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

164 ~ Hundred And Sixty-Four

[Y]ou didn't run away. Not exactly.

Gojo had told you about a mission lined up for tonight. But before that, you'd needed space—time away from curses, sorcerers, Nanami, Shoko, and especially him. Time to think and clear your head. The recent chaos had been suffocating, and while Gojo thrived in the madness, you craved solitude, peace.

Conveniently, you found yourself at a quiet boba shop, the kind of place you knew Gojo would never step foot in—too small, too unassuming for his tastes. You hadn't realized it until after you ordered, but it belonged to Yuki's family. Funny how you ended up here, of all places.

"Y/N-san, fancy seeing you here," a familiar voice greeted you as you waited absentmindedly.

You looked up to see Yuichi, Yuki's younger brother, standing there with a shy grin, handing you your order.

"Yuichi-kun?" You blinked, somehow surprised to see him. "You work here?"

"Yeah, sort of." He scratched the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "My mom owns the place. I'm just helping out."

You gave him a small smile, a rare one these days. "Good job, Yuichi. Why don't you sit with me? If you're not too busy."

It wasn't like you had planned to talk to anyone, but Yuichi was easy. Familiar. Safe. And right now, that's what you needed.

He hesitated for only a second before pulling out the chair across from you. The shop was quiet, the soft hum of the ceiling fan and the occasional clink of cups the only sounds around you. For a moment, it felt like the world outside didn't exist.

"How's Yuki? And the baby?" you asked, puncturing your drink with the straw and taking a slow sip. The coolness of the boba seemed to settle the unease you hadn't realized had been bubbling inside.

Yuichi's face softened, and you could see the pride in his eyes. "They're both doing great. Kota's getting bigger every day."

"Kota?"

"Yeah, my nephew," he let you know, smiling warmly. "Kota Watanabe."

The name tugged at something inside you, and for a moment, warmth spread through your chest, something you hadn't felt in a while.

"Shinji's idea?"

Yuichi gave it some thought, shaking his head. "Yes but not entirely, Nee-san said... your boyfriend had a part in it."

You blinked. "Boyfriend?" Your mind immediately jumped to one person, though you didn't want to assume.

"Yeah, the tall guy with white hair?" Yuichi continued, looking a little confused by your reaction. "Something about it having special meaning, like you and Shinji trying to save a kid or something."

Before you could dig further, your phone buzzed on the table. The screen lit up with a message from a contact labeled 'Adorable-Toru <3.' You didn't even need to guess who it was. But when had he even saved his contact details in your phone?

Adorable-Toru <3:
'What's tall, pretty-eyed, and adorable? Guess who?'

Another message followed almost immediately.

Adorable-Toru <3:
'Of course, it's me!!! Babe, where are you???'

You rolled your eyes at the absurdity, but couldn't help the faint smile that crept onto your face. Trust Gojo to break the quiet moment with his ridiculous texts. It was always like this—he pulled at you, even when you wanted distance.

Yuichi gave you a curious look, his brows lifting slightly. "Who exactly are you texting? Your boyfriend?"

You raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at your lips. "Boyfriend? You're mistaken."

Yuichi leaned forward, a playful glint in his eyes as if he knew something you didn't. "Am I? Because he's been standing there, staring at you for a while now."

Before you could respond, a voice—deep, casual, and infuriatingly familiar—cut through the air. "Yo."

You didn't need to turn around. Of course, it was him.

'So much for solitude,' you thought. 'Can't even get five minutes.'

Gojo Satoru strolled up to your table with his signature swagger, his blindfold hanging loosely around his neck, revealing those infuriatingly beautiful blue eyes. His gaze zeroed in on you immediately, like he owned the space between you.

"What's this, babe? You on a date without me?"

You sighed, your fingers rubbing at your temple, already feeling the beginnings of a headache. "How did you even find me?"

"Ijichi, obviously," he replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. His eyes flicked over to Yuichi briefly, sizing him up before he added with a smirk, "He's... pretty average. So how exactly is he better than me again?"

You didn't even bother to hide the exasperation that crossed your face. Yuichi, to his credit, chuckled at Gojo's antics.

"You're always such a prankster, Gojo-san," Yuichi said lightly, clearly not intimidated. "We were just talking about Nee-san and Kota. Want something to drink?"

Gojo, simply ignored Yuichi's question, his full attention locked on you. He didn't need to say it, but you could feel his unspoken claim—like the world revolved around him, and somehow, you were always caught in his orbit.

"You know, Satoru?"

"Mhm," Yuichi nodded, casting a glance toward Gojo before turning back to you. The shop had started to buzz with murmurs and quiet whispers. It wasn't every day that someone like Gojo Satoru casually dropped by for boba. His presence was magnetic, effortlessly drawing attention. "He drops by a lot to visit Nee-san. Helps out when he's not busy."

"I see," you mumbled, your voice trailing off as you nodded thoughtfully.

Gojo, never one to wait too long in silence, tilted his head with a playful smirk. "Babe? You didn't tell me, is this a date?" His tone was light, but the undercurrent of curiosity was undeniable.

"Relax, Satoru. It's just boba."

He grinned wider, clearly entertained by your reaction—or lack thereof. "Boba's no fun without me, though."

You took another sip of your drink, eyes narrowing slightly as you replied, "Because everything has to be about you, right?"

Gojo didn't respond right away, his smile softening for a fraction of a second, just long enough to catch the subtle shift in his expression. The bravado was still there, but beneath it, a flicker of something real—something he often buried under layers of smug confidence. But as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. "Of course," he replied, leaning closer, the playful glint returning to his gaze. "Why would it be any other way?"

For a moment, the air between you felt charged, like there were words left unsaid. But instead of rising to his bait, you stayed quiet, letting the tension simmer. You'd learned a long time ago not to give Gojo what he wanted too easily.

Yuichi, sensing the shift in the mood, cleared his throat. "So, uh... Gojo-san, you ever tried the matcha boba? It's pretty good."

Gojo didn't even glance his way. His gaze stayed fixed on you, his smile lazy but his eyes—those damn eyes—searching yours for something. Reassurance maybe?

You took another sip, staying calm, your voice low but firm. "Satoru, either sit down or leave. You're being more annoying than usual."

He laughed, finally breaking eye contact to look at Yuichi. "Alright, alright. I'll sit. But only because you asked, babe." He flashed a playful wink at you before pulling up a chair.

Yuichi raised an eyebrow at the exchange but kept quiet, watching with quiet amusement as Gojo settled in, still very much the center of attention.

Before you could get back to your conversation with Yuichi, Gojo leaned in without a second thought and took a sip from your drink. No asking, no hesitation. Just typical Gojo.

A playful chuckle escaped his lips, and he cast a sly side glance at Yuichi, clearly taking amusement in the subtle disruption he'd caused. "To answer your question, I'll have whatever my baby's having," he quipped, his voice dripping with smugness.

Yuichi just smiled politely. "Right away. I'll get that for you, Gojo-san." He stood up from the table, giving you a small nod. "Be right back, Y/N-san."

Once Yuichi was out of earshot, you turned to Gojo, your expression calm. "Alright, Satoru, what exactly was that?" Your voice was steady, each word carefully measured. There was no anger, just a quiet authority, like you were in control of the situation despite his antics.

Gojo leaned back, an almost exaggerated pout forming on his lips as he watched you. "What do you mean, babe? I should be asking you why you slipped away when we've got a mission tonight." Without missing a beat, he snagged your drink, taking a deliberate sip, but this time it wasn't teasing. It felt more possessive, like he needed to assert some kind of unspoken claim. Not to provoke you, but to remind himself that he was still close to you—maybe closer than anyone else.

You didn't stop him. You never did. This was your quiet language with him, letting him in on small pieces of your world—your drink, your food. It was your subtle way of saying what neither of you had spoken aloud yet: that you cared.

"You're my personal assistant for the next few days, remember?" he added, though the usual playful edge was softer, almost uncertain, as if he was fishing for reassurance.

A subtle smirk tugged at your lips, not fully breaking your calm, but enough to show you weren't rattled. "I don't recall signing up for that."

His grin widened, but this time there was a flicker of something more—something vulnerable. Leaning forward, he rested his elbow on the table, still trying to keep it light. "Orders from Yaga," he reiterated, the usual mischief there, but it wavered. "Though... I might have suggested it."

You didn't need to ask why. You could feel it. The tension in his voice, the way his eyes lingered a moment too long when he thought you weren't looking. He was jealous. Not in the loud, dramatic way most would expect from him, but in the quiet way he tried to hold onto these moments, these pieces of you.

Rolling your eyes, you stayed composed, your voice smooth with a touch of sarcasm. "Of course, you did."

There was a beat of silence between you, the air thick with unspoken things. Gojo had always thrived on reactions, but this wasn't about pushing buttons now. This was him holding on.

"Why did you really leave?" he asked, his tone shifting slightly, a flicker of something more genuine crossing his features. It wasn't often Satoru dropped the playfulness, but when he did, it was hard to ignore. "You don't usually walk off like that."

"I needed space. Time to think." There was no need to elaborate; you weren't interested in justifying yourself to him. "Not everything revolves around missions, Satoru. And not everything revolves around you."

The honesty in your voice caught him for a moment, his usual grin faltering just slightly. He studied you with those piercing blue eyes, and you saw him—really saw him—quiet and contemplative beneath the layers of bravado.

"Fair enough," he finally replied, his tone softer than usual. "But seriously, you could've invited me I make for great company." He winked.

You let the silence stretch, relishing the moment before responding with calculated calm. "Sometimes, I prefer my own company."

Gojo let out a low chuckle, a hint of admiration glimmering in his eyes. "Ah, the ice queen speaks. Cold as always," he teased, but there was no malice in his tone; he thrived on your resolve.

"Not cold," you corrected, your voice steady, laced with an air of mystery. "Just... selective."

Just then, Yuichi returned, setting a fresh drink down in front of Gojo. "Here you go, Gojo-san. Anything else?"

Gojo waved him off, still grinning. "This'll do. Thanks, Yuichi." But as Yuichi retreated, the lightheartedness in Gojo's expression dimmed slightly.

He turned back to you, a hint of vulnerability breaking through the usual façade. "Next time," he started, his tone lower, "I'd appreciate it if your version of needing space didn't involve other men." His gaze was unflinching, locking onto yours. "Even if it's just Yuichi, he's still a guy."

You were momentarily baffled, taken aback by the unexpected weight of his words. Then, a playful smirk crossed your lips as you leaned in slightly. "Are you jealous, Satoru?"

He paused, a playful grin returning as the corners of his mouth quirked up. "Maybe."