Best Friend's Boyfriend's Best Friend

by Lilac_and_Tea

Summary:

You tolerated Satoru Gojo's presence due to the fact that his best friend was dating your best friend. You could barely stand to be in the same room with him for longer than ten minutes, and he made it well known that he didn't care for you either.

So, you had no idea why his name was the first one that flew from your mouth when you'd been asked by an old high school bully about your love life. Now you needed his help, and you couldn't think of anything worse than having to ask him for a favor.

Chapter 1: High School Laments

Notes:

Welcome to my first try at the enemies to lovers trope. Up to bat is Satoru Gojo because, damn that man fine as hell and is a cocky little shit.
This fic will include several tropes we all know and love including; fake/pretend relationship, rich boy/poor girl, mutual pining disguised as hate, and a few others I can't think of at the moment lol.
Also, yes, Gojo is a model in this because why the hell not?
Happy reading!

Back in high school you were the weird girl, and not in the cliché teen movie glasses and ponytail type of way. More like the obsessed with cryptids and having a crush on the moth-man type of way. You didn't want to sound like a hipster, but you were the weird girl before it was considered cute. Of course you were bullied for it, that's how things usually went. In high school it was weird, but now it was quirky and trendy.

So, you don't know why you were even considering going to your ten year high school reunion. The email containing the invite was sitting in your inbox, looking bright and cheery with the color scheme of your high school and the little drawing of the mascot. It was scheduled a week from now, and it was partially your fault for the suddenness of it considering you hadn't noticed the email until now.

"You gonna go?" Jenna, your best friend of five years, asked while knocking back a shot of tequila. The bar was relatively slow that night, but you needed a night out after the rough day at work you'd had. So, you both got dolled up a bit and headed out for the evening. Jenna had invited her boyfriend as well who would be joining later. Currently, you were nursing a fruity cocktail, a tiny paper umbrella sticking out of the glass and a little orange wedge garnishing the side.

"I don't know." you sighed, "High school wasn't the best experience for me."

You had a few friend's in school, a small group that you'd hang out with some weekends or eat lunch with in the cafeteria, but you'd lost contact after graduation and haven't really spoken since. That was one of the only reasons you were considering going to the reunion, so you could catch up with the old gang. The other reason was out of morbid curiosity. You were dying to see how some of your old bullies turned out.

"Pull up some of the people you went to school with. I love stalking old school mates." Jenna snickered, popping a greasy French fry into her mouth. With a shrug, you went into one of your social media accounts and typed in the first name you could think of.

"Mackenzie Levine. Well, I guess it's Tanner now." you said with a raised brow, not surprised that she had gotten married to the former captain of the football team. Those two had dated on and off all through high school and had equally made your life difficult.

Adam Tanner had been every girl's crush in school, yours included, but apparently you were the only one worthy enough to be singled out and made a fool of. Adam had asked you out to junior prom, and while shocking, you had felt flattered and accepted his offer. But of course it ended up being a big prank, and you'd been humiliated in the middle of the cafeteria while he laughed in your face and everyone else joined in. Mackenzie had continuously brought it up for weeks, making sure to remind you that girls like you didn't end up with guys like her boyfriend, ever.

"Is that the bitch that bullied you?" Jenna's voice brought you back, and you blinked once before nodding.

"Yep, she was one of them at least. There were quite a few." you stated, scrolling down to see pictures of Mackenzie and Adam with a group of other familiar faces. It seems the popular clique stayed pretty tight after graduation.

"You should go and cuss out every single one of those assholes, and wear something sexy while doing it." Jenna suggested enthusiastically.

You chuckled and rolled your eyes playfully, "No, I'm just not gonna go. I'd rather not put myself through all that again."

"Put yourself through what?"

Your face immediately dropped into a displeased expression at the sound of his voice. Jenna perked up, her eyes brightening as she glanced over your shoulder. While she stood to place a kiss on the cheek of the tall, dark haired man, you took a deep breath to steady yourself before turning to face the white haired, blue eyed bastard standing next to him.

Your best friend was dating Suguru Geto, and his best friend was Satoru Gojo. Otherwise known as the most insufferable human being you've ever met in your life. You didn't outright hate him, but he was just too much all the time. Every time the four of you got together, he would wear your patience down to paper thin levels. The constant teasing and lady killer smirk had your hackles raised, it didn't help that he never seemed to shut up.

You tolerated his presence because of Jenna, and because you actually did like her boyfriend. Suguru was a nice, soft spoken, prince of a man that was everything you could ever hope for your friend to have. He proved time and time again that he was the perfect gentleman towards her, and he treated you respectfully as well.

So, how that lovely man ended up with that demon as a best friend never ceased to amaze you. Where Suguru was quiet and calm, Gojo was loud and brash. The two couldn't have been more opposite if they tried. While you and Jenna were a bit different, it wasn't nearly to the extent that those two were.

"None of your business." you rolled your eyes, wishing that Jenna and Suguru would let you squeeze in-between them so you wouldn't have to sit next to Satoru. But alas, the love birds shifted into one side of the booth while Gojo shoved his stupidly tall and built frame right next to you.

"Scoot." he said with a devilish grin, "Unless you want on my lap?"

"Ugh." you simply groaned, shifting as close to the wall as possible. His snicker in response had you gritting your teeth.

When Jenna and Suguru first got together they had tried to hook you and Gojo up, setting you both up on a blind date. It didn't go very well, Gojo had been on his phone most of the time and you couldn't keep a conversation going due to the fact you both had next to nothing in common.

Gojo was rich, like really rich, his family owned one of the biggest companies in the country. He wore designer clothes, dated models, and drove expensive cars. He had literally been on the cover of GQ and Vanity Fair quite a few times. And you were...semi poor. You'd worked odd jobs since high school, saving up for your first car and school trips that were too expensive for your parents to afford. You currently worked as a waitress at a local diner, your business degree you earned in community college doing absolutely nothing aside from gathering dust. Your one bedroom apartment was small, but cozy, and your car was rusty, but reliable. The expensive Rolex on Gojo's left wrist glinted under the bar lights, mocking your very existence.

It wasn't a secret that he found you uptight and a bit of a stick in the mud, and you weren't afraid to tell him straight to his face that he was a nepo-baby man whore. He didn't even want to run his family's company, he was twenty eight and hadn't even considered stepping up as successor. Suguru had mentioned a few times that Gojo's dad was trying to get him more involved in the company, but Gojo would turn his nose up at the idea.

Privileged little shit, you thought bitterly.

"I need a greasy burger, stat." Gojo laughed as he looked over a menu, throwing one arm over the back of the booth behind your shoulders. You leaned forward to get away from it.

"Shouldn't you be watching your figure?" you quipped, swirling the little umbrella in your drink.

"You mean this figure?" Gojo said with a raised brow as he tugged up the hem of his designer t-shirt, showing off his ridiculously defined abs and making your eyes widen in shock. "I think I'm alright."

"Okay, Satoru. We're in public." Suguru chuckled softly, and Jenna rolled her eyes at Gojo's antics.

"You're such an idiot." you scoffed, taking a long sip from your fruity cocktail.

"And you're blushing." Gojo smirked, dropping the hem of his shirt.

Thankfully you had managed to swallow your drink before he said that, saving you from a coughing fit. But you still smacked his chest with the back of your hand.

"No fighting at the dinner table, children." Jenna laughed, tucking her arm into Suguru's.

"He started it." you muttered.

"What?" Gojo said, "When did I start it? You're the one who got snippy with me first."

"I don't know, but you definitely started it." you shot back.

"Do we need to separate you two?" Suguru quirked a brow.

"Yes, please." you sighed, "I need to pee, get outta my way." you shoved at Gojo's well muscled arm to get him to move, and he got up to let you out with a roll of his eyes.

"Why are you so mean to me?" he whined as you walked away from the table.

Your trip to the bathroom was short, but by the time you returned Jenna and Suguru were gone, the couple having wandered over to the bar to get more drinks. You snagged an empty chair from a table nearby and sat down at the end of the booth.

"You seriously won't sit next to me?" Gojo asked, shaking his head at you.

"Why? So you can man-spread into my personal space? No, thank you." you scoffed.

"You're such a little..." he trailed off under his breath, and you raised a brow at him.

"You better not finish that sentence." you huffed an unamused laugh.

"Whatever." he shifted to face you, resting his chin on his hand. "So, what's this about a high school reunion?" he asked.

"God damn it, Jenna." you hissed, not really all that surprised that she blabbed. "Again, none of your business."

"I loved high school. I was captain of the basketball team, and class president." he grinned, and you felt your upper lip curl.

"Yeah, I'm sure being a rich boy helped with the popularity. Let me guess, private school?" you reached across him to snatch up your glass before taking another sip.

"Boarding school." he corrected you, stealing the umbrella from your glass and sticking it between his teeth.

"Of course, boarding school." you rolled your eyes. "Well, not all of us had such lovely experiences."

"So what? It's just high school. It's not like it was the end of the world." he laughed, "I bet you were a goth girl, huh?"

You mimicked the sound of a gameshow buzzer, "Wrong."

"Damn, that would've been hot." he sighed in disappointment.

"I bet you were exactly the same as you are now." you quipped.

Gojo's crystalline eyes narrowed slightly, "Is that a dig? That feels like a dig. Are you suggesting I peaked in high school?"

"I'm not suggesting anything. Why? Do you feel like you peaked in high school?" you retorted.

"No, no, no." he wagged a finger in your face, "I'm not falling for that psychological manipulation you women are so good at."

"I'm surprised you can even say psychological manipulation." you said, stirring your straw in your glass.

"Just kiss already." Jenna's voice cut through the conversation as her and Suguru returned to the table with another round of drinks.

"I would, but I'm scared she'll suck the life-force from me to retain her youth." Gojo snarked.

"Did you just call me a hag?" you slapped the table with both hands, the drink glasses rattling slightly with the force.

"I didn't call you anything. Why? Do you think you're a hag?" Gojo replied, a proud smirk gracing his lips.

Jenna and Suguru both sighed and shared a look as you and Gojo started bickering back and forth yet again.

Chapter 2: Consequences of Thine Own Actions

Notes:

Thanks for the comments and kudos on the first chapter, I really appreciate it!

You had decided not to go to your high school reunion. You didn't want to subject yourself to the critiques and passive aggressiveness that you were sure you would receive from your old bullies. It's been ten years since school and yet you knew things would go right back to the way it was the moment you all got into a room together. Besides, that Saturday was your weekend off and you didn't want to spend it stressed out and miserable.

It was two days before the reunion when you found yourself at the supermarket after work, getting your list of snacks and groceries for the weekend so you could veg out in your apartment and read your steadily increasing stack of books. Normally you would be doing something with Jenna, but that Saturday was her and Suguru's two year anniversary and they were going away for the weekend.

You didn't mind hunkering down for a couple days, you liked having time for yourself to just get things done at your apartment or even just to rot into the couch while you watched your shows. You were excited to start a new one you'd seen premiered recently. While you were picking out which soda you wanted, you heard a high pitched voice call your name.

As you turned to acknowledge whoever it was that had spoken, you felt your blood run cold. Mackenzie Levine, now Tanner, was pushing a shopping cart closer towards you. Her hair was pulled up into a pristine bun, nails manicured, makeup perfect, and her outfit screamed upper middle class. A wrinkle free skirt and blouse combo that you were sure you'd seen on a mannequin at one of the pricier boutiques downtown.

"Oh my God! Is that you?" she beamed as she got closer, her sharp gaze flicking up and down your waitress uniform critically. The smile didn't reach her eyes, and as she finally approached you could see the pleased glint in her eyes as she seemingly deemed you lesser than her.

"I'm sorry, do we know each other?" you asked, unable to help yourself from being a bit petty. She laughed, but it clearly had irritated her that you implied forgetting about her existence.

"It's Mackenzie, silly. From high school." she grinned, a barely noticeable tick in her brow.

"Ohh...right." you drawled, acting as if you hadn't been incessantly bullied by her for four years.

"What a nice coincidence running into you. Are you going to the reunion this Saturday?" she asked, placing her left hand under her chin, very obviously showing off the large diamond wedding ring on her finger.

"Well, I don't-" you started to speak, but she cut you off.

"You know the girls and I were talking about it the other day. You remember Kayla and Grace?" she said. Oh, how could you forget. Those two had been her attack dogs. "Well, we're so excited to see everyone again, and to find out what everyone's been up to." she played with one of the sapphire earrings hanging from her ear lobes, the pair of them could probably pay your rent for a couple months.

"Ah." you nodded, trying not to sigh in exasperation. "I hope you ladies have-"

"What've you been up to?" she asked, pointedly staring over your uniform. "Where are you working?"

"Just a diner nearby." you replied, trying to act nonchalant, but you could feel the insecurity starting to build.

"Did you not attend college?" she quirked a brow.

"No, I did. Just haven't found a place to use my degree is all." your fingers tensed around the basket in your hands, feeling more and more inadequate the longer she stared.

"Oh, that's unfortunate." she said in faux sympathy. "Are you married? Or seeing anyone?" she continued, piling on the scrutiny.

You weren't sure why you said it. You should've just told her to take her knock off Prada pumps and get the hell out of your face. But the patronization was getting to you, your hackles were raised and you couldn't stop your mouth from spitting out complete and utter bullshit.

"Yes, I have a boyfriend." you lied, raising your chin a bit to try and feel a bit less pathetic.

"You do? That's great. What's his name?" she asked, eyes glinting suspiciously, hoping to make you stumble and call you out on your lie.

"Satoru." you blabbed, mentally smacking yourself upside the head for even thinking of his name at that moment. Why couldn't you have used a basic guy's name like John or Michael? Although, Mackenzie actually looked taken aback, not expecting such a quick and specific reply from you. You found yourself enjoying her little shocked expression.

"Oh, well, you should bring him this Saturday. We'd all like to meet the man who snatched you up." she said, a bit of condescension in her tone. You were sure what she really meant was she wanted to meet the guy that actually settled for a weirdo like you.

"We'll have to see. He's got a pretty busy schedule." you stated, hoping the lie was good enough to get her to drop it. But of course, she had to persist.

"If he's a good boyfriend, he'd make time for something important like this, right?" she raised a brow.

"Of course." you nodded, sweat starting to bead at your hairline. "We'll be there." you promised, burying yourself even deeper into the hole you dug.

"It was so nice catching up. See you this Saturday!" she waved as she carried on down the aisle, and you caught her side eyed look in your peripheral as she went.

.................................................

"Wait, you said you're dating Satoru?" Jenna's voice came through the speaker on your phone. You'd called her almost the second after you'd gotten home.

"I didn't know what to do!" you exclaimed, pacing around your small living room. "She was standing there all prim and perfect and judgmental. I just said the first thing that I could think of!"

"And you were thinking of Satoru?" she said, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Shut up, it's not like that and you know it." you rolled your eyes. "Now she's expecting me to show up with a guy, and I'm sure she's already told all of the people in her little clique about it."

"Why don't you just ask Satoru to go with you? I'm sure he would if you explained the situation." Jenna suggested and you audibly scoffed.

"Seriously? You think that-that hell spawn would do me a favor without anything in return? Nuh uh, not happening." you shook your head.

"Hey, sweetheart." you heard Suguru's voice faintly on the other end, most likely he had just gotten home from the hospital where he worked as a pediatrician. You could hear him ask if it was you on the phone and Jenna made a noise of confirmation.

"She ran into one of her high school bullies and told her that she's dating Satoru." she blabbed, unabashedly spilling your secrets to her boyfriend.

"Jen!" you exclaimed, your face turning red.

"What? Maybe he can talk to him for you and get him to help out?" she said and you could practically envision her shrugging noncommittally.

"I'm sure he'd be willing to help." Suguru's soft voice filtered through the speaker. "If it involves making people look like fools, Satoru loves doing it."

"Yeah, well, he'd probably end up making me look like a fool. I'm sure he was exactly like those people in school." you huffed in annoyance.

"Satoru was a lot of things back then, but never a bully." Suguru stated, "I wouldn't have been friends with him this long if he had."

You did trust Suguru on that. He was a good person with a kind heart, and it had to say something about Gojo's character if Suguru was his best friend.

"Still, you know he'll never let me live this down. He'll use every opportunity to tease me about this." you sighed, slumping down onto your couch with a pout.

"Well, it's either that or letting those assholes get the better of you again." Jenna said, and you knew you would rather subject yourself to Gojo's stupid remarks over your old classmates ridiculing you. You've dealt with Gojo for two years, you were used to his idiocy.

"Alright, talk to him." you clenched your eyes shut. "But don't make it seem desperate!" you said firmly, your face flushing hot and your stomach twisting into knots.

"Don't worry. It'll be fine." Jenna laughed good-naturedly, but you couldn't help feeling a sense of dread prickling up your spine.

.............................................

Suguru had texted you the next day that Gojo would be coming over to your place to talk. He had to be the mediator and message you the details due to the fact you didn't have his best friend's number saved in your phone. You never felt the need to have it considering you two never associated apart from your best friends bringing you both together for group events.

Work had been busy for you that day, and you had gotten out later than usual due to the evening shift waitress, Lena, being thirty minutes late. You weren't bothered by it, she was a single mom and both of her kids were in after school activities. Lena was a nice woman and she always covered a shift for you if you needed it and vise versa.

It was just after four o'clock when you trudged up the stairs to your apartment, the squeaky floorboards making that familiar rhythm under your feet. You passed by Mr. Chambers' apartment on your way, fixing the crooked number on his door like you always did. The old man had a habit of letting the door slam shut and the number would shift to the side a bit. He was a nice enough man, if a bit crotchety, but you kept relatively quiet and he had no complaints about you.

As you rifled through your bag to look for your keys, your attention was drawn by an irritated but relieved sigh.

"Finally! I've been waiting here for, like, a half hour!" Gojo pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning on, waiting by the door to your apartment. He was obviously out of his usual environment, the Dolce & Gabbana shirt and the YSL loafers not meshing with the flickering light in the hallway or the walls that had been yellowed by cigarette smoke.

"You've got somewhere to be? It's not like you have a busy job or anything." you huffed, refusing to apologize for your tardiness that you had no control over.

"No, but I do have dinner plans in an hour." he said, towering over you as you unlocked your apartment. "Gianna, five foot nine, blonde, super hot." he listed off, and you rolled your eyes as you stepped into your home.

"I don't care about whatever naïve girl you're tricking into sleeping with you."

"No tricking needed, they just love me. Can't help themselves really." he bragged, having the decency the close your door behind him as he followed you.

It didn't hit you until then that this was the first time he's been to your apartment. You eyed the sink full of dishes and the take out container on the coffee table from the night before. You hadn't had time to clean up that morning before work, and you felt a bit self conscious. But you tried shrugging it off, you didn't care about his opinion of your life.

"Whatever, I'll make this quick then." you sighed, shrugging your bag off your shoulder and plopping down onto your couch. "I'm sure Suguru has already explained the situation."

"Yep." Gojo grinned, popping the P on the word. "You let your mouth write a check and you need me to help you cash it." he quipped.

"Don't look so smug." you glared, "If there was any other way of solving this situation that wouldn't leave me looking pathetic I would've done that first."

"Well, why didn't you just ask Suguru to pose as your boyfriend? I'm sure him and Jen would've been fine with it." he rocked back and forth on his heels, his hands clasped behind his back in a very self satisfied pose.

"There's pictures of the three of us on my social media accounts, and plenty of those pictures have them looking all lovey dovey. If someone was to check it would look suspicious." you explained. Also the idea of Suguru posing as your boyfriend made you cringe. He was like a brother to you, and if you had to spend an evening acting all cute with him you would either laugh or throw up a little in your mouth.

"You don't have any pictures of me on your socials." Gojo noted, "Wouldn't that look equally as suspicious not having any posts with your supposed boyfriend?"

"You're semi famous in certain circles." you stated, "We can claim it as a privacy thing."

"You've really thought this through, huh?" he chuckled, taking a seat next to you on your couch, his long legs spread wide like the man whore he is.

"I don't want to be humiliated again in front of my whole graduating class." you said, crossing your arms over your chest.

"Again?" Gojo quirked a brow curiously, "What happened last time?" he asked, but you shook your head at his question.

"Not telling you. It's not even worth talking about." you replied, "So, are you gonna help me or not?" you quickly turned the conversation back on topic.

"Sure." he grinned, the impish nature of it making your skin crawl. "But first, I want you to do something for me."

"I'm not sleeping with you." you snapped.

"What? No, not that." he furrowed his brows at you, his expression looking almost repulsed. 

You didn't like how angry his reaction to the idea of sleeping with you had you feeling. He'd be lucky to even get the chance to touch you, is what you told yourself. Not that you wanted to touch him either, he probably had some disease from all that sleeping around he did.

"What do you want then?" you sighed, tapping your finger against your arm impatiently.

"Ask me. Nicely." he smirked, turning to face you fully.

The smug look in his sky blue eyes made you want to slap him. His tongue poking out between his teeth as he grinned had your blood boiling. Your pride was tough to swallow, going down like a big, dry pill. But you gritted your teeth and forced the words past your lips.

"Can you help me, Satoru?" you asked, using his name so he would hopefully take the situation seriously. His eyes seemed to light up mischievously at that.

"Help you with what?" he cocked his head, looking very punchable and self satisfied.

"Can you help me get back at my high school bullies by posing as my boyfriend?" you pursed your lips, your nails digging into the skin of your arm. He quirked a brow as if he was waiting for something else, and your jaw clenched in irritation. "Please?" you added, taking in a deep breath through your nose to try and calm your anger.

"Of course! You know I love making people look like assholes." he slapped his hands onto his knees as he stood to his full height. "I'll be by tomorrow to pick you up." he said, looking like the cat that caught the canary as he walked around your couch to head to the front door.

"It's at six. And try to act like a normal human being!" you called, not wanting him to get up to his usual antics tomorrow.

He simply laughed obnoxiously as he exited your apartment, the door clicking shut and firmly sealing your fate.

Chapter 3: Revenge

Notes:

I'm not dead, I just have ADHD lmao
Sorry for the hiatus, but I wasn't able to actually sit and write for the past few weeks. Work, life and all that jazz.
But accept this nice long chapter as an apology!
Also, fun life update, my best friend and I went and saw ATEEZ a few weeks ago and it was AMAZING!!! Seonghwa wrecked me so bad 😂😂

When five o'clock rolled around on the day of the reunion you were trying your hardest not to freak out and cancel the whole plan you had concocted with Gojo. You had spent the whole day cleaning and organizing your apartment to try and keep your mind off of the night ahead of you. You had managed to pick out a suitable outfit and did your hair and makeup, satisfied that you looked good enough to attend the reunion. At the very least you looked more put together than how you did when you ran into Mackenzie the other day.

The rhythmic knock on your front door felt like a death toll, and you forced one foot in front of the other to go and unlock it. When you opened it you saw Gojo standing there, once again looking pleased as punch and dressed sharply. The dress code was cocktail attire, and he had matched accordingly. A dark blue button up was tucked into a pair of black slacks, all tailored to fit perfectly and accentuate his broad shoulders and tapered waist. The shirt had two buttons undone at the top to show off his collarbones, and the sleeves were rolled up, showcasing his forearms. He literally looked like he had just walked off of a photoshoot.

"What are you wearing?" you blinked in surprise at his sudden question, flicking your gaze up quickly to meet his. He had a single brow raised as he looked over your outfit.

"What? The dress code was for cocktail attire." you said, looking down at the sensible tea length skirt and nice blouse you had on.

"Yeah, if those cocktails are for toddlers." he snorted, "You look like a preschool teacher."

"So what? I like this." you snapped.

"And that's fine on any other day, but you're gonna be seeing your asshole class mates. You should look hot as fuck so you can really rub it in their faces." he stated, not waiting for an invite inside before stepping past you into your apartment. "Let me see what else you have." he mumbled as he made his way towards the open door to your bed room.

"Gojo! Knock it off, we're gonna be late!" you called, rushing after him. His strides were much longer than yours.

"Yeah, fashionably late after I fix this situation." he gestured to your entire being before turning to your closet.

"Why does it even matter what I'm wearing?" you scoffed.

"Because, to those kinds of people image is everything. Trust me." he stated as he rifled through hanger after hanger, curling his lip up at all your modest and affordable taste in fashion. "Not a single designer brand in here." he sighed in disappointment.

"You think I can afford anything like what you have on? I'm a waitress, Gojo. And not even at a big fancy restaurant." you rolled your eyes. He ignored your statement, continuing to pick over your meager selection before his brows shot up in surprise.

"Oh, hello. What's this?" he murmured, plucking a hanger off the rod that had been pushed almost to the back. He shook the dress out in front of you. It was a fitted dark red, knee length cocktail dress. You'd gotten it for a New Year's party about three years ago and hadn't worn it since. "Put this on. Oh, and these shoes." he added, bending down to pick up one of the only pairs of heels you owned, a well loved pair of black pumps.

You took the dress and heels reluctantly, standing in your room silently as you waited for him to move. "Um, get out?" you said, nodding towards the door.

"Oh, right." he cleared his throat, quickly stepping out of the room. "Don't take too long!" he called as he closed the door behind him.

With a grumble, you quickly changed into the dress and stuffed your feet into the shoes. You wobbled a bit, used to wearing a shorter heel, and you looked over your reflection in the mirror on the wall. The dress hugged your figure, showing off your curves and the neckline dipped just enough to enhance your bust. It was still tasteful and classy, but very different from what you usually wore. Which is why the dress had been collecting dust for the last three years. You had to admit, you did look good. Gojo was an idiot about a lot of things, but fashion wasn't one of them.

You fixed your hair a bit before finally exiting your room, the sound of your heels on the floor drawing Gojo's attention as you approached.

"Can we get going now? We're definitely gonna be late." you sighed, grabbing your purse from the coffee table before looking up at him.

You can firmly say that you've only ever seen Gojo speechless three times in the two years you've known him. The first was when you had vehemently declined sleeping with him on the one and only date you had been set up on, the second was when you had called him a nepo baby man whore to his face, and currently this would be the third time.
You furrowed your brows in annoyance at his dumb, slack jawed look, unimpressed that he seemed so surprised that you cleaned up well. It's not like you were a slob, you just preferred to dress modestly while out and comfortable while at home.

"Don't think too hard, I can smell smoke." you quipped.

Gojo blinked twice before snapping his mouth shut. His expression switched back into that familiar cocky grin. "Didn't know you were hiding all that under the granny sweaters." he nodded at you, and you shoved past him with a roll of your eyes.

"You're a pig." you scoffed, "Now, hurry up."

Gojo walked with you down to the lobby after you had locked up your apartment, his tall frame shadowing you the entire way. Out on the curb sat one of his expensive cars, much too fancy for the neighborhood, and people on the sidewalk stared at it as they passed by.

When you reached for the handle on the car door, you recoiled as you felt a gentle smack on the back of your hand from Gojo.

"That's my job." he grinned, pulling the door open for you and leaning against it.

"Wow, chivalry's not dead." you said sarcastically.

"Anything for my baby." he replied with an impish grin.

"Don't call me that!" you hissed.

"Just getting into character." he laughed.

You rolled your eyes as you got into the passenger seat and you watched as Gojo closed the door and practically skipped to the drivers side. He seemed way too pleased at the situation, and you dreaded the jokes and the ribbing you were going to have to endure after all of this was over with. You'll probably still be hearing about this day twenty years from now.

"Here, put your number in." he said as he got into the drivers seat, handing over his phone. It was the latest model in pristine condition, while yours was several versions behind with a couple cracks marring the screen.

"Why?"

"Because, it'd be weird for you not to have your boyfriend's number." he stated like it was obvious.

"They're not going to check the contacts in my phone, Gojo." you shook your head and held his phone back out to him.

"Just do it, that way I know what calls to avoid in the future if you need another favor." he quipped, pushing the phone back in your direction.

You grumbled under your breath as you reluctantly exchanged numbers, saving his contact under 'Idiot' and yours under 'Best Girl'.

"Cute." he rolled his eyes as he looked over what you had put as your contact name.

"Thank you." you shot back, giving him a faux innocent smile.

He stared at you for a few seconds longer before shaking his head and turning the key in the ignition. The car softly rumbled to life, not making a single squeak or shrill whine like yours did when you had to force the older vehicle to start. You gave Gojo the address for the hall where the reunion was being held and he quickly tapped it into the GPS before tearing away from the curb. Thankfully you had put your seatbelt on earlier.

You could feel the nervousness rising the closer you got to the hall, sweat beading at your hairline and you chewed on your nails anxiously.

"Stop it. It'll be fine." Gojo said, having noticed your bad habit. You brought your hand down to your lap, clasping your fingers together to keep them from fidgeting.

"That doesn't make me any less nervous." you sighed, "Usually when someone says 'everything will be fine' it never is." 

"Everything will be fine, because I'm here." he said smugly.

"Right, because everything always goes great when you're involved." you shook your head with a scoff.

"When has it not?" he quirked a brow.

"Shall I answer chronologically or alphabetically?" you crossed your arms over your chest.

"Name one time."

"Jenna and Suguru's first anniversary." you answered quickly, "I had that whole fancy dinner planned and then you cancelled the reservation and forced us to go to a different place that ended up not even being open."

"They still had a good time!" he said defensively.

"Yeah, only because I managed to salvage the reservation for the first restaurant." you griped, "I had to bribe the hostess almost my whole pay that week to let us in."

"I thought you said they had an opening?" he furrowed his brows in confusion.

"I lied." you rolled your eyes at his obliviousness. "I wasn't gonna tell Jenna and Suguru, they wouldn't have went there if they knew I did that. I just wanted them to have a nice time."

"Is that why you only had water and a tiny salad that whole night?" he questioned, looking dumbfounded at the revelation. It was true you had basically no money after bribing the hostess, so your plan of splurging on a nice meal went down the drain. You'd told everyone that you'd had a big lunch that day and that you weren't very hungry so they wouldn't get suspicious.

"Yeah, your fault by the way." you said pointedly.

Gojo had the decency to look a bit guilty, "I uh...I would've paid for you if you'd said something. Or I would've paid for the reservation."

"So you could hold it over my head? No, thank you." you scoffed.

"I wouldn't have-" he shook his head with a sigh, "Whatever."

The rest of the ride was had in silence, the tension between the two of you was tight, but the nervousness over the reunion was starting to take over, that sinking feeling twisting up your stomach. When the building came into view and Gojo pulled the car into a parking spot, you were nearly shaking, your hands fiddling with the strap of your purse anxiously.

"Just act natural." Gojo said, "Keep our story close to the truth, Jen and Suguru introduced us and we started dating after." he explained, and you couldn't help but agree with his idea. All good lies had some degree of the truth, and it would be easier for the both of you to keep the story straight if it was simple.

"Alright, sounds good enough." you nodded. The familiar cocky smirk found its way back onto his face, and he quickly got out of the car and went around to open your door for you. As you both approached the entrance, his hand drifting down to your lower back had you freezing in your spot. "What are you doing?" you batted his hand away.

"What all boyfriend's do?" he quirked a brow, "You're gonna have to get used to a little bit of touching if you want to make this look semi convincing."

You released a sigh, "Fine, but any lower and I'm biting it off." you agreed begrudgingly.

"Scouts honor, no ass grabbing." he held up three fingers in a salute. "Unless you want me to." he smirked as he rested his hand back onto the small of your back.

"Shut up." you forced yourself not to blush, the warmth and weight of his hand on your back sending little pleasant tingles up your spine. You blamed it on the slight chill outside.

In the lobby of the event hall was a table occupied by two people, both were checking in guests and handing out name tags. Some people you vaguely recognized were milling into the hall through a set of double doors, and you swallowed thickly as you approached the table. You gave your name and the person wrote it down before handing you a name tag, the pin was in the colors of your high school and your name was scrawled cutely in a whimsical font.

"Here, I got it for you." Gojo grinned, taking the tag from you and pinning it to the neckline of your dress, right above your left breast.

"I'm gonna kill you." you murmured under your breath, smiling like you had just said something nice.

"You're so sweet." he chucked you under the chin affectionately before taking your hand in his. The heat and softness of his hand clasping yours had goosebumps prickling your skin and you tried your hardest not to wrench your hand out of his grasp.

The hall was decorated with balloons, streamers, and a big banner that had the year of your graduating class on it, reminiscent of a prom theme, and you caught Gojo looking unimpressed at the modest décor. The budget for the event was probably small in comparison to whatever fancy boarding school he went to, but it was a decent set up for the reunion. Several tables filled the hall and you recognized some of your former friends clustered together, relieved that there were at least a few friendly faces.

You and Gojo sat with them after you approached, the small group having recognized you and were pleased to catch up. You introduced Gojo as your boyfriend and he instantly turned on the charm, that signature smirk tugging at his lips and capturing everyone's attention.

After some time had passed and you had looked over various wedding and baby pictures from your old friend group, Gojo had stood to go find the refreshments table.

"I'll get you something to drink, babe." he smiled softly, and if it wasn't for the mischievous glint in his eye that only you recognized you would've thought it was genuine.

"Don't call-" you furrowed your brows in annoyance, but quickly schooled your face back into a neutral expression, not wanting to get caught bickering when you should be looking at him like he hung the moon. "Thanks...honey." you nearly gagged.

He left with a self satisfied grin, and you took in a deep breath to try and keep your cool, but to the people around you it looked as if you were sighing fondly.

"You're so lucky! He seems so nice." your one friend, Lee, said in a half whisper, his gaze following Gojo's back as he walked away.

"Yeah, definitely lucky to have him." you said, barely managing to keep the sarcasm out of your tone.

"He looks familiar for some reason. He didn't go to school with us, right?" Kendra asked, she had been the only other girl in your old group.

"Um...Gojo, I mean, Satoru went to a different school." you said, shifting a bit in your seat nervously. "But, he...well, he models sometimes." you explained, a bit embarrassed that someone had recognized him.

"You're dating a model!?" Lee exclaimed, looking just shy of jealous.

"I thought I recognized him! He was in a bunch of Calvin Klein ads last month!" Mark practically shouted, and you quickly shushed the group, noticing people at other tables starting to stare.

"It's not a big deal." you huffed, "He's not even that famous." you couldn't hold back the slight dig, but thankfully your friends were too preoccupied with the revelation about Gojo to catch on.

"Wait, wait." Kendra held up her hands. "You said Satoru Gojo, as in Gojo Enterprises?" she raised a brow.

You scratched the back of your neck nervously. "Well, he doesn't run the company, his parents do."

"You're dating a model slash soon-to-be CEO of one of the biggest companies in the country." Lee said rhetorically in utter shock. You didn't want to have to go into the whole story that Gojo had no desire to run the company, so you simply nodded silently.

"How the hell did you two even meet?" Mark asked.

"My best friend is dating his best friend." you explained.

"I gotta get better friends." Kendra mumbled, and you almost let out a laugh.

However, before anyone else could hound you with more questions, the sound of high heels and an even higher pitched voice interrupted the silence.

"How's everyone doing?" Mackenzie Tanner slid up to the table, standing over you with a barely contained look of condescension.

"Worse now." Lee snarked, a factious smile on his face.

"Oh, come on, we're all friends here." Mackenzie laughed haughtily. "But, it seems we're missing someone? Where's this boyfriend you were telling me about?" she asked as she looked down at you.

"He went to get something to drink." you stated, nearly rolling your eyes at her tone.

"Yeah, her sexy ass model boyfriend." Lee jumped in, clearly trying to provoke her while also hyping you up. But you wanted nothing more than to put your head in your hands.

"A model? You didn't mention that he was a model." Mackenzie smirked bitterly, obviously not believing it for a second.

"It's not a big deal." you muttered, your throat going a bit dry, and you wondered where the hell Gojo was with that drink.

Just then another person joined Mackenzie's side, and you recognized him as your high school crush turned bully. Adam Tanner stepped up next to his wife and looked over the group with an equally judgmental eye.

"What's going on guys?" he asked, his tone attempting to come off as friendly, but not sounding at all genuine.

"Oh, we were just talking about her boyfriend, who's apparently a model." Mackenzie said, whispering the last part as if it was a secret, or rather a lie.

"Nice to see you again." Adam nodded to you, his gaze flicking down to your cleavage, and you held back a noise of disgust.

"Hey." you simply replied.

"Adam here has his own company." Mackenzie bragged unwarranted, patting his chest in a possessive manner.

"Just a small one. But we made six figures last year." he added onto the brag, the both of them looking arrogant and proud even though everyone at the table could care less.

"That's almost the price of my shoes." Gojo's voice suddenly broke through the conversation. "Here you go baby, they had the little umbrellas that you like too." he said to you as he sat down a small glass of punch, a tiny yellow and blue spotted umbrella sticking out of it.

"Oh, uh thanks." you murmured before getting up to stand next to him in front of your old bullies. "Um, Satoru, this is Mackenzie and Adam Tanner. They're old...friends." you said, and you saw the way his eyes lit up mischievously, catching onto your double meaning.

"More friends? You were pretty popular in school, huh babe?" he smiled, his hand slinking its way around your waist and pulling you into his side.

You glanced up at the duo in front of you, a surprisingly pleased thrill going through you as you saw both of their shocked expressions. Mackenzie's was the most satisfying, clearly she had expected someone different or no one at all. Gojo's tall, handsome, and well dressed form seemed to have caught her off guard.

"This one? Popular?" Adam was the first to recover, a barely contained sardonic laugh escaping him. "She was always so shy, never really talked to anyone."

"I was weird." you stated, "He's just being...nice." you tried to stay calm, not wanting to show how the slight digs were affecting you.

"It's called having a personality, sweetheart." Gojo grinned, looking rather convincing. "That's what I love most about you." he added fondly, his head tilting to the side as he looked down at you.

He should really think about getting into acting, you thought.

"Oh stop." you chuckled nervously, sending him a look that said 'no seriously stop'.

"It's true." he carried on, turning his attention back to the other couple. "You know what else I love about her? She's such a hard worker. Did you know she worked two jobs while she was in college?"

Your eyes snapped up to his face as he said that. You'd never mentioned that to him before, at least not directly. You might've said it once when you, Jenna and the boys were hanging out, but you couldn't recall when. How the hell did he remember that? And a better question would be why did he care enough to?

"Well, one of us has to be a hard worker." you quipped, forgetting for a moment that you shouldn't have made such a biting joke about him.

But Gojo simply tossed his head back in an attractive laugh. "It's true, my job's not the most difficult. Posing for pictures, walking the runway and whatnot." he said, humbly bragging about his model status.

"You two seem like the perfect couple." Mackenzie said, her tone reeking of jealousy and her pristine manicure digging into the sleeve of her husband's jacket.

"Oh, it wasn't always that way. She hated me when we first met." Gojo chuckled, and you wanted to cut him off, thinking that the story wouldn't be believable if he was too honest. But, he continued before you could stop him. "She told me straight to my face how much of an ass I was. And she was right, honestly. I think that's when I started falling for her, no one had ever spoken to me like that. It really got to me and made me think."

Yeah, he should definitely be an actor, you thought.

"Enough about that, Satoru." you laughed nervously, putting a hand on his chest to signal him to stop. Your face was starting to flush in embarrassment from all of the sweet things he was saying, even if they were all fake.

"Sorry, baby. I just can't help myself." he grinned, tucking a lock of hair behind your ear. You tried to keep your head still, not wanting to cringe away from the contact due to the fact it made your stomach flutter.

"Well, it was nice catching up." Mackenzie said, her jaw set into a tense clench. "We'll have to get lunch sometime." her smile was terse and barely more than a half uptick of her lips. Her sour reaction left you feeling very satisfied.

"I'd like that." you replied with a bright smile, knowing that she wouldn't even attempt to contact you ever again after tonight. You couldn't help but lean your head on Gojo's shoulder for affect, tightening your arm around his in a show of faux affection. Mackenzie and Adam slinked away looking rather put out and irritated that they hadn't managed to humiliate you once again.

"That was the best thing I've seen all year." Kendra laughed, drawing your attention back to the table.

"Loved seeing them get put in their place." Lee grinned, "They haven't really changed much since school have they?"

"The both of them definitely peaked back then." Mark chimed in, and you couldn't help but let out a soft laugh in relief that everything had went well.

You tilted your head up to look at Gojo and the sight of his warm half smile threw you off. The softness in his eyes wasn't something you'd ever seen before, at least not directed at you. However, as soon as you caught it, it was gone in a flash. His face snapped back into that familiar cocky grin and he turned his gaze away from yours. You dropped your arm from his and you both reclaimed your seats at the table.

The rest of the reunion went smoothly. None of your other old bullies tried to approach you, possibly having heard or seen how badly it had went for Mackenzie and Adam. You and Gojo had stayed long enough for dinner and a couple drinks, but after a few hours of conversations and catching up, you decided you wanted to go home. Your social battery was draining, and Gojo wasn't helping much by constantly starting new conversation topics. The extrovert that he is. Thankfully, your friends were understanding, and after quickly exchanging numbers and socials, you and Gojo were back in his car and on your way home.

As he pulled up to the curb outside your apartment, you quickly got out of the car before he had the chance to open up your door for you.

"Hey! I'm trying to be a gentleman." he griped, leaning over from the drivers seat to call out to you through the open window.

"Don't make me laugh." you replied sarcastically, leaning down to look at him.

"You gotta admit, it was pretty awesome showing those assholes up tonight." he smirked, and you simply shook your head.

"Sure, it was awesome." you straightened up and went to turn towards your apartment building, but you paused for a moment, your hand still on the car door. "Hey, Gojo." you turned back, and he quirked a brow curiously. "Thanks, you know, for helping me out." you said, actually trying to be genuine with him for a second.

His smirk softened ever so slightly, "Anytime, babe." he chuckled, and you sighed through your nose at the pet name.

"Okay, goodbye." you rolled your eyes and started heading for your apartment.

You didn't hear the screech of the tires driving away until you were safely inside the building.

Notes:

My man Gojo out here spilling his guts and poor Reader is so oblivious lol

Chapter 4: Return the Favor

Notes:

First part is in Gojo's pov, and I will say I scoured the wiki pages and couldn't find anything about Gojo's parent's names, so I made them up lol.

Satoru knew what an "invite" for family dinner meant. He was in trouble for something. He wasn't sure what he did really, he'd actually been on relatively good behavior all week. Ever since your high school reunion a few days ago, he hadn't done anything too outlandish. He had a few modeling gigs, a one night stand, he hung out with Suguru, and that was about it. So, as he took the front steps up to his parents large, manor style home, Satoru was wracking his brain for what the problem could be.

He didn't even ring the doorbell, choosing to stride inside the house so he didn't have to wait for the maid to answer the door. The older woman that had taken care of his family's house for years shuffled down one of the hallways as he sauntered through the foyer.

"Satoru! You're actually on time!" she called, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Her face was wrinkled with crows feet and laugh lines, signifying that she smiled quite often and very broadly. Satoru couldn't help but send her one in return, the older woman had basically raised him.

"Hi, Mari." he chuckled, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Are the parental units in the dining room?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Your mother and father are waiting for you, yes." she shook her head at his less than pleased tone. "Now, go on." she ushered him down the hall, her small hands shockingly strong from years of work.

With a sigh, Satoru made his way into the dining room through the entryway. The long table was meant to seat ten, four on each side and one at both ends. He thought it was a bit of a waste considering he was an only child, and usually any important company events were held at one of the hotels his family owned. Seated at the head of the table was his father, Seiji Gojo, while his mother, Hanako, was placed to his right.

Shockingly, his parents actually loved each other, unlike some marriages between rich families that were simply for convenience. They ran the family company together well and were the picture of what a strong, lasting marriage should look like. The only thing is they both had similar expectations for their only son, and had raised him with a bit of an authoritarian parenting style.

Boarding school, exceptional grades, captain of several clubs both academic and athletic, and high accolades. Satoru had been pushed to perfection in high school, which is probably why after graduating he cracked under the pressure. He refused to attend any of the prestigious universities his parents had picked out for him. He had made it very clear that he had absolutely no desire to waste his youth sitting in stuffy classrooms once again to eventually take over the company. He didn't belong behind a desk, the very thought of it made him nauseous.

"Satoru." his mother greeted him, the formality in her tone unsurprising. The relationship he had with his parents was complicated. He obviously loved them, and they loved him in return, but things were strained and had been for some time.

"Mom, dad." he nodded as he took the seat to his father's left. "What did I do now?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn't even look down at the food on the plate in front of him.

"Satoru, you're not in trouble." his father stated, casting his gaze onto him that matched his own. Satoru was almost an exact copy of his father, save for his smile that he had inherited from his mother.

"That's weird, 'cause the only time you guys talk to me anymore is when you think I did something wrong." he said pointedly, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He knew if he did that his mother would scold him something fierce.

"That's not true, dear." Hanako sighed, taking up her glass of red wine and sipping it delicately.

"Agree to disagree." Satoru retorted, "What am I here for then if I'm not in trouble?" he turned the conversation back on track, wanting to get this whole thing over with so he could go home and get ready for his night out.

"Fine, I suppose we'll just come right out and ask." Seiji clasped his hands together on the edge of the table. "When were you going to tell us that you had a serious girlfriend?" he asked, his brows raised in question.

Satoru furrowed his brows in confusion, "I don't have a girlfriend." he huffed a laugh.

The look that his parents shared was starting to make him a bit nervous. He watched as his mother pulled out her cellphone and slid it across the table towards him.

"One of our employees attended an event recently and took this picture." she stated, tapping the edge of the screen. "They said that they were surprised to see you there, and that you were with a girl."

Satoru looked down at the phone and felt his blood turn to ice. The picture looked like it had been taken from a couple tables away from the one you and him had been sitting at during the reunion. His arm was around your shoulders in a very convincing show of protective affection, and you were looking up at him. The smile on your face seemed genuine, and it must've been taken right after he had properly put your old bullies in their place. He tried not to focus on your face, the softness of your smile made his stomach tighten uncomfortably.

"Your employees should mind their own business." he scoffed, pushing the phone back across the table. "She's not my girlfriend, she's just a..." He wasn't really sure what you qualified as. A friend of a friend? A sophisticated acquaintance? The woman that gets under his skin and lives in his head rent free?

"Enough, Satoru." his mother shook her head, "You don't have to make up lies. We're very happy you've decided to finally get into a serious relationship."

"I'm not-" he tried to speak, but his father interrupted him.

"The two of you look quite happy together." he said, and Satoru almost let out a cackle at the notion.

"Trust me, we're not-"

"Your father and I were worried that you were never going to settle down." Hanako sighed in relief, "We'd really like to meet her. Is she from a specific family that we know?"

"Mom, dad, seriously she's not-" Satoru tried to explain, but the looks on his parents faces made him pause. They seemed pleased at the idea of him having a girlfriend.

For a couple years now his parents had pestered him with the topic of marriage, even going so far as to set up blind dates with girls from other wealthy families or business associates of theirs. He'd refused every single one, not interested in an arranged marriage to some boring CEO's daughter that had no personality. He had no desire for love or marriage, he enjoyed his freedom. Suguru told him he was missing out, but Satoru wasn't sure exactly what he was missing out on.

However, this situation he found himself in could work to his advantage. He'd helped you out with your problem, you owed him one, and really this whole mess was your fault anyway. With some proper planning he could probably get his parents to lay off on the whole marriage thing for a few years. He could get you to meet his parents, then pretend to break up, and he would claim to be so heart broken that he wouldn't even think about relationships or dating for a long time. Giving him some peace from his parents constant pestering about getting married.

Satoru couldn't help but smile at the genius plan.

"Alright, you guys got me." he chuckled, "She is my girlfriend, and I do want you to meet her."

.............................................................

Work had been slow and not profitable at all. The few tables you managed to wait on had been mostly older customers that tipped poorly or not at all. The few crumpled bills in your apron pocket added up to a whopping twenty two dollars and your shift was just about over, barely enough for gas for your car and not at all enough for groceries. You were trying to hold off on dipping into your savings as much as possible, but you needed to go food shopping that day or else end up eating half a package of crackers and peanut butter for dinner.

As you counted out the meager earnings, you debated on whether you should just use the money for a little food and just walk to work the next couple days until you could fill your car up on pay day. It wouldn't be the first time you've done it, it was just inconvenient. You would have to leave home an hour earlier than normal to make it on time.

"Hey, I just sat someone in your section." Sean, the host/busboy of the diner, said with a soft tap to your arm. You glanced over to the opposite side in the small restaurant and saw someone sitting in a booth, their face hidden behind a menu. "He seems pretty loaded, maybe he'll tip you decent?"

"Thanks, Sean." you huffed a laugh, but deep down you were hoping he was right. You removed your pad of guest checks and your pen from your apron as you walked closer, tucking a lock of hair behind your ear that had come undone from your ponytail. "What can I get you today?" you asked, putting on the fake cheery tone you always used when speaking to customers.

"How's your coffee? Not too cheap I hope?" Gojo's cocky face peeked out from behind the menu as he lowered it to the table. You nearly dropped your pen in shock.

"What the hell are you doing here?" you hissed, looking over your shoulder to make sure no one heard you snap at him.

"Can't I come and visit my friend?" he shrugged.

"We're not friends." you scowled, "I don't have the energy to deal with you today Gojo."

"Well, then pour us both a cup of that terrible looking coffee and sit with me for a bit. I need to talk to you." he said, crossing his arms over his chest and looking surprisingly serious for the first time since you met him.

With a sigh, you turned on your heel and walked back to the counter to get Gojo's coffee. He technically was a customer, and while you wanted nothing more than to kick his tall ass out the door, you didn't want to risk getting in trouble with your boss.

"Who's the hottie in your section?" Raquel, your fellow first shift waitress, shuffled up next to you at the coffee station.

"An acquaintance." you grumble, placing the coffee cup onto a tray with the creamer and sugar, knowing Gojo liked his coffee sweet enough to rot his teeth.

"I wish I had acquaintances that looked like that." she sighed, grabbing the pot from you before heading back to her own section.

"No you don't, trust me." you muttered under your breath before heading back to Gojo's table. He was your only customer in your area due to the slow day, so you knew you would be fine taking a quick break to talk to him about whatever it was that was so important enough for him to bug you at work.

"Aw, you remembered how I like my coffee." he said as you sat down the creamer and sugar next to his cup.

"How you're not hospitalized with the way you eat and drink shocks me." you scoffed as you sat down across from him.

"Good genetics and a personal trainer." he smirked as he mixed together his overly sweetened concoction before taking a sip. He still grimaced at the taste, the cheap coffee probably not up to his expensive palate, but he didn't complain. "So, something's come up, and you're going to help me." he stated, and you raised a brow at his audacity.

"I beg your pardon?" you blinked.

"While I like hearing you beg, this is no time for that." he quipped, "I'm gonna cut to the chase. Someone at your high school reunion works for my parents and took a picture of us and sent it to them. My mom and dad think that we're dating and they want to meet you."

Your jaw physically dropped at his statement. "What? Why would they think we're dating?"

"Because I told them we are." he grinned, and he continued before you could interrupt. "Look, they've been hounding me about getting married for a couple years now. When this problem came up I figured it would be a perfect solution, at least for a while."

"Is the problem that you're an idiot? Because I could've told you that already, I'm fairly certain I have." you snapped, leaning forward to whisper yell at him. "We're not getting married, Gojo!"

"Of course not, dummy!" he whispered back, "We'll just do what we did at the reunion. Pretend to be together, you'll meet my parents a couple times, then we can break up and I'll say how heartbroken I am, and they'll lay off on the marriage thing for a couple years." he explained, looking rather pleased with himself over the plan.

"Gojo, they won't believe for a second that we're dating." you shook your head, "We're not even in the same tax bracket."

"No! That's good." he grinned, "No offense, but you're poor, they totally won't approve of us dating. It'll be the perfect excuse for the break up. I'll just tell them that their scrutiny of you was too much for you to handle."

"Thanks man, It's nice to know my lack of wealth is a good thing for you." you rolled your eyes. "This is so stupid, I'm not doing this." you turned to get up, but Gojo's voice stopped you.

"This whole thing is technically your fault." he stated, and you whipped around to glare at him.

"You wanna repeat that?" you hissed.

"It's true and you know it." he shrugged, "C'mon, I helped you out with your situation. Help me out with mine."

You were sure you were seeing red at that point as he tilted his head to the side and smiled smugly at you. While he was technically right, it still pissed you off that he had the audacity to call you out on it. You'd hoped this whole mess would've been behind you the moment you left the reunion, but it seemed to have followed you around like a bad smell.

"Fine." you sighed reluctantly, and as he perked up to speak, you quickly held up a finger to stop him. "But first, I want something in return." you said, a small grin tugging at your lips.

"You want money? That's no problem." he chuckled.

"I don't want your money, Gojo." you shook your head with a scoff.

"Then what do you want?" he raised a brow in question. You couldn't stop the smirk from spreading across your face as you propped your elbows up on the edge of the table.

"I want you to ask me. Nicely." you said, repeating his request he had asked of you several days ago.

Gojo's cocky expression dropped a bit. "What?"

"Or you can beg. Either will work." you laced your fingers together and rested your chin on them.

"I've never begged once in my life." he rolled his eyes, crossing his arms firmly across his chest.

"First time for everything." you quipped, raising a brow at him.

His looked directed at you was a mix of annoyance and mildly impressed. He seemed to fidget ever so slightly under your gaze, tapping one lithe finger against his bicep in thought as he mulled over your demand. It felt good seeing him fight with himself, wondering if he was going to swallow his pride like you had to. His ego was massive, and you wanted to take a pin to it like an over inflated balloon.

After a few moments he finally let out a sigh in defeat. "Will you pose as my girlfriend to get my parents to leave me alone?" he asked, and you waited expectantly in silence. "Please?" he added, and you wondered if that was his first time ever saying the word.

"Oh, why not?" you smiled, standing up from the chair. "Just text me when. Now, if you'll excuse me I have to get back to work." you said, slapping down the check with his single cup of coffee written on it.

"Here." he said, digging his wallet out of his back pocket and pulling out some money. "Keep the rest as a tip." he added as he stood, sending you a wink as he stepped around you to head for the exit.

You rolled your eyes at his retreating form before looking down at what he had handed you. Your mouth gaped open like a fish when you saw that he had given you a hundred dollar bill to pay for a two dollar cup of coffee.

Notes:

Gojo totally saw her stressing out over money and tipped a hundred dollars on purpose.

Chapter 5: Not According to Plan

Gojo had texted you the details for the meeting with his parents, Sunday brunch at a very fancy restaurant uptown, and you were fairly certain a glass of orange juice there would cost more than your entire outfit. Jenna and Suguru had found out about the situation due to Gojo running his mouth to his best friend, and Jenna had questioned you about it while you two were hanging out that Saturday night.

"What makes you so sure his parents aren't gonna approve of you?" Jenna asked, lounging on your bed with a bag of gummy worms while she watched you dig through your closet for something to wear.

"Because I'm poor as shit." you stated, flicking your eyes over a blouse before tucking it back onto the hanging rod. "You heard Gojo, his parents are expecting some heiress, not a waitress."

"Yeah, but you're a good person, and his parents aren't terrible. I've met them a couple times and they seem like decent people." she said, having associated with Satoru's parents due to her relationship with Suguru. "I think they'd be fine with you as long as he's happy."

"Gojo and I aren't actually dating, Jen." you chuckled, "And I'm sure the moment they see us bickering like we usually do they're gonna disapprove."

Jenna sighed and popped another gummy worm into her mouth, "I don't know. Maybe." she shrugged.

Jenna had given several items from your closet a thumbs up or down, and with her help you managed to put together a nice outfit for brunch with Gojo's parents. A knee length rose pink skirt and a white, capped sleeved blouse. A pair of white Mary Jane's accompanied the outfit, and you were rather pleased with it, even if there wasn't a single designer tag on the whole thing.

You had considered wearing something different, something a bit too revealing or inappropriate for a fancy restaurant, and acting obnoxious. But you figured that would be too obvious, the whole situation was already on shaky legs, the last thing you needed to worry about was acting like something you weren't. You and Gojo were already too different, both personality wise and financially, his parents would very much not approve. 

You were sure of it.

............................................................

When Sunday morning came around you had taken your time to get ready. Showering, hair, and makeup, the latter kept simple and natural. Gojo was knocking on your door precisely at ten thirty, and you had just finished putting on your shoes when you answered the door.

"I'm ready, let's get this over with." you sighed, slinging your purse over your shoulder as you fiddled with your keys. Gojo was silent and you practically bumped into him as you stepped out.  "What? What's wrong now?" you snapped, looking up at him.

He blinked like he had been zoning out, his blue gaze flicking away from your face. "Nothing." he coughed into his fist before rubbing the back of his neck. "You just look..."

"Lower class?" you quipped, "Good, that's what we're going for, right?"

"No, well, I mean yes. But still you look...you look good." he said, stumbling over his words a bit and a slight pinkish tinge flushing his cheeks. This is the first time you've ever seen him like that, and for some reason it made you mad.

"You don't have to try so hard to be nice to me, Gojo." you scoffed, "We're not around your parents yet."

"So, I can't give you a compliment without you being weird about it?" he quirked a brow.

"No, you can't. Because it is weird." you shook your head, saying that more to try and convince yourself.

You finished locking up your apartment, and the two of you made your way down to the lobby and out to the street where a car was waiting on the curb. This one was different than the one Gojo had driven to the reunion, and you wondered just exactly how many cars he owned.

"So, how poverty stricken should I act?" you joked as you both settled in his car and buckled up. "Like Oliver Twist?"

"Who?" he asked in confusion.

"Oh my God, pick up a book once in a while." you sighed.

"Whatever, just be yourself. I'm sure that'll be enough." he replied and you smacked his shoulder, doing more damage to your hand than him.

The further Gojo drove, the more obvious it was that you didn't belong on that side of town. The houses were immaculate and dripping with nouveau-riche taste. You couldn't help but balk at some of the houses, knowing you would never be able to live in any one of them, unless you became a live-in nanny or maid.

The restaurant was just as ostentatious, attached to a country club where the rich men golfed and the women gossiped over whoever was wearing last season's shoes. You swallowed thickly, feeling incredibly inadequate and underdressed. What you were wearing was fine, it was just very cheap in comparison. Even Gojo's casual attire of tan slacks and a light green button up were still more expensive than your Sunday best. At least it would help with convincing his parents how unacceptable you were for their son.

As the two of you approached the building, the familiar feeling of his hand curling around your waist made your stomach flip, but you managed to not jump like before, having expected some touching in order to keep up appearances.

The host at the entrance escorted the both of you into the fancy dining room after Satoru gave his last name, the maître d' practically stumbled over his own feet to get you to the table as quickly as possible. Clearly Gojo's family was well known at the country club.

As you walked up to a semi private table towards the back of the restaurant, you fiddled with the strap of your purse as you caught sight of who you assumed were Satoru's parents. He was the spitting image of his father, right down to the mischievous, piercing eyes. But the charming grin on his mother's face was familiar. Clearly good looks ran in both bloodlines. If it wasn't for Satoru's annoying, gremlin like behavior at times, you would think that they had produced a flawless specimen of a human being.

"Mom, dad." Satoru nodded in greeting, a slight tension in his tone. He introduced you with a flourish that had you cringing internally, why couldn't he just act normal for once?

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Gojo." you smiled, keeping your chin high and back straight, hoping you came off as confident, even though you were a nervous wreck on the inside.

"You as well, dear." Hanako replied warmly, "Seiji and I have been wondering all week about who finally managed to capture our Satoru. He said you were pretty, but that word doesn't really do you justice." she complimented you, and you were too surprised by her flattery to pick up on the fact that Satoru had described you as pretty to his parents.

"Oh, thank you, ma'am." you blinked, not expecting his mother to be so nice. You were expecting some overly protective monster-in-law, not kindness and pleasantries.

"Have a seat, both of you." Seiji gestured, "It's on me, order anything you like." he addressed you with a nod.

"Dad, you don't have to-" Satoru started to sigh as you both sat down.

"Nonsense." his father held up a hand, "Let me show off just a bit." he said with a smirk. You could see where Satoru got his sense of humor from.

You nearly choked as you looked at the prices on the menu, your eyes instinctively searching for the cheapest option. However, the dish didn't come off as very appetizing to you as you read over it. As the waiter came by to take everyone's orders, you were torn between getting something you wanted or sacrificing your taste buds to not come off as some kind of exploiter.

"What are you getting?" Satoru asked as his parents were busy giving their orders first.

"Um...the tomato and spinach quiche?" you said, wincing at the idea of having to eat it.

"You hate tomatoes, why are you getting that?" he quirked a brow, and you blinked in surprise that he knew that little tidbit of information. He rolled his eyes with a sigh, "You're getting the cheapest thing, aren't you?" he shook his head as he plucked the menu from your hands.

"And for you and the lady?" the waiter asked, turning his attention onto the both of you.

"Two orders of the eggs benedict and the crème brulee French toast." Satoru ordered for the both of you. That sounded a lot better than what you were planning on forcing down. You honestly couldn't be mad at him for taking the initiative. "You really need to stop being so overly considerate. Let people spend money on you if they want to." Satoru murmured as he handed over the menus to the waiter.

"I'm not used to it." you muttered, clasping your hands in your lap.

"We need to change that." Satoru said absentmindedly, leaning back in his chair while draping his arm over the back of yours. You resisted rolling your eyes at him, the last thing you needed was him spending money on you just to hold it over your head. That's how it always went with people, that's why you make it a habit of not letting anyone spend money on you, even Jenna.

"So, if it's not too prying, where do you work?" Hanako suddenly spoke up, drawing your attention back onto Satoru's parents.

"Oh, well...I uh...I'm a waitress." you swallowed nervously. Both pairs of eyes widened a bit in shock at your answer.

There it is. The judgement, you thought, shifting a bit in your seat.

"Ah." Seiji simply hummed, sharing a quick look with his wife before schooling his features. "Where exactly?" he asked, trying to come off as interested and not disappointed, you assumed.

"Andy's diner. It's downtown, actually not too far from your company building, sir." you answered, peeking up at Satoru. He looked pleased with how things were progressing, probably waiting for the inevitable scolding he would be getting about bringing some low class waitress to their fancy country club. So far the plan he had formed was starting off decently.

"Wait, is that the place with the massive cinnamon rolls?" Seiji perked up, and you blinked in surprise at his question. "My assistant brings them in all the time. They're my favorite." he added with a smile, and you were floored by his sudden enthusiasm. It seemed Satoru got his sweet tooth from his father as well.

"Um...yeah, I make them sometimes." you stated, and Seiji perked up even more at the information. You glanced at Satoru and his relaxed expression had dropped, clearly not expecting his dad to have gotten excited over your cinnamon roll making skills of all things.

"Satoru said you attended college." Hanako said, moving the conversation onto another topic.

"Oh! Yeah! Community college, right sweetheart?" Satoru stated, flicking his eyes over towards his parents to gauge their reaction, hoping the fact that you didn't attend some fancy private university would deter them.

"Yes." you nodded, unsure for a moment on how you should explain. "But, I did do online courses too during the summer. That's how I got my double major in business finance and analytics." you added, scratching your temple in thought.

"A double major?" Hanako's eyes widened in surprise. "And you're working as a waitress?" she asked, her tone wasn't condescending, just merely shocked at the notion.

"The industry is pretty competitive." you shrugged, remembering the countless interviews you'd been on and resumes you'd turned in only to be passed over. The fact that you had a double major made you "over qualified" according to a few interviewers. And some of the others claimed you didn't have enough experience when you had been fresh out of college.

"Well, we're always in need of people with those qualifications. Perhaps we could find you a position?" Seiji offered, causing your jaw to drop, but Satoru spoke up before you could say anything.

"Ha ha, dad! Come on, this isn't a job interview." he laughed nervously, looking upset that the "master plan" he had conducted to disappoint his parents wasn't working out exactly as he imagined it.

"Oh, thank you for the offer, sir. But, I don't think it would be appropriate for me to work for your company, since I'm dating your son and all." you quickly added onto Satoru's comment, trying to help him fix the situation. Maybe if you turned down the offer he would feel offended?

"Ah, understandable. You have good morals." Seiji grinned, an impressed look in his eyes.

Clearly not offended, you thought. Panic was slowly starting to set in the more and more his parents began to seem charmed by you.

"Um, babe. You need to use the restroom at all?" Satoru suddenly turned to you, his eyes pleading for you to follow along.

"Uh, yeah." you nodded.

"Cool, I'll show you where it's at. Be right back you two." he shot his parents a faux relaxed grin and quickly scrambled up from his seat, taking your hand in his and practically dragging you towards the bathrooms.

As soon as you both rounded the corner out of sight in the hallway, Gojo whipped around to face you.

"What are you doing!?" he exclaimed in a half whisper. "The plan was to make them hate you!"

"You said be myself and that should be enough! So that's what I'm doing!" you whispered back.

Gojo shook his head aggressively and stamped his foot once in frustration. "Well, you being yourself isn't working! You're impressing them!"

"How is that my fault? I thought you said your parents were shallow and super picky about your girlfriends. They seem really nice and laid back." you stated, surprised that they didn't seem to care all that much about your job or lack of social standing.

"I don't know. You're the first girl I've brought to meet them, how was I supposed to know how they would react?" he sighed, rubbing his hand down his face.

"Wait." you paused for a second at his words, "You've never brought a girl to meet them before?"

"No..." he trailed off, quirking a brow at your question.

You immediately started smacking his arms in frustration, "So you based this whole plan off the assumption that your parents would be disappointed in your choice of a girlfriend!?" you exclaimed, unable to hold back the rage at his idiotic brain. "I can't believe I let you rope me into this stupid, half baked plan! Do you not know your parents at all!?" you continued to smack him, and Gojo blocked your meager hits with his forearms.

"Ow! Stop it! I thought this would be-"

"That's the problem! You thought!" you snapped, reaching up towards his head but his stupidly tall frame was making it difficult.

"Not the hair!" he dodged away, "Chill out, we can still salvage this." he grabbed your arms and pinned them down to your sides. You were still too pissed off to notice how close the two of you had gotten, needing to crane your head back quite a bit to look up at him. 

"How?" you fumed. For half a second you caught his gazing flicking down to your lips, and you hated how the action had your stomach fluttering.

"Just stop impressing them with your college degrees and pastry making skills." he quipped and you tried wrenching your arms free so you could smack him again. "Ok, ok. Calm down, just a joke." he huffed a laugh, "So, they like you. That's fine. We can still pretend to break up." he stated.

"Well, now it'll look suspicious." you rolled your eyes.

"No, it won't. I can just say we're too different, social classes and all that." he shrugged, letting go of your arms now that you had calmed down a bit.

"Right, because why would someone like you ever date someone like me?" you scoffed, unable to hold back the snarky remark.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he raised a brow questioningly, looking a bit put out by your words.

"Nothing." you shook your head in annoyance before turning to head back to the dining room, but Gojo's hand on your arm stopped you.

"What? You think I wouldn't date you or something?" he said, challenging your statement.

You gave an incredulous sigh, doubting heavily that he was being honest. You learned early on that low didn't date high, and vice versa. You heard it from all sides; your old high school bullies, and even your parents had said that your standards should be kept low. It all culminated into one thought that you kept hearing over and over, you didn't deserve someone like Satoru Gojo; rich, good looking, powerful. You were to stay firmly in your lane and not even attempt to go for someone so far out of your league that they should be on another planet.

"You said it yourself." you laughed bitterly at him, "We're too different, social classes and all that."

"I didn't actually mean-"

"Whatever." you cut him off with a wave, "Let's just finish this, and then everything can go back to normal." you spun on your heel and made your way back into the dining room. Gojo followed behind, surprisingly quiet for the first time since you met him.

The food had been delivered to the table shortly after you had returned and you painted a cheery smile on your face as you continued to converse with his parents during brunch. Satoru only chimed in when he was spoken to, something that made you uncomfortable due to not ever seeing him so sullen before.

After the plates had been cleared and the check had been paid by his dad, the four of you made your way out to the valet where an expensive sedan was waiting, and you could only assume it belonged to one of his parents.

"It was so nice meeting you, dear." Hanako brought you into a warm hug, your breath left you in a surprised huff.

"Oh, you too, Mrs. Gojo." you said softly.

"Please, call me Hanako." she smiled, and you couldn't help but return it. The familiar tug of her lips bared a striking resemblance to Satoru's.

"We'll have to do this again soon." Seiji clapped a hand on his son's shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

"Sure, totally." Satoru hummed noncommittally, and you simply nodded.

"Actually, I have an idea." Hanako perked up, and you felt your heart drop at her words. "We have the charity fundraiser we're hosting next week. You two should come, having the whole Gojo family together will be nice." she stated with a grin.

"I don't think that's-" Satoru quickly spoke up and you couldn't stop yourself from rambling either.

"Satoru's presence should be enough. I'm not exactly family." you quipped, trying to joke your way out of the situation.

"Well, not yet." Hanako laughed pleasantly, causing your chest to tighten. You weren't used to familial niceties.

"Ok, mom. That's a little-" Satoru rubbed the back of his neck anxiously.

"Your mother and I would love having the both of you there." Seiji piped up, "It would mean a lot to us." he added, patting Satoru on the back affectionately.

You watched the battle going on behind Satoru's eyes, clearly he was torn between hurting his parents' feelings or keeping up with the ridiculous plan he'd made. You really couldn't blame him for being indecisive, the hopeful looks in his parents eyes had you folding like a lawn chair too.

"Alright, we'll be there." he finally relented, and you clenched your hands into fists behind your back.

"Oh, thank you so much, darling." Hanako reached up to kiss him on the cheek, and Satoru sighed in slight embarrassment as he leaned down.

As his parents drove away, you sent a smile and a wave in farewell. But the moment their car was out of sight you instantly punched Satoru in the arm, uncaring that you did it right outside the fancy country club.

Notes:

Gojo: How dare you impress my parents with your beauty and intelligence!
Reader: What?
Gojo: What?

Chapter 6: I Love My Desire

Notes:

Title of the chapter is from Desire by Ateez

You'd just gotten home from work when your phone started ringing loudly, Gojo's pseudonym "Idiot" popping up on the screen. You dropped your head back onto the couch, your body sagging tiredly after your eight hour shift on your feet. Reluctantly, you answered the call.

"I literally just sat down." you grumbled, you hadn't even changed out of your uniform yet.

"Well, too bad. We have to go get you a proper dress for this fundraiser thing and now's the only time to do it before Saturday." Gojo replied, his voice sounded a bit raised like he had his phone on speaker. You could hear bustling around in the background and other voices chattering.

"I can't afford to go out and buy a formal dress, Gojo." you scoffed, "My rent's due in two days and I have bills to pay."

"When did I say you were buying the dress?" Gojo said, "It's my fault we're going to this stupid event, so I'll pay for it."

You raised a brow in surprise, "Wow. Are you actually taking accountability for once?"

"Hey, I can grow and learn." he snickered and you found yourself shaking your head with a smile, quickly dropping it when you suddenly realized, even though he couldn't see you. "Listen, I'm almost done with this shoot. Meet me down at the agency and we can go looking for a dress."

"Will I even be allowed through the front doors?" you quipped.

"I'll give them your name, just hurry up. I'll text you the address." he quickly stated before hanging up, leaving you no room to argue.

With a groan and a slight kicking of your feet in a tantrum, you begrudgingly got up to get changed out of your waitress uniform. You tossed on a pair of leggings and a loose fitting sweater, opting for comfort since you would no doubt be trying on multiple dresses. You laced up a pair of tennis shoes and grabbed your purse before heading back out of your apartment.

The address for the modeling agency that Gojo had texted you took you down into the busier side of the city, the sprawl of people finishing up their lunch breaks before heading back to work was beginning to thin out. Your car stuck out like a sore thumb as you pulled into the parking lot, several sports cars and expensive BMW's littered the lot. While your smaller, compact vehicle puttered up to a free spot.

The building was about ten stories tall, with a café attached to the ground floor next to the lobby. As you entered the building, you felt a bit self conscious at the sight of the massive pictures and screens showcasing the various models that were employed at the agency. Tall, beautiful men and women with amazing figures were plastered everywhere. Even the people working the front desk were gorgeous. You wondered if it was a job requirement to have model-like good looks to even be a janitor in that place.

"Can I help you?" a woman at the front desk asked as you approached, she looked you up and down skeptically, and you suddenly felt your palms go clammy.

"Um, yes. I'm here to see Gojo...I mean, Satoru Gojo." you explained, "I'm a...friend." you added, cringing a bit at the title.

"Ok." she huffed a laugh in disbelief. "Well, do you have a name?" she said, barely holding back a roll of her eyes.

You crossed your arms over your chest and quirked a brow at her attitude before saying your name, and you watched with a bit of satisfaction as her eyes widened at finding it on the computer.

"So, am I all right to go in?" you asked, tilting your head.

She blinked away her surprise before nodding, quickly handing over a guest pass. You snatched it from her hand and gave her a curt thank you before heading for the elevators. Inside the lift you pressed the eight key, remembering that Gojo had texted you which floor he was on.

The smell of hair spray and the sound of people rushing about hit you in a wave as the doors slid open. The large room was filled with lighting equipment, makeup and hair tables, and other gear that was required for photoshoots. You had to dodge out of the way as someone wheeled by a rack of clothes, and another person shuffled past with their arms full of makeup and hair products. There looked to be three different photography set ups happening at the same time, a couple models were in the process of getting ready while others were posing for pictures.

"Oh, excuse me!" you heard someone call, and you turned at the sound of a man's voice. "Hi, sorry, you can't be here unless you have a pass." he said, looking a bit frazzled but still very well put together. He had on a fashionable outfit consisting of designer jeans, very shiny boots, and a wild blue and orange patterned jacket. His hair was fluffed and bleached nearly platinum blond, but he managed to pull it off.

You held up your guest pass, "I'm waiting for Satoru. He told me to meet him here." you explained, and the man seemed to relax.

"Oh, good. I was afraid you were some crazy fan that snuck in." he sighed.

"Quite the opposite." you chuckled, and he laughed softly before casting a look over you for a second.

"Is that a vintage cashmere Dior sweater?" his eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets.

You glanced down at what you were wearing. "Um, I don't know. It was my Nana's from the seventies."

"Well, your Nana was absolutely serving." he said, taking you by the arm and spinning you around to better look at the sweater. "Are you a model too?" he asked, quirking a brow as you faced him again. You were a bit discombobulated and you blinked to refocus.

"Oh, god no." you shook your head.

"Do you want to be? That messy bitch Kira was late again today, and I told her if she missed one more shoot I was gonna fire her ass." he rolled his eyes.

You crossed your arms over your chest, "Um, no...I'm okay. I'm just here to wait for Satoru." you said, and the man in front of you nodded.

"Alright, suit yourself." he shrugged, "He should be finishing up over there, you can wait by the snack table." he pointed, and you quickly sent him a nod and a thank you before shuffling over.

As you reached the table, you turned towards where the photographer was taking pictures. A plain white back drop was pinned up and posing at the center was Gojo. Your eyes widened and your jaw dropped as you saw him. He was dressed in a pair of dark jeans that sat low on his hips, exposing the band of his boxers with the brand name peeking out. A dark jacket was adorning his torso, the top part hanging down to show off his broad shoulders, and underneath he was bare. His defined physique fully exposed, his abs and pectoral muscles cut like stone. His head was dropped back, the smooth expanse of his pale throat enticing as he ran the tips of his fingers down his Adam's apple. His cerulean eyes were half lidded and seductive, the gaze full of carnal promise.

The flash of the camera jolted you out of your revere, your face flushed hot and your throat turned dry. You wanted to look away, but the next pose he struck had your eyes fixed. He moved one arm up behind his head and the other down to his jeans, tucking a thumb into the belt loop and pulling them down ever so slightly, showing off the defined V between his hips. The pose was ungodly sensual, and you felt your stomach flip as he upped the ante and pulled his bottom lip in between his teeth.

You'd never really paid attention to Gojo's modeling career, not caring for the most part, but witnessing him in his element was like watching a master at work. You now understood why he had so many brands itching to get their hands on him to model their products, and why he had so many followers online. You didn't even know what he was modeling for, all you knew was that you wanted ten of whatever they were selling.

"Alright! I think we got it!" you jumped at the sound of the photographer's voice, blinking in surprise before turning your attention down towards the snack table. You heard a few people clap at the successful photo-shoot, but you kept your head down, taking a few deep breaths to calm your racing heart. Gojo was conventionally attractive, obviously, but you could still find him annoying while also agreeing that he was ridiculously good looking. It would be dumb to try and deny it to yourself.

You had been inspecting a jello cup for the last few minutes before you sensed someone approaching from the side. You didn't need to turn to know it was Gojo.

"So, what'd you think of the shoot?" he asked, propping a hand on his hip and bracing the other on the table at your side. He wasn't exactly boxing you in, but he was a bit too close for comfort.

"I think whoever's in charge here understands just how much sexy sells." you scoffed.

"You think I'm sexy?" Gojo smirked, "I'm flattered."

You felt your cheeks flush as you whipped your head towards him, which had been a mistake. He hadn't yet changed out of the clothes he had been wearing, so now you were practically face to chest with his naked torso. You quickly averted your eyes up to his face, which was only slightly less worse. You hadn't noticed before, but he had makeup on as well, some subtle eyeliner and bronze shadow that made his eyes look even more piercing and intense.

"Why would I find you sexy?" you snapped, huffing an unamused laugh as you blatantly lied to yourself.

"Because I saw you staring." he grinned, leaning forward ever so slightly.

You forced yourself to not move back, "I was staring because you looked ridiculous." you shot back, another lie.

"So, do you eye fuck everything you find ridiculous? Or is it just me?" he retorted, causing your mouth to gape slightly in shock.

"I wasn't eye fucking you!" you hissed under your breath.

"That's not what it felt like." he chuckled, "Almost had me blushing, baby."

"Shut up!" you bit out, "Can we go? I wanna be home before five." you quickly changed the subject.

Gojo grinned self satisfied, "Alright, just let me get this makeup off and change." he snickered before turning to walk off.

"Yeah, go put your tits away." you grumbled, hearing him let out a laugh in response.

You waited by the elevator as Gojo finished up, tapping your foot anxiously and checking the time on your phone. It was almost three thirty and you were hoping to just go and have Gojo buy the first dress you tried on, but with him you know that would most likely not happen.

"Satoru, good work today. Those pictures are gonna come out fantastic." your attention was drawn to the man who had spoken to you earlier. He was walking up with Gojo, who had dressed into a simple t-shirt, black jacket, jeans, and boots.

"Thanks, Devon." he replied with a grin, "Let me know when they're done and I'll post them to my socials too."

As they approached, Devon's smile brightened as he saw you. "Ah, Dior sweater, still waiting on this handsome devil?" he quirked a brow, dark eyes flicking between you two.

"Unfortunately." you quipped.

"Ooh, kitten has claws." he smirked, "Well, the offer is still on the table if you're ever interested, give me a call. Satoru can give you my number." he clapped Gojo on the shoulder before bidding the two of you goodbye.

You both stepped onto the elevator and he pressed the button for the ground floor. It was quiet for a moment as the numbers began to slowly tick down. The silence was nice after the cacophony of the photoshoot, but it didn't last long before Gojo spoke up.

"So, you met Devon? He's kinda the manager around here." he glanced towards you.

"Yeah, he thought I was a crazy fan at first." you replied simply.

"Ah." he nodded in understanding. He swayed back on his heels for a few seconds before speaking again. "Uh...so, what did he mean about an offer?" he asked, clearing his throat.

"He asked if I had any interest in being a model here." you explained, "But I said no thanks."

"Oh, ok." he huffed a laugh in what almost sounded like relief.

"Why? What did you think he meant?" you turned the questions onto him.

"Nothing. Nothing." he shook his head, but you were unconvinced.

"You didn't think he was asking me out, did you?" you couldn't help but push, a small grin tugging at your lips.

"Well, it wouldn't shock me. The man's slept with half the people that've come through the front doors." he griped, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh, that's rich coming from you." you let out a sardonic laugh.

"Hey, I'll have you know I haven't slept with anyone in, like, three weeks." he stated proudly, and you raised a brow in surprise.

"Why? Have they finally realized that you won't stay for breakfast?" you retorted.

"No." he huffed, "I haven't slept with anyone since we started fake dating."

That shocked you. "Why?" you asked

"Because you're my fake girlfriend, and I don't cheat." he stated.

"But, we're not actually dating, Gojo."

"Doesn't matter." he reiterated firmly.

You weren't sure how to respond to that. On one hand you appreciated the fact that he seemed to respect you and the fake relationship enough to not mess around with other people. But on the other hand it brought up worries that maybe he was taking this whole thing a bit too seriously.

You didn't have time to reply as the elevator doors suddenly opened up to the lobby. Gojo waited for you to get off first before exiting, and as you passed by the front desk you returned the guest pass to the snobby receptionist. Her jaw almost dropped as she watched you leave with Gojo.

"We'll take my car. I'll drop you off back here when we're done." he stated, already making for his corvette before you could argue.

You weren't exactly sure which dress shop he was taking you to, but it was a short drive, and in no time at all you were both entering a store that screamed upper class. You didn't even need to look at a tag to know that everything here was well out of your price range.

The store assistant greeted you both, a cheery smile on her face, and Gojo explained what kind of dress you were looking for. The woman happily escorted you both over to the formal section and showed off a few different colors and styles in your size that would suit you.

"You go try on whatever, I'll be here." Gojo said as he plopped down onto the settee by the fitting rooms. "Remember sweetheart, money's no object." he grinned impishly, and you silently seethed at his cockiness.

"I'll try to keep that in mind." you replied, taking the dress options into the fitting room.

The first dress you tried on was an immediate no. The bust was too low for your taste, and the fabric was a bit on the itchy side. The second option was better, but you didn't like the color or the cut of the skirt. The third dress was promising, but you didn't like how tight it was around your waist and hips. Finally, you tried on the last dress you had been given. It was a floor length, deep purple number that caught the eye. The underskirt was satiny smooth against your skin, while the fabric over top of it was lacy and flowed like water. A slit ran up the left side, showing off a bit more leg than you were used to, up to your mid thigh. The queen Anne neckline was embroidered with tiny crystal flowers, giving the bust a bit of flare and the entire gown a princess look.

All in all, you loved it. It was exactly your style and you couldn't help but smile as you turned to get a better look in the mirror. You felt beautiful and it fit your figure perfectly. You've never had a dress like this before, and the delicate embroidery on the fabric alone was like a piece of art.

After checking yourself out in the mirror, you turned and cracked open the door to the fitting room, spotting Gojo still waiting on the little couch, one leg crossed over the other and his phone in his hand. He glanced up when he heard the noise, quirking a brow at the sight of only your head poking out.

"Everything alright?" he asked, looking slightly amused.

"Don't laugh." you said firmly. You were actually feeling good about yourself, and you didn't want him spoiling it by making a joke.

"Why would I laugh?" he rolled his eyes.

With a deep breath you stepped out of the fitting room, keeping your hands at your sides so as not to fidget with the fabric. The dress was a bit long due to you being barefoot, but it still flowed around you as you took a few steps closer. You felt air hit your bare leg, the slit in the dress parting as you walked.

"I couldn't really reach the zipper all the way. But I think it still looks fine." you said. You had your head down so you wouldn't trip on the dress, but you lifted it when you approached Gojo.

The look in his eyes made you stifle a gasp. His gaze was painfully slow as it roved up and down your form, and you could practically feel it on your skin like warm, dragging fingers. The hunger in his eyes was making you squirm, you weren't used to anyone looking at you like that, least of all him. You almost jolted in surprise when he stood up, pocketed his phone and sauntered over to you. He slowly rounded you, his eyes still flicking up and down, until he stood behind you. You inhaled sharply when you felt his hand brush your hair aside, his touch feather light as he trailed his fingers down your spine to take the zipper and tug it the rest of the way up.

"You could've asked me for help." he chuckled softly, his breath kissing the back of your neck. You swallowed thickly, your cheeks flushed hot and your heart picking up speed. You hated how he was making you feel.

"I don't need your help." you bit out, despising how breathless you sounded.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" he asked, and you could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Yes." you snapped, your tone sounding unconvincing even to yourself.

"Mmm, then step away." he goaded you, the low hum in his voice causing goosebumps to prickle your skin.

Your hands were clenched into fists down by your sides, nails digging crescents into the meat of your palms. But, you were rooted to the spot. The logical part of your brain was screaming at you, reminding you that this is the man you found annoying and ridiculous, the man you've been at odds with for the last two years. However, your body was starved for touch and attention that you haven't had for a long time. The heat of his body behind you and his cologne filling your nose was hypnotizing, and you found yourself almost swaying to lean into him, his hands resting ever so gently onto your hips.

"Have you made a selection?" the store assistant's voice broke through the moment, shattering it like glass against stone.

You quickly took a step forward and out of Gojo's hold. "Yes!" you blinked, refocusing your mind back to reality. "Um...I think this is the one." you cleared your throat, keeping your eyes off of Gojo as he stepped around you.

"Well, it looks absolutely gorgeous on you." the woman complimented with a smile. "Will you be paying with cash or card?" she asked, mostly addressing Gojo since he was the one implied to be purchasing the dress.

"Card." he stated, and your jaw almost dropped as he handed over a pitch black credit card from his wallet.

"Excellent. I'll be right back, you can redress and we'll bag that gown up for you." she said before departing for the counter across the store.

The talk of payment for the dress made you curious, so you twisted to grab the tag hanging off the side, and as you read it you nearly passed out at the price.

"Gojo!" you exclaimed in a hushed tone, "This dress is seven hundred dollars!"

"Yeah? So?" he quirked a brow, "I said money's no object."

"I can't wear a seven hundred dollar dress! What if I spill something on it or rip it?" you shook your head, "I'll just find something cheaper."

"Enough with the cheaper." he groaned, "I said I would buy you a dress. You clearly like this one, it looks fucking great on you, let's just leave it at that."

"I don't know. I just-"

"Do I need to go buy something more expensive? Because I will." he threatened jokingly, but you knew he would do exactly that just to prove a point.

The idea of wearing a dress even more costly and potentially ruining it nearly made you shudder. "No." you replied, hating that his tactic had worked on you.

"Good. Then it's settled." he grinned.

"Don't look so smug." you grumbled as you shuffled past him to the fitting room so you could change.

As you carefully took the dress off and put it back on the hanger, you admired it for a few seconds longer, smiling a bit at how pretty it was and how excited you were to wear it again. You quickly redressed into your clothes before exiting the fitting room with the dress in hand. The shop assistant had returned with a long garment bag and expertly placed it inside before handing it back. Gojo took it from her, showing a bit of chivalry and carrying it for you. His tall height also helped in not letting it drag on the ground.

"Thank you." you said politely to the woman and she nodded with a kind smile as you and Gojo left the shop. He carefully placed it in the trunk of his car, making sure not to bunch it up and wrinkle it.

The drive back to pick up your car was quiet, an odd mix of comfortable silence and awkward tension filling the corvette as Gojo drove with one hand on the wheel.

Thankfully it was over quickly and as he parked next to your car back at the agency, you turned towards him.

"Um, do you mind just keeping the dress at your place?" you asked, "I don't really want to be seen carrying that bag into my apartment."

"Why?" he asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Because, that store name on it practically screams 'Rob me, I have money.'." you stated with a shake of your head.

"Oh, I didn't think of that." he muttered, "Well, if your place is so sketchy, why don't you just move?"

"I can't just pack up and move whenever I want. Also places are expensive anywhere else, and I don't have a better paying job yet." you explained, sighing in exasperation at his cavalier attitude.

"I don't like the idea of you living there. It's shady." he said, rubbing his hand over his chin in thought.

You raised a brow at his concern. "Well, it's not really up to you, now is it?" you rolled your eyes, "Also, stop acting like you're actually my boyfriend."

"I can't be concerned for your safety?" he asked sarcastically, causing you to scoff.

"You never were before."

"That's not true." he murmured, the simple statement making your chest tighten uncomfortably. You blinked in surprise once before quickly schooling your expression.

"Just keep the dress safe for now. I'll see you on Saturday." you said, opening the door and hopping out of his car before he could respond.

Notes:

They're so thirsty for each other.

Chapter 7: Ballroom Blitz

Notes:

Hello all! Sorry for the delay in posting but I recently started a new job and with the holidays I just didn't have the time or energy to write. But I hope everyone had a good holiday season and I wish you all a happy new year!

Unfortunately, with Gojo keeping your dress under guard, that meant you would have to get ready for the fundraiser at his place. You dreaded having to see him again. The awkwardness from your last outing with Gojo had remained all week, and you found yourself thinking back on it constantly.

Every time you tried to focus at work or hanging out with Jenna, or even just day to day activities, the memory of his body being so close to yours broke through your concentration like a hammer. You could still feel the ghost of his hands on your hips, even though it had only happened for a moment. The scent of his cologne didn't leave you for days; vanilla, tobacco and muck filled your head and kept you awake. You didn't even want to entertain the idea of understanding what feelings were running through your mind. Attraction, because if you were being honest with yourself you did find Gojo attractive, but so did millions of people. Anxiety clawed at your stomach, because this whole situation was starting to get out of hand. And lastly, self deprecation, because you were convinced there was no way Gojo could actually have feelings for you. The same thoughts replayed in your mind over and over, he could have anyone he wanted, why would he choose you? He was probably just teasing you and playing his games like always. Gojo was a natural flirt, it didn't mean anything.

When the day of the fundraiser reared it's ugly head, you forced yourself to get up out of bed, wanting nothing more than to hide and never come out. But you knew if you didn't show up to his place on time he would come knocking down your door. The idea of going to his apartment was making you sweat, you've never once stepped foot into his home. You imagined it was probably a bachelor's dream house.

To make time go as quickly as possible, you made sure to do your hair and makeup at home, not wanting to be at Gojo's place longer than necessary. When it came time to leave, you double checked the address he had texted you, not surprised to find that his apartment was on the swankier side of town.

"Oh, I am so out of my tax bracket." you muttered to yourself as you parked in the visitors section of the parking lot. The apartment building was massive compared to yours; several stories taller, modern and clean, with an actual lobby that had a doorman who greeted you as you entered.

You took the elevator up to his floor, pushing the button for nearly the top, and as you waited you unconsciously began to fix your attire. The simple sweater and jeans you had on felt out of place, but you quickly stuffed your hands in your pockets, not wanting to show any nervousness.

When the elevator stopped at his floor you looked down at your phone to read the text again, his apartment number was 802, and you didn't have to go far to find it. With a deep breath you reached out and rang the doorbell, the soft melody chiming nicely. It didn't take long for the door to swing open, and you looked up at Gojo.

"Hi." you said simply, tugging at the strap of your bag.

"Hey. Come in." he replied, stepping to the side to let you enter.

With a small nod you brushed past him, that familiar scent that had been bugging you all week filling your nose once more. After slipping off your tennis shoes at the door, you couldn't help but gawk at the interior of his apartment; sleek and modern, it was like something off the cover of one of those fancy home decorator magazines. The main room was open floor, the kitchen and living space separated only by a short half wall, and a small set of stairs went up to another floor which you could only assume was where his bedroom was. The moment that thought crossed your mind you shook your head, not wanting to think about Gojo's bedroom.

"I hope the dress is still intact?" you turned as he approached, trying to keep your voice cool and collected. You didn't want him knowing how anxious you were to be in his home for the first time.

"Obviously." he huffed, "What? You think I was gonna clean the floors with it or something?"

"I can't picture you cleaning." you shook your head with a laugh, "You gotta have a maid, this place is spotless."

Gojo pressed a hand to his chest in mock offense, "I'll have you know, I clean my apartment myself. I even cook too."

You raised a brow, unconvinced. "Really?"

"Yes, really." he pouted, "I'm not that much of a princess."

"Could've fooled me." you snickered.

"Alright, alright." he sighed, "We gotta be at the fundraiser in an hour, so go get ready. The dress is hanging up in the guest bathroom down the hall." he pointed past the kitchen area.

"I'm not the one who's gonna take forever on my hair." you mumbled as you padded away.

You quickly got changed into the dress, this time using the hook on the hanger to zip it up the rest of the way so you didn't have to ask Gojo for help again. You didn't want a repeat of what happened at the store. You touched up your makeup with the few cosmetics you brought along, and made sure your hair hadn't gotten messed up. Satisfied with your looks, you took your pair of trusty black pumps out of your bag and slid them on, giving yourself a final once over before stepping out of the bathroom.

Gojo was no where to be seen, so with the few moments you had alone you took the time to wander around his apartment. The kitchen was incredible, all sleek and modern, and you couldn't help but be jealous of the size. Your kitchen at home had very limited space, so you couldn't cook very comfortably due to the cramped area, and whatever appliances you had took up most of the counter space. His living room was also rather large, the big comfortable couch and coffee table sat before a wall mounted flat screen. An electric fireplace was underneath it with framed pictures decorating the mantle. A couple were of him and his parents when he was younger, and you couldn't stop the smile from forming on your face as you looked them over. Other pictures had him, Suguru, and other friends of theirs you didn't recognize.

One photo on the mantle had you pausing. It was Jenna and Suguru's first anniversary of them dating, the four of you were all crammed together in a booth at a bar. Jenna and Suguru were side by side looking absolutely smitten with each other, while you and Gojo were on the other side. Gojo had wrapped his long arms around everyone, squeezing all of you close, and you looked slightly uncomfortable in the picture but you smiled anyway. Gojo had a big grin on his face, his eyes bright with a slightly cheeky expression.

You didn't know why, but the fact that he had this picture in the center of the mantle made your chest warm. Clearly he had deemed it important enough to be front and center, something he would see every time his gaze dropped down from the tv, or if he glanced up from his phone. You lightly touched the frame, smiling softly at the sentimentality, before stepping away. As you turned to face the rest of the room, you jumped in surprise when you saw Gojo standing there fixing the cufflinks on his jacket.

"Good lord! You scared me!" you breathed, pressing a hand to your chest.

"I didn't exactly tip toe." he replied with a grin, "You were just too busy peeping at my stuff."

You had a snappy retort ready to go, but when you looked over his attire it fizzled out on your tongue. He was wearing a deep purple velvet suit, a gold chain accent was pinned to the lapel and connected to the breast pocket. But the thing that drew your eyes the most was the fact that he didn't have a dress shirt or vest on under the jacket. Your eyes trailed from his collarbones down to where it was buttoned just a few inches shy of his navel, his chest almost fully exposed.

"That...uh," you cleared your throat, "That doesn't seem very dress code appropriate." you said, watching as he smirked while finishing up attaching the cufflinks.

"It's formal, I'm wearing a suit." he stated, gesturing to himself.

"Not much of one." you muttered. Suddenly, you realized something else, furrowing your brows for a second before looking down at your dress and snapping your eyes back up to him. "Gojo! We're matching." you said accusingly.

"Duh, why wouldn't we? We're supposed to be dating." he chuckled, "I went and got this yesterday." he straightened out the jacket proudly.

"You're doing too much." you scoffed.

"Oh! Wait here, I got you something too." he ignored your complaint, quickly walking over to the closet by the front door. You crossed your arms over your chest and sighed. He returned a moment later with a plain white shoe box.

"I don't need you buying me stuff, Gojo." you shook your head, "The dress was already too much."

"I don't care." he smirked, "I've what you have in your closet, and I knew you were gonna wear those black heels. While those are adorable, I figured the dress could use a little flair." he said, holding out the box expectantly, gesturing for you to remove the lid.

You hesitated for only a moment before your curiosity got the better of you, and you lifted the top off of the box with a sigh. The shoes inside made you audibly gasp. They were gold, with jeweled embellishments decorating the back of the heel. They had a thin ankle straps with a delicate gold chain with a small jewel hanging off. The height of the heel was the same as your black pair, so you wouldn't have trouble walking.

"Gojo! These are...I can't..." you blinked, looking up at his proud grin. The shoes were sexy, expensive looking, and normally not something you would have in your closet. But you did like them, loved them even, they would go well with the dress, and they even matched the gold chain on his jacket

"Just wear them. I can see you want to." he said temptingly, "Also, I even took a page out of your book and I got them on sale. I promise I didn't have to pay full price." he added, clearly wanting to make you feel better about how expensive they were.

"And what exactly was the discounted price?" you pushed.

"Only six hundred." he grinned and you screwed your nose up in displeasure at his cavalier attitude.

You fought with yourself for a moment; torn between refusing yet another one of his gifts, or just getting over your problem of people spending money on you. For a second, you found yourself reaching out to take the shoes, before a voice in the back of your mind warned you that he would probably want something in return.

"I can't. It's too much." you took your hand back, sighing at the loss of the beautiful shoes.

"Oh my god, stop it." he groaned, taking the heels from the box before dropping it on the floor.

You blinked in shock as he put a hand on your waist and guided you to the couch, your feet moving on their own before you could even register what was happening. With a soft yelp, you plopped down onto the couch as the back of your knees hit the edge, your face flushing hotly as Gojo dropped to one knee in front of you and slipped your old shoes off and set them to the side.

"Gojo!" you practically squealed as he held your left calf gently and slid the gold shoe on your foot, affixing the little strap and chain. He didn't have a firm grip on you, if you wanted to you could've kicked him, but you found yourself staying still as he took your other leg, cupping your ankle softly as he placed the other shoe on. His fingers felt like individual pinpricks of electricity as they grazed your skin, raising goosebumps that you hoped he couldn't see or feel.

Your breath grew short as he fixed the strap in place, and you swallowed thickly as he toyed with the little chain, wrapping it around his finger as he looked up at you.

"There. How's that?" he said, the smug grin tugging at his lips.

The way your heart was beating and your lungs not working properly was making you mad. You hated how he was able to get you so worked up, and you hated how much you were liking his attention.

With an irritated scoff, you brought your right foot up to his chest and pushed him back, causing him to sit back on his heel. His eyes widened at the action, his breath leaving him in a huff of surprise. You hoped he would get the hint and stand up, but you felt your stomach flip as his gaze traveled from your foot all the way up your exposed leg. You'd forgotten about the slit in the dress, so now he could see your entire leg up to your mid-thigh. The way his eyes darkened and his tongue darted out to wet his lips caused a flash of heat to burn low in your belly, and you quickly removed your foot from his chest and stood from the couch.

"We're gonna be late. Let's go." you murmured, straightening out your dress as you left him there on the floor.

.............................................................................

The fundraiser was being held at a fancy hotel ballroom, the event was being hosted by Satoru's parents to help raise money for the city's foodbank and women's shelters. According to Satoru, the family picks a charity every year and donates a significant amount. The year prior they had bought computers and funded the arts and music programs at several under privileged schools in the city. The year before that they had funded the construction for half a dozen buildings of affordable housing across the city. The Gojo family seemed to have their fingers in a lot of pies.

As Gojo pulled up to the curb of the hotel where several valet were taking cars to park, you felt your stomach drop when you saw about a dozen or so photographers outside.

"Gojo, you didn't say anything about paparazzi being here." you turned to him, addressing him for the first time since you both had left his apartment. The drive had been silent, the tension still heavy between you. But the sudden appearance of the media had you breaking the quiet.

"It'll be fine. Just keep your head down if you want." he said, opening up his door and stepping out. You swallowed nervously as he went around to open your door, holding his hand out for you to take. With a deep breath you placed your hand in his and got out. The sudden flashes of cameras caused you to wince. Several people called his name, vying for his attention to snap a good picture. You had nearly forgotten that Gojo was actually a celebrity. He handed the valet his keys and waved to some of the photographers as he guided you inside. Some of them shouted questions, asking him who you were, but Gojo simply carried on, his hand resting protectively at your lower back. You made sure to keep your head down, wishing now that you had left your hair loose instead of putting it up.

Once safely inside the hotel, you let out a breath of relief as the two of you made your way towards the ballroom. His parents were the first people you saw, they were waiting by the doors to greet people, and as you two approached their faces lit up.

"You're here!" his mother beamed, reaching out to give you a hug. You smiled as you returned it.

"Thank you for inviting me, Mr. and Mrs. Gojo." you said politely.

"Oh, of course, dear. You look absolutely stunning." Hanako complimented, looking over your dress almost in awe.

"Satoru, the dress code was formal." Seiji lightheartedly scolded his son, gesturing to the amount of skin showing under his suit jacket.

"This is my style of formal. It's not my fault you had an eccentric son." he quipped, causing his parents to shake their heads in mirth.

"Head on inside you two, there's food and drinks, and the dance floor is open too." Hanako grinned.

"Satoru, the Zenin's are here. Make sure you say hello." Seiji stated as you both entered the hall.

"Ugh!" Gojo groaned as he heard that. "I don't want to say hi to those assholes." he muttered under his breath.

"Bad history?" you asked, and he simply rolled his eyes.

"Well, they're not exactly friend's." he grumbled before looking around. "Ah, you go hang out at the bar for a few, I'll go hunt them down so I can get the pleasantries over with. I'll come find you after."

"Is it-"

"Yes, it's an open bar." he sighed, predicting your question. "Now, go." he turned you in the direction of the bar and shooed you away.

With a shrug you made your way over to the bar and found an empty stool. You ordered your favorite drink and it wasn't long before it was placed in front of you. As you sipped the fruity beverage, you gazed out at the hall, watching the behaviors of the rich and famous. You recognized some faces from local tv and magazines. Most people were conversing with one another over drinks and food, while some danced near the stage where a live band was playing, or stood at the bar and ordered more drinks. It wasn't much different than a regular party, the guests were just filthy rich.

"You don't belong here, do you?" a man's voice startled you, and you quickly looked over to see who had slid up to your side at the bar.

A tall man around Gojo's age was leaning up against the bar top, his body turned towards you. He was dressed nicely in a dark blue suit and tie. His hair was blond, but you could tell by the dark roots that it was clearly dyed. He had multiple piercings decorating his ears, and his dark eyes were looking you up and down judgingly.

"And you are?" you quirked a brow at him.

He laughed, "Wow, you really don't belong here if you have to ask that." he said with a smarmy grin.

"That didn't answer my question." you shot back, not liking the condescending tone in his voice.

"Feisty, aren't you?" he huffed, "Naoya Zenin." he introduced. Satoru's previous comment about the Zenin family crossed your mind.

"Ah." you simply replied, unimpressed with his puffed up ego.

"Typically the polite thing would be to give your name in return." he stated, waiting expectantly.

"I thought I didn't belong here. Why do you want my name?" you retorted, subtly placing a hand over your drink. He didn't seem to notice nor care about your uncomfortable body language.

"I can't ask a beautiful woman her name?" he questioned, "What's this world coming too?" You narrowed your eyes at him suspiciously, and for a moment you considered giving a fake name, but you settled on just giving him your first name only. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" he grinned, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Negging isn't a good wat of flirting, just letting you know." you sighed, "And in any case, I'm here with someone."

"In what way?" he tilted his head, and before you could snap at him and ask what he meant by that, another voice broke through the conversation.

"Bothering my girlfriend, Zenin?" Satoru scoffed as he approached your side, his eyes flicking down to your hand covering your drink, and he placed his arm over your shoulders protectively.

"Girlfriend?" Naoya looked genuinely surprised, "Never pictured you dating low, Gojo." he mocked, and you furrowed your brows in anger.

"Fuck off, Zenin." Satoru hissed, stepping closer to the other man, standing taller than him by a few inches. "Shouldn't you be off begging your brothers for loose change?"

Naoya's cocky grin turned into a grimace, "You think you're hot shit just because mommy and daddy let you run around and do whatever you want or fuck whoever you want." he nodded towards you in distaste, and you rolled your eyes at his unwarranted ire.

"Not my fault my parents actually love me." Satoru chuckled, "Yours tried three times and still can't seem to get it right." You choked on your drink as you tried not to laugh at his retort. Naoya looked between the two of you in irritation, his face turning red in a mix of anger and chagrin. He stormed away from the bar, and you could almost see the steam rolling off of him.

"Well, that was interesting." you snickered.

"Are you okay?" Satoru turned to you, his eyes turning a bit soft as he looked you over.

You furrowed your brows in confusion at his reaction. "Yeah, Gojo I'm fine. Not the first time I've been talked down to. I'm used to it."

"Who else does that?" his expression turned offended on your behalf.

"Um, you?" you quipped, and he actually looked slightly hurt.

"I've never said anything like that to you."

"Gojo, I know. I was joking." you sighed, "It's fine, my feelings weren't hurt. I'm fairly certain he was trying to pick me up, but got mad when I didn't show any interest. I think he also tried insinuating I was a prostitute."

"God, I hate him." Gojo seethed, "He always tried bullying Suguru in school just because he was a scholarship student and not from a rich family." he explained, and you remembered Suguru telling you how he and Gojo met. He had said he was being bullied on his first day and Gojo had stepped up to defend him. The fact that you had met the man who had done to bullying made you dislike Naoya even more given your own history with high school bullies.

"Well, thanks for the save. But I could've sent him packing on my own." you said.

"Oh, I don't doubt it. But I like playing the knight in shining armor." he grinned as he turned to order a drink from the bar. When it was placed in front of him, he held it out to you with a smile. "Should we do a toast?" he asked.

"Sure, why not?" you picked up your drink, "How about...to our breakup?" you chuckled, "After tonight we'll finally be done with this charade and we can go back to our normal lives."

Gojo's smile faded a bit at your words, his lips pursing for a second before he tacked on a cocky smirk. "To our breakup." he said, clinking his glass against yours before taking a drink.

You didn't like the hallow feeling his reaction had put in your chest.

Notes:

I need fanart of Gojo in a slutty little velvet suit a.s.a.p
Also we stan a sassy protective king lol

Chapter 8: Drunk in Love

Notes:

Happy new year everyone! I was gonna post this chapter later but I decided to end the year by gifting you all an early update lol. Big feels in this one, and I'm very excited to finally get into the next part of this story. Hope you all enjoy and have a wonderful new year!

"Gojo! You barely ever drink, why did you get so wasted?" you scolded him sternly as you got him into the passenger seat of his own car.

"Because...m'sad." he mumbled, slumping back with a pout, his head lolling to the side as you buckled him in.

The charity fundraiser had gone well save for the Zenin incident. However, you noticed throughout the evening that Gojo had kept going back up to the bar for drinks. Normally you've never really seen him have more than one or two, but after his fourth drink of the night you decided to be the sober one so you would be able to drive his car back to his place.

"Long legged bastard." you grumbled as you moved the drivers seat forward so you could reach the peddles and wheel.

"Meanie." Gojo said under his breath, reaching across the center console to poke your cheek. "You're so mean to me."

You batted his hand away as you turned the car on, the soft rumble barely audible. You'd never driven a car as expensive as his before, and as you drove away from the hotel you made sure to keep both hands on the wheel and your eyes focused. The last thing you needed was to get into an accident while driving his stupidly fancy car.

Thankfully, you'd managed to get back to his apartment building shortly, and after a bit of a struggle in the elevator, you got him to his front door.

"Damn it, what's your key code?" you asked him, struggling to prop him up while balancing in your heels.

"Mm...birthday." he sighed, his eyes barely open.

You pressed in the numbers for his date of birth, but the light on the number pad flashed red. "Gojo, that wasn't right." you shook your head.

"Not my birthday. Yours." he mumbled groggily, and you blinked in surprise.

You hesitated for a moment, your finger hovering over the keypad, before finally pressing in the numbers for your birthday. You hoped he was just talking drunken nonsense and that it was wrong, because why the hell would he use your birthday as his key code? But as you hit the final key, the light turned green and you heard the lock disengage.

As you got him inside and kicked the door shut, you let him go so you could take off your shoes. You heard him shuffle around while he mumbled to himself, and as you slipped off the high heels and wiggled your tired toes, you looked up and saw him struggling to get out of his suit jacket.

"S'too hot..." he groaned, flinging the garment off onto the couch. The sight of his muscled back made your throat turn dry, the expanse of pale flesh looking like marble in the dim lighting.

"Well," you cleared your throat, "I'll just get my stuff and-"

Your words were cut off by Gojo stumbling into his coffee table, almost smashing his face into the floor as he dropped to one knee.

"Ow..." he moaned, rubbing his shin in pain.

With a sigh, you padded over to his slumped form and put your hands on your hips. "Come on, get up stairs and into bed." you said firmly.

"Don't wanna." he shook his head impetuously.

"Why not?" you raised a brow.

"'Cause then you'll leave." he mumbled, and your exasperated expression softened a bit.

"Gojo..." you breathed, rubbing your temples at his stubbornness. "Fine, I'll stay for a little bit. Let's just get you up stairs first."

He grunted a noise of confirmation, clambering to his feet and attempting to make his way towards the stairs. But he was unsteady, and as he started to stagger, you quickly got his arm over your shoulder and steadied him with a hand to his chest. You tried to ignore the sight of his naked torso, and how warm his skin felt against yours.

You managed to help him up the stairs and guided him to his bedroom door that he had sluggishly pointed out. The room was about twice the size of your bedroom at home, with a large king-sized bed and a dark wooden frame. The color scheme was light gray and black, but a few splashes of color caught your eye, especially the red patterned throw blanket on his bed. You were surprised to see an adorable Shiba Inu plushy placed up with the pillows at the head of the bed, not expecting Gojo of all people to have a stuffed animal on his bed. You flipped on the ceiling light and Gojo winced at the sudden brightness, shielding his eyes by nuzzling his face into the juncture between your neck and shoulder.

"S'too bright..." he whined, and you rolled your eyes as you got him over to the bed. He fell back with a plop, arms spread wide as he laid flat on the mattress.

"Alright, that's over with." you sighed, "Will you be okay now? I'm gonna take off." you stated, already taking a step to turn towards the door, but Gojo suddenly sat upright, his arms wrapping around your waist and pulling you in close. You let out a huff in surprise, bracing your hands on his shoulders as he brought you in between his legs. He held you snuggly, the crown of his head pressed into your stomach.

"Gojo!" you scolded, your face turning hot as his sudden affection. "What are you doing?"

"I'm touch starved." he mumbled, his arms tightening around you a fraction more, lithe fingers bunching the fabric of your dress in his grip.

"No one's stopping you from going out and hooking up with someone." you shook your head, trying to control your breathing.

"Not that kind of touch starved." he sighed, turning his head to the side and pressing even closer into you. If his bed sat any higher off the floor his head would be resting against your chest, and the thought of that had your stomach fluttering.

"Gojo, I have to get going-" you started to attempt to pull away, but the shuddering breath that left him made you freeze.

"Please don't leave." he murmured, his voice sounding thick with emotion. He raised his head to look up at you, and you were shocked to find his crystalline eyes were watery.

Your brows furrowed in confusion. "Gojo, what's-"

"I don't want to break up." he said, his voice cracking. "Please don't leave me." his chin quivered a bit. His words had you rooted to the floor. Even though he was well and truly intoxicated, he had still confessed his feelings. You couldn't come up with anything to respond to that, too shocked to even form a coherent sentence. You didn't really have time to think before Gojo continued to ramble drunkenly. "I know you probably hate me, and I know you said we're too different, but I don't want this to be over. I don't want to go back to how it was before."

You watched as a tear trailed down his cheek, and instinctively you brushed it away with your thumb, cupping his face in your hand. He nuzzled into your touch, an unsteady breath leaving him, and you gently placed your other hand on his head and began carding your fingers through his snowy hair.

"I don't hate you, Satoru." you murmured, and he shivered at his name coming from your lips. "I never hated you. You just frustrate me sometimes." you sighed, resting your hand at the back of his head as he looked up at you. "But, we have to end this. You said you wanted your parents to stop bugging you about getting married, and us breaking up would do it."

"I don't know what I want anymore." he confessed, the conflict on his face making your heart ache in sympathy. "I just know I don't want you to leave." he sniffed.

You were quiet for a few moments as you thought. Clearly he wasn't thinking straight, and you didn't want him to be by himself tonight while he was going through these emotions.

"Okay, I'll stay over if that'll make you feel better." you said softly, brushing a few errant strands of hair out of his teary eyes.

"Really?" he perked up, and you simply nodded. "But you still wanna break up?" he added, his face turning dejected as you untangled his arms from around you.

"Satoru..." you sighed as you maneuvered him to lay down properly in the bed, pulling the covers back to tuck him in. "We'll...we'll talk about that in the morning." you said, wanting to have that conversation when he's sober.

"Where are you goin'?" he mumbled worriedly as you started to exit the bedroom, his head peeking out from under the covers.

"I can't sleep in this dress." you stated, and he nodded towards the large walk in closet in the bedroom.

"I got shirts and stuff you can borrow."

Well, it was either that or sleeping in the jeans you had worn earlier when you first showed up to Gojo's apartment. You quickly pilfered a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants from his closet before popping into his bathroom to change, making sure to tighten the string on the pants so they wouldn't slip off. You washed your face and took your hair out of the up do, running your fingers through the strands to untangle the mess.

As you reentered his bedroom, you hesitated at the foot of his bed, seeing the empty side on his left. You debated on just going downstairs and sleeping on the couch, but the single throw blanket on his bed wouldn't be enough in his slightly chilly apartment. However, you didn't have much time to decide on what to do, as Satoru reached over and tugged the other side of the comforter down.

"Come on." he slapped the bed weakly, his voice growing even more tired and groggy sounding than before.

"Don't be weird." you sighed as you crawled under the covers, awkwardly situating yourself as far from him as possible without hanging off the bed.

"Why are you a continent away?" he mumbled as he looked over his shoulder at you. "Snuggle me, I'm needy."

"I'm not snuggling you, Gojo." you scoffed, laying flat on your back with your hands resting on your stomach, staring up at the ceiling so you wouldn't have to look at him.

"Please?" he shot you puppy dog eyes. "I wanna be little spoon."

"You're too damn big to be little spoon." you rolled your eyes.

He pushed his bottom lip out into a pout, "That's what everyone says." he huffed as he turned his back to you, letting out an upset grunt.

You hated that you felt guilty, and after a few moments of debating with yourself on whether or not it was a good idea, you begrudgingly shifted closer until you were pressed against Gojo's back, placing your arm around his naked waist in a hug. You felt his body relax into yours, a pleased sigh leaving his lips as you rested your cheek against his warm shoulder blade.

"Don't make it weird." you muttered, and you felt his soft laugh rumbled low in his chest.

...................................................

Your internal clock woke you up before the sun could fully shine through the windows. Blinking groggily, you rolled away from the furnace that was laying in bed with you, kicking one leg out from under the covers to cool off. You took a few moments to rub the sleep from your eyes and wake up fully, a yawn falling from your lips. Oddly enough you felt incredibly well rested, more so than normal, and the thought made you suspicious until you suddenly remembered where you were.

You whipped your head over towards the other side of the bed, finding Gojo's still sleeping form. His hair was mussed, but still oddly attractive, and his naked chest rose and fell with his slow, steady breaths. He was clearly still in a deep sleep, and as you watched him you felt a warmth spread through your stomach at his serene face. In his sleep he didn't have the cocky mask he always put on; his features were soft, almost boyish, and you found yourself gingerly scooting closer until you were only a few inches away.

He moved only a small bit as you laid next to him, shifting in his sleep before going still once more. You froze for a moment until you heard him release a deep sigh, his head turning towards you as he settled. You wrung your hands together nervously, unsure of what to do now that you were wide awake in his bed. You brain was telling you it was probably best to slip away slowly and get your things around to leave, but your body wouldn't budge an inch.

You couldn't stop thinking back on what he'd said the night before, how he didn't want you two to "break up". Perhaps the charade of your fake relationship had gone on too long, maybe it would be best to just end it, after all you two weren't actually dating. It shouldn't be this hard to do. However, you had to admit to yourself that the past few weeks had been a bit fun, even though it had been kind of draining. You didn't hate spending time with Satoru. His parents were also very kind and didn't judge you harshly for your lot in life. The same couldn't be said for your own parents. Mr. and Mrs. Gojo made you feel more welcome after two meetings than your family has over the past ten years.

You didn't want to take Satoru's words last night seriously, he had been drunk and clearly not aware that he'd basically confessed his feelings to you. But the saying about a drunk mouth speaking a sober heart kept going through your mind. The idea of him actually having feelings for you made your stomach flip, and you weren't sure when exactly that had started. It definitely wasn't when you first met, that's for sure. But somewhere along the way you stopped cursing his existence in your life, and maybe that's where you started looking at him differently.

You slowly shifted a bit closer to his sleeping form until there was only a thin sliver of space separating you two. You brought your hand up to his face, hesitating for a few seconds, before softly brushing the mess of snowy white hair out of his eyes. You gently traced his features with the tip of your finger, your touch feather light, until you finally ended at his lips, the pad of your thumb caressing his plush bottom lip.

"I don't wanna break up either." you whispered softly, quiet enough not to wake him, but needing to say it out loud to finally admit it to yourself.

Notes:

White girl wasted Gojo was very fun to write 😂
I imagine Gojo as a very clingy, needy type of drunk guy.