#Shokohime Week 2021 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

duskydestra · 3 years

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We Gon Keep it Lowkey

Fandom: Jujutsu Kaisen

Pairing: Ieiri Shoko/Iori Utahime

Characters: Iori Utahime, Ieiri Shoko, Gojo Satoru, Zenin Mai, Nishimiya Momo, Nanami Kento, Nitta Akari

Rating: Teen and Up

Tags: Secret Relationship, ShokoHime Week 2021, 5+1 Things, Canon-Typical Hijinks, [Riley Freeman voice] Gays recognize gays, Granddad.

Summary: Five times Shoko and Utahime tried to keep other sorcerers out of their business, and one time they couldn't.

If you'd rather read on AO3 (with slightly better formatting), click here.

Utahime cursed herself for not leaving earlier. It wasn’t her fault a surprise curse attack had eaten up her time, but still.

Now most of the nearby stores were closed. From a few blocks away, the glowing sign of a 24-hour convenience store blinked invitingly. Stepping inside—accompanied by the tinkling door chime—felt like being greeted by an old friend.

There was only one other customer milling around. Perfect.

Utahime’s tote, a red canvas bag with white straps, swung from her elbow as she swept various items into it: a pack of gummy bears, some sports magazines, and ibuprofen. With enough things to cover the bottom, Utahime strolled over to the nicotine section.

This is what she’d come for in the first place.

She peered at several boxes of nicotine patches, trying to decipher their effectiveness. There were so many types she hadn’t heard of.

Does Shoko smoke too much for medium strength patches? I hope not. Maybe I should get the highest level, just in case?

While she tried to decide, the door chime sounded. Brown eyes flicked up toward the entrance.

Uh-oh.

Mai wandered through the snack aisle. It seemed she hadn’t noticed Utahime yet.

Utahime stuffed the patches into the bottom of the bag and headed to the register. She didn’t want to rush the clerk, but she wanted to get out of here before-

“Oh. Good evening.” Mai took her place in line behind Utahime.

She turned to face her student. “Ah, Mai. What are you doing out so late without a mission?”

Mai raised an eyebrow. “Same as you? Realized I wanted something and now I’m here.” She held two bottles of tea, one peach and one strawberry. “Unless there’s a curfew you didn’t tell us about.”

“No, there isn’t.” Utahime sighed in resignation.

Mai's curious eyes turned toward the counter, and roamed over the items yet to be bagged.

Utahime cleared her throat, then mustered up a little smile. “If you like, I can walk you back. We should both turn in soon.”

Mai nodded. “I’d appreciate it.”

The return trip was blessedly silent for a while. Maybe Mai hadn’t noticed the patches, or would be kind enough to pretend she didn’t.

“Never took you for a smoker.” Mai said.

So much for that.

“Because I’m not.” The base of Utahime's shoulders tightened.

“Oh, really? Interesting.” Mai put no inflection on the words, but the side of her mouth quirked up.

Thankfully, Mai seemed content to leave it at that.

~~~

Shoko doesn't make a habit of letting people sit in on her autopsies. She enjoyed the task most when paired with the peace and quiet it offered. After performing so many, she could practically do them with her eyes closed and let her mind wander.

That is, unless Gojo decided to visit.

So she put a few rules in place specifically for him. Mainly, he's not allowed to ask about her tools or be within twenty feet of the bodies anymore. Not since that time he accidentally dropped someone's lungs on the floor when she returned from a smoke break.

Gojo flipped through a magazine he'd brought with him. Given the speed, Shoko doubted he was actually reading it—maybe just looking at the pictures.

From across the room, she heard a gasp, followed by paper crinkling under his grip.

"Shoko! You wanna go on this cruise to Fiji?" He waved the pages to get her attention.

No doubt another one of those sweepstakes he always went on about.

She snapped on her gloves and pulled her mask up. "Sure, if you win first."

"This one'll be easy. It's just a buncha Mah-kun trivia. Like this one: What's his batting average? Zero."

"It's easy 'cause it's a trick question. He has two batting averages." Shoko gripped the pristine scalpel, then dragged a single Y-shaped incision from the subject's shoulder joints down past their navel. "If they mean the one from his debut, that would be .111. If they mean his overall average, it becomes .037. Got dragged down by not batting for a few years. Y'know, since he's a pitcher."

She gently placed the scalpel on a separate tray. "I bet all the questions are like that."

Gojo hummed with a grin Shoko could hear. "Since when'd you know so much about baseball?"

Shoko's eyes clouded over as she fell into a memory.

Utahime, sat atop this same aluminum table, squirmed her ankle just out of her girlfriend's reach. She cast a worried look up at Shoko.

"Is it gonna hurt?"

"Well, yeah."

Utahime grimaced.

Shoko sighed. "But it'll hurt less than if you let it heal how it is now."

Utahime nodded, then squared her shoulders. "Okay. I'm ready."

From the way she jolted as soon as Shoko reached for her, Shoko could tell that she was most definitely not ready.

An idea popped into Shoko's head—and it wasn't half bad. "Hey. If you need a distraction, tell me about one of those sports you like."

Utahime cracked an eye open. "Just one?"

"It won't take me long to work on you. You're only gonna have time for one, if that, so pick your favorite."

From there, Utahime raved about how exciting she found Mah-kun's career, even when he was at bat. It was so detailed, Shoko wondered if she'd been workshopping some kind of speech.

A grin of her own played at Shoko's mouth. "Eh, been keeping up with it for a while now. I need something else to focus on when y'all aren't half-dead."

She looked down at the heart cradled in her hands. "Or fully dead."

"Hmmmm." Gojo held the note for an uncomfortably long time, and Shoko refused to look his way. "If you say so."

She dropped the heart into a jar of formalin, decisively ending the conversation.

~~~

The times Shoko and Utahime could see each other during the school year were few and far between. So once the Goodwill Event finally came around, they wasted no time.

Utahime wished her students luck in the group battles, then booked it right to Shoko’s office. Shoko barely had enough time to open the door before Utahime leapt into her arms.

“I missed you.” Utahime whispered between kisses.

“Same here, princess.” Shoko stumbled backwards into a chair, pulling Utahime into her lap.

Utahime looped her arms around Shoko’s neck. She couldn’t get much closer, but that was no reason not to try. Shoko’s lips were a little chapped, which Utahime took as a personal challenge to see how much of her gloss she could rub onto them.

Her breath hitched when Shoko moved to suck at her neck. Both of her hands slipped inside the lab coat to wind around the doctor's back.

Meanwhile, Shoko's hands wandered in opposite directions—one gripped the curve of Utahime's ass, the other grabbed the back of her head, pulling her in for more, ever-hungry kisses.

The sharp tone of the alarm cut through the air. It took every bit of Utahime's strength to not ignore it and shift her hips instead. Oh, how she wanted nothing more. However, she'd rather not have to explain her absence to everyone.

Shoko pulled back first. "That time already, huh?"

Utahime groaned as she peeled herself off her girlfriend.

Despite being so wound up, Utahime tried to collect herself before heading out. Shoko’s all-too-pleased hum really tested her resolve, though.

“I’ll see you after the battles, then?”

“If I don’t see you first.” Shoko winked.

Utahime heard Shoko’s chuckle through the other side of the door. She pressed two fingers to her lips, already missing the heat from moments ago. But the sound of approaching footsteps made her snatch her hand down.

Nanami rounded the corner. His eyes were trained on the files in his hands. Once he noticed Utahime’s presence, he offered a polite nod.

“Utahime.”

“Nanami.”

His gaze flicked to her hair, then back to the files as he passed her. “Your bow is crooked.”

There was nothing she could do about the blush spread across her face. “…Thank you for telling me.”

“Of course.”

Maybe he knew, and this was his way of being nice about it. Or he figured she'd rather have him point it out than Gojo. Either way, Utahime found this exchange highly embarrassing.

At least it was brief.

She reached back to straighten the bow, eternally grateful that the rest of the halls were empty.

~~~

After a bit of elbow grease, Nitta's bullet wounds were wiped from existence. Shoko clapped her hand against a shoulder once riddled with injuries. Nitta gave her a shocked smile in response.

"You're the best patient I've had in a while, you know that?" Shoko asked.

"Me? How so?"

"You didn't scream."

"Oh." Whatever Nitta had expected, it wasn't that.

"I promise that's a good thing. So, as thanks for sparing my ears, you can get something from the fridge." Shoko jabbed her finger toward the mini fridge shoved under her desk.

"Really? Thanks, Shoko." Nitta climbed off the operating table.

"Sure." She gathered the disinfectant and began clearing the remaining blood.

"Wow. I didn't know you liked these." Nitta held up a six pack of fancy beer.

Shoko didn't. Those were Utahime's.

"They're pretty good." Shoko fought the urge to gag at the memory of their taste. "You want one?"

"Nah, not my thing. I'll get one of these instead, if you don't mind." The bottles clinked together as she exchanged them for a tall can. "Thanks again!"

"Yeah, yeah." Shoko waved Nitta out of her office. Her shoulders lowered an inch once the door closed.

~~~

The day's lessons finally came to an end. As Utahime's students filtered out of the room, she settled down at her desk to get a head start on grading their essays.

"Hm. Do you smell something?" Momo asked.

Mai paused in the doorway. "What do you mean?"

"Smells like…ah, what is it?" Momo snapped her fingers. "Smoke."

Utahime's eyes snapped up. "What? Where?!"

She gave the room a sniff, but didn't smell anything out of the ordinary. She jumped out of her seat and threw the windows open. Nothing seemed to be on fire. So where was it coming from?

"I think it's coming from you." Momo said.

Oh. Not for much longer, she hoped, visibly relaxing. But her brow furrowed again, confused, when she didn't smell it on her clothes, either.

Mai snickered behind her hand.

…Wait.

"You two! Get out!" Utahime pointed to the door.

Momo grabbed Mai's other hand and pulled her out of the room. "See you Monday!"

Utahime slumped back into her seat, disbelief and irritation fighting for the top spot in her mind.

~~~

It had been an especially trying week, so Shoko and Utahime made an effort to try out a new bar. As part of its grand opening, drinks were sold at a discount for the weekend.

The lighting was comfortably dim, accompanied by soft music and the laughter of different friend groups. Even with the cozy atmosphere and the haze of drunkenness, something nagged at the back of Shoko's mind.

"Is it just me, or does everyone seem way more up our asses lately?" Shoko ran her fingertip along the rim of the glass.

"So you noticed it too!" Utahime's eyes went wide. "Do you think they know? Oh God, they know." She leaned dramatically into Shoko's shoulder.

Shoko put an arm on the bar to keep them both propped up. "How could they? We never said anything, right?"

"Right." Utahime nodded.

"So they don't know. Just suspect." Shoko gently poked Utahime's forehead.

Utahime grumbled for a moment before remembering to use her words. "I guess."

Shoko hoped that was the case.

The doctor let out a long sigh. "You ready to get outta here?"

"Mm-hm. Wait, no. My legs." Utahime groaned. "I don't think they'll ever wake up. You might have to carry me."

"I'm ordering what you got next time. Come on." Shoko giggled as she hoisted Utahime into her arms; one arm scooped under her shoulders, the other under her knees. "Now, where does my princess wanna go next?"

"I don't know about you," Utahime slurred, "but I've been craving sushi all week."

Shoko backed out of the bar and headed down the street. "Then I know just the place. It's not even far."

"Ugh, lovely."

Utahime pointed out the stores they passed, rolling the syllables around until they no longer sounded how they were supposed to. Laughter bubbled up past her lips as she swung her legs.

Shoko watched her, helpless against the flush of affection that welled up. She planted a kiss on Utahime’s cheek.

“Aw, you can do better than that.” Utahime pouted, a certain glint in her eye.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Against her remaining wisps of better judgment, Shoko leaned in once more. After all, who was she to deny Utahime a proper kiss?

Shoko accidentally caught Utahime's top lip, but grinned lazily as she readjusted. They had all the time in the world. All the time to enjoy the warmth, the closeness, the scent of citrus on their breath.

The sound of someone clearing their throat stopped Shoko in her tracks. She looked up, annoyed, and nearly dropped Utahime.

Gojo stared at them with the world's biggest shit-eating grin.

The annoyance ramped up exponentially.

"H-"

"No. Shut up." Shoko said firmly.

Utahime blinked, no doubt wondering why Shoko wasn't still kissing her. "Wait, what's…"

She followed Shoko's line of sight, then immediately buried her face in the doctor's neck. "Noooo, why?"

Gojo cackled. "Whaddya mean why? You're in public."

"You are the last person we wanted to know about this!" Utahime pulled back only to glare at him.

"Well, I can't imagine why."

"You don't have to imagine when I can tell you. It's 'cause you're gonna be an even bigger pain in my ass than usual."

Shoko tried so hard to keep her grip on Utahime even though she's laughing.

Gojo turned to Shoko. "When have I ever been a pain?"

Shoko hummed. "You're assuming there's a number high enough for that."

"Sounds like I've set a record." He gasped, digging his phone out of his pocket. "I have to tell Nanami."

"No, you don't." Utahime growled.

"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't share the good news?"

Shoko questioned whether Nanami would classify Gojo as anything above a coworker—an acquaintance, perhaps—when the call picked up.

"Nanami, guess what? Our very own Shoko and Utahime are together. Together together." His eager grin faded into shock. "…What do you mean you know?!"

Utahime groaned again, mortified.

Well, this just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?

Shoko took the opportunity to sidestep him, determined to get to this sushi place no matter what. "Well, this was fun and all but I'll see you at work. On Monday."

She turned the corner before she had to hear his response.

Utahime lifted her second plate of sushi from the conveyor belt.

"We didn't do a good job of hiding it, did we?" Utahime looked glumly at her food.

Shoko pat her full belly, let another lazy smile pop up. "I dunno about that. I'd call eleven years a good run."

Utahime snorted, resting her head in the crook of Shoko's neck once more. "Heh. Can't argue with that."

#Shokohime Week 2021 #Shokohime #Jujutsu Kaisen #JJK #Iori Utahime #Ieiri Shoko #Gojo Satoru #Zenin Mai #Nishimiya Momo #Nanami Kento #Nitta Akari #The Things I Write

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duskydestra · 3 years

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Night Shift

Fandom: Jujutsu Kaisen

Pairing: Ieiri Shoko/Iori Utahime

Characters: Iori Utahime, Ieiri Shoko, Mei Mei

Rating: Mature

Tags: Alternate Universe - Mob, Lounge Singer Iori Utahime, Bartender Ieiri Shoko, Mob Boss Mei Mei, ShokoHime Week 2021

Summary: As part of her training under Mei Mei, Utahime sings the blues.

(Prompt: Free Day, which I've used as an excuse for a Mafia AU.)

If you'd rather read on AO3, click here.

A thin layer of cigar smoke wafted through the air. It snaked its way through the velvety lounge, trailing what Shoko assumed to be an earthy scent. Behind the bar, she wished she could catch a whiff—but her shift wasn’t over yet.

Instead, she tended to the customers who ordered drinks. Occasionally, when the bar stools were empty, someone would approach and ask for the whiskey sour special. They slid over their info, Shoko took it down, and passed them a drink.

They always left the most generous tips.

No one who wanted to book an exorcism or hire protection ever saw Mei Mei—they only heard of her. For all they knew, Shoko was her. Even now, the idea of Mei Mei tending bar in her own lounge made Shoko chuckle.

When all were seated, the low lights dimmed into darkness. Some people in the audience gasped. As Shoko took her seat, she rolled her eyes. They had to be new here.

A soft-edged spotlight ran from the back row up the center of the stage, coming to a stop on the figure of Iori Utahime. She wore a strapless burgundy dress—made of satin—that pooled at her feet like blood. A matching scarf circled once around her neck and draped over a shoulder. When she stepped toward the microphone in those red-bottomed heels, her right leg appeared through a slit in the side. Beige, elbow-length gloves took hold of the mic stand, and the crowd silenced itself.

No one wanted to miss what came next.

Utahime's opening verse wrapped the room in somber tones. They were such a joy to hear, one could easily overlook the heaviness of the subject matter. In fact, most listeners did.

Not Shoko.

The rawness stole her breath every time. And this performance was just getting started.

All the patrons were regular humans, so this part of the show was for Shoko’s eyes only. Blue trails of cursed energy flowed out of Utahime. They moved through the room with far more purpose than the cigar smoke.

Utahime raised her arms above her head, curled her fingers in time with the words. Even from this distance, Shoko noticed that the gloves complemented the shade of her scar.

Knowing Utahime, it was intentional.

Had a curse been lurking in the audience, her siren song would've drawn it out. The cursed energy, amplified by her tormented lyrics, could reach into it and wrest control into her waiting hands.

What Shoko wouldn't give to see that.

However, with no enemies nearby, the music had a gentler, more coaxing effect. No one could take their eyes off her—least of all, Shoko, but she bet the intimate fondness that swelled in her chest was partly responsible for that.

The scarred singer weaved her cursed energy between everyone in attendance, circling them all by their necks.

To some, it felt like a warm breath.

To others, an unsettling chill.

To Shoko, it was a caress.

Utahime belted out the last lines, long hair only kept out of her face by the large bow that tied it back. She looked to be on the verge of tears, yet her voice didn't waver through the final notes.

The spotlight dimmed completely, enveloping the room in darkness once more. With Utahime out of view, it felt as though a grand spell had lifted.

When the house lights came back on, the crowd erupted in applause. A few even gave a standing ovation. Utahime, cheeks flushed lightly, took a bow and exited through the crimson stage curtains.

The evening continued as usual, with Shoko collecting info from a few more patrons with inquiries. Overall, it was a good night for business.

After Shoko ushered the remaining stragglers outside, she locked the doors and wiped the bar down. Even though she was only posing as a bartender, she figured she might as well be thorough. She dropped down onto her plush stool, drawing a cigarette from the box in her breast pocket along with a lighter.

The first drag was always the best. The nicotine helped her unwind as she counted the money from tonight’s tips. Just over a million yen. Not bad, but pocket change compared to her retainer from Mei Mei.

A creak from the backstage door signaled Utahime’s return. She emerged with a cream-colored silk robe and fluffy slippers. A huge smile was plastered on her face as she bounded over to a seat across from Shoko, who couldn’t resist grinning back.

Between one breath and the next, Utahime reached out and plucked the cigarette from Shoko's mouth.

"Let's keep it to one vice at a time, hm?" Utahime’s eyes sparkled with the knowledge that she always got what she wanted from her girlfriend.

Other than a short huff, Shoko didn’t complain. If she lit another one, Utahime would snatch it too, until the whole carton was gone. She watched Utahime extinguish the cigarette in an ashtray.

An outgoing sigh died on Shoko’s lips, immediately replaced by a quick peck from Utahime. The singer moved away, but Shoko wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and drew her in again. This time, she could appreciate the lingering taste of vanilla on Utahime’s tongue and the little gasp against her mouth. She filed them away in the part of her mind that tracked all these selfish indulgences of hers.

Temporarily satisfied, Shoko pulled back a couple centimeters. “If I can’t smoke, guess that means you got another vice in mind already?”

The right side of Utahime’s mouth quirked up. “One we can share. A shot of your finest spirits, if you don’t mind.”

“Well, you’ve earned it. And you’re gonna love what came in today.” Shoko released Utahime, then pressed a finger to her own lips. “It might be a little too nice for our regular clientele.”

“Oh? Well, I’m honored.” Utahime leaned her elbows on the bar, resting her chin on the heels of her palms.

Shoko turned to the top shelf. She grasped the bottleneck of an aged malt whisky between her fingers. The distillery it shipped from had only produced one hundred bottles. As soon as Shoko uncorked it, the scent of peppery wood struck her nose, making her eyes water. Anticipation curled in her gut as she poured two shots.

For fear of jinxing themselves, Shoko and Utahime never toasted to anything specific. Instead, they let the clink of their glasses fill the blanks.

The whisky tasted of spiced caramel, and went down smoother than the smell led Shoko to believe it would. It was well worth sitting through that stuffy auction.

Three hits to the door—sounding of the unmistakable clang of metal on metal—brought their attention to the entrance. Any other kind of knock at this time of night would have the pair reaching for weapons.

Mei Mei strode in, axe slung over her shoulder, a satisfied ease to her movements. She exchanged nods of acknowledgment with Utahime.

“Evening, boss.” Shoko found another glass and poured a third shot. “I take it recruitment was a success.”

“Very much so. She wanted to see what I could do before committing to join our operation.” Mei Mei gave the drink a sniff before she downed it. “Been a while since anyone gave me conditions, but it was worth it.”

Utahime whistled.

Shoko’s brows shot up. “Must be one hell of an asset to swing that. Can’t wait to meet her.”

“Soon. The arrangements are nearly complete.” Mei Mei turned to Utahime. “I could go on, but I’m more interested in you right now. How’s our songbird been coming along?”

Utahime beamed. “Had the whole room wrapped around my finger.”

Mei Mei leaned her head toward Shoko. “Even her, by the looks of it.”

“Especially her.” Utahime snickered.

Shoko took another shot and cleared her throat. “Anyway, I can confirm she’s got much more control over her cursed energy than last week. Multiple targets don’t seem to be an issue.”

Mei Mei nodded, humming softly. “And how do you feel?”

“A little tired, but I’m not gonna pass out.” Utahime’s gaze briefly flicked to Shoko’s.

Even though the look was hardly a second long, the heat in it made Shoko feel like she’d suddenly opened an oven door. It held quite the promise for later activities.

“You’ve taken to your training so well.” Mei Mei held Utahime's chin up between her thumb and curled forefinger. “Keep it up and I’ll send you on missions worthy of your skills.”

“It’d be my pleasure, ma’am.”

Shoko could see the ambition so plainly in those big brown eyes. With any of the other bosses Shoko had been around, such a blatant desire for advancement would be taken as a threat.

Unlike them, Mei Mei is not so insecure.

“Try to maintain that level of control for two songs in a row next time.” Mei Mei gave a long stretch. She held out her hand and Shoko gave her the list of new clients, which she gave a once-over and pocketed. “Other than that, the weekend belongs to you both.”

Shoko and Utahime made affirming noises, and wished Mei Mei well as she left for the office.

The door clicked, and the two were alone again.

“Hey.” Utahime whispered, getting up from the bar and sliding on real shoes. “When you’re done playing bartender for the night, come see me.”

Shoko flirted with the idea of turning her down just to see what would happen, but decided against it. Not every good thing must be undermined.

“See you there, princess.”

#Shokohime Week 2021 #Shokohime #Jujutsu Kaisen #JJK #Iori Utahime #Ieiri Shoko #The Things I Write

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