Otherworldly Attraction | Various!JJK x Reader

39 - unexpected introduction

For hours on end, you cry. You cry and cry, for so long that time blurs and becomes an intangible concept. Earlier today, after screaming and begging Mahito for mercy, you thought you were all out of tears. You thought you couldn't possibly have any strength left, but it turns out that you were just bottling it up. The warmth of Fushiguro's embrace is what allowed your emotions to break free at last.

So, you cry. You don't even stop to take a proper breath. You don't even have room to feel guilty about burdening Fushiguro with the weight of your feelings. You just cry. And by some miracle, eventually, you manage to fall asleep.

But then the nightmares come.

You're with Junpei. You walk hand-in-hand through town, just like the day you had your very first date together. He's smiling brightly, but somehow, even as you hold his hand, it's as if he's not really there. His touch feels empty and transparent. Like he's... gone.

It doesn't take long for Mahito to appear. Over and over again, you're forced to watch as he kills Junpei, and over and over again, you lament how utterly useless and weak you are. You have this vague awareness that you're trapped in a dream, but even though you subconsciously know this, it doesn't make it any less painful.

"I'll be your new boyfriend," Mahito grins, face stained with Junpei's blood. "He was no good for you anyway. Right? You're special, [Name]. I want to understand what exactly makes you so special. And now that we're together... we should celebrate it with another kiss."

You scream. You can't even count how many times you've screamed while trapped in this nightmare. It feels like an eternity must already have gone by. Your screams are loud, deafening, and every time the sound escapes, you feel yourself die a little more inside.

"...up. [Name], wake up."

Except the screaming doesn't stop. Not right away, at least. You hear it echoing in your ears for a while longer, until you finally gasp for breath and come to. The pillow under your head is damp with tears. You must've been crying in your sleep, too.

"No," you whimper. You press your palms flat against your head, squeezing your eyes shut. "No, please... just make it... make it stop."

"[Name]," the same voice repeats, and you feel a strong pair of hands come down upon your shoulders. "It's okay now. You're safe. Please, open up your eyes."

Hesitantly, you do, only to find yourself staring at a blindfold, rather than a pair of eyes. You blink away another wave of tears and sniffle. Gojo is here. He was supposed to be gone for a while longer though, wasn't he? But he's here now, not overseas. And his expression is much sterner than it normally would be.

"S-Sensei," you stammer.

"Yes. I'm here. Sorry it took so long." He presses his lips together, and unless you're mistaken, he looks regretful. Ijichi must have filled him in on the general situation. If he hadn't left on that trip... Mahito would probably already be dead by now. Junpei would still be alive.

Why, why, why did he have to go on that stupid trip?

Gojo gently wipes away your tears. You've stopped crying for now. The surprise of seeing him must have momentarily snapped you out of it. You glance around the room and find Fushiguro irritably rubbing at his own eyes. You fell asleep with Fushiguro again, it seems. You hope Gojo won't be upset about a co-ed sleeping arrangement, because if he says you're in trouble, on top of everything else, you'll probably break down crying all over again.

"It's rude to enter without knocking," Fushiguro mutters.

"Well, I wanted to check on [Name]. You can't hide the fact that you slept in the same room as a girl, Megumi. Next time, you'll have to be better at sneaking around."