Like Clockwork

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/43893589.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: F/M
Fandom: 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Manga), 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime)
Relationship: Gojo Satoru/Iori Utahime
Character: Iori Utahime, Gojo Satoru, Mei Mei (Jujutsu Kaisen), Ieiri Shoko, Miwa
Kasumi, Original Characters, mainly the ocs are just relatives to gojo or
uta
Additional Tags: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fake Marriage, Engagement, Original
Character(s), Protective Gojo Satoru, i gave utahime some family trama
and twin sisters, You are welcome, Family Dynamics, Post-Shibuya
Incident Arc (Jujutsu Kaisen), Utahime's Curse Technique, Established
Relationship, Drinking, Weddings, Badass Iori Utahime, Feelings, Fluff
and Hurt/Comfort, but mainly fluff
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2022-12-28 Updated: 2023-01-14 Chapters: 3/? Words:
9428

Like Clockwork
by goodnightmoonz

Summary

She can't tell the executor "no" because she expects he'll give up on her. It's not likely she'll
get married in a month after just breaking up with her boyfriend. So she says something
stupid, idiotic even but it's her only idea— Gojo has been wearing off on her.

"Why yes, I do have some happy news! I am engaged!" Utahime says overly excitedly like
the typical new bride.

"That's wonderful!" The executor actually sounds happy for her but it could be pity, "What
is the lucky man's name?"

Utahime looks up into blue eyes as she says, "Gojo Satoru."

Notes

This is my first time writing for this fandom and ship so I hope everything is good!

moodboard
See the end of the work for more notes
 Situ

“What!” She nearly screamed, feeling her curse energy rise alongside her rage.

The man in front of her, a poor innocent non-sorcerer, cringes as if sensing the curse energy in the
room shift responding to her indignation. Or he just recognizes an angry person when he sees one.

“I’m sorry, Iori-san. But there is nothing I can do.”

Utahime balls her fists trying to summon that calm exterior she has when facing the higher-ups and
listening to them deny her a promotion again. Smile as they compliment her teaching and respectful
demeanor not realizing she is boiling inside.

She is calm, cool, and collected Utahime. She doesn’t get worked up as other women do. Too
sensible too. Too nice too.

So she breathes in and out, summoning that calm, repeating breathing exercises she has been doing
since she first discovered her voice. Discovered what could happen if her emotions got the better of
her.

“There has to be something, Ji-san. Don’t you see how this is very unfair,” she says very evenly,
bowing her head in respect.

The man shakes his head, “There isn’t, Iori-san. Your mother is very specific about how her estate
was to be handled in preparation for her passing.”

Her rage flares again thinking about her mother can fuck up her life one last time even on her death
bed.

“I see,” she spits out.

Ji mistakes her anger for grief and slides a box of tissues over to her. Used to crying women
working as a professional executor, it is easy to assume her anger is sadness.

“I’m sure your sisters will be reasonable with you-”

Utahime barks out a sharp laugh, “Jun maybe but Noahime, no way! I take it you haven’t meant
my sister yet.”

The man frowns deeply, “Actually I have met Noahime-san, she is a delightful person. And
Junhime-san for that matter. You are the last Iori daughter to make my acquaintance. Noahime-san
has been a joy to work with.”

He frowns as if he was saving the worst for last and she is what he expected out of the unruly Iori
girl. The odd one.

Already she has fucked up this meeting.

Utahime frowns in response to his praises of Noahime, which does not sound like her younger
sister. Noahime is nothing more than a spoiled rotten princess who is anything but reasonable. She
and Junhime were never afforded the same liberties or favoritism— they’ve always stuck out. Odd
considering the fact that Junhime and Noahime are twins and both lack the dreaded curse energy.
Why prefer one over the other when they are basically the same as children?
But still, her mother had the obvious favorite in the perfect Noahime.

A tense silence follows and the executor, Ji, as if sensing the change of energy in the room into
something darker reaches for his phone.

“Maybe this will go better if I call Noahime-san and ask her to join us.”

“No !” Utahime pitches not realizing she has let a little of her curse energy out as the man’s hand
freezes over his phone.

Utahime sighs seeing her curse energy swirl dark in the man’s eyes. Great, she should just start
over on a new footing. She can't imagine how calling Noahime would make any of this better.

“Sileo horologium, minutum quinque manus remittit. ” She sings, willing the man’s mind to go
back five minutes in time.

She snaps her fingers realizing her hold on the man, his eyes returning to their soft brown color.

He blinks confused for a second then looks back at her and smiles wide, bowing.

“You must be Iori Utahime. It is a pleasure to meet you, Iori-san, even over this unpleasant
business.”

Utahime bows back, her hand rubbing at the soreness in her throat. Feeling far too much of her
curse energy drain.

Weak little Utahime.

It takes a lot of energy for all of her songs, too much to make it practical without straining herself.
But it needed to be done. The man already was starting to distrust her and Utahime knows from
experience that is never a good first impression.

She’ll need to approach this differently if she has any hope in this situation.

“The pleasure is mine.” She smiles back, perfectly respectable.

The man smiles and gestures to the chair just like he did five minutes ago, “Please.”

Utahime knows what he is going to say next, he’s going to ask about her job.

“So you are a teacher?” He says like clockwork.

Utahime smirks, she’s rarely wrong about her hunches. She can do this since people are habitual
creatures. They rarely change their minds. It’s because of this nature of humans that many think her
curse technique has something to do with mind reading like some parlor trick.

That is a misconception, her technique is nothing like that. But if it means people will fear her
more she doesn’t mind but it does have the unfortunate side-effects of making those in the jujutsu
community distrust her. Thinking she is a fake, a witch not a sorcerer. A girl who could read their
deepest and dirtiest thoughts.

That is the biggest threat to clans and the higher-ups. Someone who could see all the skeleton’s in
their closets.

That different type of fear has spread and cemented itself through the years, when a person
mentions Iori Utahime the whispers that follow are nothing positive. How she is a witch and not to
be trusted. That is probably why she has been stuck at semi-grade one for the better part of a
decade.

Nobody thought to ever ask her directly what she could do, preferring to assume and guess. After
all, she was all alone in the jujutsu world after her father died. Poor little Utahime, clan-less and
alone.

“Yes, I am,” Utahime responds.

“Good, good. I always thought teaching is one of the most important professions.”

Utahime nods as if she has heard it before and she has— from him. It’s always so empty when
people praise her choice of profession as if they pity her in some way.

She hates pity.

“Now, I don’t want to take too much of your time. So we must get to the displeasing business.”

Utahime nods and wills tears to appear as if she is a young woman who is on the brink of losing
her mother, leaving her an orphan all too soon. It’s true that her mother is gravely sick but she has
already considered herself an orphan for a long time now.

The man slides the tissues over again and pats her on the shoulder, “It’s alright. I know all this talk
of death makes your mother seem already dead. But she could still make a recovery.”

The sorcerer doubts that she heard from Jun that the doctors are telling her to make arrangements
already and discussing the matter of the bill with Noahime. How hysterical Noahime has been
lately at the very likely chance her beloved mother will pass on.

But it has been coming for a while, this should come as no surprise. To Utahime she has been dead
to her for over half a decade.

Utahime dabs the tissue over tears that aren’t there, “It was all so sudden, but it is good to know
that Okaa-san has the foresight to financially provide for me.”

The man frowns just like he did before but this time it doesn’t alarm the jujutsu sorcerer as she
already knows the unfortunate news the man is about to tell her.

“You see, Iori-san, your mother has put in a clause in her will that I, as the executor, must follow. It
says that both you and your younger sister, Junhime, must be married before any money is to be
dispersed. And once you are married the sizable fortune will be paid out in full.”

Utahime nods this time, reacting very differently than she did the first time even though, internally,
she wants to scream. After all, her mother knows she isn’t married and hasn’t had a serious
boyfriend in years (Utahime can’t completely cut out her traitorous sisters from her life).

It was something she and Noahime always harped on her for, at that rare family dinner (the last
one nearly six years ago). That at thirty-one she was still unmarried, such a crime has never fallen
to an Iori woman before. But, then again, Utahime has always been different.

Always been something her mother, and by extension, her sisters could never understand. Jun is
different but in a separate way from Utahime. In a way that is not immediately sensible, she doesn’t
walk into a room and the energy immediately shifts. Non-sorcerers not knowing what has changed
just that something has.
She is something hard and brittle, not soft and gentle like an Iori woman should be. Not to mention
the horrible songs she would sing.

The executor gauges her surprisingly calm reaction and continues, “There is one more thing your
mother has written in her will, that if you remain unmarried for a year the money will be
transferred to your sister, Noahime, and her family. The same situation for your sister, Junhime as
well.”

This is what caused her curse energy to flare up and a vein on her forehead to bulge a minute ago.
That her mother has the audacity to not only withhold the money that is rightfully hers but also put
a time limit on her.

“I see,” she says calmly, “That is unfortunate for me but I understand why she did it. She only
wants me to be happy in the end.”

What she says isn’t what she means so Utahime bites the inside of her cheek, tasting a hint of
copper blood to keep from speaking her mind. She thinks back to the thought training she does to
calm her nerves when sitting in on a higher-up meeting or during her annual performance
evaluation when they deny her promotion again.

In and out, in and out. Constant like the waves of the ocean or the ticking of a clock.

“That is good you are understanding about this Iori-san. Noahime-san wasn’t sure you would be.”
Utahime almost snorts at her ever-helpful sister.

“Yes, well there is little I can do.” She rises from her seat knowing this man has no more answers
for her, “Thank you for your guidance.”

“You could always try to talk to your mother,” the executor says, “There is still time for her to
change her mind.”

Utahime laughs but at the man’s troubled expression, she tries to hide it with a whine, “I wouldn’t
want to trouble Okaa-san, not when she is in so much pain,” she grabs another tissue to dab at her
false tears “She is just looking out for me. This is clearly what she wants, I’ll try to honor her one
last time. Thank you, Ji-san”

That is all a lie, of course, her mother is not looking out for her but trying to control her life one
final way. Her mother has always disapproved of Utahime’s choices, going to school in Tokyo
rather than becoming a teacher in another big city. Utahime always suspected that her mother
thought she would outgrow this ‘jujutsu’ and come back to their small town to marry a man she had
hand-picked. To follow her orders and be the perfect daughter.

But Utahime rejected that leaving Noahime to fill in the role the eldest daughter should have. She
fitted it better than Utahime ever could have.

Ji rises and bows, “Understandable. We will remain in contact, Iori-san.”

“I don’t doubt that, now I just have to find a husband,” she jokes.

“I’ll check up on your progress in a year. May your mother make a full recovery.” He says not
understanding her joke.

Utahime exits the office and smiles at his receptionist as she talks the elevator down the expensive
high-rise back to the streets of Tokyo. As soon as she exits the building she pulls out her phone.
“Shoko, I’m in town and I need a drink.”
 reditus
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Proximity ten months later

“It’s snowing,” Utahime says to herself in the empty classroom. Her voice echoed softly among the
abandoned desks. Her finger traces a snowflake that has settled along the glass.

Kyoto in the wintertime is Utahime’s favorite season which is contrary to popular opinion. Most
people would say spring is the best with cherry blossoms blooming and perfuming the air with a
sweet scent. But Utahime has never been a fan of sweets.

In the wintertime, there is a certain peaceful atmosphere that descends upon the city and by
extension Kyoto Prefectural Jujutsu High School. It becomes idealistic in a way Tokyo can’t with
its shire size and industrialization. In Kyoto, hints of nature still manage to poke their head through,
especially in Kyoto High.

It reminds her of the place she grew up with its red Shinto shrines and abundance of trees. It is easy
to get distracted grading grade-two papers while watching light snowflakes dust the window.

Utahime is staring out the window of her classroom watching snowflakes collide with the icy lake
when a buzzing and familiar tune jolts her out of her peace. She looks down at the offending object
and smiles at the familiar number.

She picks it up and answers, “Hello?”

“Utahime! Did he ask you yet?” Shoko says, uncharacteristically excited.

“Why hello Shoko, good afternoon to you too.” She says as she starts to back her papers away
knowing she won’t get any work done today, besides she needs to go meet Tsujo soon.

“Don’t be that way, Uta!” Shoko whines, which is very un-Shoko-like, “You can’t keep things like
this from your best friend!”
“Have you been drinking?” Utahime accuses, Shoko doesn’t answer, “It’s barely two!” Utahime
laughs, “At least wait for me, it’s miserable to day drink alone.”

“Well, you aren’t here,” Shoko says like an upset child.

“Yes, I’m in Kyoto where I work and live. You know this, Shoko. It’s been a decade since I moved
here.”

“Still, I always imagined you coming back to Tokyo eventually.”

Utahime frowns as she shrugs on her red winter jacket and her bag full of students' papers and starts
her walk to the park she promised to meet Tsujo at.

“Come on Shoko do not give me that.”

“What? When he proposes you’re gonna stay in Kyoto forever, I just know it! And I’ll be left in
Tokyo all alone.”

Utahime feels a pang in her chest for her friend, “You could always come and work at Kyoto
High?”

Utahime says that even though she knows that isn’t possible, the higher-ups will never let Shoko
leave Tokyo. It’s where they want her and they are just dolls to the higher-ups. Played with and
then disregarded. And now there is no one to change that, no one powerful enough.

“First Suguru, then Gojo, and now you. Everyone leaves me eventually, I bet Gojo’s students will
too.”

“Shoko,” Utahime says firmly as she does with the first years who cry about missing home, “Put
the bottle down and eat something then take a warm bath.”

Utahime can hear shuffling, like a bottle being put away through the phone.
“You’re right, Uta. You are always right,” Shoko is silent before saying, “You know what today is
right?”

It’s been months since the Shibuya Incident when she was too late— when her clock was too slow.
The pain of it still aches sometimes.

“Of course I do.”

Today would have been Gojo Satoru’s twenty-ninth birthday.

Shoko snorts, “Ironic that Tsujo will propose to you today of all days.”

Utahime tries to shake the thoughts of Gojo away with a joke, “Shhh! You’ll jinx it, I’m not even
supposed to know!”

The two friends giggle on the phone not thinking of sorcerers dead or presumed dead which is the
same as dead in their world.

“No, but I am happy for you, Uta. I know that the whole business with your mom was stressing
you out.”

Utahime grits her teeth, “Urgh, don’t remind me of that. And I’m not with Tsujo just because of
that! I really do care about him!”

“Hrm,” Shoko mumbles, “But do you love him?”

Utahime stops walking for a second as she ponders over her friend’s question.

Since news of her mother’s will Utahime went on a dating frenzy going on multiple dates a week
(once even multiple a day) hoping to find someone. She went on dates with a range of different
men from non-sorcerers to sorcerers but none of them seem to stick. Until she met a Kyoto primary
school teacher named Tsujo with glasses and dark hair who smiled at her jokes and fretted over her
drinking. He also likes baseball too.

Tsujo is the full package. He cleans up after himself, is respectful to seniors, loves her Saitama
Seibu Lions, and hates sweets. It has been her longest relationship ever, lasting eight months so far.

He is a very nice man who was simple in the things he wants and made love like anyone else. They
could easily relate to each as they are both teachers who care about their job and their students very
much. If Utahime were to describe him she would say he was very practical in and out of the
sheets.

But sometimes practical and vanilla is all you need to make yourself happy after you’ve had a
lifetime of complicated.

What was even better was that he never once found her odd or different. Never did he ask about her
scar— which is interesting, to say the least. She likes that he doesn’t pry with her, probably waiting
for her to tell him in her own time. But he never did touch it in bed either.

But little things like that don’t matter with Tsujo since he is such a perfect fit for her. Even her
sister thinks so when she and Tsujo bumped into her at the executor’s office last month. Noahime
was nice and respectful, asking Tsujo about his job and his family (just like their mother would
have). All three of them even went out to lunch together and it was perfectly pleasant.

Utahime asked about Noahime’s husband and her baby and Noahime excitedly showed her pictures
of their last family photo shoot. They are picture perfect like they belonged in a catalog but she
would expect nothing else from her perfect baby sister. It was one of the most pleasant talks she’s
had with her sister in years. They even planned on meeting later this month for dinner so Utahime
can catch up with the husband.

Noahime even texted her after telling her how good of a match Tsujo is. How sensible and practical
he is for Utahime. How she is glad Utahime is finally settling down, no longer chasing something
unattainable. That their mother would be proud.

But Utahime has never worried about making her mother proud.

She could hear her mother’s voice in her head as she found the ring box on Tsujo’s nightstand last
night. About what a good wife she will make even if she isn’t flawless and beautiful, that she could
still try to be worthy of him. To keep her head down, not to sing, and always say yes.
But sometimes she just wanted to sing no. Yet her mother has trained her well, it is in her nature to
be obedient and quiet. Just ask the higher-ups who she is always respectful to a fault. That is why it
is such a surprise to people to learn that her curse technique is about speaking, about singing.

After all, Iori Utahime is such a quiet, respectful girl despite the sour reputation her curse
technique gives her. She has loyally served Gakuganji for a decade, never asking or demanding to
be upgraded.

It’s not her demeanor or her attitude that keeps her at semi-grade one— things her mother gave
her. But the…unfortunate nature of her curse technique given by her father.

Her mother did her best to make Utahime the best Iori girl she could and it is finally paying off.

“Utahime?” Shoko asks after a minute of silence.

Utahime blinks back to reality and sees Tsujo sitting on a bench where they agreed to meet.

“Sorry, Shoko. I got to go, Tsujo’s here. I’ll call you later though.”

“Yeah, no problem, Uta.” Shoko rasps, sounding like her distant self again, “But don’t feel
pressured to say yes.”

Utahime snorts but it sounds distant, “Why wouldn’t I? He’s my perfect match.”

“Yeah, Uta. Talk to you later.”

With that Shoko hangs up and Utahime takes a deep breath letting the icy air fill her veins. Then
she talks one step forward into her future.
“Utahime, I’m glad you made it.”

Tsujo smiles upon seeing her rising from his seat to hug her. Utahime melts a little in his embrace,
she has always liked being touched. The man she was with before Tsujo knew that about her and
always touched her in private but always had his guard up in public. When all Utahime wanted was
for him to hold her hand he has a forcefield in place keeping him apart from her and the rest of the
world.

But Tsujo is a simple man and holds no such reservations or power. So he just takes his girlfriend
in his arms and gives her a hug.

He pulls back, “Your hair smells nice, what is that vanilla?”

Utahime nods, “I’m surprised you never noticed it before,” she’s been using the same shampoo for
years.

Tsujo shrugs, “You know how I am with sweet things.” He pats down the seat next to him, “Here
sit down, it just stopped snowing.”

Utahime sits next to him and feels some of his warmth which she never did with the other man
who was always so distant with her in public. Feeling like a ghost half the time.

There are a couple of people in the park as it is a beautiful winter afternoon. A teenage couple sits
hand in hand, a child plays in the snow, an old man watches the winter birds, and a woman plays
fetch with her dog.

“Here,” he pushes a sandwich in her hands, “Eat something.”

She takes it even though she isn’t hungry, “How were your classes?”

Tsujo smiles and starts to explain the different animal models his students made today. Explaining
in detail how each one looked and how they all were invested in his story about the time he saw a
wolf.
Utahime imagines what he or his students would think about the cursed spirits she sees daily. Tsujo
probably wouldn’t be able to handle it, if he thinks a wolf is scary.

“How was your day?” He asks once he ran out of things to say.

Utahime shrugs, “Much the same, I tried to grade papers but my mind was out of it today.”

She thought it was because of the weather but it was also because she saw the ring box the other
day and also that day is Gojo’s birthday.

He always made such a big deal about it, buying the most extravagant cake as they rented out a
booth at a Karaoke bar. She, Shoko, Mai-Mai, even Nanami, and Geto a long time ago. It pains her
to think that most of those people are dead now, only the women remain.

Tsujo hums in acknowledgment and says, "Are you gonna eat that?"

Utahime blinks looking down at the sandwich she didn't even want, "No, here."

She hands it back to him and he scarfs it down. They sit in silence for a couple more seconds
before they both speak at the same time.

"Utahime-"

"Tsujo-"

Tsujo blushes, "You go."

Utahime blinks, not entirely sure what she was going to say, just wanting to say something before
he did. To delay what he was about to ask her.

"Uh, how was your childhood?"

Tsujo chokes on his sandwich, "What? Oh, uh good I guess. I mean I was the only child and my
parents were older so they babied me a lot. You'll meet them, you would've met them already if
they weren't out of the country all the time."

Utahime nods, not entirely sure why she asked that of all things. Not many people she knows in the
jujutsu community had a good childhood from her parents to her schoolmates. Even the rich,
spoiled, insanely powerful ones like Gojo had a tough upbringing. She doubts anyone with power
has it easy.

If she were to have children, which she thinks she wants someday, and if they had a power like hers
would they suffer the same fate? Would she be able to be enough for them? Be able to explain the
things they are seeing when their father can't.

Utahime grew up that way seeing things her mother couldn't. And when her dad died when she was
only ten there was no one to teach her how to fight the monsters in the dark.

Tsujo is practical, he is plain, and he is uncomplicated. He is a non-sorcerer. He will never be able

to understand.

"Utahime there is something I've wanted to ask you for a while," Tsujo says, shuffling his feet, and
moving to stand up.

Utahime stares ahead at the white field watching a few snowflakes make their way down to the
surface. Tsujo was wrong, it's still snowing.

"Iori Utahime, you make me so happy and I look forward to seeing you and sharing what my
students did with you. Nobody has ever taken an interest like you. I want that every day for the rest
of my life," he kneels in front of her, reaching into his pocket.

People around them are staring, she can tell. The young couple embraces closer, the old man
smiles fondly, and the woman with the dog gushes envious of Utahime for having a man who
loves her.

Utahime is about to turn to look Tsujo in the eye when something suddenly appears across the
park. She and the dog seem to be the only ones to notice. The dog's ears perk up as Utahime squints
her eyes to see but the sun is reflected off the white. White always reflects. Then suddenly the
figure is gone.
Utahime blinks her eyes and wipes at them when she opens her eyes she sees blue.

"Utahime." Her name is said like a prayer as nobody has ever said it before.

Utahime's eyes widen and she feels tears burning her eyes because right before her in a tattered
black school uniform is Gojo Satoru, a man she resigned herself to never seeing again. A man the
world assumes is dead.

His blindfold is pushed all the way up so his bright blue eyes are looking directly at her. The air is
stolen from Utahime's lungs. It's as if time is frozen.

Tsujo speaks up clearing his voice, "Uh dude, I don't know what you're doing but-"

Gojo drops to his knees suddenly and Utahime doesn't need Six Eyes to know his curse energy is
dangerously low.

He's been in the prison realm for nine months, she knows. She's been counting the days.

"Hime," Gojo says, "You're okay."

Utahime blinks confused then remembers Shibuya. She and her Kyoto students were late, she
wasn't there to help him. Then they got themselves frozen and if it wasn’t for Yuki they still would
be trapped just like he was.

"Oh, Gojo," she hummed under her breath, putting a little of her cursed energy to comfort him.

Tsujo looks between them, "Utahime, do you know this guy?"

Utahime stands and rushes over to Gojo's side as more of his energy wanes. She pulls out her
phone with shaking hands hoping Shoko listens to her and stopped drinking.
"I'm calling Shoko now, Gojo. Don't worry."

Gojo is mumbling under his breath random things and Utahime hears, "Just had to see you, it's
been so long. I missed Sunday, didn't I?"

Oh Sundays, that's usually when he popped into her apartment and she did the thing that always
kept him coming back. She gave herself to the most powerful sorcerer again and again.

The phone is dialing, "Yeah, you did, you missed quite a bit of them. It's actually December 7th."

Gojo hums and grabs a lock of her violet hair that is curtaining around his face, “Vanilla.”

His grip is loose and she can tell he is close to blacking out. She brings a hand up to his face and is
surprised to feel warmth there, no Infinity. It's such a surprising thing that she is shocked still for a
second.

"Stay with me, Satoru," his eyes open at that, she uses his first name so rarely, "Only one of us is
allowed to be weak."

Shoko finally answers, "So was it romantic-"

"Shoko, listen to me. Gojo is here in Kyoto, at Takaragaike Park, and he needs to be healed. His
energy is really low. How long until you can be here?"

She can hear Shoko hauling a taxi already, any leftover drunkenness gone, "About two and half
hours."

Utahime knew that, without Gojo, the fastest way is a bullet train that still takes too long.

Utahime mumbles, "Why did you come here, you idiot."

Gojo mumbles, "Had..to..see..you."

 Utahime rolls her eyes but is still a little flattered.

"What is his condition, Utahime?" Shoko asks, doctor mode activating.

"His Infinity is down and he can't stand. He's barely staying awake as is."

"Fuck," Shoko swears, "I'm on the train now. Are there any other healers in Kyoto?"

Utahime frowns, not many. And not any that wouldn't alert the higher-ups that Gojo is free. And
last they heard anyone who helped Gojo was a traitor.

"There’s Arata,” she thinks of her student, “He can’t heal him but-”

“Call him, Utahime,” Shoko says firmly.

Utahime nods and adds, “Hurry, Shoko.”

“I will, Uta.” Shoko swallows, “The world just changed again, Gojo’s back.”

Utahime nods thinking that not only has the world changed but her life along with it. Gojo Satoru
has always had that effect.

Chapter End Notes

So the Shibuya arc happened the same in canon and if I got anything wrong blame the
wikis. And in this Gojo has been sealed for about nine months. This was one of my
favorite chapters to write so I hope you enjoyed it!
 dulcis
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

“Thanks for coming, Utahime. I know how busy your schedule is,” Tsujo says, pulling out the seat
across from him for her.

Utahime nods politely and takes a seat at the small Kyoto cafe.

“I ordered you a tea,” he says and Utahime doesn’t think to add that she likes coffee better.

“Thank you.”

She grabs the tea and lets the warmth sweep into her bones, it’s been an exceptionally cold
December.

Tsujo looks nervously from her to the table then clears his throat, “I’ve missed talking with you.
It’s just not the same over the phone.”

Utahime nods, “I’ve been so busy with finals and all.”

What she doesn’t tell him is the non-stop meetings with the higher-ups and their threats. Due to
Gojo appearing to her first, he’s put a target on her back and put her firmly on his side in the
upcoming war. She’s been able to skirt clan politics since she entered jujutsu society, no one
needed a weak clan-less trickster girl like her. Plus she wasn’t even pretty with that ugly scar on her
face.

But now it seems the higher-ups are putting her on more and more missions, missions she
shouldn’t be on as a semi-grade one. Punishing her for something she had no choice in.

That means she’s been unable to talk with Tsujo since that day two weeks ago besides a phone call
here or there.
“I would figure, you teach older kids than I do. The closest thing we have to finals is a macaroni
project.” He laughs and Utahime smiles in return.

Tsujo’s life is simple, he is practical, and he is plain. It would be an easy life to be with him, maybe
she would even leave Kyoto High and do the occasional private sector job to keep her rank up. Start
a family with him and stay home like the proper wife just like the life Noahime has.

It’s the life her mother would have wanted for her. A life not entirely for her.

“Yeah.” She says as a tense silence follows, and they speak simultaneously breaking the silence.

“Utahime-”

“Tsujo-”

Tsujo blushes like he is oft to do, Utahime thinks she has never seen Gojo blush before.

He is about to let her go before Utahime interrupts, “No you go, Tsujo.”

Tsujo blinks, “Okay.” He then clears his throat again, “I planned on doing this a couple of weeks
ago when at Takaragaike park but you had an emergency at school. It would have been perfect
really.”

Oh yes, December 7th she had to use her minute hand on him and the rest of the people at the park.
It became too complicated to leave them there once Arata came and jujutsu society learned that
Gojo Satoru is back.

So she sang her song and erased thirty minutes of memories as Arata moved Gojo to a safer
location. Her voice was rough and her conversation at the park never happened to Tsujo. He
doesn’t remember her tears at seeing a white-haired man and the song she sang to soothe him. The
blissful calm that flowed around the park.

Tsujo clears his throat, “But it doesn’t matter where I do it as long as I do it with you.”
He stands up and kneels next to her side at the table, the other customers going quiet all looking at
them. The young server smiles wide, taking out a phone that looks a lot like Tsujo’s.

Utahime cringes and bites her tongue. She forgot about this when just two weeks ago it was all she
could think about.

“Will you, Iori Utahime, do me the honor of making me the happiest man in the world?” He pulls
open the small box, and a small ring sits there with a quarter-carat diamond on a gold band.

The ring is simple and pretty, it’s exactly what she imagined Tsujo would pick out.

“Will you marry me, Utahime?”

Silence passes as she stares down at the ring in his hands, her mind misfiring. She can't form a
complete thought let alone answer him.

"Uh, Utahime?" Tsujo asks nervously.

Utahime shakes her head and looks him in the eye, blinking rapidly, "Oh, Tsujo I-uh-well-I-uh."

She couldn't answer him when she was fully ready to say yes three weeks ago. Now she hesitates,
her mother would kill her.

Tsujo looks pained kneeling on the ground, the weight of the other patrons and staff's attention
weighing down on him. She should really speak up and say some type of complete thought.

Utahime opens her mouth to say something, God knows what, a familiar voice interrupts her.

"Uta! Is that you?" A bright voice interjects.

Utahime turns to look at the tall white-haired man walking over. Wearing his black sunglasses with
a smirk growing as he took in the scene in front of him. Looking a lot like the regular Gojo fully
recovered it seems from the prison realm.

Gojo smirks sucking on some candy, "I hope I'm not interrupting?"

Utahime glares at him, something so familiar unlike holding his broken body in her arms. That was
unfamiliar and quite scary for what it meant to the world— a broken Gojo Satoru.

"Gojo," Utahime says in warning as Gojo doesn't back off.

He just smiles and continues ignoring the fact she is being proposed to, "It's good that I ran into
you because-"

"Hey man," Tsujo interrupts Gojo, which is something most fear to do, and stands up to his full
height which is nothing compared to Gojo. He barely reaches the other man's shoulder, "We are in
the middle of something here."

Gojo blinks dramatically, "Oh! I had no idea!" He puts his hands up, “By means continue,” even
with those dark glasses on, she can tell he is looking directly at her, “Go on Uta and answer the
man.”

Tsujo then looks back at her and she feels the weight of the restaurant's attention on her again with
the added gaze of Gojo which is no small thing.

Tsujo goes back to kneeling and gazes up at her with a look so full of hope. She feels like the
biggest asshole for what she is about to say.

“Tsujo,” she swallows deeply, Gojo smiling wider as he recognizes her tone, “you know I really
care about you, and these months together have really meant a lot but-”

She places her hands on the ring box and closes it, “I think we need more time together before we
make this next step.”

Utahime holds her breath hoping she has let him down in the easiest way possible because Tsujo
really is a great guy and the perfect boyfriend. Any other girl, her age and her status would be
lucky to have.

The world would say she was a fool to turn him down. He is always considerate and careful with
her feelings, never overstepping. But maybe that trepidation isn’t attractive, maybe she prefers a
more dominant personality.

Maybe she is looking for the extraordinary rather than the ordinary.

Tsujo sighs and drops his shoulders standing up from the ground, he reaches into his pocket and
tosses a few yen on the table. He goes over to the server who sheepishly hands his phone back and
mutters reassurances under his breath.

He starts to grab his jacket from the back of his chair when Utahime grabs his arm stopping him,
“Tsujo, wait. What are you doing?”

He shrugs her hand off and continues to put on his jacket, refusing to look at her. He stays silent as
he walks toward the cafe door back onto the street.

Utahime immediately pulls on her jacket and races after him. She still sees him down the street and
runs over to him.

“Tsujo! Tsujo!” She says moving to stand in front of him to keep him from walking away from her,
“Where are you going?”

He finally looks at her, “Home. I have school in the morning.” His gaze is unsteady looking but not
seeing.

“Oh,” Utahime says puzzled, “I thought maybe we could go to the park and-”

“What do you think I am doing, Utahime?” Tsujo says in a tone she has never heard from him, “Do
you think I like to waste my time like this?”

Utahime frowns, “I don’t understand-”

He calms, pinching between his brows in frustration, “I meant what I said back there, you are a
great girl, Utahime. We are so alike and click in many ways. And I would like to spend the rest of
my life with you. For a while, I thought you did too. But then something changed a couple of
weeks ago.”

Utahime looks away feeling guilty in a way she doesn’t understand.

“You’ve always been distant. Like you are hiding a part of yourself,” Utahime’s guilt grows, “But I
accepted that and I figured that might change once we get married and you would quit your job.”

Anger flashes in Utahime, “Quit my job? Why would I ever quit my job?”

Tsujo grows bashful for a second, “Well you know, a wife’s attention should be focused on the
home.”

Utahime eyebrows rise, that’s a statement taken directly from her mother, “I love teaching. I
wouldn’t uproot my life for you.”

Tsujo shakes his head, “That’s exactly it, we never had deep conversations like this. For whatever
reason you never let yourself be 100% in this relationship, preemptively protecting yourself. You
were always so withdrawn. I mean you didn’t answer my calls for two weeks and canceled all our
plans without ever explaining why”

Utahime drops her head in defeat knowing how this conversation is going to end.

Tsujo drops a hand onto her shoulder, “Have a good life Iori Utahime and I hope you can figure out
what it is you want.”

The warmth from his hand is gone and Utahime watches his back as he grows smaller and smaller.
She has a strong feeling that she will never see him again.

This feeling, of rejection and heartache, is something she is familiar with. She’s almost 32 and still
is unmarried with her longest relationship, the one that just ended right now, lasting nine months.
So she understands a break-up and she knows she’s going to head to the store for a pack of beer
and a tub of ice cream.

But suddenly something bumps into her shoulder and her gaze is brought up and up. She scowls as
she says, “What do you want, Gojo.”

Gojo acts offended, “That tone is no way to talk to an old friend.”

Utahime pushes by him as she makes her way over to the nearest supermarket. Stomping along and
willing tears not to come. She is a little surprised at her urge to cry, realizing that she is less sad
over Tsujo ending things and sadder over the fact that she has failed again. That she is in her 30s
and has not had a relationship last a year. Unless you count whatever she had with the man next to
her as a relationship.

Gojo is smirking and she can tell without looking at him, “You cryin?”

Utahime goes to punch him which he easily dodges, “Am not! Respect your elders!”

Gojo snorts, “Like you are so much older than me, Uta.”

She ignores him and walks into the supermarket heading straight to the alcohol section. Her eyes
scan over the many brands of beer and find her favorite. She grabs it and notices that she forgot to
grab a cart. Gojo takes it from her with a smirk dropping it into his cart.

“Isn’t it a little early for drinking?” Gojo teases knowing the time has never stopped Utahime from
drinking.

She gives him a deadpan look, “My boyfriend just broke up with me, would you lay off?”

She charges onto the frozen section, Gojo trailing the chart behind her. As if he would stop
bothering her if she put enough distance between them but then again distance is not an issue to the
limitless Gojo Satoru.

Gojo, of course, is one of those people who stand on the cart to push it which should be illegal
considering his height.
“I don’t know what you saw in that guy anyway,” Gojo says as Utahime looks over the many
brands of ice cream with way less confidence than she did the beer.

“He was nice and simple,” she says, “We understood each other. He teaches children and he was
passionate about teaching like I am. It was sweet.”

She frowns deeper then suddenly shakes her head, “What am I saying? Why am I saying it to you?
You don’t care that he was sweet.”

Gojo is suddenly in her space, his face nearly inches from her, his arm connecting with the fridge
to cage her in. His glasses are pulled down so she can see his bright blue eyes, a color she doesn’t
think exists in the natural world. Those eyes always have a way of freezing her in place.

He smirks at her and sees up close his perfect white teeth, damn him. Everything is like that with
him— all perfect. As if being the most powerful sorcerer in modern times ensures good genetics.

“I didn’t think you liked sweet, Utahime,” Gojo teases, his eyes glinting.

Utahime blinks multiple times to bring her out of her stupor from looking at his eyes, “I just don’t
like too much at once as you do. I don’t think you’ve ever heard of the word ‘moderation’ before.”

“Ironic coming from you, Hime. You forget the number of times I’ve held your hair as you puke
out your guts.” He licks his lips, “Although dunk Utahime tends to be nicer Utahime, a clingy sexy
Utahime.”

“Don’t be gross, I’m your senpai,” Utahime opens the door to the freezer purposely hitting him
with it.

“Ow,” he wines even though the object never made contact with him.

She rolls her eyes, “Such a drama queen.”

Utahime again doesn’t know what to pick which Gojo takes as his moment to pluck a carton from
the shelves depositing it in her cart. He takes extra long with it, moving into her space to reach it
purposefully putting his body behind hers. He grabs the one on the top shelf which she could never
possibly reach just to tease her.

“Get this one, trust me,” he whispers in her ear like it’s a secret.

Utahime flushes even with the cold from the freezer on her face and Gojo can tell he’s getting a
reaction from her, seemingly what he lives for. That she is getting turned on watching him pick out
ice cream for her.

“Satoru,” she preens in that voice she only uses in private and his eyes are immediately on her
engrossed, she points behind him, “Look over there.”

And he does this because Gojo can be obedient if she uses the proper techniques, contrary to
popular belief.

Using his momentary distraction she crouches down and escapes his body, ducking underneath one
of his arms, and grabs his cart in one elegant move worthy of combat. She quickly moves over to
the checkout line and sighs when she notices the long line.

“Uta!” Gojo whines catching up to her, “What a cruel trick that was!”

She shrugs, “You know me, I’m a trickster not to be trusted after all.”

Gojo frowns, “I’ve never thought of you like that.”

Utahime looks back at him from the sincerity in his voice but then she remembers the predicament
he made in her life and frowns, “Well it doesn’t matter what you think when the rest of the higher-
ups and jujutsu society think I am a witch not to be trusted.”

Silence follows as the line moves at a painstakingly long pace but Gojo, never a fan of silence,
breaks it.
“Why didn’t you use a trick on whats-his-name? You could have sung one of your pretty songs and
moved your clock, preventing him from breaking up with you. Why didn’t you?” He says like he’s
been thinking a lot about this.

There are many answers to that question so Utahime chooses the easiest one, “Because, Gojo, not
everyone has limitless curse energy like you do. Most of us have a finite number to use during a
given day. And I could be called away to a mission any moment now.”

That was a deflection answer and both her and Gojo know it. Gojo leans down and whispers in her
ear again, “Or maybe it was because you never loved him in the first place. And if you were to
marry him you would have been bored every moment of the day,” his hot breath moves hair near
her ear as his hand grips her waist, “wanting more. So you stayed silent, my little songbird.”

Utahime grips the cart harder as she feels that nickname head straight to her cunt. She has no doubt
she is blushing and Gojo is smirking. He is confident that his words and his body still have an
effect on her even after all this time.

The cashier nervously clears her throat, “Uh, you’re holding up the line.”

If possible Utahime blushes even deeper and pushes her cart emptying it onto the conveyor belt.
She can’t make eye contact with the teenage cashier as she rings up her groceries.

“That will be ¥4200,” the girl says, staring unabashedly at Gojo, the tips of her ears pink.

Utahime opens her wallet and has just enough before Gojo slides over the appropriate change. She
is about to tell him off when she realizes that he is richer than god and she is still paying off a new
TV.

Utahime tells the girl, “Thank you,” as Gojo grabs her grocery bags.

Gojo slides down his glasses just a tad and smiles at the girl, “Have a great day.”

He says that and the girl immediately flushes and nods dumbly in response. Utahime just rolls her
eyes and once they are on the street says, “Did you have to do that?”
“Jealous, Uta?” He smirks, “Got to admit it’s a good look on you.”

Utahime rolls her eyes, knowing that with him back in her life she’ll be doing that a lot more, “You
wish. It’s just cruel to do that to her.”

“Are you afraid she might think about me late at night? Afraid she might dream about how I
whispered in your ear and dream it was her instead?”

Utahime wants to punch him but there is the possibility that she might disturb her beer so she
decides against it.

“You are a real perv sometimes, Gojo.”

"Yeah but still you," he hesitates, like he wanted to say something else but decided against it, "put
up with me."

She scoffs, "Not willingly."

She starts to walk to the bus stop she used to head back to Kyoto High when she thinks to ask,
"What are you even doing in Kyoto?"

Gojo shrugs, "Same old, same old. I had business in town."

Utahime frowns on the fact that Gojo is withholding something. Saying something when he wants
to say something else, is classic Gojo.

During their school days, Gojo was always constantly talking or telling jokes or teasing her. Which
he still does to this day quite frequently but she has learned over the years Gojo has a method to his
madness. He puts on this front of an irresponsible, immature, jokester (he is all of those things),
who is oblivious to the world to make it easier for people to underestimate his intelligence or tact.
He talks constantly without ever saying what he really thinks or wants.

But 'business' in Kyoto only means one thing— the higher-ups.

"They still against you?" She asks.

"Always have been. But with this whole curse-user nonsense, they are trusting me less, putting me
on more missions, and keeping me from the students as much as they can."

Utahime smirks, "I imagine Megumi doesn't mind."

Gojo scoffs, "That kid likes me more than he lets on. He even smiled a little when I came back to
Tokyo Tech."

Utahime doesn't doubt it, for as unconventional as Gojo's teaching methods are, he helps mold
some capable sorcerers and good kids. She can tell he cares about them a lot even if he may not act
on it.

"What are you going to do about it?" Gojo turns his head to look down at her, "The higher-ups I
mean."

Gojo shrugs and again he is being distant with her like there is something he doesn't want to tell
her.

He thinks you're weak. That voice in her head tells her that Gojo doesn't value her as an ally.
Thinks that she will only hold him back.

Weak little Utahime.

"I usually make it up as I go along." He says opting for a joke rather than the truth.

Utahime hums in response, feeling herself withdraw within herself a little. Letting that voice in her
head decide things.

She stops on autopilot in front of the bus stop, they are alone. She almost runs into the sign before
Gojo pulls her back.
"Woah," he says scanning her face, "Where did you go?"

Utahime blinks a couple of times, drawing her back to the present, "Oh, I'm sorry. I just spaced
out."

Gojo scans her face and says wearily, "Okay."

He doesn't let go of her and reads the sign above her, "Bus stop?"

Utahime nods, "It's the easiest way to get back to campus from the city. It's a little bit of a walk
from where it drops you off but-"

Gojo cuts her off with a laugh, "You do this every time you come to the city?"

"Yes, I don't see how this is-"

"Utahime," he says deadpan, "I can teleport."

And with that, he doesn't wait for her permission and grabs her. Next thing she knows time and
space are folding in around her then she is standing in her small apartment. Her books stacked on
her coffee table, years worth of coffee stains in the wood, and her potted plant.

"Wow, I don't think I'll ever get used to that," Utahime says as just now she is feeling the pull of
gravity on her.

Gojo looks down at her smirking, his glasses pushed all the way up on his head. His blue eyes
sparkle like they do every time he looks at her.

Probably in some inside joke.

He pushes a piece of her hair and tucks it behind her ear. Hovering just over the scar on her face.
She forgot how much he liked to touch it, liked to touch all of her.

Utahime finds herself leaning into that hand into that warmth. It's deathly cold in her apartment.
She barely heats it in the winter to keep the costs down since she makes barely any money as a
weak clanless sorcerer.

He's looking at her with that same intensity again moving in closer to her when a phone starts to
ring. She thinks it's his because usually it is, he's more important than her after all, but then she
recognizes that ringtone as hers.

She immediately answers it, since not answering a phone call in jujutsu society is forbidden.

She brings the phone to her ear and fully expects to be put on some faraway mission with little
information.

"This is Iori Utahime," she answers, still in Gojo's arms as he refuses to let her go yet.

"Iori-san, this is Ji, your mother's executor."

Utahime frowns, firmly pulled back to reality, "Yes, I remember."

"I hope I haven't interrupted anything important but I thought I would call and check on your
progress."

"Progress?"

The executor hesitates clearly, this is an awkward subject matter for him, "Yes you-erm…” then he
forces out rapidly, “your progress on finding a husband to receive your inheritance."

Utahime groans, she completely forgot about the deadline in a month. And here she is rejecting
men's proposals.

"You see I just got off a call with your darling sister and she let me know that you have a steady
boyfriend. And it seemed to her that he was ready to propose any day now. I was just calling for
any updates on that front."

Utahime cringes, "Yes, well about that-"

"Because I forgot to mention in our first meeting, which I apologize my mind was not together that
day, but it is not just money in your mother's estate."

"What?"

"Yes, there are other things like jewelry and clothes along with things left from your father. Not to
mention the property."

Utahime blinks, "My father?"

"Yes, there were things left from your father he wanted to give to you when your mother deemed
appropriate."

Of course, her mother has been withholding whatever it is from her, "What is it?"

"Well I'm not privy to say, it's in a locked box that only you can open."

Utahime nods, "I see."

"Well that brings us to the matter at hand, has there been any progress?"

Utahime grits her teeth about to say no before she thinks about that box. Her father left her that box
so it must be important and if she doesn't get her inheritance it's likely to be given to Noahime who
will just sell it. Ignorant if it holds any jujutsu power.

(She would've been more optimistic and less desperate if Jun had it but she’s even less likely to get
married than Utahime is.)
 For the first time, she is regretting how things ended with Tsujo. If only she said yes then her
mother's death would finally be over. This is probably unfair to Tsujo but she has little energy in
her to care.

Well, she can't tell the executor no because she expects that he'll give up on her. It's not likely she'll
get married in a month. So she says something stupid, idiotic even. But it's all she has— Gojo has
been wearing off on her.

"Why yes, I do have some happy news! I am engaged!" Utahime is like a happy bride-to-be.

"That's wonderful!" The executor actually sounds happy for her but it could be pity, "What is the
lucky man's name?"

Utahime looks up into blue eyes as she says, "Gojo Satoru."

Chapter End Notes

There are some hardcore headcanons for this ship that would die for that are quite
accepted and you'll see them throughout this fic. Let's see if you can spot them!

Thanks for all the comments and kudos, love you!

End Notes

I usually only write zutara but I've read a couple gojohime fics and I've become obsessed
(sorry for those waiting on updates for my WIPs, one day!). So I wrote like 50k of this in a
week...hope you liked it! As for Uta's curse technique and what exactly it is, wouldn't you
like to know!

tumblr and twitter both which I lerk at.

Please drop by the archive and comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!