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final girl! — ghostface!satoru gojo x reader

this is part two. part one is here.

wc: 35k?? happy halloween!! angst/fluff/horror/dark content ghostface au, college au, NERDJO :PP (ethan landry who?) pretty scream-canon level death/gore, lots of description of death, main character death, naoya zenin, manipulation, utahime is a cockblock but we <3 her. a bit of crisis going on as you can imagine. reader is awkward sometimes but not secondhand embarrassment awkward. lmk if i missed anything.

you stayed with shoko that night, that was who utahime had called. she lived in the next town over. you introduced yourself as you sat on her couch. she threw a blanket over your shoulders comfortingly and you decided right then and there that she and utahime were going to be perfect for each other.

you didn't remember much after that, only the distant feeling of warmth and comfort that she gave you in her home. it was something you fought to feel, the lack of memories and the overwhelming emotional void making it hard to cling on to any of it. you had to remind yourself of her kindness, of the situation you were in and the way she extended her home to you. otherwise, you would have forgotten where you were as the world slowly slipped away from you.

it was hard to think, your body and brain felt so numb. shoko had to usher you to the bathroom, almost shoving the toothbrush in your mouth herself.

that next morning you spent in an empty office at your university. your hands were remained tucked under your thighs, the position bringing you the slightest semblance of comfort you felt needed to survive. as they spoke to you, you stared at the floor, your mind in a fog.

you handed over your phone, which had been buzzing with notifications over the past twelve hours. you hadn't read any of them, you didn't have it in you to care about that at the moment, and you certainly didn't care enough muster up a response. you heard the clatter of the policeman's reading glasses on the desk before he opened them with one hand, gently placing them on the tip of his nose.

"you seem to have a lot of phone calls with this guy. long ones, too," he said gruffly.

utahime was in another room, with another officer. you wondered what she was saying. the administrative staff would sometimes enter the rooms, only lasting what felt like a few minutes at a time, before they moved back into the hall. you wondered what sense the mix of your stories made, what they were thinking. the windows were covered, you couldn't see if they pulled anyone else.

the cop lifted your phone to his ear, and you could hear ringing on the other side. it didn't last more than three seconds before the distant robotic voice came through, telling him that the line was no longer in service. he sighed.

"he knew you were staying with your friend?"

you blinked. "i don't know, but i assume so, yeah."

"but he never said it out loud?"

"no…" you fought the urge to look at him like he was stupid. "he implicates a lot of things, he doesn't… just say things out loud like that. hardly."

"like, plausible deniability."

"like, mind games."

he nodded, his eyes squinted in thought. you had a feeling he didn't believe you. you wondered if utahime's story corroborated yours, if her perception had shifted at all.

the whole ordeal took five hours. they finally let you go, the water on the table remaining untouched. your stomach was devastatingly empty to the point where it spoke more than you did.

leaving the room, you saw utahime sitting in one of the office chairs. her jacket was bunched in her hands, her posture unkind as she stared off into space. still, hearing the door click open, her attention jumped to you with hollow eyes and desperation. she stood abruptly, dropping the jacket, which shoko caught before it could hit the floor. you didn't notice her standing behind utahime.

utahime lunged at you, wrapping her arms around your neck. she didn't say anything, just held you like you were going to disappear forever. you held her tight, burying your face into her shoulder to hide the hot tears finally erupting.

"i told them, i'm sorry," she whispered. "i told them about the calls, and everything."

"i told them, too," you sniffled.

she nodded with a heavy sigh, shaking with the sobs she was holding back. she pulled away with glossy eyes, keeping a tight grip on your forearm. she glanced over her shoulder where satoru had been waiting. he was standing now in front of his chair, with a clueless expression on his face, waiting his turn.

"i don't know what he's doing here," utahime muttered. "doesn't he have classes?"

shoko cleared her throat behind her. utahime winced with a weak apology, soon tugged away by her girlfriend to give you some space.

satoru approached you with desperate quickness, standing in front of you close enough to where you thought he might hug you. he seemed conflicted himself, his hands shoved in his pockets with uncertainty. his eyebrows were pinched upward while his wide eyes searched you, dragging over your silhouette to see if anything had changed.

he breathed, "hey."

"hey," you said too casually, a hint of humor in your tone. you wiped your cheeks. his lips twitched.

"i heard the news, i heard your name, and i…" he closed his mouth for a moment. "i'm glad you're okay, i'm glad…" it wasn't you.

"yeah, uh, me too," you sniffled. "i don't really know what to do with myself, right now, i just need…"

you weren't sure what it was, if there was anything in the world that could really satisfy you right now. your mind was fuzzy, you couldn't comprehend the next steps for you now that you were involved in a police investigation, linked to multiple murders.

"a distraction?" satoru smirked hopefully.

you looked over your shoulder, where utahime and shoko stood in the corner of the room. utahime was tucked into shoko's shoulder, her arms wrapped around herself.

you looked back at satoru. "another time, maybe."

he nodded. "i can wait."

a smile hinted at the corners of your mouth. adoration warmed up your cheeks at the tone of his voice, like he was convincing himself. "i'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

satoru smiled slightly, taking a step back. he looked to your friends and waved them goodbye, before turning around and leaving the office.

your shoulders deflates as a heavy sigh left you, and you let your weight fall against the wall behind you.

★✰

you decided on staying at shoko's that night as well, you could imagine utahime's apartment building crawling with police and crime scene investigators. it wouldn't last very long. it was just another crime scene, more pointless evidence piled together in the very thick stack papers of their file on ghostface, that would lead to a dead end.

your professor gave you the option to take a rain check on your test, but you declined. you weren't sure it would really end up benefiting you, and with time you might end up forgetting all the things satoru had been spending his time helping you with.

it's not like postponing it would make your life any easier, or the phone calls and murders would stop.

utahime dropped you off at your class that morning, the two of you didn't bother to meet up with mei or naoya. they still texted you incessantly, checking in like concerned parents during that first week of moving out. mei called you a few times after you let her know you were okay, but went back to texting after realizing you wouldn't answer.

you were one of the first ones in your class, it was strange to realize how much time was freed up by not sitting on the quad with your friends.

after some time alone, you heard some shuffling behind you. you turned slightly, to see satoru in his seat.

his expression brightened. "hey, you're here."

"i couldn't let all your efforts go to waste," you said.

"i'd do it again," he said with shrug, smirking.

you grinned, the expression lazier than you intended it to be. your exhaustion weighed down your face. "don't say that, you might have to."

satoru looked at you pointedly, his voice smooth, "don't get my hopes up."

you shook your head and looked back to your table, flustered. even in the barren cove of your stomach, you felt a small flutter.

it was hard to decipher if it was the detachment from your surroundings or the fact that you'd spent all week with satoru, but you breezed through the test. there was hardly a moment where you second-guessed yourself as you worked through the equations.

at the end of class, you looked over your shoulder, and satoru was already looking at you. his face split into a smile, like he was proud to get caught. you smiled back, then collected your things and stood.

he was quick to stand next to you. "how you feeling?"

you laughed slightly. "i think i fried my brain."

satoru lead you to the door, looking down at you as he chattered about one of the questions on the test. his eyes sparkled with passion, his eyelashes fluttering as he made a joke about vademon emerging from the depths of the cosmos.

you weren't quite listening, too caught up in the way he kept himself positioned behind you, his torso curling around the side of your body with a slight lean. your eyes traced the muscles of his neck to the sharpness of his jawline. it was hard to look at anything else.

he met your eyes with a teasing raise of his eyebrows. "what are you looking at?"

"i'm just... looking," you said with a slight shrug.

someone cleared their throat, splitting apart the staring contest. you and satoru looked ahead, to see naoya standing up against the wall opposite the classroom door.

you could tell he was uncomfortable, like he knew he was interrupting something. his shoulders were weighed with insurmountable guilt, the football player tucked into himself, making himself small.

satoru's expression flickered with annoyance, and he straightened up. he took a step forward, pushing up his glasses with the knuckle of his pointer finger.

"naoya," you greeted gently.

"hey," he said stiffly. "can i talk to you?"

you didn't miss the way naoya's eyes flickered to satoru, an irritated frown digging itself into the crevices of his face. satoru stared back, equally as irritated. nerves flared in your chest.

you sighed. "uh, yeah, sure." you looked up at satoru, catching his attention. his face softened. "i'll see you later?"

his lips quirked into a smirk., nodding his head "yeah, i'll text you."

satoru glanced at naoya, raising his eyebrows in a fleeting display of victory before he walked away.

naoya's eyes followed him with revulsion, turning in the opposite direction with you. there was a noticeable distance between your shoulders, and you kept your hand clasped around the strap of your bag.

the hallway was empty, students disappearing around corners and into classrooms with a thick cloud of terror following them. it slithered the building like a snake, curling around the ankles to the back of people's necks, inciting a petrifying feeling that urged them to tuck themselves away.

"so…" he cleared his throat again. "how are you holding up?"

"is that a serious question?"

he scratched his head. "it's a dumb one, but yeah. i'm just… sorry."

you stayed silent, staring at him.

"i'm sorry about the prank, the costume, and everything." naoya swallowed. "i was stupid, and i took it too far. i really am sorry."

a sigh escaped you as you looked him, he could hardly meet your eyes. his nervous energy translated into the way his fingers twitched at his sides, or messed with the zipper to his jacket. it was uncharacteristic of him to be this vulnerable, or to give an apology at all.

"i meant it, you know, when i said i wouldn't let anything happen to you…" he said, surprisingly earnest, and soft. "seriously, this guy…" he scoffed, shaking his head. "whoever this douchebag is, i don't care, he's not laying a finger on you."

you hummed, your lips twitched as they fought a smile. "i think utahime said she's getting a gun. she said shoko knows someone, or something."

naoya grinned. "you think she's for real?"

"i know she is."

he chuckled, shaking his head. silence fell over you as you reached the doors leading outside.

naoya stopped, placing his hand on the door. "my party is still on tomorrow, by the way."

you blinked at him, and he continued talking.

"i was hoping you'd still go, it's supposed to be fun, you know?" he explained. "it'll be a nice distraction for everyone."

you opened your mouth, but he interrupted.

"nothing's going to happen at a party, he can't just break in and start killing people. and you won't be alone," naoya reasoned.

"i don't know, naoya…" you shrugged, and watched as he deflated. "i'll think about it."

"you can't just live your life in fear, y/n. you have to live."

★✰

the setting sun slowly lowered in the sky, the once-white blinds were now illuminated with a bright orange. the sun seller through the cracks and dotted along the walls of your bedroom.

the utahime's voice rang in your head from earlier that afternoon. the way she asked you over and over and over again, if you would come with her. if you were sure you would be okay.

"you say the word and we'll be there, okay?"

she would be at shoko's again, but you had to head back to your apartment for clothes. you couldn't find it in yourself to see it as worth it to take a bus back to her place, to be just as alone as you are now.

you were curled up under your blankets, fingers tapping anxiously against the bedsheets while you waited for some higher being to suddenly will you to sleep.

you tried watching tv, but it was putting on an act in your own home. the dialogue droned on and eventually all the noises muddled together while you spaced out, a desire for normalcy that you couldn't fulfill. you thought about texting utahime to distract yourself, but you wouldn't be doing anything other than disrupting the distraction she needed from your life, even if she didn't say that part out loud.

noaya and mei were off the table.

the air conditioner thrummed, and the window whistled with the wind.

when you had come back, everything was how you left it. there wasn't a book or piece of clothing out of taste, like any of his interest in the apartment had dissipated without you in it.

you checked the time on your phone, and then groaned. 7pm.

you turned on your side, chewing on the inside of your cheek as you unlocked your phone. your fingers moved on their own and before you realized it you were sitting up in your bed, your phone pressed to your ear while your other hand white-knuckled the blankets.

"… hello?" satoru said, with clear confusion.

"hey," you started. "are you doing anything tonight?"

there was a rustling on the other end, papers sweeping through the air and a book closing.

"nothing important… nothing really, at all," he conceded. "are you doing okay?"

"yeah, i just… can't sleep."

"it's 7pm." he paused. "is this a booty call?"

"what?" you squeaked, jaw dropping open in shock.

his laughter echoed through the phone, becoming distant as he threw his head back, before he brought the phone close to him again.

"absolutely not." you shook your head, as if he could see.

"so, what, you just wanted to call me?" satoru asked, his voice dropping slightly. it sent a familiar chill down your spine.

you sighed, "i don't know, utahime's gone and i'm at home. i– i don't really know why i called. i think i'm just looking for a distraction."

"yeah, this sounds like a booty call."

"it is not—"

"but if you want, i can come over," he offered, a smirk playing at his lips. "if you don't want to be alone right now."

"that's nice, but… i don't want to be here, either."

"… you could come to mine," he said. "i'll come pick you up, you know, buddy system."

"really? are you sure?"

"yeah." you heard the squeak of a chair as he stood. "i can be there, and we can do something once we're here, but, text me your address."

it took satoru twenty minutes until he was standing outside the complex building, leaning against the banister of the stairs on his phone.

you gently pushed open the door behind him and watched as he straightened up, dropping his phone in his pocket to look at you. he had a bright grin on his face as he looked over you, from the fuzzy socks to the uneven strings of your sweatshirt.

"hey," he stepped down to the sidewalk and you followed. "how are you holding up?"

"i'm getting tired of that question," you said, a slight frown on your face. "every iteration of it."

satoru chuckled, finding his place next to you like he belonged there, his arm against the back of yours, towering over you so you could still get a good look at him without craning too much. you leaned in to the warmth that seeped through his closes, drawing you in.

"okay," he hummed. "you still up for some digimon? please say yes."

you grinned. "yeah, that'll work."

your shoes clicked against the sidewalk, avoiding all the cracks and crannies that bled weeds and roots. satoru stayed glued to your side, pressing into you more as you passed groups of people. he'd look from them, to you, grinning like there was a inside joke you weren't part of. still, you smiled back, unease whispering over the back of your neck.

ten minutes of chatter passed before satoru pounced the steps to his apartment complex in front of you, he opened the door, guiding you in before him just to speed ahead of you again to press the button to the elevator. the gesture made your stomach flutter, dissolving the fear that had grown to make a home inside you.

the lift was empty, and as the doors shut behind you he pressed his arm against your shoulder casually, the grin never leaving his face.

"i should warn you, my roommate is still home," he said. "i think he's heading out soon, though."

he lead you into his apartment, tossing his keys in the bowl next to the door. you kicked your shoes off, looking around. it was spacious, with tall ceilings and a wide hallway. there was a long rug spread out in the entryway, and an arched doorway to the living room.

satoru took you through the walkway, and you admired the glory of their living space. their couch was a large, creme l-shape. on the opposite wall they had a mounted tv that was bigger than you think any other student on campus had, the walls were decorated with in shades of blues and purples.

it was squeaky clean, and you imagined satoru scurrying around with his arms full of laundry to prepare.

"suguru!" satoru called out. "hey, we're back."

there was a rustling behind one of the closed doors. his voice was muffled, "yeah, alright."

satoru looked back at you, resting his hand on the doorknob to his room. "he's off to see his lady friend soon."

he winked.

he opened the door and flicked on the light, which led to a dim lamp in the corner of his room.

satoru's bedroom was big, but there wasn't much room to walk. he had a large bed in the center of the room, with a light blue comforter haphazard across white sheets. there was an ottoman in front of it, only leaving a few feet of carpet before his media console that supported his tv. his desk took over one corner of the room, on one side had his computer and the other was scattered with papers and open textbooks. he had a tall dresser next to his closet, familiar notebooks set on top.

there were posters above his bed, related to digimon with scattered references to other anime. one of them was a poster for kfc, the outlier making your eyebrows twitch.

a pile of clothes peeked out from under his bed, dark sleeves laid out against the carpet like they were crawling away.

"we'll be in here, if you don't mind," he said, crouching down to the console. "i've got the dvd player hooked up, and honestly i did it so long ago i don't know if i could figure it out again."

you perched yourself on the side of his bed, leaning back on your hands as you watched him open up the cabinets. he pulled a stack of dvds out, asking if you had a preference, to which you shook your head.

there was a distant creak in the hallway, followed by heavy footsteps drawing closer.

satoru's roommate leaned against the doorframe to his room, his arms crossed across against his chest, his dress shirt rolled up to his forearms, and his legs crossed at the ankles. he had long black hair, half of it pinned up into a bun while the other half splayed across his shoulders and back. it swooped at the ends, shiny and taken care of.

suguru's eyes flickered from satoru, to you, then back to satoru. "i'm heading out."

"yeah?" satoru looked up, his hands feeding the dvd player. "you coming back tonight?"

he chuckled. "probably. doubt she'll let me stay."

"even in these trying times?"

suguru gave him a skeptical look, that only made satoru snicker. suguru then looked at you, his eyes boring into you like an all-knowing being.

there was a teasing tilt to his voice, "it's not too late to get out, you know. there's a police station around the corner."

satoru threw the empty dvd box at him. "what kind of advice is that? you live with me."

"exactly, i have authority on this."

"you have bias."

suguru laughed breathily, his smile splitting his face in half. "whatever, man. i'm heading out," he looked to you. "it's nice meeting you, y/n."

you waved as he walked out the door, his footsteps descending until they hit the entryway rug. the front door unlocked and opened.

"tell her i said hi!" satoru called out in a sing-song tone, his head thrown back in a shit-eating grin as he looked down the hallway. the joyful gleam of his teeth made you smile, too.

"she'll never speak to me again," suguru replied, deadpan. the door slammed behind him.

you tilted your head. your eyes trailed across satoru's back, to the sway of his hair revealing his undercut, then the jacket that concealed his arms. his fingers smoothed over the plastic of the dvd box as he picked it up.

"his lady friend not fond of you, or something?"

satoru laughed dryly, then looked over his shoulder as his tv flickered on. "she's not fond of anyone, actually."

"even him?"

he tsked, shaking his head, as if he was cursed with a burden of knowledge that wasn't his to share. "y'know, sometimes i'm not convinced."

satoru straightened, unzipping his jacket. he tossed it over the back of his desk chair, before turning to face you.

he had changed into a digimon shirt (you imagined sometime after you called him), a trading card displayed across his chest. it was tight around the muscles of his biceps, fitting snugly around his abdomen just above where the waistband of his joggers was tied in a neat bow.

"you dressed up?" you couldn't stifle your laugh or the adoration sparkling in your eyes.

"well, of course," he said like it was necessary to his cause. his motioned to his body. "it's a special occasion."

"and if i had said no to digimon?"

"i'd change your mind."

he shut his bedroom door and crawled into bed, leaning back against his headboard with his hand behind his head. he looked at you expectantly, his lips curling into a smirk.

you settled in next to him, leaving a space between you. afraid to cross the line– being in his bed, in your pajamas, the lights dim. your body remained tense, your knees pulled up slightly and facing away from satoru like he carried some sort of disease.

his teeth tugged at his bottom lip, a poor attempt to bite back his amusement. he licked his lips and shifted closer, his arm moving from behind his head to around your shoulder, his body pressing up against yours.

you relaxed only slightly as he pressed play on the remote, and the theme song filled the room.

you had come to learn just how full of words satoru was, it seemed like he could talk forever about anything. especially digimon. he shifted in excitement when they mentioned one of his favorites, or a concept he found interesting, his body leaning into yours as he pointed to the screen and rambled on about it.

somewhere along the line, you had settled into his chest, the sound of his heartbeat luring you further to sleep. his hand ran up and down your arm soothingly, the pads of his fingers occasionally dancing down your skin to draw delicate patterns.

you'd made it through three episodes before your phone started ringing, and you slapped your hand over it like it was an incessant fly.

you flipped it over. you hovered your finger over the button, watching it shake, and then declined the call. no caller id.

"you okay?"

"hm?" you looked at satoru, nodding. "yeah, fine."

he cocked his head. he let you sit in the silence, wordlessly letting you know you how much he thought that was a stupid answer. "you get a lot of phone calls."

"it's– spam," you said, shrugging weakly. "happens all the time."

satoru straightened up, with a bewildered smile. his bright eyes bored into you like crisp ocean water that nipped at your neck as you slowly descended deeper and deeper, you could feel the pressure splash against your jawline, desperate to stay above water. your fingers dug into the comforter like it was a life raft.

"you sure? you look like you've seen a ghost," he chuckled, his gaze trailing up and down. it hovered over the way your fingers dipped underneath your thighs and trailed back up to where your neck bobbed.

you paused. "its, honestly, satoru–" you shook your head. "i don't even know how to tell you, it's a lot."

"so, what? i can take it."

your phone rang again, and you snapped your head in its direction. it was face up now, displaying the same contact.

"what, is it a prank call?" satoru's gaze flickered between you and your phone.

you reached over and declined it again. "no, it's a call. it's just, um…"

your stomach felt empty as it slowly churned nothing, folding in on itself.

"i've been getting these calls, from, uh, this guy..."

"a weird guy?"

"well, it's, uh, ghostface."

"… ghostface.," he repeated. "like…?"

"like the guy on the news, yeah."

"like the serial killer— he's calling you?" he braced his palm against the air. "you sure this isn't a prank call? is this a joke?"

you ran a hand down your face, fighting the urge to channel all your anxiety into irritation at the fact that you were repeating all this again. "i'm not joking, and it's him. he's shown up before, at my apartment. and there was that attack– it's him, okay?"

you breathed heavily, the only sounds of his apartment being you and the digimon on his tv.

"okay," he said slowly. "what does he want?"

your mouth was dry. you cleared your throat, the action filling your throat with rocks and needles.

you shook your head, looking at his closed bedroom door, "just… attention. power."

satoru licked his lips, his eyes a deep blue in the shadow of his own bangs drifting down his forehead. "did you tell the police?"

you paused, looking down at your hands. your face twitched. "yeah, i… i had to. utahime, it was… it was in her building. he was right there." you looked up at him. "we didn't even hear it."

he nodded, like he could understand. but, even through the glossiness of your eyes, you could see the distance. uncertainty that almost mirrored the same everyone else had– helplessness and confusion— but there was something missing.

"what'd they say?"

you laughed at that, the sound wet and groggy. "nothing. absolutely nothing, if anything, they think i'm in on it. i'm the only lead they have… but, you know, if he kills me, they'll be right back at the drawing board. so…"

"he won't kill you," satoru said with sudden conviction. as if there was one thing he could be certain of in life, it was that. "you're not dying."

you looked at him, and he reached forward to wipe his thumb across your cheeks. his touch was gentle, his thumb pad soft and deliberate as he brushed away your tears. after they were gone, he cupped the side of your face with his palm.

"satoru, how do you think this ends?"

"not like that," he shook his head. "it's not happening."

he stopped to think. "what about naoya?"

"what about him?" you blinked, stray tears running down and melting into his skin.

"what about what he did?" satoru asked, eyes narrowed. "the costume, the knife, that was insane. if he can joke like that… wasn't that one guy on the basketball team?"

"football."

he rolled his eyes. "football. don’t you think it's something he's capable of?"

the idea was so far fetched it made you laugh again, shaking your head. "i don't think so. naoya's not exactly smart enough to be a serial killer. i think the police talked to him, anyway."

satoru's lips twitched. "how'd your talk with naoya go?"

"fine," you sighed, "i think i'm going to his party tomorrow."

"still? must have been one hell of an apology."

"well, he didn't. and i didn't forgive him… but, he said i can't just not live my life. i think he's right." you shrugged. "i think utahime would go with me, if i told her."

"i'll go with you."

you shook your head. "satoru—"

"i'm serious." he nodded. "if you're going, i'm going."

"you don't have to do that."

"what can utahime do that i can't?" he raised his eyebrows. there was a moment of silence. "exactly."

you started to smile, biting your lip. "naoya might actually kill you."

satoru smirked. "he can try."

you paused. "what's his problem with you, anyway?"

"some people just didn't get enough love from their parents," he sighed, brightening at the sound of your laugh. "i don't know, we shared one class freshman year, and he's had it out for me since. i think he's got some sort of complex."

"sounds like him."

the tension dissipated from the air, and satoru leaned against his bed frame again with his palm supporting the back of his head. you fixed your posture, not realizing how hunched over you'd been in wallowing in the details of your life. you cleared your throat, and satoru tugged you closer to him.

he urged your body to press up against his, and you turned to face him. your chin rested on his chest, one of your arms thrown across his torso as you blinked up at him. his face was inches away from yours, the sweetness of his breath floating across your face and teasing the back of your throat.

"thanks for letting me come over," you said softly.

satoru's face broke into a grin. "i should be thanking you. i've never been a booty call before."

you groaned, trying to turn away from him. he barked out a laugh, wrapping his arms around you. his legs tangled with yours, locking you in place while he swarmed you with the warmth of his body. his fingers found purchase in the softness of the skin on your sides, hiking you closer to him.

"you can't get away from me that easily."

you laughed, faking a struggle against the tightness of his grip. the two of you rolled over, you pathetically swatting against him as you were pushed on to your back, his overbearing frame hovering over you.

he caught your wrists with one hand, pinning it above your head. his other hand slithered from your waist to support your lower back, raising your hips against him.

the giggles died in your throat as you looked at him, catching the shift in his gaze changing from softness to hunger. he chewed on his bottom lip, eyeing the way your chest rose and fell. your cheeks burned under his stare, his head slowly lowering until his nose brushed up against yours.

you waited, a smile tugging at your lips at his uncertainty. you caught the way his eyebrows crinkled in desperation, like he was fighting his own instincts.

"satoru…"

the bed buzzed rhythmically, shocking the both of you. he jumped slightly, pulling himself back ever-so-slightly to glance at your phone. his hold loosened on your wrists, and he lowered your body against the bed again, skill keeping his hand flush against your back. the pads of his fingers curled pathetically, fighting the temptation to squeeze.

you slithered your hand from his grasp, reaching your phone. you turned it over to see utahime's contact flashing on the screen.

"decline it."

you glanced at satoru, rolling your eyes. "i'm not doing that."

his forehead dropped against your collarbone and he shook his head, letting out a whine. he rested his body against yours, the only thing stopping him from dropping his body weight against yours was the way he kept himself propped up on his elbows.

your free hand ran through his hair absentmindedly as you answered the call, you felt a purr rumble through his body. you opened your mouth to speak, but were interrupted.

"where are you?" utahime demanded.

you winced at her volume, hastily trying to turn it down, and satoru chuckled against your chest. "i'm at satoru's."

"are you out of your mind?"

turning down the volume didn't help.

"no—"

"you know it could be him, right?"

satoru's head perked up, and he met your eyes. his lips split into a loose smirk, amused by the accusation.

you rolled your eyes again, feeling the butterflies in your stomach clip in your throat. "you think he's going to kill me in his own apartment?"

"not the point i'm making," she drawled. "it's way too late to be out of the house."

you glanced at the clock on your phone, 10pm. "i didn't know i had a curfew."

"you do, and you should be at home. do you want us to come pick you up?"

satoru huffed, his warm breath seeping through your clothes and clinging to your skin. you could have sworn his teeth grazed against you, but the feeling was fleeting.

"no, and i'll be fine, okay? i'll text you when i get home."

"i'll be watching your location," she warned. "i love you!"

you grinned. "i love you, too, 'hime."

the call ended, and you tossed your phone against the sheets. satoru tucked his arms underneath you, pulling you beneath him.

"so, you have a curfew?"

"i guess so," you said sheepishly, embarrassment warming your cheeks. "she might kill me."

"i like her," he smirked. "she's looking out for you."

"yeah," you breathed. "i should get going though, before she sends a wellness check."

"i'll walk you," he brought himself on his knees, allowing you the space to prop yourself up on your elbows. "it's the least i can do, before you get grounded."

you reached for the pillow behind you, shoving it in his face.

★✰

you sat in the backseat of shoko's car, looking at the house with weary eyes. it was a large, dated house on the outskirts of town, away from the hustle of college life and apart from where anyone under the age of 50 would want to live the rest of their days. you wouldn't have guessed the home existed out here, surrounded by woods in every direction. the road up to it was made of gravel and dirt, you had been table to tell you were getting close by the raising number of solo cups littered on the ground.

"leave it to a trust fund baby to cheap out on a fucking rental," utahime muttered, her arms crossed. she scoffed, and then looked at you, her expression changing to something much softer. "are you sure you want to be here? we can go."

shoko nodded approvingly in the front seat, looking at you through the rear view mirror.

"no, i want to," you sighed. "and i think satoru is on his way. i can't just feed him to the wolves."

utahime shook her head. "he's a grown man, you know. he's fine."

shoko parked far from the house near the trees, wanting her exit later to be something quick and easy, and not having to wait for a line of people to file out before her. you slammed the car door behind you and trudged through the steep dirt to get to the house, the music becoming louder and vibrating your bones. there were beer cans scattered on the ground, as well as some shoes and chip bags.

it was just after 10, and naoya sent out a text at 7.

the floorboards of the porch creaked beneath your shoes, and you pushed open the front door.

the house was filled with people, they flung themselves over the couches and the stairwell, some of them laid out on the floor in conversation. the inside of the property wasn't much better when it came to garbage, though the coolers around were starting to turn into makeshift trashcans.

shoko lead the way to the kitchen, casually ducking under a game of darts in the hallway. you followed quickly, wincing as you heard the needle puncture drywall behind you.

"hey, you guys made it!"

naoya grinned, opening his arms wide upon seeing you enter the kitchen. he had mei tucked beside him, looking unamused. when her eyes landed on yours, she looked away quickly, and then disappeared behind him.

shoko didn't look in his direction, instead skirting around the kitchen island to open up the cooler on the floor. noaya didn't seem to care, he approached your side and clasped his hand down on your shoulder.

"what do you think, huh?"

"pretty big turn out," you glanced around the kitchen. "i thought you said people were too freaked out to come?"

"nothing a little bribery can't fix," utahime drawled, opening the fridge. she frowned. "naoya, did you get any fucking food?"

"dining room," he said, tilting his head. "and no bribery, just a promise of price, adultered fun."

she looked over her shoulder, shutting the fridge. "it's unadulterated. unless you ordered a hooker."

he looked up in thought, and utahime disappeared into the dining room, her girlfriend quickly following.

you turned to naoya, irritation bubbling in your gut. "what, she can't even look at me now? after what she did?"

naoya blinked, whipping himself around for a second. "what? who, mei? i mean…"

"she can talk behind my back but can't say anything to my face?"

"hey, listen…" naoya said, putting his palm out. "it's just awkward, alright? and, you haven't even texted her back yet. so, how is she supposed to talk to you?"

"don't defend—"

"i'm not defending," he said, shrugging. "but i didn't invite you both for a cat fight in my kitchen. you need to relax."

he smiled brighter at your frown. "come on, drink something. drop all the ghostface shit for one night."

you rolled your eyes, brushing his hand off your shoulder. he snickered, taking a step back to lean against the wall. "god, you're fucking unbelievable."

"i gotta check on mei, okay? have fun!"

the fridge was full of mixers and unlabeled cocktails, you lifted one of the jugs and inhaled, the smell of vodka and citrus burning your nose. you winced, setting it down immediately and reaching for a canned margarita instead. the sweet strawberry flavor bubbled over your tongue, the fizzle sticking to the sides of your cheeks and in your throat. you forced a harsh swallow, hoping it would bring down the lump in your throat.

the air in the dining room was thick, various smells wafting together and creating an ungodly stench that made your skin itch. groups hung around the long table that stacked with cheap snacks and party favors. you reached between two people who couldn't care for your presence, your arm extending over the center for a small bag of chips.

the house was beautiful, a wild contrast compared to the rotting wooden shutters and missing bricks from the walls just outside. the interior had fine detailing that could only be found in older homes, across the deep cherry windowsills and archways. the ends curled, once smooth wood now chipped with time and reckless parties. the walls were a floral, sage wallpaper that peeled at the edges. you played with one of the corners, smoothing it down just to watch it roll back up.

you passed through the open entryway, craning your neck up to those who leaned against the banister on the second floor. the stairs were against the wall, climbing up and turning into an open catwalk that overlooked the entrance of the home. you felt your stomach dip into itself as the fencing wobbled against the weight of someone leaning. they must have felt it, too, quickly taking a step back and tucking their palm into their pocket instead.

decorative tables lined the walls of the long hallway leading to the back of the house, fake flowers tucked into tall vases that still had water. you observed the pictures hanging on the wall, the images of a family dated by the fuzzy quality of the camera and the filter that made the world look so much brighter.

you pulled your phone from your pocket, unlocking it to open your messages with satoru. your thumb hovered over the keyboard until your eyes flickered to the corner of the screen, absent of a wifi symbol. no service.

"you have got to be—"

"hey."

you turned, breath stuttering at the closeness of the voice behind you. the breath swirled over the back of your neck in a minty fog.

satoru stood with an amused grin, his long fingers caging in a soda can that still bubbled.

"hey, you're here," you grinned, relaxing.

"of course i am," he tilted his head, "can't leave a pretty girl like you all alone at a party like this."

the inside of your cheeks bruised with the pressure of your teeth grinding the tissue, desperate to fight the too-bright smile threatening to take over. heat closed in on the sides of your neck as you cleared your throat, your eyes drifting along his body. a tight black t-shirt that complimented his torso, and dark pants. your gaze flitted back up to see the knowing smirk on his face.

"did you leave your glasses at home?" it was more of a comment then a question.

the absence of the black frames only drew more attention to his eyes, bright and undisturbed. they tracked you with ease, each twitch of your fingers and the nervous bob of your throat, like you were something for him to study. no action of yours went unnoticed.

"oh, yeah. i didn't want to risk breaking them," he itched the side of his head, just above his ear where his glasses would normally sit. "why? you think i look bad?"

"what? no, i—" you shook your head. "i just noticed. i like them. but i like you without them, too."

"really?" his tone was far too hopeful for someone who looked at you like he was hungry.

"yeah," you shrugged. "i like your eyes. they're pretty."

he was blushing now, too, not expecting such a declaration from you. his hand tightened around the can, the aluminum jolting and spurting soda that spilled over the webs of his fingers.

"oh! sorry," he mumbled. he swapped the soda into his other hand, observing his hand helplessly. he mumbled under his breath, something along the lines of stupid and excited.

you giggled, sliding the sleeve of your shirt over your fingers and taking hold of his hand. you slid the fabric over his fingers, absorbing the sweet soda with gentle care. satoru's breath hitched as your thumb pressed into his palm tenderly, massaging the skin longer than necessary.

as you let go of his hand, his reach followed. he caught himself quickly, pulling his hand back and tucking it into the pocket of his pants as if to keep it contained.

he smiled sheepishly. "thanks."

"yeah," you nodded, grinning. you turned away from him, opting to explore the house instead of dwelling on how nice his warm hands felt against yours. he followed you as you lead him to the back of the house his chest knocking into your body as he trailed.

you passed the bathroom at the end of the hall, and found yourself at a crossroads of the dining room entrance on the left and the loft on your right. groups of people passed between the rooms with drinks and snacks cradled in their hands, bouncing up and down as they found their friends again.

"this house is huge."

satoru agreed, his eyes trailing the long line of windows to the backyard. they were old windows, the kind that would be pushed out to open instead of up. his long legs brought him to the loft, brushing past the groups of people that danced to the music was booming from the living room.

someone came stumbling towards you, and satoru was quick to pull you to the side before they could make contact. instead, they bumped into the person behind you, with a string of incoherent apologies and a wave in their direction as they kept trudging.

satoru looked down at you, his grip firm on your waist. "you okay?"

"fine," you breathed with a ghost of a smile. his fingers tingled against your skin. "i didn't expect so many people to show up, i thought it was going to be… smaller this year."

"me too," he nodded. "but i guess i didn't see myself showing up, either."

"not a fan of parties?"

"not a fan of—"

a crisp clap of hands sliced through the air, drawing your attention from satoru. his fingers tightened around your waist instinctively, digging into the skin like you'd be dragged away from him.

naoya stood in front of you with a taunting smile that elongated his face and gave you view of the back of his throat. he was astonished, his eyes flickering between the two of you with his hands clasped together at his chest.

"no way," he drawled, his face tight. "you invited this dipshit?"

you rolled your eyes, unable to contain the irritation that seeped from you. "fuck off, naoya."

"woah! i'm just asking. i'm impressed, actually," he widened his stance, extending his arms across the space with flat palms like he meant no harm. "i thought you were too much of a recluse to show up to a party like this, gojo."

satoru laughed to himself, shaking his head. his eyebrows raised and he looked in the opposite direction, like he knew something nobody else did. he didn't dignify naoya with a response, finding it more entertaining to leave him hanging instead.

"don't be a dick."

"i'm just saying the truth," he said simply, taking a step forward. he looked at satoru curiously, his chin jutting up to make up for the inches satoru had on him. "you must got a pretty big night planned, hanging out with, her, huh?"

satoru cocked his head, interest sparkling in his eyes. "maybe i do."

naoya laughed, the sound sharp and unnatural. "keep that up, gojo. i like the confidence, it'll make it better when she learns how much of a freak you are and runs."

"naoya—"

"so far, she's pretty into it." satoru chuckled, his fingers squeezing the skin of your waist.

you wrapped your hand around his forearm, tugging him away from the jock and closer to the living room with you. he followed happily, his hand gliding down your back and pulling away enough to melt into yours.

he glanced behind him, where naoya glowered.

"go find mei, yeah? maybe you can get half my luck tonight."

the two of you slipped through the living room, finding an empty spot next the couch. you leaned against the wall and he stood next to you, caging you in between him and the end table.

you shook your head, scoffing. "he's such an asshole, satoru. i'm sorry."

satoru shrugged with a hollow laugh. "not your fault, just don't know what you see in that guy, really."

"nothing," you said quickly, disgust digging in to the corners of your lips. "he just kind of sticks around. with mei, mostly."

he hummed. "a match made in heaven."

a smirk tugged at the corners of your lips, and you swallowed it down with a swig of your drink.

satoru massaged your free hand, watching the way you tilted your head back to gather the last drops of the cocktail. his gaze hovered over your throat, where a red droplet slipped from the corners of your lips and dipped into each curve along your skin. he reached over, pressing his thumb gently against the skin, gathering the stream.

you blinked at the contact, swallowing the last of your drink and looking at him in time to see the way he pressed his thumb against his lips and licked. he smirked, dropping his hand and resting against the wall.

satoru suddenly jolted, his hand instinctively digging in to his pocket. his expression was narrow and bothered as he pulled out his phone with a pout, judging the contact that flashed across the screen.

"sorry, it's my roommate." his gaze flickered to the door, then back to you. "i'll be right back, i just gotta take this."

"okay," you smiled sightly. "i'll be here."

satoru passed through the rooms, tossing his empty can in one of the trash bags bundled up on the floor. there was a pile of trash surrounding it, evidence of people too drunk and disrespectful to bother picking up after themselves.

your eyes followed satoru as he left the house, catching a glimpse of his body descend the front steps and stride across the lawn with his phone pressed to his ear.

the cushions on the couches were taken up by ground of people bunched together, the wooden frame surely cracking beneath the pressure of far too many throwing themselves on top of each other. people laid out on the floor as well, leaning on tables and desks in the corners of the rooms to take the stress off their dancing feet.

you ascended the stairs instead, opting to explore for a bit longer. they creaked beneath your feet, worn with years of use, the wood beginning to dip into the shape of shoes. you brushed past those who ran up and down the stairs, seemingly chasing each other.

the groups upstairs had dwindled down. as you crossed the catwalk you pressed your palm against the banister, watching it wobble. quickly, you reeled your hand back and continued across the hallway, the fencing replaced with a deep blue wallpaper. it lured you further into the home, lined with closed doors with various items on the handles that made you cringe.

one of the doors was cracked open, catching your attention. you hovered against the frame, waiting for any debaucherous noises. it was silent.

hesitantly, you pushed open the door to the grand bedroom. your eyes were drawn to the long arch over the middle of the room spread between two wooden pillars. it lined the high ceiling, lighting up the room with a chandelier hung in the center.

you crossed the carpet, plush and taken care of, and ran your hands along the mahogany dresser. it was topped with an empty vase, a jewelry box, some unlabeled books you sure had empty pages.

you dawdled towards the closet, curiosity pulling the strings of your brain.

peeling the door open, you cocked your head at the size. it was clearly meant to be a linen closet at one point, narrow but tall. a hang bar was installed inside, just below a shelf. there was only one item hanging, a long black gown that tugged a frown over your lips.

you looked up at the shelf and the black fabric that dipped over the edge, too tall for you to see. you reached up on your tip toes into the darkness, your fingers curling around cheap plastic. you pulled the item forward, a sharp gasp catching in your throat at the sight.

the ghostface mask stared back at you.

you yelped like it burned, dropping it immediately. it clattered on the floor, next to a pair of dark boots. "fuck!"

panic swelled in your chest with your heavy breaths, and you walked backwards until you felt the back of your legs collide with the bed. you closed your eyes, allowing yourself to sit as the fear washed over you.

you braced your hands against your knees, hunching over to find comfort in balling yourself up. you slowed your breathing, trying to flush out the dread that stuck to your skin and made your bones stiff.

your mind drifted to naoya, and his shit eating grin when you tore the mask from his face. you scoffed to yourself, betrayal twisting in your gut and forcing a tight snicker from you. of fucking course it's naoya.

laughter ghosted from your lips as you left the room, shutting the door behind you. your stomach sewed together with anger, then ripped itself apart. you imagined all the ways you would yell at him, you imagined bringing utahime into it as well. she wouldn't let him live another day.

your legs drifted along the floorboards of the house, bringing you to the kitchen where you grabbed another drink and cracked it open. this one was peach mango.

you took a seat on the stairwell, bunching up your knees slightly to balance the can on your jeans. it left a ring of condensation as you spun it around, letting the cool water seep into the fabric.

the minutes alone stretched on, burning your skin with irritation and anxiety as you wondered how long satoru would be. you pulled out your phone briefly, double checking the signal in the corner that still read no service.

you drummed your free hand against your jeans in silence as you observed the people around you.

there was a commotion by naoya's music setup, a group of people raising their voices at each other in excitement. you peeked your head forward to see into the living room, keeping yourself perched on the steps. they spoke over each other, eyes wide and shoving their phones around the circle.

suddenly, the music was unplugged.

"yo, they found a fucking body!"

the can crinkled in your hands.

"who is it?"

"it's off the west building's balcony!"

"we gotta see it!"

a stampede descended the stairs behind you, pushing past you to jump down the last few steps and stomp their feet on the ground. you leaned into the railing with a wince, trying to make yourself as small as possible as they stumbled past.

numerous drunk bodies slammed to the floor before they scrambled back up and out the front door, letting it swing open and hit the people behind them. through glimpses between their springing bodies, you saw car lights flicker on an quickly peel out of the grass. some of them caught air as they descended the gravel, the screeching of metal echoing in the night.

the house was suddenly quiet, the distant hum of the fridge and mumblings of the tv being the only sounds left. the front door continued to swing against the wind, and you carefully stood up and latched it close.

a body on campus, your mind was reeling with the possibilities of who it could be. any of your professors, the security guards or the admin working late. but, it meant that he wasn't here.

you thought back to naoya's fucking costume in the closet.

still, your stomach throbbed with anxiety, alcohol sloshing wildly, climbing higher and higher.

you walked to the dining room, grabbing another bag of chips off the table. you peeled it open, leaning against the wooden frame as you glanced around the empty house. you hadn't spotted naoya or mei run out in the haze, and you were certain shoko and utahime were locked in a bedroom. satoru was outside somewhere.

you strolled to the tv, which was now playing psycho. a lump formed in your throat, and you pressed your fingers against the skin as you tried to swallow it back down. reaching for the remote, you shut the tv off and tossed it back on the couch.

"hey, naoya?" you called out. you peeked into the loft, and then the kitchen. "naoya?"

silence remained in the house, only to be broken by the creak of your footsteps in the hallway.

"are you looking for naoya?"

you jumped, turning around. mei was standing there, a hand on her hip with pout dragging down her lips.

she looked to the side, "yeah, me too."

your shoulders relaxed, and steadied your breath. you picked up the trash scattered across the floor. "well, if you don't know where he is, he must really be lost."

she sighed behind you, pulling her lips into her mouth without comment. she followed you as you walked back to the kitchen and opened a garbage bag, throwing the trash inside. she observed from the entryway, standing against the door frame and letting her eyes linger over you.

"last i saw him, he said he was taking care of the router," mei said, tilting her head. "he was freaking out because there's no service."

"i'm not looking for him," you said definitively. you shook your head, "not when he brought that stupid costume. i can't believe i thought—"

"what costume?"

you rolled your eyes, looking back at her. your jaw clicked at her feigned innocence. "what do you mean 'what costume'? the costume, mei. he thinks that shit is funny."

"he doesn't have the costume."

"yes, he does."

"no, he doesn't," she straightened. "y/n, i watched him throw it away."

you froze, looking at her. the irritation on your face flickered, pinching with confusion as you settled into the silence. your eyes became unfocused, drifting off to the wall while you thought back to the closet, the dark cloak and face mask that haunted you.

"y/n, why—"

"i saw it. in the closet upstairs," you said softly, your voice cracking with fear. you could feel your hand shaking, holding a smashed beer can. your grip became lax, letting it clatter into the trash bag with the rest of them.

she stared at you, then uncrossed her arms, "show me."

kicking past the bag, you brushed past her with panic brewing in your stomach, pinching it together and splitting it apart. it threatened to buckle your knees as you swiftly ascended the stairs, mei nipping at your heels. you lead her through the hallway that peered over the entryway and loft, until you were met again with the far corner of the house.

you could feel the heat of her gaze burn into your back, and you resisted the urge to frown.

you nudged the door open with a long creak, and flicked on the light next to you. carefully, you approached they closet door, turning the knob with a shaking hand.

empty.

the darkness stared back at you, and you were quick to look around the bottom of the small space. the shoes were gone, the mask was no longer on the shelf. you peered into the small space like there was any more room to hide than what you could see yourself.

"i swear, mei, i saw it. it was right here."

"in here? in this closet?" she drawled.

"yes, mei, i—"

there was a crash downstairs. something kicked, that skittered across the floor.

your gut was screaming at you, turning on itself and spurring up bile that trapped in your throat. you looked over your shoulder at her, meeting her brown eyes that were blown wide in fear. her eyebrows tilted upward with panic and worry, the dread sinking into her face.

you were wrong. he was here.

the blood drained from your face, circulating most where your fingernails dug into your palms. you could feel your body itching to become dead weight, to collapse into the floor and remain until it would all be over.

she opened her mouth, and you shook your head frantically.

slow steps slammed against the stairs, making their way closer. you could hear the heavy weight drag against each step before grinding into the next one, driving a chill up your spine and hiking your shoulders against your neck. you squeezed your fists to fight off the dread that prickled your skin like a cold whip lashing against goosebumps, the icy hot feeling bringing cold sweats with it.

mei's hand shoved you in to the closet, beckoning you to shut the door behind you. you reached out for her to bring her with, breathing out a 'what?' in panicked confusion, but she brushed you off. anxiety nipped at your fingers as you watched her crouch beside the bed on the opposite side of the entryway, laying herself against the carpet on her forearms.

you leaned back in the closet, pulling the door close enough to leave a sliver of space to keep an eye on mei. shakily, you checked your phone again. no service.

the footsteps dragged through the hallway, labored, looming closer and closer to the door. there was a slam against the wall, a grunt following. you bit back the bile rising in your throat as you waited in the closet, keeping your eyes on mei, who kept her eyes on you.

the bedroom door creaked. "guys...?"

recognition flickered in mei's expression, her eyes becoming squinted in your direction.

he groaned. "where did you...?"

you watched mei jump up to stand, and you found the confidence to open the closet door. you stepped out cautiously.

"naoya?"

your stomach dropped to your ankles.

naoya was hunched over himself, looking forward with a weary gaze. he wobbled against the doorframe, his arms wrapped around his stomach and digging into his sides, trying to soothe a stomach ache beyond salvation. blood bloomed in pools across his shirt, which was stretched wide with the lashings of a knife and displayed the deep wounds. the blood seeped through his shirt, saturating the fabric and pooling over the creases in his arms and dripping on to the floor.

his knees buckled but he persisted in keeping himself upright. his face was soaked with a mix of tears and blood, smeared around his cheeks and in his hair. it stuck up where it had been pulled at, and blood coated his ear just below. there was skin split open on the side of his neck, gushing into the neckline of his shirt.

mei screamed, covering her mouth. "naoya?!"

"mei, i can't, i'm so… tired…" he mumbled, looking up with teary eyes.

you stepped closer to mei, your wide eyes trained on naoya. mei was stiff, and you gripped her hand tightly in hopes to wake her up. your palm was clammy and raw, grating against her skin.

naoya fell forward, and you pulled mei to take a step back. he groaned as he hit the floor.

behind him, a figure stepped into the doorway. you stared down the lifeless eyes of the plastic mask you had seen earlier.

ghostface tilted his head as he looked back at you, mocking. he looked from you, to mei. she whimpered beside you, squeezing your hand back.

he looked down at his hand, and you followed his gaze to the knife coated in blood. he showed it off in the light, watching it gleam as blood dropped down the blade. he carefully dragged his gloved hand over the metal and wiped it clean.

"oh, fuck," you whispered.

he lunged at mei first, and you tugged her sharply in your direction as you stepped to the side. she crashed into your chest and your back hit the dresser behind you, the wooden furniture rocking back and slamming against the wall. the knobs of the drawers pushed into your sides, digging into your muscles. you turned around briefly with tears prickling your lashes, and your eyes catching the blue vase that teetered on top of the dresser.

you reached for it, and as ghostface looked back, you slammed it against his chest and watched the glass shatter, soaking his cloak in water. you reeled back as he stumbled, and dragged mei with you as you carefully stepped over naoya's body to run through the hallway. you heard her gasp behind you, clamping her hand over her mouth as she willed herself to leave him behind.

the two of you descended the stairs in a flurry, knocking into each other haphazardly. you braced your hand against the rail, only to reel it back to your chest as pain sizzled up your arm. you winced, watching the blood flow down your palm, cut open by a piece of glass.

you reached the bottom, your ankles burned as you slammed your feet against the floorboards, digging your heels into the wood to propel yourself forward.

your body acted faster than your mind, slamming into the door while your hands fumbled with the doorknob. you tried jerking it open, just to be met with resistance. you looked up to the locks, wiping your eyes to see clearly. your hands jiggled the deadbolt, and then the chain, trying to get them to unlock.

the desperation shook your hands around the cool metal, the locks slipping from your hand with the sweat and blood of your grip.

mei's neck craned up at sudden movement. her face was struck with fear. "y/n."

you fumbled with the lock that refused to become undone. "it won't unlock," you whimpered.

"y/n," she said again, her voice stronger. you didn't get a chance to look up before she grabbed your forearm and pulled you into the living room with you.

wood crackled above you, the sound of the railing splintering shattered the air. you looked up in horror to see naoya's body dropping off of the balcony, his arms swinging up helplessly as he plunged through the air.

his body slammed against the floor with a loud crack, eliciting a sharp scream from you and mei. the air cracked your throat and your hands cupped over your mouth in reflex, your hot breath heaving against the skin. beside you, mei shook, rocking back on her heels.

staring at naoya's body, your hands shoved against mei's arm. blood pooled underneath him. footsteps stomped down the stairs. "go, go."

mei found her footing, bolting through the archway into the loft. she stopped for a moment to peer out the windows, her eyes catching the old, wooden furniture that was piled up against them as a barricade. you grabbed her arm to follow you, bringing her in the dining room. your head was spinning as you tried to put together a plan, all exits being boarded up or sabotaged, all you could do was run in circles.

you skittered to a stop half-way through the kitchen, and she crashed into your back, her hands curling around your arm and digging into your flesh to steady herself. ghostface stepped through the doorway and stood at the end of the kitchen, and you couldn't shake the image of naoya's body a few feet off to the side. collapsed in front of the front door.

ghostface took a step forward, and you scrambled backward, your hands bracing against the kitchen counter. your stomach fell further, helplessly trying to scoop itself up and give you a semblance of structure to spur yourself onward.

you turned around to run the opposite direction, only to be stopped by mei stuck in place, struck in horror. in front of her, another ghostface.

you glanced back, watching the one behind you tilt his head. the one in front of you shrugged, and then snatched mei to his chest. she cried out, and he turned her around so her back was against him, his knife pressed against her throat.

mei's eyes were blown wide with helplessness, but she shook your head. her voice was hoarse, quivering, "y/n, run—"

you reached forward anyway, but before you could grasp his arm you were jerked backward to the floor. your back slammed against the tile and you were quick to pull up your knees and prop yourself up on your elbows, looking above you. the second ghostface stood beside you, his boots nudging against your waist. he leaned over you, almost inquisitive.

he raised his boot and hovered it over your stomach, you heard mei cry as a blade slashed over her skin.

you grabbed his ankle and pulled, dragging his foot over your head. he floundered in the air, his arms flying out to brace for impact, his body hitting the floor with a rough groan. you took the chance to pull yourself up and run towards the entryway, kicking away the beer cans across the floor.

there was an exasperated sigh from the other ghostface behind you, followed by a body hitting the floor and mei's moan of pain.

hallway, back of the dining room, grab mei and run upstairs. figure it out.

you held back an audible groan as you saw naoya's body, willing yourself to step over him once more and run down the hallway to the back of the house. you could hear clamoring behind you, and you glanced over your shoulder to see the two ghostface's by the front door, one of them disappeared into the living room while the other followed.

you circled back to the dining room, finding mei limp in the corner, thrown against some chairs. she had a cut on her stomach, slowly seeping through her shirt.

"come on, mei, up," you groaned, grabbing her arm and hoisting her up to her feet. "can you walk?"

"yeah, s'not deep," she winced, leaning against you. her eyes fluttered shut.

"come on, upstairs," you breathed, turning around.

ghostface stomped into the kitchen, and your breath hitched. you picked up one of the wooden chairs, fueled by the adrenaline in your veins, and swung it at him. a leg of the chair splintered against his arm, half of it falling to the floor. he huffed, grabbing another leg and pulling the chair out of your grip to slam it against the wall. it shattered completely.

you turned into the kitchen and grabbed the knife block, running your hands over the slots. empty.

instead, you picked up the block and turned around, slamming it against his head. that sent him backward, stumbling against a side table and squeezing his head soothingly through the cloak.

you ran past him, and mei followed. you made it through the hallway and rounded the banister to ascend the stairs. you turned to look at her, and watched as she stumbled against the wall, the blood loss rapidly devolving her ability to see straight. the cut was deeper than you thought.

a hand clamped around your throat from behind, his fingers digging up into your jaw as he jerked your body backward. your feet lifted into the air for a moment and you scrambled, trying to reach around to land any sort of hit.

he pulled you into the living room and threw you against the floor. your head hit the ground, your eyes widening in desperation as white flickered over your vision. sharp pain throbbed from the back of your head and spread over your skull, slowly trickling down your spine. you landed between the couch and the coffee table, cups crunching against your sides as you attempted to hoist yourself up with your hands braced against the cushions.

ghostface was quick to crouch in front of you, hovering his knife in front of your face in a wordless threat. his face was inches in front of yours.

you glared, boring into the soulless eyes of his mask. your jaw locked in place as you breathed heavily through your nose.

"fucker! get off of me!"

your attention was splintered when you heard mei scream, a scuffle behind him happening in the entryway. you leaned to the side to get a glimpse, and he only followed your gaze and blocked it with his silhouette. he tilted his head forward, his knife bouncing in the air in front of your nose to make a point.

he gestured to your hands still braced on the couch, and you pulled them off. you leaned back on your elbows, and he nodded.

ghostface stood up straight, and stepped to the side as his partner entered the room, who had his bicep locked around mei's neck. her face was red, her fingers clawing at his sleeve. blood stained her hair, following the long pattern of her braid. his partner dropped her to the floor, where she coughed helplessly against the carpet.

with her hunched over, you could see a gash stretched along her back. there was one in the side of her leg as well.

the two masked figures looked at each other, nodding and gesturing vaguely in a secret conversation. the one in front of you looked back at you.

the other one walked over to mei again, his boot knocking against her side to catch her attention. she refused, and he kicked harder, eliciting a groan.

she looked up, and he leaned just enough to grab a fistful of her hair. she whined again, her hands shooting to the top of her head as he pulled her higher and higher until she was balancing on her knees, her back stretched the straightest it could be.

your body surged forward, stopping only when the man in front of you pointed his knife at you warningly. he then crouched down, balancing on his toes with his arms resting against his knees.

the ghostface on the other side sighed heavily, the sound weighed with disappointment. he used his free hand to fumble with the hood of his cloak, pulling it down, and then reached in front of him to drag the halloween mask from his face.

his hair pooled at his shoulders, the shiny strands curling like inky tentacles. he ran a hand through his hair, sweeping them over his back and giving you a clear view of the wide grin that split his face in two. he showed off all his teeth as they gleamed in the light, pure joy pinching at the apples of his cheeks and drawing his eyebrows upward as he chuckled.

his bangs fell back into his face and he shook his head to swipe them away, calming his laughter.

your jaw dropped slightly, the horrifying shock sharpening the curves of your face. your eyes were wide, despite the way the rest of your face was pinched together with a degree of tension that was about to snap. you stared as your mind ran in circles.

suguru looked at mei, who became limp with the reveal. his grin remained, "what? speechless?"

you looked to the masked figure in front of you, as the pieces slowly clicked together. your body leaned forward on its own, your head tilting. "no…"

he fumbled with his mask, grabbing the chin and lifting upwards off his face. it tilted back with the hood of his cloak, the white tufts of his hair bouncing back over his forehead. he cocked his head to the side, his wild eyes wide and swimming with excitement as he observed you, taking in your presence and your reactions without the sheer, black curtain in his way.

satoru's smirk was full of pride. "hey, sweets."

"no, no, no, satoru…" you shook your head with a whimper, looking down. you closed your eyes and felt the tears fall again, soaking into your cheeks. disbelief clouded your mind, and you silently wished for this to all be some nightmare your mind conceived in the sickness of your life. "satoru?"

satoru, who you'd been sharing classes for years. he was so quiet, so alone. he had thick glasses and dorky digimon shirts, and he orders the sweetest stuff on the menu because it's the only thing that tastes good.

satoru's excitement was dulled with gentle concern. "come on, pretty. don't be like that."

cool metal nipped at the skin under your chin, and you tilted your head up to meet his gaze.

"you're so pretty when you cry."

"you're sick."

"'sick'," he repeated with a scoff, shaking his head. he dropped his knife from your chin, and stood. he looked back at his roommate. "you hear that, suguru? she said we're sick."

"she said you're sick, not me."

satoru pouted, rolling his eyes. he looked at mei. "what do you think, mei, huh? is he sick?"

she whimpered, looking up at him. you gauged the recognition in her eyes, the desperation that could only be derived from something personal.

suguru looked at you, letting go of mei's hair. she collapsed to the floor. "you know who i am, y/n?"

you narrowed your eyes, and he stepped closer.

he lunged forward in a quick motion, grabbing the edge of the coffee table and throwing it easily to the other side of the room. it clattered against a chair, both pieces of furniture breaking each other and crashing into the wall.

you flinched back, and he grabbed you by your forearm and lifted you into the air before pulling you into a headlock. he braced his knife against your collarbone, the blade slowly splitting the fabric of your shirt and dipping into your skin. you groaned through gritted teeth as he dragged it and the pain bloomed across your chest. he tucked you tighter against him as you dug your nails into his arm, a snicker leaving his lips as he watched the blood spread over your skin.

satoru's nostrils flared, and he directed his attention to where mei laid on the floor.

"now you girls match. you're best friends, right?" suguru grinned. "you have to match."

he slammed the knife into your waist, and the air was sucked from your lungs. the pain seared across your flesh, pulling a weak scream barely contained by gritted teeth. you then groaned, bending over to the best of your ability in a pitiful attempt to soothe yourself. he whipped the knife back out and you instinctively pressed at your wound, whimpering at the pain that sizzled on your skin.

your blood poured over the back of your shaking hand, dripping off your wrist and staining your clothes.

suguru shoved you, and you stumbled into satoru, your back flush against his chest. he wrapped his arms around you, one securing your waist tightly. his glove wrapped around your wound and pinched the skin together, eliciting a sharp scream from you as your body writhed in protest. the pain was unthinkable, shooting through your veins like hot fire.

quickly, satoru covered your chest with his other arm, pressing against the sliced skin from suguru's blade. you breathed harshly through your nose, biting back a moan. his hand hovered over your shoulder, held tight in a fist as he gripped his knife, the tip of the blade tapping against your cheek. in the distance of your hazy mind, you heard him shushing you.

satoru leaned, pulling you closer against him. his warmth was suffocating, overwhelming you from all angles as it seeped into your sweat-soaked skin. his breath tickled your ear as he lowered his head next to yours, grazing his teeth against the shell of your ear for a moment.

"no, suguru," he murmured, his minty breath wafted against your face. he squeezed your waist, earning a raw groan from you. "best friends are loyal, aren't they? best friends are supposed to trust each other, right?"

he giggled, the sound sending a chill down your spine. "tell me, sweets, do you think your friends are loyal?"

"the fuck are you talking about?" you seethed, looking at suguru. satoru's arm tightened around your stomach, you could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest behind you.

your chest was tight, your body was too small for the way your heartbeat was slamming against the confines of your ribcage. blood was rushing in your ears, crashing waves against the curves of your canal and digging into your brain.

suguru's face dropped. "answer the question."

you glared.

"come on, now," satoru purred. he angled his knife away from your face, instead using thumb to tilt your head in his direction. you met his stare, your face pinching in confusion. his eyes were hooded, his gaze flickering over the corners of your face with a growing smirk on his lips. his pupils were dilated, what were once soft blues full of adoration and wonder, were now gaping holes boring into you with excitement and dark promise.

"talk to me, sweets. are your friends loyal?"

you held eye contact, ignoring the way your stomach was spiraling. your eyes fluttered as he adjusted his grip on your body, possessive. "yes, they're loyal."

he threw his head back with a playful groan, rolling his eyes. "oh, no. that's the wrong answer, sweets."

you narrowed your eyebrows at him, bile pulled taut in your throat. "what?"

"what, you don't believe me?" satoru tsked. "i learned that first night i called you. you need proof, hm?"

his arm around your core dropped for a moment as he dug through his pocket, pulling out his phone. he tossed it to suguru, and then wrapped his arms around you again. as you winced, he rubbed his thumb in slow circles against the burning skin, coaxing your body to relax against him.

your glare moved back to suguru who caught his phone, and then flickered down to mei.

she shared a look with suguru, utter hopelessness escaping her cries as the tears flowed down her face. "suguru, don't do this. don't, please."

he tsked. "mei, now's not the time to beg."

suguru found what he was looking for in the phone, his face lighting up with delight. he turned up the volume for everyone to hear, the corners of his mouth twitching in excitement as he pressed play.

there was a rustling in the audio, the phone had been hidden somewhere.

"yeah, she's hardly even a person," mei's voice cut through the rummaging, slightly muffled, but still hers.

you looked to mei, but she kept her head down.

"it's kind of sad, she and utahime are so co-dependent. like those freaky conjoined twins."

utahime. utahime was still here, somewhere.

"you think so?" suguru drawled.

"it's fucking pathetic, losers. both of them."

suguru tsked as the video ended, shaking his head. he swiped a few times. "oh, here's my favorite. satoru likes it, too."

satoru scoffed, his elbows tightening around the curves of your body. "fuck off."

"— so, what? what'd you say?" the recording played.

"i told them the truth. by the end of the year, naoya and y/n are hooking up. everybody knows it."

"you think so?"

"yeah, y/n practically flutters her lashes every time he's around. she wouldn't put up with her shit how she does if she wasn't into him."

"i thought they were just friends."

"no woman is 'just friends' with naoya zenin."

"what about you?"

"… well—"

your face dropped in disgust, your eyebrows scrunching together in disbelief as you stared at mei. she refused, but still, you stared. you wanted her to feel the fire in your eyes, and let it burn her skin. blood was rushing to your face, pooling against your brain as you thought back to the close nights you spend with one of your best friends. talking about life, your friends, the things you wanted to be.

your gut was turning, a blade of betrayal slicing through you, swirling your intestines and knotting them together. the skin around your wounds seared with anger, quickly spreading all over your body in a silent rage as blood poured down your torso. the pain was dissipating as our mind settled on the anger. you found yourself questioning how many things she must have said about you before, if these were the only ones caught on recording with her homicidal fuck-buddy.

your jaw dropped. "are you fucking kidding me, mei?"

"i'm… sorry." she sighed.

"you told people i wanted to fuck naoya?" you tried to step forward, but satoru pulled you tight against him. "are you fucking serious?"

her bloody hand clutched her stomach, the blood flowing over her fingers and dripping on to the rug beneath her.

"talk about projection, right?" suguru joked, tossing satoru's phone on the couch. "is that loyalty? spreading rumors like that?"

he strolled closer to mei, standing beside her like she was a dog at his feet. he leaned slightly. "everyone knows mei will do anything you ask her. tell you anything you want, for a price, whether it's money, favors, sex."

"fuck you," she said groggily, looking up at him.

he straightened. "been there, done that. i'll say, i had a good time."

satoru snickered beside you, sighing dreamily as he inhaled. you felt the whiff breeze over your neck, tickling your skin. he nudged his nose against your skin, sending a shiver down your spine as he played with the sensitive skin. "loyalty isn't a one way street." he murmured. "even dogs know that, don't they?"

satoru purred, "oh, pretty. what to do, what to do?" he paused. "should we put her down?"

"what?" you croaked, looking at him. mei looked up, having lost the energy to speak.

he grinned, batting his lashes. "after all she's done? she was worse than naoya, look where it got him." he gestured behind him. "he was a fucking idiot, but he was loyal, wasn't he? a good dog."

"you're out of your fucking mind."

"am i?" he questioned through gritted teeth. "i'm looking out for you."

his hold across your chest tightened, his hand pressing against your cheek to hold you in place. you could feel the coldness of his knife radiating next to your ear. "i've always looked out for you."

his tone vulnerable with the kind of sympathy you wouldn't expect to be holding you at knife point.

satoru looked up at suguru, anger burning a hole through the charming veil he'd presented. he nodded towards mei in command, and suguru followed by grabbing her arm and lifting her up against his chest. her knees were weak, she was barely able to stand.

"she's been spreading shit for years," satoru accused, outstretching his arm and jabbing his knife in her direction. "you remember freshman year, when you were taking that advanced calculus class? you struggled so much the first semester, and got a good footing just time for finals?" his eyebrows were pinched as he looked at you, all but begging you to understand. "and you did so good, too. you were so proud, i was so proud."

you stared at him, the disgust sharpening the angles of his features, the definition thick in the shadows dipping beneath his cheekbones. your eyebrows squinted in bewilderment, incapable of pulling yourself away, stuck floating in the darkness of his eyes. you remembered what he was talking about, the horrific struggle you had your first year with calculus that your classes in high school did a pisspoor job of preparing you for. you remembered pulling all-nighters one after the other, and being in such a deep state of delusion you were begging your own brain to understand the material.

and then, one night, it clicked. after enough studying and talking you off the ledge from your advisor, the class started to make sense. you worked on old assignments you misunderstood, talked to your professor, and the fog lifted and you passed your final with flying colors.

satoru recalling your life with so much accuracy sent a cold chill over your body, tingling the back of your neck and shooting down your spine. your stomach fluttered. he was watching. he was so proud.

"… and then someone said you slept with you professor," he reminded you, his face scrunching in disbelief. "and the idea got passed around until the admin brought you in, right? asking you all those questions, like you'd done something wrong."

he was watching.

"who do you think did that, pretty?"

your gaze drifted to mei, who leaned on suguru for support. his face was disgusting, like he couldn't be bothered with the mess or the blood that dripped on to his clothes.

"no…"

"she did," suguru confirmed, shaking her. "didn't you, baby?"

she didn't respond, and suguru scoffed. he adjusted the grip on his blade before leaning forward slightly, and plunging it into her stomach. she wailed, and you lurched forward, only to be pulled back again by satoru.

"spread that shit around with yuki," satoru snarled.

"you weren't the only one, there were others," suguru said, twisting the blade. his face remained unchanged with her cries as she bent over, clawing at her skin. "that rumor about utahime being admitted because she was out for a week? the ones about naoya, too, but, well…" he shrugged. "it was naoya, so..."

he pulled out the knife, followed by her whisper of a groan. she collapsed to her knees, her body sinking lower and lower as her will to live escapes her in weak breaths. the blood gushed out of her, staining the rug and the floor beneath. you watched with wide, teary eyes as her body wavered, unable to hold herself up straight.

satoru snickered at that, shaking his head. "what a fucking tool, that bastard had it coming in life. someone would get to him sooner or later. we were just lucky to get him first."

he tucked you into his side, his arm wrapping around your back and fingers played across your stomach. he held you like you were his, like this was a comfortable interaction and he was showing off to his friends and there wasn't a body rotting next to the stairs.

satoru tutted. "don't feel bad, sweets. y'know how often he picked on me? first week of freshman year, he spit on me and said he was aiming for the trash can." he looked over, narrowing his eyes at mei. "was there a trash can, mei? you were there."

she swayed in response, and he shrugged.

"ah, well. guess you'll have to take my word for it." satoru smirked, amused. he looked at you, tilting his head and dragging his eyes over your frame. "you lookin' a little pale, pretty."

"those rose-tinted glasses finally coming off, huh?" suguru questioned, raising an eyebrow. he tsked, his knife bouncing in the air like a wagging finger.

"fuck you," you narrowed your eyes at him.

suguru laughed, his eyes sparkling. the sound was like a gut punch, and you fought every instinct to step back and cower down. it was the laughter of someone crazed, the sound hardly contained in the walls of the home.

he held his jaw in his hand, looking to the windows in faux reflection. you followed his gaze, squinting through the darkness outside to the woods surrounding the house. among the distant trees, you spotted a familiar tattered SUV left behind.

your jaw was tight with tension, the muscles snapping together and gritting your teeth.

"where's utahime?"

suguru looked to satoru, his face falling for a fraction of a second. his lips parted ever so slightly as he drew in a sharp breath, recognizing his misstep. confusion flickered over his eyes, which he blinked away and replaced with a wall of anger.

"utahime."

the stench of blood was thick in the air, copper mingling with the waft of satoru's cologne that clouded your body. you leaned against him in anticipation, attempting to put distance between yourself and the man who's mind was breaking down in front of you.

"satoru, find her."

satoru's hands squeezed your body, drawing the breath out of your lungs.

"suguru—"

"we're finishing this. find them."

his grip slowly loosened as he took a step back, leaving your skin to feel bare. the draft in the air hit your skin, wet with blood and eliciting goosebumps to dance across your skin. his sleeve pulled away from your skin, the squelch of the fabric peeling apart digging into the depths of your ears.

suguru looked to you. "i'll keep her here. utahime can't be far."

satoru's face pinched with skepticism, seconds of dawdling as he stared down suguru. he was waiting for something, a crack in the facade, a twitch of his fingers. the gears were slowly turning as he weighed his options, before nodding slowly.

he tapped his hand against your hip. "stay here."

the command cemented your feet to the ground, though you knew you didn't have a real choice. you could run now, take a few steps back into naoya's corpse ripped apart behind you. the locks on the door were broken, cemented to keep you stuck inside. satoru's cloak whished against your legs as he backed up, his heavy boots stomping against the stairs as he made his way to the second floor.

suguru stepped forward, and you mirrored his actions as you walked backward. his smiled tauntingly, wordlessly pointing out how you disobeyed satoru's order. you backed yourself against the archway, wrapping your arms around both sides of the wall and digging your nails into the wooden detailing.

he stepped over mei's body, kicking her to the side. she was unresponsive. dead.

"why are you doing this?" your voice cracked. "why do you care about these people, my friends?"

his eyes rolled back in thought. "the world is better off without scum, don't you agree? naoya and mei, they've spent their lives stomping on other people for fun, but you think we're the sick ones. i have nothing to gain, don't you realize that? truly, i'm here to cleanse the world of people like them."

he grinned, showing off picket fence teeth all the way to his molars. "is it sick to provide a service, to take initiative on such a task? in the name of making the world a better place?"

your eyelids felt heavy, each blink weighed with blood loss. in the distance, you heard satoru whip the old, wooden doors open and slam them against the wall. items clashed as he threw furniture around to check every nook and cranny, tearing through each room in desperation. your face was hot with anticipation, hoping he'd never find her, wherever she was.

"why am i still here?"

"don't act stupid, it doesn't suit you." suguru's voice dropped to a whisper. he was toe-to-toe with you now, leaning forward, "satoru's got a soft spot for you, his head's all twisted with a fantasy he made up. isn't that sweet?"

he raised his blade, lining it up with your jaw. he pressed the cool metal into your skin. "as for me, well… you know what they say about the company you keep, right?"

you sucked in a sharp breath, squeezing your eyes as the blood dripped down your neck. behind the wall you clung to, you reached your arm across the drywall, dragging it lower until you felt the surface of a table.

"you think you're different, don't you? but, i know how filthy you are, you don't get mixed up with people like them without being fucked up yourself." he tilted his head, lifting his knife and bringing it to your shoulder. he dragged it across your skin that tightened with fear. "you knew naoya and mei were bullies. you knew the kind of power they had, picking on people until they would break. fucking sadists, right?"

his expression darkened. "you can play innocent all you want, but you've always been complicit. an echo chamber for shit like this. maybe you don't encourage it, but you certainly let it slide, and hope they won't turn on you next." he tilted his head. "but they did, eventually, didn't they?"

the knife pressed against your stomach teasingly, breaking the skin.

"if you ask me, satoru's got it all wrong. some people can't be saved."

your fingers grasped the corner of something, and you pulled it into your palm. it was big, and heavy, as you heaved it upwards.

stepping away from the wall, you raised the item into the air and slammed it against the side of suguru's face. it was the old music box, the wood splintering against his cheekbones and knocking him to the ground. the metal machinery dislodged at the impact, clattering inside the lid and scattering across the floor as it fell.

he caught himself on the armchair, leaning on it as his hands cradled the blood pouring from his face. the metal handle had broke skin and wedged into his cheek.

he groaned loudly, slowly pulling himself up. "you fucking bitch!"

adrenaline gushed through your veins, your vision focusing again. you turned to run, rounding the archway to the entrance of the home, you tripped over naoya's arm laid out against the floorboard, breath hitching as you caught yourself against the windowsill, just to slip on the pool of blood beneath you and lose balance. your body slammed against the door, hugging any surface to avoid hitting the ground around naoya's body.

the door was a bust, you knew that. you glanced to the stairs, only to immediately be redirected to the banister that overlooked the home. satoru stood, his hands braced against the railing. he called out your name, his voice drowned out by the sound of your heartbeat.

the stairs were also a bust.

you skittered into the kitchen, finding purchase in every surface you cloud to fling yourself forward. your shoes were slick with blood that seeped into the soles and softened the fabric, a disgusting squelch following with every step you took. you flung the kitchen stools behind you, letting them clatter against the ground to block off suguru. you heard him yell at satoru from the living room. his booming voice vibrated the kitchen walls.

"find utahime!"

his boots were rapid against the floor, but sloppy. he crashed into the wall behind you, his body not keeping up with his bleeding brain. he hit the island, and groaned in frustration.

once you made it into the dining room, the empty knife block whizzed past your head. it clashed against the china cabinet, the glass shattering all over the floor. you flinched, covering your face with one hand while your other balanced against the wall.

you threw two dining chairs behind you in the walkway.

"will you fucking stop?!"

you ignored suguru, running into the loft. another right turn and you'd be in the living room again, making a full circle. you looked to the barricaded windows, patio furniture blocking the view of the backyard. a pathetic whimper escaped you as you fiddled with the lock anyway, your slick hands failing to pull the window open.

another item whizzed pas your head, shattering against the picture frame on the wall. it was a plate against the china cabinet.

you looked to your left, seeing suguru. he threw another one, and you clutched your head as you ducked, hearing it clash against the lamp behind your head. the light bulb sizzled as it shattered, the glass exploding in the air and engulfing the room into darkness.

standing again, you took a step to run, only for suguru to lunge in your direction. his hands pulled at your leg, and your body floundered in the air for a moment, before hitting the ground with a rough the thud. your chin hit the floor and you bit your tongue with a sharp cry. the blood pooled against your gums and you spit it out, watching the red crown splatter against the floorboard.

you kicked behind you, hoping to make contact with something. he held your legs down before flipping you over on your back, and you gasped at the sight of him looming over your legs. blood was pouring down the side of his face, the crimson color greasing against his teeth that were pulled into a tight smile that rocked your stomach.

"oh, satoru said you were feisty. i shoulda believed him," he laughed to himself. "would have saved myself a lot of trouble."

you kicked again, and suguru growled. he stabbed the knife into your calf, eliciting a sharp scream from you. the sound was hoarse, fragments of your body slowly shutting off as the adrenaline fizzled.

he pulled it out roughly, then stabbed it higher into your thigh. you screamed again, your hands flying to soothe the pain, just to be slapped away by him. his sick snicker rang loudly in your ears.

you groaned through gritted teeth, reaching above you to grab on to the ottoman. you pulled yourself away from him, and he laughed harder, the sound gurgling in his throat. he watched you like the struggle was for his entertainment, lighting up the darkness of his eyes.

"oh, i've been waiting for this. the chase is the best part, but, this never gets old."

you propped yourself on one elbow while the other pulled you closer to the fireplace. you locked eyes with the fire poker clattered against the ground, still sitting in its holster. you dragged your body across the floor, the fabric against your jeans soaking up the blood pooled beneath your body. you heaved yourself in to your knees, the knife still lodged in your thigh scraped against the floor in the process, and you closed your mouth to scream.

your head dropped as you leaned against the brick, your hand crawling away to grasp the fire poker.

suguru tutted, walking over to you. he kicked the holster away into the living room, immediately grinding the cleats of his boot into your hand.

you screamed, the wetness of your throat making it nothing more than a gurgle as tears slipped into your mouth. your body froze up at the pain, your jaw stuck open in pure shock.

he removed his boot and stepped back, pulling the knife from your thigh. he crouched down in front of you, taking up your blurry vision. you looked up at him with glossy eyes, thinking of satoru. if he was still upstairs, still looking for utahime. you wondered if he heard your screams and tuned them out like it was background noise, if he knew any of this was happening.

"i see it now. you really are quite pretty." suguru tilted his head.

suddenly, suguru's body stuttered, leaning forward slightly. you flinched at the impeding impact, the sound of knife against flesh slicing through the air. you waited for the sizzle of pain against your skin, the blade to be driven through your heart and finally end all of this. but it didn't come.

you blinked, looking at suguru. his eyes bored into you, drifting between bewilderment and shock. his knife slipped from his grasp, the butt of it landing between your legs as his hands shook, slowly rising against to clutch at chest.

he toppled to the side with a gasp, his throat gurgling with incoherent words as he stared down the man above him. blood poured from his back, seeping into the long locks of hair splayed out like a halo.

satoru stood in front of you, staring at you, the length of his blade soaked in blood that dripped on to your jeans. he was crazed, chest heaving with panic as his eyes raked over you and each stab that had ripped apart your skin. his pupils were shrunk, his face tight with horror and fear.

he tossed his knife to the side as he dropped to his knees, crawling closer to you. he lodged one knee between your thighs and the other on the outside, locking you in. his gloved hands inspected your legs and the wounds that hadn't existed the last time he saw you.

he held your face in his hands, blood smearing against your cheeks and mixing with your tears. "come on, pretty. stay with me. i'm here."

you sniffled, shaking your head. your crushed hand seared with pain, and you cradled it in your lap. your mind was a haze of fear and horror. "satoru, please. what are you doing?"

"i meant it. i told you you weren't gonna die. i can't let you die," he breathed, his voice whiny with desperation. still, he had a manic grin. "i'm here, no one's taking you from me, i told you, in the library, remember? they can't split us apart, i promise."

you couldn't remember, you could hardly think as he held you and stared into you. his eyes were hypnotizing, luring you to relax in his arms.

"stay with me, pretty. focus on me."

"satoru, why?" a broken sound erupted from your throat.

"why?" he repeated, his grip on your cheeks tightened for a moment. his mouth was over-saturated with spit that garbled his words, salivating as he looked at you like you were his last meal. "i care about you, sweets. i've always cared. m'not gonna let you go. i did all this, for you. you get it, sweets, right? they've done nothing but bring you down, you deserve so much better than that. i can give you better than that."

his soothing voice softened your disposition at the edges. you felt yourself nod at his words as they slipped through your ears and molded the spongy walls of your brain.

he smiled, tears pricking his eyes as he looked at you. one hand smoothed down your hair, leaving a trail of blood behind. "you're so pretty, you know that? always so, so pretty."

your stomach fluttered at his words, and he pressed his forehead against yours.

"come on, pretty. i'll be so much better. you believe me, right? i can be what you deserve. i just need you. i need you. just— just stay with me, tell me you'll stay with me." he spoke fast, like he counted on his words filling the space in your mind to prevent you from thinking for yourself. he would do all the thinking for you.

the stench of sweat and copper filled the room, but you could only focus on him, the way his hands gripped you like you were slipping away. the thick leather, rough against your skin grounded you to the earth. his devoted declarations dug into your broken and tired brain and settled there in place of your logic and self preservation, the only thing that mattered now was him, with you. you could only think of him.

"i'll stay with you," you breathed, nodding. "i'll stay with you, satoru."

he brightened with triumph, his features twisting together with desperation. "god, you're so fucking beautiful. i just need you, sweets. fucking forever, okay?"

there was a pounding against the front door. "hello?! naoya? y/n?!"

utahime's voice broke through the air, and she hit the door again. the noise was erratic, and she started kicking. "hello? we heard screaming! y/n, where are you?"

satoru didn't look away from you as he gently lifted your broken hand, his touch gentle. he pressed the bruising skin against his lips. "you're with me, right, pretty girl? forever?"

"forever," you agreed.

he leaned forward and kissed you, pulling you flush against his body. the blood from your bitten tongue spread between your mouths, mixing with saliva and snot that dripped from your nose with the tears. he didn't care, his tongue lapping up the sides of your mouth and cleaning the skin, his teeth clashing against yours.

you wrapped one arm around the back of his neck, keeping him close. his warmth was addicting, you concentrated on the feeling of his lips against yours, the softness of his skin and the devotion he poured in to you. you couldn't feel the pain radiating throughout your body anymore, the only parts of you that mattered were the ones that he touched. his hands braced against your cheeks, then your neck, your arms, all staking their claim and taking inventory of what was now his. forever.

"holy shit, is that mei? fuck, shoko, call the cops!"

satoru pulled away, his lips hovering over yours. you leaned forward again, and his face split into a grin as he kept you in place. "pretty girl, you gotta lie for me, okay? can you do that? you gotta lie, tell 'em it was suguru."

your head was spinning. utahime and shoko were here, and they were calling the cops. suguru, mei, and naoya were dead. "yeah, yeah… i can."

"you got me, pretty, right?"

you hummed, your breath weak.

"that's my girl." satoru murmured against your neck. he squeezed your sides. "all mine, so, so perfect. forever."

a bundle of nerves was heavy in your stomach as you stared yourself down in the mirror, your fingers carding through your hair and scrunching at your scalp. you smoothed it down quickly after, then focused on adjusted the hem of your shirt.

"why do you have to go to his place?"

utahime was laid across the couch of your apartment, her duffel back open on the floor next to her. her clean clothes were scattered over the accent chair, the dirty ones in a laundry basket she brought from home.

she'd taken it upon herself to stay with you since the party, not wanting to let you out of her sight ever again. shoko agreed, and made visits every other day.

"would you rather have him hang out here?"

"i don't like it. it's weird." she tsked. "he's not staying with anyone? after his roommate is found guilty for murder with memorabilia all over the place?"

"satoru said they cleared out his room a while ago with anything relating to ghostface, and his mom is coming this weekend to pick up his other things."

"ugh, that's gotta be hard."

"exactly," you agreed, grabbing your bag.

there were soft knocks against the door, and utahime perked up. she rose to her feet, following you closely as you slipped your shoes on and rested your hand on the doorknob.

you glanced back at her. "be nice."

she glowered.

satoru kept his hands tucked into his pockets, leaning against the doorway as you opened it for him. he was beaming, his eyes flittering over you before landing on the raincloud hovering your shoulder.

"hi," you said softly.

"hi."

utahime's arms were still crossed, her repulsion tight on her face as she looked him up and down.

he looked amused, raising his eyebrows as he greeted her as well.

she ignored him. "she needs to home by 9."

"9:30?" he asked, wincing with hope. you looked the other way to hide your amusement.

"9."

satoru nodded, pride blooming in his cheeks. "9. got it."

utahime gave you a long hug, opening her eyes briefly to give satoru a pointed glare that did nothing to deter the smirk on his face. she let go only to white-knuckle the doorknob behind you.

"i'll be back, 'hime."

"i have your location," she said warningly.

you stepped into the hallway, and she shut the door behind you. immediately, his hands wrapped around you and he pulled you in for a gentle kiss, his lips melting against yours.

"she's still not a fan?" he murmured against your mouth.

you giggled, shaking your head gently. "not yet. but she'll get there."

utahime groaned from the other side of the door.

that's all!!!! thank you for reading. i want to hear all thoughts especially if they are critical <3

#spleen writes

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