beautiful one, sharer of my longing

7: Naoya's letter

Satoru normally woke up before you, but you were wide awake as you listened to his breathing next to you. You were sore. Tired. Sore from the endless amount of sex you had, and tired from everything else. You turned your head to look at your husband sleeping peacefully with his limbs sprawled out all across the bed.

You couldn't bring yourself to smile when you looked at him. He was your husband and you enjoyed his company (among other things) but...you held no romance for him. You could only assume he felt the same way. After all, you had only known him for a little over a week and knew close to nothing about him.

However you pushed the heavy comforter off of you and let your legs hang off the edge of the bed, eyes turning to the letter from Naoya that you promised you would read this morning. It was sitting on the nightstand just waiting to be opened, and open it you would. You stood up quietly and picked up the parchment, padding over across the room to the bay window. It was dark in the room, yet you let the smallest amount of light in that you could without waking Satoru, and sat down under said light. Said light reflected off the bright flowers Satoru had so graciously picked for you with Itadori's assistance.

It warmed you. Calmed you down before you set your eyes on your brother's writing.

Sister-

I wish to check in on you and see how married life is treating you. Cousin Megumi reports that Gojo is spoiling you, which I deem hard to believe.

However there are other matters I wish to address since our last meeting: I feel I have taken your kindness and easygoing personality for granted. The estate has seemed downtrodden since your departure, which I am sure you are aware of, and I have lost the only person I consider a friend.

You smiled at his words...finding it a little hard to believe that they actually belonged to Naoya. You let out a little sigh and set your chin upon your hand.

Satoru had woken up by now unbeknownst to you, and observed silently as you continued reading.

I do hope that man is taking care of you. I have no doubt you are being a good wife to him and kind to his employees. I do recommend that you get off the estate and into the villages surrounding the Gojo fief-making ties with his people will hopefully see what grace attatches to the Zen'in name. Your grace, not mine.

We never got along the best, but it is lonelier now. The only option I have for conversation is with Father or our cousins, but they would switch out our places in a heartbeat. I am not writing so you can pity me as I know you would, I am simply letting you know the current happenings.

Although if you have the opportunity to visit home soon, please take it. Write back to me and to father.

Naoya

You felt yourself frowning after you had finished reading, setting the letter aside and hanging your head down. Three letters now have stated just how bad things went down since you left, and you wondered how far it might improve if your father or brother could learn an ounce of kindness.

You would write them back today and accompany Itadori to the post center. Yes! It would be good to get out of the estate, Naoya was right.

Leaning back on the window, you looked out onto the foggy morning with a smidge of sunlight coming through...in a few minutes, the estate would rise in activity to get on with the day's happenings. However it seemed like the quietness of the morning was all the quietness you would ever get. And even then, you had to spend it with your husband that you knew nothing about.

All you could do was stare out at the expanse of tenured gardens and foggy ponds, wishing that you would've just been born without your last name attatched. Oh, how you wanted to just be left alone.