sev.

He walked inside and stared at you sleeping peacefully in his white shirt. His skin crawled thinking about sharing the bed with anyone but you. He felt disgusted at himself for letting that happen. You deserved better than this. He sighed and wiped his eyes and got in the bed. He held you close like you would evaporate into thin air.

“Satoru..”. You murmured in your sleep.

“Yes love, I’m here”.

You opened your eyes slowly, “Why are you up?”. Your speech slurred.

“I had to get water. Go to sleep baby. I’m here now. I love you”. He pecked your forehead with quivering lips.

You relaxed and fell asleep within seconds. Gojo wasn’t sure if you’d remember any of this but he was sure of one thing. He can not lose you again. 

-X-

You sat across Gojo at the breakfast table, watching him type aggressively on his phone. You sipped your tea quietly and tried to gauge the situation. Gojo had been restless since last night and you could only think that it was something to do with you. “Are you okay?”. You asked, placing the cup back on the saucer.

Gojo looked up from his phone, “Yeah. Why?”.

“You seem..disturbed”. 

Gojo sighed, and locked his phone before placing it face down on the table. “Just work”. He brought his cup of coffee to his lips. This was another usual thing that you had noticed. Gojo didn’t like coffee. Gojo pressed his lips together and placed the cup back on the table. “I think we should get your medical test done at home”. Gojo said.

“At home? Is that even possible?”. You frowned.

“Of course it is. I don’t want to tire you out with all the hospital procedures. I could have a medical team visit us and another one can stay on the grounds”.

“Why? The visit would hardly take a couple of hours and..”. You looked at him and then at his phone and smiled. “..Satoru, if you’re busy then we can postpone it or I can go alone or with Jerry”.

Gojo stared at you blankly. How he wished  he could tell you that it was not his schedule that concerned him but rather a psychopathic woman. “No, it’s none of that”. Gojo smiled and reached for your  hand across the table. “I have been thinking of doing this for a while. It would give me more time to spend with you and Keisuke and it’s always better to have doctors on call. Safe for all of us”.

Had you not known about his mother, you would have argued with him, called him paranoid, But his paranoia was not misplaced or meant to cause you harm, it steamed from losing people close to him time and aga. It was for you and your son. “Alright then”. 

Gojo brought your hand up and kissed your knuckles. 

“Will I see you for lunch today?”.

Gojo’s smile dropped. “I’m sorry, I have to take care of something”. 

You got up and walked around to his side and gently ruffled his hair. “That’s alright. I’ll send lunch to your office. Don’t skip your meals”.

Something about the domesticity of the whole situation made the coldness evaporate from his body. Never had he ever had someone dote over him like this but now he had you, his wife. Before you could walk past him, Gojo grabbed your wrist and pulled you towards him. He wrapped his arms around your waist as you stood between his legs and molded his lips to yours. It wasn’t a chaste kiss. It wasn’t a kiss a husband gives before leaving for work. You knew very well what this kiss meant when Gojo swiped his tongue between your lips. 

“Satoru! You’ll get late for work!”. You protested as Gojo moved his trail of kisses to the mark on your collarbone.

“But you said I should not skip my meals. How can I skip the most important meal of the day?”. Gojo replied with a smirk as he slowly scrunched up the silk nightgown you were wearing.

His words made you blush and his actions sent shivers down your spine.  But you were in the kitchen and anyone could come in. “You..”. You breathed out. “...need to go”. 

Gojo chuckled, “I need you”. He groaned when he realized you were completely bare under the nightgown. He slid two fingers inside making you choke on your moans. “How can I not want you where you’re so wet for me already”. He whispered against the shell of your ear as you clenched around him.

Gojo pumped his fingers as he sucked on every exposed skin he could. But as soon as you were about to cum he pulled his finger out and smiled. 

“Why?”. You whined.

Gojo smiled and picked you up by the back of your thighs and sat you down on the top of the counter. “Because I want to taste my meal”. 

Before you could voice your concern  about someone walking in on the two of you and finding you in this position, Gojo had his mouth on your core. You balanced yourself on your elbows and threw your head back when he parted your folds with his tongue. Your thighs tightened around his head as he set a perfect rhythm between sucking on your bundle of nerves and abusing the spot inside with his tongue. He knew your body like it was made for him. 

“Satoru…”. You breathed out. 

Gojo groaned in response which sent a jolt of spark inside you. Your homely kitchen was now filled with sounds of heavy breathing and slurping.You clenched around his tongue which made him even more desperate to please you. Within moments Gojo had you gushing around his tongue. He sighed in satisfaction like a man who had just finished eating his favorite dessert. He licked you clean before standing up to kiss you, giving you a taste of what he had.

“Want me to carry you to the bedroom?”. Gojo asked as he gently picked you up and placed you down so you were almost standing on top of his shoes.

“I’ll be fine”. You smiled and pecked his lips.

“Please let me carry you”. Gojo whispered against your lips making you chuckle. “That’s a yes”. He said and scooped you in his arms. He walked through the marbled corridor carrying his wife and everyone in the path stood aside and gave him the way  you blushed and hid your face in his chest. He was not the ice Prince anymore. He was a doting husband that radiated warmth and comfort. 

He walked in the bedroom carrying you and placed you softly on the bed next to Keisuke. “There you go”. He said and placed a kiss on top of yours and Keisuke’s head. “Don’t be a naughty boy and take care of your mom for me”. 

-X-

Geto sat silently, ankle crossed over the knee, left index finger pressed against his lips, his fox eyes fixed on the phone in his right hand. He was reading through the text for the third time. He felt guilty. Angry. He felt responsible for all of this. How can he introduce someone like this in Gojo's life?

He kept the phone back on the oak coffee table and let out a heavy sigh. 

"It's not your fault". Gojo said for the second time in the past one hour.

Geto shook his head ever so slightly, silently disagreeing with Gojo. But this wasn’t the time for wallowing in the guilt. He needed a way to help his best friend. “Have you told y/n about this?”. He asked, lighting a cigarette. 

“No. I can’t”.

Geto frowned, “Why not?”.

“I can’t hurt her. The video is real”. Gojo’s hands were shaking at the thought of your reaction to the messages. “She will never trust me again”. 

Geto hummed. The situation was complicated. “We can’t let her leave the estate”.

Gojo shook his head.

“We can’t tell her about this”. Geto added. “Though on one hand it could prove that you did not kill Hiro, but  then we have the video..”.

“Even if I show her the video, even if she believed that I did not kill Hiro, she would never look at me the same way”. Gojo said. He was helpless. It felt like Yuri cut both of his arms off and asked him to save you from drowning.

The two men sat silently thinking about a way out when the phone rang again. Gojo and Geto exchanged a quick glance before looking at the message notification from the same number. Gojo took a deep breath before picking up the phone. 

It was another photo.A mirror selfie .Yuri was standing with her one leg stretched out and her phone hiding half her face. She was wearing the same dress that you had worn to the hospital. 

Yuri : It looks better on me ;) 

Blood drained from Gojo’s face. He felt disgusted with himself. 

“Shit”. Geto muttered. “She is clearly stalking y/n. Does y/n have any social media accounts?”. 

“No. She doesn’t”. Gojo replied. Eyes still fixed on the photo. Before Gojo could reply, another image popped up. Geto was the one to open it this time. 

A photo of you and Hoshi talking while Gojo stood by your side with Keisuke. 

“She was at the hospital!”. Gojo frowned.

“It doesn’t have to be her. Maybe someone else is doing the work for her. I will get the security camera footage from the hospital”. Geto spoke as he types away on his phone.

Gojo leaned back in his armchair. Yuri wanted him to be scared. She wanted him to act out of fear. He looked at Geto, “I will call Yuta and have a tracking system set up in the office. We can track her location every time she sends a message”.

Geto nodded in response. “You’ll need more security around her and Keisuke”.

“Or less”. Gojo added. “More security would mean we will have to keep an eye on more people. I think we should have a small team of closest people around them”.

Within two hours the office looked like a scene from a cybercrime movie. Yuta ordered two men on laptops, Geto and Gojo were giving orders on the phone, two men were interrogating househelps lined on the outside of the office, men were checking every corner of the house for hidden cameras and other devices. 

Gojo cut the call and ran his  hand through his hair. “I am moving them on the other side of the house”.

Geto stared at his friend, “You mean..?”.

“The left wing. It might need some renovations but I can’t let y/n stay in the same room and sleep on the same bed”.

“Just get a new bed then”. Geto suggested. He knew that for Gojo stepping foot in that part of the house was like taking a trip down horrifying memory lane. It was going to open a pandora’s box of emotional trauma.

“No. I..I can’t let her stay in that room”.

“What will you say to her?”.

“I don’t know…I’ll come up with something”. 

The two men stood in silence. Gojo had never stepped foot in that part of the house for the past ten years. When his father spent his final years overlooking the lawn, Gojo would stay on the other side of the house. He didn’t want to give his father the company of a son. For Gojo, his father deserved to be alone in his final days. The thought of bringing up Keisuke in the same rooms as he was brought up made bile rise in his throat. But that can be changed. Once all of this was over, Gojo was determined to move somewhere else. Away from this cursed house.

“Yuri is not in Japan”. Yuta’s voice made both men snap out of their thoughts.

“What do you mean she is not in Japan? Where is she?”. Geto spoke first.

Gojo remained silent. A part of him knew that Yuri would not dare threaten him in this country.

“Where is she?”. He asked coldly. 

Yuta remained silent. 

Gojo stepped forward, “Yuta, do we know where Yuri is?”.

Yuta shook his head, “The signals are bouncing across different servers in different countries. For all we know she could be in the next street”

Gojo’s phone rang and your name flashed on the screen, He walked away from the group and onto the balcony. “Hi, love”.

“Were you busy?”. You asked. 

Gojo could hear Keisuke giggling in the background and wished he could be there with you. “Not really. Had your lunch?”.

“Yes and so did Keisuke”.

“Did you take your medicine?”. Gojo asked.

“Yes.I have sent lunch for you”.

“Okay. I’ll eat it”.

You chuckled. “I have also sent lunch for Geto and Yuta. I heard the three of you were working together”.

“You didn’t have to. I could have asked the kitchen to make it”.

“It was no trouble. By any chance are you on your office balcony?”. 

Gojo frowned, “Yes. Why?”.

“Look down, to your right”.

Gojo looked down to the cobbled walkway stretching from the inside of the estate and leading to the gazebo at the back and smiled widely when he saw you standing there in your white floral wrap around dress that he loves so much, holding Keisuke with one arm and your phone with the other. He leaned with his elbows on the granite railing. “This is a nice surprise”.

You chuckled and moved the phone from your ear to Keisuke’s. “Say hi to dada”.

Keisuke babbled and blew spit bubbles. 

“Hi baby”. Gojo said, smiling fondly at the two of you. 

You put the phone back to your ear, “Why do you look so tired”.

“Because you're away from me”.

Even from this distance Gojo could see you rolling your eyes at him. He chuckled on the phone. "It's because you skip your lunch".

"Maybe I should skip it often if that means you'll come to see me". 

"You're unbearable, you know that right?". You asked, shaking your head slightly.

"I know that you love me". Gojo said. Even though you hadn't said it and maybe you didn't love him like you used to but Gojo was sure you loved him. 

You bit your lip, "Go back to work Satoru".

Gojo blew you a kiss, "I love you". 

You brought Keisuke's tiny arms to his lips and blew a kiss in Gojo's direction. 

Gojo stood there watching you disappear inside the building with tears in his eyes. Each day he fell for you more and more. He was ready to face the trauma he had buried for a decade only to see you happy. Nothing else mattered to him in the entire world. Not Yuri, not his past, not his life. He was ready to die for you right now. For him you were his world. His wish granted. His reason to live. 

Gojo walked inside and found Geto and Yuta sitting around the table with food in front of them.

"Tell y/n I said thanks!". Geto smiled.

Gojo walked over and sat with them. "Will do".

"Can I call her my sister in law?". Yuta asked innocently with his plate in his lap.

Gojo blushed a little. Until now you were just his wife but now you were a part of his entire family. "I guess you can".

Geto bursted out laughing, "you guess? You have a child with her!".

Gojo groaned and picked up his plate. "You can call her sister in law". 

Yuta smiled gleefully. He was young compared to the other two men. But he was smart beyond his age. His talent in risk assessment made him a close aide to Gojo. He had looked up to Gojo since the day Gojo started defying rules of the clan. In a way, by doing so he saved Yuta's life. Had Gojo not set the precedent, Yuta, at the age of 23 would have been married to an heiress whose name he didn't bother to remember. It was Gojo who stood up for him when he told his side of the family about his intention to marry his girlfriend, Rika.  

He had met you twice and he was sure you wouldn't remember him. But from everything he had heard about you, he was sure that you had a good heart. It is not easy to make the decisions you had made and for that he respected you. 

"Y/n-san cooks really well". 

Gojo beamed visibly, "Yeah she does". 

Geto remained silent as Gojo and Yuta discussed something about Keisuke. His brain was still trying to get around the fact that Yuri did this. Yuri. "I think you should divorce y/n".

Gojo's words died down this throat. He turned towards Geto, "Suguru". He warned.

"Just to convince Yuri. A fake divorce".

Gojo weighed this option. "But I'll have to tell y/n about it and if Yuri finds out that it's fake she can get worse".

The three men discussed every possible solution and it became clear that it was imperative that they find Yuri first. She was unpredictable. Psychopathic. Powerful. 

Geto and Yuta realized the complications it would bring with telling you about all of this. It might save your marriage with Gojo but it would leave some permanent scars. 

-X-

It was well past midnight and Gojo walked groggily towards the bedroom. The hallways were silent with most of the staff retired to their quarters. 

His phone rang, he smiled thinking it could be you asking about his whereabouts but his smile dropped when he saw Yuri's name pop up on the message notification.

Yuri : You have 6 days to go :)

Gojo chose not to reply. 

Yuri : I know something about y/n that you don't :)

Gojo frowned at the message. This could be a trap. A way to get a reaction out of him. There was no way Yuri could know more about you than he did. 

Gojo's finger hovered over the text box. He swallowed harshly and locked the phone. If there was something you were keeping from him then he would respect your decision.  

Yuri : Did you know that Y/n had to be resuscitated? 

Gojo almost dropped his phone. He knew about your anemia. He knew that you suffered excessive blood loss. But this….this couldn't be possible. You would have told him about something this serious.

Yuri : Now that I think about it, y/n's fate is the same as your mother's. She ran away with your child, almost died during the childbirth, wouldn't it be better if you let her go? Free her from the curse of the Gojo clan?

Gojo : What do you mean?

Gojo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Praying that Yuri reveals it to be a cruel joke and that he had fallen for her prank.

Yuri : Your dear wife didn't tell you that she knew that going through with the birth could kill her? Maybe she forgot to mention how doctors advised her for abortion but she refused and risked her life for the baby? How heroic of her! 

Gojo's hands trembled. This was like living through a nightmare…..again..

Gojo : prove it. 

Gojo received an email from an unknown email address. He opened it to find multiple attachments, medical reports, prescriptions. He read to each of them carefully. 

Yuri : Let her go, Satoru. Unless you want a dead child and a dead wife :)

Gojo locked the phone. He briskly walked towards the bedroom. Determined to get an answer. 

You were sitting outside the bedroom, in the living room attached to the bedroom, reading a book, wearing one of Gojo's shirts with your hair in a claw clip.Your legs sprawled over the velvet couch. You flipped through pages intently, so immersed in the story that you couldn’t see him standing at the doorway. Gojo leaned on the doorframe and folded his hands over his chest. If what Yuri had told him was true and all those documents were original then he wanted to know why did you risk your life? Would you have come with him if Keisuke was not in the picture? Would you have stayed with him if it wasn’t for Keisuke? 

Gojo cleared his throat as he walked in with his hands in his pockets.

“Hi”. You looked up and smiled at him. You closed the book, placed a bookmark between the pages and put it on the table.

“Why aren’t you in bed?”.Gojo sat on the other end of the couch and put your feet in his lap. 

“I was waiting for you”. You said, as you rested your head sideways on the backrest.

Gojo smiled and gently massaged your feet. “Geto and Yuta thanked you for the lunch”.

You smiled. “What do you want to ask me?”. You asked.

Gojo chuckled, looking down, tracing circles on your calf. He looked at you, “You know me that well?”.

“Very well”. You retreated your feet and sat cross legged on the couch, facing him,

Gojo opened his mouth to say something but then closed it immediately. 

You placed your hand on his, “Satoru..”.

Gojo gulped harshly and turned towards you. You could see he was in pain. The kind of pain that couldn’t be fixed easily. 

“Was there any complications during your pregnancy?”. He asked. He crafted his words carefully, he couldn’t say ‘how dare you risk your life?’

You knew he knew. In that moment with the sadness in his eyes and his careful choice of words, you knew he knew. You didn't want to hide it anymore. You didn’t want to keep him in the dark anymore. 

“I…I don’t know how you find out but..yes there were complications. But nothing to do with Keisuke”. You squeezed his hands gently.

“What about you?”. Gojo asked, still looking down.

“Yes. There were”.

“When did you find out?”.

“Satoru..it doesn’t matter now”. You pleaded, scooting closer to him.

“It does”. Gojo nodded his head. “It does. To me. So please, tell me”.

You took a deep breath, “In my second trimester. The doctor told me that I was at a higher risk for hemorrhage and…it could be fatal to ..”. You bit the inside of your cheek, you didn’t have to complete that sentence. You didn’t want to. You still remembered receiving that news and crying the entire night. 

“What happened during your delivery?”. Gojo asked with tears in his eyes.

You didn’t want to answer. Knowing very well how triggering it could be for him. You remained silent.

“Y/n please…I..I need to know”. 

Your lips quivered and you intertwined your fingers with his. “Everything was fine until Keisuke was born but after that…it happened. They couldn’t stop the bleeding and I..-”.

“You had to be resuscitated”. Gojo finished the sentences for you. In any other case finishing each other's sentences is seen as a romantic gesture but the gesture was nothing but grim. 

Your silence confirmed everything about his worst fear. For the longest time Gojo cursed his mother for dying with his sibling instead of living with him. He needed to know why would you condemn him to the same fate. Was he that unworthy of love? Was he that rotten of a human being? Did he not deserve love? Why didn’t you choose him? Why didn’t you reach out to him if there was a threat to your life?

“You were given an option to terminate the pregnancy”. Gojo said, it was neither a question nor a suggestion. It was a reminder.

“I was”. You agreed. 

Gojo squeezed his eyes shut and let the tears roll down his cheeks. This was the first time he was openly crying in front of you.The ache spread across his body. “Why? Why? Why?”. He turned towards you. 

Your heart broke seeing him like this. You took both of his hands in yours, “I had to, Satoru. I …had to”.

“Why?”. 

You swallowed the lump in your throat harshly. “Because …you are you and I am me but..Keisuke is a part of both of us. I didn’t think we could ever be together again or if you even cared that I was alive, but Keisuke was the only way a part of me could ever be with a part of you and that was more important to me than my own life. For me just wanting to be with you was enough. It has always been enough. Even when I saw you with…Utahime I still hoped somewhere that one day I'd be with you and …someday you'll love me so…when the doctor told me of the risk, I was ready to accept it…”. 

Gojo’s heart skipped a beat. You didn’t have to say anything else. You loved him. You didn’t have to say it. Keisuke was proof enough that you loved him how he loved you. 

“I knew that even if I don’t survive, someday you will find him…and he will be proof that I..I ..love you…”. 

Gojo let out a shuddered breath. This was the first time you had openly confessed your love to him, “Why didn’t you reach out to me? I could have done something..anything…if you loved me then why didn't you trust me that I would come for you”.

“It wasn’t that simple, Satoru. What was I even supposed to say? I couldn’t just call your office and say ‘hi I am alive and I am carrying your child and I might die?’. No one even knew about us, who would have believed me?”.

“I would have..I..if you would have said one word I would have left everything and come to you”.

You remained silent. You put your arm on his shoulder and kneeled on the couch. “I promise I will call you next time ”.

Gojo chuckled and wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you on his lap with your legs resting neither side of his waist. "Next time? There will be no next time. I am not letting you go anywhere y/n Gojo. I have only ever loved one woman in my life and if she asks for my life I'd give it to her". Gojo tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. "Even when I was with Utahime, I only thought about you. Even when I didn't know you were out there I only thought about you. The thought of you kept me alive and kept me going through the day. It still does. When I'm at work all I can think about is coming home and lying in bed with you. So don't you ever think for a second that I'm not thinking about you. You occupy my mind, heart and soul y/n Gojo". 

You blushed, "Alright then. I will call you even if I don't need you". 

“You promise?”.

“I promise”.

“You’ll call me even if it’s for something small”. Gojo kissed the tip of your nose.

“Yes”.

“Even if you’re just missing me?”.

You cupped his face and wiped the tears off of his cheeks. “Yes”.

“Even if you need a massage?”.

You corked an eyebrow. “You’ll leave work to give me a massage?”.

“Obviously”. 

“Then, Yes. I’ll call you”.

“Even if you need help reaching the top shelf?”. Gojo asked, smiling.

“You’re pushing it now”. You pinched his nose and Gojo laughed.

"Just tell me if anything is bothering you. Even if it's the house temperature". 

You smiled and kissed the tip of his noses "Okay".

Gojo rubbed your arm as you lay next to him with your back pressed to his chest.

“Y/n..”.

“Yes?”.

“Aren’t you going to ask me how I..found out about..”.

“No”.

Gojo frowned. “Why not?”.

“I’m sure you have your ways”. You said flatly. 

“Are you mad at me for..finding out?”.

“No”.

“Why not?”.

You turned around to face him. “Do you want me to be mad at you?”.

“No”.

Gojo lay awake wondering if it was right of him to confront you. Do you really think that he can…he would find out whatever he wants to know instead of asking you about it? Sure he might have done that in the past but this was different. Gojo made a mental note to never do this again.

“Then stop asking stupid questions”.

"What you did for Keisuke....was really brave. He is lucky to have you as a mother"

-X- 

Gojo stood uncomfortably inside the closet, waiting for you to get done with dressing Keisuke. 

When you walked inside you saw Gojo standing between the rows of clothes. "Why aren't you ready yet?". You asked, putting away Keisuke's clothes in the laundry basket. 

"I want to talk to you about something". 

"What is it?". You asked, ruffling through the clothes, looking for your yellow dress. 

"Y/n..". Gojo called out. 

You picked out the hangar with the dress and turned towards him. "Yes?". 

"We are moving". Gojo said abruptly. 

Your arms fell by your side and you frowned, "What do you mean we are moving? Where are we moving to?". 

Gojo stepped forward and caressed your arms, "It's not that kind of moving. I am just shifting everything to the left wing of the house".

You looked up at him, "Left wing?". You didn't know what prompted Gojo to make this decision but you knew that something was going on.

"Yes".

"Why?".

"It's better".

"How?". 

Gojo chuckled, "I grew up there and it's ideal for a family. There is a nursery which we can renovate for Keisuke".

You bit your lip, "Satoru, that wing has been closed off for years. I wasn't allowed to go there and now you are asking me to move there? What is going on?". 

Gojo frowned and took a step back. "You tried to go there? Why?".

You cursed yourself mentally. "I was just….exploring".

Gojo studied your face and nodded slightly, "Yes it's true. I had closed it off because of-"

"I know". You admitted, shamefully.

"What… ". Gojo tilted his head, "...what do you know?".

You sighed heavily. There was no turning back now. "Everything. I think…. everything. You never spoke about your family and that wing was forbidden from me so I…I got curious and I asked around".

"To whom?!". Gojo frowned.

"Jerry". 

Gojo sucked in a sharp breath and looked away.Of course out of everyone Jerry would be the one to tell you. "Y/n….". He didn't care that you asked around. You had every right to do so. He wondered why you didn't ask him? 

"I know that it's something you didn't want me to know and I'm sorry that I went behind your back". You looked down, playing with the hem of Gojo's shirt. 

Gojo stepped forward and wrapped his arms around you, "No need to apologize". He kissed the top of your head and smiled to himself when he felt you relax. 

"But why are you asking us to move there? You don't have to. I am perfectly happy here". You said, resting your chin on his chest. 

"There are some security issues. I can't go into the details but I also don't want to keep you in the dark. It's for yours and Keisuke's safety. Please trust me on this".

"Safety?". You stepped back.

"Yes".

"Why? What's happening?".

Gojo could sense the fear rising inside you and put his arms on your shoulder,"It's nothing to worry about. Just a precaution".

"If it's nothing to worry about, then why are we taking precautions?".

"Because…I don't want to take any risk".

"But…. Satoru, that part of the house can be very…disturbing for you. I mean…it has some bad …memories attached to it".

Gojo smiled, "That's why I want to make good ones there. It's also closer to the office and much more secure".

You took a deep breath "Okay…. If it's for Keisuke's safety then sure". 

"Thank you. You don't have to do anything. Just call me if you need anything".

You nodded your head. "And you can also tell me if you need anything". You smiled.

"I need a kiss". Gojo said, immediately.

"I gave you a kiss this morning". You hit his chest gently and moved away. 

"Since when did we start counting kisses?".

You giggled and stood on your toes to peck his lips. "There you go".

Gojo wrapped his arms around your waist and didn't let you move away, "One for last night"

You rolled your eyes and gave him another peck. 

"One for this morning". 

"I kissed you this morning!".

Gojo raised an eyebrow letting you know that he could tell when the kiss wasn't genuine. 

You gave him a pressed smile and kissed him again but this time Gojo didn't let you break the kiss so easily. Instead he placed a hand on the back of your head and deepened the kiss. 

You moaned loudly when he sucked on your lower lip and ran his tongue across it. 

"Now that's how you're supposed to kiss your husband". 

"Are you my husband though?". You teased him.

Gojo looked at you, "You wanna get married again?".

Your laugh died down, "What?".

"Do you want to marry me?...again?".

You moved back and tucked the strand of hair behind your ear. "I … I…guess...I mean …I was just…teasing you".

Gojo held your hand and walked over to the shelf with all the jewelry. "Whenever you're ready you can wear the ring". He spoke as he wrapped his arms around your waist and kissed the side of your head. 

Your smile dropped. "I don't want to wear that ring".

"Why not?". Gojo asked and turned you around to face him.

"Too many bad memories ". You smiled sadly and Gojo understood. You were right. You didn't have to start from where you left off. You can start from a new chapter.

Gojo smiled and walked around you to open the glass case. He looked at all the rings he had bought and smiled to himself when he found the one he was looking for. He picked out the carrier Trinity ring and got on one knee. "Y/n Gojo, will you do me the honor of marrying me again?".

You laughed and nodded your head. Gojo kissed your hand and slipped the ring in your ring finger. 

"But where is your ring?". You teased him. Gojo stood up and tugged your hand and walked over to his side of the closet. He opened the glass case with his watches and cufflinks and picked out the silver Cartier ring that he had bought along with yours. 

"There you go". He gave you the ring and you couldn't hold your laughter. 

"Are we really getting married in a closet?". 

"Yes ma'am we are". Gojo replied. Laughing along with you.

You slid the ring in his ring finger and while you were giggling the entire time, chalking this as another one of Gojo's playful tactics , Gojo almost had tears in his eyes. Yes you were wearing white, his white shirt. He was in his black trousers. Yes you two love each other and for him this was a wedding. 

"Congratulations, you are now my husband!". You smiled at him and Gojo chuckled before picking you up in his arms and carrying you out of the closet. 

He held his and your left arm in front of Keisuke and gloated ,"look your mum and dad are married". 

You couldn't stop giggling and Keisuke followed suit which made you laugh even more. You didn't remember the last time you had laughed this much or you were this happy. You tiptoed and pulled Gojo into a kiss which he happily returned. 

-X-

There had been no message from Yuri this morning and it relieved Gojo but also scared him. What if all this was a silence before the storm? He had questions he wanted to ask her but he knew he wouldn't get an answer. How far did she dig to find out about your pregnancy? What else does she know? What else can she find out? 

A team was already cleaning up the left wing of the house. Gojo had gotten a new wardrobe, one that was untouched by Yuri's filthy hands. He was sure you wouldn't know the difference given your lack of interest in those clothes. There were more cameras in the bedroom. Even more in Keisuke's nursery. Gojo was apprehensive about keeping Keisuke in a separate room under these circumstances but the architecture of the room made the nursery even safer. 

The master bedroom was big, almost twice the size of one he was living in. A semi-living room was at the entrance of the suite. The entrance to the bedroom was at the far end of the living room. No one could enter the bedroom without passing through the living room. 

Inside the bedroom, the bed faces the ceiling length windows that opened up to the balcony. On the left hand side, little further from the door, was the ensuite followed by the walk-in wardrobe. On the farthest end of the bedroom was the entrance to the nursery. Making it impossible for anyone to enter the nursery without crossing the length of the bedroom. 

The nursery possessed the ceiling length bulletproof glass window, a crib, a bed, wardrobe, toy shelf and a bookshelf. It had been Gojo's nursery when he was born. The walls were freshly painted baby blue with little clouds and carrots on it. All of Keisuke's toys were thoroughly inspected for any hidden cameras. All of his clothes had a tiny GPS tracker stitched under the collar. Gojo didn't tell you about this detail to retain your peace of mind. 

The only downside was that the kitchenette was farther from the bedroom than it had been before. But Gojo dismissed it as a tiny sacrifice.He needed to buy time to execute everything so he had told you this morning that he would take you and Keisuke to the left wing in the evening to familiarize you with it. So for now, to his annoyance, you were still in the same bedroom. 

Before leaving for work, he had told Jerry about everything that was happening. He had to know to protect you. Jerry was given strict instructions to not let anyone near you or Keisuke. Even limiting your movement inside the house to the bedroom and his office. Jerry understood of course and gave his word that he would do his best to protect the family. Gojo was grateful that you chose Jerry to help with Keisuke. It made everything a lot easier. 

"What do we know about her location?". Gojo asked, typing on his laptop. 

Yuta stopped up, balancing his laptop on his forearm and walked over to Gojo's desk, "We have zeroed it down to Japan and China". He said, placing the laptop on the table and showing Gojo the screen that flickers with red dots over the suspected areas. 

Gojo nodded. It was not enough but it was progress. It was only the second day. He had to track down Yuri at all costs. "Send me the list of places that are in and around Tokyo, we'll start from here".

Yuta nodded and took the laptop back to the conference table where he and his team were working. 

Geto walked in and gave a quick nod to Gojo before walking over to the coffee table and chugging down the entire jug of water. 

Gojo watched him intently, "What happened?". He asked. 

Geto walked over and sat opposite him and lit a cigarette. Gojo brought over the crystal ashtray he keeps in his office only for Geto and placed it in front of him.

"Did you talk to y/n? About moving to the left wing?"

"Yes. She agreed. I told her it was for security reasons". 

Geto nodded and took another drag. 

"What's up with you?". Gojo asked, frowning.

"Yuri..messaged me". Geto said and placed his phone in front of Gojo.

Unknown: Are you sure moving y/n to the left wing will save her?

Gojo's jaw dropped. How did she know? How could she know? You hadn't even moved yet? 

"Yuta, take everyone with you to the seco office". Gojo said, still staring at the phone.

He looked up at Geto and Geto nodded, confirming Gojo's suspicion. "It's someone on the inside".

"But we interrogated everyone!". Gojo said, slamming his hand on the table and walking over to the window. 

Geto rotated his chair to face Gojo, "Not everyone".

Gojo turned around, "What do you mean?".

Geto took a deep breath and ashed his cigarette. "Y/n… We didn't interrogate her".

"We don't need to interrogate her". Gojo said. 

"Look, all I'm saying is, isn't it suspicious how y/n has suddenly developed this trust in you? She ran away from you! She hid the baby from you! If you hadn't found her then maybe…she would have continued that way. For all we know she has conspired with Yuri and this is her way to get a divorce from you! She wouldn't even have to share custody!".

"Suguru!".  Gojo glared at him. "That's enough".

Geto scoffed, "You love her. You went insane because of her! That's the effect she has on you! I don't blame you for wanting to punch me in the face right now but I am just looking out for you!".

"Keep y/n out of this". Gojo warned, glaringly. 

"Satoru"

"Even if y/n is behind this, I can't let her go. I won't let her go".

Geto let out a heavy breath. "Fine. Can I at least talk to her?".

Gojo raised an eyebrow, "talk to her?".

"Yes". Geto smiled. "I swear I'll just talk to her".

"In my presence". Gojo added and walked back to his seat.

"Come on, you have to trust me on this. I swear I will just talk to her. I haven't even met Keisuke yet!".

"No. If you want to talk to her then either do it in my presence or don't ".

"20 minutes. You can come in after that"

Gojo groaned and closed his eyes. "Fine. You get 10 minutes, that's all. Meet Keisuke, talk to her, But not a second above 10 minutes".

"Perfect".

When lunch time rolled around Gojo and Geto made their way towards the dining area. Gojo had already told you that Geto would be stopping by for lunch and you were genuinely looking forward to seeing him. The last time you had seen Geto was years ago, before everything went down. You didn't even know what to say to him but good food is a universal language. 

When you saw Geto walk inside the dining room alone your eyes immediately went to the empty space behind him. Why was Gojo not here? 

"Hi, y/n". Geto Suguru said as he stood in front of you.

"Hi".

Gojo stood outside, at a distance from the dining room. He checked his watch every minute, waiting for the 10 minutes to pass by. He trusted Geto. But he knew you were smart. 

As soon as the 10 minutes were up he walked into the dining room, concerned, ready with explanation, but his worries faded away when he saw Geto holding Keisuke and playing with him while you watched them. 

"Sorry I'm late". Gojo said and walked over to you. He placed his hand on the small of your back and pulled you towards him gently. 

"He's so…..small". Geto said as he gently tugged on Keisuke's cheeks. "...and soft".

"Now you understand how tough it is to leave this and go to work". Gojo added.

The three of you sat around the table and talked like old friends catching up. But beneath the laughter and nostalgia, one of the three of you was hurting. 

"You okay?". Gojo asked as he stood at the doorway.

"Yes".

Gojo studied your face. It was blank. "Are you-"

"I need to change Keisuke. I'll text you later". You smiled and pecked his lips.

Gojo smiled, and kissed you back. Geto called for him from a distance and Gojo left you standing there at the doorway.

"Are you alright?". Jerry asked as he brought Keisuke to you.

"Yes Jerry. I am". 

"Your medicine ma'am". Jerry handed you the pills and you swallowed them with water.

"Thank you".

"What did you ask her?". Gojo asked Geto as soon as they were out of sight from the dining hall.

"Just questions". Geto shrugged.

"What questions?". Gojo stopped walking and stared at Geto who stopped two steps ahead.

Geto turned back and sighed, "I just asked her how she was adjusting to this life".

Gojo studies Geto's face. "She might look strong but she isn't. It's not easy uprooting your life every year and starting fresh. I hope you were…gentle".

Geto looked at the genuine concern in Gojo's face and bit the inside of his cheeks. "I was". 

-X-

The cool breeze of the evening brought you relief as you sat cross legged on the balcony chair.You didn't know what was going on but you knew you were a suspect. You twirled the tea spoon in the lukewarm tea and thought about your conversation with Geto. He was trying to get something out of you, trying to get you to confess to something, but what could it be? 

You also knew that Gojo was probably in on it. Did he not trust you? Why didn't he ask you directly what he wanted to know?  Could you confront him about this? Should you? Would it affect his and Geto's friendship? Or would it put you in trouble? 

You leaned back in the chair and watched the birds fly against the setting sun. They were on their way home. But what about you? Could you ever be home? You had moved here with Gojo and yet he was doubting you. There was no right answer. No right way to approach this. You knew Gojo would come any minute now. He said he was going to come home early today. While he wanted to move to the left wing tonight, you had messaged him after lunch to move tomorrow morning because Keisuke was being fussy today and changing his environment seemed like a bad idea to you. But now you wondered if that put you under more suspicion.

Your head was spinning conjuring all these theories. But you had to look out for yourself. Gojo loved you, you were sure of it. But did he trust you? 

"Hey". Gojo walked in on the balcony.

You craned your neck back and smiled. "Hi".

"Why are you out here?". Gojo asked as he sat down next to you.

"Just…needed to be alone".

"Why?". Gojo asked, moving his chair closer to yours. 

You shrugged with your eyes fixed on the distant point on the lawn. You were human, you had your limits and you were tired.  

"What did Geto ask you?". Gojo asked, looking at your hands folded on your lap. 

"Just questions".

Gojo bit his lip in annoyance. "What questions?".

"Why don't you go ask him?". Your words came out sharper than you had expected. Maybe it was because you were reaching your tipping point.  

"Y/n... If there is something bothering you then I want you to tell me". 

You scoffed. "Why don't you tell me what's bothering you?". 

Gojo's heart dropped to his stomach. He was at a loss of words. 

"Nevermind. I'm going to bed". You got up but Gojo stood up and blocked your way. "Satoru, move. Please".

"Let's talk about it. Please".

You looked up at him, "I have nothing to say to you except that whatever it is that's…going on, I have nothing to do with it. You want to put me under surveillance then go ahead and do it. I don't care anymore". You tried to walk past him but his hand on your waist stopped you. 

"I know you have nothing to do with it. Geto just wanted to talk to you". Gojo spoke softly. 

"I know when I'm being talked to and when I'm being interrogated". 

"He didn't mean any harm. I'm sorry if he was harsh with you. He just wanted to be…safe". 

You nodded your head. "Okay". 

"No no no. Don't give me an okay ". 

Gojo's hands dropped by his side. He'll fix it later. When he has an answer or an explanation. 

"Just ….let me go. I need to rest".

"y/n.... please talk-".

"I don't feel good. I should sleep now".

-X-

There was a heavy silence at the breakfast table this morning. No morning kisses were exchanged. By the time Gojo had woken up you were already done getting ready for the day and so was Keisuke.

"The left wing is ready to move in. Let me know whenever you're ready". Gojo asked, giving you a short smile that was not reciprocated.

"Okay".

"I won't be coming for lunch". Gojo added. Hoping to get a glare from you but was meant with the same icy expression.

"Okay".

Gojo bit his lip. "You look beautiful today". He smirked. 

But your expression didn't change. You opened your mouth to say something but Gojo cut you off. "Please don't say okay". 

"Fine".

Gojo groaned and let his fork clank against the ceramic plate. 

"If you're mad at me then just be mad at me!". He whined. 

You kept your fork down on the plate and looked at him. "I'm not mad at you".

Gojo scoffed, "I can see that. All he did was ask some questions y/n! For your safety!". Gojo closed his eyes in regret as soon as the words left his mouth. 

You gritted your teeth and looked at him. "Satoru I uprooted my whole life! Moved here with you! Tried my best to give us a chance! And now I am being questioned by you and Geto?You...Who has always lied to me from the beginning! Why am I the one who is being questioned here when you were the one who left me for someone else, lied to me, drugged me, forced me to move here by threatening to hurt people I care about! Why?! Why am I expected to trust you when you can't even do the same for me!". Tears rolled down your eyes as you let out your pent up frustration. 

Gojo was frozen in his seat. He knew it was a bad idea. He should not have listened to Geto. "Y/n….".

"I'm fine. I'll be fine". You wiped your tears with your palm. "I'm sorry I got carried away. I didn't mean to bring up all that". You got up to keep the plates in the sink and Gojo followed you. 

He wrapped his arms around your waist and turned you to face him. "You have nothing to be sorry about. Nothing. You don't have to be fine with all of this. Complain as much as you want to. Demand what you want. But don't be …fine".

"Okay". You relaxed in his arms.

"Don't say okay".

"Fine". You replied, a smile tugging at your lips. 

Gojo looked down and shook his head. "Don't say fine".

"Alright". You chuckled.

Gojo smiled and kissed your forehead. "I'm sorry for letting Geto talk to you".

"No it's alright. He was just doing his job".

"I'll punish him, don't worry". Gojo winked at you. Trying to ease the tension. When you voiced out your frustration it dawned on him just how stupid and hypocritical the whole idea was. His eye drifted to your ring finger and his tension eased a little when he saw that you were still wearing that ring. Maybe this is what a secure life feels like, when even when you fight and disagree you still stay by each other's side at the end of the day.

You silently wrapped your arms around him and took a deep breath. "Promise me we'll be fine".

"I promise". Gojo hugged you tighter and kissed your forehead. "We'll be fine". 

You nodded your head and pulled back. "You should go now. You'll get late".

"I can stay with you today. Work can wait". Gojo said, studying your face. You looked shaken up. Tired. Your eyes were sunken in and your face looked pale. 

"I'll be fine". 

Gojo studied your face. You were not fine. He took his phone out, "I'm staying with you".

You kept your hand on his arm that was holding the phone and brought it down. "No need to stay. Why don't you go and stay after lunch? That would be better".

Gojo bit his lip nervously, "You sure?".

"Yes".

"I'll send in a doctor to check on you. You don't look so good".

You nodded your head. He was right. You had been feeling more tired than usual and your bones ached with every moment. But hopefully you'll get to rest with him after lunch.

"Okay". 

Gojo texted Jerry on his way. 

Mr.Gojo : Keep an eye on y/n. I want an update on her every hour. 

Jerry : Yes sir. 

Mr.Gojo : If she seems slightly distressed, call me immediately.

Jerry : Yes sir. 

Gojo glared at Geto the moment Geto walked inside the office. 

"I'm sorry". Geto said  firstly. "I ..I might have gone overboard but I didn't mean any harm". He raised his hands by his side.

Gojo remained silent. "You should be apologizing to her". 

"She should have fought with me". 

"She didn't fight with me. She was upset but she understood that we are doing this for some reason".

"She didn't ask you the reason". Geto asked, lighting a cigarette.

"No". 

"Why?". Geto smirked. You were still under his radar.

"Because she was saving me from lying to her". 

Geto hummed. "Did she tell you that?".

"She didn't have to".

"Right….cause couples have telepathy".

"She understood that you were doing your job. But I want you to remember that it's not easy for her either…living here with me. Dealing with all of this? She didn't sign up for this. You can doubt her if you want to but at least be gentle with her. She might look strong and collected on the outside but…she's going through a lot".

Geto hummed. "We'll if you put it that way…then you're right. I do owe her an apology. I'll meet with after lunch…in your presence of course and apologize to her..but she's still not in the clear*.

Gojo scoffed. If Geto hadn't been his best friend Gojo would have buried him six feet under yesterday. "Why don't we find Yuri first and then we can confirm your suspicion?".

"We can do both".

Gojo frowned, "How?".

"We send y/n to Yuri". 

Gojo's glare turned icy. The temperature in the room dropped and everyone was aware of the shift in mood. 

Geto straightened up. "Not alone. Obviously. We will be tracking her".

"No".

"Satoru".

"No".

"Alright. I'll find another way".

Gojo leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. No. There was no way he was going to let you go to Yuri.

-X- 

Yuri sipped on her coffee and twirled the phone in her other hand. She was waiting for the good news. If everything was going according to the plan then Geto must have confronted you somehow and that would have pushed you and Gojo apart. Little by little. 

Mr.Man : Didn't work 

Yuri looked at the text and her self reassuring smile dropped. Fucking Geto! She wondered whether the plan fell through because of Geto or because of Ms. Goody two shoes attitude. If exposing your pregnancy to Gojo didn't push you two apart, if Geto's suspicion didn't push you two apart then she knew none of her other minor plans would.  She had to pull out the big guns. 

She gulped down the searing coffee and slammed the mug on the table. The ceramic mug broke in her hand and sliced her thumb. She chuckled. Tears rolled down her cheeks as her throat burned and hands bled. She brought up the sliced thumb and smeared the blood across your photo on her desk. She brought up Gojo's photo and put her thumb on his lips. "I'll burn for you, I'll bleed for you…soon you'll be mine"

Yuri : Plan B. 

-X-

Gojo and Geto were going over different locations where Yuri could have been. Geto had a stack of paper in front of his hand which outlined every connection to Yuri. 

"What about the man at the hospital? The one that clicked the photo?". Gojo asked.

Geto shook his head, still flipping through pages, "He was picked up randomly on the street and paid to click her photo". Geto looked up at Gojo. "He thought y/n was a celebrity and the paparazzi wanted a photo of her. He had never seen the man who approached him and paid him for the job. We have his sketch and the police are still looking for him".

Gojo cursed under his breath. Geto was calm, he was moving in a calculated way but Gojo on the other hand was getting restless. There was no text from Yuri and it was not a good sign. He knew that Yuri was playing with Geto. He knew Yuri would do everything in her power to pull you two apart but Gojo was not going to let that happen. 

His phone chimed and both men exchanged nervous looks. Gojo carefully picked up his phone and frowned. 

Geto took his phone from his hand. "What does this mean?".

Yuri : Run.Run.Run.

Before Gojo could reply Jerry barged through the door, sweating, panicked, scared. 

The three men stood outside the bedroom,waiting for Shoko, as you lay unconscious inside. The medical team had left an hour ago  and Gojo was counting each  second pass by. He had asked Shoko but she refused to say anything until the blood reports were back.

Keisuke cooed in Gojo's arm, oblivious to the condition of his mother. The sun had set long ago and it had been over 5 hours. Gojo was going restless with each passing minute. Geto had been watching CCTV footage of the house the entire  day to see if there had been any intruder but he found nothing. Gojo hadn’t asked anything to anyone while Shoko and the medical team were here but now he wanted to know. “Jerry tell me what happened, exactly".

Jerry wiped the sweat off his forehead and took a deep breath. "Mrs.Gojo had just finished with master Keisuke's bath and she was going to dress him up. She walked out of the wardrobe but master Keisuke started crying so she picked him up and asked me to get his bottle from the kitchen. But before I could reach the kitchen I heard her call for me so I came running inside. She looked ..pale. the color drained from her face and she was gently swaying. I sensed something was wrong so I rushed to where she was standing. She asked me to hold master Keisuke and call for a doctor and then…then she collapsed on the floor. Then I called for the medical team before calling you".

Gojo gently rocked Keisuke in his arms. "Did she take her medicine?".

"Yes sir". Jerry replied.

"Did she ever skip a dose?". Geto asked next.

"No sir. Never".

Geto turned towards Gojo and he knew by the look on his face that Yuri had hit her mark. "Maybe it's because of stress or fatigue".

Gojo took a deep breath, "Do you really believe that?".

Geto closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. Keisuke stared at him over Gojo's shoulder and smiled. Geto returned the smile and winked at him. 

"Satoru, can I talk to you?". Geto asked standing upright, "Alone?". 

Gojo nodded at Jerry and Jerry took his leave. Gojo put down Keisuke in the pram carefully and covered it. 

"You said, there were cameras in the room?".

"Yes". Gojo replied and handed Geto his phone which showed the camera feed. 

Geto watched it carefully. Then, he replayed it again. "Interesting…" he hummed.

"What?". Gojo asked, looking at the phone screen. 

"Everything happened just as Jerry had described it". 

"He was there. He saw it all".

"It's still weird that he was able to describe it scene by scene. Usually when people go through such an experience, their recollection varies slightly from the reality but he was spot on".

"Suguru, I trust you, but you suspected y/n and we know how that turned out. Now you are suspecting Jerry? He has been with my family forever. He was the one who alerted us and the medical team. If he was involved in this then he could have run away".

Geto listened to Gojo carefully. "He stays with them everyday?".

"From  9 am to 9 pm".

"Is y/n close to him? Do they discuss her problems?".

Gojo bit the inside of his cheeks. "Yes".

"Has he ever interfered with your…". Geto shrugged for the lack of words, "..marital issues?".

Gojo scoffed, "Not in a bad way".

"But he has?".

"Yes. He has".

Geto nodded and looked down at the pram, "Who chose him to be with them?".

"Y/n did" 

"Interesting. Why didn’t she choose anyone else from the staff?”.

Gojo sighed, “Because she was not close with anyone else. We both trusted Jerry and decided it is best to have someone like him to stay with them”.

Geto sensed Gojo’s frustration and refrained from talking further about it. It was best to wait for  Shoko’s analysis.

“Y/n will be fine”. He put an arm on Gojo’s shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

Gojo nodded. “She has to be”.

Shoko walked in, glaring at Gojo. The two men immediately straightened up in her presence. “How is she?”. Gojo asked.

“You knew she had anemia”.

Gojo frowned and looked at Geto, “Of course I did. I called you ..remember?”. He added.

“I do. I also remember looking at her reports and prescribing her medicines which she had to take daily”.

“She was taking them daily”.

Shoko looked at Geto, who corked a brow. “No she wasn’t”. 

Gojo’s pulse raced. “What..what do you mean?”.

“Her reports are back. Her anemia has worsened”.

Gojo’s world stood still on its axis. “That’s..that’s..not possible. She was taking her medicines daily”.

Shoko shook her head. “I had my suspicions so I sent her medicines to the lab and they were not the ones I had prescribed. Well one of them was. The others were Dapsone”.

“Shoko I don’t understand….what do you mean?”.

Shoko sighed. “Satoru, let's sit down”. 

Gojo pushed the stroller and sat down opposite her and Geto. “Shoko what’s going on? Is she going to be fine?”.

“I have my suspicion that someone switched her medicines. Her blood count was too low so I sent the medicine in the lab and out of five only one was the medicine that I had given her and the rest were a drug called Dapsone. Dapsone is used to induce Anemia, not cure it. I can estimate that she was administered this drug for no more than five days but given her condition it could have been fatal”.

Gojo’s mouth ran dry. “Fa..fatal? You mean…”

“Life threatening”.

Gojo’s shoulder dropped. “Is she going to be fine?”.

“Yes. But she needs rest and care”. 

“Who gave her the meds everyday?”. Geto asked,Gojo looked at him . The two men exchanged nods and Geto was already on his phone. 

Gojo nodded his head. Had Yuri continued to torture Gojo, he would have beared it all. Had she asked for all his wealth, he would have given it all to her. Had she asked for his life in return of yours, he would have given it to her. But she made the most fatal mistake of her life by going after you. No one was safe now. No one was in the clear now. No more interrogations. No more suspects. Yuri had declared a war and now she would have to fight it. 

Gojo thought about the fight last night and how this morning he didn't even tell you he loved you. He made the same mistake he made last time, leaving you when his gut told him to stay.

"I don't care who gave her the meds..I can't hurt her anymore. She deserves to live a happy life". Gojo picked up his phone and called Yuta, "Get me the divorce papers".

The man on the other side of the wall listened to the conversation. He smiled. The plan had worked. 

-X-

Yuri : I need updates!

Yuri : Why are you ignoring me?!

Yuri : Is  that bitch dead?

Yuri : Where the fuck are you? Pick up my call!

Yuri : Did they move her to another location?

Mr.Man : Things might have gone out of control. 

Yuri : I told you we should have gone for a lighter dose!

Mr.Man : Have faith. 

Mr.Man : He might reach out to you. I overheard him talking to the detective.

Yuri : What should I do?

Mr.Man : Strike when iron is hot. 

Yuri : What does that mean? Should I meet him? 

Mr.Man : Yes. But ask him to meet alone. He might come with a backup. He has agreed to the divorce. 

Yuri : What? Really?! Why hasn't he texted me yet?!

Mr.Man : Have patience. 

Gojo finished typing the last text and locked Jerry's phone and stared at him. Jerry's gaze remained fixed on the floor. Five men surrounded him as he sat in handcuffs. 

Gojo kept the phone on the table and pulled a chair to sit opposite to him. He stared at Jerry, the man that he respected like a father, the man that he trusted enough to be around his wife and son, the man that took care of him in the darkest days, but he was no longer any of that. Now, to Gojo, he was the man that tried to kill his wife. When Gojo saw the messages between him and Yuri he wanted to put a bullet through Jerry's brain. But he knew he needed him to reach Yuri. 

"Why?". Gojo askedz crossing his one leg over the other and folding his arms over his chest. 

Jerry remained silent.

"Why did you try to kill y/n?".

Jerry looked up at him with anger in his eyes. "I didn't try to kill her".

.

.

.

"You drugged her. Knowing well that it could be fatal to her". 

"She wouldn't have died. I wouldn't have let her die".

Gojo bit the inside of his cheeks. "Why help Yuri?".

.

.

.

Gojo scoffed at the silence. "I know where your family lives. Your daughter is at Ginza, waiting for her train to Ueno. Your son is 300m away from your home. Your wife is at the neighbor's house and she will be leaving in the next 5 minutes when a man will tell her that her son has been hit by a truck and her daughter fell on the train track. Do you think given her heart condition she would survive the news?". Gojo smirked.

Jerry had tears rolling down his eyes. His chest rose and fell with each breath. "No. You can't hurt my family!". Jerry yelled.

Gojo let out a chuckle. "Are you really in the position to ask for that? Fine. You're right, you have served the Gojo house for a long time and I should honor that. How about…I get you convicted for pedophilia? The word would spread around quickly, I'll make sure of it, your daughter will be ostracized  at the college and your son will probably kill himself. Your wife…dies anyway". 

Jerry was sweating and shaking. He hid the details of his family from Gojo and yet he found out. Gojo smiled and got up to get his phone. He stood in front of Jerry and showed him the live video of his family members. The first video was of a man moving through the crowds at the station and standing just behind his daughter. "What are the chances that the safety door in front of your daughter malfunctions and the crowd pushes through?". 

Gojo played the second video, it showed another man walking behind his son on the bridge less than 300 m away from his home. "I have heard that this bridge is quite dangerous. You see the speed with which these cars are moving? It would hurt so much if he got hit by one of them".

"Please…not my kids. Please". Jerry begged. 

"Hmm okay. I won't kill them. Just injure them enough so they spend their entire life in a wheelchair, unable to talk, walk, react.."

Gojo chuckled and played the third video which showed a man standing outside a neighbor's window and Jerry could see his wife on the couch talking to her friend.

"Imagine when your wife's friend finds out that you are a pedophile! They would be so disgusted".

"No no no. Please". Jerry cried. His tears fell on Gojo's ostrich leather shoes. 

Gojo walked back to his chair and assumed the same position. "Then start talking. You have 3 minutes left to save your family".

Jerry shook his head. "I didn't want to hurt Ms.y/n. I didn't. But I couldn't let her stay with you. You don't deserve her! You're just like your father! I…". Jerry paused. "....I couldn't save your mother. I wanted to. I even helped her run away but you monster of a father brought her back!".

Gojo gritted his teeth as he listened to the sick man. 

"I loved your mother. I wanted to help her…but I couldn't". Jerry looked up with a frenzied expression. "...Ms.Y/n reminded me so much of your mother. She is kind. A good mother. Doting wife…and you". Jerry's gaze darkened, "…a monster. A selfish man who is only capable of thinking for himself…the day you made her cry, I knew that this time I will save her!". 

Gojo swallowed the lump in his throat. "So you tried to kill her?". 

"No no no no. I would neve hurt Ms.Y/n. I just wanted you to realize that the life you live puts the life of others at risk".

"You were there with me! You raised me! You out of all the people know what I went through!". Gojo screamed, making Jerry flinch.

"I pitied you as a child. But as you grew up you became his splitting image and as much as I wanted to help you, I felt disgusted by you! You were treating her the same way you dad treated your mother"

"Y/n trusted you. She was the one who suggested that you should be the one to help her with Keisuke".

"I know. I would rather die than let anything happen to Ms.Y/n. That's why when Yuri asked me to kill her, I made this plan. I was going to kill Yuri after you divorced Ms.y/n". 

"And then?". 

"Then then…I would have asked Ms.Y/n to stay with my family. So I could care for her like she deserved to".

Anger rose inside Gojo. "You're a sick man".

Jerry chuckled. "Love makes us sick, Mr.Gojo. I used to wonder how a man could go insane because of a woman..who was this woman that made the great Gojo Satoru lose his mind. But then…I met her and I got to know her. It all made sense. Anyone would go insane over-".

Gojo stormed out of the room wiping the blood off of his knuckles. People stopped in their trail as they saw him walk past. No one had seen the Ice Prince in the last one month but now he was back. Gojo didn't care if Jerry thought that he was just like his father. Gojo didn't care that Jerry called him a monster, maybe he was a monster. But he loved you. If he was fated to love you as a monster then so be it. He will become the monster that will protect you, avenge you, love you. 

Before Jerry could finish a sharp blow landed on his jaw. Jerry fell on the floor with his hand cuffed in front. Gojo grabbed his collar and lifted him off the ground, "That's my wife you're talking about you sick bastard!". Gojo threw him across the room and Jerry's head collided with the wall as he fell on the floor leaving a red streak in the trail. Jerry thought about all the times he saw with Gojo, like you were a happy family when you were nothing but a trophy for him. He remembered when he first heard yours and Gojo's moans mixed together it made him throw up. Gojo didn't deserve a woman like you. Every time he looked at Keisuke he was reminded of the love you had for Gojo and he would have killed Keisuke first if it hadn't been for you. Losing Keisuke would have broken your heart, especially when you risked your life to save his.

Gojo sat on his toes and glared at Jerry. "Did you kill my mother?".

Jerry chuckled, coughing out blood. "I didn't mean to kill her. I just wanted that child of hers to die".

Gojo gritted his teeth. He felt sick. He got up and kicked Jerry in his guts. "You are going to pay for what you did".

He took his phone out and texted Yuri, 

Gojo : You win. I have the divorce papers. Where should I meet you? 

Yuri stared at the text and bit her nail. She was scared to face Gojo. Maybe she can ask him to drop the papers somewhere. Instead of texting Gojo she texted Jerry.

Yuri : Gojo texted me. Where should I meet him? Does he really have the divorce papers?

Gojo unlocked Jerry's phone with his other hand and replied,

Mr.Man : Call him at the warehouse near the pier. He has the divorce papers. 

Yuri : How did y/n even sign it?

Gojo rolled his eyes and huffed. 

Mr Man : She was slightly conscious. She doesn't know yet that she had signed the Divorce papers.

Yuri : Serves that bitch right. I'll call him tonight at 12.

Yuri took a deep breath and texted Gojo, 

Yuri : warehouse number 12 near the Pier. 12 am. 

Gojo : okay.

Yuri : come alone. If I see another guard or officer with you, y/n will be dead before you even reach home.

Gojo looked at her text and chuckled.

Gojo : Okay.

He walked over to where Geto and Yuta were sitting with Keisuke. Yuta gently rocked Keisuke in his arms and walked around the room but as soon as Keisuke saw Gojo he started crying and stretched his hands towards his father. Gojo's icy exterior melted as he smiled sadly and took Keisuke from Yuta's hand. "Thank you for looking after him, Yuta".

"No problem. He seemed to like more than his uncle Geto" 

Geto, who was sitting cross legged, rolled his eyes. "He would only calm down with Yuta".

Gojo chuckled and rubbed Keisuke's back. He immediately calmed down as soon as he took in the scent of his father. Gojo kissed the back of his head as he sniffled. "Any update on y/n?".

Geto and Yuta shook their heads. 

"I called Shoko and she said y/n might be unconscious for the next 12 hours. Something about her body needing time to recover. They are changing her drop every hour".

Gojo nodded his head. "Can I go see her?".

Geto and Yuta exchanged looks, Yuta hesitated but spoke first, "Ms.Shoko didn't say you can't but she didn't say you can either..so I guess you can".

Gojo handed both the phones to Geto, "I'm meeting her at 12 tonight. Yuta go through the texts and see if we can find anything else on her".

Gojo rubbed Keisuke's back and walked inside the guest bedroom where you were lying unconscious.

He let out a shuddered breath as he saw you lying still with tubes going into your arms. Your face pale like a ghost, cheeks sunken in, he swallowed his tears as he moved slowly towards your bed.

"Hi, love".

Keisuke turned around at the mention of your nickname and moved in Gojo's arm, stretching his arms towards you. "No baby. Mumma is sleeping". Gojo gently put his arms down but Keisuke fussed in his arms and continued to get out of his grasp and into his mother's. 

Gojo kneeled by the bed and gently put Keisuke next to you. Keisuke stretched his arm out and grabbed your dress and tugged it to have you turn and face him. Gojo pressed his lips together and hung his head low as he let out a silent cry. How can he explain to Keisuke that you can't play with him now? If anything were to happen to you how can he explain to him why his mother is not there with him? He prayed to God that if he wants a life then he will hand over his only for you to live. Gojo cried as he watched Keisuke pout trying to get you to turn to him. He sucked in a sharp breath and mustered his strength. He had to be strong for him. When you wake up, you will be so proud of him for being a good father. A strong father.

"Mumma's sleeping. You want to give her a kiss?". Gojo asked and picked up Keisuke so he could softly kiss your cheek. Keisuke tried to grab your face but Gojo picked him up immediately "no no no. We can't disturb mama".. Gojo leaned down and kissed your forehead softly, "By the time you wake up, this will all be over. I promise".

Keisuke cried as he hopped in Gojo's arms to be free and lie next to you. It didn't make sense to him as to why his mother won't play with him? Why won't she hold him? Why won't she feed him? 

Gojo walked out before Keisuke's cry could disturb you. "It's okay baby. She will be up soon. Then we'll all stay in bed all day". Gojo cooed as he rocked Keisuke gently. 

It was around his dinner time so Gojo walked straight to the kitchen, he tried to prepare the formula while carrying Keisuke in the baby carrier.  It was evident that Keisuke missed his mother as he would start wailing every half hour. Gojo struggled to make a formula while talking to Keisuke at the same time. He was too scared to let anyone either hold his baby or make his food. He could only trust himself. A task that usually takes about ten minutes took him 30 minutes to complete. Gojo sat down on a couch, draped a towel over his shoulder and held Keisuke in his arms as he tried to feed him with the bottle. But Keisuke refused and continued to cry. Gojo sighed and looked around the empty kitchen. He didn't know what to do. He had tears rolling down his cheeks.

His wife was unconscious, his baby was crying and he didn't know what to do. But then, like a message, he remembered your advice. Gojo carried Keisuke and the bottle to yours and his empty bedroom and sat down on the bed. He put Keisuke on the bed gently and ran inside the wardrobe to fetch your cardigan that you were wearing this morning. 

"A baby recognises the mother by scent". Your words rang in his ear. He wrapped your cardigan around his arm and went back to hold Keisuke. Almost like magic, Keisuke stopped crying immediately. He sucked on the bottle gently and looked up at Gojo with wide blue eyes. 

Gojo chuckled, "you're a mama's boy". Gojo shook Mr.Carrot above gently and continued to talk to Keisuke while he drank. When he was done Gojo put the cardigan on his shoulder and Keisuke smiled when he put his head on the cardigan. Gojo breathed a sigh of relief as Keisuke burped twice and dozed off happily. 

Gojo walked around the bedroom with Keisuke in his arms. He thought about his own childhood, how when his mother had run away his father did not even bother to check on him. If it wasn't for the help he would have gone to bed starving.  He would never let Keisuke feel that way. In a way he was glad that Keisuke is too young to remember any of this. 

Shoko stood by the door and gestured to him to come out. Gojo walked out and gestured to her to be quiet as Keisuke was asleep. Shoko simply rolled her eyes. 

"Is everything okay?". Gojo whispered.

Shoko nodded her head. "Y/n's vitals are fine. I am here to look after my godson". She nudged her chin towards Keisuke.

Gojo smiled. It was a relief that he had someone he could trust to look after Keisuke as he goes after Yuri.  "Thank you".

Geto walked in with his hands in his pocket and smiled at Gojo. "Looks like he is finally asleep". He whispered.

"Yeah. It was quite hard".

"I am looking after him so you two be safe out there". Shoko said as she gently took Keisuke from Gojo's arm. Keisuke,wrapped in your cardigan, cooed in his sleep and grabbed her hair strand. Shoko remained still for a moment. She has always been the stoic one, the sassy one, but now as she held Keisuke in her arms she glared at the two men in front of her. "If anything happens to this baby I will burn this world down with my lighter". 

Gojo chuckled and nodded. He leaned in and kissed the top of Keisuke's head and when he pulled back Geto leaned in and kissed the top of Shoko'a head. "a kiss for my baby".

"Thanks". Gojo smiled at Shoko. 

"If you do something stupid I will steal your baby". 

Gojo chuckled and nodded. In her own twisted way it was Shoko's way of saying she wanted him to be safe and that she loved Keisuke.

"Do I really need this?". Gojo asked, holding the bulletproof jacket in his hand. 

Geto fastened the jacket over his black shirt and tied his hair in a neat bun. 

"Obviously! Y/n would kill me if anything happened to you!". 

Gojo chuckled and took his shirt off to put on the jacket. It was better if Yuri didn't know that he was prepared. He felt like he was going on one final battle of his  life and on the other side a good life awaited him. 

He buttoned his shirt and turned towards Geto, “Hey..”.

Geto, who was tying his shoelaces, looked up at him and crooked a brow.

“If things go south and if anything were to happen to me..there is a letter for y/n in the first drawer of my desk, give it to her”. 

Geto chuckled, “Fuck off”. 

-X-

Gojo had never felt so sure of his destiny. But now he knew. He knew as he kissed you and whispered his promise in your ear. He knew as he checked his gun. He knew as he walked out of the estate with Geto. He knew as he drove his black lamborghini huracan. 

He stopped the car at a distance from the warehouse. He stared at the silver band on his finger. There was no set plan to follow. There was nothing to talk about. He got out of the car and glanced at a distance where Geto’s car was ready with the back up. He grabbed the papers and made his way towards the warehouse.

Yuri paced around the warehouse. She had kept it simple, at least tried to. A metal table at the center. Two chairs on either side. She had tried to keep her attire simple but sexy. Leather pants and a leather corset top. He knew Gojo hated loud makeup and stuck to her no-makeup makeup look. Her heels clanked on the ground as she paced from one end to the other. Jerry had texted her a while back, assuring her that Gojo had left alone. 

Yuri stilled as she heard the approaching footsteps. She went and sat on one end of the metal table with her legs crossed, like a tigress waiting to pounce on her prey. The rolling doc doors opened, revealing a silhouette of a man. Yuri recognized Gojo right away. Gojo stepped in and the doors closed behind him. 

Yuri took in a deep breath and shifted in her seat as Gojo walked towards her. Her breath hitched when his face became visible. Sunken red eyes, disheveled hair, tense jaw, arms flexing by his side. 

Gojo didn’t say anything. He walked over and sat on the other side of the table. 

“Hello, Satoru”.

“Hello, Yuri”.

“I’m sorry to have done this to you. I hope you know that I didn’t mean to hurt you”. Yuri spoke softly. “None of this was meant to hurt you”.

Gojo smiled. He wanted to get up and bash her head against the metal table but he held his ground. “It’s alright. It was best for both of us anyway. Y/n does not fit in my life”.

Yuri smiled, ear to ear. “Exactly! That’s exactly what I wanted you to see!”. Yuri took a breath of relief and relaxed in her seat.

Gojo smiled and nodded. “How did you get Hiro’s video?”.

Yuri chuckled. “Satoru..you are too innocent for this world! You see, I knew you way before Geto introduced me to you. Or should I say I introduced myself to Geto”. Yuri laughed.

“What do you mean?” Gojo asked. Trying his best to keep his demeanor pleasant enough.

Yuri took a deep breath. "You see.. I saw you for the first time the day you killed Naoya Zenin. I didn't even have to ask around much to find out about the history between the two of you". Yuri chuckled. "I just knew I wanted to be with you. You were strong, so sure of yourself. But I couldn't just approach you right?".

"Right…".

"With Naoya's death the clan was in pieces and I gathered all the important information I could. That's where I found the security footage of his townhouse and I was going to delete it. It seemed useless until I saw your face in one of those. So I kept it with me. I didn't know who Hiro or y/n were but I knew who you were".

Gojo stared at her blankly. "So you used the information you had on Zenin to gain Geto's trust?".

"Bingo! When I saw what you had become it broke my heart. I thought to myself whoever this dead woman was, she should not have this hold on you! But it turns out the dead woman was alive!!!!". Yuri threw her head back and laughed. 

Gojo didn't want to hear your name from her mouth anymore. "Give me Hiro's video and I'll give you the divorce papers".

Yuri took out a phone and played the video for Gojo. "There you go". She slid the phone across the table. Gojo picked up the phone and sent the video to Geto, as a backup and to let him know that it was time to move. 

He smiled and slid the papers across the table to Yuri. Yuri grinned and picked up the stack of papers. She flipped and her smile dropped and pulse picked up. These were not divorce papers. They were photos of Jerry, handcuffed and tied to a chair. Yuri blinked and looked at Gojo who was smiling at her. 

"You made a huge mistake going after y/n".

"I…I…Satoru…Satoru..I..". She fumbled with the words and stood up immediately letting the metal chair fall to the floor. "..nno…this was all his idea!". She yelled, pointing at the photo of Jerry. 

Gojo smiled and stood up with his hands in his pocket. He took out Jerry's phone and tossed it on the table. "Regardless of whose idea it was…". He walked around the table and Yuri took a step back for every step towards her. "...you should not have even thought about hurting my y/n".

Yuri trembled with fear. "I didn't want to! I swear I didn't want to hurt her!".

Gojo pouted and bent down to her eye level, "Right, you wanted to …kill her. You wanted to kill my y/n".

Yuri shook her head and stepped back. "No no no I…I didn't. You…you can take the video. I…I swear I won't ever hurt her again…please…please let me go". Yuri fell to her knees and begged. 

Gojo sat on his toes and cooed at her. "Come now Yuri…where did your confidence go?".

"Please Satoru…please…don't kill me".

"Kill you?". Gojo clicked his tongue. "Why will I kill you? You didn't kill my y/n did you?".

"No no I didn't!". Yuri shook her head and swallows her tears. 

"Exactly..you hurt her!" Gojo grinned in her face. "So now I will hurt you". Gojo said, pushing her forehead back with his index finger. He stood up and walked over to the table and pressed the button opening the rolling doors. "You're terrified of water right?". Gojo asked, tilting his head. 

"Satoru please! No no! I saved your life! Do you not remember any of that?".

Gojo's smile dropped, "You're right". He said glaring at her. "You saved me. Then you drugged me. I can still forgive that. But you hurt y/n. I will never forgive you for that". He smiled as men rushed around him and stood in a semi circle around Yuri.

"As much as you love surprises, let me tell you what's going to happen to you. I owe you that much". Gojo cracked his knuckles and stretched his neck. "You are going to be taken to the middle of the sea. Then your arms and legs will be tied and you will drown in a metal cage…not killed. Of course not killed. I cannot kill someone who saved my life right?". Gojo shrugged. 

Yuri stood up with trembling legs. She regretted telling Gojo about her worst fears. 

"And this will continue the entire night, or till my y/n wakes up. Whichever comes later. Then you'd be given a choice…to either shoot yourself in the head or drown to death".

Before Gojo could turn and walk away, Yuri grabbed a gun from the holster of the man standing to her right and fired in Gojo's direction. 

As soon as the noise rang every gun around her was pointed in her direction. Gojo stared at her blankly. His right hand went over to the left bicep and touched the wound. Gojo brought his hand forward and looked at the red coating his fingers. "You missed". He smirked devilishly. Yuri watched in horror as her shot missed the mark. Bullet that was aimed for his heart simply scratched his bicep. A wound that would recover in a few hours. 

"You know salt water really stings on wounds? How about a wound for a wound?". Gojo smirked and took out his pocket knife. He held Yuri's trembling hands and made a long diagonal cut on both of her palms. 

"That should do. Enjoy your night Yuri. It's your last one". Gojo winked and walked away as Yuri's screams faded in the background. 

Gojo sat at the back seat of the G wagon  with doors open as a medic patched his wound. Geto, who stood outside, glared at him with his arms folded over his chest. 

"Fine you were right! I am glad I listened to you and wore the vest!".

Geto shook his head and lit a cigarette. The air was cool and this wasn't their first post fight banter. He watched as the men took Yuri away in a blacked out car at a distance. 

"Why drowning?". Geto asked, staring at her flailing silhouette.

Gojo chuckled, "Because it's her worst fear. She can't swim and has been terrified of the open waters since she was a kid".

Geto nodded his head. It was fair game. She played with Gojo's worst fear and he played with hers. 

"Any news on y/n?". Gojo asked.

Geto shook his head. "Shoko said she's stable and Keisuke has been sleeping well". 

The medic was done wrapping a bandage around his bicep and Gojo got out of the car and stood next to Geto. 

"Does it hurt?". Geto asked.

"Why? Are you going to kiss it?".

"Do you want me to?". Geto smiled and looked at Gojo through the corners of his eyes. 

The van carrying Yuri went past them and Gojo finally felt free. 

"How are you going to show y/n the video?".

Gojo sighed. "Maybe when she is awake and a bit more stable, I will tell her that you helped me find the video and that can also help justify your interrogation".

"I owe her an apology".

"She'll understand".

Gojo checked his watch, it was 2 am. "We should head home".  

-X-

Yuri screamed and shouted as the guards locked her in a 6ft metal cage. By the time the cage was suspended in the air above the vast black ocean, she had accepted her fate. These men won't listen to her. She offered them money, sex, power but they wouldn't dare go against Gojo Satoru. 

"Oh god of god of god". She muttered as the cage was slowly lowered to the ocean. She closed her eyes and held her breath as it completely submerged in the dark water. She flailed around in the cage like a fish. Her lungs burned and the scars on her palm stung badly. As soon as she thought she was going to drown the cage was lifted  in the air. She fell on her knees and coughed out the salty water. Her wounds burned even more now as she tried to wipe them on her pants.  She hissed and cried but her eyes burned with every tear that rolled down her cheeks..this was worse than hell and it was only the beginning of her long night.

As soon as she caught her breath the cage was dropped in the ocean again. Unlike last time when she was given a moment to catch her breath, this time the impact had her screaming under water. She grabbed on the rails on the roof of the cage and tried her best to stay above water but her palms hurt so bad that she immediately let go of the rods and floated in the cage, screaming, crying. Once again, as soon as water began to fill her lungs, she was brought up again.  

The cage was brought up and Yuri looked down at the vast black ocean. Open water bodies terrified her but open water bodies at night was a whole other ballgame. She felt dizzy and disoriented. All she could taste was salt. All she felt was pain. 

She remembered Gojo's words, "Don't worry Yuri. When you reach hell, the devil will pity you". Yuri smiled. Gojo always stood by his words. She looked up at the sky and prayed to fall unconscious so she wouldn't have to feel anything. Ironic, she thought to herself, how she wanted your fate right now. She laughed and then the cage fell again….

-X-

As soon as Gojo reached home he rushed through the doors to see you. It was around 3:00 am and though he was tired, mentally and physically he needed you. He was hoping that when he sees you you'd be up and waiting for him to get into bed but as soon as he reached your room, his heart fell. 

You were still asleep. 

He walked silently and kneeled by your bed and held your hand gently. "It's over. It's all over". He kissed your knuckles and smiled.  

"When you wake up, you'll be in a new world. Where we will live happily. I have so much to tell you but all of that can wait. We have all the time in the world now". He kissed your cheeks and whispered three little words that he hoped you'd hear. 

"Satoru?". Geto called out in a whisper, standing at the doorway.

Gojo kissed your forehead and walked out. 

"Did Yuri tell you anything about how she got the video?". Geto asked. 

Gojo walked alongside him with his hands in his pocket, "She used to work for Zenins and when Naoya was gone, she stole information from them to gain our trust. Somewhere in that pile of information she found the video…pure stroke of luck".

Geto cursed himself for not running a thorough background check on her. Had he known she had worked for Zenins he would have never employed her. How could he let that go under his radar?

"Drop it already, will you? It's not your fault".

Geto nodded. 

"Why don't you and Shoko take the guest room? It's been a long day and I am sure she's tired too". 

Geto smiled and nodded his head. He too was tired from everything that had happened. His added guilt only amplified his need for a good sleep. 

-X-

You let out a heavy breath and suddenly were conscious of every muscle in your body. You felt awake but in a dream. Your arms felt heavy by your side. Your legs felt heavy. Your head felt heavy. You tried to raise your hand but could only manage to twitch your fingers. Was it night? Was it noon? Where was Keisuke? Where was Satoru? You opened your eyes slowly and saw the darkness around you. Something was attached to your arm, you moved your eyes to the side and saw a tune going into your wrist. Then it all clicked. 

Your heartbeat picked up, you remembered feeling dizzy, you remembered calling for Jerry but you didn't remember whether he came or not. Shit did you faint with Keisuke in your arms? Did you hurt him? Was he okay? You tried to call for help but your throat felt painfully dry. 

"..toru". You managed to whisper. Your vision was still clouded and the lack of visible light only added to your paranoia. 

You took a deep breath and swallowed painfully to muster up courage to call for help.

"Satoru!". You managed to call in a hoarse voice. 

You felt someone's hand on yours. You looked down and saw the tuft of Arctic hair. You smiled. Of course he was here. 

"Satoru..". You called with tears rolling down your cheeks. 

Gojo woke up with a jerk. He heard you call for him. He looked up and before the single tear could reach your jaw he was on his feet and leaning over you. "I'm here. I'm right here, love!". 

Gojo pressed the button and was about to run out to get help but your feather light grip on his band stopped him.

"Stay". You whispered and Gojo relaxed. 

"You're alright. Everything is fine". He assured you as he kissed your forehead.

"Ke.. Keisuke..".

"He's fine. He is sleeping right now. He's fine. You're both fine".

You smiled as you let out a sob. 

The nurses rushed in and Gojo kneeled  on the other side of your bed and held your free hand. "It's going to be alright". He assured you again. 

A part of you felt like he was assuring himself. Like he was trying to convince himself that you were alright.

Shoko walked in rubbing her face and stood by your side and smiled. "This is not the reunion I had expected but good to see you y/n".

You smiled. "Can't…move".

Shoko smiled. "It's alright. You have just woken up and the dose I gave you was quite high. It'll take some time". She sat down on the chair Gojo had been on and checked your pulse. "Low but good". She stood up and gently helped you sit up slightly. 

She helped you drink water with a sipper and wiped your face with the towel that Gojo handed her. 

"What happened?". You asked meekly. Your voice lacked strength but at least you were able to talk now. 

Shoko and Gojo exchanged looks and before Gojo could start she turned towards you and smiled. "You fainted. But luckily we were able to get you the help that you needed and you are stable now". 

You frowned at her. "I..took meds".

Shoko's smile dropped and it concerned you. "Someone…Jerry switched your meds".

You tilted your head to register to what she just said. Jerry switched your meds? Was she talking about the same Jerry? You turned your head towards Gojo and his guilt ridden face confirmed your suspicion. 

Gojo turned to Shoko, "Can I talk to her alone?".

Shoko nodded and got up. "Call for me if you need anything".

You turned to Gojo and fear in your eyes made his heart drop to his stomach. Gojo held your hand with both of his and explained everything that conspired in the past 24 hours. You listened with your heart on the edge as Gojo showed you the texts between him and Yuri. 

Anger rose inside of you when you saw the video but it was soon replaced by sadness knowing that Gojo was in such a state where people like Yuri took advantage of him. Yet here he was, more worried about you than what could have happened with him. You wanted him to be angry for himself but instead he was worried about how you'd look at him. 

Anger rose inside of you when he showed you Hiro's video. How could you let that happen? Had you stayed for a minute more then Gojo would have witnessed the birth of his son. You were angry at Hiro for taking this one thing away from you. Sure he wanted Gojo to suffer but what about you? What did you do to deserve not having the love of your life by your side? How could Hiro disregard your feelings? You were thankful to him for giving you an escape but did you even need one? You needed to have Satoru by your side. You needed a peaceful sleep. You needed to feel loved. You needed to hold Gojo's hand when you thought you were dying…and Hiro took all of that away from you.You sobbed as the video finished playing. "I'm so sorry". You sobbed in your hand. "Oh god…what  have I done….I'm so so sorry". 

Gojo stood up and wrapped his arms around you as he let you sob in his chest. "It's not your fault y/n. It's not your fault". Gojo let out a shuddered breath when he felt your body tremble in his arms. He sat down on the bed and rested your head on his chest. "It's going to be fine. We are going to be fine. Breathe, please". 

"No no no no…I…I'm so sorry". You clenched his shirt in your hand. “I..shouldn't have listened to Hiro…I..Oh god..I’m so sorry Satoru. I..I am so sorry”

"No love. You have nothing to apologize for. You did what was best for you and our son. You did a good job".

You looked at him, “But…you..you couldn’t be there because of..If only I would have stayed for a minute longer..”.

“Y/n…You didn't do it with the intention fo hurting me, okay? You were just protecting yourself and our son”

"What about Jerry? I let a man like that near Keisuke and …if only I hadn't…".

"No no no. It's not your fault that people are bad".

"Satoru , he could have hurt Keisuke…oh god ..He could have hurt my baby!". 

Gojo sighed. "It's my fault y/n. I told you I'd take care of you and Keisuke and I…couldn't".

"It's not. You did everything right. It just happened to be Jerry. Nobody …could have expected it”.

Gojo kissed your head. "Okay".

"Where is…Jerry?".

You closed your eyes, and Gojo cupped your face with one hand and wiped the tears off your face.

"Why didn't you tell me about this? I would have believed you".

Gojo was at a loss of words. He looked down, ashamed and shook his head. "What was I supposed to tell you? I know the look on your eyes y/n. You love me but I know a part of you is also scared. I see that. I wanted to tell you about Hiro but I had no memory of that video. I ...I told you there was nothing between Yuri and I and then....this...I couldn't do that to you. I couldn't let you go"

You looked down. You had been too harsh on him and you felt bad for making him feel that he had to hide things from you and Jerry used it against him. He knew Gojo would not confess to you. He knew Gojo would be scared of the video and that's why they sent both the videos together. You were so angry at everyone for hurting him.

Gojo shook his head, "You don't have to see him, love".

"I just… How could he even think when you would be anything like your father when he has practically raised you? Satoru, you are nothing like your father…You are kind and attentive and you always prioritize us over your work …. Keisuke is so lucky to have a father like you…I am lucky to have a son with you".

Gojo looked at you and smiled sadly, “Do you mean it? Really mean it?”

“Yes!”. You said, immediately. “I mean it with every fiber of my body”.

“Thank you”. Gojo kissed the side of your head.

“I hope Jerry rots in hell for everything he has made you and Keisuke go through”.

Gojo smirked, "As you wish". 

"And Yuri too..but where is Yuri?".

Gojo took a deep breath, "She's there. Do you want her to live?".

You remained silent. You didn't know whether you had it in you to kill someone. But Yuri threatened your son, drugged Satoru…"No. I don't think she deserves to live". 

"Okay".

Your eyes drifted to the white band under his shirt. You sat upright and touched it gently. "What happened?". You looked at Gojo.

He sighed. "It's nothing" 

"It doesn't look like it's nothing. What happened, Satoru?".

"Y/n ..You need to rest right now".

"No…no I need to know what happened to you?".

Gojo sucked in a sharp breath. "Yuri…. shot me".

Your mouth hung open as you tried to get up but Gojo put his hand on your shoulder and calmed you down "What…what do you mean she shot you? …why are you not in a hospital?".

Gojo smiled sadly and pulled you into him."Because it wasn't serious and I wanted to spend time with my wife".

"Satoru…it’s not ..corny. It can be serious and It can get infected or something". You glared at him.

Gojo smiled. It was adorable how your knowledge of getting shot comes from movies and his’  comes from his experience.."Y/n…It's just a scratch.I am more than fine. I'm here and you're here and that's all that matters".

You shook your head disapprovingly. What happened to all the safety and security when he was almost shot? “No no. You should still get it checked once again”.

“Okay, I will but not now. I need to be with you now”. He grinned.

"Did you have a hard time with Keisuke?". You asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Gojo took a deep breath and thought about how he had never seen Keisuke cry this much. How clueless he felt every moment you were not around. "He missed his mom for sure". 

"Did you feed him?".

"Yes".

"Did you bathe him?".

"No. He was too fussy and I didn't want to risk it".

"Where is he now?".

"With Suguru" 

You breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Are you mad at Suguru?:. Gojo asked.

“No. I understand now. I am glad you had him”.

You yawned and groaned, feeling the tiredness creep in.

"You should sleep now y/n. It's been a tough day". Gojo got off the bed and helped you lie down. He pulled the duvet and tucked you in how you do for Keisuke.

"Can you…. stay with me? …..Please?". You bit your lip nervously. After hearing everything that happened while you were unconscious a part of you was scared to be without Gojo. You needed him to feel secure. You needed him to tether you to reality and save you from spiraling into your what ifs.

Gojo nodded "Of course I will", and got in bed with you. He winced as he lay on the arm that was injured and you glared at him. "just a scratch?".

Gojo smiled and rubbed your back. "Yes, love. Just a scratch". 

-X-

When you woke up again you were no longer ridden with anxiety. Instead you felt even more relaxed when you saw Gojo walking around the bedroom with Keisuke in his arms.

"Good morning". You said, sweetly.

As soon as Gojo turned towards you Keisuke started crying and stretching his arms out to you. Gojo brought him to you immediately and you took him in your arms.

"Did you miss me, munchkin? Sorry mummy took a long nap". You cooed as you wiped his tears. Keisuke buried his head in the crook of your neck and wrapped his tiny fingers tightly  around your necklace. His wailing stopped the moment you kissed his chubby cheeks. "I'm so sorry. I promise I'll never leave you again". You kissed his head as he sniffled. You peppered kisses on his face and it made him relax in your arms. "Were you a good boy? Did you give daddy a hard time?"

"Did he give you a hard time?". You asked, looking at Gojo. 

Gojo sat down next to you and stretched his legs, wrapping one arm around you and resting the other one on your lap. "Not at all. But he missed you. I was so scared for him. I couldn't even explain anything to him". 

You smiled sadly and pecked Gojo on the lips. "You did a great job". 

"You think so? It took me over 30 minutes to make the formula".

You chuckled at him. Sure that was surprising but you didn't blame him. "That's alright. You still did a good job". You understood that it wasn't easy to take care of a baby when everyone around you was a possible threat, when your wife was lying unconscious, and there was a psychopath out to get you.

"I'll call Shoko. You still look weak".

You kept your hand over his and looked at him pleadingly, "Few more minutes.. please".

Gojo smiled and sat back down pulling you into him. 

You rested your head on his chest, brought his hand up and kissed his scarred knuckles. You felt safe in his arms. Somewhere in your heart the last crack closed up and you finally…after four years…felt like you were home. 

-X-

1st August,

You stared at yourself in the full length mirror and smiled. You looked like those dolls on top of the wedding cake. The lace veil draped behind you and the white silk gown fit you like a glove. The diamond earring that Gojo sent for you this morning casted a kaleidoscope  pattern on your collarbone. Your eyes drifted towards the calendar on the wall. August 1st. The weather outside wasn't gloomy. It was surprisingly pleasant. Not too windy, not too sunny. Gojo had wanted a grand wedding but you insisted that you get married in the lawns of the estate that you had spent months taking care of. You didn't want a grand ceremony. You wanted to get married at a place that you called home. 

Contrary to advice of the wedding planner, you had decided to do your hair and make-up yourself with help from Shoko. You wanted to keep it all very minimal. You looked at your hands and smiled at the imperfect white nailpolish painted by Gojo. He wanted to add his own touch to your look and you couldn't say no.

You picked up the sapphire brooch and pinned it on your left, your something blue belonged to Gojo's mother. Your something old was your own mother's hairpin that you had treasured for years. You wondered if your parents were her would they be happy? You hope that wherever they were, they were smiling for you.

You needed this time alone in your bridal suite to gather your nerves. The last few months passed by like a gust of wind. Keisuke was not almost 7 months old and Satoru decided that it was the right to get married for the second time…or third. Though you didn't demand for one as you were already officially married, Gojo insisted that you have a ceremony. You agreed. 

Though he didn't need to propose, Gojo still went on a knee when the three of you took your first family vacation to Ginzan Onsen. It was your Ghibli dream come true and you said yes to the ring once again. You still remembered being so in love as you walked along the streets with Gojo’s one hand in yours and the other pushing the stroller. You were no longer with Gojo because you had to be. You were here because you wanted to be. You wanted to welcome him home and make his lunches. You wanted to write notes for him and pack it in a bento box. There was something adorable about the most feared man in Tokyo blushing over a note in his bento box. 

Now you stood here, on the 1st of August, thinking about how a year ago you were pregnant with Keisuke and had just found out about the risks of pregnancy. In the August before that you were sitting in a bus, on the way to the office where the love of your life was engaged to another woman. Now you are about to get married to the man you love .Funny how life changes in three Augusts. 

As you walked down the aisle with Mr.Itadori on your right  and Mrs.Itadori on your left , with your bouquet of orchids in your hand, you saw the man you had loved for the last five Augusts stand on the other end. Everyone was looking at you and you were sure you should have acknowledged them and smiled at them but you couldn't tear your eyes off of the man in the deep blue tuxedo. Handsome as ever.  

Gojo felt like someone punched the air out of his lungs as soon as he saw the doors open. The wedding march faded in the background and his world stopped moving. This is what he lived for. Everything that he had endured till now led up to this moment and he would do it all again just to see you smile at him as you walked down the aisle. You were his sun, his moon, his star. 

“You look beautiful”.

“Thank You”. You smiled and took his hand.

Gojo had boasted that he would not be the one to get emotional but here he was, fighting his tears as he read his vows. He lost the battle when you read yours and you chuckled as you wiped the tear off of his face. You cried a little too when he kissed you. But Gojo was quick to wipe it away with his thumb.

Geto stood next to Gojo with Keisuke, in a matching blue tuxedo, in his arms. He looked at Shoko and they exchanged smiles. 

Instead of a flower girl you had Yuri happily scattering flowers for you. It was  surprising how quickly he bonded with Satoru. During the reception Yuji ran up to you and introduced you to another kid, who Yuji claimed to be his best friend even though they had met an hour  ago. Megumi,whom you recognized to be Toji’s son. He seemed like a quiet kid, opposite Yuji. You  smiled and patted both of their heads as they ran away hand in hand. You turned and continued to talk to the man who was taking over part of Gojo’s business so Gojo could spend more time with you. Nanami Kento. Few minutes later you saw Megumi and Yuji being scolded by a girl, about their age, and smiled. You wished that these three retain their youthfulness even when they grow up.

Months later when you and Gojo took Keisuke to Gyoen park. The lake smiled. Years ago two hearts broke by its shore and now they had found their way to each other like waves to shore. Gojo smiled as he saw you show different flowers to Keisuke. It was surprising that his first word was "addada" and Gojo rubbed it in your face for weeks. He claimed that he had won the bet but you only rolled your eyes at him. Even now as you point to a flower Keisuke looks at Gojo and calls him in a come here motion. "Addada", Gojo gave you a smug grin, reminding you that he had won the bet. Gojo smiled and walked to his son. In that moment Gojo was grateful that he never stopped fighting for you. If there was anything worth fighting for in this world, to him it was you. 

A.N : Thank you to everyone who has supported this story. It's been a long and happy journey and I hope you enjoyed your time with the story. I hope it brought you comfort and happiness when you needed it.

It's 2 am as I write this and I can't describe how emotional I feel having completed this story. I hope it was everything you had expected and that you are happy with how things turned out. Thank you for supporting me so far and I promise that I will continue to do my best for you 💗

With lots of love, 

Your Priestess.

@hiqhkey @chemtrails-club @simplyrosesxr @foggyperfectiondragon @sofi786 @vesta-ro @kimvmarvel @mykyoon @shintin @attackonsimpp @pyschopotatomeme @lilith412426 @shuxjodie @sagejin @cloudsinthecosmos @hecateria @froggylust @lightblueexorcist @watyousayin @creolequeen11210 @s13nnnna @shartnart1 @the-crane-wives @musababy @loquia @ackerstain @allofffmypeaches @regalillegal @erintaro @commandertorinshepard @gojo-sunglasses @tspice283 @iam-mia9 @screwyou3 @denypipa @smolkazumi @winter-bearv @mc-reborn @pangolynnn @sindela @daintyazra @purpleguk @iam-mia9 @sammyiguess @ritsatoru @5seos @kirby-star @vr00m-vr00m @qualitygiantshoepsychic @littlemochabunni

“She was already fussy because she’s teething, but our little one was trying too hard to keep up with her big brother,” you chide, tapping your finger against her nose. Your daughter, despite her tears, reaches up and presses her little hands over her face in response.

Diluc’s heart feels so full. For you. For the daughter you both dote over. For your sweet, innocent son, undoubtedly pretending to be on some bold adventure just outside.

“Is he still playing?” he asks.

You nod, smoothing a hand over your daughter’s head. “One of the maids graciously agreed to watch him while I tended to this little one.”

His daughter holds her little hands out to him, hiccuping. They’re a little scraped up, but otherwise not terribly injured. Still, Diluc coos at her, presses a kiss to each of her palms.

“Look, papa makes it all better, hm?” you murmur, stroking her cheek with your knuckles. “Shall we ask him to show us the crystalflies?”

It’s a parlor trick Diluc had long since mastered back when his son was just a newborn. Kaeya had shown him, and seeing how well it seemed to soothe the young baby, Diluc has since reluctantly borrowed the mirage.

He opens his palm to reveal a crystalfly made of flames. It flutters, or at least appears to, in a short circle. He’s careful not to move it too close to his daughter, but controlling such a small amount of concentrated elemental energy is easy enough.

As always, his daughter shrieks in delight, little hands raising as she grabs at the burning crystalfly. Diluc flicks his finger, sending it spiraling over her head and far out of reach, before it dissipates into the air with a puff.

“Up we go, Liebling.” Diluc gathers the now giggling baby in his arms, nudging his nose against her cheek. She’s barely one, just learning how to walk. As stoic as she can often be, she cries incessantly when she gets hurt near her older brother. The two of you aren’t sure if it’s a result of her brother coddling her that makes her vie for his attention, but their mutual obsession has been strong since the day she was born.

Inseparable, those two.

She squeals, delighted by Diluc’s attention, and smacks her hands on his cheeks. He tries not to wince. She’s unassumingly strong for a baby, and Diluc had to learn that the hard way when she developed a penchant for hair pulling.

Her downy soft hair rustles between his fingertips as he smoothes a hand over her head.

“Da da da da da!” she chants. All her tears are gone, now, and he catches sight of the expression on your face. It feels like a mirror of his own emotions.

She squeals, grabs Diluc’s lapel and leans back with all her weight. Diluc’s head jerks forward at the motion. “Gods, she’s a brute—“

You scoff, taking the baby from Diluc’s arms before she tries to launch off of Diluc as usual. Even so, she holds fast to her father’s clothing and squeals loudly. “She got it from her father.”

Diluc tries to ease her grip, but her tiny fingers are glued tightly to his clothing. “I’m quite certain she takes after you, really.”

Your expression softens when you look at your daughter. Her excitement at seeing Diluc is more endearing to you than he expected. “Yes, yes, papa will come play with us soon.”

“Ah, meine Lieben,” he murmurs, overcome with affection, and presses a kiss to your forehead. With the baby smushed between the two of you, she shrieks, throwing her hands up and hitting Diluc in the jaw. The grin on your face seems to dull his pain. “I’ll finish up here and meet you outside, hm?”

“Do hurry. It’s your turn to help our Schatz catch frogs,” you simper. Ugh. Diluc tries his best to hide his distaste, but you know him too well for that. You part with a resounding laugh, bouncing your daughter in your arms. Diluc trails behind and stands in the doorway a moment longer, watching you chatter happily to the little girl.

He’s—

He tries not to get emotional at times like this. But having a family of his own, children to love and adore…

Gods. It’s more than he deserves. He clenches his jaw, holding back a sigh. You’d scold him for having such thoughts, but they are inevitable. These bloodstained hands of his have no right to reach for you.

Diluc turns, moving to shut the heavy oak door. It’s best to finish this work quickly, before the children settle down for their respective naps. Perhaps the sound of their laughter will soothe his relentless thoughts.

But the noise that echoes across the winery grounds isn’t laughter. It’s a bloodcurdling scream.

Diluc’s feet act before his mind does, flinging the heavy oaken doors open. Where, where?

He spots you down by the river bank, cradling your daughter against you. Is she hurt again? But as Diluc nears, he feels his breath catch. The look on your face is pure panic, eyes darting as you scan the surrounding area.

There’s so much blood.

Seeping across the pebbles of the shoreline, snaking into the water. At your feet lies a maid, a young woman of only twenty. Diluc feels dizzy.

“My love—“ he begins, breathless. His hands come up protectively around you and your daughter.

“He’s— Diluc, he’s gone,” you manage. Your voice is shaking so fiercely it’s a wonder you’re able to get the words out.

His blood goes ice cold. “Where’s our son?”

“He’s— We can’t find him anywhere.” Your voice borders on frantic. It seems the little girl in your arms is the only thing grounding you, keeping you from falling apart entirely.

Elzer is already speaking to the watchmen a few yards away, expression grave.

“I shouldn’t have left him,” you mutter, gasping for air.

“My love, breathe. It’s okay. We’ll find him,” Diluc says. Maybe he’s hiding. He’s—

He must be hiding.

But there’s something wrong in the air. Twisted, ragged elemental traces that are all too familiar to Diluc. The bastardization of the elements that only remains at the hands of the Fatui.

It should’ve been impossible for them to make it this far on the grounds. Especially without making a commotion. There’s a zing in the air, and Diluc stiffens. He hates to doubt anyone under his purview, however…

An inside informant would’ve made this incident much easier. He can’t help but cast a glance toward the gathering crowd, weighing their reactions.

How long have the Fatui been watching, waiting for the right moment?

Diluc feels sick to his stomach. There’s a horrible, throbbing ache down his chest, icy and relentless. Panic, is what it is.

The baby is sobbing again, frightened by the reactions of those around her, and you hold her close, one hand cupped protectively against the back of her head.

He takes her from you, rocks her gently in her arms. Your daughter clings to her father desperately, rubbing her tears into Diluc’s neck. He sighs, patting her back gently. He’s gotten better at soothing babies ever since your son was born, but there’s still an anxiety that pierces him, hearing his child cry so desperately.

She can’t know what’s wrong, not at such a tender age. But she seems to sense Diluc’s unease, and whines pitifully into his clothes.

“Meine Liebe, meine Liebe, you’ll make yourself sick if you cry that hard,” he whispers. Everyone around him is desperately looking for his son, his name echoing across the vineyards in a dozen different voices. Diluc stands frozen. Immobilized by fear. Deep down, he knows his son will not be found here. Not here. Somewhere darker, colder. Somewhere he may slip away forever.

“Master,” a voice sounds behind him. Adelinde and Elzer approach him urgently, their expressions serious. Diluc already knows what news they bring.

“The young master is likely already gone.” Elzer’s expression is dour. After all, he and Diluc were raised closely, reared under the same commanding hand. He’s like family.

Diluc’s daughter fusses loudly, small fingers digging deeply into Diluc’s shoulder. Adelinde murmurs sweetly to her, slipping her from her father’s arms. Diluc nods gratefully, watching as she takes her up to the vineyard to distract her with the fluttering crystalflies.

Elzer moves closer. “I believe we are dealing with…” He lowers his voice. “…That organization. This is too well executed to be the work of Treasure Hoarders.”

Diluc nods. “Fatui. Even so… continue the search here. Who knows what plans those bastards have in place. I trust I can leave the estate under your watch?”

Elzer bows, hand over his heart. “As always, master.”

There’s a splatter behind Diluc. He turns, surprised, to see you retching.

“Archons, Schatz, are you alright?” he frets, rushing to your side. He lifts a hand up to rub your back.

You let out a choking sob, wiping at your mouth with the back of your hand. “He’s—“ your voice gets caught on a gasp of air. Diluc embraces you and sinks to the ground with you in his arms, trying to suppress his own rising panic. You’re usually so calm, so collected. Seeing you like this is making this entire situation far too real. “He’s gone. He’s gone.”

Diluc brushes back your hair. “He’s going to be safe. You said it yourself, he’s a clever boy. I’m sure he’s just hiding.”

It’s a blatant lie, and you both know it.

Diluc’s employees have the same stricken expressions on their faces, seeing you both so panicked. Adelinde stands nearby, cradling your now sleeping daughter. She must’ve fallen asleep after exhausting herself with tears.

“I will find our son,” Diluc swears. To you. To himself.

———————————————————————————

Parting is harder than Diluc had expected. He’s torn in two, struggling between the desperate wish to stay by your and your daughter’s sides and the deep ache to find his son, to hold him close and breathe in his scent once more.

“Send for Kaeya,” Diluc says quietly. Gods. His brother may be borderline pathological at times, but he truly is reliable in moments like this. He’s… he’s one of the few people Diluc can trust to protect his family.

Your expression falters. You took quite the liking to Kaeya early on, despite Dilic’s irritation, but now you seem to sense his uncertainty. Melding to Diluc’s sour moods, as always. He can’t help but feel guilty. “I can protect this household myself.”

“I know, meine Liebe,” he murmurs, “but I need someone to protect you. Watch over our daughter.”

You catch his hand. There’s an awful, unspoken dread in the air between you. That this will all end badly. Neither of you are brave enough to speak it into being.

“I will return before dawn,” Diluc swears solemnly after a long moment. The look on your face is making his chest ache.

“Bring our son home,” you reply.

Your fingertips part.

Diluc doesn’t turn back. He can’t, lest his courage fall apart at the sight of the agony on your face.

————————————————————————————

The staff members have already moved the maid back to her family home, undoubtedly to begin the long process of funeral arrangements. By the looks of her wound, it had been a swift act.

Diluc kneels before the splatter of blood against the rocks, trying to calm his pounding heart. He can’t— he can’t think about the possibilities. Or else he truly will lose his grip.

The maid was new to the staff, moving in with her father and younger sister mere months before. Young, bright, and energetic enough to keep up with Diluc’s children. She reminded him of his nanny when he was a child, but now that image seems somehow tarnished.

He mulls it over for a moment. It seems unfathomable that she would be working with the Fatui for such a length of time, waiting for the ideal moment to snatch his son away. She had so many opportunities previously, so many moments alone with his children.

He feels ill, suddenly, and presses his hand to his mouth. No.

No, this can all be dealt with once he finds his son safe and sound.

Diluc stands, raises an arm to the sky and lets out a sharp whistle. It only takes a moment for her to descend, wings spread wide as she catches the wind downward.

He bumps a finger against his falcon’s chest in greeting. “Such.”

She flies off with a screech, circling overhead. For a moment it’s difficult to tell where she’s looking, veering to the east momentarily before swooping west again.

He hesitates. Wolvendom? No… that old wolf wouldn’t stand for cruelty against a child on his land. His gaze falls to the south. Dragonspine. There’s already far too many Fatui encampments close to his home, but to think they would be so brazen as to kidnap his child.

Diluc’s jaw clenches.

He doesn’t want to think about the terrible possibilities. The Fatui haven’t shied away from horrific crimes, and the child of a noble — a noble diametrically opposed to their goals — is an ideal target.

He doesn’t have much time before they undoubtedly attempt to move his son to another location.

There’s another screech overhead. She must’ve found something. His falcon shoots off towards the west, towards the base of Dragonspine. It’s as Diluc feared.

The vineyards are still filled with the sounds of searchers. Their missions will be futile, undoubtedly. Diluc must retrieve his son alone if he is to make it in time. Before—

Iron fills Diluc’s mouth. He’s bitten his lip raw, the putrid taste of blood slinking across his tongue. He has no time to waste.

————————————————————————————

It takes two hours to reach the base of the mountain. Diluc hurries, as fast as his feet can carry him, but even he has his limits. He’s breathless, lips numb from the freezing wind despite with his body temperature. The duration of the journey, his panic never dwindles.

Rather, it rises with each passing minute, his entire body strung tight like a wire ready to snap. He’s hyperaware of the time he’s losing. The Fatui have only gotten a short head start. But each second they have over Diluc is a second his son could be in danger.

And with the fierce snow, tracks disappear quickly. His falcon swoops overhead, hardly visible in the blizzard, guiding him. She’s a small reassurance when Diluc’s heart feels like it may thump right out of his chest.

If—

If he’s too late—

His falcon swoops down, landing elegantly on his shoulder. He jolts in surprise, shaking with the force of it. Fear threatens to overtake him, and she somehow senses that danger. Like before, years ago, when Diluc had faced the Fatui at eighteen. She was there then, watching over him.

He lowers his voice as she nuzzles against him. “Here?”

She tilts her head. It’s not a command she’s been trained for, but intelligence gleams in her eyes.

Within a breath she launches herself off of Diluc’s shoulder, soaring past the encampment. Not here, then. He edges along the water, suddenly grateful for the cover the blizzard provides. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to watch his falcon’s movement like this, however, and he soon loses her in the storm.

Diluc curses under his breath. She’s trained well, knows to find a safe place to wait out storms lest she be caught in one. But now he’s left disoriented, with no real direction.

There’s a screech, and once more Diluc is startled by his falcon swooping towards him. She’s come from straight ahead of him. Her message is clear. She must’ve found his son. Diluc… Diluc can’t express his gratitude to the bird perched on his forearm deeply enough. He only hopes she knows.

“Heimwärts,” Diluc murmurs. He lifts his arm, launching his falcon into the air. She circles once overhead, then flies back in the direction of the winery. Her arrival should, at least, be a small indication of his progress.

He pushes forward, following the trail of the icy lake, before he spots the vague shapes of tents. The blizzard isn’t as harsh here, with the outcropping of rocks shielding the encampment, but it’s still bitterly cold.

He rushes forward, then halts himself. There, on the dock, is a lone gunman keeping watch. They’re far enough away from the flock that Diluc should be able to take him out without drawing the attention of the others.

He slinks forward, the snow muffling nearly every sound. Diluc crushes his hand over the man’s mouth as he draws his knife across his throat.

He gurgles, slumping forward, and Diluc slips him into the water. He closes his eyes for a brief moment before he stands once more. He cannot dwell on these things. Not anymore.

Diluc turns, edging forward, until he can make out the shapes of Fatui soldiers. His gaze flickers over the scene, searching. There, away from the fire, his son is curled in on himself, sniffling. He grits his teeth.

“…That damned boat is taking its time,” one of the vanguards scoffs. A cold chill of dread races down Diluc’s spine. It can only mean they intend to take his son away, farther than Diluc’s reach.

No. No, Diluc would go to the Dark Sea and back for his child.

He waits a moment longer, just until they move away from his son so he can reach him first. But then there’s a loud smack, and Diluc’s son yelps. No, this is enough.

There’s hearty laughter, a rousing cheer. They seem to prematurely be celebrating their victory. Diluc lunges forward, catching one of the eight by surprise. A legionnaire, far larger than he is. But Diluc has the upper hand, and slashes the man’s stomach.

The legionnaire drops, screaming in agony as he is nearly disemboweled. Diluc raises his sword again and finishes him.

It’s a gruesome sight.

He doesn’t stop to dwell on the life he’s just taken in such a cruel way. The other seven have already jolted past their momentary surprise, readied their weapons. Diluc does a mental count. A cicin mage, an agent, two legionnaires, three vanguards.

The fire roars, bursting forth as Diluc pulls the energy towards himself, slides the fire down his blade with ease. He charges forward again, slashing them down one by one. The other two legionnaires go down easily, too vulnerable against Diluc’s vision. Their bastardization of the elements stands no chance against him.

The cicin mage pierces on Diluc’s blade, sickening and easy. Her cicins are nothing but a nuisance, and they burn well in Diluc’s flame. The same flame that soothed his daughter mere hours ago. He feels sick.

He finally clears a path to his son, dodging forward to shield the little boy. He barely has time to parry a blow from the agent, shoving him back with enough force that the Fatuus loses his footing.

It gives him a single second’s time to scoop his son up, ripping off the restraints. They barely tried, and yet such a young child is battered and bruised. Diluc seethes with rage. “Papa!” he wails, clinging onto Diluc. Diluc soothes him, slipping a hand over his head.

“I’m here, mein Schatz,” he murmurs. The agent nears. “But you must let go.”

“No!” he sobs, gripping tighter.

Diluc turns, shielding his child with his body, as the agent aims straight for his throat. The blade sinks into his shoulder as he moves to protect his son, slicing through muscle and sinew with ease.

He gasps, gritting his teeth against the pain, as his child cries hysterically in his arms. The agent rips the blade out, swinging down again. It’s all Diluc can do to tilt his head down, brace himself for the blow. With any luck he’ll maintain consciousness enough to give his son a chance to escape.

The impact never comes. There’s a gush of wind, violent and powerful, and for a moment all goes silent. Diluc’s eyes open, confused, to see the agent fifty feet away, groaning from where he’s been pinned against a rock.

Diluc doesn’t have time to ponder this anomaly. He shoves his son behind him, wincing at the deep, visceral throb that emanates across his shoulder. One of the skirmishers armed with a hammer nears them, taking his now injured comrade’s position of offense, and raises his weapon. Diluc doesn’t have time to ready his sword, opting to dodge forward and tackle the man to the ground.

He’s taken by surprise, not prepared for this kind of hand-to-hand combat.

The skirmisher goes down with a thud, nose cracking beneath Diluc’s fist. He doesn’t leave him at that. Can’t. He has to finish this.

Diluc straddles the man’s chest, fists beating down against his face again and again. He keeps at it, gloves bloodying with each hit, until he’s sure the man is dead.

He looks up, breathless, to see the horror in his son’s face.

Diluc had promised himself the day his son was born that he would never have to follow the same fate he did. Now his child is witnessing the truth of who Diluc is. Bloodied. Vile.

He staggers to his feet, picking his claymore off the ground. Keep pushing forward. He must. He must.

The agent is back on his feet. Although unsteady, he still poses a considerable threat.

Diluc charges forward, sword aimed for his opponent’s neck. The agent dodges, just barely enough to miss a fatal blow, but the claymore slices deep into his arm nonetheless. Blood pours from the wound, dark and deep and gruesome.

Diluc has only earned seconds for his son to escape. He reaches back, searching, and the young boy immediately clings to his father’s hand. He tries to speak carefully, calmly. He’s not sure how well he succeeds. “You remember what I taught you, hm? You run as fast as you can and hide well. Hide so not even papa could find you.”

Diluc’s child wails, gripping the edge of his coat. “No!”

His son is too little to properly form these whirlwind emotions into anything. The agent is up on his feet again, despite the ugly gash on his arm. Untreated, he’ll bleed out. But it’s clear he no longer cares for his own well being.

There’s no time.

“Run. Now!” Diluc snaps. It’s crueler than he intended, and he can feel the boy jolt behind him. Gods. He deserves to rot in the Abyss for all that has transpired here. “Run and hide yourself, Mäuschen. Promise papa.”

Diluc’s son shifts on his feet, hands shaking where he’s gripped onto Diluc’s hand and coat. The agent lifts his sacrificial knife, stumbling towards them. “I p—“ his son chokes, letting out another frightened sob. “Promise, papa.”

“Go,” Diluc says softly. The small grip releases from his hand, and Diluc readies his claymore once again. There’s no telling how many more are already on their way, heading to their deaths at the end of Diluc’s sword.

One of the vanguards dodges towards Diluc’s child, his little feet catching on the uneven ground.

There’s no time. Diluc swings his sword to kill, landing a blow to the side of the skirmisher’s neck. His body crumples, severed from its head.

But what awaits Diluc’s eyes is only horror. His son is covered in the skirmisher’s blood. He seems stunned, eyes wide as the thick, sickly drip of crimson slides down his cheek, dampens his clothes. The falcon that Elzer had embroidered into his shirt, that he had so proudly worn to be like his papa, stains red.

A sharp, unforgiving sick floods Diluc’s sense, makes his vision blur at the edges. “Run,” he croaks, suddenly unsteady on his feet.

Fear. That’s the look in his child’s eyes. Fear of Diluc.

He feels like the ground is spinning beneath him. He doesn’t have time to comfort his son, to wipe the thick, sickening blood from his face.

He watches his son run, despite his sobs, struggling to make his way through the deep drifts of snow. But every time he stumbles, the little boy gets up and keeps running. The darkness will aid in his escape, at least until Diluc finishes off the rest of this scum.

Diluc watches him until he vanishes from sight.

Rather than teach his children how to fight, as he had been taught from the age of five, Diluc taught them to hide, to defend themselves. It was a path Diluc chose differently from his father, to spare his children from the weight of expectations.

Diluc killed too early. He never had a choice, really, not with the expecting gaze of his father upon him. He lived to make him proud, to fulfill the dreams he held. But with Diluc’s own children…

He’s fearful of pressing anything upon them, overprotective and anxious over the smallest of ordeals.

They need not bloody themselves in childhood as he did. Diluc will carry those burdens in their steads.

A shaking voice sounds behind him. “I’m sure we can come to some sort of agreement—“

Diluc turns to the skirmisher. His vision burns wildly on his hip, seething with the same anger that fills his body. He says nothing to the Fatui as he takes their lives. They know their transgression.

He doesn’t bother keeping it neat. Really, he only needs to keep one alive.

Diluc swings his sword down, severing the man’s fingers. The scream he lets out is sickening, but Diluc feels nothing but empty anger.

“If my son was not waiting for me,” Diluc kneels down, yanks the man’s head up by his mask, “your head would be skewered upon the city walls. Thank the Archons that I haven’t the time to torture you for information myself.”

The man groans, gurgles something unintelligible. Diluc stands, lands another blow to the man’s head with the hard metal toe of his boot. It seems to knock him out cold.

He’s killed countless Fatui before. Now is no different. He merely has more precious things to protect, is all.

And now that his son is out of sight, Diluc no longer needs to hold himself back. The snow will turn crimson with their blood as retribution for this crime.

————————————————————————————

Diluc doesn’t stop to collect himself once the gruesome deed is done. His feet carry him quickly, even amongst the rows of snow drifts.

The tracks of his son have already been covered up by freshly fallen snow. Diluc swallows. It’s too cold here. Too cold for a child of only six.

Diluc calls his son’s name, but it gets swept away in the ruthless wind.

A screech overhead. You’ve sent her back to him, which can only mean that you’ve received his message. Diluc lets out a series of sharp whistles as his falcon circles overhead, listening obediently to her master.

She takes off, swooping just to the east. It’s all he can do to scramble up the sharp rocks, following her guidance. Her eyes are his eyes; her ears, his ears.

There’s a screech, and Diluc turns. There, on the massive remains of Durin, sits his falcon. So she was watching over his son.

Diluc’s child is curled under the gaping maw of the dragon’s head, shaking.

Diluc slides down onto his knees, wrapping his arms around his son. Tries not to think about the fact that they’re both covered in blood. Even with the agonizing, throbbing ache in his arm, he holds his son close.

“Papa, I hid,” he hiccups, rubbing his eyes with his fists. Diluc rubs a hand up his back. “I hid from the bad guys.”

“You did very well,” he says quietly. Stay calm. Children are sensitive to the emotions of the adults around them. You’ve always scolded Diluc about that. But right now, he feels on the verge of hysterical. “You listened to papa very well.”

The little boy nods, almost imperceptibly, and presses close to Diluc, rubbing his face against his neck. Diluc’s chest feels tight.

“Hold on, kleiner maus. Let me look at you,” he manages. It’s with great reluctance that he peels his sobbing son away from him, hands slipping over his trembling body to check for injuries. There’s a few scrapes and bruises, a bloody nose, and a nasty gash on his knee where he’d fallen, but he is otherwise safe from any serious injury.

Even so, Diluc doesn’t feel relief.

He’s covered in blood, splattered across his cheek and neck. It’s—

It’s not his, at the very least, but that offers Diluc no comfort.

Diluc uses the sleeve to wipe at the mess. They’re both chilled through from the snow, and it’s taking all the energy Diluc has left to regulate his body heat to keep his son warm.

Diluc continues like this in silence, dabbing at his son’s nose, cleaning up as much of the mess as he can manage. He’s putting off the journey back, for now, but it’s inevitable. He’ll have to tourniquet his arm if he doesn’t want to bleed out before he makes it home.

His son has his tiny hands clenched, and Diluc soothes over his fingers. “Let papa see, hm?”

His right fist is clenched around a vision, glowing brightly. Diluc clenches his teeth. A miracle, or an omen?

It was his son’s will, then, that saved Diluc’s life. Still, if he finds that damned bard—

Diluc shakes the thought from his mind. What’s important now is that his son is safe. And relatively unharmed. And—

Gods. Completely soaked to the bone. Diluc peels off his own coat, wrapping it around his child. But his other hand is still clenched, fingers flushed and stiff from cold.

“Show papa, Fröschchen. Let papa see what you have.” It takes effort, but his breath catches when he finally succeeds at opening his hand. It’s somehow more devastating than the vision.

Inside the other hand is a crumpled dandelion flower. Bloodied at the edges. His son must’ve been protecting this flower from the moment he was abducted. Diluc can hardly make out the words his child hiccups out.

“It was for papa,” he wails, clinging to Diluc. He can no longer keep up this stoic facade. Diluc holds his child close, tears pricking at his eyes.

“You’re freezing.” He pulls him close, tugging his jacket to cover his son more tightly. The unnaturally high temperature of Diluc’s body should warm him well enough, but they cannot stay in this place any longer.

“Let’s go home,” he whispers, gathering his son in his arms.

————————————————————————————

Arrival home comes late at night. It’s raining, just as it did on that night all those years ago. It makes Diluc uneasy.

The door opens before he can even knock, his son long since having fallen asleep in his arms.

“Gods, Diluc!” You rush to his side, hand cupping his face. “You’re freezing. And is he…?”

Diluc only nods, sliding your son into your arms. He stirs from his sleep, eyes widening when he sees your face. He says nothing. Only clings onto you, tears starting once more. You hold him close, rub his back, and sway with him in your embrace.

“Oh, Fröschchen, my sweet love, let me look at you,” you soothe, wiping the water droplets from his face. “You’re so cold, my love. So cold. Let’s warm you and Papa by the fire, hm?“

You’re so gentle with your children, so nurturing. Diluc follows obediently behind you, paying no mind at the drops of water he leaves on the floorboards. He can’t tell if it’s exhaustion or the lighting, but his sight seems to shake, fizzle at the edges.

You turn after setting your son down on the couch, mouth open as you’re about to say something.

It’s the last thing he sees clearly before he loses his balance and slumps forward.

“Diluc!” you yell, panicked, supporting the weight of him.

“Papa?” His son sounds frightened again. He’s frightened him. Again.

————————————————————————————

Diluc watches over his children, sullen. A fire crystalfly flutters above the bed, shedding glimmers of light on their sleeping faces. There’s no taking back what happened. He’s replayed it over and over in his head a thousand times, desperate to find where it was he went wrong.

Diluc sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. There’s a terrible, aching impulse in him to track down every single Fatuus involved and have them slaughtered. But he’s terrified to leave his childrens’ sides again. He’s already made that mistake once.

Diluc doesn’t stir at the gentle sound of a knock. You slip next to him, arms coming up over his shoulders, and rest your chin against his head. “You’re damn lucky Kaeya had the foresight to bring a doctor along from Mondstadt.”

Diluc sighs. The doctor had done a preliminary check, but Diluc refused treatment beyond a simple compress. His son needed tending to, and you are more than capable of treating his wounds. You’ve had years together to practice. “I’m fine. It was just fatigue.”

“You scared the shit out of me,” you scold.

Diluc huffs out a breath. “Language.”

“Diluc, they’re asleep. I’ll curse all I damn well please,” you snap back. It eases the tension between the two of you, and he raises a hand to clasp onto yours.

He sighs. “Is Kaeya still here?“

You laugh softly, and the sound makes him shiver. “Of course he is. Gotten into your good wines, too, after he sent the doctor on his way.”

Diluc scoffs. “I shouldn’t be surprised.”

There’s a moment of silence between the two of you. You always seem to sense Diluc’s moods, anticipate his anxieties. Now is no different.

“He’s alright, Diluc. The doctors said only a few bumps and bruises, yes?” you say quietly.

Even so, he can tell that you’re as shaken as he is. Your son sleeps peacefully next to his sister, his little fingers still curled securely around his vision. He refused to let go, even when you tried to coax it away from him. Perhaps it makes him feel secure. He’s just— he’s still so young, too young to form his emotions into proper words.

Diluc’s children are before him, tucked into the bed you both share. Safe in their parents’ presence. Moments like these should feel safe and content.

“I promised you,” he begins, then stops. Your embrace around his shoulders tightens.

He swallows around the lump of emotion in his throat.

“I promised you, when we decided to have children, that I would give them happy childhoods. I promised myself. And I—“ his voice breaks, and suddenly it feels impossible for him to get the words out. “I don’t know what to do.”

You circle around him, sinking down onto your knees. You take his face in your hands with a sigh. Your touch is cool, and soothing, and somehow grounding.

“What we do,” you begin, voice tight with emotion, “is take it one day at a time. That’s all we can do, Diluc.”

We. With just this, you’ve yanked him out of the hole he’s buried himself in. We. It was never just him against this all. That was a certainty the moment you made your vows to one another.

We.

He feels disjointed, scattered. “I’m not as strong as you think I am.”

You don’t miss a beat. “Then I’ll lend you my strength.”

He bites down on his lip.

“Come,” you murmur, rising to your feet. He allows you to pull him up, lead him by his hand to the attached bathing room. It seems neither of you are quite willing to stray far from your children just yet. “Let me tend to you.”

It’s a comfortable routine. Known. You help ease Diluc into the empty tub, leaving him with a kiss, while you go and fetch the medicine box. He closes his eyes briefly, leaning back against the cool porcelain.

There’s the running of water as you clean your hands, the gentle slosh of cleansing ointment on skin. He focuses on these sounds, on the rustle of clothing as you move about, on your bare footsteps across the tile. He knows you, through and through. Everything about you is a comfort.

Diluc only opens his eyes when you climb in after him, settling yourself on his lap. Not exactly the ideal position for this kind of thing, but the two of you have done this routine an unimaginable amount of times. Besides, neither of you very much want to leave your children’s presence, but you can’t risk waking them, all things given.

“You were reckless,” you say after a long beat.

“I had to be.” His own safety did not matter. You click your tongue in annoyance in response.

“Bite down,” you say softly, pressing a rolled cloth to Diluc’s mouth. He obliges, despite the discomfort of it, suddenly feeling obedient. Well. He’s never not obedient to you.m

“I should’ve insisted that the doctor tend to you too,” you mutter, clearly irritated. It was a point of contention between the two of you over the duration of your early years together. You’d always scold Diluc for not tending to himself, when you, yourself, would always have open wounds that you’d brush off as ‘part of fighting’. It’s a wonder that having children settled you both— at least, as much as it can quell hot tempers.

The first pierce of the needle makes Diluc flinch. You tap his shoulder in warning, huffing out a sigh. “Relax. Or it’ll hurt more.”

Relax seems impossible when you’re jabbing him with a needle, but Diluc bites his tongue. The way you suture his wound is quick, efficient. You’ve had plenty of experience through the years; and tonight is no different.

He stays perfectly still even as you press a clean bandage over the fresh stitches, that familiar little crease in your brow deepening when it goes on a little lopsided.

When you finish, finally, you slip your palm to his, hands pressing together, fingers tangling. Diluc shivers when you press a kiss to his wedding ring.

“Elzer believes that young maid was coerced into handing out child over, and she was still killed regardless. A life lost, just like that. Is this not madness?”

You swallow. “He’s sure?”

“Almost certainly. There’s no sign that she fought back. Even if taken by surprise, she would’ve had time to react. It’s… I don’t want to believe the worst of those who have chosen to work under me,” he says somberly.

You sigh, nudging your nose against his cheek. “I will sort the matter. But… but just for a few days, let’s forget. Wipe this chaos from our minds for just a moment.”

Diluc closes his eyes. “Our son could’ve died today.”

“But he didn’t. Because you were there,” you say quietly.

“Children always idolize their parents when they’re young. I can’t help but fear that when our son looks back on this day… he’ll despise me for it,” he admits.

“All you did was protect him,” you reply firmly.

Diluc gnaws on his bottom lip. “But that wasn’t enough, was it?”

“Diluc,” you begin, “We vowed, the day that our son was born, that we would protect our children. We believed that we could shield them from the world forever.”

Diluc feels so scattered. There’s pieces of him everywhere, broken to unfathomable bits. It feels like he’s back to that night, so many years ago. Blood on his hands. Rain pouring overhead. And an ugly, beastly pain rearing in his heart. “I have failed. You and the children.”

You seem agitated. “When I married you, Diluc, I chose your flaws, and your hatred, and your pain. Don’t hide them from me.”

Diluc presses forward, nuzzling his face into your neck. You’ve seen him cry before, more times than he’d like to admit, but it finally feels like the weight of what has transpired over the last hours is finally crashing down upon him.

He chokes on the first sob, fingers pressing into your waist. How pathetic he’s been.

This home is meant to be safe for his children. They were never—

Never meant to face the same atrocities he did at such a young age.

Your soothing hands smooth up Diluc’s back, cool and grounding. And when you kiss, lips brushing together chastely, reverently, Diluc allows himself to forget for a single moment.

Your children are safe in their parents’ bed. His spouse firmly in his arms. For a moment, he lets his mind ease, soothed by the feel of you, the weight of your comfort.

————————————————————————————

Diluc jolts awake, heart pounding in his chest. A cold sweat slips down his neck, but he feels dizzy, unsteady. Gods. When did he fall asleep?

His daughter whines, hiccuping loudly with each sob. It’s her hunger cry.

She’s sitting up between Diluc and her brother, who is still sleeping peacefully, hair mussed every which way. Diluc coos at her, scoops her up and bounces her in his arms.

“Kleine Spatz, are you hungry?” Diluc asks quietly, patting her back. He still has a terrible unease in his chest that he can’t seem to shake.

You stir in your sleep, mumble something near incoherent, and snuggle closer to your son. Diluc swallows. “Sleep, Liebling. I’ll feed her.”

When he finally settles just outside the room, close enough that he can still hear your even breaths, he lets his mind wander. His daughter drinks happily from her premade bottle, long since having yanked it out of Diluc’s grasp to feed herself.

It’s mundane. All of this is mundane. It’s a routine the two of you have done hundreds of times, taking turns waking to feed the baby, or soothing her back to sleep, but Diluc still feels sick to his stomach.

Kaeya

Diluc