**Y/n POV**

I awoke to warmth and the soft sound of breathing that wasn't my own, a smile creeping across my face as I replayed the events of the previous night in my head.

Except the peacefulness was short lived as the body next to me began to scramble and jolt.

"Ahh! Y-Y/n!? Wha-what am I doing here?!"

I turned around to see a very red and flustered Yuuji, and I couldn't help but to start laughing at the sight. He was frantically pulling up the blanket to hide his bare chest.

"Where's my shirt?!" he kept yelling incoherent nonsense mixed in with actual sentences.

My laughing only increased, my side starting to ache with how funny I found this situation. I couldn't even remember the last time I had laughed like this.

I would've loved to wake up next to Sukuna, but this was almost better. Almost.

"Yuuji!" I cried out with laughter. "It's ok! Just breathe!"

He looked at me with wide eyes, finally realizing I didn't care in the slightest that he was here. I was actually starting to consider Yuuji a friend, so it didn't bother me.

He let out his own soft laugh, "S-sorry, I just wasn't expecting this."

"Yea, clearly," I teased as I sat up next to him, both of us resting our backs against the wall behind the bed.

"So, then, uh, Sukuna..." he trailed off as he looked around the room. "He came to help you?"

"Yea," I nodded. "You don't know what happens when you switch with him?"

He shook his head, "No, I never have any memory of it."

"Can you switch with him whenever you want?" I asked, curious as to how it all worked. And when I'd get to see him again.

"I mean, yea, I guess," he shrugged. "It's just kinda dangerous."

"How so?"

"Well, uh, it's Sukuna, so..." he stopped, not really knowing how to finish the thought.

"Mm, right," I mumbled. He was still feared and hated by the sorcery world, I almost forgot that small detail.

"But he made a pact not to hurt anyone if I switched with him last night, so I agreed."

"Really?" I looked at Yuuji with wide eyes. Sukuna made a pact just so he could see me? "Could you switch again tonight?"

Yuuji rubbed his neck nervously, "Uh..."

I didn't mean to make him uncomfortable, the words just tumbled out of my mouth without a second thought.

"Oi! Quit your yelling!!" Yuuji called out as he furrowed his eyebrows.

I stared at him in confusion, "I...I didn't say anything."

Yuuji let out an exasperated sigh, "No, not you. Sukuna's just loud."

I nodded, not really sure what to say to that. This whole situation was a bit bizarre. And honestly, I have bigger things to worry about, but still...

Last night had me feeling as if I were floating and finally free.

"I'm not sure about tonight," Yuuji looked at me. "But I promise soon, ok?"

"Yea, ok," I smiled at him.

He offered a small smile in return, "And uh, Y/n."

"Hmm?" I tilted my head a bit.

"We probably shouldn't tell anyone about you spending time with Sukuna. I don't want you getting hurt because of me."

I quickly adverted my gaze from him, disappointed in myself. How could I let myself become so distracted?

I almost forgot entirely the reason why Sukuna came to take care of me... The fact that Gojo and Geto had fucking Toji come knock me senseless for more information.

Information I wouldn't be giving up anytime soon.

"What do you think will happen today?" I asked Yuuji, thinking about how I'd have to go see everyone eventually.

He shook his head, "I have no idea. We still don't really know what happened yesterday... Or anything about what's going on with you."

I followed his words carefully, trying to hypothesize all of the ways today might spiral out of control.

They sealed my technique again, rendering me nearly helpless. Was Gojo the only one who could break it and set me free?

Megumi couldn't when they first found me at the Zenin compound, and he was a powerful sorcerer too.

I looked back at Yuuji. With Sukuna inside, he could be stronger than Megumi. Would he help me?

"Yuuji," I broke the silence. "Can I ask you for a favor?"

"S-sure," he stuttered out. "Yea, uh, of course you can. I just don't know how much help I'll be."

"Can you break binding seals?"

His eyes widened, "They locked away your technique again?"

I nodded, ashamed by my own weakness.

It was never a fair fight. 3 against 1? Plus, I'm so much younger than them without any proper training.

Still, if I wasn't so damn afraid of actually turning into the demon they labeled me as... if I'd let my power run rampant for once, I could win.

But my weakness wasn't physical. I knew that. My biggest set back would always be my mind.

The belief that I was worthless. Useless. Damned and destroyed.

Years of abuse will make you believe every lie your told. It'll make you see the worst in yourself. Doubt yourself. Hate yourself.

Fuck.

I need to get out of here. One way or another.

"I-I've never tried..." he mumbled. "I wouldn't know how to."

I softly closed my eyes, biting the inside of my mouth to keep from crying. It's not his fault, none of this is. I just felt helpless. With way too many powerful enemies.

Was Gojo an enemy now too? And Toji?

If that's the case now, then being here has turned out to be so much worse than the Zenin's.

I'd never be able to escape those two. The strongest broke me out of Naoya's control, but no one could break me out of the strongest's control.

"Do you know how?" he asked. "Could you walk me through it?"

I looked up at him with wide eyes, shocked he offered that.

And, unfortunately, Yuuji's softness was definitely rubbing off on me, so tears began to run down my face as I stared at his gentle eyes.

Without saying anything else, he knew exactly how I was feeling, reading me like a book.

"Come here," he whispered as he put his arm over me and pulled me into him.

He held me, rubbing by back as I buried myself into him and cried.

Last night I promised myself I was done crying in front of people, but here we are... I guess Yuuji and Sukuna can be my exceptions. For now.

"Why are you being so kind to me?" I huffed out in between my silent sobs.

"I don't agree with what they're doing. No one deserves this, but especially not you..."

It was silent for a moment, his words still sinking into my heart.

My heart felt like a desert, incapable of growing anything at all. But lately, my tears seemed to be giving life to the dry soil.

And Yuuji's words, they might just be the first seedlings of something beautiful.

"I've never experienced what you're going through, but I know how it feels to be trapped. I can't help myself at this point, but if I can help you, that'll be more than enough."

"You feel trapped?" I asked him, wanting to understand. "Because of Sukuna?"

"Being brought into sorcery is probably the best thing to ever happen to me, but Y/n..." he trailed off, and I could tell he was really debating whether or not to continue.

His hand had moved from my back and he began to play with my hair, running his fingers back through it.

"I don't want to die," he huffed out. "It's so selfish of me, I know that. But I just don't want to die yet."

I took a deep breath as his words replayed in my head.

Yuuji deserves to live more than anyone I've ever known, definitely more than I do.

I still had no idea what to make of last night with Sukuna, but in this moment, I made the decision. A resolve as deep as the one I had to get revenge for my mother...

I'd be keeping Yuuji alive, even if it costs my life.

I picked my head up to look at him, smiling softly, "You won't be dying Yuuji. Not until your old and wrinkly, ok?"

"You don't know that," he shook his head with tears in his eyes.

"Yes I do," I nodded. "Because I'm the one that can make it happen, remember?"

His eyes widened, "No, Y/n.... No, I-I couldn't ask that of you."

"You're not asking me, I'm telling you. That's how it's going to be."

"Why?..."

I grabbed his hand with mine, holding it tightly, "It's what's friends do."

He laughed as he wiped his tears with his free hand, "So we're finally friends then!? Even though you hate everyone!?"

Is this guy for real?... I just told him I'd make sure to keep him alive and all he cares about is the fact I said we're friends.

"You're annoying," I teased as I rolled my eyes.

"Just annoying enough to be endearing though right!?"

He pulled me into another awkward hug, laughing and talking about nothing much. Typical Yuuji stuff.

My first friend, and he's the exact opposite of me.

Suddenly, his stomach grumbled loudly, causing us both to laugh like little kids. How could I not be friends with someone who makes me smile this much?

It felt so easy to laugh with him even when there wasn't much at all in my life to be happy about.

"Should we go get you food?" I asked him.

"Are you sure? Are you ready to face them?" his voice was laced with concern and uneasiness.

If it came down to it, Yuuji wouldn't be able to protect me, no matter how much he would want to. And we both knew it, even if neither of us were willing to admit it out loud.

Still, my willingness to keep him alive might be the exact thing that keeps myself alive too.

Not that that's why I was willing to do it... I just know how important he is to Gojo.

"Yea," I spoke confidently. "I'm ready."

••••
BABIES