𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨 𝐛𝐲: aylixrum
𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: maki zen'in x fem!gojo!reader
𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 3914
𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: in which a sorceress' foresight is soon to be her very own downfall
𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: strong language, allusions to the shibuya incident (sorry), lots of angst, implications of homophobia, mentions of depressive episodes and major ocd symptoms, some kissing and suggestive themes—let's go lesbians!!, reader is slowly going insane, maki is the support system we all need in times of crisis
𝐕. 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬 — finally writing for my wifey because she deserves the world. i believe in maki supremacy and nothing else :,) once again shoutout to aylixrum for helping me with the storyline !
｡･:*:･ﾟ★
𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐍𝐗𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘 at the inside of her cheek, she hoped to draw even the slightest bit of blood. She wanted the intolerable pain to serve as a distraction and cease her racing thoughts. There was nothing she could do. The future was inevitable. The sad-eyed second-year continued aimlessly ogling at the ceiling as she lay on her bed in a large shirt running down to the top of her knees—hiding the fact that she only wore underwear beneath.
Her appearance was careless. It was unlike her to look so deteriorated, but the young woman was on the edge of a knife emotionally. The night terrors she had endured kept her up for several nights...and those night terrors were the outcome of something much more profound. [Y/N] had a fascinating cursed technique for predicting snippets of the future. The girl was a useful asset in ensuring the safety of her classmates time and time again.
She wasn't a fighter.
Rather a protector and observer, but somehow she got the same respect as an average sorcerer with combat skills. Perhaps because of her family name. Though as much as everyone depended on [Y/N]'s clairvoyance, she could only do so much. The future would always be in her sights, though she would never be able to change the universally dictated outcomes. For the past week, [Y/N] had been holed up in her dorm room due to what she saw would happen months from now. The sorcerer hadn't even had the heart to tell her older brother yet even though she swore to inform Gojo whenever a part of the future presented itself to her.
Depression had consumed [Y/N] entirely to the point of not being able to face any of her friends...not even her girlfriend. For seven days straight [Y/N] had been obsessing over the slightest bit of mold growing on the far corner of her ceiling. She had cleaned it. She used every cleaning product known to man. And it was physically gone now. But as [Y/N] continued closely monitoring her white ceiling, her eye twitched partially. She swore the mold was coming back. It amplified her heart rate and caused her palms to moisten.
She felt helpless.
Like a total madwoman.
The mold was growing back.
She had to get rid of it.
Glimpses of the future showcased bloody corpses and tragedy.
She had to warn everyone.
Death.
All [Y/N] saw was fucking death—
The harsh pounding on [Y/N]'s door was barely audible due to the booming sound of an eerie Tchaikovsky composition emitting from the second year's phone which was attached to a speaker. The sorcerer made no effort to address the individual. Though said person didn't need permission for entry. In her characteristic fashion, Maki Zen'in burst into her girlfriend's room and slammed the door shut behind her. She was pissed, to say the least.
The green-haired girl's otherwise cocky attitude was masked by metaphorical hellfire—frustration blinding her. Stomping over to the compact speaker, Maki pressed the power button and effortlessly stopped the haunting crescendo of Marche Slave before it sent even more chills down her spine.
Not even the absence of music was enough to snap [Y/N] out of whatever trance she was in. Maki partially frowned at the miserable sight before her, feeling nothing but pity for her girlfriend. However, her anger ultimately came back with a vengeance. She felt like she deserved answers—proper answers, not some half-assed deceptions.
"Why do you make me worry about you all the time?! You think it doesn't affect me when you hole yourself up in a dark room for days on end? This week has been shit and I couldn't even see you! What happened? Why do you do this to yourself?"
An interrogation wouldn't make [Y/N] any more inclined to respond even if Maki persisted, standing at the edge of her girlfriend's bed with her arms crossed over her chest strictly. The Zen'in was sure that this person—this girl she was looking at was not her [Y/N]. It was an illusion. It had to be.
Never had Maki seen [Y/N] like this. She seemed disturbed by something. In an effort to not ignore her girlfriend, [Y/N]'s words—which by chance got stuck in her throat—turned into a single direct action. Maki watched attentively as [Y/N]'s arm slowly rose upward into the air with only her index finger on display. The girl occupying the bed pointed at the ceiling precariously, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"What the hell am I supposed to be looking at? It's the wrong day to piss me off, [Y/N]. Use your words."
Maki was direct as always and still, the other girl didn't even flinch. Her mind was in a bad, bad state. There were all sorts of negative sentiments creeping around her head. What sounded like a low-pitched whine slipped through [Y/N]'s mouth much to her own chagrin as she continued to hold eye contact with the blank ceiling. Anxiously, [Y/N] moved her ankle around just before another dissatisfied sound came from her. She was acting strangely. More so than usual and that was saying a lot.
"The mold. On the ceiling. It's still there...It's still there. It never goes away. No matter how many times I scrub it away, the mold always grows back."
[Y/N]'s answer was faint. Like she was three rooms away, yet somehow, Maki was still able to decipher her girlfriend's words. [Y/N]'s arm had gone numb and so she lowered it beside her body. The green-haired sorcerer was tempted to chuckle at the reply she received. All this fuss over some mold. It seemed absurd.
"...Well, I hate to disappoint, but there's no more mold. You did a good job—"
Choosing to sit up on her bed, [Y/N] shook her head violently—ultimately silencing Maki in the midst of her speech. She didn't get it. Maki didn't understand. [Y/N] roughly slid her hands down her face, tempted to physically injure herself out of pure helplessness. On the verge of another mental collapse, the young woman looked up at Maki with hopeful eyes that twinkled with the glossy texture of tears. They threatened to overflow.
"It's still there. I'm telling you it's still there. Each time I close my eyes, I feel it coming back. I feel it spreading. I-It never goes away. Never. It's always there..."
Her breathing quickened with each passing second as she clutched her head with one hand while the other was used to wipe away any possible tears. The last thing [Y/N] wanted was to make her girlfriend worry about her well-being...but perhaps it was already too late for that. Especially considering the way Maki's eyebrows drew together instantly, taking the initiative of sitting down beside [Y/N] in her moment of emotional frailty.
"[Y/N]. Calm down—"
"It won't fucking leave me alone! The visions follow me everywhere. I can't think. I can't sleep! It's inescapable!"
The troubled young woman cried out desperately as she clawed at the supple skin of her face with reckless abandon. Not many things in life frightened Maki Zen'in, but witnessing the slippage of her girlfriend's sanity made her feel like a boulder was placed onto her chest. Still, Maki was not one to crumble under any sort of pressure. Before [Y/N] could permanently scar her face, Maki harshly gripped both of the young woman's hands and squeezed them tightly.
"Slow down and breathe. Look into my eyes and breathe. I'm here. Nothing can hurt you. You're safe with me. I promised you that the first time we met, didn't I?"
Blinking away the residual tears, [Y/N] stared deeply into her girlfriend's beautiful eyes while her lips quivered. [Y/N] remembered clearly. Maki made a promise to protect her during their first encounter when they were twelve years old. It only made sense that such a headstrong girl like Maki would feel empowered to look after a closed-off individual. They did everything together so it didn't come as a surprise when the two sorcerers inevitably fell in love. The more traditional members of Maki's clan despised the notion as did [Y/N]'s.
In their eyes, the relationship between two women was a taboo manifested out of confusion and a desire for attention. Oh, how wrong they were. Each time [Y/N] and Maki looked into each other's eyes, they were reminded of a plethora of good memories that proved their unrelenting devotion.
Their love was unmatched...which was part of the reason [Y/N] had been feeling guilty for the past week. But time seemed to slow down when Maki leaned forward and kissed her with such passion that it made [Y/N]'s head spin. Maki's hands let go of her girlfriend's and traveled upwards where they met with moistened cheeks due to [Y/N]'s previous tears.
The tender moment was a fleeting one since that intoxicating scent that [Y/N] gave off—a mix of earthy vanilla and something sweet—caused Maki to lose her sensibility in a split second. The Zen'in girl's hand slithered down [Y/N]'s flawless figure very proficiently. She had plenty of practice in the art of pleasing her lover after all.
[Y/N]'s almond-shaped, black nails trailed up her girlfriend's arms and shoulders—which were hidden behind the uniform she wore. Once [Y/N]'s mind caught up with her own bold actions, she realized her hands were situated on the sides of Maki's neck.
Soon enough, both of the sorcerers found themselves getting lost in their affections when the kiss once sparked by girlish romance turned into one that signaled deep-rooted desire. Maki couldn't help it when the beginnings of a smirk teased the edge of her lips upon hearing the tiny, cute whines that were escaping her girlfriend's mouth.
[Y/N] abruptly tilted her head back a bit whilst Maki just seemingly chuckled at the moans that escaped her lips. Excitement bubbled in the pit of the Zen'in girl's stomach at the prospect of showing [Y/N] how much she loved her. Without hesitancy, one of Maki's skilled hands soon found its place beneath [Y/N]'s baggy shirt, fingers playfully dancing at the edge of her underwear.
One part of the clairvoyant girl wanted Maki to keep going and take away her worries, but the other resisted. [Y/N] had to tell her girlfriend what terrible things she witnessed through her disturbing visions. Maki audibly let her bitterness show through a click of her tongue when the kiss was abruptly broken and [Y/N] stared at her with those typical kindhearted eyes. They were still tormented by an everlasting sadness, however. [Y/N] was sure she'd burst into tears again if she didn't start explaining herself soon.
"Maki...I-I saw things. People are going to...they're going to die soon. It's gonna be a complete bloodbath in the city. Nothing like me, you, or anyone else has seen before. The nightmares I have about it get worse every time I go to sleep."
The explanation was nothing more than a whisper all the while [Y/N] analyzed the green-haired girl's stoic expression. She despised the newly formed silence between them. [Y/N] cursed all those pointless words of advice she got from her family. Especially when they told her that coming clean makes a person feel better. Such bullshit.
As soon as [Y/N] let her words loose, she became lightheaded at the thought of all those glimpses into the future that would bring about suffering. Nothing would be the same. And still, Maki did not speak. She looked intensely at [Y/N] as if her girlfriend were the enemy. In reality, Maki was only contemplating the implications of what she'd heard. The quiet in the room gave [Y/N] the impression to continue. And she did so with her voice uncontrollably cracking.
"I'm sorry. I should've come to you or my brother sooner and told the truth about what my foresight showed me. I never meant to worry anyone. Especially not you. I just c-couldn't bring it up. I'm afraid of what's going to happen to our friends. To us. To everyone."
Maki would be damned if she shed even a single tear over what her girlfriend predicted. She knew that she needed to remain calm for [Y/N]'s sake. The green-haired young woman was worried. Obviously, she was. Still, crying and becoming a servant to formidable emotions wouldn't solve anything. Maki scoffed to herself and leaned over to retrieve the notepad and pen conveniently lying on the expanse of [Y/N]'s nightstand. [Y/N] knew exactly what was happening: a makeshift interrogation.
[Y/N] had been through this process many times before whether it was her brother asking questions about the events she saw in the future or actual police officers squeezing information out of her like a wet sponge. [Y/N] was an important individual indeed, hence why people with bad intentions were always out to get her. A dead girl could not predict the future after all. She would no longer be one step ahead. [Y/N] was treated like royalty—a goddess who had descended to save humanity, but truthfully, she never asked for such an ability. Unlike Gojo, she didn't want to be different. She didn't want to be permanently separated from her girlfriend.
"Time and place? This isn't the first time you've done this. Just remember: try to be as exact as you can."
Maki's typical austerity was not lost on her girlfriend, though it also managed to put [Y/N] at ease. Especially when Maki placed one hand on her bare knee and rubbed deliberately slow circles against the skin to keep her relaxed. [Y/N] softly smiled at the action, making sure to hide her sorrow. The young woman from the Gojo clan remained silent for as long as she could, but Maki's impatience was weighing her down considerably. [Y/N] knew she would miss those intolerable traits of her girlfriend.
"I already told you that knowing the precise time in any vision is impossible for me, but it was dark and eerie. Definitely nighttime. I-I could make the assumption that it was Halloween or maybe a day before. I saw people dressed up in costumes."
[Y/N] roughly swallowed whatever moisture was left on her tongue after specifying some of the details to Maki. She didn't want to relive it. She wanted to sweep it under the rug and never mention it to anyone. Most of all, [Y/N] just wanted to cry her eyes out for the tenth time in the week. She loathed her powers. Being born into such a notable family was something [Y/N] deemed as punishment from the Gods...or whatever universal power was at play.
"Where was this?"
Maki continued, eyes glued to the notepad as she began making a second bullet point on the paper—the pen in her refusing to cooperate since black ink continued needlessly bleeding out.
"Shibuya. I'm sure of it. My aunt took me to a candy store in Shibuya many times when I was younger. Mistaking that part of the city would be foolish of me."
For a mere moment, [Y/N] felt a comfortable warmth in her chest when involuntarily being reminded of her childhood. The candy store she referenced had closed down years ago, but the memories were still fresh. She reminisced about all the times Gojo would steal her sweets in typical older sibling fashion and how stupid she was to shed tears over such an insignificant thing. Being a little, foolish girl just seemed easier.
"Can you remember what happened?"
Maki's abrupt question did only one thing—drag [Y/N] back into her living hell.
"I can only recall bits and pieces. There were many curses and lots of destruction...and I could tell there were plenty of casualties. Men, women...even children. I felt this cold, empty feeling in my chest for the first time. It almost felt like my heart stopped beating for a moment. Then my head flooded with panicked thoughts and I could barely move. I laid down for what I thought was ten minutes then woke up about twelve hours later."
The girl fidgeted with the hem of her shirt whilst recounting all the horrors that were implanted into her head. She felt bile begin to crawl up her throat as the seconds passed by rather slowly. The sound of the pen scratching against paper soon vanished into thin air and [Y/N] found herself having a mock staring contest with her stern girlfriend.
"You said people died. Disregarding the civilians, who else—"
Maki was taken aback when [Y/N] knocked the notepad out of her hand like a toddler throwing a tantrum. The Zen'in girl scowled in return, but [Y/N] didn't even care by this point.
"No, Maki. We're not doing this. I refuse to speak about which of our close friends and associates...befell a permanent fate."
Just the mere utterance of the word 'death' seemed so permanent and paralyzing to [Y/N] and so she did not bother. Still, she found herself uncomfortable all the same. The young woman was such an innocent, delicate flower inexplicably thrust into the cruel embrace of life. [Y/N] tried to be more and more like her brother each day, but she struggled with the concept. Gojo and her were incomparable. He was everything she was not: carefree, immature, and most of all, powerful. The girl was just fine with always being second best. Though she did want to desensitize herself to all sorts of viciousness.
"So you do admit that you saw something like that? You know exactly who's in danger of not coming back alive. If you told me then we could plan ahead and make sure they're safe. At the very least, Gojo will know what to do. He's an idiot most of the time, but sometimes he actually uses his brain—"
Maki's firm yet hopeful tone was enough to tear [Y/N]'s heart in two. She grabbed her girlfriend's hand gingerly before interlocking their fingers. [Y/N]'s fingers were cold to the touch while Maki's were just the opposite. Not to mention the rough skin at the base of her fingers. Both girls relished in the skin-to-skin contact up until [Y/N] decided to speak her mind:
"It doesn't work like that."
Maki froze, unable to believe that those words were the ones [Y/N] chose. It made her lover sound like a quitter and Maki despised people who gave up easily.
"Huh? What do you mean? It does work like that. There's no other option. You have foresight and you're not even considerate enough to let others know of their potential deaths?! Lives are at stake and you're choosing to be selfish! They deserve to know! I—your girlfriend—deserve to know!"
In the heat of the moment, Maki ripped her hand away from [Y/N]'s and stood from the bed at an almost inhuman speed. She was ready to give up on her girlfriend's counterargument completely and leave the room to cool down, but right as Maki's hand touched the doorknob, the pitter-patter of bare feet sounded on the wooden floor, and before the Zen'in girl could make another move she felt a sudden force knock against her back and something tight wrap around her midsection.
"I can't change the future! Fate cannot be fixed! It's not about being selfish, Maki! It's a matter of morality. All I want is for those unfortunate few to have a peaceful life during the couple of months they have left. It would be cruel to tell them. Having them live in ignorance and seeing them be carefree up until their last breath is all I could ask for. I don't want the notion of death to be looming over them. They all deserve happiness."
[Y/N] mumbled into the dark and slightly sweaty fabric of Maki's uniform, her arms locking together even tighter around the other sorcerer's body. [Y/N] searched for the slightest hint of comfort and she certainly didn't want a silly disagreement to transpire. The clairvoyant girl pulled her head back and then laid the side of her face against Maki's back, those pesky tears coming back once more.
It was a miracle that [Y/N] still had tears to cry after such a long and painful week. Maki sighed and turned herself around after pulling [Y/N]'s arms off her. The green-haired sorcerer unexpectedly pulled her girlfriend into a secure embrace and forced herself to apologize for her shitty actions. The way Maki grit her teeth during her apology caused [Y/N] to let out a short-lived, sincere laugh—the first time she felt an emotion other than melancholy or intense fear in the past seven days.
The young lovers refused to let go of each other. They liked the warmth. They liked the aspect of being so close. They were safe together. At least that's what [Y/N] told herself over and over—a dedicated mantra she created.
"But you'll be fine, right? I mean, after all...that, we'll see each other again?"
Maki's question almost caused the other girl's knees to buckle and give out. But she recovered quickly and forced a smile onto her face that trembled slightly as she blankly looked at her door. [Y/N] felt ashamed when she confidently nodded before voicing her answer. She was thankful Maki couldn't see her vacant eyes.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm part of the...l-lucky ones. I promise to never leave your side. I love you, like, a lot."
[Y/N] bit back a sob, declaring a powerful lie while her lungs began burning from the lack of oxygen. She forgot to breathe for a while. How could she possibly be upfront and tell Maki about her upcoming demise in a few months? How could [Y/N] possibly put the fact that some nasty curse would maliciously decapitate her into words?
Her death would become the catalyst for her brother's, girlfriend's...everyone's need for revenge. Before [Y/N] could begin overthinking, Maki's smug voice entered her ears.
"Impossible, dumbass. I love you way more. It's an argument you won't win."
In the end, [Y/N] wasn't afraid of death's eternal grip. She was merely hysterical about losing the beautiful love she'd grown accustomed to.