Chapter Text
Domestic life was out of the question for the strongest sorcerer. Anyone close to him was destined for either a very short life or a slightly longer one full of constant peril.
The experiences of adopting a kitten together, grocery shopping late at night to avoid the crowds, and even sharing too sweet frappuccinos at the 24/7 coffee hangout were out of the question.
A spontaneous wedding involving vows at the courthouse and a week-long romantic rendezvous that left the jujutsu world tilting on its axis from his absence was out of the question.
Gentle hands clasping his and sweet murmurings when he awakened from a particularly nasty nightmare were out of the question. Soft kisses placed against his flesh to comfort and the ones he returned out of gratitude were out of the question.
Gojo Satoru didn't deserve such happiness.
He reflected on this, fingertips absently trailing through your hair. You never should've involved yourself with him nor he with you.
Deep down he knew this was an impractical situation and he might very well get you killed one day. Every day he chose not to acknowledge it. Every day he chose to wake up whether it was at 2 A.M for an impromptu mission or 11 A.M to make pancakes on your shared day off- he chose to love you.
The soft mumblings of "I love you's" and the sleepy kisses to his cheek each morning reminded him of just how deep that love went.
...
He could still remember the day he met you. It was an interesting day of first encounters. He met you, Itadori Yuji, and coincidentally Sukuna that day. Say what you will about him but it's a known fact that Gojo Satoru refuses to go a day without sweets of some sort in hand. The blindfolded man happened to stop by your grandmother's shop where he caught you discreetly batting away a curse.
People from various backgrounds visited the little shop, desperate for the momentary escape that sweets could bring. Along with these people came their burdens of life and often those burdens became minor curses.
You did not claim to be a jujutsu sorcerer, only vaguely heard of them from your grandmother's teachings. She taught you how to exorcise curses with the family's technique- the ability to recreate things- before sending the happy customer off with a bag full of daifuku.
Gojo's Six Eyes caught the movement of your hand along with your jump in cursed energy. His eyes widened behind his blindfold as a simple eraser changed into a knife thrumming with cursed energy midair.
The knife slammed into the fourth-grade curse perched on an old woman's shoulder and you beamed, handing the woman her food. The weak curse and even the knife itself crumbled into nothingness. The woman left, none the wiser to your second act of kindness.
His lips turned into an eager grin. Of course, he was intrigued! But recruitment was hardly his forte and you seemed annoyed with the animated man when you took his order. Not that he cared if someone didn't mesh well with his personality. In that case, he made it his mission to annoy the shit out of them instead.
Tourists can be so annoying. You thought, shaking your head when something particularly unhinged escaped this odd man's lips. Strange blindfold and uniform aside, you supposed he was attractive enough.
Not your type.
While you prepared his purchase, he continued to ramble on and on about this or that and you wondered if the man had no one else to talk to in his life. You, ever the courteous employee, nodded along and made your polite responses in return. When you plopped the paper bag chock full of goodies down on the counter, you were surprised when his tone switched to one more serious.
"So... You see 'em too, right? You killed off that lil grade four earlier," At your look of confusion, he puffed out a little sigh. "Y'know, that ugly curse with four eyeballs and long arms perching on that little old hag's shoulder? Yeah, that's the one!"
"Sir I don't know what you're talking about-" You attempted to lie, eyes darting up and down the otherwise empty street in hopes of someone rescuing you. Unfortunately this late at night, this man was your only customer.
"Oh please," Gojo waved a hand dismissively, teeth sinking into one of the kikufuku he so favored. "Let's skip past the part where you try and lie to me about seeing and exorcising a curse," His eyes suddenly went wide as the mochi's flavors registered on his tongue. The rather appreciative moan that came from his lips caused you to blush.
"I'm far from religious but god I think if you had a religion you could convert me," He stared at the half-eaten piece of kikufuku as if it were the holy grail. "If everybody tried one of these, I think you might have a cult on your hands 'cause they're just so damn yummy!" He praised, pink tongue darting out to catch the lingering powder on his glossy lips. Did this grown man just say yummy? "A murderous cult who would stop at nothing to consume these everyday."
"I don't know whether to feel scared by whatever the hell you just said or flattered."
Gojo beamed in your direction like you'd given him the highest compliment he'd ever heard. "Both, of course! You're lucky I'm the one who found you and not someone else. I'm sure you've heard of the jujutsu council or curse users if you know how to exorcise."
You reluctantly nodded. There was no point in trying to lie when he had you pegged. Your grandma was going to kill you if she realized you'd accidentally shown a sorcerer your family's cursed technique.
He let out a little sigh. "It's a shame you'll have to stop making such delicious kikufuku. You're probably helping out your grandma who's workin' in the back, right?"
"Stop? I don't know what you think is going to happen here. Sure, I can kill a curse or two. You and I both know they're nothing compared to what sorcerers deal with," You crossed your arms over your chest, disliking his implication that you needed to leave. "I'm perfectly happy with what I do and where I'm at."
Gojo let out a little hum, resting an elbow against the ledge. "You know what that sounds like? The safest and most booooring choice ever!"
You bristled. "There's nothing wrong with choosing safety and a long life over one where I'm guaranteed to die before I even get my first gray hair!"
Gojo's goofy grin as a finger slowly rose to point at his stark white hair only earned an exasperated sigh. "Okay, okay I see your point. Still... You don't want to see what you're capable of?" He imagined you'd rise through the ranks of jujutsu sorcery easily with a technique like that. Perhaps not special-grade like himself but a solid first like Nanami Kento. "You could save a lot of people."
You shrugged your shoulders, offering him a napkin for his powdery fingers. "Nope. And isn't that what you're there for... Gojo Satoru?" You smiled at his astonished expression, lightly tapping his nose with your fingertip. "To be honest, I'm a little disappointed that you don't actually have six eyes."
...
"That conversation lasted a long time. Someone you know?" Your grandmother bustled around, helping you close up shop for the night.
You scratched your neck uneasily, running a rag across the countertops. "Um... Gojo Satoru might've come by,"
You heard a pan clatter to the floor and quickly whirled around to see your grandmother staring at you with wide eyes.
"What did you tell him?"
You shifted from foot to foot, feeling like an admonished child. "He saw me use my technique on this lady's curse... I really, really didn't mean to! He got the jump on me! I mean, who knew the greatest sorcerer liked zunda and cream kikufuku?!"
Your grandmother waggled a finger at you, stepping back to let you pick up the fallen pan and set it aside to wash. She'd given up on arguing with you about what she was or wasn't capable of nowadays. "You know I told you to be careful about using that in public! Our family's kept it a secret for years and years for a reason! We've worked hard to keep your name out of those clans' mouthes-"
"Gran Gran, I already know all that..." A headache throbbed behind your skull. You blamed it on Satoru talking your ear off for an hour. "He offered me a place but I turned him down. I don't- granted, I only talked to him for a few minutes- but... I don't think he'll tell anyone about us. He knows my answer was a solid no."
Your grandmother fell quiet, contemplating your words while she turned out the lights. "Did you want to say yes, [ Name]?" Her voice was softer than before as she began shuffling up the stairs to your shared upper apartment.
Maybe. "No."
She smiled when you joined her on the stairs.
"Good."
...
So why did your heart rate speed up when that familiar head of white hair appeared at your window? He dared to poke his head inside the shop, breaking into a grin when his eyes landed on you. Yes, his actual eyes this time. You had to admit they were rather stunning. Flecks of turquoise and cerulean blue were rimmed by long white lashes for the prettiest eyes you'd ever seen.
"Babyyyyy," His sing-song voice snapped you out of your trance. He pushed the bridge of his designer sunglasses up, peachy lips curling into a delighted smirk. "You were totally checking me out! Admit it!"
"I could definitely get some crazy money if I sold your eyeballs on the black market," You mused. "Especially if I slapped the greatest sorcerer part onto the sales listing."
The burst of laughter that came from behind a pouting Gojo made you stiffen in surprise.
"She's funny, Sensei!" A pink-haired boy poked his head out from behind the tall man, sending you a friendly wave. "Hi! I'm Itadori Yuji!"
You peeked around Gojo, noticing another tall boy and a ginger-haired girl standing a few steps behind. "Do you want to try some samples?" You reached behind the counter for the samples you usually reserved for children, smiling when the three teens eagerly approached. While they snacked away on their sweets, you held one out to Gojo with a quirked brow.
"I didn't peg you as the dad type."
Gojo flashed you a dazzling smile, propping his cheek in his hand. "Would it make you like me more if I were?"
"Absolutely not," You couldn't help your snicker when his pretty face promptly fell under his sunglasses. "What brings you here, Mr. Gojo? Are they your students?"
He sank back with a little pout, nibbling away at your offering. "Yes, unfortunately. Kugisaki," He aimed a lazy finger at the ginger. "And Fushiguro," He pointed at the spiky-haired boy. "You already met Itadori. Hey, I don't think I ever got your name and this is our second meeting."
You sent him a pointed look. "Oh please, I know you did your research on me and my family the minute you left."
"Ah, but I didn't find anything of real importance," Gojo's glowing gaze turned serious. "Your family must be pretty powerful to stay off Jujutsu Tech's radar for this long."
"Yeah," You shrugged simply, watching as the students wandered off on their own after giving you their sincere thanks for the treat. "Until I fucked up in front of the strongest jujutsu sorcerer yesterday anyway."
Gojo leaned in, twinkling baby blues peering over the dark lenses of his glasses. "Don't take it to heart baby. As you said, I'm the strongest! Even if you hadn't thrown a knife I would've sensed your cursed energy regardless with these Six Eyes of mine," He paused. "Hey, you aren't actually disappointed about my Six Eyes right?"
This man is ridiculous. Whether or not he genuinely believed you thought that, it amused you greatly. "Do you think I am?"
Gojo chewed on the end of the mochi toothpick. "I dunno, maybe you haven't been able to take your mind off me 'cause you know I was right about you becoming a sorcerer. And because I'm ridiculously memorable, handsome, and charming."
You rolled your eyes, unable to keep the smile from your face no matter how hard you tried. He wasn't wrong, not that you'd admit it to his face. His words from over three weeks ago lingered in the back of your mind constantly. Was it selfish to keep your technique for yourself aside from the occasional clingy curse? Likely. "That's a lot of non-applicable words."
You'd die before confessing to the lie.
"So does this mean you haven't changed your mind?" His glasses dropped to rest below his nose bridge, fixing you with an intense blue stare.
You nodded slowly, wondering why you felt a pang of regret. "Not really the student type."
"If it's any consolation, you wouldn't be one. You have good control over your abilities and you'd likely get promoted fast," Gojo noticed the determination on your face and sighed. "I won't be the only one who asks. You can only exorcise curses so many times in broad daylight before someone catches on."
You slid a bag of his favorite kikufuku his way, sending him a bittersweet smile. "It was nice to meet you, Gojo Satoru."
...
If you thought about it, it was your fault for thinking that was the end. You'd stay in the safety of your grandmother's daifuku shop, he'd go back to Tokyo and you'd never see those pretty baby blues of his again. So why was the strongest sorcerer standing in front of the shop again? And then again and again until finally, you lost count. Your grandmother shook her head disapprovingly but did nothing to stop you or him.
Occasionally his students tagged along, sometimes the first years or even a few of the second years that you came to know. But mainly it was just Gojo.
Gojo claimed that there was always a nasty curse or a curse user in the area that he, the strongest, was tasked with taking care of. Both you and he knew this wasn't the truth but you had no desire to call him out on it.
The strongest jujutsu sorcerer was growing on you. His arrogance and carefree attitude occasionally got on your nerves but for the most part, you enjoyed his company. Before he left each time, he asked if you changed your mind. Your answer remained the same. No.
He continued to visit you weekly when he wasn't tasked with intensive month-long missions to the point of the regulars being used to his growing presence. The constant flirting from men and women alike got a little old but you grew not to care. He came here to visit you , not them. You fell into this easy routine with him, only for it to shatter one day for what seemed like no reason.
The business was slow that day due to steady rain and Gojo hadn't visited you for two whole weeks. You'd never exchanged numbers for some strange reason, maybe both of you were worried there wouldn't be a reason to see each other if you did.
Still, he always told you when he'd be gone for an extended period. Some bullshit like "can't keep my pretty girl waiting for me" would fall from his lips and he'd duck away from an incoming smack on his shoulder (or more likely his Infinity.)
You thought you were seeing things when his familiar lanky figure appeared in the distance. You immediately sat up from your leaning position against the counter. Boy, did you have a bone to pick with him for leaving you hanging like that!
"Gojo-san?"
Much to your sudden worry, the usually rambunctious man didn't say a word even when his elbows fell into their usual positions on the counter. You repeated his name and when he didn't respond, only dully staring at the wall behind you, you hesitated before using his first name.
"Satoru?"
This caused him to glance at you in surprise. You never used his first name even when he said you were close enough friends that he preferred it.
"You know, I'm starting to understand why you want to stay away from the world of jujutsu," This strange statement made any earlier frustrations vanish. You stayed silent, sensing that he needed to get something serious off his chest. "Yuji died."
What?
There was no way the energetic boy who became Sukuna's vessel the very night you met Gojo was dead. You didn't have the deep relationship with him that he had with Gojo, but you'd be lying if you said your heart didn't feel incredibly heavy. He and Gojo bounced off each other well, like two peas in a pod especially when it came to pranks or doing something utterly ridiculous. You wondered how his two classmates were faring with his death.
Wordlessly, you reached forward and boldly cupped his cheek in your hand. Is this too much for friends? I don't even know what we are. One thing you knew about Gojo was that he liked physical touch. He liked being touched and he liked touching others to show his affection.
Much to your surprise, he leaned into your warm touch with the desperation of a man deprived. Your thumb lightly ran over his cheekbone in a soothing motion, staying silent as the rain began to pound around you both.
"I'm sorry Satoru," You murmured, gingerly easing up his blindfold to reveal the blue eyes you liked so much. They were reddened around the edges, giving away the fact he must've shed a tear or two earlier. "I liked that kid too."
Gojo's eyes lifted to meet yours, crystal clear and burning with sudden intensity. "I won't lose you too."
You blinked in surprise, your thumb momentarily coming to a stop on his cheekbone. Then it resumed along with your gentle agreement. "No, you won't."
Gojo suddenly leaned forward until his forehead gently bumped yours. "[ Name ] you don't understand. That's a promise," His voice shook, betraying how strongly he felt about it. "I'm going to rebuild jujutsu society, y'know. From the bottom to the very top until they can't ignore it. Those bastards are going to regret crossing me, I promise."
You let your eyes fall shut, clasping his hand tightly to squeeze it.
"I know you will."