jeankluv

[jeankluv]

Twisted fate | Sylus

summary: You and Sylus made a promise when you were kids, that you would run away from that arena. And the day has come for both of you to run away together. But fate is always cruel.

words: 4.1k

warnings: spoilers from the new chapter, blood, character death, angst, a lot of angst, reader is mc

note: wrote this after reading the new chapter and the hinted past between mc and Sylus, enjoy. Sorry if there is any typo

You observed the big display in the sky, you were in second position, 50 points behind the first one. You bite your lip as you sat straight against the cold wall.

Today was the day, after all of those years, your only outcome was to leave that arena as a winner or in a coffin. You closed your eyes, you were 50 players, even if you were one of the top players it didn’t guarantee the victory. And what were you going to do with the top player?

You buried your face in your knees, trying to calm yourself down.m. It didn’t matter how many times you faced that moment, it still made you anxious. But this time was the last time, it didn’t matter the result, that one was going to be your last day at the arena.

Moving from the wall you were in, you looked around, the rest of the players were already stretching and getting ready for the arena. Your eyes then laid in the tall figure you knew well.

Your life had always been hectic, always staring at death. The spectators who came to the arena could change, the wanderers could be different, the children sent to die arrived and left covered by a tarp, but the only constant in your life other than death had been those red eyes, that now were staring back at you from across the room.

Sylus.

You remember when you arrived, he was already there, he was covered in bruises and stained blood when he approached you. You didn’t know the arena at the time, but you knew one thing, there was no friends inside those walls. But as time started to pass and the only two that were still surviving you grew closer, to the point of teaming up to assure your surviving.

But today… today only one of you would make it out alive, and the mere thought of having to kill Sylus made your whole body shiver. He was the only one you knew, he was your constant in your life. You did want to walk out of there and be free from that place, but having to face a world without Sylus, was eating you alive.

Even though the fight didn’t start your body felt heavy, as if you spent your day fighting, but it was probably all the thoughts that you were carrying with you. Every scenario and outcome that could occur was passing through your brain.

If you encounter Sylus what would you do? Team up and try to be the last two standing? That was the best option, but then? When you were the last two standing? What would you do?

“Stop thinking so much.” You felt how something touched your head.

Your eyes followed the deep voice and encountered Sylus’ eyes looking at you, you took the bottle of water he was holding and drank it. “Thank you…” You said.

Sylus sat on the chair that was on the side and titled his head. “Everything will be fine.”

“How?!” You said loudly, provoking that some other contestants looked their eyes on your figure. “Sylus… only one is walking out of this arena alive… Only one.”

Sylus moved and grabbed your chin. “Listen, we made a promise, we would get out of here, together.” You wanted to tell him it was impossible, but he continued. “And I’m going to fulfill my promise. You trust me, right?”

Your gaze were connected and Sylus was waiting for your response, of course you trusted him, more than anyone else in this universe. You silently nodded your head and rested your forehead in his chest. You wanted to feel his warm and his heart beat at least one last time if what Sylus was planning didn’t work out.

The heavy ring, announcing that the fight was going to start, made you break the distance you were sharing with Sylus. You took your belt and adjusted in your waste, noticing how your hands were still trembling. But Sylus big hands soon covered them, making them stop.

“We are starting in different spots.” He whispered. “I will meet you on the southwest, alright?” You nodded at him. “Stay alive.”

“You too.” And the warmth of his hand disappeared, leaving you alone, ready to enter the arena for one last time.

You walked to your assigned door and looked at the guards, despite wearing those heavy helmets you knew the look on their eyes, how they looked at you down, knowing you were nothing more than an entertainment for the rich, who enjoyed seeing kids and teenagers die in an arena.

The bell sounded again and you entered a tunnel that would lead you to the arena, it was dark and almost claustrophobic, and at the end a small light was the only guideline.

You placed your hand on the small slit that let in light and a little air and counted. In 20 seconds, the bell would ring again. Those with the most points would immediately receive a weapon, and the others would run to the center trying to get a weapon.

15.

Where the wanderers would attack, and if a wanderer didn't kill you, then a comrade would.

10.

Little by little, until only one living being remained in that arena.

5.

The screams of the crowd began to echo in your ears, and you felt your heart leap into your throat.

Then the sound of the last bell pierced your eardrums, and the artificial light of the arena illuminated the tunnel. Quickly getting used to the light, you grabbed the weapons you'd been given and began walking. They'd given you a gun with three bullets and a knife, insufficient for the wanderers there and the aggressive players you'd encounter. Your EVOL could help, but only to a limited extent. The arena, after all, was perfectly designed so that the fighters' EVOLs weren't at their full power.

You moved through the brush they'd placed in the arena. Useful if you wanted to hide, but also dangerous if someone stalked you and emerged from the bushes. Each arena was different, though the routine ones were always the same: just a wanderer and the fighter. But on special occasions, like this one, they modified the arena to make it more entertaining for the spectators.

The screams of other fighters started to sound across the arena, but calling them fighters seemed cruel, they were just kids trying to survive, like you used to. You took a deep breath and kept on walking trying to reach the point where you and Sylus were supposed to meet.

You were still unsure what was Sylus’s plan, but you trusted him, if he said you two were leaving then he was right.

How long had it been since you met? 12 years, if you weren't mistaken. 12 years you'd been there fighting to survive. You unconsciously smiled at the thought of the possible future you could share with Sylus, free, together. It sounded good. Too good.

You continued walking, listening to the screams and roars that echoed through the arena, but they were muffled by the cheers of those watching. Your face was visible on the screen, just below Sylus. Both of you were serious, your faces dull, and with scars that hadn't yet fully healed. Your points on the screen remained intact; they hadn't increased, nor had they decreased. If they increased, it meant that you had either killed a Wanderer or another opponent, and if, on the other hand, your points decreased, it meant that you had been wounded. It gave you peace of mind that Sylus's points were still intact; he was still alive, although finishing Sylus off would be a complicated mission.

Twenty minutes had passed when you reached a small artificial stream. You were thirsty, but drinking from that water was probably a direct condemnation. In a special edition of the arena, where you and Sylus, luckily you hadn't participated, there was a large lake, and many participants believed it was safe to drink, but nothing could be further from the truth. That water caused hallucinations in them, so much so that many died from them.

You looked at your reflection in the water and wondered if it was possible that at some point that face could reflect peace, serenity, and joy. But at that moment, your already pale face took on an even paler hue. The water reflected another silhouette, and it wasn't Sylus's.

“Oh, look, it's number 2!”

Gathering momentum, you jumped across the stream to the other side, but you felt the sword he held in his hand graze your hair.

Your chest rose and fell as your gaze remained fixed on the figure in front of you. It was number three on the board. You didn't know his name, nor did you want to. He had arrived later than you and Sylus, but he was your age or even older. Unlike most who arrived there, he came thirsty for battle and glory. He wanted to reach the top so much that he even attacked Sylus in the common areas, all because he couldn't stand seeing him always on top.

You looked at the weapons he owned; luckily, he only had a sword. If he had owned one of the few firearms granted, you'd probably be dead.

“What's up, number two?” He spoke again, his irritating and arrogant voice piercing your eardrums. “Sylus isn't here. You know, it would be good to finish you off and throw your corpse at that bastard.”

You clenched your fists against the grass. “What makes you think you could kill me?”

“We checked? You want to play?”

You stood up and pointed your pistol at him. “Try crossing and see what happens.”

��········⋆༺𓆩❀𓆪༻⋆·········

Sylus couldn't have had worse luck than exiting at the opposite position from where he was supposed to meet you. The fastest way? To cross the center of the arena. The safest way? Clearly not through the center. That's why, as soon as the bell rang, Sylus grabbed his weapons and ran through the center. He had advantage, since he had the best weapons—two guns with three bullets each and a knife—and also because most of the fighters wanted to avoid a direct confrontation with him, they were probably hoping a wanderer was the one to take him out.

As he run across that fake forest, Sylus's gaze occasionally moved up to the screen, making sure you weren't losing points, that you were still alive.

He ignored all the Wanderers; it would be a waste of time to fight them, as it would take up both time and ammunition. When he reached the center of the arena, he could see what had happened there, but he couldn't stop, he shouldn't stop. He had to get to you.

Sylus's red eyes moved back up to the screen, and his heart stopped. You had lost points; that meant you had encountered a Wanderer or another fighter. He started running, gun ready to fire at whatever was attacking you. He couldn't lose you, not when you were so close to finally being free, to being together.

Fate couldn't take you away from him. You were everything to Sylus; you were his light, his warmth, his home, his love.

He arrived there, sold by his family; he had never felt warmth or love, and all he ever knew was fighting. But then you arrived, staring into space, also fighting to survive. You were stubborn, and at first Sylus didn't feel it was worth trying to be your friend, your ally. But as if gravity were pulling you together, he always came back to you. It had always been that way.

Sylus ran through the green forest, dodging every Wanderer that came before him. His eyes were bloodshot; every second was crucial. He had to run faster, be faster.

His steps stopped dead when he saw a body a few feet away. He saw only boots and blood, but his heart was already in his mouth. Sylus approached, his weapon raised, ready for whatever might happen.

It seemed as if the arena had gone completely silent, the only sound being Sylus's labored breathing.

Seeing the body, Sylus regained his breath and felt the blood rushing back through his body. It was fighter number 3, lying there motionless. Sylus looked at the body and saw the bullet marks. His mouth felt dry, and his gaze lifted to the monitor. You were in 17th place.

“Sylus…” Your voice hit him and his gaze turned to the direction it came from.

He saw your body against a tree. You had blood and you were holding your abdomen, your eyes looked tired but happy to see him. Sylus moved quickly to where you were lying.

“I’m sorry…” He said, checking your body.

You had a cut on your abdomen, deep enough that it wouldn't stop bleeding. Sylus cursed under his breath as he tore a piece of fabric from his shirt to stop your bleeding.

“Sylus…”

“Don't talk.” He ordered. “And keep your eyes open.” Luckily, he'd managed to sneak in enough medicine and supplies to treat you in an emergency. “Does it hurt?”

You nodded, closing your eyes and trying not to cry. “It hurts so much…”

Sylus bit his lip. He should have been faster, should have been with you. “Hold on a little longer, it's almost done.”

When he put down the thread, Sylus could see his hands beginning to shake. For the first time, Sylus was afraid, afraid of losing the only person he loved and cared about.

“Sylus…” You called him again, and Sylus’s eyes met yours; you could see the anguish and, above all, the fear in them. “I’m fine…” You tried to calm him down. “You did a good job.” You smiled subtly. “What tricks did you use this time to get this into the arena?”

You knew the only way to distract him was to get his mind off things. “You know I always have an ace up my sleeve, love.”

Love.

You smiled at that nickname. Sylus had started using it not long ago, and it provoked all kinds of emotions in you, from absolute happiness to the deepest fear. Because you wanted to keep hearing that nickname for eternity.

“Can you get up?” Sylus asked.

“I think… so.” You said as you tried to sit up.

“If it hurts, say so,” Sylus said as he grabbed you. “Come on, we only have a little more time and we can put all this behind us.”

“Sylus… what about the trackers?”

“Relax.” He winked at you.

You rolled your eyes and leaned some of your weight on Sylus. Although you were trying to act strong, the pain was actually quite intense. But luckily, you soon reached what looked like a simple concrete wall. Sylus indicated that you should wait a bit and approached the wall. What at first seemed like a concrete wall opened. It was a secret door.

Sylus nodded, as if he were communicating with someone, and then he stretched his arm out toward you. You took his hand and, almost using it as a cane, you began to walk. The false wall closed behind you, and the narrow hallway was illuminated by a dim light in front of Sylus. Sylus's back blocked your view, but you knew there was a third person there, someone guiding you out.

“It's safe to do it here.” You heard; it was a man's voice. He seemed elderly.

Sylus turned to you and lifted your hair, exposing your neck. You wanted to ask what he was going to do, but before you could utter a word, you felt a sharp pain run through your body.

“I'm sorry…”

You laughed. “You need to stop repeating that shit.” You looked at him, and he gave you a smirk.

You looked at Sylus's hand and there was a small chip, the tracking device all the fighters had from the moment they were brought in. Sylus threw it away and took out his own as well. You were one step closer to freedom.

Sylus turned and grabbed your hand again. Luckily, the wound didn't hurt that much, probably because the medicines Sylus had gotten were some of the best, making your body regain strength in just a few minutes.

You continued walking. The place was almost like a labyrinth, but the person guiding you seemed to know it well. You came to a door, and the man you hadn't seen yet spoke.

“The rest is up to you, Sylus.” Sylus nodded. “You have the ship ready in Bay 5. There shouldn't be any guards, since they're all in the arena.”

Sylus shifted slightly, and you could see the man's face. He had an almost white beard and hair of the same color, due to the passage of time. When he noticed your gaze, he smiled subtly at you, almost as if silently telling you that he hoped you were happy.

”I'll go in the opposite direction, to make sure no one sees you.” He said, his hand already on the handle. “Good luck to both of you.”

“Thank you, Mephisto.” Sylus said with a half smile.

When the door opened, Sylus took your hand and you started walking. You looked back at him one last time and smiled at him, just like he had moments before.

You walked through the place; it was completely empty. And as you turned left, you saw a ship under the number 5, your exit. You gently squeezed Sylus's hand, and he reciprocated.

You were so close…

The sound of gunshots rang out, and you fell to the ground. Dazed and confused, you opened your eyes, Sylus was also on the ground, and soon your eyes saw blood oozing from his leg. In pain, probably from the cut you sustained, you crawled over to him and tried to check his wound.

The guards' voices could be heard in the distance, and the sound of the siren announcing a breakout echoed throughout the compound. You tried to get Sylus up and take him to the ship; you were only 10 meters away from it. Only 10 meters…

It was then when you heard Sylus calling your name, and you came back to you. Sylus was looking at you, his face twisted, and he was about to burst into tears. Why?

“Hang in there, okay?” He whispered to you and tried to get up, but the sound of another gunshot echoed in the air.

“Sylus…”

What was that metallic taste in your mouth? Your body was tired. Too much.

“Don't talk, save your strength…” You felt his hand on your chest and then you understood.

The pain you'd felt hadn't been from the cut, no, one of the bullets hit you. It had hit you in the chest.

You were…

“Hey! Hey!” Sylus's voice brought you back. “Stay with me.”

“I…”

“No, don't talk…”

The soldiers were close, you knew because Sylus had used his EVOL to attack, but it was useless, you wouldn't make it.

“Go…” You whispered.

Sylus looked at you, his lower lip trembling, and for the first time you saw Sylus’s tears. You didn't want that, you didn't want him to suffer, to cry.

“No… don't cry.” You raised your hand and Sylus took it, planting a soft kiss on it and then placing it on his face.

“I can't lose you.” He whispered.

“You must…” You barely had the strength to continue speaking, but you had to. “Leave, be free…”

“Love…” Sylus rested his forehead against yours; he too knew you were fading, that he was losing you.

“I love you…” You smiled.

And Sylus smiled back, whispering against your lips. “Me too.” Before connecting your lips in a kiss that soon turned cold, just like your body and the hand Sylus held so desperately.

You were gone, and Sylus felt like a part of him had gone with you.

The guards surrounded him, yelling that he was under arrest, but Sylus didn't move. His body was pressed against your cold, motionless body. It wasn't until the guards began to move Sylus that he returned to the reality around him and began to attack the guards. He wanted to be alone; he didn't want to be separated.

But then he felt how a bullet passed through him, and Sylus wasn't afraid; he smiled. He smiled because it meant he would die too and could meet you.

His body fell next to yours, and Sylus grabbed your hand, hoping you were waiting for him.

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“Sylus... I curse your soul… I curse your soul... to never fade away… You'll always be tied to me. Forever. This is my curse... Only I can…Grant you a true death.”

Sylus opened his eyes and tried to move, but soon he realized he was chained. Where was he? What was that he just saw, a dream? But it didn’t feel like one. But that was definitely your voice.

Was that the afterlife? But more importantly, where were you? He needed to find you.

His red eyes scanned the room, it was dark, only illuminated with a red light and he was chained to a chair. His EVOL seemed to be suppressed, therefore he was unable to break free.

Was he back in the arena? What the fuck was going on?

The sound of a metallic door opening made him look in front of him. A couple of men entered, followed by who he deduced was the one in charge of everything.

Sylus smirked with arrogance as he looked at them. He still wasn’t sure what was happening, but he for sure wasn’t going to get intimidated.

“So many guards… and just for me?” Sylus tilted his head. “I feel honoured.”

The one in charge looked at him and took out a bunch of papers. “Sylus, huh? I wouldn’t be so arrogant if I were you.” Sylus smile and fierce eyes didn’t disappear. “After all you are in the Supreme Interstellar Exile Starship Tartarus, no one gets to leave.”

Sylus' smile dropped slightly, how did he end up there?

“What type of monster are you?” The guy spoke again. “After getting shot right in the heart, you healed, like a fucking monster.”

Sylus’s heart skipped a beat, so he actually got shot, he held your hand, he was dying with you. So why the hell was he still alive.

“I’m afraid your partner didn’t have that much luck…”

“Where is she?!” Sylus shouted, throwing away the calm posture he had.

“Who knows, we don’t bring dead bodies into this prison.”

Sylus tried to break free from those chains, he wanted to kill that guy and every single one of the guards that were looking down at him. But an electric shock went through his body.

“Listen monster.” The guy took his hair and pulled up, making Sylus face him. “You will be here for the rest of eternity, you will never be able to leave.”

He let go of Sylus's hair and his head fell silent, but his laughter began to echo in the cell. “I will make sure you are looking right into my eyes when I break free.” Sylus smiled once again.

The man in charge silently ordered them to leave the room, and after punching Sylus a few times, he left as well, leaving Sylus completely alone.

The wounds on his face didn't hurt, not as much as the wounds inside him. Half of him was gone, gone. And then there was that dream... but was it really a dream? No, it couldn't be; it had been too real to be.

A past life, perhaps? He'd heard you speak of it once; you'd heard it from another fighter, how in their culture, souls who died were reborn in a new life, and that those who had loved each other in one life would find each other again in the next.

Sylus hadn't believed it at first, but in that instant, after seeing that dream, or perhaps memories of a past life, he believed it.

He threw his head back and looked at the red light, thinking about the fragments he saw. You and him making a bond together, sharing a soul and those final words he'd heard you say... Was that why he hadn't died? Why didn't you let him die? He couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of it.

If past lives, rebirth were true, then he was going to find you, he was going to make sure you were free and happy in that lifetime. He was going to do everything, but first he needed to break free from that stupid prison.

[jeankluv]

The tale of the fox and the knight - Satoru Gojo | Chapter 06

summary: You have been living all your life in almost isolation due to your true nature, one your parents want to hide and protect you from anyone finding it. But when the spring of your 20 year your parents grant you the wish of being able to walk around the city, you meet him. Your doom. Satoru Gojo, a white haired knight whose intentions in your eyes are unkown. And whose presence in your life will change everything, from how you see the world to your way of being.

words: 5k

tags: enemies to lovers, blood, eventual smut, Gojo is pretty rude at the beginning, Gojo ooc, betrayal, fantasy, magical creatures, angst, injuries, heavy/strong language, no use of y/n or minimal use of y/n, female protagonist

Warnings for this chapter (the last part of the chaper, in a flashback): violence, character death (past), description of blood

notes: looooong chapter this time, I thought about diving into two but I wanted to add the flashback that happens in this chapter. Sorry if there are any mistakes or anything

materialist | previous chapter | next chapter

Your hands slammed onto the table as you stared at him. What was he doing there? How did he get here so fast? Why couldn't you get away from him?

You were angry, but you also had so much pent-up rage, so much so that you were pressing your lips together to keep from throwing yourself at Satoru and killing him right there.

”Really.” Satoru said, shaking his wet hair. ”You're going to finish me off…”

That's what I want.

You bit your tongue, wanting to scream at him, to tell him that this was what you wanted most. But the words wouldn't come out, you couldn't.

“You know.” You spoke again after seeing that you had no intention of doing so. “I think fate really wants us together.” He said in a tone you couldn't decipher.

“Destiny surely is an asshole then.”

Satoru looked at you surprised but soon a smirk appeared on his face, it was strange to see you saying those types of things, but he did like them. Way too much.

“Oh!” You heard Fly's voice and turned to look at him. “Satoru?”

You watched as Fly approached Satoru, smiling, and with a single movement, lifted Satoru from his chair and hugged him.

You felt your heart shake. Fly and Satoru knew each other... There was no way you were going to return to Zerua with Fly's help. There wasn't.

You watched them hugging, or rather, Fly hugging Satoru, but for the first time, you saw Satoru laugh. During the months he spent as your personal guard, you had never heard him laugh. You had seen his smile, but at that moment, you wondered if the smiles he had given you had been genuine, or if he had simply faked it all. A pang went through your chest as the thought sinked in.

Fly put Satoru back on the floor, and he put the clothes back in their place. You looked at both of them, uneasy, wanting to know what it was.

“Oh! Y/n, this is Satoru.” He introduced him to you as if you didn't exactly know who he was. “Satoru, this is…”

“I know.” Satoru smiled arrogantly, and you snorted.

Fly moved his head between the two of you, trying to read your expressions. “Oh…” He mumbled and approached you. “Is this the idiot?” You looked at him, it was a question but it sounded more like an affirmation, you nodded softly as your eyes went back to Satoru. “Satoru…” Fly crossed his arms and put all his weight on one side as he fixed his eyes on Satoru. “What the hell are you into?”

The deep voice and tone he used made you flinch slightly. It was brusque and powerful, clearly meant to intimidate. But you didn't understand why; they seemed to get along well after all. You had assumed Fly would side with him, since he'd barely knew you.

Satoru rolled his eyes and, like Fly, crossed his arms while shaking his head from side to side. He didn't seem intimidated by Fly's voice.

“Fly…” Satoru spoke. “I've always told you to stay out of my business.”

“Satoru.” Fly seemed to grow taller with every word that came out of his mouth. “Do you want me to do nothing when someone tells me you've kidnapped them?”

Satoru turned away with a laugh. “Fly, leave it, I'm not going to talk about it now.”

“Oh well, you'll have to talk about it.” Fly took a step forward. “You may have been my best friend since we were kids, but I can’t just ignore what you’re doing with Y/n.”

Satoru then laughed loudly, his laughter the only thing that could be heard in the forest of tall trees. “Has she told you who she is? Hasn’t she?” He pointed at you. “She’s the fucking princess of Zerua, the only daughter of the kings.”

Fly’s eyes flicked to you and then back to Satoru. “Satoru…” Fly walked over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder. “How about you rest?”

“I don’t want to.” Satoru knocked Fly’s hand away from his shoulder.

Satoru was agitated, restless, and almost looked like he was going to fall onto the ground. Fly put his hand back on his shoulder and waved his other hand in front of Satoru’s face. Satoru’s body fell forward, and Fly caught him.

Satoru had fallen asleep.

Fly took Satoru in his arms and told you to follow him into the cabin. You followed Fly’s big steps as you entered the cabin.

You noticed how big the furniture was compared to you, but it was normal, considering Fly’s height. He continued walking across the house, which was bigger than you expected.

Fly then entered a room, and left Satoru's body on the bed that was perfectly located in the middle of the room. It had big windows where you could see the trees from the outside, a small table and a closet on the opposite wall to the window.

Satoru’s little mumbles brought you back to the situation and you looked at Fly, hesitant to ask what was happening and why he reacted the way he did.

Almost as if he'd read your mind, Fly turned to you and smiled. “You probably have a lot of questions. How about we sit down and talk?” You looked at Satoru, fast asleep in the bed. “He'll take a while to wake up, so don't worry.” He said before walking past you and leaving the room.

You stayed in the room, listening to Fly's footsteps fade down the hallway. You approached the bed and looked at Satoru, it was then when you noticed the dark circles under his eyes and how his body seemed thinner than it had been when you were in the castle.

To be honest, you mostly ate alone, and you only saw Satoru eating some fruit or small snacks. And when it came to rest… you didn’t remember seeing him sleep at all.

Moving away from him, you left the room and closed the door behind you. You walked down the hallway, while the old wooden floorboards creaked beneath your feet. Not far away, you heard the sound of dishes and running water. Fly must have been cleaning the plate you had used. As you reached the end of the hallway, you turned left and found Fly standing with his back to you.

With your heart still in your throat after discovering Fly and Satoru knew each other, you spoke. ”Satoru, is that boy you mentioned?”

Fly looked at you and stopped what he was doing. “That's right, Satoru's family took me in after I became an orphan.”

You gulped and looked at the floor. “Sorry for asking…” You whispered, just enough for Fly to hear.

“Don't worry.” Fly laughed. “It's been a while since then, so don't worry.”

You nodded, still unsure. “I guess the deal…”

“If you want me to take you back to Zerua, I will.” Fly said firmly, and you looked up.

“Really?!” You said cheerfully.

“Yes, but first I’d like to talk to Satoru.” You could feel the sadness in his voice as he said the last part. “And don’t worry, Satoru may have his magic, but I’m still much stronger in physical combat.”

You looked at him in surprise. “Satoru can do magic?!”

“You didn’t know that?”

You shook your head; you knew nothing about Satoru Gojo. Everything he’d shown you during the time you were together in the castle had been fake. Well, at least his name was real. But the looks, the smiles, the sweet words—it had all been a facade.

“I guess Satoru didn’t want you to know about him.” You smiled.

Why did it hurt?

“Don’t make a big deal out of it.” He stood up and walked over to a closet. “I’ll talk to him, see if I can get him to stop being such a complete idiot.” He picked up two bottles and examined them closely. “Have you ever had Strut wine?”

“Strut, it's a kingdom beyond the red mountains, isn't it?” Fly nodded and placed two glasses on the table.

“It's one of the best wines.” He smiled and handed you the full glass. “Try it.”

You brought the glass to your lips and let the taste of the reddish wine hit your tongue. The flavor was sweet and smooth, definitely not like any wine you'd tasted before.

You swallowed and looked at Fly with a smile. “It's really good.”

“Isn't it?!” he said enthusiastically. “A traveler passing by gave me two bottles. I was eager to share this one with someone. Let's drink, Y/n!” He raised his glass and you did the same.

The clink of the glasses rang in the room, followed by your laughter.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

Satoru's head ached, like those times he woke up after drinking nonstop with Sukuna. But this time he hadn't had any.

He sat up in bed and looked around. The room was practically dark, the little light coming through the window was slowly fading. Satoru crawled to the edge and held his head. He hadn't slept enough to recover and be at his full potential, but he had enough to stay on his feet.

After getting up and approaching the door, he stopped with his hand on the handle when he heard laughter coming from outside. He recognized one of those laughs perfectly; after all, he'd known Fly for as long as he could remember, but the other was unfamiliar, even though it seemed familiar.

Satoru left the room and walked down the hallway, heading for the light at the end.

“He's a complete idiot!” Satoru stopped walking when he heard your voice. “I hate him so much, Fly…”

Satoru leaned against the wall, wanting to hear what you had to say about him.

“But the worst part!” You sounded drunk, the words stumbling out of your mouth. “I just really liked him! Liked of course in the past… I don’t anymore!”

The sound of a glass being set down followed your confession, and Fly’s voice followed. “Calm down, Y/n…”

“No, no, Fly, I really don’t understand. He hates me so much that he did all this to take me with him?” Satoru moved, feeling uncomfortable. “Fly, please… tell me why does Satoru do this? I want to understand. I want…” You fell silent, and Satoru grew anxious; he wanted to hear more of what you had to say. “I want to believe that Satoru has a good heart and that he had a reason for everything…”

“Why do you think that?” Fly asked the question Satoru also wanted to ask.

“Because I can see it…” You whispered. “Deep down, I can see he has a good heart.”

Satoru sighed and moved from the wall to enter where you and Fly were standing. Your back was to him, but Fly quickly noticed his presence.

“But if he really wants to take me to Lur.” You continued. “I think I know why… Fly, you have to help me get back home.”

Satoru gulped. He didn’t even know why the king wanted you, but you suspected knew why it might be. Satoru grew curious and wanted to ask, wanted to know what you were thinking, but he knew you wouldn’t answer.

“Fly.” Satoru’s voice finally sounded, startling you and making you look back.

Satoru saw your tired eyes and flushed cheeks; he knew it wasn’t from embarrassment but from what you were drinking. His gaze shifted from you and focused on the nearly empty bottle of wine resting in front of you. A sigh escaped his lips and he grabbed the glass in your hand. Your response was a pout and a whimper, as if you were a little girl who had just had a toy taken away from her.

“Why did you give her this?” Satoru asked.

Fly shrugged. “We wanted to enjoy ourselves and chat a little.”

Satoru rolled his eyes and looked back at you. “Go to bed.”

You narrowed your eyes and turned away, ignoring Satoru’s command.

“Don’t ignore me.” Satoru spoke again, but you continued to turn your back on him. “You’re about to fall asleep, go to bed.”

You shook your head wordlessly, but Satoru, tired of your childish behavior, moved his chair back enough to gain access to your body and held you over his shoulder. You moved on top of him, hitting him and yelling at him to let you go.

“I'll put you down if you go to sleep already.”

“I'm not a kid!”

“Then don't act like one!” Satoru replied.

“I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to be here with you!”

Satoru put you down and looked at you, frowning, and you did too. But your gaze was heavy with accumulated sleep, and you were struggling to stay awake.

“Go to sleep…” Satoru said more calmly.

You blinked and nodded, your body was heavy. Satoru followed closely behind you, watching you stumble against the walls. So much so that on one occasion you tangled your feet and tripped. Luckily, Satoru reacted quickly and grabbed you, putting an arm behind his head and guiding you to the room where he had been sleeping a moment ago.

Satoru watched as he dragged your body into the room, your face reflecting not only tiredness but also the hangover you would have tomorrow. Satoru laughed at the thought.

He dragged you to the bed and dropped you onto it, a small moan forming from your lips as you shifted to find the best position. Satoru turned to leave after checking that you were in a decent position to rest.

“Those months…” Satoru stopped and turned his head to look at you. “Did you really hate them that much?”

“You're drunk, close your eyes and go to sleep.” Satoru simply said.

“I'm not…” A soft laugh escaped Satoru, and he walked over to the bed.

He looked at your red face and half-closed eyes. “You are, and you'll complain about it tomorrow.”

“Answer me.” You said without blinking.

Satoru remained thoughtful, the only sound being your soft breathing as you waited for an answer, one that Satoru knew you'd forget the next morning.

But for some reason, Satoru found it hard to say his response, hard to say that he'd hated it, that he'd despised it.

He let out a long sigh. “You're so…” The words hung in the air. What did he want to say? His hand rose, going to your face, but he stopped mid-air.

“What?” You tried to sit up, but you were barely able to stay awake. “I didn't hear you…”

“Fine…” Satoru clenched his fist and got out of bed. “Go to sleep.” He said, throwing the sheets in your face.

Satoru left the room while scratching the back of his neck; he was exhausted. He walked back to where Fly was still drinking. Unlike humans, Fly had a high tolerance for alcohol and could drink and drink without falling down drunk.

He slumped onto the chair where you had been sitting and sighed heavily. Ever since you had left the castle, Satoru felt like he hadn't stopped for a single second; his instincts had always been on alert.

But standing there next to Fly, he felt a little more relaxed, although Satoru knew perfectly well that his friend wasn't on his side.

“Spit it out already.” Satoru said, straightening his back.

Fly raised an eyebrow and looked at him seriously. “You know what I'm going to tell you, Satoru…” He put his glass aside. “Leave what you're doing.”

“I can’t…” He clenched his fists.

“Satoru, your family…”

“Fly, don’t even think about mentioning them.”

Fly closed his mouth and looked at his friend sadly. “How long are you planning on staying here with Y/n?” Fly said, sipping from his glass again. “Don’t think I’m okay with what you’re doing. Y/n is good and doesn’t deserve to be taken to that place.” Satoru shifted in his chair. “She wants me to take her back, and I will.”

Satoru glared at him. “You wouldn’t dare!”

“Yes, I would.” He pointed an accusing finger at him. “And so would you.”

“Her family were the ones who…!”

“Satoru! She was probably a little girl when that happened, and how are you so sure it was the kingdom of Zerua?” Satoru started to respond, but Fly interrupted him. “Don’t give me that ‘the king told me so’or ‘I saw it’ crap when he’s been after you for years and you were in a state of shock when it happened!”

“Are you implying it’s all a lie?” Satoru stood up angrily from his chair.

“I’m just telling you what it is, and what you don’t seem to want to see!” Fly also stood up, and Satoru had to raise his head to look at him. “I was there that day too, and…”

“I’m leaving.” Satoru turned around, not wanting to listen, not wanting to remember.

“Stop running away like always!” He heard Fly say, but every word he said afterward was silenced by the door that stood between them.

Satoru walked down the front steps and approached Nut. The night was cold, but perhaps that helped him calm down and not think. Without much effort, he climbed onto Nut’s back and began to walk.

He didn’t want to remember, didn’t want to think… But the memories were too vivid, so much so that he could feel the heat of the flames.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

That day had started like any other in the Gojo household. Satoru, the youngest of three, had been the last to wake up, but he was the youngest of the house, so he was the favorite of his parents and everyone there, and no wonder; after all, he was adorable, but he was also the user of the six eyes.

The Gojo possessed knowledge of magic, and every so often, a child was born with the power of the six eyes. Satoru had been blessed with that honor, or curse. Depending on who you asked it. The six eyes allowed the user to use the magic in levels that no other could, but it was also dangerous, because if the user pussed themselves too far, they could lose themselves.

That’s what happened to the last user, they pussed themselves to the edge with the magic and ended up losing their minds, to the point where the Gojo clan almost disappeared. But that blessing, like a lot of them called, was also able to grant a lot of desires. And that was something the king of Lur knew.

Throughout their history, the Gojo had remained largely at arm's length from Lur. They were a noble family of the kingdom of Lur; their territory lay on the coast, and to the south lay the no-man's-land, which separated Lur from Zerua. And they helped them when necessary, but beyond that, their relationship remained cold.

40 years before Satoru's birth, the then prince at the time was informed by a fortune teller that the six-eyed king would be born during his reign and that it was best to keep him by his side, as a faithful devotee.

After the birth of the third child of the family, the already crowned king began to strengthen relations with the Gojo family, but the Gojo family was always cautious, monitoring every move while maintaining a low profile. They knew what Satoru could do with the power that was granted to him, but they knew better than anyone what the king wanted to do with that power.

Satoru hurried down the stairs, passing by the dining room where his sister, Tay, and his brother, Nobu, were having breakfast.

“Hey! Stop right there.” Nobu said as he grabbed Satoru by the collar.

“Let me go!” Satoru squirmed in his brother’s grasp.

The age gap between Satoru and his siblings was significant, 12 and 10 years to be exact. Tay was the oldest, with 18, she had long, light brown hair and blue eyes like Satoru’s. They both resembled their mother, who had white hair and blue eyes. You could say Satoru was a carbon copy of his mother. Nobu, on the other hand, was the middle child with 16. He had dark hair, like his father, and his eyes were a perfect blend of his mother’s and father’s.

Satoru's arrival came as a surprise to everyone in the family, but Tay and Nobu became the best brothers to Satoru, especially knowing that the king wanted to use him for their own benefit. The two silbings would never let their little brother have to deal with that.

“Nobu, leave Satoru alone.” Tay said as she put the book she was holding aside. “You want to go to the beach behind the house, right?”

Nobu let Satoru fall and he approached his sister. “Yeah, Fly said he’d wait for me there after her classes. We're going to play in the sand.” Satoru said excitedly.

Nobu looked at Tay with a worried expression upon hearing Fly's name. “Satoru... You have to make sure they don't see you.” Tay said as she grabbed Satoru's hands. “You know…”

“I know, I know, Fly isn't welcome in the kingdom.” Satoru pouted. “But I really don't understand…”

“Just be careful, okay? Mom and Dad are coming back today” Tay said with a smile.

“Really?” Satoru jumped with excitement. “Then I'll come back early to get ready!”

Satoru shot out of the living room as his siblings stared at each other in silence. Nobu looked away and with a long sigh stood up from his chair.

“Are you going to tell me now why Mom and Dad left for the capital two weeks ago?” Nobu crossed his arms, waiting for his older sister to answer.

Tay closed her eyes and sighed. “Two weeks ago, a letter arrived from the king. In it, he said he wanted Satoru to take classes at the royal school.” Tay looked at her brother with a grimace. “You can imagine why…” Like Nobu, Tay got up from the table and walked toward the large window overlooking the beach. In the distance, she saw Satoru still running.

“Those bastards, if I could…” Nobu mutters with his fists clenched.

“Nobu, be careful…” Tay says, turning to look at Nobu with a cold gaze.

Tay was the firstborn, the heir to the Gojo family. Not only was she skilled in academics, but she was also skilled with a sword. But above all, she was cautious and cold toward everyone outside her family. Tay had learned from a young age to be careful with what she said, since walls could have eyes and ears.

“The letter said that if they didn't accept, they would send you to the front.” Tay said once she was next to Nobu.

Nobu was also skilled with a sword, but not as skilled as his sister, Nobu preferred to focus on art, like painting or playing the violin. Having to go to a battlefield was an idea he never wanted to have to consider. That's why, when his sister whispered that to him, something in him trembled, and he looked worriedly at Tay.

“That's why they went in person.” Tay tried to reassure him. “They'll be back today, and everything will be fine, okay?”

Nobu nodded, trusting his sister's words. After all, she knew better than anyone how to handle things, and if she said she would, she would.

Satoru was running, feeling the salt air hit his face while he saw his best friend in the sand waiting for him.

Fly turned his head and watched Satoru approach with a smile. He had known Satoru since he was a baby; the Gojos had taken him in when he was four, shortly after Satoru's birth. They had cared for and protected him during that time. Fly knew that if he had been left to his own devices in the lands of Lur, he wouldn't have survived for long.

But now he had the chance to learn new things and play with Satoru. They were only slightly older than him, but that didn't stop them from playing for hours.

The sand next to Fly shifted as Satoru fell into it, laughing. They both began to laugh and play. Hours passed, and the two children played happily in the sand until a deafening roar was heard.

Satoru and Fly looked at each other in surprise and then looked at the family home to see where the noise was coming from.

Satoru's face turned white as he began to see smoke and then fire coming from the house. Fly, worried, quickly got up.

Was it an accident or something more? The 10-year-old wondered.

Ever since he arrived at the Gojo house, he'd always been told that Satoru was important, more than anyone else in the family, and that if things ever got ugly, he had to protect him. That's why Fly grabbed Satoru. He knew he was impulsive and would run there, but he had to protect him, not only because he'd been asked to, but because Satoru was his only family.

Satoru squirmed in Fly's arms. What his eyes were seeing couldn't be real. He had to go home, to his siblings, his parents, everyone.

“Let me go!” Satoru screamed, and a force threw Fly away from Satoru.

Satoru looked at him, scared. Had it been him? Had he caused his friend to be thrown like that? Satoru looked at his hands and held them tightly against his chest.

“I'm sorry!” He looked at Fly, who was still on the ground, staring at him in disbelief.

“Satoru…”

“I have to go…” He said and turned around. “You have to escape, Fly. It's not safe.”

Fly watched as Satoru began to run across the sandy path that led to his house. Satoru ran as fast as his feet could carry him, his chest aching with every stride, but he couldn't stop. He had to help his family. His eyes began to sting with each step he took toward the house, and when he reached the old wooden deck, he felt the scorching heat of the flames coming from inside. Satoru's chest ached; he felt like he couldn't breathe properly. Where were his siblings? His parents?

“Mom! Dad!” He shouted with all his might. “Tay! Nobu!”

Carefully and trembling, he made his way inside the house. Everything was on fire, but Satoru just wanted to find his family. The wood creaked beneath his steps, threatening to break at any moment.

But Satoru clenched his hands and told himself not to be afraid, that he had to find them. He called their names with every step he took, hoping someone would find him in all the smoke.

But his steps were interrupted when he bumped into something and fell to the ground. Satoru wanted to cry; his body ached, and he still didn't quite know what was happening. His head turned to see what had happened and quickly turned back. It was one of the house maids.

Satoru couldn't help but start crying out loud, calling out to his siblings, hoping someone would appear and get him out of there. He felt tired, dizzy. He just wanted to sit at the table with his parents, his siblings, and Fly. Nothing more.

“Hey, I think I found him!” Satoru heard a voice speak.

Startled, he got up from the ground and looked ahead. It was a burly man, carrying an axe in one hand and covered in small crimson drops on his shirt. Satoru felt a chill run through his body and took a step back.

“Hey, kid, come here, I won't hurt you…”

“No!” Satoru yelled and glared at him. He didn't know the man, but his intuition told him not to go with him.

“Damn kid!” He said, clenching his fists and approaching him. Satoru was too tired to run; he had no strength left, and fear had completely immobilized him.

The man was about to grab him when a figure pushed him to the side, and the man fell to the ground. Unable to process what was happening, Satoru felt himself lifted off the ground and begin to walk away from the scene. It wasn't until he looked down that he saw Nobu's dark hair. Nobu was there, carrying him.

“Nobu!” Satoru cried as he clung to him.

"What's wrong, kid?" Nobu's voice sounded shaky, and his movements were clumsy.

“I'm scared…” He hid his face in his older brother's neck.

"I know."

Nobu stopped moving. They had left the house and were on the path that led to the beach. Satoru still had his face hidden; he didn't want to look; he was afraid.

“Fly…” He heard his brother call, and Satoru looked up. A few feet away from them was Fly, his face serious and his eyes sad. “You have to take care of Satoru, okay?”

Satoru looked at him confused. “What?!”

“I will.” Fly spoke and moved a little closer to the brothers.

“Okay…” Nobu said as he pushed Satoru away from him.

“No, no, no.” Satoru kicked his feet.

“Satoru.” He called. “You have to go with Fly.”

A sob escaped Satoru. “But what about you? And Tay? And Mom and Dad?”

Nobu looked away, a thin line forming on his lips, then looked back at Satoru with a smile and crystal-clear eyes. “Everything will be okay, Satoru.” He gently stroked Fly’s head. “Now go with Fly, okay?”

“But…”

“Satoru, listen to me for once, just this once.”

Satoru threw himself into Nobu’s arms and nodded. “Okay, but… but… then we’ll all have a meal together, and you’ll make that delicious cake!”

Nobu smiled and hugged his brother one last time. “Sure…”

Satoru pulled away from him, and Fly grabbed him. They both watched, as Nobu struggled to his feet and looked at them as he drew his sword.

“Fly, take care of each other, okay?” Fly nodded sadly, knowing that would be the last time he saw Nobu. “Now go.”

Fly grabbed Satoru tightly and began walking, leaving Nobu behind. Nobu began walking firmly, gripping the handle tightly, toward the silhouettes that Fly and Satoru couldn’t make out.

That was the last time Satoru saw his brother. They didn’t sit at the table, nor did they eat Nobu’s cake.

🫣

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In 10 pulls, my baby loves me

[jeankluv]

The tale of the fox and the knight - Satoru Gojo | Chapter 06

summary: You have been living all your life in almost isolation due to your true nature, one your parents want to hide and protect you from anyone finding it. But when the spring of your 20 year your parents grant you the wish of being able to walk around the city, you meet him. Your doom. Satoru Gojo, a white haired knight whose intentions in your eyes are unkown. And whose presence in your life will change everything, from how you see the world to your way of being.

words: 5k

tags: enemies to lovers, blood, eventual smut, Gojo is pretty rude at the beginning, Gojo ooc, betrayal, fantasy, magical creatures, angst, injuries, heavy/strong language, no use of y/n or minimal use of y/n, female protagonist

Warnings for this chapter (the last part of the chaper, in a flashback): violence, character death (past), description of blood

notes: looooong chapter this time, I thought about diving into two but I wanted to add the flashback that happens in this chapter. Sorry if there are any mistakes or anything

materialist | previous chapter | next chapter

Your hands slammed onto the table as you stared at him. What was he doing there? How did he get here so fast? Why couldn't you get away from him?

You were angry, but you also had so much pent-up rage, so much so that you were pressing your lips together to keep from throwing yourself at Satoru and killing him right there.

”Really.” Satoru said, shaking his wet hair. ”You're going to finish me off…”

That's what I want.

You bit your tongue, wanting to scream at him, to tell him that this was what you wanted most. But the words wouldn't come out, you couldn't.

“You know.” You spoke again after seeing that you had no intention of doing so. “I think fate really wants us together.” He said in a tone you couldn't decipher.

“Destiny surely is an asshole then.”

Satoru looked at you surprised but soon a smirk appeared on his face, it was strange to see you saying those types of things, but he did like them. Way too much.

“Oh!” You heard Fly's voice and turned to look at him. “Satoru?”

You watched as Fly approached Satoru, smiling, and with a single movement, lifted Satoru from his chair and hugged him.

You felt your heart shake. Fly and Satoru knew each other... There was no way you were going to return to Zerua with Fly's help. There wasn't.

You watched them hugging, or rather, Fly hugging Satoru, but for the first time, you saw Satoru laugh. During the months he spent as your personal guard, you had never heard him laugh. You had seen his smile, but at that moment, you wondered if the smiles he had given you had been genuine, or if he had simply faked it all. A pang went through your chest as the thought sinked in.

Fly put Satoru back on the floor, and he put the clothes back in their place. You looked at both of them, uneasy, wanting to know what it was.

“Oh! Y/n, this is Satoru.” He introduced him to you as if you didn't exactly know who he was. “Satoru, this is…”

“I know.” Satoru smiled arrogantly, and you snorted.

Fly moved his head between the two of you, trying to read your expressions. “Oh…” He mumbled and approached you. “Is this the idiot?” You looked at him, it was a question but it sounded more like an affirmation, you nodded softly as your eyes went back to Satoru. “Satoru…” Fly crossed his arms and put all his weight on one side as he fixed his eyes on Satoru. “What the hell are you into?”

The deep voice and tone he used made you flinch slightly. It was brusque and powerful, clearly meant to intimidate. But you didn't understand why; they seemed to get along well after all. You had assumed Fly would side with him, since he'd barely knew you.

Satoru rolled his eyes and, like Fly, crossed his arms while shaking his head from side to side. He didn't seem intimidated by Fly's voice.

“Fly…” Satoru spoke. “I've always told you to stay out of my business.”

“Satoru.” Fly seemed to grow taller with every word that came out of his mouth. “Do you want me to do nothing when someone tells me you've kidnapped them?”

Satoru turned away with a laugh. “Fly, leave it, I'm not going to talk about it now.”

“Oh well, you'll have to talk about it.” Fly took a step forward. “You may have been my best friend since we were kids, but I can’t just ignore what you’re doing with Y/n.”

Satoru then laughed loudly, his laughter the only thing that could be heard in the forest of tall trees. “Has she told you who she is? Hasn’t she?” He pointed at you. “She’s the fucking princess of Zerua, the only daughter of the kings.”

Fly’s eyes flicked to you and then back to Satoru. “Satoru…” Fly walked over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder. “How about you rest?”

“I don’t want to.” Satoru knocked Fly’s hand away from his shoulder.

Satoru was agitated, restless, and almost looked like he was going to fall onto the ground. Fly put his hand back on his shoulder and waved his other hand in front of Satoru’s face. Satoru’s body fell forward, and Fly caught him.

Satoru had fallen asleep.

Fly took Satoru in his arms and told you to follow him into the cabin. You followed Fly’s big steps as you entered the cabin.

You noticed how big the furniture was compared to you, but it was normal, considering Fly’s height. He continued walking across the house, which was bigger than you expected.

Fly then entered a room, and left Satoru's body on the bed that was perfectly located in the middle of the room. It had big windows where you could see the trees from the outside, a small table and a closet on the opposite wall to the window.

Satoru’s little mumbles brought you back to the situation and you looked at Fly, hesitant to ask what was happening and why he reacted the way he did.

Almost as if he'd read your mind, Fly turned to you and smiled. “You probably have a lot of questions. How about we sit down and talk?” You looked at Satoru, fast asleep in the bed. “He'll take a while to wake up, so don't worry.” He said before walking past you and leaving the room.

You stayed in the room, listening to Fly's footsteps fade down the hallway. You approached the bed and looked at Satoru, it was then when you noticed the dark circles under his eyes and how his body seemed thinner than it had been when you were in the castle.

To be honest, you mostly ate alone, and you only saw Satoru eating some fruit or small snacks. And when it came to rest… you didn’t remember seeing him sleep at all.

Moving away from him, you left the room and closed the door behind you. You walked down the hallway, while the old wooden floorboards creaked beneath your feet. Not far away, you heard the sound of dishes and running water. Fly must have been cleaning the plate you had used. As you reached the end of the hallway, you turned left and found Fly standing with his back to you.

With your heart still in your throat after discovering Fly and Satoru knew each other, you spoke. ”Satoru, is that boy you mentioned?”

Fly looked at you and stopped what he was doing. “That's right, Satoru's family took me in after I became an orphan.”

You gulped and looked at the floor. “Sorry for asking…” You whispered, just enough for Fly to hear.

“Don't worry.” Fly laughed. “It's been a while since then, so don't worry.”

You nodded, still unsure. “I guess the deal…”

“If you want me to take you back to Zerua, I will.” Fly said firmly, and you looked up.

“Really?!” You said cheerfully.

“Yes, but first I’d like to talk to Satoru.” You could feel the sadness in his voice as he said the last part. “And don’t worry, Satoru may have his magic, but I’m still much stronger in physical combat.”

You looked at him in surprise. “Satoru can do magic?!”

“You didn’t know that?”

You shook your head; you knew nothing about Satoru Gojo. Everything he’d shown you during the time you were together in the castle had been fake. Well, at least his name was real. But the looks, the smiles, the sweet words—it had all been a facade.

“I guess Satoru didn’t want you to know about him.” You smiled.

Why did it hurt?

“Don’t make a big deal out of it.” He stood up and walked over to a closet. “I’ll talk to him, see if I can get him to stop being such a complete idiot.” He picked up two bottles and examined them closely. “Have you ever had Strut wine?”

“Strut, it's a kingdom beyond the red mountains, isn't it?” Fly nodded and placed two glasses on the table.

“It's one of the best wines.” He smiled and handed you the full glass. “Try it.”

You brought the glass to your lips and let the taste of the reddish wine hit your tongue. The flavor was sweet and smooth, definitely not like any wine you'd tasted before.

You swallowed and looked at Fly with a smile. “It's really good.”

“Isn't it?!” he said enthusiastically. “A traveler passing by gave me two bottles. I was eager to share this one with someone. Let's drink, Y/n!” He raised his glass and you did the same.

The clink of the glasses rang in the room, followed by your laughter.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

Satoru's head ached, like those times he woke up after drinking nonstop with Sukuna. But this time he hadn't had any.

He sat up in bed and looked around. The room was practically dark, the little light coming through the window was slowly fading. Satoru crawled to the edge and held his head. He hadn't slept enough to recover and be at his full potential, but he had enough to stay on his feet.

After getting up and approaching the door, he stopped with his hand on the handle when he heard laughter coming from outside. He recognized one of those laughs perfectly; after all, he'd known Fly for as long as he could remember, but the other was unfamiliar, even though it seemed familiar.

Satoru left the room and walked down the hallway, heading for the light at the end.

“He's a complete idiot!” Satoru stopped walking when he heard your voice. “I hate him so much, Fly…”

Satoru leaned against the wall, wanting to hear what you had to say about him.

“But the worst part!” You sounded drunk, the words stumbling out of your mouth. “I just really liked him! Liked of course in the past… I don’t anymore!”

The sound of a glass being set down followed your confession, and Fly’s voice followed. “Calm down, Y/n…”

“No, no, Fly, I really don’t understand. He hates me so much that he did all this to take me with him?” Satoru moved, feeling uncomfortable. “Fly, please… tell me why does Satoru do this? I want to understand. I want…” You fell silent, and Satoru grew anxious; he wanted to hear more of what you had to say. “I want to believe that Satoru has a good heart and that he had a reason for everything…”

“Why do you think that?” Fly asked the question Satoru also wanted to ask.

“Because I can see it…” You whispered. “Deep down, I can see he has a good heart.”

Satoru sighed and moved from the wall to enter where you and Fly were standing. Your back was to him, but Fly quickly noticed his presence.

“But if he really wants to take me to Lur.” You continued. “I think I know why… Fly, you have to help me get back home.”

Satoru gulped. He didn’t even know why the king wanted you, but you suspected knew why it might be. Satoru grew curious and wanted to ask, wanted to know what you were thinking, but he knew you wouldn’t answer.

“Fly.” Satoru’s voice finally sounded, startling you and making you look back.

Satoru saw your tired eyes and flushed cheeks; he knew it wasn’t from embarrassment but from what you were drinking. His gaze shifted from you and focused on the nearly empty bottle of wine resting in front of you. A sigh escaped his lips and he grabbed the glass in your hand. Your response was a pout and a whimper, as if you were a little girl who had just had a toy taken away from her.

“Why did you give her this?” Satoru asked.

Fly shrugged. “We wanted to enjoy ourselves and chat a little.”

Satoru rolled his eyes and looked back at you. “Go to bed.”

You narrowed your eyes and turned away, ignoring Satoru’s command.

“Don’t ignore me.” Satoru spoke again, but you continued to turn your back on him. “You’re about to fall asleep, go to bed.”

You shook your head wordlessly, but Satoru, tired of your childish behavior, moved his chair back enough to gain access to your body and held you over his shoulder. You moved on top of him, hitting him and yelling at him to let you go.

“I'll put you down if you go to sleep already.”

“I'm not a kid!”

“Then don't act like one!” Satoru replied.

“I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to be here with you!”

Satoru put you down and looked at you, frowning, and you did too. But your gaze was heavy with accumulated sleep, and you were struggling to stay awake.

“Go to sleep…” Satoru said more calmly.

You blinked and nodded, your body was heavy. Satoru followed closely behind you, watching you stumble against the walls. So much so that on one occasion you tangled your feet and tripped. Luckily, Satoru reacted quickly and grabbed you, putting an arm behind his head and guiding you to the room where he had been sleeping a moment ago.

Satoru watched as he dragged your body into the room, your face reflecting not only tiredness but also the hangover you would have tomorrow. Satoru laughed at the thought.

He dragged you to the bed and dropped you onto it, a small moan forming from your lips as you shifted to find the best position. Satoru turned to leave after checking that you were in a decent position to rest.

“Those months…” Satoru stopped and turned his head to look at you. “Did you really hate them that much?”

“You're drunk, close your eyes and go to sleep.” Satoru simply said.

“I'm not…” A soft laugh escaped Satoru, and he walked over to the bed.

He looked at your red face and half-closed eyes. “You are, and you'll complain about it tomorrow.”

“Answer me.” You said without blinking.

Satoru remained thoughtful, the only sound being your soft breathing as you waited for an answer, one that Satoru knew you'd forget the next morning.

But for some reason, Satoru found it hard to say his response, hard to say that he'd hated it, that he'd despised it.

He let out a long sigh. “You're so…” The words hung in the air. What did he want to say? His hand rose, going to your face, but he stopped mid-air.

“What?” You tried to sit up, but you were barely able to stay awake. “I didn't hear you…”

“Fine…” Satoru clenched his fist and got out of bed. “Go to sleep.” He said, throwing the sheets in your face.

Satoru left the room while scratching the back of his neck; he was exhausted. He walked back to where Fly was still drinking. Unlike humans, Fly had a high tolerance for alcohol and could drink and drink without falling down drunk.

He slumped onto the chair where you had been sitting and sighed heavily. Ever since you had left the castle, Satoru felt like he hadn't stopped for a single second; his instincts had always been on alert.

But standing there next to Fly, he felt a little more relaxed, although Satoru knew perfectly well that his friend wasn't on his side.

“Spit it out already.” Satoru said, straightening his back.

Fly raised an eyebrow and looked at him seriously. “You know what I'm going to tell you, Satoru…” He put his glass aside. “Leave what you're doing.”

“I can’t…” He clenched his fists.

“Satoru, your family…”

“Fly, don’t even think about mentioning them.”

Fly closed his mouth and looked at his friend sadly. “How long are you planning on staying here with Y/n?” Fly said, sipping from his glass again. “Don’t think I’m okay with what you’re doing. Y/n is good and doesn’t deserve to be taken to that place.” Satoru shifted in his chair. “She wants me to take her back, and I will.”

Satoru glared at him. “You wouldn’t dare!”

“Yes, I would.” He pointed an accusing finger at him. “And so would you.”

“Her family were the ones who…!”

“Satoru! She was probably a little girl when that happened, and how are you so sure it was the kingdom of Zerua?” Satoru started to respond, but Fly interrupted him. “Don’t give me that ‘the king told me so’or ‘I saw it’ crap when he’s been after you for years and you were in a state of shock when it happened!”

“Are you implying it’s all a lie?” Satoru stood up angrily from his chair.

“I’m just telling you what it is, and what you don’t seem to want to see!” Fly also stood up, and Satoru had to raise his head to look at him. “I was there that day too, and…”

“I’m leaving.” Satoru turned around, not wanting to listen, not wanting to remember.

“Stop running away like always!” He heard Fly say, but every word he said afterward was silenced by the door that stood between them.

Satoru walked down the front steps and approached Nut. The night was cold, but perhaps that helped him calm down and not think. Without much effort, he climbed onto Nut’s back and began to walk.

He didn’t want to remember, didn’t want to think… But the memories were too vivid, so much so that he could feel the heat of the flames.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

That day had started like any other in the Gojo household. Satoru, the youngest of three, had been the last to wake up, but he was the youngest of the house, so he was the favorite of his parents and everyone there, and no wonder; after all, he was adorable, but he was also the user of the six eyes.

The Gojo possessed knowledge of magic, and every so often, a child was born with the power of the six eyes. Satoru had been blessed with that honor, or curse. Depending on who you asked it. The six eyes allowed the user to use the magic in levels that no other could, but it was also dangerous, because if the user pussed themselves too far, they could lose themselves.

That’s what happened to the last user, they pussed themselves to the edge with the magic and ended up losing their minds, to the point where the Gojo clan almost disappeared. But that blessing, like a lot of them called, was also able to grant a lot of desires. And that was something the king of Lur knew.

Throughout their history, the Gojo had remained largely at arm's length from Lur. They were a noble family of the kingdom of Lur; their territory lay on the coast, and to the south lay the no-man's-land, which separated Lur from Zerua. And they helped them when necessary, but beyond that, their relationship remained cold.

40 years before Satoru's birth, the then prince at the time was informed by a fortune teller that the six-eyed king would be born during his reign and that it was best to keep him by his side, as a faithful devotee.

After the birth of the third child of the family, the already crowned king began to strengthen relations with the Gojo family, but the Gojo family was always cautious, monitoring every move while maintaining a low profile. They knew what Satoru could do with the power that was granted to him, but they knew better than anyone what the king wanted to do with that power.

Satoru hurried down the stairs, passing by the dining room where his sister, Tay, and his brother, Nobu, were having breakfast.

“Hey! Stop right there.” Nobu said as he grabbed Satoru by the collar.

“Let me go!” Satoru squirmed in his brother’s grasp.

The age gap between Satoru and his siblings was significant, 12 and 10 years to be exact. Tay was the oldest, with 18, she had long, light brown hair and blue eyes like Satoru’s. They both resembled their mother, who had white hair and blue eyes. You could say Satoru was a carbon copy of his mother. Nobu, on the other hand, was the middle child with 16. He had dark hair, like his father, and his eyes were a perfect blend of his mother’s and father’s.

Satoru's arrival came as a surprise to everyone in the family, but Tay and Nobu became the best brothers to Satoru, especially knowing that the king wanted to use him for their own benefit. The two silbings would never let their little brother have to deal with that.

“Nobu, leave Satoru alone.” Tay said as she put the book she was holding aside. “You want to go to the beach behind the house, right?”

Nobu let Satoru fall and he approached his sister. “Yeah, Fly said he’d wait for me there after her classes. We're going to play in the sand.” Satoru said excitedly.

Nobu looked at Tay with a worried expression upon hearing Fly's name. “Satoru... You have to make sure they don't see you.” Tay said as she grabbed Satoru's hands. “You know…”

“I know, I know, Fly isn't welcome in the kingdom.” Satoru pouted. “But I really don't understand…”

“Just be careful, okay? Mom and Dad are coming back today” Tay said with a smile.

“Really?” Satoru jumped with excitement. “Then I'll come back early to get ready!”

Satoru shot out of the living room as his siblings stared at each other in silence. Nobu looked away and with a long sigh stood up from his chair.

“Are you going to tell me now why Mom and Dad left for the capital two weeks ago?” Nobu crossed his arms, waiting for his older sister to answer.

Tay closed her eyes and sighed. “Two weeks ago, a letter arrived from the king. In it, he said he wanted Satoru to take classes at the royal school.” Tay looked at her brother with a grimace. “You can imagine why…” Like Nobu, Tay got up from the table and walked toward the large window overlooking the beach. In the distance, she saw Satoru still running.

“Those bastards, if I could…” Nobu mutters with his fists clenched.

“Nobu, be careful…” Tay says, turning to look at Nobu with a cold gaze.

Tay was the firstborn, the heir to the Gojo family. Not only was she skilled in academics, but she was also skilled with a sword. But above all, she was cautious and cold toward everyone outside her family. Tay had learned from a young age to be careful with what she said, since walls could have eyes and ears.

“The letter said that if they didn't accept, they would send you to the front.” Tay said once she was next to Nobu.

Nobu was also skilled with a sword, but not as skilled as his sister, Nobu preferred to focus on art, like painting or playing the violin. Having to go to a battlefield was an idea he never wanted to have to consider. That's why, when his sister whispered that to him, something in him trembled, and he looked worriedly at Tay.

“That's why they went in person.” Tay tried to reassure him. “They'll be back today, and everything will be fine, okay?”

Nobu nodded, trusting his sister's words. After all, she knew better than anyone how to handle things, and if she said she would, she would.

Satoru was running, feeling the salt air hit his face while he saw his best friend in the sand waiting for him.

Fly turned his head and watched Satoru approach with a smile. He had known Satoru since he was a baby; the Gojos had taken him in when he was four, shortly after Satoru's birth. They had cared for and protected him during that time. Fly knew that if he had been left to his own devices in the lands of Lur, he wouldn't have survived for long.

But now he had the chance to learn new things and play with Satoru. They were only slightly older than him, but that didn't stop them from playing for hours.

The sand next to Fly shifted as Satoru fell into it, laughing. They both began to laugh and play. Hours passed, and the two children played happily in the sand until a deafening roar was heard.

Satoru and Fly looked at each other in surprise and then looked at the family home to see where the noise was coming from.

Satoru's face turned white as he began to see smoke and then fire coming from the house. Fly, worried, quickly got up.

Was it an accident or something more? The 10-year-old wondered.

Ever since he arrived at the Gojo house, he'd always been told that Satoru was important, more than anyone else in the family, and that if things ever got ugly, he had to protect him. That's why Fly grabbed Satoru. He knew he was impulsive and would run there, but he had to protect him, not only because he'd been asked to, but because Satoru was his only family.

Satoru squirmed in Fly's arms. What his eyes were seeing couldn't be real. He had to go home, to his siblings, his parents, everyone.

“Let me go!” Satoru screamed, and a force threw Fly away from Satoru.

Satoru looked at him, scared. Had it been him? Had he caused his friend to be thrown like that? Satoru looked at his hands and held them tightly against his chest.

“I'm sorry!” He looked at Fly, who was still on the ground, staring at him in disbelief.

“Satoru…”

“I have to go…” He said and turned around. “You have to escape, Fly. It's not safe.”

Fly watched as Satoru began to run across the sandy path that led to his house. Satoru ran as fast as his feet could carry him, his chest aching with every stride, but he couldn't stop. He had to help his family. His eyes began to sting with each step he took toward the house, and when he reached the old wooden deck, he felt the scorching heat of the flames coming from inside. Satoru's chest ached; he felt like he couldn't breathe properly. Where were his siblings? His parents?

“Mom! Dad!” He shouted with all his might. “Tay! Nobu!”

Carefully and trembling, he made his way inside the house. Everything was on fire, but Satoru just wanted to find his family. The wood creaked beneath his steps, threatening to break at any moment.

But Satoru clenched his hands and told himself not to be afraid, that he had to find them. He called their names with every step he took, hoping someone would find him in all the smoke.

But his steps were interrupted when he bumped into something and fell to the ground. Satoru wanted to cry; his body ached, and he still didn't quite know what was happening. His head turned to see what had happened and quickly turned back. It was one of the house maids.

Satoru couldn't help but start crying out loud, calling out to his siblings, hoping someone would appear and get him out of there. He felt tired, dizzy. He just wanted to sit at the table with his parents, his siblings, and Fly. Nothing more.

“Hey, I think I found him!” Satoru heard a voice speak.

Startled, he got up from the ground and looked ahead. It was a burly man, carrying an axe in one hand and covered in small crimson drops on his shirt. Satoru felt a chill run through his body and took a step back.

“Hey, kid, come here, I won't hurt you…”

“No!” Satoru yelled and glared at him. He didn't know the man, but his intuition told him not to go with him.

“Damn kid!” He said, clenching his fists and approaching him. Satoru was too tired to run; he had no strength left, and fear had completely immobilized him.

The man was about to grab him when a figure pushed him to the side, and the man fell to the ground. Unable to process what was happening, Satoru felt himself lifted off the ground and begin to walk away from the scene. It wasn't until he looked down that he saw Nobu's dark hair. Nobu was there, carrying him.

“Nobu!” Satoru cried as he clung to him.

"What's wrong, kid?" Nobu's voice sounded shaky, and his movements were clumsy.

“I'm scared…” He hid his face in his older brother's neck.

"I know."

Nobu stopped moving. They had left the house and were on the path that led to the beach. Satoru still had his face hidden; he didn't want to look; he was afraid.

“Fly…” He heard his brother call, and Satoru looked up. A few feet away from them was Fly, his face serious and his eyes sad. “You have to take care of Satoru, okay?”

Satoru looked at him confused. “What?!”

“I will.” Fly spoke and moved a little closer to the brothers.

“Okay…” Nobu said as he pushed Satoru away from him.

“No, no, no.” Satoru kicked his feet.

“Satoru.” He called. “You have to go with Fly.”

A sob escaped Satoru. “But what about you? And Tay? And Mom and Dad?”

Nobu looked away, a thin line forming on his lips, then looked back at Satoru with a smile and crystal-clear eyes. “Everything will be okay, Satoru.” He gently stroked Fly’s head. “Now go with Fly, okay?”

“But…”

“Satoru, listen to me for once, just this once.”

Satoru threw himself into Nobu’s arms and nodded. “Okay, but… but… then we’ll all have a meal together, and you’ll make that delicious cake!”

Nobu smiled and hugged his brother one last time. “Sure…”

Satoru pulled away from him, and Fly grabbed him. They both watched, as Nobu struggled to his feet and looked at them as he drew his sword.

“Fly, take care of each other, okay?” Fly nodded sadly, knowing that would be the last time he saw Nobu. “Now go.”

Fly grabbed Satoru tightly and began walking, leaving Nobu behind. Nobu began walking firmly, gripping the handle tightly, toward the silhouettes that Fly and Satoru couldn’t make out.

That was the last time Satoru saw his brother. They didn’t sit at the table, nor did they eat Nobu’s cake.

🫣

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[jeankluv]

The tale of the fox and the knight - Satoru Gojo | 05

summary: You have been living all your life in almost isolation due to your true nature, one your parents want to hide and protect you from anyone finding it. But when the spring of your 20 year your parents grant you the wish of being able to walk around the city, you meet him. Your doom. Satoru Gojo, a white haired knight whose intentions in your eyes are unkown. And whose presence in your life will change everything, from how you see the world to your way of being.

words: 3k

tags: enemies to lovers, blood, eventual smut, Gojo is pretty rude at the beginning, Gojo ooc, betrayal, fantasy, magical creatures, angst, injuries, heavy/strong language, no use of y/n or minimal use of y/n, female protagonist

notes: the chapter is shorter but is bc it was going to be too long, so I divided in two. Enjoy! And please forgive me if there are any mistakes. Also thank you for commenting and liking

materialist | previous chapter | next chapter

You'd closed your eyes tightly from the moment Nut had started walking and had led you into the forest. If you couldn't see anything, perhaps it wasn't real. But the cold wind and the branches breaking under Nut's paws were a reminder that it was, and that at that moment you were crossing the Blue Forest.

Although you'd heard rumors, they all said the same thing: don't enter the Blue Forest if you want to continue living. You remember how the castle maidens lamented that their loved ones had tried to cross it and hadn't returned. Their trail had been completely lost.

You'd even heard that the rain that fell there was crimson, that the sun never rose there, that it was just an eternal night, but you could see hundreds or thousands of eyes watching you when you walked through the forest.

A shiver ran through you thinking that there were eyes watching you now. You knew that Satoru, no matter how much he hated you, would protect you from them.

Right?

Even if you left the forest, you knew what awaited you wasn't much better; it was no man's land. Where, apparently, terrifying creatures lived, ones that would eat you alive. Why would Satoru take you through that place? Were you going to be an offering to one of those creatures?

All the scenarios flashed through your head, and none of them were encouraging; in fact, you were very afraid.

Satoru kept his eyes straight ahead, but every now and then he glanced at you and saw that you were crouching, almost as if you were trying to curl up into a ball while hugging yourself. He knew the stories told about the forest and also knew what was true and what wasn't.

“Open your eyes.” Satoru spoke, trying not to sound harsh.

You stirred and shook your head, not looking up. Satoru sighed wearily and tugged on Nut's reins to stop her from walking. He got off his horse and grabbed your hips to lift you off Nut.

“No, no, no.” You kicked your legs in the air as Satoru carried you.

“Can you to open your eyes?” He said angrily.

You were scared; you didn’t know what you were going to find, and your eyes were tightly closed.

“Didn’t I tell you that not all rumors are always true?” You heard Satoru speak. “Open your eyes…”

Swallowing, you opened your eyes, meeting Satoru’s, who still had you in his grasp. Satoru smiled slightly and moved his head, pointing to the side. Your eyes followed the direction, and the air escaped from your lungs. You dug your nails into Satoru’s shoulders as you looked at the landscape.

The landscape had a bluish light, making the trees appear that color and not green. A few meters away from you was a lake, which, due to the light, looked even bluer. It was almost like those magical places described in stories, everything so beautiful.

“This is…” You whispered.

“Did you see how rumors aren’t always true?” Satoru spoke.

You turned your head and looked down. He was still holding you, smiling at you so warmly that you felt the need to treasure it.

You cleared your throat before speaking. “Could you put me down?”

Satoru then tensed. He hadn’t realized how he was holding you, and quickly let go, causing you to fall to the ground. You groaned as you rubbed your butt in pain.

“Idiot…” You said, looking up at him.

“Don’t cry, princess, get up.” Satoru held out his hand with a smile.

You looked at him and then at his hand. Angrily, you grabbed his hand and pulled on it, causing Satoru to fall to the ground, but in this case, a muddy ground. You stifled a laugh when you saw Satoru's frown and his noticeable anger.

“You…” He pointed at you.

“That makes you look much better.” You smiled wryly.

Satoru stood up and looked at his muddy clothes and then at you, biting his tongue, trying to contain himself. “You're so funny.”

“There's a lake, you can clean yourself up, although I doubt you can erase that idiot face of yours…” You said, turning to face Nut.

“You know what? I'll do it, I'm going to take a bath.” You heard the clothes rustle and fall to the ground. “You should too, you stink.”

“I'm don’t” You said angrily, turning to face him.

Your mouth closed quickly when you saw Satoru standing in front of you shirtless, smiling down at you like a gentleman. You felt your cheeks flush and your eyes flutter.

“Cover yourself up, idiot, or get in the water!” You yelled.

“You're red.”

“Shut up!” You turned around again.

Satoru didn't respond, and you heard the sound of water. He had gotten into the water. He started swimming around, not paying too much attention to you. You took a deep breath. The planets were lined, that was your chance to run away.

You looked at Nut and touched him. You had never ridden a horse alone before, but it shouldn't be too complicated. This was your chance. With Satoru in the water and without his clothes, all you had to do was grab Nut and get out of the forest. Your hands were shaking, but you grabbed Nut's reins and jumped on with a burst. Your eyes looked toward the lake; Satoru was far from the shore, his back was facing you.

It was now or never.

You had observed the movements Satoru made when he led Nut, so you imitated him, and Nut began to walk. With a small bump on his side, Nut began to gallop. You heard Satoru's voice calling you; you were making it. You were going back home, to your parents, to Utahime... The thought of it made you want to cry. Holding the reins tightly, you looked ahead and saw light—it was sunlight. You were almost out of the forest. Just a few more meters and you'd get out of there and go to the nearest town or village to seek help.

The sun then hit your face; unlike when you'd entered, it was clear, with hardly any clouds. You took a deep breath as Nut continued moving, you were just a step closer to being free.

If you weren’t mistaken, there should be a town not far away from where you were, so you started going there.

Nut continued galloping until you saw smoke coming from between the trees. That could mean there was a house there and people inside. A smiled appeared on your face as you directed Nut in that direction, crossing a small path surrounded by tall trees.

You came across a wooden cabin, slightly raised off the ground and with stairs leading into it. The chimney was emitting smoke, and you could see a dim light coming from inside. You got down of Nut and walked over the stairs. Your heart was pumping strongly on your chest and you could feel how your legs trembled.

With a clenched fist you banged on the door and waited for someone to open it. You waited as you heard movement inside the house. The footsteps grew closer and deeper, and you swallowed hard as you felt the wooden floor tremble beneath your feet. Then the old door creaked open, and the large figure appeared before you.

The words caught in your throat when you saw the appearance of the owner of that place. He was tall, so tall that you had to bend down to see his face. His skin was green, he had gray eyes, and two fangs protruding from the corner of his lips. His gaze was fixed on you; you felt like a fawn that had come face to face with a wolf and didn't know how to act.

“I…” You began to talk, but you were too nervous to form any type of sentences.

“You got lost?” He finally talked, his voice was deep but the tone was not frightening.

“I… yes… I did.” You nodded, still unsure if you should look at him or not.

“You want something to eat or drink?” He asked you as he lower even more to look at you.

“Water is fine…” You said but your stomach decided that it was time to roar.

“I will get you a piece of the cake I have too.” He said as he turned around.

He left the door open, and from the entrance, you could see part of the interior. There was a large fireplace and a table next to it, with chairs that were too high for you. In the background, you could see a kitchen and, to the side, a black wooden staircase. Small rays of light filtered through the windows and the candles lit in different places made it extremely cozy.

“You can enter if you want.” His voice sounded deeper inside the house.

“I’m okay, thank you.” You responded and you watched him approach you.

He approached you with a tray containing a cake and a glass of water. You couldn't help but drool at the look of the cake. The man, who still didn't have a name, nodded. It was a snack bar near the house. He walked past you with the tray, and you followed him until you reached the snack bar. The two of you sat facing each other, the tray in front of you. Still somewhat cautious, you took the fork and stabbed it into the cake, then brought it to your mouth.

The cake melted in your mouth, and you could taste the flavors of the fruit gently blending with those of the cream. Your eyes widened in surprise at the delicious taste. It had been a while since you'd eaten something so delicious.

“Is it good?” He asked.

You looked at him and nodded. “So good.”

He laughed and smiled. “I’m glad you like it, little human. Now would you tell me your name?”

You thought for a moment. You weren’t with Satoru anymore and you were trying to go back home, so there was no point of hiding your real name.

“Y/n.” You said with a smile. “What about you?”

“That's a pretty name. I’m Fly.” He said.

“Fly, as…” You pointed to the sky.

“Yeah, as in flying. My mother wanted me to be as free as a bird when they fly, so that’s why.” He explained to you and you nodded.

You looked around, it didn’t seem like anyone else lived around which meant he was there alone. “It seems you are here alone.”

“Oh yes! I take care of the forest animals, but I don’t feel lonely. It’s better here than in Lur.” He shrugged, as his mouth twisted.

Lur?

That was the neighboring kingdom. Lur and Zerua had been in conflict for centuries, or so the writings said. So much so that during one of their many wars, a no-man's-land was created, dividing the two kingdoms and primarily home to, according to rumors, evil beings who could devour your soul in an instant.

But what did Fly mean by better there than in Lur, did he come from Lur, crossed the no-man’s-land and stayed in that forest? Couldn’t magical creatures live in Lur?

There were many questions forming in your head, but you were unsure if you should ask them.

“You want to see some of them?” Fly’s voice brought you back.

“Oh? Sure, yeah.”

His appearance could be frightening; after all, he was a huge, fang-wielding creature. But he wasn't. In fact, his presence made you feel so good you even let your guard down. Fly got up from his seat, and you followed him. You both started walking, leaving Nut behind.

Fly began showing you different plants and small animals as you walked deeper and deeper into the forest. In front of you, you saw a flock of sheep resting and eating grass, but Fly seemed to have something more impressive to show you.

You walked a little further until Fly signaled for you to climb onto his shoulder. Carefully, you climbed in, and behind some bushes, you saw what you thought was a dragon.

Its scales were orange, and it was curled up in some kind of nest, perhaps caring for its eggs. You had seen illustrations of dragons in the castle library, but you had never actually seen one. Although your grandmother told you that they used to fly freely through the skies before.

“Cool, right?” Fly said with a smile.

“It’s impressive. I’ve never seen a dragon before.” You said, looking at Fly with bright eyes.

Fly sighed sadly. “Unfortunately, the babies that manage to be born, will probably be the last.”

You looked at Fly sadly; you knew what that meant: that mother would probably be the last mother dragon to exist. Your heart saddened at the thought of how such a beautiful creature had gone from flying freely through the skies to being in that forest, hidden under the shadows of those tall trees, protecting the last of its species.

“You’re in charge of protecting her, aren’t you?” You asked Fly.

“I try… although sometimes it’s quite difficult because she's stubborn.” He laughed softly. “It’s best if you don’t go near her if I’m not there.” You tilted your head, confused, waiting for an explanation. “She hates humans, or at least she can't see them. As soon as she sees one, she starts screaming and flapping her wings.” Fly then raises his hand and points ahead. “Do you see the wound on her left wing?” You nod at it; it's an ugly wound, or rather the scar of a wound. It almost looks as if someone tried to tear her wing off. “I think they tried to tear it off at some point; the price of dragon wings is high.”

You clenched your fists angrily. “Who would be capable of being so cruel?”

“Too many powerful people with money…” Fly whispered.

You looked at him and saw his sad gaze. It was no news for you that creatures, specifically magical creatures were sold for high prices. It didn’t matter the creature, but there were some that had a higher value than others and the dragons were definitely one of them.

It was said that the scales brought strength, and their wings guaranteed good luck. But how could anyone be lucky after causing someone like that to suffer? You didn't understand. Hunting creatures was banned in Zerua long before you were born, but after your encounter with those bandits in the mountains and their brief mention of the black market, you assumed there were still people doing it, and that filled you with rage.

“Don’t make that face Y/n.” Fly said with a smile. “By the way, how did you end up here?”

Fly started walking, with you still sitting on his shoulder, it was comfortable and he didn’t seem to be bothered by it.

You thought about it for a few moments. You couldn't just tell him you were the princess of Zerua, but maybe Fly could help you get back home and protect you if you ever needed it.

“I ran away…” You said.

“From home?” Fly said in surprise.

“No, no, from... from some idiot who kidnapped me.” You said, your head high.

“Oh... so you're someone important, huh?” Fly smiled as he tilted his head. “Not that I care, but…”

“You could say I do…” You bowed your head. ”But Fly! If you help me get back to my family, I swear I'll make it up to you.”

Fly laughed and threw his head back. “I don't want anything, don't worry.” He simply said.

You didn't continue the conversation, and neither did Fly. Fly continued showing you more of the forest, his forest, and the animals that lived there and that he cared for. On that walk, you also learned a little more about Fly. He had been orphaned at 4, but shortly after, he was taken in by a family of sorcerers, who took care of him as long as they could. Fly didn't talk much more about that family, and you didn't want to push him further either. His voice and face seemed sad when he talked about it, and you didn't want to pressure him. He also promised you that when you got to the cabin, you would make more sweets. Apparently that love came from the fact that the son of that family of sorcerers used to love sweets and they would spend their days in the kitchen messing around.

“Y/n.” Fly called you and you looked at him. “You can stay here as long as you want, but once you decide to leave, I will make sure to take you to whatever you want.” He granted you a sweet smile.

“Fly, thank you so much.” You smiled back. “And I would like to go to Bler, that’s the closest city.”

Fly stopped walking, you were already in front of the cabin. “Bler? That’s on the other side of the Blue Forest.”

You felt your mouth dry, what was the meaning of that?

“What?” You murmured.

“This is no-man’s-land and Bler is a city in Zerua.” Fly said as his gaze was focused on your face.

Your hands dropped to the side, that was not Zerua. You were sure you took the right path, the path leading you back home. But the view was foggy, maybe you made a mistake. No, you definitely made a mistake. You were even more far away from home, in a place unknown and with bad fame. Your breathing started to be erratic as you processed everything.

“Hey are you okay?” Fly removed you from his shoulder and sat you down on the seat where you ate the cake.

“I need…”

“I will get you something sweet, you seem to be sick.” Fly rushed to the house as you covered your face with your hands.

Why was all that happening? It was his fault. Yeah Satoru’s fault.

How did you go from being completely happy dancing with him, even ready to confess, to being there? With your shaky hands, tired legs, aching back, dirty from not having bathed in days. Just two weeks ago you were happily strolling through your gardens, now you were sitting in that old, creaking wooden chair.

“I hate you Satoru Gojo.” You said.

“Oh princess I know.”

It had to be a joke, a really bad one.

— if you want to be tagged please comment

💌: @misslovingpearl @zoeyflower @faeriesworld101 @coffee-and-geto @alifromtheotherworld @fangirlingtod3ath @laeve-rae-alone @megumisthirdog @wlwkorrasami @starlight5cat @yourfaveava @manyno @kianatrg @iamtherealestet @tracysdemise @certainduckanchor @aloserprobably @glittercherry777 @sylussss7 @n1vi @chocolatepalacecloudhoagie @bubera974 @yourfaveava @thewondrousdreamer @a-trashbag @emochosoluvr @byakuya61085 @mikkmmmii @imperishable86

[jeankluv]

The tale of the fox and the knight - Satoru Gojo | 05

summary: You have been living all your life in almost isolation due to your true nature, one your parents want to hide and protect you from anyone finding it. But when the spring of your 20 year your parents grant you the wish of being able to walk around the city, you meet him. Your doom. Satoru Gojo, a white haired knight whose intentions in your eyes are unkown. And whose presence in your life will change everything, from how you see the world to your way of being.

words: 3k

tags: enemies to lovers, blood, eventual smut, Gojo is pretty rude at the beginning, Gojo ooc, betrayal, fantasy, magical creatures, angst, injuries, heavy/strong language, no use of y/n or minimal use of y/n, female protagonist

notes: the chapter is shorter but is bc it was going to be too long, so I divided in two. Enjoy! And please forgive me if there are any mistakes. Also thank you for commenting and liking

materialist | previous chapter | next chapter

You'd closed your eyes tightly from the moment Nut had started walking and had led you into the forest. If you couldn't see anything, perhaps it wasn't real. But the cold wind and the branches breaking under Nut's paws were a reminder that it was, and that at that moment you were crossing the Blue Forest.

Although you'd heard rumors, they all said the same thing: don't enter the Blue Forest if you want to continue living. You remember how the castle maidens lamented that their loved ones had tried to cross it and hadn't returned. Their trail had been completely lost.

You'd even heard that the rain that fell there was crimson, that the sun never rose there, that it was just an eternal night, but you could see hundreds or thousands of eyes watching you when you walked through the forest.

A shiver ran through you thinking that there were eyes watching you now. You knew that Satoru, no matter how much he hated you, would protect you from them.

Right?

Even if you left the forest, you knew what awaited you wasn't much better; it was no man's land. Where, apparently, terrifying creatures lived, ones that would eat you alive. Why would Satoru take you through that place? Were you going to be an offering to one of those creatures?

All the scenarios flashed through your head, and none of them were encouraging; in fact, you were very afraid.

Satoru kept his eyes straight ahead, but every now and then he glanced at you and saw that you were crouching, almost as if you were trying to curl up into a ball while hugging yourself. He knew the stories told about the forest and also knew what was true and what wasn't.

“Open your eyes.” Satoru spoke, trying not to sound harsh.

You stirred and shook your head, not looking up. Satoru sighed wearily and tugged on Nut's reins to stop her from walking. He got off his horse and grabbed your hips to lift you off Nut.

“No, no, no.” You kicked your legs in the air as Satoru carried you.

“Can you to open your eyes?” He said angrily.

You were scared; you didn’t know what you were going to find, and your eyes were tightly closed.

“Didn’t I tell you that not all rumors are always true?” You heard Satoru speak. “Open your eyes…”

Swallowing, you opened your eyes, meeting Satoru’s, who still had you in his grasp. Satoru smiled slightly and moved his head, pointing to the side. Your eyes followed the direction, and the air escaped from your lungs. You dug your nails into Satoru’s shoulders as you looked at the landscape.

The landscape had a bluish light, making the trees appear that color and not green. A few meters away from you was a lake, which, due to the light, looked even bluer. It was almost like those magical places described in stories, everything so beautiful.

“This is…” You whispered.

“Did you see how rumors aren’t always true?” Satoru spoke.

You turned your head and looked down. He was still holding you, smiling at you so warmly that you felt the need to treasure it.

You cleared your throat before speaking. “Could you put me down?”

Satoru then tensed. He hadn’t realized how he was holding you, and quickly let go, causing you to fall to the ground. You groaned as you rubbed your butt in pain.

“Idiot…” You said, looking up at him.

“Don’t cry, princess, get up.” Satoru held out his hand with a smile.

You looked at him and then at his hand. Angrily, you grabbed his hand and pulled on it, causing Satoru to fall to the ground, but in this case, a muddy ground. You stifled a laugh when you saw Satoru's frown and his noticeable anger.

“You…” He pointed at you.

“That makes you look much better.” You smiled wryly.

Satoru stood up and looked at his muddy clothes and then at you, biting his tongue, trying to contain himself. “You're so funny.”

“There's a lake, you can clean yourself up, although I doubt you can erase that idiot face of yours…” You said, turning to face Nut.

“You know what? I'll do it, I'm going to take a bath.” You heard the clothes rustle and fall to the ground. “You should too, you stink.”

“I'm don’t” You said angrily, turning to face him.

Your mouth closed quickly when you saw Satoru standing in front of you shirtless, smiling down at you like a gentleman. You felt your cheeks flush and your eyes flutter.

“Cover yourself up, idiot, or get in the water!” You yelled.

“You're red.”

“Shut up!” You turned around again.

Satoru didn't respond, and you heard the sound of water. He had gotten into the water. He started swimming around, not paying too much attention to you. You took a deep breath. The planets were lined, that was your chance to run away.

You looked at Nut and touched him. You had never ridden a horse alone before, but it shouldn't be too complicated. This was your chance. With Satoru in the water and without his clothes, all you had to do was grab Nut and get out of the forest. Your hands were shaking, but you grabbed Nut's reins and jumped on with a burst. Your eyes looked toward the lake; Satoru was far from the shore, his back was facing you.

It was now or never.

You had observed the movements Satoru made when he led Nut, so you imitated him, and Nut began to walk. With a small bump on his side, Nut began to gallop. You heard Satoru's voice calling you; you were making it. You were going back home, to your parents, to Utahime... The thought of it made you want to cry. Holding the reins tightly, you looked ahead and saw light—it was sunlight. You were almost out of the forest. Just a few more meters and you'd get out of there and go to the nearest town or village to seek help.

The sun then hit your face; unlike when you'd entered, it was clear, with hardly any clouds. You took a deep breath as Nut continued moving, you were just a step closer to being free.

If you weren’t mistaken, there should be a town not far away from where you were, so you started going there.

Nut continued galloping until you saw smoke coming from between the trees. That could mean there was a house there and people inside. A smiled appeared on your face as you directed Nut in that direction, crossing a small path surrounded by tall trees.

You came across a wooden cabin, slightly raised off the ground and with stairs leading into it. The chimney was emitting smoke, and you could see a dim light coming from inside. You got down of Nut and walked over the stairs. Your heart was pumping strongly on your chest and you could feel how your legs trembled.

With a clenched fist you banged on the door and waited for someone to open it. You waited as you heard movement inside the house. The footsteps grew closer and deeper, and you swallowed hard as you felt the wooden floor tremble beneath your feet. Then the old door creaked open, and the large figure appeared before you.

The words caught in your throat when you saw the appearance of the owner of that place. He was tall, so tall that you had to bend down to see his face. His skin was green, he had gray eyes, and two fangs protruding from the corner of his lips. His gaze was fixed on you; you felt like a fawn that had come face to face with a wolf and didn't know how to act.

“I…” You began to talk, but you were too nervous to form any type of sentences.

“You got lost?” He finally talked, his voice was deep but the tone was not frightening.

“I… yes… I did.” You nodded, still unsure if you should look at him or not.

“You want something to eat or drink?” He asked you as he lower even more to look at you.

“Water is fine…” You said but your stomach decided that it was time to roar.

“I will get you a piece of the cake I have too.” He said as he turned around.

He left the door open, and from the entrance, you could see part of the interior. There was a large fireplace and a table next to it, with chairs that were too high for you. In the background, you could see a kitchen and, to the side, a black wooden staircase. Small rays of light filtered through the windows and the candles lit in different places made it extremely cozy.

“You can enter if you want.” His voice sounded deeper inside the house.

“I’m okay, thank you.” You responded and you watched him approach you.

He approached you with a tray containing a cake and a glass of water. You couldn't help but drool at the look of the cake. The man, who still didn't have a name, nodded. It was a snack bar near the house. He walked past you with the tray, and you followed him until you reached the snack bar. The two of you sat facing each other, the tray in front of you. Still somewhat cautious, you took the fork and stabbed it into the cake, then brought it to your mouth.

The cake melted in your mouth, and you could taste the flavors of the fruit gently blending with those of the cream. Your eyes widened in surprise at the delicious taste. It had been a while since you'd eaten something so delicious.

“Is it good?” He asked.

You looked at him and nodded. “So good.”

He laughed and smiled. “I’m glad you like it, little human. Now would you tell me your name?”

You thought for a moment. You weren’t with Satoru anymore and you were trying to go back home, so there was no point of hiding your real name.

“Y/n.” You said with a smile. “What about you?”

“That's a pretty name. I’m Fly.” He said.

“Fly, as…” You pointed to the sky.

“Yeah, as in flying. My mother wanted me to be as free as a bird when they fly, so that’s why.” He explained to you and you nodded.

You looked around, it didn’t seem like anyone else lived around which meant he was there alone. “It seems you are here alone.”

“Oh yes! I take care of the forest animals, but I don’t feel lonely. It’s better here than in Lur.” He shrugged, as his mouth twisted.

Lur?

That was the neighboring kingdom. Lur and Zerua had been in conflict for centuries, or so the writings said. So much so that during one of their many wars, a no-man's-land was created, dividing the two kingdoms and primarily home to, according to rumors, evil beings who could devour your soul in an instant.

But what did Fly mean by better there than in Lur, did he come from Lur, crossed the no-man’s-land and stayed in that forest? Couldn’t magical creatures live in Lur?

There were many questions forming in your head, but you were unsure if you should ask them.

“You want to see some of them?” Fly’s voice brought you back.

“Oh? Sure, yeah.”

His appearance could be frightening; after all, he was a huge, fang-wielding creature. But he wasn't. In fact, his presence made you feel so good you even let your guard down. Fly got up from his seat, and you followed him. You both started walking, leaving Nut behind.

Fly began showing you different plants and small animals as you walked deeper and deeper into the forest. In front of you, you saw a flock of sheep resting and eating grass, but Fly seemed to have something more impressive to show you.

You walked a little further until Fly signaled for you to climb onto his shoulder. Carefully, you climbed in, and behind some bushes, you saw what you thought was a dragon.

Its scales were orange, and it was curled up in some kind of nest, perhaps caring for its eggs. You had seen illustrations of dragons in the castle library, but you had never actually seen one. Although your grandmother told you that they used to fly freely through the skies before.

“Cool, right?” Fly said with a smile.

“It’s impressive. I’ve never seen a dragon before.” You said, looking at Fly with bright eyes.

Fly sighed sadly. “Unfortunately, the babies that manage to be born, will probably be the last.”

You looked at Fly sadly; you knew what that meant: that mother would probably be the last mother dragon to exist. Your heart saddened at the thought of how such a beautiful creature had gone from flying freely through the skies to being in that forest, hidden under the shadows of those tall trees, protecting the last of its species.

“You’re in charge of protecting her, aren’t you?” You asked Fly.

“I try… although sometimes it’s quite difficult because she's stubborn.” He laughed softly. “It’s best if you don’t go near her if I’m not there.” You tilted your head, confused, waiting for an explanation. “She hates humans, or at least she can't see them. As soon as she sees one, she starts screaming and flapping her wings.” Fly then raises his hand and points ahead. “Do you see the wound on her left wing?” You nod at it; it's an ugly wound, or rather the scar of a wound. It almost looks as if someone tried to tear her wing off. “I think they tried to tear it off at some point; the price of dragon wings is high.”

You clenched your fists angrily. “Who would be capable of being so cruel?”

“Too many powerful people with money…” Fly whispered.

You looked at him and saw his sad gaze. It was no news for you that creatures, specifically magical creatures were sold for high prices. It didn’t matter the creature, but there were some that had a higher value than others and the dragons were definitely one of them.

It was said that the scales brought strength, and their wings guaranteed good luck. But how could anyone be lucky after causing someone like that to suffer? You didn't understand. Hunting creatures was banned in Zerua long before you were born, but after your encounter with those bandits in the mountains and their brief mention of the black market, you assumed there were still people doing it, and that filled you with rage.

“Don’t make that face Y/n.” Fly said with a smile. “By the way, how did you end up here?”

Fly started walking, with you still sitting on his shoulder, it was comfortable and he didn’t seem to be bothered by it.

You thought about it for a few moments. You couldn't just tell him you were the princess of Zerua, but maybe Fly could help you get back home and protect you if you ever needed it.

“I ran away…” You said.

“From home?” Fly said in surprise.

“No, no, from... from some idiot who kidnapped me.” You said, your head high.

“Oh... so you're someone important, huh?” Fly smiled as he tilted his head. “Not that I care, but…”

“You could say I do…” You bowed your head. ”But Fly! If you help me get back to my family, I swear I'll make it up to you.”

Fly laughed and threw his head back. “I don't want anything, don't worry.” He simply said.

You didn't continue the conversation, and neither did Fly. Fly continued showing you more of the forest, his forest, and the animals that lived there and that he cared for. On that walk, you also learned a little more about Fly. He had been orphaned at 4, but shortly after, he was taken in by a family of sorcerers, who took care of him as long as they could. Fly didn't talk much more about that family, and you didn't want to push him further either. His voice and face seemed sad when he talked about it, and you didn't want to pressure him. He also promised you that when you got to the cabin, you would make more sweets. Apparently that love came from the fact that the son of that family of sorcerers used to love sweets and they would spend their days in the kitchen messing around.

“Y/n.” Fly called you and you looked at him. “You can stay here as long as you want, but once you decide to leave, I will make sure to take you to whatever you want.” He granted you a sweet smile.

“Fly, thank you so much.” You smiled back. “And I would like to go to Bler, that’s the closest city.”

Fly stopped walking, you were already in front of the cabin. “Bler? That’s on the other side of the Blue Forest.”

You felt your mouth dry, what was the meaning of that?

“What?” You murmured.

“This is no-man’s-land and Bler is a city in Zerua.” Fly said as his gaze was focused on your face.

Your hands dropped to the side, that was not Zerua. You were sure you took the right path, the path leading you back home. But the view was foggy, maybe you made a mistake. No, you definitely made a mistake. You were even more far away from home, in a place unknown and with bad fame. Your breathing started to be erratic as you processed everything.

“Hey are you okay?” Fly removed you from his shoulder and sat you down on the seat where you ate the cake.

“I need…”

“I will get you something sweet, you seem to be sick.” Fly rushed to the house as you covered your face with your hands.

Why was all that happening? It was his fault. Yeah Satoru’s fault.

How did you go from being completely happy dancing with him, even ready to confess, to being there? With your shaky hands, tired legs, aching back, dirty from not having bathed in days. Just two weeks ago you were happily strolling through your gardens, now you were sitting in that old, creaking wooden chair.

“I hate you Satoru Gojo.” You said.

“Oh princess I know.”

It had to be a joke, a really bad one.

— if you want to be tagged please comment

💌: @misslovingpearl @zoeyflower @faeriesworld101 @coffee-and-geto @alifromtheotherworld @fangirlingtod3ath @laeve-rae-alone @megumisthirdog @wlwkorrasami @starlight5cat @yourfaveava @manyno @kianatrg @iamtherealestet @tracysdemise @certainduckanchor @aloserprobably @glittercherry777 @sylussss7 @n1vi @chocolatepalacecloudhoagie @bubera974 @yourfaveava @thewondrousdreamer @a-trashbag @emochosoluvr @byakuya61085 @mikkmmmii @imperishable86

[jeankluv]

🦊🎀

The tale of the fox and the knight | Satoru Gojo

summary: You have been living all your life in almost isolation due to your true nature, one your parents want to hide and protect you from anyone finding it. But when the summer of your 20 year your parents grant you the wish of being able to walk around the city, you meet him. Your doom. Satoru Gojo, a white haired knight whose intentions in your eyes are unkown. And whose presence in your life will change everything, from how you see the world to your way of being.

tags: enemies to lovers, blood, smut, Gojo is pretty rude at the beginning, betrayal, fantasy, magical creatures, eventual smut, angst, injuries

chapters: 4/?

status: ongoing

link to ao3:

materialist of the series

Prologue | 01 | 02 | ch.03 | ch.04 | ch.05 | ch.06 | ch.07 | ch08 | ch.09 | ch.10 | ch.11 | ch.12 | ch.13 | ch.14 | ch.15 | ch.16 | ch.17 | ch.18

— comment if you want to be tagged in the chapters

[jeankluv]

The tale of the fox and the knight - Satoru Gojo | Chapter 04

summary: You have been living all your life in almost isolation due to your true nature, one your parents want to hide and protect you from anyone finding it. But when the spring of your 20 year your parents grant you the wish of being able to walk around the city, you meet him. Your doom. Satoru Gojo, a white haired knight whose intentions in your eyes are unkown. And whose presence in your life will change everything, from how you see the world to your way of being.

words: 3,9k

tags: enemies to lovers, blood, eventual smut, Gojo is pretty rude at the beginning, Gojo ooc, betrayal, fantasy, magical creatures, angst, injuries, heavy/strong language, no use of y/n or minimal use of y/n, female protagonist

notes: the next chapter is already in the works, so I might post it next week. Sorry if there are any mistakes.

materialist | previous chapter | next chapter

It had been three days since you left the small town where you met Shoko, you were getting further and further north, and snow could be seen on the highest mountains. During those three days, you barely stopped, and if you did, it was to let Nut rest or sleep for a couple of hours. But in that time, you didn't see Satoru rest for a single moment, but it didn't seem to affect him at all.

You hadn't spoken much either, and when you did, it was with threats from both sides, but Satoru couldn't expect anything less. After all, he kidnapped you and was taking you to a place you didn't know.

During those three days, you tried to escape on more than one occasion, but clearly, all had been failed attempts. You knew that Satoru, for some reason, needed you alive, so the fear that existed at the beginning had diminished, although it was still present.

As you and Nut rested, Satoru continued to gaze into the distance. You had truly come further than you had ever planned, and not for the reasons you would have liked.

“We have to keep going.” Satoru said, closing the map he was holding.

“Nut will eventually collapse from exhaustion.” You said, taking one last bite of the apple.

Satoru looked at the horse and then back at you. “We're half a day away from the destination.” He said, as he began packing his things into his bag.

“Don't you care about Nut? How heartless are you?” You got up from the ground and followed him as you walked through the small settlement you had made. “No, it's not that you have a heartless heart... you don't have one at all.” You blurted with an ironic laugh and without any remorse. "You don't give him a name, and now you don't care if your horse falls dead from exhaustion."

Satoru's bag fell to the ground, and in the blink of an eye, the edge of his sword was pointed at you. A drop of cold sweat trickled down your forehead as you clenched your fists to keep from trembling. “Stop playing with fire…”

“You need me alive.” You replied confidently.

“Yes, but no one told me anything about you needing a tongue.” He smiled.

You swallowed and took a step back. “You know, they'll find us soon, I know it… I'm sure of it.”

“And then what?”

“Then I'll have a front row seat to watch you die.”

Satoru put his sword away and touched his temple with a smile. “I didn't know you were so cruel, princess.”

“I'm not, but... you bring out the worst in me, things I didn't even know I could bring out.” You looked at him in disgust.

Satoru said nothing and walked past you, approached Nut, and stroked him gently, whispering something to him. You just stood there, waiting for his voice to echo through the forest of dry leaves and for him to urge you to mount Nut.

And as expected, his voice sounded, and he ordered you to get on. Without looking at him, you climbed onto Nut, but strangely this time, Satoru didn't climb on him, but instead began walking beside the horse.

"Stop.” You said after a few minutes.

Satoru stopped in his tracks and looked at you. “What's wrong?”

“I'm getting off.” You said, moving to dismount.

Satoru released Nut's reins and grabbed your hips, putting you back in your seat. “You were tired, weren't you?”

”Yes, but Nut…”

“He's fine, now shut up.” He said, and pulled Nut back.

You bit your lower lip as you climbed onto the horse and stroked it with your right hand, trying to show it affection.

Normally you wouldn't care what the Satoru you knew now did, but that gesture made you uncomfortable, it made an unpleasant taste settle on your palate and it wasn't the fault of the apple you had eaten, but of his attitude, especially that day.

The sun was bright in the sky when you reached a small town near a lake. The water was crystal clear, so much so that from the shore you could see the bottom, and if you looked at the entire landscape the mountains were perfectly reflected in that serene water, as if it were a perfect mirror.

That place felt magical, not just the lake and the mountains, but as soon as you entered the small town, you felt a warmth envelop you. Its stone streets and houses, smoke rising from their chimneys, indicated life. The voices of merchants shouting their wares, or the murmurs of the locals. Everything made you feel warm.

You got off Nut and gave him a soft caress, thanking him for the effort of bringing you to that place.

“Where are you going?” You heard Satoru’s voice, but it was distant, you were too lost in that place to be listening to him.

Your foot moved on your own as you entered what it seemed like a square with a water fountain in the center and a bell tower behind it, complete with a clock and a bell. Children were running and playing around the square, and on either side of the square were small shops, whose bells, when opened and closed, filled the atmosphere.

You walked looking at each place, but with Satoru’s voice still calling your fake name, if his voice wasn’t present you would almost feel like you were free in that place. A place where no one probably knew who you were.

“Excuse me ma’am?” A voice called you out and a smile crossed your face when three kids, no older than 10 years old were standing in front of you.

“Hello.” You said looking at them.

“Ask her.” The girl said, giving the pink haired boy a slight punch in the arm.

“I will, I will…” He replied, shoving his arm, you tried to hold back your laugh. “Will you like to buy flowers, I’m sure a pretty girl like you loves flowers. It would be 15 each.”

You tried to stay serious, but it was pretty obvious those kids were trying to scam you. “15 each…” You whispered as an idea came to your mind and a big smile appeared on your face. “I love flowers! I’m sure my husband will be happy to buy me some.” You told them and you saw how their eyes started to light up, even the dark haired boy who seemed to be more reserved. “Let’s go to him okay?”

The three kids followed you so obediently towards where Satoru was with Nut. You were still a bit surprised that he let you walk so freely around the place, but probably his eyes were following nonstop.

“Skye!” You said out loudly his fake name.

Satoru looked at you with annoyance. “That’s her husband?” The girl asked. “He seems to hate her.” She was right, but you couldn’t tell her that.

Satoru took a few steps and held your arm. “I told you not to move.” He said, unaware of the three little presences following you.

“Oh honey…” You were about to put the best show. “I just wanted to see this town.” You said with a smile. “Look at the square, is so beautiful, right?” Satoru looked at you, without words, you took all his words from him.

“Ma’am?” The girl spoke again.

“Oh, yes!” You looked at Satoru again. “Skye… buy me flowers, please?”

It was then when Satoru's eyes saw the three kids, who just like you were giving him sad puppy eyes, to get what they wanted. “Flowers?”

“Yes sir! We have the best flowers in the whole valley!” The pink haired boy showed off the flowers.

“They look bad to me.” Satoru responded, making the boy lower the flowers with a sad expression.

“Sa- Skye!” You corrected yourself before calling him by his real name. “Hey…” You kneeled to look at the boy. “They don’t look bad, they look beautiful. What is it called?”

The boy smiled. “Camellias!”

“They are so pretty.” You said with a smile.

“Your wife is saying she likes them, you should buy them, unless you don’t love your wife.” The black haired boy spoke this time.

“Right!” The girl said.

“These brats…” Satoru whispered. “Fine… how much is it?”

“25…” The blacked haired boy spoke again.

Your eyes opened, 25? That’s not what they told you when they approached you, but well you were not paying for them, Satoru was and to see him in the state he was, was enough for you. More than enough, it was pleasant.

“25!?” Satoru exclaimed. “You are kidding me? There is no way.”

“So you don’t love your wife?”

“Of course n…” Satoru couldn’t say out loud he hated you, he needed to keep acting as a married couple.

“Skye?” You played innocent as you looked at him.

Oh you were having so much fun as you saw how Satoru’s face turned slightly red, annoyed, angry, for the whole situation. Satoru knew he needed to act correctly, he couldn’t threaten those kids or else you would be in a tough situation.

“Here…” He gave the money to the kids. “Now get lost.”

You chuckled and turned around to look at the kids who were celebrating. “Thank you, what’s your names?” You asked them.

“I’m Nobara.” The girl said with a smile. “And these are Megumi and Yuji.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m…” Satoru’s were piercing you as you were about to tell them your name. “Selene. Thank you for the flowers, I will cherish them.”

“Thanks for buying them.” Yuji said with a smile.

“Thank you.” This time Megumi talked.

You watched the three of them run away from your spot celebrating their achievement, it was so adorable to see them laughing and jumping around.

“You having fun?” Satoru spoke.

“So much.” You looked at your flowers. “Thank you for the flowers my dear husband.”

“Cut that…” He said, rolling his eyes. “And throw them.”

“No!” You said. “I’m not throwing them.”

“Who cares, they will die.”

“I do, because those kids took care of them and they were so happy after selling them.” You said and you smelled the flowers.

“Scam, they scammed.”

“Oh yeah, they actually told me they cost 15 but I guess they didn’t like you so much.” You mocked while opening one of the bags that was on Nut. “Buying them was so worth it.”

Satoru sighed with annoyance. “Stop playing with fire princess.” He looked at you. “Now come.” He held your arm.

“Where?”

“Just shut up and follow me.” He replied walking to an old shop.

You followed him, not having too many options, the bell of the shop welcomed you and the smell of old books quickly hit your nose. It was a library. Your eyes started scanning the place, it was full of books, from the floor to the ceiling, each corner had books. It was like heaven for those who loved books like you. Soon enough your mind went back to its place and saw Satoru talking with the owner, an old man who walked hunched over and who was much shorter than you.

Satoru was too distracted paying attention to the old man to notice how you started to walk towards the books shelves, attracted by a whisper calling your name.

“I do have it.” The man said. “But as an old man it is my responsibility to advise you not to go there.”

“I will be fine.” Satoru responded.

“You are in such a hurry that you are willing to risk not only your life but also the life of your partner?” The man looked at Satoru and he felt a shiver round through him.

Satoru swallowed feeling nervous, the atmosphere at that old book shop was starting to feel strange. “We… we will be fine, no need to worry about strangers.”

The man laughed silently. “I will always worry about the princess, her path and who she is with.”

Satoru lungs emptied as he heard that, did that old man know you? Did you tell him? No that was not possible, so how?

“I don’t know what you are talking about…” Satoru said as he swallowed hard, moving his Adam apple up and down.

The man held his gaze for a moment before talking again. “Two weeks are left… Will you arrive at Lur before that day hits?”

Satoru’s heart started to beat fastly on his chest, how did he know, how? It couldn´t be you, you didn’t even know where he was taking you, so how did that old man know? Satoru drew his sword from its hilt and pointed it at the man. If he had to kill him there, he would do it without hesitation. He wouldn't let anything thwart his mission.

“Who are you?” Satoru said fiercely.

The man didn’t look at Satoru this time, but behind him. It’s true, you were quiet, too quiet. Satoru turned his head, expecting to find you, but you were not there, and the bell of the entering door didn’t ring, so you were still inside.

His head turned again to face the old man, but Satoru was left alone, the man was gone, you were gone and something strange was happening there that was making his skin crawl with every breath he took.

“Fuck…” He murmured.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

The whispers were coming from that old book that was in the shelf in front of you. You only needed to take it and open it.

Your arm stretched out, and with your fingertips you stroked the spine. It was dusty; it had been a long time since anyone had taken that book out of its place. With a trembling hand and a fine drop of sweat running down your forehead, you gripped it firmly and gently pulled it out of its place.

You squinted at the amount of dust that rose from the shelf, which also made you cough a little.

Taking a moment to pause for the cough to calm down and the dust to stop being so bothersome, you looked at the book.

The title was slightly erased, only a few letters could be read, and beneath it there seemed to be an illustration. Like the title, it was hard to see; all you could see was the silhouette of what looked like an animal, with reddish fur. Your heart skipped a beat.

“It can't be…” You whispered, stroking the flap.

“I guess the book will eventually return to where it was always meant to be.” The voice of the old man you'd seen at the entrance made you jump, causing you to clutch the book to your chest.

You hadn't heard any footsteps or anything, but somehow the man was standing next to you, smiling kindly at you. “Excuse me?” You asked, confused.

“Take it. After all, only you can open it.” He said, moving and looking at the padlock on the side.

With your fingers, you gently touched it and then looked up again. “What does that mean? Do you know about the tale? About…”

Your name echoed through the store, and Satoru's hurried footsteps soon caught up with you. You looked over your shoulder at him; he looked worried and somewhat fearful; it was a look you had never seen in him before.

“I finally found you.” He approached you. “Didn't I tell you to stay still?” He grabbed your arms.

“I…” You said, turning your head again to look at the old man, but to your surprise, he was gone. “He left…”

Satoru raised his gaze and followed yours. “Was that old man here? Did he say anything to you?”

“No, just… It doesn’t matter.” You pulled away from his touch and shook your head.

Satoru cleared his throat. You had to leave that place. If Satoru’s intuition was correct, it was best to leave as soon as possible.

Without hesitating, he grabbed your hand and pulled you along. “We’re leaving.”

“Who was that?” You asked aloud, still processing the fact that the old man had disappeared in the blink of an eye, and the words he had said to you.

The tent bell rang again, this time bidding you farewell. The clear sky you had encountered when you arrived at the village had been replaced by dark clouds, indicating that a storm would fall sooner rather than later.

Satoru clicked his tongue at the sky and with your hand still held he headed towards Nut.

“He was probably a sorcerer.” Satoru finally answered the question you had thrown out into the air.

You looked at him, confused. “A sorcerer? Here, in Zerua?”

Sorcerers had been gone for hundreds of years, or at least that’s what most people believed.

“No, there are still som.,” Satoru said as he prepared Nut. You had to leave that place; there was something Satoru wasn’t liking. “Get on.” He demanded.

You looked at him and then at the mount; you had almost forgotten your relationship, the situation you were in. “Can’t we stay? Even if it’s just tonight…”

“No.” Satoru was blunt and sharp. You were leaving, and there was no turning back.

You put the book in one of Nut’s bags and, somewhat angrily, climbed on. This time Satoru climbed on with you, too, and, mounted on Nut, you began to walk.

Satoru covered you with the hood, probably to keep anyone from seeing your red hair, but it didn't matter too much, since the streets had emptied due to the coming storm that had gathered.

The stone streets soon turned into dirt, and the houses became fewer and fewer. Little by little, you were moving away from that place that had provided a moment of calm in your busy life.

“What's the book you've kept?” Satoru spoke.

“It's nothing... it's... an old children's book…” You lied, still unsure if that book was the one your mother had told you about or not. But somehow, it was something that connected to you, or so the man had implied. “How do you know that sorcerers didn't disappear?” You asked, trying to change the subject.

Satoru remained silent, as if pondering his answer. ”When you're not locked away in a castle all your life, you get to see the world and see people.” He said in a mocking tone. “And that's how you realize it's not all true.”

You pressed your lips together tightly, almost forming a thin line, and looked at him. “What else isn't true? And there were reasons not to leave.”

“Really? And what were they?” He said with a half smile.

“You don't care.” You looked straight ahead.

Satoru laughed softly; you could feel his chest moving against your back; you were really close. “But you know what else isn't true?” He spoke. “That the princess of Zerua was a spoiled little princess.”

“You thought it was that?” You asked.

“After all, only I did. Everyone believed it.” He said against your ear. “After all, you've always been a rumor. No one knew anything about you, what you were like, or anything. And bad rumors always spread faster.”

“Why?”

“Why? Because people always prefer to see the bad things in others.” Satoru replied. “Even if they're lies.”

You looked at him and saw his blue eyes fixed on yours. You quickly looked away as your cheeks felt hot. Satoru was acting strange; he'd been acting strange since you'd woken up, and that run-in with the old man from the bookstore hadn't helped at all.

“Well… probably every rumor running around about you right now it’s true.” You said trying to mock him.

“Maybe they are saying that the princess ran away with her knight, because that was the only way for them to be together.” You could sense his mocking tone but still you fell for it.

“That would never happen!” You punch him.

“You sure, weren’t you in love with me?”

“What?!” You said out loud. “No! Never!”

Satoru chuckled, he knew deep inside that he was relaxing, he was letting his guard down with this type of conversations, but this way it was easier to go on with the mission. Yeah the mission.

“It’s raining…” You said as you looked up.

“Yeah… it seems like a storm will soon break. Let’s go Nut.” Satoru said and Nut started to walk faster. You smiled as it hit you that Satoru called him Nut.

Finally, the storm broke. You didn't know where you were going, but Satoru had no plans to stop. Even though you were completely soaked, you kept going north. Your heart was racing faster and faster; you were further from home, and if you continued this process, there would come a point where you could cross the border.

If that happened, then what would happen to you? You still had no idea where Satoru was taking you, and even though today had been comfortable and relaxed, you couldn't be blinded by the fact that the man behind you had caused an explosion in the castle and kidnapped you. Not only that, he had tricked you for months, he had used you. And now he was taking you to who knows where.

You had been traveling for about two hours when the rain stopped, and the rays of sunlight began to timidly emerge between the clouds. Your eyes looked ahead, searching for any trace of where you might be. Even though you had never left the castle, you had looked at the maps of Zerua hundreds of times, so many places you knew by heart.

Based on the route you'd taken, you assumed you were in the northeast, near the fortified city of Bler. From what you'd read, Bler had some of the best cuisine in the kingdom and was also close to the coast. Being so far north, there were times when snow covered the sand, something unusual to see. But something you wished you could see and experience.

But your heart sank when you saw where you were headed. You felt a terrible chill run through you and an overwhelming urge to vomit.

“The Blue Forest?” You said out loudly.

“So you know about it?” Satoru said as he guided Nut.

“Of course I know…” You looked at him. “We can not go there… We will both die and if we don't, we will after crossing it.”

You knew about the Blue Forest, everyone in Zerua knew. Everyone knew to never cross the Blue Forest, because if you did, you were not going back home.

Satoru seemed to ignore your words, his gaze was focused on the path before you. You swallowed as you realized that he was not going to change his mind, that you were going to be entering that forest and not return home.

“Satoru please!” You moved in the horse but Satoru’s arms held you thighly.

“Stop moving!” He firmly said.

“Let’s not go there, please…”

Satoru looked at you, without looking away. “No…” He whispered and Nut started moving.

You thrashed in his arms, but Satoru was stronger, and you could barely move in your seat. Little by little, the extremely thick fog began to surround you, the orange light of the sun disappeared, and visibility became zero.

— if you want to be tagged, comment. Thank you for reading.

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New chapter TOMORROW

The tale of the fox and the knight - Satoru Gojo | Chapter 03

summary: You have been living all your life in almost isolation due to your true nature, one your parents want to hide and protect you from anyone finding it. But when the spring of your 20 year your parents grant you the wish of being able to walk around the city, you meet him. Your doom. Satoru Gojo, a white haired knight whose intentions in your eyes are unkown. And whose presence in your life will change everything, from how you see the world to your way of being.

words: 3,9k

tags: enemies to lovers, blood, eventual smut, Gojo is pretty rude at the beginning, Gojo ooc, betrayal, fantasy, magical creatures, angst, injuries, heavy/strong language, no use of y/n or minimal use of y/n, female protagonist

notes: I could make an excuse and say I was busy, but I wasn’t I just didn’t write anything 😭 ohmygod I’m so sorry I will try to finish the chapters sooner.

materialist | previous chapter | next chapter

If stares could kill, Satoru would have been underground a long time ago. While the two of you waited for the food your eyes were like daggers waiting to be stuck on Satoru’s most vital parts. But the white haired man didn’t care, not a bit. He had a clear mind, and it was completing his mission.

Satoru didn’t know why the king needed you alive, maybe it was because he intended to marry you or maybe to win territories on your land, but that was something that didn't concern him. He knew why he was chosen to do that job and it was not only skilled but because was resentful of the kingdom of Zerua and especially the royal family.

He was not older than 6 years when his whole family was massacred, he couldn’t recall the events of that night but he remembers the shield that the soldiers had, the same one that your family so proudly displayed.

Maybe it was how they raised him or those faded memories he had, but his hatred was there and he doubt anything could change that.

He hated the kingdom of Zerua and he hated you and your family. That couldn’t change and he wouldn’t let it be changed, he was revenge thirsty.

Your eyes never left the window that was on the side, the outside world was completely dark and only the slight light of the moon was visible. You swallowed hardly as you remember what would happen in a couple of weeks from then. You needed to escape and return to the castle before that date.

Mother always told you to be careful, but you always longed for the outside world, so that’s why they searched for a knight for you, funny how that person who was supposed to protect you was the one putting your world outside down and not in the positive way.

Looking back at the moon you calculated the days you had. 17 days. 17 days before your best kept secret was revealed to the man that you despise the most at that moment.

You needed to do something.

“Here is the chicken.” A female voice spoke as two plates were left in front of the two of you.

She was a young female, probably in her 20s, she had a short brown hair, no longer than her chin and under her left eye there was a mole. She was wearing a green skirt that reached her ankles, on top she was wearing a corset that matched the skirt and underneath a white shirt that you could tell had been wearing for a long time.

“Thank you.” You spoke as your eyes went from her to the plate.

Silence fell between the three of you. Satoru was on alert as he looked at the young woman, and you shifted gently in your seat as his hazel eyes pierced you.

Her hand, cold as snow, rested on your neck, causing you to jump in the chair and quickly cover the area she touched with your own. Satoru stood up, his hand on the handle. He didn't know what the girl was up to, but he needed to be on guard.

“Relax.” The young woman spoke. “You have a wound on your neck; you should treat it.” Your fingers gently brushed your neck until the burning sensation made you pull away. “It could get infected. Once you're done with dinner, stop by the cabin behind the restaurant, and I'll treat you.”

“Thank you…” You gave her a smile, but that smile disappeared when Satoru spoke.

“No need, I'll treat it.” He said firmly.

“Are you a healer?" The girl questioned, but Satoru didn't respond. “I thought so.” Her gaze fell back on you. “I'll be waiting for you. My name is Shoko.”

Just as she arrived, she disappeared from your sight. Your table fell silent again. You could see that Satoru was irritated. He probably didn't like the idea of ​​someone else treating you, since it might mean you might try something to escape.

And he was right. You would try. Every place you stopped, every bar, inn, town, you would try. Even though your hands trembled at the thought of what he might do, you wouldn't stop.

Satoru grabbed a piece of chicken and bit into it. He was annoyed, angry, and restless. The girl, Shoko, seemed to be smarter than most of the villagers. At least she had some medical knowledge, or at least that's what she had implied.

A sigh escaped his lips. They were five days away on horseback from the Blue Forest. If they got there in that time, there was no way anyone would find them. But getting to Lur would still take time, so the first step was to reach the Blue Forest and lose themselves in the thick fog that formed there.

But now he had to focus on controlling you and ensuring you didn't do anything he didn't want. He watched you eat, so different from back in the castle, he could almost swear you could blend in with everyone there. The bites you took were large, nothing a high-society lady would do, but there you were.

The smile that had been forming on Satoru's lips quickly fell when your eyes met and he remembered where you were.

He took his hand away from his chin and grabbed the mug of beer to take a deep sip, closing his eyes tightly as he got used to the taste; the beer was stronger than Lur's. He set the mug aside and wiped his mouth, directing his blue eyes back to your figure.

“Finish the chicken already.” He said through gritted teeth.

“Sorry, this is the first time I've eaten it like this.” You said as you set the bones aside. “It's fun.” You smiled unconsciously.

Satoru said nothing and simply turned around, leaning his back against the stone wall and looking around. You, for your part, continued eating, while observing his profile: straight nose, full lips, high cheekbones, and mile-long eyelashes. No one could deny that he was beautiful, and whoever did was probably completely blind.

You still remember how your maids started talking about him as soon as he started working for you; his smile made them all blush, and of course you fell for it too. His sweet tone of voice, his delicate movements, all of it had everyone in the castle entranced by him, but who could have imagined that it was just a facade, one that was too well constructed?

You swallowed the meat and your eyes observed your reflection in the window. Your hair escaped from your hood, revealing the reddish color, which stood out even more under the candlelight. The memory of what had happened that day shook you. You'd never heard of mountain bandits before. You knew that if Satoru hadn't intervened, now... You shook your head. You were there, in that village, eating chicken. All things considered, you were fine. You were going to be fine.

Both plates remained empty, and you hesitated to speak. That girl, Shoko, had told you to go there to treat your wound, and this could be a good opportunity to leave a message in case the royal guard following you passed by, or even for her to do so.

You raised your gaze and found Satoru still staring into the distance. You cleared your throat. “Let's go.”

“Are you going to that girl?” He asked without looking at you.

You straightened your clothes and nodded. “Yes, I don’t want it to get infected.” You said firmly. “It could get infected, and I could die.”

Satoru laughed at your answer. “Bunny, I highly doubt that cut will cause your death.”

“Whatever.” You said, rolling your eyes. “Let’s go.”

Satoru said nothing and walked behind you. It was strange, wasn’t he going to threaten you into not saying anything? You said goodbye to the couple and walked out the door. The night chill chilled your cheeks; you were further north, and the temperature was getting lower. If you continued north, the days would start to get shorter and the nights would become much colder and harsher.

You had heard about northern winters, but you didn’t know how much of it was real. The capital was further south, where winters occasionally saw snow, but rainy days were abundant. But the north could endure days of snow, and you'd even heard that there were parts where the sun didn't rise for months. Their days were illuminated only by the bright moonlight that graced those endless nights.

You hugged yourself tightly and looked back. Satoru continued walking, saying nothing.

“Aren't you going to say anything?” You asked him.

Satoru looked at you and sighed. “Don't do anything…” Your lips parted to speak, but Satoru's words arrived first. “Or I'll reduce this town to rubble. Do you understand?” He said, his tone cold, as cold as the air that blew that night.

He stood beside you and his eyes fixed on you, waiting for an answer. “I understand…” You said, trying not to stutter.

Satoru walked ahead of you, his back straight and confident. Oh, how much you wanted to knock him down and make him pay. You clenched and unclenched your fists; it would all come, it would happen eventually.

Soon you were standing in front of Shoko's door. Satoru knocked twice before it opened, revealing Shoko's silhouette behind it.

“Come in.” She stepped aside, letting you enter the warmth of her small home.

Your eyes scanned the room, lit by small candlesticks and the light from the fireplace. The place was small and cozy.

“You can leave your cloak there.” She pointed to a wooden chair.

You heard Satoru snort but remain silent. “Good…” You whispered, setting the cloak aside.

Short, patchy hair showed, and you quickly felt the need to hide under the dark cloak.

“Good, sit down so I can treat your wound.” She pointed to the chair across from her. You did so and looked at her. “It's not very deep, but it's still best to treat it…” She gently grabbed your face and turned it to the side.

Satoru stood there, arms crossed, watching you with his blue eyes that shone in the fireplace.

“This might hurt.” Shoko whispered before you felt a burning sensation on your neck. You closed your eyes tightly, tears gathering at the edges of your eyes as you inhaled deeply to keep them from falling silent. Soon, you felt a cloth being placed over the wound and Shoko moving away from you.

“That's it.” She said, setting the curling iron aside. “I don't think it'll leave a scar…”

“Thanks, Shoko.” You said, touching your neck.

“Okay, now we should…” Satoru started to speak, but Shoko cut him off.

“How about I fix your hair?” She said, touching one of your frayed ends. “I don't think you want to go with that cut, do you?”

You looked at her and then at the ends of your hair. “That would be nice…”

“Good.” She said, smiling. “How about you wait outside?” She looked at Satoru.

“No, I'm fine here.” Satoru leaned against the wall, his eyebrows narrowed.

Shoko said nothing and simply worked on your hair. You heard the scissors cutting, and small strands fell onto your thighs. Your reddish hair, which had once been the most precious thing to you...

Your mother used to dye it every night, while telling you stories about princesses and princes, about true love. Now you realized that it had all been just fairy tales, a fantasy.

“Good…” Shoko spoke, and you could hear a smile in her tone. “You look beautiful.”

You raised your hands to your hair and touched it; it was really short.

“What do you think?” Your gaze lifted and you looked at Satoru, who seemed impassive.

"It’s okay..." He was really cruel.

“It's late now, the inn that welcomes travelers will probably be closed, so stay here.”

”It won't be too much trouble?” You asked.

“Not at all, we have a free room, you can stay there.” She smiled, and you smiled back. “Where are you headed, anyway?”

“South.” Satoru lied. You were coming from the south and heading northeast. “The weather is better there, and my wife and I are looking to start there together.” The biggest fake smile spread across Satoru’s face.

“The south… sounds interesting. The weather will be better than here, that’s for sure.” Shoko commented.

The conversation didn’t last much longer, and soon you found yourself in the room with Satoru, just the two of you. You look around, the room only had a bed, which you knew what it meant and you didn’t like it.

“You sleep on the floor.” You said before Satoru could say anything.

Without waiting for a response, you sat on the bed and move yourself to be in the middle of it, trying to make a statement.

Satoru smirked as he watched you, did you really thought that with just putting yourself in the middle he was not going to be able to move you? Satoru without hesitation walked to the bed and with just one arm he pulled you to the side.

“Bunny, you thought you were making something there?” He chuckled. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

You broke free from his grasp and faced him. “I’m not sleeping in the same bed.”

“For my own good.” He picked up one of the pillows and threw it at you. “I’m sure the floor is comfortable.” He smiled cynically.

You gripped the pillow tightly. “Are you really going to make me sleep on the floor?”

Satoru thought for a moment. “Yes?”

“I thought you were a gentleman.” You said, grabbing the pillow and some blankets from the bed.

“Well, stop believing that, because I’m not.” He replied simply.

The floor was hard and cold. Just a few days ago, you had been in the castle, preparing for the ball with Utahime, taking walks in the garden, or going into town, and now… now you were on the cold floor of a humble abode, kidnapped by someone you thought you trusted.

You rolled onto your side and buried your face in the pillow, stifling the sobs building in your throat. Swallowing, you wiped your tears away. You had to stay awake until Satoru fell asleep so you could go out and ask Shoko for help.

But your eyes were too heavy; you felt your body slump, falling into a sleep you didn't want.

Fuck...

Satoru, for his part, had his arm under his head as he stared up at the wooden beams on the ceiling. The room was barely lit by the fading light in the sky, and outside, you couldn't hear a thing.

As the minutes passed, your breathing steadied, though a little uneven due to your blocked nose. Satoru knew you'd cried there on the floor, and although his chest had tightened, he'd quickly pushed them away. He didn't care about your tears; Satoru only cared about returning to Lur and completing his mission, and perhaps celebrating his success with Sukuna.

He tossed and turned in bed and saw your silhouette on the floor, curled up in a ball, trying to conserve your body heat. Satoru sat up in bed and took a closer look, then turned his gaze outside again. It was probably after midnight, maybe around one or two in the morning.

With a grunt, he got out of bed and approached you. Something inside him told him to put you to bed, but Satoru ignored it and simply pulled all the sheets over the bed. Maybe that would stop you from looking like an armadillo. Giving you one last look, he left the room.

He stood in the hallway and gripped his sword tightly. “You're not just travelers, are you?” Shoko's voice broke the silence of the night.

“That's all that matters to you?” He glanced at Shoko.

“Not much, really.” She smirked. “But you know..” Shoko walked past him. “Have you ever heard the rumor about the princess of Zerua?”

“The rumor?” Satoru followed her with his eyes.

“Yes, the rumor that says the kings had another daughter, one with fiery hair.” Satoru could see Shoko’s smile despite the dim nightlight. “Your wife has hair as red as fire, it’s curious.”

Satoru smirked. “Yeah… curious, but we are just travelers you know. We are searching for a better life.” Satoru tried to softly smile.

“I haven’t asked you your names.” Shoko then changed the subject. “How rude…”

“Skye..” Satoru responded without hesitation.

“And your wife?” Shoko tilted her head as she waited for a response.

Satoru narrowed his eyes as he tried to examine her face but it was too dark. “Selene…”

“Selene… like the moon goodness?”

“Yes… like her.” Satoru cleared his throw. “Isn't it too late to be up?”

“I could ask you the same.” Satoru felt irritated, he wanted to leave that town as soon as possible.

“I heard some noises… but it was probably an animal.” He gripped his hand around his sword. “I will go back to sleep. Good night.”

Satoru closed the door of the room not waiting for a response and he threw himself to the bed, he looked at you still resting on the floor.

"Ugh, damn it." He scratched his head, ruffling his white hair.

Setting his sword aside, he approached you and bent down, carefully running his hands under your body. Satoru knew you usually slept soundly, so you wouldn't wake up. In fact, lightning could strike the roof and you'd still be asleep.

He placed you on the bed and covered you with the sheets he'd previously thrown over you. He sat on the other side of the bed and looked at you, a long sigh escaping his lips. He needed this mission to be over and done with so he could go home. Satoru's eyes soon closed, exhaustion taking its toll on his body.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

Your back didn't hurt, at least not like you thought it would after sleeping on the floor. You stirred, and that's when you realized it: you weren't on the floor. Your eyes opened, and you were surprised to find yourself in bed.

Perhaps you had gotten up and laid down on it, or... You shook your head at those thoughts.

You walked over to the window and noticed the light mist outside. You looked around the room carefully; you were alone, and there was no sign of Satoru.

“Good…” This could be your chance.

With long strides, you left the room and looked for Shoko. The house wasn't very big, so it wouldn't be difficult to find her.

“Did you wake up?” A shiver ran through you. Turning on your heels, you found Satoru staring at you from the front door.

“Yes…” You said, licking your lips. “Where’s Shoko?”

“She went to get breakfast.” He said, passing by you. “We’ll have breakfast and then go.” You rolled your eyes and sat down across from him without saying anything. “Your name is Selene.”

“Excuse me?”

“Your name is Selene now, and mine is Skye, so just follow along when Shoko gets back.” Satoru frowned as he explained everything.

Selene? Skye?

“Good morning.” Shoko walked through the door with a smile. “I see you’re up. How was your night?”

“Good.” You glanced briefly at Satoru. “I slept well, thanks, Shoko.”

“It’s nothing. Here’s some milk. Skye told me you’d be leaving soon, but I couldn’t leave you without food.”

“Uh… Yes, yes.” He really had made up those names.

You took the milk Shoko had brought you and took a sip. Satoru's eyes pierced you intensely, almost asking you to drink that bowl as soon as possible and that as soon as you put it down on the table, he'd get you out of there.

“Selene, so are you excited?” Shoko spoke, and at first you didn't realize it, not until Satoru smacked you under the table.

“Oh! Yes, yes... very much so. I can't wait to go south. Maybe we'll stop by the capital, right, Skye?” You looked at him with a smile.

“Maybe.”

"Sometimes you two give the impression that you hate each other." Shoko laughed.

“Yeah that’s because…”

“Things have been complicated.” Satoru spoke over you. “After the bandit attack, Selene hasn't been feeling well, and that might be why she's feeling that way.” Satoru stood up from his chair and took your hand as he knelt beside you. “But everything will be okay, my dear. We'll soon be arriving at our new home.” He smiled at you and then planted a kiss on your hand.

You gulped as you looked at him, wanting to scream and call him names. But if you did, Satoru probably wouldn't hesitate to kill Shoko right there and disappear with you from that village in the middle of the mountains.

“Thanks, darling.” You faked a smile.

Still holding your hand, Satoru stood up and walked over to Shoko. “I think it's time to go. If we want to reach our next destination before nightfall, we'd better get going now.”

“I can give you supplies if you want.” Shoko pointed out.

“We're fine, thank you.”

Satoru tugged on your hand, leading you to the exit. You had to do it now.

”Shoko.” You broke free from his grasp and walked over to Shoko. “Thanks for everything.” You took her hands, leaving the small piece of paper in her hand. “See you.”

You released your grip and walked back to Satoru. He looked at you for a few moments, then back at Shoko.

“Come on, Skye…” You pulled him along. “Leaving now will get us to our next destination faster.”

Satoru followed you, but you could feel him staring at you. You hoped Shoko would read and understand it, and if there was a chance, she would pass the message on to the royal guard.

You reached Satoru’s horse, and you quickly approached him to hug him.

“Hey, Nut!” You said, stroking him gently.

“Nut?” Satoru said, puzzled.

“Yes, Nut, his name is Nut.” Your gaze returned to Nut and you smiled. “Since your stupid owner doesn’t name you, I will.”

Satoru rolled his eyes and sighed. “Whatever…” His hands placed on your hips, pulling you away from Nut. “We’re leaving.”

“Wait, what?!” You said as Satoru lifted you up.

Satoru effortlessly sat you on the horse and, without saying anything, sat behind you. “We're leaving…” He whispered in your ear, causing your skin to prickle instantly.

Satoru grabbed Nut's reins and the horse began to walk. Snapping out of the momentary trance, you searched for Shoko, who was getting smaller and smaller as you left the small town behind. In your heart, all you could hope was that she'd read that note and find it in the right hands.

“Don't do that again.” You said after riding along the trails for a while.

“Do what?” Satoru asked.

“Catching me like that was… it was awkward.”

“Don't do what you did again.” Satoru said back.

Your face turned and you looked at him. You were close together, and that scared you because you saw it in his eyes. He knew, he'd noticed the note, he knew, he knew. “No…”

“No, what?” He smirked.

You shook your head. “Nothing will happen to Shoko, right?”

“Should something happen to her?” Satoru leaned closer to you. “Princess, I'll be nice this time, but not next time. Do you understand?”

“You're cruel.”

“The worst of all.” He muttered. “Now brace yourself, our plans have changed slightly.”

Little did you know that changed was going to make you go to your limit in your relationship with Satoru and make choices you didn’t think you would.

— if you wanna be tagged, comment

💌: @misslovingpearl @zoeyflower @faeriesworld101 @coffee-and-geto @alifromtheotherworld @fangirlingtod3ath @laeve-rae-alone @megumisthirdog @wlwkorrasami @starlight5cat @yourfaveava @manyno @kianatrg @iamtherealestet @tracysdemise @certainduckanchor @aloserprobably @glittercherry777 @sylussss7 @n1vi @chocolatepalacecloudhoagie @bubera974 @yourfaveava @thewondrousdreamer @a-trashbag

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https://x.com/twistedfei/status/1900711757804437832?s=46

ttotfatk gojo

I saw it the other day and thought it was Gojo 😭😭😭

[jeankluv]

The tale of the fox and the knight - Satoru Gojo | Chapter 03

summary: You have been living all your life in almost isolation due to your true nature, one your parents want to hide and protect you from anyone finding it. But when the spring of your 20 year your parents grant you the wish of being able to walk around the city, you meet him. Your doom. Satoru Gojo, a white haired knight whose intentions in your eyes are unkown. And whose presence in your life will change everything, from how you see the world to your way of being.

words: 3,9k

tags: enemies to lovers, blood, eventual smut, Gojo is pretty rude at the beginning, Gojo ooc, betrayal, fantasy, magical creatures, angst, injuries, heavy/strong language, no use of y/n or minimal use of y/n, female protagonist

notes: I could make an excuse and say I was busy, but I wasn’t I just didn’t write anything 😭 ohmygod I’m so sorry I will try to finish the chapters sooner.

materialist | previous chapter | next chapter

If stares could kill, Satoru would have been underground a long time ago. While the two of you waited for the food your eyes were like daggers waiting to be stuck on Satoru’s most vital parts. But the white haired man didn’t care, not a bit. He had a clear mind, and it was completing his mission.

Satoru didn’t know why the king needed you alive, maybe it was because he intended to marry you or maybe to win territories on your land, but that was something that didn't concern him. He knew why he was chosen to do that job and it was not only skilled but because was resentful of the kingdom of Zerua and especially the royal family.

He was not older than 6 years when his whole family was massacred, he couldn’t recall the events of that night but he remembers the shield that the soldiers had, the same one that your family so proudly displayed.

Maybe it was how they raised him or those faded memories he had, but his hatred was there and he doubt anything could change that.

He hated the kingdom of Zerua and he hated you and your family. That couldn’t change and he wouldn’t let it be changed, he was revenge thirsty.

Your eyes never left the window that was on the side, the outside world was completely dark and only the slight light of the moon was visible. You swallowed hardly as you remember what would happen in a couple of weeks from then. You needed to escape and return to the castle before that date.

Mother always told you to be careful, but you always longed for the outside world, so that’s why they searched for a knight for you, funny how that person who was supposed to protect you was the one putting your world outside down and not in the positive way.

Looking back at the moon you calculated the days you had. 17 days. 17 days before your best kept secret was revealed to the man that you despise the most at that moment.

You needed to do something.

“Here is the chicken.” A female voice spoke as two plates were left in front of the two of you.

She was a young female, probably in her 20s, she had a short brown hair, no longer than her chin and under her left eye there was a mole. She was wearing a green skirt that reached her ankles, on top she was wearing a corset that matched the skirt and underneath a white shirt that you could tell had been wearing for a long time.

“Thank you.” You spoke as your eyes went from her to the plate.

Silence fell between the three of you. Satoru was on alert as he looked at the young woman, and you shifted gently in your seat as his hazel eyes pierced you.

Her hand, cold as snow, rested on your neck, causing you to jump in the chair and quickly cover the area she touched with your own. Satoru stood up, his hand on the handle. He didn't know what the girl was up to, but he needed to be on guard.

“Relax.” The young woman spoke. “You have a wound on your neck; you should treat it.” Your fingers gently brushed your neck until the burning sensation made you pull away. “It could get infected. Once you're done with dinner, stop by the cabin behind the restaurant, and I'll treat you.”

“Thank you…” You gave her a smile, but that smile disappeared when Satoru spoke.

“No need, I'll treat it.” He said firmly.

“Are you a healer?" The girl questioned, but Satoru didn't respond. “I thought so.” Her gaze fell back on you. “I'll be waiting for you. My name is Shoko.”

Just as she arrived, she disappeared from your sight. Your table fell silent again. You could see that Satoru was irritated. He probably didn't like the idea of ​​someone else treating you, since it might mean you might try something to escape.

And he was right. You would try. Every place you stopped, every bar, inn, town, you would try. Even though your hands trembled at the thought of what he might do, you wouldn't stop.

Satoru grabbed a piece of chicken and bit into it. He was annoyed, angry, and restless. The girl, Shoko, seemed to be smarter than most of the villagers. At least she had some medical knowledge, or at least that's what she had implied.

A sigh escaped his lips. They were five days away on horseback from the Blue Forest. If they got there in that time, there was no way anyone would find them. But getting to Lur would still take time, so the first step was to reach the Blue Forest and lose themselves in the thick fog that formed there.

But now he had to focus on controlling you and ensuring you didn't do anything he didn't want. He watched you eat, so different from back in the castle, he could almost swear you could blend in with everyone there. The bites you took were large, nothing a high-society lady would do, but there you were.

The smile that had been forming on Satoru's lips quickly fell when your eyes met and he remembered where you were.

He took his hand away from his chin and grabbed the mug of beer to take a deep sip, closing his eyes tightly as he got used to the taste; the beer was stronger than Lur's. He set the mug aside and wiped his mouth, directing his blue eyes back to your figure.

“Finish the chicken already.” He said through gritted teeth.

“Sorry, this is the first time I've eaten it like this.” You said as you set the bones aside. “It's fun.” You smiled unconsciously.

Satoru said nothing and simply turned around, leaning his back against the stone wall and looking around. You, for your part, continued eating, while observing his profile: straight nose, full lips, high cheekbones, and mile-long eyelashes. No one could deny that he was beautiful, and whoever did was probably completely blind.

You still remember how your maids started talking about him as soon as he started working for you; his smile made them all blush, and of course you fell for it too. His sweet tone of voice, his delicate movements, all of it had everyone in the castle entranced by him, but who could have imagined that it was just a facade, one that was too well constructed?

You swallowed the meat and your eyes observed your reflection in the window. Your hair escaped from your hood, revealing the reddish color, which stood out even more under the candlelight. The memory of what had happened that day shook you. You'd never heard of mountain bandits before. You knew that if Satoru hadn't intervened, now... You shook your head. You were there, in that village, eating chicken. All things considered, you were fine. You were going to be fine.

Both plates remained empty, and you hesitated to speak. That girl, Shoko, had told you to go there to treat your wound, and this could be a good opportunity to leave a message in case the royal guard following you passed by, or even for her to do so.

You raised your gaze and found Satoru still staring into the distance. You cleared your throat. “Let's go.”

“Are you going to that girl?” He asked without looking at you.

You straightened your clothes and nodded. “Yes, I don’t want it to get infected.” You said firmly. “It could get infected, and I could die.”

Satoru laughed at your answer. “Bunny, I highly doubt that cut will cause your death.”

“Whatever.” You said, rolling your eyes. “Let’s go.”

Satoru said nothing and walked behind you. It was strange, wasn’t he going to threaten you into not saying anything? You said goodbye to the couple and walked out the door. The night chill chilled your cheeks; you were further north, and the temperature was getting lower. If you continued north, the days would start to get shorter and the nights would become much colder and harsher.

You had heard about northern winters, but you didn’t know how much of it was real. The capital was further south, where winters occasionally saw snow, but rainy days were abundant. But the north could endure days of snow, and you'd even heard that there were parts where the sun didn't rise for months. Their days were illuminated only by the bright moonlight that graced those endless nights.

You hugged yourself tightly and looked back. Satoru continued walking, saying nothing.

“Aren't you going to say anything?” You asked him.

Satoru looked at you and sighed. “Don't do anything…” Your lips parted to speak, but Satoru's words arrived first. “Or I'll reduce this town to rubble. Do you understand?” He said, his tone cold, as cold as the air that blew that night.

He stood beside you and his eyes fixed on you, waiting for an answer. “I understand…” You said, trying not to stutter.

Satoru walked ahead of you, his back straight and confident. Oh, how much you wanted to knock him down and make him pay. You clenched and unclenched your fists; it would all come, it would happen eventually.

Soon you were standing in front of Shoko's door. Satoru knocked twice before it opened, revealing Shoko's silhouette behind it.

“Come in.” She stepped aside, letting you enter the warmth of her small home.

Your eyes scanned the room, lit by small candlesticks and the light from the fireplace. The place was small and cozy.

“You can leave your cloak there.” She pointed to a wooden chair.

You heard Satoru snort but remain silent. “Good…” You whispered, setting the cloak aside.

Short, patchy hair showed, and you quickly felt the need to hide under the dark cloak.

“Good, sit down so I can treat your wound.” She pointed to the chair across from her. You did so and looked at her. “It's not very deep, but it's still best to treat it…” She gently grabbed your face and turned it to the side.

Satoru stood there, arms crossed, watching you with his blue eyes that shone in the fireplace.

“This might hurt.” Shoko whispered before you felt a burning sensation on your neck. You closed your eyes tightly, tears gathering at the edges of your eyes as you inhaled deeply to keep them from falling silent. Soon, you felt a cloth being placed over the wound and Shoko moving away from you.

“That's it.” She said, setting the curling iron aside. “I don't think it'll leave a scar…”

“Thanks, Shoko.” You said, touching your neck.

“Okay, now we should…” Satoru started to speak, but Shoko cut him off.

“How about I fix your hair?” She said, touching one of your frayed ends. “I don't think you want to go with that cut, do you?”

You looked at her and then at the ends of your hair. “That would be nice…”

“Good.” She said, smiling. “How about you wait outside?” She looked at Satoru.

“No, I'm fine here.” Satoru leaned against the wall, his eyebrows narrowed.

Shoko said nothing and simply worked on your hair. You heard the scissors cutting, and small strands fell onto your thighs. Your reddish hair, which had once been the most precious thing to you...

Your mother used to dye it every night, while telling you stories about princesses and princes, about true love. Now you realized that it had all been just fairy tales, a fantasy.

“Good…” Shoko spoke, and you could hear a smile in her tone. “You look beautiful.”

You raised your hands to your hair and touched it; it was really short.

“What do you think?” Your gaze lifted and you looked at Satoru, who seemed impassive.

"It’s okay..." He was really cruel.

“It's late now, the inn that welcomes travelers will probably be closed, so stay here.”

”It won't be too much trouble?” You asked.

“Not at all, we have a free room, you can stay there.” She smiled, and you smiled back. “Where are you headed, anyway?”

“South.” Satoru lied. You were coming from the south and heading northeast. “The weather is better there, and my wife and I are looking to start there together.” The biggest fake smile spread across Satoru’s face.

“The south… sounds interesting. The weather will be better than here, that’s for sure.” Shoko commented.

The conversation didn’t last much longer, and soon you found yourself in the room with Satoru, just the two of you. You look around, the room only had a bed, which you knew what it meant and you didn’t like it.

“You sleep on the floor.” You said before Satoru could say anything.

Without waiting for a response, you sat on the bed and move yourself to be in the middle of it, trying to make a statement.

Satoru smirked as he watched you, did you really thought that with just putting yourself in the middle he was not going to be able to move you? Satoru without hesitation walked to the bed and with just one arm he pulled you to the side.

“Bunny, you thought you were making something there?” He chuckled. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

You broke free from his grasp and faced him. “I’m not sleeping in the same bed.”

“For my own good.” He picked up one of the pillows and threw it at you. “I’m sure the floor is comfortable.” He smiled cynically.

You gripped the pillow tightly. “Are you really going to make me sleep on the floor?”

Satoru thought for a moment. “Yes?”

“I thought you were a gentleman.” You said, grabbing the pillow and some blankets from the bed.

“Well, stop believing that, because I’m not.” He replied simply.

The floor was hard and cold. Just a few days ago, you had been in the castle, preparing for the ball with Utahime, taking walks in the garden, or going into town, and now… now you were on the cold floor of a humble abode, kidnapped by someone you thought you trusted.

You rolled onto your side and buried your face in the pillow, stifling the sobs building in your throat. Swallowing, you wiped your tears away. You had to stay awake until Satoru fell asleep so you could go out and ask Shoko for help.

But your eyes were too heavy; you felt your body slump, falling into a sleep you didn't want.

Fuck...

Satoru, for his part, had his arm under his head as he stared up at the wooden beams on the ceiling. The room was barely lit by the fading light in the sky, and outside, you couldn't hear a thing.

As the minutes passed, your breathing steadied, though a little uneven due to your blocked nose. Satoru knew you'd cried there on the floor, and although his chest had tightened, he'd quickly pushed them away. He didn't care about your tears; Satoru only cared about returning to Lur and completing his mission, and perhaps celebrating his success with Sukuna.

He tossed and turned in bed and saw your silhouette on the floor, curled up in a ball, trying to conserve your body heat. Satoru sat up in bed and took a closer look, then turned his gaze outside again. It was probably after midnight, maybe around one or two in the morning.

With a grunt, he got out of bed and approached you. Something inside him told him to put you to bed, but Satoru ignored it and simply pulled all the sheets over the bed. Maybe that would stop you from looking like an armadillo. Giving you one last look, he left the room.

He stood in the hallway and gripped his sword tightly. “You're not just travelers, are you?” Shoko's voice broke the silence of the night.

“That's all that matters to you?” He glanced at Shoko.

“Not much, really.” She smirked. “But you know..” Shoko walked past him. “Have you ever heard the rumor about the princess of Zerua?”

“The rumor?” Satoru followed her with his eyes.

“Yes, the rumor that says the kings had another daughter, one with fiery hair.” Satoru could see Shoko’s smile despite the dim nightlight. “Your wife has hair as red as fire, it’s curious.”

Satoru smirked. “Yeah… curious, but we are just travelers you know. We are searching for a better life.” Satoru tried to softly smile.

“I haven’t asked you your names.” Shoko then changed the subject. “How rude…”

“Skye..” Satoru responded without hesitation.

“And your wife?” Shoko tilted her head as she waited for a response.

Satoru narrowed his eyes as he tried to examine her face but it was too dark. “Selene…”

“Selene… like the moon goodness?”

“Yes… like her.” Satoru cleared his throw. “Isn't it too late to be up?”

“I could ask you the same.” Satoru felt irritated, he wanted to leave that town as soon as possible.

“I heard some noises… but it was probably an animal.” He gripped his hand around his sword. “I will go back to sleep. Good night.”

Satoru closed the door of the room not waiting for a response and he threw himself to the bed, he looked at you still resting on the floor.

"Ugh, damn it." He scratched his head, ruffling his white hair.

Setting his sword aside, he approached you and bent down, carefully running his hands under your body. Satoru knew you usually slept soundly, so you wouldn't wake up. In fact, lightning could strike the roof and you'd still be asleep.

He placed you on the bed and covered you with the sheets he'd previously thrown over you. He sat on the other side of the bed and looked at you, a long sigh escaping his lips. He needed this mission to be over and done with so he could go home. Satoru's eyes soon closed, exhaustion taking its toll on his body.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

Your back didn't hurt, at least not like you thought it would after sleeping on the floor. You stirred, and that's when you realized it: you weren't on the floor. Your eyes opened, and you were surprised to find yourself in bed.

Perhaps you had gotten up and laid down on it, or... You shook your head at those thoughts.

You walked over to the window and noticed the light mist outside. You looked around the room carefully; you were alone, and there was no sign of Satoru.

“Good…” This could be your chance.

With long strides, you left the room and looked for Shoko. The house wasn't very big, so it wouldn't be difficult to find her.

“Did you wake up?” A shiver ran through you. Turning on your heels, you found Satoru staring at you from the front door.

“Yes…” You said, licking your lips. “Where’s Shoko?”

“She went to get breakfast.” He said, passing by you. “We’ll have breakfast and then go.” You rolled your eyes and sat down across from him without saying anything. “Your name is Selene.”

“Excuse me?”

“Your name is Selene now, and mine is Skye, so just follow along when Shoko gets back.” Satoru frowned as he explained everything.

Selene? Skye?

“Good morning.” Shoko walked through the door with a smile. “I see you’re up. How was your night?”

“Good.” You glanced briefly at Satoru. “I slept well, thanks, Shoko.”

“It’s nothing. Here’s some milk. Skye told me you’d be leaving soon, but I couldn’t leave you without food.”

“Uh… Yes, yes.” He really had made up those names.

You took the milk Shoko had brought you and took a sip. Satoru's eyes pierced you intensely, almost asking you to drink that bowl as soon as possible and that as soon as you put it down on the table, he'd get you out of there.

“Selene, so are you excited?” Shoko spoke, and at first you didn't realize it, not until Satoru smacked you under the table.

“Oh! Yes, yes... very much so. I can't wait to go south. Maybe we'll stop by the capital, right, Skye?” You looked at him with a smile.

“Maybe.”

"Sometimes you two give the impression that you hate each other." Shoko laughed.

“Yeah that’s because…”

“Things have been complicated.” Satoru spoke over you. “After the bandit attack, Selene hasn't been feeling well, and that might be why she's feeling that way.” Satoru stood up from his chair and took your hand as he knelt beside you. “But everything will be okay, my dear. We'll soon be arriving at our new home.” He smiled at you and then planted a kiss on your hand.

You gulped as you looked at him, wanting to scream and call him names. But if you did, Satoru probably wouldn't hesitate to kill Shoko right there and disappear with you from that village in the middle of the mountains.

“Thanks, darling.” You faked a smile.

Still holding your hand, Satoru stood up and walked over to Shoko. “I think it's time to go. If we want to reach our next destination before nightfall, we'd better get going now.”

“I can give you supplies if you want.” Shoko pointed out.

“We're fine, thank you.”

Satoru tugged on your hand, leading you to the exit. You had to do it now.

”Shoko.” You broke free from his grasp and walked over to Shoko. “Thanks for everything.” You took her hands, leaving the small piece of paper in her hand. “See you.”

You released your grip and walked back to Satoru. He looked at you for a few moments, then back at Shoko.

“Come on, Skye…” You pulled him along. “Leaving now will get us to our next destination faster.”

Satoru followed you, but you could feel him staring at you. You hoped Shoko would read and understand it, and if there was a chance, she would pass the message on to the royal guard.

You reached Satoru’s horse, and you quickly approached him to hug him.

“Hey, Nut!” You said, stroking him gently.

“Nut?” Satoru said, puzzled.

“Yes, Nut, his name is Nut.” Your gaze returned to Nut and you smiled. “Since your stupid owner doesn’t name you, I will.”

Satoru rolled his eyes and sighed. “Whatever…” His hands placed on your hips, pulling you away from Nut. “We’re leaving.”

“Wait, what?!” You said as Satoru lifted you up.

Satoru effortlessly sat you on the horse and, without saying anything, sat behind you. “We're leaving…” He whispered in your ear, causing your skin to prickle instantly.

Satoru grabbed Nut's reins and the horse began to walk. Snapping out of the momentary trance, you searched for Shoko, who was getting smaller and smaller as you left the small town behind. In your heart, all you could hope was that she'd read that note and find it in the right hands.

“Don't do that again.” You said after riding along the trails for a while.

“Do what?” Satoru asked.

“Catching me like that was… it was awkward.”

“Don't do what you did again.” Satoru said back.

Your face turned and you looked at him. You were close together, and that scared you because you saw it in his eyes. He knew, he'd noticed the note, he knew, he knew. “No…”

“No, what?” He smirked.

You shook your head. “Nothing will happen to Shoko, right?”

“Should something happen to her?” Satoru leaned closer to you. “Princess, I'll be nice this time, but not next time. Do you understand?”

“You're cruel.”

“The worst of all.” He muttered. “Now brace yourself, our plans have changed slightly.”

Little did you know that changed was going to make you go to your limit in your relationship with Satoru and make choices you didn’t think you would.

— if you wanna be tagged, comment

💌: @misslovingpearl @zoeyflower @faeriesworld101 @coffee-and-geto @alifromtheotherworld @fangirlingtod3ath @laeve-rae-alone @megumisthirdog @wlwkorrasami @starlight5cat @yourfaveava @manyno @kianatrg @iamtherealestet @tracysdemise @certainduckanchor @aloserprobably @glittercherry777 @sylussss7 @n1vi @chocolatepalacecloudhoagie @bubera974 @yourfaveava @thewondrousdreamer @a-trashbag

[jeankluv]

New chapter in a few days

The tale of the fox and the knight - Satoru Gojo | Chapter 02

summary: You have been living all your life in almost isolation due to your true nature, one your parents want to hide and protect you from anyone finding it. But when the spring of your 20 year your parents grant you the wish of being able to walk around the city, you meet him. Your doom. Satoru Gojo, a white haired knight whose intentions in your eyes are unkown. And whose presence in your life will change everything, from how you see the world to your way of being.

words: 4,9k

tags: enemies to lovers, blood, eventual smut, Gojo is pretty rude at the beginning, Gojo ooc, betrayal, fantasy, magical creatures, angst, injuries, heavy language, no use of y/n or minimal use of y/n, female protagonist

Warning for this chapter: it contains kidnapping and violence

notes: it’s been so long, but until last week I wasn’t done with exams, fortunately, if nothing happens I will be able to be more active bringing more chapters soon. If everything goes well Birdie next chapter will be out soon too.

materialist | previous chapter | next chapter

Jujutsu Kaisen materialist | ao3

— sorry for any typo that could be —

You felt your body numb, your limbs hurt and your body was leaning on something hard and cold. You were completely frozen.

Your eyes began to open slowly, the sun was not very high but you could see your surroundings clearly. You were in a forest and a little to the left there was a river that accompanied the sound of birds singing.

“Scream and I will cut your tongue.” You trembled when you heard those words.

Turning your head you saw the figure of a man dressed completely in dark colors, a cape covering his hair and a face mask, you could only see his eyes. Your heart skipped a beat when you saw them clearly.

“Satoru?”

What was happening? Why was Satoru dressed like that? Why did he tell you that?

You tried to move, trying to reach him but it was then when you noticed. Your hands were tied together.

“What…?” You said looking at them.

“You can try to get loose, but I highly doubt you’ll be able to undo the knot I’ve tied.” Satoru moved from where he was and approached his horse.

The morning breeze seemed much colder and sharper after hearing those words. “What do you mean?” Your voice came out trembling from the back of your throat. “Satoru, this isn’t funny. Untie me! We must return to the castle and find out what happened.”

Satoru chuckled. “I thought you were smarter, I guess I was wrong and you are just a stupid princess.”

Everything started to crumble, you felt how your world started to shake as Satoru’s words hit you right in the face.

“I don’t trust him.”

Utahime told you. She warned you, but you didn’t pay attention to it, you just ignored it.

Your hands clenched, wrinkling your dress, the dress Utahime had worked so hard to make. Now it was dirty, torn, and you didn't know if Utahime was okay, if your parents were okay, if everyone in the castle was okay…

“Was it you?” You said, not looking at him, not wanting to see his face.

Say no, say no please.

“Yes.” The dagger dug deeper into your heart.

You pressed your lips together tightly, digging your upper teeth into your lower lip, so much so that you could taste blood entering your mouth.

Your gaze lifted to look at the person in front of you.

Satoru smirked, this was not the princess he had known. That look you were giving him could bury him alive, but Satoru didn’t care.

“They are alive?” You whispered, afraid to hear the answer.

Satoru dropped to the ground, and crossed his legs, while biting into an apple. “Who knows.”

“You are…” But your words were left flying in the air.

“I am what?” He raised his chin arrogantly. “Come on, talk.”

“A monster!” You yelled. “Soon they will find me and… and they will catch you and you will pay for everything!”

“And when will yours pay?” You heard him murmur. “That won’t happen.” He then said with his normal tone. “Now change to these clothes.” He threw a bunch of clothes to your side.

You looked at them, they were a similar colour to his clothes. “No.” You said. “I’m not changing. I won’t go with you or follow your orders.”

Satoru sighed and scratched his forehead, irritated by your words. “Would you rather I take off your dress?”

Your face paled slightly and you swallowed hard. His voice sounded so different from what you were used to that it was almost scary. “No… I’ll do it…” You said, grabbing the clothes and holding them against your chest. “But… it’ll be a little difficult to do it with your hands like this.” You looked at your tied hands and then at him.

Satoru looked at your hands and stood up from where he was, your heart racing when he pulled out a dagger from one of his side pockets. “Don’t try to escape, bunny, or I’ll hunt you down.”

“I won’t.” You tried to sound as firm as possible. “But turn around.”

“Don’t worry bunny. I’m not interested in you at all.”

You shouldn't have felt anything after hearing those words, because the man before you had betrayed you in everything, but they still hurt.

The rope fell and you carefully got up from where you were. Satoru turned and walked to his horse with his back to you. You walked a little further, far enough to find a sheltered place where you could change.

You needed a plan, something to escape. That man was not the one you had known for 5 months, you couldn't think of the possibility that through your words he would change.

His gaze told you that it wouldn't happen, that you shouldn't even try. The blue, which reminded you so much of the paintings of the sea, was no longer there. Now it was a dark blue, dark like a stormy night.

Utahime's dress fell to your feet and a small sob escaped from your lips. You didn't want to cry, you didn't want him to see you shed a single tear, you wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

The icy cold of that morning hit your skin and you quickly put on the clothes that he had thrown at you. They were dark clothes, suitable if you wanted to go unnoticed. The fabric looked worn and was not very warm. With that outfit you would be unable to survive the Zerua winter.

You turned around noticing how Satoru was still with his back to you, caressing his horse. Grabbing Utahime's dress in your hands and wiping away a few tears, you walked towards him.

“You done?” He turned around, giving you a brief look through your hold body, stopping on your red hair.

With a few steps he was inches away from you. “What…?”

“Your hair… It’s too conspicuous. Something needs to be done about it…” He tangled his finger in your lock of hair. Your eyes met his.

Why couldn’t this be a nightmare? You wanted to wake up in your room and see that it had simply been a bad dream, that Satoru hadn’t stabbed you.

“What are you thinking, bunny?” You heard his voice and you snapped, hitting his hand away from your hair.

“No, leave my hair.” You said holding the lock that was on his hands before.

“Bunny, you have two options…” He showed his two fingers. “Or you dyed it or you cut it.”

“I’m not doing any of that!” You told him with anger.

He sighed. “You want me to chose?” He got closer to you. “No, right? So chose.”

You bite your lip with anger. “I’m not doing what you tell me.”

“You want me to get angry, bunny?” He moved and you walked a step away till you hit a tree. “I’m being nice letting you choose.”

You held your breath as you looked at his eyes, how was it possible he faked his own personality so good during those 5 months? Everything he showed you was just play? Was that the real Satoru?

Before you could say a single word, Satoru’s big hand covered your mouth, preventing you from saying anything at all. His gaze sharpened, and you could feel his body tense up.

He was nervous.

It was then that you heard some voices, getting closer and closer. You couldn’t hear what they were saying but you knew they were coming towards you.

Maybe that was your chance, you could ask for help. Go home.

Determined, you grabbed Satoru’s hand and pulled it away from you. “Help!”

Satoru covered your mouth again and his voice came out hoarse from his throat. “Shut up.”

Satoru’s grip tightened as he looked at you and you felt scared. But you couldn’t stop there, that might be the clearest way for you to run away from him.

Clenching your fist you hit Satoru in the ribs, the moment he loosened his grip you hit him in the chin causing his grip to disappear completely.

Given that opportunity you ran in the direction of the voices, you needed to get there as soon as possible. You could go back home, to your parents, to Utahime, to everyone. Your feet moved quickly, getting closer to your destination.

You pushed aside a few branches when you found yourself face to face with about five men. Their clothes indicated that they were not from the royal guard, they were disheveled.

“Please, I need help.” You spoke after a moment of falling silent.

The men looked at each other and then one of them smiled. “Of course, what's wrong?”

You looked back, looking to see if Satoru was nearby. “A man kidnapped me. And… I need to go home.”

“Did he kidnap you?” He smirked, making your skin crawl.

“Boss, look at her hair!” One of the men said excitedly.

“It’s red!” Another exclaimed, looking at you.

“How much do you think they’d give us for her?” Another asked.

“With that hair color? A lot for sure.” The last man finally spoke.

Your heart rate began to rise rapidly and you took a step back. You had escaped from the claws of a ferocious eagle only to fall into the mouth of a pack of wolves.

The group began to approach and when you tried to run away, one of them grabbed you by the hair, throwing you to the ground.

You couldn’t help but sob at the pain and fear you were feeling at that moment.

“Tie her up.” The sturdiest of them all spoke. “And don’t make a single mark on her, you know the price will go down if she has a scratch.” He grabbed your face as he looked at you.

You broke free from his grip but the one holding you shook you, causing you to whimper. You closed your eyes tightly as you prayed for that moment to pass quickly and for someone to appear and help you.

The voices of the group of men mixed with the sounds of nature. But that peace was interrupted when a child pierced your ears.

Your eyes widened and you watched as one of the men lay on the ground, dying in pain.

“Bastard!” You heard another scream.

It was then that your eyes saw him, the white hair that reflected the faint rays of sunlight that passed through the branches of the trees.

Satoru was there, he looked much larger and creepier, so much so that it made you shiver when his gaze met yours. It almost seemed like his eyes were red and not blue, no shade of blue could be seen in his gaze.

One of the men lunged at Satoru with his sword and you gasped in fear. The one next to you grabbed your arm tightly and pulled you, trying to get you away from the scene.

You watched as Satoru easily dodged each sword strike, as if it were child's play to him.

“Come on!” The man yelled at you.

“Let me go!” You yelled back, throwing your arms in the air trying to hit him.

“Shut up!” He yelled as he pulled you tighter.

Satoru was too focused on fighting the other men to see the situation you were fighting. You couldn't depend on him either, especially knowing that he was someone ruthless too.

You shook yourself trying to get him to let you go but to no avail, his grip was stronger than all your strength. You began to move away from where all the commotion was happening.

The man had your hair tied tightly, almost as if his life depended on it, he walked in front of you and your head was looking at the ground, you could only see his feet as he practically dragged you. No matter how much you hit him with your arms, you were clumsy and weak.

What could you expect from a princess who had been sheltered in a castle all her life? Nothing.

The man stopped walking abruptly, causing your face to crash into his back. With your eyes still closed the man pulled you.

“Don’t take another step!” He shouted.

Your eyes widened as you felt the sharp blade of the sword touch your throat.

“Come on…” You heard Satoru laugh, he was standing in front of you. “You have no choice, haven’t you seen your friends?” He tilted his head.

“Bastard…” The man whispered through clenched teeth, tightening his grip and moving closer to your face. “One cut and it won’t be worth anything, you know that right?”

“I don’t care.” Satoru said with disdain.

You gritted your teeth at his indifference and looked at him with contempt, and he just smiled.

The man started laughing, as if he had lost his mind. “You know what…” You felt the intense pain when the sword grazed your cheek and you sobbed. “Keep it, but I...” He pulled at your hair. “I’ll keep this.” With the sword he had used to hurt you, he cut your hair. “Red hair, this will make me rich.” And he turned to walk away.

Your knees hit the ground and the metallic taste of blood touched your lips. You didn't look up, your mind was too far from reality to look at what was happening around you.

Satoru, for his part, sighed in frustration as he watched the man begin to walk away. You had wanted to run away from him and in the end you ran into some smugglers from the mountain.

Satoru reluctantly grabbed his bow and one of the arrows he was carrying with him. Closing his eyes, he aimed at the smuggler who was getting further and further away. The string tightened and just as it had tightened, it loosened and the man fell to the ground.

Satoru turned his eyes back to you, who still had your head down.

“Come on, get up.” He said, passing by you to get his arrow.

The sound of birds and leaves breaking under his feet was the only thing that could be heard during the time that Satoru walked towards the corpse of that man. He forcefully pulled out the arrow and cleaned it before putting it back.

You were still on the ground, not moving, almost like a statue. Satoru scratched his head frustrated and walked towards you.

“Come on princess.” He spoke, but still you didn’t move. “You should have listened to me from the beginning.” He said.

Satoru was startled when his back hit the ground and he felt your weight on him, you were looking at him angrily. Your eyes were wet and your face had turned slightly pink, because of the rage that was accumulated in you.

“It’s all your fault!” You screamed and began to hit him angrily. “Everything! Absolutely everything is your fault!”

Satoru took your blows, one by one, without saying anything until he got tired of your tantrum and grabbed your wrists, spinning you around and trapping you beneath him.

“Stop being a child, I told you not to do anything stupid and the first thing you did was run into the lion’s den.” His face came closer. “Did you live in such a bubble that they never told you about the mountain bandits?”

You gritted your teeth as you looked at him. “I hate you…” You whispered. “You don’t know how much I do… I hope they find us and you suffer the worst punishment.”

Satoru looked at you and then pulled you up from the ground. “I’m sure you do.” He simply said. “Now let’s go.”

You snorted and wiped the tears from your cheeks, you didn't want to go with him, but what other option did you have? None. Satoru was right. You were nothing more than a princess who had always been locked away in a castle, away from everything for her safety.

“If it makes you feel better.” Satoru said, looking at you. “The man who cut your hair is dead.”

You rolled your eyes and stifled an ironic laugh.

Silence fell again as you followed Satoru's steps. You noticed how Satoru had changed direction after a while. That wasn't the path you had walked when you had tried to escape from him. Was he trying to keep you from seeing the corpses of those bandits? You quickly shook that idea out of your head. You didn't want to paint the image of the person in front of you and convince yourself again that something of the one you had known was still there.

The dry leaves of the trees broke under your feet as you walked along a path. Your eyes were on the ground, checking where you stepped to avoid falling.

Satoru finally stopped walking and your eyes went up, finding his black horse. Its coat glistened under the bright sunlight. You carefully approached it and petted it gently, the horse responding by shaking its head and bringing it closer to you.

A smile appeared on your face, the first since you had woken up in that nightmare.

“He likes you.” You heard him say.

Your smiled dropped as soon as you heard him. “What’s his name?” You asked.

You needed to keep the whole situation as normal as possible, or else you would lose yourself if you were construido thinking about the situation.

Having a “normal” conversation would help you with it.

“You never told me.” Your voice slowly disappearing as you said those words.

“Name?” Satoru looked at you while putting a few things in a bag that he then hung on each side of the animal. “He doesn’t have.”

“How could you not give him a name?” You said following his movements.

“I didn’t feel like it, he is going to die eventually, so is better not to get attached to it.” He said. “Now, go up.” He moved his head to the horse.

“I can do it myself.” You said grabbing the reins and the seat. You pushed your body forward and tried to get on, your leg failed and you fell back to its initial position. Closing your eyes you blew. “You can do it.”

“We don’t have all day.” You heard Satoru speak behind you.

You let out a growl and tried again, you don’t know if it was the anger you had inside or the fact that you didn’t want to hear Satoru’s voice again that made you manage to get on the horse.

You sat proudly on the top of the horse and look at Satoru with arrogance.

“So the princess can really ride a horse?” Satoru said.

“Didn’t you say we didn’t have the whole day?” You responded with irony.

“And actitud…” He said and sat behind you. “Alright bunny, let’s go and remember to follow my words.”

“Don’t call me that.” You looked at him over your shoulder. “And keep your hands on the reins.” You said and turned your gaze away from him.

“Alright…” He said your name this time and your heart jumped.

Stupid heart.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

Utahime injuries weren’t severe, but what hurt the most weren’t the injuries, it was her heart which ached everytime she remembered you.

Looking at the empty room Utahime felt an urge to cry.

Where are you, princess? Are you okay?

That bastard, I know he was not trustworthy.

“Iori.” She heard her name being called.

Utahime turned around, whipping away the tears she had. “Yes?”

The other maid hesitated, but she finally spoke. “I heard they might have a clue.”

As soon as the maid told her everything about it Utahime rushed to the place. Her knees hurt, but she didn’t mind, she needed to hear everything.

She entered without a knock, she knew someone of her status shouldn’t do that but she was too anxious to think about anything else.

The room fell silent when she stepped in, all the eyes were locked in her.

“Oh! Utahime dear!” Your mother tried to move from her seat but Utahime quickly moved to her.

“Her majesty, please don’t move.” Utahime held her hand.

“Utahime, my baby, where is she?” That was the first time Utahime saw the queen so vulnerable.

“I don’t know…” She said defeated.

“You were her closest maid, right?” An old voice filled the silence of the room.

Utahime look at him, he was one of the elders, one of the king's advisors and one of the reasons for your contact with the world.

“Yes sir.” Utahime responded.

“So maybe you know what happened to her.”

“I don’t sir.”

“Maybe you can confirm with us the fact that she ran away with her personal guard.”

“The princess wouldn’t do that!” Utahime said in a loud voice.

“How are you so sure, miss?” The old man smiled. “According to the people working for her, the princess looked very much in love with the guard. And now both of them are gone.”

Utahime gritted his teeth, you would never do that, cause an accident and run away? No, you loved that place, the people there, you would never be capable of that. “She would never…” Utahime’s words hung in the air when the door to the room opened.

Utahime narrowed her eyes as she looked at the figure standing there, it was a knight, he was wearing armor, but it was in poor condition, stained with mud and a crimson red color.

“Knight Geto!” One of the knights shouted approaching him.

Suguru Geto.

Utahime knew who he was, he was one of the knights in the castle, apparently a skilled one and one of the candidates to be the princess guard, but ended up losing against Satoru Gojo.

She narrowed her eyes, seeing how his arm was heavily injured and he looked like he came back from a battle.

“Hey! You are bleeding.” A knight spoke as he held him. “Stop! You need to…”

“I need to speak with the king!” Geto spoke and the room fell silent.

“Speak.” His majesty said.

“It’s about that knight, the escort of the princess, Gojo. He was plotting against the kingdom and I’m sure he was behind the incident that happened yesterday.” The silence felt heavier than before.

“Why are you so sure about this?”

“I found him receiving a message outside the castle.”

“And why didn't you warn everyone? Look what happened now! The princess is gone and who knows where they are taking her.” The elder spoke.

“I fought him…” Geto took his own arm. “But he was stronger than me.”

“So what? That’s everything you had to say?” The elder choked laughing. “We already knew this, tell us something new.”

Utahime saw how Geto rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Gojo mentioned something or at least that’s what I think I heard before passing out.” He sat down, sighed leaving his lips due to the pain. “He talked about revenge… something about what happened 20 years ago to his family.”

“That’s it?” The elder exclaimed. “You didn’t bring anything new to the table.”

“Enough.” His majesty the king finally spoke. “The princess has been kidnapped by someone who was close to her, we made a mistake by believing the lies that man told us when he joined our army.” He stood from his place. “Now what matters is finding the princess, before…” The king focused his gaze on the elder.

A mischievous smile appeared on him. “Exactly! The princess needs to be back. Put your best men to search for her.” He spoke to the commander of the royal guards.

“They will start searching as soon as they are ready.”

“I would like to…” Gato tried to talk.

“Aren’t you embarrassing enough? After being defeated by the enemy and letting everything happen you wanna help?” Geto felt silent as the elder spoke. “You.” He pointed at Utahime. “Treat him.”

Who did he think he was?

“Yes sir.” Utahime approached. “Let’s go and treat your wounds.”

Geto only sighed and he walked carefully besides Utahime, still feeling the anger on his chest after hearing that man’s words.

The room soon enough was only left with four people, the king and queen, who were holding hands trying to erase the anxiety that they were feeling, commander Yaga and the elder.

“Warlock… you think he is behind this?” The king spoke as he looked at the elder.

“It could be… the information about the princess' real identity might have been leaked.”

The king, frustrated, touched his face. “Yaga, I trust you to find the princess. Please bring my daughter back home and the head of that bastard.”

“Yes my king.” Yaga kneel down. “I promise I will bring the princess back home.”

“And Warlock… are you sure the information about the princess has been leaked?” The elder nodded. “I will trust you with the investigation, you have served my father before and me, I know you can do a good job to find the traitor.”

“I will do my best, my king.”

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

Satoru could swear that you had snorted a thousand times, and probably rolled your eyes a thousand times throughout the journey.

The last rays of sunlight were beginning to set behind the mountains and not far from you the lights of a small village were beginning to appear. Satoru knew he had to be careful with you, you could try to escape again. But luckily for him you had gone quite far from the capital and if they had started the search it would still take them a while to find you.

When you finally reached the village the sun had completely hidden behind the mountains and the streets of that place barely had any life.

“We will spend the night here.” Satoru got off the horse and looked at you from below. “Can the princess get off by herself?” He said disdainfully.

You snorted and rolling your eyes you moved your leg to get off the horse without any complications. You looked over your shoulder at Satoru and smiled proudly.

Satoru just smiled. “Very well. Now.” He took a step towards you. “Remember, do as I say.”

“Do I have a choice?” You crossed your arms.

“No, since I need you alive.” Satoru said it casually.

You narrowed your eyes and looked at him. “Why? Do you know about…” You let the words hang in the air.

You shouldn’t talk about it, there was a chance he didn’t know and the reason for all of this was to blackmail your father for land or something else. But it wasn’t possible for Satoru to know about your secret, not when only a few people knew about it. Not even Utahime, the person closest to you knew about it.

“About what?” Satoru crossed his arms.

“Forget it. I’m hungry.” You said crossing your arms.

“Unfortunately, your personal chef isn’t here and I’m not going to be yours.” Satoru argued.

“I didn’t want you to be either, I’m sure you cook badly.” You said back.

“Come on, there’s a tavern open over there and remember, keep your mouth shut.” He whispered the last part into your ear.

You looked at him coldly and he just smiled. Your stomach rumbled and you touched it, you were really hungry. The walk to the tavern was short and silent, but the silence that had been created was soon interrupted by the hubbub coming from inside the tavern.

Satoru’s hand grabbed the hood and placed it over your reddish hair. You slapped his hand away and he rolled his eyes.

The two of you entered the tavern and were soon greeted by the smell of alcohol and smoke that made it practically impossible to see anything. You sat down at a table, a bit away from the crowd and near a window.

“You two are travelers right?” A man asked as he approached your table. “The journey must have been exhausting, what would you like to have?”

You bite your lip, you were really hungry at that moment. “We will have the chicken.” Satoru replied before you could even say anything.

“One for each?”

Satoru looked at you and smiled. “Dear, you will able to eat one full chicken?”

Dear? Was he pretending to be a couple so no one would suspect anything? You wanted to laugh. “Yes please.” You looked at the man and then back at Satoru. “And don’t call me that.” Satoru’s smile dropping as yours grew bigger.

“Oh I guess the couple is having problems.”

“Yeah, just…”

“We are not a couple.” You spoke with a smile.

The man looked at both of you and with a silent bow he left. Your gaze then met Satoru’s who was coldly looking at you. “What are you doing?” He said with a low tone.

“Nothing?”

“I told you to follow what I said right?” He looked at you with those intense blue eyes.

You rolled your eyes. “If you thought I was going to be the submissive princess you knew, I’m sorry but no.”

If you wanted to survive and go back home, you needed to change, you couldn’t flinch before him even when your heart still reacted at him.

You needed to be smarter than him and you needed to start by changing your attitude towards him. That was not the Satoru you knew and you couldn’t be the you he knew.

Satoru only looked at you, locking your eyes with his and feeling the burning anger that you had there.

final note: remember that this Gojo is completely ooc and that is a slow burn, and I don’t want to rush things with reader and Gojo so it will take time for them to start something. Also I’m not planning another couple in the story, just in case. But I’m planning on telling the castle pov from Utahime and reveal things of the story from her pov

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[jeankluv]

The tale of the fox and the knight - Satoru Gojo | Chapter 02

summary: You have been living all your life in almost isolation due to your true nature, one your parents want to hide and protect you from anyone finding it. But when the spring of your 20 year your parents grant you the wish of being able to walk around the city, you meet him. Your doom. Satoru Gojo, a white haired knight whose intentions in your eyes are unkown. And whose presence in your life will change everything, from how you see the world to your way of being.

words: 4,9k

tags: enemies to lovers, blood, eventual smut, Gojo is pretty rude at the beginning, Gojo ooc, betrayal, fantasy, magical creatures, angst, injuries, heavy language, no use of y/n or minimal use of y/n, female protagonist

Warning for this chapter: it contains kidnapping and violence

notes: it’s been so long, but until last week I wasn’t done with exams, fortunately, if nothing happens I will be able to be more active bringing more chapters soon. If everything goes well Birdie next chapter will be out soon too.

materialist | previous chapter | next chapter

Jujutsu Kaisen materialist | ao3

— sorry for any typo that could be —

You felt your body numb, your limbs hurt and your body was leaning on something hard and cold. You were completely frozen.

Your eyes began to open slowly, the sun was not very high but you could see your surroundings clearly. You were in a forest and a little to the left there was a river that accompanied the sound of birds singing.

“Scream and I will cut your tongue.” You trembled when you heard those words.

Turning your head you saw the figure of a man dressed completely in dark colors, a cape covering his hair and a face mask, you could only see his eyes. Your heart skipped a beat when you saw them clearly.

“Satoru?”

What was happening? Why was Satoru dressed like that? Why did he tell you that?

You tried to move, trying to reach him but it was then when you noticed. Your hands were tied together.

“What…?” You said looking at them.

“You can try to get loose, but I highly doubt you’ll be able to undo the knot I’ve tied.” Satoru moved from where he was and approached his horse.

The morning breeze seemed much colder and sharper after hearing those words. “What do you mean?” Your voice came out trembling from the back of your throat. “Satoru, this isn’t funny. Untie me! We must return to the castle and find out what happened.”

Satoru chuckled. “I thought you were smarter, I guess I was wrong and you are just a stupid princess.”

Everything started to crumble, you felt how your world started to shake as Satoru’s words hit you right in the face.

“I don’t trust him.”

Utahime told you. She warned you, but you didn’t pay attention to it, you just ignored it.

Your hands clenched, wrinkling your dress, the dress Utahime had worked so hard to make. Now it was dirty, torn, and you didn't know if Utahime was okay, if your parents were okay, if everyone in the castle was okay…

“Was it you?” You said, not looking at him, not wanting to see his face.

Say no, say no please.

“Yes.” The dagger dug deeper into your heart.

You pressed your lips together tightly, digging your upper teeth into your lower lip, so much so that you could taste blood entering your mouth.

Your gaze lifted to look at the person in front of you.

Satoru smirked, this was not the princess he had known. That look you were giving him could bury him alive, but Satoru didn’t care.

“They are alive?” You whispered, afraid to hear the answer.

Satoru dropped to the ground, and crossed his legs, while biting into an apple. “Who knows.”

“You are…” But your words were left flying in the air.

“I am what?” He raised his chin arrogantly. “Come on, talk.”

“A monster!” You yelled. “Soon they will find me and… and they will catch you and you will pay for everything!”

“And when will yours pay?” You heard him murmur. “That won’t happen.” He then said with his normal tone. “Now change to these clothes.” He threw a bunch of clothes to your side.

You looked at them, they were a similar colour to his clothes. “No.” You said. “I’m not changing. I won’t go with you or follow your orders.”

Satoru sighed and scratched his forehead, irritated by your words. “Would you rather I take off your dress?”

Your face paled slightly and you swallowed hard. His voice sounded so different from what you were used to that it was almost scary. “No… I’ll do it…” You said, grabbing the clothes and holding them against your chest. “But… it’ll be a little difficult to do it with your hands like this.” You looked at your tied hands and then at him.

Satoru looked at your hands and stood up from where he was, your heart racing when he pulled out a dagger from one of his side pockets. “Don’t try to escape, bunny, or I’ll hunt you down.”

“I won’t.” You tried to sound as firm as possible. “But turn around.”

“Don’t worry bunny. I’m not interested in you at all.”

You shouldn't have felt anything after hearing those words, because the man before you had betrayed you in everything, but they still hurt.

The rope fell and you carefully got up from where you were. Satoru turned and walked to his horse with his back to you. You walked a little further, far enough to find a sheltered place where you could change.

You needed a plan, something to escape. That man was not the one you had known for 5 months, you couldn't think of the possibility that through your words he would change.

His gaze told you that it wouldn't happen, that you shouldn't even try. The blue, which reminded you so much of the paintings of the sea, was no longer there. Now it was a dark blue, dark like a stormy night.

Utahime's dress fell to your feet and a small sob escaped from your lips. You didn't want to cry, you didn't want him to see you shed a single tear, you wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

The icy cold of that morning hit your skin and you quickly put on the clothes that he had thrown at you. They were dark clothes, suitable if you wanted to go unnoticed. The fabric looked worn and was not very warm. With that outfit you would be unable to survive the Zerua winter.

You turned around noticing how Satoru was still with his back to you, caressing his horse. Grabbing Utahime's dress in your hands and wiping away a few tears, you walked towards him.

“You done?” He turned around, giving you a brief look through your hold body, stopping on your red hair.

With a few steps he was inches away from you. “What…?”

“Your hair… It’s too conspicuous. Something needs to be done about it…” He tangled his finger in your lock of hair. Your eyes met his.

Why couldn’t this be a nightmare? You wanted to wake up in your room and see that it had simply been a bad dream, that Satoru hadn’t stabbed you.

“What are you thinking, bunny?” You heard his voice and you snapped, hitting his hand away from your hair.

“No, leave my hair.” You said holding the lock that was on his hands before.

“Bunny, you have two options…” He showed his two fingers. “Or you dyed it or you cut it.”

“I’m not doing any of that!” You told him with anger.

He sighed. “You want me to chose?” He got closer to you. “No, right? So chose.”

You bite your lip with anger. “I’m not doing what you tell me.”

“You want me to get angry, bunny?” He moved and you walked a step away till you hit a tree. “I’m being nice letting you choose.”

You held your breath as you looked at his eyes, how was it possible he faked his own personality so good during those 5 months? Everything he showed you was just play? Was that the real Satoru?

Before you could say a single word, Satoru’s big hand covered your mouth, preventing you from saying anything at all. His gaze sharpened, and you could feel his body tense up.

He was nervous.

It was then that you heard some voices, getting closer and closer. You couldn’t hear what they were saying but you knew they were coming towards you.

Maybe that was your chance, you could ask for help. Go home.

Determined, you grabbed Satoru’s hand and pulled it away from you. “Help!”

Satoru covered your mouth again and his voice came out hoarse from his throat. “Shut up.”

Satoru’s grip tightened as he looked at you and you felt scared. But you couldn’t stop there, that might be the clearest way for you to run away from him.

Clenching your fist you hit Satoru in the ribs, the moment he loosened his grip you hit him in the chin causing his grip to disappear completely.

Given that opportunity you ran in the direction of the voices, you needed to get there as soon as possible. You could go back home, to your parents, to Utahime, to everyone. Your feet moved quickly, getting closer to your destination.

You pushed aside a few branches when you found yourself face to face with about five men. Their clothes indicated that they were not from the royal guard, they were disheveled.

“Please, I need help.” You spoke after a moment of falling silent.

The men looked at each other and then one of them smiled. “Of course, what's wrong?”

You looked back, looking to see if Satoru was nearby. “A man kidnapped me. And… I need to go home.”

“Did he kidnap you?” He smirked, making your skin crawl.

“Boss, look at her hair!” One of the men said excitedly.

“It’s red!” Another exclaimed, looking at you.

“How much do you think they’d give us for her?” Another asked.

“With that hair color? A lot for sure.” The last man finally spoke.

Your heart rate began to rise rapidly and you took a step back. You had escaped from the claws of a ferocious eagle only to fall into the mouth of a pack of wolves.

The group began to approach and when you tried to run away, one of them grabbed you by the hair, throwing you to the ground.

You couldn’t help but sob at the pain and fear you were feeling at that moment.

“Tie her up.” The sturdiest of them all spoke. “And don’t make a single mark on her, you know the price will go down if she has a scratch.” He grabbed your face as he looked at you.

You broke free from his grip but the one holding you shook you, causing you to whimper. You closed your eyes tightly as you prayed for that moment to pass quickly and for someone to appear and help you.

The voices of the group of men mixed with the sounds of nature. But that peace was interrupted when a child pierced your ears.

Your eyes widened and you watched as one of the men lay on the ground, dying in pain.

“Bastard!” You heard another scream.

It was then that your eyes saw him, the white hair that reflected the faint rays of sunlight that passed through the branches of the trees.

Satoru was there, he looked much larger and creepier, so much so that it made you shiver when his gaze met yours. It almost seemed like his eyes were red and not blue, no shade of blue could be seen in his gaze.

One of the men lunged at Satoru with his sword and you gasped in fear. The one next to you grabbed your arm tightly and pulled you, trying to get you away from the scene.

You watched as Satoru easily dodged each sword strike, as if it were child's play to him.

“Come on!” The man yelled at you.

“Let me go!” You yelled back, throwing your arms in the air trying to hit him.

“Shut up!” He yelled as he pulled you tighter.

Satoru was too focused on fighting the other men to see the situation you were fighting. You couldn't depend on him either, especially knowing that he was someone ruthless too.

You shook yourself trying to get him to let you go but to no avail, his grip was stronger than all your strength. You began to move away from where all the commotion was happening.

The man had your hair tied tightly, almost as if his life depended on it, he walked in front of you and your head was looking at the ground, you could only see his feet as he practically dragged you. No matter how much you hit him with your arms, you were clumsy and weak.

What could you expect from a princess who had been sheltered in a castle all her life? Nothing.

The man stopped walking abruptly, causing your face to crash into his back. With your eyes still closed the man pulled you.

“Don’t take another step!” He shouted.

Your eyes widened as you felt the sharp blade of the sword touch your throat.

“Come on…” You heard Satoru laugh, he was standing in front of you. “You have no choice, haven’t you seen your friends?” He tilted his head.

“Bastard…” The man whispered through clenched teeth, tightening his grip and moving closer to your face. “One cut and it won’t be worth anything, you know that right?”

“I don’t care.” Satoru said with disdain.

You gritted your teeth at his indifference and looked at him with contempt, and he just smiled.

The man started laughing, as if he had lost his mind. “You know what…” You felt the intense pain when the sword grazed your cheek and you sobbed. “Keep it, but I...” He pulled at your hair. “I’ll keep this.” With the sword he had used to hurt you, he cut your hair. “Red hair, this will make me rich.” And he turned to walk away.

Your knees hit the ground and the metallic taste of blood touched your lips. You didn't look up, your mind was too far from reality to look at what was happening around you.

Satoru, for his part, sighed in frustration as he watched the man begin to walk away. You had wanted to run away from him and in the end you ran into some smugglers from the mountain.

Satoru reluctantly grabbed his bow and one of the arrows he was carrying with him. Closing his eyes, he aimed at the smuggler who was getting further and further away. The string tightened and just as it had tightened, it loosened and the man fell to the ground.

Satoru turned his eyes back to you, who still had your head down.

“Come on, get up.” He said, passing by you to get his arrow.

The sound of birds and leaves breaking under his feet was the only thing that could be heard during the time that Satoru walked towards the corpse of that man. He forcefully pulled out the arrow and cleaned it before putting it back.

You were still on the ground, not moving, almost like a statue. Satoru scratched his head frustrated and walked towards you.

“Come on princess.” He spoke, but still you didn’t move. “You should have listened to me from the beginning.” He said.

Satoru was startled when his back hit the ground and he felt your weight on him, you were looking at him angrily. Your eyes were wet and your face had turned slightly pink, because of the rage that was accumulated in you.

“It’s all your fault!” You screamed and began to hit him angrily. “Everything! Absolutely everything is your fault!”

Satoru took your blows, one by one, without saying anything until he got tired of your tantrum and grabbed your wrists, spinning you around and trapping you beneath him.

“Stop being a child, I told you not to do anything stupid and the first thing you did was run into the lion’s den.” His face came closer. “Did you live in such a bubble that they never told you about the mountain bandits?”

You gritted your teeth as you looked at him. “I hate you…” You whispered. “You don’t know how much I do… I hope they find us and you suffer the worst punishment.”

Satoru looked at you and then pulled you up from the ground. “I’m sure you do.” He simply said. “Now let’s go.”

You snorted and wiped the tears from your cheeks, you didn't want to go with him, but what other option did you have? None. Satoru was right. You were nothing more than a princess who had always been locked away in a castle, away from everything for her safety.

“If it makes you feel better.” Satoru said, looking at you. “The man who cut your hair is dead.”

You rolled your eyes and stifled an ironic laugh.

Silence fell again as you followed Satoru's steps. You noticed how Satoru had changed direction after a while. That wasn't the path you had walked when you had tried to escape from him. Was he trying to keep you from seeing the corpses of those bandits? You quickly shook that idea out of your head. You didn't want to paint the image of the person in front of you and convince yourself again that something of the one you had known was still there.

The dry leaves of the trees broke under your feet as you walked along a path. Your eyes were on the ground, checking where you stepped to avoid falling.

Satoru finally stopped walking and your eyes went up, finding his black horse. Its coat glistened under the bright sunlight. You carefully approached it and petted it gently, the horse responding by shaking its head and bringing it closer to you.

A smile appeared on your face, the first since you had woken up in that nightmare.

“He likes you.” You heard him say.

Your smiled dropped as soon as you heard him. “What’s his name?” You asked.

You needed to keep the whole situation as normal as possible, or else you would lose yourself if you were construido thinking about the situation.

Having a “normal” conversation would help you with it.

“You never told me.” Your voice slowly disappearing as you said those words.

“Name?” Satoru looked at you while putting a few things in a bag that he then hung on each side of the animal. “He doesn’t have.”

“How could you not give him a name?” You said following his movements.

“I didn’t feel like it, he is going to die eventually, so is better not to get attached to it.” He said. “Now, go up.” He moved his head to the horse.

“I can do it myself.” You said grabbing the reins and the seat. You pushed your body forward and tried to get on, your leg failed and you fell back to its initial position. Closing your eyes you blew. “You can do it.”

“We don’t have all day.” You heard Satoru speak behind you.

You let out a growl and tried again, you don’t know if it was the anger you had inside or the fact that you didn’t want to hear Satoru’s voice again that made you manage to get on the horse.

You sat proudly on the top of the horse and look at Satoru with arrogance.

“So the princess can really ride a horse?” Satoru said.

“Didn’t you say we didn’t have the whole day?” You responded with irony.

“And actitud…” He said and sat behind you. “Alright bunny, let’s go and remember to follow my words.”

“Don’t call me that.” You looked at him over your shoulder. “And keep your hands on the reins.” You said and turned your gaze away from him.

“Alright…” He said your name this time and your heart jumped.

Stupid heart.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

Utahime injuries weren’t severe, but what hurt the most weren’t the injuries, it was her heart which ached everytime she remembered you.

Looking at the empty room Utahime felt an urge to cry.

Where are you, princess? Are you okay?

That bastard, I know he was not trustworthy.

“Iori.” She heard her name being called.

Utahime turned around, whipping away the tears she had. “Yes?”

The other maid hesitated, but she finally spoke. “I heard they might have a clue.”

As soon as the maid told her everything about it Utahime rushed to the place. Her knees hurt, but she didn’t mind, she needed to hear everything.

She entered without a knock, she knew someone of her status shouldn’t do that but she was too anxious to think about anything else.

The room fell silent when she stepped in, all the eyes were locked in her.

“Oh! Utahime dear!” Your mother tried to move from her seat but Utahime quickly moved to her.

“Her majesty, please don’t move.” Utahime held her hand.

“Utahime, my baby, where is she?” That was the first time Utahime saw the queen so vulnerable.

“I don’t know…” She said defeated.

“You were her closest maid, right?” An old voice filled the silence of the room.

Utahime look at him, he was one of the elders, one of the king's advisors and one of the reasons for your contact with the world.

“Yes sir.” Utahime responded.

“So maybe you know what happened to her.”

“I don’t sir.”

“Maybe you can confirm with us the fact that she ran away with her personal guard.”

“The princess wouldn’t do that!” Utahime said in a loud voice.

“How are you so sure, miss?” The old man smiled. “According to the people working for her, the princess looked very much in love with the guard. And now both of them are gone.”

Utahime gritted his teeth, you would never do that, cause an accident and run away? No, you loved that place, the people there, you would never be capable of that. “She would never…” Utahime’s words hung in the air when the door to the room opened.

Utahime narrowed her eyes as she looked at the figure standing there, it was a knight, he was wearing armor, but it was in poor condition, stained with mud and a crimson red color.

“Knight Geto!” One of the knights shouted approaching him.

Suguru Geto.

Utahime knew who he was, he was one of the knights in the castle, apparently a skilled one and one of the candidates to be the princess guard, but ended up losing against Satoru Gojo.

She narrowed her eyes, seeing how his arm was heavily injured and he looked like he came back from a battle.

“Hey! You are bleeding.” A knight spoke as he held him. “Stop! You need to…”

“I need to speak with the king!” Geto spoke and the room fell silent.

“Speak.” His majesty said.

“It’s about that knight, the escort of the princess, Gojo. He was plotting against the kingdom and I’m sure he was behind the incident that happened yesterday.” The silence felt heavier than before.

“Why are you so sure about this?”

“I found him receiving a message outside the castle.”

“And why didn't you warn everyone? Look what happened now! The princess is gone and who knows where they are taking her.” The elder spoke.

“I fought him…” Geto took his own arm. “But he was stronger than me.”

“So what? That’s everything you had to say?” The elder choked laughing. “We already knew this, tell us something new.”

Utahime saw how Geto rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Gojo mentioned something or at least that’s what I think I heard before passing out.” He sat down, sighed leaving his lips due to the pain. “He talked about revenge… something about what happened 20 years ago to his family.”

“That’s it?” The elder exclaimed. “You didn’t bring anything new to the table.”

“Enough.” His majesty the king finally spoke. “The princess has been kidnapped by someone who was close to her, we made a mistake by believing the lies that man told us when he joined our army.” He stood from his place. “Now what matters is finding the princess, before…” The king focused his gaze on the elder.

A mischievous smile appeared on him. “Exactly! The princess needs to be back. Put your best men to search for her.” He spoke to the commander of the royal guards.

“They will start searching as soon as they are ready.”

“I would like to…” Gato tried to talk.

“Aren’t you embarrassing enough? After being defeated by the enemy and letting everything happen you wanna help?” Geto felt silent as the elder spoke. “You.” He pointed at Utahime. “Treat him.”

Who did he think he was?

“Yes sir.” Utahime approached. “Let’s go and treat your wounds.”

Geto only sighed and he walked carefully besides Utahime, still feeling the anger on his chest after hearing that man’s words.

The room soon enough was only left with four people, the king and queen, who were holding hands trying to erase the anxiety that they were feeling, commander Yaga and the elder.

“Warlock… you think he is behind this?” The king spoke as he looked at the elder.

“It could be… the information about the princess' real identity might have been leaked.”

The king, frustrated, touched his face. “Yaga, I trust you to find the princess. Please bring my daughter back home and the head of that bastard.”

“Yes my king.” Yaga kneel down. “I promise I will bring the princess back home.”

“And Warlock… are you sure the information about the princess has been leaked?” The elder nodded. “I will trust you with the investigation, you have served my father before and me, I know you can do a good job to find the traitor.”

“I will do my best, my king.”

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

Satoru could swear that you had snorted a thousand times, and probably rolled your eyes a thousand times throughout the journey.

The last rays of sunlight were beginning to set behind the mountains and not far from you the lights of a small village were beginning to appear. Satoru knew he had to be careful with you, you could try to escape again. But luckily for him you had gone quite far from the capital and if they had started the search it would still take them a while to find you.

When you finally reached the village the sun had completely hidden behind the mountains and the streets of that place barely had any life.

“We will spend the night here.” Satoru got off the horse and looked at you from below. “Can the princess get off by herself?” He said disdainfully.

You snorted and rolling your eyes you moved your leg to get off the horse without any complications. You looked over your shoulder at Satoru and smiled proudly.

Satoru just smiled. “Very well. Now.” He took a step towards you. “Remember, do as I say.”

“Do I have a choice?” You crossed your arms.

“No, since I need you alive.” Satoru said it casually.

You narrowed your eyes and looked at him. “Why? Do you know about…” You let the words hang in the air.

You shouldn’t talk about it, there was a chance he didn’t know and the reason for all of this was to blackmail your father for land or something else. But it wasn’t possible for Satoru to know about your secret, not when only a few people knew about it. Not even Utahime, the person closest to you knew about it.

“About what?” Satoru crossed his arms.

“Forget it. I’m hungry.” You said crossing your arms.

“Unfortunately, your personal chef isn’t here and I’m not going to be yours.” Satoru argued.

“I didn’t want you to be either, I’m sure you cook badly.” You said back.

“Come on, there’s a tavern open over there and remember, keep your mouth shut.” He whispered the last part into your ear.

You looked at him coldly and he just smiled. Your stomach rumbled and you touched it, you were really hungry. The walk to the tavern was short and silent, but the silence that had been created was soon interrupted by the hubbub coming from inside the tavern.

Satoru’s hand grabbed the hood and placed it over your reddish hair. You slapped his hand away and he rolled his eyes.

The two of you entered the tavern and were soon greeted by the smell of alcohol and smoke that made it practically impossible to see anything. You sat down at a table, a bit away from the crowd and near a window.

“You two are travelers right?” A man asked as he approached your table. “The journey must have been exhausting, what would you like to have?”

You bite your lip, you were really hungry at that moment. “We will have the chicken.” Satoru replied before you could even say anything.

“One for each?”

Satoru looked at you and smiled. “Dear, you will able to eat one full chicken?”

Dear? Was he pretending to be a couple so no one would suspect anything? You wanted to laugh. “Yes please.” You looked at the man and then back at Satoru. “And don’t call me that.” Satoru’s smile dropping as yours grew bigger.

“Oh I guess the couple is having problems.”

“Yeah, just…”

“We are not a couple.” You spoke with a smile.

The man looked at both of you and with a silent bow he left. Your gaze then met Satoru’s who was coldly looking at you. “What are you doing?” He said with a low tone.

“Nothing?”

“I told you to follow what I said right?” He looked at you with those intense blue eyes.

You rolled your eyes. “If you thought I was going to be the submissive princess you knew, I’m sorry but no.”

If you wanted to survive and go back home, you needed to change, you couldn’t flinch before him even when your heart still reacted at him.

You needed to be smarter than him and you needed to start by changing your attitude towards him. That was not the Satoru you knew and you couldn’t be the you he knew.

Satoru only looked at you, locking your eyes with his and feeling the burning anger that you had there.

final note: remember that this Gojo is completely ooc and that is a slow burn, and I don’t want to rush things with reader and Gojo so it will take time for them to start something. Also I’m not planning another couple in the story, just in case. But I’m planning on telling the castle pov from Utahime and reveal things of the story from her pov

— comment if you wanna be tagged

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[jeankluv]

hi im not sure if u accept reqs or suggestions but i think it would be funny if the reader is a brat sometimes in tale of the fox and the knight because she’s a princess after all and is so used to being catered to that even after being kidnapped she doesn’t stop giving orders to satoru (as if he’d listen lol) and it would be fun to watch gojo to finally deal with someone who’s a bigger brat than him. it would drive him insane 😭

anyways patiently waiting for ur next update <3

Mhmmm that’s interesting, I might added this somehow, but I still need to develop her but in the next chapter, that hopefully I post tomorrow, you will see the direction of their dynamics, though it’s only the beginning

[jeankluv]

The tale of the fox and the knight - Satoru Gojo | Chapter 01

summary: You have been living all your life in almost isolation due to your true nature, one your parents want to hide and protect you from anyone finding it. But when the spring of your 20 year your parents grant you the wish of being able to walk around the city, you meet him. Your doom. Satoru Gojo, a white haired knight whose intentions in your eyes are unkown. And whose presence in your life will change everything, from how you see the world to your way of being.

words: 4,5k

tags: enemies to lovers, blood, eventual smut, Gojo is pretty rude at the beginning, Gojo ooc, betrayal, fantasy, magical creatures, angst, injuries, heavy language, no use of y/n or minimal use of y/n, female protagonist

notes: To celebrate Gojo’s birthday I’m posting the first chapter today!! I hope everyone enjoys it and pls take into account that Gojo is ooc. Now enjoy it 🤗

materialist | prologue | next chapter

Jujutsu Kaisen materialist | ao3

It had been five months since you met Gojo, or like he insisted on calling him, Satoru. His presence had truly shaken your world, not only because now thanks to him you could leave the castle and see more of the kingdom, but because it stirred your heart in an extremely strange and new way.

Your breath escaped your lips as you walked your private garden, autumn was almost over and winter was about to enter. Therefore the flowers were starting to die, one by one. You didn’t like that, you always loved the colorful views. You liked spring especially, because of how beautiful everything looked. On the other hand you hated winter, it was cold, wet and you didn’t have the chance to go to your private garden due to the low temperatures, but maybe now with your new knight with you, you could visit the famous winter festival Utahime told you about in the past.

“What are you planning on doing today princess?” Satoru’s voice placed you back in your reality.

You looked at him through your eyelashes, he was smiling and staring at you. “Can we go to the market? I wanna eat those sweets again.” You smiled.

“Whatever you wish for, princess.” He smirked.

You turned your head away from his gaze, you could not deny something, and it was how nervous your heart turned whenever it was just you and Satoru.

You tried to act as normal as you could on your way to the market. Satoru sat across from you in the carriage, with his arms crossed and his gaze fixed on the window. It had been five months since Satoru had started working as your knight, but you barely knew anything about him.

He didn’t talk about anything other than work. You wondered if his parents were still alive, if he had siblings, if he was from the city or perhaps from a nearby village. You really wanted to get to know him better, build up a stronger bond between the both of you. But still you were hesitant.

“Ask me, princess.” You heard his voice.

“Huh?” You looked at him and his bluish eyes were penetrating you. “Oh… I wasn’t…”

“C’mon princess, I think I have spent enough time with you to know that your pretty face is a big question mark right now.” He smiled cockily and you felt the need to jump off the carriage.

“I… Well…” You hesitated, was it find to ask him? Wasn’t he going to get angry or upset? “I was wondering where are you from?”

Satoru smiled and composed himself on the seat. “From the east, near the coast.” You opened your eyes slightly. “What princess, are you impressed?”

“Have you been to the sea?!” You said with excitement.

Satoru nodded and then looked at you with a strange face. “You have never been to the coast?” You shook your head. “How is that? Doesn’t the royal family own a castle near the west coast?”

“Oh…” You smiled sadly. “Yeah… but I used to stay in the main castle with my nanny.” You looked at him.

“Why would they leave their beloved daughter alone?”

“I wasn’t alone!” You said out loud. “My mother used to be gone only for two or three days and everyone in the palace used to take good care of me, Utahime was always with me.”

“But why, princess?”

You bite your bottom lip and sighed. “It’s complicated…”

The carrier stopped moving and a voice shouted. “We have arrived princess.”

Your eyes left Satoru’s and you looked outside, a big smile forming on your lips. “Yes! Let’s go Satoru.” Satoru nodded and he got out of the carrier before you, giving you his hand to get out of the carriage.

That gesture, which was the usual one that any gentleman had to do when a noblewoman got out of her carriage, made your heart race. And it shouldn't.

You walked before him, feeling his steps right behind you, like a shadow. But his presence quickly faded away when your eyes saw the stores of food in front of you.

You mind could only thing about the delicious food you were going to taste that morning.

You walked up to the little stand that was manned by an old lady and smiled. “Good morning. May I have one of these?” You said pointing at one of the caramelized apples.

“Of course dear.” The old lady replied with a smile.

The fact that no one knew what the princess looked like was an advantage, you could walk freely through the streets without any problem, although the gazes were constantly on you, due to the companion who followed you. It was not surprising, he was handsome, tall and had a smile that made everyone sigh.

“Thank you.” You said as you took the apple.

“Enjoy it!”

A shadow fell over you and someone’s breath hit your ear, Satoru Gojo had leaned over and just bit into the caramel apple you had bought.

“Hey!” You shouted. Satoru licked his lips and smiled.

“I’m sorry princess, but I have to make sure it’s not poisoned. It’s for your safety.” The flirtatious smile spread across his face.

“Oh, what a cute couple.” The lady at the stall exclaimed.

“We are not…!”

“Yeah, my wife is beautiful, isn’t she?” Satoru smiled.

“Oh she surely is, both of you, I’m sure your babies would be adorable.” You felt how your cheeks grew warmer as the old lady’s words sunk on your ears.

“I’m sure they will. Now if you excuse us.” Satoru said and guide you away from her.

You walked in front of Satoru, feeling ashamed of his words and his bold act, he knew that if he did that act with any other member of the royal family, Satoru Gojo would be headless right now.

“You lost your mind?” You told him, once you were far from the place.

“Princess, what if that apple was poisoned?” He leaned slightly towards you, feeling his breath brush against your cheek.

Your gaze lowered, avoiding his. “That… That’s not possible!”

“You don’t know that.” Satoru said, crossing his arms.

“You can’t go around saying that I’m your wife, you can get your head cut off for it.” You said, looking back up.

“Are you going to report me?” He said, a cocky smile appearing on his face.

“I… I should!” You shouted.

“But you won’t.” The smile never leaving his face. “Now c’mon princess, it’s time to go back.”

“What already? We just arrived…” You pouted.

“Yeah, but you said it was going to be quick, right.” He started walking. “Besides, didn't you have to meet your maid, the one that secretly is preparing your dress for the autumn ball?”

“Utahime… her name is Utahime.” You responded with annoyance.

“Whatever…” He rolled his eyes.

“And yeah. I’m going to be the prettiest girl in the whole ball thanks to Utahime’s dress.”

“I’m sure you will, princess.” He gave you his hand to help you get in the carriage.

The ride back to the castle was in complete silence, Satoru didn’t say a single thing during the whole trip, his eyes were always focused on the window. And you couldn’t help but wonder what was hiding behind those bluish eyes.

He left the carriage before you and like always he helped you down. Following your steps, you both went to your room, where Utahime was already waiting for you, with your dress for the ball.

“You finished it?” You ran to her with excitement.

“Yeah…” She said with a shy smile. “You should try it on, to see if I need to fix something.”

You nodded. “But I’m sure it will be perfect.” You hugged her. You heard a small chuckle coming from behind and you turned to look at the owner of that laugh. “What?”

“My bad princess…” He said with a smirk. “But be careful, if you look so stunning, someone might ask for your hand in marriage.”

“That won’t happen.” You said.

“It might.” Utahime spoke. “This is your first public appearance for people outside and a lot of dukes, someone might want to propose to you.” She said touching your hair. “You are so beautiful so it wouldn’t be surprising if tomorrow’s night someone asks for your hand in marriage.”

You looked down with your cheeks slightly red. “I will try the dress.” You said moving away from Utahime’s touch and going to try the dress.

“I will help you.” She said following you.

You both entered the separate room and Utahime started to help you out with the dress, you were confident about it, you knew Utahime did a good job with it and that everyone was going to be amazed at the dress. And hopefully, seeing Utahime’s work, your parents would allow you to help her with her studies to become a designer.

But you couldn’t help but notice how something was off with Utahime.

“Uta… it’s something wrong.” She stopped moving her hands and looked at you.

“Nothing… I was just… thinking, nothing important.” She gave you a fake smile and you sighed.

“Utahime, talk to me.” You turned around, holding her hands.

She avoided your gaze for a brief moment. “I… princess I don’t trust that man.” She whispered.

Your eyebrow rises up slowly. “Gojo?” She nodded. “Why?”

“I just… I don’t know princess, I have a bad feeling.”

You shook your head. “Utahime you are overthinking, Gojo has been the best knight I could ask for. Look!” You pointed at yourself. “I have been going out and I’m still here.” You said with a bright smile.

Utahime bit her lip and then sighed. “Princess, just… be careful.”

“I will, but there is no need to worry.” You said back, searching to calm her down. “Now, how do I look?” You turned around to look at the mirror.

Your eyes lit up when you saw the dress Utahime had prepared for you, fitting perfectly to your body. The emerald-colored fabric fell softly and the deep, heart-shaped neckline highlighted your chest. While the corset was adorned with golden chains, which shone brightly under the light of the room. The skirt fell like a waterfall, the translucent fabric that Utahime had placed created a play of light and shadow with each of your movements. Adorned with beautiful crystals that made that dress come to life.

“Utahime…” You said, trying to find the words. “This is…”

Utahime smiled. “You look beautiful, princess.”

“Thank you Utahime.” You turned around to hug her. “This is absolutely magical.”

“I’m glad to hear that, princess.” She broke the hug and smiled at you. “The green really suits your red hair.”

You looked back at the mirror and smiled. “Yeah… it does.” It really did. “I will show it to Gojo.” You walked out the room.

When you walked out of the room you had changed in, Satoru was standing by the window, looking out at the view from your room. His back was to you and he didn’t start to turn around until you made a small sound in your throat, indicating that you were there. Your heart was pounding as you watched him slowly turn to look at you.

You didn’t quite understand the feeling, but you could imagine it and you wanted to suppress it by any means necessary, but the moment Satoru’s eyes landed on your figure, your heart exploded. You wondered if Satoru’s heart also fluttered like yours had.

Satoru stood there, staring at you, his blue eyes scanning every part of you. Your heart wanted to believe it was because Satoru wanted to record every detail of that dress, how it fit you, how you looked.

A smirk appeared on Satoru’s face. “If you don’t want anyone to ask for your hand, you are doing a terrible job, princess.” He approached you. “Because all the eyes will be on you.” He whispered to your ear, making a shiver go through your entire body. “Now, I have to leave.” He stepped away from you and with his hand on his chest he bowed. “I will see you later, princess.”

You looked at him still frozen in place. “Yeah… yeah okay.” You said before Satoru left the room.

The room felt in complete silence, as you looked at the closer door.

But that silence didn’t last long when Utahime’s voice called out to you. “Don’t tell me you’re in love with him…” She whispered with her gaze on you.

You coughed, surprised by Utahime’s accusation. “No… no, no, it’s just that Sa-Gojo has that aura. He’s my knight.” You shook your head and smiled.

Repeating that in your head, over and over, trying to make sure it was real and not a lie you were telling your best friend.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

Satoru sighed as he stepped outside of your room. Five months of having to be your shadow was really exhausting, but fortunately everything was ending tomorrow. If the plan went as planned, tomorrow would be the last time Satoru would have to set foot in that palace and he would head home.

He was only worried about one thing, and that was you. But not because he cared about you, Satoru didn’t give a single fuck, but because his king asked him to bring you to him alive and for what he knew about you, you were like a deer, so fragile and scared, but at the same time always excited about new things.

Satoru hated that so much. How your big eyes would always sparkle for anything. He couldn’t stand it, you were just a princess, a princess who never suffered from anything, who was born with a crown on your head and everything you needed to care about was about choosing the perfect dress for your every day.

It was annoying. But the last part of the mission was about to begin. After arriving at Zerua a year ago and infiltrating himself as part of the knights, he was finally going back home. Who could though, he missed Sukuna’s annoying ass the most.

“Where are you going?” Satoru's eyebrow raised up when he heard the voice.

“Just for a walk, and check the place where the dance will take place.” He turned around with a cocky smile.

“Careful Gojo, my eyes are on you.” The long haired guy let out.

“You hate me that much because I took your spot.” His arm crossed over his chest. “Geto?”

Geto stayed silent while he looked at Satoru with anger. “You came out of nowhere and won the privilege of serving the princess… you are not trustworthy.”

Satoru chuckled. “Maybe you should've worked harder to get the position.” He mocked. “And maybe like that you could be serving your dear princess.” Satoru's smirk grew bigger when he noticed the anger on Geto’s face. “Am I wrong, Geto? You love the princess.”

“Gojo, watch your tongue.” He replied.

He laughed. “You should watch your heart, I hope you don’t die tomorrow night when you see me walking with the princess to the ball.” And turned around without giving the opportunity to let him say a word.

Satoru proudly walked away with his head high, but knowing that Geto could be a problem for his plan. His steps continue going in one direction.

Satoru never turned his head to look at Geto's expression, he knew that his face was probably still red and his fists were clenched in rage. It was no secret to anyone when they were preparing to be chosen to be the princess's direct knights that Suguru Geto had feelings for her, apparently the boy had grown up in the stable and had interacted on some other occasion with the princess, and Satoru did not deny it, the princess had a natural charm, a charm that could make any fool fall.

But he was not like those stupid fools there.

The air of that last summer day hit Satoru’s cheeks as he stepped outside the palace and walked towards where his horse was.

“Hey buddy.” Satoru touched his horse face gently. “You hungry?” He said giving the animal a carrot. “There, there…” He said. “Tomorrow will be a rough night okay…” He whispered. “I want you to be ready.” The horse moved his head up and down as if he was nodding and Satoru smiled.

Satoru had been with that horse for more than five years, he had always accompanied him on all his journeys, they were the best of all, what less for someone like Satoru Gojo.

The sound of an eagle gained the attention of Satoru who looked at the sky and smirked.

His eyes then falled, looking around to each corner, making sure he was alone. Once he was sure he started walking towards the forest, making sure no one was following him and that he got lost on it.

Once he was far enough, he extended his arm, letting the eagle approach him. The eagle had a small piece of paper rolled up in its right paw. Satoru carefully took it from the eagle and unfolded it to read it.

“The wolf is on the mountain and will howl when the blue moon shines in the sky.”

Satoru smiled, everything was going to turn out as planned, tomorrow the wolf would howl and the little bunny would run away from the castle.

Soon he was going to be back at home, soon he was going to bring back the honor his family lost when the kingdom of Zerua killed them, soon he was not going to be there. Only one more day. Just one.

“What are you doing?” He heard the same voice as a few moments before.

Satoru chuckled and let the eagle go, making sure the pirate of paper was attached to the leg of the animal.

“Geto…” Satoru turned around. “You followed me here?”

“Respond to my question!” He black haired guy shouted.

“Wow!” Satoru smiled. “Someone is angry? C’mon I was just here, I heard strange noises and came here to check.”

“And an eagle came to you?” Geto tilted his head.

“What can I say? I’m charming!”

“Cut that shit Gojo!” Geto He unsheathed his sword and pointed it at him. “This is where it all ends.”

Satoru’s gaze darkened and a devilish smile appeared on his lips. “Yes, for you, partner, or have you forgotten who always came first during our training?”

Geto swallowed hard, Satoru was right, he had no chance of winning against him but he couldn't allow him to continue walking through the castle, he couldn't let your safety be in the hands of that white wolf.

Geto's fists turned white as he gripped his sword tightly and charged at Satoru without hesitation.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

You didn't see Satoru again after he left your room, the sun had risen again when his face appeared in your bedroom. Your heart suddenly raced as his eyes locked on you, you were already fully dressed but you still felt light being watched by his blue eyes.

“Today is the grand ball.” He said. “You nervous princess, a Prince might come for you.”

“I… no that won’t happen!” You didn’t want that to happen.

He chuckled. “Your face turns red when you are angry, you know right?” He approached you.

You turned around, avoiding his gaze. “Today we are going to the garden.” You told him. “I won’t go to the town, because I will have to start getting ready for the ball early and I want to be near the castle.”

“Okay.” He responded, he was already in his position, with his back straight, his arms behind his body and his feet forming a V.

When you saw him like that you remembered that you were from different worlds, that he was your knight and your heart stopped beating with so much joy.

“Princess?” Your eyes blinked as you looked at him. “If you are going to stay there looking at the horizon, maybe I should take a seat.”

“Sorry! Let’s keep going.”

You walked as always before him. He followed you in silence, as he always did and then while you were reading he stood there, in silence too.

You would like to hear his jokes and silliness, but you knew it wasn’t right, not when your parents' guards were not far away. Any bad word or something that could be interpreted as offensive towards the crown and Satoru would be executed.

The pages of your book started to fly as the minutes started to run, the only sound in that place was the sound of birds singing, which were starting to be less since winter was beginning.

A thick cloth rested over your shoulders, and you looked up in surprise, meeting Satoru’s gaze. “It’s going to rain and the temperature is starting to drop.” He said in a soft tone. “You should go back to your chambers and start preparing for the ball.”

You held the soft fabric that had rested on your shoulders and nodded. “Thank you…” You whispered, unable to formulate anything else.

He gave you his hand for you to take it and it was when you noticed a small wound on it.

“Did you hurt yourself?” You asked, looking at his hand.

“Just training, nothing to worry about princess.” He smiled and you nodded trusting his words.

The walk back to your chamber was silent, Satoru walked behind you without saying a word. Before even reaching your chamber the heavy water drops started to fall from the dark clouds that now covered the sky.

A cold shiver ran through your back as if something was going to happen. Something you were unaware of.

Your eyes left the big window on the side and kept on walking until you stopped right in front of your chamber. Satoru farewell and you were left with your maids, who helped you start getting ready.

The rain was heavy, making noise on your window, it almost felt like the rain was trying to tell you something. The knot in your stomach grew bigger and bigger as the sound of the rain became more overwhelming.

The soft brush touched your cheeks, while another of your maids combed your hair. The dress looked better than when you had tried it on and the accessories and hairstyle were only going to make your beauty dazzle the place.

With the click of the hairpin adjusting to your hair you opened your eyes, looking at yourself in the reflection of your dressing table mirror. All your maids began to praise your beautiful appearance, to the point of making you feel shy at their words.

Utahime watched you from the side, with a loving smile. That night you were going to tell everyone that that beautiful dress had been made by her, you wanted, you longed for Utahime to receive the recognition she deserved.

You thanked each one of them and walked towards Utahime. “Thank you…” You whispered to her.

“You look beautiful, princess.” She smiled as she looked at you.

“All thanks to you.” You said back.

“Princess.” One of the other maids spoke. “Mr. Gojo is outside waiting for you.”

“Oh!” You nodded and briefly looked at Utahime. “I will see you later.”

“Have fun.” She said.

You walked towards the door, nervous. To see Satoru, for the night, for everything that was about to happen.

The doors of your room opened, letting you see Satoru.

Silence fell over you and you felt like the world had faded away the moment your eyes met.

You felt like it was just the two of you there, that there was no one else and you felt like you could do whatever you wanted. Whatever you wanted.

“I…” You began. But soon enough that fantasy broke.

“You look amazing, her majesty.” Satoru bowed to you.

You couldn’t do anything.

“Let me escort you to the ball.” He handed you his arm and with shaky hands you accepted.

The walk to the ballroom was shorter than you would have liked, and before you knew it, you were surrounded by your parents and noble people who were greeting you for the first time.

Your eyes looked at Satoru, away from you. Distant from your world.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

It was past eleven when you finally were able to break free from all the guests and especially from the guy who had been trying to ask for your hand all night.

You walked straight to one person, to him.

“Dance with me.” You looked at him.

Satoru furrowed his eyebrows slightly as he studied your face. “I’m sorry princess, but it wouldn't be correct.”

“Please, just one dance.” You begged, you needed that, you wanted that.

Satoru's eyes then move to the side and picture a guy looking at you. “Is it because of him?”

“I… please Satoru…” You looked to the guy, who was looking at you.

Satoru sighed, he didn’t want to dance with you and he shouldn’t dance with you, but he…

“Alright.”

His hand took yours and together you walked to the front, all the eyes fell on you and as the music began the whispers between the people also began.

“Relax princess, your hand is starting to wet mine.” He said with a grin.

“Oh… I…” You tried pulling your hand away, you were nervous and it was starting to show up.

But Satoru pulled you closer to him, guiding you through that room with the melody of the song that they were playing. Your heart started to pump on your chest, almost sounding the same as the drums of the room.

Looking up, to look at his face didn’t help, because his eyes were right on you, not blinking and studying you.

In that instant, you wonder what he was thinking, he was too difficult for you to read, his eyes were hiding something, something you felt like you were too far away from reaching.

His movements were smooth, almost as if he knew what he was doing, which was strange but you didn’t care. You just let yourself enjoy that moment, a scenery that you imagined maybe more than once.

When the last note of the piano resonated across the room, Satoru and you stayed there, looking at each other.

Your heart started to rise, with the words you were trying so desperately to bury.

“Satoru…” His eyes were locked on you, not blinking. “I… I li…”

A deafening extrusion causes your ears to start ringing loudly.

What was happening?

Soon you started coughing, the room had started to fill with smoke.

“Princess!” Satoru called you. “We need to leave, now!”

You didn’t quite understand what was going on, the screams were so loud and your head was starting to spin. Satoru’s strong arm held you tightly and guided you outside the palace to where the horses were.

“Wait…” You said coughing. “My parents… Utahime… they are…” You tried speaking.

“Don’t worry…” Satoru said. “I’m sure they will be alright, but I need to put you safe.”

He held you by the hip and sat you on his horse, then climbed in. Your head still hurt and the questions kept coming.

Leaning against Satoru's chest, you closed your eyes hoping that when you opened them again you would be back in your chambers and everything would be okay.

— wait patiently for the next chapter

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[jeankluv]

The tale of the fox and the knight - Satoru Gojo | prologue

summary: You have been living all your life in almost isolation due to your true nature, one your parents want to hide and protect you from anyone finding it. But when the spring of your 20 year your parents grant you the wish of being able to walk around the city, you meet him. Your doom. Satoru Gojo, a white haired knight whose intentions in your eyes are unkown. And whose presence in your life will change everything, from how you see the world to your way of being.

tags: enemies to lovers, blood, eventual smut, Gojo is pretty rude at the beginning, betrayal, fantasy, magical creatures, angst, injuries, heavy language, no use of y/n, female protagonist

notes: this is the prologue of an upcoming series I have in mind, but I’m not sure if I should continue or not. And since I don’t have chapter for this weekend I decided to share it with everyone. So pls give me your honest feedback with this new story of mine

materialist | ch. 01

jujutsu kaisen materialist

“So you know your mission.” The king said.

The white-haired young man smiled proudly. “Of course his majesty.” He bowed. “Kidnap the princess and bring her here in one piece. Still don’t understand why you need a useless princess, does your wife not…”

“Satoru Gojo, do not push your luck. I like you but that doesn't mean I'm not afraid to cut out that tongue of yours.”

He rolled his eyes, not giving importance to the king’s words. “I will depart tomorrow morning.” He said and with a final bow he left the throne room.

Satoru Gojo, he was an orphan, he lost his whole family when he was 8. His family used to be a Nobel and prestigious family due to their abilities, they were well respected by everyone in the kingdom, until that tragic night where everyone was killed, everyone except for the 8 years old boy.

The boy only remembered one thing and it was a flag. The flag from their enemies, the Zerua kingdom.

After finding out about the terrible incident, the king took the young boy with him and raised him as one of his new knights, they couldn’t lose his powerful abilities. So the years started to pass and the boy’s hatred towards that kingdom only grew bigger, his heart was full of rage and he only wanted the royal family to suffer.

Now as a skilled knight, he was going on a mission to kidnap the princess of Zerua. Satoru didn’t quite understand why his king wanted her, apparently she was a helpless princess, rumors said that even a butterfly was stronger than the princess of Zerua, so for Satoru the mission was pathetic, he didn’t understand why he had to bring her to their kingdom, surely she would passed out before reaching the limits of their kingdom.

But that’s not something that Satoru Gojo cared about, in fact, if she died, he would be more than happy to drop her lifeless body in front of the king. But apparently that could not be it and she needed to arrive at the castle in one piece.

The white-haired man walked through the extensive hallways, feeling how the paintings of ancient monarchs pursued him with their gaze, as if they wanted to know every movement and every action that the young man was going to choose.

He went out to the patio and was finally able to breathe the fresh air, with the footsteps of his boots echoing on his way to the barracks where the rest of the knights were.

The eyes of the vast majority of his companions rested on him, Satoru knew that it was envy that everyone there felt. They envied that he was the strongest and the king's favorite.

“So why did his majesty called you?” A deep voice talked to him.

“Why would I tell you?” Satoru smiled provocatively.

“Oh c’mon Gojo just spitted out.” The pink haired one rolled his eyes.

“Sukuna… Don't pull my tongue.” Satoru released his belt and leather vest. “The only thing I’m going to tell you is that I won’t have to see your ugly face for a while.” He grabbed his old jacket, which had a couple of holes sewn badly, and turned around.

“Where are you going?” Sukuna asked him. “You're going to say goodbye to your darling…”

“Sukuna shut your mouth or I'll cut your balls.” He looked over his shoulder at him and Sukuna laughed.

“Alright man.” He l raised his arms asking for a truce. “Enjoy your night Satoru Gojo.” He said turning and walking away as he laughed.

Satoru rolled his eyes and began to walk out of the castle, with an apple in his hands, his destination was clear and Sukuna was right with his words. He wished he could spend a night with his favorite girl. A mischievous smile appeared on his face as he thought about it, but it quickly disappeared when he remembered that he had to leave for Zerua and would therefore be away from there for quite some time.

The aroma of roses mixed with tobacco hit his nose as soon as he entered the place. The place was packed with drunks and partiers who must have had nothing better to do. But his mind eliminated all those and settled on a figure. Long blonde hair, green eyes and a slender figure, Stella. She and Satoru had begun to have intimate encounters when one night they were both alone in that place.

Theirs had never been anything more than sexual desire and that was how they both wanted it. Also, they weren’t exclusive from each other. Because they didn’t care, there was nothing else between them that sexual desire.

Satoru would never give his heart to anyone, he would never fall in love.

“Are you free tonight, beautiful?” Satoru whispered when he got near her.

“Oh Satoru!” She said surprise. “Didn’t expect you to come tonight.”

“Well here I am and…”

“Satoru, I’m sorry but tonight will be impossible.” She looked at him with sad eyes.

“What?” Satoru said with surprise.

“I’m meeting another person tonight.”

“Stella…”

“Satoru, we are nothing so you cannot say anything.” She said.

“Yeah I know… I just… I’m leaving tomorrow morning.”

“Leaving?” Stella looked at him confused.

“The king wants me to go on a mission and I will be leaving.” He explained. “I will probably be out for months, don’t know how long.”

Stella smiled with a curiosity reflecting her eyes. “And where are you going?”

Satoru shook his head and took the beer Stella was offering him. “Can’t tell you.”

“Oh…” She pouted. “That’s a shame. Maybe someone finally steals your heart.” She mocked Satoru, knowing he didn’t like that idea.

Satoru made a disgusted face and put the beer aside. "I'd rather be taken prisoner by an orc and kept in his swamp for years, than fall in love with someone from Zerua." Stella smiled widely when Satoru said the name of her mission destination. “You are clever.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “What can I say?” She laughed as Satoru rolled his eyes. “So Zerua… that’s quite interesting.”

“The king ordered but I hate the idea, those people…”

“Oh c’mon sad boy, I’m sure it will be fine.” Stella said.

“Whatever.” He stood up, giving one last drink to the beer. “Wanted to have a goodbye night but… doesn’t matter.” Satoru turned around.

“I hope the stars guide you and you are able to return safely, Satoru Gojo.” He heard Stella saying.

Satoru moved his hand saying goodbye to her and he stepped outside the old bar, looking how the sky was already dark.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

The sunbeam hit you right in the eyes, causing you to turn around trying to continue sleeping. But your peace did not last long when the door to your bedroom opened wide, letting your maids enter.

The voice of the one you consider your best friend echoes through the room. “Princess, it's time for you to get up.”

You thrashed around in the sheets, shaking your head. “Utahime…please.” You begged.

Utahime sighed and approached your bed. “C’mon princess, spring is beginning and the flowers are blooming.”

Your eyes opened and looked at Utahime with a special glow in them. "I can leave?"

Utahime bit her lip and you immediately knew what her response would be. “You can go to your personal garden, but…”

“But there's no more of that, I already know.” You sighed in resignation.

You got out of your bed and followed the same routine as every day; bath, get dressed and then go out to your private garden.

Once your bluish dress was on and your hair was tied with a pretty white bow, which let some subtle strands fall from your forehead, you left your room. Followed of course by Utahime, she was your most faithful companion, your friend, really the only one you had ever had.

Utahime grew up in the castle, her parents had worked there and your parents had let Utahime grow up with you, you were both of the same age.

At 15 she began to work for you, but you hated that term and you hated the concept that your only friend had to be at your command. But Utahime had insisted, that she did not care, that she was fine with it, but you knew that she aspired to more and that in some way wanting to serve the royal family as a thank you for all the help they had given her and her family, was cutting her own wings.

You glanced at her briefly and bit your lip, you knew your friend too well and you knew she wasn't happy.

“Princess?” She called you out loud.

“Huh?” You looked at her. “Oh… I was just thinking.” You smiled.

“Princess, I know it bothers you that you can not leave the castle but…” Utahime began but you cut her.

“I was not thinking about that Uta… I just…” You sighed. “I know you are not happy serving me.” Utahime looked at you and then away from you. “Uta please tell me, tell me what you wish to do. I will do everything to help you.”

Utahime sighed and started playing with her hands, a sign of nervousness. “I… I wish I could… work as a designer…” Your eyes shined looking at her and with a big smile forming on your face. “But that’s not…”

“I will talk with my parents.” You stood up from the seat you were and walked towards her. “I will make sure to send you to the best school and then you will make my dresses and I will…”

“Princess please, calm down.” Utahime took your hands, trying to stop you. “It doesn’t matter, alright? I’m happy with you.”

You bite your lip. “You are not… so don’t tell me it’s okay.”

“Princess…” She sighed.

Your conversation was suddenly interrupted, as the door of your private garden opened. Making the screech echo through the room and causing your gazes to turn to see who it was. Your eyes narrowed and you felt an overwhelming urge to roll them when you saw that it was one of your parents' advisors.

“Princess…” He bowed his head when he got near you. “Their majesties want to meet you.”

“Alright…” You sighed, not really wanting to see them. “We will keep talking about it.” You looked at Utahime.

Utahime didn’t say a word, not because she didn’t want to but because she knew that responding to a member of royalty could lead to punishment. If you were alone, it wouldn't matter, you would never complain about it but Utahime knew that the others wouldn't allow it and could report it to her superiors.

And she couldn’t risk losing everything she had achieved, not when her mother needed medicine and she was the only one bringing money home. But you didn't know that and Utahime didn't want to worry you with her worldly problems either.

You looked one more time to Utahime and then left the place. You walked before the advisor. The sound of your shoes echoed throughout the hallway, nothing else could be heard in the place except for those shoes of yours. A few years ago those hallways were filled with laughter and kids playing around, now there was no sound.

Ever since your coming off age ceremony something changed, your parents started to be more strict about you, they already were when you were younger but now, you could barely meet anyone. Friends? Utahime was the only one and because she was a trusted person, but for the rest, you didn’t have any.

And you knew why was all this, but it was pointless, you couldn’t hide forever your true nature and the family secret everyone has been trying to keep away. Eventually someone would found out. And… well you were a bit terrified.

Your mother used to tell you, not very kind stories about what could happen to you if the wrong people found out. It terrified you but you didn’t want to waste your life in that castle, not meeting the world, not meeting new people.

“Their majesties, the princess is here.” One of the soldiers spoke.

You heard the faint voice of your father speaking, telling you to enter. The big door opened, giving you passage into the throne room, where your parents were seated each in their place and their advisors were on either side. But your eyes fell on a figure you had never seen before, he was tall, much taller than you, and his hair was white as a snowy day. His back was to you, as you walked towards your parents, you saw how he was standing, with a straight and composed posture, as if waiting for an order.

Your name echoed in the room and your eyes looked at your father, who was carefully touching his beard. “We have some news to give you.” Your heart rate accelerated, was that boy who was now to your left going to be your fiancé? No, you didn’t want that. “You will have a personal escort, so you can go out a little more.”

They both smiled and you looked at them stunned, processing their words. “What?” You whispered.

“That’s right, darling, your father and I talked about it and we have decided to let you go out in the kingdom, as long as you are accompanied by at least one guard.” He pointed to the boy who was at your side. “He is Satoru Gojo, he has been practicing and under surveillance for 9 months to become your guard and he has passed all the tests with flying colors.” You looked at the boy in surprise and your breath hitched when you met those blue eyes, which almost reflected your face.

“It’s my pleasure to serve you, princess.” He took your hand and kissed it.

You felt a shiver go through your body, not sure if it was because those blue eyes were penetrating you or because you felt something weird on his smirk.

“The pleasure is mine Sir. Gojo.” You made a small reverence.

“Please you can call me Satoru.” He gave you the most radiant of the smiles.

“Oh…” You broke the eye with him and looked away, to your parents to be more exact. “So… that means I will be able to go outside?” Your eyes shone brightly thinking about what it meant.

“Yes. But remember you always have to be with Gojo.” You nodded. “Good, then that’s everything. You can leave.”

“Thank you father!” You smiled brightly and turned around.

You felt the presence of the white haired man right behind you. From that moment on, he would become your shadow. But also your downfall.

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[jeankluv]

The tale of the fox and the knight | Satoru Gojo

summary: You have been living all your life in almost isolation due to your true nature, one your parents want to hide and protect you from anyone finding it. But when the summer of your 20 year your parents grant you the wish of being able to walk around the city, you meet him. Your doom. Satoru Gojo, a white haired knight whose intentions in your eyes are unkown. And whose presence in your life will change everything, from how you see the world to your way of being.

tags: enemies to lovers, blood, smut, Gojo is pretty rude at the beginning, betrayal, fantasy, magical creatures, eventual smut, angst, injuries

chapters: 06/?

status: ongoing

link to ao3:

materialist of the series

Prologue | 01 | 02 | ch.03 | ch.04 | ch.05 | ch.06 | ch.07 | ch08 | ch.09 | ch.10 | ch.11 | ch.12 | ch.13 | ch.14 | ch.15 | ch.16 | ch.17 | ch.18

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