𝑫𝒀𝑵𝑨𝑺𝑻𝒀 𝑶𝑭 𝑺𝑶𝑼𝑳𝑺 ⇢ Gojo Satoru

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐋𝐈 - 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐓 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐌𝐄

THE PARTY DWINDLED AFTER THAT. By the time the sun started peaking from the mountains and the early morning set in, most of the guests had already gone back to their homes, leaving the Kinzoku Estate in complete and eery silence while the servants cleaned up the mess and wrapped up the gilded ballroom into its usual glory.

Kinzoku Asahi was nowhere to be found, he was probably somewhere out there causing chaos and planning Mikazuki's downfall. The sorceress swallowed past the lump in her throat, her father's threat still gnawing in her ear while the words repeated like an endless echo that refused to die down. The man had promised her punishment and although Mikazuki was more than ready to bear it, she couldn't help but worry over the unseen consequences of her actions.

For a moment, she wondered. Had she gone too far, playing into her father's weaknesses and making him see, a fool in front of his community? Asahi was the King of Sorcerers and Mikazuki had challenged his rule tonight. To many, her red dress was just that; a pretty dress with a bold colour. But Asahi knew better, and the boldness of Mikazuki's actions wasn't solely on the colour of her dress but on her intentions as well.

This little stunt of yours will cost you dearly. The grey-haired sorceress replayed the words over and over again, the sound soon turning into a cacophony of unintelligible words that no longer had any sense of meaning. A wave of fear crashed over her, the realization of what she'd done hanging over her head like Damocles' sword.

The sorceress' thought were cut midway when the canopy of the tree rustled, a bundle of leaves falling to the floor as a shadow crossed the courtyard. The morning was slowly creeping in and although Mikazuki found herself alone in the confines of the Kinzoku gardens, her gold still stirred beneath her skin at the sudden arrival.

Everlasting awakened slowly and by the time Geto Suguru stepped into view, a cloud of liquid gold was already surrounding the sorceress like a halo of gilded death. The man whistled, stare perched on the moving floating mass before his purple eyes finally settled on the woman. Mikazuki smiled softly, patting the space besides her on the stone bench. Suguru cocked his head to the side, noticing the tired lines running across her face as he sat down beside her, his side plastered against hers as the warmth of her body melted into his.

"I'll be honest, I didn't think you'd show." Mikazuki confessed, her tone soft even as her eyes wandered across the desert planes of the garden. "Léa is still here somewhere and I doubt she'd be as receptive as I have."

Suguru shrugged, his expression unchanged. In truth, he'd known coming here was a risk. Kagome had advised strongly against it, and maybe if Kenjaku hadn't let himself be led by the remnants of Geto's mind, he would have listened. But he couldn't, not when the real Suguru's mind pulled him towards Mikazuki like the thin red thread of fate. Their connection was one of cosmic proportions, their fate intertwined long before Mikazuki came into the picture. Kenjaku was no weak man, but when it came to this celestial pull, he couldn't help but let himself go.

"Who cares about that woman?" Kenjaku spoke, borrowing Suguru's charm for a brief moment before his mask fell back in place. "Besides, I couldn't miss my best friend's birthday."

Mikazuki paused, her stare flickering towards him for a mere second before her stoic expression replaced that brief crack. The woman shivered, the cold morning air hitting her exposed arms and sneaking through the red mesh of her dress. Suguru leaned in close, draping part of his cape over the sorceress' shoulders. Mikazuki pressed her lips, hesitation lingering in her face. Suguru was warm and the temptation was strong, but the sorceress still doubted him.

The Kinzoku was not a trusting person by nature, and although Kenjaku had proved himself time and time again to her using the memories of the corpse he'd stolen, a shred of doubt still laid in her gaze. Kenjaku had been careful, he took his time to ensnare the woman, slowly building a fantasy that he knew she wouldn't be able to walk away from. And yet, she still doubted him. And yet, she still yearned for another.

"Best friends..." Mikazuki mumbled, her sunset eyes meeting his "Is that what we are?"

This time, it was Kenjaku's turn to hesitate. The sorceress noted the delay on his gaze, the way his body stiffened at the words. For a moment, they both sat in silence, the air growing heavy between them. Mikazuki couldn't blame him, she herself had spent a long time wondering exactly what they were. She used to think she and Suguru were friends, but then they slept together and everything changed.

"We were friends long before we were anything else, so... yes, we're friends." He answered simply.

One time – that was all it took for her to become pregnant. One night of passion between two friends that went too far. A simple mistake that turned into the best gift she could have ever have asked for. Ren and Toshinori may have been her sister's, but for a moment – no matter how brief – they had been hers. Mikazuki licked her lips, the thought building up in the back of her mind as the idea of telling Suguru the truth took root deep in her subconscious.

Could she tell him, though? What good could possibly come from that? He deserves to know. That little voice in the back in her mind supplied, the voice sounding a whole lot like Shoko's before it dissipated again. Mikazuki watched the man silently, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as the thoughts continued to churn inside of her mind. The voice was right – Suguru deserved to know he was a dad, but not right now, not when everything could so easily fall apart.

I will tell him, one day. Mikazuki promised herself. Not today, though.