HOPE 「GOJO SATORU X OC」≫BOOK II≪

F I F T E E N

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Chapter Fifteen: Just A Bug

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"DON'T slam things,"

Nathan sighed from across the table, gently closing the book in front of him. Aki slammed another book shut, her eyes hooded with annoyance. She stood up from the table, the chair scraping across the ground. She huffed, moving away to another bookshelf.

"This is utter bullshit!" She exclaimed in frustration. "Of all the damn books in this stupid archive, there's not a single thing on this asshole! This is the fucking Devil! How do we not have any information on him?!"

"Aki, calm down," Nathan said, frowning as he turned in the chair to look at his sister, draping his arm over the back. "There's probably nothing here because no one has ever dealt with him before. You heard what Simon said. This is the first time that he has ever surfaced like this. No one has ever encountered him and survived."

She groaned as she flopped into the chair, her forehead falling against the table. She crossed her arms over her head as Nathan stood. He walked to her, placing his hand on her back.

"We'll figure something out, Aki," He hummed. "Don't worry."

She lifted her head slightly, hazel irises peeking out through ebony strands of hair as she stared down at the text written across the papers in front of her. Her eyebrows laced together. How couldn't she worry? There was absolutely nothing in the entire sanctuary to help them figure out some way of avoiding death against Satan. Not only was Nathan turning to her for answers, but it seemed as if everyone was. Her chest tightened each time she was asked, only to tell them that she didn't have the answer. She was the only demon hunter for the last thirteen years. She should have known so much by now. But right now, it felt like she was just beginning to learn how to hunt alongside her father and uncles.

She buried her face into her arms. Thinking about it was only making the dull ache in her head increase. Her stomach swirled and churned with fear and anxiousness, so much that it was making her nauseous. She lifted her head, tipping it back over the chair as she closed her eyes, trying to fight the urge to throw up.

"Aki?" Nathan called. "You alright?"

"I'm gonna fucking throw up," She groaned.

Nathan rushed to her side, grabbing her by the arm as he led her toward the glass door, shoving it open as he pulled her. She immediately doubled over, making the boy grimace. He gathered her hair behind her, sliding the band off her wrist to tie it together, securing it out of the way. His hand returned to her back as he rubbed circles there.

"You've been getting sick a lot lately," He frowned. "Maybe we should take a break from this."

She shook her head, spitting to the side. "We can't. We won't get answers if we keep delaying it."

He frowned as she raised up, swaying slightly on her feet as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "You're stressing over this so much that it's making you sick."

"I'll be alright," She waved his hands away from her.

He grabbed her wrist, his grip strong enough that she couldn't jerk away easily. He prevented her from re-entering the library, making her turn back with a frown.

"What are yo—"

"You just about killed yourself that last time you did this, Akeldama," His frown deepened, eyes narrowing. "Don't you remember that? You sat up for days on end. You didn't sleep until you'd collapsed from exhaustion. You made yourself sick because you weren't eating. You barely had enough strength to kill that demon."

"It's just a bug," She mumbled.

"Did you eat anything today? Drink any water whatsoever?" He questioned, quirking a brow at her.

She averted her gaze. "No."

He sighed. "You'll end up killing yourself one of these days."

"I'm not that irresponsible!" She exclaimed. "I just get caught up on doing other things and I don't think about that stuff!"

"C'mon," He said. "Let's head home for the day."

She huffed. "You're so naggy."

He rolled his eyes.

...

"How is she sleeping like that?"

"Believe it or not, she slept like that all the time when we lived in Baltimore."

"...how? That has to hurt her back."

The 175 cm tall woman was fast asleep in the bathtub, one foot draped over the edge, the other pressed up against the wall. One arm was draped across her stomach, the other hanging over of the side of the tub. Her eyes were shut, the hood from the hoodie she wore pulled over her head. Her chest rose and fell steadily. She was fast asleep.

Nathan scratched the side of his head. "Yeah, Aki's always been really bad about getting nauseous and staying in the bathroom so she doesn't throw up everywhere. I'd wake up in the middle of the night and she'd be in here, and it would scare the shit out of me."

"I take it she hasn't been feeling well?" Gojo asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"Said it's some bug, but I know better," Nathan sighed. "Aki will stress herself out until she gets sick. She's been that way since I can remember."

"Should I wake her up?" The white-haired male cocked his head to the side, watching as she nuzzled her chin into the hoodie in her sleep.

"She won't get up," He muttered. "Especially if she realizes that she's sick. But, you can try."

Gojo walked forward, sinking into a crouch beside the tub. As his hand reached out, he stopped suddenly, his eyes widening. He blinked at the dark chamber he saw before him, sliding his gaze to the woman. Her eyes were still closed, though her eyebrows were pinched together, her lips in a frown. Gojo quirked a brow.

"Jumpy, Princess?" He hummed.

She lowered the gun, dropping her arm over her stomach. "Leave me alone."

"Come sleep in the bed," He said. "You can't be comfortable."

"I'm quite comfortable," She grumbled. "Now leave me alone."

"C'mon, Satoru," Nathan sighed, his arms crossed over his chest. "You'll just go back and forth with her for hours."

Satoru rose with a sigh. "Don't stay in here all night, pretty. The bed'll be cold without you. And there's anti-nausea medicine in the cabinet."

"'Kay."

Her eyes cracked open when she heard their footsteps leave the room, the door shutting with a soft click. She waited until their footsteps were completely down the hall before the gun in her hand shifted into a ring. She slid it onto her finger, twisting it around anxiously.

She slipped a hand into her hoodie, sliding a small object out. She held it with both of her hands to hide the fact that she was shaking. Her thumbs slid over the smooth plastic, her gaze never leaving the very prominent dual pink lines that were shown.

She closed her eyes as she dropped her hands, her head falling back. Her chest rose and fell with a heavy sigh, her throat bobbing as she swallowed the lump forming there. Her eyes were heavy when she looked back down at the test, twisting it in her hands before returning it to her pocket, securing it away from view.

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