Chapter Text
Suguru stepped away from Satoru so fast his back hit the opposite wall. His heart was in his throat and his face burned with embarrassment. “What are you doing here?”
“It was supposed to be a surprise!” Nanako wailed. “A surprise for you, not for me.”
The sound of her sister’s voice brought Mimiko, now in pajamas, back to the top of the staircase. “Nanako, why are you here?”
“Oh my god, it was supposed to be a surprise! I just wanted to surprise you and Dad.” At last, she turned to Satoru, who was still frozen where Suguru had left him. “And who is this guy???”
Breathe in. Breathe out. Suguru stepped back in front of Satoru. “This is— He’s my boyfriend.”
“WHAT?”
“Let’s go upstairs, and we can talk. I’ll explain.” He grabbed Satoru’s sleeve before he could slip past Nanako and out the door. “ All of us.”
A few minutes later, they were crowded into Suguru’s small living room. He and Satoru sat on the couch with the twins in an armchair on either end. Nanako blatantly stared at them, as if she wanted to catch the moment the joke was revealed.
“I can’t believe you told Mimi first,” Nanako grumbled.
“We were planning to tell you tomorrow,” Suguru explained. A headache was gathering behind his eyes, but he resisted the urge to rub at them. “I didn’t mean to leave you out.”
She crossed her arms, still appraising them. “So is this like a mid-life crisis thing?”
Satoru had the nerve to laugh, quickly covering his smirk with the back of his hand.
Suguru sighed. “Satoru and I dated in university before I met your mom. It’s just a coincidence we met up again.”
“Oh, interesting.” Suguru didn’t want to know what that meant. “So does Mom know?”
Suguru shook his head. “Not yet. But I never kept from her that I dated men before her.”
Satisfied with his answer, she turned toward Satoru. “So what do you do for a living?”
His nose crinkled. “Is this an interview?”
“Yes. You can’t just date my dad if you’re some kind of loser.”
It was Suguru’s turn to stifle a laugh. Nanako was completely serious, he knew. While she couldn’t stop him from seeing Satoru, if she disapproved, she’d be sure to let him know why.
“I’m a professor. I teach physics,” Satoru said finally.
“He doesn’t even have to work,” Mimiko chimed in quietly from the sidelines. “That’s his car parked out front.”
“Hm. Okay. That’s acceptable.” The line of questioning continued with where Satoru lived, when his last serious relationship was, and what his plans were to get Suguru to take a break once in a while and close the shop for a vacation. Suguru was surprised at how sincerely Satoru answered, playing along but not patronizing Nanako’s interrogation process.
“So did I pass?” Satoru asked, flopping against the back of the couch with a groan, when there was finally a pause.
“Probationary,” she quipped.
“Cute. Suguru didn’t tell me he had such doting daughters.”
“Well, someone had to ask, since Mimi was just going to give you a free pass.” Nanako pulled her phone out. It was the longest Suguru had seen her without it in her hand since he bought it for her. “What’s your Instagram?”
Satoru gave her his screen name. “Nothing is incriminating on there. I’d be posting pictures of your dad every day, but he said I’m not allowed to.”
“He’s right. We have to at least tell our mom first,” Nanako said, nodding.
“I think we should let Satoru get home,” Suguru said, standing and pulling Satoru up beside him. “It’s been a long day.”
“But we’re having so much fun,” Satoru said sarcastically, sticking his tongue out at Nanako. “I was going to suggest going out for a late breakfast tomorrow to interrogate each other more, but maybe I shouldn’t.”
“Satoru does love soufflé pancakes,” Suguru added, hiding his smile. “That’s too bad.”
“I’ll still consider it if you can talk your dad into taking the morning off from work,” Satoru said to the girls, who were watching them with matching expressions of confusion.
“Come on.” Suguru took his hand and dragged Satoru downstairs to the entryway, unsure if he could handle another second of Nanako and Satoru sniping at each other.
Suguru was grateful for the cool night air. He should have expected Nanako to give Satoru a hard time, but he knew it came from a place of caring, the same way he still planned on asking too many questions about her boyfriend. Again, that he was gay seemed to be the least of it.
“Is she going to give me a break anytime soon?” Satoru whined, hooking his pinky around Suguru’s; the contact was small enough that Suguru couldn’t scold him for a public display of affection even though no one was on the street.
Suguru glanced around. The street really was empty. No one came down this way at night once the businesses closed for the day. He leaned up and pressed his lips to Satoru’s before another complaint could pass them. The kiss was brief, chaste, barely a brushing together of their lips, but he’d missed Satoru, too, and Nanako had interrupted what he’d intended to be a far firmer kiss.
“I want to take you home with me,” Satoru grumbled.
“I can’t. Not with Nanako seething up there about not being in on the secret.” He brushed his lips across Satoru’s cheek, then stepped back. “You really want to come back tomorrow?”
“And miss the chance to get grilled by your brats on every breath I took for the last twenty years? I wouldn’t miss it.”
Suguru bit his lips to hold back whatever ridiculous, lovesick words he was about to spew out with no thought. There weren’t enough words to explain how grateful he was to Satoru for picking up where they’d left off so long ago, for accepting his children and his lifestyle without care or worry. Suguru knew the girls would be fine because while Satoru was annoying, he had his charms, but he’d still worried that when faced with the living evidence of Suguru’s marriage, Satoru might back away.
“Itadori will be ok running the shop alone for a few hours,” Suguru said. “Hamada comes by every weekend anyway.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up around ten.”
Suguru wanted to kiss him again, but he took another step away and opened the door. “Good night, Satoru.”
—-
By the last day of Nanako’s visit, she still hadn’t brought up her own boyfriend, despite Satoru coming around every day to make his important presence in Suguru’s life known. There was no way to broach the subject without being incredibly obvious, so finally Suguru had to give up.
“So, is there anything you wanted to talk about?” Suguru asked, as they sat on the couch the final night, waiting for Mimiko to finish her bath. “You don’t usually do surprise visits.”
She glanced over at him, barely looking up from her phone. “It seemed like a good idea until I had to see you making out with Gojo.”
“We were not making out!” Suguru groaned, aware that she was going to hold this over his head for the rest of his life. “And really? You just felt like surprising me?”
Her look this time was a little more clinical. “Why are you being weird?”
“I’m not being weird.”
“What did Mimiko tell you?” She lowered the phone.
“Nothing. She just said you had some news.” Suguru knew he was getting backed into a corner.
Nanako stared at him with narrowed eyes and pressed her lips into a flat line. Had he always been this bad at lying? “So you’d still be very surprised if I told you I’ve been dating someone for the last three months?”
Suguru managed a genuine smile. “That’s great, Nanako. I trust you picked a good guy.”
“Ugh.” She rolled her eyes. “She totally told you.”
“Okay, yes, she might have mentioned it, but I hoped you’d tell me yourself. Boyfriends have sort of been a topic lately.”
She glanced away, toward the blank TV screen. “I know I’ve been pushy, but I do like Gojo. He really cares about you. I wanted to make sure you’d be okay.”
Suguru’s heart twisted a little. He didn’t deserve how good Nanako and Mimiko were to him. “I’m okay. I’m better than I have been in a long time. Do I get to meet your boyfriend?”
She laughed. “I guess I owe you that much. Maybe I’ll bring him up for a day trip sometime.”
“I’d like that. Mimiko already told me he’s a good guy, so I won’t interrogate him. Not too much, at least.”
“I think you’ll like him,” she said confidently.
“Just make sure you remember your sister sometimes. I think she’s feeling a little left out.” Suguru winked. “Don’t tell her I told you that.”
They were laughing when Mimiko joined them again. Suguru couldn’t remember the last time he felt so at ease. It was worth dealing with Satoru and Nanako picking on each other if he got to spend time with all his favorite people in the same place. He was tired from the busy weekend, but his exhaustion didn’t feel like a burden for once.
“It’s over with, you should be happy,” Shoko said during their weekly call to complain about their lives. “This was the thing you were the most worried about for coming out and it’s done.”
“I am happy,” Suguru groaned, “but I didn’t count on things like Nana following Satoru on social media, as if she needs to keep an eye on him. Why is she so suspicious?”
Shoko laughed. “It’s actually cute that she’s so protective of you. They were teens when you got divorced. I’m sure both girls noticed how hard it was on you.”
“She did suggest I’m having a mid-life crisis.”
“That checks out.”
“Hey, you got a new girlfriend, too.”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t also having one. Just relax, Suguru. Accept that everything worked out and there aren’t any problems you need to solve.”
“I guess.”
“You two are so annoying.” He could hear the eyeroll in her voice. “I’ve had to reassure Satoru a minimum of five times that you love him.”
“What?” Suguru frowned.
“You’re kind of hot and cold, my friend.” Her voice softened in a way that tugged at Suguru’s heart. “He’s still scared to lose you again.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“I know. But maybe just say that to him a little more often. You know how insecure he can be under all the bravado. He really was stressed about meeting the girls.”
Suguru knew she was right. Satoru had been tense all weekend and they hadn’t had any time alone to talk, outside of a few short phone calls at the end of each night. He was good at hiding when he was feeling down, but Shoko was right that Satoru thrived on constant reassurance. Even though he reasonably knew Suguru had to make time for his daughters, it wouldn’t stop him from feeling left out.
Satoru picked up his phone on the first ring. “What?”
“Wow, hi. I just wanted to see what you’re doing.”
“Playing the new Digimon game.”
“They still make those?” Suguru asked mockingly. “I guess you’re busy then.”
“Depends on what you want,” Satoru said without pause.
Suguru rolled his eyes. “Can I come over? I’m tired but Nanako just left a little while ago and I-“
“Want me to come get you?”
“No, that’s okay. I want to walk a little and then I’ll head to your place, okay?”
“Ok!” The excitement in Satoru’s voice was obvious, and Suguru couldn’t help but smile.
Suguru stopped at a bakery on the way and got a few slices of cake. He picked up a beer for himself and a cola for Satoru at the convenience store. It wasn’t a booty call, he justified, if you were half asleep and just wanted to snuggle on the couch with someone. Satoru could keep playing his game for all he cared, he just wanted to be with him.
“What’s all this for?” Satoru asked when Suguru entered the apartment and handed him his purchases.
“I thought we should celebrate you meeting the girls and the world not ending.” Suguru kicked off his shoes. “Also, I’m tired and I miss you.”
Satoru grinned and led the way to his couch, where he’d clearly been wrapped up in a blanket and playing games all day. He set the bags on the table, then sat and held his arms out to Suguru. “Come here, baby.”
Suguru went. He tucked himself against Satoru, wrapped his arms tightly around him, and buried his face in his shoulder.
“You did good,” Satoru murmured. “You have great kids.”
“Even though Nanako drove you crazy?”
“Of course. She’s my Suguru’s precious daughter. I mean, not that I’m playing favorites or anything, but Mimiko does seem to like me more.” He rubbed his hands up and down Suguru’s back, massaging away all the anxiety and tension of the last few days. “I think they just want their dad to be happy.”
“I am happy.”
“Because of me?”
“Because of you.” He sat back a little, remembering how Shoko scolded him for not saying what he felt often enough. “It means a lot to me how supportive you’ve been the last few months, not just with the girls, but with everything.”
Satoru brushed Suguru’s bangs back and tucked them behind his ear. He looked at him like he was precious.
Suguru hoped whatever face he was making it relayed even half as much love and adoration. He didn’t know what else to say. He didn’t know how else to express how much Satoru meant to him. I love you seemed too simple.
“I lied about when my last serious relationship was,” Satoru blurted suddenly.
“What?” An awkward laugh escaped Suguru.
“To Nanako. I said it lasted two years, but it didn’t.” He glanced away, cheeks pink. “I guess you might have figured that out from other stuff I said. I know it’s a huge red flag to not have been in a long-term relationship and be my age-“
“I don’t care,” Suguru interrupted. “That doesn’t matter to me. Though I do think it was wise not to tell Nanako,” he added.
Satoru’s soft smile would never stop making Suguru’s stomach flip. He leaned forward and kissed the corner of his mouth.
“I thought it might bother you that I lied,” Satoru admitted.
Suguru kissed the other corner of his lips. “I’ll let that one slide. It’s for the greater good.”
Satoru snorted. “I thought you were tired.”
“Exhausted.”
“Want to watch a movie?”
“Keep playing your game. Let’s eat the cake.” Suguru untangled himself before he could give in to more kisses and got two forks from the kitchen.
After the cake was gone, Suguru drank the beer and watched Satoru play his game. He didn’t know what was going on, and Satoru's explanation didn’t really help, but he let him talk, content just to hear his voice. He dozed off with his head on Satoru’s shoulder, only waking long enough to brush his teeth and climb into bed with Satoru.
“Suguru,” Satoru said, just as Suguru was drifting off to sleep.
“Hm?”
“Doooooo youuuuu wannamoveintogether?” Suguru could hear Satoru’s heart beating fast where his ear was pillowed on his chest. “I know it doesn’t make sense logistically for you to live here since you have the world’s shortest commute already, but I could live with you since I drive to work anyway and-“
Suguru’s brain finally woke up enough to process what Satoru was saying. “You want to live with me?”
“If you’ll have me. I could keep this place too since I have so much stuff, and then if the girls visit, I could stay here so they have their space and-“
“Satoru, slow down.” Suguru took his face in both hands. “Just slow down.”
“You don’t want to?” He immediately looked crestfallen.
“I do want to, I think, I just need you to give me a minute to wake up.” He kissed the tip of Satoru’s nose and sat up, pushing his hair back out of his face. “That’s not the sort of thing you bring up in the middle of the night usually.”
Satoru drew his knees up to his chest. “I’ve been thinking about it all day. I just kept losing my nerve.”
Suguru grinned. “The great Gojo Satoru was nervous? I’m flattered.”
Satoru punched his arm. “That’s why I wanted to come clean about the serious relationship thing. I’ve never lived with anyone either, not since you.”
“You don’t mind my apartment? I know it’s not much compared to this.” It wasn’t much. Suguru’s apartment was well-kept, but it wasn’t modern, and though it was a reasonable size, it wasn’t nearly as impressive as Satoru’s place.
“I don’t need much if you’re there.”
Suguru rolled his eyes. “That’s some line.”
“I’m serious, though. If you told me we had to live in a one-room to be together, I’d do it.”
“You don’t need to go that far. Come here.” He gestured for Satoru to come closer, relieved when he scooted over and leaned against Suguru. “There is more space upstairs from me. My aunt used to rent it, but then it sort of turned into storage. I haven’t been up there in years. We could clean it up.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, then there would be space for everyone if the girls visit. If you live with me, I’m not going to make you leave every time they come for the weekend.”
Satoru sighed, and it was a sound of pure contentment. “I can’t believe I found you again, and we get to do this again.”
Suguru ran his fingers through Satoru’s hair, scratching his scalp a little. It perversely brought to mind rewarding a dog for good behavior, but Satoru had always been unconditionally loyal and loving. Suguru was the one who was more careful with his feelings, but he knew now they were both afraid of being hurt; Satoru only hid it better.
“We should get some sleep,” Suguru murmured.
“I’m going to buy you a new bed.” Satoru tugged him down and wrapped himself around Suguru, face against his neck, one leg tucked between Suguru’s.
“Okay,” Suguru yawned.
“Only the best for my roommate.”
“Idiot.”
”I’m your idiot.”
Suguru was late for work the next morning. He rushed home only to find Mimiko had already opened the store and mumbled his way through an awkward apology before giving up and slipping back out to get them coffee and pastries. He didn’t mention Satoru moving in yet.
“You know it’s fine if you want to spend time with Gojo,” Mimiko said when he returned. “I can run the shop. Mrs. Hamada will come by if I need help and Itadori isn’t here.”
“I didn’t want it to be weird for you.”
She smiled in a way that reminded him a little too much of her sister. “You’re the one making it weird, Dad.”
“Yeah, I guess I am.”
“I don’t think it’s a mid-life crisis,” she added.
“I appreciate that.”
“Nanako was just giving him a hard time, but I think she likes Gojo more than she let on.” She took a sip of her coffee. “She said he looks at you like you’re the most wonderful person on the planet, so she can’t really be mad at that. And she said it’s good you’re dating again.”
“And she was worried about how I’d react to her boyfriend?” Suguru rolled his eyes.
Mimiko laughed. “I hope you’re nicer to him.”
—-
A puff of dust flew up, and Suguru backed away, coughing.
“I guess I should have come up here more often,” he said. “I didn’t realize how long it’s been.”
Satoru opened one of the windows, fanning the air with his hands. “You sure we can’t just hire someone to clean up?”
“Nah, I really should go through all this stuff. I don’t know what my aunt left up here.”
“Secret family treasures?”
“I doubt it. Probably mostly old stuff from the store.”
The living room was filled with old furniture covered in dusty bedsheets. There were boxes everywhere, neatly labeled but stacked haphazardly. Suguru had only come up a few times since his aunt died, often with the intention of cleaning, but always got immediately overwhelmed. He could have been renting the apartment out for years, but it seemed like too much of a hassle.
“I can see you freaking out already,” Satoru said, coming up behind him and tucking his chin over Suguru’s shoulder. “We can do this. Let’s just pick one room to start in. Baby steps.”
“I can’t deal with this living room,” Suguru admitted.
“Okay, come on, bedroom then.”
Satoru put music on his phone and danced around as he moved boxes and dusted. He didn’t know the words to most of the songs, but made up his own, which several times made Suguru laugh so hard he had to stop what he was doing. It was a good distraction from the boxes of old paperwork, receipts, and other things he didn’t need to save.
In the far corne,r he found a few boxes labeled “family.” Inside the first was a stack of albums with photos of Suguru’s grandparents when they were young and at their wedding. The next box was his aunt’s own collection: photos of her and her friends, her travels, and her siblings. Suguru paused over a photo of her with her arm slung around a young and carefree version of his father.
“How old do you think he was there?” Satoru asked, crouching beside him.
“Maybe fifteen? He looks so happy.” Suguru touched their smiles in the photo. “I wonder what changed him. He barely smiled, not even when I was a kid.”
He flipped through more pages, finding his parents' wedding and baby pictures of himself.
“I wonder if something happened that took his joy away,” Suguru said quietly. “Like what he did to me. Maybe someone hurt him.”
“You don’t have to justify it,” Satoru said. “What he did and said to you isn’t right, even if he was the most miserable person in the world. He took you away from me.” He couldn’t hide the bitterness from his voice. “He took away years of time we could have been together. I hate him for that, I’m sorry, I really do.”
Suguru leaned against him. “I’d just feel better if I knew there was a reason. It’s not like we ever had a great relationship, so it doesn’t feel like me being gay was all it was.”
“There’s not a reason for everything.”
“I guess.”
Satoru turned the page, revealing another picture of young Suguru, ready for kindergarten. “We should hang this one up. You were a cute kid.”
“You don’t think I’m cute now?” Suguru elbowed him, pretending to be offended.
Satoru pulled him to his feet and spun him around to the music still playing from his phone across the room. “Nope.”
“Jerk.”
“I think you’re handsome. And beautiful.” He swayed them back and forth to the music, resting his cheek on Suguru’s hair. “I know I've always said I’m the number one handsome guy, but you know I really think you are, right?”
“I suspected as much.”
He could feel Satoru’s smile in the way his arms tightened around him and in the kiss pressed to the side of his head. “Who’s got an ego now?”
Suguru closed his eyes, lulled by the music and Satoru’s gentle swaying. He should be happy they were together. He had Satoru back, somehow, after what felt like a lifetime of missing him. He was finally living the life he always felt he was missing out on.
His father had died young, probably from stress and a lifetime of unhappiness. Suguru didn’t think his mother had anything to do with either of those things. She’d been a perfect wife and mother, hardworking and caring. And they must have loved each other at one point. Suguru had watched her blossom after his father’s death into a happy, independent woman with friends and a job. He wondered how much she’d let her husband rule her life and what sacrifices she’d made. He should visit her soon.
“I love you,” he said quietly. “I know I don’t say it enough.”
“Outside of the bedroom, at least.” Satoru chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind hearing it a tiny bit more.”
“I’ll try.”
They finished clearing one room, and Satoru insisted it was enough for one day. They went down to Suguru’s apartment and ordered takeout, which they ate sitting on the floor at the coffee table, knees brushing in the cramped space.
Satoru kissed him after, careless of the taste of Chinese food on his tongue. He licked into his mouth as he lay him back on the cool floor, tongue running over Suguru’s teeth.
“Mimiko will be home soon,” Suguru gasped as Satoru moved his attention to his neck. “I don’t think I can deal with another one of my kids walking in on us.”
Satoru groaned. “This is why we have to clean up that apartment.”
“Let’s go do a little bit more, then I’ll go home with you tonight, okay?” He shoved at Satoru’s chest. “Be patient.”
“We haven’t had sex in weeks,” Satoru grumbled, but he got up and followed Suguru back upstairs.
—-
“Satoru, slow down,” Suguru gripped Satoru’s hair to no avail. “Ah-“
Satoru glanced up at him, blue eyes coy, and bobbed his head down again, mouth hot on Suguru’s cock.
Suguru insisted on showering when they got to Satoru’s apartment. He felt dusty and sweaty from working all afternoon, and while Satoru would have him in any state, he wanted to feel clean first. He must have taken too long because Satoru not only interrupted the shower, but had him on his back on the bed in record time.
“Satoru, Satoru, please.” But he wasn’t really trying to stop him. He could have, but instead he let Satoru suck harder, tongue working, until Suguru’s thighs were trembling. “I want you inside me,” he choked out finally.
Satoru pulled off with a wet pop, trailing kisses up Suguru’s stomach, taking a detour to bite and suck at one nipple. “Anything you want, baby.”
Suguru took a deep breath, mentally walking himself back from the edge, though it was nearly impossible with Satoru sucking marks all over his chest. “I want you to go shower first,” Suguru insisted.
“Suguruuuuuu,” Satoru whined. “Are you saying I smell bad? Am I disgusting? I got wet dragging you out of the shower. That counts.”
“Go. It’ll be worth it, I promise.”
Satoru couldn’t hide the way his eyes lit up at the promise of some sort of reward for something he should have done first anyway, but he still grumbled and pouted as he disappeared into the en suite bathroom.
Alone, Suguru scooted back against the pillows at the head of the bed and grabbed the lube from its permanent home on the nightstand. He warmed some of the liquid on his fingers before spreading his legs apart and, ignoring his dick, circled his fingers around his hole. It might have felt a little sexier if he couldn’t hear Satoru singing a silly pop song in the shower, but his goal was efficiency, not allure, since no one was watching and he knew he had a short amount of time before Satoru finished washing.
He pushed one finger in with a soft groan, just enough to spread the lube around before he pushed in another. It felt good, but not as good as when Satoru did it. His fingers were longer and he always slowed down to prep Suguru, no matter how impatient he was. Despite outward appearances and the huge amount of pouting and sulking he did, he was a thoughtful lover, at least when it came to making Suguru feel good.
Suguru was up to three fingers when Satoru hurried back into the room with a betrayed look on his face. “I wanted to do that,” he said, crawling up the bed, water still dripping from his hair.
“Lie down,” Suguru said, in a way that left no room for argument, even from Satoru. He wiped his fingers on the towel left from his own shower.
Satoru grumbled, but he lay on his back beside Suguru with his arms tucked behind his head. Suguru let his eyes roam over the expanse of pale skin, of all the little scars and freckles Satoru had gained over their time apart. He ran his hand over his stomach, watching his abs twitch at the sudden contact, and followed the trail of hair down from Satoru’s navel.
“Are you going to do something?” Satoru said, finally at the end of his patience.
“I was just admiring you,” Suguru said. “I thought you’d like that. I never get to look at you because you’re always rushing.”
“I’m in a hurry to make up for lost time, I’ll have you know.” His breath caught as Suguru took his cock in hand and gave it a few lazy pumps. “Can’t you look at me after?”
“Brat,” Suguru purred, but he slung his leg over Satoru’s hips, holding himself over him as he got into a comfortable position. “Some things never change, I guess.”
“You look pretty good yourself,” Satoru said, gazing up at him adoringly. Suguru knew it was only with great restraint that he wasn’t touching him already, hands twitching behind his head.
Suguru sank down on Satoru’s cock slowly. This was another part of Satoru that the man had every right to brag about -and he did brag about it. When they met, Suguru felt like he was being tricked by the gods with how perfect Satoru was for him, physically and otherwise. The huge cock was an added bonus. It was probably better that he hadn't bothered with any men after Satoru. He would have been disappointed.
“Fuck, Suguru.” Satoru’s hands finally found their way to his thighs, fingers digging into the meat of them. “Shit, I didn’t get a condom.”
“It’s fine.” Suguru took Satoru’s hands and moved them to his hips. “We sort of both forgot about that last time anyway. Twice. We don’t need one, right?”
Satoru shook his head. “I got tested after your birthday. All clean.”
“I probably should have asked that first,” Suguru gasped, hands clenching over Satoru’s as he bottomed out on his cock. He kicked his hips forward, lifting up slowly and sinking down again, letting Satoru guide him but not take control.
“I would never give you an STD, baby,” Satoru chuckled.
“Yeah, because if you did, I wouldn’t forgive you.” He moved his hands to Satoru’s thighs behind him for better leverage.
“Have I ever told you how fucking hot your thighs are?” Satoru squeezed said thighs. “And this is like the perfect view.”
Suguru forgot that something like that might have once made him self-conscious. He forgot how hard it had become to take a compliment. Instead he arched his back more, muscles flexing and let Satoru watch as he fucked himself on his cock. There had been a time when he knew how he looked, how appealing he was to everyone around him, and he’d basked in the attention. Suguru had never paid for his own drinks in university, he’d never been lonely or lacking friends. Then Satoru was there and became Suguru’s whole heart, his everything, and Suguru thought surely he would never come down from the high of Satoru’s love. He wanted to be that person again.
Satoru’s hands wandered over every part of his body they could reach, squeezing his waist, pinching his nipples. “I’m gonna come if you keep this up,” he groaned, hands dragging down Suguru’s ribs and landing on his hips again.
“I want you to,” Suguru moaned. “Please.”
“Inside?” Satoru’s face was glowing, eyes alight, like he couldn’t believe Suguru was giving him such a gift.
“Yes.” Suguru moved as quickly as his trembling thighs would allow, now helped along by Satoru’s grip on his hips. Though it tested his stamina, he’d always liked riding Satoru. He liked the control. He liked how deep inside him Satoru was, stretching and filling him. Satoru’s obvious admiration and praise didn’t hurt either.
Satoru’s hands on his hips tightened, and he bucked up into Suguru, who squeezed him tight, pushing him toward the inevitable end. He fell forward against Satoru’s chest, allowing himself to be used as Satoru chased his high, finally coming with a long groan that reverberated through his heaving chest.
Suguru pushed up with his hands on Satoru’s chest, fingers digging into his pecs, but Satoru chased him, sitting up while still inside Suguru and kissing him. It was barely a kiss, messy and frantic and open-mouthed. He licked a wet line up Suguru’s neck. “How do you want to finish?”
“Like this,” Suguru murmured. “Just like this.”
Satoru reached between them and began to jerk Suguru off, slow but tight, the way he liked it. “Good?”
“Everything you do is good.” He didn’t even know what he was saying anymore, but Satoru was kissing all over his shoulders and neck, making soft soothing sounds. “You’re so good for me. I need you so much.”
“I need you, too,” Satoru said, lips warm and wet against Suguru’s pulse point. “Love you so much, baby.”
Suguru had never been the weepy one in bed. It had always been Satoru tearfully telling him how good it was and how he loved him, but he found himself blinking back tears now as he was overwhelmed by Satoru’s touch, by his voice, by the tender way he held him. He came across their stomachs with a choked cry, fingers digging into Satoru’s shoulders enough to leave marks from his nails.
Blissed out, Suguru rested his head on Satoru’s shoulder. He felt boneless, completely relaxed. The only thing that brought him back to reality was Satoru gently lifting him to let his softened cock slip out, which had Suguru wondering why he’d been so desperate for Satoru to come inside him.
Satoru was still pressing soft kisses everywhere he could reach. “You’re going to be sore in the morning.”
Suguru chuckled breathlessly, “I’m sore now.”
“Wanna take a bath? We should take advantage of the big bathtub while I still live here.”
Suguru rolled onto his back and let Satoru start filling the tub. He needed to clean up, but the idea of leaving the bed was completely unappealing. A certain giddiness overtook the exhaustion as he thought about Satoru moving in. They were going to live together. They were going to wake up every morning beside each other and go to sleep every night the same way. He’d see Satoru every day instead of once or twice a week.
“What are you smiling about? Thinking about me?” Satoru leaned over him.
“Yes, actually.” Suguru’s back twinged as he sat up, and the stickiness between his legs made itself known again.
Satoru grinned, and it was like sunshine and spring flowers. He reached for Suguru’s hand and pulled him to his feet and into the bathroom, where he insisted on washing his hair for him and “helping” him clean up before settling into the tub first with Suguru in front of him. Suguru leaned back against Satoru’s chest and closed his eyes.
“Are you going to be okay cleaning out more stuff in the apartment?” Satoru said, lips brushing Suguru’s greying temple. “There’s probably more family stuff.”
“I don’t know,” Suguru replied honestly.
“Don’t do anything without me. I’ll help.”
“I feel like it shouldn’t be this hard,” Suguru admitted. Even saying that was difficult though;n admitting a weakness, a flaw. He swallowed down the rising feeling of failure. “Isn’t there a point where we’re too old for shit our dead parents said to bother us?”
He felt Satoru’s smile against his damp skin. “My shitty parents are unfortunately still alive saying shit to me.”
“You don’t talk about them.”
“What’s to say? Living disappointment Gojo Satoru continues to disappoint by shacking up with hot DILF?” He said the latter sentence like a newspaper headline, holding his hands out in front of them. “I haven’t talked to them in a while, but it’s better that way. They’re always trying to marry me off to some colleague’s daughter, even now.”
“You’ve got to stop saying DILF. Please.”
“Hm, I guess since I’m already fucking you it’s not totally accurate.”
“Shut up.” He poked his elbow back into Satoru’s ribs, which earned him a surprised yelp and nearly being knocked forward into the water.
“You’re so immature for a DILF,” Satoru said, intentionally emphasizing the offending word.
“Having kids doesn’t automatically make you more mature,” Suguru said.
“I can tell,” Satoru snarked as if he wasn’t the one still saying stupid stuff like DILF.
This ended in another elbow to the side and a brief and completely mature scuffle that ended in them making out until Suguru finally objected to how pruny his fingers were getting.
He was late to work again the next morning.
—-
Mimiko headed home to Kyoto a few days later, and Suguru found the apartment a little lonely without her. She promised to return with Nanako when they had a little time after the semester started and maybe convince Nana to bring her boyfriend.
To his surprise, Mimiko left with both Itadori and Fushiguro’s contact info. She’d hung out with both boys, whose relationship status was unclear, and even met a few of Fushiguro’s friends. Suguru thought it was nice that she made new friends.
Itadori hadn’t asked him for further advice, so Suguru didn’t pry. Fushiguro still came by the shop regularly, and they often left together at the end of the day, so things must have been going okay.
“Megumi won’t talk to me about it at all,” Satoru complained. “I tried to corner Yuji the other day on his way out, but he ran away!”
“I’d run away, too.” Suguru stacked another box into the ‘to be thrown away’ pile.
“We should have another family dinner.”
“Just so you can ask Itadori what his intentions are? Absolutely not.” He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “He was only invited last time to make Mimiko more comfortable.”
The apartment was almost completely organized, though it still needed a good cleaning. Satoru wasn’t helpful in the organizational sense, but he’d kept Suguru from spiraling several times over the discovery of various family artifacts and childhood memories.
“So, where are we going on vacation?” Satoru asked when Suguru had been frowning into a box of old photos for too long.
“What?” He glanced up at him, confused, and a little worried that Satoru had been talking for a while and he hadn’t been paying attention.
“Our international trip! We talked about it the first night we first met.”
“Oh. Right.”
Satoru slid the box out of Suguru’s hands and set it aside. “So, do you want to go somewhere warm, somewhere cold? Do outdoors stuff? See museums?”
“Maybe somewhere warm,” Suguru relented. “Somewhere with a nice beach. I want to relax.”
“Then I can see you in a swimsuit.”
Suguru laughed. “You see me naked all the time.”
“It’s totally different. I want to see you all tanned and sweaty and glare at whoever tries to look at you.” His enthusiasm, as always, made Suguru forget whatever he’d been worrying about.
“You’re going to need a lot of sunscreen.”
“You can put it on me.”
“Absolutely not. As if seeing my tan, sweaty body isn’t going to have you horny enough, I’m not going to be rubbing my hands all over you in public.”
“I’ll have to get a private beach then.”
Suguru didn’t argue about whether or not Satoru should spend money on a private beach because he knew Satoru had no qualms about dropping ridiculous amounts of money on anything he deemed important. “Even if it’s a private beach, keep it in your pants. It’s too sandy.”
Satoru stuck his tongue out. “You’re such a prude now.”
“Why? Because I no longer want to have sex in a public bathroom? It’s called having standards. You used to be shy about stuff like that.”
“Didn’t stop you from talking me into it.”
“You didn’t take much convincing.” Suguru cuffed him on the shoulder. “Really though, if you want to go on vacation, I can get Mrs. Hamada and Itadori to take care of the store. I’ll do some research tonight.”
Satoru left a smacking kiss on his cheek. “I’m looking forward to your presentation.”
——
Itadori couldn’t avoid Satoru forever and was finally cornered when helping Suguru bring furniture upstairs to the newly cleaned apartment.
Satoru arrived late from a lecture, take-out bags swinging from his hands. He was still dressed in his work clothes: dark slacks, a crisp blue button-down shirt. The sound of a car pulling away from the curb indicated that Satoru had summoned Ijichi from whatever corner he kept him in for a ride.
“Ah!” Blue eyes blazing, Satoru pointed at Itadori, who froze like a deer in headlights in the middle of the mostly empty living room.
“Um, hi,” Itadori said weakly.
“Megumi won’t tell me anything,” Satoru said accusingly, pushing the takeout bags into Suguru’s hands. “And you ran away from me the other day.”
“Ok…” Itadori frantically glanced at Suguru, eyes pleading.
“Satoru, take it easy.” He rubbed his hand along the back of Satoru’s neck, fingers scratching over his undercut. “Fushiguro is an adult. He can date whoever he wants.”
“Are you dating my Megumi?” Satoru turned the full brunt of his attention back to Itadori, apparently only egged on by Suguru’s words.
“Sort of?” Sheepishly, Itadori set the box he’d been carrying down. “He said he wasn’t sure about dating someone who just realized they liked guys, so I guess it’s sort of a trial period?”
“Smart. That’s fair.” Satoru nodded, like he’d had anything to do with the idea.
Suguru snorted. “Oh, like you had any idea about your sexuality when we met.”
“I had strong suspicions! And you definitely weren’t worried about a trial period, based on what happened literally on day one.”
Suguru smiled; the same smile he used on difficult customers or screaming toddlers. “We don’t need to talk about that in front of Itadori.”
“I should actually get going. I’m meeting up with Fushiguro,” Itadori chimed in, clearly looking to end the conversation and get as far from them as possible.
“Thanks for helping today,” Suguru said, giving the boy an out. “Lunch is on me tomorrow.”
“No problem!” Itadori was down the stairs and out the door in record time.
“Be nice to him,” Suguru said, giving Satoru’s hair a little tug.
“Oh, I like him a lot.” Satoru began emptying the takeout bags onto the new table. “I have to give him a hard time for Megumi’s sake, though, don’t I? Have you gotten any more info out of Nanako yet?”
“She will tell me when she’s ready.” Sitting down felt divine after being on his feet most of the day. He should have waited for Satoru to bring the boxes up, but Itadori offered to help and Suguru had hoped to get a head start on building the furniture. Satoru had to be convinced that he shouldn’t completely gut and renovate both apartments, and he’d been skeptical that Suguru could build furniture, so Suguru was determined to show him otherwise.
With Mimiko back home, Satoru spent most nights with Suguru, always dawdling on the mornings he didn’t go to the gym, then rushing off to work and probably arriving seconds before his class was supposed to start. His belongings were already taking over Suguru’s closet, his shelves, his bathroom. He wore Suguru’s clothes when they cleaned or as pajamas, throwing in a load of laundry before he dashed off to wherever he needed to be.
It felt good. Everything was mundane and normal, but it was good. Suguru could suddenly imagine spending the rest of his life this way. Old age had been nebulous before, a mysterious time he was hurtling toward with no expectations or hopes for himself. He thought about his daughters, of course, but his own future had been secondary to whatever he needed to provide them.
Now Satoru was here, somehow, despite everything, talking for the fifth time about where the best location to hang the TV was, and Suguru couldn’t imagine anywhere else he’d rather be. He reached across the table to hold Satoru’s hand, and Satoru looked up at him, eyes widening in surprise at the sudden touch, then softening the way they always did when he looked at Suguru.
Still, it was difficult not to feel regret thinking of the life they could have built together if Suguru had been stronger (he knew Satoru didn’t see it that way, but it didn’t change his own feelings). He lay awake some nights with Satoru’s hair tickling his neck and his warm breath puffing against his bare skin, and was wracked with the guilt of wishing he’d been with Satoru the whole time, even though it meant he wouldn’t have his daughters. He couldn’t reconcile wanting both things to be true so badly.
Satoru would half-wake, snuggling closer and wrapping his arms tighter around Suguru, as if he knew when Suguru was having those confusing thoughts. He’d mumble sleepy words of love, grumbling that Suguru needed his beauty sleep. Suguru couldn’t argue with that. He had to believe that everything worked out the way it was supposed to. We still have so much time , Satoru always said. We have all the time in the world.
Once Satoru officially moved in, they had another family dinner at Suguru’s apartment. Mimiko and Nanako came from Kyoto for the weekend, and Satoru didn’t bother Itadori much. They got to talking about movies and spent most of the night comparing notes on what seemed like every film they’d each ever watched. Fushiguro observed fondly from the sidelines, a small smile on his lips. Shoko made Utahime join them, but Satoru was too preoccupied to pick on her.
When Itadori stepped out to get drinks from the convenience store, Satoru finally came to Suguru and slung his arm around his waist, kissing the greying spot at his temple. “This is nice.”
“It is.” Suguru slouched against him with a contented sigh.
“I never really thought about having a family. Thought it wasn’t for me.”
Suguru smiled, a warm fondness blooming in his chest. “This isn’t exactly traditional.”
“Makes sense for us, though, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah.” Suguru leaned up and kissed his cheek.
“Love you.”
“Me, too.”
——- February, the next year
Suguru thought he could get used to the sound of the waves hitting the beach waking him every morning. Satoru had gone all out for their vacation, of course, with a fully-staffed private villa with a private beach. The sliding door from their room led directly to a short path to the beach.
Every day Suguru spent time reading, swimming, and napping. Satoru had a hard time staying still for too long, so he often went off on his own to jog or play volleyball with some guys he met at the resort. They spent the afternoons together shopping for souvenirs and the evening at a different restaurant every night.
Suguru did put sunscreen on Satoru when he could catch him, if only because otherwise Satoru would have burnt to a crisp. He never remembered to reapply after swimming, and Suguru hated to think of the toddler he’d have on his hands if Satoru’s milky skin got burned. Suguru had bronzed nicely, much like Satoru had dreamed about all those months ago, and was both flattered and embarrassed by the onslaught of compliments Satoru paid him.
“I planned a fancy dinner tomorrow night,” Satoru said, flopping onto the bed and nearly knocking Suguru’s book from his hands. “Private chef and all that. He’ll cook for us here.”
“That sounds nice.” He moved his bookmark to mark his page and set the book on the nightstand with his glasses. “What’s the occasion?”
Satoru wound his arms around him, long fingers gently massaging his back. He pressed his face to Suguru’s chest and looked up at him with innocent eyes. “Can’t I plan a nice dinner for my one and only?”
Suguru shoved his face away. “Lame.”
“Romantic!” Satoru insisted. “The best and most romantic dinner you’ll ever have.”
Suguru kissed his forehead, inhaling the fresh scent of soap and shampoo from his shower. “That’s probably true.”
“You should have everything,” Satoru said, leaning up to press his glossy lips to Suguru’s quickly. They tasted of strawberry, still his favorite flavor. “Romantic dinners, first-class flights, private beaches, your one and only to worship the ground you walk on.”
“I can’t complain.” He wound his fingers through Satoru’s damp hair, fluffing it up.
A romantic dinner would be the perfect excuse to talk to Satoru about some important things that were on his mind. It was never the right time when they were swimming or lying on the beach. A restaurant was too public.
They’d been living together full-time for about six months. It was, perhaps, not the idealistic dream Suguru had, but living with another person was like that. Satoru was used to others cleaning up after him, spoiled by a lifetime of maids and housekeepers, and the ever-suffering Ijichi. Suguru found himself nagging him often, and the frustration did sometimes boil over into spats over stupid things like dishes and sorting the trash. They hadn’t had any serious fights, though. The expanded space of the second apartment gave them plenty of room to cool off separately before they came back together to work through whatever was going on.
It was Satoru who insisted on good communication, two words he probably didn’t even know could go together the first time they dated. They could never go to bed angry, no matter how tired they were. If Suguru was feeling down, Satoru wanted to know. Whether he needed space or didn’t want Satoru more than a foot away from him, Satoru wanted to know. It was a little overbearing, but Suguru understood it was a result of his own twenty-year-old shortcomings. Satoru didn’t want surprises. He didn’t want to be unexpectedly left behind again.
The idea of being without him was impossible to fathom, though. While Suguru was acutely aware of how he’d left Satoru the first time and the damage it had done to both of them, being with Satoru was healing some very old, ignored wounds. Suguru hadn’t realized how different what he’d had with Manami was; he’d loved her, but it hadn’t consumed him, it hadn’t felt like magic. Their love had been safe and practical, built on a common desire for security and family. It had been good and it had been comfortable, but it was also built on a foundation of Suguru lying to himself.
Getting a second chance with Satoru was like a dream. Satoru hadn’t changed much. He’d grown a bit emotionally, but was still a brat and a loudmouth. But Suguru had always loved him despite those things and found them charming. He loved coming home in the evening to Satoru cooking and dancing around the kitchen. Satoru’s eyes always lit up when he saw Suguru in the doorway, and his toothy smile was contagious. Suguru would help him finish dinner, and they would eat at the small table with their feet entwined. Maybe at some point, the blissful honeymoon period would end, but Suguru couldn’t imagine it.
“Are you thinking about how much you love me?” Satoru interrupted his thoughts. His chin was propped uncomfortably on Suguru’s chest.
“Yeah,I am.” He shoved Satoru’s head away and scooted down to lie beside him. Satoru immediately wrapped his arms around him and cuddled close.
“How much?”
Suguru rolled his eyes and decided to be difficult. “How much am I thinking? Too much. I want to go to sleep.”
Satoru’s lips pressed together into an unimpressed line. “How much do you love me, jerk?”
Suguru settled more comfortably against him, one of his hands landing back in Satoru’s hair. “More than I thought it was possible for me to love someone,” he answered honestly.
“Me, too,” Satoru said sleepily. “So so much.”
They spent the next day lounging on the beach and swimming. In the afternoon, Satoru insisted that Suguru shower and go into town so he could get the chef set up at the villa for their dinner. Suguru was forced to spend a few hours anxiously puttering around the tourist trap gift shops and drinking expensive coffee. He bought Satoru a box of fancy chocolates and texted Satoru that he was bored and returning to the villa.
go straight to the bedroom!!!!! Satoru texted back immediately. no snooping around
Got it . Suguru dutifully slid his shoes off and beelined for the bedroom. In the en suite bathroom, he changed into fresh clothes and brushed out his hair. He’d mostly been wearing it in a bun to fight the heat, but it was a special occasion and Satoru liked it down. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, at the lines forming around his eyes and the crease in his forehead that never went away now, at the grey hairs sprouting at his temples. He forced a smile, then grimaced at how fake it looked. Now wasn’t the time to scrutinize himself. Everything would be fine. They just needed to get through the dinner.
Satoru called him out to the terrace a few minutes later. With a flourish, he presented a table with fancy linens and champagne glasses. To Suguru’s surprise, the chef was Japanese and the dinner was a fusion of Japanese food and the traditional island cuisine. Each dish had been carefully planned and clearly made to Suguru’s tastes. By the time the meal was cleared and dessert was presented, Suguru was full to bursting.
“You liked it?” Satoru reached across the table, tangling their fingers. There was a smudge of whipped cream at the corner of his mouth.
Suguru leaned over to wipe away the cream, licking it off his finger as Satoru watched. “It was perfect.”
“I meant it when I said I want you to have the best of everything. The last few months with you have been amazing, really.” He toyed with Suguru’s fingers, unable to keep his hands still- a nervous tic he rarely showed anyone. “I keep thinking I want to do more, though. I want to make sure you know how important you are.”
“I do,” Suguru said earnestly, rubbing his thumb over the back of Satoru’s hand. “You tell me all the time.”
“Yeah, but-“ With his other hand, he slid a ring onto Suguru’s finger. “But I want you to really know.”
Suguru laughed.
It wasn’t the right reaction, but he couldn’t stop. All his stress about the last few months and the trip and even the dinner completely dissipated into peals of laughter. His eyes squeezed closed, teary.
Satoru let go of his hand. “You could have just said no. You don’t have to laugh at me.” He was on his feet and off the terrace before Suguru fully realized his mistake.
He jumped to his feet and followed Satoru toward the beach. “Satoru, stop. Please. I’m not laughing at you.”
Satoru glanced over his shoulder, and the look of insecurity on his face cracked Suguru’s heart. “Don’t lie.”
“I’m not!” He finally caught up with him and threw his arms around his waist to stop him. “Listen to me. I love you. I want you to know how important you are, too.” He pressed a box into Satoru’s palm. “I was laughing because we had the same stupid idea at the same time. I’ve been losing my mind over when to give this to you. I've had it since before your birthday, but I wanted to give it to you at the perfect time.”
“I had a cold on my birthday,” Satoru said quietly, sliding the box open to reveal a simple silver ring with a small yellow stone embedded in it.
“And then on Christmas, we ended up taking Haibara to the vet with his cat since Nanami was out of town. And on New Year’s, Shoko got me too drunk.” Suguru took the ring and slid it onto Satoru’s finger from behind. “We even managed to get each other almost the same ring.”
It was true. The band of Suguru’s ring was wider, but it similarly had a small stone set into it, only it was blue like Satoru’s eyes.
Satoru turned in his arms and buried his face against Suguru’s shoulder with a shuddering exhale. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I thought maybe you didn’t want to be married again. That’s what I’ve been agonizing about, I’ll have you know. And then when you laughed-“
“I couldn’t help it. I was so nervous.”
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“Like I’d let you go.” Suguru rubbed his back.
“It’s enough? Since we can’t officially get married or anything.” Satoru sniffled a little and squeezed his arms around Suguru tighter.
“We don’t need all that,” Suguru said. “We’ll know. That’s enough.” Knowing Satoru so well, he added, “Maybe we could have a little party, though? To celebrate with our friends and family?”
“Really?” Satoru perked up immediately. “You’d be okay with that?”
“Yeah.” Suguru had spent a lot of the last few months unpacking his feelings about coming out again as an adult. He knew how lucky he was that everyone he loved accepted his relationship with Satoru. Even Manami had sincerely wished him all the best. Not everyone had it so easy, but he’d been blessed to have all the right people there for him.
The only person he hadn’t told was his mother. He wasn’t sure how to bring up all the old wounds for her as well, about her husband and how he’d treated Suguru and perhaps even herself. It was a conversation he wasn’t ready to have, but he knew he needed to. The ring on his finger was a good enough reason to break the ice. Satoru would be by his side if he needed him.
“Satoru?”
“Hm?”
“Let's grow old together. I promise there’s nothing in the world that could ever make me leave you again. The ring is that promise, okay?”
Satoru lifted his head to look at Suguru. His eyes were red-rimmed from holding in tears, and his lower lip trembled. Suguru had always been the one who cried easily, so this rare display made him smile. He lifted his hands to hold Satoru’s flushed cheeks and leaned up to kiss him.
The kiss was sweet and chaste, a soft pressing together of their lips over and over again. Satoru clung to the back of Suguru’s shirt, and leaned against him like he was the only thing keeping him upright. Suguru felt when the tears finally fell from Satoru’s eyes, and he kissed them away.
“I missed you so much,” Satoru mumbled, turning his head and kissing Suguru’s palm. “I didn’t realize how much until I saw you again in that cafe.”
“I know. I missed you, too, much as I tried to deny it to myself.”
“I’m never ever letting you out of my sight ever again.”
Suguru chuckled. “That’s a little extreme.” He found Satoru’s hand and tangled their fingers together. They made their way back up to the terrace side by side. “What about when you have to go to work?”
“I’ll stop going. I’ll work at the bookstore.”
“I don’t need more employees.”
“Then I’ll buy the cafe across the street and work there so I can see you from the window all day.”
“Okay, deal, but I want free coffee.”
“Like I’d ever charge my precious husband.”
They made love with their hands still clasped together, and Suguru was, for once, grateful for every ache and pain the next morning to remind him of how loved he was. He wished they could stay like that, curled up together as the sun rose in an idyllic setting where they could ignore reality. But he wanted to tell Shoko and his girls the good news. And maybe he missed the bookstore a little, despite daily updates from Itadori.
Satoru was still asleep, half on top of Suguru, his breathing slow and steady. It was the first time Suguru had seen him totally relaxed during the vacation, rather than frenetically going from activity to activity. Even his sleep had been restless. It made sense now, Suguru thought, lifting his hand to look at the ring on his finger. Satoru had been nervous, too, maybe even more than Suguru.
Suguru never doubted Satoru would say yes, but he’d been hung up on the perfect moment. Meanwhile, Satoru had been terrified Suguru would say no. He hated that. He’d happily spend the rest of his life making Satoru know he was loved and adored. If he had to be told every day that Suguru would never abandon him or disappear from his life again, he’d tell him.
The ring glinted gold in the sun streaming between the curtains with a flash of blinding blue that would always and forever be Satoru’s color. Suguru wrapped his arms around Satoru, finding his hand again and lacing their fingers. He’d never been happier.