𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐒 (𝓖𝓸𝓳𝓸 𝔁 𝓑𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻)

.｡*♡ Masquerade .｡*♡

The anxiety would hit her in those seconds of consideration, throwing her back to square one. It was a game, her and Satoru as the pawns, her combative thoughts- LeRoy... as the player. 'Love was a dangerous game,' her mind would tell her, 'it was better to stay away.'

Fear and y/n knew each other too well, it seemed.

"Y/n?"

The woman looked up at Satoru to find him a distance away, patiently waiting for her to go down the path of stairs leading to the train station. His composure held that confidence she found so comforting yet strange, considering how docile and hunched he grew the moment she looked at him.

"Sorry," she apologized. She'd been deep in thought.

"Don't be sorry, we're far past that, remember?" He gave a closed eye smile that almost made y/n flush. His kindness was almost angering when one had to resist it.

It took her a moment to meet his stride, always having to take an extra step to catch a single swing of his leg. At times she knew it amused the sorcerer, how quickly he would begin to move the moment she consciously noticed his pace, but he never went so fast that she couldn't keep up in the end.

As they walked, y/n felt him slow himself until he got into that little position of his; chin on her shoulder, arms tucked behind his back. They scanned their key cards and assumed spots on a bench to wait for the train.

Y/n closed her eyes, thankful for a moment of relaxation from the exciting night. Not that she was complaining whatsoever in the fact that this was the most fun she'd had in a long time. It was just moments like this that gave her a second from the intensity of it all.

The low hum of talking throughout the station along with the warmth of Satoru's touch was indeed comforting. She inhaled the scent of the train station's Halloween night, where the air smelled of cinnamon and steel and fall.

The sorcerer readjusted his positioning on the bench so that he was closer to y/n. Somehow he always found away to make contact with her even while they sat- his head tilted slightly so he could rest on her shoulder.

"We've got two hours before the party if you want to get changed," Satoru slowly said to the air in front of him. He paused for a moment before glancing at her.

"If that's alright with you."

Y/n opened her eyes. She didn't think she would ever grow used to hearing those moments of Satoru (or anyone for that matter) ask if she was ready for things instead of promptly throwing her into it.

She gave him a small smile. "Of course it is."

A thought struck her mind a moment later.

"Shades," she began, "how are you keeping track of all this stuff? I mean, you haven't looked at your phone at all-"

"A magician never reveals his secrets," Satoru replied with that confident voice of his. He gave her a winning smile, clearly content with himself.

Y/n stifled a laugh as she rolled her eyes. The bell for the train began to chime, prompting them out of their seats. As y/n stood, she placed a hand into the pocket of her friend's jacket for warmth, and she felt the crinkle of paper. Curious, she retrieved the folded material.

Inside was a tiny note scrawled in Gojo's familiar handwriting. Poorly sketched pumpkins with smiley faces decorated the large text on top, along with a multitude of squiggly lines and colors and bullet points. Beneath this was a long list of various activities of which Satoru had conveniently listed out to her on their transit to Saitama, alongside a crookedly sketched box of compiled things he knew she enjoyed.