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Nobara has thoroughly dug herself into a hole this time. In the lead-up to a long-overdue reunion with her friends from high school, her ego couldn't stand to hear that she was still single while they both have partners, each other. Instead of admitting she still hadn't found anyone, Nobara elected to brag that she'd landed herself a girlfriend; a tall, dark, and butch woman she met at college who couldn't wait to meet her friends.
Now, in a fit of desperation, Nobara is putting up a help wanted flyer in the queer students resources lounge. She can't help but worry that the flyer will be torn down before anyone can see it and offer to help her out of the mess she made for herself. Nobara gives the lounge one last glance before puttering off towards her dorm to sulk and study.
The next day Maki saunters into the lounge to meet with Yuuta and Toge, expecting to find them pressed against each other at a table instead of huddled together in front of the corkboard overflowing with various flyers. She hears them muttering amongst themselves as she approaches though it's too soft to tell what is being said.
"What're you two whispering about," She finally asks.
"Oh! Hey Maki," Yuuta says with a kind smile, "we're just reading this weird flyer someone posted."
Toge grunts in agreement before signing, "someone's looking for a fake date."
Maki's face contorts with clear confusion. "What? Like, running a scam?"
"Catfish," Toge verbalizes, strained voice tinged with amusement.
Silence passes between the three for a moment before Yuuta and Maki devolve into fits of giggles. Toge preens a little at their reaction to his joke.
"Okay, okay," Maki says as her laughter tapers off, "so someone is trying to, what, pull some kind of trick?"
"Mm, no, it seems they lied about having a girlfriend who wants to travel with her to meet some friends from high school," Yuuta answers after wiping tears from his eyes, "they're looking for someone tall, dark, and butch."
"Like you," Toge signs.
"Wh- It- But- ME," Maki sputters incredulously, "why would I do anything like this?"
"Well, to start," Yuuta begins, "you'll be heading to Shibuya and they're paying for tickets so you could use it as an opportunity to see your nephew since your family cut you off."
Maki grimaces and says, "wouldn't that be kind of underhanded to use this as a free ride to my own personal stuff?"
Toge rapidly signs, "what would that matter if you're pretending to be someone's girlfriend?"
"I haven't even agreed to that yet," Maki grumbles.
"You should at least read the note and consider it," Yuuta urges, "I know how tight money has been for you lately."
Maki huffs and steps closer to read the notice properly.
URGENT: HELP NEEDED
I opened my big mouth and bragged to my friends back home about scoring myself a tall, dark, and butch girlfriend while off at university. The problem is that I don't actually have a girlfriend to bring with me. If you're interested in a free, all-expenses paid trip to Shibuya next weekend please text me at the number below!
"This is ridiculous," Maki mutters, though she commits the phone number to memory. She'd rather jump from the tallest building on campus than let her friends see that she's seriously considering this.
Nobara is making a concerted effort to actually study for an upcoming exam when her phone begins to buzz repeatedly on her nightstand. Someone is calling. Someone is calling her! She lunges out of her chair, sprawling across the floor and scrambling to grab her phone.
"Kugisaki speaking," Nobara says breathlessly.
"Is- Did I catch you at a bad time," sounds a voice that sends a shiver down Nobara's spine.
"No, I was just studying. I have time to talk," Nobara tries so very hard to sound aloof and unbothered.
"Uh-huh, listen, I'm just calling to ask if we can meet up for lunch tomorrow to discuss your flyer in the lounge," the voice asks, "I want more details before I make a decision."
"Right! Of course! Does the cafeteria work for you after one," Nobara asks, "I have a class through noon."
"Yeah, I can swing that. See you tomorrow."
The call ends abruptly and Nobara spends the time until the meeting buzzing with excitement. She practically skips into the cafeteria before coming to a hard stop. It dawns on her that they'd never given any details about each other or agreed on a specific table to meet at.
"She called me," Nobara exclaims before digging her phone from her bag and pulling up her call history.
The line rings once, twice, then suddenly across the room another phone begins ringing. Nobara's jaw drops upon seeing a dark-haired woman sitting there in a well-fitted t-shirt that leaves little doubt to just how fit she is. She watches as the woman answers her phone and, with only a slight delay between seeing her mouth move and the voice coming from her speaker, Nobara knows that's the woman who called her. She hangs up and beelines straight for the table.
"Hi, I'm Nobara Kugisaki, you called me yesterday to meet for lunch," she blurts out far too quickly.
The woman looks at her a little startled by her rapid approach and says, "Maki Zenin. It's nice to meet you, Nobara."
Nobara sits down across from Maki before asking, "so, uh, what kind of questions do you have for me?"
"Just... Just explain this to me," Maki says with a sigh, "what exactly are we doing, how convincing do we need to be, are you really paying for the whole trip?"
"We will be pretending to be girlfriends because I told my friends back home that I got a girlfriend who would be coming with me to see them," Nobara begins, "I have at least done some damage control to say we've only known each other for a few months and yes I am paying for the whole trip."
"Okay, and why couldn't you just admit you lied about having a girlfriend instead of doing, well, all of this?"
"This is a matter of personal pride," Nobara says seriously.
Maki looks at her flatly.
"And I'm pretty sure they've been hooking up for years and I'm sick of third-wheeling with them."
Maki opens her mouth to say something before sitting back and nodding thoughtfully. "Okay. If I were to agree would you be opposed to me using some of our time in Shibuya for a personal visit?"
"Not at all, you're doing me a huge favor so please feel free to use any and all free time how you like." Nobara smiles like sunshine and Maki finds herself staring for far longer than she probably should.
Maki shakes herself out of her daze when Nobara tilts her head, confused by the extended silence.
"Right, I guess I can do this for you. I have some personal business in Shibuya to see to when I'm not helping you."
"Thank you," Nobara erupts, leaping from her seat and rounding the table to wrap Maki in a vice-like hug, "we should probably spend the next few days getting to know each other well enough to pass as new girlfriends.”
Maki, stunned for a second, gently and perhaps a little awkwardly pats Nobara on the back. The shorter girl hums before pulling pack and realizing she's sitting side-saddle in Maki's lap. She flushes bright pink.
"What, never been in a girl's lap before," Maki teases with a confidence she really doesn't feel as her heart pounds in her chest. Nobara is far prettier than she was expecting and Maki has always had a soft spot for pretty girls with big, expressive eyes.
"I- We- We need to be comfortable around each other for the to work," Nobara sputters, blushing face hidden in her hands.
"Do your friends expect you to sit in my lap like this," Maki asks while her own cheeks tinge pink.
"M-maybe, I don't know."
Maki hums and rests her subtly trembling hand on Nobara's waist, "I guess I'll start with easiest question; what's your major?"
"I'm in communications with a focus on influencer branding. I'm also minoring in film, what about you?"
"Sports medicine only. Favorite hobbies?"
"I play a lot of fighting games on the console stashed in my dorm."
They continue like that, sharing details about themselves and their lives well past when their next classes were set to start. The whole time Nobara stays planted in Maki's lap. Unseen by either girl, Yuuta spots them and snaps a picture that is promptly sent to his boyfriend.
Maki and Nobara step off the train in Shibuya, the station cacophonously loud with other passengers. They weave through the pulsing crowd joined at the hands.
"Urgh, where the heck are those knuckleheads," Nobara grumbles.
"Maybe they're waiting for us outside of the platform," Maki suggests, putting herself between Nobara and a distracted business man so the shorter girl isn't knocked over.
"Oh! Oh! I see Itadori's hair!" Nobara jumps excitedly before beginning to pull Maki to and up the escalator. Maki struggles to find anyone that seems to stand out. It's only when they pair are, maybe, 20 feet away from Nobara's friends when Maki realizes one of them is her nephew. Her nephew whom she has told about her current situation.
"Nobara-" Maki begins to say only for them to stop right in front of the boys.
Itadori and Nobara begin jumping circles around each other, giggling and chatting about anything and everything. Maki and the other boy, however, can't bring themselves to focus on their respective partners at all. Maki feels a cold sweat forming in her mid-back as she tries to process that one of Nobara's friends is her nephew who she'd told about how she was able to afford the trip to Shibuya.
"Ohohoh! Itadori! I almost forgot! This is my girlfriend," Nobara babbles excitedly as she pulls away from the pink-haired boy and throws herself against Maki who reflexively catches the ginger.
Megumi's eyes narrow at his aunt as Yuuji speaks, "whoa! You're actually real? I thought Nobara was lying for clout!"
"Hey! I'm standing right here," Nobara grumbles.
It's then that the energetic duo notice how silent the other two are.
"Maki?" Nobara bumps the taller girl's shoulder.
"Hmm? Hi, yeah, I'm Maki," she says to Itadori.
"This is Fushi-" Yuuji begins to say.
"We know each other already," Megumi cuts him off, "Maki's my aunt.”
Nobara meets Megumi's eyes and sees something that tells her that he knows. Instead of admitting defeat and giving up the charade in the face of adversity, the shorter girl turns to Maki. Maki looks at her and grimaces apologetically. Nobara brings both hands up, cupping both sides of the taller girl's face, and pulls her in.
Maki staggers forward when, suddenly, Nobara's lips are on hers. She gasps upon contact before sagging slightly to kiss the shorter girl back. The kiss is slow and the way Maki's hands settle on her hips sends a shiver up her spine and warmth blooming in her core.
Yuuji whistles as they pull apart, "damn Kugisaki, you really did score a girlfriend!"
Beside him, Megumi grimaces. He didn't need to see his friend kissing his aunt who is pretending to date said friend. His frown only deepens as hindsight sets in and he remembers every little thing that should've clued him into this.
"What's that frown for Fushiguro," Nobara asks, cheeks flushed and lipstick ever-so-slightly smeared.
"Let's go already," the moody boy grumbles as he turns to leave, pointedly ignoring just how dazed Maki looks beside his friend.
Maki, Yuuji, and Nobara quickly fall into step with him, weaving through throngs of people shuffling about the station. Nobara and Itadori move ahead when the quartet walk out into the late afternoon sun. Megumi stays back with his aunt, thinking to himself for a moment.
"So, fake girlfriend, huh?" Megumi glances her way. "That was looking pretty real to me."
"It- I am just here to help her save face," Maki sputters as she shoots a glare towards Megumi, "Nobara is just very... touchy."
"Uh-huh, sure," Megumi says, thoroughly unimpressed, "so what if I just go ahead and tell Yuuji the truth? You wouldn't have to pretend for the rest of the trip."
"Don't," Maki says far too fast for any chance at subtlty, "Er- I mean- Shut up or I'll have to kick your ass when we go to the gym this weekend."
Megumi puts his hands up in mock surrender. They catch back up to the other two before Nobara presses herself against Maki's side. Maki slips an arm around the shorter girl's waist while Megumi glances at them from the corner of his eye.
–
Nobara is regretting her decision to join Maki, Megumi, and Itadori at the gym for a plethora of reasons. First, she hates exercising. Second, she has to deal with Megumi and Itadori being knuckleheads. But most importantly, she's immensely jealous of the barbell Maki is currently doing hip thrusts with.
"I think if you glare at that barbell any harder it might actually burst into flames," Itadori says, startling Nobara out of her stupor, "are you jealous Kugisaki?"
"Don't encourage this," Megumi speaks up, "I really don't want to see my aunt do her hips thrusts with Kugisaki instead of a barbell."
"Tch- Watch this," Nobara all but growls before marching over to Maki, "Oh Maki~ Do you wanna try a new version of this exercise?"
Megumi frowns deeply and very deliberately moves over to a rack that is facing away from those two.
Maki pauses her reps and raises an eyebrow at Nobara. "There's another way to do hip thrusts?"
"Kill me now," Megumi says under his breath.
"Yeah, rack that barbell and get back into position," Nobara says with a grin.
Maki, despite the clear confusion written across her face, does as Nobara tells her. Her eyes open wide as the shorter girl sits down in her lap and crosses her arms.
"Okay, you can continue your reps now."
With a violent blush coloring her cheeks, Maki begins doing more hip thrusts. Nobara's hands find their way to Maki's well-defined abs for balance as she's lifted with ease.
"N-Nobara," Maki gasps after several reps, lowering to a resting position.
"Yes, Maki," Nobara says while fluttering her eyes innocently.
"That was- You- I mean-" Maki looks anywhere but at Nobara. "Is this appropriate?"
"Nope," Nobara says, popping the 'p' and winking, "but I don't really care. I want everyone to see how strong my girlfriend is."
"Cool cool, okay- uh- could you go get me my water bottle?"
Nobara leans forward, letting her hair frame Maki's face. "Can I get a kiss first?”
Maki, despite her heart trying to beat out of her chest, cranes her her neck just enough for her lips to meet Nobara's. Nobara cups her face in both hands as she kisses her back. The kiss is slow and has what almost feels like a cautious energy from both girls. Then, all too soon, they're pulling apart.
Nobara's breath comes out heavy and her cheeks flush. "Bye!"
The shorter girls scrambles out of Maki's lap and all but runs away. Maki sits up on the bench with mechanical precision, lost in a daze and completely forgetting she wanted some water.
"Hey," Megumi rouses her from her daze with a kick to her shoe, "Itadori and Kugisaki are outside already."
"R-right. Let me just," Maki begins before seeing that Megumi is already holding her bag, "thank you."
"I don't know why you're putting on such a convoluted charade but you better not break Kugisaki's heart," Megumi says coldly, pulling her bag away from her as she reaches for it, "she clearly likes you a lot so I don't understand how you of all people could pretend what you have isn't real."
Maki lunges for her bag and levels Megumi with an intense glare. "This whole thing was her idea in the first place, Megumi. I'm the one tagging along and catching real feelings."
"Why would she do that?"
"Because she hated playing third wheel to you and Itadori so she lied to the both of you that she had a girlfriend then didn't want to admit that she'd lied. Now here we are, I've actually fallen for her and she's just pretending.”
Megumi pinches the bridge of his nose before hissing, "you're both idiots and really need to talk this out some more."
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean," Maki demands.
Instead of answering her, Megumi walks away. Maki huffs to herself and follows after. Nobara is in her space again the moment she exits the gym. The shorter girl pushes up onto her toes before placing a sweet, chaste kiss to Maki's cheek.
"'Bara, could we-" Maki swallows nervously, "could we talk in private?"
Nobara tilts her head to the side, concern written across her devastatingly pretty face. "Sure, is everything okay?"
"I hope so, I really really hope so."
"Hey guys," Nobara calls over to Itadori and Megumi, "Maki and I are gonna split off. We'll see you for dinner later, right?"
"Definitely! And 'Gumi will be paying," Itadori calls back, "I'll text you where to meet!"
"Are you sure everything is okay," Nobara asks quietly once they're alone, "you look terrified."
Maki, putting space between herself and Nobara, shifts uncomfortable from foot to foot. She wrings her hands together to help ground herself.
"I- I can't pretend to be your girlfriend anymore," Maki says after several deep breaths.
"What? Why? I thought we were doing really well? This- this weekend has been so fun," Nobara responds.
"That’s part of the problem," Maki admits, "this, us, has been fun. I've felt more appreciated being myself with you than I have with anyone else for a very long time."
That confuses Nobara further. She takes a step closer to the taller girl only for Maki to step back, maintaining distance.
"Maki?" Nobara's voice is small and filled with hurt.
"I- I-" Maki stammers, "Fuck-"
Maki lets out a frustrated noise and throws her hands up. At a loss for what to say she resorts to letting her actions speak for her. She closes the distance, slipping an arm around the small of Nobara's back and using her free hand to tilt the shorter girl's chin up.
"M-maki," Nobara gasps at the sudden closeness.
She's about to say something else but the words slip from her mind as Maki leans in. Their lips connect for a slow, desperate kiss. Nobara can hear her own pulse pounding in her ears and feel Maki's heart hammer through the hand on the taller girl's chest. Nobara melts into it, kissing Maki back without a second thought.
"'Mm- 'Bara," Maki groans into the kiss before pulling away.
"Noo," Nobara whines, chasing after Maki.
"We- We can continue in a moment."
"You're a very good kisser, Maki," Nobara mumbles.
Maki, blushing vividly, says, "I'd be happy to keep kissing you. As you're real girlfriend."
"Really," Nobara asks, unable to keep the shock she feels out of her voice.
"Yeah, you're- you're so vibrant and kind and silly," Maki lists off quickly, "and that's not even getting into how unbelievably pretty you are even when you're still a little cranky before you've fully woken up in the morning."
"Makiii," Nobara whines, hiding her blushing face in the taller girl's chest, "Iwambeorgifwndoo."
Maki, while stroking Nobara's hair, chuckles, "I couldn't quite understand that, could you please repeat it?"
"I want to be your girlfriend too," Nobara says after turning her face to speak more clearly, "for real."
"My girlfriend," Maki hums before pressing her lips to the top of Nobara's head, "you know our friends are going to tease us relentlessly now, right?"
"I'll just have my big strong butch kick their butts then," Nobara giggles.