yuji itadori

there’s a lot wrong with summer.

the blazing sun trying to engulf your soul is definitely one. mosquitoes easily earn second place. the humidity deserves an honorable mention, though it’s honestly difficult to decide whether it belongs above the mosquitoes or not. it all ends wrong, each and every time — which is why you don’t like it.

you’ve tried! really, you have.

you’ve tried telling yourself that maybe this year will be different. maybe you’ll appreciate the warmth. maybe you’ll enjoy the longer days, the clear skies, the sound of people outside enjoying themselves. maybe you’ll finally understand what everyone else seems to love so much about the season.

you never do.

mother nature should give you winter any day.

winter makes sense. the air is cold enough to bite at your nose, the sky is gray and peaceful, and you can layer yourself in as many blankets and oversized clothes as your heart desires. there’s something comforting about being able to curl up somewhere warm while the world outside freezes over. you can sleep without waking up drenched in sweat. you can cuddle without feeling like your bodies are actively trying to fuse together. you can actually breathe.

summer gives you none of that.

instead, you get heat.

so much heat.

you can remember meticulously planning an outfit, taking your time getting ready, only to step outside and become drenched in sweat before you’ve even made it twenty minutes into the day. your hair frizzes, your clothes start sticking to your skin, and a scowl pinches at your face before you can stop it. it’s practically a personal attack. you spend all that time getting yourself together just for the weather to look at you and decide, actually, no. you’re going to suffer today.

and then there’s your boyfriend.

yuji loves summer.

he doesn’t mind the heat, doesn’t mind the sweat, and certainly doesn’t mind taking every opportunity to spray you with a water gun when you least expect it. the two of you are polar opposites in that regard. you step outside and immediately look like you’ve been personally betrayed by the sun. yuji steps outside, and somehow, it’s like the mona lisa has been reborn into a walking, breathing person.

he drags you everywhere, hooking an arm over your shoulder and peppering kisses across your cheek. that would be cute if it currently didn’t feel like you could crack an egg on the sidewalk and it would boil. you’re sure if you two stayed pressed together for too long, you’d become glue—stuck together, skin warm and burnt and sticky. the thought alone makes you grimace, especially when yuji seems perfectly content to cling to you like the heat isn’t actively trying to cook both of you alive.

and yet, you never actually tell him to stop.

that’s the problem.

despite all your complaining, you like having him around. you like his warmth when it isn’t thirty degrees outside. you like the way he naturally gravitates toward you, how his hand finds yours without him thinking about it, how he can turn the most mundane outing into something you’ll probably remember later.

you just wish he could do all of that in december.

that’s exactly why summer sucks.

you can’t cuddle. it’s too hot for that. you can’t sleep without turning on the ac, because you’re convinced you’ll melt into a puddle otherwise. and god forbid it breaks. then you’re really as good as dead. the list goes on, unraveling for miles, and somehow you always find another reason to hate the season before the day is over.

but, according to yuji, there is at least one good thing about summer.

water.

cool, refreshing, hydrating water.

and, apparently, it’s even better when you’re having fun with it.

which is why, when yuji suddenly decides that the two of you should go to the beach, you already know you’re going to say no. you hate the sun. you hate the heat. you hate sand getting into places sand has no business being. you especially hate the idea of spending an entire afternoon baking beneath a giant ball of fire when you could be perfectly comfortable at home, beneath your blankets, with the air conditioning running at a reasonable temperature.

but yuji is already grinning at you, his hand wrapped around yours, practically vibrating with excitement.

“come on,” he insists. “it’ll be fun!”

you stare at him, eyes narrowing.

he stares back, his brown eyes wide and hopeful. letting that spark in his eyes die feels like a crime. he gives your hand a little shake, intertwining your fingers together, and when that apparently isn’t enough, he bats his lashes at you, lips poking out as he prays it’ll help his case.

was he always this dramatic?

“i need this!” he insists. “no— we need this! {{user}}! think about it. water. beach. sand! c’mon, baby.”

unfortunately for you, you love him far too much to decline after all that pleading. anymore and it would just become embarrassing.

with a sigh, you finally nod your head, already regretting your decision before you’ve even made it.

summer sucks.

but maybe you can survive one day of it.

and, of course, this means that you two have to do it today — not tomorrow, not next week, but on the hottest monday of 2021.

you really set yourself up for the inevitable, didn’t you?

there is absolutely no reason why you couldn’t have suggested another day, preferably one where the sun wasn’t actively trying to murder you, but no. you agreed. now you’re committed.

alright.

time to pack your shit up, you guess.

and so, you two were off, making your way to the closest shore you could find in japan.

which happened to be thirty minutes away by train.

thirty.

freaking.

minutes.

you and him could’ve been taking a nap for that amount of time. or, even better yet, you could’ve stayed home, letting the circulating air lull you into a peaceful afternoon of rotting in your bed. instead, you were standing outside in humid weather with a beach bag weighing down your shoulder, questioning every decision that had brought you to this exact moment.

you were beginning to think this was some elaborate form of torture.

the wait alone had you questioning every decision that had led you here. the humid air seemed to cling to your skin the moment you stepped outside, turning every breath into something warm and unpleasant. it wasn’t even the kind of heat that felt nice. there was no refreshing breeze, no comfortable warmth — just that sticky feeling of your clothes slowly becoming one with your body.

by the time the train finally arrived, you were already regretting your life choices.

the ride itself wasn’t much better. people were bunched together, huddled like sardines while they waited for their respective stops, and every time the train lurched forward, you found yourself bumping into someone or someone bumping into you. you tried to focus on literally anything else, staring through the window whenever the view wasn’t completely obstructed.

yuji, naturally, seemed perfectly fine.

he stood beside you with one hand gripping the overhead rail and the other holding onto your hand, swaying with the motion of the train. he looked entirely too happy about the entire ordeal, occasionally glancing down at you with a grin before leaning over to mumble something into your ear, his voice nearly lost beneath the rumbling of the train and chatter around you.

you could’ve asked gojo to drop you off. you probably should’ve asked gojo to drop you off. but then there wouldn’t be any bonding experience.

apparently, according to yuji, the thirty-minute train ride was part of the fun.

you weren’t entirely convinced, but you weren’t mad about it either. he was the type to explore, the type to find something interesting in places you’d never think to look twice at. if he wanted to go somewhere, you’d usually come willingly.

even if you complained the entire time.

especially if he was excited about it. by the time you finally made it off the train, your flip-flops were crunching against the concrete as you walked alongside him, the warm pavement radiating heat straight through the thin soles. yuji carried most of the things, though you had your own little bag slung over your shoulder. luckily, neither of you had brought too much. there was no reason to haul half your house to the beach.

yuji, however, apparently thought there was a reason to bring a giant pool noodle. he kept it tucked underneath one arm, the ridiculous thing sticking out behind him and swinging dangerously between the two of you whenever he moved. you tried to ignore it.

you really did.

whack.

the noodle hits your side, catching your attention. your eyes shift toward yuji before dropping to the colorful pool noodle lingering in his arms. the sound makes him look over at you.

“sorry. noodle came to attack.” as he snickers, you shake your head, but the irritation on your face softens into a small smile despite yourself. the two of you continue walking, the beach shouldn’t be too far now. thank god for apple maps.

whack!

another smack lands against your side.

yuji glances down at the pool noodle, then back at you, completely unfazed.

“mr. noodle came back for round two. you better watch out.” his voice lowers like the object could somehow hear the two of you. he bumps his shoulder against yours lightly, adjusting the noodle underneath his arm while tightening his fingers around the bags.

your shoulder collides with his, sending his body leaning away from you momentarily before he settles back into your side, just like you like it. boisterous laughter slips from his mouth, and soon enough, giggles from the both of you mingle together.

“dude, wait ’til i actually get you with this noodle!”

was that a challenge?

oh, he’s so on.

unfortunately for him, you don’t even get the chance to retaliate before you finally reach your destination.

the ocean is within sight.

the bright blue water stretches beneath the afternoon sun, waves rolling lazily toward the shore as the sunlight dances across their surface. the closer you get, the more the smell of salt fills the air, mixing with the warmth of the sand and the distant smell of sunscreen.

and despite yourself, some of your previous irritation begins to fade. your lips are already crinkling into half a smile before the sight fully sinks in, and soon enough, you’re grinning outright.

the beach is lively without being overwhelming, filled with colorful umbrellas and towels scattered across the sand. families are gathered near the shoreline, children run toward the water with buckets and floaties, and somewhere farther down the beach, someone is playing music loud enough for the melody to carry through the air. laughter mixes with the crashing waves, creating a strange sort of peaceful noise.

you can see why yuji wanted to come.

and you can understand why he loves summer.

when your eyes fall back over to yuji, he looks like he’s just been given the greatest gift known to mankind. the moment his sandals sink into the heavy sand, his entire expression brightens.

“we’re here!”

he tugs you forward by the hand, practically dragging you toward the beach.

you stumble after him, your feet sinking deeper into the sand with every step. grains immediately cling to your flip-flops, slipping between your toes and sticking to your skin. you look down at them with mild disgust before kicking your sandals off entirely, letting your feet sink directly into the warm sand instead.

it’s softer than you expected. grainy but firm beneath your feet, warm without being unbearably hot.

once you find a decent spot , yuji immediately drops the beach bag down and begins unpacking everything he insisted you both needed: towels, water bottles, snacks, sunscreen, an umbrella that had been hooked over one of the straps of his backpack, sunglasses, and, of course, the pool noodle that nearly assaulted you throughout the entire journey.

somehow, he even brought an extra pair of sunglasses for you.

you don’t even remember him doing that.

he pulls them out and proudly hands them over with that stupidly bright smile of his, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

“i brought these for you. you don’t have to put ’em on, though. i just thought… you would’ve wanted to not burn your retinas off?” the quip earns him an unimpressed look, but you take the sunglasses anyway.

typical yuji.

thoughtful in the most casual way possible. he doesn’t even seem to realize how sweet he is sometimes. you slip the sunglasses on, and yuji’s grin somehow gets even wider. there’s a little skip in your heart.

maybe this trip isn’t as bad as you thought it was gonna be.

the two of you eventually settle into your little spot, towels spread across the sand while yuji wastes no time making himself comfortable. he stretches out beside you, arms folded behind his head, his face turned toward the sun as though he was born specifically for this weather. his hair shifts slightly with the breeze, and the sunlight catches against his skin, making him look almost annoyingly radiant.

of course he looks good.

of course.

you, on the other hand, are already wondering how quickly the human body can overheat. still, you lie back and let the warmth settle over your skin. the sound of the ocean is soothing, the breeze carrying the salty smell of the water toward you. yuji occasionally shifts beside you, his shoulder brushing yours whenever he moves, and every so often he glances over as though checking to make sure you’re still enjoying yourself.

“see? not so bad, right?”

the relaxed expression on your face probably gives you away.

“i knew you’d like it.”

the audacity.

you let yourself settle deeper into the towel, the warmth of the sun becoming a little more bearable now that you aren’t rushing around beneath it. the sound of the waves continues in the background, steady and rhythmic, while yuji eventually goes quiet beside you.

for once, neither of you really needs to say anything.

you’re together, enjoying the scenery.

and knowing yuji, there’s only a few minutes before he decides to go pick you up and throw you into the water. you can already imagine it: the sudden grab around your waist, your startled reaction, his obnoxious laughter as he carries you toward the shoreline while you desperately try to convince him to put you down. then, inevitably, you’d end up chasing him through the shallows, both of you armed with the pool noodle like it’s some sort of medieval weapon.

whoever gets hit first loses.

or at least that’s what you’ve decided.

yuji would probably change the rules halfway through.

he always does.

after a while of watching the waves crash against the shore, you decide you should probably put on some sunscreen. beat those uv rays before they have the chance to personally ruin your day. you sit up, reaching for the bottle placed beside you and squeezing some into your palm before working it over your arms and legs. the cool lotion feels nice against your warm skin, and you make sure to cover as much as you can before moving upward toward your shoulders.

you rub the sunscreen across your stomach and chest, working carefully along your collarbone and down your arms until there’s no residue left. then you reach for your shoulders, rubbing the thick lotion over them before realizing there’s unfortunately one major flaw with this plan.

your back.

you twist your arm behind yourself, fingers scraping against your skin as you attempt to reach the sides. you manage to smear a little across the area, but nowhere near enough. you stretch your arm farther, trying to reach the middle of your back, but your fingers barely graze the spot.

a quiet sigh leaves you.

you try again, awkwardly bending your arm behind yourself while your other hand braces against the towel. the sunscreen on your palm is beginning to warm against your skin, and somehow this has become a much more complicated task than it should’ve been.

behind you, yuji lifts his head. he watches you struggle for a moment, brown eyes following your increasingly desperate attempts to reach the one spot you just can’t quite get.

his lips twitch then he sits up, leaning slightly closer, his voice softening.

“need some help?”