Chapter Text
Utahime wasn’t sure what she was expecting to happen when she entered the bar. Maybe for the world to stop, or her friends to at least notice that she was there. As it was, she could see them around a table, cheering at the person on stage in the main bar area. Shoko seemed to be the only one to notice them, hand waving in greeting as she spotted them.
She shouldn’t be that surprised after all. Her friends were eager to meet her ‘fiance’ but Shoko was perhaps the only one truly invested in her relationship with Gojo. This wasn’t the first time she’d introduced a boyfriend, just the first time she’d ever been nervous about it. Gojo spotted Shoko as well, pulling her through the crowd of people to the already crowded table.
“Shoko!” Utahime grinned at her closest friend.
“Utahime!” Shoko yelled back just as enthusiastically.
Gojo watched them greet each other as if they hadn’t seen each other in ages, Utahime regretfully releasing his hand so she could hug Shoko. By the time the hug ended Utahime already had a glass of sake in her hand, passed to her by another friend that noticed their arrival. Another glass was shoved into his hand as well and he clinked glasses with Utahime when she lifted her glass towards him. He watched her knock back the drink as if it was nothing with a little concern, but ultimately decided to follow her lead. A little liquid courage might make the night run more smoothly.
Despite the bravado he’d displayed so far, he wasn’t as confident as he tried to appear. The lines between them were blurring, and he didn’t know if that would work in his favor. Was Utahime convinced that everything so far had been for the benefit of their pretense? He was reminded of her reaction to his flowers, genuine joy followed by a troubled frown. Had he misread her?
“This is my fiancé Gojo Satoru,” Utahime had to talk loudly to be heard over the singer and music. Gojo looked towards the people she was introducing him to, bemused to see the mixed reaction of awe and mirth. If the lights weren’t so bright and flickering, he might have taken his sunglasses off just to watch their reactions to his eyes. He knew they were considered stunning or extraordinary. He enjoyed Utahime’s reaction to them immensely, but he also felt a little like a zoo animal when he unmasked them. There were always comments, or looks, or propositions and they were sensitive to light. It was much easier to keep the blindfold on so he wasn’t overwhelmed. His dark glasses provided a smaller amount of protection but didn’t look so out of place.
He waved at them, once again reaching for Utahime’s hand and entwining her fingers with his. Utahime’s fingers gripped his tightly as she made the introductions and Gojo barely listened as she told him the names of the people surrounding her with genuine delight. He was too busy watching her face and taking in a side of Utahime he rarely had the chance to see. She was in her element here, in this noisy boisterous bar with her inebriated friends, already pumped to go on stage and sing her heart out. He loved it, and though the lights were too bright and the noise almost deafening to his superior senses, he focused on Utahime and it was completely worth it. She was happy, and so he was too.
After she finished her introductions, she turned to him and noticed he was too busy watching her and hadn’t said a single word in greeting to anyone but Shoko. She frowned in annoyance, displeased that he didn’t even pretend to be interested in her friends. Wasn’t that what a good fiancé was supposed to do? Instead, he was watching her with a dreamy expression, fingers gently caressing her own.
“Gojo, don’t be rude.” Utahime snapped. “Say hello.”
Gojo was startled out of his trance when he saw Utahime’s smile fade into the familiar frown she aimed at him all the time. He frowned to see her pinched expression, remorseful that he’d put it there. Was it his fault she was so beguiling?
“It’s fine,” one of Utahime’s friends laughed. “Please cut your fiancé some slack. He was too busy mooning over you to even notice us. I think it’s sweet. Must be nice to still be in the honeymoon phase,” she sighed dramatically.
“It’s true,” Gojo nodded emphatically. “You look so lovely tonight, Utahime. How could I look at anyone else?”
Utahime’s cheeks pinkened and she swatted at him half-heartedly, as her friends gushed over his sappy words. She leaned in, ostensibly to give him a kiss, but after pressing her lips briefly against his cheek she murmured softly into his ear, keeping her expression soft. “Don’t oversell it Gojo and tone it down a bit, would you? I want this to be believable.”
Gojo kept his expression neutral, suppressing the urge to frown at Utahime’s words. He’d only told the truth and Utahime didn’t believe him? His next actions were for her and her alone, though the audience would appreciate it, he was sure. He held her chin gently with his fingers and tilted her face up. “You are the most captivating woman I’ve ever met. Never doubt it, Utahime.” He pressed his lips against hers tenderly and tried to pour all his suppressed feelings into that brief kiss. He leaned in close and whispered softly for her ears only. “I wouldn’t lie to you about that Utahime. It’s been true for me since our school days, and I won’t have you think I’m pandering to what they want to hear. Understood?”
Utahime swallowed hard but nodded briefly in agreement. He could see the doubt still lingering in her eyes and he was determined to erase that by the end of the night. He knew that on her worst days she found the scar across her face repugnant, but he never had and never would. It was proof that she was still here beside him. That scar meant she was alive and well. “Now go up and sing like you want to,” he urged with a smirk.
She rolled her eyes in exasperation. “You can’t just go up; you have to wait your turn and I haven’t even chosen a song.”
“Oh! We already booked a private room,” one of her friends chimed eagerly. “You can sing whenever you want! We thought it might be quieter so you can answer our questions, and the song we’re picking for you to sing is non-negotiable,” the woman teased.
Gojo watched as Utahime chided her friends for presuming but he could see she was happy at the chance to sing. Her cursed technique aside, she genuinely loved to sing and might have been an idol in another life. Her joy when she sang was infectious. It was a shame that she sang so infrequently around him. He only had the videos that Shoko shared so rarely on her various social media pages or sent to him without Utahime’s knowledge. Or the one time he’d watched her live when he’d crashed her karaoke night, which had ended so painfully. Of course, Utahime had him blocked on social media and didn’t add anyone she didn’t know so a fake account wouldn’t work on her. That would have to change now they were engaged.
The group had only been waiting for them in the main bar area and they led the way to the largest private room. Gojo seated himself nearest the door and once Utahime had taken her jacket off, he pulled her to sit beside him. Shoko sat beside her and everyone else settled around them. A menu was passed around and they all ordered more drinks. Gojo looked through the book of songs, deciding if he really wanted to grace them with his terrible singing. His attention was brought back to the group as they asked how the two of them had met.
Utahime nudged Gojo, “I’ll let my fiancé explain. He tells the story so much better than me.” The table looked at him expectantly.
“Hmm…let’s see.” Gojo tapped his chin in thought. “We met for the first time in high school. I was just a young impressionable first year when I met Utahime. Oh, the innocent boy I used to be was captivated by Utahime from the start.”
“Innocent, my ass,” Utahime snorted but let him continue.
“She was a third year already, so I really had no chance.” Gojo said mournfully. “She barely noticed me. I think I was just like an annoying kid brother to her. Wouldn’t you say, Utahime?” He grinned at her, remembering how infuriated she used to get with him.
Utahime rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you were such an annoying brat in school.” She poked his side.
Gojo shrugged. “Whatever the case, she graduated before I could strike up the courage to confess to her. The only way I was able to get her attention was to tease her and she never really appreciated it. It was heartbreaking really,” Gojo said mournfully. “To go from seeing her every week to barely at all. Luckily for me, we have mutual acquaintances, like Shoko! So I would see her every so often, even if I was still that ‘annoying brat’ to her. Then we both became teachers in sister schools and from there I finally convinced her to give me a chance. It took years,” he placed a hand over his heart dramatically, “but I never gave up. I knew that Utahime wouldn’t be able to resist my charm forever.”
“I resisted for so long,” Utahime sighed.
“What changed?” Someone asked and Gojo watched Utahime consider her answer with anticipation.
“What changed?” Utahime looked at Gojo. “I could say it was his smile, or his confidence, but I’d only be lying.” She smiled as she remembered the baseball game. “I think it was the way he is with his students. No one is more supportive of them than he is. Or maybe it’s how hard he works.” She picked her next words carefully. “His job never ends after the school day is over. He oversees so many of the after-school clubs himself. We don’t work together often, but I see him pushing himself harder than anyone to ensure his students are taken care of. He might be arrogant sometimes, but I know all of his colleagues respect him immensely. Despite how annoying he was, I never doubted his work ethic.”
“Wow, such a respectable response Utahime!” Gojo beamed.
“Oh, hush.”
“So how did you get engaged, again?” Shoko asked with a smirk.
Gojo’s eyes lit up eagerly. “I’ve known for years that I wanted to marry Utahime and when she first agreed to date me, I tried to be patient. Still, it only took me a month to ask her.” He reveled in the group’s surprise. “She turned me down flat.”
“One month is way too early to consider marriage,” Utahime said incredulously.
“Maybe,” Gojo agreed. “But we’ve known each other for years and worked together often enough that it’s not like you didn’t know me.”
“I guess,” Utahime hedged, thinking that she had been completely blind to his true feelings but not wanting to admit that to her friends. “Gojo is as familiar to me as Shoko is so it was easier to say yes to him than it might have been with someone I barely knew.”
“Wow, how romantic,” Shoko commented sarcastically.
“Hey!” Utahime frowned. “I only mean that I trust him completely. He met me before I had this scar after all,” she rubbed it self-consciously. “But he never acted any differently or looked at me any differently after my accident.” It was true, she realized. He’d never stared at it or awkwardly avoided staring at it like others did. She never felt uncomfortable around him about it. He was always just Gojo to her.
“Why would I look at you differently?” Gojo questioned, puzzled. “You’ve always been beautiful, and you’ve only grown more so over the years.”
“And that’s why I agreed to marry Gojo,” she blushed at the teasing and congratulations that followed.
“We need pictures to commemorate this night!” Someone shouted.
Gojo wrapped his arm around Utahime and beamed at the cameras aimed towards them. He took the opportunity to snap a few selfies with Utahime and Shoko, immediately saving a picture of Utahime as his background. He grinned at the thought of sharing the selfies and tagging her with some heartfelt caption, just to see how long it took to make its way to the rest of the staff. Principal Gakuganji would have a field day.
He placed his arm around Utahime’s shoulder, leaning in to speak softly into her ear when she’d finished conversing with one of her friends. “Hey Utahime, don’t your friends think its weird that you’ve never shared any pictures of us?”
Utahime shrugged. “We already discussed that, remember? I told them your family hates me and would make my life hell if they knew we were together. That they wouldn’t think a middle class nobody like me was good enough for the Gojo family darling. A simple search of your name is easy enough to convince them. The Gojo clan has its fingers in several regular business ventures after all. Those greedy bastards. It’s why our relationship is so secretive. Forbidden love,” Utahime sighed dramatically, “they practically ate it up.” Utahime raised an eyebrow at him enquiringly. “It helps that you’re so secretive about your romantic relationships. Your flings have never been effectively proven.”
“Because I’ve never had a fling,” Gojo claimed with an innocent expression.
Utahime stared at him for a second and then threw her head back and howled in laughter. “Good one, Gojo!” He stared at her affronted as she wiped tears of mirth out of the corner of her eyes. More seriously she said, “Look, I honestly don’t care how many flings or relationships you’ve had. As long as you’re as committed to this ruse as I am tonight then I’m happy.”
Her deliberate choice to blind herself to his feelings was starting to piss him off. He was being honest with her but it was if she hadn’t heard a word he’d been saying for days. “Maybe I’ve had a few,” he muttered. “But I’m not worried about my commitment. You’re it for me, Utahime. I don’t know how much clearer I can be.”
The intensity in Gojo’s voice had her panicking a little and she purposely took his words the wrong way, pulling away from him with mock outrage. “And I’m not committed? Is that what you’re implying?”
“I’m not saying that” Gojo said quietly with building frustration. “I know you don’t…care for me like I care for you, but please don’t pretend that this is just a joke to me. I’m not as cold as you imagine me, Utahime.”
“Gojo,” Utahime hesitated, regretting her constant back and forth between self-doubt and belief. She’d read the text he’d sent to Shoko, hadn’t she? And yet, she hadn’t considered how her mixed signals might have been affecting Gojo. She’d never seen him as anything but self-assured. She reached out a hand and rested it carefully on his arm in a placating gesture. “I-“
“Utahime!” Her friend tugged on her sleeve urgently. “It’s your turn to sing!”
She glanced towards her friends who were staring at her expectantly, and she waved them off with forced cheer. “Someone take my turn, I’ll go later. I want to talk to my fiancé a little more.”
“Go,” Gojo said firmly. “We can talk after.”
“I have things to say,” Utahime said. She couldn’t let him believe that she was so unfeeling.
“And I can’t wait to hear them,” Gojo smiled. “But go sing. I rarely get to see you sing.”
Utahime’s friends were urging her to sing, chanting her name. She looked to Gojo and he waved at her to go. “Later, Utahime.” She tried to stare him down but his hand came up and she barely felt as his fingers brushed some loose hairs from her cheek. She could almost hear his voice in her head. We’ll talk about this later, his eyes promised, and so she relented.
Utahime stood on shaky legs, moving closer to the lyric tv to create some space between them. This was wrong. Singing was her happy place. She’d never looked at performing with anything more negative than nervous anticipation. She might not be the greatest sorcerer, or even one of the strongest, but she’d always known she was born to sing. But now Gojo’s words sat heavily on her shoulders and felt like a heavy stone in her stomach. I know you don’t care for me like I care for you. He was right to believe that. He hadn’t hidden his feelings from her. She could even believe that he’d been sincere about every single compliment he’d given her, but she hadn’t been honest with him in return.
We’re not friends. You’re not the kind of man I want to attract, Gojo. Hadn’t those been her own words to him? It didn’t matter that he’d brushed them off at the time. He’d just admitted that he believed them to some extent. She’d practiced for this night, hadn’t she? Staring at her reflection pathetically and practicing. Please date me, she’d thought she would say. I like you would be easy enough now. It wasn’t a lie. But the more she said about their relationship, the more she realized it was true for her too. She’d let herself want Gojo and it was like a dam was breaking.
The song her friends had chosen was a love song. A warm-up of sorts to the usual upbeat or more powerful songs she sang later in the night. Utahime squared her shoulders and raised the mic with purpose. Maybe she wasn’t brave enough yet to wear her heart on her sleeve like Gojo, but music had never let her down. Her hands shook a little and she took a deep breath to gather her courage.
“This one is for my fiancé, Gojo Satoru.” And she proceeded to sing her heart out, attempting to convey with every word, everything she’d never been able to admit to him, or to herself.
XX
Shoko had her phone out the moment Utahime left her seat. She noticed the tension that was brewing between the two. Utahime’s other friends were easily fooled by Gojo’s besotted expression and Utahime’s casual affection. But only Shoko noticed Gojo’s clenched jaw and the tightness around his eyes, or the false cheer in Utahime’s voice as she implored someone else to go up and sing for her. She watched with a strange heaviness as the two of them seemed to have a wordless battle of wills. She felt something like longing when Gojo briefly touched Utahime’s face. Damn these two really got on her nerves. Why did they have to make everything so difficult?
Still, as odd as it was to see Gojo so focused on something other than training his students and contemplating overthrowing the status quo with those same monstrously talented students, it was nice to see two of her friends crawling their ways towards happiness. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say, it was nice to see Gojo dragging Utahime kicking and screaming towards happiness. Nothing was guaranteed these days and she was sure all of them who died too early died with regrets or unachieved dreams. This was one less regret for them to leave behind if anything were to happen. It made her reflect on her own piteous love life. She’d had her flings within the tight-knit sorcerer community and found she preferred to keep things separate, when she found time to date at all. She knew that Ijichi had a thing for her, but they worked rather closely together and if that went sour, it would be too awkward.
Still, as she filmed Utahime pouring her heart out to Gojo, she thought maybe. He was younger than her but a very serious and respectable sort, which appealed to her. She did not want or need something like Gojo. Not that anyone was able to tell he was so young since the stress of the job made him appear a dozen years older. She barely noticed him in her school days, but every little interaction between them currently left the man looking elated. He wasn’t Gojo-level handsome, but that appealed to her too. She didn’t want a heartbreaker. She wasn’t so shallow that she needed to date a pretty man, but a man who looked at her the way Gojo stared at Utahime wasn’t objectional. She should probably stop whatever she was contemplating right now. Gojo and Utahime were bad influences. But she so loved to see Ijichi blush whenever she praised him. So the thought would linger as maybe. She shook the silly thoughts from her head and concentrated on the pair of fools in front of her instead.
She smiled, even if they were being a little much. The pair of them were absolutely lost to the world around them. Utahime sang even more beautifully than she usually did and her eyes were locked with Gojo, eyes warm and adoring. Gojo looked captivated, body completely still and his cursed energy calmer than she’d ever seen it. A quick glance around the room told her that no matter what these two did for the rest of the night, short of “breaking up” in front of everyone, their fake engagement was sold. It felt like everyone else was looking between the two with expressions of awe, disbelief, envy, elation, or any combination. She knew how it felt. Yes, she’d watched the agonizingly slow pace of their progression so it didn’t come as a complete surprise to her, but so many things had held these two back from getting to this moment. In another life, they may never have reached this point. So she would do her duty as Utahime’s best friend and capture this moment for her. And then she would show them both and laugh at how lovesick they looked. It was only fair after all.
XX
Gojo watched her performance in awe. The videos Shoko had smuggled to him didn’t do her voice justice. He admired her dress, the cut complimenting her curves, the thin straps leaving her shoulders bare. His eyes drifted to her face and were captured by hers. His heart beat a little faster at her intense stare. Her words flowed into his consciousness, words of love and devotion. Under her focused gaze, he felt like the only person in the room. She was singing to him.
I love you he mouthed to her as she sang so brilliantly, watching as her cheeks warmed under the neon lights. She was mesmerizing, the small audience watching her in silence and clearly as enthralled as he was. Either that, or he’d gone deaf to everything but the sound of her voice. She’d always dominated any space they shared with the hostile aura that was so familiar to him. He’d never minded, as long as her attention was focused on him. He hadn’t realized how much he’d been missing. He’d wanted her attention, but he’d never had her adoration before. He’d never seen that softness in her eyes or observed such a luminous smile on her face before. He’d wasted years without moments like these and the realization almost felt like grief.
Why hadn’t he told her the moment he understood that she wasn’t just a source of amusement? Why had he spent so many years hurting her? He didn’t realize he had a tear running down his face until Utahime was suddenly leaning down in front of him, hands cupping his cheeks with concern.
“What happened Gojo?” Utahime questioned him with a frown, stroking the tear away with her thumb.
“I-” he became aware of the curious gazes of the room, the whispers about his confusing behavior. The song finished and everyone seemed to pause, no one taking the mic that Utahime had set down. “Can we go outside for a minute?” He stood up and took her hand, tugging her towards the door.
She frowned at him but snagged her jacket and allowed herself to be led out of the room and through the noisy bar, just as aware of the whispers and stares as he was. She could already hear Shoko distracting the group and explaining away their behavior.
The bar was on a quiet street, a block off the main road. Close enough to attract crowds of people, but located on a large lot with other businesses that were closed for the night. A low sloping retaining wall separated the bar from the next property and a large parking lot gave them some privacy from the nearest buildings in the complex. Gojo pushed past the small group of people smoking outside and led Utahime to the lowest section of the wall where there were fewer cars. He let go of Utahime’s hand so he could take off his jacket and place it on the wall. She smiled in thanks and sat down, patting the spot beside her in invitation.
“Are you warm enough?” Gojo asked her as he sat beside her.
“Yes, it’s quite a warm night,” she slid closer to him, removing the distance he’d placed between them. None of that now, Gojo. She waited patiently for him to speak, giving him time to compose his thoughts.
“I’m sorry for what happened inside.”
“It’s fine,” she assured him. “A little confusing maybe but I just want to know that you’re okay.” She pulled his hand into her lap and stroked his palm idly. “You looked so happy at first. Then…” Utahime stared at his hand, unsure how to explain what she’d seen. “You looked as if someone had stabbed you through the stomach.” She looked up at him to judge his reaction to her words. “It’s not always easy to understand what you’re thinking. The glasses don’t help, even though I know you need them because everything is a little overwhelming. So, if I’m wrong, feel free to correct me. I just want to know you better.”
Gojo nodded. “I want you to know me. I want you to understand me.” He leaned toward her and kissed the bridge of her nose. “I think the day you received that scar was the day I realized you weren’t just the girl I liked to tease, but I knew you disliked me by then.” She nodded reluctantly, squeezing his hand. “I can’t pinpoint the moment I thought ‘I love Utahime’, but it was years ago. I thought about trying to change my behavior, but if I didn’t tease you, you ignored me entirely. If I didn’t reach out, or if I never saw you again, I don’t think you would have cared, or maybe you would even be relieved.”
“I’m sorry, Gojo.” Utahime said regretfully.
“It was my fault,” Gojo shrugged. “I didn’t give you a reason to like me. I don’t expect you to suddenly admit you’ve been madly in love with me for years. You’d be a hardcore masochist if you did.”
Utahime shook her head. “I can’t say I loved you for years. I can’t even say I particularly liked you most days, but I did respect you and I would have missed you if I never saw you again. You weren’t just some random person to me.”
“Respect, huh?” Gojo laughed. “I guess I’m glad I had even that.”
“Grudging respect, mind you.” Utahime smirked. “And I can’t ever say that I never thought you were attractive. That would be a bald-faced lie.”
“Oh?” Gojo leered at her.
“Enough of that,” Utahime scolded him gently. “You were explaining.”
Gojo sighed. “Yes, I was.” He looked up at the sky, avoiding her gaze. “When I was watching you sing, when you looked at me so positively, without annoyance or anger…it made me realize that I should have been treating you better. I should have told you how I felt years ago instead of assuming that one day you would realize, and everything would work out. It shouldn’t have come as so much of a surprise that you never even considered us friends.”
“I was a little harsh on you,” Utahime admitted. “It was a tough day and I took it out on you. Shoko has since said I was an idiot, so it wasn’t all on you. I always knew you were teasing me because I made myself an easy target.”
“You’re brilliant, Utahime.” Gojo assured her. “Every negative thing I ever said to you was only me trying to push your buttons, trying to keep your attention for a second longer. I never once doubted you as a teacher or sorcerer.”
“Not even once?” Utahime lifted an eyebrow.
“I worried about you sometimes.” Gojo admitted. “There are grades of sorcerers for a reason. I’m not saying I ever just blindly believed you would never struggle and that you could handle everything. But I’ve always respected you, always wished you were happy.”
“You did make it hard to believe that you weren’t just teasing me again with the talk about courting and such.”
“I’ll never make you doubt me again,” Gojo promised fervently. “I was waiting for you all these years, but I handled everything wrong. I’m not like you Utahime.”
“Not like me in what way?” Utahime asked carefully. Before she might have taken offense, assuming he meant the statement in a derogatory way. Before, he would have been quick to point out a flaw of hers. But now, she studied him and waited patiently willing to hear him explain before passing judgment.
“I’m not…selfless.” Gojo huffed in frustration. “I loved you, but I’m selfish and impatient and waiting is hard.”
Utahime sighed, mind made up. No one was perfect. “You’re incredible, Gojo and maybe a little ruthless, but it’s not your fault. You just happened to be born extremely skilled and devastatingly handsome.”
Gojo perked up at her declaration, grinning widely, “Devastatingly handsome?”
“And unfortunately, that means you have a bigger ego than anyone I’ve ever met,” Utahime continued pointedly. “But you’re also a dedicated teacher, a kinder man than one might expect, and fiercely loyal to those you care about.”
Gojo leaned towards her, expression hopeful. “You’re it, Utahime. There’ll never be anyone else.”
“I know,” Utahime smiled. “And I’m being foolish. I know you love me, and I…love you too. This is all very new to me, but I want you to know nothing is going to change that.”
Gojo’s eyes widened behind his glasses and he tried to burn this memory into his mind. He reached towards her face, watching as she leaned into him, pressing her cheek into his palm. “I knew it,” he smiled happily, “Who wouldn’t love me?”
Utahime rolled her eyes, “You’ll never change, will you Satoru? I guess I couldn’t help but love you anyway.”
Utahime found herself pulled to her feet and then lifted into the air. She yelped unflatteringly as Gojo swung her around. Utahime gripped onto his shoulders in order to keep her balance. “Say it again, Utahime.”
“Satoru, let me down!” she scolded him but laughed at the childish glee on his face.
“I’m never letting you go,” Gojo insisted, placing her down but clutching her to him stubbornly. “You said you love me, so that means I get to keep you.”
Utahime shook her head at his antic and threaded her fingers into his hair, tugging slightly as punishment for surprising her. “Silly Gojo.” She rose on her tip toes and kissed him softly on the mouth. “My Satoru,” she said with affection, kissing him again, warmth suffusing her as his lips parted against hers. She tried to pull him lower to compensate for their height difference.
Gojo resisted, too busy admiring her flushed cheeks and reddened lips. “So eager,” he teased her gently. She scowled at him in mock annoyance, expression softening as his palms cupped her cheeks. “My Utahime. I’d always hoped, but I was never sure you could love me too.”
“That makes two of us,” Utahime admitted. “But I couldn’t help myself. You might be an arrogant idiot sometimes, but you’re my arrogant idiot. It was easy once I realized that.”
“I am,” Gojo agreed readily, kissing her nose playfully. “I guess you’ll just have to marry me.”
“Whoa!” Utahime tried to pull away, eyes widening in panic.
“Just kidding!” Gojo laughed, “I get it, too soon.” At her forceful nod, his expression sobered. “But someday, Utahime?”
“I don’t think your clan would agree.” Utahime hedged carefully.
“I’ll kill anyone who objects,” Gojo assured her, glasses sliding down his nose to reveal how serious his eyes were.
“Gojo!” Utahime studied his eyes, blue so bright his gaze burned. “Someday,” she agreed softly. “But I won’t be bullied into it! And you can’t kill anyone who objects!”
Gojo shrugged, placated by her agreement. “It would be too easy anyway.”
Utahime shook her head at him, smiling despite her slight alarm. “What am I going to do with you, Gojo Satoru?”
“Marry me,” Gojo quipped, but then amended, “Someday. But right now?” he kissed her insistently, nipping her lower lip playfully. “Take me to bed and ravish me, hopefully.”
Utahime rolled her eyes, palm covering her mouth at his impudence. Who says that? She might as well just go with it. “I was rather hoping it would be the other way around,” she cheekily replied.
“Oh?” Gojo’s eyebrows raised, and he grinned wickedly, voice lowering conspiratorially. “Who knew Utahime was so scandalous?”
Utahime smacked his shoulder in protest. “You’re the one who suggested it, idiot!”
“And I’d gladly ravish you whenever and wherever you want,” Gojo vowed solemnly. “It’s my duty as your fiancé to ravish you as often as you demand, after all.”
“I didn’t agree to be called your fiancé yet!” Utahime’s face flooded with colour at his shocking statement. “And I told you, you can’t just say such outrageous things, Satoru! Someone might hear you!”
“But how can I resist?” he teased her. Utahime swallowed hard at the familiar declaration, anticipating his next words. “When you look so very beautiful tonight, my love?”
Utahime melted at the unexpected endearment, knees weakening at the adoring expression on his face. She reached for him eagerly, heart filled to bursting at this softer side of Gojo.
A gagging sound interrupted the moment. Shoko was approaching them, impatient to see how the conversation was going after they were gone so long. “I’m about to be sick.”
“Shoko!” Utahime jumped away from Gojo with a burning face. “What are you doing out here?”
“The better question is, what are you two doing out here? Any later and I might have walked into the most traumatizing experience of my life.” Shoko lit a cigarette, waving at them dismissively. “You better go home before the police are called for public indecency.” Utahime choked at the sly statement, “But first go say goodbye to your friends Utahime, while I talk to Gojo.”
Utahime frowned, hesitating at the serious expression on Shoko’s face. “But we just got here.”
“And I just finished making excuses for you and apologizing on your behalf for leaving so early. It’ll be fine. You’ve given them enough of a show tonight.”
“I guess.” Utahime looked to Gojo to see what he thought.
Gojo waved her towards the door with a reassuring smile, so she dutifully did as Shoko said and went inside to say goodnight to everyone.
“So,” Shoko took a drag of her cigarette. “You idiots finally figured it out, eh?” At Gojo’s affirmative nod, Shoko sighed happily. “I can finally die in peace.”
“Not too soon I hope Shoko-san.”
Shoko snorted at Gojo’s respectful address, “Not even close. I expect you two to get married and have a dozen little hellions. And maybe I’ll die when your great-grandchildren are born. I’m only a month older than you, Gojo.”
“If you could convince Utahime that marrying sooner rather than later would be better, I’ll name our first child Shoko in your honor.” Gojo promised fervently.
Shoko peered at Gojo with narrowed eyes. “You’re really set on this marriage, Gojo. Something I should know?”
Gojo smiled falsely, “Of course not.”
“Gojo,” Shoko growled in irritation.
Gojo rubbed the back of his head, “Well, you know the current situation. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I want to be prepared. I want Utahime to be protected by my name, just in case.” Gojo gestured towards the bar. “Also, I just want to marry Utahime. I’ve waited long enough; don’t you think Shoko?”
“I guess you have,” Shoko agreed reluctantly. “I’ll try to convince her.” Shoko finished her cigarette, butting it out and discarding it in the provided waste receptacle. She turned to go back inside, pausing to glare at Gojo over her shoulder. “Try not to die and break Utahime’s heart. I’ll revive you and kill you again myself if you do.”
Gojo crossed his heart solemnly and watched Shoko go back inside with a heavy expression. He was being honest. Marrying him would provide Utahime with the protection afforded to the future Gojo Clan matriarch. Whatever his family and the higher-ups felt about Utahime, they would protect Gojo Satoru’s wife without question. And he wasn’t lying about wanting to marry her. She would be the most beautiful bride, and nothing would make him happier to have Utahime as his wife. Then he could wake up every day with her and feed his Utahime addiction as often as he wanted without complaint. And still there was that niggling worry that Utahime could leave him whenever she wanted, if he got too annoying, or if she tired of his ego or his personality quirks. He knew she took marriage seriously and would commit herself to it fully. If she married him, she promised him forever. But he could be patient, he would continue to hope they had all the time in the world for her to make her decision and would trust in her love for him, knowing she was as committed to him as he was to her.
Utahime came out of the bar with a bright expression, beaming at the sight of him. “Are you ready to go, Gojo?”
Gojo forced himself to put aside his concerns, heart lightening at Utahime’s cheerful smile. “Of course,” he swept her up into his arms, hugging her fiercely and burying his nose in her hair.
“Are you okay?” Utahime asked against his collar. “Did Shoko say something to you?”
“No,” Gojo pressed his lips against her hair, breathing her in. “I just missed you.”
“I was gone less than five minutes!” Utahime laughed at him with exasperation, but her arms slipped around him as well and she squeezed him in reassurance. “I thought about it,” she said softly. “And everyone already thinks I’m your fiancé.”
Gojo froze, waiting impatiently for Utahime to continue with bated breath.
“I still say someday, but maybe not that long. I wouldn’t mind being called your fiancé, if it means everyone knows you’re mine and no one else’s.”
Gojo sighed in relief and joy, already picturing Utahime on their wedding day. “So possessive Utahime,” he couldn’t help but tease. She squeezed him painfully in rebuke, “You’re lucky I’m the type of man who likes that sort of thing.”
“You better,” Utahime growled. “I won’t tolerate other women throwing themselves at you.”
“We’re alike in that way,” Gojo smirked. “If another man so much as looks at you, he’s dead.”
Utahime pulled away and kissed Gojo lightly before slipping her hand into his and tugging him along. “So dramatic,” she teased him. “You’re lucky I’m the type of woman that loves that type of thing.”
“I love you too, Utahime.” Gojo responded happily, squeezing her hand gently. He was being completely serious though. If someone so much as leered at her…
“Of course you do, Satoru” Utahime smirked. “Who wouldn’t love me?”
Gojo’s heart nearly exploded in happiness, taking in Utahime with adoration. The moonlight that ignited Utahime’s hair in shades of indigo, the tenderness of her smile, the feel of her hand holding his, the love she felt for him so clearly visible in her eyes. It was perfect. Whatever happened after this, he had this moment to sustain him.
“You could have the heart of any man you wanted,” Gojo agreed. “But you have mine as long as I live.”
Utahime simply nodded, knowing instinctively that he needed her to hear this. She felt a shiver of apprehension that she brushed away, squeezing Gojo’s hand and walking away from the bar, quickening her steps until she was running, Gojo keeping pace with her smoothly.
“That impatient to ravish me, Utahime?” Gojo huffed beside her.
Utahime laughed, heart full and steps surefooted. “Yes,” she admitted readily. “But please never say the word ravish again, or you’ll never see me naked.”
“As my fiancé commands. Hold on tight.” She felt the hum of Gojo’s cursed energy and braced herself. One moment they were running down the street, and in a flash of expended cursed energy, they were gone in the next.