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Darkness. That was all he could see. He felt nothing– as if he was floating in a neverending void.
He was dead.
He had to be. He remembers the bitter taste of blood coating his mouth– the way he struggled and choked on the very thing that ran through his skin. He recalls the loud ringing in his ear, growing ever louder as his vision faded out.
Well, he supposed he tried his best. Really. He gave it his all.
It just wasn’t enough.
What remained of his heart ached. He supposed he wasn’t able to fulfill his promise to you. He hopes you won’t blame him…he had held on till the very end.
Death wasn’t so bad. Before he went he was able to see his students, laughing and smiling, he even got to hold you close before he had left. Not to mention he even saw his friends again, and he had gotten to say goodbye.
He had no regrets.
Well…he supposes there is still one that lodges itself in the back of his mind.
It was you.
He had never gotten the chance to…
“Satoru,”
He turned his head to look at you, who was savoring your lollipop as you leaned back on the balcony.
Lemon flavored. The very sour kind.
He had a snide suspicion that it was to keep him away from stealing it…
“Satoruu~” you repeated, drawing his attention again.
“Hm?”
You flash him a smile, the kind of smile that lets him know that you are about to either stir up trouble or say something random.
It was the latter.
“What do you want to do when you're older?”
He snorts, “What kind of question is that? Of course– a sorcerer.” He wanted to add ‘what else?’ but decided it was obvious enough. Adding the last part would also ruin his good mood. His path has already been pre-designed and pre-routed for him. He has no other choice.
“No, what I mean is if all this didn’t exist.”
“Aw~ are you saying you would rather not have met me?” He sings out in a fake-pained voice, knowing that it was not what you meant.
You roll your eyes, having been used to his antics for a few years now, “Perhaps,” you say with a playful smile, “Who knows? Maybe I’ll be better off.”
“Nah, I doubt it.”
You sigh before turning to face him. You widen your eyes when you notice he is already looking at you, but quickly move on, but Satoru doesn’t let the red creeping up on the tip of your ears go unnoticed. “I’m saying if you didn’t have cursed energy and stuff…like normal people, you know?”
He wanted to laugh and point out that it sounded like you were indicating that people like you and him were the odd ones, but he decided to let it slide.
“I dunno, maybe I’ll start a singing career, something like that.”
“Pfft, so what? That you’ll get even more admirers and fans?”
“Exactly! What? Don’t you agree? My face is pleasant to look at.”
Scoffing, you say, “One of these days I’ll make sure to crush that ego of yours.”
He rolls his eyes before looking back out at the school grounds, watching the sun slowly set behind the forest of trees. Although he had said the first thing that came from the top of his mind, he supposed singing wouldn’t be that far reached.
After all, he excelled at everything.
"How about you?" he asks. "Do you have something in mind already?"
Observing the setting sun, you reply, "Mhm, yeah. Something like that."
"Really?" He sounds surprised, not realizing how seriously you were considering it. "What is it?"
Hesitating, you eventually respond, "It's... nothing."
His interest is immediately piqued.
"Come on! What's your idea? Share it with me!" He playfully pesters you with a grin.
"No!"
"You can't tease me like that! I told you mine, didn't I?" He whines a bit more before eventually coaxing it out of you.
It was when he saw you sigh, watching as the tension left your shoulders that he knew he won.
“Fine, I’ll tell you then. But you can’t tell anyone else– okay?”
He makes a gesture of zipping his mouth and throwing the zipper away, his curiosity increasing. It always does when it comes to you.
“I want to be…” you wait a bit, as if for dramatic effect, “...an author.”
You turn to look at him after a moment’s silence before breaking out in laughter.
“Haha- what’s up with your face? Surprised?”
Indeed he was a bit surprised. An author? He had no clue. When it comes to you it seemed as if he's only ever scratched the surface. It made him want to know more, want to ask more.
He never does.
"An author," he echoes thoughtfully.
"Yeah."
He wanted to ask why, but you had already started talking.
“An author. I guess it’s because I want to write stories, I grew up reading them you know? Made me feel safe.”
A hint of melancholy graces your smile as your thoughts drift elsewhere; it's a different kind of smile than the one before–a sadder smile.
"Who knows? I'm sure being a sorcerer has provided ample material for incredible stories. I'll be entirely unique. Maybe I'll even include tales about overcoming curses and how people like us save the day."
"Why not add in a ridiculously handsome guy who defeats all the curses with seamless ease too? Make sure 'remarkably attractive' is emphasized."
Laughing, you playfully smack his arm. "Okay, Satoru. I'll consider it."
He couldn’t help but break out into an amused smile. What an odd dream, he thought. Though he supposed he wasn’t against it.
Satoru Gojo excelled at everything, yet nothing he achieved seemed to measure up to you.
He felt his mind start to drift and fade away, threatening to join the other souls in their lost journey home. Wait…he called out. He didn’t want to go just yet. He wanted more time, more time to replay his memories, to live in them just for a second longer.
“Satoru,”
He could hear your voice, calling him in that familiar and recognizable way that was only special to you.
“Satoru.”
He wished he could’ve told you how much he loved hearing you say his name, it rolls off your tongue so nicely. He was never one to care about names, it never mattered to someone like him.
All he needed was Gojo – a name denoting his status, lineage, and power. His first name barely held any weight compared to his clan's. No one needed to know who Satoru was, no one ever did…so he couldn’t have cared less for his name- and yet you somehow made him love his name– only when you say it does it sound special– like it’s his name like he is someone .
Someone other than the honored one. Someone other than the strongest.
“Satoru!”
There were a lot of things he never got to tell you, another thing to add to his regrets. If only he had been brave enough…if only he had picked up his courage and told you everything.
“Satoru- please!”
He paused. Ah- what is that feeling? He could feel something wet fall onto his face. Was it raining? How could that be? How could he feel if he was dead?
And yet that warmth around his face only made him more confused. He could feel as if someone was holding them, cupping his face carefully as if he could break.
"Please wake up… Satoru, I beg you…"
His eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the sudden brightness.
The first thing he saw when his vision came back into focus was your face. Your crying face looking down at him with your hands cupping his face.
Then he looked around, realizing that the battlefield on which he had been sliced in half was gone. He was in a room, a hospital room.
He looked down and saw the rest of his body, no longer split into two. Had Shoko done this?
“Satoru!”
He returned his gaze to you. You were smiling, smiling, and crying.
Questions, so many questions flooded through him at that moment, but he decided that he could ask those later. Right now was more important, right now felt like it was all happening inside a dream.
“Hey…crybaby, seems like you you missed me?” He teased with a small grin.
You gave him a look through your tear-soaked face as if you couldn’t even believe what he was saying.
“Y-You! You bastard! You annoying– infuriating- stupid dumbass!”
“Aw, come on…” he drags, “You don’t mean those…do you hm?” Although the tone in his voice is light– playful even as if he hadn’t just returned from death, as if all he wanted right now was to live this moment to the fullest, he was dearly wishing this– whatever this was– to last a little longer.
He slowly brings his trembling arm to hold onto yours, he wanted to hold on to you tight, as if everything he was seeing was about to break, to fall apart for him to realize it was all a dream.
He waited for you to disappear, to return to the part of his imagination that was playing tricks on him.
Instead, you move sideways to hug him, crying onto his shoulders.
"No...no, I don't," you managed through choked sobs.
He hummed softly, "I guess I kept my promise after all, huh?"
You nod into his shoulder, still holding him tightly.
You and him fall into a comfortable silence, he lets you cry on his shoulders just as you let him hold onto you.
Several minutes passed before you pulled away, sniffling and attempting to compose yourself while wiping away tears with your sleeve.
Satoru wanted to reach out and wipe them for you, but his newly healed injuries did not allow him to, moving his hand had already been hard.
It went on like that for a while; you sniffling and crying as Satoru stared at you quietly, taking everything about you in as if this was the last time he was going to see you, just the same way he did on that night underneath the torii gate, using his eyes to try to imprint every detail, everything, every aspect of you into his memory.
That night felt like a lifetime away.
He was the first to break the silence, “Where are the others?”
By now you had calmed down, and were able to answer in a coherent way, “Recovering…everyone is- they’re fine.”
Fine. Not good, but fine.
He’ll take it for now.
“We managed to win and…” you give him a look, “you know…the students declared their victory for you,” You say with a smile.
His students. They managed to do it, just as he thought they could. He sighed contently.
You then spend the next half hour going over exactly what had happened after he had passed out, how Kashimo had come out right after him, and how eventually the rest of the students joined in.
In the end, they had managed to pull through, but it wasn’t over. Sukuna had been dealt with, Megumi’s condition was unknown, and Kenjaku was nowhere to be found.
Shoko had indeed been the one to heal him. Immediately after the battle they were able to recover his body and managed to heal him back together just in time.
“We- we almost- I didn’t know if we made it in time or not…” You say, choking up again. He could see the tears you were desperately trying to hold back, to look brave in front of him, trying to break through.
“Hey, I’m right here, aren’t I?” He beckons you to come closer.
He eventually holds you in his arms, drawing slow circles on your back, as he knows it calms you, “Shhh, I’m right here, okay? I’m not going anywhere else.”
You mutter, “Better not,” which causes him to laugh.
He wanted to let this moment drag on forever, just you in his arms, just you and him.
“This…this is real– right?” He says quietly, and in such a small voice he doubted you had heard him.
You raise your head to look at him, the soft kind of smile he’s always known playing on your face, “Yes, Satoru. This is real, as real as it can be.”
He can feel himself start to tear up, because if he had to be honest- he was scared too, he was terrified, but he had no choice. He had to play his role, his role as the strongest.
But now he could just be Satoru, just him holding onto you, keeping you close.
“Then I’m glad.”
Bonus:
“Gojo Sensei!” Yuji, the always energetic kid exclaimed as he ran into the room, followed by You, Maki, Yuta, Nobara, Panda, Inanumaki, Shoko, and everyone else.
They all had recovered for the most part and seemed to be relatively okay. They all wore relieved expressions as they entered the room to see that their Sensei was alright.
Yuji was the first to arrive at his Sensei’s bedside.
“Hey, kid!” Gojo Sensei waved. He had recovered enough to prop himself up and do basic movements, which to Shoko had been a miracle itself.
Yuji then began launching himself into the things that had happened while Gojo had been recovering, and Gojo returned the energy. Everyone got their turn, talking until visiting times were over and they had to be ushered out.
You were the last to leave. Just before you turned the doorknob Satoru called after you, “Hey- wait.”
You turn around, waiting for what he wants to say.
“When- uh when this is all over and when you have some free time, let me take you out, yeah?”
You barely ever heard Satoru Gojo stumble over his words, and when he did you knew it was because he was nervous, everyone knows Satoru Gojo is never nervous, yet that always seemed to be the exception when it comes to you.
You found it cute, the way he would try to seem aloof as the back of his neck became a beautiful shade of bright red.
“Yeah, but let’s save that for when you recover.”
“Don’t worry! I’ll be up and ready by next week,” he says as if it were a fact, his blue eyes seemed to shine even brighter.
You sigh, even after coming back on the brink of death he still acts like a child, but you smile nonetheless, “Next week it is then.”