ExHusband!Toji headcanon in which he wants his wife back (sfw, fluff)
ExHusband!Toji was a stark contrast from the man you married six years ago. He had a steady job now, light in his eyes, and was always the first to spoil baby Megumi rotten.
ExHusband!Toji shared custody, but somehow found reasons to show up 5 to 6 times a week, always "just to see Megumi," never mentioning the way his eyes lingered concerningly on your limp leg first.
ExHusband!Toji had a habit of dragging up university, talking about the apartment you shared, the awful cheap ramen you both survived on. And he always ended with the same line of “I miss the simple version of life with just us two.”
ExHusband!Toji was too afraid to voice out his reconciliation attempts outright, so he'd send 6 y/o Megumi home with a peony bouquet "for mama" instead.
ExHusband!Toji tucked a blanket over you when you fell asleep on the couch, pressing a kiss to your forehead like muscle memory, only to disappear into the guest room right next door to sleep alone.
ExHusband!Toji would go quiet and tight-jawed, painfully watching your neighbor flirt with you at your front door, fists clenched like he wanted to punch the guy for wanting to be with his (ex) wife.
ExHusband!Toji started using his evenings to stock your fridge and scrub your house clean before your night shifts ended, baby Megumi trailing behind him and scattering a mess of Legos he’d keep having to clean up.
ExHusband!Toji would release the tension from your shoulders with his calloused hands, lingering a minute too long during what was supposed to be a ‘quick’ massage. Neither of you would move, both of you secretly wanting more.
ExHusband!Toji would panic at a single undelivered text, certain that you blocked him and finally closed the door on him for good.
ExHusband!Toji left a new jacket in your closet the day after he noticed a hole in your old one, not realizing that you liked the old one because it had memories of you both when you wore it as a cover-up during your dates with him.
ExHusband!Toji's hand stayed wrapped around yours a little longer than needed after you'd already found your balance on the crutches as he helped you out of your car.
ExHusband!Toji kept replaying you finally hugging him first, years after the divorce. It was unprompted and he’dd frozen in your embrace, as your murmured how much you missed him.
ExHusband!Toji would make baby Megumi the same quiet promise every night, that one day he'd bring his mama home for good (meanwhile Megumi only cared about his dad being a new playmate for his Legos).
a/n: since y'all liked the husband kuna one so much, i figured i'd feed the toji girls right this time 🤭
+1 my freaky aah would be the one running back to toji after the divorce let's be sooo fr
if toji could have you pregnant for the rest of your life, he would.
there was just something about you when you were pregnant — your belly swollen and round, breasts full and tender…
you had such a glow to you, he thought. even through raging hormones, swollen ankles, endless cravings, he couldn’t get enough of you.
he wasn’t quiet about it, either.
it’s only been three months since the baby was born, you’re drying the dishes, minding your own business, yet he’s already trying to put the idea of getting you pregnant again in your mind.
two muscular arms wrap around your waist, chest against your back, chin resting on your shoulder. "comin’ to bed?" he asks, pressing a slow kiss to the side of your neck.
"not yet, still have stuff to do," you respond, melting into your husbands embrace.
toji hums lowly, hands moving under your shirt and splaying across your soft tummy — slowly losing its roundness as the months go by. "miss when there was a bump," he says.
you scoff, "you miss when i was fat?"
"miss all of it," he mumbles, burying his face in the crook of your neck, tone slightly needy.
he squeezes the softness of your tummy, making you elbow him instinctively.
toji just grins faintly, unaffected by your attempt at shooing him away. "what, can’t love on my wife now?" he purrs, pressing himself more firmly against you.
"sure you can. just not there. still working on losing the tummy," you say with a small sigh, finishing up the last few plates.
not that you could see your husbands expression — but if you could, you’d see him practically pouting at your response.
"do that and i’m shavin’ my head," he warns, knowing how much you adore his hair. he adored your body, no matter how much it had changed. in fact, your new curves only made him want you more.
if that were even possible.
your thicker thighs, fuller breasts, the extra chub on your tummy… fuck. you were a sight for sore eyes.
"toji fushiguro. if you dare-"
"i want another," he interrupts, rubbing his hands all over your tummy, reminiscing about when it was round with his kid.
"do you want another kid, or do you just want to see me pregnant again?" you say, raising an eyebrow, turning around to face him.
his hands find your hips, gripping them possessively, massive frame pinning you against the counter once more.
"both. cmon, doll. just one more."
"you’re insane. it’s only been a few months," you argue, trying to ignore the disappointment suddenly showing on his stupidly handsome face.
a face that was extremely difficult to say no to.
"since when can we afford another kid? we’re still paying off the hospital bills from the first one. which might i remind you, was only three months ago. ”
toji smiles at you like he doesn’t have a care in the world. "so i’ll work extra, anythin’ you need, i’ll do it."
you tilt your head, narrowing your eyes at him, knowing a straight ‘no’ would crush him right now. you settle for a safer answer.
"…i’ll consider it."
toji grins like he’s won the lottery. "atta girl," he says, picking you up and draping you over his shoulder like you weigh nothing, carrying you over to the bedroom.
"put me down!!" you giggle, kicking your feet. "…i didn’t even say yes!"
he’d squeeze a yes out of you by your second orgasm at least.
୨୧ ― The flickering neon sign outside Toji's shitty little apartment paints his sweat slicked back in a red glow as he slams into you, bare with no condom this time. His rough calloused hands bite into your hips hard enough to bruise, the smack of skin on skin drowning out the choked whimpers you can't stop.
"Look at you," he growls, voice gravel drenched and smug. A thick vein pulses along his cock as he drags it out slow -too slow- just to watch your pussy flutter, desperate and empty, "Clenchin’ like a fuckin’ virgin around me every goddamn time. Beggin’ me to stay." His thumb swipes through the mess dripping down your thigh, shoving two fingers past your parted lips without warning, "Taste that? All you. No rubber bullshit ruining the flavor... Or fun."
You gag around his digits, tears pricking your eyes as he rams back in with a squelch. The obscene wetness of him splitting you raw makes your toes curl. He’s right -fuck he’s right- every drag of his bare cock lights your nerves like kerosene.
"Shoulda seen your face," he laughs, hips snapping forward to nail your cervix in a way that makes you see stars. The headboard cracks against the wall, your nails scratching red angry lines into his back. It's too good, so fucking good, but the thought of him filling you up like this- "Eyes wide, screamin’ ‘Toji, please, I’m not on the pill-!" His mimicry of your panic is vicious, mocking, "Too late now, princess, I'm gonna pump your womb full 'til it takes."
You feel him swell, thicker, hotter. Panic claws up your throat, "Wait-wait, I can’t-!" Despite your protests you can't help but pull him closer, thighs wrapped tight around his waist as he hammers home again and again, a broken mantra of, "Oh fuck oh fuck oh~-"
Toji cuts you off with a snarl, his hand wrapping around your throat and squeezing tight enough to make your pulse hammer under his palm, "You can."
It’s the way he says it -like a vow, like a curse- that unravels you. Your legs tremble around his waist, heels digging into the muscles rippling across his lower back, "S'too good- T-Toji~♡!!! Please don-don't stop!! D-Don't p-pull out~♡! Make me a mother~"
He grins, all teeth, "There it is."
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Toji Zenin hates condoms because he needs you to feel it- the primal, filthy truth of him branding your insides. The schlick of your juices mixing with his cum, the way your walls spasm when his tip kisses your cervix. He wants you dripping him for days, every step a reminder of how he utterly ruined you. No one could ever satisfy you the way he does.
But more than that?
He hates them because latex can’t give you his kid.
His favorite girl, you- the woman he can picture with a tiny diamond on your ring, belly swollen and soft. The idea of you carrying his brat makes his cock ache and his teeth grind. He imagines you walking around, round and glowing. Your tits, heavy with milk, aching for his mouth.
"S’why you keep comin’ back, right?" he mutters later, holding your limp body close as he licks the sweat from your neck. He rubs your stomach, still flat, but not for long, "Deep down… you want me to put a baby in you."
Toji can see it now- a boy, with his jawline and his eyes. A girl, with your smile and his nose. A handful of tiny brats, all perfect.
He knows it would be a mistake. A kid deserves better than a monster, a man who can count his friends on one hand. Toji will never be anything more than a glorified hired body. But the thought is tempting.
"Imagine my brat, growin’ in that pretty belly. Havin' family dinners… Soccer games… Movie nights…"
He's not the kind of guy you can build a life with. Too rough, too wild, too dangerous. But Toji can't deny the way his heart clenches at the idea.
"Fuck, baby… That'd make me so fucking happy…"
Toji Zenin hates condoms because, maybe, just maybe… He'd like a family to actually call his own.
boyfriend toji fushiguro shows you how a real man takes care of his woman.
cw: toji loves your bush!! soft sweet toji but he’s also a freak.. mdni, oral f!receiving, praise, mentions of shitty exes. wc: 1.1k, art creds ruu_sugu on x
toji fushiguro is a filthy man, but he is a man in all the ways a man can be one, his fingers are calloused, dirt tucked beneath his nails after hours of labor, sweat clinging to his porcelain skin, a nasty scar cutting across his lip that catches the light whenever it tilts into a cruel smirk. he’s cocky, full of attitude, cruel and rough around the edges, but always soft where it matters, and always soft with you.
he’s a man in every sense, he takes you however you desire yourself to be, dolled up or all natural, he doesn’t give a damn, he loves you regardless, and that follows straight into the bedroom.
he doesn’t care if you haven’t showered that day, doesn’t care if you just got back from a run, he’ll peel your leggings off with rough fingers and drag you over his face without a second thought, letting you settle there, your cunt warm and soaked with want, coating him in it. the desire is evident when he pulls back for a breath, his face glistening with your juices.
he doesn’t even care if you’re on your period, he’ll eat you just the same, filthy and unbothered, spit mixing in as his tongue laps at your pussy, pushing into you like he’s starved. the first time he did it, went down on you like that, it shocked you, none of your past boyfriends ever would, they’d always made a face, called it gross, something to avoid, and toji had only scoffed at that, muttering that they were a bunch of fuckin boys, that a real man takes care of his woman no matter what.
toji is a man, but more than that, he’s your man, and despite the sharpness in his attitude, the bite in the way he speaks, he’s a hopeless romantic underneath it all, and when toji fushiguro falls in love, it’s all-consuming, unwavering devotion.
so when he walks through the door of your shared home, limbs heavy and tired, muscles aching, worn down and scuffed up, faint streaks of dirt along his skin and dried blood still clinging to his jaw and split lip, he barely pauses to shut the door behind him. he’s already moving, already looking for you, needing to bury himself in your warmth, to inhale your sweet scent and fall asleep with you tangled around him, limbs locked together tightly.
the bathroom door is cracked open, steam curling out, the steady sound of water hitting tile filling the space, his bruised knuckles tap against the wood, and your voice, soft as honey, drifts through it, warm and familiar, making his cock tighten in his pants from your words alone, “toji? come in, baby.”
“yeah, yeah… i’m comin, doll.” his voice is low, rough, dragging, the kind that settles deep in your chest and pulls heat low in your stomach every time.
his fingers hook around the shower curtain, pushing it aside, already expecting to strip down and pull you close under the hot water.
instead, he stops.
his eyes land on the razor in your hand, the way you’re about to drag it through your bush, and his expression twists, his hand shooting out to grab your wrist, stopping you mid-motion.
“the hell are you doin’?”
you blink at him, brows lifting slightly, “shaving..?”
his jaw tightens, something irritated flashing across his face as he yanks the razor from your hand. “yeah? well quit that shit.”
you huff a little, rolling your eyes, “why, it makes it easier for you, trust me, i know i let it go too long, it’s just annoying to deal with, don’t start, my dumbass ex used to bitch about it enough.”
that does it.
toji lets out a low, annoyed sound, snapping the razor clean in half before tossing it somewhere behind him, already stepping in, already stripping, clothes gone in seconds. his body is all hard lines and muscle, scars and strength, something you’ve traced a hundred times with your hands, and mouth.
his hands find you again, gripping your waist, pulling you into him, his face dropping into the crook of your shoulder, making himself just a little smaller to fit against you.
“you’re a real idiot, y’know that?” his voice is quieter now, still rough, but softer where it presses into your skin, his breath warm even under the spray of water.
his mouth moves after that, dragging down your body, slow and unhurried, savoring it, the feel of you, the way your eyes are laced with something dark as you watch him, it drives him crazy. his hands spread across your waist, holding you steady as he lowers himself, resting his forehead briefly against your stomach. water runs down his back in uneven trails, dark hair clinging, almost blue under the fluorescent light.
“those guys you dated before me,” he mutters, voice dipping lower, rougher, “they ain’t men. just a bunch of pathetic fucks who don’t know what to do with a woman.”
his grip tightens slightly, grounding you to his touch, bordering on something possessive.
“good thing you got me now.”
the words settle heavy as he drops further, pressing kisses along your soapy inner thighs, slow at first before his teeth catch lightly, a sharp nibble etched into your skin, making you jolt.
“should track ‘em down for even thinkin’ they had a right to you,” he adds under his breath, not quite joking, not quite serious either, before his focus shifts completely.
he moves in between your thighs, nudging closer, the bridge of his nose brushing against your folds, his breath warm against you.
“but right now…” his voice comes out rough, worn at the edges from whatever mission he just came back from, “i’ll show you how its supposed to be done.”
“t-toji…” your voice breaks into a small whine when his mouth finally closes around your clit, gentle at first, sucking just enough to pull a reaction from you.
he huffs out a quiet chuckle against you, low and pleased, his tongue sliding out to trace slow circles, dragging upward from your hole before dipping back down, a finger pressing inside you briefly, just to feel the heat of your cunt, spreading you open and teasing.
his actions aren’t rushed, his mouth working at your core, slow and unhurried, finding new ways to please you with his tongue, on his knees, face and mouth buried in your needy pussy, exactly where he wants to be.
it’s obscene, the way he buries himself between your thighs, hands keeping you open, mouth moving against you with intent, water running down his broad back while your nails press faintly into his skin, leaving crescent marks, soft mewls spilling from your lips, quiet at first, then less controlled as his tongue works you open.
“fuck… that’s it,” he murmurs against you, voice muffled but clear enough, “just like that… don’t need to change a damn thing.”
his mouth moves again, kisses scattered between slow licks, tongue pressing in, then dragging up through you and through the hair you were about to get rid of, like he’s proving a point, nearly making out with your bush.
your fingers tangle in his hair, gripping tight as your body reacts, your thighs shifting, your breath turning uneven as he keeps going, steady, focused, pulling everything out of you piece by piece.
by the time he finally looks up, you’re already wrecked, chest rising and falling, the bathroom thick with steam, his gaze heavy, pupils blown wide as he locks onto your desperate state, a crooked grin pulling at his mouth.
“only dumbasses worry about shit like hair,” he mutters, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, eyes still on you, “so quit thinkin’ about it… i ain’t one of ‘em.”
note: this is lwk dookie but i have another toji fic in the works..
masterlist - kofi - emergency commissions
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Toji’s reaction to his wife and baby Gumi getting emotional over a movie
You lay stretched out on the couch with a hot water bag pressed to your lower abdomen while Toji kneaded slow circles into the arch of your foot. Your period had been brutal this month: cramps, mood swings, the whole kit.
Megumi sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the TV, unusually quiet as he watched The Lion King. It was technically Megumi’s first time seeing it… though Toji insisted he was only watching because Megumi wanted to (it was his favorite Disney film.)
You were completely absorbed in the movie, eyes fixed on the screen as the stampede scene ended.
Then it happened.
Simba nudged his father’s still body, tiny voice trembling as he tried to wake him up.
Your chest tightened immediately. Tears burning your eyes, and you sniffed quietly, blaming the hormones.
But then—
A soft sniffle came from the floor.
You blinked and looked down. Megumi had turned around, his lip wobbling, eyes glossy and full.
“Are you okay, baby?” you asked gently, pushing yourself up. You opened your arms for him.
That was all it took.
Megumi’s face crumpled and he ran straight into your chest, burying his face in your shirt as the tears finally spilled over.
And somehow, that made your tears fall too.
“Oh—oh no,” Toji muttered from beside you.
He stared at the two of you like you were aliens. Megumi sniffled loudly against your shirt while you rubbed his back, your own eyes watery.
“I know, Gumi,” you murmured softly. “It’s really sad.”
“The movie’s not even over yet!” Toji protested helplessly. “He’ll be fine!”
Neither of you listened.
Megumi just clung tighter, and your shoulders shook with quiet tears.
Toji dragged a hand down his face, “What the hell..”
He leaned forward and, with ridiculous ease, he scooped you both up, pulling you onto his lap.
“C’mere, you crybabies,” he grumbled.
Megumi curled into your side while you rested against Toji’s chest, and before you knew it his big hand was rubbing your back while the other rested on Megumi’s head.
“You two are unbelievable,” he muttered, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Megumi’s head… then another to your head.
“Just let it out, I guess.”
After a few minutes the sniffles died down, Megumi’s breathing evening out as he stayed tucked against you.
Toji sighed and leaned his head back against the couch.
“I swear,” he grumbled quietly, still absentmindedly stroking your hair, “I live with a bunch of weirdos.”
type of content: Nsfw- MDNI AGELESS BLOGS WILL BE BLOCKED
Prologue: Toji never thought he deserved peace. But then you came into his life. Now, in the quiet of the night, with your belly carrying his child, he felt something he'd never expected: home.
And for the first time, he was afraid to lose it.
warnings!: Soft dom Toji, possessiveness, praise kink, Daddy kink (if u squint), body worship, pregnancy kink, intimacy, oral (fem receiving implied), morning sex?.
photo made by yunonoai on twt! MINORS DNI!!
It was 4 a.m. when you stirred.
The house was silent—Megumi tucked in his bed down the hall, Tsumiki fast asleep on the fold-out in the guest room with her favorite bunny still clutched in her arms. Everything was still, wrapped in that deep early-morning hush that only existed before the sun rose.
Except Toji.
You felt him first. His body was warm behind you, chest pressed to your back, one hand already curved protectively over the swell of your belly. He’d barely moved, but you knew him well enough to feel the tension in his body—the weight of his stare, the way his breathing had changed.
"Did I wake you, sweetheart?" he murmured, voice low and rough against your neck. He kept his voice quiet, almost reverent, like he didn’t want to risk waking the kids.
You shook your head slowly, still half-asleep. "What time is it?"
"Little after four." His hand stroked over your belly, slow and steady. "Couldn’t sleep."
"You couldn’t sleep," you whispered, turning slightly into him, "or you just couldn’t keep your hands off me?"
You felt the rumble of a chuckle in his chest. "Can you blame me, mama? You look too damn good like this."
His hand slipped beneath the shirt you’d borrowed from him—his shirt—and found bare skin. He let his palm rest there, wide and warm against your stomach before trailing down, slow and deliberate. You could feel his cock already hard behind you, pressing against the soft curve of your ass.
"You feel so good, baby," he breathed, kissing the top of your shoulder. "So soft. So warm. My pretty wife, all full of me."
His fingers brushed the waistband of your sleep shorts before sliding underneath, easing between your legs and finding just how wet you already were. You gasped softly as he started to stroke you, slow and deep, like he had all the time in the world.
"Fuck, sweetheart… already dripping for me," he murmured. "You miss me that much?"
"Toji," you whispered, eyes fluttering shut, breath catching.
He moved behind you, pressing another kiss just beneath your ear. "Shhh. Don’t wake the kids, yeah? Gotta be real quiet for me."
The thrill of it—the darkness, the silence, the whole house asleep—made you even more sensitive. Your hips moved without thinking, grinding into his ghand, soft whimpers caught in your throat.
"Let me take care of you," he whispered. "Wanna taste you, baby. Gonna make you cum before the sun even thinks about rising."
You didn’t answer—just nodded, breathless and eager.
Toji helped you onto your back, nudging your legs open, dragging your shorts down slow so they didn’t make a sound. He knelt between your thighs, eyes roaming over your body like he didn’t know where to touch first.
He kissed the inside of your thigh before murmuring, "You look so fuckin’ pretty like this, mama. All round and glowing, and still this pussy’s sweeter than anything I’ve ever had."
Then he was on you—tongue licking through your folds with broad, warm strokes, fingers spreading you open as he sucked gently on your clit. He moved slow, like he had all morning to worship you, like the taste of you alone could sustain him.
Your hand slid into his hair, your breath shaky. Every moan came out soft and desperate, too scared to echo down the hall. When his fingers slipped inside and curled just right, your legs trembled around his shoulders.
"That’s it," he murmured, pulling back to press a kiss to your inner thigh. "Be good for me. Let me make you feel real nice."
You came hard, clenching around his fingers, your back arching off the bed. He didn’t stop until your body stopped shaking, until he knew he’d pulled every drop of pleasure from you.
Then he climbed back up, dragging his cock along your thigh as he kissed you, deep and possessive.
"You ready for me, mama?"
"Yes," you whispered. "Need you, Toji."
He pushed inside you slow, groaning into your neck as your body stretched to take him.
"Fuck," he grunted. "Still so tight, baby. Even with my kid in you. My perfect fuckin’ girl."
His pace was slow, deep, every thrust hitting that perfect spot as he kept one hand on your belly and the other tangled with yours. His forehead dropped to yours as he moved, eyes locked on yours, lips brushing together between kisses and quiet gasps.
"You’re everything to me," he murmured. "My wife. My girl. My whole damn world."
You clenched around him, and he gritted his teeth, hips stuttering. "Shit—gonna cum, baby. You want it? Want me to fill you up again, yeah?"
"Yes," you whispered. "Please, Toji…"
He groaned your name as he came, hips buried deep as he emptied into you, holding you like he’d never let go.
And when it was over, he didn’t move. He stayed there, bodies tangled, breath slowing, hand stroking your belly in lazy, tender circles.
Toji remained close, his body still pressed to yours as the night stretched on. The soft rise and fall of his chest against your back was the only sound that filled the room, his hand still resting gently on your belly, as if ensuring you were there, as if he could feel your heartbeat beneath his palm.
The house outside was still. The world, at least for now, wsas at peace.
Toji’s voice broke the silence, a murmur against your skin. “I don’t need much, baby. Just this.”
You shifted slightly, turning to meet his eyes, the weight of everything unspoken hanging between you two. He wasn’t a man for words, but in these moments, there was nothing more than the simple closeness he offered—more than what he’d ever known before.
“You’re mine now,” he said, his hand sliding over the curve of your belly, as if staking his claim not just on you, but on the little life growing inside of you. “And I’m not letting go.”
You smiled softly, brushing your fingers through his hair. “I know, Toji.”
And in that moment, it was as though the rest of the world faded away. The dangers, the shadows of his past, everything. It was just the two of you. The man who never thought he’d deserve a home and the woman who’d somehow given him one.
Toji kissed your forehead, his touch gentle, almost reverent. “I love you, mama.”
You closed your eyes, savoring the quiet, the warmth, the simple comfort of being together. For the first time in a long time, you both allowed yourselves to simply be. No expectations, no chaos. Just love. Just the two of you.
And you both knew—this was the life worth fighting for.
the first time you meet toji fushiguro, you think he's asleep.
he's stretched across a bench outside a convenience store, one arm thrown over his eyes, dressed in a worn black hoodie despite the warmth of the afternoon. there's a duffel bag tucked beneath the bench, the zipper half-broken, and a pair of scuffed boots resting neatly underneath him like he's worried someone might steal them.
you almost keep walking. then his stomach growls, loud enough that you hear it from several feet away. you stop & he doesn't move. for a second you wonder if pretending to sleep is less embarrassing than admitting he's hungry.
your chest tightens. you quietly step into the convenience store instead.
when you come back outside, you're balancing two warm paper bags and a drink carrier. you crouch beside the bench. "um..." nothing. "...excuse me?"
one green eye slowly opens. toji looks at you like you've interrupted the best nap of his life. "yeah?"
you awkwardly hold out one of the bags. "i, um... bought too much."
he stares at it. "didn't ask."
you nod quickly. "i know. but i thought maybe you were hungry."
another long silence. he's waiting, probably for you to ask for money. or your phone number. or for you to tell him there's a camera hidden somewhere filming his reaction.
instead you just smile a little. "it's okay if you don't want it." you gently place the bag on the bench beside him. "have a nice day."
and before he can answer you walk away.
toji waits until you're halfway down the street before opening the bag. inside is still-warm katsu curry, a bottle of water & a chocolate bar with a little sticky note folded in half.
please don't skip dinner.
that's it. no number. no name. nothing. he stares at the note for a long time. "weird." then quietly eats every bite.
he expects never to see you again. instead, three days later... you're back. same convenience store. same shy smile. same ridiculous amount of groceries in your arms. you stop when you notice him sitting on the curb. "oh." your face brightens. "hi."
toji blinks. "hi"
you hesitate. "did you like the curry?"
he almost lies. almost says it was terrible just to see your reaction. instead: "yeah"
your smile grows impossibly bigger. "good."
"that's it?"
you tilt your head. "what else would i say?"
"most people would've asked for somethin'."
"like what?"
"money."
you laugh. "i already spent my money on the curry."
he stares. you genuinely seem confused by the conversation, like kindness costing something has never occurred to you.
it becomes... a thing. every few days, you'll "accidentally" buy too much. an extra sandwich. an extra coffee. an extra pastry. and every single time, you insist you couldn't possibly finish it alone.
toji stops arguing after the fourth visit. mostly because he's starting to realize arguing makes you sad. he weirdly doesn't like that.
eventually, he learns your routine. every tuesday and thursday after work, always stopping at the same store, always carrying too many reusable shopping bags because you refuse to use plastic ones. always smiling at the old cashier & always waving goodbye. it's sickeningly wholesome.
he hates how much he starts looking forward to it. "you got a name?"
you blink, "yeah."
"you gonna tell me?"
you giggle which completely throws him off. "only if you tell me yours first."
"toji."
you repeat it quietly, like you're testing how it sounds. "toji."
he pretends it doesn't make his heart do something weird. then you tell him your name & he repeats it once. you're not sure if it's the street lamp lihgting, you'd think he was smiling.
the first time it rains while you're talking, you immediately panic. "your bag!"
toji looks over. "what about it?"
"it's getting wet!"
before he can stop you, you're dragging the heavy duffel beneath the shelter with both hands, huffing from the effort because it's apparently filled with bricks.
"there." you beam. "better."
"thanks."
"of course."
weeks turn into months. toji eventually admits he's sleeping in his truck. "that's... slightly better than the bench? do you have blankets?"
"yeah."
"are you lying?"
"maybe."
the next afternoon you show up with two thick blankets. "my closet was getting crowded."
he raises an eyebrow. "really."
"okay, i bought them."
"thought so."
you never pity him. that's what he notices. you don't look at him like he's broken or dangerous, or someone to avoid, you ask him about his day, tell him about the stray cat that's started following you home. complain about your boss. laugh over dumb internet videos.
you talk to him like he's just a person, not dirt under your shoe. it's infuriating. he'd almost forgotten what that felt like.
one evening you find him outside the store again, except this time he's standing. clean clothes, fresh haircut, a little less tired around the eyes.
you notice immediately. "you look different."
he scratches the back of his neck. got a job."
your face lights up so brightly he actually has to look away. "toji!"
before he can react, you've thrown your arms around him. the hug lasts maybe two seconds which then ends when you suddenly realize what you've done. your eyes widen. "oh my gosh—i'm sorry!" you immediately let go, mortified. "i should've asked first—"
"you happy for me?"
you blink. "of course."
he nods once. then quietly says, "do it again."
"...what?"
"the hug."
your cheeks turn pink. "are you sure?"
instead of answering, he opens one arm awkwardly like he hasn't hugged someone in years. maybe he hasn't. you smile, step forward and this time, when you wrap your arms around him, he hugs you back carefully. he closes his eyes for just a second, breathing in the faint scent of laundry detergent and vanilla.
home.
he doesn't know why that's the first word that comes to mind. he just knows that for the first time in a very long time... he isn't thinking about where he's going to sleep. he's thinking about whether you'll be waiting outside the convenience store on thursday.
after that, things change so quietly that neither of you notices at first.
he's still waiting outside the convenience store on tuesdays and thursdays, except now he isn't there because he's hungry.
he's there because you're coming.
you still bring him coffee some mornings, even though he now has enough money to buy his own. you still insist on splitting pastries in half because "they taste better when someone else steals a bite."
toji rolls his eyes every single time.
then steals the bigger half.
he learns the little things about you before he learns the big ones. that you always tear the sleeves off your coffee cups because you fidget when you're nervous. that you hum absentmindedly while reading ingredient labels. that you can't walk past flowers without stopping to smell them, no matter how rushed you are.
you're soft in ways he doesn't think the world deserves. toji has spent most of his life believing kindness always comes with conditions. people are nice because they want something, they expect something. eventually they'll remind you of everything they did for you. but you never do. you never bring up the meals. it's almost unsettling.
one afternoon he finally asks. "why?"
you look up from where you're trying to untangle the strap of your tote bag. "why what?"
"why'd you help me?"
your brows knit together like the answer is obvious. "you looked like you needed it."
"that's it?"
"yeah."
"you didn't even know me."
you smile softly. "i know."
his first paycheck isn't much. after rent on a tiny apartment and replacing clothes that have seen better days, there isn't much left over. still.
the following thursday, he gets to the convenience store before you. he waits outside, hands shoved into his pockets. when you finally appear, smiling the moment you spot him, he awkwardly holds something out.
it's a paper bag. you blink. "what's this?"
"bought too much."
you look at him. "toji."
he shrugs. "couldn't finish it."
you laugh so hard you have to cover your mouth. "you're terrible."
"learned from you."
inside is your favorite sandwich. the strawberry milk you always buy and a chocolate bar. tucked inside is a tiny sticky note with handwriting so bad it takes you several minutes to decipher it.
please don't skip lunch.
your eyes immediately sting. "you kept the note."
"yeah."
"why?"
he looks at you like you've asked the dumbest question imaginable. "'cause you wrote it."
you don't realize you're crying until he sighs. "aw, don't do that."
you sniffle. "i'm not."
"you're literally cryin'."
"happy crying."
"still counts."
you laugh through your tears and, without thinking, throw your arms around him again.
this time he doesn't hesitate.
his arms wrap around your waist almost instantly, pulling you close with a quiet little huff, like this has become the most natural thing in the world.
months later, you're helping him unpack the last box in his apartment. it's tiny. the couch barely fits. the kitchen only has enough room for one person at a time. the bedroom window sticks whenever you try to open it. you think it's perfect. "you've got a home."
toji looks around the room. "yeah."
but he isn't looking at the apartment anymore. he's looking at the girl kneeling on his living room floor, carefully placing cheap mugs into the cupboard like they're priceless antiques.
the girl who fed a stranger because she thought he looked hungry and who bought blankets without making him feel like charity. who never once looked at him with pity, just warmth.
he walks over before he can think too hard about it. "hey."
you glance up. "hm?"
he crouches in front of you, takes your hands. "i got somethin' to ask."
"okay."
he scratches the back of his neck, suddenly looking strangely nervous. "you've been buyin' me food for almost a year."
you giggle. "i have."
"think it's about time i returned the favor."
"toji."
"let me take you to dinner."
you smile. "that's your big question?"
"yeah."
"i thought you were gonna ask me to help build ikea furniture or something."
he snorts. "don't push your luck."
you laugh, squeezing his hands. "i'd love to."
the smile that spreads across his face is small, crooked. so unbelievably boyish that it barely resembles the guarded man sleeping on a park bench all those months ago. you don't think you'll ever get tired of being the reason for it.
years later, whenever someone asks how you met, toji always tells the story wrong. he'll lean back in his chair, completely serious, and say, "she wouldn't stop feeding me."
you'll gasp dramatically. "that's not true!"
"is."
"i offered you one curry!"
"then coffee. then pastries. then blankets."
everyone laughs.
you bury your face in your hands. "i was just trying to help."
toji reaches over, intertwining his fingers with yours beneath the table. his thumb brushes across your knuckles. "i know." his voice is quieter now, only meant for you. "best thing that ever happened to me."
and every single time he says it — he still sounds like he can't quite believe someone as kind as you stopped walking that first afternoon. all you thought you were doing was buying lunch for a stranger.
you never realized you were giving him a reason to believe life could be gentle again. or that one warm paper bag and a little sticky note would eventually lead him home.
