Archive of Our Own

You and Satoru didn’t often take on missions together, but when you did, it was nothing short of a good time. Despite the serious nature of the missions that Satoru took on, he was just… goofy. Goofy in a way that rubbed off on you, made you giggle quietly beside him as he made some dumb joke while gathering intel, or exchanged cunning quips as you exorcised whatever cursed spirit was unlucky enough to cross the both of you. Others asked if the two of you even took things seriously at all, which you did, really , but you couldn't help it. Satoru coaxed out a side of you that brought you genuine enjoyment for life, for living, which was a stark contrast to the usual sombre work of being a Jujutsu sorcerer. 

So when Satoru asked you to tag along on some new mission he was assigned, you accepted without hesitation. 

You slipped into the sleek black car that Jujutsu High had sent, joining Satoru in the backseat as you greeted him with a friendly smile. His usual self-assured smirk was plastered on his face as he lounged in the seat, one long leg crossed over the other with effortless grace. 

‘’You gonna fill me in on the details of the mission?’’ You asked him, settling into the backseat and giving him your usual smile. Satoru crossed his arms, tilting his head as if to eye you, though you couldn’t tell because of his blindfold, however you could feel the heat of his gaze on you. 

‘’Some unknown cursed energy residuals were reported on the outskirts of Tokyo, on the coast. Looks like we’re making a trip to the beach.’’ You smiled, pleased. 

‘’The beach, huh?’’ You mused, already picturing the cute souvenirs you could buy with Satoru to bring back to your students. Satoru took out his phone, scrolling on his screen quickly as he no doubt was reminding himself of the mission info as well. You two were as prepared as ever. 

‘’Yep! Looks like there’s been a couple disappearances in the past month. Huh…all men, last seen at this beach, never seen again…’’ Satoru said, fiddling with his black blindfold as he looked down at the screen, ‘’Oh? Potential special grade mission, huh? Looks like we might actually have a challenge on our hands!’’ He gave you an excited grin and your heart fluttered, though you kept a straight face as you tilted your head at him. 

‘’Try not to be too excited,’’ You chided lightly, ‘’There are people missing you know?’’ 

‘’ Tch, can’t blame me for being a little eager after such a long streak of boring missions.’’ Satoru pouted, crossing his arms, ‘’Now, once we get there, you can do some recon, yeah?’’ 

~ 

And recon you did. Whenever you did missions with Satoru, you were often left to do the talking to civilians, asking them questions and prying for information, while Satoru lounged about waiting for you. You didn’t mind too much, honestly things went much more smoothly when it was you doing all the talking, and Satoru knew this. 

The little town you and Satoru found yourselves in would've been charming, though a cloud of despair and silence cloaked its every road and alleyway. No kids to be found playing outside, no laundry being hung, just salty-wind buffeting at the rocky shore. You had to knock on doors to get some answers from the townspeople, managing to have a couple productive conversations, but all the while it was hard to ignore the heavy, palpable tension in the air, like everyone in the area was holding their breath and waiting for something terrible to happen.  

You made your way back to Satoru, who was leaning against a broken down, white fence. He perked up seeing you, straightening up as you approached. 

‘’So? Did you find anything?’’ He asked, leaning closer to you. 

‘’Yeah actually…’’ You began, scratching your head as you inwardly sorted through the fresh information in your mind, ‘’A couple townspeople told me about something that happened a month ago. Apparently a fisherman caught something in his net, something strange…not just any fish. Have you ever heard of a ningyo ?’’ Satoru cocked his head, pale pink lips pursing as he regarded you. 

‘’I’ve heard the name before, though I’ll be honest my knowledge on Japanese folklore isn’t so great.’’ He replied, ‘’ Buuut , I’m guessing you’ll be giving me a lecture all about it right now?’’ You shot Satoru a look as he chuckled, patting your head before shoving it back in his pocket. You rolled your eyes, taking his arm and pulling him beside you as you walked down the rocky pathway. 

‘’You’re annoying,’’ You muttered at him, not unkindly, before continuing, ‘’ Ningyo comes from Japanese folklore, the name meaning ‘human fish’. According to legend, and to the townspeople here, they’ve been around since the Asuka period, and if one eats their flesh, they’re blessed with unnaturally long life.’’ 

‘’Okay, soooo, mermaids then?’’ Satoru chimed in as the two of you wandered by the shore, his long legs slowing their pace so you could keep up with him, ‘’You think the cursed spirit we’re looking for is a mermaid?’’

‘’Not exactly,’’ You huffed, ‘’ Ningyo are far from the typical, beautiful sirens that lure men to their deaths, they’re described as more fish-like than human, with the face of a monkey according to some stories. Apparently, if they are caught, it’s seen as an omen of calamity and misfortune.’’ Satoru peered down at you, lifting his blindfold up off one eye as if to get a good look at you, though you knew he already could.

‘’I love it when you get all nerdy on me.’’ He crooned, voice silky and smooth like honey, and the blood rushed to your face in the span of a second. You let out an absurd little laugh, dismissing Satoru’s casual flirtation. You’d known him long enough to know he wasn't being serious. He was never serious, that was both the problem and the solution to every pathetic, lovesick look you’d given him since you were sixteen. 

‘’Anyway,’’ You moved on, turning your attention back to the mission at hand. You were a pro at repressing your feelings, you could get an award for it. The casual tone of nonchalance? Nailed it. ‘’There’s all sorts of different kinds of lore, and even then there isn't a lot of information on them online, but I’m willing to bet that whatever that fisherman caught in his net last month has something to do with the cursed energy residuals you told me about and the disappearances. It’s too much of a coincidence not to be.’’ 

Satoru hummed, rubbing his chin as he straightened up to his full height. ‘’You’re probably right.’’ He told you, ‘’What happened to the fisherman who claims he caught this thing?’’ 

‘’We’re going to go pay him a visit now, actually.’’ I divulged, pulling Satoru along the road as we neared our destination, who complied without a word, only giving you a lazy grin. ‘’Oh, and Satoru? Let me do the talking.’’ 

~

The fisherman stood at his doorway, nervous eyes flickering back and forth between you and Satoru as though he were expecting something to jump out from behind and attack him. His nervous air wafted off of him in waves, his gaunt expression making your skin crawl. 

‘’It’s like I said before,’’ The fisherman said in a low, raspy tone, ‘’I didn’t really get a good look at that…that thing , when I caught it in my net. I just saw…a huge tail, a flash of teeth, and these terrible, terrible eyes, staring at me, empty and-’’ The man shivered, eyes screwing shut for a moment as he recalled the event. ‘’I threw it back overboard. I knew what it was. The ningyo. ’’ 

‘’Can you tell us a bit more about the creature? What you know about it?’’ You asked, keeping your voice calm and level as you kept your gaze on the man. The man shot you a nervous look, hands wringing. 

‘’My family’s been in this town for a long time. My grandfather told me about the ningyo . Said they bring bad luck. Bad, bad luck. Not worth it to catch them, eat them, so any fisherman worth a damn steers clear whenever they hear their song.’’ 

‘’Song?’’ You asked, curious to know more. You felt Satoru shift on his feet behind you, leaning forward a little as well. The fisherman nodded 

‘’Their voice sounds like a flute, I’ve heard it.’’ He explained in a shaky, unsteady voice, ‘’It’s a nice song at first. Pa always told me they try to lure men in with their song, even change shape too since their original form is too ugly to do the job.’’ 

‘’Is there anything else you know?’’ Satoru asked, voice low and serious, which made you glance over at him. His blindfold was still covering his eyes, and he was leaning against the doorframe as usual, but his expression was one of concern. The fisherman paused, taking a guttural breath as his eyes flashed with something close to fear. He nodded slowly. 

‘’The song…I heard it before I caught it. I thought it sounded like…my girlfriend from when I was young.’’ The fisherman’s cheeks flushed as he recounted the details, gaze turning to the floor. Satoru and you shared a glance, his covered gaze meeting yours but you didn't need to see his eyes to understand what he was thinking.

‘’Girlfriend, huh?’’ You muttered, starting to connect the dots in your head. 

~

‘’You know, for a first, possibly special grade cursed spirit, this ningyo is kind of predictable.’’ Satoru drawled, lying down across the bench of the moderately-sized motorboat the two of you had rented. You sighed as you steered, the salty wind buffeting at your hair as the wild ocean spray lapped at the edge of the boat. This would be a nice outing if you weren’t tracking down a high-level curse, but you were too busy scanning the water, keeping a careful eye out for anything suspicious. Even though you knew Satoru could sense anything coming with those powerful eyes of his, you couldn’t help but stay alert. 

‘’I don’t think curses are particularly preoccupied with being original , Satoru.’’ You joked lightly, your eyes falling on his relaxed form. His elbows were up as he lay his head in his hands, long leg slung over the other. His white-hair was waving to and fro in the sharp breeze, flickering like a white flame in the setting sun. You wiped your sweaty palm on your thigh as you kept your gaze forward and not on Satoru’s handsome profile. Satoru chuckled, low and crooning. 

‘’Maybe not, but come on, mermaids singing to lure men to their deaths? Too cliche.’’ Satoru sighed with a flippant wave of his hand. You shook your head. 

‘’It can’t be as simple as that.’’ You said, ‘’The legend of the ningyo is well-known here, people are superstitious. Those men that disappeared, they’d know well not to follow some song into this ocean. This curse has more up its sleeve than a pretty imitation of a song.’’ The boat rocked to the side, lifted by a powerful wave that made you clutch at the side of the vessel. Satoru sat up gracefully, barely taking notice of the imbalance of the rocking boat. You felt your stomach squeeze, an unfamiliar sick sensation of nausea gripping you as your body swayed. Satoru had suggested the boat, since this was a water-bound curse and you’d have more luck hunting it down on the open ocean, and for a moment you wished the damn cursed-spirit could be normal and just be on land like the rest of them. 

‘’You’re right, as always,’’ He admitted easily, leaning closer to you so he could be heard over the crashing of the water around you both, ‘’Five men, all gone, last seen on their boats, so they were fishermen. They knew better. Whatever technique this ningyo has, it’s powerful and advanced enough to trick seasoned pros into its clutches. No doubt those men are dead already.’’ 

‘’Shape-shifter probably,’’ You hummed, biting your lip as you brainstormed every possible ability the curse could have, ‘’Or able to imitate human speech, taking on the voice of people’s loved ones?’’ Satoru rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and nodded. Another wave crashed against the side of the boat, throwing you off-course for a moment and you could almost feel your face turn green. You coughed, chest constricting as you looked out over the choppy waters of the cold ocean. A warm hand suddenly closed over your own that was gripping on tight to the tiller of the motor, and you turned back to see Satoru leaning over to where you sat at the stern of the boat. 

‘’Let me steer, hm?’’ He said gently, his breath fanning over your cheek as he urged you to take his spot. The warmth from his body rolled off him as he brushed against you, and all you could do was nod as you sat opposite him, heart beating fast. Your hand still burned from where he touched you. 

‘’Should’ve brought those damn life jackets.’’ You muttered, fingers curling around the edge of the bench as the boat kept speeding forward, now with an ever-confident Satoru steering it. Satoru chuckled, running his hand through his wind-swept hair. 

‘’Nah, you don’t need one with me around.’’ He said calmly, ‘’If you fall in, I’ll save you.’’ Your eyes flickered over to Satoru, taken aback by the absence of his familiar boyish and flirty tone. Instead, he gazed at you calmly, no hint of any teasing on his face. Your stomach went from feeling nauseous to doing somersaults, heart jumping into your throat and you were too tongue-tied to reply. You just laughed it off, looking away from the white-haired sorcerer in a weak attempt to hide the heat that was rising in your cheeks. You had such a soft spot for Satoru, you couldn't even bring yourself to get annoyed with him as you probably should for toying with your emotions like this. The teasing you could handle, but this? This genuine tone he took with you sometimes when he said something almost romantic? If you didn't know any better, you might let yourself feel a little bit of hope. But you knew better. You did. 

‘’Just shut up and steer the damn boat.’’ You snorted dismissively, crossing your arms and trying to relax as Satoru pouted playfully. He drove the boat for an hour, going in circles, then venturing further out to sea, with still no sign of any ningyo . 

Just as you were about to call it a night, a high-pitched, flute-like sound rang out across the water, now calm as the day descended into night. You shot a look at Satoru who nodded, slowing the boat to a puttering crawl. The song, a haunting call from something you couldn't see, broke the silence again as your boat finally came to a stop. Besides the sound of the water, you could hear a pin drop with how quiet you and Satoru were. You both tensed in your spots, eyes scanning the surrounding area for any sign of something, anything. Satoru turned suddenly, sharply moving his head to his left and you knew that he could sense the curse. 

‘’It’s close.’’ Was all he said, and without having to say anything to you, you brought down a veil.

‘’Emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure.’’ You chanted the words softly, and a curtain of darkness oozed down from the sky, surrounding you and Satoru, aiming to trap the cursed spirit within so it couldn't swim away. You unsheathed your weapon, body tense, ears catching the sound of rippling water. You turned to where Satoru was standing just in time to see a flash of a dark fin sliding through the waves, circling closer, closer, closer. Its song grew louder, shrill this time, making your ears ring and you had to cover them, dropping your weapon in an effort to block out the painful noise. Satoru still didn't move, seemingly unaffected by the sound, instead his lips parted as though he was confused, his brow furrowing as he listened. Was he hearing something else? Something you weren't? 

‘’Sato-’’ Your words were suddenly interrupted by a scream, the boat rocking violently as the ningyo flew onto the boat. It had a long, golden-scaled fish-tail, huge, lashing from side to side and slamming into the sides of the boat. Fanged, primate-like face licking its chops, distinct monkey snout sneering as it screamed again. It had the torso of a human, matted and wet fur however led to scaly black limbs that were armed with terrible claws that crushed the metal of the boat easily as it hung on tight. 

The force of it landing in front of you both made you sway, and you leapt to the side, hanging on for dear life so you wouldn't fall into the frigid waters. You grabbed at your weapon, hand wrapping around it so tight your knuckles went white. Satoru moved before you did, suddenly appearing behind the cursed spirit and he landed a powerful kick to its huge head, sending it crashing to the floor of the boat. The ningyo’s tail whipped around, narrowly missing Satoru but he dodged with ease, weaving in and out of its reach before it could make contact. You found your footing, taking the opportunity to leap at it, brandishing your weapon as you stabbed down at the cursed spirits head. The ningyo jerked up, body violently convulsing as its arms blocked your attack. It continued its terrible, haunting song all the while, and you clenched your jaw. You couldn't cover your ears, not now. 

Satoru and you cornered the cursed spirit, landing blow after blow, engaged in a calculated dance, the two of you working as a perfect pair, a perfect team, reading each other’s movements, predicting the next without even having to look at each other. The ningyo snarled and hissed, using its taloned arms to spin around helplessly, fish tail lashing from side to side as you backed it into a corner. You sliced and stabbed, managing to land a blow just as the curse lashed out at you, sending you crashing into the ground. Blinding pain seared through your vision, the iron taste of blood flooding into your mouth as you struggled to your feet. 

‘’ Vile woman. ’’ The cursed spirit spat at you, lips curling to reveal drooling fangs as it regained composure. Gritting your teeth, you knew the curse would single you out, try to take you out first to get you out of the way to deal with the biggest threat in the area, Satoru. You forced yourself to your feet, grabbing your weapon once more. Shooting Satoru a look as he launched himself at the ningyo again without missing a beat, and you leaped in the air, taking a risk as you sailed over the cursed spirit’s head, your blade swooshing down and attempting to slice through its furry shoulder. Satoru raised his hand, fingers moving to sign his cursed technique reversal that you knew very well, but in that moment, the ningyo moved faster. It whipped around, moving impossibly fast, leaping at you and trapping you in the sharp hold of its claws. 

You screamed as it pinned you to the ground, talons digging painfully into your ribs, drawing blood yet you didn’t feel it due to the adrenaline rushing and thrumming in your veins. The tangy scent of your blood filled your nostrils as you struggled, watching as the open maw of the curse closed in on your face, the hot stench of its breath fanning over your cheek. Instead of ripping out your throat, its body convulsed, spitting out a white, sticky substance that covered your mouth, choking you. 

‘’No-!’’ You heard Satoru’s voice from somewhere, you didn't know where, your ears were filled with the sickening groan of the ningyo as it kept its mouth wide. Whatever it was regurgitating was solidifying into a spiderweb-like trap, curling around your neck, down your torso and legs, keeping you immobile. Your heart was racing, panic settling into your gut and threatening to drown you as you struggled to free yourself in vain. Move, move, dammit!  

All you could do was breathe through your nose, trying to keep calm as the heavy weight of ningyo eased off you, and it turned to focus on Satoru. The white-haired sorcerer had his hand out, but he wasn't moving, too afraid to use his technique with you in harm’s way. His eyes were still covered, but his mouth was twisted into a grimace as he tensed, chest rising and falling as though he too was fighting to stay calm. You’d never seen Satoru break composure, not once, and the absence of his cool exterior made your blood run cold. The curse dragged itself so it was turned to face Satoru, sneering wickedly. It’s terrible mouth moved, but you couldn't make out what it said, but in an instant, the boat you found yourself in disappeared, falling into darkness as the environment changed. 

You were no longer where you had been moments before, now surrounded by dark, stormy skies, flashes of lightning illuminating a vast expanse of still water that reached the horizon. The air was heavy with the smell of salt and blood, not a whisper of wind to be felt. A shiver ran down your back in your immobilized state. You knew what this was. The ningyo’s domain. You tried to roll over, eyes flying over to watch Satoru. He could release his own domain, infinite void, in an instant, you knew this. No one could engage in a battle of domains against him and win, so why was he…? 

Satoru stood at his full height, frozen, mouth parted as though in a trance. He didn't raise a hand, didn't even twitch as his gaze was fixed ahead of him. Your eyes slowly fell to the cursed spirit, cold dread seeping through your body and into your bones as your stare was met with… you.  

It was you, standing there, where the ningyo had been. But it wasn’t really you. It had your face, your hair, your same mouth, but it was cloaked in glowing white robes, billowing out behind it. Its feet were bare, skin milky white, and the expression on its face was uncanny, just not quite right . You tried to scream, it wasn't you, it was the siren , the ningyo had changed into you, but the sticky-white gag only allowed for a muffled sound of panic to escape you. You thrashed, but Satoru didn’t even notice as he took a shaky step back, still fixed on the figure of you, no, the curse, which took a step towards him. 

‘’ Satoru. ’’ The siren’s voice rang out, cold and sweet, and you were shocked at how closely it resembled your own voice. ‘’ Oh, Satoru…’’ The terrible crooning voice dripped with seduction as the ningyo tilted its head, your head rather, in the exact same way you did. Satoru flinched, whispering your name loud enough for you to hear. The siren version of you grinned, lips twisting with terrible beauty as it swayed towards Satoru.

‘’ Come here Satoru,’’ The siren crooned in your voice, holding its arms out, ‘’ No need to hide anymore. ’’ Satoru’s hand slowly lifted to his black blindfold, pulling it down inch by inch to reveal glassy, crystal-blue eyes, but instead of looking at you, he gazed forward, mesmerised by the vision of you standing in front of him. He looked caught in a trance, lips parting in awe as he gazed at siren-you. Your own heart caught in your throat as you saw the look on his face, one of shock, something else, akin to hunger, flashing in his eyes that made your stomach twist. What was happening to him? 

The siren stopped, lifting an arm, finger beckoning Satoru to come closer. ‘’ You bear such a heavy load Satoru,’’ it murmured with your soft voice, ‘’ The strongest sorcerer of your age, so much duty, so much responsibility. You don’t need to be alone anymore darling, I’m here.’’ You saw Satoru’s shoulders slump as he took another step forward, getting closer, pulled by an invisible force towards the siren, his eyes never leaving its form. Despair crawled up your spine, threatening to drown you as you watched him get closer, closer, until he was only a foot away. You needed to do something, but your body was trapped, there was no way of getting free. The gag in your mouth made you think, if you could only call out to Satoru, maybe you could snap him out of this trance, though you weren’t sure what would happen since you were in the ningyo’s domain. 

‘’ We can be together Satoru. I know you want that, don’t you? You want to be with me?’’ Satoru swallowed thickly as the siren spoke, your voice carrying out throughout the domain, ‘’ I’ll never leave you. I’ll never abandon or betray you. We can get away from all this, that is what you truly want, I can see it. ’’ Satoru mumbled something you couldn't hear, standing right in front of the siren now, looking down, head tilting, hands loosening. The siren raised an arm, running a single finger across his jaw, lips curling as your eyes, no, its eyes glittered in the dim light. You chewed frantically at the gag, trying to swallow, choke it down as you watched, terrified. 

‘’ Just one kiss. One kiss and we can be together. ’’ Siren-you cooed, brushing its fingers through Satoru’s white hair. Satoru didn't hesitate as he leaned down, moving slowly, allowing the ningyo to wrap its arms around him, tugging him closer. Your heart was pounding as you kept working to get rid of the cover over your mouth, bile rising in your mouth as you were able to choke down some of it. The siren raised a hand behind Satoru’s back, a human hand replaced by familiar claws that flashed, its true form materializing, and the siren version of you grinned wickedly, your eyes suddenly glowing scarlet. It raised its claw as it pulled Satoru against it, the sorcerer unaware as he leaned in too. 

‘’Toru, snap out of it!’’ Your voice, your real voice rang out in the silence, the scream ripped from your throat as you finally removed the gag over your mouth. You rolled, thrashing as you tried to sit up. ‘’That’s not me!’’ Satoru stumbled back, the spell broken as he whipped around, his blue eyes finding you. Panicked, he shoved the ningyo away, desperate to get away, and the curse snarled. Your face, which it wore, twisted, fangs protruding from your lips as you swiped at Satoru, but missed. It only took a moment for Satoru to come to his senses, shaking the fog from his head as he dodged another clawed swipe from the curse, whose form was already beginning to change back into its previous one. You watched as your body that it wore grew a tail, arms ripping into scaly ones, a snout stretching from the human nose.

Satoru spun, making a dash towards you and he hauled you over his shoulder. The wind was knocked from your lungs at how fast he was, barely catching him chant the words: ‘’Domain expansion; infinite void.’’ 

Suddenly the ground fell from underneath you, the sky and all the space around you turning into a black void as Satoru’s domain overtook the cursed spirits in less than a second. Beams of purple light sped past you as the domain materialized, and you felt Satoru’s arm around your waist tighten, holding you carefully. You yelped as Satoru moved, and you couldn’t see from where you hung over his back, but you heard what he was doing. A sickening tearing sound rang through your ears, and you felt Satoru’s body jerk backwards with violent force. You blinked, and suddenly you were back on the boat you had begun your journey on, the ocean calm, stars visible in the night sky. 

All you could hear was the sound of the waves crashing against the side of the boat, and you let out a huff as Satoru placed you down onto the floor gently, crouching next to you as he quickly helped you remove the web-like substance that kept your body trapped. His long fingers gently ripped it off, freeing your legs, your arms, and his hands went to cup your cheeks. His eyes were still uncovered, roving over your expression with concern. 

‘’Are you alright?’’ He asked hoarsely, his white hair falling into his eyes as he studied you. Satoru’s face was pale and he looked shaken. You felt the way he looked, still trying to process everything that had just happened. You nodded, sitting up and leaning against the edge of the boat as you tried to catch your breath. 

‘’I’ll be fine…’’ You murmured, looking down at your side where the curse had stuck its claws into you. The bleeding had stopped, so nothing serious.  ‘’The cursed spirit…?’’ 

‘’Exorcised.’’ Satoru told you, sitting back as he caught his breath too. The silence between you was loud, and you felt like you should say something. 

‘’Thanks for saving me.’’ You said, offering Satoru a shaky smile. Satoru met your eyes, but they quickly flicked away.

‘’You saved me, actually.’’ Was all he said, voice low, almost embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous tic you knew well with all these years of knowing him. Silence fell again, and the questions plaguing your mind made your stomach churn. You didn’t know how to breach the subject. Hey Satoru, why did that siren take on my image and try to seduce you? There wasn't exactly a rulebook on how to ask one of your closest friends such a question, none of your years of overthinking and worrying could have prepared you for this situation, so you kept your mouth shut, feeling too awkward to even ask about the cursed spirit again. 

Apparently for Satoru, he did not want to bring up the subject either, as he got up from his spot, turning on the boat’s engine with a loud hum, and he sat down, steering the boat back to land. You wrapped your arms around yourself, glancing over at the white-haired sorcerer every once in a while. He kept his gaze ahead, the blindfold around his neck billowing in the air. Satoru didn't look at you once, just chewed his lip. You could tell he was tense, mind clearly elsewhere as he drove the boat, but you’d never seen him act like this. A million things ran through your head at once, a million possibilities you were too afraid to ask about or even conclude yourself. The ningyo lured men to their deaths, you knew this. With a song, with a promise. The fisherman from before had said he’d heard the voice of a past love, and if he hadn't thrown the curse overboard he might have fallen victim to it as well, might have even seen it take on the shape of that special someone too. If you hadn't just seen what you'd seen, you'd have no problem coming to the conclusion that the ningyo , the siren, would release its domain and take on the form of their victim's innermost desires, but…

Satoru’s siren looked like you. Used your voice. 

There was no reality or possibility that Satoru Gojo’s innermost desire, his loved one, was…you. 

But you’d seen him break, if even for a moment. You saw Satoru freeze, saw him allow himself to be drawn into a trap of promises and desire. The strongest. For the vision of you. 

You gazed at Satoru again, swallowing thickly as you felt your heart twist in your chest. You tried to stuff your feelings deep as you usually did, keep your wishes and hopes and painful want under that lid that you kept shut so tightly shut, but as you and Satoru stepped off of the boat, tying its rope to the dock you started off at, you knew you had to say something. Anything was better than this tense and uncomfortable silence. 

Satoru was already walking away from you, muttering something about having to call Ijichi to come and pick you two up, but you stopped walking. He glanced back, confused, his blue eyes darting to your form as you clenched your hands tightly at your sides. 

‘’Satoru…um…’’ You trailed off, looking down at your feet, your heart in your throat now, ‘’You wanna tell me what just happened?’’ Satoru froze mid-step, shoulders rising as if he was a child getting caught doing something he shouldn't be doing. He turned to face you, stuffing his hands into his pockets. 

‘’We exorcised the cursed spirit, if that’s what you mean.’’ He replied, feigned nonchalance dripping in his voice. So fake. You knew. You could tell when he was pretending. 

‘’Yes, but, also…uh, you know, about how the ningyo kinda took on my image and kind of tried to seduce you…?’’ You said awkwardly, practically forcing the words from your mouth. Your hands toyed with your hair as you met Satoru’s gaze and you swore you saw him blush. 

‘’Oh.’’ He mumbled, looking away from you, suddenly very interested in the rickety dock at his feet, ‘’Yeah…crazy stuff huh?’’ Satoru chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck furiously. You cursed inwardly. God, he was dense sometimes. 

‘’Well…um…the siren-the ningyo apparently takes on the form of their victims' innermost desires or loved ones to draw them into their trap. It’s their technique, I guess, which would explain why so many seasoned fishermen were taken by the curse. So, what I’m asking is…and if I’m totally off-base you can tell me, it’s okay, I just want to know-’’ You were rambling know, words tumbling from your lips as you dragged on and on about what you knew about the mission, but Satoru cut you off. 

‘’Yeah, I have feelings for you. That’s why the cursed spirit looked like you.’’ You blinked, staring at Satoru like he’d just grown two heads. A shiver travelled through your body, stomach flip-flopping as you repeated his words inwardly, because Satoru saying he had feelings for you was…no, you must have heard wrong. 

‘’That’s why I let my guard down.’’ Satoru said, still not looking at you, looking off to the side, a faint brush of pink coating his cheeks, ‘’Because I thought it was you.’’ Your mouth opened and closed, and you probably looked like a dumb idiot just standing there, several feet separating you and Satoru, and you couldn't find any words to reply. For years you’d spend your nights hopelessly pining after him, conjuring up potential scenarios like a lovesick school girl (which you had been) where Satoru would confess his undying love for you and you’d kiss him and you’d both run off into the sunset, happily ever after. You recited what you would say, knew exactly what words you’d use to tell him how you felt, even though in the deep crevices in your mind you knew you’d never get the chance to tell Satoru any of it, and that was fine. It was fine because as long as you got to stand by him, even as a friend, that was enough for you. Never in all your years had you ever thought it might happen like this. 

Words failed you. 

But your body didn’t, because you took a step forward, and suddenly you were running to Satoru, closing the distance between you, hands reaching out to grasp the fabric of his shirt, tugging him closer. Satoru’s eyes widened in surprise, hands coming up to land on your waist as if they belonged there, and when you kissed him, he kissed you back. 

He froze for a moment, his lips cautious, wavering, but when you wrapped your arms around his neck, sighing as you felt his lips on his, Satoru kissed you back, hard. His fingers curled into your hips, pulling you flush against his chest as his lips parted against yours, needy and desperate. Kissing Satoru felt like walking on air, fireworks exploding in your chest as you ran your fingers through his soft hair. His lips were impossibly soft, but the hunger in how he moved against you set your skin on fire. He kissed you like he didn’t need air, like all he needed could be found in your touch, and if he let you go, or if he stopped, this would be the last chance he’d get, ever.  

You smiled into the kiss, finally breaking apart after another moment, and Satoru pressed his forehead against yours, fighting for air as his hands ran up your back, to your shoulders, then cupping your face. He held you close, like you were something delicate, precious. 

‘’I have feelings for you too.’’ You whispered almost shyly, meeting his glittering cerulean eyes, finding everything you ever wanted within them. These were an ocean you’d gladly lose yourself in. Satoru laughed softly, sweet breath mingling with yours. 

‘’You sure you’re not a siren?’’ He asked you, a playful smirk tugging at his lips, ‘’Not gonna drag me down to the watery depths?’’ You shook your head, feeling your face flush. 

‘’Not this time Satoru. I’m the real thing.’’ You replied quietly, your thumb brushing over his lips.

‘’Yeah, you are the real thing.’’ He whispered, and he kissed you again.