After what felt like an eternity of travel, (y/n) and Satoru finally arrived at his apartment. Though it was only midday, the weight of jetlag pressed heavily on their bodies.
"You know," (y/n) said, dropping her bag by the door, "for someone who can teleport, you sure make me endure all the fun of commercial flights."
Satoru smirked, kicking off his shoes. "What can I say? I enjoy the quality time." He gave her a playful wink before heading toward the kitchen.
Rolling her eyes, (y/n) muttered something about him being insufferable, but a small smile tugged at her lips.
The truth was, as much as she hated to admit it, she felt safe with him. After the chaos of their mission in Zurich and the strange memories lingering at the edge of her mind, the thought of being alone in her apartment was unsettling.
Satoru, ever perceptive, had noticed her struggle. The moment they'd landed, he'd casually suggested she stay with him for a while. At first, she didn't like the idea, but the warmth in his tone and her own sense of unease made her relent. Now, standing in his spacious apartment, she felt a strange mix of comfort and vulnerability.
Sometime later while (y/n) showered, Satoru teleported to her apartment to grab some clean clothes for her. Upon returning, he made space in his wardrobe for her belongings, a gesture that was both casual and surprisingly thoughtful.
As she exited the bathroom, towel drying her hair, Satoru passed her on his way to shower next. "Your clothes are on the bed," he said nonchalantly.
But when she entered the bedroom, she found no clothes waiting for her. Confused, she figured she must have misheard him and began drying her hair instead.
Minutes later, Satoru emerged from the bathroom with nothing but a towel slung low on his hips, his white hair damp and tousled as he rubbed another towel against it.
She had seen all of him a couple of times by now but there was something about seeing him like that, that made her go weak. Having some difficulties concentrating, she eventually managed to say: "You said my clothes were here," she pointed out, gesturing to the bed.
Satoru's lips curled into a cheeky grin. "Oh, for what i have in mind to do, you won't need any," he said, pulling her into his arms before she could protest. His kiss was passionate, silencing any words she might have had.
"Oh!" escaped (y/n)'s lips before laughter bubbled up, only to be quickly stifled by another kiss.
The rest of the afternoon passed in bed—a mixture of napping and what Satoru later referred to, with no small amount of pride, as "bed cardio."
By evening, the two sat across from each other, enjoying takeout in the dim glow of the city lights. (y/n) twirled her chopsticks idly, her mind clearly elsewhere.
"You've been quiet," Satoru remarked, breaking the silence. "That's not like you."
She shrugged, avoiding his gaze. "Just tired."
He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "Liar."
Her chopsticks clattered onto her plate as she glared at him. "You're exhausting, you know that?"
"And yet, here you are." He smirked, though his tone softened. "What's on your mind?"
(y/n) hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip. She hadn't wanted to tell him. Not yet. But maybe he could help her make sense of it.
"Your cursed energy isn't back to normal yet," Satoru said—not as a question but a statement.
Feeling like she couldn't hide it anymore, (y/n) nodded. Then hesitantly, she added, "It isn't just the cursed energy or foreign feelings. Sometimes it's like I see memories from him."
"Hum. Is it still the same as when you absorbed it, or are those feelings fading?"
That was difficult for her to answer. "I don't think it's fading. It's more accurate to say it feels more familiar, as if the foreign cursed energy is becoming mine."
Satoru could see that this was hard on (y/n), probably even frightening her. He was already thinking of ways he could help her or even use her new abilities. "Maybe you can use that to improve? I noticed when you molded your cursed energy into a pillow the other day, you did it out of reflex. I know you've done that before, but not with objects as complex as that pillow. Usually it is only a metal plate or something to defend"
(y/n) was silent, thinking. She liked Satoru's optimism as she also liked to turn a bad situation into an opportunity to improve. "Do you have something in mind for how I can improve?"
His wicked smile told her nothing good would come next. "There will be sweat, hard work, and some laughter—but first, we need some more bed cardio."
*
The following morning, (y/n) and Satoru headed to Jujutsu High, where Nanami was waiting in the conference room. His usual stoic expression was firmly in place as they entered.
"Nanami," Satoru greeted, his tone overly casual as he flopped into a chair. "Lovely to see you, as always."
"I wish I could say the same," Nanami replied dryly, sparing a glance at (y/n). "And you brought her?"
Kento was surprised to see them both together. Before their mission, Gojo had tried his best to keep (y/n) out of sight, although still within reach. But whatever— their relationship wasn't his business.
(Y/n) stiffened at his tone, but Satoru simply grinned. "Of course. She's practically family now."
Nanami ignored the comment and launched into his debriefing of the Mahito and Junpei incident. His recount was detailed and precise, his tone growing heavier as he described the aftermath. Yet, despite the weight of the events, there was a subtle shift in his voice when he spoke of Itadori.
"Yuji's strong," Nanami said simply. "Stronger than most. He'll be fine, but don't let him carry it all on his own."
Satoru nodded, his usual smirk replaced by a rare moment of seriousness. "We'll take it from here."
Nanami glanced at (y/n) one last time before leaving. "Keep him grounded," he said curtly, then disappeared through the door.
Wasting no time, Satoru and (y/n) went straight to the training grounds. As they walked, (y/n) glanced at Satoru. "Nanami seems… different. Like he's actually worried."
"Nanami's always worried. It's his resting state," Satoru quipped, though his tone was lighter now. "But yeah, he cares about the kid."
"He's not the only one," (y/n) said softly, earning a quick side-eye from Satoru.
They found Yuji sitting cross-legged on the grass, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he fiddled with a bento box. He looked up when he noticed them, his expression brightening.
"Gojo-sensei! Yuna-san!" Yuji greeted, standing and waving enthusiastically.
"Well, someone's in a better mood," Satoru remarked, sauntering over. "I was expecting you to be punching rocks or something."
Yuji laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Nanami told me to take it easy for once. Something about not burning myself out before the big competition."
Satoru raised an eyebrow. "Wow. He really is softening up."
(Y/n) grinned. "It's good advice, though. You've been through a lot, Yuji. Rest is just as important as training."
Yuji nodded, his smile turning sheepish. "Yeah, I know. But… I can't help feeling like I need to keep pushing myself, you know? Like I need to be ready for anything."
Satoru clapped a hand on Yuji's shoulder. "You'll be ready, kid. Trust me. But you're not doing this alone. We've got your back."
Yuji's grin widened. "Thanks, Sensei. And Yuna-san, too."
She gave him a thumbs-up. "Always."
Satoru leaned closer, his tone conspiratorial. "Speaking of being ready, I hope you've been keeping up with your cursed energy exercises. I'd hate for you to embarrass me in front of the Kyoto students."
"Me? Embarrass you?" Yuji shot back, feigning offense. "I'll have you know I'm going to be the MVP of the competition."
"That's the spirit!" Satoru said with a laugh, ruffling Yuji's hair. "Now, let's get some lunch and talk strategy. The competition's coming up fast, and I've got some brilliant ideas."
(Y/n) rolled her eyes. "Brilliant, or reckless?"
"Why not both?" Satoru grinned as he led the way back toward the dorms, Yuji and (y/n) following close behind.
As they walked, (y/n) couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. Yuji seemed to be bouncing back, and while the scars of their recent battles would take time to heal, it was clear he wasn't alone. Neither of them was.