𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑺𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑺𝑶𝑹𝑹𝑶𝑾⇢ Gojo Satoru

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐋𝐈𝐕 - 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐂𝐄

AS IF THE GODS WERE TEASING HIM, Mikazuki relaxed, her usually tight and rigid frame loosening under his grasp, like she was slipping through his fingers as she melted into his chest, her head fitting nicely on the crook between his arm and pecs.

"He's actually a very good guy, so don't try to make fun of him."

She said it very softly, like the mere mention of this man would somehow make him squirm or run away. It did, but Satoru would not give her the satisfaction of showing any emotion other than the usual assholery he was known for. And maybe he would have gone with that, but the insecurity vanished from his pores as he felt the warmth of Mikazuki's body against his. He licked his lips, pondering over his next words.

"Does he make you happy?" Satoru licked his lips, the bitter taste of regret lingering in his tongue as he waited for an answer.

Mikazuki paused, eyes glazed over for a moment before finally softening again, her body lax and malleable against his. She was so at peace, so different from all the sharp edges he was used to... Gojo couldn't quite name the feeling, but it spread and something akin to guilt settled in his chest, suffocating him one breath at a time.

"Yeah, he does." Mikazuki paused, a tear threatening to spill from her eye. "Shame it won't last, though."

Satoru leaned back, acting confused even though he knew the truth. Everyone in their world did, which is why sleeping around was so common. Until marriage, at least. Marriage changed everything, mostly for the women, but men suffered under its rules as well.

"Why?" He asked anyway.

"You know why." The sorceress answered accusatorily. "My father wants me to marry soon, and I don't do cheating." She had, once. Mikazuki paused, mulling over the words. "What about you, will you give up all of your side chicks once you get married to Eshima?"

She was asking as a joke, but maybe a part of her wanted to know the kind of man he was.

"I think so." Satoru answered honestly, eyes trained on the ceiling. "I've never been... exclusive, with anyone," Ouch. "but I don't think it'll do our marriage any good if I'm off with other people. I want to give it a real try, at least once."

Why hadn't he wanted those things when he was with her?

"That's very mature of you." Mikazuki answered trying to temper the ice that ran through her veins. "I guess you truly are a changed man." There was bitterness in it, but there was also something harder to identify hiding behind her words.

"Mika, about all the girls I slept with when we were engaged..."

Gojo Satoru tried, his voice filled with regret, but before he could go on a tangent, Mikazuki stopped him, her previously annoyed expression turning soft as she forced an amicable smile.

"No hard feelings." The sorceress lied, hoping her smile wouldn't betray what she truly felt inside. "Our engagement was a sham anyway, so..." She paused, mulling over whether to say the next words "Besides, it's not like I was loyal, either."

She'd been wanting to let it slip for a while and dropping this particular kernel of truth was just a half-assed attempt at feeling like she hadn't been lying about everything since that day at the abandoned lighting factory. Satoru's eyes grew wide as he looked down at the woman, surprise written so clearly in his face she would have been able to discern it from a distance. For the longest time, Satoru thought Mikazuki was a virgin, as inexperienced in sex as she was in life – but maybe he'd been wrong. About this and so much more.

"Who?" He asked, an edge to his voice.

Was it jealously? Or was his reaction more about surprise than it was about entitlement?

"No one." Mikazuki was quick to retort, trying to make light of the situation. "Just a guy."

Just your best friend.

"Was it any good, at least?"

Mikazuki shrugged, hoping Satoru would drop the subject if she made it as uninteresting as she could.

"Yeah, I guess so." She shrugged again. "I just wasn't in the right mindset, I think. I cried a lot afterwards."

Part of the story was the truth, but there was also a huge lot of it she'd just let out of her speech. It was easier lying like this, making a story so tightly wound there was no thread to pull from to tear it apart. Mikazuki hung her head lowly, feeling dirty for what she was doing; the lying, the manipulation... Still, no matter how terrible these moments made her feel, she knew the truth would be much worse. It would wreck him, and Satoru had plenty of other problems to worry about.

She felt dirty for it.

"I'm sorry." Gojo spoke truthfully, a slight shake in his voice.

"It's okay." Mikazuki twirled one of her curls around her finger, watching as it slowly fell apart. "Tough luck, I guess."

Satoru matched her attitude, a soft smile grazing his lips.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Besides, once I say the words to the binding marriage vow, well... Nothing else will matter; we'll be bound by magic then."

Tough luck indeed.