{THE ENCOUNTER} Itadori x Fem!Reader

𝑉𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑜𝑛

Your hands are helplessly bound behind your back as the kidnapper proceeds to cook a pot of bland-looking oatmeal over a small fire. The smell of the unappetizing meal fills the air and dread gnaws at you as you continue to think about how to get out of this situation. 

Carefully, the man takes a spoonful of his tasteless concoction and gently feeds you, forcing you to accept with each bite. You can't help but hate the food, everything about it is unappealing.

Between bites, your voice trembles as you summon the courage to ask, "Where are we?"

Your kidnapper continues to stuff another spoonful into your mouth, his expression without emotion. "In the woods," he answers plainly.

Then, you can't stop your curiosity from getting the better of you. "Do you live out here?"

He lets out a sigh, as if deciding whether to answer your question. Finally, he nods. "I have a house. Well, more like a cabin. It's about a mile south of here. But I only really go there to watch the television sometimes because it really sucks without the internet out here," he shrugs nonchalantly, as if his double life in the woods and the cabin is a normal thing.

Suddenly, a lightbulb goes off in your head. You realize that his cabin, so close to where you are now, might be your only chance to find help and escape from this nightmare. 

That night, after your kidnapper has fallen asleep and you find yourself alone, awake in the eerie forest. Your heart pounds in your chest as you begin to fiddle with your bonds, determined to free yourself. Slowly, you manage to loosen your restraints enough to slip one hand out, and then the other. Adrenaline surges through you as you break free and make a desperate rush towards his house.

Inside, you find a landline and, without hesitation, you dial Itadori's number. Your hopes skyrocket as you hear the phone ring, but they're ruined just as quickly as the line suddenly goes dead right when Itadori answers with a hopeful "Hello?"

Panic courses through you as you glance around. Your worst fears come true as you spot a shadow lurking just outside the nearby window. Your kidnapper has followed you here, and the realization sinks in that this was all a trap, yet again.

Dread fills your heart as you race to the back door, only to find it locked from the outside. You hate how strategically he's planned every detail of this ordeal, and you can't help but wonder how many others have fallen victim to his twisted game.

Just as despair threatens to consume you, something heavy smacks against the back of your head, and the world fades into darkness.

When you regain consciousness, your head throbs with a pounding headache. You find yourself bound with handcuffs and gagged, sprawled on the cabin's couch. Your attempt has failed, and the chilling truth settles in - you may never see your friends again.

ITADORI'S P.O.V.

It's raining again, and we're still out here searching for Y/N. The worry has begun to eat me alive, and after that strange call I received a few minutes ago that ended abruptly, only added to my sense of unease.

All three of us are completely soaked, the damn weather not showing us any mercy. And despite all our efforts, I can't sense any curses in the area. Even Fushiguro's attempts with his dogs yielded no results.

"Guys, I think we should turn back and get some rest," Nobara says just a bit after eleven that night. "We need some sleep so we can continue the search in the morning."

However, with my growing concern about Y/N, I disagree with her. "No! How could you even think about turning back now?" I question both of them, my anxiety and frustration bubbling over. "If we go back then you're just being terrible friends!"

"Oh don't be a child," Fushiguro chimes in. "You need to think things through. If you don't, then you'll be the one who's a terrible friend."

"Well that's fine with me because I'm not just her friend anyway. I love her and I'm pretty sure she feels similarly," I huff, not realizing what I'm saying until it's too late. The words slip out so unexpectedly, and the two of them freeze, their expressions a mixture of shock and surprise.

My heart pounds in my chest, and I gulp, realizing that I wasn't supposed to confess like this, not without Y/N, and certainly not under these circumstances.

"I knew it!" Nobara makes a failed attempt at whispering to herself. "I knew something was going on with you two."

"How long has it been?" Fushiguro chimes in, trying to dilute Nobara's words.

"Uh, a few months," I answer shly, knowing exactly how she'll react.

"Months?!" Nobara's voice booms. "And neither of you told us? What the hell, Itadori?!"

"We don't have time for this," I gulp, trying to steer the conversation back to finding Y/N. However, Nobara insists on me sharing the details about me and Y/N, and I reluctantly agree, promising to do so only if they both agree to continue walking with me.

After the deal is set, we continue to walk through the woods. Not too much later, we stumble upon a tent and a small laundry line tied between two trees. 

Fushiguro sets his dogs on the site, but still, there's no trace of a curse which solidifies our suspicions that whoever took Y/N is a human.

As I look around, I notice rope and the remnants of a fire from early this morning which immediately grabs my attention. There's no doubt about it, Y/N was definitely here. I just don't know why or where she has been taken, but I'm determined not to stop until I finally do find her, despite what the others might say about rest. What matters to me is finding Y/N.