Chapter Text
THE DOOR TO THEย TOYOTA MIRAIย SMASHED SHUT,ย a heavy silence settling between the sorcerers. Kinzoku Mikazuki stood still, her back laid against the uncomfortable leather of her seat while she waited. The grey-haired woman wasnโt sure what she was waiting for; just that whatever sheโd seen flicker in Satoruโs expression did not bode well for her.
The sorcerer hadnโt said a single word since they stepped out of the house, and although the trip to the car was short, it still felt like a chasm of unsaid secrets had opened between them. It was always like this, with them two. So many things left unsaid that resurfaced at the worst possible times. She should have gotten used to it by now, but somehow, it still made her skin crawl with uncertainty and unease.
Mikazuki could feel Satoruโs heavy eyes on her, the way his breath seemed to come out hot and ragged. There was anger in him, yet not the kind of explosive myriad of emotions she was used to. Instead, it was the quiet sort of anger. This one frightened her most, though. This one felt dangerous, like something terribly obscure lingering in the dark edges of her mind, waiting. She felt agonizingly close to being prey.
Technically, the Kinzoku hadnโt done anything wrong, yet she still felt oddly guilty about it. There was something about the way Gojo had looked at her when she was talking with Tsumiki that sent shivers down her spine. It wasnโt exactly judgement that sheโd seen in him, but something darker, as if sheโd confirmed something in his mind. Maybe she had. Unable to bear the awkward silence, Mikazuki let out a drowned sigh, turning to face the man with a culpable expression on her face.
โIโm sorry for overstepping.โ She blurted out, words tumbling out of her lips. โAre you mad at me?โ
There was a pause during which he seemed to deliberate his answer. The lines on his face softened, anger slowly dissipating from him as a calmer, quieter expression appeared. He was still angry โ she could see it on his tense shoulders โ but most of it was gone now. The leather creaked as he looked at her, a half-smile playing on his plump lips.
โIโm not sure. Iโm still deciding.โ Satoru cocked his head to the side, amused by his own words.
And maybe Mikazuki would have called him out of it if a part of her didnโt feel like he was right. Tsumiki was his girl, after all. A daughter on its own right. Who was she to decide anything about her? No one. She was no one. It hit her then how much sheโd missed over the course of ten years, how many experiences had passed her by. Despite everything she liked to pretend, Gojo Satoru was not the same man โ the sameย boyย โ sheโd left behind.
But this wasnโt about her, or him, so she chose to press her lips into a thin line and faked a smile. She would not argue about this here, not when they were still parked down the alley, the distant glow of Satoruโs home filtering through the tinted windows. Mikazuki arched her back, forcing her smile just a little bit wider while her eyes turned sharp and cat-like.
โWell, you can take it out on me tonight;โ She began, trying her best not to be passive-aggressive and appear genuine instead. โchoose someoneย reallyย ugly for me to sleep with.โ
Satoru let out a sincere laugh, the sound reverberating out of his throat and echoing in the car. It was the truest laugh sheโd ever heard come out of his lips, the tone of it nearly stealing the breath of her lungs as she felt her cheeks turn a bright shade of pink. Mikazuki was taken aback by the truthfulness of it, yet she quickly recovered and hid her smile and reddened face behind her hand.
โIโm not that cruel, Mikazuki.โ
And itโs the way he said her name. The way he rolled his tongue in his mouth to enunciate every syllable; her name spilling from his lips as naturally as if he had never stopped saying it in the first place. The sorceress closed her eyes, momentarily wished she was somewhere โย anywhere โ else. It was so easy to get caught up in his charm, even when she knew better. Her desperation clouded her judgement and, before Mikazuki could stop herself, she was back to the topic that had caused this whole mess in the first place.
โI just donโt think sheltering her from everything isโโ Satoruโs ocean eyes pierced her soul like a damn hammer drill, the intensity of his gaze enough to render her completely silent in less than a second. โIโm overstepping again, arenโt I?โ Mikazuki asked, the soft smile that grazed her painted lips honest for the first time that night. โSorry.โ She mouthed after a while.
There was that silence again, the one that prickled at the back of her mind like the embers of a fire crackling in the darkness. It bothered her, and maybe Mikazuki should have just let it go and shut up like Satoruโs gaze commanded, but she was never one for taking the prudent road. The grey-haired sorceress paused, tongue tracing the edge of her lips as she debated with herself whether to bury the hatched or figuratively jam it into Gojoโs head. Her hand hovered over the steering wheel, her delicate yet somewhat fragile nails scraping against the pale leather.
โI do mean it, though.โ The Kinzoku eventually let out, her voice small but filled with an infinite amount of will. โI was that girl; the sheltered, clueless pretty girl. And it nearly got me killed.โ Her breath hitched at the last part, a flicker of something glowing in her golden eyes before being consumed by the quiet sunset hues of her irises.
There was something about the way she said it โ almost choking on the word, like it physically pained Mikazuki to say it. Like there was noย nearlyย in there at all.
Satoru didnโt say anything, wanting to drop the conversation but also mulling over her words. He wanted to be petty and call her out on the intrusiveness of her words, yet his speech got caught in his throat as the sorcerer realised, she might be right โ as it often happened with Kinzoku Mikazuki. It annoyed him greatly; partly because it was none other thanย Mikazuki, but also because in those brief moments she spent with Tsumiki, she was somehow able to read her so clearly.
Sometimes, even he struggled with the teenager. But not Mikazuki. No, she saw herself reflected in those eyes, saw herself lost at the mercy of a world that never truly wanted her. Yet she persevered. To what end? He wondered. And the possible answer to that question haunted him almost as much as the possibility that he too, might be right. Aboutย her. About her plans and her goals.
But he could not bring himself to open that door, thread that water. He was scared, paralyzed even, to look beyond. In the end, he guessed he always knew. He just wished he didnโt. And maybe that made him blind. Him โ theย honouredย one, the sorcerer with the Six Eyes. Blind to the events unfolding right under his nose.
Then again, heโd always been blind when it came to the Kinzoku.
Satoru exhaled slowly through his nose, a heavy weight settling in his chest as these thoughts continued to spiral in his mind. Sensing the subtle change in mood, Mikazukiโs heel pushed down on the gas pedal, has manicured hand slowly moving the wheel as she moved out of the parking and into the streets of Tokyo. Her driving was deficient, yet the sorceress didnโt seem to mind as the car racketed over the speedbumps, the signs on the side of the road barely visible in the night.
โI canโt believe itโs been ten years, and you still canโt drive.โ Gojo heard her mumble, recognizing the cheeky expression on her face without even having to look at her. โHow the hell did you manage to survive with two kids?โ
The Gojo heir could have easily told her. He could have told her about the long afternoons he spent sitting on a bench, two kids at his sides and completely overwhelmed by the gravity of his own choices. He could have told her about the first time he and Megumi got into a real fight, the words โyouโre not my dadโ flung at him like a cursed technique. He could have told her about the time he sat in a crowd of overzealous mothers watching Tsumikiโs recital because she did not have a one.
There were so many things Gojo Satoru could have said, but he swallowed them all, adjusting the lapels of his shirt and fiddling with the air conditioning instead.
โSometimes I ask myself that exact question.โ The special-grade answered truthfully, a little too much honesty in his everblues. โAlthough, youโre one to talk. You didnโt know how to drive when you left either.โ
When you left. Never when theyย madeย you. It still stung, even now. Still, Mikazuki gripped the steering wheel tighter, putting on a fake smile as she turned to beam at him. He saw the sorrow in it, though, but there was nothing genuine he could say about it. Nothing that would make it better.
โItโs a basic skill.โ The Kinzoku babbled on, eyes on the road as they cruised through the busy streets of Tokyo, zooming past the highway and into the Roppongi area. โI have no idea why itโs not required of sorcerers. I am convinced it would solve at least half of our issues.โ
Satoru quirked a brow, a curved smile on his lips.
โHalf?โ He asked, amused. โSomeoneโs feeling optimistic.โ
Mikazuki rolled her eyes, swerving to avoid hitting the curb.
โI have to when I know youโre doing theย pickingย tonight.โ The whole affair was ridiculous, but the sorceress didnโt feel like being serious for once. โThankfully you have better taste than you did back in 07.โ
The words stuck to her tongue, a bitter taste filling her mouth. She would not qualify the Gojo heir as having any taste for the matter, he was the kind of man who fucked anything that moved, so his standards were pretty much on the ground. Not that she could blame him, she too had gone through a slut phase. Actually, maybe she was still in it.
โIโll have you know, I donโt just jump on whateverโs walking my way.โ Satoru tried, his tone as convincing as what was expected of a man who looked likeย that.
The Kinzoku rolled her eyes again, a huff escaping her lips.
โSays the guy who fucked Kaede.โ
There was a reproach somewhere in there, and maybe a little bit of disbelief. Because, seriouslyโฆย Kaede?ย Mikazuki wasnโt even sure sheโd do her if she was the only other living person on earth, let alone when there were a bunch of other presentable ladies around โ preferably some that didnโt smell like bleach. Luck and genetics had done Kaede dirty, especially with that cursed technique of hers.
โIt was a moment of weakness.โ Satoru explained flatly. โOr pity. Not sure which.โ
Another smile grazed Mikazukiโs lips, the tint of her gloss glowing under the streetlight as they passed by.
โYeah, wellโฆ letโs hope you pick someone better for me.โ The woman huffed again, faking a concerned frown. โUnlike you, I happen to have standards.โ She paused, finger on her lower lip. โExcept for that time I liked you; that was a mistake.โ
โLiked?โ Gojo asked with a cheeky tone. โPast time?โ
โYes, and Iโm not even convinced it was real, so shup up before I crash against a tree just so I donโt have to hear you gloat about it.โย