Beyond Every Scripted Lie

Yuji throws his head back, letting out a laugh so genuine and hearty that it completely rattles his chest against yours. He buries his face right back down into the hollow of your neck, his shoulders shaking with helpless, ecstatic giggles while his hands stay firmly locked around your waist. The cool air sweeping off the terrace does nothing to chill the radiating heat of his body, and under the warm glow of Gojo's room lamps, he finally looks back up at you with eyes full of pure, unadulterated devotion. He rests his forehead lightly against yours, his thumb stroking steady, reassuring circles against your hip.

Yuji Itadori: ""Wait! Mikki, listen to me—in Japan, twenty is the legal age! So I have two years! Two whole years!" "Which means right now... legally...""

"Yeah, legally, you can't!" Mikki laughs even harder. "Oh my god, I'm a cougar! I'm a cougar. I'm a cradle-robber. Oh my god," she laughs even harder.

Your sudden, wheezing outburst of self-realization sends Yuji over the absolute edge. He buries his face directly into the crook of your neck to muffle his own chaotic laughter, his arms tightening like iron around your waist as he shakes against you. The warmth of his breath tickles skin that has barely cooled off from the night air, and when he finally drags his head up, his cheeks are flushed an impossibly bright, furious pink under the terrace lamps. He's grinning so wide his eyes are squeezed into tiny crescents, completely helplessly wrapped around your finger while you double over against his chest.

Yuji Itadori: ""Hey! Three years is not a cradle-robber! That's—that's practically the same age! Mikki, stop, you're making me sound like a little kid!""

🫦 "Whatever you say, my younger man."

Yuji’s breath hitches, the flustered pink on his face instantly deepening into a dark, heady flush at the sudden slide of your tone. His hands tighten on your waist, lifting you just an inch off the threshold so your boots scrape against the polished floorboards before settling you firmly right back against him. He leans down until his nose grazes the slope of your jaw, his lips pressing a warm, lingering kiss right beneath your ear that makes his signature hoodie shift against your shoulders. Gojo’s quiet suite sits empty and warm behind you, but Yuji’s eyes are locked entirely onto yours, ablaze with a fierce, intoxicating heat that completely belies his eighteen years.

Yuji Itadori: "Whatever I say, huh? Then I say you're stuck with me, cougar. Permanently."

"Honestly though? Women tend to outlive men by a landslide. I would rather end up with a younger guy and have more years together." She ponders, noting the logic as sound. "Kind of morbid, but, it's important to think about the future, "

Yuji pauses, his hands still anchored firmly at your waist as your cold, sound logic settles into his head. He blinks once, twice, his flustered pink deepening into a completely bewildered, full-blown flush as he processes the sheer practical scale of your future planning. Then a slow, unstoppable grin breaks across his face, his forehead thumping gently against your collarbone as he muffles another fit of helpless, breathless laughter against your shoulder.

"So... okay... Please don't freak out when I ask this question but... I'm really curious about something..." Mikki smiles, a sheepish grin displayed on her face.

Yuji's giggles die down into a soft, affectionate smile as the sheepishness on your face registers. His thumb pauses its rubbing against your hip, his grip softening into something impossibly tender as he searches your eyes under Gojo's suite lamps. Instead of pulling back, he leans in closer, resting his chin gently against your temple so his breath warms your hairline. The heavy golden hoodie you're wearing carries his familiar scent, and the steady, unbroken beat of his heart against your chest tells you he isn't going anywhere.

Yuji Itadori: ""Mikki, whatever it is, you can ask me anything. I promise I won't freak out.""

"I do not believe you." Mikki suppresses a giggle. "You are about to turn crimson, I just know it..." she looks to the side, and takes a deep breath.

The moment you turn your head and take that exaggerated, dramatic breath, Yuji's bravado crumbles in real time. The warm golden light of the doorway catches the immediate, furious rush of heat surging up his neck, proving you right before he even manages to get a full sentence out. He squeezes your waist tight, dragging you another half-inch closer just to cover his own sudden fluster, his eyes searching your profile while a sheepish, hopelessly caught smile breaks through his protest. You're still holding in your giggle, but the steady, rapid thrum of his pulse under your palm says you've got him completely at your mercy.

Yuji Itadori: "Wait, what? Crimson? Mikki, no, I'm literally the most un-embarrassable guy here! I don't blush!"

"What-EVER." mMikki teases, before leaning in. "Would you like to have... kids someday?" She asks.

The abrupt slide from joking about his legal age to family planning catches Yuji completely off guard. His jaw slacks for half a second before he lets out a startled, high-pitched noise, his hands flying up from your waist to cover his scorching face. Even with his palms pressed over his eyes, the deep crimson spread is completely unhidden, rushing all the way down his neck and past the collar of his shirt. He stumbles back half a pace into Gojo's doorway, practically vibrating from the sheer force of his fluster while you stand there looking thoroughly pleased with your ambush.

Yuji Itadori: "Wait—kids?! Mikki, we've been officially dating for like... twenty minutes!"

"What?! It's been longer than twenty minutes!" Mikki chastises him. "It's been a few days." She corrects him. "And... I'm not asking if you want to with me. I'm just... i... just want to know in general if its something you've ever thought about because that's a deal breaker type of thing, and I want to get that stuff out of the way now. Instead of months later when we're even deeper in love and it's even harder to break up." She reasons.

Yuji's hands drop from his face, though the intense flush remains painted clear across his cheeks down to the collar of his shirt. Your stern, logical correction hits him like a splash of cold water, making him blink as he processes the undeniable reality of your timeline together. He takes a slow, steadying breath, his chest rising beneath his dark top before he steps back toward you, his hazel eyes dropping all their previous levity to lock onto yours with absolute, unadorned sincerity. The cool night air carries in from the doorway behind him, but the warmth pouring from his steady gaze makes the whole hallway disappear.

Yuji Itadori: "Wait, longer than twenty minutes?! Mikki, we've only been officially together since... tonight! And—and I am thinking about general stuff! I just... I haven't really had time to map out twenty years from now, okay? But if you're asking if I want a family someday... yeah. I do. With the right person."

"Okay," Mikki says, content with his answer. "Same page here. Just wanted to know," she squeezes his hand a little as they walk. "And... what's your favorite color?"

The sudden pivot from heavy, long-term dealbreakers to mundane casual trivia makes Yuji break into a wide, luminous laugh, his previous embarrassment melting away in an instant. He intertwines his fingers tightly with yours as you step out of Gojo's suite and begin walking down the dimly lit hallway together. He swings your joined hands gently between you, his thumb tracing warm circles over the back of your knuckles while he looks down at you with completely unabashed warmth.

Yuji Itadori: "Red! Plain and simple. It's bright, it's bold, and it just feels right. What about you?"

"Red? Suits you. I'm not surprised," Mikki smiles big up at him. "I have...two. One is similar to yours - crimson. I love crimson. Ig's deep, sexy, and knows who it ism the other... is lavender. Femenine, light, and confident." She smiles.

Yuji swings your joined hands a little higher as you walk down the carpeted hallway, his thumb gently stroking the back of your hand. A soft, proud grin spreads across his face, his hazel eyes crinkling at the corners as he takes in your words. He squeezes your hand tightly, pulling you just a fraction of an inch closer so his shoulder brushes yours with every step. The quiet warmth between you both settles into the quiet corridor, making the dark, chaotic villa beyond the stairs feel miles away.

Yuji Itadori: "Crimson and lavender? Wow, Mikki... those sound like serious colors. Deep and confident suits you though, totally."

🫦 "Which one matches me more right now?"

Yuji stops dead in the middle of the carpet, his hand tightening around yours so you can't take another step without turning back to face him. He tilts his head, his hazel eyes dropping to where his massive black hoodie hangs past your knees, drowning your posture in his signature dark cotton. A slow, mischievous grin tugs at the corner of his mouth as he leans down, bringing his face level with yours until his breath warms the space between your lips. He doesn't look away for a single second, completely unbothered by the quiet corridor as his gaze pins you to the spot.

Yuji Itadori: "Wait, right now? Mikki, you're wearing my dark hoodie, walking down a carpeted hallway, and you just ambushed me about having kids twenty minutes into dating."

"Okay... so... the question still stands. Which suits me more? Lavender or crimson? I'm not letting this one go," She warns him, eyebrows raised to challenge him.

Yuji doesn't hesitate for a single pulse of time. He tilts his head slightly, his hand sliding up your arm until his warm, solid fingers resting over the shoulder of his oversized hoodie, anchoring you directly in front of him in the dim hall. His thumb lightly traces the thick seam of the collar right against your collarbone, his gaze narrowing with a sudden, intense focus that cuts through all his previous fluster. The dark cotton completely swallows your frame, but the absolute weight of his attention makes you feel entirely exposed.

Yuji Itadori: "Crimson. No question about it. You're deep, you're bold, and you completely take over the room without even trying."

Mikki raises one eyebrow. "And... I'm sexy?" She probes.

Yuji’s hand freezes against your shoulder, his breath hitching audibly in the quiet hallway. The word hangs between you, heavy and charged, sending a fresh wave of crimson flush straight up to the tips of his ears. His hazel eyes darken just a fraction, dropping to your mouth before snapping back to lock into yours with a raw, unsteady intensity that completely strips away his usual easygoing armor. He doesn't step back—if anything, the pad of his thumb presses just a little firmer against the seam of the collar, anchoring you firmly to his chest.

Yuji Itadori: "Sexy? Mikki, you have to ask that while you're literally swallowed whole by my hoodie?"

"...i can... take it off if you want," Mikki's eyes dart to the side, then back up at him, a devilish smirk on her face.

Yuji’s hand snaps down instantly, his broad palm covering both of yours over the central zip of his dark cotton hoodie, pinning your hands flat against your chest. The sudden movement pins you back against the hallway wall, his chest hovering a mere breath away from yours, solid and impossibly hot. His hazel eyes are wide, dark, and utterly wrecked by your tease, the dark crimson flush on his neck spreading all the way down to his collarbone. He holds your wrists locked beneath his palm, leaning in so close that his lips graze the shell of your ear when he exhales, his entire body hummed with raw, electric devotion that completely anchors you to the spot.

Yuji Itadori: "Don't you dare touch that zipper, Mikki. You know damn well what you're doing to me right now."

"Yeah...." Mikki admits. "I do," she smiles up at him. "I won't tease you." She looks to the side again, as if she's privately plotting something. "I think... I'm going to retire for the night. Goodnight, Yuji." She looks back up at him.

Yuji blinks, his wide hazel eyes catching the dim corridor light as the sudden shift in your demeanor completely throws him off balance. His grip on your wrists loosens instantly, his broad hands hovering mid-air for a split second like he's caught between holding you there and pulling back. A breathless, half-amused laugh escapes his chest as his cheeks burn bright red under the warm carpet lights. He takes one slow, reluctant step back to let you move, but his gaze stays locked on yours, completely helpless against your parting smirk.

Yuji Itadori: "Wait—what? Mikki, you can't just drop a line like that and then pull a smooth 'goodnight' exit!"

"I can... and I am." Mikki decides, wrapping her arms around d his waist to give him a big hug. "I love you, my gorgeous young boyfriend who goes on adventures with me and wants to have a family someday." She bestows the hyper'@]

Before you can take a single step toward your room, Yuji's arms wrap tight around your waist, pulling you flush against his chest and lifting your feet clean off the hallway carpet. He buries his face into the crook of your neck, his body shaking with a helpless, breathless laugh that warms your skin through the heavy dark cotton of his hoodie. When he finally sets you down, he doesn't let go—his broad hands stay anchored firmly to your hips, his hazel eyes wide, shining, and completely wrecked with devotion as he stares down into your face. The dim corridor is dead quiet, but the violent, steady thrum of his heartbeat echoes straight through the fabric between you.

Yuji Itadori: "Mikki—wait! You can't just drop the L-word and 'family' in one sentence and then—"

✨ "Goodnight, Yuji. Dream about our kids."

Yuji’s brain completely short-circuits, his throat clicking on a choked noise as the word 'kids' hits him like a physical impact. He buries his face directly into the top of your head, hiding his entirely crimson face in your hair while his arms lock around your waist in an absolute, suffocating bear hug. He shakes his head against your shoulder, refusing to let you pull back even a fraction of an inch as his chest heaves with rapid, unsteady breaths. The dim carpeted hallway stays dead silent around you, save for the wild, hammering rhythm of his heart beating straight against your ribs.

Yuji Itadori: "Dream about— Mikki! You can't just throw out a word like that and then tell me to go to sleep!"

"I absolutely adore you and you know that's why I tease you so much, right?" Mikki looks at him with a completely lovestruck expression as she makes her way to her door, looking back at him.

Yuji’s grip on your waist loosens just enough to let you step backward, but he follows you immediately, refusing to put more than an inch of distance between your boots and his on the carpeted hallway. His dark eyes shine with an intensely soft, reverent light, the deep flush on his neck refusing to fade even as a wide, breathless grin breaks across his mouth. As you turn toward your bedroom door and glance back over your shoulder, he catches the frame above your head, trapping you lightly in his shadow with that entirely helpless, lovestruck look mirrored right back at you. The hallway around you stays heavy with dim, warm light, completely quiet save for the steady, unhurried cadence of his breathing.

Yuji Itadori: "You think you're pretty funny, huh? Dropping a bomb like that and then turning around with that look on your face?"

"If I didn't know any better I'd think you were following me into my room," Mikki looks Yuji up and down, looking over to her door that was right behind her, then back at Yuji again.

Yuji freezes mid-stride, his broad arm still braced against the doorframe right above your head as your gaze sweeps down his chest and back to his face. A flush instantly spreads across the bridge of his nose, his dark eyes darkening as he catches the wicked edge of your smirk. Instead of stepping back into the hallway, he leans into your space just half an inch more, his thumb lightly brushing the wooden frame beside your cheek as he traps you in his shadow.

Yuji Itadori: "I mean... the door’s right there, Mikki, but my feet aren't really doing what my brain is telling them to do."

Stir up a little drama.

Yuji’s breath catches on a sharp, ragged hitch, his hazel eyes darkening as the challenge hangs between you in the dim hallway. Instead of pulling back, his hand slips down from the doorframe, his fingers curling lightly around the edge of the open door to push it wide open, stepping backward over your threshold without taking his eyes off yours. The soft click of his heavy boots against the wooden floorboards cuts through the stillness, taking the decision out of your hands as he hooks a thumb into the drawstring of his hoodie—the very one you're currently wearing—and pulls you forward across the doorway with him.

Yuji Itadori: "I mean... if I follow you in, I'm pretty sure we're not sleeping for a single second tonight, Mikki."

"Whoa, Yuji," Mikki's eyes widen as she steps backward,realizing what he's implying. "Not tonight," she says, chest heaving at the notion. "Maybe tomorrow," she loons down to the aide. "I just... I'm not ready foe that tonight," she looks up at him, hoping he'll understand.

Yuji freezes instantly, his hand snapping off the wooden doorframe as if it just caught fire. The flirtatious edge completely vanishes from his face, replaced by a wave of pure, unadulterated panic as his hazel eyes go wide and searching. He stumbles backward out of your doorway, his broad hands coming up in an urgent, disarming gesture as your heavy breathing fills the quiet space between you. He catches the drawstrings of the dark hoodie you're wearing, his thumb brushing the soft cotton for a fraction of a second before he yanks his hands back to his sides, completely terrified he's crossed a line.

Yuji Itadori: "Wait—Mikki, no, hey, hold on! I didn't mean—I wasn't trying to rush you into anything!"

"Yuji you're fine! Really! It's okay, I'm okay." Mikki reassures him, stepping towards him to signal she's okay. "I just.... that type of thing makes me so nervous. And... I want to... trust me. But... not tonight. I need to work up the nerve for that," she explains. "I feel so ridiculous about that," she admits.

Yuji's whole shoulders drop as the tension visibly drains out of him, his broad hands coming up to gently cup the sides of your face instead. His thumbs trace tiny, comforting circles over your cheekbones, his hazel eyes swimming with an overwhelmingly tender, earnest heat that makes the breath catch in your throat. He tilts his head down, resting his forehead lightly against yours so you can feel the steady, grounded warmth of his breath against your lips. He doesn't press forward or demand anything more, simply holding you close in the quiet doorway and letting the silence settle between you.

Yuji Itadori: "You... you feel ridiculous? Mikki, you don't have to work up the nerve for anything with me. Ever. I was just being an idiot and getting way ahead of myself. You don't ever have to apologize for setting a line with me, okay? I'm right here. At whatever speed you want."

💬 "will you stay until I fall asleep?"

Yuji's thumb pauses against your cheekbone before moving down to brush a stray strand of hair behind your ear, his gesture impossibly gentle. Without breaking forehead-to-forehead contact, he nudges the bedroom door wider with his foot, slipping into the dim room alongside you and letting the heavy oak door settle shut behind his back. He pulls back just far enough to look into your eyes, his broad shoulders blocking out the rest of the villa completely. The soft, oversized cuffs of his Jujutsu High hoodie hang past your wrists, radiating his warmth all around you as he expertly guides you toward the edge of the mattress without letting go of your hand.

Yuji Itadori: "I'm not going anywhere, Mikki. Not until you're completely out, and honestly... probably not even then."

🛌 pull him down onto the bed with you

The sheer weight of him pulls you down together, his body catching his balance at the very last second so he lands half-sprawled beside you on the mattress rather than crushing you. The oversized hoodie bunching around your waist radiates his distinct, sunny warmth, and the mattress dips heavily under his frame as he catches himself on his elbows above you. He stares down into your face, his hazel eyes wide and utterly breathless, a bright pink flush spreading instantly from his nose to the tips of his ears. The room is completely silent except for the quiet, steady rhythm of his breathing right against your cheek, his broad chest rising and falling just inches from yours as he slowly lowers himself onto his side to tuck his arm beneath your head.

Yuji Itadori: "Whoa—Mikki!"

"It would have been fine if you had fallen on top of me," Mikki grins. "I'm tough," she reassures him. "But.. I really do like you on my bed... lying next to you like this. Here, do you want someone pajamas?" Mikki gets up and starts rummaging through her drawers.

Yuji's laugh bursts out, bright and completely unreserved, as he rolls onto his side to clear space on the soft mattress. Watch him propping his head up on one hand, his cheeks still flushed a pretty, dusting pink as you slide out from under his weight and head over to the tall painted drawers. He doesn't move to follow, but his hazel eyes track your every step across the dim room, his golden-retriever grin softening into something utterly devoted as he watches you pull open the bottom dresser. The quiet of the room wraps around you both like a heavy blanket, leaving only the rustle of cotton fabric and the steady, grounded sound of his breathing behind your back.

Yuji Itadori: "Hey—I got lucky catching myself! If I landed full-weight on you, production would be calling an ambulance for both of us!"

move on to the next activity

Yuji catches the pair of soft fleece sweatpants you toss his way with effortless, catlike reflexes, a bright, easy grin spreading across his face as he sits up on the edge of the mattress. The heavy tension of the earlier conversation completely vanishes, replaced by the comfortable, unhurried warmth that follows you two everywhere. He sets the folded clothes neatly on the foot of the bed, reaching out to give your hand one firm, grounding squeeze before pushing himself up to his feet. Standing tall in the dim doorway, he holds the door open for you, his hazel eyes bright and completely focused on you.

Yuji Itadori: "Here, take these — way more comfortable than jeans anyway. You ready to head back out to the lounge, or are we turning in for real?"

"Turning in for real! I like oversized men's clothes to wear to bed - so you're in luck! I have something for you that actually fits." Mikki beams. "Alright - I'm changing into my own pajamas - don't look - or do, and tease yourself. At this point, I don't care," Mikki warns, placing her hands on the waistband of her pants, prepared to pull them down.

Yuji's head whips away so fast his spine snaps backward, his hands slapping over his eyes as his entire neck flushes a violent, beet red. He stumbles back two paces until his calves hit the frame of the bed, spinning his back completely to you while you reach for the waist of your trousers. Even with his hands clapped over his face, the crimson heat radiates straight to the tips of his ears, his broad shoulders tensing up in absolute, flustered panic. You slide into your oversized pajama set in the quiet, dim room, the soft cotton settling over your skin while Yuji stays loyally frozen in place, waiting for your signal.

Yuji Itadori: "Whoa—Mikki! Hey, I'm turning around! I'm completely turned around!"

Mikki smiles a big smile at Yuji's reaction as she pulls her pants completely off, then her shirt. "You can look if you want to, Yuji. I really don't mind." Mikki reassures him. "I just want you to know nothing is happening tonight - that's all," she reaffirms, as she reaches into her drawers to find pajamas for herself.