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3RD POV
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Colith blinked in surprise, blurting out, "What do you mean 'No'?"

Toji shook his head firmly and brushed her hand away, saying, "I don't need it anymore, I'm good."

Her expression turned incredulous as she glanced between the object and her fiancé. Reacting quickly, she assumed a fighting stance, "Who the hell are you and what did you do to my Ji?!" Her voice laced with a mix of shock and determination.

He stared at her for a beat before responding, "Are you serious?"

"Oui! Now answer me, fiend!" she dramatically hopped around him, trying to provoke a reaction. Toji remained unimpressed, maintaining his composure.

"Do you find it hard to believe that I'd refuse money?" She vigorously nodded, prompting his eye to twitch.

"Don't give me that look; I'm not the one who, you know, ended a teenager's life-"

"It was part of my job-"

"-committed a string of crimes, attempted to sell off the person who saved your life and your son to your fucked up clan of lunatics in case things went south on the job, and committed arson because a guy refused to pay for a bet. I mean, seriously," she retorted, causing him to flinch.

"You're never going to let me live this down, huh?"

"Nope! Now spill the beans. Why this sudden change of heart?" she probed, eyeing him curiously. "It's part of our agreement, I assumed you'd be happy to keep getting my monthly contributions-UGH!" She squawked, rubbing her forehead as he flicked it.

"I don't need cash from my soon-to-be wife. I'm not that desperate."

A pause hung in the air as they locked eyes.

"Oh, you should've just said so, ya silly bastard!" she broke into a goofy grin and immediately smothered his face in her bosom, "Look at him having morals all of a sudden!"

"Oi."

"Yosh Yosh, you're such a sweetheart," She crooned, peppering his face with kisses, "Sure, it took you right before we get married to do that but hey, that's the thought that counts!"

"I'm going to hit you."

"Gasp ! Domestic violence already!?"

__________

"I've been wanting to know... what's it like to, you know...have sex?"

Nagi and Haiko swiveled their heads toward her, completely dumbfounded. Colith began to fidget, suddenly feeling extremely uneasy.

"So let me get this straight. You've been with this hunk of a man, practically sharing a home for the past year," Nagi leaned in with a serious demeanor, causing Colith to instinctively lean back, feeling a bit intimidated, "and nothing ever happened between you two?"

"How on earth is that even possible?!" Haiko exclaimed, thoroughly flabbergasted.

"It's a bit complicated, okay! And I had my reasons!" she defended, hiding partially behind her cup of tea, her cheeks flushed. "There were kisses, cuddles here and there, but I made sure never to take it further..."

"Oh, I get it. You're one of those waiting for marriage. Didn't realize that was still a thing," Nagi remarked out of the blue.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Never mind, forget it. To answer your question, it really depends on the partner," she said, stirring her tea before delving deeper. "You could be lucky, have an amazing experience, or it might go the other way and things get incredibly awkward afterward."

Haiko nudged Nagi, offering a reassuring smile to calm Colith, who appeared visibly concerned. "I'm sure you've heard this before, but first times can be quite nerve-wracking. But don't worry, it gets easier with practice."

Colith deadpanned, "I'm not completely clueless. I've done some research. I just need to know what to do when the time comes."

Both women exchanged knowing glances. Nagi offered a gentle pat on Colith's back, reminiscent of how one would comfort a younger sibling. "It's really about communication, feeling at ease, and moving at your own speed. You'll find your way when the moment arrives. Just try not to have too many expectations."

Colith stared blankly at Nagi. "It didn't turn out well for you, did it?"

"A total letdown."

"I see."

__________

Ultimately, she sat through Nagi's unfiltered stories about past partners, which left her feeling incredibly embarrassed but she took it like a champ! Fortunately, Haiko, the kind soul, intervened before her friend could short-circuit her brain any further.

__________

One lazy afternoon, Colith had Megumi on her lap, both engrossed in a Pixar movie. Suddenly, the boy pointed eagerly at the screen, exclaiming, "Papa!"

Suppressing a laugh, Colith gently corrected him, "No, Gumi, that's a fish, not your papa."

"Papa!" he persisted, causing Colith to squint at the screen.

"I mean... There's a slight resemblance, I'll give you that. Even the scars. Hm..." She chuckled at the uncanny similarity, contemplating the animated character's features for a moment before snickering.

__________

"Has anyone ever told you that you look like that handsome fish from finding Nemo."

"Ha?"

__________

"Didn't expect you to be the type to drop everything when a new woman shows up. The demand for the sorcerer's killer is skyrocketing, and the offers are getting pretty lucrative. Are you sure you're not intrigued?" Shiu prodded.

"Tempting, but no, I'm no longer interested in that line of work," Toji replied.

Shiu exhaled a cloud of smoke and leaned back on the bench. They had unexpectedly crossed paths and now found themselves sitting in a park.

"Heh, aiming for the normal citizen life, huh? Got yourself a new job or are you still out of work?" Shiu teased.

"That's none of your business."

"Still unemployed, then."

"Oï."

A pause settled over their conversation. Shiu lit another cigarette. "So, how did you two meet? Bar? Restaurant?"

He paused, considering for a moment before grunting, "At that time stuff whatever, forgot the name."

"The Time Vessel Association? That's where you met her? Surprising to see you getting involved with one of those nutcases," Shui remarked, seemingly unimpressed. "Didn't think they'd lure foreigners into their antics. Must be quite a blow that their little cult got disbanded."

"She's not a follower."

Shiu furrowed his brow, slightly taken aback. Just as he was about to ask, Toji continued his tale.

"Barged right into my fight against the Gojo kid, knocked me out, and essentially kidnapped me," he chuckled, his eyes reflecting the past. "When I came to, I realized she stole my curse. Wasn't amused back then, so I tried to take her out-twice, failed both times." He hummed, "I did manage to behead her, though. Turns out it was just a clone."

Shiu blinked; he'd heard and witnessed plenty of shit in his lifetime, enough to make the most ridiculous stories bounce off him. But this?

"This little lady beat you? And now you're marrying her?" he inquired, eliciting a smug grin from Toji. The response left him even more dumbfounded. They sat in silence for a while until he eventually broached the topic of Megumi.

Toji glanced at his cell phone before shrugging. "She took him for a stroll; they might swing by Jujutsu High, dunno, she's unpredictable," he remarked, then eyed him inquisitively, saying, "You don't usually ask that much questions. What's the deal?"

Shiu let out a sigh. "I'm more surprised that you've ditched your disdain for sorcerers and are marrying one."

"Who said she was a sorcerer?"

Shiu stared at him, exasperation emanating in waves. This fucker was intentionally messing with him, wasn't he?

"Okay, I'm out," he declared, rising to his feet, determined to ignore Toji's amused grin. For a grown man, he sure was acting like a brat.

"You know that you're invited, don't you?" Toji said, observing him straighten his coat.

"Not my thing, I'll pass," Shiu replied, taking a few steps before pausing to side-eye Toji. "Just a heads up, some clients might not appreciate the decline," he cautioned. "I'm just warning you so you can take precautions."

Toji appeared unfazed, rubbing his chin. "Is that so?"

"Even that doesn't faze you, huh?" he raised an eyebrow. "They might target your newfound love interest, you know?" His statement elicited a chuckle from Toji, leaving him puzzled.

"I'd be more concerned about their safety than hers, to be honest."

__________

"So, there were these weird guys tailing us, and I had no idea why," Colith announced as she walked into the living room, holding a sleeping Megumi. She halted in front of Toji, who raised an eyebrow and quickly assessed them both. They looked alright.

"Hmm? What did you do about it?"

"I sent them to Antarctica," she replied with a straight face.

Toji's lips twitched slightly. "Is that so?"

Colith cocked her head. "Did I miss something?" she asked, passing the sleeping toddler to a clone, who promptly carried him away to put him to bed.

"Nothing major. It's not like you can't manage," he replied warmly, giving her head a gentle pat, leaving her completely bewildered.

__________

It turns out he did have a handful of vengeful enemies, along with persistent clients adamant about his return.

As Shiu had warned, some had indeed obtained pictures of him and her during their time in town. In ordinary situations, this might have infuriated him and pushed him to relocate, but compared to the Jujutsu sorcerers, this was hardly a bother.

The attempts to abduct her increased significantly, but abruptly ceased after just one week. The reason? Colith didn't take it too kindly when one of them had the gall to target the squirt. To this day, he has no idea what she did that day, but they never bothered her again.

A few weeks later, Shiu informed him that most of his previous employers and their organizations had been thoroughly eradicated.

That in itself didn't surprise him much.

'I've actually never seen her angry.' he thought, observing her doing one of those weird vegetable dance to amuse his son.

Seems like she did have a temper.

'200¥ the juice? That's ridiculous.' his finger tapped the table rhythmically. 'Popipopipo- damn it, now it's stuck in my head.'

[They were in 2005. Popipo was released 3 years later in 2008]

__________

The highest-ranking members of the clan had assembled for a meeting when a sudden shift in the air drew all attention to the intruder standing in the center of the room.

"I was initially hoping for a private meeting with the clan head, but it looks like I'm interrupting something. Oh well," Colith remarked, shattering the deafening silence that had descended upon her arrival. "No welcoming party with weapons at my throat this time?" Her grin lacked warmth entirely.

Naobito, the only one maintaining a semblance of calm, chuckled. "I have no intention of provoking the ire of something I know barely anything about," he replied calmly, a stark contrast to his clan members who seemed visibly agitated.

"Good." The woman nodded sagely before her gaze landed on Ogi. His nose still bore a slight crookedness even after a couple of months. He was fortunate it was #5 instead of #3. "Seems you're doing alright, Zenin-san. However, I won't offer an apology on behalf of my clone," she remarked, causing the man to seethe, visibly on the brink of launching himself forward until a stern glare from Naobito restrained him.

"Back to abducting one of my clan members again?" he inquired.

She pondered for a moment before nodding, "In a way, yeah. No beating around the bush here-I'm marrying Toji-"

The room's occupants visibly froze.

"-So that technically makes us in-laws? Dunno," she casually scratched the back of her hand, dismissing their dumbfounded stares. "Don't care about your opinions, though. Just thought I'd let you know, even though he clearly wants nothing to do with you guys."

"How da-" the person began, only to be abruptly cut off as their eyes rolled back, and they collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

"Since I was raised right, that's the least I can do," she continued evenly, seemingly unfazed by the escalating tension and fear her actions were eliciting.

"You can have him, he's of no use here," Naobito conceded, a hint of annoyance in his voice, before adding, slightly irked, "Will that be all?"

"The deal's off," her golden gaze pierced deep into his soul, triggering an involuntary shiver down his spine. He immediately understood what she meant, yet...

"I'm afraid it won't be feasible," he uttered, despite feeling a cold sweat trickling down his face under her intense gaze. Some of his clan members seemed perplexed but refrained from speaking up. For once, he was relieved that Naoya had chosen not to be present. Who knows what chaos the reckless brat would have caused if he were here.

She tilted her head, "Why not? Is it money you want?" Suddenly, three bags popped into existence, "1 billion, take it or leave it," and a series of gasps immediately followed.

He reached for his gourd and took a swig. "While the offer is tempting, it's not about the money. I assume you're familiar with the concept of binding vows? If so, you must be aware of the consequences for those involved in breaking such commitments."

She blinked, frowned, appearing to mull over his words before a blank expression overtook her face. A moment of silence hung in the room until they flinched when she abruptly sat down. He observed her crossing her arms, her gaze fixed on the floor for a long moment.

"So, it can't be broken? Is that what you're saying?" she finally looked up at him.

He explained that the only recorded instances of binding vows being broken were when it involved the death of one of the participants.

"I see, so one of you has to croak for it to break. That explains a lot, actually," she mused, "I think I can fix that."

His brain didn't process it immediately, but in an instant, he went from sitting across from her to everything going dark.

__________

"You're distracted," observed Toji.

Colith hummed, effortlessly dodging a series of light punches and kicks. She and Toji were engaged in some casual sparring. Nearby, Megumi, Tsumiki, Yuji, and Nobara played under the watchful eye of an older version of #1, carefully supervising their activities. Their friendly match attracted a few spectators since they were in a park, so they kept it civilized by practicing Wing Chun, with some bets being made.

"I killed Naobito-"

Toji's balance wavered momentarily, but he swiftly regained his footing before hitting the ground.

"-for about thirty seconds before bringing him back," she added, assisting him. Giggles from the little ones reached their ears, indicating that they had witnessed the incident and were now laughing. Even #1 seemed amused.

He blinked rapidly. "I'm not sure I heard you correctly. You did what?"

"I temporarily ended Naobito's life for thirty seconds, then revived him," she reiterated softly. He stood frozen, visibly stunned, prompting her to pat his shoulder gently. "You alright?"

"Hold on, I-" he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, attempting to process this turn of events. "Why?"

"Well..." She started, her gaze wandering. "It was more of a spur-of-the-moment thing, you know? Just wanted to sort out a few issues before making things official and gain some peace of mind for the future," she explained, evading his fist and swiftly countering with one of her own.

"And by 'things,' you mean?" he inquired, parrying a kick before leaping backward, they circled each other. Their flawless movements elicited a few aws and ohs from the bystanders.

"The binding vow concerning Gumi's future."

His eyes widened briefly. Yet, he shouldn't have been surprised that she knew about it.

"Apparently, to nullify one successfully, someone has to kick the bucket. Obviously, I wasn't going to murder you, so Naobito it was. Not gonna lie, I could've handled it better, but I suppose it is what it is," she explained, preparing to resume the sparring, however, she halted when he didn't move. "Ji?"

His expression was unreadable as he gazed at her. As she was about to express her worry, he walked toward her. She made no effort to evade him, sensing he wasn't preparing to strike, and awaited him until he was within arm's reach. Onlookers seemed intrigued, anticipating another clash.

His hands swiftly moved to cradle her face, and he leaned in, kissing her.

Numerous gasps echoed around them, causing Colith to hastily push him away, utterly bewildered.

"AYO- What?!"

He raised an eyebrow, "Am I not allowed to kiss you?"

She spluttered, "The hell?! Not in front of the kids!"

He blinked and glanced toward the children. Indeed, they were all staring, with Tsumiki even pointing at them in fascination. The clone wore a judgmental expression, but he chose to ignore it.

He shrugged and leaned in for another kiss.

At that moment, he couldn't care less about the witnesses; his affection for her soared. He was determined to marry this woman tonight, and no one was going to stop him.

Much like Colith, the onlookers were utterly bewildered.

Naturally, the spar came to an abrupt end and was replaced by some sort of evasion game-With Colith actively trying not to be caught- They garnered attention from various onlookers, impressed by their combat skills. Notably, a TV producer captivated by their unconventional pairing approached them, proposing a new show centered around mixed couples.

They declined the offer.

Later that evening, Colith revealed her desire for an intimate wedding. Puzzled by her change of heart, he questioned her, and she deadpanned as if it were obvious. She posed a simple question, and he automatically responded with a yes.

"Ah."

She did have a point.

__________

Colith shared her decision to her friends, and unsurprisingly, Gojo had a dramatic reaction.

"But Colith-chan deserves the most extraordinary ceremony mankind has ever known! This is unacceptable!" he protested.

The woman regarded him with an unimpressed expression and then posed the same question she had asked Toji the day before.

"If you guys were to see Toji again, would you fight?"

"Yes," he and Suguru promptly responded in sync before exchanging a puzzled glance, "Ah-"

They get it now.

Shoko shook her head. "You two are morons."

After congratulating the woman, the girl walked away, leaving the humbled duo behind.

An intimate wedding it was, then.

__________

"You sure you want the squirts to join in?"

"M'not swiit! M'Megumi!"

"Yeah yeah, sure thing, kiddo." Toji tousled his son's hair, prompting a protest from the boy.

"Mama, dada's meanie!"

"You're absolutely right, he's a big bad meanie!" Colith chimed in, playfully tickling him. Then, both she and Megumi stuck their tongues out at Toji, whose eye twitched in response.

"So many people..." Tsumiki whispered in cautious wonder as she surveyed the area from her perch on Toji's shoulders.

"Is this your first time here?" Colith inquired, smiling.

The girl nodded, "Yeah! It's so white everywhere! And clean!"

"Clean is a bit of a stretch," Toji remarked flatly, squinting at nothing in particular. They inched forward as the line shortened. "Do we really have to do this? Why not just go there directly?"

"It would defeat the purpose of the trip, Ji. Besides, you won't be spending a dime anyway, so no need for the long face~" She teased.

"A month is too long."

"Oh, come on, you've waited a year already, what's another month in the grand scheme of things? We'll be on the move a lot, and Cairo is just weeks away! It'll fly by like a breeze!" She patted his lower back reassuringly.

Toji huffed, shooting glares at those who scrutinized them for too long. After checking in and receiving a peculiar look from the woman at the counter due to their lack of conventional luggage, they boarded the plane a few moments later. Their little group garnered horrified looks from fellow passengers, especially upon spotting the kids.

Where were they headed? Hong Kong.

Why? His soon-to-be wife wished to reenact the same journey as the characters from a manga she constantly referenced. Under normal circumstances, he would've flat-out refused. Unfortunately, he was too smitten, so he quickly caved in, especially upon learning that they'd finally tie the knot upon their arrival.

The trip suddenly didn't seem too bad.

They had a whole thirty days ahead, and he had no clue what to expect. She banned him from reading the manga, even though he usually enjoyed her recommendations. He'd binged Berserk in three days and was eagerly awaiting the next volumes!

The pitying looks he received from her were quite annoying.

The flight was smooth, which oddly disappointed Colith, though he couldn't quite figure out why. They landed in Hong Kong without much hassle late in the evening. The kids had dozed off an hour into the flight, so they still had some energy upon arrival. He'd been to Hong Kong a couple of times for previous jobs, so he wasn't as excited. Colith, however, was over the moon. She dragged them all to the Tiger Balm Garden the next day, took many pictures-

"Where's Peggy?"

-took many pictures, including Peggy, much to the brats' joy. She even crafted a statue of some bizarre creature-a torso with a rooster's head, which she humorously dubbed Magician Red-and insisted on leaving it in the garden before dragging them all to visit various places. He was initially surprised by her speaking Cantonese until she mentioned something about divine translation. Yeah, it went way over his head, and he didn't bother asking any more questions.

Their stay in Hong Kong lasted no more than two days before they set off for Singapore. By cruise. He won't lie and say he wasn't fascinated by the way she handled things. Still, he had no clue how she managed to convince the entire crew to ferry them there. On their second day on the ship, she suddenly asked:

"Wanna fight a Fishman?"

"Huh?"

She tossed him into the sea, and he got a warm welcome from some deep-sea monstrosity. Letting out a sigh, he shrugged off the crew's panicked cries and dove into a tussle with the creature, likely another one of her creations. Underwater brawls weren't his usual scene, but he could handle it. A bit out of the ordinary for him, but he did what he did best-got into a fight.

After a rather interesting scuffle, he got hauled out of the water-slightly banged up, but nothing too serious, much to the relief of everyone on board.

"Had fun?" she asked upon their return to their room. The staff had backed off after he waved off their concerns, even shooting outright glares when they insisted he sees a doctor. In their eyes, he'd just survived a shark attack and emerged mostly unharmed. Though the sight of blood, not his own, had caused a few to faint.

"It was...interesting, I guess," he said, toweling off his hair. "Got his moves down after a bit. Wasn't too tricky."

"Papa was super fast and strong!" Tsumiki chirped, darting over to hug his legs. She'd been cheering him on during the fight. "I wanna be strong like you!" she exclaimed, attempting her own little punches.

"Happy to hear that, kiddo, but maybe wait till you're a bit older," he replied, beaming with pride.

The girl pouted briefly before getting easily distracted by something on the TV. Toji glanced at Colith, who lay on the bed with a snoozing Megumi on her chest. "Is this gonna be a regular thing?" he raised a brow.

"Unless it bothers you, yep!" she replied nonchalantly.

He hummed, contemplating the implications of her words, then shrugged. It wasn't entirely unwelcome, and it might add some spice to their travel.

That was pretty much the pattern for the rest of their journey. Arrive in a new country, some weird creature sneaks up on him while she and the kids go sightseeing, he manages to overcome it, and that's it, wash, rinse, and repeat. They didn't linger much in India for obvious reasons and the only times they had a peaceful stretch was when they traversed the desert-well, "traversed" might be stretching it; they flew across on a magic carpet.

Yep, that happened.

Human confrontations weren't entirely uncommon, especially when they stumbled upon the base of an unknown armed group who wasted no time opening fire. Dealing with them swiftly, he inadvertently ended up saving a bunch of hostages.

Finally, after 26 days of travel, they made it to Egypt, arriving in Cairo two days later. Surprisingly, he found himself enjoying the whole experience.

When he asked her why Cairo of all places, she simply responded it was the place she fell in love with his voice. Whatever the hell she meant by that, he had no idea.
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He felt something around his finger and glanced down to find a ring. Blinking, he looked at Colith, who was watching him intently.

"Is this...?" he began. Something strange occurred, though he couldn't explain what.

She nodded gently, a soft smile gracing her lips. Reaching for his hand, she traced the ring, "I believe it's time. I've kept you waiting long enough." Planting a delicate kiss on his knuckles, where faint scars marked the skin, she met his gaze, "If you're still up for it, we-"

He interrupted her with a kiss.

"-wait! Aren't we supposed to make vows or something?"

"Who cares about that?" he grumbled, frowning.

She rolled her eyes, flicking his nose, "I do, dumbass. Now move before we get arrested for public indecency!" she warned.

They were in the middle of a street in Mohandessin. If they had already been attracting curious looks from the locals before, now everyone and their grandma was watching them like hawks.

Rolling his eyes, he blinked in surprise as their surroundings suddenly changed, transporting them back to their hotel room. Quirking a brow, he remarked, "Teleporting in public?"

In a nonchalant response, she shrugged before gracefully taking a seat. Mimicking her actions, he settled into a chair, his gaze intense as she reached for his hand once more, a sincere expression in her eyes. It seemed like it was time.

"I'm not entirely sure how this works, to be honest. Do we need a priest or something? I suppose we can manage without... or can we?" she mused, "I mean, we could have had a traditional wedding, but I'm not sure if you'll be up for it. Guess we'll keep it simple and straight to the point."

"What's wrong with that? Like I said, it's entirely up to you. Don't care how it's done, as long as we marry."

Her mouth twitched, "Oh I see, so picking cola nuts, paying the dowry to my family in order to get my hand, excluding the fact that technically I don't have any family here, which prevents a large part of the ceremony, and then going to a mosque with the colas to make it all official under the benevolent gaze of Allah won't be a problem for you?"

He simply stared at her blankly. She grinned.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." her smile widened, "Anyway, let's get this over with so I can officially call you my husband!" she chuckled.

He immediately sensed her nervousness through the way her hands slightly trembled.

"You know, we can always postpone it, if you don't feel ready." he tried to reassure.

"No, I... I want to do it now! Just hush before I lose my nerve!" she protested before clearing her throat. "Alright, um, what do they usually say... This past year has been crazy, the way we met was... well, interesting, to say the least," she chuckled, earning an annoyed huff from him. "You were a complete ass."

"And you barged into my house uninvited, so of course, I'd act like a jerk about it," he shot back.

"Yeah, sure, believe what you want, tough guy," she chuckled, "but honestly, it wasn't that terrible. I mean, I had a crush on you right from the beginning. I never imagined it would lead to this point," she confessed. "I'm not sure where things will go from here, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Her grip on his hands tightened briefly as she cast her eyes downward. "While I might be able to extend your life for centuries, it wouldn't be fair to Megumi, so... we'll have to cherish the time we have," she declared with determination.

Things suddenly got heavy as the atmosphere turned serious, and he felt a tightness in his chest as he fully understood the gravity of what she was implying.

"That...doesn't seems fair for you," he frowned.

"Heh, I knew that from the start, can't do much about it. That's why I promise that as long as you're alive, my love is exclusively yours." Her gaze softened as she gently brought his left hand to rest against her chest.

His heart missed a beat.

"From this moment forward, you're my husband, and even when you're no longer with me, I'll keep this ring as a cherished memento for as long as I walk this earth."

A pregnant pause hung between them, their gazes locked, and he etched her words deep into his being. His hand instinctively covered his mouth, a surprise flush coloring his face.

"Damn... you went all out with the speech, huh..."

"Was it too much?"

"No. No, it wasn't," he exhaled, trying to regain his composure - Keyword: Trying. "How am I supposed to compete with that?" he sighed, eliciting a laugh from her.

"You don't have to. I already know how you feel, and that's enough for me." she got up and planted a peck on his forehead. He hummed in confusion, wondering what she meant by that as he brought her closer.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, nothing. Now, isn't it the moment when you kiss the bride or something?" She chuckled when his eyes widened and quickly obliged.

Unbeknownst to them, her declarations carried some weight and implications neither of them could fathom at the time.

__________

Back in Japan a week later, Colith met up with her friends Nagi and Haiko for their customary monthly get-together to discuss the latest details of their lives.

"So, how was it?" Nagi asked suddenly.

"How was what?"

The woman rolled her eyes, "The honeymoon, of course. You're a married woman now! So I'll ask again, how was it? You don't look dissatisfied, so I assume you guys had a good time, huh?"

"What's the matter with you?!" Haiko reprimanded, smacking Nagi on the arm, "You can't just ask that out of the blue! You don't have to answer, Colith!"

"Come on, just look at her, that's the face of someone who just discovered carnal pleasures!" Nagi cackled, "Any juicy details you'd like to share? Was he rough? Gentle? Though that would be surprising, given his-"

"Nagi!"

While both women bickered, Colith just sat there, her tea in hand, with a blank face which turned bright red.

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She lay on the bed, eyes wide open, gazing silently at the ceiling. Her husband, slumbering soundly with an arm draped across her, appeared content and peaceful even in his sleep, his head nestled on her bare chest.

The faint bruises that had adorned her skin had long since faded away, leaving her unblemished. Any marks he had left behind had vanished without a trace.

Completely bewildered and feeling utterly flustered, she struggled to wrap her head around the events of the previous night. The unfamiliar sensations lingered, making it difficult for her to shake off the experience.

'Well, it's done now, no point dwelling on it,' she tried to reassure herself, but her efforts proved futile.

He emitted a soft hum of contentment as her fingers ran through his hair, pulling her closer to him. She studied his face for a moment, recognizing that such moments were bound to become more frequent from now on.

Her face flushed as her heart raced.

'Shiet.'

Shiet indeed, because shortly after he stirred, the look he gave her, brimming with adoration yet hinting at what was to follow, already signaled the tone for the day ahead.

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She shortly noped out the scene before Nagi could ask more embarrassing questions. She was not dealing with this.

Nope.

__________

Toji had this goofy grin plastered on his face for the rest of the year, and honestly, it was totally her fault.

Other than that, not a whole lot changed between them, except that her husband seemed a bit more docile than usual and was surprisingly patient when she went off on tangents about stuff that flew way over his head.

That was...worrying but funny, especially once she recalled something Yagi had said that one time,

"Men are simple minded creatures. Just give them sex and show some slight interest in their hobbies, they'll follow you to the ends of the earth."

Looks like Toji wasn't exempt to it in the end.

Huh.

In the following months, a new issue surfaced that she hadn't really taken the time to consider.

Pregnancy.

She couldn't ignore how the idea seemed to terrify Toji. Given his past, she couldn't blame him. The only woman he had been remotely attached to had died giving birth to his child, so his apprehension made perfect sense to her.

The funniest part was that his worries were unfounded, as she believed she couldn't bear a child.

At least, she thought so.

Her reasoning? No periods. That was it. Initially, she was overjoyed at the idea of not having to tweak her body to avoid the pain, but then came the realization that she might never be able to have a child the old-fashioned way.

Sure, creating life via magic or spells was possible, but the fact that she couldn't bear a child naturally was downright infuriating! And wasn't that a depressing thought? Then again, it was just a theory. Maybe regular humans couldn't impregnate her? Maybe an ascended being could? Ugh, she didn't want to find out. Besides, that wouldn't explain why her womb wasn't, well, wombing.

Crap, she couldn't make babies?! Where was that dipshit messenger when she needed them?!

Being called [Mother of All] while basically being unable to pop out a kid or two was pretty ironic. And downright insulting!

Oh well, who cares about blood anyway? It didn't stop her from considering Megumi and even Tsumiki her own! Not to mention all the kids her counterparts kept adopting left and right.

Yeah.

If she had been male, maybe she could have fathered numerous kids. Or maybe not. Who knows.

It would take her some time to find a semblance of closure on this issue. She wasn't desperate enough to try wild experiments, like creating a baby out of nowhere. Sure, it was within her abilities, but she wasn't about to go down that twisted path like Orochimaru. She wasn't that far gone, and besides, who knows how the baby would turn out. No, she didn't want to find out.

Toji didn't know how to take the news, and things got a bit awkward between them for a while. They found themselves tiptoeing around the subject, unsure of how to address the elephant in the room. However, the awkwardness didn't last long. Through shared laughter, heartfelt conversations, and a renewed focus on the things that brought them together, they managed to navigate the rough patch. Before long, their relationship returned to its usual rhythm, as if nothing had changed.

Before long, Megumi turned two.

__________

Mama was the best! He loved Mama so much! She always smiles and gives him big hugs. It makes him feel so happy and cozy inside. Sometimes, there were other mamas around, but they're not quite like Mama. He wasn't sure why.

Sometimes they'd sing to him, or play games, or make him giggle, or teach him new things like reading and writing, or even pretend to punch softly. It's like having lots of fun friends!

He really liked when they taught him how to make animals with his hands. It was his favorite game! Now he can make wolves and birds all by himself! Though bunnies were a little tricky, but it was fun!

Sometimes, he'd wonder why they looked different, why she was darker than him. It was a bit confusing but he thought nothing much of it. As long as mama kept hugging and kissing and singing lullabies, he was happy.

Miki said that dada was super strong. He wanted to be strong like dada one day ! So he started to train, or tried to. It made dada happy, so he was also happy. He was having a lot of fun.

__________

"Arf! Arf !"

Mama stilled and looked at him. He blinked, just as surprised as her before staring at the two little excited puppies in front of him. They stared right back, their little tails wagging excitedly.

"Woah..."

Doggies!!

__________

A get-together was arranged at a resort to celebrate Megumi's achievement of awakening the ten shadows, with the initiative coming from none other than Colith, as her husband was about as sociable as a wild cat. While the idea of having the sorcerer Killer, albeit former, and a bunch of sorcerers in one place seemed like a recipe for chaos, surprisingly, nothing disastrous occurred. Well, not entirely.

Perhaps it was due to Colith's quick handling of the situation, stepping in swiftly to defuse any potential conflicts before they spiraled out of control and mirrored the chaos of Canon. Despite the occasional taunts and glares, and passive agressive comments, mostly instigated by none other than Satoru Gojo himself, who had recently graduated alongside his peers, it went as well as she would have expected.

Who was she kidding? The ping pong match that ensued between the two was more like a battle royale than a 'friendly' game, but hey, if it helped them iron out their differences, who was she to step in? Sure, Ijichi ended up fainting midway through the chaos, but that was just a minor detail. The poor kid was never really cut out for the whole jujutsu thing anyway.

The whole spectacle greatly amused Tsumiki and Megumi who cheered for their dad, so she decided to turn a blind eye and let it slide.

For about thirty seconds.

They nearly destroyed a nearby islet, not to mention the various pieces of furniture scattered everywhere, the broken windows, and the upturned palm trees. You get the point.

That was her cue to intervene before they got kicked out for wrecking the place. After giving each of them a good bump on the head and a stern talking-to, the rest of the trip went relatively smoothly, though she did have to foot the bill for most of the damage they caused.

Satoru graciously offered to cover the expenses, and she accepted with gratitude, despite knowing he did it just to annoy her husband. Meanwhile, the others roamed around, exploring the resort. She was pretty sure they'd be blacklisted from every resort in Honolulu after this. Haha, oops.

In the end, the whole ordeal made her husband more clingy than usual.

Of course, the news didn't go unnoticed by the jujutsu world, especially the Zenin clan. However, due to her last visit there, the clan had yet to react. This wasn't the case for others in the sorcerer community. She soon learned that several curse users had taken a keen interest in this legendary technique. Knowing that the current holder of the ten shadows was just a toddler, they grew bold.

The attempts at kidnapping had dramatically increased, forcing her to rely more on her clones. It was understandable, given that eons ago, a user of the [Ten Shadows technique] was almost as deadly-if not deadlier-than the current user of the [Limitless] and [Six eyes] Satoru Gojo. Hell, they managed to kill each other off back then. Curtesy of Mahoraga/Makora probably.

In response to their audacity, Colith allowed her husband to go sicko mode on them. It wasn't as if he was getting rusty; quite the opposite. They sparred every week, making Toji twice as strong as he had been in his prime. He easily tracked down and eliminated anyone who dared to threaten his son, and Colith wholeheartedly approved. Not that she wasn't helping out, either.

This went on for a full two years. The kidnapping attempts diminished quickly, and a completely oblivious Megumi remained unaware that his awakening of the technique had led to the deaths of numerous unsavory individuals.

In the meantime, he had finally managed to summon rabbits! His joy at this achievement was pure and innocent, blissfully ignorant of the chaos and danger that had unfolded around him.

__________

BONUS

He was livid!

He couldn't understand it! How the hell had things gotten this bad?! He just couldn't wrap his head around it! And his clansmen, COWARDS, every damn one of them! How the fuck dare they bow to the whims of a mere woman! A fucking Gaijin at that! Ever since she showed up, everything had gone to shit! The balance of power between the three clans was totally fucked, all because of this wretched bitch who seemed hell-bent on targeting their clan while letting the other two off the hook.

Tch, not to mention his useless husk of a father! Letting himself get walked on, humiliating them even more! Was all their teaching for nothing? Were they just supposed to let this go?

He'd prove them wrong, prove to that bitch not to mess with the Zenin clan. He'd kill her with his own hands, restore their honor, and show everyone not to underestimate his-

"Whoa, that's one mean mug ya got there, kid. You okay?"

Naoya stilled and slowly glanced up. The burning hatred in his mind redoubled with vigor. "You..."

The source of all his anger was right in front of him. He was sure he had set a curtain, so how did she-

"Oi, you coming? You said you wanted to check if he was alive. He is, so let's go."

His neck snapped to the owner of the voice, his eyes growing wide. The black sheep of the Zenin clan... Toji. He, he hadn't seen him in years!

"He looks hurt," the woman replied, before letting out a low whistle as she scanned the surroundings. "Fought a grade one all by yourself, huh? Impressive." He suppressed a shiver as those eyes bore through him.

Naoya wouldn't admit it to anyone, but those eyes, ever since they had locked on him all those years ago, deeply unsettled him.

"Don't care, just do your thing and let's get going."

"Not saying hi to your fellow clansman?"

All she got in response was a grumble and the sound of footsteps fading away. She pouted, mumbling something before turning to him with a smile.

"Maah, don't mind him. He's just upset about missing a super rare giant Moomin plush," she snickered, glancing left and right before leaning down slightly as if sharing a secret. "Don't tell him I got it; his birthday's coming up." She made a shushing motion, eyes twinkling with mischief.

Naoya was utterly dumbfounded, his anger momentarily forgotten. So it was true-she had married Toji!

Should he attack now? Clearly, his father had exaggerated her abilities, right? Maybe he was too drunk when he used his technique, making it sloppy. That had to be it! Nothing could escape his [Projection sorcery] . That grade one was just lucky enough to catch him off guard, and he was sure to become one after this mission-

He flinched when he felt a light tap on his forehead.

"Here, all done. Welp, I think that's it! Toodles!"

He snapped out of his stupor over suddenly getting healed, but it was already too late. He found himself alone in the vicinity.

The cursed energy he had been gathering earlier to launch an attack immediately faded away, dissipating into thin air.

What. The. Fuck. Just. Happened.

__________

[Art by yours truly]