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Chapter Text

Gojo strolled through the hall of her wing of the Gojo family estate, headed toward the kitchen. She was leaving that afternoon to go back to Jujutsu High, so she should be anxiously packing. However, she'd heard that her dad was back at the estate, and wanted to give him plenty of time to stop by and see his daughter if he so desired.

When Gojo entered the kitchen, the staff immediately stepped aside for her. She wandered over to the fridge, opened it, and stared inside.

"Excuse me," the head chef said timidly. "May I have the honor of making you a snack?"

Gojo closed the fridge and wandered over to the cupboard. "Nah, I'm good, I'm just gonna grab something."

"As you wish."

The head chef and all the other staff went back to their tasks as quietly and out of Gojo's way as possible. She rummaged around for a bit, then grabbed a few packages of chips, cookies, and candy and headed back toward her bedroom.

She was lying in bed, halfway through a movie and munching on candy, when the door to her bedroom slid open. Sitting up, she saw that her dad had decided to stop in after all.

"Hey Dad," she said through a mouthful of food. She nodded to her dad's secretary, who was always trailing close behind, but the secretary didn't acknowledge her.

"Satoru." Her dad stood in front of the tv with his arms folded. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here." Gojo swallowed. Geto had gone home for the weekend, to some family thing, so Gojo had decided to take her obligatory trip home that she did every so often to keep her family from claiming that she didn't want her place as heir anymore. With most of her family members away one one business trip or another, this trip hadn't been bad. All she'd done was lay around and do some of the fun things she used to spend most of her time on before she'd gone to school.

Her dad seemed amused, but in a twisted way, like he knew what Gojo was thinking. He always seemed to know what his daughter was thinking. "It's unlike you to plan two weekends home in a row."

"What?" Gojo was definitely not planning to come back next weekend.

"You forgot, didn't you?" Her dad shook his head, acting disappointed. "Next weekend is the conference."

Gojo's heart sank as she remembered. "And we're hosting, huh?"

"Yes, so it is absolutely imperative that you attend."

Gojo rolled her eyes. "I guess you'll want me on my best behavior or whatever."

To her surprise, her dad sat on the corner of her bed. "We need to talk about this, Satoru."

Now Gojo was nervous. Every so often, her dad or the clan elders told her to shape up, but Gojo brushed it off because she wanted them to think that she really could not be bothered by what they thought. This seemed more serious though, and Gojo worried that she was going to have some new expectation to fulfill.

Her dad lifted his chin, then exhaled, as if his words would immediately be a great burden on all those who heard them. "You are growing up, my daughter," he began. "Soon, you will take your place as the head of this clan. You scoff at that which is expected of you now, but soon you will no longer be able to escape it."

Gojo rolled her eyes again. She planned to do even more scoffing once she was clan head.

"There are requirements you need to fulfill, Satoru." He locked eyes with Gojo. "Not only do you need to keep your power over this house, but over the other two clans. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I know." Power wasn't something Gojo really worried about. She had the most powerful cursed technique there was, and unlike her predecessors, she really did not care at all if her family lost their prestige.

"Good. Then you will understand why I am making this request of you."

Gojo flinched. She didn't want to have something else asked of her; showing up to the convention was going to be bad enough.

"I would like you to bring a date to the conference."

She blinked, surprised. "What?"

Her dad looked as serious as ever. "Part of securing the future of this clan is producing an heir. You haven't shown any interest in marriage, so I'm afraid I have to push you on this."

Gojo stuck out her bottom lip. Her dad loved to push her, finding little things like this to pick at her about.

"I don't care who it is," her dad said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I don't even care if you bring a non-sorcerer, as long as you look good together. We'll worry about suitability later. Just bring someone, to remind everyone you're eligible. Can you do that?"

Gojo felt her teeth gritting behind her pout. She glared at her dad, then decided to shrug it off. She flopped back on her bed and sighed. "Sure, Dad. Whatever you want."

"Good." Her dad stood up. "Have a safe trip back to school. I'll see you next weekend."

Once Gojo was alone, she groaned. "How am I going to find a date who can put up with all this crap by Friday?"

Mentally, she sifted through all the boys she knew. All of them would probably rather die than be her date to a stupid fancy people event, even if it was only for show. She thought she could probably bribe someone, but she couldn't trust them to behave well once they were there. That might still work, and she could bring a little chaos to the convention as revenge.

She sat up, suddenly struck by a brilliant idea. If she was going for revenge, she was going to do it the right way.

Her date needed to be perfect. She needed someone she could count on, someone she knew well and could trust. She needed someone attractive and poised, yet controversial— someone that would make people whisper as they walked by, but someone everyone had to respect. Gojo felt a grin spread across her face. Lucky thing she knew someone like that.

Geto pulled the last of her clothes from her bag and stuffed them into her laundry basket. She shoved the bag in the closet, then collapsed in her desk chair. It had been a long weekend of visiting family. Though she liked them well enough, being around them was exhausting. She had to admit that she wasn't really looking forward to her uncle's birthday party at the end of the month, even if she got to see her grandma again.

Just as she was about to move to her bed so she could relax, the door to her bedroom burst open.

"Suguruuuu," Gojo complained as she staggered into the room.

"Oh, you're back too." Geto gave her friend a warm smile, knowing she would probably need it. "How was your trip home?"

Gojo ignored the question. She plopped herself down on Geto's lap, legs draped over the arm of the chair. "I need your help," she pouted.

Geto sighed dramatically. "Of course you do." She flicked her friend's cheek to get her to stop pouting. It didn't work. "What is it this time?"

"My stupid dad," Gojo whined. She rested her head on Geto's shoulder. "He wants me to bring a date to the convention next weekend."

"You poor thing," Geto said dryly.

Gojo glared at her sarcasm. "This is a serious problem, Suguru," she said, her tone changing. "I have to bring a date, or my status in the family will be called into question. Luckily, I have a solution."

"You want me to find you a date," Geto guessed, because that sounded exactly like something Gojo would ask of her.

Gojo laughed, shaking the chair. "No, I want you to be my date."

Suddenly Geto was aware of every point their bodies were in contact, which was a lot since Gojo was still sitting in her lap. They had always been close, but Geto had given up on the possibility of dating Gojo.

Okay, that wasn't completely true. Sometimes, when Gojo was standing in the sunlight just right, or had gone out of her way to do something nice, or one of her stupid jokes was actually funny, Geto still imagined a different world where they were girlfriends. Logically, though, she knew that this wasn't this world. Gojo was her best friend, not her girlfriend, and that wasn't going to change, even if Gojo had just asked her to be her date to a fancy party. Geto didn't even want to date Gojo. Not anymore.

"You want me to go to the convention as your date," she repeated calmly. "Why me? Why not, oh, any of the boys? You could have convinced Nanami."

Gojo jumped to her feet. "Well," she began, and started pacing around, counting things off on her fingers. "I don't have the choice to ignore my dad this time, so I have to bring a date, although he said he doesn't care who it is. That gives me a little room to choose someone that I know would annoy him. The best way to do that would be to shock all his guests, and the best way to do that is to show up with a woman and look so undeniably hot together that all the creepy conservatives want to be mad but can't be because we're just so perfect. Also, I need someone I can trust."

She had a point. Geto had run into some of the higher up conservatives before. They didn't like her because she was special grade even though she had been scouted, and also because they thought her cursed technique was disgraceful, but they couldn't say anything to her because she was polite. That was the sort of reaction she thought Gojo was going for.

"I see," she said calmly. "What's in it for me?"

Gojo stood still and blinked a few times. "What?"

"Oh, Satoru," Geto chuckled. She folded her hands. "You clearly haven't done your research. Have you read a single romance novel?"

"No. Why?"

Geto shook her head slowly. "The way fake dating works is simple: you need something from me, and I need something from you, so we agree to date until our ends are accomplished. So I'll ask again, what's in this for me?"

"Um..." Gojo considered it. "You, uh, you get to spend time with me?"

"I get to do that anyway."

"You get a hot girlfriend for a week?"

Geto crossed her legs. "And why would I want one of those?"

"Mh." Gojo frowned. Maybe it was cruel, but Geto liked watching her contemplate like this. "Well, is there something you want?"

"Hm." Geto wanted to help Gojo, but she also wanted to tease her. If they were really going to fake date, she was going to drag it out. "Well... there is one thing I could use a hot girlfriend for."

"What?" Gojo sounded so eager it made Geto want to laugh.

"I'm going home again at the end of the month," Geto said carefully. "It's my uncle's birthday, and my family is having dinner with his family and my grandparents."

"You want me to go with you? I can do that. I'll do it as your girlfriend or your friend, whatever you want. I mean, I'd go with you anyway."

Geto clicked her tongue. "You really don't understand how trades work, do you?" Gojo nodded no, but Geto just continued. "My dear aunt, every time I see her, without fail, asks me if I'm dating someone yet. Although, it would be more accurate to say that she probes me about it. The dinner would be a lot more pleasant for everyone if we could get that part out of the way."

"Okay, that sounds good," Gojo agreed enthusiastically. "You come to my family event, and then I come to your family event. Deal?"

Geto stood up and sighed. "Oh, Satoru. We haven't decided on any of the conditions yet."

"The conditions?"

"Yes, conditions. Or boundaries."

"Why do we need those?"

Geto raised an eyebrow. "We've agreed to be each other's dates to these events, but what about in between? Do we date then? Who do we tell it's not real, if we tell anyone? What if there's a situation where we're expected to kiss, or share a bed? Also, are you okay with your family thinking you're gay?"

"I guess there is other stuff to think through," Gojo murmured.

Geto got out a piece of paper and a pencil. "First thing's first." She bent over her desk and sketched a timeline between that weekend, the convention, and Geto's family dinner. "There's this week, plus two weeks in between our events. Are we planning to date the entire time, or just for the events?"

Gojo took the desk chair. "It'll be more believable if we date the weeks in between."

"That's true." Geto made a note. "And if your family asks questions, we'll still be dating in the weeks after the convention."

"Yeah, good point. What else?"

"Who are we telling that we're dating," she asked, "and who are we telling it's fake?"

Gojo's expression hardened. "We can't tell anyone we're not actually dating."

Geto was surprised. "No one?"

"I hate to sound paranoid, and usually I don't care, but if we tell anyone then there's no guarantee it won't get to my family."

Geto wrote it down. This wouldn't be the first secret that only the two of them kept. "Right. Although, once we've orchestrated our breakup, I'll tell my parents it wasn't real. If that's alright."

Gojo shrugged. "Yeah, that makes sense."

"Okay." Geto turned and hopped up on the edge of her desk, so she and Gojo were facing each other. "Now for the question of intimacy in social settings."

Gojo shrugged. "I'm fine with whatever."

"Okay, well, I'm not." Geto was a little bothered by how careless Gojo was with that statement.

"Kay. What are your boundaries?"

Geto thought about it, and started feeling a little embarrassed for feeling weird about it. "We're already pretty touchy with each other," she admitted, "and none of our friends will believe we're dating if we don't, ah, kick it up a notch. There will definitely be a time we have to kiss."

She contemplated for a moment, while Gojo just watched her. The thought of Gojo kissing her made her mouth feel numb, but she was willing to do it for this little game.

"Just... take it easy," she decided.

"Okay. What else?"

Geto paused. This one was harder to ask. "If you bring me as your date," she said carefully, "your family will think you're gay. Are you okay with that?"

"I don't care what my family thinks," Gojo said, again way too carelessly, but that was just what she was like. "And that's part of the point. But are you okay with your family—"

"They know," Geto cut her off. "I'm out to them."

She watched Gojo's expression. The time had never felt right, so Geto hadn't come out to her yet. Once she knew Geto was gay, would she still want to fake date?

All she said was, "cool. Anything else?"

Now that the moment had passed, Geto's heart started pounding. That didn't make the last question any easier. "What's the protocol if one of us develops feelings?"

Gojo looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are we going to do if one of us starts liking the other for real? It happens all the time in romance novels." Usually in books the couple ended up getting together, but Geto didn't really see that happening in this case.

"I guess we should say something," Gojo suggested. "Cause what if we're fake dating but we end up wanting to date for real?"

"Or need to call it off early," Geto reminded her.

"Oh. Yeah. Well, either way we should say something."

Geto wrote the last note. "Look this over," she said, handing the page to Gojo.

Gojo scanned it, then handed it back. "Great," she said with a grin. "So now do we have a deal?"

Geto smiled back. Her nerves were calming down. "We do."

"Well then." Gojo batted her eyes. "Guess I better ask you on our first date."

"Somewhere visible—" Geto started to suggest, but Gojo cut her off.

"No, I'm asking!" She looked thoughtful. "How about we go roller skating tomorrow afternoon? Shoko and Utahime are giving Nanami and Haibara a lesson. I overheard them talking about it."

"Aren't they going to be suspicious if we show up at the same roller rink as them at the same time?"

"I do weirder stuff," Gojo reminded her.

"Alright," Geto agreed. "Though I'll warn you, I have terrible balance."

"Then you'll just have to lean on me the whole time," Gojo teased.

"That'll sell it." Geto stood up. "I'm tired."

Gojo slouched in the desk chair. "Yeah, me too."

"I'm going to bed."

"Oh, you want me to leave." Gojo hopped up. "Okay, see you tomorrow! Girlfriend," she added with an exaggerated wink.

Geto laughed as she left. When Gojo was gone, she fell backward into her bed.

This was probably going to be one of those things Geto looked back and regretted later. She was totally over her crush on Gojo, so there was no concern that one of them would start liking the other or they would actually get together and ruin their precious friendship. That didn't mean there couldn't be plenty of hurt feelings along the way.

Chapter Text

The next day in class, Gojo made sure people noticed something was up with her and Geto.

She started by sneaking up behind Geto and putting her hands over her eyes, making her guess who it was and giggling when Geto purposely guessed wrong. Then, at lunch, she sat in Geto's lap in the lunchroom and insisted on feeding her from her own bowl. At the end of the day, Gojo told Geto she was going to take a nap with a wink, then waited for Geto to follow her into the dorms. They sat on Gojo's bed and watched a movie, but who knew what their classmates were imagining?

Late in the afternoon, campus was quiet. Everyone else had already left for the roller rink. That meant it was time for Gojo and Geto to make their unexpected appearance.

"You're laying it on a little thick," Geto said on the bus ride. "It's supposed to be only our first date, remember?"

Gojo had her ankle twisted around Geto's, so she untwisted it. "But this is how I would act if it was a real first date," she argued.

Geto shifted. "Yeah, I guess that's a good point."

"And you said we had to kick it up a notch with the touching."

"I did say that," she sighed.

Gojo frowned. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable though."

Geto watched out the window for a minute, and Gojo had no idea what she was thinking. When she turned back, she looked very serious. "You're right," she said. "If we're going to be convincing, we need to go all out."

"You won't be uncomfortable?" The last thing Gojo wanted to do was hurt her friend.

"That's the funny thing," Geto sighed. "If we had been acting this way, say, last week, I would have been fine. I think it's the suggestion of dating that makes me uncomfortable."

Gojo's heart sank. For whatever reason, that was disappointing to hear. "We can call it off. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Geto was quiet another minute. She was like this sometimes, needing time in between each statement to contemplate what she would say.

"No," she decided. "You're my best friend, Satoru. If you need me to fake date you, I will."

She was so sweet! "Are you sure, Suguru?"

"Yes." Geto took her hand. "We're doing this."

Gojo smiled. Geto really was the best friend anyone could ask for. "If it helps," she suggested, "you can just pretend we're not fake dating, and everything's like normal. If that makes you feel less uncomfortable."

"That's very considerate of you." Geto flicked her nose playfully. "But I'll manage."

They went back to riding in silence. Then Gojo remembered a question she had from yesterday.

"You said you were out to your family," Gojo recalled. "Does that mean you're, like, actually gay?"

Geto closed her fists and scowled. "You could be a little more sensitive about asking things like that, you know."

"Oh, yeah, sorry." Gojo felt bad, but she wanted to know. "So are you—"

"Yes, stupid." Geto's face was turning pink.

"Oh." Gojo slouched in her seat. "Yeah, me too."

Geto's anger evaporated; now she just looked curious. "You like girls?"

"Sure. And boys. Whoever. Right now though, mostly girls."

Geto chewed her lip for a moment. It was their first time talking about dating, despite their friendship being almost two years old, and Gojo guessed Geto was nervous about discussing the subject.

"Do you like anyone?" Geto asked carefully.

"Pft. Suguru, if I liked someone, I would have asked them to be my date to the convention."

Geto nodded, and Gojo watched her bangs brush against her forehead. "Good point."

They got to the skate rink and headed inside. Gojo immediately started looking around to see if their friends were there.

"Be more subtle," Geto reminded her. "We're not supposed to know they're here, remember?"

"Oh yeah." Gojo looked without turning her head. Sure enough, she could see the cursed energy of their four friends at a table on the other side of the rink. "They're here."

"Good."

They went to the counter and got their skates, then headed over to the bench to lace them up.

"Ever skated before?" Gojo asked.

Geto shook her head, once again making her bangs brush back and forth. "Have you?"

"No. Can't be too hard though, right?"

They both stood up. Geto immediately slipped, one skate going one way and the other going the opposite. Gojo caught her hand and pulled her upright.

"This was a bad idea," Geto lamented.

"You're fine. I got you."

Hand in hand, they wobbled through the barrier out to the rink. There was less friction there, and even Gojo almost slipped. Soon, though, they were sailing along, still hand in hand.

"Ready?" Gojo asked.

Geto nodded. "Ready."

As they passed by the area where their friends were sitting, Gojo laughed. She watched with satisfaction as Shoko's head immediately shot over the barrier. Both she and Geto pretended not to notice. Instead, Geto reached into the back of her short hair, trying to mess it up.

"No, stop it!" Gojo giggled. She swatted at Geto's hand playfully.

Geto reached across with her other hand, but one of her skates slid out from under her. Gojo gracefully caught her waist, and they rolled to a halt. She held Geto by the waist, looking down over her, making what she hoped looked like a deeply-in-love face. Geto slid her arms onto Gojo's shoulders, clasping her fingers around her neck. When Gojo dared a glance, she saw that all of their friends were now peeking over the barrier. She smiled, and pulled Geto closer.

Just before they were about to kiss, Haibara called to them.

"Hey, Geto! Gojo! What are you guys doing here?"

They both glanced over. That was a good enough performance for now, and Gojo could sense Geto was thinking the same thing.

"Haibara," Geto said with a smile. She let go of Gojo, leaving cold spots where her hands had been. "Funny running into you here."

Utahime scowled. "Gojo, we literally told you we were going to the roller rink, and you said you didn't want to come!"

Gojo blinked. "Did you? Well that must be why I've been thinking about roller skating." It was a thin lie, but not too out of character to be unbelievable. She also honestly did not remember them inviting her, only that they had been talking about it.

"You're so... ugh!" Utahime disappeared behind the barrier.

"Come sit with us," Shoko said before also ducking back down.

Everything was going exactly according to plan. Gojo took Geto's hand, and they stumbled out of the rink and over to their friends' table.

"So what are you guys doing here?" Shoko questioned. She sounded suspicious, which wasn't surprising. She knew them best; she was the one they needed to convince.

Gojo slid her fingers around Geto's waist, slipping them up inside her shirt. She pulled Geto close, then kissed her cheek gently. "Guess."

Haibara's face lit up. "You're on a date!" he realized.

Geto winked. "You win."

Utahime looked stressed. "You two are about to get ten times more annoying, aren't you?"

Nanami seemed confused. "You weren't dating before?"

"It's kind of funny we ran into you guys on our first date," Gojo said, ignoring all of their questions.

"It's not," Shoko said, still sounding skeptical. "We told you we'd be here."

"I don't remember that," Gojo insisted.

Geto leaned on her shoulder. "Well, you told me we'd have the afternoon to ourselves," she muttered, loud enough everyone could hear but quiet enough that no one would think she meant for them to hear.

Gojo let her thumb slide into Geto's waistband, and dropped her head against Geto’s. "We'll have the evening," she promised.

"I'm going to puke," Utahime gasped.

"Now who's being rude?" Gojo taunted. "Can't you be happy for us?"

"Sit down," Shoko invited, cutting off the argument before it could get going.

Geto accepted, and they sat in the same chair, playfully fighting over the small space. In the end Gojo got Geto to sit in her lap this time. She wrapped her arms around Geto's waist, leaving her hands resting on her thighs, and Geto did an amazing job of acting like she liked it. Gojo hoped she wasn't feeling uncomfortable. She had to remember to "take it easy," as Geto had said.

"So you guys are really dating, huh?" Shoko asked.

Gojo rested her chin on Geto's shoulder. "Why? Don't you think we're cute together?"

Shoko exchanged a glance with Utahime, then shrugged. "I just didn't expect you to actually do it."

Geto shifted, and Gojo withdrew her hands. She thought that Geto was going to move to her own chair, but she just turned so she wasn't completely covering Gojo.

She glanced at Gojo, then put a finger under her chin. "Took us long enough," she said playfully. Gojo smiled up at her, biting her lip. Oh, she was good at this. If Gojo was watching from their friends' perspectives, she would totally believe that Geto was endlessly in love with her.

"Anyone up for Jenga?" Haibara asked.

Everyone agreed, and Nanami went over to get it. He and Haibara set it up, and they played a few rounds. Gojo knocked it over the first three times.

"You are so bad at this," Geto laughed, leaning on her shoulder.

"I don't get why it keeps falling," she whined.

Shoko started stacking the pieces again. "Because you're not careful. You pull the blocks out too quickly."

"I do not," Gojo insisted. She didn't see why there was anything wrong with the way she did it.

When it was her turn next, Geto took her wrist. "I'll help you."

"Okay." Gojo snuggled up against her, and let Geto guide her hand up to the block.

"Carefully," she said in Gojo's ear.

Gojo closed her fingers around the block. Once she had it securely, Geto moved her wrist, pausing when the tower wobbled, then safely removing the block.

"See? Was that too hard?" Geto bopped her nose.

Utahime pretended to gag. "Can you please get off each other?"

"No." Gojo threw her arms around Geto, and Geto put her hands on Gojo's waist.

Shoko stood up and grabbed Gojo's arm. "We're having a talk," she said, and dragged her off of Geto.

"Shoko!" she protested. "Ow, you're squeezing me!"

Shoko kept her grip tight until she had dragged Gojo to the opposite corner of the rink.

"I know what you're up to," she said as she dumped Gojo in the corner.

Gojo's heart pounded. "Haha, what? Up to something? Me? No, I'm just taking my beautiful new girlfriend on a date—"

"—to the place you knew all your other friends were hanging out." She sighed, and Gojo was sure she had discovered the whole fake dating scheme.

"I can explain," she started.

Shoko shook her head. "You don't have to. I know you only came here to show off you were dating."

"But— what?" Gojo's brain did a flip, trying to catch up with what she had said. "Oh, like I took Suguru on a date here to make all of you see how absolutely perfect we are together."

"Yes, and it's annoying," Shoko said. "Even for you."

Gojo tried to hide her relief. "Why? It's not a secret we're dating. I want to show off."

She seemed frustrated. "Yes, but it was really hard to be around you two before you were dating, and the constant flirting and touching and general bleh is only making it harder. So if you're going on a date, go by yourself, and if you want to hang out with us..." she glared. "Six inches apart, okay? I've had enough."

She turned around and marched back over to the table. Gojo waited a minute, then slunk after her. She felt bad for doing this to their friends. Maybe it would have been nicer if she and Geto had simply told people they were dating instead of putting on a big show.

When she got back to the table, Geto and Haibara were building a house out of the Jenga blocks while Nanami offered criticism. Gojo sat down six inches from Geto, as requested, and Shoko looked satisfied. Geto shot her a puzzled look, but Gojo didn't make eye contact.

After a few minutes, Geto stood up and held out her hand. Gojo took it and let her friend pull her to her feet.

"We're gonna skate some more," Geto told the others. "See you guys back at school."

They held hands all the way back to the rink. As soon as they were out of earshot from the table, Geto asked.

"What did Shoko say?"

"It's fine," Gojo assured her. "She's just annoyed we're being so couple-y. She said if we're gonna hang out with her or the others we have to stay six inches apart."

Geto laughed. "Oh, that's funny. I thought she was on to us."

Gojo thought about what Shoko had said. "Are we annoying?"

"I'm not," Geto jabbed playfully, "but I won't say that about you."

"No, together. Like, even before we were dating, are we hard to be friends with when we're together?"

"Did Shoko say that?" When Gojo nodded, Geto looked thoughtful. "Perhaps a bit. We're so close, it's probably hard to be around us and not feel..."

"Separate," Gojo guessed.

Geto nodded. "Yeah." She sounded a little bothered. "We should be more careful about that."

"Sure."

They skated in silence for a bit.

"We should take a picture," Geto suggested suddenly. "It's our first date, so we should have something to remember it by."

"Okay."

Gojo got out her phone and flipped it open. They skated to a halt, and she threw an arm around Geto's shoulders. Geto pulled Gojo closer by the waist, and she pressed her face to Geto's cheek before snapping the picture.

"Let me see."

Geto took Gojo's phone, and zoomed in on their faces. Her expression was firm, her smile sexy and her gaze almost possessive. Gojo, by contrast, looked as playful as ever, her insolent smile disrupted by the tip of her tongue poking out. Geto zoomed in further to show that it was actually Gojo's tongue touching her cheek, not her lips. Gojo waited for her to make some comment about taking it easy or how gross that was. Instead, Geto tucked her sleeve over her thumb and made a big show of wiping that spot on her cheek.

"This is good," she said, and handed the phone back to Gojo.

Gojo quickly texted it to her. "I'm gonna make it my background."

"I'll make it mine," Geto said. "That's cute, right? If we have matching backgrounds?"

"Yeah." Gojo clicked her phone a few times, admired her new background, then shoved her phone back in her pocket. "Okay, what now? It feels like there's not a lot left to do."

"We could go somewhere else," Geto suggested.

"But the point of coming here was so our friends would see us."

"And they did." Geto slumped. "I'm tired. Can we hang out like normal the rest of the day?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Even if they weren't being obvious that they were dating, their friends would still see them together. Geto was also right that they needed to be normal with each other too or they would hurt their friendship.

They returned their skates, and decided to go back home to play games. On the bus ride home, they reviewed.

"Our classmates know we're dating," Geto said, "so step one is complete. They'll tell everyone else we know."

"Now we just have to keep it up," Gojo guessed.

Geto nodded. "It's less hard to do that than to announce we've started."

"Right." Gojo thought for a minute. "Suguru, are we good together?"

"What?"

She got out her phone and pulled up the picture. After staring at it for a moment, she showed it to Geto. "We look good together, but, like, if we were actually dating, do you think it would work out?"

"It doesn't matter," Geto said carefully.

"I know, but... what if?"

"Hm." She tilted her head back, her gaze resting on the ceiling of the bus. Gojo noticed for the first time that she had a nice neck. "Maybe in another universe."

Gojo wondered what she meant.

Chapter Text

It was time to leave for the train station soon, but Geto couldn't find Gojo. She had run off right after class, leaving Geto with Shoko. Geto searched for her for a bit, but she was nowhere to be found. Deciding to give up, she met back up with Shoko at a table in the cafeteria.

"We need to leave soon," she complained, dropping to the bench beside her friend. "Why would Satoru choose to vanish now?"

"You're going to her family's place, right?" Shoko barely glanced up from her lunch. "Good luck with that."

Geto frowned. "I've been there before, and it was fine."

"Sure, but this weekend's the conference, right?"

"How do you know about that?"

Shoko snorted. "Everyone knows about it. This stupid convention is where the big three families decide what's going to happen in the upcoming year."

"That's..." Geto wasn't sure what to think about it. It was weird, as most of the politics of the Jujutsu world were.

Shoko laughed lightly. "I keep forgetting you were scouted. You know about the big three families, right?"

Geto scowled. "Of course I do. The Gojo clan, the Zen'in clan, and the Kamo clan. I know they hold much of the political power in the Jujutsu world."

Shoko nodded. "They're rivals, for the most part, but once a year they come together for this convention. Gojo's family is hosting this year, so it'll be at their estate. As the clan heir, she'll probably be the guest of honor."

Geto blinked. Never once before had Gojo mentioned that she was going to be the next clan head. Usually she showed off at any chance she got, so Geto wondered why. Was she hiding something?

Shoko laughed at her again. "Just your luck that you'd start dating just in time get dragged to spend your entire weekend with a bunch of crusty old creeps."

That was entirely the reason they had started dating in the first place, but of course Shoko didn't know that. Geto smiled and played along. "It's fine. I knew there would be some amount of dealing with her family."

"Mhm." Shoko looked thoughtful. She opened her mouth to add something, then seemed to change her mind. Geto wondered if she actually was suspicious of their relationship. Then, she said, "so much for being over Gojo, right?"

Geto fought from grinding her teeth. She was just going to have to play along on this one. "I guess so." She laughed a little. "I really thought I was over it, but... well, Satoru asked and my mouth said yes before my brain could catch up. So yeah, so much for getting over her."

"Right." Shoko seemed a little suspicious, but she didn't press. She stood up, picking up her dish as she stepped away from the table. Then, she said something that surprised Geto. "Don't hurt her."

Geto blinked. "What?"

"Are you ever listening?" Shoko sighed, rolling her eyes. "Don't hurt Satoru."

"I... wasn't planning on it," Geto stammered, a little confused.

"Good, so don't."

With that, Shoko walked away, leaving Geto confused. She glanced around, then realized she should probably go find Gojo.

Gojo ran into her outside the dorms. 

"Suguru," she called, "ready to go?"

Geto had been planning on telling her off for disappearing, but, as usual, it wasn't worth it. "Yeah, let me get my bag."

"Oh, you won't need it." Gojo started walking toward the garage.

Geto frowned. "Won't I need stuff?" The last time she'd gone to Gojo's house, she had packed a bag like normal.

Gojo didn't even glance back. "Nah. Not this time."

"You're bringing a bag," Geto argued as she caught up to her.

Gojo glanced at the plastic shopping bag hanging over her arm. "Oh, this?" She grinned mischievously. "You'll see what this is when it's time."

"Way to make a girl nervous," Geto mumbled to herself.

An assistant manager drove them down to the train station. Geto wasn't sure why, but she found it a little strange that the Gojos didn't send a car for them. Maybe the train was faster? Once they were on the train, she asked Gojo.

"Hm?" Gojo had been spacing out, and seemed a little surprised at the question.

Geto repeated it. "I was wondering why your family has us take the train instead of sending a car to pick us up."

"Oh." Gojo went back to staring out the window. "I told them not to."

Geto wasn't sure if she could ask why. For whatever reason, Gojo was being a bit weird about everything with her family. If she wanted to share, she probably would, but Geto didn't usually like to press.

"Ugh." Gojo slumped down in her seat, staring at the ceiling. "It's like, Jujutsu High is my space, you know?"

"Mh."

"So they should stay away."

"If they did come," Geto asked carefully, "would it stop being your space?"

"It's like when someone sneezes on your stuff. You can wash it, but it still feels sneezed on."

Geto wasn't sure that made sense.

"Whatever." Gojo pulled herself upright. "We'll get this stupid conference over with, and go back to our lives."

That sounded a bit like denial to Geto. Whether Gojo wanted to admit it or not, conferences and family matters were a part of her life, and probably always would be.

"I mean, how bad can it be?" Gojo leaned her head back, smiling. "You'll be there with me."

Geto found herself smiling too. They were fake dating, yes, but they were still best friends above everything else.

She got out her phone, figuring she should tell her parents where she was going. It wasn't really necessary, since she went all over the country without telling them, but she liked to update them when she was going to be in one place for a while, if only as a way to keep in touch. She quickly typed a message to her mom.

Geto: headed to kyoto for the weekend with satoru

Mom: Have so much fun sweetheart!

She thought she should probably also tell her mom they were dating. She started typing.

Geto: me and satoru are dating now

It felt wrong. She deleted it, then tried again.

Geto: satoru and i have been on a few dates. it's going really well :)

That was at least mostly true, so she sent it. Her mom responded immediately.

Mom: That's so wonderful! Satoru sounds like a lovely girl and I hope you are very happy together. Looking forward to meeting her ;)

Geto: thanks

Geto: please tell dad

She closed her phone with a smile. Even though it was a lie, she liked having something from her life she could actually share with her parents.

When they got to Kyoto, a car picked them up at the train station and drove them directly to the Gojo family estate. Geto had been there once before and, while she'd had fun with Gojo, she didn't remember it being a particularly warm place. It only looked more imposing now, as they drove up the long driveway and past the main building. Geto glanced to Gojo, and noticed she was fidgeting nervously. She noticed that Geto had noticed, and shoved her hands behind her back, forcing a smile.

"Satoru," Geto said gently. She hated when Gojo did that.

"What?" Gojo laughed, her voice high pitched, sounding like she was again trying to cover up for being nervous.

Geto couldn't think of anything to say that would be helpful, so she just held out her hand. Cautiously, Gojo took it. She smiled for real when Geto laced their fingers together.

The car stopped in front of the main entrance to Gojo's house. She had a separate building all to herself, with surrounding gardens and a training ground. Geto had assumed that the Gojos treated all of their children lavishly or that Gojo got this sort of special attention because of her cursed technique. In hindsight, this probably should have been the first clue that she was the family heir.

Inside was cleaner than Geto remembered. Much like in her dorm at school, Gojo had a habit of making a mess of her living area. At the estate, there was an army of cleaners, so it wasn't quite as bad as in her dorm. They still couldn't quite keep up with the speed at which she could clutter a space. Today, though, it was like the entire place had been scrubbed. Geto would be surprised if there was going to be an event held in here, but she supposed it was possible. Maybe this was just an excuse for a deep clean.

"Somebody moved things," Gojo muttered as a servant directed them to her room.

"They cleaned," Geto said plainly.

"Yeah, and they moved stuff." She pointed to a painting. "That used to be in the closet. Someone put it back up."

Geto was about to suggest that guests might come in here, when Gojo stopped and groaned.

"Oh, my dad came in here! He probably told them to put all the old people stuff back up."

"Oh." Geto didn't really know what to say.

Gojo called to one of her servants as she passed. The servant paused what she was doing, turned around, then smiled and bowed. "Master Satoru!"

"Kiho!" Gojo grinned right back.

The servant— Kiho— asked Satoru how school was, and they chatted for a while. Geto was a little surprised they were so friendly, since Gojo never mentioned anyone from home save for the offhanded complaint about the clan elders, but figured it made some sense. Most of Gojo's servants had probably been around her whole life, or as long as she could remember. Then again, Kiho didn't look too much older than a high schooler.

Finally, Kiho asked, "did you need something?"

Gojo pointed to the painting. "Who put the crusty stuff back up?"

Kiho winced. "Ah, I'm sorry, but your father ordered it. He wanted your wing to look, well, professional."

"For guests?" Gojo asked.

"He didn't say." Kiho glanced around. "But if you'd like, I'll have everything put back."

"Could you?" Gojo sounded thrilled.

Kiho nodded. "We'll have everything the way it was by dinnertime."

"You're the best." Gojo gave her a playful punch on the shoulder, then continued the way they were meant to be going. "See ya!"

"Bye!" Kiho waved, before getting back to her task.

Geto hurried after Gojo. "You seem very friendly with each other," she commented.

Gojo nodded. "Yeah, we are."

"Are you friendly with most of the staff?"

Gojo made a face. "Well... I'm casual with them. But, you know, they're scared of me."

"Oh." That was kind of sad.

She continued. "I think we hired Kiho when I was... eleven? That sounds right. She was, like, our age now, so she wasn't as intimidated. She's also a cousin, so that helps."

Geto blinked, surprised. "You're cousins?"

"Somehow. Maybe, like, fourth cousins?"

"Is she a sorcerer?" Geto asked. She'd noticed most of the Gojo clan staff she'd interacted with were sorcerers.

"No, she's a window. That's why she's a servant."

"That's pretty messed up," Geto decided.

Gojo laughed. "You think that's messed up, you just wait and see." Her eyes flickered. "This is the most messed up place on Earth. Well, besides the Zen'in estate. And probably the Kamo estate, too."

Again, Geto didn't know what to say. She was starting to feel out of her depth.

Gojo lifted her chin. "When I'm clan head, there will be big changes. You can count on that."

Geto hadn't been planning to bring it up, but decided this was her chance. "You've never told me before that you're the family heir," Geto said calmly.

Gojo frowned. "Really? You didn't know?"

"Shoko mentioned it this afternoon," Geto admitted.

"You were talking about me?" Gojo sounded a little hurt.

"I just told her where we were going," Geto promised.

"Oh." Gojo stretched. "Yeah, I'm gonna be the next clan head. Soon as I graduate Jujutsu High."

"That's really soon."

"No, it's more than two years," Gojo argued.

Geto still thought it was pretty soon.

They got to Gojo's bedroom and settled in. It didn't take very long, since neither of them had brought luggage. Gojo tossed her mystery plastic bag on the floor, once again prompting Geto's curiosity.

"Over here," Gojo called, sliding open a door.

Geto peeked through and saw that on the other side there was an identical bedroom. "What's this?"

"Your room." Gojo walked across the room and opened the shutters, revealing a beautiful view of the garden. "I mean, it's supposed to be for my spouse, but that's your role for the weekend, so," she shrugged.

Geto walked in carefully. The room was tastefully designed, though the decor looked around four hundred years old. It felt like a museum exhibition, not a bedroom. The whole house felt a bit like that; even Gojo's room looked like a display that someone had plugged a Gamecube into and scattered dirty laundry over.

"Or you could sleep in my room like last time," Gojo suggested casually.

Geto imagined sleeping in here, then being snuggled into Gojo's bed with her. "Yeah, I'd rather do that. This feels..."

"Old," Gojo finished. "Yup. Okay, well, whatever makes you comfortable."

She wandered back into her own room. Geto glanced around one last time, then followed her.

Around half an hour later, Kiho came to talk to Gojo, with another servant trailing along behind her.

"Everything's being put back," she reported. "Ready to get to business?"

"Sure," Gojo agreed. "Are you in charge of me this weekend?"

Kiho nodded. "The head of staff recommended me to your dad's secretary. Said something about me being able to handle you," she laughed.

"That's great," Gojo laughed back. "So is that a promotion?"

"Not yet, but if I do a good job," Kiho shrugged, "maybe?"

Gojo bit her lip. "Um."

Kiho sighed. "You're planning to cause trouble, aren't you?"

"How'd you know?" Gojo grinned. "Hey, I'll make it look like you did everything you could."

"You'd better." Kiho sighed again, then got back on topic. "Right. I was told you were bringing a date?"

Gojo pointed both hands toward Geto. "Ta da! Suguru's my date."

Kiho looked a little mournful. "Satoru," she said carefully.

"I know, I know," Gojo said carelessly. "It's fine, though. I mean, my dad never said it had to be a guy."

"I'm sure it's fine," Kiho agreed, though she did not sound like she believed it. "Okay, well, we have a little prep work to do. I'll take Geto, if that's alright."

Gojo nodded, then gave Geto a reassuring pat on the arm before sending her off with Kiho. As they left the bedroom, Geto could hear Gojo already arguing with the other servant.

"We'll start with planning what you'll be wearing," Kiho said, more to herself than to Geto. "Are you and Satoru around the same size?"

"We are." Gojo was a little taller, and Geto was a bit broader, but they'd figured out early on in their friendship that they could share anything other than jeans.

"That's easier, then, if we can pick things out of Satoru's closet instead of needing to go into town." Kiho unlocked a door and let Geto in.

The room was full of clothes. Jammed with endless racks of fabric, it looked more like a department store than a closet. There was everything, from pajamas to casual clothes to nicer outfits to formal dresses to elaborate kimonos. It was hard to believe it all belonged to Gojo, the girl who wore the exact same thing every single day.

"You'll need something to wear tonight," Kiho started listing, "for the opening event. Satoru only has to make a brief appearance, but you’ll both need to be dressed formally. Then you'll need pajamas. Satoru won't be at the morning meeting, so we'll have time to pick more outfits then."

She had Geto start trying on kimonos. It was a little awkward, having someone help her get dressed, but Geto figured she should get used to it.

Kiho talked as she worked. "Now, there are a few etiquette things you should know. The first is that you are not supposed to touch Satoru."

Geto frowned. "Not... touch her?"

"Mhm. She's the bearer of the limitless technique, remember? No one is allowed to initiate contact, even her partner."

"That doesn't make sense," Geto argued. "She can turn infinity off."

"It's out of respect," Kiho tried to explain. "Satoru's special. The Gojo family has protocol in place to command special respect for someone like her."

Geto was about to say that she thought that was messed up. Then, she remembered what Gojo had said earlier, that this was the most messed up place on Earth. Someone who liked physical contact so much would definitely have suffered growing up under that rule. Looking back, Gojo had always been a bit weird about touching, especially when Geto initiated. This had to be related.

"What are the other rules?" Geto asked, a little stiffly. She'd have to discuss them with Gojo, figure out which ones she was actually expected to follow.

"That's the biggest one," Kiho assured her. "The rest is, like, where you're supposed to stand, how to address people, that sort of thing. Don't worry about that too much. We'll practice once we've found the perfect outfit for you."

They settled on a lavender kimono that fit Geto perfectly. She examined herself in the mirror, and found herself smiling. It was truly beautiful.

"It's fitting that you should choose that one," Kiho said softly.

"Why?" Geto wondered.

Kiho smiled. "That kimono belonged to the wife of the last bearer of the limitless and six eyes. The love of his life. In his writings, he said she was the moon to him, the light when everything else was dark."

Geto looked back to the mirror, picturing herself as an ancient aristocrat's wife, giving him counsel when he was stressed, jumping in to solve whatever problem he couldn't. She admired her reflection, feeling absolutely beautiful. "That’s very romantic."

"It is," Kiho sighed. Her expression changed, and she looked a little sad. "Geto, I didn't mean to be harsh earlier. I'm very happy for you and Satoru. I just, I worry about you. Satoru's family is not going to take this well."

"You know what it's like to be hurt by them," Geto guessed.

Kiho looked surprised. "What?"

"Oh, sorry," Geto said quickly. "Satoru told me you're a Gojo."

"She said that?" Kiho looked down. "I don't have... I'm just a window, so I'm not really a Gojo. But we are distant cousins."

"Why does that make you not a Gojo?"

She made a face. "What do you mean? Why would a sorcerer family accept non-sorcerers?"

Geto struggled to answer that. "Because you're related, whether you have a cursed technique or not."

"You were scouted," Kiho said quickly, and went back to fixing Geto's kimono.

Geto was getting tired of people pointing that out. Maybe she hadn't grown up around all of this, but sometimes that outsider's perspective helped her see how stupid and messed up everything was.

The door flew open, and Gojo burst in, the second servant right behind her.

"Alright," she said, rubbing her hands together. "What am I wearing tonight?"

"A kimono," Kiho said sternly, directing her toward the edge of the room. "I've already picked it out."

"Kay." Gojo handed Kiho the mystery plastic bag, then escaped toward the mirror where Geto was standing. She stared at Geto over her glasses, eyes wide.

"What is this?" Kiho demanded, sorting through the plastic bag.

"For tomorrow," Gojo answered. Her face lit up with a playful smile, and she reached for the fabric of Geto's kimono. "Hey, beautiful," she said teasingly, "you single?"

"My girlfriend won't like it if you touch me like that," Geto teased right back, pleased to be complimented in an outfit she loved.

Gojo pulled her in by the waist. "Actually, she loves having her hands on you."

"Enough," Kiho snapped, tossing the bag on the floor. "Satoru, I just finished getting the wrinkles out of that. Go put on your own kimono."

Gojo let go and slunk over to the other servant. It didn't escape Geto's notice that she put on gloves before helping Gojo get dressed. As Gojo started taking off her clothes, Geto looked away, not wanting to be impolite. She held still, eyes fixed on the wall, while Kiho started fixing her hair.

"Hey Suguru," Gojo called.

Geto turned cautiously, but thankfully Gojo was already dressed. They'd changed around each other before, but never under the premise of fake dating. Geto was still struggling with why it should feel so awkward now when nothing had really changed.

"Yes?" she answered.

Gojo smiled. "Wanna ditch the event?"

"No," Kiho answered for her.

"We probably shouldn't," Geto agreed.

Gojo groaned. "They don't really need us there. We're all dressed up and pretty, we should be doing something fun!"

"No," Kiho repeated. "If you want to go out, you can go after your appearance tonight."

"That's a good idea." Gojo bent down and grabbed her phone off the floor. "I'm making dinner reservations."

"I can do it," Kiho volunteered, but Gojo was already on the phone. Kiho turned back to Geto, smiling a little as she put a pin in her hair. "She's gotten so independent."

"Yeah," Geto agreed. Her first few months at Jujutsu High, Gojo had struggled to do anything by herself. It was easy to see why, if she had grown up surrounded by servants. But now she could do anything on her own, if she wanted to. More often than not, she still preferred to make other people do things she didn't want to. It could be annoying, but Geto liked to think of it as part of her charm.

When they were both dressed, Kiho directed them to the back door. Someone met them there with a golf cart, and drove the three of them up to the main building where most of the conference would be held. From the sound of it, the first meeting had already started.

"This way," Kiho led. "Quietly."

They followed her around to a door on the side of the meeting room. Geto could hear a man's voice through the thin walls, making introductions and welcoming guests. All of it sounded very formal.

"Stand here," Kiho ordered, setting Gojo and Geto up in front of the door. "Geto, just behind her. You'll walk into the room, stop, everyone will bow, and then you'll sit down. Follow Satoru's lead, just a step behind. Okay?"

"Okay," Geto said, though she was still unclear on what she was supposed to do.

"Glasses," Kiho said.

Gojo hesitantly took off her glasses. Instead of dropping them into Kiho's open hand, she slipped them into one of the folds of her kimono. Kiho didn't protest.

A few minutes later, someone came around and told them it was almost time. Kiho gave Gojo one last glance over, then listened for the cue.

"Now," Geto heard the man inside say, "please rise in welcome of our esteemed host."

"Now," Kiho whispered, and opened the door.

Gojo walked in first, hands folded politely in front of her. Geto followed closely, copying her friend's every move. When Gojo stopped, Geto took her place just behind Gojo's left shoulder. She noticed that they were on a stage, only about two feet off the ground, but above the guests. They were all standing. Then, they all bowed.

"Gojo Satoru," the announcer said. "The Honored One."

Everyone rose again. Slowly, Gojo sank to the stage, sitting on a cushion on the floor. Geto found there was a cushion for her too, so she sat quickly. Everyone else sat back down, and the meeting proceeded. Geto listened, a little confused by all of the protocol and language. It sounded like the announcer was reading words that had been written a thousand years ago, which she supposed was possible.

Gojo looked bored. She was staring at her lap, playing with the hem of her kimono jacket. Geto wanted to whisper to her or reach out and poke her, but she knew that would be inappropriate.

"And now," the announcer said, "please, present your gift to the host."

Gojo lifted her eyes, seeming to pay attention again. One by one, the representatives of each family came to the stage, and offered a gift. Geto could tell that each did so somewhat resentfully.

The Zen'ins went first. They brought a grade one cursed tool, setting it in front of Gojo with a bow. She didn't react, didn't even look at them. Geto couldn't tell if she was supposed to do that, or if she was being rude. Next was the Kamos, who gave her a very old vase. Geto gave it an hour before Gojo broke it. Last was the Gojos. She recognized the two people who approached the stage as Gojo's parents. Gojo's dad caught Geto's eye, and she sucked in a breath. From that withering stare, it was easy to tell that he was not pleased.

"This is our tribute," he said to Gojo. "The Gojo family, your family, presents you with this set of wedding rings. With it, may you find true happiness."

He set a little jewelry box in front of Gojo, then stepped back. Once again, Gojo made no sign that she noticed him. Geto was pretty sure she was the only one who could see Gojo's hands curling into fists at her side.

The meeting continued, and Gojo stopped listening again. It was hard to follow what was happening, so Geto spaced out too. Then, Gojo suddenly stood up, and Geto had to hurry to her feet and follow quickly to avoid being left behind.

"That took forever!" Gojo complained, sliding on her glasses as they met back with Kiho, safely outside.

"You got it over with," Kiho said encouragingly. "I got you a car, so you can leave for dinner whenever you're ready."

"Now!" Gojo grabbed Geto's hand, and dragged her to the front door.

"Have fun!" Kiho called after them.

Chapter Text

The next morning, as she got out of bed, Gojo was very careful not to wake Geto up.

They had stayed out late last night. After dinner, they'd gone to a karaoke club having an under eighteen night and sang their hearts out. When they got bored, they'd wandered around Kyoto until midnight when their driver finally tracked them down. Kiho hadn't scolded them, and Gojo was reminded just how lucky she was that the person handling her this time was someone who actually cared about her.

It was earlier than she needed to be up, but Gojo was fine with that. She liked getting up early and having some time to herself before she started the day, even if it meant losing a bit of sleep.

After a quick walk around the garden and a short workout session, she went back inside to shower and get dressed. By the time she was done, Geto was awake.

"What time is it?" she groaned as she sat up in Gojo's bed.

Gojo sat on the edge of the mattress, and played with Geto's bangs. "Nine. Kiho will be here soon and you'll have to get up."

"How long have you been up?"

"I dunno. Two hours?" Gojo checked her phone. "Yeah."

Just then, the bedroom door opened and Kiho came in. When she saw Geto in Gojo's bed, she raised an eyebrow. Thankfully, she didn't say anything. Gojo didn't want to go through the whole it's-not-what-it-looks-like-and-also-it's-none-of-your-business thing.

Geto got up and showered, while Gojo and Kiho went over the schedule for the day. It was going to be a long one, though thankfully with less ceremony than last night. The gifts had been delivered to Gojo's wing that morning, an unwelcome reminder of just how weird everyone was around her. Although, she'd accidentally knocked the vase off the table, so now it was just the cursed tool, still sealed up, and the rings.

Those stupid rings. It was a matching pair, one meant for a man and one for a woman. Gojo hated her dad. Why did he have to do that? There had to be some way to get revenge.

Gojo walked into the hall, intending to go get the box.

"Satoru," Kiho called after her, "where are you going? We're not done here!"

"I'll be right back," Gojo promised, breaking into a jog.

She found the box, then brought it back to her room. No one was there. She looked around, finally finding them in the dining area. Geto was there, eating carefully while a servant dried her long, silky hair. Gojo froze for a second, imagining the feeling of her own fingers tangled in that dark hair. Then she shook her head, snapping herself out of it. She slammed the box on the table in front of Geto.

"We're wearing these."

Geto frowned. "Aren't those supposed to be wedding rings?"

"Yup."

"So isn't that inappropriate?"

"Sure is." Gojo grinned and opened the box. "Which is your favorite?"

"Hm." Geto looked each one over. "I don't have a preference," she said carefully.

Gojo plucked out the one that was meant to be the more feminine design. "You like this one, don't you?"

"Yeah," Geto admitted.

"It's yours, then." Gojo took out the other one and slid it on her ring finger. It was a little loose. "Hey, Kiho? Can you have someone come fit these for us?"

Kiho nodded and pulled out her phone. Gojo served some food and started eating, pausing when the family jeweler came to fit the rings. Hers had to be taken in quite a bit, but Geto's fit almost perfectly. It was kind of funny in an ironic way, Gojo thought. Just like last night's kimono, the ring for Geto perfectly. The role did, too, and Gojo had no doubt that Geto would make the perfect wife for a family heir. On the other hand, Gojo, who had been born into this, was a constant mess, always feeling confined by the etiquette and rules her family made up to keep her on a pedestal. It wasn't until she'd gone to Jujutsu High and experienced the real world that she'd realized she wasn't the problem.

When they were done eating, they went to get dressed for the day. Geto hadn't picked her outfit yet, so Gojo heckled her and gave unwanted input as she and Kiho sorted through the closet. Geto pretended to be annoyed, but Gojo could tell that her casual attitude was definitely helping to lighten the mood.

Geto settled on another kimono, and Kiho helped her into it. Gojo overheard her saying that this one had also once belonged to the wife of Gojo's predecessor, and was now a family heirloom, preserved for centuries until someone like Gojo popped up again. Gojo laughed to herself a little at the thought of her family storing her Gamecube and Digimon trading cards for the next bearer of both limitless and the six eyes. If there was another one. Gojo didn't plan to have kids, so the likelihood that anyone would ever have her technique again was pretty low. In that case, the family historians would spend a millennia taking care of this house and all its junk for nothing. Now that was funny.

"Satoru, are you getting dressed?" Kiho shot her a pointed look.

"Oh, yeah."

Gojo slipped off her clothes, then grabbed the dress she'd smuggled in yesterday. Kiho had given her an earful about shoving something so nice in a plastic bag, but still managed to get the wrinkles out. Gojo stepped into it, pulling the thin straps over her shoulders. She struggled with the zipper, unable to reach that part of her back with both hands at once. Kiho noticed, and paused what she was doing to come help.

"I can't believe you're wearing this," she muttered as she pulled on a pair of white gloves. "What's your mother going to say?"

"I'll tell her you couldn't stop me," Gojo promised. "Besides, it's just the garden social. It's supposed to be on the casual side."

"It's not," Kiho argued, but she zipped Gojo up anyway.

Another servant went to finish Geto's hair. Then, they met up to compare outfits.

When Geto saw Gojo's dress, her mouth fell open. She shut it quickly, but not so fast that Gojo couldn't tell exactly what she was thinking.

Gojo had bought the dress online, because she liked it and everyone else would hate it. It was pale blue satin, the color only showing in contrast to her skin, with lace flowers running along the sides up to the very low v-neck. The top was held up by spaghetti straps, leaving the back completely open down to her waist. She smoothed the skirt, which hugged her hips before falling loosely to the ground. It fit perfectly.

Geto, by contrast, was wearing a black kimono. Pink flowers rained up the silk in shades of light to dark, interrupted only the matching obi. Gojo had tried that one on once for another event, and remembered it being too short, but on Geto it fit perfectly. Instead of having her hair in a bun like normal, she'd left it down, held back only with a floral pin.

"You look amazing," Gojo said.

"You too," Geto returned, though more carefully.

Kiho came over and glared. "Really? You're okay with this?"

Geto glared right back. "Satoru can wear whatever she likes," she argued.

"You're not worried?"

"No," Geto snapped.

Gojo wished Geto would be a little more jealous, but she didn't pout over it. They were only fake dating, after all.

Gojo slid her glasses back on. "Okay, let's go!"

"No glasses," Kiho reminded her.

"I know," Gojo grumbled, and pulled them off. She set them down, then held out her arm for Geto. "Gotta show off these bad boys," she joked, batting her eyes.

She looped her arm through Geto's and marched away. When they got to the back door, Gojo felt a pit of dread welling up in her chest.

"Can we not do the whole big introduction thing?" she begged Kiho.

Kiho shook her head. "You know how this goes. Do you have infinity on?"

"Oh yeah." Gojo activated her cursed technique, careful not to block out Geto. "Let's get this over with."

Kiho opened the door to the garden, and Gojo walked outside, Geto a step behind her. Everyone in the garden quieted, and she felt all eyes turn to them. She thought about making a stupid joke, but decided against it.

"Gojo Satoru," a servant announced. "The Honored One."

Like last night, everyone bowed. Gojo knew better than to trust the illusion of respect crested by these ceremonies. Most of the people here would kill her if they could, either to take her place, to hurt her family, or just for a little fun. She held tightly to the arm of the only person she knew she could fully trust.

Geto held onto her as they walked into the party. "The Honored One?" she snickered in Gojo's ear. "Again?"

"Right?" Gojo laughed back, glad that Geto thought it was funny too. Her friend hadn’t brought up the title last night, or the fact that Gojo was technically the host for the event, and she had silently feared that Geto didn’t find any of it weird. "Like, yeah I'm special, but no need to make a big deal about it."

"Oh, you're special, are you?"

Gojo gave her a smile. "You know what I mean."

Someone meandered up to them. It took Gojo a second to register him as Zen'in Naoya, the assumed heir of the Zen'in clan. He was around Gojo's age, and fancied himself Gojo's rival. As if they were equals by any measure.

"Naoya," Gojo greeted, intentionally sounding bored. "Didn't recognize you with that ugly haircut."

Naoya sighed. "Charming as ever, Satoru." He glanced around. "My apologies for missing the opening ceremonies. I heard you brought a boyfriend?"

Gojo leaned on Geto and grinned. "Close."

Geto put on a friendly smile. "Geto Suguru. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Naoya cackled. "First you go to that janky school, then you start running missions for them. Now you're dating a girl, and it's Geto Suguru? You don't know when to stop."

"And what do you do?" Geto asked politely.

"Oh." Naoya blinked. "Well, I take care of business for my family."

"The Zen'in family, correct?" When Naoya confirmed, Geto continued. "What kind of business do you handle?"

"Oh, this and that," Naoya sighed.

Gojo shook her head. "He sits at home and does nothing."

"I do not!" Naoya scowled. "I study and exorcize curses, same as you, only I am taught by the finest tutors and strongest Jujutsu sorcerers. My education is simply incomparable to your public school."

Gojo flinched when he spat the last two words. She was about to snap back when Geto responded.

"The educational ratings of Jujutsu High are actually quite good," she said with a calm smile. "The board makes a point of hiring only the most qualified of staff, and many of the most skilled alumni return to teach."

Naoya scrunched his face. "Yeah, well I can use my full cursed technique, and you still can't, Satoru."

Gojo glared back. "I don't need my cursed technique to beat you to a pulp."

"You're too much of a goody two shoes to try!"

"Yeah, well, I have friends." Gojo crossed her arms.

Naoya glared. "Well I don't need friends."

Gojo stuck her tongue out. "Still something I have that you don't."

Geto sighed. "How old are we?"

Naoya turned to her. "Isn't your technique something gross like eating curses?"

"Curse manipulation," Geto corrected patiently.

Gojo threw her arms around Geto's neck. "She's special grade too, you know."

Naoya sneered. "They say that freaks come in packs, after all."

"And losers come to parties alone," Gojo shot back. "You can't make fun of my date if you didn't even bring one."

"My dad knows I don't need help to find a good wife. Yours apparently needs to keep a closer eye on who you're dating."

"Dating Suguru has nothing to do with my dad," Gojo lied.

Naoya shook his head slowly. "The rumors are already getting around, Satoru. The way things are looking, there will be no Gojo clan heir. What will your family do then?"

"Like I'd tell you my plans for when I'm clan head."

"You don't have plans," Naoya guessed.

"I do," Gojo insisted. "My first plan is to take you off the New Year's party guest list."

Naoya actually looked hurt. "You don't even come to the New Year's party."

"Yeah, cause I don't want to see you." Gojo took Geto's arm. "Come on, we've spent enough time talking to this loser. Let's go see what kind of snacks there are."

Gojo dragged Geto away. Thankfully, Naoya didn't follow her. He did sometimes, and Gojo had hidden from him at more than one party.

"New Year's party?" Geto questioned.

"Yeah," Gojo sighed. "Every New Year, my family throws this exclusive rich people party for all their little friends."

"You've never mentioned it."

"I didn't go last year, cause I'd rather spend New Year at school alone than at that stupid boring party. Seriously, it's just a bunch of crusty old conservatives getting drunk and laughing about the people they hurt."

"I would have expected something a little more... glamorous," Geto mused.

"I guess it is," Gojo admitted. "But it's like a lake. Pretty on top, dirty inside."

"Satoru, that's not a real metaphor."

"If I say it enough it'll catch on."

Gojo was about to take something from the food table when Geto stopped her.

"No one else is eating," she pointed out.

"Ugh," Gojo groaned. She melted to the ground, and sat right there in the dirt. "I hate this so much."

Geto hesitated, then grabbed a paper plate and started serving all the things Gojo would want. "Please stand up. It's two days, Satoru. We'll get through it."

Gojo looked up at her. At the faint smile and the sparkle in Geto’s eyes, a realization dawned on her. "Wait a sec. Don't tell me you're enjoying this!"

Geto knelt down gently. "Is it so wrong of me?"

"Yes," Gojo scowled.

"I'm sure this is a very miserable life to live," Geto explained. "But to me, it's like something out of a movie. Believe me, I hate the very principle of all of it, and I'm very glad to be here with you and not someone who believes in all of this junk. But, just for the weekend, I may as well have my pretentious posh person moment. If you can tolerate that?"

Gojo held out her hand, and Geto passed her the paper plate. "Fine," she grumbled through a mouthful of food. "As long as having a childish and annoying girlfriend doesn't get in your way."

"Never," Geto assured her. "Although you should probably find somewhere else to sit. You'll ruin your dress."

"No." Gojo folded her legs under herself. "I'm 'the honored one,' remember? If they're gonna treat me weird like that, I'm gonna do stuff like sit in the way."

Geto glanced around. She stepped away for a second, and Gojo wondered what she was doing. Then, she came back with a small chair. She put it just behind Gojo, then sat down. "I'm not sitting in the dirt. I have dignity."

Gojo scooted back to lean against her legs. "I don't need dignity."

Geto closed her eyes. "Oh Satoru. We're going to talk about that later.

Suddenly, Gojo felt her heart start pounding. She could see the cursed energy of her father nearby, though he wasn't visibly near. "Suguru, can you go get my glasses?" she asked, keeping her voice calm as calm as she could and her tone just a bit lazy. No need to let Geto know something was wrong.

Geto stood up, not even questioning the request. "Of course. I'll be right back."

She hurried away. Gojo could have sent a servant, but she needed Geto to be gone while she talked to her dad.

"Satoru."

Gojo froze at the sound of her dad's voice. She held still, refusing to turn her head to look. If her dad wanted to talk to her, he was going to have to walk over.

Gojo's dad came closer, and stopped so he was standing right over her. Gojo's mom stood just behind him.

"I'll have one of those," her dad told her mom, pointing to the snack table.

She served it for him. "Here you are, dear."

Her dad took a bite, then turned his attention back to Gojo. "I saw something funny yesterday."

"I thought you didn't have a sense of humor." Gojo glared up at him.

Her dad ignored her. "A certain someone brought Geto Suguru to this convention as a date."

"Yeah, that was me," Gojo said simply. "She's my girlfriend. I got a date like you asked, so aren't you happy? I'm happy."

"You know what I meant," her father snapped.

"I know what you said." She did an impression of her dad. "'I don't care who it is as long as you look good together!'"

Her dad looked angry. "You know what I meant, and yet you chose to bring a date that embarrasses not only yourself but our entire family. If you weren't going to bring someone you could marry one day, you should have at least chosen someone who made you look eligible. You have never looked less eligible."

"Yeah, cause I'm taken." She leaned her head on the seat of Geto's chair. "Me and Geto look so good together that no one—"

"Enough of this." Her dad put his hand to his forehead. "Send Geto home. I'll have one of our servants act as your date."

"Mh, no. I did what you said, so I don't get what the big deal is."

"Then let me explain it to you. There are boys at that school of yours, yes?" Her dad didn't wait for her to answer. "You should have brought one of them."

"But I like Geto." Even if they were only fake dating, Gojo would rather be here with her than anyone else.

"You cannot marry a girl," her dad insisted.

Gojo pushed herself to her feet. As she brushed off the dirt, she felt everyone's head turning, and all eyes settling on her. She'd always had a way of calling attention to herself. It came in handy at times like this.

"In two years, who's going to be in charge of all this?"

Gojo's dad glared. He had to tilt his head up, because Gojo was taller than him now. No doubt would this embarrass him in front of all his guests. It was perfect.

Gojo grinned, and pointed to herself. "Me! I am going to be in charge! Not just of the Gojo clan, but of everything." She spread her arms. "It's our family traditions that call me the honored one. Even in my second year of school, I'm already one of the most powerful sorcerers alive. Between me and Geto, well, let's just say if it was us against everyone else here, I'd bet on us."

She heard a few people whispering. This was working out perfectly.

"This is inappropriate to speak about at an event like this," her dad said calmly and quietly.

"You're the one who brought it up." Gojo walked around him, back toward the house. "So if you don't want to talk about it, don't tell me what I can and can't do."

"Satoru, I am merely requesting that you are polite in front of our guests."

Her dad always did this. He could count on Gojo being rude and unprofessional, so he started an argument, and then when other people started listening, he pinned it on her.

"Your guests," Gojo said dismissively. "If it were up to me— and it will be soon— we would be doing actual work, like exorcizing curses, instead of wasting our time on this fancy people crap."

She shot out her foot and kicked over a table of drinks. A few people jumped, surprised. Gojo turned to face her dad again.

"You forced me to come to this," she reminded him. "To you, power like mine is just something to show off. But to me, it's something to change the world with. I'm sorry you can't see that."

She turned around, intending to go inside and find Geto. There at the door was Geto, holding her glasses. She looked stunned.

"Hey," Gojo said softly. She took her glasses and slid them on. "Inside?"

Geto glanced around, taking stock of the situation. Then, she smiled playfully. "Satoru, did you kick over a table?"

"Yes, can we go?"

"Let me," Geto mouthed.

Gojo trusted her, so she took Geto's arm and let her handle this. Gojo was good at getting people to hate her, but Geto was good at getting people to like her. Once again, Gojo felt like they were the perfect pair.

"Please don't make me leave before I greet the hosts," Geto said playfully. She turned her attention to Gojo's parents. "Geto Suguru. I believe we met once before?"

Gojo bit her lip to keep from grinning. Now her dad would have to talk to someone he had no idea how to manipulate. Gojo couldn't wait to watch.

"Ah, I remember." Gojo's dad didn't smile. "You visited with my daughter once. You are a student at Jujutsu High as well, correct?"

"Yes, that's right." Geto kept her friendly smile. "I consider myself very fortunate to be a student there, even if only for the chance to have met Satoru."

Was that true? She said it like it was true, but Gojo couldn't tell. It could just be a lie to outwit her dad. Suddenly, she really wanted to know if it was true.

"I find your appearance here today surprising, so I must ask," her dad said coldly. "What is your interest in my daughter?"

Geto didn't flinch. She glanced at Gojo lovingly, then faced the party again. "Satoru asked me to be her girlfriend, and I just couldn't say no." She smiled like she was absolutely taken with Gojo. "My interest in her is because she is the best person I have ever met."

Her dad was unmoved. "It's a shame you don't come from a reputable Jujutsu family."

Gojo tightened her grip on Geto's arm. That was totally unfair.

"Ah well," Geto shrugged. "I've never had much aspiration for prestige."

"Then what are your aspirations?" her dad quizzed.

Geto kept her head held high. "Simply put, to be the best Jujutsu sorcerer I can be, and to hold to what I know is right." She tilted her head slightly. "I'm happy to discuss my goals at a later date, as I assume you'll want to. I am dating your daughter, after all."

"An excellent suggestion." Gojo could tell how much it hurt her dad to say that. "We'll schedule a private chat?"

"I look forward to it." Geto glanced back to Gojo. "You wanted to go inside?"

Gojo nodded.

"Alright." Geto bowed to Gojo's parents. "Thank you for your hospitality. I'm sure we'll have the chance to talk more over the next two days, but for now I need to see to Satoru. Come on."

She led Gojo back inside. Before the doors closed, Gojo glanced back over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at everyone.

Once they were back in Gojo's room and alone, Geto turned on her. "Don't do that again."

"Do what?" Gojo said, even though she knew what Geto meant. She shrunk down. "Okay, sorry. I just, I didn't want you to have to be there for that. You missed the nasty part."

Geto pulled her into a hug. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I was expecting it."

"That doesn't mean you're okay."

"I am, though." She snuggled into Geto's warmth. "Even if everyone else is awful, I have you."

Gojo expected Geto to hug her even closer, but she went a bit stiff. Maybe someone had told her about the no touching rule? It could be because she was still feeling awkward about fake dating. Either way, Gojo took it as a sign to step back. Geto looked away but Gojo still caught the slightest bit of pink of her cheeks. She remembered Geto's face when she had first seen the dress, then recalled the feeling of Geto's warm palms on her open back.

Oh. Oh. Well.

Gojo smiled to herself, feeling a little smug. She'd always thought of herself as being pretty good looking. Geto had blushed at some of Gojo's outfits before, particularly in the first few months after they'd met, before they knew each other well enough for Geto to know that she didn't actually like Gojo. She just thought Gojo was hot. Apparently, she still did, which was fair, because, in her own opinion, Gojo was hot.

Kiho came in before Gojo could say anything about it. "Before noon," she sighed. "I thought you'd last a little longer."

Gojo shrugged. "Had to happen at some point. It's probably better it was now."

"Oh, your dress is all dirty," Kiho complained. She checked the time. "I think there's time to clean it up before the tournament. Take it off."

Gojo slipped her arms out of the straps, and Geto whipped her face away. Oops. She had to remember that Geto was not comfortable with that. She let the dress fall to the floor, then grabbed a t-shirt and sweatpants.

"Kay," she said, letting Geto know it was okay to look again.

"It's so dirty," Kiho whined as she left with the dress.

"I wish I could put on casual clothes," Geto said.

Gojo laughed at her. "Should have sat in the dirt then."

Geto just rolled her eyes.

"And you're so pretty in that," Gojo added.

It was a simple compliment, but it made Geto blush again. "Shut up," she growled.

"Why? You are."

"Stop."

"You're so beautiful," Gojo continued.

Geto's face was turning all shades of red. "Please stop."

"But you're—"

"Stop," she snapped.

"Sorry," Gojo muttered quickly. "I was just trying to be nice."

"I know, but— don't. Please just stop."

"Okay. Sorry." They looked away from each other. "Maybe we should take a break," Gojo suggested, sensing that Geto might like some time away from her.

"Maybe," Geto agreed.

"Okay." Gojo headed toward the door. "Text me if you need me."

"Yeah." Geto folded her arms against her body. "See you later."

Gojo closed the door behind her, then took a deep breath, trying to keep herself from crying. It was fine. Everything was fine. Whatever happened with her dad, it didn't matter. And when she came back to Geto, everything would be normal again.

Chapter Text

Geto couldn't stop thinking about Gojo.

She was split between worrying about her friend having what was probably one of the worst weekends of the past year, and remembering that awful dress. Whatever Gojo's dad had said, it had shaken her more than she would admit. Geto guessed it was something along the lines of "you were supposed to date a man," which was a horrible thing to say, especially in front of everyone there. Then there was all the ceremony stuff that Geto just knew Gojo felt confined by. If that wasn't bad enough, Geto had spotted the Zen'in boy, Naoya, staring at Gojo's chest the entire time. Disgusting.

She sighed. Apparently, she wasn't much better. As much as she hated that dress, it kept drawing her eyes right to Gojo, to her bare shoulders and back, then to her chest, and then Geto felt ashamed and looked down, and then she saw the skirt spilling over Gojo's stomach and hips, and then she had to look away because for some reason she could not manage to look at her best friend and not... think of her like that! What was wrong with her?

Geto paced around Gojo's room, frustrated. She was over her crush. She was done liking Gojo. Honestly, dating Gojo sounded like a nightmare, and so far it had been. She didn't want to do it for real. And yet, here she was, thinking about it. She groaned. Why did Gojo have to be so pretty? 

No, Gojo could dress however she wanted. If she wanted to show off her body, that should be none of Geto’s business. But knowing that didn’t help.

Geto sat down, and forced herself to remember back to their first year, to the day she had decided she didn’t like Gojo anymore. That would definitely help.

~

Gojo lay flat on her back, arms and legs spread to the sides, her long white hair splayed behind her head, like the moon had landed on the carpet and she was using it as a pillow.

"I'm bored."

Geto set down her pencil and shoved her homework aside with no hesitation. "Then let's do something."

"Not that kind of bored."

Frustrated, Geto went back to her homework. Gojo had been extra difficult ever since their New Year break. Geto couldn't guess the reason, other than Gojo feeling more comfortable around her or something, but she was starting to really get annoyed.

"Do homework then," she suggested.

"I don't feel like doing anything," Gojo whined, "but I'm still bored."

Geto fought the urge to go over and help. No matter how much she did for Gojo, Gojo never returned any of it. Geto didn't need or want an exact return, but she did wish that Gojo would at least show some appreciation.

Well, what Geto really wanted was for Gojo to like her back.

"Hey," Gojo said, sitting up suddenly. "Can I borrow your scissors?"

"Sure." Geto handed them over, glad her friend had found something to do on her own. "Do you want some paper?"

"Oh, yeah. Thanks."

Gojo accepted the paper, too, and set in on the floor next to her. To Geto's horror, she grabbed a chunk of her hair, held it between the open scissor blades, and chopped it off.

"Satoru!" Geto cried.

Gojo laughed, and kept cutting. When she was done, her hair looked terrible, but she just laughed wildly and flopped back on the floor.

Later, Shoko convinced her to get it trimmed professionally. Thus began the era of short hair Gojo.

~

It wasn't the haircut that had made Geto stop liking her; she was actually cuter with short hair. It was how she acted. If she wanted to be reckless and rude and pushy, that was fine with Geto. There were plenty of good things about her too that Geto appreciated. She just didn't want to date someone who acted like that, so her feelings had faded away. Or so she thought.

Gojo came back sooner than Geto was expecting, once again wearing that dress.

"Hey," she said cautiously. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Geto said, careful not to look at her.

Gojo came over and sat on the bed. "We're talking about this," she said firmly. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Geto was not going to admit that she found Gojo attractive. Not while they were fake dating. It felt like a betrayal of Gojo's trust.

"Is it the dress?" Gojo asked carefully, almost teasing, but clearly trying to be serious as to not hurt Geto's feelings.

"Sorry," Geto breathed, feeling caught.

"Don't be." Gojo shifted so she was in Geto's line of sight. "I know it kinda shows a lot. I don’t mind if you stare."

"I shouldn't," Geto argued.

"Ah, why not?" Gojo smiled, the light catching in her eyes. "It's you, Suguru. Stare if you want."

Geto rubbed a hand down her face. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Nothing's wrong," Gojo argued, definitely teasing now. "It's right to think I'm hot."

"You're so full of yourself," Geto grumbled.

"Seriously, though." Gojo tilted her head. "It's okay if you like me. I don't mind."

"I don't," Geto said quickly. "I don't like you that way."

Gojo tilted her head farther, frowning now.

"Which is why it feels so messed up."

Gojo nodded slowly. "Got it." She stood up, stretching her arms. "Well, that sounds like a lot for you to work through, but don't worry about me. Seriously, I'm good with it."

Geto let out a breath, then smiled. She should have known that Gojo would be nice about this.

"Don't forget to appreciate how beautiful I am," Gojo said playfully, putting her hands on her hips. "But smack anyone else who looks! You're supposed to be my jealous girlfriend, remember?"

"Got it," Geto laughed.

"Now come on. It's almost time for the tournament, and Kiho's looking for us."

Geto laughed nervously as she followed Gojo to the door. "The what?"

"The tournament. Every year, when the big three families get together, everyone participates in a tournament to decide who's the strongest!" She laughed. "It's so stupid."

"No one told me about this," Geto said, feeling a little panicked.

They ran into Kiho, who scolded Gojo for disappearing. Gojo apologized, though she did not sound like she meant it.

"It's fine," Kiho sighed. "Alright, back to the main building with you two. The tournament's in the training grounds over there."

On the golf cart ride over, Geto expressed her concern. "I wasn't expecting to fight anyone today," she said timidly.

"We're not fighting," Gojo promised.

"Don't worry," Kiho assured her. "If you're expected to do something, I'll let you know well ahead of time."

"Oh." Geto felt relieved, but also a bit embarrassed for not knowing that, like she had about a couple other things this weekend. A lot of other things, really. "Satoru, you're not entering either? You would win."

"Yeah, and everyone knows that." She looked away. "It wouldn't be fun if I showed up and won every year, huh?"

Geto didn't think that was fair. "If you want to enter, you should."

"Nah, I'd rather sit with you and laugh at everyone." She turned back, smiling. Geto was about to look away to hide her blush, then remembered what they'd talked about and let herself stare right into Gojo’s bright and beautiful grin.

It wasn't fair, though. Geto knew Gojo, and she knew that her friend would absolutely love entering the tournament and destroying everyone every year. It was just like the exchange event at school, when Gojo had to promise not to use her cursed technique so it would be "fair" for the other students. It had made Geto mad back then, too. So what if everyone was weaker? It wasn't Gojo's fault she was the strongest, and expecting her to give anything but her best was what was really unfair. They should learn to tolerate losing, if it meant that Gojo could be included. But that was just Geto's opinion, and no one else seemed to want to hear it.

Gojo and Geto were seated in a place of honor, by themselves in a shaded box with the best view of the arena. It was kind of funny, because Geto suspected that, of everyone there, they cared the least about the tournament.

For the first part, they chatted normally, mostly ignoring the fights. Every once in a while, Gojo would stop Geto and say, "wait, watch this. They're gonna activate their technique." Then something cool would happen, and they would go back to not caring.

Gojo was in the middle of explaining a movie she wanted to go see when she paused and turned back to the arena, a grin on her face.

"Oh, this is gonna be good. Let's watch this one."

"Who is it?" Geto asked.

"Zen'in Naoya," she answered. "Versus my mom."

Geto looked out into the arena and saw Naoya, who she recognized from that morning, squaring up against a tall, buff woman she barely recognized as Gojo's mother. "What's your mom's cursed technique?"

"She's New Shadow School," Gojo said, still grinning. "First ever to be allowed to marry in to the Gojos."

"What's Naoya's?"

"Some anime thing. Doesn't matter."

Geto shook her head. She would have to see for herself.

The fight began. Naoya made the first move, but Gojo's mom deflected it with a simple domain. She unsheathed her sword, drawing a bloody line up Naoya's side, and the fight was over. Someone came and led Naoya away.

"Is she going to win the tournament?" Geto wondered.

"Probably not. That would be fun, though."

A few fights later, Gojo's mom was eliminated. Gojo said her opponent was the head of the Kamo clan, so it wasn’t unexpected.

"She did pretty well," Geto said anyway.

"Yeah," Gojo agreed. She laughed. "Better than my dad, as usual."

After a few minutes, there was a tap on the edge of their box, before Gojo's mom stepped in. Unlike last night, she was dressed casually in a tank top and leggings, a sword hanging by her side.

"Satoru," she greeted sternly.

Gojo gulped. "Hi, Mom," she squeaked, seeming uncertain of how she should act.

Gojo's mom sat down. "I see you're still wearing that awful thing. Aren't you cold?"

Gojo frowned. "Not really."

Her mom shook her head. "To think Kiho would let you—"

"Stop blaming things on Kiho," Gojo snapped. "If you're just here to judge my fashion choice, then go."

Geto was starting to get a pretty good picture of why Gojo was weird about her family. She was proud of them, and she looked up to her parents— well, her mom— but they did nothing but judge and look down on her. Geto suspected that they would do the same even if Gojo acted perfectly how they wanted her to.

Gojo's mom glared. "I was going to apologize for your father."

"He can apologize for himself," Gojo argued.

"Please don't be difficult."

"I'm not being difficult. Everyone else is being difficult."

Her mom threw up her hands. "I'm leaving."

Gojo sighed. "Wait, hold on."

"What?" her mom demanded.

Gojo sat up. "Mom, this is Suguru, my girlfriend. Suguru, this is my mom. I think you met before, but now you've met officially as my mom and my girlfriend."

"It's a pleasure," Geto said quickly.

Gojo's mom took a deep breath, then smiled. "Hello, Suguru. I'm sorry about all of the disagreements at your expense. I hope you've felt comfortable in your time here."

"I have, thank you," Geto assured her, despite having felt out of place the entire weekend. "Everyone has been very gracious."

"Good." Gojo's mom stood up. "Satoru, I am sorry. We can discuss it later, if you'd like. And... your dress is nice. But please put on a sweater before dinner."

Gojo stuck out her tongue. "No. But, thanks, Mom."

Her mom gave them each one last look before leaving.

Gojo turned back to the fights. "Looks like the last one, huh?"

Geto wasn't quite ready to change the subject. "Do you get along with your mom?"

"Off and on." Gojo leaned on the edge of the box, her cheek pressing into her folded arms. "Like, she loves me and everything. But I think she never wanted to have kids."

"Was she forced to?"

"'Forced' is a strong word. It's more like she was expected to."

"She and your dad seem pretty different."

Gojo agreed. "I mean, she only married him cause, you know."

"He was the Gojo clan heir?"

"No, there were heirs ahead of him." She sat back up. "My dad wasn't named heir until I was born. In the Gojo clan, having a kid with six eyes and limitless is like winning. Suddenly, you're the most powerful."

"That was after they were married, though," Geto guessed.

Gojo nodded. "My mom was from a non-sorcerer family, and she didn't have a technique, but she was strong. She got to grade one in her first year at Jujutsu High, but," she shrugged. "You can get powerful as a sorcerer, and kill lots of curses, but political power is something you're born with or you marry into."

"Your mom married your dad for power," Geto repeated, just to clarify.

"Yup. And for a while, she was the most powerful woman in the Jujutsu world. And then," Gojo paused and made an exploding noise with her mouth, copying by opening her fist suddenly. "I was born."

"And you're more powerful," Geto finished.

"Sure, but also, she wasn't really herself anymore. She was just the, like, golden hen or whatever. The lucky wife who had the lucky baby."

"That's really sad."

"Yeah."

The fight finished, and the winner of the year was announced to be Zen'in Naobito, head of the Zen'in clan.

"Ugh," Gojo groaned. "He wins every year! Like, seriously, if you're gonna ban me, ban him too."

"Mhm," Geto nodded, because she had been about to make the same point.

As they were leaving the arena, Gojo ranted about how annoying it was that Naobito got to compete and she didn't. Geto agreed at every point. Then, Gojo suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"You know you can't sneak up on me," she said plainly.

Geto glanced back, and jumped. Naoya Zen'in was standing just inches behind them, a sneer already on his face.

Gojo turned around, too. "Get lost, Zen'in. My mom sliced you real good, so shouldn't you be with the nurse?"

"Oh, it was just a scratch." Naoya waved it off. "Early in the tournament, too, before I got to show off. Pity."

"Oh yeah, real pity," Gojo agreed more sarcastically than Geto had thought was humanly possible.

"You know," Naoya pressed on, "it's too bad you don't get to compete. I think we could all benefit from fighting someone of your power."

Gojo blinked. "Really?"

Geto grabbed her arm. "Okay, let's go," she urged, before this could take the direction she was expecting it to.

"I'd be happy to fight you sometime," Naoya volunteered.

"No thanks," Geto answered for her. "Come on, Satoru."

She dragged Gojo away.

"I wanted to beat him up," Gojo complained when they were back in her house.

"You told me to play the role of jealous girlfriend," Geto reminded her. She waited as Gojo processed, hoping she would figure out on her own what Geto was implying.

"What? Yeah, but—" Gojo stopped short, her eyes going wide as she realized. "Naoya likes me! The Zen'in slime has a little crush on me!"

She cackled, and jumped up and down in a circle.

"Oh, wow, that's pathetic!" She ran to the window, probably looking for a glimpse of Naoya. "As if he has a chance with me. Wait, does he seriously like me?"

Geto sighed. This was probably not good for Gojo's ego. "He at least likes the idea of dating you. It might just be for status, though."

"How long has he liked me?" Gojo wondered as she paced over to another window. "Do you think his family put him up to it?"

"I don't know," Geto sighed. "You don't... you don't like him back, do you?" The suggestion was laughable, but she figured it was safer to entertain the possibility than to be surprised later.

Gojo pretended to throw up. "If I ever say I do, I need you to kill me. Seriously, Suguru. That's how you'll know I'm too far gone."

Geto had no intention of ever killing Gojo. "Can we do something fun?" she begged.

Gojo walked back over. "Sure. We could play games in my room?"

That sounded perfect, so Geto agreed.

That evening was the formal dinner, which, to Gojo, meant that the long, horrible weekend was almost over.

"This is where most of the politics actually happens," she explained to Geto, who she was forcing to play Pikmin on the Gamecube. Well, she had forced her to start. Geto was definitely enjoying it.

"I see."

"Which gets annoying," Gojo warned. "You're gonna hate having to sit there and not say anything."

"Why can't I say anything?"

"Cause you're not... Suguru." Gojo didn't want to have to explain.

"Because I'm not a Gojo, Zen'in, or Kamo," Geto finished for her. "Do you get to contribute?"

"Not really," Gojo assured her. "It's more like the clan heads say stuff and everyone else has to agree."

"That's stupid."

"Oh yeah," Gojo laughed. "So stupid. Man, I hate this place. Can we ditch?" She laid down on the floor.

Geto paused the game and crawled over to her. "What's tomorrow morning?"

"Just the goodbye ceremony. Why?"

Geto smiled. "We'll do our best at dinner, then we'll get the train back to Tokyo. Tonight."

Gojo sat up. "Yes! I'll get tickets."

She called the station and ordered them while Geto finished her level. When they were done, they met back up.

"Tonight's our chance to go all out," Gojo said. "To really annoy my dad, and make everyone uncomfortable."

"Oh, no," Geto breathed. "Okay, what's the plan?"

"I don't have one," Gojo admitted. "Any ideas?"

Geto looked thoughtful. "You could talk," she suggested. "Give your input in the meetings."

"That's not really what I had in mind," Gojo said. "I thought, like, you know. With us."

Geto frowned. "Oh. We could... kiss?"

Gojo thought about kissing Geto, and suddenly felt warm. "Yeah, that's a good idea." She glanced around. "We probably shouldn't have our first kiss at the dinner, though. Wanna try it out right now?"

"That's a good idea," Geto agreed carefully.

She scooted closer, shifting onto her knees. Gojo waited expectantly as Geto cupped her hand to Gojo's cheek, holding her face close. She hesitated, then kissed Gojo softly.

"That was perfect," Gojo breathed.

Geto smiled. "Good."

She went back to the Gamecube, leaving Gojo limp on the floor. She stared at Geto, dark hair curled over her shoulder, a small part of her starting to wish that this wasn't just for show.

Oh. Oh. Oh no.

Gojo had always thought Geto was beautiful, but it had taken her a while to realize that what she loved was the more subtle things, the things she hadn't noticed until she'd really gotten to know Geto. Like how much she cared about doing the right thing. Or how smoothly she handled any awkward situation. And yeah, Geto was attractive. Gojo had always thought that. But she hadn't really felt that attraction until... no, it was a few weeks ago. It had been coming on slowly. This wasn't new, it was just new to her.

Only now did Gojo realize: she liked Geto. She like liked Geto. A lot. Badly.

Shoot. It was fine. That was fine, right? Geto kind of liked Gojo, too. Well, she thought Gojo was hot. That could turn into... whatever Gojo was feeling. Right? They were already fake dating, which could become real dating. Easily. No problem. All Gojo had to do was act normal until Geto started like liking her back. Simple. Easy peasy. No problem. Right?

Geto glanced over her shoulder, smiling, and Gojo's chest did that little jumpy thing it always did, except that now she knew it was because she was in love with Geto. "You're awfully quiet back there," Geto said teasingly.

"Just thinking." Gojo tried to sound casual.

"About what?"

Gojo shook her head. "Nothing important. Your pikmen are walking off a cliff."

Geto snapped back to the game, and started pounding on the controller, desperate to save as many as she could. Gojo cackled at her. With the shock of her revelation wearing off, she remembered that this was her best friend, and no matter what, she and Geto would always be together. Whatever happened, whether they started dating for real or not, it would be okay. She rubbed the ring around her finger, and that helped her calm down a little.

Kiho came to get them in time to help them get dressed again. Soon, Geto was back in her kimono, and Gojo was back in her "terrible," according to everyone else, blue dress. What they meant when they called it terrible was immodest. Gojo didn’t care what they thought, and she liked showing off her body sometimes. She thought the dress was pretty, she felt confident and comfortable in it, and she liked how it made Geto stare at her. So it was fine.

Oh no! She'd bought the dress because she knew Geto would see her in it! Wow, this was worse than she'd thought.

It seemed like something was wrong that evening. Kiho made Gojo and Geto wait in a private room in the main estate for almost an hour, running in and out, but never bringing updates.

"Go see what's wrong," Gojo said.

Geto glared. "You go see what's wrong."

"I don't want to."

"Why would I want to?" she argued, which Gojo thought was a good point.

Eventually, Kiho came back and told them what was happening.

"Satoru," she panted, out of breath from running around, "no one can find your parents."

Gojo felt everything get quiet around her, the only noise becoming her own breathing and her pounding heart. "What?" she mouthed.

She must have said it out loud, because Kiho answered. "Your parents, Satoru. They're missing. You have to run the dinner."

"No." Gojo shook her head. "No, I have to look for them."

"There are already dozens of people looking," Kiho promised.

"But I can find them." Gojo knew she could. She was the best sorcerer alive at tracking people.

"No," Kiho protested. "You need to lead the dinner. We'll find your parents."

"No." Gojo pushed past her. "No, no, I'm going to look."

She didn't need the Six Eyes to know that Geto was right behind her as she ran right out of the building into the darkness of the late fall evening.

"Okay," she muttered, rubbing her arms. Maybe her mom had been right about a sweater. "Where to start?"

Geto took off her kimono jacket and draped it over Gojo's shoulders, instantly warming her. "What's the last place you knew they were?"

"The tournament," Gojo said with a frown. "That was hours ago. Oh! They were using cursed energy there. I can track the residuals."

They would be too weak for a normal sorcerer to see by now, but no problem for the Six Eyes. She sprinted toward the main training ground, holding her dress above her knees. It covered her shoes, so she was just wearing sneakers. Lucky. Geto was wearing sandals, but she managed to keep up.

Gojo found her mom's residuals, the stronger of the two, and tracked them back into the house where her parents lived. She followed them around and around, until they met up with her dad's, before heading out the back door.

"They went into the woods," she reported.

"I need better shoes," Geto complained. She kicked off her sandals and shoved on a random pair of running shoes that probably belonged to Gojo’s mom. "Okay, I'm good."

They took off into the woods.

"This way," Gojo said, taking Geto's hand. It was dark, and she didn't want to get separated. She hoped her parents hadn't gotten separated.

"The residuals are still there?" Geto asked, ducking under a branch.

"Sure are. Faintly, but yeah. This is definitely the right way."

"I'm glad you can see," she grumbled after a close pass with another tree.

Gojo held her hand a little tighter. She forgot, sometimes, that the dark made it hard for everyone else to see. That was probably all that had happened. Her parents had gone for a walk, then gotten lost in the dark.

They ran through the forest for what felt like forever. Gojo paused to check the time, and found that it had only been twenty minutes.

"We're getting close," she reported. "The cursed energy from their residuals is getting stronger."

"Good."

It turned out they weren't all that close, because it was another half an hour until Gojo saw the cursed energy of her parents just up ahead.

"I see them! We found them!"

She dragged Geto faster, desperate to get to them. When she was finally close enough they could see her too, relief swelled in her heart. They were alive, and they looked relatively okay.

"Satoru," her mom gasped. "I have never been so glad to see anyone."

"You're okay." Gojo smiled. "But, uh, what are you doing out here?"

"We went for a walk," her dad explained. "Your mom twisted her ankle."

"And you're too weak to carry her back," Gojo finished for him.

Geto checked her phone. "And there's no cell service. What's the plan, then?"

Gojo bent down in front of her mom. "I'll carry Mom back."

Geto glanced over her shoulder, back in the direction they had come. "It’s too far. I'll leave a cursed spirit to mark where they are, and we'll go get help."

"It's faster if I carry her," Gojo insisted. "It's not like we could get a car out here anyway. Someone has to carry her."

Geto shook her head. "Not you. Wait, I have an idea." She held out her hand, a black circle forming. A cursed spirit about the size and approximately the shape of a horse appeared. "There."

"Nice." Gojo scooped up her mom and set her on top before she could protest. "Good thinking."

If there was one thing she could count on, it was for Geto to keep a clear head.

Going back was slower, but they could take a more direct path since they didn't have to follow the residuals. Before they got back to cell service, they came across a member of the search party, who radioed in that they had been found. Gojo's mom made it safely to the family doctor, and that was that.

"So what now?" Gojo asked Kiho, back in her wing of the estate.

Kiho said something into her radio, then answered Gojo. "Now the dinner goes on as planned. Well, three hours late." She scanned Gojo. "Your dress is muddy."

"But I saved the day."

"Please change."

Gojo scowled. "I'm wearing this."

Kiho sighed for like the millionth time that day. "Can you at least let me rinse it?"

"Fine."

Gojo took off the dress so it could be washed out. By the time it dried, the dinner was another half hour late.

"We're going to miss our train," Geto muttered.

Gojo bit her lip. "I guess we could skip dinner?"

"Is there a later train?"

She shook her head. "That was the last one."

Geto brushed her bangs to the side. "So we can skip the dinner, or we can go home tomorrow."

"Hm." Gojo tapped her finger to her lips thoughtfully. "Skip dinner," she decided. "But let me leave a note."

Geto waited while Gojo scribbled her note:

Dear guests,

Thank you all for invading my home for what has been one of the worst weekends of my life (so far). These past two days, I have endured homophobia and sexism. Seriously, think before you speak. All that aside, I truly enjoyed getting to play the hero this evening. Thank you to my one true love, Geto Suguru, for helping me save my parents while everyone else was floundering around in the dark. I hope the rest of you have a fantastic evening eating food that's so fancy it doesn't actually taste good and listening to three old guys make rules that don't apply to them. See you all in three years when it's finally my turn to run the show >:)

Gojo Satoru

PS— Naoya, it's not happening. You need to get over me ;)

She showed the note to Geto, who looked more and more concerned the further she read.

"Are you sure?"

"Yup." Gojo folded it, and handed it to a passing servant. "Can you have my dad read this at dinner, please?"

The servant nodded and hurried away.

Gojo held out her arm. "Shall we?"

Geto took it. "Let's change first."

"Aw, you don't want to ride the train in an heirloom kimono?"

Geto gave her a sly smile. "I like my other outfit too much to leave here."

They changed quickly, and escaped out into the night. Gojo brought her own sweater this time, although she had contemplated leaving it so Geto would share her jacket again. That was too mean, though, since Geto would be cold without one.

They made it to their train, then back to Jujutsu High safe and sound.

"What an adventure," Geto yawned. "I'm so tired."

"Me too." Gojo rubbed her eyes. "I'm glad we didn't go to that dinner."

Geto agreed. "Although that means our practice kiss was for nothing."

"Not if we kiss again," Gojo joked.

Geto laughed. "True. Well, good night."

She went into her dorm room, leaving Gojo alone in the hall. Gojo checked the time to find it was almost three in the morning. She glanced around, and realized she should probably go to bed too.

It was hard to sleep, though, thinking about everything that had happened in just one day, and she laid awake for another hour, mostly thinking about Geto.

She was in love with Geto.

Chapter Text

The next day at lunch, Geto gave Shoko a full recap. Well, almost. She left out the part about that stupid dress.

"Sounds stressful," Shoko said.

Geto scowled. "That's all you have to say?"

Shoko shrugged. "What do you want me to say? Poor you? You wanted to date Satoru, don't forget that."

Geto didn't want to date Gojo, but of course she couldn't say that. "Oh well. It's over now."

Shoko just laughed.

"What?" Geto demanded.

"Nothing. Hey, you and Satoru don't have plans for Thursday yet, do you?"

Geto frowned. "No. Why?"

Shoko glanced around. "Nanami and I are planning a surprise party," she said quietly. "Wanna help?"

"Sure?" Geto glanced around too. "For who?"

"Your girlfriend, stupid."

Geto frowned. "Satoru? Why?"

"It's the seventh. Of December." At Geto's still blank look, Shoko sighed. "Satoru's birthday!"

Geto's eyes went wide. "This Thursday?" She checked the date on her phone. "Shoot. I don't have a gift."

"Well, get one!"

"I barely have any time," she complained. 

"What did you get her last year?"

Geto winced. Last year, she was deep in the throes of her crush on Gojo, so she'd knitted her a sweater by hand. It was hideous, and probably itchy, but Gojo had worn it every day until it unraveled.

"It has to be better than last year," Geto said. "We're dating now."

Shoko snapped her fingers. "The sweater! Oh, she loved that. You should make another one, especially since you've gotten so much better."

"I don't have time." Geto buried her face in her hands. She'd been so distracted by the fake dating scheme that she'd completely forgotten about Gojo's birthday, which was exactly what she had worried would happen. They started fake dating, and it hurt their friendship.

At least it would be over soon.

"I'll go shopping," she decided. "Maybe she'd like..." she drew a blank.

"She probably just wants something that makes her think of you," Shoko suggested.

Geto nodded. "I'll think about it."

Shoko moved on, explaining some of the details for the surprise party. Apparently they'd managed to get Yaga in on it, so they had the day off from class. They were going to tell Gojo that they had a mission, then drive down to the beach and meet up with Utahime, Nanami, and Haibara.

"Satoru will love that," Geto confirmed.

Shoko smiled. "Of course she will, especially if you're there. But I do need your help."

"Okay," Geto agreed hesitantly.

"Steal her beach stuff," Shoko requested. "Her swimsuit, sunscreen, towel, everything. Cause, you know. She won't know she needs it."

"It's December," Geto pointed out. "It's a little cold to be swimming."

Shoko laughed. "Is that gonna stop Satoru?"

Geto chuckled along. "No, probably not."

The rest of the details were already planned. Haibara was in charge of food. Utahime was making a playlist. Nanami had organized a ride from an assistant manager. Everyone had chipped in a little on the cost, and Geto volunteered to do the same. They would usually make Gojo pay, and she always did so happily, but that didn't really work for her birthday party.

"So all you need me to do is get Satoru's swim stuff," Geto clarified.

"And keep her from being suspicious."

"I can do that." It shouldn't be hard, either. Gojo could be as dense as a brick when it came to things like this. Then again, she also had an uncanny ability to ruin people's plans.

As if on cue, Gojo came over and sat down with them. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.

Geto smiled warmly. "I was telling Shoko about our weekend." That was true, technically, if you ignored the second half of the conversation.

"Did you show her our rings?" Gojo asked.

Shoko frowned. "Did you get engaged?"

"No," Geto said quickly. "Satoru's family gave her a set of rings, and she gave me one."

"Mostly to annoy my dad." Gojo held out her hand so Shoko could see. "It's just for fun, not an engagement ring or a promise ring or anything. I mean, come on, we've been dating a week!"

"If anyone I know got engaged after a week of a high school relationship, it would be you," Shoko said, which earned her a glare from Gojo.

Geto fished her own ring out of her pocket. She felt little weird wearing it, but wanted to have it on her. It made her feel connected to Gojo, even if not romantically. She showed it to Shoko.

"Suguru's is prettier," Shoko decided.

Gojo snatched her hand away. "Rude." She stood up. "Well, I've got stuff to do. Bye!" She kissed the top of Geto's head, then left.

Shoko let out a breath. "That was close."

Geto just laughed. "I have to do some homework," she said, excusing herself. "I'll see you later."

"Don't forget the swimsuit," Shoko reminded her.

Geto responded with a thumbs up before heading up to her dorm.

Never before had Gojo been excited for her birthday.

For most of her life, her birthday had been another occasion for the clan elders to get together for a fancy dinner and tell her all the things she was supposed to do with her life. Then they started talking about business and it wasn't about her at all anymore. The most she got from her parents was a "happy birthday," and a gift that her dad's secretary had probably bought. Gojo didn't mean to be ungrateful, but gifts were sort of meaningless when they were department store junk from one bottomless credit card holder to another.

Her classmates, on the other hand, were awesome at celebrating birthdays. Last year, Yaga had brought cupcakes to class and they had a party instead of a lecture. Shoko gave her the dvd for Howl's Moving Castle, which they watched at the party, and Geto gave her a sweater she had made herself. Gojo loved that sweater, and she wore it until it started unraveling and Geto told her that if she wore it again it would fall apart. She still had it, though, safe in a box under her bed. Sometimes she took it out to feel it. That was the kind of gift Gojo liked: one that said, "I know you well enough to know that you will enjoy this," or one that made her think of her friends whenever she saw it.

The morning of her birthday, Gojo jumped right out of bed. She could feel that her classmates were planning something fun. For Shoko's birthday, they had set up a club in the gym, and Gojo had paid off Mei Mei to smuggle in some alcohol. Shoko had loved it. Today, Gojo was expecting something similar, or at least on that level. Maybe even bigger! Whatever the plan was, her friends would definitely go all out.

She got dressed quickly, then went to go wake Geto up.

"Suguru!" she cried as she threw open her friend's thankfully unlocked dorm room door. "Wake up! It's my birthday!"

Geto groaned and rolled over. "Good morning," she grumbled.

Gojo walked to the edge of her bed. "It's my birthday," she repeated. "Come on, get up!"

"Not yet," Geto pleaded. She scooted over and patted the edge of the bed. "You can lay down but I'm not getting up yet."

"Sure." Gojo climbed in, tucking herself under the sheets. "So, what are you planning for today?"

Geto frowned. "What am I planning? What do you mean?"

"For my birthday," Gojo reminded her. "Don't try to tell me you didn't plan anything."

"I didn't," Geto said. It sounded like the truth, but Gojo knew better.

"Oh, I see. Did Shoko plan everything? Come on, tell me what we're doing."

Geto closed her eyes and pulled the blanket back over her shoulder. "It's your birthday. If you wanted plans, you should have made some."

"Last year you guys planned a party."

"Not every year's the same," Geto argued.

"We planned a party for Shoko," Gojo reminded her.

"That doesn't automatically mean you get one too."

Gojo grinned, and poked her. "I think you did plan something and you're trying to keep it a surprise."

"Don't poke me."

Gojo shook her gently. "Get up!" Then, she climbed out of Geto's bed and headed down to the cafeteria. A few people stopped her to say happy birthday, which was nice.

Geto met her there not too much later.

"Happy birthday," she said warmly, pulling Gojo into a hug.

Once Geto had gotten some food, she sat down next to Gojo.

"Okay, what's the plan for today?" Gojo whispered.

Geto shot her a look. "Satoru."

"No, not that," Gojo corrected herself. "The fake dating plan!"

It had gotten a little easier after the conference. Everyone at Jujutsu High knew they were dating, so all they had to do was go about their business like normal, being sure to refer to each other as girlfriends and greeting each other with a hug or a kiss on the cheek, and other stuff like that. Today was a special day, though, so they would need to do something special.

Geto nodded. "I see. Well, I don't think we'll need to put on too much of a show."

"Because you would treat me special on my birthday anyway," Gojo guessed.

Geto just rolled her eyes. "We could... plan a kiss?"

"A birthday kiss!" Gojo cheered. She wanted one of those, even if it was just for show. "Okay, perfect. Whenever you think it's the right time, go for it."

"Alright," Geto agreed.

When it was time for class, Gojo practically bounced there. She knew they were planning something, she just knew!

"Good morning," Yaga greeted them when they had all taken their seats. "And happy birthday, Gojo."

"Thanks!" Gojo grinned.

Yaga folded his arms. "Instead of a lesson today, we have a change of plans. You've been requested for an assignment last minute. It's a bit of a drive, but I expect you'll make quick work of the curse once you arrive."

Gojo managed to stay in her seat, but she was vibrating with excitement. They were driving somewhere! Whatever her friends had planned for her birthday, it was somewhere fun! Yaga went on to describe a few probably made up details about what they were doing, then dismissed them.

"I'm so excited!" Gojo cheered as she ran to the garage, her classmates sprinting to keep up with her. "Where are we going? Somewhere in Tokyo? Oh, are we going to Disneyland?"

"We're going on a mission," Geto reminded her with a laugh.

Gojo jumped in the back seat of the car, startling the assistant manager in the driver's seat. "Yeah, right. This is all a cover for my birthday party."

"You're going to be disappointed," Shoko sang as she climbed in the front seat.

Geto got in next to Gojo. "Please stop speculating, Satoru."

"But it's fun," Gojo said.

She knew they weren't going on a mission. She didn't know how, exactly, but she knew. So when their car, a very chaotic hour later, pulled up to the beach, she wasn't really surprised.

"The beach!" she cheered, pulling both Shoko and Geto into a hug. "This is the best birthday ever! I knew we weren't going on a mission!"

Shoko shoved her off. "Nothing is ever going to be a surprise for you if you're always so nosey."

Geto ducked out from under her arm and opened the trunk. "It's not really a surprise party if you guess we're having it."

Gojo didn't care if it was a surprise. She was just happy her friends had planned something, and even happier it was a huge beach trip.

Nanami, Haibara, and Utahime met up with them not too much later. They got the picnic stuff out of the back of the car and found a spot on the beach to set up. It was pretty cold, but that wasn't going to stop Gojo from getting in the water.

"I wish I brought my swim stuff," she lamented.

To her delight, Geto handed her the bag she always left her swim suit in. "It was still packed from summer," she said with a knowing smile.

"You're the best!" Gojo cried, giving her another huge hug.

She and Geto went up to the bathroom to change, then met back with Nanami and Haibara, who were already in their swimsuits.

"I'm not getting in," Shoko laughed.

Utahime shook her head. "Have fun freezing to death."

"I'm not cold," Gojo insisted, although she was already shivering in her bikini. "Come on, Suguru!"

Geto let Gojo drag her down to the water. They played for a bit, swimming around and splashing Haibara and Nanami, who were too shy to splash back. Gojo made the mistake of throwing a sand clod at Geto, and soon they were in a sand fight. It got a little painful, but they were still laughing by the end.

"I'm cold," Geto announced between laughs.

"Yeah, me too," Gojo admitted.

They went back up the beach and dried off. Geto had forgotten her towel, but since it was probably because she had been distracted by bringing Gojo's stuff, Gojo didn't make fun of her. She shared her towel without a second thought.

"I'll dry off faster anyway," she reasoned, since she was wearing considerably less fabric than Geto, who had on her usual sports bra and board shorts.

"Do you want your presents now?" Shoko asked.

"Yes!" Gojo cried, jumping with excitement. She plopped down on the picnic blanket, more than ready for everyone's attention to be focused on her.

Geto sat next to her, close enough their legs were brushing, and everyone else sat around them. Shoko went first. She'd bought Gojo a cute necklace with an ice cream charm, which she explained was to commemorate that time over the summer when Gojo had pranked the school by replacing the regular food order from the cafeteria with a massive ice cream order. It had ended up being a big problem, leaving the school's food budget destroyed and forcing them to eat ice cream after every meal for months. Gojo still maintained that it was funny, even though she'd had to explain to her family why they were being charged several thousand dollars to cover the order.

Utahime gave her a book that looked interesting. Nanami and Haibara had teamed up to buy a Digimon t-shirt with Gojo's favorite character on it. She said thank you for each one, promising that she would cherish them forever. And she would.

Finally, it was time for Geto to give her present. She pulled out a lumpy, hastily wrapped package.

"If you don't want it, it's fine," she said quickly. "I'll get you something else."

"I'm sure I'll want it." Gojo accepted the package and tore off the paper greedily. When she saw what was inside, she froze. "You're... you're giving me this?"

It was Geto's favorite sweater. She had made it herself, and spent several months on it. It was Gojo's favorite sweater too, and she loved hugging and hanging on Geto whenever she wore it. Geto must have noticed that, or maybe she somehow knew that Gojo loved getting her sweaters.

"I didn't start soon enough to make you a new one," Geto said sheepishly, "but I know you love that one."

"But you love this one," Gojo argued.

Geto waved dismissively. "I can make another one. I want you to have that one."

Gojo was touched. She held it to her chest, appreciating how soft the yarn was against her bare stomach. "Thank you," she whispered, on the verge of happy tears. "This is the best birthday ever."

Geto laughed, then leaned in. She took Gojo's cheek in her palm before gently brushing her lips against Gojo's.

No.

Gojo felt her heart pounding. No, this wasn't what she wanted. This was supposed to be a real moment, between her and her best friend, not part of their fake dating performance. Geto was supposed to love Gojo enough to give her that sweater for real! And yes, Gojo wanted a birthday kiss, but again, she wanted a real one.

This was going to hurt, Gojo realized. Fake dating was hurting their friendship, and they shouldn't be doing it.

There was already the whole thing with that stupid dress, and Gojo feeling like she was taunting Geto with her attractiveness, even though she logically thought it was fine to wear something like that (and would definitely date Geto for real if that was what she wanted). Then there were the subtle ways in which people acknowledged they were dating, like Shoko telling them to get off each other in situations she wouldn't have before, though from Gojo and Geto's perspective the meaning of their touching hadn't really changed. And then there was all the lying, lying to everyone that they were together but also lying to Geto that she didn't like her, because admitting that would mean Geto feeling awkward and the fake dating scheme coming to an end before Gojo got to uphold her end of the deal. It was all so frustrating, and Gojo didn't want to think about any of it on her birthday. She wanted to be happy and have a nice day with her friends.

When Geto sat back, she smiled warmly. "Happy birthday, Satoru."

Gojo forced a smile too, but Geto seemed to notice it was fake.

No one else did. They just moved on with the party like nothing was wrong, blissfully unaware that Gojo was actively ruining the relationship she valued the most.

"Give us a minute," Geto whispered to Shoko as she and Utahime went to get the cake.

Shoko nodded. "Hey Nanami, Haibara, come on."

The boys didn't question it as they trailed after Shoko and Utahime, back to the car.

Geto turned on Gojo. "Okay, what's wrong?" she demanded.

"Nothing," Gojo lied.

Geto glared. "You've been grinning ear to ear like an idiot all day, and now you're not. Was it the kiss? Or the sweater?"

Gojo started crying. It was those sudden, wet sobs that she could never seem to fight back.

"Oh, oh Satoru," Geto said gently, scooting closer.

"It's fine," Gojo spluttered. "I'm just being a selfish brat."

Geto put her hand on Gojo's lower back, gently rubbing her bare skin. "Tell me what's wrong anyway."

"I wanted you to give me the sweater for real," Gojo sobbed, "not because we're fake dating."

Geto laughed a little, which was probably fair. "Oh, Satoru." She reached over and grabbed the sweater, then draped it over Gojo's shoulders. "I didn't give this to you because you're my fake girlfriend. You're my best friend, and I wanted to give you a birthday present you would love."

She sniffed, and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "Yeah, I know. I'm just being stupid."

"The kiss confused you," Geto guessed.

She nodded.

Geto grabbed the sweater back. "Then let's try again." She held it out, smiling warmly. "Here. This is for you."

Gojo accepted it with shaking hands, no longer sure if she was crying or laughing. She put it back on over her shivering shoulders, instantly warm when she slid her arms into the sleeves. "Thanks," she sniffled.

Geto wrapped her arms around her in a warm hug. "Happy birthday, Satoru."

"Thanks." Gojo hugged her back, holding her tightly.

Stupidly enough, she imagined that Geto would take her cheek in her palm again and kiss her, this time for real too. Of course, she didn't. The kisses between them were never supposed to mean anything. Gojo had just gotten a little confused, that was all. Whether she like liked Geto or not didn't matter. That just wasn't the kind of relationship they had.

Shoko approached the blanket again, giving Geto a questioning look. Geto nodded, and she came over, then waved to the others to bring over the cake. Gojo laughed, smiling wide again. This was her birthday, and she was going to be happy.

Her friends sang happy birthday, and Shoko served the cake. It was delicious, and Gojo had a second slice and a third slice until the whole thing was gone.

"I'm going back to the water," she announced.

Geto frowned. "How? I'm still freezing."

"Because I have a warm sweater." Gojo took it off and dropped it safely next to Geto. "Nanami, you're coming with me."

Nanami looked startled, but he jumped up and followed Gojo down the beach.

"Wait up!" Haibara called as he ran after them.

Gojo cast Geto one last smile over her shoulder, glad that everything was sorted out between them.

Geto woke up to Shoko poking her in the side.

"Hm? What?" She sat up suddenly, startled. "Did I fall asleep?"

"You did." Shoko squatted down next to her. "But you'd better wake up quickly."

Geto frowned. "Why?" Was it time to go already? She hated to think that she had napped through Gojo's birthday party.

Shoko just nodded toward the water.

Gojo was standing in the surf, talking to someone Geto didn't recognize. The stranger was about their age, so probably ditching school. He was the same height as Gojo, and almost as muscular, but that didn't seem to intimidate him. He must have said something funny, because he and Gojo were both laughing. Gojo said something, and they laughed harder.

Utahime sat down behind Shoko. "Well?" she demanded.

Geto scowled. "Well what?"

"Um, that guy is hitting on your girlfriend," Shoko pointed out incredulously. "Aren't you going to do something?"

Gojo wasn't really Geto's girlfriend. If she wanted to talk to some guy on the beach, that shouldn't be any of Geto's business. She laid back down. "No. I trust her."

Shoko and Utahime exchanged a glance. "I mean, I'd kill a guy for hitting on my girlfriend," Shoko muttered and she and Utahime backed away. "But I guess that's just me."

"No, I would too," Utahime agreed.

Geto probably should say something for their fake dating cover, but again, Gojo had every right to talk to that guy.

She sat up a little, daring a glance down the beach. Gojo was still laughing, her face bright with the smile she'd been wearing all day. Geto felt something twisting up inside her. Who was this guy, to make Gojo so happy just minutes after meeting her? Geto glared at him even though he wouldn't see. She could make Gojo laugh harder than that. She had, many times. This guy probably wasn't even funny. He had probably made a joke about poop or something.

The inside of Geto's chest was becoming a knot of hatred. This always, always happened. There was this guy, Zen'in Naoya, and other guys (and girls, but usually guys) that had come before them. Whenever they went out, Gojo always caught someone's eye. Maybe it was just because she was really extroverted. Or maybe it was because she was tall and thin and had a pretty face. Not that Geto was never approached; if anything, she’d received more random compliments and been slipped more strangers’ phone numbers than Gojo, but those were somehow easier to brush off.

Geto hugged her knees to her chest. She was well aware that she, too, was tall and thin with a nice face, and not just because of Shoko and Utahime saying how jealous they were of her and Gojo's looks. But, as it turned out, that didn't really matter.

Everyone said that being tall and thin and beautiful would make you feel confident, but Geto knew that wasn't true. You could be all of those things and still be terrified of your own body. She'd seen women of all different body types wear bikinis and revealing dresses just as confidently as Gojo, because they knew they were every bit as beautiful and that the only thing that really mattered was how they felt. And then there were girls like Geto. She would love to wear a cute bikini, and to, like Gojo, know she was hot and own it. She wanted to feel just as good about showing off her body as she did in antique kimonos. She didn’t, though, no matter how hard she tried, and she always ended up picking clothes that were just a little more modest than the ones she liked best.

At the same time, she felt bad for being jealous. Gojo didn't choose how she looked, or how often strangers hit on her. Geto should be happy for her that she was comfortable in her body. Why should Gojo be her standard for comparison, anyway?

Shoko poked her, prompting Geto to turn around.

"What?" she snapped, then felt bad. It wasn't Shoko she was irritated with.

"If you're jealous, do something about it," Shoko laughed.

Geto looked back to Gojo, who was still laughing along. Now that Shoko mentioned it, maybe she was a bit jealous of that guy. Well, jealous wasn't quite the right word. She was feeling possessive. That was probably unhealthy. The best thing to do would be to brush it off. She didn't have any right to be possessive over Gojo. Even if they were dating, it would be kind of messed up.

The guy reached out and touched Gojo's arm playfully.

"Okay, that's it."

Geto jumped up, and marched down the beach. Touching was a no. Gojo didn't like strangers touching her anyway.

"Satoru," Geto greeted with a warm smile, sliding her arm around her friend's waist.

Gojo responded by putting her arms over Geto's shoulders. "Suguru! Is it lunch time yet?"

The random guy hovered a little farther away, seeming to understand he'd been totally forgotten. Geto gave him a bit of an evil look, and was satisfied when he backed away more. It was all a little messed up, but she had a hard time caring.

Gojo was hers. She should be, anyway. Despite knowing that was not a good attitude to have toward someone she had no intention of dating, Geto felt that way very strongly.

She ran her hand down Gojo's waist, the way she and only she had explicit permission to do so. This guy could get lost. He would never have Geto's place at Gojo's side.

"Are you hungry?" Geto kissed the side of Gojo's head, planting her lips in her hair. "We can eat whenever you're ready."

"I'm hungry now," Gojo confirmed. She turned to the water and shouted, "Nanami! Haibara!"

The two boys bounded up the beach, no doubt wondering what they were being summoned for.

"Lunch time," Gojo told them. She turned to walk back to the blanket, dragging Geto along with her. "Nice meeting you," she called to the random guy as she and Geto left him alone on the sand.

"Yeah," he agreed absently.

"Who was that?" Geto asked, not really caring. She mostly just wanted to know what Gojo would say.

"Some rando who thought he could hit on me without my girlfriend noticing," Gojo teased, trying to pull Geto closer but just shaking her around a bit.

Geto didn't really know what to say to that. She was starting to actually feel bad about being possessive.

"Seriously," Gojo laughed, but she sounded a bit nervous. "You know, I kinda started thinking you weren't gonna say anything."

Geto frowned. "You were expecting me to?"

"Is that weird?"

They weren't dating or anything, so yes. But Geto felt possessive and Gojo wanted her to be... so no?

Gojo tried to brush it off. She gave Geto a playful shove. "I told you to slap anyone who looks at me! Jealous girlfriend, remember?"

"Yeah." Geto looked away. "But it's getting hard to figure out where that starts and ends."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what if you were getting hit on by someone you actually liked, and I came along and ruined your chance with them?" Geto suggested. It was possible.

Gojo hugged her arms to her body, suddenly seeming serious. "Suguru, I don't think that's gonna happen."

"But if it did."

Gojo shook her head. "I don't... I don't fall for strangers."

"Oh." Geto felt a little embarrassed for not thinking of that.

Gojo smiled weakly. "So it's actually, um, when you do that, when you're, like, possessive or whatever, it's helpful."

Somehow, that made Geto feel even worse. She folded her arms too. "Okay," she agreed quietly. "But, Satoru, I don't... I don't actually have any 'right' to be, well, possessive. Not that I would even if we were dating, you know. I feel like it's a little messed up of me to go on acting like I have any say in your relationships."

"Oh." Gojo was starting to curl up, becoming smaller and smaller. Geto hated when she got like this. It hurt to see her friend in pain. "It doesn't really matter," she said quietly.

Geto was going to argue that yes, it did, but Gojo seemed to have more to say.

"I don't really want to date anyone anyway."

"You don't?" Geto found that a bit surprising.

Gojo shrugged. "This whole fake dating thing... I dunno. It just seems like a real relationship would be a lot of trouble."

Geto had no idea that Gojo was feeling that way. "Am I causing you trouble?"

"No! No, no," Gojo corrected quickly. "Like, it's trouble for you. Having to deal with my family, putting up with all my little things."

"No," Geto whispered. "It's no trouble."

It was, but that wasn't the point. Gojo was her best friend, the person she loved most. Geto would put up will all the family drama and stupid requirements in the world for her. She would deal with every meltdown, meet every need she could, from swimming in December and giving up her favorite sweater to spending weeks lying to everyone she knew. Geto would do anything for her.

"It is," Gojo insisted. "And if I dated someone for real, they would have to put up with all this for real. I mean I already feel bad for making you do this for three weeks. I can't imagine making someone do it the rest of their life!" 

She laughed like that was supposed to be funny, but it just broke Geto's heart.

"Besides," she said, shrinking back down a little. "I don't want to do anything my family wants me to."

"Nothing?" Geto questioned.

She shook her head. "They already— wow, this is awkward. My mom texted me and said I should propose to you soon."

That was a little awkward. For once, Geto thought that the fake dating boundary was actually making things less weird.

"After that, it would be a big wedding, and then we'd be pressured to have kids, and then those kids would be treated differently according to their cursed technique, and the cycle of Gojo family misery would continue on and on." Gojo took a deep breath, then stretched her arms out to the side. "So I'm good with being single. Easier for everyone."

"But..." Geto had a hard time accepting that Gojo meant that. "Is that what you want?"

Gojo shrugged. "Why not? I mean, dating someone might be nice, but I don't need that kind of relationship. I already have lots of friends to be close to. And I have you."

Geto stared at the ground. "It seems like you've thought this through pretty well."

Gojo scratched the back of her head. "Actually, I decided most of it just now. But I still think I'm right."

Somehow, that made Geto feel better. There was always the chance that Gojo would change her mind. "If you ever want to date someone," she said carefully, "I think you shouldn't worry so much about doing what your family wants."

"But..." Gojo started to argue, then stopped. She didn't seem to have a good argument. Then, she laughed, that little bit of craziness echoing behind the sound. "You know what? You're so right, Suguru! I mean, what are they gonna do? Tell me no?"

"Um." Geto wondered if she should have thought that suggestion through a little more.

Gojo grinned, her eyes wild. "No one tells me no. I still don't want to date anyone, but if I do, I'm doing it on my terms!"

Geto smiled a little. It was good to hear her say that.

"Enough of this," Gojo decided, snapping back into her attitude from that morning. "It's my birthday! No more sad talk. Come on."

Gojo grabbed Geto's hand and pulled her back up to the picnic blanket. When she got there, Geto was pleased that she put on the sweater before sitting back down.

The rest of the day was nice. When they got back to school, their classmates left them for the evening, assuming that Gojo would want to have part of her birthday to herself and her girlfriend. Geto took her to dinner, but made sure to be clear that it was as a genuine friend. They decided to call off the fake dating for the rest of the night and simply relax with each other.

Chapter Text

Gojo was confused. All of the conflicting feelings bumbling around in her heart were starting to get to her.

The last two and a half weeks had been nothing but one revelation after another, except that she couldn't pin down what any of them were. She kept changing her mind suddenly, one moment desperately wanting to be with Geto and another hating the concept of having to date. All she really knew was that:

1. She liked Geto. Like, she like liked her.
2. Geto found her attractive, but didn't seem to like like her.
3. Dating her was hard. Dating in general was hard, but dating Gojo was extra hard, with all of her issues and her family always breathing down her neck.
4. Geto was perfect. Well, not really, but she so far had dealt perfectly with every challenge they had faced.
5. No relationship, romantic or otherwise, would ever be as fulfilling as her friendship with Geto.
6. If it wasn't Geto, Gojo didn't want to date.

There. That was simple. Thoughts: sorted out! Done. No more need to go back and forth, change her mind, think things through, or panic and cry about it.

If Geto like liked her back, they would date. If she didn't, then Gojo would be single forever.

Now that she had decided that, all that remained was whether to tell Geto she like liked her or not. It was probably a bad idea, so Gojo thought she wouldn't. She hated keeping secrets from Geto, but for now it was necessary.

"Hey," Geto asked her one morning. "Do you want to go shopping later?"

"Sure," Gojo answered.

"I want a new dress to wear home this weekend," Geto explained. "I mean, it doesn't really matter, but it is my uncle's birthday."

Gojo wondered if she was supposed to dress nicely too. "Should I buy something?"

"Oh, I don't think it matters that much." Geto gave her a smile. "I just like the excuse to shop."

After class, they took the bus into Tokyo. Gojo was a little surprised that Geto had asked for her help, and not the help of Shoko or someone else who was generally more fashionable and pleasant to shop with. She didn't object, though. She never objected to spending time with Geto.

As Geto walked around between stores, Gojo trailed after her, giving her opinion as it was requested.

"What about this one?" Geto asked, holding up a dress.

They were at a discount store now, and had been bouncing between the racks and dressing rooms for almost half an hour. Gojo was starting to feel like she had been born in that store and was going to die there.

"It's good," she said absently.

Geto studied it. "Really? I don't know. I like it, but..."

Gojo looked at it for real. "It's cute. If you like it, try it on."

"It's kind of short," Geto worried.

"Wear shorts under."

"Obviously." She started to put it back.

Gojo frowned. "Why are you putting it back if you like it?"

"It's too short," Geto said, sounding a little embarrassed.

Gojo grabbed the dress back off the rack, then held it up to her body. "It goes down to mid-thigh on me." She held it out. "So you should be good."

Geto accepted it hesitantly. "Mid-thigh was generous," she muttered, but she added it to her stack.

After picking out a few more dresses to try on, Geto went back to the dressing room, Gojo behind her. Gojo waited patiently, nodding at other shoppers on their way in and out. The door to Geto's room unlocked, and she stepped out timidly.

"What do you think?"

She had on a casual red dress that went down to her ankles. It had a v-neck, but with the high waist it wasn't too low. Geto glanced down at her feet.

"No," Gojo decided.

Geto glared. "You have to give me more than that."

"I mean, you look good," Gojo struggled to explain, "cause you look good in everything. But it's, like, too flat. It kinda hangs there."

"Hm." Geto nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, it feels like that."

She went back into the dressing room, and came out in another dress. This one was pink and a little frilly.

"You look like you're going as Barbie for Halloween," Gojo said plainly.

Geto laughed a little. "I thought this one was too pink for me."

She changed again and again, contemplating each dress with Gojo. Gojo liked a few of them, but Geto found something wrong no matter what. Either they didn't fit right, they weren't her style, or they were "too short." That was what she always said when she seemed to like a dress. It was perfect, it fit well and it was her style, she smiled in it, then said it was too short and took it off.

"Last one," Geto called from inside the dressing room. She sounded nervous, but she came out to show Gojo anyway. "What do you think?"

Gojo inspected it thoughtfully. The dress was light blue, but on the teal side, perfect for Geto's skin tone. The fabric looked soft, and was sprinkled with flowers. Gojo especially loved the puffy sleeves and flowing skirt. It only went down to mid-thigh, though, so Geto would probably veto it. It was a real shame, too, because it fit her perfectly.

"It's perfect," Gojo announced.

Geto uncrossed her arms, revealing that the stomach was cut out. "I don't know about this," she said.

Gojo pulled her over to a mirror. "Come on, Suguru. It's like it was made for you."

Geto tugged at the bottom of the skirt. "It's too short."

"You only say that about dresses you like," Gojo blurted.

Geto glared at her. "I like short dresses."

"Then get one!"

"It's not that simple," she muttered, folding her arms back over her stomach as she turned away.

"It is," Gojo said.

"It's not," Geto snapped. "Not everyone has the body confidence that you do, Satoru."

Gojo froze. She'd never really thought about that before. Sure, she knew people found her attractive— she thought she was hot, at least, and Geto did, and that was all that really mattered— and she wasn't at all afraid to wear things she liked. Did that really count as confidence? It seemed like that should just be normal, and "confidence" should be a level above that. Geto didn't seem to feel the same, though. She liked this dress. Gojo could tell from the way she'd stared at herself in the mirror when she first came out of the dressing room. But then why was she afraid to wear it?

There was a right thing to say, Gojo assumed. She didn't know what it was, but she tried her best.

"I think... if you like it, it doesn't matter?" she tried. "Like, if you feel pretty in it and it's comfortable and everything, then it's fine."

Geto looked away again. "You don't get it."

Gojo winced. She'd definitely said the wrong thing. "Look, Suguru," she tried again, not thinking as carefully anymore. "You can't compare yourself to me."

Geto laughed dryly. "And why's that?"

"Cause I'm me, and I just... do things! Without thinking."

"That's my point," Geto argued. "When you try something on, you don't think about it. If you like it, you wear it."

Gojo nodded. That was true.

"I can't do that."

"Yeah, but why?"

"Because I don't have that kind of body confidence!"

"That's what you said in the first place!"

They were both shouting at this point, and other people were starting to leave the dressing room. Gojo thought that maybe it might be a good idea to "use a calmer tone," as Geto sometimes advised her. She paused, and took a deep breath.

"Suguru," she said, very calmly, "I don't think you should worry so much about what you wear. I mean, you're just as hot as me."

Geto exploded. "Oh, am I? Really? Thanks, Satoru."

Gojo shrunk back. Wrong thing to say, yet again.

Geto marched into her changing room, slammed the door, and angrily started undressing. "I don't think you realize this, so I'm going to lay it out for you." She came back in her normal clothes, looking a lot scarier than she had a minute ago. "Like an idiot, because that's what you are."

Gojo lowered her face, and let Geto rage at her. She'd been awful, and this was what she deserved for it.

"I hate being compared to you," Geto spat. "I can't stand it. And yet, whenever people see us, the two special-grade, high school girls, what do they do?"

She threw the blue dress. Gojo could have stopped it with infinity. She let it hit her in the face.

Geto continued. "Do you know how hard it is to be measured against someone who's perfect?" She paused. "I know you're 'hotter' than me, and more powerful, and smarter, and more important, and richer, and all those other things that people seem to value in others. It doesn't matter if I'm nicer or more polite, if I can be pleasant when I'm unhappy or do the right thing when it's hard, or all of the other things you can't. It just doesn't matter, so you know what? I don't care anymore. I just don't."

She marched around Gojo, right out of the dressing room.

Gojo sat down on the floor, clutching the dress in her hands, and started sobbing. About what in particular, she couldn't pinpoint. It was the whole thing. She knew she should get up and chase after Geto, apologize profusely, tell her she was right, but she couldn't stop crying.

A gentle hand rested on her shoulder, and she looked up, expecting to see Geto. Instead, an old woman smiled down at her.

"Oh, dear," she said gently. She sat down on a nearby bench, setting her pile of clothes to try on beside her. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

Gojo sniffed, her curiosity killing her sobs. "Who are you?"

"Just a nosey old lady." The woman laughed. "Who are you?"

"Just a..." Gojo couldn't think of a good comeback. "Crying high schooler."

"Well, that I can see," the woman teased. "But what are you crying about?"

Gojo wiped her eyes. "My friend said I'm better than her in lots of ways that other people count but she's better in ways that are more important, so she hates being compared to me."

The woman frowned. "That doesn't sound like a very good friend."

"No, she is," Gojo protested. "That was, like, the last straw. I was pretty horrible to her. I mean, I have been. For a few weeks."

"Tsh," the woman laughed. "You know this could be solved with an apology, if she's such a good friend."

Gojo pulled her knees to her chest. "I can't."

"And why not?"

"Well... it's kind of complicated. Most of the stuff that's wrong is because we're, um, fake dating."

"Oh, dear," the woman said sympathetically.

Gojo bit her lip. "Yeah. And then," she laughed dryly, "well, I started liking her for real."

"Hm." The woman nodded thoughtfully. "You're in quite the predicament, aren't you?"

Gojo started crying again, just a little. "If I try to talk to her I think I'll just end up telling her I like her."

"Oh, sweetheart, come here."

The woman beckoned for Gojo to come have a hug. She froze again for a second, a little surprised. Most of the adults in her life had been specifically forbidden from touching her. Actually, Gojo was pretty sure she'd never touched anyone older than her by more than a few years, much less a stranger.

She decided to go for it, because some warmth was exactly what she needed right now. Cautiously, she scooted across the floor on her knees, right into the woman's arms. She was immediately wrapped up, pulled in to the warmest, most motherly hug that had probably ever happened. It made her start sobbing again.

"Oh, dear," the woman repeated, rubbing Gojo's back as she sobbed. "You know, you remind me a bit of my grandson, when he first met the man who would become his husband."

"Because he was gay too?" Gojo worked out between snivels.

The woman laughed. "Oh, perhaps that's what I was thinking. Old people's minds get a bit dull, you know. But no, it's because he too was afraid to tell his beloved how he felt." She stroked Gojo's hair. "They were coworkers, and friends. My grandson was afraid that, if he said anything, his, well, future husband, but he didn't know that then, would quit the company, and they would never see each other again. I encouraged him to go for it anyway!"

"He didn't quit," Gojo guessed.

"Oh, but he did! He left, and moved to the other side of the city. Then, a year later, he reached out and said he was sorry. He and my grandson made up, and, after several years of friendship, and then dating, they moved in together."

"That's nice," Gojo said, her tears tapering again. "Really."

The woman made Gojo sit up on her knees again, and placed her hands on Gojo's shoulders. "Do you understand the moral?"

Gojo shook her head. She kind of got it, but she would prefer to be told.

The woman smiled. "Be honest about how you feel! If you do that, then you will also have the chance to apologize, right?"

"But what if I ruin our friendship?" Gojo worried.

"If this girl is a true friend, she'll forgive your mistakes," the woman assured her.

Gojo nodded, then rubbed her eyes again. The woman offered her a tissue from her purse, and Gojo accepted. "Thanks. I guess I should probably go find my friend."

The woman nodded. "That would be a start." She stood up, using Gojo's shoulder as a brace, then scooped up her clothes. "I need to try these on."

Gojo watched her as she shuffled into a dressing room. Maybe one day she would be an old lady like that, doling out good advice and gay love stories to random young people in need.

Gojo took a deep breath, then fished out her phone. She took another one before texting Geto.

Gojo: sry

Gojo: pls tell me whre u r?

Geto didn't respond right away. Gojo could picture her on the street, marching angrily toward the bus stop, pausing when her phone buzzed, scowling when she saw it was Gojo, then pounding out a response. Right on cue, Gojo's phone vibrated.

Geto: fine I'm coming back.

Geto: stay there

Gojo: k

Gojo: sry

Before Geto got there, the old woman finished trying things on. She walked past Gojo and dumped the clothes she didn't want on the return rack, then turned back to Gojo.

"And what are you still doing here?" she demanded.

Gojo waved her phone with a friendly smile. "I texted my friend. She's coming back here."

"Right," the woman muttered as she turned and shuffled away. "Young people and their devices."

"Thanks for the help!" Gojo called after her, but she didn't respond.

Geto came a few minutes later, still looking really, really angry.

"Sorry," Gojo muttered, before Geto could say anything. "I was really awful. I didn't mean to be, but I was."

Geto folded her arms. "Still holding onto that dress?" she questioned.

Gojo hadn't realized it was still in her fist. She was about to set it down when Geto held out her hand. Gojo was a little confused, but she handed it over.

Geto took a deep breath, then uncrossed her arms and sat down next to Gojo. "Sorry I threw this at you," she started. "And shouted at you. I... I need to be more careful with how I treat you, especially when I'm angry with you."

"It's okay," Gojo said quickly, but that seemed to make Geto upset again.

"It's not," she said, sounding stressed. "I can't speak to you that way, no matter how awful you're being."

Gojo stared at the floor. This was supposed to be her apology.

Geto tried a smile. "Are we good?"

"I'm really sorry," Gojo repeated. Her eyes started filling with tears again. "I didn't, I didn't... it's like you said. I'm an idiot."

"No, I didn't mean that," Geto hurried. "Satoru, please don't believe that."

"I am," Gojo insisted. "I'm self-centered, and I'm rude, and I can't be nice, even to my best friend."

"No, no." Geto sounded a little panicked. "I didn't mean that."

"You didn't have to say it." Gojo wiped her eyes with the tissue the old lady had given her, and forced herself to smile. "It's okay. I already knew that."

"It's not true," Geto protested, though somewhat weakly. It was hard to contest something that both people agreed on.

Gojo sniffed. "If it makes you feel better, that's part of why I always act so full of myself," she explained. "With my looks and everything. Like, yeah I'm rude, but at least I'm pretty, right?"

"Satoru." Geto looked hurt. "How on Earth would that make me feel better?"

"Because I'm not as great as... as, like, I act like I am? And people seem to think I am? I mean, my stupid family does all those weird ceremonies and I know I'm not actually what they act like I am, but it's, like, I'm treated like..." Gojo laughed. "I don't even know what I'm saying anymore."

"I get it," Geto said softly. She looked down. "You're just another person, but people don't always see you that way."

Gojo nodded, because that was exactly what she meant. "I'm just another loser," she laughed. "Like everyone else. Six Eyes, limitless, super hot, and just as stupid and useless as everyone else."

"No," Geto protested, not laughing even though Gojo had sure what she'd said was funny. "Satoru, you're none of those things. You're just... you."

Gojo disagreed, but she wanted to move back to apologizing to Geto. "Sorry," she muttered again.

Geto took a deep breath. "I'm going to try this dress on again," she said, in the tone she always used to boss Gojo around after she'd cried, "because you were right. I really like it. You are going to finish crying, and then tell me it looks nice in a genuine and helpful way. Okay?"

"Okay." Gojo forced herself to her feet, then sat back down on the bench.

Geto went into the dressing room, then returned wearing the blue dress again. "What do you think?"

Gojo laughed a little. "It's nice. It, uh, it flatters your waistline."

Geto scowled. "Do you mean that?"

"Yes!" Gojo jumped up to show her. She placed her hands on Geto's waist. "See? No extra fabric, but it's not tight. It's the same in the back, too."

Geto met Gojo's eyes, and blushed a little. Gojo noticed she'd let her thumbs fall on the bare skin on Geto's stomach. Maybe that wasn't an okay way to touch her. She took her hands away quickly.

"And it's not too short," she said before Geto could mention the length.

That made Geto laugh. She smoothed the skirt, glanced at her back over her shoulder, then felt the cut out around her stomach. "And this is okay? It's not... it looks okay?"

"Suguru," Gojo said plainly, "please don't be mad, but that's the hottest part."

Geto whacked her arm playfully. "You and your obsession with being hot," she teased.

Gojo grinned, taking that as a sign they were okay again. "What? You already said you think I'm attractive, can't I think you are too?"

"Don't tease me about that!"

"I'm not teasing!" The claim would have been more believable if Gojo wasn't smiling so playfully. "I'm serious."

"You've never been serious a day in your life."

She forced her face into a stern expression. "I'm so serious, I could make an excel spreadsheet on why you're so attractive."

"Shut up," Geto laughed, whacking her again.

In the end, Geto bought the dress. She said she still didn't feel very confident in it, but she wanted to try it and thought a family event was a good time. That didn't make a lot of sense to Gojo, but she was too proud of her friend to point that out.

"Let's stay out longer," she suggested, leading Geto away from the bus stop.

"It will be dark soon," Geto argued.

"So let's watch the sunset!"

Gojo picked out a nice tall building, then used infinity to levitate herself and Geto to the top. So what if a few random normies saw? They sat down on the cool cement, facing west, where the sun was still barely kissing the skyline.

"You know," Gojo said, "we're seeing the same thing."

Geto made a face. "We're watching the same thing, aren't we?"

Gojo tilted her head, then took off her glasses. "There's no cursed energy up there." She nodded toward the sky. "So there's nothing for me to see that others can't."

"Oh," Geto said. Gojo suspected that, once again, she had completely forgotten about the Six Eyes. "Do you not like looking at the sky then?"

"No, I do." She tilted her head up, staring into the deep blue nothingness. "There's nothing up there. It's just beautiful, nothing more."

"There's lots of stuff up there," Geto argued, also leaning her head back.

"Aw, you know what I mean."

For a while, they just watched, as the sky bloomed from blue into every color, then faded to deep purple.

It was getting cold out, and would be time to go soon. Gojo took a deep breath. This was her last chance, if she wanted to do it today. Slowly, carefully, she lowered her head to Geto's shoulder.

"I have to tell you something," she murmured.

Geto started playing with her hair. "Yes?"

"I think I'm in love with you."

Geto froze. "What?"

"Oh, um. I think, um, I mean, I, uh..."

Gojo sat up. The magical sunset moment was suddenly over. Now she was just sitting on concrete in the cold, spluttering as she forced out her confession.

"I like like you," she said quickly. "For real."

Geto could have reacted a lot of ways. As someone who didn't necessarily think things through, Gojo hadn't been planning on a certain one, or even come up with possibilities of what Geto might say back. Somehow, the look on Geto's face still felt unexpected.

Geto looked disappointed. "Oh," she said.

Gojo glared. "That's all you're gonna say?"

Geto turned away. "I'm sorry, Satoru."

Gojo nodded. "You don't like me like that. It's okay, you can say it. I, well, I kind of knew."

Geto turned back to face her. "How long," she asked, though it wasn't really a request.

"Um." Gojo swallowed hard. "It's kinda hard to know, really. I figured it out at the conference."

Geto's expression changed. "You've known you liked me for two weeks."

"Yeah?"

She looked furious. "You must have liked me before we started fake dating, then."

"Uh..." Gojo thought back. There had definitely been signs, but she hadn't picked up on them. "I guess so, yeah."

Geto stood up. "Why ask me to fake date, then?" she demanded. "Why not ask me out for real?"

"I dunno," Gojo started to mutter, but Geto wasn't done.

"Why not tell me the moment you started having feelings, like we discussed? When we set our boundaries, at the beginning?"

Gojo didn't really remember the beginning. She couldn't recall how fake dating had even come up. "I forgot," she whispered.

Geto rubbed her hand down her face. "Okay. It's, you know, it's fine. Thank you for telling me now."

Gojo blinked. "So, are we, are, I mean, are we gonna keep..."

"No," Geto said softly. "I think we should call it."

"But your family thing," Gojo argued. "You did your half of the deal, I want to do mine."

Geto shook her head. "I don't need you to come, Satoru. It's okay."

"But—"

"I think," she interrupted, "it would be confusing if you came. For you, I mean. I think we should just... take a few days away from each other."

Gojo felt her bottom lip bunching up, and her eyes began to sting again. This was exactly what she had been afraid of.

Geto walked to the edge of the rooftop, and summoned her manta cursed spirit to carry her back to the ground on her own. "I'll see you Monday," she promised.

Gojo nodded. "Okay. Yeah, see you Monday."

"Okay."

Geto got on, and vanished over the edge.

Gojo scowled up at the sky, blinking back tears. Why did everything have to be so hard?

Chapter Text

Geto: i'm almost home

Geto: btw satoru's not coming

Mom: Oh, alright. Is everything okay?

Geto: not really

Mom: Oh dear. I'll see you soon and we can talk all about it :)

Geto: okay

The train station was only a few blocks away from Geto's family home. It wasn't worth paying the bus fare, so she had planned on the twenty minute walk. To her surprise, her dad met her at the station exit.

"Your mother told me to bring the car," he explained.

Geto rolled her eyes. Breaking up with her fake girlfriend was no reason to need a ride, but it had already been a long trip and she was glad to not have to lug her bag all that way. The drive back was only a few minutes, so there wasn't really a chance to catch up. Geto's dad still asked her how her classes were going, and she said they were good. Talking about school was hard when she couldn't tell them most things. They had no idea that either curses or Jujutsu sorcerers existed, for their own safety, so Geto had to watch what she said. It was tiring, and she always to focus the conversation on her family and their life updates.

When she got home, her mom met her at the door with a big hug.

"Come inside," she said. "I've already made dinner."

They ate, and Geto's parents caught her up on everything that had happened with them recently. Her mom had been through a bit of drama at work, but everything was resolved now, and her awful manager had quit. Things were going well for her dad, too, and he was expecting a promotion. Geto wished she had something good to report, but her grades were mediocre and she couldn't brag about her missions.

After dinner, she went to her room to unpack. Her mom came and found her. Geto anticipated that she would want to talk about Gojo.

"This is cute!" Her mom reached for the blue dress, which Geto had just hung in her closet. "Is it new?"

"Yeah. I hope it's okay to wear to the dinner tomorrow."

"It's perfect," her mom assured her. "Have you been wearing more things like this? Or are you branching out?"

"I'm branching out," Geto said, still feeling a little shy about it. Then, more quietly, she added, "Satoru encouraged me to."

Her mom gave her a look of pity, then sat on the edge of the bed. "What's happening with her? Come tell me."

Geto sat beside her. "We, well, we got in a fight, and..." she sighed, and ran a hand down her face. "It's complicated."

"Tell me," her mom encouraged.

So Geto started at the beginning. She told her mom about how she'd started liking Gojo the day they met, her romantic feelings slowly dying but being replaced by the deep friendship they'd formed. Then they'd started fake dating. Her mom laughed when she admitted that it was fake. When Geto talked about the time at Gojo's family estate, she had to be careful not to talk about anything Jujutsu related, while still describing in full how weird they were. Up through Gojo's birthday was actually pretty easy to talk about, though she got a bit stuck trying to explain why she felt so possessive of her friend despite knowing it was wrong. The events of two days ago were a little harder, since she had to admit saying some horrible things.

"And that's it," she finished. "My best friend is in love with me, and I don't love her back."

Her mom tilted her head. "It sounds to me like you love Satoru very much."

"I do," Geto agreed, "but not like that."

"No?"

She looked at her hands. "I mean, I don't want to date... someone like her."

Her mom frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"Ugh." Geto scrunched her nose. "Someone who can be so, you know."

"Childish?" her mom guessed.

Geto shook her head. She knew some of Gojo's behavior could be counted as childish, but she'd never thought of it that way herself.

"Someone from a noble family?"

"No." Geto liked to think she could handle the Gojo clan, which she supposed she'd proved two weeks ago.

"Then what do you mean?"

Geto closed her eyes, hating to say it. "Someone who can be so awful!"

Her mom laughed.

Geto scowled. "I don't see what's so funny."

"Oh, my dear Suguru. Everyone can be awful! Everyone is, at one point or another, and the longer you know them, the more of that you'll see." She nudged Geto. "If you had heard some of the things I've said to your dad, you'd wonder how he could look me in the eye."

Geto thought about that. "I can be just as awful," she admitted.

Her mom nodded. "Suguru, dear, you're going to have to deal with things going wrong, and people messing up, in any relationship. I think you know that's true for a friendship, but I get the sense that you have this grand idea for how perfect a romantic relationship has to be."

Again, Geto paused to think. She'd always had very specific ideas about what dating would feel like, and what she and her girlfriend would be like with one another. She remembered back to the beginning of the fake dating scheme, when they'd made the original deal. The whole thing was based on a romance novel, wasn't it? In books, there were conflicts, but the characters were always made to be together in a way that real life could never imitate. She thought about the photo from the roller rink, where she and Gojo had looked like that, like they were written to be together. Geto had known they weren't, and the background on her phone still looked a little like a photo of someone else. Then there were those kimonos, passed down from the wife of the last bearer of the Six Eyes. When she'd tried those on, she could taste the romance of it, how much Kiho had said they cared for one another, but surely Gojo's predecessor had problems too. Not everything could have been perfectly romantic every time. The last woman to have worn those kimonos must have thought the same as Geto, that her love was messy when it she had expected it to be nothing but beautiful.

"I think I messed up," she said.

Her mom nodded encouragingly. "How exactly?"

"I was expecting Gojo to be perfect," Geto admitted. Like everyone else, she'd been holding Gojo to a standard that a human being could never achieve. It was for a different reason, and in a different way, but it was still wrong. "I love her. I thought it couldn't be in a romantic way because she didn't match what I expected a girlfriend to be like."

Geto's mom rubbed a hand on her back. "But?"

Geto squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep back the tears suddenly threatening to overflow. "But that was so stupid of me!" She grabbed on to her mom, burying her face in her shoulder. "I spent an entire year trying to convince myself I didn't like her because she didn't fit my perfect standards."

Because that was the truth. Geto did like Gojo— as Gojo would say, she like liked her. She loved her. As a friend, yes, but also romantically. Those feelings weren't hidden anymore.

"Is it too late?" she asked her mom.

"No, my dear, of course not." She made Geto sit up. "Why don't you call her?"

Geto blinked away her tears and got out her phone. She hesitated, then opened her messages to Gojo.

"Satoru hates phone calls," she explained as she typed out a message.

Geto: hey. sorry for being horrible. we need to talk, can you come here?

Gojo responded instantly.

Gojo: yeah whats ur address

Geto sent it, then put her phone away. Now all she had to do was wait.

"Let's watch a movie," her mom suggested. "It'll be a while until Satoru gets here."

They went into the living room. Geto's mom briefly told her dad what was going on, which she was fine with, and her dad agreed that she needed a distraction. They watched Howl's Moving Castle, a movie that Geto usually loved, but tonight it just reminded her of Gojo. Last year, Gojo had gotten the dvd for her birthday and had made Geto watch it again and again. As Geto watched tonight, she could almost hear Gojo's commentary. She laughed at the parts where she usually found points to make fun of Gojo, earning her a few confused looks from her parents.

When the movie was over, Gojo still hadn't arrived yet. Geto's dad started to put in another, but Geto told him it was fine.

"Satoru will be here soon," she guessed. "You can go to bed if you want, I'll be fine. I know it's getting late."

Her dad cast her mom a long glance, then nodded. "Okay, but wake us up if you need us."

"Sure," Geto agreed.

Her parents went into their bedroom, leaving her alone to continue her anxious waiting. She checked her phone and saw that Gojo had texted.

Gojo: ggornf e

Gojo: :(

Gojo: got list

Gojo: >:(

Gojo: lost

Gojo: sry

That made Geto laugh a little, and then she felt bad again. A lot of the things she'd picked out as reasons not to like Gojo were things that she'd also described as "part of her charm." Thinking of her flaws either way was unfair. Gojo, like everyone else, had flaws, and while it was important to recognize them, Geto knew it was just as bad to romanticize or dismiss them as to treat them as deal breakers. None of Gojo's issues were toxic enough to be deal breakers. Geto, however, was starting to think that some of her own might be.

It took Gojo another hour to get there. When Geto opened the door for her, Gojo immediately flopped down on the couch, panting like she had run the entire way from the train station. It was over a mile, and mostly uphill. Geto couldn't imagine sprinting it cold.

"Okay," Gojo gasped, catching her breath. She hopped back to her feet. "Okay, I'm good. What did you want to talk about?"

Geto took a deep breath. "Satoru, I..." she wasn't sure what to say. Why did this have to be so hard? "I'm sorry."

Gojo wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her sweater, the one Geto gave her for her birthday. "For what?"

Geto frowned. "What do you mean, 'for what?' I was awful to you. I left you on the roof of that building alone."

"I was awful first," Gojo argued.

Geto shook her head. "No, I was. You asked me to the convention, and I assumed right away that it was as a fake date. Without even bothering to think if that was how you meant it."

"I didn't really think about it either," Gojo assured her, but Geto wasn't done apologizing.

"And then I went on acting like I was interested in you for real, saying I find you attractive and acting possessive, while still claiming I didn't like you that way."

"It's fine," Gojo tried again.

"It's not," Geto argued. She was starting to be bothered by how Gojo brushed off everything she did wrong. "I was selfish, being so awful while picking out little things as reasons I didn't like you back. I was expecting you to be perfect, which is so, so unfair."

"It's okay," Gojo said, but she seemed a little confused.

"It's not," Geto repeated. "Please don't say it is."

"Sorry."

"No, that's not—" Geto stopped herself. "Thank you, Satoru, but you've already apologized for everything, and I forgive you. Please let me apologize now."

Gojo shifted. "Okay."

"I'm sorry," Geto said again, trying to sound as earnest as she felt. "Will you please forgive me?"

Gojo nodded.

"Can I hug you?"

Gojo nodded again, and let Geto pull her in. She hung limply in Geto's arms for a moment before weakly wrapping her arms behind her back. "Are we good?" she asked timidly.

Geto held her tighter. "Of course we are. I need to tell you one more thing, though."

"Hm? What's that?"

Geto stepped back so she could see Gojo's face. "Satoru, I like you. I, well, I've liked you since the first week of our first year."

Gojo stared blankly. "You like me? As in, you like like me?"

"Yes," Geto laughed. "I like like you. I tried to convince myself I didn't, because, well, I've always had a very romanticized ideal of what dating is like, and, um,"

"I don't fit that," Gojo guessed.

Geto shook her head. "A real person could never fit that. I'm realizing that now. I mean, I don’t even fit my own idea of what I am supposed to be like."

Gojo nodded slowly. "So we're both romantically doomed."

"Satoru," Geto complained, then laughed when she saw the edges of Gojo's lips flickering with a smile. "Not to be cheesy, but, do you think we could be doomed together?"

Gojo took off her glasses, hanging them on the collar of her shirt. She smiled a little as she flung her arms over Geto's shoulders. "Well, if you wanna date me, then I'm not romantically doomed, cause that's what I wanted." Her eyes sparkled playfully. "Too bad for you though."

Geto laughed at her, accidentally bumping their foreheads together. "I think I'm ending up with something better than what I wanted."

"Yeah you are." Gojo's hands worked their way into Geto's hair. "You're ending up with me. What could be better than that?"

Geto was glad she was being herself again, even if she came off as a little full of herself. Although, Geto now knew that most of it was for just show. She was just as insecure as everyone else.

Geto wrapped her hands around Gojo's waist, smiling slyly. "Shall we try again? For real, this time?"

"Yeah," Gojo agreed. "Date me for real, Suguru."

Geto laughed at her again, content to do nothing but stand there and be together. Gojo was not, and she had soon roped Geto into playing a board game, then watching a movie, then, finally, settling down on Geto's bed to snuggle before falling asleep.

Gojo didn't recognize where she was when she first opened her eyes, only that Geto was in the same bed, tucked between her arms. Her body shivered with the thrill of that, despite her groggy mind not quite remembering how they got there. As she woke up, she remembered running to the bus stop before Geto had even sent the address, anxiety prompting her to get off the train a few stops too early (she'd gotten lost and been even later), and Geto saying she was sorry for something or other before revealing that she too wanted to date for real. Then she and Gojo had a fun evening and fell asleep cuddling.

She tried to get up, but her arm was under Geto's head. Slowly, she started to pull it out, but the movement woke Geto up.

"Sorry, sorry," she said quickly.

Geto smiled groggily. "About what?"

"Uh, waking you up." Gojo thought that should be obvious.

"There's nothing more pleasant than waking up to see my beautiful girlfriend smiling at me."

She wasn't sure if Geto was teasing, but either way the comment made her smile.

Geto grabbed her phone and flipped it open, blinking into the light. "Although, a little bit later would have been nice."

"What time is it?"

"Eight."

"A full six hours," Gojo calculated. She removed her arm and slid out of bed.

Geto groaned and pulled the blanket over her head.

"Your uncle's thing is at dinner, right?"

"Mhm," Geto confirmed, her voice slightly muffled. "We could do something before then."

"Sure." Gojo started sorting through the closet. She pulled out a cute sundress, dark blue with white stars embroidered. "Can I wear this tonight?"

"Sure," Geto answered without checking what it was.

Gojo hung it back up, then started putting on her clothes from the day before. She had forgotten to bring a bag, but it was okay. Even if she had clean clothes, she would have done the same thing.

"I'm gonna go eat," she said, heading toward the bedroom door.

"Hold on." Geto sighed, then sat up. "I'm coming."

"You don't have to," Gojo tried, but she knew Geto would anyway.

Geto talked as she got dressed. "Before you meet my parents, there are some things you should know."

"Uh, okay?"

"They're not Jujutsu sorcerers," Geto explained. "They're not even windows."

"I know."

"So you can't say anything at all about Jujutsu or curses. Not your own powers, not what we learn at school. Nothing."

"Oh." Gojo frowned. "That sounds hard."

"It is," Geto laughed. "But it's for their protection. They can't know."

"Okay, I'll be careful," Gojo promised.

Geto smiled. "Thanks."

"Is that all?"

She thought about it. "They think I got invited to a prestigious boarding school. I told them about you, so if they say anything, that's why."

Gojo grinned playfully. "Oh, what did you say?"

"That you're annoying," Geto teased. Seriously, she admitted, "I told my mom about us fake dating. About pretty much everything."

"Everything?" Gojo was surprised. She never told her mom a thing. Anything important worked its way to her parents, and she wanted to have the details to herself. Maybe it was the opposite for Geto, since she couldn't share the big things.

Geto nodded. "I hope that's okay. But anyway, my parents will probably ask you a lot of questions."

"Uh, okay." Gojo didn't do so well with that. She'd given the principal a very bad first impression in her interview for Jujutsu High.

Geto tugged on her socks, then met Gojo at the door. "Ready?"

Gojo nodded solidly, and they ventured into the living room.

"Good morning," Geto's mom greeted brightly. "I was just about to come see if you two were ready for breakfast."

Geto smiled back. "We are." She shuffled aside, so Gojo was no longer standing safely behind her. "Um. This is Satoru. Satoru, this is my mom and dad."

Gojo forced a smile. "Hi," she said timidly.

Geto's dad turned to get a better look at her. "Hey there, Satoru! Nice to meet you. How'd you sleep?"

"Good, thanks." Gojo felt like there was something else she was supposed to say. "Uh, how did you sleep?"

Geto's dad looked a little surprised, but he nodded and said, "good."

Geto slapped her palm to her forehead.

"What?" Gojo complained. "Did you think I wasn't gonna be awkward? I never talk to other people's parents."

Geto looked like she was slowly dying, so Gojo shut her mouth.

Geto's mom came over to them. "Well, we're very glad to have you here," she told Gojo. "Now, come sit down for breakfast, girls."

They sat down and ate. Gojo tried to be polite, but the food was so good she had a hard time not scarfing everything down as fast as humanly possible. When she'd finished, Geto's dad just offered her more.

"We talked last night," Geto told her parents. "And, um, Satoru and I are dating now. For real."

She caught Gojo's hand, holding it just over the surface of the table.

Geto's mom clasped her hands together. "I'm glad you figured everything out. We're very happy for you."

Her dad nodded. "You've grown up so much, Suguru."

Geto cast Gojo a look as if to say can you believe them, but it was obvious how happy she was to hear that. Gojo just nodded, unsure of what to say. The whole thing was a little surreal to her. All she could think about was her dad at the garden party, or her mom in the box at the fights. She knew her family was different, but this was really different. Was this was families were supposed to be like?

After breakfast, she and Geto decided to go out.

"I want to show you all the places I grew up," Geto said.

They started at her school, then worked their way through all of the shops Geto used to go to and places she used to hang out. Once again, Gojo was left with the impression that she and Geto had very different lives.

They got lunch out, then decided to go see a movie. Geto let Gojo pick, which was really nice of her, so Gojo chose one that they would both reasonably like. After that, they walked through the park until it was time to head home.

"It's really nice here," Gojo told Geto.

Geto nodded. "I used to feel trapped here, but I suppose it is nice."

"You belong to a bigger world," Gojo guessed.

Geto looked thoughtful. "I suppose so. I still don't want to complain about growing up here. It's a very nice area."

Gojo nodded. "Yeah, I kinda wish Jujutsu High was in a place like this. Then we wouldn't have to get a ride or take the bus every time we want to do something."

Geto laughed, then nudged Gojo and asked, "like go on a date?"

Gojo grinned. "Yeah. Like that. Hey, was this a date?"

"Do you have to decide it's a date beforehand?" Geto wondered. "I guess it doesn't matter."

"Not really," Gojo agreed.

When they got back to Geto's house, her parents were setting up for the dinner. Gojo wasn't sure why, but she'd assumed it would be at a restaurant.

"It smells so good," she told Geto.

Geto's mom heard, and smiled. "Aw, thank you, honey. That's so sweet."

Gojo froze, not sure what to say back.

"Come on." Geto took her hand. "Mom, we're going to change, but we'll come back and help."

She pulled Gojo to her room, and they both changed.

"I'm stealing this," Gojo announced as she smoothed out the skirt of her dress. "It's comfy."

Geto just rolled her eyes, then smoothed her own skirt. "How do I look?" she asked nervously.

Gojo poked the bare skin on her stomach. "You're wearing it."

"Stop." Geto swatted her hand away. "Of course I'm wearing it."

Gojo already had her hands back on Geto's stomach, loving the feel of both the fabric and her girlfriend's bare skin. "I already told you how this looks on you."

She met Gojo's eyes, making her catch her breath. Geto was going to kiss her, she was sure of it.

"Let's go help my parents," she said, tearing herself away.

"Aw," Gojo whined, "I wanted a kiss."

Geto laughed dryly. "We're having our first real kiss somewhere more romantic than my bedroom."

Gojo could have complained more, but Geto was already leaving. She hurried to keep up.

After proving herself useless in the kitchen, Gojo was sent to help Geto's dad move the table. She could have easily moved it with infinity. It was annoying to have to do it the boring normal way.

"So," Geto's dad asked as they scooted it away from the wall. "You and Suguru met at school?"

"Mhm." Gojo activated infinity for one split second to avoid getting her fingers pinched. "We're in the same class."

"Do you like school?" he questioned.

"Yeah, a lot."

"That's good." 

He gave her some instructions. Once they had established where the table was being moved to, they each heaved an end off the ground and shuffled it over.

"What do you want to do when you graduate?" Geto's dad grunted.

Gojo didn't see why they had to talk while they were working. She waited until they had set down the table before answering. "I think I'm gonna be a teacher."

He laughed. "You like school that much, huh?"

Geto came over, wearing a nervous smile. "You're going to be a what, Satoru?"

"A teacher," she repeated. "At J— our school."

"Do you even like kids?"

"I love kids," Gojo informed her.

Geto scoffed. "Because you're so similar?"

Gojo shrugged. "Kids know what's up."

Geto's mom joined in from the kitchen. "Suguru, any idea yet what you want to do?"

"No," Geto said, though from the way she locked eyes with Gojo, they both knew the answer. She was going to be a Jujutsu Sorcerer.

"There's always time to figure it out," her mom advised. "I didn't figure out what I wanted to do until just last year."

"You could be a teacher too," Gojo suggested, mostly joking.

"Oh, no." Geto went back into the kitchen. "I like school, but not enough to trap myself there for the rest of my life."

Gojo finished helping with the table, then went to bother Geto. Geto's mom slipped away a moment, and Gojo heard her whispering to Geto's dad in the living room.

"So cute," she said.

Geto's dad agreed. "She likes kids, did you hear?"

Gojo, grinning, turned back to Geto, who looked mortified. "Dad!" she scolded, her face bright red.

He lifted his hands defensively. "Don't mind us."

"Then stop!"

Gojo laughed.

Soon, the guests arrived. Geto's mom must have told them Gojo would be there, because none of them seemed surprised to see her. Geto introduced everyone, and Gojo promptly forgot their names. All she remembered was: grandma (Geto's favorite), step-grandpa (married after grandpa died), aunt (probably the one who nosed into Geto's dating life), uncle (birthday boy), cousin (10), cousin (7), cousin (baby).

Gojo crouched down near the two older kids. "Hey," she called. "Want some candy?"

"We don't know you," the older one answered timidly, holding back his little sister.

Gojo flashed them a smile. "Sure you do! I'm Suguru's girlfriend, remember?"

"It's fine!" the younger one told her brother, bouncing on her heels.

Gojo patted her pockets, then remembered she was wearing Geto's dress. "One sec," she said, sprinted to Geto's room, grabbed her candies out of her pants pockets, and sprinted back. "Okay, here you go."

Geto's shadow appeared over her. "Satoru," she said in a warning voice. Gojo looked up to see she was smiling. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." She held out a candy. "Want one?"

Geto shook her head. "Go ask your parents before you eat that," she told her cousins. They both ran off. Geto sighed. "Really, Satoru?"

"What?" Gojo laughed as she stood up. "I can't help it. They're like ducks with bread."

"You, also, are like a duck with bread when someone offers you candy," Geto reminded her.

"True." Gojo leaned on her shoulder. "Your family's nice."

"Thanks," Geto said quietly. It wasn't hard to tell what she was thinking. Gojo's family was a lot of things, but no one would ever claim they were nice.

Dinner started soon after everyone arrived. Gojo wasn't sure where she was supposed to sit, but it seemed like it didn't matter. She ended up next to Geto, Geto's dad on her other side. As soon as the food was served, Geto's aunt started asking about Gojo, and Gojo understood why she wanted a date to the dinner.

"You never told me there was a girl you were interested it!" her aunt started.

"It's new," Geto answered. "We just started dating."

"Where did you meet?"

"School."

It went on for a bit, as Geto's aunt dragged every detail out of her. Then, she turned on Gojo. "So," she demanded, "what's your favorite thing about Suguru?"

"Um." Gojo gulped. She sensed there was a right answer to this. "I like that she... is, ah, I like that she's nice to people."

Geto's aunt nodded like that was an acceptable answer, and Gojo let out a breath. "Oh, I don't think we got your family name."

"Oh. Gojo," she said plainly.

Geto's uncle glanced over. "Gojo," he mused. "The Gojos are one of my company's clients."

"Finance?" Gojo guessed. Her family liked to use their money to get more by moving it around.

He nodded. "Do you know much about the family business?"

"A bit." Not as much as she should, for being the heir. She laughed dryly. "Uh, sorry for whoever you had to deal with."

He looked a little startled, and Gojo wondered if she shouldn't have said that. "Your family can be quite a secretive bunch," he said.

She nodded. "Oh yeah." Especially from non-sorcerers.

Geto's grandma changed the topic back to their relationship. "I'm so glad you found a rich girl," she teased.

"Grandma!" Geto stiffened. When Gojo laughed, she relaxed a little.

"Mom," Geto's mom scolded. "Please don't be rude.

"It's fine," Gojo assured them. "No big deal, seriously."

Geto’s grandma just laughed. "And I see you’re ready to seal the deal, hm?"

Everyone looked confused, until Geto noticed that her grandma had spotted the matching rings on her and Gojo’s fingers. "No, no," she hurried, seeming a little panicked.

"No," Gojo agreed quickly. "It’s a friendship ring, not even a promise ring. I mean, it’s way too early to get engaged, huh?"

"We’re not engaged," Geto confirmed. Her mom let out a breath of relief.

"Oh, my mistake," her grandma said, sounding a little disappointed.

Geto still seemed embarrassed. "Can we talk about something else?" she begged.

Her mom asked her cousins how school was going, and the conversation progressed. As dinner went on, Gojo felt a little overwhelmed. Everyone was just so friendly and talkative. It would have been easier if she hadn't just met them, and also if she hadn't left her glasses off for the evening. Most people didn't wear sunglasses inside, and she didn't want to embarrass Geto by doing something weird.

As if she could read Gojo's mind, Geto slipped her glasses into her hand.

"I thought you might want these."

Gojo took them and unfolded them. "It's okay?"

"Yes, of course," Geto promised.

Gojo slid them on, relieved to have them. Seeing by cursed energy only was much less tiring, and she started feeling more comfortable immediately.

"Satoru has sensitive eyes," Geto explained at her family's curious looks. No one questioned it farther.

After dinner, Geto's dad got out the cake, and they all sang happy birthday. Gojo felt a little ashamed that she hadn't brought a gift, but it seemed like no one had really expected her to.

"We have almost the same birthday," she told Geto's uncle. "Mine was last week."

"Except that you probably turned seventeen, and I'm turning forty-one," he chuckled.

When they were done eating, they played a game. Geto's grandma noticed her dress, and soon everyone was telling her how cute it was. Geto seemed a little embarrassed, but she accepted the compliments graciously.

"Satoru helped me pick it out," she said.

Gojo got teased for that, but she liked it. Getting teased by nice people was fun.

Everyone stayed for a long time, even after the game was done. It reminded Gojo a little bit of her classmates. They all liked being around each other.

When everyone finally left, Geto said goodnight to her parents and led Gojo back to her room.

"I'm so tired," she groaned, melting into her bed.

Gojo laid down on top of her. "That was kinda fun, though."

"It was," Geto agreed. "I'm still exhausted."

"Then let's go to sleep."

Geto pet her hair. "Change first."

"Can I borrow pajamas tonight?"

She laughed. "Take whatever you want." Then, she kissed Gojo on the forehead. "I'll just steal it right back."

"Sure," Gojo agreed.

Then, Geto sat up, dumping her onto the cold sheets. "Satoru, about earlier."

"Hm?"

Her cheeks flushed the faintest pink. "You know I'm not dating you for the money, right?"

"Oh yeah, that." Gojo wormed her way into Geto's lap. "Yeah, I know. There's no amount of money worth putting up with me."

Geto frowned. "I wish you wouldn't do that."

"What?"

"Speak so poorly of yourself."

"But it's true," Gojo argued. "It's fine. I know I'm hard to deal with."

Geto started stroking her hair again. "I think you should hold yourself in higher regard."

"Aw, but aren't you the one who's always telling me not to be arrogant?"

"Yeah," Geto mumbled, "somehow you manage to do both."

Gojo wasn't really sure what to think of that.

"We'll talk about it later," Geto decided.

Suddenly, Gojo had an idea. She jumped up, grabbed Geto's hand, and pulled her off the bed. "Let's go!"

"Go where?" Geto laughed, sounding confused.

"You'll see. Come on!"

They got their shoes on and went outside, into the darkness. Gojo dragged Geto down to her old school, where they had gone earlier that day, and jumped the fence.

"We're not supposed to be here," Geto warned as she climbed over after Gojo.

Gojo was already on the ladder to the roof. "There's no one around to care."

They got to the top, and Geto caught her breath. "I never knew there was such a beautiful view so close to my house. How did you..."

"I dunno, just lucky." Gojo took off her glasses, so she could see the sky. And Geto. Staring up at the stars, smiling, she was so, so beautiful. "So," she tried, a little timidly. Carefully, she laced her fingers into Geto's.

Geto turned and looked at her, smiling. "Yes?"

"Is this a romantic enough place to kiss?"

She laughed. "Oh, Satoru." Then, she bumped her head against Gojo's, holding her face in her hand. "Yes. Yes it is."

Epilogue

Shoko laughed. "Are you serious?"

Geto glared at her. "You asked what was going on with us."

"I didn't expect you to give me a whole saga about you and Satoru fake dating." Shoko reached for a cigarette, and offered one to Geto and Utahime each. "You should have known what would happen."

Geto accepted it. "I guess that's fair."

Utahime took one too, and Shoko lit them all. They smoked in silence for a moment.

"You've already kissed," Utahime recalled, thinking of Gojo's birthday party.

Geto nodded her confirmation. "Yes, we have. Once we started dating for real, too."

Utahime tilted her head. "Have you done it yet?"

"Done what?" Geto frowned around her cigarette.

Shoko laughed. "Sex, Suguru."

Geto's face turned pink, and the other two girls laughed.

"I think that answers it," Utahime giggled.

Geto went back to scowling. "No, it doesn't. And I don't see how it's any of your business, anyway."

"Oh, I know how to find out." Shoko got out her phone and called Gojo.

"Don't," Geto protested, but it was too late. Gojo was already answering.

"Why are you calling me?" she asked flatly. "Just text."

Shoko ignored her. "Satoru, Utahime and I have a very important question for you."

"Huh? Okay, what is it?"

Utahime snickered. "Have you and Suguru done it yet?" Shoko asked.

Gojo was quiet for a second. "You guys are disgusting."

They just laughed.

Geto snatched the phone. "Hi, Satoru. I'm so sorry."

"What's going on?" Gojo sounded confused.

Geto sighed. "They're harassing me. Don't worry about it. How's your mission going?"

"Um." Gojo paused. "I'm kind of in the middle of it."

"Right, sorry. I'll talk to you later then."

"Yeah," Gojo agreed. "Bye. Love you."

"Love you," Geto echoed.

"No, don't hang up," Shoko protested, but Geto already had. She tossed the phone back to her.

"I hate you both, and I'm never telling you anything ever again," she announced.

They both protested. Geto wouldn't hold to that, but she wanted to make them sweat after being so nosey.

"Now." She flicked her hair. "Are you going to ask me real questions, or more gross questions?"

"First real date," Shoko demanded.

Geto smiled, always happy to talk about her girlfriend.