Choso has noticed these little things with you lately. Just simple things, like how you clean his apartment while Yuji naps, or how you take naps on his couch on particularly boring days. He finds himself subconsciously leaving a blanket out on the couch before he leaves for work, or stacking the pile of dishes in the sink so it’d be easier to manage.
He comes home after a rough day, working one of his umpteen jobs where many customers (who aren’t always right, he finds) yell at him for hours, and sees that you’re asleep on the couch, the dishwasher is going, and dinner has been cooked. Though nothing regarding the dinner has been actually eaten, maybe you were waiting for him to come home? He sets his things down, trying to be quiet and let you sleep, but his keys fall and wake you up with a start.
“Who’s there?” You sit up, sleepiness evident in your voice.
“It’s just me, don’t worry.”
“Gah, I fell asleep,” you mumble and get off the couch, wrapping the blanket around your shoulders.
“That’s alright. Yuji still asleep?”
“Yeah, gotta wake him up…”
“I’ll do it,” Choso says.
“No, you look like you had a rough day, and if I sit down again, I’ll go back to sleep.”
“Didn’t know my couch was that comfortable.”
You laugh and go to wake Yuji, while Choso warms up the food. Yuji clings to you when you exit the boy’s bedroom, Choso can tell he’s been asleep for a while. The kid perks up when he sees food, though, and hops from your arms to the dinner table.
Another little thing Choso has noticed: you always walk certain paths to get somewhere in his apartment. Like taking the left side of the hall to get to Yuji’s room, or going behind the couch to get to the bathroom. Round the corner quickly and dodge the ends of the kitchen island by curling your body the other way. However, sometimes you miss and hit your side, making Yuji giggle and eliciting a groan of pain from yourself.
You sit down, rubbing your side that’s sure to bruise tomorrow, and poke Yuji’s nose playfully. The boy giggles and shoos your hand away, then takes a bite of his food. Choso sits with you two and eats quietly, just observing.
When did this all start to feel so normal? You’re just his neighbor, but you feel like part of the family now. You’ve also gotten used to when Sukuna visits, even combatting the witty remarks with some of your own.
“Choso, chooosoooo, anyone there?” You tease and get his attention.
“Are ya tired or somethin’? You’ve barely touched your food.”
“No, it’s alright, just wanna check on you is all.”
“Thank you. I’m alright, just had a long day at work.”
“I see. Go get some sleep, I’ll put Yuji to bed and lock the door on my way out.”
“Yeah, I’ve got this. Take care of yourself, Choso.” You smile and place a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Why are you so perfect?
Yuji watches as Choso goes to bed and looks up at you. “He looks at you like how Megumi looks at pretty flowers.”
You would’ve choked on your food if you didn’t swallow two seconds before the boy spoke. “What does that mean, Yu?”
“I dunno, maybe he thinks you’re pretty. I think you are. I’m gonna go put on my pajamas.”
And just like that, the boy disappears, leaving you alone to process the words he said. You eventually snap out of it and clean up, tucking Yuji into bed and making sure he’s asleep before going next door to your apartment. What did Yuji mean by that? Is there a chance he likes you too? You never noticed anything out of the ordinary, so what little thing did Yuji notice?
