Chapter Text
You stood proudly in front of your friends, standing on the low table in the living room. You were retelling your fight against a level 3 curse, it was the first one you had ever beaten, and you would make sure everyone knew about it. Everyone.
Your technique wasn’t offensive, far from it. Perhaps it would be a little unlike you, you were not one who enjoyed conflicts or violence, so you having a harsh technique like Nanami's or Yu'd wouldn't have made sense.
No, creating wobbly and colorless illusions was all that you could do, and more often than not, they looked more like a screen projection of a kid's drawing than anything realistic. Still, you were fine with it, if you practiced enough and if you did your best, you would surely get better. Hard work was always rewarded, wasn't it? You finally beating a grade 3 should be proof of that, even if you had to use a cursed object in the end
All the Jujutsu High students were currently gathered in the living room of the dormitories. There weren’t enough attendees to justify separating the few grades into different classes and dormitories. In fact, most of the time, it seemed like there was only one class, everyone in Tokyo having Yaga as their homeroom teacher only reinforced that. You often received instructions and information at the same time from him, it was more efficient that way.
School years did not go with experience nor strength either, the second years had two grade S, after all. You were still getting used to all those different grades and their meaning, but S was the most impressive, that, you had gathered.
And two of those very impressive people were in the same room as you as you did a dramatic reenactment of your fight against the curse.
"And then I stabbed it right in the face! You should have seen me! I was so cool!"
You huffed loudly, telling them all about the final climax of your battle. You almost jumped off the table as you waited for the awaited praise of your friends.
Ierie claps slowly in a supporting manner, a small smile on her face. Yu claps with more enthusiasm, truly proud of you. The two of them had taught you most of what you knew about the jujutsu world. Unlike everyone else here, your introduction to this world had been quite recent. A year ago, you did not know of any other sorcerers, nor what were curses and where they came from. It was pleasant to know for sure you were not simply crazy.
While your two friends are cheering on you, your gaze stay focused on the two students who are pointedly ignoring you, comfortable on their couch as Gojo shows a picture to Geto.
You point your finger at him, taking a dynamic pose, legs standing wide and steady. Your brows furrowed, you would get him to take you seriously even if it was the last thing you did.
"Hear that Gojo?! Won't be long until I surpass you!" You almost screamed at him, loud and taking up attention. Too much to his taste. Scrawny things like you shouldn't even try to stand out if he had something to say about it.
The teen finally glance at you, an unimpressed look on his face. He had gone over this so many times with you, yet you never seemed to learn. You were truly an idiot, one of the worst types, a confident idiot.
"How many times do we have to tell you? 80% of your potential is from birth. Low tier sorcerer" There was no real animosity in his voice, but he still looked visibly annoyed.
You crossed your arms around your chest, a proud and cocky smile stuck on your face for no valid reason.
"Just say it if you are sc— wahaa!"
You stop stopped mid-sentence as Gojo raises a finger, glancing at you from above his glasses.
You suddenly start floating in the living room, inducing soft laughter from the other students.
"If I'm what? Mhm?" He taunts you, an amused smile on his face. This was way better to him.
His finger was going up and down and your body followed the movement, as if you were a helium filled ballon. You quickly started screaming as you felt your skirt slide up while the teen rotated your body, your head was now upside down. You started to feel nauseous as he sped up his finger, now barely able to scream at all.
"Let her go Gojo. You shouldn't bully your junior.”
Geto tried to reason with his friend, but a smile was still well etched in his face. He was playing the voice of the reason, but he too seemed to have fun watching you being messed around.
The white-haired man lowered his glasses to look at his best friend, ready to disagree with his argument, juniors were made to be bullied.
"She asked for it, look at her, not knowing her place."
He kept making you shake as he speaks as if you were a maraca, placing you upside down and going vertically. He half mindedly started trying to expose the underwear you so desperately try to keep hidden in an attempt to make you scream a little more.
He finally made you spin around as you placed a hand on your mouth, almost revealing your underwear. You looked ready to puke.
"Gojo! Stop that! I'll pu—"
Before you could finish your sentence, puke gathered on the floor, straight from your mouth. This finally got Gojo to put you down, a grossed-out look on his face, it seemed like you had some ramen for lunch.
"Gross."
Ierie and Yu finally approached you, with Gojo’s infinity deactivated, they could finally reach you. It wasn't like this sort of instance was a first either, so they weren’t that worried, Gojo never truly harmed you.
The white-haired teen seemed to make you float around at least every few weeks, it was rather useless to try and save you until he was done, not that they hadn’t tried in the past.
"There, there."
Yu patted your back in an attempt to comfort you. You wiped your lunch from the corner of your mouth, now panting on the floor. You still felt a little sick, and there was a bad taste in your mouth now
Ierie settled for scolding Gojo, supported by Geto. He usually didn’t go that far with you. Puking was a first for sure. But Gojo was a little more cranky today. His mission had gone… Not as well as he wished. And unlike you, when his didn't go well, it wasn't about getting back up the next day, it was about losing lives.
But still, Ierie had to scold him a little, even if it was for the sake of appearance. They knew deep down that it wouldn’t make him change his behavior.
"Come on, you didn't have to go that far, look, she puked,"
"If you want to mess with someone mess with Nanami, he can take it." Geto continued, proposing an alternative to his friend that earned him a dirty look from said Nanami.
“Please don’t” He interjected, lips tight.
But the blue-eyed teen didn’t see it the same way as his friend.
If you couldn't handle it, you would not come back to taunt him every time.
He observed at you as you got back up from the wooden floor. You looked a little green, but nothing bad enough for him to worry about it.
"Look, she's doing just fine" he smirked at you, demeaning as usual.
You didn’t glare at him, but crossed your arms, a pout taking place on your puffed out cheeks. You had some puke still stuck on one of your curls.
Like that, you simply look like a petulant child. Big glasses on the top of your nose, clearly not your size, or the right strength, as you always squinted and bumped into stuff. Red cheeks, always looking as if they've been pinched, not an ounce of makeup and a few pimples here and there. Your hair could have looked nice, soft curls around your face, but with the rest, it just gave you an unkempt witch look.
Your body... wasn’t that much better concluded Gojo. You lacked forms, your breasts were small, almost invisible in your summer uniform, and non-existent in the winter one. Legs..stubby at best. You weren’t tall, but neither were you short. Average at best. Below average even. And Gojo never gave time to that.
"You gotta teach me that one!”
You barked at him, taking a confident stance again. Sadly, for you, that confidence wasn’t backed up with anything worthwhile.
After your statement, everyone sighed heavily, Yu and Ierie included. You had been in the jujutsu world for 6 months or so, and you still seemed to lack basic understanding of...well, everything.
"Techniques are innate. You can't learn them— how many times do I have to tell you?" This time, Gojo is truly annoyed, you kept asking the same things over and over again. And only idiots repeated themselves expecting a new result.
He gets up as the other students sit back down. Someone fetched a bucket of water and placed it next to the vomit. You'll clean it up later. Probably.
Gojo made his way to you, stopping right in front of your face, looking down on you. From there you couldn’t see his eyes at all, his glasses hid everything.
"I can't learn your technique just like Geto can't learn mine, or anyone's."
He flicked your forehead repeatedly as he continued explaining it to you, ignoring the small whimper he induced. He wasn’t sure why he still took the time to try to make you get anything. It wasn’t like the last five time had succeeded in making you retain the basics.
"That's why there are clans. Same technique getting passed down and all. And it's even more impossible for you to learn my technique."
He lowered his glasses, giving you access to his baby blue eyes as he leaned down. You blushed instantly. He looked great like that, and of course he knew it. Gojo noticed the flush on your face but didn’t bother acknowledging it. That was usual to him. Average girls fawning over him. It wasn’t worth thinking twice about, really.
"The six eyes. It's a physical feature. Can't be copied, even if you have a technique for it. Most of what I'm doing requires them."
You opened and closed your eyes, blinking at him soflty.
"...I... I could wear cursed contacts or something?" You offered, a crooked smile taking place on your lips.
He sighed loudly, almost folding himself in half while doing so.
"I give up! You're too stupid!" He took his hair into his hands, pulling at them as he complained about your clear lack of intellect to the other students.
"You tried, don't fret it" Geto patted the back of his friends, trying to comfort him. You really didn’t seem to want to understand anything. Geto wondered if you did it on purpose to annoy his friend, that would have possible.
You ignored the boy’s dramatic outburst as you sat next to Ierie, noticing from the corner of your eyes that Ijichi had started cleaning up your puke. You made a point of avoiding looking at him, you didn’t want to trade places.
You looked at Gojo once again, catching a glimpse of his eyes.
You knew it, that you couldn't get his eyes...but, if you tried hard enough couldn't you learn the technique? Perhaps if you had your own evolve or something? Wasn't Rasengan also something that you couldn't learn? If you tried hard enough…
And even if you couldn't learn it, you kind of wanted him to teach you about stuff. He was so strong, he surely had tips for you.
Ierie smiled softly at you, noticing that you were now deep in your thought, something somewhat unusual for you.
"You could learn reverse cursed energy though." She proposed, trying to cheer you up a little.
Right, healing energy. You had tried a little, but it always seemed too vague a concept for you. Perhaps it was worth trying again...?
Gojo didn’t lose a minute to scoff at the idea.
"As if she could ever do something I can't!"
You frowned at the boy, suddenly more motivated by the idea. If it was to prove him wrong, you suddenly had a lot more motivation.
"I'll try hard, and you'll eat your words!"
He shook his head, having heard enough. It didn’t matter how many times he told you anything, you didn’t want to hear it.
Geto was the one who took upon him to answer you as his friend had decided not to waste his time anymore.
"If you train hard, your technique might evolve or get stronger, so don't give up. But do not try to compare yourself to others,"
You looked at the boy and nodded as your eyes strayed away toward Gojo once again
"I’ll try”
Notes:
Please leave comments! Chance of me writing faster raise highly with them 😆
Chapter 2
Summary:
Casual day at jujutsu high. There will be a proper plot promise!
Notes:
This chapter has been rewritten, there is around 1k more words now lol
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
You try to train, you truly do. But sometimes you feel like it isn't going anywhere at all, not matter what you try.
You were waving around the cursed weapon that has been allocated to you temporarily in a attempt to see if you had any talent with it. You were trying to mimic the other students the best you could, Nanami in particular was skilled with his wrapped-up blade. And it wasn’t just him either, they were all so talented and strong, you had seen them at work, and you couldn’t help to yearn to get to their level. Everyone had to start at the bottom you kept repeating to yourself…it didn't mean you had to stay there.
But after an hour or so, you started to get tired and bored. You had never really been the type to work very hard or to persevere if you were honest. School and academics came naturally to you, so you weren’t used to efforts.
The knife in your hand slipped from your hold and you sighed.
“This isn't working out,” you finally huffed, annoyed at your lack of progress.
You gave up on the weapon and decided to try and practice your innate technique. A bunch of wobbly shadows appeared around you, as if taunting you. You decided to try and get them to be a little more realistic. It wouldn't hurt… right now, they weren’t looking like convincing illusions at all.
You focused on one, trying to get some color into it. It slowly turned from muddy grey to… muddy brown.
It wasn’t working out.
You allowed the shadows to disappear as you flopped down on the mat of the Dojo, a small pout on your face.
As soon as you settled down, you heard some light footstep, making you turn down toward the entrance. Nanami quickly came into view, entering the training room you were in.
“Nanami!”
You smiled brightly at him and got up quickly approaching the other teen, almost jumping at him.
“I've been training! Trying at least—it's hard to fight with a knife—how do you do it?”
You questioned him, hoping he might have some tricks for you. But the only thing that greeted you was a rather cold look.
“It's all about practice. Hours of practice,” he finally tell you, a hard look on his face. He knew you did not take jujutsu seriously, and perhaps that was why he didn’t seem inclined to give you more pointers, doubting you would even use them.
Right now, you were practicing, sure, but it never really lasted long enough for you to make any progress. But you still pushed yourself to keep a positive outlook on things.
“I see. That means I'm bound to get better! Good news!” You beamed at Nanami, still smiling. Things would eventually get better if you started at the bottom, would they not
You finally decided that you've had enough training for the day (or week..) and left the dojo to Nanami. The boy liked to train by himself, a little more taciturn than you. You also were feeling up for a treat, you had practiced at least; that was worth celebrating.
You left the building, now roaming around the campus in search of Ierie and Utahime; even the harsh Mei-Mei would do. You didn’t want to go eat a parfait alone, that was a little too sad, even for an optimist like you. Unfortunately, the school was huge, way too big for you to search fully, and you hadn’t thought to ask any of the girls if they had missions today. Ierie never left the school, but she was rarely at the same spot. You hadn’t been shown the infirmary yet either. Your phone somehow never worked very well in the school either, something to do with barriers if you remembered well.
But even with all those downsides, you didn’t mind the size of the school, you stayed into a small room even now, a luxurious school was more than welcome.
As you were pondering on the best way to find your friends, you noticed Geto and Gojo on the roof of one of the side buildings. The white-haired teen was rather easy to spot, his hair was a rather unusual sight. You simply deduced that Geto was next to him, the two of them were always stuck by the hips.
It didn’t take long for you to decide on asking their help. Gojo was always good at spotting people. Apparently, it was related to his technique—but that sounded a little like rubbish to you; how could detecting people be related to floating?
You quickly made your way over to them, and a handful of meters later, you could now start to properly recognize Geto. You needed new glasses; Gojo was only easy to see from afar due to his physic, but that wasn't the same for everyone.
Of course, Gojo was the first to notice you making your way to them. He threw you a look, an eyebrow rising sightly and Geto kindly waved at you, a soft smile on his face.
Geto was always sweet to you; you were grateful for that. But you weren't really sure if it was genuine or not, his smiles never seemed to really reach his eyes. So, you sometimes kept your distance a little.
Soon enough, you could make out that Gojo was snacking on some hard candies, his gaze shifted unto you another time and you decided not to lose time to ask your question to the boys.
“Do you guys know where Ierie and Utahime are?” You were now on the ground right next to the low roof, looking up at them from your lower standing point, waiting for an answer
“Nah, get lost.” Gojo did not miss a beat to dismiss you, but it was somehow expected of him.
You pouted softly at his answer; he was always rude with you to an extent, but you could not tell why. You often tried to challenge him and get his approval, and somehow, he seemed to take it as an insult. You couldn’t gather why, so you didn’t stop. Why would you?
Your eyes then glanced to Geto, hoping to get another answer out of him
“Sorry, I'm not sure either. She might be in the outside training grounds.” The black-haired boy’s answer was as usual more helpful than his friend’s.
But the training ground were far… you didn't feel like walking all the way there only to maybe find her there.
You glanced at Gojo; he was back to basically ignoring you. But when he noticed that you staring at him, he looked at the hard candy in his hand for a moment before putting it between his lips and blowing it at you, hitting you straight on the forehead with it.
“Ouch—oh!”
You picked the candy up from the ground and ate it without any second thoughts, you weren’t disgusted easily, and it was your favorite
“You ate it? Gross.”
He kept throwing hard candies at you as they all bounced on your head to then fall on the floor., you tried to shield yourself with your hands, in vain.
“What are you doing—it hurts!”
Geto laughed as Gojo ignored your complaints and kept throwing the small projectiles at you, clearly now amused.
“I'm giving you a sweet treat—don't complain.”
“Then at least aim for my mouth!” You shouted at him as he did what you asked of him; throwing a candy straight to your throat.
You started coughing widely as you choked on the candy, tears gathering in your eyes.
“Ah, sorry,” Gojo apologized without a trace of remorse in his tone. He rose a finger, making you float with his technique and shifting your whole-body upside down. He then shook you up and down in an attempt to dislodge the candy from your throat, not unlike that last time when he had made you barf on the ground. Unfortunately, this time you did not get to hide your underwear. Both of your hands were wrapped around your throat as you struggled to breath properly, not even thinking about keeping any sort of decency.
When the candy finally fell flat onto the ground, Gojo thankfully allowed you back on your feet. But he was not done with you, a toothy smile took place on his face, as if something fun had just happened.
“Was that a bee on your panties? Usually, you'd go for bears or little bows, no?”
Your face turned bright red as you tried to compose yourself, still coughing, a hand rubbing against your sore throat.
“That’s—cough—sexual harassment—.” Your voice brook as you choked on your own spit, eyes red and tearful.
“Uh? Who would want to harass you like that anyway? Don't start getting your hopes up.”
He kept insulting you, his voice even, as if he wasn’t doing anything more than stating straight facts. You were used to it at this point, but it was never fun to be told that no one would be interested in you. You weren’t the most attractive girl ever, but you still had some feminine pride.
So, it wasn’t really odd for you to grow annoyed at the boy insulting you from his safe spot, voice getting a little higher as you ignored the soreness of your throat.
“You speak a lot for someone who stays on that roof! All safe and protected!”
As soon as you spook those words, Gojo jumped from said roof, landing right in front of you, hands still in his pockets
“What did ya say?” He leaned into you as Geto followed him down, simply observing the scene with an amused look on his face, as always.
“You can never resist messing with her, can you?”
His smile widened slightly as he slowly shook his head, entertained by his friend’s usual antics. Gojo on his part, did not see the situation in the same light as him, it was about more than messing with you at this point, it was about putting you back in your place.
“She’s the one always coming back for more!” He didn’t lose any time to defend his point, plus, she was the one tailing after him whenever she spotted him.
“Who would care about a brat like her anyway?”
You puffed out your cheeks, now properly upset at the taller teen.
“Who are you calling a brat! Fight me for real and you'll see!”
You took a fighting stance as Gojo looked at you with a tired look. He seemed to really think you were nothing but a bratty kid at times.
“What do you mean for real—it wouldn't even be any fun for me if I had no arms and no legs. Give up and focus on something else. Your sex appeal maybe; I'd ask Mei Mei if I were you. She's pretty sexy,” he recommends you with a bored look, as if truly uninterested in your sole existence.
He really did enjoy riling you up; you reacted so easily and always ended up humiliating yourself. He did not even need to push you that much to make you snap.
And as planned, it didn’t take you more than two seconds before jumping at him in an attempt to tackle him to the ground. Playing along, Gojo didn’t even bother using his technique, simply pivoting slightly and tripping you with one of his legs. You fell flat on the grass as he swiftly sat on you, holding your arm behind your back as both of his legs were put flat on the floor on both of your sides
“Who's being serious now? Uh?”
You tried to wriggle yourself out of his grip, but the man was way too heavy for you to even begin to get him off you. His grip on your arm was also way too strong, while he was not grabbing you tightly, he was unmovable.
“Let me go! I'll show you!” You shouted again, still wriggling like a little worm in his hold as your heart started racing in slight panic. You weren’t in pain as he was very probably not putting his full weight on you, but you were very far from enjoying the position and situation you were in.
He laughed at your exclamations, his enjoyment only increasing as he watched you struggle in his hold.
“And show me what? You literally jumped me with no warning, and I got you on the ground—or are you telling me you did that on purpose?”
He pretended to finally understand something, ignoring your whimpers and squirming.
“Oh! I see, you wanted me to sit on you and be manhandled, uh? That's what you're into? I'm sorry but I don't go for ugly girls usually. But well, at least you got what you wanted, uh?”
You felt tears gather up in your eyes at his words, this wasn’t what it was about at all, but he always seemed to know what to say to humiliate you.
“That’s not true! That’s not true at all!”
You sniffled as Gojo stayed on you a little longer, silently enjoying the sight.
Geto’s voice resonated, a slightly amused tone distinguishable in it.
“You know, if you keep going after Satoru, we really can't do anything about how he reacts.”
Geto finally approached you, crouching on the ground to look at your flushed face properly. You grumbled, a little annoyed by his comment.
“…I don't need you to do anything.”
Still proud, you looked away from Geto, face still flat on the soft grass as Gojo’s answered his friend.
“You heard that, Suguru? She's totally into it.”
Your face flushed again as you felt your anger erupt again.
“That’s not true! Let me go! I'll deal with you myself!”
The white-haired man laughed even harder. Silently, he was rejoicing, you never stopped, whatever he made you go through. He could at least admire the tenacity. If only you tried that hard with sorcery.
“Gosh, you really are a treat!”
He got up, finally letting you crawl away from him, an amused glint since in his eyes.
“Now run before I get you on the ground again.”
He smirked slyly at you, handing you his half empty bag of candy.
“There, for your efforts entertaining me—let’s go, Geto.”
The blue-eyed man looked away from you as he joined Geto and started heading toward the main building, humming softly to a tune you couldn’t recognize.
He turned around at the last second, remembering something.
“Oh, by the way, Shoko is in her dorm.”
You pouted, cheeks reddening slowly.
Notes:
Once again, comments are my fuel!
Chapter 3
Summary:
Gojo is a jerk.
Chapter Text
Gojo was quite the busy man, constantly asked to exorcize various grade 1 curses— more often than not, with Geto. Though he was confident that he’d soon be sent on these missions alone, he wasn’t like other sorcerers. In fact, he was pretty sure he could already handle most curses, even special grade ones, all by himself.
He just needed to fully grasp reverse cursed energy or use Limitless to its full potential. He still hadn’t succeeded in using red yet, but it would come. Being with Geto was more fun anyway, so he didn’t truly mind the wait.
He was certain it wouldn’t be long until all of his missions were solo. The same went for his best friend; once Geto had enough strong curses, he could go on his own to take on any curses as well. It was just a matter of time—a question of when, not if.
But yes, Gojo was a special kind of sorcerer. A grade S sorcerer.
So, he had a lot of trouble understanding why on earth he was sent to rescue you from a grade 3 curse. It was more than far beneath his station. Even Utahime could have handled such a trivial matter, he was sure. Anyone else but him would have been more suited for the job. Hell, Ijichi himself could have done this!
Regardless, he was warping his way to the abandoned grade school, an annoyed look on his face, clicking his tongue sharply as he lowered his glasses to spot you properly.
"It better be at least a damn grade 2 after all..."
He could feel your cursed energy by now—weak and unstable—but it wasn’t anything alarming or worth worrying about. You barely had control over it even on your best days, so this could mean pretty much anything.
Gojo floated around the veil that had been put down. At least you could make those properly, not everyone could. That was probably the only reason you were sent on any solo missions, that and the current shortage of competent sorcerers.
He stared at the veil for a few more seconds before finally entering it. The darkness inside of it was familiar, something he had grown to enjoy. It usually meant he was about to have some fun, or at least do something interesting.
It didn’t take long for Gojo to find you stuck at the bottom of an empty pool, tangled in slimy vines. You seemed unconscious, or at least asleep. The bottom of the pool was covered in a thin layer of muddy green water, and you were just as dirty, algae staining your face. Maybe it would make a good face mask for your pesky pimples.
The curse responsible for your state was hiding, probably sensing that it didn’t stand a chance against Gojo. Curses were evil but not stupid. Still, it didn’t take more than a couple of seconds for Gojo to drag it out of the school and crush it into nothingness, the sounds of it’s wailing filling the area.
Gojo sighed, his indignation creeping back. Why was he here? It was a grade 3 curse after all. Why were you even there? Weren’t you a grade 4? Barely, but still. You needed to know your place; you’d get yourself killed over nothing… It had been mere luck that the cursed had decided to play around and kill you slowly rather than instantly.
"Oi, wake up, ugly."
The man floated down to your level, carefully removing the vines and algae around you. This was a pain. There was so much of it, and he had to be careful not to hurt you. He wasn’t cut out for delicate work like this. They really should have sent Utahime. Rescue missions were boring and a waste of his precious time. He could have been at home playing that new Digimon game Shoko had gifted him for his grade S promotion, but no, he was stuck getting you out of a damn pond.
Your eyelids fluttered slowly, and you finally opened your eyes, taking in your surroundings with a slightly confused, glassy look. Your glasses were nowhere to be seen. He wondered how much you could even see without them.
"Senpai..? What’s wrong…?"
Apparently enough to recognize him. You should ditch them in that case. They didn’t do you any favors.
You blinked softly at him, focusing on his face, your eyes slightly squinting (perhaps you did need those glasses).
Gojo was almost upset at how nonchalant you were. You could have died, without amounting to anything. Without even exorcising the small curse. Forgotten in the bottom of a school grade pool, rotting there for the next sorcerer assigned to find you. In this case, him.
‘’What is wrong is that I had to save your ass from a damn grade 3. Weren’t you a grade 4 anyway?!’’
You looked away, unpleased by the harsh comments.
‘’Well, I thought...’’
Gojo was quick to hit your head with his fist, causing a sharp whimper to escape your lips.
"Well, don’t think! I won’t save your ass next time you try to bite off more than you can chew. You should have asked for backup if you wanted to take on a bigger fish. That’s how small fry like you end up dying!"
This time, you didn’t have much to say in response. He had saved you, and you were indeed in danger. If it weren’t for him, your life would have been cut short. That was the harsh reality he was confronting you with.
You looked up at him, guilt evident in your eyes. You hated bothering others, especially Gojo.
"Why... why are you here? This isn’t really—"
He cut you off, lacking the patience to hear your question. He already knew what you were going to say and he already knew what he would answer.
"I agree, I shouldn’t be doing charity work for stupid underclassmen, but I was sent here. Fucking elders, always overstepping. I’m sure it’s some power play because I forgot to put on a veil last time..."
You kept looking down, uneasy. You hated being in his debt, and even more so being used as a way to punish him.
"Sorry..."
He looked at you for a few more seconds before reaching out and pulling your nose, causing you to whine in pain.
"Hey—stop that!"
"You could have gotten yourself killed. What if the curse had decided to end you instead of playing around, huh? I won’t always be there to save someone like you. I have more important matter to take care of!”
He looked straight into your eyes, well, through his dark round glasses. You stared back, half-mindedly thinking about how, even when bullying you, he still looked handsome. It wasn’t fair, really.
"Become an assistant."
You looked at him, eyes wide. This was not what you expected him to tell you right now.
"What? No! I have an innate technique! That would be a waste!"
"Your innate technique is a waste. You can’t even attack with it— which would be fine if you had any offensive abilities. Or skills to use a cursed weapon. But you don’t, and you won’t ever amount to anything more. I can tell."
He lowered his glasses to observe the light fluctuations in your cursed energy.
"The only thing you’re good for is drawing curtains. That’s why the only thing you could ever become is an assistant."
You pursed your lips. You knew he was right. He was a true prodigy in this world, and you were nothing but a rookie; and not one that seemed very promising. Whatever he was telling you wasn’t just some baseless insult, and that made it worse. You could brush off insults based on trivial things like your appearance, but this... this was different. You wanted to be better.
"I’ll train... and get a better technique."
Gojo leaned down towards you and pinched both of your cheeks forcefully, rougher than ever as he stretched them roughly.
"Sh-top! It hurts!"
Despite your complaints, he didn’t stop, twisting them as tears gathered in your eyes.
"How many times do I have to tell you?! Techniques are innate! You can’t just get one! It’s like trying to change your eye color or straighten your hair! It’s in your soul—your body—I don’t know how else to say it!"
You froze a little at his reaction. He seemed more upset than usual about this. He finally let go of your cheeks, leaving them bright red. Gojo rarely ever raised his voice, always composed and in control, so his outburst came as a shock to you.
"Why... why do you even care...? I’m not hurting anyone... stupid..."
At those naïve words, he gritted his teeth. This should have been a task for the more sensible Geto to handle. He wasn’t going to spew some bullshit by telling you that you mattered and were useful even if you didn’t fight. He didn’t know what to say that would convince you to give up this foolish ambition. You weren’t cut out for this and he had enough of cleaning up after weaklings.
"You’re not hurting anyone? What about the day when people die because you overestimated yourself? Huh? And why do you even want to be a sorcerer? You got scouted; you have no reason to be in this mess."
At his words, your head dropped, and you bit your lip softly, suddenly silent.
Satoru’s attention stayed on you. It was a rare sight to see you shut up and deflate like this; you usually always had something senseless to shout back at him. Perhaps the subject was more sensitive to you. He never really bothered to learn why you became a sorcerer. Shoko and Utahime would have a better chance of knowing.
You finally glanced up at him after a moment of silence, as if considering whether to share a secret, your eyes avoidant.
The older sorcerer sighed at the display. You couldn’t seem to make any decisions on your own. The more he learned about the kind of person you were, the more he was convinced you had nothing to do at the school.
"Let’s just get out of here. I’ll text an assistant for a ride."
He grabbed your wrist and pulled you away from the pool. He took a quick look around to spot your glasses, they were laying on the side of the pool, thankfully intact. He dragged them toward him with a pull of his finger. Soon enough, you glasses were back on your nose and the curtain was dropped. But you stayed silent, unlike your usual self.
You knew Gojo would mock you if you told him anything, but despite that, you felt drawn to say something, to seek some connection. Maybe if he understood you better, he’d like you a bit more?
You almost chuckled at the thought. Who were you fooling? You were weak, and that was the one thing he most openly scorned.
But still, you craved a connection, anything really.
"I... I want to keep being a sorceress because..."
You started, his eyes shifting to you, peeking from the side of his glasses, light baby blues freezing you in place.
"I... I’m not... well..."
It was hard to say, and you felt tears welling up in your eyes.
"I’m not always liked and... I’m not very bright... and... and..."
You sniffled, fat tears soon rolling down on your face. Gojo stared at you, wide-eyed and silent. As if you had just slapped him.
You still continued.
"I don’t have friends—or anything to miss, so I just... I wanted to be useful. If I’m useful, people will like me... and... and..."
You stuttered as you tried to wipe the tears from your face, your nose full of snot. You had always been a crybaby; that’s why you usually avoided any subject that could make you emotional. Forget about a connection; Gojo would probably just hate you more after this. You didn’t want to cry in front of him like this.
"I like everyone at the school... they’re nice and... and... I want to stay with them... so I have to—"
Gojo finally cut you off. He got the gist of it. Watching you collapse like this was somehow worse than fighting any kind of curse, even the ones that reeked, which he despised dearly.
"Okay, okay—will you stop? Damn! Why are you crying so much? You didn’t even say anything that bad. That’s why I hate brats... gosh." Despite his words, Gojo moved closer to you, trying to wipe your tears with his sleeve.
"You want friends? That’s your reason? I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything worse than that. I’m surprised they even let you join..."
He took out a napkin and held it to your nose. "Here, blow it. You look gross."
Your cheeks flushed, but you obeyed. He looked at the napkin with a disgusted expression before tossing it on the ground.
"You can still make friends as an assistant. Why are you so insistent on doing the dangerous stuff?"
You looked up at him, a little surprised. You had expected more insults and some extra demeaning comments, not a genuine question.
"We don’t see the assistants often... and I want to be with you guys, not random sorcerers..."
He sighed at your words, leaning his head back as he did. He looked annoyed, but that wasn’t new when he was around you.
"There are so many solutions to this non-problem... Just move into the dorms with everyone—or hang out with them on weekends, I don’t know..."
You looked up at him, your eyes still red. "You’ll... you’ll hang out with me too?"
He almost looked surprised at your words, but soon enough, his eyes scanned your face, and a slim smile crept onto his lips. To be honest, he should have seen it coming. It was the most likely thing to happen, given the way you always ran after him. It should have been obvious.
"Oh? It’s like that, huh? Should’ve expected it, to be honest."
He leaned in toward you, looming over your frame as he slowly caged you in, a sharp look taking over his eyes. He suddenly seemed to be having a little too much fun.
"You do know you don’t have a single chance, right? No breasts, stubby legs, big-ass glasses, and bad hair. Why would I give you any time of my day?"
You gasped, shocked by his rough words. You hadn’t expected that kind of reaction from him. You hadn’t even said anything weird. You just wanted to hang out with him too—why did the conversation take such a sudden turn? It wasn’t fair!
Tears quickly gathered in your eyes, drenching your face again. You wanted to hide; you knew you looked stupid when you cried, all red and puffy.
"I-it’s not like that!"
You looked down at your chest. You never really bothered much with your appearance; you were still growing... there was no point in obsessing over it. You were going to change... your mom was pretty, so you would be too, right? You were just a late bloomer...
So, what if you were flat and short? Not everyone could be as tall as him; that was just life. And you needed those glasses! There wasn’t much you could do about that. Your hair... that was a little your fault, they could be nice—you were just lazy sometimes...
"I meant as friends... why are you being so mean..?"
Gojo raised an eyebrow at your words, the same slick smile on his face. "Friends, huh?"
He didn’t believe you for a second. Now that he thought about it, you always had this look on your face—he should have noticed... but he just didn’t see you in that light at all.
To test your claim, he cornered you a little more, pushing you against the wall of the building behind you, one arm leaning against the wall, trapping you in a proper kabedon.
Your face turned red, your legs shook, and your cursed energy fluctuated more than ever. He knew what all those signs meant. Clearly, you were into him, but well, who wasn’t?
He leaned toward your neck, letting his plush lips brush against your skin. You were shaking, tears gathering in your eyes again. His leg settled between yours, and due to his height, he was almost flush against your crotch.
"Not like that, huh? Tell me, you don’t feel hot all over? Straining to stay upright?"
Your legs faltered, your breathing grew uneven, and you didn’t know where to look or what to do. You didn’t want him to be right, but you weren’t used to such attention. Of course, you were weak to it.
"Don’t..."
You whimpered at the feeling of his lips on your collarbone as he finally stepped away, admiring the effect he had on you. You looked like a mess. But somehow, you definitely looked cuter that way.
Perhaps he had gone a little too far. You swiftly collapsed to the ground as soon as he moved away from you, your legs giving out under your weight.
“I guess I should have known.”
He scoffed, a proud look on his face
“If you need to get it out of your system, I wouldn’t mind doing you, but only if you quit being a sorcerer. Not a bad deal, is it? I promise I’ll be good to ya”
He smirked as you flushed even more, his bold words shocking you.
“Sh—Shut up! Who would want to that! Perv!”
You sniffled as he only laughed at you, clearly amused by your reaction
You ignored Gojo for the whole ride back to school.
Notes:
Sorry for those who wanted nicer Gojo. Well, he wiped her tears and helped her blow her nose no? And he said she was cuter when she was a miserable crying mess.(Not what he said but that was the feeling)
Also, comment or I will die
Chapter Text
Missions don’t seem to come your way anymore. Even the simple task of clearing out fly-heads has stopped being assigned to you. Perhaps your last failure was the cause—after all, you had to be saved by Gojo. Of course, this wouldn’t look good on your sorceress resume, if such a thing existed.
Still, you diligently attended class and trained, at least occasionally. You weren’t particularly motivated, going on missions with everyone had always been more fun. Despite the pathetic display you had given him and the harsher-than-usual teasing, you continued to follow after Gojo.
You had only confided in Ierie about the events of your last mission. You felt a little humiliated despite not having done anything wrong. If anyone should feel embarrassed, it was Gojo, but he seemed unfazed—as if nothing could ever bother him.
You were used to being bullied and teased; you didn’t truly mind. He never really hurt you, and you knew he could if he wanted to. He just get a reaction out of you, and that was fine. It was a kind of friendship... or so you thought.
But the last time had been different. It was a little more twisted. He wiped your tears, sure, but when he noticed any hint of attraction you might have had toward him, his demeanor changed.
Honestly, though, who could blame you? Gojo was tall, handsome, funny, charming, rich (apparently), powerful, and, more importantly, he was always nearby. You could talk to him casually. Of course, you had a little crush. Who wouldn’t? Well, except for Utahime and Ierie...
Anyone normal would have a little crush on him! And apparently, Gojo himself wasn’t oblivious to that fact. But you were used to being humiliated, so what was a little change in the nature of the humiliation?
As you entered your dorm room, you reflected on Satoru’s suggestion to move in with everyone else. It hadn’t been a bad idea—you’d had a few sleepovers with Ierie and Utahime, and you felt closer to them. It was fun being there, being their friend, and fighting against a common enemy together.
But apparently, that wasn’t the only thing moving into the dorms brought. Satoru was now sitting comfortably on your bed, skimming through one of your cheesy novels. He looked huge on your twin bed, and you doubted he had the same cramped quarters as you. He was rich, after all. You’d gathered as much from the way Mei Mei was always trying to get money out of him and how Ierie didn’t mind being treated by him—something she usually refused from others.
Still, those facts didn’t explain why Gojo was currently on your bed.
“Oh, you’re back. What took you so long? Had a tough curse to exorcise? Doubt that.”
He scoffed, closing the book in his hand without bothering to save the page. Clearly, he was just reading it to pass the time. At least it wasn’t one of the more graphic ones, you thought with some relief. You couldn’t imagine anything worse than Gojo stumbling upon your porn collection at the moment.
You froze briefly, unsure of how to respond after the events of last time. Taking a sharp inhale, you finally decided to talk back to your tormentor.
“What are you doing in my room, stupid? You have to ask first!”
You stepped toward him, forcing some confidence into your stance.
“You missed me that much, huh? Guess I can’t help it. I’ll keep you company if you’re so lonely.”
Gojo raised an eyebrow at your words, clearly amused, but also a bit surprised by your attitude. He’d half-expected you to turn into a flustered mess upon finding him in your bed with your book—especially after how he had teased you last time.
“Is that so? Ever so kind, I see.”
The older boy wasted no time standing up and walking toward you. To your credit, you didn’t flinch, even as his face drew closer. Your cursed energy spiked, though—something the Six Eyes would never miss.
You huffed through your nose, bracing for whatever his next move would be.
“So? Ready to quit, deadweight? They aren’t giving you any missions, are they? At this point, you should really become an assistant. That way, you’ll get to do a little more than just stand around at school.”
Your jaw dropped, mouth slightly agape—you couldn’t believe him!
“It’s your fault I don’t have any missions! That’s not fair! I was able to handle the fly-head at least! How am I gonna prove myself now?!”
You leaped toward Gojo, trying to grab him, but instead, you collapsed onto your bed as he swiftly dodged you.
“Careful there, you could hurt yourself. All fragile and weak—I won’t always be there to save you. Already told you that,” he taunted, his smile widening.
“I do get the urge for you to throw yourself at me, really, but you should upgrade your underwear wardrobe first. Went through it, and there isn’t anything impressive—too many bears, in my opinion.”
Your face flushed at his words.
“How dare you! Tarnishing a maiden’s intimacy!”
You tried to tackle him again, but once more, he dodged, this time pushing you back onto the bed.
“What? I just made it up. But don’t tell me you really have bear underwear? LOL, that’s so lame—you gotta show me!”
It was a bluff? The bastard had fooled you again! Over and over, he made a joke out of you. You had to get back at him; this was becoming unfair.
As he moved toward your wardrobe, you dashed to block his path, arms stretched out and brows furrowed.
“You can’t look! Or else I’ll tell everyone you… you...”
But what could you even say? Everyone already knew he harassed you, so that threat wouldn’t work. Then it hit you.
“I’ll tell them you’re in love with Suguru!”
For your defense, Gojo did stop at your words
‘“What?”
He looked at you, genuinely confused, even startled.
“I’ll… I’ll tell them you told me you were in love with him!”
That was… believable, right? They were always inseparable.
Gojo stared at you for a moment before suddenly folding in half, clutching his stomach as he burst into loud cackles.
“Gosh—didn’t see that one coming! But damn!”
His aggressive laughter continued as you swallowed nervously, feeling a little worried.
“You really are stupid!”
You flinched slightly at the insult, surprised. Wasn’t it a good bluff?
“Tell me, girlie, why in hell would I tell you about a secret crush on my best friend, huh?”
You opened your mouth, trying to come up with an answer. But he was right—why would Gojo ever confide in you?
The boy kept laughing, throwing himself onto your bed and almost rolling around.
“That’s a good one, really! Gosh, you’re a treat. How did someone like you even survive until today, huh?”
You puffed out your cheeks, slightly offended, but didn’t speak up. He seemed to be on a roll, and at least he wasn’t trying to go through your underwear anymore.
“Is that what you’re into, huh? Thought you wanted to bang me, but maybe you’d rather see me bang Suguru—gosh, when I tell him this! It’s hilarious. Why would anyone even think I’m into guys? I can’t understand what’s going on in that little brain of yours.”
You froze at his words.
“No! Don’t tell Geto! He’ll get upset!”
And somehow, you feared Geto more than Gojo. He was… kind, but in an unsettling way—never reacting, never truly laughing at your jokes. To be honest, he scared you a little.
It didn’t take long for Gojo to pick up on that.
“Mmm? You were ready to lie about me, and now you’re shocked because I want to tell my best friend something that you truly said? That’s not very fair, don’t you think?”
You bit your lip, cowering under the threat.
“Please don’t tell him… I don’t want him to be upset…”
Gojo perked up at that.
“Is that so? I guess I could be merciful… for a little something in return.”
He took a pensive face, wondering what to ask of you. Something fun...
An idea crossed his mind, bringing a smile to his face as he stood up and cornered you, his looming height closing in.
"Look at me in the eyes, properly."
You swallowed around your throat, anxious; he had been going further with his bullying...
"Kiss me."
You choked at his words, had you misheard?
"Don’t look at me like that, I know you probably dream of it all the time with a pillow between your legs or something."
Your face grew redder at his words. This wasn’t true, but it wasn’t... false.
"I can’t- I- it would be my first kiss... I..."
You avoided his eyes, the blush now creeping up on your ears. Gojo’s smile only widened. He had figured it would be your first kiss. Who would even show interest in you? You only made those cute faces with him after all; no one would look at you twice if you weren’t a shaking, quivering, crying mess...
He needed to push you even further. Until tears at the very least, yeah. If you cried, he would let you go.
"Then I guess I can tell Geto you get off to the thought of us getting it on?"
"No!"
You grabbed onto his sleeve as he was removing himself from you.
"But... but... you don’t like me... why would you want..."
You avoided his eyes, your own getting redder.
"What? You think a guy has to like a girl to mess with her?"
He leaned in again, his breath now soft on your face. He smelled good, of course, he did...
"I don’t need to like you or care for you for anything... guys can mess with girls without reasons... not that you would know, uh? No one ever looks at you like that, do they? Well, I’ll tell you, I could get hard and fuck you right now, without ever caring for you."
You shut up at his words, shaking. You didn’t want to hear this, you didn’t want to imagine Gojo having sex with people and then throwing them away. You didn’t want to imagine him doing that to you.
You kept your face down as tears ran down your cheeks.
You didn’t answer to his words, frozen in place.
Gojo quieted down at your reaction. Tears, what he had wanted.
His hand slowly rose to your face, cupping your cheek softly, drying your tears with his thumb as he had done before.
Gojo's smile widened as he kissed your forehead, leaning back just slightly so he could take in your expression, flushed and vulnerable.
“Look at you... you’re so much cuter like this, all red and pathetic. In your place.”
You sniffled, feeling helpless as he did as he pleased.
“I won’t hurt you, ‘kay? I’ll be nice and take care of you. But you have to stop being a sorcerer.”
There it was again—his relentless insistence that you give up being a sorceress. He didn’t stop pushing you, not for a second.
“You like me, right? I’ll let you be my…”
He paused, thinking over the words, calculating what to say. What would he let you be?
“I’ll let you be mine. And I take care of my things, ‘kay? Isn’t that enough for you?”
His. The word hung in the air, heavy with implications. What did being "his" even mean? He messed with you, made you cry, and then dropped these confusing remarks as if they were supposed to mean something.
"Will... will you be mine too?" you whispered, uncertain.
At that, Gojo burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the room as though you had just said the most ridiculous thing in the world.
“Come on, there’s no way I could belong to anyone,” he said, a smirk on his lips.
Notes:
This is basically just a collection of the stuff I'm into at this point
Don't forget to comment!
Chapter Text
You sniffed at the cold word of the teenager, heart pounding.
‘’I’m not… I am not a thing; I can’t be yours… And I won’t stop being a sorceress. I want to be with everyone, to be their equal...Not a pet.’’
You kept your face low as you answered him, still cornered by his body. You wouldn’t back down on this, not on something important like that. You enjoyed Gojo, but you didn’t want to submit to him. This kind of thing was better kept in your cheesy novels.
‘’Is that so?’’
The boy seemed disappointed in your answer, but he still dragged his hand on your face, pinching your wet cheek and pulling on it, deforming your face into an ugly grimace.
‘’You’ll die you know? If you keep this up. You don’t know because you haven’t really seen how scary curses can be. But I did. That’s why I'm warning you. You aren’t made for this. You are too weak, too nice, too soft. ’’
He sighed before stepping away from you as if you were the unreasonable one
‘’And you know how many women would jump in this opportunity? You sure are greedy!’’
Gojo flicked your nose, the pain sharp on your face
‘’Ouch!’’
You slapped his hand away, rubbing your nose.
‘’I don’t want to be anyone’s thing… I am my own person. And especially not be to someone who isn’t ‘mine’.’’
Gojo stared down at you, blue eyes peeking out from behind his round glasses.
‘’Really? That’s a shame you know?’’
You looked away, uncomfortable, you didn’t know how to deal with this kind of Gojo.
‘’But well, I guess you have more guts than I thought. Wouldn’t think you’d pass up on being able to be anything to me.’’
You huffed loudly, he really was looking down on you. Sure, you followed him around a little, but it wasn’t like that. You knew that he was someone you couldn’t truly have. He was nice and fun to look at, like a celebrity, but you knew that someone like you was never going to catch his attention.
‘’I’m not desperate enough for that…’’
He laughed happily at your words as if amused by everything you would say.
‘’Well, I guess there is a limit to being stupid. At least you do know your place’’
He ruffled your hair roughly, a slick smile on his lips.
‘’Good luck with your next missions then.’’
You stared as he made his way out of your room, whistling softly, unbothered even after everything he had just said to you.
You sat down on your bed, quiet for a moment, before suddenly taking your pillow and screaming into it.
How were you supposed to deal with that?
Gojo was so confusing…and…he did say you were cute…
When you were crying, sure, but that was still something, wasn’t it?
You pondered over his words for a minute before standing up and making your way to the mirror in the corner of your room.
You looked into it, your face still red and puffy from your tears, nose snotty.
…. He definitely was messing with you. You weren’t cute at all like this.
You didn’t understand boys.
A couple of days after those events, you were finally assigned a mission again, this time, with Haibara, it wasn’t that often you were sent on solo missions, and the way the last one ended, you doubted you would get another one soon.
You liked Haibara, he was fun and bubbly, so you two got along very well. He was encouraging and never dismissive, even though he was way stronger than you were.
You met him at the bus stop, heading into the city for your mission. It wasn’t a bit one, not even big enough to warrant an assistant.
‘’You got the information right Yu?’’
The boy nodded as he showed you his phone screen. You leaned toward him, focused.
‘’Yeah, it’s an abandoned circus I heard. Should be a couple of grades 4! You can count on me to get rid of them. You can be my support for today!’’
You huffed; cheeks puffed out in a displeased manner.
‘’I also want to actually do something you know… not just watch.’’
Haibara chuckled, the sound very different from Gojo’s. He did not look down on you as the other did, laughing with rather than at you.
‘’I know! But come on, let me show off a little’’
He winked at you, inciting a light blush on your ears. Did he always look that handsome?
‘’Fine… but let me a chance to shine too kay? I wanna get promoted one day’’
Haibara’s eyes lingered on you for a moment, understanding. He wasn’t the strongest out there either. But he believed hard work could bring you anywhere.
‘’You’ll get there eventually, just keep training you know? Jujutsu is something that only we can do. So it’s our duty to persevere and help as much people as we can.’’
Right. Whatever Gojo said to you, you were someone who was blessed with those power. You could help others… You had the strength needed to save non sorcerers.
You didn’t have a moment to shine.
Far from it.
The curse had even ripped your uniform, leaving you in a dirty tank top.
Haibara had exorcised the curses himself, you were barely able to provide any support to him. You looked like a mess, mud in your face and confetti in your hair.
Ah yes, you also had dislocated your left arm.
The ride home was strenuous. People were staring at you on the bus. Why didn’t you get a ride from an assistant… even if you weren’t hot stuff, you deserved that much after such a fiasco.
‘’I’m so sorry! I should have been more vigilant- I didn’t mean for you to get hurt…’’
Haibara kept apologizing to you once you both arrived on the ground of the school, away from civilians, even though he really didn’t have anything to apologize for.
‘’Yu, stop it, you weren’t responsible for me or anything. If I got hurt, it’s my own fault kay? And this isn’t much. Ierie will take care of it in a minute’’
The boy still looked deflated as you made your way into the school.
‘’Yeah but… I wanted to protect you at least’’
He looked at you straight into your eyes, a soft glint lighting up as his lips quivered, parting themselves as he continued.
‘’You know.. I-‘’
A loud noise interrupted him, making you both shift your attention unto the door that was roughly opened, almost getting off its rails.
‘’Wow! You really got roughed up!’’
Gojo jogged toward you lightly, a smile on his face.
What was he even doing there? Didn’t he have a mission with Geto in Kyoto?
And he seemed to be enjoying your disheveled sight way too much.
‘’Did you even exorcise any curse? Or did Haibara do all the work? Lemme guess, he’s intact and he did everything!’’
Gojo seemed elated, but Haibara was quick to contradict him, lying for you.
‘’N-No! She helped plenty. I am the one who failed- I allowed her to get hurt even though she was supposed to be my support…’’
You looked at Yu, surprised. You hadn’t helped at all, but he didn’t want you to lose face against Gojo... It was thoughtful, way more than you gave him credit for.
You made a face, moved by his action. You liked him even more than before now.
‘’Yu.,.You are the best!’’
You went to hug him, eyes wet as he froze against your touch.
But Gojo was quick to cut your little moment.
‘’What? The best? Look at you, all messed up’’
He took hold of your injured arm, inciting a yelp from you.
‘’Ouch! It’s tender stupid!’’
You stepped away from the two boys as Gojo crossed his arms, looking down at you.
Haibara made a face toward Gojo, unpleased by his actions. He wasn’t the type to confront his elders, but he seemed to have made an exception.
‘’Come on Senpai… she’s already hurt’’
Said Senpai rolled his eyes at the soft words.
‘’Who’s fault? Had she been with a competent sorcerer, this wouldn’t have happened. Actually, she shouldn’t even be on field if she can’t protect herself.’’
Gojo kept looking at you, his eyes growing more and more upset, without you even knowing why. What had you done?
‘’You really are a bully- I’ll show you who shouldn’t be a sorcerer… I’ll train and become a special grade, stupid! And then I’ll be making you float around!’’
You pulled your tongue at him, quickly continuing your way in the hallway.
‘’Stupid!’’
You glared as you made your way, annoyed by his usual antics.
‘’You are the stupid one! Don’t come crying when you lose an arm! Oh- And your cursed technique can’t make anyone float dumbass!’’
He shouted back as Haibara followed after you, jogging lightly.
You walked toward Ierie's room, face still red in anger as you sped up.
‘’Don’t take what Senpai is saying to heart okay? He’s just trying to make you react’’
At the words of your friend, you mellowed down a little.
‘’I know he’s just teasing… but it still rubs me the wrong way. I’ll show him how wrong he is’’
Haibara smiled at those words. This was more like it!
‘’That’s the spirit!’’
He lifted his clenching fist in the air in a joyful motion as you both arrived in front of Ierie dorm. You giggled lightly at the action, already in a better mood.
‘’Ierie will fix you right up you’ll see!’’
As he said those words, the door of her room opened.
‘’Giving me work already? What happened again?’’
You beamed at the sight of your friend, rushing into her arms, careful of your own.
Haibara explained the rough lines of your mission as she softly nodded.
‘’You really need to take it easier girlie… You aren’t though like those guys’’
Your eyes were quick to roll at her words.
‘’I’ll never get better if I don’t take risks once in a while. I have to get better, or else Gojo will never stop mocking me’’
She invited you two inside her room, but Haibara refused the offer, telling you that he would text you later in the evening, still smiling.
The two of you settled down inside her room as she answered you.
‘’I’m pretty sure he won’t leave you alone even if you get a little better. No one arrives to his and Geto’s level, so it’s easy for him to mock everyone. No one would react the way you do to his taunting you know?’’
She made you lay down on her bed as she moved your arm lightly, observing the damage.
‘’We know our places.’’
She almost whispered that last part as you felt the warm feeling of her reverse cursed energy output. It felt pleasant, like a light tingling.
‘’…I’ll get better…’’
She huffed lightly at your words. You could get better, but you would probably never even get close to Haibara’s level, not even mentioning Gojo’s.
‘’Keep that mindset, we need it’’
You nodded at her words, a little confused.
You heard your phone ping as you checked your notification. It was Haibara. You used your freshly healed arm to open the message
‘’Yu texted me… Wonder if he’s upset I had him do all the work after all’’
Ierie had her back turned on you as she was fetching a cigarette from her things, but her head turned back at your words.
‘’Oh? I’d be surprised. Lemme know what he said.’’
She lighted the cigarette, leaning against her window.
You nodded at her words as you finally read the message you had been sent.
‘’Oh… He wants to celebrate! He said I got better! Are you free Ierie?’’
You asked her smiling, you always enjoyed hanging out with everyone.
The girl rose an eyebrow as she made her way to you, reading behind your shoulder the message.
‘’Poor boy.’’
She called your name as she continued
‘’He wants to celebrate with you. Not everyone. A duo, probably gonna treat you too- you are quite dense aren’t you?’’
Your eyes widened at her words
‘’Uh? No way! No way a guy wants that with me! I mean- you saw me? Even Gojo says so!’’
You weren’t cute, far from it. Bushy eyebrows, unkept hair, a childish figure, guys weren’t interested in you.
Your friend looked at you with a defeated look on her face.
‘’I’m not really sure what you are referring to, but you aren’t ugly you know? When you brush you hair they look all nice and fluffy, and you have soft cheeks- She poked one of them to make her point- Your skin is soft too. And you always smell good. Your eyebrows do need a trim though’’
She pointed out before leaning back down against the window.
‘’Don’t listen to Gojo kay? He’s just a bully. And it’s not like look wise any of us are remotely in the same league as him. So not worth comparing yourself, in jujutsu or in looks’’
You looked at your friend, moved by her words.
‘’…you really think I’m cute..?’’
She smiled softly at your question, you were always brash and confident, but apparently not when it was about your looks
‘’Cutest sorceress around, and I’m not talking ‘bout looks. Everyone is hardened to an extent, but you haven’t gotten there just yet’’
She winked at you
‘’For your looks, re-ask me after letting me take care of those caterpillars above your eyes’’
‘’Hey!’’
You scolded her, but still laughed heartily at the joke.
You had never really been fancy… but it wouldn’t hurt, would it?
‘’Will it hurt? To do my eyebrows’’
She shrugged
‘’Not worse than being tossed around by a curse’’
Notes:
I have been feeling self-conscious about my writing recently. The more I read, the more I notice my writing is clunky and doesn't flow well compared to it
I'd love to hear what you think of this chapter though. Shoko is sweet isn't she?
Anyway, please comments or I'll shrivel up and die
Chapter Text
Ierie doesn’t take long to trim your eyebrows; she even takes the opportunity to cut your dry ends. Your hair seems fluffier now, soft curls framing your cheeks, brushing against them lightly. You stare in the mirror of her room, observing your reflection with a renewed interest in your appearance. You didn’t expect her to be so good at it… Although it did hurt a little when she plucked your eyebrows.
Of course, you still have a few flaws—a pimple at the corner of your hairline, slight eye bags hidden by your glasses, and cheeks prone to redness.
But… you allow yourself to think you look a little cute. The bubble skirt of your uniform isn't so bad on you either.
"Thank you, Ierie… I look better, you were right."
You smile at her, satisfied with your overall look, as she chuckles darkly, a slightly scary expression crossing her face. You can almost see horns and wings sprouting from her. You freeze, turning a little blue.
"We aren’t done yet. Go wash your face."
You stare as she pulls out a pink pouch from her school bag.
"I’ll doll you up for Haibara."
You swallow nervously, nodding obediently. When she's like that, there's no point in arguing.
Gojo spat a cherry pit toward Geto as he listened to him. Geto dodged it with a disgusted look, waiting for his friend's reaction to what he considered interesting information.
"What? Haibara’s taking her out on a date? After their fiasco?"
Gojo took another cherry, tossing the stem out the window with disinterest.
"Yeah, he told me he planned to invite her out after their mission. He’s been eyeing her for a while. Didn’t you notice? He’s not exactly subtle."
Gojo scoffed, a disdainful look crossing his face.
"As if I’d waste my time worrying about those small fries. They can suck face all they want for all I care!"
He exclaimed, louder than necessary. Geto, settling more comfortably on his bed, propped his elbow against his knee, resting his face on his hand. He was good at reading Gojo’s tone.
"Is that so? I thought you liked her."
"Aaah?!"
Gojo looked at him, dumbfounded, as if Geto had lost his mind. Did he not know him better than that?
"Her? Why? Why would I—Suguru, come on, you know what I’m into. She’s not exactly a hot babe!"
Geto hummed thoughtfully. He knew what type of girl Gojo usually went for, but none of them ever held his attention for long. In truth, he was kind of a jerk, tossing them aside after he’d had his fun and blocking them if they got too clingy. But with you, it was different. Gojo had stayed fixated on you for a while now. It was the same with Utahime, but the way he messed with you felt… more suggestive. Teasing you about your underwear and such—he never did that with his senior.
"I know, I know… But you've been on her case a lot lately."
"Yeah, duh, because she’s fun to bully. But would you date a mutt that’s fun to make bark? Come on, make a little sense."
Geto laughed, huffing at Gojo's harsh words. He really was cruel, more so than with Utahime.
"A mutt? That’s a bit much. I wouldn’t go that far."
Gojo rolled his eyes.
"Well, if she’d stop following me around like a puppy, maybe I wouldn’t call her that."
Geto stretched his arms, lying back on his freshly made bed.
"A puppy, huh? So she got promoted from mutt?"
"Oh, fuck off."
Gojo didn’t miss a beat, spitting another cherry pit, this time out the window.
‘’But Haibara? I didn’t see it coming, he could do better really. Maybe I should go see what they are up to. I’m sure she’ll mess up somehow. Gosh, I’d kill to see her in a gaudy dress and full of makeup’’
Gojo mulled over the idea, popping another cherry into his mouth, tying a knot with its tail half absently.
This time it was Geto’s turn to roll his eyes.
‘’See? You are on her case’’
You looked at yourself in the mirror one last time, swirling in the white dress Ierie lent you. This wasn’t what you usually wore, but… you liked it! It gave you a dainty look, accentuating the only good parts of your figure.
Smiling at your reflection, you noticed someone else in it. Beaming, you turned to greet your friend. He too was out of his uniform, wearing a light smile.
“Yu!”
You walked up to him cheerfully. He froze slightly as he took you in, his smile faltering, as if caught off guard.
Your own smile faded a bit as you grew nervous under his gaze.
“Eum—I…”
He nodded, softly saying your name like you had said his.
“Does it look weird?” you asked, your voice small.
He quickly shook his head, a little too forcefully. That’s when you noticed his ears turning red.
“No… not at all… you… you look cute.”
Your heart raced at his kind words. It wasn’t like him to be so flustered, but it was flattering. How had you never noticed his interest before? You’d never had a boy tell you that you were cute. And suddenly, you understood why some girls dressed up all the time.
‘’You look handsome too… out of your uniform’’
You gave him a crooked smile, embarrassed by your own words.
‘’Thanks.. I eum… I invited you to celebrate and…usually you invite everyone... with you…did ehm_’’
You nodded at the words but avoided his eyes as you answered the boy.
‘’Ierie told me that… You probably wanted us to be two...and I don’t think I mind trying.’’
You scratched your head as he nodded back at you, a huge smile on his face. He really seemed happy, did you affect him that much..?
‘’Good..good. Then, ehm, shall we go?’’
You followed him closely as you both left the school’s field.
Going out with Haibara was fun and easy. He was paying you attention and was mindful of your humor. You couldn’t help but feel flattered. It was nice, it was easy. He was easy to get along with. It was calm and in your comfort zone.
‘’Ah! Did you hear? Nanami just got promoted!’’
As you walked back to the dormitory, you listened carefully to what Haibara was telling you.
‘’Did he? That’s great! He deserves it! He’s always training so hard’’
Haibara strongly agreed with you. He was rather close to Nanami and often trained with him. They were also often assigned missions together.
‘’I don’t know anyone as hardworking as him!’’
Neither did you. Even though you wished you too were as hardworking, you knew you weren’t. At least, not anywhere as much as Nanami. He was trustworthy and reliable… you wished you could be a little more like him, but it just wasn’t really who you were.
And neither were you like Haibara, or Ierie, or anyone else at school.
You thought back of Gojo’s words as you kept making your way toward the dormitories.
The conversation shifted to more mundane subjects as you both finally arrived in front of the girl’s dormitory. The evening had been fun really, and the food was good, but…
You stopped as Haibara started staring at you, now a little more quiet and visibly nervous.
‘’It ehm, it was fun’’
You nodded softly, looking back at him. The date had been fun yes…
But…It wasn’t really different than hanging out with Ierie, was it?
Haibara looked away for an instant before looking back at you, a decisive glare on his face as he stepped closer to you, leaning toward your face as he glanced at your lips.
Was he going to kiss you? Did you want him to? You made no movement, frozen in place.
It was going to be your first kiss. Did you want him to have it? Maybe? He wasn’t so bad but…
Despite yourself, a blue flash crossed your mind. Haibara leaned a little more toward you…
And finally yelped, stepping away
‘’Ouch! What?’’
He looked around, confused
‘’Something…something hit me..’’
He looked at you, as if expecting you to have an answer for him. You looked up, looking for what could have fallen unto him, but saw nothing, there was only a tree a couple meters away.
‘’I- I don’t know? Maybe a tree nut..?’’
The boy noticed something on the ground, brows furrowed.
‘’A..a cherry pit?’’
You were back in your dormitory, lips still unkissed.
Haibara was nice yes... But you had told him that you really liked him as a friend…and that you had a lot of fun today but didn’t see him that way.
Although his answer to you did take you by surprise. You did not expect him to mention someone so… different from you two.
‘’Is it Gojo..? You know…You know he’s the type to play with girls right?’’
You had stared at him dumbfounded before denying everything outwrite. Not even taking the time to really take in what he said to you, too focused on clearing any misunderstandings.
‘’It’s not like that! At all! I respect him and want to be friends but- I know that even if I liked him- which I don’t- he would never give me his time of the day! I promise there isn’t anyone like that for me. I would have told you otherwise. And I wouldn’t have gone on a date with you today…’’
Your answer satisfied Haibara, but… were you satisfied with it?
Gojo had crossed your mind earlier as he was going to kiss you. You didn’t truly think that the man cared about you but… despite you knowing better…
It was something to think he was attractive, everyone did. But to have him wander in your mind when another boy was going to kiss you? That was a bad idea. You weren’t stupid. He was already aware you found him attractive, and he bullied you with it. So if you had…feelings for him, you would not hear the end of it.
And of course, he would break your heart without remorse.
So why would you even like him?
You took a deep breath and tried to think of Gojo. Tried to think of how you felt about him. You recently had interacted even more with him, so you weren’t lacking memories to focus on. He always seemed to make a deep impression on you too…
The physical part was a given, he was handsome, divine perhaps.
But his personality?
You grew annoyed with yourself as you thought back of the time you spent together. He messed with you, mocked you, looked down on you. So you should know better… but it was still fun. To have him tease you, to keep a banter with him, to annoy him and follow him around. To get his attention was… it was great. Even if it wasn’t sweet words whispered into your ear. You did enjoy interacting with him. It put you in a good mood. You liked to annoy him and make him repeat himself over and over. To have him look at you, and only you.
…Perhaps you were a little masochistic? Because you didn’t think you’d actually mind for him to keep bullying you if he wiped your tears softly afterward and kissed you.
Just your luck uh?
Notes:
Thank you for the nice comments everyone :)
I told you giving me attention speed up the writing process ahahah
kiss kiss
Chapter Text
After the failure of your last mission with Haibara, you decide to start training a little more seriously. You stay later at night, maintaining your illusions for as long as you are able. You truly make an effort, training until you're sweating for once. Nanami no longer scoffs when you leave the dojo after a tiring day.
You hadn’t trained that way before, but with the pressure Gojo put on you, and the multiple times you had to be saved, you realize you need to at least make sure you can defend yourself better. You don’t want him to be right—you don’t want to die on the job, amounting to nothing, and most of all, you don’t want to become an assistant because you aren’t trying hard enough.
But… your technique is not offensive. It can distract curses at best, but in a fight, it isn’t that useful. You would be a very good mall magician though. You almost laugh at the thought.
Your training doesn’t go unnoticed either. On the fourth night of training in a row, Gojo appears mid-session.
“What are you even doing?”
You wipe the sweat from your brow. Bushy eyebrows help a little with the sweat, but it’s a sacrifice you’re more than willing to make.
“…I’m trying to get better. I don’t want to always rely on everyone.”
Gojo steps inside the dojo, seeming more neutral than usual.
“Like you did with Haibara? Whatever he says, I know you haven’t actually helped him—if not just motivated him to show off.”
Did he know that Haibara had feelings for you? Apparently, everyone knew but you… You force yourself not to think too hard about it, especially after the small revelation you had about Gojo recently.
“I tried to help out… Maybe that’s why I got hit.”
You weren’t needed. Why had you even been assigned to him? For the curtain? Were you already practically being used as an assistant?
“How did you even get your arm dislocated by a fourth-grade curse? Even if it hit you… You have enough cursed energy to at least absorb some of the impact. You shouldn’t have gotten more than a bad bruise.”
Gojo lowered his glasses for an instant, looking at you with renewed attention, as if scanning you.
“You aren’t focusing on the right thing. Your cursed energy output and control are lackluster—that’s what will reinforce your body and prevent you from getting killed by a mere kick.”
He removed his glasses completely, peering into your soul with his light blue eyes.
“I can see it. You need to relax and make sure your output is constant. Otherwise, you’ll be vulnerable when taken by surprise.”
You carefully listen to his words. It’s unexpected for him to give you such earnest advice. Perhaps he didn’t want you to get killed on the job…
“How do you do that?”
He sighs at your question.
“That’s why it’s a pain to teach anything to low-tier sorcerers… It should be instinctive.”
He grumbles but still steps closer to you.
“When you use your cursed energy, you can feel its flow, right?”
You nod.
“Good. Well, that flow shouldn’t waver. Keep it just under the surface, as a constant. Soon enough, it’ll become automatic for you.”
You nod again and try to follow his advice, closing your eyes to focus on your energy output.
“Good. Your energy is more stable. Try to keep it like that at all times. You’ll probably mess up sometimes, but when you notice it, simply go back to stabilizing your output.”
You open your eyes, looking back at Gojo as he puts his glasses back on.
You stand there, silent. It’s unlike him to be so helpful, so you don’t really know how to react.
He notices your confused stare and sighs.
“I still think you should quit. You will die—sooner or later. That’s just the fate of untalented sorcerers.”
Yeah… that was more like him.
“But if you insist on being stubborn… get yourself a cursed weapon. You have close to no offensive skill; it’s a must for you. Get yourself a good one. I don’t think you’ll be able to create any with your output anyway.”
Right. A cursed weapon. Nanami had one. But his cursed technique was attack-focused anyway…
Gojo starts making his way back to the entrance, apparently done with his little lesson, but turns back to look at you before leaving.
“You don’t have to do this, you know?”
He doesn’t give you time to answer, disappearing behind the bamboo door.
The plasma star event happens.
Geto changed.
Gojo changed.
You are not told the details. You only know that a girl your age died and that Gojo almost died too, but figured out reversed cursed energy.
He’s different than before. You don’t know how or why, but something has changed.
The first time you see him after the mission, he is alone in the living room of the main hall, his hand outstretched toward the ceiling, glasses off. It’s just the ceiling—he’s indoors, really—but he seems to be reaching for more. You look at him, puzzled, quickly noticing the change in his… in everything. He doesn’t seem much like a boy anymore.
You don’t make a sound, but Gojo doesn’t need that to notice someone, really.
His eyes lower to look at you, and you feel like you cannot breathe. It’s as if he’s taking you apart piece by piece.
“Gojo…?”
You wonder, is it really the boy you know standing in front of you?
He doesn’t answer right away but keeps staring. Finally, after what feels like hours—or mere seconds—he responds.
“Hey… it’s been a while.”
It hasn’t. It really hasn’t, but you can’t help but agree.
“Are you okay? Gojo…?”
He takes a step toward you, smiling. And you swear, it feels as if Buddha himself is smiling down on you, benevolent. You feel like you should bow before him. It is unlike yourself; you never get intimidated by Gojo. He’s too much of a jokester for that. But right now, you can’t help yourself, you draw a comparison to a divine being.
He takes another step.
And another.
He’s right in front of you now, his hand reaching up to your face, a whisper on your skin. As if blessing you, cleansing you… Right now, if he asked you, you don’t think there is a lot that you would refuse him…
A striking pain struck you cheek as you whimper instinctively
He is pinching you. Hard. His other hand reaches for your other cheek, unforgiving.
‘’Ouch!’’
You try to step away, but his grip on your face is too strong.
“Who do you think you are, little brat? Think you’re in a place to worry about me? You still didn’t get that cursed weapon, did you?”
You whimper at his words but feel a wave of relief. He’s the same Gojo after all—bullyish and dismissive, but weirdly concerned at times.
“Sowwy—they’re expeshive!”
He keeps pulling on your cheeks, but less forcefully now; the pain is a little more bearable.
“Well, worry about that before worrying about me. I’ll let you know I got reverse cursed energy! Nothing can harm me now, brat!—Not that much did before anyway.”
You finally manage to get away as his grip softens slightly.
“Yeah… I heard the rough details.”
Gojo suddenly looks behind himself, and a couple of seconds later, Ierie comes into the room. He really does seem to see everything in the vicinity.
“Oh, what are you two doing here?”
You rush behind Ierie for protection, having had enough of getting your cheeks pulled. Were they really that big for him to pull on them so much?
“That stupid man keeps harassing me—look at my cheeks!”
She looks down at you and smiles.
“Now, now, don’t make a drama out of it. I’ll heal you right up—oh! Or can you do it, Gojo? You learned reverse cursed energy, right?”
Gojo raises an eyebrow at the comment.
“I’ve never tried it on someone else; I don’t know if it’ll work.”
Ierie rolls her eyes at the comment, as if he had just said something stupid.
“It’s easy, you just do the same as usual, but instead of going piouff, you go fwaap.”
Gojo looks at her, unimpressed and unsurprised. You had also been subject to Ierie's lackluster explanations before.
“Uh-huh, right.”
Still, he steps toward you and Ierie, making his way around her without a problem.
“Doesn’t hurt to try—come here. Shouldn’t be so different…”
You try to scamper off, but Ierie nudges you toward Gojo. With a huff, you finally give in and let him do what he wants. He didn’t seem to want to tease you anymore.
His hand goes up to your face, as soft as always. It’s as if he’s never worked a day in his life, though you know that’s far from the truth. You sometimes wonder if he’s being overworked with Geto…
You feel something strange, almost intrusive. It’s a little different from when Ierie heals you—it feels as if something is playing around with your cursed energy instead of directing it.
Gojo furrows his brow, focused, pressing his palm against your cheek a little harder.
A minute passes like that, and Gojo grunts slightly, a drop of sweat trailing down his temple.
He finally removes his hand, but your cheek is still red.
“Nope. Can’t do it to others.”
He scoffs as he steps away to sit on the couch. You wonder if he’s a little frustrated that he couldn’t do it.
“Not that it really matters. As long as I can heal myself, I probably won’t be around many injured sorcerers.”
“You really don’t have a sense for it, huh.”
“Oh, shut up, Shoko. Your instructions make no sense.”
Your friend quickly heals your cheek, the warm, familiar sensation once again comforting your skin.
You focus on the feeling, comparing it in your mind to Gojo’s attempt.
"When you tried it, Gojo, I felt like you were playing around with my cursed energy. It was a little gross. When Ierie does it, though, it feels more like she’s evening out my cursed energy."
You search for a way to illustrate what you felt, and how it was different between the two. You don’t know reversed cursed energy, but perhaps you will be able to help him a little.
"If I were playdough, Ierie would roll me around to smooth out my surface, while you just stuck a finger in it and probed around."
Surprisingly, Gojo seems to listen, a hint of interest in his expression.
"Let’s set aside how gross that metaphor is—So Shoko only gets to the surface? I guess…"
He trails off, lost in thought and mumbling to himself.
"Well... since it’s someone else, I guess that makes sense. It is a bit…"
You don’t catch everything he says, but he seems satisfied with his own conclusion. Maybe he’ll try again another time?
As you observe Gojo, a thought crosses your mind.
"Oh! Was Geto okay too? I heard he had to be patched up by Ierie."
You sit down on the other couch, waiting for his explanation. You’d rather ask Gojo than Geto about it—Geto wasn’t mean, but still…
"Ah? Suguru? Yeah, he’s fine. Got a little roughed up, but Shoko didn’t have any trouble taking care of it. But…"
He sighs, as if something weighs heavily on his mind.
"The mission failed, and someone died. I think he cared about her a bit by the end. So he’s feeling disturbed."
You look at Gojo, a touch of worry creeping in as you anticipate his response to your next question.
"And you aren’t?"
He avoids your gaze, the careless words hanging heavy on his tongue.
"I can’t allow myself to care about small fries. You guys all end up dying anyway."
Notes:
Am I not a writing machine?
Also, next coming up is Megu chaaaan!
Gojo changing was a big part for me. Look forward to the rest
Once again, you duty is to comment.
Don't hesitate to propose plot point/ideas. I've already used a couple of things from the comments
Chapter Text
Cursed tools are really expensive. Worse than that, they are rarely on sale, mainly collecting dust in a rich family’s basement. Nanami made his own with time and patience, but according to Gojo, that’s not an option for you.
It doesn’t seem like this dilemma has any easy solution, so for now, you’ll focus on getting better at protecting your body. You’re still subpar, as Gojo makes sure you don’t forget, but at least now you won’t get your arm completely dislocated like before.
But one day, Gojo comes to you with the easy solution you’ve been waiting for. He ambushes you as you’re coming back from a mission, a little tired from the long commute.
“Yo.”
You look at him suspiciously. It’s unheard of for him to greet you like this. He’s a little too civil. You wonder if he feels bad about saying you would die last time.
You observe him for a moment; he seems a little unsure of himself. It’s unlike him, but after what happened last time, you wonder if you know him as well as you thought.
“Eeeh, you’re good with kids, right? You seem like the type—Shoko told me you were—I know she isn’t.”
You blink. Once, then twice. Was he asking if you were good with kids? That was an odd question. You do like kids, and they usually like you, but why would he care? You have trouble believing he has an urgent babysitting job for you.
“Why?”
He clicks his tongue as if your questions are a burden he shouldn’t have to deal with. Now, this feels more like him...
“You are, right? Good with ’em?”
You take a moment before answering, wary. You feel like you need to think carefully about what you’re going to say.
“I guess so... why?”
He smiles, satisfied with your answer.
“Good! It’s just that—you know that last mission? Well, one of the bad guys, an asshole really, he’s the one that killed the kid—” He explained casually, as if to cushion the next thing he was about to drop on you.
“Well, I killed him an—”
You don’t let him finish, not after that.
“You killed—You killed someone?”
He looks aside, as if expecting your reaction and the awkward question that followed.
“That’s not the important part of the story—it was self-defense, you know? Well, kinda—but most sorcerers end up having to—anyway...”
You stare at him, confused, your brow furrowing. He is taking this way too lightly, cutting himself off and changing subject right after telling you he killed someone! How is that even connected to the start of this conversation? You’re starting to feel a little lightheaded.
“You can’t just—What the hell, Gojo!”
He rubs his face with his hand, looking as though he’s tired of this whole situation.
“That’s why, with scouted kids...”
He huffed before starting again, an unpleased grimace stuck on his face.
“It’s not uncommon to kill in our career—you probably won’t ever get there though, so don’t worry your lil brain about it. But anyway, don’t be shocked; it’s kill or be killed sometimes. Can’t help it—but yeah, the bad guy had a son, and the big bad clan he was from wants said son. And he’s like, 7 or something? And I’m not great with kids. Sooooooo, I got a deal for you.”
He steps closer to you, dragging out the syllables.
“I’m gonna make you a cursed tool. With my energy. It’s a bit of a pain ’cause I don’t even need to use a weapon, but it’s gonna be something better than anything you could ever make. And I’ll make it specifically for you—it’s a great deal, really.”
What does Gojo even want from you? To... babysit a kid? A kid whose father he killed? It’s getting hard to follow what he’s saying at this point.
But even without the promise of a cursed tool, you probably would’ve accepted. Leaving a seven-year-old in Gojo’s care…
“What do you want from me..?”
He smiles brightly, pleased by your silent agreement.
“Just want you to help me out—I’m gonna offer to take him under my wing, house him and stuff. If the Zenins get to him, it’s gonna be a mess, and the kid will be miserable, that’s for sure. I figured having a woman with me might help build trust. Kids like women, right?”
You doubt his words a little. It seems unlike him to choose you for anything remotely important. He’s always wanted you out of anything related to the jujutsu world, hasn’t he?
“And you chose me? You’re always ranting about how useless I am. You’re not making much sense, stupid.”
You throw in the insult because you can.
“Yeah, you sure are useless as a sorcerer. No reason for you to even be a student here, truly.”
You almost groan at his words, but you’re used to them by now. Maybe he changed, but not that much, after all. Still, you feel the need to defend yourself.
“I’ve been getting better! My cursed energy is kinda constant now! I even took a hit from a grade 4 last time and didn’t need to see Ierie! How’s that for a useless sorcerer?”
You point your finger at him, trying to make your point. But he’s not one to admit defeat easily.
“That’s not even the bare minimum—but anyway, that wasn’t where I was getting at. You’re useless as a sorceress, but that doesn’t mean much when it comes to babysit a kid or being a woman.”
He leans down toward you, getting closer and closer. He doesn’t seem to have any sense of personal space. But you don’t mind right now; what he just said catches your attention more than his proximity.
“You seem like the type who’d be patient and understanding with a brat. Maybe because you’re one too, I don’t know. I’m not asking you to fight any curses—you’re useless as a sorcerer—”
He didn’t need to say it twice...
“But I don’t need an exorcist. I need someone who’d be good at playing housewife. And why are you even complaining? I’m sure you’re fantasizing about being my lil wifey all the time, isn’t that what girls are into?”
You turn red—whether from anger or embarrassment, you’re not sure.
“Shut up! Who would want to be your housewife?! You’d cheat all the time anyway! And you wouldn’t even bother hiding it!”
At that, he laughs heartily, a bright smile spreading across his face.
“You really do get me! Good to see you’re not making up some princely version of me in your mind.”
He lowers his glasses, looking you directly in the eyes.
“So? What’s the verdict?”
You cross your arms, pivoting away from him as you take a light step back.
“I’ll do it. But not for you—just for the poor kid. And I’m expecting a really cool weapon.”
He snorts at your demand, clearly amused by your audacity. That's why he doesn't get tired of messing with you.
“I’ll get you a nail cutter.”
“Oi!”
You slap him on the back of his head. His hair feels soft under your hand, but he doesn’t even flinch.
Megumi is a sweet kid, and it doesn’t take long for you to grow close to him and his older sister.
The first time you met him, Gojo was a bit cranky, trying to explain clan politics that you didn’t fully understand. Something about his father selling him and the Zenins being major assholes.
But when Gojo was done talking, and the poor kid seemed anxious enough about his future to cry, you crouched down with a soft smile. Reassuring him was your job.
“Don’t worry about those things just yet, okay? We’ll make sure you and Tsumiki have everything you need. How about you show me your place? I want to see if there’s anything you need there.”
His shoes were worn out, you wondered if they even fit him anymore. He would definitely need new things... poor kid.
The boy stared at you for a moment, silent, before nodding and leading you inside his home. Gojo trailed a few meters behind, unusually quiet. This wasn’t something he was suited for, and you suddenly understood why he insisted on having you with him. He felt awkward.
You step into the apartment. It’s small, with a faint moldy smell lingering in the air. A deep cleaning probably wouldn’t be enough to fix the place… children definitely shouldn’t be living here, that much is clear.
You quickly meet Tsumiki, Megumi’s older sister by alliance. You introduce yourself as <Gojo’s friend which is Megumi’s relative.>
“You’ve been taking care of the house, right, Tsumiki? You did a great job. I’ll try to come help out whenever I can, okay?”
The girl nods happily, clearly looking forward to having an adult helping them. You wonder how long it’s been since her mother left.
Gojo walks around the house, carefully observing the place without his glasses. He knocks on a wall that seems rotten.
“I’m gonna find you guys a place closer to the school. This house is nasty!”
You walk up to Gojo and pinch his shoulder.
“Don’t be rude—”
Tsumiki looks down, blushing. Of course, she’s embarrassed; she’s the big sister and has done her best to take care of the house.
You hurry back to her side to comfort the poor girl.
“Don’t worry about him. He’s just a rich kid who’s always had maids—”
“Not true!” Gojo shouts back. “I don’t have any in the dorms!”
You roll your eyes at him, which makes Tsumiki giggle softly.
“I think you’ve done a great job, Tsumiki. But now you can count on us, okay?”
She smiles softly at your words, and in this moment, she might be the cutest kid in the world.
“Thank you, big sis.”
She almost jumps to hug you, and you can feel Megumi’s eyes on you both, watching, wary.
‘’How about we go do some shopping mhm? We’ll get you autumn clothes and new shoes’’
Gojo stares at you as you talk with the children. He knew you’d be better with them than he was, but he didn’t think it would be to this extent. You seem far more comfortable with them than you ever were at the school.
There really isn’t any point in you being a sorcerer. You’d probably be happier finding yourself a husband and popping a bunch of kids in the safety of your home.
But, somehow, right now, he doesn’t want to tell you that.
You do find it easy to take care of the two siblings. It didn’t take long for Gojo to find them a new place either, and only then do you realize just how rich he really is. He hands you one of his credit cards to cover whatever the kids need—a black one. You’ve never even seen a black one before.
You often spend evenings with the children, cooking for them or helping with their homework. Gojo isn’t always there, but when he has time, he comes by. He tends to bring you with him whenever he goes to visit them, and it’s always faster with him around—teleportation is a handy tool.
More and more often, he finds himself knocking on your door to get you to come along with him.
“I’m going to see the kids. Wanna bring them groceries—what do they like again?”
At least he knocks now, even if he doesn’t wait before opening the door.
“I’ll come with you to the store! Just give me a minute to get ready.”
He rolls his eyes and grabs your arm.
“You’re fine, you’re not going on a date—you’re just seeing some brats.”
You scoff, annoyed by his blatant lack of manners.
“So impatient to spend time with me, huh? Can’t even wait for me to change my socks?”
“Shut up. The deal was for you to help me out with the brats. Who cares about your socks?”
You don’t even get to answer before being teleported with him to the store at the street corner. He pushes you toward the entrance as you whine.
“Grab what they need.”
“I’m still in slippers, dumbass!”
“Sounds rough.”
You try to push him, but he’s quick to avoid you.
“Come on, don’t be a pest, just go get them some juice box or something!”
You grab his wrist, dragging him with you into the store.
“If I have to do this, then I’m not letting you laze around! You’ll carry the groceries!”
Gojo grumbles a little but finally gives in, following you around the store as you pick food for the children.
Since that... the incident, he has been a little easier to deal with. He stopped fighting you on everything, and his insults lost some of their sharpness. He seems more mature, and you will not complain about the change.
You take a little more than half an hour in the store, picking ingredients that are easy to cook. You would have spent longer if Gojo hadn’t started complaining about the time mid-shopping.
When he teleports the two of you again, you are quick to open the door of the Fushiguro household, already looking forward to seeing them.
They don’t waste time running toward you, hugging you tightly.
“You came too? We thought it would only be him!”
You laugh at their reaction, flattered.
“Aww! You make me happy! He needed a little help picking out groceries, so we did them together.”
You take Megumi in your arms, carrying him with affection.
Tsumiki goes to hug Gojo too, and he lightly ruffles her hair, smiling at her. You are happy to see them all getting along. He seems way more comfortable with them now, and honestly, it warms your heart a little.
“Megumi! I’m not getting a hug?”
Gojo teases as the kid nuzzles closer against you.
“I’m fine…”
You chuckle as you kiss his forehead, causing him to turn red.
“Oi! You can’t just stick to her, you know? I’m the one who’s paying for everything!”
He gets closer and tries to grab Megumi from your arms, but you step away with a smile.
“Megumi likes me better! Don’t be a sore loser!”
Gojo playfully tries to grab him again as you hurry away, laughing.
“That’s not fair! If it wasn’t for me, she wouldn’t even be here—You little...! Ungrateful!”
Megumi sticks out his tongue at him as he holds you tighter.
“And aren’t you a little old to stay in her arms, huh?”
At those words, Megumi blushes a little more, something Gojo easily notices.
“What? Don’t tell me you’ve got a little crush? Come on, Megumi! Be a little original!”
You scoff at that as Megumi looks down at the floor, embarrassed, mumbling something in refutation.
“Don’t tease him, Gojo!”
Even if he did have a little crush on you, it wasn’t something to mock him about; you knew that well.
Your arms do start to get tired though, so you softly put Megumi on the floor. He doesn’t complain but avoids Gojo as he tries to grab him again.
“Leave the poor boy alone!”
You chuckle as you sit on the couch next to Tsumiki. Gojo races after Megumi around the house, much to the boy’s dismay.
You glance at Tsumiki, and you both chuckle at the scene.
“I’ll get started on dinner, okay? Focus on your homework. If you need help, ask Gojo.”
She nods as you head into the kitchen, quickly setting aside the ingredients. You can hear them all playing in the living room—so much for doing homework!
Gojo isn’t so bad with kids after all. He’s a little rough, but nothing the siblings can’t handle. They’re at ease with him now.
Seeing Gojo like this is new for you. You’re used to him being dismissive, invasive, and prideful. The change is pleasant, and you wonder if you’ve grown close enough to call him a friend.
As you daydream, your hand slips, sliding the knife too hard and slicing the pad of your finger.
Blood gushes out as you yelp in pain.
“Oh, just my luck...”
Gojo and Megumi are the first to rush into the kitchen, alerted by your scream.
Megumi’s eyes widen, his mouth drops open.
“Oh—Are you okay?”
He comes toward you as Gojo makes a sound.
“Sheesh, can’t even cut a cucumber? Come on, I thought you’d be a good cook.”
You let the blood drip onto the floor and roll your eyes. Tsumiki enters the room but quickly steps back, as if afraid. Not everyone can handle blood, you recall absently.
“It’s just a little cut. I’ll put a plaster on it.”
Gojo steps closer, eyes focused on your finger.
“Wait, let me try again.”
You tilt your head, confused, as Gojo gently pushes Megumi toward the living room.
“Go get something to clean this up with your sis.”
He nods but looks at you one last time, a sad expression on his little face as he leaves to join his sister.
You glance at Gojo, silent—would he try to heal you again?
“I’ll use that image from last time, the playdough and stuff.”
You nod as he takes your hand, your bloody finger staining his palm. The smell of blood is thick and heavy in the air.
This time, Gojo doesn’t close his eyes, but stares at the wound with intensity. Slowly, you feel warmth enveloping your hand—it’s different than when Ierie does it, but it is closer to it than last time.
It’s not as intrusive as before actually. But still not as delicate as when your friend do the healing.
And then, the bleeding stops, and the skin slowly repairs itself before your eyes.
He did it.
You look up at Gojo, a smile spreading across your face. He’s smiling too, a soft glint in his eyes.
“You… you did it!”
You leap at him, placing your hands on his shoulders in excitement as you hug him.
“You did it! Gojo, you’re great!”
He’s surprised by your sudden affection but soon places his arms around you, smiling.
“Of course I did! There’s nothing I can’t do, I told you so!”
You giggle, truly proud of him as he start swinging you around.
Megumi and Tsumiki arrive in the room as you are still twirling around Gojo, both caught up in the moment.
“Megumi! Tsumiki!” You let go of him and show them both your finger.
“Gojo healed me! He’s never healed anyone but himself before, but he did it! It’s really impressive, you know? I only know one other person who can do it!”
Megumi and Tsumiki don’t quite grasp what’s so impressive, but they’re swept up in your enthusiasm.
“We have to celebrate tonight!”
You turn to Gojo with a bright smile.
“Right? Let’s go eat somewhere nice!”
Gojo snorts but still looks especially pleased. Of course he would bask in the attention, but for now, you don't mind. He deserved it!
“Fine, fine, but I’m not paying for you!”
You roll your eyes, but the smile doesn’t leave your face.
‘’Wouldn’t want you to anyway!’’
He does pay for your lunch when your card gets declined—but you didn’t expect him to pick such a fancy restaurant! 20 000¥ per person is just excessive, really!
As you both make your way back to the college, you rant a little.
“Come on—you didn’t think I’d have that much lying around, did you? I’m not rich or anything!”
He laughs at your dismay.
“You still got the nice steak, didn’t you? Could’ve taken the salad. Pretty sure you could’ve afforded that.”
You blush a little; he had a point. Maybe you did pick the fancy-looking option.
“There wasn’t any price on the menu…”
He scoffs but doesn’t seem truly annoyed. He has more than enough money to cover for your meal. He just like embarrassing you.
“Just be an honest girl and thank me for lunch.”
You sigh, knowing it’s the least you can do, and mumble your thanks.
“Thank you for paying for my meal, Gojo…”
His smile widens, clearly pleased by your obedience.
“There we go!”
He ruffles your hair as you try to move away from him, annoyed.
He laughs as you put some distance between the two of you and then make a little sound, as if he just remembered something important.
“Oh! I just remembered—I finished your cursed weapon.”
You hurry back to his side, now intrigued. You had been waiting since a couple of month for it after all. You silently hoped it would be something cool. If he took out a nail cutter, you would never forgive him.
“Oh! What is it? Show me!”
The man nod as he shuffle around his clothes, getting his hand under his jacket, toward his waist. It couldn't be so big if he had it on him. Maybe a knife? That would make sense. It's not like you would trust yourself with a bow or a sword.
Gojo then pulls a gun out of his belt. You freeze, staring in disbelief.
“What the hell Gojo?”
You’re dumbfounded, frozen still. Did he seriously just pull a gun out of his pants? How long had he been carrying that? Since you went grocery shopping?
“You don’t know how to use a knife or a sword, do you? This is easy to use and efficient. I thought it’d be the best for you. You’ll have to buy the bullets, though.”
You almost whimper at the idea.
“I… you can’t ask me to use a gun!”
He raises an eyebrow, as if you are the one not making any sense.
“What? You don’t want it? I could always go with the nail cutter, you know.”
You purse your lips, uncomfortable. This was a gun, a real weapon.
Sensing your reluctance, Gojo rolls his eyes.
“Trust me, a katana would’ve been just as deadly. If you want, I can paint it orange so it looks like a toy. I went with something even you could use. I know you’d never actually use it on someone—that’s why I even offered to make a weapon for you.”
In truth, anything fueled by Gojo’s cursed energy would be especially powerful. He wouldn’t just give such a weapon to anyone. He trusted you.
“Come on, you need it to defend yourself. Megumi will cry if you die, and I’m pretty sure he’d find a way to blame me.”
You look down, still a bit uneasy, but he has a point. You aren't really in a position to play difficult. And it wasn't like you would use it for evil. You'd be very careful with it. More than anyone.
“Okay… I’ll take it.”
He grins, pearly whites shining in your face.
“That’s my girl.”
You flush instantly.
“Oh, shut up! Stupid!”
Notes:
this is the longest chapter I'm pretty sure.
So? any though on it? What do you think of Gojo's attitude? What do you think will happen? I warn you, shit WILL go down
Oh, and also, notice how Gojo learned reverse cursed on others? That's something he couldn't do in the show. I think it is something that was done on purpose by gege to show how isolated he is, how he doesn't care for the weak. He doesn't take the time to learn how to heal others
But now he's close to number 1 weakling, so he take the time to learn it!
Also Toji inspired him for the gun. But he won't say that.
Next chapter will have a time skip!
Chapter Text
Gojo has grown kinder to you; it doesn’t take much to see it.
You wonder what changed, but you do not dare to bring it up, in case the soft harmony that has formed decides to crumble.
That’s why you do not feel too bad about asking this little favor of him.
"Come on, Gojo! It’s going to be my birthday! You can at least do that for me!"
You pull on his arm as he walks toward the training field, trying to stop him.
"Why should I do something for your birthday? You didn’t do anything for mine."
You want to argue that you weren’t close at the time, but you do not want to draw attention to the difference in treatment you’ve received.
"I will next year! I promise! And you owe me for that time with Tsumiki, don’t you?"
He grits his teeth at that; you had indeed saved him from a rather excruciating time.
He finally stops walking, causing you to bump into him, nose first. You rub it to soothe the ache as Gojo puts his hands on his hips, an displeased look on his face.
"Fine. But if you’re doing this, you’re going to follow everything I tell you to the letter. Everything, no exceptions. If I tell you to eat shit, you eat it. If I tell you to jump into the sea, you dive in."
You raise your arm in a salute, a huge smile on your face.
"Sir, yes sir!"
He scoffs at the little soldier display.
"I still don’t get why you want to see a Grade S curse that badly. You weren’t interested in them before, were you?"
At that, you chuckle, a little embarrassed. You don’t really have a very mature or proper reason; curiosity is your main drive, really.
"Wellllllll… I recently learned that they could speak and stuff! You also told me that everyone could feel cursed energy around them due to its strength, so of course I got curious. There isn’t anyone else I would trust enough to protect me either."
At that, Gojo smiles, ruffling your hair roughly, inducing little complaints from you.
"Finally! You understand how great I am!"
You snort as you remove his hand from your head, trying to preserve any sort of coherence in your curls.
"I will get better than you, that is still my goal!"
At this point, he doesn’t believe you’re still serious about it. You’ve learned enough about jujutsu by now to know why it wasn’t possible. Or so he hopes.
"Right, right. I have one assigned for tomorrow. There shouldn’t be any curse users around that one either, so that’s good. It’s a local circus, can’t remember much else about it though…"
A circus? This was fun! More than you would have expected. You had done the right thing asking that of Gojo.
"Should I bring my gun? I’ve gotten better at using it!"
To emphasize your point, you take out your gun. You’d added little Sanrio stickers to make it look less menacing.
"Right. You do know that all the credit for that gun is mine, right?"
You roll your eyes; you still had to train to be able to shoot any curse with it. Some of them were quite fast! Utahime had trained with you many times—you still had to thank her properly for it.
"You can’t ever let me have one thing, can you?"
"Not when you put ugly stickers on it."
He takes the gun out of your hands as you whimper in complaint. He’s quick to play around with it, spinning it on his finger.
You don’t like to admit it, but he looks kind of cool with it, even with the My Melody and Kuromi stickers on it.
"Fine, fine… I get it, idiot. But I still help you out a lot with the kids, so I deserved that gun."
At that, Gojo hands the gun back to you, smiling, a rare, genuine look of gratefulness in his eyes.
"Yeah, thanks again, really."
You feel your face warm up. Why did he have to look so handsome at all times?
You finally look away, mumbling a "You’re welcome" while avoiding his gaze. The more time you spent with him, the harder it was not to fall for him. He had his bad parts, of course—he was loud, rude, and annoying at times.
But he was also kind to you when it mattered. He gave you the means to protect yourself and gave you a lot of attention, more than any boys ever had. He was smart too, always had something clever to say when you tried to best him.
And recently, you had a horrifying thought while watching him play with Megumi.
‘He would make a great husband and father.’
You didn’t even want kids—this was unlike you! Were you truly a slave to your womb?! It was frustrating enough to make you want to rip your hair out!
Despite the growing frequency of these thoughts, you still did your best to avoid showing moments of weakness to Gojo. He didn’t like you like that, so there was no point in nurturing any feelings.
You would just bottle up anything that came to be; it couldn’t be that hard, could it? Surely you weren’t the first girl who had to do that after growing close to Gojo.
You stared at his lean back as he made his way to the field, waving goodbye to you over his shoulder. You could almost still feel his hand in your hair.
"Unfair…"
You quickly chased the unwanted thoughts from your mind—you had something real to rejoice over: ghost hunting!
Gojo did not tell you the mission was in Kyoto—a rather important detail, considering you two would be staying there for two days!
"I can’t just wear the same uniform three days in a row!"
You complained to him on the bullet train, a little quieter than usual for the sake of the other passengers, fists clenched.
"Just buy other clothes there… It’s not a big deal."
There he was with his rich-kid logic! You couldn’t just… buy stuff whenever!
"I don’t want to buy new clothes; I’ve been saving up for something!"
You had your eye on a new pair of loafers you’d seen downtown and couldn’t get out of your head. They had a little metal heart on top, otherwise pretty conservative. Well, everything but the price was. You wouldn’t usually spend 30,000 yen on shoes… but they were special! And you’d actually use them! You tried to rationalize the expense any way you could.
"Is that so? I’m already doing you a favor bringing you with me, you know?"
Gojo looked at you like you were a nuisance, and you couldn’t help but look down, putting on your best kicked puppy face, deflated.
You knew you had won when Gojo groaned out loud.
"Oh, fine, for God’s sake. The estate might still have some of my old clothes. I’ll call them to clean ’em before we get there… who knows how long they’ve been gathering dust."
Right! You two were going to the Gojo estate in Kyoto, something he apparently wasn’t a fan of either. They were always kissing his ass, according to him.
You wondered why that bothered him—Gojo was the type to enjoy it, after all. He boasted enough after your praises...
"Old clothes? How old were you when you wore them?"
You looked at him doubtfully; he was much taller than you were now.
"Uh... around 13, I think? Or twelve? They’ll probably fit you. Otherwise, you can just wear one of the thousands of heirloom kimonos they keep stacked up. Not gonna be very practical to exorcise a curse in an uchikake, though."
You swallowed audibly at the thought of wearing something worth more than your yearly salary.
"I’ll stick with the Spider-Man hoodies, then…"
He scoffed at the image.
"What are you imagining my clothes to be? Spider-Man themed?"
"Power Ranger, then?"
"Why would a kid like me be interested in superheroes? I was basically one by five."
He had a point… Heroes were cool because they were special. Gojo didn’t really have much to look up to.
"Well then, keep the mystery. I’m curious—but yeah, please, no bridal or stage kimonos. I don’t think I’ve ever worn more than a homongi..."
Gojo looked at you, his eyes peeking from behind his glasses.
"Really? Lucky you. I’ve been draped in heavy kimonos since I can remember…"
"I wouldn’t say that’s lucky. Everyone wants to dress up once in a while."
You were sure you’d like to wear one, especially those extra fancy kimonos… just not for exorcising curses. They had the bad habit of spitting various liquids on sorcerers.
"Then you’ll just have to try one there. The maids will help you out if I ask them."
You looked up at him, surprised by the delicate gesture.
"Really? It wouldn’t be a bother?"
"As long as you don’t plan on rolling around in the mud with it, then it’s fine. They’re gathering dust anyway. The maids will probably be happy to have something to do."
(So he does have maids!)
You couldn’t help but smile at the thought—being dressed up in a fancy kimono, helped by maids… It was like a princess dream.
"But an uchikake, huh? Planning on marrying me off?"
You tried to tease him a little, now in an especially good mood. You were excited at the idea of dressing up in fancy clothes! You knew you weren’t as pretty as Gojo, but you somehow hoped to get a compliment. You knew it was unlikely, but a girl could dream.
He cackled at your comment, poking your forehead repeatedly with his finger.
"As if anyone would pay for you."
You puffed out your cheeks, a little insulted. There went your compliment!
"Oh, shut up…"
He kept laughing as the passengers around you started to turn, bothered by the noise.
"But marriage, huh? Reminds me of when I was a kid—they must’ve sent… what? Thousands of potential brides to me. Sent them all back crying."
He almost seemed proud of it, and you simply looked at him, unimpressed.
"I’d say they avoided a huge red flag."
‘’Might be true. But I sure got in trouble with the elders after that. They threatened to marry me to my 70 years old teacher.’’
You laughed at the thought.
"Poor little Gojo! Had it rough, I see!"
You nudged him lightly with your elbow, still smiling.
"Nah, didn’t take long for me to do whatever I wanted. Hard to punish a kid you can’t touch."
That did sound like quite the ordeal…
He continued, unbothered.
"So, you guys should be happy I turned out so well, really."
At that, you snorted.
"I think you might be overestimating yourself."
"Nah, trust me, you guys could have gotten way worse."
You tilted your head in curiosity.
"What do you mean?"
He shrugged at the question, extending his legs in front of him. You now understood why he had insisted on those expensive seats. Someone as tall as him would have trouble fitting in anything else.
You looked at your own legs, barely touching the floor from your seat.
Damn him and his long legs…
But you couldn’t help wondering what the "worse" he referred to was.
You finally arrived in Kyoto, stretching lazily with a loud yawn. The ride had been comfortable, and the VIP seat pretty wide, but sleeping while sitting up was never pleasant.
"You’ve got drool on your face."
Gojo dragged you by the collar, hurrying you to get off the train.
"Urgh… I just woke up, don’t be mean."
At that, you suddenly floated a couple of centimeters off the ground, the pressure on your neck disappearing. It was much more pleasant being dragged that way.
"Thanksies…"
You couldn’t see Gojo’s face, but you were pretty sure he rolled his eyes.
"If you’re too tired, I can always send you back and take care of the curse myself."
You immediately felt more awake.
"No! I’m good! I’m up!"
You quickly straightened yourself as Gojo set you back on the ground. You followed him on your own, more energized after the small threat.
Rubbing the back of your neck, you smiled a little. It was pretty cool to float around—when he wasn’t shaking you up and down, of course.
"Is it far from the station? I can’t wait! I hope it’ll talk."
"It’d have to survive long enough for that."
You gasped at Gojo, grabbing onto his sleeve.
"Oh, come on! You have to at least give me time to look at it properly!"
"You sure have a lot of demands for a weakling."
It was your turn to roll your eyes.
"I’m sure it wouldn’t even be a big deal for you…"
Flattery could get you quite far with him.
"That’s right. It’s a walk in the park for me. But that doesn’t mean you get to make more demands."
You pursed your lips, clearly unpleased.
Gojo was now looking at his phone, seemingly done giving you attention.
"We have to take another train to get there. It’s an abandoned circus, apparently. Lots of rumors about them doing human experiments to create monsters for their shows. It’s quite a popular tale in the region."
You listened intently, fascinated. Your missions had never come with such a complex backstory—this was new for you. Was this typical for high-ranking sorcerers?
"Another train?" you groaned.
"This one should only be for half an hour. Then we walk for another half hour’’
It wasn’t so bad then, you nodded at the information, paying attention to his every words.
"I'm going to repeat myself: you do not leave my side. Actually, it'd be even better if you just grabbed onto my clothes at all times. Annnnnd...?"
He looked at you, expecting an answer.
"And I do everything you tell me to," you replied, a bit begrudgingly.
He patted your head in approval.
"That's it. Now keep that in mind."
You reluctantly nodded, your cheeks pink from the gentle gesture. Your hair was definitely going to be a mess by the end of the day... and you had tried to make it look fluffy, too.
As Gojo had mentioned, the second train ride was quick, and soon enough, you found yourselves at the edge of a dense forest. You looked at him curiously. Your usual curse missions were always in the city.
"Why would there be a circus in the woods?"
"Don't ask me."
You followed closely behind him as you both entered the dark forest. Remembering his earlier instructions, you wasted no time grabbing onto his sleeve.
He raised an eyebrow and looked down at you.
"You don't have to do that already, you know?"
You looked away, gripping his jacket a little tighter.
"The woods are scary..."
"Is that so?" he said with a shrug, letting you hold on without further comment.
The path through the woods was surprisingly clear and easy to walk on, though you couldn’t help but wonder how you'd manage if it had been a more rugged hike. As you continued, the air grew thicker, and even without focusing, you could feel cursed energy swirling around both of you.
"Um… Gojo? Shouldn’t we put up a veil?" you asked hesitantly, sensing the oppressive energy more acutely.
He looked at you, surprised.
"Oh yeah, you can make them, right? I’ll let you do the honors."You couldn’t help but feel yourself grow warm at the trust of the older teen.
You nodded and let go of his arm to raise both of your finger in the usual gesture
‘’ Emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure’’
Night fell upon the forest, this would drag curses out, they thrived in darkness after all.
‘’Now you should hold unto me’’
You didn’t even have the time to do that before you felt something shift in the air. You slowly rose your eyes as a curse revealed itself to you. You were frozen in place, and suddenly, it didn’t seem like such a fun thing to ask Gojo, to come with him to one of his exorcism.
You didn’t make a move to grab him, or to move, or anything really. You were simply frozen stuck in place.
Gojo rose his glasses unto his forehead before glancing at you.
He chuckled before encircling your waist with one of his arms, keeping you close to him.
‘’Little scared I see? This isn’t even the grade S princess’’
You rose your head to look at him, lips dry.
‘’It’s…it’s not...?’’
Your voice cracked.
He shook his head, a very amused look on his face
‘’Nah, that’s a grade 1. Doesn’t seem very talkative, does it? Here, look’’
Gojo leaned down to get his face closer to yours and took your chin between his finger with his free hand, titling your head toward the curse.
It looked like… Like a monkey of some sort. It didn’t have eyes, shallow gaps in place of them, dark and empty. It’s stomach seemed overly huge, ready to burst almost… As if it was heavily pregnant.
And burst it did.
Black matter gushed over to the both of you, you closed your eyes in fear of being splashed, but the burn of acid never came to you.
‘’Open your eyes, look’’
You did as he instructed, only to see the liquid stopped mere centimeter from your face.
‘’I included you in my infinity, there is nothing to be afraid of’’
You looked up at the bright blue eyes before you, the boyish grin, the silky locks.
He protected you. Of course he did, that’s what he always did.
‘’Now look at it a little. If you are frozen like this for the grade 1 you won’t get to enjoy the grade S’’
He was so reluctant before, but now he seemed to be the one looking forward to making you see a curse.
But… But he didn’t seem to be rejoicing of your fear, no, far from it. When you trembled, his hold would tighten, he would keep his voice low for you and smile candidly.
It was unlike him, but at the same time… it wasn’t.
You nodded softly at his instructions, looking at the curse with more attention. It was ugly, that was for sure, it looked like a decomposing corpse.
You tried to calm yourself, remind you that Gojo was with you and that he would protect you. He had said so after all…so there was nothing to fear. You repeated the mantra in your head, growing a little more confident.
An idea crossed your mind, you wondered if it was a good idea, but the question passed your lips before you had to time to properly consider it.
‘’Say, can I try shooting it?’’
Gojo nodded, smiling still.
‘’Better than that, since I made your weapon, I’m pretty sure I should be able to overload it for a shot if we hold it together. You might be able to kill it- well, we might be’’
‘’Really?’’
You could feel your heart beat harder at the suggestion.
He nodded as he took out your gun from your belt himself, handing it to you softly.
‘’Aim’’
You obeyed. Soon enough his hand got over yours, warm and soft.
‘’Okay, I’ll be the one charging it up, but you’ll be the one shooting okay? I’m the dynamite, you are the match"
‘’Can’t I be a lighter?’’
He laughed at the childish question.
‘’Sure, you can be a lighter’’
You wondered why the curse wasn’t moving from its spot. It was a very easy target like that
‘’I’m keeping it from moving. You can shoot whenever, it’s filled.’’
Gojo seemed to have read your mind as you nodded softly
You took a deep inspiration, aiming and focusing your energy.
Then you shot.
The blow was stronger than anything you had ever seen. It wasn’t close to anything you had been able to do with the gun- was it the true potential of the weapon?
Where the curse was standing, black dust, a familiar sight to you, was now floating away softly.
‘’Atta girl’’
You looked up at Gojo, smile wide on your face, all teeth showing.
‘’I did it!’’
You knew it wasn’t you, you did, but you couldn’t help yourself.
You hugged Gojo tightly, almost shaking.
‘’It’s so different than when I do it!’’
‘’Now now, don’t get so worked up, the Grade S is still around.’’
You nodded against his chest before letting go of him. He still held your waist with his left arm.
So many thoughts traveled your head at the same time, you didn’t know what to think about really. But your brain made the decision for you.
(I wish he would always hold me like that…)
You didn’t even have the time to dwell on it before you felt yourself dash alongside Gojo, a loud bang startling you.
Where the two of you had been, a clown was now standing.
It’s limbs were long, overgrown really, dragging unto the ground. Every part of him seemed to have been stitched together with a loose thread.
You could feel it, feel what kind of being it was, more than any curse you had been against in the past. It was omniscient, evil, putrid. All that was bad could be used to define it really.
Gojo took you out of your mind as he commented on the apparition of the curse.
‘’That’s the grade S? Gosh it’s ugly’’
He chuckles, as if simply amused, for your part, you could only hold harder unto the boy. At that, he gently patted your head
‘’Yes, yes, I get it’’
̷͔̎‘̴̡̅’̶̺͝A̵̘͋ ̸͙̓ẃ̷͔o̸͇̍m̸̛͖a̷̦͝ṅ̶̻!̵̹̿ ̷̹͘L̵͖̏e̷͍͐ț̴̀ ̸̹̃m̸͓͊e̸̬̕ ̷̛̻t̶̼̚a̸̡͑š̴̫ẗ̴͚e̷͉̓ ̷͚͊i̶͔̚t̷̟͗!̴͎̿ ̴͍͝L̸͉͋ȇ̵̺t̸̬͋ ̸̗̾m̸̘̀ë̸̺!̴͙̿ ̵̡̇Š̵̹o̸̰̐ ̵̭̆p̸͎̉r̷̨̐ẹ̸̌t̶̼̓t̷̮̆ỷ̶͕!̶͇͛ ̶̭̾S̸̨͝ô̴͉ ̵̟͊n̸̩̾ĩ̶̪c̸̦͐e̸̻̕!̷̗͝ ̵̣͆S̴̮͋ỏ̷̙ ̷͇̇r̷͈͆è̵̲d̵̳̀!̴̺͘ ̴̥͠I̴̝̓’̵̮̇l̴̠̂l̷̠̂ ̸̜͋m̷̰̀ą̸͆k̸̲͐e̸̯̒ ̸̃ͅh̵̩͘ě̵̜r̷͇͝ ̴̰͆r̵̥̍e̴̫͝d̸͚̋!̴͖̈́ ̴̹̃R̴̗̀Ē̴̲D̶̰̃!̵̧͂’̴̙͝’̵͙̊
You froze at the words. It was talking about you.
̨̣͕͉̫̜ͅÍ̴̞̦̦̗̥̜͔̘̰͇͠l͏̘̜̭̤̱͇̜͔̘̰͇́͞͠l͏̘̜̭̤̱͇͞ ̜͇̫̹̞͜͞ṕ̴̱̳̹̻̱̻̘̠͉̯̘̮̯̲͈̙̳̲͢u̵̧̢̖̞̝̖̤̥̱̳͈̤̩̝̣͝ṱ͓̕ a͏́͏͖͍̞̥ ̴͝͏̬͙͕ͅb͎͚̤̩̪͎͕̖͚a͏́͏̴͖͍̞̥͝͏̬͙͕ͅb̛͎͚̤̩̪͎͕̖͚͕͚̝̘̞y̕҉͙̝̟̞͈̪̼ ҉͏̫̼̜͉̭i̙͙̙̥̰̯͎̘̖̹̦̙͝͞n̴̫̘͈͈͈̳̩͢ ̝̙̲̰͚̗͓͝h̢̛̟̲̘̯̙͈̫̹̜͢͠ͅȩ̡̣̰͓̻͎̺̘͍͚̻̤͡ŗ̸̲͙͉͓͚ A͢͏̜̖̙̲ ̴͝͏̬͙͕ͅb͎͚̤̩̪͎͕̖͚a͏́͏̴͖͍̞̥͝͏̬͙͕ͅb̛͎͚̤̩̪͎͕̖͚͕͚̝̘̞y̕҉͙̝̟̞͈̪̼ ̨̣͕͉̫̜ͅI̴̵̞̦̦̗̥͈̤̩̝̣ṱ͓̜͔̘̰͇́̕͠l͏̘̜̭̤̱͇̜͔̘̰͇́͞͠l͏̘̜̭̤̱͇͞ ̳̞͔̭̤̩͍g̨̡̪̣̤͎̟̺̘͍͚̻̤͟͠ŗ̸̛̛̲͙͉͓͚ͅớ͈̙̦̗͖̜w͚͈̟̬̩ ̨̣͕͉̫̜ͅI̴̵̞̦̦̗̥͈̤̩̝̣ṱ͓̜͔̘̰͇́̕͠l͏̘̜̭̤̱͇̜͔̘̰͇́͞͠l͏̘̜̭̤̱͇͞ ̛̘̯̙͈̫̹̜͢ͅȩ̣̰͓̻͎͡a͏́͏̵͖͍̞̥͈̤̩̝̣ṱ͓̕ ̝̙̲̰͚̗͓͝h̢̛̟̲̘̯̙͈̫̹̜͢͠ͅȩ̡̣̰͓̻͎̺̘͍͚̻̤͡ŗ̸̲͙͉͓͚ ̥͇̰͉͖̭̫̻̜͡Ş̯͕̝̙̲̰͚̗͓͝h̢̛̟̲̘̯̙͈̫̹̜͢͠ͅȩ̣̰͓̻͎̜͔̘̰͇́͡͠l͏̘̜̭̤̱͇̜͔̘̰͇́͞͠l͏̘̜̭̤̱͇͞ ̴͝͏̬͙͕ͅb̛͎͚̤̩̪͎͕̖͚̘̯̙͈̫̹̜͢ͅȩ̣̰͓̻͎͡ a͏́͏͖͍̞̥̜͔̘̰͇́͠l͏̘̜̭̤̱͇̜͔̘̰͇́͞͠l͏̘̜̭̤̱͇͞ ̜͇̫̹̞͜͞p̡̱̳̹̻̱̻̘̠͉̺̘͍͚̻̤ŗ̸̛̲͙͉͓͚̘̯̙͈̫̹̜͢ͅȩ̵̣̰͓̻͎͈̤̩̝̣͡ṱ̵͓͈̤̩̝̣̕ṱ̛͓͕͚̝̘̞̕y̕҉͙̝̟̞͈̪̼
You closed your eyes as Gojo whistled softly, hiding against the teen next to you.
‘’It likes you, I think. Sure, got weird taste’’
You felt your eyes get teary as you heard a loud cracking sound. You stayed immobile for a while, tense as you could be. There wasn’t any more noise or talk from the curse.
‘’I've taken care of it, it’s all good now’’
You opened your eyes to be met with Gojo giving you a thumbs up.
You blinked a couple time to get rid of the tears in your eyes, but still didn’t let go
‘’Scary uh?’’
You nodded, silent. You didn’t know if you would be able to utter a word right now. Your heart was beating so fast, as if it was going to come out of your chest.
‘’Wanna sit down?’’
You nodded again, that was the most reaction you were able to give.
‘’As madame wills it then’’
You were both back unto the ground, a little away from the evaporating gruesome scene.
Even sitting down you didn’t want to let go of him. You stayed by his side, your grip fluttering, eyes on the floor, teary.
He sighed at the sight, no animosity in his voice.
‘’Fine you can get closer if you need’’
You didn’t need to be told twice, you were quickly sitting directly unto his laps, your face in the crook of his neck
‘’But don’t get snot on me! I’ll get angry!’’
He couldn’t really use his infinity against you while you were cuddling him after all.
.
.
You stayed in his arms for a while before you finally felt able to speak up.
‘’The grade S…I think it would have been fine if… if it didn’t talk about me like that…I knew you would protect me, but it made me feel sick.’’
He patted your back with affection.
‘’It isn’t really something you should ever see or be against, but you insisted so…’’
You shook your head at the comment.
‘’I’m not blaming you! Thank you for bringing me and being nice to me really, I’m grateful’’
‘’You better be!’’
You let a wet laugh out as you slowly remove yourself from his arms.
‘’The…shooting the grade 1 was fun though’’
Gojo agreed with a soft laugh before asking you how you felt.
‘’Are you feeling better now?’’
You nodded softly, cheeks reddening
‘’That’s good. You do know I have to make fun of you for all of this now, right?’’
You closed your eyes in resignation.
"Yeah, I know"
Notes:
there will be another chapter before the one i posted and removed after all!
Also, even if you've read it already, i will make some changes to it, so do read it again!Now, as usual, begging for your comments dear reader. I love hearing your thoughts
Oh, and come join my server!
https://discord.gg/AtEdckqu4X
Chapter 10
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The Kyoto Gojo estate was huge—triple what you had in mind, if you had to guess. You stared at the enormous wooden gate, your jaw slowly dropping in awe. Lush gardens framed the entrance, flowers in bloom despite it being out of season. It all seemed like something out of a dream.
“This is the main estate?”
You confirmed with Gojo, who was already ahead of you, casually pressing the doorbell.
“Yeah, they never moved it to Tokyo, we do have an estate there too, I'll show you one day. It's not as lavish though. And remember what I told you—don’t mention I already exorcised the curse, or they’ll send me on another mission right away!”
He really was worked to the bone… You felt a little bad for him.
“What curse? Never heard of any curse!”
You smiled at him, showing you understood his instructions.
He smirked back, but before he could respond, the main gates creaked open. A maid—an actual one—stood waiting on the other side, bowing deeply to the Gojo heir.
“Welcome back, Master Gojo… and welcome…”
The maid turned to you, greeting you as well, adding a respectful “lady” before your name.
Gojo seemed unfazed, waving her away dismissively.
“Yeah, yeah, you prepared some clothes for her, right?”
The maid nodded as she straightened up, though her gaze remained lowered.
“Yes… but we couldn’t allow your esteemed guest to wear your old clothes. We prepared a hakama for her, and, as instructed, we’ve set aside a few of our finest pieces for her to try on.”
The maid glanced at you intently, a glint in her eyes.
“I see that the young lady would shine if polished. You’re as perceptive as ever, Master Gojo.”
At the comment, you noticed a vein pop on Gojo’s forehead. This wasn’t a good sign.
“Okay, let’s make this clear. I didn’t bring her here to pop out a bunch of kids or marry her. She’s here as a friend. Just like Suguru was. Got it?”
The maid’s face flushed as she was called out by her employer.
“All my apologies, young Master… we thought… since you requested those bridal kimonos… my utmost apologies…”
Gojo scoffed and rolled his eyes, finally ignoring the maid as he walked past her, heading toward the mansion.
You hurried after him as he grumbled softly, annoyance clear on his fair face.
“Always the same thing with them. All they think about is me popping out a bunch of brats—well, no thank you!”
It was hard keeping up with him; he was walking fast, taking wide strides with his long legs, probably because he was cranky.
“They want you to have kids that badly?”
“Yeah. While there can only be one holder of the Six Eyes at a time, it’s not the same for Limitless. They also looove to have spawns to form alliances. Makes me wanna puke, really.”
You thought back to what had crossed your mind when observing him with Megumi.
“So… you don’t want kids? Ever?”
He answered absentmindedly as you reached the mansion.
“Eh? Maybe one day? I don’t know—probably not? I’m not really the settling-down type.”
Your heart pinched a little at his response, though you couldn’t quite pinpoint why. Even if he did want kids, you knew you’d never be considered.
Gojo kicked off his shoes as he entered, and you followed suit, albeit a bit more politely.
New maids quickly appeared, cleaning up behind him and bowing as the maid at the gate had done. It was all so foreign to you—he was being treated like a little king.
“Master Gojo, welcome back,” one of the maids said.
But ‘Master Gojo’ ignored them, continuing through the empty halls.
“I’ll show you your room. Come with me.”
You once again followed after him, glancing back at the maids as you quickly bowed to them. It felt a little uncomfortable to dismiss them the way Gojo did.
“How do you know which room they prepared?”
“Not hard to guess, considering they thought you were my woman.”
You blushed at his words, and Gojo didn’t miss it.
“What? Anxious? I won’t pounce on you in the night, you know. I was just messing around those last times.”
You wondered what exactly he was referring to—when he asked you to kiss him a few months ago? Or that time he pushed you against the wall?
“That’s a pretty messed up way to mess with someone…”
He laughed at that.
“Sorry, sorry, but it wasn’t my fault—you looked so cute when you were crying and shivering.”
You smacked him lightly on the back of the head.
“Don’t say things like that to a girl!”
Your face grew even redder as he smirked, stopping to face you, hands on his hips.
“Nah, I’m not worried. You know your place.”
He flicked your forehead, a playful smile on his lips.
“And you know what kind of guy I am, too.”
You crossed your arms and looked away, pouting slightly.
“I sure do.”
You lowered your gaze for a moment, feeling a small ache in your chest. You did know… this was who Gojo was. But still, he was… he was so nice to you… so you thought that maybe, deep down, just a little… he might—
You noticed Gojo had already started walking toward your destination, interrupting your thoughts as you followed him diligently.
He finally stopped in front of a door, opening it without a care.
Inside, a futon was laid out, and two gorgeous kimonos were displayed, along with a hakama.
“You really guessed right, huh…”
You stepped inside the room, your footsteps light as you approached the kimonos.
You lightly brushed one with your hand—the material felt smooth and silky against your skin.
“These are gorgeous…”
The one you were touching was a deep blue at the bottom, gradually fading into a soft baby blue. White carps were embroidered at the hem, as if swimming in the deeper waters. Toward the top of the kimono, white lines imitated clouds and wind. It was utterly beautiful.
“It’s so beautiful…” you whispered, almost hypnotized.
“They sure brought out the fancy ones, huh…”
You turned toward Gojo, your cheeks flushed with excitement.
“Are you sure I can wear it?”
He laughed at your expression.
“Of course you can, but the maids will probably want to scrub you from head to toe first.”
You nodded, a serious look on your face. This was a work of art—it made sense that you’d need to be extra clean to wear it.
“Of course.”
Gojo chuckled before heading toward the door.
“You seem excited, but let’s save it for tomorrow. You’ve had a long day. You should take a dip in the hot spring.”
You spun around, eyes sparkling.
“There’s one here? This is better than a hotel!”
You jumped with joy, and Gojo rolled his eyes.
“I don’t get why everyone’s so obsessed with those. I’d rather go to a water park.”
You pursed your lips.
“They make your skin all soft and nice… and it feels good.”
“My skin’s already soft.”
You stuck your tongue out at him.
‘’Not everyone is so lucky! So I’m definitely trying them out!’’
He shrugged, but his lips never stopped smiling.
“Go on then, I’m going to eat. If there’s one good thing about this place, it’s the food.”
Oh, now you were looking forward to that too!
You entered the hot spring slowly, sighing in pleasure as the warm water soothed your aches.
Rich kids sure had it easy…
You closed your eyes, thinking about the eventful day you just had. The curses were scary, that was for sure, but it hadn’t been too bad, not at all. Gojo had been way more thoughtful and gentle than you ever would have expected. Holding you softly… hugging you and letting you nuzzle against him.
You submerged part of your face in the water as you recalled the tender moment.
Was it really crazy to think that maybe… just maybe, you had a small chance? You’d never seen him be that kind to anyone else, not even Ierie. He was mindful of you, but still playful, teasing you and going along with your jokes.
Could you really keep all those feelings bottled up? The more time you spent with him, the less realistic it seemed. Hell, you were practically raising two kids together!
You purposely avoided thinking about the things he’d said—about not being the type to settle down and all that. You wanted to hold onto a little hope, to allow yourself a small fantasy.
You glanced down at the water, observing your body. Your chest was small, but nicely shaped, and your nipples were a nice color too. Your stomach was flat—you weren’t very heavy—but your hips had gained a bit of weight recently. Guys liked that, right? ...right?
You sighed and stopped scrutinizing yourself. Even if you weren’t unattractive, you weren’t Gojo’s type. You’d overheard him joking with Geto. He liked big-breasted women with straight hair, long legs, and a mature look. You weren’t that.
You plunged your head in the water, sulking a little. You had gotten yourself self-conscious now.
You thought back to his words, cheeks reddening.
'Atta girl.'
When you came out of the bath, a freshly cleaned hakama was waiting for you. It wasn’t what you usually wore, but it would do just fine for now.
You joined Gojo in the dining room; he had already started eating by the time you sat down next to him.
“Oh? You kinda look like Utahime—your hair’s all straight now.”
Right, the water had straightened your hair…
“Is it better? Straight?” you dared to ask, even though you already knew his usual preference.
“Hm? No, the curls are better. Harder to mess up straight hair.”
Your heart sped up at his reply. His reason was silly, but… he liked your curly hair better.
You played with one of your locks, smiling softly.
“You sure like to ruin my efforts to tame my hair.”
He laughed at that, taking a piece of fried chicken with his chopsticks.
“Well, yeah, it feels nice to mess with them—they always feel fluffy and stay in whatever position I put them in.”
You pretended to be offended, but deep down you couldn’t help but rejoice. Gojo liked your hair, and he found it fluffy!
“I sure hope they do! They’re a pain to take care of.”
You started eating, filling your cheeks happily with the food on the table. Everything was traditionally Japanese, and exceptionally tasteful.
“Thish ish all sho good!”
Your eyes widened as you gobbled up the food.
“Can’t believe you got to eat like this every day!”
Gojo laughed at your comments and at the way you were filling your cheeks.
“Not every day—they usually went for less fatty food. It was still good, but I didn’t eat karaage or tempura every day either.”
That made sense, but still...
“I lived off instant noodles for a while, so compared to that, even steamed fish is heavenly.”
Gojo tilted his head at your words.
“Your family is poor or something?”
You quieted down a bit. You had never really talked about your past at school… but maybe you could trust Gojo with it.
“It’s nothing really interesting. My parents aren’t sorcerers, so... they sent me to live on my own in Tokyo when I got into high school. I was kind of a wild kid to them. They paid the rent and sent me a little extra for food, but it wasn’t much. Now, with the money I get from the school, I’m pretty comfortable. I even get to keep the rent money.”
Gojo tilted his head again.
“That so?”
You nodded, unsure of what to say next. He stared at you for a few seconds before humming and continuing to eat.
“Sounds rough.”
You chuckled at that.
“It’s fine, really. I have fun at school now.”
He glanced back at you.
“Me too. I have fun.”
You smiled, a soft expression on your face.
. . .
The maids had scrubbed your skin raw with scented soaps, then carefully applied fragrant oils. Your hair had been brushed and tied tightly atop your head, temporarily taming your wild curls. They had even taken your glasses away, claiming they would interfere with the hair ornament they had given you.
You couldn’t see very well without them… but you didn’t argue.
Red was applied to your lips and the corners of your eyes—you had underestimated how elaborate the preparations would be. It was fun, though a little annoying toward the end.
Finally, they helped you put on the kimono. The blue uchikake was as gorgeous as when you had first seen it. Putting it on took longer than you expected, and it was rather heavy too, the long sleeves nearly touching the ground. The maids did most of the work—you just had to stand there and be patient.
When they were finally done, the maids insisted on calling your friend to see you.
You did want him to see you all dressed up, but you would have liked to get a look at yourself first! There wasn’t even a mirror in the room! Still, you gave in to their insistence, suspecting that despite what Gojo had said, they thought you were his lover.
When he finally entered the room, you didn’t really know how to act. You just stood there, staring into the corner of the room. You couldn’t even see him if you tried to look.
You heard his footsteps approaching and slowly raised your head, trying to decipher his expression. You couldn’t make out much until he got closer—close enough to raise his hand toward your face—no, toward your hair.
He pulled out the hair ornament they had placed on you, freeing your curls.
“Where are your glasses?”
You squinted at Gojo, trying to gauge his expression.
“I don’t know, they said they would mess up my hair or something.”
He clicked his tongue.
“What’s the point of dressing up if you can’t even see it?”
Gojo turned toward the last maid still in the room.
“Let me remind you again—she’s trying it on because she wanted to. I’m not the one you should be focused on. Now go get her glasses and a mirror.”
You kept squinting, trying to read Gojo’s face as you moved closer.
“Thank you.”
He turned back to you, his hand gently ruffling your hair.
“They made you look like one of those cheap potential brides…”
You blushed at his words, feeling a little hurt.
“No point in tying your hair up like them. Your hair’s not made for it.”
Gojo scoffed as he continued ruffling your hair before finally removing his hands.
“There, back to normal.”
You thought you could hear the smile in his voice.
“Why are you so silent? Did they also mess with your personality?”
You shook your head but remained quiet.
“Just... I can’t see or move, so I... well, it feels a little…”
Vulnerable.
Gojo huffed as the maids finally returned with your glasses and a mirror. He took them from the maids and gently placed the glasses on your nose.
You finally got a clear look at your friend, but by now, his expression was neutral. You wished you could have seen his reaction when he first entered the room.
Your attention was quickly drawn to the mirror placed in front of you.
You barely recognized yourself. You looked like a princess.
You turned slightly to admire the kimono, your cheeks flushing with sheer happiness.
Gojo glanced at the ornament he had removed from your hair before stepping closer.
“I’ll put it back. Hold still.”
He gathered some of the curls framing your face, pulling them back gently, and tied them with the ornament. It was different from what the maids had done—it didn’t flatten all of your hair. It was… it was pretty. You felt pretty.
Almost pretty enough to stand beside Gojo.
“Happy?” he asked, a small smirk on his face.
You nodded eagerly as you took a small step, getting used to the outfit.
“Very. I... I like it a lot.”
You smiled at him, showing your teeth, maybe ruining the image of the quiet bride.
“Want it?”
The maids gasped at his words.
“Master Gojo! You cannot—”
He shot them a glare, and that was enough to shut them up.
“Oh—no, I... I wouldn’t have any chance to wear it. Or anyone to help me with it. Also, it seems rather important. I’d feel bad, really. Just trying it on is enough.”
At that, the maids seemed to calm down, relieved.
“Is that so? Too bad then. It suits you.”
Your face flushed again, and you bit your lip slightly. It was so hard to stop yourself from getting ideas when he acted like this...
Notes:
Okay, now next chapter shit will go down. I will change a lot of next chapter's dialogue, so do reread it!
And what did you think of this chapter? Fluff lived up to expectations?I was very tempted to give a name to FL but was able to go around it lol
Chapter 11
Notes:
Was waiting for one of my usual commenter, but I couldn't hold back the chapter anymore!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Time passes, slowly, trickling down.
You learned how to use the gun Satoru gave you pretty well, and you got to know Megumi and Tsumiki way better... The days are peaceful—boring, one might say—but you do not mind.
Satoru and you got closer, the two children being the main cause of it. You got closer, but it's not like you are spending more time with him.
He's recently been very busy, mission after mission are thrown his way, you wonder if he ever gets tired of it. His duo with Geto seems to have come to an end too; surely, he feels a little lonely?
You do not dare ask him, and even less to ask Geto. You two have never been especially close, but you are getting a little worried about him. He seems sick.
A particularly hot day of the summer, Ierie comes knocking on your door, bearer of news.
"Yo! Wanna come to the field with us? Gojo is going to show us something he figured out with his technique. Maybe he’ll make you float around."
You look at her, unimpressed. "You do know I don’t want him to make me float around?"
It had been a while since he last tried to expose your underwear and humiliate you in front of everyone.
He still teases you, of course, but you don’t mind anymore. There isn’t the same bite it used to have. He’s a little softer now, mindful even, and even though you two have grown closer, you sometimes feel like he is more distant now than he was before. It’s a bit harder to guess what he is thinking. He’s grown a little more subtle—another thing that changed after the death of Riko.
You ended up learning her name. According to Geto, she was a little similar to you… You do not know what to make of it. You sometimes wonder if Satoru became nicer to you because of it. You try not to dwell on it too much.
You observe your reflection in the mirror quickly, tying up your hair. It's quite hot today, so if you leave your room, you’ll try to restrain your curls. Since that one time, you’ve grown to like them. Satoru thought they were soft and fluffy after all.
You’ve changed a little, you notice. You kept plucking your eyebrows after that one time, and you’ve grown a bit. You’re still nowhere near as tall as the boys, who keep on growing at that, but you’re almost as tall as Ierie now.
Your chest… you’d rather not approach the subject. But you did put on a little weight where it mattered. Your face has also cleared up a fair bit—the worst of your teen acne has passed. You’ll still grow and change—you are only 15, after all—but you already feel a little better about your appearance.
You look away from the glass, smiling at Ierie.
"I’ll come, yeah!"
Satoru is explaining to you that his Infinity is now automatic, filtering attacks without him needing to think about it. Apparently, he also keeps his reverse cursed technique constantly active on himself. You don’t fully grasp the extent of it, but you know it’s an impressive feat.
Though something bugs you about that. You have clear memories of it NOT working that way recently. And you now understood how his cursed technique worked properly. You also finally accepted the fact that you could never learn said technique, but you still liked to mess around with Satoru once in a while and make him think that you still didn’t get it.
Ierie throws a gum and a pen at him, and as he said, only the pen is stopped, which is odd, really!
"Satoru—that can’t be true, though."
You jog toward him, leaving Ierie's side to settle in front of him, arms crossed, and nose raised up.
"What? Didn’t you just see it happen?"
You frown a little, but you aren’t going to be fooled by him—you weren’t stupid. Just yesterday…
You take a deep breath and poke him in the stomach with your index. Rather strongly, too.
"Ouch! What was that for, dumbass?"
You smile proudly, trying to push out of your mind the way his stomach felt under your index. You were pretty sure he had abs.
"See! I knew it! I always hit you, and I’ve never been stopped by your Infinity!"
Ierie pipes up.
"Oh! That’s true."
You turn around to nod at her, and suddenly, you’re taken into a headlock.
"What are you on about, you idiot? I just said it filters out any danger and threats! As if you could ever be one to me!"
You try to free yourself from his grip, groaning at the constraint—he really is too strong for his own good. You feel your face redden as you catch a whiff of his scent. He smells a little musky... but it’s not bad. There isn’t much about Satoru that is bad, really. The more time passes, the more your feelings seem to flourish for him.
"What?! That’s rude! I could totally be a threat! I have a gun!"
You shout, going out of your way to hide the effect he has on you. You've grown weaker to him over time. It’s hard to blame you, though—Satoru has grown nicer and softer toward you. Enough that you believe that you might maybe have a chance with him. Now if you could only gather the courage…
"A gun I gave you. I’m telling you, you’ll never be a threat to me! Even if you hit me by surprise."
Ierie chuckles at that, enjoying the banter from a safe distance as she lights up a cigarette.
"And me? Will I get filtered out as a threat?"
Satoru finally lets go of you, and you don’t waste a second stepping away, still listening carefully to his every words.
"More chances than her. Even after two years, she’s still a grade four. Even though I made her a cursed tool! And a gun at that."
You whimper, pretending to be annoyed by the jabs.
"Don’t be mean, it’s been a while since I got hurt."
"Yeah, 'cause you only get sent out for fly-head, idiot."
"Not true! I was up against a grade 4 last time."
"How many times a year do you get sent on a real mission?"
...Not often.
You grumble before stepping away, giving up for now. No, it’s a strategic retreat.
But... Satoru’s Infinity doesn’t work on you... he doesn’t push you out like he does with everyone else. You logically know it only happens because he sees you as someone weak, but you can’t help but be happy about it. Aren’t you special in a way? You could never be dangerous... It also means you could never be his enemy, right? That would be nice—if Satoru had such a positive view of you.
You go sit next to Geto on the side—and notice how quiet he’s been today, more than usual.
You glance at him as Satoru and Ierie start messing around.
He looks thin and a little sickly. You’ve never really known how to handle him, but his state pulls at your heartstrings.
"Hey... are you okay, Geto?"
You look up at him as he looks back at you, surprised you even asked. One of his trademark empty smiles take place on his face.
"I’m fine. Just a stressful summer, really. You don’t need to worry yourself about me."
You nod softly, but you’re still not convinced.
"Okay… I know we aren’t close or anything, but if you ever need anything, I’ll do what I can to help."
You try to offer him a smile, but it comes out crooked. He still smiles back at you, but there’s no light in his eyes.
"Oi, Suguru! You lost some weight?"
Satoru shouts from the other side of the field.
Something is wrong with Geto.
You often wonder if you could have changed anything about the way things would eventually unfold.
Satoru doesn’t mind you anymore. He would not admit it in front of anyone, but he now sees you as a close friend. Not just as a hindrance; now, you were both of those things.
Sure, you are weak, something he usually despises. He doesn’t understand why he should fold himself in four for weaklings. In his mind, you were accounted for in this—it was the fault of people like you that he had to restrain himself. He did have to save you a couple of times, something he deemed way below his station. You were barely more than a window, barely more than an extra.
But it became different with you. You helped him out with Megumi in ways he wouldn’t be able to. You soothed his aches after his training and tucked him to sleep when he cried. You reminded him a little of his wet nurse, of a mother.
He still recalls that one time Megumi called him, bawling because his sister was hurt and bleeding. Megumi knew he could heal others, so his first instinct was to call him; otherwise, he wondered if he would have called you instead. Megumi seemed to have a soft spot for you, but that was normal for a kid his age to like women better… right?
But truly, if it wasn’t for you hurrying over from one of your small missions, he wouldn’t know what he would have done with poor Tsumiki. Explaining menstruation to a nine-year-old was not on his summer’s to-do list, and neither was choosing between a box of tampons, pads, sponges, and a miniature silicone bucket(?). (Really, the options were way too wide—he had checked out said aisle after the incident and thanked you silently once more, you did deserve that little trip to Kyoto for it.)
You had laughed at him for a while after that; according to you, he looked as panicked as Megumi when you finally arrived at the "crime scene" with some extra-absorbent pads.
But anyway.
You had value to him now, somehow. He still thought you were better off quitting the sorcerer business, but since you usually stayed on fly-head-related missions, it was fine.
It was also a bit funny to see you shooting curses left and right—you always had this very focused look when you aimed. He had also spotted you pretending to blow the nonexistent fume from the muzzle. Despite your initial reluctance, you had grown fond of the gun; it even had litte stickers and a nickname, but Satoru couldn’t recall what it was—a wordplay of some sort if he remembered well, Gunjo perhaps?
Of course, his teasing didn’t stop. That was the core of your friendship anyway—friendly banter, a little like with Utahime, but a bit funnier since he knew he was to your taste, despite the pretend disdain you had for him.
It was rather obvious you found him attractive. Everyone and their mother did—it was normal. And it was easy to make you flustered, but that was the extent of it. And while you weren’t exactly his type, he found you rather cute whenever you turned all red and teary. Were you not his friend, he might have spent a night with you at some point, for the sake of it, really. But Satoru knew very well you weren’t in love with him, and he was glad for it. You had said it yourself—you knew he wouldn’t be a good or faithful lover, and he was fine with that.
Living a cozy life with a little wife in a cottage wasn’t for him. One woman would never be enough for someone who got bored so easily. He needed diversity, and you deserved someone who would look at you, and only you. You knew he wasn’t good for you.
Or at least, that was what he thought.
It happened when you were both coming back from Megumi’s and his sister’s. He had trained the boy on his energy output, and you spent the time with Tsumiki. He wasn’t really sure what you had done with her, to be honest. That’s how you usually spent time while he was training Megumi, doing some sort of motherly activity with Tsumiki, that way, she never felt left out. You truly were suited for this.
The streets were quiet and empty, and the air smelled good; that was why he didn’t go out of his way to use his new handy skill: long-distance teleportation. Even he could enjoy a nice, quiet scenery, and unlike to you, you were especially silent that day.
A few fireflies seemed to have found their way around the path leading to the school. Gojo always craved action yes…but calm like this wasn’t unpleasant once in a while.
You had your moods sometimes, so Satoru didn’t think too hard about your silence. You had also gotten better at controlling your cursed energy, so it wasn’t as easy to guess what was going through your mind according to it. It was a little disappointing, but it was for the greater good. You rarely got hurt anymore, now able to strengthen your body, almost as efficiently as everyone else. But well, you were still below average at best.
He was whistling softly when you interrupted his walk, grabbing onto his sleeve in a demeanor unlike yours. You seemed tense, almost shaking. You always made a point of acting confident despite your shortcomings, so you were quick to grab Satoru’s attention.
“Ehm… Satoru?”
You were looking at him with bright eyes, cheeks red and chest flushed. Your breath was almost labored, as if you were anxious- No, you were anxious. Satoru knew what those signs meant, but he still found himself hoping you would simply tell him that you felt sick.
But he wasn’t stupid.
“Satoru..I..”
You bit your lips and looked aside, unable to hold his gaze.
‘’Can…can I tell you something?’’
Satoru didn’t even wait for you to finish before removing his sleeve from your hold as if you had suddenly burned him. He didn’t want things to go that way, he didn’t want you to speak up and say anything more than that. You weren’t meant to love him, or to think you did anyway- You were supposed to know better. Perhaps it had been his fault too- he was too comfortable around you, and it was unlike him to think twice before acting. He never really cared about misleading girls before. The few he cared about, Shoko and Utahime for instance, would never fall for him, even if he brought them flowers under the sunset every day.
But you…of course it was different. You were sensitive, insecure, weak, easily impressed, and you had that look in your eyes sometimes…He had noticed it but always made a point of pretending he didn’t. That look that girls had for him when he would forget to scram off their bed before the morning came.
“Don’t, really.”
He sighed heavily as you finally met his eyes—colder than usual. He didn't want to deal with this today. Everything was going fine...so why now?
“Listen, you don’t want this. Really’’
You swallowed around your throat, lightheaded.
‘’No I… I really..’’
Gojo sighed loudly, tilting his head back as he rubbed his hair frantically.
‘’Listen, I don’t know what you think you are feeling for me- love or whatever, but this isn’t it. You don’t love me. You’re probably just attracted to me really. If you just needed to get it out of your system, that’s fine, but don’t… don’t think anything could ever happen between you and I.’’
He didn’t want to hurt you, but you had to understand: there was no way this would work in any kind of way. You should have kept observing him from afar and kept those feelings to yourself. This was the way girls like you should go about it.
“Can we pretend this never happened? Please?”
He asked you softly, almost begging. He didn’t want that for you, and he was going to be honest, he didn’t want that for himself either. He didn’t want a little pocket girlfriend to show off to people. He didn’t want to be restrained to a single person. He didn’t want you.
You nodded softly at his words as tears gathered up in your eyes.
Gojo hesitantly patted your head with a flat hand, stiff. He was bad at dealing with those things. Recomforting you from a scary curse was something… but this, this he could live his whole life without dealing with it and he would be fine.
‘’I’ll… I’ll head to the dorm first. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.’’
He teleported out of view as your tears started streaming down your face.
‘’You…you could have let me finish at least…’’
Notes:
okayyyyyy
Stuff changed! As you can see Gojo is a bit nicer than in the first version of this chapter. FL and him grew closer so I felt like it would be odd for him to be very vile with her. So the ''I can fuck you to get it out of your system'' changed to ''if you needed to confess to get it out of your system''
I didn't want to go to the ''it's for you'' route, cause let's face it, Gojo is selfish
Also, we switched from Gojo to Satoru here! Time passed and they truly got closerGojo doesn't think she loves him for real, he thinks she's probably just a horny teen with no other male friends. And he really does not want to deal with her feelings, he's rather selfish. But we know that.
Things will not get happier in the coming up chapters, so I'm happy for the last two. I had a lot of fun making them after all! Thank you to those who confirmed that the first version of this chapter was rushed.
If you have any ideas, feel free to send them my way too, or tell me what kind of things you enjoyed. I try to listen to the things you guys like. (We got more gun action than I first intended cause of a commenter!)
Also, a big hug to Tsumiki who must have had the most horrible day of her life. Having Megumi and Gojo to help her out with her first periods. Might write that scene at some point lol
Don't hesitate to join my discord either!
https://discord.gg/AtEdckqu4X
Chapter 12
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
All things considered, you were quite lucky that it took this long for you to face how wicked and foul the world of jujutsu sorcery truly was.
Most sorcerers didn’t get almost two years of calm and happiness with their friends; this world had been kind to you, really.
You do not get to be properly heartbroken or binge-eat ice cream with your friends in front of the TV.
You do not get to spend days cursing out the stupid boy who broke your heart.
You do not get to cry yourself to sleep, ranting about how you would never be loved by anyone.
You do not get to spend time shopping with your friends to get him out of your head.
You do not get to have a fun makeover while they try to cheer you up.
You do not get to be this insouciant.
Haibara Yu is dead.
You can’t help but feel foolish.
Satoru rejecting you seemed like such a big deal a couple of hours ago. It felt like the worst thing that could have happened to you, the utmost misery someone could feel.
A rejection. By a boy.
What a joke.
You didn’t even get to say goodbye.
You do not want to see his corpse. You want to keep in your mind the bright smile he always showed everyone. You do not want to see him… gray? Is that how he would look? You have never seen a corpse before. You do not know what they look like or what they feel like. You’ve always been surrounded by light things. You’ve been lucky.
Even the days before the technical school… Your family had sent you away, yes. But… but it was fine. You were never truly alone; you made friends easily despite your unwanted gift. You had hobbies and things you liked. You loved reading—you still do! If you could have, you would have gone to school for it. Despite everything, you felt fulfilled.
You don’t want to see his corpse, but you feel like you have to.
So you slowly make your way to the morgue under the school. It’s going to be your first time there.
You hope you don’t get lost on your way. It’s such a mundane thought, but it feels alien to you. You can still get lost; the world didn’t change after Yu’s death. Even though it ought to have.
You think you would cry—you cried when you got rejected, after all, and that was nothing compared to this. But the tears are not coming. Your cheeks are dry, and you look just as you did the last morning. You get to be the same. You get to spend another day. You.
You walk down the short hallway, following the voices of Nanami and Ierie. You haven’t heard the details. An assistant was the one to inform you—last of everyone. Satoru had already left to clear up their mission, Ierie was already working in the morgue, and Nanami had already given his report to Yaga. You are late, later than everyone, not on the same beat. But still. BUT STILL
You have to see it for yourself… Yu was your friend. Had things unfolded differently today, he would have cheered you up alongside Ierie and Utahime. He was supposed to introduce you to his younger sister next summer. You still had his videotape to lend back to him. It was gathering dust on one of your shelves, and now, it would stay there for who knows how long.
Your hand rests on the door handle, frozen.
Behind it, Yu is waiting. He is waiting for you to give him back his videotape, he is waiting for you to meet his sister, he is waiting for you to complain about Satoru, he is waiting for you to get stronger, he is waiting for you to go on a mission with him, he is waiting for you to laugh at his bad jokes, he is waiting for you to ask for the pair of socks you lent him, he is waiting for you to graduate, he is waiting for you to smile, he is waiting for you, he is waiting for your answer to his feelings, he is waiting—and he won’t ever get to wak—
A deep voice calls your name.
You turn, shaking, your eyes meeting the teen’s. You didn’t notice the tears finally running down your face.
“Don’t go in.”
Geto stares back at you, his eyes smaller than usual. His frame looks almost hollow, as if he, too, might crumble at any moment.
“But... but I...”He shakes his head, lips shut tight.
You take a step toward him, tears still streaming down your face.
‘’I have-‘’
His hand softly squeezes your shoulder as he shakes his head again, the look on his face sadder than you had ever seen it.
“No one wants you to look at this. Haibara wouldn’t either. Not you.”
You don’t know how to respond to that. You thought... would he not...?
You lower your head, fat tears dropping directly to the floor.
Wasn’t Yu strong? He was a Grade 2 sorcerer, no? You had seen him fight... so why?
You keep letting the tears fall, half-absently watching them wet the concrete floor between your feet a little more.
The door suddenly opens, and you barely catch a glimpse of a shape covered with a sheet before it closes again.
Nanami looks at you, a tired expression on his face. At first, he says nothing, but you can feel something shift in his features after a few seconds.
“Haibara... Haibara liked you a lot. Please, do not go in.”
A wet laugh escapes your lips—apparently, no one wanted you there. Were you a child to them? It wasn’t fair... it wasn’t fair that you were the only one exempt from seeing him. He was your friend; you... you needed to...
‘’That’s not fair’’
You whimper as you hide your face in your hands, your glasses getting smudged.
You cannot see the two boys, but you can only imagine their faces.
“We... we just want you to remember him as he was... for us.”
You try to wipe your face with the palm of your hand as the door opens once again.
You waste no time hugging Ierie. Her hands settle softly in your hair as she hugs you back.
She stays quiet, simply holding you. You can feel her shaking lightly in your embrace as you weep into her smock. You don’t know how long you stayed like that—long enough for the tears to have dried when she finally led you out of the morgue.
You didn’t get to see his corpse.
You stop going to classes.
You stay in your dorm, sleeping through most of the days. Ierie brings you your homework, but you don’t care enough to do it.
Someone died—your friend died. A gruesome death at that. Perhaps it was a good thing they didn’t let you see the corpse.
But maybe it’s because of that you can’t come to terms with the fact that Yu isn’t going to be there anymore.
You feel like if you go to class, he would be there, waiting for you in his seat, maybe having folded something silly out of origami to put on your desk, his smile as bright as ever.
The brightest of them all.
You don’t go to class anymore, because you know that Yu won’t be there. Only Nanami would be waiting for you. The small class getting smaller. Would it eventually shrink even more? Would the classroom one day be empty?
You also stop going on missions. It’s not like anyone actually needs you, right? You only take care of Fly Heads—unaggressive, harmless curses. The most they can do is give someone a mild headache. So, what’s the point, anyway?
You won’t get stronger, Yu won’t come back, and you won’t protect anyone.
Worthless. This was all worthless. You weren’t special, you weren’t chosen to protect others—you were nothing. Your technique was useless. What could wobbly gray shadows even do? What could they protect?
You should have listened to Satoru, you weren’t cut out for this, you weren’t cut out for him either.
You weren’t cut out for anything.
You don’t know how much time has passed when Satoru barges into your room. He doesn’t knock, wait, and leave like the others eventually did.
He just walks in, blinding you with the lights from the hallway. It almost looks like a golden halo around him from where you are. Almost.
“Sheesh! It stinks in here…”
He avoids your clothes on the floor, making his way to your bed with wide strides. You glance at him from under the blankets covering you and are reminded of the last time you saw him.
You avoid his gaze and simply pull the covers back over yourself, not caring about dealing with the teen right now.
“What? You avoiding me now? Come on! You’re tougher than this.”
He sits on the edge of your bed, and you can almost hear him fussing as it slowly creaks under his weight. You do not react, staying covered.
“Why’d you stop going on missions?”
You don’t expect this to be the first thing he asks you. Why did you stop going on those useless Fly Head hunts? He was the one who always nagged you about quitting being a sorcerer, so why would he…
Did he just want you to admit it?
Fine, you didn’t care anymore.
“There wasn’t any point. You were right.”
You grip harder onto your blanket, your knuckles turning white.
“I’ll die a worthless death. Haven’t you said that to me? Yu just got there faster. You were right, Gojo. I won’t amount to anything.”
“No more Satoru? I thought you liked me?”
You throw a pillow at his face, but your voice is dull, lacking any sort of vigor.
“And I thought you didn’t.”
You finally get out from under the covers as he slowly whistles.
“You look like a mess! How did your hair get like that? Will it go back to how it was before? That’s crazy!”
You don’t understand how he can act like this. You don’t understand what he’s doing here or how he can just keep acting as if nothing ever mattered.
“What do you want? Didn’t you want me to quit? Wasn’t everything I worked for useless?”
He hums softly at your words, as if thoughtful.
“Fine, you can have that one. Fly Head hunts do have a purpose, you know? Grade 4 and above grow from them. When you get somewhere to clear out a Fly Head gathering spot, you prevent possible curses from appearing. I was just a little arrogant since I get bigger jobs.”
You probably would have loved to hear this before; Satoru finally admitting you weren’t useless would have been so satisfying, but right now, you don’t care for it.
He waits for your answer, but when you do not bother to give one, he keeps talking.
“Are you really fine with it? I told you your job was useless, that you weren’t needed, and that you should quit. I’m a jerk who didn’t even let you finish your confession because I didn’t care enough about my friend to let her have any sort of closure. I knew you somehow liked me, you know? I just thought you would keep it to yourself. You scared the shit out of me when you grabbed my sleeve. I didn’t even want to hear it.”
You don’t know why he’s telling you all this. Why is he being so mean to you? Is this really what you need right now? You know his words should enrage you, but right now, it’s barely enough to spark anything in your chest.
But it’s still something.
He removes his glasses and looks you dead in the eyes, into your soul. His expression is serious; he’s not smiling anymore. You don’t remember the last time you saw him with a look anywhere close to that one. Perhaps he had never looked at you that way; that’s possible, yes…
You are almost surprised by his voice when he finally speaks up. You were losing yourself in his eyes; you always were.
“Do you know what the duty of a jujutsu sorcerer is?”
You stay still for a moment as you register his question, slower than you normally would. You finally shake your head, waiting for his answer.
A duty? To protect non-sorcerers maybe…? To fight against curses? You swallow around the lump in your throat, tense.
‘’It’s to hold unto the wishes of your dead comrades for them.’’
He gets closer to you, leaning toward your ear, almost whispering when he speaks once more.
‘’So, I’m going to ask you again.’’
He leans back to get a better look at your face, his eyes taking up your vision, and it’s as if you cannot see anything but blue. It’s always like that with him, taking over your whole mind and heart without even thinking twice about it.
“Are you fine with proving me right? Are you fine with letting me make a fool out of you? Are you okay with Haibara's fight being pointless, just like yours was?”
You open your mouth to say something—anything, really. Your face drops slowly; your throat is dry.
The duty of a jujutsu sorcerer...? What was that even? Wasn’t it… wasn’t that just…?
Your voice almost breaks when you speak up, your chest tight with realization.
“It’s just a curse.”
You look up at him again, your eyes tearing up.
“Aren’t you just cursing me? How could I… how could I let his fight be in vain…?”
Satoru smiles at you, just like he used to.
“Look at you, a true jujutsu sorcerer.”
He ruffles your hair and winces as his hand gets caught in knots.
You look at him through some locks of hair that have fallen on your face, your head lowered but your eyes looking up. You can’t help but look aside after a moment, embarrassed, and you finally close your eyes, allowing him to ruffle your hair to his heart's content.
“You really are a jerk, you know? Using… using my feelings against me.”
You sulk a little as you finish, the words still embarrassing to say.
“Yeah, I know.”
He finally lets go of your hair and stands up from your bed, the bed shifting slightly under the change in weight.
“Now go see everyone; the morale is down now that your dumb ass isn’t around anymore.”
He opens the door to leave but turns back one last time.
“Oh, but take a shower first; you stink.”
You throw your pillow at him, but he closes the door first, and you can hear him cackle as he makes his way down the hallway.
Notes:
Sooooo? Was that what you expected? Yu was going to die at some point, no choice. I'm surprised no one mentioned it!
If anyone is wondering, Gojo brought up to confession to get a rise out of her. She wasnt responding anymore so he went for the weak spot. And look at him! Finally acknowledging her as a sorcerer, and like any of them, she got her own curse to carry.
Next chapter is going to be a little calmer, perhaps a time skip of some sort too.
The others are trying to protect her by preventing her from seeing Yu's body, but it wasn't what she needed at the time. They hoped to keep her 'intact' by avoiding confrontation, didn't work. Now he's burried. eh
Also, thank you all for all the lovely comments, if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't update this fic that fast lol! Love you all <3
Chapter 13
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Things are not quite the same now.
When you finally come out of your room, the hallway lights seem a little brighter than they used to.
Taking a shower helped... you were a little nasty after all this time. You'd have to clean your room too, but that could wait. You'd put on your uniform—you hadn't looked at it since that day. The bubble skirt feels silky against your skin, and the cropped jacket warms you up. You had grown used to wearing them and they felt familiar now.
You hesitantly make your way toward the living room, feeling guilty for shutting your friends out when they tried to reach out to you. It hadn't just been hard for you—it had been hard for them too.
When she first sees you, Ierie’s cigarette softly drops from her lips, falling to the floor as she hurries toward you. Nanami closes his book, not even bothering to mark the page, and Satoru leaves the room, claiming he has something suddenly urgent to take care of. He discreetly holds one of his hands in a half-prayer, a silent apology for running away.
Ierie hugs you tightly, holding you close for a little longer than usual. She smells of shampoo and cigarettes, as she always does, and it soothes your heart a little.
“Why does it always have to be this idiot who can make things move, huh?”
You chuckle at the complaint—it was sort of true.
“He got me upset. You could never have done that, Ierie.”
She huffs at that and finally lets go of you to look at you properly. Her eyes grow worried, her lips pursed.
“You’ve lost weight.”
You blush a little and look away; you had neglected yourself for a while... but you were going to be fine now.
“I’ll eat a lot of ice cream.”
She smiles and nods, finally regaining her usual calm expression.
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
You, Ierie, and Utahime are eating soft serve at a local dessert shop as you finally tell them about your failed confession. A few weeks had passed since then, so you were able to explain it without crying in the middle of it.
“What an asshole! Death to him!”
Utahime jumps out of her chair, gripping her spoon like a weapon she intends to use to slay Satoru.
“No decency! Not an ounce of it in this man! Not even letting you finish! What a jerk!”
Ierie's reaction is a little less explosive, her voice soft as she finally speaks up.
“Pretty sure he just got a car. Wanna slash his tires?”
You raise an eyebrow at that proposition.
“A car? He just teleports everywhere now.”
Ierie shakes her head.
“It still takes too much out of him to do it too often when it’s long distances.”
Uh... even though you often went with him to the Fushiguros that way... that counted as a long distance, right?
“It’s fine, really. I’ve been depressed long enough. I wanted to tell you guys, but I don’t plan on dwelling on it. What happened, happened.”
And... he came to get you out. Even when you were closed off and pushing everyone away.
So, you can’t totally hate him. He’s still your friend, despite it all… and you still have to take care of Megumi and Tsumiki. And well, feelings don’t go away that easily, even when you’re hurt.
So, you’ll be the mature one this time, even though your heart was shattered. You would be fine—you had to be.
Yu wouldn’t want you to lose your spirit over a boy, either. You were better than that!
And you wouldn’t forget what Satoru had told you—you were useful! Your work wasn’t something no one appreciated. You had a purpose and a duty.
You smiled at the thought, licking your ice cream softly.
Ierie and Utahime exchanged a confused look—it was a little unlike you to be so rational about something like this. Maybe you had matured a bit since you first arrived at the school.
They both silently agreed to let you handle this the way you saw fit. It was better than losing time and energy over him.
Ierie took a puff of her cigarette, blowing the smoke softly.
“Well, if you ever need to slash his tires, I’m there.”
You laugh happily before standing up and hugging both of your friends.
“Who cares about a boy when I have you guys?”
The two girls smiled and chuckled, agreeing with you.
“Especially that one!”
‘’You’ve got horrible taste, I have to agree’’
You start reading again.
Somehow, you had stopped over the last year, busy with classes and missions, but now you want to take the time to do what you love again.
You’ve accumulated quite the collection over the past year—fiction, biographies, mysteries, romances—you’ve got it all. You might be neglecting your homework a little, but Yaga doesn’t say anything to you about it.
You even write occasionally. Nothing particularly good or worth showing anyone, but it gives you another outlet after a stressful day.
Things with Satoru… aren’t quite the same, but you’re easing back into comfortable banter. He doesn’t bring up your confession anymore, and neither do you.
Your heart still aches a little when he’s overly kind to you, but it’s fine. You have other things—you always did.
You have Utahime, Ierie, Megumi, and Tsumiki. You have your books, you have writing, and you have a purpose. You have to hold onto Yu’s ambition and help others, just like he did.
So, it’s fine, really.
You’ve tried to get the siblings into reading, gathering all the books you thought they might enjoy—mainly children's fantasy stories. You never stopped buying from the authors you liked when you were younger, and now you have two full boxes of books ready to give them.
You get Satoru to help bring them to the kids, but unfortunately, Ierie seems to have a point as Satoru tells you he can’t teleport objects that big with him. His teleportation isn’t quite perfected yet.
So, both of you take the train with the the packages. Well, it's mostly Satoru with the boxes—books are heavy. If it weren’t for him, you’d have had to transport them over several trips.
Despite his help, even he finds the two of them hard to manage.
“Why are these so heavy? Did you put training weights in them?”
You chuckle as the older boy complains on the train.
“You’ve never had to move out, have you? Books are really heavy. But why aren’t you just using Limitless to lift them?”
Satoru looks away, a small pout forming on his face.
“I don’t need my technique for two measly boxes…”
“Oho? So it’s a pride thing, I see. I really don’t get men,” you shrug as the train doors open.
“You wouldn’t get it.”
“Yeah, that’s my point.”
You step out as he follows, and you’re not far from their place anymore.
“I hope they’ll be happy. Some of these books are pretty old… maybe I should’ve brought less?” you ponder, a little worried about how your gesture will be received.
“It’s fine, they’ll use the ones they don’t like as fire starters.”
You raise an eyebrow.
“They don’t have a fireplace—why would they—?”
You realize he’s just teasing and stop arguing.
“I’m sure they’ll be happy. Those kids aren’t getting any hand-me-downs from anyone,” Satoru says.
You look up at him and nod, smiling. “Right.”
“And worst case, they can use them as toilet paper,” he quips.
Without missing a beat, you kick him in the shin, making him yelp audibly as he stumbles, nearly dropping one of the boxes.
Tsumiki and Megumi are very happy about your gift.
They waste no time diving into the two boxes, dividing the books into some obscure categories.
“Thanks a lot, big sis!”
Tsumiki jumps up to hug you, squeezing you as tightly as she can. Megumi simply thanks you softly, a little meeker now. He’s really grown up… you should perhaps start recording their heights too.
You pat Tsumiki’s head lovingly, your heart warming as you think of all the changes you’ve seen in those two.
Satoru is sitting on the couch, observing the children from afar.
“I’ll have you know that I transported those boxes here, so be thankful!”
Tsumiki giggles and hurries toward Satoru to hug him too, climbing into his lap.
“Thank you, Satoru big bro!”
He hums in a satisfied manner, nodding his head slowly as he pats her head softly. “I’ll accept it. Now, Megumi, where is my hug?”
Megumi turns his head away from Satoru, eyebrows furrowed, and you giggle at the scene.
This time, you grab Megumi, getting him into your arms in a swift motion. But surprisingly, the boy complains when you finally hold him, despite it being the same way you always did.
“I’m not a baby anymore—don’t hold me like that!”
You look at him, surprised and a little shocked, but you listen to his request half-heartedly.
“Oh... I’m sorry.”
He’s the one now looking shocked at your reaction, as if he didn’t expect you to actually listen to him.
“No… don’t be sorry... It’s fine...”
He hugs you shyly from the ground, and you hug him back quickly. You’ll take what he gives you.
He was growing up… it was normal.
“And me?”
Satoru pipes up, Tsumiki still in his arms.
Megumi ignores him and keeps hugging you. You throw a smug look at Satoru; you always won when it came to Megumi.
Tsumiki suddenly pipes up, as if she just remembered something.
“Oh! I remembered something…”
Megumi turns his attention to his sister as she gets away from Satoru to look at you and your friend simultaneously.
“I understand if... if you can’t or... or if you don’t want to... but well.”
“Just tell them, Tsumiki. I’m sure they won’t mind.”
You look at Satoru, wondering if he has any more clues than you about what this is all about, but alas, he seems as confused as you are.
Tsumiki glances at her brother and finally nods.
“It’s just that, well, at school we have this Sports Festival Day, and... well, they want us to ask our parents or guardians to come. Usually, everyone watches and brings snacks and stuff...”
She is now looking down at the floor, as if embarrassed by her request, and you can’t help but feel your heart pinch a little. You too knew how that felt; your Sports Festival Days had been spent alone.
You and Satoru speak up at the same time.
“Of course, I’ll come, Tsumiki.”
“When is it? I’ll make some time.”
You both look at each other as your sentences mix into one another.
Tsumiki looks up from the ground to you two, mouth slightly open and eyes tearful.
“...Really?”
The first tear runs down her face as you hurry toward her to hug her tightly. Why was she crying? Of course, you would come; how could she think otherwise? Did she not know how much the two of them mattered to you and Satoru? Why had she even hesitated to ask?
“Come on, Tsumiki... You didn’t think we would say no? We love you guys so much.”
She holds onto you more tightly, and you can hear her even though her voice is muffled by your shirt.
“...You love us?”
You hug her tighter, tears starting to gather in your eyes too.
“Of course! Of course, I do.”
You sniffle loudly as you both start crying into each other's arms.
Megumi and Satoru throw each other a slightly confused look, not quite understanding where all of this emotion came from.
You both bawl for a couple of minutes, emotive and encouraged by each other’s tears.
“I’ll bring a flag, okay? With ‘Tsumiki Victory’ written on it! And Satoru is tall, so he will wave it! No— I’ll get on his shoulder to wave it!”
Tsumiki chuckles at the idea as Satoru starts to try to complain.
“Don’t do that! I’ll be embarrassed. You just have to be there... really.”
You nod, holding back more tears.
“I’ll take so many pictures.”
She smiles and nods. Tsumiki truly is the cutest girl in the whole world.
Tsumiki is more athletic than you would have expected.
Megumi, you, and Satoru are observing her from the sideline, sitting on a blanket. You get a couple of looks from the moms around you, but it might just be because of Satoru. Had it been only you, you would have been taken as an older sister. But now, you look like a shady pair. None of you resemble each other. Megumi with his ink-dark hair, Tsumiki with her straight brown hair, you with your curls, and Satoru… well, being Satoru.
And while you do not bring a flag as she requested, both you and Satoru scream her name any time she appears in a competition. Loudly enough that Megumi goes to sit a little further from you two, embarrassed by your attitude. You keep taking pictures of her with the camera Nanami lent you for today. You must have more than a hundred by now. You also took an obnoxious number of pictures of Megumi and Satoru goofing around while waiting for the activities to begin. Well, it was mostly Satoru goofing around and Megumi trying to survive through it.
Tsumiki participated in a lot of the group challenges, but she is now competing in the 300-meter run, representing her class by herself. And it looks like your girl is going to take the win- you did not expect to feel so proud of her, and yet you do.
“Tsumiki! Tsumiki! You got this! Tsumiki! Victory! Hey! Hey! Tsumiki!!!”
You scream as she runs toward the arrival line. There is another girl behind her, close, but your girl takes the win.
“Tsumiki!!!”
Both you and Satoru scream at the same time before hugging each other, excited.
“That’s my girl! Look at her go!”
Tsumiki runs toward the both of you, a wide smile on her face, as Satoru lets go of you to quickly grab her and raise her in the air, spinning around with the girl while laughing.
“You destroyed those stupid brats!”
‘’You did such a good job! You should have seen yourself go! A real rocket!’’
Tsumiki doesn’t stop laughing but still corrects Satoru as he finally lets her back down after throwing her in the air a couple of times.
“Come on! Don’t say that about them!”
You look around, now you really are getting dirty looks from the mothers around you. But well…it’s understandable now.
“Tsumiki, I got so many good pictures—we will print them out and put them on the fridge! Oh, we will have to get some pictures of Megumi when he’s in middle school too!”
Tsumiki agrees wholeheartedly, almost jumping in place.
“Where do you want to eat out, Tsumiki? You won, so you get to pick.”
The girl keeps jumping as she squeaks in excitement at Satoru’s question.
“Barbecue! I wanna eat barbecue!”
“Barbecue it is then!”
Satoru smiles at her, showing his teeth as the girl hurriedly hugs his legs.
“I love you, big bro Satoru! Big sis!”
She thanks you both, still flushed from the run, a wide smile on her face.
How could you be anything but happy when you were surrounded by everyone? You needed to be grateful really, you had anything you could have wanted.
When you come back to school that day, you notice a beautiful blond woman riding a bike, her hair flowing softly in the wind. She looks right out of a magazine, mature and graceful.
When she spots you, she stops her engine and removes her helmet, her hair cascading behind her elegantly. She reminds you of those nymph paintings you had seen long ago in a museum.
“You a student here, right?”
You nod, a little surprised by the sudden conversation. She must have been a sorcerer; you can clearly see the familiar by her side, and the barrier prevents curse users from entering the school.
“So… Tell me, what’s your type of man?”
You look at her, confused for a moment, but seeing no other reaction on her part, you decide to answer her, not seeing any reason not to.
You think about your answer for a few moments, never having really put a clear image to your type.
“Someone tall and handsome… Strong too, and good with children…”
She smirks at you.
“That’s a good answer—now tell me, where are your Grade S hiding?”
Notes:
slightly switched up events here! Yuki arrival is now after Haibara's death, it just suited my storyline a little better, her talking to Geto is going to be the exact same tho.
One last chapter before the fun stuff starts. I just need to set up some stuff a little betterI would now describe Gojo and FL relationship as a little bit more distant, but still friendly. Gojo pretends she never confessed and stopped making jokes that could be seen as suggestive. Hes more mindful of his actions (so distant) , on her side, she shove down her feelings while trying to focus on the positive. She shouldn't be greedy and want everything. She already has plenty.
Next chapter will be gojo centric, unsure about adding a little of his point of view.
hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Chapter Text
Curses are becoming stronger, more prevalent—even you can see it.
Satoru doesn’t seem to have any free time left to spend with Megumi, his sister, or even with you. You still see him when he has some time, but those moments are becoming fewer and farther apart.
You know he’s strong, stronger than anyone, and stronger than you could ever hope to become—you’ve come to accept that.
But he’s still human, and he still needs to rest. You know you aren’t being overly anxious, as even Ierie seems uneasy with the number of missions he’s taking on.
When you ask him if he feels a little overworked, his answer is always the same:
"Better that I exorcise those curses than send a small fry who’ll end up dying anyway. Saves us time."
You sometimes wonder if he’s thinking of Yu when he says that. If he had been the one assigned to the curse, Yu would still be here…
It’s not just Satoru, either. Geto is also being overworked. He never complains, but he’s growing thinner, smaller—a husk of who he once was.
When you look at him, you remember why you never really got close to him; you never know what he’s thinking.
Nanami and Mei Mei are also being sent out on long missions far more frequently. Everyone is growing tired.
Well, everyone except you, Utahime, and Ierie. Utahime’s technique isn’t suited or needed for many curses, and Ierie would never be sent out like Satoru—she’s not strong enough to protect herself, not with the value of her reverse cursed technique.
As for you, since you’ve never been sent out much, a slight increase in flyheads doesn’t disturb your schedule too much.
Something is brewing in the jujutsu world. Something foul, something that will affect your friends.
So, you try to do the one thing you’re good at—you try to cheer up your friends.
“Let’s all go to the beach! Next Friday is a holiday—curses should calm down enough for us to go for a day!”
When people had days off, they were in a better mood, and that was good for sorcerers. Unstressed people meant calm days, people were mostly creating curses when they were overworked and unhappy.
But even with that, not everyone seemed convinced, especially Satoru and Geto. Something to be expected from the ones who had the most of their shoulders.
“I get that it’s like this for smaller curses, but the important ones I take care of aren’t affected by a mere day off. Same for Geto’s jobs,” Satoru said, arm crossed and an unconvinced look on his face.
Ierie rubs your back, trying to cheer you up a little in front of the harsh refusal.
“Things will calm down, then we’ll all go together.
” She looked a little sad too, but didn’t seem to want to push the issue any more than that..
“Isn’t it fine for a day…? You guys need to relax too… what if you get overworked and… make a mistake and…”
You feel tears gather in your eyes as you think of the worst. It could happen—it had happened.
Utahime is the first one to get closer to you, hurrying to your side as you start to cry.
“I’ll come with you! I’ll come, so don’t cry!”
You take her in your arms, sniffling softly, trying to stop the tears from falling unto your face.
“I’m sorry… it’s just… you guys are working so hard, and I can’t do… I can’t do anything to help you…”
Geto and Satoru exchange a look with each other, a little uneasy. No one really liked to see you cry; you were usually the most optimistic one.
“If it’s just one day…”
When Satoru speaks up, you lift your head from Utahime’s shoulder, looking at him with bright, wet eyes.
“Really?”
He looks away, as if embarrassed by his concession.
“I’ll come too.”
Geto pipes up as Nanami sighs from the other couch, apparently having made a decision too.
“I guess I have to come too?”
You don’t waste any time answering him, you were not going to let him change his mind now!
“Yes!”
Ierie smiled at everyone’s decision; she hadn’t actually expected the others to make time for this. They would have to argue a little with the higher-ups, but they were too important to be denied a single day off.
“If everyone is coming, I shouldn’t have any issue with the higher-ups!”
After all, they didn’t like her wandering around alone.
You remove your glasses to dry your tears, a smile soon spreading across your face.
“I’ll make sure everyone has a lot of fun! Thank you, everyone!”
They needed the break more than anyone else—your hardworking friends. And if you had to be the one to push them toward it, then so be it
“You are not wearing that.”
Ierie eyes your swimsuit with disdain. You don’t really see what’s wrong with the orange one-piece. She silently congratulates herself for thinking to ask what you were going to wear—you couldn’t always be trusted with your appearance.
“Why? It’s comfortable…”
“And orange. Why would you go for orange? The guy who rejected you will be there—you have to step up your game a little.”
You pout as you put the swimsuit back in your drawer.
“It’s fine, I gave up anyway. I’m sure he’d cheat on me anyway.”
Ierie shakes her head.
“It’s a matter of feminine pride. You cannot wear that. What’s your budget?”
You sigh and open your wallet.
The shopping district is as huge as always.
Ierie has invited Mei Mei to join you for shopping. While Mei Mei isn’t interested in going to the beach with everyone, she owes Ierie a favor. She was also the only older woman you both knew, so you were counting on her for tasteful recommendations.
“So… a swimsuit for the little missy here, huh?”
She leaned down and grabbed your face between her hands, reminding you a little of Satoru.
“You’ve got a tanner complexion… let’s go for pastels. How comfortable are you with showing skin?”
Ierie answers for you.
“She’s gonna show as much as needed. We’re up against Gojo here.”
You snap at your friend, pouting.
“We’re not against anyone!”
Mei Mei hums softly as she takes out her phone to look something up.
“Gojo, huh? You’re taking on quite the opponent. I’ll do what I can.”
She smiles at you, her red lips stretching into a grin. Mei Mei was also hard to deal with… a little scary, even.
Ierie shows a picture to Mei Mei, who whistles softly.
“Yeah… let’s definitely upgrade from that.”
“Hey! Are you mocking my swimsuit?!”
The girls don’t answer you, simply dragging you inside the mall as you begrudgingly follow them.
...
“There is no way I can wear this!”
You slightly open the curtain as the two girls observe you attentively.
“Isn’t it fine? You have a small chest, so it’s not vulgar.”
Always with your chest... Would anyone leave it alone? It was perfectly fine!
“Yes, it is! Any more, and my nipples will be out.”
Ierie squints slightly.
“Oh, she’s right. They’re not far from peeking out.”
You turn red and violently close the curtain.
“Something else! I’d lose this in a minute!”
You can hear Mei Mei and Ierie chuckling from behind the curtain.
“I’m being bullied…”
You groan but still try on all the pieces they bring you.
The next three are vetoed by Mei Mei, and the ones following are then rejected by Ierie.
Finally, on the seventh swimsuit, you all come to a compromise.
The pastel pink swimsuit is… smaller than you would like, but bigger than most of what the girls showed you. There are no frills, per Mei Mei’s instructions, but there’s a little metal heart in the middle of your chest, showing off just enough skin to satisfy Ierie. The strings are hard to tie around your waist, but your friend promises to help you.
And, well, you look… sexy—there’s no denying it. The bottom is small in the back, but wide enough in the front, something you refused to compromise on.
“I’m gonna have to shave, huh...”
The triangles sit flush against your small chest, but it doesn’t look childish.
It’s fine. You would probably die of embarrassment, but it’s fine. It’s not like the guys would know you went shopping for it. And, to be honest, it’s not like any of them would care anyway.
When you finally head to the register to buy it, you wince at the price. Mei Mei had expensive taste in stores…
When you mention it, she simply shrugs.
“You need that much to deal with Gojo.”
You give up on clearing the misunderstanding.
“Ierie… I don’t think I can wear that after all. I should go with my old one!”
“If you do that, I’m not coming anymore.”
You look at Ierie with puppy eyes as you pack for the beach.
“But…”
“If you wear that, you can be sure you’ll get mocked.”
You sigh, knowing she had a point. Your old swimsuit was a bit childish, with palm trees printed on the front.
“You look great in the one you got, trust me. I wouldn’t let you wear something that doesn’t suit you.”
You glance at the new swimsuit again and finally put it in your bag.
“Fine… I guess you’re right.”
You leave your room with your bag and head to the bus stop, where you all agreed to meet. The beach is only half an hour away, and since it’s still early, you’ll have a full day to enjoy the warm water and silky sand.
You can’t help but smile at the weather—it’s hot and humid, the perfect day to cool off. You truly hope everyone will enjoy the day to the fullest.
When you arrive at the stop, Geto, Satoru, and Nanami are already there, all wearing their swimsuits. Satoru is also wearing a Hawaiian shirt, and you can’t help but chuckle.
You’re now just waiting for Utahime. You sit down at the stop and tease Satoru a little.
“You seem to be looking forward to this more than me!”
Satoru smirks at you, as if he knows something you don’t.
“Says the one who went shopping just for today.”
You turn red at the accusation.
“How did you know? Ierie!”
You turn to your friend, feeling betrayed.
“Oh, it was true? Sorry, I just guessed! That’s funny. You wearing it now? Show me what you got. Is it sexy?”
Your face flushes red, and you hear Geto chuckle lightly.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Satoru mess with you like this.”
You glare at him but can’t help softening when you notice the dark bags under his eyes. He looks absolutely exhausted.
“Well… some things hardly change, I guess.”
It was a little unlike Satoru—he had stopped making those kinds of jokes after your confession.
Geto smiles back at you.
“Right.”
You want to say something to him, you feel like you really should, but you stay silent.
Utahime arrives, running with a heavy bag slung over her shoulder, breaking you out of your thoughts.
“Sorry, guys! I’m late!”
Satoru immediately jumps at the chance to tease her.
“You sure are! We missed, like, three buses! The next one’s in an hour!”
Utahime gasps, clearly shocked and believing him.
Nanami rolls his eyes, while Ierie steps in to tell her the truth, helping her with the heavy bag. She had packed a lot for a simple day at the beach.
“It’s not true. No buses have passed, and the next one is in five minutes.”
Utahime sighs in relief and shoots an angry glare at Satoru, who just sticks his tongue out at her playfully.
You were glad to see everyone in high spirits, well, almost everyone.
Satoru didn’t really need a day off. Sure, he had a lot of missions, but he could handle them. Still... Geto might need it, and that’s what pushed him to accept the offer. A day at the beach with everyone would do Geto some good, and for that, Satoru had a good idea.
He made a point to mess around a little more than usual, even teasing you in ways he had recently avoided. Like you, he had noticed the low morale among the other sorcerers, and if he could help lift their spirits, he would.
But, in the end, Geto was going to be fine. They were the strongest, after all. A tough summer wasn’t going to kill anyone, especially if Satoru took on the most dangerous missions alongside Geto. His best friend wouldn’t lose to a curse, and neither would he.
He would do everything in his power to make sure none of his friends died—not again. He still didn’t care much about protecting the weak like Geto did, but when it came to his friends, that was different.
When you all arrive at the beach, Satoru is the first to run into the water. Nanami pulls out a boring-looking book, while Geto takes on the task of setting up the umbrella and snacks.
The girls are still changing when Satoru spots a cliff that looks perfect for jumping off. He decides that as soon as you get there, he’s going to throw you off it. You would definitely scream. He hurry at the top of it to test said jump, it had to be high enough to scare you after all.
When you finally come out with Utahime and Ierie, Satoru finds himself frowning a little.
Your swimsuit is... racy. Satoru had never really been interested in you—that had been made clear when he rejected you—but still.
He is a man.
You seem aware of the attention as you try to hide behind your towel, your face red. Ierie yanks it away from you, giving you a scolding look as she pushes you toward your bag.
When you bend down to put your clothes back in it, Satoru stares a little longer than he would admit. Had you really gone shopping with Ierie to get that swimsuit? He was almost sure you would have shown up in a school swimsuit… Had you—had you bought it for him? If that was the case, it would be disrespectful not to look, at least a little…
He submerges half of his face in the water, softly blowing bubbles.
Finally, he looks away from you. He wouldn’t mess around with you; he had already decided that. You were his friend, and he wouldn’t do that to you.
You finally run toward the water, Ierie looking at you from behind as she discusses with Geto.
"Satoru! I wanna try something!"
You hurry toward him, apparently now over your outfit. If he had to guess, you probably forgot; you weren’t the most self-aware at times.
"Try what? Want me to throw you in the air?"
You frown at the idea.
"No—what? I want you to push the water around you with your technique—to make an air bubble!"
The idea does sound interesting to him.
"Sure, but on one condition: you have to jump from that cliff—"
He points at the cliff, and you swallow audibly.
"Isn’t it tall...?"
"I jumped already; you’ll be fine."
You stare at him for a couple of seconds before finally agreeing, but not without making it clear on your face that you aren’t thrilled by the idea.
Satoru smiles as he gets out of the water to approach his best friend.
"Suguru, I’m gonna get her to jump from that cliff. Get that one curse that makes you bounce around above the water; it’ll be fun!"
He cackles audibly as his friend follows him, throwing his can of juice next to his stuff. "You really have the worst ideas, huh?"
"The best, you mean. Come on, it’ll be hilarious."
Geto chuckles and finally agrees with his friend as you catch up to Satoru. You don’t say anything about him bringing Geto, unsuspecting of the plan he has in mind.
Once you climb the cliff, Satoru notices the way you rub your arm, an anxious look on your face. He is pretty sure that if he put his ear to your chest, he would hear your heart pumping wildly.
You look at the water from the edge of the cliff, gulping audibly.
"You sure about that...? It’s safe...?"
Satoru smiles at you and places his hands on your shoulders, getting you closer to the edge and pushing you softly.
"Of course! I did it already!"
You look up at him with worried eyes, your brow furrowed lightly.
"You’re sure, Satoru? It’s really safe?"
You bite your lip slightly, your eyes cast downward as your wet hair sticks a little to your face, darker than usual now that it’s drenched.
Satoru keeps quiet for a couple of seconds, as if he’s only just now registering what you’re asking him and how unsure you look.
"Ah, um—yeah, yes. It’s safe."
You look up to meet his eyes, still not convinced.
"Can you jump with me...? In case anything goes wrong...? I don’t wanna crash on rocks..."
Satoru can’t help but feel a little culpable; he had planned to scare you even more than that, and here you are, coming to him for reassurance and safety.
He throws a look at Geto, who sighs and smiles at his friend. He would forget about the bouncing curse.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it, Satoru. Go on."
He always knew what Satoru was thinking without the need to spell anything out.
Satoru glanced back at you, his mind already made up.
"I’ll jump with you if you’re so worried, crybaby."
You smile as he accepts, already feeling a little more confident and easily ignoring the insult.
"You better make that air bubble afterward!"
Satoru doesn’t take the time to respond, suddenly grabbing you as if you were mere baggage under his arm.
"What! Eh?!"
He looks down at you, smiling, still not fully giving up on teasing you a little. If he was going to indulge you and use his technique for you, the least you could do was amuse him.
He doesn’t give you any other warning before jumping off the cliff.
And scream, you sure did.
When you finally swim up, you don’t waste a second swatting Satoru on the head, who simply laughs at your lackluster attack.
"Why would you do that, stupid?!"
You keep grabbing onto him to hit him with repeated chops on the head, silently thankful that he still doesn’t protect himself with his Infinity from you.
"I thought I was gonna die!"
You complain, but when he grabs your arm and pulls you under the water, using his Infinity to push it away, you can’t help but yelp.
You’re submerged, yet you can breathe and see what surrounds you clearly. He made the water bubble he promised you, and it’s as gorgeous as you had imagined.
Satoru guides both of you away from the edge of the cliff, and the scenery changes; fish and seashells shine softly before your eyes. You’re reminded of those water tunnels at the aquarium, but this is even better.
Your friend smirks at you, and you aren’t complaining anymore.
"I knew it would be awesome!"
You hear a splash and look toward the cliff, soon seeing Geto swimming toward both of you.
Satoru lets him into the bubble, and you can’t help but smile at the impressed look on Geto's face. You were right to invite everyone to the beach; he doesn’t seem on the verge of collapsing for once.
"It was my idea! The bubble!"
You exclaim as Geto chuckles, looking at you fondly.
"It sure is a nice view. I never thought of using Infinity that way…"
You smile, feeling a little lightheaded.
"Happy to see you guys having fun, but we’re going to run out of air, so hold your breath and swim up."
His warning is a bit too abrupt, and you end up swallowing some water as you finally reach the surface, coughing.
"You could—cough—have warned me a little more!"
Your voice wheezes as you try to catch your breath.
Geto rolls his eyes and lends you his arm to help you stay afloat.
"Do you just know how to complain?"
You grab onto him and glare at the teen.
"I swallowed some water; it burns!"
Once you catch your breath, you let go of his arm, not wanting to be that close to him for much longer.
"Sure sounds tough."
You stick your tongue out at Satoru, still feeling playful.
"I’m going to get Ierie. She won’t make me jump off cliffs!"
"You do that! I’m going to do real stuff with Suguru!"
Suguru raises an eyebrow as you move away from the boys. Satoru seems to start explaining his ‘curse surfing’ idea as you slowly stop hearing them.
Once back on the beach, you hurry to find Ierie. She’s lying on a towel, soaking up the sun.
"Ierie… You abandoned me!"
You pout as you get next to her. She removes her sunglasses and smirks at you.
"What? Weren’t you having fun? I was watching you guys from here."
You huff and glance at the two boys surfing on waves on top of… ray curses? It looks fun, but you know you don’t have the skills or fitness to pull it off.
"It was a little, but… I don’t just want to hang out with Satoru. You’re my best friend!"
Ierie looks at you before putting her sunglasses back on.
"Then why don’t you call me Shoko?"
You stare at your friend, surprised. That was true; you had never switched from Ierie to Shoko.
"I’ll call you Shoko! I’ll say your name as much as you want!"
You hug your friend tightly, and she chuckles, hugging you back.
"I’m happy everyone came; I feel like they all needed it."
You agree as you notice Nanami and Utahime talking together while waiting for what seems to be grilled calamari.
"Since Yu… things have been getting busy. I wanted everyone to enjoy themselves. Geto and Satoru have been overworked."
Shoko takes a smoke out of her bag, lighting it with expert hands.
"You should stop smoking…"
"I know."
You don’t push it any further and lean against her shoulder.
"So, how did the swimsuit work out?"
You huff at the question.
"I consider it a win that he didn’t mock me."
‘’Really? I guess he doesn’t really tease you that much anymore. Maybe that’s his way of being sensible?’’
You sigh
‘’Yeah, but…I don’t care as much anymore you know? After everything that happened…It just seemed so trivial. Even now, I have trouble taking my own thoughts seriously.’’
‘’I get what you mean, it mess with your mind, this kind of job’’
You get a juice from the cooler, handing one to your friend too as you start to discuss lighter subjects.
After around half an hour, you look at the ocean, trying to see what the boys are doing, but you don’t spot them playing in the waves or at the cliff. After a moment of searching, you finally see them next to an ice cream truck, surrounded by three girls.
Shoko notices them too as you gaze at them.
"Ah… Well, I guess we shouldn’t expect more from those dumbasses…"
You can see Satoru removing his glasses and flexing his arm as one of the girls grabs his bicep.
You stop looking and lie down on your beach towel. You are surprised you aren’t more upset, slightly annoyed would be more accurate.
"Well, at least he’s enjoying himself."
You shrug, trying to avoid thinking about it too much. You know Satoru, and this is the person he has always been.
Shoko looks at you for a moment, silent, then simply plays with your hair a little.
"You’re a good girl."
When you all come back from the beach, everyone seems a little more tanned and in a better mood. You’re grateful that they were able to enjoy themselves; no one would have taken a break if it weren’t for you, and you feel a little proud of that.
As you finally get off the bus, you don’t notice Nanami stopping as you make your way toward the school. But when Shoko grabs your arm, you turn around and see an odd look on his face.
The rest of your group also stops, waiting for him to say something.
"I… I wanted to inform you first, but…"
He seems uneasy, and you can’t help but grow worried.
"I will not be continuing as a jujutsu sorcerer next semester. I’ve already been accepted at Tokyo University."
He bows at a 90-degree angle.
"I wanted to thank everyone for the past years and wish you success in your future endeavors."
Satoru is the first to react to the announcement.
"Uh? Why are you leaving? Weren’t you going to get promoted to a semi Grade 1?!"
Nanami looks aside for a moment.
"I’ve thought this through; I will not be changing my mind."
And just like that, the mood drops again.
No one dares to ask any more questions; Nanami was the closest to Yu, so it isn’t hard to imagine how he came to that decision.
You force yourself to smile.
"Congratulations on your admission. You must have studied hard."
Utahime quickly congratulates Nanami, followed by Geto and Shoko. Satoru is the only one who doesn’t speak, an annoyed look on his face.
You watch him walk toward the school, an uneasy feeling growing in your chest.
It feels like everything around you is slowly collapsing. Your feelings for a man who doesn’t care about you, the rare smiles of your comrades that are growing thinner every day, Nanami’s departure… and that strange lady who asked to see Satoru and Geto.
Something ominous is creeping up from the shadows, and it doesn’t matter how many beach days you organize; it’s not stopping.
Notes:
I promise there is no more fluff, I got the story where I wanted it to be.
Now get ready for characters that will collapse on themselves against the harsh reality of being a sorcererDon't forget to comment! kiss kiss
Next chapter is basically over. It's actually one of the first I wrote for this fic!
Chapter 15
Notes:
There it is. The turning point. THE chapter this fic was made for
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The summer is finally ending. Nanami has packed up his things, and everyone threw him a small goodbye party. You may or may not have cried a little.
But you get it—this job isn’t kind to anyone but the strongest, and even then, seeing your friends disappear makes you wonder if you’re going to be next.
It’s stressful, but you didn’t think it was stressful enough to push someone to such an extreme. When you hear the news—after everyone else, of course—you’re surprised by your own stoic thoughts.
(Ah... Finally.)
Not to be mistaken, you’re just as shocked as everyone else. Geto had always been the altruistic one, the one willing to stand up for the weak. But there was something, something you felt would snap someday. You didn’t know what it was. It could have been something as mundane as him being in love with Shoko, really.
Not... mass murder.
You wonder if you should have reached out to him like Satoru reached out to you. You wonder what pushed him to the edge. You wonder if he has any regrets, if anything you all experienced together had any value to him. Perhaps it did, perhaps not. But you still remember his smile that day you all shared at the beach. You’d like to believe it was genuine.
Aaah...
You can hear it—a soft sound in your ear. The sound of everything finally collapsing. Nothing was going to be the same. All that you knew was simply going to be nostalgic memories, echoes of a time that no longer existed. First it was Yu, then Nanami, and now Geto. You can’t help but think that if someone’s next, it’ll be you.
You don’t know what to do, and you can’t imagine how Satoru and Shoko must feel now.
You wonder what his reasons could have been, and perhaps you’re small-minded, because you can’t think of a single one on your own. What had mere civilians done? What could have warranted the massacre of women and children too?
The one who explains why he did all of this is Shoko. But even then, the excuse seems hollow—nothing that could truly justify it. In the end, only more suffering would come from this sort of decision, wouldn’t it? You wish you had the chance to speak with him, but you know that kind of resolve wasn’t made without deep thought, especially for Geto. If anyone had a chance of changing his mind, it was Satoru. But apparently, even he couldn’t.
The failure has taken a toll on him. He’s vanished, retreating to his room and using his Infinity to keep everyone out. You often find yourself thinking about him late at night, wondering if it’s best to leave him in his solitude. It leads you to reflect on your own moments of isolation in your room, just a few months ago.
You stand silently in the doorway of his room. You’ve finally decided to see him, no longer willing to wait another week. You aren’t pushed back, as you expected. Only you could do this right now, and... somehow, you don’t want anyone else to.
The light from the TV reflects dimly against his soft locks of hair. His glasses are off, giving him a delicate look. His baby blue eyes are fixed on the screen, unresponsive. You’re used to seeing them bright and vivid, but now, even the light doesn’t seem to reflect in them.
His gaze shifts toward you, slow and deliberate. You don’t think you’ve ever seen him like this before. The bags under his eyes testify to his state. He doesn’t look well—he doesn’t look anything like the Satoru you know, the blessed heir.
But still, you call out to him, because it’s the only thing you can do, the only thing you’re allowed to do.
“Satoru.”
You say his name softly, lips pursed, feeling as though your own voice could break at any moment. It hurts—it really does—to see him like this. This isn’t how he’s supposed to be.
Only the best, warmest things should reach him. The world is supposed to be at his feet—he shouldn’t... he should never look like this. Your whole soul is screaming it at you.
Gojo doesn’t respond, but his eyes remain fixed on you, empty seas pulling you in. For a moment, you wonder if this is what he would look like without the Six Eyes. Blue, lifeless eyes.
"Satoru."
You call for him again, taking a step into his haven. You’re breaching the dimly lit space he’s kept closed off—his divine territory. You know you don’t belong here; he’s letting you know. His cursed energy seeps out, pungent and suffocating. Gojo has perfect control over it, and you realize he’s doing it on purpose, trying to chase you out. But never with his technique.
“Get out.”
The words are sharp on his tongue, and he looks away, as if he can’t bear to look at you any longer. As if you’re bringing something unwelcome into his room, something he no longer cares about. But still, you see it as your duty. You have to reach him, because no one else will.
“I won’t.”
You take another step toward him, fighting back the instinct to leave the oppressive room. You’re not the most sensitive to cursed energy, but even now, it feels like a non-sorcerer could sense the chilling cold that’s settled in the room. He doesn’t want you here, but even so...
“I won’t leave you alone.”
Gojo’s eyes fix on you again, a feral intensity lurking behind his glare. He looks upset—more than you’ve ever seen him—and to have his animosity directed at you steals the breath from your throat. You’re not sure how you’re managing to stay here, but somehow you know you have to. If your entire life was meant for one thing, if there was a climax to your arduous and fragile existence, this would be it—standing in the honored one’s space, even while being chased away.
“Get. Out. Don’t make me force you out.”
You know what Satoru is capable of. Everyone does. It’s foolish to oppose him, but if you aren’t a fool, then what are you, really?
So you won’t back down—not now, not while he looks at you like that, not while his eyes have lost anything Satoru-like. Not while he despairs, not after all he has done. How could you leave him like this?
"...I won’t leave you alone. You aren’t alone. I know ho—"
He cuts you off, a sharp light suddenly flickering in his eyes, the first sign of life in them since you entered the room. He finally seems to wake up from the slumber he’s been in.
“What do you know?!”
He approaches, fury in his eyes, caging you as you refuse to step back. You’re past the point of running. If he were to strike you, you’d probably still stay. But he wouldn’t need to do that—with his Infinity, he could simply push you out. There’s no better power for someone willing to isolate themselves. But he’s made a point not to activate his Infinity on you. After all, you’re no threat to him.
“What does someone weak like you know? There’s nothing for you to understand—nothing you could possibly see. You are nothing. We—we were the strongest. You were never anything, always fated to get killed by some low-tier cur—"
This time, you cut him off. You know those things, of course. Maybe this is the first time Satoru has lost something precious to him. He had the power to protect anything he wanted, to keep anything out of harm. A blessed child like him wouldn’t be familiar with the grief of losing something that was once yours. In that sense, Satoru is still a child—one who’s never lost anything. But now, he’s lost the most important thing to him, the only thing he truly cared about, perhaps.
“I know! I know because I am weak!"
You cut him off, trembling softly under the pressure, of the situation, of him, of his energy. Of everything.
But you still continues.
"I know how it feels—to have something… to have something and watch it slip away—to try to protect it and fail. Because I’m weak, I know—that’s what it means to be weak. And that’s why I won’t... I won’t leave you alone, even if you chase me out. I’ll come back... because even if you lose something, you’re not alone. I won’t leave your side. You didn’t leave mine, so I could never…”
You hope you’ve conveyed something to him, but it’s hard to tell. He’s just… so different, almost like he’s from another species. Maybe that’s why he’s so lonely. Geto might have been the one person who could understand him, and to lose that person... to lose him... turn their back, not only on you but on the very concepts your whole lives have been based on.
You finally look up, meeting his icy gaze, slowly starting to recognize Gojo in those eyes again. He’s upset, but he’s alive. He keeps his eyes locked onto you, as if waiting for you to say something else.
“I’ll stay…”
He doesn’t move. Just staring, and staring, and staring. It wouldn’t be so unsettling if his eyes weren’t so clear. Since... since the vessel incident, Gojo’s eyes always seem to see further than anyone else’s, and even now, you feel like he’s glaring straight into your soul.
“You’ll stay? How can you even promise that?”
The silence is broken, his voice hoarse.
“Geto didn’t stay. How could you?”
You bite your lip, almost trembling.
“I won’t abandon you. I won’t leave you. I could never do that.”
Something shifts in his gaze, another light goes out.
“Do you know what it means to promise me that? Do you know what you’re giving up?”
His eyes darken, almost in anger.
“Do you know what it is to make that promise to me? After he left? Someone weak like you? Do you know what that entails?”
It feels like you can’t breathe, his energy invading you, insidious.
“I-I don’t care what it means—I don’t care what I have to give or promise, I’ll stay with you!”
He scoffs but doesn’t look away.
“And what if you die? How can you promise me that? You’re weak, weaker than anyone. Haibara didn’t survive, Nanami left, and now Suguru has a loose screw. How can you tell me you’ll stay with me? No one can—no one could!”
You shake your head, eyes squeezed shut.
“I’ll stay! Whatever it costs! Even if you push me away! Even if you reject me! Even if you don’t need me anymore! I won’t leave you alone—I could never, not you…”
He grabs your arm and pushes you onto his bed, soon climbing on top of you, caging you in the darkness of his room.
‘’Really? Are you ready to let your soul be cursed? If you promise something like that to me and die first, I won’t let you rest in peace. Your soul will be cursed, you will not get to leave me, I have that sort of strength. Are you ready to accept that? For me? For someone like me?! Suguru was the one who was supposed to be moral- to keep me in check. Who knows what I could do now? Will you really give yourself like this?’’
You nod, heart pounding.
"I am. For you. Because you didn’t leave me alone. Because you’re my friend."
Satoru’s mouth opens slightly, as if he can’t believe what you’re saying.
"You... you’re not lying."
You frown, feeling a bit insulted, and look aside.
"Had you listened to my confession, you wouldn’t look so surprised..."
His hand gently touches your cheek, soft and delicate.
"You would let me curse you..."
He murmurs, as if still disbelieving.
"I see... so that’s how it is..."
Suddenly, he pulls you into a tight hug, his head resting in the crook of your neck. He doesn’t move, and his grip is almost suffocating.
After a moment, you wonder if he’s fallen asleep, but then you feel him shake lightly. Satoru is crying against you. You run your hand through his hair, gently shushing him.
"I’m here... even if everyone leaves... I’m staying with you. Always."
His grip tightens a little more.
"I won’t let you get away."
You don’t notice the dust slowly stops falling onto you.
He let you in.
It should have been obvious to Satoru.
You had always been there for him, despite everything he had put you through, despite the way he tried to push you away from this world. You stuck to him like glue, but he was so focused on his heavenly duties, so concentrated on being the strongest, that he didn’t see it.
That was what his power was for: to protect the weak, to protect you. He didn’t truly care about civilians, but now he understood a little how Suguru used to feel.
He looks at you, asleep in his bed, drooling onto his pillow. You promised to stay by his side, ready to get your soul cursed for him. How could he have missed it? You were made for him. That should have been obvious. The whole reason you had been placed on his path…
Geto wasn’t here anymore. He was supposed to be Satoru's moral compass, to keep him on the right track. Without him, who knows how many he would have killed that day?
But if he’s not here, if he was wrong all along, then Satoru has to be the one making the decisions. His own moral compass.
Now, more than ever, he feels how high above everyone else he truly is. Geto wasn’t able to endure the pressure; he cracked. But it wouldn’t be the same for Satoru. There’s a big difference between the two of them.
Geto wasn’t loved the way you loved him. Satoru had you, and you would not leave him alone; you could not. Unlike Geto, even if you changed your mind, you were chained to him, and you had accepted it.
Satoru takes a lock of your hair in his hand as you grumble a little in your sleep.
How could he not have seen it? When it was that obvious, that clear? What else could you be good for? What else but to support him could you do?
He used to think that being a sorcerer was inherently lonely, that you were by yourself in this hell. But he was wrong; after all, he was far from being alone. You… only you could have done that for him.
When you wake up, it takes a moment to remember where you actually are. Your bed was definitely not that big or comfortable, and your covers weren’t that soft either.
You yawn and slowly rub one of your eyes. Next to you, Satoru is half on the bed and half on the floor. Considering your position, you gather that you pushed him off with your legs.
Why are you in his bed again?
The only reason you don’t freak out is the wide distance between the two of you and the fact that you’re both wearing the same clothes as the day before.
Right! The day before. Satoru had fallen asleep while crying in your arms, and you soon followed him, not wanting to disturb the clearly tired man.
You look at him, your heart swelling at the memory. You’re glad he was able to be honest with you.
You get off the bed slowly, trying to avoid waking up the upside-down teen. It’s almost unfair how he still looks handsome even while sleeping in such a weird position. You crouch down next to him, admiring his soft eyelashes.
"Enjoying the view?"
You yelp as Satoru speaks, his eyes still closed. He smiles at you, opening his eyes as he stretches and pulls himself back onto the bed.
"I can see with pitch-black glasses; eyelids don’t stop much."
You glance at the pair of glasses on the desktop and put them on, trying to see through them.
"Oh… that’s right; I don’t see anything..."
You remove them to trade them for your own glasses, which ended up on the floor at some point during the night.
"Slept well?" you ask, noticing the redness around his eyes. He did cry for a while.
"Hm? Yeah, you?"
You hum, smiling at the change in his demeanor; he already seems more like himself.
"Your bed sure is comfortable! Way more than mine."
He looks at you for a moment, silent, as if contemplating something.
"Everything you said yesterday… it still stands, right?"
You’re surprised by the sudden change of subject but nod vigorously.
"Of course! You’re not getting rid of me any time soon!"
Satoru gets up from the bed and approaches you. You flinch slightly as you find yourself cornered against the wall.
"That’s good. Because you’re not going anywhere anymore."
You make a confused sound as he pulls you into his arms again.
"Even though I pushed you away… you were the only one who tried to be there for me. I am grateful."
You can’t help but blush as he holds you close.
"Uh? What? No, everyone is there for you!"
"Are they? Is anyone really there for me besides you?"
Satoru leans away to look into your eyes, and you can’t help but feel small beneath his gaze. You’re reminded of that one time you compared him to a Buddha…
"Yes… of course."
"Then where are they? No one tried to reach me as you did."
His hand cups your face gently, and the look in his eyes is… unusual. He has never looked at you like that before.
"It’s... it’s the Infinity— they..."
You try to explain, but the proximity is making it hard to think clearly.
"They could have tried to send me letters; they could have stayed and spoken to me through the door… none of them did that. Only you. I wonder why it took me so long to see it. Now that I think of it… you always did all that you could to be of use to me… I guess you figured it out before I did."
You try to escape his hold, but it’s in vain.
"Figured out what? What are you talking about, Satoru?"
He looks at you as if you’re the one who doesn’t make any sense.
"Well, that you are mine! Made for me."
You almost choke on his bold words.
"I feel like we had this conversation a while ago! I can’t be someone’s Satoru! I thought you were over this!"
He seems to remember something, his eyes widening for a moment.
"Right, I forgot."
You almost sigh in relief, but he continues.
"You did say that you wouldn’t be mine since I couldn’t be yours… but it’s fine now. I’ll be yours, whatever you need from me."
You yelp at the unbelievable statement Satoru is trying to pass off as normal.
"Did you hit your head too hard on the floor? What are you on about— being mine?! You rejected me, like, a couple of months ago!"
His hands remain on your shoulders, keeping you in place.
"Right. You do love me like that. Is that what you need from me? Being your lover? I don’t mind, really."
You can’t seem to understand what Satoru is trying to say. All that he said— was it not already what he was talking about? What you needed from him? Why was he like this? Had Geto’s departure messed with his head that badly?
"Satoru—I think we both need to cool our heads a little, okay? I’m not feeling great right now—"
His hand moves over your head as you feel the familiar use of reversed cursed energy.
"You don’t seem sick. But okay, let’s talk about this after. I also need to get some things straight in my mind..."
You don’t waste a moment, hurrying out of his room, running and running until you reach yours, slamming the door shut and locking it, then finally collapsing in your less comfortable bed.
You take your pillow into your hands and bury your face in it as hard as you can.
And then, you scream.
Notes:
Get ready for creepy Gojo! She's his and he aint letting go! Grief? Trauma? Lost friendship? Nah, all those bad feelings can be redirected toward him being obsessive with our dear FL. Don't think too hard and cage her in!
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, i loved writing it.
And i hope that everyone is able to enjoy it considering the long burn you had to go through. Now the fun stuff is starting.Don't forget to comment or i will literally collapse!
Chapter 16
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
You have no idea how to deal with this new Satoru. You ponder over it in your room, not daring to tell anyone about the moment you shared just yet. You were glad he seemed to have shifted focus from Geto, but to have him just… To have the man who had coldly rejected you, the man who didn’t even bother to listen to your confession until the end, now claiming very outlandish things was disturbing.
You thought back to when you first started spending more time with him. He had said something about you being his even then... Was this just something normal for him? To own someone?
While you had run away from him quickly, it didn’t take more than a day for the Gojo heir to come back to you.
You were on the couch with Shoko and Utahime, now your only other classmates, discussing a drama you all planned to watch together. You didn’t want to mull over it all day for nothing either. Shoko also needed you to be around—after all, she too was close to Geto.
“There you are.”
Shoko and Utahime quickly diverted their attention to the Grade S sorcerer they hadn’t seen for over a week. You also looked up, taking in your friend. He looked better than yesterday, that was certain. It was surprising to see him change that much after only a day.
“Gojo! You... you’re out!”
Shoko left the couch to approach him, while Utahime stayed silent, her usual ‘Satoru-directed’ scowl absent.
Satoru smiled at his friend, showing off his pearly whites.
“Yup, sorry for worrying you guys. Everything’s fine now.”
You kept looking at him, unsure of what to say, but you didn’t even have to think that far as Satoru was quick to grab your arm.
“Well, it was nice seeing you guys, but I’ve got business with this one now!”
He pulled you toward him with his technique, and it was as if gravity no longer affected you. You were being dragged like a helium-filled balloon across the room.
Shoko and Utahime exchanged confused looks, but you didn’t get the time to observe more of their reaction as Satoru warped the both of you into your room.
“Ah!”
You yelped in surprise as Satoru dropped you onto your bed. He sat down on your reading chair, a light smile on his face. He seemed to be in an especially good mood.
"So, how have you been feeling?"
You straightened up slightly to sit properly on your bed, not bothering to scold him for basically kidnapping you.
"Oh—good. What about you?"
His smile widened as he stood up from the chair and sat next to you, his thigh almost brushing yours. Was he always this much in your personal space? You couldn’t remember.
"I’ve been great, thanks for asking—I've had a lot on my mind too."
His usual cheeky smile didn’t seem as reassuring as it used to. He seemed... manic, almost.
He suddenly seemed to remember something as he reached into his pants pocket.
"Oh, I got something for you!"
He took your hand in his, placing an item in it and closing your fist before you could properly see it.
"It’s a protective ward."
You opened your hand to look at the gift. You frowned slightly at what appeared to be a lock of white, silky hair tied with a braided red rope in a translucent bag.
"Is this...?"
"Mhm? No, no, don’t worry! It’s not mine, it’s my ancestor's. You know, the last guy who had both the Six Eyes and Infinity? I told you about him at some point, didn’t I?"
You looked at him, dumbfounded.
"It’s kind of worse than it being your hair, Satoru..."
"Really?"
He looked at the item, scratching his head a little as he frowned slightly.
"That’s troublesome… it’ll take a while for me to recreate such a powerful charm..."
Wasn’t something like this...
"Please don’t tell me it’s an heirloom..."
"Hmm? Yeah, but everything is technically mine anyway, so it’s fine."
You looked at the boy, shocked and confused by what he thought was a normal gift.
"That’s not the issue—why would you give me something like that?"
He laughed at you, as if you were making some out-of-pocket statement.
"Well, you’re weak! You said you’d stay with me until my death."
You blushed at the words; you had said something like that, and you didn’t plan to take it back, but to have Satoru accept your dedication like this wasn’t what you expected.
"So, it’s the least I can do, really."
You looked at the item, feeling squeamish.
"I... well, thank you, but... it’s still some dead man’s hair, and I’m not really in any danger right now...?"
Satoru hummed a little, considering your complaint while tactfully ignoring your comment about not being in danger.
"I guess I should have thought of that... I’ll get you something a little better. A necklace would be fine, right? I didn’t consider your feminine sensibilities, sorry."
You frowned and grabbed his jacket collar, shaking him a little. Feminine sensibilities? How had he gotten that from what you said?!
"That’s not what this is about, stupid!"
You slowly began to float upward, your grip on his collar loosening.
"It’s too late to take anything back. You’re staying by my side until the end, right?"
Your face scrunched up, and your cheeks flushed pink again as he looked up into your eyes, keeping you slightly above his head with his technique. He had stopped using it on you so often, but apparently, he was getting back into old habits.
"I’m not... taking anything back."
"Then that’s good."
He pulled you a little closer, still keeping you afloat.
"There’s no way you can protect yourself properly in this world. So, you’ll have to leave everything to me. I’ll take care of you, I promise. You won’t ever miss anything, as long as you don’t betray me."
He smiled a little more, showing off his teeth.
"But you wouldn’t do that. Not you."
You slowly lowered yourself back onto the bed, no longer floating. You quickly curled up, hugging your knees. That almost sounded like a proposal just now. It was so unlike him. You didn’t know how much of his words you could believe anymore, not after such a drastic change.
"You… you’re confusing, Satoru..."
He laughed at your pouting face.
"It’s okay, I’ve got it all figured out."
He pinched your cheek lightly, pulling on it in a familiar way.
"And shouldn’t you be happy? You love me, don’t you?"
Your heart sped up, and you looked away, hiding behind your raised knees as best as you could.
"Don’t mock me... I know you don’t feel the same..."
You glanced back at him, irritated to find his trademark smirk on his face.
"I don’t really know how it’s supposed to feel..."
He brushed his finger against your ear, making you squirm under the touch.
"But I intend to stay close to you and to cherish you. Isn’t that enough?"
You shook your head, wrapping your arms around your legs a little tighter.
"Even I... I want to be with someone who’s attracted to me... I don’t just... I don’t just want friendship and... and someone settling for me..."
"Oh?"
Satoru tilted his head slightly at your words, waiting for you to continue.
"I know... I know how you feel about me. You always mocked my underwear and my lack of sex appeal..."
Your cheeks were now bright red, and you turned your head completely away from him. You could feel your eyes growing wet. It seemed like you were never going to stop crying at every little thing...
Satoru, on the other hand, didn’t seem nearly as disturbed or troubled as you were.
"If it’s just that, then it’s fine!"
You don’t have time to question him about what he just said as he pushes you down onto your bed, caging you in like he did the other night, both of his legs around your hips.
His hands tangle into your hair, softly playing with a lock before slowly descending to your clavicle. The touch is light, almost ticklish, and foreign. He smells good—really good—and you struggle to figure out how to react to his sudden actions.
"Satoru...? What...?"
You try to get up, but he quickly grabs both of your wrists with one hand, pining them above your head and trapping you beneath him.
"Satoru..."
You call out his name softly, a hint of fear in your voice. He was scaring you a little. He looked different than usual. Your heart pounded, and your stomach fluttered. Was he going to kiss you...? Would you let him...? Should you?
You absentmindedly rubbed your thighs together as he smiled down at you, clearly noticing the flush of arousal spreading across your face.
His hand moved lower, barely avoiding your chest before settling on your waist, slipping swiftly under your shirt. He gripped you a little harder, and you couldn’t help but let out a small sound, whimpering at his touch.
"Ah!"
He chuckled and released your wrists, starting to straighten up while still hovering above you.
"See? No problem getting it up."
You looked at him, confused for a moment as he shifted above you. Your eyes trailed downward, and... you saw it. A bulge. Did he—?
Goosebumps rose all over your body.
You looked back at his face, your mouth slightly open in shock. Had he really done this just to prove he could get hard with you?
SLAP
Your hand flew up before you could even process what you were doing.
"Asshole! You can die for all I care!"
You pushed him off, eyes teary as you ran out of your room, your face slowly reddening with anger as you sprinted away from him.
You couldn’t believe what he had just done—did he really think this was what you meant by being desired? Was he used to doing that? Pushing girls around and groping them? He had barely touched you, and you already felt out of breath.
How could someone be that dense?! He had already told you that a guy could get it up without feelings—he wasn’t proving anything! That wasn’t what you wanted him to show you… You... you wanted the classic things... a romantic picnic date with flowers... and maybe playing around a little before getting kissed under the sunset...
Okay, maybe it was a little specific, but anything along those lines would have been better! Pushing you onto your bed didn’t prove anything about his sincerity.
You tell Shoko almost everything that happened since you went to see Satoru. You omit a few of the things he said; you didn’t want Shoko to be too upset with him for pushing you down or for her to feel culpable. So, you didn’t tell her about “you being the only one there for him” either.
You were now waiting for her final verdict. It couldn’t be just you—he had been acting strange!
“Wow, he also lost a screw.”
Victory! She agreed with you—and you didn’t know anyone as sensible as Shoko.
“Right? I don’t know what to do anymore.”
Shoko blew some smoke in your face, causing you to cough violently as you glared at her.
“Ah, sorry.” She opened the window and got closer to it.
“But… is it really a problem for you? You love him, don’t ya? Just enjoy the attention… He’ll calm down at some point, I’m sure.”
That was true… Satoru did get bored easily, so he would probably not act like this for long… right?
But… deep down, you hoped he was a little truthful. It’s not like you didn’t want him to cherish you and smother you, but you didn’t want it to be a simple impulse on his part and for him to change his mind in a couple of days. He was that type, after all.
You didn’t feel like you could believe his words; he had made it clear in the past that you and he were not in the same league—not just on the jujutsu level…
Satoru was kneeling on the floor in front of you, his head low. It reminded you of all the times Yaga had scolded him in the past.
“I said I was sorry! I thought you were worried about me not being attracted to you!”
You looked down at him, legs and arms crossed as you sat in your chair, eyes cold.
“That doesn’t make it okay—You can’t just push me around and do as you like.”
The man remained quiet, still looking at the floor, a remorseful expression on his face.
You pursed your lips, starting to feel a little bad about making him kneel on the wood like that.
“Promise you won’t do it again.”
He looked up at you, confused.
“Push you down? I thought you wanted to go out with me? Because if we do, that’s definitely going to happen some more.”
Your face turned bright red at his statement; this wasn’t where you meant to go with the discussion at all.
“Well, we aren’t going out! You… you didn’t even listen to my confession; you can’t just decide that you’ve changed your mind like this.”
You looked to the side, cheeks puffed out.
“Even I am not that easy of a girl that I would come back crawling to someone who rejected me so harshly…”
Satoru’s head tilted in a cute manner, looking a little confused.
“So… you don’t want to go out with me?”
He took on a pensive expression, as if troubled.
“It would make things easier, though...”
Easier?! You stood up from the chair, frustrated.
“What are you on about?! Why is this even on the table suddenly? You make no sense! You don’t love me and were never interested in me! What is easier about this?! Stupid! I hate you!”
You felt the tears gather in your eyes. Was this all a game to him?
Satoru got up and moved closer to you, his voice softer.
“It’s on the table because I understood things I didn’t before. My eyes have finally opened.”
His hand cupped your cheek softly, wiping away your tears gently. He often did this when you cried, and the gesture begrudgingly calmed you down.
“I cannot say that I love you; I don’t know what it really entails, but I know one thing.”
He leaned down toward you to get closer, holding you by the arm to encourage you to take a step toward him.
“I want you to be by my side and to have anything you want. I want you to keep adoring me and only looking at me… I do not want to see you like this with anyone else. I want you to be mine, and I want to occupy all of your thoughts. Is that enough now?”
You opened your mouth, not sure what to say. If it was true… then yeah, that would be enough, but…
“You have to prove it…”
You frowned and pushed him with your index finger.
“I’m pretty sure you aren’t doubting my feelings… But after all you’ve said and done, I can’t bring myself to trust everything you just said.”
“I see. I guess that makes sense.”
He smirked at you, a new mischievous glint in his eyes.
“I’ll prove to you just how serious I am, then. It’ll be fine after that, no?”
You glared at him a little, but you couldn’t help but wonder what he meant by that. How would he prove to you that he cherished you? That wasn’t fair at all… you already liked him.
“You can’t… You can’t push me down again… That’s not proving anything.”
Satoru chuckled at your warning, not feeling threatened at all.
“Yes, yes, I get it, Miss Prudish. I’ll keep my hands off.”
Something seemed to cross his mind as a smirk settled on his face.
“Ah, but if you wear that bikini again, I can’t promise you anything.”
You punched his shoulder repeatedly, your face red at his words.
“Don’t say that—You didn’t even care about it when I wore it!”
He shrugged, smiling. He didn’t even react as you kept punching him with the side of your fist, not truly wanting to harm him, but still annoyed.
“Even I can keep my mouth shut once in a while.”
He ruffled your hair in a friendly manner as he made his way toward the door.
“Let’s go again sometime. I’m glad I got to go with everyone one last time.”
He smiled at you, his eyes softening behind his glasses.
“Thank you for that.”
You watched him open the door to your room, leaving you alone.
“Stupid…”
He… he liked your swimsuit? Against your own wishes, you felt your heart speed up a little. What had changed? Did he only now truly understand how much he meant to you?
You took a deep breath and shouted,
“STUPID!!”
He better have heard you…
Notes:
Some more unhinged Gojo!
At first the lock of hair was supposed to be something else, like a hair ornament or something, but i felt like something creepy was more in universe lol, Sukunas finger was used as a warding charm too. I can totally see Gojo throw heirloom around as he like.Gojo does get the reluctance of FL, but he's ready to change her mind, she doesn't have a choice anyway.
Also, to be clear, right now Gojo doesn't romantically love her. He cherishes her and wants her to have whatever she wants, and he knows she wants him, so he doesn't mind giving himself to her if she will stay with him. But he doesn't know what it means to love someone just yet. He's still a baby on that part lol! He'll get there tho, don't worry, this fic is far from being finished. And if you keep up with the comments, I might go on for another 50k words or something!
The best way to trap someone is also marriage, so he also has that in mind. FL locked up in the Gojo mansion would be perfect for him lol. He would just have to come back home from missions and she would be there for him.Also, this Gojo would definitely cheat right now. But if she tells him not to see other girls, he won't.
She will tell him btw, no cheating in my fic! I just want to point out how disconnected from normal relationships he is right nowAlso sorry for the gropping, but she was totally into it let's not pretend
Chapter 17
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
You’re not sure if it’s luck or the lack of it that brought you to him.
You're standing in the grocery store, a few juices balanced in your arms, almost spilling out, staring at a convicted mass murderer.
“Need help with those?”
You nod slowly as he takes a few of the juices from your hands.
“Movie night?”
You nod again.
“We’re watching a shark movie… Satoru picked it.”
He nods back.
This is awkward.
.
.
.
After buying what you needed, you end up sitting on a park bench with Geto. Children are running around with kites, giggling. He looks healthier than the last time you saw him—strangely happy. Did mass murder really have that effect? Couldn’t he have just meditated instead? Guys always take things to the extreme in the jujutsu world…
You glance at him, observing him carefully, It was an odd situation really.
He finally leans forward, smiling as he studies your face, elbow on his knee.
“You never really liked me, did you?”
Your face flushes. You didn’t think that was what he would first bring up.
You didn’t know he had noticed, and you wondered for how long he had that feeling. You didn’t hate him, he was a precious comrade and Satoru and Shoko’s friend… But…
“I just… I always had trouble figuring out what was going through your head. I felt like you were hiding something.”
He nods, unsurprised and unbothered.
“And you're not scared now? I thought you’d scream if you saw me.”
You lower your head slightly, titling it on the left
“Shoko briefed me. You want to get rid of non-sorcerers, right? And it's not like I could stop you anyway. There’s no point in you doing anything to me.”
He laughs.
“Well, that’s true. I don’t intend to hurt any sorcerer I don’t have to.”
He ruffles your hair, a gesture he’s never done before, and it startles you.
“Even if you didn’t like me, I liked you. You were fun to mess with.”
You huff, crossing your arms.
“Now you sound like Satoru.”
His expression changes slightly at the mention of his... ex-friend?
“How is he?”
You feel him tense as he asks, clearly not over their separation.
You hesitate but decide to be honest.
“He's better now.”
Geto stays quiet, understanding the subtext of your words.
“I see. That’s good… I’d tell you to say hi for me, but I doubt he’d appreciate it.”
You look away, feeling uneasy.
“I know I can’t change your mind… but isn’t there a better way? Killing everyone except sorcerers?”
He gives you a sad smile, the kind of hollow one you remember from the past.
“No, sadly, this is the path I’ve chosen.”
You close your eyes, frowning.
“Satoru won’t let you do this. This will only lead to more suffering… If it’s impossible to achieve, why try?”
You chuckle dryly.
“I never thought I’d say this, but… know your place.”
He laughs, a full, hearty laugh, his smile genuine this time.
“Now you really sound like him! I’m pretty sure he’s said the same thing about you at some point.”
He stands, still in a good mood.
“But don’t worry, I know my place very well.”
Turning to face you, he adds, “Take care of him, okay?”
You huff, annoyed.
“I don’t need you to tell me that. I’ll take better care of him than anyone else could hope to.”
He smiles.
“Yeah, I know.”
You watch him walk away until he disappears from view. Letting out a heavy sigh, you feel drained.
You tell both Satoru and Shoko about your surprise meeting with Geto. Surprisingly, Satoru doesn’t seem too concerned about Geto himself, only asking if you were hurt or threatened.
“Of course not, Satoru. We just talked a little.”
He calms down slightly, but not as much as you’d like.
Shoko chimes in, backing you up.
“We know what his goal is. He doesn’t intend to harm us, Gojo. Don’t stress about it.”
Satoru ruffles his hair, clearly knowing she’s right but still uneasy.
“Yeah… but I still don’t like it.”
He looks at you, almost glaring.
“Well, let’s forget about it for now. I’ll put on the movie.”
You nod and glance at Shoko, gauging her reaction. She seems a little tense but not nearly as worried as Satoru. She trusts Geto more than he does, apparently. You snuggle up next to her on the couch as Satoru sets up the movie.
“What? You guys are leaving me out? Come on!”
He tries to squeeze between you and Shoko, but she kicks him away as you laugh.
“Nope! You sit on the other end of the couch!”
You threw him a smile, amused by their banter.
It felt good to have them back to normal.
.
.
.
The movie wasn’t as scary as you expected, though the jump scares got you, and of course, Satoru mocked you for it. Afterward, Shoko retreats to her room, and you were about to do the same when Satoru grabbed you by the collar.
You raised an eyebrow, silently asking what he wanted.
“Hey! Don’t look at me like that. I’ve got something for you in my room.”
“It better not be another lock of hair...”
He chuckles, amused by the impact the hair had on you.
“No, no, come on.”
He leads you to the boy’s dorm, he’s the last one in them now.
You are quickly inside his room which is slowly growing familiar to you. He soon retrieves a small box from one of his drawers.
“Is it another ward?” you ask.
He nods.
“Yeah, I promise it’s not made with any body parts this time.”
You give him a skeptical look.
“It better not be.”
Opening the box, you find two bracelets—one blue, the other red.
“Jewelry, huh?”
He had mentioned something about this earlier, but you’re still a little surprised. Satoru giving you jewelry... not something you ever expected.
“I get the red, and you get the blue. But I need a little of your blood.”
You shiver.
“What? Why?”
“Don’t worry, it’s just how it works. The bracelets are warding charms that feed on my energy, but you need to activate them with blood. Once we do, they’ll work until we die. They can’t be used again until then.”
You take a step back, suddenly wary of the pretty gift.
“What? It’ll feed off you? Isn’t that dangerous?”
He laughs, his cheeks reddening slightly.
“Aww, worried about me? Don’t be. It won’t take enough to bother me. I’m just that great.”
He grins as he takes the bracelet from the box.
“If you’re ever in danger, it’ll warn me, and I’ll warp to you. I doubt any threat would take more than a spoonful of my energy.”
You glance at the bracelets, throat tight.
“We can take them off if you change your mind, right?”
Satoru nods quickly.
“Of course.”
He lies without hesitation. You could remove the physical bracelet, but the curse wouldn’t leave. It’s fine, though—he won’t change his mind. If there’s any downside, it’ll be on him, not you.
“Okay… fine, I guess.”
You look up at him, a little embarrassed.
“Thanks for going out of your way to make sure I’m safe. It’s a little overboard, but it makes me happy.”
You avoid his eyes as he smiles and hugs you.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s the least I can do for you.”
You rest your chin on his chest, looking up at him.
“I’m not leaving you, Satoru. You don’t have to worry so much.”
He flicks your forehead playfully.
“Of course I do. The world’s a scary place.”
He pulls you to his bed, sitting beside you and hugging you again.
“Only the nicest, softest things should reach you. I don’t want you dealing with anything scary.”
His voice softens.
“I’ll protect you. Just stay close enough for me to reach you whenever I need it.”
Blushing at his bold words, you bite your lip. His confession feels heavier than a love one, somehow.
“I… I want to believe you, but…”
You trail off, unsure of what to ask him.
“You want to go out with me?” you settle on asking him.
He grins.
“If it means being the closest to you and spending my life by your side, then yes.”
You give him a doubtful look.
“You wouldn’t go see other girls? Ever?”
He tilts his head, still smiling.
“Not if you didn’t want me to.”
Your mouth drops open.
“So you would if I didn’t care?!”
His smile falters.
“No! I mean… of course not. I know you wouldn’t want that—it’d make you sad!”
You scoot away from him, crossing your arms.
“You need to learn how to treat girls better.”
You side-eye him.
“I love you, but I’m not going out with you until I know you’re serious about me.”
“Serious? How about marriage?”
You flushed at the idea. Getting married? That was way too quick! And way too easy!
“No! It has to be something you work toward! You can’t just be impulsive! I have to know you won’t change your mind!”
Satoru hummed a little, thoughtful.
“I see… I’ll think about it a little then.”
He took out the two bracelets again.
“But I insist on those in the meantime.”
You looked down at the items and finally nodded.
“I don’t have anything to cut myself with, though…”
“Right… I wouldn’t want to hurt you either. Wait a second, I think I have a needle somewhere.”
Satoru went through his things, soon enough taking out a sewing box.
“Suguru left it here,” he explained before you could even ask the question.
He didn’t waste any time pricking himself and squeezing a few drops of blood onto your bracelet.
“Now your turn.”
You nodded, heart pounding, and offered him your hand, looking away from it.
“What? I have to do it for you? I did it myself!”
“Didn’t you say I shouldn’t have to do anything scary?”
You kept your eyes closed, still looking away as he finally huff.
“Fine, fine.”
He took your finger in his hand and quickly pricked it. The sharp pain was brief. You felt him press your index against the bracelet, then sensed the familiar feeling of reverse cursed energy.
When you looked back, the two bracelets seemed to glow a little, but no blood was visible.
“There, let me put it on you.”
Satoru took your right wrist and placed the bracelet onto it, clasping it softly. It didn’t feel like anything special—you couldn’t even sense energy from it. If not for the faint glow, they would seem like random matching bracelets.
“Good to go now.”
He smiled and put on his own bracelet. Unlike you, when he got his on, he hissed a little, as if stung by something.
“Are you okay? Does yours hurt?”
You took his wrist to examine it, but he quickly pulled it away, petting your head with it.
“I just caught my hair with it, don’t worry.”
You tilted your head slightly, unsure whether to believe him.
“I see…”
You took a closer look at the bracelet he had given you. The blue jewel shone softly. It was rather pretty.
‘’This is better than a lock of hair too…harder to lose too. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost some important heirloom’’
The boy laughed
"It's fine, really. I know you take care of your stuff. You’ve never asked for a uniform replacement, have you?"
He was right about that. You took good care of your things…
"By the way, did you want to come with me to see Megumi and his sister tomorrow? I’m going in the evening."
"Maybe, depends on how long my mission takes me. It’s a grade 4 for once."
You smiled proudly—it wasn’t often they assigned you to something more than flyheads.
"Uh? Then it’s fine, I’m free in the morning too. I’ll come with you, and you’ll be free for the day."
Oh… was he offering to do it for you?
"I kinda wanted to try and get rid of it myself…"
At that, a strange grimace crossed his face.
"Oh, I see… well, I can still come and take care of it if it takes you too long. How’s that?"
You nodded at the proposition.
"But let me have a chance, okay? I can’t deal with them as fast as you, but I’ve gotten even better at using Gunsa!"
"Did you change its nickname again? Wasn’t it Gunjo before?"
You looked away.
"It’s mine, so it’s fine. I’ll name it what I want."
He chuckled and leaned back on the bed.
"It’s fine, I guess, as long as you always keep it close."
You nodded, watching Satoru as he lay down. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
Your cheeks warmed up a little, and you decided to hug him, lying down close to him.
"I’ll stay close to you forever, okay?"
His hand rested on your back, pulling you a little closer.
"I know."
He smiled at you, his hand sliding into your hair, and perhaps—just perhaps—it lingered a little longer on the curve of your neck.
"That’s the only path you have now."
With Gunso in your right hand, and Satoru by your side, you stepped off the city bus, determined to get rid of the curse yourself.
"Satoru, you can’t exorcise it until I tell you, okay?"
"You’ve told me like twelve times. I know, I’ll let you do your thing."
You scowled at him, hoping he was being truthful.
"I’ll never get better if I don’t go against stronger curses."
He raised an eyebrow, as if you’d said something ridiculous.
"Stronger? Why would you want to get stronger? I’m strong enough to protect you."
You huffed.
"It’s not about that! Idiot!"
You finally arrived at the abandoned building, which seemed to have once been some sort of old retirement home. There was an odd smell, like eggs, in the air, but you knew it wasn’t curse-related—otherwise, Satoru would have noticed.
"Okay, let me do this now!"
"Yes ma'am!"
He raised his hand in a mock salute, following you into the building.
Everything inside was dirty—old rocking chairs lay on the ground, surrounded by broken pieces of furniture. You made your way carefully, summoning shadows around you. You only created three of them; when you reduced their numbers, you could almost make them look like real people. Well… almost.
"Why’d you bring those things out? They’re not very useful, are they?"
Satoru questioned as he watched one of them wobble its way up the stairs.
"Curse attacks them… so it gives me time to shoot."
He hummed softly.
"I see, weaklings have it tough, huh?"
"Oh, shut it for once."
As you made your way to the second floor, you felt something in your shadow.
"Satoru— is it there?"
You asked him, knowing he probably knew exactly where the curse was in this building.
"I thought I wasn’t supposed to help? I can always get rid of it for you if you change your mind, though."
He raised his finger, a small red orb appearing at its tip.
"Get that away! I’ll take care of it— forget I asked anything!"
He shrugged as you turned a corner, now seeing the curse trying to attack one of your illusions, like a cat batting at some toy.
"Got you."
You aimed with your gun and shot, not wasting any time. The curse moved away, dodging your shot by a few centimeters. You shrieked as you fired multiple rounds, trying to hit it before it could get to you.
Before it was even halfway down the hallway, the curse suddenly disappeared, as if it had never been there.
"What?"
You looked around but couldn’t see the frog-like curse anywhere.
"Above, sweetheart."
Satoru warned you as you lifted your eyes, seeing the frog suddenly leaping toward you from the ceiling, making you trip at the surprise.
‘’Kya!’’ You screamed as you repeatedly shot at it, finally killing the curse as it collapsed on you. The curse began to slowly dissipate while Satoru made his way over, crouching down to look at you, still lying on the filthy floor.
"Come on, I was expecting a little more."
He cocked his head, a small smile on his face.
"I usually dislike weaklings, but I’m not going to lie, it’s a bit cute to see you struggle against a Grade 4."
You frowned, quickly getting up to avoid his gaze.
"I still killed it…"
He laughed at your annoyed expression.
"You sure did. Good job."
He patted your head, and you looked down, blushing.
"Now, shall we get to the little monsters? I’ve been getting better at long-distance warp. I should be able to get us there."
You couldn’t help but rejoice at the news, completely forgetting his teasing.
"Really? Let’s go then! You’re always learning new things, huh? I still have trouble seeing how warping relates to your technique though!"
Satoru didn’t bother answering your question, simply wrapping his arm around your shoulders.
"And here we go!"
With those words, Satoru warped the two of you in front of the house.
"You really did it!"
You jumped into his arms happily.
"Let’s go celebrate tonight! It’s my treat!"
Satoru huffed at your words.
"I don’t mind celebrating, but I’m not lame enough to make you pay."
You shrugged.
"Won’t fight you on that one too much, Mister old Money."
You knocked on the door, hearing small footsteps and the sound of the door unlocking.
"Megumi! Tsumiki!"
You greeted them both, hugging them tightly as you entered the house, with Satoru following behind.
"It’s been a while since we saw Big Brother Satoru!"
You nodded.
"He had a bad cold, you see, but he’s all better now."
The girl smiled at your answer as she noticed the bracelets on both of your wrists.
"Oh! I’ve heard of those! You got friendship bracelets!"
You laughed and agreed.
"Yeah! Would you like us to make some for you too?"
You could always make them out of thread, like you did in middle school.
"Nuh-uh, it's only for her and me. You guys can get matching keychains or something."
You rolled your eyes at him.
"What? Are you jealous?"
"Of course I am."
Tsumiki looked at both of you, her cheeks reddening. You didn’t like where this was going.
"Oh! It’s lovers’ bracelets! I knew it, Megumi! Look, they’re a couple!"
Megumi grumbled.
"No way, Satoru’s too stupid to be with a girl."
You nodded at his words.
"You’re totally right, Megumi. These are friendship bracelets."
Tsumiki looked at you, disappointed, just as Satoru finally reacted.
"Hey, what are you saying? I’ll let you know I've been with plenty of girls!"
You looked at him, unimpressed.
"You aren’t helping your case."
He shrugged his shoulders as he turned around.
"I’ll never understand women, that’s for sure."
You threw the shoe you had just removed toward him, hitting him on the back of the head.
"Ouch!"
He quickly made his way toward you as you tried to run away, in vain. He grabbed you and threw you over his neck in a classic backbreaker, a wild grin on his face. This look never announced anything good!
"Satoru! Stop! I give up! I GIVE UPPPP!"
You screamed as he held you up there, turning around to make you feel dizzy.
"Sorry I threw my shoe! Stop it!!!"
He finally allowed you to get off, letting you drop on your knees to catch your breath as both Megumi and Tsumiki laughed heartily at the scene.
You shot him a look as he started to whistle, acting as if he had done nothing. Annoyed by his attitude, you tried to grab him, attempting a German suplex—with no luck.
"Oh? Hugging me? How sweet."
You grumbled,
"I’m doing a German suplex…"
He looked behind him, eyeing you with suspicion.
"You just had to say it if you wanted a hug, you know?"
Satoru turned to grab you, holding you in his arms bridal style. He didn’t seem to struggle for even a second, and despite your own wishes, you felt your stomach warm up a little. Did he have to be that good at everything? It wasn’t fair!
You heard Tsumiki shriek behind you as you suddenly lost all drive to fight Satoru
"Hey! L-let me down!"
He smirked at you, a satisfied glaze in his eyes.
"No way, look at you getting all red!"
He leaned down toward your ear to whisper, quiet enough not to be heard, and close enough to make you shiver at the low voice.
"If it wasn’t for the kids, I’d bully you even more."
Your face turned bright red as you felt yourself becoming boneless in his hold. You couldn’t fight against that.
"Ah…uh."
He laughed, finally letting you down.
"Okay, Megumi, training time! Leave Tsumiki with your nice big sis; you’ll play with them later. Get those puppies out now!"
Megumi grumbled as he made his way outside with Satoru, leaving you helpless on the floor.
"Stupid…"
You huffed, a pout forming on your face.
Notes:
FL IS NOT INNOCENT.
She's not helping her case at all when she tells him stuff about how she's gonna stay with him LOL
also the two bracelet are definitely some old lovers cursed items. Gojo got hurt by the bracelet btw, it stung him, but he'll be fine, he just has that much energy reallyAlso, I wanted FL to have her conclusion with Geto, she had gotten a little closer to him, and I wanted to mention that he knew she wasn't a fan of his LOL. He's also grateful she brought them all to the beach and he got to be with everyone one last time. He will surely cherish that memory!
Gojo is getting more proactive, teasing her as he used to in the old times. Get ready for the bullying and teasing!! He knows what she's into, he ain't stupid ahahaha
Thanks again for the kind comments! I love when you guys talk about the characters. I try to make Satoru as realistic as possible and reader to be likable, weak and cute, but not annoyingly so.
also, a high number of hugs in that chapter...
And, I will repeat myself. TELL ME IF YOU GOT TROPES YOU ARE INTO, I'LL DO MY BEST TO INCLUDE THEM. But I warn you, there won't be any cheating or second love interest in this. Perhaps jealousy, but only based off misunderstanding. At least that's the plan right now
Chapter 18
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
You thought Satoru would have been satisfied with the bracelets you now shared.
He wasn’t.
You really wonder why he now seem to think you might collapse at any moments. You weren't fighting strong curses or even going outside of the school barrier often.
But still, it wasn't enough for him
He got you to lend him your uniform and gave it back to you a couple of days later with new light blue embroidery at the hem.
A protective spell, again. He gave you a red braided rope to tie your hair with when needed, an ofuda-looking charm to place on your bag, a pair of earrings in the shape of blossoming flowers (your favorites), and finally, a necklace with a blue teardrop jewel you feared might be worth more than all of your organs combined.
You open the door of your class, quickly nodding at Yaga waiting for you inside of it
You are the only student in your class now. It is a little strange to be taught all by yourself, but you got used to it. You do not even think about it when you get to your seat now.
Your teacher was quick to notice the wide array of new protective charms you had on. He didn’t waste a second to question you about them. Apparently they were even more flashy than you had first figured.
“What is this all about now?”
Apparently, some of the things the man had given you were well-known in the jujutsu world, as Yaga recognized some instantly.
“Why do you have the tear of the silver fox on you?”
You weren’t sure what item he was referring to at first, but when his eyes stopped on your neck, it was rather obvious. The teardrop necklace was the culprit. It did seem like the most extravagant of the gifts he had recently given you… You had hesitated a little before accepting that one. The name was rather fitting actually... you wondered if it was truly a tear of fox
“Satoru is worried, so he’s been giving me charms.”
At that, the teacher sighed and rubbed the top of his nose, as if warding off a headache from his other student.
“Worried about what? We haven’t been sending you on any dangerous missions, have we?”
To that, you weren’t sure what to answer. He was very much right—you had told Satoru that he was worrying about you for nothing, but he was stubborn. Stubborn enough that it wasn’t worth fighting him on wearing the charms.
“He says I’m weak… I don’t really know why he’s so worried, but it’s more of a pain if I refuse to take them.”
Your teacher sighed again, a little more heavily this time, apparently also unsure of what to do about the situation. ‘’Well, try and take good care of those…you probably would not be able to guess their value’’
You feel a knot form in your stomach as you sit down in your seat.
What the heck had the teen been giving you?
You glance at the necklace on your cleavage, admiring the blue teardrop-shaped jewel. You wouldn’t remove it to sleep after all...
.
.
.
You aren’t receiving any missions anymore. It has been 3 weeks since your last one, and you cannot help but worry. You have never gone this long without any assignments. Honestly? You suspect Satoru has something to do with it.
When you first confronted him about it, he denied your accusations, promising you he hadn’t said anything to the higher-ups dispatching students. You decided to believe the boy for now. With all the charms he’s given you, you have a hard time believing he would worry about your grade 4 curse assignments.
With the new free time on your hands, you decide to write a little more than usual.
Without telling anyone, you started looking into literature programs at the universities around the school. You don’t have the money for it right now, but you are pretty confident that you could either get a part-time job or work for a few years as a sorcerer. You would need to get a little stronger for that, but you have been improving. You believe your grade 3 promotion might not be far off!
You’ve been submitting your work to an amateur rubric in a small journal, but sadly, nothing you’ve sent has been published yet. You also need a new computer; your old one is barely up to the task of basic typing.
You complain about it to Shoko while you both are shopping downtown for some cute fall clothes. She, in turn, seems to have an easy solution in mind.
“Why don’t you just ask Gojo? I’m sure he would happily get you a new one.”
At that, you cross your arms, a little insulted. She was right that he would probably agree, but that wasn’t the point.
“I wouldn’t ask that of him. He’s not a piggy bank just because he has a little money.”
Your friend chuckles at the way you describe his financial situation.
“I think you are underestimating the amount of money he’s getting as both the Gojo heir and a Grade S sorcerer.”
“That’s that, and me needing a new computer is something else. I’ll just save a little for it.”
You know you would be better off saving for college, but you aren’t desperate enough to ask your friend for that. You would feel like you were using him.
“I’m sure he would be happy if you asked him, though.”
You don’t agree with that.
You put the matter aside and focus on your search for a coat.
It doesn’t take long for you to find something that attracts your attention.
“Look, Shoko! Isn’t that duffel coat cute? I’ve always wanted one…”
You stare at it through the glass of the store, eyes bright.
“Oh, it’s not bad. I do see you in it. It’s your color too.”
You smile at her comment; it was your favorite color.
“You think so? Maybe I should check out the price then…”
Shoko pushes you inside the store, smiling behind you.
.
.
.
Your visit to the cute store didn’t last long. The coat, although pretty, was way out of your budget.
Still, Shoko insisted on taking a picture of it. “Just in case.”
Your shopping trip with your friend finally ends with a couple of sweaters and some warm fleeces. For her part, Shoko got herself new shoes.
She recently stopped smoking and claimed that she had to get herself something to celebrate. You couldn’t agree more with her—it was time she stopped!
Once back at the school, Satoru was quick to come snooping, trying to see what you both had gotten. You happily showed him your new acquisitions, a smile on your face.
Sadly, his reaction was not the one you expected.
"You guys went out shopping and you only got that? You should have gotten more stuff if you went all the way downtown!"
At that, you pout and put your things back into your bag, not willing to show him anymore.
"We don’t all have an unlimited budget, idiot."
He raised an eyebrow at your statement, as if he knew something you didn’t.
"You just have to use the card I gave you."
Shoko suddenly seemed interested in what he had to say.
"But, it’s for Tsumiki and Megumi, not for me."
He laughed, ruffling your hair happily.
"I had forgotten how much of a good girl you are! You can use it for yourself, I really don’t mind. I don’t think you could make a dent in any of my accounts anyway."
Shoko scooted over to Satoru, showing him her phone.
"She wanted that coat but didn’t have enough money for it. If you want to score, get it for her."
"Oh? It is cute, better than the brown one she has. Yup, send me the name of the store!"
At that, you try to take the phone from her, but she simply steps back, a sly smile on her face.
Shoko chuckles as you grumble.
"Oh, she also wanted to get a new computer, her old one isn’t working anymore."
"Shoko! Stop it! I don’t want anyone’s charity!"
Satoru doesn’t seem to follow your logic.
"Isn’t it fine if I’m offering? I told you I wanted you to have anything you wanted. I’d rather pay for your things than see you get a part-time job and struggle."
He got closer to you, leaning in in a way that is now familiar to you.
"And I’ve given you stuff worth way more than a computer or a coat."
He lightly taps your necklace.
‘’Just let me take care of you’’
Shoko coughed loudly at his words.
“Okay, lovebirds, get a room.”
You blush at the comment and frown at her.
“It’s not like that...”
Was it not?
Satoru stepped away at his friend’s comment, shrugging.
“Well, don’t fret that much about it, it’s not a big deal for me.”
“Well, it is for me!”
You huff and take your things, making your way to your room, annoyed by their antics.
You didn’t like this. You didn’t want to feel indebted to Satoru—you wanted to be his equal, and this wasn’t it.
You plunged into your bed, hugging your pillow tightly. It was one thing for him to gift you protective wards… if it calmed him down, there wasn’t any real reason for you not to accept them.
But to just use his money like that... it wasn’t something you were comfortable with.
You rolled around in your bed, fussing over the matter. You wanted them to apologize for—
You heard a soft knock on your door and got up to answer, expecting Shoko to be waiting behind it since Satoru never really bothered to knock. Or if he did, he didn’t wait for you to answer the door.
But surprisingly, Satoru was the one behind the door.
And while he did knock and wait for you to open the door, he didn’t wait to be invited in before getting settled on your reading chair. He seemed to like it; he often ended up on it.
The man stayed silent for a moment before scratching the back of his head, as he sometimes did when he was troubled. He then spoke up, looking at you directly.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t think you cared that much about whether I paid for you or not. Never had any girl complain about it, to be honest.”
You looked away at the mention of other girls but didn’t comment further.
“I do want you to have the stuff you need... I understand if you don’t want to just spend my money as if it were your own, but… I wouldn’t mind. I like being useful to you.”
You looked at the man, a little surprised by what he just said.
“You don’t need to be useful, you’re my friend.”
At that, Satoru sighed. He had a hard time making you understand what he was going for.
“I don’t want to be your friend. I want to be your everything. That’s the only thing I’ll accept. I won’t settle for less than what I want.”
You were slowly getting used to those kinds of comments, but you still sometimes got taken by surprise when you didn’t expect them. He was slowly conquering all of your barricades. You weren’t really sure how much longer you could hold on. And well… it had been a month or so since he claimed that he wanted to have you, and he still hadn’t changed his mind… so, perhaps...
“I… I see.”
You looked down, cheeks reddening again. Satoru stayed silent for a moment as you started squirming, still sitting on your bed.
“…You sure I can’t push you down?”
You violently threw your teddy bear at him in annoyance.
“Why would you say that now?!” He was ruining everything!
Satoru looked at you as if you were asking something obvious.
“Well, you were blushing and squirming… of course I want to! I’m still a guy!”
You groaned at the comment, burying your head in your pillow.
“Why do you always say the most out-of-pocket things?!”
He looked at you, shocked as he stood up.
“You’re the one who said you wouldn’t want me to see other girls! Of course I’m pent up! It’s not my fault!”
You hid your face in your hands, not believing what he was saying. You were a hair from rolling on the floor.
“Don’t say that to me! I’ve never done anything like that! I can’t help you!”
“Saying that only makes me want to do it to you even more, you know!”
You squeezed your head in your hands, groaning in frustration.
"I don’t know what to do with you! Stupid! Idiot! Pervert! Lecher!"
"Fine, fine! I’m not gonna say anything more! Forget it!"
You glared at the boy, not fully trusting him.
"Really?"
"Yes, really."
You calmed down a little at the confirmation.
"Fine then..."
The man sighed too, sitting back down on the chair.
"Is it fine if I give you hand-me-downs? I have some old fancy computers. I’m sure they’d do the job, whatever you need it for."
You looked up at Satoru, surprised. This... this actually would be okay.
"Really?"
He nodded, smiling.
"I’ll get it for you tomorrow. It would just collect dust otherwise. Just need to clear out some stuff on it."
You smiled back at him, pleased by how the situation was unfolding.
"Thanks! Really!"
But Satoru still wasn’t done with what he wanted to get you.
"I do want to get you that coat though. Yours isn’t really warm, is it?"
You mellowed down a little.
"Are you sure...? I... I don’t want you to feel forced."
He sighed, sliding slightly away on the chair, legs opening slowly.
"It’s really, really not that big of a deal for me. If you feel that bad, just give me a kiss or something and we’ll call it even."
Satoru threw this out without thinking much about it. He knew you wouldn’t actually kiss him, but still, it gave you an alternative.
"I see... well, thank you then. I am grateful."
You couldn’t help but somehow enjoy being pampered, even if it felt a little uncomfortable at times.
“All good then, I’ll get Shoko. She also felt bad about all this.”
Right, she had pushed you a little too much today... Nothing you wouldn’t forgive your best friend for, though.
As Satoru got to your door and was ready to leave, you called out to him sheepishly.
“Wait.”
He looked at you with a curious expression as you got closer to him.
Why was he so tall?
You pulled his head toward you, and you happily noticed that he didn’t resist at all, leaning down as he followed your lead.
You smiled and kissed his forehead, your cheeks reddening at the action. It was a bit unlike you, but he deserved that much for accommodating you like this.
“Thank you for the coat.”
You took a step back, avoiding his gaze as he mumbled something that sounded like “no biggie” and closed the door.
Had you held his gaze, you would have noticed the growing red color of his cheeks.
Notes:
Some fluff!
To the one who said sugar daddy Gojo, I had already written this chapter beforehand! Great minds think alike.
In the next chapter we have some obsession, you shall not worry my Yandere fans.
FL is slowly losing against Satoru's affection, what will she do? succumb to his charm? or will she make him wait a little longer?Thank you for all the interactions in the recent chapters, I reread all of the comments like, 10 times! :D
Hope you enjoyed today's chapter!
Chapter 19
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
You have never been summoned by the Jujutsu world's higher-ups in the past; you had only heard of them from Satoru, Shoko, and sometimes Yaga or Geto. You were happy with that, dealing with the delicate stuff and watching what your mouth was never your forte. And while it wasn’t Satoru’s specialty either, he had the strength to back up any claims he made, you weren’t so lucky. You weren't important enough for them to bother talking to you, or even for them to know your name.
Well, that’s what you thought at first.
So, when Yaga warns you at the beginning of class that you have been summoned, you can’t help but feel a weight in your stomach. It apparently was about your recent lack of missions. You are glad it is being brought up, but you aren’t sure you want to meet them from what you’ve heard. They apparently are stuck up in their old way and have a lot of old-fashioned views. Satoru also despised them more than anything, really.
You wonder if you should tell him about it, but decide against it. He would be worried for nothing. He had more important things to deal with and you didn’t want to take up his time with that
So, you adjust your glasses one more time in the mirror, straighten your skirt, and remove a few stray hairs from your face.
You knock on the door you’ve been brought to by an assistant, heart pounding wildly. You just hope everything goes smoothly and that you can start to receive missions again.
What could they even want with you? You didn’t do anything wrong, had you? It wasn’t like you could really cause a lot of trouble. Was it about that time you saw Geto? They couldn’t have expected you to fight, could they? He was a Grade S… you wouldn’t last long enough to even take your gun out. And even then...
“Enter.”
A deep voice resonates through the door, and you open it carefully.
The inside is dimly lit by many candles, and when the door closes behind you, you feel your muscles tense up. You cannot see anyone in the room, as everyone is hiding behind tall paper screens. You can see their shadows through it, but nothing more. You cannot help but shiver—it looks really scary.
“Do not worry, young lady. You are not in any sort of trouble.”
You turn your head toward the screen the voice came from as others speak up almost instantly. You turn around again on instinct, trying to figure out who spoke.
“Is that the seal of the Weeping Lady?”
“Look! The Tear of the Silver Fox!”
“Gojo really has been going too far.”
You almost want to turn around to face every screen that speaks up.
Are your charms really that impressive? For Yaga to be shocked it was one thing, but those people were the elite of the jujutsu world…Had Satoru truly been that overboard with the charms he had gifted you? You didn’t understand their values yourself, but everyone around you seemed to. Hell, you didn’t even know what most of them did, put aside their names!
"Quiet. You are scaring the poor thing."
An older woman’s voice resonates to quiet down the many surprised higher ups.
Now, a man’s voice speaks up, approaching the one subject you had been looking forward to hearing about.
"You must have noticed that you have not been getting any missions in the last few months."
You nod but quickly figure out that they probably cannot see you either, so you respond verbally instead.
"I did… I have been wondering why… I was looking forward to being a Grade 3."
There is a loud silence for a few moments.
"This will, sadly, not happen."
Another voice, now on your right.
"Due to… circumstances, we cannot assign you any other missions."
You almost gasp at that, shocked.
"Huh? Why? What have I done?"
A few murmurs again, they seemed to be judging you. You especially hate that you cannot see anyone right now. It’s scary, you hate it. Perhaps should have you told Satoru after all? He would have dealt with it…He always dealt with unpleasant stuff for you, enough that you feared you had grown a little reliant on him in the last few months
"Do you really not know? He hasn’t been especially subtle about it."
"He must be keeping the girl in the dark. Look how overbearing he is. She is full of residuals."
Residuals? What were they even talking about? Had Satoru been using jujutsu on you again? It had been a couple of days since he last made you float around.
"Gojo Satoru is the one you should complain to."
You frown a little at that. You had asked him about it, and you trusted his answer.
"But… he told me he didn’t tell anyone to stop assigning me missions."
A male voice again:
"He did not ask anything of us, that is true. But…"
Another voice pipes up on your left:
"Gojo refuses to take on any missions at the same time as you. He has been tailing you on every one of your assignments. Of course, you must understand how troublesome it is. For Gojo Satoru to only accept missions based on your schedule?"
What? What the hell were they saying?
"We cannot allow him to delay the exorcism of Grade 1 and S curses because of… fly-head hunts."
He almost spits the words, but you do not care—you feel a little dizzy.
"He… he’s been following me on my missions…?"
Silence again.
"Since when?"
A woman speaks up:
"A few weeks after the Geto incident."
Since that time, then…
They continue, blind to your distress.
"You will not be assigned any missions anymore. We would ask you to focus on supporting Gojo. If you wish to be useful, this is the most important task you could ever be assigned. Listen to his whims and keep him satisfied."
You do not answer for a moment, taking in what was asked of you. Satoru had been following you when you were out..? Why…He had never said anything like that to you…
"Understood…"
You barely whisper, just wanting to be allowed out of this room.
"You may go. Take care of the charms entrusted to you. They are especially valuable. If we had any say, you would not even be allowed to touch them. Especially the Siren’s bracelets… what has that boy been thinking? For a mere Grade 4…"
You waste no time leaving the room. Once back in the bright daylight, you cannot help but run, eyes slowly watering.
What were they asking of you? To be his comfort pet? What was that even?
And Satoru—he had been following you on each of your assignments? How did he even know when you had any? Did he truly refuse to work when you did for that reason? He pushed back the exorcism of dangerous curses to look over you on your small missions. How many people died because of it? The casualty rate for his curses was so high—why would he do that? How much did the man fear for you? And those charms, were they really that important? And if they were, why weren’t they enough to get him some peace of mind? Why would he even give them to you if he was trailing you at all times anyway?
Slowly, an image was forming in your mind. Satoru… Satoru wasn’t normal, not with you. Why didn’t you see it? He had told you himself. He wanted to own you. He didn’t seem to care about anything else anymore. Even when meeting with Geto, he didn’t ask you a single thing about him, unlike Shoko. He was only worried about you. Was Geto not his best friend? Why did he not care anymore?
Why was he willing to spend so much money on you? To give you those heirlooms and follow you, without even telling you?
It wasn’t… he didn’t have a crush on you or anything of the sort. This was simply turning into an obsession.
You thought back to something he had told you:
‘Would you be ready to get your soul cursed?’
He would curse you if you left him. You were slowly beginning to understand what that truly meant.
Were you fine with it?
You only knew that something unavoidable seemed to make its way toward you once again. You were never going to leave your friend alone, so was your only option to listen to his whims?
You weren’t so worried about him changing his mind about you anymore…
You had been waiting in front of Satoru’s door for a good 10 minutes, hesitating to finally knock. The wooden door seemed more threatening every minute you stood in front it it. How did Satoru manage to simply barge into everyone’s room without knocking or caring about what awaited him behind it? He really was something else.
You didn’t know how you would first bring up the subject, or what you would even tell him. You needed to talk to him, that was certain, but you didn’t know how he would take what you needed to convey. Would he deny everything? It didn’t seem like his type to lie to you, but at this point, you were not sure of anything anymore.
As you were debating whether to retreat, for now, the door suddenly opened, barely missing hitting you.
"You know I can see cursed energy, right? Why have you been standing there for half an hour?"
Suddenly, you feel a little more at ease, Satoru was the same as always, so you could be too.
"It wasn’t half an hour!"
"Right, right. But still, it’s unlike you to get suddenly shy. What’s wrong?"
He leaned against the door frame as you avoided looking directly at him. You still had to break the news to him, and his reaction worried you. You knew he wouldn’t be upset at you, he never really was. The only time you had seen him angry at you was when he had to save you from a curse in the pool of the elementary school. So you knew he wouldn’t be mad, not at you.
You took a deep breath before finally telling him.
"I’ve been summoned by the higher-ups."
At that, he immediately scoffed, a grossed-out look on his face. That reaction, you had seen it coming. No one had as much disdain for them as him.
"What?! Don’t go! I’ll deal with them!"
He crossed his arms, an unpleased look on his face, his tongue out in disgust.
"I’ve already been…"
"Huh?"
He looked at you with a curious expression. Did he really not know why you wanted to talk to him even after all this? He didn’t think they would have told you what your lack of mission had been about? Or that you wouldn’t have asked them about it?
"You should have texted me. I would have handled it."
You took another deep breath before looking directly at Satoru, your eyes locking onto his dark lenses.
"Is it true you haven’t been doing your missions to follow me instead?"
The boy suddenly quieted down but didn’t avoid your gaze.
"I’ve been doing them afterward. But yes. It’s true."
Your heart sped up a little at the confession. He wasn’t going to hide from it nor lie to you.
"…Why?"
He frowned at your question, as if wondering why you even asked.
"Isn’t it obvious? I can’t—won’t—let you die. Ever. I warned you about that."
You wondered what his eyes would look like right now if he removed his glasses. Would they be as clear as usual? Or would a dark cloud slowly take over the light in them?
"I… I won’t die on fly-head hunts."
His hand rose to settle on your shoulder, slowly moving up to your cheek, nestling under your soft hair.
"It isn’t worth the risk."
He pulled you toward him, wrapping his arms around you.
"I warned you, didn’t I? I’m not letting you die. I’m not letting you go. Do you know how much it takes from me not to make sure you’re safe at all times? Not to follow you out? I gave you all those charms, but you’re just… so weak. Anything could kill you, really. That’s why I need to make sure you’re safe all the time.’’
He was now shaking, still keeping you in his hold, and you couldn’t help but wrap your arms around him, trying to reassure him a little. Had he really been thinking like this all that time?
‘’I hate when you leave the school grounds… You could come across a curse at any time. You could get hit by a car, anything could happen to you… I can’t allow it."
His hold tightened around your smaller frame, and you felt as if he was encompassing all of you.
"Satoru—you can’t just control everything I do.."
He chuckled a little, the sound darker than usual. It was like he knew so many things you didn’t.
"Of course I can. That’s what I’ve been doing for a while now."
You swallow around your throat, unsure of what to say or what to do. It didn't seem like you could stop him now. You or anyone.
‘’Could…Could you stop following me when I have a mission? I want to help people too…I want to be a sorcerer’’
Satoru didn’t say anything, simply grabbing your wrist to lead you inside of his bedroom. It smelled like him. It smelled nice. But you couldn’t let yourself be distracted by that. You liked Satoru, so it was easy to let yourself get caught up. But you had to be careful too.
He sat you down on the edge of his bed and kneeled in front of you, smiling as he took both of your hands in his.
Even though he was kneeling in front of you, you felt like the man could eat you any second, you felt cornered.
‘’I’ll listen to all of your whims and caprice, I’ll get you everything you may ever need. You will live a life a lot would kill for. But I won’t let you be a sorcerer, and I won’t leave you out of my sight either.’’
His smile got wider, as if he had said something joyful.
‘’You want to help people? Then keep me happy. If you do that, I’ll take care of my work and everything that could have been assigned to you, and more. If you want to be useful and save people, you only need to focus on me’’
He got up, keeping your hands in his.
‘’You don’t have a choice in this. Kay?’’
You looked at him, dumbfounded. Did he hear himself?
‘’…Why? You…you weren’t like this with Geto or Shoko’’
‘’They are different. Geto could protect himself…he could be my equal. But he gave that up and betrayed me. He abandoned me, I do not care for him anymore. Shoko…I like her, sure. But she isn’t you. She doesn’t need me and I do not need her.’’
‘’…And me?’’ What was so different? Only because you had promised to stay with him? That was enough to…To get him like that?
He got closer to you, forcing you to back up a little onto the bed, one of his knees getting on the edge, the other still on the floor.
‘’You it’s different. You cannot protect yourself, and I do not want you to. You don’t need to be my equal…I just need you by my side. I just need you to be there for me when I come back from a mission. I don’t want you to confront scary curses alone…I want you to be safe at all times. I want you to only look at me and only think of me. The ideal would be to keep you in the Gojo estate at all times, but you wouldn’t be happy like this, and I want you happy, the happiest in the whole world. That’s why I won’t ask that of you unless you are pregnant.’’
‘’Pregnant?!’
You almost shouted at the comment, but Satoru simply continued, as if not hearing you. Was he okay? His eyes were shining even more than usual, like he was observing something you couldn’t even get a glimpse of.
‘’I've been thinking about it recently. I never cared for kids really, but to think of having a child with you, I don’t know why, but I like it. You would truly be mine and mine only after that. You would like this, wouldn’t you? All women want that, they always ask me if I ever want to marry and settle down you know? I never really understood the appeal. But now I think of it, and I know it will happen.’’
You cannot help but feel a little scared at the boy’s words, he was…so determined, so sure of everything he was saying.
‘’But don’t worry, I’ll make sure you are happy okay? I know you still have time before graduating, how much again? A little more than two years? I have been getting a little anxious about it. I’m graduating in a couple of months, so I won’t stay in the dorms anymore. I’ll come every day though, until you are ready to live with me. It’ll be a nice place, I promise. What kind would you like? A penthouse? Or something like a little cottage? We could have a dog— Megumi could stay with us! His divine dogs would be great, they could also protect you.— I could teleport us every day so it’s fine even if it’s far away from the school. I will need at least a few months to make sure the barriers are as strong as the ones of the school. I wouldn’t want you to leave this place for somewhere less secured you know?’’
He’s been talking so much, you can barely follow what he’s been telling you, moving in with him? Since when had this been on the table? Living with Megumi? A cottage? Was he high?!
‘’Satoru…You are scaring me a little…’’
He stops talking and looks at you, as if surprised to hear you.
‘’Right, I’m sorry. This is all a little too fast for you, isn’t it?’’
You nod softly
‘’I know girls are particular about this stuff…I apologize. How about this, let’s go on a date together tomorrow. I’ll take you to an attraction park. It’ll be fun. It’ll be a proper date, and then you’ll give me your answer, even if we both know it’’
He petted your head softly as if he was admiring you.
‘’You won’t leave me after all’’
You shake your head and hold him. You want to stop him, you want to tell him he’s being unrealistic, but you cannot. You won’t leave him, that’s for sure, and if you won’t leave him then…Isn’t he somehow right?
‘’I’ll never leave you. You are my precious friend, and I’ll stay by your side…But you can’t just say all those things…We are still kids you know?’’
‘’Yeah…I know. You are just like that, aren’t you? Even if I wasn’t good to you…You would stay, That's why I need to protect you. You are too kind…So only be like that with me’’
You held him a little tighter, unsure of how to feel about all of this. You felt like half of your life had just been decided for you by the boy holding you softly in his arms
‘’Do you believe me now? That I won't change my mind’’
You nod
‘’Atta girl.’’
You nuzzle a little more into his shirt. You know you should let go…make some distance between the two of you, this isn’t healthy… but… but you don’t want to. You want to be there for him just as he said. You want to soothe his aches after his missions and hold him tightly… Even if something is wrong with the order of things.
Notes:
Sorry guys, the trap is closing in on her.
Gojo is showing his true colors and she knows she should run, but let's be honest, would any of us run?
The ranting Gojo I based myself on was the high one against Toji, you can imagine it like this.The higher-ups are rude and only see her as a convenient Gojo control doll
Hope you enjoyed the chapter. The next one will be a little fluffier, In Gojo's mind she's still hesitating cause ofc a girl wants a real date before with kisses and bullshit. So he'll give it to her and she won't have a reason to hesitate. She knows that man is not changing his mind anymore.
So, enjoying where i take things? Sorry she isn't fighting back more than this lmao.
Chapter Text
Satoru hopes he hasn’t scared you off.
Sure, he had taken every precaution he could possibly think of to make sure nothing could befall you, but he hadn’t planned on you figuring it all out so soon.
He cursed the higher-ups once again; he would definitely make sure they regretted playing behind his back, especially regarding a matter that important.
But, all things considered, you had taken the news rather well. You were a little scared, but that was to be expected.
Satoru hadn’t even asked you to go out with him yet; talking of children might have been a little fast… but he simply wanted to make you see the same things he did.
In Satoru’s first visions of his future, when you pulled him out of his darkening slumber, he didn’t have specifics about what you would be to each other. He didn’t especially love the idea of limiting himself to a single woman and getting married, but the more he thought about it, the more sense it made to him.
If you were married to him, he would become your family, the one person you turned to when in need of help. If he were simply close to you, you would one day marry some loser, have kids, and grow separated from him.
You also loved him. Accepting your affection would simply tie you even more tightly to him. There was no real downside to it, really.
He would get to have you available whenever he needed, and he would never have to come home to a cold and lonely house, not with you.
And far from a downside, the more and more he thought about you, the more he found himself craving to touch you.
While you had kept a childish look for longer than your classmates, you were slowly growing into a proper woman. The more time passed, the softer you looked to the touch… he found himself imagining his hands digging into your hips whenever you bent down. You hadn’t changed your skirt even though you had grown, and he could now almost see the line of your ass whenever you moved around. Seeing you jump around happily, unaware, unlocked something a little vile in him. He wanted to mess you up more and more…
Your small chest, while at first he looked down upon it, seemed more and more alluring. Sure, he liked big-breasted women; it was fun to grope and squeeze them. But you… they seemed just the right size to be engulfed by his hands. You were tanned, but the flesh on your breast would be pale, easy to mark, and leave bites over. Surely you would be sensitive too, you were always so jittery. He could pull on your nipples and you would whimper for him to stop, secretly only wanting more… he’d make you thank him for hurting you, yeah, that was a good idea. You seemed like the type that liked a little pain.
He wanted to make you happy, that was something he was sure of, but he also definitely wanted to make you cry and whimper for more— or less, depending on his mood.
Perhaps it was because it was you that those cravings were growing. It wasn’t so much about your body as it was about what you represented to him. Someone who was willing to stay by his side, despite his teasing, despite having seen his bad parts. And for that, you deserved everything he could offer, good or bad.
But even then, it wasn’t like he hadn’t ogled you at the beach before the whole Geto freak-out incident. Perhaps he was a bit into cute weaklings, opposites attract, as they say.
But anyway, Satoru was waiting in front of your door with a huge bouquet of peonies. He brought them directly to you so you wouldn’t have to carry them all day at the park.
He had learned they were your favorite flowers thanks to Shoko, and upon learning their meaning, he couldn’t help but laugh. They truly were perfect for you.
You had changed... maybe four times? The first time, you had tried on a dress before figuring it wasn’t the best idea for the amusement park. You had then decided to go with jeans, but then changed your mind and went with jean shorts, before finally picking brown corduroy shorts. Due to the weather, you had to pair them with thick tights, but it still looked nice.
Your top was a simple white shirt with a pink V-neck sweater on top. You thought you looked okay for a date. You simply hoped Satoru wouldn’t look too much better than you…You still had a little pride despite it all.
Really, you weren’t sure why you were so anxious about this. Satoru was clearly not going to reject you. He had grown… a little scary, to be honest.
You had thought about it deeply during the night, still not willing to totally give in. You would agree to go out with him—he had proven he was serious about you, after all. It had been long enough for it not to be a simple infatuation. He was cherishing you. And well, you weren’t going to lie to yourself, you still loved him. He was funny, kind, good with kids, strong, rich, and the most handsome man you had ever seen. All in all, you enjoyed being with him much more than anyone else.
But!
You would not let him do anything more than kiss you; you were way too young for that, and you could not let him just have anything he wanted. You would tame the boy if you needed to.
You took a deep breath while looking at your reflection in the mirror; you looked cute. It was good.
You heard someone knock on the door and quickly went to open it, giddy.
You almost gasped when a bouquet of peonies appeared in front of you, Satoru holding them with a bright smile on his face.
How had he known those were your favorites..? He must have asked Shoko.
You took them in your hands, carefully. They all looked so pretty... from light to deep pink, but…
“They aren’t in season—how did you get these?”
You looked at him with bright eyes, slowly registering that he had changed his glasses. They were squared now; they still looked very good on him.
“Don’t underestimate me—now get them in some water, and I’ll warp us there.”
He smirked at you.
“You look cute, by the way.”
You swallowed with difficulty, cheeks reddening as you quietly thanked him, suddenly a little fidgety.
His hand reached for your neck, slowly rising to touch your earrings as you close your eyes, leaning a little into the gentle touch.
“I’m glad you’re still keeping the gifts I’ve given you. You still got the charm?”
You nodded as you showed him your bag.
“I try not to remove them. I heard they were worth a lot, so I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I lost something so important.”
Satoru smiled happily.
“I don’t really care about what they’re worth, but I’m happy you’re keeping them on.”
You nodded softly, ears reddening slowly as you placed the flowers in a vase, emptying a water bottle that was gathering dust on your night table into it.
You returned to Satoru, looking at his clothes carefully.
They fit him very well. He had on a blue shirt, black jeans, and a bomber jacket.
“You also… you look handsome.”
You had never really complimented him directly like that, so it was quite an embarrassing ordeal.
But it was worth the embarrassment. Satoru's smile widened as he pulled you toward him, bringing you into an uncomfortable embrace, which you tried to escape from.
“Aren’t you a sweet talker, huh? Of course, I look handsome; I always do!”
He lowered his glasses to wink at you, showing you his pretty eyes.
It really was a shame that uncovering them too much gave him headaches.
“See if I compliment you again, then…”
You stuck your tongue out at him as he smiled. You liked his smile… that was for sure, but…
“Say, Satoru…”
“Mhm?”
“After all… I still have trouble understanding you. You know you don’t… you don’t have to go out with me. I know you aren’t in love with me. But I’ll stay with you even if you don’t see me that way, and eventually, ro-romantic feelings will fade—"
It wasn’t easy for you to be this honest…
“I’ll always be available for you, and I’ll stay your friend despite it all. So you don’t need to force yourself. I know you are used to seeing a lot of girls and stuff… and I would feel bad if you went out of your way not to because of me.”
You looked up, waiting for his reaction. Perhaps you wouldn’t have a date after all. He didn’t need you in a romantic manner, after all. You weren’t the only one who looked at him with those eyes… right?
Satoru removed his glasses, looking at you straight in the eyes. You bit your lip, nervous about his reaction. You were a little happy with the new attention, you were not going to lie. But with the way things had been going yesterday, you were not sure what was genuine and what was simply stemming from his fear of losing you. What other reasons would he have to tell you about marriage and moving in? It was because he felt insecure about how loyal you would stay as a simple friend, right?
“I guess I haven’t been clear enough after all, huh?”
You tilted your head, unsure of what he was saying.
“Perhaps that would have been true a while ago… but you see—”
He leaned in a little more toward you, placing his arm against the wall behind you to cage you in. You felt your heart speed up.
Had you misread things?
“I don’t just want you to be there for me.”
You noted his long eyelashes as he continued speaking, his glossy lips opening softly.
“I thought you would have understood with yesterday… but I want you as more than just a friend. Sure, love isn’t something I can talk a lot about. As someone who stands above other types of living beings—there is a line that I had to draw at some point, between me and others. I don’t know if I am even able to love, to be honest with you.”
His breath was soft on your face as you slowly took in his words. Standing above other living beings? Is that really how he saw himself? Somehow, it was a little sad… Curse your bleeding heart, the more he talked, the more you felt compelled to take him into your arms and hold him tight.
“I don’t love you—but I want you. I want you to smile at me, I want you to be happy. At this point, this is all that I think about. I want to make you laugh, make you cry, make you moan. I want you to be tied to me; I want you under me, to be the only thing on your mind. I want you to love me more than you’ve ever loved anything. There isn’t any other way for me to have that than to be your lover. There’s no way I would let you care more about someone else than me.”
You nodded slowly, heart pounding. This was… this was a lot but—never had you been desired like this in the past, and some part of you couldn’t help but swoon.
“Satoru… isn’t that basically loving me?”
He looked at you, a little surprised.
“Is it? Then you can see it that way if it helps you give in.”
He showed you a toothy smile.
“Don’t say ‘give in,’ it makes it sound bad.”
Satoru laughed heartily.
“Sorry, sorry, but is it all clear now? I’ve been looking forward to the roller coasters.”
And there he was, changing the subject as if he had not made the most creepy-romantic confession ever.
“Yes, it is. And just so you know, most girls would have run away at that…”
“That so? You’d be surprised what a pretty face can let you get away with.”
You let out a dry laugh, apologizing silently to all of his previous conquests.
“Somehow, I can believe it.”
It did not take long for Satoru to warp you in front of the park, and it didn’t take much longer for him to show the passes he had bought to one of the employees, allowing you to happily skip the entrance line. Money truly had too much power.
But still, when you got to look at the bright park, with the loud music playing everywhere, you couldn’t help but get worked up. You had never been to one before; your parents would never bring you somewhere with that many people, and you didn’t have the money once you lived by yourself.
“Gosh! It’s big!”
You jogged deeper into the park as Satoru followed you, a little slower.
‘’You know what else is?’’
‘’If you finish that joke I’m going home’’
He laughed and shrugged as you shook your head in a disapproving manner. But it didn’t take long for you to continue exploring the entrance, eyes bright
“I’ve actually never been to a theme park before.”
“Really? I can’t say I’ve been often—kinda kills the adrenaline when you can fly by yourself.”
You rolled your eyes at his bragging, but your smile never left your lips.
“I told you about my parents a while ago, right? They wouldn’t bring me to a place with that many people. Too many chances of embarrassing them.”
But you didn’t care about that anymore. It was all fine; you were now able to go by yourself. “Mmmh.”
Your friend hummed, listening to what you had to say.
“Whether born into a sorcerer family or not, exorcists always seem to have childhood issues. Not that I have a lot to complain about on that side.”
“Guess so.”
You shrugged, not wanting to dwell on it.
“Anyway, where should we head first? A smaller one to build the tension? Or straight to the biggest one!”
Satoru giggled.
“Is that even a question? If you don’t pee a little in your pants, is it really worth doing?”
You laughed, almost folding in half at the crude comment.
“Gross!”
You took a quick look at the map of the park that was next to the entrance before grabbing Satoru’s wrist.
“That way! The Franky Coaster seems to be the biggest!”
He willingly followed you, allowing you to lead the way. You looked a lot happier about this than he had expected.
A few roller coasters later, you were laying on Satoru’s lap who was sitting on a bench
“I wanna puke.”
The boy laughed at you, pulling at your cheeks as you vaguely tried to swat him away.
“Poor thing, I didn’t think you’d be KO’d that quickly.”
You held back a gag to answer him. ‘’We still did like— 6 of them. I’m sure if it wasn’t for the fast pass—‘’
You held your hand on your mouth, a sour taste coming up in your mouth.
‘’Hey! Don’t puke on me, I don’t keep my infinity up with you!’’
‘’If it wasn’t for the fast pass, I would have been fine.’’
‘‘Oh? So it’s my fault now?’’
‘’Yes. Totally. Why are you not sick too? Stupid.’’
‘’As if I could get sick from that kind of thing. I’ll take you flying soon, you’ll see how much nicer it is.’’
‘’I still have trouble understanding how Limitless allows you to fly.’’
‘’Well, at least you gave up on trying to learn it.’’
‘’Who said that? I’m just gathering information. I’ll get some blue-tinted glasses too, then I’ll be as strong as you.’’
He laughed at your joke, his hand slowly playing with your hair, twirling the curls lazily.
“Looking forward to it then.’’
You smiled back at him, showing off a crooked tooth.
Talking about Jujutsu reminded you of the recent progress you had made with your technique.
‘’Oh, I actually got a little better with my shadow. If I only make one, I can make it look like someone rather accurately! It took me some time to be able to do one person though, so it’ll be long before I can make you or Shoko.’’
‘’Who did you make then? Yourself?’’
Satoru asked you, curious as you shook your head softly.
‘’I made Yu.’’
Nanami had once told you he wanted you to remember him for the sake of everyone. As he was, and not as his corpse. So, he was the first person you tried to emulate with your cursed technique.
‘’You’ll show me then. I may be able to give you pointers with the six eyes.’’
He looked down softly at you; you were surprised he didn’t make any other comments. Sometimes he was able to be delicate after all.
‘’Yeah.’’
He kept playing with your hair, not pressing you to get up, and you couldn’t help but melt a little. You felt cherished with him.
‘’I think I’m feeling better; let’s try some of the games now— I want to go to the bathroom first though!’’
Satoru agreed, telling you that he would go too.
It wasn’t long before you were out of the women’s bathroom, waiting for your friend. The two bathrooms you had found were separated, which was a little unusual.
As you waited, you decided to move away from the spot you had both agreed on. He was always boasting about his eyes being able to see everything; you wanted to see how long it would take him to find you.
You giggled as you made your way into the food court, trying to find a place with enough people to at least make him struggle a little.
As you made your way toward the children’s section, you accidentally bumped into someone face-first.
You rubbed your nose softly, trying to ease the pain.
‘’I’m sorry—I wasn’t looking,’’
You apologized as a tall dark-haired man answered you. Well, not as tall as your friend, but still.
‘’Mhm? Don’t fret it, cutie. You lost or something? Ya seemed a lil frantic.’’
You shook your head at the question, trying to figure out where to go next.
‘’No, not really, but, um, thank you.’’
He was quick to get his hand on your shoulder as you frowned a little, not waiting for your answer to continue.
‘’Well, I am. Think you can help me out? I was looking for a place to get you a drink.’’
You looked at him, eyes wide open. Were you being hit on? Really? It must have been the first time. You always spent your time at school or with friends; this was so odd to you, you didn’t really know how to react to it.
You didn’t answer, simply staring for a moment.
‘’I um— Sorry.’’
He laughed as his hand got a little lower, now resting on your back. It felt uncomfortable, why was he touching you again?
‘’No need to say sorry; I couldn’t stay mad at a cutie like you for long! Come on, I’ll be worth your while, I promise.’’
His hand reached for your wrist and you felt yourself being pulled backward, a familiar cursed energy and smell enveloping you. You instantly relaxed, if Satoru was there, nothing bad could happen.
‘’Right? Isn’t she the cutest? I couldn’t stay mad at her for long either.’’
Satoru was smiling at the boy, his head in the crook of your neck as he held you against him, getting a little handsy as he wrapped his arms around your waist.
‘’But you? I can’t say that really. So you get out of my sight.’’
At that, the boy frowned, clearly insulted. But surprisingly, the one he was frowning at wasn’t Satoru, it was you.
‘’Oh wow— You could have told me you had someone. Or do you just enjoy the attention? Girls these days are all whores— wouldn’t lose my ti—‘’
You heard a deep crack, and then…his nose looked crooked? Blood started flowing out of it, but before you could see anymore of it, Satoru placed his hand in front of your eyes.
You didn’t really fully register what was happening, but you allowed him to lead you away as the man you had been talking to started screaming, gathering people around him.
‘’Aren’t you naughty? Leaving the spot we had agreed upon?’’
You felt the familiar feeling of a warp as you were both now in a picnic area, the place much more calm and deserted. You breathed in, shaken up. Satoru had just broken the nose of this guy with his technique did he not? To a simple civilian, had he really done something that warranted such violence?
‘’S-Satoru? What did you— he was a civilian, you know?’’
He looked at you curiously.
‘’Well yeah, that’s why I didn’t do much— A broken nose is what he would have ended up with if he was against another non-sorcerer anyway. I feel like I was pretty lenient with the way he spoke to you.’’
You felt yourself turn red. You were upset, of course; he had used his technique—how you didn’t know—to break someone’s nose just for insulting you a little.
You were upset, but… you were also simply a girl who had been insulted by a stranger and was protected by the boy she loved in a clear play of dominance.
‘’You… you shouldn’t have done that. We should have left, really…’’
Satoru shrugged at your words.
‘’I don’t see why you are wasting time telling me this. I would redo it at any second. Hitting on you was one thing; can’t really blame him. But touching you; and what he said—he can’t say that to you.’’
He took you into his arms, his chest against your back as he nuzzled into the crook of your neck.
‘’But I am sorry if I scared you. Those are the kind of things I’d rather you avoid seeing.’’
You felt yourself slowly relax in his embrace. You knew you should be upset; you aren’t someone that just lets something like that slide; you want to protect normal people. But… right now you find it hard to care about it, with Satoru telling you sweet words in your ears, promising to defend you… You can’t find it in yourself to be upset.
‘’But… you shouldn’t have run off, you know? I was worried…’’
You lowered your head a little.
‘’I’m sorry… I just thought it would be fun to have you chase me around. You also boast about your Six Eyes all the time, so…’’
You felt the man shift behind you.
‘’You wanted me to chase you? That sounds kind of fun—You would need a little more time to make it fun for me, though.’’
You turned to look at Satoru and saw an unusual glint in his eye.
‘’Hey... I didn’t mean it in a weird way.’’
The sorcerer laughed and ruffled your hair, stepping back to make his way toward the center of the park.
‘’I know, I know, don’t worry. But hey, let’s go play those games. I don’t want a jerk like this to ruin our fun, fancy, exciting date!’’
You huffed at the adjectives he used.
‘’Would you not call a date romantic instead of exciting?’’
‘’Can’t it be both?’’
You smiled.
‘’I guess so!’’
‘’Why won’t you let me win?!’’
You scolded Satoru as you roughly placed the gun back onto its stand. The man was standing next to you with a wide array of plushies he had won against you.
‘’Why should I let you win?’’
He huffed at you, a smile on his face.
‘’Because that’s the right thing to do! Another match!’’
He shook his head but didn’t stop smiling.
‘’What should we do next then? You failed at every shooting game possible, at the ring toss, and at the football goals.’’
You clenched your fist, a pout taking shape on your face. You needed at least one win on him, how hard could it be? What had you not done yet… ah!
‘’The basketball throw!’’
Satoru raised an eyebrow, an amused look on his face. Your proposition seemed to entertain him.
‘’You sure? I’m like two times your height.’’
You kicked him in the shin as he cackled, unbothered.
‘’Not twice! You’ve got, like, a couple inches on me! That’s it!’’
He was tall, sure, but you weren’t especially short! He was far from twice your height, at least.
‘’We’ll measure that later then. You’ll owe me one if it’s more than a couple inches.’’
At that, you deflated.
‘’Uh—What do you mean owe you— Hey!’’
He started to leave toward the basketball hoops, not letting you have the time to finish speaking.
When you caught up to him, he was already buying the tickets as you grumbled.
‘’I’ll show you…’’
You took the ball and positioned yourself in front of one of the rows as the employee started to explain the rules in a monotone tone.
In short, you have a time limit but unlimited balls. The one who gets the most goals wins another plushie.
‘’If I win, I’ll get the bee!’’
‘’Oh? Then I’ll get the frog. So it’ll eat your bee.’’
You threw him a side-eye and stuck your tongue out at him as the countdown started.
You were soon throwing the balls frantically.
‘’No cursed technique!’’
‘’Come on, I don’t need that to beat you.’’
You ignored him and kept trying to shoot the damn basketballs into the hoops. You could see Satoru’s counter go up way faster than yours—he seemed to be taking his time and not missing a single shot. Were you really going home without any plushies? This was the worst!
The time was finally up as you looked at both scores.
9 and 30.
You put your head into your hands, grumbling as you tried to look for another game. You didn’t bother looking at Satoru while he was picking up the bee plushie.
It wasn’t long before you noticed a fluffy white cat plushie. It had two big round glasses.
Frankly, the plush reminded you of Satoru.
But the game wasn’t the same type as the other ones. This one was not one where you fought someone; you just had to shoot the item you wanted off the ledge.
Satoru was trailing after you as you took out your wallet, taking a couple of shots.
‘’I’m gonna get a plushie out of this park even if it’s the last thing I do…’’
The man raised an eyebrow as he started to tie the head strings of his plushies to his bag to transport them more easily.
‘’Good luck. What are you aiming for? I can always get it for you when you’re out of tries.’’
You gritted your teeth.
‘’Who is going to be out of tries, uh? I’ll get that stupid ugly cat by myself!’’
Satoru’s eyes quickly found said cat.
‘’Oh! It kinda looks like me; that’s why you want it? That’s so cute!’’
He cackled, a little mocking, as you started shooting.
You had 10 shots… You could not let him humiliate you any more than that! It was your pride that was at stake.
You used the first few shots to get an idea of the range of the little gun; you then placed yourself carefully, tilting the gun a little with every shot. You were getting closer.
Once at your eighth shot, the ball almost touched the plush—you had seen a couple of the fluffy hairs swirl. It had been that close!
When you tried again, the ball hit the cat directly on its forehead.
‘’I got it! Satoru! I got the cat!’’
Satoru was getting ready to congratulate you as the employee shook his head, stopping the two of you.
‘’Sorry, but the plush has to fall; you touched it, but it didn’t fall. You got one try left.’’
You quickly deflated; you had moved from your carefully picked position; there was no way you would get it now.
You pouted, looking down and waiting for Satoru to mock you, but such a thing didn’t happen.
‘’Come on, at least try your last shot, hm? You never know.’’
You sighed and nodded, trying to get into the same spot you had been in as best as you could.
You shot, but it was quickly clear to you that you had missed; the ball had not even—
The plush fell.
The employee stared at it for an instant, shocked.
‘’How did—It wasn’t supposed—‘’
At that, Satoru leaned onto the counter.
‘’Mhm? Supposed to what? Come on, give my friend her plush now. It definitely fell down this time.’’
You looked up at Satoru as the cat was handed to you.
You stayed quiet for a while, but once away from listening ears, you asked him,
‘’…Did you cheat?’’
You waited for his answer, tense.
‘’I wouldn’t call it cheating if he was cheating first—The plush had a little stand behind it so that it wouldn’t fall. You weren’t supposed to win. I wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t shot the cat though, so do count it as your win.’’
You smiled, heart pounding as you hugged the plush, with Satoru’s hand quickly on your head.
‘’But well, had you missed, I would have taken over and gotten it for you.’’
He smirked at you, probably intending to be provoking, but you simply giggled.
‘’Thank you, Satoru. I’ll cherish it.’’
Satoru took the stuffed cat from your hands, observing it as he held it with one hand.
‘’Really? Then perhaps I should put a ward on it if you’ll keep it close.’’
You rolled your eyes as you took back the soft item.
‘’You and your wards; at this point, you could make a ward out of my head or something.’’ He laughed at your joke, soon getting his hand on your head and shaking it to make your head waver back and forth.
‘’H-hey!’’
‘’I like your head too much to do anything to it.’’
You huffed a little but scooted a little closer to him, now walking with your arm flush against his.
‘’Did you want to try something else before leaving?’’
You nodded softly, your eyes wandering onto the ferris wheel.
‘’Uh, I guess it wouldn’t be an attraction park without it, huh? How cliché can you get?’’
He laughed at you as you grumbled a little. What was wrong with a little cliché? It was a first date…
‘’You know what? I got something better than that.’’
He took you by the arm, quickly warping the two of you in—
In the sky?!
You grabbed onto him ferociously, shaking in fear at the very sudden and very unwelcome lack of ground. Your heart raced—sure, but all for the wrong reasons!
‘’Sa-sa-Sa Satoru! This is too high! I’LL DIE! Oh my god, get me off! Get me off!’’
The man chuckled and simply took you in his arms in a bridal carry, getting you a little more stable against him.
‘’Don’t you trust me? I wouldn’t let anything bad happen to you.’’
You hid your face in the crook of his neck, shaking.
He stared at you for a couple of seconds before sighing.
‘’Too quick, huh? Well, today’s your day so…’’
You felt another warp. You opened your eyes slowly as Satoru allowed you down on the ground. You seemed to be… at the top of a mountain.
You turned around, a little confused. ‘’Oh, come on, don’t tell me you aren’t noticing the romantic sunset? I went out of my way to check out a place where we would see it properly. Nothing beats the sky though. I’ll have to get you used to flying. But for now, it’ll do’’
You turned around, and he was right; you were on the edge of the mountain, and the sun was softly setting, veiling everything in a warm orange. With the fall colors of the trees… it was beautiful. Frankly, you didn’t think Satoru would be able to think up something as romantic.
He smirked at you as you observed the sunset, baffled by the sight—by the gesture.
‘’Satoru…’’
You turned to look at him, your heart swelling at his satisfied face. Wasn’t it fine to indulge him? If he wanted to cherish you… most people wouldn’t ever get someone as caring. Couldn’t you just embrace it?
If you were with him, perhaps you could teach him to be a little more tender to others. He didn’t seem to have anyone able to influence him; if you allowed him to cherish you, you could cherish him in exchange and… and get him to see that you weren’t the only person who cared for him. Get him to see what he seemed to be letting slip past him.
You felt yourself grow red at the ideas that were slowly taking over your mind. You were the one who liked him first, so it felt weird to be in this situation.
You looked up again at the teen. The orange glow of the sunset was warming his skin. He looked straight out of a painting… as always.
‘’So, can I have your answer?’’
You got startled—right, this was what this was about. Your answer.
‘’I…I want to be your girlfriend.’’
You squeezed the plush you still had in your arms as Satoru’s smile widened.
He grabbed your arm to bring you closer to him as you dropped the plush to lay your hands flat on his torso to balance yourself. His chest felt hard, and you could feel your heart acting up. He smelled good too, of course… was that cologne? You couldn’t tell, but it felt so nice… It smelled safe.
‘’That’s good. I’ll be good to you, I promise.’’
Your cheeks flushed as you nodded, observing him remove his glasses.
‘’You like my eyes, right? You always have this baffled look when I remove my glasses. It’s really cute.’’
You looked away, lips pursed.
‘’D-Don’t tease me.’’
He chuckled.
‘’Who’s teasing you?’’
Satoru’s hand slowly moved to the edge of your jaw. You didn’t even notice him shifting, but you expected that level of skill from a player like him.
He tilted your head so that you were looking up at him as his lips crashed into yours, softer than you would have imagined.
His other hand quickly grasped your waist as you grabbed onto his shirt for balance. He tasted like candy, and you couldn’t help but whimper as he pulled you closer.
You could feel him smile against your lips as he finally pulled back a little, observing you with a crazed look in his eyes.
‘’I knew you’d look great, all flushed after a little kiss.’’
He nuzzled against your cheek as you pouted slightly.
‘’You won’t stop messing with me, will you?’’
‘’Of course not. Does it bother you?’’
You shook your head softly.
‘’No, no, it doesn’t…’’
You nuzzled back against him, arms grabbing unto his back.
‘’I like you a lot’’
You mumbled against him as he chuckled.
‘’Yeah I know…’’
The two of you sat down on the edge of a rock to observe the last lights of the sunset. You allowed yourself to grab onto his arm, which only induced a knowing smirk from him, but it was fine; he could tease you all he wanted.
‘’Ah! I knew I had more than a couple of inches over you—come on! I got 10!’’
You grumbled as you looked at the two pen marks on your wall, unsatisfied.
‘’Well, I might still grow a little; it’s over for you.’’
He raised an eyebrow.
‘’I’m not even 20. I might still get taller.’’
‘’Please don’t; I’ll cry.’’
You huffed and laid back on your bed. Satoru had brought over the plushies he had won and left them on your bed, not bothering to stop by his room first.
The teen quickly sat down next to you, observing you for a moment before trying to get above you, an aroused look on his face .
‘’No!’’
You sat up, huffing, pointing your finger at him.
‘’I forgot to mention this—I want to take things at a slow pace! Very slow! Only kissing is allowed for now... and hand-holding when no one is looking.’’
Satoru looked at you with a disappointed face.
‘’Eh...? But I was so looking forward to doing stuff with you.’’
Your face got redder, but you held your ground.
‘’No means no. You need to be patient.’’
He grumbled and laid down completely on the bed.
‘’So, I can’t stay over tonight either?’’
You swatted his head, insulted.
‘’Of course not!’’
‘’You slept in my room that one time.’’
‘’That was different!’’
He threw you a side-eye but didn’t argue further.
‘’Fine then, I’ll just kiss you some more.’’
You didn’t have time to respond before he dragged you on top of him, sealing his lips with yours.
You quickly decided that you liked kissing Satoru; his lips were soft, and he easily took the lead.
An hour later, Satoru finally kissed you goodnight, leaving you with bruised lips on your bed.
You turned around, grabbing the pink bee he had won today to hug it—
Ah, he left you the plushies.
Notes:
It finally happened!!!
And guys, I'm really sorry but right now falling out of love is not in my plans, for the simple reason that I do not want her to hate Gojo, it would be hard to navigate a happy ending if he literally kidnap her (which I feel like current Gojo could do if rejected) Her loving him keep him a sweet Yandere.Also, I might set an update schedule of one or twice a week. I was in my reading week and that's why I was able to pop out that many chapters in such a short amount of time lol
Since I got you a long chapter I'll expect long comments >:( Equivalent exchange!!!!!!
Also, y'all got the NPC hitting on FL, I only put it in there for you cause it wasn't in my originals plans lol!
If there is something you'd like to see happening from now on, tell me.
Unsure on where to take this next, to be honest, I want to develop their relationship, sure, but.... mhmmm.... Perhaps a little time skip until graduation would be good too.
what do you guys think?
Also, he didn't just break his nose, he made the bone collapse and crumble on purpose so that this guy's will never be able to fix how his face looks— ofc he won't tell FL that though
Chapter 21
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Going out with Satoru isn’t really that different from being his friend. He’s perhaps a little more touchy, but he always was to an extent.
You are a little sad that Nanami and Geto aren’t here to hear about it, but you retell the events that happened to Utahime, Mei Mei, and Shoko.
You can see Utahime biting her tongue to avoid making side comments, forcing herself to wish you happiness with ‘a jerk like him.’ You cannot help but laugh. She really has a grudge against Satoru.
“All those charms... He’s the one who gave them to you?”
Mei Mei, for her part, seems more interested in the many gifts you had received—or, well, their value.
“Ah… Yeah, that’s a long story. He’s worried about me because I’m weak... It’s a little annoying sometimes, but it’s not the worst.”
You huff as Shoko tilts her head, a curious look on her face.
“Is it related to your lack of missions? It’s been a while since you’ve been assigned anything, right?”
You freeze, an uncomfortable look on your face. You kind of wanted to avoid telling them about the… unconventional parts of all this.
You finally sighed, resigned, and told them about him following you during your missions and neglecting his. You avoid looking directly at them, slightly embarrassed by Satoru’s behavior—It wasn’t like it was your fault, but you still felt self-conscious.
“He what?!”
Utahime is the first one to react, Mei Mei leans back on the couch, chuckling lightly at the story, clearly amused.
“Wow… Didn’t take Gojo for an obsessive boyfriend. Got any more of that stuff you’re hiding from us?”
Shoko raised an eyebrow as you looked away at her question.
“…It’s fine, really. He’s kind to me…”
“More like he’s stalking you! What could happen to you on a fly heads hunt?! He’s got you covered in charms too! Hell, you’d probably survive against a Grade S with all of them—”
You looked at the charms, a little conflicted. Were they that strong? He didn’t really give you a lot of details or information on them, simply telling you not to remove them.
“He sounds quite smitten... You should milk him for what he’s worth…”
Mei Mei smiled at you, a glint in her eyes.
“I can teach you how to do that without him noticing… I’ll only take a small percentage too…”
Shoko was the one to answer Mei Mei to dissuade her.
“Give up, she has his credit card and refuses to use it for more than snacks for the Zenin kid. It was an ordeal to get her to accept a coat from him too.”
You felt your face redden as Shoko was exposing you.
“Well… I don’t want to take advantage of him…”
Utahime scoffed at your meek answer.
“That’s all this loser is good for! Being taken advantage of!”
(Ah, she stopped pretending she was happy about this.)
“Well, I like him for other things…”
You pouted at the negative responses you were getting from your friends.
“Is that so? Tell us about it then.”
Shoko inquired, smiling as she took out gum—she had recently been trying to stop smoking.
“Well… Of course, he’s handsome… But he’s also kind to me and, um…”
You started playing with your hands, face reddening as you told them about your… lover.
“When he’s with me, I have a lot of fun… He makes me laugh a bunch and, um, I feel… I feel cherished when he’s with me. He comforts me when I’m down, lets me mess around, and follows my jokes… It’s just always fun and warm… you know?”
You avoided looking your friends in the eyes as you felt your face warm up more and more.
“He was there for me when I needed it… and I want to be with him to do the same for him… and I like his eyes… and his voice, his hair is soft… and... well, everything else.”
Utahime sighed as you starting to ramble softly, still playing with your hands.
“Waaa... You got it bad, huh?”
You pursed your lips as Shoko laughed, moving to get closer to you on the couch.
“Isn’t it fine? As long as he’s not being a jerk, I’m all for it.”
You smiled at her shyly, happy with her approval.
“I’d say you picked well too. If you don’t want to milk him, put a ring on it—If you tell him you won’t sleep with him until marriage, it won’t take long.”
You blushed and furrowed your brows before answering Mei Mei.
“If I want to wait, it wouldn’t be to push him—and he already told me he planned to m—...”
You stopped talking; this was perhaps one of the things you were better off not saying.
“He what? He... he proposed?”
All three of your friends were looking at you with wide eyes.
“Not... not exactly. But well... He said a lot of things, okay! But we weren’t together yet!”
Utahime piped up, a shocked look still on her face.
“That makes it worse, you know?”
You couldn’t help but wince—they were right.
“Well... Better that than the opposite... no?”
Yeah... you were better off omitting everything he said about not leaving you a choice, you being his, and whatnot.
Ah, and also about him promising to curse your soul if you died before him.
Yeah, maybe you should keep that one to yourself for now.
“I guess?”
Shoko finally answered you after some hesitation, still visibly a little worried.
“Um, if he’s ever a little too intense, you can tell me, you know?”
Mei Mei chuckled at that.
“And what would any of us do about it?”
An awkward silence took place between the four of you.
Even if Satoru decided to keep you locked inside a tower, there weren’t a lot of things anyone could actually do about it.
“Well—I like him, and I’m happy with him, so it’s fine, isn’t it?”
You tried to lighten the mood as Shoko and Utahime forced themselves to laugh and agree with you. There wasn’t much to do about it.
And while you would like to think that Satoru would never decide to trap you in a tower if you tried to break up with him, you couldn’t quite get yourself to fully believe it.
When you first see Satoru with bandages around his eyes, you can’t help but laugh a little.
“What’s with that?”
He had just returned from a mission, without a trace of dirt, as always, and had come directly to your room to relax with you.
Seeing him all wrapped up with his hair up was an odd sight.
“Mhm? It’s a little more comfortable than glasses and blocks the light better. Why? You don’t like it?”
He smirked at you, and you were silently surprised. You knew his glasses were pitch black, but seeing him literally blindfolded and still able to look at you without any doubt about your position was impressive.
“Well, I like you better without anything.”
You saw his face shift, and you could swear he had raised an eyebrow.
“I mean on your face! Don’t be stupid.”
He chuckled and finally sat down on your bed next to you.
“You sure like my eyes, huh? But isn’t it better? That way I can surprise you when I take them off.”
You pouted and shyly wrapped your arms around his neck.
“Eh... I like seeing them, though...”
You pulled on his bandages, freeing his eyes. He looked straight at you, and you felt your cheeks warm up.
“Is that so? I guess I can make an effort then.”
He smirked and held you back in his arms, pulling you closer to him.
“You can wear the bandages if it’s more comfortable, but I want to at least see them a little each time, okay?”
You asked him, and he held you tighter, trapping you in his arms.
“Aww! If you ask me like that, I have no choice but to indulge you. Aren’t you the cutest?”
You grumbled at the tight embrace but didn’t push him away, allowing him to squeeze you to his heart’s content.
When he finally let go of you, you wrapped your arms around his torso, nuzzling against him a little.
“Mhm? Aren’t you cuddly today?”
He chuckled and held you back.
“Everyone was busy today, so I was a little lonely.”
You didn’t have any missions anymore, after all...
He looked down at you as he laid down, bringing you with him, now lying side by side on your bed. You still held onto his arm, not willing to let go.
“Right, wanna come with me to mine tomorrow? It’s just a first-grade this time. Shouldn’t be as scary.”
You hesitated a little. The last time you went on a mission with him, it had been frightening... You weren’t sure you wanted to repeat the experience. But you did want to spend more time with him...
You finally made a decision—if he was with you, you had nothing to fear.
“I’ll come with you.”
He softly stroked your hair, running his hand through the curls.
“I’ll make sure nothing goes wrong. You can trust me.”
You smiled and looked up at him, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek.
He chuckled and dragged you higher up, pressing his lips onto yours.
"That’s how you do it."
You nodded gently, kissing him back. It didn’t take long for Satoru to switch your positions, caging you beneath him on the bed, a predatory smirk on his face.
"Don’t worry, I won’t do more than kiss you."
You nodded, your insides fluttering. You liked it when he acted all serious like this—it felt a little like your books. But you wouldn’t dare say that to him.
Satoru leaned in again, but unlike your usual soft kisses, he bit your lip, surprising you. He wasn’t done, though. For the first time, you felt his tongue in your mouth, and you whimpered, grabbing onto his shirt to steady yourself.
It felt nice—but it was a lot more than you were used to. Sure, it was still a kiss, but your heart sped up as he sucked on your tongue, gently biting it.
Yet, you didn’t complain or try to stop him. You gripped him tighter, allowing his tongue deeper into your mouth. It felt good to have him like this, desiring you and holding you softly.
You could feel your underwear stick to you and silently thanked the skies his Six Eyes couldn’t make that out.
His hand slid deeper into your hair, gripping it to tilt your head. He pulled away to look at you, your breathing heavy, feeling like you were floating a little.
"Can I kiss your neck? I won’t go further—promise."
You looked at him for a moment before nodding. It was hard to say no when it felt that good—when he smelled that good and, well, when he looked that good. His hair was tousled, and his pupils were bigger than usual, his gaze darker as he took you in slowly.
But you didn’t have time to admire him as he quickly dove into your neck, his lips sucking at the thinner, more sensitive skin. You couldn’t help but gasp and whimper, trying to grab onto his hair as he licked and nipped at you, squirming under his hold.
"Satoru… slower…"
You heard a pop as he lifted his head to smirk at you.
"Gosh, you’re so cute. Makes me wanna mess you up..."
He took your lips again before you had time to react, his tongue diving into your mouth without hesitation. You felt him shift against you as his thigh nudged between your legs.
You mewled at the touch, soon pushing him away, a pout on your flushed face.
"We said just kissing…"
He slicked his hair back, laughing at your expression.
"Sorry, sorry… but you don’t make it easy on me, ya know?"
You blushed, avoiding his eyes and letting your gaze drop lower. You were surprised to see a tent in his pants—well, of course, he was hard. You weren’t any better, but still, seeing it brought a warmth to your lower abdomen. He would put it in at some point, right? He had mentioned kids after all… but you were still so young. And he was so much bigger than you… it would definitely hurt, wouldn’t it?
You glanced back at his eyes, then quickly away again, going back and forth. He wouldn’t reject you, that much was certain… so you could ask what you wanted, right?
"Say, Satoru…"
He tilted his head, listening.
"Would you be upset if I wanted to wait until we were married… to, you know?"
You heard him choke on his saliva, a defeated look crossing his face.
"Until marriage?"
His voice cracked.
"Isn’t that… long? Wait, when would you—And I thought you said I was rushing things by mentioning it?"
You flushed deeper.
"I’m only bringing it up because you brought it up first!"
He made a face, clearly displeased.
"I… okay. I guess. I mean, it’s not ideal, but if it’s really important… You could still suck me off before that, right?"
You shoved him away, crossing your arms and turning from him.
"Would it be that hard to wait? I’m not like you. I… I haven’t done that kind of thing with anyone—"
He cut you off.
"Isn’t it fine for a girl to still be a virgin? Don’t worry about that. Actually, it would piss me off even more to think of you being with another guy!"
You stared at him, dumbfounded. Was he for real?
You slowly stood from the bed, fuming as you stepped away from Satoru.
"Get out of my room."
"Uh?"
He looked genuinely confused, and somehow that only made you angrier.
"You are such an ass! I know you’ve been with as many girls as you’ve exorcised curses, and you’re happy that I’m a virgin?! That you’d be pissed? You don’t think I’d feel the same?"
He blinked, surprised by your reasoning.
"No—but it’s different. I’m a guy, so—"
Was he serious?
"What does that change?!"
"Well, I don’t want to sound like a jerk, but it’s always been more important for girls, right? And if I hadn’t done anything before, I wouldn’t be as… good at it. Isn’t that fine? It’s not like I cared about any of them. Guys don’t need to be in love to get it going."
If steam could come out of your ears, it would have.
"How much of an asshole can you be?! So you’re admitting you’ve been leading on girls who were in love with you? Did you sweet-talk them too? While not caring for a second? You really are the worst!"
He froze, as if finally realizing what he had said.
"And even if you didn’t have any experience, I wouldn’t care! You’re so—so old-fashioned! Just like those higher-ups you hate!"
At that, he gasped, insulted.
"Hey! Don’t say that! I’m not—Okay, I’m sorry I said I was happy you were a virgin—I just wanted to reassure you!"
"You aren’t reassuring anyone. Go say sorry to all the girls you played with! And don’t come back until you’ve done that!"
He froze again, troubled by your demand.
"That might… I don’t think I could apologize to all of them…"
You huffed, rolling your eyes at his complaints.
"Why? You got blocked by a couple of girls? I’m sure you can figure it out anyway."
He looked away, uncomfortable.
"No… well… You’ll just get more upset…"
You stared at him, silent for a moment.
"Don’t tell me—you’ve been with so many that you can’t even remember them? You manwhore!"
You grabbed his arm dragging him out of your room, pushing him into the hallway and slamming the door in his face.
"Come back when you’ve properly thought about what you said! Forget about going on that mission with you tomorrow! Jerk!"
You threw yourself onto your bed, plugging your ears to block out Satoru’s knocks on your door.
When he finally quieted down, you pulled the covers over yourself, tears gathering in your eyes. He’d been a real jerk… Was that really how he thought about you—and women? You knew some guys were weird about being a girl’s first, but for him, a player, to act like he’d feel jealous? It was completely stupid.
Okay, maybe Satoru had messed up a little.
He didn’t think you would have been this upset about what he said. Wasn’t it normal for a guy to be happy about a girl being a virgin? He thought that was the norm. Was he truly that old-fashioned? And if he was, it wasn’t really his fault, right? Considering how he was raised, you’d be impressed by how well he’d turned out. To most of his jujutsu entourage, a girl who had lost her virginity wasn’t even worth marrying anymore, and their whole value lay in the children they could bear… Was it really so wrong for him to be happy he’d be the first one to touch you?
Apparently, yes, if being called a "manwhore" was anything to go by.
He had tried asking Shoko for advice, but she slammed the door in his face, telling him he was an asshole and that he "had to figure it out himself."
So, here he was.
He really didn’t remember all the girls he had been with. As promiscuous as it seemed, sometimes he saw more girls in a week than there were days in that week.
It wasn’t like he ever expected to settle down and explain himself to anyone afterward. And if he had played with a few girls’ feelings… well, hadn’t he been a generous lover? He never had complaints in that regard.
But that wasn’t the point, was it?
He sighed, lying on the dorm roof, unsure how to get you to forgive him. You weren’t the type to swoon over gifts, and he certainly couldn’t fix things with makeup sex. He hadn’t realized how complicated maintaining a real relationship could be—when a girl got upset, he usually just moved on to another one. But now he didn’t want another one. He just wanted you to stop being upset with him.
And things had been going so well… You’d allowed him to kiss a little more of you. Surely, with enough time…
He sighed again, thinking about the other issue at hand. Waiting until marriage? His elders would definitely rejoice at that… but he wasn’t too keen on abstinence. Could he just marry you soon? He’d have to wait until your graduation at least. But he had no hesitation about staying with you—he wouldn’t let you slip out of his grip anyway, so waiting didn’t seem worth it.
He grumbled, grabbing at his hair. In moments like these, Suguru would’ve known what to do.
Satoru quickly chased the thought away. Suguru didn’t matter anymore.
He would figure this out himself… but relationships really were a pain.
Satoru came back the next day, earlier than you’d expected, though you should have known he wouldn’t enjoy being away from you for too long.
Still, that didn’t mean you were going to just forgive him.
You sat in your reading chair, while he knelt in front of you. It reminded you of that one time you slapped him—he’d been in the exact same pose to apologize for pushing you down back then.
"So? I’m listening."
Satoru looked away before scratching his head and finally meeting your eyes again.
"I, um, I’m sorry for what I said. It was old-fashioned, and I regret it."
You frowned.
"That’s it?"
He shifted uncomfortably, then sighed.
"You know… growing up in this world isn’t the same as growing up in a civilian family. You hear things they say about women—I thought I was being pretty progressive. I didn’t know it was such a bad thing to say!"
He stood up, now looming over you.
"I get why you’re upset. I wasn’t the most… virtuous guy, and I was praising you for something I didn’t even bother doing."
You nodded, letting him continue despite the many excuses he seemed to have found.
"I never thought I’d have any interest in getting married or having kids, so I just did what I wanted."
He scratched his head again, clearly uncomfortable.
"I wasn’t really nice to those girls either… and I know you care about other people, so I’m sorry about that too."
There were flaws in his apology—he should have been apologizing to them, not you—but you couldn’t help but calm down a little. He was trying, and his awkwardness showed that he was telling you things that weren’t easy for him to admit.
You finally sighed, uncrossing your arms and resting them in your lap.
"It’s okay, I forgive you."
Satoru’s face lit up, and you couldn’t help but smile back. He really did care about what you thought of him.
You stood and slowly approached him, wrapping your arms around his torso for a hug.
He hugged you back, a little too tightly.
"Hey! You’re squeezing me!"
He huffed but didn’t let go.
"Come on… you weren’t that worried about this, were you? You knew I’d forgive you."
He rested his chin on your head.
"I still didn’t like you being mad at me. It doesn’t happen often, so it kinda sucks."
You patted his back gently.
"There, there…"
He finally let go, though his hands stayed on your shoulders.
"I’ll be back later today, okay? We can watch that cheesy movie you’ve been bugging me about—I’ll hurry with my mission."
You pouted.
"Mean Girls isn’t cheesy…"
You looked away for a moment before glancing back at him.
"…Can I still come with you after all?"
He grinned, showing his teeth.
"Of course!"
Notes:
Couple fight!!!! Sorry he's misogynistic ass, but, like, i feel like that would be pretty canon. He never seemed to show any interest in the clear discrimination women have been facing in the jujutsu world, and well, he sure could have.
I'm thinking of writing a Geto x monkey!reader, fic/os anyone would be interested? (Not a real monkey just in case anyone is wondering)
Also, I have Sukuna x reader OS, it might become relevant in this fic, so I recommend checking it out, mind the warning though!
Chapter 22
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
You lean unto his shoulder, rubbing your face against his chest.
"Satoruuuuuu…"
You are almost strangling him with your hug as he pushes you away, a grimace on his face.
"At least wipe your tears first! You’re going to stain my uniform!"
He sighs and pulls a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe your face. Once dry enough, he takes you in his arms again.
"Still a big crybaby, uh?"
You huff and nuzzle against him a little more. You are silently happy that even now, he never ever uses his infinity on you.
"I’ll come see you every day, okay? I’ll get a place super close to the school too—so don’t cry."
He tries to reassure you, but you still have trouble stopping your tears. You’ll be alone at school now. Your class is empty, and you don’t have any seniors anymore. Not to mention Ichiji, who shifted course to become an assistant, even though you didn’t know him that well.
"I’m going to miss you and Shoko…"
He sighs, patting your head in an attempt to comfort you, putting his stand-in diploma in his pocket.
"She’s going to get a job at the school as soon as she graduates from medical school. She’ll probably stick around to help out anyway."
You nod, slowly letting go.
"I know…I know all that, but it still makes me sad. I’ll be the only student now…and you won’t even let me take missions…"
At that, you feel Satoru tense up; it’s always a delicate subject—his overprotectiveness.
"Maybe…maybe once I get you another charm. I’ve been making a new one myself, especially for you. Depending on how effective it is…maybe I could let you do some fly-head hunts by yourself…"
You look up at him, a wide smile on your face.
Satoru has noticed that you’re frustrated by your lack of missions, so he’s been taking some time to craft a cursed tool specifically to protect you. A restraining vow limiting its use to a single person would considerably strengthen it. This charm would also focus not on defense or attack, like your other ones, but on bringing you to him.
He’s not entirely comfortable with it, but seeing your face light up at the news is enough to motivate him to work harder on his project.
"Really?! Oh my god! Thanksies!"
You jump into his arms, and he rolls his eyes.
"I’m still working on it—you’ll need to be patient."
You nod as if it’s a matter of course as Yaga calls for Satoru from the gym, where the ceremony will take place. The students are only two, so it’ll be quite a small one, but you still make a point of ironing your uniform for it.
"Yes, yes! We’re coming, calm down, old man!"
Satoru smiles at you as you both make your way inside, leaving the courtyard.
Shoko is already inside as you hurry toward her to congratulate her too.
"You have to come back often, kay? Or I’ll get bored all alone here…I’ve still got two years."
She laughs at your scared face.
"Most sorcerers use the school as a headquarters anyway. We just won’t stay in the dorms anymore, but we’ll be around all the time for sure…not like that other idiot would leave you alone for more than a day. Utahime is always around, isn’t she? Mei Mei too."
You know she has a point…but it won’t be the same.
"Who are you calling an idiot?"
Satoru shouts from the other side of the gym as he trades his crumpled stand-in diploma for his real one.
Your friends have all grown up so quickly…
You take a seat as Utahime arrives with Ijichi; the ceremony will only have the three of you as spectators.
Satoru does come to see you often, and you can’t help but rejoice every time you see him. He’s overwhelmed with missions but still makes a point of seeing you almost every day, even if it’s just to kiss you goodnight on the busiest days.
You don’t often go on dates with him, but you are…showered with gifts. At first, you complained about it, telling him that you didn’t need all of this, but he insisted, claiming it was to make a statement and that you’d understand one day. So you stopped fighting him on it…most of the time.
Today is one of his rare days off, and he’s spending it with you, as usual, lying on your bed with his DS and cursing at Digimons while you’re reading a book next to him.
You know he’s failed when he throws his device (but still stops it from smashing into your wall with his technique).
"Harsh level?" you tease, setting your book aside.
"You could say that…I’ll get to the end of it today, though."
You chuckle and take his console in your hands, observing it from every angle.
"I really wanted one of these when I was a kid. I wonder if I’d have grown to like video games if I’d gotten one." You smile softly, thinking back on the few times Satoru had made you try his games—you were apparently exceptionally bad at them. But, well, you’re pretty sure you can read and write faster than Satoru. Books over games for you.
As you muse over this, you notice Satoru’s gaze on you.
"I’ve been wondering, but…you’re not in contact with your parents anymore?"
You’re surprised by his question, but not particularly bothered by it. It was a little funny for him to ask you that when your mom had contacted you for the first time in years last week.
"Ah…well, now that you mention it…Apparently, I have a little sister now. Her name’s Izumi. My mom called me recently…she wanted to apologize and asked me to come back home; they’re moving to Tokyo too, apparently."
Satoru looks surprised—he didn’t expect you to have any kind of contact with them.
"What do you plan to do? Will you go back to them?"
You shake your head and start laughing.
"Come on, I couldn’t leave you alone. Who would protect you from big bad curses?"
You lean a little toward him, your head now resting on his shoulder.
"I… I feel a little anxious about it, but I do want to see them. I need to meet my little sister, at least. If she sees curses, I want to be able to be her ally. I won’t go back to live with them…unless I really don’t have a choice."
You glance at Satoru and force a laugh.
"But I’d be very surprised if that happened with you around."
He tilts his head, not understanding what you’re joking about.
"But anyway—why did you ask? You never really seemed interested in my family before."
At that, he avoids your gaze, scratching his head a little.
"Well…my family has been wanting to meet you. Word got out that I was giving you a bunch of charms—"
You look at him deadpan. He’s been drowning you in them. If you wore them all at once, you’d look gaudy.
"Well, that’s pretty normal, Satoru…"
He shrugs and continues.
"They’re not making too much of a fuss, though. They figured you’d enter the clan sooner or later and that the stuff I’ve given you would eventually come back to them. But anyway, that brought up the whole marriage shenanigan. They know they can’t do much about who I’ll marry, but they still want to meet you to maintain appearances and put on a show of ‘accepting’ you."
This is a lot…but you were expecting as much from Satoru’s family. You’re not naïve; you knew the day would come when they’d deem you fit or unfit for their little heir. But it’s not like anyone would change his mind about whom he’d make his wife. Not even said future wife.
He notices your thoughtful look and quickly clarifies a few things.
"I told them to back off for now, though—so don’t worry about it. It shouldn’t come up again before your graduation. But anyway, this whole thing made me think that if I was going to put you through all of this, the least I could do was meet your parents. I know you’re not close to them, so that’s why I was wondering if it was actually worth it. But if you want to go see them and…reconnect? I’d like to, well…"
You’re surprised by his earnestness. You’d never have thought Satoru would be the type to care about these things; it really shows how much he cares about you.
"To be honest, going with you would reassure me a little. I don’t really know what I’d say to them…so I’d like for you to come with me."
He nods at your request, but you’re not finished.
"Also…would you be able to tell if my sister has any sorcerer potential? You’ve got good eyes, after all."
You smile softly, and he nods.
"Yeah, of course."
Honestly, you hope she doesn’t have any potential. You’re being protected by Satoru, so you’re fine, but you don’t want her to get involved in a dangerous world.
It feels strange; you’ve never met her, yet you care for her simply because she’s your sister.
You give him back his console but don’t return to your book, deciding to watch him play a little, head on his shoulder.
He looks at you from under his glasses for a moment, then finally smiles and goes back to his game.
After a while, you end up falling asleep on his shoulder, and despite you drooling on him, he still doesn’t activate his technique against you.
You warn your parents that you’re anxious about seeing them after so much time and that you’ll be bringing your boyfriend. They’re a little displeased at first but quickly give in.
You agree to meet them at their new place. It’s not far from the school, about a 40-minute metro ride.
You’re on the bus, holding tightly to Satoru’s hand, feeling nervous. He doesn’t say much but holds your hand back, watching you from the corner of his eye.
"Satoru…what should I even say to them? When I see them?"
"Isn’t it their job to speak and apologize? Just focus on answering. If it’s too awkward, you don’t have to stay either."
You nod at his words, trying to focus on being rational. He’s right; it’s not like you can’t just leave. Curses are way scarier than this, right?
When you finally arrive at the apartment, you take a deep breath before ringing the bell, fists clenched.
You hear voices from behind the door, some shuffling, and then it finally opens. Your mom is there, looking at you with wide eyes, as if she’s surprised to see you.
"Hey…Mom."
You greet her, a little uneasy, but she simply smiles and opens the door wider to come and hug you.
"My girl…We’re…come in, come in, your dad and I want to talk to you…"
Only then does she glance at Satoru, looking slightly surprised by his presence.
"You must be…"
"Gojo Satoru."
She nods softly, staring a little longer than usual, but quickly moves her attention back to you.
"Dinner is almost ready; you can take a seat in the living room."
You glance at Satoru before entering; he follows you, staying close the entire time. It reassures you a little.
You sit down on the couch as both of your parents join you. They look almost identical to the last time you saw them. Your dad has a little more grey hair, and your mom’s skin is now littered with sun spots.
They both stare at Satoru, perhaps feeling uncomfortable with his presence, but you can’t bring yourself to care.
Your mom takes a deep breath, wiping her hands on her pants, clearly nervous.
"We…we both wanted to apologize for the way we treated you."
It’s such a strange thing to hear from them.
"We weren’t fair to you and…we didn’t try to listen to you; instead, we simply sent you away. Your dad and I are deeply ashamed of that."
They glance at each other, as if hesitant to share more.
"Izumi…your little sister…she’s the same as you were."
You feel your body tense up, deeply wishing not to hear those words.
"Clearly, if…if both of you are saying the same things…even though you’ve never met…it must mean something…"
You bite your lip, wondering how old she is now. Did they never plan to tell you about her?
"We wanted to know…do you still see those…those things? Your dad and I don’t know what to make of it anymore."
You glance at Satoru, but his face gives no hints on how to respond. It’s taboo to reveal the truth to civilians…but you can’t pretend you were lying. Your sister would pay the price.
You take a deep breath.
"I still see them. Even clearer than before."
Your parents gasp, glancing at each other, visibly worried.
"If it wasn’t for Izumi, I wouldn’t have told you, by the way."
You look down at the floor, feeling anxious, like a weight in your stomach.
"All I’ll say is how you should act around her. Tell her to avoid looking at them and to wear glasses if she can. Tell her you believe her, but to never engage with them."
You place your hand against Satoru’s, seeking support. It’s unusual for him to be so silent, but…there’s not much for him to say right now.
"If you’d let me, I’d like to speak with her too, to reassure her. How old is she now?"
Your parents seem embarrassed, almost unwilling to answer.
"She’ll be four soon…"
Four? Already?
You feel tears gathering in your eyes and sniffle. Would they ever have told you about her if it wasn’t for curses? Four years went by, and they hadn’t told you anything. Was she already pregnant before you left?
Satoru’s hold on your hand tightens, and you hold back tears as your dad speaks up next.
"Those things…you both see, what are they?"
You glance at Satoru again, unsure of how much to reveal. He finally sighs, taking over when he sees your flushed face.
"Those things aren’t anything people like you should worry about. They’re there, but you likely won’t have to deal with them. It’s a little odd that both of your daughters can see them, but it happens; maybe you’re just a good match or something."
Your parents seem almost shocked to hear Satoru speak.
"You…you also see them?"
He nods.
"And I can prove that neither of your daughters needs to be put in an asylum either."
With a flick of his wrist, the water bottle on the table starts floating. Your parents scream in surprise, clutching each other.
"This—oh lord!"
Your mom tries to touch the bottle but finds herself unable to.
Satisfied with the display, Satoru slowly sets the bottle back down on the table.
"There are a lot of things you can’t see and don’t know. I won’t give you any more information than that. Just take it as proof that neither of your daughters are crazy."
You didn’t expect Satoru to show them his technique, but he’s been vague enough that it shouldn’t be a risk.
Your parents seem on the verge of tears as they nod. They turn back to you, shaking softly.
"Is that…is that man really your boyfriend? Or did you bring him to…to show us that?"
Satoru answers this time.
"Ah, that and that are disconnected! We’re together—I was the one who asked her to meet you first, actually."
Your parents look dumbfounded at all this new information.
"Oh—okay, well, nice meeting you, Gojo…"
At least your mom remembers his name, but the mood isn’t quite one for happy boyfriend meetings.
Your father repeats the same sentiment, still on edge.
Well…it’s to be expected.
Your dad glances between the two of you before finally speaking to you again.
"Will you…will you be coming back home? We want to welcome you and make up for the time lost."
You shake your head, biting the inside of your cheek.
"No—I’m happy where I live, and I have friends. I don’t mind coming over once in a while to see my little sister, but…but that’ll be the extent of it."
Your parents bite their lips, displeased by your answer.
"It can’t be that great…your allowance isn’t very big…we’d really like you to come back. We’re still your parents."
Oh, great…
"Mom, Dad, you can’t just decide if I come or go—"
"Yes, we can! We made a mistake, but we’re still the ones who raised you—you can’t rent a place on your own anyway. We’ll end the lease, and we’ll welcome you back home."
You scoff, feeling tense and insulted by their words.
"I’ve been staying in a dorm—I don’t have to rely on you for anything anymore. If I grow closer to you again, it won’t be because you forced me to come back."
"But—you’re only 16. What about when you graduate? Don’t you want to go to university? You’ve always been studious—can you really support yourself without any education?"
Satoru sighs, and you lean a little closer to him.
"I’ll be fine, Mom. Even if I’m not able to go to school or get a scholarship, I have everything I need."
Satoru looks at you, confused.
"Uh? Why didn’t you tell me about wanting to go to university?"
Right, he’s listening too…
You look away, pouting slightly.
"’Cause you’d insist on paying for it…I just don’t wan—"
"Yes, yes, we know, you don’t want to take advantage of me. We’ll talk about this later."
Your parents are now silent, glancing at Satoru, frowning slightly.
"We’re grateful for you being there for our daughter, but we can’t expect a teenager to pay for her schooling and take care of her in our place."
There’s a brief silence before Satoru groans, finally breaking it.
"I was really hoping to get along with you guys, you know. But you can’t just boss her around because you feel like it. She’s too nice to say it clearly, but she doesn’t need anyone other than me in—"
You step on his foot, making him shut up.
"Sorry, don’t listen to him—I don’t just need him, but it’s true that I’m not the same daughter you abandoned. I have people who care about me. If you truly want what’s best for me, then please keep your door open for me to perhaps come back one day."
"Yeah! What she said!"
You step on his foot again, glaring. Now is not the time for foolishness.
Your mom looks at your dad, clearly upset by what you’ve been saying. Your dad takes your mom’s hand in his, grinding his teeth.
"We’ll keep it open, but we want you to come back to us, and we’ll do what we need to make it happen."
You want to sigh—they haven’t understood anything, have they?
You bite your lip softly before finally getting up from the couch.
"When will Izumi be home?"
"She should finish school in two hours."
"I’ll be back next week to meet her."
You make your way to the door, with Satoru following closely as your parents ask you to stay for dinner.
Satoru is the one to answer, sticking his tongue out.
"No way; her very wealthy and very able-to-pay-for-her-school boyfriend will take her somewhere very expensiv—"
You grab his wrist, pulling him away from the house. You close the door and continue pulling him toward the metro station.
"Come on, Satoru…don’t make this harder than it has to be."
You glance at him, seeing his slightly surprised face.
You finally stop and let go of his wrist to hug him.
"Sorry…thank you for coming. It really helped me."
He smiles and pulls you closer, his hand settling in your hair, where one of the charmed brooches he gifted you shines softly.
"I know, and you did well, really. You stood your ground, and I’m proud of you. I just got a little worked up at the end."
You hum against him, cheeks warming up. It makes you happy to hear him say that. No one else is really proud of you. You’re not a good sorcerer, and your parents aren’t around to praise you for good grades, so it’s rare for you to hear that.
"It’s okay…thank you for getting upset for me."
You nuzzle against him a little more.
"I’ll need to hear more about university, though—I didn’t know you were interested."
You freeze up slightly. You hadn’t meant for him to find out.
You move away from the hug but take his hand to show him you’re not upset with him.
"I know…I didn’t want to tell you. You already do so much for me, and I knew you’d insist on paying for it if I wasn’t—no, even if I was able to pay for it."
"Is that so bad? Why can’t I offer it to you? It’s my money, after all."
You frown slightly, feeling annoyed.
"It’s not just your money, though; it’s also your clan’s."
"I get paid a lot for my job too."
You look away, feeling a little petty.
"Yeah, but if you use that on me, you’ll use your clan’s money for something else…I don’t have any right to that money. You’ve already given me so many heirlooms…"
"Is that really the big deal? That it’s my clan’s money?"
You keep your gaze averted, the answer implied.
"Then it’s fine, isn’t it? By the time you enroll…you’ll be turning 18, and I'll be 20. You’d just have to join the clan. Problem solved."
You frown at his words, not immediately understanding what he means by joining it, but after a few seconds, you connect the dots.
"You can’t just—Satoru!"
You glare at him, feeling upset, and he nearly jumps, surprised by your reaction.
"What?! We both knew it’d come to that, right?"
Your cheeks puff, warming, and your eyes redden.
To mention it because of his clan pressuring him is one thing, but this is different—and twice in the same week…without even…He was the worst boyfriend the earth had ever seen!
You rub your eyes, trying to dry your tears.
"What? Why are you crying? Hey, what did I do?"
You speed up, not wanting to look at him anymore, but he jogs after you.
"Hey! Tell me! What did I do? I can’t fix it if I don’t know!"
You stop walking, fists clenched, and pivot to glare at him again.
"You keep…you keep talking about getting married."
He nods, waiting for you to continue. He really doesn’t get it, does he?!
"You can’t just—it’s not fair—you…you!"
You take a deep breath, trembling.
"You didn’t even ask for my hand!"
The look Satoru gives you clearly shows how unexpected this reason is to him.
"Um—I mean…"
He stays silent as you glare at him, waiting for his response.
"Are you crying just because of that?"
"It’s important for a girl!"
He scratches his head, looking troubled.
"Uh—I’m sorry…?"
He seems genuinely confused, and you feel embarrassed.
Tears continue streaming down your face, and you don’t know what to do. He’s a real jerk! He doesn’t even care!
"You’re the worst! I hate you! Die for all I care! Stupid!"
You keep crying, while Satoru looks the most confused he’s ever been.
"I’d have asked you—I mean, I would have—had the ring—there just wasn’t really…why are you crying so much?"
Unable to stop your tears, you grab him, pressing your face against his shirt as you punch his chest with closed fist, upset at him.
"It’s too late now! You ruined it!"
You hold onto him as he freezes, unsure if you’re hugging him or…something else. You seem so upset; why would you hug him?
"I didn’t mean to…sorry, but…this wasn’t really…I wasn’t…"
He still seems at a loss for words as you cry against his shirt, slowly wetting it.
After a while, he stops trying to talk and simply holds you, shushing you softly as you hiccup in his arms. Something more than his mention of marriage seems to be bothering you.
He allows you to cling to him until your tears stop. You hold onto him, but you’re no longer moving.
"I’ll warp us to the dorms, okay? You can stay close if you want…"
He speaks softly, and you nod against his shirt.
Soon enough, the two of you are in your room, and Satoru softly sits on your bed while you continue holding onto him. It’s rare for you to be this clingy—and to cry at the same time.
You lie next to him, hiding against his chest as he pulls the covers over you. He plays with your hair, waiting for you to calm down further.
You stay like that for half an hour, cheeks now warm and a pink hue on your face. You feel embarrassed.
Why did you react like that? You know you’d probably marry him if things kept going in the same direction, but that doesn’t mean he has to propose before mentioning it…you threw such a tantrum. Why did you—
Oh.
Your cheeks grow even redder.
Satoru glances at you, still looking worried as you pull away slightly.
"Are you okay now?"
You nod softly.
"Are you still upset with me?"
You shake your head but stay silent for a little longer.
When your boyfriend’s face seem to indicate he is still waiting for an answer, you give in and start talking.
"I’m sorry… I got really emotional, and… I know it’s normal that you haven’t proposed yet, and…well, I just…"
He tilts his head, waiting for you to go on.
Your cheeks warm further, you really don’t want to tell him, you had seen his face that last time with Tsumiki.
"I got worked up for a few reasons…"
But Satoru isn’t satisfied with this answer, of course.
"What reasons? Did I do something else? You got really upset, you know—like, really."
"I know that!"
You flush, looking away and mumbling unhappily.
"It’s because…I got my period…I get a little touchy sometimes…"
He stares at you with wide eyes, round like dimes.
"Oh."
"Don’t just ‘Oh’ me!"
You pull the covers over your head to hide, embarrassed and not looking forward to the stupid things he is certain to say.
"Ah—no, I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was true that women turn hyst—emotional during it!"
You glare at him.
"You were going to say hysterical."
He shakes his head frantically.
"Of course not!"
You glare at him for a moment, but finally chuckle as his face seems to grow more and more troubled. You couldn’t really be upset at him for calling you hysteric after the tantrum you had just pulled.
"I’m sorry, but you’re making a funny face!"
You keep laughing, and he finally relaxes, clearly happy you’re no longer upset.
You finally calm down, now a little more levelheaded.
"I guess with my parents and everything…it didn’t take much for me to snap. I’m sorry for saying I hated you; it’s not true at all."
You blush a little, embarrassed by your behavior, but Satoru just laughs.
"Good to know. I was this close (he holds his thumb and index finger close) to running to the store to get you a ring and roses."
You shake your head, laughing but still feeling guilty.
"I’m really sorry about it. I didn’t know I’d snap at you like this."
He pulls you into his arms, settling you on top of him as he lays back down on the bed.
"Don’t worry about it; I’ll be the perfect boyfriend right now. It’s all fine, as long as you accept my true proposal when I finally make one. Also need chocolate and painkiller with that?"
You fall silent, flustered by his bold words.
"I’m smooth, aren’t I?"
You nuzzle against him a little more.
"Oh, shut up…"
You can’t help but smile against him, not caring if he notices from the shape of your lips on his skin.
Notes:
She got her period, poor girl
Clans are starting to be introduced! Of course some trouble come with it.
Also surprised little sister! She wont be very important in the story, but I wanted to address her parents and Gojo being a little shit.Not much else to say about that one chapter, i hoped you enjoyed it, don't hesitate to throw in ideas and leave comments.
Love you guys!!!
Chapter 23
Notes:
I started rewriting the first chapters! They got longer, second one has around 1k more words for example. I recommend you check them out. The authors note at the beginning indicate which ones got rewritten
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
For the first time, you ask Satoru for a warding charm—not for yourself, but for your little sister. It wasn’t like you needed any more anyway, and Satoru didn’t need to have you asking him for more to still drown you in them.
You were going to meet Izumi today, and you wanted her to have something she could protect herself with. You would definitely have wanted a warding charm when you were a little kid unaware of the true origine of curses and how to get rid of them
This time, Satoru would not come with you; you had personally asked him not to. You wanted to meet your sister by yourself first, it was more important to you than your parents, so you wanted to be in control of the situation. While Satoru was a reassuring presence, it wasn’t one you could ever hope to control, even if you insisted on him being on his best behavior.
So, when you finally stood in front of the city house, you were alone, a warding charm in the shape of a flower and chocolate chips cookies in hand. You really wanted her to like you.
You knocked on the door, once, and then twice. Your mom was once again the one to open it and greet you, an awkward look on her face. She glanced around you, seemingly trying to see if your boyfriend had come with you this time too. She seemed to relax a little when she saw that you were alone.
You stood awkwardly in the doorway for a moment; your last visit hadn’t ended in the best way, but it wasn’t enough to deter you from meeting your sister.
“Hey… Mom.”
She greeted you back, her smile tight.
“Your dad is at work… Izumi is in her room. I’ll introduce you.”
You nodded softly, following her through the house. You didn’t ask for any more information, and neither did she offer any.
Your mom finally arrived in front of a door with a little plate name, on it you could read your sister’s name, It was the first time you had seen it written. You made a point of memorizing the characters that were used.
You mom slowly opened the door, revealing a yellow room furnished with white furniture. Toys were cluttered around the room, and among them, a little girl was drawing with colored pens on paper, looking up as her mom entered the room. She had short, curly hair that were darker than yours, and the same round cheeks you had. You didn’t have any trouble believing she was your blood sister.
“Izumi, you remember the big sister I told you about?”
The little girl nodded and looked at you, now standing behind her mom.
“She’s my big sister?”
She pointed at you as she asked the question, a curious look on her face.
Your mom nodded and stepped aside, allowing you to finally enter the room. There was a floating fly head nearby, and you glanced at it quickly.
“Nice to meet you, Izumi. I’m your big sister. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
You smiled softly at her and leaned down to get to her level.
“I have snacks for you, and a little gift too.”
At those words, the girl suddenly seemed much more interested. At least she did not seem hard to win over, she really was your sister.
You heard your mom step back outside the room as Izumi now seemed comfortable enough with you, probably helped by the cookies you were showing her. She didn’t waste any time grabbing one and shoving it in her mouth as you chuckled softly. She was very cute, and you couldn’t help but grieve at the idea that you might never have met her.
“I heard that you’re a little special.”
She looked at you curiously as she finished her cookie, her mouth stained with chocolate.
“You can see little monsters, right? I can see them too.”
You pointed at the fly head in her room, and her eyes widened in surprise. Surely you were the first person that was able to see them she had met.
“You can see them too?”
You nodded and exorcised the little curse with a little movement. A single fly head was no challenge, even for a weakling like you.
“There, all gone now.”
Meeting your sister had gone well; she was thrilled to have found someone who could also see curses.
You had explained to her what they were as well as you could to a little girl her age, but she seemed to understand all the important parts. The little charm had been carefully placed in her backpack too, now warding off most curse. You had still warned her to make sure not to stare at them too much.
Satoru had also tried to take a look at her from afar, but he wasn’t able to tell if she had a cursed technique yet. If she did, she hadn’t manifested it.
But you would make sure that if it ever did, she wouldn’t be alone to figure it out. You would be there for her the way no one had been for you.
You had hoped Satoru would drop the matter, but it didn’t take long for him to bring up the topic of university with you again.
You were both in the training field; Satoru had finished a mission early and had come to find you, as he usually did whenever he had a minute of free time.
“So, for university, have you thought about which one you’ll join?”
He spoke to you as if it was certain that you would go, his confidence a little annoying. You hadn’t even agreed to anything.
“Satoru… I want to at least try to pay for it myself… I’ll get a job and—”
He cut you off, as if you had said something absurd.
“A job? You? You wouldn’t be able to handle it; you’d cry at the first rude client. You don’t need to do that—we’d have even less time together too!”
You puffed out your cheeks at his quick dismissal, you weren’t that completely useless!
“I’ve been handling you! I can work at a fast-food place at least!”
He gasped, shocked.
“A fast-food place? No way! They barely pay you—if you want a job that bad, then I’ll give you one!”
You frowned, annoyed and scornful. If he was going to ask you to suck him off, you would ignore him for a week. You had done so in the past and you were ready to do it again.
“What kind of job would you even have for me? Being your girlfriend isn’t a job.”
Satoru took on a thoughtful expression, trying to think of something he could make you do.
“Once my wards are done, you can just move in with me and cook and clean for me—that’s a real job!”
You slapped his shoulder, a little insulted. But well, at least he hadn’t mentioned any blow job.
“What are you even talking about? I would do that for you without being paid; it doesn’t count!”
If you ever lived with him, you didn’t intend to make him take on household chores. He was already overworked; you wouldn’t make him cook his own supper after coming back from a grueling job, it didn’t make any sense.
Satoru looked at you with a surprised expression.
“Really? That’s nice of you.”
He smirked, leaning down and getting in your face.
“You complain a lot, but deep down you do want to be my little housewife, don’t you?”
You gritted your teeth, looking away from him.
“It’s nothing like that! Just… You work a lot. It wouldn’t be fair to make you cook and clean too, especially if you won’t let me work and help with expenses. That’s just fair.”
He smirked at you, amused.
“Ehh… Is that so? I know another way you could repay me, though.”
His tone betrayed what he meant, and your face flushed brightly. If he dared to say that cursed word, you would snap!
“Stop that! You perv!”
He straightened up, now walking with wider strides.
“You know it’s gonna happen at some point, right? I don’t see why you act so embarrassed. I’ve read some of those books you keep in your room.”
Your face flushed an even deeper red.
“What?! You can’t read those!”
He huffed, smirking.
“Why not? You’re mine, aren’t you?”
Apparently, Satoru was in a teasing mood… He was harder to deal with when he was like that.
“That’s… that’s not what it means…”
“Just be thankful I didn’t read your journal. I didn’t think I could hold back on teasing you and selling myself out if I had taken a look at it.”
You really needed to hide your stuff better; how many times had he gone through your stuff anyway?
“But don’t worry, I won’t try anything too intense on you—at least not at first. It’s kinda nice that I got some ideas of what you’re into from those books, though.”
You hid your face in your hands, whining. You would have been fine if he hadn’t ever read those damn books. You didn’t even know which ones he’d gone through. The weird werewolf one? The one with the elf? The mafia one? There were so many of them—
He pulled at your hand to reveal your face, smirking.
“I’m just messing with you. But you really got me curious with that reaction.”
You gasped, looking up at your boyfriend with indignation.
“How could you! I was freaking out!”
He dodged a punch you tried to land on him, light on his feet.
“I need to read them now! Come on! I’m just getting interested in my girlfriend’s interests! Aren’t I an admirable boyfriend?”
You huffed, annoyed by his pretense.
“If you really want to read what I like, I’ll lend you books that I pick!”
He sighed at the idea, suddenly less enthusiastic.
“No way, you’ll just give me the boring ones where they only kiss at the end. I want to read the hot and steamy ones.”
You shook your head, lips tight.
“No way.”
He persisted, clearly having an idea in mind that he wouldn’t let go of.
“Come on!”
He kept insisting, a smile stuck on his face. You didn’t really want him to read your… special books, but he was right that you two would one day… Maybe if he knew what you were into…
Your face warmed up a little more as some unwanted thoughts forced their way into your mind.
“…I’ll let you read my favorite… interesting one if you read five other books that I pick first.”
He instantly agreed, apparently, reading a little of romance wasn’t enough of a deterrent to him.
“I’ll dash through them. Get ready to lend me that book in a week, babe.”
He looked way too happy, in your opinion. And babe? That was new one, you weren’t sure you liked it to be honest.
“I’ll quiz you on them! So, you have to read them carefully!”
He never stopped smiling, clearly enchanted by the idea.
“Yes, ma’am!”
Satoru doesn’t like your family. At all.
Of course, he can’t say that to you directly; you having something against them and him disliking them were two different things. But it doesn’t change the fact that he really doesn’t like them.
Your little sister is… fine. She’s a little kid, so there isn’t anything she really could have done, but Satoru isn’t a fan of how protective you are of her, which is somehow ironic coming from him.
Your parents, though, are a different story. They wasted no time hiring lawyers to try and drag you from the dorms. Unluckily for them, the Gojo clan has the government on their side, and Child Protective Services too. Connections went a long way when you were from a family as affluent as his.
He didn’t usually care about it, usually the sorcerer was enough by himself to convince anyone, but the government wouldn’t really have been easy to sway if he wasn’t a well-known jujutsu heir.
Really, it only took a single call from Satoru to get your guardianship transferred to him. (Of course, he doesn’t tell you that; even he knows it doesn’t really sound great.)
And while he doesn’t like your parents, he can at least appreciate how sensible they had been. When they truly understood who they were up against, they simply gave up. Clearly, you didn’t mean that much to them after all.
If it were him, Satoru wouldn’t have let you go even if all the world’s leaders came before him. He wouldn’t have backed down against anyone, whether it was God or Buddha himself. That’s why he doesn’t feel so bad about stealing you away—no one deserved you like he did. If they weren’t ready to take on a government for you, they didn’t deserve you. He did.
And he would have ended up with legal authority over you anyway after your inevitable marriage. Jujutsu clans were rather… old-fashioned, and legal reforms did not always apply to them. Not if they didn’t want them to. The Japanese government was surprisingly accommodating when jujutsu clans were the sole reason Japanese society wasn’t collapsing.
So even now, in the three main clans, daughters and wives did not have the same autonomy as their male counterparts. Satoru had never truly cared about it if he was honest, but now, he felt a little happy about it. Perhaps those who insisted on keeping their old ways felt like him.
He wanted the best for you, but he didn’t really trust someone as simple-minded as you to know what was good or not. He would rather make all the complicated decisions for you and simply keep you surrounded by children and well-fed.
You weren’t made for harsh politics; that was a certainty for Satoru. You were made to laugh with him, tell him about your silly books, and soothe his aches after a long day.
He wouldn’t let you get tainted by the harsh life of a sorcerer.
Of course, he wouldn’t let you know that; you’d surely get upset and resent him. He had to be smart about it.
But, well, it’s not like your intellect was anything Satoru had to be wary of. He liked you because of your heart, not your brain.
You waited for Satoru, five books in your hands. You had picked your favorite cheesy romance novels, and while you knew he’d only read them to get to the one he was really interested in, you still hoped he would like them.
You glanced at your watch. You were a minute away from the time he’d promised to meet you in the little field behind the school, but you weren’t anxious. The man was never late to any of your meetings. When you both went somewhere together, though, it was different.
And right on time, Satoru appeared a few paces away from you. You couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him. He had his square glasses, the fancy ones. The bandages around his eyes hadn’t really lasted; according to him, they made the back of his head look a little weird.
He started jogging toward you, cheerful.
“Oh? Are those the books? Dang, some of them are kinda big!”
You chuckled as you made your way to him too, meeting him in the middle.
“You said you would read them! If I were you, I’d take notes while reading.”
He chuckled and took the books from your hands, looking over their covers with a smile on his face.
“So, the secret to making you weak in the knees is inside these, huh? I already know how effective caging you against a wall is; I can’t wait to learn more.”
You pouted at his example.
“I was thinking more about romantic stuff…”
He protested, offended.
“Aren’t I plenty romantic?! I brought you into the sky! Like in that one movie with the granny!”
“Howl’s Moving Castle? You do remind me of Howl a little…”
He made a prideful face, huffing happily.
“The book version, though.”
He opened one of his eyes, which he had closed in contentment.
“I feel like that kinda changes something.”
You nodded.
“It does. Google it tonight.”
“If you insulted me, I’ll make you regret it. I don’t think I ever tickled you while holding you down with my Infinity, did I?”
You froze at the horrific idea.
“…I like book Howl.”
His smile was back on his face
“Good.”
He ruffled your hair, the five books carefully balanced in his other hand.
“While I’d love to stay a little longer, I have another mission today. If I finish early enough, I’ll come wish you goodnight. Promise.”
You smiled and leaned into his touch, finally taking him into your arms.
“Even if it’s late, I never mind seeing you.”
He smiled and kissed your forehead softly.
“Then I’ll come for sure.”
Notes:
Omg Gojo is such a red flag i love him. He treat her like a kid and he's low (high) key misogynistic. also he's jealous of the little sis, which is kinda fucked up
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
I love reading brick comments btw, they literally make me giggle like a little girl, so don't EVER feel bad about them.
Cant wait to hear your opinions on that one!
Chapter 24
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Utahime almost died.
You learn about it from Shoko, a day after the incident, as always after everyone else. She had been sent to fight a first-grade curse with a semi-first-grade sorcerer, but apparently, he hadn’t bothered coming. Utahime thought she could handle it by herself; she had been recommended for grade one, after all. It shouldn’t have been that much of a stretch really.
Although she didn’t have a very offensive technique (which was why she had been paired with another sorcerer—she worked best with a partner), it wasn’t like she was unable to fight alone, she had done so many times.
However, in the jujutsu world, things rarely went as you planned if you weren’t called Gojo Satoru.
Now, Utahime had a wide slash across her face, carving into her skin. Even Shoko’s technique hadn’t been able to erase it completely. She would be marked forever, a reminder of the curse she hadn’t managed to exorcise—a constant reminder of a harsh failure, even if she left the jujutsu world, she could never be free of it.
You cannot help but weep at the thought.
Satoru was the one who ended up taking care of the curse, as he always did when a sorcerer failed to do so. Cleaning up after weaker sorcerers was part of his job; in fact, cleaning up after the whole world was.
You were sitting by Utahime’s side in the infirmary, keeping watch over your friend while you sat in an uncomfortable plastic chair. She hadn’t woken up yet, but Shoko had assured you that it was normal. She wouldn’t have any lasting effects aside from that gnarly scar.
Her whole face was still bandaged when she finally woke up, with only one of her eyes uncovered.
She glanced at you, visibly confused by the situation.
“What… am I alive…?”
She called your name, a clear query on her face, and you gently took her into your arms.
“Utahime… you’re alive. You’re okay. Don’t worry about it now…”
You looked at her as her hand slowly raised to her bandaged face. She winced as her fingertip brushed against the bandage covering the newly healed skin.
“What… what happened? What about the curse?”
You bit your lip as you slowly sat back down, heart pounding. It was a hard thing to tell someone. Especially a girl as pretty as Utahime, you hoped she would be able to handle the news; you weren’t sure you would in her place
“You… They found you badly injured; Satoru went back to take care of the curse…”
Utahime noticed your uncomfortable expression rather quickly.
“What else…?”
You gritted your teeth a little before answering, avoiding to look at her in the eyes.
“Shoko couldn’t remove the scar from your face…”
The girl inhaled sharply.
“That bad?”
You nodded, lips tight.
Your friend kept looking at you for a moment before lying back down on the bed.
“Maybe it’s a sign… I’ve been thinking about taking a position the school offered me… as a teacher’s assistant.”
You blinked, a little surprised by the sudden announcement.
“A teacher? Aren’t you a bit young? You’d only be a few years older than your students.”
“A teacher’s assistant… It’ll be a while before I have my own class—but anyhow.”
Right. Maybe she wasn’t in the mood for conversations about her future; after all, she must have been exhausted.
“You should rest a bit more, Utahime. I’ll tell Ieiri you woke up.”
The older girl nodded softly, letting out a deep sigh as she closed her eyes.
You left the room silently before messaging Shoko to let her know of Utahime’s recent decision.
You think back to Geto for an instant, pondering his ideal world where curses wouldn’t be born, and sorcerers wouldn’t have to fight and get hurt.
You wonder if, in that world, none of your friends would have to be harmed. If, in that world, Satoru could be a simple teen.
When Satoru comes to see you that day, you feel compelled to hug him tightly. He doesn’t complain, simply holding you back a little tighter.
“Worried about Utahime?”
You huff against his chest and nod.
“Not just Utahime… Everyone too. You too.”
Satoru chuckles at the idea, softly ruffling your hair.
“Why would you worry about me? I’m the strongest, you know?”
“I know… But I don’t like that you have to fight curses all the time… I don’t like that everyone is taking risks constantly. What if someone had a very specific technique that allowed them to kill you? Like, deadly laser eyes or something…”
Satoru hummed softly at your worries.
“If someone like that existed, I wouldn’t be here anymore. There’s so much money on my head; if I’m not dead, it’s because no one on this earth can kill me.”
He cupped your cheek with his hand. His palm was soft and silky, feeling pleasant against your face.
You nodded softly, understanding that you didn’t really have anything to worry about. Satoru wasn’t in any real danger—not him.
“But… everyone else might die anyway.”
At that, he nodded.
“Welcome to my world. That’s why I don’t give much time to those not strong enough to survive on their own.”
He kissed the crown of your head, a smile on his face.
“Except you, of course. I’ll give you all my time if you ask for it, even if you’re the weakest sorcerer I know.”
You pouted lightly as he sat on your bed, pulling you with him and settling you onto his lap.
“You always complain about weak people, but you also always make sure to tell me I’m weak… I feel like you’re not actually bothered by them…”
He laughed, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you closer.
“I guess I’m starting to grow fond of how helpless you are… You can’t do anything without me, and I get to show off for you—you always look impressed no matter what I do. It feels great.”
You squirmed in his hold, annoyed by the teasing.
“I’m not helpless!”
“Sure you are. I could do whatever I want to you, and you wouldn’t be able to stop me. The only thing you could do is softly beg for me to be nice.”
You felt your cheeks warm up at his words.
“That’s a bit creepy, Satoru…”
You heard him huff behind you, likely with a smirk on his face.
“Aren’t you into that, though? I finished reading that book with the guy who eats apples.”
“That’s what you gathered from that book?! What about the scene where he sacrifices his only wish for her?! Or when they get their true love’s kiss?!”
You almost shouted in indignation at how he interpreted your book.
“Mhm? Ah, yeah, sure, that was sweet.”
He dismissed the climax of your book like it was nothing—he truly didn’t get it…
“It didn’t really seem that impressive, to be fair. I would do a lot more for you. Didn’t he let the girl forget about him to make her happy? I’d never do that. I’d kill that other prince and steal you away.”
You felt your cheeks warming up at the declaration.
“You womanizer…”
He looked at you, shocked.
“How am I a womanizer?! I haven’t seen any girls since we got together! I even refused to give my number to a big-breasted woman yesterday, I’ll have you know!”
You scoffed, not appreciating the extra detail.
“Well, sorry not to have big breasts! It’s not like I can control it!”
He gasped as if scandalized.
“No! I like your small boobs! They’ll fit perfectly in my hands, I’m sure—and you have a nice ass, so—”
You shoved your head onto his face, still frowning as he yelped at the rough impact.
“This isn’t making me happy at all! And they’re not tiny!”
Satoru sniffled, rubbing his nose.
“It was a compliment! And they won’t sag if they’re small!”
“Will you stop talking?!”
You couldn’t help it; your cheeks were turning redder and redder at his comments.
Satoru pouted at your reaction, not understanding why you were so upset.
“Come on, you know I’m attracted to you, even if you don’t like it when I show it.”
You glanced at him, arms crossed.
“I just want you to stop mentioning other women all the time. How would you feel if I constantly told you about rejecting handsome men?”
Satoru raised a doubtful eyebrow.
“You get to reject handsome men?”
You squinted, insulted by his immediate incredulity.
“I don’t like how hard it is for you to believe that.”
“Well, you rarely leave the school grounds, and every sorcerer around knows you’re my woman.”
Ah… That was true.
“Well, you never know! Maybe when I do go out, handsome guys ask me for my number!”
Satoru slowly lowered his glasses, his gaze suddenly colder and, frankly, a little intimidating.
“Is that so?”
You swallowed, suddenly tense.
“I mean… not often… but once in a while…”
His gaze lingered on you a little longer than usual.
“I see. Good to know.”
You hurried back to his side, a bit worried by the look on his face.
“I wouldn’t go see any other men! I love you! No one else, okay? So don’t get that scary look. I want to be there for you and only you.”
Satoru’s hand settled in the small of your back, pulling you closer as he lay down on the bed, bringing you with him. You were now lying against him, your chest pressed to his.
“You want to be there for me?”
You nodded, staying flush against him. Satoru felt nice under your touch, and he always smelled good too… How could he even be jealous when he looked like that?
“Of course I do… Didn’t I tell you? I’m worried you’re overworking yourself sometimes… I want to be there for you when you need a place to rest or someone to hold you dearly…”
His hand played with your hair as he stayed silent for a moment, unsure about his next words.
“Then why don’t you move in with me? I’ve finished casting wards at my place. I have a guest room too… if you want.”
You glanced up at your boyfriend, a little surprised by the proposition, you were sure that he would wait for you to graduate before bringing it up. It would be moving rather fast to already move in with him…But it wasn’t like your relationship was very standard anyway. But it still surprised you.
“You want me to move in with you?”
He nodded, tilting his head to look properly at you.
“Of course I do. You’re the only person I need. If I can be with you more often, it’ll be better.”
You tipped your head on your shoulder, a little unsure of what he meant by it.
“Better?”
He nodded again, continuing.
“When I’m with you, it’s easier to keep in mind what’s important.”
You frowned, still a little confused, you knew you were significant to him, but to help him keep what’s important in mind? You hadn’t heard that one before, so you pushed despite your best instinct. You somehow knew the answer wouldn’t be the most pleasant.
“What is important?”
“To protect non-sorcerers, to be good. To not do anything that would make you hate me. It keeps me… docile.”
Satoru’s glasses slipped down his nose, revealing the hypnotic blue of his eyes.
“You get it, right?”
You nodded carefully, taking in the heavy responsibility he’d just put on you. To keep him docile? That sounded like a task a little too big for you.
“…Say… if I wasn’t there for you, what would happen…?”
Satoru ruffled your hair, pressing your face against his chest, preventing you from seeing his expression.
“Who knows?”
Somehow, you felt like he did know.
You stayed against your boyfriend for a while, thinking about his request. No one else was in the dorms anymore, and he had promised you a guest room… You also knew he wouldn’t do anything that would make you hate him.
And you would be able to be with him more often… He was fighting scary curses all day, and curse users too. It was natural that he wouldn’t want to come home to an empty house.
“I’ll move in with you… but I’ll stay in the guest room for now, okay?”
“I figured.”
He laughed softly and rested his chin on your head.
“I’ll keep my door unlocked in case you have any nightmares. Or just feel lonely. I sleep naked, though—just warning you.”
You huffed at the cocky comment.
“If I feel lonely, I’ll call Ieiri.”
He ruffled your hair a little more.
“Also figured.”
Notes:
For those interested the book she told Gojo about is "Once upon a broken heart"
A little bit of a shorter chapter, but feel free to comment anyway!
Chapter 25
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Even though you had agreed to move in with Satoru, it would still take around a month for you to actually move in with him. You weren’t exactly sure why, but it was somewhat related to the ward he placed on you and in the room. Some of them weren’t… what had he said? Compatible?
But you still had something to rejoice over. Even if you had to wait to move in with Satoru, your distracted boyfriend had finally finished the custom charm he had been working on! You could finally start to take some jobs back. He had promised that as long as you wore all of your charms, he wouldn’t follow you on missions anymore.
You were both on a date when he gave the item to you, one that had been planned well in advance, as he rarely got full or half days off. He picked out a little café in the city by himself, which was somewhat surprising for the man. It looked cute and romantic, and despite what he often claimed, he was not that well acquainted with the whims of a girl’s heart. You could see that an effort had been made, and you couldn’t help but swoon over it.
“There, I’ll put it on for you. Don’t take it off when you’re on a mission, okay?”
Satoru got up from his seat to get behind you, quick to try to put the necklace around your neck.
“Could you move your hair for me?”
You did as he asked, grabbing your wild curls and pushing them out of the way, allowing him to wrap the jewelry around your neck. You heard a little click and felt his fingers brush against your nape, soft and tender. The silver chain of the necklace felt cold on your skin.
When he sat back in front of you, you couldn’t help the smile on your face. Satoru didn’t seem to notice your giddy state, too focused on explaining the charm to you. He really did like sorcery; from what you had gathered, it was a sort of hobby for the man.
“This charm is a little different from the others. The other stuff I gave you is focused on protecting you and exorcising curses if you get attacked. The thing is, I wasn’t very sure how well they would work against a curse user.”
He tapped lightly against the necklace, his nail touching the blue stone a couple of times.
“So, this one doesn’t focus on those things at all. It reads your cursed energy and is able to tell when you’re in distress, and if you are, it warps you directly to me. There’s no safer place than by my side, after all. And thanks to the other charms, nothing that exists should be able to kill you instantly… even me.”
You blinked, a little taken aback by the extent to which the man had thought this through, but even then, he continued, focused on his explanation.
"I cannot make you totally invincible with those charms. I did try, but there is a limit to it. I would probably still be able to kill you after a while, for example, but they should give you enough time to panic and, consequently, warp to me. This is the best way I've thought of to keep you safe so far."
You nodded, dazed, trying to follow everything he was saying, but it all seemed a little distant to you—you’d never had to face anything that dangerous, after all.
"Uh huh."
He chuckled at your confused expression.
"Oh well, you don’t need to bother yourself with all those complicated things; just know that you're safe, okay?"
You nodded and looked down at the small necklace. It would warp you to Satoru in case of danger? It did sound reassuring, but once again, a little overboard.
"Thank you, Satoru."
You thanked him, a soft smile on your face. He grinned back and ruffled your hair, a satisfied look on his face.
"Nothing I wouldn’t do for ya."
He pinched your cheek softly, and you allowed him without complaining. Then he made a sound, as if remembering something important.
"Oh! I finished that fourth book, by the way. Wanna quiz me?"
Tsumiki seemed enchanted by the necklace Satoru had gifted you, looking at it from every angle, her eyes shining.
"It’s so romantic! I wish a boy would give me jewelry like that!"
Megumi was quick to scoff from the dining table, his homework sitting in front of his scowling face.
"Those are all cursed, Tsumiki. It's like being offered a sparkly gun."
Ah… he did have a point. He also had given you a gun.
"No way, Megumi! They’re way too pretty for that!"
You chuckled and ruffled the little girl’s silky hair.
“You’re both right; those are very beautiful gifts, but Satoru mainly gave them to me to protect me against curses.”
Tsumiki wasn’t deterred by anything you said. You didn’t think you could change her mind even if you wanted to; she had an image in mind, and it wasn’t going anywhere.
“Then it’s even more romantic!”
Deep down, you also agreed with the girl. You enjoyed being cherished, especially by Satoru, who hadn’t even entertained the thought of being with you in the past. It felt like a victory sometimes.
Megumi, on his part, only grumbled, focusing on his homework again. He wasn’t the biggest fan of Satoru and didn’t understand why you would even go out with him. You hoped he didn’t resent you for it; you really liked Megumi.
“Do you need some help, Megumi?”
You moved closer to him as he nodded, showing you his homework. You looked over the pages and noticed that he had only answered the first question in each section.
“You seem to have gotten it, no? Why not finish the other questions?”
He looked away, an annoyed expression on his face—he often had that look, really.
“It’s all the same… I already understand it. It’s boring.”
You smiled at the boy and ruffled his spiky hair affectionately.
“Well, aren’t you intelligent! I’m impressed, Megumi.”
You noticed his ears reddening as you pulled him into a tight hug. He didn’t resent you too much, apparently!
“But you still have to do all of the homework, even if it’s boring. That way, the teacher knows for sure that you understand.”
The boy tried to wriggle out of your grip, turning redder and redder.
“The teacher doesn’t even check them!”
You let him go, a curious look on your face.
“Well, don’t do them then.”
Tsumiki gasped at that, standing up from her seat, incredulous in the face of your statement.
“No! We have to do our homework—that’s the rule!”
You turned to face the girl, still keeping the boy in your arms.
“Homework is just to make sure he understands. He already did part of it, so it’s fine, isn’t it?”
The girl frowned, clearly not agreeing with your logic. She was a very serious and studious girl, after all.
“I’ll tell Satoru…”
You laughed at that. If there was someone who didn’t care about homework, it was definitely Satoru.
“Oh, come on! I’m sure he’ll agree with me anyway.”
The girl pouted and sat back down; arms crossed over her chest.
You didn’t push the matter further, simply settling on getting started with dinner.
You noticed Megumi summoning his divine dogs out of the corner of your eye, lying with them on the couch. He really treated them like pets, but that wasn’t a bad thing in your eyes. If he could get along with them, all the better.
You were in an especially good mood today; you had finally been assigned missions again. It was fun being with Satoru, but you had missed working.
You liked feeling useful, and what could make you feel more useful than doing something that only a few people are able to do? You exorcise curses, you’re finally able to continue Yu’s legacy, to keep helping others. You don’t have to look at others from afar anymore; you can finally join them again.
You weren’t delusional either. You knew that you weren’t making nearly as much of a difference as Satoru or any of your friends did, but it felt great to make at least a small impact.
It also felt nice to get out of the school more often.
Today, too, you had a mission in Tokyo. There had been a protest about some recent social issues the day before, and there was a lot of lingering cursed energy, so a lot of fly-type curses had gathered.
There were enough of them that you knew for sure they would eventually grow into proper curses.
When you finally arrived at the scene of the disturbance, you were surprised to see fewer fly-head curses than you expected, especially after a protest of this extent.
But still, you got to work. Being in the city, you couldn’t use your gun on them; thankfully, simple cursed energy was enough for normal fly-heads. (You did look a bit silly waving your arms around at 9 p.m. on a Tuesday, but oh well.)
You kept exorcising them, and soon enough, you understood why there weren’t as many fly-heads as expected. A curse, probably grade 4, was standing in front of you. It only startled you slightly—you knew you could deal with a threat of that level easily, especially with your gun and your many charms. Still, it was enough for the charm around your neck to glow and get warmer in reaction to your momentary fright.
You stumbled, and suddenly, you felt the familiar sensation of being warped somewhere.
Your eyes were shut by reflex, but when you heard your name being called over loud music, they instantly opened. A vile smell hit your nose as you scrunched it up. It smelled like alcohol and sweat. Where were you?
In front of you, Satoru was staring right at you, black glasses on his nose and his mouth hanging open.
“Are you okay?! What happened?!”
He truly looked panicked, so you didn’t waste any time explaining the situation in an attempt to soothe him. To him, the charm must have activated because you were in some sort of danger.
“Nothing—it was just a small grade-four curse that surprised me. I’m sure it didn’t even notice me. I just got jumpy—this thing is way too sensitive,” you said, pointing to your necklace. You finally started to look around, taking in the place you had just been teleported to.
A nightclub… The music was blaring, the smell of alcohol was pungent, and… Satoru had just stood up from a bench where two girls were seated on either side of him, both startled by your sudden appearance.
You stared at Satoru, dumbfounded. He had told you he wouldn’t meet girls anymore—he had promised to be faithful… and there he was, with girls in tight dresses on each side.
Satoru noticed your expression shift as you took in his company. He quickly tried to explain himself, a frantic look on his face.
“This isn’t what it looks like—I promi—”
Your hand flew before you even registered it, striking him on the face with a loud slap. Not as loud as the sound of your heart slowly shattering, though. Somehow, you had truly believed in him. You truly believed he cared for you, that he thought of you enough not to betray you. But apparently, the only thing he cared about was controlling you. Not making you happy, not loving you—just trapping you.
Tears gathered in your eyes instantly. It had been a while since you’d last cried; you’d been happy. At least, you thought you were. You thought you would keep being happy now that he was by your side.
“You can die for all I care.”
You turned and ran out of the club as Satoru called your name, but you didn’t care. Not anymore.
Notes:
ANGSTTTT
for those that want to know if Satoru is really cheating or not, ask me :)
I wanted to have a little Megumi segment, he isn't forgotten!
If you have any idea or trope you'd like included, feel free to offer!
Or again, to join my discord, love! Don't forget to comment :P
Chapter 26
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
You don’t want to go back to your room, not now. Being alone sounds horrendous at the moment. So, you make a quick choice and get into the subway; even if Satoru has betrayed you, you still have friends. You’re not alone, even while you are being stared at in the subway, red face drenched in tears and snot.
You need to walk a little to get where you want to go, avoiding the passing looks of strangers, you keep your head low and sniffle as soon as you are further from others.
When you finally arrive at Shoko’s place, it doesn’t take long for her to let you in. She seems surprised, something you rarely see on her face. But then again, it’s not like you often knock on her door bawling like a baby late in the evening.
“What’s happening? Come on in.”
You nod and rush into her arms, almost making her trip as you tighten your grip around her.
“Wow... easy there, sweetie...”
You hold onto her as tightly as you can, shaking softly as she embraces you back, a little confused. But she knows what to ask; there aren’t many reasons for you to be in such a state, and if she has to get rid of one more body tonight, then so be it.
“Is it that other idiot?”
You nod against her shoulder, rubbing your tears into her soft cashmere.
“I hate him so much! He is the worst. He told me that he wouldn’t go see other women— He promised me he would be faithful, he told me he would never do anything to make me sad! It was all lies! He was at the club! With two sexy girls sitting with him! They had huge breasts!”
Shoko gently leads you to her couch as she sits down with you, a saddened look on her usually stoic face. You seem to be drawing many types of expression out of her today, who knew you only needed to be devastated?
“I can’t believe he did that to you, poor girl...”
You nod, continuing your story, chest tight and painful.
“It was all bullshit... He told me all those scary things. Told me he would curse my soul if I died before him. I’ll curse him to death too then. I don’t care anymore!”
You hear your phone ring, but you hang up in a second, not even looking at the caller; you know who it is.
Shoko keeps patting your head, tender with her touch, soothing you a little in your despair.
“I’m really sorry, I guess I should have called it... I also thought he had changed.”
You nod, sniffling loudly against the girl.
“Do you want something to drink? I’ll heal up any hangover we might have.”
You nod at her proposition but unexpectedly hear a knock on the door. You shift to look at it, startled as Satoru’s pleading voice resonates through it. Of course, he’s there—who else would be here at this time but you and him?
“Please let me in, Shoko. I can explain everything.”
You look at your friend, a shaky look on your face. You don’t want him in, you don’t want to look at him, you don’t even want to acknowledge his existence.
“Get lost, Gojo. You went too far this time.”
She tentatively smiles at you, trying to reassure you. She won’t let him in if you don’t want him to, even if she is his friend, she is on your side.
“I have wards on too; it should be fine.”
His voice resonates again after a short silence, as if in answer to what Shoko just told you.
“I really don’t want to break your wards, Shoko. I know they took you a while to put on.”
The girl freezes, clearly annoyed by the threat of the strongest sorcerer.
You sniffle lightly and finally pipe up, not wanting him to destroy her wards because of you.
“Go away, Satoru! I don’t even want to see your dumb face! I hate you! Die!”
As soon as he hears your voice, he replies, as if hurrying to explain himself now that you’ve acknowledged his presence.
“It’s not like that! It was for a mission! I can prove it to you—just let me in!”
Shoko glances at you, waiting for your answer. He will come in despite the wards, after all—you both know that nothing could really hold the man back if he decided to come in.
“It’s fine Shoko... I don’t want him to break your wards.”
Shoko pauses a moment to see if you change your mind, but finally nods at you before answering the man standing behind the door.
“Come in, Gojo. But if you don’t have a real explanation, I’ll make sure everyone knows what you did to her. You might be hated by the higher-ups, but you still have a reputation to ruin.”
You hear a heavy sigh, and then the door unlocks and opens. Of course, he doesn’t even need a key.
At first, you don’t dare to glance at him, but when you finally do, you are met with a sheet of paper, and behind it, a slightly out-of-breath Satoru.
“There, look. I was investigating a curse user at that club. You can ask Yaga for confirmation.”
Shoko glances at the paper first, checking if it’s something he just made up at the last minute, but noticing the official Jujutsu stamp, she stays quiet. It seems legit.
You take it in your hand as Satoru keeps staring at you. You cannot see his eyes, but you can feel them.
“I went to get it from Yaga. I promise you I didn’t lie. If you want, I can go steal the security footage. I didn’t touch anyone—hell, I had my Infinity on. I was still looking for the curse user!”
You glance at Satoru, tears slowly stopping, you take a moment to wonder if you can trust him. Could this be another of his tricks? He was good at making you dance in the palm of his hand, wasn’t he?
“Really...?”
He nods, a serious look on his face, brows furrowed.
“Of course.”
Shoko glances at the scene and finally gets up from the couch.
“I’ll leave you guys for a moment, but don’t start banging. Scream if you want him out.”
You flush and shout at her, insulted by the idea of doing anything with him in her house.
“As if!”
She retreats to her room, leaving you alone with Satoru. You stay seated on the couch, avoiding looking at him.
He sits next to you, making the sofa tilt softly under his weight.
“Hey.”
He calls your name, but you keep staring at your knees, unsure what to do. He waits a moment and continues; he knows you are listening.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the mission... or that I made you think I could cheat on you like that. I won’t pretend I don’t know why you might think that, but...”
His hand settles on yours, gentle.
“I wouldn’t do that to you. Not to you. I know how much it would affect you, how much it would hurt you, and I want to keep you safe and happy. I won’t lie and say it isn’t something I might do in another situation to someone else, but never to you. I need you to know that.”
You finally glance at the man, eyes still wet from the tears you shed.
“...Promise...?”
He nods at your question and leans toward you.
“Smell me if you’d like—without my Infinity, I would be stinking of perfume and alcohol, but I’ve kept it on. I didn’t want those people to touch me. I don’t want other women to touch me.”
You flush slightly at the words and lean toward him to smell him.
“You smell sweaty...”
You don’t actually mind it, but you’re not ready to admit that yet. At the comment, Satoru can’t help but chuckle.
“I ran around a bunch to find the letter. Yaga wasn’t in his office, and I can’t warp freely inside Tengen’s barrier.”
Your anger is slowly disappearing. His story makes sense, and if everything is true, he really hasn’t done anything wrong.
“But you sure did scare me when you warped—I thought you might be hurt or in danger.”
You shake your head softly.
“I... I’ll try to trust you more.”
You look down at the necklace wrapped around your neck.
“This is way too sensitive, though. It would warp me if someone handed me a pamphlet too roughly.”
Satoru makes an unpleased face at that, a little bothered.
“I’ll look into it... But I do want it sensitive. I don’t want you fighting anything that would scare you anyway.”
You don’t argue about it, even though you’re not completely in agreement.
The white-haired man pulls you by the arm to bring you closer to him before kissing your lips softly.
“Am I forgiven, then? I’ll let you know first next time I have a mission like that, kay?”
You nod, cheeks flushed. You’re more than happy he hadn’t been unfaithful.
You glance away for an instant but decide to indulge yourself a little after all those emotions, he wouldn’t mind would he? To tell you sweet words if you asked for them…
“Say... what would you do to make me happy?”
He smiles at the question as if knowing what is happening between your ears.
“Oh? Doubting my dedication?”
You keep your lips pursed but shake your head. You keep looking at him, curious and waiting for his answer and praise.
“Well, there isn’t really much I wouldn’t do... Ah, I wouldn’t let you get away from me. Not that, ever.”
At those words, something shifts in the man’s gaze. He drags you closer, trapping you between his arms.
“I would fight anything or anyone, I would endure everything, but you need to be by my side for it. You need to be mine, even if it ruins you. This is the only thing I won’t give up. Everything you are is mine, after all—your body and your soul too.”
You freeze at that. You were expecting something like a love declaration—maybe him telling you that he would fight the whole country for you. Something sweet. But, perhaps, you shouldn’t have asked him.
Even if it ruins you. That was... that was extreme. That wasn’t romantic; it was obsessive, greedy.
What had you thought? His possessiveness wasn’t loving or tender, even if you wanted it to be. No, it was insidious, creeping up on you when you least expected it, like a serpent slowly coiling around your neck, keeping you on your toes and threatening to hang you if you ever faltered.
You knew you were better off not asking anything more; you knew that his answer wouldn’t be one you’d be happy about, but you couldn’t help it.
“...And what if I want to leave...?”
Satoru’s eyes are glowing as he stares back at you, taking in your question, the smile on his lips not reaching his eyes.
“Don’t ask questions you don’t need the answer to, kay?”
You feel the snake wrap itself tighter around your throat, suffocating.
Satoru was walking you back to your dorms when you stopped in front of the subway gate. You glanced at the man who had promised never to hurt you, but wouldn’t mind ruining you to keep you close.
He glanced back at you, wondering why you had stopped, an unbothered look on his face.
There was no point in resisting, was there? At least you did love him. So, you only had to ignore any red flags that you came across. He would treat you right if you kept loving him. You shouldn’t entertain any other ideas. It was dangerous to do so. You could only fall in deeper, there wasn’t any way back, there hadn’t been any for you since you stepped into his dimly lit room, promising him your soul if he needed it.
“Can... can I come to your place...? I know the wards aren’t perfect... but if you’re with me, it should be fine, right?”
The man scratched his head, a little confused.
“I mean, I don’t mind, but... just to be clear...?”
He stopped talking, and it took you a moment to realize he was waiting for you to speak up.
“I just want to come over and sleep in the same bed! You aren’t allowed to do anything more than usual! I just—I don’t want to feel lonely today... because I was upset with you... and I didn’t like being mad.”
The man’s face beamed at your cute answer, and he quickly grabbed you into his arms.
“Of course! I’ll keep my pajamas on, okay? And a boxer—no, two boxers! You won’t even be able to tell if I pop a boner!”
You shoved him away, your face growing redder with every word he uttered. He sure had a way of appearing childish and stupid, almost making you forget what was lurking inside of him. But you played along, it was the only thing to do.
“Why does it always turn that way with you?! Stupid!”
He huffed as if insulted by your reaction.
“I’ll have you know that this is proof I’m not getting any action anywhere else—a proof of my faithfulness, even! So be thankful!”
You looked at him, unimpressed by his very doubtful reasoning.
“I’m sure boys around the world are managing not to play around with girls and still not be vulgar. This is a you issue.”
He huffed again and shook his head dismissively.
“What can I say? I’m healthy. Can’t expect anything less from the Gojo heir!”
You raised an eyebrow at his lackluster logic.
“Right—now just warp us, I’m—”
You stopped talking, suddenly remembering something.
“Ah! No! That curse! I still have to take care of it!”
You had been warped away in the middle of a mission, after all, you couldn’t just leave it there, ready to hurt civilians.
Satoru took your wrist in his hand and warped you to his place without waiting, only answering once you both arrived.
“I took care of it for you already, don’t worry about it. I wasn’t going to forgive a curse for scaring you—but more importantly, this is the first time you’ve come over, right? What do you think? I didn’t decorate much, but you can do whatever you want with it!”
You blinked a few times as you took in the huge apartment you were now in. The first thing you noticed was the massive windows making up one of the walls of what seemed to be the living room. Behind those windows, the penthouse view was clear. You were at the very top of a building, that much was sure.
Looking at the other skyscrapers across the windows made you a little dizzy, forcing you to look away for an instant.
The rest of the place was rather dull—a gray leather couch in front of a huge TV mounted on the wall, a kitchen that didn’t seem to be used often, and not a speck of dust in sight. A few generic paintings were hung here and there, not really adding anything to the space.
You didn’t like it very much.
You turned around to find Satoru looking at you expectantly, waiting for your verdict. You couldn’t bring yourself to tell him the total truth.
“It’s very big, and the light is great. I’m sure I’ll be able to make it look even cozier.”
You smiled as Satoru’s grin slightly faltered.
“Yeah... I mostly kept the furniture that came with it, but here, look.”
Satoru grabbed your hand and led you to the kitchen to show you the fridge. A drawing was hanging there, secured by a small magnet. You recognized it—it was Tsumiki’s first drawing she gave to Satoru. In it, the two siblings were drawn, along with you and Satoru.
You looked a little goofy in it, your glasses bigger than your head, but Satoru wasn’t much better off—his dark glasses erased almost all of his face. You couldn’t help but smile fondly; he had kept it.
You looked up at the smiling man, clearly proud of himself.
It was fine, wasn’t it? To have him swallow you whole. He was kind, so it was fine, wasn’t it?
You took him in your arms, cheek flush against his chest.
“This is a very nice decoration. Good job.”
You heard a pleased hum from your boyfriend as he hugged you back. You squirmed a little against him to get on your toes and kissed him softly on the lips.
“I like it when you’re nice.”
He smirked at your comment and placed his hand behind your head, pulling you into a deeper kiss. You clung to his shirt however you could as you felt yourself grow dizzy under his attention; his tongue was heavy in your mouth, and he tasted like candy. You whimpered softly, which only made him kiss you more roughly, biting and pulling on your lips and tongue to make you react. You felt yourself suffocating against him, unable to pull away or breathe, your head filling up with his scent and presence.
When he finally let you go, you had to catch your breath, glaring at him through wet lashes as he lowered his glasses.
“But don’t you also like it when I’m mean to you?”
He smirked, satisfied, leaning down toward you.
You kept glaring for a moment before pushing him away.
“You just like being mean to me...”
He laughed heartily at your answer.
“Of course! I’ve always enjoyed bullying you. It’s not new.”
His hand cupped your cheek softly, his thumb swiping under your eye to catch the single tear that had escaped from between your lashes.
“But you always came back for more, didn’t you? Don’t worry, though, now I’ll cherish and dote on you once I’m done.”
You couldn’t hold his gaze any longer, looking away in embarrassment. You prayed for the day when you would finally be used to his attention to come soon.
“You have to cherish me a lot, then...”
He tenderly kissed the corner of your eye.
“There is nothing but you I can cherish...”
Notes:
Time skip next time! Stay tuned!
Feel free to propose stuff! And of course, to comment as always, love you guys!
Chapter Text
Satoru enjoys living with you. It has only been a month since you moved in, but he feels like so much has changed for him since then.
His condo is completely transformed thanks to you. The furniture itself didn’t change, just moved, as you claimed it would be a waste to replace everything, but the walls are now plastered with framed pictures of everyone you went to school with—plus your sister. The lights were swapped out, and the bed’s sheets and covers were changed too. The place felt so much more colorful now. You had also brought in all kinds of items to display. You call it decoration, but to Satoru, it looks more like junk than anything else—not that it bothers him at all. You could bring a stick you found cool on the ground and he would display it wherever you wanted.
Most importantly for him, you were there. Satoru didn’t often stay at his place before; he usually came home just to sleep a little and change his clothes. But now that you stayed with him, things changed. You would wait for him on the couch, sleepy with a warm drink. You always perked up at his return, greet him at the door, remove his glasses for him, and hug him. How could he not want to come home more often?
Speaking of which...
Satoru had made sure to inform the higher-ups about a few things. He hadn’t appreciated their previous meddling, and now that he had you, he wanted to make some things clear to them.
As a result, the young sorcerer called for an audience, which was, of course, quickly accepted—no one refused a meeting with Satoru Gojo, after all.
“So, just to make things really clear, if I ever hear any of you try to talk to her or coax her into doing anything, I won’t be so forgiving. I let it slide once; there won’t be a second time.”
Satoru’s glasses were off as he spoke to the apparent void of the chamber. Not that a paravent could hide anything from his eyes, and they were all very aware of it. The sweat dripping down their necks under the pressure of the man’s energy was as apparent as the blinds supposed to conceal them from his view.
“Also, I plan on spending time with my little sweet pie at home. So, calm down with the missions. Surely you aren’t so incompetent that you can only rely on me? I don’t want to be called for anything less than a grade-one mission.”
A cough was heard, uneasy at his request. They relied on him so much already.
“Gojo, there is a lot of—”
The white-haired sorcerer clicked his tongue in annoyance. To him, they always found some sort of excuse or reason to make him do more of their dirty work. If only there were more competent sorcerers, perhaps he wouldn’t have to take on every dangerous mission by himself, day after day.
“Fine. But I want proper reasons for any of the missions you assign to me and why they couldn’t be handled by someone else. I won’t allow you to step on the little free time I have.”
Indeed, Satoru was being flooded with more and more missions, taking on far more than anyone should. But there was a limit to this. He finally had you living with him—what good was it if he couldn’t even enjoy it a little? He understood his station, but he did not want to give up on that, no matter the cost.
If there were more sorcerers…more strong allies, perhaps he could relax a little without risking society itself.
The elders begrudgingly agreed to his conditions. They didn’t have much of a choice, anyway.
“I’m back, honeybee!”
Satoru opened the door in a swift motion, a wide smile on his face as he greeted you while you were cleaning up the counter.
Your face lit up at his arrival, a smile also settling on your face.
“Satoru! You’re home early!”
The man smiled proudly.
“Well, yeah. I’ve convinced those old geezers to give me fewer missions for a while. I wanted to relax a little bit more with you. I should have a day off every once in a while now.”
You smiled at the news, your heart swelling. The more time passed, the less the man seemed to have any free time.
“Really? We have to plan something, then!”
Satoru shook his head, pulling you toward him.
“No planning anything. I just want to laze around with you for a bit.”
You blushed slightly as you allowed him to hold you in silence. Your arms slowly wrapped themselves around his torso as he suddenly grabbed you a little closer, now carrying you over to the couch.
“Is that my sweater?”
He observed you with a playful smile, taking in your outfit: a pair of night shorts and his cashmere sweater.
“It looks good on you. You should wear my clothes more often…but I kind of want to wear that one now, let me take it off.”
You were laying down on the couch on your back as Satoru straddled you, his hand sliding over your hips softly. A toothy grin spread across his face as his hand slid under the sweater.
“Satoru!”
You called out his name, blushing at his ministrations. He was being a little more assertive than usual. You tried pushing his hand away from your belly—his slightly rough hands were pleasant against your soft skin—but still.
He leaned down a little more, soon taking your lips between his, not wasting any time getting his knee between your legs.
“You’ve got those little shorts too…you know how you look, right? Like a cute little wife dressing up for her hubby…I never really got the appeal until you…”
His mouth slid to your neck, and you whimpered, aroused.
“Satoru, stop…”
You complained half-heartedly, unsure if you truly wanted him to stop.
“Mhm? Stop?”
His hand slid softly between your legs, groping the soft flesh of your inner thigh. You couldn’t help but moan at the contact.
“You always insist that we sleep in our own rooms…but I see you, you know? Staring at my pants when I’m not wearing boxers…or when you think I’m asleep, and I hear you whimpering my name from your room. You aren’t fooling anyone, babe. Why do you keep refusing me, hm? There’s no point in playing hard to get. I have you. I’ll have you forever, and there’s nothing that could change that.”
You felt your face flush at his words. You hadn’t realized he’d noticed so much. You thought you were being subtle—he had the Six Eyes, not the six ears!
But still, you didn’t falter.
“I want...I want to wait until marriage!”
Satoru blinked as he looked at you, still a little surprised. You had told him before, but he wasn’t entirely sure how serious you were about that “conviction.”
“Marriage?"
He mulled it over for a couple of seconds. Of course, he would marry you—there was no question about that—but…wouldn’t it take a while? He could always rush it, couldn’t he? You were 16; you could legally get married with your guardians’ permission, which, as fate would have it, happened to be him due to some unimportant details.
“When we get married, you’ll let me…”
He caught his tongue—hit it would probably not go over well right now.
“You’ll let me have you as I want?”
You nodded softly at the question, your cheeks turning red.
“It’s not…it’s not about you or anything. Since I was a little girl…well, you know the books I read. I like the romantic princess stories… and I’ve always wanted that for myself. So I’ve always wanted my first time to be with my husband on our wedding night. It’s not that I…that I don’t want you, but right now, it’s not…”
You trailed off before continuing with growing determination.
“Soon I’ll be able to marry you!”
You looked up at him with shining eyes as he stayed silent.
Proposing now would surely fall short of your fairy tale standards, so once again, Satoru held his tongue. He really wasn’t into the whole romanticism thing, but it seemed so important to you—more important than it was annoying to him. So, he would live with it.
Now, you absolutely couldn’t learn that he was your legal guardian. He’d have to tweak the truth just a little bit. Thankfully, you rarely asked too many questions. If he told you he used his influence, you wouldn’t question it too much.
As the good boy he was (or pretended to be), Satoru moved, freeing you from his long legs.
“Okay.”
You almost seemed surprised by his obedient answer.
“Okay?”
He nodded.
“Yeah, I’ll wait until we get married. It’s gonna happen sooner or later. In the meantime, I’ll make do with my hand and your little nightly whimpers—try calling me ‘Toru again. It was really cute when you first moaned it.”
Your face flushed as you threw a pillow at him.
“You heard that?!”
“And I’m still waiting for that spicy book you told me you’d lend me. Wanna know what you’re into, ya know, before the wedding night.”
He winked at you as you buried your face into the second couch pillow, groaning in annoyance.
Satoru had surprised you, that much you could give it to him.
It didn’t take long for the strongest sorcerer to decide that you needed a very expensive shopping trip after watching Pretty Woman with you. While you were not a hooker, Satoru was determined to make you his little trophy wife, just like in the movie.
You had refused multiple times, once again not a fan of spending his money on useless things. He had given you one of his cards, which you used for essentials and groceries, but not for…
You checked the brand again.
A Birkin Hermès bag? Or something. There wasn’t a price on it, but you could somewhat guess.
“Come on, pick your favorite!”
Satoru pressured you from behind, a wide smile on his face.
“Satoru… I don’t ne—”
The man huffed at your comment.
“Take it as…training, to practice being my snobby wife when you need to, kay?”
You looked at him with doubtful eyes before glancing at the bags again.
You pointed to the pink one with a little tassel on the side when the seller started speaking.
“Excellent choice, Miss Gojo! Oh, you have such exquisite taste! This is our latest Birkin, fresh from Paris—truly the pinnacle of luxury! Just look at the leather finish—notice the way it gleams under the light? It's not your ordinary gloss; it's a patented finish exclusive to this line. And this pink? Not just any pink—it’s couture pink! A shade specifically developed to match the sophistication of royalty!
And the tassel—oh, don’t get me started! It’s made of the finest silk, imported directly from the most renowned silk artisans in China. We’re talking centuries-old techniques! Each strand is hand-dyed, hand-woven, and hand-finished. Do you feel that softness? It’s practically floating through your fingers, isn’t it?
And the size! Perfect for everything, yet just discreet enough to be understated—but make no mistake, people will notice. You’re not carrying a bag; you’re carrying a legacy, Miss Gojo. This is art. This is culture. This is Birkin. I can already imagine the envious stares you’ll get. Absolute perfection!”
You glanced at your lover, silently pleading for help. You didn’t know where to place yourself or what to answer, you weren't even called married and she had called you Gojo...
Thankfully, Satoru wasn’t the type to shy away from being rude. He simply shrugged at the seller.
“Yeah, yeah, we don’t have all day. Just send it to my address and bill it to me.”
The seller didn’t lose her smile.
“Of course, Master Gojo! Please have a very pleas—”
Satoru didn’t waste any time before dragging you into the street.
“Okay, now let’s get you shoes. You need a couple of running ones, new slippers, heels—not too high, though; you’ll definitely fall. And what else? Loafers, I guess. They fit the stuff you wear. You have a cheap pair already, right?”
You nodded, wondering if the trip was actually more for him. He never seemed to gush over shopping, but he certainly seemed to enjoy dressing you up.
“I like loafers… But I don’t need that many—”
“Yes, you do. Come on, people will talk if I’m the only one with fancy stuff.”
He maybe had a point, but…
You bit your lip, thinking it over. He seemed to like dressing you up and buying you stuff. He had crazy amounts of money… And, well, it wasn’t like you hated playing the princess either. Perhaps you could play along? Even if you had some lingering guilt about it.
“Okay…okay, I’ll get shoes. And then we can get me hats or something. Fancy hats with feathers!”
The man laughed at your suggestion. Feathers? You were taking the movie a little too literally.
“I’ll get you some hats—berets and sunhats, maybe. You’d look cute in them, but drop the feathers. We’re not in the ’90s, babe.”
You blushed as the two of you entered another store, now ready to shop for shoes.
While Satoru did most of the picking, you helped this time too, choosing a few pairs that were mostly rejected—but not always. Out of fifteen pairs, five had been your picks. You didn’t mind so much, though; Satoru’s picks were great, really. He didn’t get you any ridiculously high heels either, only opting for bigger, more comfortable ones.
The next stop was a kimono shop, where you only picked out the fabric for the kimono. Satoru took care of the rest, choosing the obi and accessories to go with it before giving his command to the clearly delighted seller. It wasn’t like you could come close to someone who grew up in a traditional household to pick out colors and fabric for kimonos. You were a little impressed with your lover, you didn’t actually expect him to be that good at…fashion. But somehow, he seemed to be a man of way too many talent. You were starting to get worried about the wedding night that would one day happen. He wouldn’t be too good…would he?
And then it was hats. He seemed to have a thing for berets, as most of his picks were some sort of variation of them. He said you would fit right in as a tourist in Paris, but apparently, he himself had never been there. He promised that he would bring you and that you would wear one of the berets there. You sheepishly nodded and allowed him to pick a handful more of them.
Next came coats. He picked bright colors for you—yellows and reds—telling you he’d have an easier time picking you out in a crowd as if he needed that with his Six Eyes. Most of them were not warm, but among the dozens of charms you had, some kept your temperature at a comfortable range, You didn’t always wear it though, as it was one of the creepiest charms, made out of someone’s something.
After that, it was useless sunglasses. You only picked one pair, as you always wore your vision glasses anyway. You would never wear them because of it, but you would own one in case you ever got brave enough to try contacts.
When you got to the lingerie store, you refused to enter, even though he begged you for a while. You finally promised him that you’d go yourself with Shoko and Mei Mei and show him what you bought after (not on yourself, of course, but he didn’t need to know that).
And finally, there were dresses—an overwhelming amount of them. Short ones, skirts, pants, shirts, tank tops, blouses, jackets, and whatever else he could think of. All of it was billed to his place.
When the shopping trip finally ended and the two of you enjoyed some sweets at a cute café, Satoru seemed to remember something.
“I wanted to get you something else too. I didn’t let you pick, though, because you have no taste—we’ve established that today.”
You scowled, annoyed. You had done your best to pick out nice things.
“What? I’m sure I could pick out something just as nice as what you did! Maybe even something cuter.”
Satoru shrugged, an unbothered look on his face.
“Well, you’ll have to make do with my pick anyway, ’cause I ain’t returning this one.”
The man took out a small box from his pocket, opening it in front of you to reveal a dainty ring with a blue stone embedded in it. It was gorgeous, and—truthfully—exactly what you would have picked yourself.
You looked up at the man, mouth slightly open in surprise.
“A…another charm?”
He smiled, a cocky look on his face.
“Well, it sure is a charm for me, one that’ll let me finally ba—”
You smacked his head, your face red and flushed at his words.
“At least ask the damn question…”
Satoru only laughed at that, sliding the ring onto your finger without bothering with the famous query.
“What question? You’re already mine. This ring just makes it official—it's not like you could refuse.”
It was the second time you were visiting the Kyoto estate, but last time, it had been nearly empty. Now, not so much. Even the number of maids had tripled. You thought back to the ones who had dressed you up the last time you visited—they were probably a little smug, assuming you were Gojo’s girlfriend. You both had denied it, and now, here you were, back again, and they were right.
You wore a blue Furisode, this one given to you by Satoru for the occasion. You’d needed Shoko’s help to put it on, but now that you were in it, you felt confident. You looked great.
Satoru wore a simple grey hakama on his side, but somehow, he didn’t look out of place next to you. That was the advantage of being ridiculously handsome. To be honest, even in a cotton yukata, the man would probably have fit in just fine.
He didn’t have anyone to impress, though—you did. (Even if Satoru strongly disagreed with that, insisting that no one would dare question his decisions and that it was all just a formality.)
You wanted them to accept you, not just tolerate you.
So, you threw Satoru a glance before finally entering the estate, him by your side.
The place hadn’t changed at all. The estate still looked like something from another era—though which era, you couldn’t say.
The maids greeted your boyfriend, bowing deeply, and while the last time you’d come here, he’d ignored them, this time, he nodded to acknowledge their presence.
They soon guided you through the estate, leading you in front of a wooden sliding door.
Satoru removed his glasses, folding them neatly and placing them in his sleeve.
He smiled at you, a reassuring look on his face. You inhaled deeply and nodded at him.
He opened the door and entered the room with ease. A small table sat in the center, with two elderly men seated on pillows on the other side. Two more pillows were arranged on your side.
Satoru quickly sat down, legs wide. You sat next to him on your knees, not wanting to appear disrespectful.
“Ah, so yeah, it’s her—the one you heard about. Let’s make this quick, there’s a movie I wanna watch after this.”
The two elders bowed their heads at Satoru, seemingly used to his antics. They then focused on you, bowing in the same manner they had to your boyfriend. Satoru seemed rather unbothered by the situation.
“We will make this meeting as brief as possible, Gojo-sama,” one of the elders said.
You did your best to straighten up, waiting for the elders to bombard you with questions.
The oldest one simply smiled at you for a moment.
“Please, do not look so stiff. We only wanted to meet you and clarify a few things. There is nothing to fear—we all respect the young master’s choices.”
The other man nodded in affirmation.
“From what we understand, you come from a non-sorcerer family, correct?”
You nodded nervously.
“It is not a bad thing, do not worry. While your energy output is…”
The man glanced at Satoru and paused.
“I just meant to say that there won’t be any political issues with the engagement…”
You looked at Satoru, wondering if he had made a face, but he was simply playing with his phone, uninterested.
“We also understand you’ve been staying with Gojo for a little more than a month. Is that correct?”
You nodded again.
“You’ve been planning on going to university, as well… We want to make it clear that we don’t mind funding your education. We do, however, wish for the lady of the house to at least be educated on how to run the estate. Higher education isn’t an issue either…”
The man glanced at Satoru again.
“But as we are funding your schooling, we would like to recommend a school, if you don’t mind…”
His voice dropped as he spoke, and you could see Satoru had raised his head from his game, now looking at the elder dead in the eyes.
“Taking liberties, I see. We didn’t discuss choosing her school for her, if I remember correctly. Am I wrong?”
His tone was as cold as ice, and the elder stuttered, trying to explain himself. You didn’t give him a chance.
“Oh, stop it, Satoru! They didn’t say they wanted to choose my program… just the school. I don’t mind, really. If it’s important to them, I have no reason to complain.”
You tugged at his sleeve, trying to grab his attention, which wasn’t difficult. He shifted his focus from the men to you.
“You sure? If you change your mind, you can always go elsewhere, you know?”
The younger elder spoke up this time.
“It’s just a recommendation! Not an obligation. If the school doesn’t suit her, we don’t expect her to force herself to enroll.”
You tilted your head at Satoru, as if saying, ‘See?’ to the overprotective man.
He finally softened, returning to his phone with a small pout on his face.
You chuckled as the two men visibly relaxed. They gave you the name of the school, praising it longer than necessary. You didn’t dare show any annoyance on your face, not wanting your “guard dog” to jump on the little old men again.
“We also have a few… things we wanted to clarify. We assume Gojo-sama doesn’t intend to take any other brides or mistresses, correct?”
You frowned at the suggestion, but Satoru answered before you could.
“Of course not. She’d cry if I did that.”
You elbowed him, annoyed by his answer.
“You shouldn’t take any, even if I don’t cry!”
The man nodded at your complaint.
“Yes, yes, of course not. Don’t worry about that. I don’t want to deal with other women.”
The younger elder cleared his throat, continuing where they had left off.
“Yes… so it would eventually be expected for you to run the estate. Gojo-sama never had time to do so, so the responsibility would fall on his wife—on you. Of course, when pregnant or child-rearing, we discourage work, so we’d divide the duties among other sorcerers… But to handle those functions, we’d be grateful if you took a few classes related to administrative tasks.”
Ugh, you weren’t really interested in administration, but if it was that important to them…
“It isn’t a problem. I’ll take those classes if you need me to.”
They were paying for your education, after all, so that was the least you could do.
The elders looked at each other, perhaps reassured by your reactions. Maybe they had expected someone less reasonable—someone more like Satoru.
“There’s also one last thing, concerning the children you will have with Gojo-sama. In the event of a divorce, the clan will claim full custody of any children.”
You felt Satoru’s energy shift, growing menacing and potent. Before you could fully process what was happening, the man was glaring at the elders, his eyes cold.
“A divorce? Could you stop putting stupid ideas in her head? Why should she have to consider what would happen in the event of a divorce? There’s no way it would happen. I would never leave her. Did you even see her? She’s so weak, so delicate, so kind. How could you think I’d leave her? She won’t leave me either, so why should we care about the possibility? She’ll stay by my side until I die, and even after that, I’ll stay with her. So you better watch your mouth, because there won’t be a next time if you try to curse us like this.”
You grabbed his sleeve, trying to calm him down as the elder gasped, seemingly struggling to breathe.
“Satoru… they didn’t mean it that way. It’s probably just procedure. You know I would never leave you. Don’t be so upset. It’s just a fantasy, okay? Not something that can happen.”
You indulged him a little in his disillusion; you had to calm him down, and this was the easiest way.
The man looked at you, then took you into his arms.
“We’ve been here long enough. It reeks of old men in here. Let’s go.”
He stood up, dragging you with him as he threw one last look at the two elders, who were finally catching their breath.
Then, he warped the two of you out of there.
Notes:
Please comments or I will take another month for the next chapter (joke joke, I wont blackmail you like that....unless..?)
So, what are we thinking of the development? Should there be a sex scene? Ngl im not that confident i can make a good one ahahahaha, but if everyone want one, ill try maybe
Chapter Text
Satoru usually had a good grasp of any sorcerers in his vicinity; he could recognize people by their cursed energy. So, something like this happening was more than unlikely. But something Satoru wasn’t yet aware of was the effect of alcohol on his technique. He would, after that, never indulge in it again, knowing the side effect that befell him. This was his first and only slip-up.
That was the reason something like that happened; this was the only way Satoru could ever be surprised by someone.
This was the only way Satoru could have met Geto by accident.
Satoru had had a drink at some party where he had to go undercover.
So, when his old friend appeared in front of him while he was drinking a juice he had gotten from a vending machine, sitting on the bench of a now-closed park to sober up,
he only blinked a handful of times, taken aback by the sight of the curse user.
“You didn’t avoid me this time. I was wondering why. How come you’re so surprised?”
Satoru, a little slower than usual, rubbed his head, only now making the link between his state and the drink he had just had.
“I drank a little too much. What did you come here for? Want me to carry out that execution order?”
Geto laughed at that, now sitting next to the white-haired man.
“That would surprise me, given the way you always make sure to stay away.”
Satoru glanced at his ex-friend, then glanced back at the floor. He was indeed avoiding any residual he encountered of Geto, not wanting to deal with him—still not wanting to kill him yet if it could be avoided.
“How is everyone doing?”
Satoru looked up again when the man asked his question. He still seemed to care about his old friends to an extent. Wasn’t it for them that he had snapped that way? Wasn’t it because he couldn’t stand to watch them suffer anymore?
“Everyone is fine… Utahime got hurt and is thinking of becoming a teacher… Shoko just finished her studies. I don’t know about Nanami; I think he is still working in some sort of office.”
He huffed at his friend.
“And you? How is your human-cleansing plan going?”
Geto laughed at the brash comment that was so Satoru-like.
“If possible, I’d like for humans to all evolve into sorcerers and to avoid wiping out everyone…”
Satoru scoffed at that, leaning back into the bench.
“Is that so?”
Geto smiled softly and stayed silent for a moment. He then asked about you; Satoru hadn’t mentioned anything.
“Hm? She’s doing great. We’re getting married soon.”
Geto’s eyes widened suddenly, a dumbstruck look on his face at the news.
“What?”
Satoru looked at him with a curious look for a second.
“Right, you were gone when it happened—well, maybe it happened because of you, after all…”
Satoru didn’t elaborate further as Geto kept gaping at him.
“I mean—I thought you had something for her, but I didn’t think—I thought you’d maybe have your way with her or something, but marriage? You?”
Satoru hummed softly at his reaction.
“I guess it must look like that… But well, stuff happened.”
Geto finally sighed, raising his hands in defeat.
“I told her to take care of you, but I didn’t think this would happen. She was pining over you for a while, but you never… Oh well. I guess we both changed.”
Satoru nodded.
“We sure did…”
The two streetlamps behind the men shone softly, flickering at times but never going out. Their shadows melted into each other once more, for the last time, blurring the line between light and darkness and casting shade over their faces. If a smile came to be on their faces, neither would have to explain or acknowledge it, for one last night.
Shoko had come over with Utahime for the first time. It had taken a little convincing for Utahime to come into the den of her sworn enemy, but Satoru wasn’t there. It was enough for her to grumble and finally agree to join you.
You were all sitting in the living room as you showed them some of the stuff Satoru had gotten you.
“I have too much… If you want something, tell me. There is no way I’m going to use that many bags in a year.”
You sighed at the scandalous number of items. Shopping was fun, sure, but this was overboard.
“You sure aren’t greedy; Mei Mei would be offended by your attitude in the face of Satoru’s money.”
“Well, there is a limit to the stuff I can do with all that money… I don’t need so many outfits.”
You glanced at the two girls for an instant.
“If I called you over, it’s also because I wanted to tell you something… that happened recently…”
Utahime raised an eyebrow.
“What? Did he propose or something?”
You opened your mouth in a silent ‘O.’ You hadn’t expected her to guess it.
“…What? Really…?”
Shoko cracked up, folding in half.
“Seriously? Girl, you tamed that boy! I don’t care what anyone says about your grade, but you are a class S for me!”
You blushed at the comments, disagreeing with them.
“It’s not that! It’s because I told him I wanted to wait until marriage.”
“Didn’t Mei Mei tell you to say that a while ago? Let me take back what I said; she would be so proud.”
You huffed at Utahime, not agreeing.
“I didn’t say that for him to propose… And he didn’t actually even ask me. He just took it out of his pocket and stated I didn’t have a choice anyway, so he wouldn’t ask.”
Shoko whistled softly at that.
“Wow, here is the comeback of our dark romance protagonist Gojo Satoru—Does he have handcuffs ready for the wedding day too? In case you run away?”
You grumbled at the light way she mentioned it.
“Don’t joke about that… I…”
You mumbled the words that followed.
“…love him… But I don’t really know how to tell him to calm down. You’d hear the things he says to me! I’m also not even sure how he plans to marry me. I’m still a minor, and my family isn’t going to approve of this. Last week I went to see my sister, and they still asked me if I wanted to come back. No way are they going to agree to that.”
Utahime was the one to follow.
“The Gojo clan is very influential; he could probably adopt you if he wanted to, to be honest. I don’t think it’s gonna be an issue for him. Laws don’t apply to them—or the Zenin and Kamo.”
You tilted your head in curiosity.
“What do you mean laws don’t apply to them?”
“Well, you know they are the sole reason Japan is not a gory battlefield, so let’s say it’s hard for the government to refuse them anything. It’s not the case for every Jujutsu Family, but in the three big clans, lots of stuff doesn’t work the same way—women can’t divorce without their husband’s permission, for example. They are also under the authority of their male relatives until their marriage. The government doesn’t mind either, as the older clans usually keep to themselves anyway.”
You blinked at your friend.
“Is… is that for real..? He never told me anything like that.”
Shoko huffed.
“Well, I get it; he doesn’t want to scare you. But I don’t think those things really matter with Gojo. Even if there wasn’t the whole messed-up legal aspect with the clans themselves, he’s special enough that he would get what he wants anyway.”
You felt something drop in your stomach, heavy and cold.
You knew… you knew this all was unusual… but to have your friends saying all those things really made you see how much you could not do anything against Satoru if he so willed it.Shoko noticed your expression and continued.
“Don’t look so scared. He wants to protect you, doesn’t he? He’s all lovey-dovey; it’s so gross—he’ll be good to you, I think.”
You raised an eyebrow.
“You don’t sound convinced, Shoko.”
She laughed lightly at that.
“Well, I’d never want to be with that guy, but it’s different for you. You are a sucker for a nice face, nah? And you’ve liked him since you were fourteen or something.”
Utahime shrugged at the discussion.
“He’s an asshole, but he’s not evil. He would have sided with Geto if he were.”
You nodded softly at their words.
“I just wish I could understand him a little better… He always seems to be looking down on me and never bothers asking for my opinion.”
You huffed at the various memories.
“I’ll try to tell him what to do a little. It’ll do him some good!”
Your friends chuckled, asking you to keep them updated on that front. They want to know how you’ll manage to do so.
When Satoru comes back that day, he is more disheveled than usual. He doesn’t say anything as he removes his glasses, throwing them on the counter before heading to the couch from which you were getting up.
He doesn’t have any dirt on him, but you know it means nothing. Nothing can touch him, but it doesn’t mean that nothing reaches him. So when he softly takes you into his arms, shaking, you stay quiet, softly rubbing his hair and shushing him. You are there for him, and you will stay there.
You forget about trying to tell him what to do. He has so many responsibilities already, so many things to consider, so at least with you, he should be able to relax a little. Just a little…
The preparations for the wedding are taken care of by the Gojo clan. The ceremony will be traditional and will take place at the estate. The kimono you will be wearing is an ancient heirloom passed down in the clan, but you do not mind one bit. The kimono is gorgeous and seems to shine like the moonlight.
Everyone you know and more is invited, even your family. They cannot stay for the whole ceremony, of course, but they have their own place in one of the many festivities.
The wedding will last three days, and you are surprised that Satoru is even able to take the time off.
The ceremony is rather exhausting; you have to keep sitting on your legs for hours, but you have Satoru by your side. So, you can endure it.
When you exchange the cups of sake, you notice that he doesn’t seem to drink his part, throwing it in a potted plant not far from you.
You question him about it, curious.
“You don’t like that sake? I drank mine even if I’m not of age yet.” You tease him lightly, but he simply shrugs and smiles.
“My technique bugs out when I drink, I noticed a while ago. I’d rather say bye to alcohol and be able to protect you.”
He takes your hand and kisses the back of it with a sly look on his face. You can’t help but blush again. Will he ever stop having that effect on you? You aren’t sure.
“As if your charms wouldn’t be enough. And what do you mean say bye? You aren’t 21 yet!”
He purses his lips, as if inconvenienced by your words.
“Come on, it’s not like I ever had an alcohol problem, did I? I needed to drink for undercover missions once in a while, that’s it.”
You shake your head in a scolding manner.
“That’s no good. You are to abide by the law.”
At those words, he can only laugh.
“Then I guess you need to punish me, uh? So then I’ll listen to the rules properly.”
Your face takes a red hue, but you simply look away.
“Silly…”
The exceedingly long wedding finally comes to an end on the third day. Both Satoru and you are more than tired at that point, but somehow, your now-husband seems to have found some new energy when it finally reaches its end.
You knew the honeymoon was coming, but it was still a rather hard choice to make. You finally settled for a classic—Hawaii—knowing that the destination would not matter that much in the end.
You only hoped he would let you out of the hotel room once in a while.
Notes:
Motivation mellowed down sorry gang. will write the porn next chapter and then its gonna be the end of part 1
The next part will be told from Yuuji, Nobara and Megumi POVthank you for staying with me all this time and commenting all the time :)
i tried giving a little closure to Geto and Gojo too
Pages Navigation
Guest (Guest) on Chapter 1 Sat 15 Jun 2024 08:33AM UTC
Comment Actions
Rozemyne00 on Chapter 1 Sat 15 Jun 2024 12:11PM UTC
Comment Actions
Guest (Guest) on Chapter 1 Sat 15 Jun 2024 08:36AM UTC
Comment Actions
Rozemyne00 on Chapter 1 Sat 15 Jun 2024 12:10PM UTC
Comment Actions
Wabisabbyyy on Chapter 1 Sat 15 Jun 2024 11:01AM UTC
Comment Actions
Rozemyne00 on Chapter 1 Sat 15 Jun 2024 12:08PM UTC
Comment Actions
Dulsa on Chapter 1 Sat 27 Jul 2024 07:45AM UTC
Comment Actions
Silly__bunny on Chapter 1 Sat 05 Oct 2024 04:46PM UTC
Comment Actions
Mercydross on Chapter 1 Sat 26 Oct 2024 12:33AM UTC
Comment Actions
Rozemyne00 on Chapter 1 Sat 26 Oct 2024 12:34AM UTC
Comment Actions
Girlwithnoj0b on Chapter 1 Fri 22 Aug 2025 08:02AM UTC
Comment Actions
REC02 on Chapter 2 Sat 15 Jun 2024 11:14PM UTC
Comment Actions
Rozemyne00 on Chapter 2 Sat 15 Jun 2024 11:15PM UTC
Comment Actions
RedArry on Chapter 2 Sun 16 Jun 2024 09:01AM UTC
Comment Actions
Rozemyne00 on Chapter 2 Sun 16 Jun 2024 09:41AM UTC
Comment Actions
T43s30n9 on Chapter 2 Mon 17 Jun 2024 05:36PM UTC
Comment Actions
Rozemyne00 on Chapter 2 Mon 17 Jun 2024 06:57PM UTC
Comment Actions
T43s30n9 on Chapter 2 Mon 17 Jun 2024 07:04PM UTC
Comment Actions
Tessa (Guest) on Chapter 2 Tue 25 Jun 2024 05:11PM UTC
Comment Actions
Rozemyne00 on Chapter 2 Tue 25 Jun 2024 05:13PM UTC
Comment Actions
Dulsa on Chapter 2 Wed 17 Jul 2024 07:56AM UTC
Comment Actions
Rozemyne00 on Chapter 2 Sat 27 Jul 2024 11:00AM UTC
Comment Actions
Dulsa on Chapter 2 Sat 27 Jul 2024 07:57PM UTC
Comment Actions
Wabisabbyyy on Chapter 2 Thu 22 Aug 2024 12:03PM UTC
Comment Actions
Rozemyne00 on Chapter 2 Thu 22 Aug 2024 01:51PM UTC
Comment Actions
Wabisabbyyy on Chapter 2 Thu 22 Aug 2024 03:22PM UTC
Comment Actions
Rozemyne00 on Chapter 2 Thu 22 Aug 2024 03:27PM UTC
Last Edited Thu 22 Aug 2024 03:30PM UTC
Comment Actions
Wabisabbyyy on Chapter 2 Thu 26 Sep 2024 10:28PM UTC
Comment Actions
Rozemyne00 on Chapter 2 Thu 26 Sep 2024 10:38PM UTC
Comment Actions
Wabisabbyyy on Chapter 2 Sat 28 Sep 2024 10:11PM UTC
Comment Actions
Rozemyne00 on Chapter 2 Sat 28 Sep 2024 10:19PM UTC
Comment Actions
Misanne on Chapter 2 Thu 03 Oct 2024 05:26PM UTC
Comment Actions
NikkuLoL on Chapter 2 Sat 05 Oct 2024 01:10AM UTC
Comment Actions
Rozemyne00 on Chapter 2 Sat 05 Oct 2024 01:14AM UTC
Comment Actions
NikkuLoL on Chapter 2 Sat 05 Oct 2024 05:55PM UTC
Comment Actions
Silly__bunny on Chapter 2 Sat 05 Oct 2024 04:57PM UTC
Comment Actions
Mercydross on Chapter 2 Sat 26 Oct 2024 12:57AM UTC
Comment Actions
Rozemyne00 on Chapter 2 Sat 26 Oct 2024 01:24AM UTC
Comment Actions
Isrla on Chapter 2 Tue 24 Dec 2024 11:47PM UTC
Comment Actions
Zween on Chapter 2 Sun 30 Mar 2025 10:26PM UTC
Comment Actions
AdaBubblegum on Chapter 3 Mon 26 Aug 2024 12:48AM UTC
Comment Actions
Rozemyne00 on Chapter 3 Mon 26 Aug 2024 01:27AM UTC
Comment Actions
Pages Navigation