Y'all Need Therapy (I'm Not Qualified for this)

by DragonOfMoss

Crossposted from Ao3. SI-OC, except she's a 22 year old college student, turned 4 year old child. All she has is a psychology degree (almost), her cuteness, and a shaky, secondhand version what happened in the manga. At not quite 3 feet tall, she's got the upper body strength, but she can't NOT help these poor kids. Updated daily until caught up to Ao3. Gojo/Geto are the main ship.

21. Isekai-ed or Psychosis?

The ride back was damn near silent, and it drove her insane.

Officer Nin was tense, completely, aggressively focused on the road after they'd been safely loaded up in his police car. He had an all-in-one car seat in the back that fit her height absolutely perfectly. It still sucked, but it was probably the most comfortable car seat she'd been forcibly strapped to so far. And, her drink was still cold too, so she sipped it as they went.

Still, it was wildly uncomfortable in a way that Gojo's silly little antics weren't able to fully distract from. He tried, bless him, but it wasn't enough.

The officer had put that damn hat back on his head again, and it made her skin crawl despite knowing there was unbroken skin underneath. God, who had a phobia of hats? Kenjaku didn't even wear them in canon, he never obscured the stitches, it was her own anxiety making her worried about it.

He… really was dedicated to giving them the best possible care, whether they agreed with it or not. It was admirable, if annoying. The idea of letting them get passed by, skipped over by the system, was clearly abhorrent to him, no matter the wider benefits. Sure, Jujutsu Sorcery wasn't a cult-.

Well.

That was a matter of perspective to be quite honest. She considered it not to be, because it was real, but again, that was entirely perspective.

If he could get the whole school shut down, the kids might honestly benefit. They'd live for one thing, Suguru, Nanami, Yu-nii. Satoru would never leave, school shut down or not. The others might just get a chance. The higher ups would never let someone like Suguru go though.

The world wouldn't.

Letting the new generation be stifled would only allow cursed spirits to roam about, killing and harming people as they wished, unhindered. Officer Nin could never be allowed to take them all away from Jujutsu Society. The higher ups on both sides would likely never allow it.

She missed when she could just blindly hate him for taking her away. She hated that he had taken her away, no matter the laws. But he genuinely, naively, wanted to help them in his own stubbornly law-abiding way. It just wasn't a compatible approach, leaving both sides frustrated.

Her drink was melting again.

She didn't even have to think for a piece of her cursed energy to reach out, freezing the drink all over again, and she gave it a stir to break up the build-up of ice.

The sound of her slurping was the only sound in the car.

Horrific.

She was just not gonna be able to drink this whole thing, was she? She set it aside with a sigh. Her stupid car seat even had a fucking cupholder. It made her irrationally angry.

Gojo eventually fell quiet, unable to lift the bad mood. She felt bad, but in more ways than one.

She wanted to go home.

She sighed, and the shoulders of the safety seat were just in the right spot to rest her cheek against and stare blankly out of the window. Gojo had to lean over to do it, but he took her hand, just holding it there. Somehow, it did make her feel better.

They pulled up to the station first, and Officer Nin led them in briskly. Gojo steered her in front of him warily, but she didn't let go of his hands either, making him have to lean over her awkwardly. They might be overreacting, just a little, but knowing Officer Nin was upset was strangely unsettling. The stupid fucking hat didn't help.

Officer Nin seemed to notice it too, and his sigh was heavy. She backed up into Gojo's legs as Officer Nin slowly, painfully, dropped down to one knee to look her in the eyes. The eye contact made her eyes water almost immediately, and she dropped her eyes to the floor.

"I'm not angry at either of you," His eyes flicked up to Gojo, making clear who he was talking about, "Frustrated, annoyed, but not angry."

Ugh, she didn't want to do this right now. She didn't trust him enough to do this right now. She shifted her gaze upwards, towards the ceiling, like she could pretend he didn't exist.

"Is there anything I can do right now?" He asked, when she didn't respond.

"You can take that stupid hat off." Gojo snapped, and the Officer blinked.

"My hat?" He echoed, confused.

"Your stupid looking hat! Midori-chan clearly hates it, she gets nervous every time she looks up at it. It's not even cold out." Gojo doubled down irritably.

"My wife made me wear it." Nin said slowly. "She's worried I'll get cold."

"Well, take it off while she's here."

Slowly, Officer Nin tugged the hat off his head and tucked it into his pocket. It stuck out a lot, but it stayed.

In spite of herself, she relaxed, just a bit. It's a stupid hangup to have, but it fucking worked.

She was so stupid.

"Can I ask why you don't like hats?" He asked, and it was so gentle it pissed her off. He didn't care about her like that, he didn't get to talk to her like that, like one of the students would. She hated it.

"No!" She snapped too fast, and she couldn't keep the anger out of her tone. She didn't really care to do so anyway.

He nodded, because he was even a good sport about it too.

Bastard.

Officer Nin slowly got to his feet with a grunt that said his knees were feeling his age. How old was the guy? Graying very slightly at the edges, almost imperceptible unless she was uncomfortably close to him. Being within arm's reach of him was uncomfortably close, so it didn't say much.

It probably said something about how now she was comfortable visibly disliking him, now that the hat was gone, and he didn't register as 'able and willing to kill her' anymore. She'd never studied child psychology, or even just counseling, like her mother would've preferred, favoring criminal and forensic psychology. She had wanted to be there for the individual too, to see people as people when the law saw them as the crimes they may or may not have committed. There were enough people to help those outside the justice system. She had to help those within it, those who were already labeled as dangerous, who'd never get help like they should. Committing a crime shouldn't make a person a side thought for the rest of their life. The only people who the public usually wanted to help were the 'nonviolent' ones.

They were alike, Officer Nin and her. Trying to change things from within the confines of the law. It didn't stop the way she wished she'd never met the man, that he'd never forced his way into their home.

Gojo was watching her, smirking.

"Mood-swings much?" He taunted, and she tried to smack his leg, but she just hit Infinity.

"I'm allowed to be mad."

"You were feeling bad for him like half an hour ago."

"Well, now I hate him." She huffed.

"I see that. It's very clear."

He was patronizing her. Oh, he was patronizing the fuck out of her.

"Is it the hat thing? Is this that whole fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate thing?"

"Don't quote Star Wars at me, you bastard. Let me be mad when I feel like it." She hissed, and Gojo just grinned at her, annoyingly calm.

"I'm just saying, maybe don't tear the guy a new hole. He's trying to get better."

"Don't you hate him?" She asked, incredulous.

"We worked it out, somewhat."

Ugh. So she couldn't even complain about him with Gojo. Where was her sister to vent to when she needed her? She'd be appropriately outraged on her behalf.

Gojo seemed to sense that he had misstepped somehow. She could almost see him trying to figure out how to fix it in a way that wouldn't make her anger turn on him.

It wouldn't. She loved him. Even when he pissed her off. It didn't stop her from almost radiating rage like a pissy cat.

Officer Nin was back, and he paused, visibly analyzing the situation, eyeing her in particular.

Ugh, he should just put the fucking hat back on so she could go back to being scared of him. She hated being mad at people.

He was finished with whatever he had to do, so he led them back to the car. Gojo kept his distance this time. It just made her feel even worse, like she was a threat somehow.

She just wanted to go home.

Maybe Gojo was right about the damn moodiness, she felt like she was gonna cry now, and Gojo was staying a few steps back, giving her her space.

Her drink was waiting in the drink holder, most of the color gone, leaving mostly ice. She liked ice, so it was hardly bad, but at the moment it seemed exceedingly sad. The poor drink was wrung out, drained of all flavor, leaving just ice and remnants of what it used to be.

Was she going to cry over a drink?

Maybe.

Gojo had spotted how close she was to tears, she could see him debating whether to approach her about it or not, so she set her shoulders, wiping at her eyes, and climbed up into the stupid car seat by herself. She stared steadily at the floor and let Officer Nin buckle her in. She was fidgeting, then being completely still, alternating, and it only made her feel worse.

She's being irrational, and moody, and it would take three seconds to get a solid hug from Gojo, but the thought of asking made her feel like she was making him do something he didn't want to. No one wanted to hug a moody kid.

She just felt like shit now.

The drive to the restaurant was even quieter than the drive to the station, an uncertain sort of silence. The window was just out of reach, the car seat too restrictive to allow her to rest her head against it. She wanted the cold.

When they finally made it back to the restaurant, not quite open yet, but with a line of people forming outside, Officer Nin unbuckled her, but Gojo was the one to lift her up out of the seat. She didn't react as much as she should've, and he had to maneuver her arms around, so it wasn't bent uncomfortably. It just didn't cross her mind to do so herself until he'd already done it.

It was one of these things again.

She had to pull herself out of this somehow.

Grounding techniques, right? Like- breathing, touching something interesting, focusing on her senses.

What could she sense right now? She needed an interesting texture.

Gojo's hair had an interesting texture…

It'd be rude to do so without asking. But also, the thought of talking was abhorrent at the moment.

She stared at it instead, examining the way it moved with detached interest. Probably too late to avoid this episode. It was hard to think of strategies as it was already hitting her like a fucking truck.

Did Gojo go to the dentist as a kid? Did his clan have their own dentists? She watched his jaw move as he spoke to someone. She didn't know if the Officer had left yet, didn't feel like turning to look.

It was interesting watching Gojo talk, so she absentmindedly let her head fall until it rested on his shoulder, looking up at him. When she did, he turned to look, and upon seeing her watch him, he smiled. It didn't meet his eyes, polite if nothing else. His brows were furrowed, his lips tight, like he was upset, or pained.

Why was that, again? It wasn't really something she felt like putting the effort into figuring out.

Was he in pain though?

The thought was enough to kickstart the anxiety that was always waiting in the back of her head, watching for danger.

Gojo couldn't be hurt, could he?

He'd fought a curse with Sukuna's finger earlier. Had he been injured somehow?

She eyed him with a little more energy, just to check for any other signs of pain.

There wasn't anything visible besides the look on his face. Internal? He could heal, couldn't he? Toji had-

The sound of a door slamming shut made her flinch, but the sudden quiet, unbroken except for the sound of their breathing, made up for it in spades.

Gojo wasn't making much noise at all, just setting various items down, snacks and such that Suguru had won him, her plush and Nishinoya, who quickly trotted over and hauled himself up onto the bed, waiting for Gojo to put her down. Instead, he sat on the bed himself, arranging her carefully next to him so that she was leaning into his side.

She felt a bit like a puppet when he did that. She could have fought it if she wanted, but she just didn't have the willpower to do so. It was comfortable, at least, and warm.

"It always feels like I failed the mission somehow, whenever you're like this. I couldn't stop it." Gojo said conversationally, one arm around her shoulders. He could've been talking about the weather for all the emotion in his tone.

'It's not your fault,' She wanted to say. "It's not your fault that a four year old's brain can't handle the mind of an adult woman and all the shit that's happened, without popping some seams.'

"I don't even know what triggered it this time. You had fun, I thought, then you were a bit sad, then angry, then sad again, and now you're nothing. It doesn't make sense." He threw his one free hand in the hair, frustrated.

That's psychology, my dude. The thought was enough to make her laugh, just a little.

She'd heard lots of accounts before about what disassociation was like. Several people said it didn't feel like anything was real anymore, like they were piloting a body that they had no connection to. Like playing a first person shooter game, a little bit to the back. Amnesia wasn't uncommon either.

Her's seemed to be just going away emotionally. She's still there, things are still real, or at least as real as things ever got, she just stopped giving them a spare thought. Voices blurred with background noise, she reacted less to visual stimulus, physical touch didn't seem to matter.

"Any hints you want to give me?" He asked hopefully.

What was it one of her teachers had said? Strong smells, ice…

Probably not ice. She was already cold, the chill lingering from her earlier sadness, it wouldn't be an abrupt temperature change unless she forced it to be.

"Do you want to lay down? Maybe you'll feel better after a nap." He asked hopefully. Possible, but also a bit unlikely. It hadn't done much before. However, she did like naps, whether it helped or not.

After a moment or two of waiting for a response, Gojo started prepping for their impending nap, and when he moved away, she held her place instead of letting herself fall over. Really, she slept a lot, this was her second nap of the day. He wrestled her shoes off and dropped her on the pillows as he rearranged to covers, before tucking her in neatly. She was faintly impressed, he was doing quite well dealing with a catatonic kid.

That's it! It was a light bulb flickering on in her brain.

Catatonia. She fit a decent amount of the symptoms. Not all, but enough to be worrisome. She didn't have the DSM-5 diagnosis requirements memorized, but she had a worrying number of symptoms.

Catatonia, disorder of movement involving immobility or excited agitation. Obviously, she was the former.

Stupor, check. She was unresponsive, even to external stimuli.

Catalepsy, check. Gojo could move her around like a doll if he felt like it.

Mutism, check. She'd rather bite off her tongue than talk right now.

Negativism, check, depending on what definition you use. Some called it difficulty responding, others described it as resisting responding.

Could even maybe throw in posturing too, if she was moved into an uncomfortable position, she'd probably just stay.

Was she grimacing? She couldn't make a conscious expression right now if she tried, but she didn't think she was smiling, just staring blankly.

Of course, this could just be how the disassociation episode affected her, not Catatonia at all. Considering Catatonia was quite often part of disorders like schizophrenia, or psychotic disorders, dissociation would be the best case scenario.

She was, however, convinced that she was actually a twenty two year old woman. And that she was in an anime and had been sent there after she died. And that there was a secret magical world that no one except those who were 'special' could see.

Because that made so much sense.

She wouldn't even know if she was experiencing psychosis. She'd never questioned whether or not this whole thing was real. Sure, she'd been disbelieving, but never thought she was genuinely delusional.

She might not be able to tell reality from what she believed was happening. The two might not even be one and the same. It was sickening, and terrifying, and the blankness in her brain was dulling the worst of it.

Damn, way to knock her from one hell of an episode right into a panic attack. She didn't even escape the damn episode, the anxiety and panic that reached her was hazy at best, soaking through the cotton between her mind and her body, but it was enough to get her to curl up into a tight ball, hands tangling in her hair and curling into claws that dug into her skin until Gojo pulled them away. It wasn't even a conscious decision to do so, just a reaction to the sudden emotions she couldn't find the energy to try and subdue.

It kinda felt like the emotional equivalent of eating a mint and a ghost pepper at the same time. Terrified physically, mentally hazy and blank, intersecting and overlapping in places. What was that Tumblr post she'd read a long time ago, the one about hellfire? Sounded perfect for her current situation. Emotional hellfire.

It did force a certain amount of awareness upon her, through a haze that made articulation and conscious control over her body near impossible.

Catatonia.

She wasn't rigid, exactly, but this whole thing wasn't close enough to disassociation for her liking.

She needed an outside perspective for this. Once she was able to move consciously again.

Gojo was hugging her to his chest, his arms holding hers in place, stopping her from clawing at herself in an uncontrolled panic. She'd have to do something nice for him later. He looked so distressed by this whole thing, his breathing harsh, jaw clenched. He was probably saying something, trying to reassure her, but she couldn't hear a damn thing besides her own breath, her own heartbeat.

She couldn't do much when she started hyperventilating, gasping for air against the weight that was pushing on her chest. It was strange to be so aware and yet completely uncontrolled during a panic attack. She should try to breathe deep, but instead she just watched as her vision started to tinge black, her hands tingling interestingly.

It wasn't a surprise when her vision went completely black. She could still hear her ragged breathing, better now that she didn't have any visual stimulus that her limited brain capacity was split between.

She was about to lose consciousness. Nothing was pulling her out of this tailspin. Gojo didn't know how to, and she wasn't currently capable of it.

Gojo was saying something, wow, she could hear him a bit now, clearly trying to make his tone reassuring, but there was an edge of fear to his voice that was out of place. Gojo Satoru, frightened by a four year old child's mental health crisis. If only Kenjaku knew, he just needed to kidnap and traumatize a few kids to stress Gojo the fuck out. Not even any special grade cursed spirits! She giggled, between frantic breaths.

She was still laughing about it when she passed out.

She woke back up all at once, though her episode hadn't abated yet. That cotton was still there the emotions leaking through, leaving stains. Some part of her was still panicking, the rest of her passively calm.

Ieiri was there, bending down over her, and Gojo was at her back. Likely, he'd panicked when she lost consciousness and teleported them both to the first person he thought could help. It was sweet, though she could feel another panic attack starting to build. Apparently the Universe decided that today was too good of a day. It hadn't even been that good of a day, too much shit had happened.

Ieiri's cursed energy kept her from losing consciousness again, even when her second panic attack began, making her hyperventilation continue once again. Gojo's hand snapped out and stopped hers dead as her hand went towards her head again.

Looks like everyone was just gonna have to ride this out, because that horrible feeling of panicked terror was only getting harder to hide away from. Apparently, this episode, whatever it was, wasn't destined to last quite as long as the other one had.

Which meant that she had to face this damn panic attack much more personally. She could feel the damn disassociation thingy slipping away, more senseless terror seeping in through the cracks it left.

She needed a plan. Step one, don't pass out again. Step two, stop this parade of panic attacks. Was it multiple or just one long unending-

Focus.

Plan.

Step 3, hugs? Alright, shaky plan, but she could work with it.

There was approximately four seconds between when she regained the wherewithal to actually move and when the panic attack made her curl into a tight little ball, fingers trying to claw at her face. During the four seconds, she pulled away from Gojo, looked to Ieiri, and said with a cool tone that didn't match her emotions at all, "I'm about to scream at the top of my fucking lungs."

It was nice to give warning before making very loud noises, after all.

She screamed until she ran out of breath, maybe eight seconds or so.

Suguru was in the doorway about six seconds after her scream ended. His hair was down, he wasn't in his uniform, instead in more relaxed clothes.

"What the hell?" Suguru shouted, immediately rounding on Gojo and Ieiri, who were both frozen there in moderate degrees of shock.

It was still harder to breathe, a weight on her chest, but she wasn't hyperventilating anymore, so the black that was threatening to take over had faded. Her plan was successful. She didn't feel quite so much like she was about to lose consciousness again.

"She passed out, so I brought her here." Gojo explained quickly, hands up as if proclaiming his innocence.

"I just kept her from passing out again. She started moving around of her own accord and then she said she was going to scream. As you could tell, she did." Ieiri explained, much more calmly.

"I feel better." She piped up, but her voice caught in her throat and the final word never made it out, instead swallowed up by a coughing fit that had Ieiri rush over, forcing her to straighten into a position that was more helpful for breathing.

But god if her presence didn't make things feel worse. It wasn't fucking fair, Ieiri was helping, genuinely helping. She felt terrible about it, but it was really bringing back negative memories of- something.

She didn't want a second full-blown breakdown so she shoved it as far away as she could, growling like a damn dog whenever it tried to claw its way up. Gojo had moved over to take Ieiri's place, which meant she could focus on him now instead. Safe, comfortable, not at all threatening.

She leaned so heavily into his arms that he was the only thing keeping her upright, shaking like a puppy witnessing its first thunderstorm. Never quite sure when the next loud window-rattling noise would leave her trembling and disoriented.

"You're back with us?" Gojo asked warily.

"Yeah. Mostly. Still feel pretty bad, like I'm waiting for the next one, but I have emotions again. That sucked." She said emphatically, and Gojo's face said 'no fucking kidding' without having to say a single word.

"Hug?" She asked, after a short silence. Gojo and Suguru seemed to be communicating silently, or professing their undying love for each other. It was a toss-up between the two, that eye contact was loaded. At her words, Suguru stepped forward and scooped her up and she immediately moved to bury her face in the side of his neck. He wasn't quite sure where to put his hands, overthinking the whole thing, and she waited patiently until he finally settled on a pose, one arm holding her body up, so she wasn't hanging from his neck and the other at the back of her head. Ten outta ten, fantastic placement. She'd fall asleep right here if she didn't need the processing time.

Steps two and three complete, simultaneously even. What better to calm her down, break the vicious cycle, than relaxing in Suguru's arms? Her panicked heart-rate was already starting to calm, along with her cursed energy.

"What happened?" Gojo asked eventually, when she'd settled. Ieiri kept her distance, occasionally fluttering over to make sure she wasn't actively dying at the moment before moving away just as quickly.

"I don't know. I was mad, and then really sad, and I wanted to cry but Mr. Officer was there, and I didn't want to cry in front of him, so I just stared out the window and tried to pretend I wasn't sad at all, and then it was that thing again, then I got a panic attack on top of it. I couldn't do anything, so I couldn't fix my breathing, and I passed out."

"Anything more detailed?" Ieiri asked, "anything specific that you were focused on during the panic attack?"

"Felt like I was going crazy I guess," Suguru's arms tightened around her slightly, "Doubted whether everything was real."

"And now?"

"I dunno. It sure seems like everything's real." But she wouldn't know if what she saw was just what she believed the truth to be.

"I can see through illusions. It's definitely real." Gojo offered, and she sighed. It wasn't like that, though she appreciated the attempt.

What she was afraid of was that this whole thing wasn't real, just some hallucination she'd deluded herself into believing. It felt… unrealistic, to be honest. This was a lot to hallucinate at once. Maybe her panic attack had just freaked her out a bit. That was a potential symptom, right? Feeling like you were dying, losing control, or going crazy. She usually just felt like she was dying, a not unfamiliar sensation that compounded things, not that she was going crazy, but there was a first time for everything.

It's the possibility that scared her the most.

She needed to stop thinking about this. No, actually, she's done thinking about this.

She needed music, to take action, do something, or to rip her own eyes out, and one of those was far more permanent than the rest, so she scrambled out of Suguru's arms to her feet just to pace.

"I need to do something besides think." She said finally, when Gojo squatted down to look her in the eyes, watching her pace with agitation. He blinked, his eyes flicking around for something, and vanished for about three seconds, returning with her DS in hand. It was red when he turned it on, but there was actually a game in it, for some reason.

She looked at it, bewildered. Where'd the game come from?

Gojo noticed her confusion.

"I found you a game a bit ago, I felt bad after the store… so I just grabbed one I thought you'd like."

Animal Crossing: Wild World, the screen said, and she blinked at it. Seriously, there was Animal Crossing, but no Mario Kart?

"I guess the game store I took you to was pretty out of stock, and behind the times too, there were way more options at the other one. I'll take you there next time." Gojo explained, looking faintly embarrassed, his hand rubbing the back of his head.

Was Mario Kart out now?

Did she freak out that day for absolutely no reason?

Whatfucking year was it for goodness sake? 2005 or 2006? Did it even matter? It was one of the two, was she just slow? Had Yaga told her before? She was going insane, she couldn't even remember the fucking year.

Focus.

Animal Crossing.

She tapped at the screen with her finger, and Gojo reached around the back to hand her the stylus. She'd never played Animal Crossing before, new or old. Her sister had, but she just never got particularly interested.

If she remembers right, she chose between also getting Animal Crossing like her sister had, or getting the newest Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. She chose Pokémon. She had no regrets. It just wasn't her type of game, or at least it never seemed like it.

Still, the new game was successfully taking her attention off of her rapidly declining mental health, so she called it effective.

God, she needed a therapist. Someone who she could tell about this whole Isekai thing without any judgment, or any horse in the race, and who wouldn't get the information tortured out of them by force.

Meaning no one.

At this point, she might honestly tell Gojo. If only it wouldn't change everything if she did. Future knowledge was one thing. They still saw her as a kid, just one who knew too much. She wanted to be taken seriously, to have her decisions respected. But if they started treating her like an adult…

She'd never liked being touched as an adult. Strangers, friends, there had been a weight, a meaning to touches that hadn't been there when she was younger. Female friends and family were tolerable, but stranger's touch, especially a man's, made her cringe. It wasn't trauma, she hadn't been raped, or groped, or assaulted. It just was her. Knowing men, or even women, could see her as something sexual was sickening, but she couldn't do anything to stop it. She just kept herself covered, kept a distance, and went on her way.

She liked being a child again, as infuriating, as dangerous as it was occasionally. She could hug and touch people freely, the weight was gone. It felt safe again. Even knowing the risk was still there, if dramatically lessened, it didn't eliminate that security.

Part of her dreaded growing up, knowing that weight would return, that eventually she wouldn't be able to take a nap next to one of the students without it feeling wrong, that fear returning. She hated that it would just come, there wasn't anything she could do to stop it.

Either she aged and ended up alone, or she died before it ever happened. God, were those really her only two options?

Gojo flicked her on the forehead, hard, making her jolt. Her DS was blinking red now. it needed to be charged. She should… do something about that.

"You better save." He warned, a wisdom borne of years of experience she'd bet.

"The universe thought I was having too good of a day today, Satoru-nii." She said, hunting for the way to save. Maybe the start button?

"Did it?" He asked, bemused.

"Why else would that just happen for no reason?" She complained.

"Maybe the doctor's visit where you hid in a cabinet for half an hour had some aftereffects?" He asked wryly.

Right. That had indeed happened in the morning. Then, she ate mediocre pasta, tormented a homophobic woman, saw everyone from Jujutsu High that she'd been missing, got lost in a crowd, took a nap while Suguru and Satoru fought a special grade, had fun at the arcade, and then got dragged home.

"Maybe I just need to relax for the rest of the day." She said consideringly.

"You're not leaving your room for the rest of the day." Gojo said immediately.

"Food?"

"Except for food."

"Bathroom." Her voice was slightly teasing.

"And bathroom breaks." Gojo sighed, exasperated, making her laugh. There was a look of pride on his face, like he'd accomplished something by making her laugh.

She loved him. She never had a brother, but she thinks that if she had, they wouldn't have held a candle to all the new ones she'd gained here. Gojo, Yu-nii, Junpei, to a lesser extent, Nanami, despite his nervousness around her. She knew if she needed help, he'd be there without hesitation.

Suguru wasn't her older brother so much as her partner in crime, she wasn't sure enough on where she stood with him to call him her brother yet. The potential remained, though she was too much his therapist for that to work right now. He needed his own therapist, and then they could be fucked up children together.

If anyone could empathize with what she was going through now it was him. She didn't doubt his anxiety tore away at him, not with his (lackluster) handling of his intrusive thoughts.

Gojo picked her up, sighing a little. It wasn't intentional, she just kept losing herself in her thoughts, but she knew he was probably on the lookout for another episode. Probably expecting one too, given how things had gone lately. She honestly expected one too.

"We should get back if you're feeling better." Gojo said reluctantly.

She shook her head. "You should take an hour. Geto-san can watch me. You should take a break while you can."

Gojo sighed. "You don't have to worry about me, Midori-chan."

Yeah right. She'd worry about him no matter what.

Ieiri spoke up. "You should rest, Satoru. It won't do her any good if you're so stressed you miss things."

"I agree. Don't forget how that man nearly got one over on you. Don't overwork yourself. She's safe here, take a break, play some video games or something." Suguru encouraged, the distaste in his tone clear when he spoke of Toji. He'd never hurt Suguru in this timeline, but he'd still managed to nearly kill her, and he had pushed Gojo hard. Keeping him on edge, keeping him stressed, all had led to him making crucial mistakes. She didn't have the future knowledge to help him now, anything that happened would be completely new.

Gojo sighed, rolling his eyes skywards.

"Fine. If Oba-chan and Oba-san call the police because we're not there again, I'm blaming you." He said to Suguru, who just tilted his head and smiled, that foxlike smile he always had.

Gojo plucked her DS from her, which had still been blinking red, presumably to put it on the charger. Responsible. A compliment and a sad observation. He's not as carefree as he should be, he's grown too serious. She's going to have to do something about that, something to lighten his burdens. He's a kid too.

She watched him leave with visible reluctance, like a parent leaving their baby in someone else's care for the first time, and she made sure to wave goodbye just to try and reassure him.

God, he was probably gonna stand outside the damn room and stare through the walls.

"Could you make him actually leave?" She asked, exasperated, and Suguru nodded, approaching the door with purpose. She heard sudden footsteps, indicating Gojo had run away, finally, just before Suguru could lecture him. Smart.

What now?

Suguru looked just as unsure, like he was waiting for her to pick something to do. Ieiri was filling out some paperwork, leaning on her one elbow, leaning over the table. Was that her name at the top? She couldn't quite tell, it was too far and upside-down.

Apparently she would have to take the lead here, because Suguru was clearly clueless.

"Want to sit in the movie room for a while?" She asked slowly, and he nodded, too quickly. He seemed uncertain, like she was suddenly foreign.

In a way she was. It had been days and already she was disgustingly paranoid, disassociating, or worse, panic attacks often. She hadn't realized how safe Jujutsu Highschool felt until she left it.

Just before the door shut, Ieiri called out, "Don't forget to eat!"

Right. Food. How long has it been? Time was blending together. It seemed to have been weeks since she had last been here.

"Onigiri?" She asked out-loud and Suguru nodded, a curse springing to life besides him without a glance sideways and the most horrific monkey she'd ever laid eyes on, no less than seven joints per limb, started walking towards the cafeteria. Its arms dragged limply behind it, its legs far in front of it as it bent backwards, its impractical number of joints unable to hold itself upright enough to stand straight. Horrific, truly horrific, and a horrid mix of yellow and brown, the color of dried blood. Its expression, when she had been able to see it, had been locked in a look of agony, its jaw hanging bonelessly open too far to be anything but dislocated.

It walked like that game, the one where people were all jelly-legged and flailing arms, and you try to push your friends off high places or in front of cars. She'd never be able to watch videos about it again, she'd always see this thing.

Suguru didn't give it a sidelong glance, completely sure that the curse was doing as he wanted, so she hurried after him. Creepy little thing. She missed the dog, at least it looked semi-cute. For a curse. Her Doomslug was the cutest, of course.

They reached the movie room quickly, and she immediately threw herself on the beanbag. Nishinoya wasn't here, Gojo hadn't grabbed him when he teleported her, so she called Doomslug instead, cradling her in the crook of her arm like a baby.

"What's that?" Suguru asked, aghast.

"Doomslug."

"I mean, what's it doing here?" He asked sharply.

"It's my shikigami."

"You have a shikigami?" He asked, frowning. One of his hands went to his hip, his body language shifting right to stern. Was he pouting? She wasn't sure what she did to deserve that particular look.

"Satoru-nii caught her for me."

"He picked… this?" Suguru asked, eyeing the happy little slug in her arms. Doomslug was rubbing her face against her jaw, like an affectionate cat. Doomslug clung to her clothing, inching closer, so she could get closer, leaving ever increasing layers of slime on her face and neck. It was an overstimulation nightmare, making her feel like she was getting slathered in mud, but she could tolerate it for now.

"Doomslug is a valuable addition to my arsenal, even if she can't fight!" She argued.

Suguru stared at her.

"How?" He asked finally, giving Doomslug a little poke. Doomslug squirmed.

Oh.

"…Emotional support? Yeah, emotional support. And slime! Very useful, slime." She threw out, trying and failing to sound confident.

As she spoke, Doomslug overbalanced as she inched closer and fell from her shoulder, hitting the floor with a wet splat sound and a startled cry.

"I see." The sarcasm, god. Doomie was just having an off day!

"Satoru-nii was going to kill her! She looked so scared, I had to save her!" She finally said.

"I see." Somehow, he was even more unimpressed.

Sure, maybe she could've gotten a 'cooler' shikigami, even with just a little searching. But, Doomslug would've died. It wasn't her fault she wasn't impressive enough for most sorcerers to care about. She didn't need to be impressive to be worth protecting.

Doomslug was looking up at her from the floor, seemingly completely content. Not a single light in the house was on, the house was empty, Doomslug simply haunting it. Not two brain cells to rub together. Probably bounced around her brain like a windows screensaver. She loved her so much.

She flipped herself over to lie on her stomach, dangling a hand down to tease Doomslug. The little curse went into hunting mode immediately, her pupils narrowing into little slits, and she tried to lunge up to bite at her fingers only to fail because she was still on her back. Doomslug just did little crunches, her little body straining to reach her dangling fingers. She dropped her hand quickly, scratching Doomslug's belly for a second before yanking her hand away before she could react.

"She's quite friendly, isn't she?" Suguru noted, a bit wondering. He leaned down, teasing Doomslug along with her, letting his fingers dangle within reach and yanking them away.

Doomslug's charms clearly worked wonders. It took like a minute for Suguru to fall for her. He was on his knees now, a slight grin on his face as he played with her shikigami.

Doomslug was a perfect comforting companion, practically a psychiatric service dog. The autistic kids would either love or hate her. Like a slimy sensory toy.

"What did you do to bind her?"

"Satoru-nii made the circle and all, I just gave her her instructions. I asked her to be my friend and to not hurt anyone I didn't ask her to."

"So, no chance that she might grow to be useful in battle." Suguru concluded, tickling Doomslug on her head, making the curse let out the cutest fucking sound she'd ever heard. A squeak, a high pitched rumbling purr, the sound of an angel smiling, she had no way to describe it besides the instant need for violence it filled her with. She wanted to squeeze Doomslug until she popped.

She took a deliberate, deep breath. The cuteness aggression was real.

Suguru looked equally affected, his expression dark, and he withdrew his hands with deliberate care.

"You can't kill her. Satoru-nii said he did a really strong binding spell, he said she couldn't die unless I did."

"Seal."

"Eh?"

"It's a seal, not a spell."

She waved it off, "Whatever. Don't be afraid of hurting her. It's just cuteness aggression. Your brain thinks she is so cute it gets overwhelmed and loops around into aggression. I get it too, she's just so cute, I want to squeeze her until she pops!."

"She's not even that cute." He said, marveling, but he relaxed visibly.

"I think it's ugly cute. Like a pug. It's somewhat the big wide eyes, and the immediate trust. She's just like a slimy baby."

Suguru seemed to be considering it, scooping Doomslug up to hold him like he would a baby. The loving look that Doomslug gave him, cuddling deeper into his arms, made Suguru look away sharply. God, Doomslug was so fucking cute.

She laughed.

"Shush." He chastised, but the slight smile on his face remained.

The door opened after a few moments of scrabbling and Suguru's curse marched in, four onigiri clutched in its hands. As she suspected, eternal agony was indeed its default expression.

She took the onigiri warily. Rationally, she knew it wouldn't attack her. Suguru wouldn't allow it. Even if he did lose control, there was no way it would reach her before he dismissed it or just killed it where it stood.

Still creepy. If it wasn't shorter than her, it'd be absolutely horrifying. God, did they come in large sizes?

The curse vanished, dismissed by Suguru now that it's job was done.

Only one of the onigiri was bonito flakes. The others were, ugh, tuna mayo.

She'd just eat the bonito flake one. She left the rest out for Suguru.

Suguru was still playing with Doomslug, entranced by the little curse's… everything, most likely. She was a cutie, for sure. At least someone appreciated Doomslug besides her. She'd sat back down on the beanbag to watch. If Doomslug could run, she would be zipping back and forth. As it was, she was flailed wildly, playfully nipping at Suguru's taunting fingers.

"I agreed to tell Satoru-nii about the future." She said eventually, and Suguru nodded, suddenly somber. Doomslug caught his fingers and gnawed on them for several seconds before he pulled away, covered in slime. Did she even have teeth?

"How'd he react?" Suguru asked, a bit breathlessly.

"I didn't tell him yet," she assured him, "just agreed to when we get back. Being in close proximity is not conducive to secret keeping, at all. He keeps being amazing and I just want to tell him everything!"

She took a breath, just to calm herself. She felt antsy not being able to see him right now, his absence making her skin crawl. Just the reminder that he was missing, when her eyes automatically shifted around as she spoke, looking for him, was discomforting.

"He knows, or at least he's got a lot of evidence for what my seal does. It doesn't seem to be related to my whole," she waved her hand vaguely, "precognition and all, but it might give him more information. Besides that, he's my lifeline right now, and that won't go away just by getting back home."

"Right… Those dreams," he was stalling, clearly searching for the right words, "are they scary?"

"Um. Yeah, I guess. I'm usually more sad though, it's not like I'm there, just watching." She said uncertainly.

"Sad?" He asked questioningly, clearly trying to get her to elaborate. Classic conversation trick. She'd let him win this for now, but she wasn't afraid of letting the conversation stop.

"People die. Satoru-nii, you, Nanami, Yu-nii, Yaga-s-" her voice broke a little in the last part. She wasn't going to start crying again, she was gonna wither away if she did, perish of fucking dehydration. What a way to go.

Suguru was staring at her helplessly as she struggled not to cry, so she waved him over. He nearly launched himself out of his chair to get to her, his outstretched hands almost screaming 'I don't know what to do' so she held her arms out, requesting a hug. He responded in an instant, dropping to his knees, and by instinct he started to stroke his hand through her hair soothingly.

"I guess it's scary to think about failing to change it." She admitted, her voice wavering. She was so sick of crying all the time, she just wanted-

To go home.

Here she was though, and it wasn't any better. She still had to leave again. How long had it been? How long did she have left?

"You shouldn't have to see that." Suguru finally said lowly, and she could see him clenching his jaw, angry on her behalf.

She laughed in spite of herself. It came out far more disbelieving than she intended it too, making his eyes lock onto her face instantly.

He tilted his head, a silent question. There was concern on his face, but it made her want to shriek at the top of her lungs. He didn't have the resources to fight her demons right now, he had his own problems to focus on. She stayed quiet.

Doomslug wandered over, sensing the mood, and rolled right onto her back, waving her foot-like appendages in the air. Was she trying to diffuse the situation?

"Midori?"

The lack of a title caught her attention, it made his sentence feel unfinished. He had bent his head down slightly, leaning over to look at her levelly. He wanted to push, she could read it on his face, the way he almost started to open his mouth, drawing a breath as if to speak, but he stayed silent too.

How did she explain that she'd watched Jujutsu Kaisen for fun? How she'd seen Junpei, the same little boy who spent what little time he had with her to win her a toy so she wouldn't be as sad, killed and hadn't even cried? She'd been horrified, upset, but she hadn't shed a tear. Not even Nanami's death had caused more than tears prickling at her eyes, too transfixed on the screen, on witnessing Yuji's horrific pain, to do much more than that?

It took a single misstep from her, a tiny change that grew wings and wreaked havoc on the world. Their futures weren't promised either, she wasn't fighting fate, and so she had no guarantees that her future knowledge was even accurate anymore. A domino falling in the wrong direction could kill someone, Nanami, Yu-nii, anyone. She felt like a half-blind bull in a China shop, trying desperately to find the right path that would damage the least.

"I've been studying historical references on people with prophetic dreams, did you know?" Suguru asked, interrupting her train of thought. He was rocking her gently, having moved to a standing position. It was soothing. She hadn't noticed him standing up.

"Usually, it occurs around the age of five or six, and lasts for as little as a few months to the child's early teenage years. If it doesn't abate by then, the visions will continue for life. You're quite young to be having them. The vast majority actually forget their dreams shortly after having them, often needing to write them down quickly to have any usefulness, and children had that problem most of all. It mirrors night terrors, so it can go unnoticed for a while if the child never says anything." He was rambling on and on, like there was something he was avoiding.

"I don't though." She said, softly.

"You don't." He agreed.

Because she's nothing but a liar.

"Did you know about three quarters of all people with prophetic dreams commit suicide?"

Oh.

"Even young children. It's thought to be the combination of stress, the nightmares, and lack of sleep caused by the onslaught of visions. Others, more traditional, say it's because the child was cursed to death, pushing them to a breaking point. In more recent times, such dreams were considered to be the cause of cursed spirits. Parents would seek help from strong sorcerers, seeking to end the dreams or just to allow their children a good night's sleep. The children would waste away from constant stress, hide from their own family, or get trapped in their sleep, unable to wake up from their visions. Some villages would kill children who showed their abilities, calling it mercy. The eldest reported prophet, of all the different methods of seeing the future, had prophetic dreams. He died by his own hand a day before his thirtieth birthday."

That really sucked. She knew that having future knowledge sucked, and she'd gotten hers the pleasant way.

She didn't have them though. He didn't need to worry about her at all. She was fine. She wasn't about to kill herself. Knowing her luck, she'd get thrown in a different anime, one more Horror than Shonen.

"Knowing the future is a heavy burden," God, he got that right, "It isn't one you can bear on your own. If nothing else, tell Satoru now, before you leave."

But her plan? She couldn't ruin her plan. She'd put a lot of thought into it.

"You have to have someone who knows what to look for. You're not doing well, Midori. Satoru knows it, Haibara-kun knows it, I know Yaga-sensei is damn close to panicking about not being was enou-"

"They aren't going to stonewall him anymore. Officer Nin's higher ups are going to assure it." She interrupted to say, and Suguru paused, not nearly as happy at the news as he should've been.

"That's- that's good, but Midori, we're all-"

She didn't need a damn intervention. She struggled against him, trying to get down and march her ass out of there. She'd hang out with Ieiri in the medical room.

Of course, she couldn't worm her way out of this lecture.

"I have had a really rough day today, I'm done. I want to take a very long nap and wake up feeling much better."

Her tone shouldn't be so angry, but it was, and she couldn't muster up the willpower to change it.

"We're worried. Satoru brought you to Shoko, he was so scared, and he knows you're frightened of her. He was scared it was a seizure or something, your cursed energy was going crazy. It didn't want him to touch you."

Ugh, time to not think about that for a while. She doesn't need the extra bit of mystery, she doesn't need more clues, she just needs a bit of peace and quiet.

"I just need a break. Kenjaku's out there, I can't get a moment's rest without feeling like he's watching me from the crowd. I was ready to either run away screaming or start a fight with Officer Nin because he was wearing a hat, and it freaked me out. I'm only panicking all the time because it feels like I'm getting stalked every hour of the day. Satoru-nii is the only reason I haven't been snatched off the street, by the evilest brain in existence or by the misogynistic old man parade."

She was too angry, he didn't deserve it, but he wasn't even reacting, he was just standing there.

"That doesn't mean we're wrong to worry, it just explains why." He said coolly.

"Put me down."

To his credit, as uncharitable as she was feeling right now, she could give him credit, he set her down immediately. He kept his hands on her shoulders, dropping to one knee to look her more directly in the face.

"Please, tell Satoru. Letting him know about Kenjaku, it'll only help him protect you better."

"Fine." She agreed, with absolutely no intention of doing so. His eyes narrowed suspiciously, but he didn't argue.

"I'll be texting him tomorrow to work out a better plan, I don't want to find out that you've lied to me."

Damn.

Her mulish face made Suguru smile slightly, the jerk.

"You should come too then. This involves you nearly as much as it does me, if I tell him about the prison realm thing." She challenged, tilting her head to look him directly in the eye.

"Of course." He nods, notably more hesitant than he was earlier, that slight smile turning into a frown. Clearly, he didn't like the idea of being present for that particular reveal. Too bad. She was not telling Gojo his boyfriend was supposed to turn evil, die at his hands, and then get his body piloted by an even more evil guy, without some backup. Said boyfriend for one.

He'd just go find Suguru anyway, she might as well spare Gojo the effort. Hopefully, Suguru being there, alive and mostly well, would keep Gojo from stressing out too badly.

Ugh, she hates it when plans get changed. She thought she had more time to plan, once the situation calmed down.

She should just call him Satoru, as weird as it felt. Suguru was Suguru now, not Geto, it felt weird to call one boy by their first name and not the other.

Things were awkward now, the loaded silence weighing heavily in the air. She kept her gaze on the floor. Suguru followed suit, eventually taking a seat with her, idly pinching and twisting a blanket between his fingers.

When Satoru was ready, he'd find them. She didn't begrudge him any extra time he might need, it must be a relief to shed all the extra responsibility he'd been shouldering.

She laid down eventually, and Doomslug crawled over to her, worming her way in until she was cuddled right against her face, almost wrapping around it. It was slimy and uncomfortable, but nice all the same.

She was out within minutes, somehow.

Suguru was watching anxiously as she woke, like he was waiting for her to start screaming and crying. She hadn't even been sleeping deep enough to dream.

She had the childish urge to stick her tongue out at him.

She didn't, but she had the urge.

Goj- Satoru was there, watching in the doorway. Something that was always huddled in the back of her head relaxed, the tension leaving her shoulders. He looked better, a bit more relaxed. Hopefully he'd had time for a good nap too.

"Suguru's making me tell you my secret now." She said, pointing at said boy. Gojo tensed like a startled cat before lighting up brighter than a Christmas tree.

"Now?" He asked, and his grin was wild, his whole body language tense like he was restraining himself. She'd seen similar in cats who had just spotted their prey.

"River?" She asked, and didn't get a moment's preparation before he was pouncing. Suguru made it just in time, getting dragged along with them as Satoru teleported them, and Satoru just stood there when they all landed, blinking owlishly at Suguru.

They were in the forest again, and she was surprised to see the orange in the sky as the sun was setting. The ground was muddy, clinging to her shoes, and the river was churning, full in a way that said it had rained recently.

"Why-" Satoru started to ask, sounding angry, but Suguru started talking instead.

"Midori-chan wanted me to come with her." Suguru explained, looking noticeably nauseated. If he was gonna throw up, she hoped she was close enough to at least keep his hair out of his way. His hair was down, maybe slightly below his collarbone. Enough to get in his face if he threw up though.

"Don't grab on like that! You could've been disintegrated or ripped in half or something!" Satoru snaps, getting over his surprise and vaulting right over into fear-induced anger.

"You're just going to teleport her without so much as a warning? You know she's been stressed recently, you're just going to scare her!" Suguru snapped back, retaliating.

Boys, no, you're both too pretty and in love with each other to be angry at each other!

"I'm fine." She said, but their little spat mostly downed out her words. She'd always had volume issues, a timid, anxious personality combined with excellent hearing letting her go unheard often. Work was easier, when she had a role to play.

"Stop fighting, no one's hurt!" She tried again, louder.

What would make them stop?

Crying?

Dare she pull out her most manipulative move? It was such a cliche though… Ugh, she'd feel so dirty. She wasn't gonna cry on purpose, it'd just turn real, and she'd be sobbing like a little kid on the muddy ground.

Now Satoru was… yelling about shoes?

This might not be as big of a problem as she feared. Were they just airing grievances now? Honestly, her heart was pounding in her ears, she couldn't make out a whole lot, but things were settling down slowly, the fire fading.

She was shaking like a leaf. Her icy cold cursed energy really did a number on her in stressful situations.

Satoru looked incredibly guilty suddenly, and was in her face, picking her up and hugging her close. He might be saying something, her ears were ringing.

Her cursed energy was buzzing, sending power to her deadened limbs, ready to run or to fight. It was probably more than a little freaked out by two people so powerful acting so aggressively. She knew they wouldn't hurt her even if they did fight, but did her cursed energy know it?

"It's okay. They won't hurt me. I swear that they won't." She said out loud. She didn't even focus on the words, her attention on her cursed energy. Could it hear her? If it even was alive, like Satoru said.

Her cursed energy went still all at once, and it hit her like a dizzy spell; she might have fallen if Satoru wasn't there holding her up. It resumed circulating just as fast, slower this time, less forcefully.

Satoru's eyes were locked on her, completely unblinking and dead silent. He held her out in front of him and leaned closer, searching for something, until his forehead literally hit her stomach.

"Huh." Is all he fucking said after staring a hole through her skin for a solid minute. He set her down carefully, like he was handling a loaded bomb. Her cursed energy was getting jerky, surging and slowing erratically. She'd even call it anxious. She would be too if she was a sentient bundle of negative energy trapped in a four year old, getting stared down by Satoru Gojo. Fuck it, she was anxious, he wasn't fucking explaining anything yet.

"Huh?" She asked, trying to beg with her eyes for him to just explain himself.

"Definitely sentient." He finally concluded.

"No kidding. It can hear me too."

"What?" Suguru asked, eyes flicking between them, confused.

"My cursed energy. It's sentient. Oh, Geto-san, if I ever get transformed or have it tear itself from my skin, or I don't know, give birth to an evil cursed spirit because of the seal, I give you full permission to eat it. Actually, I beg of you, eat it please."

Suguru was lost, looking back and forth between them like they'd both started speaking in tongues.

"Midori-chan, you'd betray your own child like that?" Satoru's voice was teasing, but his smile was strained.

"Why are you making that face?" she asked suspiciously instead of replying. He looked away conspicuously, "Satoru-nii, why are you making that face?"

"It's… more alive than I'd like it to be."

"More alive? How can it be more alive?" She asked with alarm.

"You might be a vessel of some sort? In the weirdest way possible. And to the most benevolent cursed spirit I've ever seen. Maybe the seal leashes it?" He sounded uncertain, and it was horribly unpleasant to hear.

"Vessel." She said blankly. If she'd been able to add in any inflection, it might have successfully been a question, but her voice was emotionless. Her cursed energy was strangely coiled around the pit of a seal in her stomach, like it was trying to protect itself.

"Vessel?" Suguru asked, his voice sharp with concern. Satoru nodded, still transfixed by whatever he could see with his Six Eyes.

"Could it take over?" She asked first, and he made a so-so gesture. The way the cursed energy stilled once again was even more telling.

"It probably could," he said consideringly, "but it says something that it hasn't yet. I told you before, it's definitely trying to protect you."

"Are they gonna execute me?" She'd rewatched season one plenty, wasn't that why Yuji was immediately supposed to be exorcized? Part of some code or rulebook or something, she's pretty sure Megumi had mentioned it.

"Over their dead bodies." Satoru answered without hesitating. She's pretty sure the idiom didn't go that way, but given who was saying it, it was a fact either way.

"Right. Okay. I'm done with this for now. Can we move on?" She asked finally with cheer, a bit too quickly.

Satoru paused, like he was confused.

"No more questions?"

"Nope. I'm shoving this in the closet till I'm home. We'll figure it out later."

"…Okay?" He said, making a face. Confused, a little annoyed maybe, but that might just be her, definitely concerned.

"I can't stress out about this right now, I'll start panicking again, so just drop it please. Text Geto-san about it all you want, work it out, just leave me out of it please." She begged, and Satoru nodded reluctantly. He was begging to spill some information, but she'd had her world shattered to pieces already, she didn't need it to happen again.

"Are you going to tell me that thing or is the chance gone?" He asked instead, clearly exhibiting quite a feat of self-control. She applauded him.

"I dream about the future."

Whatever he'd been expecting wasn't that, because he reared back, shocked, maybe a little horrified. His face was fucking priceless.

"I'm working with Geto-san and Tengen-san to try and make things better. I told Geto-san because he was suspicious, and Tengen-san spied on us."

"Really." Satoru said blankly.

She wasn't responding the way she should, she felt like she should be worried, but her emotions were just fried. She couldn't handle much more than that.

"Do I do anything cool?"

"You're easily the coolest person I know about." She assured him. His grin was performative, not genuine enough to be convincing.

"What are you trying to prevent?" His tone was sharp.

"Yu-nii dies sometime soon-ish. Nanami quits. Geto- well, he'll tell you, that's his business. We're working on it, he's vetting their missions, making sure they never get sent on the mis-ranked mission."

"What about me?" He asked, actually sounding genuinely eager, like he was getting his fortune told.

"Bisected."

"Aw, really?" Gojo whined, disappointed.

"By Sukuna, like nineteen fingers in." She offered, a consolation, but he only drooped more.

"I lost? He wasn't even at full strength?" Satoru howled, inconsolable, hands in his hair like the drama queen he was. Suguru's look of utter disbelief was priceless, and she didn't miss the slight twitch to Satoru's lips as he caught sight of it.

"Well, he had-" She cut herself off, unsure, and he perked up, zeroing in on her hesitation.

"Yeah?'

"Have you met Megumi Fushiguro yet?" she asked, seemingly changing the subject.

"I haven't approached him yet, but I've seen," more like stalked, she knew him, "him around. Was that why you called that time?" He looked to Suguru.

Suguru nodded.

"She was trying to prove it, so she told me about Megumi and Tsumiki."

"Wait, wait. You knew exactly what you were doing! When you attacked Toji, you knew what was going to happen!" Satoru accused, pointing fingers and all.

"I don't see myself. That's the one thing. I've never been able to see myself in the future. Every change I make doesn't show. I only know what would've happened if I never intervened."

"So, you knew about Toji, but not what would've happened to you once you interceded," Satoru mused, "so what should've happened?"

"Toji got behind you, the swarm was too disorienting, he stabbed you, then brought you down. He thought he killed you, and you nearly were dead, but you learned reverse cursed technique on the spot. Toji hunted down Suguru and Riko, killed Kuroi on his way and then shot Riko in the head just as she decided she didn't want to merge with Tengen, deciding she wanted to live. Suguru attacked Toji, Toji killed multiple of his special grade curses, and severely injured him. He didn't want to risk Suguru's curses getting loose, so he left him injured. Things happened, you got back up, killed Toji with Hollow Purple. He told you about Megumi, said he was gonna sell him to the Zenin clan, and to do as you wished with that."

"Riko was meant to die?" Satoru asked, more softly than usual.

"Yeah… you managed to get her body back, but…"

"That's one depressing future." Satoru said, a bit wryly.

"That's just one crack in the iceberg." She said, and Satoru cocked his head, like he was confused.

"Like, all of Shibuya was destroyed. Not even an exaggeration, Sukuna destroyed everything and everyone in like a hundred meter radius. Skyscrapers, roads, there was just a huge hole carved into the ground."

"I lost the domain battle?"

"You weren't there. There's this guy, Kenjaku, or Kenkaju, whatever, I can never remember, he sealed you into the Prison Realm. Speaking of which, do you happen to still have the heavenly dagger thingy? The one Toji used? If you haven't destroyed it yet, you really should save it so we can bust people out of there if needed. It was really inconvenient for your students, and they really needed you."

"Students?" Satoru asked, interested.

"I said you'd be a good teacher. You're untraditional, you're downright insubordinate, and your students were all the best there is. Yuta, you saved him from being executed due to a cursed spirit that had attached herself to him. He learned to control her, even broke her curse, and he's the next special grade! Yuji and Megumi, the world was in chaos, so I don't know if they ever got ranked, but they were ridiculously strong! Yuji was matching Sukuna! And, I'm not too sure about Nobara, but she's just so cool, I'd love to meet her! She got horrifically wounded at Shibuya, but she still helped with the Sukuna fight! Maki, she destroys the Zenin clan! She'll get as strong, if not stronger than Toji! Inumaki's so amazing, and Panda's there too, and he's so cool! Your students are the best of the best! Todo's awesome too, but I know if he trained with you he could've been even stronger!" She was almost panting when she finished, probably talking a bit too fast, but they were just so amazing, and he never got to see their full potential! She needed to tell him, even if he never met them this time around, he needed to know-

Satoru was hugging her, on his knees so that he was close enough for her feet to still reach the ground. It was a kindness that she wasn't used to, a simple gesture.

"They sound amazing. I can't wait to meet them. Is that why you're so worried all the time?"

"Kenjaku, his cursed technique allows him to change bodies by replacing their brain with his. He gets everything, their memories, their cursed technique, their faces. The body they use can regain control, briefly, but not for long. Its…"

"It's why you're scared of hats?" Satoru guessed gently, and she nodded.

"I don't know if he swore a binding vow or something, but he has a row of stitches on his forehead. He's ancient, maybe even close to Tengen, and he's very dangerous. He's been making deals over time, and I'm not sure but I think he wants to seal you because no other person with your technique can be born while you're still alive. If he gets rid of you, your technique is gone for good. Or at least, until you kill yourself in there, and then the next one has to be born. Wipe out the Gojo clan, and you're the last of the bloodline. He even makes sure to tell you that he'll eventually let you out, trying to make sure you hold onto hope."

"Sick bastard?" Satoru asked, musing.

"Sick bastard." She agreed.

It's strange, how easy this was. He wasn't shouting, he wasn't panicking, he was just… accepting whatever she threw his way. It was strangely disturbing, like watching a balloon get bigger and bigger with no clue when it was going to pop. Was he going to freak out?

"I'm sorry that you've been dealing with this for so long." Satoru whispered.

What?

"It's useful! Riko, Yu-nii, I can save them! We can make sure that all the awful stuff that's gonna happen is prevented! Yuta, he witnesses his friend's death right in front of him. If Tengen can find him in time, we could stop it! It- um, it might mean that he never becomes a special grade sorcerer, but… isn't it worth it? Saving the life of a little girl? If I can do it, I should! It's worth it, being able to save people!

"Just because it's worth it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt." He said softly. There was something tight in the set of his jaw that belied that softness.

"It's okay." She said, the only thing she could think to say. It didn't hurt. It just- weighed down her mind, always lurking in her peripherals. It ached, a heaviness that she could never shrug off her shoulders.

"It is." He agreed. "But it never goes away. Never."

That- that hurt, like putting pressure on a half-healed bruise that you'd forgotten was still there. Sharp, at first, then settling, a renewed ache that no longer blended into the background.

She'd never forget what could have happened, not even years later. She could only pray that it'd be better.

Satoru was still hugging her, kneeling in the muddy dirt.

"It's okay," She said again, "It's okay." Was she trying to convince herself, or them?

"You're okay." Satoru said, reassuring, kind.

Suguru had gotten closer, daring to join in, and slowly lowered himself to the dirt too, sitting elegantly. Satoru's glance towards him was loaded with a million things.

"I died apparently. At your hand." Suguru said, like ripping off a Band-Aid.

Way to break it to him gently.

"I turned. I killed nonsorcerers, I wanted and was actively working towards genocide. I attacked Jujutsu Highschool. You just put me out of my misery." Suguru said, a bit too scathing for her liking, so she put a hand on his arm, as close to him as she could reach.

Satoru was staring, and she could almost read his mind as he processed what Suguru was telling him.

She had to add to this, he needed more than just Suguru's actions to understand this. Suguru might need the reminder too.

"You broke, when Riko died. You saw a teenage girl deciding for the first time in her life that she wanted to live, and Toji killed her in an instant for nothing but a paycheck. Satoru was getting stronger every day, his abuse of his reverse curse technique letting him work obscene hours, sleep for maybe three hours a day. He threw himself into his work, and you doubted who you were doing this for. You fell into a depression, you stopped eating, you stopped in place and fell to pieces as everyone you knew walked past you, never looking back. Yaga didn't know how to help you, he didn't dare. Satoru was barely there at all, trying desperately to get stronger so he would never lose again, never let you get hurt anymore. He didn't see that you were drowning until the one who resurfaced was a completely different person. By the time you destroyed the village, you'd been wavering for a long time. No one came to save you. No one turned around to see that you were lagging behind."

Suguru's face was unreadable. Satoru's was horribly, agonizingly sad.

"You're okay now though, right?" Satoru asked, hopeful and worried.

He was going to lie. She knew he would. He'd push Satoru away, hide back in his solitude, where he would let no one inside, for fear of the rot he felt was inside him spreading to others. Better to isolate than to stain someone like Satoru, to touch him with hands of tar and ichor.

She looked to him, not judging, not pushing, just watching. His eyes flicked to her, and all she thought to do was tilt her head. Her face was empathetic, she knew it, he was going to think she was pitying him. He was gonna lie-

"No." His single word was whispered, barely audible even in the quiet forest, "I still want to-" he cut himself off, and turned away.

She pulled away from Satoru, giving him a push forward when he hesitated, hands outstretched like he didn't know what to do.

It didn't take anything more than that for Satoru to hurl himself as Suguru. He crashed into him, a tangle of limbs in an instant as they both hit the ground. They slid a bit in the mud, Suguru's arm hitting the water, dangerously close to the river.

"You can't, you can't, you can't." Satoru begged over and over, and the only sound Suguru could make was a ragged noise, his hands coming up to cover his face, but Satoru wouldn't let him. He took Suguru's hands, holding them with his own. Satoru was nearly shaking, his grip on Suguru's hands tight.

Satoru was kissing him then, his lips on Suguru's, one hand letting go just to trace his face, and Suguru recoiled. Suguru looked agonized, and he pushed Satoru away.

"You can't, you can't touch me like that, you'll just-" His protest was cut off by Satoru pressing another kiss to the corner of his mouth, something Suguru turned into for an instant before he withdrew again, pushing Satoru away. Satoru was on top of him, leaning over him, their faces inches apart.

"You need an heir, you need someone like you, not a curse eater like me, you-"

"I don't care, I love you. I love you, I love your smile, and your hair, and the way you fight me on every little thing and that every time we fight together you protect me. It's pointless, it's wasteful, and I want to cry every time you do it because no one else would bother. You ask me if I'm okay, you let me sleep in your lap, you sneak away to throw up in the bathroom because you know Shoko has a sensitive stomach. You're breathtaking. Every time I see you fight half of my eyes are watching you, you're so beautiful, I love you." Satoru was holding Suguru's head in his hands like it was something precious. Suguru's hands were on his wrists as if to pull him away, but he'd frozen there, paralyzed.

Dear god, how the hell was she ever going to read a romance novel again? That was the most romantic thing she'd ever heard in her life.

"I'm dirty. They're rotting me away from the inside out, they've always been. You can't love me, they'll rot you too, you can't. You're Gojo Satoru, you're the strongest, I can't stand with you, I can't let you climb down to stand with me. You need to keep going, you need to be who they need you to be, please-" Suguru's voice was breaking, he was trying to hide his face again, trying to stop himself from crying or at least hide his tears away.

"I'd dig my way to you. I'd carve my way through the earth to get to you, just to stand by your side. It wouldn't matter, this fight I've been raised for wouldn't matter anymore if you weren't there. I'll rot by your side, I'll rip it out by its roots, I'll kill them all, so you never have to taste it again, I love you." Satoru was peppering small, loving kisses to Suguru's face between sentences, between words, trying to show him as well as tell him his emotions.

"You can't rip it out, it's everywhere! You'll taste it every time you kiss me, it'll stain your tongue like it does mine. I won't let them taint you. You're too important to throw yourself away just because of my selfishness!"

"I love you!"

"I don't love you! I can't love you! I never should have even given you a second thought, I should've kept my distance, I should've walked away the second I realized how I was starting to feel." Suguru was shouting, his words meant to cut and dig, a wounded animal trying to chase Satoru away, too scared to reciprocate. He heaved Satoru off of him, making him land with a splash right in the river, and froze, his eyes wide. Satoru was back into place on top of him in an instant, soaked to the skin. Suguru didn't even fight him again, letting Satoru lean over him.

"I love you." Satoru repeated, much, much softer. His thumb wiped away a tear on Suguru's cheek, a gesture so tender that Suguru shuddered, a sob.

"Please don't."

"I love you. You mean everything to me."

"You can't."

"It's my choice. It's my heart."

"I can't give you mine. It'll stain your hands, seep into your blood. You deserve so much better than a person like me."

"I'd love it if it did. I'd love to look down and see you on my fingers, and you'd be with me all the time, I'd never be alone, you'd always be there, holding my hand. I'd love anything you do to me, every way you changed me, because it's you. I love all of you, every curse inside you, everything you hate about yourself, everything!"

"Why? Why me of all people?" Suguru snarled, almost baring his teeth as if to warn Satoru away. He leaned in instead, not kissing, just pressing their foreheads together.

"We're the strongest. There's no one else I can trust like I trust you."

"He uses my body against you. It's my body he's in when you're sealed, he uses me. I don't want to be the one who hurts you, I can't." Suguru was begging, and the pain on Satoru's face was enough to make her intervene.

"You fought him. Kenjaku. You were the first body who ever fought back against him, you tried to kill him to save Satoru. Your soul was gone, wherever souls go when they die, your body acted by pure instinct. No matter what, you will always protect Satoru, it's engraved into your fucking body." She interjected, because no way was he gonna use her future knowledge to avoid this confrontation.

Suguru's eyes shifted to her for an instant before they were drawn right back to Satoru, his eyes achingly sad,

"I'm not good enough for you." Suguru whispered, defeated.

"You're my one and only. I wouldn't be me without you."

"I want to hurt people, all the time. Everyone. I can't stop thinking about it. I want to hurt people in the worst ways, Midori, Haibara, you. I'll hurt you someday." He sounded shattered, his voice hoarse. He sounded like it was inevitable, like his intrusive thoughts were eventually going to be acted on.

"You won't." Satoru promised. "I know you."

"I will-" Suguru's voice was shaking, his next gasp of breath more of a sob.

"I know you. Just because you think of it, just because you want to, it doesn't mean you will. You think it's easy meeting the higher-ups so often, my clan? You think I don't spend hours imagining how to kill them in the most painful way possible? It would be so easy, just to kill them. I could do whatever the hell I wanted to, no one would be capable of stopping me. You think I don't wonder, that I don't catch myself and feel sick for thinking of it? You're my one and only, you're not the only one."

Thank fucking God, finally someone was willing to tell Suguru about their own intrusive thoughts. Fantastic little bit of wordplay there too.

They stopped there for a few moments. Suguru's eyes were wide, a bit disbelieving, more than a little pained. Satoru looked upset, uncomfortable. Intrusive thoughts were about as fun to talk about as shit was.

"I love you, Suguru. All of you." Satoru finally whispered.

"You aren't supposed to. You shouldn't." Suguru whispered back, and one of his hands came up to trace Satoru's jaw. Satoru leaned in, chasing the affection, and Suguru's thumb wiped away a tear.

"I do."

"I know." Sadness. Defeat. Suguru went limp, all the fight drained out of him. His hands dropped, one landing in the water. Some of his hair was in it too, doubtlessly wetting the back of his head. He looked like the world's saddest wet dog.

"I love you too. I wish I didn't. I'm so sorry, I wish I didn't." Suguru sounded like he was begging for forgiveness, he was admitting to a crime.

"This isn't at all how I saw this confession going." Satoru admitted.

"How did you see it going?" Suguru asked, exasperated.

"Maybe some confetti. Indoors, not laying in the mud. A lot less crying and apologizing."

Suguru's harsh laugh was enough to make Satoru flinch minutely. "Sorry to disappoint." He said, his voice ragged.

"I never said it was disappointing. Sad, painful, but not disappointing. You said it back. That's worlds better than I dared to hope for."

Suguru sighed and reached up to wrap his arms around Satoru, pulling him closer. Automatically, like he always did, only hand went up to pet his hair, and Satoru went boneless in seconds, plastered against him like a piece of wet paper towel. They just stayed there for a very long time.

She walked over slowly, just to sit down beside them. Things were calm now, and it rattled her for some reason, feeling like the quiet before the storm. She felt like something big was gonna happen, but it already had, right?

Suguru pulled her in as soon as she was within reach, tugging her into their little cuddle pile. She felt like she shouldn't be there, like she had to leave and let them be alone, but the thought of wandering off into the forest alone sent chills down her spine.

"We're a mess, all of us." Satoru said, seeing her laying there, stiff as a board beside him.

"Yeah." She had to admit.

"You got enough psychology in that head of yours to fix us all up?" He asked, not really sounding like he expected an answer.

"God no. We all need our own therapists. They can group chat and commiserate about how fucked up we all are." She said, a faint smile on her face at the thought.

"Can't even confess without the person you're confessing to bursting into tears." Suguru teased, his voice lacking any real bite.

"I'm just that handsome, I guess." Satoru boasted, bringing a hand up to flip his hair back like he was part of a boy band. Drama queen. It was enough to make Suguru laugh, at least a little.

Suguru kissed him then, slow, tender. She covered her eyes. Ew. Sweet, but ew.

"We've got to go." Satoru whispered, but he kissed Suguru again, and again, and she just gave up, letting her forehead hit the ground and covering her ears.

She was so unbelievably happy for them, she really was, but listening to people kiss was at least number seven on her list of the ten things she hates to hear.

Suguru's laugh was low, audible through her hands covering her ears, and he stroked her hair affectionately for a moment before urging her to lift her head up.

"You're done?" She asked, wary.

Satoru lunged forwards so press one quick kiss to Suguru's lips, and she shrieked, just a little, because the fucking noise Suguru made was very much R rated, and she did not need to hear that, but Suguru pushed him away, playfully irritated.

"There's a child present." Suguru hissed, just in time for Satoru to kiss him again, deeply, making a surprised, very suggestive noise leave his throat. God, she wanted to die. She'd wanted this, she reminded herself. They deserved to be together, and to be happy for once in their lives. Please though, the PDA was killing her already.

"Yeah, Suguru, there's a child present." Satoru taunted, and Suguru swatted at him, making him dance away.

She just got an up close and personal view of her future very soon. No way was Satoru going to be willing to go without seeing Suguru for a full day. No way was she getting left alone outside of Jujutsu Highschool.

She was going to be third-wheeling all the fucking time now.

Ugh, lovebirds.

They got up, soaking wet, Suguru was plastered in mud, it was in his poor hair, Satoru was soaked to the skin and muddy from his constant need to be touching Suguru, hugging him from behind. They were a mess.

Still, Satoru was grinning, trying to sneak kisses every thirty seconds, and Suguru was snapping at him, but making absolutely no move to prevent Satoru from reaching him every time. Suguru's smile got slightly bigger each time, undoubtedly why Satoru was trying so ardently. He was giggling by the time they were within view of the school. It was sickeningly sweet.

It seemed like the idea was finally sinking in for him, that Satoru actually liked him back. That he could have this, deserving or not.

There was wonder in his eyes whenever Satoru flashed him a smile, disbelief painted all over his face. He'd tried to push him away and Satoru had chosen to stay. Satoru had chosen him, despite all Suguru's warnings. Sickening. Adorable. The way Suguru was looking at him, Satoru had hung the stars in the sky. Dear god, she'd been rooting for this, but she could almost feel the cavities start to develop. So fucking sweet.

The sun was setting behind them. Fucking finally, this damn day was over. It had been the world's worst rollercoaster of emotions.

Satoru said goodbye by kissing every inch of Suguru's face, and she turned around, covering her ears again. God, this was her future. Every damn day. They said something she couldn't make out, and she didn't dare uncover her ears to listen in. She'd been present for too many private conversations.

They teleported, landing outside the restaurant, now in full swing. The Obas said nothing about them trekking mud in the house, or having left the house. They were getting used to it, apparently.

"Get your showers in, We'll send food up in an hour." Oba-chan said, her smile not quite sincere enough. The women were trying, they were, but Satoru and her were hardly an easy pair to care for.

Nishinoya was irritated, kicking at their bedroom door by the time they reached it, and immediately he lunged to attach himself to her leg.

"Sorry, I broke my promise so fast. I didn't mean to." She said to him, and he just clung to her closer, glaring at Satoru's way.

"Come on." Satoru urged, eager to be free of the bits of mud on him.

"I'm not being in a different room than you right now." She said firmly when they reached the bathroom and things stalled out. He accepted it without argument. If she was left alone right now, she'd most likely start screaming.

He claimed the shower first, of course, eager to get the mud off him, and handed her her now mostly charged DS to entertain herself in the meanwhile. She sat on the floor as the room filled with steam, getting harassed by tarantulas as she wandered around her island.

They swapped locations smoothly, simply by her shutting her eyes until he declared it safe. Satoru was messing with Nishinoya, poking at him.

"Fuck off." She heard Nishinoya say, finally done with Satoru's prodding, and the man's stunned silence was telling.

"He can talk." She chimed in helpfully. She scrubbed the seal particularly hard, layering soap, scrubbing, then soap again until the skin was reddened and painful to the touch. It just made her feel so dirty.

"I see." Satoru said, nonplussed.

"Do you?" Nishinoya asked, scathing.

"Yaga-sensei really outdid himself, didn't he?" Satoru said, reluctantly awed. Nishinoya made no further comments.

She flipping hated how her conditioner never seemed to really wash out, that slick, slimy feeling never going away no matter how long she washed. She knew it was just her hands from touching the conditioner to rub it in, it'd go away as soon as they were dry, but it always took forever to make absolutely sure she got it all out.

Satoru politely turned around when she finally was reluctantly satisfied, holding out a towel for her helpfully. It was kind of him to respect her neurotic need to be covered at all times, even though he could probably see a mouse poop twenty buildings away. Japan was also far more relaxed about things like that, as far as she knew. Onsens at least, spoke to a different sort of view of nudity, the school literally had a shared shower room, for all that their rooms also had bathrooms. She appreciated that she didn't even have to ask him to do so.

It took her under a minute to dress, the water on her skin going cold faster than she could dress, leaving her shivering and damp by the time Satoru was able to turn around. He picked her up immediately, carting her off to their bedroom and wrapping her in a blanket.

He stared at her then, something that she couldn't see catching his attention, and she stared at the ceiling, pretending his eyes weren't nearly tearing holes in her soul. She hated being stared at.

Eventually, he blinked, and she could breathe again, no longer trapped in place by his eyes, digging into her like claws.

"I'll wake you up when dinner's here." He offered, dropping to the bed hard enough to make her bounce a little. He pulled out a red DS, and unfamiliar music started to play faintly before he turned the sound off. He shifted back so he was reclining over a pile of pillows, half-laying down.

Right.

"Wake me up in like four hours please." She asked, and he flicked a hand, silently acknowledging it.

She had to fight the blanket off of her to actually lay down, and when she finally managed to do so she crawled over to be next to him. She put her back to him, just so the lights didn't wake her, pressed against his hip. After a moment, she inched her way higher until she was pressed against his torso. It still didn't feel right.

He sighed, and flipped his DS closed with a click. She winced. She'd annoyed him, she'd been clinging to him all day, she should just-

Satoru hooked an arm around her waist and dragged her closer holding her against his chest. She was tense as a bowstring for several seconds before she relaxed into his hold. His other arm wrapped around her, holding her more securely.

"You alright?" He asked at a length.

"Yeah."

"I won't let anything happen to you. No creepy body snatcher's gonna get to you as long as I'm around."

"I know." She did. Kenjaku wouldn't dare try anything as long as Satoru was so close.

"Do you want me to wake you up if it looks like you're having a nightmare?" He asked gently.

"Yeah." She agreed after a moment. Sure, she didn't actually have prophetic dreams, but she hardly enjoyed nightmares.

Things went silent, and she eventually leaned into him, letting her head rest on his chest. She could hear his heartbeat like this, remarkably steady, and she shut her eyes.

Talk about a roller coaster of a day. Ups and downs abound. She could only pray that tomorrow would be uneventful.

God, she'd have to pray.

She was asleep within minutes. He woke her maybe half an hour later, and she had to resist the automatic urge to be grumpy about it, because it was important that she ate regularly. The call of sleep beckoned her though.

The smell of Onigiri was stronger. Fried onigiri.

They really knew how to tempt her. They'd sent up six of the things, along with some sort of soup that she completely ignored. Bonito flakes. She never thought she'd love fish flakes like she did. Would she actually like sushi this time around?

She ate all three of her Onigiri. Satoru tried to get her to sip some soup, probably for the additional hydration, but if she had the choice between eating unfamiliar soup and eating one of her favorite foods in the world, she'd pick the favorite.

She tried to curl up and go back to sleep, but Satoru snatched her up and dragged her to the bathroom to brush her teeth, the responsible bastard. She was probably just being irritable, but she obeyed when he pushed the toothbrush into her unwilling hands. She wished she had her timer, to make sure she was brushing well enough, but she'd make do with some guesswork.

Finally, he let her crawl back into bed when she was done, burrowing irritably back into place next to him, resting her head on his shoulder, nestled against his side. He was laughing at her, smothering a smile, and she shot a glare his way.

"Go to sleep kid." He urged, far too amused for the situation at hand. She was tired, it's been a long fucking day.

It took her longer to fall asleep, irritatingly so, but eventually exhaustion got the better of her.

She woke up again, sometime later, not quite sure what woke her.

Meeting Satoru's glowing eyes woke her the hell up though. She's lucky he managed to cover her mouth and stop the scream that tried to escape.

"Satoru-nii, you creep! Why're you just staring at me?" She whispered, accusing.

"You woke up, it caught my attention!" He defended, lifting his DS in the air to show that he'd been playing it. It lit up the room to a much more comfortable level before he put it back face down.

"You scared the shit out of me!" She hissed. Nishinoya, who'd been settled like a weighted plush on her stomach as she slept, also got up, waving his arm threateningly at Satoru. Someone was on her side at least.

"By looking at you?" He questioned, disbelieving.

"Your stupid eyes glow! Do you know how terrifying it is to look into a pair of glowing eyes in the middle of the night?"

"My eyes aren't stupid." He huffed, offended.

"You looked like a demon! All it lights up is just a bit of your face, it's really, really creepy, like a disembodied head." She argued, and he looked away sharply, indignant.

"Sorry for making sure you don't have nightmares!" He growled, clearly irked.

"I'll be fine. What time is it?"

He hit the home button on his DS, lighting up the room when he finally picked it up from where he'd set it down. She squinted at the brightness.

"Five in the morning."

She nodded, sitting up more.

"Go to sleep, I'll keep watch now."

"Nah. Go back to sleep. I've got this one." Satoru said, pushing her back down with ease.

"You can't just stay up all night. Let me keep watch!" She protested.

Still, Satoru shook his head firmly, "don't bother. I've got my reverse cursed technique, I'll be fine."

"If you stay up all night, you have to agree to sleep tomorrow. I'll keep watch then, but you've got to get at least four hours!"

"Two." He countered.

"Three."

"Fine." He agreed with a sigh, rolling his glowing eyes.

She eyed him, slightly doubtful, but she was truly exhausted. She settled back down, and Nishinoya returned to his spot on her stomach. Satoru continued playing his game, the buttons clicking seeming loud in the silent room. He was here, she was safe. Nishinoya's built in barrier would keep out even the smallest of curses, if they weren't sent running by Gojo's mere presence.

She was safe here.

Her sleep was dreamless.