Chapter Text
CHAPTER ONE.
It's winter. The sun is barely peaking through the frosted windows, it's orange light melting onto the black hair and tanned skin lay next to him on his bed. The room smells of vanilla and fresh linen, he probably brought him back a new candle from a mission, he always did. The alarm next to his bed reads 8:00am, just enough time to shower and make a coffee for them both. A shuffle next to his head alerts him back to the man laying next to him. He's facing him now, his smile full of warmth and familiarity. "Home" is the first word to come to his head when he leans into the shorter man's chest, attempting to steal his warmth- or rather share it, as he does everything else. As he starts to fall back to sleep, too comfortable in his loves arms, the other man's deep laugh shakes him back to reality. His chest vibrates against his forehead as he speaks softly into his scalp,
"Come on now, wake up Satoru."
"Wake up, Satoru."
"Satoru."
"SATORU."
He awakes with a jump, his knuckles almost white from holding onto his blanket so hard in his sleep. Who was he dreaming about? And why was he so upset about waking up?
"What did i tell you about leaving your door unlocked, It's like your asking someone to end your bloodline."
The faculty housing is protected by the century-old barriers on Jujutsu high, but he supposes the point still stands.
Gojo slowly begins to sit up, pushing up his sleep mask and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. His cheeks are wet. Shoko is sat on the edge of his bed nursing a cigarette and even worse dark circles than the day before.
"Maybe I'm hoping someone will take me far far away from you and decrease my chances of lung cancer." He yawns, flicking her cigarette out of her hand and into the lukewarm no-longer iced coffee he'd fell asleep drinking last night after realising he'd forgot to grade any of his students exams (again).
"Hilarious really," She's already grabbing a new one. Gojo does not move to stop her.
"Did a certain scary-blue eyed teacher think to set an alarm for this morning?"
Shit. He digs in his sheets for his phone, (0 Notifications), and looks at the time. It's 8:15. Leaving him 15 minutes to shower, dry his hair, and make the 5 minute walk to his classroom. Although he could teleport, he does enjoy the fresh air before a long day of teaching student how to not kill themselves. He stands up, ushering Shoko out of his door,
"Really sorry to cut the hangout short, I have students to teach so bye!!"
The door clicks shut and he can hear her laugh as she retreats back to her lab,
"See you at 3:30, Your welcome.".
12 minutes later, he's walking out the door, coffee in hand, somehow looking presentable. With only 3 minutes to spare, he's going to have to have his early day stroll turn into an early day speed walk. It's still so strange to him walking past the many buildings on campus, that once he was a student here. It somehow felt, bigger? He's definitely grown abit since first year but more than that, It's like now he feels like he can walk in any room and know what to do and where to go. It took a lot of practice, a lot of self-confidence building to get to where he is now. He probably wouldn't have made it this far if he didn't push him either.
"Gojo-sensei!!"
Itadori is running down the hallway towards the classroom, making him lose his train of thought.
He's late again.
"Good morning Yuuji." He says politely, opening the door to his classroom, Megumi and Nobara already chatting patiently. Yuuji sits in between his two classmates,catching his breath. Swinging an arm around them both, Megumi glares at him through overgrown bangs (Gojos told him thousands of times to cut them).
Yuuji asks with a cheeky grin
"Hey teach, what were you thinking of when you were walking in, I've never seen you smile like that before?"
Satoru places his brief case on his desk and begins to hand out the work sheets for today , "Cursed energy control and domain expansion" is this semesters project.
"Maybe he's finally found the woman who can handle all... of that", Nobara chimes in- pushing Yuuji off her shoulder.
A dull ache settles in Satorus stomach as he begins the class.
"Ahem, as you can see dear students, we're starting a new project, you'll be graded at the end of the semester for not only how well you do, but also for your work ethic, So i'd recommend starting now. Read the passage on your page and tell me what it's describing."
The class is quiet now, except for Nobaras more-than whisper to Yuuji,"He didn't deny it, maybe there really will be a Mrs Gojo soon." as they skim over their papers.
The ache turns into nausea. Yet, he keeps that same cheery smile plastered on his face,although he probably looks just as pale and sick as he feels sitting down and skimming the work sheet himself.
Unbeknownst to them, Satoru had never been in a long term relationship, ever. He'd had flings in his 20s, but most of the women either wanted him for his money, or status. Sometimes, he was the one to break it off, none of them ever lasted more than 2 months. He'd always felt like something was missing, when he tried to imagine years into the future, he couldn't picture any of them getting old with him, or getting married or having kids. He not only didn't want to subject a child and wife to the danger of being part of the Gojo clan, but sometimes when he thinks too hard about it, it feels like he'll forever be looking for the "right one". When he thinks even harder, he fears that maybe he's already found the right one and got scared or, sometimes even bored, and pushed her away.
Looking out the window of his classroom, Ijichi is speedwalking down the hallway holding, 2 suitcases? and a hiking backpack? Gojo scans his brain, he didn't think there were any missions until next week? Especially one needing a stay worth that much luggage. Must be an emergency, probably for a second year like Inumaki to deal with. They briefly lock eyes and Satoru can sense the small man somehow become more frightened than he's ever been of him, what's that all about? Satoru regains eye contact with him and summons him to his classroom door, standing up to slide it open and pulling his blindfold down to squint at Ijichi.
"Good morning, S-sir!!!",He practically shouts.
The three first years behind him quickly looking up from the desk. Satoru hurridly steps out the room, closing the door behind him.
"Whos mission is this, I didn't hear about any this week from Yaga?" He questions, leaning back against the door dragging his eyes down to the luggage.
"Um, I-I'm not sure, Principal Yaga said to just take these to the one of the Faculty dorms so-"
Gojo cuts him off.
"Someone moving in?" He questions and crosses his arms.
A lot of staff chose to live on campus cause it was basically free and easier to get to class, but still some chose to rent their own place, less nowadays however.
The short man's face suddenly goes pale.
"I really don't know s-sir, I can request Principal Yaga to fill you in if you'd like," His eyes are glued to the floor as he continues in a quieter tone,
"Although he wasn't comfortable telling me and I've been nothing but an exemplary worke-"
Satoru rolls his eyes as he turns around and opens the sliding doors.
"That's alright, I'm sure he'll fill you in when you get back, and then you can tell me ALL about it, right?"
The white haired man may be cocky but he isn't stupid, If Yaga wanted him to know he would've told him. Luckily, his assistant manager can't seem to keep his mouth shut around Gojo. For some reason.
Ijichi's head does not come back to face Satoru as he nods and walks away carrying the luggage.
As lessons finish for the day, Satoru practically glides out of his classroom to find Shoko in the faculty smoking area, her usual habitat.
"I assume you made it on time this morning, all thanks to me."
An almost finished cigarette is between her lips, her head resting on the back of the rusted bench. Taking a seat next to her, he grabs his bag off the floor and pulls out a can of coke.
"Yep." A sigh. "All thanks to you."
He cracks open his can and takes a small sip before placing it in the space between them. He starts to take deep breaths to calm his stomach. It still hasn't
settled down
"What's up with you today? Usually your talking my ear off about," She thinks.
"I don't know, whatever you talk about... Megumis bangs or.. how many times Yuuji talked out loud during a test."
Satoru feels shaky with annoyance as he recalls the memory.
"12 times Shoko!!! In a 10 minute practice test, you do the maths!!".
Shoko throws her now- finished cigarette into the bin next to her, letting out a snort at his anger.
"Seriously what's up though, you've been acting weird all day," She pulls his blindfold off his face and lets it smack his forehead.
"When I walked past your room before, you looked like you were gonna vomit."
Satoru slumps against her shoulder whilst rubbing his forehead.
"Ow! I don't know, somethings just.. weird, like in the air today. Think i had a bad dream." He exhales,
"Or maybe a really good one, I don't remember."
Concern washes over Shokos face.
"Do you need to talk to someone again? No shame in it, me and Utahime still do."
Satorus stomach starts to churn at the word "again" reminding him of all those years ago.
"Nah, I'm good, shrinks just depress me."
Shoko flicks his forehead.
"That's like the exact opposite of what they do, dumbass."
Scoffing, He sits up and looks her in the face.
"Look honestly, I'm fine. I don't think i'm the only one feeling weird, Ijichi looked like he was gonna actually hurl before." The sugary coke fizzing down his throat slowly rids him of his nausea as he remembers Ijichi sketchy behaviour earlier.
"Really? Elaborate."
Somehow she's managed to grab and light another cigarette. Somehow she's a doctor. Satoru sits back comfortably again.
"He was carrying a bunch of luggage, even though I know no one has a mission till next week. So I asked him about it and apparently, Yaga asked him to take it all to one of the empty dorms. Oh, and he looked like he was gonna shit himself when I brought it up."
Shoko looks puzzled for a moment before speaking.
"We only had a meeting on friday and he never mentioned any new student?"
"Nope, even weirder. He meant the faculty dorms, wouldn't we be the first people he'd introduce a new teacher to? Maybe the old man really has gone senile, I vote you to be the next principal, then convince you to make my day start at noon."
He finished his rant with a laugh. Shoko does not laugh back, in fact she looks a bit sad?
"You okay? I'd settle for 11:30?"
His banter seems to snap her out of whatever she was feeling as she slaps his shoulder.
"10:00 If you're lucky maybe." She says without making eye contact.
Weird.
Before going to bed, Satoru heads towards the student dorms to check on Megumi (also actually convince him to cut his hair). Before Satoru can knock on his door, it swings open revealing Yuuji who immediately jumps when he sees him.
"Oh hey sensei!! Fancy seeing you here!"
For some reason he looks just as frightened as Ijichi did before. Is there really something in the air today?
"Oh hey Yuuji? I work here?!"
Yuuji lets out a nervous laugh before sliding past him out of the room and practically sprinting into his room next door.
"I'm glad to see you guys have been studying, more than that though I'm surprised you can see through that mop over your eyes."
He's finally talking to the person he intended to after coming all the way to the other side of campus.
"I told you i'll cut it eventually, jeez." Megumis sat on his bed with his arms crossed, surrounded by work sheets and stationary.
"Yeah yeah, how about this you get good marks on your homework and i won't bother you about it for..."
Gojo internally debates how long he can resist annoying the moody teenager.
Megumi chimes in before he can decide,
"Please say ever."
They really are so alike.
"Nice try kid, try a month. But after that you're atleast getting a trim, can't have you being blinded mid mission and getting ur head cut off, understand?"
"Fine." Megumi says turning away and tapping on his phone.
"Good evening, Megumi, I'd stay and have a riveting talk with the side of your head, but I have plans."
He can feel Megumis eye roll even when he's turning around and shutting the boys dorm door shut.
He would never care about how any of his students presented. In fact, he believes that all teenagers should be able to express how they want, especially in the situation they're in. However, Satoru tends to have a tendency to over worry about Megumi, often reminding him to take care of himself when he starts slipping. Megumi has never been a talkative kid, or teenager, so Satoru can't help but worry when his hair starts growing long or he avoids getting involved in class, or when he starts to lose weight. A good teacher would notice that. A good friend would notice that.
On the walk back to his dorm, the cold air helps to calm him down from the days madness, and the unexplained feeling of dread that's washed over him little by little as the days gone by. He really needs a long long sleep. He's walked up the stairs to his dorm floor when he hears shuffling in the supposedly unoccupied room next to him. The curtains are slightly askew and he can just barely see the room, with the same layout as his, enveloped in darkness apart from a flickering of a candle next to the bed in the middle of the room. Yaga must've known about this for a while if they're already settled in the dorm without a peep to presumably any of the teachers, more specifically him. He raises his hand to knock on the door when he's interrupted by a deep voice bellowing from the stair case.
"Satoru, can I have a word?"
Speak of the devil, Principal Yaga is standing at the top stair, arms crossed. Satoru lowers his arm and approaches him.
"Why wasn't I told about the new faculty, I won't scare them off I promise." He jokes.
"That's what I came to talk to you about actually, Come to my office at 8:00 tomorrow morning and we can discuss his integration process, He'll be an assistant teacher when needed and also teach music half the week."
Music?
"He? To be honest I thought you'd have hired another woman, I think Shokos getting sick of all our "masculine air" as she calls it."
Yaga turns away ignoring him and begins to walk down the stairs again.
"8:00 tomorrow morning, and don't bother him, he's had a long couple of weeks."
Satoru scoffs and turns away himself, unlocking his dorm door,
"God, who do you think I am, See you at 8:00. Sir."
He says with all the Gojo attitude he can conjure up.
Throwing his keys on the kitchen counter, Gojo strips out of his work clothes, throws on an old baggy t-shirt (he doesn't seem to remember where he got it from) and a pair of shorts. He lazily walks into the bathroom to brush his teeth. As he's staring at his reflection in the mirror, he's starting to get
a weird sense of deja vu. It seems like just yesterday he was in the dorms across the campus, staying up till god knows what time to just talk, and laugh, or cry. He'd never admit it out loud but he misses how freeing it was to let it all out, and he'd also never admit out loud how he'd never let it out in front of anyone else. No one but him.
Gojo suddenly gets a burst of emotion in the centre of his chest and he realises his toothbrush had been hanging out of his mouth as he stared back at his reflection. He spits out the toothpaste, and with it the hurt that's settled in his throat. He wipes his mouth. He feels that his cheeks are wet again.
Throwing himself into his bed, he lights the candle next to bed. Vanilla and fresh linen, one that's always calmed him down. As he places his sleep mask over his eyes, the room fills with the scent as he drifts off to sleep on his side, wrapping his arms around and holding on tight to his blanket. Atleast then it will stay.