Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Jujutsu Kaisen medias!
Night Terrors
Eyes…so many of them no six pairs and it seems to be looming over her, she couldn't see the silhouette of the creature she took a closer look and to her horror, the eyes where actually attached to the creatures wings? Six eyes on the left wing and six on the right, it was blinking and looking at her in hunger? It had six wings the other four were actually wrapping itself with the main body, then it slowly unfurls its wings and what greeted her was a grotesque creature, its upper head was wrap in burial shroud showing only it's wide Glasgow smile it slowly opens its mouth and began to speak. She doesn't understand it at first, then her eyes grow wide it's speaking in latin!
"Te invēnī..."
Socorro woke up in terror, she could feel beads of cold sweat running down her back and she was panting hard catching her breath she could hear her heart beating fast, she didn't realize that she had activate her all seeing eyes scanning the area involuntary and shaking like a leaf she rubbed her eyes with shaking hands and dispel her all seeing eyes.
This was the second time she had a night terror in a month it was becoming more frequent. She can't remember anything from that dream, only the lingering feeling of terror. She reach for her phone and tap the speed dial. A few rings and the person on the other line had picked up.
"Hello…" she could hear his hoarse voice on the other line.
"Hey it's me just wanted to check on yah…"she paused she could hear shuffling of sheets on the phone and a sigh.
"Really? Like right now? I feel so great Socorro!" the voice replied sarcastically
"Hey! Sorry I wake you up from your precious sleep brother I thought of calling just to, you know check because your younger sister is so worried that you might send the lab on fire." She jest
"Ha ha! Funny…" he yawned, and he's voice turn serious "why'd you call really? It's like five in the morning here and I bet it's just four on your side."
"I think I just got a premonition…" she admitted
"Really now?! Your calling me at this hour because you had a hunch, Socorro we had that all the time with the line of work we do…just relax and enjoy your vacation worry after when you get back here you never know when a golden opportunity will come by..."
She stopped listening to him rant and she hesitated, but she needs to tell his brother on what she just discovered here, she cleared her throat, to call his attention and he paused to listen.
"Remember the guy I met five years ago?" she started
"Hmm…That guy? The one who propose to you on a whim?" he could feel her sister's creeping blush on the other side, he smirked.
"Yeah that guy…I met him yesterday by accident."
"Accident? Really now there's no such thing as accident Corro and you know that. So what about him?"
"I think it's him the one you might suspected. I just got involved with his work and saw him in action…" she pause to gather her thoughts
"…and the power and technique he uses is exactly the same as yours" she finished. She heard her brother sigh
"That's a relief to hear, I thought it was lost forever and now you stumble upon it."
"So what do we do?" Socorro asked
"We don't do anything…it's much better this way we don't want to mix the guy with our problems."
"That's your opinion?"
"Yes, because it's totally unfair to him that we would burden him with our problems, he might have his own shit to deal Socorro, and if he started asking questions about it, just tell him anyway it's his right to know."
"Ok…"
"I'm gonna end the phone call now, I have a lot to do and orders to fill." Her brother said
"Is the stock still holding?"
"Yeah we might have run out with a few ingredients, but don't worry I can gather them. Just enjoy your vacation. Bye!" the line cut off.
She stare at her phone mulling on what to do now that she is wide awake, she can't sleep back because she might slept in and ruin her schedule for today. So she get up and walk over the table and opened her laptop to do some last minute work before she heads out and have some breakfast.
It was 8:00 am and she was enjoying her breakfast platter of eggs, bacon and pancake and a cup of drip coffee black and no sugar, in a little quaint coffee shop in the outskirts of Sendai. She purposely choose this one because of their drip coffee. She snapped photos of her meal and post it in her social media and tagged her location. She sniffed the coffee and inhale the bitter aroma, she preferred French roast the most, sipping her coffee with a smile.
"Socorro-san!" A familiar jovial voice called out to her
Then she accidentally swallow the hot liquid on the wrong pipe she cough and covered her mouth with tissue, her eyes watered. She turned around and was shock to see Gojo smiling at her.
"Oh did I surprise you? Hehe sorry about that." Gojo scratch his back. He pulled the chair across from Socorro and seated himself uninvited.
"How did you even find me?" she asked, he pointed to his phone showing her the picture that she had taken and had posted it in her social media a few minutes ago.
"Did you just add yourself in my social media when you took my phone?" she asked incredulously
"Yup!"
The waitress came to their table and ask Gojo for his order, he told the lady that he would like to have what Socorro was having. The waitress bow and leave them.
"So you're a stalker now?" she squint at his direction, he beamed.
"Stalker is such a strong word Socorro-san, I was simply in the area, you remembered the kid who ate the curse object right, well his my new student now and I'll be fetching him from his errand before taking him with me to Tokyo."
"So you're a teacher?" she asked nonchalantly, she sliced her buttered pancake and add a little syrup.
"Yeah, I only teach three first year students right now." He replied.
"That's quite a few."
"Well there are only a few shamans and out of those only few can even stomach the actual job."
"So it's a school for shamans? I didn't know you have it here." She asked intrigued
"Do you have shaman school in your country?" Gojo ask he was interested to hear that there might be other schools outside from japan.
"Yeah somewhat, but my brother and I didn't attend it…" she was unnerve by the shock face of Gojo.
Then the waitress arrive and place the meal that Gojo ordered, he take the small pitcher of syrup and pour it all in his pancake.
"So how did you learn sorcery? Because I'm quite shock that you could hone your cursed energy very well and even create those drugs that you gave me and Megumi, they were superb by the way! Megumi was even impress about the herbal tea you gave him." He wanted to ask more he was never this interested in talking to someone, mostly he got bored easily.
"We're homeschooled well only the sorcery stuff but we go to regular schools you know…" she answered. Ok Gojo was now floored he can't believe it! He thought that her school was advance that they use cursed plants and refined it to make those medicine.
Socorro was now unnerve by a speechless Gojo, his mouth was even hanging.
"You're shitting me?"
"Why would I be shitting on you?" a vein pop on the side of her head.
"Because we didn't explore that area of sorcery yet!"
"Huh? You mean the pharmaceutical side of sorcery?" Socorro cleared
"YES! I thought you have schools that teach stuff like those." Gojo exclaimed, Socorro blinked at him.
"Well there are school teaching pharmacy Gojo-san, you seem to put me in high regards. Let me explain to you. We'll the school I mention is only for those who dedicate their whole life to the church, they are priest who specialize in exorcism. The reason we didn't attend is well they can't get married. And as for the medicine we make, it's a family trade from my father side of the family and we are the only known family to make them in our country. But of course we have to be a pharmacy graduate before we enter the family trade it's a crucial step Gojo-san. And the last but not the least we learned to hone our curse energy from my mother side of the family.
Gojo smirked after hearing her explain, He was impress by this woman, the more he know her the more he is hooked. He looked at her syrup pitcher and saw that there is still syrup left, he ask if he could have it which she nod, he then poured it to his pancake which are now soggy due to the amount of syrup, he took a sip of his coffee and balk at the bitter taste. He could never understand why people like to drink this stuff bitter. He reach for the sugar cube condiments and grab a total of five cubes drop it in his coffee and stir.
Socorro was watching his ministrations and was quite disgusted by the amount of sugar on his coffee, he is totally ruining the coffee! No wonder the guy is hyper active he's basically a toddler in sugar rush.
"I want to ask something." He looked at her straight in the eye gone was his comical self and was now replace with a serious face.
Socorro wondered if he is going to ask about her eyes and she wondered what would be his response to it. She slice her pancake and eat, she savor the taste of milky batter that was cooked to perfection and swallow.
"Will you go out with me?" Gojo ask out of the blue he was beaming at her and she choked, she grab her coffee to wash it down. He enjoyed teasing her because most of her reactions are priceless. She sigh and look at him in the eye she donned her business woman mask which she put every time a sleazy supplier that was hoping to get a big rip off from her. She analyze everything like a shrewd business woman, what benefits would she get in investing her time with him, well for one thing he is really drop dead gorgeous. Nah! Whatever.
"You do realize I'll be gone after two and a half months, I'm touring your country and to top it you have work." She explained their situation to let him see reason that this kind of relationship will never work. Then Gojo donned his professional mask when dealing with sorcerer executives just to show Socorro how serious he is with his proposition.
"I'm not looking for a summertime lover Socorro-san and as I have said before I'm really serious on marrying you." Socorro was flabbergasted it was her turned to get slacked jaw.
Her heart skip a beat she was blushing now, this is so new to her she had never met a very persuasive man.
"I'll think about it Gojo-san." Her hands were shaking now.I think I'm going through shock.She look back at him and saw his devilish smirk.
"Take your time Socorro-san you have roughly two and a half months to think about it, and don't even try to think of running away because I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth." Gojo warned.
They continue to eat their meal in silence, but Socorro's thoughts were now a jumble mess.
How am I going to explain this to my brother and worst her father?
Gojo marked his calendar two days before Socorro would depart for her country, when he took her phone he copied her entire itinerary trip, and save it to his phone call it over kill but Gojo is not planning on slipping her away. He would be very busy this coming months from training the kids down to dealing with those pesky higher ups. He was sitting in the bench outside the crematorium where he's new student was. He saw Itadori walking towards him with a forlorn face, the kid take a seat beside him.
"Who passed away?" Gojo asked
"My grandfather, but he's more of like a father to me." Itadori answered
"I see I'm sorry to bother you at a time like this." He sympathize Itadori. "So have you made a decision?"
He could see Itadori processing the events that happen with the way his body language spoke.
"Are there a lot of casualties with curses like this?" the teenager asked
"Well this is a pretty unusual circumstance…" Gojo pause and try to think a proper way to explain to a teenager whose life was turned upside down.
"…but you're talking about potential damage, yes. It's considered lucky if you're able to die normally after running into a curse. Finding a body, even if torn apart, still might be considered all right. If you were to start investigating the remains of Sukuna, you'd probably witness some gruesome scenes. I can't guarantee that you won't be a victim one day." He look at Itadori for a moment and continued.
"Anyway…pick your hell."
Itadori was mulling his circumstances weighing his options but his grandfather's last words gave him the resolve to do the right thing.
"If all of Sukuna is eliminated will there be fewer people killed by curses?" Gojo stare at Itadori, it seems the kid had decided. He smiled
"Of course."
"Do you still have that finger?" Gojo pulled out Sukuna's finger and hand it to Itadori.
"Now that I look at it again, it's pretty disgusting." He look at the finger with trepidation, without hesitation he throw it in his mouth and swallowed.
Gojo watch Itadori and was preparing for an attack infinity ready, he could see the beginning of Sukuna's markings spreading in the kids skin.
That's number two, one-tenth of the way there huh?
He could feel the power surging and was now reign in by Itadori and the oppressing power was gone and was replace by Itadori chuckling with himself.
"So gross! That I can laugh!"
Gojo smiled and was impress it's not just Itadori's body's resistance but he was able to control Sukuna without a problem. Only once every millennia does such a person exist with a phenomenal ability like this. Gojo snickered to himself and he gave Itadori some pep talk, when Megumi arrived.
"Get your belongings together by the end of the day kid." Gojo instructed, Itadori paused and asked
"We going somewhere?"
"Tokyo" Megumi answered for him.
"Ah! Fushiguro! You're looking good!" he thumbs up to Megumi's direction.
"Well, that's thanks to Socorro-san's medicine…" he paused and observe his new classmate then he continued "…and you're gonna enroll in the same school as me for Jujutsu."
"Who's Socorro-san?" Itadori asked
"Gojo-sensei's fiancée…" replied Megumi in a deadpan voice
"Eh! Sensei is engaged? And she's the one who healed you I'm shock you look like nothing happened to you." He look at Megumi with amazement.
Gojo observe Megumi's body and check his energy, and was quite amaze that his energy is slowly being replenish, Socorro really know her craft.
"By the way, there are only three students in the first-year class and that's including you."
"Only Three!" Itadori exclaimed
"While you two prepare I will be meeting with Socorro-san, meet me at the train station by 2'o clock pm."
Then Gojo pulled out his phone and open his social media and check Socorro's profile. Her last post was in Oiri Zushi restaurant having lunch about one minute ago, he click the heart button on her post and type a quick:
"See you in a minute."
Then press send he prepare himself to warp to her destination and with a clap he was gone.
Socorro break her chopsticks to dig in, when suddenly she heard a notification tone. She swipe her phone to open, and see who had like and comment on her post, when she see Gojo's profile face with a comment.
"See you in a minute."
Can she just enjoy this moment savoring the best sushi in town alone, before Gojo crash in for lunch. Then she heard the patrons greeting when a customer arrive.
He's here.She mentally groan. She put her phone down and started to eat, she heard Gojo pull a chair and invite himself.
"And hello again Gojo-san." She greeted him she gesture to the sushi assortment in front of her.
"Please help yourself." She offered
"Don't mind if I do." And he pick up the marbled tuna sushi by his hand and eat it in one bite.
The waitress came and delivered Gojo's order she bowed to him and leave.
"I'll be leaving for Tokyo in a few hours with my students…" he started
"Ok…how's Megumi and Itadori?" she asked dipping the sushi in the soy before placing in her mouth
"Megumi's much better now thanks to you…" he pause and ate, after he swallowed the sushi he look up to her and smile impishly. "…and Itadori's fine he ate the second finger without any problem." He watch her turned green with disgust and she glare at him.
"Really Gojo-san?! We're eating the most delicious and expensive sushi! And here you are spoiling my appetite!" she scolded him
"Don't worry my treat Socorro-san." She blush "We'll it's your fault ruining my appetite." He chuckled
"Inform me when you arrive in Tokyo, I'll come and pick you up." Gojo offered
"Sure, that would be nice." She sipped her tea. "Only if you had the time, I hate to interrupt you with your work."
"Well for you, I always had the time." She blushed and laughed hard. She hadn't laugh this much for a very long time.
"God! That was the most overrated cliché of all time." Gojo serenely smiled he was glad that he made her laugh this time. And they continue eating while enjoying each other's company.
After their lunch they stood outside the restaurant, and without warning Gojo pull down his blindfold then grabbed Socorro and sling his arm around her shoulders pressing her closer to him, Socorro look up to Gojo surprised then she heard a snap of a camera. She blinked a couple of time before she look up to Gojo and saw that he had pulled down his blindfold, he was smiling at his phone, and then she took a peek. The photo showed a selfie of him looking at the camera grinning while she was looking at him with a blush dusting her face.
Gosh! Anyone looking at it will have the wrong idea.She tried to grab his phone, but he was fast in raising his phone above his head while she hop and tried to reach in vain he's so tall. He was laughing and enjoying her demise.
"Delete that! I look like a fool!"
"No you don't I think you look really cute here…hehe"
"Whatever!" She look away and snubbed him
"Where are you headed next after this?" he asked
"Well I was planning to go back to my hotel and do some laundry." She told him. He offered his hand for her to take it. He was preparing to warp back then she reached out for his hand and hold it tight, without warning Gojo warped. Leaving cursed residue on where they stand.