Chapter 23 : Aki Is Listening

Ben turkeye ye gidicam hadiiiii beyy ! !!!!!!!!!

Would you rather have an obedient gay son who like rainbows or a rebellious slutty daughter? Me, personally I'm having 10 cats and suicide alone.

Iyi eğlencele !

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Next day morning

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The man who had strong limbs wrapped around Ru in this moment.

The realization is enough to make Ru shudder. She can't help the sigh that escapes her, either. The heat of the fingers against her stomach lay still in response, but not for long. Soon, they're spreading against Ru's skin, traveling down Ru's side to slip between the girl's hip and the mattress.

And Ru expects herself to be pulled back, but she's kept still. She can feel the press of Aki's upper body at her bac, a strong, muscled chest pressing into Ru's shoulder blades. When Ru slides her legs down beneath the chilly, untouched sheets, she can feel the loose tangle of limbs hers are involved in, hey were intertwined with Aki's, warm in all the places that they touched.

But between her upper back and legs, she doesn't feel warmth. Aki isn't there, other than the arm curled around Ru.

Instinctively, Ru arches her back in a stretch when her side is touched. Her back presses flush against Aki's chest, and she feels Aki's legs tighten around her own in response.

It makes Ru inch closer when her body loosens and unwinds from her morning stretch. She relaxes again with an exhale, and finally she feels the warmth radiate down the entire length of her—she fits perfectly against every curve of Aki's body, from the planes of his solid hips to the radiating heat of Aki's thighs beneath Ru's own.

Aki's hand that had come down to Ru's side travels up again, pressing to the soft space beneath her navel once more. It's a touch that Ru never expected herself to like, but it makes her inhale wholly, like a breath she'd gone without for ages, finally filling every inch of her lungs.

She's dozing off again faster than she expects herself to. Sleep takes her again nearly immediately. Her body is desperate to enjoy the warmth a little longer, to stay in this lazy morning forever.

Ru's not sure how much longer she gets to sleep for, but the speed at which she's pulled from it makes her groan. She's practically shoved away at the hips first, and she both hears and feels the heavy sigh that Aki huffs against Ru's neck when he forces them apart.

"Aki, what the fuck," Ru groans, turning to scowl at Aki over her shoulder—she has to squint to look at the man, but Aki's already sitting up at the edge of the bed, laughing through a groan as he rubs at his face. Ru eyes him briefly under the golden light of the morning that seeps through her blinds.

Aki is bent over, head in his hands at the edge of the bed. It gives Ru a chance to admire the man, at least.

Ru shakes the thoughts away as she begins to push herself up to her elbows, trying to lean over to get a better look at the man. After a moment of silence she reaches out for Aki's side, hand barely grazing the fabric of his shirt. "What happened—"

But Aki's jerking away from her and motioning towards the bedroom door over his shoulder. "Ah, sorry, I-I still gotta shower, I just remembered. Completely forgot until just now."

Ru eyes him skeptically, and her gaze narrows when Aki scratches at the back of his messy hair. But Ru relents with a deep inhale that brings oxygen all throughout her body, and she lays back down with a hum. "Towels are in the cabinet behind the bathroom door."

"Thanks. I'll wake you up when I'm done."

They leave it at that, with Aki shuffling towards the bedroom door and Ru collapsing back into the cool pillow on the left side of the bed. Just for another few minutes of shuteye.

Except Aki throws something at Ru, her pillow, judging by its weight. "Augh. Aki," Ru groans, swiping her arm down the edge of the bed to grab the fluffy weapon. She readies it above her head to throw it in retaliation, but Aki's already left the room.

And with that, Ru collapses into the bed again, clutching the pillow to her chest.

But the bed isn't as comfortable now, Aki was so warm, it felt nice on a work morning to be so close to him.

Another arch to her back, and Ru whines softly. She's more awake than she'd like to be, and with a sigh, she turns to lay on her back, arms collapsing out to either side of her. When her left arm hits the mattress, it's greeted by the lingering warmth of Aki's body heat. Ru turns onto her side, relishing in the cozy touch of it and trying to find every heated piece of bed sheet that still held the shape and touch of Aki. Even part of the pillow still held his warmth; Ru buries her face against it, overwhelmed by the rich, strawberry-touched scent left behind.

She dozes off again with the scent invading her senses, and with the sound of her shower running just down the hall.

"Sweetheart. Wake up."

Ru groaned, and she buried her face deeper into the pillow at the sound of Aki's amused laughter.

Eventually, he got Ru out of bed, though it took a few attempts. What mainly got Ru to finally raise her head was when Aki brought his face so close to hers, she could smell him.

Could smell herself on him.

The scent of her own cherry shampoo hit her differently, she could pick up the fruity smell on Aki's glistening red hair. As she sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she eyed the nape of Aki's neck where leftover droplets of water were staining the back of his borrowed t-shirt.

Ru finally found her voice, and cleared the mess in her throat to speak. "Why are you here? What happened yesterday… I don't remember much."

"Hm?" Aki turned as he hummed, but Ru could see the smile he hid behind pursed lips. It made Ru frown, surely Aki heard the question. But she asked it again.

"I said, why did you stay over? What happened yesterday? I was so drunk…"

Aki's laugh interrupted Ru, and it made the white-haired girl's frown grow more intense. What was so funny?

Her face communicated as much, and it only made Aki laugh harder after a breath. "Seriously, sweetheart? I can't tell if you're serious." But after a second, Aki seemed to gather that yes, Ru was indeed serious. "Ru," Aki started solemnly, trying to hide the amusement in his voice. "You were pretty out of it. I stayed to make sure you were okay."

"What?" Ru balked. "Did I do something embarrassing?"

"You were… very insistent that I stay by your side," Aki smirked. "And, uh, you might have had a little accident with my shirt."

Ru's eyes widened in horror. "I didn't—"

"Don't worry about it," Aki said quickly, waving his hand. "It wasn't a big deal. You were just a little too friendly with your drinks."

Ru ignored the blush creeping up on her face as she shoved away the bedsheets, she nearly whined at the loss of warmth. "You're so full of it," she muttered.

Ru didn't mention it. "Still doesn't explain why you stayed," she grumbled as she pulled herself up from the bed, quickly adjusting the twisted shirt she wore before stretching her arms above her head. She turned when she felt Aki's golden eyes on her back, and Aki didn't turn away. Instead, his smile grew.

"You asked me to, Ru. And I didn't want to leave you alone in that state. Besides, sleep got the better of me."

With that, Ru scoffed and turned away towards her closet. She grabbed the first clean t-shirt and pair of baggy jeans her hands could find. She wandered off into the hall without a word, but the silence was comfortable, only the sharp click of the bathroom door shutting behind her cut through the silence.

She paused after flicking the light on. Her bathroom felt… different. It was her shampoo she smelled. Her soap. Her toothpaste. Everything that was her own, she could sense.

But there was a clutter. A sense of something different, just in the way a towel was set to dry, and the way a green toothbrush was propped inside a paper cup. Even her bathroom carpet, always slipping and sliding under Ru's feet, was straightened against the tiles.

Thoughtfully, quietly, Ru got ready. She brushed her teeth, eyes glued to the freshly used green toothbrush. She washed her face with her freshly used facial cleanser, quickly drying her face off against the shirt she slept in before freshening up and changing into her job outfit.

Ru groaned as she slowly opened her eyes, the sunlight streaming through the blinds. She could feel the remnants of her headache from last night's drinking. Aki was already up, wearing the same clothes from yesterday except for a tight t-shirt that obviously wasn't his.

"Morning," Aki greeted, noticing Ru's sleepy and slightly grumpy expression.

"Morning," she replied, rubbing her eyes and glancing at his attire. "Is that my shirt?"

"Yeah," Aki chuckled, "didn't have anything else to wear. Your oversized one was... too much."

Ru smirked. "It's comfy to sleep in."

"Where did you even get it?"

"Found it somewhere," she shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "Liked the feel of it."

They fell into a comfortable silence, the sound of coffee brewing filling the kitchen. Ru sighed, finally getting up and heading to the counter where the mugs were. As she started washing them, Aki leaned against the doorframe, watching her.

"You were quite a mess last night," he teased gently.

Ru frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Aki began, trying to keep it vague to avoid embarrassing her, "you kind of... insisted I stay. And... there was that moment with my shirt."

Ru's eyes widened a bit in realization. "Oh... so I really puked on you, didn't I?"

Aki laughed softly. "Yeah, but it's fine. You were pretty persuasive about me staying over too."

Ru felt her cheeks heat up slightly. "I don't remember that."

"It was kind of sweet," Aki admitted, "you asked me to stay by your side."

Ru focused on the mugs, her mind trying to piece together the hazy memories of the previous night. "Sorry if I was a bother."

"Not at all," Aki assured, moving closer to her. "It was kind of nice, actually."

Ru's hand paused mid-wash as Aki's presence became more pronounced behind her. She could feel his warmth as he leaned in, pinning her lightly against the counter. Her heart quickened, a light blush spreading across her cheeks.

"What are you doing?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Aki smirked, his breath warm against her ear. "Just getting a better view."

Ru took a deep breath, then turned the tables. She spun around, pressing Aki against the counter with a seductive smirk. "You think you can fluster me that easily?"

Aki's eyes widened, a blush creeping onto his cheeks. "Ru..."

She leaned in close, her lips brushing against his ear. "Careful, Aki. You might just find yourself outmatched."

Aki swallowed hard, his heart racing. " Damn.....You're something else, Ru."

Ru laughed softly, stepping back and finishing up with the mugs. "Come on, let's get going. I have to get to work."

Aki nodded, still slightly flustered. They made their way to the car, the atmosphere charged with unspoken tension. As they drove, Aki glanced at Ru, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

"So, about tonight," he started, "how about we meet up again?"

Ru raised an eyebrow. "You seem awfully free for a student sorcerer."

"Depends on who I'm spending my time with," Aki replied smoothly.

Ru chuckled. "You're persistent, I'll give you that."

"Is that a yes?"

She shook her head. "Not tonight. I have plans."

Aki pouted playfully. "You're breaking my heart, Ru."

"Better luck next time, redhead," she teased, giving him a sideways glance.

They continued to banter as they drove, the tension from earlier replaced with a playful camaraderie. By the time they reached her workplace, Ru felt more like herself, the morning's grumpiness long gone.

"Thanks for the ride," she said as she got out.

"Anytime," Aki replied with a wink. "See you around, Ru."

She waved, watching him drive off before heading inside, a small smile lingering on her lips.

~~~~~~~~transition~~~~~~~~

The warm afternoon sun bathed the Jujutsu High training grounds in a golden hue, casting long shadows that danced across the grassy field. Aki stood at the center, his eyes focused on Yuji Itadori, who stood a few paces away, looking eager and slightly clueless.

"Alright, Yuji," Aki said, rolling up his sleeves and revealing a determined expression. "I'm going to test my blood manipulation technique on you. Remember, just hold still and let me know if you feel anything weird."

Yuji gave a thumbs-up, his usual grin plastered across his face. "You got it, Aki! Hit me with your best shot."

Nobara Kugisaki, leaning against a nearby tree with her arms crossed, raised an eyebrow. "I still can't believe you agreed to this, Itadori. Do you even know what he's going to do?"

Megumi Fushiguro, sitting on the grass with his legs crossed, glanced up from his book. "I second that. This sounds incredibly reckless."

Maki Zenin, who was doing pull-ups on a nearby tree branch, chimed in. "It's dumb. But then again, Itadori is... well, Itadori."

Aki smirked, shaking his head. " not as dumb as those two, It's like you two share a brain cell sometimes," he said, nodding towards Yuji and Nobara. "Seriously, the combined IQ here must be the same as today's weather temperature."

Nobara snorted, covering her mouth to hide her laughter. "He's got , yuji totally dumb."

"Hey!" Yuji protested, though he couldn't help but laugh along. "I have more than one brain cell, thank you very much."

Aki focused on his technique, feeling the familiar pull of his cursed energy as it coursed through his veins. He could feel the blood within his own body respond, but this time, he pushed further, trying to extend his control to Yuji's blood. He imagined the blood vessels, the flow, the pressure, and with a flick of his wrist, he tried to form a small blade from within Yuji's arm.

Yuji winced slightly, feeling a twinge of discomfort but nothing unbearable. "Whoa, that's weird. Feels like something's crawling under my skin."

"Good, that means it's working," Aki muttered, concentrating harder. He could see a faint red glow around Yuji's arm, the manifestation of his control.

"Is this really safe?" Megumi asked, his tone more concerned now.

Aki shrugged. "It's experimental. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Famous last words," Maki muttered, dropping down from the branch.

Nobara rolled her eyes. "Just don't kill him, okay? We need him in one piece."

Aki smirked. "Don't worry, I'm not that reckless." He intensified his focus, the blade within Yuji's arm becoming more defined. "Almost there... just a bit more..."

Before he could finish, a loud voice interrupted the scene. "Hey, what are you guys up to?"

Satoru Gojo appeared out of nowhere, his signature blindfold covering his eyes and a playful grin on his face. He strolled over, hands in his pockets, radiating his usual carefree energy.

"Gojo-sensei!" Yuji exclaimed, momentarily distracted.

Aki's concentration broke, and the red glow around Yuji's arm dissipated. He sighed, rubbing his temples. "Thanks for the interruption, Gojo-sensei."

Gojo chuckled. "No problem. Just making sure you kids aren't doing anything too dangerous." He glanced at Yuji. "How's the guinea pig feeling?"

"Uh, fine, I guess?" Yuji shrugged, flexing his arm. "It felt kinda weird, but not painful."

Nobara rolled her eyes. "Weird is an understatement. You agreeing to this was plain dumb."

"Agreed," Megumi said, nodding.

"Well yuji is practically stronger than your weakasses "

The groupe interrupts into disagreement and confusion, Aki explains "Yuji being the vassel of sukuna, he has malevolent shrine engraved in him, since you know the boy is the soul "and he adds "Megumi actually if you get full control nad master your technique, you would be even or better than Gojo" He said, casually classifying the kids in terms of strength. Gojo was suprised and amazed at his point of view, which implies how good the boy got.

"While kugisaki, you have potential to be a grade 1 sorcerer, it just need some time and good training, same for maki but she needs a binding vow or something since the existing of her twin, Mai, is like interrupting her development." The boy almost regretted saying that since now he has to give the a full lecture of soul,body, twins in jujutsu life. It definitely didn't sit well with Maki, but he couldn't care less, this might be a reality check for her. (Au,note: how this monkey survived black flash from sukuna)

The talk later on, after some nonsense, shifts to Nobara whining how Itadori got someone " Augh,..can't believe Yuji from all people has a chance to have a girlfriend before me, it hurts."

"I can't relate to desperation ~" Aki mumbled.

Unbeknownst to Aki, Gojo, who had been listening in from nearby, couldn't help but chuckle at the exchange. "Ah, young love," he remarked, shaking his head with a grin. "It's always entertaining, isn't it?"

"Anyway," Gojo said, clapping his hands together. "Aki, I've got a mission for you. But first..." He paused, his grin widening. "I heard something interesting just now, someone does not relate to not having a love interest. Aki, are you dating someone?"

Aki's eyes widened, and he stammered, "Wha-what? Who told you that?"

Nobara's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Wait, what? Aki, you didn't tell us you had a girlfriend!"

Yuji immediately perked up. "Yeah, spill! Who's the lucky girl?"

Megumi and Maki exchanged glances, their interest piqued as well.

Aki sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's... not a big deal."

Gojo leaned in, his grin never faltering. "Oh, but it is. Come on, tell us more about her."

"Yeah, Aki!" Nobara chimed in, moving closer. "Details!"

Aki hesitated, feeling the weight of their expectant gazes. "Her name is Ru. She's... damn fine .....well rather special....."

"Special how?" Yuji asked, leaning in.

Aki struggled to find the right words. "She's... NONE OF UR BUSINESS."

There was a moment of stunned silence before Yuji burst out laughing. "Come on tells, I wanna know !"

Nobara looked more curious. "Even you got someone, Seriously?"

Gojo's grin widened. "Interesting topic. So, when do we get to meet her?"

Aki groaned. "You can all fuck off. Unlike you single losers, I actually have a girlfriend, and she ain't meeting yall."

Nobara and Yuji pouted "ahhh Why am I the only one single *hic* ...wait !" Nobara as her only braincells started working "I'm not alone there is Megumi, Maki even Gojo sensei ! If someone as supposedly handsome as Gojo-sensei got no chicks yet, means I'm alright and actually I don't have to worry, it hjust my time didn't come yet" she reassured herself while the Zenin rolled their eyes.

Gojo laughed, clapping Aki on the back. "Alright, alright. But this isn't over. We'll get more details later."

~~~~~~~~~transition~~~~~~~~~

The neon lights of the diner cast an eerie glow on the late-night patrons, a stark contrast to the darkness that lurked within its walls. Suguru Geto/Kenjaku, and their entourage of cursed spirits occupied a corner booth, their malevolent presence sending shivers down the spine of one particularly perceptive waiter.

The waiter, sensing something off, couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. He couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but his instincts screamed at him to get away from these customers. As he poured coffee into Geto's cup, his hand trembled slightly.

"Just the check," Geto replied with a sinister smile, his eyes gleaming with an malevolence.

As the waiter hastily retreated, Jogo leaned in, his voice low and menacing. "You know, kenjaku, I've been thinking... what if we all worked together to take down Aki? I mean, because of him, we had to delay the Shibuya incident until November 31st."

Geto's expression remained unreadable. "Aki would undoubtedly survive such an attack. In fact, he might even manage to exorcise all of us."

Jogo's eyes narrowed. "You think so?"

"I do," Geto said matter-of-factly. "But there's a better way to handle this situation. We should use the special grade cursed object: Prison Realm on Gojo and blackmail Aki using his family members, after all he is a kid and a human before being a sorcerer."

Jogo's face lit up with excitement as he slammed his fist on the table. The diner's utensils rattled in response. "That's perfect! I'll kill Aki and his family myself!"

The air around them began to heat up noticeably, causing sweat to trickle down the waiter's forehead as he watched from a safe distance. He didn't need any more convincing – it was time to get out of there before things escalated further.

"Uh, boss? I quit!" he exclaimed, dropping his apron and making a beeline for the door.

His boss, oblivious to the danger lurking in their midst, approached Geto with a friendly smile. "How was everything tonight? Can I get you anything else?"

Geto didn't respond; instead, he raised his hand in a casual gesture. The boss suddenly burst into flames, screaming as he stumbled backward.

Chaos erupted within seconds as every patron in the diner caught fire. Panic set in as people scrambled to escape the inferno.

Jogo cackled maniacally amidst the chaos. "I'll take care of Aki and his family myself! No one will be able to stop me! Leave it all to me !"

As they prepared to leave, Kenjaku subtly glanced around the diner before focusing on an unseen presence lurking just out of sight.

"You were listening... weren't you?" Kenjaku whispered with an enigmatic grin.

A faint rustling sound came from outside – almost imperceptible – but Kenjaku's eyes locked onto it like a hawk sensing prey.

"Yes... I knew it," Kenjaku continued in hushed tones. "You're quite skilled at eavesdropping through those little creatures nearby... aren't you Aki?"

The air seemed charged with tension as Jogo turned back to Kenjaku with an inquiry: "Hey Kenjaku? How strong do you think I am compared to Sukuna's finger?"

Kenjaku pondered for a moment before responding: "I'd say you're around an 8."

Jogo nodded thoughtfully before asking another question: "What about Aki?"

Kenjaku chuckled cryptically but refused to provide a clear answer.

"By the way, those cursed spirit were useless after all" Kenjaku said, making the Jogaot confused.

He scribble down on some carnet, a waiter had left before running for his life, something made the volcano curse raise an eyebrow.

"YOU'RE DOOMED, AKI WAS LISTENING "

Jogo huffed, even more confused than before, only to meet Kenjaku's smile, holding another note.

"YOU'RE UNLUCKY, HE ONLY HEARD THE LAST PART"

"Never thought in a thousand years, that mere rats can take down a whole curse....interesting, maybe really the strength is in numbers..." said the kenjussy chuckling.

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End of the chapter

Now start the incident part of this volume, and yeah I won't upload for next week....

..- .-. .. - -.-. .... .. / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -.. .. .

All eyes on Rafah, may god be in their help.