Salmon..? •Inumaki Toge x Reader•

Chapter 5

"Y/N! You're okay!" A new, but familiar voice broke through the silence. That was the only warning you got before you felt yourself being tackled by a certain pink-haired boy. Itadori was hugging you tightly, and you couldn't help but hug him back with a bright smile on your face. You were glad he turned out alright and optimistic, especially after everything that has happened to him.

"I-Itadori!"

"Oi, be careful. They're still healing," Fushiguro's stern voice spoke from behind Itadori. Despite the tone of his voice, Itadori didn't let up hugging you. After a bit, you pulled yourself away and latched onto the spiky haired boy. He was a bit awkward and fumbled with is arms before lightly draping them around you. You knew he was glad to see you safe, even if he wasn't used to physical forms of affection quite yet. Just from the way he hung around when you and Itadori were hugging, it was obvious that he was anxious about your wellbeing.

"Ah my poor injured student is already up and about I see. Don't exert yourself, or you'll have your favorite teacher worried!" You knew that voice. That was Gojo. You couldn't help but let out a small laugh while Fushiguro beside you gave out an annoyed sigh.

Your classmates and your teacher have returned, and you were very disappointed to learn that the 4 had been shopping and getting delicious food without you. One day, you swore that you would get revenge on them for leaving you out of the fun (even though it was doctor's orders,) but the anger you harnessed left you body when they presented gifts to you. Well, everyone except Kugisaki, which is understandable. You two still didn't know each other at all.

Itadori had gotten you a pair of glasses that matched the pair he had gotten for himself. He also, sheepishly, admitted to buying you snacks before he ate them all. It was cheesy, but you passed it off with a laugh and thanked him for thinking of you. Fushiguro didn't get you much, but he did bring back a tin of oolong tea he saw at a random shop. You promised yourself to try it with him soon. Gojo presented you with an array of uneaten deserts and candies. On top of the box was an envelope, to which you would find to be pictures of your classmates eating and enjoying themselves. Their frozen smiles, and irks or irritation from Fushiguro, made you feel warm on the inside. You felt absolutely spoiled and nearly cried on spot from the displays of kindness.

"Oh yeah, Y/N, meet Kugisaki Nobara. Kugisaki, this is L/N Y/N." You felt the brown bobbed girl gaze you up and down, as if deciding if you were worthy of the air you breathed. Oh, so she was one of those.

"I'm sorry I couldn't greet you personally on your arrival, Kugisaki. I was still recovering from my last mission with Fushiguro." You bowed lightly, hoping that the display would put you in her favor. Itadori glanced anxiously between the two of you as she said nothing. Was she really THAT bad? You felt a nervous sweat drop down your back.

"Oh thank god I'm not the only stylish here." Kugisaki said with a huff of air after an eternity. Relief washed over you like a flood after a storm, and the tension in your shoulders disappeared like a low-tide. "You must show me where you get cute clothes around here, Y/N."

You had no idea how to tell Kugisaki that you really had no time to shop cute, let alone even care about clothing and appearance like that. Especially when you could be sent off to fight curses at any given moment. However, you were willing to try and shop around with her, even if you weren't the type to care about those kinds of things. You just hoped that you, Fushiguro, Itadori, and Kugisaki would all get along well enough to have good chemistry when it came to life or death situations.

Little did you know that both your hope and fear would come true all in the same day.

"Inumaki!" You called towards your upperclassman who was currently sitting by the tree near the training grounds.

"Kelp!" His brown eyes turned over to you, waving his hand with a bright smile on his face. Not that you could see his actual smile because of his uniform that blocked it, but you could tell he was smiling from the way his eyes grew smaller due to his cheeks lifting up. You wished you could see his actual smile, but you didn't want to push your luck just yet and ruin a perfect friendship.

"Hey, I was actually looking for you," you sat down beside him and watched Panda and Maki fight. You could feel Inumaki's eyes burning into your skin, but you decided not to address it. A hand plays with the grass underneath you, the other hugs your knees to your chest. "Tomorrow we're going on a mission, a pretty big one. Gojo should actually be dealing with it instead of us... but with the four of us combined, they figured we would be suited for the job. Gojo is, well-" You realized how much you were rambling and abruptly shut your mouth. A deep sigh passed through your nose as you forced yourself to continue with more awareness for your ramblings. "Well, anyways... I just wanted to tell you."

If asked, you would say that you had no particular reason for telling him, that would be a lie. You both did and didn't have a reason. One of those reasons was because you had an aching gut feeling that drove you into telling him. The other feeling you had, you weren't quite sure of yet. Was it that you wanted Inumaki to be impressed by your skills? Or was it something deeper simmering underneath the surface? Either way, with logical thinking, you concluded that now certainly wasn't the time to be thinking of your own feelings. Nor was there really time to unpack that. The only thing you truly had time for was talking to your classmates about strategy and plans to go into, that way you guys were at least somewhat prepared.

"Tuna tuna." You must have had a focused look on your face, because Inumaki was staring at you with a certain intensity in his eyes. Intense, yet still soft and caring. "Mustard leaf?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah I'm okay." You lied, shrugging off the sinking feeling that was eating you alive. You had no idea where this bad feeling was coming from, and you were already giving it more attention than you liked. "I think I'm just nervous, you know? With how the last mission went with Itadori... I can't help but feel like things will only get more complicated from here. You know?"

"Salmon." Inumaki nodded. Even if he didn't fully understand what you meant, you could see that he was trying to be understanding and that he cared very much for your worries. It left you with a warm and cozy feeling of safety. While it didn't repel all of your fears, just talking to him was already making you feel better than dwelling on them.

The two of you sat like that for a while, basking in the warm air and letting out small laughs occasionally whenever Maki would make Panda beg for mercy. Maki was really strong, and you admired to be like her when using your cursed weapon. You made a mental reminder to ask her for extra training when you and your classmates returned from your mission. If you returned that is...

And just like that, the sinking feeling was back. Nothing could stop the way it consumed your mood and compelled you to actively train or practice. But you didn't want to burden Inumaki with that responsibility, nor did you want to interrupt Panda's and Maki's spar session. Instead you would as Itadori or Fushiguro if they wanted to put in a bit of practice before the next day. You already knew Kugisaki would insist on pampering yourselves afterwards. You stood up and brushed off the grass and dirt from your uniform. "Well, thank you for letting me hang out with you Inumaki. If I don't see you again before we leave, then goodbye."

You hated leaving on a somber note, but you gave him a small wave before turning your back towards him.

"Tuna," Inumaki said, causing you to turn around. If you remembered correctly, just a singular tuna meant to focus on him, so that's what you did. You watched as he pondered, deep in thought for a second. Was he trying to figure out how to word something in his ingredient language? You found it oddly cute, but that was nothing compared to what happened next. "I-..." He trailed off, making sure the words in his head and at the tip of his tongue wouldn't trigger something. "I'll be waiting... for you." He finally fumbled out, and you felt your spirits brighten once again. A massive smile filled your face, and despite the anxieties, you found your heart to be singing at his words. He broke his own code just to say those words to you, and that was something you found to be endearing.

"Well, with you waiting for me, I have no choice but to return. In that case, I'll try not to keep you waiting too long." You say with a playful smile as you turned away once more, walking towards the dorms. The idea that Inumaki was waiting for your return filled you with more determination than fear. With a newfound surge of motivation, you set yourself to training, the smile never left your face, even as you settled down to sleep for the night.