Unbound By Love's Grace [Gojo Satoru x Female Readers]

5 ~ Five

[Y]ou walked side-by-side, Gojo's fingers wrapped around yours, slowing his pace to match yours.

It was almost laughable—he was a few strides away from ending this whole mess on his own, but it felt like he was stalling. Maybe enjoying the quiet, or maybe just enjoying you.

"So," you drawled, letting a hint of challenge slip through, "if I already took down the special grade, shouldn't the domain have disappeared by now?"

Gojo's eyes slid over to meet yours, his mouth quirking in a barely-there smile, one that seemed to linger just for you. His blindfold was off, likely to sharpen his senses to the curses and cursed energy around you. "Funny, right?" He leaned in, his tone dropping, rich and smooth. "Turns out, we've got more than one guest in here. Three curses—though now we're down to two." The hint of warmth in his voice made your stomach flutter despite the chill of the innate domain.

"Three curses? That's a thing?" you asked, brow raised, managing to keep your voice steady even as he held your gaze, the distance between you narrowing.

"Not exactly standard," he admitted, his eyes flicking to your lips for a second too long. "It's rare, but they're probably under something stronger. Think of it as a... mutual agreement with a higher-up curse."

"Higher-up? So they just... decided to share a domain?" You tilted your head, catching his intense gaze as he stepped slightly closer, his thumb tracing small circles over your knuckles, almost absent-mindedly.

"Yeah. Which means," he murmured, his tone low, "if we take down the other two, this domain should crumble."

You didn't miss the way he hesitated, eyes scanning the space as if searching for any sign of danger while still keeping his eyes on you. "And you're sure about that?"

He grinned, his voice dropping into that familiar, teasing register that never failed to get under your skin. "Would my Six Eyes lie?"

"You really get a kick out of showing off that little trick of yours, don't you?" You couldn't help but smirk, though the way he watched you so intently had your heart pounding.

Alright, you'd give him that much. It'd be a lie to pretend he didn't look incredibly good when he turned up the charm, flaunting his strength and skill with that effortless confidence, like he could take on the whole world and come out on top.

"What can I say?" His voice was barely above a whisper now, a playful edge softening to something deeper, "Guess I like the way you look when you're impressed."

Your smile faltered for a second, heat creeping to the back of your neck. "That so?" You felt the words slip out, quieter than intended, the tension stretching between you as his gaze lingered a beat too long.

But before you could break away from his spell and take another step, his grip tightened around your hand, holding you back. "Not so fast." His voice dipped, his playful tone gone as he searched your face, the intensity in his expression almost palpable. "Earlier, you nearly got yourself in trouble. Not letting you stray off again."

So that's what it was. That steadiness in his touch, the way he kept you close, the faint note of concern in his voice—it was more than duty. He was holding you here, grounding you, maybe even grounding himself.

"Wouldn't it be faster if we split up? I can handle one curse; you take the other." You kept your voice light, testing his reaction.

Gojo let out a low, knowing chuckle, his grip on your hand tightening as he pulled you even closer, your shoulders brushing. "Nice try. You're on curse-object duty. Leave the dirty work to me."

"Oh, and what exactly are we looking for?"

He gave a casual shrug, flashing you a grin that held an undeniable, roguish gleam. "Not a clue," he replied, letting the silence linger for just a moment before adding, "But I have a feeling it'll show up when it's good and ready."

The way he looked at you ignited a familiar heat, low and thrumming, even though the setting hardly suited the moment. You leaned in, your voice dropping to a sultry whisper. "Well, I'm not exactly worried," you murmured, catching his gaze dropping to your lips. "But those blockers' side-effect are hitting hard. If you're not planning to deal with that here and now, maybe we wrap this up a little quicker."

A flash of surprise danced in his eyes, quickly replaced by something darker, his grip tightening as he pulled you closer, leaving you breathless before you even thought of walking away. "Oh?" His words brushed your ear, voice low and dangerous. "So, you're all worked up?"

A sly smile curved your lips as you tried to turn, but his hold held you fast, your back pressed against his solid frame, his warmth flooding through every layer between you. His tone dipped, smooth and commanding. "Stay close. I'll handle the curse," he murmured, lips grazing your ear, "and later... I'll handle you too."

The steadying breath you drew did little to quell the heat that simmered beneath his hold, his fingers still entwined with yours—a touch that felt both protective and electric, layered with an unspoken promise that quickened your pulse.

"Let's go," he added, finally pulling away, giving you just enough space to catch your breath before leading you forward into the unknown. Right now, he could have led you straight into hell itself, and you'd follow without a second thought.

It didn't take long to reach the area where the two curses lurked. The corridor stretched out like an ancient tomb, silent and eerie, a damp chill creeping up from the stone floor beneath Kyoto Station. In the center of the cavernous room, an altar loomed—a twisted structure of dark, cracked stone with layers of dust and markings barely visible through the grime.

Atop it, a weathered chest lay still, emitting a steady pulse of cursed energy that pricked against your senses like a distant heartbeat.

Your gaze shifted to the shadows, feeling a jolt through your cursed energy flowing at 1%—the presence of two powerful curses, closing in from the edges of the room. They were strong, testing your defenses like predators stalking their prey.

"Company's here," you muttered, letting a subtle pulse of cursed energy radiate outward. "Two of them, just in my range, closing fast."

Gojo's hand slipped from yours as he stepped forward, casual, his aura rippling out with an intensity that seemed to shake the air itself. The curses' energies flared in response, growing erratic, like they could feel his taunting, mocking presence. "Got it," he replied, his voice deceptively calm. "Sounds like they're begging to be exorcised."

An icy chill settled over the room as his cursed energy tightened. He didn't need to posture or warn—his mere presence was threat enough, suffocating the space with an unspoken promise. You stole a glance at him, noting the amusement in his eyes, the faint smirk playing on his lips as if this were just a game.

"Want me to draw them out for you?" you asked, lifting a brow, already knowing his answer.

He chuckled, tilting his head with that lazy grin of his. "Please, go ahead." His arm waved grandly, inviting you to lead. "But remember—just baiting. Don't get too excited."

Rolling your eyes, you took his cue, increasing your cursed energy flow to 50%, expanding it outward with a calculated lure that teased and provoked, tugging at the lurking monsters until they couldn't resist. They began to emerge, grotesque shapes slinking from the shadows, twisted limbs and hungry eyes fixed on you.

Your fingers tingled with energy, power thrumming through your veins as you prepared yourself. With a guttural snarl, the curses lunged, their deformed forms reaching for you—until Gojo moved, fast as a flash.

"Reversal Technique: Red," he murmured, barely louder than a breath, as a brilliant sphere of crimson formed at his fingertips. With a flick, he released it, the force striking one of the creatures dead center, disintegrating it instantly into ash.

The second curse surged forward in a fury, the strongest of the two, its grotesque form now angling toward you. But Gojo was a step ahead, his hand finding your shoulder with a steadying touch. His barrier wrapped around you both, but this time, there was something different—a new intensity in the Limitless. Instead of merely blocking the attack, his cursed energy pulsed outward, repelling the creature with brutal force.

The curse was flung backward, crashing into the stone with a sickening crunch as its limbs shattered, thick purple ichor spilling and pooling across the ground.

"Some new technique?" you questioned, glancing at him as he stepped over to the writhing curse, placing a foot on its head and crushing it into nothingness with casual nonchalance.

He didn't miss a beat, an amused gleam in his eyes. "Just an amplified repulsion from Red." His voice was maddeningly casual, but his eyes had a darker gleam, an intensity that pulled your gaze to him.

You weren't entirely sure what that even meant, but damn, he looked good saying it. "My man really is something else," you murmured, the words slipping out before you could catch them. His smirk widened, brows arching with unmistakable satisfaction.

"What was that?" he asked, clearly savoring your reaction.

"Oh, I was just noticing," you replied, nodding at the chest. "Think that cursed object's in there?"

"Nice try at deflection," he muttered, wrapping an arm around you before you could fully sidestep his question. Effortlessly, he lifted you against him, his lips grazing dangerously close to your ear, his voice low and dripping with mischief. "Finally admitting it, huh?"

Your pulse skipped, breath hitching as his heat pressed into you, amplifying that simmering ache he'd stirred earlier. "We've still got that cursed object to handle, Satoru," you managed, forcing your voice steady even as his lips lingered by your ear.

"I know," he murmured, his breath warm against your skin. "But as soon as we're done here," he added, his tone dropping, "I'm not leaving you until we finish this."

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