i overflow like mercury

by pennydaniels

Summary:

Suguru takes off, leaving only a note behind, and Satoru tracks him down to his parents' house in the countryside.

The note Suguru left was woefully useless. Satoru only needed a brief glance to know it contained Suguru’s perfected style of very little substance cosseted by enough filler to convince the vast unwashed masses that he was being upfront. 

 

Satoru huffed a pout. Annoying that Suguru thought this would work on him. 

 

He didn’t bother to pull out his phone and try to call Suguru. If the other left a note then he also definitely left his phone behind. Satoru went into their bedroom and found it sitting pretty on the nightstand. He picked it up and put it in his pocket.

 

Satoru tapped a finger on his lip thoughtfully. Suguru Suguru Suguru… 

 

He decided to try the girls first. 

 

*

 

Mimiko and Nanako never displayed the same outward adoration towards him that they did to Suguru which was fair enough. Suguru was technically their actual saviour and also a nice-smelling motherly omega who was liberal with hugs and head pats. Satoru was liked as the alpha who spoiled them in lieu of not quite knowing what to do to keep two little girls happy, but Suguru was the one who was looked back to for support and clung to when nightmares reared their heads. They would undoubtedly take Suguru’s side above anyone else’s which was why Satoru needed to approach this interaction carefully. Just in case of course. 

 

“Mimi-chan! Nana-chan!” He called, raising a hand to wave at the girls as they exited the school gates. 

 

They brightened a little at seeing him, quickly saying bye to their friends and hurrying over with a kind of eagerness that could only mean they thought Suguru might be with him. Damn, that meant strike one. 

 

“Gojo-sama.” Nanako smiled up at him, “Are you taking us home today?”

 

Satoru nodded grandly even though he knew this had become a waste of time. However Suguru would probably be upset if he brushed them off at this stage. 

 

“Come on. Your driver’s just circling the block.” 

 

“Is Geto-sama at home?” Mimiko asked.

 

Satoru mimed being stabbed in the heart, “Am I not enough for you Mimi-chan?”

 

Nanako giggled, “Are we staying over at yours tonight?” She asked. 

 

“Ah no, Suguru’s away right now so I thought I’d pick you guys up from school.” Satoru deflected, “But I’ll let him know how much better you like him.”

 

The girls didn’t visibly deflate at hearing that they wouldn’t be seeing Suguru today but there was a little of that. 

 

“Geto-sama did say he wouldn’t be answering his phone for a few days.” Mimiko pouted, “But I thought maybe he finished his work early.”

 

Suguru hadn’t worked on a predictable schedule for years but the girls were understandably not entirely clear on the details, nor did they really need to be. Suguru worked but Suguru didn’t work. 

 

Gojo made a face, “I know! It’s tragic for me most of all.”

 

Nanako made a face right back, “You get to see Geto-sama the most!”

 

“Still tragic.” The car pulled up at that point and Satoru opened the door showily for the girls, “After you.”

 

Once they were all safely ensconced inside Satoru directed the car to take Mimiko and Nanako home. He wondered if he could just leave now but as soon as the thought formed it was followed by a mental image of Suguru’s disapproving expression. Fine. He would take the girls all the way home. Spend some quality time with them and all that. 

 

The distant Gojo cousins Satoru had sourced to take care of Mimiko and Nanako were more than easy going about what their role in the girls’ lives entailed but of course that’s why Satoru chose them. Being a full time parent didn’t really seem like the smartest role for Suguru to be thrust into at the tender age of eighteen so Satoru had done what a good alpha was supposed to do and solved the problem. Part time parent was way easier. Ambiguous and self-defining. The way things should be for Suguru. 

 

The girls chattered about their day at school and whatever new classmate/celebrity/fashion trend had captured their imagination while Satoru nodded and responded at the appropriate times. His mind was mainly preoccupied by Suguru though that was a common condition. Suguru was really good at taking care of the girls, at engaging with them and bolstering their growing confidence. It was definitely an omega trait but Satoru considered it a more Suguru-specific thing than anything biological. Suguru was just that kind of person. 

 

Once they arrived the driver opened the door and the girls tumbled out. Satoru didn’t follow them inside, only giving the maid who had come out to greet the girls a wave before teleporting away. 

 

So the girls were unfortunately a bust. 

 

On to the other kids. 

 

*

 

“Oh. It’s you.” Megumi looked tragically depressed to see him when he opened the door of the apartment. It amused Satoru more than offended him. 

 

“Gojo-sama!” Tsumiki came around the corner and balanced out Megumi’s waves of angst with a sweet smile, “Welcome, let me get you something to drink.”

 

“Ah that would be nice.” Satoru toed off his shoes, not bothering to arrange them side by side in the genkan just for the way Megumi glared at him. 

 

“Here you go.” As Satoru sat down heavily on the sofa in the living room Tsumiki emerged from the kitchen with a perspiring glass of mugicha in her hand. Satoru didn’t naturally like mugicha but Suguru did and therefore he drank quite a lot of it. 

 

“Thank you!” Satoru pitched his voice extra cutesy to make Tsumiki giggle and Megumi roll his eyes. 

 

Satoru took a sip, already knowing this had also turned out to be a dead end. Suguru’s scent in the apartment was old, presumably left over from the last time he and Satoru had been here more than a week ago. Ugh, waste of time. 

 

He made the effort to drink some more mugicha and make small talk anyway. 

 

“Did Geto-sama ask you to come check up on us?” Megumi finally asked, crossing his arms and scowling. 

 

“Why would you say that?” Satoru asked, putting a hand on his chest, “I can check on you guys of my own volition!” 

 

Megumi just looked away. Honestly, this kid… Satoru had to admit the obvious bad temper and lack of respect was endearing him a little. It wasn’t even like Suguru was necessarily nicer to them than he was! Well, because it was Suguru he was nicer but Satoru was technically the one who had taken the initiative to sort out the whole Megumi and Zenin clan mess. He should get at least a little respect for that. 

 

“How’s the new housekeeper?” Satoru asked, “What’s their name again? Rina something?”

 

Tsukimi laughed, “Mina-san is lovely, thank you Gojo-sama.”

 

“As long as she’s doing a good job, gotta get my money’s worth.” 

 

Megumi glared at him, “As if you care about that.”

 

“You’re right, I don’t.” Satoru stood and stretched showily, “But I’m sure someone does. I’ll be off then.”

 

Tsukimi immediately stood to walk him out, Megumi following at a more reluctant pace, “Please pass our regards on to Geto-sama.” She said sincerely as Satoru shoved his shoes back on. 

 

“Will do, will do.” Satoru pretended to sigh deeply, “Everyone likes Suguru better, huh?”

 

Tsukimi and Megumi both very conspicuously did not say anything to that. 

 

*

 

“Shoko!” Satoru called, strolling into the morgue. 

 

“What?” She asked, not even looking up from her computer. 

 

Satoru walked over so he could lean on her desk and into her space, “Yo.”

 

Shoko did not look amused, “Why are you here?”

 

“Can’t I visit a dear friend.” Satoru leaned over her so he could take a look at her computer screen, “Looks boring.”

 

Shoko levelled a dead-eyed stare at him, “Is it even worth asking you what you want?”

 

Satoru grinned, “Who says I want anything?”

 

Shoko snorted humourlessly and refocused on her computer screen. 

 

Satoru stayed leaning against the desk and pulled out his phone. His previous thirty messages to Suguru had gone unanswered which made sense considering Suguru’s abandoned phone was in his pocket. 

 

Eventually (as he knew would happen) Shoko’s patience ran out. 

 

“Tell me what you want so you can leave.” 

 

Satoru made a face. “So rude Shoko-chan.”

 

“You’re ruder.” Shoko retorted mercilessly, “If you’re looking for Geto he’s not here and I don’t know where he is.”

 

Satoru leaned into her space, “And what says I’m looking for Suguru?”

 

Shoko didn’t dignify that with a response. 

 

“So mean to me.” Satoru’s response was just for show, “Just for that I’m telling Suguru you’re no longer welcome at ours.”

 

Shoko gave him a rather tired look in response, “If you don’t know where he is, why don’t you just track him through the bond and put everyone out of their misery?”

 

Satoru tapped a finger against his lips thoughtfully, “Weren’t you the very same person who compared me being able to do that with an owner microchipping their pet? You made me feel very self-conscious.” Of course any alpha could theoretically track their omega through their bond, the same way they could sense emotions, though not many were actually good at it. And of course most alphas weren’t also Gojo Satoru with the ability to immediately be wherever his omega was with pinpoint accuracy. 

 

“That’s still true.” Shoko leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs, “But you’ll do it anyway.”

 

“Au contraire. That’s french for on the contrary, by the way.” Satoru was a little disappointed Shoko didn’t even bother to try and kick him for that comment. 

 

She just sighed, “I meant what I said, it’s creepy and weird and not normal. But go figure, since you’re creepy and weird and not normal.”

 

“Rude.”

 

“If Geto went off without letting you know where then have you considered giving him some time alone to do whatever it is he’s doing?”

 

Satoru had briefly considered it and then dismissed the idea equally as quickly. Partly because he didn’t want to, but also because Suguru rarely wanted time alone. Suguru was a mess of contradictions. Satoru had learnt to approach him like an unfamiliar battleground; with caution and confidence and a consistent need to re-prove himself. Suguru seemed happy enough with that approach. 

 

Satoru knew. He knew that he’d dug himself into Suguru like a wound that he had to keep re-opening lest it scab and then scar. They could both live without each other but why would they want to? Being a jujutsu sorcerer was messy business with no guarantees of anything and injury was entirely expected. Shouldn’t they get to choose who wounded them? 

 

Satoru shrugged in response to Shoko’s question, “I’m hunting him down, the old fashioned alpha way. Suguru is going to be impressed by my detective skills.”

 

Shoko gave him a look that denoted her being absolutely done. 

 

“I don’t know where he is. Now will you get out?”

 

“Mean.” Satoru felt the need to say one last time before he cut his losses and left.

 

*

 

Satoru ended up back at his and Suguru’s home. The other was predictably not back yet. 

 

The note was where Satoru had left it and he picked it back up to re-read. Nope. Nothing illuminating. 

 

Satoru pulled Suguru’s phone out of his pocket. On the screen sat the unopened messages he himself had sent. He unlocked the phone and went to the recent messages. The chat with him was at the top of course. Then below that was Shoko. Yaga, Tsukimi, Nanako, Mimiko, the cousins that watched them, Nanami, even ever sullen Megumi deigned to send Suguru half polite responses to inquiries about his wellbeing… Suguru had a few ongoing chats. None of them were illuminating. 

 

Satoru went to his recent calls. Obviously there were the missed calls from himself but right below that was a more unusual one. Hmmm… Suguru very rarely called his parents. He very rarely even mentioned them. Maybe once every half year or even less than that. This seemed like it could be a smoking gun. 

 

Satoru considered it. Suguru had left the note and his phone like a trail of breadcrumbs. It was cute and contrary. Just like Suguru so often was. His pernickety omega. Suguru wanted. Suguru needed. Suguru had wants and needs just like Satoru did. But unlike Satoru he had a sense of shame and decorum and those wants and needs were so tangled up in what he was supposed to want and need that it all became rather more complex than Satoru thought it was meant to be. But then again Satoru knew he wasn’t the most accurate barometer. That was why Suguru was so great, he actually explained whereas everyone else let Satoru languish on his high shelf in ignorance. Satoru missed him. 

 

Where did Suguru’s parents live again? They sent them a Christmas card every year and received one in return so there was presumably a paper trail somewhere. Satoru tucked Suguru’s phone back into his pocket, he had a feeling he was on the right track this time. 

 

*

 

Suguru came out of the small house to meet him the moment Satoru pulled up in his car. By the time he got out Suguru was in front of him. 

 

“Satoru.” He didn’t seem surprised to see him. 

 

“Suguru.” Satoru grinned, “I missed you!”

 

Suguru sighed but the corner of his mouth twitched into an almost smile. It was a very specific Suguru look. “I thought I told you I was alright and that I would be back in a few days.”

 

“You left your phone behind.” Satoru pouted, “I sent you so many messages, it’s like you didn’t even want to read them.”

 

Suguru shook his head but in that gentle accepting Suguru-specific way. He held out his hand for his phone and Satoru dropped it into his grasp. 

 

“I looked everywhere for you.” Satoru complained.

 

“Did you?” Suguru gave Satoru that sweet smile he liked best, “I wasn’t trying to worry you.”

 

Satoru flapped his hand, “I wasn’t worried.” Suguru was more than strong enough to hold his own against any threat. “I just missed you is all.” He peered behind Suguru to the house, “Is this your parents’ place?” He was more than a little curious. Suguru had come to him fully formed, or at least far more fully formed than Satoru had been at the time, and it sometimes felt like he had just manifested in the world at that specific moment in time perfect for jujutsu high and Gojo Satoru. 

 

“Yes. My mother called, my father had a fall so I decided to visit.”

 

“That sucks.” Satoru looked back at the house. It was small. Two stories but skinny and plain grey. The road he and Suguru were standing on was plain concrete. There were other houses around, clustered together, and Satoru was glad he had decided to take a car despite the delay it caused. He could already see the curtains twitching on the neighbouring houses as people peered out their windows. 

 

Suguru could likely tell as well. He kept looking behind him at his open front door. 

 

Satoru knew he should offer to leave and make things easy for Suguru. He didn’t want to though. 

 

“Suguru?” A woman emerged from the house. Suguru’s mother by the looks of it. She saw Satoru and then looked at the car and then finally at Suguru. “Ah you must be Gojo-sama.” She smiled at him. She had a very similar smile to Suguru. “Please,” She gestured back politely to the house, “Come in.” There was something almost anxious in the way her left hand bunched in her apron. 

 

She was a beta, Satoru could tell instantly. But then again, he’d already known that both Suguru’s parents were betas. 

 

He gave her his most charming smile, “Thank you for the welcome. Should I leave my car here?”

 

“The road isn’t wide enough to park here and we don’t have space in the garage.” Suguru stepped forward, “There’s a parking lot five minutes drive down the road, I’ll take you.”

 

Satoru grinned at him and opened the passenger door for Suguru to climb into. He also gave Suguru’s mother a quick smile, “We’ll be right back.” He said before sliding into the driver’s seat. 

 

Suguru’s scent filled the car quickly and Satoru felt some latent tension he hadn’t acknowledged unravel. 

 

“You drove all the way from Tokyo?” Suguru asked. 

 

Satoru shook his head, “I teleported most of the way then rented a car for the last kilometre. I thought that teleporting to your parent’s front door wouldn’t be a great idea.”

 

Suguru gave Satoru that hopelessly alluring half-smile, “So you do have the ability to think things through?”

 

“Hey! I always think everything through.” Satoru defended.

 

“Oh?” Suguru was so good at drawing the perfect balance of indulgent scepticism. Satoru liked him so much. 

 

“I just don’t usually take it all into consideration.” Satoru finished with, rewarded by Suguru’s little laugh. 

 

“So,” Satoru pulled the car into the empty lot that Suguru pointed out, “Is there anything I need to know about your parents? This is the first time I’m meeting them after all.” Keeping his gaze firmly on the mirrors as he backed into the spot he added, “I can go back to Tokyo if you want.”

 

He knew it was a bit of a cheap offer considering Suguru’s mother had already seen him and invited him inside. 

 

Suguru shook his head, “You’re here now.” He gave Satoru a look, mouth pursed slightly, “Just remember that they’re non-shamans.” 

 

“Got it.” Satoru took off his glasses and adjusted to the influx of sensation, “Weird to wear dark glasses indoors right?”

 

“You can keep them on.” Suguru assured him.

 

“My eyes are one of my best features.” Satoru protested with a smile, “I need to pull out all the stops to impress my in-laws after all.” As they exited the car he grabbed the bags of prettily packaged sweets he had last-minute picked up for this venture. Just in case of course. 

 

Suguru reached out and Satoru let him take a peek inside, “Satoru you really don’t have to.” He said. 

 

“This is nothing.” Satoru shrugged, “Do they want me to buy them a new house?”

 

Suguru pursed his lips and Satoru got an unwilling unhappy throb of emotion through the bond despite all the walls he had put up. Fuck. He had fucked up. 

 

“That was a joke.” He added to clarify. 

 

“Of course.” Suguru’s voice was overly smooth. Satoru didn’t like it. 

 

They set off back to Suguru’s parents’ home. With every step Satoru could feel eyes on them, from behind windows or walls or curtains. 

 

“Your town isn’t big.” Satoru commented, “Does everyone know everyone?”

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Do they know who I am?” Satoru asked. Fishing, though for what he couldn’t say. 

 

“I’m sure they can guess.”

 

“Because I’m the only handsome alpha who would be accompanying you?” Satoru joked. 

 

That earned him another Suguru-smile. Satoru chanced to hold his hand and found his overture accepted. 

 

“I haven’t visited since I came for New Years.” Suguru commented, thoughtfully. 

 

“Four years ago.”

 

“Mm.” Suguru shook his head, “I’m not really sure why I decided to come now. They didn’t ask me to.”

 

Satoru had already half-sensed the uncertainty from the breadcrumb trail. Suguru liked anchors and accountability which Satoru had to admit was the one thing he wasn’t automatically brilliant at. Still, he was here wasn’t he?

 

“I’m excited.” Satoru said and found he meant it. “I want to know all about where my perfect omega grew up.” Suguru had never volunteered information the way Satoru did when they first became friends and that status quo had stuck. Suguru said he hadn’t lived a life filled with interest and intrigue before coming to Tokyo but Satoru sincerely disagreed. Suguru as a person was filled with interest and intrigue and his life could only be the same. When he told Suguru that he’d got an amused look in response and nothing else. 

 

It was probably weird that Satoru had never met Suguru’s parents. It was the nice normal thing to do; meeting the parents, mating and dating all slid together into one easy compartment. Nanami had commented on it the time they’d gone out for Karaoke for Shoko’s twentieth birthday. Everyone but Satoru had been drunk and Suguru and Shoko were off for a smoke break when the topic came up. When Nanami had heard that Satoru had neither been back to Suguru’s hometown nor met his parents his gaze had gone disapproving and critical. 

 

“Are you planning to?” He’d asked. 

 

“Nah.” Satoru had responded. 

 

Nanami had shaken his head and not really said anything. It was fine, Satoru knew what he was thinking. 

 

Suguru had already met plenty of Gojos by that point. Satoru hadn’t been lying when he told Suguru there was loads of political crap, sneaky political crap. His clan was pretty united in several core beliefs: The Gojo clan is the best, Gojo Satoru is great, and… that was about it. However along those fault lines multitudes of opinions could be found: those that thought Satoru should just annihilate the other two major clans so the Gojo could be dominant once and for all, those that believed Satoru was an actual deity and wanted to keep him in a shrine all day to dole out blessings (that was a pretty fringe belief… like one singular old auntie fringe), Gojo Satoru should do this and that and blah blah blah. Suguru presented a unique opportunity to get those beliefs in front of Satoru himself. As a consequence Suguru was practically inundated anytime he set foot anywhere any Gojos could approach him. Forget clan events or birthdays or meetings, Suguru would be surrounded by a crowd of eager supplicants. Satoru had been a little concerned, not at all that Suguru wouldn’t be able to handle it, Suguru could handle anything, but that Suguru would get annoyed by it. 

 

Gratifyingly Suguru never got annoyed. He was just perfect that way. 

 

Suguru shook his head again in response as if something Satoru had said was wrong but amusingly so. “There’s not much to see.” He said. 

 

“Well… where was your famous middle-school with all those students that stole your first kisses from me?” 

 

Suguru laughed, “I hadn’t even met you yet.” 

 

It was a familiar back and forth. 

 

“So?” Satoru whined, “I was still keeping myself pure for your Suguruuuu. I’d never even been kissed!”

 

“That was your own choice.” Suguru was smiling, “The school is in the next town over.”

 

“I see.” Satoru considered it, “Road trip there?”

 

Suguru bumped their shoulders together. “You’re ridiculous.” As his parents’ house came into view he visibly hesitated before turning to Satoru, “Just don’t take what they say to heart.” He finally settled on saying. 

 

Satoru frowned very very slightly, “What would they say?”

 

“I don’t know.” Suguru kept walking so Satoru kept pace with him, “But they’re not… like us. Like you. Just remember that.”

 

They’d reached the front of the house at this point and the door was already open to reveal Suguru’s mother standing at the entrance. Her hands were still tangled in her apron. 

 

“Welcome.” She bowed when Satoru approached, which wasn’t odd to him but seemed to disquiet Suguru. 

 

“No need to be so formal.” Satoru quickly said, hoping that it would help smooth down Suguru’s oddly ruffled feathers. “These are for you.” He handed her the bag with both hands, trying harder at manners than he had in a long time. 

 

“Thank you very much.” She took the bag. Her hands were shaking very slightly. “Please come in.” 

 

Satoru made sure to line up his shoes neatly next to Suguru’s. The house slippers he was given were slightly too small, pinching his toes and leaving him to shuffle a little awkwardly. Suguru gave his feet an amused look. Satoru deliberately played up the shuffling. Suguru smiled at him. 

 

The inside of the house was also small. Satoru has to bend down very slightly to get through the doorways. Suguru just about fit. Suguru’s mother was small and when they emerged into a living room where Suguru’s father was sitting on an armchair it seemed that he was small too. Satoru wondered what genetic confluence had managed to produce Suguru who was tall and well built, and an omega. 

 

Suguru’s father made to stand when Satoru entered, leaning heavily on the back of the armchair to keep his weight off his bandaged right ankle. Satoru could tell it was fractured. 

 

“No need to stand on my account.” Satoru was trying very hard to be charming and nice. It usually felt easier than this. Or maybe he was just naturally charming and nice and this was the first time he was really thinking about it? “Please sit down, Suguru told me that you had a bad fall?” How would falling over fracture someone’s ankle? There didn’t look to be any tall buildings around here. Maybe he fell from a tree? 

 

“Yes, it’s only a small injury. Welcome to our home.” Suguru’s father sat down and gestured for Satoru to take the other armchair next to him. 

 

Satoru sat and noticed that there wasn’t anywhere for Suguru and his mother to sit. Before he could point that out Suguru’s mother had taken her son’s arm and led him to the kitchen. Satoru kept his awareness on him through the walls as he made small talk with Suguru’s father who quickly revealed himself to be just an ordinary man. Who could have thought that two such normal people could have produced Suguru, the most interesting person to ever live? 

 

“Suguru told us that you’re working for your family business?” It was technically a statement but was phrased as a question. 

 

 Family business… that’s funny. Satoru has to hand it to Suguru. 

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

“I see.” Suguru’s father nods slowly, “Suguru takes good care of your home then?”

 

Satoru supposed that was true but mostly by virtue of Suguru existing rather than anything substantive he actually did. 

 

“Suguru’s the best.” He confirmed. 

 

Suguru’s father nodded at that. “Have you been keeping up with the current re-elections to the National Diet?” 

 

Satoru has never kept up with politics. That would probably be a weird thing to say. 

 

“Here and there.” He decides on. A good middle ground answer. 

 

Suguru’s father seems to appreciate it judging by the fact that he takes it as an opportunity to start sharing his views. 

 

Satoru tries to stay engaged but it's a losing battle. It’s not personal, he’s not interested in most people’s opinions let alone on non-jujutsu politics. But still, because it's Suguru’s father he tries to nod at appropriate times. It’s a real test of patience. Suguru’s father speaks slowly and consideringly and Satoru thinks the real fun is trying to find little shades of Suguru in him. 

 

Finally Suguru comes back to the room and Satoru knows he’s perking up like a hopeful dog. He can’t help it though. 

 

Suguru smiles at him, “Dinner’s ready.” He says. He then turns to his father and offers him his support to lead him into the dining room. Suguru is so dutiful. It’s really cute. 

 

The dining room is small and kind of dark, not only because it’s night, but because it’s cramped. Satoru has to contort himself a little to sit on the chair and watches as Suguru does the same, albeit more gracefully. It’s weird how Suguru doesn’t seem to match this house at all. Suguru looks far better in their airy apartment in Tokyo that’s full of natural light and fancy houseplants Satoru specially ordered from an overpriced florist in Aoyama that react bitchily to even a slight change in atmosphere. Suguru looks better sitting at their kitchen island with a glass of mugicha in his hands watching Satoru cook for him. Suguru looks better on their wide L shaped centrepiece couch that cost enough that Satoru knew instinctively to hide the bill lest Suguru never actually sit on it with Mimi-chan and Nana-chan on either side of him while they watch whatever show the girls are currently obsessed with. 

 

“Itadakimasu.” Suguru’s mother says with a smile. Her hands are no longer shaking and she immediately gestures for Satoru to serve himself. “Please go ahead Gojo-sama.”

 

“Please call me Satoru.” He reaches for the central stir-fry dish, “Let me serve you.”

 

“Oh no.” Suguru’s mother holds out her hands as if to physically ward him off, “Please serve yourself first.” She sounds very earnest. 

 

Satoru wonders if looking at Suguru for help would be a little too obvious.

 

Thankfully Suguru is the best person as always because he takes the dish from Satoru and serves first his parents then Satoru with enviable ease. When they eat together, or even in most company, Satoru is used to putting things into Suguru’s bowl and stealing food in turn as well as leaning all over Suguru. Here in front of his parents who he’s trying to make a good impression on he keeps to his own bowl which proves to be a bit of a fight against his instincts. He also doesn’t paw at Suguru the way he wants to. It’s a struggle. 

 

The food isn’t very good but he’s never going to say that out loud. Suguru grew up eating this. Isn’t that interesting? Is this the kind of flavour Suguru prefers even if just for nostalgia? He always eats what Satoru cooks with obvious pleasure but then again Satoru knows he’s a good cook with the best ingredients on hand. The chicken in the stir fry is a little gamey. He chews determinedly and swallows. 

 

“Satoru-san,” Suguru’s mother says his name like it’s a question, “Suguru told us that you met at school?”

 

“Yeah that’s right.” Satoru smiles at Suguru, “We were in the same class.”

 

“That’s nice.” Suguru’s mother sounds sincere, “Did you grow up in Tokyo?”

 

“Mostly. My family estate is outside of Tokyo proper but I spent a lot of time in the city before starting boarding school there.”

 

“Do you plan on moving out of Tokyo back to your family’s estate at some point?” Suguru’s father asks. 

 

Satoru looks at Suguru, “It depends what Suguru wants. The estate is pretty stuffy, too many meddling servants, and our home in Tokyo is easier for work.”

 

Somehow Suguru seems very slightly uncomfortable by this line of conversation. 

 

“Do your parents live at your family estate?” Suguru’s mother then asks. 

 

Satoru shakes his head, “They travel a lot. They live mainly in Europe.”

 

“I see.” Suguru’s parents exchange a look, “Then do you have extended family living at the estate?”

 

Satoru nods, “Some, but not in the central residence.” He looks at Suguru who hasn’t said anything so far, “You prefer our place in Tokyo right?”

 

Suguru hums noncommittally, “It’s more convenient for work.” He confirms. 

 

Satoru is starting to pick up on a specific undertone with this conversation and decides to nip it in the bud, “Either way the estate’s main residence is available for us, we don’t have to choose either or.”

 

There’s a little pause then as everyone eats and Satoru forcibly swallows down the last of his rice. 

 

“Suguru mentioned that you’re often very busy with work.” Suguru’s mother says, “I hope coming out here to visit isn’t too much trouble. I understand taking time off isn’t easy for you.”

 

“No trouble at all.” Satoru confirms.  

 

“It’s a long drive from Tokyo.” Suguru’s father says, “I hope Suguru didn’t ask you to do it on his account.”

 

Satoru laughed, “Ah Suguru didn’t, it was me who missed him too much and am now inconveniencing you.”

 

“It’s not an inconvenience.” Suguru’s mother says very firmly, “We’ve been wanting to meet you for years.”

 

“Likewise.” Satoru takes a deep drink of his water and wonders if it would be too rude to start on the pack of peach gummies in his pocket. Under the table, as if sensing his thoughts, Suguru pinches his thigh. 

 

“Suguru didn’t need to rush over himself.” Suguru’s mother then says, “But he’s always been very caring.”

 

Satoru is the last person on the planet that needs to be convinced of that fact. 

 

The rest of the meal passes slowly, like time has slowed down out here in the countryside. There are no city sounds. The darkness outside is like a physical presence, nose pressed to the windows and breath fogging the glass. 

 

After dinner Satoru wonders if he should offer to be helpful for politeness’ sake but Suguru shakes his head very minutely at him and clears the table along with his mother before helping his father back to the sitting room where Satoru is apparently expected to sit with him. It’s more than a little boring. Thankfully instead of talking about politics Suguru’s father puts on the radio and they sit there in silence and listen to other people talk about politics instead. When Suguru reappears in the room Satoru feels nearly incandescent with joy. 

 

Satoru stands, “Suguru, do you want me to go back to Tokyo tonight? How long are you planning on staying?”

 

“Oh no, you can’t drive back to Tokyo now.” Suguru’s mother appears, having heard what he said and seeming visibly unhappy at the thought, “That must be more than eight hours.”

 

Unfortunately Satoru can’t tell her that he’ll teleport. 

 

“I’ll get a hotel.” 

 

“Oh no,” That’s also dashed, “You should stay tonight, please we can’t allow our- you,” She pauses and recovers quickly, “You, Satoru-san, to stay in a hotel when we could host you here.” Her eyes dart to Suguru then Suguru’s father and then back to him. “And the nearest suitable hotel is more than an hour away.”

 

Is this one of those saving face things? Satoru looks at Suguru who tilts his head slightly. 

 

“Then I’ll be taking advantage of your hospitality.” Satoru says with a smile, “I left some things in the car so I’ll just pop back there.”

 

“I’ll come with you.” Suguru immediately says. 

 

Great. Good good. Very good. 

 

Satoru and Suguru escape into the night air. 

 

“Oof, your father likes politics huh?” Satoru comments as they walk down the dark street, “I’ve realised that I need to brush up, maybe read a news report or something.”

 

Suguru doesn’t seem amused, “You don’t need to do that.” He looks a little flushed actually. On the tips of his ears. 

 

“Hey Suguru, your parents are really nice.” Satoru makes the effort to say. 

 

Suguru’s mouth twists, “They’re just ordinary civilians.”

 

Satoru isn’t sure now is the right time to start digging into Suguru’s complicated and fairly concerning views on non-shaman which his parents are evidently not exempt from. It actually makes perfect sense that his parents aren’t exempt. Suguru’s hypocrisy always manifests in more subtle and less forgiving ways. Satoru takes Suguru’s hand and laces their fingers together. He loves holding hands with Suguru. 

 

“It’s peaceful out here.” He says, “No car noises.”

 

“Mm,” Suguru looks up at the sky, he looks so good with the dramatic play of light and shadow on his face from the scarcely spaced streetlamps. “You can really hear yourself think.”

 

Satoru tugs at Suguru in a way he knows is overall distracting, “Want a gummy?” He asks, pulling the packet out of his pocket. 

 

Suguru predictably shakes his head but he seems sufficiently pulled out of his own thoughts. “Aren’t you tired?” He asks Satoru. Sweet. “Here, put your glasses back on. Did you bring your blindfold?”

 

“Weirder to wear a blindfold.”

 

Suguru sighs, “You don’t have to worry about my parents, they’ve already been won over.”

 

“Really? What cinched it? My dazzling looks? My incredible manners?”

 

“How much did those sweets you brought cost?”

 

“I didn’t check.”

 

“Mm, that was a nice car you drove here in.”

 

“It was the fastest one the rental service had, I didn’t want to drive at all.” Satoru made a face. 

 

Satoru wasn’t dumb, he knew what Suguru was getting at and kudos to his perfect omega he had hit the nail pretty much on the head. 

 

Suguru hummed and now it was his turn to tug Satoru closer, “Satoru… you don’t need to try.” He said finally, firmly. 

 

“What if I want to? They’re your parents Suguru, you’re important to me so ergo they’re important to me.” 

 

“I’m already a bad son, I’ve only visited a handful of times since I moved to Tokyo.”

 

“Ehh then what kind of son does that make me?” Satoru has a tendency to avoid his family and stick to his own life unless he needed to make a point or wanted something from them. Their interests did usually align (or the clan pandered to him, that was true too) so it was all tied off nice and neat. 

 

“Our situations are completely different and you know it.” Suguru gives him a rather unimpressed look, “Besides, I could practically feel how bored you were before.”

 

Satoru rubbed the back of his neck a little embarrassedly, normally he wouldn’t care about that but he really wanted Suguru to know he was trying. It felt distinctly like he wasn’t doing a good job. Damn, the only thing he wasn’t naturally brilliant at was Suguru which was annoying because it was the thing he needed to be the best at!

 

“And I know you didn’t like dinner.” Suguru gave him a look out of the corner of his eye.

 

Right, time to change the conversation’s direction. 

 

“I liked thinking about you as a child.” Satoru says honestly, “I would have really liked to meet you when you were a kid, we would have been best friends.”

 

Suguru gives him a rather amused look, “Is that what you think?”

 

“Yup.” Satoru pops the p. He imagines a child Suguru, calm and centred and sweet as sugar while also being the absolute fussy hypocrite he is at his core. Satoru thinks he would have adored him. As a child he would have been even more primed to. 

 

“You can go back to Tokyo if you need to.” Suguru says, “I’m not planning on staying longer than tomorrow, maybe the day after.” 

 

“If you’re only staying for two more days then I’ll stay with you, I don’t see any imminent disasters rearing their heads.” Satoru said, “Unless, you don’t want me to?”

 

Suguru paused. It was a conspicuous pause. “It’s alright. I just-” He stopped himself. “How are the kids?” He pivoted to asking. 

 

“They all like you better and are fully prepared to say it out loud.”

 

Suguru laughed. He then went quiet, “I don’t mean to make you feel like you shouldn’t be here.” He said. “But I’ve kept the two sides of my life separate for a long time, seeing you sitting in my parents’ house is… surreal.”

 

“It’s freaking you out huh?”

 

“I didn’t say that.” But by Suguru’s fussy little sniff Satoru knew he was right on the money. 

 

As always with Suguru the best way to play things was vulnerability for vulnerability, it was a neat payment system because Satoru never felt vulnerable enough in front of Suguru for it to cost much to him. 

 

“Well I think it’s weird seeing you here.” Satoru makes a big show of thinking, “You’re Suguru y’know? It’s weird to think that you existed before we met.”

 

Suguru stares at him, “That was the… most self-centred thing I think you’ve ever said and that’s saying something.”

 

Satoru knew it was. He did know the way he went about things with Suguru was pretty fucked up by normal standards, whatever normal was anyway. Satoru’s own private thought was that he thought the same as pretty much every other alpha out there but was just more up front and therefore distasteful about it. Suguru understood that though and Satoru thought he did like it under everything else, the layers and layers and layers of socialisation Suguru still mostly adhered to though he really didn’t need to. Suguru was the type to smash the vase completely if he cracked it and Satoru considered it his sacred duty to prevent further damage. Besides, if Suguru really wanted to do something no one could stop him, not even Satoru. He was scary that way, way scarier than everybody realised.  

 

Satoru adopted a grievous expression, “Can’t I want to be the most important person to you? The centre and reason for your existence?”

 

Suguru tilted his head, his bangs shifted over his forehead and the streetlamp they passed under threw his eyes into vulpine relief, “I never thought Gojo Satoru could be so insecure as to need that.”

 

“Only with you baby.” Satoru assured, “I don’t go around wishing I was the reason for other people’s existences. Sounds like a lot of trouble and responsibility for nothing.”

 

Suguru huffed a gentle laugh, “I’m honoured to be so special.”

 

“The most special.” Satoru was quick to follow on with. “Now, I don’t actually have anything in the car to grab, so should I teleport back to Tokyo to get some stuff or just to the nearest big shop?”

 

Suguru shook his head, “You already teleported a long distance once today, save your energy. There’s a twenty-four hour supermarket in that direction, about an hour’s drive so maybe eighty kilometres.”

 

“Look it up so I can see a photo.” Satoru rocked back on his heels. 

 

Suguru plucked Satoru’s phone from his pocket and did just that. The signal was weak out here in the countryside so it took a long time to load. 

 

“I was expecting you sooner.” Suguru suddenly said.

 

Satoru’s grin practically split his face in half. Gruesome adoration. “I followed a few dead end trails on my hunt.”

 

“Mm,” Suguru reached up and tucked a few strands of hair that had escaped his bun behind his ear. Satoru loved watching him do that. “I thought you could just use the bond.”

 

“Where’s the fun in that?” Satoru complained. 

 

“Fun?” 

 

Satoru shrugged and held his hands out, “I do try and block it out as much as I can.” He offered, “Privacy is important.” It wouldn’t be such an issue if Suguru just claimed him back already, then they’d be equally as transparent to each other. Or maybe Suguru would still demand his own privacy while Satoru was a wailing wreck of emotion… it wasn’t an entirely unappealing image. A lesser person might even be offended by Suguru’s reluctance but Satoru wasn’t a lesser person. However, he had been a hopelessly hormonal teenager once upon a time which was why they were in this situation to begin with. He could take accountability when needed. 

 

Suguru looked at him as he passed the phone back, it was a typical considering Suguru look and very sexy for being so. “Here,” Was all he said, “Don’t take too long, my parents are waiting.”

 

“I’ll be speedy.” Satoru promises. He gave Suguru a showy and loud kiss on the cheek that made the other twitch a smile before teleporting away. 

 

*

 

Suguru’s childhood bedroom smelt deeply of him. It was saturated into the walls, the floors, the furniture. This was the room Suguru had presented in, done homework in, masturbated for the first time in… truly a sacred place. 

 

Satoru was currently sitting on Suguru’s bed, under the top sheet. The bed was a single and therefore definitely not big enough for the both of them so Suguru (as the apparent host) was on a futon on the floor. He was meant to be on a futon on the floor of the living room since the house didn't have a spare bedroom and Suguru's parents were obviously fussy about them sharing a room. However Suguru must have known Satoru was going to be ridiculous because he had pinched his thigh, set up his futon in the living room, and then brought it into his childhood bedroom as soon as his parents went to sleep. Satoru was absolutely planning on joining him on the floor as soon as Suguru got sleepy enough not to protest too much. 

 

“Satoru.” Suguru’s voice certainly wasn’t sleepy. “Do you mind?”

 

“Mind what?”

 

“My parents are a stone’s throw away.” Suguru said, voice wry, “You smell like you’re thinking something perverted.”

 

Suguru’s first orgasm in this room. That was likely the culprit and also fairly perverted. 

 

“Hey Suguru?”

 

“Yes Satoru?”

 

“What age were you when you came for the first time?”

 

Suguru sighed. “Go to sleep Satoru.”

 

“C’mon Suguru.” Satoru decided to forget his sleepy Suguru plan and wriggled off Suguru’s bed to land on the floor next to him. “Your parents are upstairs anyway.”

 

“The walls and ceilings are thin. They won't be happy if they wake up and find us sharing a room.” 

 

“Yeah but you can answer one question right? I’m even whispering.”

 

“It’s not just one question is it?” Suguru’s now whispering too and it’s really sexy. Kind of coy. It instantly brings to mind all the teenage sleepovers he must have had with those lucky bastards that got to meet him first. If they had met as children, Satoru definitely would have been able to steal the coveted first kiss. 

 

Satoru squirms ungracefully closer to Suguru who is as always effortlessly enchanting. “C’mon Suguru, tell me.”

 

Suguru raises an eyebrow, “It’s weird that you want to know about the masturbatory activities of a young teenager.”

 

“The young teenager is you. That’s the difference. C’mon, I’ll tell you mine.”

 

Suguru shakes his head, “I don’t want to know yours.”

 

“What?!” Satoru is outraged and offended.

 

Suguru laughs quietly, “Fine. I can tell you want to tell me. Pervert.”

 

“It’s not perverted if it’s you.” Satoru argues before grinning, “And it was you. Do you remember when we did that mission together and you went into pre-heat at the end?”

 

Suguru smiles. He’s so confident it kills Satoru. “My pre-heat got you?”

 

“Sex never seemed all that interesting before.” Satoru makes a face, “Kind of messy. Not good with infinity y’know? It actually wasn’t the smell of your pre-heat, I didn’t start thinking about it until we were back at the college.”

 

“Mm, you were very good in the car back, not even a weird comment. I remember that.” 

 

“It was only after we got back to the college and you went to your room that I started really thinking about it. I’d obviously watched porn with omegas in heat.” 

 

“Obviously.”

 

“And when I was in my room I started to realise that you were the omega in heat. Geto Suguru in heat. I swear I jerked it until my dick felt like it was gonna fall off.”

 

“That was your first orgasm?” Suguru sounds appropriately judgemental. 

 

“No, but it was the first one that actually mattered. The other ones didn’t count.”

 

Suguru is smiling, “So you were also saving your first masturbatory orgasms for me? How did I get so lucky?”

 

“I knew then that I had to do whatever it took to be able to share your heat.”

 

“It didn’t take much.” Suguru’s expression goes through a little blip of discomfort, brow wrinkling slightly.

 

Satoru probably shouldn’t have brought that up.

 

“Anyway,” Satoru moved impossibly closer so he and Suguru are nose to nose, breaths intermingling. It’s the kind of intimacy that’s almost gross. Grosser than sex. “I’ve told you mine. Now tell me yours.”

 

Suguru shakes his head, “All I got from yours was that you abruptly realised I’m an omega who can have sex and went wild about it in a very alpha way.”

 

“That sounds about right.” Satoru agrees. 

 

Suguru sighs but he’s smiling so that means he’s about to blow Satoru’s mind. To lend credence to that he sits up and shuffles off the futon, knee-walking over to his desk in the corner and pushing the chair out of the way before digging a fingernail into one of the floorboards and shimmying it out of place. 

 

Satoru watches in absolute fascination as Suguru lifts the floorboard up before reaching into the resulting hole to pull out what looked like a shoebox. Because the box is wider than the hole he needs to lift it up sideways, holding the lid carefully closed with one hand. Once the box is safely in his hands Suguru turns and shuffles triumphantly back. 

 

“What’s this?” Satoru is wild with curiosity, “Teenage masturbation material?” He’s practically foaming at the mouth, Suguru is aways so cool. 

 

Suguru laughs softly, “Some of it.” He places the box on his lap and slides off the lid. The box is stuffed full of scraps of paper, weathered notebooks and apparent porn magazines. There are a few other random things like little rocks and bits of glass and old pieces of string. 

 

Satoru reaches a hand out and Suguru lets him. He takes the permission and picks up the stringy thing which is actually a braided… bracelet?

 

Suguru smiles, “A girl in my glass made me that bracelet to confess. I told her I didn’t like her back but she told me to keep it.”

 

Satoru turns it over and puts it back. He pokes at one of the glass shards. 

 

Suguru’s smile is a little self-deprecating, “From the first beer I ever drank. It was in a glass bottle and I shared it with a friend. We broke the bottle and both kept a shard. It sounds kind of lame now that I’m saying it.” 

 

Satoru doesn’t think it’s lame at all. He thinks it’s so cool that Suguru kept all this sentimental crap in a shoebox under a loose floorboard in his room. It’s like a time capsule that he can now show Satoru, cracking it open so the shape of young pre-Satoru Suguru can be revealed. 

 

“What’s this?” He asks, poking an old tin. 

 

Suguru’s smile gets even more self-deprecating, “I used to save all my cigarette butts when I started smoking.” He opens the tin and it’s indeed full of half smoked cigarettes. Baby Suguru put these in his mouth. Dried bits of his saliva probably still linger on the filter end. 

 

“I love this.” Satoru says honestly, “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”

 

Suguru doesn’t look like he believes him. See, if he marked Satoru back he would know he was sincere. 

 

Satoru rifles even more fully into the box. Pulling out old notes passed in class and confession letters and report cards heavy with praise. Pawing through Suguru’s youth. 

 

“I only kept the good ones.” Suguru said as Satoru looked at the Well done Geto! Full marks! Keep it up! Written at the end of a maths quiz. 

 

Satoru picks up one of the notebooks and for the first time finds Suguru catching his wrist. His cheeks are a little pink. “Those are my diaries.”

 

“You wrote a diary?”

 

“More of a journal. I didn’t write every day. Just when something happened.”

 

Satoru has never seen Suguru ever write a journal before. Did he stop when he came to jujutsu high? Why? 

 

“Can I read it?”

 

Suguru looks at him, head tilted and eyes narrowed before relaxing, “You can read one.” He allowed.

 

“Only one? I better pick wisely then.”

 

The journals are helpfully labelled with the dates they were in use on the front so Satoru hums and spreads them out in a row, hovering his hand over them like a crane machine surveying prospects before picking the most weathered one. 

 

Suguru looks at the date and blushes harder, “Ah, I think-”

 

“No take backsies!” Satoru insists, “You made a bargain and I’m going to hold you to it!”

 

To his delight Suguru doesn’t protest further, just turns his face away and tucks his hair, loose for sleep, behind an ear. 

 

Satoru cracks the precious relic open to a random page. He wants to take his time but knows that Suguru’s patience isn’t infinite and he might miss the opportunity to get to the porn if he dallies too long. 

 

Today the weather was better than expected. It was cloudy in the morning and everyone thought it would rain but by lunchtime the clouds had cleared away so it was sunny enough to sit outside. Since I presented I hate being indoors too long. Everything smells too much and Kento keeps pulling my hair during class. I know he’s just trying to get my attention and I shouldn’t let it bother me but when he does that all I want to do is grab the back of his head and slam his face down into the desk again and again and again until he knows to never do it again. Kento has something following him. It has long teeth and has bitten him around his left ankle so when he walks it drags along behind him on the floor. He asked me if I wanted to come to his house to read manga today after school and when he did the thing got bigger. I don’t trust him. I think Kento’s the kind of person who could really do something bad. I wanted to tell Naomi about it but couldn’t explain the thing. We sat together at lunch outside and she asked me if he was bothering me, she told me he bothers all the omegas and that I should just ignore him. I don’t want to ignore him though. I want to make him regret annoying me. I asked Naomi if he’d pulled her hair before and she told me there was a rumour that when he visited his cousin in Iwate prefecture he attacked an omega girl and touched her. Apparently the police almost got involved but the families managed to sort it out between themselves. I think that might be where the thing comes from, I don’t have proof but it feels like that to me. I know they can’t see it, any of it. Sometimes I think I can grab it with my bare hands and beat it into submission but I also don’t know if it’s really there. People that see things are schizophrenic and the things aren’t real. I don’t think I’m schizophrenic. I don’t have any of the other symptoms. My heat is supposed to come the week after next. I’m not looking forward to it. I feel like Kento knows it’s coming. I have to be ready if the thing comes for me. After school Naomi and I walked to the store together. We shared a CC lemon and some senbei. She told me that she’d never kissed anyone before and asked me what it was like kissing Takashi at the party over the summer. I told her it was nice though I don’t know who told her about that and she didn’t say. She asked me if we could kiss because she didn’t want to be the only omega in the school who had never been kissed. I said okay. We kissed next to the big ginkgo tree and one of the leaves fell down and landed in my hair. Naomi said that was good luck and I needed to keep the leaf and make a wish. 

 

At the bottom of the page an old crumbly gingko leaf is firmly taped down. 

 

Satoru stares at the entry. He looks up at Suguru who is biting his lip a little. 

 

“Suguru… y’know, I didn’t have any secrets growing up. There was no loose floorboard in my room. Or if there was and I tried to hide something there the servants would have found it. I guess I could have ordered them not to look under the loose floorboard for my secret porn, but then it’s not a secret is it?” He closes the journal, “These are really cool.”

 

The way Suguru looks at Satoru now is that kind of itchy tenderness that Satoru craves, craves like he assumes other people crave scratching a mosquito bite. 

 

“Suguru… would you have kissed me under the ginkgo tree if I asked?” 

 

Suguru laughs and doesn’t respond. 

 

“Suuuguuuruuu.” Satoru pouts in a winning fashion, “What if, like poor Naomi, I also told you I was first kiss-less and falling behind my peers? Do you want me to miss my developmental milestones?”

 

Suguru reaches forward and strokes his head, pushing his hair back in the process. If Satoru was a cat he would be purring. “I would never let you fall behind.” He says in a mockingly serious tone.

 

It’s still good enough for Satoru. 

 

“Now porn time.” He says with no little excitement, carefully putting aside Suguru’s journal and making grabby hands for the magazines. 

 

“They’re not very interesting.” Suguru says with amusement. “A boy in my year’s older brother used to buy them from Akita city and give the ones he was bored with to him. He would then share them around with all of us. His brother and him were both betas so it’s mostly beta porn.”

 

Satoru opens the magazine at the top with reverent interest. It’s very typical porn. Big where it needs to be. Smooth where it needs to be. Hairy where it needs to be. Satoru tilts his head to take in the image of a beta woman on her back with her legs spread and her hand resting ambiguously in the juncture. 

 

“You’re way sexier.” Is his ultimate judgement. 

 

Suguru laughs, “Is that a compliment? That you find me sexier than a beta porn model from ten years ago?”

 

“It depends, do you feel complimented?”

 

Suguru is flushed pink and still smiling so Satoru decides to try his luck. He leans in and kisses him, long and lingering but overall chaste. 

 

“My parents are upstairs.” Suguru says but he’s smiling so that means it’s okay. 

 

“We’ll be quiet.” Satoru pleads, desperate and not at all embarrassed by it, “Do you want me to beg?”

 

“You’d beg without me asking.” Suguru says with a tone that signals acquiescence. He opens his arms and Satoru all but takes a metaphorical flying leap into them. 

 

“Now, just to get us in the right headspace, why don’t you tell me about your primary masturbatory fantasy from your teens and we’ll make it happen.”

 

Suguru looks hopelessly fond. No one looks at Satoru like that apart from him. It’s not an expression he wants from anyone else either. 

 

Suguru lies back, hair spread around his head in a ridiculously alluring fashion and acts like he’s thinking hard. 

 

“Suguruuuu.” Satoru puts on his whiniest tone. “Put me out of my misery!”

 

“In one of the porn magazines there was an erotic picture series about a woman in the Heian period who was having her wedding night with her arranged husband.” Suguru both looks extraordinarily embarrassed and also not embarrassed at all. “I used to touch myself to that a lot.”

 

Satoru feels similar to how he did when he mastered reverse cursed energy. Maybe that’s an exaggeration but it certainly feels similar. 

 

“Was she fully decked out in historical regalia? Peeling it off layer by layer?” That’s fucking sexy. Satoru is abruptly deeply invested in getting Suguru into some fussy formal wear for sex reasons. 

 

“Sexy regalia.” Suguru amends, “I don’t think people really had thigh high slits in the Heian period.”

 

Satoru laughs but tries to keep it quiet at the look Suguru gives him. 

 

“Okay okay, so you’re into some historical role play? How did you keep this from me for so long?” Satoru presses his and Suguru’s foreheads together. 

 

“I would hesitate to call one picture series that I liked an interest in historical roleplay.”

 

Suguru is so prissy it’s so cute. It’s so funny. It’s perfect. Of course Suguru would be into watching some beta woman dressed in sexy historical dress get stripped and debauched by her arranged husband. It’s exactly the kind of fussy fantasy he’d be into. 

 

“The Heian period hmm?” Satoru grins, “That was jujustu’s golden age. The Gojo clan had a lot of arranged marriages back then to those that looked as though they had enough cursed energy to breed strong descendants.”

 

Suguru looks up at him, illuminated from the faint moonlight coming in through his small window. “Is that so?”

 

“You’d definitely be a candidate if you lived back then.” Satoru draws his nose down over Suguru’s jaw and then neck, “I’d breed you full of Gojo heirs.”

 

Suguru sighs and tilts his head back, “Satoru…”

 

“You’re so sexy, I’d ruin my whole clan for you.” Satoru is monologuing now, it’s a slightly embarrassing tendency he has in bed with Suguru, “I’d be that foolish alpha wrapped around your foxy little fingers and you wouldn’t have to do more than look at me for me to fall to my knees in front of you. Suguru Suguru Suguru-” Satoru mouths at his neck, pushes up his sleep shirt so it’s caught under his armpits and he can move down to bite his chest and lick his stomach, “You’re so pretty. My new bride. My wife. My Suguru. I’d do anything for you. I’d love you at first sight.”

 

Suguru makes a soft gasping moan when Satoru licks at his hip and wriggles him out of his sleep pants to get to his cunt. 

 

“What about what I want?” Suguru gasps a high reedy noise, “What if I was just a poor countryside omega born to a peasant family? Would you kidnap me, take me away from my life, from my village and family and friends to your grand estate and lock me up?”

 

“Yes.” Satoru licks deep into Suguru, mouthing sloppily, making out with his pussy until his chin is smeared with slick. “I’d tie you to my bed.”

 

“You’d rape me.” Suguru moans, “I would beg you to let me go home but you’d get me pregnant and chain me down and I would never be able to leave.”

 

“Yeah baby.” Satoru keeps eating him out with enthusiasm, lost in the fantasy and the impossibility and the taste and smell and touch and exquisite filthy infinity of Suguru who never runs out, never dries up, always goes deeper. “I’d tell you to forget your home, you belong to me now, exist for me. It would only take one look. I’d see you walking down the road, collecting water at the river, picking berries in the forest and I’d grab you and mark you as mine right there.”

 

Suguru’s breathing picks up, his fingers clench in Satoru’s hair, his eyes are wide open and staring at the ceiling. 

 

“I’d punish you if you tried to leave me. You’re not allowed to leave me.” Satoru bites at his inner thigh, replacing his mouth with his fingers, “You’d try of course because you’re brave and determined. You’d even try to fight back but I’m the Six Eyes. I’d be a god.”

 

“I couldn’t fight you.” Suguru thrusts his hips in time with Satoru’s fingers and looks Suguru right in the eye. The intimacy builds and builds with no ceiling in sight. “I couldn’t win against you. And when I lost I could only take what I’m given.”

 

“I’d be nice.” Satoru promises, thumb circling Suguru’s clit, “I wouldn’t be as mean as I could be. I’d like that you fought back and I’d like that when you recognise that you couldn’t beat me you’d stop fighting.”

 

“There’d be no point.” Suguru’s eyes screw shut as his thighs begin to tremble, signalling his incoming orgasm, “I couldn’t- I couldn’t win- there’s no- no point-”

 

“Suguru, baby.” Satoru puts his mouth back to good use, “I’d be so nice to you.”

 

Suguru finishes quietly, biting his fist since he’s likely worried about his parents hearing. 

 

Satoru is so hard. He walks his hands up Suguru’s thighs and grips his waist, “Can I?”

 

Suguru nods, his gaze is hazy, “Satoru.” His legs splay in Satoru’s grasp. Floppy. Acquiescing. Surrendering. Satoru’s heart is pounding. “I’d be so afraid.” He says as Satoru lines himself up and begins to press home, “So afraid of falling in love with you. I wouldn’t- I wouldn’t be able to stop it and I’d be so afraid of waking up and finding I’d gone to my knees all on my own.”

 

Satoru mouths at Suguru’s neck as he finds higher meaning in his lovers’ body. “I’d make you feel so good. I’d make you so happy. Why would you fight it?”

 

Suguru reaches up and wraps his arms around Satoru’s neck, “It’d be easier if you were mean.” He murmurs, lips on Satoru’s cheek, “If you were nice I would never be able to understand how you could also be so cruel. If I never understood you I could never love you.” 

 

“You would understand me.” Satoru leans over Suguru, resting on his elbows and putting them face to face, “I’d be so simple for you. So selfish. I’d become whatever it took to make you like me.”

 

Suguru turns his head so they’re cheek to cheek. Tacky with sweat and Suguru’s own slick half-dried on Satoru’s skin. It’s so gross. But it’s Suguru. 

 

“I want…” Suguru shifts up and Satoru moves back so in a smooth movement that requires more core-strength than one would think, Suguru is now sitting in Satoru’s lap, cock still buried home, and arms still around his neck. Satoru goes even deeper like this, breath punched out of him. 

 

The first few heats of Suguru’s that he shared they only did missionary and doggy. Satoru had been more terrified than he was willing to admit of fucking up and having the privilege of touching Suguru revoked forever. So he tread cautiously and didn’t do any of the thousands of perverted things that crowded his mind when he looked at the other during class, during missions, during training, during outings for food and snacks and arcade games. Ironically he was the least disgustingly horny during Suguru’s heat. He wasn’t there to have fun and explore, he was there to take care of Suguru and he took that duty seriously. He made love to Suguru when the other was hazy eyed and pliant, when he was aggressive and demanding, when he was sweet and syrupy, and then he fed him and cleaned him and watered him in between. It was actually less sexy than one (a young naive Gojo Satoru with porn and mass media for reference) would expect. Suguru’s mood was mercurial when he was in heat, one moment he might be panting and begging and the next he could be snapping at Satoru to back off. Satoru had committed more fuck ups at the beginning than he would have liked to admit. Still, receiving repeat invitations was a good sign. 

 

Currently, Satoru likes this position a lot. He might even call it a favourite. There’s not much thrusting to be done but instead a lot of gentle grinding and intimate breath sharing. Satoru thinks he’ll still want to sleep with Suguru when they’re old and gross and crusty because it’s not necessarily the sex itself. Suguru is the best partner. He’s the only one who can keep up in the way Satoru needs, matching him beat for offbeat. 

 

“Is this what you want?” He asks, knowing his gaze is reverent and unhinged in its intensity. 

 

Suguru stares back, into the six eyes, and smiles, fingers ghosting down Satoru’s cheek. Touching as much as he’s being touched. As is his right. “It’s what I want if it’s what you want.” Suguru murmurs, kind and thoughtful. 

 

Satoru puts his face in Suguru’s neck. He finishes very fast after that. 

 

“I think,” Suguru starts and he lifts himself off Satoru and sighs at the cum that starts to leak out of him, “That we veered very far off my teenage fantasy. It was just an arranged marriage wedding night. I don’t know where the yandere feudal breeding bitch stuff came from.”

 

“It was hot.” Satoru admits, getting up so he can pick up a wet wipe from the pack he had optimistically bought from the supermarket to wipe Suguru clean. 

 

“Mm.” Suguru shifts as he puts his pyjamas to rights. “Are you satisfied enough not to commit any more sins in my childhood bedroom?”

 

Satoru pauses, looking around the small orderly room and the messy collection of porn magazines and Suguru’s youth spread out on the floor. “I think I’ll definitely get horny again.” He admits fully, “Are we going to take this with us?” He asks, crouching to repack the box. Suguru is lying on his side watching Satoru do it. 

 

“I was planning on just leaving it here.” Suguru responds. 

 

Satoru pauses but nods in agreement, moving to put the box back into its hiding spot and replace the loose floorboard. Tonight, the magic of it, can't be replicated and trying would just be useless. Satoru will be alright living just knowing this box is out there and that Suguru showed it to him. 

 

When he returns to the futon Suguru raises an eyebrow at him, “You’re really going to squeeze on here with me? The bed is available.”

 

“You take the bed.” Satoru suggests. 

 

Suguru shakes his head and when Satoru pulls him into his arms he nestles in. 

 

“How old are your parents?” Satoru asks. 

 

“Mm, forties. Not that old.”

 

“Yeah that’s not that old.” Satoru strokes a hand through Suguru’s beloved hair. “Will you show me around your hometown tomorrow?”

 

“There’s not that much to show you.”

 

“I want to see the gingko tree.”

 

He feels Suguru’s amusement like it's a tangible thing. “Okay, we can go see the gingko tree.”

 

“What happened to Kento? Do you think he still has that curse attached to him?”

 

Suguru exhales, “I have no idea. I haven’t asked, I don’t keep in touch with anyone from my middle school.”

 

“Not even Naomi?”

 

This time Suguru’s exhale is more amused than anything else, “Not even Naomi.” He confirms, “Go to sleep Satoru.”

 

“You first.” Satoru says, just to be contrary. 

 

Suguru huffs again and then his breathing evens out and he falls asleep. 

 

Satoru stays awake and watches him, stares at the walls of Suguru’s childhood bedroom, and loses himself in what-ifs for far too long. 

 

*

 

Discovering Suguru and Sex (capital for emphasis) was what Satoru considered a turning point. 

 

Suguru could have sex. Suguru wanted to have sex. Every so often Suguru’s body would compel him to have sex and he would lie back on his bed in his dorm room that was shockingly  familiar to Satoru after days and nights spent bothering Suguru for company and reach between his legs and do stuff. 

 

Amazing. 

 

The first time Satoru had gone back to Suguru’s room after that first heat he had flopped onto Suguru’s bed as usual and did his best to seem completely normal while huffing Suguru’s freshly washed sheets when the other went to the bathroom just in case any heat scent had lingered. 

 

Suguru and Sex. 

 

Suguru and… forever? The way alphas and omegas did in movies and TV and manga. Forever. 

 

That sounded like a great idea. Pat on the back for Satoru. 

 

Sometimes he would think Suguru and sex randomly in the same sentence to give himself that jolt of adrenaline. Suguru as his best friend was very good. Suguru as his mate was maybe a tiny bit better if only for the permanence. And the sex. Now that Satoru had started thinking about sex he was rabidly horny in a way he had never been before. Like hump-a-pillow-get-hard-watching-Suguru-drink-mugicha-fall-to-his-knees horny. Sex had never quite seemed to click for him. Like porn was one thing, it had about the same impact as that fade to black moment in movies when the main couple gets together, but picturing Suguru and himself in the place of those nameless actors made everything make sense. 

 

Approaching how to get him and Suguru to have sex had Satoru plotting for weeks. He’d looked up how long omegas had between heats, pulled out a calendar and marked a deadline to give himself before Suguru’s next heat. As far as he knew from the games of truth and dare and never have I ever he forced everyone to play Suguru had been kissed a bunch of times but had never gone beyond that. Satoru thought he had pretty good odds of his proposal to be Suguru’s heat partner and alpha getting accepted. He was good looking and charming and made Suguru laugh a lot and most importantly, Suguru never really said no to him unless there was a proper reason why. And if he did say no, he was good at compromising. 

 

No Satoru, we’re already late. 

 

Satoru, don’t eat that we’re having dinner soon. 

 

Ah Satoru, that's not the right way. I’ll show you how. 

 

There wasn’t a good reason for Suguru not to accept Satoru. Anything he wanted Satoru to do/prove/commit in return to was good as done. 

 

Even so Satoru had been sweaty under his school uniform and his voice had been more obnoxiously loud than usual when he offered. 

 

Suguru still said yes. Suguru said yes. 

 

Satoru kind of wanted to have sex immediately even though he knew that wasn’t really on the cards. He needed to prove himself first and then they could transition the sex from an “in-heat” thing to an “always” thing. 

 

His mind went to absolutely disgusting places in the run up to that first heat. He thought about Suguru naked constantly, like he had hentai x-ray vision and could just straight up see through his clothes any time they were together. It got a little out of hand to the point where Satoru had to have a stern conversation with himself because he needed to find some way to separate Geto Suguru, best friend and special grade sorcerer from Suguru, sexy omega who I am going to lose my virginity to in a matter of weeks before he did something really embarrassing like trip over himself on a mission because Suguru was retying his hair. 

 

Satoru’s favourite fantasy at that time had been one where he would go to the bathroom to shower and Suguru would already be in there, naked and wet and soapy, because his own shower was broken. And he would also be masturbating even though Suguru would never masturbate in the communal showers in real life, but in this fantasy he would be using the shower head on his pussy the way Satoru had watched in an amateur JAV and obviously he would be thinking of Satoru and saying his name as he worked on himself. He would be all flushed and embarrassed when he noticed Satoru had walked in and would likely try to deflect but there would also be a little element of him wanting Satoru to catch him. Then they would obviously have sex in the shower and Satoru would make Suguru cum like a thousand times until he was soft and delirious with pleasure. 

 

Suguru’s parents’ house has a bathroom with a handheld shower head. Has Suguru ever made himself cum using it? 

 

Satoru falls asleep right around the point, thinking of showerheads and Suguru’s cunt. 

 

*

 

Suguru’s parents are just as solicitous at breakfast as they were at dinner last night. Satoru is used to people being solicitous towards him. The only weirdness is when one of Suguru’s parents will display some absolutely Suguru mannerism and Satoru is thrust into seeing two overly accommodating pseudo-Sugurus sitting at the table with him. Suguru’s kindness is deep and personal whereas Suguru’s parents obviously don’t know him and they’re not Suguru so their niceness is shallow and boring. 

 

While the dishes are cleared away and washed, Satoru does his apparent obligatory sitting in the armchair next to Suguru’s father. They listen to the radio again. Satoru wishes he was washing the dishes with Suguru. Why can’t he? He’s better at washing dishes than Suguru anyway, with infinity it never matters how hot the water is or how harsh the scrubbing. After Suguru had taught him the right way Satoru had gallantly taken over all dishwashing duties. Suguru keeps not letting him help in the kitchen with those little looks he shoots him as he and his mother clear the table. It’s annoying. He’s better at kitchen stuff than Suguru is anyway. 

 

Finally after what feels like a brain-numbing age, Suguru and his mother return. 

 

“What are your plans for today?” Suguru’s mother asks. She stands slightly behind Suguru. It’s a little crowded with all of them. 

 

Suguru looks at him to answer, so answer he does. “Suguru said he would show me around his hometown.” Satoru smiles, “I’m excited to see where you grew up.” He addresses the last part just to Suguru. 

 

“Well there’s a beautiful hotspring resort not too far a drive from here.” Suguru’s mother recommends, “It’s lovely at this time of year and it has a good restaurant too.”

 

Suguru hums, “I was going to take Satoru biking.”

 

“Biking?” Suguru’s mother sounds lost. 

 

“Otousan, is your bike in the garage? Could Satoru borrow it?”

 

Suguru’s father looks at him from where he’s sitting and nods. 

 

“Biking? Is that really a good idea?” Suguru’s mother twists her apron, “You could see the area so much better if you were driving.”

 

Suguru shakes his head, “We’re not planning on going far today.”

 

Suguru’s mother still looks unsure. 

 

“Let them go.” Suguru’s father suddenly says, “Satoru-san should see where Suguru grew up.” 

 

Satoru really agrees with that. 

 

Suguru smiles at his father, “Thank you otousan.” He then smiles at his mother, “We’ll see you both later.” He says before leading Satoru out of the room and then the house, outside and around to a separate outdoor garage that looks more like a storage space than somewhere meant for cars. 

 

“You know I can’t ride a bike Suguru..” Satoru pouts.

 

Suguru slants his gaze at him, “I’m sure you can figure it out, you’ve ridden with me before.”

 

Satoru probably could figure it out and he’s now struck with the intense need to master it and look cool and capable in front of Suguru. 

 

Suguru gestures to a bike with a basket propped up against the wall, “That’s my father’s.”

 

Satoru walks forward to wheel it out, “Did you used to bike around a lot as a kid?”

 

“Yeah.” Suguru gets on his bike with a grace that makes Satoru horny. And impressed. To be fair, it's impressive how horny Suguru makes him. Ha ha. 

 

Satoru gets on his bike with less ease but with a little infinity and some core control he copies Suguru’s movements and sets off behind him. 

 

“That’s cheating.” Suguru smiles as Satoru catches up to him. 

 

“Then I’m a cheater, so sad. Boo hoo. Is Suguru going to forsake me?” Satoru asks brightly. 

 

Suguru laughs, his movements sure and strong as they cruise their way down the main road and then out of the cluster of houses. 

 

“You’re taking me to the gingko tree right?”

 

“Yes Satoru,” Suguru sounds very amused, “I’m taking you to the famous gingko tree.”

 

“Good.” Satoru copies Suguru’s pace and lets infinity smooth the bike’s velocity so he can pedal less. Pedalling too hard is super uncool.  

 

“This is nice.” Satoru says honestly, having to shout over the wind, as they ride past fields and sparse houses and greenery. “The estate is in the countryside but it’s different.”

 

“Mm, I know.” 

 

Suguru likes the estate. Satoru sometimes thinks that he likes the estate more than Satoru himself does. Last time they went they’d sat in the private garden with the koi pond and red bridge and Suguru had drunk enough sake to get tipsy. They’d made love under the stars. Good memories. 

The thing about the estate that Satoru has issue with is that there are always so many eyes on them, not necessarily visibly like the servants aren’t hiding in potted plants or peeking out behind one way mirrors, but everyone’s attention is obviously on him and his needs and by extension Suguru and Suguru’s needs. The annoying thing about the Six Eyes is that Satoru knows that way too intimately. 

 

Before he’d gone to jujutsu high he’d been so used to it that it barely registered. But then he was suddenly anonymous and fancy free and able to kiss Suguru without anyone watching to see if they wanted fresh tea. Satoru was an exhibitionist, that couldn’t be denied, but only up to a point and on his own terms. He wasn’t interested in having him and Suguru put on a free twenty-four seven show. 

 

Everyone in Suguru’s town had been watching them from behind their twitching curtains. Satoru kind of wants to ask Suguru if it’s a little similar. Maybe later. 

 

He leans forward over his handlebars, standing up so he can achieve maximum speed down this small slope. 

 

Next to him Suguru does the same and his laugh is infectious. Satoru loves moments like this and wants to turn them into an infinitely expanding patchwork quilt that he can pull out whenever he wants. 

 

“There’s your tree.” Suguru suddenly announces. 

 

Satoru is impressed. The gingko tree is huge, broad branches and thick trunk towering over the landscape. 

 

“Nice.” They cycle closer and then he hops off his bike, using a little infinity to smooth the jump before propping the bike up against the trunk the way Suguru has done. “So,” Satoru grins at Suguru, “This is where you gave Naomi the pity kiss?”

 

Suguru turns his face away in faux annoyance, his ears pink, “Do you want a pity kiss of your own Satoru? Is that what you’re angling for?”

 

“I’d go for a pity handjob.” Satoru chances, laughing at the absolutely unimpressed expression Suguru levels at him. “Come on Suguru! Give your alpha some pity.”

 

Suguru looks at him with that intoxicating vulpine grace; slow blink, “What is there to pity when it comes to the venerable Gojo Satoru? Gojo-sama has everything he ever wanted, doesn’t he?”

 

Satoru’s mouth is a little dry. His heart is pounding. He’s so turned on. “I don’t have everything.” He says with a thick tongue, “My perfect omega is leaving me cruelly kiss-less.”

 

Suguru’s smile is slow. It’s the kind of smile he gives when Satoru has said something good. “Are you wrapped around my foxy little fingers then?”

 

Satoru bursts out laughing, “Are we role-playing again? Let’s do it! I’ll be Naomi.”

 

It’s Suguru’s turn to laugh, “That’s weird and gross Satoru.” He scolds, “I’d rather you be the yandere Heian era Six Eyes than Naomi from my middle-school.”

 

“I’m down.” Satoru immediately agrees, “Want me to teleport to Tokyo to get some fancy dress?”

 

Suguru flicks him on the forehead. 

 

“Owww Suguruuuu.”

 

“Here.” Suguru draws him in and kisses the spot he flicked. It makes Satoru both more and less horny at once, like setting a timer on his libido, slow cooking his sex drive for later so he’ll be tender and fall apart at a touch. 

 

Powerful people are meant to have a thing. Violence or money or drugs or alcohol or sex. Satoru had been told many times, though not in plain words, that it was important to have something that confirmed he was human. Before jujutsu high he had been uninterested in porn, in alcohol and drugs and abusing the servants and human vices and even as his clan venerated him they’d been worried. He thinks they were relieved when he showed his hand with Suguru and when he did his thing the right side of the wrong way. 

 

“Suguru.” Satoru tilts his face and their lips catch. Suguru doesn’t pull away. 

 

“Would you let me go? If I begged, would you?” The words are pressed into Satoru’s mouth with the next kiss and take time to unmuddle as they travel to his brain. Let Suguru go? Let Suguru go? Let- oh. They’re back to roleplaying. 

 

“Never.” Satoru kisses back harder, pressing Suguru back against the trunk of the gingko tree, “Even if you begged, I’d never let you go.”

 

Suguru looks at him and his eyes are limpid, his mouth swollen, “Even if you loved me?”

 

“I’d love you too much too. I couldn’t live without you.” Satoru kisses him again, reaching a hand into Suguru’s trousers. Suguru obligingly tilts his hips. 

 

“What if I cried every day, sitting next to the window, staring at freedom? What if I stopped eating and sleeping and living? Could you still keep me captive?” Suguru kisses back and his hand wraps around Satoru’s dick. It’s perfect.

 

“I’d make you happy. I’d make you happy.” Satoru’s breath hitches as Suguru strokes him, grip tight and unyielding. 

 

“You can’t save someone that doesn’t want to be saved.” Suguru moans as Satoru touches him, “Satoru….”

 

“My wife would want to be saved.” Satoru presses harder, takes more, gives more, “You would want it. You would want me to save you. You’d let me save you.”

 

Suguru’s legs spread wider, “More, more, Satoru….”

 

“Suguru, baby, perfect.” They kiss, breath and spit and life intermingling. Gross gross gross. Perfect. 

 

Satoru finishes before Suguru and he powers through the afterglow to get Suguru to completion. They slump against each other then, Satoru between Suguru’s thighs, face in Suguru’s neck while they let the gingko tree take their weight. 

 

Around them the air is still with the sound of insects and breeze ruffled grass. The sun beams down. Satoru’s scalp feels sweaty. Suguru reaches up and cards fingers through it anyway, scritching gently. 

 

“Hey Suguru?”

 

“Yes Satoru.”

 

With a thoughtless application of cursed energy leaves shower them both. Suguru laughs as Satoru plucks the best looking gingko leaf out of Suguru’s hair. 

 

“Now make a wish.”

 

*

 

They don’t end up cycling all the way to Suguru’s middle school even though Satoru wants to see it. 

 

“It’s just a school, you can imagine what it looks like.”

 

“But it’s your school.” Satoru had protested and Suguru had smiled fondly and cycled in the opposite direction.

 

Suguru ended up leading him on a long looping route through the countryside. It was peaceful. Creepily peaceful. Satoru stared at the back of Suguru’s neck and the glisten of sweat on his upper lip as the sun travelled westwards. 

 

They finally stopped by a small roadside temple. There was a bench outside and after getting off their bikes Suguru directed Satoru to sit, which he did with aplomb. 

 

“Ah Suguru,” He groaned, “My legs hurt.”

 

“Do they?” Suguru patted his lap and Satoru immediately put his legs to rest, propped up on Suguru’s thighs. 

 

“They do.” He pouted at Suguru, “It’s terrible.”

 

“Big baby.” Suguru’s voice was fond and his hands swept up and down Satoru’s legs, almost like a massage but not quite enough pressure for that. 

 

“Hey Suguru.” Satoru leaned his face on his crossed arms rested on the back of the bench, “Did you like living here?”

 

Suguru frowns, looking up at the sky as his hands continue to stroke Satoru’s legs, “I didn’t dislike it.” He finally says. “I have good memories.”

 

“But?”

 

“But?”

 

“There’s going to be a but.”

 

Suguru shook his head, smile gracing his mouth, “I stopped telling my parents about the curses very quickly. They couldn’t see them, no one could. I was normal but I was also seeing things. I think… it's hard to remember how much I cared about it back then. I think I cared quite a lot but… I also don’t think I cared quite enough.”

 

“Mm.” Satoru’s cheek is squished up with how he’s sitting, “Did the curses ever attack you?”

 

Suguru shook his head.

 

Satoru stares at him and adores him so much it’s a physical weight on his chest. 

 

“What?” Suguru’s smile is back and it only grows larger the longer Satoru stares at him, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

“I have to.” Satoru smiles back, “I can’t stop myself.”

 

Suguru flushes a little pink but he doesn’t pull back on his own gaze. In fact he stops stroking and instead grips Satoru’s ankles. “You’re so weird Satoru.” 

 

“I am.” Satoru keeps looking at Suguru and imagines him in middle school, able to see curses, able to tangibly see humans drag around their negativity. “How did you act normally? At school and generally?” It’s a valid question, he thinks. 

 

Suguru hums, “I suppose I got good at keeping a poker face.”

 

Satoru nods. He pushes his glasses back up his nose, “Why did you start smoking?”

 

“Is this now twenty questions?”

 

“If you want.” 

 

Suguru shakes his head, “We’ve known each other this way for so long… aren’t you going to run out of things to ask eventually?”

 

Satoru thinks that’s pure insanity.

 

“I don’t think so.” He told Suguru, “I want to plumb all your unplumbed depths.”

 

Suguru burst into gratifying laughter. Satoru grinned. Ding! 

 

“Never say that again.” Suguru slapped Satoru’s thigh in reprimand,

 

Satoru immediately opened his mouth to keep talking and Suguru leaned forward and put a hand over his mouth. “No.” 

 

Satoru stared at him and adopted a suitably grievous expression. He thought about licking Suguru’s hand but decided against it. 

 

Once it became clear to Suguru that he was being good the other removed their hand. 

 

“I started smoking because it was the cool thing to do. One of the kids in my class would steal their older sister’s cigarettes and we would share them.”

 

“Why?”

 

Suguru shrugs gracefully, “I couldn’t really say. Maybe because we wanted to feel more grown up.”

 

That’s an entirely foreign concept to Satoru. He wants to chew on it a little more but also doesn’t quite know how. He’ll put it in the fridge for later. 

 

“Suguru…” Satoru draws it out before grinning his filthiest grin, “Is your pussy sore from riding your bike all day pressed up against the seat? After I made you cum earlier too… you must be so swollen. Let me kiss it better.”

 

Suguru pushes him away and stands up, “Pervert.” He accuses, but the way he tucks his hair behind his ear and walks away is practically an invitation. 

 

Satoru gets up from the bench to chase him as Suguru walks off, past their resting bikes, behind the shrine to the wooded area blanketing it. 

 

He looks back at Satoru only once, a brief glance over his shoulder and it’s so hot it’s definitely wrong in some way. 

 

They end up tangled up against another tree, a thinner less impressive one than the gingko tree, with one of Suguru’s legs hitched around his waist and his trousers pulled down just enough to allow access. 

 

“We should take holidays more often.” Satoru says as he thrusts hard enough to push Suguru onto his tiptoes. “Nothing to do but this all day.”

 

Suguru kisses Satoru’s jaw, lips searching and seeking and soft, “Sorcerers don’t do nine to fives. Nanami tried, remember. No paid time off for shaman.”

 

“A vacation.” Satoru insists, “We’ve never even had a honeymoon.”

 

“We’re not married.”

 

“We are. We are. Everyone knows we are. Who cares about technicalities.”

 

“My parents don’t know.” Suguru bites his earlobe, “My mother lectured me before you arrived. She said I need to make it official before you get tired of me and that I shouldn’t have let you fuck me and mark me without something real. I’m ruined now. I’m used goods. No one else will want me.”

 

“I’ll marry you today.”

 

“What if I want to stay your whore instead of your housewife?”

 

“Then you can be my whore. You can be whatever you want.”

 

“You ruined me.” Suguru’s voice is deliciously amused, “Will Gojo-sama take responsibility?”

 

“Yes.” Satoru thrusts harder, chasing something he can neither name nor understand. He only knows that Suguru is the only one that can give it to him. “I’m yours.”

 

“Is that all you can give me in compensation? Yourself? You think that’s worth enough?”

 

“That's all I have.” Satoru presses his lips to Suguru’s cheek, speaking into his skin, “Myself and everything I own. The Gojo clan. The estate. The accounts. The investments. My body, my eyes, my cursed energy, my techniques. I’ll give you all of it.”

 

“What about your voice? Your cock? Your awful jokes? The irritating way you pull my hair when you’re bored? Do I get all that as well?”

 

“If you want it.”

 

“I want it.”

 

“Then it’s yours. In payment.”

 

“Satoru.” Suguru tips his head back, “Harder.”

 

Satoru thrusts harder and licks at Suguru’s shuddering throat and gasping mouth. Sex is so good. It’s always so good. He wants it all the time. Without Suguru everything would be so boring. So rote. How would he find fun again? 

 

“Come on Satoru.” Suguru catches his mouth with his own, “Cum in me.”

 

Satoru cums. Suguru looks smug. 

 

“That’s my sacred Six Eyes sperm you know.” Satoru says, breathless with pleasure and even softer for it. 

 

“Mm, then it better not go to waste.” Suguru smirks and shifts, “And we have to bike back. Why don’t you clean me up?”

 

“That’s nasty.” Satoru goes to his knees at ludicrous speed to shove one of Suguru’s legs over his shoulder and his face into Suguru’s cunt. 

 

Suguru finishes quickly but Satoru needs to make sure he’s all cleaned up properly so Suguru is a little overstimulated and irritated by the time they go back to their bikes. 

 

“You’ve just made it even harder for me to bike now.” 

 

Satoru is unrepentant, “Live a little babe, we’re young and hot, we should be having sex at least six times a day.”

 

“Six times a day?” Suguru gingerly swings himself onto his bike, “Is that an actual statistic you’ve picked up?”

 

“I did a survey of young hot people in our area.” Satoru explained grandly, “I just want to make sure we’re hitting a good average, not falling behind and all that.”

 

Suguru has to bike standing up but he’s smiling the whole time so Satoru counts it as a win. 

 

*

 

“I’m getting some new students in a few months. Yaga said so.” Satoru tells Suguru as they lean their bikes against the side of the general store. Satoru is in desperate need of some snacks and Suguru wants a drink so here they are. This is apparently the only shop in town. What a monopoly. 

 

“Really?” Suguru’s intense and complicated feelings about jujutsu society make it a little tricky for Satoru to approach conversations about work and the school and all the rest. Even so, Suguru is his best friend so he still feels the need to update him on everything that happens. It would be weirder to purposefully avoid topics with Suguru. Satoru just needs to watch him extra closely to figure out when Suguru is tipping off a shaky cliff and pull him back. Satoru gets Suguru’s perspective, he does. He’d considered killing all the elders himself but he’s not naive enough to think that would solve things. Unfortunately he doesn’t quite have the right temperament for “benevolent dictator”. 

 

“Yeah.” Satoru stretches as they enter the air-conditioned interior of the store, “I’ve already met one of them before, a Kamo, and he was alright.”

 

“Mm.” Suguru tucks his hair behind his ear, “What do you want to get?”

 

The snack selection is of reasonable size. Satoru goes a little insane. 

 

When they bring the basket up to the cashier the woman sitting there tapping away at her phone looks up and does an absolute double take when she sees Suguru. 

 

“Geto-kun?”

 

Geto smiles at her, “Naomi-chan.”

 

This is Naomi??!!! Satoru is losing his mind. Suguru reaches across and pinches his thigh lightly. 

“I heard you were back! How’s your father’s ankle?”

 

“Doing alright, we’re only staying until tomorrow.” Suguru explains. 

 

“Ah you’re living in Tokyo now right?” Naomi says with the tone of someone that doesn’t need their question answered because they’re already in the loop.

 

“Yes I am.” Suguru (because he’s well-mannered) puts a hand on Satoru’s arm, “This is Gojo Satoru, Satoru, this is Tanaka Naomi, we were in the same class in middle school.”

 

Satoru gives her his most charming smile, “It’s lovely to meet you.”

 

She flushes a deep red and nods back, “You too.” She looks back to Suguru, “How is it living in Tokyo?” She asks, obviously already aware of who Satoru is to Suguru without it having to be spelled out. 

 

“It’s much noisier.” Is Suguru’s charming response, “A lot more pollution.”

 

“Oh I can’t imagine! I read that when the pollution in the city is at its worst, going for a jog is the equivalent of smoking a pack of cigarettes!”

 

How fascinating. Satoru finds himself hooked. 

 

“How have you been Naomi-chan?” Suguru asks, “Are your parents doing well?”

 

“Yes, thank you for asking. I’ll pass on your well-wishes.” Naomi is very cheery, it doesn’t seem put on, “I’ve been very good! We haven’t seen each other since you left for High School but you probably already heard that Takashi and I ended up marrying and mating once we graduated.”

 

Takashi Takashi Takashi… why does Satoru… Oh my god! The other person Suguru kissed! From the party over the summer! Satoru wants to say something even if he isn’t sure exactly what he should say. Suguru pinches his thigh again. 

 

“Belated congratulations.” Suguru says smoothly, “How is Takashi-san nowadays?”

 

“He’s doing well, ah but,” And here Naomi sighs deeply, “He’s very frustrated by the recent legislation to reduce imports of wood pulp, it means the factory he works at is going to have to downsize and we’re just not sure…” She sighs again before rapidly brightening, “But Suguru-kun! You came at a good time, I’ve only just started telling people.” She beams, “I’m pregnant!”

 

“Congratulations.” Suguru says very sincerely. He nudges Satoru. 

 

“Yes, congratulations.” Satoru agrees. 

 

Naomi looks incandescent with happiness, “We’ve just passed the first trimester so it’s not very noticeable.” She says, hand going to cup her flat stomach. “What about you Suguru-kun, are you planning on having children anytime soon? I remember we used to talk about it in middle school.”

 

Satoru can’t hold himself back any longer, “Oh? What did you used to talk about?”

 

Naomi giggles, “Just things like baby names and how many we wanted and what genders and dynamics we hoped they’d be.” She pats her belly, “I have a feeling it’s going to be a girl.” 

 

“I’m happy for you Naomi-chan.” Suguru says, “I’m not planning on having children soon, work keeps us too busy.”

 

“Oh, what do you do for work?”

 

Satoru jumps in, “I work for my family business, Suguru works with me.” 

 

Naomi looks between the two of them and seems to understand something, “I see I see.” She nods, “I’m glad you’re happy in Tokyo Suguru-kun.”

 

“Thank you. By the way,” Suguru pretends to think for a second, “Do you remember Kento from our class? I can’t quite remember his last name. Whatever happened to him?”

 

“Oh my gosh! Aoki Kento! Ah Suguru-kun you would never believe, I can’t believe you haven’t already heard. He tried to attack Nishiya-san’s nephew when he came to visit, I think this was during our second year of high school. Nishiya-san got the police involved and they tried to arrest him but he ran away! He’s been missing ever since, I think the police have questioned his family maybe a dozen times but they really don’t know where he is now. I heard a rumour that he ran away to Hokkaido. How scary!” 

 

Naomi imparts the gossip with real relish. Suguru nods thoughtfully, “There was always something off about him.” He says. 

 

“I agree! He was always a little strange.” Naomi finally finishes bagging up their snacks though she doesn’t look ready to stop talking. 

 

After a few more pleasantries and Suguru excusing them by saying his parents were expecting them back home they were finally released. 

 

“Wow, that Aoki Kento huh.” Satoru comments as they leave the shop. 

 

Suguru is frowning, “If he’s not dead… I wonder how big the curse he created is.” Suguru sounds really hateful. 

 

Satoru knows better than trying to lighten the mood, “Want to go hunt it? We have a lead.”

 

“Hokkaido isn’t much of a lead.”

 

“We can use it as an extension to our vacation.”

 

“A honeymoon for the wedding we haven’t had?”

 

“Just say the word, I’m on one knee baby.”

 

Suguru chuckles. 

 

“Hey,” Satoru wraps an arm around Suguru’s waist, “I can’t believe you kissed both Naomi and Takashi and now they’re married and having a baby. It’s the same Takashi right?”

 

“I’m assuming so, there’s only one Takashi in this town.”

 

“That’s wild. How did she not bring it up?”

 

“She probably doesn’t remember.”

 

“What?!” 

 

“Satoru… a lot of stuff happens between the ages of twelve and eighteen that’s better left forgotten.” Suguru smiles at him indulgently, “Saving yourself is generally unusual.”

 

Satoru frowns, “But isn’t that… isn’t it weird? It’s like if you kissed Shoko and Nanami and then they got married and had a baby.”

 

“It’s a little incestuous.” Suguru agrees, “But no one takes anything very seriously. People will talk for a few days and then it’ll get buried under the newest update. There weren’t that many of us at my school so people were limited with options of who to experiment with.”

 

“Experiment?”

 

Suguru raises an eyebrow at him and Satoru pouts, “My omega is so worldly and smart and I’m a naive fool.”

 

Suguru laughs gently and leans into Satoru’s side where they’re walking next to each other, “If you say so.”

 

They walk in companionable silence for a while longer, savouring the warm evening air and countryside quiet. 

 

“Should we drive all the way back to Tokyo instead of teleporting?” Suguru suddenly suggests, “It must be tiring for you to be teleporting so many times in a few days.”

 

It really isn’t and Suguru knows that. Satoru stares at him and adores him. 

 

“Sure, but you have to drive part of it. Eight hours is too much for me.”

 

Suguru laughs, “I’ll drive most of it. Come on, let’s say goodbye to my parents. They’ll likely ask us to stay for one last meal.”

 

“I could survive one last meal, but make it quick, we have to hit the road soon if we want to make it back home by a reasonable hour.” Satoru winks. 

 

Suguru huffs, looking away, bangs swaying in front of his eye, “They’re… stuck in time. When I come back here it feels like stepping back more than a decade into a life that no longer has any space for me. I feel so foreign.”

 

Satoru pulls Suguru in closer, “Do you feel like that right now?”

 

“You make it feel real.” Suguru says, he’s still looking away, “Like a reminder that everything really happened. That the person I am now makes sense.”

 

“You’ve always made sense.”

 

“No, I don’t think I have.” Suguru exhales softly, fluttering moths wings.

 

“You’ve always made sense to me. A to B to C to D. Suguru is logical even when he has unplumbed depths.”

 

Suguru gives him a look but doesn’t comment on Satoru resurrecting unplumbed depths. 

 

“If I make sense then everything makes sense.” Suguru says. 

 

“Everything makes sense.” Satoru agrees. 

 

Suguru looks at him and Satoru knows he doesn’t believe him, but that’s fine. He can convince Suguru. He has time and he can make it make sense. 

 

He can make it true. 

 

He can make it true. 

Notes:

I was struck by the urge to write this follow-on and again like part 1 it basically wrote itself! I wanted to write a Gojo Satoru side and this is what happened. It's not as expansive timeline wise or plotty and introspective as Suguru's side. It's basically two days and lots of conversations and unhinged sex haha. I love writing two characters' opposing perspectives on the same relationship because it's so interesting to think about where things align and diverge. Seeing Suguru through Satoru's eyes after seeing him through his own!

This is set timeline wise a few years after the first fic but before the Yuji part of canon so all the kids are in the picture and a little grown up but not canon ages yet. Ages are a little ambiguous! Like part 1 this was written quite quickly so if anyone notices any spelling/grammar errors please let me know, thank you!

As always I hope you enjoyed! Thank you so much for reading!

(Btw the title is from Yukon (Interlude) by Joji)

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of ABO satosusgu