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What stood there was somebody who he killed last year, with his own hands… his best friend.
Is he a fake?
Is this some kind of transformation technique?
All possibilities are rejected by the Six Eyes.
He’s real…!
And then it all came flowing into his brain.
Three years…
…of his youth.
Satoru’s hand smoothed over the cold handle in the middle of the dark hallway, hesitating for a moment before turning it and letting himself in. His uniform clung uncomfortably to his clammy skin. His legs slunk across the floorboards, hearing another retch sound out a few feet from him. He slowed his pace, peering his head around the door.
Suguru sat hunched over the toilet, his arms hugging the lid. He raised his head to look at him, his eyes wide.
“Oh, it’s you,” he coughed before wiping his mouth. He looked considerably worse than he did earlier when they returned from the mission. His hair was sprawled down his neck, stray strands sticking to the sweat on his forehead. He had managed to kick off his shoes that now lay scattered across the hallway. Satoru picked them up and put them off to the side before slipping off his own.
Satoru took a hesitant step into the room, “I thought you already went to Shoko.”
“I did,” he said, laying his head across one of his arms, his eyes wet, “I just gotta wait this part out.”
Satoru crept in slowly, kneeling down near him without another word. Suguru watched him with a pained expression, his eyes trailing off a moment later as he hurriedly leaned back over the lid.
He didn’t know where to look or what to do with himself as Suguru vomited again, struggling to catch his next breath as each wave came over him. He gripped the lid tighter, shutting his eyes.
Satoru inched closer to the other, his hand reaching out only to fall away. Instead, he reached for some toilet paper when he heard Suguru coughing. He ripped off a generous handful and held it over the side of the toilet. Suguru reached and took it from him, still not raising his head. Satoru slunk back again, watching him try to catch his breath.
Suguru wiped his mouth and dropped the tissue down the bowl, flushing as he did so. He slowly sat up, pushing his hair back from his face.
“...You okay, Suguru?” Satoru asked. Suguru’s eyes met his as he swallowed, steadying himself on the lid again with his arm.
“It happens,” he replied, his voice scratchy.
“Every time?”
He shook his head, “I guess this one was just a higher grade than the low grade curses I normally take in.”
“Ah…” Satoru lowered his eyes.
“And they taste…” he shuddered, “Well, I’ll spare you the details…” He closed his eyes again.
“Don’t think- think about something else-” he spluttered as Suguru sank again.
“Like what?”
“Um… about… about how I got a little ahead of myself today and tried out a new move that totally didn’t work.”
“I saw that,” Suguru’s lip curled on one side as he blinked his eyes open.
Satoru smiled, “Well, what you didn’t see when you were inside with Shoko was me releasing my Infinity technique outside and then immediately tripping up a small step and grazing my shin.”
“I would have preferred to see that one,” Suguru rested his head on his arm again, his eyes on Satoru from the toilet lid.
“I’m glad you didn’t then.”
“Did Shoko heal your little boo boo?”
“She did actually,” Satoru huffed, pulling up his pant leg, “Good as new, as if it never happened.”
“But I’ll know forever.”
Satoru laughed quietly, “I trust you won’t tell anyone.”
“Oh, you trust me that much already?”
“Well, we’re gonna be partners, right? And I’ve got good eyes.”
“Hm? But your eyes are closed.”
“Huh?”
“Your eyes are closed right now.”
Satoru stilled, “Oh. Oh that, yeah.”
“Do they hurt you?”
“Uh… it happens,” Satoru laughed nervously, “They’re tiring, to say the least, but I’m fine.”
“Is that why you wear glasses?”
“Mhmm. They help.”
Satoru opened his eyes slowly, peering over his glasses and seeing Suguru staring back at him, still lying across the toilet lid. He could feel his face heat up as he met his gaze.
“We probably shouldn’t have been on a mission like that right off the bat,” Suguru mumbled, looking away.
“Hmm, apparently they’re always short of sorcerers.”
“I can see why.”
“We’re strong though, right?” Satoru perked up, watching Suguru smirk weakly at him.
“You mean the two guys lying in pain on my bathroom floor right now?”
“Well, that’s what they don’t see.”
Suguru’s face suddenly changed, his eyes fluttering shut again as he swallowed hard. Satoru immediately sat forward.
“Suguru…?”
He covered his hand with his mouth before turning his face down the toilet again. This round seemed less brutal, as there was surely nothing left in his stomach now. Suguru heaved up the dregs, coughing erratically as the saliva drooled from his mouth. His hand went to brush his hair out of his vision but to no avail, as his other hand was occupied trying to balance himself on the lid.
Satoru moved without thinking, lifting both hands to gather Suguru’s hair behind his head, holding it there. Suguru shifted in front of him, his breathing shaky.
Satoru held his hair with one hand and brought the other to Suguru’s back, rubbing it gently, “I think you got the worst of it out”.
Suguru retched a few more times, spitting out whatever was left in mouth, before the tension in his body relaxed. He raised his head slowly, leaning back in Satoru’s touch.
Satoru let go of his hair, reaching across for more toilet paper and handing it to him. Suguru wiped his mouth again and flushed once more.
“Feel better?”
“A little,” he whispered as Satoru’s hand continued massaging his back.
“Do you want some water?”
“No…” he shook his head, “I should lie down.”
Satoru began to stand up and move to his side, offering his hand to pull him up. He could feel how weak Suguru felt based on his grip alone. His other hand moved to his elbow as he awkwardly hoisted him off the ground.
“Oh- you’re heavy-” he struggled.
Suguru huffed air through his nose, “Rude.”
Satoru let go of him once he had gotten to his feet, only for the other to stumble forward into him, pushing Satoru’s back into the doorframe.
“Ah-”
“Ah- s-sorry,” he winced, gaining his balance again, his arms on Satoru’s shoulders, “I’m sorry, it’s my fault-”
“It’s fine, it’s fine, seriously,” Satoru smiled, bringing his arm around Suguru’s waist, “Why don’t I just help you to your bed since I’m here already…”
Suguru let out a breath, letting Satoru pull them out into the other room, “Shouldn’t you at least buy me dinner first?”
“I-I’ll bring back a souvenir for you after my next mission,” he choked in reply as they stumbled across the floor.
“Deal,” he murmured as they reached the edge of the bed, Suguru practically falling on to it. He leaned on one arm as he sat back up, struggling to open the button on his uniform top with one hand.
Satoru stared at him, “Need a hand?”
Suguru looked away, sighing, “Sorry, this is so embarrassing.”
“It’s okay, really,” Satoru reached for his button, opening it and pushing the top off his shoulders. Suguru nudged his way out of it, using both hands to pull his arms out of the sleeves and letting it fall behind him onto the bed. Satoru reached to undo the buttons of his white shirt, revealing his torso. Suguru was staring off at a section of the wall somewhere behind him, focusing on his breathing as they sat in silence.
“You’re wearing underwear, right?” Satoru spoke into the room.
“Of course,” Suguru half-laughed as the white shirt joined the uniform top on his bed.
“Okay then, well lie back and pull your pants down and I’ll just rip them off your legs.”
Suguru’s eyes finally darted towards him, “What?”
“Come on, I won’t look. I could do this with my eyes closed, literally,” he pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes.
Several emotions swept across Suguru’s face before he laid back in defeat, “Fine, but no looking.”
Satoru could hear Suguru moving on the bed, fumbling with his clothes. He had tossed the shirts onto the floor before unbuckling his belt and moving to push his pants down.
“There, I don’t have the energy to push them further-” he paused as Satoru ripped the pants straight off him, tossing them to the nearby chair.
Suguru gaped at him, “What- what are you seeing right now?”
“Hm? Your cursed energy.”
“Right…” he replied as he turned around, weakly crawling further up the bed and pulling the covers back.
“I could sense your cursed energy while I was still in the infirmary with Shoko,” he leaned against the wall.
Suguru sighed in relief as his head hit the pillow, his arms moving to pull the covers up around him, “Huh? Even though I was all the way over here?”
“Yeah. I mean, I get it. I also have immense cursed energy.”
“I know,” Suguru mumbled, “I can feel yours too.”
“Mmm…” he hummed quietly, “Yours feels different... from everyone else…” he trailed off, opening his eyes as Suguru closed his.
“Makes sense, because of my technique.”
Satoru watched him from his place at the wall. Suguru still looked terrible, his face gaunt and his lips dry, but this was the most relaxed Satoru had seen him all day. In the growing silence, he quickly became hyper aware of where he was standing.
“Um-” he started, walking over to the other side of the room and grabbing the trash can, bringing it over to the side of Suguru’s bed, “I’m leaving the trash can here in case you feel sick again.”
He wandered anxiously around his bed, picking up his shirt and uniform top before piling them on the chair on his way to the door.
“Gojo, wait-”
“Huh? Yes?” Satoru whipped around, “Also, I told you, you can call me Satoru.”
“Satoru…” he said breathlessly, “Can you- will you stay? Even for a little bit?” Suguru’s half-closed eyes peered over the covers.
“Um- I… uh…”
“It’s just- this is the first time this has happened in a while and I don’t want to be alone just in case I…”
“It’s fine, I’ll- I can stay,” he fidgeted, retreating back into the room. Suguru flipped open the covers for him.
“Oh- you want me to-”
“Well I’m not gonna force you to sit on the chair and watch me…”
“Ah… in that case,” he said nervously, unbuttoning his own uniform top and shoving it off, “Thought you wanted me to buy you dinner before sleeping with you...”
“Not after the day my stomach’s just had.”
Satoru laughed, peeling his shirt off and throwing them on the chair with Suguru’s. He paused before unbuckling his belt.
“Lucky for you, I also wore underwear today...” he breathed, pulling his pants down and stepping out of them, “I’m a little sweaty though.”
“I can guarantee you I’m worse,” he croaked.
“I’m also uh-” he walked over, taking his glasses from his head and putting them on the bedside table, “...a bit tall,” he mentioned as he walked over, flicking the light off before he slid into the small stretch on the side of Suguru’s bed.
“I’m aware,” Suguru smiled as they met face to face, the bed barely fitting the both of them.
“Well, this is cozy… please don’t throw up on me though.”
“I’ll try… though if I warn you, can’t you just turn on your Infinity or something?”
“I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.”
“Me neither,” he snickered.
Satoru relaxed, closing his eyes, he could feel Suguru’s warmth on his skin, his shallow breaths. He wasn’t used to sleeping beside someone, especially not in a tiny single bed that wasn’t even his own. He had forgotten about his Six Eyes-induced headache from the moment he had stepped into the dorms. This was not what he had in mind when he first followed Suguru’s cursed energy here, but he wasn’t sure if he could complain. His heart certainly couldn’t. They were barely on a first name basis and he was already laying in his bed, wondering why every interaction with Suguru felt so effortless, so comfortable. Sure, Suguru was attractive too… even if he currently looked like someone at death’s door.
“Are your eyes hurting you?”
“Mmm… a little. I’ll sleep it off.”
Satoru felt him shift next to him, bringing his arms into a more comfortable position. He could almost feel his eyes on him.
“Satoru, why… why did you follow me here?”
He thought about it for a moment, not knowing if he knew why. His feet had just carried him there.
“Uh… why did I follow you here…? I could hear you from the hallway and- well, I was coming back to sleep anyway and- I mean, anyone would be worried, right? Was there a reason?” he smiled. Suguru didn’t reply.
Did he even need a reason? He was just passing by, did it matter? Would Suguru need a reason if he found him in pain on the ground? “Would you have preferred if I just left you there on the floor?” he wiped his nose nervously, “Don’t we all want someone to take care of us when we feel sick?” he said, not moving a muscle, doubt suddenly looming over him, “Have you changed your mind? I can go-”
“No- stay…”
Satoru felt Suguru’s fingers brush his own for a second before the sensation was whisked away. His breath hitched when he didn’t mean it to.
“I’ll stay… don’t worry…” he blurted out, “It’ll be hard for me to wake once I fall asleep anyway, so, you’re stuck with me, Suguru.”
“Okay,” the other said, quieter this time.
Satoru didn’t want to startle him anymore than he felt he already had, so he kept his eyes shut, hoping Suguru’s pain had eased enough to let him rest. He had basically invited himself into his room. Even if his intrusion was welcome, he thought perhaps stripping your new classmate wasn’t something that people normally do for icebreakers. Satoru let the tiredness flood over him instead, putting his stray thoughts to the back of his mind until only their shallow breaths filled the room.
“I don’t wanna die so see you later…” Shoko’s voice echoed as she rounded the corner, “And don’t come crawling to me if one of you gets hurt!”
Satoru watched her go before he was quickly interrupted by Suguru’s fist in his shirt collar, a sudden force pushing him back until he hit the wall.
The rain poured harder on their shoulders, cold droplets dripping from their chins, yet Suguru’s gaze never wavered, “Wanna say that again?”
Satoru met his eyes, his glasses fogging up, “You heard me, but have you listened to yourself lately? You already know I don’t like it when you start spouting off your nonsense about protecting the weak and keeping the strong in check-”
“Oh yeah? Well, this is me keeping the strong in check right now,” he spat, stepping forward until they were almost chest to chest, “Lots of bold statements coming from someone who didn’t even have a clue what Yaga was talking about in class today.”
“Blech,” he rolled his eyes, “What are you, teacher’s pet now? If something’s that important in future then I’m sure you’ll let me know.”
“You’re doing it again!” he shook his shoulders, “You have to start taking this stuff seriously, someone could get hurt because of you being so flippant.”
Satoru could feel his hair clinging to his forehead, “What, so you don’t trust me now?”
“I trust you,” he answered, his hands gripping Satoru’s shoulders, “I just need you to be a bit more responsible.”
He stood for a moment before sighing, raising his arm to push the other’s off of him, “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”
“Satoru-” he grumbled as he reached for him again.
“What?! What do you want from me?” he grabbed Suguru’s shirt, pulling him forward until their foreheads clashed, “Come on, we’re out here. You have me where you wanted me,” he said breathlessly, “What’s the plan this time, huh? Gonna knock some sense in to me? Gonna be a nuisance to everyone when you summon one of your curses and set off the barrier alarm again?”
He scoffed, “Oh, so I’m the nuisance now?” he said, grabbing the other’s hands, “Have you forgotten that that’s been your job since day one?”
Their breaths mingled together between them as Satoru’s spine met the wall again, the water seeping through his clothes. Suguru’s leg stepped in between his own as he inched closer.
“What, no Infinity? Even now?” he breathed, pinning Satoru’s arms down “Fine. No cursed techniques, but it’s your loss. You know you can’t beat me without them- ach!” he jolted down as Satoru’s knee made a hard and fast connection with his crotch.
He tightened his grip on Satoru’s wrists, taking advantage of the other’s unbalanced feet and yanking them forward, away from the wall. Satoru let himself be dragged before Suguru suddenly pushed him backwards, tripping up his feet and then they were quickly falling onto the grass. The impact knocked the wind out of him before Suguru’s weight crashed on top of him, his grip still tight on his wrists.
“Ah… that hurt…” he whined, his glasses askew.
“Yeah, well, should have thought about that before kicking me in the groin,” he panted, his hair clinging to the sides of his face, “You bastard, always the low blows with you.”
He watched Suguru shiver as the downpour continued, drowning out the sounds in his ears.
“Can you-” he choked, swallowing before he continued, “Can you let go of my wrists?”
Suguru stared at him before slowly letting go, using his arms to push himself up and straddle him.
“If you’re gonna fight me, then do it properly.”
Satoru eyed the marks around his wrists, red and inflamed. He rubbed his fingers over them, massaging them as he looked up.
“This was your idea…” he mumbled quietly, looking away as a sudden clash was heard in the distance. They both turned their heads in the direction of the sound.
“What was that?” Suguru whispered, “Is someone there?”
“No,” Satoru looked back at him, “I think something fell over.” He gazed at Suguru’s side profile, his eyes darting back and forth across the grounds, his hair falling down in the back, heavier now as it was drenched in rain. A raindrop streamed down his temple. Satoru raised his hand, cupping his chin and turning it back to him. Suguru flinched almost immediately, blinking back at him.
“What- what are you... ?” he faltered as Satoru’s other hand grasped his shirt to pull him down closer. The hand on his chin slipped to his cool cheek as Suguru eyed him suspiciously. Satoru’s eyes slipped to his lips, almost tempted to run his thumb over them and feel the warmth of his mouth. His breathing became uneven.
“Suguru-” he started as the other raised a hand, putting his glasses back in place. Reality flooded back into him then, the rain seeping down his neck and under his clothes as Suguru’s fingers brushed slightly against his ear. In a panicked moment, he quickly moved his hand on the other’s cheek and playfully slapped it.
“Ow- what?” Suguru’s hand rushing to his own cheek, “That hurts a lot more when you do it, you know?”
Satoru smirked until Suguru’s hand was suddenly too close in his field of vision, squeezing his nose.
“No- not the face!” he cried out, slithering underneath him, his feet slipping in the wet grass.
“You just slapped my face, remember?”
Satoru brought his hands up to grip Suguru’s wrists this time, stopping him before he could go any further.
“Thought you wanted to fight properly-” he struggled.
“Ugh, it’s no use with you!” he let go, pulling his hands back by force and rolling off of him, “Do whatever you want,” he huffed as he got up.
Satoru lay flat as he watched him go, trying to gain his breath back, feeling every pelt of rain hit his face. It wasn’t long before Suguru turned around again with an irritated expression. Satoru’s whole body tensed as Suguru marched towards him again, reaching his arm out. Satoru quickly sat up, bracing for impact.
“You’re supposed to follow me, you idiot,” he growled, pulling him up by his shoulder with both hands, “If you get sick, the fever will be the least of your worries, I’ll make sure of it.”
He dragged him by his arm across the wet ground, their clothes soaked to their skin. Satoru could feel the chill in his bones and for a hot second, he almost wanted to come down with something just to see if Suguru would take care of him. If that meant sitting by his side and caring for his every need or teaching him a real lesson, he didn’t know, but he wanted to find out.
“It’s so hot,” Satoru groaned, his back leaning against a tree as he sat in the grass, fanning himself. Suguru was walking towards him, a popsicle in hand. He looked back briefly to check if anyone was watching.
“Are they still training over there?” Satoru peered over his glasses.
Suguru smirked, “As if you can’t see them for yourself,” splitting the popsicle and handing him one half. It was already beginning to drip from the heat.
“Well, did they sound as if they were finishing up? It’s way too hot to be training so hard...” he said before running his tongue up the side of the ice, catching the droplets.
“Nah, I feel they’ll still be at it for a while,” Suguru kneeled down on the grass before turning around and settling between Satoru’s legs.
“S-Suguru…” he stuttered, feeling his heart leap in his throat as Suguru’s back was suddenly on his stomach.
“What?” he said without turning, “There’s not enough room for both of us in the shade, it’s a small tree.”
Satoru felt his face get hotter than it already was, continuing to suck on the ice, “Fine… he glanced back over at the other students who were sparring at the other side of the field, “Think they can see us from there?”
Suguru followed his gaze, “Not unless they have eyes like yours,” he bit the top of his popsicle off.
“Ugh, you’re the type of person who bites right into the ice? Don’t you get brain-freeze?”
“It’s hot, Satoru. Also yeah, so? It only lasts a few seconds. I thought you’d be into that, like some kind of thrill for you.”
“Nah, I love myself too much.”
“We know.”
Satoru flicked him on the back of his neck for that one.
“Ow,” he reached for his neck, rubbing into it.
“Where did you get the popsicle, by the way?”
“Your secret stash,” he stuck the full length of the popsicle into his mouth.
“Hmm, remind me to re-stock soon...” Satoru eyed him, his mouth falling open.
“Kay,” he took another bite. Satoru could hear him crunching it.
“You’re eating so…” he paused, “loud.”
“Oh yeah?” he gave it another lick, “That’s what you get for sucking so loud into my eardrums.”
Satoru ate his last piece of ice, licking the stick up and down, “I’m done now.”
“Good,” he took one last bite, shoving the remaining ice in his mouth, “Ah, my teeth-” he winced.
“Told you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he mumbled with his mouth full. He swallowed it quickly, clearing his throat after and then laid his head back on Satoru’s chest.
Satoru had to restrain himself not to gasp out loud. He watched Suguru wipe his mouth with the back of his hand, putting the popsicle stick on the grass next to them. They had both taken off their uniform tops earlier, leaving them both in just their white shirts. Satoru had taken the liberty of laying them on the ground so he wouldn’t have to sit on the grass. The only thing separating Suguru’s head from his chest was a single layer.
Satoru tried his best to settle his breathing, praying that Suguru was too hot to pay mind to the fact that his heart was beating through his chest.
“We shouldn’t sleep here, Suguru,” he said quietly.
“Mmm… let me sleep… I already set an alarm on my phone for when we have to go.”
“Fine,” he replied, closing his eyes and realising how awkward his arm placement currently was. He thought for a moment before tempting fate and resting his hand on Suguru’s shoulder. The other didn’t even flinch.
Satoru let out a breath, knowing he couldn’t relax, especially with Suguru’s weight on top of him. The smell of his shampoo filled his senses as he rubbed his thumb along the shirt material. His free hand moved across the grass slowly, gripping a handful. He swallowed, hoping that none of the students would come looking for them so he could just linger in this moment with Suguru for a little longer.
His eyes were still closed when he let his hand slide from Suguru’s shoulder down to his chest, stopping where his shirt buttons were, realising Suguru had unfastened the first few. His fingertips had grazed skin, and he squeezed his eyes, waiting for Suguru to unceremoniously shove him off. When that didn’t happen, he instead felt Suguru brush his fingertips with his own. His eyes shot open, seeing that Suguru hadn’t moved his head and that their hands were indeed resting together on Suguru’s chest.
His other hand had gripped so hard that he had ripped a chunk of grass out. He looked at it for a moment before dumping the clump on Suguru’s arm, though there were still specks of green peppered on his hand. He laid his head back against the tree again, closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing in an attempt to nap. The heat was making him more tired than usual, and sleep never came easily. Both him and Suguru had been having back-to-back missions, sometimes together, oftentimes not. The other students had another thing coming if they thought that they would join them for training any time soon. One of these days, they’d probably find their hiding spots or a teacher will come prowling, but until then, they still had this.
***
Satoru woke in a haze at the sound of vibration and a text message tone that wasn’t his own. He felt Suguru jerk on his chest before rising up slowly, rubbing his eyes. At the loss of Suguru’s weight, a dull pain shot his through back where he was leaning against the tree, his body stiff. He moved his legs a little to try and get back some feeling. The field was noticeably quieter, a cool breeze starting to pick up from where they sat in the shade.
“Ow… is that the alarm?” he blinked, wiping the drool from his chin.
“...No?” Suguru replied, his voice hoarse, his hands rummaging in his pocket for his phone. He sat up straight, sliding it open and squinting at the screen. He sighed slowly, moving to lean his head on his hand when shards of grass tumbled down his arm. He looked at them quizzically before flicking them off, turning to face him for the first time, “Really, on my white shirt?”
Satoru stared at him, Suguru’s eyes still half closed from sleep, a few strands of hair sticking out where they shouldn’t be. All he could think of was where his fingers lay just moments before, at the small opening of his shirt, feeling the warmth of his skin. He stopped himself from licking his lips as he pushed his glasses further up his nose.
“I’ll buy you another shirt,” he croaked, slipping his hand in his pocket to pull out his last lollipop.
Suguru smirked, “What? Are you my sugar daddy now or something?” he said as he turned around, lying back down on his chest again. Satoru twisted the wrapper off the lollipop and stuck it in his mouth, letting his hand go back to the other’s shoulder, letting his comment go in one ear and out of the other, for the sake of his heart and sanity.
“Who text you?” he changed the subject, getting the feeling that they still had some time before they had to go see Yaga.
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
Satoru pursed his lips, trying to get comfortable again. He looked across the empty field, glad that the heat was slowly lifting. He saw Suguru tilt his head up towards him in the corner of his eye before looking away again.
“It’s just one of those girls from the other day,” he said, tapping the keys.
“Oh,” he didn’t mean to let out. He took the lollipop from his mouth, licking it.
Suguru snorted, “You really didn’t like them, did you?”
“They really liked you,” he mumbled, “I was just fourth-wheeling.”
Satoru didn’t have anything particular against the girls from the one of the other local schools, and they weren’t even interested in him anyway, since they were only there for Suguru. He just wasn’t fond of how they excessively fawned over him.
“They weren’t really my type, anyway,” he slid his phone shut, letting it sit on his chest.
“Why’d you give them your number, then?”
Suguru paused, “To make you jealous.”
Satoru clicked his tongue, “As if,” he scoffed, “I’m not interested in them.”
Suguru shuffled between his legs, moving to lean his body against Satoru’s right hand side so he could look up at him properly. Satoru gazed down at him.
“How are you so dense, Satoru?”
Satoru frowned, “Me? Dense? Those girls just want to sleep with you.”
“Hey, don’t be mean,” he flicked the bottom of Satoru’s chin.
Satoru wiggled his chin away, putting the lollipop back in his mouth, staring back across the field. He moved the lollipop around with his tongue until he could feel Suguru’s eyes still looking up at him. He turned slowly, meeting his gaze.
The corner of Suguru’s mouth turned up, “You’re one to talk, Satoru.”
“Huh?”
“I know you stare at me.”
Satoru blanked, trying not to show it on his face.
“Fine, I won’t stare anymore…” he brushed it off.
Suguru sighed, closing his eyes, “You’re not getting it.”
“Not getting what?”
“You may be mysterious to everyone else but not to me. You make it so obvious.”
“What?”
“That it’s me you want.”
Satoru stilled, his mouth falling open slightly, the lollipop hitting the back of his teeth. Once he remembered to breathe, he broke their gaze, taking it out of his mouth.
“What are you talking about-”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“It’s not- I’m not... like those girls. They just...”
“No, you’re not. You’re not as straightforward.”
Satoru let out a shaky breath, “What- so-” he laughed, looking back at him, “So, maybe I like to look at you from time to time, that doesn’t mean that I…” he swallowed, “Look, I’ll stop-”
“I don’t want you to stop.”
“Huh? I don’t… Suguru-”
“You know, you’re not bad at reading people and your Six Eyes help, but I really thought you were taking my hints.”
“Hints…?” he said breathlessly, “Hints that... you knew?”
“Hints that I want... you too,” his eyes dropped as Satoru watched him.
Satoru laughed in disbelief, “Liar.”
“Liar?” he grinned, “You think I’m lying?”
“Just feels like some sort of elaborate joke or something… did Shoko put you up to this?”
“Wow… I can’t- I can’t believe you,” he laughed, covering his eyes with his hand, “I’m gonna kick your ass, Satoru.”
“What? You can’t be serious…” he shuddered as Suguru sat up, turning around and sitting on his lap, his body pinned between Suguru’s legs.
“Suguru-”
“Listen,” he said quietly, his hands resting on Satoru’s sides, “I want you to stare at me. I want you to want me. I want… you,” he stopped to catch his breath, fisting his shirt, “There, is that clear enough for you?”
Satoru watched Suguru’s movements, his mouth open as his throat started to dry. He squeezed the lollipop in his hand to ground himself.
Suguru smiled as he exhaled, loosening his grip, “I didn’t want those girls... I gave them my number because I wanted to see your face, because I want you to look at me.”
Satoru had started to zone out, his eyes not meeting the others, every interaction he’s ever had with Suguru flooding to the front of his mind. Every subtle touch, every crafty remark, all this time it had meant something more. Just how long had this been going on?
“At least say something,” Suguru trailed off.
Satoru didn’t look up, “You knew…” he brought his free hand up to graze across Suguru’s arm, “You knew for so long and didn’t say anything…?”
“I was waiting for you to make the first move but you never did so- here we are.”
“I don’t-” he whispered, “I didn’t want things to be weird between us. It felt safer not to.”
“It won’t be weird because the feeling is mutual, Satoru. Don’t you understand yet?” he slipped his fingers through Satoru’s hair, “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
“Wait.”
Suguru’s hand stilled, moving away from him.
Satoru raised his hand, “Let me put the wrapper back on this first,” he shuffled in his pocket for a second before wrapping his lollipop and sticking it back in where he had it originally. Suguru looked like his soul had left his body.
“I’m trying to come on to you and you’re worried about your lollipop?”
“This is like, the only good flavour in the new series and I want to savour it later, okay?”
“Isn’t there something else you should be savouring right now?” Suguru moved forward on his lap, his hands raising to rest on his shoulders.
Satoru looked down, letting his hands linger on Suguru’s hips, “You really want this?”
“I wouldn’t be sitting here if I didn’t,” he reassured him, moving one hand to the back of his neck, using the other to gently push his glasses up onto his head, messing up his hair. He leaned his head forward, pressing their foreheads together. Satoru breathed shallowly, his hands roaming, their skin clammy from the heat. His eyes moved to Suguru’s lips, their noses touching.
“You can kiss me if you want,” Suguru breathed. Satoru felt his cheeks flush as he swallowed. He hovered his lips over the Suguru’s as he moved his hands up his back, letting a breath out between them. He slowly wet his lips before closing his eyes and gently pressing their lips together.
It only lasted a few seconds. Suguru’s lips were more chapped than his but just as warm, his movements just as tender. He started to pull back, letting their lips linger on each other for a second longer before looking up at him, licking his own lips. Suguru’s eyes opened a moment later.
Satoru wondered how he didn’t realise Suguru’s feelings for him when they were together practically every day. He could see it now though, the want in Suguru’s eyes as he looked at him, though he knew it meant more than just that. His hands still lightly traced along the back of his neck as he leaned towards him again.
“Can I?” Suguru whispered, Satoru breathless at their closeness. He nodded in return.
Suguru wasted no time, tilting his head to kiss him, his hands moving forward to cup his face. Satoru gasped against his mouth, his chest tingling. He moved his arms to pull the other closer to him, Suguru’s crotch brushing up against his own.
Suguru dropped his hands from his face to his shoulders, steadying himself. He leaned back a few inches, wiping the sweat from his upper lip, “God, it’s still so hot.”
Satoru breathed heavily, moving his hands down to rest on Suguru’s hips again.
“I’ve thought about this,” he let out, his throat dry.
“Yeah?” Suguru smirked, leaning close to him again, rubbing his thumb against his cheek, “What did you think about?”
“You kissing me,” he eyed the other’s lips.
“Mhmm,” Suguru met his lips again, giving him a quick peck before sliding his tongue along Satoru’s bottom lip. A noise rose in his throat that he didn’t mean to make, his mouth falling open. Suguru was quick to slip his tongue straight in, his fingers carding through Satoru’s hair. Satoru was sure his own mouth tasted sticky sweet, while Suguru’s still had remnants of mint, likely from the handful of mints he chugged this morning, and kept on hand throughout missions. Their tongues met again briefly before Satoru pulled away, stopping for breath.
Suguru mumbled, his breaths matching his own, “And what else?” leaning down to kiss his jaw, “What else do you think about?”
Satoru shivered, barely able to think, “T-touching you…”
He felt Suguru’s mouth hover down his neck, “Touching me where?”
He let his eyes shut, “Everywhere…”
Suguru smiled against his neck, moving up to the side of head. Satoru could feel his breath before teeth grazed his ear, “I’ve thought about you touching me too.”
Suguru’s hands moved to where Satoru’s lay on his hips, grabbing them both and pulling them between them. He brought one of Satoru’s hands up to his neck, using the other hand to tangle their fingers together.
Suguru let go as Satoru trailed his hand slowly down Suguru’s chest, stopping where a button was still fastened.
“I felt you touching me there earlier,” he let out a breath, not moving his eyes from Satoru’s face as he moved his own hand to Satoru’s clothed chest, only the top button unfastened.
A thought flickered through Satoru’s mind, the thought that someone might see them out here, might be watching them, but it was one of dozens of thoughts that slipped away from him as soon as he grasped them. His attention snapped back when Suguru’s hand reached his stomach.
“You’re surprisingly comfortable to lie on.”
Surprisingly? “Glad one of us was comfortable, then. You’ll be hearing from my chiropractor.”
Suguru huffed a laugh, his hand moving at glacial place to Satoru’s waistband.
Satoru’s mind swirled trying to think of something else, feeling himself get hard at just the thought alone of Suguru touching him, “I couldn’t relax…”
“Why?”
“Well… you just laid on top of me out of the blue.”
“Yeah, that was one of the hints, Satoru.”
He pouted, “I see that now.”
Suguru stayed quiet for a moment, his eyes looking down.
“Can I… touch you here?”
Satoru watched his face, dropping his hand on to Suguru’s and pushing it down so that the other’s palm ghosted his crotch. Suguru slowly applied pressure, eliciting a gasp from Satoru.
Satoru bent his legs up, forcing Suguru to sit forward. Suguru moved their hands out of the way so he could inch closer, suddenly rolling his hips.
Satoru involuntarily let out a moan before he felt Suguru’s hand cover his mouth. He gently squeezed Satoru’s fingers with his other hand.
“They came back,” he said, barely a whisper. Satoru’s eyes darted across the field where, indeed, the other students were sitting on the grass. They were still far enough away to not see them, as long as they stayed as hidden as they were earlier. Before he could get lost in his thoughts again, Suguru moved his hand from his mouth, bringing their lips together once more, grinding down on him.
Satoru sighed into his mouth, letting his hand drift to Suguru’s neck this time, his fingers slipping through the hair at the back of his neck. Suguru’s hands were roaming his body when Satoru bucked his hips up in return.
Suguru’s phone vibrated on the grass next to them suddenly, the same message tone as before blaring out. They broke apart quickly, Suguru’s head whipping sideways to glance at the other students.
Since the coast was still clear, Satoru cleared his throat, “You gonna text your girlfriend back or what?”
Suguru rolled his eyes at him, “You’re the worst. How can you still be jealous? You’re the one I’m grinding on, so…”
Something in Satoru’s chest swelled at his words as Suguru leaned back in, pressing gentle kisses against each eyelid. Satoru reached up, salvaging his glasses from where they were stuck in his hair, pulling them back down to cover his eyes.
“You okay?” Suguru asked, patting some of his hair down.
“Mmm… the sun’s just a bit much, but I’m good,” he hummed, seeing Suguru a little less now but still feeling him half-hard against him.
Suguru pecked his lips again, gently, before moving down and planting a kiss on his neck, licking the same spot.
Satoru melted into him, wrapping his arms around his back again. The other’s hands made their way to the buttons on Satoru’s shirt, opening two more and letting his mouth graze the skin there. Satoru closed his eyes again, his hands rubbing up Suguru’s back as he felt warm breath against his chest. He was so elated right now that even if the students did see them, he wouldn’t even mind. His peaceful interlude was interrupted yet again by Suguru’s phone. Suguru stilled on his chest.
“God…” Satoru groaned, “Who is it now?”
Suguru slumped against him, “That’s the Yaga alarm.”
Satoru’s eyes shot open, “Oh,” he gasped, “I almost forgot about that.”
Suguru slowly rose from him, glancing up and down, seeing their dishevelled selves, not even mentioning the situation they had going on between their legs.
“We can’t exactly go see him like this,” he said, wiping some saliva from his lips.
“So... we take a detour and then we go see Yaga,” Satoru proposed, taking Suguru’s hand and being pulled upwards.
“He’ll probably be expecting us to be late anyway,” Suguru replied.
Satoru closed two of his shirt buttons before wiping the back of his pants, there was no saving them now.
“You know how difficult it is to get wrinkles out of these?”
Suguru threw him his uniform top from the ground, wrapping his own around his waist.
“C’mon, your highness, we gotta go,” Suguru smirked as he started picking up their trash from the ground.
Satoru walked over and patted him on the shoulder, Suguru standing up straight in response, looking at him.
“What?”
Satoru had no idea what he came over to say originally, feeling like he had just woken up from a hazy summer nap, the events that had just transpired between seemed only fitting for one of his dreams. Suguru’s bangs were messily draped behind his ear, the sun finally hitting him properly now out of the shade of the tree. Suguru’s eyebrows started to furrow.
“Good work today then,” Satoru gave him a sturdy tap before walking off quickly, before he could regret it.
Even though he saw it coming from a mile away, Suguru’s roundhouse kick barely missed him by an inch before Satoru could take off running in the opposite direction. He had the Six Eyes to thank for that one.
“That’s what you say to me?” he could hear Suguru catching up as they left the field behind, heading around the back way, successfully evading the students’ eyes.
Satoru leaned his head on his fist as he gazed wistfully across the break room at Suguru. He was standing at the vending machines next to a very animated Haibara who was still coming down from the high of his latest mission. Suguru listened with a smile, ever the doting senpai. Satoru’s eyes watched them intently, surveying their every move, so much so that Suguru suddenly glanced in his direction, raising his eyebrows before grinning at him. Satoru kept his gaze with a blank expression before the other turned back to his conversation.
“Gojo…”
It was their first time having underclassmen at Jujutsu Tech, and of course, like everyone else involved with the school, they took a quicker liking to Suguru than himself. Not that he could blame them, Satoru had also inserted himself right into Suguru’s life from the day they had met. Suguru tended to entice people in, whereas Satoru pushed them away.
“Hey, are you even listening to me?”
Though, this was happening a little too often now. He was a perfectly fine guy who excelled at what he did. What was so off-putting about that? Suguru liked him… right? He could be a great upperclassman if he tried, better, even. What did Suguru have that he didn’t? They were equally matched when it came to cursed techniques. He could handle solo missions… he’d be a great mentor…
“Gojo!” Shoko’s hand waved directly in front of him, “Earth is calling… for the last five minutes.”
“Hm?” he blinked, focusing on her, her eyes peeking over his own glasses, “Where were we?”
“The reverse cursed technique.”
“Oh yeah!” he sat up straight, “Can you explain it to me?”
He could practically see her death glare even from behind the lenses, “I just spent the last few minutes explaining it.”
“Oh, but I still don’t understand.”
“That’s ‘cause you have no common sense, Gojo,” she said as she handed him back his glasses, “Also, you weren’t listening,” she said quieter, slumping back in her chair.
Satoru put them back on, peering over her shoulder to catch another glimpse of Suguru. They were facing them now, talking about something just out of earshot. Suguru smiled as he met his eyes again. He quickly wrapped his arm around Haibara’s shoulder, pulling him closer as he leaned down. Satoru watched him whisper something into the other’s ear, and Haibara nodded enthusiastically in response.
“What are you even looking at-” Shoko turned around for a moment before facing back to him, shaking her head, “Idiots.”
Suguru pointed straight at Satoru as he mentioned something to Haibara again, and the younger began to wave. Satoru pursed his lips.
“Nanami-” Satoru turned to his side.
“No, thank you.”
“I haven’t even said anything yet!”
“I don’t want part in any of your schemes,” he said flatly, his eyes not moving from his book. He had successfully been ignoring everyone in the room the entire time, glad to fade into the background of whatever was going on right now.
“Schemes?! What kind of person do you think I am? Shoko…” he droned.
“Don’t ask me,” her attention had returned to her phone.
The others had finally left their post at the vending machines and were making their way back to them. Suguru rounded the table and sat down next to Satoru, sliding a soda across to him. Satoru took it with a huff.
“What did I miss?” Suguru asked as he popped open his can of coffee.
“Nothing,” Satoru looked away.
“Oh yeah?” he wiped his mouth, “Didn’t look like nothing.”
“Yeah, actually we were having such a great time here without you. You weren’t even missed.”
“Mmm,” he nodded, “Is that right Shoko?”
“Absolutely not.”
Suguru smiled, crinkling a package in his hands, “Want some taiyaki? Haibara bought them for us.”
“No, thanks,” Satoru replied as Shoko reached across to grab one.
“Have you eaten today?” Suguru asked as he took a bite.
“This morning,” he leaned back, “I’ll eat later.”
Shoko stood up, grabbing her phone from the table, “You can take over babysitting him from here? I’ve got some stuff to do. Later,” she waved as she walked away.
“Shoko!” Satoru shouted after her as she slipped through the doors.
Suguru huffed a laugh, “I could literally feel your eyes on me the entire time I was over there,” he took another swig of coffee.
“That was the idea.”
He shook his head, “You never change, Satoru.”
Satoru heard Nanami’s chair scrape across the floor beside him as he stood up, grabbing his things.
“We’ve gotta get back, so see you guys later!” Haibara announced as they slid past them, “Thanks again, Geto-san!”
Haibara nudged Nanami’s side and the latter nodded at them both before gently pushing Haibara towards the door.
“No problem, see you later, and thanks for the snacks!” Suguru waved.
Once Satoru deemed they were in the clear, he turned to Suguru, “What was that about?”
“What?”
“You and Haibara.”
“Hmm? He just asks me for advice every so often,” he fidgeted with his can.
“Advice, huh?”
“Yes, Satoru, you’ve heard of it?” he chuckled.
“About what? Cursed techniques?”
“Yeah, sometimes that, sometimes martial arts, sometimes other stuff.”
“Other stuff?”
“Other stuff.”
Satoru paused, opening his can and taking a sip.
“Like what… ?” he looked up as Suguru finished his drink.
“About…” he paused, his mouth slightly open, “Uh…”
“About snickering about me behind my back, huh?”
Suguru cracked a smile, “It was right in front of you, not behind your back, and I only did that because I knew you were looking and you get jealous easily.”
“I do not!”
“Yes you do,” he pressed, his voice lowering, “But really, he was asking me how to ask Nanami out.”
“Huh?!”
“Shh! Keep your voice down!” He looked around.
“How are you supposed to give advice on that if you couldn’t even ask me out, Suguru?” he frowned.
“Hey! Look who’s talking, I was the one who made the first move.”
“Whatever,” he took another sip, looking away again.
Suguru sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, “Don’t tell anyone, okay? They’re good kids.”
“We’re only a few months older than them, Suguru,” he said with his mouth half full.
“Can you not talk and drink at the same time?” he groaned.
Satoru swallowed, “I won’t say anything about them. Anyway, there’s more pressing matters at hand.”
“And what’s that?”
“Suguru, do you like me?”
Suguru furrowed his brow, “What are you talking about?”
“Everyone loves you immediately upon meeting you but they stay well away from me,” Suguru opened his mouth but Satoru continued, “Which means either you see something in me that they don’t, or you hate my guts but you’re just too nice to say it.”
Suguru stared at him, “That’s- that’s what you were thinking about?”
“I could be a good mentor to the underclassmen, right? But they won’t even talk to me. I’m just as strong as you, I could take you!”
“It’s not your abilities,” he interrupted, “It’s your personality.”
“What’s wrong with my personality?”
Suguru glared at him again.
“What?”
“Are you-” he began, “You know what, never mind. Don’t act like you don’t know.”
“So you do hate me, I knew it!” he said exaggeratedly, leaning his head back over the back of the chair.
“You think I’d be with you if I hated you?”
“You’re clearly only with me for my dashingly good looks,” he waved his hand in the air.
“Mmm”, he nodded, “And the Gojo money.”
Satoru gasped, lifting his head up, “I knew it!”
“Yup, you caught me,” he said, his eyes not moving from his phone screen.
Satoru leaned forward, inching closer to him, “You’re so mean to me, Suguru.”
“Someone has to keep you in line,” he glanced at the other, putting down his phone. Satoru’s fingers ghosted over his. He stopped moving just in front of his face, watching Suguru’s eyes trail back to his own.
“Someone might see,” Suguru’s breath hit his lips.
“Let them,” he closed the distance between them, tasting the coffee in his mouth.
“Satoru…” he mumbled against him, his hand reaching for his shoulder.
“There’s no one coming,” he pulled back, kissing his jaw.
“You got eyes in the back of your head now?”
“Yes, I bought them with the Gojo money.”
Suguru snorted until Satoru’s lips were back on his own, his hands cupping his face. The position of the chairs only made things awkward but that didn’t stop Satoru. Barely giving Suguru time to take a breath, he pecked his lips once more before peppering kisses slowly down his neck, one hand trailing down his torso. Suguru leaned into him, sighing against him.
“We shouldn’t do this here,” he said quietly.
Satoru leaned back, a grin spreading across his face, “What? You’d rather take this somewhere else?” He lifted his hand and cupped Suguru’s cheek, trailing it down until he could press his thumb against his lips.
“Literally anywhere would be better than here, idiot,” he grabbed the other’s hand, holding it away from his face, “The steel chairs aren’t exactly the pinnacle of romance”.
“To you, maybe,” he tangled their fingers together.
Suguru gave him a puzzled look, “What are you even-” he paused, his head darting towards the door. They both stilled for a moment in complete silence.
“Yaga-” he whispered, “and… Gakuganji? Satoru-!”
Satoru tried his best to keep a blank expression before he winked at him. Suguru pushed him away, scrambling to face forward again in the chair as he started grabbing their snacks. Satoru was much slower on the uptake.
“Ah, Suguru-”
“You knew they were coming this way,” he interrupted, not looking at him.
Satoru stood up, his chair screeching against the floor as he grabbed his drink. Suguru glared at him before stepping away from the table.
“What’s life without living on the edge a little- Suguru!” he said as quietly as he could as he jogged across the room to keep up with the other. Suguru didn’t reply as he slipped out through the other door, holding it open behind him so Satoru didn’t have an opportunity to slam it.
“Where do we go?” he sighed, looking around frantically, “There’s bound to be a whole group here from Kyoto.”
“What’s the worry?” Satoru strolled behind him, sipping his drink.
“Were you planning on giving the old man a heart attack or something?”
“Oh- that’s a great idea, let’s go back-”
Suguru stopped in his tracks before turning around and grabbing his arm, launching into a run in the other direction. Satoru almost tripped over his own feet as he was dragged around the corner of another building. Suguru stopped abruptly and Satoru found himself with his back against the wall, held in place by the other’s arm.
He paused for a moment, taking in the other’s stance, “You made me spill soda on my uniform,” he said nonchalantly.
Suguru’s eyes were trained around the corner of the building, watching as a group of students passed. They stood there for another few moments before Satoru moved to twirl his finger around Suguru’s bangs.
Suguru glanced up at him, “Not in the mood for those guys today.”
Satoru shifted his feet awkwardly, “Are you mad at me?”
Suguru shook his head, letting his arm fall to his side.
“Ah, so you’re mad at something else?”
Suguru smirked, leaning his head on Satoru’s shoulder, “Are you bad at reading the room on purpose or just for fun?” he mumbled.
“Hmm? I’m not sure what you mean,” he smiled.
Suguru lifted his head, “You’re lucky you’re pretty.”
Satoru smirked, “You think I’m pretty?”
He sighed hard, closing his eyes, “I shouldn’t have told you that… you’re too damn tall though. Save some for the rest of us.”
“My tiny Suguru,” he said as he patted his head, “How much have I got on you? 10cm?”
“You wish,” he whispered, as Satoru wrapped an arm around him, the cool breeze blowing stray petals around their feet. The voices of students faded away in the background as Suguru clung closer to him. Someone was bound to come looking for them soon.
“Wanna get out of here? Go somewhere quiet?” Satoru broke the silence.
“To lead us to Yaga again?” he snorted.
“No, I know a place where we can just hide out for a while,” he rubbed his fingers along the other’s back.
Suguru thought about it, eyeing the other for a little longer than expected. Satoru briefly wondered about the thoughts behind those eyes.
“Fine, lead the way then.”
“You- you…” Suguru breathes from underneath him.
Satoru’s eyes snap wide open, his head swimming, “Huh?”
“Are you gonna move or am I gonna have to get myself off?”
Satoru desperately tries to recollect himself, “Sorry I- I think I just blacked out for a few seconds...”
Suguru gapes at him momentarily and sighs, “What am I gonna do with you? Put your glasses on.”
“No, wanna see all of you…” he leans forward, pressing their lips together. Suguru winces quietly underneath him.
“I’m hurting you-”
“No, just-” he grabs him before he can pull away, “You’re balls deep in me, what do you expect? Just move, Satoru, move…” he trails off, their foreheads pushed together.
“Okay,” he whispers, pulling himself back up into his original position, watching Suguru’s half-lidded eyes intently, his chest moving up and down. He trails his hands down Suguru’s body before landing at his hips, steadying himself, hoping Suguru’s too distracted to realise he’s shaking.
“Just tell me if you want to stop.”
“If you don’t move within the next five seconds-” he stops mid-sentence, his hands scrambling on the bed sheets. He takes in a breath and Satoru breaks a smile.
Suguru shuts his eyes as Satoru pushes back in desperately slow. He drags out a groan and Satoru can feel it rip through his own chest.
“Keep- keep going, I can take it.”
Satoru keeps his eyes trained on him, “Does it hurt? Suguru… ? Ah!,” he yelps as the other jerks his hips upwards. He loses his grip and slips forward again.
“You tell me, keep going…” he slips his hand down to rest on Satoru’s in silent apology.
Satoru lets out a breathy laugh before moving again, having a better feel for things this time. A sudden wave of confidence had washed over him and he had no choice but to ride it. They’re an awkward mess of limbs and he can feel the sweat pouring down his back but he slowly manages to settle into a rhythm. Satoru was concentrating so hard that he felt his head would explode if he dared open his eyes, not that he even remembered closing them. Keep a steady rhythm, don’t grip his hips too hard, don’t accidentally activate Infinity. It played over and over in his head until he couldn’t think of anything else. A stray thought flickered in the back of his mind, cursing himself for overdoing it in the mission earlier that day. It was coming back to bite him now, his legs burning and begging for rest.
Suguru’s staccato breaths and quiet moans were becoming more distant as the seconds ticked by. The heat in the room was suffocating, closing in around him, travelling up his throat with the intent to take him down. The world was too dark and far away. Should he open his eyes for a millisecond? A part of him began to panic as the sounds in the room started to evaporate. Had he forgotten to breathe? A gentle squeeze from Suguru’s hand managed to bring him back down to earth for a moment before Suguru started moving his hips to match his. His body shuddered at the sudden movement and he let out a shaky moan.
“Relax, Satoru, you’re gonna black out again,” Suguru’s voice was like a cool breeze on a sweltering day, “I’ve never seen you so quiet. Keep your eyes closed, just c’mere.” he felt Suguru take his hands and pull him forward and suddenly his elbows had hit the mattress a little too quickly, his legs finally starting to give out on him. Suguru cupped his cheeks and brought their lips together once more. Satoru sighed heavily into him, his throat drying up and lost as to where to put his hands.
“Suguru…”
“I’ve got you,” he pecked his lips as he wrapped his legs around him. Satoru squeezed his eyes tighter and moaned into the crook of Suguru’s neck.
“Mmm that’s better, let me hear you too,” he whispered against Satoru’s ear and slid his fingertips down his back, “You feel so good, Satoru. You feel good?”
The white tuft of hair tickled his skin as Satoru hummed in acknowledgement. His thrusts were becoming weaker and weaker until a hand suddenly reached to grab the back of Suguru’s head.
“Ah, he lives- ow-” he pants, “That hurt. You don’t strike me as the hair-pulling type, Satoru-” he grinned as he returned the favour, pulling the other’s head up enough until his vision was filled with brilliant blue.
“You back from the brink yet?” he let go of his grip to card his hand through the snow-like hair.
“I’m close,” his breaths were heavier but his voice was more defined. Suguru wrapped his arms around him.
“Come,” one kiss, “come for me,” another, “wanna hear you…”
A rush of air escaped his lungs as he dug his eyes back into Suguru’s neck, his hand moving on its own to squeeze his shoulder. A choked sob slipped from his lips as he finally comes, Suguru tightening around him. His entire body stung, his aching muscles presenting at the first sign of relief. His eyes were safe for now, as long as he doesn’t move from this position. Opening them would be asking for death. The wisps and sparks behind his eyelids were so crystal clear he could have lived in them. His legs had abandoned him several moments ago. The only sounds that filled the room were their unsteady breaths, and his heart was still in his throat. Suguru’s hands had begun to rub small circles in his back.
“Hey, you alive?”
A moment of silence. “Think I almost died,” he croaked against his skin.
“Yeah, I saw,” his hand gently twirling his hair, “it was kinda scary watching you.”
“If you hadn’t started talking, I would have passed out.”
Suguru sighed, leaning his head on the other’s, “You should have worn your glasses, or… something, I don’t know, a sleep mask, a blindfold? You were using your technique all day today.”
He grumbled, “I wanted to see you… also, a blindfold? You don’t strike me as the kinky type, Suguru.”
“Shut up- also you couldn’t see me anyway, your eyelids did most of the work today.”
The room went silent again. Satoru still hadn’t moved a muscle, yet Suguru’s hands were still ghosting over his skin. He had no concept of what time it currently was. His eyes were starting to feel a little more bearable, but his head was beginning to twinge. He could feel Suguru’s heart beating practically through his chest.
Suguru’s voice was no more than a whisper, “Not to break up the intimate moment between your Six Eyes and my neck, but I’m still painfully hard over here.”
Satoru twitched, “Wait, you haven’t come yet?!”, he finally opened his eyes.
“What? You didn’t know? You’re literally lying on top of me. Did you come so hard that you’ve lost all feeling?”
“I was a little busy trying not to die. Also, yeah kind of.”
“I mean I told you that you’d come first.”
“Not fair, you told me not to touch you before we started...” he sighed before he pulled himself up off of Suguru, realising he was still inside him.
“Well, I want you to touch me now, hotshot,” he flushed, “You look stoned, by the way.”
Satoru quickly rubbed his eyes, “I might as well be,” he mumbled before slipping slowly out of him, hearing a sharp intake of breath from Suguru.
“Ah- I’m gonna feel that in the morning…” he shuddered.
Satoru slipped the condom off, tying it messily before throwing it to the trash can across the room, missing spectacularly. They both just stared at it for a moment, Satoru’s hands still in the air.
“Wow… I broke you, Satoru.”
He pouted, “You’re lucky I’m even awake right now,” he turned back to him, running his hands down Suguru’s thighs and gripping his length, already dripping with precum.
Suguru gasped, “Not so fast- ah-” he shifted underneath him.
Satoru wiped the sweat off his own face with his forearm and sighed, “Let me kiss you again,” he whispered as he leaned back down, brushing their lips together sloppily. He pushed Suguru’s bangs behind his ear with one hand and started stroking with the other.
“Satoru…” he mumbled against his mouth before pushing his tongue in, eliciting a moan from the other. Satoru’s lazy kissing meant that their time was running out. His eyes wouldn’t be opening again until morning.
He smiled against Satoru’s lips, “At least finish me off before you fall asleep.”
“I’m trying,” he said as he rolled his thumb over the tip, Suguru gasping into his mouth.
“Faster, then,” he broke the kiss and his face fell to the side, his hands swarming the other.
Luckily for him, Satoru’s hands had more energy in them than his legs, so he picked up the pace quite quickly. Satoru’s head made its way back to the familiarity of Suguru’s neck, leaving a trail of kisses before biting down on his collarbone.
Suguru’s nails dug into the other’s back as he started sucking skin.
“Don’t leave another mark there, idiot,” he groaned.
“Hmm? Why? Everyone knows it’s me leaving them, what’s the problem?” he stopped himself anyway, switching hands and leaving a kiss on his cheek.
“Can’t wear a t-shirt in peace, bastard,” he sighed.
“You love me, though.”
“Mmm…” he moved his hand to the other’s cheek, “I do, I love you,” his breathing became heavier, “I love you, Satoru.” His eyes shut as he came across his stomach, arching his back up, his teeth clenched. Satoru’s hand immediately stilled.
Catching his breath, Suguru opened his eyes after a few seconds to find Satoru’s wide open again, his heart skipped a beat.
“Huh? What- don’t give me that look, Satoru,” his voice shaking.
“You said you love me back…”
“You- you already know I-”
“But you’ve never actually said it-” his voice wavered, tears forming in his bloodshot eyes.
“Close your eyes, dummy,” he whispered, wiping his thumb across his lashes, “You won’t be able to open them tomorrow.”
“Say it again.”
“No,” he smiled, sitting up slightly and slipping out from underneath him, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. His back was turned to him as he took the hair tie from his wrist to loosely tie his hair back up. Satoru lay on his stomach, watching the other’s hands slip through his hair. He must have seen him do this a hundred times already, but never like this, with Suguru’s bare back and his glistening sweat in the low lighting. Suguru eventually gets up and slowly strolls across the room, casually picking up the used condom and actually landing it in the trash, before he disappears from his field of view. He returned moments later, wiping his stomach with a wet cloth before throwing it at Satoru. It made a definitive slap against his shoulder.
“You missed.” Satoru grumbled from behind his arm.
“I didn’t. The last thing I need is my cum in your eyes.”
“Hmph,” he grumbled as he wiped himself down and threw the cloth back at him. Suguru caught it before setting it down on the bedside table.
“Move over,” he climbed back into the bed, pulling the blanket from the floor with him.
Satoru lay on his back before turning away from him, moving closer to the wall.
“Rude,” Suguru sighed as he switched off the light. Suguru wrapped his arm around him and pulled him closer to his chest, his hand lingering near Satoru’s stomach. They lay there in silence, still warm from earlier, their breathing slowing down as their bodies succumbed to tiredness. Suguru was half asleep when he heard the faintest whisper, the other’s fingers mingling with his own.
“I love you, Suguru.”
“I know, you tell me all the time,” he whispers back.
“Well, I mean it.”
“I meant it when I said it too.”
A moment of silence.
“Okay.”
***
“Satoru, we have to get up…” Suguru mumbled groggily in his ear.
Satoru whined against his chest, “Five more minutes…”
“You said that five minutes ago.”
Satoru’s arms tightened around the other, tangling their legs together, his face practically smothered in Suguru’s chest. The morning light peaked through the curtains, lighting up the room little by little, the only sounds heard being the birds outside the window. The morning chill was settling in his bones, and Satoru was glad to have a warm body to cling to.
“Believe me, I want to stay here too but Yaga’s gonna kick our asses,” he slowly rubbed his hand up the other’s back.
“Speaking of asses…” he started to shift a little, “How’s yours?”
Suguru huffed a laugh, “Sore. How’s your head?”
“... Sore.”
He sighed, moving his head, “Show me your eyes.”
Satoru finally pulled away from his chest, his hair standing in every direction imaginable. He barely managed to open his eyes, blinking at the sudden change in lighting.
Suguru frowned at him, “I’m gonna be honest, it’s not looking good for us this morning.”
“That bad, huh?” he slumped back against the pillow, “Screw the mission, let’s stay here forever.”
Suguru smiled at him, leaning forward to press his lips to the other’s forehead.
“Maybe I should have taken you from behind…” Satoru mumbled.
“Huh? What was that?” he laughed.
“Maybe it would have hurt you less…”
“That’s what you’re thinking right now?” Suguru brought a palm to his face, “Next time, then.”
“Next time?”
“Yeah? Unless you don’t want to-”
“I want to,” he interrupted him.
“Or maybe I’ll take you from behind,” he smirked, sitting up.
“Oooh Suguru- ah!” he yelped as Suguru dragged him by the arm straight out of the bed, his knee hitting the floor.
“C’mon, get your uniform, we can shower later. We just need to show face,” he pulled him up before frantically grabbing clothes from the floor.
“Huh? What clothes did I come here in again?” he looked around before a t-shirt collided with his face.
“That one,” Suguru said, partially dressed in his uniform. He kicked Satoru’s shorts across the floor at him, “You just need to make it to your room, underwear’s not important right now.”
“Fine, fine,” he sighed as he scrambled into his shorts and made way for the door.
“Be ready in five minutes.”
Satoru creaked open the door, looking up and down the hallway before slipping out and closing it after him. He tiptoed, barefoot, down the hall.
The moment he was safely in the confines of his room, he ripped his shirt off over his head again, throwing it to his bed before dropping his shorts to the floor and stepping out of them, searching for clean underwear. He knew Suguru would descend on him like clockwork so he slipped into his uniform as quick as possible, only pausing to fix his hair in the mirror. He heard the doorknob turning moments later.
“You ready?”
“Yeah,” he replied, not moving his eyes from the mirror.
“No, you’re not, you forgot your glasses, again,” Suguru sauntered across his room.
“Oh, thanks,” he replied, holding out his hand. Suguru raised his arm and placed a dark object in Satoru’s hand that most definitely wasn’t his glasses.
Satoru stared blankly at it for a moment, “Uh... what’s this?”
“My sleep mask that I take with me on long missions.”
Another long silence.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I can’t wear this in public?!”
“It’s just for today! Just try it, it might help,” he stepped forward, taking it in his hands again and slipping it around Satoru’s head, fixing it around his eyes. Satoru adjusted his bangs again, sighing and patting his hair down.
“So? How is it?”
Satoru stared straight ahead, his hands on his hips, “Nope, I can’t do this.”
“Can you see, at least?”
“I can see… enough, I guess?”
“And it helps?”
He sighs, “A little.”
“Perfect,” he pecked him on the lips, “then, let’s go,” he grabbed him by the hand, leading him back out the door.
“Suguru-”
“We’re so late-”
“But I-”
“I’ll be with you, it’ll be fine,” he squeezed his hand, pulling him out of the dorms and across the sunny grounds to the classroom where Yaga was undoubtedly waiting impatiently, his hands splayed across the teachers desk, Shoko sitting alone in the front and off to the side, yet again.
They quietly shuffled into the hallway, the school unusually sparse. Satoru untangled his clammy hand from Suguru’s, wiping it against his pants as they continued walking. He came to a sudden stop when his chest met Suguru’s back.
“What’s wrong?”
“You go first,” he turned around, pushing Satoru towards the door.
“Wait- why should I , you go-” he pushed back, grabbing the others shirt.
“Just go in, would you?” his voice got quieter as he pried Satoru’s hands off of him. He got a decent hold on him and pushed him into the door.
Satoru slid the door open painfully slow.
“You’re lat-” Yaga stopped mid sentence, eyeing them from behind his shades.
Shoko’s chair creaked as she leaned forward, her mouth falling open.
“Morning, sensei! Shoko!” Satoru’s arm shot up to wave, strolling into the room as he would any other day, his hands slipping into his pockets as he took his seat.
Suguru mentally face-palmed as he slid the door shut, before joining the others in his usual spot between them.
Yaga stared at them for another few seconds, the silence growing in the room.
“Should I even ask?” his words droned on longer each word.
“I told him he was using his eyes too much yesterday, sensei,” Suguru admitted. Satoru shot him a betrayed look.
“But he didn’t listen to you, did he?” his gaze returned to Satoru.
“No, and then he passed out.”
“I didn’t pass out!” Satoru interjected.
“Again?!” Yaga added.
“You did pass out,” Suguru smirked.
“It was just… once…” he pouted back, and it wasn’t even during the mission.
Yaga was already rubbing his temples, “Can you see right now?”
“Yes.”
“I led him here by the hand.”
“Suguru! I can see!”
Shoko let a laugh slip out before covering her mouth. It took most of Suguru’s energy to keep his mouth shut and not laugh with her.
“I’m fine, sensei, I can do the mission-”
“No,” Suguru and Yaga said in unison.
Yaga folded his arms, “Okay, it’s settled, there’s no way you’re going on the mission today, Satoru. You’ll take it, Suguru, and take Shoko with you.”
Suguru nodded, expecting this. Satoru could feel Shoko’s death glare from across the room.
“You’ll meet the assistant manager outside in an hour, they’ll give you the full briefing then, and Satoru, you’re to rest, for real this time.”
They all replied in acknowledgement as they watched Yaga leave the room. Satoru turned to them the second the door was shut.
“You sold me out.”
“It was necessary. You need to take your technique seriously, Satoru,” Suguru suddenly looked serious.
“Can I just say-” Shoko started, the other two turning towards her, “You may be able to fool Yaga-sensei, but you can’t fool me,” she twirled her lighter in her hand.
A smile broke across Suguru’s face, “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you guys were later than usual, and Gojo’s usually pretty good for wearing his glasses, so he’d only keep them off if he really wanted or needed to. A sleep mask is an interesting choice, so do tell me how you’re holding up later by the way, Gojo. I’d like to know,” she directed at him, “Second of all, Geto, you can’t walk with one foot in front of the other right now and you’re clearly uncomfortable in your seat.”
“Shoko!” he spluttered.
“Oh, also the walls are thin in this place, and news travels fast to the girls’ dorms when there’s only a handful of students in the entire school.”
“Who told you?!” Suguru paled.
“Already?!” Satoru piped up.
“Who else was in our dorms last night?! Isn’t everyone else on missions right now?” Suguru turned to him.
“I’m not gonna rat out my informer,” she beamed, “Need me to take a look, Geto?”
“No!” the boys answered in unison.
“Fine, fine, it was just an offer,” she sighed, holding her hands up, “Also, you guys owe me since I got stuck on this mission now.”
“I’ll buy you a pack of cigarettes tonight.” Suguru slumped against his chair awkwardly.
“Sweet,” she winked, standing up, “With Gojo’s money, again?”
“What? Hey-”
Suguru stood up, “Isn’t it time for your nap now, Satoru?”, his hand landing on the other’s shoulder.
“You sell me out then you take my money?” he let Suguru drag him up.
“I’m just preparing you for the real world, you sheltered child.”
“I wasn’t sheltered!”
“Mhmm mhmm, whatever you say, now let’s go, old man,” he linked their arms together as they followed Shoko out.
“I’m only two months older than you.”
“Ah, so you do understand the concept of respecting your elders!”
“Hmph, don’t give me that again,” he scoffed, “The real question is who’s the traitor in our dorms?”
“I have my suspicions,” Suguru smiled.
[Nanami Kento 3:57 AM: Gojo-san, he’s screaming for you again.]
Satoru sighed quietly as he sat on the edge of the bed in the dusty hotel room, his breath visible in the air before him. He had turned all the lights out, with only the dim light of his phone illuminating him. Staking out the curse of today’s mission had been taking a little longer than anticipated. He dialled Suguru’s number and laid down across the bed with a creak, staring at each and every stain on the ceiling for the hundredth time that day. Worry began to spread across his face when it was ringing longer than usual. He was a second away from ending the call when a breathy voice answered.
“Huh? Satoru?” he whispered in disbelief, “Is it really you? It’s you, right?!”
“Suguru, it’s okay, I’m here,” he said gently.
There was a pause. He could hear Suguru’s heavy breathing in the background, he coughed a little before speaking again, “No… no, he said he killed you... It can’t be you-”
“He didn’t get me in time, remember?” he interjected, “He messed up, Suguru, he didn’t finish me off.”
Satoru wanted to spare him the finer details given the hour, but the silence on the other end of the line lingered.
“Turn on your light, Suguru.”
“H-huh?” he stuttered, “Where are you?”
“There’s no one there, I just need you to remember where you are, so turn on the light, okay?”
He heard faint shuffling in the background as Suguru moved around, followed by a subtle click. His breathing was starting to slow down.
“Are they on?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m still in Hiroshima, remember that? Yaga told us about it yesterday.”
“Hiroshima…”
“That curse that comes out after dark, the weird looking one.”
“...Ah.”
“You remember?”
“Yeah…” his voice got quieter, “How… how did you know I...?”
“Don’t worry about it, go back to sleep.”
“No- don’t go yet! Stay-”
“I’m here, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. Are you in bed? Maybe drink something.”
He heard Suguru let out a breath, followed by the crinkling of plastic. He heard another click a moment later, and he guessed that Suguru had turned the light back off.
“Are you lying back down?”
“Mmm,” he hummed, “I am now.”
“Good, keep breathing like that. I’ll stay on the line.”
They fell into a comfortable silence, together but apart, Satoru wishing he was lying next to him in the cramped single bed back in Jujutsu Tech. Anything would be better than the cold, damp excuse of a mattress he was sprawled across this very second. Suguru’s breathing had returned to a normal level and Satoru could relax again. He moved his glasses up with his free hand and rubbed his eye. Tiredness was flooding over him but knew he had to suppress it as much as possible. Suguru’s whisper broke him out of his trance.
“Were you asleep?”
“Hmm? No, I wasn’t.”
“You should sleep too.”
“Still waiting for the curse to show itself.”
“...Still?
“Still.”
“Oh,” his voice faltered, and silence overtook them again.
Satoru sat back up in an attempt to stay awake, slinking to the floor and crawling to the glass door to the balcony. It was eerily quiet outside, only a handful of cars whirling below every few minutes, their lights growing smaller as they faded into the distance. A single busted street light flickered on and off as he watched a lone woman step out the front door of the hotel below, looking straight ahead before walking out into the square. He breathed out against the glass, watching the condensation gather quickly. He drew a circle in it with his finger before pausing, realising how dirty the glass was. He almost let out a verbal “ew” before remembering to listen if Suguru was still awake. He could imagine him now, if they were in the hotel room together, Suguru would be shaking his head at him as he wiped the dirt off his pants.
“Did it hurt?”
“Huh?” he jerked, “Did what hurt?”
“Dying.”
Satoru stilled, “Suguru…” he started with a thought that he didn’t finish, instead changing course. “Honestly, when he… hit my throat, I don’t really remember feeling much after, because my head was focused on the reverse cursed technique, but before that, yeah... I think it did hurt.”
“Hm,” Suguru grumbled in reply a few seconds later.
“You’re supposed to be sleeping,” Satoru half laughed.
“Can’t sleep.”
Satoru smiled faintly, “You shouldn’t be thinking about stuff like this so late at night.”
“What are you thinking of, then?”
Satoru played with the hem of his uniform, “You, and how much I want to be with you right now.”
“I am with you.”
“Right,” he laughed again.
“If it had been anybody else that day… if it hadn’t been you…” he started suddenly.
“Hmm?” Satoru hummed, leaning his head against the glass.
“You’re alive because you’re you, you know, because you’re Gojo Satoru.”
Now it was Satoru’s turn to be silent for a moment. He furrowed his brows. This wasn’t the time to be pressing for more clarity.
“Okay…” he scoffed, “And you?”
“Me?” he laughed quietly, “He said he would have killed me if I was a shikigami user…”
Satoru said nothing in return, trying to think of some way to steer them away from this conversation. He didn’t have the headspace to be thinking about Suguru at the brink of death right now. He turned his head to look through the circle drawn in the condensation again. He could see the lone woman from before in the centre of the circle, though much further away now.
“But he was only worried about the curses in me. I’m only alive because I’m a curse manipulator…” he trailed off.
Satoru had already heard this story, though for a second he felt dread in the pit of his stomach knowing that Suguru was replaying every detail from that day in his mind in the dead of night.
“Well, guess we weren’t meant to die that day then,” he said half laughing again.
“Right,” he replied, unsatisfied.
“They can’t get rid of us that easily, Suguru, remember? Now go sleep-” his breath hitched as the dull cursed energy he had felt in the building all day had suddenly increased ten-fold.
“Satoru?”
Satoru’s head jerked back, looking down the street to where the woman had been walking. She had stopped in her tracks, looking back in his direction. He held his breath, quickly checking the time on his phone, 4:15 AM.
“Satoru… ?” Suguru whispered.
He felt it before he saw it, the curse finally deciding to materialise out of the hotel room above him. From the corner of his eye, he watched it slide down the building, streaking across the glass before descending onto the quiet street, melting and dripping its residue on every surface. Satoru didn’t move a muscle, making sure not to look at it directly. Once it had made landfall, he let his glasses slip down his nose, focusing his eyes on the woman’s face. She had gotten pretty far, her figure almost impossible to see to a normal human eye from this distance, but her face looked more shaken and puzzled than anything, probably spooked by a noise. If she had the ability to see curses, Satoru wasn’t sticking around to find out.
“I have to go,” he mumbled.
He could hear Suguru sigh in relief, “Thought so, go.”
“Suguru-” he breathed, standing up a little too quickly, his hand moving to reach the balcony door. The curse moved slowly but at a fixed pace.
“Yeah?”
I love you.
I miss you.
Don’t think bad thoughts at this hour.
“I- I’ll see you in the morning, okay? Promise.”
“Promise?”
“Yes,” he said assuredly, the bullet train timetable already flashing across his mind. If he gets this done quickly, he could be on the train at dawn, “So go get some sleep... for me.”
Suguru paused, “Okay.”
“Okay,” Satoru finished, flipping his phone shut and sliding it in his pocket, before slipping over the balcony wall and into the night.
“Suguru!” Satoru called out as he unceremoniously burst into Suguru’s room, “Why didn’t you call me when you came back?”
Suguru looked over his shoulder as he sat on the edge of the bed, emptying out the contents of his bag, “I wanted to let you sleep”.
“But I wanted to see you!” he moved to join him at his side, “How long have you been back?”
Suguru smiled, turning to shove his empty bag underneath the bed, “You stayed up all night playing video games didn’t you?”
“It wasn’t all night,” he trailed off, “And I bet you didn’t sleep much either.”
Suguru turned back to him, their knees brushing together, “I haven’t been back long.”
“Do you want to sleep?” he eyed him.
He hummed, staring at seemingly nothing outside the window, “Maybe I’ll shower first.”
“Can I join you?” He laid his hand upon the other’s.
“If you want.”
Satoru stood up slowly, taking his hand properly and dragging him upright.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Suguru shook his head, “Just tired.”
Satoru brought his other hand to Suguru’s hair, gripping the hair tie and pulling it loose.
“Well, we’ll get you to bed in no time then,” his voice got quieter as he tightened their hands together, leading him out of the room towards the showers.
He could sense that something had shifted, nothing was quite right, yet no words to say were coming to mind. Though they didn’t always need them. Or maybe it was easier that way. They were here now, together, and that’s all that mattered. That’s all they had. And a gentle squeeze on his hand in the silent corridor.
“Hmm?” he stopped, turning around as Suguru almost walked into him, rubbing his eye with his free hand.
“Huh?”
“Oh, thought you-” he faltered.
“Oh.”
“Ah, nevermind,” he laughed it off, continuing down the hallway until they reached the showers.
“Seems pretty quiet around here, huh?” Satoru said as let go of Suguru’s hand, moving to grab some shampoo.
“Yeah,” Suguru replied, slumping against the wall, “Haven’t seen anyone since I came back.”
Dumping the bottles on the shower floor, Satoru peeled off his t-shirt and turned back to him.
“Guess we’ve got the place to ourselves then!” he snickered, reaching for the buttons of Suguru’s white shirt.
Suguru slowly brought his arms to Satoru’s waist as he unfastened the buttons, slipping his fingers beneath the waistband of his shorts.
Satoru sighed against him, leaning down to press their foreheads together.
“Wait-” Suguru whispered, feeling the other’s breath on his lips, “I just swallowed…”
“Ah…” Satoru smiled, stilling for a moment before leaving a small peck at the side of his mouth. He moved his hands to Suguru’s shoulders, slowly slipping his shirt off. Suguru shifted from the wall and let it fall to the floor.
They fell into silence again, Satoru making quick work of his pants so Suguru could somewhat gracefully step out of them as they held onto each other. He briefly wondered how long Suguru had been wearing those clothes. It also hadn’t gone unnoticed to him that Suguru had lost more weight. He didn’t press further, not now. He stood back to remove the rest of his own clothes, flinging them to their growing pile before turning on the shower, letting the water warm up.
He glanced over his shoulder and Suguru had slowly followed suit, his naked figure now behind him. Satoru stood under the water, sighing loudly.
“Should be good now,” he said, taking the other’s hand, though he quickly found himself embraced beneath the water, Suguru’s arms firmly wrapped around him, his face buried in his neck.
He quietly gasped as he brought his own arms up, holding him upright. They stayed there like that for a minute, only the sound of the running water rushing in their ears. Satoru gently rubbed his back, tilting his head up to see.
“You haven’t gone and fainted on me, have you?”
Suguru shifted his arms, trying to firmly press his feet on the ground without letting him go.
“Thanks, Satoru.”
“Huh?” he turned his head, his nose brushing the other’s cheek, “For what?”
Suguru’s eyes were closed, “For everything, just in general.”
“Uh…” he smiled, “You sure you didn’t hit your head today?”
He pulled back and Suguru stood up, looking at him.
“Lemme just wash your hair-” he started, reaching down as best as he could for the shampoo bottle. He let go of Suguru’s hand as he squirted some shampoo on his head before letting the bottle drop to the floor.
“If you feel like you’re gonna go down, just let me know, okay?” he said as he pushed them slightly away from the water. He brought his hands to Suguru’s head and started massaging his scalp, doing the best he could to gather his hair.
“Man, you have a lot of hair,” he smirked, “Keep finding it everywhere.”
Suguru hummed in reply, his eyes closed again, his arms reaching for Satoru.
“When-” Suguru started, making Satoru stop in his tracks, “When do you have to leave again?”
Satoru said nothing, wiping the suds from his forehead.
“Tomorrow?” he asked, weakly.
“Tonight.”
Suguru didn’t reply, only sliding his fingers up Satoru’s torso.
“I won’t be long.”
Suguru hummed again, his fingers stopping at Satoru’s neck, where a scar should have been.
Satoru swallowed, “Suguru-”
“It’s never going to stop.”
Satoru’s hands fell to his shoulders, “What do you-”
“The missions. The curses. The-” he choked, “It’s not going to end unless-”
“Stop.” Satoru pulled him close, “I’m fine, we’re fin-.”
“We couldn’t help Haibara.” Suguru’s hands formed into fists, “What if Nanami’s next? Ijichi, me, you? There must have been countless others before us.”
“It can’t stay like this, I know.” Satoru said breathlessly, “We can change this-”
“You can.”
“H-huh? But us, we- we’re…”
“Mm…” he buried his head in Satoru’s chest, “They need you.”
Satoru let out a laugh, “They don’t even want me around. A lot of people would be very happy if I wasn’t. You know that.”
“You’ll keep coming back. You always do.”
“Exactly. I’ll come back. I’ll come back to you.”
“I know.”
Suguru’s hair had fallen down his back, suds covering his shoulders. Satoru stepped back, bringing them under the water again, their arms never leaving each other.
“Don’t worry. When I say one minute… it’s one minute’s worth of time inside Gojo’s brain.”
Although it was just an instant… for Gojo Satoru, one minute had passed a long time ago.