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He always knew it would come to this, in the end.
Isolation.
—-
Gojo, throughout his entire life, struggled with people. They always just saw him as his power, a weapon to be used, a shield to protect. His parents did, his friends did. He was just The Strongest, and nothing more. Not a person, with his own thoughts and feelings. Just power.
So, when he had adopted his most precious students, he thought things might be different. They didn’t know about the Jujutsu society, and his place in it. The Fushiguro children were separated from it.
Despite knowing he probably shouldn’t adopt them, he loved them too much not to. He worked out all the paperwork, and, with their consent, took them in as his own.
And for a while, he was human. He was happier than he’d ever been in his entire life. Playing with Megumi and Tsumiki, trying to make them happy, brought him so much joy. He loved taking them out to get food, going to museums, or the library, or the park. They called him by his first name rather than a title, something no one else did. He shared his actual thoughts with them, and learned everything he could about his kids. He showered them in gifts and spent every second he wasn’t working with them. Even though the guilt from his trips ate through his very core. Megumi was a lot more difficult to deal with between the two of them, and yet even he saw Gojo as a person first.
Until everything changed.
Wanting to learn about the Jujutsu world, Megumi had asked if he could shadow Gojo on one of his missions. Gojo hesitated, but agreed. He selected a mission low level enough to not put his son in danger, and took him with him.
He doesn’t remember much about the actual fight. It was routine, nothing out of the ordinary. What he does remember was Megumi’s face, when it dawned on him how strong Gojo really was. Looking into Megumi’s wide open eyes, he could see the moment everything changed.
He’d seen proof of the legend that Gojo was the strongest sorcerer. And legends… weren’t people.
Waiting for the final blow, Gojo held his arms close to his chest, as if trying to shield himself.
And there it was, those words tumbled out of Megumi’s mouth, hitting harder than any attack he’d ever felt before.
“Gojo-Sensei?”
Satoru was truly gone, Gojo-Sensei permanently in his place.
The sliver of hope Gojo had been riding on, that his kids would one day call him Dad, that the Jujutsu world wouldn’t stain their perception of him, that, despite everything, the love Gojo felt for them would keep him human in their eyes? It died in a heartbeat.
Reality came sharply back into focus. He should’ve known this would happen. Looking into Megumi’s expectant eyes, he ruffled his hair, perhaps for the last time. Giving him a short nod, Gojo’s mouth curved into the most fake smile he’d ever plastered on his face.
Megumi didn’t seem to notice.
“Come on, let’s go home.”
And his fate was sealed in stone. He would always be alone.