"What the hell are you doing here?"

(Y/n) stood up, heart pounding at the steel in his voice.

'This isn't how it was supposed to go.'

Her voice came out quieter than she intended. "What do you mean? Of course, I came."

Gojo tilted his head slightly, as if trying to understand her, but his words were like a blade to the chest.

"This isn't your home, and this isn't your fight. Why didn't you stay away?"

The moment the words left his mouth, something inside him twisted painfully.

She shouldn't be here.

Not for this.

Not for him.

He had already made peace with the fact that his chances were slim. If Sukuna won, Gojo would die. He wasn't afraid of death itself, but of what it would do to her-to see him fall.

So he needed to push her away. To make her angry enough to leave.

Even if it killed him to do it.

But the way she looked at him-shocked, wounded-made him want to take it all back.

'Damn it, why do you always have to make this so hard?'

(Y/n) turned his words over in her mind, disbelief sinking in.

'Why is he doing this?'

"I..." She tried to speak, but her throat tightened.

Hakari pushed himself up from where he was sitting, frowning. He had taken a liking to (Y/n), and the way Gojo spoke to her didn't sit right with him.

"Hey, man, that's not how you talk to a woman. I don't care what happened between you two, but if she wants-"

Gojo didn't even look at him before shoving him aside effortlessly, his focus locked on (Y/n).

"If you can't even say why you're here, then go home."

And he turned as if it was that simple-as if she was just another loose thread he could cut away.

Her breath caught. A sharp, bitter laugh slipped out before she could stop it.

"Home?"

She swallowed hard, then lifted her head, forcing herself to meet his gaze.

"Since my parents died and I started traveling, I haven't had a home."

The words hung in the air, raw and unshakable.

"The months I spent in Tokyo, the time I was with you-that was the closest thing to home I've had in a long time."

Her voice cracked, but she kept going. "And now you're telling me I don't belong here?"

Silence.

(Y/n) inhaled deeply, steadying herself.

"I may have been born overseas, but this is my fight too. And I'll stand here whether you like it or not."

Something in Gojo cracked.

She wasn't leaving.

She was willing to fight-even die-by his side.

A part of him wanted to scream at her, to tell her that she didn't understand what she was saying. That if she stayed, she would have to watch him die.

But looking at her now, he knew-she had already accepted that possibility.

And she still wasn't backing down.

His shoulders sagged, just slightly.

Then, barely above a whisper-

"That's my girl."

The next moment, he was in front of her, crashing his lips against hers in a fierce, breath-stealing kiss.

The room erupted-cheers, laughter, teasing remarks.

"Seriously, get a room."

And just like that, they were gone.

(Y/n) barely had time to register the shift before she felt the warmth of his breath against her skin.

His voice was low, almost hesitant. "I'm sorry."

She stiffened. "For what?"

His fingers brushed a strand of hair from her face. "For pushing you away. I wanted you to stay out of this. I thought..." He exhaled sharply. "If I don't make it out of this, I didn't want you to be here to see it."

Her heart clenched. "You idiot."

Gojo let out a short, breathless laugh. "I get that a lot."

She cupped his face, forcing him to look at her. "I'm not leaving you. Not now. Not ever again."

A slow, relieved smile tugged at his lips.

"Good," he murmured, pulling her closer. "Because I don't think I'd be strong enough to let you go again."

Her hands found his shirt, pushing it from his torso, and he mirrored her, fingers tracing her skin as if relearning every inch of her.

The world outside was burning.

But right now, they needed this.

They needed each other-before stepping back into the fire.

Their clothes fell away, fabric pooling at their feet as their hands rediscovered familiar territory. (Y/n) traced the lines of his torso, fingertips brushing over firm muscle.

Gojo exhaled sharply, his own hands ghosting over her waist, up her spine, pulling her closer. Skin against skin, warmth against warmth.

"I missed you," she whispered, pressing her forehead against his.

His breath hitched. "Yeah?" A small smirk played at his lips, even as his voice wavered with something deeper. "Then show me."

She did.

Their lips met again, more deliberate this time. Slow, savoring. Every kiss, every touch, was reassurance, a claim, a promise.

Gojo lifted her effortlessly, her legs wrapping around his waist as he carried her to the nearest surface-a bed.

Their movements became urgent, desperate. The world outside was still waiting, the weight of reality pressing against the fragile walls of this moment. But here, together, they could pretend-just for a little while-that nothing else mattered.

Gojo shuddered as (Y/n) pulled him down, their bodies aligning perfectly.

"Don't hold back," she murmured against his lips.

His answer was a deep, shuddering breath before he finally gave in.

And for the first time in months, neither of them felt alone.

*

Back at the hideout, the tension that had settled over the room after Gojo's dramatic return had somewhat faded-mostly thanks to the unexpected public display between him and (Y/n).

For a moment, no one spoke. Then Hakari let out a deep sigh, rubbing the back of his head. "Man, what a way to make a comeback. Did he really have to be that dramatic?"

"It's Gojo," Yuji pointed out, crossing his arms. "Of course he did."

Shoko, who had been quietly observing everything, tapped her fingers against the table. "I was more worried he'd actually hit her for a second. He looked ready to fight anyone."

Maki scoffed. "I don't like how he talked to her. He was pissed-really pissed. And not just at her, at everything."

Hakari clicked his tongue. "Yeah, he threw me aside like I was nothing. I get that he was testing her or whatever, but damn, he wasn't holding back."

Yuta, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke. "He wasn't just testing her." His voice was quiet, thoughtful. "He was pushing her away."

Everyone turned to look at him.

Ieiri sighed, resting her chin in her hand. "Yeah... I thought the same. It's like he wanted her to give up."

Yuji frowned. "But why? If they're that close, wouldn't he want her by his side?"

Inumaki hummed in thought, tapping his fingers against his knee.

Panda crossed his arms. "Maybe he doesn't want her involved because he knows something we don't."

Shoko exhaled. "Or because he's scared."

The room went quiet at that.

Then, Hakari scoffed. "Gojo? Scared? Yeah, right."

Shoko gave him a knowing look. "You didn't see him after she left Japan."

That seemed to shut him up.

Yuji shifted uncomfortably. "Still, it didn't seem fair. She wanted to fight, and he just-" He made a vague, frustrated gesture.

Maki shook her head. "He knew she wouldn't back down, though. That's why he went so far. If he just told her to stay out of it, she wouldn't listen."

"Yeah, well, clearly that didn't work," Hakari muttered.

"Still," Yuji mused, "did they really have to teleport away just to make out?"

Inumaki made a vague hand motion. "Shake, shake."

Panda chuckled. "Pretty sure that wasn't just a make-out session, buddy."

There was a brief pause as everyone collectively realized what he meant.

"Oh, ew." Yuji groaned, covering his ears. "Nope, I don't wanna think about it."

Maki rolled her eyes. "Honestly, good for her. If she's been traveling this whole time, she probably hasn't gotten laid in-"

"Okay, moving on!" Hakari clapped his hands loudly, shutting down that train of thought. "Let's focus on the real problem: Gojo's back, and now we actually have to fight Sukuna."

The mood instantly sobered.

Yuta clenched his fists. "Yeah. We don't have much time."

Shoko dusted off her sleeve. "We should let them have this moment. It might be the last peaceful one they get."

Hours later, Gojo finally strolled into the room, looking completely refreshed-clean clothes, damp hair, and a carefree expression as if nothing had happened.

"So, how's the situation?" he asked, stretching his arms as if he'd just woken from a nap.

The group stared at him, unimpressed.

Maki crossed her arms. "Took your sweet time."

Shoko exhaled, eyeing him lazily. "Feeling relaxed?"

Gojo grinned, completely unfazed. "Oh, absolutely. Never been better."

Yuji, ever curious, blinked at him. "Wait, where's (Y/n)?"

Before anyone could answer, the door creaked open, and (Y/n) stepped in.

Her hair was still wet, strands sticking to her face, and despite the fresh set of clothes, her posture screamed awkwardness. Unlike Gojo, who carried himself with absolute ease, she hesitated for just a second before walking further in.

Silence.

Then-

Hakari smirked. "Well, well, well."

Maki leaned back. "Took her time too."

Shoko, ever the instigator, grinned. "Hope you two at least hydrated after that."

(Y/n) shot her a look. "Not. A. Word."

Gojo? He just smirked.

(Y/n) ignored the knowing glances and side comments, though her face betrayed the heat rising to her cheeks. It was one thing to lose herself in the moment with Gojo-it was another to walk back into a room full of smug sorcerers who knew exactly what had happened.

Gojo, of course, was completely unbothered, sliding into a seat like he hadn't just disappeared for some hours. He rested his chin in his palm, eyes gleaming with amusement as he observed her.

Maki arched a brow. "No snarky comeback? You're making this too easy."

(Y/n) exhaled through her nose, pinching the bridge of it. "I just got back, and you're already testing my patience. I wonder how I could handle your training"

Hakari smirked, crossing his arms. "We're just glad to see you two reunited. In every sense of the word."

Gojo chuckled, clearly enjoying the show. "Jealous?"

Hakari clicked his tongue. "Please, like I have trouble getting action."

Panda nodded. "Yeah, Hakari's on a winning streak. Meanwhile, Inumaki's still single."

Inumaki shrugged. "Shake."

Yuji looked lost. "Wait-was this whole conversation about-" He clapped his hands over his ears. "Nope! Nope! I don't wanna hear it!"

(Y/n) sighed, shaking her head. "Can we act like adults and move on?"

Shoko smirked, but relented. "Fine. We'll behave-for now."

Yuta, ever the serious one, finally brought them back to reality. "Now that Gojo's back, we need to go over our strategy." His gaze flickered to (Y/n). "I don't even know what grade you are."

The teasing atmosphere dissipated as the weight of the situation settled in again.

(Y/n) straightened, her expression shifting into something more focused. "Last time I checked, I was classified as a grade 3 sorceress."

"Pfff, sure, and pandas can fly," Panda scoffed.

Maki, however, didn't dismiss it so quickly. "I was classified as grade 3 until recently too, so I wouldn't be surprised if that's true."

"I'd put you in special grade." Gojo announced proudly.

"Hum, I don't know. I've evolved more than normal, but special grade?" (Y/n) somehow felt a strange pressure with that label.

"Sure you are," Gojo insisted. "You can even bypass my Infinity with your Domain Expansion."

Hakari let out a low whistle. "I'll be damned. That's impressive."

Yuji, who had been thinking quietly, suddenly broke in. "She even transferred cursed energy to Ieiri-san."

The room went silent for a second.

Gojo's relaxed stance didn't change, but his gaze sharpened instantly. "...She did what?"

Yuji blinked. "Yeah, when Ieiri-san was running low while healing Hana, (Y/n) gave her cursed energy to keep going. It was pretty cool."

(Y/n) felt the weight of Gojo's stare before she even looked at him. His expression hadn't changed much, but she knew him well enough to recognize the way his mind was working-fast, dissecting every possibility.

Gojo tilted his head, voice light but laced with interest. "That's a pretty handy skill. How long have you been able to do that?"

(Y/n) hesitated for a split second. She didn't want to explain, but now that it was out, she knew Gojo wouldn't let it slide. "...Ieiri was my guinea pig."

"Hey," Shoko protested lazily.

Gojo hummed, seemingly amused. "And you didn't think to mention this before?"

(Y/n) crossed her arms. "When did I have time for that?"

Gojo's smirk widened, but there was something calculating in his eyes. "Fair point. Then let's move on. We should-"

"No, hold on. This could be useful in a fight," Yuta interrupted.

(Y/n) opened her mouth to respond, but Shoko beat her to it. "I don't think it would work in combat. The transfer feels like a high-overwhelming at first-and I needed time to focus before I could actually use it."

"Exactly. Not very handy in a fight," Gojo cut in smoothly. "Let's move on."

Yuta still didn't seem fully convinced, but he trusted his sensei, so he let it drop. For now.