19. Almost
"Bed it is," Inumaki nodded his head in agreement, pushing her towards the bathroom. "Quickly now. Brush up. It's late. We'll need to sleep soon."
"B-but no, wait-" Maguro protested, but Inumaki smiled at her before sliding the bathroom door close in her face.
"Oh, fuck," she said to herself, slapping both her hands on her cheeks.
What she had wanted to say was that she wanted the futon to sleep tonight, not the bed. She wanted the bed to be the place he sleeps tonight whilst she sleeps on the futon because she wants the futon not the bed! Hell knows what will happen to her if she sleeps in his bed.
With that scent? Maguro gulped. It is his bed. Surely, it will have his scent there. She might just really pounce on him at night.
Inumaki from outside chuckled. He got her where he wanted her to be by glancing casually next to him, which prompt her to glance over to his bed and just blurted it out when he leaned into her.
And because of that, he treasures her above everyone else. He needn't fish out his phone to type quickly, or rush through a piece of paper and pen whenever he wanted to say something.
She can hear what he wanted to say instantly. For that reason, he is immensely grateful for her being here with them at the Jujutsu Tech Metropolitan College.
He knew that when he decided to watch over her quietly from day one she joins them at the college. He will observe her occasionally and check up on her just to see if she's alright. But gradually, he finds himself starting to just want to watch her all the time.
Maguro is the cutest girl he had ever seen in his entire life. Her greyish blue eyes, her long dark hair in braids of updo whenever she's in class with them, and her mussed up hair after Ieiri-sensei's class. He finds that one particularly alluring, more so when her face was flushed, and she is sweating.
Sweaty Maguro is fascinating, he thought to himself quietly, smiling at the memory of her stumbling into his arms tiredly after an intensely gruesome class with Ieiri-sensei. Very yummy looking.
More so when Maguro doesn't keep her hair in its normal updo. She had opted for a side braid tonight, with her small baby hairs fringing her lovely face. He finds her looking rather sweet like this. Inumaki feels it will feel nice to run his hands through it.
Maguro came out of the bathroom a while later wiping her face with her face towel. Inumaki quickly slapped her pillow on his bed and pushed his pillow onto the futon. This act was not left unseen by Maguro.
"I want the futon!" Maguro said frustratedly, lightly stomping towards the futon. But Inumaki was faster than her and pulled her by her arms back, advancing towards the futon himself.
"Ikura," (You're the guest. Futon is mine) Inumaki explained to her got to his futon, crouching down to flip the coverings over so he can get in.
Maguro seethed from behind him and did a war cry before jumping to his back. Inumaki smiled. Her biggest mistake was the war cry. He turned around sharply before catching her expression changed to surprise and caught her by her waist, causing her to tumble into his arms as he falls back onto the futon with her.
"Mine, Maguro. My futon. Mine," Inumaki repeated, flipping her over her back onto the futon while holding down both of her hands above her head on the futon. Leaning in, Inumaki said in his thought with a deeper tone, "Mine."
Maguro did not respond. She didn't know what to do. Her arms were both caught in Inumaki's larger hands, whilst the Cursed Speech User looms above her dominantly. She can only stare back into his eyes, where she noticed his pupils were blown wide till it almost covered the whole of his violet irises.
The Inumaki right now feels... dangerous.
Maguro swallowed. More like dangerously attractive, she thought to herself quietly.
They were so close. Inumaki could almost feel her lips on his with that distance. He so wanted to just lean in and kiss her, but that had to wait.
It had to wait.
Sitting up suddenly, Inumaki pulled Maguro up by her hand and forced her to straddle his lap. Maguro squeaked and quickly grabbed onto his shoulder to hold herself up so he won't fall backwards again.
They ended up in a very close position, with Maguro straddling on top of Inumaki.
"I-Inumaki-kun…" Maguro whispered in a stutter, unable to stop herself from staring into that deep pools of his eyes.
He is in a position entirely at her mercy. If she wanted to, she could just lean down and feel his lips on hers. His eyes stare back into hers mesmerizingly, as if wanting to draw her into those dark violet pools and drown her in it. Temptingly dangerous.
Little did she know that her thoughts echoed Inumaki's thoughts.
Her free hand came up to caress the seal on either side of his mouth, finding them spellbindingly beautiful. A sort of power crept up her fingers when she touches them, as if the seal is humming with power unknown to her.
As if calling out to her to touch him.
A thought came across her mind – What would happen if she were to really kiss him now?
For Inumaki, despite wanting something to happen, this was not the time.
They were alone, and there was no one else in that Wing of the dorm apart from them. Plus, he invited Maguro to sleep in his room. Though the timing is perfect, he did not want this to be the factor things got heated between them. He could really take her then and there if he wanted to, but he didn't.
He wanted to treasure her a little longer like this, and to make sure Maguro really does feel for him.
But at this rate, he had a feeling that Maguro truly felt for him, if not truly, then at least something is there. The blushes whenever he gets close to her, her involuntary gaze towards his lips every time his high collar is down. Though these are just small signs, they are signs nonetheless.
Signs that she might just like him too.
He fought for control when she moved in his lap, feeling a close part of her brushing against a part of him that gradually hardens. Keeping himself calm by clenching on his jaw, he told himself that this is not the time and the place yet.
His desire for her will have to wait.
Standing up with her in his arms, he carried her by hooking both her legs to his waist– squeaks, protests and all – towards his bed and settles her down on it.
"Be good, Maguro," he told her in his thoughts, pushing her down on the bed and covering her with his comforter. "I'll bring you to eat Apple Strudels tomorrow if you're good."
That settles her up. She quickly nodded and made herself comfortable on his bed meekly and closes her eyes. He chuckled. How cute can she be over food? So easy to appease.
And he couldn't help it himself. Maguro looks so lovely tonight. Leaning down, he brushes her fringes aside and pressed his lips over her forehead gently before whispering, "Goodnight, Maguro-chan. Sleep well."
Maguro's heart pounded in her chest loudly. Inumaki was so close to her just now. He felt so solid when she touched his shoulder. It was as if despite his slim stature, he is actually well build underneath all those jumper and uniform he wore. He didn't even falter when he pulled her up from the Futon. Literally, they were chest to chest, and she could have just leaned down to kiss him.
So close, but itdidn't happen.
No kiss, and no next level.
There is a little disappointment in her when she thought about that, but when she felt him lean into her and kisses her forehead, her heart restarted its hard pounding, as if to let her know he is near and it's an alarm for her to either run, or to stay.
Run? Maguro thought to herself. I'd turn back and stay here forever if there is an Inumaki Toge here with me.
A kiss on forehead would do for now, she reasoned herself down from the high of almostjust now. "Goodnight, Inumaki-kun," she replied him with a whisper, smiling into the lovely comforter that smelled just like him. She loved the material of the comforter and rubbed her face into it happily.
Ahh~ she quietly thought to herself. Inumaki-kun smells so nice~
Inumaki sat on the Futon watching as she rubbed her face on his comforter. Another sure sign she likes him.
He smiled.
