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Junpei’s single, solitary plan last Wednesday was this— skip his Film Financing, Programing, and Distribution course and go see an early showing of Earthworm Man 3.
That was it. He had planned for nothing else, other than maybe treating himself to some movie popcorn.
No, definitely treating himself to popcorn. That was no question. The Kinema Cinema movie theater popcorn was the best popcorn he’s had at a movie theater, after all.
What he had not planned for was missing the movie entirely by crashing his car.
He had also not planned for ending up in the arms of a really, really— really cute EMT with big, brown, beautiful eyes and a smile like Junpei’s never seen—
—or for that same really, really— really cute EMT to offer him a hand and that breathtaking smile as Junpei climbed into the back of the ambulance.
He thought he had imagined it the first time— when the man had offered his large palm to help Junpei out of his car, Junpei’s attention was on everything other than the guy’s skin temperature. He was admiring the strong build of his form, so clear even under the EMS jacket.
His pink hair, dulled by the cloudy morning but sprinkled with misty, microscopic dewdrops of rain, clinging to him for dear life— and Junpei could absolutely see why.
Anyway, Junpei thought he himself had just been cold, waiting to be extracted from the vehicle. But no— Yuji was warm, in every sense of the word. He noted it when their hands touched, and he noted it when Yuji caught him, too. The EMT was as radiant as the sun, in every way.
Junpei’s shoe caught on the edge of the ambulance step, and he stumbled forward a second time in front of poor Yuji. God, he must think I’ve never walked a day in my life, Junpei thought.
Or that Junpei needed extensive care.
Hence the ambulance, he supposed. In his 24 years of life, he'd learned that he was clumsy— he had accepted that fate with as much grace as a clumsy guy could. But today felt like absolute overkill.
“Woah—“ Yuji steadied Junpei, his hand reaching down to hold the underside of the male’s elbow. “Careful there. Watch your step.”
“Sorry! Sorry, I’m just— depth perception and all,” Junpei stuttered, quickly recovering his own weight and releasing the hold he had taken on Yuji’s forearms. Yuji released him too, but his facial expressions remained the same— concern written so clearly across his face, even as he smiled through it to assure Junpei it was fine. It reminded Junpei of those ‘How Am I Feeling Today?’ posters they would have in every classroom in primary school.
“Don’t apologize for tripping,” the EMT laughed. “Happens to the best of us! I can’t tell you how long it took me to get used to the height of that step.”
Yuji motioned to the bed in the ambulance, and Junpei walked around it to take a seat, ignoring the warmth he felt with simply having Yuji’s gaze on him— it was as if the sun itself was watching every orbit Junpei made around him.
When Junpei settled onto the stretcher bed, he watched Yuji dig through a bag before returning his full attention to Junpei.
“Alright,” Yuji started, taking two steps forward to stand directly in front of Junpei. He stared directly into Junpei’s eyes, effectively knocking the breath right out of the male. “Just look at me, okay? I’m going to use this—“ Yuji brought a hand up, now holding a small flashlight, “—to check your pupils.”
“I— really, I promise I’m just—“
“I know,” Yuji interrupted with a smile— could it even be an interruption when he managed to be so kind about it? So kind about everything? “Clumsy, according to you. But you can never be too sure, you know? Just look straight at me. Don’t stare at the light.”
Before Junpei could respond, the bright light of the device honed in on his right eye— then his left. Junpei did as he had been told— he looked straight at Yuji, watching the man’s face scrunch in concentration. Junpei almost had the indecency to smile— the way Yuji’s expressions overtook his entire face was cute.
God, was he cute.
So much of his expressions came to life in those chocolate brown eyes. There was no way the shitty lighting in this ambulance were doing them any justice, either—
Yuji’s eyebrows suddenly raised, and the flashlight clicked off. The smile that had been present before returned.
“Okay. Looks good. Can you tell me your name?”
“Uh— Junpei Yoshino.”
“And what day is it, Junpei?”
“It’s… Monday the 18th.”
“And wh—”
“Of September—“ Junpei interrupted hurriedly. “Sorry. Sorry, continue.”
Yuji smile widened. “No worries. What city are you in?”
“Um… somewhere between Shinagawa and Shibuya. I’m not very good with geography.”
“That’s alright. I’m not either. Can you describe the accident for me?”
“Um— I just didn’t see the curve in the road. I should have, but I didn’t. But I should’ve been way more careful. Anyway, I crashed into that tree, the one at the end of the curve. And then someone called you guys, I think. I’m sorry, that’s all I really know.”
“No problem. That’s perfect. Alright, one last thing—“ Yuji raised a finger, letting it linger in mid-air between himself and Junpei. “Can you touch your nose for me, Junpei?”
If Yuji could stop saying Junpei’s name so beautifully, that would help the butterflies swarming in Junpei’s stomach. But at the same time, Junpei hoped he’d never stop.
God, why did he feel so flustered hearing his name in Yuji’s mouth?
Junpei hesitated, but brought his index finger up to touch his own nose. “Okay. Now—“ Junpei watched as Yuji’s finger moved further away from him. “Can you touch that same finger to mine?”
Junpei did so— all while his intrusive thoughts reminded him how incredibly warm Yuji’s skin felt, even at the simple touch of their fingertips. They did the test again— Yuji moving his finger ever so slightly, and Junpei finding it easily with his own.
“Alright. So far, we’re okay,” Yuji nodded, satisfied with the test. “And you still don’t feel any pain? Not in your back, or your legs? Either of your feet?”
“No, no pain anywhere,” Junpei confirmed, deflating into the cushion of the stretcher bed and letting his shoulders relax when Yuji took a step back to grab a laptop from a pull-down shelf. “Just… super clumsy.”
Yuji laughed at that— and Junpei would’ve taken it as a pity laugh, but the sound was something Junpei could never get used to. It bubbled from Yuji so easily.
But did he even realize it was the happiest sound in the world?
“And no dizziness either, right?” Yuji asked as he took a seat in front of Junpei, on a cushioned bench lower than the stretcher, against the wall. Junpei shifted awkwardly, crossing his legs— then uncrossing them— before settling on crossing them under himself on the bed— then back to crossing one over the other.
He cleared his throat. “No, no dizziness,” Junpei repeated, staring down at the mess of strawberry pink hair as Yuji ducked down to direct his full attention to the laptop screen. He was typing something— then bringing a large hand to the trackpad, his fingers gliding across it expertly. He clicked, then typed another few words.
And while Yuji was distracted, Junpei felt safe enough to observe the paramedic. Really observe him. His hair was brighter inside the ambulance— as vivid and vibrant as his smile. Junpei tilted his head, just enough to see the short brown undercut beneath the wild forest of cotton candy pink. Which color was natural, he wondered.
There was something so soft about Yuji— maybe his face— but so much of him was muscle, muscle, and more muscle. Junpei shuddered as he thought back on how firm his forearms had been, and how grand the expanse of Yuji’s shoulders had felt earlier when Junpei had clung to them.
Yuji blinked, and the flash of long, dark eyelashes caught Junpei’s attention. They curled with such a flare, like they knew exactly what they were framing— polished amber, glowing from the inside out. The shadow of Yuji’s lashes cast long, dark strokes down his cheeks—
Jesus, Junpei was being a creep.
He fought back the embarrassing blush on his face, looking around inside the ambulance in every which way that he could. Thankfully, there was a lot to look at, and he found himself reading the labels and names of different gear hanging against the shelves lined with supplies.
Junpei’s gaze lowered a fraction to read down the list of supplies in a particular drawer when he felt like a deer caught in the headlights.
A pair of giant brown eyes stared at him curiously, and Junpei’s attention was fully on Yuji once more.
“Yoshino.”
It was all Yuji said, the crease in his forehead on full display.
Junpei blinked. “I’m— yeah. That’s… my family name.”
“Do you know Fushiguro?”
“Who?”
“Oh! My call partner, the one with the dark hair?” Yuji clarified, drawing pointy imaginary lines above his head. Junpei immediately realizes who h was referring to— the broody guy with the wildly spiky hair.
“Oh, no. No, I don’t know him.”
“Funny, he thought he recognized your name.”
A silence settled between them— only filled by the sound of cars crunching rock and asphalt beneath their wheels just outside. Junpei hesitated to speak, but Yuji heard the small breath he took and looked up again to meet Junpei’s gaze.
“…probably because she crashed here, not too long ago. She’s fine and all. But, same road… same tree… same family name… same clumsy Yoshino.”
Junpei expected Yuji to laugh— which he does.
But it doesn’t give Junpei the crawling sensation of being made fun of, or ridiculed. It doesn’t feel like a laugh that comes from anything other than something pure.
Something honest and vulnerable, straight from his soul. When Yuji laughed, Junpei couldn’t help but smile.
“Geez, no way!” Yuji commented through the fluttering of his voice. “That’s actually pretty cool. I mean, what’re the chances of that?”
“When you’re related to her? The chances are pretty high,” Junpei chuckled, fidgeting with his arms as he tucked his hands beneath his thighs to sit on. “I took after her in almost every way, I think.”
Yuji laughed again, softer this time as he put away the laptop. He didn’t look at Junpei when he spoke next. “Well, she must be a great person,” he stated, so matter-of-factly that it took a second for the words to register.
—but zero time for the blush to creep up Junpei’s face. He had said it so firmly— like there was no question of that statement being anything but true.
When Junpei finally gathered enough courage to look at Yuji, there’s a faint blush on his cheeks and—
Wait, he’s blushing?
Yuji opens his mouth, as if to say something, but a deep sigh from the ambulance doors jolts both of them from their conversation.
The other EMT, Fushiguro, was standing on the first step of the ambulance holding Junpei’s things.
And Junpei wanted to get up and grab them— really, he did. He wanted to scramble and thank Fushiguro for retrieving them for him.
But there was such a deep scowl on the man’s face, Junpei wasn’t even sure if he should breathe. Fushiguro looks like he was about ready to summon some otherworldly creature from ancient times.
Thankfully, the paramedic climbed the rest of the steps, handing Junpei’s things over like a bundle in his hands.
And his hands were definitely not as warm as Yuji’s.
“Thank you,” Junpei squeaked. Fushiguro only gave a single nod, before turning his scowl— Thank God— to Yuji.
“I’m gonna get us going to the hospital. Make sure he calls his grandma.” And with that, Fushiguro retreated— he doesn’t wait for Yuji to respond or confirm. He hops down from the back of the ambulance and slams both the doors shut, closing Yuji and Junpei into the silent compartment.
“Is he okay…” Junpei muttered as Yuji motioned to the empty bench seat next to him. Junpei hopped down from the stretcher, quickly scooting in next to the brown-eyed male.
“Who? Fushiguro? Yeah, he’s fine,” Yuji laughed as he reached over to help buckle Junpei in. Junpei drew his hands away, careful not to get in Yuji’s way. “Him and my brother probably talked.”
“Your twin, right? He was one of the firefighters?”
“Yeah, Ryomen,” Yuji smiled, the beaming expression radiating nothing but affection. “Him and Fushiguro are always at each other’s throats. They don’t really get along.”
It’s Junpei’s turn to show his full range of emotions on his face. He highly doubted that was the case.
The twin, Ryomen, was pretty stoic and unamused by the entire situation up until Yuji and Fushiguro arrived.
And that wasn’t because of his brother, from what Junpei could tell.
Junpei had watched from the rearview mirror when he had first seen Yuji approaching.
When he had caught a glimpse of both twins at once— one headed his way, brown eyes gleaming on a cloudy day.
The other headed straight to Fushiguro with the first hints of a smile on his face.
He had assumed the fireman and Fushiguro were dating, what with the close proximity they maintained as they walked, and the way the twin acted.
When Junpei had stumbled and fallen right into Yuji’s arms— literally— Junpei had done a nervous scan of the crew, suspecting to find at least one of them laughing at his clumsiness.
He had seen nothing but concern on their faces— and the second it was noted that Junpei was okay, the tattooed twin’s red gaze had become permanently glued to Fushiguro. He never looked away again.
At least, not that Junpei had known of. He had his own twin to gawk at—
God, Junpei, you creep—
A bump in the road as the ambulance crawled forward jolted Junpei from his thoughts. He turned to look at Yuji, who had been surveying him. “You okay?” he asked.
“I— yeah, I just—“ Junpei’s gaze flicked to the front of the ambulance, where Fushiguro was. The scowl was still there, permanently etched, just as the red-eyed twin’s gaze had been.
Junpei looked to Yuji again, fumbling to find words. “Yeah,” he repeats again. “So… if his name’s Ryomen, and you’re Yuji, I take it those are your given names…?”
“Yeah,” Yuji confirmed, sitting up at the question as his smile broadened. “He mainly goes by our family name, Sukuna. I just go by Yuji.”
Junpei nodded, returning Yuji’s dazzling smile as best he could. He redirected his attention to his lap where his phone lay, hesitating before picking it up with a sigh of defeat. “I guess I should call nan and tell her what happened…”
“Okay. I’ll wait.”
Junpei looked up, eyeing Yuji, who was patiently watching him. He blushed, returning his attention to the phone screen, quickly finding his grandmother in his contacts list and clicking the call button. He listened to the phone ring once, twice, three times— before his grandmother finally picked up.
“Hello?” her small voice croaked out after a second of fidgeting.
“Uh— hi, nan. Listen, could you pick me up from the hospital? I got in—“
Even with the hum of the ambulance filling the space, her immediate wailing and yelling was far too loud for Junpei’s comfort. Even Fushiguro up front glanced back through the mirror, a faint smile of amusement crinkling his eyes. When Junpei eyed Yuji nervously, Yuji was all smiles, attempting to withhold a laugh and amused beyond belief by her reaction.
“Nan— nan! I promise I’m fine, I’m headed there in the ambulance but I’m fine, the EMTs just want me to—“
“So you’re fine? You promise?”
“I— I mean, I think so? Wait, wait— yes, I promise! Nothing hurts. I just— can you pick me up?” Junpei sighed. He wanted to get off the phone and sink into a hole with the way Yuji’s watching him.
“Yes yes, I’m on my way,” she answered affirmatively. After a beat of silence, when Junpei should have said goodbye and hung up, she continued. “You know, your mother would say you better get one of those paramedics’ phone numbers. She said some of the firefighters were really cute, too. Is the paramedic cute?”
Junpei hung up.
He didn’t dare look up to see whether Yuji heard her— he only looked up when Yuji spoke.
“Glad she’ll be able to pick you up.”
—and when Junpei’s dark green eyes meet Yuji’s amber brown ones, they flicked straight to the blush dusting his cheeks. “Yeah,” is all he says, too busy admiring the way Yuji reached back to brush his fingers up against the grain of his dark undercut.
“So…” Yuji starts awkwardly. “…what movie theater were you going to?”
“Oh, the one I always go to,” Junpei answered quickly, grateful for the change in topics. “The Kinema Cinema.”
And just like that, Yuji’s smile was back, vibrant and warm. “Oh, I’ve never been! I’ve been meaning to. I hear their popcorn is unbeatable.”
“It is..! I’ve never had better popcorn,“ Junpei started with a grin. “I’ve tried making it at home, but it’s never as good. Kinema Cinema just has that magic down and no one will ever be able to replicate it.”
“You’ve never had better popcorn? That’s a high compliment,” Yuji’s grinning too, turning his body just enough on the bench to better face Junpei. “So what other movies do you like?”
God, that was a hard one. Where should Junpei even begin when answering such a question? “Well… Earthworm Man 2, obviously—“
“So you like horror movies in general?”
“Hmm… yeah, I’d say so.”
“Favorite franchise?” Yuji asked, his head tilting to the side curiously— God, he couldn’t get any cuter. “Or are there too many for you to—“
“Easy,” Junpei interrupted. “Scary Movie franchise. The first three only, though. The first two were the best. The third was fine. I don’t acknowledge the rest. Those aren’t part of the franchise.”
Judging by Yuji’s expression, that was probably the most Junpei had spoken since they met. The pink-haired paramedic was stunned, mouth gaping and eyes wide. Junpei quickly opened his mouth to apologize, but Yuji interrupted with an incredulous grin. “Junpei, you’re joking, right? The third one was way better than the second one. Come on, don’t lie to yourself like that.”
Junpei made a face, at which Yuji laughed at. Junpei laughed too. “What? It absolutely was not better.”
“Junpei, it absolutely was.”
“Alright, explain then.” Junpei sat back against the hard wall of the ambulance, crossing his arms and motioning for Yuji to defend his stance. “How was it better than 2?”
But Yuji’s laughing, leaning into Junpei’s space, and Junpei can practically feel the warmth radiating in his chest. “I don’t know! It just is!”
“That’s what every person who loves the third movie says. They can never give a reason!”
“But sometimes you just don’t know what it is about a movie! Sometimes there’s just a quality to it you can’t name, you know? It’s the one I rewatch the most.”
At that, Junpei laughs— and Yuji leans even closer, his smile stretching wide and overtaking his brown eyes. “So it’s your guilty pleasure movie! That doesn’t mean it’s better than the second, Yuji!”
“Junpei, you act like the greatest banter of all time wasn’t in that movie!”
Junpei had to focus hard for his eyes to find Yuji again. His face had never hurt so much from smiling— but he let out an airy laugh, ready for whatever thought Yuji wanted to share. “And what’s the greatest banter of all time to you?”
But he was not ready.
He was not ready at all for Yuji to quote an entire exchange from the film— word for word, by heart.
“I heard Jamal from 90th street, he watched that tape last week, and this mornin’ he woke up dead! How the hell do you wake up dead? Cause you’re alive when you go to sleep. So you’re telling me that you can go to bed dead and wake up alive!? You can’t go to bed dead, man, that shit would be redundant! No it wouldn’t cause— cause— Junpei, breathe—!“
A chuckling Yuji’s reached for Junpei now, who had doubled over in laughter the second Yuji had switched his voice for the second character.
“Come on, I’m not done—!”
Their conversation carried easy for the rest of the ride to the hospital— Junpei trying to hold in his laugh so Yuji could finish his rendition, and Yuji laughing too much in response to Junpei’s laughing to even continue.
Junpei hadn’t felt this relaxed talking to someone in…
Well, never. And it wasn’t just because he was talking about movies. He talked about movies plenty in his college courses. But it was so easy to just… exist around Yuji.
And he’d met him only an hour or so ago.
Perhaps that was just a testament to Yuji’s kindness, and his ability to get along with anyone. But when they arrived at the hospital, it was too soon. And Junpei didn’t want to leave.
He didn’t know how, but his grandma was already there, ready to yank him out of the ambulance before Yuji could even get the doors open.
Too quickly, Junpei’s bombarded with new faces, and new people. When he found another chance to glance at Yuji, Yuji’s eyes were already on him, the smile that had been plastered to his face now replaced with something like disappointment. Nurses from the hospital were asking Yuji for updates. And Fushiguro’s trying to help, because Junpei’s grandmother is on Yuji faster than anyone else.
“You’re a paramedic, right? Oh, what a handsome one you are!”
Yuji laughed shyly as he scratched the back of his short brown undercut.
God, everything he did was so cute.
“No ma’am, not a paramedic. I’m an EMT—“
“Close enough,” Junpei’s grandmother interrupted. The second her green eyes found Junpei, Junpei’s blood drained rapidly into his face. “Junpei! Junpei, see? This is probably one of the guys your mom thought was hands—“
“Ah!” Junpei grabbed his grandmother by the shoulders, shoving her towards the hospital doors. “My head hurts! Please! Let’s go, please. Now.”
“Junpei!”
He turns, though he knows it’s not Yuji’s voice. Yuji’s still speaking to one of the nurses, but his eyes follow Junpei’s gaze towards Fushiguro. “You left your keys and your phone,” he says from the back of the ambulance, waving the items in Junpei’s direction.
“Oh— sorry.” He quickly walked back towards the ambulance, and Fushiguro hopped down from the back, handing Junpei his items.
Junpei hesitated to leave the ambulance for a moment. Yuji was too preoccupied to say goodbye— and honestly, Junpei wasn’t even ready to say it. When Junpei turned back to Fushiguro, the emerald-eyed EMT was watching him, a sympathetic smile on his face.
Junpei swallowed back the lump forming in his throat. Maybe…
“Um.. Fushiguro?” Junpei started. “Could you tell me what—“
“Four.”
“I’m— pardon?” Junpei asked.
“Four,” Megumi repeated cooly. “Shinagawa’s Firehouse 4. That’s where we work. You know... if you want to come visit. As yourself. Not as our patient.” Fushiguro kept his eyes on Junpei as he shut the ambulance doors.
And for someone who had such a deep, disconcerting scowl, he had an equally as warm of a smile.
“Firehouse Four,” Junpei repeated with a single nod. Then he smiled, and Fushiguro’s smile stretched wider. “Thank you… for that.”
“Junpei! Come on, we need to get your head checked out!” His nan called from the doors.
Junpei got one last look at Yuji, and found his brown eyes were still on him. They exchanged a smile, before Junpei hesitently stepped through the automatic doors and into the hospital.
Monday, September 18 2017
Junpei doesn’t know if it was fate.
Maybe he was never meant to go to the Kinema Cinema last Wednesday. Divine intervention, perhaps.
He’d never admit it to his nan or his mother, but he was sort of grateful he had crashed his car. He wouldn’t have met Yuji otherwise.
But meeting him was all he did. And something ached in Junpei’s chest after last Wednesday. Something that told him to be brave, for once.
Put yourself out there, for once.
Chase what you want, for once.
Because knowing Yuji’s smile existed in the world, and not seeing it at least one more time? It just wasn’t enough.
So, here Junpei was— standing in front of the brick and mortar firehouse.
A literal firehouse.
When Fushiguro had called it that, Junpei hadn’t thought anything of it. He swore EMTs and paramedics were housed away from firefighters.
Was this really were Yuji worked?
It had to be— he could see two firetrucks and two ambulances inside the giant garage structure.
…and he could see massive, intimidating, bulky firefighters, walking back and forth with giant mops as they scrubbed a firetruck clean.
They hadn’t seen him yet— but they would, the moment Junpei decided to walk up their wide driveway. He clutched the flower print plastic bin tighter in his grasp— filled with buttery movie popcorn he had made.
As a thank you gift for Yuji.
Shit. Should he have made a bin for Fushiguro? And the other firefighters?
Maybe this wasn’t a good idea—
No. He had worked himself up to coming. He had to commit.
Slowly, he walked up the driveway, feeling his kneecaps melting down a layer with every step.
Ten steps.
Then fifteen.
Twenty—
Twenty five—
Until he was standing at the mouth of the firestation door, watching as a number of people with varying uniforms brushed foamy cleaner on the surface of a firetruck.
“Ino! Don’t half ass cleaning my pump panel! I’ll wring your fucking neck.”
“I’m not even done yet, Uraume! Can’t you wait to yell at me until after I’m done?”
“No. And that tool compartment better be immaculate, too.” Without turning, the white-haired crew member— Uraume, from what Junpei had gathered— stepped back to inspect the front of the truck. “Maki, how are the floodlights looking?”
A green-haired girl with glasses hopped down from the front of the truck, adjusting her bulky pants with a shrug. “Good, I think. We won’t know until we hose her down. Ryo’s taking his sweet ass time back there. But I’ll keep scrubbing.”
“Oi! Uraume! The wheels look good!”
“Thanks, Hakari. Move on to the grip steps, will you?”
“Oi! Kashimo, out of my way!”
“I’m not even in your way, Riko!”
Christ, even when they argued, they were a well-oiled machine. They moved lightning fast, finishing in one spot, then immediately moving to the next. None of them had even turned to look at Junpei.
This definitely wasn’t a good idea. Yuji wasn’t even here—
A head of dusky pink hair rounds the corner of the firetruck, his back to Junpei. But when he turns, his face is tattooed, and his red gaze never leaves the EMT that emerges from around the corner, right behind him— Fushiguro.
The dark-haired male holds a foamy, dripping squeegee, which he uses to generously lather up the sides of the truck. As he works, the fireman steps around him, never taking his eyes off the EMT’s face.
Ryomen Sukuna held a pressure washer, spraying water here and there right behind Fushiguro’s work. He says something, pointing to a spot Fushiguro had just scrubbed. Fushiguro glares, before running the squeegee over the same spot once more.
They go back and forth for a while, before Fushiguro says something brutal— and the only reason Junpei knows that it must’ve been brutal is because Sukuna feigns clutching his chest and leans against the wet surface of the truck, scarlet eyes searching Fushiguro’s face with a lover’s gaze as the EMT steps closer into his space—
And Junpei can’t believe Yuji said they didn’t like each other— Sukuna’s gaze dips to Fushiguro’s mouth, and his head cocks in a way that’s so obvious, it could only ever be described as—
“Hey! Who’re you, kid?”
Junpei jumps when a face comes inches from his own— Kashimo, if Junpei was remembering correctly—
The cyan-colored hair is hard to miss.
“Oh! Um, I’m—“
“Hey, what’s that? Is that popcorn?”
“Oh..! Yeah, it’s for—“
“Ino! Look! Come here!” the man screams.
“Wait, I—“ Junpei stutters as half the crew turns to observe the commotion Kashimo’s making. Junpei turns back to the only people he knows— and is somewhat grateful to see a pair of red eyes surveying him from above Fushiguro’s wild hair.
Sukuna mutters something, just when Junpei backs up as Kashimo and Ino crowd him.
Fushiguro whips around, green eyes finding Junpei easily— then he turns back to Sukuna. They whisper to one another— something quick, fleeting— and the two nod and separate. Fushiguro drops the squeegee and runs towards the firehouse building.
Junpei feels a tinge of disappointment as he watches Fushiguro take off— he was really hoping he’d get rescued by Fushiguro or—
“Sukuna! Hey! What the hell!”
When Junpei looks back to where Kashimo and Ino had stood, they were no longer there. At least, not in his space.
Ino had been shoved away by a heavy tattooed hand, and Kashimo had been yanked by the back of his shirt.
“Come on, Junpei’s not here for you two,” he utters simply. “Get back to work before Uraume kicks your asses.”
They’re gone before Junpei can thank Sukuna for the intervention, and just as Junpei can feel his fingers sweating against the popcorn bin in his hands, he finally hears the only voice he’s wanted to hear— the voice that’s been on his mind for days.
“Junpei! What’re you doing here!”
When Junpei turns, he’s already smiling— and Yuji’s bright eyes and wide grin make him smile even wider— so wide, his cheeks hurt. He’s running ahead of Fushiguro, who must’ve gone looking for him.
“Yuji! I— hi! Sorry, I shouldn’t have dropped in without warning—“
“Are you kidding?” Yuji’s crowding him now, the same way Kashimo had. But Junpei doesn’t mind one bit when it comes to Yuji. “I was hoping you’d—“
“Yuji.” Both Yuji and Junpei turn to Fushiguro, who’s awkwardly standing next to the two. “Uhm— maybe you should, you know— maybe you both should talk out in the back? The picnic table’s not wet anymore. It’ll be quieter there.”
“Good idea, Megumi! Junpei, do you have time?”
All the time in the world.
“Yeah,” he says. With a grateful nod to Fushiguro, Junpei follows behind Yuji towards the back of the firehouse. Fushiguro smiles, then retreats back to the firetruck—
Back to a smiling Sukuna, amusement clear on the man’s face. Both of their grins grow wider when they look at each other. Sukuna tilts his head into Fushiguro’s space once more, saying something that the EMT rolls his eyes at with a laugh as he shoves past the doting fireman.
…Junpei’s still not quite sure how Yuji doesn’t see it.
When they reach the back of the firehouse, there’s a lone, pathetic little picnic table— the wood dark from the years it’s probably sponged up rain.
Yuji takes a seat on top of it, patting the space next to him. Junpei gladly accepts the invite, settling in next to the EMT.
“How are you? Did everything go okay at the hospital?”
“Yeah, I was fine. I got checked out, and they said I should be good.”
“That’s good to hear!” Yuji leans back on his hand, body twisting to face Junpei. “And did you ever get to catch your movie and get your Kinema Cinema popcorn?”
“Ah, no—“ Junpei laughs, swiping a hand through his hair as he held the tin of popcorn between his knees. “No, I haven’t gone.”
“Why not?”
Alright, Junpei thinks as he takes a steadying breath. You can do this.
“Well…” he starts, his eyes downcast at the pathetic growth of grass next to the table. “I was hoping I’d be able to talk to you, you know, before making any plans to go see it…”
“Yeah? Why?”
The tone change throws Junpei off. He looks up from the grass to look at Yuji.
Yuji had sat up again, and had his arms crossed over his thighs. His smile was easy and relaxed as he waited for Junpei’s answer, but the rise in his brows was anything but. He looked… amused.
“Well…” Junpei starts again, flustered now. “I was wondering if… you know, if you wanted to, of course— we could go to the Kinema Cinema together and get popcorn? Together?”
Yuji grins, even as Junpei flounders to clarify. “Obviously, to watch a movie too. Not just for the popcorn. Popcorn’s not really that great without a movie to watch. Unless you just really like popcorn. Apparently Kinema Cinema sells it in gallon sized bags, if you’re nice enough—“
With a deep breath, Junpei shuts himself up. He prepares himself to wait for Yuji’s response—
“I’d love to.”
“…really?”
And there it was— the laugh. The beautiful laugh that struck every chord in Junpei’s heart. “Yeah, really. Are you free tonight? I’m off at 7. I could pick you up.”
“I— yeah! Yeah,” Junpei grins, before his expressions fully halt. “Oh— how can I contact you?”
“Here.” Yuji stands up on the bench of the table and digs into his pocket for his phone. He unlocks it, before handing it over to Junpei.
Trying not to let his blush be too obvious, Junpei takes his phone, entering his contact information before handing it back over to Yuji. He watches as Yuji immediately opens a new message to text Junpei a little smile emoticon. It shouldn’t have sent Junpei’s heart into a fluttering panic.
But it did.
“Perfect,” Yuji finalizes, setting his phone aside— and for a second, his gaze flickers across Junpei’s face. “It’s a date, then.”
In that split second, Junpei felt his entire being observed— the sweep of his hair, his eyes, his mouth— he shudders.
“Yeah. It's a date,” is all he’s able to reply, so overtaken by the fluttering in his stomach and by Yuji's smile, it's impossible to think straight.
Until he remembers the weight of the popcorn bin. “Oh! And I brought you this. As a thank you.”
“What? Junpei, you shouldn’t have! But this is sweet,” Yuji grins, taking the bin that Junpei hands over. He opens it carefully, peering inside with a gasp. “Holy shit.. is this..?”
“Oh, no! Not Kinema popcorn, no! It’s my homemade popcorn. I thought you might like to try it—“
Yuji’s already grabbing a handful of the buttery movie snack and tonguing the puffy kernels into his mouth, his eyes going wide just as Junpei’s did.
For very, very different reasons—
“Holy shit! Junpei, this is so good! How did you make this!?”
“I— you like it?” Junpei mutters dumbfoundedly. He was still baffled by the peek of Yuji’s tongue—
“Like it? I love it! I really don’t think the Kinema popcorn is going to measure up.”
“Oh, you’re just saying that,” Junpei laughs, folding his hands into his lap. “You’ll see tonight, it’s a whole lot better. But, I can show you how to make this popcorn, if you ever wanna learn.”
Yuji’s smile is wider than ever now, his brown eyes never leaving Junpei’s as he tilts the bin of popcorn in the other’s direction to share.
“Yeah. I’d really love that.”