Street Lights | Itadori Yuji x Reader

25.

*Flashback*

Itadori, sorry for the hard time I've been giving you. Know I don't see you as a threat, I'm just doing this for Nanm-
"No! I can't throw Nanami under the bus like that." Gojo whispered as he drunkenly wrote an apology text to Itadori, only to delete it.

Itadori, you're not a bad kid. Sorry for the shit I've been giving you.
"No, not that either!" Gojo groaned loudly, throwing his head back.

Another deleted apology text.

We need to talk. Call m-
"Hell no, I'm not breaking up with him! How fucking hard can this be?" he raised his voice, slurring his words a little. "Damnit!" he whispered, throwing his phone down. "I'm too deep in this shit now."

As Gojo got off his couch to get another drink, he thought back to his and Itadori's first meeting.

"Satoru, how have you fallen so far from grace that you emotionally abused a kid who just lost their loved one less than an hour before meeting you? And for what, for the sake of a friend? That same 'friend' who treats that kid like any other student, acting as if he doesn't have a deep seeded hatred for him so he needs me to do the dirty work?! What the hell am I doing?" he muttered, pouring a shot of Sake. "Maybe I should take the pills and get it over with." he said, staring at the bottle of antidepressants he was prescribed that day. "It's not worth it, Satoru. Atone.. atone and then make that decision, but not now." he said, taking the shot and throwing the glass against the wall.

Atone.

*Present Day*

*Alright Itadori, we're here!* Gojo announced. "Guess who?!"

"Gojo, it says, Kugisaki Nobara on the chart." Itadori chuckled.

"Damn! I'm gonna have to blindfold you next time!" Gojo pouted.

"I know who we're going to see next, Gojo. There are only 3 first years, ya know." Itadori rolled his eyes.

"Are there though?!" Gojo said mysteriously.

"I-"

"Don't answer that. It was a rhetorical question, silly!" Gojo said as he placed a finger to his mouth, signaling for Itadori not to talk. "Alright, in we go!"

Itadori gulped loudly as Gojo knocked on Kugisaki's door, waiting for permission to enter.

"Who is it?" Kugisaki asked, sounding annoyed.

"It's room service, may I enter?!" Gojo stated mischievously.

"I guess. Come in." she said, sounding almost angry.

Gojo snickered as he rolled Yuji in,  his face turning red with laughter.

"Yo, Kugisaki!" Itadori said warmly.

"I- Itadori?! The hell are you doing here? I don't see you for months and now you just show up in the hospital while I'm here too?!" Nobara shouts, damn near bursting a blood vessel.

"Heh, sorry! I have a good explanation though, I promise!" the vessel says, rubbing the back of his neck.

Gojo couldn't contain it anymore as he bursts into laughter. " I really got you good, huh, Kugisaki?!" Gojo cackles.

Nobara rolls her eyes. "Yea, Yea!"

Itadori couldn't help but feel guilty. He hadn't noticed it before, but she had a bandage wrapped around her head from her temple wound. How? How could he not see it sooner?

"Kugisaki, I.." Itadori started, his teeth gritting. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there when it mattered. I-" he was cut off.

"Itadori it's alright, I underst-" she interjected only to be cut off by him.

"No, listen. I'm so sorry I wasn't there. I had something come up and I couldn't see you guys until now. I tried rushing as fast as I could but I wasn't fast enough. Please forgive me. I.. I almost killed you." Itadori said, teeth gritting so tight and hard that Nobara could barely hear him as tears poured down his face.

"Itadori.." she stopped. Kugisaki's eyes softened as tears ever so slightly welled in her eyes. "It's not your fault, I swear. I wouldn't have even known you were there if Gojo didn't tell me. It's unfortunate you couldn't exercise the curse but at least we're alright. Thank you for fighting hard for me and Fushiguro." she said with a soft smile.

Itadori's eyes poured more tears as a forced, yet genuine smile appeared on his face. Through tears he spoke, "Thank you, Kugisaki." before getting out of his wheelchair to hug her.

"Thank you."