fuck buddies don't act like this (Gojo x Reader)

Chapter 80

~Yn~

The incident was only a couple of days ago, and the adjustment period between then and now has been difficult. With the peak of summer arriving around the corner, you had mistakenly thought that now was the time for peace, strength, and unity to build on the foundation of this relationship. But that could be further from the truth, as yet again, you find yourself alone in this large, isolated penthouse. Pottering about trying to figure out where to place pieces of yourself without burdening the space and taking away from Gojo's initial aesthetic.

Which was once a sterile mirror of a tomb, as the sole occupant simply used this grandeur estate for one simplistic need: Rest. At first, it aided in the thrill of the bounty. Entering the dimly lit lair where no hero resides but the beast that feasts on the damsel in distress who wanted to become his most prized possession. No such riches, jewels and other women could compare and whilst you admire the arrogance that has led you down this path, it's one that you would've trodden differently if you'd known the things you know now.

Still, a smile plays on your lips when you realise that all this is now yours. It's seemingly akin to an evil mistress revelling in her mansion after the success of one of her evil plans. Happy ever afters aren't as simple as fairy-tales make them out to be, you and Gojo would know having lived through the trials and tribulations that life likes to dish out.

Moving between rooms with your hands full of toiletries and storage organisers when you notice from out of the corner of your eye you see a figure mirroring your movements. Instantaneously, a rush of adrenaline blinds your vision and removes you from the situation as instincts flare and your body recoils into itself as your hands release what you're holding and shield you. Kicking back your footing, your fists create a protective barrier between you and... your reflection.

Slowly, your racing heart falls back into your chest and as you catch your breath.

Staring at the ghastly version of yourself where the whites of your eyes bulge big and wide like ping-pong balls bursting out from the sockets. Colour crawls back into your cheeks whilst your fists quickly drop to your sides, a shiver involuntarily twitches between your fingers. The pounding in your ears fades, yet your chest still rattles from the shell shock. It's only been a few days and still the mystery intruder has you grappling with your own reflection than taking back the confidence it took from you.

Before it was loneliness and anxiety of being left behind, but now it's the fear of others and the unknown. Gojo knows that smothering you with love and protection is one way to deal with this problem, but it's also another to squander the fragility of this relationship that has only now begun to root into the soil. By nurture and trust can anything survive, you promised him that you'd be okay, sorting out the remainder of your things shouldn't be rocket-science, nor should you be guarded for putting your toothbrush in a cup.

But it's easier to tell yourself that everything is going to be okay when you realise that the majority of your issues start within. Challenging your perception and altering its course can shift how you view the world and what you can do. Before, your concerns were about passing your exams and making ends meet. Now they seem worlds apart with maintaining a healthy relationship with yourself and allowing Gojo to participate in your life as you hope that he will with you.

There is still much to unearth with each other, but that is something to discover together when the time comes. It might be today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, next week, next month and hopefully by the end of this year branches have grown and buds have begun to fruit.

Pulling open the cabinet door beneath the sink, only to find the barren wasteland of misuse glaring back at you. There's a wooden basket, a bottle of bleach and toilet roll. It's strange for an area to be so desolate of use when the distance between the bed and the sink is shorter than crossing the length of this house. But seeing how the majority of the activity takes place in the next room, you can't exactly fault Gojo when he was a bachelor before meeting you.