the bionic staring machine

"i've packed my bags, so ill give you a hand." choso interrupts your thoughts by chucking a few pairs of underwear at your head.

"thanks, cho." you laugh rolling your eyes.

~

"WOO HOO! ROAD TRIP!" gojo sung from the passenger seat of the mini bus, throwing his hands in the air. nanami let out a deep sigh from the drivers spot, clearly upset about the seating arrangements.

behind them sat suguru and shoko, then behind them, toji and his friend shiu who he invited as a plus one. at the very back, you and choso were squished in between everyone's duffels and pillows.

"choso, wanna swap for shotgun when we make a pit stop? please?" nanami calls back, earning a very childish unimpressed gasp from satoru. "you're so rude, nanami. im the prez! i always get shotgun!" he whines.

"if you're the president, shouldn't you be the one driving?" nanami could barely finish before the whole bus goraned a loud, "no!"

"wow guys, real mature. i'm goated at driving."

"you genuinley got a DUI last week?" toji poked.

"can you die, you ape?"

"the fuck!"

a few really good insults were hauled at gojo before the bus simmered out again.

though, at the back, choso was poking fun at you. "you all good there, sweetheart?" he asked through small bursts of laughter. your face was barely visible beneath the piles of bags, a look so comical to choso he took out his phone and started snapping pictures. wow, real mature.

"hey! give it a rest!" you tried to sound stern but it was futile, you soon also started giggling at his teasing, making the piles of clothes and pillows stacked atop of you gyrate.

from the front of the vehicle suguru and shoko give each other that look, the one you give your friends when you know someone's into someone else. "they couldn't be more obvioys." shoko smiled. "damn right." suguru laughed.

"c'mon guys stop flirting! there's plenty of time to get your dick wet at the spot, y'know" the white haired man taunted.

"shut the fuck up gojo,", "boo, does he ever stop talking?", "be quiet for one second, satoru". the rest of the bus moaned in displeasure.

you and choso went quiet, the way you did whenever anyone teased you two for 'flirting'. you tried avoiding eye contact, but when he inevitably caught your gaze again, you gave each other a sweet, bashful smile.

~

“we’re close,” nanami announces, god he’s already exhausted by the upcoming hours of corralling the frat. “satoru, keep your feet off the dash.”

gojo ignores him and points out the windshield. “look at that. nature! untouched. pure. just like me.”

“pure and untouched? didn't you literally just f-,” suguru remarks.

“anyways!.”

the bus finally arrives at a small clearing surrounded by beautiful, towering pines. the space opens wide enough for tents, a fire pit, and a path leading towards waterfall sounds.

nanami brakes hard. “we’re here. everyone get out.”

gojo is first to leap off. “ahh, the serenity!”

you climb out last with choso right behind you, both of you shuffling through backpacks, duffels, grabbing your stuff and dumping it in a pile outside the door.

“wow, this place is so pretty,” you smile.

“figured you’d like it,” he replies, nudging your elbow with his. “it's peaceful.”

before you can answer the quiet is broken by another engine rumbling down the dirt path. the second bus swings into view, packed full of the rest of the group. the door slides open and sukuna steps out first with a big huff. maki follows then yuki hops down right after, stretching her arms. ino strolls behind almost tripping on the last step.

gojo waves dramatically. “yuckkk, your bus smells, ryo. to think i was gonna ride with you gu- ow, ow!.”

“say that again,” sukuna interrupts grabbing satoru's ear making him laugh like a guilty kid.

“please don’t, not yet at least.” nanami mutters.

the moment both groups merge, greetings overlap, bags drop everywhere, and everyone's laughing.

nanami claps his hands. “alright, get your tents. pick a spot. don’t fight. don’t set anything on fire. don’t follow gojo’s example.”

“holy shit i can't catch a break with you assholes,” gojo whines.

choso picks up the tent bag and hands you a few stakes, shoving your shoulder playfully with a smile. “c’mon. before someone steals the best patch of ground.”

you skip behind him toward an area near the fire pit. the spot sits under a tall bunch of trees that give shade without blocking the pretty blue sky. the clearing gives you space and a good view of the waterfall trail. it's tucked away enough to be your own little corner.

choso drops the bundle of poles. “hey, sit. i’ve got it.”

you laugh and push at his pec. “you’re not doing it alone, give me a pole.”

“i’m serious,” he says, though there’s a smile playing at his mouth. “you always get stuck with the annoying jobs. let me do it, y/n.”

“too bad.” you grab the pegs from his hand before he can argue, the look on his face shifting into playful annoyance as you crouch beside him. “team effort.”

“you never listen.”

“i know that's right.”

he shakes his head with amusement and starts sorting the poles. you hammer stakes into the earth while he threads rods through the tent sleeves. you reach a flow state, passing parts back and forth, hands touching. each time you meet his pretty eyes, he looks away bashfully.

once the tent stands upright, choso checks the corners and tugs on the ropes. satisfied, he steps back. “not bad.”

“you mean perfect.”

“yeah, sure.”

you have to hold a hand over your mouth at the other groups struggling so bad. gojo’s tent collapses twice before nanami threatens to leave him sleeping in the woods. "no! bugs will crawl all over my dick!", "bro, what are you even talking about?", "this guy's not real holy fuck i cannot."

maki barks orders at yuki while shoko digs through her bag for the mosquito spray she swears she packed. sukuna’s group finishes quickly but only because toji ignores instructions and bulldozes through the setup until shiu yanks the fabric straight.

soon enough, everything is (somewhat) arranged.

“alright,” nanami says. “final arrangements. satoru, you’re with me.”

gojo freezes. “nuh uh. i’m with suguru.” he sounded suspiciously sad.

“actually,” suguru cuts in, voice far too pleased, “i need a break from you.”

gojo staggers like they do in shounen when the mc gets hit by the main villain type shit. “you’re abandoning me...? a-after everything. after years of best friendship. betraying me when shit gets too real for you? huh? yeah, go on, then. leave me suguru, you fucking dead weight.”

toji and sukuna start pissing themselves laughing, then start choking on the cigarette smoke they hadn't fully exhaled.

nanami rubs his temples. “get in the tent.”

gojo groans dramatically, picks up a spare peg, and chucks it at suguru’s foot. “you're disgusting!”

“you missed,” suguru deadpans.

shoko sets up with maki and yuki. sukuna, toji, and shiu call dibs on a larger tent near the trees. ino and hiruguma toss their bags into another with suguru tagging along. once everyone’s settled, the group drifts toward the fire pit as the late afternoon sun shines across the grass, painting the clearing in nice warm kinda color.

the campfire pit sits empty for now, a circle of stones waiting for kindling. everyone settles on logs or the ground, shoko pops open a can of heineken and maki ties her hair back. toji argues with sukuna about absolutely nothing while suguru and nanami share a quiet conversation, (nanami's very pleased to converse calmly for once).

then, gojo stands up and stretches his arms overhead, the band of his calvins peeking over his jorts. “someone needs to get firewood. any volunteers?”

silence. its like everyone in the group jointly decided to tease this poor man.

no one speaks, suguru looks the other way. shoko takes a long sip. maki shakes her head. and nanami stares at the ground.

gojo’s smile turns into an exaggerated scowl. “wow. seriously, fuck all of you. hating ass clowns”

maki leans toward you, whispering, “don't do it, piss him off a little longer please, this is priceless.”

you grin but stand anyway, feeling bad for the guy. “i’ll go.”

gojo's face lights up and he laughs triumphantly, jokingly pumping his fist in the air. “yes! y/n my beloved!.”

“stop calling people that,” nanami says.

“no.”

gojo snatches nanamis empty duffle bag to carry the wood and gestures for you to follow. “let’s roll, partner. the rest of you can sit and stew, being uncool lame losers, i guess.”

you hear groans and nanami's shouting behind you as he leads the way toward the tree line. your steps crunch through brown leaves as the clearing disappears behind you. birds rustle overhead, and the path dips deeper into the quiet part of the forest. the sound of water grows louder, the waterfall humming behind the trees.

gojo kicks a stick aside. “jeez, they act like i’m some kind of menace.”

“hmm, i wonder why.”

“ouch.”

“you’ll live.”

he smiles looking over his shoulder at you. “you always take my side. even when you don’t take my side. i respect the loyalty.”

“sure.”

gojo snorts and crouches to pick up a fallen branch. “you’re so nice. choso’s lucky.”

you smile to yourself as the sunlight slips through the branches above, brushing your hair. gojo sings some tune off key as he tosses another piece of wood into the bag.

back in the clearing, choso watches your body shift between the trees. he stands at the edge of the camp, arms crossed loosely, eyes following the shape of your back until both of you disappear into the trees. he doesn’t say anything but suguru notices.

“she’ll be fine,” he comments, patting choso's back.

“i know,” choso replies with a sigh.

“gojo’s just a loud prick, he's not dangerous.”

“didn’t say he was.”

suguru shakes his head smiling. “you’re staring pretty hard for someone who isn’t worried.”

choso keeps his eyes fixed on the path you vanished down. his attention pinned to the forest until the last trace of your voice fades.

~

you and gojo get back to the camp around half an hour later with arms and a duffle bag full of wood.

shoko was halfway through telling everyone about how the last guy she fucked had a piss kink... sukuna and toji seemed to be the only two interested in that vulgar conversation.

"oh wow, you made it out alive, y/n." suguru commented as you dumped the wood in your arms by nanamis feet.

"why are you constantly tryna run a fade on me suguru." satoru scoffed, throwing nanami's now emoty duffle over his head, getting all the sticks and left over leaves all through his perfectly combed hair.

"gojo, i'm gonna kill you!"

the white haired boy just ran away laughing like a hyena to the other side of the pit, hugging shoko for 'protection'.

"get off of me, your breath stinks."

you walk back to your spot next to choso, he's now dangling a beer between his legs with his elbows to his knees. as you step closer, he looks up and catches your eyes, it's hilarious how hard this guy was tryna act stoic.

"hey, cho." you sing before flopping down next to him, he scoots away like a child.

"yeah, hi."

you have to stop yourself from letting out a loud pffft, at the way his annoyed tone is so obviously forced.

jabbing a finger into his stomach and wriggling it into his muscles forces him to shiver in his seat and start cracking up against his will.

"you little shit!" he screeches between ripped laughter. pulling your arm away leaving a permeant smile on his face.

"hm, that's better."

"oh give it a rest." he replies, playfully shoving the side of your face away. you knew he couldn't stay upset for long.

he clears his throat while suguru and satoru fight over who gets to light the fire first. "so, uh. how was getting fire wood with that idiot?"

"yeah, it was fine." you reply, trying your hardest to sound casual about it.

"fine?"

"yeah, just fine."

"right... what did you talk about? nothing weird? he didn't try to touch you... or anything like that?" he asked taking a long sip from his drink.

'did alone time with gojo piss him off that much? jeez.'

you smile, "hmm... well lets see." you say, tapping your chin, watching as his face contorts like its bracing for impact. "all he did was talk my ear off about all the women he's seeing right now. what was it, like seven? don't know how they can stand him, but it is what it is. always thought that guy was gay to be honest."

choso sighs in relief, then finally scoots closer to you. "good. that's good." he places his hand on the back of the log behind you almost protectively. "wouldn't want him getting any ideas."

"yeah? why's that? it's not like i, you know, have a boyfriend or anything."

god, you don't think you've ever seen choso's lazy smile drop so fast in your life. "yeah... i guess."

his moping was shortly interrupted by gojo yelling at suguru.

"i'm the president so i get to light the fire! didn't see you out there getting any fire wood? huh? if anything, me and y/n should get to light the fire together! we did all the hard work."

"oh, thats okay gojo, it's all yours." you laugh in that funnily awkward way.

"see, be more like y/n, you dead weight."

"i think the fucking fire hazard should be staying five feet away from the fire, not lighting it!" suguru counters, smacking satoru with a stick.

"are we breaking up? is that what this is?"

nanami quelled the bickering by throwing a small yellow bic in between them, watching them scramble on the leaf litter to grab it.

choso snorts, the sound pressed into his palm as he tries to hide it. you try to hold yours in too but it slips out in a burst that makes him look at you. it’s one of those quick looks where his eyes soften a bit then dart away like he didn’t mean to get caught. you do the same, staring at the dirt for a second with your mouth tugging up because the whole thing feels stupid in a silly sweet way.

once suguru finally snatches the lighter and sparks the first bit of kindling, the group settles down in a loose circle around the pretty flames.

you hear the crackle of dry wood catching and shoko digging through her tote.

she pulls out two neatly rolled blunts and taps each against her thumb. “alright,” she says, handing one to suguru and the other to toji. “don’t canoe these or i swear to god i'll throw worms in all of your sleeping bags.”

“love when you talk sweet to me,” toji grins, sparking his up. suguru does the same and takes a slow hit like he’s in a commercial then passes it to maki with a little flourish.

while it moves around the circle, gojo claps once like he’s calling kids in from break. “ok! i have an idea.”

seven people groan at once.

“no hear me out. it’ll be fun.”

nanami drags both hands down his face. “you barely said anything and i’m exhausted.”

gojo takes the dark glasses from his hair and tucks them into his flannel shirt. “we’re playing two truths and a lie.”

shoko blinks. “wow, he finally has a good idea.”

everyone laughs and gojo bows like they’re applauding him. “thank you, thank you. i try.”

“you don’t,” suguru says, taking back the blunt. “but go on.”

gojo points dramatically at toji. “you start.”

toji exhales, taps ash into the dirt, and shrugs. “fine. uh… i hotwired a random car on the street when i was 17. i stole an alice in chains vinyl from jb-hifi.... hmm, and i took some guy from gamma's entire jojo's set last year.”

"like, the manga?" maki asked.

"yes mam."

everyone stares in both shock and contemplation.

sukuna rubs his head. “bro that’s not how the game works. i know for a fact you did all of that.”

“oh. right,” toji says, he’s learning the rules for the first time. “my bad.”

“you need to go to jail for abit,” shoko mumbles.

ino clears his throat. “okay! i’ll go.” he straightens a bit, proud. “miu from econ. sara from the gym. hana from-”

nanami cuts in. “hana is the lie.”

"bro, is he listing off chicks he's fucked?" shiu whispers to toji.

ino whips around. “nanami! how’d you know so fast!”

“you’d never pull hana,” nanami says dead serious. “she only dates guys with a 4.0.”

gojo points. “hey, that's unfair insider knowledge.”

“it’s called friendship,” nanami scoffs.

gojo waves him off. “yuck. next.”

suguru nudges choso with his foot. “your turn."

choso sits up a bit straighter, grinning like he’s been waiting for this one. he finishes the sip of his beer and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “ok. uh…” he looks around the circle. “once when i was fucked up, i pissed all over gojo’s car, the nice one.”

gojo genuinely looks like he's about to tweak out. “you fucking what?.”

“second is... hm, oh yeah, i also pissed all over suguru’s car,” choso adds casually, “when i was high.” he can't help the drunken laugh spitting out.

suguru’s jaw drops. “you asshole.”

the circle starts laughing. the fire pops loud in the middle of it.

you look at choso with your brows up. “wow. you’ve been busy.”

he shrugs like he’s innocent. “man’s gotta piss.”

“that was so unnecessary,” maki says, coughing smoke out her nose.

“ok, that’s two,” choso continues, leaning back on his hands again. “and the third is…” he pauses dramatically, watching the whole group lean in. “i once broke into the chem lab after hours to steal a microscope because i was high on ket and wanted to look at my own hair follicles.”

shoko squints. “i didn't know you fucked with ketamine?”

"then that's the lie!" yuki announced like she cracked the code using clues.

“yeah,” gojo says, crossing his arms. “no way you pissed on both of our cars, the microscope one's a lie.”

suguru shakes his head. “no, the lie is gojo’s car. he’d spare that sexy thing.”

“i think the lie is the microscope,” maki adds. “he probably doesn’t even know how to spell microscope.”

“fuck you, i do,” choso throws.

you nudge his knee. “i think the lie is suguru’s car. you'd shit yourself if he found out and i dunno if you'd wanna deal with that." choso pinches your hand grind your back teasingly.

"maybe."

suguru puffs out a cloud. “no, i am reasonable.”

“no,” maki says, “you’re petty.”

suguru rolls his eyes.

the guesses fly around louder and louder until choso finally raises both hands. “alright, alright. final answer? you guys won't like this.” he says pointing to the wonder duo. "the microscope one's was a lie."

the group bursts into laughter again, loud enough that some birds rustle out of the tree above you.

"gross man!"

toji leans forward, elbows on his knees, chin lifted. “you got a piss kink or something? jesus christ.”

shiu points at you without looking away from the fire. “good luck with that one, y/n.”

the entire circle cracks up. even nanami smiles, which is some sort of miracle. you cover your face with both hands but you’re laughing so hard you fall into choso’s shoulder.

choso rolls his eyes and flicks his beer cap at shiu. “eat shit.”

shiu holds up both hands. “i’m just saying. man’s got a theme going.”

“it’s not a theme,” choso mutters, cheeks warm. “it was one bad month.”

gojo practically wheezes. “dude. one bad month? you pissed on two luxury cars in thirty days?”

sukuna kicks dirt toward the fire to smother his own laugh. “bro’s out here marking his territory.”

your face heats but you can’t stop smiling because choso keeps glancing at you in this shy way like he wants to see if you’re judging him. you bump your shoulder into his. “it’s ok, cho. everyone has… hobbies.”

he groans. “don’t.”

“your secret’s safe with me.”

he smiles and looks down at his beer like he can't contain it, your head feels so warm with affection you hook an arm around his and scoot even closer.

"okay y/n, your turn." he nudges.

"hmm, okay!" the group settles down to listen to your answers, you feel like stirring things up abit.

"so, one, i've had a crush on gojo before," the group makes their own collective 'oo's' and 'oh my god''s, with gojo laughing like a psychopath, "what can i say? i have so much aura it's just overwhelming for women."

you feel choso's arm go stiff, he sips his beer trying to keep cool. cute.

"second, my social studies TA confessed to me three weeks ago."

shoko and maki converse on that one, "i knew he was staring at her!"

"and third, i like choso more than all of you combined."

"okay, well that's one of the truths." ino laughed.

the circle’s crazy with guesses before you even finish talking, everyone pointing at someone else like that’s going to help them figure you out.

“number one,” sukuna says immediately. “no way you liked gojo. nobody with a functioning brain stem likes gojo on purpose.”

“yeah, fuck you man,” satoru huffs.

maki taps her knee. “yeah, i think it’s number one too. she probably had better taste than that.”

“i don't cuss at women, but if i did maki... i swear to god.” the man sighs.

ino lifts a hand. “nah nah nah wait. that could be true. dude’s tall and has hair that does… that.” he gestures vaguely at gojo’s head.

“awe, thank you, ino,” gojo beams.

“i wasn’t complimenting you.”

toji scratches his jaw. “yeah, i’m locked in on number three being true. she treats him the best.” he juts his chin toward you and choso.

shoko nods in agreement, “yeah, that one’s just obvious, shit choice y/n.” she teases.

"oh my god, shut up shoko." you smile.

choso clears his throat at that, looking down into his beer like it suddenly has answers.

suguru leans back on his hands. “number two sounds fake. i’ve seen her TA. that guys a total square.”

shiu snaps his fingers. “oh yeah, the little dude with the lanyard.. i dunno if he'd be bold enough.”

“so we’re landing on number one?” nanami asks, looking around as if he’s running a board meeting.

everyone nods.

everyone except choso, who doesn’t say anything. he keeps his face neutral, but the tip of one boot digs into the dirt.

you clap your hands once. “okay! final answers?”

a chorus of, “number one.”

you grin. “wrongggg, boo.”

the group groans so loud the birds probably take off again.

“wait, so you did like gojo?” maki says.

gojo looks like he’s about to ascend. “i knew it! i knew you couldn’t resist me, im a sexy lady magnet.”

you cross you arms at him. “don’t get excited. it was only before i met you.”

his face drops. “hey.”

“you looked normal from far away,” you add, laughing. “then i actually got to know you and it became strictly friendship. you’re way too loud for my type.”

suguru falls backwards into the grass, cackling. “magnet? more like pussy repeller.”

maki wipes her eyes. “that’s so real.”

you’re still laughing when you feel choso shift beside you. his smile is there but softer, not full you nudge your arm against his, but he’s distant in this tiny way he probably thinks he’s hiding really well.

inside his head he’s spiraling just a bit. because now he knows you think gojo is attractive. even if it was old it sits in his chest weirdly. he’s built so opposite from gojo, and his brain takes the quickest path to overthinking. he’s quieter, darker, slower to talk, heavier in posture, none of the bright loudness gojo carries.

and he starts wondering, stupidly, whether that matters to you. whether you like the kind of person who fills a room, or someone who sits on the edge of it hoping you’ll come to him anyway.

his beer bottle shifts in his hand. he stares at the fire like it’s going to explain something.

you tilt your head. “cho? you good?”

your hand slides a little tighter around his arm and he looks over, caught off guard by your smile. it’s bright, it pulls the tension right out of him. he softens, even if there’s still a weird pinch of something stuck under his ribs.

“yeah. yeah i’m fine,” he says quietly.

you squeeze his arm again and lean into him more, and he swallows down the leftover insecurity because it feels dumb to cling to it when you’re right there choosing to be this close. and besides, he’s not your boyfriend. he doesn’t get to react the way he wants to.

but he still feels it. just a little.

before anything else can settle too deep, maki shoots up from her seat. “smores time!”

the girls cheer, already on their feet. you hop up with them, dusting dirt from your shorts, and choso watches the way you spin around to grab shoko’s wrist before jogging toward the bus parked a little ways off. you glance back once, giving him a quick grin, and it does even more damage to whatever was left of his nerves.

when you’re far enough away, the circle tightens.

gojo immediately drops down next to choso like a gremlin claiming a seat. “soooo.”

choso groans. “don’t start.”

“c'monnnn, y/n’s all yours, don’t worry,” gojo singsongs, bumping his shoulder into his.

toji whistles. “yeah man, she basically announced it.”

sukuna digs his stick into the dirt. “third option being him wasn’t even surprising. she looks at him like she's in love.”

shiu sits back with a smug grin. “told you months ago.”

ino nods. “you’re like… her favorite person ever.”

choso scrubs a hand over his face. “you guys are reading way too much into this.”

“we’re not,” suguru says, stretching his legs out toward the fire. he looks at choso with that older brother calm of his. “don’t overthink it. gojo could never be as cool as you.”

gojo gasps. “excuse me?”

“it’s true,” nanami says flatly.

toji leans back on his elbows. “look, we're just saying, you don’t gotta freak out. she likes you. even i can see that and i don't give a fuck.”

sukuna snorts. “yeah, and he’s blind.”

"shut up."

shiu adds, “emotionally and literally.”

the whole group piles on with messy teasing, half hearted insults, dramatic reenactments of choso’s face when you said you liked him the most. he rolls his eyes so hard it’s a miracle they don’t fall out.

nanami finally sighs getting fed up. “alright, that’s enough. leave him alone.”

you and the girls walk back with the smore ingredients in hand, choso's eyes are drawn to your beautiful, smiling face, and he feels his cheek heat. you really were breath taking.

the rest of the night flashed by in an array of talking shit, smoking weed and scoffing down whatever snacks were being passed around. with everyone either tipsy or a little zooted, ino was the first to suggest everyone get some shut eye.

"yeahhh, good idea ino, y'know, i always liked your hair too." gojo giggled leaning all over suguru. he was a very affectionate drunk.

"nanami, i might just have to take one for the team and tent with this flop. you can;t handel this guy drunk, trust."

"oh well, if you insist." nanami smiles, practically jumping up to get his stuff and put it in sugurus old tent.

"yeah, me and the girls are gonna head to sleep. g'night y/n." shoko waved with a very tired maki andd yuki trailing behind her.

"hey, where's my good night?" toji asks, throwing his arms in the air.

"eh, i only like her, so."

the girls disappear into their respective tent and sukuna and toji decide to clock out as well.

"i think that's our sign to go to, cho." you suggest, leaning on his shoulder.

choso laughs under his breath when you lean on him, soft enough that only you can catch it. “yeah, let’s go,” he says, tilting his head toward the tent like he’s been waiting for this chance.

you barely get a step in before he hooks his fingers through the belt loop of your shorts and tugs you along. you look forward at him with that little grin you always give when he’s being extra. he mirrors it without even meaning to.

the two of you duck into the tent, it’s got a chill from the day and still smells a bit like cigarette smoke from choso when you set it up earlier. the fairy lights you strung across the ceiling shine, making everything feel closer.

choso kicks the flap shut behind you, grabs your waist and pulls you toward the center of the airbed in one motion. you tumble right into him as he falls back, both of you landing in a messy heap. it makes you laugh before you can stop yourself, and he sinks into the mattress like he’s been waiting hours to do this.

“finally,” he sighs, pushing his hair out of his face.

you lay beside him propped on an elbow. “you dramatic man.”

“i’m serious,” he says, nudging your leg with his knee. “i thought i’d never get you alone tonight. every time i looked up, someone was hovering, like a fly. i hate flys.” tipsy choso always had a loose tongue.

you feel your face turn into a smile you can’t hide. “aw, you sound jealous.”

“maybe.” he says it so casually you almost miss the weight behind it.

your smile widens at that, and you shove your head down into the mattress a bit so he won’t see how flustered you are.

he sits up just enough to reach his duffle, digging around blindly until he pulls out a hoodie. one of his older ones, soft from too many washes. he holds it open with both hands.

“arms up,” he says.

you blink. “bossy.”

“c'mon,” he repeats, tapping your hip with two fingers.

you sigh like you’re hard done by but lift your arms anyway. he slips the hoodie over your head, easing it down so it falls around you. it’s oversized, the sleeves covering half your hands. it smells like his room, his laundry powder, that cologne he uses. he sits back to look at you in it, and his mouth clicks like he’s fighting a smile.

“good,” he mutters.

“you’re ridiculous.”

“nah.” he pulls out another hoodie thats sort of the same color and shrugs it on. “matchin’ fits. we look sick.”

you roll your eyes but curl into his side, he shifts until your legs tangle together and your head rests on his shoulder. he settles one hand on your hip, thumb brushing triangle patterns against the fabric without him knowing he’s doing it.

the tent grows quiet, only the faraway sound of somebody zipping a bag and gojo yelling something about a bug from across the campsite. your eyelids feel a little heavy from the long day, and choso’s breathing evens out under your cheek.

after a minute he whispers, “y’know… this is my favorite part.”

you lift your head a bit. “of camping?”

he shakes his head once. “of our… uh.” he hesitates, the word catching. “friendship.”

you let the silence sit between you for a few seconds before resting your face back on his chest. “yeah. me too.”

he closes his eyes like he’s soaking that in. it settles in the space between you, warm and steady, until you think he might fall asleep right there.

but then his hand pauses against your hip. he’s thinking, like, really deeply. and you can tell when he pulls in a breath like he’s gearing up for something he’d usually avoid.

“can i ask you something?” he says quietly.

you hum.

“earlier. with the game. when you said… when you said that thing about gojo.” he clears his throat. “do you think he’s... pfft, i dunno... attractive?”

you freeze for a sec because you knew this might come up eventually. you readjust against him so you can look at his face. he’s staring at the tent ceiling like it’ll give him the answer before you can.

you speak softly. “yeah. i mean… he’s objectively good looking.”

the muscles in his neck are tensing up, so much so you can see the veins beginning to pulse faster. his eyes stay looking upward, focused on nothing. he nods once but doesn’t say anything.

you touch his arm lightly. “but he’s not my type at all.”

he glances at you finally. “at all?”

“at all,” you repeat, “he’s… loud. and dramatic. and he likes being the center of attention. he’s fun, but i could never date someone like that, in the nicest way.”

that earns a tiny laugh out of him, more air than sound.

“i just… didn’t want you to think i lied,” you add. “but having a crush on someone you don’t actually know is different. when i met him, it flipped instantly. he makes more noise than ten people combined. respectfully.”

“respectfully,” choso echoes with a little smile.

you lean closer, head finding its way back to his shoulder like gravity pulled you there. “don’t overthink it, cho.”

he lets out a breath. “not overthinking.”

you snort. “you so are.”

his hand tightens lightly around your waist, you feel the uncertainty in his breathing.

so you decide to give him something to ease his nerves, something you’ve never said out loud.

“for the record,” you whisper, “you’re the only guy i’m into.”

oh fuck? what? choso goes still all over, did she really just say that?

you peek up at him and his eyes are slightly wide, like he genuinely can’t believe he heard you right.

“you're.. what?” he says like he’s scared he’ll fuck it up if he speaks too loud.

“you heard me.”

he stares at you for a solid ten seconds, trying to process that you just said something that bold. you never say things like that. not to him, not to anyone, really.

his mouth twitches into the softest smile, a little uneven like he’s trying not to let it take over his whole face.

“ok,” he whispers.

you shift even closer until your forehead rests against his collarbone. his arm wraps around you tight and steady, he’s savoring the moment so he doesn’t lose it.

you end up drifting off snuggled into his shoulder, choso stays awake a bit longer, staring at the ceiling with your weight against him. he looks down at you once like he can’t wrap his head around the fact you’re here like this despite falling asleep with you like this was common place for the two of you.

"god, youre so cute."

~

"goooood morning sports fans!" yuki announces into the now unzipped tent at the early hour of 8am. you and choso both groan and try to pull eachother in closer as to not get up yet.

"go away." choso complains, pulling your face into his chest with his big biceps.

"jeez, you two are gross! just get up soon, shiu and maki made breakfast and we're all going down to the waterfall later." she rolls her eyes before zipping the tent back up.

choso lets go of probably the sexiest morning moan you'd ever heard, stretching his arms above his head.

you groan into choso’s chest, refusing to move even as yuki’s footsteps crunch away from the tent. her voice still echoes in your skull like she’s right outside.

“she's so mean” you mumble.

“mm.” choso keeps his arms locked around you like he’s guarding you. “five more minutes.”

“we can’t,” you say, even though you’re making zero effort to get up.

“we can,” he insists, pulling the blanket higher. “we absolutely can.”

you slip your fingers under his hoodie to poke his ribs. “come on.”

he flinches and laughs quietly. “stop. i’m getting up, chill.”

you push yourself upright with a groan that matches his. you rake your hair back with your fingers and peel yourself out of the blankets. choso watches you for a second, still sprawled out, before dragging himself up to sit beside you.

“you look dead,” you tell him.

“i am,” he says, scratching the back of his neck. “but, uh… you make it tolerable.”

you toss a balled up pair of socks at him. “you’re so corny.”

“fuck you, you like it.”

you refuse to acknowledge that but the smile on your face is a giveaway.

you grab your small duffle and pull out the bikini you packed — a pretty one that always makes you feel hot. you slip it on under your clothes, shimmying the waistband into place while choso pretends he’s not watching from the corner of his eye.

“you done?” he asks once you’re tying the strings of your top under your shirt.

“yep.”

he throws on a fresh shirt and shorts, rakes his hands through his messy hair, then gestures toward the tent flap. “after you.”

you unzip the door and climb out into the cooler air, the campsite's already alive with movement. choso follows right behind you, shoulder brushing yours as you head toward the smoldering fire pit.

gojo and suguru sit together on a log, sharing a plate loaded with breakfast. they’re shoulder to shoulder, quiet for once. suspiciously quiet.

you dart your eyes back and forth. “what’s wrong with him?” you whisper to choso.

“dunno,” he murmurs. “either hungover or suguru drugged him.”

"or fucked him." you giggle, choso laughs quietly too.

“hey!” gojo calls out, oblivious, pointing a fork toward you both. “we made food.”

“shiu made food,” suguru corrects, nudging him.

“i watched.”

“no you didn’t.”

“i did at the end.”

you laugh and sit on a cooler, choso flopping onto the one beside you. shiu hands over two plates stacked with your favorite breakfast food.

you and choso stuff your faces, the food was good in the way all food tastes when you're sleepy and in a new place.

as the others crawl out one by one, shoko, then toji, sukuna, ino and shiu, nanami emerges with his phone in hand, he starts reading off something he clearly wrote before sunrise.

“alright. plan for the day,” he announces, ignoring gojo groaning dramatically. “we’ll head down to the waterfall for a few hours. eat, swim, relax. head back around three. collect firewood. shoko wants to try a new camp meal tonight, so we need dry wood only.”

everyone mumbles general agreement.

by the time you finish eating, everyone’s grabbed their bags, towels, drinks, and whatever else they think they’ll need. you fall into step with toji, shiu, and sukuna as you all start the short trek down the dirt path toward the water.

“yo, shiu,” sukuna grumbles, rubbing his eyes. “you snore like a seventy year old trucker.”

toji snorts. “i thought the tent was collapsing.”

shiu shrugs like he’s heard it all before. “maybe you two just sleep like princesses.”

“i sleep like a normal person,” sukuna claims.

“you drool,” toji laughs.

“oh shut up.”

maki grabs your hand as she skips up beside you, swinging your arms together. “if he snores like that again i’m shoving a sock in his mouth.”

“please don’t,” shiu says flatly. “last thing i need is to choke on your laundry.”

up ahead, yuki and shoko lead the way, pointing out random plants like they're on a cute little david attenborough doco. behind you, you hear the other guys who drew the short straw grunting and complaining while carrying the heavy coolers and bags.

gojo’s voice carries above all of them. “why are we the ones holding everything? this is discrimination against pretty people, right cho?”

“maybe you need the workout,” sukuna calls back without turning around.

“you’re huge,” gojo fires at him. “you should be doing this!”

“you bench as much as me, toru,” toji says easily. “you got it.”

suguru adds, “think of it as penance.”

“for what?!”

“existing, apparently,” choso says from the back, deadpan.

you laugh so hard at the sight of your poor boy-... friend, carrying half the camp site.

finally, the trees break open and the waterfall comes into view. it's tall, pouring into a bright pool that reflects all the light. the rocks glisten, mist hanging lightly in the air. it’s stunning.

everyone slows down at the same time, letting out various sounds of appreciation or, in ino's case, a loud “hell yeah.”

the group spreads out near the flat rock area by the water. beach chairs get unfolded, a picnic blanket goes down, coolers crack open, sunscreen gets passed around.

the guys start stripping off their shirts first, flinging them onto chairs. the girls follow suit, peeling off their clothes down to bikinis.

you tug your shirt over your head and wiggle out of your shorts. the cool air brushes your skin, and you stretch your arms above your head as the girls whistle dramatically.

“okay, body,” yuki says, fanning herself.

“look at you,” maki adds with a grin.

you’re laughing until you feel someone staring.

you look over your shoulder.

choso is frozen mid sentence staring straight at you with an expression that makes your breath hitch. his eyes drag from your shoulders down to your hips, then snap away like he got caught doing something illegal.

he almost drops the towel he’s holding.

ino notices instantly. “damn, dude,” he snickers under his breath. “pitching a tent already?”

choso elbows him lightly. “shut up.”

“you’re staring.”

“i’m not.”

“you so areee,” ino grins, “like she walked out of a commercial or some shit.”

“bro.”

“i’m just saying, if you don't claim h-”

choso shoves him, just enough to make ino stumble and laugh like an idiot. ino shoves back, then choso hooks an arm around his neck and drags him toward the water.

“say it again,” choso threatens playfully.

“she looks hot!” ino yells gleefully.

“you’re dead.”

they hit the edge of the rocks still bickering. then choso launches them both into the water with a loud splash that makes half the group cheer.

the moment seems to kickstart everyone else, toji pushes sukuna in next, sending water spraying everywhere. he jumps after him, flipping mid air because of course he does.

gojo yells “watch this!” and immediately slips on a rock, falling into the water sideways like a cartoon character. suguru follows him in with more grace but the same energy.

maki grabs your hand. “come on!”

you brace yourself and leap with her, the cold water breaking around you as you sink under and pop back up with a gasp. yuki splashes you immediately. shoko shouts something about sunscreen. toji tackles sukuna underwater. someone screams your name. someone else yells for beer.

the whole group is laughing, yelling, splashing, a complete mess of legs and screaming in the best way possible.

and when you push your wet hair out of your face, blinking against the sun, you see choso watching you again, this time from the water, hair slicked back, smile tugging at his mouth like he can’t help it.

he doesn’t look away, not even for a second.

the group swims and chats as the hours tick by.

.

the sun still shines bright against the water of the pool where everyone’s spread out in their own little pockets of conversation.

toji, sukuna, shiu, and gojo have now found a routine up on the ledge beside the waterfall. they keep climbing the path, launching themselves off like overgrown children, resurfacing, then racing each other back up to do it again. their voices bounce around the cliffs full of competitive grunts and trash talk. suguru calls them idiots every time they hit the water, but he’s smiling when he says it, legs stretched out on the picnic blanket where he’s sorting through the snacks you all brought down. fatass.

maki and yuki are floating in the shallow part, drifting on their backs, letting the current push them around. shoko’s perched on a rock a few feet away smoking one of her tiny joints, hair pulled up with a pen.

you’re stretched out on a nice, warm, flat rock, the surface almost hot, your legs are tired from swimming.

choso comes walking out of the water like some dumb test of your self control. shit, he looked good. motto motto type shit.

he pushes his wet hair back with both hands, eyes squinting from the brightness. he looks relaxed in that heavy-lidded way he gets after swimming, like the cold water cleared whatever fog was hiding behind his eyes. the cut muscles along his stomach catch the light each time he shifts. there’s something really stupid about how unfairly good he looks when he’s not even trying.

he stops beside you and gives a small breath of endearment like he’s caught you staring.

“gonna roast yourself,” he says, sitting down beside you.

“i’m fine,” you reply.

“uh huh.” he reaches into your bag and pulls out a bottle of sunscreen. he shakes it once. “c'mon, you didn’t put any on.”

you look at the bottle, look back at him. “so what if i didn’t.”

he nudges it toward you like that settles it. “use it.”

“you use it,” you say, still not reaching for it.

“i already did.”

you tilt your head toward him, letting the corner of your mouth lift. “then put it on me if you’re so worried.”

'wow, she's getting bold.'

he goes still, he’s surprised you said it. then a smirk spreads across his mouth.

“yeah,” he mutters, “if you insist.”

he sits on his knees beside you and pours a cold thin line up your very exposed back, rubbing it over your shoulders first, his thumbs tracing small circles as he works it in.

choso had seen you in your underwear plenty, but it was fleeting. this time, you were quite literally on display and flirting with him? was he in heaven?

his hands smooth the lotion along your spine, up to your shoulder blades, then down the sides of your ribs. his big, veiny hands feel so good all over your body, it drives you insane. you arch into his touch, earning an impressed hum from the boy.

“this good?” he asks softly.

“mm,” you answer, not trusting yourself to say more.

he keeps going, his palms warm now as they glide across your skin. he works lower, skimming just above the band of your bikini, always staying respectful but very aware of where his hands are.

you’re about to tell him he’s done a good job when a loud voice echoes from above the waterfalls mouth.

“ngh, rub me harder, choso!”

you whip your head toward the ledge. gojo and sukuna are both up there, hands cupped around their mouths like megaphones. sukuna starts moaning like a chick, and gojo doubles over laughing, nearly losing his balance.

“choso,” sukuna moans, “my back needs attention too. been real tense lately. help a guy out.” hes trying so hard to soun dfeminine but his deep voice just keeps on cracking causing him to laugh mid sentance.

gojo bumps his shoulder into sukuna’s, voice cracking from laughter. “he’s a giver, man, he’ll take good care of you.”

they both start fake moaning again, way too loud, way too committed to the bit.

choso shakes his head, fighting a smile. he doesn’t look embarrassed, more like he’s trying not to laugh at how stupid they sound.

“fuck off,” he calls back, tone warm and amused.

you lift your hand and flip them off without even sitting up. “get a hobby,” you shout.

this only makes them louder. sukuna nearly falls off the rock from laughing so hard.

nanami silently appears behind them like a punishment summoned by the universe. one second they’re laughing, the next nanami just steps up, expression perfectly neutral, and gives a straightforward shove.

both idiots yelp as they topple right off the ledge into the pool with a big splash.

nanami dusts his hands off like he just finished a chore. “problem solved,” he says.

you snort, shaking your head as everyone else laughs.

choso leans back on his hands beside you, eyes soft when they land on you again.

“you good?” he asks quietly.

“you’re the one who got heckled mid massage,” you tease.

“massage huh? worth it.”

you lie back down, head tilted toward him. “yeah?”

he looks out toward the pool rather than directly at you, voice low. “yeah.”

you swallow down the desire in your stomach and watch the sky as it turns orange and red.

the others keep splashing, yelling, chasing each other around. maki and yuki have now resorted to splashing suguru while he halfheartedly pretends to guard the snack pile like a disgruntled loser. shiu and toji are racing in circles, trying to dunk each other while ino judges them from the shallow end.

everything is loud in that harmless, summertime way, and yet you feel strangely tuned in to the small space between you and choso.

he lets himself lie beside you, close enough that your arms brush lightly. the rock is warm beneath you both. he crosses his arms under his head, eyes closing for a moment like he’s letting his body relax fully.

you turn your face toward him. “you tired?”

“little bit,” he murmurs, “water kinda knocked it out of me.”

you smile. “you act like you’re eighty.”

“i’m spry,” he insists.

“sure.”

his lips stretch upwards into a smirk.

he opens one eye just barely. “hey, you’re staring.”

“no i’m not.”

“you so are.” he mocks your voice.

"hey, that's my thing."

you toss a small pebble at his chest. it bounces off and falls into his lap. he acts like he’s been injured, grabbing his heart dramatically.

“ow,” he says weakly, he flicks the pebble back at you. it misses by a mile. “terrible aim,” you tease.

“my aim is great,” he says, sitting up slightly, stretching his arms. “i’m just being nice.”

“sure.”

he glances toward the water again and catches ino waving him over in some chaotic attempt to get a volleyball game going.

“you wanna swim more?” he asks.

“i’m good here for a bit,” you say, shifting so your legs stretch out long over the stone. “go. play.”

he hesitates, eyes flicking to your sun warmed skin, then back up to your face. “you’ll yell if you need me?”

“what am i, helpless?”

“kinda,” he says with a small grin.

you shove his knee lightly. “go before ino has a tantrum.”

he stands, water still trailing off his trunks. he stretches once, arms lifting above his head, ribs flexing. you try not to stare, but you fail miserably.

he catches you. he tries not to react. he does a terrible job of hiding the pleased look that sneaks across his face.

he taps your ankle before heading toward the group. “don’t move too far,” he says.

you lie back down, the sun soaking into your skin, listening to the distant splash as choso dives into the water again, his laugh flowing over the surface like a little ripple that somehow finds you even from across the water.

.

as the sun sets into a deeper orange maki’s the first to stretch her arms and announce she’s starving. that seems to set off a chain reaction, everyone throwing themselves out of the water or off the rocks.

“alright, pack your shit,” toji says, slinging his wet hair back like a dog.

gojo pops out of the water like a sea creature, hair sticking all over his face. “i need a snack that isn’t water,” he says, voice muffled through his fringe.

everyone slowly gathers their towels, finished drinks, suguru’s stash of snacks, gojo’s sunglasses that are broken from chucking them on the rocks too hard, and toji’s shirt which somehow ended up in a tree. there’s a lot of bickering and whining and complaining, but it all blends together in that nice white noise way that means everyone’s in somewhat of a good mood.

you grab your towel and your bag, choso scoops up whatever you almost forget without you asking. he flings it gently against your back as a soft reminder.

you all walk back slower than you came, racked with laze from the big day in the water. gojo and suguru walk close, heads tilted toward each other like they’re having their own little secret conversation.

shoko keeps flicking water at yuki with her fingers and yuki hisses at her every time. toji, sukuna, and shiu walk ahead talking about something that sounds like a very illegal hypothetical.

ino is already complaining to kento about how “nature is trying to assassinate him.”, flipping away mosquitos. nanami does not indulge this. at all.

when you reach the campsite the heat doesn't ease up at all. not terrible, but enough that nobody even thinks abour changing out of their swimmers.

nanami steps into the center of the clearing with his phone, “alright. before the sun drops too much, everyone needs to collect six pieces of firewood each. dry, not damp. we need enough for tonight and tomorrow morning.”

gojo immediately groans. “six???”

“yes.”

“can i do… two?” he tries.

“no.”

suguru just grabs him by the back of his neck and steers him away. “come on, satoru.”

“why are we together?” gojo asks loudly, even though he looks very pleased.

“because I drew the short stick,” suguru answers.

they shuffle off into the trees, weirdly quiet again, like, suspiciously quiet.

“wonder what that’s about,” maki whispers.

“they’re probably hiding something,” shoko says, lighting up another tiny joint.

you give her a look. “like what?”

she shrugs. “i dunno. maybe they brung molly and don't wanna share?”

everyone starts splitting off into their little groups. toji, sukuna, and shiu head into the deeper part of the woods, already arguing about what counts as dry wood. yuki and shoko wander off together, shoko pointing with her joint like it’s a laser pointer. maki, nanami, and ino go the opposite direction, that leaves you and choso.

he kicks a stick by his foot. “alright. let’s go get this over with.”

“ookay.”

you walk side by side at first, but the forest gets denser the farther you go. the air feels cooler under the tall trees, shadows stretching along the ground. the floor’s covered in old branches and crunchy leaves.

“six pieces each,” you mutter.

“easy,” choso says, already eyeing a big stick like a prize.

you pluck a small one from the ground and wag it at him. “one.”

“that’s cheating.”

“nope. counts.”

“absolutely not.”

you grin, stick it into your little bundle, and then suddenly bolt deeper into the woods. "let's play tag!"

choso hesitates for half a second before laughing and running after you. “hey! come back!”

you dodge around a tree, giggling as you hop over a branch. choso shouts something about unfair head starts, but he’s clearly letting you win. every time he speeds up, he slows down again, giving you a chance to stay ahead.

your heart kicks as you run, but you don’t stop. he stays close behind, footsteps crunching in the leaves and breath warm when he gets too close. every time you think he’s about to grab you, he pulls back, teasing.

“i’m gonna catch you!,” he says.

“try it!” you throw over your shoulder.

“don’t tease me,” he warns, but you can hear the smile in his voice.

you leap over another branch, except your foot snags the end of it. you stumble, and at the exact same moment choso tries his best to grab your waist to steady you. his hand misses. both of you crash forward into the forest floor.

you hit the ground with a soft yelp, and choso lands rightttt on top of you.

his arms cage around your head, palms flat in the dirt on either side of you, chest pressed to your back at first before he pushes himself up a bit. he stares down at you breathing erratically with his eyes wide like he didn’t think the game of tag would end like this.

you blink up at him, equally as mortified, yet neither of you moves.

the forest is so quiet around you, not even a bird calling. it’s just him hovering over you, face flushed, hair messy, chest rising and falling.

his voice comes out low. “…uh.. you.. okay?”

“yeah,” you breathe. “you?”

he nods, still not moving. you can feel the warmth of him through the tiny space between your bodies, the closeness so strong you can’t think.

something lustful flashes in his eyes, just for a second like all he wanted to do was take you right then and there, but he shakes his head and pushes off.

he clears his throat and scrambles back, trying to be smooth but failing. he stands up first, then offers his hand.

you slip your fingers into his and he pulls you up in one clean swish. hot.

you dust yourself off, still feeling the tingle of where his arms had pinned you to the ground.

the walk after that is… awkward. not unbearably awkward, but enough that both of you pretend to focus really hard on looking for wood.

you pick up a stick. “three.”

“that’s barely a stick,” he says, kicking at it. “that’s a twig at best.”

“still counts.”

“i hate you.”

you smile. “no you don’t.”

he doesn’t argue that. his head is too filled with you, like it had been all day. you you you. on the walk to the waterfall, in the water, walking back, you were on his mind all day.

not that you weren't regularly on his brain, that was common, but this time it was one specific sentence you'd said, the one from last night.

'you're the only guy i'm into.'

fuuuuck.

it was driving him nuts. you were into him. he wants to ask you more, he wants to dig at your brain and ask you every little thing he's been thinking for the past 15 hours, he wants to pull you up against one of these trees and put you under some truth spell that'll get you to spill your guts.

a few more steps pass before he finally speaks again, trying to stay true to his desires and pluck up the courage to ask you. “so… uhm... y'know. about last night?”

your heart starts beating in your throat, it's embarrassingly nauseating.

you look at him trying to force a casual idgaf smile. “hmm? what about it?”

he sighs and stops walking.

“what do you… feel? about me?"

ah shit, you weren’t expecting him to be blunt about it. choso rarely asks for things directly, he hints at things and circles around the point, always waits for someone else to be bold first.

aw, he was being so brave. who are you to not give him a straight answer?

you step closer. “since freshman year, i’ve had a crush on you.”

his eyes go wide like you'd just pummeled him with a big, fat, heavy bowling ball.

“you..." he coughs out of nervousness. ", what?”

“yeah.” you shrug like it’s nothing even though your heart is fluttering and your fave is hit to the touch. “you’re surprised?”

he opens and closes his mouth a bit. “i... i guess not, but i… i’ve felt the same. this whole time. since the day you broke up with your ex.”

you stare at each other again, it's silent in this forest, you both seem to clock how badly you want the other, you can feel it in the way you fiddle with your sleeve anxiously and the way he's tapping his fingers against his thigh.

the timing is perfect, far too perfect.

choso seems to take the initiative, he reaches forward, grabs your face gently with both hands, and kisses you.

you accept gingerly. it’s soft and sweet at first, he's pushing his lips against yours smoothly and fluid. the year and a smidge of longing, late nights spent cuddled up together, talking shit and smoking weed, it was all pouring out into this perfect kiss. it's sweet, but you want a little more.

you grab his neck and pull him in closer, and he melts into it. the kiss deepens so quick, you and choso had always been on the same wavelength like that. your back presses into an old tree trunk the bark rough behind you, choso’s body's flush against yours.

one of his hands stays on your cheek, the other slides to your hip, holding you still. your fingers slip into his hair and he kisses you again, slower this time, then faster, he’s been waiting years for this exact moment.

you both break apart eventually, breathing hard, foreheads touching. his eyes slide down to your lips, then back up to your pretty eyes.

he laughs under his breath. “wow... uhm."

"yeah, wow. that was great." you giggle, nudging his shoulder, he smirks and looks down at you the way guys do when they're tryna look sexy, and it was really working out for him.

"we should… probably get actual firewood." he suggests with that's smile still firm on his face.

you laugh too, your cheeks still hot. “yeah. before nanami thinks we got mauled by bears.”

you both step away from the tree, still flustered. you grab a sturdy log, he grabs two bigger pieces like he’s suddenly trying to impress you, and you keep chatting quietly while stacking your finds.

then, the forest rustles up ahead.

you stop. “uhm, did you hear that?”

choso steps in front of you slightly, protective without thinking. “yeah. hold up.”

you creep forward together, quiet as possible. you push a branch aside.

and then...

you nearly scream.

because in front of you, sort of hidden between two trees, are satoru and suguru.

and they are VERY MUCH making out.

like pressed-together, hands-in-each-other’s-hair, bodies-flushed-close making out.

you slap a hand over your own mouth.

choso slaps his hand over your hand.

your muffled voice still tries to say, “i KNEW it-”

“shhh,” he whisper laughs, eyes going huge. “shut up, shut up, shut up-” he says between muffled giggles.

you two back up like spies retreating from an active crime scene, then once you’re far enough, you both break into silent giggles, hands over your mouths, practically vibrating.

once you’re safe, you wheeze out, “i knew it! we've talked about this!”

choso grins so hard his eyes crinkle. “oh wow i thought we were onto something, that's actually crazy.”

“so crazy.”

you collect the last of your wood and head back to camp, still laughing, still bumping shoulders, still so excited from the fact that everything, everything, between you just changed in the best way possible.

"sooo, can we make out tonight? can that be a new thing?"

"sure, cho. sure."

as you and him wander back toward camp the sky is darker now, almost syrupy, the last of the sun staining the treetops in a sleepy orange.

there’s already a flame flashing, crackling steady in the pit. everyone’s scattered around it, spread out on logs and blankets, hair still damp and bodies still bare. suguru and satoru are soon to come back as well, also as happy chappy as you and choso. although, everyone's too busy arguing or talking to clock them.

you both step into the clearing trying to look normal, which immediately does not work because choso’s smile is basically glued to his face and you're not much better.

maki, bless her soul, spots the two of you before anyone else.

she glances up, squints, and then her jaw drops so fast it’s comical. “oh my god?.”

you and choso freeze.

maki points directly at choso’s mouth, “you guys made out?!”

the entire group stops what they're doing as stares, even the fire crackles quieter.

and the funniest part?

choso AND gojo both blurt out at the exact same time,

“how did you know?!”

but they say it so differently.

choso says it all playful and shameless, like he’s impressed she figured it out.

gojo says it like he’s been caught fucking the pope.

the clearing goes dead still. everyone’s heads turn… slowly… toward gojo, who now has one hand slapped across his mouth like he’s trying to deep throat the incrimination words back inside his throat.

suguru sits beside him and his whole body shudders in an 'oh no' kinda way.

yuki’s eyes are huge with surprise and shoko is barley hanging onto her laugh. toji looks delighted. sukuna grins he’s watching the best soap opera he’s ever seen. ino looks confused, nanami looks exhausted, and shiu whispers “holy shit” under his breath.

maki clears her throat loudly, dragging her eyes off of gojo and back to you and choso. “uh- i was talking about choso. his lips. they’ve got her lip gloss on them. that’s all.”

then the people start hooting with laughter.

yuki practically explodes and shoko wheezes so hard she falls against yuki’s shoulder. toji leans over and gives shiu a stack of fives like they’d made a bet on this weeks ago. sukuna’s laughing at gojo with this sharp little grin, shaking his head like, “bro… come on.”

satoru is still sitting there frozen like a glitching video game character, hand over his mouth, real fear in his eyes.

suguru elbows him. “satoru.”

no response.

another nudge. “satoru, you outed us.”

gojo whispers, horrified, “i didn’t mean to. she scared me.”

maki throws a rock at him pissing herself laughing. “i wasn’t even talking to you! see what main character syndrome does to a guy? you idiot.”

yuki wipes tears away and points at suguru. “i mean… we did all kind of expect it.”

toji claps suguru on the back like a proud uncle. “knew it since last year, kid. congrats on finally doing something about it.”

shiu smirks. “yeah. bro it's kinda obvious.”

suguru groans and hides his face in his hands while gojo sinks into him like a sad little wet noodle. suguru wraps an arm around him anyway.

“it’s fine,” suguru sighs. “all bro’s make out sometimes.”

toji chokes on the smoke he was halfway through inhaling like an idiot, “THAT’S your explanation?!”

their banter just gets rowdier and rowdier with every word from satoru'ss mouth. nanami just mutters something about wishing he had chosen a different friend group in college.

and you?

you’re sitting on this beat up log, still warm from the forest encounter, grinning so wide your cheeks hurt.

choso bumps your shoulder with his, quiet enough that only you catch it. “we’re off the hook,” he whispers.

you tilt your head into him. “guess we don’t have to hide it now, huh?”

he gives you that little smile he only ever shows when he’s really happy. “guess not.”

the others are still hollering at gojo and suguru, who are now resigned to their fate, sitting next to each other on a cooler like children in time out. satoru keeps mumbling excuses. suguru keeps smacking the back of his head lightly every time he talks. toji and shiu are already arguing about the details of their bet.

nobody’s paying attention to you two anymore. perfect!

you catch choso’s hand, tugging. “hey.”

he looks down at your fingers sliding between his. his ears tint pink. “hmm?”

you lean in a little. “wanna sneak off?”

he tries to play it cool. he really does. but the tiny smile, the way he adjusts his grip on your hand, gives him away. “uh. yeah? obviously.”

you stand, brushing dirt and sand off your legs. choso stands too, stretching a little like he’s pretending this is casual, normal, totally fine and not exactly what he’s been wanting since he kissed you against that tree.

you both slip away like teenagers skipping class, quiet steps across pine needles, the fire dimming behind you as the forest swallows the noise. the further you get, the more the chatter fades until it’s just the two of you, the soft night, and the faint glow of your tent ahead.

when you duck inside the fabric glows with warm leftover daylight. the air feels close but comfy, the mattress messy from last night. you throw on one of his hoodies over your swimmers then collapse onto the bed with a gentle bounce. gross? maybe, but you're camping, who cares.

choso flops beside you, not even pretending to play it cool anymore. he pulls the zipper down halfway to let in some air, then turns toward you with that yearning look.

you nudge his side. “aw, you’re staring.”

“can’t help it,” he mumbles with nerves creeping in on him. “you’re kinda… fucking up my whole night right now.”

you grin. “in, like, a good way?”

“in the best way.”

you pull him closer by the front of the hoodie he slipped on before, he sinks into you like he’s been feining for it.

you tangle your fingers in his hair and he lets out the smallest moan into your mouth, soft and helpless, like he’s forgetting how to think.

"god this is so peak."

"right? we shoulda done this years ago." you reply, kissing him deeper.

you lie back together against the mattress, his arm slipping around you as the kiss gets heavier. outside, the fire crackles faintly under the distant laughter of your friends, but it all feels a world away from the quiet of the tent, the closeness of him beside you.

his fingers wave over your skin, pulling back to look you in your eyes. “today was… a lot.”

you smile. “a good lot, though.”

“yeah,” he laughs. “a really good lot.”

you shift closer, your nose buried in his neck. “we don’t have to figure out everything tonight.”

“i know.” he presses a small kiss to your head. “just wanna stay like this. for a bit.”

“we can stay as long as you want.”

he holds you to his chest so tight, this was what you craved, him in all of his gooey, lovey, glory.

when his kisses trail down to your cheek again, his laughter vibrating through your own throat, you smile and pull him closer.

“everything’s good,” you murmur.

and it is.

it really, really is.