There honestly wasn't enough information available for them to make a foolproof plan. Considering their combined intelligence, and lying skills, she gave them a fifty-fifty chance of hiding the seal from the doctor.
Gojo could play the part of overprotective big brother with ease, it was hardly acting at all. If she refused to allow the doctor to touch her, she estimated that they would most likely attempt to force her at least once. That's where Gojo stepped in and kept them away until they gave up. Relatively simple, and hopefully flexible enough to suit their needs. Gojo wouldn't leave if they ordered him to either. As a last-ditch plan, Nishinoya would be coming with her. He couldn't walk around in sight of normal people, but he might be able to create some chaos if she leaves him somewhere interesting, as could Doomslug, who would be invisible to them. If the situation became too stressful for the doctors and nurses, hopefully they'd give up on that particular part of the physical examination.
All this assumed compliance with the rest of the examination, which she was admittedly nervous about. Mainly, her autonomy was in question here. They didn't need to respect her decisions, as long as her guardian consented, and that really wasn't a discussion she was comfortable having with them so soon. Hence, Gojo would ensure that they did so, meaning he had to stay in the room. She didn't doubt they would attempt to separate the two of them the moment Gojo started stopping them from doing what they wanted. Realistically, he had no legal right to do so, but he was Gojo Satoru, so he'd get it done anyway.
They literally couldn't force him to move.
She didn't have any right to make her own decisions that weren't given to her by someone with more power than her. It was scary sometimes, being four years old.
They were under the blanket in the middle of the bed, Gojo's head holding the top up like a tent, and she sat neatly in the middle, her head not even brushing the blanket, when someone rapped on the door sharply. Nishinoya hadn't budged from her lap in nearly an hour, clinging to her like he was scared she was going to leave him behind.
"We leave in twenty minutes." Oba-san called, much to her surprise.
It had been hours already, somehow.
Gojo didn't budge, already prepared for the outing, and she just needed to put her shoes on, so she stayed put too for a good while, soaking up the warmth under the blanket.
Oba-chan knocked next time, announcing their departure was five minutes away and Gojo sighed, throwing the blanket off and letting the cold air in. She growled a little, voicing her displeasure with the temperature change, then Gojo was wrapping the blanket around her rapidly before she could blink, shoving her over and leaving her rolled up neatly in a blanket on the bed.
She's been burrito-ed. It made her laugh more than she should, especially when Nishinoya squirmed in discomfort, pinned against her shoulder.
He hefted her over his shoulder, her bare feet and head the only part of her body sticking out of the blanket. Gojo rifled through her backpack, ignoring her warning growls, and found her flip-flops, hooking them on her feet.
"We're coming!" He called, when Oba-san made some irritable noise from downstairs.
The blanket wasn't part of the plan, but it certainly was a pleasant surprise. Even if going down the stairs headfirst, with her arms trapped against her side, was terrifying. Gojo had to go back for a flip-flop once and hooked it over her ear instead of putting it back on, because he was a bastard like that.
She'd make sure to tell him that too, later. The idea of cursing in front of Oba-chan made her feel bad.
Gojo dropped her in the car like a sack of potatoes and climbed in after her, taking the flip-flop from her ear and dropping it to the floor.
It was hard to panic when she was so comfortably warm. Maybe her estimates of Gojo's intelligence were a bit unfair. After all, he was only a tiny bit of an idiot, especially around Suguru. A lot of a bastard though.
"Your appointments are at the same time, so hopefully we'll be home within the next few hours, in time to open the restaurant on time."
Gojo and her exchanged wide-eyed looks.
They both had an appointment today.
Fuck.
"I'm not going." Gojo declared instantly, and Oba-san's look would have been deadly if Gojo was any weaker.
"You've both got appointments today. We're lucky that we managed to get both at the same time, so you two are separated for the least amount of time. I know you two depend on each other, but you can manage an hour or two separated." Oba-san lectured firmly, already irritated again.
"I'm not going." Gojo repeated, more firmly.
Things were getting tense again, two strong personalities in close proximity, and pulling in opposite ways.
"You two won't always be together. I know it's hard, but you two are in great hands, I promise." Oba-chan encouraged kindly.
"I'm not going in there alone." She said firmly. No way in hell.
"Satoru-kun can walk you in, would that work better?" Oba-chan tried to compromise.
She shook her head. "Satoru-nii knows the answers to the questions. I don't. He'll make sure nobody hurts me."
"No one is trying to hurt you, darling, I promise. What questions does Satoru-kun know the answer to?"
She froze there, floundering for an answer for once. What would be critical information?
"I know she's got a phobia of doctors, for one thing." Gojo snapped rudely, the irritation clear in the way his mouth twisted.
"That's a hard thing to face, I'm sorry that she has to go through that. But giving into this will only make it harder for her later. The doctor won't hurt her, he's there to help keep her healthy!"
Gojo was texting rapidly on his phone, and didn't bother to respond back, but the stubborn set of his jaw said this conversation was far from over.
It definitely made her feel a little better, knowing Gojo was stubborn as a mule.
The drive to the clinic was tense, enough that she unwound herself from the blanket enough to hunt down Nishinoya from where the poor doll was lost among the blankets. He couldn't hug her back like this, but it made her feel better, nonetheless.
She could feel her resolve shriveling the closer they got to the clinic. Gojo was on high alert, his hold on tightening as they pulled into the parking lot. He looked like they were driving into a battleground.
If she could just suck it up and let the doctor see, and draft a different story to explain where it came from, Gojo wouldn't have to do this. He shouldn't have to fight tooth and nail just to make her a little more comfortable.
"So, I'm going with her to the room until the doctor gets there, at the very least." Gojo said suddenly.
She was already thinking more or less the same, why did it sting so badly for Gojo to bring it up first? He caught her eyes and waggled his phone a little. She didn't have a clue what that meant, but it clearly had an intended meaning.
Things were going to be ok? She tilted her head, a question, and Gojo's smile was edged with mischief.
"You're fine with it now?" Oba-chan asked, a little wary at the sudden change.
"Oh, I'm pissed at this stupid little powerplay. I'd bet that Officer Asshole scheduled them so that they could get her alone, didn't he?"
Oof, did he really? She thought it was for convenience's sake.
"But you're still going along with it, for the most part?"
"I said so, didn't I?"
That was that apparently. Time for Gojo to drop her off in the wolf's den.
Gojo carried her in, leaving the blanket behind, and eyed every nurse, doctor, even maintenance staff member who walked by.
Was he looking for someone? Did he have a contact here or something?
It wasn't ideal, but it certainly would be much better.
There weren't enough seat spaces for the Obas to sit next to them, and Gojo intentionally took a seat between two other people, keeping her safely in his lap as he scanned the area. She wasn't panicking yet, at least. She was doing well, she was.
The Obas were filling out even more paperwork as they waited, and she could hear them discussing what to fill out from their limited knowledge of their background. She just soaked up the aura of safety that Gojo nearly radiated. Even the people next to them eventually relocated, made visibly nervous by the intensity on Gojo's face as he watched everyone in the room. People were frozen in place like a group of mice that spotted a cat, too scared to be the first one to run.
Gojo's name was called about twenty minutes after they arrived at the clinic, and his cold gaze paralyzed the poor nurse on the spot. The nurse backed out, and Gojo remained seated.
Her name was called, over half an hour after they arrived, and she froze in place on Gojo's lap, almost literally as her breath suddenly fogged the air.
A nurse led the way, uncomfortably fast, nearly a run, but Gojo kept up easily, walking into the room with the confidence of a honey badger who'd just killed a rattlesnake.
She felt like a chihuahua, shaking in her flip-flops. Her flipping knees were trembling, her jaw, her hands.
The doctor strolled in, faltering upon meeting Gojo's icy gaze.
Ieiri slipped in behind him, the badge around her neck declaring her a student. Ieiri gave her a little wave, unsure and a little shy.
At this point, Neko-san would be welcome.
Well, that was probably a bit of a stretch.
Still, she was grateful to see her.
"I hope you don't mind, but a student will be observing through this simple exam." The doctor said calmingly, though the tremor in his voice undercut the attempt. He couldn't seem to look away from Gojo, sensing a predator.
She gave Ieiri a little wave, acknowledging her presence, and then Officer walked in.
The best laid plans didn't even make to the fucking clinic, let alone the start of the appointment.
He stopped dead, spotting Ieiri, then Gojo, and his hand came up to his forehead, like he suddenly had a headache.
A headache named Satoru Gojo, most likely.
Officer was in plain clothes this time, a more casual dark colored outfit, the only thing that struck her as out of place was the hat, a blue beanie pulled low over his head, covering his whole forehead.
"You have your own appointment to get to, Gojo-san. Please leave."
"I can't leave my little sister alone like this! She's got a phobia of doctors!"
"I can handle phobias. Go to your appointment."
"She's afraid of officers too."
"Since when?"
"Since one came and took her away from her guardian. It happened pretty recently too, it was horribly traumatic for her. I can't leave her alone between two of her greatest fears!"
"She'll be fine. If she becomes too distressed, we'll call her guardians to accompany her."
No.
Please, no.
One stupid doctor was fine, she could be a bitch enough to fend the dude off. She wouldn't like it, it would make her feel like scum, but she could do it.
One stupid doctor and Officer was quite a different story. He was focused, determined, and suspicious enough to push past her boundaries no matter the fit she threw over it. Ieiri would have made being with the doctor bearable, but she wouldn't be enough to tip the scales, especially when he probably already knew her.
Gojo couldn't leave now, not now that Officer was here, wearing that stupid blue hat. It looked ridiculously out of place, especially considering his more reserved yet casual clothes.
"Satoru-nii stays."
"I am sorry, but he can't. You'll have to be brav-" Officer tried to say, but she jumped in before he could finish his stupid, stupid argument.
"No! I've been brave enough! I want my brother with me!"
Their plan had started off the rails.
"I'm staying!" Gojo snarled, angry and protective, maybe a little bit, not frightened, but- desperate, and suddenly he was in Officer's face, and Officer was standing firm, unintimidated, stubborn, and then they were arguing, loud and angry.
Ieiri hurried over when the teen spotted her rapidly deteriorating mood. This was not the way this whole thing was supposed to go, their plan was over.
She couldn't think of any reason that Officer could be convinced to let Gojo stay.
There was an amazingly comfortable looking cabinet, and the doctor was trying to break Officer and Gojo's rapidly escalating argument, and Ieiri was saying- something, but she couldn't hear it.
She was inside the cabinet before she could realize it, and Nishinoya was in her face, tugging at her hands- red, some of her nails were dripping red, and something thumped against the door of the cabinet hard. The little bit of light cut off, the door pressed shut too much to allow light out.
There were more people shouting, more yelling, and she was having a stupid panic attack in a medical cabinet under the sink. Her breath was coming out in visible puffs lit by the slim amount of light let in at a corner, a hinge broken off and rescrewed in a bit too low, and then the bottom hinge had been moved to match, leaving it at an angle.
Her hands were shaking violently, her whole body, and Nishinoya held both of them firmly, stopping her from clawing herself again by accident. She felt like she was out of breath, enough to tint the edges of her vision black, but she knew she was hyperventilating, and had to force herself to take deep, even breaths.
What was the whole senses thing that people did? She couldn't think of it like this, but she couldn't see much anyway. Wasn't that the first one? Surely the order was important.
What could she hear?
Shouting, both Gojo's and Officer's, people attempting to talk both of them down, the pipes next to her making mysterious pipe-related sounds that she didn't have the knowledge to make sense of. Someone was whispering, maybe. What were they saying?
Gentle, they were talking very gently. She, perhaps, the voice was quite feminine. The tone was low and soothing, like she was talking to a wild animal.
Talking didn't seem like a potential option right now, so she just tried to listen.
Right, she needed to do the next one. Touch?
Nishinoya's fur was coarse but soft in some places. Around the ears, along the brows and nose. He looked like a teddy bear almost, besides the disproportionate limbs and stitched smile. 'Well loved' she would have described the texture of his fur, what was once soft turned rough from years of handling.
He wasn't felted, he must have been sown together. She ran her hands along one arm, down to a paw with its little nubs that made up his fingers. The stitches were too irregular to have been made by hand. Nishinoya had been made by hand.
The cabinet floor was warmish, due to her current extremely low temperature.
The doctor or the officer was going to touch her at some point. They were going to know, because she couldn't hold her damn self together long enough to get through a damn physical.
She tried to reach up, to scrub at her temples, but Nishinoya held fast, keeping her hands at his level. He was shockingly strong for his size.
An old, raspy voice cut through the chaos with absolutely vicious shouting, overtaking everything else. People went silent, the thumping of footsteps fading away as people stopped.
She could hear the woman talking much better now, though her panicked brain couldn't make much sense of her words.
Ieiri.
There were heavy footsteps, and an angry voice was audible a short distance away, making Ieiri's tone change quickly. She sounded aggressive now, so much so that whoever had been approaching backed away.
Things quieted down a lot after that, voices only being raised a few more times, only to be quickly silenced by a sharp voice.
It felt like it was in vain, but she kinda hoped by the time she came out everything would be solved, and she wouldn't even need to do damage control.
Her heart rate was slowing down slowly, her breathing easier to control. That frenzied and confused feeling in her brain was fading away, letting her think clearly once again. When she panics, she hides, like always. A sink cabinet was a new low though. Couldn't have run out the door or the window or something, she stayed in the room with the scary situation?
The line of light thickened suddenly, the weight that had been leaning against the door being moved and there was a knock on the cabinet door that made her flinch.
Ieiri's voice, saying something she still couldn't make out. She should, it was perfectly audible. Maybe her auto-translate shuts off in high stress situations to free up some brain space for efficiently hiding in a fucking sink cabinet. She felt so stupid.
She didn't answer, but undoubtedly, they wanted her to come out soon. She couldn't even understand them right now, so she'd just wallow in shame for a few more minutes.
A sink cabinet, ugh.
Ieiri resumed talking idly after a while, unintentionally offering her a decent baseline for when her translation thingy rebooted. It took a solid seven or eight minutes after someone had knocked for Ieiri's voice to pop in her ears, and suddenly she understood the woman perfectly.
"-then, they just started screaming you know? Both those idiots, and one tiny little bug," She laughed, "and then Satoru called Yaga-sensei, and he was so mad, he made them study insect biology for a month!"
They were scared of bugs? Was she making this up?
"They're really scared of bugs?" She asked, disbelieving.
There was a pregnant pause, then Ieiri was talking again with forcibly subdued excitement.
"They really were! It was before Haibara-kun and Nanami-kun's time, just a couple of first years who hadn't slept in two days and one centipede."
"It was huge!" Gojo defended from somewhere.
"Are you ready to come out now, Midori-chan?" Officer asked gently, "We won't fight this time, I promise."
"I don't want to do my exam today. I'm done. I want to go home." She told him bluntly. These were two failed physicals in a single day, and after mountain climbing, at least one panic attack and whatever the heck was going on in her head when she got home and Gojo and the Obas started arguing. Maybe a panic attack, maybe a dissociative episode, or maybe some weird combination of the two that left her both terrified and outwardly emotionally numb at the same time.
They paused again, too long.
She was gonna have to sit in this stupid cabinet way too long, wasn't she?
"We want you to get the exam done today if you can. We agreed to let Gojo-kun stay for the duration, assuming he behaves and to allow Ieiri-san to do the majority of the physical examination. Are there any amendments you'd like to add?"
That was honestly way better than she'd been expecting.
Should she push it?
"I don't want to take my clothes off. At all."
Officer's voice was a little pained. "That wouldn't be needed either way."
Right.
Ok.
Just had to crawl out.
Just gotta-
Do it.
She stared at the cabinet door, hanging slightly open thanks to the faulty hinge.
"Could you open the door for me?" She asked after a long pause, feeling silly. It felt like it would be easier somehow, just to go right out, than to have to open the door herself.
Something told her she would just sit there for far too long, staring blankly at the door.
It was bright, and she squinted when the light seemed to burn her eyes, a dramatic change from the dark she had adjusted to.
Just gotta-
She could do it.
A head of white hair appeared in the doorway, peering inwards.
"Having a party in here?" He asked teasingly, but his eyes were soft. When the hell did he become so empathetic? Had Yu-nii been giving lessons? Or had learning to express empathy simply become a priority for Gojo?
The only reason it could have been so was because of her. He was empathetic, he did feel sympathy for, he just lacked social skills and often just had no desire to express it. What point was there in comforting scared people if he could be on his way to the next slaughterhouse that the higher-ups send him to? Managers could do that, other sorcerers could do that, there was only one Gojo Satoru. It simply wasn't something that he would have been taught as an essential part of the mission.
Weapons didn't need to comfort, they needed to be directed towards the next target. And Gojo had been molded into a weapon from the day he was born.
The fact that he was growing beyond that, especially so early, and for her, was making her teary.
"Sorry!" Gojo yelped, and she sniffled, wiping at her eyes. She wanted to hug him suddenly, so she did, hurling herself towards him and clinging to his head like a human facehugger, or whatever that alien thingy was. Junpei hadn't talked her into watching it yet.
Gojo recoiled in much the same way a cat with a plastic bag on their head would, though he did reach up to tug her off instead of flailing around like a jumping bean, instead cradling her to his chest like a naughty cat.
"I'm really proud of you, nii-san." She told him honestly, resting her head on his shoulder to look up at him.
He honest to god turned red, a bashful -embarrassed even- blush that started at his cheeks and spread rapidly through his face.
"Wh- well- um! Where'd that come from?" He fucking stuttered, embarrassed and confused, the affection-starved dope.
"You're gonna be as good as Yu-nii in no time!"
He brightened, his embarrassment overtaken by excitement in an instant.
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Well- it probably will never be quite as natural, but it'll be just as effective, depending on who you're working with."
"Hm. I'll have to beat him!" Gojo declared with determination. She almost forgot, he was awfully competitive, wasn't he? It'd likely been a long time since he could be bested by someone. For once in his life, he had a superior, at least with this particular set of skills. That meant a lot, for someone so naturally gifted as he was.
Officer cleared his throat, and she turned to look.
Holy shit, the room was a mess. Chairs, the whole little patient table thingy, supplies, all strewn about on the floor, all toppled over.
"Did you two actually fight?" She asked, shocked, and both men looked away. Ieiri leaned over into her field of vision and nodded, exasperated.
There was a new respect between the two, somehow. There'd been a lot of yelling that she'd missed. Of course Gojo began to respect him after fighting him, how else would he? What better way to hash out your differences than to punch each other?
Idiots.
They relocated to a different room, letting an irritable custodian into the room to begin fixing it up. Oba-san and Oba-chan were both watching suspiciously, like they were waiting for the two boys to start fighting again, but both of them waved pleasantly to the old ladies, seemingly over their differences.
Were they over their differences? Come to an agreement?
God, she hoped so. There was a lot she should say to him, once he was safe. He wasn't right now, no matter how much he was attempting to be useful. This part of their relationship was likely the most straining as he had to push her into things she didn't want to do.
He could stand to lose the beanie for one thing. She wasn't sure why it annoyed her so much, it was just so out of place with his outfit, like he'd been cold and just decided 'fuck it, blue beanie'.
Ugh.
The new room was more or less the same, and Ieiri got set up immediately, the doctor standing awkwardly to the side, moving to do tasks before faltering and returning to the same spot.
Ieiri was in her element at least, preparing various instruments.
"First, you'll remove your shoes and go to the measuring thingy over there, then you'll step on the scale, and we'll record your weight, then you can put your shoes back on. I want to get your blood pressure, but considering how stressed you are right now, I already know it will be elevated. From what I know, you do have several vaccinations upcoming, so you may get one or two of those as well. I'm going to examine your eyes, ears, and mouth using some instruments. I'll make sure to show you them beforehand. I'll listen to your breathing and heartbeat, and check your reflexes. I'll also check your flexibility and look for any irregularities in your spine by pressing my hand to your upper, then lower back and having you bend. None of it requires clothing to be removed, please don't worry about that. Bloodwork will be saved for last, if you can tolerate it."
She honestly thinks this might be the first time a doctor actually explained the entire game-plan beforehand, not just as they did it. She certainly appreciated it.
Ieiri looked to the doctor as an afterthought. "Anything to add?" She asked belatedly.
The doctor looked amazed, and gestured for Ieiri to continue. Little does he know, she's the only doctor at a very high risk school.
She left her flip flops with Gojo, who saluted her dutifully as she stepped outside with Ieiri, who led her to the measuring thingy and the scale.
2 '11, even. Damn, she wasn't even three feet tall yet, and so close too!
And she weighed… twenty two pounds. That felt exceedingly low, even if she was puny. Ieiri seemed displeased with the result as well. She'd carried boxes heavier than her current weight. Was this really what little kids were supposed to weigh? She suddenly didn't feel bad about everyone carrying her around so much. Her old purse had been heavier than she was now.
"You've somehow lost half a pound since I last weighed you." She grumbled irritably, glaring down at the scale, "I'm going to tell Yaga-sensei he needs to start supervising your food intake when he gets you back."
Okay? She usually ate three meals a day, it wasn't like she was going hungry, besides that time at the police station. And maybe right now, considering she'd last eaten the night before, then climbed a mountain.
"What time is it?"
Ieiri checked her phone. "Two in the afternoon. Why?"
"Haven't eaten in about twelve hours or so, I think."
The calming breath that Ieiri took was telling. She marched her back to the room and walked back out again, coming back a few minutes later with onigiri. Was she really terrified of her? Surely anyone who gave her onigiri was safe?
She scrambled off of her perch on top of Gojo's shoes, where he had been idly playing with her. He would lift her in the air unsteadily by lifting his legs, like he was lifting weights, then drop her back to the ground as she clung to him, trying to hold on despite the impact. It was mildly interesting, which she honestly needed recently.
Ieiri handed her the onigiri and she scarfed the first one down before offering the second one to Gojo. Ieiri stopped her sharply with narrow eyes. She got the message, Ieiri expected her to eat it, not share.
"Underweight for her age and height, and slightly shorter than average too. Gojo, I expect you to make sure she eats three meals a day. Not snacks, meals, but make sure to supply her with snacks as needed to. Make sure she gets her fruits and vegetables. I'll pu- Doctor Kato will put in an order for vitamins. It says, according to her chart," and holy shit she had medical records now, "that this wasn't a problem beforehand. She was thirty one pounds at her last physical, about two months ago, meaning she's lost a dramatic amount of weight, very quickly. We need to get this under control."
Huh. She didn't feel particularly like she was starving. She'd been eating plenty, she had thought.
"From what we know of her background, her time in the orphanage ended with an extremely traumatic event occurring. There's a gap of about four days between the orphanage's collapse and Midori being found. Not nearly enough to explain the dramatic weight loss, which wasn't observed on Officer Nin on his last visit a mere three days before the event. Though it wasn't nearly as quick, the trend has continued over the past few weeks. It must be controlled and reversed as quickly as possible. The collapse likely accelerated her decline due to the severe stress of it, but I strongly doubt it was the main cause. We'll likely have to do blood tests and others to be sure of why it's happening."
She stared at the woman, owl-eyed. Blood test? Gojo's arms were tight around her, and his face was aggressive, like he was staring down an enemy he couldn't fight. God, she was gonna be sick of food by the time she got back home, Gojo was gonna feed her like he was fattening up a turkey for Thanksgiving, and running out of time to boot.
"That doesn't mean forcing her to eat all the time," Ieiri warned, catching Gojo's expression, "It'll just stress her out more. Have her eat good meals and keep snacks available, don't force her to eat if she's full. We don't want food to become a bad thing. We already know she loves onigiri, so keep them available to her as needed, and make sure her meals include any nutrition that's missing from the onigiri. We can consult a dietitian to be sure."
Or they could not? She could just remember to eat more, no more doctors needed! Surely it wouldn't be that hard.
Gojo's determined face, and Officer's resigned focus, the damn man was even taking notes, said that that possibility was a distant one.
This was a terrible day.
"Can we move on yet?" She asked finally, the distress in her voice slipping out, and Gojo's thumb rubbed small circles on her shoulder, attempting reassurance.
"Right then. I'll start with checking your eyes and ears, then your breathing and heartbeat. Eyes first."
Ugh, the shiny light thingy.
She tolerated the next few tests, and Ieiri didn't make many negative notes. Her eye was nearly back to normal, only slightly blurrier than it should be, though it was a downgrade from her twenty-twenty vision from her last physical. Ieiri knew the cause, so it wasn't too bad.
"Open your mouth." Ieiri ordered after she finished listening to her heartbeat, like she suddenly had a sneaking suspicion of a potential problem, and she did so a little gingerly.
Ieiri sighed, frustrated, and she closed her mouth quickly. The teen walked out, returning a minute or two later with a bottle of water.
"Dehydrated." Ieiri declared irritably.
She drank her water obediently. Maybe her ability to take care of herself was compromised. Or, more likely, she no longer had the control she was used to that would allow her to take care of herself properly.
She didn't like tap water, alright? Her mother had been from Michigan, you don't drink Michigan tap water, especially while she was in the past. The government had already proven itself untrustworthy in that regard- or would, eventually. Even once they moved, her family had always drank bottled water as a matter of safety, because her mother had never trusted well water either, until they got their own reverse osmosis filtration system. She'd been considering a UV water treatment system as well, to reduce bacteria even more.
She hadn't seen any bottles at the restaurant, so she kinda… hasn't drank a thing since she left. There'd been tea, with the food that they'd brought up last night, but did she drink any? No more than a few sips, she hadn't liked the taste, if she remembered right. It hadn't been a priority.
"You're a disaster."
Fair.
"I don't like tap water."
"You don't like tap water? Why?" Officer asked, confused.
"What if it's bad?"
"Why would tap water be bad? The government works hard to ensure that it's safe to drink."
He seemed genuinely confused about why someone would be wary of tap water from unfamiliar and untrusted sources. She'd been a sheltered, idealistic, homeschooled girl, and even she knew that tap water could be dangerous.
"You'd prefer bottled?"
"If it's a trustworthy brand."
Ieiri made a note in her chart. Gojo was, from what little of his screen she could read from her position safely in his lap, where she'd relocated the second she was able, was either online shopping or googling the best brands of bottled water.
"Maybe a portable filter would be better?" Gojo threw out, eyes still glued to his phone.
"Could be, if you could afford it." Ieiri agreed, and she looked back and forth between the two teens.
"If it's a lot, I can ju-"
"Ordered!" Gojo crowed, and she winced. Ugh, it was probably so expensive! She should have just sucked it up and drank the stupid water, Ieiri could have helped her out if needed. It was silly to be afraid of drinking normal water, the same as everyone else was drinking.
Gojo flickers her on the forehead suddenly, making her flinch. His eyes were judging.
"If you start feeling bad, I'm going to take all the bonito flake onigiri next time." He warned, an empty threat of course."
"I always feel bad." She joked, but it fell far too flat. Gojo looked as if she had struck him between the eyes.
"Are you in pain?" Ieiri asked with concern.
"No. It was just a joke." Oh my god, that fell so flat. It was a pancake on the ground right now.
"What makes you feel bad?" Officer pressed, and she looked away.
Not being home. Feeling like she was ruining everything, all the time. Forcing Gojo to stay here when he could be doing so much else. Knowing Geto was relying on her and she wasn't there. That every present ache of grief and homesickness that would never leave her. Looking in the mirror. Looking down at her feet, being so small, looking at her hands. Having a damn panic attack on a daily basis, disassociating once a week, wanting nothing more to sit in her room until her body was as rotted as her soul felt it should be. That guilt at forcing her way into a place where she didn't belong, forcing everyone else to adapt.
"Midori? You can tell us." Gojo insisted
"Just anxious a lot." She chose to stay instead. Nice, easy, simple to explain. What four year old wouldn't be exceedingly nervous all the time, given the circumstances and her history?
"She panics easily, and when she's very frightened she shuts down and stops talking. She'll listen to you, but she won't usually choose to do anything while she's like that." Gojo, the traitorous bastard, said helpfully. Don't bring her glaring symptoms of mental illness and childhood trauma into this doctor's office.
She's about to get- not mansplained, but adultsplained psychology. Ugh. Drop a government regulated exam in front of her and she'd demolish all these plebeians.
She might be being a tad uncharitable. He was concerned, and for entirely valid reasons. Normal four-year-olds would need help with something like this. They didn't know she wasn't a normal kid.
It still left a bitter taste in her mouth as far too many eyes landed on her.
"She was like that at the station, right?"
"Yeah. It's the longest I've ever seen her like that so far. She did it on a trip to the zoo a few days ago."
"How'd you snap her out?"
"He tossed me in the river." She responded, before Gojo could try and make himself look better.
"… We panicked." Gojo mumbled under Officer's accusing stare.
"You panicked. Yaga-san could've done it without getting me soaking wet."
"Well, he didn't, I did!"
"Because you threw me, and my survival instincts kicked in."
"Surprised to hear you have any." Gojo snipped at her.
She scoffed.
"Sorry, who's talking? Is it Mr. Pick-a-fight with the biggest guy you can find? You're cockier than a rooster in military uniform!"
"And you're a rural little know-it-all!"
"Rich boy who couldn't work retail to save his life!"
Gojo narrowed his eyes, and she could tell he had an insult stewing on his tongue. He was resisting the urge to say it, for now. Jokes on him, because if he made her cry Ieiri would definitely be telling Yaga.
She inclined her head, a silent challenge. Bring it.
"Pipsqueak." Ugh, weak.
"Broomstick."
"Maybe you two should calm down?" Officer asked warily.
Yeah, no.
"Mediocre snow-cone." Gojo shot, and Ieiri winced, glancing towards Officer like she was afraid he'd somehow understand his meaning.
"Wannabe anime main character." She snapped, and Gojo's mouth dropped open. Officer looked even more confused than before.
"Wannabe? If I was an anime character I'd be the most popular one of all time!" Gojo said, genuinely offended.
"You'd be the mentor character who gets killed off for the main character's character development."
"Mentor?" Gojo asked, confused. Slightly flattered, as he should be, but confused.
"You're a pretty good teacher, but you're too overpowered to be a good shonen protagonist," she snapped her fingers, like she just realized something, "Ah! Yaoi!"
Gojo made a choking noise and pounced on her like he was trying to silence her, covering her mouth. Officer and Ieiri didn't press, though Ieiri seemed amused.
"Do you… know what that means?" Officer asked after a second's hesitation. Right, they had an audience. This whole argument was probably extremely confusing and pure gold for Officer's understanding of the two of them. Too bad he lacked the context of Jujutsu society, or he might be able to make sense of all this.
"Anime, or manga that focuses on romance between two boys."
"Have you ever watched or read one?"
She pointed to Gojo.
"I saw Satoru-nii fall asleep in his boyfriend's lap. That's yaoi, right?"
"He's not my boyfriend!" Gojo yelped, too easy to fluster.
"If you two would talk to each other, he'd be your boyfriend. You'd be insufferably cute and adorable about it too."
"I'm always insufferably cute and adorable."
"Always one of those three things at least."
He went for her hair again and she dodged, throwing herself at Ieiri without putting too much thought into it. Ieiri caught her a bit uncertainly and after holding her at arm's length for a few moments as she flailed, trying to escape Gojo, Ieiri shifted her to be braced against her hip, on arm supporting her back.
"He's gonna tangle my hair!" She yelped, trying to hide her head behind Ieiri's shoulder, and Gojo advanced, his hands in the air threateningly. She glared at him and hissed warningly. It turned into a rumbling growl when he stepped closer.
"Enough! This is a medical facility, and we need to finish this physical." Ieiri announced, and Gojo seemed to relax. She still eyed him, because that mischievous grin hasn't faded away entirely. He was just waiting for her to relax so he could pounce.
Ieiri was carrying her. And, for once, she wasn't absolutely terrified while in close proximity!
Breakthrough. Admittedly, her hands were starting to tremble again, her breath catching in her throat, but for a few moments Ieiri was actually holding her, and she'd been fine with it!
Ieiri set her down quickly when her body temperature started to drop, and she took a few steps back just to help herself relax faster. It didn't throw her into a panic attack, and the feeling of victory only made her fear fade faster. She actually felt a little giddy, which probably wasn't the best thing to feel considering how similar the physical responses were to those of anxiety. She'd have to be careful not to trigger a panic attack. The shaky feeling hadn't abated yet either.
She went over to Gojo and leaned against his leg, hoping his presence would help her calm down some. His mischievous look faded and he rested a hand on her shoulder in a reassuring way, after quickly ruffling her hair first of course.
What were they doing next? She didn't remember.
The machine the doctor wheeled in reminded her quite quickly.
Bloodwork.
"Please don't pass out, I haven't even started yet." Ieiri asked with mild distress.
She'd probably gone white at the sight of the machine, and suddenly she felt a little nauseous. Just the sight of it was sickening apparently.
"I don't need much at all, but I don't think you'd want to come back here and do this again later."
Nope, she would not.
Still, Gojo led her over to the chair quickly- well, dragged was more accurate, she didn't even pick her feet up, he was moving too fast.
She actually did feel quite faint all of the sudden. Good thing Gojo made her sit so fast.
Ieiri hurried over with a snack of some sort. Dried seaweed? She shoved it in her hand along with her half-finished water bottle, gesturing for her to eat it.
She likes onigiri, so maybe she'd like seaweed just by itself too. She opened the bag, keeping a wary eye on the creepy little blood drawing machine. It was decorated with stickers and the tubing was a cheerful pink color, but she wasn't fooled.
It was evil.
Gojo prodded her sharply, drawing her attention away from the evil machine. He pointed at her food, and she took a piece slowly as he took her arm in a tight grip, idly moving it around like he was examining how it moved. The seaweed was awfully green and splotchy. It was lighter than what she was used to as a wrapper for onigiri, and much thicker.
She took a careful bite.
Salty.
Very salty. Savory maybe? It wasn't like anything she'd really tasted before. It was a different type of seaweed she thought, not nearly the same taste as the type used to wrap the onigiri she so loved. It was an interesting experience, and just crisp enough to be worth eating another piece.
Gojo's tight hold on her arm was making it slowly go numb, but he was talking with Officer, something terse in both of their tones, their stares intense. Back to fighting yet again. At least it probably wouldn't come to blows again. He relaxed the hold eventually anyways.
It was good, she finally decided, though not great. She wouldn't buy it herself unless she was craving it for some reason or other. She'd finish the package of course, she wouldn't let it go to waste. She prodded Gojo on the hip, he was leaning over her shoulder towards Officer, gesturing wildly, and offered him a piece, but he declined. She started eating it again slowly. Decent, definitely worth at least finishing.
"Good?" Gojo asked after a long moment. She blinked up at him, confused, and he clarified quickly. "The seaweed?"
"It's alright. Kinda weird, I was just expecting the same as what's usually wrapping the onigiri, but it's not."
"It's a different type. It's better for snacking, the other type is too salty for my taste."
He looked smug.
"Why's your face doing that thing?" She asked suspiciously.
"What thing?" If anything, his smugness got worse now that she called him out on it.
"The smug bastard thing."
"I don't know what you're talking about." His smugness was reaching critical mass.
"Don't play dumb. You're being smug-" He was blocking her view of her arm. Suspiciously, Ieiri was also not in sight.
No way that they were already drawing her blood yet.
"Eh? Saying something?" Gojo asked, and she leaned over to peer around him, but was stopped by a hand on her face, stopping her from leaning over.
"Do you really want to see?"
She thought about it.
"No."
"Good. What's your favorite rock? You like those, don't you?"
"Quartz. You're terrible at normal conversation, aren't you?"
"I'm fantastic at normal conversation. This conversation is so normal. And of all things, quartz? That's like the most common rock there is! Pick something cooler."
"You can't complain about an honest answer. You asked for my favorite rock, and I told you. Ask me about my favorite gemstone or fossil if you want something cooler. Pyrite's cool, bismuth's awesome, but nothing beats a good quartz. I love some good color on just about anything, like blue apatite or some nice rainbow fluorite."
"What's your favorite gemstone then?"
"Opal. I just love boulder opals, fire, and honeycomb as well."
"Fossil?"
"Well, my favorite fossil is a megalodon tooth, they're just amazing! My favorite dinosaur is the Utahraptor."
"Utahraptor?
"Similar to a velociraptor, but six feet tall at the shoulders and like twenty feet from snout to tail."
"Ah, scary!" Gojo said, suitably appreciative of her favorite dinosaur.
"Megalodon tooth?" Gojo prompted, clearly trying to keep her focus.
"A fossilized shark's tooth that can be just about as big as my head, it's incredible! I want one! You can find them rarely on beaches and stuff, it's really awesome!"
"So, like an inch?" He asked innocently, though the smirk on his face was telling.
"More like six to seven inches."
"Ah. I've seen bigger."
Was that a dirty joke or a reference to cursed spirits? Could be either or both, knowing him. She still looked at him with suspicion, but he was looking up and away, slyly. She didn't bother trying to confront him about it. It'd just become uncomfortable for the both of them.
"Crinoid fossils are also really cool, especially a full head, not just a segment. But the segments are so cool, especially the little star shaped ones! Fossils in general are awesome! I can't believe that something so old just exists, it's like Ten-Jiji," Gojo made a choking noise before he was doubled over, giggling, and she heard Ieiri start to snicker, "but even older. Like, wow, I can't believe that things actually existed back then, it's crazy to think about! I missed so much history Satoru-nii, and I'll only be able to experience a little bit of it! I'll never get to see real live dinosaurs!"
Gojo was laughing at her, not verbally, but his face said it all, his damn eyes and that wide toothy smile. She glared at him, and he visibly collected himself, smothering his grin with little success.
"Go on?"
"What's so funny?" She asked, but it wasn't really a question so much as a challenge.
"You're just so little and talking about history and you've only been around for like three weeks that you can remember. Do you think the rest of us have met the dinosaurs?"
Oh, it was act like a little kid time.
"I dunno, Ten-Jiji," Gojo started to giggle again, trying hard to suppress it, "he's definitely seen the dinosaurs. He's just so old, you know? Yaga-san isn't that old I don't think. Maybe when he was a kid? And those nasty old dudes who we don't like definitely saw them, but I honestly can't believe they didn't get eaten. Must've been the stench or the nasty taste or something. Natural selection at its worst, letting them keep on going."
There was a small spark of pain and the feeling of a cotton ball pressing into her arm. Were they doing it now? Oh, she was losing focus on their conversation, she needed to focus. Something like a piece of tape was being wrapped around her arm, clinging to it. Was it holding the needle in? Her hands were shaking again, and she forced her wide eyes up to meet Gojo's.
"Yeah," Gojo's voice was rough as he fought off laughter valiantly, "those old guys must've scared the Tyrannosaurs off with one whiff of their old man smell."
"That's not entirely fair, there's a few old ladies too."
"Eh, old lady and old man smell then."
Ieiri was snickering from somewhere behind Gojo, clearly trying to keep quiet. Officer was trying to ask questions too, but it just made Ieiri's laughter get louder.
"You're done, if you wanted to know." Gojo said, and she glanced over behind him. Ieiri was draped over a counter, head in her hands and shoulders shaking, clearly trapped in a laughing fit from the mental image of the higher ups and dinosaurs. The doctor was cleaning up the machine, where two vials of blood sat. Her arm was bandaged with a long Band-Aid and a cotton ball, probably what she had felt. She hadn't even felt them starting, just the ending.
"Not too bad?"
"Not gonna do it again without you, nii-san."
He looked touched, and hauled her up from the chair to sit in the crook of his arm, higher up than normal. She could see over his head, and she'd have to duck if he tried to leave the room, else her head would hit the doorframe.
"Can we go back now, or do I have to sit through this whole thing too?"
"You have to do it too." Officer responded immediately, and Gojo's eye-roll probably showed him the damn moon.
"Mah, this whole thing sucks." Gojo moaned, letting his head loll to the side to look at her.
"It sucks balls." She agreed, and the look of absolute horror in Gojo's eyes wouldn't have been out of place if he was staring at Suguru's dead body.
"Don't ever say that again." He begged, holding her out in front of him.
"I'm my own person."
"You're four!" He cried, holding her higher.
"I'm a patriot!"
"You're not in America, you're in Japan!"
"I have rights! I will use them!" She threatened and saluted as if to an American flag.
"You don't even remember being American!"
"It's in my heart."
"Well, let it die." Rude.
"I pledge allegiance-"
"Oh, god, stop Midori." He begged, almost wilting. This is just what patriotism did to a person, he didn'tunderstand.She might be in a new body, but she was still American. And America wasn't a dumpster fire yet. Thank god, she didn't have to see the election results for another eighteen years.
"To the flag-"
"Enough! Sacrilege! You're Japanese now, we claimed you!"
"Of the United States of America-"
"Betrayal of the highest order!"
"And t-" It was getting hard to keep talking, both of them laughing hysterically, "to- the Republic-"
"I'm disowning you."
"For which it stands!"
Ieiri was still laughing helplessly. She'd started to recover but their antics had gotten to her again. Even Officer was grinning, coughing a little to disguise his own laughter.
"One nation! Indivisible! With Liberty and Justice for all!" She finished loudly, and Gojo's deadpan look, in spite of the smile tugging at his lips, made her laughter really take hold.
She always skipped the under god part if she thought she could get away with it. If she pledged herself to God and didn't even know all the rules, how would she know when she was breaking them? She's not the religious type, though her anxiety was hardly unafraid to throw some religious guilt at her. Nothing like not believing in a god but feeling guilty about 'sins' anyway, she didn't even get the reassuring part of believing that god loved her.
Anxiety just sucked.
"I'll see about finding someone available." Officer offered, already heading towards the door, once those present had settled down.
"I'm not getting my eyes checked!" Gojo called after Officer, just as he was walking through the door.
Officer turned back, a look of regret already on his face.
"You're half blind."
"I know that already, nothing new to learn"
"You may know that, but we have to have official records of it."
Talk about a mood shift. The levity from before was fading fast.
"Onii-san doesn't like people to touch his eyes. Maybe Ieiri-san could, but even that's iffy at best. Is it really worth fighting about right now?"
Officer, and she really needed someone to remind her of his name, she couldn't keep calling him Officer all the time, just sighed and walked away.
They waited there pretty quietly for the next half an hour or so. Ieiri ignored the doctor when he tried to call her away to continue shadowing him, and eventually his confidence waned enough to make him give in. Seems she wouldn't be getting another offer for shadowing next time.
Gojo was idly moving her wrist around with both hands, examining the way her bones and muscles moved by the time Officer re-entered the room, a different doctor following behind him. This one was more businesslike, he stood straight, and his eyes were sharp as he looked over Gojo.
"Not gonna let you look in my eyes." Gojo said immediately.
"You say you're albino?" The doctor questioned, looking doubtful, and Gojo froze.
Shit.
"That's what they told me." Gojo said, deflecting the blame.
"Your doctors were idiots, then." The new doctor concluded, looking Gojo up and down.
"That's not too surprising." Gojo admitted.
"I'm going to write you a referral to an optometrist if you refuse. The only difference between doing so and allowing me to examine your eyes now is how much they examine your eyes initially, and how many tests they run. If I find something now, the optometrist will know what to look for and where to look for it, instead of poking around all over. It'll be better for you in the long run." The man pressed. Gojo looked like he wanted to run or fight.
She crawled out of Gojo's lap and went to the window. There was no bug screen, it just opened easily, letting a nice breeze in. She had to stand on her toes to get it even a quarter of the way open and Ieiri came over to help open the window the rest of the way. How kind.
Then, Gojo's arm wrapped around her torso, and she was falling, and they both hit the ground with a soft thump. For once in his life, now and forever, Gojo was running for his life (or at least the sanctity of his sacred eyes) from a nonsorcerer.
"Gojo Satoru, get back here!" Officer shouted, but Gojo's giggle said that that definitely wasn't happening.
"You're not gonna get your physical?" She asked, a bit accusing.
"I'm good. I'm better than ever actually, with my reverse curse technique. We just really needed to get yours done. Want to get some lunch?"
"Sure?" Gojo still had his arm around her stomach, holding her like a sack of potatoes, and she squirmed her way around, trying to get more comfortable. He swung her around so that she was being princess carried instead, which was good but also scarily vulnerable feeling, and she snapped her attention forward, keeping an eye out for any potential attackers. Nishinoya was hanging limply from Gojo's closed fist, held much less gently than she was, and she snatched him from Gojo to cradle him in her own arms, much more nicely.
"Officer's gonna be mad." She warned.
"So what? Maybe he'll throw his stupid hat on the ground, won't that be something crazy? He's harmless, really. Don't be scared of him. Even you could beat him if you really tried."
That hat really was so stupid, why was he even wearing it?
"He's got like thirty years of experience! I think he could bring me down." She argued, a bit absentmindedly.
Why was he wearing it?
"I fought him! Believe me, he's weak!" What an eyeroll from Gojo, he was such a teenager. It made her giggle.
What was the point of wearing a hat like that in this sort of weather? It felt strangely out of place in a way that had been nagging at her the whole time, since the moment she saw him. It'd caught her attention, and it jolted her every time she saw it.
There's no way it was Kenjaku, right? There's just no way he'd be able to fool Gojo himself. Why risk it anyway?
Why cover his forehead though? It was pulled so low, it only helped the ridiculous look be even worse than it would have if it was in a normal position.
"Was Officer… acting normally?" She asked as Gojo slowed from a dead run to a steadier lope, still making excellent time down the busy street. He stayed in the bike lane for the most part to avoid people, dodging aside for bikes that wanted past.
"Why?" Gojo asked with a frown.
"I dunno. That hat was bothering me the whole time."
He laughed a little, like she was being silly. "It's just an ugly hat."
"Why'd he wear a hat anyway? It's not really cold out. He wasn't even wearing it properly, it was pulled so low. It was like he was hiding something."
Gojo seemed to somber, getting more serious.
"You think something was wrong with him? Maybe he hurt himself?"
"Could you see under it?"
Gojo looked a bit uncomfortable suddenly.
"I try not to look under clothes unless I have a reason to."
Oh.
Right.
Good to know Gojo did his best to let others keep their privacy. And, he didn't act like a pervert, which he totally could have. It was quite respectable of him to have a line he laid down himself, one he decided on his own he wouldn't cross. Also, good to know he wasn't forced to see people naked all the time, that'd suck. Imagine meeting's with the high-
Nope. Stopping that thought right there, right to jail, do not collect 200, do not pass Go. Let it suffocate, never think of it again.
"Could you look at the hat?"
"You really don't like hats?"
"It's more what could be hiding underneath that worries me."
"Has someone with something on their head or forehead done something to you before?" He asked too gently, like he was prodding a fresh bruise and watching for a potential reaction.
"I dunno. Wouldn't remember if they had. It just freaks me out, thinking I wouldn't know if something was hiding under there."
"Want me to keep an eye out for someone with unusual foreheads?" Gojo asked, half joking and half serious.
"Yeah, I guess. Did Ieiri-san get out ok?"
"I'll text her-" Gojo fished his phone out of his pocket, and started typing rapidly with one hand, because of course, he was a man of many talents, including one handed typing. There was a quick ding not even a full ten seconds after he sent the text, then another one shortly after.
"There. She says she slipped out the back while Officer Asshole started organizing a search party. On an unrelated note, we're heading this way now." He made a quick right turn.
"I thought you two respected each other a little now?"
"Once he quits trying to make me get my eyes checked, I'll drop that part. He's gonna have to earn getting his actual name used though."
"I forgot his name."
"He should have reminded you then. He knows you have memory issues."
"Don't think that that's his responsibility. I should've asked, at least."
"He's the adult, he has to make sure you've got what you need. He took you from Yaga-sensei, he's gotta take care of you just as well as he would have." Gojo said irritably, something dark on his face that made a pair of girls who had been staring at him scurry away.
"He's just obeying orders."
"That's not good enough. Obeying orders is just an excuse, he doesn't get to pretend he didn't hurt a happy family."
"There're rules to follow. We were fine, but other families weren't. These procedures save lives."
"And they ruin others!" He snapped, coming to a halt. That rage in his voice hid something insecure underneath.
"This isn't the world of Jujutsu sorcery. To people who don't know, this probably looks a lot like a cult or something. We know otherwise, but they don't, and we can't fault them for that when they can't even see curses. Yaga-san is going to come back for us. He promised he would, so all we have to do is be patient."
Hypocrite. Like she hadn't been just as scared about Yaga not bothering to come and get them.
"Why do you have to be so wise? Quit it, be young and stupid while you still can."
"You've got enough of that for the both of us."
She got flicked on the nose for her sass, but he wasn't spitting mad anymore, so she figured it was worth it.
"It's gonna be alright. He wouldn't have made sure to send Yu-nii to give me my backpack if he didn't care, and he definitely wouldn't have left Nishinoya-kun with me either. At least he'll come back for them, and you know that Yaga-san keeps his promises."
"He wouldn't leave you behind either. I know I'm more trouble than I'm worth sometimes." He said, in a horribly honest way. He truly believed it, like he was saying a well-known fact.
"You're not. Trouble, I mean. Or at least, it's fine that you are. You're a teenager, being troublesome is practically a requirement. Yaga knows what he signed up for, being a teacher. Besides that, your worth isn't decided by how useful you are, or how little trouble you are."
His little laugh, like she'd told him a joke, just about shattered her heart to pieces. These damn boys and their issues, they needed a whole team of therapists, not a half-trained one who couldn't even fully handle her own problems.
"If Yu-nii or Geto-san had offered to come with me instead, I still would've chosen you."
The look he shot her at was so full of disbelief she was almost offended.
"You think I would call someone I didn't love and trust my brother? Yu-nii's amazing, and I love him, but you're the one who protected me. The one who fought with me. I know you're the one who is the most likely to bring me back alive. You're annoying because you're my big brother, not because you're yourself. Big brothers are meant to be annoying and big bullies, and the ones who protect you when you're in danger."
"You're the annoying one." He accused, but his heart wasn't in it.
"I'm your little sister. Being cute and annoying and occasionally wise is part of the job description. Look it up."
"I'm sure."
"We both can annoy each other! It's part of the rules. You can never annoy me so much I don't want to be your little sister anymore."
"That a challenge?"
"If you want. I give as good as I get though, so I hope you're ready."
Gojo looked her up and down unsubtly. "I'm sure." She knew she was short, he didn't have to make such a show of it.
His testing of her patience had already begun. He wanted to know if she really meant it.
Thank god she'd worked in a highschool. One teenager couldn't hold a candle to the thousand she'd seen and interacted with on a daily basis. Even if that teenager was Gojo Satoru.
"Where are we getting lunch?"
"What do you want?"
Hmm…
"Pasta?"
A nice plate of fettuccine alfredo and some garlic bread, that sounded great. A little on the heavy side, but she did apparently need to eat more. As long as they had a kid-size plate it'd work.
Gojo seemed to know the direction he was heading now, walking with purpose once again, giving her time to relax and think.
They'd have to head back at some point, and Officer wasn't the type to give up on trying to make sure Gojo was getting proper medical care. It was an admirable, but ultimately futile endeavor. Ieiri was the most likely to be able to get him to accept medical care, and even then his eyes were a no-go. Officer would have to give up on that if he had a snowball's chance in hell to get Gojo in a doctor's office for anything other than her appointments.
She almost felt bad for the man, who truly was trying to get to the bottom of their mystery. Too bad a secret magical world wasn't usually an acceptable answer in real life.
Gojo kept walking, tall and proud. With any luck, he'd never get that confidence shaken. She'd kill Kenjaku with her own two hands if it kept him like this, with his sense of teenage invincibility. He deserved to enjoy his youth, just as he tried to help his students.
"Want to go to the arcade after? You can teach me some games!"
Gojo's smile was blinding, she thought someone behind her might have hit the ground, there was such a loud thud. Aphrodite, thy hands must have put a lot of work into sculpting Gojo. Even she was blinking, slightly stunned.
"Of course! I'm the best, no one will ever beat you if I'm your teacher!" He crowed, confident, unbeatable, and so wonderful she couldn't quite believe he was actually real.
If he was going to dedicate herself to protecting her, the least she could do was do her best to protect him.
"Satoru-nii? When we get back home, I need you to have a meeting with Tengen, Geto, and me. There's something important I need to tell you." Even if it broke his trust in her.
"Couldn't you just tell me now?" He asked, a little bemused.
"They'd probably kill me if word got out. Better to do it somewhere safe."
"Who?" He asked, concerned, his eyes flicking through the crowd.
"Higher ups. Weird forehead person. Many people." She said vaguely, gesturing outwards.
"You couldn't be a little less ominous?"
"It's honestly a pretty big deal. Like, Geto and Tengen are literally the only two people who know right now. Geto scared it out of me, he was the first to know, and Tengen spied. You're the first I'll tell completely voluntarily."
"I'm honored." Gojo said warmly, but there was something tense in the set of his shoulders, the sudden grace of his strides, like he was preparing to dodge in an instant if needed.
"Don't worry, you're too scary to attack right now. There's a reason I'm so nervous about being separated from you."
"Not helping."
"It's true."
"I'm not scary at all!"
"That curse over there seems to disagree!" She said, pointing to a humanoid curse that was trying desperately to flee down the crowded street, causing a commotion as it knocked people aside. Gojo watched it run.
"Doesn't count." He finally declared.
"Does too!"
"Does not!"
"Does too!"
"Pipsqueak!" He finally went back to insults.
"Hair bleacher!"
Gojo gasped, much like a popular highschool girl would have.
"Yakuza!"
Oh, he was going for the tattoos now? The ones she had forced on her?
"Simp." She accused loudly.
"What the hell does that even mean?" He asked, making an ugly face that was only saved by the fact that Gojo was absolutely gorgeous.
"An idiot in love." She explained rudely, rolling her eyes.
"Baby!"
"Wannabe Kakashi!"
He sputtered for a moment, before finding another insult. "American!"
Her gasp of offense would have made said popular girl proud.
They argued over whether American was an insult the whole way to the restaurant.
It wasn't, no matter what he said.
Not yet at least, ugh. Who knew what the future held?