PAINT ME A HEAVEN OF LOVE WITH YOUR BLESSED MOUTH
when the gods have forsaken
fujiwara kaori, leaving her to be
taken in and sculpted by a monster
greater than any curse in existence,
it is the love of another cursed boy
who saves her from the ag...
Kaori watches as the First Years grew closer, brought in together by a united sense of relief. They're always there for each other, their various missions bringing them close to each other as they massacred Curses and tried to forget the carnage they witnessed with movies and laughter. Kaori is invited to the movie nights as well but she refuses to attend them as politely as she can. It would do no good to be involved with this group of people. With her betrayal, they would only be hurt or, worse, even be killed if they witnessed her murdering Yuuta. So Kaori participated in missions with them and watched them train, but kept away otherwise. It seemed that Gojo had noticed and disapproved if his loud rapping on her door said anything. She cracks it open, squinting up at the man.
"Gojo Sensei," she greets politely, looking past him to see the other First Years gathered behind him, dressed in casual clothes.
"Kaori-kun! Did we wake you up? So sorry about that," 'he doesn't sound at all sorry', she thinks to herself but continues to listen to him. "We just realized that Yuuta's room is threadbare, and is yours, so why not go shopping together?" Kaori starts thinking about possible excuses, when Gojo leans down and smiles. "It wouldn't be nice if others came to visit your room and found it all empty, right?" the First Years exchange glances at this obvious manipulation, but Kaori's head spins as she realizes how right the man is.
"Please give me a moment," she says shortly, closing the door and turning to her wardrobe. He digs out a cropped shirt and long skirt, slipping a blade into the thigh holder she straps around her leg and smoothing out her short hair. She opens the door, nodding at them. "Let's go then," Panda grins at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and yanking her into his side. Kaori withstands the physical affection, trying her best to listen as the animal chatters on about the places they're going to visit.
"You're crushing her, Panda," Yuuta chides softly and Panda releases her with a sheepish apology. The boy seems to have come into himself, generally acting more confident and friendly. Kaori thinks the mission with Inumaki has improved his confidence and made him believe that there is some ability to do good in him. She is envious of him and the open way he accepts his path. Kaori's own path is dark and twisted, soaked in the blood of the many who she has killed and always leads back to her ruthless mentor. Yuuta catches her gaze on him and smiles, cheeks tinting pink under her attention. He's always been one to easily fluster but he always seems to go redder whenever she is the one who stares at him. Maki had bluntly told her to, 'stop staring. It's freaky sometimes', so Kaori averts her eyes and looks around the street. She's never been further than the small streets near the clan compound, but the streets of Tokyo are different. They're bustling with people, teenagers dressed in alternate fashion styles and old people selling food with smiles. She's surprised by the ambience of the area, is so absorbed in her viewing that she doesn't even notice Yuuta reaching out for her when she drifts too far from them. "Fujiwara-san," he says almost scoldingly. "You'll get lost if you keep drawing yourself away,"
"I can always call you?" she raises her phone and Inumaki snorts, hiding his laughter behind his hand as Yuuta flushes.
"Right!" he drops her hand hurriedly. "I forgot about that," she blinks, finally understanding that he's concerned about her and tries to smile at him. Smiling, as cliche as it might be for her to say, is something she's unaccustomed to. Panda had once dug out something he called a 'meme' about a man with a grim smile and the caption 'nothing to smile about in my life', declaring that it suited Kaori perfectly. She had huffed, the first show of emotion towards the delighted First Years, but had grudgingly agreed that it did seem to fit her well. She had gone and practiced smiling in the mirror since everyone always looked unnerved by her earlier attempts. Yuuta returns her smile with a warmer, more sincere one of his before turning towards their chattering group. Gojo takes them from shop to shop, insisting on them buying everything and anything in order to decorate their room. When Kaori had asked why it was necessary to buy decoration for their rooms since they were 'just for sleeping', even Maki had looked at her incredulously before Gojo waxed some poetry about how decorating a room 'gives it its own life'. Kaori had bought several patterned bed-sheets just to shut him up.
She hates how she's getting used to being around them only three weeks into their school year. Even though she avoids spending time with them, she can't help but get an understanding of their personalities from their interactions during missions. She gets a glimpse at Maki's softened demeanor whenever one of them is injured, Inumaki's kindness as he trades jokes between sips of throat syrup, Panda's roars of laughter that send his body shaking, the gentle way Gojo looks at them when he thinks they're not looking, how Yuuta tenderly bandages her hand after a rough mission. She worries for her heart, her poor, touch starved heart. The last time Kaori felt like this, she ended up staring down in horror at the pool of blood that came from the dead body of somebody she used to love. She learnt a lesson that day; don't give away your heart because you don't know when the one you love will discard it, or leave it behind. She's a fool for going through the same emotions again, especially knowing her mission but she can't push them away.
Maki and Panda squabble over a lamp, debating whether they should get ones in shades of ivory or white ❪ was there a difference, she wondered? ❫. Kaori hovers behind them, staring down with blank eyes at a piece of crockery. It's a pretty tea set, the top of the cups curling like petals, painted a soft blush pink. "Do you like it?" Yuuta's voice almost startles her, the boy having soundlessly crept up behind her.
"It's pretty," she admits, tracing the curve of the pale handle. "Not something I usually spend my money on," she adds. She likes things that are like this, pretty and delicate, but they never survived in her household. Tooru had seen them as a sign of weakness, a sign of softness she could never afford and only allowed her to use whatever he bought her. Kaori draws herself away from the tea set, following her already departing classmates. Yuuta is silent beside her before his sneakers screech against the pavement.
"Fujiwara-san, I'll be right back," he reassures her before jogging back to the street they came from. It takes a few moments for him to return, panting slightly from the run. "Sorry!" he smiles and she accepts the apology silently. He holds a paper bag in his hand, carrying it carefully and shifting it to his side when they stop to get ice cream. Gojo insists on shoving a coffee concoction into her hands and she licks at the scoops of ice cream, savoring the flavor. Yuuta huffs out a laugh when Panda chomps on his ice cream just to make Maki's complaints rise in volume, making sure the bag by his side doesn't shift with his movements and Kaori's curiosity is triggered.
"What did you get?" she asks at last. Yuuta glances at her, blinking before he registers the question. His cheeks turn pink and one of his hands creeps up to touch the back of his head in a shy gesture.
"Ah, I was going to give it to you when we got back to the dorms, but you can open it now," Kaori takes the bag, unfolding the scraps of newspaper that hide the gift. Her heart thuds as she uncovers the teaset she had been eyeing.
"Okkotsu-san-" she starts but the rest of the words clog her throat. She swallows before she smiles wobbly at him. "Thank you," her words are as softened as her heart, made delicate by the warmth of Okkotsu Yuuta and his gift.
𓍯 ˓𓄹 ࣪˖ sam's notes! ❜
the first years and gojo; being their regular wholesome selves.
kaori; oh no, i'm catching feelings.
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