She makes an indignant, surprised sound at his last comment, sinking a bit further under the water as she watched him walk out the bathroom door. She couldn't tell if her face was red from the warm water or from being called adorable.
As Noa was left alone in the bathroom, her body came more out of the water to rest her head against them edge of the tub. She leaned her head back slightly, watching as the steam rose to the ceiling. What was she even doing? A guy, one who she randomly meet in an alley and simultaneously destroyed her apartment, was making her breakfast. Said same guy also snatched her virginity and railed her within less than three days of knowing her. She groaned in frustration, keeping the sound low enough that Gojo couldn't possibly hear, as she ran a hand through her hair. Was everything suppose to move this fast when you liked someone?? Was it suppose to feel this natural being with them so quickly? She sighed, closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the edge. Her mind slowly drifted to sleep as she decided it was all a bit too much to process at once.
About forty minutes later, Gojo had breakfast ready—fluffy pancakes, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, and coffee. He plated everything nicely, but when he glanced at the time, he frowns. She's been in there way too long.
He heads back toward the bathroom, knocking gently."Noa? You okay in there? The water's got to be cold by now."
When there's no response, concern flickers across his face. He opens the door carefully and finds her asleep in the tub, head tilted back against the edge. His expression immediately softens.
"Oh, baby,"He murmurs quietly, approaching the tub. The water has indeed gone lukewarm. He crouches down beside her, gently brushing her hair back from her face."Noa, wake up. You fell asleep."
His hand cups her cheek, thumb stroking softly to rouse her."Come on, let's get you out before you turn into a prune. The water's cold now anyway."
He reaches for one of the large, fluffy towels, holding it open and ready for when she wakes up. There's something unbearably tender about the way he's looking at her—like finding her asleep and vulnerable in his bathtub has done something to his carefully guarded heart.
"Noa,"he tries again, a little louder this time."Wake up, sleepyhead."
She blinks at him, finally waking up. Her voice is heavy still with sleep as she yawns"Did I fall asleep in the bath tub? What time is it?"
She rubs her eyes as she sits up in the bathtub, looking at the clock, "Oh, good, I still have a bit before I need to meet up for the group project at the college."
As she pulls herself up haphazardly on the ledge of the tub, her hand slips, causing her to fall forward over the ledge.
His reflexes kick in instantly, catching her before she can hit the floor. One arm wraps around her waist while the other steadies her shoulder, pulling her wet body against his bare chest.
"Careful!"His heartrate picks up slightly from the sudden rush of adrenaline."Jesus, you scared me. Are you okay?"
He quickly wraps the towel around her, securing it before lifting her up completely—one arm under her knees, the other supporting her back. Water drips onto the bathroom floor as he carries her out toward the bedroom.
"You're still half asleep, aren't you?"There's concern mixed with fondness in his voice."No wonder you slipped. How much sleep did you actually get last night? Between rounds two and three, that couldn't have been more than a few hours."
He sets her down gently on the edge of his bed, kneeling in front of her to pat her legs dry with the towel.
"Wait—group project? At the college?"He pauses, looking up at her."That's today? What time do you need to be there?"
His hands continue their gentle work, drying her off carefully."And please tell me it's not the same building where you had that exam yesterday, because we both know how that parking situation was."
She wraps her arms around his neck as her carried her, resting her head in between his shoulder & neck, "I'm fine, I promise." A small yawn escapes her as she stretches up a bit, resting more comfortably on his shoulder. "Maybe though just still a little bit sleepy.Its not our final presentation, it's our groups end of year project we're working on in the library today. And actually it might be easier for you to just let me take the subway there. There's a station that's only a block away & the parking is horrendous. Plus I wanted to check on my apartment & see how the repairs are coming. I also wanna see if my surf board survived the the fight."
She playfully smacks him on the shoulder, "And parking was not THAT bad! You're just a picky parker."
He catches her hand when she smacks his shoulder, bringing it to his lips to kiss her knuckles.
"I'm a picky parker because I have standards. My car is worth more than most people's apartments."He's only half-joking."But fine, if you want to take the subway, I'll drive you to the station at least."
He releases her hand to continue drying her off, his movements careful and methodical.
"As for your apartment—No. You're not going there alone."His tone leaves no room for argument."If you want to check on the repairs and your surfboard, I'm coming with you. There could still be residual cursed energy, and you're not trained to sense it yet."
He stands up, tossing the damp towel aside before moving to his closet.
"Now, about clothes. You can't wear yesterday's outfit, and mine will swallow you whole."He pulls out one of his t-shirts anyway, holding it up against her—it would definitely be a dress on her."This might work as a dress with a belt? Or we make a quick stop at your place first for your clothes before your group meeting."
He glances at the clock."What time is your meeting? And have you eaten? I made breakfast."
There's something domestic about the whole scene—him fussing over her clothing and meals, clearly not wanting to let her out of his sight.