#no smut...yet.

Satoru Gojo's life flashed before his eyes. He saw his old friends, whom he considered family. He saw smiles and joy, something his own life seemed to lack.

Nanami...Haibara...Riko...Suguru...

Then it went dark... nothing. His life was over. It was all done. At least his students were watching, right? They got to see their handsome teacher fight until he couldn't anymore. It was admirable, right? Heroic, even. He was the strongest sorcerer, and just like that, cut down by Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses.

It was weird... Everything was dark. He couldn't move or feel anything around him. His own body seemed to be missing. Is this what death is? Stuck in your own brain? You and your own thoughts for eternity? If so, this must be hell.

...

What felt like days was probably just a few minutes, maybe even a few seconds. Satoru thought he felt..warmth? The type of warmth you feel on a summer night, around the fire with your friends. The warmth started to move about, like it flowing through and around him. Engulfing him entirely, slowly. It was peaceful, if only for a moment.

His ears picked up a noise, although muffled, it sounded like a voice. Was it his own imagination? The "voice" was higher pitched, feminine, maybe? The "person," if it was another person, was speaking quickly and frantically. Obviously they a bit panicked about something, but Satoru couldn't figure out what it could be. He tried to strain his hearing, trying his best to catch even a distinct word in the muffled noise.

"....what....I....h-hey....Jo....please....up....fell...."

That's what Satoru could make out, at least. He was definitely trying, despite his dying and all.

That was when the warmth was almost hot, and the noise was almost deafening. It was getting too much to bear, and he started squirm in the dark void, almost like he was falling into quicksand and desperately clawing his way out.

Then his eyes shot open. Was he alive?

He saw trees, the night sky, stars. He heard crickets chirping and the sound of water running nearby. Sounds He missed so dearly, sounds he didn't know he would miss so much.

His vision came into view. He still felt paralyzed, but he could move his fingers. He moved his fingers around him, feeling something soft and yet prickly at the same time. Tickling the palms of his large hands. Grass?

He took a deep breath, focus...focus...focus...

He felt something warm in his shoulder, his eyes darted to his left.

Who the hecking hell was that?!

~~~~~~~~~~~

It was late one summer night, fireflies were flying around the park, and you could hear the faint sound of water running through the fountain in the center of the park. It was warm, but not humid. The perfect night to sleep peacefully under the stars.

But not for her...

She walked around aimlessly around the park. It was a safe park, do not worry. She took in the sights, the maple trees, the oak trees, the pine trees. The chirping of crickets and the sounds of nature all around her. She felt her heart ache was particularly rough that day, feelings of depression and thoughts of deep anxiety. It was hard sometimes, but she had her ways of coping.

She liked watching her little shows, playing her little video games. Reading and writing, painting and cooking. She had many hobbies and hoped to gain more as the years soon come and go.

It was going to be getting dark soon. The stars were slowly making their way deep into their space in the night sky. She thought the stars seemed brighter tonight, almost hopeful in a way. She smiled thinking of the future, hoping that would maybe someday get better.

A few minutes went by as she stared into the darkness of the moon. She decided to make her way back home to her little apartment, just big enough to reflect the cheap rent she paid each month.

She wondered what she was gonna go when she got back. Maybe cook something yummy? She already baked a batch of cookies, so maybe snack on a few of those while she watched her favorite anime?

She smiled widely, thinking of her favorite series. Over the years, she had almost the entire manga, some figurines, some merch, and some posters. Some of her friends thought it was a bit much, but it wasn't she didn't appreciate each item she had owned. Plus, it was her favorite anime, Jujutsu Kaisen...

She had figurines and merch of all her favorite characters, Choso, Nanami Kento, Yuta Okkotsu, and of course Satoru-

She stopped.

Her eyes flickered, straining to see what was off in the distance. It looked like a couple of small sparks of light, almost as if a million fireflies danced amongst themselves. The sparks were golden, quick, like sparks flying off an anvil. Her eyes widened, and her pupils grew darker in awe.

Should she step closer? Probably not. Should she leave? Probably. Did she? She wanted to, but her feet moved forward. Her body behind a tree, looking around it, as if it would actually protect her. The lights moved faster and settled closer to the dark green grass, creating a long body shaped...shape.

Her eyes brows fused to together as she looked down at them...then she saw it..white hair.

Her eyes widened, and she gasped, seeing an actual body on the ground as the lights flickered off. It was a man.

In that moment, her mind wasn't moving as fast as her body. She took a step forward, like she knew who it was before she could process what just happened. It looked like...no.

It couldn't be...him, could it?

No... no!

She stepped closer, getting a better look at him. White hair, handsome features, muscular but lean build, and about 6'3 height... but it couldn't be him. Her long time, favorite fictional character was just... here?!

Once her brain caught up with her body, she froze.

Then, after a moment.

She knelt down as she looked over his body. Small rips in his clothes, dried blood on his face, hands, and in his white hair. His shirt was especially torn around his torso, right where the hem of his shirt met his pants.

She gulped slightly, feeling a mix of pain and fear for him before she started to speak. She tried to keep her voice steady, but what came out was anything but.

"I.. wait..what am I doing? Is this...Satoru Gojo? Um.. please...I- I don't even know what to say - asking if you need help feels stupid and pointless... Do you want help up? Can you get up? Will uou just fall again? I feel so stupid right now. I- I... am I panicking? I think I'm panicking -"

She reached a hand out, as she was going to gently check his heart rate. Then suddenly-

His eyes opened.

She held her hand back as he looked up. Did he see her? Should she run away? His fingers barely moved, but she caught it due to the stillness of the moment.

She slowly placed a hand near his shoulder.

His eyes darted to her...wide and almost crazed.

She froze, too scared to move or even let out a gasp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Satoru was...alive?

He looked at her, her hand frozen on his bicep. He felt his muscles flex under her fingertips. Her hand was warm, like a hot bath on a sore body after a workout.

Suddenly, he sat up, her hand falling off his shoulder and landing at her side limp. His body shook slightly as he looked at her. His chest moved deeply as if he had not had a breath of fresh air in years. To him, he felt like he hadn't. His eyes moved over her. Her small, short breaths, how her hair moved, how her eyes widened in curiosity and fear. And how her mouth sat at a small "o" shape.

"Who...are you?" He asked finally, voice raspy. "And more importantly, where. Am. I?" He asked. His body tensed up as he waited for her to respond.

She gasped softly, her eyes widened as she looked at him in a mix of awe and caution.

"I- I um- you're...you're here?" Was all she could muster. She was internally hitting herself for the flabbergasted response.

"Here?" He asked, an eyebrow arched at her. He definitely thought she was an idiot now.

"S-sorry...I'm *blank*. And um... you're uh..in America?"

"America?"

"The United States, yes."

"America.... wow..." he muttered. As if that was the weirdest part of the whole situation. She finally found her voice and spoke up.

"You're Satoru Gojo..." she said. Great, now he thinks I'm crazy. He couldn't help but smirk slightly.

"Yeah, I am. But I am definitely more curious about how you know who I am..." he leaned closer, almost like he was inspecting her.

"W-what are yo-"

"Calm down, I'm checking for cursed energy. Which you seem to be lacking a lot of. Interesting. Usually, only sorcerers know the name Satoru Gojo." He muttered, almost to himself. His face was just inches away from hers. She felt her checks warm slightly.

"I-" She tried to speak, but he stopped her.

"This whole park is lacking cursed energy as well, which is odd. America is a very depressing place. This park should be filled with tiny grade fours."

"It's -" she waited a second to see if he would interrupt her this time, and he didn't. She sighs softly and leans a bit away from him.

"It's because we don't have any cursed energy, or curses here."

"What?" He laughed slightly. Getting up onto his feet. He wobbled a bit before he was able to steady himself. His strong arms pulled her up to her feet as well, and he leaned in a bit closer.

"No curses? That's odd. Why not? Hm?"

"B-because they're... they're not..real"

He froze for a second. Then two. Looking at her like she just said the sky was orange. Then he laughed. Right in her face.

"N-not real?! What is this some type of sick joke?" His mouth was laughing, but his eyes were sharp, humorless.

"Don't make me laugh with your 'curses aren't real' bullshit." His voice was venomous, not necessarily directed at her, but the entire narrative. He leaned closer to her side, close to her ear, so she could hear him clearly.

"I've fought monsters darker than the night sky, I've fought curses stronger than the sun. I've fought curses your little mind couldn't even comprehend. And I've won. I've fought the King of Curses and I-" he stopped... freezing. He leaned back from her, still gripping her shoulder with one hand. The other reached down towards his torso.

"My...body...wait-" his blue eyes widened in a panic. He touched his face, feeling the crust of dried blood. He looked down at the scars that now littered his arms. All at once, his memories rushed into his brain like a flood. His fight, his life, his death....

He stumbled back. His hold on her shoulder tightened slightly, causing her to stumble into him.

He stood there...frozen for a minute, the two, then five.

She started to speak, carefully.

"I- I- I'm sorry, Satoru Gojo..." her voice soft and low, keeping her tone light and empathetic. Her eyes met his, her mouth was made into a small pout, frowning at him.

"You don't even know me. Why do you-" she stopped him.

"I know you... in a way..." she winced at her words. Definitely not the time to spring the rest of the information on him.

"....What? What does that mean?" His voice was calm, but she could tell he was upset.

"Don't worry, forget I said anything -" he suddenly held her hands, pulling her closer to him.

"I just died. I think i deserve to know where I am, who you are, how you know me, and more importantly, why I'm here." I expect answers."

She gulped.

"...promise you won't freak out." She winced at her cliché wording. What? Was she in a fanfiction or something?

"After the... time I've had, I would believe you if you said unicorns were real. Tell. Me. Now."

"You're...inadifferentuniverse" she muttered all at once.

"What?"

"You're...in a different universe. Reality. World. Here, there are no curses, no jujutsu sorcerers, no Sukuna or Kenjaku, or anyone else like that."

He paused, then took a deep breath.

"That explains the lack of cursed energy. But wait. If there aren't any curses here, how do you know about all this?" He asked, suspicious of her now.

"Well...promise you won't freak out okay?"

He rolled his eyes, frustrated already.

"I won't. Just tell me, and if you're lying to me. I'll know. No pressure." He smiled, but his smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Well...in this universe... you're a..um...fictional character."

~~~~~~~~~

He walked into her small apartment. The place consisted of just three rooms. A small kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room that also functioned as her bedroom. Her bed was off to the side of the room, next to it, a small desk and chair. Then, on the other side of the room was a love seat couch. The walls were covered in posters of him and the other "characters." Along with some random art. Her desk shelf has a few figures that looked familiar as well. On the table was a small stack of books labeled "Jujutsu Kaisen."

Satoru couldn't believe it.

He had laughed in her face. Called her a liar and a loser. Said she was delusional, crazy even. But he was wrong. In this world, he really was just a fictional character.

Satoru took a moment to think. He was a fictional character, someone who had fans all over the world, young and old. All around her place was just...him. He couldn't believe someone to genuinely like him this much. He knew he was handsome, funny, charming, strong, smart, and honestly he could go on forever. But this? This level of admiration?

His mind was trying to catch up with the idea that his entire life was a piece of media. His birth, his friends, his students, his death. It was all just... entertainment?

"I...I know it's a lot, but -" he interrupted her, again.

"Why is there so much of me?" He asked, his voice a good mix of astonishment and almost amusement. "Am I your favorite?" He grinned. Actually grinned a little. Fuck him and his huge head.

"I- well-, I guess you could say that. But I do really like Yuta Okkotsu a lot, too....and a few other characters..." she mumbled sheepishly. Obviously embarrassed by her cute collection. She had never felt so excited and yet anxious in her life.

"Oh? I'm not your favorite? Right, and you just have 4 little figurines of me and posters for no reason, then." He hummed, obviously amused. It doesn't seem to matter what happens to Satoru. He's still a cocky asshole.

She sighed at him, almost too loud and dramatic for the situation. "Anyway..."

She paused for a moment, looking at him carefully. "You still have dried blood on your face." She gulped slightly, not wanting to overstep his boundaries. The playfulness in his eyes fell, as he remembered again what he had experienced.

"....yeah, I do." He said, forcing himself to touch his chin and jaw again. Dried blood chipped off like a bad paint job, making him wince internally.

"You're...going to irritate your skin doing that. Let me clean it up, okay?"

He stiffened. She wanted to help clean him up?

"I can do it myself, you know."

"I know. But, you- just let me okay?"

"Fine..." he sighed, sitting on her small love seat couch before she could even say anything.

After grabbing a wet towel and some gentle soap, she pulled her desk chair close to face him. Her hand reached up, almost holding his jaw, as she gently tipped back his head.

"Lemme see..." her voice in a low whisper. She took the washcloth and carefully scrubbed off the dried blood. Her hands were shaky, and her breath was hollow. She was internally screaming

He's so close! He's so close! Satoru Gojo is in my living room, and he's letting me touch his face!

"You're thinking too loud." He muttered.

"Am I? Sorry... I just never thought I would ever...ya know..." she trailed off, trying to concentrate on the task at hand.

"Never thought you'd meet such a handsome guy like me, eh?" He tried to joke. But they both knew the reality of the situation.

"Something like that..." she started to speak, mumbling softly. "I've joked about this to friends before... meeting you. It's just... I don't even know what to think, if I can be honest."

He raised an eyebrow at her as she carefully moved his head to the opposite side.

"You've imagined this moment before. Weirdo." He hummed lightly, almost a tease. She smiled, half embarrassed, half happy they were talking to easily.

"Just be happy its me who found you. One of my friends knows of you too, and she used to joke that if you became real, she would beat you up." She wasn't sure why she was telling him this, but she was glad she did. Satoru laughed, a genuine laugh.

"Oh? Can she even fight?"

"I would say that she would be very motivated."

"Sure, sure..." he smirked at the idea, causing her face to warm up a bit. She decided not to say anything else as to not embarrass herself further.

"Almost done... Do you feel okay?" She asked after a few minutes.

"Hmm.." he hummed.

They sat in silence for a moment, the AC clicking on, causing a quiet 'vhmm' to vibrate through the room.

"Would you like to eat something? Maybe shower? I only got "girly" products, but you are more than welcome to use my stuff..." she smiled kindly at him.

"...Yeah, I'll do that..."

He got up, walking towards the bathroom. It was pretty obvious where it was considering the small apartment.

"I'll get you some towels. And I know you're pretty tall, but I might have a shirt and some sweatpants for you to borrow. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Satoru sat at her small table in the corner of her kitchen. It was only big enough for two people normally, but Satoru was a big man. So he felt a little cramped. Satoru, before he died, in his universe was rich. Beyond rich. He could buy her entire apartment complex, tear it down, and build a mansion in its place while barely making a dent in his back account.

But now? He was in a tiny apartment eating soup from a chipped bowl. How quickly can things change, huh?

He played with the chunks of veggies that floated in the broth, watching them move from one side of the bowl to the other. It was good soup, chicken or something, he wasn't sure exactly, but it was good. She sat down across from him, with a big mug filled with soup.

"I only had one bowl because it's usually just me eating," she said, smiling softly. "I hope it's okay, I know it's a day old, but soup lasts a while, yeah?"

"It's good. Thank you." He mumbled, his hair slightly damp still from his shower. He smelled like a flower shop threw up on him. A mix of sweet, floral scents. Roses, maybe? Or lavender? He wasn't an expert on women's body wash.

His mind felt heavier than before as he ate another bite. His eyes twitched as he tapped his foot under her table. Satoru's mind started to finally catch up with the fact that he was... not anywhere close to home.

Satoru looked at her. Her eyes cast down at her mug. He tilted his head slightly, looking at the way her hair fell. How her hand held her spoon. The way she took a small sip of the broth, it was so human

"Why are you helping me? I know you said you're a fan, but even then. Why? It makes no sense to me." He looked down, taking another bite.

She looked up at him, eyes wide. She blinked at him before speaking.

"Because you needed help. I wanted to help you. I know your life pretty well and- well...yeah."

"That can't be all." He said, searching her eyes while squinting his own. Her face showed no malice, no ill intent. Her eyes had sparks of kindness, maybe. Although Satoru wasn't too familiar with that look.

"It is... trust me, okay?"

"Okay." He nodded at her, his eyes fluttering again.

A few minutes passed, they both had finished eating, and she while doing their dishes quickly before bed. The small space was quiet, almost peaceful. Satoru looked around her space. Pictures if him were almost everywhere. Figures of her shelves seemed to almost mock him, taunting the fact that his life was fake.

"Why do you like me so much, anyway?" He tried to make it sound lighter than the question actually was. She finished up washing the bowl and spoons and looked at him. Face blushed slightly, almost from embarrassment.

"Well, you're..strong. you're super cool, you're smart and fast, and of course kind. You're a good man, if not a little... weird sometimes."

"A "good man," huh?" He hummed, thinking. "And not a word about my absolutely gorgeous face? My muscles? My voice?" He smirked, happy that the teasing came more naturally this time. He was even happier about her reaction. This is why he loved to tease.

"Well- yes... but! That's not all of it. I still think you're super cool..." she trailed off, grumbling under her breath softly. He laughed, just a little.

"What, you embarrassed? Little old you all stumbling over their words... It's almost cute like a kitten." He teased, grinning widely.

She sighed, pretending to be annoyed. But she couldn't help but smile. That's the Satoru Gojo she always dreamed of meeting. The one grinning at her, teasing and batting around her emotions like a cat with a mouse. It was annoying, sure. And it would probably get tiring pretty fast, but this was so much better than the sad Gojo who ate his soup without a word.

"What? You flustered now?"

"No." She answered, too quickly. Somehow, his grin grew wider.

"You're fun to tease. You react all surprised and yet, not surprised at all."

"My friends tease me a lot. So I'm used to it. But I can tease back too... just you wait." She smiled widely, almost smugly. His blue eyes widened in amusement.

"Oh, ho ho! I'll be waiting for that, then."

He looked down at her ground as she giggled. He was kind of enjoying her company. A lot. Although he would probably never say it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Satoru sat on her couch, wondering how he was supposed to sleep on that thing. He was a big man. Taller than most men, so he had not idea how he could sleep on such a tiny thing.

"Oh.. you're not sleeping on the love seat." She could read his mind, how? He wondered. Although his confusion and sleepy expression probably gave it away.

"Huh?"

"Yeah, you're on my bed. If that's fine. It should be more comfortable for you." She smiled, eyes brightened for a moment. "I just saved up a few months to get an awesome bed frame! It should feel better than my couch, and definitely the floor."

He could see the excitement on her face, and it warmed his heart just a tiny bit. She was so enthusiastic about a mattress frame. Wow. Was she sleeping with a bare mattress on he floor. He winced, imagining her back problems.

"I got a few spare blankets, and lucky you. I just cleaned my sheets yesterday. So they're pretty clean..."

"Thank you. But are you sure? Don't you wsnt your beauty rest or something?" He asked. Feeling almost bad for how much he wanted to just lay down and sleep. She shook her head and waved a hand at him.

"Trust me, it's the least I can do for you. Now, do you need anything before I go to bed? Well, I guess I am two feet away from you, but still." She joked.

"No, I think I'm okay. And...thank you again." His voice was sincere. Her eyes soften.

"Of course. Now come on. Snuggle up, I'll turn off the lights."

He let himself fall down onto her pillow. Her sheets warm and snug around his worn-out body. His muscles seemed to melt into the blankets. And soon enough, he was asleep.

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I hope you liked this, I might be making a part two? If not, oh well!