chapter 1-8

City Lights
A Nobara Kugisaki x Reader Story


Chapter 1: Shopping Trip
"You have absolutely no sense of style," Nobara declared, hands on her hips as she surveyed your closet with obvious disdain. "When's the last time you bought something that wasn't black or gray?"

You looked down at your current outfit—black jeans and a gray sweater—and shrugged. "What's wrong with neutral colors?"

"Everything!" She pushed past you into your dorm room, golden-brown hair catching the afternoon light. "We're going shopping. Right now."

"Nobara, I don't need—"

"Yes, you do." She grabbed your jacket and thrust it at you. "Trust me. I have excellent taste, and you..." She gestured vaguely at your entire existence. "Need help."

That's how you found yourself in Harajuku an hour later, being dragged from boutique to boutique by Tokyo's most fashion-forward sorcerer. Nobara was in her element, confidently selecting pieces and dismissing others with brutal efficiency.

"Try this," she commanded, shoving a outfit into your hands. "And this. Oh, and definitely this."

The changing room was small, and you could hear her pacing outside, muttering about color theory and seasonal palettes. When you finally emerged wearing the outfit she'd selected—a form-fitting top in deep burgundy and well-tailored pants that actually made your legs look good—her reaction was immediate.

"Holy shit," she breathed, eyes widening. "I am really good at this."

Heat crept up your neck at the way she was looking at you. "It's just clothes."

"It's not just clothes." She circled you like a predator, studying every angle. "It's about confidence. About showing the world who you are instead of hiding behind boring colors."

"I wasn't hiding."

"Weren't you?" She stopped in front of you, close enough that you could smell her perfume—something floral and bold that was quintessentially her. "When's the last time someone looked at you the way I'm looking at you right now?"

Your breath caught. "How are you looking at me?"

"Like I want to eat you alive," she said casually, as if discussing the weather.

The blunt honesty was so typically Nobara that you almost laughed, except for the heat in her eyes that made your stomach flip.

"Nobara..."

"What? It's true." She reached out, adjusting the collar of your top with careful fingers. "You're beautiful. You should dress like you know it."

Her touch lingered longer than necessary, fingers brushing against your neck. You fought the urge to lean into the contact.

"I should change back," you managed.

"Should you?" Her hand was still at your throat, thumb stroking over your pulse point. "I like you like this. Confident. Bold." Her voice dropped. "Sexy."

The word hung between you, charged with possibility. You'd known Nobara for months, fought alongside her, laughed with her, but this felt different. Adult. Dangerous.

"We're in public," you whispered.

"So?" But she stepped back, hand dropping to her side. "Buy the outfit. Wear it tonight."

"Tonight?"

"I'm taking you out. To celebrate your makeover." Her grin was wicked. "Hope you can keep up."


Chapter 2: Night Out
Nobara hadn't been kidding about going out. She'd somehow secured fake IDs—you didn't ask how—and dragged you to a trendy club in Shibuya. The bass thrummed through your body as you followed her through the crowd, her hand warm in yours.

"Drinks first," she shouted over the music, leading you to the bar. "Then dancing."

"I don't really dance," you protested.

"You do tonight." She ordered for both of you, something colorful and strong that burned pleasantly on the way down. "Liquid confidence."

The alcohol helped, but it was really Nobara's infectious energy that loosened your inhibitions. She was magnetic on the dance floor, moving with a confidence that drew every eye in the room. And she only had eyes for you.

"See?" she said, pulling you closer as a slower song started. "You can dance."

Your hands settled on her waist, marveling at how perfectly she fit against you. She was smaller than you but commanded every inch of space around her, utterly fearless.

"You're staring," she observed, arms looping around your neck.

"You're beautiful," you said honestly, the alcohol making you brave. "I've always thought so."

Something flickered in her expression—surprise, maybe, or pleasure. "Have you now?"

"Since the first day I met you." The confession tumbled out before you could stop it. "You walked into that classroom like you owned the world, and I thought... damn."

Her laugh was delighted. "You thought damn?"

"Among other things."

"What other things?" She pressed closer, body moving against yours in a way that was definitely not innocent.

"Things I probably shouldn't say in public."

"Try me."

Her challenge was clear, eyes sparkling with mischief and something deeper. The music pounded around you, the crowd pressed close, but it felt like you were alone in your own bubble.

"I thought about what it would be like to kiss you," you admitted, voice barely audible over the music. "What you'd taste like. What sounds you'd make."

Her breath hitched. "And?"

"And I thought about getting you alone somewhere. Seeing if that confidence extends to everything you do."

"It does." Her voice was husky now, loaded with promise. "Want to find out?"

Before you could answer, she was pulling you off the dance floor, through the crowd, toward the back of the club where a hallway led to quieter spaces. She found an alcove, semi-private but still public enough to be dangerous.

"Nobara, we can't—"

"Can't what?" She backed you against the wall, hands fisting in your shirt. "Can't do this?"

She kissed you then, fierce and demanding, all tongue and teeth and barely controlled hunger. You groaned into her mouth, hands finding her waist, pulling her closer.

"Can't touch you like this?" she continued, lips moving to your neck, teeth scraping against sensitive skin.

"Someone could see," you gasped, even as your body arched into her touch.

"Let them." She bit down gently on your pulse point, soothing it with her tongue. "Let them see how crazy you make me."

"Nobara..."

"I've wanted this for months," she whispered against your ear. "Wanted you. Do you have any idea what you do to me?"

"Tell me."

"Later." She pulled back, eyes dark with promise. "When we have privacy. When I can show you properly."

"Your place or mine?"

Her grin was wicked. "Mine. It's closer."


Chapter 3: Confessions
Nobara's dorm room was exactly what you'd expected—stylish, organized, with fashion magazines scattered across her desk and makeup arranged with military precision. What you hadn't expected was the way she seemed almost nervous now that you were alone.

"Want some water?" she asked, moving toward her mini-fridge. "You drank quite a bit."

"I'm fine." You caught her hand, pulling her back toward you. "Are you nervous?"

"Me? Nervous?" She scoffed, but there was a slight tremor in her voice. "I don't get nervous."

"Nobara." You cupped her face gently, forcing her to meet your eyes. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

Something in her expression softened. "It's not that I don't want to. I just... I've never done this before."

"This?"

"Any of this." She gestured vaguely between you. "I mean, I've kissed people, but I've never... brought someone back to my room. Never wanted to."

The admission was vulnerable in a way that was unusual for her, and it made your heart ache with affection.

"We can take it slow," you offered.

"I don't want to take it slow." Her confidence was returning, jaw setting with determination. "I want you. I just wanted you to know that this is... significant. For me."

"For me too."

"Really?"

"Really." You leaned down to kiss her softly, gently, trying to pour all your feelings into the contact. "You're not just anyone, Nobara. You're..."

"What?"

"Everything." The word slipped out before you could stop it, raw and honest. "You're everything."

Her breath caught. "Don't say things you don't mean."

"I mean it." Your hands slid into her hair, marveling at the silky texture. "I've been falling for you for months. Your confidence, your strength, the way you light up every room you enter. You're incredible."

Tears pricked at her eyes. "You really mean that."

"Every word."

She kissed you then, soft and sweet and full of emotion. When she pulled back, her usual fire was back in her eyes, but tempered with something tender.

"Show me," she whispered. "Show me how you feel."

This time, when you kissed her, it was with reverence. Your hands mapped her body slowly, carefully, learning every curve and hollow. She responded with soft sounds that drove you crazy, her own hands exploring with growing confidence.

"You're so beautiful," you murmured against her skin as you trailed kisses down her neck. "So perfect."

"Not perfect," she protested, but her voice was breathless.

"Perfect for me."


Chapter 4: First Time
What followed was a slow, sweet exploration that left you both trembling. Nobara was responsive and vocal, unashamed of her pleasure in a way that was quintessentially her. She approached intimacy the same way she approached everything else—with fierce determination and complete commitment.

"Is this okay?" you asked, hands skimming over newly exposed skin.

"More than okay," she gasped, arching into your touch. "Don't stop."

You took your time with her, worshipping her body with hands and mouth until she was writhing beneath you, your name falling from her lips like a prayer. When she finally came apart in your arms, it was with a cry that you wanted to memorize forever.

"Your turn," she said when she could speak again, voice husky with satisfaction.

"You don't have to—"

"I want to." She pushed you onto your back, straddling your hips with a confidence that made your mouth go dry. "I want to make you feel as good as you made me feel."

And she did, applying the same focused determination to your pleasure that she brought to everything else. Her touch was bold, unashamed, and absolutely devastating.

When it was over, you lay tangled together in her narrow dorm bed, both of you breathing hard and grinning like idiots.

"That was..." you started.

"Amazing," she finished, propping herself up on her elbow to look at you. "We're definitely doing that again."

"Are we?"

"Oh yes." Her grin was wicked. "I'm very thorough when I find something I'm good at."

You laughed, pulling her down for another kiss. "I love your confidence."

"Just my confidence?"

The question was light, but there was something vulnerable underneath it. You smoothed a hand through her hair, studying her face in the dim light.

"I love everything about you," you said honestly. "Your confidence, your strength, your terrible sense of humor, the way you scrunch your nose when you're concentrating. I love how fierce you are, how loyal, how you never back down from a fight."

"And?"

"And I love you." The words tumbled out naturally, inevitably. "I'm completely, hopelessly in love with you, Nobara Kugisaki."

Her smile could have powered the entire city. "Good. Because I love you too."


Chapter 5: Morning After
You woke to the sound of Nobara's alarm and her creative cursing as she tried to find the snooze button. Sunlight streamed through her curtains, and for a moment, you were disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings.

Then everything came flooding back, and you couldn't help but smile.

"Good morning to you too," Nobara grumbled, finally silencing the alarm. "Sorry. I forgot I had an early class."

"What time is it?"

"Seven." She stretched, unselfconscious in her nudity, and you had to force yourself not to stare. "Want to grab breakfast before classes start?"

"Are you asking me on a date, Kugisaki?"

"I'm asking you to be my girlfriend," she said bluntly, turning to face you. "The date is just a bonus."

Your heart skipped. "Just like that?"

"Just like that." She shrugged, but there was something vulnerable in her eyes. "Unless you're not interested in—"

"Yes." You sat up, reaching for her hands. "Yes, I'm interested. Yes, I want to be your girlfriend. Yes to all of it."

Her smile was radiant. "Good. Now get dressed. I know a place that serves amazing pancakes, and I'm starving."

Twenty minutes later, you found yourself in a small café near campus, watching Nobara demolish a stack of pancakes with the same focused intensity she brought to everything else.

"You know," she said between bites, "we're going to have to tell the others."

"Are we?"

"Unless you want to keep this secret." She paused, fork halfway to her mouth. "Do you want to keep this secret?"

"No." The answer was immediate and honest. "I want everyone to know you're mine."

"Possessive. I like it." She grinned wickedly. "Fair warning though—Yuji's going to be insufferable about this. He's been trying to set us up for months."

"Has he?"

"Mm. He kept making excuses to leave us alone together, suggesting group activities that somehow ended up being just the two of us." She rolled her eyes fondly. "He thinks he's subtle."

"And Megumi?"

"Will pretend he's not interested but secretly be relieved that we finally figured it out. He hates emotional drama."

You laughed, imagining their friends' reactions. "What about Gojo-sensei?"

"Will take credit for the whole thing somehow." She reached across the table to take your hand. "Are you okay with that? With everyone knowing?"

"I'm proud to be with you," you said honestly. "I want the whole world to know."

"Even when I'm being difficult?"

"Especially then."


Chapter 6: Public Display
Your friends' reactions were exactly what Nobara had predicted. Yuji whooped with joy and immediately took credit for "bringing you together." Megumi just nodded like he'd been expecting it all along. Gojo claimed he'd sensed the "romantic tension" from day one.

But it was the way Nobara acted around you that really drove the point home. She was naturally affectionate, unashamed of showing her feelings in public. She'd grab your hand in the hallways, steal kisses between classes, sit close enough during meetings that her thigh pressed against yours.

"You two are disgusting," Maki observed one afternoon, watching Nobara feed you a bite of her lunch. "Get a room."

"We have one," Nobara replied cheerfully. "Want us to use it?"

"Not what I meant, and you know it."

But despite the teasing, it was clear that everyone approved. You fit together naturally, your calm presence balancing her fiery energy, her confidence bringing out a bolder side of you.

"I like who you are with her," Megumi said one day when you were alone. "You're... happier."

"She makes everything brighter," you admitted.

"Good. You deserve that."

It was the most emotional statement you'd ever heard from him, and it meant more than you could say.

That evening, you found Nobara in the training room, working through forms with her hammer and nails. She was beautiful in motion, deadly and graceful, every movement precise and controlled.

"Enjoying the show?" she asked without looking up.

"Always." You moved closer, admiring the way her muscles moved under her skin. "You're incredible."

"Flattery will get you everywhere." She set down her weapon, turning to face you with a grin. "What's on your mind?"

"You. Always you."

Her expression softened. "Sweet talker."

"I mean it." You pulled her into your arms, marveling at how perfectly she fit against you. "I love watching you fight. You're so confident, so in control. It's incredibly attractive."

"Is it now?" Her hands slid up your chest, fingers toying with the collar of your shirt. "What else do you find attractive about me?"

"Everything." You leaned down to nuzzle her neck, breathing in her familiar scent. "Your laugh, your smile, the way you scrunch your nose when you're thinking. The way you feel in my arms."

"Show me," she whispered, echoing her words from that first night.

"Here?"

"Here." Her eyes were dark with want. "Now."

The training room was empty, but it was still a semi-public space. The danger of it, the possibility of getting caught, only added to the excitement.


Chapter 7: Deeper
Three months into your relationship, you knew beyond a doubt that what you had with Nobara was special. She challenged you, supported you, loved you with a fierce intensity that took your breath away.

"I have something to tell you," she said one evening as you lay tangled together in her bed.

"Should I be worried?"

"No." She propped herself up on her elbow, studying your face. "I've been offered a position. After graduation. In Kyoto."

Your heart stopped. "That's... that's great. It's a good opportunity."

"It is." Her voice was careful, neutral. "But I turned it down."

"What? Why?"

"Because my life is here. You're here." She cupped your face gently. "I can't imagine being anywhere you're not."

The confession hit you like a physical blow. "Nobara, you can't make decisions like that based on—"

"Based on love? Based on wanting to build a life with someone who matters to me?" Her voice was firm. "Why not?"

"Because what if we don't work out? What if—"

"Do you want to break up?" The question was blunt, direct.

"No. God, no."

"Do you love me?"

"Yes."

"Do you want a future with me?"

"More than anything."

"Then stop borrowing trouble." She kissed you softly. "I made my choice. I chose you. I chose us."

Tears pricked at your eyes. "I love you so much it scares me sometimes."

"Good. Love should be a little scary. It means it matters."

You pulled her down for a kiss that was desperate and grateful and full of promise. When you broke apart, you were both breathing hard.

"I want to make this official," you said suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

"I want to move in together. Get a place, build something real." You searched her face. "What do you think?"

Her smile could have lit up the entire city. "I think yes. Definitely yes."


Chapter 8: Home
One year later, you stood in the doorway of your shared apartment, watching Nobara arrange flowers in a vase with the same focused intensity she brought to everything else. The space was quintessentially both of you—her bold colors and stylish touches balanced by your more practical additions.

"Stop staring and help me with dinner," she called without looking up.

"I like staring at you."

"I know. But I also like eating, and this curry won't make itself."

You moved into the kitchen, wrapping your arms around her waist from behind. She leaned back against your chest with a contented sigh.

"Happy?" you asked, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Extremely." She turned in your arms, hands coming up to frame your face. "This is everything I never knew I wanted."

"The apartment?"

"The life. The routine. Coming home to you every day, falling asleep next to you every night." Her smile was soft, vulnerable in a way she rarely allowed. "I used to think I was too independent for this kind of relationship."

"And now?"

"Now I think independence and partnership aren't mutually exclusive. I'm still me—strong, capable, fierce. But I'm better with you."

"You're perfect," you murmured, leaning down to kiss her.

"Not perfect. But perfect for you."

"That's all that matters."

As you cooked dinner together, moving around each other with practiced ease, you reflected on how much your life had changed. Nobara had brought color and excitement and passionate love into your world, while you'd given her stability and unconditional support and a safe place to be vulnerable.

"I love you," you said suddenly, the words spilling out as naturally as breathing.

"I love you too." She grinned, bumping your hip with hers. "Even when you're being sappy while I'm trying to cook."

"Especially then."

After dinner, you curled up together on the couch, Nobara's head on your shoulder as you watched a terrible movie she'd insisted on. This was your life now—quiet evenings and passionate mornings, shared laughter and comfortable silences, a love that burned steady and bright.

"Hey," she said softly, tilting her head to look at you.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For seeing me. Really seeing me, not just the confident front I show everyone else." Her voice was quiet, sincere. "For loving all of me, even the parts I don't always like about myself."

"Thank you for letting me," you replied, stroking her hair. "For trusting me with your heart."

"It's yours," she said simply. "For as long as you want it."

"Forever, then."

"Forever," she agreed, sealing the promise with a kiss.

Outside, the city lights twinkled like stars, but inside your small apartment, you had everything you needed. Love, laughter, and a future full of possibility with the most incredible woman you'd ever known.

Nobara Kugisaki had walked into your life like she owned the world, and in the end, she'd given you hers.


End