Chapter Text
“My crows are blinded in here,” Mei Mei said for the sixth time.
Utahime grunted in frustration. Her own cursed energy felt depleted by this place. Useless. She pressed forward through another dark corridor, shuddering at the stifling feeling.
“I can’t sense a way out,” she mumbled. She leaned against the wall.
“It’s coming!”
She forced herself upright. The curse liked swarming them, trying to catch them off guard.
She lashed out, her cursed energy barely flickering around her fists.
The floor began to shake under their feet.
“What was that?” Utahime asked. Everything exploded, splitting apart and sending her and Mei Mei apart. Utahime slammed into the ground, crying out briefly when debris landed on top of her. The weight wasn’t resting on her, but she was trapped.
“Well, looks like we arrived in the nick of time!”
Utahime snarled under her breath. The sight that met her eyes as the dust settled was expected, but unwelcome.
“I have saved you, Utahime!”
“I didn’t want you to save me!” she shouted back. The idiot was standing casually on the ledge above the destruction he’d caused. Utahime grit her teeth, getting her attention back to her predicament. She tried to wiggle herself free, but she couldn’t get any leverage.
She flinched as two shiny shoes appeared on the ground in front of her face.
“Aw, does Utahime need some help getting out? Too weak to get out on her own?”
All Utahime wanted to do was drop her head in the dirt and cry. She grit her teeth together, forcing her head up and scowled to make her face ugly for the idiot in front of her.
“I don’t . . .” she once again tugged fruitlessly and rethought her words. The longer she resisted, the more he would have time to mock her. “I’m stuck,” she muttered. “Get me out.”
“What’s that?” Gojo said loudly. “Was that a cry for help?”
Utahime forced every ounce of her remaining energy into her anger. “Gojo, stop playing around and get me out of here!”
“Say please!”
Utahime shut her eyes against the humiliation. Geto, Shoko, and Mei Mei were watching from the edge of the crater Gojo had made. “Please,” she hissed.
Gojo moved too quickly for her to track. Utahime blinked when she realized she was being half-held by him out of the wreckage. The only thing she could see was the buttons of his jacket, she was so close to him. A strange sensation slid down her spine—Gojo’s hand, checking for damage. The idiot should’ve done that before he moved her. She shoved away, trying to hide the way she was swaying from exhaustion.
“No ‘thank you,’ Utahime? I’m hurt.”
“Thank you,” she managed. “And it’s Utahime-senpai, to you.”
She blinked upwards, finding the others not watching anymore, discussing something amongst themselves. Her next tired blink she was once more staring at Gojo’s buttons. She tried to move backwards, but his hands were on her shoulders, holding her in place.
“Are you hurt?”
“What?”
“Utahime. Are you hurt?” he enunciated clearly. Gojo leaned down, revealing his ethereal blue eyes over his sunglasses. Utahime stared stupidly at them.
“I’m not hurt,” she managed.
He grinned, bright like a flash of sunlight from behind a cloud. “Great! We’re going to go get drinks after this, let’s go!”
“You know, I don’t really think you’re weak.”
Utahime sneered, taking a sip of her beer. “Could’ve fooled me.” Her eyes tracked the others, drinking and trying to forget their worries. They were all underage, but no one at the school stopped them.
To her surprise, she felt Gojo’s hand against her head. He was petting her hair. She blinked, turning from her drink to him.
“What are you doing?”
“Utahime.” The way he said her name was low, almost sultry. Utahime swallowed against a sudden heat in her cheeks.
“Leave me alone, idiot,” she managed. “I’ve just had a very hard two days stuck in a freaking cursed domain. The last thing I want to do is deal with you.”
“That was pretty strong, you know. Surviving that long.”
She couldn’t stop herself from looking at him then, startled with another clear view of his liquid blue eyes peering over his glasses. “You’ve changed your tune,” she said.
“How come you never show off your technique?”
“I’m not supposed to tell anyone,” she muttered. “It’s not meant . . . Not meant to be used.”
“But you’d like to, wouldn’t you?” His fingernails scratched gently at her scalp before sliding down through her hair, untangling the dirt-caked strands. When had he taken her ribbons out? And why hadn’t Utahime pushed him away yet?
“Whatever, Gojo,” she muttered. “The higher-ups won’t let me.”
“You know, one of the things about Six Eyes is that I can read techniques. I can see your energy, the way it wants to strengthen and grow.”
She blinked at him, feeling the alcohol in her veins and the warmth of his focus. “Why are you saying all of this?”
“I dunno.” He twisted her hair around his index finger, tugging at it lightly. “So you know I’m paying attention, senpai.”
“Gojo, what are you doing with our beloved senpai?”
Utahime frowned, the haze of alcohol not enough to disguise how dismissive Geto’s voice was. She looked up at him, trying to read him.
“Aw, c’mon, Suguru. Our senpai is so cute, I didn’t want her to drink alone.”
She flushed, standing. “You guys are weird,” she declared.
She felt Gojo’s eyes track her through the room. She couldn’t tell whether she wanted his attention or not, and the confusion was distressing. It was a relief, stepping out into the night, seeing the stars overhead.
Gojo’s cursed energy was unmistakeable, a hum that she could never ignore.
“Walking away was on purpose, Gojo,” she said tartly. “Take a hint.”
“I’ll be gone for a while on a big mission with Geto.”
She conceded by half-turning, finding him leaning against the doorway. Laughter and light spilled around him, placing him in shadow.
“So, what do you want from me?”
“How ‘bout a good luck kiss?”
She snorted. “Like you need luck.”
“True.” He pushed off the doorframe, prowling closer. Utahime stood her ground, frowning up at him. “Cute,” he murmured.
“Stop messing with me, Gojo.” Utahime crossed her arms. “It’s getting old.”
“Don’t worry, Utahime.” Gojo’s eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. “You’ll see. I’ll find you when I get back.”
She shifted on her feet, a little uncertain and afraid though she didn’t know why, letting her arms fall to her sides. “Be careful,” she muttered.
For once, she seemed to have surprised him. His mouth fell open slightly, eyes widening. Utahime didn’t know what to do next, whether to leave or say something else.
Without warning, Gojo lunged at her. Utahime didn’t have time to move before he had wrapped her in a hug, long limbs wrapped completely around her, holding her tight to his chest.
A part of her wanted to fight, yell at him for the assumption that she would want to hug him, but the way his eyes had gone wide made her hold her tongue.
And it felt . . . nice, after being locked away in the darkness for two days, now being surrounded by strength and warmth that weren’t her own.
She blinked as he stepped away.
“Thanks, Utahime! See you in a few days!”