Three weeks had passed since that night in the bathtub. The three a.m. Tokyo skyline was viewable by the floor to ceiling windows. Faded yellow and light blue along with a multitude of other colors dotted the black sky and buildings. She blinked, taking the sight in.
If she was back in her old apartment, she never would have gotten to see this. Her back was tucked up against Gojo's chest, his face nestled in her hair as he slept. Her phone vibrated on the nightstand, Ari's number popping up. As gently as she could, she removed Gojo's arm from her waist, sliding off of the bed and quietly going out the bedroom toward the living room. She pressed the green button on the phone, already having a feeling where this call was going.
"Ari? What's wrong-? Oh." Noa yawns, rubbing at her eyes, "Okay hold on I'll come over. Let me find some pants. Uh, I don't have them on because I was asleep? And you have to be quiet Ari. I'm not the only one in here and they have really good hearing so I don't want to wake them up. Ummm…. because I'm in this person's home? That's why they're here? Yea no, I'm not at my Apartment-. Well, I mean technically yes I did, more than once. But it wasn't casual or a hook up. Huh? Are you sure you wanna drink this early? I mean it's-. Yea, I get it Ari. No, I'm not trying to make you suffer, I'll get it. Do you just want your usual stuff? Okay, well, you're going to have to give me a bit I need to write a note and I have to make the stop at the liquor store. Yea, I'll see you soon, bye."
After she hung up on her friend she started hunting for lounge shorts while simultaneously trying to write Gojo a note.
______
Gojo wakes the moment her warmth leaves the bed—his Six Eyes making it impossible for him to truly sleep through her moving away from him. He keeps his breathing even, listening as she takes the phone call in hushed whispers.
His jaw tightened as he heard enough to piece together what's happening: Ari called drunk at three a.m, Noa deciding to go to her, and she's planning to stop at a liquor store. Alone. In the middle of the night.
He waited until he heard her rummaging around in the living room before getting up silently. He pulled on a pair of black sweatpants and a t-shirt, then moved to lean against the bedroom doorframe, arms crossed, watching her write the note.
"Going somewhere?"
His voice cuts through the quiet, not angry but definitely not pleased either.
"At this hour? To buy alcohol for your drunk friend?"
He pushes off the doorframe and walks toward her, his expression unreadable in the dim light.
"And you were going to what—leave me a note and just disappear into the night? In my clothes, without telling me where you're going?"He stops in front of her, arms casually crossed."Wow. Three whole weeks together and you're already trying to escape."
She startled, dropping the pen in the process, "Oh my god, you scared me haha."
She brushes a piece of hair behind her ear, biting one of her nails before smiling casually at him. "Umm, I'm really sorry. I didn't want to wake you and it seems like I did haha. That's why I was going to leave a note. If you want, I can leave your clothes here while I go out and put my old ones on. And... It's technically not nighttime, it's 3 a.m., so it's daytime, see haha? Ari and her boyfriend broke up and she wants someone to come over and hang out while she gets over it. And I mean I'm already familiar with how she is when she's like this so it just makes sense that she'd call me first, ya know?"
He watches that nervous mask slip into place and it bothers him more than he'd like to admit. She's retreating behind humor and deflection, trying to make this seem casual when it's absolutely not.
"Noa." His voice is firm, cutting through her rambling."Stop. Just stop with the fake laughing and deflecting."
His hand comes out, lightly flicking her forehead.
"You didn't wake me." He huffs a laugh. "You leaving the bed woke me."
He tips his head toward the window.
"And if it's pitch black outside, I'm pretty sure humanity's collectively agreed that's still nighttime."
His thumb brushes over her cheek.
"I don't give a fuck about the clothes. Keep 'em."
He pauses, studying her face.
"What I do care about is you volunteering for a three a.m. liquor run."
His thumb brushes her cheek.
"I know Ari's your friend, but you've been running on caffeine and college assignments for like two weeks."
He sighs.
"I'm driving."
_______________
She looks down, ears red and a small frown on her lips, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. It just flips on naturally when I get nervous or scared."
When he says he's coming with her, her mouth drops open in shock, eyes widening. "Umm, are you sure about that? I don't know if that's a good idea. Ari can be… a lot when this happens. It can be draining. Like socially and physically. And honestly, mentally too. That's why I was planning on staying the day and night with her tonight."
"You always do that, you know," he says when she apologizes, expression softening.
She raises a questioning eyebrow at him, "Do what?"
A knowing smirk tugged at his lips., "The fake laughing. The explaining. The trying to convince me you're fine thing."
He gives her cheek one last squeeze before dropping his hand.
"And yes, I'm sure."
He looks genuinely baffled.
"What, you thought I was gonna sit at home knowing you're dealing with a draining emotional support mission by yourself?"
A grin tugs at his mouth.
"Rude. I thought we were dating."
He releases her face but only to pull her against his chest, one hand sliding into her hair.
"And hold on." There's something in his voice—not anger, but definitely displeasure. "You're telling me I finally get a free day with my girlfriend, and Ari picked tonight to have a dramatic breakup? Kinda selfish of her, honestly."
He pulls back to look at her, his blue eyes intense even in the dim light.
"So, let's do this instead: We'll go together, get whatever alcohol she needs, and check on her. But you're not staying the whole day and night, Noa. We'll stay a while, but I'm not losing you for twenty-four hours because Ari's boyfriend turned out to suck."
His hand cups her cheek. "You know she's gonna survive one night without emotional support booze delivery services, right?"
He kissed her forehead.
"Go find your shorts or pants. I'll grab my keys and wallet. And baby? Next time something like this happens, wake me up first, yea?"