Bound In Love's Curse [Gojo Satoru x Female Readers]

155 ~ Hundred And Fifty-Five

[G]ojo didn't have a mission lined up in Tokyo, and he sure wasn't spying on you and Nanami. Absolutely not. This was all just a colossal waste of time, right? And yet, he still found himself there, under the pretense of a snack run.

Blueberry cream cheese macarons? Check. Daifuku? Check. Taiyaki with custard filling? Double check.

The sheer amount of confections in his hands would've made anyone think he was preparing for a sugar coma. Maybe he was—guilty as charged. Or maybe he was just trying to pick up the things you liked. Trying too hard? Sure. But that was him in a nutshell. If Gojo cared about someone, he'd go all out.

He was mid-debate about whether to grab you boba tea when a familiar face caught his eye. Pushing a baby stroller, looking far better than she had in recent days.

"Oh, hey. You're Y/N's boyfriend, right?"

Now, Gojo didn't often spare civilians a second glance. He was always busy—missions, teaching his students, saving the world, you know, the usual. But her? He remembered her. Especially since her husband had died in that missing children case.

"Yuki Watanabe, right?" Gojo pointed at her with a casual grin, like it was an inside joke that he remembered, and she chuckled, nodding.

"That's me. Want to come inside? My mom owns the place."

Gojo raised his hand in a mock defense, already ready to brush it off, but Yuki cut him off with a smile, "Come on. Let's chat. I want to hear a little more about Y/N."

And just like that, she had him. There was no way he'd pass up a chance to talk about you.

Once seated, orders placed—he got one of your favorites, a Matcha Brown Sugar Latte with pearls. He wasn't sure why, but it made him feel closer to you, even if you weren't there.

Yuki leaned back, her baby gurgling softly in the stroller beside her.

"I never got the chance to thank your friend," she said, her voice soft. "So much happened, and I know Y/N was down with that nasty fever, but I'm really thankful for his help during my husband's funeral."

Gojo blinked, not quite sure where she was going with this. He knew about the delay in the funeral—murder investigations tended to drag things out, especially with government involvement. But this part about a friend helping?

"My friend?" Gojo repeated, tilting his head, his tone slightly teasing. "You mean Nanami?"

"Yeah," Yuki nodded, adjusting the blanket around her baby. "He was great to have around. Really dependable. It made everything... easier."

Gojo's casual smile faltered for the briefest second, something tightening in his chest. Dependable. That word again. It was starting to sound like a broken record. While Gojo was off doing who knows what, Nanami had been the one taking care of everything—quietly, efficiently, and without asking for a pat on the back.

"Yeah, that sounds like Nanami," Gojo's voice was light, but there was a barely-there edge beneath it. "Always the reliable one, huh?" He forced a grin, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Yuki, blissfully unaware of the internal war brewing in Gojo's chest, simply smiled. "He was. I don't think I could've gotten through it without him. And I know Y/N really appreciates him too. He's got that solid, calming presence, you know?"

Solid. Calming. Dependable.

Gojo leaned back in his seat, staring down at the cup in front of him. Matcha latte—your favorite. He hadn't even taken a sip.

"Yeah," he muttered, almost to himself. "I guess Nanami's good at that."

It made sense now—why you thought of Nanami the way you did.

It wasn't just in your head—it was fact. While he was out being the strongest sorcerer in the world, Nanami was the one taking care of things that really mattered. The stuff that didn't get headlines, but meant everything to the people involved.

Yuki noticed the way Gojo's expression shifted, catching something beneath his usual carefree exterior. She decided to change the subject, sensing the unease brewing behind those sunglasses.

"So, how's Y/N? I haven't heard from her in a while."

Gojo leaned back, arms crossed behind his head, trying to keep it casual, though the tension in his posture was hard to miss. "She's fine... I guess."

Yuki raised an eyebrow, the doubt in his voice not lost on her. "You guess?"

He shrugged, his smile faint, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Things have been... complicated."

"Complicated?" Yuki echoed, tilting her head to watch him carefully. "You mean with you two?"

"Yeah."

"Did you guys... break up?"

Gojo clicked his tongue, turning his head slightly as if avoiding the question. "Not officially. But... maybe? I don't know." His tone had dropped, a rare vulnerability creeping in despite his best efforts to mask it.

Yuki sighed knowingly, a hint of sympathy in her voice. "She's pulling away again, isn't she?"

The strongest straightened up, suddenly more alert, eyes narrowing slightly behind the sunglasses. "What do you mean 'again'?"

"Y/N's always had this thing where she doesn't rely on anyone, no matter how close they are. Emotionally, financially—whatever. She's fiercely independent to the point where it's almost... exhausting to watch. We used to admire her for it in school, but... it also meant she didn't let anyone in too deep."

Gojo gave a small, humorless chuckle, shaking his head as he took a sip of his drink. "That's starting to sound way too familiar."

Yuki smiled gently, nodding. "She can be difficult to reach. But if she really trusts someone, she'll let her guard down. Only for them. And the second she feels like she can't trust them with her heart, she shuts down. Pulls away."

Gojo went quiet, letting the words sink in. His mind flickered back to the moment things started to unravel between you two—when you'd confronted him about Utahime, clearly opening up about your insecurities, and he'd laughed it off, treating it like a joke. He thought he was being clever, but instead, he'd pushed you further away.

"You know her pretty well."

"I do." Yuki's eyes softened as she glanced down at her baby. "Back in school, Y/N was like this unstoppable force. Strong, confident... the kind of person you couldn't help but look up to. And even with all that strength, she was always kind. Never looked down on anyone. If anything, she made people feel like they belonged, no matter how out of place they were."

Gojo leaned back again, letting out a slow breath, his fingers tapping absently on the edge of his cup. "Sounds like she hasn't changed much, then."

"Not in the ways that matter," Yuki agreed, her tone gentle. "But even back then, she had a hard time letting people in. It's not that she doesn't want to—she's just... careful. And I think that's why, when she feels like she's been hurt, she pulls away instead of fighting."

The strongest's jaw tightened slightly. He hated to admit it, but Yuki had a point, and it stung. "Yeah," he muttered, mostly to himself. "I think I get it now."

Yuki watched him with a knowing smile, her gaze soft yet pointed. "She's not unreachable, you know. But it's not about being the strongest or the funniest. She needs to feel safe enough to let her guard down. That's the only way she'll stay."

Gojo's lips twitched into a faint smirk, but his eyes darkened, his usual playful air absent. "Safe, huh? Can't imagine her feeling that way around me anymore."

"And why's that?"

The white-haired sorcerer rarely let his walls down, but something about Yuki's presence made him feel like he could. "I hit her." His voice was low, almost reluctant.

Yuki blinked, a flicker of surprise crossing her face before her expression settled into something... unreadable. "You what?"

The sorcerer nodded, fingers curling around his cup just a little too tight. "I know how it sounds. I don't know why I did it. She... She was insecure, and I got angry. Because—well, she wasn't wrong. I had put other things before her." His voice turned quieter, more reflective. "I guess I was just pissed she called me out on it."

The brunette lady leaned back, exhaling slowly. "So when she told you, instead of owning up, you lashed out?"

"Yeah." his admission felt heavy, even to him, but somehow, with Yuki, it was easier to say out loud.

Her gaze softened, but there was a sharpness in her words. "You want my take on this?"

Gojo glanced at her sideways, offering a noncommittal shrug. "Go ahead."

"You're both cowards," she shot back bluntly, crossing her arms as she leaned forward. Before Gojo could retort, she raised her hand to stop him. "Hold up, hear me out. You two are scared. Scared of being vulnerable, of dealing with your own insecurities. You can keep pretending you've got it all together, but until you both face that, nothing's going to change."

Gojo's eyes narrowed slightly, lips twitching as if to protest.

"You might be charming or attractive or whatever, but you're both hiding behind walls," Yuki continued, unfazed by his reaction. "And that's not gonna work if you want to fix things. Being insecure doesn't make you weak, Gojo-san. It's normal. And until you both admit that, you're stuck."

He scoffed, a bit of his usual swagger slipping back into his tone. "Insecurity, huh? That's what you're saying?"

"Exactly. Look, if you care about someone, there's gonna be insecurity. If you're not a little scared of losing them, do you even care?" Yuki's tone was direct but not unkind. "You need to talk to her. Really talk. And yeah, you owe her an apology. A real one."

"Think that'll actually fix anything?"

The lady shrugged, leaning back with a small, casual smile. "Maybe. Maybe not. But you'll know you did the right thing. And even if things don't work out, at least you'll have closure. You gave it your best shot."

Gojo was quiet for a moment, absorbing her words. A small, genuine smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Vulnerability wasn't his style, but Yuki had a way of making sense. He opened his mouth to say something when his phone buzzed on the table. He glanced down, seeing Nanami's name flashing on the screen.

Without hesitation, Gojo picked up, his voice slipping back into its usual casual tone. "Oh, hey Nana-min. What's up?"

Nanami's voice on the other end was calm, but there was an edge to it. "Gojo, it's Y/N. She might need your help with... something."

The white-haired sorcerer straightened slightly, his usual cocky grin faltering. "Need my help? What's going on?"

"She's not handling things well. You might want to meet us."

Gojo didn't need any more details. His grin faded entirely, replaced by a sharper focus. "Send me the location. I'll be there."

As he hung up, he glanced at Yuki, who raised an eyebrow.

"Something serious?" she asked, though her tone was more curious than concerned.

Gojo merely stood up with a nod, his usual smirk creeping back. "Seems like it. Thanks for the pep talk, anyway. Guess it's time to see if I've got what it takes now, huh?"

Yuki smiled softly. "Good luck, Gojo-san."

With a lazy wave, Gojo turned and headed out, but Yuki's words stuck with him.