#hope u enjoy niku !

[seiwas]

sellllllll it's meeeeee. hehehehehehehehehhehe

so for ur writing exercises.... deku + light? please? pretty please?

:3c

heheh heheh hehe niku. this will be the death of me. me writing izuku for the first time 🥲 i will only do this for you </3

contains: established relationship, spoilers for the end of the manga, aged up deku but sometime in between the final outcome (he doesn't get the h*** s*** from bakugo yet), mentions of sex and scars

deku + light

izuku only sleeps with the lights off.

it isn't uncommon; many people you know can't sleep with even just a sliver of light turned on somewhere in the room. but the difference with izuku, you learn, is not that he's unable to stand the light―it's that he refuses to.

you quickly pick up on it the first few times he sleeps over.

he fidgets in bed, pretty badly, actually. the nightlight you sleep with glows a warm yellow, illuminating the side of your face and coating him in its afterglow. you chalk it up to nerves, how he pulls at his sleeves and adjusts his position constantly; he is, after all, one of the most anxious people you know.

and this relationship―it's new. heck, even you feel a little jittery with his arm wrapped around you.

the rhythmic tapping on your hip only increases pace. you don't think he realizes it, so your hand gently reaches for his, intertwining your fingers as you turn around in his arms.

he's close, nearly touching you nose-to-nose; the proximity leaves you fuzzy, a little ticklish, so you giggle, a soft "oops," as the freckles dusting his face almost glisten under the warm light.

"hi," you whisper, meeting his eyes; they stare back at you wide in surprise, "can't sleep?"

he looks almost guilty at your question, as if you’ve caught him with the one thing he's been trying to keep from you.

"just—" his voice comes out louder than intended, prompting him to chuckle nervously as he readjusts his volume, "just winding down, sorry."

you inch closer, nuzzling his nose lightly, "it's okay."

"did i wake you?" he asks, cheeks flushing pink as his eyebrows furrow in immediate concern. his expression is something caught between stifling a grin and feeling sorry.

you shake your head against the pillow you share, strands of your hair tangling with his. "just winding down," you tease, watching as his gaze turns softer, eyelids drooping heavier.

sometimes, you think, izuku holds the world in his eyes―a deep, dark green, the color of life. most times, they look at you with wonderment, bright and alive; photos from inko tell you they're the eyes of his inner child.

on nights like this one, however, they hide a depth in them weighted by what you can only assume is time, and all that has happened to him in such a short span of it.

you try your best to understand what lies beneath them, knowing full well he'll never tell you outright what truly bothers him.

"is it the light?" you bring up, some time after laying in silence.

"hm?" he clarifies.

"do you have a hard time sleeping with the nightlight?"

his eyes widen briefly once more, as if shocked that you've caught him again. these split second reactions are ones you've learned to be attentive to when it comes to izuku.

"no," he tries to lie, but you know better as you turn to your nightstand and reach for its switch, "you don't–"

"it was hurting my eyes," you quickly make up an excuse, tucking yourself closer under his chin as you cut off his attempt to deny it again.

finding out that the light was the problem was the easy part—

you'd begun to notice much earlier on that izuku was barely rested on the nights he'd spend at your place. it was only when your old nightlight broke that you began to notice him waking up much later than you did, groggily rousing from a deep sleep.

—what was hard, was figuring out why.

at first, you suspected it was his scars.

"s-sorry, it's not—" he'd warned you, right as your hands gripped the hem of his shirt the first time you were about to have sex, "—it's not nice."

you didn't care though; you still don't care, and you've made that abundantly clear to him since. you love izuku and all his parts―all the nicks and jaggedy pieces of skin that make up who he is.

when you eventually ask him about it, with a request that he be honest with you for once, he tells you that it is and it isn't―the reason why he exclusively sleeps with the lights off, that is.

it's an odd, comforting relationship he has with his body—that he is simultaneously grateful and sorry for how its become a canvas, both painted and marred to symbolize japan’s historic last stand.

you find out the real reason when you catch him staring at his hands.

he does it often, when he thinks you aren't looking—his fists bunched up in the same way he used to watch the power of one for all course through his fingertips; the same way he used to prepare them in battle.

there’s a faraway look in his eyes that lingers, you notice—a little wistful if anything.

“do you miss it?” you finally ask. he gives you the same shocked look he does every time, as if he’s been caught with a secret he’s been trying to hide.

he’s learned a fair bit about you now, too, though—lying to you is futile when you’ve perfected reading his truth. he stares at his fists again as you take a seat beside him, moving to give you space. you rest your head on his shoulder gently, waiting.

“sometimes,” he admits, but you know it’s an understatement.

“i think about the vestiges a lot. i miss them the most, i think,” he continues, clenching his fists tightly, “i always try to reach out to them, but i guess it doesn’t work that way.”

“i… i try to replicate the right conditions every night, but…” then he lets go, stretching his fingers out wide. the scars on the surface ripple through his skin, telling its own story.

you hum, acknowledging what he means. silence sits with the two of you as you take his hand in yours, slowly unfurling his fingers until his palm reveals itself to you. it’s rough to the touch, seasoned with hard work and all that he’s been through.

“is that why you prefer the dark?” you ask softly, after some time.

it's not often that you stay up later than izuku does. when you do though, you catch him shifting in bed, moving from side-to-side. you pretend you aren't awake, but you hear him mumble their names, dwindling in volume as he dozes off to sleep.

he stares at his palm for a moment before he admits quietly, "yeah." his brows furrow as if contemplating whether to say more, but he shakes his head, dark green strands swaying to the beat of his embarrassed chuckle, "nevermind, it's silly."

"it's not."

you intertwine your fingers, sandwiching his hand between yours. a slight sheen glosses over his eyes as he tilts his head up to look at you. he draws in a breath, before it spills over.

"it's..." he finds the words, and you squeeze his hand in comfort, "it's easier to believe it was all real when the lights are out, and that maybe it can happen again."

[saetoru]

tee!!! i hope u don't mind me asking about rb!gojo but i've been wondering if he's ever visited reader at work? :o (actually i wonder a lotta thINGS about rich boy! gojo and reader, this is just the thought that i think about the most LMAO)

✩ ‧₊˚ ✩。SECURITY — GOJO SATORU. (rich boy! au)

contents. college! au, rich boy! gojo, established relationships, reader’s work is unspecified ; notes. niku HELP. i bet he does visit often and i bet it’s equally endearing as it is utterly embarrassing

for anyone else, having your boyfriend visit you at work is sweet. it’s romantic. it might even be the standard—for you, having satoru visit is a nightmare.

“hiya baby! i brought lunch—i know you didn’t have time to eat breakfast today, you were running late. i kept you up all night, huh? you seemed tired. what can i say? i’m just too good at what i do.”

what. the. fuck—every time satoru opens his mouth, you regret not sewing it shut when you had the chance. he manages to make you wish you could crawl into your own skin and turn inside out.

you glare at him. he grins.

“this is your boyfriend?” your coworker gapes, staring at satoru as he plasters a smug little smirk on his face—a part of you wants to tell your coworker to stop looking at him with heart eyes before you staple them shut. the other part wants to deny ever being involved with the jerk that’s effectively embarrassed you for the rest of your career in the span of two seconds.

“i don’t know who this is,” you say quickly, “can we get security?”

“wha—what are you talking about? i’m literally your boyfriend,” satoru sputters. you look at your coworker like he’s crazy—she looks at you like you’ve grown two heads.

“he’s not,” you insist.

“i am!”

“definitely not,” you shake your head.

satoru looks more than a little offended. “i totally am! don’t lie!”

“i swear he’s not my boyfriend,” you chuckle nervously, “i don’t even date guys with freaky blue eyes and weird white hair, really!”

“hey!” he gasps, pouting, “that’s mean! you called me handsome this morning!”

“i don’t even know his name,” you insist—your coworker doesn’t seem to believe you, unfortunately. why doesn’t she believe you? you plead with the universe that she somehow, by the grace of god, believes you.

“that’s a lie,” satoru snorts, “you knew it pretty well last night. i think my neighbors know it too.” leave it to gojo satoru to embarrass you even worse than he already has at your job of all places.

“satoru,” you scold harshly before you realize—and then you blink before sighing because…well, you’ve really backed yourself into a corner with that one.

“aha,” he grins victoriously, “see? you know my name. now introduce your boyfriend who took the time to cook you—”

“buy,” you correct. he huffs.

“fine. buy you lunch—still very thoughtful, if you ask me.”

“wow,” your coworker giggles, “you guys are…certainly a dynamic.”

“thank you!” satoru grins, beaming as he sends you a wink. you think you might have to put in your two weeks notice during your lunch break—but at least you can wallow in your miseries with an expensive lunch provided by the bane of your existence.

“that wasn’t a compliment, satoru,” you grumble.

“well, at least he’s cute,” she chuckles, elbowing you.

you scowl, crossing your arms as you warn, “don’t be looking too closely. he enjoys the attention.”

“are you jealous?” satoru wiggles his brows. with a fake smile, you grab the lunch from his hands before leaning in and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.

“thank you for lunch baby,” you hum—he smiles, ready to answer when you cut him off, “security!”

this is so unserious 💀

[beardedmrbean]

Helsinki Airport was flooded with Käärijä fans on Sunday evening, as Finland's Eurovision contestant arrived home to a hero's welcome after finishing in second place in the song competition's final, newspaper Aamulehti (siirryt toiseen palveluun)reports.

Despite getting narrowly beaten overall by Sweden's entry, Loreen's Tattoo, Käärijä's Cha Cha Cha won the hearts of the public, the Tampere-based paper writes. The Finnish entry received 376 points from the audience vote, 133 more than Sweden.

"Winner, winner, winner," the crowd chanted at the airport as the rapper appeared in the arrivals hall, Aamulehti writes.

Among the neon-green-studded crowd — which consisted primarily of teenagers — was 94-year-old Heljä Hakosalo from Vantaa, who had joined his daughter in welcoming the Finnish rapper home.

As he moved through the crowds, Käärijä approached Hakosalo and gave him a hug.

"I didn't expect that. And I didn't expect that everyone would be so terribly friendly," the 94-year-old said of the experience.

Purchasing power hit 60-year low last year

Consumers' purchasing power in Finland dropped to its lowest level since the 1950s last year, according to the largest-circulating daily, Helsingin Sanomat (siirryt toiseen palveluun) (HS).

HS writes that as Finland had just begun to recover from the economic effects of the Covid pandemic, Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent the global economy into turmoil once again. The result was a spike in energy and food prices as well as rapidly rising inflation and interest rates.

Citing number-crunching agency Statistics Finland, HS reports that real income fell by 4.4 percent in 2022, the sharpest drop recorded in more than 60 years. The last time a plunge as big was recorded was in 1957 when earnings fell by 5.7 percent.

High employment levels however provided the silver lining to a difficult economic period, noted University of Helsinki professor Niku Määttänen, who said that the shock effect of last year's geopolitical events should be temporary.

"It was a one-off drop in purchasing power. From now on, one would expect a more positive development," Määttänen told the paper.

Goodbye summer (for now)

"Enjoy the warmth while you still can," tabloid Iltalehti (siirryt toiseen palveluun)writes on Monday morning.

The sunny and warm weather of the past few days is about to turn wetter and cooler, according to the paper, as a low-pressure front moves across Finland.

While Monday could see the mercury reach up to 24 degrees Celsius, Tuesday is set to see a dramatic drop, between 13 and 17 degrees, and will decrease further over the following days.

The weather u-turn will also bring rain showers, which could even fall as sleet in northern areas of the country.

Meteorologists however expect this change to be temporary, as the outlook suggests drier and warmer weather will appear again by Thursday, IL reports.

[queen-defender-on-ice]

Beep bop (do not feel pressured to do this if you feel uncomfortable at all)

Rules: answer the questions in a new post and tag 10 blogs you would like to get yo know better.

Got tagged by  @love-and-ascenderum-cavea

a. Age: 40 billion

b. Birthplace: U.S.

c. current time: 20:48 (no not the game)

d. Drink you last had: fat free plain white milk

e. Easiest person to talk to : My best friend Pooky, the Queen, and Suga (alias’) 

f. Favourite songs : BTS Fake Love, BTS Singularity, SEVENTEEN Don’t Wanna Cry, Twenty One Pilots Stressed Out, Sabrina Carpenter Thumbs, Troye Sivan Youth, Troye Sivan Bite, Fox Capture Plan Butterfly Effect, Sia Unstoppable, BTS DNA, J-Hope Daydream, BTS Anpanman, BTS Save Me, BTS Blood Sweat and Tears, Brown Bird Bilgewater, Brown Bird Blood of Angels, The Lumineers Ophelia, Martina & the Band Primadonna Girl, Marina & the Diamonds Oh No!

g. grossest memory: umm...when I got my pinky finger on my left hand stuck in this plastic tube thingy. It wasn’t really gross but it hurt more than expected and was the first thing that came to mind. 

h. Horror yes or horror no: Horror in anime yes, other horror not sure because I haven’t really watched anything that would classify as horror. I like psychological thrillers, but if you rip off finger nails or cut into eyeballs I definitely look away/skip that part. 

i. In love? Nope. Unless you count my undying love for Keith Kogane, Lance McClain, oh and how could I forget Hiccup Haddock 

j. Jealous type : I’m a petty bitch, jk not really 

l. Love at first sight or should i walk by again: Umm... honestly probably no. 

m. Middle name: Chicken Feet :D (y’all better know that’s fake) 

n. Number of siblings : 1, aka Suga

o. One wish: Besides to have enough money to live a comfortable life while enjoying my job, my wish is kinda dumb... I’d like my art on tumblr to get popular hehe *shrugs* (shush now you can find me here)

p. Person you called last: Ugh this lady I was supposed to check into for work, but she didn’t answer, then she called me back and I missed the call, then I called back and I never heard from her again. 

q. Question you’re always asked: “Are you 14?” No folks, I’m 40 billion. Also, “do you have color eyes?” umm, no? what does that even mean, my eyes are brown but sometimes look greenish, heavy on the ‘ish’, so I guess maybe yes?

s: song you last sang:  I have no clue....

t:time you woke up : well if you count the first time I woke up last night then 2am. I went to get an ice pack to sleep with because it was sooo hot, but if you don’t count that, then 6:50am. 

u. Underwear colour: white 

v. Vacation destination: Galapagos Islands, Japan, Iceland 

w. Worst habit: It was biting my nails and picking my nail beds but I was able to stop that. Now it’s picking at acne. 

x. X-rays: Had one in 2013 for my knee and multiple more over the years

y. Your favourite food: Salmon, yaki niku, miso soup, gyoza, california roll, salmon roll, rice, ramen, broccoli, sausage, mashed potatoes, baked ham, bacon corn chowder, MANGO MILK BOBA WITH EXPLODING BOBA, brownies, milk 

z. Zodiac sign: Sagittarius  I am tagging: @from-rain-to-rainbow, @supermeowmeowmeowme, @undeadfingersofbeethoven, @superhuggz, @entrezlederp, @tea-boketto, @sapphire78, @witchesunited, @morgaana, @miraculoustrashforever, @vagahe, @chianasparadox, @greymantledlady, @coolblueintrovert (I TAG THE WORLD)

[cherrienoods]

Noodle Challenge #3 and #4: Are U-don? Cause I’m no longer Soba

You probably rolled your eyes or furrowed your brows upon reading the title of this noodle challenge but I feel like this is the most relevant to me at the moment. If you don’t get it, message me. I will explain to you what I am trying to say. 

I was applauded the day I left the office at exactly 7pm to do this noodle challenge. Note to self, I hope that I get to do it more often in the future. Anyways, I was glad that I have scheduled this one after office hours. It has been a long a day and I was looking forward to chatting with two amazing human beings, Marj and Neil, over noodles. 

I haven’t planned where we should eat. While I know the templates and elements for planning, I’m not the first person you should look at if you’re looking for a plan. I just knew that it has to be in Little Tokyo. A familiar place I used to go to in my earlier days at work. Izakaya Kikufuji was always a top choice, so we went there. 

I was warned though about the possible line and waiting time. We decided to walk from AIM in Paseo de Roxas to Little Tokyo. I can only remember what we discussed but I think it was a good 15-20mins walk to the restaurant. It was not a Friday night so the area was pretty tamed. On the way, Marj said ‘hi’ to some cats in Little Tokyo which was really adorbs. 

For noodles, we ordered Niku Soba and Yaki Udon. Marj ordered Gyu Kushi, which is something I’d definitely order again, and Neil got Spicy Tuna Sashimi, that I wouldn’t mind having for snacks any day. 

Niku Soba is meat with cool soba noodles. According to an article I read, it is pretty popular in summer. Soba are thin noodles that are made from buckwheat flour. I’d say that it is like the counterpart of much chunkier Udon noodles.

Yaki Udon is a stir-fry dish with vegetables and meat. Udon are thick and chewy white noodles made with wheat flour and water. I am confident enough to say that this is a noodle dish I can cook in a random afternoon. 

With the noodle meter, I’d like to tell you how these noodle dishes fair. 1 would be the lowest and 5 would be the highest for the points. My last noodle challenge were cup noodles, so I was seriously looking forward to this one. FYI, this was not the first time trying Izakaya’s Yaki Udon.

Noodle Meter for Niku Soba  (The bowl on the left)

Taste: 3.0

Seriously, this could have been better. There were no surprises with this one. It's not bad but I probably won't order this again.

The Noodle: 3.0

We had to consult each other about how soba should be, and we agreed that nothing stands out about it. Not a noodle I'd eat on its own.

Price: 2.5

One order was Php 320. I believe I have tasted better soba than this one. I'm sure my guests agree with me on this one.

Amount of Serving: 3.0

The three of us shared one serving but it doesn't mean that it was a huge serving.

Worth it factor: 2.875

Define average. It is not so bad but not good either. I enjoyed the side dish and the conversation over this noodle.

Noodle Meter for Yaki Udon  (The bowl on the right)

Taste: 3.5

Savory. Good Veggies

The Noodle: 2.5

Noodles were over cooked and it affected the taste of the dish. We all agreed on this one as well. 

Price: 3.5

I personally think that Php 225 is a fair price  for this one. Good mix of veggies  and meat.

Amount of Serving: 3.0

The three of us shared one serving. It was an average serving for Yaki Udon.

Worth it factor: 3.125

Better than Niku Soba interms of taste. I still remember the tast of this one from when I last ordered it around a year ago. Not the best but I don’t mind ordering it again with the awesome side dishes Izakaya Kikufuji offers.

Have you tried either Yaki Udon or Niku Soba? Do you prefer Udon over Soba?

Note: I embarked on this project to have fun, connect with friends/acquaintances and of course, share my love for noodles.

[saetoru]

Tee for the Rb Gojo breakup- I can't see it happening because of a fight, yn is familar with all his antics and sheltered lifestyle that I honestly can't fathom him doing something that would make her want to breakup. So I was thinking... what if his dad has had enough and threatens yn into breaking up with his son? Telling her how she's inferior, not good enough, maybe even threatens to discredit her in the field of whatever she's majoring in. (Since Gojo comes from money one would assume that his family has a lot of influence over such things). YN eventually succumbs to his demands and decides to break up with Toru in public because he'd never agree in private. So at the latest soiree or fancy shindig, she sees the rich girls throwing themselves at him and then confronts him in front of everyone. That way everyone in his world will place all the blame on her as a jealous good for nothing and feel bad for him; yn wants to protect him as much as possible in having to do this to him.

After the breakup Gojo becomes incosolable and miserable- whether he chooses to vent his heartbreak through partying and reckless choices or holing himself up in his room and not going to class is up to you. And then of course his mom finds out the TRUTH about why yn broke up with him- because we stan mama gojo....and then from there...well- dabitee anon

SOBS I WANTED TO POST THIS SOOOO BAD THIS MORNING BUT IT WOULD SPOIL THE PLOT OF MY FIC but yes YES i had father gojo be the cause of break up !! i asked a while back and niku said that the class differences were worked out by now likely so that wouldn't rly be a cause—a lot of ppl suggested they break up bc gojo was accidentally too ignorant to readers and his differences but honestly i feel satoru is emotionally rly intelligent and i think i kinda picks up on what not to say / do and how to act to make reader feel less of a gap between them and him and i think reader would have a bit of an understanding that he is sheltered in his own right and he's trying his best !! poor thing is trying not to see like a jackass !!

N E WAYSSSS I DID MAKE HIS DAD THE CAUSE YES !! i made him threaten gojo's inheritance and stuff as a real test of readers love for him bc yeah he could so ruin reader career but would reader care if they ruined gojo's is the real question. I DIDNT GET A CHANCE TO SQUEEZE IN MAMA GOJO. SHE IS THE BESTEST. maybe in a later drabble she will make a lil appearance ;) maybe u will come up w a cute scenario for her omg u always come up w the best ones sobsob

I LOVE BOUNCING RB GOJO IDEAS W YOU SO MUCH UR MY BIGGEST INSPO I LOVE U SM and i hope if u get the chance to read the break up fic that u enjoy it and that it meets ur hopes 🥹 MWAH LOVE U KISSES U💋

[seiwas]

niku!!!!! 🥺

hhehehe i am honoured to have u break d ban to read this 🥺

am so glad u enjoyed all d bits and details i put into this 🥺 hehe i as well love likening hope to a disease lmao and gojo wanting to kiss reader... yes... he is truly Hopeless. also Insufferable. WHIPPED.

am also so happy u think yuuji is adorable 🥺 infectious cuteness is the perfect way to describe it bc. that is truly all my affection for him bleeding into words shbdsadhf

now that you mention taro taiyaki am so tempted to change it to that.... sounds so good... heh am also glad that i managed to check some niku boxes... like food and jealous gojo hihi 🤭

ofc i also can't not put subtle intimacies and nose kisses 🥹 i think they r col staples atp bfhasdf

him and reader feeding eachother even more 🥹🥹🥹 nOOOOOO now im 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 (ur love for jealous gojo definitely has spread to me hsfdbja i like seeing him as a pouty baby or maybe i just like making him uncomfortable 😭)

ily niku 🥺 tysm for reading this even while ure writing halloween fic!!! this idea rlly did come from u mostly... i just brought it to life on the page!!! 🥺 so really i should be thanking you for this entire fic too 🥺🫶🏻

₊˚⊹。look my way, you’re what i crave | gojo satoru

wc: 2.6k

summary: you and gojo made a promise to yuuji.

contains: f!reader in mind but no pronouns used, many food descriptions, a little bit of (playful) jealousy, pouty gojo, yuuji calls reader sensei.

a/n: a small extra scene that takes place some time between col 2.5 and col 3! not a food expert nor am i japanese, so food descriptions are just based off first-hand experience and some research i’ve managed to do! there are some switches in povs (gojo-reader-gojo) but i tried to keep it as distinct as possible! this is also my birthday gift for you, niku @stellamancer!! thank you for sharing this idea with me and for loving the col couple as much as i do!!

collection masterlist: conversations on love 2.5. and my body keeps saying (it's yours) <- you are here -> 03. so this is what it means to be in love + (extended scene) too good to be mine

‘Losing’ isn’t a word in Gojo’s vocabulary. 

If it is, it’s usually addressed to the other party. 

He’s been a winner ever since he was born, two blue eyes and an extra four hidden, holding power that manifests itself only once every few centuries. Some argue that he was born for that reason: to win, without doubt, incontestably. 

And he supposes, most of it is true—which is why he can’t believe the loss he’s feeling right now, standing in front of the Daifuku stall across from you. 

Never in his entire life did Gojo ever anticipate himself losing to anything. But with the way you’d casually nodded off, signaled so nonchalantly that you’d follow him but clearly didn’t—it has his head turning, finding you midbite a singular, shared stick of Yakitori.

He thinks he might have just experienced his first loss. 

And the victor is none other than Itadori Yuuji. 

.

You made a promise to Yuuji. 

Back when he was still up for execution by virtue of being Sukuna’s vessel, you’d laid your confidence in Gojo. 

“Sensei, do you really think it’s possible?” he asks, voice hesitant but eyes tinged with hope. You were discussing the ways his execution could go down—if it even will go down. 

Shoko’s always pointed out that the most dangerous thing about you is hope, and how you hold onto it so deeply that you pass it onto others like a disease, spreading it to seep into skin and bones.

Gojo calls it your hidden technique, the trump card you pull out when everyone’s knocked down, spirits low. It’s what sets you apart, he thinks, how you’re able to survive in a world that serves as an antithesis to the values you hold. 

“If Satoru said to leave it up to him, he’ll find a way,” you answer immediately, like you’ve known it all this time, experienced it first-hand—a memory. Then you add, an affirmation that sounds so close to fact, it reassures him, “he always does.” 

“Let’s go to Osaka and eat all the street food when everything’s done.”  

You made a promise to Yuuji, and here you are now, with Gojo, keeping it. 

The streets of Osaka are bustling, crowded pretty much any time of the year—carts of all sorts of street food lined up with restaurants hidden in every corner. Neon banners and LED signs light up overhead, a twinkling food heaven reflected in Yuuji’s eyes. 

It must be his first time here, you surmise, because he’s looking at every food stall like he’s ready to devour. You glance at Gojo, hands tucked in his pockets with his blindfold sitting snugly on his face. His presence is bright, blending in with the light, and he turns his head to you slightly, flashing you a small smile. 

You tell yourself the warmth you feel is because of the heat radiating from all the vendors’ stoves. 

“Sensei, what do you want to try first?” Yuuji interrupts your train of thought, but you’re sure he doesn’t mean to. He’s just excited, and his energy has always been infectious, spreading to both Gojo and you. 

Gojo isn’t too big a fan of savory things, so you know you’re going to end up having to choose. You take a look around you to survey each stall, before turning back to Yuuji with a plan on how exactly you’re going to eat and conquer. 

.

Gojo watches—the way you zig-zag across the street, following Yuuji as he walks up to each vendor. It’s amusing and endearing, seeing you being just as, if not more, enthralled at all the savory options in front of you. 

Between the two of you, he’s always had the sweet tooth, so it tickles something in him that even when you don’t, you still sandwich-ed your game plan with alternating savory-sweet-savory food.

Yuuji’s first pick is of course, Okonomiyaki, an iconic must-have in Osaka. He asks for one first, but you insist on two, knowing that the boy is more than capable of finishing one on his own. On the frying sheet lie columns of the pancakes, all made up of a simple flour, eggs, and cabbage mix, fried and coated in flavors bursting of sweet, savory, and smoky. The lady vendor is generous with the toppings and sauce she pours over it, packing the two pancakes in separate plastic containers before handing one to you and the other to Yuuji.

You turn back to find Gojo a few steps behind you, so you beckon him closer.

“Let’s share,” you whisper, once he sidles up next to you. The plastic crinkles in your hand as you try to slice a piece. He can hear Yuuji’s muffled ‘whoah’ from the side. 

You blow on the slice, lips shaped into a small ‘o’—and he doesn’t want to stare, not with Yuuji right there; neither of you have made anything official yet. 

But this is really tempting him to kiss you. 

He doesn’t know if you can tell—any hint of his desire concealed by his blindfold, but you shove the slice right to his lips. And, though it isn’t graceful at all, with the sauce probably smeared all over his mouth, it’s a good distraction from how much he wants you instead of the food right now. 

The texture of the Okonomiyaki hits right every time, the crunchy and creamy combination providing a great contrast that complements how sweet and savory it is. The bite you take after his has your expression mirroring Yuuji’s, and he takes out his phone to start taking pictures. 

“Gowo-shunsheh! Tek a shulfeh!” Yuuji shouts, mouth still full as he lifts his fingers up into a peace sign. You grin, ear-to-ear, evidence of your happy tummy; he wants to pinch your cheeks. 

“Okay, copy!” he raises his phone up at an angle, fingers hovering over the volume button as he grips the edges, “ready! 1…2…3… say Okonomiyaki!” 

Only Yuuji shouts it, and when Gojo reviews the photo, you’re halfway through a fallen smile—disbelief that he said something that cringe in his typical, loud, Gojo fashion too. 

“Hey!” he points out, zooming into your face in the photo, “Again! You’re not smiling!” 

You shoot him a look. 

“We can try it with a .5 this time, the kids love doing it these days.” he suggests, flipping the phone and gathering you and Yuuji to come closer. 

He takes two photos: one with flash and one without, and the moment he counts down, you mumble right by his ear to please not say Okonomiyaki when you have to smile—he chuckles. 

And he says it again. Both times. 

You expected no less, but at least you tried. 

“You should be our human tripod next time,” you tell him, letting Yuuji go ahead. 

The photos look good, with you tiptoeing as you balance a hand on Gojo’s shoulder, Yuuji at the back with his hands raised along with the empty plastic that used to house his Okonomiyaki.

“Knew you were just using me,” he pouts, hand reaching behind to rest at your lower back. 

It’s been the subtleties with him this trip, tonight especially. 

“Yep,” you play along, smiling at him oh-so-sweetly, “I knew those freakishly long arms were good for something.” 

Before he can retort with something cheesy, along the lines of: ‘to hold you’ or ‘to hug you in your sleep’, you move away, catching up to Yuuji. 

Your pick, for Gojo, is Taiyaki. It’s not his favorite thing to eat, but it’s sweet, and is still a good, nostalgic dessert, you’d like to think. Batter is poured all over the fish molds before being filled with the red bean filling. Then, after a few minutes of waiting, it pops out perfectly, ready to be eaten by the three of you. You ask for two again, only because this time, you know Gojo can finish one whole. 

But when his eyes land on the Taiyaki you’re taking a bite from and he realizes very quickly that it isn’t his, he feels a pinch. 

The crunchy outside and soft, full inside of the Taiyaki is enough to make him shrug off this feeling. 

As the food trip goes on, you end up in many more stalls—

—a Takoyaki one, where Yuuji’s ‘ooo’s’ and ‘aaa’s’ are heard every time the balls are flipped and formed. The cooking on it is perfect, the octopus sitting just right with enough bite as flavors of soy and Worcestershire come through in its glaze. Gojo only eats one from the set of six that you ordered, and he wishes he just waited, because now Yuuji is eating half of the last one you couldn't finish. 

—a Kushikatsu one, deep fried beef and vegetables coated in crispy, crunchy breadcrumbs and dipped in Tonkatsu sauce. Yuuji ends up finishing three whole sticks, while you manage to eat one. It’s an animated conversation between the two of you that Gojo can’t seem to insert himself into. A part of him feels a little pathetic now, tailing you both like a dog, but he just wants a little bit more of your attention. 

—a Soba shop (not so much a stall) that serves the most amazing Cold Soba he definitely isn’t missing out on. Yuuji is practically buzzing, excited for anything noodles; it’s the main reason you’d suggested Osaka in the first place. He ducks in the shop last, Yuuji first with you in the middle, and when you settle in your seat right beside him, he endearingly snickers. Gojo can see everything, you’re reminded of that everyday and in moments like this especially—the way you sigh as soon as you release the top button of your pants immediately.

You pout at him as you’re served an order of noodles each, the dipping sauce in small ceramic as the noodles lie in bamboo boxes. It’s refreshing and light, just the right balance of sweet and savory; the buckwheat noodles have a lovely bite to them, not at all mushy. When he glances at you, halfway through your bowl, he can tell that you’re already full. 

But just as he offers to finish yours, Yuuji speaks up, 

“Sensei, are you going to finish that?” 

You shake your head, pushing your bowl towards him; Gojo feels that pinch returning. 

A few good minutes of walking find you on the way to another stall—

—a Yakitori one that Yuuji practically skips to, as if he didn’t just finish a bowl and a half of Cold Soba, three sticks of Kushikatsu, three and a half pieces of Takoyaki, a half of one Taiyaki, and a whole order of Okonomiyaki. It’s unbelievable how much this kid can eat; does he have more than one stomach? 

Gojo decides to sit this one out, eyeing the Daifuku stand across the street—one, he’s gone here plenty of times before; two, he wants you to try it while it’s still fresh—soft and oh-so-delectable. 

He takes off his blindfold, ruffling his hair. With Yuuji having gone ahead, it’s just the two of you. 

“I’m going to buy Daifuku, there’s a special one I want you to taste,” he whispers excitedly, wiggling his eyebrows. 

The expression on your face is the last thing he was expecting. 

Your eyes are dazed, half-lidded, almost like you’re sleepy, and you blink at him twice before you’re able to fully process whatever it is you were saying. You could be having a food coma right now, just standing. 

“Oh, okay,” you hum, nodding as you smile, dopey, “I’ll follow.” 

He actually considers just waiting for a bit, because he wants you to go with him. But you insist and shoo him away, telling him that they might run out by the time the Yakitori line reaches Yuuji. 

So he goes, and maybe it’s a little petty, and immature, and stupid-silly, but he hates how this entire food trip has felt like a battle for your attention between him and Yuuji. 

Even though he’s probably the only one who feels it.

So it’s one-sided. Definitely. 

And he’s losing. Terribly. 

Each individual piece of Daifuku looks majestic, pink mochi with red bean filling, sliced in the middle to leave room for a whole syrup-glazed strawberry. He orders two boxes to bring back home and an extra two pieces, one for the two of you to share and the other for Yuuji. 

Gojo’s mouth is watering and he really wants to take a bite already, but you aren’t anywhere near him. So when he turns around and spots you, no doubt midchew on the last few bites your stomach can handle from that shared Yakitori stick, he feels that pinch again. Because al you’d done was split savory food with Yuuji, and all he wanted was a bit more attention sharing half-bites with you. 

When you finally meet his eyes across the street, signature blue amidst bright reds and neon greens, he’s pouting, and he hopes he’s making it really obvious that he wants (needs) you to go to him. 

Your eyes widen before crossing the street, Yuuji right on your heel. 

“Whoah, Sensei! That looks good!” Yuuji’s voice booms, earning a few looks.

Gojo holds one Daifuku on each hand, the other two boxes tucked in a plastic bag hanging by his elbow. 

“It’s their special one!” He smiles at Yuuji, handing it over. 

You look at him curiously, head tilted to the side as you watch him closely—how his smile doesn’t really reach his eyes. 

Once Yuuji moves out of earshot, his series of ‘mmm’s’ getting softer as he explores more stalls around you, you face Gojo and open your mouth wide, “Aaaah,” 

Gojo doesn’t move for the first few seconds, but you meet in the middle eventually, his hand inching towards feeding you while you move your head closer. He keeps his palm open under your chin, cupping it to serve as a catch tray for any filling that might spill out. 

There’s something about the look of you, half-sleepy and asking to be fed, that makes him feel warm and fuzzy—like that pinching feeling earlier never existed. Like he’d gladly do this everyday if you asked for it. 

The soft, plush exterior of the mochi touches your lips, and you bite, the filling oozing out just enough for you to get a good portion of it. Flavors of red bean and strawberry hit your palate, and the filling doesn’t leak, but the syrup coating the strawberry catches onto your nose when you move away. 

At the tip of your nose is a shiny red spot, glistening under the busy lights. The expression on your face is pleased, content—your head doing that side-to-side sway whenever you like the taste of something. 

“Mmm,” you smile at him, “it’s yummy.” 

And he doesn’t know what it is, if it’s the look you’re giving him, or if it’s something in the air tonight but he feels warm and full and still very much like he wants to kiss you. 

So he decides, damn all the passersby.

He does one quick scan around him, making sure that Yuuji, at the very least, is away from the immediate vicinity. And when it’s all clear, he leans in. 

Gojo kisses you on the nose in the middle of a busy street food road, and his lips are soft, almost feather-light, swooping in quickly before anyone can notice. You’re stunned into silence, but the moment you come to, he’s already swiped the strawberry syrup off you. 

His cheeks are starting to turn pink, the sides of his neck already as red as the signs on the food stalls. And he can tell you feel it too, with the way your sleepiness seems to have faded into what now looks like surprise. 

Still cute though.

(Always will be, in his eyes). 

So, ‘losing’ isn’t really a word in Gojo’s vocabulary. 

But if it is, he thinks he’d gladly lose to you. 

(Still not to Yuuji though. He still has to keep a maybe eye out for that one).

thank you notes: to niku for being there always!! from answering my questions, brainstorming together, and just all-around everything!! col wouldn't be what it is now without you!! i love u, i hope i gave your love for food justice, niku!

comments, tags, and reblogs are greatly appreciated ♡