Yuzu and Lime - Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (Okkotsu Yuta)

Introduction

//yo. its been a few years. So I return with an almighty not read back at all finished up (ish I kinda wanna add more) fic to publish over the next few days/weeks. So without further ado, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it; my apologies if there are any mistakes or discrepancies, I followed loosely the events in Jujutsu Kaisen 0 - I tried not to just copy the manga because that's boring as all hell. So :D please enjoy!

Itadori Yuji came to his senses, hearing the crackle of a fire and tasting the slightly off putting ash from the smoke. Immediately, he questioned himself – he definitely remembered losing to that Okkotsu guy that attacked him; he definitely died, he felt it... right? He couldn't remember if Sukuna came out but perhaps it didn't even matter. He opened his eyes to be met with an astonishing sight.

"You're awake?" Okkotsu Yuta, the guy he'd just fought – the guy he thought had been the one to kill him – was sat in front of the fire, stoking it, while looking down at him with dark eyes. Itadori couldn't read into them, he couldn't see anything in them but they still sent a shiver down his spine, who knows if they hid malice or contempt – it would be understandable of course, although the preferable take would be that Okkotsu was friendly – as friendly as a guy who tried to kill him could be?

As it turned out, opposite from Itadori's original scepticism, he grinned widely, glad to see that the younger boy had awoken. Itadori then sat comfortably listening to his upper-classman explain what had happened, how he was dead for less than a second and healed instantaneously by Okkotsu's reverse technique. Seemed like he'd been put into a state of animated death or something, Itadori didn't really understand it but he was alive – that was the important factor; not to mention Choso and Fushiguro had made themselves known, unhurt and safe.

The group of them were discussing the aftermath of Shibuya, the sudden rise of the culling games all across Japan. Then, Okkotsu went silent for a moment. Itadori watched him scratch his cheek bashfully, and though the fire masked it – it seemed like pink rose to the boy's cheeks. He chuckled mutely before apologising.

"Ah... it's a little embarrassing to ask in this situation, but do you know if Yuzuha is doing okay?" There was a certain glint that Itadori could recognise in the boy's eye, from what he'd seen he took Okkotsu for a serious guy, kinda like Fushiguro – but maybe a bit more willing to express himself. Though, he didn't expect it to be quite the opposite. Fushiguro was a good guy, he cared a lot even if he didn't show it, but unlike him it seemed like Okkotsu wasn't afraid to show his tenderness, his weakness as some might say.

"Oh, Takagi senpai? I, uh... I'm not really sure how anyone is. I haven't seen them since then," Itadori answered softly, frowning. Thinking about it, he couldn't completely remember where the girl had been stationed in the raid. He vaguely recalled her together with Nanamin at one point, but other than that he doubted he saw her again. It put a sour taste in his mouth to even think it, but he didn't even know if she was alive. He knew she was strong, but then he knew Nanamin and Kugisaki were strong as well. There wasn't an outcome that he could just cross out any more, because anything could happen to anyone.

Okkotsu didn't move, though his eyes lost their shine. "I see, thanks anyway-" he took a deep breath in, "-I'm sure she's fine. Yuzuha's strong. I believe in her."

"Okkotsu senpai, actually I'm pretty sure she was with Maki senpai. At least from what I heard she got out without injury thanks to her cursed technique, so now she's helping to treat the injured." Fushiguro chimed in, holding a palm up, though he didn't know why Okkotsu was asking about Takagi – Fushiguro was under the impression he already knew what happened to everybody.

"Really? That's great." A breath of relief fled him this time, he then went on to explain his reason for asking: "the elders didn't tell me anything about anyone's conditions. I only heard about Toge from Panda... They mentioned Maki's injuries too but I didn't hear anything from or about Yuzuha, so I'd thought..." He paused, shut his eyes, and sucked in a deep breath, releasing it: "I'm so glad she's okay."