Lovesick || Yandere!Gojo x Reader x Yandere!Geto

03. Lovelaced

Shoko didn't cry. Not when she watched a man get killed by a curse. Not when she saw horrific things. They weren't going to phase her. She wouldn't let them.

But seeing you battered and bruised, lying on the floor as if death was going to claim you. She broke.

Not in front of Satoru and Suguru. But on her own. Hours later when Satoru sat by your bedside and Suguru desperately talked with doctors. She snuck around the corner, sunk down to her knees, and broke.

Tears had streamed down her cheeks, silent sobs wracking her body as she struggled to contain the overwhelming tide of grief and fear threatening to consume her. In that solitary moment of vulnerability, all the pent-up anguish she had suppressed for so long spilled forth, unrestrained and unyielding.

She had berated herself for allowing such weakness to surface. She cursed her own vulnerability even as she clung to it like a lifeline. For amidst the chaos and uncertainty, one truth remained painfully clear: you, lying battered and broken

And Shoko couldn't bear the thought of losing you.

But that was days ago since she lost herself to the barrage of emotions. And not once since then did she cry. Three days sober.

Unfortunately, three days is where her streak ended.

She thought she would be able to handle meeting Yaga. Shoko Ieiri was a woman of composure.

And it was fucking embarrassing to break down in his arms, tears and snot running down her face - right in the middle of the hospital cafeteria. Her wails echoed off the sterile walls, drawing the attention of startled onlookers who couldn't help but glance in her direction with a mixture of concern and curiosity.

The people stared at her with pity. Someone she loved must have died.

Well . . . that sucks for her. They were just there to get a sandwich.

No! She was strong! She was strong! She was Shoko! And Shoko wasn't going to cry. Yet here she was, crumbling under the weight of her own sorrow, unable to maintain the facade of strength she had so carefully constructed.

Perhaps the only thing that kept her from crumpling to her knees was Yaga's firm hold on her. His touch was gentle, a silent reassurance that she was not alone in her pain. And though she tried to push him away, to retreat into the safety of her own solitude, she found herself clinging to him like a lifeline, seeking refuge in the warmth of his embrace.

Only when her tears subsided did she manage to pull herself away from her teacher - eyes red and swollen.

To her utter heartbreak, the man had pools in his own eyes as well.

She had always regarded him with a mixture of respect and admiration, viewing him as a mentor and a pillar of strength in her darkest moments. To see him on the brink of losing his mind, his usually stoic demeanour cracked by the weight of their collective sorrow, only served to deepen her own sense of despair.

And it served as a harsh reality check.

You weren't okay.

Yaga swiped a hand over his face. "Satoru passed out earlier."

Shoko raised a brow. "Is he okay? What happened?"

"Freaked out when Suguru's suspicions were confirmed. And Suguru's not handling it well either."

"What suspicions?" The girl - no matter how gross she found it - wiped her nose with her sleeve. "I think you need to catch me up on quite a bit here."