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“I need a favor.”
“Oh my, Utahime–”
“Can we skip the part where you’re trying to be funny and just talk seriously? You’re in Kyoto right?”
“Yeah, just finished off my mission, rather spectacularly I might add.”
“Of course you did… So if you don’t have to go back immediately, I need you to come here at the school and look after someone for me for a while. Can you do that, please?”
“Loving the ‘please’, need a little more convincing on the ‘look after’ part. Is it one of your students?”
“It is…a student. I’ll explain in person, can you help me or not?”
“Who would I be if I didn’t help those in need–”
She pressed the “end phone call” button, violently. If he was in an obnoxious mood already, he would be insufferable by the time he saw what the fuss was about.
He was standing right in front of Utahime, in her classroom. Well, there was Utahime. And right next to her, there was someone who should also by all means be Utahime, only decidedly younger, and with a bleeding arm. His face went through many expressions, before finally settling on a confused half-grin, followed by a “huh”.
Utahime (the age appropriate one) sighed. “She’s me. Or I’m her I guess, I - I don’t know. She was attacked by a curse that can apparently send you forward in time.”
“No offense to your younger self, but are you sure that we should believe everything she’s saying? Maybe it’s a curse user trying to trick you, no wait, it makes more sense that they would want to get to me…”
“YOU BROUGHT GOJO SATORU TO BABYSIT ME?”
“Nevermind, it’s you.”
Utahime turned her wild eyes from her 18-year-old counterpart to him. “I asked her all kinds of questions only I could know, and she behaves exactly like me, and she’s hurt. I tried to bandage her arm but I couldn’t touch her, maybe it’s part of the curse since we’re the same person, I don’t know, but I have classes to teach, and I don’t know what to do with her, I don’t want to leave her by herself.”
The girl frowned. “I told you I’m fine, this is beyond unnecessary, I just need him to leave so I can concentrate on finding how to get back.”
“He can help you, stop being stubborn! It’s enough that I have him to get on my nerves, fuck, this is so messed up…” She rubbed her forehead and started pacing back and forth, looking increasingly agitated.
“Utahime, hey!” He said loudly. They both turned. “Uh, how should I distinguish between the two of you?”
“I don’t care, just call me Iori.”
“Please, can I be Iori?”
He smirked. “Uta’s the small one and Hime’s the old one.”
The simultaneous “I’m not small!” and “I’m not old!” cries did not disappoint him.
“Anyway, just…don’t worry Hime, I’ll take care of her.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know, that’s why I called you, you know I trust you. I’ll be back in a few hours, good luck,” she said and left, after taking one last worried look at Uta.
The silence that followed the door closing was loud. Gojo couldn’t stop himself from staring at her. At her girlish pigtails, her unmarred nose and cheek, her vigorous energy that had settled down a bit as she’d matured. She wasn’t that different, really, just more innocent, and at the same time rougher around the edges, looking less certain of her place in the world. Hime had realized her place the hard way, and she’d made her peace with it, learned to pick her battles and stand up for herself when the time was right. Still, Uta was smart, and capable already, that much he knew. Even while bleeding, she- oh fuck.
“Hey, let me see that arm.” He extended his hand to her abruptly.
Uta took a step back. “What, you’ve learned how to heal others too now?” she grumbled.
“That one still eludes me I’m afraid,” he said with a wry grin and huffed. Suddenly, he realized something and his smile widened in an excited way that always made those familiar with Gojo sigh and prepare for the worst. He took off his blindfold and his eyes shined gleefully.
“You know, Uta… I’m not seeing much of that famous respect you ought to show to your elders. Be a good kouhai and give me your arm without attitude.”
Her eye actually twitched. This was a rare achievement, it used to happen more often but Hime had grown a slightly thicker skin after all these years. Ah, this was the moment he didn’t know he’d been waiting his whole life for. Her hands started twitching too, probably wishing for something sharp to hold. She knew that this impossible occurrence of Gojo finally one-upping her in her sole advantage was the highlight of his existence, and just as certainly he knew that she was debating with herself over the paradoxical time travel complications of murdering him.
“Look, you’d start worrying eventually if I didn’t tease you over that. Just let me help.”
She swallowed and slowly spread her arm towards him. He gingerly held it and winced. “Fuck, that’s kinda deep.”
Still, she complained. “I can wrap it up by myself; it’s the least of my concerns right now.”
“I’d say it’s the most imminent of our concerns right now, so might as well get through with it.” He went outside the classroom and came back a minute later, holding a bottle of water and gauze. He retook the wounded arm she’d awkwardly lowered down, and after wetting the gauze, started cleaning it softly. He stole a look at her face, and saw her struggling to hide her pain.
“You cryin’?” he said quietly, with a small smile, and immediately regretted it as she wretched her hand away from him.
“I can’t believe a decade later you’re still the same asshole! Always thinking I’m weak! I bet you think she is weak too!” she cried.
“Uta, it was a little joke, calm down! I was trying to make you feel more comfortable, y’ know, say something you’d recognize. Guess that backfired,” he huffed.
“Look, I get your reaction, you’ve only known me during possibly my worst phase, especially when it came to our relationship. But at least try to trust yourself, I mean, your older self. She called me here.” He paused and thought for a second. “And you better be nice to her, I bet she’s been nothing but kind and doting to you over this whole incredibly weird ordeal.”
Uta stared at her feet uneasily. “I’m glad she cares, I like to know that this fucked up world hasn’t taken that from her yet,” she frowned, “from me. I just… she knows I can handle myself, that I’ve been through way worse.” She seemed to be considering her next sentence. “She certainly has been through way worse,” she observed dryly.
He knew this was coming. “Did she tell you about the…”
She shook her head. “She said I shouldn’t know. I agreed.”
He nodded solemnly. “Yeah, that’s for the best probably.” He looked up at her and hesitantly caught her arm again, the gauze ready in his other hand. He carried on with his dabbing on the wound. “I don’t actually think she’s weak,” he said softly, focusing his eyes on the task. “I don’t think you’re weak either.” He chuckled. “Might as well acknowledge it to you, to make up for some of the shit I’d told you back then. Maybe you’ll carry that knowledge into the future, and so Hime will also magically know, and I won’t have to ever say it to her face.”
He stole another glance, and as expected she was staring at him as if he’d grown a second, equally handsome head.
“I think you need to put your glasses back on, it must be the dizziness talking,” she said wide-eyed.
He smiled. “It’s a blindfold now, you forgot?”
“No I just prefer the glasses, whoever told you this thing looks good lied to your face.”
“Well, your older self didn’t seem to mind it when she-” he closed his mouth abruptly. “Nevermind.” Shit shit shit.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“WHAT?”
He slowly put on the blindfold. “You’ll find out one day.”
“Gojo, we didn’t - did we? Gojo, did we?! What the fuck?” She started shaking her arm and he grabbed her shoulder to keep her still.
“Hey calm down! Fucking hell, I can’t believe I put my foot in my mouth even in little Uta’s presence.”
“I’m! Not! Little! And don’t tell me to calm down, you dick! How did you convince her to - you don’t even like her - me - whatever!”
With a sigh of resignation, he took more gauze and started wrapping up her arm, holding it firmly as it was still shaking, now probably more from the nerves than the shock. “Might as well tell you, the time continuum is already fucked up as it is. I have a little crush on Hime, and I think your Satoru would share my sentiment.” God this was so weird. He could almost hear his shovel hit the ground as he kept digging himself into a bigger hole.
She looked pained, and mad. “Is this a joke? Are you young Gojo disguised or something?”
“I’m really not, Uta. You don’t have to worry, though, whatever me and Utahime have, it’s not serious.” He tried to speak as casually and nonchalantly as possible, and he didn’t know if it was good or bad that he was succeeding. “It could never be, really. You’re old enough to understand the reasons, I think.”
“Stop patronizing me, I’m still your senpai in another universe! And you bet I can understand the reasons, I can think of a million of them right now!”
“That number might decrease a bit as you age, but you definitely won’t find Hime disagreeing with you.” Hime…when was she coming back to assist him? Or should he be panicking about her seeing this disaster of a situation?
“Just…stop talking, you’re confusing me so much.” Panicking it was, then. “I want to go home,” she moaned, her free hand rubbing her forehead. It was such a familiar gesture, regardless of age, that it brought a half smile to his face.
“I promise we’ll make that happen. After all, I guess I should mention that I’m still the strongest sorcerer alive.”
“Shut. Up.”
“Fine, fine.” He needed to ease the tension a bit. “You know, I just realized, we finally share something in common.”
She looked apprehensive. “What?”
“You have your own time travel version of Hime-specific Infinity now.” He lightly bumped her with his knee.
“Stop trying to be funny.”
“I’m just saying, you haven’t experienced the wonderful feeling of making her mad and feeling protected by her ire,” he said, and scrunched his mouth into a scarily accurate imitation of the grimace of annoyance she knew she made very often in his presence. A short loud laugh escaped her, and she bumped his knee back.
“Oh my god I hate you, how can she stand you for this long?"
“I’ve been told I’m an acquired taste.”
“I’m not looking forward to acquiring it.”
“That’s what they all say.”
She shook her head, trying to hide her smile, failing, and seemingly accepting defeat. She let out a breath.
"You know, you've really matured though. I'm happy for you. And for future-me, I guess."
He had so many annoying responses at the ready. Maybe not a good time for that. He settled for a boring "thanks". "Glad you can tell," he continued. "I wouldn't blame you if you couldn't."
She smiled again, widely and genuinely, and he inexplicably felt a deep pain in his chest, at the thought that it was a smile on a version of her he wouldn't be seeing again. Oh well, maybe in some old photo of them all together. But that would mean bringing up memories that-
"And Geto's not even here to reel you in. Tell him hi from past-me when you see him!" Ah, there it was.
He had said enough already. It would be monumentally stupid to try to change anything that had already happened. Not to mention, cruel to her.
"Yeah, I will."
“Hey, Gojo.”
“Hm?” He patted her arm, having finished his treatment of it, and looking satisfied, nudged her to bend it slightly. She moved it again, ignoring the slight pain, for lack of anything else to do.
“So, supposing you weren’t that much of a dick as to be messing around with me before…did you think I was pretty? Back then.”
He narrowed his eyes quizzically and tilted his head to one side.
"Back then. And now. Yes. Very much so."
She blushed, but looked sceptical still. "Now? Like...with the scar and everything?" He opened his mouth to reply.
"I'm not scared," she rushed to clarify. "It has to happen, and I'm prepared to deal with it. I- I bet I was very brave." She was. She really fucking was. "It's just...making me wince a bit. Looking at it. I guess because it's on me, sort of. But...y'know. It's a bit of a nasty view in general."
"I think it looks very cool." He shrugged. "You'll hear me say that again at least, I can guarantee as much. I've been insisting for years that it makes you even hotter."
"Ahhh stop, you're making this weird, you're so old!"
"Hey, technically I was talking about Hime, she's the one with the scar- wait did you just pull the 'old' card on me?" He gasped, appalled.
She giggled. "Takes one to know one, drama queen."
"Fine, you win this one point." Her brown eyes widened, ecstatic.
"Yeah, yeah, take it back home for all I care, and shove it in young me's face. Just between us, I'm gonna become even stronger soon in your timeline, so humble me all you can before it's too late."
She squinted at him in disbelief. "It's too late already. Maybe I'll pass on that advice if I ever meet 10-year-old Utahime." They shared a laugh, and then there was silence.
It had gotten late, the sun was coming down, bringing pink and orange hues through the window in the little classroom, that seemed bigger than before. It felt like a contained universe where different times met and tangled together, almost conjuring up a third energy that settled between them, one with the colors of the afternoon sky, brimming with contentment, and emotion, and understanding, and- oh right.
"Uta, I am realising something that is going to make you want to kiss my feet in gratitude for my immense help in getting you safely home, into the arms of Gojo Satoru the First..."
"What? Shut up! No wait, speak, but skip the bullshit!"
"The ungratefulness of the youth these days..."
"Gojo? Did you find a solution?" Hime burst in, breathless from running, and looking intensely at Uta to check that she was alright, physically and more importantly mentally.
"You could say that a solution has appeared in this very room."
"What are you talking about?" Uta said impatiently.
Hime and Gojo locked eyes. "I think now I'm sensing it too, sort of."
"Sensing what?"
Gojo took the liberty to explain. "A cursed spirit just emerged. One with a very good camouflage, I might say, but still, its energy is detectable if you pay attention. Or if you're me." He grinned. "I think it's the one that brought you here. Its Doctor Who thing seems to be the way for it to escape, but you touched it and it transferred you through time accidentally. Time travel as an offensive skill seemed a bit useless, anyway."
Uta had gone very still, trying to find what her more experienced self had seen already. She was looking at it now, cornered on the opposite side of the room, darkening the wall as it was slowly turning less invisible, its blistered skin the color of rust.
"So...can you just kill it? And I will return?"
"Of course I can save you, my precious kouhai-"
"Oh my god forget it," she snapped and her voice let out a clear note, a very impressive one actually, one that would have him on his knees ready to hand her his heart if he wasn't well aware of how deadly it was.
And then another note. And then another. And soon the curse had shrivelled into a very visible, very disgusting little orange blob. And Uta was starting to look a bit transparent. Funny how time travel works.
He turned to Hime, who was looking at the girl with equal parts confusion and pride. "Don't you need like half an hour to prepare before your vocal chords start kicking ass?"
Hime nodded. "Were you getting ready for battle all this time?" she asked Uta.
"From the moment I saw him I was determined to leave as fast as possible," she confessed, not looking nearly ashamed enough to admit it.
Hime cackled. "If I could hug you, I would. Go, go and enjoy your youth in your own timeline! Oh, and put on Retinol! Every night! And go out drinking a lot! Responsibly of course, but those hangovers get worse as you grow up, trust me, take advantage while you can."
Gojo smirked at her. "A fine teacher if I ever saw one."
Uta laughed. "We're pretty cool, I think, Hime. Wish I had more time with you. Do you think you can at least tell me how's it looking for The Lions next season?"
"Where's the fun in knowing already?" Hime said, at the same time that Gojo declared, "It's pretty bad."
This caused a bickering session of a few minutes. Uta watched them, her eyes blinking in bewilderment, her mouth betraying a small smile of hope.
"I think it's time," said Hime. "Should I kill it for good?"
Gojo, eager to remind them of his superior skills, blasted it to nothingness before they had time to react. The Utahimes both rolled their eyes, and the accidental coordination looked more than a bit eerie.
"Well, goodbye," Uta said, looking a bit misty-eyed, but Gojo had learned his lesson and didn't dare to comment on it. She bowed. "Thank you for everything. And...good luck," she added, looking between the two of them, the question mark at the end of her wish evident only if you knew to search for it.
Hime didn't have time to ask, thankfully. The dark violet pigtails were gone, and a cool breeze shook the air they occupied a second ago.
And there she went. Fuck, he felt completely drained emotionally. Three First Grade curses in a day, and this was what made him think that he needed a cigarette and a drink, despite hating both. Maybe a whole chocolate cake would do.
And he hadn't even considered Hime. This must have been so difficult for her. He turned carefully to look at her. She appeared slightly worried. "Do you think it'll change anything important that I told her to mind her skin care routine and drink?"
"Uhhh, about that."
"...What. Did. You. Tell. Her."
They sat for a bit, still in the classroom, side by side on the teacher's desk. Partly just to see if anything terribly wrong happened. Partly because he was waiting for her to start speaking to him in sentences that didn't include words of intense disapproval and disappointment in his lack of braincells.
"Do you...feel any different?"
"No."
"Oh. Well, that's good. No need to yell at me now." He turned to her and saw that her eyes were glazed over and she seemed to be considering something.
"Sure you don't feel different?" She ignored his question.
"I think it's because...maybe a part of me knew. Even then. Not everything. But maybe some things."
"What things?"
She stared at him then, finally with clear eyes and a strange expression between smug and resigned.
"The things you won't say even now."
"Ah. Those things." He raised his eyebrows and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Well, as long as you know."
"Guess so."
"Maybe one day I'll even say them for real."
"Don't hold your breath."
"Don't tell me what to do."
"So... Hime-"
"Start over."
"So... Utahime, have you considered wearing a school uniform in bed?"
"I will strangle you with my bare hands, until your Infinity is drained."