Sanctuary - Decode part 7, previous chapter
pairings; satoru gojo x f!reader, suguru geto x f!reader, kento nanami x f!reader, choso kamo x f!reader
pre; with a memory betraying you, a conflicted mind and no explanation whatsoever- you are left to navigate the way you feel on your own. luckily for you, it turns out someone knew just how to help you.
contents; choso to the rescue, arguments, angst, kind of mean gojo, anxiety, but also FLUFF! so much fluff. choso is exactly what you need
Your head burst with pain as you sat up, sunlight blinding you and limbs aching sore. Your bed was empty and strangely cold. How long had you slept? Had time already transferred to the next day?
It took you a good moment to register the voices outside in your living room. Gojo, Geto.. Nanami?
You couldn’t entirely make out what they said. Their voices were loud and angry, clearly arguing, but whatever for?
“Kento?” you quietly called, groggily rubbing your eye. But it wasn’t Nanami that popped his head in through the door, It was Gojo. Blue eyes scanning you, landing on the exposed skin of your naked frame and the hickeys covering it.
“Oh great.” He scoffed, turning back out into the living room. “Not only did you bite her, you actually fucked her. You’re unbelievable.”
Bite you..?
Oh.
Your fingers instantly travelled up to your neck, wincing as you felt the slightly scabbed punctual marks, memories of last night flooding back.
What were you even supposed to feel?
It all blurred into a wicked mix. Pleasure, betrayal, comfort, disgust. With no one having explained it all to you, there was no way to expect you to process it. Had Gojo told you the truth that day, about what they were? Were you meant to look at Geto with love, or hate?
A sob threatened to break out of your lips, hand tightly grabbing on to the sheets below you.
The doorway sounded again, this time closing behind someone. You looked up, not sure if you expected Gojo’s lustful eyes or Nanami’s stern gaze, but instead you were met with Choso. Eyes nowhere but on yours, a nice exchange from the lusting stares you’d gotten lately. Even nicer when he closed the door to drown out the noise.
“You okay?” he somehow sounded more tired than you.
You went to nod, seeking comfort, until you realised that for all you knew he was just the same. “You the same as them?” It hadn’t been meant to sound so venomous, but you couldn’t exactly contain it.
Choso shook his head, hand leaving the door knob.
“No, I am not.”
Relief washed over you. So much so that you did not protest whatsoever when he sat in the bed next to you, wrapped his arm around your shoulder and rubbed little circles into your shoulder.
He was so calm, so soothing, not at all as much as everyone else had been. Small and tired sobs broke through you and into his shoulder. He didn’t hush you, didn’t ask anything, just hummed out and let you cry.
“It’s okay..”
Choso was a strangely comforting man. He didn’t look like he had any ulterior motives, didn’t look like he wanted something from you. He was just there. You realised well why Yuuji seemed so fond of his brother.
After a few minutes had passed, he stood up, leaving you confused and almost reaching out for him. He noticed this, sighing with a tired smile.
“You need to eat something.”
Choso began going through your wardrobe, making your face burn in embarrassment when you realised just how messy it was. But he didn’t mention it or tease you for it, just grabbed a pair of pyjama pants and tossed them to you. While you shimmied your way into them, Choso had come into the realisation that the only clean shirts you had were tank tops. Nothing that could shield you from the cold or cover the loving abuse of your skin.
So, he did what any gentleman would do, tore off his own hoodie to leave him in a grey t-shirt. Offering it to you, making you squirm a little.
“Y-you really don’t have to.”
“Nonsense, you’ll be cold.” Like he wouldn’t be?
After a few moments of the staring war the two of you engaged in, you gave in with a sigh, accepting the large and thick hoodie from him. It was black and large, a print of some random rock band on the front, engulfing just about your entire body in its soft fabric. It didn’t smell like cigarettes and cologne, nor of coffee or perfume. It just smelled like, well, Choso.
“Come on.”
You let him lead you out, a hand on your smaller back. Not in the possessive way of Nanami , or touchy way of Gojo, but comforting. It was a nice change of pace. Except, where he led you was nothing of the sort.
Gojo and Geto had gotten dangerously close to each other, in each others faces completely unaware of you. On the couch sat a woman, dark long hair, cigarette in hand (which you cringed at, the smell would stick) but the absolute worst was Nanami. He looked at you with that way parents do at their misbehaving kids.
Not entirely disappointed, but clearly displeased. It left a sour taste on your tongue.
“It’s okay, come on.” As if noticing your discomfort, Choso rubbed his hand gently on your back over the hoodie. In the moment you were nothing but grateful to his idea of escape.
During the drive to his place, as he had informed you, he never bothered you or gushed you with affection. He asked if you were alright once, then about your favourite snacks, only to stop at the gas station real quick.
Choso did not look at you like he was hungry, nor like he needed you. He just looked normal. The calm you felt by that almost enough to make you tear up again, though every time you were close it was as if he sensed it- quickly moving to ask you mundane questions that had nothing to do with this week’s situation.
What was your favourite show, was it something he could put on at home? Did you want ice or a straw with your drink?
It wasn’t suffocating, just distracting.
It led you to his couch, your snacks plated up in bowls and plate of reheated food, which he more or less forced you to eat before indulging on your favourite tastes. It had made you giggle, seeing someone like Choso try to put on that stern face.
“So,” you eventually cleared your throat, looking at him with your head tilted to the side.
You needed to get this off your chest, now or never, with how unclear it all was.
“You know what they are. You told me you weren’t like them, so, what are you?” It had been nice to play friends with him, but you needed answers.
Choso awkwardly shuffled in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. A hand on the back of his head, the other on his knee, bending forward a little. And so he began.
He told you of what he really was, half human half curse, and his brothers who was just the same. He told you everything about what your friends really were, about curses, about the town, even about the curse they were apparently hunting down- Sukuna.
It was hard to take in at first, or in general at all, but it was nice to have someone be completely honest. Even if the truth seemed like the plot of some corny children’s book.
“And Yuuji, does he know?” you popped a cherry into your mouth, Choso cringing at the mention of his other brother.
“No.” He sat back, stretching his neck slightly to the side. “They say anyone who lives here gets cursed one way or another, just we don’t know what it will be. Yuuji hasn’t showed any signs yet. I’m hoping for his sake he’ll stay that way, I wouldn’t wish this upon anyone.”
“So, how come you’re related and he’s all normal, but you and your brother are born half curses?”
“Well..” he awkwardly scratched his shoulder. “His mom is my dad’s sister, my dad having been the cursed half of our blood. It just seemed like it never affected my aunt though. That’s why I have hope that it might be the same for him.”
You could see just how much he cared for Yuuji, something that warmed your very soul. But, there was a part there that you couldn’t quite let go of.
“You say everyone here gets cursed one way or another. Does that.. does it include me?” You looked at him, voice dropping ever so slightly as you watched the pitiful stare you received.
“It is inevitable.”
“Oh.” your stomach dropped, eyes falling to look at the bowl before you.
“Well, technically, I suppose we don’t know entirely how it works.” He tried to cheer you up, nudging your knee with his. “For all we know it hasn’t, it won’t.”
You nodded at that. Trying to swallow away your worries, his words helping a little, but it still etched in the back of your mind. Were you just bound to become one of them, or something worse? Inhaling a deep and shaky breath, you continued,
“Do they hate me now?” your question had visibly caught him by surprise. “I mean, Nanami looked disappointed and Gojo just.. laughed at me.”
Choso couldn’t help it when his gaze softened, hand reaching to take yours in a kind embrace. “I doubt it. I don’t think they ever could.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s.. a bit hard to explain.” He exhaled, looking down at the couch. “Basically, being cursed and all, it makes all of our senses a bit.. stronger. We hear things louder, see things from further away, feel the vibrations in the air. It becomes a lot sometimes.”
“Overstimulating?” You tried to fill the word for him.
“Yeah something like that. But you..” now he was next to mumbling. “Something about you makes it all quiet. They’re addicted to it, it’s hard not to be.”
You lowered your head to rest on the backrest of the couch, trying to catch his gaze. “Do I have the same effect on you?”
If you did, he didn’t show it. If anything he seemed to be the calmest of the bunch.
“A little.” He admitted, meeting your gaze. It was impossible to miss the slight pink flush to his cheeks. “I’ve never been too affected by the noise. I guess in a way I understand the way they feel, but I don’t know if I relate to whatever they feel. For me you’re just you.”
A part of you was almost disappointed that you could not help him the same, but most of you was just relieved. He was nothing but true, someone who enjoyed your presence for you and not the effect you had on them. A warm feeling bubbled in your throat as you thought of it. Like someone actually appreciated you.
“I don’t know how I’m meant to go back to everything now” you told him your concern, watching him offer you that tired but comforting smile.
“You don’t have to think of that right now. Just rest,” he paused for a second. “You know, Yuuji comes back home after work. I’m sure he’s gonna be overjoyed to see you. I already texted him that you were over.”
“You did, when??” you squeaked, surprised he had any time to do so when his attention seemed to be dead set on you this entire time.
“You were quite in love with that bowl of soup.” He sheepishly smirked, gesturing over to the empty bowl. “Well I told him you were sick and I’d visited you with Gojo, offering to let you stay here.”
“Okay.” You nodded at that, feeling just so at peace for the first time in a while. “So, until then?”
As time of day passed, the two of you had spent the time getting to know each other in the best way possible- game of cards. He beat you almost every time, floating in his skill, but he was always humble enough to admit defeat whenever you had the upper hand. You’d beaten him four times, though that not even being a quarter of how many times he beat you, but it was enough to feel accomplished.
Choso had also been completely correct. Yuuji was, in fact, absolutely overjoyed to see you.
The moment he came through the door he’d wandered right to you, through his brothers protests of wearing shoes indoors, and pulled you into a tight embrace. Telling you how worried it was. He was being a bit dramatic, but it was still nice to feel missed.
You’d eaten dinner together, all engaging in a few rounds of Mario Kart afterwards before Yuuji had begrudgingly forced himself to go to bed due to the time.
“You could stay tonight, if you want.” Choso had offered, throwing a few popcorns into his mouth. “I could always take the couch.”
“I couldn’t possibly kick you out of your own bed.” You had tried to protest, but it was clear that the man would not take a no for an answer.
So that night you slept in old pyjamas he had dug out of his closet. They smelled like him, the bed smelled like him, it was nice. Comforting.
It was the first night in many that you could say actually had you well rested.
One night turned to two, then to three, and suddenly you’d stayed there for a whole two weeks.
At first you had worried, panicked about what everyone would think, but Choso had reassured you that everything was fine. You didn’t have to answer them just yet. And, as you learned, he had even gone out of his way to explain to Yuuji that you were just feeling down, something the younger one accepted without question, and even went so far as to taking time off his own work to be with you.
Days spent together, meals eaten with each other, it had become quite a nice routine.
He’d go to the store and buy you ingredients to cook with, picked up the books you wanted from your apartment and some spare clothes (though you never actually wore them outside of underwear, much more preferring his clothes over you own- which he never seemed to argue against).
When you mentioned that you loved to garden, he wasted no time picking up seeds and bulbs and flowers to plant in his own empty garden. And as you had protested it, claiming he was being too kind, he defended it with “now you have an excuse to always come back.”
It was nice with him, the way you’d flirt. It was never too much, too bold, but rested quiet in the air in how you just enjoyed each other. He didn’t touch you, didn’t make you tempted to touch him, you only got to know each other with time. And after a while you could shamelessly admit you knew him almost too well.
The way he laughed at your bad jokes, the way he frowned when he focused- a terrible poker face by the way, even to just how his voice would drop ever so slightly when he saw you wearing his clothes. It was as if you had simply made your place into his life, while he himself fit perfectly in yours.
If you had a choice, you would have liked to play family with them together. You, Choso and Yuuji, all together in that rather small first floor flat. Eating together, playing video games together. Everything that felt just it was home.
It was almost bittersweet, knowing you eventually had to go home, but for as long as you could you had no problem with playing pretend. Phone forgotten on some desk and ignored, smelling like him, learning of him.
It wasn’t entirely love, no not yet, but a warm and fuzzy feeling that had you just perfectly content. You didn’t crave more. You didn’t yearn and dream, you didn’t touch yourself to the thought of his voice. No, you were simply perfectly happy.
A happy little family, the sanctuary you had needed all along.
YAY happy happy happy no pain and despair !!!
