention at some point.

You watch as he paces the front row, one hand in the pocket of his dark grey pants, the sleeves of his navy crew neck sweater rolled up over his forearms—the lean muscles of his arm flexing as he gestures, nudging the frames of his glasses back up every so often with a knuckle or a long finger.

Now, as he speaks, continuing the lecture about the benefits and the drawbacks of observation methods, you listen. He goes on about the details of infrared mapping with the same quirk to the corner of his mouth, his chin lifted in the same confidence that fills his voice and carries his words.

He scans the crowd, looking around at the rows before landing his gaze on you, that quirk lifting just a little bit into a smile that’s almost imperceivably wider. You drop your eyes quickly and he moves on again. Still feeling heat in your face from whatever just happened. Or at least you’re pretty sure it’s from that.

You look around the room briefly, almost every seat in the lecture hall is filled. An odd fact considering how niche the subject is, yet another thing you hadn’t really thought much on before, but you see it now. The way some are staring forward, elbows propped on the table with an almost dreamy look in their eyes.

Was Nobara right? Is he… you shake the thought clear. No, just as you had said at dinner a few weeks ago, you’re here for a reason and it’s not to ogle a hot professor. No, oh my god. Not hot, just… different. Yeah, very, very different.

He turns his attention back to his computer, switching the slides and you pull your phone out quickly. UToL is loaded in seconds and you’ve got the last assignment for the class opened and scrolled down to the notes at the bottom.

Due Wednesday by 10:00 PM. Email with any questions. Sorry but I don’t do extensions, so please don’t ask.

Gojo Satoru, PhD.

[email protected]

You tuck your phone away quickly as he turns attention back to the class. “So building on that, we have NGC 1566 here picked up by infrared and then visible light. It should be fairly obvious, but who wants to point out which is which?”

Immediately, as if pulled on strings the second the question leaves his lips, hands shoot up around the room. He peers around, humming and hawing the options presented, his eyes drifting over you for a moment before he gestures to someone just behind you, calling on them.

“Uh, fourth row, red hat. Yeah, you’re up buddy, explain your reasoning too.” You turn to look at the guy as he answers the question and recognize him from one of your other classes, philosophy maybe? Your focus drifts back to the front of the class, to your professor—to Gojo with a side eyed glance.

Is he… looking at me? Heat creeps back up into your face, no stupid, he’s looking at the guy answering the question, duh. You huff a breath and shove the thought away as you focus on the guy behind you speaking. But your attention is scattered, the thoughts scrambling around your mind like mice fleeing a burst of icy water flooding in.

You’re trying to ignore it, you really, really are, but there’s a nitpicky little question that keeps poking and prodding, demanding attention.

What was that about? And that little smile just before he turned and walked away, it was amused and knowing, like there was something he was aware of that you’d just been clued into.

It all coalesces into intrigue that clings like sakura petals to wet pavement. Stubborn and refusing to be blown away with the late April breeze. You find yourself unable to shake the feeling despite desperately wanting to, so you tell yourself that it’s the class, the material that’s becoming interesting, definitely not… Gojo.

That’s territory you just don’t drift into, but the tenacious little thing still whispers in the back of your mind.

He didn’t seem upset or angry at seeing you distracted, but he definitely knew you weren’t paying attention. You just can’t help wanting to know, why did he even stop? Was that the first time, or have I really been that oblivious?

You ride out the rest of class and when you’re finally dismissed, you meet Gojo’s eyes one last time before you turn to leave the lecture hall. For some reason, you return the tiny half smile quirking his mouth as he leans back on the desk in preparation to address the line forming.

Something flits in your stomach and you turn away, from Gojo, and from the singular butterfly doing something it should not do, at someone it definitely should not be doing that at.

˙⋆✮⋆˙ 🪐 ˙⋆✮⋆˙

The first volleyball game of the season is always an absolute riot, and being a home game against a school that our team has played before—and pulverized into absolute defeat—there is a lot of shit talking going on.

On the court and off. The stands are filled with parents, students, hell even a few teachers are here, and all are losing their shit.

Yuuji is a star, as he always is, but on the court is where he really shines. His love for the sport glints through his talent for it, putting his all into every diving save and leaping spike. Out of all the players on the court, you can’t help but use him as your model for figure sketches.

His dusty pink hair plastered to his forehead and temples, the white, blue and yellow uniform sticking to his torso and legs, darkening where he’s started to sweat through. But he just keeps bouncing around, twisting and hurtling to into moves that should be impossible for the human body—for anyone but him it seems.

Toge lines up and sets the tri-coloured ball for Yuuji. With a wide smile, he slams it over the net with brutal and precise force. The cheering UTokyo crowd groans as Hoshin barely saves, one of their players hits the glossy surface of the floor with a harsh squeal of bare skin on polished hardwood and his fist connects with the ball, serving it back up for his team-mate to bump across the court again.

The ball makes its way back to the UTokyo side and another player slides in to save, bumping it to Yuuji with clasped hands. The ball flies high in the air and Yuuji gets the perfect opportunity to line himself up and leap what looks like six feet in the air to spike the ball hard with the heel of his palm.

It slips through the outstretched fingers of a Hoshin player and hits the court—in.

The crowd explodes around you, beside you Choso leaps up, cheering and whistling for his immeasurably talented brother with fervour you only really see him show for Yuuji. Of course you join in, clutching your sketchbook under one arm, you clap and cheer for your best friend and the team that’s careening towards assured victory.

In the excitement as you watch Yuuji surrounded by his team-mates getting clapped on the back with a bright and satisfied grin on his sweaty face, throwing his arm around Toge—his own face flushed with a sheen of sweat sticking blond hair to his head—the guy to your right jostles you and your shoulder bumps into Choso’s bicep.

The contact is so brief and accidental you brush it off with an apology to Choso, a quick “Sorry!” Before brushing off the steadily increasing beat of your pulse as well, like the drum beat of a song leading up to some grand crashing crescendo.

Because that’s not what this is. There is no grand height all your butterflies are flitting towards with thrumming wing beats, there can’t be.

You have to ignore the spike in your heartbeat when he wraps an arm around your shoulders to pull you just a little closer, leaning down to say just loud enough that you can hear, “Dude has no concept of personal space, come over this way a little.”

Oh god. I should’ve sat in the back row with Megumi and Nobara… “Oh, uh… sure, thanks Cho,” You flash a small smile as he drops his arm, leaving the only searing point of contact between you two to just your shoulder against his side until the crowd settles again and you sit back down on the bench.

For the rest of the game, you focus hard on getting a few basic sketches of Yuuji down. His back arched and twisted in a soaring save with arms outstretched, leaping through the air with a kick off of one foot. Knees bent and fists extended, his biceps flexed as he bumps the ball, sending it flying up and out directly towards his team-mate in a perfect arc.

He really is a great model for figure practice. He plays his part on the team well, supporting other players to get their own scores and setting up impossible shots for others, making saves that no other could and doing it all with a smile that’s never smug or cocky, that’s not who he is.

When UTokyo wins—of course—Choso leaps off the bench to pull his younger brother into a hug that would probably crush bone if it were anyone but Yuuji in his arms, but it’s like he was made to withstand Choso’s brotherly affection.

It all just adds to everything else already making your chest tight and jumpy.

After a minute Yuuji shoves him off with an, “Alright, alright, enough! Give me a second will ya? I’m sweating my ass off—yeah look, your shirts wet!” He gestures up and down Choso’s frame, the front of his white tee shirt damp with Yuuji’s sweat and you chuckle, but it stops quickly when Yuuji turns to you, arms outstretched and head cocked. “What’s so funny, you want some of this?”

“Oh ew,” You back up a step, pulling your sketchbook out as Nobara and Megumi join the crowd at the edge of the court. “Cho can have the stink, I’ve got these.”

Yuuji wipes his face with a towel, tossing it over his shoulder, “You got some of me, right? Can I see?” You nod and hand it over and everyone gathers around him.

“I think they might all be of you actually.”

He flips through the few pages you’d done during the game, “Whoa, they’re really good! Am I like your muse or something?” You scoff at that and he grins.

“Hardly, you just hit the craziest poses, it’s my duty to capture them in graphite.” But in a weird, unofficial way, he might kind of be. You’re not as enthusiastic about figures but Yuuji is pretty fun to draw.

As Yuuji flips through a few pages, everyone peering over his shoulder to check out and point at a few of the figures, you look around the gym a little. You meet Toge’s eyes with a little wave and a thumbs up he returns as he, Yuuta, and Maki chat on the other end of the massive room.

You may not be part of the athletic department, but with one of your best friends so involved in it you’ve become familiar with the rest of the volleyball team as well as a few of the third year students. Yuuji is just about the most social person you’ve met, and Nobara comes in a close second, you don’t have much of a choice when it comes to social interactions in university being friends with the two of them.

Something catches your attention out of the corner of your eye in the double doors of the gym and when you turn to look, you swallow hard.

Catching a teacher outside of a classroom is always an odd sight, but you’re still on campus, it shouldn’t feel weird seeing Gojo standing there, looking over the court with his arms crossed as he leans closer to Geto to say something.

Geto rolls his eyes and says something and Gojo tips his head back to laugh at whatever it was, the sound echoes through the gym and reaches your ears to make your stomach flip. It’s so bright, just like everything else about him. His broad shoulders shake and he says something to Geto who wipes an exasperated hand down his face.

You hear your name and tear your attention off Gojo and turn back to Yuuji as he holds your sketchbook out to you.

“Somebody’s off in the clouds again,” Nobara smirks as you take your sketchbook back from Yuuji.

“Whatever, I don’t need to watch you guys go through my stuff, it feels weird.” You wave her off and she rolls her eyes, but you glance to Megumi as his eyes narrow at you, flicking to the door for a second before returning to you and lifting a brow. You shrug him off, but your stomach sinks a little.

You know that he noticed, and you know how he feels about… that thanks to Nobara’s little crush on Geto.

But that’s not what this is. Gojo is just… different.

Your eyes find your professor one more time, he’s gesturing across the court and his eyes sweep right over you as he says something to Geto. You think he may have missed you, it’d be normal, and why would he notice you in the crowds of people? You’re just another one of his hundreds of students.

But he doesn’t. He looks right at you, squinting a little and you realize his glasses are up on his head. I wonder if he’s near or far sighted, but… why isn’t he wearing them? You return the smile he flashes quickly and turn back to everyone to rejoin the conversation happening. Plans are being made to celebrate the teams win, talks of figuring out schedules and coordinating a night everyone can take off.

But your attention is scattered. Everything in your head feels so scattered.

You glance at Choso, seeing him beaming a proud smile at Yuuji and it makes those little butterflies start going at it in your stomach.

One final, quick stolen look at Gojo and it all just… keeps going. It was already warm in the gym and you’re aware of how hot your face feels right now, how suffocating it all feels now. Why?

You shake the question away. No, there’s no point to why, so just… stop asking.

˙⋆✮⋆˙ 🪐 ˙⋆✮⋆˙

Satoru

“Hello? What is up with you today?” Suguru asks from across the table. Satoru snaps his head up from his gyudon, setting his attention back on his friend.

He drops his chopsticks into the bowl and leans back. “What do you mean?”

“You keep zoning out. That was like the third time since we sat down. What’s up?” Suguru tips his head, concern thick in his tone and a lock of dark hair falls across his face, the rest tied up neatly in a bun he’s perfected over the years.

“Nothing, it’s just…” Satoru shrugs lightly, trailing off with a sigh. “My parents called last night.”

“Ah.” Is all Suguru says as he puts his elbows up on the table, leaning in a little over his own bowl. “Do you want to…” He trails off with an inflection and Satoru shakes his head quickly, picking up his chopsticks again to stir the contents of his bowl around with all the fervour of a professional mixer.

“No, no, it’s stupid, I don’t even want to think about it.” A clump of rice jumps ship and lands on the table, fleeing from the chopstick tornado ripping through the bowl. “Shit.”

“What did they want?” Satoru’s hand stops, the assault on beef and rice halted for a moment. He looks up again to Suguru, his face slightly blurred without corrective lenses to clarify the world close up, but he can tell that Suguru has that look in his eye where he’s testing.

He knows Satoru will talk to him, Suguru knows that he wants to, he doesn’t want to keep it all bottled up, stuffed inside to rot and try to eat him from the inside out. But that part of him, the one conditioned time after time, told repeatedly that he exists above others, that he shouldn’t complain because what does he have to complain about? Any other child would say thank you and accept the privilege he’d been handed, he shouldn’t be ungrateful. That part never really goes away, and it sucks anything that could be perceived as ‘speaking ill’ back down his throat.

“My father,” Satoru starts, letting his chopsticks fall again, “wants me to attend the next board meeting.” He rolls his eyes at the last two words.

Suguru frowns, Satoru can just tell. “Weren’t you taken off the board?”

Satoru laughs, a quick, humourless bark. “Yeah, I asked to be, but I guess he’s still holding out hope even after almost a decade.”

“Are you going to go?”

Satoru runs a hand through his hair, tugging the ends a little as his brow lowers, his glasses in hand and resting on the table. “I… I don’t know.”

It’s the truth, he knows that if he does it would get his father off his back, for a little while at least. But the thought of sitting in that room so full of hot air expelled by people with egos so big they all barely fit inside at the same time, his father sitting at the very top, unbothered and unchallenged. It makes him cringe.

He just knows there would be comments too. Questions about why he’s absent, why, as an adult, he isn’t fulfilling his role. What could be more important than that? Astronomy? The venomous judgment with which the word has been spit back at him makes him recoil from the thought.

“It’s not like he can force you to, so if you don’t want to, then don’t. But if it’s going to eat away at you, then maybe it’s worth it to just go and get it over with.” Suguru offers, picking up his chopsticks. Satoru looks down at his own lunch.

Suguru is right. It’ll nag and buzz and pick away at the recesses of his brain where he keeps those thoughts tucked away until he just gets it over with. No matter how many times he tells himself he doesn’t care about that life, about the one he discarded a decade ago, it’ll never leave him alone.

He can ignore it, choose a new path for himself and follow it, but that doesn’t mean his birthright won’t stalk him the whole way.

“Yeah… we’ll see. I’ve got a couple weeks to decide.” Satoru pushes his food around a bit, the vigorous blender-like stirring he’d done has made his lunch unappetizing, but he’d lost his appetite before then anyways. “I should probably head, you gonna go to that pick-up game next weekend?”

Suguru nods as Satoru stands, glasses back in his hair and replacing the lid on his takeout container. “I kind of have to, no one else is gonna keep you and Naoya from going at it.”

“Eh, whatever, dudes an asshole and definitely not good enough at basketball to talk as much shit as he does.” Satoru waves him off as he slings his bag over one shoulder, Suguru rolls his eyes—well, Satoru is pretty sure he does, it’s what he usually does when it comes to him and Naoya’s bullshit.

“Shut up, just get out of here. Don’t be late to intro, can’t keep your fan-club waiting now.” Satoru grins, flashing teeth in a cocky smile as he tilts his head at Suguru and winks.

“Careful Sugu, you sound a little jealous.”

“Hardly,” Suguru scoffs, pulling his laptop from his own bag, “I much prefer being respected to being fawned over.”

“Rude, I’m both respected and ogled,” Satoru turns on a heel and waves over his shoulder before Suguru can respond. “Later!”

He discards the mostly full takeout container in a bin along the way back to the sciences annex and pulls out a slim black case from his messenger bag, feeling immediate relief as he slides mirrored sunglasses with darkened prescription lenses up over his eyes.

The late April sun sits high in the sky, beaming down through the young, bright green leaves of the ginko trees lining the paths throughout campus, casting dappled sunlight and flickering shadows onto the paved walkways. Satoru strolls through the crowds, unhurried but closing the distance between him and his destination quickly with long legged strides.

With hands in his pockets to keep them still, sunglasses on and a lift to his chin that keeps his line of sight above most others walking around him, he’s projecting picturesque ease with relaxed posture, his spine still straight but softened through his shoulders.

None of the restlessness inside him shows outwardly. The conversation with his father picked apart and analyzed, each firm “Satoru,” that came through the phone plays over and over, but the easy curve to his mouth doesn’t waver.

So disconnected are his outward disposition and inward stream of thoughts. The dissonance curated over eighteen long years of being shown off like a prize at charity events and galas, sitting in on board meetings and conferences and luncheons with investors, being fed whispers of a future laid out for him before he’d even been conceived.

“That’ll be you someday soon.” A woman had once murmured to him at an event celebrating the anniversary of his family’s company, gesturing to his father speaking on stage. At fifteen years old, that sentence had turned his blood to ice. It wasn’t a new revelation, but it was one that solidified his need to get out before he became even more trapped under the weight of a role he was expected to snap and twist and break bones to fit into the mold of.

Satoru walks into lecture hall 7C without even realizing it, he’d been so engrossed in thought and distant memories—though not as distant as he may like—that he made the entire journey here on autopilot, still wearing his sunglasses indoors. He corrects that quickly, putting them back in their case and slipping it back in his bag as he approaches the desk.

He goes through the usual motions to start the class, tossing his bag on the desk, finally putting his glasses on, pulling his laptop out to check over his lecture outline and pair up to the projector. Doing it all without having to think twice, his mind is still too busy on other things, things he really doesn’t want to be dwelling on right now.

As he waits for his laptop to sync up, Satoru scans the crowd of students steadily filing into the rows to take their seats and finds you already in your usual spot with a laptop out and sidelined in favour of a notebook.

That’s… different.

He’s about to turn focus back to his own computer, but just before he looks away, you glance up, looking right back at him.

A single moment passes where the heavy air around him dissipates and the gentle, near perpetual curve to his mouth lifts just a little more. It feels… real as you return it, like it reaches more than just his lips.

One beat. Then two.

Despite the movement and the chatter going on in the lecture hall, the turbulence inside his own head, as you hold his eyes for a third beat—it should feel like too long, but it doesn’t—and flick your pen between your fingers in a wave—a greeting that makes something like satisfaction swell like a balloon in his chest—Satoru feels none of the dread or frustration that had been hanging over like a cartoon cloud just a moment ago.

It all just kind of falls away in favour of that sparking thing that never fails to spring into action when it comes to you.

Whether it’s here in the lecture hall, as professor and student, or through the crowds in the gym after the volleyball game where you were surrounded by friends—he really wishes he’d been wearing his glasses because he wasn’t sure if you actually saw him, if you smiled back or not. Regardless, he knew it was you and the moment he realized it was, he had to hold back from interrupting you talking to your friends.

Because… what would I have even said?

Four beats. Too long. Way, way too long. He manages a small nod to return your gesture and forces his attention back to his computer. He wants to beam and call something out to you, just to break that final piece of ice and talk to you, but what would he say?

You’ve finally acknowledged his presence and when you did, he realized just how much he actually wanted that. To be seen, looked at in the same way your eyes take in the universe around you.  Is that… weird? Yeah that’s pretty weird. Kind of creepy actually. Oh god… am I being creepy? The thought makes something twist in his stomach.

God, I really hope she doesn’t think I’m a creep. Satoru pinches the bridge of his nose, blinking a few times to rid the thought. But it doesn’t work. No, if she thought I was creepy she wouldn’t be smiling back, right? That thought makes that twist in his stomach tighten, spreading to his chest in a way that he tries to ignore.

But that doesn’t work either.

You

Am I blushing… again? What the hell—why does this keep happening? You huff in and out, a short cooling breath as you turn to your own computer and make sure your notes page is up along with UToL—but you already prepped everything when you sat down almost ten minutes ago.

Straightening your supplies, lining up the coloured pens, making sure you’ve got the right date on your notebook, the right subject—you do of course, you’re just fidgeting now.

One glance back up to the front of the lecture hall draws that confusing warmth back to your cheeks as you steal another look at Gojo.

He’s bent at the waist, one hand splayed on the desk to support and the other doing something on his computer, his long middle finger moving along the touchpad and tapping. Pale slender brows knit slightly, the glow of his screen reflected in the lenses of his glasses and obscuring his eyes a little.

His stark hair is kind of messy, like he’s run a hand through it a few too many times. His white button down is untucked from his black trousers, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and top button undone, the collar crooked and open over his prominent collar-bones. The dark indigo knit vest over his shirt is loose and rumpled a little, sitting unevenly on his broad shoulders.

He looks a little… dishevelled. Quite different from the last two classes that you’ve been kind of paying attention in, but he still manages to make it look… good. Oh my god… no, stop it. Stop looking at him. You tear your eyes away and lower them as he straightens and greets the class, a little quicker and more curt than usual.

As class goes on, you notice he just seems kind of… tense today. When he adjusts his glasses with a knuckle to the frame, they sit askew on his face—one side a little higher than the other, but he doesn’t fix them.

You’ve always been observant, your artistic eye notices details that others might miss or gloss over—except when you’re locked into the zone—and now that you’ve noticed Gojo, it’s hard not to keep noticing, again, and again, and again.

But you’re paying attention to not just him, but to everything spilling from his lips as class goes on.

His words have a way of needling through your mind, maybe it’s just that you do actually like the topic—not quite as much as getting another period for practice, but still—or maybe it’s the way he speaks them, a fervour and something like passion filling his voice and animating his movements.

Regardless of if he’s going on about formulaic calibrations, discerning parsecs through light speed—the more… boring and mathematic aspects of astronomy—or if it’s about nuclear fusion, the formation of protostars and gauging their cycles and stages, you’re paying attention, whether that’s by choice, or because you find that you can’t… not.

So you alternate between typing out notes on your laptop and writing certain things down on the lined notebook to your left, sketching out what’s on the slides and doodling between bullet points. It helps to physically write down some information rather than just typing it, like you’re engraving the words into not just paper, but your brain as well.

It started last class when you were focused on another page in your sketchbook. Gojo’s words cut through the haze around you and your hand paused, the pen bleeding ink into paper to make a fat black blob right in the middle of the page.

It happened two more times before you said screw this and tucked your sketchbook away, a little irritated that the illustration was basically ruined by ink splotches. So you pulled out a notebook of lined paper and started jotting down bullet points as class went on.

Today you’ve come fully prepared with every intention of taking the class seriously—you also don’t really want to ruin any more sketches with ink blobs when your attention is inevitably drawn elsewhere.

Throughout the class, your eyes flit back and forth to and from three things.

Your laptop.

Your notebook.

Your professor.

Even though he’s tense, ruffled and dishevelled, unlike the few other times you’ve seen, Gojo stays consistent with one thing.

He likes to walk the aisle, you’ve noticed. The pause and glance to your work he does makes something in your pulse spike just like it had that first time, and he’s about to do it again.

You keep your head down, but your eyes find him as he takes the steps up slowly, both hands in the pockets of his pants.

You swallow hard, you’re not sure why.

Your face feels warm, you don’t want to think about why.

This feels… weird. But maybe it’s normal? You try to tell yourself as you punctuate a sentence on a handwritten point. Maybe Gojo is just the type of professor who likes to keep tabs on the students, making sure they’re paying attention, getting the information down correctly. You take a small breath, wetting your lips. Yeah, yeah that’s probably it. I’m just one out of the hundred and something others here, he does it to everyone, not special.

But then… why does he smile at you the way he does? No. Stop that. But he does. Stop.

He’s getting closer. Taking the steps up so slowly, his voice growing louder in your ears as he gets near. You keep your focus on the page, writing out shorthanded points as he passes your row, still going up the stairs.

He’s my professor, he’s being nice, he probably smiles back at everyone. Not special. No different than anyone else in this lecture hall.

But then—faster than you expected, too fast—he’s right there.

Your head lifts and turns before you can stop yourself. Your eyes meet his, too close and too blue. God, he’s so tall, too tall.

One beat.

Gojo’s eyes drop to your notebook, your chest goes tight as his lips curve more than you think you may have ever seen, too full, too pink. Stop it.

Two beats.

He meets your eyes again with that smile that reaches them, the tension in his face gone, his tousled appearance incompatible with the look on his face.

Three beats.

Something stutters. Your pulse? Your stomach? Your brain? All of them?

No. Stop doing that. But you can’t look away. In fact, you can’t stop the tug at the corner of your mouth as four beats pass.

You can’t stop yourself from returning the smile on his face so infectious it could seep into the darkest crevices to light them up.

It’s… nothing, though. Absolutely nothing. We’re just being… polite.

Satoru

It’s nothing. The smile—shit, almost a full grin—on his face, it’s nothing. He’s just happy that you’re paying attention, clearly so now with the full page of notes in front of you.

That thing is back, the one that sparks and jolts the recesses of his brain. Actually, a few things are running through Satoru’s head right now.

Your notes are covered in little doodles and drawings, little sketches of the topic today—more on protostar formation and tracking—decorate the page between formulas and annotations, and it’s all just so… endearing.

That satisfaction is back too, that you’re paying attention to his lecture and writing down his words. Satoru is no stranger to pride, but the pride in his chest isn’t ballooning his ego. It’s genuine in a way that just feels… good. It’s lifted his mouth into that smile that he knows is probably pretty goofy looking, stupid actually, but he just can’t help it.

Five beats pass and he knows he’s been standing here for too long, again. It’s weird, he’s being weird. But he just can’t… help himself.

You’re smiling back and there’s something silent being passed between you both, he’s not sure exactly what’s being said, maybe nothing, just an… understanding of sorts. Yeah, that’s weird. I should… go. But, I want to… no, move Satoru, don’t be creepy.

His lips part like he’s about to say something, he wants to but he has no idea what that would be. Hi? No, weird. Good… notes? No, even weirder. You missed a power of ten on the Planck-Einstein relation. That’d be the professional thing to say, but… I’d feel like an asshole. So instead, his mouth snaps shut and he nods, again. Stupid.

You return it, one polite dip of your chin and Satoru swallows hard against something in his throat, jumping up from his twisting stomach as he eyes your face.

You’re… blushing, fingers nervously rolling the sleeve of your dark knit sweater. Cute. His smile spreads even wider before he can stop it but with that thought, he knows he needs to move.

That is not something professors think about their students. Yeah, it’s time to go. What the fuck, Satoru? He finally tears himself from the spot and keeps going down the stairs, continuing the lecture he’d put on pause for—again—way too long.

But that thought haunts him. It shoves its way to the forefront of his brain every time he looks over the class and catches your eye, sees you jotting something down with that same concentration he’s only seen you give your artwork with your tongue peeking out of the corner of your mouth.

Satisfaction floods in again knowing you’re giving him the same focus and attention you reserve for important things. That maybe you see him as something important now.

It’s the class, idiot. She’s paying attention to the lecture, to the material. Not… me. Just as she should, it’s important stuff.

But for some reason, Satoru is hoping that maybe… it’s both.

˙⋆✮⋆˙ 🪐 ˙⋆✮⋆˙

You

Time as a university student is a weird thing. It’s tracked and managed to a surgical degree, literally scheduled down to the minute some days, you can never forget just how much there is to do and how little time there is to do it all. Yet, at the same time, it slips away quickly and without being noticed, sneaking out like a rebellious teen still under its parents roof and rules.

Blink, and a week is gone like that. A blur of classes, reading, assignments, tests, paint and ink stained clothes, and most surprising of all; losing the extra practice period in favour of actually paying attention during observational astronomy.

You’re not too proud to admit that Gojo might be kind of a good teacher and that you might be kind of enjoying his class now. If you’d just paid attention from the start then maybe you would’ve realized that earlier, but you’re doing so now and it’s been paying off.

Your marks are getting higher with each assignment, the material isn’t exactly easy, but you’re finding it worth it to engage with the class more now. It is pretty interesting stuff, and every so often when you look directly at him, Gojo will flash that quick smile as he meets your eyes, sending heat to your face and that jittery feeling into your stomach.

It’s confusing and you try to shove it away, ignore it as much as possible but it also feels like motivation, knowing that he’s paying attention too in a different way. You’ve never been a slacker, and for some reason it bothers you to think he might have seen you that way.

Which is why you’re currently dumbfounded at the news you’ve just gotten.

“What the—how—I don’t… you’re kidding me? What the fuck!” You splutter, sitting in the living room with your laptop on your lap, UToL pulled up.

Nobara pokes her head around the corner, “Whoa, what’s up? What are we ‘what the fucking’ about?”

“The-the marks for… they got posted…” You trail off, still staring in disbelief at the screen of your computer and the horrific number staring back.

“Marks for what? What are you—oh…” She trails off as she takes a peek at your screen and the shameful grade splattered across like a bloody crime. It is a crime.

A big, fat, criminally low %72 all but flips you off. The results for the observational astronomy test taken last week.

How? You studied for this test! You pored over notes and class outlines and previous assignments—ones you had done well on—in preparation, so just… how?

“That’s… not bad!” Nobara puts a supportive hand on your shoulder, you return it with a weak glare.

“You’re kidding, right? It’s horrible!” You give up on the glare and bury your face in your hands, slamming your laptop shut to keep that number from taunting you any more. “My parents… they’re going to kill me if they find out.” You mutter into your palms, the horror of that sinking in like ice that chills your veins and spreads through your body by bloodstream.

Is it bad enough? Would they finally put their foot down and… make you pull out of your elected classes? Oh god… You can feel panic set in, breaths coming in shorter and quicker, your chest getting tighter with a vice clamping down around your ribs.

She sighs, fingers curling into your shoulder like she just knows the onslaught of ‘I told you sos’ to come should the mark stay as it is. “Okay, yeah it’s not great, but you might be able to get extra credit to make up for it?”

“Yeah,” You lift your head a little, the idea pries that vice away from your chest as you think on the percentage you’d have to get to make up for the test. “Yeah, that could work. I can probably talk to—“ The words die on your lips, withering and shrivelling back down into your throat as something thumps hard in your chest.

Talk to… Gojo.

The thought immediately makes something that feels like a fight or flight response activate. Your pulse jumps, your fingers twitch, your stomach drops.

“Talk to… your professor?” Nobara finishes the halted sentence for you and your eyes dart to her, wide and panicked.

“Yeah,” You squeak. Why are you freaking out? He’s my professor, I’m supposed to talk to him when I need help, and clearly I do. But that means I’d have to… talk to him. Just being near him makes your face light up with the heat of a thousand solar flares, what would you do if you actually talked to him? “I guess… I kind of… have to.”

“You seem really nervous, has the class been okay? Well, I mean aside from… that.” She gestures to your laptop and you nod, way too quickly to be convincing.

“Mhm! Yeah, yeah, it’s been… fine.” You chew your lip and glance back to Nobara, seeing her eyes narrow with scrutiny you can feel yourself shrinking under.

“Oh… my god. It’s him isn’t it? The hottie professor?”

“What?!” You squawk, face hot with a flush that betrays your denial. “No! ‘Bara, you have no—“

“Oh my god, you totally like him!” She cuts you off and you stammer to rebut, but she just keeps going. “Don’t even, your face is full tomato right now.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about and on a completely unrelated note, I’m going to bed.” You scramble off the couch and tuck your laptop under an arm, heading for your bedroom.

“Sweet dreams! Say hi to Gojo-san for me in your fantasies tonight!” She calls after you, you groan, shutting the door hard behind you.

You drop your laptop on your desk and flop face down onto your bed. She’s so nosy. And so, so wrong. I do not like—I mean, why would I even… ugh, stupid, whatever.

But you aren’t sure who you’re trying to convince more that that’s the truth.

You, or Nobara.

˙⋆✮⋆˙ 🪐 ˙⋆✮⋆˙

Your knee bounces uncontrollably. You glance at the time on your laptop—1:56 PM—and swallow hard, looking back up to the front where Gojo is pacing, finishing off the lecture.

He turns, eyes roving over the rows of students around you. You drop your gaze as his lands on you, still talking with that small lift to the corner of his mouth as he goes on, wrapping up the last few points.

You’re not nervous, that would be stupid, because what do you even have to be nervous about? Just going to talk to my professor. He’s my professor. Professor, remember? It’s what he’s here for, as my professor. Professor, professor, professor. But the reminder does nothing against the jittering your stomach, your pulse, your leg, damn near every part of you is doing right now.

The time ticks and ticks and ticks away, too fast and too slow until 2:00 PM hits and all of a sudden, Gojo is dismissing the class.

You shut your laptop and pack everything away with fumbling hands, leaving your notebook out to tuck under your arm as you sling your bag over one shoulder and head for the stairs.

But instead of going up and running out of the lecture hall like you kind of want to right now, you turn and force yourself to start down the steps.

The usual line is forming, not as long as usual though and you can’t tell if that’s a positive or a negative. You join at the back and keep one hand busy with the strap of your bag and the other on your notebook as you wait for the line to move.

You know exactly what you’ll say when you reach the front. Something brief and polite, moving onto the test and everything you struggled with quickly, no chit chat, just a student and her professor going over class material, as it should be.

Yeah, it’s fine. I’ve done this a million times before, this is nothing new, nothing different.

The line gets shorter and shorter and you get closer and closer to Gojo. His bright hair stands out even more in contrast to the dark blue dress shirt that fits like it was tailored to his body, to his wide shoulders, his broad chest. Tucked into grey trousers that hug his long slim legs, accentuating his waist.

Fucking hell, stop that. Just… be normal for gods sake and do not perv on your professor. You take a deep breath, looking at anything but Gojo as the line moves along. I can do this, I do this all the time. What’s there to be anxious about? He’s just another professor after all.

Just… another professor, right? Right.

Satoru

Satoru isn’t sure he’s ever answered so many questions so quickly, but how could he not rush through everyone in this line when there you are at the back, waiting to talk to him.

The second he saw you standing there, he had to hold in the victorious outburst begging to explode from him. Satoru has been wracking his brain to come up with how to talk to you, a reason to actually say something, something good enough to say.

But instead, you’ve come to him.

And god help you, if you make this weird Satoru. Just… don’t, don’t be weird. Be cool, you are cool, the coolest actually, don’t mess that up by saying something weird.

He’s hyping himself up to do something he’s done a million times over, something he hasn’t felt nerves over since he started teaching—and even then he wasn’t really nervous about it.

But this is you. Satoru is finally going to talk to you. He wants to pick your brain, he wants to know why you create what you do, what draws you to the cosmos, how you capture it all the way you do, and what made you take his class.

So badly he wants to know, what brought you here into his lecture hall?

Satoru gets through every student in the line with speed that impresses even himself. Answering questions with his practiced answers belted out at near light speed, addressing inquiries and concerns quickly, half paying attention, his eyes flitting back and forth from you, to the faces in front of him.

Each one that steps up is like part of a countdown, he feels himself winding tighter and tighter with each tick of that timer.

“Thank you for your help, Gojo-san, see you next week!” The girl ahead of you waves as she turns to leave, and just like that, you’re up.

He adjusts himself on the desk, still leaning against it with hands in his pockets to keep them still. But he rolls his shoulders back and straightens his legs out a bit more, making himself a little taller, his posture more confident and broad.

You step up to stand closer to him than ever before, so close that he can see the pink dusting your cheeks and ears clearly. You’re not looking right at Satoru, rather something just to his left as you chew your lip and fidget with the strap of your bag.

It’s silent for one beat. He’s never one to sit still in quietness, but he’s not exactly sure what to do right now.

Two beats. He opens his mouth anyway to just say something, but before he can, you swallow and lift your head, meeting his eyes and he shuts his mouth as his stomach twists with that unfamiliar feeling again.

You clear your throat, a small nervous sound that he can’t help but think is cute as you do, immediately scolding himself for it.

“Hi.” Is all you say. It’s quiet, but Satoru hears your voice for the very first time and just can’t help the smile on his face—not cool at all, probably stupid looking actually, but he doesn’t stop it, doesn’t stifle it. He’s been told how to smile his whole life—politely, not in excess and not too small that it could be misconstrued—but standing here with you looking up at him, a small smile on your own face as though you’ve caught whatever stupid giddiness that’s leeching from him, he can’t help it.

Satoru tilts his head just a little and swallows down everything that wants to jump up his throat and assault you to just say instead, “Hi.”

✦a/n✦ me: ooh, things are getting hooottt! The things in question: smiling with prolonged heavy eye contact and quite literally 2 words exchanged. Denial is a river in Egypt, girl, you like your teacher. But that's okay because he tooootally likes you too. Satoru being so nervous to talk to reader, I write him how I need him, desperate. (≧▽≦) Also, CHOSO MY LOVELY HIIII see u in s3 ♡

[m4nwhore69]

Dad'sBsf!Toji Drabble. MDNI.

Dad’sBsf!Toji, who is a walking red flag. The man is just so troubled, you don’t even know how he’s your dad’s best friend. 

Dad’sBsf!Toji, who is the opposite of your dad. 

Your dad is just so sweet and kind. And Toji is mean and an asshole. 

Dad’sBsf!Toji, who is completely off-limits. Duh! 

But Dad’sBsf!Toji just fucks you so good. 

You felt guilty hiding it from your dad, but what could you really do? 

The thrill and adrenaline you felt was like no other, it was as if Toji was like a drug and you were addicted. 

“S-shit… Toji!” You moaned out, arms shaky as you tried to keep steady against the desk in your room. 

His big hand covered your mouth, hot ear hitting your ear as he got impossibly closer to you. “Shut up.” He breathed out, his big cock stretching you open so good. Hips snapping harshly against your ass. 

You whimpered against his hand, moans muffled by it. Your eyes were tearing up from the overstimulation. He has pulled three orgasms from you already. 

“Mhmmm… No, no, no. Big girls don’t cry, do they? You said you were a big girl.” He grumbled against your ear. Making you let out another muffled cry. He was so mean. “Didn’t you say you could handle my cock?” 

You nodded at his words, taking every single inch. 

“Well, I don’t know…” He teased, hand trailing down your tummy, heading towards your puffy clit, the mere touch making you yelp and quiver. Far too overstimulated to handle it. 

But he didn’t care; he left fast, mean circles over your poor clit. Tears streaming down your pretty face. “F-fuck, so fucking tight.” He groaned, cock twitching inside you. 

“Toji-” His hand muffled your cry, shaky legs not being able to handle everything. His arm wrapped around you, carrying you off the ground. Manhandling you in such a way, the air got knocked out of your lungs. Your mouth gaped, but no sound came out. 

He kept thrusting, fast and deep. Until you felt he knot snap, eyes bulging as a loud gush! Was heard in your room. Your body shook harshly, orgasm so intense you felt like passing out. 

“Holy shit!” He groaned, pulling out and cumming on your back. “Fuckkk…” 

Your arms shook as you tried to reach your desk, stumbling as you fell into your chair. 

“Shit, baby.” He breathed out. 

You sighed deeply, trying to recover from such a strong orgasm. Yeah, Toji had fucked you up for any other possible hook-up. 

Sadly, the moment was interrupted by the sound of footsteps outside your door. “Sweetheart, have you seen Toji?” Your dad’s voice chimed outside. 

Shit. 

Notes: Hello! Maybe, maybeeee. I'll finish the full fic. I'm currently working on the fics for Kinktober. But I wanted to write something quick, and my dad's bsf was here yesterday sooooo. Yeah, this may or may not be inspired by him. (He's single, don't come for me.)

[satorucest]

𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴 — part of loving satoru

“you know what i just realized?” you start, lazily sprawled chest to chest on top of satoru’s long form laid across the couch.

“and what is that, fiancé of mine?” he hums sleepily, arms draped around your waist, already preparing a smug response despite not knowing your next words.

“i’m the only one who got a ring. you never even got one from me. isn’t it usually the bride’s job to get the groom’s band?”

satoru tilts his head back against the pillow, staring up at the ceiling as he pretends to think. then, his eyes flicker to yours and he flashes you that godawful smirk of his.

“mm, not true. you’ve been giving me rings for a while now.”

you blink once. “...excuse me?”

satoru giggles mischievously. with a grunt, he cranes his neck as he leans in close, voice low and utterly obnoxious.

“every time you go down on me, princess — you leave a nice, perfect ring of your lipstick at the base. that counts. you’ve already been putting a ring on it.”

your face burns hot at his nerve and ability to turn any situation sexual. “satoru—!”

“what?” he grins — wide and innocent — delighted with your scandalized look. “i’m just saying…”

you groan, lifting yourself off of him slightly and balancing on your hands at his sides. you look him right in the eye with a glare.

“that’s a hell of a big finger to slip a ring on, don’t you think?”

satoru chuckles — sharp and cocky. he stretches one of his arms behind his head like he owns the place — and you.

“what can i say? you already know i’m big everywhere — so it’s only natural. and you’re the only one who can do it.”

then, satoru’s voice lowers to a quiet and gentle murmur. he brushes a thumb over your ring clad finger before pulling your hand to his lips, pecking delicately.

“you’ll never have to spend a dime on me. just give me your love. it’s priceless, the most important promise — and no one else in the world could ever buy it.”

your breath catches at his sincerity, but you try to mask it with a scoff. you swat his chest lightheartedly with the same palm you tugged from his grasp.

“you’re so cheesy… and insufferable.”

“and you love me~,” he singsongs, encasing you back into his arms before you could protest.

you sigh dramatically, but your small smile into his shirt gives you away.

“unfortunately.”

satoru presses a kiss to the top of your hair with a whisper.

“best decision you ever made.”