Be My One and Only Puppy

Gojo Satoru lifted his gaze, his eyes shimmering with a flowing light.

Seeing Lin Ge just standing there, dazed, he seemed a bit annoyed at the slow reaction. Lowering his head, he gave Lin Ge’s palm another nip.

This time, he bit a little harder, leaving a deeper mark than before.

Like he was staking a claim on his territory.

Lin Ge’s Adam’s apple bobbed for a moment. A faint, tingling itch mixed with pain snapped his rationality back. He unconsciously pressed his lips together.

Weird—back when his bones broke, he didn’t even flinch. But now, with just a light bite from Strawberry Shortcake, his whole body felt off.

His body temperature shot up. Both of Lin Ge’s hands were busy—one pinching Gojo Satoru’s ear, the other held by him.

After a moment’s thought, he turned the tables, gripping that long, elegant hand and pulling it toward himself.

Lin Ge lowered his head.

He’d planned to return the favor with a gentle bite on Gojo Satoru’s wrist, but then he noticed an expensive watch sitting there.

Gojo Satoru’s wrist had a gorgeous line to it.

The transition from wrist to palm was so smooth, and his pale skin made the veins stand out starkly. The watch, framed like that, looked like it could double in value.

His teeth itched. Lin Ge couldn’t wait to get that watch off, so he used both hands, fumbling with the clasp.

Heh, Strawberry Shortcake rocking a Rolex.

Tomorrow, he’d hit the mall and snag the same one.

After selling all those watermelons, he could kinda call himself rich now.

But man, this clasp was tricky… He pressed it a few times and still couldn’t get it open.

Lin Ge was working hard at it.

“You like this watch?” Gojo Satoru seemed to misread his intent.

Super generous, he didn’t even wait for an answer, expertly undoing the clasp and shoving it into Lin Ge’s hand. “It’s yours now.”

“I’ve got tons more at home.”

Though he never wore them.

Lin Ge: “…”

What is this, some domineering Strawberry Shortcake falls for me trope?

So cheesy, and I’m so into it.

—

Chuckling softly, Lin Ge casually set the watch on the table. He lifted that pretty hand, meeting Gojo Satoru’s puzzled look, then lowered his head and left a bite mark on it.

“This is what I wanted,” he said.

His bite was way lighter than Gojo Satoru’s, leaving just a faint mark.

Lin Ge had no idea how he managed to hold back with such a sweet, pliable Strawberry Shortcake right there for the taking.

…Even just grazing his skin was so good.

He was really easy to please.

His breathing picked up, heart thumping in his chest. Lin Ge hesitated, unsure what to do next.

Let’s just say he was loaded with theory but short on practice.

Lips curling, Gojo Satoru ruffled Lin Ge’s hair, messing it up completely. “What’s with the biting?”

Then he flipped the script. “You a puppy or something?”

Lin Ge went quiet. “…”

Who bit who first, huh?

…No reasoning with a drunk guy.

He nodded, giving in helplessly. “Yup, yup.”

“That’s me.”

Seeing him roll with it, Gojo Satoru’s gaze lingered on him for a few seconds before he suddenly pouted. “Why aren’t you mad?”

He pressed, “Do you say that to everyone?”

Lin Ge: “…”

Oh no.

He’s being all unreasonable, and I’m still so into it.

A line zipped through Lin Ge’s head at lightning speed.

Is it for everyone, or just for me?

He cracked up at his own imagination. Seeing Gojo Satoru still staring, he softened his tone. “Only said it to you.”

“…”

Perfect.

Judging by Gojo Satoru’s satisfied look, Lin Ge knew he’d nailed another A+ answer.

He was starting to think he was a lowkey love genius.

His eyes sparkled again as Gojo Satoru guided Lin Ge’s hand back to his face.

Tilting his head, he asked, “You gonna be my one and only puppy?”

Finding Lin Ge’s warmth comfy, he closed his eyes and praised him, voice tinged with sleepiness. “You’re so warm now.”

Before, he was like a block of ice.

Lin Ge’s heart was melting into a puddle.

His fingers trembled as he nodded earnestly. “Okay.”

Keep reeling me in—I’ll bite every time without a peep.

Hearing that, Gojo Satoru’s lips curved up uncontrollably.

He figured a good puppy deserved a reward.

Stretching out his arms, he pulled Lin Ge into a hug, chin resting on his shoulder, affectionately patting Lin Ge’s slightly scrawny back.

After that, his brain was so fuzzy it could barely function. He racked his mind but couldn’t figure out what to do next.

He was just so sleepy. In the end, he only tilted his head and planted a quick peck on the back of Lin Ge’s neck.

A fleeting touch.

—

The sound of steady breathing filled Lin Ge’s ears.

He froze, not daring to move a muscle.

It felt like a century passed before he was sure the guy hugging him was really out cold. A weird mix of feelings bubbled up—kinda disappointed, kinda relieved.

To put it bluntly, he’d sorta taken advantage of the situation.

Even if Strawberry Shortcake was the one doing all the reeling.

It’s hard to say.

Drunk people’s words don’t really count, after all.

Plenty of folks black out and forget every promise they made.

Some genuinely forget; others just don’t wanna face reality.

Lin Ge wasn’t sure which type Gojo Satoru was.

He let out another sigh.

He’d sighed more today than in a whole year combined.

—

Lin Ge hoisted Gojo Satoru up, carefully laying him on the bed and slipping off his shoes.

Strawberry Shortcake didn’t look heavy, but he wasn’t exactly light to carry.

Thinking back to the glimpse of perks he’d caught earlier, Lin Ge couldn’t help but smirk.

Guess he’s the type who looks slim in clothes but ripped underneath.

His shirt had gotten oil on it earlier, and by now it was mostly dry. Lin Ge hesitated but decided to take it off anyway.

You could tell he wasn’t a calm sleeper. If he got oil all over the bed and sheets overnight, what a mess that’d be!

Lin Ge psyched himself up for a bit.

He leaned down.

“Satoru, lift your arm.”

Disturbed in his sleep, Gojo Satoru frowned, cracking one eye open.

Oh.

—It’s his puppy.

His guard dropped instantly. He was cooperative enough, lifting his arm with the motion.

Lin Ge did the same for the other side.

Not daring to look too much, Lin Ge quickly pulled the shirt off and tucked Gojo Satoru under the thin blanket, covering him up snugly.

Asleep, he looked totally different from usual—less sharp, more peaceful.

Though Lin Ge knew peaceful wasn’t exactly his vibe.

His white lashes cast a row of shadows under his eyes. His features were just too perfect, skin flawless without a single blemish.

The room’s lights were a bit bright, and he seemed uncomfortable, his brows knitting slightly.

Noticing this, Lin Ge slapped his own face lightly, got up, and flicked off the wall switch.

The whole room dimmed instantly.

—

The moon was bright tonight, and with the curtains only half-drawn, it slyly slipped through the gap, spilling a small trail of silvery light into the room.

Lin Ge’s eyesight was sharp now—enough to see everything clearly in that faint glow.

He sat back on the bed’s edge.

Noticing Strawberry Shortcake’s bangs were a bit messy, Lin Ge gently brushed them up.

Man, his hair’s so soft.

They say soft hair means a good temper, and Lin Ge thought that checked out.

Strawberry Shortcake was really sweet.

Even drunk, he didn’t make a fuss—just handed out perks and passed out.

Lin Ge couldn’t resist grazing his fingertip over Gojo Satoru’s brow and the corner of his eye.

Worried about waking him, he kept it super light, touching for maybe five or six seconds before pulling back.

No way he was sleeping tonight. He didn’t wanna crash on the floor—it’d be too uncomfortable—but he also didn’t dare climb into bed with Strawberry Shortcake without permission.

He opened his phone, muted it, and after chilling for a bit, dove into some ranked matches.

—

The next day.

The curtains were drawn tight. It was already noon, but not a speck of blazing sunlight could sneak in. The room was dim and dead quiet.

After who-knows-how-long, the blanket stirred. With a rustle, a hand reached out, grabbing the edge of the bed.

“…”

A jumble of memories flooded back as his brain woke up. Gojo Satoru froze, rolling back and forth on the bed a couple times, miserably smacking his head.

“Be my one and only puppy.”

“You’re such a coward, only daring this much?”

“I’m letting you be greedy.”

One cringey line after another assaulted him. Ignoring the hangover, Gojo Satoru buried his face in the pillow, refusing to lift his head even if it meant suffocating.

Last night, he’d bought beer and barbecue thinking he’d open up a bit with Lin Ge, have a heart-to-heart!

…This was the price of being reckless.

Waking up, it felt like he was about to start dating.

And he was the one doing all the chasing.

The facts were undeniable—no arguing his way out.

Kinda new.

Also kinda threw him off.

Click.

The door swung open from outside.

Maybe out of guilt, maybe something else, he shot upright, wrapping the blanket around his upper body. His hair was a wild mess, and his face was still flushed from nearly smothering himself.

It’s the puppy… no, it’s Lin Ge.

“You’re up,” Lin Ge said, looking totally normal.

Pausing, he bent down to swap his shoes at the door.

He was holding a few paper bags. “Hungry? I ran into Itadori and the others when I stepped out. They said this place’s rice balls are pretty good.”

“I got meat floss and crab stick ones… oh, and porridge too. I asked them to add two extra scoops of sugar…”

Those two kids had nearly jumped out of their skin when they saw him.

He’d changed so much.

In just two days, he went from scrawny to stud.

Even plastic surgery couldn’t work that fast.

Good thing this was the Jujutsu world—weird stuff happened all the time. They just gasped in shock and didn’t pry further.

Gojo Satoru: “…”

Why so chill?

Like nothing happened last night, like it was all just a hungover hallucination.

He couldn’t even find an opening to speak.

The words he’d planned to say got swallowed back. Gojo Satoru lowered his head, not quite getting why Lin Ge was so calm.

He’d clearly been into it last night.

Gojo Satoru raised his wrist.

Last night, Lin Ge had bitten him there.

But it was so light, and with his healing ability, there wasn’t a trace left now.

—

Lin Ge rambled on but got no response.

Looking up, he saw Gojo Satoru staring blankly at his own wrist, expression unreadable, lost in thought.

So cute.

Thinking he wasn’t fully awake yet, Lin Ge set the bags on the table, walked over to the bed, and sat beside him, a bit worried. “Headache? You…”

Before he could finish, Gojo Satoru cut him off.

“Lin Ge.”

Lin Ge grinned. “Yeah?”

“What’s our deal now?”

He looked up, pale blue eyes locked on Lin Ge, not missing a single flicker of expression.

Lin Ge’s breath hitched.

Him asking this caught Lin Ge off guard. After a pause, he rubbed his hands nervously. “If I say the wrong thing, you gonna beat me into a triple-fold phone screen?”

The past was the past; now’s now.

If he could dodge a beating, he’d take it.

Gojo Satoru: “…”

He tugged Lin Ge’s cheek, gritting his teeth, clearly annoyed. “…What, you think I’m some violent maniac?”

Lin Ge touched his face.

Instead of answering, he hesitated, then said, “…Before that.”

“Satoru, how do you feel about me?”

“Even just a tiny bit of like?”

A little was enough.

Feelings could grow.

He watched Gojo Satoru nervously, both eager and scared of his answer.

—

Surprisingly, Gojo Satoru didn’t take long to think.

He pursed his lips, reaching out to mess Lin Ge’s hair until it was as wild as his own. “Lin Ge, lay off the melodrama.”

Lin Ge shot back, “I barely watch TV shows.”

Gojo Satoru countered, “Then quit reading sappy novels.”

He flicked Lin Ge’s forehead. “What’s your brain cooking up all day?”

He cleared his throat.

“Listen up, I’m only saying this once.”

“I don’t know if this counts as liking… but I know I care about you a lot.”

“I worry about your safety, I’m okay with you touching me, even if you’re cold as ice, I’d still hold your hand…”

He’d never been in a romantic relationship before, so his definition of “like” wasn’t exactly refined.

For now, he was happy hanging out with this guy, happy getting close to him.

To him, that was enough.

Lin Ge was a fun person.

He liked the emotional spark Lin Ge gave him.

Lin Ge: “…”

Jackpot, jackpot!

This Strawberry Shortcake is a total jackpot!

Grinning, he pulled out his phone right in front of Gojo Satoru, and with a “beep,” hit pause on the recording.

Seeing the screen, Gojo Satoru’s face went blank. “…You.”

It clicked suddenly.

No wonder Lin Ge was acting all shy and hesitant—his personality didn’t match that vibe.

He’d been setting a trap.

Ha.

What a clever puppy.

Lin Ge smoothly backed up the recording, favorited it, and zipped a copy to his personal email for good measure.

Strawberry Shortcake said he’d only say it once, but he never said Lin Ge could only listen once.

If he accidentally croaked someday, he’d turn this file into a QR code and carve it on his gravestone. Scan it, and this audio would play on loop.

Satoru fans, forever!