You got back to your dorm and cursed to yourself when you realized you didn't give Yuji his gift, or Megumi his book that you got him.
Another day of me forgetting stuff
You changed out of your training clothes and sat on your bed. "I guess I'll just read for now until later tonight." And you did just that. When you were ready to go, you just put on a hoodie over your outfit.
Gojo is definitely planning something but I have a feeling he's not trying to pull a prank or anything
You grabbed your bag and exited your dorm room and you soon arrived at the front door of your house. You unlocked the door and stepped inside taking in that smell of your "old life". Even though you've only been gone for a little bit, it was nice to be back at your own place.
"I see you haven't changed the location of that spare key in your garden Y/n." Gojo was in your kitchen, sitting on your counter. His legs dangled over as he was kicking them back and forth while swaying his head from side to side.
"And I see that you haven't changed your personality since you were 5." You placed your bag down on your kitchen table. "And why would a key matter if you could just warp into my house anyway?"
"It doesn't, I just like to check if you still leave it out sometimes. I like to think it's your way of inviting me in whenever."
"If that's what you interpret it as, I'm gonna need to move that spare key immediately."
"Aww! Stop pretending that you don't like me."
"Stop pretending like you didn't just kill me just a few hours ago."
"...Okay fine you got me there." He hopped off the counter and made his way toward you.
"So why'd you want me here again?" You asked.
"Well if you would actually look with your eyes, you would see your backyard doesn't look the same."
"If you deforested my backyard I'm gonna kill you."
"Just go look already and stop jumping to conclusions." He put his hands on your shoulders and turned you towards the door.
You did what Gojo said. Your hands gripping the handle to your glass sliding doors that led to the outside. You took a step outside looking around at the scene in front of you.
Gojo slipped passed you and pointed towards something in your garden. "I decorated your place a little bit, and no I did not ruin anything I promise. C'mon." He said as he took hold of your hand motioning you to follow him and guiding you to where he wanted.
You were honestly too invested to try to pull away. Everything out there mesmerized you. He could see it in your eyes which gave him some type of relief because he was really hoping you would like it.
"Gojo, this is seriously the most adorable thing. It fits perfectly here."
"I also got you some more plants. These are Gerbera daisies. That's what the lights are covering." He said.
You bent down to admire the lights that were strewn so perfectly over the plants. Your fingers gently hooked under one of the beaming strands of light. "You must've gone to school for landscape design." You said jokingly.
"Haha no I'm just really good at almost everything."
"You are also bad at a lot of things too." You retorted."
"Like what?" Gojo inquired.
"Jokes, making people like you, etc."
"Wow, I get you these cute plant decorations and that's how you thank me?"
"Shut it, I'm messing with you...okay, half messing with you but still."
"Well, I have something else for you. There was an empty space in your backyard so I remodeled it."
"That scares me to hear. Did you make it into a Gojo shrine?"
"Pfft! I wish! But then you would've tried to kill me for like the 20th time. Come see it."
Your eyes met a small pond with multiple miniature waterfalls above it. It started with a singular one at the top, and it emptied into the one below it. The water then cascaded over the edge of three more ledges before it hit the luminous basin below. Onyx and Montana rose rocks contrasted with the smooth ivory rocks underneath the translucent curtains of water. From behind every waterfall, a colorful radiant light beamed. These created glossy reflections in the water droplets glissading across the lily pads below.
"So, I was bored with the way your backyard looked. The plants were cool and all but you definitely needed more so I decided to add things to it. I paid for everything though. You don't owe me a dime." He said to you.
You do care about Gojo, even though you hide it on the daily. You might not like him romantically, but recently you find yourself despising him less and less. You wouldn't even call him a friend if someone asked what you thought about him. You would say he was just some mentor that you got stuck with and you couldn't get rid of him. It was at this moment that you actually stopped to think, why do you have this dislike for Gojo? It's not even reciprocated on his part. He sees right past your negative attitude and treats you as if you were the best student ever. Maybe you should give him the benefit of the doubt...even though he killed you, slapped you, and broke into your house. I mean, of course you still dislike him, but it wouldn't hurt to be a teeny bit nicer to him. Right?
Thinking about what he's done for you so far, a genuine smile was inevitable. You couldn't hide your bliss. You bent down and leaned over to look into the water that rippled and reflected the light so perfectly. You then felt Gojo's hands around your shoulders pulling you back. "Oh no don't get too close to the water. There are some gators in there." He joked.
You blankly stared at Gojo for a few seconds, then immediately leaned back in and proceeded to thrash your hand around in the water. "Maybe this will make them come up faster."
"Wow, unfortunately it's only Koi fish. Today is not your lucky day."
"Tch. Damn. I was really hoping something would just come up and take me."
You and Gojo shared a chuckle. You waited for the ripples to disappear and you peeked down into the water once again. You saw a couple of fishies swimming around, but something caught your eye that you didn't see the first time you looked at the pond. "Are those-
"Lotus flowers? Yep. I had a feeling you liked them." He said.
"I love them Gojo. They're one of my favorites!" You reached out to feel the delicate petals of the pink bloom sitting in front of you. They reminded you of home, at least with your adoptive parents. They would always take you out to ponds with these flowers. To you, they just reminded you of good memories and brought nostalgia upon your thoughts. A small tear came to your eye as you found yourself reminiscing about your days as a child.
When you're a child, you want to grow up, but when you grow up, all you'll want to do is be a child again. At least that's what it's like for me...Not having a worry in the world except if you were getting that dollhouse you wanted for Christmas. Or begging to take the stray cat from the alley to your house, even though your parents said no because it might be dangerous.
I kind of miss who I used to be before I got blood on my hands...but I wouldn't change it at all. I'm glad I met Gojo when I did. I still hate his guts, but I have to admit he's growing on me just a bit. He's amazingly good at making me mad and making our whole relationship start back at square one. He makes up for it though. Maybe he really isn't all that bad.
I would die before ever catching feelings for him though. I was hoping maybe something would happen with Elliot or Amari but that's been squashed since I basically killed their friend. Oh well. Love and I don't get along. I'm not sure how long it'll take before I find someone that genuinely likes me for me. Not only that, but I'd have to like them back too. I really should text Amari and check up on her. I just hope they don't hate me.
"You must be in a distant universe once again." Gojo said.
His voice brought you out of your thoughts and you stood up looking at him. "I zone out sometimes I'm sorry."
"Don't say sorry, I understand. What do you think about everything out here?"
Your head slightly tilted to the side as you gave Gojo a close-eyed smile. "I love it Gojo. It makes me happy knowing that you actually pay attention to the things that are special to me. I really appreciate that you kept your word on helping me take care of my garden while I'm at Jujutsu Tech. It means a lot to me."
"I just want you happy Y/n. After everything that's been going on lately, I hope this helps make your day better, I know you've had a shitty week."
"Well it wasn't all shitty. I got to see that Megumi was alive and well, which means that my sacrifice wasn't for nothing. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I would give my life before I watch Nobara, Yuji, or Megumi give theirs. They're all too young to die and even though this is a dangerous job, they deserve to live out their life and enjoy their youth."
"You are right Y/n. They deserve to enjoy their life, but so do you, so don't go doing that again. I'll never forgive myself if you were to die and stay dead."
"I know this is stupid to say because of earlier, but I trust you with my life if I'm being honest. I know you wouldn't let me die no matter what the situation was. Same goes for the other students." You said.
"I think it's good to give students room to grow. Even if I do care about them, I don't try to completely protect them if you know what I mean. How is someone going to learn if they don't make mistakes or feel pain? I remember Maki saying something like that last year. I'm not going to hold your hand every step of the way but I would never let you die. Anyway, I wanna show you one more thing."
"What is it?" You asked.
"Come sit on the swingy chair I got for you."
"You got me a swingy chair?"
"Yep, one of those long patio chairs that swing back and forth. Haha it's even got a canopy on it." He brought you to it and took a seat on the right side of it. He then laid his hand out flat on a cushion to his left. "Sit here Y/n. I wanna talk to you and ask you something."
You did as he said and took a seat next to Gojo.
"So I have to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me."
You nodded your head. "Of course. What is it?"
"Do you still want to do this? Like are you feeling at all like you want to stop? I wanted to check in on you with how you're doing with your emotional and mental well-being. This job can be mind fucking and if you ever feel overwhelmed, I want you to know that I'm right here ready to help. If you ever want to withdraw from Jujutsu Tech and stop being a sorcerer you let me know okay?"
"I wouldn't change this for the world. I feel like I'm actually accomplishing things in my life. I'm helping others and I'm making friends. I had a whole part of me that was undiscovered and you helped me find that again. I'll have to do more research on my ancestry though. Even if I die, I wouldn't regret my past decisions."
"I need you to follow what I'm about to say. Whenever you feel lost, hopeless, whatever, come sit right here. I'll come as soon as I can." Gojo said.
"You are telling me that this chair basically summons you?"
"Yes, it only works for you though darling. And I'm very glad to hear that you'd like to stay. This path can be paved with pain and you might end up watching your friends drop all around you like flies. All I ask is that you try to prepare yourself for that. It's not all joy. Not everyone is going to make it back from a mission every single time. People will die, and you have to accept that you won't be able to save everyone. Things can happen in the blink of an eye. Don't be too hard on yourself if someone dies or you'll drive yourself crazy with your own thoughts. Promise me you'll do your best to take care of yourself and you'll try to keep your head up with all the negativity you might have to deal with in the future."
"I promise to keep going Gojo." You held out your pinky. "On your life."
"Wait what? On MY life?! Why not yours!? You're slick. You try to kill me every other week!"
"Okay fine. On my life, I promise to keep going no matter what this job throws my way."
"That's better!" Gojo had a smirk on his face as he wrapped his pinky finger around yours. "Now, onto the second thing." He said.
Gojo got off the swing and proceeded to get down on one knee. He pulled out a bouquet of flowers that was a mix of Calla Lily's, Baby's Breath, and some roses which he seemingly pulled out of nowhere.
"L/n Y/n, The first time I tried to "ask" you out, it was after training and it wasn't very formal, so I wanted to try again. Will you go out on a date with me? A friendly one I mean?"
To be honest, I couldn't say no to him after seeing all the work he put into this. Plus, this is kind of silly, he really didn't need to go this far for someone like me. I'm not worth it... "First off, I've decided that I'm going to go by Kaida for my last name. I'm not worried about my safety. If someone finds out I'm alive, let them come. They'll meet their end by your hands, and if not by yours, it'll be by Megumi, Nobara, Yuji, or me myself once I get my techniques down."
You continued. "And second, Yes Gojo. I'll go on a date with you. A friendly one."
He tilted the bouquet forward signaling that he wanted you to take it. You gladly took it out of his hands and he stood up. "Thank you Gojo, I really needed this. This helped me a lot."
"No need to thank me. I'm just looking out for you. How about we get you back to your dorm?" He asked you.
"Yea hold on though." You stood up from the swing and approached Gojo. You put your hand out that was carrying the bouquet. "I'm sorry but I don't want this. I don't really like these kinds of flowers."
He looked at you with a slight frown on his face. "What?! I'm sorry about that, I thought you would." He held his arm out to reach for the bouquet but to his surprise, you took this chance to step closer to him and embrace him tightly. Gojo usually had his infinity on but after you hugged him you felt it dissipate. You looked up at him and his eyes met yours that were filled with happiness.
"You are the bestest sensei anyone could ever ask for."
You weren't paying attention to his physical reaction but if you were, you would be able to tell that his heart skipped a beat at your words. The caring gaze you gave him left him flabbergasted. He actually stumbled upon his words trying to look for something to respond with. The bright blue in his eyes softened the more he looked at you. He reciprocated the hug.
I told myself that I wouldn't ever let myself feel like this with someone again in order to keep them safe, but it gets more and more difficult the longer I'm around her. Even when she's giving me a death glare. I can't help but crave her presence. I can't be catching feelings right? I've never liked someone so easily... Another thing to ponder while I lie in bed awake I suppose. He thought to himself.
He composed himself back to his usual playful character. "Aww man! I should've gotten that on recording so I could show the others proof of what you just said." He said in a playful manner.
You rolled your eyes in response and playfully hit him on his chest as you stepped out of the hug. "Always thinking of ways to get on my nerves hm?"
"Well that's just how I am. Shall I teleport you back to your dorm M'lady?"
"Never call me that again. Yes, take me back."
"Fine, I'll just call you darling like I always do. Let's go then darling."
You didn't argue with him this time. You took his hand that he held out and he dropped you off at your dorm. After he left, you put the bouquet in a vase of water.
I'm keeping these alive as long as I can...